At the end of the Universe, at the last moment before the end of everything there was a fortress. It was the former home of a group of time preservers known as the Linear Men. It was called the Vanishing Point and currently it was where a time traveler and super hero known as Booster Gold was fixing his blue and gold costume from the 25th Century. It seemed fighting Doomsday always wrecked the costume no matter what reality he was in. The only consolation he had this time was that he could repair it instead of having to use a crude 21st century imitation, something he had to do after his first battle with the creature.
The sometimes avarice driven hero wondered what he was going to do. Zoom had managed to completely scramble the time stream and who knew what the universe would look like after it was put back together again. And it pissed off Booster Gold to no end given he'd been stopping things like that since working with Rip Hunter.
'Of course Superman, Hal Jordan and I couldn't stop Zoom," Booster Gold aka Michael Carter thought to himself as he remembered the encounter they all had with the yellow clad speedster while looking for Bruce Wayne aka the first Batman in the timestream. That he just appeared in the present to fight Black Glove without any problems kind of annoyed Booster. He then shelved that thought. 'I'd need the Justice League to face him but since the mess with Darkseid the team never was very stableā¦.or powerful.'
That also reminded him of what Prometheus had done before Green Arrow killed the sick super villain. The murder of so many lives to prove he wasn't a joke, including Red Arrow's daughter Lian. That entire string of events sickened Booster Gold.
"That tears it," Booster Gold said to himself. "If the timeline is going to hell; I might as well save some lives and get the League back together in something resembling working order. I just hope Rip can understand."
With his costume repaired, Booster went into the time stream and was prepared to right some wrongs. He wasn't sure how well this would work, but he had to try. Inwardly Michael smiled since he'd have the chance to dump his money grabbing cover and show everyone the hero he really was.
That he would stop the Titans name from being perverted by Deathstroke and his ilk was just a side benefit. One of many he would get.
V-V-V
Hal Jordan stood in front of a slightly worrying space age duct tape and superglue repaired window of the Justice League HQ. He looked at the Earth for a moment and collected his thoughts. So much had happened in a relatively short period of time and it was all crazy stuff even by his standards. Not the craziest for him however. The whole Parallax era and the Spectre host time were at the top of that and frankly the former test pilot hoped it stayed that way. Anything that could top that really would have to be worse than the rumored things the Doom Patrol had been through. He was really hoping the gay sentient street was just a rumor.
The Justice League had been through some major changes since the Crisis with Darkseid and that Monitor had happened. The Green Lantern recalled what he and Ollie had said after J'onn had died due to Libra and his gathering of super villains. How they'd make them pay and won't exactly be gentle about it.
Even if the Martian Manhunter came back, which Hal won't be too surprised if he eventually did, the Green Lantern wanted to send a message to super villains that they couldn't just kill super heroes and get away with that sort of thing. Even if heroes tended to come back from the grave, Jason Todd included.
So far after cleaning up the aftermath of what they hoped was the final Crisis, they hadn't done anything to track down the villain and the killers of their friend. The orbital base still bore some scars of short reign of Darkseid. And Hal wasn't sure what happened to supposedly dead dictator, not that was anything new, but the loss of Batman because of the New God also weighed heavily on him. Even with someone trying to fill the Dark Knight's boots in Gotham.
That Booster Gold, a hero that frankly he didn't like at all, told him if he ever tried to make a proactive team he'd shove his ring somewhere uncomfortable surprised him. Normally he'd shrug that off, but something about how the greedy hero said it kind of scared Hal. He'd never seen that flop so focused and frankly annoyed. It actually made Hal believe that Booster Gold was able to beat the Royal Flush Gang by himself when the money driven hero first joined the Justice League.
The Green Lantern of Sector 2814 shook his head and got his head into the game as he walked into the meeting room where all his team mates were seated. Hal noticed even this room had seen better days.
"I'll be brief," Hal stated in a firm and commanding tone to his fellow heroes. "We need to find Libra and all those that helped him kill J'onn. We cannot let that cold and calculated act go unpunished."
"I believe as chairwoman of the Justice League I have to remind you that we're currently under manned for that," Black Canary remarked. "Superman here is going to New Krypton to keep an eye on Zod, Wonder Woman is off doing...something, and Batman is..."
"So they're not available," Hal snapped harshly. "Most of the time they were just part timers or only one of them was available for the team at the time and we got by just fine." That the only time they were a trinity on the team was when he was dead was left uncommented on by all.
"Just as long as you're not saying we need to be proactive," Ollie quipped with his feet on the worn silver table and his chair pushed back. "That's never worked. Hell what happened to our former black ops team anyway?"
Sister Superior and her allies were supposed to covertly deal with threats quietly before they got to require the League but Alexander Luthor, Libra, Clock King and his whole lethal metahuman gladiator games, and Darkseid slipped through their fingers. If the Justice League Elite team not had killed them or some other unknown threat at some point. It was entirely possible, and frankly very likely. And to be honest most of them in the know had seemed to forget about them entirely.
"We have a black ops team?" Firestorm yelled in surprise. "When was someone going to tell me about that?"
Dinah glared at her husband for a moment. Did he really have to mention the Justice League Elite team so causally? Ollie just shrugged. Black Canary muttered something dark under her breath about her husband before looking at Firestorm.
"That's a long and complicated story Firestorm, and that team was disbanded a long time ago," Dinah Lance said in a firm commanding tone.
"And they haven't been returning our phone calls," Ollie remarked and undercut his wife. "Seriously we've been through seven or eight major messes they would have been useful and not a word out of them."
"Not surprised," Hawkman drawled with his arms folded across his chest. "They never were very reliable."
"The world is coming to an end," Ollie hammed up. "Carter and I are agreeing about something."
"I'm not sure if he's being serious or joking," Firestorm said to seemingly empty air but really to his telepathic girlfriend, named Gehenna, that he merged with in order to become the thermonuclear man. "Could have used the help when I put together a Justice League that lasted a week."
"You really formed your own Justice League?" Ollie gasped. "Trust me kid that's never easy. Especially when everyone suddenly seems busy with other stuff." It almost was a running gag on how bad that could get when Ollie tried to keep a team together during the mess with Alexander Luthor and nearly everyone got busy with their own problems or went into space with the just resurrected Donna Troy.
"I had Bulleteer, Super Chief, Ambush Bug and Firehawk," Firestorm admitted quietly.
"Jeez no wonder that lasted a week," Ollie snarked. "Black Condor, the Ray, and Plastic Man too busy to bother showing up for that?"
"Well you seemed too busy to do anything," the red and yellow clad hero snapped as he stood up. His hands glowed with atomic power.
"Enough!" Hal Jordan yelled and an emerald fist slammed into the table. "If none of you will help me, then I'll do this by myself."
Green Arrow got up and stood beside his friend. The Green Lantern had a feeling that his friend completely agreed with him on this course of action. And even with the most powerful weapon in the universe, Hal knew he needed a team to watch his back on this quest. Libra was no laughing matter either time he'd made trouble.
"I got your back Hal," Ollie said with a slight smile. "Like old times."
"Even with your wife being the head of the team we're leaving?" Hal remarked as he saw Black Canary's extremely sour expression.
Ollie winced and then laughed nervously. "I guess we can use your apartment as our HQ...since I'll probably need to use your sofa to crash on."
Vixen rolled her eyes at the banter between the two emerald clad heroes. "And you two think you can take on a group of villains that were able to kill the Martian Manhunter by yourselves?"
"She does have a point," Zaranna noted in a soft voice.
"Well we can always try telling people we're forming a team and probably get a bunch of people," Ollie mused with an amused expression.
"A call for justice then?" Vixen joked. She got a few polite chuckles at that.
"Something like that," Hal admitted as he encased himself and Ollie in a sphere of willpower based energy. The pair then took off.
"I'm amazed those two can even keep girlfriends," Doctor Light sighed. "They're like a pair of testosterone overcharged children."
Vixen looked at Black Canary. The Justice League chairwoman looked a bit annoyed that all the big guns for the team were leaving for one reason or another. And she hoped they could avoid the seemingly random changes in membership since the League reformed again recently.
"Recruitment drive?" the former super model asked with a slight amused expression.
Dinah Queen nodded. "Recruitment drive."
'I just hope we don't end up with three Justice League teams again," Black Canary mused remembering when Captain Atom, Wonder Woman, and Martian Manhunter all had their own teams. With them seeming to let any hero off the street into the team and most of them haven't even been on the League since then.
And to be honest Dinah couldn't remember who 90% of those people that joined in that era were. A trend she hoped to keep from happening again. She also looked at Firestorm with a thoughtful expression.
V-V-V
In a dimly lit and smoky bar in Hub City various super villains gathered for various reasons. Some to get a drink, others to boast, and then those trying to forget about how they got beat down by heroes. It was a quiet night so far with only a brawl between a pair of newbie super villains with "real fake" weapons they bought of the internet. Most of them doubted the one with a Mr. Freeze ice gun was going to be around long.
And the other was calling himself Kite-Man and using copies of that villain's gear. Everyone felt that you had to be crazy to want to be Kite-Man. Even if the original was dead, and it was rumored that he was eaten alive.
Suddenly the door flew off the hinges and was hurled inside. In stepped the last super hero anyone expected to come here. It was the Maid of Might herself, Supergirl. And her eyes were glowing red which in the poor lighting gave her an extremely very demonic vibe to the various super villain patrons.
"Where is he?" Kara Zor-El bellowed. "Where is Reactron?"
The various super villains were at least vaguely aware that Reactron had killed Supergirl's father with help from Metallo. And given the things pissed off Kryptonians like General Zod and his army had done, the super villains held no desire to withhold information from her. After all they had no idea how far she was willing to go to get that information. And if turned down she might snap and try to break them all into little pieces. Or vaporize them with her heat vision. It was a not something they wanted to see or experience ever.
"He's...he's in Gotham!" a minor villain Razer yelped when Supergirl's crimson stare was fixed on metallic blue and silver villain. "Prometheus is gathering a bunch of us there for a job!"
"What kind of job?" Supergirl asked an instant later nearly nose to nose with the slippery super villain. If her red eyes were scary at a distance, seeing them that close nearly made Razer lose control of his bladder.
"I...I don't know...probably try to take over the world or something," Razer managed to get out. Supergirl got out of his face and seemed satisfied with the for hire villain's answer.
"If any of you lied to me..." Supergirl let hang in the air with her eyes glowing even brighter red. "You won't be able to hide from for long."
As she walked out the villains counted their blessings. They didn't want to be in Reaction's shoes when Supergirl found him. While Superman was considered a big boy scout and even in this likely won't be pushed enough to kill; they weren't so sure about the current Supergirl being as restrained.
"You sure the Bat didn't adopt her?" Kite-Man said nervously at the bar. His half empty beer mug was shaking in his hands.
"Heaven help us all if he did," Bolt shivered.
V-V-V
At the West household in Keystone City, Wally West let out a sigh of relief. He'd finally gotten his kids, Jai and Iris, to go to bed. And was relieved to finally have the problems his children had with their powers and aging had come to an end. A nightmare was finally over for good.
Though the words of Professor Zoom about Jai growing up to end him haunted the third man to take the name of the Flash. He took a glance at his sleeping son and couldn't imagine that innocent looking child doing what Zoom stated.
'Then again he's the same man that claimed to be behind all the bad things that happened in Uncle Barry's life from the big to the small,' Wally mused for a moment. 'Of course he was a completely deranged stalker/fanboy in the first place.'
It made him remember the whole incident where Professor Zoom on his first time travel trip found out his fate and literally became Barry Allen for several months. It was to Wally one of his weirder experiences and frankly more frightening incidents as a super hero.
'And where I finally stopped holding back on my speed and for the first time truly be the fastest man alive," Wally thought to himself. And with that Wally put aside Professor Zoom's words and wondered if there was some way he could undo some of the crap the insane speedster from the future had done to his mentor just because he could with time travel. Perhaps Rip Hunter could help him. The thought of Zoom messing with history just because he could disturbed Wally on a deep level. It reminded him of Per Degaton that he remembered trying to do the same thing to the JSA once.
After a few seconds of deep thought, his JLA communicator rang. Surprised he was being called with Barry back, the third man to call himself the Flash picked it up.
"Yeah?" Wally asked a bit confused. The League really hadn't talked to him much lately. Not that he really started any conversations, but everyone seemed to be glad to talk to his Uncle Barry.
"I need your help," spoke a very, very familiar voice.
"Dick?" Wally gasped in surprise. "I mean sure but I thought you were Batman and to cut off from the Titans."
"I am Batman," Dick replied with a touch of humor. "But unlike Bruce I can admit when I need my friends."
"So getting the old team together?" Wally asked. "I mean if we leave the title alone Deathstroke might use it for some reason, like did with that 'Titans East' team he put together."
"That's not really funny Wally," Batman remarked in a very Bruce Batman tone.
"I wasn't trying to be."
"In any case, there is a huge gathering of super villains in Gotham" Dick Grayson stated getting back to business. "Which is far more then Damian and I can handle even with the help of the other local heroes."
Wally could almost hear the unstated "And I won't let what happened to Bludhaven happen in Gotham".
Having super villains wipe the city you protected off the face of the planet would do that. Wally wasn't sure what he'd do if Keystone or Central City were destroyed like Bludhaven or Coastal City had been. To be honest he tried to avoid thinking about that as hard as possible. He had enough nightmares of that idea as it was.
"Of course I'm in," Wally told his friend. "Though I'm surprised you aren't asking Barry to help you."
"He hasn't been in the game for a long time Wally, and besides I know you far better than I ever knew him."
That he was the first one to be called touched Wally. He had this weird feeling of Barry being asked for these sorts of things since the second Scarlet Speedster was alive again. Even though Barry had made it clear he was getting back into the swing of patrolling and guarding his city right instead of being a member of the Justice League.
However Wally had to admit Barry putting his civilian life together was coming before his being with any of them. He understood why, given he had to put his own civilian life back together recently. Just that Barry seemed to be extremely stand-offish to everyone, even Jay. It kind of annoyed Wally to be honest and reminded him they needed to talk to the second Flash about that.
"And are you bringing that arrogant little pest?" Wally asked to get his mind back on track. "You know there's a reason I won't let my kids anywhere near him."
"Damian has...other things to deal with," Batman stated diplomatically.
"You're not letting him show up for this are you?"
"Pretty much," Batman admitted rather quickly. "He's extremely good but this is beyond Batman and Robin level, and is frankly Justice League level."
That shocked Wally. He never thought any Batman would say that sort of thing. But Dick wasn't Bruce, thank god or the Source as he supposed that was God, for that. One Batman like the original was enough for this universe.
"Did you just admit there was something Batman couldn't handle without a team?" The Fastest Man Alive (or at least one of them) asked.
"I'm not the original Batman," Dick admitted. "He was very much a lone wolf. I mean the current Outsiders team was assembled to fill what he managed to do solo. As for me, I know when I need help."
"Well in that case I'm willing to help," Wally commented. "I'll be in Gotham, and if you think my daughter Iris can help us..."
"Wally I'm not sure she's ready for this," Dick interjected quickly. "At least at the moment."
"You have no idea how much that relieves me," Wally remarked in relief." I love her, but the business hasn't been easy on her."
"Like we had in the good old days as the original Teen Titans?" Dick mused. "Seriously I think half the comments on our original adventures are if we're kidding or not. Or what drugs were we using."
"Yeah those were pretty weird," Wally laughed as he recalled some of those wacky adventures. That was some crazy stuff they did and went through.
"Trust me I've been through weirder...a lot weirder," Dick said with an audible smile.
"Now you said this was Justice League level stuff," Wally said turning serious. "Who are you getting to help us? That Batwoman or the new Question?"
"As good as they are I needed more experienced heroes," Dick said. "See you in Gotham Wally."
The line was cut and Wally's clothes instantly turned into his dark red uniform and he was gone in a flash. There was work to be done. And he felt like he could take on the world and win. He finally was going to be working with his friends again.
V-V-V
Hal wondered where to go for a super hero lair as he flew through space to the Earth. There was the Happy Harbor cave, but it seemed like everyone used it at some point or another. It felt a bit over used for his tastes. Plus there likely was already a super hero team already using it for some reason.
The Detroit era League base was also an option, but he wasn't so sure about that. The equipment was out of date, he and Ollie weren't exactly house keepers and that version of the League didn't exactly end well. It didn't set the sort of tone he wanted for the new team they were assembling. It did remind Hal that one of Steel's cousins was a member of the JSA as Citizen Steel though.
And the JSA seemed to have about 3 teams worth of heroes that were on it or recently a part of it.
"Hey Ollie, you got any idea where we could hang out as super hero team?" Hal asked his best friend.
"You had that big speech and no idea where to go," Ollie sighed. At least he hadn't asked for him to back this League.
"Hello," the pair suddenly heard over their communicators. They both knew who it was instantly. Though they didn't expect for Nightwing to be pulling a Batman on them so soon.
"Kid is there a reason you're hacking into a secure system?" Ollie remarked. "Does Oracle know you're doing this?"
"I used to date her," Dick commented blandly.
"Hey you hear about how Hal got together with Lady Blackhawk and Huntress with a bottle of wine? To which I have to say nicely played sir."
"Ollie you do realize Hal just got drunk off his ass and fell asleep on a sofa right?" Batman told him in flat tone.
"That wasn't the story he told me," Ollie grumbled sounding annoyed and glared at his best friend. Hal shook his head.
"This from the man who threw away a relationship with one of the most beautiful women in the universe," Hal interjected loudly.
"Roy told me he and Starfire got a..." Ollie stated before being cut off.
"My personal life is not the point of this conversation! And you two are the last people that should be talking to me about this," Batman snarled. "Look a team of super villains is gathering in my city and I need the Justice League."
"And why not the Titans?" Hal asked sounding a bit confused. "They're your team and I'm sure you can get enough to be willing to help on this."
"Prometheus is the mastermind and leader of it and he is more than the shattered Titans teams can handle right now," Batman admitted. He felt it was his leaving that started the crumbling of the Titans.
"And you think you can build a Justice League?" Ollie remarked in a patronizing tone.
"If it was anyone but you or Guy I'd dare you to say that to my face, but I know you would," Dick stated with a touch of amusement in his tone.
That got a laugh from Ollie. "Of course I would."
"So Batman were you waiting for us to leave the League or were you going to ask them before we left?" Hal asked.
"Well to be honest I would gather the Outsiders for this but there already is one and they're out of communication with me," Batman admitted.
"The new version going to deal with that space station over the Moon?" Ollie inquired.
"I honestly have no idea," Dick said and made a note to look that up.
"Is there something you aren't telling me Ollie?" Hal asked with a confused expression.
"Yeah I was part of the Outsiders for a little while and it wasn't pleasant," the Green Arrow admitted in a quiet tone. "I got tortured in a Chinese military base, and Remac died because Black Glove didn't want the Outsiders to help Bruce fight them."
That surprised Hal a bit. He didn't expect his best friend to get involved in that sort of black ops. And he made a note to look into that space station over the moon if it was still there after this was over with the Justice League.
"So are you two in?" Dick asked them point blank.
"Can we go after Libra?" Hal answered with a question.
"After Prometheus is dealt with, yes we will."
"Then kid you got two Justice League mainstays for your team," Ollie remarked. "Let's just hope the rest of the team is ready for this."
V-V-V
In St. Roche Hawkgirl tried to sort her head as she sat on the ledge of a building. Things had gotten complicated for her, even by her standards. And given what that entailed, that said a lot.
'It feels so soap opera-like,' Kendra thought to herself. 'I finally was free of the whole reborn lovers stuff between Carter and myself and I fell in love with Roy. And after the mess with Darkseid the dreams started...'
Dreams of her and Carter back together again, and her being replaced with the original Hawkgirl. And then the original Hawkgirl turning into wind and becoming part of the atmosphere. Roy wasn't exactly supportive of that and she was avoiding Roy and Carter. And with Carter having returned to the Justice League after leaving the JSA; that meant for her avoiding the League for now as well. Which right now left her going solo as she sorted things out.
In the distance she saw a large metal object crashed onto Thomas Road. It looked like a giant robot to Kendra. That surprised her a bit given even the year Carter was living like one of the alien Hawkmen, the really weird sci-fi stuff didn't come to St. Roche. She leaped off the building and flew at the robot.
'At least the giant robots didn't," Kendra through as she hit the robot with her mace. It only got the robot's attention. Its hand glowed for a moment and he fired a burst of energy from his hand at the airborne heroine.
Hawkgirl swerved to avoid being hit by the blast of atomic energy. The massive mecha only looked annoyed about that. Kendra had a feeling the Claw of Horus was the best weapon to use against this robot, and she'd left that weapon at the museum. A decision she was currently regretting and wishing she had taken the weapon with her.
With a massive hand the gold and gray robot tried swat Kendra out of the sky like she was an annoying fly. Hawkgirl barely avoided being hit and felt out of her league. This was a job for Superman, not Hawkgirl.
Then suddenly a red blur flew in and hit the mech in the gut hard. Metal started to creek from the force of the blow and hairline fractures were forming in the armored hide of the giant robot. Hawkgirl looked relieved as the big guns had shown up. She needed all the help she could get.
"Thanks Super..." Kendra said when she noticed it wasn't the Man of Steel. "You're not Superman."
Freddie Freeman, now known as Shazam, chuckled. He was well aware his costume looked a lot like the Last Son of Krypton's. Freddie then mused how that phrase no longer was true. Superman seemed to be wearing New Krypton garb the last few times he'd appeared on Earth.
"I get that a lot," Shazam remarked with a rueful smile.
Shazam swiftly avoided a massive atomic energy blast. "I wondered where you ended up Mister Atom."
That name dimly ringed a few bells for Kendra. The giant robot was a foe of Captain Marvel and his allies, and Mister Atom had been in Lex Luthor's Secret Society of Super Villains. And that he was not someone to be taken lightly.
'That explains why I had no idea who this guy was,' Kendra thought for a moment. 'I don't think even Carter or Roy could remember every obscure super villain by sight alone.'
Shazam then punched Mister Atom in the face. The blow was powerful enough to knock the giant robot back a few steps. Shazam didn't stop there and grabbed one of the arms of the robot and by the sounds the metal made had painfully put it behind the colossal mech's back.
Hawkgirl then extended a spear she had on her to full length and jammed it into a gap in Mister Atom's arm. From the sound of metal ripping she'd hit something and broke it. A deep growl came from their foe and he slammed Shazam into the ground with his other hand.
Kendra forced the spear deeper into the arm, with lubricant flowing out of the wound along with some sparks. Mister Atom then grabbed Hawkgirl in his hand and was about to crush her flat when a red blur ran into town and ran through one of Mister Atom's legs.
Nearly instantly after the blur was on the other side, the part that had been run through exploded. The giant lost his balance and let go of Hawkgirl. The nth metal using heroine took the sky and slammed Mister Atom in the optic with her mace. The eye was smashed and the off balance and wounded robot let out a roar of fury that caused widows to quake.
Freddie shook his head for a moment and the current World's Mightiest Mortal slammed his fists into the back of the knee of the undamaged foot for Mister Atom. The sound of bending metal and ruined joint caused the giant to fall face first onto the street.
The red blur started hammering away on the fallen robot to make sure he wasn't getting up again soon. Kendra wondered which Flash they were dealing with here. There were three of them and all were fast enough to get to St. Roch from where ever they operated in minutes.
The Fastest Man Alive stopped for a few seconds. It took Kendra a moment to place him given he'd changed his costume a bit since the last time she'd seen him.
"Glad to see you've made time in your busy schedule to help out," Hawkgirl remarked.
"So which one is he?" Shazam asked her quietly. Having the Wisdom of Solomon didn't exactly help in keeping up with the Flash Family. There were just so many of them to keep track of.
"The third one," Kendra whispered in Freddie's ear.
He nodded at that. It was either that one or the recently resurrected second Flash. Now he had some idea who was dealing with.
"Speaking of being busy," Wally commented. "You two too busy to be part of the Justice League?"
"Sure why not?" Freddie said with a smile. Though had a feeling with his luck this version of the League would last about a week or he'd end up off the team in a month. He just never did well with teams for some reason. It actually really bothered him a bit that the only magically empowered and vaguely tied to the "Marvel Family" as they were called that had sent a decent amount of time as part of a super hero team was Black Adam of all people.
Kendra wasn't so sure. However she wanted to be part of a team again, and was left with one burning question that needed to be answered.
"Hawkman and Red Arrow aren't part of these teams right?" Hawkgirl asked. Flash shook his head.
"Not as far as I know," the crimson clad speedster replied.
Hawkgirl then nodded. "Ok I'm in."
"So where to?" Shazam asked hoping the base would be on Earth. Given he wasn't sure he could fly through space like Superman could even with his altered powers. Of course he also was a bit embarrassed Prometheus was able to get the drop on him, and it took Booster Gold to save him. And for some reason Booster Gold seemed to have a personal need to kick Prometheus's butt.
The Flash smiled. It didn't put either hero at ease. It was the sort of look Booster Gold and Blue Beetle got on their faces when they were able to pull a prank. Not that Freddie or Kendra would know that of course.
"I got them both, beam us up," the Scarlet Speedster said to seemingly thin air.
"What are you..." Hawkgirl asked when all three heroes disappeared in a flash of light.
"...talking about," Kendra said weakly as they appeared in a nearly featureless silver room with what looked like a Justice League transporter. Clearly an interior decorator was not consulted when this place was built.
Behind a set of controls a yard away from the transporter pad was Batman. Hawkgirl was shocked given he was supposed to be dead, and a quick glance she noticed some differences between him and the Caped Crusader she'd worked with. The biggest being this one was smiling.
"That's really freaking weird," Kendra whispered to Shazam. The mystically empowered hero nodded.
"Hello Hawkgirl," Batman remarked dryly. Both heroes looked embarrassed.
"Nightwing is that you?" Hawkgirl asked sounding shocked.
"Correct," Dick stated. "Someone had to take up the cape."
"Well explains why you haven't asked that new Nightwing why he was stealing your name," Kendra said in a playful tone.
"Well I wasn't using it and I have a good idea who he really is," Batman remarked a bit cryptically.
Suddenly they heard Hal Jordan in another room bellow "We're where?"
The heroes quickly exited the transporter room and found a spacious meeting room with a massive monitor in the far end. By that monitor were Hal Jordan and the Green Arrow. Standing closer to the door to the transporter room was the mystic Jason Blood.
"I think everyone on New Krypton heard you," Blood noted with a hint of mirth.
"More like Saturn," Green Arrow quipped. "And think anyone on Saturn would want to join us?"
"How could he do this and I don't notice?" Hal growled.
"What ticked him off?" Kendra remarked.
"We're in Coastal City," Batman replied sounding amused. "We're about 5 blocks away from the Green Lantern's apartment actually."
"He probably put it in when you were a POW," Ollie mused out loud. "Seriously Hal I told to always wear that ring."
The holder of Etrigan looked at Hal Jordan like he was crazy for doing that. It was the source of his powers and kind of something to he have on hand at all times.
Dick Grayson snorted. Bruce had mentioned at times thinking Hal Jordan won't notice a damn thing going on around him if he was distracted by his personal issues or an attractive woman. And the base had been put in earlier than that. After all before the Sinestro Corps War ended, Coastal City was a ghost town. The land was dirt cheap and it would be easy for Bruce to set up this HQ with none being the wiser.
"Something funny Boy Wonder?" Hal pointedly remarked.
"Guys we don't need to fight over this," Wally interjected getting between his friend and a man who was like an uncle to him when growing up. Which kind of felt weird now that he was married and had kids, while Hal was still a bachelor and seemed to take more after Ollie when it came to the ladies.
'Something I really don't remember from back in the day,' the Flash admitted. 'Then again Barry would make sure Hal kept that down when I was around.'
"At least he didn't claim he could take him out," Kendra noted. Everyone got the reference to the infamous "one punch" Batman used to take out the arrogant and head strong Guy Gardner.
Hal was not happy. The Green Lantern of Sector 2814 felt like Batman had snubbed him again. He was tired of that from the original Batman. He then sat down in a plush and comfortable chair around the massive gleaming brass table.
"So..." Shazam said trying to change the subject. "Can we please get down to the business of saving the world?"
Batman nodded and brought up Prometheus on the monitor. Then came up a long list of meta humans who had entered Gotham. Ones that weren't usually active in that dark city.
"My sources tell me he's gathering an army in Gotham," Batman stated.
"Now that's an army," Shazam noted. "But Paper Man? The Rainbow Raiders?"
"Cannon folder," Green Arrow remarked as he put his feet on the table. "Even Z grade losers can manage to be that without any problems. Hell get enough of those and even Hal and I would have problems taking them all out."
"Is he always this full of himself?" Shazam asked the Flash in a stage whisper.
"Pretty much," the Fastest Man Alive admitted.
Green Arrow glared at Wally West. The Flash shrugged at the emerald clad archer.
"I also have an inside man," Batman said ignoring the bickering. "He will strike Prometheus when the time is right."
Hal then noticed a name on the list. It was Reactron and his eyes narrowed. Shazam also saw the name on the list. And who would want a piece of that villain.
"So should we be expecting Superman or Supergirl?" Shazam asked as he turned towards Batman.
"I have a signal watch and will call them in on our way there," Dick said in Bat tone.
"There any other surprises you got up your sleeve?" Ollie remarked.
The former Boy Wonder grinned widely at that but said nothing.
"Kid that makes it even worse."
The Caped Crusader's smile then died. "And after this we are going to hunt down Libra and bring him to justice. He had been shot in the face by Lex Luthor, however those that witnessed the event like Doctor Sivana weren't sure that had actually killed him."
"How did the League beat him before?" Shazam asked softly.
"They didn't," Hal stated as recalled the events. "He absorbed half the powers from most of us, and half the brilliance and detective powers of Batman. He then tried to absorb half the power of the stars and couldn't take that much power."
"And don't ask how he could take half the brilliance from someone," Ollie said cutting of Hawkgirl and Shazam. "We have idea how he did that. Though it couldn't have been true since Bats is smart enough to not try to absorb half the power of stars and think it'd ever work."
"And whatever happened to him between that and his return to Earth didn't help deal with his hubris," Jason Blood noted.
"And killing J'onn," Hal said as he clenched his fist. "Because evil had won he claimed."
"I'm finding it hard to believe how anyone could believe that nonsense. It sounds more like a super villain T-shirt motto," Ollie remarked. "Maybe a picture of a grinning Lex Luthor or Darkseid on it as well."
"It's disturbing in how I can easily see some wannabe super villains wearing a shirt like while committing crimes," Hawkgirl stated.
Hal remarked; "I can use lethal force with my ring. However to be honest anyone that can still be alive after being shot in the head by a guy in powered armor I think that's not exactly a restriction. And I'm better than that."
"Reminds me way too much of Magog if you were like that," Kendra said shaking her head remembering what her old JSA team mates had said about him. "He's become taking it to the enemies and big guns. I thought that stuff had burned itself out before I took up the Nth Metal Wings."
"Don't remind me," Wally grumbled. "I remember when a huge swarm of people gained powers due to aliens drinking their spinal fluid and only one of them didn't become a huge joke. And he was a Gotham gang hitman who got gunned down in a shoot out."
Ollie just looked at the Flash. "You know I am hoping you're just kidding. But I don't think you are."
"Most of them joined the Blood Pact," Batman stated with Wally easily noticing the tone of disapproval at that reality TV show super hero team.
"Oh those losers," Green Arrow remarked with expression like he just bit into a lemon. "Yeah they were pretty pathetic."
"Let's get back on track," the Green Lantern interjected. He wanted to get this over and stop feeling like he let the Martian Manhunter down by all the distractions that had gotten in the way of what he promised to do before J'Onn's funeral. He needed make up for the Earth going to hell and he wasn't there to stop it.
"So what is the plan?" Shazam asked Batman.
"They are gathering at the Loeb Hotel and security has been provided by a bunch of hopefuls that have been given real fakes and impounded weapons and costumes."
"Real fakes?" Green Arrow asked with a confused expression.
"Basically items that the user powers that aren't the actual item like TNT's explosive ring but work," the Caped Crusader explained. "They're available for sale on the internet and many would be villains and heroes have bought them."
"Great," Hawkgirl grumbled. "We got people that got super villain tech that would jump at the chance to take any of us out."
"And are likely as much a threat to themselves as to us," Green Arrow commented as he shook his head.
"If they got any of the Rogue's equipment it's going to get ugly when they find out about it," Flash said shaking his head. "They don't like imitators at all."
They all heard what had happened to the thugs the Penguin had armed with copies of the Rogue's weapons. Inferior training and costumes given how easily they had been slain in a fight with the group of Flash villains. The Flash hoped the Rogues avoided showing up for this like they did with Libra's call to arms.
"Of course most of them their gear is their powers," Ollie muttered.
"Hey not all of us can have lame villains," Hawkgirl remarked. "Seriously Count Vertigo?"
"Hey!" Green Arrow yelled. "He's not lame. And I used to fight Catman."
"Back when he was lame," Wally interjected.
"Focus everyone," Batman spoke up in a firm and commanding tone. "We have more important things to do worry about how tough our rogues gallery is or isn't."
"Fine," the emerald archer sighed. Though he was glad they avoided going into the mind controlling mess the League created. Ollie wondered why that era kept feeling like it was getting darker and darker to him. Something felt wrong about that.
"Now here's the plan," Batman stated. "Our inside man will help us get inside the building and we will take out Prometheus and his forces. Robin, Batgirl, the Question, Batwoman and Ragman will handle the super powered security outside."
"Again if you want any extra help I'm sure Ir...er Impulse won't mind," the Flash commented.
"I think they'll be enough," Batman said with a slight smile.
"Let's get this show on the road then," Hal demanded in a cold hard tone.
"Looks like someone remembers when they lead a Justice League team," Green Arrow remarked.
"He did?" Shazam asked sounding a bit shocked.
"Yeah, Justice League Europe," the Flash interjected with a slight smile.
"In any case, yes we are done," Batman forcefully said getting everyone's attention. "There's a vehicle bay and we can use the Javelin Seven."
"And what happened to the Javelin One through Six?" Green Arrow asked the Dark Knight.
"It's a long story," Batman admitted.
"Talk about it later," Green Lantern stated firmly. "We got a job to do."
The heroes nodded and mentally got ready for the task ahead.