|
A Crown To The Aged
By Louise Freeman Davis Chapter 5.
Do not rebuke me in your anger, or discipline me in your wrath, for your arrows have pierced me, and your hand has come down upon me. Psalm 38: 1-2 "Hey 'Wings! I'm picking something up!" Victor Stone secured his headphones and adjusted the volume on the communications console." "Audio?" asked Dick, stepping up behind his friend. Cyberion shook his head. "Digital. I'm recording, mebbe we can decode it later." "But can you jam it?" asked Roy. "I'm trying… the waveband keeps shifting, though. It's jumping channels, randomly." "Jumping channels…" mused Dick. "Vic, let me hear that!" He took the headphones and listened intently, his brow suddenly furrowed. "Dick, what is it?" asked Donna. "Harold developed an audio channel randomizer for Batman years ago. He still uses it, to contact his robot squadrons in Gotham. If he's adapted that technology for electronic transmissions…" Red Robin plucked a small transistor from his belt and pressed a few buttons on the side. "Vic, filter the signal through this!" He connected the unit to the speaker and switched it on. The soft sound of irregular clicks and beeps came to their ears. "Now feed it through the League chatserv…" Victor Stone's molten fingers flew across the keyboard. "On screen," he said. The monitor flickered to life and text began scrolling by, detailing plans for the gulag that was now under construction. "That's it!" cried Donna. "Victor, can you trace the source of that transmission?" asked Dick. "On it, Short-pants! Hold on…" His fingers became a silver blur as he typed even faster. "Level 2, room 33B." "Oh my God," gasped Red Arrow. "That's Lian's room!" They hadn't called Roy Harper Speedy for nothing. Instantly he was down the hall, racing toward his daughter's quarters. Donna was at his heels. "Try to jam that signal!" called Dick over his shoulder as he ran after them. Roy flung open Lian's door. She was crouched on the other side of the room, by her desk, typing furiously on a small keypad. She startled and looked up at him, fear and guilt apparent on her face. "What the hell…" he rushed to her, snatched her keypad, and read what she'd been typing. "I don't believe it…" he gasped, horrified. "Dad, listen to me!" she begged. "This gulag thing is wrong--" Roy turned and backhanded her squarely across the face, and Lian sprawled to the floor. "My own daughter is a traitor!" he bellowed. "Roy, stop!" cried Donna, snatching him by the arm. Lian sat up cautiously, drawing her arm across her mouth. "No, go on, Dad!" she sneered, defiantly. "Hit me again if that's what you want to do! That's the League's final solution, isn't it? If someone disagrees with you, slap them down!" "Lian, so help me…" Roy started after his daughter again, but Donna held him back. Dick caught up with them and eyed the transmitter. "It's one of Batman's!" he said, grimly. "You're working for him, aren't you? Just like Ollie!" shouted Roy. "I'm working for what I think is right!" retorted Lian. "If you think I'm going to play a part in locking up a bunch of people without a fair trial…" "The gulag is for re-education, hon!" cajoled Donna. "These are people who need help…" "Bull! It's a prison, Donna! Dad, you know what can happen when you…" "This is nothing like Belle Reve!" shouted Roy. "Isn't it? What happens when some nut like Genosyde decides those people aren't worthy to live?! Is the League going to risk life and limb to stop him? Or look the other way, while the world pins a medal on him and turns him into some sort of folk hero?! You open this concentration camp and you're no better than he was!" Dick shook his head angrily. "Roy, how could you let this happen? Your own kid! You assured me she could be trusted!" "Oh, don't you start casting stones, Uncle Dick!" spat Lian, putting a subtle emphasis on the last syllable. "For your information, I wasn't talking to Batman or Grandpa Ollie just then!" Dick's eyes narrowed. "Who?" he demanded, his voice deep and gravelly. "Two clues, Sherlock Hemlock," Lian retorted. "She has double-pierced ears, and once toasted my Barbie Dream House!" She saw Dick's jaw tighten when he realized whom she meant, and smiled bitterly. "So, before you decide to haul all of Batman's agents off to the gulag, I suggest you inquire about visiting hours! You and all your 'Teen Titans' are going to need to know them!" "Is there a problem here?" Red Arrow's stomach tightened as he looked up to see Superman standing in the doorway, with Wonder Woman right behind him. No one answered, but Lian quickly adjusted her cloak up to conceal her transmitter. Not that that would do any good if Superman was using his X-ray vision. "Red Robin, I asked a question. Is something wrong?" he asked again, more intensely. Dick glanced at his teammates. Donna had released Roy's arm and he had taken a protective step towards Lian, who now knelt on the floor, her head turned to hide the red handprint her father had left on her cheek. Not that that would help against Superman's X-ray vision, either. Roy's face was still flushed with anger, but his lips were pressed together in a nervous line. Donna's eyes were silently pleading. "No, Superman, nothing's wrong," Dick answered after a long pause. The Man of Steel arched his eyebrows skeptically. "Donna?" came Wonder Woman's pointed query. Donna managed a smile. "Just a family matter, sis. Nothing to be concerned about," she assured her, with forced cheer. "Really." "I see," said Superman, regarding them all in turn as he rubbed his chin. "Carry on, then." "Kal-El—" began Wonder Woman. "I said, carry on," he responded curtly, and the Amazon princess fell silent. Motioning Wonder Woman out, Superman shot Dick a final meaningful glance before he closed the door behind them. Roy, Donna and Lian gave a collective sigh of relief. "Thanks, Dick," said Roy, softly. "Don't thank me. Thank Superman. You didn't fool him, you know." Red Robin turned and departed without another word. Roy seized Lian by the shoulders and pulled her to her feet. "You get your things and get out of here, right now!" he hissed, his voice a wavering blend of anger, concern and panic. "And don't show your face around here again, ever! Do you understand me?" Lian said nothing, just pulled her hood over her head as she snatched up her bow and quiver. Pausing at the door, she turned around and gave her father one final, pleading look. "Dad, please! Come with--" "NOW!" Her face stricken, Red Hood slipped silently out the door. Tears stung Roy Harper's eyes as he and Donna embraced. "God, Donna! If they ever find out…" he choked. "They won't," Donna assured him, hugging him tight. "Dick'll think of something, once they realize she's gone. She's his family, too." Donna squeezed him again, then stepped back and took his bearded face in her hands, stroking his cheeks until she evoked a small smile. But when she spoke, her voice wavered. "Even if he can't, her grandpa will protect her, I know," she pointed out. "Do you think she'll go to Green Arrow?" Roy looked down at her, slipped his arms over her shoulders and drew her close to him again. "At the risk of betraying our glorious cause here, I hope so, Donna," he said, caressing her back. "I really hope so."
What can I say for you? With what can I compare you, O Daughter of Jerusalem? To what can I liken you, that I may comfort you, O Virgin Daughter of Zion? Your wound is as deep as the sea. Who can heal you? The visions of your prophets were false and worthless; they did not expose your sin to ward off your captivity. The oracles they gave you were false and misleading. Lamentations 2:13-14. "The worst thing we can do is tip our hand too soon, so nobody makes a move until Batman gives the signal, got it?" finished Nightstar. She and Robert had spent the better part of a day clearing rubble from the wreckage of the Wayne Manor study, and the five Titans offspring now lounged there, reviewing the plans for the upcoming meeting with the Mankind Liberation Front. "Grandpa and Grandma won't be outfitted, last I heard," Lian reminded her. "I know," answered Nightstar. "Shouldn't be a problem… Between you, Olivia and the Huntress they'll be enough arrows flying already." "A regular band of merry women," quipped Robert, with a smile to his old friend. Lian managed to return it, though she had been far from merry most days, since her expulsion from the League. Park wriggled impatiently. "And I take out the Riddler! No problem; I got it all figured out! You see, Cousin Bart showed me this trick; all I gotta do is—" She reached out with one hand, touching her fingertip to the top of Robert's head. "You explained already, Little Bit," he cautioned, gently clasping her wrist. "No need to demonstrate." "Tula, are you clear on your assignment?" asked Nightstar. "Yeah, yeah…" was the sullen reply. "Did you review her file?" ""What's the big deal? You think I can't handle some middle-aged surface-dweller?" "Tula, these people are supervillains, from way back!" warned Robert. "Don't underestimate them." "A bunch of worthless old-timers, every one!" she snorted in reply. "I thought we were going to be taking on Aquaman and the League!" "Look, we've been through this a dozen times!" Nightstar lashed back angrily. "Luthor's group is the more immediate threat!" Tula rolled her eyes and stood, yanking on her clawed, webbed gloves. "Where are you going?" demanded Nightstar. "We're not done here!" "Maybe you're not, but I am!" "Not until I hear your plan for capturing Selina Kyle!" "I need a swim!" Tula snapped back. The clock door banged shut behind her and Nightstar clenched her fists to stop herself from putting another hole in one of the manor walls. "Jeez, she shoulda took the name 'Crabby-Girl,'" remarked Flash. "Bobby, you have to talk to her!" insisted Nightstar. "I promised Gramps I'd have everybody's full cooperation." "Manda, I've tried!" answered Darkstar, and sighed at the pleading look she gave him. "I'll try again," he promised. Lian stood and picked up her bow and quiver. "Good luck, Robs. But if we're done, I'm supposed to meet Grandpa on the North Lawn for target practice. Later!" Robert watched her go, then turned to Nightstar. "Before I go tangle with our resident sea serpent again, Manda, I want to ask you something." "What?" "You and your granddad have mapped out plans for just about everyone on in the MLF, but I noticed there was one name conspicuously absent from your list. That of your long-lost uncle." "Uncle?" asked Park. Her brow furrowed in confusion, then cleared as the light dawned. "Oh, him!" she exclaimed with a grin. Nightstar's eyes snapped. "Let's just say I have my own idea for dealing with him," she said with a mysterious smile. Robert shook his head wearily. "Your own idea. May the gods protect us all." He stood as Nightstar shot him an irritated look and Park giggled again. "All right, if I'm not back in half an hour start dragging the Batcave floor for me." Robert found Tula in her usual spot, floating on her back between the giant penny and the playing card. The murky cave waters did not make for great swimming, but served adequately for the periodic dips Tula required to stay hydrated. She closed her eyes in annoyance at his approach. "Don't start, OK?" she grumbled. "We may oppose some of the things the League's doing, Tula. That doesn't make them our mortal enemy." "Speak for yourself." "I'm speaking for the team. A team you said you wanted to be part of." "I'm doing what they said. I'm going to this stupid meeting! Just don't expect me to outline a five-page battle plan if all I'm supposed to do is subdue Grandma Pussycat! I thought I'd be getting something a bit more challenging by now! I thought you recruited me to take out that power-hungry bastard who, to my eternal shame, spawned me!" Robert sighed. "Tula, these are our parents we're talking about!" "Your parents. As far as I'm concerned, I have no father." "You really don't remember him, do you?" Tula's eyes flashed angrily. "So help me, if you're going to tell me more stories about 'Aqualad' and the Teen Titans saving the world…" "No, Tula, I wasn't." "Good, because I don't care what he did for the surface people! Maybe he was your 'hero' but that doesn't mean he's one where I come from!" "Tula, if you had just known him—" "Forget it!" "No, I won't! You don't want to hear about all the lives he saved while I was growing up, fine! But there's a good man inside the Aquaman suit, Tula. A decent person, who cared enough to spend an entire weekend coaching me in how to tread water, so I could pass the test for my Boy Scout canoe trip…" "That's supposed to impress me?!" spat Tula. "Well, it comes as no great surprise he'd care for some land-dweller's son more than his own flesh and blood! A fitting preference for a traitor who put the needs of the surface world above that of his own!" With that, Tula turned and dove, disappearing into the dark waters. "Touchy, isn't she?" Robert looked up to see Park lounged atop the model dinosaur, straddling its neck. Robert rolled his eyes. "I hate to say it, but I think it's time we consider throwing this one back. She just won't listen to reason. Where's Nightstar?" "North lawn." Robert nodded and climbed the steps to the manor above. Park paused a few seconds, then scrambled down from her perch. Balancing on a craggy stalagmite, she leaned over to grab the half-submerged penny, and set it vibrating at super-speed. A low hum reverberated throughout the cave, and Tula appeared at the surface, her hands over her ears. "What are you doing?" she demanded. "My science teacher said sound waves carry better underwater," smirked Park. "Just seeing if she was right! But as long as you're up, I wanna talk to you!" Tula glared in reply. "I've got nothing to say to you, red!" "Good. So just shut up and listen! I don't like the way you keep dissing my friends!" Tula smiled knowingly. "One friend in particular, maybe? Give it up, 'Little Bit;' as far as he's concerned, you're only a kid." Park's cheeks flamed red. "That's not true…and even if it was…" she stammered, lost for words for a second. "This isn't about me, Aquabitch!" "I don't have to listen to this!" Tula dove again. "No, you can listen to this!" Park called after her as she set the penny vibrating again, even faster. "Ow!" Tula reappeared, glaring fiercely. "That hurts!" "You're not the only one who grew up without a father around, you know!" continued Park. "The only reason I know anything about what kind of person mine was is that Robert and the others told me. Why won't you listen to them?" "Prince Garth is my enemy and he always will be!" "What 'enemy'? You're talking like we're in a war or something!" "I know what war is like! And I know what type of ruthless opponent my esteemed sire can be!" "Do you? Did the Koryakans send 10 year-olds into battle? Get real, you don't know anything about your father except what they told you! And considering you were the daughter of their sworn enemy, don't you think it's at least possible they might have lied to you?!" "My mother would never have lied to me!" "Wouldn't she? Tula, she was sleeping with the man who tried to seize the throne!" "A throne that was rightfully his! Prince Garth stole the birthright of the true royal heir!!" "You bought every line they fed you, didn't you? Tempest took over as Aquaman, you dope; he never planned to rule Atlantis! Did they ever tell you why Koryak was stripped of his Crown Prince title?" Tula didn't answer. "Because he opposed all the democratic reforms his father was trying to make! He didn't want the king's power diluted, not one bit! He was the one who wanted absolute control!" "Koryak fought to protect true Atlantan tradition and culture!" Tula insisted. "He didn't want it diluted by sinister surface influence." "Atlantan tradition was a monarch with absolute power! Koryak was the one who grew up on the surface world; why would he support something like that? There's only one reason, Tula! He thought he'd get to be the monarch! You called Uncle Garth a power-hungry bastard; but the only one who fit that description was Koryak!" "You're lying!" Tula shouted, her fists clenched. "You don't believe me?" retorted Park. "Wait, I'll prove it to you!" she vanished in a red and yellow blur, and reappeared less than a minute later. "Here! Dry your hands!" She tossed Tula a towel. The ocean-dweller caught it one-handed and slowly climbed out of the water. When she was done, Park tossed her a book. She glanced down at the title. Undersea Camelot: King Arthur and the Swim Towards Democracy. The author was Iris West Allen. "That's the last book my aunt wrote, before her cancer was diagnosed," Park said, her voice quivering. "It'll tell you the truth about your dad's family, your precious Koryak included! And one more thing…" Park turned away and crouched by the waterfront, gazing down at her reflection. "I may not remember the original Titans the same way Robert, Amanda and Lian do," she said softly. "But I remember a few things. Aunt Iris and I went on vacation with them once, on one of Uncle Gar's islands, when I was 6 or so. Uncle Garth wasn't there; he'd become Aquaman by then, and the troubles in Atlantis were just starting. Anyway, I swam too far away from the others, and ran into a jellyfish. When it stung me, I freaked, and swam away as fast as I could. I didn't have a lot of control then, so by the time I stopped, I was off in the middle of the ocean someplace; no land, no landmarks, no nothing. I tried to get back, but I didn't know the way. I got up and started running, but of course every time I stopped to try to see where I was I'd fall back in the water and have to start swimming to stay afloat. The waves got higher, and I was getting more tired with every try. I was so scared. I don't know how long I was out there; it seemed like hours, but I have a hard time judging things like that. Anyway, it was your dad who found me. I still remember hearing him call me. I turned around and saw this big seahorse-looking thing rising out of the water, with Uncle Garth on his back. He scooped me up in his arms… I was crying and couldn't stop, but I heard him radio Uncle Dick, and I remember him saying to me that it was all right, I was safe, and my Aunt Iris would be there soon. And we sat there, with him holding me as tight as he could, bouncing in the waves on top of that seahorse thing, until the others got there in the boat." "Imp," said Tula, softly. "What?" "The seahorse. Its name was Imp." she answered, her expression unreadable for a second. Then her lip curled into a sneer. "So, that's supposed to be a big deal to me?" "A bigger one than you realize. See, by the time they got there, I had stopped crying. But when Uncle Garth handed me to Aunt Iris, I saw he was crying. Aunt Iris carried me straight below, but I saw Aunt Donna go over and start hugging him, and the last thing I heard him say was, 'God, Donna, where have they taken her?' Later I asked Aunt Iris, and she told me Uncle Garth was sad because someone had taken his little girl away, and he couldn't find her. So before you swallow everything the Koryakans fed you, hook, line and sinker, think about that. There are two sides to every story, Tula, and the truth comes only from those who do not fear it, and who have nothing to gain by lies." Park rolled her eyes and stood. "Dang, now you have me sounding like Cousin Bart. Later, Fishface." she departed with a whoosh. Alone, Tula sat quietly by the lapping water, and touched the cover of the book Park had given her with one cautious finger. Silently she opened it and began to read.
I reared children and brought them up, but they have rebelled against me. Isaiah 1:2. "You're a real piece of work, aren't you, Batman?" came a gravelly voice from the shadows. To his credit, Bruce showed no outward signs of startle. There was, after all, only one man out there who knew the Batcave well enough to elude all the security systems, and might be motivated to pay a visit at this time. "Hello, Nightwing." "Don't call me Nightwing." Red Robin's cape billowed about him as he swooped down to land by Batman's command console. "Unit twenty-seven to sector 10G, maneuver six." Batman spoke into his microphone. "What can I do for you…Dick?" "You weren't content to destroy your own family, were you? You had to start screwing with Roy's, too!" "Lian Harper is hardly the first young crimefighter to part ways with her partner." "She and Roy were doing just fine until you stared meddling! You turned her against her own father!" "The League did that, the second they decided to build the gulag," responded Batman, pressing a button. "Units three and eight, resume patrol. There's no such thing as a benevolent dictatorship, Dick." "Don't you lecture to me like I'm twelve years old!" bellowed Red Robin, his face flushing with anger under his mask. "You have a problem with the Justice League trying to restore order?" "When 'order' means marching to their drumbeat and no other, yes, I do." "Then let's settle it, right now!" challenged Dick. "But you leave our children out of it! This is between you and me, Batman!" "It's far beyond us, Dick, and you know it. Besides," Batman slowly swiveled in his chair to face his former partner. "I have no desire to fight you." "Not so brave without your robot army around you?" sneered Dick. Bruce touched the collar of his exoskeleton. "Dick, without this, I can't even sit unassisted. I'm not so foolish to think I could defeat you, not anymore. If you intend to 're-educate' me, I have little choice but to surrender peacefully. Though," Batman steepled his fingers and regarded Dick thoughtfully. "—I must wonder who of us as truly been re-educated, if you've resorted to threatening a crippled old man. Tell me, do you consider yourself Superman's sidekick these days, or Wonder Woman's?" Red Robin's face darkened even more and his eyes narrowed with fury as he took a step towards Batman. A sizzle pierced the air and a flurry of rocks exploded at his feet. "Back off, Dad. Now!" came a firm voice from the shadows, and Nightstar dropped onto the platform to land behind Batman's chair. Dick gazed at her a long minute, his chin trembling with rage. "So it's true!" he snapped. "I really didn't think even you'd sink this low, Bruce!" "I guess you can say I've finally joined the family business!" retorted Nightstar with an icy smile. "Pity you decided to sell out first!" "You won't stop until you get her killed, too, will you?" roared Red Robin. "Just like Jason! Just like Alfred! Just like Barbara—" "Just like Mom?" interjected Nightstar, her face clouding with emotion. "You've never stopped blaming yourself, have you, Dad?" Dick ranted on, ignoring her interruption. "What kind of man drags his own granddaughter into–" "I find it interesting that you consistently use that term," remarked Batman casually as he turned back to his console. "—when all along it was you who insisted that she—" "But you got what you always wanted, didn't you? You sucked her into the miserable hole you call a life, just like you did me!" "Dick, you're verging on paranoia here. I respected your wishes, throughout her childhood. On the matter of the League, she came to me." "She doesn't understand the type of sick bastard you are!" Batman stiffened visibly and paused a second in his programming. "Will you both stop it?" cried Nightstar. "You're talking about me like I'm not even here!" Dick turned to his daughter and lowered his voice. "Amanda, I don't blame you for this. I know how he can mess with your mind—" "Gimme a break, Dad!" she declared, adamantly. "You've never been able to force me into anything I didn't want… What makes you think he can?" "Amanda, this is absurd! Get out of that costume; I'm taking you home right now!" "I am home! " she spat back. "I'm right where I belong, for the first time since my mother died!" Dick seized her by one arm and raised his hand, but Bruce's chair spun quickly as his steel-braced hand seized Dick's wrist. "And you were just berating me for treating you like a child," he chided, giving Dick a surprisingly powerful shove as he released his arm. Not a hint of fear crossed his face as he regarded his former ward. Dick's face flamed with outrage and he advanced on Batman again. Nightstar stepped protectively in front of her grandfather as a new voice rang out. "Stay where you are, Uncle Dick!" Red Robin whirled around to see Robert emerge from the shadows, flanked by Park on one side and Tula on the other. "Robert!" he gasped, then shook his head in disbelief. "I'd have thought you had better sense, at least!" "I was taught to stick up for what I think is right, by you and by Mom," he answered. "That's all any of us are doing." "You kids have all let Batman—" "We're all adults, Uncle Dick!" Robert's voice rose a notch. "Except me!" piped up Park. "But Cousin Bart said it was OK!" "It's been a long time, 'Uncle Dick,'" said Tula with a vicious grin. "Do give 'Daddy' my regards, when you see him!" "I don't believe this…all of you…" Dick was visibly shaken. "We've all made our own decisions," continued Robert. He stepped up to stand by Nightstar, with Tula and Park close behind him. "You can either support us, or let us be." Dick gazed at the proud foursome and his shoulders slumped. "Amanda, please." "My name is Nightstar," she answered stoically, folding her arms and turning away. "Good-bye, Dad," she said, though her voice choked in the process. Dick stepped toward her, but this time it was Robert who blocked his pathway. Dick fixed his eyes intensely upon the young man for a long minute, but when it was clear there would be no surrender, he turned on his heel and stormed away, his cape swirling in his wake. Relief washed over all of the youngsters' faces once he was gone. Oliver Queen emerged from another corner on the cave, his arm draped protectively over Lian's shoulders. Her hood was pulled up, but could not hide the distress on her face. "This is my fault," she said, her voice heavy with regret. "I should never have told them that we all were—" Her grandfather gave her a comforting squeeze. "Uncle Dick's the best detective I know, Lian," said Robert. "He'd have figured it out for himself, soon enough. Don't worry about it." Lian cautiously approached Nightstar and the two exchanged a long, teary-eyed hug. Batman cleared his throat and rose, all business once again. "I'm glad you're all back. There's been some rioting in the club district of Blüdhaven, and I'm suspicious some of Luthor's operatives are inciting it. I need the five of you to go with Green Arrow and check it out." "Awwright!" said Park, while Tula only nodded silently. Lian gave Nightstar final squeeze and shouldered her quiver. "The 'Haven's beautiful this time of year, they say," quipped Ollie. "Best get it over with." He cocked his head toward the exit. "I'll c-catch up with you," stammered Nightstar, bowing her head. Her fingers clasped the back of Batman's chair in a white-knuckled grip and her cheeks were wet with tears. As he passed her, Robert laid a hand on her shoulder, but she declined his assistance, motioning him to go ahead with the others. Once the rest had gone, Nightstar turned suddenly to Batman, flung her arms about his neck and buried her face in his shoulder as her tears streaked the metal plate of his exoskeleton. Batman was momentarily taken aback by the display, but he cautiously returned the embrace, holding her silently as he stroked her hair. Once her sobs had abated, Nightstar untangled herself from his clasp, smiling weakly as she wiped her cheeks with her palm. "Will you be all right, Amanda?" Batman asked, his tone uncommonly gentle. She nodded bravely. "I'll be fine, Gramps," she assured him, reaching up to brush one of his cheeks. "And so will you."
Chapter 6.
He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only observe with your eyes, and see the punishment of the wicked. Psalm 91: 4-8. "And they're prepared to fight tooth and nail with the generation that sired them?" Ibn al Xu'ffasch took in the assembly of costumed heroes Batman had brought with him. Visually, they were a remarkable bunch, to put it mildly, and a surprising number were striking young females. But one in particular caught his eye. From the way she was regarding him, he could tell the interest was mutual. "Aren't all young people, son?" answered Batman. A red-haired girl in a lightning-themed costumed seemed to snicker a bit at this remark but subsided as the blond man behind her gave her a quick jab in the shoulder. Batman eyed them sternly for a second, then continued. "They're prepared to strike when I give the signal." At his nod, his team stepped forward. The various Mankind Liberation Front members rose to greet them, and the socializing began. Ibn focused his attention exclusively on the dark-haired young beauty with the clear green eyes. She approached him immediately, her hands clasped demurely behind her, even as her sparkling eyes scanned him from head to toe. "Hello," she smiled. "Hello," he returned reaching for her hand and raising it to his lips in a gesture of gallantry. "I don't believe I've had the pleasure…" "My name is Nightstar." "Ibn al Xu'ffasch." "I know," she answered, clasping his hand warmly in hers. "I was hoping to meet you today." The rest of the room faded away as they began chatting, and Ibn lost himself in her emerald eyes. Utterly captivated, he wound up staying by her side all the way through the lengthy social and the luncheon that followed. Her interest in him became even more obvious; indeed, from the questions she asked, he felt like she was trying to discern the very facets of his inner soul. After coffee and dessert, Batman approached to tap the young woman on her shoulder. "Nightstar, we're re-convening." "Coming, Gramps," she said with a coy grin as she stood. "But shame on you! You never told me your business partner was so charming! Mr. Xu'ffasch, you will sit with us, won't you?" She rose to take Ibn by one arm and Batman by the other and gave both an affectionate squeeze. Ibn was surprised; Batman seemed a bit young to have a granddaughter Nightstar's age. He wondered if she enchanted all her grandfather's business associates this way as she led them to the brightly lit conference room and insisted he take the chair next to Batman's. That would certainly explain the legendary success of Waynetech. But from quelling looks Batman kept giving her, Ibn concluded he was at best uncomfortable, at worst irritated, by his granddaughter's display. Nightstar, however, seemed to be enjoying herself thoroughly as she leaned affectionately on the back of Batman's chair, her eyes sparkling with delight. Or was it mischief? While Ibn was pondering this, Luthor strode triumphantly into the conference room to announce his "good news" of the gulag rebellion. Seconds later, the young man got the shock of his life as Batman rose to deck Luthor's burly tuxedo-clad henchman soundly in the jaw. As Ibn froze in his chair, uncertain what to do, Nightstar slipped up behind him. "Do you trust me?" she whispered. Ibn couldn't speak, but managed a quick nod. From the corner of his eye, Ibn saw that a dark-haired girl behind Selina Kyle was reaching for her neck with a clawed, webbed hand; the rest of Batman's group was silent, but poised for action. "Good," Nightstar replied. "Things are about to get a little rough. Just do as I say." "Then may we assume you've given the signal?" asked the blond man in red. Nightstar squeezed Ibn's shoulder, signaling him to stay still. "Absolutely." Chaos erupted as Batman's team attacked the MLF, and he blond man turned on Ibn, his weapon aimed. "No, Bobby!" cried Nightstar, stepping between them. "Manda, he's one of them!" "Let me handle it, please!" Darkstar pressed his lips together grimly, but nodded and lowered his arm. As arrows whizzed through the air, pinning Kobra's jacket to the wall, Nightstar snatched Ibn by the arm and pulled him to one side, out of the fray. Panting with fear, Ibn glanced back at the ruckus around the table. With the exception of Ms. Kyle, who had managed to sock her attacker soundly, the MLF was getting trounced from every angle. "Is this a bust of some sort?" he gasped, and quickly prayed Nightstar wouldn't take it as a personal remark about her cleavage. "I'm afraid so," she answered. "There's no time to explain, but my grandfather considers you a bit of a special case. How'd you like to be my prisoner?" Ibn watched wide-eyed as the young redhead shook down Mr. Nygma, literally, and a green-skinned woman stepped in to lasso the fleeing Selina with an energy beam of some sort. "Absolutely," he echoed, and Nightstar smiled again as she whisked him out of the room. When the storm was over, Ibn was not locked up with the rest of Luthor's allies; instead, Nightstar hustled him down the hall with her, keeping a firm grip on his arm the entire way. As Batman ordered his magician to return him to the cave, he again glanced meaningfully at his granddaughter. Ibn tensed, fully expecting to be ordered to the holding area with the rest of the MLF, but the command never came. This time, Ibn sensed another emotion beneath all the tension in Batman's eyes. It almost looked like gratitude.
My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, for they will prolong your life many years and bring you prosperity. Proverbs 3: 1-2 "So that's what that feels like," Batman mused to himself as he glanced over his shoulder to find the Man of Steel gone. With an ever-increasing sense of foreboding, he swiftly returned to the task of assembling his battle armor. Ted Kord had designed it to be powered by his remaining nerve impulses, and promised that it would restore almost his original strength. The wings would even give him the ability to fly. "Only one small design flaw," Beetle had told him when he unveiled the prototype, a month earlier. "That's that if you wear it too long, you're liable to burn out the last functioning motor units of your brainstem. If that happens, you'll likely lose a few of the skills you have now." "Such as?" "Such as the ability to breathe without an iron lung." "How long can I safely wear it?" Batman had asked. "Upper limit of 18 hours, assuming minimum stress. Lower limit's less certain and depends on your activity level, temperature and humidity conditions and whether I've estimated the efficiency variables correctly…" "Give me the worse-case scenario," Batman had demanded. "About three and a half minutes," sighed Ted. "Which is why I'm working on a second model…" Unfortunately, the gulag riot and Marvel's escape meant this one would have to do. The day Batman had been dreading had arrived, and this was one mission he refused to command from behind the scenes. His allies understood his reasons and accepted his decision, even Nightstar. Bruce winced, wishing he could think of a valid reason for ordering her to stay behind, but he knew that wouldn't be fair. If she could accept him risking his life, he'd have to accept her risking hers. Bloodshed was almost a certainty today, and it pained Bruce to think of any of his people being lost at the hands of those who had once been his closest allies. But some were more "his" than others. On both sides. Batman looked at his communications console and made what was, for him, quite an impulsive decision. He laid down his screwdriver and crossed the room to punch in a code, fervently hoping Dick had not changed it. "Batman to Red Robin, come in. This is an emergency!" There was a brief static-filled pause, then Dick's voice. "You've got a hell of a lot of nerve calling me now!" he growled. "Dick, I want you to put aside whatever beef you have with me. Wonder Woman is about to start something that is going to end with a lot of people dead. You're the only one out there who even has a prayer of stopping it. Captain Marvel is about to blow that prison camp wide open; you have to call off the attack!" "You can't be serious! These people are criminals!" "Are they? Then do what you always did best, as Robin, and as a Titan! Round them up and see that they answer to the law! Right now they've been locked up like animals; don't condemn them for protesting their current situation! Let them go, peacefully!" "I have my orders," was the icy reply. Bruce slammed the desk with both fists. "Damn it! The Dick Grayson I raised knew when it was time to stop taking orders! The world doesn't need a Robin now; it needs Nightwing! Not a Boy Wonder, the man who always found an answer, even when the odds were against him! Find a solution, Dick, before it's too late! Find a way to save lives, instead of taking them. The Titans will follow you your lead, I know, even if no one else will! And when your group pulls together, you can stand up to any force on this planet, even the Justice League. I've seen you do it, Nightwing. You're the best there are." "There are no more Titans! There is no more Nightwing! That was another time!" "I'm not asking for my sake, Dick! I'm asking for sake of all of us, meta-powered, and not. Please, chum. Please." There was a long pause, and for a brief second, Bruce was hopeful. "Red Robin out." came the final curt reply, and the communicator clicked and fell silent. Batman seized the desktop with his braced fingertips and angrily overturned the entire console, sending electronic equipment clattering to the cave floor in a shower of sparks. Bruce allowed himself a second to grieve, then turned on his heel and began suiting up. There was no choice now. Ollie, Nightstar and the rest of his people were waiting for him on the North Lawn. They would all go in together, but Batman knew, with grim certainty, that they would not all be coming back. Were you angry with the rivers, O Lord? Was your wrath against the streams? Did you rage against the sea when you rode with your horses and your victorious chariots? You uncovered your bow, you called for many arrows. You split the earth with rivers; the mountains saw you and writhed. Torrents of water swept by; the deep roared and lifted its waves on high. Sun and moon stood still in the heavens at the glint of your flying arrow at the lightning of your flashing spear. In wrath you strode through the earth and in anger you threshed the nations. You came to deliver your people, to save your anointed one. You crushed the leader of the land of wickedness, you stripped him from head to foot. With his own spear you pierced his head when his warriors stormed out to scatter us, gloating as if you were about to devour the wretched who were in hiding. You trampled the sea with your horses, churning the great waters. I heard and my heart pounded, my lips quivered at the sound; Decay crept into my bones and my legs trembled. Yet I will wait patiently for the day of calamity to come on the nation invading us. Habakkuk 3: 8-16. "Garth! Garth!" A stab of pain shot through Aquaman's jaw as he awoke to someone shaking his shoulders. "Donna?" he said groggily. "Thank Hera!" his old friend sighed with relief. "Do you need water?" she asked, gesturing at the emergency canteen Aquaman wore on his belt. Garth shook his head, reigniting the pain. "Ooooh…" "Are you sure? It's been a long time in this desert…" "I've acclimated over the years; I'm OK for now… Where's Tula?" "She walloped me a good one, too," Donna smiled ruefully amid the chaos. "But I managed to pull her off you. Vic chased her that way," Donna pointed the ruins of the demolished gulag." "Thanks," Garth said, trying to get to his feet. He clearly had a concussion; his daughter's kick had caught him squarely in the temple. "Just returning the favor," Donna quipped. Earlier in the day Garth had saved Donna from an attack by 666. "You guys all right?" Roy Harper ran up to them, and slid his arm under Garth's shoulder to support him. "Gods, how did it come to this?" asked Garth, clutching his head in his hands as he tried to stand. "The kids…Tula…" "I don't know, Garth," said Donna. "But we have to find Dick… This has to stop, somehow!" Garth nodded in agreement as he struggled to draw a deep breath. "Tula…she hasn't spent much time on land, not since she was small…and never in a place this dry. Her mother had no tolerance at all…" Donna nodded, even as she exchanged a pained glance with Roy. The world was falling apart around him, and Garth was worried about his daughter dehydrating. A daughter who, by all appearances, would happily see him dead. Her communicator buzzed. "DONNA!" came Dick Grayson's voice, sounding as they had never heard it before. It was a scream of pure panic, or perhaps despair. The three Titans exchanged looks of horror. "That way, last I saw him!" reported Roy, pointing west. The three darted in that direction, but Garth stumbled and fell to his knees. "Go on!" he motioned his friends to continue. "I'll be all right!" Donna and Roy nodded regretfully and took off at full run. Through his blurry eyes, Garth saw a house-sized section of the gulag that had fallen, and looked like it might provide a bit of shelter in the storm of the battle. If he could just get there and take a moment to regroup. He climbed to his feet and staggered toward the piece of rubble, but got only halfway before a stray energy blast struck him to the ground. In the chaos, no one could say who had fired the bolt. Red Robin paused long enough in his fighting to realize that the battle had turned lethal; Wonder Woman had killed Von Bach, and the rioters were retaliating in full force. Dick cursed himself for not pushing harder with Superman, for not at least trying to convince him the gulag was the wrong solution for Von Bach. But there was no turning back now… it was war and he was a soldier. He had orders to kill if necessary, and apparently, it was. Someone came at him from above, and Red Robin instinctively turned his knockout gas spray on him. His attacker emitted a gasp and plummeted to the ground to land behind him with a thud. Red Robin knew half a dozen ways to kill with his bare hands. He had never employed any of them, but now he whirled upon his attacker, steeling himself to do what he had to. Sheer shock exploded upon him when he saw the man's face. His "attacker" was Robert. His best friend's only child, the boy who was as close to a son as he would ever have. Dick Grayson had never once frozen in the middle of a fight, but he stood motionless now, looking down at the unconscious form of the child he had helped raise. Barely 20 yards away, Wonder Woman was shouting at Batman that he was out of his league. Batman's response rang out over the din of the fight and cut through the roar in Dick's ears. "WHY? Because we're here to SAVE lives, rather than TAKE them?" At that moment, Red Robin knew Batman was right. Batman was secure enough in his convictions that, even though he had no superpowers of his own, even though he required a steel exoskeleton to sit up unassisted, he was challenging an ageless Amazon in hand-to-hand combat. A wave of shame welled up inside him as Dick Grayson as he realized who the true hero was, and how deep his own failure ran. He sank to his knees beside Robert's gasping form. As Batman and Wonder Woman carried their struggle into the sky, Bruce's word's echoed back to him.. "Find a solution, Dick, before it's too late." Clenching his fists, Dick Grayson fought off the angst that threatened to consume him and vowed that failure would not overcome him this time. Springing to his feet, he seized Robert by the shoulders and dragged him as far away from the fighting as he could, then pressed a button on his wrist. "DONNA!" he shouted, knowing she would come, and bring any Titans she could. He pulled a vial of ammonia salts from his utility belt and waved it under Robert's nose. By the time she found him, Darkstar was coming around. Dick tenderly cradled the boy's head on his lap, but yielded his place to Donna as she and Roy rushed up. Mother and son tearfully embraced. "Forgive me," whispered Dick to them, and both nodded with understanding. "What now, 'Wings?" asked Red Arrow, quietly. "This has to end," answered Dick. "We offer the inmates safe passage out of here if we have to, but we have to stop the bloodshed." Robert nodded weakly and sat up. "That's all we came here to do," he said. "I know that, now, Robert," answered Dick, helping him to his feet. "Thank you." His fingers tightened on the boy's shoulders for a second, then let go. He glanced at Roy and Donna. "Help Batman's people, any way you can! And tell the others; the Titans, and anyone else who'll listen. Just stop the killing!" Roy nodded. "But I have to find Lian…" "I know," answered Dick. "Hurry." Roy kissed Donna swiftly, then sped off, disappearing into the crowd. Dick scanned the skies, where all manner of flying people where fighting, but saw no sign of his daughter. "I'll find her for you, Uncle Dick!" promised Robert, and with a final squeeze of his mother's hand, soared off. Donna pointed up, high above the rest of the fight, where Batman and Wonder Woman were struggling. "Diana…" she choked. Dick shook his head grimly. "Leave her to Batman. There's enough work for us down here!" Donna nodded, brushed his cheek swiftly, and the two friends darted off in opposite directions, heading back into the battle to save as many lives as they could. Garth's eyes fluttered open and he knew instantly that he was seriously hurt. Plasma burns covered much of his chest and back, and from the relative lack of pain, he knew they were serious. Around him he could see several fallen and battered bodies that, like him, had been left for dead. Raising his head he could see the craggy shelter he had tried to reach earlier, and made out the shell motif on the costume of a young girl lying alongside it, about thirty yards away. Tula. Garth tried to get up, but he could only use the left side of his body. His lungs cried out for fresh water, but he could not take the time to refresh himself. Dragging himself across the parched ground, he inched his way over to her, pain stabbing his ribs at every movement. To his relief, she was still breathing, but shallowly. From the bruise on her forehead, he assumed she had been hit by falling debris, and her injuries did not look lethal. But her lips were cracked and bleeding, her eyes sunken, and her skin pasty; she was in the late stages of reverse drowning. With one hand, Garth fumbled for his canteen, uncorked it and poured its contents onto over his daughter's face. Her lips twitched involuntarily as she sought to take in the life-giving liquid, even as another wave of dizziness overtook her father. Garth's own tongue was dry by now, but he could detect the metallic taste of blood in his mouth as the rest of the world faded from his vision. The canteen slipped from his fingers as he collapsed in the sand beside Tula, his fingertips brushing her face. Blood flowed from his nose and mouth, mingling with the rivulets of spilled seawater before soaking into the arid ground. Red Hood's arrow reached its mark a second too late, and 666's explosive blow caught Dick Grayson full-force in the head. "Daddy!" came a scream from overhead as a starbolt knocked the villain flat. Unconscious on the ground, Dick Grayson couldn't hear his daughter as she dropped to the ground to clasp him in her arms, wailing at the top of her lungs. "Manda!" She heard a shout from overhead and looked up to see Darkstar. "Get him out of here, Manda! I'll cover you!" he sailed ahead, clearing a path for her as Nightstar scooped up her father and soared away as fast as she could. Tula sensed the cool fresh seawater slipping into her nose and mouth and soothing her parched lungs. As her breathing strengthened, she gradually became aware of someone gently shaking her shoulders and patting her cheek. "Tula, wake up!" she heard. She opened her eyes to see Donna Troy and instantly braced herself for s fight. But the woman showed no signs of hostility; instead, she was crying. Tula glanced around and started at the sight of her father's bloodied form, slumped on the ground beside her. Scooting backwards, she looked at Donna in utter amazement. "Is he–?" "He's dead, Tula," Donna wiped tears from her eyes as Tula turned several shades paler and began to tremble. The day she had dreamed of had come, and she suddenly didn't know how to feel. Donna pressed a metal flask into her hands, and she looked down to see it was marked with the emblem of Aquaman. "His emergency water," Donna choked out. "He could have used it for himself, but he gave it to you. He loved you, Tula. By the gods, if you believe nothing else, believe that." Tula's chin began to quiver as she regarded the bottle, and she raised a hand to her lips. Donna saw the opportunity and called on one of her seldom-used Troia powers. She touched the sea girl's forehead and projected some of Tula's long-suppressed childhood memories: Merry hide-and-seek games in the kelp forest, riding atop a seahorse named Imp with her daddy behind her in the saddle, the much-anticipated visits with him to a magical T-shaped land tower where there were other children to play with, and green land-animals to ride. Tula watched the images unfold for only a brief second, but their effect was strong. "You were lied to for so long, Tula," Donna spoke quietly, her tears still flowing. "But it's time to accept the truth. Accept it, now." "Father…" she whispered, as her eyes filled with tears. "I'm sorry, father…" Donna pulled her into a hug and the two wept together, one for an old friend, the other for the father she had never been allowed to know and now never would. A crackle split the air above them and a triple cry of "Shazam!" echoed across the battlefield. Tula glanced skyward as Donna peered back over her shoulder. And then there came a dreadful flash of light.
Epilogue
My days are swifter than a runner; they fly by without a glimpse of joy. Job 9:25. "I'm sorry. There's no sign of her." Bart Allen slowed his pace to a sublight speed, fast enough to keep up with his cousin, but slow enough that his own link to the Speed Force lessened. He had tried every meditation technique he knew, but had failed to locate Park's consciousness. "You did everything you could, Bart," sighed Wally. At this speed, Bart could hear his words as normal speech, rather than having to decipher his usual blur. "She's there, someplace, Wally. She has to be." "Perhaps." Between the two of them, they had witnessed the final race of any number of speedsters. Johnny Quick. His daughter Jesse. Jay Garrick. Max Mercury. Every one of them had vanished in a crackle of lightning, to join the realm from which they all drew their powers. But Park's skeleton had been found in the rubble of the gulag. Could a soul enter the Speed Force without a body to carry it there? Perhaps Max Mercury could have answered the question, but Bart Allen could not. "I should never have sent her--" "Don't blame yourself, Bart," answered Wally. "She saved lives, my own included. When she put me under that dome, she showed— dare I say it? Forethought. You trained her well, and Iris did what she was trained for. What we all have been trained for." Wally West bowed his head, his cheeks wet with tears. He had known his daughter was unlikely to return from the Speed Force, as he had once done, but it would give him some comfort to know she was there. The worst part was the uncertainty. "If she is there, Uncle Barry will take care of her," he continued, his voice wavering. "And if she isn't, she's someplace else. With Grandma Iris," answered Bart. The two speedsters exchanged a sad smile. Bart Allen gave his cousin's shoulder a final squeeze and slowed to normal speed, leaving Wally West to continue his lonely race.
Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Ephesians 3:14-15. Batman scrolled through the image on his computer screen for the thousandth time. His robots had taken detailed aerial shots of the devastation around the gulag before the removal of bodies had begun. Most had been identified, and the burials begun, but Batman felt a need to know more. He had already taken statements from every survivor who was willing to talk about it. He hoped to piece together any details of the last moments of those who had died that might bring comfort to the loved ones of the dead. He drew some solace, himself, from the fact that Ollie Queen had died with his entire family around him. Judging from the skull fracture, Dinah had fallen in battle and Green Arrow, mercifully, had not had to mourn his wife long. He and Olivia had been by her side at the end, and Roy Harper's remains had been found just behind them, his arms clasping his daughter Lian. Perhaps knowing that would ease some of Dick's grief. A similar report had been sent to Atlantis, informing the King that Prince Garth had been mortally wounded in the fight. He too had been found near his daughter's body, along with Donna Troy. It was impossible to say whether Donna had been comforting or tussling with Tula at the time of the blast, but Bruce, knowing Donna, tended to believe the former. Along with the letter he had sent a metal flask bearing Garth's Aquaman logo. Perhaps Arthur would recognize it, and have an explanation for why it had been found in Tula's right hand. So much death. But amid it all, Batman could not help feeling glad that his sons, both his sons, had come through alive, along with his beautiful, fiery granddaughter. Bruce Wayne's family had been touched by tragedy so many times, but for some reason it had been spared this time. He would never forget that moment, at the UN, when Dick, supported by Nightstar, had hobbled out of the crowd to shake his hand. "Richard Grayson, sir," he had said. "I understand that you're a friend of my daughter's." Tears had flowed freely when they embraced, and Bruce had barely managed to choke out his own reply. "Actually, son, if the truth be told, I'm her grandfather." Dick and Amanda's injuries were serious, but they would recover together. She had proudly reclaimed the name of Amanda Mary, and Dick had promised to take up the mantle of Nightwing again, once he had recuperated. Nightwing and Nightstar would make a fine team some day. Ibn had not welcomed his father with open arms as yet, but, after considerable encouragement from Nightstar, at least seemed willing to talk. Bruce wasn't sure which was going to be harder to explain to Dick, his own relationship to Ibn, or Ibn's with Amanda, which he sensed was evolving into something other than a traditional uncle-niece bond. But as long as his family was together, it was a dilemma Batman could live with. Was it selfish of him to rejoice as so many others grieved? *I think you can be forgiven for thinking of yourself, just this once, Master Bruce.* Batman started in his seat. "Alfred?" he whispered. Glancing over his shoulder, he caught a brief glimpse of an elderly, kind-faced man, observing him from the shadows with an air of concerned compassion. Then, in a twinkling of an eye, he was gone, leaving Bruce uncertain whether the face was that of his longtime butler or someone quite different. A chill drifted through the emptiness of the cave and the only sound was the fluttering of wings. Really, you're too old to be seeing ghosts, Batman chided himself. Besides, you're needed upstairs. He rose to go, but paused midway. Then Bruce Wayne did something he had not been able to do since he was a child, not in all the years since his parent's murder. He bowed his head and said a silent prayer, giving thanks for all of his blessings.
Children's children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children. Proverbs 17:6
All characters are ™ DC Comics
This story is © 1998 by Louise Freeman Davis.
|