Interlude 29: Breaking News
Logan Animal Sanctuary
November 11, 5:21 AM EEST
As soon as Robin calls with the details, Roy quietly checks to see who is still present. He sighs with relief when both Cassie and Garfield are snoring away and even Greta can be seen chasing after the animals.
The mothers' room is empty and so is the nest Gnarrk made for himself. Even Kole seems to have vanished with the rest of the adults.
"Danette!" When he opens the last door and expects to find another empty bed, he instead finds a nude red head.
He stumbles back into the hall with his eyes hastily shut. "How old are you?" Blushing despite the emergency, Roy is astonished to find her still present.
"I could answer that a few ways." Unconcerned with her state of dress, Danette considers the choices. "Do you mean when I was first built, or when the Danette program was turned on?" Her head tilts to the side with familiarity. "It could also mean when Red Inferno was reprogrammed, or even when we became Firestorm."
"Since you aren't on the other Earth Robin said we're dealing with, It's one of the last two." Roy is about to tell her about the incoming broadcast, only for a creaky door to startle him.
Poking her head out, Cassie is rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "What's going on? It's still too early for chores."
"Something big." Instead of lying, Roy wraps his knuckles on Garfield's door. "You all need to hear this. Get dressed and meet me in the living room."
When he does flick on the television, it's the same hacked signal on every channel. "Why is Glenn giving the speech?"
"I know this is terrifying. But I'm not asking any of you to be heroes." Sub-Zero addresses the camera, with only his mouth guard absent from the new costume. "I'm asking all of you to be human right now."
What the hell does that even mean? Roy doesn't have to wait long for an answer, as Glenn straightens his shoulders.
"Humans are one of the most feeble species this planet ever produced. But we became the dominant lifeforms because of one very simple thing." The words are confident and Roy is forced to admit Glenn isn't terrible at public speaking. "We work together when times are the scariest. That's why we aren't bowing down to lions right now."
"Instead of acting like frightened animals and causing a bunch of trouble. I'm asking you to do what your heroes would..." Taking a moment to let the words sink in, Glenn sets his jaw with a determined smile. "Help each other, so we can get your parents back."
"This wasn't some random bit of chaos. Someone planned this because they wanted to break the human spirit!" Nearly growling now, Glenn slams a fist on the desk, his ignored notes flying up around him. "Don't be superheroes, leave that to the people in stupid costumes. Be super friends."
New York City
November 11, 5:24 PM EST
The nine members of Waller's team who remained in Mount Justice, sprung into action like they had been training for. The magnitude of the disaster was not something Waller's intelligence covered and the team was forced to deploy how they saw fit.
Clark Kent from a world without superpowers, pushes the subway full of kids to the next station. While on the street above him, the silent Giganta carefully extends her hand towards an apartment fire.
The Wonder Twins leap into action, with the brother dousing the flames with his now river shaped body. His sister swims through him in the shape of a dolphin, using her echolocation to find the trapped kids.
With a 'borrowed' green pickup truck, Red X collects any children he finds wandering the street. His pulse has been racing since the vanishing, despite his completely calm body language.
Jinx pushes a shopping cart with four kids younger than five, only to freeze at the face being displayed on all the billboards. The voice at the back of his mind is far too impressed for Cameron's liking and he hisses at himself to knock it off. "He's a thief and will get what's coming to him! So don't get too attached, unless you're offering to share bodies with him instead."
Poseidonis
November 11, 3:29 PM WGST
Watching the crowd surge through the city, Garth is forced to admit the cause is lost. All of the missing students are back with a platoon of sharkmen.
"The Seperatists must have been involved with the spell!" Tula shouts her revelation. "The entire force they sent was only teens. It wasn't just a training exercise!"
"The city is lost." Feeling his blood boil at the clouds of red drifting up from the few spots of resistance, Garth calls for the school to be abandoned.
"We need to warn the other cities." He motions for everyone to start lining up in front of the zeta-tube. "Shayeris will be our rallying point."
All of them can feel the gates fall, with Tula knows it will take too long to get everyone through. "I'll give you the time you need, get them to safety!"
She presses a kiss to Garth's startled lips and swims back into the hallway. Even though his heart screams at him to follow, his brain reminds him that no one else knows how to operate the surface device.
"Make sure you tell the Justice League what is happening." Garth gives the evacuating students a firm command. Kaldur will avenge us.
