Countdown. Part 9

Jason swaggered over to look his other self in the eye. He clenched his fists. "You want to test that theory?"

"Don't have to," Batman said curtly. "I've already calculated it in my head. Of the three hundred possible attack sequences you might try, given the distance and environment, the outcome would be the same. You'd lose."

He turned his back on Jason, dismissing him. Jason's face flushed with anger. "You son of a b.i.t.c.h!" He lunged at Batman from behind.

But the Dark Knight was ready for him. "Attack from the rear . . . a sure sign of weakness." Spinning about with blinding speed, he flung out his cloak like a matador's cape, snaring Jason in its voluminous depths. The weighted tips of the cape smacked against Jason's body with brutal force. Stunned and tangled within the swirling folds, Jason couldn't stop Batman from expertly flipping him onto the pavement. The Dark Knight's boot pressed down on Jason's chest, pinning him to the ground. "Looks like I'm better at being you."

Donna and Wonder Woman exchanged disgusted glances. They pulled the men apart. "If you two macho jerks are done comparing jockstrap sizes," Donna scolded them, "maybe we can actually get down to the business of finding Ray Palmer?"

"He's not on our Earth," a confident voice a.s.sured her. A shadow fell over the nocturnal scenery as a soaring figure descended from the sky. A familiar red S was emblazoned on the newcomer's bright blue chest. A matching red cape fluttered in the breeze. Flowing blonde hair spread out behind her.

"Supergirl?" Donna blurted.

"Superwoman," Kara Zor-El corrected her. She landed lightly among them. Her costume echoed that of her celebrated cousin. She seemed older and more mature than the flighty teenage heroine Donna remembered from back home.

What is this? she wondered. The world where all us apprentices took over the family businesses? She was afraid to ask what had become of this Earth's versions of Clark, Bruce, and Diana.

"You didn't need to get involved in this," Batman groused. "We were handling it on our own."

"It's no problem," Superwoman said. She turned her piercing blue eyes on the Challengers. "I scanned the Earth from my Fortress in the Arctic. Your Atom is not here. I'm afraid this was a wasted trip."

"I wouldn't say that," Donna replied. She smiled at her own twin. "Being here is like looking into a crystal ball where all your dreams are realized." No wonder this Gotham looked cleaner and less dangerous than its equivalent on Earth-One. "It gives one hope."

The Monitor sighed wearily. "Sentimental musings aside, we have to go." He adjusted the controls on his gauntlet. "We have many more Earths to search."

Wonder Woman held up her hand. "Your quest can wait just a while longer." She took Donna by the hand. "Sister, may I have a word alone with you?"

Puzzled, Donna glanced at Jason and the Monitor, silently requesting their indulgence. Who am I to ignore my better self? She let Wonder Woman guide her down a treelined path until they were out of earshot of the others. "What's this all about?"

Wonder Woman gazed at her sympathetically. "Sister, I sense confusion within you, an uncertainty I myself once knew too well." Her familiar blue eyes seemed to probe the depths of Donna's soul. "When mighty Zeus learned his first wife, Metis, was pregnant, he consumed her lest the son she carried supplant him upon the throne of the G.o.ds. But swallowing Metis caused Zeus great suffering. To rid himself of the pain, he instructed Hephaestus to split open his head . . . and from that wound was born Athena, G.o.ddess of wisdom. Ultimately, Athena was the only one of Zeus's many offspring that he entrusted with his magic s.h.i.+eld and the secret of his lightning bolts."

What's she getting at? Donna wondered. "I'm familiar with the story."

"My point," Wonder Woman answered, "is not to mold your life around what you believe others expect. If you are indeed destined to become the Wonder Woman of your world, then you will be."

"But you don't understand," Donna protested, revealing hidden doubts that she would have never dared divulge to anyone except, well, herself. "I have no real past of my own. I was magically created from a fragment of the real Diana's soul, when she was just a child. I sprang into existence from out of nowhere."

Wonder Woman smiled slyly. "Then you have much in common with Athena."

Oh. Donna had never really thought about it like that before. She wasn't sure quite how to respond. I guess Athena did all right for herself, despite her unorthodox origins.

"All right, ladies. Time's up." Jason barged into the discussion. He nodded back toward the plaza. "Mister Monitor is getting restless, and if I hear him mutter about the Great Disaster one more time, I'm going to kill him . . . and then we'll be stuck here for good."

Wonder Woman did not object to the interruption. "Indeed, I must not delay your quest any further. My thanks for your patience." She took Donna's hand again. "I hope my words will provide you with some comfort in the days to come."

"You've given me a lot to think about," Donna admitted. She gave her twin's hand a grateful squeeze. "Thank you."

They followed Jason back to the plaza, where the Monitor and this Earth's heroes awaited them. Now Barbiesized, the female Atom teased Batman as she perched upon his shoulder once more. "Admit it, Jason. Doesn't it make you feel better to know that Bruce is still alive somewhere in another incarnation?"

"It makes no difference to me," he said tersely.

"Uh-huh." She placed her miniature palm beneath his chin. "Let's see, sudden intake of breath, slight increase in heart rate, and an almost imperceptible catch in the voice . . ." She chuckled in amus.e.m.e.nt. "Once a Boy Wonder, always a Boy Wonder, eh?"

Was it just Donna's imagination, or was Batman actually blus.h.i.+ng?

"Can it, Tinkerbell," he growled.

The Monitor gestured for Donna and Jason to join him. "Are we quite ready to depart?" He keyed the coordinates of another Earth into his gauntlet. "I hope you will not feel obliged to indulge in such time-consuming social activities at every continuum we visit. The fate of worlds without end may depend-"

Before he could finish his familiar admonition, a blinding golden glow lit up the night. "Uh-oh," Jason muttered. "I don't like the looks of this."

Donna's eyes widened in surprise as a second Monitor emerged from the transporter beam. Ignoring the various heroes present, he regarded his kinsman with obvious disapproval. His voice was stern and unforgiving.

"Brother, this ends now."

24 AND COUNTING.

METROPOLIS.

A heavy manhole cover clanged against the asphalt as Jimmy climbed up out of the sewers. Exhausted by his escape from the underground laboratory, he found himself back in Suicide Slum again. He was sore and tired and smelled like an open latrine, but at least he was human once more. His freakish metamorphoses and runaway powers had receded once he'd gotten far enough away from Project Cadmus's probes and scanners. Mercifully, his brain no longer felt like it was threatening to burst his skull. He was just plain old Jimmy Olsen again, if only for the moment.

That's good enough for me, he thought. Right now he just wanted to get back to his apartment and take the world's longest shower. Swimming through sewage was not his idea of a good time. I only hope I didn't wreck that lab too much before I slipped down the drain. Maybe I should write Serling an apology later on, once I'm feeling a little less disgusting.

However, before he could go home and clean up, he needed to find something to wear. Rummaging through a Dumpster behind the neighborhood mission, he found a faded green T-s.h.i.+rt and a grimy pair of jeans. The clothes were a few sizes too big and weren't likely to land him on Metropolis's best-dressed list, but he figured they'd do in a pinch. The last thing he needed this afternoon was to get picked up for indecent exposure. He felt uncomfortably exposed without his signal-watch, which he had left behind at Cadmus, but he could always ask Superman for a spare the next time he saw him.

He wriggled into the T-s.h.i.+rt and was just pulling on the jeans when, abruptly, an ominous shadow fell over him, accompanied by a loud buzzing noise. "There you are!" a voice announced from above. "I have found you at last!"

Yikes! Jimmy thought. What now?

An insectoid figure swooped down from the sky. Three pairs of scaly white wings flared out behind her. An ovoid helmet and body armor, made of a glossy chitinous material, protected the intruder but failed to disguise her feminine curves. Twin antennae sprouted from small openings in her crimson helmet. Her hard white exoskeleton concealed whatever softness might lie beneath the armor. Polished opals adorned her boots, belt, and gauntlets, and amber lenses in her faceplate hid her eyes.

"Who?" Jimmy blurted. As far as he knew, he had never seen this alien apparition before. "That is, what?"

With one leg in, one leg out of his jeans, he stumbled backward and turned to flee. Gloved fingers grabbed on to his collar with surprising strength. Mighty wings flapped furiously above him, and his bare feet lost contact with the pavement. Holding on to Jimmy with just one hand, the female insectoid soared upward into the clear blue sky, rapidly leaving the squalid alley behind. Jimmy held on to the loose jeans tightly as he dangled helplessly above the city. Within seconds, he was hundreds of feet in the air.

"Do not resist, Earth-bug," his captor admonished him. Her voice had a buzzing quality, like a fly or a honeybee. Jimmy guessed that she wasn't from around here, and he didn't mean Metropolis.

"D-don't make me hurt you, lady!" he threatened, even though none of his oddball powers had kicked in. Does that mean I'm not in serious danger yet?

"Highly unlikely," she replied with what sounded like a trace of amus.e.m.e.nt. "Not to mention unnecessary. I merely wish to have words with you, away from any lurking shadows."

The city's streets and skysc.r.a.pers spread out beneath them like an incredibly detailed diorama. Years of being carried aloft by Superman had largely inured Jimmy to such heights, yet the stranger's precarious hold on his collar left him praying that she didn't have b.u.t.terfingers. Would his new powers save him if he plummeted toward the ground? He was in no hurry to find out. "Who are you anyway?"

"Call me Forager," she declared over the steady humming of her wings, "for it is my sacred duty to seek out answers and bring home the truth."

Forager? Jimmy had once known another being by that name: a humanoid insect from New Genesis, home of the New G.o.ds. His people, "the bugs," dwelt in vast colonies beneath the surface of the planet, far below the floating palaces of the New G.o.ds, who largely regarded the humble bugs with disdain. Despite his lowly status, however, the original Forager had often fought beside Superman and the New G.o.ds in order to defend his people from Darkseid's insidious schemes. According to Superman, he had died saving the cosmos a few years ago.

So who was this new Forager? Did she also hail from New Genesis? Obviously, she wasn't the same bug, returned to life. The first Forager had been male, while, judging from her shapely thorax, his replacement was clearly female....

Flying swiftly through the sky, she carried Jimmy downtown toward the Daily Planet Building. A large bronze replica of the planet Earth rotated slowly atop the landmark structure. Jimmy let out a sigh of relief as Forager dropped him lightly onto the roof of the building. The familiar globe was a rea.s.suring sight. Whatever happened next, at least he was back where he belonged. Chances were, Clark, Lois, and Perry were only a few stories below. Unless they were out on a.s.signment, of course. He wished again that he had hung on to his signal-watch.

Forager alighted onto the roof, facing Jimmy. "I know the question that burns in your mind right now."

"You do?" Although tempted to bolt for the stairs, Jimmy decided to hear her out. The fact that his powers hadn't manifested yet suggested that the stranger meant him no harm. He chose to take that as an encouraging sign.

"Of course," she replied. Her wings folded in behind her. "In a city of millions, why did I single you out?"

"Actually, I'm mostly wondering if I can put my pants on."

She ignored the quip, even though he was only half joking. "I require your help, Jimmy Olsen."

"You know me?" he asked.

She nodded grimly while he finished dressing. The stomach-turning stench emanating from his person didn't seem to bother her; perhaps her olfactory senses worked differently? Or maybe her helmet just kept the smell out. "The New G.o.ds are being hunted by an unknown a.s.sa.s.sin."

"Yeah, I'm sorta working that story." Forager had to be from New Genesis, he figured, if she was investigating the murders of Lightray and Sleez. "Anyone new bite the dust?"

"Barda of Apokolips," she stated.

Jimmy's heart sank. "Big Barda's dead?" Although raised on h.e.l.lish Apokolips, the statuesque warrior woman had rebelled against Darkseid and forged a new life as a super heroine here on Earth, fighting alongside her husband, Mister Miracle. Jimmy couldn't imagine how devastated Scott Free must be right now; he and Barda had loved each other fiercely. "Aww, no! That's awful!"

"Far worse is the crux of the problem," Forager said coolly. Jimmy guessed that she hadn't known Barda personally. "Bad enough that their bodies are slain, but the souls of the murdered G.o.ds are lost. Could they have been spirited away by the a.s.sa.s.sin? Are they being held hostage even now, denied their rightful place beyond the Source Wall?"

Jimmy suddenly remembered the holographic wall that had materialized while he was being examined at Cadmus earlier, as well as the gaping holes in the chests of Lightray and Sleez. Had Barda's heart been missing as well? All these mysteries were connected somehow, he realized, but, just like the Joker had taunted him, he still couldn't see the big picture yet.

Maybe Forager held the missing pieces of the puzzle?

"Jimmy Olsen," she addressed him solemnly, "you have had more contact with the New G.o.ds than any other Earth-bug. Furthermore, you have been present at the deaths of two of the victims. I humbly request that you join my search for the missing souls. It may be the single most important quest our worlds will ever know."

He had no idea how to respond to a plea like that. "I, um . . . I mean . . . I've kinda got a lot of my own stuff going these days. . . ."

"This is more important than the needs of any single being," she insisted, refusing to let him off the hook. "Whoever stole those souls is now in possession of a power the likes of which could destroy all of reality and bring about the creation of the Fifth World!"

Jimmy was aware that the mythology of New Genesis held that the birth of the New G.o.ds had heralded the dawn of the Fourth World, although he had always been a little fuzzy on what exactly the previous three Worlds had been. "Oh man, you mean the end of the world. . . ."

Honestly, an impending cosmic crisis was way more than he had bargained for. At the moment, he was tired and filthy and wanted nothing so much as to go home and veg out for a while. Let the Justice League or the Teen t.i.tans a.s.sist Forager on her quest. He just wanted the universe to leave him alone for a few hours. Was that too much to ask?

On the other hand, he recalled guiltily, hadn't he just told Serling Roquette that he was tired of only being Superman's sidekick, that he craved some grand destiny of his own? And hadn't he insisted to Robin that he was eager to use his enigmatic new abilities to help people? Well, Olsen, here's the opportunity you were waiting for. Are you ready to put your money where your mouth is?

"Okay, Forager," he agreed. "This is what I wanted to sign up for, so I'm in." He nodded decisively. "I'm your man."

Although maybe they could swing by his apartment first, for a quick shower, a change of clothes, and a snack? He hadn't eaten anything since breakfast....

"Excellent." Her helmet concealed her expression, but he could tell she was pleased. All six wings vibrated enthusiastically. "Let's not waste any time."

Before he could suggest a detour, she pressed one of the translucent gemstones on her gauntlet. Apparently the studs were more than decorative; a deafening blast, like a sonic boom, only louder, preceded the appearance of a circular portal through time and s.p.a.ce. A brilliant white light issued from the s.h.i.+mmering vortex, which hovered in the air before Jimmy, who immediately recognized it as a Boom Tube, a means of interstellar transport used exclusively by the New G.o.ds and their allies. Advanced alien circuitry far beyond mortal comprehension lined the inner walls of the tube, which seemed to stretch endlessly toward some unknown destination elsewhere in the cosmos. Via Boom Tubes, even distant New Genesis and Apokolips could be reached in a matter of seconds.

"Wait a minute!" he protested. "You haven't even told me where we're going yet!"

But Forager was in too much of a rush to explain. Placing a palm against his back, she shoved him through the portal into the intense white light, then dived through after him. The incandescent gateway dilated shut behind her.

A second boom thundered atop the Daily Planet Building, causing pedestrians several stories below to gaze up at the cloudless sky in confusion. The portal blinked out of existence, leaving only fading echoes behind. Attracted by the staggered blasts, Lois Lane came charging up onto the roof, eager to uncover the source of the noise. "h.e.l.lo?" she called out curiously. "Is anyone there?"

No one answered.

The roof was empty.

OUTSIDE GOTHAM CITY.

"Ekat su emoh."

Zatanna's magical incantation instantly transported her and Mary from the deck of the Lemaris to the front yard of a creepy Gothic mansion hidden away in the woods. Spiked turrets rose from the looming stone walls. Batwinged gargoyles perched upon the battlements. Majestic columns and gabled arches adorned its brooding facade. Gray slate s.h.i.+ngles seemed to swallow up the moonlight. A winding stairway, guarded by two stone griffins, led up to the imposing front entrance. No light escaped the mansion's shuttered windows. The somber edifice looked completely dark.

"Welcome to Shadowcrest," Zatanna said.

Mary took in the eerie scenery. With the cruise s.h.i.+p's tour cut short by Slig's attack, Zatanna had graciously offered to tutor Mary in the privacy of the magician's home. A chill in the air made it clear that they weren't in the tropics anymore. The Bat-Signal, s.h.i.+ning in the distance, revealed that the woods were somewhere outside Gotham. "I'm confused," Mary said. "I thought you lived in San Francisco?"

"I do, most of the time." Zatanna led Mary up the stone stairway. A demonic face, complete with curved horns, was carved into the pediment above the front door. Mary thought it bore an uncomfortable resemblance to Pharyngula. "This is my father's estate, where I grew up." Mary recalled that Zee's dad, the Great Zatara, had also mixed s...o...b..z with crime fighting. He had died saving the world several years ago. "I still use the place as a getaway when I need to relax."

A lamp flicked on overhead, illuminating the front porch. A booming voice startled Mary, who nearly jumped out of her boots. "WHO GOES THERE?"

"Hang on," Zatanna said. "I've gotta give the pa.s.sword." She faced the ponderous oak doors. " 'Hi, I've brought some literature. Can I share the Good Word with you?'"

Mary raised an eyebrow. "That's your pa.s.sword?"

"It is today." Zatanna winked mischievously. "There's a bit of voice recognition involved too."

In any event, the unlikely phrase did the trick. The heavy doors swung open with a rusty squeak. A butler, whose cadaverous features made Dr. Sivana look like the Big Red Cheese, greeted them. "Very good, madam. Welcome."

Holding aloft a lit candelabra, he led them into a s.p.a.cious foyer, where Mary was surprised to find an entire crew of uniformed menservants, maids, and housekeepers standing at attention. Intricate tapestries and oil paintings hung upon polished wood-paneled walls. Spotless marble tiles added to the elegance of the stately entry hall. A sweeping staircase ascended majestically toward the upper reaches of Shadowcrest.

Mary was impressed. "You must be loaded to be able to maintain a staff like this at a place where you don't even spend much time."

"I do all right." Zatanna chuckled. She snapped her fingers and a crystal chandelier lit up the foyer. "But not that well. The truth is, these servants are just magical manifestations of the house. They're only around when I need them." She dismissed the servants with a wave of her hand. "Ffats ekat a kaerb!"

Mary's eyes widened as the entire retinue evaporated into thin air. "Pretty neat!" she enthused. "And they'll just come back whenever you summon them?"

"That's right," Zatanna said. "It's really pretty basic magic, Mary. The kind you'll be able to do when you're ready."

Sounds good to me, Mary thought, eager to explore her new abilities, although she wasn't quite sure what Zee meant about having to be "ready" first. After the way she had turned all those sea monsters back into people aboard the cruise s.h.i.+p, Mary figured she was ready right now. All I need is a little fine-tuning.

Lamps and candles flared up along their way as Zatanna led Mary up the main stairway, then guided her guest through the sprawling mansion, which was packed with antique furniture, eye-catching artwork, and fascinating souvenirs. Framed vaudeville posters of Houdini, Zatara, Sargon the Sorcerer, Carter the Great, and other legendary stage magicians adorned the walls. Medieval suits of armor stood guard along a palatial corridor that seemed to go on for miles. Flickering shadows danced across the dark wooden wainscoting.

"Totally amazing." Mary complimented Zee on her home. "This place looked huge on the outside, but I swear it didn't look this big."

Zatanna grinned. "Yep, this house has lots of surprises." She gestured down the hall. "Next stop on the tour is the library. It's just down here."

"But what are all these other rooms?" Mary asked, consumed by curiosity. A closed door inscribed with ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics caught her eye. An open sarcophagus, propped up beside the door, held what appeared to be a genuine Egyptian mummy. Lengths of musty linen were wrapped around the mummy's stationary form. Its withered hands gripped a gleaming bronze scimitar. Papery brown skin peeked through the bandages over its face.