YOUR CHARACTER'S DCUO STORY

Taking a page from Ms. Benz's book...

A hint for the next Bern and crew story

Can't see that
Not sure if it is this machine, or the type of image, but not the first time haven't been able to see one of your image-posts

Take 2

There we go

Sorry guys, thought I had part 2 almost ready to go, but I’m going to have to rewrite a chunk of it due to some misconceptions on my part (thanks a lot, new52/rebirth continuity )

Like Bern said, no rush

Are you ready for this?

Tanja Freyjasdottir, Part 2: Calling For Help

“Hello?”

“Hello, is this Oracle? My name is Freyja. Diana Prince gave me this number so I could reach her in case of an emergency.”

“Oookay...we’re in the middle of a crisis here, if you haven’t seen the news recently. What’s the emergency?”

“Yes, those...echo-biter things? Please connect me to Diana.”

“They’re called exobytes. She’s a little busy at the moment, maybe I could take a message?”

“I realize she’s busy but this cannot wait.”

“If you tell me what the emergency is...”

“I would much prefer as few people know about this as possible, are you one of her Amazon sisters?”

“No, actually, I’m with the Justice League. I really need to know what the emergency is so I can prioritize your call...”

“*sigh* Fine. I think you’re about to add a demigoddess to the list of people affected by these exobytes.”

Oracle paused. “I’ll patch you through now. Hold on just a moment.”

“Thank you.”

Oracle placed the incoming call on hold and switched to the League’s communicator system, sending a beep to Diana’s communicator to get her attention.

Diana paused in the exobyte lecture she was giving to the officers of NYPD’s 4th precinct. “Excuse me for a moment.” She stepped out of the room and tapped her communicator. “Wonder Woman here.”

“This is Oracle. I just received an interesting call on my ‘private’ line. A woman calling herself Freyja, claiming that you gave her my number, is saying that a demigoddess has been affected by an exobyte.”

“Freyja? Scandinavian accent? Put her through.”

“She does have an accent but I couldn’t quite place it. I’m patching her through now.” *click*

“Freyja?”

“Diana? Finally...I was beginning to think that woman who answered wouldn’t put me through and I’d have to find you personally.”

“Oracle manages our communications and intelligence networks when we’re on duty. What’s going on, exactly?”

“Kari found Tanja unconscious on the patio with what she thinks is one of those exobytes near her.”

“Okay...I’m a little busy right now briefing New York’s finest on what we know about the exobytes...you know I’m going to have to explain your situation to the Justice League after this, right?”

“I understand, and that’s fine, as long as your friends leave us alone without a good reason to bother us.”

“Alright. Is she still unconscious?”

“I think so, I’m not at the mansion yet. Yes, Erika just confirmed with Bryn.”

“How long since she was found?”

“Almost forty five minutes now. I had to call repeatedly before your Oracle would answer.”

“Sorry about that,” Oracle cut in. “That number’s supposed to be known only to the Justice League and our close allies.”

“She’s a special case, Oracle. Consider her to be neutral but friendly. Who’s available that we can send to Beverly Hills?”

“Almost everyone’s working overtime right now. The Titans are closest, but San Francisco’s just as messy as everywhere else.”

“It can’t be helped. This will need to be priority. I’ll add details on why to the report once the situation’s resolved. Let’s send...Nightwing, Raven and Starfire only. Between them they should be able to handle it. Freyja, please don’t be alarmed about Raven’s heritage when you meet her. Her father’s....she’s very dedicated in acting against his wishes, and is loyal to her teammates.”

“I’ll keep that in mind, Diana. And thank you. I’m almost at home now, so I’ll be there when they arrive.”

“I’ll contact Nightwing.”

“And I’ll get back to my lecture. Sorry I didn’t warn you that she had your number, Oracle, I’ll explain why when there’s more time.”

“I look forward to hearing it.”

Diana clicked off, closing the link.

“As soon as you give me the address, I’ll contact the Titans and send them to help you.”

“Thank you, Oracle. It’s [address].”

Oracle entered the address into her computer. “Wait, you’re...”

“The Vanir goddess of love, beauty, and magic, yes, since you’re going to learn that anyway.”

“You...but...you’re serious.”

“Yes. And thank you for your part in helping my daughter.”

“I...umm...you’re welcome, Miss Vanity. I’ll contact the Titans immediately.”

Freyja hung up the phone just as the limo pulled up to the gates of the estate.


CURRENT TIME
Watchtower Monitor Womb

Bruce interrupted Diana’s story at this point. “Wait a minute. You mean that Freyja Vanity, the adult film star, is actually the Viking love goddess? The same Freyja Vanity who owns Vanity Entertainment and helped her teenage daughter create the Vanity Foundation after she was *****?”

“That’s exactly who she is.”

“Hmm. That would explain a few things. How does she know you?”

“Remember when Joker interrupted the charity ball you helped organize to celebrate the opening of Gotham’s Vanity Clinic two years ago?”

Bruce nodded.

“She recognized me and approached me after it was over. Also, apparently Aphrodite told her about me.”

“I see. Please go on with your story.”


TWO DAYS AGO
Titans Tower, San Francisco, CA

Dick Grayson set down his taco as his phone rang and checked the caller ID before answering. “Hello, you’ve reached the cellphone of Dick Grayson. I’m sorry I can’t come to the phone right now, but a delicious taco is being more demanding of my attention and my stomach insists.”

“Someone’s in a good mood,” Oracle commented.

“Del Taco has that effect on everyone. What’s up?”

“Diana wanted me to call you for a special favor. Privacy?”

Dick looked at his phone and activated the hidden encryption app, waiting for it to give a green light. “All secure here.”

“Good. There’s a special exobyte case in Beverly Hills that Diana recommended you, Raven and Starfire for. She said to assign it top priority.”

“Guess I’d better hurry up and get ready. Send me the name and address?”

“On its way. You may be in for some surprises. Oracle out.”

Dick quickly finished his tacos, lamenting not having time to enjoy them, and suited up.


Vanity Mansion, Beverly Hills, CA

Freyja walked into the game room. “How is she, Bryn?”

“Still unconscious, my Lady.”

“Alright. Three members of the Titans are coming from San Francisco to assist. They are called Nightwing, Raven, and Starfire. Erika, please greet them when they arrive.”

“Yes, my Lady.” Bryn relayed the information over her radio.

“Of course, my Lady.”

A short time later, the three Titans arrived at the mansion, only to be stopped by a group of serious and dangerous-looking women in pantsuits. Erika, the only one in a skirt, stepped forward, looking tense. “This is a private residence. Who are you and what’s your business here?”

Were the Titans. We were sent to help,” Nightwing replied.

The woman looked over each of them, then back at Nightwing. “What are you called?”

“I’m Nightwing.”

“Raven.”

“And I am called Starfire.”

The group of women visibly relaxed. The one who’d stepped forward blinked and looked at Starfire. “Kory? Kory Anders? You’re one of the Titans?”

“Hi, Erika. It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

Nightwing looked between the two women. “Wait, you two know each other?”

“She modeled for several photo shoots with us a few years ago. She was an inspiration to everyone she worked with.”

“I am happy to inspire. But now we must help little Tanja.”

“She’s not as little as she was.”

“True, She is grown now, but that is how I remember her.”

“Wait a minute. You told me you did some modeling but you never told me it was for Vanity!”

Starfire giggled. “All of my modeling was for them, and they gave me a free copy of each magazine my photographs appeared in. Would you like to see them when we get back to the tower?”

Nightwing blushed. “Uhhh...maybe we should talk about this some other time.” Behind him, Raven just smirked.

“Okay!”

Erika gestured towards the door. “This way, please.”
———————————————————————-

Stay tuned for Part 3: Revelations, coming soon to a thread near you!

A very fun read

I agree with Visor, it was fun read. The shifting from the opening scene to the conversation with Bats and WW was a surprise but not jaring in anyway, kinda a got a bit of a Christopher Nolan, Memento kinda feel to it, or one of those Terentino stories where it's told from multiple view points. Nicely done, the blending of Greek Gods and Goddesses with that of the Norse/Vikings was cool too. I could see how they would be civil with each other but not neccessarily be buddy buddy. Looking forward to reading more. Keep up the good work.

Glad you’re enjoying it

I have a whole head-canon regarding how Freyja and Aphrodite know each other (blame Dionysus and his legendary parties. Specifically, his ‘inter-pantheon mixer’) and Olympus is simply another realm nestled within Yggdrasil’s branches.

Sounds like some things you know a bit about [mythology that is] and this is really cool because there is SOOOOO much to play around with, especially when one does what you are doing, where your blend the different versions of the various pantheons. Keep it up Sir/Miss [sorry, not sure who you are] but mean it respectfully.

I did study mythology quite a bit when I was younger, by now a lot of it’s only half-remembered. I’m also drawing on various modern depictions for some things, like with my portrayal of the Norns. I don’t really know too much about DC’s depictions of mythological figures like the Greek gods, though, but as something becomes relevant I’m picking up bits and pieces in my research. I’m especially amused at the discovery that led to the ending of part 2. If you check the DCUO wiki, it explicitly states in the trivia section that Starfire did some ‘exotic photo modeling’ as a teen before she joined the Teen Titans, which just meshes perfectly with the setup here.

Parts 3 and 4 are done. I’ll post 3 as soon as I get time today and 4 as soon as I get a bit further on 5 in case I decide to tweak it a bit.

Tanja Freyjasdottir, Part 3: Revelations
Vanity Mansion, Beverly Hills, CA

Erika led the Titans to the mansion’s game room, which featured several couches, TVs, video game consoles, a pool table, and a poker table in an alcove.

Freyja was kneeling on the floor in front of one of the couches, on which lay Tanja’s unconscious body, holding her hand. She looked up as the door opened and Erika walked in, followed by the Titans.

“Ma’am, the Titans have arrived.”

“Thank you, Erika.” She got up and walked towards them.

“Hi, Miss Vanity!” Starfire waved.

Freyja paused, looking at her. “Kory?”

“Yes, Miss Vanity, it’s me.” She moved forward to give Freyja a hug. “Has Tanja woken up yet?”

“No, and it has us worried. We all wondered why you dropped out of modeling, I guess now we know. Being a Hero does tend to keep a person busy.”

Nightwing noted to himself that despite her obvious stress and worry, Freyja Vanity’s presence and charisma were no less impressive than when he’d met her various at charity events in the past and stepped forward, holding out his hand. “Miss Vanity? I’m Nightwing, this is Raven, and uhh, apparently you already know Starfire. Wonder Woman sent us to see if we can help your daughter.”

She took his hand and shook it. “Freyja Vanity.” She then looked Raven over and raised an eyebrow, apparently noting something about her.

“So you’re a Jotun’s daughter. That explains Diana’s comment.” The other women in the room, many of whom by now were obviously the security force, tensed slightly.

Raven’s jaw dropped. “I’m a...my mother was human, so you must mean my father, the demon Trigon.”

“Ahh, I had forgotten that Jotuns are called demons now. Relations between my people and the Jotuns are generally antagonistic, but not always, so I won’t hold it against you. Everyone, relax.”

“Your people, ma’am?” Nightwing asked.

“I will explain, but first please try to help my daughter.”

“Alright,” Nightwing nodded, agreeing. “Do you have the exobyte?” Freyja glanced at Bryn, who was standing near the pool table.

“It’s here, in a tray. We were very careful not to touch it directly and tried not to damage it.”

“Once they’ve injected their data into someone, they should be inert, but I’m glad you were being careful. Especially since most people are only unconscious for a few minutes if at all. The majority just find somewhere to take a nap and only call the hotline long after, when they realize what’s happened.” Nightwing and Starfire moved towards the pool table to examine the exobyte.

“I’ll examine Tanja, if you don’t mind.” Raven looked at Freyja, who nodded, then they both moved to the couch where Tanja lay. “I promise I won’t hurt her.”

“I told Diana I would give you the benefit of the doubt, and I will. Erika and Bryn understand technology far better than I do - I once tried to charge my cell phone’s battery by casting a lightning spell on it -“ Raven winced at that “- so I am much more likely to learn something about these exobytes by observing you.”

“Oh. Well, most people wouldn’t actually see much...but you did identify what my father is at a glance.” She began looking Tanja (who had apparently inherited her mother’s beauty and fiery hair) over briefly, then sat on the floor, placing her back against the couch, closing her eyes. “This will be the first time we’ve dealt with an exobyte imprint that hadn’t already completed its work before the League was even contacted, so hopefully we’ll finally learn something about them. I have the ability to separate my soul from my body for a period of time, so I’m going to basically take a peek inside of your daughter’s and see if there’s anything going on there or if it’s really all physical alterations as some believe.”

Over at the pool table, Nightwing and Starfire were examining the exobyte. “This looks just like every other exobyte we’ve seen!” Starfire complained.

“Yeah, I don’t see anything unusual about the exobyte itself, but look at this. This part of the circuitry isn’t normally fried like that.”

“Ooh, you’re right! It’s usually only this circuit that burns out! Maybe it was damaged or defective somehow?”

“Maybe. It could have burned the circuit out trying to overcome some sort of resistance.”

“Do you think that’s why she’s unconscious, this imprinting wasn’t completed?” Bryn asked.

“Either that or she has some sort of natural resistance and her body’s fighting the imprint. So far, they seem to only target normal humans, so we don’t know what, if anything, would give a person any ability to resist the process.” Bryn nodded thoughtfully.

Raven focused her attention inward, concentrating on her soul-self, and rose up out of her body to float above the couch. She looked at Freyja, who was looking directly at her with an amused expression. “Okay, I guess you can see me.”

“I can hear you as well.”

Raven nodded. “I’m going to slip into your daughter just deeply enough to see if anything that seems unusual is happening inside of her soul.”

“Alright.”

Freyja waited patiently as she watched Raven disappear into Tanja’s inert body. A few moments later, she emerged with a wide-eyed expression and immediately returned to her own body. “I think I know where the exobyte data came from.”

Nightwing and Starfire’s heads snapped around to look at her.

“What? How?”
“Already? Where did it come from?”

“I think it came from my future self. That’s what it felt like, anyway. Like Doctor Fate suspected, the transformation is definitely more than just physical.”

“What did you see?” Freyja asked.

“A forest, filled with life, and a rocky clearing strewn with boulders in the middle of it. Tanja was hiding behind a boulder, while what looked like a blend of Tanja’s features and my own soul-self, but in a weird feathery variation of what I’m wearing - I’m guessing that’s the part of her that’s been affected by the data - was searching for her. It felt wrong somehow, like it was artificially created. It definitely didn’t belong there. Tanja looked tired, confused, and scared. She’s resisting, trying to fight it, but without help, she’s going to lose. There was also a cave to one side of the clearing, blocked by a magical seal.” She looked directly at Freyja. “The cave radiated Power. Unlike the exobyte version of her, though, it felt natural, right. Like it belongs to and is part of her, maybe inherited?”

Freyja nodded. “What will happen if she loses, and how long do you think, before it’s too late?”

Raven answered the second question first. “It’s hard to say. It looks like she’s taking good advantage of the terrain, dragging it out, so if she conserves her strength....I give her a day, maybe two at most. If she loses...I would say at best she would be changed into a clone of me, but with her memories and experiences, and maybe some of mine. At worst, my father detects her after the transformation is complete and seizes control of her. He would then use her to get access to earth so he could take it over and turn it into his personal playground. The Power I felt from the cave, though...if it’s her birthright, why is it sealed?”

Freyja sighed. “I did say I would explain about my people. However, I must ask you to swear to keep this as private as you can. I would prefer it not be known outside of your Justice League, and even there only among the most trusted members. If it becomes known who and what I am, it would cause a great deal of trouble for many people, not just myself. Will you so swear?”

“We always try to respect people’s privacy so long as they’re not breaking any laws or hurting anyone,” Nightwing replied. Raven and Starfire nodded.

“I’m afraid that’s not enough. My people hold oaths to be sacred. I am asking you to swear an oath that you will not reveal what I am about to tell you except at urgent need,” Freyja smiled gently, “so long as we do not violate your laws or cause harm. Will you please swear a sacred oath on this?”

“Umm...” Nightwing hesitated, uncomfortable with making such a promise before knowing it would be safe to keep the promise.

Raven stood, calling up her power, weaving it into her words. “I swear upon my soul that I will not reveal what you tell us to anyone not currently present other than the most trusted members of the Justice League, except at urgent need, without permission from either you, directly or indirectly through your people, or from the core members of the Justice League. Nor will I reveal the existence of this Oath, using the same restrictions and exceptions.” Freyja raised an eyebrow as Raven's power settled into the pattern of a binding spell, making it impossible for Raven to break her oath.

Nightwing and Starfire looked at Raven, then Starfire stepped forward. “I, too, swear to the same promise that my friend Raven has made.” Freyja nodded, and everyone turned to look at Nightwing.

“Uhh...I’m not comfortable with promising to keep a secret without knowing it’s one that’s safe to keep...”

“The Justice League exception gives you a way around that,” Raven pointed out.

Freyja smiled gently. “Bruce has always been careful about promises, too. Does he know you’ve become a Hero, Richard?”

“Excuse me?”

“You danced with me at the ball to celebrate the opening of Gotham’s Vanity Clinic. Bodies speak louder and more truly than words, to one who knows how to listen. And I remember well both your body and your voice. You can’t fool me that way, Richard, not for long. You are an excellent dancer, well trained, and the language of your body gives you away.”

Nightwing looked sheepish. “Ok, Ok. I swear, the same oath as Raven and Starfire.”

Freyja smiled. “Then I now reveal to you the truth of who I am. I am Freyja, princess of the Vanir and goddess of love, beauty, magic, and war. The household staff and security are comprised of a specially chosen platoon of my Valkyries, with the rest remaining in Asgard. I am in Midgard, living and raising Tanja, my youngest daughter, as a mortal due to information I received that led me to believe it is necessary in order to preserve the future of all existence. Bryn and Erika are two of her sisters, but she believes she is an only child just as she believes she is fully mortal. I’m sure they’re eager to finally be permitted to correct that belief, though that part must wait. Let her begin to grow into her own strength first.” She looked at Bryn and Erika as she said the last part.

Erika and Bryn both nodded reluctantly. “Yes, mother.”

The Titans’ jaws dropped - except for Raven, who just smirked. “Figures.”

Tanja Freyjasdottir, Part 4
Vanity Mansion

“If you are finished being surprised, can we please work on helping my daughter?”

“Umm, right. Should we call you ‘your holiness’ or something?” Nightwing asked.

“Just because she’s a goddess doesn’t mean we have to prostrate ourselves or offer her our firstborn children. That’s more my father’s deal,” Raven said.

“Oh, right. Sorry.”

“‘Freyja’ or ‘Miss Vanity’ will be fine.”

“Miss Vanity, does having modeled for you make me a priestess or worshiper or something?”

Freyja smiled. “No, Kory, for that you would have to intentionally dedicate yourself and your work to me. Not that I would complain if you did.”

“Oh, okay.”

“Now, it’s clear that if Tanja loses, she will likely no longer be herself. What happens if she wins?” Freyja looked at Raven.

“She’ll probably be herself, but with at least some of my knowledge and abilities...and maybe some of my memories as well. Keep in mind that I’m mostly guessing here, since she’s the first case we know of where an exobyte imprinted it’s data on someone who wasn’t completely...well...would ‘mortal’ or ‘human’ be more accurate?”

“I use ‘mortal’ to refer to anyone native to Midgard, and ‘human’ for those specifically from this world.”

“I guess they’re equally accurate, then. Alright. Assuming I’m right, and that...construct...originated from a future version of me, we have to assume that it’ll have all of my abilities and knowledge plus whatever more my future self had learned and experienced. So even if I go in and take it on, I’ll be at a disadvantage. If we unseal Tanja’s natural Power, there’s a good chance the construct would get to it before she could, and it would have the knowledge to make use of it. If, somehow, Tanja were to get to the Power but the construct didn’t, she wouldn’t know how to use it because she has no training.” Raven glanced at Freyja for confirmation.

Freyja nodded. “That is correct.”

“So even if she gets access to her Power, it’ll only buy her - and us - more time. And we can’t guarantee that she would be the only one to get access to it, if she managed it at all. In which case she might end up with less time.”

“What if you take us in with you?”

“It’s a lot more tiring to take people with me when I do that, and you’d need me at full strength to counter any spells it tries to use. Hmm.”

“Would you be able to go in and distract it while I remove the seal? And while Tanja knows nothing of her magical gifts, she has been studying martial arts these last few years. Would that be of any help?”

“It might, but the construct might have access to that training too, so that might not be a very big advantage, if any.”

“Martial arts and magic? Are you sure you don’t want to take us in with you, Raven?”

“How much it drains me doubles for each extra person I bring with me.”

“Just one of us, then.”

“If I take anyone in with me, my first choice would be Miss Vanity.”

“But-“

Raven cut him off. “She’s a goddess of war and magic, and probably has far more experience with both than the entire Justice League combined.”

“No. The seal is very strong. Releasing or breaking it would be felt for miles by anyone who can sense magic. That detection would cause too much trouble. I will need to remain here so I can maintain a shielding ward.”

“How many miles are we talking about?”

Freyja looked at Nightwing. “Anyone in or near Los Angeles would feel it. Further, if they’re sensitive enough or have enough skill.”

“They’d also notice a ward strong enough to hide that level of discharge,” Raven pointed out.

“Which is why I will use multiple layered wards. And I will not be the only one maintaining them. Two of the Valkyries with me are skilled with magic, they will assist.”

“That might work. Will Tanja being inside of her own soul affect your removing the seal?”

“I will check.”

Everyone watched as Freyja cast a spell over Tanja, causing her body to briefly glow with a feeble, flickering light. Freyja frowned and tried again, with the same result. “The bonds between her body and soul are too tangled, causing too much interference.”

“What sort of spell do you need to remove the seal? Maybe I could do it.”

Freyja shook her head. “No. It is a simple unlocking spell, but keyed to my magical signature. Only I can safely remove it.”

“If you cast it on me, I can enclose it in a carrier spell and take it in with me.”

Freyja raised an eyebrow. “That would work, if you know a suitable one. I can teach you one if not. How would you ensure that Tanja is the one who receives the power?”

Raven hesitated before responding. “I’ll pass the spell to her and keep the construct distracted.”

“That would require bonding your soul to hers. You would both have to be active participants in the process, and she is both untrained and currently powerless.”

“I’ll keep it as simple as I can. Something she can easily remember and focus on. Has she seen the movie Practical Magic?”

“Yes, it’s one of her favorite movies. What do you plan to use fr-“ Freyja’s eyes widened. “Do you realize fully the consequences of using that spell for this purpose?”

“What do you mean? It’s something familiar to her that’s simple enough for her to remember and focus on under stress. It should be easy enough to undo once we bring her back.”

Freyja’s expression turned grim. “You know much about magic, child, but even I don’t know everything. What you propose will create an eternal bond between your souls. One that, if it is ever completely severed, will eventually cause soul-death for both of you. You are offering a sacrifice far greater than you made by binding yourself to uphold your Oath to me; you are offering to bind your soul to that of a stranger. Are you truly willing, with pure intent, to make such a sacrifice?”
——————————————————————————————————————
My schedule went FUBAR, so I had extra time today. Part 5 is actually almost done!

Note: if anyone has any concerns about anything inappropriate happening in my story...Tanja would often sit in her mother’s office and do her homework after school (when she didn’t have drama club activities). People would say hi to her when arriving or leaving, and when Freyja worked through dinner, would talk with her while they shared pizza or takeout. She never went near any of the studios/sets, and everyone was fully dressed when she saw them. That’s how Starfire knows her as ‘little Tanja’ - Starfire was legal age, and Tanja was in middle school.

She has no interest in her mother’s business - have to go to New York to play Bombalurina in Cats! On Broadway after all.

(And if you guys really have just been busy and I didn’t scare you away from the thread, don’t mind me, I’m just being paranoid )

Interesting stuff going on here. Raven is quite an interesting character when you really think about it and the idea of an exobyte containing her power set/information could pose quite the interesting fallout should someone ever come into contact with it, just as you have pointed out. I did enjoy the side bar dialogue with the characters and Freyja as you depicted there. Her being a goddess would make her quite aware of things like identities and and things like that. Twist there with Raven essentially offering herself up to the goddess and given Raven's heritage and abilities it may prove to be quite the experience for both her and Freyja. Nice work, keep it going.

Subject: Mina Lyubov
Real Name: Mina Kuznetsova
Blackest Night

Black Dawn Part 1

Enter: Space

As the space defense force enters the moon’s orbit, they see floating before them a vast force of Black Lanterns. Starman, almost in shock says aloud, “Holy moley!” while Captain Comet also remarks, “In all my years…I’ve never seen anything like it before!” Not far behind the heroes, a giant star cruiser, the flagship of the Braidmen fleet, roars up to them, with the Star Sapphire, Prixiam Nol-Anj at the helm, speaks to everyone through her commlink, “The Green Lantern was right, it is them.”

She suddenly receives a communication by her Star Sapphire sister, Remoni-Notra, “Nol, we’re in position. All teams accounted for.” Knowing this, she then turns to one of her clansmen, “Proceed with the plan. All ships assume attack coordinates.” As the Black Lantern army hang just past the moon, the space defense force divides up into teams with Adam Strange and the Star Sapphires, Urd, Perfumia, and Belelenia staying behind to cover the rear and protect the star cruisers. All the while, at the front, as the attack group bear down onto their target, each is paired up with a Lantern. And as they move ever closer, the awesome size of the Black Lantern army becomes apparent. Superman along with the Star Sapphire Areto, looks around and tells everyone, “Alright, we’re going to cut across to the center and try to draw their fire. Everyone else, you know the plan. Stay in contact and good luck.” As each duo peeled off charging into the Black Lantern mass, a thousand blasts of light can be seen glowing within the area of space. The battle has begun.

From the bridge of the giant star cruiser, Nol-Anj checking her screen, immediately flips a switch, ordering her crews to start prepping their fighters to support the others at the front, which is promptly answered by each wing commander at the hanger, “Squadron 1 standing by,” “Squadron 2 standing by,” “Squadron 3 standing by.” Meanwhile, Captain Comet and the Star Sapphire Blaq nosedive radically, starting their attack on the east flank of the corrupted mass. Bursts of psionic energy streaked from the hero’s hand, creating huge explosions among the army of the dead but is suddenly grabbed by a giant black hand construct. Shock crossed his face as he realized he was quickly being pulled down into them. As his Star Sapphire partner continued to strafe through the Black Lantern army with both violet blasts and violet arrow constructs from her power ring, Blaq notices Captain Comet’s peril and uses her ice abilities to quickly freeze over his attackers encasing them in a frozen tomb. Now freed, the hero emerged, flying to her side. Blaq putting up a shield construct around themselves asks him if he was alright, which he responds, “Thanks. I got a little too close for comfort, but I’m okay.” Meanwhile, nearby, Larfleeze, who has unleashed his army of orange lantern constructs ogles at the number of Black Lantern rings, “Oh! Look at all the new shiny black rings! Orange Lanterns! Snuff out those pesky Black Lanterns and get me their rings!” Accompanying the Orange Lantern is Saint Walker, who sees several waves of the dead coming right for them, “You might get what you want, brother, for here they come!” Both groups crash into the wave with tremendous force as the area ignites as a fierce dogfight ensues in and around the east flank.

Enter: GCPD Headquarters

While an uneasy truce was made with each member of both factions being verified by Oracle and Calculator. Batman and Lex Luthor, stare each other down, with Luthor asking the dark knight, “So you’re ready to stop these Black Lanterns by any means necessary?” The hero, however, quickly tells him, “By the means at hand.” Amusingly curious, Lex replies, “You seem like you have something up your sleeve. You’re always three moves ahead compared to the Kryptonian.” Batman in turn tells Lex, “The same can be said to you but we’ll cross that bridge later. Right now, the world needs us.” As each hero and villain are coordinated into teams, Batman is surprised to see among the members of the society, the daughter of the demon’s head, Talia Al Ghul. Realizing Batman looking at her, Talia walks up to the caped crusader but Batman begins to turn around as if trying to ignore her. However, Talia is able to reach him and pleads, “You must understand beloved, I share my father’s vision and seek the same ends but I do not choose his means to those ends.” Batman turning towards her with a disappointed look, simply replies, “I know,” and before she could say anything, he began making his way back to the GCPD command center with Luthor, leaving Talia alone and saddened by his cold demeanor.

Back at the command center, Batman and Luthor realize Amanda Waller has already begun to set up her military and technical crew, with the Clock King helping her team plan operations throughout Gotham. Wasting no time, Waller turns to Batman, “I know you and your team have begun to evacuate parts of the city, but before my team can attack and start mopping up these hostiles, we need communications to be fully restored first. So, before we get started, I’m going to need access to Brother Eye. Surprised she even knows about Brother Eye, Batman, maintaining his composure, looks up at the many screens and replies, “Not all satellites, microwave, and ground communications are down. And thanks to Flash’s recon, we’ve learned that a majority of the Black Lanterns have inexplicably left the city. So, for now, Oracle can help you with anything you need but as for access…not going to happen.” In that instant, Batman is contacted by Mr. Terrific via one of the monitors, “Watchtower to Batman, Superman and his team have made contact. I repeat, Superman and his team have made contact.”