CHAPTER EIGHT

I

Following what Sigrid had learnt from the DNA sample and Booster's account of his encounter with the creatures over Miller Park, Ted decided to convene an emergency meeting of the Crusaders. Suddenly, the search for Guy had taken an unexpected turn. Although Ted did not voice it, a race against time had slid into motion. It was no longer a matter of simply finding Guy alive. It was about finding him human.

Instead of holding the meeting at Warriors, it seemed more expedient to hold the gathering at Booster's penthouse since most of the Crusaders were already present. Donovan Wallace who lived in the same area as most of Guy's students, was the last to arrive. As he entered the luxurious apartment through the balcony windows, with its panoramic view of New York City, he immediately noticed the tension in the air. It had taken a matter of minutes to fly across town in but somehow it did not feel soon enough. The rest of his colleagues seemed unusually grim and Booster appeared injured and was being tended to by Sigrid.

"What's happened?" Donovan asked immediately, forgoing the pleasantries.

"Take a seat," Ted gestured to an unoccupied lounge chair. "We'll get started." He replied quietly. More than ever, Ted wished Guy was here. Although he had been giving the orders during the last few days, Ted Kord was never comfortable with leadership. Such things came naturally to Guy who was super confident in most situations. Ted was comfortable with what he knew and it was now clear that the investigative part of this search was no more. Strategy was now required to map out their next moves and that was Guy's department.

Maybe they did need Batman.

In any case, he did not have time to argue the point right now. The faces staring at him needed reassurance. Beatriz in particular was having great difficulty maintaining her calm. Her fear for Guy was overwhelming her ability to function. Losing Tora had almost unhinged her and Ted dreaded to see what would result if they learnt they same about Guy. She sat on the sofa with her arms crossed, biting nervously on her lip and her eyes met no one. Zatanna was similarly distressed but for different reasons. Ted sensed she knew something about the Arena but when he questioned her, she was as elusive as ever. Not until the others were here, she had replied.

"Most of you know that Beatriz, Zatanna, Booster and I went to the Arena tonight." Ted began. "As expected it was a private gambling operation. As Booster said, Vegas on the waterfront."

"Only thing missing was Robert Goulet." Booster remarked, flinching as Sigrid cleaned the bloody wound he had acquired during his battle with the bird creatures. She was wiping away the blood oozing from the laceration with some alcohol that was stinging the hell out of him. "That hurts." He complained.

"It must have been hell." Sigrid mumbled, ignoring his whining. "First those cheapskates couldn't afford Wayne Newton and now I'm killing you with treatment."

"Hey, you muscling in our act?" Ted retorted and offered Booster a glance to desist in the comedy until after the briefing. Although he appreciated Booster and Sigrid's attempt to lighten the mood, it seemed in appropriate at the moment. "There was also a fight between a cheetah and sabre tooth tiger."

"You're joking." Donovan exclaimed.

"I wish I was." Ted sighed. "This was an honest to god sabre tooth and both cats had to fight to the death."

"That's barbaric." Sigrid declared, looking up from Booster's injury.

"I agree." Ted nodded. "Unfortunately, to find Guy, we had to let the fight continue but there was something about their behaviour that was strange. I mean I've seen trained animals but nothing like this. It was like they knew what was expected of them and how they were meant to behave. The guy who was hosting the show, was in the cage with them and neither made a move towards him."

Ted went onto reiterate the events during the evening, including in the debriefing, Booster's encounter with the bird creatures over Miller Park and the results of the DNA test by Sigrid. No one spoke after the discovery that the creatures fighting in the Arena might have been human.

"That makes sense." Booster admitted. "Those things I saw were definitely ornithoid but they had human features. Although their instincts didn't seem calculated like the animals at the arena."

"I may have some answers." Zatanna spoke up finally. She had not wanted to speak of this until she was sure of her facts but it appeared now that speculation had become academic. She offered Ted a look of apology, hoping he understood why she had not spoken earlier. The incident had been one of the worst cases during her League career and she had tried hard to forget the horror what she had seen. To this day, she had never been able to shake the feeling that they had left things undone all those years ago.

Now she knew for certain that they had.

"We're dealing with an old League foe." She said finally.

"How do you know that?" Beatriz demanded rising to her feet. "We've come across no one to be able to make that determination."

Zatanna could sense her mood was fiery. However, Zatanna could not say any thing to make this any easier, on them or her. "Hear me out," she looked at the Brazilian. "Please."

Beatriz said nothing further and returned to her seat. Zatanna scolded herself at not having spoken earlier. Perhaps something could have been achieved out of her knowledge. However, she had not been sure until she reached the arena. After all, it was so long ago and the enemy had not be sighted or heard of in all that time. There was every reason to assume he was dead.

"I was only a League rookie when we came across this case." Zatanna began. "There was series of hi - tech robberies taking place all over the country. Metropolis, Central City, New York, you name it. It brought the attention of all the major players, Superman, Wonder Woman and even the Flash, not Wally but Barry Allen, the original. These half human-half animal creatures were carrying out the crimes. Superman got taken out by a human-whale creature that was the size of the actual animal, may be even larger. This was genetic manipulation on a scale we've never seen before." She replied.

"But that's impossible." Sigrid spoke up. "You can't merge the cells of two different species together. That kind of splicing is theoretical at best."

"Hello," Booster looked at her. "Our fearless leader, wherever he is, is case in point. His human and Vuldarian. I think it is safe to assume that it can be done even if you science guys had worked it out yet."

Sigrid looked at him with narrowed eyes. "I think you need some iodine on this."

"You just stay away from me with that stuff." Booster pulled away from her touch as she reached for the bottle of purple fluid that promised nothing but pain.

"Some superhero." Ted retorted and then gestured for silence to allow Zatanna the chance to continue.

"Thanks," Zatanna replied, still amazed by their ability to joke at the worst of times. "It was Firestorm that brought Reena to us." Zatanna still remembered Reena and wondered whatever became of that poor woman. "Reena was also a mutation, half cat, half human. She told us the whole story about how a company called Repli-Tech was going to be liquidated and its senior heads decided to save the company by conducting a series of burglaries to re-finance them. Repli-Tech was on the verge of fantastic discovery. I think you can guess what. The theory was, they would undergo the procedure, get enough money to save the company and at a later date, be returned to human form."

"A perfect getaway." Donovan remarked.

"Exactly," Zatanna agreed. "However, things did not work out that way."

"Why am I not surprised." Ted mused softly. "So what happened?"

"Once they were altered, most of them liked the new power and the abilities. They liked it so much that they felt that they were the pioneers of a New World order. The group began enlisting others, creating more and more of these, Ani-Men, if you like, until they had a small army. In addition to using burglary to finance their operation, they resorted to kidnapping humans and making them fight in an arena for a lot rich people to watch. The fights were usually to the death so you can imagine which group was the bulk of the casualties."

"Oh my god." Booster whispered, no trace of humour in his voice now. He remembered the carnage they had witnessed earlier that night and imagined how terrible a death that must have been to a defenceless human being.

"I was sent in to infiltrate the group." Zatanna continued. "I impersonated Reena to get to the leaders and the League went in, with Superman and Wonder Woman in assistance. We discovered they were based on an island off the Florida Keys. We destroyed the facility and discovered that the transformation process was flawed. The Ani-Men had believed that procedure was meant to create a hybrid of two species but they were wrong. The mutation was ongoing and that meant it would not stop until the original animal was turned into one or the other."

"So if the original species was human, they would turned into the creatures who DNA they were trying to emulate?" Sigrid inquired, trying to wrap her mind around the science of such a process.

"Exactly." Zatanna nodded grimly. "By the time we were involved, they had reached the tertiary stage of metamorphosis. During our battle with them, they began transforming completely into the animal half of the hybridisation."

"And Reena?" Booster asked. "What happened to her?"

"Reena disappeared." Zatanna said sadly. She had often consoled herself that Reena had returned to the wild and lived still. Except the part of Zatanna that saw the world beyond the mirror reflection of its existence, did not sense Reena's life force. Deep inside, Zatanna knew even if she did not like to admit it, Reena was dead and the other, the one who was so filled with power and hate, she sensed he was alive. "We saw some paw prints disappearing into the shore of the island but we found no sign of them, nor did we ever find the scientist responsible for the procedure. Lovecraft was his name."

"So it is very possible that the leaders may have escaped." Donovan declared.

"For weeks after that, we searched the island but all we ever found were what was left of the Ani-Men after the reversal. With Lovecraft gone, there was no way to change them back to their human form. We felt that it was best to leave them where they were. It's bad enough being a human trapped in an animal body but to locked in a zoo as well? We thought we were being merciful."

"Was Reena ever found?" Ted inquired. "I don't mean as herself but as an animal?"

"No," she shook her head. "Reena's genes were crossed with an ordinary domestic feline. If she had changed she would be a cat and we never found one." She paused a moment to remember Firestorm's face when they had found nothing. Reena had approached the young man first and they had formed a close friendship during the brief time of their acquaintance. "Firestorm was particularly sad about that. He and Reena were close."

"Ronnie?" Ted looked at her. Next to Booster, Ronald Raymond, aka Firestorm was one of his best friends. They had met during their tenure in Extreme Justice and had become close comrades during the group's short-lived existence. Ronnie had always seemed a little flighty and much too arrogant to display such depth. "Ronnie knew her?" He looked at Booster in surprise.

"Yes," Zatanna nodded, unaware that he and Firestorm were so close but then she and Ted had only been seeing each other for a month. "It was Firestorm that Reena first approached about getting help from the League."

"May be we should get him in on this." Booster suggested ."If these guys could take down Superman, then we'll need the extra power."

"What are we going to do about Guy?" Beatriz suddenly spoke up for the first time.

Ted gathered she would at some point. Considering what Zatanna had just told them about their enemy, the possibility that Guy might have been used a guinea pig for the mutation procedure was more than likely. If he were attempting to creature a superior animal, then Guy Gardner would have been the perfect candidate. Despite the alarm this would raise, Ted decided she had a right to know his suspicions.

"Sigrid," Ted turned to the Nordic woman, side stepping Beatriz's question for the moment. "You've had a chance to examine the Vuldarian gene haven't you?" He asked.

"Yes," Sigrid nodded. "Apparently, Guy's genes tend to surprise him with new abilities now and then. A few months ago, he was attacked by Major Force who injured him very severely."

"Major Force put a hole through him." Beatriz retorted. "What this about Ted?" She demanded impatiently.

"In a minute Bea," Ted replied. "So what happened?"

"His organs have the ability to spontaneously regenerate in the even of massive damage. Guy wanted to know what else he was capable of so he came in for some tests." Sigrid answered. "Why?"

"How accessible is it to mutation?" Ted asked softly, waiting for the outburst to come.

"Do you think they turned Guy into one of these animals!" Beatriz almost shouted. "How is that possible, he is Vuldarian!" She was almost hysterical at the possibility.

"Bea," Zatanna said to her after crossing the floor in a second. "You must calm down. If this is what's happened to Guy, you need to be strong for him. You're no good to us the way you are! The Ani-Men were in their hybrid forms for months before they reverted. If we find Guy soon, we have a chance to help him." Zatanna's voice had a measure of calm that most of the Crusaders found hard to ignore. She had more experience than most of them put together and there was a serenity about her that inspired others the same way. "The enemy who has him is dangerous and we must proceed carefully. Guy's life is at stake."

Beatriz took a deep breath and nodded, knowing in her heart that Zatanna was right. She was highly emotional and that was blocking her ability to think clearly. To help Guy, she had to trust in her friends that they knew was they were doing. "I'm sorry," she apologised. "Please continue Ted." She answered, her voice still shaky.

"Are you okay?" Ted inquired warmly.

"Yeah," she nodded. "I'm terrified but I'm okay."

"Good," he offered her a smile and turned back to Sigrid. "Can they manipulate Vuldarian DNA?"

Sigrid considered the question. "I don't know anything about this procedure that Zatanna is talking about." She admitted. "I will have to consult the League computers and dig up whatever scientific information they have, to say for certain. However, for right now, I can tell you that Vuldarian DNA is excessively adaptive. If something foreign is introduced, the DNA accepts it and then adapts it to suit its purposes. It is one of the most densely coded strands of DNA in existence. Its even more complex than Kryptonian."

"So even in the worst case scenario, he'll be tough to mutate." Ted stated.

"Not necessarily," Sigrid interjected. "The Vuldarian gene will do whatever it can to remain dominant but you must remember, it is highly adaptive and that could be a disadvantage. Vuldarian genes are extremely aggressive and while it protects the body, its fault lies in its need to evolve. Foreign genes are not destroyed. They are assimilated. The Vuldarian genes extract anything it considers an improvement and incorporates them into its own DNA sequence." Sigrid had not meant to dampen their hopes for Guy's safety but she had to make them aware of the situation. In the event Ted was right and they were facing a worst case scenario, they had to be aware of the possibilities.

"So we'd better find him soon." Zatanna mused, knowing better on anyone what was at stake. "We'll need him when they come after us."

"Come after us?" Donovan looked at her.

"Yes," she nodded grimly. "The leader of the Ani-Men is no fool. Now that he is aware of our involvement, he'll attack and we better be ready for him."

"Who's him?" Booster inquired.

"Maximus." Zatanna said finally, reluctant to speak it as if the name had some power to harm her by simple utterance. "Rex Maximus."

II

Discovery was inevitable. He had known from the beginning that it was only a matter of time before the super humans became aware of his presence. Although he had hoped to stave off a confrontation for some months at least, it did not trouble him greatly at the current turn of events. The enemy, he believed, was never formidable. Their victory years ago, had come from the betrayal of one of his own and he was not likely to repeat that mistake again. However, he was unwilling to let the situation escalate any further and decided that it was time to take precautions, or at least delay them until he was prepared to face them on his own terms.

He reached across the heavy oak desk and activated the intercom device at the corner of the table. The desk was one of the few things he had managed to salvage from Repli-Tech after the company had fallen into liquidation. It was a reminder of another life, gratefully left behind for his ascension to godhood. Nevertheless, it was always good to remind oneself of the past, in order to avoid similar mistakes.

"Send Doctor Lovecraft in." He said in his low, rumbling voice. Even in this visage, he was weak to trappings of his corporate past. Instead, now he sat before his minions not as the former chairman of the board, but as their master. It was a most satisfying feeling.

Lovecraft entered the room a moment later. Unlike the others, Lovecraft did not cower in fear. The doctor's confidence came from the knowledge that the Master could not do without him. It pleased Maximus to let him believe that for now. The Doctor had been a useful ally in the past years. Despite his ruthless nature, Maximus did not permit himself to forget that loyalty. Therefore, Lovecraft was given liberties he afforded no one else.

"Doctor." He greeted. "Any news on our new acquisition?" He inquired.

Lovecraft had changed little over the years. He still remained human because it served the Master that he should. Lovecraft was their agent in the real world and his loyalty was assured. He was still a funny little man with his thick glasses and nondescript manner but he was rarely offensive and therefore tolerable, in Maximus' opinion.

"None." Lovecraft answered, adjusting his glasses as he stepped forward right up to the desk. "The experiment is rapidly getting out of control. Our strongest containment facility is starting buckle under the strain. The only way we can contain him is to continuously sedate him but the Vuldarian gene is already adapting to it. In a matter of days, it will make him immune to the sedation."

"Is he lucid?" Maximus inquired.

"No." Lovecraft shook his head. "We must have triggered some defensive mechanism inside him because he's almost in a state of berserker frenzy. I've never seen anything like it." Lovecraft did not add that at least five Alphas had been killed in various periods, trying to restrain the Vuldarian but he was certain nothing escaped Maximus. "His testosterone levels are rising well beyond tolerable levels. Eventually, it will kill him but not before he takes us with him."

"I see." Maximus said in silent contemplation. Initially, the idea had been a good one. Lovecraft had been toying with the idea of creating a new kind of Ani-Men, utilising one of the super humans as a test subject. Maximus had given him the opportunity with the Vuldarian Warrior. With his morphing abilities, Maximus had believed his genes would be pliable for what was required. Unfortunately, the experiment had been fraught with problems from the beginning and even Lovecraft's understanding of genetics could not match the intricacy that was Vuldarian gene splicing. His attempts to create a super human Ani-Man had ended in failure as the alien seed inside Guy Gardner would not be seceded by any other. However, the end result of so many conflicting genetic codes had created a time bomb awaiting critical mass.

And time was getting short.

"Turn him loose."

Lovecraft stared at Maximus in a mixture of astonishment and horror. "Rex, he will kill anything in his path. He's half insane by what we've done to him!"

Maximus smiled faintly. "Which is precisely why we will release him to his friends. They have interfered in our business in their attempts to find him. Let us be reasonable with them and return Gardner."

"But he's uncontrollable...." Lovecraft started to say. "He'll barely recognise them let alone keep from killing them."

"Needless to say, they will be far occupied with his recovery than they would by any continued interference of our affairs." Maximus leaned forward and the dim light of the room reflected off his amber coloured eyes. It was difficult to tell when Maximus was smiling, but judging from the gleam of his long white teeth, Lovecraft was confident enough to believe he was grinning widely.

"No questions Doctor," Maximus replied, his voice rumbling low enough to send shivers through Lovecraft's spine. "Release him. I'm sure it will be a memorable homecoming." He paused and then added almost as an afterthought.

"If any of them survive that is."

CHAPTER NINE

I

Even after the Justice League had closed the files on the case permanently, Ronald Raymond was never able to let her go.

She was his friend. The first friend who made him understand that beauty was in the eye of the beholder. In his way, he loved her. For the short period he had known her, she had enriched him in ways he could not imagine. When she was gone, it left a void that was never filled. At times, he wondered how his life might have been had he not failed her. Perhaps the downward spiral that became of his existence after her disappearance might not have happened at all.

When the dust had settled after the League had ended the threat, he had sought out her family. It was the only true request she had made of him during their friendship and he was not about to disappoint her again. In retrospect, he now believed she had known her fate. Perhaps she had even decided that was how it would be. She was never one to leave things to chance. He had admired her immensely for that because he had a tendency to run when his personal life became too tiresome. Firestorm had been his safety net. A persona in which he could lose himself when being Ronnie Raymond became too much for him.

He tried to explain as much as he could to her family, without being forced to reveal that she had disappeared, a mutation of feline and human. The truth was too much to bear that if she lived, she would probably be roaming the jungle of that deserted island as a fully transformed domestic cat. For months after the book had been closed on the case, he kept searching, hoping to find her. Of course, he never did. He found the others like her, living a savage existence in their island retreat, far from the world.

Reena herself remained elusive.

When Ted had called him the night before, Ronnie was home in New York. He spent a great deal of time commuting from coast to coast these days. Apparently, there was enough mileage in being an ex-model to warrant interest by the general public to provide him with a B-grade acting career. His medium was mostly television although occasionally, he did some film work. His agent made mention of some stage work but theatre did seem to be him. Ronnie had enough work on TV to give him a comfortable lifestyle. Last week, he was the brooding preacher who aided Doctor Quinn, Medicine Woman. Next week, America would see him as a low life drug dealer on NYPD Blue. With a couple of TV movies under his belt and a growing resume of character roles, Ronnie Raymond was surprisingly content with the way his life was progressing.

He would have been perfectly happy to allow things continue as such if Ted Kord had not told him that the Ani-Men were back for Ronnie knew, if they were back, so was Rex Maximus. That name brought back a tidal wave of memories, rapidly followed by all the feelings Reena still inspired within him. Despite the years that had gone by, Ronnie had not forgotten her or what she had meant to him. Reena had trusted him to help her and yet, she had denied him the chance when it mattered most. This time, he refused to let that stop him.

In truth, he was somewhat surprised that Ted even contacted him. Ronnie had hardly left Extreme Justice on the best of terms. Although he was a little wiser than he had been back then, he was unrepentant for leaving the group. At the time, he had just recovered from what he believed was terminal cancer. If not for the intervention of the Elemental Firestorm, he would be dead by now. Having been given a new lease on life, Ronnie had decided that he would never waste any of it again. He proceeded to enter a period of hard living in celebration of his renewed existence. As a result, he had been less than reliable during his tenure in Extreme Justice and succeeded in alienating most people until it culminated in his decision to leave permanently.

Ted did not appear to have any hard feelings regarding his departure and Ronnie still considered him a good friend. This and the situation with Ani-Men compelled him to inform his agent that he was taking some personal time before heading to Warriors as Firestorm.

*******

"Ronnie." Zatanna called out his name. "Are you alright?"

He turned around and saw the beautiful magician looking thoughtfully at him. Even after all these years, Zatanna Zatara had not changed. During their League days, they had been close friends. With his arrival, he had liberated Zatanna as the newest member of the group. Knowing how a rookie might feel in such elevated company, Zatanna had offered a hand of friendship because she knew how it felt to be the new kid on the block. Later on, when he had pulled his life together in the wake of his leukaemia, Zatanna had asked her own agent and friend, Jeff Sloane to provide him with the name of a reliable agent when he moved into acting.

"Yeah," he turned around and offered her a confident grin. "I'm peachy." His eyes moved over the shoreline. The island was as pristine as ever, with the warm Florida sun burning down on them. Rays of light bounced off the crystal blue ocean, appearing like diamonds on silk. It was hard to believe that this island had been the centre of such terrible events, not when one looked up and saw a flawless stretch of white beach, flanked by lush, tropical jungle woodland.

"Not much of it has changed." Zatanna offered, feeling the same things as she followed her gaze. Not far from here, was the site of Reena's last confrontation with Maximus. They were fighting to the death with every last shred of humanity that still existed within them. Maximus had murdered Reena's mate; a canine-human hybrid named Rowl. Rowl had dreamed of sharing a life with Reena away from the madness of Maximus' insane vision. When she learnt that Maximus has torn Rowl's head away from his body in a completely unmatched battle in the Arena, Reena became a woman possessed.

The island had been in chaos then. The Ani-Men aware of what they risked fought to the last man. Every member of the League was engaged in the ferocious battle and no one gave a thought to Reena or Maximus until it was all over. When the fighting had concluded, all they found were paw prints of completely transformed animals. With no trace of Lovecraft, there was little the League could do for the Ani-Men and so it was decided to leave them where they were. At the time, Ronnie had protested the action but against the voices of the others, he opinion was forgotten. So Reena was left with the others, a sad reminder that not all battles could be won.

"Nothing has." He stated, breaking away from his memories.

With the threat to Guy Gardner's humanity hanging precariously in the balance, Ted had chosen to split into the Crusaders into two groups. His team, consisting of Booster and Sigrid, would search the former headquarters of the Repli-Tech Corporation. The key to finding the Ani-Men was Doctor Lovecraft. According to Ted, it stood to reason that if the Ani-Men still existed, they would require a human agent to act for them in the outside world. An organisation liked that could not exist with such practised anonymity otherwise. Another factor that fell under Ted's consideration was the fiscal side of it. The operation they had witnessed at the arena took money and lots of it. Somehow, Ted believed that Repli-Tech held the answers to the Ani-Men's financial autonomy. Although the ashes of trail were cold after so many years, Ted hoped there was a paper trail that might lead them to their quarry.

In the mean time however, the rest of the team made their way to the Florida Keys. The island were so many had met their grisly end was still home to a vast underground complex that had been left virtually unclaimed since the League's previous visit. The imperative to find Guy could not leave anything to chance. If there were clues to be found anywhere, they owed it to Guy to find it. Besides, Ted had confessed to Zatanna, they needed to give Beatriz some direction before the hotheaded Latino took matters into her hands and went on a rampage to find Guy.

As they made their way through the foliage towards the main entrance of the underground complex, Ronnie noticed little about the jungle that had actually changed. It was still as dense as ever, with the humid tropical heat, creating a damp mist over everything. Although every one of them possessed flight ability, it was simpler to cover this ground on foot. From the air, everything looked the same. While Zatanna could teleport them to their destination in an instant, it was decided that this way would allow them to conduct some reconnaissance.

"I never thought you'd join another group Zee." Ronnie remarked as he swatted a mosquito on his cheek. He glanced briefly at the smear of blood on his palm before wiping his hand on his suit.

"I'm not really a full time member." Zatanna replied, brushing some foliage out of her face as she trudged through the soft ground. "I participate when I am needed."

"Are you still on the road?" He inquired about her career as a stage magician.

"Not as much as I used to." She confessed. "I've decided to take some time off. Poor Jeff is going crazy," she laughed as she thought about her friend and agent. "He says his life is too normal without me."

Jeff Sloane was among other things, Zatanna's agent. When she had been a full time entertainer, he had always made certain that she would never be considered anything less than a true illusionist. Thanks to Jeff, she had been placed in the same status, as David Copperfield on the professional circuit, even though he was aware that making a Learjet or the Eiffel Tower disappear was too simplistic for Zatanna's talents. Jeff had never questioned Zatanna's strange history and although their relationship remained platonic, he was still one of her closest friends.

"I know what you mean." Ronnie admitted. "I have been doing way to much television and not being Firestorm enough. Still, I think I'm too much of a pain in the ass for most people in the game."

"Perhaps you should consider joining this team." Donovan spoke up from behind them. "We seem to home for pains in the asses."

"Speak for yourself." Beatriz remarked. It was the first time she had offered anything close to the way of conversation. None of the others minded however, they knew her thoughts were mostly centred on Guy. "I don't think I'm a pain in the ass."

"I agree." Zatanna replied. "We're more like misfits I think."

"I don't know," Ronnie mused, considering the idea. "I seem to rub people the wrong way though. I can't understand why, I'm such a charming guy." He offered them a smile of mischief.

"Yeah, imagine that." Donovan rolled his eyes.

"You're worried about being charming?" Beatriz retorted. "On a team that has Guy Gardner? The man who used to call himself the One True Green Lantern and the rest of us wimps?" There was a fondness in the way she spoke however and Zatanna guessed Beatriz was trying to make herself feel better by thinking about Guy in a positive manner.

"Hey, I liked him as a bad ass." Ronnie objected. "No false sense of morality, a man who knew tail when he saw it and went for it."

Zatanna let out a short laugh of disbelief and Beatriz shook her head. "I can't believe it, we've found another one!"

"Quiet." Donovan said suddenly, ending the moment of levity. General Glory's senses had been enhanced and thus his hearing was better than the rest of them. He motioned them to be silent as he listened to the sounds of the jungle, hoping that what he heard would make itself known again. The sounds were soft, like leaves bending and branches moving in the wind. Except the heat in this green canopy allowed no cool interference from the outside world.

"What is it?" Beatriz asked breaking the silence first. Her voice was hushed.

Suddenly they all heard it. It was a low rumble that could have been easily been a feral growl. Donovan listened closer than the others and wondered if they suspected what he knew. Whatever was watching and waiting, was not alone. He could hear multiple footsteps approaching. They were closing in around the heroes. From the corner of his eye, he saw a flutter of movement.

"Zee, get down!" He shouted and jumped forward. He pushed her to the ground as the lightning fast shape pounced at her from its hiding place in the bushes near the magician. As if a signal to attack, other creatures began emerging from the foliage, bearing fangs and snarling their intentions in savage growls.

Zatanna rolled onto her feet as she saw Beatriz flame on. The sudden appearance of green fire forced the creature attempting to attack in retreat. The others around the super heroine hissed their outrage at her use of man's oldest enemy. Firestorm had taken flight and was caging as many as he could with his powers of molecular manipulation. The creatures were varied. Some were from the family of big cats, Zatanna saw the familiar striped markings of a Bengal tiger and the ebony fluidity of a Black Panther screaming ferociously behind Firestorm's freshly made cages.

The screeching of a cougar as Donovan tossed it back into the bushes effortlessly, almost like he was dealing with an ordinary household cat captured her attention. Suddenly, she heard the lethal hiss of a predator near her and she looked at the enormous timber wolf making its approach. Its fangs were bared but unlike the others, it did not attack straight away. As she heard it snarl in its advance, she saw its movements were deliberate as if there was purpose to its actions.

With a flash of clarity, it came to her. Wolves were mostly pack hunters. Her eyes darted around to see the yellow eyes hidden in the shrubs around her, watching and waiting for the moment when she would be theirs. Despite the situation, she admired its cunning and to a certain extent, the harmony of their actions. She wanted none of these animals hurt.

".sdneirf detoof ruof ym peelS" Zatanna said softly.

The wolf glared at her for an instant, not comprehending the words but judging the action as retaliation. Its snarled once more before the spark of aggression in its yellow eyes faded away. As the rage drained from it, she saw its front legs, buckle under the weight of the spell. Inside the cages and out, the animals began dropping to the ground as the drowsiness overtook them. Zatanna looked into the shrubs and found the yellow eyes that had been studying her for attack were no more. She did not feel confident enough to go prodding in the covering of leaves to make certain that the animal was asleep. She had too much of a fond attachment to her fingers to risk them in such a venture.

"What happened?" Ronnie asked bewildered.

As Donovan came towards Zatanna and offered her a hand to help her to her feet, the young magician dusted herself off and replied. "Just a tiny sleeping spell." With a faint smile, she added further. "I seem to be needing them a great deal these days."

"Do you think there's anything left in them that's still human?" Beatriz asked as she peered at the tiger asleep inside Ronnie's cage. The animal purred as it slept, it magnificent coat of stripes rising and falling with each contented breath.

"I hope not." Donovan replied, even though it was obvious that some humanity remained in the creatures. It was unknown in nature that big cats of different species and wolves could kerb all their instincts, in order to hunt together. The only way for such co-operation to exist would be through the medium of a human element. "I hope that there isn't enough left for them to know who they are."

"Reena would have been killed first." Ronnie suddenly spoke, his voice was nothing but a whisper. A terrible realisation had brought itself to the fore and crushed all hopes he might have had. His voice began to falter as he spoke. "She would have become a cat and these things would have killed her." He wanted to weep but inwardly, he must have always known the truth. Even if he had never been able to face it.

"You don't know that." Beatriz placed a hand on his shoulder. Right now, she could empathise perfectly with how he felt. She did not know if she was ready to come that conclusion about Guy yet but like Ronnie, she would have to acknowledge it some time, if it were true.

"Yes, I do." He nodded. "I guess I've always known it, I just never wanted to admit it." He took a moment to compose his feelings before he looked at the others again. "Come on," he said walking past the menagerie of animals. "Let's get moving or we'll never find Gardner."

With that no one could disagree.

II

Despite the length of time had been since Zatanna and Firestorm had last seen visited the Ani-Men's secret complex, it was still relatively easy to find. Although the main entrance had been concealed under thick vines and vegetation, they could see the place had remained virtually undisturbed throughout the years.

"Bea, could you get rid of these vines please?" Zatanna asked as they stood in front of a sheer rock face. Maximus had made this the gateway to a vast underground complex, where he housed his Ani-Men, Doctor Lovecraft's experiments and the macabre games to the death where so many had met their bloody deaths.

"Sure," Beatriz stepped in front of the group. "Stand back would you?" She ordered the others.

The burst of flames splashed against the wall and expanded outwards in a spectacular flash of green fire. Through the smoke, they could see the disintegration of all the vines, climbers and creeping moss that had made the smooth, iron surface its home. When the vegetation had burned away and the air was thick with their residue, the tarnished door appeared from under the diminishing flames. Beatriz had produced a controlled burn so that the fire would not harm any of the surrounding vegetation.

"Firestorm," Zatanna looked to the younger man? "At your convenience." She gestured to the door.

Ronnie stepped forward as Beatriz made her retreat and aimed his matter altering powers on the iron door that was the entrance to the Ani-Men complex. With little more than a thought, the molecules of the metal barrier were re-arranged to a more gaseous state, which the others notice as little more than an unpleasant odour as it escaped into the air. The end result was wide gap where the door had been waiting their entrance.

Zatanna stepped forward into the dark passageway. As she stood at the periphery into the tunnel, she took a deep breath and offered another little spell. ".yaw ruo thgiL" It took less than a second for the enchantment to take effect as a bright yellow ball of light appeared before them, illuminating the path before them.

"I'm starting to feel a little ineffectual here." Donovan muttered.

"Don't worry General," Ronnie remarked. "If any of those nasties come out at us again, we'll send you out first.'

Donovan threw Ronnie a dirty look. "Don't do me any favours."

The air inside the tunnel was musty and dank. As they moved deeper into the passage, they could smell the distinct odour of things decomposing. Fortunately, the smell had lost most of its potency and was partially bearable. Despite the illumination provided by Zatanna, it still felt dark and foreboding as they made their way through the corridor. Shadows waited like predators as they hid small, creeping things that made scratching noises as they moved across the metal floor.

A thick layer of dust had rested on every surface of the passageway and there was every indication that this place had been deserted for many years now. Certainly no one had appeared to offer any proper burial to the comrades who had fallen during the last battle. The Crusaders said nothing as they walked past the skeletonised remains of Ani-Men, their corpses distinct by their hybrid configuration. Although the League did not believing in killing, inflicting serious injuries on their opponents could not be avoided at times. Obviously, Rex Maximus if he lived, did not believe in going to the trouble of rendering his subjects any aid. It was likely most of them could have been saved if they had received the proper medical attention, however Maximus had left them to die. Those who had not gone quickly had the unfortunate experience of transforming completely to their animal forms to contend with.

When the League had returned years ago, Hal Jordan, the original Green Lantern had been with them. His Oan power ring had detected no signs of life in the wake of their battle with the Ani-Men. Seeing this made Zatanna wished that they had entered the complex itself instead of leaving it the ring to make the determination on the status of the place. These poor unfortunates deserved burial at least.

The group was unusually quiet and Zatanna could understand why. There was little that could be said in the face of all this and words did not feel appropriate at the moment. She just hoped it would not get any worse than this.

CHAPTER TEN

I

"Well at least we found something." Ted declared, trying to see something positive in the way the last few hours were spent. They had wasted hours inside the dusty confines of a warehouse, searching through paper and computer records belonging to the company formerly known as Repli-Tech. This was done out of a vain hope of finding some clue to the current whereabouts of Doctor Lovecraft and by extension, Rex Maximus.

Since Repli-Tech came to the attention the League, the liquidation so feared by its former management, quickly happened. Without the funds the Ani-Men were stealing to rebuild its shaky structure, the company quickly collapsed into bankruptcy. The Wayne Foundation who was more than generous in allowing the Crusaders to examine its sensitive records had salvaged what remained of Repli-Tech. A helpful Wayne Tech employee had explained that the Repli-Tech take over had not yielded much of a profit for the company. Other than the buildings and some minor patents, Repli-Tech had been virtually penniless.

From what Zatanna had told him, Maximus had coordinated a series of hi-tech burglaries to keep Repli-Tech afloat while Lovecraft was developing Ani-Men virus. While the League had intercepted some of these crimes, most had remained undiscovered and the monies and items were never recovered. Another part of Maximus' financial program had been the arena where rich, wastrels paid to watch Ani-Men and humans engaged in their gladiatorial matches to the death. This led to the question of what had happened to all of its ill begotten gains?

Most of what they needed to answer this question had been destroyed, probably by Repli-Tech staff who feared indictment or implication in the Ani-Men incident. However, some records remained, Unfortunately, it required painstaking effort to sieve through the paper trail and find some clue to where Repli-Tech's money might have gone.

At the eleventh hour, Sigrid had made a discovery in the document journal of a former typist. It was a memorandum from Rex Rogan to the legal department. It took another half-hour to find the memo buried under a sea of others, but eventually the document surfaced. It contained little more than three lines and was a request for an application for the establishment of a new company. There were no further details beyond that but its implications were clear enough for anyone who understood the history of the situation.

"I know," Booster groaned. "We need a flunkey to do some of this crap." His best friend complained as they descended before the main entrance to Warriors. Deactivating his force field as they touched the ground, Sigrid emerged from the dissipating energy field that had carried her through the sky.

"I'll call someone at Lightspeed," Ted agreed. "We need to run down the establishment of any new companies during that period of time and see if they tie into Repli-Tech. At some point, money had to be transferred."

"Actually," Booster looked at him. "I have a better idea."

"Isn't that a contradiction in terms?" Sigrid remarked, as she joined them in front of the glass doors.

"Hey!"

"I always thought we needed a third person to complete the act." Ted grinned at her as he slid an arm around her shoulders in warm friendship. Even Booster was smiling because like Ted, he knew that Sigrid was finally starting to emerge from her self-imposed isolation.

In the short time of their acquaintance, Sigrid had been reluctant to make comment about anything. It was understandable that she should be feeling so much initial trepidation around them. After all, she was the second person to call herself in their company. He knew how hard it was for any outsider to establish oneself in a close knit fraternity. Even with Beatriz's endorsement, it had taken time for Sigrid to trust her fellow Crusaders and even longer for her to consider them friends. It was nice to see that she was comfortable enough to engage them in the banter for which they were infamous.

It was mid afternoon and through the glass doors of Warriors; they should have been able to see staff preparing to open the restaurant to the public. However, instead of waiters and cleaners moving across the floor tending to the rituals of opening, the place seemed unusually deserted. Yet the doors were wide open. Ted motioned the others to be quiet as they walked through the entrance.

The interior of Warriors was strangely quiet. Ted who was now the strongest of the Crusaders, felt the humour drain from his face to be replaced by a darker, steely emotion. Taking cue from his instructions, Booster and Sigrid held back. The only sound they could hear was the wafting of air from the motor of air conditioning unit. As his eyes scanned the area, he began to see traces of violence, small as it was. An overturned napkin holder, covering a small portion of carpet in white linen, a crooked picture of the Teen Titans and finally the shattered remains of a mirrored picture frame.

He knew Verona and Wargo were chasing leads themselves. At the moment, they were scattered across the city trying to find any information about the Ani-Men. Verona had checked in with him this morning and confirmed that the group would be away from Warriors until tonight. The normals that ran this restaurant whenever its owner was pursuing one adventure after another were competent enough to handle things in Guy's absence. So Ted knew, they simply would not leave the restaurant like this.

A groan escaped from behind a booth at the far corner of the room. It was loud and hoarse, as it had not been the first and its speaker was strained from the trying. Ted approached it slowly. He was in full costume but was nevertheless cautious as he moved stealthily towards the vinyl-padded booth. Even though he was now considered a superhuman, Ted had yet to come to terms with the fact that he was no longer a mere mortal.

The groan was louder. There was a desperation to it that hollowed his stomach as he rounded the corner of the booth and looked into it.

Oh Jesus.

Thick, sharp spines rippled across taut human skin. They surfaced and submerged like sharp angular waves. On the same flesh elsewhere, skin bubbled like hot oil as bones extended, contracted and then extended again. Eyes looked at Ted, eyes wild with pain, almost incomprehensible with excruciating agony that he could not begin to imagine. For an instant they pleaded with him, conveying a thousand horrors with in singular moment. The groan came louder as the skull heaved visibly, cheekbones stretched as a jaw protruded outwards in some parody of the human face.

"Guy?" Ted finally spoke, recognising the tortured blue eyes that were quickly losing all traces of restraint from its unbearable torment. Ted had seen Guy morph before but not like this. Nothing even remotely like this could convince Ted that this as the result of any Vuldarian genetic design. This was not genetic manipulation or even mutation for that matter.

This was an abomination.

The word held no meaning for him. The name bounced of Guy as if it did not exist. Ted watched Guy who was forced into a tight ball of muscle cry out once more with such pain that the groan quickly descended into a weak sob of desperation. Guy rolled onto his back as his body spasm sharply. He extended outwards like a man stretched upon a crucifix. His torso was wrong. That was the only way Ted could describe it. His stomach area was lengthened and impossibly lean for a human. Muscles that should have been there were not. The legs were thick and struggling to maintain shape. Human limbs were quickly giving way to unmistakable animal haunches. The shape would hold for a moment and then it would return.

As the seconds ticked by, Ted watched Guy's clawed hands tearing at his misshapen face in a horrific stupor. His jaw had pushed out so far that he no longer looked hominid. Hair was growing on his clean- face like a bad advertisement for Gillette. As his cheekbones started to narrow, forcing his skull into a shape impossible to contain a human brain, Guy let out a final gut wrenching scream of utter agony.

As it reached a crescendo, the scream cut short. Guy rolled over again and landed on all fours. His hands were clawed, as were his feet. He lifted his head and met Ted's eyes. The look inside them made the Blue Beetle breath quicken.

There was no hint of recognition, only mindless rage burning without reason or understanding. Full of pain and unable to articulate it in any form other than violence. If there was anything left of Guy Gardner, he was buried so deep within the abuses of his genetic code, that there was no way to reach him.

Guy or not, this thing was about to attack.

"Booster!" Ted yelled without taking his eyes off Guy. "Get back! Get everyone away right now!"

No sooner than he completed the warning, the creature that was Guy Gardner, Warrior opened his mouth full of inch long teeth and roared. There was no sound but a hot jet of plasma surging towards Ted. He leapt into the air as the blast impacted on the ceiling just behind him. It immediately disintegrated an ample sized hole through three-inch concrete. Fine embers of hot cement and plaster drifted to the floor. Ted had little time to think as Guy jumped up and grabbed his foot as he was ascending. Like all restaurants, Warriors had a low ceiling and Ted had little room to move.

Thanks to his super strength he was able to kick Guy away from him. Guy fell on the floor, collapsing the table under his weight. The fall did little to shake him. He was on his feet in seconds. His eyes followed Ted with manic frenzy and within seconds he was making another attempt to reach the Blue Beetle.

There was too little room to manoeuvre, Ted decided very quickly and immediately made his way towards the door. Booster and Sigrid were on the street, yelling at people to get indoors to safety. Although there was some initial confusion, it appeared that most people were aware of strange things taking place at this corner. Apparently, Guy had put his neighbours through enough harrowing events for them to know when it was time to batten down the hatches. People were running into doors and pulling it shut behind them as Booster sounded the call. Sigrid had built a wall of ice to block the streets from any cars that might consider driving past Warriors. Car horns were screeching as angry motorists started hurling abuses at the disruption of traffic.

Ted did not have to look over his shoulders to know Guy was still following him. He could hear the crashing of furniture as Guy felt in pursuit. Ted was weaving through the restaurant as he avoided the energy blasts Guy was firing at him. A wall exploded beside him, spraying him with cement and paint. The heat from the blast had melted the plastic on the booth against it. Blackened pools of ooze began forming against its metal frame. The room began to fill with the noxious odour of toxic gases released by the burning plastic.

Ted reached open space and not a minute two soon. He made a tight loop as he flew over the street as Guy emerged out of the restaurant.

"Oh my god." Sigrid managed to say as she took her first look at him. Guy paused in the middle of the street, his yellowed eyes moving across the area, studying everything in site as predator might evaluate a new hunting ground. Guy was only a few metres away from her, breathing hard. Long canine teeth glistened in the afternoon sun; a trickle of saliva began its journey down his chin. The blank expression in his eyes told Sigrid to be concerned, very concerned.

Guy recoiled slowly and it took her a second to realise that he was springing for attack. There was only a narrow margin of time left for her to act and she did so without thinking. The wall of ice appeared in the blink of an eye and encased him before he even had a chance to know what was happening. The air around him froze and he was trapped in a block of solid ice.

"Booster!" She heard Ted shouting overhead. "Get her! It's not going to hold!"

Her eyes snapped to Guy, just in time to see a sharp spike spear through the wall of the block. It sent sliver of ice flying at her and Sigrid was forced to throw her arms before her face to shield her eyes. She saw another fracture in the ice appear as another spike impaled it from within. She stepped back instinctively knowing that her makeshift prison would not hold him for long. Sigrid stumbled as she withdrew but instead of falling onto concrete, she felt the ground lowering beneath her.

"You okay Ice?" Booster asked from overhead. He had lifted her into the air, protected by the walls of his force field. The action came none too soon because Sigrid looked down and saw the ice wall explode as the spike tore the block apart. Large chunks and jagged pieces flew in all directions. Pieces of ice surrounded Guy like the impact zone of a bomb blast. He searched the area for her when he was free, locating her quickly in the sky. He was going to react when suddenly; she saw his face contort in agony as he dropped to his knees. He let out a high pitch scream as his arms morphed into weapons, from their sharp implement. Weapons were starting to form on every part of his body, from his back, his legs and his chest.

"What's happened to him?" Booster managed to say through his shock.

"They've played havoc with his Vuldarian genes!" Sigrid exclaimed. While Ted and Booster were dealing with their astonishment, she was busy observing the changes going through his body. "He's in agony!"

Booster response was cut short by another scream from Guy. The Vuldarian was on his feet now, tearing at himself trying to stop the pain. Through the mutations of his body, blood was flowing through the tears on his skin. Without warning, all weapons began firing. Energy blasts went in all directions. Streetlights shattered, walls exploded and chaos was turning the neighbourhood into a war zone. Guy, who was almost mindless with pain, was aware of nothing he was doing. He was lashing out at any at everything like a tortured animal.

"Leave me!" Sigrid barked. "You've got to stop him!"

She was right. Guy's artillery was turning the buildings around him to rubble. Already, he could see gapping holes several walls. The street beneath Guy was being similarly abuse and bitumen was starting to melt from the heat of the plasma weapons. Fire hydrants had ruptured and water was spraying in all directions. The mass destruction had forced people out of the buildings onto the street, to escape the rogue superhero. Unfortunately, they were no safer in the open than they were locked inside their homes. Now, they had allowed themselves to become targeted prey.

Ted flew towards Guy at top speed and hoped his invulnerability would protect him from the weapons firing randomly at anything in its path. He grabbed onto Guy and began ascending; hoping to take him somewhere more isolated, to deal with this problem. Guy roared as the ground disappeared beneath him. He reacted swiftly, with typical Vuldarian efficiency and turned his arms into sharp spears. Control of his morphing abilities was strained, because each change caused pain that made him cry out. This much Ted had noticed.

Guy struggled hard in his grip as they left the city below them. Ted knew he could not hold him for long. Guy's strength was almost superhuman buy his power levels had escalated in this heightened state of aggression. Even though they were gaining altitude, bolts of plasma continued firing in all directions. Ted hoped Booster and Sigrid were able to deal with this or there was going to be a lot of people hurt, himself included.

"Guy!" Ted called out in the vain hopes; he could reach the personality beneath the Warrior seed. "Guy, its Ted!"

His effort was met by a strangled cry of rage that followed shortly before Guy impaled the flesh part of his thigh with one sharp thrust of his morphed arm. Ted screamed in pain and reacted instinctively, swatting Guy across the jaw and sending him straight through the wall of a tall skyscraper. Guy made a spectacular entry through the glass windows of the building, which shattered loudly. Shards rained twenty stories down and Ted managed a stray thought through the pain in his leg, that there was no one under that hail of glass when it reached the ground. He glanced at the wound and saw the blood oozing from a gaping fissure in his leg. The blue of his uniform was quickly became indigo as the blood flowed down his leg with its unsettling warmth. Ted had to bite down, hoping the grinding of his teeth would force the pain to manageable levels. It took more minutes that it should have, but finally it ebbed back and allowed him to go after Guy.

Ted flew towards the opening in the building and arrived to the sound of screaming as people quickly vacated the area. Judging from the pandemonium, Guy had come through the glass window and crashed into someone's workstation. His appearance would have been enough to send any one running, judging by the chaos in the room. Papers were strewn over the floor, chairs were up ended and objects were strewn about haphazardly. He could hear frightened voices down the hall and heard fire alarms screaming throughout the building. Someone had wisely tripped the alarm to force an evacuation of the building.

Ted limped forward after he landed, inspecting the remains of the destroyed desk and computer equipment. He looked under the wreckage to see if the operator this station was not trapped beneath it. Fortunately, there did not appear to be anyone. Ted straightened up and looked around. He wondered where Guy was. In his state, he could not have put too much distance between them, without attracting attention. He took a moment to examine his leg now that there seemed to be a pause in the storm. Looking around, he saw a woman's scarf draped precariously over and upturned chair.

Guy had actually hurt him. Ted was supposed to be invulnerable, thanks to the Blue Beetle Scarab but Guy had managed to hurt him. He knew Guy's power levels had been significantly enhanced now that his Vuldarian genes had been activated. Guy had once gone toe to toe with Superman and that was no easy feat. The Big Blue was the strongest of them all, bar none. To hold one's own against the last son of Krypton was no easy feat.

Not that it was any easier dealing with the last son of Vuldar either, Ted thought as he strapped the wound tightly to stem the bleeding. Once it was done, Ted reached for the communicator on his belt.

"Booster, this is Beetle. Come in." He said looking around cautiously,

"Beetle, are you okay?" Booster voice returned immediately through the device.

"Just a little bruised," he admitted. "I'm in the OCS Building. We're going to have to contain him. He's just causing too much damage the way he is."

"What's happened to him Beetle?" Booster demanded. "What did they do to him?"

Ted could not answer that question because he did not know. His expertise was mostly confined to the technological and physical sciences. He knew just as much about biochemistry and alien genetics as the next guy, which was to say, nothing really. "Sigrid would know better than I would." He replied finally. "We need to have him sedated or something, so we can get him to Star Labs and have Sigrid look him over."

"Do you think we can help him?"

The question hung in the air. The length of time between question and answer widened as Ted thought whether it was possible to reverse what had been done to Guy Gardner. Suddenly, he heard something behind him. Ted did not move but remained silent.

"Beetle?" Booster voice broke through the quiet. "What's happening?'

Ted did not answer. He tried to see behind him as much as he could without actually turning his head because he knew he was no longer alone. He could hear breathing, hard and bated. Booster's voice drew more distant as Ted heard the movement behind him. Papers were being crushed underfoot, furniture was being tossed aside. In the corner of his eye, he could see a whole desk flung against a wall with such strength that it collapsed completely upon impact.

He heard what could only be described as a growl and it was very close.

The Blue Beetle turned around finally, knowing that he was Orestes and he simply had to look. His eyes travelled up as he took in the full sight of what was before him. They widened beneath his goggles as all colour drained from his face. His heart froze in his chest and finally, Ted Kord came to an unimaginable conclusion.

The monstrosity before him was Guy.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

I

Zatanna heard him call.

His voice echoed through her consciousness like a beacon. Their emotional bond had created a psychic link between them. Lately, he had been using it to contact her. However, there was no gentle affection in his voice as his words echoed through her mind.

Zee, I need you all back here now!

The urgency in his voice was able to traverse the distance between them with such intensity that she could shivers of ice running down her spine. It took a few moments for her to compose herself and look to her comrades. The Crusaders had spent the last few hours searching through the complex, hoping to find some clue as to the whereabouts of Doctor Lovecraft or Rex Maximus. As of yet, their search had been hardly successful. Despite their best efforts, they had produce nothing for all their labour and Beatriz's anxiety was quickly passing the point of control.

The situation had not improved with what they stumbled across inside the complex. With everyone's spirits somewhat dampened, their discovery in the bowels of the island was a death blow to what remained of their hopes. Was it entirely necessary for fate to let them find Lovecraft's chamber of horrors? Lovecraft had apparently enjoyed refining his genetic splicing techniques and the result of his failure was nothing less than an abomination of insanity and science combined. Like every good scientist, he kept all specimens, alive or dead, not matter how gruesome the outcome. What remained of that dreadful pastime was a menagerie of mutated corpses left to rot in stasis tubes of formaldehyde. Animal, insect, reptilian and ornithoid crossed with human genes left a stomach turning array of freaks gratefully dead and preserved for the Crusaders to find.

Each twisted visage of man and animal seemed to tear in Beatriz, until she had to leave the room. Zatanna wished she could have been spared this nightmarish find. With what they knew about Lovecraft and Maximus, Beatriz was starting to fear that perhaps finding Guy dead may not be the worst that could happen to him. With each passing moment, she was starting to believe that they would not find Guy Gardner a human, but rather an aberration of genetic tampering. Although Zatanna tried her best to be of some comfort, Beatriz was inconsolable to this outcome. Unfortunately, there was little the others could to allay her fears.

Zatanna knew that the possibility was already present in Ted's mind. Ted's determination now that they were aware of the enemy was even more focussed than before. Perhaps, he knew before all of them, just what kind of deadline they were pressed into keeping. In the mean time, Zatanna knew that while she maintained her calm demeanour for her friends, Beatriz was a powder keg waiting to ignite.

Ronnie Raymond was not much better of. He was a dozen kinds of aggression waiting to find release. The more they searched the complex and the more likely it became that Reena was not among the dead. However, Ronnie was certain that a far worse fate had be fallen her. Even though Zatanna would not confirm it, she knew he was right. Unfortunately, the Ronnie Raymond she knew in her League days was not some fresh kid new to the game. Much had occurred in his life and the Firestorm she knew from long ago was gone. Life and experience had seasoned him in a way no amount of reason could reach.

Fortunately, Donovan Wallace seemed to be the only other person to remain level headed. Zatanna wondered who he was really and what had happened in his life to allow him such depth. She did not need to see beneath the mask to know that he was young. Perhaps much too young to be so deliberate. In truth, he had and Ronnie were the same age but Donovan possessed far more maturity that Ronnie ever did, even with the persona of Professor Stein as his invisible guide.

When it appeared that things could not become any less discouraging, Zatanna heard Ted Kord's voice in her mind. For a moment, cold fear struck her heart because she thought some great peril had fallen upon him. She could almost appreciate just how much of an ordeal it was for Beatriz coping with the possibility that Guy might be gone forever.

Zee, you need to come back.

Ted was always dubious about the connection between them. This was hardly surprising considering the differing natures of their personal beliefs. He was a man of science and calculable factual theory and her world was magic and all things unseen and unproven. Their relationship had created a suspension of belief on either side It alarmed Zatanna to no end that he had chosen what he would normally consider a most unconventional method, to contact her. For him to place belief in magic indicated that he was in a desperate situation indeed.

What has happened, beloved? She allowed herself to answer him.

There's no time Zee, you have to bring the others back immediately.

The urgency of his thoughts could not be ignored. He was rarely so composed about anything. In the last month together, she had learnt that he often used humour to cloak his fear. However, no such apparatus was in force here. His state of mind was escalated beyond the point of using tools.

"Everyone." She looked up at the comrades around her. "Something's happening in New York."

Until that point, the group had more or less decided that there was nothing here from which any information could be gleaned. Leaving behind Lovecraft's menagerie, they were moving through the silent corridors towards the main entrance to the complex. It had been an uncomfortably grim departure for no one could speak after what they had seen inside the stasis tubes of formaldehyde and bodies.

"What happened?" Donovan asked. The others were looking at her with question because she had stopped in mid stride, saying nothing except that fearful look on her face that spoke volumes more than words could.

"Yeah, you like went spacey on us." Ronnie added.

"We have to get back." Zatanna looked at Beatriz in particular, remembering what Ted had told her. "We have to go now."

Beatriz could sense that Zatanna's concern was being aimed at her for some reason. She needed no psychic powers to see the magician had learnt something terrible and was not telling them. "What is it?" She strode towards Zatanna. "Tell me!" She grabbed Zatanna by the arms and made the woman face her,

"We have to go." Zatanna said breaking away while trying to collect her thoughts after receiving the bombardment of images from Ted's mind. She could not bring herself to tell Beatriz what she had seen, not yet. Ted's message had used up valuable time. Time, she was certain may cost him dearly. She did not intend to waste any more of it and jeopardise his life. Not after what she had seen through his eyes.

"I want to know what is going on!" Beatriz demanded, starting to lose any control she had over her precarious emotions.

"We do not have time for this!" Zatanna snapped in an uncharacteristic show of force. "Guy is not the only one in danger at this moment!" She said vehemently, glaring at Beatriz. "Now you will take it easy because I need to get us to New York right now before someone gets killed!"

"Bitching." Ronnie remarked and received and icy glare from both women.

Donovan looked at him in disgust before intervening in the situation before it deteriorated any further. "All right, we are friends here and we're all on edge." He replied, ever the voice of the reason. "Zatanna, we're ready. Do what you have to."

Zatanna took a deep breath and concentrated. She focused her mind for teleportation was no easy thing when it required transport for more than one person. In some ways, it required as much preparation and precise calculations as the solving of the most cryptic equations. After a moment, she looked up and spoke. ".deT ot su gnirB"

Suddenly, with a flash of light and a puff of grey smoke, the walls around the Crusaders disappeared.

II

For a moment, he simply stared.

The creature standing before him had grown considerably beyond Guy Gardner's normal height of almost seven feet. Not only was he taller but he had metamorphosed beyond Ted's ability to recognise the species' his genes had been coupled with. All Ted knew for certain, was the knowledge that Guy Gardner was buried so deep within the mutation that it may no longer be possible to reach him. Its eyes were thin slits against its skull, having no eyelids and no irises that could be seen against the tight stretch of flesh. Its skull was almost all mouth and when it widened its jaws, Ted swore to see teeth that were almost three to four inches long and sharp. Saliva glistened off their points, adding to its already lethal appearance.

A massive arm, thick and veined reached for Ted with impossible speed. Ted dropped to his feet and delivered a sharp kick to its left knees. The creature bellowed with rage as his leg gave way and a massive bony knee slammed against the concrete floor. Despite its agility, its bulk nevertheless limited the speed by which it could move. It raised both arms and brought it down in the space Ted was occupying. Ted side stepped the attack easily and delivered another powerful kick to its mid torso. The creature staggered back slightly but seemed unhurt by the action. Ted threw another fist into its massive face, careful to avoid the jaws that could easily tear his arm off if given the chance.

As his hand connected, sharp spines exploded from the slick skin and dug deep into his hand. Ted recoiled sharply but the damage was done. His right hand had been impaled in a dozen places. Blood spilled down his forearm as he staggered back and despite the pain, Ted was overcome by clarity of thinking that he could no longer avoid. He had been holding back in the effort of not seriously harming the creature but that no longer seemed possible. As much as he wanted to believe that Guy Gardner still existed underneath this abomination, Ted could no longer afford to pull his punches.

Until now, he had been reluctant to use his lightning bolt powers because he was uncertain of how much damage that could inflict upon the body that belonged to Guy Gardner. However, as the creature that possessed it rumbled to its feet and came rushing at him, he knew that the time for such sensibilities was past. Ted fired a bolt of lightning at the creature. Spidery webs of energy impacted off its body as it spasmed in pain. It stopped in mid stride, falling to its knees as electricity coursed through its body. As it paused in its advance, Ted wondered if he had weakened it.

Suddenly, the creature looked up at Ted just as two weapons began to rise from the skin of its broad shoulders. Ted jumped out of the way as a burst of plasma came towards him. Rolling across the floor, Ted fired another blast of electricity at him. This time, the creature was ready for him and before the tendril of blue electricity reached it, the texture of its skin hardened to form impenetrable Vuldarian armour.

"Damn!" Ted swore visibly as the electricity bounced harmlessly off the protective Vuldarian covering and started coming at him again.

Suddenly, the creature jerked back as if he had run into an invisible wall. Its head snapped back as if it impacted and Ted saw the indignant fury building up in its face as it reacted to the barrier. Without even seeing him, Ted knew Booster was somewhere in their line of sight. The creature backed up, seeking an alternate route to reach him but found itself caught in a bubble of energy. The rage in its face was beyond reason as Ted saw its aggression build up to a murderous climax. Once again, the artillery on its shoulders began pivoting as it prepared to fire at the force field containing it.

It took less than a second for Ted to realise how deadly that could be. "Booster! Drop the shield! Drop the shield or you'll kill him!"

It was too late. The plasma erupted from the weapons poised on the creatures, no Guy's shoulders. It surged forward at lightning speed before meeting the energy barrier that would create recoil of all that power that would consume its deliverer. A literal ball of fire exploded outward as Booster dropped the shield. Ted did not wait around to let it reach him. He flew upwards, smashing through a dozen levels of office space before he emerged into the safety of blue sky. Ted immediately flew to a distance and saw the entire floor of the office block where he and Guy had just battled, become a blazing inferno.

Booster was already on his way in when Ted reached the floor. His best friend was protected from the flames by the force field he wore around himself when the need arose. As Ted approached, he could feel the intense heat from the flames and was glad that his goggles protected his eyes from the billowing smoke. He was no longer conscious of the pain of his injuries because he knew he must have been better of than Guy surely was now. At the moment, he was not even sure if Guy was alive inside that inferno.

The sound of sirens from fire engines tore through the air as the vibrant red vehicles meandered through the heavy traffic to reach the building. The chaos created by Guy had brought traffic in the area to a virtual halt and cars were lined up the street, bumper to bumper. The fire was starting to spread to the rest of the building and if they did not want this entire area to become a highlight from the Towering Inferno, something would have to be done.

Booster emerged just as he flew towards the ragged gap in the building he and Guy had created earlier. Wrapped in a force field, the creature that was once Guy Gardner was unconscious. The skin of its body was almost charcoal black and Ted's stomach lurched wondering if its own plasma blasts had not delivered the fatal blow Ted was unwilling to inflict. However, as Booster reached him, Ted could see the rise and fall of the creature's chest, indicating that it was still in the land of the living.

"What has happened to him?" Booster managed to say. Until now, he and Sigrid had been taking the duties of crowd control. Although they had seen Guy's earlier mutation, Booster was horrified by what he was seeing. It was impossible to associate this this thing with his friend and comrade, Guy Gardner.

"I don't know." Ted said honestly. "I'm hoping Sigrid is going to be able to help him. Where is she anyway?"

Booster was still somewhat shell shocked by Guy's appearance and his answer was somewhat disjointed. "She's gone." He said staring at the creature trapped within his force field. After a second, he shook the distraction from his mind and answered the question with a little more clarity. "She went to Star Labs." He replied. "She said something about finding a strong enough sedative to know Guy out for a couple of hours so she can examine him at the facilities."

"Good thinking." Ted nodded mutely. At least someone had some idea of what to do. The others were counting on him to help Guy. Unfortunately for the moment, he had not even the slightest notion of what to do. He was an idea man and those ideas were mostly confined to his area of expertise, that being gadgets, science and anything relating to good old fashioned, methodical research. He could not co-ordinate or come up with battle strategy like Guy could and right now they needed direction on what to do.

"Let's get back to the ground." He said finally. "We need to see if he's okay."

"He's out." Booster pointed out.

"We don't know how long that's going to last." Ted replied, wincing as the pain of his injuries started to gnaw at him with more persistence.

"You need a doctor, buddy." Booster looked at him. "You're losing a lot of blood."

Ted could not disagree but as he looked at Guy, he could not help thinking they had bigger problems that his injuries at the moment.

***********

They reached the ground in the middle of the building courtyard. Police cars and fire engines were still some distance away, locked in the traffic chaos a few blocks away. Evidence of their approach could be heard by the rising strength of their emergency sirens and alarm klaxons. It was difficult to find a quiet place to deal with Guy because the building had been evacuated at the onset of the trouble. The area was thick with bodies and Ted wondered if their examination of Guy could wait the trip to a more remote location.

The crowd cleared beneath them when they landed, creating a buffer of concrete paving between them. Ted could not say he minded their apprehension. It was probably best that non-metas stayed an appropriate distance for the time being. With Guy's physical state still a matter of question, it was best not to risk anyone. As he thought that, Ted glanced at his the blood soaked piece of cloth around his hand and his thigh. He was meant to be invulnerable and yet Guy had still enough strength to manage this. He dreaded to think what Guy could do to an ordinary human being.

Booster deactivated the force field after setting Guy's immobile form on the paved courtyard. He approached Guy cautiously; aware of how dangerous the Vuldarian was at this time. He saw Ted hobbling towards him and felt a surge of concern at the blood on the Blue Beetle uniform. Despite his effort to control the pain, cracks were starting to form in his macho bravado.

"Well you always wanted to beat the crap out of Gardner." Booster quipped.

"Yeah," Ted offered him a faint smile. "But it takes all the fun out of it when he's a rampaging mutant creature who can't say words."

"As opposed to what?" Booster looked at him with a straight face.

"You have no shame." Ted retorted.

"I have three words for you." Booster said with a sarcastic smirk.

"Give me a break." He groaned. "I'm injured."

"Kooey Kooey Kooey." Booster said ignoring the plea.

"Wharf Rat!"

Any levity that might have been shared momentarily vanished when they reached Guy. Suddenly, things became serious very quickly. The creature, they still had trouble thinking of this monstrosity as Guy, was still unconscious but the charred skin on its body was quickly evaporating. As they examined him closely, Ted could see the black flesh dissolve into a liquid pool as its skin repaired itself instantly.

"Booster." Ted began to speak as the realisation hit.

"I know, I know." Booster started backing away.

Without warning, the creature lashed out one powerful fist. It slammed into Booster Gold's face full on, shattering the goggles of his face with a terrifying crack. Ted fell backwards at the retaliation as his friend went down like a tonne of bricks. He saw a sliver of blood running down Booster's face.

"Booster!" Ted shouted as he saw hit the pavement.

The creature began to move like a giant stirring from sleep. It rolled over onto its hands and feet before stretching like a cat awaking from a night's slumber. Its massive head turned to Ted and stretched its huge mouth back in a powerful roar. The sound echoed through the place, sending anyone in earshot, running for safety.

"That's it." Ted said under his breath. "I've had just about enough of this!" Outrage and bluster aside, Ted did something else before he faced Guy again. While he did not put much stock in using magic himself, he had seen Zatanna wield it with sufficient accuracy. She said they were linked because of their feelings for one another. He hoped she was right.

Before the creature had time to do anything else, Ted dropped to the ground and threw a powerful sidekick in the face. It fell backwards from the blow, obviously not fully recovered from its fiery ordeal. Not allowing it any time to recover, Ted threw another kick into its side, flipping it on its back from the force of the blow. The creature managed to stand up, although it was still rather disorientated. Ted did not doubt that it would quickly return to its manic fever if he did not act quickly.

He rammed his fist into the side of the creature's head, biting down hard as he used his injured fist. However, he had little choice. His punches could not be pulled and they had to be fast to keep the creature from using the pause in between to recover. Ted ignored the rising pain in his limbs as he struck blow after blow. He felt his knuckles connect but the point soon arrived when the pain faded away. It disappeared to a distant place in his mind, just as forgotten as the ache in his body and any moral dilemma that still remained that this thing was Guy Gardner. Not since Doomsday had Ted Kord encountered anything as violently destructive as this creature and he was damned if he was going to let it create carnage across the city.

Guy would be the first one to admit that.

No longer holding back, he felt a rush of adrenaline surging through his veins as he threw a rapid succession of punches. Ted felt the blood rushing to his head as blow after blow was delivered, until he could feel nothing except the determination to stop this creature before lives other than his and Booster's were placed in peril. His hands ached but Ted no longer cared. He had come too far now to pull back.

Suddenly, he realised his opponent was no longer fighting. Ted blinked as the red veil lifted over his eyes and disappeared into the exhaustion that had finally come for him and the thing that was Guy Gardner.

As he saw the creature go down, Ted knew that it was done. It was back on its knees and was no longer making any move to counter his blows. Blood was running down its massive head in thick rivulets, from broken skin and split bruises. Its narrow eyes met Ted's in a gesture of defeat as it collapsed on the paved concrete.

Ted looked at his broken hands, unable to believe that he had beaten the hulk before him into submission. He did not like what he had been forced to do but this could not be allowed to continue. Although people were injured by their battle no one was seriously hurt. At least he hoped no one was anyway. However, he did not doubt could not have lasted. The hero that was Guy Gardner was not in control and Ted was sure this creature before him did not possess the restraints to keep from murdering anyone unlucky enough to get in its way.

For the moment anyway, the creature had been stopped.

Ted would deal with the rest after he caught his breath. Right now, he needed to sit.

CHAPTER TWELVE

I

They materialised into a war zone.

It was the only accurate description that came to mind when Zatanna teleported the Crusaders back to New York City. An explosion of sound filled all their eyes the instant reality formed around them. Car horns were screaming amidst the blaring of what appeared to be fire engine and police sirens. Angry motorists were losing patience with the deadlock of metal and glass that trapped them on the roads and streets. The general atmosphere was that of pandemonium as frightened people were running away from a yet unseen catastrophe raging on their busy but seldom life-threatening streets.

She looked up to see a building whose upper floors were hidden beneath a crown of fire. Thick, smoke was rising into the blue sky, billowing like a column of black.

"My god, what has happened here?" She heard Donovan declare.

"I don't know," Ronnie responded quickly enough. His usual arrogance had disappeared from his voice. "But I'm going to do something about it now." The superhero leapt into the air before any of them had a chance to protest and was soaring towards the burning structure. He did not need any help and did not ask for it any way.

"Where is Ted?" Beatriz asked looking around the place, knowing that was why Zatanna had brought them back to New York so abruptly.

By now, the superhero known as Firestorm was almost reaching eye level with the flames. He better than any of them, except perhaps Zatanna was capable of putting an end to the raging fire with any speed. With his powers of molecular reconstruction, they saw Firestorm sending a beam of energy at the thickest part of the inferno. Within seconds, the fire started burning out as if someone had siphoned all the oxygen from the air surrounding the building. It vanished immediately, leaving only the terrible remains of its destruction behind. The upper levels of the building were utterly gutted but for the moment the danger appeared to have passed.

Zatanna made a mental note to conduct further repairs to the building once the situation was under control. For now, Ronnie's quick thinking had eliminated one concern at least. He may be behaving like an arrogant teenager but Firestorm was still a consummate professional. He had been in the game almost as long as she had and knew how to think quickly. Her eyes scanned the surrounding area but it was Donovan who spotted him first. With his enhanced senses, General Glory had best vision of them.

"There he is!" Donovan exclaimed and started running forward.

Zatanna followed Donovan's gaze and immediately fell into pursuit. Glancing over her shoulder, it seemed that Ronnie had things well in hand. However, Beatriz outdistanced them all as she leapt into the air and covered the distance between themselves and Ted in a matter of minutes.

Beatriz spotted Ted sitting cross-legged staring at something in the middle of an empty courtyard. It was strange seeing him there when all around him; crowds of people were trying to leave the area. He looked like the calm in the eye of the storm. Booster was sitting up from his prone position. His hands cupped over his nose. Judging by the blood running through his fingers, Beatriz guessed that it was almost certainly broken.

Then she saw it.

The creature was not moving but its danger to them could not be underestimated. It was bleeding as well but Beatriz felt her breath catch as she caught sight of it. Suddenly, she guessed what had taken place here and hoped Ted was all right. Even from the air, she could see the blood on his uniform and the rags that bound his wounds. It appeared that they had missed a titanic battle that of which Ted appeared to have borne the brunt.

"Ted, are you all right?" She asked as she landed next to him. The green flames around her body dissolving as she knelt down next to him.

He looked up at her with dead eyes. The colour of them made her hollow inside. Ted was always in good humour no matter what the situation. Even when Tora had died, she had not seen him so struck. What on earth had happened? "Yeah," he nodded. "I'm okay." His voice too was withdrawn.

"In case anyone cares, I'm okay too." Booster retorted sarcastically, nursing his broken nose tenderly. He had yanked off one of his gloves to stem the bleeding.

Beatriz threw him a look of sympathy. "I would have gotten to you, you know." She retorted. However, her main concern was Ted. The rag around his thigh was soaked, not to mention his hands. As much as she tried not to look, she was unable to move her gaze from his ruined knuckles.

"What is that thing?" She asked, looking at the creature with a mixture of distaste and fear.

Ted could not say it. He looked desperately to Booster for help but Booster knew no better way then he did to tell Beatriz the truth and she had to know.

"Bea," he said finally meeting her eyes. "Its Guy."

She did not speak for a moment. Instead, she turned around slowly and stared at the creature. Although Ted could not see her face, he heard the soft whisper following a strangled gasp. "No."

Ted rose to his feet and hobbled to her, searching for the words that could make it better. She was his friend and he could not even begin to imagine what she was feeling right now. "Sigrid is at Star Labs right now. She's getting ready for us to bring Guy there so she can help him."

"Can he be helped?" Beatriz asked, not looking at him as she started towards the creature that was once the man she loved.

"Of course he can," Booster stated enthusiastically even though nothing was for certain. Like Ted, he considered Beatriz a friend, more than that actually. She was like family and right now she needed to know that there was hope for Guy's recovery.

"Like Reena was helped?" She replied and to that Booster could say nothing because she was right. There were no guarantees for Guy's recovery. No real ones anyway. All they had to cling to was the vague hope that Sigrid could find some way to counter the mutations of Guy's chromosomes. Even that hope seemed somewhat unreliable considering the advance nature of Vuldarian biochemistry. The science to help Guy Gardner may not even exist.

Zatanna and Donovan broke through the crowd that was gathering to watch the proceedings, now that it appeared the danger had passed. She saw the same things that Beatriz did and let out a sigh of relief that he was not injured any more than that. It did appear however, that both Ted and Booster had been through something of an ordeal.

"Ted?" She called out as she reached him.

Until now, it felt as if nothing could make him feel good again after what he was forced to do in order to subdue Guy. However, seeing Zatanna changed all that. It mystified him, this power she had over him that had little to do with magic or the supernatural. Just staring into her blue eyes was capable of sending away every dark thought inside him. They met in an embrace because he sorely needed one. He took a deep breath of her hair and allowed it to carry him to a better place for a few seconds.

When they parted, he offered a smile. "Thanks Zee," he said throwing a quick glance over his shoulder. "I really needed that."

"You're hurt." She took his hand and examined it gently. He flinched as she did so and Zatanna could hardly blame him. As she unwrapped the soaked piece of cloth, she spotted several punctures through his palm. Turning his hand over, she saw his knuckles were in no better condition either. The flesh of both hands was raw and bloody, not to mentioned the state of his leg. "We need to get you to a doctor."

"I'll let someone take a look at me when we get to Star Labs." He replied. At the moment, his injuries seemed minor in comparison to what Beatriz De Costa was now having to face.

********

He was not moving but she knew he was alive.

His breath was ragged and uneven. There bruises marking his skin all across his skull. Denial was the first thing she tried to fight off because the need to reject this creature before as Guy was overwhelming. She was no good to him if she could not see it as Guy. Beatriz swallowed hard as she approached him. Judging by the damage that had been wrought around her, she knew he and Ted had battled to a standstill. Only Ted's grip with humanity kept him conscious. For he did not seem to fare any better than this wounded beast before her.

"Bea, don't get too close." She heard Donovan warn but his words were meaningless. This was Guy and nothing could keep her from him.

"I'll be fine." She responded. The voice in her throat felt just as far away as Donovan's word.

From the moment they were aware of the enemy, this was the one possibility she had not wanted to face. Ted had suspected this might happened, she guessed probably from the very beginning. He had not wanted to worry her by telling her outright but Beatriz had known it was preying on his thoughts. She was almost a few feet from Guy when suddenly, the narrow slits his eyes had become opened and focussed directly on her. Beatriz froze in her tracks, hoping that some part of him still remembered who she was.

The fierce roar that ripped through her ears removed that hope immediately. He lashed out at her but in his weakened state, could do no more than flay his arm wildly.

"Bea!" She heard Ted called out in warning amidst the feral bellowing. Instinctively, she flamed on. Green fire blaze to life around her body, wrapping her in its protection.

Suddenly, the roaring stopped.

The creature that was Guy Gardner raised its monstrous head off the ground as it looked closely at this woman enveloped in green flames. It began to growl softly until it sounded more like the curious purr of a kitten rather than enraged bellowing. Its narrow eyes focussed on the dance of fire before him, mesmerised by the colour of the flames. It reached out its hand slowly, testing the heat radiating against its thick skin. Something about the fire sparked a memory buried deep inside it.

A memory of green fire.

Despite advice to the contrary, Beatriz could not deny the hand that was reaching out to her. For better or for worse, any chance of rekindling Guy's lost humanity was not something she was going to squander. Controlling the burn around herself, she extinguished the fire around her hand and extended it towards the creature's enormous fingers.

"Bea," she heard Ted's voice warning her in the background. Beatriz ignored it as she felt its fingers meet hers. Her breath held for a moment, as it tested the feeling of her flesh against its own. She knew she was afraid because her hand was shaking despite the fact that it could not really hurt her. Her fear rose from the possibility that Guy Gardner was gone forever. She feared this creature's need to touch was in order to satisfy a spark of familiarity that bore little meaning even if there was enough substance to give it pause from its savage fury. Sitting upright, it towered over her even though she was standing up before it.

The creature fingers touched hers as if she were something precious and fragile. It moved its coarse digits over her smooth skin and examined her knuckles with its huge thumb, all the while with its eyes locked onto the green flames dancing off the rest of her body. After what seemed to be an eternity, its palm enveloped her hand and withdrew, tugging her forward gently. Without any other action, the creature placed her hand against its distorted cheek and held it there as it began to moan softly, rocking back and forth like a wounded animal.

She could not cry when she was like this but the sorrow in her heart at the wailing sound threatened to choke her with emotion. It did not look at her as its swayed forward gently but her touch and the dance of fire had soothed its savage nature. For a while at least, taken away the constant pain of it's being. Guy was in there, she decided. He was buried deep within this twisted body but he was still there.

II

"Ouch!" Ted grumbled as one of the doctors at Star Labs tended to his injuries.

It was less than an hour after Zatanna and the rest of the Crusaders had returned to the city and much had transpired since then. With Bea's ability to keep the creature subdued, they were able to transport it to Star Labs where Sigrid and others in the field of alien biology could find some way to reverse its mutations. Prior to its transportation, Zatanna had decided to spare the Crusaders being slapped with a hefty lawsuit from the city by repairing the destruction caused by their battle to end the creatures rampage.

"Attaboy Ted," Ronnie remarked. "Take it like a man."

Like the rest of the Crusaders, Ronnie was gathered in a private room with Ted while a doctor worked on his injuries. There was much to discuss now that Guy had been returned to them, although no one was very optimistic about the situation.

"You know," Ted scowled at him. "I knew it was a bad idea calling you up."

"At least he turned up." Booster remarked under his breath.

There was little love lost between Booster Gold and Ronnie Raymond. During their days together in Extreme Justice, Booster was still dependent on his suit to survive after the injuries incurred during the League's encounter with the Overmaster. In those days, there had a great deal of emotional baggage for him to carry around, exacerbated by Ted's growing friendship with Ronnie. He would be lying if he said he was not jealous but he was. Matters were not helped by Ronnie's arrogant attitude towards Booster's inadequacies and a drinking problem that was starting to become acute before Ronnie left the group altogether.

"I'm not here for you." Ronnie replied coldly, looking at Booster as he spoke. "I'm here for Reena."

"Okay," Zatanna let out a sigh. "If we are done with the posturing." She gave both of them a critical glare as she stood along side Ted during his treatment.

"Hear, hear." Donovan answered. Too much had happened today for them to be bickering like children. After what had been done to Guy Gardner and almost certainly to Kevin Sharpe, he was both angry and determined to put an end to Rex Maximus and his Ani-Men. If it had not been for Kevin's disappearance, who knows how many kids in his neighbourhood would have met a similar fate, transformed into monsters for the convenience of paying dilettantes.

"Did you find anything?" Ted asked no one in particular, referring to their efforts in Florida.

"Nothing that was useful." Donovan answered. "We came across what should be location for the next Alien film. All I can say for sure is, Doctor Lovecraft was a true researcher."

"I detect a note of sarcasm in that remark." Booster noted. His voice was somewhat nasal because he needed to speak through a most ungainly bandage across his broken nose. He was not going to be fit for any PR shots for at least a month, not with a broken nose and eyes that looked better on a racoon.

"No kidding." Ronnie snapped. "It was sickening!" Memories of what they had seen in that room would fill the content of many nightmares in years to come. He still hoped Reena had not met her end in such a such a grisly way. "That bastard created a fucking freak show!" He said vehemently. "I've seen some things that'll make you puke but what Lovecraft did." Ronnie turned away because his emotion was starting to get the better of him and the atrocity of what they had seen was impossible accurately describe.

"Well we did a little better," Booster admitted, because this really did mean something to Ronnie beyond his usually superficial manner. Perhaps, he had judged the kid unfairly and Booster felt somewhat guilty about that. How many people had done the same to him when he first started in this business?

"How so?" Zatanna inquired, grateful for any break in the tension at the moment.

"There's a possibility that Rex Rogan may have established a new company before Repli-Tech folded. What he's doing now takes money and he can't have made it out of thin air. The Wayne Foundation now owns the company and they told us that all its cash assets were gone at the time of takeover. I'm guessing that Rogan sent the money elsewhere to secret fund if he needed it." Ted explained. "The information on this is scarce so we are looking at a great deal of leg work."

"I thought about that." Booster spoke up now that the subject had arisen once more. There had been little chance to impart his suggestion earlier because of what had taken place in Warriors and everything else since then.

"Let's hear it." Ronnie urged. "The faster we can track Maximus, the better chance we have that Lovecraft may have some idea to reverse this. I remembered Reena thinking he did have some kind of antidote. I don't think Gardner's got a lot of time."

To that, no one could disagree.

"I say we contact Oracle."

"Oracle." Ted mused nodding his head in realisation.

Her reputation was known to most of them even if there was little else regarding her identity. For several years now, Oracle had been the mysterious provider of intelligence in the superhero community. Little was known about her personally but the service she provided was absolutely first rate. Recently appointed to the Justice League's ranks, Oracle had become more accessible to the wider community of superheroes now. These days it was possible to contact her through the Justice League's headquarters on the moon. It was believed that the Watchtower had direct contact with her home base, wherever that might have been.

"There you go Mr Beetle." The doctor working on his leg responded after securing the bandage around his foot. "Take it easy, you've done considerable harm to your muscles. Any stress on the leg may cause permanent damage to your ability to use it."

"I'll see that he stays off it." Zatanna answered before he could. Ted was about to say something when she gave him a look that told it was wiser to shut up then speak up.

"Whatever the lady says." He said meekly. When Zee got to talking like that, it was never wise to contradict her. Besides, she could turn him into a frog.

"Crack that whip honey," Ronnie laughed as the doctor made a hasty exit. Obviously superhero types were too much for his usual routine to handle.

Ted flipped him a finger and let it speak volumes.

"Come on kids," Zatanna instructed, suddenly understanding why Catherine Colbert had once remarked that she felt like the warden to an insane asylum during her tenure as League administrator. "Let's go see how Bea is doing."

*********

Actually Beatriz was doing a great deal better.

Now that Guy was found and they were in a position to help him, that part of her anxiety had disappeared. Of course nothing would even be remotely back to normal until his humanity was restored to him. However, even if he recognised her in this limited fashion, it did prove that there was something left of Guy to reach and that had to count for something.

Once he was taken to Star Labs, it was possible to sedate him so Beatriz was extinguish the flames around her body. She did opt to stay as close to him as she could because it appeared for the moment, that only the memory of green fire was capable of keeping him somewhat subdued and easy to handle. Despite the fact that he was unconscious, Star Labs was taking no chances with Guy and had him strapped to an examination table with binds that were once tested by Superman. Apparently, the Kryptonian had found them challenging for 4.7 seconds at least, so they were adequately capable of holding Guy for slightly longer.

"Have you learnt anything?" She asked Sigrid who was poised over something that looked like an electron microscope. Despite the situation Guy was in, Beatriz could not help confessing a certain amount of admiration for the Norwegian woman as she bounced around the room, taking tissue samples from Guy and then conducting her examinations. When she had returned to the game, Sigrid had difficulty expressing herself among her League comrades. It was understandable of course, although she was the original Ice Maiden, Tora had overshadowed her so completely, that people barely remembered her let alone the fact that she had been the first.

Slowly, Sigrid had asserted herself. It had taken time and a great deal of determination but eventually, she had emerged from the shadow of Tora Olafsdotter to be taken seriously as a heroine in her own right. If only those in the superhero community could see her now, Beatriz thought to herself. Within the confines of this room, Beatriz saw none of the fear that had been dogged her manner most other times. Not only did she appear competent at what she did but her confidence gave Beatriz hope that Sigrid may actually have an answer to their current crisis.

Sigrid herself was thinking hard on the problem before her. Since Ted had initially brought forward the subject of Vuldarian gene mutation, Sigrid had thought constantly on the problem in the instance that their worst fears were realised. While she confessed to being no expert, she did consult those who were and the solutions they gave her were varied, depending on the state of the pathology of the mutation. Strangely enough, the answer to Guy's problem had not come to her from those brilliant mind's but rather one that walked a fine line between genius and the maturity of a ten year old.

Sigrid turned to Beatriz and finally announced. "Ted's given me an idea."

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

I

"You can't be serious." Ted Kord declared, echoing the unspoken sentiments of everyone else in the room. "Its insane."

"Yes it is." Sigrid nodded knowing how her proposal sounded but also confident there was little alternative left to her. As a scientist, it was burned into her that all theory must first undergo a process of experimentation and alternative deduction before the actual application. Normally, she would agree with that creed most devotedly. Except she did not have a choice this time. They required a hasty solution because Guy Gardner had no time to spare. Sigrid had studied the tissue samples and her colleagues at Star Labs seemed to agree with her conclusions. "This is the only way."

"Oh man." Booster groaned, adding his own uneasiness to the debate currently raging in the room where Guy was currently sleeping, completely sedated for the safety of everyone in the building. "There's got be something else." He looked to Sigrid and saw no change in her mercurial features. He wondered if that was the persona of Ice Maiden or simply the scientist she was.

"There is no other way." Sigrid repeated herself, knowing that this was a highly risky procedure she was advocating However, conventional gene therapy was useless to Guy. His cellular structure was fast reaching a point of no return that not even his advance Vuldarian genes could cope with. Indeed it was its unique ability to adapt that had caused this impending disaster.

"What will this do to him if it fails?" Zatanna inquired. She too wanted no part of what Sigrid was proposing but the younger woman had not offered this solution lightly. If this was the answer she was presenting them, then it must be for a very good reason.

"If we're lucky," Sigrid took a deep breath. "Nothing. He will come through the procedure in no worse state then he is now and that means a mortality of no more than 76 hours at best."

Seventy-six hours. That was too close, Ted thought to himself but this idea was madness. Even in his wildest conception, he would not have thought of it. "And if we're not?"

"Then the condition could worsen and he may die in less time than that." She replied quietly, unable to look into any of their faces as she said that. Sigrid was battling demons of her own in this situation. She wanted desperately to save Guy Gardner because like him, she too was unwilling to lose another team mate to forces beyond her control. She had failed Constance and the rest of Justice League Europe during their battle with Doctor Mist. She was not going to lose Guy Gardner to Rex Maximus in the same way.

"There are risks." She looked to all of them after a moment. "I am not denying that but you've got to understand that there is very little else we can do." Sigrid stated, hoping this impassioned plea would make them understand. "Guy's Vuldarian genetic structure is the worse enemy he has. Its desire to adapt is out of control. It will do so at the expense of all other cellular functions." She turned to Ted. "You fought him, you saw how he was changing from one minute to next."

Ted could not deny that. It had been stomach turning to see Guy shape and reshape like he was helpless under a sculptor's hand. His body was twisted and moulded with no thought to his comfort and the agony Ted saw in his eyes was not easily forgotten. "I know." He rose to his feet and went to the window, unable to deny what she was saying and yet unable to let himself agree to have this thing done to Guy.

"It looks to me like you don't have a choice." Ronnie spoke up. "You guys can play it safe or you can let the lady do what she means to. At some point, you got to take the risk."

"I'm sure that would mean a lot to Guy if we turn him into a pretzel." Donovan retorted sharply. "I don't think you'd be too happy if it were your life we were talking about."

Ronnie Raymond turned to him coldly. "If it were my life, I'd say roll the dice. I rather a chance at life than nothing at all."

"You're not making that decision for Guy." Donovan returned and then added under his breath. "Fortunately."

"Well maybe Gardner doesn't like playing it safe either." He snapped, trying not let his anger get the better of him. "In fact, everything I know about the guy, no pun intended, says he'd rather go out fighting then tucking tail between his legs like a beaten animal."

"He can't make that decision for himself." Donovan replied just as vehemently. "And you have no right to say what he wants. You don't even know him."

"I've been in this game longer than you rookie." Ronnie stood up from his chair, an action the younger General Glory repeated. The others were starting to react to the possibility that their 'discussion' might escalate into something else."

Donovan was about to retaliate when suddenly Beatriz spoke. "Stop it, all of you." She let her gaze moved across all their faces. "Just stop it." Until now she had listened to Sigrid's idea and the opinions that had followed its disclosure without saying a word. She had heard the arguments and the rebuttals and now it was time for her to voice her own opinion.

Her anger put an end to all the heated emotions in the room, particularly between Donovan and Ronnie. It was just as well. At the moment, this was hardly the time for them to start posturing like a couple of kids in the school yard. Although in the back of her mind, she could not help thinking that all this seemed unusually familiar. Beatriz remembered the days when Guy would go toe to toe with Scott Free, in a verbal joust he was never capable of winning. Ronnie Raymond reminded her a hell of lot of Guy from those days and even if he appeared to a hot headed loud mouth, she knew she would like him.

"Ronnie is right." She stated firmly. "I love Guy and I am the last person to want to see him hurt but he would accept the risk if it was the only way. He wouldn't want to be like this and I love him too much to let him suffer. The clock is ticking." She said softly, struggling to maintain the strength she showing to them. Inside, she wanted to collapse in tears at the unfairness of it all. Beatriz was deathly terrified of losing Guy but at some point she had to decide what was good for him and not for her.

"Bea," Ted spoke up, understanding how hard it was for her to come to this decision but also wanting for her to understand its full implication because he did not believe she did. "Do you know what it is she is proposing?" He pulled the mask from his face so that Beatriz could see how he really felt, away from the safety of his goggles. Ted took her hands in his and made her look into his eyes. Beatriz De Costa was as much apart of his family as Guy Gardner was. Some years ago, he would rather have had all the teeth pulled from his head rather than make that admission but it was true. Guy was more than just his friend now. He was family.

Beatriz nodded slowly, giving him a warm smile as she did. It comforted her knowing that she friends like these who would walk through fire for her if she asked. It was important that they understood why she had come to this. "I know it is dangerous Ted but Guy has no time. There are no quick remedies for what's happened to him. I don't have to be a scientist to know that we are just figuring out human DNA let out alone Vuldarian. He does not have the time for us to find an expert who may be able to help him. You know that as well as I do."

Ted closed his eyes and nodded. He looked at Zatanna hoping she would have an answer for him because she was so much wiser. However, Zatanna looked just as perplexed. "I guess we don't have much of a choice do we?" He looked to Sigrid.

"No we don't." She replied tautly.

"Alright then," Ted nodded and met Beatriz's gaze as he looked to the Norwegian. "What do you need me to do?"

************

If there was an ever a Star Trek episode that Ted Kord loved more than all the others and this include Classic Trek and its later offshoots. It was most likely an episode called 'The Enemy Within'. As an aficionado of the entire saga, that episode brought a measure of reality to the supposedly invincible Captain Kirk. In later years, it would allow him to understand the duality of people and the seeds of what is considered evil. He understood then how things could have gone so horribly wrong for Hal Jordan. He could see how Batman did what he did in Gotham and still remained true to the cause, even though his methods could be often considered questionable. It also made him comprehend for himself anyway, how someone as once repellent as Guy Gardner could be now considered to be one of his best friends.

He remembered the unique story, the high powered examination of the human condition and the dark emotions that are so necessary for some and often desired to be that kind of hero. As a child, he picked the episode to pieces until there was a point he knew it word for word. That kind of dedication had been lost for many years now but the substance of it still stayed with him. However, during all those years, the accident that had separated Captain Kirk's different personalties had been the least to inspire his attention.

Later on when he joined the League and he was introduced to teleporter technology, Ted thought how cool it was to realise one childhood fantasy. The League teleporters were never as unstable as those on the show. They were never any transporter accidents, no strange merging of cells or division of them for that matter. In fact, everything was strictly routine. Kilowog who had seen the Star Trek once, remarked that if stellar engineers had built something with these many faults, they would be the first ones against the wall when the revolution came.

But then Kilowog was never one to mince words.

When he had told Sigrid the story about how he had once rewired League teleporters to catch a rat that had been plaguing the embassy, he had no idea that she had listened so closely. However, the Norwegian had listened intently enough to conceived of it as a possible way to restore Guy Gardner's humanity. Through an error of wiring, the normally pint size creature had come through the teleporters, the size of a human. What followed was something he personally knew Jonn Jonzz still had nightmares about and usually forced the Martian to do some serious Oreo bingeing.

Still the implications of what had been done were clear. The teleporter had altered the creature's genetic structure to make it larger. In essence, the devices had enough sensitivity with gene alteration to be able to import that kind of change without completely destroying the original organism. The rat had survived the procedure without any ill effects, as Booster Gold could personally attest to since he spent the entire period screaming 'wharf rat'.

Sigrid's idea was to reprogram the teleporters, with Ted's help of course, with a blue print of Guy's Vuldarian genetic sequence, prior to Dr Lovecraft's tampering and then send him through the device. The end result if all went according to plan, would break down Guy's damaged genetic structure and then reconstitute it in its original form, eliminating any trace of the contamination.

Her plan was dangerous, fool hardly and possibly fatal to Guy Gardner but in secret, Ted had to admit that it was also daring, possibly brilliant, almost certainly insane. Unfortunately, she was right. It was the best chance they had. The teleporters were alien technology. They were capable of distinguishing the codes of a thousand different species. He had proved it himself that it was possible to manipulate its programming. Hell, the Imiskians had used the technique as a weapon of war. If it was capable of breaking down gene codes in the blink of an eye, then it would have no trouble unravelling the intricacies of Vuldarian DNA. After that, it was all a matter of programming and Kilowog had taught him enough to be able to accomplish it.

God, he just hoped he did not screw this up.

II

"God I wish Kilowog was here." Ted said for the hundredth time.

"Would you stop saying that already?" Booster groaned. He had been listening to Ted make that statement all afternoon, since the group agreed to go with this insane plan of Sigrid's. Sure, she was a scientist and she probably knew what she was talking about but that did not make this plan of hers seem any more agreeable to him. "You're not exactly instilling the rest of us with any kind of confidence."

"It is a horrifying thing to admit but I've actually missed this." The statement came from current Justice League member Jonn Jonzz. The only teleporter in any kind of operation status belonged to the Justice League's headquarters on the moon, better known as the Watchtower. Since most of the Crusaders were now League part-timers except for Zatanna and General Glory, they had access to the facility. Unfortunately, it required some clearance to do the reprogramming necessary for Guy's restoration. Ironically, it was Jonn who was on monitor duty when Ted arrived with the rest of the Crusaders. Seeing the Martian brought back a flood of memories, good and bad.

"You mean they were always like this?" Donovan asked the Martian gingerly. He could not help being overwhelmed by his surroundings. The previous General Glory was a League member however other than the Crusaders, Donovan's contact with other members of the superhero community was limited. Jonn Jonzz was one the original founders of the Justice League. Donovan had remembered watching the impressive hero on TV as a teenager. Standing next to him now, without the familiarity of the others, was daunting. The man was a legend.

"Oh these are their good days." Jonn smiled. As a mind reader, he was perfectly aware of the younger man's anxiety.

"Will you shut up already!" Ted barked over his shoulder at Booster, from beneath the panel he was working on. "I can't concentrate."

"You're the one moaning about Kilowog! Can you do it or not?" Booster returned as he paced the floor of the teleporter room within the Watchtower. He did not like the idea of using the teleporter to do anything. As it was, Booster felt queasy enough coming up here from earth in the device.

"Will you please both shut up!" Ronnie roared. "Its like listening to the three stooges."

"In that case," Ted poked his head from underneath the panel and gave Ronnie an evil grin. "Hello Curly."

"Hey, I want to be Curly!" Booster declared.

Jonn looked at Donovan and let out a heavy sigh. "And then again."

"You guys have any openings?" Donovan asked with a smile.

Jonn did not answer but turned his attention to the bickering taking place nearby. "Booster," he spoke up. "Ted said you needed to get in contact with Oracle." After so many years, it amazed Jonn how easy it was to handle these young men. In some ways, he missed the disorder they brought to his life. Even though he was forced to keep Oreo stores under his pillow during his tenure in the League, he had to admit that some part of him yearned for the sense of family they had brought to his existence.

"Yeah get to it." Ted responded, his voice becoming serious once more. "We need that information on Repli-Tech."

It never ceased to amaze Jonn how quickly Ted could go from being a complete idiot to a tightly wound professional. "Come along Booster." Jonn motioned Booster to follow him. "We can contact Oracle at communication's tower."

"How is it going?" Donovan asked once Booster and Jonn had left the room. At the moment, the women of their group were transporting Guy to the JLA teleport station on Earth.

"Almost there." Ted answered, rummaging through the tool box near the panel. Half of him was concealed by the enormous control station of the teleporters. "Its just taking a bit of time because these are more sophisticated than the ones we use to have."

"Its all the same to me." Ronnie replied. "Only machine that matters to me is my TV and VCR."

"Typical." Donovan retorted. "Let me guess, you're a Baywatch kind of guy aren't you?"

Ronnie gave him a look. "Bite me."

"Oh that's real mature." Donovan answered.

"Hey!" Ted snapped angrily. He pushed himself from beneath the panel so that he could look at both of them when he spoke. "What is it with the both of you?"

"He's been busting my balls since I got here." Ronnie stated, pointing an accusatory look at Donovan as he said that.

"Well, it would help if you weren't such an arrogant jerk!" Donovan returned.

"I don't care whose fault it is." Ted said firmly, glaring at both of them. "There's humorous banter and then there's what you two are doing. If you got issues, solve them. You're team mates and you're going to have to get along."

"I'm not apart of this team." Ronnie replied and stormed without saying another word.

Ted rolled his eyes and exhaled a heavy breath. He had enough pressure on him at the moment without having to deal with bruised egos as well. Despite his better judgement, he was unwilling to let Ronnie Raymond go that easily. The man beneath the facade of Firestorm was worth knowing and worth saving. Ronnie had problems, that much was obvious. He was a recovering alcoholic with almost no warm bodies in his life who gave a damn. Ted was not going to let him down.

"I better go after him." Ted remarked.

"No," Donovan spoke after saying nothing for a few moments. "I'll go. I'm responsible for this anyway."

"You sure?" Ted stared at him with a measure of surprise. He did not know the new General Glory very well but Ted knew Donovan Wallace was a good man. If he said that he would handle it, then Ted trusted him enough to allow him the chance.

"Yeah," Donovan nodded slowly, starting towards the direction that Ronnie had left. "I'm sure."

Ted watched him leave for a few seconds and then let out a deep sigh. He looked at the teleporter controls and realised that it was just him and the machine now. "Okay baby," he mused. "Let's kick this pig."

********

Another hour of wiring circuits was required before the teleporter was successfully configured to transmute the energy stream from its relay on Earth its system. Ted examined his work with tentative confidence that nothing more could be done to improve his work on the computer core of the teleporter system. He had placed every bit of work under careful scrutiny and observed every rule that Kilowog had taught him regarding teleportation engineering. While Ted believed in going on instinct when it came to his capabilities as engineer, he did not intend to risk Guy's life with such an experimental procedure. Until it was tried, there was no way to test if this plan would work. Theories aside, there was a very real risk of failure and that would spell Guy Gardner's doom. However, the hours of his life were ticking away and they little time to delay in pondering the possibilities of the exercise.

"Its as ready as it will ever be." Ted finally announced to the rest of the Crusaders and to Jonn Jonzz.

"All right then," Jonn nodded, sensing the apprehension running rife through Ted Kord's insides. "We'll give Zatanna the signal."

Agreement moved through the room like a silent wave. For the moment anyway, their differences with one had another melted away in the aftermath of the crisis they were facing together. Donovan glanced at Ronnie, who looked away when their eyes made contact. Although he had promised to speak to the hero Firestorm, Donovan had been unable to do so earlier. Firestorm had no wish to speak to anyone and the last Donovan saw of him was when he had passed the walls of the Watchtower into the airless beyond. Obviously, he had wanted to be alone and Donovan felt no inclination to intrude.

"Its a go." Booster spoke into his signal device.

After a short burst of static, Zatanna's voice filled the air. "We will be there shortly." She answered. "Wish us luck."

"Good luck." Booster said with a taut smile, hoping it would make the difference.

As the low whine of the teleporter suddenly filled the air, the moment seemed to stretch into an eternity. For Jonn, Ted and Booster, their breaths were caught in their throat as they waited for the familiar beam of energy to appear in the tube before them. Although Jonn was no longer counted among their number, he was still one of them.

Guy Gardner had been an unmitigated pain in the ass for most of their association with him but Guy had changed, as they all had. He had driven himself to be someone better and in doing so, had earned all their respect. In more recent days, he had become a friend to all of them and sat at the head of a new family. This thing had happened to Guy because he was brave enough to know that all problems could not be solved by the strongest meta-human but by depth of the human spirit. He had gone to Washington High to impart to those in need that it was possible to rise above oneself to be something truly exceptional.

None of them wanted to see his life lost for trying to make that difference.

The teleporter tube filled with glowing embers of energy particles, its sparkling illumination filling the room as it struggled for form. In the corner, the teleporter controls began to whirr with action. Lights started running back and forth across the console panels, indicating that Ted's programming operations were shifting into lace. All this was incidental, for their attention was focused on the tube before them.

Although teleportation took only a matter of seconds, for those in the room watching the procedure, it was felt as if an infinity of time was hurtling before them. The embers danced and twinkled as unseen instructions were fed into its energy matrix. No one hardly noticed when Zatanna brought Beatriz and Sigrid into the Watchtower through her own magical teleportation. The women materialised on the otherwise of the room but their arrival drew little attention.

Suddenly, the embers began to spiral as if a great wind had given form to their aimless pattern. Beatriz felt her lungs constrict as she saw a shape beginning to emerge from the sparkling display of light and energy. The computer core seemed to be humming even louder, rising in octave, the closer it reached to its programmed purpose. Like a swarm of fireflies, Beatriz watched as the particles fused together. The energy dispersed and solidified at the same time. Sparkle became the velvet sheen of skin stretched across and all too human shape.

She saw his fingers stiffen with life. His chest pulled tight as he spasmed. Guy's face was contorted as he struggled in limbo to make sense of what was happening to him. His eyes were clamped shut and hands had become fists. His veins were bulging from under his skin and Beatriz saw teeth biting down hard against the tight line of his jaw. Auburn hair was blowing in the imaginary wind inside the tube as Guy Gardner finally made his most anticipated appearance.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

I

The whine of the teleporters came to an abrupt end.

Teleportation was completed as the clear glass door slid apart, releasing its lone occupant. When the materialisation process had come to a close, Guy Gardner slumped against the walls of the teleport tube and slipped through the opening. Hearing him hit the ground snapped his companions out of their momentary shock, prompting them into action. Beatriz was the first to reach him because she was the closest. The beautiful Brazilian ran forward before dropping to her knees in the space beside him. As she scrambled to him, Beatriz saw that Guy was oblivious to her or their friends. For one terrible instance, the possibility that the treatment had failed, flared white hot in her mind.

Beatriz crushed away the thought with ruthless efficiency and forced herself not to panic. Upon reaching him, she found that outwardly at least, he appeared to be himself. There was no trace of the mutation he was forced to endure. Despite her best efforts to keep herself from doing so, Beatriz felt warm tears running down her cheeks. The rest of the Crusaders crowded in around her as Sigrid forced her way through them. Their hopes for his recovery appeared justified now that Guy shed his aberrant form and seemed to be back to normal.

"He's breathing!" Beatriz announced to the others. She could feel his chest rising and falling steadily under her touch. She dragged him over her lap, cradling his head in arms and she planted soft kisses of joy across his face. "Guy!" She said softly trying to rouse him. "Please talk to me." Her voice had descended into a heartfelt plea they all shared.

For Sigrid Nansen, hearing that allayed one of her fears but not all of them. Just because Guy Gardner's body had returned from its monstrous visage, proved nothing. Genetics was an exact science. Outward appearances aside, more had been done to him then the mutation his body had been subjected. His genes had been forced to endure extraordinary processes and contaminants. Before she was ready to believe Guy was healed, she wanted confirmation that all of Doctor Lovecraft's tampering was purged from his system. Now that the main hurdle had been cleared, she did not intend to let success made her complacent. She had more than enough deaths on her conscience.

When she reached Guy and Beatriz, Sigrid made a brief examination of his vitals before turning to Jonn. "You have a sick bay in here?" She asked the Manhunter. The others were still staring at Guy, bleating all kinds of questions at Beatriz when she was in no position to answer them.

"Yes," Jonn nodded. "I will show you."

"No need." Zatanna said, being one of the few Crusaders who could truly keep it together in any situation. "yaB kciS ot su ekaT". No sooner than the spell had passed her lips, the entire group disappeared off the floor of the teleport room.

**********

The Watchtower had been designed with so much alien hardware that it was possibly a millennium ahead of current technology on Earth. The complex was created with an amalgamation of Atlantean, Kryptonian, Amazonian science and technologies so foreign that it was impossible to categorise. The result was one of the most diverse and sophisticated structures in this corner of the spiral arm. The Watchtower's Sick Bay was no exception to the rule. Although it was more than Sigrid had been trained to cope with at Star Labs, the system was surprising user friendly. Sick Bay was designed so that one did not require a PHD in nuclear physic to operate its equipment. Considering the purpose of the place was to handle medical emergencies, this made uncommonly good sense.

"Is he going to be all right?" Beatriz asked as Sigrid manipulated the Sick Bay's scanning devices over the examination bed they had placed Guy. The rest of the Crusaders were gathered around the room, trying not to be an imposition to the work Sigrid was attempting to conduct. Guy himself was still unconscious but in Sigrid's opinion, this was hardly surprising. His cells had been subjected to a most unusual treatment. It was only natural that his system was exhausted by the transformation from beast to man.

"I'm still scanning." She replied and then realised Beatriz needed some kind of answer. "It looks like the procedure worked." She added. If that the man she loved on the table, Sigrid would want the same consideration.

Bea nodded, grateful for the positive outlook. "Thanks Sigrid." She said trying not to become too emotional. "Thank you for this."

Sigrid looked away, uncomfortable by the gratitude and masked it by responding. "We still have to do tests however," she warned.

"What sort of tests?" Ted inquired from a chair at one corner of the room. Despite his bravado, the injuries he had sustained were extreme and he found that he was forced to take the doctor's advice and stay off his feet. However, Sigrid remark about more tests had prompted him into action. Although, he was grateful that his tampering had not caused the teleporters to simply vaporise Guy, he would hate to think that all this elation was for nothing.

"I need to know whether his DNA sequencing is intact." Sigrid explained, trying to convey that the tests were routine procedures. "I want to be sure that all traces of Dr Lovecraft's contaminant is out of his system. There cannot be any of it left in Guy's system or we could be back to square one in a matter of days."

"Is that possible?" Booster who was standing close to Ted because his best friend looked wobbly on his feet, glanced at Guy with concern when she said that.

"As I said, Vuldarian DNA is voracious. Its quite the assimilator." She remarked before going back to what she was doing. Sigrid knew she was probably being more alarmist then she ought to but Sigrid had never been faced with the total responsibility of a patient before. Her scientific career until this point was mostly lab work. While she appeared to be handling this well in front of the others, her confidence was a well-constructed facade. In truth, she was terribly afraid of failing them and her patient.

Sigrid was almost grateful when the Crusaders turned their attention back to Guy so that she could suffer her anxieties without observation. Unfortunately, not all of her team mates were unmindful of her true state of mind. As the others shifted focus elsewhere, Donovan Wallace came up behind her and asked in a quiet voice. "You okay?"

She swallowed hard, knowing that it was all right to show some weakness in front of him. Sigrid offered Donovan a grateful smile for his concern. "I think so." She answered softly, out of earshot of the others. "I'm a bit nervous."

"If it makes you feel any better," he remarked. "You hide it well."

"Do I?" She said pausing a moment to catch her breath. It felt as if all the air was gone from the room and she was the only one suffocating. "I've never done anything like this before you know."

"I wouldn't have guessed." Donovan grinned. Of all the Crusaders, it was Sigrid who seemed to understand how new being a superhero was to him. The others were seasoned veterans but Sigrid like himself, was new to game. Both had undertaken superhero identities belonging to someone else and both were struggling to make the grade. Perhaps, it was this familiarity that made them such good friends.

"You did good Sigrid," He said that because no one else had done so and she needed to hear it.

Sigrid tried not to show how much that affected her but Donovan saw her brilliant blue eyes soften. "Thanks," she replied. She looked away under the guise of adjusting the scanner's controls for another series of tests on Guy but Donovan knew better. It allowed her the chance to compose herself. After a moment, she faced him again. "What's going on with you and Firestorm anyway?"

Unfortunately, being able to read Sigrid well also meant that she was able to return the favour. "You noticed." He stated.

"One would have to be on Mars not to." She pointed out.

"I don't know," he shrugged uncomfortably. He had been evaluating his behaviour since Firestorm's arrival and Donovan was forced to admit he was being hostile. This was unusual for him. Very few people were capable of getting under his skin and everything that Firestorm had said and done since his appearance felt like a personal affront to him. "I don't see why I should be so hard on him. He is exactly the way I was, when I first joined the force. Before the shooting, I was cocky, too arrogant for my own good and no one could tell me anything."

Sigrid said nothing for a moment and Donovan thought he might have been interrupting her train of thought while she was trying to examine Guy when suddenly, she looked up and responded. "Perhaps, you're a little afraid that Firestorm is so much like you were that he may get hurt the same way."

Donovan could say nothing to refute that statement. For a few seconds, he let the possibility roll around in his head and then realised that she was not wrong. Since the shooting, he had spent more than enough time sitting around thinking of what he could have done differently to avoid the outcome that changed his life forever. Perhaps if he had listened better or paid more attention, he might not have been doomed to spend the rest of his life in a wheel chair. "Is it that obvious?" He asked after a brief pause.

"No," she shook her head. "It isn't. Its just that I can't think of another reason why you would be unkind to anyone." Sigrid truly meant that. He was one of the nicest and most unassuming people she knew. She too had noticed his behaviour towards Firestorm since the arrival of the ex-Leaguer and wondered what was behind it.

"Thanks," he said gratefully. "I hate to think I was being an asshole for no good reason."

"Who would?" She smiled. "Now go away, I've got work to do."

"Is that anyway to talk a friend?" He retorted with mock hurt in his voice.

"Okay," she considered that statement before replying. "Go away please?"

Donovan chuckled softly before he returned to the others and let her get on with her duties. He noticed that the Crusaders and Jonn Jonzz were currently gathered around Guy's examination bed. Everyone's attention seemed to be focussed on the Martian. Donovan walked next to Booster and whispered in the man's ear. "What's going on?"

"Jonn's is scanning him telepathically." Booster replied automatically, his eyes still fixed on the proceedings. "It will tell if there's any brain activity."

"Compared to what?" Donovan declared when he felt a sharp slap his impact on his shoulder and saw Zatanna, scowling at him with disapproval. Ted, who was leaning against the steel frames of the examination bed, tried to stifled a smile (unsuccessfully) and indicated to Donovan that he was on his own.

"Be nice." She ordered with an expression of mock anger on her face. However, Zatanna could keep a smile from stealing across her features even as she made the remark.

"Yes maam." Donovan said good naturedly and added his attention to the events unfolding before him.

II

Jonn's telepathic scanning did not take long and after a few minutes, the Martian looked up and faced the worried faces around him. Unsurprisingly, all their thoughts were focussed on the well being of their fallen comrade, no matter how different their feelings were towards him. Beatriz's in particular was most potent but that was hardly surprising considering her emotional bond to Guy. Despite himself, Jonn could not help being reminded of the time when Guy was still a Green Lantern and Fire's powers were new to her. Fire's powers had inadvertently unleashed the embassy's sprinkler system but not before burning every shred of clothing on her. Guy, well he was not exactly restrained in those days and the whole incident made Jonn wonder how the two of them could have reach this point without killing each other.

However, he was glad the Crusaders still existed and these dear friends had come together. Although he would not leave the current League roster for any reason, it gave him comfort to his sense of being to know that this family still existed in his universe. Some additions to the family had surprised him, particularly that of General Glory and Zatanna. Zatanna was one of his oldest friends and it was near astonishing to know that she and Ted were something of an item. Actually, the word that had first come to mind was bizarre but no more than anything else that ever took place in that team.

"He is still in there." Jonn announced to them all, knowing they were waiting in anticipation for his prognosis of Guy's mental state. This was understandable considering what the news footage had said about his earlier state. "Such as it is." He could not help adding. Somehow, his mental disciplines always degraded in the presence of this group.

"Hey the Skipper still got it." Booster exclaimed.

"And just when I was starting to miss you guys." Jonn retorted with a frown.

"Can you bring him out of it?" Beatriz asked, ignoring the banter.

"Yes I can," Jonn looked to Sigrid to see if it was safe to do so. "Have the scans offered anything conclusive?" He inquired.

Sigrid looked up from the complex machinery and let out a deep sigh. "The tests are clear. He appears to be back to normal." However, she did not sound very convinced. "I'd still like to get him to Star Labs and make some comparative analysis but for the moment, I think the danger is over."

"Good," Ted said relieved. For the moment anyway, one obstacle appeared to be behind them. There was still the question of the Ani-Men's whereabouts but that could wait for the moment. "Jonn, if you please." He gestured towards Guy's unconscious form.

The Martian did not require physical contact to do what was required. Although Jonn was the only Martian the League had ever encountered other than the Hyperclan, it proved that the race had been formidable telepaths. Jonn was able to make contact with Leaguers in space with nothing more than the power of thought. While the Crusaders had their own member with psi-abilities, Zatanna was mostly empathic. She could feel strong emotions but she was nowhere on Jonn's level of expertise. Ted had once seen him imprint an entire reality into the super villain Despero who came near to killing all of them. If anyone could bring Guy out of his dark limbo, Ted believed it was Jonn.

Guy Gardner lay on the examination table, motionless except for the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed. If one did not know better, it was possible to assume that he was asleep. However, Jonn knew better. His mind had retreated deep into itself to retain its sanity during the mutation process. Whether that too was a Vuldarian defence mechanism, Jonn could not say for certain. In any case, the action had kept the essence of him alive and protected from Doctor Lovecraft's machinations.

It did not require much to prompting for the personality buried inside Guy Gardner's mind to resurface. Jonn applied the mental equivalent of a jump start before he could feel a flood of memories and emotion rising to the fore. He withdrew at that point because Guy's own mental processes would be able to continue for this point.

Beatriz who had been holding his hand during her vigil at his bedside, suddenly felt his fingers tighten around hers and then relaxing. Her heart almost skipped a beat. For a moment, she actually wondered if it was not her own wishful thinking. However, when she felt his fingers repeat the action, Beatriz knew this was real. "He's moving!" She exclaimed.

Indeed he was. Guy Gardner's breathing had picked up from its slow, weak rhythm until his chest was expanding from his rising intake of oxygen. His other hand rose from his side and ended up lethargically against his brow. Slowly, he began to massage the skin as his eye lids fluttered open. It took a moment for them to focus on the surroundings. When he blinked the second time around, the Crusaders were cheering and applauding.

"What the hell is going on?" Guy Gardner managed his first coherent sentence in too long. As he spoke, his throat felt dry and hoarse and his voice escaped as little more than a croak.

"He needs water!" Guy heard someone say and thought it could have been Sigrid.

"Why do I feel like crap?" He demanded and tried to sit up in his bed. As he did so, he felt the entire room to spin around and decided against it for the time.

"Just rest Guy," Beatriz's voice sliced through the fog in his brain. He turned his head and saw her staring at him, her eyes moist with tears.

"What's the matter Bea?" He replied slurring his speech alittle as he raised a heavy hand to her face. He managed to brush a tear from her eyes and was somewhat taken back when she held it to her cheek and planted a kiss on his palm. "Hey, come on. Not in front of the guys. "

Beatriz laughed at the remark but did not remove his hand from her face. "Well he's back." She half smiled

"Help him sit up." Sigrid instructed as she appeared with some water.

Booster immediately adjusted the bed head so that Guy could sit up without exerting himself any more than necessary. When given the water, Guy drank the entire contents of the cup in almost one gulp and still felt dehydrated. Although he hated asking for anything, he felt weak and for some reason extremely exhausted. "Could I get some more of that?"

"Sure," Sigrid nodded and handed to cup to Booster who disappeared from view. Turning to him, the Norwegian studied him closely. "How are you feeling?"

"Like crap." Guy retorted and noticed that his surroundings did not appear to be familiar. His eyes shifted over the faces of the Crusaders and then rested on Jonn. "Hey there Jonn, its been awhile." He began to wonder why they were all staring at him as if there was something growing out of his head. "What's going on?" He demanded. "Why the hell are you staring at me?"

"Nice to see you Guy." Jonn said attempting to diffuse the situation, as he always used to.

"What is the last thing you remember Guy?" Ted's voice entered the fray.

"Maybe this isn't the best time for a briefing." Beatriz spoke up. "He's been through a lot, Guy needs his rest"

"The hell I do," he said gruffly. "What's happened?"

Ted took a deep breath and knew that once Guy's ire was up there was little to do except answer his questions. He was not one known for his patience. As Ted hobbled close to his bed, Guy noticed something else as well. The Blue Beetle appeared to have been in one hell of a fight. There were bruises on his face, his hands were exposed and bandaged, and the wound on his leg did not appear to be slight. Guy saw similar evidence on Booster, with that ridiculous bandage across his nose.

"What is the last thing you remember?" Ted asked again.

Guy started to get nervous because there was some unspoken thing between them all that they were reluctant to tell him. He could see it in Bea's eyes and in the way Ted was trying to dance around his question. Instead of flying off the handle which he was too tired to do any way, Guy focused on Ted's question. What was the last thing he remembered?

It swirled in on him like the water escaping down a drain. He saw images in the eddies, disjointed and vague. Certain things were acute in his mind, others were little more than dark emotions and unclear shapes. Kevin Sharpe. The name sang siren songs in his head, until it resonated through every part of his consciousness.

He was trying to find Kevin.

Kevin who screamed at him through the glass, who did not look like Kevin any more. Kevin was drowning in fluid behind glass and Guy could see him, see the bubbles strangling the scream trying to escape his throat.

Oh god, Kevin.

"Guy!" Beatriz cried through the vortex of memory.

Guy blinked and saw that he had twisted the railings on each side of the examination bed out of shape. The metal rails were being held on with nothing more than their strained screws and he was breathing hard, as if he had just run a marathon. For some reason, his heart constricted in his chest and there was sweat running down his brow. He looked up at Ted and closed his eyes to focus. Finally, the words formed for him to answer.

"The last thing I remember is that I couldn't save Kevin."

TO BE CONTINUED....