WHEN HEROES GATHER
Book 2

Prologue
Before the light, there was the darkness.

Before the physical, there was the spiritual.

The beings that were of the spiritual had no form, no
visibility, and, therefore, had no need of the light. They existed
only to wait, though they knew not what they waited for.

Then The One spoke.

"Let there be..." And there was.

The first was the light. The darkness that had once covered
creation now had to share its domain.

Then came form. A host of forms suddenly began to appear. And to
these forms was given free passage through both the light and the
darkness.

Those who had waited now knew their waiting was over. They were
to be shepherds—protectors—of these forms. But there were those among
the spiritual that saw these forms as intruders, and usurpers, and
chose, instead, to sew chaos among the forms.

These spiritual beings set themselves up as lords over the
forms, and The One allowed it to occur. He then chose from the
spiritual that remained certain ones to become lords as well to
maintain a balance. The One proclaimed these his "Lords of Order" to
constantly strive against those calling themselves the Lords of
Chaos.

To one Lord of Order, a glimpse of the future was given, as well
as a task. There would come a day when certain of the Lords of Chaos
would raise up creatures of their own making to wrestle the world
away from the Creator's chosen. It was this Lord's task to prevent
this lest the One's chosen think it was the end of days.

And so this Lord of Order began to plan.



Part 1
It had been an eventful night at the Queen estate. Oliver and
his son, Connor, secretly Green Arrow and Speedy, respectively, were
awakened by the presence of an intruder. Making their way through a
series of secret passages, they were working their way towards the
kitchen when Connor disappeared down a side passage. Once he reached
his destination, Oliver found himself staring down the shaft of an
arrow and straight into the face of the legendary Bat-Man.

"We need your help," the Batman said.

Easing the tension on his bow, Oliver lowered his weapon. It
only took a moment for him to realize that the man in the cowl
couldn't be the original, so he must be the one who recently made an
appearance in Gotham.

"So, you're the Batman."

Batman was just about to explain his intrusion when two women
entered the kitchen, an arrow trained at the their backs.

Oliver knew he was in no danger from Batman, so he turned his
attention to his son's "prisoners". He, as well as the Batman,
immediately noticed that the black-haired young woman in the One
Million BC outfit was constantly moving to keep herself between the
tip of Connor's arrow and her companion. He motioned for his son to
lower his weapon.

"We need your help," the chestnut-haired woman said.

Connor stepped around the two women to join his father. It was
then that he got his first glimpse of the Batman. His mouth dropped
open and Oliver couldn't help but smile.

"Since we seem to be so popular this evening, Connor, who do you
think should explain their intrusion first?"

Connor never hesitated. "Batman."

"I defer to the ladies," Batman replied.

Oliver nodded. "Well, miss," he said to the woman, "tell me what
I can do for you."

"I am...Huntress," the woman said with some hesitation. "Shakira
and I come seeking a champion who will return to Shamballah with us
and free our people from the tyranny of Deimos."

"Who sent you?" Oliver asked. "And who is this Deimos character?"

"Our journey was at the urging of the sole surviving member of
Shamballah's royal house," Huntress explained. "Deimos is a foul
wizard who took advantage of ancient prophecies to usurp the throne."

"And you think I'm this champion you seek?"

"This is where our journey brought us."

Batman listened intently as Huntress went into greater detail
about the prophecies, her mission, Deimos, and Shamballah itself. He
took a little comfort in the knowledge that at least one prophet
thought Earth was going to survive the alien's arrival, but he still
understood that the victory would come at a price.

In the years leading up to him becoming Batman, Bruce Wayne had
trained himself to sort whatever information he heard and store it in
his head for future reference. While he heard every word Huntress
said, however, he caught himself watching the one called Shakira. He
quickly returned his attention to her companion.

The woman finished speaking and looked expectantly at Oliver.

"Let me hear what the Batman has to say before I give you an
answer," he said.

"The princess needs you to save her kingdom," Batman began. "I
need you to help save the world."

Both Huntress and Shakira were shocked that their secret was so
easily revealed by the strangely garbed man, but neither of them said
a word.

Batman continued speaking. "The world is in peril just as her
prophecies foretold. There is an alien creature of immense power
headed towards Earth that, if it isn't stopped, intends to destroy
the world. My father, brother, and I are assembling a team to stop
this creature."

"Like the Justice Society?" Connor blurted out.

"Very much like the Justice Society," Batman replied. "In fact,
Quicksilver, one of the original members, has already joined our
cause. Although, he has done so under a new identity."

"But, he vanished at the end of World War II," Connor stated.

"You seem to know a good bit about the Society," Batman
commented.

The boy smiled, but his smile quickly faded when his father
spoke.

"Too bad he doesn't know when to keep his mouth closed and
listen."

"We've also been joined by the children of Wonder Woman," Batman
added. "There are a couple others as well."

"Sounds like your new Society certainly has an impressive
pedigree," Oliver said. "With all of these people, why do you need
me?"

"Perhaps," Huntress said, "you play a part in the victory over
this creature." She looked at Batman. "I offer the aid of Shakira and
myself in this coming battle."

"Your assistance is appreciated," Batman assured her, "but, are
you certain you want to risk getting involved? If something happens
to you, who will free your people?"

"If I believe any part of the prophecy, then I must believe it
all. If a warlord is to restore the royal house, then I have nothing
to fear for my safety. You seem to have ascertained my true identity.
I am the princess of Shamballah, and I shall be returned to my
ancestral throne."

By the tone of her voice, Batman knew the decision had been
made. He looked at Oliver who responded with a shrug that said "why
not?".

"Alright," Batman said, "Let's go meet the others."



Part 2
"That was weird," Lois said as she raised a hand to her temple.

"You and Donna now know the full capabilities of your devices,"
John told her.

"Just because John telepathically implanted my knowledge into
your brains," Rachel added, "doesn't mean you are automatically
experts. Experience is still the best teacher, and that is something
neither of you have."

"My brother has a training area in the cave," Gar told the
girls, "if you want to practice, that is."

"Cool," Donna said. "Are you coming, Apollos?" She took him by
the hand and began to pull him along.

"Uh, I guess so," he said.

John felt a wave of resentment wash over him, and he glanced at
Lois as she followed her friends to the training area. He felt a hand
on his shoulder and knew it was his wife's.

"Don't worry about her," Martha said.

John smiled. "So, when did my wife discover she had telepathic
powers?"

She returned his smile. "This has nothing to do with telepathy.
This is about the heart of a teenage girl suffering through its first
major crush."

"Then I shall leave this matter up to you," John said as he left
his wife to join Clark and the Flash in the original Bat-Man's inner
sanctum.

"I...hey! Wait a minute!" Martha called after him.

Her only reply was the words "I love you," whispering inside her
head.

Rachel walked up beside her. "Men," was all she said.

Martha took the younger woman by the arm. "I would appreciate it
if you went with me to talk to Lois."

"It's my pleasure," Rachel replied.

"I think I would like to hear this as well," Diana said as she
joined the two women.

Arm in arm with her new friends, Martha led them to the training
area.



Part 3
A solitary figure hung in the air above the decimated African
village. He had never seen such wholesale slaughter. Even at forty
feet above ground, the stench was unbearable. For the first time
since he had become the possessor of the scarab, Michael Carter truly
regretted the magically enhanced senses it gave him.

Less than a minute later, the man now known as the Blue Beetle
heard something approaching from behind. He turned and saw a large,
blue metallic insect hovering in place. After pointing to a clearing
just outside of the village, man and machine returned to the ground.

Dust still hung heavy in the air as the only survivor of the
village dropped through an opening in the craft's undercarriage. The
Blue Beetle was there to meet him.

"Mbulaze," the costumed man said. "Are you sure you want to see
this up close?"

The native nodded. He would have preferred to be anywhere else
in the world, but in his heart, Mbulaze knew he had a duty to his
people.

"I must see if there are survivors," he said, although he knew
there would be none. "It is my duty to bury those that did not."

Ted Kord joined the two men.

"My God," Ted said. "Even from here, the stench is horrific."

"Perhaps it would be best if you stayed here," Beetle told his
friend.

Ted thought for a moment. "No, I will be alright. Just let me
grab something from the Bug. Besides, at a time like this, Mbulaze is
going to need every friend he can get."

"Thank you," the native replied.

Ted returned to the Bug. When he re-emerged, he was wearing a
blue and yellow body suit.

The transformed Michael smiled at his friend. "You've been
donning that costume for the past six months; have you decided on a
name to go with it?"

"I'm thinking about calling myself "The Scarab". What do you
think?"

The Blue Beetle shrugged. "Work's for me."

Ted pulled a blue mask over his head. It covered everything but
his eyes, which were protected by a pair of amber goggles.

Together, the three men entered the village.

Blue Beetle's first impression upon entering the village was
that what he had experienced in the air had, in no way possible,
prepared him for what he now faced.

He had never given any thought to how many flies existed in
Africa; now, he couldn't believe that there were any flies left
anywhere else in the world. Everywhere he looked, crawling blackness
swarmed over everything.

Mbulaze was a blur of sorrow as he ran through the village
trying to shoo the insects off of the bodies of his friends and
family. He fell to his knees as the realization of the futility of
his actions overwhelmed him. A felt a hand on his shoulder and looked
up.

"There is nothing left for you here," Blue Beetle said. "What is
your burial custom?"

"What do you mean?" Mbulaze asked.

"Do you bury your dead in the ground, or do you cremate
them...burn their bodies?"

"To prevent sickness, the bodies are burned." Mbulaze's voice
was almost a whisper.

"Then we shall help you do what has to be done," Ted told the
native.

For the next several hours, the three men prepared the bodies of
Mbulaze's friends and families. As the two costumed men gathered the
bodies, Mbulaze began dismantling their huts to be used in the
funeral pyre. Once they had completed their gruesome and sorrowful
task, Ted returned to the Bug and was soon hovering in place above
the unlit pyre.

"I wish to speak the words of farewell," Mbulaze told Blue
Beetle.

The costumed adventurer nodded. He was surprised at what he
heard.

"And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed
are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the
Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do
follow them."

"That is from the Bible," Blue Beetle said.

"That I do not know," Mbulaze replied. "When the white men first
came to our village many, many years ago, one of the warriors died.
They spoke these words, so the elders repeated them at each death."

"You have done your people a great honor," Beetle told him. "Are
you ready?"

Mbulaze nodded.

Michael gave Ted the signal and the Bug's antenna began to glow.
With amazing precision, a thin beam of light fell upon the gathered
grass and it caught fire. Tracing a path along the edge of the pyre,
flames soon surrounded the bodies of the murdered villagers.

At Mbulaze's request, the men remained until the last embers had
burned themselves out.



Part 4
General Eiling paced from one side of his makeshift office to
the other, a forgotten cigar stub clenched in his teeth. After
several moments, he realized that the only thing his pacing was
accomplishing was wearing down the soles of his shoes. The general
returned to his desk and turned his attention back to the self-
appointed task at hand.

Mrs. Adam,
It is with a heavy heart that I must inform you...

The general crumpled up the paper and tossed it at the trashcan
that already overflowed with inadequate condolences. He lifted his
pen to make yet another attempt when he heard a knock at the door.

A second later, a nervous corporal poked his head in. "Sir.
Green Lantern is here to see you."

"Green Lantern?" General Eiling asked. "Ah, yes," he said after
a second of thought, "the man in the colorful suit. Send him in."

The corporal disappeared, and a moment later, the man calling
himself Green Lantern entered.

"I apologize for taking so long to get here," the man in green
and black said. "Your people wanted to make certain there was no
radiation. There wasn't, so here I am."

"Son, I don't know where you came from just when we needed you
the most," the general said, "but I can't tell you how glad I am to
see you. I just wish you could have gotten here a few minutes
earlier."

Green Lantern nodded. He knew what the general was alluding
to. "I tried to get him to leave with his men, but he wanted to save
the project if it was possible."

"Nathaniel Adam was an exemplary military man," General Eiling
said. "Now, I've got to find a way to tell that to his parents."

"He wasn't married?" the other man asked.

"The Captain was a lady's man, and, thank God I don't have to
tell all of them what has happened, but his true devotion was to his
country." Eiling's face beamed with a mixture of pride and mirth.

After a moment of silence, the general looked at Green
Lantern. "Son," he said, all hints of bravado gone, "we got us a
major problem."

"The alien," Green Lantern replied. "Yes, I know."

"If you could contain the power of the Q-Bomb with that ring
you're wearing, then you might just be the miracle we've been praying
for."

"If you believe in miracles, general," the costumed man allowed
himself a slight smile, "then let me give you another one."

General Eiling was intrigued.

"You're going to have more help facing this monster than you
realized."



Part 5
Theodore "Ted" Knight ran his fingers through his thinning hair
and closed the file on his desk. Were he still on Earth, he would
have finished his day with a cigarette; as head of the U.N.
Watchtower project, he didn't have that luxury. There was a
strict "No Smoking" policy in the lunar watchtower that everyone knew
was for the best.

"That officially takes the hostile alien matter out of our
hands," he said as he put the file in his out basket.

While his secretary would collect the file and enter it into the
computers, the main committee at the U.N. still required a hard copy
for their files. Ted had the personal opinion that no one had taught
them how to turn their computers on, let alone call up and review a
file.

Pushing his chair back, he started to stand when his door slid
open. He smiled at his visitor.

"David," he said, "I hope you have come to tell me that your
mother has dinner waiting."

David Knight gave his father a half-smile and shrugged. "I wish."

One of the advantages to being the head of the project was that
Ted had gotten to bring his family with him; David's abilities would
have gotten him to the moon even if he hadn't been the boss' son.

David Knight had followed in his father's footsteps by
specializing in stellar radiation, and had helped develop a few of
the project's long-range scanners. He was the one on duty when the
hostile had first been spotted.

"We've picked up a spacecraft approaching," David told his
father.

"Good Lord." Ted shook his head. "Has someone been mailing out
galactic brochures? Come to Earth. Meet interesting people. Dominate
us and destroy our world before you leave."

"Actually, we don't think it's as bad as that," Ted's youngest
son, Jack, said he entered the office.

Unlike his scientist brother, Jack was only here because of his
father. He had been forced to accompany the family and, once at the
watchtower, he had been trained as a communications technician. While
he still griped about being torn away from his friends, he had taken
to his new life and duties we relative ease.

"What do you mean?" Ted asked.

"We've just received a communication from the spacecraft."

This announcement took both Ted and David by surprise.

"It appears that at least one of the aliens speaks English."



Part 6
The sleek gold and green Thanagarian star cruiser slowed to sub-
light speed as it entered the outer reaches of the Sol system.

"They seemed surprised to hear an Earthman calling from the edge
of the solar system," Adam Strange said, "but, at least, they know we
are coming."

"What about Despero?" Byth asked.

"We've been directed to dock at the Watchtower. They will answer
our questions there."

"What is this "watchtower"?" Katar asked.

"A lunar base," Adam replied. "It is a joint project maintained
by a majority of the counties on Earth. Despite the fact that it is
on the moon, it seems to have done wonders in help maintaining
relative peace on Earth."

"Well, then," Katar smiled, "lay in a course for the Watchtower."

"At our current speed, we should arrive in just under two Earth
hours," Byth confirmed.

* * * * *

Every view port on the docking side of the Watchtower was
occupied. Word of the arrival of an alien spacecraft had reached
every corner of the station, and everyone not on duty was curious to
see the strange visitors. No one was disappointed when the
Thanagarian cruiser drifted into view.

By the time docking was complete, Ted Knight, as well as his
family and several members of administration, were at the airlock
waiting to greet the visitors.

In their time travelling together, Adam had taught his native
tongue to Katar and Byth so they had no trouble understanding the
words of greeting that awaited them. Kara, though new to the group,
had picked up enough of the Earth language to at least understand
most of what was being said.

When the airlock opened, the inhabitants of the Watchtower were
surprised at how human their visitors appeared. Katar Hol, wearing
his winged harness, and Kara, attracted the most attention. It was
Adam, however, who stepped forward to greet their hosts.

"Welcome to the Watchtower," Ted said.

"Thank you," Adam replied.

"May I ask how you have come to know our language?"

Adam grinned. "Mrs. Lykins—P.S. 143."

"P.S.?" Ted asked. "You have public schools on your planet?"

"You should know," Adam grinned, "unless you aren't from Earth
like I am."

"So you all are Earthmen, er, and women, er woman."

"Just myself," Adam explained. "Katar, the one with the wings,
and Byth are Thanagarian; Kara is Kryptonian."

"We are tracking the monster that destroyed our homeworlds,"
Katar added. Byth and Kara nodded.

Before the conversation could go any farther, Ted dismissed the
assembly, then led his guests to one of the nearby conference rooms.

"We need to talk."



Part 7
The Batmobile streaked through the night followed by a hunter
green motorcycle and sidecar. There was still a few hours of travel
ahead of them before they reached their destination, but the
importance of what lay ahead removed all thoughts of tiredness from
the minds of both drivers.

Green Arrow glanced at Princess Tara, who insisted on being
called Huntress until she was once again seated on her family throne,
and smiled at the expression of excitement on her face.

"How are you doing?" he asked.

"I am well, thank you," she replied. "Much of what I have seen
in the past few months would be considered sorcery in Shamballah."

"Sounds like an interesting place," he said as he turned his
attention back to the vehicle in front of him.

Inside the Batmobile, Speedy was petting the soft, black fur of
a cat that not two hours ago was the girl they knew as Shakira.

"Wow," the boy said for the twelfth time. "I still can't believe
she turned into a cat."

Batman smiled. "If you think our little cat-woman is the most
amazing thing you've ever seen, you are in for a big surprise when we
reach the Batcave."

Shakira, too, amazed Bruce, but not for the same reason as
Speedy. When he looked at Diana, he saw the pinnacle of noble beauty,
but when he looked at Shakira, he saw a beauty that was more primal.
It was like comparing the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel to a
cloudless Montana sky at midnight.

"Who else is in your Justice League?" Speedy asked, interrupting
Bruce's thoughts.

"Like I told you, there's myself, my father, my brother,
Superboy, Wonder Woman, Flash, Atom, Halo, and Phantom Girl," Batman
said. "Counting your dad and you, plus Huntress and Shakira, we total
thirteen."

"That don't sound too lucky," Speedy said.

"We could count Clark Kent," Batman said, "although he would
probably be considered part of the support team."

The young boy was feeling very much at ease around the Batman,
so he began a barrage of questions about his new teammates.

"What's your dad's codename?"

"Manhunter."

"And your brother?"

"Changeling."

"Cool. Are any of them my age?"

"My brother, Superboy, Halo, and Phantom Girl."

Speedy asked a dozen more questions and Batman answered them
all. They ranged from "Which girl is the cutest?" to "What can the
other kids do?" His final question caught Batman completely by
surprise.

"What kind of power does the evil alien have?"

"My father is positive that it has telepathic abilities," Batman
said. "Beyond that, we're not certain."

Speedy thought for a second. "Dad built us a couple of arrows
that emit a high-frequency pulse; that should make it hard for him to
concentrate."

Batman couldn't help but smile. If the other kids were as
focused as Speedy, the alien might be in for a big surprise.

* * * * *

It was nearly dawn when the Batmobile and the Arrowcycle came to
a stop inside of the Batcave. John, Clark, and the Flash were there
to meet them.

Bruce began to make introductions when he realized that Shakira,
still in cat-form, was still asleep in the car. Gently, he picked her
up and began to pet her.

She purred and opened her eyes.

"And this is Shakira," Bruce said.

At the mention of her name, the cat leapt from his arms and
transformed back into a girl.

"But you," she glanced at Bruce, "can call me Catwoman."



Part 8
Alfred had a sumptuous breakfast prepared for the members of the
newly formed Justice League. Princess Tara and Shakira especially
enjoyed the meal, having never tasted anything like it before.

While they ate, Martha discreetly studied her guests; only her
husband sensed that she was up to something.

"What are you up to?" he asked her telepathically.

"I was just trying to picture Apollos and the girls in
costumes," she replied with her thoughts.

"But, they don't have costumes," John thought.

"Exactly."

John realized what his wife was up to and smiled at her from the
other end of the table.

* * * * *

Clark hung up the phone. "Well, that was interesting."

"Did you get to talk to the president?" Diana asked.

"Sure did."

"So," Flash said, "who is the president nowadays?"

"Sanderson Hawkins," Clark told his friend. He turned his
attention back to Diana. "I had to use my JSA authorization code to
get to talk to him. We have an appointment with him at 10:00 AM
tomorrow."

"Want me to zip you two down to D.C.?" Flash asked.

"We could fly," Diana offered.

"I've not been in your mother's jet forever," Clark
grinned. "How soon can you have it here?"

Diana concentrated for a few seconds. "Playing it safe? About 30
minutes."

"I'll let John know it's coming," Flash said as he disappeared
in a burst of super-speed.

Seconds later, Diana "heard" John giving her the exact
coordinates of a small, secluded clearing on the Wayne Estate.

True to her word, the invisible jet landed 30 minutes later. The
only indication that there was anything unusual about the clearing
was the three patches of flattened grass where the wheels touched the
earth.



Interlude
"Early risers here in Entebbe, Kenya were greeted by a light
breeze carrying the acrid scent of burning flesh.

"Officials have told us that the military is searching for the
source, and that a statement will be issued once anything is known.
As soon as we know.... Wait! Here comes one of the military vehicles
now."

"We'll see if we can get a word with the captain."

Translated from Kenyan. "Captain, can you tell us what you have
found?"

"Terrible. It was a funeral pyre...for an entire village. Must
have been over a hundred people. The ground...soaked with blood." The
captain, visibly shaken, enters the capitol building.

End translation.

"On a continent where civil wars have claimed almost as many
lives as the Holocaust, what else must the captain have seen out
there."



Part 9
"So, you are the famed Superman," President Hawkins said as he
rose to shake his visitor's hand.

"Please, Sir," Clark said, "just call me Clark."

"Alright, Clark," the president agreed. He turned his attention
to the young woman.

"Allow me to introduce Princess Diana, the Thymesciran
ambassador to the United States," Clark said. "Princess, the
President of the United States, Mr. Sanderson Hawkins."

"It is an honor to meet you, Mr. President," Diana said as she
offered her hand.

"Considering your mother's service to this country, the honor is
mine," the president smiled.

For the next hour, President and Thymesciran ambassador
discussed the various ways the two nations could benefit as allies.
Special visas would be offered to any Thymesciran who wished to teach
at an American university. Women in the military would be eligible
for deployment on Thymescira to receive additional martial training.

"Seems like America is reaping all of the rewards from this
union," President Hawkins said.

"Ours is a somewhat sheltered life," Diana replied. "While ours
is a long-lived race, strict isolationism does not allow for a new
generation."

"Point taken," the president agreed. "But as much as I love my
country, are you sure you want to introduce a lot of our problems to
your people?"

"No country is perfect," Diana said. "Perhaps by working
together, we can improve both of our nations."

The president started to comment when a young man in a dark blue
suit entered.

"Pardon me, Mr. President."

The president apologized to his guests, then turned his attention to the young man. As the young man whispered, the blood drained from President Hawkins' face.

After the man had gone, the most powerful political figure in
the world bowed his head and sighed.

A minute, then two, of awkward silence passed before Clark broke
it.

"Mr. President? If you wish, we could continue this meeting at a
later time."

The president looked up and blinked, almost as if he had just
realized that he wasn't alone. "Please, forgive me," he
apologized. "If you wouldn't be too terribly inconvenienced, I think that might be for the best."

While she knew the importance of diplomacy, Diana suspected that
this was a time to be blunt.

"Does this involve the alien?" she asked.

"Because of Clark's JSA clearance, and your mother's," the
president began, "I will be frank. I don't know how you found out
about this, but, yes, it is. I was just informed that the creature
was sighted emerging from the Chesapeake Bay."

"Then it is a good thing Mother had me had me bring an
additional outfit," Diana said as she stood. "Clark, could you please
contact Manhunter and tell him it is here?"

"Young lady," the president asked, "what are you doing?"

Diana lifted her arms out away from her side and began to twirl
around. A painless explosion of light erupted silently from the
windless vortex Diana had created, obscuring the vision of the two
men.

When the light faded, Diana stood before them dressed not in the
white ceremonial gown she entered the office wearing, but in the
costume her mother once wore with pride.

"A trick my mother taught me," she replied to the president's
question. "Now, where is the Chesapeake Bay?"



Part 10
The minute the alien's head-fin broke the surface of the water,
chaos reigned.

While the majority of the crowd along the shore fled, leaving
most of belongings in exchange for a safe getaway, there was still
those who sought to capture Despero's image on videotape. Those who
did so at a distance would see the fruits of their perilous labor on
the news coast to coast for the next several weeks. The few, however,
who tried to get their shots at a much closer distance, became little
more than statistics of the slaughter that the alien wrought since
arriving on Earth.

The first attempt of resistance to Despero's advancement was
from D.C.'s finest. They made a valiant, but futile, stand in the
defense of their city. Their sacrifice was enough to delay the
monster until the military arrived.

For those who hadn't been watching the television, or listening
to a radio, or had regarded the distance sounds of gunfire as none of
their business, could not ignore what happened next. The loud echo of
exploding mortars and grenades triggered the mass confusion of an
unorganized evacuation attempt.

The soldiers halted Despero's forward progress only minutes
longer than the police had, before they, too were forced to withdraw
and regroup.

The alien snarled something in a language that no human mind
could translate, then continued its destructive trek towards the
White House. After the resistance he had already faced, Despero was
surprised, and slightly amused, when a female of the species dropped
out of the sky and landed lightly in front of him.

Thymescira's princess heard every word the soldiers said as she
stood as a buffer between them and the alien. Her attention, however,
remained fixed on her foe.

"I think I'm in love."

"Check out that body."

"Who is she?"

A shadow fell over the soldiers, and a voice from above answered
the question.

"Judging by the outfit, I would say that you were ogling Wonder
Woman," the voice said.

Diana kept her attention focused on the alien. It was only after
the speaker and a couple of others joined her that she risked a
glance at her new companions.

"Don't worry, Miss," a colorfully clad man said. "The Metal Men
are here to help."



Part 11
Despero took a step forward, and the heroes attacked.

Commander Steel and Robotman were the first to advance,
attempting to flank the alien and keep its attention divided. In a
concerted move, both Metal Men launched potentially crippling kicks
aimed at their foe's knees.

Despero stumbled for a brief instant, then took another step.

Not to be denied, the attackers struck the alien from behind,
one at the base of the skull, and the other in the kidney. The result
of their actions was not what was desired.

Faster than human sight or electronic sensor could register, the
alien spun around and caught both of his attackers by their wrists.
As though they were little more than rag dolls, Despero tossed them
both into the Chesapeake Bay.

A shadow fell across the remaining combatants as the Metal Men's
aircraft, the Stripe, streaked towards the bay.

As Despero turned back around, the full force of a Texas tornado
concentrated into a three-inch diameter funnel struck him. He
staggered backwards.

"Remember our first meeting, Cyborg?" Red Tornado asked. "Now,
it is your turn."

Cyborg did remember. He released a million decibels of white
sound at the alien.

Again, Despero staggered backwards, but he still did not fall.
Instead, he gave a roar of anger and charged.

Cyborg's voice suddenly went from sounding very human, to
sounding much more like a machine as the alien's massive red fist
caved in the right side of his chest plate.

"Internal...integrity...compromizzzed. Syzzztem...shut
down...imminent."

Red Tornado pulled his teammate out of the alien's way as a
crimson vortex began to form around the two Metal Men.

"I am sorry, Wonder Woman," the android said, "but I must try to
save my friend."

"Go," the Amazon said. "More help is on the way."

Despero looked at Wonder Woman with a contemptuous sneer.
Placing his hand on her chest, he shoved her backwards. It didn't
surprise him when she reached out to him as he fell. What did
surprise him were the consequences of their combined actions.

Using the natural strength of her Amazon heritage, and the skill
she now attributed to her recently discovered father, Wonder Woman
executed a perfect monkey flip on the alien.

For the first time in his existence, Despero was taken off his
feet. He was not happy. The cheering of the crowd did not help.

Scrambling to his feet, Despero struck his opponent a glancing
blow in the shoulder as she advanced. It was enough to spin her
around.

Diana was a warrior-born, however, and knew to expect a follow
up attack. With a precision that seemed choreographed, she struck
with a kick that would have been the envy of any martial artist.

Despero took the full brunt of the attack in the sternum, then
grabbed her leg and gave it a vicious twist. Everyone watching the
live broadcast of the battle could hear the sound of breaking bone.
Or, rather, they would have had not the sound of Diana's scream
drowned it out. Like a child tired of playing with an old doll, the
alien carelessly tossed her aside and continued on is way.

* * * * *

"I see the alien," Ted Kord said as the Beetle approached the
shore. He and both of his passengers winced as they saw the creature
toss an attractive woman aside.

"Try to get above it," Michael said. "I'll transform and hit it
from above."

"What should I do?" Mbulaze asked.

"When we land, get to the girl and get her to safety," Michael
told him.

With the basics of a plan in mind, Ted flew the Beetle in closer.

* * * * *

A bank of monitors in the Batcave showed what the rest of the
country was seeing on their televisions.

There was a sense of urgency when Diana arrived to face the
alien. The sudden appearance of the Metal Men seemed to be an answer
to the rest of the Justice League's prayers, but in no way reduced
their need to hurry.

After they fell, however, and Diana began to fight the alien
alone, Apollos could not be kept from his sister's side.

"Flash," Bruce said, easily falling into command mode, "go after
him. We'll be right behind you."

The nod of Flash's afterimage was the only response Bruce
received.



Part 12
The Flash easily caught up with his young teammate. He realized,
however, that if they survived the coming fight, and Superboy grew to
become a Superman, the two of them could one day have a doozy of a
race.

"Slow down, kid," he said. "We can't rush into this without a
plan."

"He's trying to hurt my sister," Apollos said. "I plan to stop
him."

Flash knew it would be impossible to argue with such child-like
logic, so he never tried. "You help your sister, and I'll try to move
the spectators back."

Apollos nodded.

Climbing a little higher in the sky, the boy decided to see how
his sister was doing. Letting his immediate surroundings blend into
the peripheral, he began to focus on the battle still several miles
away. What he saw brought a cry of pure rage to his lips.

Before Flash could blink, Superboy was gone; the scent of
scorched air was all that remained.

While the Beetle was still in the process of descending, Mbulaze
witnessed something that his two companions missed completely.

"Did you see that?" he asked. "A man in red just ran up and
carried the woman off. At least, I think it was a man."

"What do you mean you think it was a man?" Ted asked as he
brought the Beetle's nose up to compensate for the rate of descent.

"He was moving faster than I thought possible. All I saw was a
blur."

Before he could expound further on what he saw, a second blur
entered his field of vision.

"It's a boy," Mbulaze said. "A boy is attacking the monster."

What happened next occurred so fast that the African couldn't
believe what he saw. The destruction that followed was all that was
needed to make a believer out of Mbulaze.

Superboy flew at Despero as fast as a speeding bullet. To
everyone's surprise, however, the alien's reaction to this new attack
was almost instantaneous.

Despero's right hand shot out and clamped around the boy's face,
stopping him cold. Despite the fact that the impact shattered several
of the bones in the alien's hand, he did not relinquish his hold on
the now unconscious Superboy. Seeing the shadow of the descending
Beetle, he allowed the impact to spin him around and build up
momentum.

Mbulaze barely had time to shout a warning as the Son of the Amazons was thrown at the Beetle.

Michael Carter saw what was about to happen and clutched his
mystical scarab. "Khaj Da!" he shouted, and was instantly transformed
into the Blue Beetle.

As Superboy's body tore through the craft's underbelly and
carried on through the roof, the transformed hero grabbed his two
companions and escaped from the doomed vehicle.

Ted Kord's crowning achievement plunged to the ground while
Apollos' body disappeared into the clouds.



Part 13
Scooping up his battered teammate, Flash carried Wonder Woman to
Bethesda Hospital. He paused just long enough to fill out the
necessary paperwork, and to contact Manhunter to tell him about Diana.

The hospital staff had been following the battle on both the
television and the radio in hopes of being prepared for the
inevitable rush. They had all seen, or heard the description of,
Wonder Woman's valiant stand against the creature.

Among the first to arrive at the hospital were the injured
police officers. Seeing the broken and battered body of the girl,
those not in critical condition insisted she be taken care of
immediately.

Although the total time it took for Flash to carry Wonder Woman
to the hospital was less than a minute, by the time he returned to
the fight, it seemed like a different place.

A blue insect-looking aircraft was plummeting to the ground.
Above it, the seemingly lifeless body of Superboy was disappearing
into the clouds. (This news hit the remaining members of the newly-
formed Justice League hard when it was relayed to them en route.)
From a hole in the aircraft's hull, apparently made by his young
teammate, Flash saw three men emerge. Two of them were costumed and
the third looked like they had just picked him up in an African
village.

One of the men, dressed mostly in blue, was at least capable of
self-sustained flight and had above average strength since he held
the other two aloft as their bug-ship crashed beneath them.

Blue Beetle carried his friends far enough away from both the
crash and the alien before setting them down. In an instant, Flash
was there.

"This must be the one I saw," Mbulaze said in his own language.

"Do any of you fellas speak English?" Flash asked.

"We do," Ted said pointing to Michael and himself. "I'm Scarab,
that's Blue Beetle, and our companion is Mbulaze."

"I'm the Flash," the man in red said. "I pray that you are here
to help."

"We are," Blue Beetle said. "How was the girl?"

"If she's anything like her mother," Flash said, "then, she
should be fine." At least, that was his hope.

Despero caught a glimpse of color out of the corner of his eye
and turned to confront this latest threat. When he spotted Mbulaze
among them, a grin of pure evil appeared on his face.

He took two steps towards the group, then double over. A second
later, his head snapped back, pulling him off of his feet and
dragging him several yards through the air.

"I think more help just arrived," Scarab said.

A large-built man with an overly thick brow and emerald skin
slowly became visible. He was rubbing his knuckles. Within seconds,
the rest of the Justice League began to arrive.

"Yep," Flash grinned. "It certainly has."



Part 14
David Knight couldn’t believe how his life was turning out. Ten years ago, if someone would have told him that he would one day work on the moon, encounter aliens, and hitch a ride on an alien space craft back to Earth to use an invention of his against a hostile invader, he would have wondered what they were on.

At first, his father was against him coming along, but David put up a convincing argument. He had seen combat before as a UN Peacekeeper in Zandia, he was still a certified marksman, his brother Jack was the only other person familiar with his cosmic rifle, and, his most convincing argument, if the alien wasn’t stopped, they would all die anyway.

Despite all of his protests, when it came time for his son to board the Thanagarian cruiser, Ted made sure his son knew how proud he was of him.

“You know,” Ted had told him, “just in case.”

Of course, the real reason he wanted to help was because of the young lady sitting in the seat beside him. From what he could gather, she was the only survivor of a planet called Krypton. Katar believed that she had grown to adulthood while in suspended animation. According to Kara herself, she was only three years old when her planet was destroyed almost twenty years ago.

True, he was ten years her senior, but David had never met a more beautiful woman in his life. Her short-cropped blonde hair, and well-endowed athletic figure stirred feelings in him that, up until now, his devotion to science had kept buried. And if the world was going to end, he couldn’t think of anyone he would rather spend his final moments with.

“Your world is very beautiful,” Kara said, as she watched the image of Earth growing larger on the view screen.

Before David had a chance to respond, a warning siren began to sound.

“Incoming,” Byth shouted.

“I’ve got a target lock,” Adam replied. “Awaiting order to fire.”

Katar was just about to give the order when Kara grabbed his arm. “That’s no missile,” she said, “that’s a boy.”

“Switching to tractor beam,” Adam said, as he redirected the power and activated the tractor beam.

“Whenever you are ready,” Katar told him.

It only took a few minutes for Adam to latch onto the boy and bring him into the ship. When he was aboard, Katar, David, and Kara moved him to a makeshift cot.

“Rao,” Kara whispered.

“What’s wrong?” Katar asked.

“That’s my uncle,” the young woman said.

“Your uncle?” Katar and David said in unison.

Kara tilted her head in confusion, and then her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open. “That’s not my uncle,” she said, “that’s my cousin.”

“It’s Kal-El.”



Part 15
Despero was enraged. First, the female had actually knocked him down; now, this green-skinned creature not only knocked him down, but he hurt him. It did nothing to help is mood when even more costumed humans arrived.

One of the humans, the one dressed in black and gray, immediately began issuing orders and the rest began to fan out. The dark-skinned human from the village and the three humans with him joined the group. The leader said something else, and four smaller humans fell back behind the adults.

The alien allowed himself a malicious grin. Despite the numbers standing against him, Despero knew that he had found their weak point.

With a howl, he charged.



Part 16
The alien’s attack was vicious, and it didn’t take long for Batman to realize the monster’s true goal.

“Speedy,” he ordered, “move the younger Leaguers back. If you see an opening, take it, but under no means directly engage the creature.”

The boy in the hunter green Robin Hood costume nodded. He left his father’s side and began to shepherd his youthful teammates away from the charging alien.

Glancing at the red-and-blue clad figure on his own shoulder, Batman said, “Rachel, keep an eye on them, please?”

Manhunter met Despero head on, hoping to overwhelm the invader. This time, however, the red-skinned alien was ready for the Martian. As they contended for the fate of the world, the rest of the heroes began to leap into action.

Batman slid one hand into a belt pouch while opening a small compartment on his belt buckle with the other. As a stylized bat-shaped boomerang grew to full size, he attached it to a supple, steel line. At just the right moment, and with the skill of a master, the young man threw the weapon and watched as its momentum carried the line around Despero’s upraised arm. He held tight to the line and allowed himself to be thrown into the air as the alien swung his arm in an attempt to shake off the annoying line.

The Flash and Mbulaze took full advantage of Batman’s attack and rushed in. The African landed several dozen punches in the space of a heartbeat, but was amazed when he realized that the man in red had struck the alien several hundred times. Seeing the line stretch tight, the two speedsters pummeled the monsters a few seconds longer, then sped off.

At the apex of his wild ride, Batman gave the line a tug. With his descent in the direction of his choosing, the young man prepared himself for what was about to come. He knew that this was a distraction tactic at best, but he hoped it would allow his younger teammates to escape the creature’s attention.

Despero was fighting so hard to get past Manhunter, that he didn’t notice the descending Batman until it was too late.

The soles of Batman’s boots were reinforced to withstand the blast of a landmine, but they were of little use against the heavily muscled alien. There was an audible snap, and the alien’s head twisted to the left.

Unfortunately, the snap was the hero’s ankle succumbing to the force of the impact, and not the result of pain being inflicted on Despero.

In what appeared to be a callous move, Manhunter grabbed his injured son and tossed him away. In reality, the Martian’s actions were probably all that kept Batman alive.

As Mbulaze rushed in and retrieved the injured hero, Blue Beetle took advantage of the distraction and entered the fight.



Part 17
“We need a plan,” Speedy said, as he led the younger heroes out of harm’s way. “What kind of powers do we have to work with?”

The green-skinned Changeling was the first to speak up. “I can change into any animal you can think of, and I can even change its size.” To prove his point, a large, green hummingbird suddenly appeared in the air above where the boy stood just seconds earlier.

Speedy grinned. “Can you become a unicorn?”

Changeling became a unicorn.

“What about a griffin?” Speedy asked.

There stood a griffin.

“A feathered serpent?”

And he became a feathered serpent.

“I can become any real or mythological creature you can think of,” Changeling said, as he became a boy again.

“Cool,” Speedy said. “That gives me an idea.” He then turned his attention to the girls.

After hearing what they could do, the young archer began to plan.



Part 18
The alien roared in pain as the magically reinforced sinew drove a hard-as-steel fist into the small of its back. A second such punch dropped Despero to his knees. Before he could recover from Blue Beetle’s attack, Manhunter’s boot caught him under his chin and sent him sprawling backwards in the dirt.

Both heroes knew how dangerous their foe was, so they advanced with the intent of finishing the fight. Neither was prepared for the alien’s retaliation.

What first seemed to be a knot appeared in the center of Despero’s forehead, just above his thick brow. A horizontal slit began to widen until a third eye was glaring maliciously at his enemies.

In an instant, Manhunter was back on Mars watching his parents being tossed onto the funeral pyre. Unable to look away, he could only stare in horror as, following his parents, the bodies of his wife, and son, and stepson, and all of his new teammates were tossed into the crackling flames.

To any of those foolish enough to remain to watch the fight, it looked as if the hero simply let his arms fall to his side and began staring into space.

Blue Beetle’s reaction to the psychic attack, however, was somewhat different.

As Despero sought to force his way inside the mind of his opponent, the magic-born fabric of the man’s costume fought against the intrusion. Visible arcs of ancient magic leaped violently from place to place across the hero’s cowl, protecting him from invisible flashes of psionic energy.

Blue Beetle raised his hands to the sides of his head in an attempt to keep his head from splitting open.

The contest between magic and psionics was brought to an abrupt end when a bright green aluminum shaft seemed to blossom from the slitted pupil of the alien’s third eye.

Despero screamed, Blue Beetle staggered backwards, and Manhunter collapsed.

Flash and Mbulaze rushed in to rain innumerable punches against the alien. The pain from his mangled eye, however, drove Despero into frenzy. Spinning around, his enormous right hand was tugging at the arrow while his left hand flailed about wildly.

The veteran hero easily dodged the flailing arm, but was caught off guard when Despero finally tore the arrow free. He tried to dodge the alien’s elbow, but its erratic movements had not allowed Flash enough time to move completely to safety. Although it was little more than a glancing blow, the force of the contact between elbow and jaw was enough to drive Flash’s head in a direction it was never meant to go.

A loud snap and the hero known as the Flash fell with a broken neck. He died as fast as he lived.



Part 19
Every plan and every strategy was forgotten the instant Flash died.

Mbulaze scooped up the fallen hero and carried his lifeless body out of Despero’s reach.

Scarab drew a fat-barreled gun and fired bursts of painfully bright light into the alien’s face.

Green Arrow fired several more arrows at the creature, though none were as effective as his first shot.

With the speed and fierceness born to one who had grown up in the savage inner world of Skartaris, Catwoman raced in and leaped at the alien’s head, shifting to her feline form in mid air. Razor sharp claws began to rip at Despero’s fin.

Huntress drew her sword and began to close in.

And Despero went on the offensive.

The alien tore a chunk of earth loose and launched it at Scarab. Among the dirt was a rock that struck him in the shoulder. Pain raced the length of his arm, causing the weapon to drop from a hand that could no longer grip. Wisely, he backed away in hopes of formulating another plan.

Plucking an arrow from his chest, Despero threw it back at the archer. Green Arrow hissed in pain as the shaft buried itself in his right leg. Remembering the prophecy, Huntress broke off her impending attack and moved to defend the man who would restore her throne.

Reaching up, the alien grabbed the shapeshifter and tossed her aside. Had she remained in cat form, Catwoman might have fared better. As it happened, however, Batman staggered to his feet. A split second before the black cat was safe in his arms, it was a woman once again. The impact left them both dazed and breathless.

Not as far away as Batman wanted, Speedy, Halo, Phantom Girl, Changeling, and the Atom watched in horror as their teammates fell to the alien. They were still wiping the tears they shed for Flash when Speedy cleared his throat.

“We’ve got to do something,” the young bowman said. “If we can’t stop this alien, the world is doomed.”

“And I never even got to kiss a girl,” Changeling complained. This brought a much-needed smile to the faces of his teammates.

Lois leaned over and kissed his cheek.

Changeling grinned. “Let’s show this moron what we can do,” he said.

The young heroes nodded to each other, then set out to save the world.



Chapter 20
Speedy began the attack with the high frequency pulse arrow that he described to Batman less than a day earlier. His aim was every bit as true as his father’s, and the arrow buried itself into the mangled flesh of Despero’s third eye. The instant contact was made between metal and flesh, the high pitched squeal began to bore its way into the aliens brain.

Halo was the next to act.

Tapping the first and second button on her belt, the girl felt herself begin to rise off the ground as her force field was enacted. While the alien struggled with the second arrow it had been hit with, Halo flew circles around him. As she flew, she double-tapped the third button on her belt. Instead of releasing the burst of light that would discharge if she held the button, the energy began to pulse like a strobe light. Around and around she flew, double-tapping the button with greater frequency.

Despero finally gave up on the arrow and shifted his attention to the small human generating the dizzying light.

A green eagle flew overhead, and Halo knew that Changeling was almost in position. She let her light pulse a couple more times, then pushed the third button and held it. The burst of brilliant energy caught Despero square in the face, causing him to stagger backwards. Then Halo made a mistake.

Thinking the alien blind, she flew in closer than she should have. Less than two seconds before the tentacles of a giant green kraken wrapped around Despero, pinning his arms to his side, the alien slammed his fist into Halo’s force field.

The impact of Despero’s punch sent the girl flying wildly through the air. It took several support columns of a deserted parking garage to slow her down. She was about to lower her force field and crawl from the rubble when a loud groan and a shower of concrete dust warned her that the danger had not ended. Looking up, she saw a spider web of cracks growing in the ceiling above her. Lois barely had time to scream before the floor beneath her collapsed and the upper levels fell in on top of her.



Chapter 21
The kraken began tightening its grip and attempted to drag the alien back towards the bay. As Despero struggled, Changeling lifted his foe into the air then slammed him to the ground.

Come on, Donna, he thought. I don’t know how long I can hold this jerk.

Donna Troy had no idea what she was doing in such a horrible place. Looking at the destruction around her, she wanted nothing more than to run from the battlefield and hide.

Despite her terror, however, there was something deep inside that kept her where she was; she would not desert her friends.

“Phantom Girl,” a soft voice said near her left ear. “Remember the plan. I can’t do this without your help.”

Donna turned her head slightly and saw the red and blue clad Atom standing on her shoulder. “I…I don’t know if I can.”

Atom could feel the girl shivering with fear beneath her feet. “Listen to me, Donna. You’ve got to get me as close to this monster as you possibly can. Speedy and Halo have got that thing disoriented, now you have to get me close enough so I can get inside its ear and throw off its equilibrium.”

“Closer?” Donna asked.

“Come on, Donna,” Atom said. “You can do this.”

“I’m scared,” Donna confessed.

“We all are. But the fact that you are still here means that your fear isn’t controlling you.” Atom stroked a couple strands of the girl’s hair. “You’re strong, Donna. You can do this.”

Donna glanced in the direction that Lois had been sent flying.

“Listen to me, Donna,” Atom said, her voice sterner than the girl expected. “Get me close, then go check on Lois. Now, let’s go.”

Phantom Girl bolted forward with no hesitation. At the last second, she blasted the alien’s eyes with her black light, gave her teammate a toss, and then became intangible. Despero took a swing at her, but his effort was in vain. Donna stuck her tongue out at the blinded monster, then raced off to find her best friend.

* * * * *

Shifting herself to the size of a gnat, the Atom rode a light breeze straight into the alien’s ear. She had only gone a short distance when she heard an odd sound behind her, causing her to turn. Her only route of escape was gone, sealed up by a piece of crimson flesh that had appeared in the ear canal. With only one option available, she moved farther inside the monster’s head.



Chapter 22
Changeling could feel the alien beginning to break free. He hoped that whatever Atom was doing, she could get it done quickly. His thought was barely complete when Despero’s left arm slipped free. Since he was still behind the monster, Changeling decided to change tactics and form.

Despero suddenly felt the pressure of the green creature’s grip vanish. Before he could turn, however, he felt the sting of something ripping into the flesh of his back. Since both hands were finally free, he tore the arrow from his forehead, then turned his attention to his attacker.

As the alien spun around he was struck across the face by a large green talon. Changeling had decided that the savageness of the mythical griffin might be able to do more damage than the kraken, and it appeared he was right. With a nerve-shattering screech, he buried both of his griffin form’s talons into the alien’s shoulders, then brought his rear lion claws up to rake Despero’s lower abdomen and legs.

Despero roared in pain and rage and grabbed his attacker around his feathered throat.

Changeling began to shift forms, hoping to break the alien’s grip. When nothing worked, he started to panic. Before he realized what he had done, Changeling was back in his human form.

The alien’s grin was pure evil. Taking the boy’s small arm in his big hand, Despero snapped it like a twig.

Changeling screamed.

Despero broke the boy’s other arm.

Changeling screamed again. He screamed twice more as the alien broke both of his legs.

“Let him go!”

Despero turned and saw the young human who had shot him in the eye. He glanced at the now-unconscious child in his grip and callously tossed him aside.

Before Changeling could hit the ground, Mbulaze was there, gently cradling the boy in his arms and carrying him to safety.

When Speedy was sure his friend was safe, he took a step backwards and pulled another arrow from his quiver.

Despero glanced down at the arrow he had just pulled from his third eye, then back at the young archer. If he cared anything for courage, or fortitude, or heart, he might have been impressed at this, the only human still standing between him and this world’s seat of power. As it was, however, he saw only another victim waiting to die at his hand.

Before Speedy, or any of those who still watched the battle, could react, a beam of crimson energy shot forth and completely engulfed the boy. When it faded, all that remained was a patch of burnt grass.

With no one left to oppose him, Despero continued his trek to find this world’s leader.



Chapter 23
Green Arrow…no, not Green Arrow. It wasn’t the Emerald Archer that, ignoring the pain in his own injured leg, dropped to his knees during the battle to save the world from a monstrous threat from beyond. It was Oliver Queen, a man in a garish costume, clutching at the charred earth where his son had stood only moments ago. He damned himself for a fool, for who but a fool would lead his own son into a danger such as this.

Numb from the loss, the childless father became still. Unable to cope with what had just occurred, Oliver’s senses began blocking out the world around him. He no longer felt the weight of the dirt and ash that sifted through his gloved fingers. His ears were now deaf to the sounds of the battle’s aftermath that surrounded him. The taste and smell of smoke, and sweat, and blood no longer had any meaning. And all colors, save one, faded from view; to Oliver the whole world had become red.

Princess Tara of Shamballah felt her heart break as she watched this man upon whom rested her future. She could easily feel his pain, having lost her entire family less than a month earlier. She also knew that were she, or anyone else, to approach him at this moment, their life would be forfeit in the face of the rage that was building within him. Instead, the Huntress gripped her sword even tighter and stood guard over the grieving father until he was ready to release his rage.



Chapter 24
As Despero made his way, unimpeded, further into America’s capitol, a black dot in the center of the battlefield grew into the shape of a descending spaceship. The heroes who were still conscious, and many of the military medics who were rushing to administer aid, looked up in nervous trepidation.

A line of soldiers formed between the landing craft and the wounded. Although they had no idea what they were about to face, the raised their weapons and nervously waited for whatever that was about to happen.

A small section of the craft’s underbelly slid soundlessly back, and a ramp extended to the ground. There was a collective sigh when the first occupant appeared.

“We’re here to help,” Adam Strange said, as he walked down the ramp.

Byth was next, followed by Kara, David, and Katar Hol, who carried the still-unconscious body of Apollos. “Which way did the alien go?” the man in the winged harness asked, as he gently handed the boy to a nearby medic.

“I think he was headed towards the White House,” the medic replied.

Katar looked at Adam.

“Follow me,” the man said, as he raced off.

The sound of distant gunfire let the new group of arrivals know that Despero was meeting with resistance every step of the way. They also knew that whoever the brave souls were that were trying to stop the alien was in grave danger.

Byth allowed the others to pass him (Adam using a rocket pack, Kara flying under her own power and holding David under his arms, and Katar being propelled by the Nth metal in his belt and the wings on his back) so that he would have enough room to change his shape. In an instant, the small-framed bald man was gone, and a large Tamarean winged spider was leaping into the air.

It didn’t take long for the group of mostly extraterrestials to track down the creature that had destroyed their worlds. All they had to do was follow the ever-lengthening path of destruction. Overturned vehicles, shattered windows, and injured citizens were apparent ever inch of the way.

Propelled by his great wings, Katar led his group of stellar wanderers in pursuit of the creature that had destroyed their homes. Clutched tight in his fist, tight enough to turn his knuckles white, the Thanagarian carried a Khundian power mace—and the moment he spied Despero, he threw the thing with all his might. Despite the years of bottled-up pain and anguish that suddenly boiled to the surface, his military and law enforcement training kept his throw true.

The red-skinned alien roared in pain as the weapon, capable of putting a hole in any military armor on Earth, slammed into his back and released its charge. As the energy coursed through Despero’s body, it sought escape wherever it could be found.

Unbeknownst to any of the combatants, the moment weapon struck, it sent a stunning jolt through the near-microscopic Atom. Her unconscious form was carried out of the alien’s body on a wave of energy that erupted from his open mouth. When she regained consciousness, Rachel Palmer would realize just how lucky she had been.

As Katar swooped in to retrieve his mace, Kara flew close enough to the ground to drop David, then struck the alien as it turned towards its new attackers. With her hands clasped together, the next-to-last Kryptonian struck Despero under the chin.

Despero was lifted off his feet and went flying for several yards before the side of a delivery truck stopped him. Of those whom he had already fought, he judged this female to be nearly as strong as the green-skinned warrior who had struck only minutes earlier. This knowledge did nothing to improve his mood. Before he had a chance to counterattack, however, another combatant entered the fray.

Byth positioned himself above the alien, then dropped. Before he struck Despero. He transformed from the Tamarean winged spider into a Braalian thunderbeast. The delivery truck was crushed like a child’s toy beneath the added weight. Wrapping an elephantine trunk around his opponent’s throat, Byth could feel his body begin to vibrate with the building of energy. When he felt he could stand it no longer, the transformed Thanagarian released a thunderous roar that shattered every window in a quarter-mile radius. Despero was stunned, but still managed to separate himself from the monstrous beast.

A bolt of heated light struck him in his face, as Adam aimed his energy pistol to fire again. While it didn’t do any real damage to Despero, it did distract him from his forward progress. Adam noticed movement out of the corner of his eye and knew that David was preparing to fire his own weapon.

David let his instincts take over, and, instantly, the training he had relied upon in Zandia was in control. Raising his cosmic rifle, a weapon of his own design that was capable of harnessing and releasing stellar energy, he drew a bead on the alien’s forehead and squeezed the trigger.

Despero grabbed his forehead and dropped to the ground, rolling around in pain.

David tried to line up another shot, but the alien’s screams were deafening. Squeezing the trigger a second time, he watched as the energy from his weapon torn a nasty gash in his enemy’s side before slamming into an abandoned car and turning it to slag. He was about to fire a third shot when Despero grabbed a piece of the flattened truck and flung it in his direction.

The metal imbedded in the barrel at the precise moment David pulled the trigger. Adam was thrown to the ground as the weapon exploded, and David took the full force of the violently released cosmic energy.

His screams were nearly as loud as those of Despero. Without hesitation, Kara scooped him up and flew him back to where the medical workers were helping the other heroes.

These wanderers had caused Despero enough pain that he wanted nothing more than to rip them to shreds. Taking advantage of the creature’s rage, Katar, Adam, and Byth began hit and run tactics to lure him back towards the bay.

With murder in his eyes, Despero followed willingly.



Part 25
By the time Katar and his companions arrived back at the site of the initial conflict, Manhunter and Blue Beetle had recovered enough to re-enter the fight. And they were not alone. Along with Kara, who had turned the injured David over to the medics, Mbulaze, Catwoman, and Scarab, now holding a borrowed M-16 in his good arm, stood ready to challenge the alien again.

The moment Despero appeared, a scream of pure rage filled the air.

Emerald shafts shattered against the alien’s chest as fast as Oliver Queen could fire them. With each shot, he moved closer to Despero, ignoring his injured leg.

Huntress called his name, but the grieving father paid no attention to her.

Reaching over his shoulder, Oliver discovered that he was out of arrows. Taking his bow in both hands, he raised it over his head like a sword and, with a roar, charged.

Before even Mbulaze could react, a beam of green energy engulfed the archer. In the next instant, Oliver was protected by glowing green armor, and his bow was encased in a sword-shaped energy as well. With the strength of a berserker, he struck Despero.

And sliced the fin off the alien’s head.

If it hadn’t have been for his grief-filled rage, Oliver would have been as surprised as the alien at what he had accomplished. Instead, he screamed in anger as the green energy pulled him back out of range of the alien’s retaliation.

Once the man was clear, an impenetrable dome made of the same green energy surrounded Despero: his screams were as angry as Oliver’s.

“We appreciate your assistance,” Manhunter told the newcomer in green and black.

“You’re welcome,” the man replied. “I’m…”

“A Green Lantern,” Katar said, approaching the pair. “I didn’t realize that this section of the universe had one.”

“I’m new,” Green Lantern said, with a smile.

“Globe integrity is decreasing,” his ring informed him.

“If you will excuse me,” Green Lantern said, “I need to take care of this.”

As if to emphasize the urgency of the situation, tiny cracks began to appear in the globe, and what sounded like distance thunder began to grow louder.

“What do you need us to do?” Blue Beetle asked.

“Praying would be good,” Green Lantern replied, as he surrounded himself with energy and stepped through the barrier.

Inside, he met the full force of the alien’s rage.



Part 26
Despero lunged at the human in the green-and-black uniform, driving him back into the emerald wall. He let out a roar into the face of his captor.

Backed by the power of his ring, Green Lantern gave the alien a shove that sent him staggering backwards.

“Sorry, Finhead,” Green Lantern said, “but I’m not impressed. I’ve seen the end of this scenario, and you are in for a serious let down.”

For several minutes, the red-skinned alien and green-armored human battled inside the globe. Though he tried not to show his concern, Green Lantern was starting to get worried. He knew from the prophecies of Krona that he and his ring were instrumental in the alien’s defeat, yet, he had already created several solid light constructs and his foe, though battered, still stood. If anything, the man believed that his only true success in this fight, other than to stay alive, was to enrage the creature more than it already was.

This assumption was made perfectly clear when he was driven back not only against, but completely through, the globe of green energy. An instant later, the globe collapsed completely, and the alien was free and standing over him.

As the awaiting heroes leaped into action, the still-prone Green Lantern heard a voice from what seemed miles away.

“Free me.”

“Um, ring. Did you just say something?” Green Lantern asked.

“I have said nothing,” the ring responded. “Although, my energy capacity seems to have surpassed the 100% mark.”

“Free me.” The voice seemed closer this time.

“My energy capacity seems to have reached the 200% mark,” the ring informed its master.

“For God’s sake,” the voice cried, “free me!”

“Overloading,” the ring stated. “Perhaps you should…”

The ring never finished its comment. Green Lantern stretched forth his fist and whispered…

“Be free.”



Part 27
Green and silver erupted from the ring in a violent rush.

Green Lantern felt himself being sheathed, in the green energy, as he raised his free hand to support the hand bearing the ring. He knew immediately that it was for his own protection. As the energy surged from his ring, he felt himself being pushed backwards, two small trenches were lengthening in front of his unmoving feet.

When the last of the energy finally left the ring, Green Lantern stumbled to his knees. Looking up, he saw a man standing between him and the alien.

Without a moment’s hesitation, the man (Green Lantern wasn’t certain if he was a construct of the ring, or a real person) attacked the alien. Arcs of green energy danced across chiseled muscles, flashing like lightning with each punch.

Despero made several attempts to retaliate, but the newcomer kept him too off-balance. At last, however, the alien landed a solid blow—although it was more luck than anything—and the silver man was sent flying. Much to Despero’s chagrin, his foe never hit the ground. Instead, he seemed to float to a stop.

Like liquid metal, the man’s silver mouth flowed into a grin. Casually, he righted himself until he was hovering in an upright position. He tilted his head to the left and folded his arms across his chest.

“I know your secret,” he told the alien.

A look of pure rage appeared on Despero’s face, indicating for the first time that he understood all that he had heard.

Extending his arms out in front of him, the silver man began to gather all of the energy at his disposal.

“Green Lantern,” he called out, “bathe me in the light of your ring.”

Green Lantern did as he was told.

Addressing the alien once more, the silver man said, “Your rampage is at an end.”

A bolt of silver and green-laced energy erupted from his hands, striking Despero square in the chest. It ripped through his sternum and disintegrated a section of his spine as it burst from his back.

And Despero fell face-first into the dirt.



Part 28
Green Lantern stuck his hand out to the silver man. “I…know you, don’t I?”

“We’ve never been properly introduced,” the man said. “I’m…”

“Captain Adam,” Green Lantern said, with a smile. “I thought you were a goner.”

(Through the misunderstanding of a nearby rescue worker, the name “Captain Atom” was added to the list of heroes that had appeared on this day to face the rampaging alien.)

“So did I,” the transformed Nathaniel Adam replied. “When the Q-Bomb exploded, I could feel my body being broken down on the cellular level. Instead of being dispersed on the winds, the protective bubble you formed to prevent the devastation kept everything in the same general vicinity. With my last iota of consciousness, I sensed a safe-haven inside the source of the bubble, a place where life was sacred. I guess this source detected my desire to live, so it drew me in. It feels like I’ve been there for ages.”

After the things Green Lantern—Guy Gardner—had recently seen, he found it hard to doubt what the man said. Ah, well, he thought, things seemed to have worked out for the good.

Captain Atom glanced around at the battlefield on which they stood. “Perhaps we should offer our assistance.”



Part 29
Any lingering jealousy that Lois felt toward her friend vanished when Donna’s intangible face emerged from a crumpled girder mere inches from her face. The two girls had tears of joy in their eyes once they realized that they were each all right.

“Are you OK?” Donna asked, wanting to be certain.

“I am now,” Lois replied, with a smile. “Remind me to thank Rachel for this force field.”

Donna’s hand passed easily through the glowing shield. As she reached Lois’ arm, her fingers became solid enough to grasp the material of her costume.

Lois felt a slight tingle as she, too, became intangible.

“Now,” Donna said, “let’s get out of here.”

With Lois in tow, Donna was literally swimming up through the wreckage of the parking garage. Once she was certain that they were both well clear of the solid earth, she and Lois became tangible once more.

As the two girls made their way along the debris-strewn street, the discovered the now-grown Atom lying near the curb. It only took a few moments for them to revive the woman, and then the three friends continued searching for the rest of their teammates.

They arrived at the scene of the final battle in time to witness the alien’s collapse. As they looked around, they saw only a handful of heroes, some unknown to them, still standing.

Manhunter was standing at the back of an ambulance into which Changeling was being loaded. Batman was there also, although he was leaning heavily on Catwoman for support.

Green Arrow was knelt down in a patch of scorched earth, and arrow sticking forgotten from his leg. Huntress knelt at his side, her arm resting on his shoulder.

The three chose to approach the ambulance to check on Changeling.

“Thank God,” Batman said, as they approached. “Are you OK?”

“Just a little shaken up,” Atom replied, “but we’re all in one piece.”

“Where’s Speedy?” Lois asked.

Manhunter looked over to where Green Arrow knelt. “He…he didn’t…” Memories of the loss of his Martian family came flooding back.

“Oh, no.” Lois brought her hand up to her mouth. The quaking shoulders of the heart-broken father confirmed the awful truth.



Part 30
One Week Later

A large gathering of costumed individuals were assembled on a stage not too far from the Chesapeake Bay. Some stood on their own accord, some stood with the aid of crutches, and one young woman, accompanied by a handsome younger boy, was seated in a wheelchair. Standing in front of the group at a podium was the President of the United States, Sanderson Hawkins.

“My fellow Americans, my fellow citizens of the world, we stand here before you today through only the grace of God, and the valiant effort, and sacrifice of the ones you see standing behind me.

“A mere seven days ago, though to some it seems a lifetime, these people rose to the task put before them, and ended a threat that had brought the destruction of countless other worlds before its attention was turned towards Earth. Some of those stalwart defenders are still hospitalized due to their injuries, their conditions still unsure. Others paid the ultimate price to defend this world.

“One of those who died was a man known, over the years, by many names. When he faced the Huns of World War One, he was known as Blue Streak. Against the Nazis of World War Two, he was called Quicksilver. Upon the battlefield upon which we now stand, he fought, and died, as The Flash. Despite knowing, or, perhaps because of, the horrors of battle, he refused to back down from the threat before him.

“The other to make the sacrifice had never known the horrors of battle, yet, he, too, refused to show hesitation in the face of such overwhelming odds. Speedy, as he was called, armed with nothing more than a bow, a few trick arrows, and a lot of heart, boldly faced the threat that sent others, several years older than himself, fleeing for safety.

“No words that we can say can offer adequate comfort to their grieving families, but, rest assured, they, and the entire world, will remember, and honor, the sacrifice these two brave men made.”

The President nodded to someone offstage, and a lone bugle began to play Taps. A squadron of F-16s flying in the “Missing Man” formation streaked overhead. Off to the left, on the spot where Speedy fell, a large crimson curtain supported on a circular scaffolding fell away to reveal a larger than life bronze statue of The Flash and Speedy standing side by side. In his outstretched hand, The Flash held an engraved globe, while in an arm lifted high, Speedy held a miniature sun. On the plaque beneath them were inscribed the words “YESTERDAY’S WISDOM. TOMORROW’S HOPE. The valiant shall never be forgotten.”

As the President turned and began to shake the hands of those assembled behind him, offstage a woman and two elderly men were watching with tears in their eyes.

“Well, Terry,” Clark said, “what do you think?”

Terry Sloane looked up at Martha Jones and Clark Kent. “I think we are in pretty good hands. This new Justice Society…”

“Um, no,” Martha interrupted. “You old fogies were the Justice Society. This is a new day, and these are our new heroes. They’re the Justice League.



Epilogue 1
Queen Hippolyta waited impatiently for her old invisible jet to land. Princess Diana had told her that she would be returning without her brother, although she wouldn’t be alone. As the aircraft rolled to a stop, Thymescira’s ruler shifted anxiously from foot to foot.

When the door opened, two young girls assisted the island’s princess down the ramp. “Mother,” Diana said. “I would like you to meet my friends, Donna Troy and Lois Lane. I would also like you to meet Rachel Palmer”

Queen Hippolyta looked up as the woman started down the ramp. Whatever words of greeting he had prepared vanished when she saw that the woman was pushing a wheelchair.

“Oh, merciful Hera,” she whispered. “Is that…”

Diana gave her mother a mischievous smile. “Did I forget to mention that I was bringing my father back, too?”



Epilogue 2
Oliver Queen shouldered a black leather case that held his bow and extended his hand to Bruce.

“You are welcome to stay here,” Bruce said, as he accepted his friend’s hand.

“There’s nothing left for me here anymore,” Oliver replied. “Besides, I promised the princess that I’d help her get her throne back.”

John put his hand on the man’s shoulder. “You will always be welcome, both here, and in the Justice League.”

Oliver gave him a weak smile. “I appreciate that, John. Perhaps one day.”

“The pain does lessen, eventually,” Martha said, as she hugged the man. “Just remember—if you need anything, we’re all here if you need us.”

Oliver nodded. “Thank you for the use of the jet, Bruce. It will help us get where we need to go.”

Princess Tara of Shamballah came down the stairs to where the others were waiting in the entrance hall of Wayne Manor. Instead of the animal-skin bikini she wore when she first arrived, she now wore blue jeans, a white T-shirt beneath a long-sleeve denim shirt, and hiking boots.

“Are you ready?” Oliver asked the princess.

“Just as soon as Shakira comes down,” Tara said.

As if on cue, the dark-haired woman came down the stairs. She, too, had left the outfit the originally wore behind. Instead, she was dressed in black jeans, a black turtleneck, and black leather boots.

“I’m afraid I won’t be returning with you to Skartaris,” she said. Glancing at Bruce, she said, “I’ve decided to stay in the outer world for a little while longer.”

Bruce smiled, and hobbled across the floor on his crutches to stand beside the young woman.

Oliver gave his friend a smile, then looked around. “Where’s Gar?”

“He’s feeling a little blue, at the moment,” Martha said. “With the girls gone, and Apollos, er, Kal-El, spending time with his cousin, Kara, he says that his arms are hurting him and he doesn’t feel like talking to anyone.”

“Well, when he feels better, could you give him a message for me?” Oliver asked.

“Of course,” Martha said.

“Tell him that I’ll miss him.”

At that moment, the front door opened and Alfred entered. “Master Queen, the car is ready.”

Oliver reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a set of keys. He tossed them to Bruce. “Keep an eye on the place for me, will you?”

“You bet,” Bruce said.

With a final goodbye, Oliver Queen and Princess Tara followed Alfred out the door to the waiting car and a new life.



Epilogue 3
Beyond the veil that separates the seen and the unseen, a Lord of Order stood watching the Earth. The One’s chosen planet still lived, thanks to the efforts of a handful of its inhabitants, as well as the survivors of the worlds that didn’t.

He felt no remorse for creating Despero and turning the creature loose on the universe. All things work together for the good he reminded himself.

All of the players were in place, and when the Lords of Chaos finally made their move, they would be in for a big surprise.



The End