Themyscira

June 5th, 2017

18:00 UCT

The Grand Chamber of The Amazons sat quiet. Sunlight spilled in around them from the skylight. The room was large and daunting. High on the walls, carvings of Aphrodite sat etched in the stone. The chamber's use was to hold meetings for the Amazonian council. At the far wall sat a long, curved table. At the table, the four Amazonian council members sat rigid. Unamused and stern looks plastered upon their faces. A few yards in front of the table stood Wonder Woman. She stared at the council members with pleading eyes.

In the front right corner of the chamber stood Troia. She leaned against the wall with her arms crossed. She was not authorized to speak during the meeting. But they allowed for her physical presence for moral support while Diana pleaded her case.

Troia trained under Diana seven years ago. Tired of the same cycle of training and absence of battles, she joined her in the world of man as her protege. Eventually, she even joined The Team. She experienced the joys and bonds that coincide with comradery. Yet, she also shared their loss.

After the barbaric and merciless murder of her teammate Jason Todd, Robin, she decided to take some time away from the world of man. Every day her mind greeted her with the idea of returning. But she had yet to find the desire to return to a world so cruel. A world that Diana fought for with such passion, that one would ever think humans could commit deeds so grisly.

Most of the world of man is ugly, Diana would tell her, but there are kind people in it who create such beauty that it makes it worth fighting for.

But The Amazonian council had yet to match her belief.

"Please," Diana said to the council, "You have to reconsider."

Diana visited Themyscira to inform The Council of Darkseid's strategy and everything he and his partners have done. She told them of Spark, the Warhound armor, and how she was set up to look like a violent monster by Martian imposters. An ache rose in her gut that would not go away. She had been a warrior her entire life. Her instincts knew far too well when something massive and dark lay just around the corner in the shadows.

War was coming. She could feel it. And when the time came, she met with The Council to ask for their assistance; to help protect mankind. A request that was answered with swift denial.

One of the council members, Acantha, narrowed her eyes at her. She sat tall as she replied, "We Amazons will, as we always were, remain secluded from the world of Man."

"Forgive me, my sister," Diana asked, still in awe. "But you are ignorant to think that Darkseid will not come for us. We may be separate from the world of man, but we do share this planet with them."

Diana's words became caught in their throat. How can she make them understand? How could she make them trust that curdling fear deep inside her stomach?

"Please," she continued. "Something dark is coming. I can feel it. All I ask is when that darkness comes, we band together with the rest of our brethren in survival."

Acantha waved her hand in front of her. "The answer is 'no', Diana. And do not abuse your Diplomatic visitation privilege like this again. This meeting is adjourned."

Diana tried to interrupt, "But-"

"The decision is final Diana," Acantha beamed. "Now go."

Diana's face flushed red. She turned sharp on her heels, exiting before words spilled from her that she could not take back. The stone flooring clicked beneath her boots as she trudged towards the entrance. Troia moved to follow her, giving The Council a disappointed look before she did.

Troia finally caught up to Diana at the entrance. "So...that went well," she joked.

Diana's gaze shot daggers at her before turning her attention back in front of her. They walked down the stairs until their feet settled on the grass. Diana halted abruptly. She closed her eyes, taking a breath before she opened them again. "They are still caught in the old ways of isolation," she said.

Troia looked at her with a tilt of her head and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Well, at least you tried." she said. "You can always reach out to me if you need help. I do still have my old communicator from The Team." Troia pointed to her ear, "I'll keep it in for as long as you need me too.

The corner of Diana's mouth curled into as much of a smile as she could muster. Although Troia's stint on The Team was short-lived, it did not compromise the loyalty she still had for her Teammates. Troia as an ally would certainly assist in battle. But to win a war requires far more than a singular pledge.

"Thank you," Diana answered, the faint smile falling from her lips. "But I fear that The League and The Team will not be able to handle this with only one ally."

Troia opened her mouth, searching for words for consolation. Before she could speak, Diana pressed on her earpiece communicator. A voice hummed in her ear.

"Yes, I'm here." Diana answered the call on the other end. "What are you saying?" She said, eyes narrowing in confusion. "What do you mean I can't leave Themyscira? What's happened?"

Mars

June 5th, 2017

14:20 EDT

The drowning waves of panic and uncertainty finally dissipated within the Martian populace. Darksied's attempted corruption finally came to light after J'ornell's suicide. While the underlying racial tension still held its place, White Martians no longer feared future bombings. A'monn and A'morr still remained at large; branded Mar's most wanted for their crimes there and on Earth.

M'gann tried not to think of A'monn and A'morr at the moment. For there were far too many other demons that plagued her mind. She did not need another screaming banshee in her thoughts. She and J'onn spent the past two days on Mars assisting White Martians in rebuilding their towns' infrastructures. Though, there was not much to begin with.

Finished for the day, J'onn and M'gaan flew in the sky towards the region's Capitol Building. There they would have their afternoon council meeting and fly back to Earth. M'gaan narrowed her eyes as she flew overhead. The disparity on Mars still caused a swirl of sickness in her stomach; the aerial view of the city gave a clearer view of the dissonance between the classes. The outskirts of the city were littered with the tin roofs and narrow dirt streets of shantytowns. Masses of White Martians moved in those streets with tiny pinpoints of green.

Then, abrupt and appalling, stood a stone wall. Shining, clean, and exorbitant buildings sat on the other side of the wall. The city's streets and sky bustled with many green bodies. Walls did little against Martin's flight powers; but it did stand as a symbol and cutting reminder for those on the other side: Know your place.

M'gann shook her head of the thought. Far too many pressing matters hung over her. Her mind then reeled with her last interaction with Bear and Vykin. Anger from that day still pulsed under her skin. Aghast she was at the fact they knew what would defeat Darkseid, yet refused to tell them. Her mind played images of Vykin's grave face. What would kill Darkseid, would kill a New God. The only thing that could kill Darkseid, is one of the only things that could kill a New God.

What the fuck were they supposed to do with Darkseid? Could they restrain him? Imprison him? Was that even a possibility? If Darkseid is as treacherous and volatile as the New Gods and Starfire claim him to be, she wondered if anything less than death for him would be an option.

They don't kill. That is The League's and The Team's oath that they stand by. No matter the crime, no matter the frequency, they did not play the role of executioner. But did their stance waver in the instance of galactic genocide? He had already killed millions in The Sink of San Diego. Did he need to kill a million more? A billion more? What number would diminish their restraint?

M'gaan's chest tightened at the memory of watching thousands of Californians drown. Their screams sliced through her eardrums and into her nightmares. Pleas of the fallen were now ghosts that haunted her mind. M'gaan was overcome with the overwhelming feeling that, in the face of Darkseid, she may not be able to honor her oath.

'Is something the matter M'gaan?' J'onn asked on the psychic link.

M'gaan snapped herself out of her head and into reality. She pushed those crushing memories away, burying them in the sea of her own mind.

'Yes, actually, I need to ask you something.' M'gaan said as her memories trailed back to her conversation with Bear and Vykin. If they couldn't figure out how to defeat Darkseid yet, perhaps they could find out what exactly he was after: The Anti-Life Equation

'What is it?' J'onn asked.

'Have you heard of something called the Anti-Life Equation?' She asked. 'I've heard about the Life Equation. Is that the opposite?

J'onn twinged at her question in abrupt curiosity, 'What brought this about?' He asked as he turned to her.

'We reached out to Vykin and Bear yesterday and asked them about everything I knew about Darkseid,' She said. 'They said he's spent his life looking for the 'Anti-Life Equation'. Have you heard of it?'

J'onn's face twitched. He looked forward, his brows furrowed in thought.

'Uncle J'onn?' she said.

'It all makes sense now.' He answered.

'What does?'

'For millennia philosophers have worked to decipher the age-old question of: 'What is the meaning of life?' Some believe that this meaning can be found mathematically.'

'Isn't philosophy subjective?' She asked. 'You can't turn personal opinions into...numbers.'

'Some believe that it is possible. Mathematical philosophers have theorized that the meaning of life can be divided in two different ways: The Life Equation and the Anti-Life Equation.' And both, theoretically, can be used to control free will of any and all living beings.'

M'gann blinked in surprise as the causality of his tone in his last sentence. 'Control free will?' she repeated.

'Yes,' he answered. 'You have heard of The Life Equation because it was originally 'created' by a Martian philosopher.' J'onn brought his fist to his chin in thought. 'The Life Equation, if cracked, would give mathematical proof that life is worth living. She theorized that this equation exists within the combination of Lights within the Emotional Electromagnetic Spectrum.'

M'gann narrowed her eyes, lost. 'An Emotional Electromagnetic what?'

J'onn laughed, 'Yes, it gets complicated. The Emotional Electromagnetic Spectrum is an energy field created by the positive emotions of all sentient creatures in the Universe. The theory is that if you complete the equation, you will unlock this Spectrum, and with it, be able to use it's…'power of positivity' to give free will to all minds to prove the belief that life is worth living.'

J'onn's face went stern. 'But as in all things in life, everything has an opposite. If The Life Equation were to exist, there must also be an Anti-Life Equation. This equation, theoretically, would prove with mathematical certainty that all life is hopeless and that freedom is a futile concept. Whoever deciphers and harnesses the power of the equation could eradicate free will of all sentient beings.'

He continued, 'We call it the Anti-Life Equation not just because it is the opposite of the Life-Equation. But because we Martians believe if someone possesses absolute control over you, you are not really alive.'

J'onn was struck by his own words. As they lowered down to land on the steps of the Capitol Building, he turned to look at M'gaan. His eyes went wide.

Their feet finally landed on the stairs. A tightness wrapped around M'gaan's ribs. The sickness in her stomach stormed. She looked at him with grave eyes and said, 'I think we've figured out Darkseid's end game.'

'I am afraid so,' he answered.

B'arzz O'oomm's voice rang in their head as he emerged from the entrance of the Capitol Building. 'M'gann! M'gaan!' He called out, running. 'There's an emergency transmission for you in the communication room from Earth. It's Nightwing.' He said as he finally approached them.

'What?' M'gann answered, confused. She raced towards the communication center. Two green Martian communications control workers sat at a long desk with an extensive array of switches and buttons. Noticing her arrival, they pressed a blinking button. A live blue hologram of Nightwing floated above the desk.

"Nightwing? What's going on?" M'gaan asked.

Loud, flustered, angry voices of other League members rang behind him. He held his hands out; panicked and pleading, 'M'gaan, I need you to tell J'onn to not come back to Earth for a while.'

'What? What do you mean?' She answered, confused and concerned. 'Nightwing, what's happened?'

Bludhaven - The Warehouse

June 5th, 2017

14:20 EDT

A quiet tension filled The Warehouse as dull voices fell from the television set. Malcolm, Emily, and Beast Boy sat in the living room. Their intense eyes glared on the broadcast before them.

The broadcast was that of a United Nations meeting. All members of the UN sat around their curved, descending tables. At the bottom sat key Justice League members; Black Canary, Batman, Superman, Green Arrow, and The Flash. They stared with daggers as Lex Luthor stood at the podium in front of them; his lie-soaked speech sinking into the trust of the masses.

The UN began discussion four days prior to the disbandment of The Justice League. With the Lexcorps Warhunds now available for hire, the public began to see no need for 'protection' that they could not control. Lex's Warhunds gave them a false sense of security as each Warhund could be shut down remotely in the chance that they disobey or become violent.

This promise of control was especially reassuring as The Light had the public convinced that members of The League were growing unstable and violent. A'monn and A'morr had posed as Martian Manhunter and Wonder Woman, killing Belle Reve guards and nearly killing metahuman teenagers in Chicago. Though the unforgiving blame for The Sink of San Diego stood tall above it all.

Unbeknownst to the public, Darkseid staged alien attacks on the east coast so A'morr could place their Seismic Disruptors around San Diego, setting off a massive earthquake that sank the city. Pre-occupied and far from the scene, most of The League did not arrive in time to save the masses.

Even if they did arrive at the beginning, how could they? How could a group of thirty or so heroes rescue millions of lives from such a speedied 'natural' disaster? They did as best as their powers allowed, yet for the public, it was not enough. They needed someone to blame, and the faceless characters in colored masks were more than prime subjects for a scapegoat. For that's the cruel irony service; all the good done before is forgotten in the lone instance of failure.

Beast Boy looked over to Emily as she sat next to him on the loveseat. Her lips pressed into a fine line. A light twitch bounced under her right eye, a tick that arose when her anxiety began to bubble. Emily knew that meeting with her father as an act of goodwill from the League would have greatly helped their case. But she couldn't. She wouldn't. She would no longer be a pawn for anyone. She made her own decisions now.

Garfield placed a light hand on her arm. He leaned in as he spoke to her with a soft voice, "Whatever they decide, it's not your fault."

Emily narrowed her gaze at the TV as her lips curled. "I know it's not." She sneered, refusing to let guilt coil inside her.

In the kitchen, Rose leaned against the counter with her arms crossed. She stared at the television from across the open floor. She sighed, tense rooms always roused in itching in her skin. She'd never admit, but the anxiety of The League and The Team's uncertainty plagued her nerves as well.

She looked over to Joey who stood cautious in front of a bubbling pot of oil. Flour-coated chicken sat on the counter. With tongs and diligence, he placed the chicken breast in the oil, it cracked with anger at the cold foreign cutlet.

Rose shook her head. "I don't understand how you can eat at a time like this," she said.

Joey smiled as he signed, I get hungry when I'm nervous.

Rose rolled her eyes. The itch in her skin became insufferable. "I need a cigarette," She said as she pulled a pack from her back jean pocket. She opened it and took out the lighter she stashed inside. She walked through the dining area and into the living room in pursuit of the front door; careful not to have Malcolm spot her nicotine contraband.

Malcolm sighed as he placed his heads in his hands. He shook his head, exasperated. "It can't come down to this," he grimaced.

On the television, a man marched up to Luthor while at the podium. Luthor placed his hand over the microphone as the man spoke quietly into his ear. Luthor perked his brows. He took his hand off the mic and the other man walked away.

Luthor's voice boomed. "I have just been informed of an astounding new piece of evidence against The League. I have been sent a live broadcast that aired only 30 minutes ago that further vilifies The Justice League's blatant refusal to follow sanctions. Along with their malicious intent."

Luthor's words caught Rose's attention. She approached the back of the couch, standing behind Malcolm. The two large screens behind Luthor came to life with a news feed. On the newsfeed, G. Gordon Godfrey stood in a parking lot with a microphone in hand. Flat, sandy soil lay just beyond them. Next to him, with eyes scanning the sky stood Warren Griffin: Emily's father.

A quiet gasp fell from their throats.

"Folks I am coming to you live from Seguro, New Mexico." Godfrey announch, eyes squinting from the sun. "A month ago my viewers met with Warren Briggs, the father of a teenage girl Emily Briggs who he believed to be dead. As we discovered, Emily was in fact kidnapped by The Justice League."

A grow fell from Emily's throat. Joey now joined them in the living room as well.

"We await the arrival of The League liaisons who agreed to allow a meeting with the kidnapped Emily Briggs and her father," Godfrey continued. "My crew and I are here today to mediate and demand answers from The Lea-" He cut himself off as he looked up to the sky. "Ah! Here they are now."

A Martian ship lowered down from the sky, landing about 50 feet from them. The cameramen followed the ship with the camera's watchful eye.

"Is that...Martian Manhunter's ship?" Gordon said with a furrowed brow. "Martian Manhunter is barred from all League activities. He shouldn't -"

The ship's door opened. A'monn and A'morr, masquerading as Martian Manhunter and Wonder Woman walked down the ship's ramp. 'Manhunter' yanked on the arm another Martin, B'lurr, who took the form of Emily.

"And Wonder Woman as well!" Godfrey boomed. "Neither of them should be on any official Justice League business!"

The false Emily looked at Warren with a pained, sobbing face. "Daddy!" She called out to him as she reached out her free hand.

They stepped off the ship's ramp. 'Manhunter's' face creased with anger. "We did not agree to cameras!" He yelled as he pointed his finger. "Turn those off. Now."

"Why?" Godfrey boomed back, fearless. "Have something to hide? This could be your chance to explain yourselves."

"We don't have to explain anything to you!" The false Wonder Woman shot back. "We found the girl and now she's ours."

"My daughter does not belong to any of you!" Warren shouted with a cracked voice.

"If you don't turn off those cameras then I will shut them off," the fake Manhunter snarled.

"I see," Godfrey sneered. "So because you're superpowered you think you can bully us around, do you?"

"This meeting is over," the false Manhunter said as he yanked 'Emily' back. "She's coming back with us."

"No! Daddy!," the Emily imposter screeched, reaching out to him. "Don't let them take me!" Her voice cracked with desperation.

With a pained shout, Warren charged after them. The Wonder Woman imposter raced towards him, her fist swiped across his face. He stumbled back onto the asphalt. 'Emily' screamed. Her desperate pleas of release grated across the speakers.

'Manhunter' held out his free hand. His eyes glowed as he used his telekinesis to knock over Godfrey and the cameramen. 'Emily's' shouts and cries continued. The broadcast fell into shaky disarray as the cameramen fell. The blurred screen moved from the sky and onto the parking lot below.

The camera's broadcast lay sideways on the ground, showing black boots. Shouts of 'Halt!' and 'Release the girl!' filled the airways as flashes of red raced through the sky. The cameraman groaned in the background. The camera shook as he grabbed it and staggered back onto his feet.

They gasped at the Broadcast as they watched two of Lexcorp's Warhunds march towards the false Leaguers. They aimed their arm cannons at them, red lasers firing at their heads. 'Manhunter' stumbled backwards toward the ship.

'Emily's' high pitched voice screamed, "Please don't let them take me!"

"I got you!" Warren shouted back as he ran toward her, the Warhunds providing cover and he closed in. 'Manhunter' and 'Wonder Woman', distracted, were unable to keep their attention and grips upon the imposter Emily as Warren scooped her up in his arms. He turned on his heels, running back toward Godfrey and the cameramen.

"Go! Go! Go!" Warren shouted as he ran past them. The cameraman and Godfrey turned around. The camera bounced as they ran towards a van. There they panted, breaths shaky as they piled into the van. Warren jumped into the driver's seat.

"We've got the girl! We've got the girl!" Godfrey shouted in the background.

The cameraman turned toward the van's window. Two more Warhunds joined the fight as they fought off 'Manhunter' and 'Wonder Woman's' advance.

"Drive! DRIVE!" Godfrey shouted. The van's tires squeal, the camera jerked with a sudden motion. As they peeled away, the false leaguers jumped into the Martian ship.

Shocked expletives filled the living room of The Warehouse. All had jumped from their seats, panicked.

"They can't seriously-" Mal's jaw dropped, his heart jumping to his throat as he struggled to find words. "They can't!"

Garfield turned towards Emily, panic tightened his voice. "Emily you have to do something!" He yanked on her arm as he yelled, "We have to go! We have to go tell them it wasn't you!"

Pained cries fell from each of them as they grabbed their heads. They groaned, wincing as a sharp sting jolted from their foreheads to the base of their necks. Ringing hummed in their ears as a voice slithered inside their head:

'Psimon says, no one is going anywhere.'

Terror struck through them as they gasped. Their bodies froze. They shook, trying to move their bodies but unable to do so. Then their limbs clicked and contorted. They groaned and yelped under the involuntary movements. Their bodies; puppets. They yelped again as another slicing pain coursed through their heads. The voice rang inside them once more:

'Well, except for her.'

They cried out again as an unseen force dropped their bodies onto their knees, save for Emily who stayed frozen where she stood. The couches whizzed past them and slammed against the walls, leaving them bare in the center of the living room.

A deafening crash rang around them as a portion of the ceiling in front of them crumbled. A large figure fell down with it. They coughed, their eyes stinging as dust billowed around them. Another figure lowered down from the hole in the ceiling, landing softly on the ground. Then a flash of green twirled around them, funneling the smoke into a spiral and back out the hole in the roof.

Their eyes went wide as ice slithered down their veins. Before them stood Psimon, Devastation, and Inertia. They looked at them with hungry eyes and snarling smiles. Brain Wave Disruptors sat snug around their heads.

"W-What do you want?" Malcolm choked out. His body trembled in a desperate attempt to break free of Psimon's telekinesis.

"Oh, so many things." Simon chimed as he walked towards them. He stopped directly in front of Emily, using his powers to tilt her head up to look at him. She pulled her lips back into a snarl. He looked down at her with a smile. "But today, it's to bring her in."

"How the hell did you find me?" Emily growled.

Interia sped up next to Psimon. He held a black device in his hand, similar to that of a cell phone. A GPS map sat on its screen with a blinking red dot in the middle. "You spent years as a property of Cadmus, and you assumed they wouldn't put a tracker in you?" He said.

Emily's eyes went wide.

"Sure, they didn't bother with it after they thought you were dead," Inertia added. "But once you started showing your face again, it just took a little digging through the Cadmus archive to find your signal."

Psimon lifted his hand up towards his face. As he did, Emily levitated off the ground.

"Don't touch her!" Beast Boy shouted. A growl billowed from his chest.

"I'll do whatever I please," Simon snipped.

"Oh Psimon," Devastation leaned into him with a smile. "Can't we have a lil' fun before we go?"

Psimon flashed her a smile back, "I suppose, make it fast though."

A wicked grin flashed on Inertia's face. His smile dissipated as his eyes fell on Rose. He sped up to her.

"What?" He snarled in her face. Anger flushed his face red. "I thought I killed you. You're supposed to be dead!"

Rose shook under the constriction of Psimon's powers. A smirk pulled across her face. "Yeah, well, it didn't take." She quipped.

His lips twitch with an infuriating sense of ineptness. He couldn't do anything right lately. Not even kill someone.

"It'll fucking take today!" He yelled and backhanded her. Rose let out a yelp of pain as she fell to the ground, helpless, unable to move. Inertia kicked her in her gut with swift movements.

Devastation jumped forward, taking a swing at Malcolm. He spilled a giggled cry as her first landed on his gut.

Tears swelled in Emily's eyes the cries of her teammates filled her ears. Flushed she was with fury at her resounding helplessness. Their screams surrounded her, yet all she could see were Psimon's cold eyes and smug closed-lip smile.

"No! No, leave them alone!" She demanded, her voice high.

"You're helpless against me, child," Psimon reminded. He tapped on his head. "At least with this Disruptor on."

Emily's mind brought her back to a memory. She remembered the cool ocean air on Infinity Island. Anxiety had teetered under their skin in anticipation of Wonder Girl's rescue. During the mission, she, M'gann, and Garfield came across Arsenal. He attacked them while in his Warhound helmet, a Brain Wave Disruptor sat welded inside it. Ivo's enhancements to the Disruptor inside, caused M'gaan to grow sick; the Disruptor poisoning her own telepathy inside her. Yet Emily, once she fought back against it, felt little effects.

A sharp breath filled Emily's lungs as a striking realization overcame her. The Brain Wave Disruptors were made by Martians for Martians. They weren't designed for humans.

Her mind scoured for the telepathic loophole. Her eyes glowed as she snarled. "They won't protect you against me," she said.

Psimon flinched, pressure building in his head. "What?" He breathed. Psimon let out a sharp cry, his face twisting with pain as her psychic needled claws scraped at his mind. "How are you doing this? This can't be!"

A growl fell from Emily's throat. Her face creased with an animalistic snarl, her canines pulled into fine points. "I'm going to maul you, from the inside out!" She roared.

Psimon's scream filled the air and the world went dark.

Emily groaned. An acing rested in her limbs and head. She lay on sandy desert dirt. Her eyes went wide as she gasped, sitting herself up. The all too familiar scene of Franklin Mountains state park lay before her. The moonlight snaked haunting shadows between the rocks.

A cold sweat rose on Emily's brow. They were inside her mind once again; inside her memories.

"You are such a disappointment."

She snapped her head to the left. She saw herself on the night her father tried to kill her. The image of her past self coward backward. Her father towered over her. He roared as he mutated into his animal form. Emily's heart pounded as the image of herself turned to run. But her father's clawed hand sliced against her back.

Emily winced, turning her head away from the memory as her own scream filled the dark, empty sky. The scream died. Emily opened her eyes.

"Emily," Appearing from nothing, an image of her Marissa Dillon sat cross-legged in front of her.

Emily screeched. She stumbled backward and onto her feet. As if teleported, Marissa's image flashed from sitting to standing just before her. 'Marissa' put her hand on Emily's shoulder. Emily's lip trembled. Grief coiled around her chest as her eyes watered. She knew what memory lay next.

Marissa spoke the fated words, "Emily, your mom killed herself."

Marissa's image evaporated. The delicate sound of a water drop danced in her right ear. She snapped her head around. Her chest heaved. The darkness gave way to the tile floor and bathtub of her parent's master bedroom. They lay crusted with the remnants of long-dried blood and crime scene markers.

"No," she whispered with a broken voice; grief gripped tighter around her chest.

She jumped as water shot from the tub's faucet with a force impossible. A rushing tide of water sloshed over the tub towards, onto the ground, and towards her. Jungle foliage sprang upwards around her.

"NOOOO!" Garfield's petrified scream pierced the air. She turned to look behind her. Her jaw fell. The air ripped from her lungs as a high cliff lay before her. An engine revved as a car shot over the cliff and into the air. Time slowed as the car descended to the lake below. Garfield, at the bottom, reached his hand upwards in a futile, desperate attempt to catch it.

Emily went to run towards him but her leg weighed against her, as if they were filled with concrete. She called out to Gar, tears falling down her cheeks. Garfield's cries made her forget that none of it was actually real. She reached out her hand in a fruitless attempt to use her telekinesis to stop the car.

But she did not have the power of time travel. And in a cruel reminder of history, time regained speed. The car collided with the water. Garfield's shriek pierced a hole in her heart.

Gar collapsed to all fours. Emily's legs finally broke free and she ran towards him. She knelt down next to him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Gar. Gar. It's ok. You'll be ok." She tried to comfort him with a cracked voice. Though how could anything be okay?

But Garfield paid her no mind; ensnared like a cobra by the pungi of his demons. His face creased with torturous despair. Tears poured down his cheeks as he brought his head to his hands. His claws curled into his hair as if to rip it from its roots. He stared at the ground. His words were shattered, destroyed, and child-like. "Why did she have to go? Why did she have to go!?" He brought his gaze up to the sky and screamed, "WHY DID YOU TAKE HER FROM ME?!"

Emily's heart shattered. "Gar-" she choked through a sob.

"What did you make me DO?!"

Rose's voice erupted from her right. Emily turned and Garfield dissipated under her palm. A wooden deck materialized below her feet as she now found herself on a boat. She shook, eyes racing along the deck as fallen, bloodied bodies lay all around her. Their chests; still.

Emily looked up to find Rose held up against a wall by Deathstroke. His hand pressed against her throat as he held up a green Mirikuru syringe. Rose squealed under the pressure of his hand. Her eyes wide, face creased with terror as she gazed upon the bare needle. Her hands and feet clawed and pressed against him in desperation, doing whatever she could to escape his grasp.

"Nononono." Rose squeaked, tears flowing down her face. Slade brought the needle closer.

"Daddy does this because he loves you. He wants you to grow up strong." He said as he jabbed the needle into her neck. "You want to make Daddy proud, don't you?"

The scene faded, yet the bodies stayed around her. Emily looked past them and trembled. What once seemed like only a handful of bodies, now littered the ground far past the horizon.

She turned her head at the sound of sob. Rose sat on her knees. Her hands shook as she looked at her bloodied palms. A grimace pulled on her lips, sobs choked her. "I didn't want to be a killer," She squealed between sobs. "He made me into a killer! I didn't want to be a killer!"

Rose brought her head up, looking forward. Her eyes widened as a petrified look flashed onto her face.

"MTEAY!" She screamed in her native tongue.

Somehow, Emily knew what it meant: Mother.

Emily turned her head to where Rose was looking. The bodies had vanished. Before them stood Deathstroke as he held out a pistol. A tiny, 10-year-old Rose Wilson stood in front of him, crying as a dark-hair woman stood between them. She trembled, bringing her hands behind her as she grabbed onto the young Rose.

The Rose next to Emily narrowed her eyes as water flooded them. She tilted her head, saliva filling her throat as she choked through a sob. "Don't." She pleaded, knowing what came next.

A gunshot rang out. Both past and present Rose screamed as a shower of blood and brains shot out from behind her mother's head. The young Rose crawled onto her mother. Her tiny screams pierced the air as she shook her mother in a futile attempt to wake her.

The real Rose roared, anguish dripped through her airwaves. She dropped to all fours, her hands clawing at the ground. Tears flooded down her cheeks and dripped down her chin as she looked to the scene before her.

"I couldn't save her," She squealed, her voice cracking. "I was so weak and small, I couldn't fucking save her!"

Deathstroke turned to look at her. The anguish in her eyes turned to incinerating hate. She jumped to her feet, hands balled into fists. She screamed at him at a volume that could crack her throat in two, "YOU TOOK EVERYTHING FROM ME!"

They all dissipated into the darkness. Emily shook. Bile rose in her throat at the scene of death she just bore witness. She brought her face into her hands. Her shoulders bounced as she sobbed.

"What's going on?" She croaked through a cracked voice.

She saw a close figure through the cracks in her fingers. She gasped, snapping her head up, and taking a step back. Psimon stood in front of her. He looked down at her with a vile smile.

"You're molding together everyone's minds," He answered in a sing-song voice. "You're getting a front-row seat to everything that haunts each of them."

"JOEY! RUN!"

Psimon dissipated as she snapped her head around to the sound of another woman's voice. Emily turned to see a 7-year-old Joseph Wilson with terror twisted on his face. Before the young Joey stood a brunette women; his mother. Deathstroke stood in front of her, a vicious snarl pulled on his lips. A small knife sat in his eye. The woman made a horrid, gurgled cry as Deathstroke plunged a knife into her stomach. A sickeningly slick sound filled the air as he pulled out the knife and then jammed it back into her gut. Another gurgled cry pooled in her throat. The pattern repeated over and over as he stabbed her.

"NOOOOO!"

Emily turned to the left to see the real Joey on his knees watching the same scene. He clawed at his chest, hunched as he sobbed. "Nonononono," he mumbled through a trembling jaw.

The young Joey ran to Deathstroke, enraged. As Deathstroke pulled the knife out of his mother, it sliced him across the throat. The young Joey fell, clutching his neck. Deathstroke turned towards them.

The real Joey coughed and gagged. Emily shook as a red line appeared across his throat, blood spilled from the wound. Joey looked at Deathstoke with a murderous gaze. "You took away my voice!" He screamed with a screech. "You took away Rose! You took away Mom!" Joey's voice cracked as his words fell from rage to suffocating misery.

A wail burst from his throat at the resurgence of his memories. Poisonous feelings of incompetence contaminated his soul. He clutched his chest again, scratching at himself, pulling at his shirt; despair slicing him in to. "I couldn't save my mom. I couldn't save Rose," He sobbed. "I'm so weak. I'm a stupid, helpless, worthless little boy." He clutched his hands over his face as he finally broke. "I couldn't save them!"

Emily reached out to him but an explosion burst from behind her. The darkness surrounding them flashed with a fiery red and yellow light. She turned and looked upwards. The cityscape of Bludhaven surrounded her. A raging fire lapped up the top floors of a skyscraper. A screech filled the air as an Apokolips alien raced towards another skyscraper. Another explosion erupted as the alien collided with the building. Screams of pedestrians sullied the air.

"No."

Emily looked to her left to see Malcolm staring at the buildings. His jaw fell. "Stop," he pleaded with a cracked voice. He balled his hands into fists, bringing them to his head as he hunched over.

"All those people. I was too slow." Shook his head, anguish twisting his face. "I couldn't save them. I don't have powers, how can I be good for anything?" His breath shook in his chest. He turned to look at Emily. His watery eyes gave a glimpse to a man who could no longer carry the weight of stoicism. "I couldn't help save them," he said as his tears finally fell.

"Because it's not fair!"

Mal and Bludhaven fell to darkness as Emily snapped her head to the sound of Inertia's voice. He stood in his green costume. Kid Flash stood in front of him. The gray stone courtyard of Ra's's castle formed under their feet.

Inertia balled his fists as he spat at Kid Flash. "It's not fair that we are the same and I get nothing! While you get everything! You got- you get all of this. While I spent my whole fucking life in a lab and a god damn test tube." He hissed. "I spent years of my life with pain and experimentation while you got to have a 'perfect' family. You got to have playtime with friends while I was beaten into a soldier."

"It's not fair!"

Emily looked to her right to find the real Thad on his knees. He no longer bore his costume; just a regular boy in t-shirt and jeans. He looked at the same scene with glossy eyes and a trembling chin. Emily had never seen him out of costume. Shivered at the notion that someone so deadly could look so...small.

Thad's lips pulled into a broken snarl. Resentment creased his face and tears filled his eyes. "Why do you get to be loved!?" He screamed at the image of Kid Flash. Jealousy dripped from his cracking voice. His exhausted anger finally gave way to sadness. "Why do you get to be loved, AND I DON'T?!"

"IDIOT!"

Emily snapped her gaze to the new memory in front of them. A 10-year-old Thad cowered backwards from a tall man. Thad bore a tight all-black uniform with a large reg Omega symbol on his chest. He took a step backwards. He held his hands to his chest; as if to hide the instinct to defend himself in order to avoid angering his attacker. Thad's large, pleading eyes held the unmistakable gloss of a lifetime of fear.

"I'm sorry!" He squeaked. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

The man in front of him took a step forward, the muscles in his arm tensed. Anger creased his weathered face. His receding blonde hair was slicked back on his scalp. Emily had never met him before. Yet with access to Thad's mind she knew:

It was his father.

"You failed today!" He screamed at the young Thad. "You let those Rebellion scum escape!"

"I'm sorry-I," Young Thad stumbled over his words as he held out his hand, pleading. "I there were too many metas we-"

Emily jumped, placing her hand over her mouth as his father swung the back of his hand across Thad's face. He roared as he struck him, the force of the blow knocking young Thad to the ground. Blood flowed from his split lip and bloodied gums.

"I don't want to hear your fucking excuse!" His father bellowed at him, face creased with perilous fury. "You cost us that territory!"

Thad looked up at him with wide, terrified eyes. Fat tears poured from them. He hunched his shoulders, shrinking as he brought an arm up to his face. As if making himself small would make his father forget his presence. His voice cracked as he spoke. "I'm sorry Dad. I'm sorr-"

His father snapped his hand towards him, snatching his hair in his hand. Thad gasped at his sudden movement. A small cry fell from him as his father lifted him up by his hair, slamming him against the wall. He tightened his grip in his hair as he forced his gaze upwards. He brought his face close to Thad's. A shaky breath fell from Thad's throat.

"Don't call me that," His father hissed through grit teeth. Thad let out a small cry as he yanked his hair, obtaining his already-grasped attention. He sneered, "You might have my DNA. But I am not your fucking father."

"Remember, you're a weapon, not a child," he reminded him. A fresh wave of tears fell from Thad's cheeks. His father's face creased with disgust as he said, "I don't even consider you a person, clone."

The back of a white hand waved out in front of Emily. As it did, it clutched its open fingers. The scene before her dissipated.

"Let's stay out of that."

Emily looked up to see that the voice and the hand had come from Psimon. She looked at him with watery eyes, sunken and defeated. The haunting scenes of her teammates and Thad shattered her will to fight.

He smiled and placed a hand on her head. "I think you'll find these more interesting," he said as he turned her head.

Garfield stood in costume. An image of M'gaan knelt in front of him. She placed her hands on his shoulders. Her lips turned inward as her chin trembled.

"Gar." She said with a breathy voice, desperate to keep it from cracking. "Wally's gone."

Garfield's jaw fell agape. His eyes dance around her face. "What?" He said quietly.

M'gaan swallowed hard, the tears in her eyes battling for their right to fall. "He died, Gar." She repeated, her voice falling to a whisper.

"N-no," Garfield stumbled over her words as his eyes widened. "No," His voice cracked as his face crumpled. Tears fell down his cheeks. He shook his head as he snarled. He swiped M'gann's hands off of his shoulders.

"Y-you promised!" He cried, his voice giving way. "You promised no more faking deaths!"

M'gaan's breath rumbled in her chest. Her tears finally gave way. "Oh Gar…." she answered, her heart cracking in two.

"You promised no more faking deaths!" He screeched, shaking. "This isn't funny! This isn't funny!" A sob choked his throat, wanting so desperately for her words to be untrue. "You promised! You promised!"

M'gaan snatched him into an embrace. He sobbed against her shoulder. Whispers of 'you promised' escaped through his broken voice.

A gurgled cry sprang up next to Emily. The sound riled a sickness in her gut. She turned. Rose stood with terror-struck eyes. Inertia stood in front of her. His hand held something that Emily couldn't see. Inertia brought his face close to hers.

"How does your own blood taste, bitch?" He said.

Emily screeched as blood burst from Rose's mouth and down her lips. The image of Inertia dissolved. But Rose still stood, a dagger sat in her stomach. Blood poured from her wound and down her legs. Emily shivered to know that Rose was remembering the day on Infinity Island. The day that Inertia killed her.

Rose's pupils shrank to fine points. She still stared at Emilly with large eyes. Panic and terror flushed through her. Rose fell to her knees. She looked down. Her arms trembled as she reached for the dagger's handle. A small, pained noise fell from her as she tightened her grip around it. A slick squelch filled the air as she pulled the dagger out. She dropped it to the ground.

A seismic shake overcame Rose as she placed her hands over her gut. She looked down. Her fingers twitched as she brought her hand up to her face to stare at her blood-soaked palms. Ice ran in Emily's veins as Rose looked up at her. Rose's teeth clattered. She cried once more as she looked at Emily with terror.

"I don't want to die," she whispered as blood dripped from her lip. She grimaced, tears swelled in her eyes. A breath shook in her chest as she said, "But I deserve this."

A screech erupted beside Emily. She turned to see Joey crawling on his hands and knees. Blood poured from his slit throat. He reached out to her. He opened his mouth to speak, yet all that escaped was a grating, other-worldly screech.

Malcolm stood just beyond him, his Guardian helmet sat on his head. He clawed at it, yet it would not move. He snarled, drool fell from his mouth as he screamed. "I'm nothing! I'm nothing!" He placed his clawed hands in the center of his forehead, his fingers sunk into the helmet and his skin as though he were made of putty.

"I'M NOTHING WITHOUT THIS!" He boomed as he pulled his hands apart. His helmet and skin tore between his fingers. The white of his skull emerged as he pulled.

Emily screeched, turning away as she closed her eyes.

"I'm losing her."

Only Garfield's quiet voice played in the darkness. Emily opened her eyes. Gar stood, stoic, and still.

"I'm losing Emily." He said, defeated. He closed his eyes and pursed his lips. His chest shook with his inhale. "She doesn't want to be with me anymore." When Gar opened his eyes, another copy of him appeared just a yard in front of him. He held out, staring down at his ape-like arms.

His copy mirrored him, repeating his words in unison. "I don't blame her. Look at me." Sadness narrowed their eyes as they said, "I'm a fucking freak."

"No," Emily croaked with a broken voice.

"All this pain. All this suffering," Psimon's voice arose behind her. He placed a hand on her shoulder. He leaned down, talking softly into her ear. "You are one of the most powerful telepaths I've seen. But your lack of control when it comes to your emotions...makes you sloppy."

Psimon disappeared. Emily jumped as Marissa's head, three stories tall, materialized in front of her. She stared at Emily with cold eyes.

"Emily, your mom killed herself," she said.

Another head of Marissa appeared next to it.

"Your mom killed herself," they spoke in unison.

Another head of Marissa appeared on the other side of the first one.

"Your mom killed herself," they all spoke together.

Over and over the heads appeared until they were all around her, repeating the same wretched line:

"Your mom killed herself. Your mom killed herself. Your mom killed herself."

Emily screamed as she brought her hands to her head, snatching at her hair. Her eyes went wide. Her jaw fell as it trembled. Her body shook and panic coursed through her. Her heart pounded as though it would explode in her chest.

"SHUT UP!" She screamed. "STOP IT! STOP IT!" She wailed.

Psimon's laughter boomed over the voices. Her teammates appeared around her, all on their knees with their heads in their hands. They clattered their insecurities over and over. Their words created a dissident cord of shattered will and desolation:

"You took everything from me!"

"I couldn't save her!"

"I'm nothing!"

"Why did you take her from me?!"

"STOP!" Emily screamed as she clenched her hands tighter in her hair. As if the pain would subside the voices. She stared at the ground. "STOP!"

Psimon's laughter rose again. "I suppose so," he teased. "But let's give your friends something to keep them busy. I think Inertia has just the thing."

The voices around her continued. But the ground became transparent, as though she were on a glass ceiling. Below her sat the aerial view of a nursery. Inertia walked into the room. His wicked eyes looked up at her for a moment before he turned his attention towards the crib. An infant lay inside. Inertia walked over to it. The baby looked up at him for a moment and Inertia stared at it. Then he placed his hand over the baby's entire face. It squealed and struggled under his grasp as he squeezed.

"Psimon says, sleep."

Devastation woke with a groan. Throbbing pain in her head pulsed with her heartbeat. She rolled over onto her side, pushing herself up with her hands. She looked around. All of the others, save for her and Psimon, lay still on the floor. "What happened?" She asked.

Psimon groaned, rubbing his head with his hand as well. With one eye open, he pointed at Emily and demanded, "Make sure to put that inhibitor collar on her." As Devastation did as told, he took off his Brain Wave Disruptor and inspected it. "This garbage failed against her." He placed it back on his head.

Devastation scooped up the unconscious Emily, carrying her over her shoulder. "What? How?" She asked.

"Well, it was originally made for Martians." She said, narrowing his eyes. "Maybe her telepathy is different. Different kinds of brainwaves".

Devastation looked around at the others on the floor. Their bodies twitched, their faces flashed with flickering grimaces. Small groans, whimpers, and shudders fell from lips. She asked, "What did you do to them?"

Psimon chuckled as he looked down on them. "Oh, I picked a wonderful nightmare for them all to share. One of Inertia's killing sprees. They'll be out for a while."

Devastation's face twisted with confusion, "Did something happen? One of your...psychic things?"

"Yes," he answered. "But I protected you. Couldn't chance them finding out any of our secrets."

Devastation gave him a sly smile. She looked over to the others and nodded her head towards Inertia as he lay crumpled and unconscious on the floor. "What about him?" She asked. "Should we wake him?"

"I was told to discreetly...dispose of him if possible," Psimon answered. "They've gotten all their use from him. Boy's gotten sloppy."

"Thank God," Devastation remarked. "I hate that mouthy brat."

"Indeed," Psimon agreed. "Now, let's get out of here."

Psimon stopped himself before levitating them out of the building. His eyes fell onto Rose's lighter on the ground next to her. The smell of hot oil filled his nose. He looked over to the crackling, boiling pot of oil in the kitchen. He plastered on a wicked grin as he looked to Devastation and said, "Let's make sure he's sent off in typical Inertia fashion."

Psimon levitated the lighter over to the pot, flicked on the flame, and dropped it in. Flames shot up from the pot, licking up over the oven's vent. The fire danced within it as Psimon levitated the pot over to the dining room area, and dumped the flaming grease over the carpet. The flame gorged on the synthetic fibers, already creeping its way towards them.

Devastation turned to him and smiled. "If I've said it before and I'll say it again," she cooed. "I love the way that big brain yours thinks."

Psimon grinned. With a flick of his hand, he levitated himself, Devastation, and Emily out through the hole in the roof, leaving the rest of them to burn.

La'gaan swam through the murky water of the Bludhaven harbor. He hated swimming close to any shoreline. The surface-dwellers always made quick work of dumping their pollutants and garbage into any patch of ocean that lay in their reach. The water stung his gills. He swam fast towards The Warehouse's underwater airlock; typically used for The Bioship to gain entry to the basement without being seen.

La'gaan pressed on the four precise divots on the airlock door; the secret code required for entry. The doors opened and La'gaan swam inside. The doors behind him closed then the water began to vent out of the chamber. Once finished, the doors in front of him opened, allowing him access to The Warehouse basement.

Once the doors opened, a cough erupted from his throat. His eyes stung. A light gray coat of smoke filled the room. He blinked the water away in his eyes.

"And they say my cooking's bad." L'gaan jibed as he walked towards the stairs. "Did Joey forget he was deep frying again?" He yelled from behind the basement door. He coughed, irritation scratched under his skin. Why did he get barred from cooking but no one else?

La'gaan reached for the doorknob. He yelped in pain, yanking his hand back as it sizzled when he touched it. His eyes went wide. "What?" He breathed. His heartbeat quickened in his chest.

Something was wrong.

With a grit of his teeth and a groan, La'gaan latched onto the doorknob again. His hand seared around the metal. He slammed the door open.

A wave of smoke billowed towards him. La'gaan brought his arms up to shield himself, covering his face from the sudden wave of heat. He coughed again, his eyes narrowing. His heartbeat pounded in his ear and panic stuck through him.

Where was his team?

He took a step forward, shielding himself. "Malcolm! Rose! Anyone!" He screamed. He coughed and coughed, crouching down to find a better view in the smoke. The heat from the surrounding flames reddened his skin.

And then he saw them. Just beyond the raging flames, he saw the blurred figures of collapsed bodies.

He pressed on his earpiece communicator. "Backup needed! The Warehouse is on fire!" He yelled through coughs. "Everyone's out cold. I think they were attacked!"

Bart's voice erupted over the communicator. "I'm already close by. I'm on my way!"

La'gaan coughed again as he looked through the dancing flames. "I'm getting them out!" he cried back to him.

Sweat poured from his brows. The lack of moisture in the air drained his strength by the second.

He only had one shot.

With a roar, La'gaan expanded into his pufferfish form. With another carnal cry, he sprinted forward and jumped over the flames. The flames lapped at his legs and feet but the adrenaline pumping through him cast out his sense of touch.

His feet landed hard. With quick swipes the scooped up Malcolm in one arm and Joey and Rose in the other. He raced for the front door, smashing it open with his shoulder. Cries of surprise and shouts filled the air as he erupted from behind the door. A crowd had gathered around the building, watching smoke and flames billow from it.

But La'gaan paid them no mind. He raced back inside. He panted, his limbs growing sluggish. His pufferfish form lost half its size. La'gaan quickly snatched Beast Boy in one of his arms. He squinted his eyes, trying to see through the smoke. He patted across the floor in a desperate search for Emily. His hand landed on an arm. With a grunt, he dragged the body towards him.

La'gaan let out a gasp as he snatched back his hand. As the flames drew closer, their bright lights made clear the wild blonde hair and green uniform of Inertia.

"Holy shit." he breathed, his heartbeat quickening. After all the pain he's caused, after all their desperate attempts at capture, there Inertia lay; unconscious and helpless.

La'gaan's brows furrowed. Anger tightened his chest around his smoke-laden lungs. A vile voice slipped into his mind:

Just let him fucking burn.

A growl rumbled in his throat. He turned on his heels, marching towards the door.

Then he stopped, he looked back over to Inertia; the fire mere inches from his feet. La'gaan turned his face away. Yet something deep within his chest pulled him back. A sinking feeling of guilt swirled in his gut. He remembered a phrase long drilled into his head from his first days of the team:

Justice, not vengeance.

"Oh for Pisiedon's sake!" La'gaan yelled to himself. He turned back and snached Inertia up in his other arm. He raced outside, dropping Inertia and Beast Boy onto the ground as he stumbled. He gasped for air, the world around him blurred as the remnants of smoke clouded his eyes.

The world zipped by as Bart, in his Kid Flash uniform, sped towards Bludhaven. The air rustled in his ear as he pushed himself to drun faster. He came closer to The Warehouse. Police and EMTs were already on the scene. A firetruck pulled up onto the sidewalk. He bit his lip, mind remembering a trick his father had taught him long ago.

He supersped around The Warehouse. The smoke twirled upward and dissipated as the flames shrank. His speed created a vacuum to suck the air out of the center of where he circled. Without oxygen, the flames died. Bart scoured the remains of the half-charred Warehouse yet no bodies were found.

He raced up to La'gaan who knelt on his hands and knees outside. He placed a hand on his shoulder. "Looks like everyone's out," Kid Flash said.

La'gaan coughed a ragged breath. Wet soot shot from his throat. "Emily-" he wheezed. "Can't. Find-"

Bart began, "There's no one else in there-". His voice died in his throat as he looked past La'gaan. There, not three feet from him, lay Inertia.

Bart's heart pounded against his sternum. His ears rang as his body screamed for him to run. He had only ever seen Thad in instances of rage or gleeful torture. What he had never seen him as was quiet, still, and helpless.

Caught.

"Is that Inertia?"

The voice came from a police officer as he looked over Thad. Kid Flash's mind snapped to back reality at the sound of it.

"Get an inhibitor collar for him! Hurry!" He snipped at the officer. La'gaan wheezed as he choked on the smoke in his lungs. Bart looked over his shoulder. "We get oxygen over here!" He called out to one of the ambulances.

"Are they okay?" La'gaan managed to push out. "Are they okay!?"

The EMT arrived, placing an oxygen mask over La'gaan's face. "They're fine. They're fine," Bart cooed. "Just breathe. That's all you have to do now," he said as he rubbed his back.

"Watchtower to Kid Flash, what's the situation?" Captain Marvel's voice came across the communicator.

Kid Flash pressed onto his earpiece. "I put the fire out. We can't find Looker but everyone is out. They're unconscious but safe." He answered.

He looked over to Thad as an officer snapped an inhibitor collar around his neck. The EMT's rolled him over onto his back. The only movement came from his chest. They removed his mask, strapping an oxygen mask around him instead. The scene plucked at something inside Bart, realizing just how human the demon that haunted him really was.

That's right...he was only human.

His lip twitched at the sight of EMTs attending to him. His mind swirled with questions as to why they would work to keep alive a soul so vile. And then he remembered, first responders were not juries nor judges. Their oath was to life.

Give life to those that harm, so they may face justice.

Bart couldn't stop the flabbergasted grin from forming on his face as he said, "And Watchtower you're not going to believe this but…we got him." He smiled, triumphant. "We got Inertia."