"We need medical assistance!" one of the Kasnian soldiers told her as another tried to help a third man lying prostrate on the ground. "The man with the arm - he gave Lukasz some kind of heart attack! Other men too!"
"The Justice League will be right here," Diana assured him in Kasnian as her stomach churned with anger and dread. How did Savage always manage to mastermind these escapes? After the Americans managed to lose him, Audrey had said her father was doubly careful to take every precaution. "Which way did they take the prisoner?"
The soldier pointed south. "Two jeeps," he said. "There are a dozen armed men. We did manage to get two of them, but the man with the arm, he is with them! He is the one responsible for this, for Lukasz!"
"I'll get him," Diana promised. Some of the fastest members of the League were on their way. They would be able to help the injured men. Savage needed to be recaptured before he got any farther away.
She wasn't as fast as Wally or Superman, but she was close, and close was enough. In two minutes she approached the first jeep from behind, the second vehicle still out of site. They didn't even notice as she sank her fingers into the armored roof protecting the rear and tore it off.
"The Amazon!" one of the men inside gasped as he swung his gun up to fire at her. She grabbed it from him and broke it in two, shattering it. Then she took him by the shoulders and hurled him from the jeep.
She was forced to pull back as five other men began firing at her, using her bracelets to block their fire. A sixth man began swerving the jeep left and right.
It was a laughable attempt, considering who she was. One foot landed hard on the hood of the jeep, smashing the engine and causing the driver to brake hard, throwing the vehicle into a rollover. Men flew everywhere as the car skidded to a halt and exploded.
Diana dismissed them from her notice. Savage was not among them. Naturally he was in the lead car. Again, the League and the Kasnian forces would take care of the captives.
She spotted the second jeep a few hundred yards away. It had braked to a stop next to a jet plane. From its design, it looked like it was capable of supersonic speeds. Men were piling out of the back.
Savage was one of them.
Growling, Diana forgot about the man with the arm. For all intents and purposes, Savage was the face of all those who would threaten Audrey's life, who forced them to hide their relationship from all but a few. He could NOT be allowed to roam free again.
About a hundred yards away, however, she heard a noise in the brush to her left, and then felt something grab her ankle.
Stopping, Diana turned and saw a giant of a man holding her foot with a mechanical arm. "You," she said.
"Ubu," he corrected her. The mechanical arm's hand, which was yellow and glowed faintly, flashed.
Suddenly Diana felt her cheeks grow flush with fever. She yanked her ankle away from the man and floated backwards.
The thoughts in her brain seemed to move at hyperspeed as they raced about her mind. Her vision swam, her pulse raced. She wanted to fly forward, back, up . . .
Instead she landed. She pitched forward and plowed a foot-long furrow into the earth as she hit the ground headfirst. Her heart felt like it was going to explode.
For a moment she understood that was exactly what was happening. The man with the arm had given her a kind of heart attack like the other men, only it was her entire body. Then it was chased from her mind by a thousand others, her entire nervous system kicking into overdrive.
She tried to rise, but her limbs no longer seemed to be working together.
All she was conscious of, other than trying to breathe, was the man's heavy boots clomping past her. She couldn't even see the derisive wave sent her way by Vandal Savage.
Perhaps it was better she didn't. There was little she could do about it anyway.
Superman landed, carrying two unconscious men. Neither was Savage.
"Where is he?!" Diana demanded as she sat on a large rock.
"The plane was a decoy," Superman said. "Whoever is responsible for this, they must have known someone they couldn't outrun would show up. These two men were the only ones on the plane. There must have been a second plane nearby, or maybe some alternate form of ground transportation. He could be anywhere by now."
Diana closed her eyes. "Damn him to Tartarus," she whispered. Then she stood up, picked up the rock she'd been perched on, and hurled it thirty feet away. It struck a tree and snapped it at the base, sending it crashing down.
"Guess you've got your strength back," Superman said.
"I'm fine," Diana replied. "Whatever that man did to me, my endurance allowed me to recover a lot quicker than some of those soldiers did."
"Some of them," Green Lantern emphasized. He'd been the one to check on her condition. "Two are dead. They just about popped all their blood vessels at once. Two others were shot by enemy soldiers. We've got eight men in custody, but so far they're not talking."
"No?" Diana asked. She glanced at the men Superman was holding. "Give me a minute with them."
"Forget it, Diana," Superman said. "I realize you're upset, but - "
"I'm not going to hit them, Superman," she said, rolling her eyes. Seeing that the men were unconscious, she flew off in the direction of the convoy that had been hit.
The other League members caught up with her as she landed. Flash arrived a moment later. "No sign," he said. "Maybe they went underground."
"Those are them?" Diana asked, pointing at the men inside a Kasnian troop transport being guarded by armed soldiers.
GL nodded.
Pulling her lariat out, she brushed past the armed guards and dragged one out of the truck. He yelped as he found the super-powered Amazon hauling him outside by his neck, but she silenced him by wrapping him up in her lariat. "Quiet," she ordered.
"Ask him where he's being taken," Superman said. "Savage, I mean."
"I know," she said, exasperated. "Where is he? Where's Savage?!"
The man was compelled to answer by the power of the lariat, but besides being frightened, he did not appear overly upset. "I do not know," he said. "I was not told."
"Why not?"
"It was anticipated that some of us would be taken into custody by you, the Martian Manhunter, or . . ." He paused and shook, evidently fighting the lariat's magic now.
Diana looked at the others. "With our history, Savage must have known we'd respond immediately." She turned back to the prisoner. "Or who?"
"Or - He Whose Name Must Not Be Spoken," he finally said, and his agitation subsided.
"Who the hell is that supposed to be?" Flash asked.
The man began trembling again.
"He's been programmed in some manner," Diana said. "I've encountered this before, usually in cult members and others who've been brainwashed. The compulsion to obey and speak the truth is clashing against some pre-existing duty or command to hold back this information. It's all right, forget it. It's not important."
"This He Who Must Not guy," Flash said. "Is he one of us?"
The man slowly shook his head.
"Well, it obviously can't be Hawkgirl," Superman said, "and he already said J'onn's name - "
"Batman," Diana said, and the man flinched.
"Dark and broody. Figures he'd be the boogeyman in some places," Flash said.
"Raise Batman on the transmitter," Diana said. "Mine was fried by the electric pulse I received earlier. He must have some history with this man's organization. Who do you work for?" she demanded.
"The - the Revered One, of course," the man told her.
"He's from a cult, all right," John said while Superman patched into the Watchtower.
"I haven't been able to track anything down yet," Batman told Superman over their link. "What's the situation down there?"
"Diana is interrogating one of the prisoners. We think he's got some history with you, because he keeps referring to you as 'He Who Must Not Be Named'."
Batman didn't speak for a moment. "Has he mentioned a 'Revered One' yet?"
Superman blinked. "Actually, yes, he just did."
"I know who's behind this," Batman instantly replied.
"Who?"
"You're not going to like this."
"Batman," Superman said, exasperated.
"Ra's al-Ghul."
Everyone heard Ra's' name over the commlink. Diana actually let go of the lariat, and the rope dropped to the ground.
"Al-Ghul?" Flash asked. "But that means - "
"That's why they knew we were coming," Diana said, and she turned away from the soldier with murder in her eyes. "They knew we were coming, because she told them."
"Whoa, Diana," Superman said. "Let's not start assuming - "
"They knew," she hissed so that none of the Kasnians heard, "because Talia told her father I was involved with Audrey. They knew I had a personal stake in the matter."
"It's possible," Superman acknowledged.
"It's more than possible," Batman added, having been listening. "I made contact with Ra's yesterday. Talia was with him."
"Does anyone here really think it's a coincidence that Ra's al-Ghul rescued Vandal Savage from Kasnian custody mere days after Talia spotted Audrey at the Watchtower?" Diana asked icily. "I warned her. I warned her. I guess I didn't scare her enough. Where can we find her?"
"It's more important we find Ra's," Superman pointed out. "I'm sure they're bringing Savage to him. Although I wonder what Ra's wants him for."
"Ra's is obsessed with immortality," Batman said. "When word got out about Savage's condition, he must have decided to obtain Savage for study, find a way to duplicate his powers. But he could be in twenty different places, more even."
"Yeah, but J'onn knows where to find Talia," Flash reminded them. "Why not ask him how we can find her? Then she'll lead us to Savage."
"Good plan," Superman said.
"And after she leads us there," Diana added, "I can beat her senseless."
Batman said nothing as he terminated the connection. He could have said that J'onn probably would not be able to help them find Talia, since J'onn had no way of reaching her while she was confined in Arkham. He scowled. Talia had lied to his face when she said she'd changed. Surprise, surprise.
He would have to return to Gotham himself and retrieve her. Her continued stay there was unnecessary anyway. J'onn would understand how untrustworthy she was, and it would hurt knowing she'd used him, but it would be better for him in the long run. He'd known too, known after the Vertigo incident years before. Unfortunately, it hadn't been until al-Ghul's return from the grave that he also understood she could never change.
First he opened two channels, one to Oracle and one to the Bat-computer. With the emergency in Kasnia and him as the only League member in the Watchtower, he'd been forced to order the computers to disregard all problem situations that weren't equally serious. He'd been cut off from Gotham for a few hours, but now he could redirect his attention. As good as the Watchtower's files on al-Ghul were, both he and Oracle had better ones, and they knew of DEMON installations that the League didn't.
"Where have you BEEN?" Oracle asked as soon as he contacted her.
"Vandal Savage was just liberated from custody. What is it?" he asked, annoyed. Now was not the time for a crisis in Gotham as well.
"We've got trouble of our own. There was a major breakout at Arkham, and four patients escaped."
Four. He sighed. "Who?"
"One is unknown, but I've confirmed Clayface, Harley Quinn, and get this - Poison Ivy."
"She came out of her coma?" he asked. Wonderful timing Ivy had, waking up now.
"That's the funny part. No, she hasn't. Security footage shows her being carried out by Clayface," Oracle told him. "The doctors are saying she was still comatose when she was removed."
"Harley must have some harebrained scheme," Batman said, "but Clayface's involvement doesn't make sense. He and Ivy don't get along at all. It must have something to do with this fourth person. Did they leave together?"
"Clayface smashed his way out, and all four stole a van from Arkham's parking lot. GCPD found the van in the city. Looks like they either stole another car, or found a hideout. As for the fourth, there's very little information. It's a woman. Apparently she was just admitted last night. They don't even have a file on her yet, so she's new."
Batman's head jerked up. "Last night?" he asked slowly. "Can you get me video feeds from the security cameras?"
"Right now," she said, transmitting the footage.
He brought the video up on the main monitor. There was the hulking monstrosity Clayface, about to punch his way through a wall. Behind him was Harley Quinn, recognizable in her pigtails, and a Poison Ivy who definitely looked to be still unconscious.
And there was also a fourth woman with dark hair.
"Magnify," he told the computers, selecting the area around the woman's face.
It sprang into focus.
"Damn," he muttered after a moment.
It appeared J'onn wasn't the only League member who didn't know where Talia was at this instant.
"Okay, maybe you're crazy, maybe you're not," Harley said. "You're not delusional though." She stared at the men standing stiffly at attention. "Will they do anything you say? Ask one to get me a pizza!"
"They're not robots," Talia said. Although after years of being taught to obey her father's decree strictly, they might as well be. At least, as she was her father's daughter and therefore an extension of himself (something which grated on her more than ever), they were also taught to obey her. "And we don't have a lot of time."
"Sweet set-up," Clayface said as he looked around. "Safe house?"
"My father thought it wise to have men in place to monitor the situation in Gotham at all times," Talia replied. "He's always been very interested in the Detective's activities."
"The detective? Who's that?" Harley asked.
"Oh, er, Batman. My father does not refer to him as Batman. Actually, no one in the organization does. Those men are taught to speak of him as 'He Who Must Not Be Named'."
"Shit, no wonder you haven't beaten the Bat," Clayface chuckled. "You're all scared of him. He's got yo asses whipped."
"It's a sign of respect," Talia said.
"What do you call him?" Harley asked.
"It's not important," Talia muttered, feeling her cheeks redden. "What is important is that we can use the computers to access my father's files and determine where he has taken Savage."
"Who?"
"Vandal Savage. Remember? Tried to take over the world recently? My father wishes to use him to make himself immortal."
"Oh," Harley said while Clayface just shrugged. It was obvious that Savage had nothing to do with their needs, and was therefore inconsequential. "But why do we need to know where this Savage guy is?"
"Because," Talia said, exasperated, "we're going to stop my father."
"Why?" Harley asked.
If the clown girl asked the Joker this many questions, Talia could see why he'd gone insane. "Because if my father finishes what he has set out to do, then the Lazarus Pit will become useless. And neither of YOU will be able to use it."
THAT got their attention. "Well, what are we waiting for?" Clayface asked instantly. "Let's stop this Savage guy! We're doing a good deed, way I see it!"
"Saving the world? Heck, they might even forgive us for knocking down the wall at Arkham!" Harley said brightly.
"Good," Talia muttered. This was her first prolonged encounter with Gotham's Rogues. She was more perplexed by Batman than ever. All right, so she could see now that her past behavior had been excessive and deceitful, and that her confessions of love had grown only more tiresome with each utterance.
But still - fighting these self-absorbed infants was better?
"I need to find a change of clothes," Talia continued, fingering her Arkham attire. "And I must contact my father. Servants," she said, turning to the men who were still waiting for orders, "they are assisting me on a mission. Give them what they ask for - within reason," she added, giving Harley a look. "And put Miss Isley in one of the beds. We'll be leaving shortly."
"Of course, Daughter of the Revered One," their leader said, and he gestured for two men to take Ivy away.
"Nice name," Clayface said.
"Thank you," Talia mumbled.
"Hey! Red isn't leaving my sight!" Harley warned them.
"Then go with them," Talia sighed.
"Hmph," Harley said. "And double hey! Can we stop at a hideout? I need a spare costume."
Talia grumbled something. "Give one of my men the address, and I'll have him fetch it for you."
Finally getting away from her new "allies" bought Talia a moment's peace, but neither time nor relaxation. By now, her father had Savage in his possession. It was quite possible that the Justice League or Kasnian forces had repelled the attempt. That would still give Talia a real mess to explain, but at least her father's scheme would be averted. She suspected the League would be somewhat less willing to believe her if her father actually achieved immortality.
Never mind the idea of her father living forever - perhaps expecting her to spend several centuries serving him with the help of the Lazarus Pits he no longed needed for himself - now vaguely terrified her.
She had to assume her father had succeeded, however. What she had to do first was relatively simple - determine her father's location, and contact J'onn. As "daughter of the Revered One", finding her father would be easy. All she had to do was express a wish to join him at the site of his greatest triumph, and it would be granted. There weren't many Lazarus Pits he could be at, but she didn't have time to visit every one until she found him.
Contacting J'onn was a trifle more difficult. He'd given her a small emergency device some weeks ago which, when activated, would contact him and him alone. He promised to come to the location of the signal if she needed him desperately.
For a woman who'd just escaped wrongful imprisonment in a mental hospital, and who would unfairly earn Wonder Woman's lasting wrath any minute now, "desperate" wasn't strong enough a word.
Unfortunately, she didn't have it now. It was in her hotel room, and Batman would go there as soon as he found out she'd escaped.
Therefore, she was forced to call him by more conventional means, and pray he'd returned from the Watchtower by now. It would be ironic if he was in Kasnia right now. Ironic, and probably not a good sign for her.
If she could convince him to come, however, then perhaps he would help her. He could make the others understand that Talia had absolutely nothing to do with her father's actions in Kasnia, that she'd tried to do something about it
Of course, first she would have to explain why she was getting help from two of Gotham City's most notorious criminals. If said criminals and J'onn didn't get into a fight first.
Talia closed her eyes. Better to contact her father first. She could put off thinking about the rest for - a couple minutes more, anyway.
J'onn turned his communicator off, deeply troubled for reasons beyond the obvious one - Vandal Savage and Ra's al-Ghul together. Perhaps al-Ghul wanted Savage as a guinea pig, and perhaps he wanted to pool their knowledge. Whatever the reason, they were much better off with Savage in Kasnian custody.
But there was also the matter of Diana and Bruce, both obviously convinced that Talia had given her father information. She'd only been in the room for no more than a minute, but Diana felt even this short time had caused enough damage. She had claimed Ra's had prepared for the Justice League's involvement by sending forces equipped to deal with superheroes, some sort of man with a special arm apparently. According to Diana's thinking, the only way he could have known that the Justice League would respond so quickly was if Talia told him Audrey was involved with Diana.
J'onn thought her reasoning was irrational - he agreed with Superman, who had tried to point out that Vandal Savage had proved enough of a threat in the past that the League was certain to pursue him anyway. But for someone predisposed to believe that Talia was bent on exploiting her discovery, it was like arguing with the wind.
Diana was extremely angry with Talia. As bad as that was for Talia, Ra's and Savage was a much larger problem, one that could affect the whole world. And yet, for personal reasons, he was unable to focus on this crisis. He was worried about Talia.
He couldn't conceive of her being involved. Still, she hadn't said anything to him about her father's plans, and Batman had confirmed that Talia was with her father yesterday. That too bothered J'onn. Why had she been there? And if she had, how could she not have known about the Savage mission? And if she had known, why hadn't she told him?
She couldn't be involved.
Perhaps . . . she wasn't as free of her father's domination as she'd said.
Which was why he was calling her. Not because certain members of the League wanted to string her up by her thumbs and tear Ra's al-Ghul's location from her lips, but because he wanted to talk to her. He wouldn't ask if she'd known, of course. He trusted her.
But maybe he should ask anyway. Just in case she didn't mention it.
Maybe he didn't understand human emotions as well as he thought he did.
He pulled the phone away from his ear. The warning sound buzzed angrily. J'onn glanced at the display and saw her phone was busy.
Why hadn't she called him?
Unless, he realized, she was trying to call him even as he contacted her.
J'onn almost redialed immediately, but that would only block her once again if she was calling. He would wait.
There was a prolonged minute where he began to wonder if SHE was waiting for HIM to call again, before the phone finally rang. "Hello?" he asked, answering instantly.
"J'onn!"
"Talia? What is it?"
"J'onn, you must meet me right away. You wouldn't believe the night I've - "
"Talia, there's been a situation. In Kasnia."
She sighed. "So it has happened already? Damn."
"You knew?! Why didn't you tell me?"
"Well, I tried but someone prevented me from doing so!"
"What? Who?!"
"It's too complicated," she said, exasperated. "I know where my father can be found. He's at a Lazarus Pit in Tunisia. You must meet me there as soon as possible."
"I can have the entire League there much - "
"No! J'onn, you must let me handle this."
He stared at the phone. "Talia, this is too important for you to take care of yourself."
"I know! That's why I need you there! The help I've recruited, they won't be enough. With you there, perhaps we can pull it off."
"Pull WHAT off?"
"Retrieving Vandal Savage before my father steals his immortality, AND showing the Justice League that I'm not out to betray them," she said quietly. "But I need you to trust me, J'onn. Can you be at the airport in Tunis as soon as possible? We'll be leaving shortly."
"We? Talia - "
"J'onn, I wasn't involved. I knew about it, and I tried to warn the League. And not because of you. I tried it because I knew it was the right thing. Now I need to make up for my failure. Please - come so I can explain. Then perhaps you will help me."
J'onn hesitated. A few moments ago he'd doubted his comprehension of human emotion. He'd doubted her. Should he do this?
He sighed. His OWN emotions told him yes.
"I'll be there," he said before ending the call.
Hopefully he was not being irrational as well.
To be continued . . .