B E Y O N D . C R I S I S

Artemis quietly removes Isaac Kennedy's gear. The data storage device, the armband computer, the earpiece. It's hard to say what exactly she will need to complete her part of the mission, so she doesn't want to leave any potentially necessary behind. It is her part of the mission now, because Isaac is dead.

They had played this cat and mouse game against Robin all the way through Gotham. The skills and tactics that had been drilled into him in life were apparently still there even in his hunger frenzied state. Hard to say which Robin he was. The costume had a red hood Artemis and Isaac fought him off when he ambushed them at a bus depot at the edge of Gotham, and they thought that would be the last they saw of him. It was not. He struck again after they had traveled deep into the Opal borough of New York City. Neither even saw him coming before he descended upon them from the rafters. Artemis was quickly disarmed, but Isaac had his attention. The dead boy was just too fast. Isaac couldn't keep that hungry mouth away from his throat, but he could finish it there with a point blank shot to the lad's head.

( Now, Artemis is on her own. )

Sneaking through the grand Nazi military base on the Atlantic Ocean, Artemis and Blue Beetle have succeeded in liberating Ryder Evans from captivity. The two superheroes work well together, despite their bickering. Unfortunately, their luck is going downhill since the rescue of Ryder. To actually get him out of the cell, they had to overplay their hand and come out of hiding.

( This has gotten attention. )

After a perilous journey through the Bleed, the Reich's invasion fleet has returned to its home Earth. The enormous flying battlecruisers -- some damaged and struggling -- descend into the waters of the Atlantic Ocean and dock with the artifical island that is home the Führer's Third Fleet. Overall, the troops are demoralized returning from what should have been a victory. Instead, they have returned in not only defeat but a surprising defeat. There are no parades or other celebrations for the troops. The only ones getting any rest and relaxation are those who suffer from injuries, but the rest are assigned to resume their normal duties. Many are find new orders to report to North America to fight the ongoing insurgencies in Texas, Montana and Quebec.

Death reports filtered in before the fleet's arrival, including several of the Reich's proud champions -- Leatherwing, Múspell, Golden Eagle, Jotun and Atomic Knight. Huge state memorial services are already in the planning stages.

( They will not only be remembered, but their deaths will not be in vain. )

Liberty Belle leads the Freedom Fighters in an ambush of a Nazi squad trying to move into position to assist the SS against the Justice League. Manta Ray, Starwoman and Firebrand take out the tanks and heavy artillery. Agent Liberty removes the snipers from the equation. Libery Belle goes right for top and confronts the squad commander.

...Who bears an uncanny resemblance to herself.

( Awkward! )

Redbird and Leatherwing fight it out aboard the Justice League Satellite. The Nazis have their own Batman. This isn't a fact that should really surprise her, but damn. Fighting him isn't like her previous experience fighting a Batman. Leatherwing is older, stronger, more skilled. She is fighting a master -- not a student.

( It's kind of a new feeling for Redbird not to be sure she's the best fighter in the room. )

Redbird punches and kicks her way through a squad of Nazi soldiers. She's flying solo here, due to the Justice League being so limited at the moment.

Her job is to find Red Lightning -- in whatever condition the superheroine may be in. Either save her or recruit her. Both would be best but either will do. Redbird has already managed to find Racetrack, who gave her the lead on where Red Lightning might be found. His leg was too injured for him to help, so she sent him someplace safe and continued on her own.

( It's during this that she witnesses something of interest and reports it back to the Justice League. )

The Justice League has come into a new base of operations. This means they can organize. This means they can fight back. Aquagirl, Redbird and Z gather in the control room to do exactly that. First thing is to gather the rest of the Justice League by establishing who exactly that is. A list of all the members out there with a JLA communicator appears on one of the screens, and a message is sent out to report in so they can see a headcount of who is still out there. No response doesn't necessarily mean the worse, but it does mean that whoever can't respond can't be of much help. It takes a few minutes for all the responses to come in, and a few more pass before they realize they've received all the responses they are going to get.

ARTEMIS: No response.
ATOMIC KNIGHT: No response.
GEO-FORCE: Active.
GREEN LANTERN: Active.
HOURMAN: Active.
JADE: Active.
NIGHTSTAR: No response.
RED LIGHTNING: No response.
SHAZAM: No response.
STARMAN: No response.
SUPERGIRL: No response.
WARHAWK: No response.
WONDER WOMAN: No response.

( These results aren't comforting. )

Starman barely has any time after his fight with Atomic Knight before hearing movement from down the elevator shaft. Supergirl -- or someone -- has arrived.

It is Supergirl. She had seen what happened to the Watchtower from the Daily Planet, but it took her some time to get here. It took no time at all for Nazis to start appearing everywhere, and she kept having to stop to deal with them wherever she saw them. She couldn't just keep flying when she could see Nazis attacking people.

( She's here now though. )

The standoff at Rex Stewart's garage is going the Nazi's way now. After some initial setbacks due to underestimating the firepower they would be facing, they have Rex Stewart trapped. They begin to advance on the garage from all sides when he has disappeared from his roof but are caught by surprised when a hummer comes crashing through a wall. It swerves a bit when its wheels it the ground again, but then it makes a break for it. Nazis tanks move to block, but their occupants are surprising again when they're pelted with fire from a minigun. Rex is back on the roof of his garage again. He isn't in the hummer.

Lindsay Reyes squeals as she holds tightly onto the steering wheel, trying to control the huge vehicle. Meanwhile, Davis Karnes flails about in the back and grabs blinding for anything to hold onto. They break through the unprepared Nazi line and speed off into the city. The Nazis let them go, because they aren't the targets here. Golden Eagle sends commands to the snipers in position to take Rex out. But with eyesight enhanced by Nth metal, Rex spots the snipers. He drops the minigun and dashes for cover as shots strike down all around him. He hits the deck and drags himself inside.

( The Nazis have him truly trapped now. )

Tourists and average citizens are suddenly swept into a panic as an energy surge erupts from the Justice League Watchtower without warning. Nearby inactive streetlights overload and explodes. Aerocars passing by are thrown out of control. Small portions of the Watchtower's outer shell rupture and shatter with violent outbursts of energy.

This is all only a small measure of the devastation that has taken place inside the Watchtower, which succeeded in containing the majority of the sudden blast. Inside, every level has suffered damage and has small outbreaks of fire that the automated system is too damaged to completely cope with. Areas with working lights only barely have them as they flicker on and off, threatening to go out at any moment.

Starman regains consciousness in the Monitor Womb -- or what is left of it. Most of the consoles and displays are completely fried. A few displays are still functioning, though barely. The audio is pretty bad as well, since he can barely understand what transmissions are coming through. The flickering screens tell him enough of the story though. He is looking at images of portals opening in the sky and huge blimp-like battlecruisers emerging from them. Every one has a very distinct and familiar symbol.

( The Nazis are here. )