Gotham City Storage Facility

As soon as all of our soldiers were in place, we started the first phase of our plan by launching the first raid to a warehouse that lay on the edge of the open courtyard. I remained hidden, but the telepathic link I established allowed the rest of our men to see what was going on. The first team was looting the building, loading crates of police weapons into our decoy ship. Everything was going to plan. 

But my focus on our team began to blur when a pulsing sensation made my head start to swell. I winced and realized that it was someone entering the base. 

It must be the dispatched team. 

Clearing my head of the pulsing, I sent a message to our soldiers. They're here. There's five of them. I sense the presence of Black Canary, Plastic Man, Captain Atom, Zatanna, and Green Lantern. 

I felt the emotions of our men. Most of them were anxious to move, but I had fear. I blocked out the soldiers again, but the voice instantly ruined the silence I created. 

There's no turning back after this. You should leave.

I can't go back.

I'm sure you'll see otherwise. 

I took a step deeper into the shadows where I was hiding. Showtime.

********

Team C: Entrance to the Gotham Storage Facility

When we arrived at the scene, the team and I could feel a heavy substance weigh the air down around us. From a distance, we observed white costumed figures carrying crates into a large ship they had out in the open. 

This is too easy, I thought. Something pulled on my gut as I took a closer look at the costumes the thieves had on. Something about their presence suggested that this was no ordinary weapons heist.  

The ring on my finger glowed a forest green. It pulsed as I studied our opponents even further. It never glowed like this unless there was real trouble.

A high pitched whisper broke the air. 

"Do you think this was the thing Batman was talking about?" Canary was studying them just as carefully as I was.

In reply, Zatanna delicately stepped behind Canary, keeping our formation tight, "Et labna, en pardoom zithones." 

All of a sudden a large transparent wall appeared before the five of us. It looked like this was an invisible telescope of some sort. 

Zatanna's eyes flashed a bright gold from focusing on the spell. They whispered, "I don't know."

My voice cracked as my ring flashed brighter, "We need to tread carefully."

We heard Plastic Man scoff, "Please, careful is my middle name."

Captain Atom slapped him against the back of the head. "Focus, Stretchy." Atom looked irritated by Plastic Man's immaturity.

While rubbing his sore spot Plastic Man replied, "Yeesh, looks like someone isn't in a good mood today."

The team looked to me and I crossed my arms, unsure of what we were dealing with. Luckily, Atom had an idea. 

Atom's voice was firm as he stalked to the front of the group. "See their belts? It looks like they trained in hand to hand. Distance attacks would be the most effective. We should also take away the things they came here for by destroying the weapons. Canary, Zatanna, distract the thieves. GL, Stretchy, and I will take out the ship and the weapons."

"There's quite a number of them so we'll have to act fast." The team looked at my ring as I spoke.

"Is it supposed to flash like that Lantern?" Asked Plastic Man.

I ignored the comment as I hovered into the air. I didn't want to worry them. I cleared my throat, "Spread out and let's get to it. We don't have all day." 

We each crept through the shadows until we were equally distanced between the warehouses. I tapped the radio in my ear. "On three-" 

But I only heard static. I carefully looked and saw my team looking at my position over the corners of the walls. I gave them a hand sign to move forward and we all leapt into an attack.

Before I could even get to anything, I heard the ear splitting cry of Canary. I heard moans of agony as I saw the white suited men fall to the ground. Glass shattered from building's as the sound spread everywhere.

Without hesitation, I created a long arm and began grabbing the men, tearing them away from the ship. They screamed in pain as I threw them to the side. Everything seemed to slow down as our team worked like clockwork. I heard Zatanna chant her incantations as Canary continued to wipe the oncoming waves of mobs off of their feet with her cry.

But something still didn't seem right. The figures just kept coming. It was like they were an army. I would disable a small group, and then more kept coming. 

Apparently, I also underestimated them because the thieves threw gas at us the began to slow us down. I started to cough and choke on it. Soon it made my whole body grow limp. I lost my focus and fell to the ground where my lungs began to burn.

"Ez fringe aun tabiladde!" Zatanna cried. Their spell made the smoke disappear and made us able to continue. 

I started trapping the thieves in cages as more and more appeared before us. I thought we were almost done until I looked over my shoulder and saw that there were dozens more to come.

"We have to focus on the ship!" I tried to yell over the roars of the battle. Instantly, Canary and Zatanna ran to the crowd of incoming fighters in an attempt to provide more cover for us. Atom flew to the warehouse and started destroying even more crates. Fire consumed the warehouse as he sent more and more energy blasts into it. Plastic Man and I ran to the open hanger, dodging soldiers trying to get to us. 

"Hurry!" I yelled.

"I'm going as fast as I can!" His cries were interrupted when we heard the sounds of gunshots. Plastic Man and I looked at each other with worry. 

"Go!" I yelled, and he dashed toward the sound.

I arrived at the hull and realized that emptying the ships was useless. We'd have to break the whole thing. 

I took a deep breath. Soon, the whole ship was covered in a green layer of light. The ship began to lift, and I began to fly up. But I felt a stabbing pain in my forehead as I flew higher and higher into the sky. Then, all of a sudden, I felt a force hit me in the back. Everything froze and I began to fall. The ship groaned as it fell with me down to the ground. I tried to move my arms, but they were paralyzed. My ring began to burn my finger as it's glow consumed my hand.

What's going on?!

Pain spread throughout my body as I hit the ground below. With a daze, I tried to look around. It appeared that my head was the only thing that could move. With my eyes struggling to stay open I looked for my team. My eyes widened as I saw a pile of their bodies to my left. They were all frozen, like me, but blood dripped from their limp mouths and pooled below them. Canary was the only one that was missing. Are they... gone?

I tried to go to them, but moving my body was useless. Grief began to fuel my resistance to the force that was holding me down. 

The ship hit the ground behind me and I felt a shower of sparks and ash fall on top of me. Fire was everywhere. Smoke began to crowd my vision and I felt my heart skip a beat.

A white figure began to emerge with a confident pace.

"You should have focused on caging more of us, instead of trying to take away the supplies you thought we needed." The voice was definitely female.

"Who are you?" I didn't know what was going on, but I knew a trap like this had never really stopped the League before. This threat was something new. 

A surge of heat began coursing though my veins as the figure grew closer, but her pace came to a halt as Canary sprung out of the shadows. She delivered a hit to the villain's face and the white figure stumbled back. Canary ran at her and kept delivering blows that were clearly doing some damage. Canary ran again, faster this time, and threw her leg at the white figure's stomach, but the figure just laughed. It sent chills down my spine at the apathy of it.

Suddenly, Sarah's attacks stopped as the villain reached out an arm toward her, her hand slowly turning into a fist. 

Canary's body started to make a popping sound. I could see that the bones under her skin were moving in ways that were unnatural. I averted my eyes as I heard Sarah scream in agony. 

"Canary!" I yelled. I had to get to her, so I struggled, but the more I struggled, the more weak I felt. Moving was useless. I moved my attention back to her and saw that she was about to do her Canary Cry when her jaw snapped down with a painful force. 

The figure bent her elbow closer to herself, which forced Canary's limp body to move closer and smirked. The fear in Canary's eyes was clear. 

"Stop! I'll do anything!" I pleaded, but the figure ignored me and instead twitched her fingers. Canary let out a final scream as she fell to the ground in an unnatural tangled mess.

The figure looked toward Sarah, and then stepped toward me. Her tone was soft and hesitant, which only made me more angry. 

"Now, where were we?" She crouched next to me.

"I'll kill you." I gritted my teeth, but my fury didn't even phase her. She blinked callously. 

"John, I have to do this."

I tried to hide my surprise from her. She knew my name, which meant this army had secrets I needed to get back to the League. 

I swallowed, "Listen, you have a choice. You can let me go."

I saw that my words meant something to her, but she only avoided looking at me. 

She lowered her voice, "What does it feel like to fail?" She bent down and touched my face with her hand. The tone in which she said it made it seem like a genuine question, but her willingness to kill made me doubt her authenticity. 

"I haven't failed yet," I said, "I'm going to get out of this."

She sighed and crossed her arms. This time, she locked eyes with me. "You know, the funny thing is that if my dad recruited younger heroes, we could have done this differently. We could have been close allies. Imagine, the Justice League and the Young Justice suddenly becoming good. I wouldn't have to end villains like your friends. I'm sorry."

 I gave her a scoff. Sarah wasn't a sacrifice to you. They were a game to you. Those words echoed in my head as I stared at the figure before me. I meant those words, and yet, something within my gut said that she didn't think they were sacrifices either. I could tell that her arrogant demeanor was a show she was putting on for something or someone. 

She's just a child. 

Out of the corner of my eye I saw a long sword appear from the figure. She brought it to my face and placed it under my chin. 

"But I'm saving you. You're going to go where you belong." She said slowly.

"Listen to me, I can-"

"No," she interrupted, "I'm doing Heaven's work."

I gasped as I felt an excruciating pain spread through my abdomen. I looked down to see that her sword had pierced my gut. I looked into her eyes again out of desperation. They were filled with trepidation and I could sense remorse from her. I didn't understand why she was doing this and I don't think she did either. I let out a sigh as the world grew dark around me. 

I let out a whisper that I hoped she would remember. 

"Sorry's aren't enough." It was something I wish someone had told me before I had committed the failures of my past. I let my eyes close as the world faded into nothingness. 

She's just a child.