Countdown (38 page)

“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 gods 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 gods 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 shining brightly golden as before, seemed to confirm the gods’ 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 hoarsely, 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 gods 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 re-'stored, it seemed that she remained at the mercy of powerful entities who treated her like a pawn 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 shimmering 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.

PABABISi ISIAH0,

Mippsiift®, 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 shores. Teams of eager young women, singing merrily as they worked, tore down the false goddess’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 gods will.. . .

A cloud passed before the sun, casting an unexpected shadow over the hopeful scene. Thunder rambled in the distance and a sudden chill fell over her soul. Deep in her heart, she sensed the gods’ 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 CODNTING.

. ililSIGTOI, I.C.

TUB Hall of Justice occupied the grassy Mall in the middle of the nation’s capital, not far from the Smithsonian and the Lincoln Memorial. A gleaming steel and glass 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 shining 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

CSijNTBOllH lit

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 nobody 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

CdllfSTIlDVffS 313

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 God 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 assault, 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 titanic right cross that propelled Forager straight into the nearby Washington

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. Brandishing 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 throtde 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.