Issue #1: "Internal Threats"

Diana Prince, the Amazon warrior known as Wonder Woman, quietly sipped the glass of mineral water in her hand and gazed at the door of the small dark bar that she had been sitting in for the last several minutes. She was early but, then again, when wasn’t she? Every League meeting, she was there first. Every mission, she was there at the front, fighting the ne’er do well that they faced. She watched as an old man stood at the door thinking about coming in, but then suddenly turned around and walked away. The bartender looked over from where he stood and winked at her; she nodded in understanding. She forced a smile, and then looked over to the door as it slowly opened, rain pouring down outside.

Barry Allen, the Flash, stepped inside, untouched by the torrent outside. Diana smiled as he walked over to her, hands in pockets, and then sat down.

“You didn’t get wet?”

He looked to the bartender, and then back to Diana, then began to speak. “I vibrated between the raindrops. If only everything else were so easy.” He chuckled, and then continued, “I was worried I was going to be the only one here. I should have known better!”

Diana acknowledged his words. “We promised each other--”

“I know.” He looked at his own hands, lying on the table, and then bit his lip. “I never expected it to be like this.”

Diana placed a hand on his, and nodded. “No one did.”

They both turned to the door as a man stumbled in, stinking of beer and vomit, and singing the assorted hits of Dean Martin. Diana’s nostrils flared and Barry looked at the man with disgust and surprise. The bartender just smirked to himself.

“Sorry, friend, but there’s a private party going on here, today,” Barry said gently, trying to escort the man outside.

“B-But I’m invited…” He placed a ringed hand on his chest, and it flared outward, transforming the dishevelled-looking man into the visage of Hal Jordan, Green Lantern of Earth, who wore a sly smile on his face, but, just like the others, no mask, no costume. He was himself. He pulled his father’s bomber jacket close to his body and winked at Wonder Woman. They were themselves; a strange sight to behold where these men and women were concerned.

Diana and Barry smiled as Hal began to speak. “I’m incognito!” He winked, and then his face became solemn. “Faraday has my apartment staked out. The government know me so I can’t go out looking like myself any more unless I want a group of those… ‘super-soldiers’ on my back.”

The bartender nodded and wandered back to the bar, picking up his cloth and continuing to wipe empty glasses.

“Are we the only ones here?”

Diana bowed her head. “Clark went to go see Bruce. Something happened in Gotham and… I don’t know. Katar and Ray said they would be coming. But with the patrols…”

“It’s like we’re living in a fascist regime!” Barry spat. “We should have known the bubble would burst some time…”

“Sure, you can say that now with hindsight.” Hal shrugged and then looked over to the bartender. “Can I get a beer?”

Diana’s brow furrowed as the bartender began to pour a draught for the hero. “Are you sure you should be drinking?”

“Probably not, but I want one, anyway..”

“I might as well have a beer too.” Barry smiled shyly. “My body metabolises alcohol instantaneously.”

“But not Thanagarian Ale!” Katar Hol, the Hawkman from space, grinned, as he appeared from the back door, wearing jeans and a black jacket, his scruffy black hair hanging roughly around his face. “As we discovered.”

Barry smiled. “Good to see you Katar. Now we’re just waiting for Ray and…”

Ray Palmer, the Atom, suddenly appeared beside Katar in a flash of light and a loud clicking. “I hitched a ride in Katar’s ear lobe.”

Katar rubbed his ear, and grimaced. “Which was comfortable for all those involved.”

Hal took a swig of his beer, and then looked around. “Looks like we’re just waiting for J’onn and the Dynamic Duo.”

“Dynamic Duo?” Clark Kent, the Kryptonian hero known as Superman, entered through the front of the bar, wearing his Smallville varsity jacket and a smile. He was followed by a rough-looking Bruce Wayne, the Batman, who wore a couple of days’ worth of stubble on his jaw. “You call us the Dynamic Duo?”

Ray smiled, standing by the jukebox. “If the shoe fits.”

“Can we get down to business?” grunted Bruce, as he took his seat. “Now isn’t the time for jokes. An entire nation is after us. We need to resolve this crisis before it gets any worse.”

“How can this get any worse?” sighed Barry. “We’re wanted, and those Knights…” He shook his head. “I’m sorry, I’m being negative. But my son…”

“We understand, Barry.” The bartender placed his hand on the Flash’s shoulder, and then looked to the others. “We all understand.” He began to shift into the form of J’onn J’onzz, and then into the guise of John Jones. The Martian Manhunter was here.

“I was wondering why people were coming to the door and then leaving before they entered. A little mental manipulation?” Barry asked.

J’onn nodded with a small smile, “We can begin as soon as he walks through the door.”

“He who?” Clark asked.

“Doesn’t the Chairman have to be present to begin meetings?” The team turned toward the opening door, concealed batarangs raised, lassos pulled, rings pointed and eyes burning red.

“Arthur!” Aquaman put up his hand as Wonder Woman and The Flash rushed to him, holding the weakened man up. His beard was thicker than usual, his hair longer too and his blue eyes were sullen and deep. Hidden beneath his brown trench coat was his gold and green costume, and he looked weak.

“You’re all my friends, you all know that,” Arthur smiled as he sipped the glass of water J’onn had bought to him, and then continued, “but my continued affiliation with the Justice League, in this desperate hour, is dragging you down.”

Batman interrupted the Atlantean King, his finger raised. “Wait one minute there, Aquaman!”

“Don’t, Bruce. I need to say this.” The King of the Seas sighed. “I’m handing in my resignation. Effective immediately.”

Hal rolled his eyes. “We don’t accept.”

Arthur slammed his fist onto the table, anger flaring up inside of him. “Oh, come on! You’re fugitives! You go out in public and you’re targets! And it’s my fault! My weakness did this! You need to be trusted. And me? I’m worse than… than Darkseid…” He shook his head. “You can’t be affiliated with me. I won’t allow it.”

“Arthur, we can fix this…”

“Yes, you can, but not with me. I need to be with my people. We’re at war, remember? So here is where we go our separate ways. I hope there will be a time where we can meet again without fear of death.” He grimaced. “But that time doesn’t seem to be anywhere in the immediate future.”

He turned for the door, and then paused. “But if I may make one suggestion?”

Clark nodded, and gestured for him to speak. “Please…?”

“You need a new Chairperson. And I think you all know who that should be.” He smiled to himself. “And she has my vote.”

“’She’?” Hal scratched his chin for a second, and then grinned. “Ah. She.”

Wonder Woman blushed slightly, looking at all the other members of the team. “I am honoured.”

“We can’t keep doing this,” Hal agreed. “We run the risk of being captured if we keep meeting up. We’re a threat to ourselves.”

Bruce nodded. “Lantern’s right. The only thing we can do now is go underground. Continue our separate lives but… carefully.” He looked around. “The government aren’t going to stop me from continuing the mission I laid out for myself… Or from investigating further into this conspiracy. I’ve got contacts out, and I will figure out what exactly these super-soldiers are.”

Clark looked up. “So what are you saying?”

Diana placed her hand on Bruce’s shoulder, which he took quietly, and then she began to speak. “We have to go our separate ways for the time being.”

Hal nodded. “Like Bruce said. Go underground.”

Barry grit his teeth. “Easy for you to say.”

Diana turned to J’onn. “We have the telepathic link. We can’t be separated per se, but if anyone discovers anything pertaining to the case at hand…”

Bruce pointed to his head and then hers. “Thought email.”

“Exactly.” She sighed. “So this is it.”

“It’s been a long wild ride…”

“Yes!” Katar placed his mace on the table, surprising everyone. “And it is not over yet, friends. We will overcome this challenge like we did Despero.” He grinned arrogantly, and Hal smiled, nudging J’onn who merely nodded slowly. “Together, nothing is out of our reach. Victory shall be ours!”

Barry sighed. “I wish I shared your enthusiasm.”

Clark began to unbutton his shirt, and revealed the ‘S’ symbol that all the others knew him by. “If you need me, call me.” He headed to the door, and then turned, smiling. “Katar’s right, guys.” And with that, he left.

“You have my number.” Barry winked glumly, and then he vanished in a flash of red.

Hal powered up his ring, and it sparked to life. “Bruce, need a lift home?”

“No thanks.” Bruce shook his head and then opened the door to leave, and was followed by Katar, Ray and Hal.

Diana and J’onn looked at each other for a moment. “I’m sure your chairmanship could have started on much better terms.”

Diana chuckled. “Yes, friend. I believe that is a bit of an understatement.” He put out his hand, and she took it. “Be safe, J’onn.”

“Likewise, my queen.” He bowed slightly and then held the door open for her.

He looked around the deserted bar and sat back down. What a way to end an era.

“Iris?” The apartment was quiet. No sound but the gentle breathing of his son, Bart, who slept in the room next to him. He poked his head into the dark nursery, and smiled. His son. His flesh and blood. He looked around, and continued to search the apartment. “Iris, where are you?” He slowly pushed open the door to his bedroom, where his wife sat in the dark. “Honey? What’s up?”

She didn’t reply.

“Iris? Babe?”

She looked at him with cold dead eyes.

“I-Iris?!”

She jerked up the pistol, and began to fire--

He opened the door to his apartment, and looked at Lois Lane as she entered. She didn’t say ‘Hi, how you been?’, but instead: “Where have you been, Smallville?”

Clark shrugged nonchalantly. “Nowhere. Asleep.”

She looked around awkwardly, and then continued. “Perry’s been asking for you. I told him you’d be back when you’re up to it.”

“I know. It’ll be soon, I think. I might fly back to Smallville, I don’t know--”

She looked at him, a fierce look in her eye. “You shouldn’t be doing anything strenuous, not after your injury…” Her words trailed off.

Clark nodded in agreement. For all she knew, beneath this shirt and tie was a barely healed bullet wound, caused by his taking one from an assassin, who’d had Lois’s death on his agenda.

“I’ll be fine. I’m a quick healer. Like my Pa…” He grimaced. “Anyway, anything new happen in the world of news since I left? Any news on the Justice League? On Superman?”

Lois shrugged her shoulders exasperatedly. “Nothing. No word from Superman, no word from any of them.”

“Can I get you a drink?”

“Sure.”

There was a knock at the door. “Can you get that?”

She laughed. “Sure!” He headed into the kitchenette and then paused. He recognised the heartbeats behind the door. Perry and Jimmy. There was something strange though. He heard something else. A flutter of something else? He tensed slightly. He was not a paranoid man, by any means. But… their heartbeats were strange. Rhythmic. Together. Together exactly! Which was virtually impossible. He put down the jug of coffee, and hurried into the lounge. Lois was at the door, and she was about to open it.

“NO!” He moved her out of the way, and then gunshots rattled through the door, wood splintering and plaster crumbling.



“Something’s wrong!” A fist punched through the splintered doorframe, and Clark recognised it as Perry’s. “Something’s very wrong!”

Ray Palmer ushered in his friend and colleague through the silent halls of his house, and directed him to a small box room. “You can sleep here, Katar.”

Katar Hol removed his jacket, and threw it on the chair next to the plain bed. “Thank you, Ray, I appreciate it.”

“No problem, man. ‘Sides--” He paused, and turned to the corridor outside, where he saw his wife approach silently. “Hey, have you met Jean?”

“No, I don’t think I’ve had the… Ray, does your woman normally carry around a loaded pistol?”

Ray did a double take. “What?”

“Carol! What are ya’--” cried out Hal as Carol Ferris emptied a clip out of her .9mm at him, the bullets ricocheting off the wall behind him as he dived out of the way. She didn’t even speak, let alone stop what she was doing as he shouted.

“Fine, wanna play it like that--” Hal threw up his ring, concentrated every stray thought and fantasy, and unleashed a green blast of light that engulfed the young woman, and when the light faded from view, she was frozen in place, her eyes glazed over and the weapon clutched tightly in her hand. “Ring, remove offending item.” He flicked his hand to his left, and the weapon vanished out of the aura, and clattered to the ground. “Ring, scan subject Carol Ferris to see what the hell just happened!”

Abin Sur’s voice answered him. “Xenobiological infection. Advise immediate quarantine--”

“No time for that, ring. Remove whatever’s causing her to go stir crazy, okay?” The ring buzzed in his hand. He loved that feeling. His baby sparked, and suddenly Carol Ferris jerked inside the aura, and something fell… From the back of her neck… “What the hell?”

Abin Sur answered once more: “Designate: It.”

“Huh?”

“Sonofa--” Bruce fell backwards, three bullets boring into his armoured suit. He hit the bottom of the stairwell hard, coughing as the air was snatched from his lungs.

“Master Bruce!” Alfred dove into an alcove, not catching a glimpse of their attacker.

Footsteps echoed down the stone stairs. Alfred held onto the tray in his hands, and when he saw the gun, aimed squarely at his master, appear from around the corner, he swung round before Bruce jerked up and reached out. “NO!” He struck the assailant in the side of the head.

Vicki Vale took the hit hard, but she did not cry out as she tumbled down the stairs. Bruce leapt up, catching her before she hit the ground harder. She swung her arm up, still gripping the weapon tightly, and put the muzzle under her boyfriend’s head.

“Dah!” He pushed her arm back, pinched a nerve that made her release the weapon, and then he pinched her neck, knocking her out. “What… just… happened…?”

“Sorry, Master Bruce, I didn’t--”

“Don’t apologize,” interrupted Bruce, as he picked up Vicki. “Let’s get her to the examination table.”

The bullet ricocheted away as an Nth Metal mace was flung across the room, scant millimetres away from Ray Palmer’s face. “I’m assuming that wasn’t a sign of affection!”

“Funny!” shouted Ray, over the ruckus, pulling up his black t-shirt and pressing down on his white dwarf star belt, shrinking to subatomic size. Katar watched as Jean clutched her ear, and then suddenly collapsed to the ground. Ray appeared moments afterwards, appearing out of her ear.

“I told you it wasn’t comfortable,” replied Katar, pointing to his ear.

“Come on, we need help--”

“Wait, look,” observed the Thanagarian Hawkman, as he picked up the dark-haired woman and placed her on the empty bed. “Her neck…”

Another secret location, preordained by the team for emergencies such as this, kept secret from anyone other than the Leaguers themselves. They arrived roughly around the same time, Hal being the last to appear.

“J’onn, you look like you’ve been through hell!” Diana reached out her hand, but the Martian Manhunter shifted his form, absorbing the cuts and bruises that had covered his body.

“I was ambushed at the bar. But don’t worry… I took care of them. Sent those… ‘super-soldiers’ back to their masters with their tails between their legs…” He gritted his teeth, and then began to speak: “I know what’s happening to us.”

Bruce stared at his teammate, and cocked an eyebrow. “Excuse me?”

“I attempted to scan the White House--”

Hal pointed a ringed finger at the Martian. “We knew that wouldn’t work. Lord has the Oval Office insulated pretty well against telepathic incursions…”

“It was a struggle, but I was able to expand my consciousness into the White House, albeit weakened severely.” He grimaced, and rubbed his forehead, beads of sweat forming. “And I sensed something.”

Barry paused from pacing the room, and looked over to his friend. “Sensed?”

“I couldn’t--” He struggled for words. “I couldn’t lock on to it. I couldn’t… I couldn’t put my finger on it, as it were. It was like when you experience déjà vu, or attempt to remember a dream… But what happened… I sensed an echo. An echo in the back of people’s minds.”

Clark looked at the other Leaguers assembled. “What does that mean?”

“I have lived a long life, my friends, faced things you could not imagine, and I have sensed this echo before.” He looked at his hands, and then back to the team. “And I nearly died at their hands before.”

“Who, J’onn?” inquired Diana sharply. “Who is it?!”

J’onn sighed heavily and pressed a hand to his temple, projecting an image into the minds of his teammates. A massive green star-shaped creature appeared in their minds’ eye, eclipsing the Sun, and from out of it, billions of tiny spores, all with a glowing red eye shining as they descended. The spores were different colours, green and purple, but the intent was the same. The League watched as the beings descended to the ground, and then they watched as an entire race was engulfed and enslaved in minutes. They realised that this wasn’t a projection… but a memory. “It is here. The Star Conqueror is on Earth, and the Martian race barely managed to defeat it before…”

Batman smirked slightly.

“What?”

“This Star Conqueror just started a war.” His smile didn’t subside. “And I don’t intend to lose to a giant starfish.”