Countdown. Part 22

Good riddance, Jimmy thought.

"You know," Mary said, somewhat sheepishly, "I hope you don't think I'm deserting you too, but I desperately need to know what happened after I left Paradise Island." She lifted off the roof and floated upward into the sky. "Plus, I really want to check in with my family."

It dawned on Jimmy that n.o.body had seen Captain Marvel or Captain Marvel Jr. since that big fight with Black Adam several months ago. He wondered what had become of them. "Yeah, of course," he called out to Mary. "Don't sweat it."

"Thanks, Jimmy!" Mary said. "Catch up with you later!"

She zipped away, quickly disappearing from sight. Funny, he mused, I thought Paradise Island was the other direction.

In any event, he hoped she found what she was looking for.

FAWCETT CITY.

Mary Batson, she scolded herself. You are such a liar.

The rent on the small apartment had been paid forward for at least a year. Billy's doing, no doubt. Mary pulled on a clean sweater as she headed to the fridge and helped herself to a can of soda. A hot bubble bath had helped put the stench of Apokolips behind her. A pop alb.u.m played softly on her stereo.

Paradise Island. Yeah, right. The way she figured it, Hippolyta surely had everything under control on Themyscira now that Granny Goodness was dead meat. She didn't need Mary's help to straighten out a bunch of confused, powerless Amazon wannabes. But I couldn't exactly tell Jimmy and the rest that I just needed a break from everyone else's problems.

A twinge of guilt p.r.i.c.ked her conscience. Is this some leftover Eclipso or something? she fretted. Am I being selfish?

"Nah," she a.s.sured herself. As far as she was concerned, she had paid her dues, and atoned for her dip into the dark side, by freeing the G.o.ds, helping to liberate Paradise Island, and getting Holly and Harley back to Earth alive. Let the Justice League deal with Darkseid from now on. "I just need a little 'me time' to relax and recharge my batteries."

"Is that what you call it?" an impossibly deep voice said in amus.e.m.e.nt.

Mary recognized the voice at once. The can of soda slipped from her fingertips, falling unnoticed onto the kitchen floor, as she turned in shock toward the open doorway behind her. Beyond the threshold, a startling sight greeted her eyes.

Darkseid was sitting in her living room, reclining comfortably in the comfy faux-leather easy chair she had picked up at Goodwill a few years back. The TV remote was sitting on the coffee table in front of him, as though he had just settled in to watch something on cable. The sheer incongruity of the image left her flabbergasted.

"h.e.l.lo, Mary," he said calmly. "You didn't think I had forgotten about you, did you?"

Overcoming her shock, she reacted quickly. "Shazam!"

Thunder boomed and a mystic lightning bolt smashed through the window. Arms akimbo, Mary Marvel faced her unwelcome visitor defiantly. Smoke rose from the scorched carpet at her feet.

"In my home? How dare you?"

Her dramatic transformation did not rattle him one bit. "Darkseid dares all."

"What are you doing here?" she demanded.

"A simple matter, really." He leaned forward. "In your final battle with Eclipso, you left a little something behind."

He held out his hand, and Mary braced herself for an attack, but then she spied the tiny black sphere, no larger than a pearl, gripped between his thick fingers. A pulsating dark radiance emanated from the sphere, which appeared to be composed entirely of roiling black energy. The presence of the sphere made Mary's skin tingle. She felt drawn to it.

"W-what's that?" she gulped. Her clenched fists dropped limply to her sides.

"I believe you know very well what this is," Darkseid said. "It's your power."

"No . . . I have my power." Tearing her gaze away from the glowing pearl, she turned her back on Darkseid. She crossed her arms over her chest. A quaver in her voice undermined the determination she tried so hard to project. "The G.o.ds gave it back to me!"

"They gave you a degree of power," he conceded, "but not what you possessed when last we met. You are diminished . The G.o.ds no longer fully trust you. They have lost their faith in you." He chuckled mercilessly. "You know I'm right. You can feel it, can't you?"

A mirror on the opposite wall offered Mary a glimpse of her reflection. The dark gray thunderbolt on her chest, no longer s.h.i.+ning brightly golden as before, seemed to confirm the G.o.ds' altered opinion of her, that she was now tainted in their eyes. Who's to say they won't withdraw their power from me again? she worried. Like they did with Holly and Harley?

She could feel the power of the black pearl tugging at her. Her heart pounded at the thought of claiming that power once more. Her face flushed with both shame and excitement.

"No! I don't care!" She glared back at Darkseid over her shoulder, while carefully averting her gaze from the alluring poison in his hand. "That little ball of evil is . . . well, it's evil! And that's not me!"

"So you say, Mary." He rose from the chair. The floorboards creaked beneath his heavy tread as he came up behind her, still holding out the miniature sphere. "But let me ask: When you held this power, did you feel evil?"

Not exactly, she thought. Maybe a little reckless sometimes, but was that really so bad? She couldn't resist sneaking a peek at the pearl, then discovered that she couldn't look away. Slowly, almost against her will, she turned around to face Darkseid. The tempting sphere hovered above his outstretched palm, only a few inches away from her face. All she had to was reach out and take it....

"Remember, Mary," Darkseid urged her. "Remember how you really felt."

A tear leaked down Mary's cheek. She couldn't deny the yearning deep within her. "I felt . . . strong," she admitted hoa.r.s.ely, her voice barely more than a whisper. "I felt stronger and more confident than I ever had before."

Or since.

Darkseid smiled in approval. "You see, evil is a mere abstraction. A matter of perception." He stepped forward, bringing the tantalizing sphere even closer. "Do you hear it, Mary? How it sings to you? Calls to you? Take it. Be complete. Be strong once more."

Mary's hand reached tentatively for his gift, even as she wrestled painfully with her conscience. She remembered how the G.o.ds had cruelly "tested" her before, how the Monitor had effortlessly transported her across the cosmos without even asking her permission. Would he have been able to do that if she had still possessed the power Darkseid now offered her? Even with her original powers restored, it seemed that she remained at the mercy of powerful ent.i.ties who treated her like a p.a.w.n in their cosmic games. A sob tore itself from her throat as she faced the awful truth.

I'm still just as helpless as before....

Her fingers hesitated above the s.h.i.+mmering sphere. Her heart ached for the strength and confidence it promised her. She had never wanted anything so much in her life, not even all those enticing magical talismans back at Zatanna's mansion weeks ago. I'm so sorry, she thought. I can't help myself....

Swallowing hard, she stretched her fingers toward the pearl, only to have Darkseid withdraw it slightly. She experienced a moment of panic as he closed his fingers around the sphere, hiding it from her sight. No, she thought frantically. Don't take it away!

"All I require is one tiny favor," he insisted.

Mary didn't care anymore. I resisted Eclipso in the end, she rationalized. I can turn the tables on Darkseid too, when the time is right.

But first she had to have her power back.

"All right," she consented. "Whatever you say."

He opened his hand and Mary eagerly seized her prize.

Yes!

Thunder boomed once more. Lightning flashed.

Black clouds gathered over the city.

PARADISE ISLAND.

Hippolyta, adorned in all her queenly raiment, watched from atop a rocky outcropping in the harbor as her new subjects labored to remove the last remnants of Granny Goodness's harsh regime from Themyscira's sacred sh.o.r.es. Teams of eager young women, singing merrily as they worked, tore down the false G.o.ddess's ugly barracks, watchtowers, and barbed wire fences while their sisters helped restore the island's marble temples and palaces. Waves lapped gently against the slick stone pedestal beneath her sandals. Seabirds circled overhead beneath Apollo's heavenly chariot. The fresh air held an invigorating salty tang.

The work goes well, she thought. After driving the pretender from her realm, she had been pleased to discover that the homeless young women left behind were more confused than corrupted. Although they were not true Amazons, they had readily embraced the ideals and values of the Sisterhood once Hippolyta had shown them the truth. Even Granny's favored ones, her newly christened "Female Furies," had seen the light after the pretender's true nature was exposed. Indeed, there had proved to be much dissatisfaction with Granny's brutal discipline hiding within the hearts of her misguided followers. None mourned her departure.

Hippolyta was not certain how many of the girls would ultimately choose to remain on Themyscira, but for now she was happy to offer them sanctuary. As far as she was concerned, they were her responsibility now.

Let it be as the G.o.ds will....

A cloud pa.s.sed before the sun, casting an unexpected shadow over the hopeful scene. Thunder rumbled in the distance and a sudden chill fell over her soul. Deep in her heart, she sensed the G.o.ds' displeasure-and the seduction of a heroine. Her sorrowful eyes turned toward the distant horizon.

"Oh, Mary," she whispered sadly. "What have you done?"

7 AND COUNTING.

WAs.h.i.+NGTON, D.C.

The Hall of Justice occupied the gra.s.sy Mall in the middle of the nation's capital, not far from the Smithsonian and the Lincoln Memorial. A gleaming steel and gla.s.s structure, flanked by twin rectangular towers, the world-famous headquarters of the Justice League of America, Earth's premier super-hero team, was an impressive sight that drew visitors from all over the world. An angular piece of modern art, evoking Superman's crystalline fortress in the Arctic, rose from the center of the pellucid reflecting pool in front of the Hall. Three-story-high bas-reliefs of Justice herself, complete with blindfold and scales, embossed the bronze facades of the twin towers, while the central building, whose shape resembled a rising sun, arched gracefully before the horizon, like a s.h.i.+ning steel rainbow promising hope for the future. Throngs of tourists were lined up in front of the main entrance of the Hall, which, besides being the JLA's official meeting place, also served as a museum showcasing the League's myriad trophies and accomplishments.

The design of the elegant building, Donna knew, had been a collaboration between Wonder Woman and the JLA's resident architect, John Stewart, aka Green Lantern. As she and her allies descended toward the Hall, she couldn't help admiring her foster sister's work. Let's hope that Diana and the rest of the League are in attendance today, she thought, and not defending an alien planet on the other side of the galaxy.

"Here we are," the Atom muttered. Only two inches tall, he held on to her raven locks as he perched upon her shoulder. "Oh boy."

She couldn't miss the apprehension in his voice. "Something the matter, Ray?"

"Just a little nervous about seeing the rest of the League again," he admitted. Before disappearing two years ago, the Atom had been a longtime member of the team. "I just vanished before, never told them I was leaving or . . . Well, there's a lot I need to explain."

I'm sure n.o.body blames you, Donna thought. After everything Ray Palmer had endured, thanks to his lunatic ex, she felt confident that his former teammates would understand and sympathize with his desire to seek a new life elsewhere. I've felt the same way at times.

She opened her mouth to say as much, but Jason spoke up first. "Yeah, I get that and feel for ya, but you're going to have to be angsty some other time." Jason was cradled in Donna's arms as they flew toward the Hall. His domino mask was once more affixed to his face. A few yards away, Forager transported Jimmy through the air. "Darkseid, man. Remember?"

"I know," the Atom said solemnly. They touched down on the Mall, before a mob of gaping tourists, who hurried to snap photos of the newly arrived heroes with their cell phones and portable cameras. "Okay . . . let's yank the Band-Aid off and get this over with already."

"Oh, it's over all right!"

Without warning, thunder boomed and a sizzling lightning bolt struck the ground at the Challengers' feet. The jolt knocked Donna off her feet, causing her to lose her grip on Jason, who swore loudly as he tumbled onto the shattered pavement. The Atom was flung from her shoulder. Jimmy Olsen yelped a few feet away, while Forager buzzed in alarm.

What in Hera's name? Dazed, Donna scrambled to her feet. The sudden glare of the thunderbolt left blue spots dancing before her vision. Her ears rang with the echo of the deafening thunderclap, which had seemingly burst from a clear blue sky. A chill fell over her as dark clouds abruptly obscured the sun. Frightened tourists fled in panic. Donna looked up in amazement at the source of the disturbance. "You?!"

Mary Marvel hovered in the air above the reflecting pool, but the teenage heroine looked very different than she had only hours ago. Her traditional white and gold uniform had been replaced by a slinky black number that struck Donna as better suited to a villainous femme fatale than the virginal young sidekick she remembered. Her long brown hair blew wildly in the wind. A cruel smirk transformed her formerly girlish features. Lightning slashed through the suddenly stormy sky above her.

Donna blinked in disbelief, almost at a loss for words. "But . . . ?"

"But nothing!" Mary said arrogantly. "Mary Marvel's back in black . . . and better than ever!"

"I don't understand," Donna protested. What could have happened to Mary in the short time they had been apart? "You've faced evil before and won. Why this? Why now?"

Mary flew toward her. "You're right. I was tempted by evil, not too long ago, but that was all Eclipso's influence. She was evil, not this power. The power's what I make of it!" Her malevolent glee belied her words. "I'm not evil, Donna. I'm driven!"

She fired another lightning bolt, but this time Donna dodged the blast. An unlucky patch of lawn was seared to a crisp.

"Oh, honey." Donna raised her Amazonian bracelets defensively. "Listen to yourself! Can't you tell that you're making a terrible mistake?"

"I haven't done anything wrong!" Mary insisted. "I've just taken back what's mine. This power belongs to me. Darkseid understands that. And all he wants in return is"-she pointed her finger at Jimmy-"him!"

Darkseid? Donna thought. Her heart sank at the realization that the evil New G.o.d had somehow seduced Mary Marvel over to his side. I should have realized he was behind this.

"Me?" Jimmy flinched as Mary targeted him. "Aw, come on!"

Forager stepped in front of Jimmy. "You will not hurt the Olsenbug! You will not even touch him!" Her wings vibrated indignantly. She shook an armored fist at Mary. "You shall have to kill me first!"

"Not a problem!" Mary slammed feetfirst into the pavement, only inches away from the fierce insect-woman. The impact shattered the concrete and sent both Forager and Jimmy flying backward across the plaza. Chunks of pulverized cement exploded across the open area like shrapnel. Heavy fragments splashed down into the reflecting pool. Tepid water sprayed everywhere. Clouds of gritty dust billowed upward.

Donna realized that there was no reasoning with Mary. "Jason!" she called out as she reluctantly rushed to battle. "We can't let her get Jimmy!"

"Yeah!" Gun in hand, he charged after her across the wreckage. "I'm on it!"

Forager was way ahead of them, though. Already recovered from Mary's initial a.s.sault, she lunged at their former ally. "Do not underestimate me!" The two women traded blows amidst the debris, while Jimmy looked on in dismay. "I've faced a thousand Parademons, and yet I live to fight on!"

Mary was unimpressed. She blocked Forager's punch with her left arm, then delivered a t.i.tanic right cross that propelled Forager straight into the nearby Was.h.i.+ngton Monument. The insect-woman's chitinous armor smacked loudly against the towering marble obelisk. "In case you haven't noticed, bugsy," Mary gloated, "you're way out of your league!"

Donna feared Mary was not exaggerating, at least where Forager was concerned. Mary never used to be able to fling lightning from her fingertips, she thought. What other new powers has Darkseid endowed her with?

"I don't want to hurt you, Mary!" Donna shouted as she slammed her own super-strong fist into Mary's jaw, staggering the out-of-control heroine. Distracted by her victory over Forager, Mary hadn't even seen the blow coming. "But we can't let you have Jimmy!"

A few yards away, Jason took up a defensive position in front of Jimmy. Brandis.h.i.+ng his Glock semiautomatic, he tried to get a clean shot at Mary. "Get the lead out, Olsen!" he barked. "Power up already!"

"I can't!" Jimmy cried out. "It only works when my life's in danger . . . and I don't think she means to kill me!" He watched helplessly as an angry Mary grappled with Donna high above the trashed plaza. Fury contorted Mary's face. Grabbing on to Donna's throat, she savagely attempted to throttle the other heroine with her gloved hands. Jimmy gulped at Mary's crazed expression. "Not sure she feels the same way about you guys, though . . ."

"Let go of her!" Jason yelled. Gunfire blared as he emptied the Glock at the back of Mary's head. The bullets bounced harmlessly off her glossy scalp, but the distraction allowed Donna to break free of the other woman's stranglehold. Twisting from Mary's grip, she retreated to catch her breath. Ugly bruises mottled her smooth neck.

"Please, Mary!" Her fingers gently ma.s.saged her injured throat. "Let us help you!"

"I don't need your help!" Mary snarled, outraged by the mere suggestion. Shrugging off the blistering fusillade of bullets, she dived at Jason, even as the trigger-happy vigilante slammed a fresh cartridge into his gun. "I'm sick of you, my brother, Zatanna, Klarion, and all your condescending att.i.tudes!" She was only seconds away from smas.h.i.+ng into Jason like a missile in a miniskirt. "Well, look who's helpless now!"

Right before she hit him, however, the jagged iron sculpture from the center of the reflecting pool came plowing into her from the side. The ma.s.sive projectile knocked her off course, sparing Jason by a matter of inches, and rammed her into the base of the Hall's western tower. Iron crashed against the reinforced bronze plating, crus.h.i.+ng Mary between them. The clang of crumpled metal rang out across the Mall.

Donna heaved a sigh of relief. Standing atop the sculpture's star-shaped pedestal, she lowered her arms, grateful that she had managed to hurl the one-ton piece of artwork at Mary in time. "Well, I suppose that bought us a few seconds."

"Thanks!" Jason hollered. He glanced irritably at the Hall of Justice. Metal barricades had descended over the exterior gla.s.s windows, to protect both the building and any visitors trapped inside, but there was no sign of any reinforcements coming to their aid. "Hey, Donna, how is it we're having a knock-down, drag-out right on the JLA's doorstep and they're nowhere to be found?"

"Guess they're busy elsewhere," Donna said. She wondered if maybe Mary-or Darkseid-was using some sort of arcane magic or super-science to block any alarm signals coming from the headquarters. Thankfully, any innocent bystanders had already fled the Mall, although Donna heard the sirens of emergency vehicles converging on the scene. A news helicopter arrived to capture the breaking story from above. Donna guessed that neither the police nor the media were likely to intimidate Mary. "I think we're on our own."

Jason spat in disgust. "Typical." Holding on tightly to his gun, he hurried to Jimmy's side. "Screw the League, then! I'm grabbing Olsen and getting him as far away from her as I can."

Good idea, Donna thought. She doubted that one big chunk of metal would be enough to put Mary Marvel down for the count, especially now that Darkseid had supersized her powers somehow. "Speaking of MIA, where'd the Atom run off to?" She quickly scanned the debris-strewn battleground, but failed to spot the miniature hero. Was he lying unconscious somewhere, too tiny to be seen readily, or had his nerve failed him in the end? The Ray Palmer of old, the stalwart member of the Justice League, would have never deserted his allies like this, and yet . . . was it possible that the tragic events of recent years had broken his spirit more than any of them had realized? "I hope he didn't desert us," she murmured.

She didn't want to think so, but then again, she had never expected Mary Marvel to go bad either....

The screams of twisted metal seized her attention. Electricity crackled over the surface of the mangled iron sculpture as Mary brusquely tossed Donna's improvised missile aside. She rose from the battered base of the tower, brushed off her skirt, and ascended into the sky above the plaza. Her hair was a trifle mussed, but otherwise she looked alarmingly unscathed. p.i.s.sed-off blue eyes glared down at Donna and the others.

"Enough's enough!" she said testily. "I have a promise to keep, and I intend to keep it."