As Superboy and Supergirl ripped across the scorched night sky in a blur, tearing through clouds and salt spray toward where the island had been a minutes ago before being vaporized. The ocean still smoked where the blast had swallowed the land; foam churned into a roiling bruise on the horizon. They cut tight spirals over the wreckage, x-ray vision scanning the wrecked sea for any sign of a survivor, debris, heat-signatures, a suit transponder, but they found nothing.
Miss Martian scanned for telepathic activity between them, extending and trying to reach any stray thought, any flicker of neural activity. Her voice came into their psychic comms thin and strained.
"I'm not picking up anything," she said. "No brain activity in the area. And..." she paused, frustration bleeding into calm professional tone, "I can't get through him. Cain's mind is... it's always blocked off. Unless he let's me in I can't find him."
Kara's jaw tightened. Her eyes flared, faintly at first with concern, then hotter with the frustration, and sadness that lived just below the surface. "We have to keep looking," she snapped. "He can't just..." Her voice said. Kara was frustrated not just with the clone situation, but with Cain being gone. She didn't know if it was because of the pheromones or not, but she did know she didn't like the idea of him being dead.
Down on a neighboring isle, Atom Eve and Wonder Girl was with Guardian (Mark) helping him stitch the worst of his wounds as best they could without a full medbay. They finally got Mark to calm down after he saw the explosion in the distance. Wonder girl was surprised by Marks state and how he was still moving, let alone being conscious. He was black-and-blue, ribs bruised, one eye swollen shut. He kept arguing with his own blood: To let him find Galatea with tears flowing down his good eye.
"You okay?" Eve asked softly, fingers glowing as she wove tissue and muscle back toward slowly. Mark grunted. "I'm fine, I just need to hurry up and find Galatea before it's to late."
He kept staring at the far horizon where the blast had gone off as if it could give him the answer to the way the world had tilted. Wonder Girl then spoke stayed with empathy in her voice.
"Listen Mark, I know we have a past, and I still haven't forgiven you for what you did to my friends." Wonder clenched her hand into a fist before relaxing her hand. "I can tell you care a lot for this Galatea, so tell us who she maybe we can help find her."
Before Mark could speak above them, the sky filled. The sound of the engines came into ear shot as it landed. Then the sound the of boots thump touched down on the beach. Wonder Woman, Batman, Superman, John Stewart, Aquaman, and Allen the Alien had arrived. The League assembled, faces but there faces showed clear worry.
Eve ran to Wonder Woman, breath steaming in the air. She gave a report on what had happened, Anissa's abilities, the clone, the way Galatea had been taken...and where Cain's suit had last reported to be. Wonder Woman's face hardened with more concern. Green Lantern John Stewart shifted his ring, sending beams flickering across the water as he pushed the search outward.
"I'm gonna help scan the area." He said flying off into the air.
"Im gonna search the sea floor and ask the local sea life if they seen anything." Aquaman said jumping into the sea.
Allen just stood next to superman and watched careful at the current situation. Then his green lantern ring glowed as he received call from the guardians on the situation on Earth.
Batman listened to eves report, his expression one rigid expression after another, absorbing, computing the information into his mind palace. He asked questions in short commands, carving the report into useful data points. Where did Anissa go? Where was Blackfire last seen? What information do you have on the clone? His eyes snagged on Mark and he turned, voice low.
"Mark's the only eyewitness we've got," Eve said. Batman nodded "We need every detail from him then."
Mark's defiant face tightened like a wire. "Save your breath bats, my ride will be hear in a little bit." His voice had an edge that was more shame than anger. "But what I can tell you is she... the viltrumite hit hard. There was a woman that looked like starfire, but with black hair. She took Galatea, and that's the last thing I remember."
Before Batman could speak Cecil Stedman arrived, via teleportation like on cue. followed by men and woman in tactical gray and green gear. The Global Defense Agency's arrived. They were Guardian armor-clad, the same motif as Mark's uniform, a chilling mirror. Behind them strode three more-known figures: Darkwing, War Woman, and The Immortal. A medical team came went and treated Mark.
Then the trinity met the trinity.
Cecil stepped forward, calm and collective, while analyzing the situation. " You can stand down Justice League. Mark is under Guardian authority, we will take care of him." he said evenly. "We will be taking custody of the clone and coordinating recovery operations.
Wonder Woman the spoke. "Stedman you do not get to decide that. One of the leagues members was attacked as well. Why don't we work together, it will make finding Cain and the stolen girl quicker."
"Wonder woman , I like the sound of that but, there is a problem. Not only is Captain Atom dead, but the entire United Nations are asking why their was a nuclear explosion?"
Superman step forward next. "The league and the Global Defense Agency can come together and issue a statement. That way we can clear confusion."
Cecil will sigh. "Superman I agree with you, but these are politicians and political leaders we are talking about. What are we gonna say? An alien invader not only invaded earth and defeated three super powered heroes. But holds the power to drop nukes like it was nothing, but don't worry she left. But is coming back to use are planet as a breeding ground with more like her?"
"You that's not what I mean?"
"I know superman, but right now this is a delicate situation. People are scared, and when people get scared lives are lost. We are taking Guardian with us, and we will address the United Nations."
Batman's response was a slow tight nod. "Mark's testimony is crucial. We need to question him."
Cecil's lip twitched. "He will be, but by our people, and no where near you or your psychics."
"Stedman we need to work together" Batman said.
Cecil let that sit like a stone in the open air. He spread out a tablet and, with no flourish, read the lines that made everyone's stomach drop.
"Look. Cadmus has lost control of their asset."
That's when Mark shouted. "Galatea... her name is Galatea use it Cecil." Mark said with a serious expression on his face. War Woman then placed a hand on his shoulder to calm him.
Cecil paused before speaking again. "...Galatea is missing from Cadmus tracking. Cadmus said they even tried to terminate her, but it didn't work. So she might not be on planet. But Cadmus is in alot of trouble." His eyes swept to Mark. he saw the look of anger and worry after hearing Cadmus tried to kill Galatea.
"Mark we will find her..."
Before Cecil could finish that sentence, Supergirl appeared Infront of Cecil like a comet. Her cape billowed as sand dust was kicked up in the air. She levitated just above him. Her eyes burned red with heat and grief. "Who cloned me?" she demanded, voice brittle and sharp.
Cecil's face hardened not at the accusation, but at the question he couldn't answer directly. "You'll have to ask Cadmus." His tone was a shrug dressed as a directive. "Find the person who is running it then you will find your man or woman. Batman...do you have any trace of their ship?"
Batman's features folded into thought. He gave a curt nod. "The Lantern Corps and the Coalition are converging on possible locations around the solar system. Allen's contact said the fleet may still be in our system, but the Viltrumite cloaking is sophisticated. We're pulling orbital arrays and scanning for any clues we can find."
Cecil's gaze sharpened. "Can we speak in private?"
Batman's jaw tightened, then he nodded. He stepped aside with Cecil.
"So tell me bats how bad are things off planet?"
"The Coalition leader Thaedus, he's told us he's a viltrumite defector," Batman said. "He told us he spoke with Cain. And told us about something called Scourge Virus: a bio-weapon designed to purge Viltrumites."
Cecils eyes widen. "I know you don't like the sound of this, but that sounds like something we could use."
Batman looked at Cecil with a intense stare. "It's not that simple. The virus might not affect them like it did before since the Viltrumites added hybrids to their ranks. They might be more resistant to it's effects if not completely immune. The only affected will be the purebloods, but we don't know how many their are so we don't know how many it might stop."
Cecil's hand flexed. "You're saying their is still a chance it could work right?"
"Yes." Batman's voice was flatly . "If the Empire conquers Earth, type one and three hybrids get hit first. Their DNA is too similar to Viltrumites. But Humans could be collateral, we fall in the same category of having similar DNA. So if we do it humanity might die off with the Viltrumites. Type two's are the only unknown factor. Thaedus told us they were attempting to refine it, to make hybrids weaker or depower them instead of killing them outright. If they can do that, then and only then would the league consider using the virus."
Cecil's face darkened. " So if we use the virus as it is, then it will be mutual destruction. I guess that's better then being slaves. And you...the League...do you trust this Coalition and this Viltrumite defector Theadus?"
Batman's reply was immediate. "No. But I don't trust most people. The league still refused to use this virus even if it was refined. Well superman did with other senior league members agreeing. Wonder Woman and me were the only ones neutral. But I did copy the virus sequence and it's data. If I can alter it, retune it to remove lethal elements and instead target Viltrumite physiology for loss of Viltrumite traits, it will depower them, and render invasions unsuccessful.
Cecil nodded. "Always thinking ahead batman. The agencies resources are yours if you need them, even though I know you won't use them."
"Your right I won't, but what I will need is smart minds. I will need Darkwing, The Flash, Mr. Terrific, along with other minds if I want to make some progress. Not to mention the Atom since I need more information on smart atoms."
"I'm surprised your bringing that many people into this? I understand the Flash and Terrific, but why so many, you usually do this on your own?"
Batman eyes narrowed. "Because we might not have enough time. If I had Cain this would be easier."
"What do you mean?..." Cecil asked with confusion on his face.
"During the meeting on Mars, Allen showed us Cain's DNA sequence. He was a type 4 this entire time."
Cecil's eyes widen with confusion. "That shouldn't be possible. From the data we had type fours don't make it past adolescence...." Cecil paused after looking back at Cains medical history.
"The constant fits of being sick, and then one day it stopped. But wait Cain has Viltrumite powers and a metagene powers?"
"Yes. Theadus said Cain shouldn't even be alive. Saying his metagene was holding him together all these years. Then when his body became strong enough it fully manifested, and when the right mate came along his Viltrumite abilities awakened to. But they aren't as strong as they should be."
"What do you mean, Cain can get even stronger?"
"Possibly. His Viltrumite genes are repairing slowly, but from my scans of his body over the years say the more stress and damage his body takes the quicker his body repairs its self and the stronger he becomes."
Cecil sighs. "So your saying the kid has to get beaten up if he want's to get stronger?"
"Basically, but there is something else Theadus said that concerns me. he said It looks like the virus has taken root in the gene pool."
"You think he meant the scourge virus affected the pureblooded Viltrumites DNA, that's why type 4 hybrids exist?"
"That is my theory and that's why type two hybrids are extremely rare to come by. It might kill or weaken them. But I won't know unless I had a pureblooded Viltrumite that has dealt with and survived the Virus along with DNA from Cain."
Cecil nodded. "Well let's hope we have time and the kid is alive.