Chapter Twenty-Eight

Warhawk sat with his arms crossed biting his lower lip, this wasn't the time for silly jokes or clever banter. Perhaps the best indication that this situation was not a pleasant social call was that Question the ultimate 'non-joker' was standing in the room.

The older man had "accidentally" not reported in any fashion when he met the Golden member Diana of Themyscira earlier that day. This fact, however, would not have been such a massive fuckup if… a simple kidnapping hadn't escalated into an all-out invasion of Apokolips in a matter of hours. Rex Stewart the de facto leader of the New JLA, also didn't appreciate being kept out of the loop when one of their founding members and financial support for their entire organization had been kidnapped.

"I'm sorry," The faceless man said, sounding sour at the declaration, "but this wasn't the JLA's business. Wayne is a private person. I doubt the old badger would want… interference." He explained as if this statement was enough.

"That wasn't your decision to make. Dealing with a threat of this magnitude. Should have been documented and the proper clearance and personnel should have been assigned. Now the…" Before Kai-Ro (Buddhist monk Green Lantern) could finish, Question sneered and spoke over him.

"See… That is the problem with the JLA! We go through the 'Proper channels and procedures'… Meanwhile, we have an entire world falling apart!"

"And yet, we are on the brink of a full-scale invasion…" Big Barda said speaking from her experience as a previous Apokolipian and former Fury.

Rex wanted to bang his head against the table, he'd heard this particular argument a dozen times over from the old codger. If it were up to Question, they would run and jump into every situation that seemed just a little fishy. Yes, sometimes it burned his backside when their hands were tied and couldn't assist when they could or should… But this wasn't the old days when the League first started. When they did things the way the original JLA had, innocent people were put in prison or just outright killed.

Deciding to nip the tirade in the bud, he raised his hand stopping the older man from arguing further, "We've gone over this and you know why we cannot be super-cowboys anymore. That isn't how the JLA works. We deal with the larger planetary issues. Which brings us back to the reason why you are standing here."

"Look, at the time, I had no idea how big this was going to be. I was helping out an old friend. If I was clear we were dealing with danger at this level, I would have turned it in... However, an insubstantial threat doesn't seem to warrant the League getting involved." Question replied with a hint of indignation punctuating his tone.

"I can understand not reporting because you thought it was outside of our usual jurisdiction, but not even filing a report means you neglected the role assigned to you here at the watchtower. How can we continue to trust you to do a necessary job when you try to play lone detective?" Aqua-Girl asked calmly.

"Are you insinuating... Never mind. I believe I know exactly your meaning. Fine, I will get my belongings and see myself out!" Question turned on his heels and with a sway of his trench coat, he marched towards the door. Before he fully crossed the threshold, the older man paused for a brief moment and spoke his last words, "It is true that this place once stood for true Justice… But you have bastardized its true purpose by giving into the politicians and governing bodies below. Justice will forever remain blind in your presence."

As he exited, the council room remained silent. Each member mulling over Question's words, while some have already dismissed the very thought.

"I don't mean to sound indifferent to his reasonings… Regardless of how much better we are able to do things his way, we still save lives. And his way creates havoc. Superman once said, 'What makes a person a hero is not one's powers, but that they have the wisdom and the maturity to use their powers wisely.' It is our responsibility to act with wisdom with the tools we have. Because we have learned firsthand, the position we are in cannot be taken lightly." Warhawk said looking at each member in the eyes and seeing the resolve in the other council members.

"Now, we must discuss the 'Red-level' invasion. We can have a team provide support within thirty minutes. Are there any opposed to this reaction?" Warhawk asked the room.

---

Robin didn't know if she had ever been in a worse situation than this? Laying at the bottom of a pile of rubbish, her blood spilling out of her… pooling around her. She wondered if the same kind of thing happened to her mother. She was outmatched and caught off guard. There wasn't a point in pushing onwards.

She had failed.

She would never find her mother.

Or maybe she would… and soon… in death.

The Parademons looked at their defeated victim with disinterest. She had led them on a chase that had excited their more beast-like nature but it was over now. Slowly they began to exit the room. The automatons would remain longer but they still had the battle to experience and needed to leave.

With each step, the creatures took away from her, something inside Angela felt irritated. She knew she couldn't give up here. They would find Terry, her grandfather, or her Dad… and they too would wind up just like her. No, she couldn't let that happen!

Unseen by the surrounding creatures, her diamond-shaped tattoo on her forehead began to glow dim amber light in the folds of her cloak. Suddenly, the diamond shape began to blur, transforming into a light ancient script that very few would be able to understand.

Then the script shot out in several directions snaking their way throughout her body, steam could be seen by the naked eye, rising from the recently inflicted wounds. Soon the worst of her wounds healed and her fractured spine repaired. Opening her eyes, they too began to glow… all six of them.

At first, Angela didn't understand what was going on. She only knew… that she felt amazing. She could feel the ebb and flow of the energy around her and the connection it held over everything in the room. Suddenly, she understood what must have happened.

Her small fingers brushed her forehead where the tattoo used to be. 'The seal!' she thought excitedly. Unlike her mother, the diamond on her forehead didn't hold an all-powerful demon that constantly replenished her powers. No, the diamond, though fashioned to appear like her mother's, only held within it, her own power. A power she had been storing for three years.

When she was just a small girl, her parents were very excited that she had psionic abilities. But to her own disappointment, possibly because she was only a quarter demonic, she didn't have half the power her mother could wield. Although Angela's parents loved her and didn't see her as anything less than what she was, there were times she felt very useless. That was, until she found she was very adept at sealing.

Sealing wasn't a skill that was considered 'combat friendly'. In all honesty, unless given time to prepare… Sealing was completely useless. But in one of the old texts that she studied had described one seal that was perfect for her.

This seal would siphon off a small amount of her power and store it for later use. There were several problems with the idea, primarily being she would never have complete control of her aptitudes unless the seal was discharged. And it would take years for sufficient energy to build up before it would be useful… Evidently, it was useful.

Rising from the floor, her face still bloody from the recent trauma. A vapor that seemed to outline the shape of a bird surrounded her. Catching the sight of the girl first, one of the androids shot towards her in blinding speed, its arm outstretched to grab the small girl by the throat. But as soon as the mechanical arm got within reach of the petite girl a flash of light seemed to radiate out from her hand and the android fell to the ground into two halves.

Smirking at the surprised looks on her other opponent's faces, she picked up the severed head of the android. Walking a few light steps toward them she said, "It's on bitches…" Then she tossed the head and with a giggle that seemed to come from every part of the room at once, the small girl disappeared.

Parademons completely taken off guard stepped back in fright, but they never expected the attack to come from underneath them. Claw like hands grasped their ankles and dragged them beneath the stone floor depositing their now lifeless bodies in solid stone. The androids though had a life-like appearance held no essence and thus were the easiest to dispose of. With a wave of her hand, Angela sent energy at them, which condensed the space within their structures and created three trash piles on the spot.

At the moment she felt more powerful than she ever had, but she knew one thing for certain… This power was not infinite. She would run out and soon. She needed to find Terry and Bruce and leave this place immediately.

---

The display on the keypad flashed green and a metallic sound escaped the door as he swung it open. Inside was a cot with chains a mandible to cuff the wrists and what seemed to be a heavy bloodstain on the white sheet. Dick was vaguely aware that he was shaking. He wasn't sure why the League of shadows wanted Bruce, but the very idea that he had been here tortured… made him want to put a fist through the wall.

He refused to believe that the person he once knew was no more. Bruce was his only avenue left to find his missing wife. No, the only thing that was absolutely certain by this display was, someone had been here. Not that it was Bruce.

Looking away, he continued. He had to think clearly. If Ra's wanted to keep someone hidden, it probably wouldn't be as easy as just walking through a few corridors. Most likely there was a hidden entrance… Scanning the walls, he couldn't spot anything that stood out, everything was average everyday items any ancient tomb made into a hidden base should have.

Trying to not get frustrated, Dick closed his eyes and that was when he heard it. The whisper of air and a hint of heat coming from somewhere around him. Feeling around the walls, he found a brick that seemed to be loose. Without fully realizing what he was doing, Dick pressed down, and the wall started rescinding into the floor.

It was unlocked! With any luck, all of the security alerts wouldn't cause him too much attention, thankfully the front line had back up. Dick knew that the only thing he had going for him currently was the element of surprise. He wasn't going to give that up if he had the choice.

Without much hesitation, he quickly strode forward into the dark doorway the wall had revealed and crept slowly into the hallway. He could hear a deep murmur from someone that sounded familiar, yet the inflection was different somehow. Like someone reading from a script and using a different accent.

Soon the hallway opened up into a security control room overseeing a massive dome-like room. Below was roiling liquid that held similarities to magma, if it weren't for the fact it was green. There were three operatives controlling what appeared to be a metallic structure suspended above the liquid. On closer inspection, there was a man still half strapped to the structure unconscious… Bruce. He should have known.

What twisted experiment were these bastards doing?! Suddenly what seemed like a bolt of lightning struck the metal wires maintaining Bruce's support. The only thing that went through his mind was, "I have to get that off of him!" Before he shot the three operatives with his Wing Dings and jumped through the glass window shooting out a grapple.

By the time he reached Bruce the structure had already caught fire and his father was slowly roasting alive. Luckily, he reached almost instantaneously, or there might have been some real damage. With the sword on his back, he ripped through the supports holding Bruce and shot another grapple to land on the stone floor nearby.

With a quick check on Bruce's vitals, Dick decided that he was still healthy.

"Ah, thank Zenthos…" He said out loud, but his relief was short. The laughter that filled the room made his blood run cold. Looking up he spotted someone he almost forgot still existed.

Suspiciously he asked, "Damian?"