All characters and situations belong to DC Comics. The Story is mine. Copyright such as it is 30th September 1998

BOOK THREE: ISLAND RETREAT

CHAPTER THIRTEEN: KOOEY KOOEY KOOEY

She returned to the main arena of their confrontation with the Extremists and saw to her relief that both Sigrid and Guy had matters well in hand. Gorgon's tentacles was presently trapped in ice and was no threat to any more. Meanwhile, Lord Havok was being beaten within an inch of his life. While she was mildly concerned if the new General Glory was capable of taking on Tracer, Beatriz brushed her reservations to the back of her mind. If he needed help, he would call her. She assumed by their absence, that Ted and Zatanna were taking on Dreamslayer.

Knowing that frightened her somewhat because the last time they had encountered Dreamslayer, they had lost the Silver Sorceress. Although the new Blue Beetle now possessed formidable powers, they were still new to him. Beatriz remembered the uncertainty she had felt during her first real test with her own enhanced powers. From her own experiences, she knew Ted needed more field experience with his new abilities before he could take on someone like the Extremist. Thankfully, Zatanna was with him. Her reputation as one of the early members of the Justice League of America could not be underestimated. Zatanna would keep Ted safe.

She flew through the main exhibition areas, seeking out Doctor Diehard but he was nowhere to be found. It still nagged at her why he was not with the main group. She normally left such deductions to Ted but at the moment he had bigger problems to deal with. She remembered reading the field reports of Justice League Europe, recounting their encounters with the Extremists and knew that Doctor Diehard would not stay out of a fight willingly.

The museum was in shambles. The small fire she had started during her battle with Tracer was burning down draperies and travelling up the length of the corridor, eating carpet as it advanced. The wax figurines in many rooms were either severely damage or melting from the heat of the fire. Rivers of paraffin were pooling into large, indistinct blobs. Beatriz could not see Doctor Diehard anywhere among the wreckage and she was more certain than ever that he was up to something. Finally after a fruitless search of the upper levels of the building, she decided to investigate the areas of the museum off limits to the general public.

As she had not seen them yet, Beatriz assumed Zatanna had sent the hostages to safety. Just as well, she decided as she travelled down a staircase. The building was heaving and groaning with alarming clarity as its structural integrity began to weaken. Considering the battering it was being forced to endure, Beatriz was not surprised if the entire structure was fast approaching breaking point. Suddenly, as she turned a corner, she started to hear new sounds, sounds that did not appear to be either natural or a result of the fighting above.

She quickly flew down the corridor, a trail of green fire illuminating the passageway as she moved. The closer she drew to the doorway at the end of the corridor, the louder those sounds became. She could hear frantic voices intermingling with these noises. The cracks of the door showed some evidence of what was taking place inside the room, with flashes of light flaring through the narrow fissures.

Beatriz was almost to the door when suddenly, she saw Doctor Diehard emerge from the shadows behind her. She stopped flying and turned around. "There you are." Beatriz said confidently as she started flying towards him. "I wondered why you weren't joining the rest of your friends in the party upstairs."

"I've had bigger fish to fry." Doctor Diehard laughed. There was something about the way he said those words that chilled Beatriz to the bone. "Its okay honey," he grinned as his eyes moved over her in a manner that was not at all honourable. "We can tango now."

"I'm sorry, you're not my type." She retorted sending a blast of flames at him. The Doctor jumped out of the way easily, allowing the stream of green fire to run down the corridor behind him. Suddenly, from the corner of her eye, Beatriz saw movement behind her. She turned around and saw the doors in the length of the hallway starting to shake. Within moments, the sound of wood pounding against the concrete became deafening. Their metal door knobs tore themselves from splintering wood before flying at her.

"You're going to have to do better than this." Beatriz remarked as the metal pieces flew harmlessly through her flamed body and smashed into the walls, leaving deep indents.

"I think I can manage that quite nicely." He replied confidently as she turned around to face him after the momentary distraction.

Suddenly, Beatriz caught sight of an obscure line of white that was meandering through the corridor behind the Doctor. For an instant, she thought it might be rope but it appeared to be too thick for that. She squinted her eyes to try in order to gain clearer vision of what the object was but the flames she had blasted at him now filled the narrow passageway with smoke. Whatever it was, Doctor Diehard was now holding it in his hands. Beatriz advanced on him slowly, her senses now tingling with suspicion. Batman had once said it was never wise to rush into a situation. At the moment, she had a feeling that she had tumbled into one head first.

The urgency of that situation soon leapt out at her without warning and as she saw the spray rushing at her, Beatriz realised that it should have been blindingly simple. The water splashed on her body, immediately snuffing out the flames. Unless she wanted to become completely extinguished, she had no choice to revert back to her normal state. As it was, she had little time to debate the matter. Beatriz hit the floor as the gush of water splashed into her. The force of the jet was so strong that she was immediately soaked to her skin.

"Never let it be said that I don't know how to put out a lady's fire." He grinned as he continued spraying the jet at her.

Beatriz could barely stay on her feet as the jet forced her backwards. The Extremist was playing it smart. He kept the hose on her knowing that as long as there was enough force behind that jet of water, she could not absorb the oxygen needed to flame on. The door knobs that had moved past her harmlessly earlier, were now flying at her like projectiles. She felt their blunt handles slamming into her body from all angles, until the pain was so intense that she found herself crying out. If she did not get out of his line of fire and reflame, things were going to get very ugly.

When this thought crossed her mind, Beatriz heard an explosion roar in her ear. The force of the detonation had robbed her of any balance she had manage to maintain in the face of that powerful jet of water. She felt flat on her back as she saw the side wall explode outward. Beatriz covered her head with her arms, as debris ran down on her. Once the large pieces had landed, Beatriz scrambled to her knees hoping to stand up and escape before this situation deteriorated any further.

However, the Doctor was anticipating the action. These super hero types could be so predictable, he thought. He changed the angle of the jet and the torrent of foamy water swept her feet from under her. Beatriz fell down on her side with a splash as the jet pushed her farther along the floor helplessly. From the new orifice in the wall Beatriz managed to see what had caused the explosion. A Citroen had smashed through the wall and had managed to enter the corridor. Although badly damaged, there was still enough of its bulk to cast a shadow upon her as it approached. Doctor Diehard was controlling its flight through a magnetic field she could neither see nor touch but undoubtedly promised death, should she be under it when the car fell.

She opened her mouth to scream but felt her throat filling up with water, as she was hit full in the face with the jet. The force of the torrent slammed her into another wall and before everything went black, she managed one soft cry. "Help me."

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

Zatanna closed her eyes when she saw it.

Ted merely ground his teeth in horror because it was beyond him that any one could commit such an act of barbarism. When Zatanna had teleported herself and the Blue Beetle to the location of the hostages, she had done so with the intention of transporting them to safety, away from the line of fire. However, as she stood in the room where the Extremists exhibit had been, she realised that perhaps it had always been a futile hope. She did not know whether the hostages had still been alive when Booster Gold had made his ill fated rescue attempt. However such questions seemed unimportant in the face of what they were now bearing witness to.

Instead of the absent Extremists figures that were now rampaging the museum, a new exhibit had been put in their place. The exhibit if one could call it that, was a gruesome display of bodies and blood, forced into some sick design, held in place by any object that would suit the purpose. Men, women and children, were crammed into the space that had once been occupied by the Extremists replicants. Age had spared no one. Their faces were a rictus of pain and horror while their bodies resembled a blueprint for torture. Some corpses appeared to be pulverised by powerful tentacles. Others sported deep, black burns. While some appeared crushed and battered. There were metallic objects scattered throughout the room that were covered in blood, hair and skin. However, the bodies that had been dismembered left the most lasting impressions. Powerful talons had done their worst and its victims amputated limbs were hanging on the walls like pieces of macabre art in the gallery of the insane.

"Oh my god." Ted whispered as he tried not to be sick. However as he won his battle with his disgust, he was losing the one with rage.

"God had nothing to do with this." Zatanna replied stonily, her eyes unmoving from the scene. In the depths of a nightmare where she had once tried to save her father, Zatanna Zatara had seen worse. If that could possibly be believed. Despite her composure, she knew that this was going to be an image imprinted on her mind forever.

"Where are you Dreamslayer?" She shouted out angrily. "Where are you damn coward!"

"Where I've always been."

He appeared out of thin air in front of them. As he materialised, the bodies on exhibition floor began to twist and turn, bones snapped as they confirmed to his will. They mutated and slithered about like the clay under a sculptor's hands. By the time he was before them, completely whole, Dreamslayer was able to sit on his throne, fashioned out from the corpses of the dead.

"You sick bastard!" Ted shouted and hurled lighting bolts at him. The flash of electrical energy cracked through the air like a whip and lashed at the villain who merely shrugged them off as if they were nothing. Seeing they had little effect on him, Ted took flight and flew towards Dreamslayer like a bolt of blue.

"Beetle No!" Zatanna shouted in warning. The emanations of power exuding from Dreamslayer were astonishing. Zatanna was no longer certain that she was strong enough to defeat him. Somehow, the dead had given him strength and with each life that passed by, he absorbed their dream essence as the Gray Man once had to challenge the Lords or Order. All she could do now was protect him from Dreamslayer's power. "!werop sreyalsmaerD morf mih dleihS"

Dreamslayer was oblivious to Zatanna for the moment because he was focused on Ted. "So you are the insect who would be a god." Dreamslayer looked at him as if he was a lower life form. He flicked his hand open and from it came a bolt of bluish energy that halted the Blue Beetle's advance immediately. Energy, the likes of which Ted had never seen, struck him with such force that he was propelled backwards like a fly into the wall. The force of Dreamslayer's power had driven him into the wall, until there was a huge indent where he had impacted. He should have been dead or at least injured. However, Zatanna's spell had done its work well. While he felt pain at the impact, he was not harmed.

"You are still an insect Blue Beetle." Dreamslayer replied coldly, despite his miraculous survival. "An emerald bauble does not change your nature."

Ted struggled to his feet, the pain wracking his body was considerable but he did not intend to give this savage the satisfaction of knowing that he was hurt. "Neither does that body make you the Gray Man." He returned as he leapt into the air and returned to Zatanna's side.

"We are the Gray Man!" Dreamslayer shouted in defiance, as if their doubt in his identity was a personal affront to him.

"You are Dreamslayer." Zatanna spoke for the first time. "You are a counterfeit who has stolen the body of a servant. You have no right to it and you will not be allowed to remain."

Dreamslayer turned his attention to her as if he had noticed her for the first time. "So you are the new witch they have conjured up to deal with us is that it?"

"I am not a witch." She answered boldly. "I am Zatanna Zatara of the Hidden Ones and your time in this realm is over."

Ted glanced at her, wondering if Zatanna truly possessed the power to take on Dreamslayer. She certainly sounded as if she did. He had guessed that it was she who had saved his life a moment ago and that was nothing to be taken lightly. Having dealt with the Gray Man before, he was aware of how powerful the being could become when allowed to absorb the precious dream essence. At the moment however, Zatanna looked nothing like the woman he was so attracted to, instead her eyes seemed harder as if she was preparing herself for a deadly struggle. Considering their situation, he could believe it.

Dreamslayer laughed. "You underestimate me witch." The man stepped off his throne and turned to a dark corner. "Doctor, are you still with us?"

Doctor Diehard appeared from the shadow where he had been waiting in silence for some time, having slipped away from the battle his companions were now engaged. "I'm right here Slayer." He answered stepping into the light.

"You remember the Doctor, do you not insect?" Dreamslayer looked to Ted.

"Who could forget?" Ted retorted. "The candle lights, the moon, the dinner, drinking champagne out of your hood?"

"You are too entertaining," the Doctor chuckled. "I'm sure you'd forgotten."

Ignoring the verbal exchange between the Blue Beetle and Doctor Diehard, Zatanna turned her attention to Dreamslayer. The self proclaimed Lord of Dimensions was emanating a dark void where his consciousness should have been. For some reason, he was determined to protect his thoughts from her. Why now? His overconfidence had never given him reason to be concerned about her probings before. What had changed? She could not guess the reason, not even from Doctor Diehard. There were no thoughts to be picked up from him because he was a machine. Unfortunately, programming was not accessible to her mystical senses.

"What are you hiding?" She asked finally.

"You are good." Dreamslayer declared. "Insect, I commend you. You found yourself a real life magical witch. Even the Silver Sorceress was not adept at telepathy."

"Well we're all pretty proud of her." Ted said dryly. He hated holding back like this but Ted did not want to do anything rash again. Zatanna had saved his life once and until she gave him leave to act, he was going to stay put. She had a better take on all this mystical mumbo jumbo any way. However, Ted did not miss the uneasiness starting to creep into her eyes and that gave him cause for concern. Even when she had been fighting a town full of Dreamslayer's zombies, did she appear to be afraid.

Okay, she was afraid when she went flying with him.

"Since you did not deign to answer my question earlier, I will explain." Dreamslayer decided to continue. "Insect, if you recall, Doctor Diehard once held a thousand nuclear weapons over this pitiful ball of dirt and made your leaders beg."

The mention of nukes immediately sent cold fear into Ted's heart and nothing he could do, prevented that feeling from registering in his face. Instinctively, his eyes darted towards the ceiling. Zatanna, however, remained cool and collected in the face of this news.

"No, no, no." Dreamslayer quickly stated, seeing the conclusion Ted was leaping to. "I have no wish to reduce this world to radioactive rubble. That folly was my former colleagues. No, I have no more taste for global destruction. "

"How reassuring." Ted said sarcastically. He wanted to pound both Dreamslayer and Doctor Diehard to pieces, but he was not going to be like Guy Gardner in the old days. His analytical mind had taken complete control of his rage now and would not permit him to worsen the situation by acting like a hot headed fool.

"What I want," Dreamslayer said striding towards them before coming to a stop directly in front of Ted and Zatanna. "What I want is pure, beautiful revenge. Revenge on you and your kind for sending me into the limbo where I was trapped like a common prisoner. I, Dreamslayer, Master of the dimensions!"

"Aren't we getting a tad megalomaniacal?" Ted shot back.

Dreamslayer's anger got the better of him and he lashed out at Ted, sending that same bolt of energy at the Blue Beetle again. This time, Ted recovered without Zatanna's assistance, mostly because Dreamslayer had not wanted him dead. For the moment any way. "Beetle." Zatanna spoke gently. "Please." Things were critical enough without him aggravating the situation. She was starting to suspect that Dreamslayer may have had enough power to kill him even despite her spells.

Zatanna did not want him to risk his life. "So you have no taste of domination but you want revenge. We are here, why not kill us?"

"Kill you?" Dreamslayer exchanged glances with Doctor Diehard and both men laughed as if she had made some hilarious joke. "Make no mistake, you are going to die but not today. Today I would like you both to take a trip."

"To a tropical paradise." Doctor Diehard added with a laugh.

This was starting to get too weird for Ted. "No thanks, I prefer Aspen myself."

"Always the comedian." Dreamslayer remarked before his eyes narrowed with sinister intent. "We will see if you still find it amusing when I teach you what it is to twist in agony before this day is done! Now!" He ordered Doctor Diehard sharply.

Both heroes turned to the Extremists who suddenly let out a deep breath before looking up at them again. The look on his face was more than sinister. It whispered something terrible to which they were not privy to yet. Even though he had not moved an inch out of their sight, Ted and Zatanna knew the powers at his disposal. They also knew that without even being told, something awful had taken place beyond the walls of this arena. "Well that was entertaining. Are we going there for the fireworks?"

"What have you done?" Ted grabbed him by the throat and lifted him off the ground. The Doctor was still wearing that triumphant sneer on his face despite the fact that Ted could easily tear him apart.

"Nothing you will be able to change." Dreamslayer answered indifferent to Ted's show of anger. He lifted the veil from his thoughts and showed her the picture of what he had done in all its magnificent glory.

Although it had not taken place yet, the event was moments away from unfolding. It exploded inside her mind, showing her clearly the devastation about to be wrought. In an instant, Zatanna saw an entire civilisation die and knew that she could not reach it in time to prevent its end. Dreamslayer was allowing her the knowledge because he knew she would be powerless to stop it. However, Zatanna Zatara would not let him win, not yet. Maybe there was still time, in any case, she was not going to sit by without even trying.

"We're leaving!" She said to Ted, her eyes unmoving from Dreamslayer's face. "Know what it is to make any enemy of me, Lord of the Dimensions." Zatanna said quietly. Each word that left her lips dripped in cold venom.

"We will meet again. "

**********

The next thing that Ted Kord aka the Blue Beetle was aware after Zatanna had made the declaration that they were departing, was the sun shining in his eyes. He had less than a second to adjust his eyes to the sunlight when suddenly, Zatanna who was standing next to him shouted frantically.

"CLOSE YOUR EYES!"

"What?" He exclaimed, her sudden cry startling him.

"Do it now!" She ordered, the panic in her voice told him to argue no further.

Obeying immediately, Ted closed his eyes tight, wondering what was the reason for this action. His goggles were made of high density polyurethane, even a bullet would have trouble penetrating it to harm him. His eyes were closed when he suddenly felt heat wash over him that was completely alien to the warmth of the sunny beach they had materialised on. He was tempted to open his eyes when suddenly the darkness before him flared so brightly he was forced to abandon the idea immediately. Even through his clamped eyelids, every dark corner of his universe became filled with an blindingly white light.

"!su tcetorp lliw taht dleihs a tcerE" He heard moments before an almighty roar tore through his ears. The words made no sense to him but the gust of wind rushing up at him did.

The ground beneath him shook and for a moment, Ted thought they might have been in the epicentre of a most violent earth quake. However, he soon decided that if this was an earthquake, it rated two thousand on the Richter scale. There was nothing natural about this calamity, if he believed in spiritual connection to the land, Ted Kord believed he would have been able to hear the earth scream in agony.

Zatanna dropped to her knees beside him and slid her arms around his neck, suddenly needing his embrace to sustain her through what was coming. She could have taken them away from here but there was no time to speak the spell that would remove them safely. Even the forces of mysticism had to adhere to the will of nature sometimes. Teleporting was a serious business and attempting to do it in the rapids of such psychic turbulence could kill them both. However, she was also bound by more human reasons. A part of her needed to see this, needed to ride out the storm in a vain hope that there could be survivors who would benefit from immediate help.

Ted could not contain his curiosity any further, he had to see what was happening even though the scientist in him had already shifted through the evidence and came up with the answer. Realistically he should be dead but all he could feel was tingle of warmth against his skin. Whatever Zatanna was doing to protect, was working quite effectively. There was some discomfort physically but none that could compare with the knowledge inside his mind. He felt Zatanna's arms around him, holding tight as she buried her face in the crook of his shoulder. He could feel tears seeping through his uniform. Even though she was probably saving both their lives, she still had reason to weep. Ted had to see why. When he did, he wished he had listened to her.

The sky was on fire.

The rolling cloud of nuclear fire rumbled towards them a terrible scourge from god. It thundered towards the island from the near by ocean, with the ultimate forces of destruction leading the charge. Ted was almost tempted to pray but he knew it would not matter one damn bit if Zatanna's mystical shield did not hold. As it was, they should have been killed during the initial impact, now it seemed they had front row tickets to the shock wave.

Everything in the path of the fiery maelstrom was obliterated. Trees, sand, water that sizzled into steam, all destroyed in the most prolific example of why nature should never be trifled with. As it descended upon him, he buried his face in her hair, deciding that maybe he did not need to look anymore. He felt the soft strands of her luxurious hair against his cheeks and savoured a deep breath of its fragrance in his nostril. If he had to go, Ted could live with going out this way.

Still, he hoped his this was not his last memory of her.

********

When the storm had come and gone, the island of Kooey Kooey Kooeey was no more than a patch of radioactive dirt in the middle of a poisoned sea. For a long time, they stood inside their bubble, looking out like gold fish in a bowl. Beyond the mystic shield Zatanna had erected to save their lives, there was nothing. Not a blade of grass, not a living thing whose bodies were not burned into the sand. The beautiful beach was now covered in fused and crude dark glass. It was now possible to look at the island from one end to the other without having to walk across it. The vegetation in between was completely obliterated. The island had been flattened into submission.

Ted did not even want to touch the grief that stemmed from calculating the human loss in this tragedy. The names slipped into his mind despite his best efforts not to think of them. They stole into his memory like a thief in the night and Ted found the full measure of sorrow reach up and claim his heart with each recognition.

"The Chief, Herb, Puck." Ted whispered as he stared beyond the shield. His eyes starting to mist with tears. "They're all gone."

Zatanna rested her head on his shoulder, sharing his pain even though the faces in her mind had no names. "I am sorry." She replied, trying not to cry herself. "I did not know he would do this."

"Its not your fault.' Ted answered quickly. "You couldn't know." Rage had yet to take him but Ted knew it would, sooner that later. "He picked this place for a reason."

"The Sorceress died here didn't she?" Zatanna guessed.

"Yeah," he nodded. "But that's not the reason." He declared bitterly. There was a bad taste in his mouth that would not be eradicated until Dreamslayer met his maker once and for all. Blue Beetle was going to see to it. His gaze swept over the devastated landscape trying to imagine if the villagers of this island had any idea at all what had hit them. "He was defeated here." Ted explained swallowing the lump in his throat. "We beat him on his this island once before. The islanders helped us and now look at them."

Zatanna could look because there was nothing to look at. The people of Kooey Kooey Kooey no longer existed. Dreamslayer had seen to that. He had proclaimed his vengeance would make Ted twist in agony before the day was done and he was right. It did.

"We did not know this would happen, Beetle." She said taking hold of his arms and making him face her. "If we had, nothing would have kept us from helping them. You know that."

Ted nodded mutely and pulled his goggles off his face. Suddenly, the mask seemed redundant in the aftermath of what had taken place in this once beautiful paradise. There was no one left from whom to protect his secret identity. Despite their protection behind the mystic shield, his mask felt confining and when he stripped if off his face, it was moist with sweat.

Zatanna took a moment to study his face, her curiosity in this matter finally satisfied. He was not at all what she expected. While it was a handsome face, it was not the face of a superhero. It was the face of an ordinary man who had set extraordinary goals for himself. Ted Kord would never be the subject of an artist's effort but there was warmth in his features that could breathe life to any painting or statue.

And he had nice eyes.

"My name is Ted," he introduced himself. The horror around them made the idea of a secret identity trivial and Ted knew he could trust Zatanna.

"I am pleased to meet you Ted." Zatanna smiled, sensing that trust. "Most people call me Zee."

"How are we going to live with this Zee?" Ted looked sadly at the ruined landscape.

"One day at a time, Ted." She answered and let out a deep breath knowing this moment could not last. They had to move on to prevent Dreamslayer from doing this again. Until now, she had believed the Crusaders could stop him but it was starkly obvious that Dreamslayer had no moral limitations. The Crusaders might be able to defeat him eventually but not before he destroyed everything that meant something to them. Strangely enough, Zatanna did not want to see them endure that.

In the short time she had come to know this group, Zatanna had learnt one thing; she cared about them. She cared because they were unpretentious and unashamed to be exactly who they were. Staying true to themselves meant more than any facade they chose to display for the outside world. Zatanna who was used to playing facades, could appreciate the sincerity they dared to show.

These were people she could call friends.

Even if she had no such feelings for them, Zatanna was realistic about Dreamslayer's intentions. When he was done with the Crusaders, she had no doubts that his claims to disliking global conquest would fade. Dreamslayer and others like him were creatures of habit. They were drawn to power like a moth to the flame. It would become an obsession. Unfortunately, Dreamslayer was too formidable an opponent to allow such ambitions to grow fruit. He had to be stopped and he had to be stopped now. When she had made her threat, she had not done so lightly.

"I have to send you back." Zatanna said finally.

"Send me back?" Ted looked at her. "What about you?"

"I will join you and the others shortly." Zatanna answered. For a moment, she sensed stark terror in him because he believed she was about to do something foolish, like facing Dreamslayer on her own. It surprised her to sense that he could not bear the thought of her death or the possibility of never seeing her again. Zatanna could not help feeling flattered at engendering such passion from a man who barely knew her.

She placed her hand on his cheek, an intimate gesture that surprised him to no end. Zatanna smiled faintly as she saw his eyes widen in surprise. All thoughts about Kooey Kooey Kooey had been driven from his mind by that one act. "Zee, are you coming on to me?" He asked sheepishly.

"Would you mind?" She asked with a twinkle in her eye.

"No." He tried to sound cool but did not manage it. "In fact, I would be surprised. Very surprised, no, no, astonished actually. Its not like this happens to me all the time you know, I can't remember how long its been since a beautiful woman came on to me. No, really I don't think its every happened to me. Ever. " Now he was babbling. "Am I making any sense?"

"Perfectly." She replied and then added a more serious note so that he would understand better. "He needs to be stopped Ted and Lord help us, I don't we can do it alone. We need help."

"From the Lords of Order?" He asked puzzled. "I thought you said they refused to help."

"They did." Zatanna said shortly. "I meant someone else."

"Who?"

Zatanna Zatara did not answer.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN: THE DREAMING

He heard her cry for help even through the frenzy of battle.

Her voice reached him despite the sound of his fists battering Lord Havok with relentless rage. At the moment, the Extremists was lying in a heap on the ground before him, no longer moving. Once the energy of his formidable armour had finally been exhausted, the villain had to use his own strength to defend himself. Fortunately, as with most super villains, they relied almost completely on their meta human strength without paying any attention to normal physical fitness. Lord Havok was no exception. If he had faced a lesser opponent, he might have stood the victor.

However, he was faced to face with Vuldarian warrior in full blood heat.

The Vuldarians were a race dedicated to serving in the cause of justice but their means to achieving this end were nothing short of ruthless. In their day, they were rightly known as the most fearsome warriors in the galaxy until they were hunted down by the evil Tormocks and destroyed in a genocidal war. In order to keep some part of them alive for the future ages, they had manipulated genetic blood lines for centuries on numerous worlds, in order to culminate their warrior inspirit into a new race. Unfortunately, the Tormocks hunted them down on every world settled upon. Finally, the survivors were forced to take refuge on a primitive world on the spiral arm of the galaxy.

In Guy Gardner, was the last child of Vuldar.

That was something not even an Extremist could combat and win. Guy Gardner, Warrior, stood above the unconscious form of Lord Havok who had stopped fighting long ago. The welfare of the Extremists was the farthest thing from his mind at the moment. Guy had heard Beatriz through the signal device hanging on his belt. It disturbed him to no end that she had not signalled again and he shook the device with frustration when nothing but silence came from it. After a few seconds, he realised he was wasting time. Wherever she was, she needed help.

Guy spun around and ran back into the previous room. Sigrid had just incapacitated Gorgon in a wall of ice. The Extremist was no longer moving for he was completely encased. Sigrid was wiping her brow, although the moisture could hardly be called sweat. It was more like condensation. Initially, she had only decided to freeze his tentacles, but as Gorgon worked himself into a bloody rage, Sigrid felt extra precautions were necessary. The obese man was staring at her through the block of eyes, a look of surprise frozen on his face. Sigrid had taken care to see to it that his prison was formed from mixture of fluids that would act as a cryogenic prison until she was ready to revive him.

"Bea's in trouble." Guy stated. "Did you see where she went?" He demanded. Although the signal device had a built in tracker, it indicated direction only, not a location.

"No, I didn't." Sigrid said with concern, starting to follow him as he hurried towards another corridor.

"Stay here." Guy ordered before she could reach him. "Keep an eye on these two, especially Lord Havok, he might be playing possum."

Sigrid nodded mutely, casting a glance over her shoulder at the unconscious armour clad villain. "Alright." She called after him as he disappeared down the hall way. A part of her wanted to join him but knew he was correct. One of them had to remain behind.

Besides, Warrior knew how to take care of himself.

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

The tracking function on the signal device led Guy downstairs into the bowels of the museum. The journey downward, indicated that some serious fighting had taken place in this part of the building. He could see large chunks of plaster lying on the edge of the floor where they had fallen. Light globes had shattered from the heaving stress of the ceiling above them. He wondered if this was where Ted and Zatanna had teleported to when they had disappeared to face the Gray Man.

The farther he continued to the basement levels, the more he was gripped with this growing feeling of dread. He had only ever felt such intense foreboding one other time and that was the day he learnt Tora had died fighting the Overmaster. Despite all his macho bravado and warrior instincts, he tried not to even conceive the possibility that he might again be too late to save Bea as he had with Tora. Even though their relationship had begun in the ashes of Tora's death, Guy's emotions for Beatriz were as strong as it had been for the fallen Ice. The thought of her being gone sent icy shivers through his being.

Cut it out, Gardner.

Guy told himself quite forcefully. He shook his head and forced away his fears over Beatriz's safety because he knew it was counter productive. If she were in trouble, he would need to be in command of his senses, not terrified like some kid.

The lighting in the staircase leading to the basement level of the museum was almost none existent. The battle raging upstairs and below had damaged most of the museum's primary systems. Trails of plaster and concrete was following him down with each step against the floor. However as he descended, the sound of rushing water that had been a distant consideration, moments ago, was now rumbling loud enough to fill the narrow passageway. Voices also begin to filter through the sound of running water that made Guy hasten his advance to the bottom of the stairs. As the basement floor came into sight, Guy could see a shimmer of fluid on the ground even with the dim lighting.

Seeing the sight of so much water made little difference to his descent but it did give him some idea how Beatriz had been incapacitated enough to need help. She was one of the most powered super heroines in the meta-human world. There were not many villains who could take her on and live, if she had the desire for blood, which she did not. Stepping into the basement levels, the water immediately rose up and gripped his ankles.

Despite his haste, Guy had made his approach quietly. Thanks to the light coming through the large hole in the wall, Doctor Diehard wielding a large fire hose that was blasting out a jet of high pressurised water. He was guiding metallic fragments against the far wall, each piece of iron and steel moving with the speed of bullets. Beatriz was lying semi-unconscious against the corner of the room, trying to avoid the pressurised spray of water that was robbing her of the ability to flame on and thus defend herself.

"Come on honey," Doctor Diehard laughed in absolute delight at his subjugation of this meta-human. "You can do better than that."

Beatriz could barely answer or hear for that matter. The water blasting at her body possessed such force that it she was having difficulty breathing. Water had gushed down her throat and was pounding relentlessly on her bruised and damage wounds. Each time, she tried to move out of its way, the Doctor had changed the angle and forced her back into this corner, to cower like some helpless woman. She had narrowly missed being crushed by the car he had brought in here and Beatriz had a sinking feeling he was just toying with her until he was ready for a satisfying kill.

Where were the others? She thought frantically.

Suddenly, the powerful jet stopped in mid spray. The water was reduced to a slight trickle before the hose went limp in Doctor Diehard's hand. Beatriz fell forward, coughing out the large volume of water that had forced its way down her throat. After the roar of water almost deafening her, she was able to hear with fierce clarity.

"What the hell?" Doctor Diehard swore as his weapon died in his hand. He looked over his shoulder and saw the valve activating the water had been snapped clean off.

"Nobody starts anything with my girl except me." Guy announced himself, stepping out of the shadows the Doctor had used so fully to his own advantage, earlier.

The Doctor said nothing at first but Guy heard the creaking of the wrecked Citroen that was lying on the floor. It shot up in the air and flew towards Guy with ease, despite the limitations of the corridor and its state of damage. "I'm afraid I am not done playing with the bitch yet!" Diehard said viciously as he hurled the vehicle at Guy.

Guy saw the hunk of metal and glass flying at him and immediately dove under it. The vehicle passed harmlessly over him as he used the water on the floor to carry him safely away from it. The car smashed into a door, shattering the wood and the door frame that was holding it in place. However, Doctor Diehard was already preparing his next attack as metal fragments that were door knobs, light fixtures and anything he could visualise, started flying at Guy with savage speed. The first few caused a slight measure of pain to the Vuldarian speed but he only had to morph to nullify that particular threat. Within seconds, Guy had morphed himself Vuldarian armour and the objects bounced off him with little concern.

"Try again." Guy retorted.

"No problem." Doctor Diehard laughed. "I've got a whole bag of tricks."

Suddenly, a new voice entered the conversation. "Get out of the way Guy."

Guy looked over the Doctor's shoulder and saw Beatriz standing behind the Extremist. She looked bruised and injured but that look in her eyes was unmistakable. Guy knew not to argue with her when she was like this. "Sorry Doctor," Guy replied as he glanced at the hole made by the car. It led into another room and through the ceiling. "It appears the lady is gonna take the reins." With that, he leapt through the orifice and jumped through the hole in the ceiling. As he looked down seconds later, he saw the darkness below was suddenly illuminated with green light.

"Now you wanted to tango?" Beatriz looked at Diehard who was attempting to make a hasty retreat, now that his advantage was gone. "I'll warn you now," she said walking after him. "I'm a hot touch."

She blasted a column of intense fire at him, concentrating on making that blast of flame, hotter and deadlier than normal. This time, there would be no confinement strategy to follow. Beatriz de Costa aka Fire, was going to put and end to him. The flames hit the Extremist with the force of a mini-nuclear weapon. It carried him on a wave of heat, slamming him into the wall, until the metal inside his replicant structure began to soften and then buckle. By the time, Doctor Diehard impacted against the wall, his body had the consistency of mercury at room temperature.

Beatriz flamed off and returned to her normal self, feeling ache and pains from bruises and the other lacerations on the skin. A few seconds after the disappearance of the her body's green flame and darkness had returned to the room, she heard footsteps approaching.

"Where is he?" Guy questioned as he climbed through the hole, his feet splashing against the water.

"Over there." She gestured offhandedly, as she examined a large cut on her arm. "Bastard," she whispered under her breath.

Guy saw what was left of Doctor Diehard and whistled. "You're one mean babe when you're angry." He remarked before returning his attention to her. Lifting her chin in his hand, Guy winced at the purplish bruise forming around her left eye. "Are you okay?" His voice devoid of its previous humour and full of genuine concern.

"I'm black and blue, but I'm okay." She replied, squeezing his hand in comfort.

Guy gave her a smile before leaning downwards and expressing his relief in a soft, lingering kiss. For the moment at least, there was no Gray Man, Dreamslayer or Extremist for that matter, to intrude on this stolen minute of intimacy. There would be plenty of time to get back to fighting the good fight but none of it would matter if they denied themselves moments like these.

"How touching." A voice snapped them back to reality.

Both Guy and Beatriz looked up to see the Gray Man at the far end of the corridor. He had emerged from the set of doors Beatriz had tried to investigate prior to her meeting with Doctor Diehard.

"Give it up Dreamslayer!" Guy shouted, striding towards him fearlessly. 'We've already pounded your friends into tin cans!"

"I expected you would." Dreamslayer said unperturbed. "They were here merely to distract you while I tended to other matters."

Guy did not like the sound of that at all. "What do you mean?" He asked, not really expecting answer.

"Now that would be letting you in on the surprise, wouldn't it?" The villain smiled coldly. "I'm not ready to do that yet. So as they say in France, au revoir for now. We will meet again.

Dreamslayer spun around dramatically, a trail of energy spiralling from him as he disappeared. It struck Guy in mid stride and sent him flying backwards. The pain it caused was just as powerful. It rose in white hot waves from the centre of him until Guy could nothing but scream as the world went black.

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

"Guy," he felt someone slapping his cheeks lightly. "Wake up."

Reality flowed back into his mind like a sink that was left to drain. Images swirled painfully back into place as Guy Gardner started to wake up. His skin felt icy cold and with those images crowding in on him all at once, Guy managed to extract the memory that he was still in the passage way, covered with water.

"Come on Guy," the voice spoke again. "We've got work to do. Get up."

"Jesus Ted," Guy managed to groan. "I hear you already."

"Come on pal," Ted said quietly. "We need our fearless leader up and atom."

"Okay, okay, okay," Guy fought off Ted's attempts to help him to his feet. He felt as if he was having a mother of a hangover, which would not have been too bad if he had done the drinking to cause it. "I'm getting up." He opened his eyes and saw Beatriz lying on her stomach similarly, unconscious. Sigrid was attempting to rouse her.

"Is Bea all right?" Guy asked momentarily alarmed.

"She's okay," Ted spoke quickly allaying his fears. "She's knocked out like you were." He explained. "I got back a few minutes ago and found all of you like this."

"Like what?" Guy demanded as he rose to his feet. Grabbing Ted's arm, he steadied himself to spite the swirling in his head.

"All of you were unconscious." Ted answered. "There was no sign of the Extremists or Dreamslayer anywhere. I figured he's gone to find his next playground." The bitterness in his voice was unmistakable. Now that he listened carefully, it was more than just that. Something in his voice sounded strange. There did not appear any of the joviality or humour that was a staple of any conversation with Ted Kord. In fact, he was more sedate than Guy had ever seen him. It was clear indication of some terrible news over the horizon.

"You're chewing at the bit," Guy declared as he walked gingerly to Sigrid and Beatriz. "What aren't you telling me."

Ted released out a frustrated sigh and swallowed hard. As he gathered his thoughts, Guy saw the muscles in Ted's jaw tighten. His reaction put Guy on alert immediately. Once again that feeling of ominous foreboding crept up on him and clenched at his insides. "What has happened Ted?" He asked firmly this time.

Ted closed his eyes as he willed the strength to speak. Even now, what he had seen a short time ago seemed inconceivable. It was almost painful to say out loud but he knew he had to. The others had to know. They had to understand what kind of threat they were now dealing with.

"Dreamslayer dropped a nuclear bomb on Kooey Kooey Kooey."

"Oh my god!" Sigrid exclaimed from behind them. She had looked up momentarily from her attempts to rouse Beatriz, her eyes widened with horror.

Guy said nothing for a few seconds and it appeared that no words could adequately describe what any of them felt with accuracy. This was beyond words. He heard Beatriz stirring behind him but did not turn around to see if she was all right. Dreamslayer's revenge was far from over, he wanted them alive to taste his victory. Finally, he understood what Dreamslayer had said to him before the Extremist had rendered them all unconscious. It made perfect sense now that they were aware of Kooey Kooey Kooey's fate.

"He said he was using the replicants to distract us." Guy said softly. "He was right. All this time, he was just keeping us busy while he went after his real target."

"Yeah." Ted remarked. "He's stronger than ever now Guy."

"I know." Guy nodded in agreement. "I'm sure he helped himself to a great deal of dream essence when he blew up the island. All those people....."

"Dreamslayer sent me and Zatanna there to." Ted turned away, trying to hide the anger in his voice. "He made us watch." The anger Ted felt was beyond description. He had known the Chief and Herb personally. They were not just names to him. They were his friends. The islanders of Kooey Kooey Kooey had come to Maxwell Lord to keep their home from becoming a pawn between the super powers at the time. With League sanctioning, Kooey Kooey Kooey had been protected from US and Soviet plans for strategic nuclear placement.

With sadistic cruelty, Dreamslayer had taken their fears of becoming a nuclear target and made it a reality.

Guy looked at him sympathetically and wished there were something he could say to assuage Ted's rage but the words failed him. Tora was always good at that sort of thing. Guy Gardner could offer no words of comfort because he shared Ted's anger. He wanted to tear Dreamslayer apart as much as Ted. Kooey Kooey Kooey was just a harmless island with a tiny civilisation that had been a threat to no one. They did not deserve to die like this.

"Where is Zatanna?" Guy asked, suddenly realising that the magician was absent.

"She didn't come back with me." Ted replied still dazed by what he had seen.

"Where is she?" He demanded. "We're going to need her to track that bastard down."

"She said she will be along soon." Ted continued. "She said she was going to get help from somewhere else."

Guy rose a brow at that. "What did she mean by that?" This mystical stuff was making his head ache worse. He wondered if Inspector Cadmus had any Tylenol.

"I don't know." Ted answered honestly. "I don't know."

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

Zatanna Zatara went home to her little house in New England. She teleported into the familiar surroundings of her bedroom and felt some comfort in seeing the trappings of home, after the carnage she had been forced to witness. All was as she left it. Zatanna had expected nothing less. She saw her bed covered with its inviting patch quilt spread and immediately felt drawn to it. Even the smells of home put her at ease as she walked to the edge of the bed and ran her fingers over the fabric of the quilt.

Sensing her presence, a jet black movement through the door signalled the arrival of Branwen, her cat. The feline leapt onto the bed with one graceful manouvre, with agility and elegance that was only cats were capable and humans would always envy. She moved across the spread, nestling comfortably into place as she waited for Zatanna to join her.

"Hello Branwen." Zatanna smiled, pleased to see her old friend. "It appears we must make a journey, would you care to join me?"

The cat's eyes narrowed and Branwen uttered a single meow of consent.

"You were always braver than I." Zatanna smiled and climbed further into the bed. It took a few moments for her to become comfortable and she felt Branwen's furry head, resting against her shoulder as they prepared for their journey.

Zatanna laid her head back on the pillow watching the ceiling above her for a second before she closed her eyes. Her mind slipped swifly into the prepared meditation and the images of her destination swirled through corner of her mind. The sleep would come eventually but first the visual image had to be present. It was difficult at first, keeping the memories of that island paradise from her mind but gradually they faded into the mist of forgetfulness.....

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

A philosopher, a conqueror

Or would be sorcerer could tell you

If they knew,

That nothing in the realm of the Dream Lord was ever true.

No incantations, no advanced science or prayer

Could clear the mist that veils the mind

As one walks through the path that meander

A woman you may see, a raven with she

Perhaps even a pumpkin that talks

And a golden gargoyle that squawks

You will come to the gate of the castle

Pray tell their guards your petition

And should they deign to speak

Make haste with your answer

For griffins have no patience

Of fools with designs on their master

Branwen meowed in her ear.

Zatanna opened her eyes and saw the sky above her was dark as night. There were no stars that could be seen from this place, however, should she chose to imagine them, she had no doubt they would appear for her. The landscape was covered with an almost blank like fog. She could see nothing except the path that led to the castle before her. In the depths of the fog, she could see the vague shaped of gnarled trees and voices that echoed in the distance.

"We are here." Branwen said softly.

Her cat had apparently undergone some metamorphosis. For now it appeared Branwen had the shape of a woman's body, clad only in a cotton wrap.

"You look different Branwen." Zatanna whispered. She knew of this place, had heard of it, sometimes visited in her dreams, but had never consciously chosen to come here on her own. Perhaps Zatanna never believed it possible to until now.

"My Lady Bast had allowed me this form while we conduct our business." Branwen replied, her green eyes flaring.

"What do we do Branwen?" Zatanna asked, feeling slightly fearful. This was more than magic she was dabbling with. That which had created this place had also given every living in the universe, its dreams to create ever idea that was ever borne of a mind.

"It is all right Mistress." Branwen smiled. "I can guide you."

Branwen walked up the gravel path. Her bare feet making crunching noises as she continued towards the massive stone figures that flanked the gate entrance. Zatanna followed her quickly, feeling very much like the novice at this moment. Who knew her cat has such connections?

The gateway was nothing like anything she had ever seen. Enormous doors that easily made her look infinitesimal towered over their heads. Guarding the massive entrance way, were two equally massive statues standing guard. The creatures they were meant to emulate were gryphons and seemed somehow alive beneath that seemingly immobile visage of stone. Zatanna followed Branwen, who seemed to know this realm well. She made a mental note to question Branwen further when their business had been dealt with.

"Who trespasses at the gates of our Lord?"

Branwen spoke before she could and considering her companion seemed to be familiar with their surroundings, Zatanna saw no reason to object.

"I am Branwen, a subject of the Lady Bast." Branwen said grandiosely.

The gryphons whose body was shaped like a lion but bore the features of a bird of prey, craned its massive neck and looked down upon them both. "We are familiar with the Lady Bast, Branwen. State your business with our Lord."

"This is my mistress," Branwen replied glancing at Zatanna. "She is a sorceress of great repute who seeks the aid of the Dream Lord in a situation of urgency regarding the waking world."

This did not seem to impress the guard very much and it uttered a sceptical snort. "It appears the waking world is always in urgent need. "Does your mistress have a name?"

"I am Zatanna, daughter of Zatara and Sindella of the Hidden Ones. I wish to make petition to the Lord of this realm."

"It is at our Lord's discretion who he chooses to see." The gate keeper responded. "I shall bring news of your arrival to him. You will remain where you are until that moment."

With that, the statue lost its fluid motion and became immobile once more. Zatanna felt completely out of her depth here. Originally, this had seemed a good idea but now she was no so certain.

"Branwen," Zatanna whispered softly. "Do you think he will see us?"

"I am not certain mistress," Branwen answered honestly. "My Lady Bast shared a deep friendship with Lord Morpheus but she knows nothing of Lord Daniel, his newest aspect."

Suddenly, the gryphons booming voice spoke again. Its voice startled both of them and cut short their discussion. "Our Lord will see you." It said politely. "You may enter."

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

The castle of the Dream Lord was nothing like what she expected. In some ways, it looked very much like any old English manor but it appeared to be inhabited by some terribly eccentric creatures. She was certain, she saw a Courtney Love look alike turning down a corridor and what appeared to be a green gargoyle was trying to catch a mouse in one of the other rooms. They were met at the stately hallway by a man who looked as if he might have been closely related to Vincent Price.

"I am Lucien." He said politely. "My Lord has asked me to conduct you to him."

"Thank you Lucien." Branwen answered. "Please forgive my lady's silence, it is her first attempt to petition Lord Daniel."

"That is quite understandable," Lucien said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Most people find this journey to be quite discontenting."

You don't know the half of it, Zatanna wanted to say. Instead she opted for polite conversation. "You know, I thought I saw Courtney Love here just now."

Lucien looked at her oddly and readjusted his steel rimmed glasses before his eyes widened in understanding. "I think you are referring to the Fashion Thing." He declared as they started moving through the ornate hallway. "Its is her latest fad."

"Oh." Zatanna said shortly.

The corridor entered into a massive hall with high ceilings, huge Tudor glass windows and a floor with a high shine on it. It almost looked like a ball room. There was no furniture in it except for an old carved desk and chair. Zatanna swallowed hard feeling her fear rise. This was nothing like communing with the Lords of Order. Once again, Zatanna reminded herself for the hundredth time, the stakes involved in this venture.

"Daughter of Zatara and Selinda," a man spoke from the centre of the room. "You have come to seek me out."

"Go on," Lucien motioned them forward and Zatanna continued walking, even though Branwen was now two steps behind her.

The man was taller than her by at least a foot. His skin was pasty white and his tousled hair was grey. His eyes were nothing more than pinpricks of light through dark sockets. Without ever seeing him for herself, Zatanna knew with absolute certainty, this was the Dream King. His clothes were nothing more than light robes and he did not seem very austere for one of the seven but there was no doubt he was one of them.

"My Lord, I thank you for this opportunity." She said upon reaching him.

"Thanks are not needed, you are here. What is it you wish of me?"

"I come from the waking world," Zatanna launched, determined to do her best to convince him. "I seek your help."

"In what way?" He asked folding his hands behind his back. "I have expended my favours to your realm a short time ago."

"I know." Zatanna answered, not to be put off. "However, there is a being of unspeakable power who has escaped from what I assume was limbo. He has seized control of Gray Man's body and is now using it to wreak destruction across the planet."

"The Gray Man is in the purview of the Lords of Order. Have you not consulted them?" He eye critically.

"I have," Zatanna nodded. "It is their time of Kali-Yuga and they will not help because the entity who controls the Gray Man is of the waking world."

"Then of what concern is it of mine?" He asked Zatanna, his eyes sparkling as he spoke.

"The entity uses the dream essence of dead mortals to fuel his power. Unfortunately, he is not prepared to wait until mortals are dead before he removes it. He is now resorting to murder to increase his supply of dream essence. I am aware that the Lords of Order collect it for their own reasons but as far as I see it, dream essence should belong to you. If they will not lift a finger to keep it from someone who will use it for evil, I had hoped you would be less indifferent." Zatanna had considered her plea to the Dream Lord carefully prior to her arrival here because he was right. This situation had nothing to do with him. He had no reason to help them. This was a matter clearly for the Lords of Order, not him. She had hoped she could appeal to him and engender some interest with the bait of the dream essence. Zatanna prayed that it was not a mistake.

"I care not for the dream essence of dead mortals," the Dream Lord declared and put that question to rest. "My interest is in the living. However, your words have some weight." He wandered away to a nearby window. "I will consider the matter for now."

A lesser person might have viewed this unfavourably but Zatanna knew that this was a good sign. If he had decided to refuse her, he would have done so immediately. In considering the matter, the Dream Lord would conduct an investigation and reach his own conclusions. Zatanna chose to be optimistic about its outcome and knew it was time to leave. However, she waited for the Dream Lord to give her the leave to depart.

"You may go." He said finally. "If I choose to involve myself in this matter, you will know."

"Thank you, my Lord." Zatanna said sincerely.

As she withdrew, the Dream King turned back to Branwen. "Give my regards to the Lady Bast," he said politely. "Inform her that when order has settled in the Dreaming, I shall pay her a call."

"My Lady Bast would be honoured." Branwen said with a slight bow.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN: INTERLUDE

Hours later, the Crusaders found themselves confined to the only undamaged room in the entire museum. The rest of the structure was now occupied by local authorities who had begun the search for survivors. Police and emergency crews were shifting through the rubble, trying to find life amongst the shattered mortar and brick. As it stood, the macabre construction of blood and bone that now held court in the Extremists section of the museum had turned numerous stomach already. Those charged with taking apart the construct had done so quickly, trying not to remember what they were handling were once human beings.

No one liked the prospect that there could be more deaths beyond that atrocity but it was a reality that had to be faced. Once it was faced, the body count started escalating by the minute.

Most had been mauled to death by animal claws, no doubt the work of the Extremist named Tracer. With his heightened sense of smell, no one was capable of remaining hidden inside the museum for very long. Tracer could smell the scent of warm bodies and like the perfect hunter, he always found his prey. Eventually, the rescue parties abandoned the hope of locating survivors and the search became one for bodies.

Even though the Extremists were gone from the immediate vicinity, their battle had been fought to a stalemate with no clear winner. Considering the destruction to the museum and the number of dead being found, calling their battle a stalemate was being rather optimistic. To be fair, most of the deaths had occurred before the Crusaders' arrival on the scene. However, with every body that was found, each of them was struck with a feeling of failure.

Unfortunately that feeling only escalated with Ted's news regarding the fate of Kooey Kooey Kooey. In the aftermath following its destruction, news of the explosion had reached the rest of the globe. The prospect of a nuclear explosion fired the speculative imagination of the media. Television, radio and newspapers all screamed headlines about nuclear destruction in the South Pacific. Before today, only a handful of people even knew the name Kooey Kooey Kooey. Now the entire world knew it was the victim of an unknown nuclear attack whereby its entire population had perished in the atomic fire. For the moment, the public was unaware that this was the work of a super villain and the Crusaders did not see any need to make that fact known. If the public was aware that a super villain was going around dropping nuclear missiles on unsuspecting populations, it would cause a world wide panic.

"That hurts." Beatriz winced as a French medic tended to her wounds. Most of the cuts and bruises on her body were superficial but that did not lessen the pain of the injury to her ego.

"You must sit still mademoiselle." The middle age man remarked with patience borne from years of experience.

"This stuff stings." She declared.

"It is meant to." The man said with a faint smile. "Then we know it is working."

"Beatriz," Sigrid said limping over to her similarly injured comrade. "Its for your own good." The Norwegian had been tended to first and was now wearing a sling cradling her right arm. During her battle with Gorgon, Sigrid had fractured a bone in her arm. Although the adrenalin coursing through her body had dulled the pain during their fight, her arm was now aching painfully now the fire of her aggression had diminished.

"I know." Beatriz said with a sigh as she stopped fidgeting and allowed the paramedic to continue with his work. "How's the arm?"

"Sore." Sigrid added and sat down next to her. "It could have been worse."

"I don't see how." Beatriz replied. "I got my butt kicked."

Despite his attempts to conceal that how concerned he was about Beatriz's welfare, Guy Gardner nevertheless remained within earshot of the two women. While he did not want to appear to be unnecessarily protective, he could not deny that seeing her harmed did not infuriate him intensely. Guy hated seeing her lovely Latin features marred by such ugly bruises and was secretly pleased that Beatriz had dealt with the good doctor herself. Had he done it himself, Guy did not doubt he would have torn the Extremist limb from limb for the injury to the woman he cared for so deeply.

"You made up for it." Guy remarked trying to offer her some comfort. "You did fry Diehard."

"For all the good it did." Beatriz said softly.

He could not blame her sombre mood. With the destruction of Kooey Kooey Kooey fresh in their minds and the constant unearthing of another body from the wreckage of the museum, no one had reason to feel very triumphant over anything. Their first outing as a team had been nothing short of a disaster. They had accomplished nothing and that infuriated Guy to no end. Perhaps, the media were right. Maybe they were just a less perfect version of the real Justice League.

Stop it Gardner. He told himself firmly. This ain't the time for it. There was still a job to do. The Extremists were still out there. With the death of everyone on Kooey Kooey Kooey, Dreamslayer was no doubt feeling very happy with himself. Guy wanted to shove his victory celebration down his throat before the man had the chance to light the candles.

"Together again and getting our asses handed to us," a familiar voice spoke up from the door. "Isn't it great?"

"Booster!" Ted exclaimed as he saw his friend walking into the room with Catherine at his side. The Blue Beetle was halfway across the room before the sentence had been completed to greet his friend. Booster was in full uniform and although his injuries could be detected through the ginger movements of his body, he seemed otherwise healthy. However, the exposed part of his face did reveal the lacerations and bruises he had received during his engagement with the Extremists.

"How are you doing buddy?" Ted asked, grateful to see him in one piece. After everything Booster had endured after the Overmaster, Ted had feared Booster might have been similarly crippled.

"I got pretty banged up," he explained as the others came towards him. "But I'm okay."

However that explanation seemed a little too optimistic and Ted turned to Catherine. "Is that true?"

"The doctors would prefer that he get some rest," she said with hint of disapproval in her voice. "Unfortunately Booster was having none of that. However, they believe he can come out and play as long as he keeps his force field between himself and the fighting." Secretly, Catherine had wished Booster had remained in hospital a little while longer. She still felt responsible for his injuries. If she had not insisted that he remain anonymous while he was guarding her, he would have worn his battle suit instead of confronting the Extremists unprotected.

"I'm alright." He tried to convince them.

"That's a familiar tune around here." Donovan retorted. "You people are as bad as cops." The new General Glory said with a faint smile. However, he was pleased that Booster was alive and well. In the short time that he had come to know this group of people, one thing was clear. They cared about each other. Even though they had no knowledge of him beyond the suit he was wearing, he could sense genuine concern for him as well. After being alone for so long, it felt good to have friends again.

"Worse." Catherine agreed with him. "They think they're all Superman."

"Bite your tongue." Ted looked at her. "We don't say the 'S' word around here."

"Ted, is it true about Kooey Kooey Kooey?" Booster asked on a more serious note. "I heard it on the radio at the hospital."

Ted nodded slowly, all humour draining from his face. "Its true." Ted nodded, feeling the same rage starting to bubble inside him again once the elation of Booster's well being had subsided. The vivid image of that wall of fire flashed through his mind once again. Even now, hours after the event, he could still feel the heat of nuclear fire against his skin. "Dreamslayer dropped Zatanna and me right in the middle of Ground Zero so we didn't miss anything."

Booster absorbed it as much as he could before the appalling nature of the act forced him to articulate his horror. "Herb, Puck, the Chief......" He said swallowing. Their faces flashed in memory. Suddenly, he felt his throat become dry. "They're all dead, aren't they?" It was more of a statement than it was a question. By the 25th century, Kooey Kooey Kooey had no history. Booster Gold now knew why.

"It was such a beautiful place." Catherine mused. "They trusted us to protect them from a nuclear tug of war between the superpowers..." She could not finish the sentence because her grief made her voice choke in her throat.

"It was an act of revenge." Guy said venomously. "Dreamslayer picked it because of that." If there was one thing Guy Gardner understood well, it was hatred and revenge. Dreamslayer had known that Kooey Kooey Kooey meant something to the Leaguers he had battled there. The bastard had chosen the island as a target because its destruction would be an outrage to all of them. "Have the Extremists been seen any where else?"

"No." Catherine replied. "Not since they vanished from here." She turned to Booster. "I have to go." She said softly. "Are you sure you are okay?"

Booster nodded quickly, trying to hide amazement at how much feeling she was showing towards him. "I've been in worse shape before." He responded trying to sound confident to allay her fears. "You go on and do what you have to. I'll be fine."

Catherine kissed him lightly on the cheek and offered him a killer smile as she drew away and bid farewell to the others. Booster almost melted in his boots from that smile and for a few seconds after she was gone, he stared dreamily after her. Who would have thought that almost getting himself killed would engender such feeling from someone like Catherine?

"My hero." Ted said mischievously.

"I told you eventually she would succumb to my charm." Booster retorted with a smile. He could still smell her perfume. "It just took a little time.

"Yeah, once a woman slaps you around, she's yours." Guy added, sharing the joke with Ted for a few seconds before he remembered that they had bigger concerns at the moment than simply Booster's love life. "Okay back to business. Dreamslayer and his Extremists' are not done with us yet, not by a long shot."

"He is probably planning their next move." Beatriz suggested. "Whatever that might be."

"If what you've told us about Dreamslayer is correct," Donovan added. "Isn't he going to be a lot stronger now?"

"At least." Guy agreed. "He's killed many people here and who knows how many at the island."

"Each time he kills he becomes stronger." Sigrid mused. "Its disgusting knowing that he's stronger because he killed everyone on the island." The audacity of Dreamslayer's actions infuriated the young woman. She could not fathom any action that could justify the genocide of a race, particularly one as simple and benign as the islanders of Kooey Kooey Kooey.

"This has gone far enough." Guy declared with an edge of finality to his voice.

"I agree." Ted turned to him. Guy's tone indicated that the Vuldarian had made some decision regarding their next course of action. Ted for one, wanted to know what plan Guy was conceiving. "What's on your mind, Skipper?"

"Call me that again and you'll be a blue and black beetle." Guy threatened through narrow eyes.

"I'm real scared." Ted grinned, knowing Guy was joking.

"I say we call him out." Guy stated allowing his eyes to move across the faces of his companions, so they would know how determined he was about this. "We've let him say when and where and look what's happened. He's picked places with lots of innocent victims he can feed off when they're dead. I say we don't give him that advantage any more."

"Guy's right." Zatanna Zatara stated as she made her appearance in a puff of dark smoke. The magician appeared as tired and weary as they did. There was still an ugly streak of red across her forehead that had yet to be tended.

"You sure know how to make an entrance." Sigrid stated as she watched the smoke disappear.

"Zatanna." Ted went to her. Their exchange was still fresh in his mind and he hoped they could explore the incident once this was all over. For the moment, her injury held more concern for him. The cut was deep and the skin around it was becoming purple. While Zatanna appeared to be a powerful mystic, he did not know if those abilities extended to self regeneration. "Are you okay?" He brushed a strand of hair from the gash on her skin.

Zatanna offered him a warm smile, unable to deny that she enjoyed his affections. "No better off than the rest of you." She spoke, addressing the others as well. "I've been seeking a higher power, I think we may have the help we need."

"I hope you're right," Guy declared and continued with what he had been discussing prior to her timely arrival. "We've got to get Dreamslayer somewhere isolated. Every time we've run into him, there has been too many innocent people around. He's using them to recharge." He reiterated for Zatanna's benefit.

"What about some place like the desert or may be Antarctica." Booster suggested.

"Dreamslayer likes to perform." Ted shook his head. "He would just let us freeze our butts and not show. I think it has to be somewhere that provokes a response."

"Ted's right. The guy's got a sense of irony. I mean look at the places he's picked so far. Stone Ridge, Paris and the Worgi, its like he's visiting all his old hunting grounds. We got to remember that he's not just Dreamslayer any more, there is a bit of him that's also the Gray Man. We've been letting him make all the rules because we weren't sure who were dealing with. Now we do."

Guy moved his gaze towards Zatanna. The superhero Steel, who was one of Guy Gardner's best friends, had recently told him about what she had done at Metropolis in the wake of the clone wars. Although it was hard to believe that any one human could possess such incredible abilities, he had seen enough of the young magician to know that she was no novice in such things. Besides, the evidence of her powers were undeniable. Metropolis was still home to millions. "What you did at Metropolis, can you do it again?"

Zatanna caught on to his intention immediately. When Metropolis had been destroyed, in the massive clone war and by Lex Luthor's fail safes, Zatanna had used the memories of her citizens to restore the entire city to its original, pristine, state. For Zatanna, that moment had been her coming of age. It had been the greatest feat of magic she had ever been called on to perform and its accomplishment established her as great sorceress in her own right.

"You want me to bring back Kooey Kooey Kooey?"

Ted looked at hers sharply. "You can do that?" He asked astonished. "You bring them back?"

"No," she replied quickly before his misunderstanding led to more hurt. "I can't bring back its people but I can make the island what it was."

"How is that possible?" Donovan asked.

"I get a visual image of the island from someone who was there and I used it to recreate it as it once was." Zatanna explained.

"Then why not people?" Beatriz demanded. "You could bring back all those people who died..." Despite herself, Tora's name leapt into her mind at that possibility.

"No." Zatanna said firmly. "I cannot bring back the dead." She took a deep breath and tried to explain the concept to them as it had once been explained to her. "When someone dies, their soul passes to another plane of existence. Once the crossing is made, there is no return for the soul. You can reanimate the physical bodies and create simulations of the dead but you cannot replace the soul that has been lost. I will not bring those people back because they won't really be alive. Their souls have already passed on. I am sorry."

"I am sorry," Beatriz apologised. "I hoped."

Zatanna nodded in understanding. How many times had she attempted to dabbled in those forbidden incantations and then thought better of it? The mastery of life and death was one of magic's oldest desires. She knew of people who could maintain their bodies for centuries of immortality but no one who had truly returned from the dead. The spell for that power was still elusive to the greatest of conjurers and rightly so. The cycle of nature required a beginning and an end to all things.

"So you can do it?" Ted asked hopefully. He knew the island would never be the same without its people but at least some part of their world would still remain.

"Yes I can." Zatanna answered. "And I am certain when it is done, it will get Dreamslayer's attention."

"Good," Guy replied with a cold smile. "We'll be waiting."

**********

Having unanimously decided that the situation with the Extremists could not be left to escalate any further, the Crusaders proceeded to Kooey Kooey Kooey immediately. They made one stop at the Paris branch of Star Labs and borrowed a number of radiation suits. Zatanna could not be expected to perform the spell that would restore Kooey Kooey Kooey to its former state and still maintain a force field to protect them all. While Booster was capable of conducting that task, the shield bubbles he projected did not have the ability to filter in oxygen. Normally, he would circumvent this problem by dropping the shield for a short period of time to replenish his air supply. However, in a nuclear radiated environment, this solution was not possible.

Once the suits were collected, the group departed immediately for the island. At the moment, the public was still unaware of who was really behind the nuclear destruction of Kooey Kooey Kooey. Catherine had been forced to depart because she had convened a meeting of top level United Nation delegates in order to explain the situation. At the moment, everyone was pointing a finger and one another, unwilling to take responsibility and accusing each other like frightened children.

"How are you doing babe?" Guy asked Beatriz when they finally had a moment.

The group was on its way towards the island and everyone was taking the time during the journey to catch their breaths. The past day had been eventful to say the least and the brief interlude was well needed. Sigrid and Booster had picked up Chinese food during their hiatus at Star Labs and now everyone was indulging in a much needed meal. Despite the tension of what lay ahead, the Crusaders were starting to relax a little.

Beatriz swallowed a mouthful of fried rice and looked up at Guy. There was something in his eyes she could not define and she wondered what was wrong. "I'm okay." Beatriz said cautiously. "How are you?"

"I've been doing some thinking." He said sitting down in the seat opposite her. The memory of her cry for help was still vivid in his mind. When he had heard her scream, Guy had never been so afraid of anything in his life. The possibility of losing her struck cold terror into his heart the way nothing had been able to since he lost Tora. And there lay the problem. He realised for the first time that he loved Beatriz even if she was not Tora. She would never be but that did not mean the intensity of his feelings for her was any less, just different.

"Really?" Beatriz did not like the sound of this. In some ways, she felt extremely insecure of her relationship with Guy. Sure, they had a great time together. Their relationship was a powder keg of fireworks and passion and she knew without doubt that she loved him deeply. Except, she always felt that to Guy she was Tora's replacement. Their relationship had been borne out of their mutual love for Tora and that kinship had been the basis of all intimacies since.

"You know I'm no good with that sensitive stuff." He said clearing his throat.

"I hadn't noticed." She said with a faint smile.

Guy gave her a look but continued anyway. "I've been thinking that we got involved because we missed Tora so much and we needed to fill the spaces inside us. It was a good idea to begin with but may be it isn't the best way to keep going."

"I see." Bea said shortly, trying not to leap to conclusions at where this was heading.

Her tone of voice immediately put Guy on guard and he started to realise that perhaps she was misreading the entire point of this exercise. Perhaps he should really clear this up quickly before the situation got out of hand. "When I heard you cry out for help, I don't think I've ever been so afraid in my life." It was a difficult admission for him to make but Guy knew it was the time for such things. "I guess I figured out then that you and I are all there is to us. Neither of us will ever forget about Tora because she's a part of us, but she's a part of us that is in the past. We have to move on." Guy paused and took a breath. It was easier facing a planet full of Tormocks than saying was he was about to. In the end, Guy decided to just come out and say it. "I love you Bea. I know I haven't said it before but I do. I feel this way because of who you are not because of Tora."

Beatriz tried not to let her emotions show so all she managed was a small nod. "I know." She replied. Her voice was almost a whisper. The truth was, she did not know. Not at all. Hearing him say it out loud finally, put her fears to rest finally.

Guy could tell his words had affected her considerably but Beatriz was too much the hot headed Latino to admit it so he chose not to wait for a response. Instead, he took her face in his hands and kissed her tenderly. When he looked up at her, her eyes were glistening. She was trying very hard not to cry and he loved her for it.

"I wondered if what you felt for me was real," she managed to say after a while. "Was it just what was left over for Tora or was it really for me."

"I'm sorry I never made it clearer." Guy replied, regretting that he had waited so long to let his feelings be known.

"You have now," she smiled. "And that's all that matters."

"Now," he said with a straight face. "Do you want some sweet and sour chicken?"

Beatriz could only laugh in response and after a moment, Guy joined her.

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

"Ah the mysteries of life solved." Donovan mused as he wrestled to pick up a morsel of savoury meat at the bottom of the carton he was holding with chop sticks.

"What mystery would that be?" Sigrid inquired.

"I never imagined being in the company of super heroes could be so...normal."

Ted who was at the controls had to turn around at that remark. "Normal? Us?"

"Yeah," Donovan answered. "Normal. The bad guys are worse of course but no different to any other bad guy I've faced on the force. All of them are making a grab for turf or waiting to blow someone away for revenge. Dreamslayer just does it differently."

"You know I never thought of it that way." Booster replied considering what the younger man had said. "You are right though." He added. "When we finish up for the day, we go home to what's left of our lives. I gave up trying to have a secret identity because its pointless. I admire Batman and Superman who can do it but its so much work."

"Tell me about it." Sigrid retorted understanding that situation all too well. It was hard to be taken as Sigrid Nansen when genetics had turned her skin blue and her hair snow white. People could barely imagine there was a real person beneath the persona of Ice Maiden. "Do you know how hard it was to get a job looking like this?" She looked down at herself. "I passed the bar at Star Labs only because scientists weren't squeamish about how I looked. Most people don't even think I'm human."

"I sympathise," Zatanna spoke to Sigrid as she reached for more fried rice. "Try growing up with a name like Zatanna and then having a father who was a superhero magician. I mean I loved my father but I grew up without having a real home because we were on the road all the time. When he disappeared when I was 18, I didn't know anyone. I never stayed around long enough to have friends nor did I have family. My first real family was the League."

"It was that way with us too, wasn't it Booster?" Ted mused, remembering those heady days in the infancy of Justice League International. He missed those times with Scott, Tora, Jonn, Guy, Bea and Max. They shared the warmth he never had with his family and when the League came to an end, it felt as if the best part of his life had come to a close. "The League we knew was warmer, more personal. I guess I wasn't too heart broken to be left out of the new League, it just wouldn't feel the same."

Booster said nothing and was glad Beatriz and Guy was sharing a private moment alone because what he was about to say would undoubtedly sadden them. "Justice League International died when we lost Tora. It had been starting to crumble before then but when Tora died, the heart of what we were died too. After that, the family disappeared and what was left was not what I wanted to be apart of."

"We tried hard to make it work," Sigrid spoke in the defence of the team that remained after Tora's demise. "But we never had that kind of cohesion. People were too shell shocked by Tora's death and then Maxwell Lord. We never regained our balance I think."

"God I miss Max," Booster said to the others who had not know Max. "He was the most manipulative bastard that ever lived but you always knew deep down inside he was crusader at heart. "He did everything to make the League autonomous, so we would not be subject to anyone. He really believed that we could make the world a better place, even if we showed up red in the balance sheets."

"He was a remarkable man." Zatanna agreed, knowing of Maxwell Lord's reputation. He was a genius who allowed superheroes to do what they could to help, unencumbered by the trivialities of a society complicated with silly conventions.

"He sure was." Ted replied. "We floundered without him no matter what anyone might say. Thanks to Max, we had UN sanctioning, which meant we could help the parts of the world that really needed it. We weren't just limited to fighting super villains on American soil, we were a global force. When Superman took over, we should have guessed it was the begining of the end."

"Come on Ted," Booster said knowing how inflamed Ted could on this subject. "He did die protecting us from Doomsday."

"Oh really?" Ted put the Bug on auto pilot and turned around to face his companions. "Yes he did and I'm not forgetting it but we fought Doomsday too. Both of us almost died fighting him too. Bea almost lost her powers permanently and did anyone care that Guy and Tora were injured? Does that make us any less because Maxwell Lord was pulling the strings?"

They could not say no.

"Max allowed us to be more than just a bunch of superheroes." Ted said softly. "He turned us into a family."

".engamahC" Zatanna said cryptically. With a sudden sparkle of glitter, a bottle of champagne appeared out of thin air in her hands. She grasped the green glass of the bottle and tilted it towards Sigrid. "If you would be so kind." She smiled at the Ice Maiden.

"My pleasure." Sigrid smiled and blew a kiss against the smooth surface. Her icy breath immediately chilled the bottle, creating a thin layer of frost against the glass. At the same time, the cork popped loudly and a strong gush of foam surge from its opening.

"Hey that's pretty sharp." Booster laughed as he reached for some paper cups that that was meant for the bottle of Soder Cola they had purchased with their meal. He handed them out as Guy and Beatriz entered the passenger bay of the Blue Beetle Bug.

"What's going on?" Guy inquired.

"Things were becoming entirely too intense around here." Donovan replied. "Zatanna was trying to ease the tension."

"Champagne huh?" Beatriz laughed. "I could go for that. Give me one of those cups."

As the champagne settled, Zatanna filled everyone's cup and then announced. "I think we should make a toast."

"Okay," Sigrid nodded. "To the Crusaders?" She suggested, looking around her companions for alternatives.

"How about to new beginnings?" Guy said giving Beatriz a wink as he said that.

"That's good," Ted nodded his approval, "but I liked to make a little addition." He raised his paper cup and declared with a smile. "To new beginnings and to new families."

CHAPTER SIXTEEN: ARENA

Even though he could not feel it, Donovan Wallace knew the air was hot. It was not the normal heat of the tropics but the kind of warmth generated in the after glow of atomic detonation. As his gaze swept across the barren landscape, it was difficult to picture this place as it once was, when his only basis for comparison was so much devastation.

No one could speak.

The brief moment of camaraderie shared by them during the journey here had disappeared into the radiated sand and nothing spoken could articulate the horror of what lay before them. Donovan could only stare. He stared because he was relatively new to the extraordinary life he had stepped into and nothing before that had prepared him for this. From what Donovan understood of Kooey Kooey Kooey, this island has once been a paradise of balmy trees and white sandy beaches. It was home to a race of simple people who lived far away from the eccentricities of twentieth century.

The land before him was now home to no one.

The island had been completely flattened. Beneath him, his feet crushed sand that had been fused into glass where he stood. What had once been a lush tropical jungle of tall coconut and palm trees were unruly stumps of black jutting out from the charred earth. He was certain that if he started shifting through the grainy surface of the ground, it would yield the bleached bones of Kooey Kooey Kooey's past residents. Suddenly, he felt insufferably hot inside his suit and wished he could get back to the Bug so he could discard it.

"Are you okay?" Ted said to him in concern. The young man looked decidedly unsettled by what he was seeing. Ted could hardly blame him. It was unlikely if the new General Glory had experienced anything remotely like this as a policeman.

"I'm fine." Donovan nodded. "Thank you. Its just a little difficult to deal with first time out."

"You never really get used to it." Ted answered. "You think your enhanced abilities can help you overcome anything and then when you see something like this, you find out how truly helpless you can be despite all the wonderful things you can do."

Donovan met his gaze and realised Ted was not speaking hypothetically but from the heart. It made Donovan feel comforted to know that even a veteran was having trouble dealing with what they were now seeing on the island. "This was not your fault Beetle." Donovan replied. He did not know Ted well enough to address him by his real name. "Dreamslayer did this."

Ted nodded but that did not make him feel any better.

"General Glory is right Ted," Zatanna placed an arm on his shoulder. "We were powerless to stop this until it was too late."

Even through the face plate of her suit, he could see the concern in her eyes. She really did care for him. Ted thought to himself. "What do you need from us?" He asked deciding that it was time to get to business. If Zatanna could bring some life back to this island, Ted did not want to waste any more time. They needed to rebuild this place and then lure Dreamslayer here for a final showdown. Dreamslayer had been a thorn in their sides for too long and it was time to extract it once and for all.

Zatanna took a deep breath. "How many of you have actually been to Kooey Kooey Kooey?" She asked her companions.

"I have." Ted answered.

"Me too." Booster replied, trying to keep memories of their ill fated casino resort out of his mind at the same time.

"I was here." Guy added his voice to the throng. He too was thinking about the casino resort but his memories of it were not the source of embarrassment. Tora had been attacked by a Man of War jelly fish and had it not been for his timely arrival she might have been lost to him even sooner.

"Don't look at me." Sigrid remarked as Zatanna's gaze moved to her. "I never even knew the place existed until now."

"I did." Beatriz answered before Zatanna could ask.

"I know," Ted replied with a grin. "I remember the bikini."

"We all remembered the bikini." Guy said with a similar smile of mischief.

"Grow up." Beatriz retorted smacking his shoulder lightly and Zatanna rolled her eyes in resignation. Trust this bunch to find humour in everything, even now.

"Enough children." Zatanna said sounding older than her years. "I want you to empty your minds." As she said it, she looked up at Ted. "Don't even think about it."

"What?" He looked at her innocently.

"Being a smart ass." Guy declared in case he did not know.

"But it was so perfect." Ted protested. However, he knew this was not the time for humour. Laughter was Ted Kord's defence mechanism and when he was afraid. He tended to become relentless in his timing for levity "I am putting my charming side into neutral."

"That's one way of putting it." Boosted quipped in response.

"Enough already with the vaudeville," Zatanna said good naturedly. "I need you people to close your eyes and concentrate. I need you to focus all thought on your memories of Kooey Kooey Kooey. Replay them in your mind if you have to but continue the flow of images. I need this images to focus the shape of the energy."

Those involved in the exercise closed their eyes obediently as she instructed them. Their memory of the island was all she had to work with and no other thoughts could interfere when the spell came into effect. Zatanna was confident that the heroes could accomplish this quite easily. It required a disciplined mind to be able to do some of the things of which they were capable. Contrary to popular belief it was not easy to learn how to fly or be able to direct a blast of flame to a specific object. These things had to be learnt as a child learns to walk its first steps. These were minds who were used to setting goals for themselves and staying true to purpose. Linking their hands together, their individual memories were siphoned and allowed to flow like a river into a collective consciousness.

Zatanna did not require physical contact to enter the collective. Her sensory powers were much too advanced for that requirement. However, she did close her eyes as she felt herself slip out of her body and entered the fabric of a more malleable reality...

**********

A burst of sunlight flashed in her eyes and Zatanna was forced to squint. She immediately raised her arm to shield the sun from her face. Once the bright spots faded away from her vision, she lowered her arm, now prepared for the sudden change of illumination. The glare of the sun had been so powerful because its light was being refracted from the white sands of the beach. Zatanna's gaze followed the iridescent blue of shoreline meandering into the distance.

Zatanna dropped to the ground and removed her glove before digging her fingers into the almost powder fine sand. She rubbed the sand into her fingers, marvelling at its unspoiled perfection. This was an island that knew nothing of industry or commerce and thus remained unaffected by the pollution of the nuclear age. She took a deep breath of salt air and allowed it to fill her lungs, enjoying the idyllic paradise for a brief moment. Zatanna wondered how much of this beautiful island was real and not a product of their collective wishful thinking. People tended to exaggerate an object's virtue especially after they lost it. It made no difference to her whether this image was true or not because her powers were untainted by such things. Magic enabled irrelevancies to be burnt away when one invoke its powers.

She was about to begin when suddenly, she heard someone crying.

There was not supposed to be anyone here!

In shock, she spun around and surveyed the landscape. To her surprise, there was a young boy sitting on the beach behind her. She knew with certainty that he had not been there. The child appeared to be an islander and was no more than seven years old, she estimated. He was looking at her with soulful brown eyes and wiping away his tears as she approached. Zatanna walked towards him with caution even though she sensed no malice from the boy, merely his lament. His sobs had diminished into loud sniffles by the time she reached him and he stood up awkwardly to greet her.

"Are you here to help me?" He asked.

"Who are you?" Zatanna asked instead of answering her question. When she had resurrected Metropolis, nothing like that had happened. She was still somewhat shocked by his presence and even wondered if this might have been a trick of Dreamslayer.

"Are you going to help me?" He whined, proving that he could be as evasive as she.

"I don't know how." Zatanna replied honestly, genuinely perplexed by this occurrence. "Are you hurt?"

His gaze moved across the beach and into the lush jungle flanking the beach. "Yes, it hurts." He nodded meekly. "My skin and my insides burn." He said rubbing the skin of his thin forearms. As his palm moved over his skin, Zatanna saw blisters and burns rising to the surface. In a moment, she could smell burnt flesh.

"My god!" She dropped to her knees, trying to help him but not knowing if her magic could work in this place.

"They're all dead." He descended into a fresh bout of tears. "They're all dead. I'm alone now."

It was impossible this child could survive the nuclear inferno that had swept across the island. Despite what she knew of sorcery and magic, that fact of science could not be denied. The boy should be dead. "Who are you?" She insisted again, knowing the answer explained everything.

"They're all dead." He repeated distantly. "I'll be alone again. Like I was alone before. I don't like to be alone." He turned and looked at her. "I was so alone before and then they came and then I wasn't alone any more."

Zatanna did not understand. "I need to know who you are to help you." She said firmly, trying to pierce the veil of the boy's thoughts so that he could respond to her question.

"I hurt." He replied. "I burn. The fire from the sky made me burn and now my insides are burned too."

His words were cryptic. She knew the landscape of Kooey Kooey Kooey was the product of the Crusaders collective consciousness. However, this child was not apart of their memories. Was some other entity manipulating this child? She could not sense duplicity in its being but the agony he spoke of was real. It radiated from him with such force that she was forced to erect a shield to protect her own mind. There was no one on the island besides them and she was capable of determining and alien influence from a great distance. The only way their consciousness could have been invaded was through physical contact and there was no one else with them. Their bodies touched each other and the island beneath their feet. The island beneath their feet....

Zatanna eyes widened in realisation. "You're the island?"

"I burn." He said with renewed intensity. More of his skin was becoming blistered, until the wounds crept beyond his arms and started appearing on his legs and his torso. His hair disappeared, to be replaced by a burnt scalp pocked by ugly red wounds and singed hair follicles. "The others are gone but I'm left burning."

"You are the island." She declared and the words escaping from her lips made her want to weep too. That the island was this boy was not impossible. People often spoke of a place having character and personality never realising that sometimes it so happened that a place awakened from its sleep to gain consciousness. In the realm of the Dream King where she had recently chanced a visit, there was a place called Fiddler's Green. It was alive as a person might be alive. Like this island was alive.

When the Crusaders had formed the mental bond that created this image for her, they had unknowingly allowed a fifth mind to join their collective. The island who was wounded and in pain had reached out to them in order to ask for help. It manifested itself as the most symbolic representation it was capable of producing so that Zatanna could understand.

"I took them wherever they wanted to go," the boy/ island continued." Now they are gone and there will be no voices who speak when you leave."

Zatanna's heart went out to the waif even though she knew that he was not real. Everything about his physical appearance was an illusion because he was an image for her benefit. "I can help you." She said taking his blistered hand in his. His wounds were deep and he looked up to her full of helpless need. "I will make the pain go away." She whispered. She wondered if the others knew about the island being sentient. It was a question for another time she decided. For the moment, she had more important considerations.

"ytuaeb remrof sti ot dnalsi siht erotseR." She spoke the incantation that would take away the boy's pain.

A great wind enveloped them as the words left her lips. It encircled them both, blowing sand into the air. The boy wrapped his arms around her. "I'm scared." He said frightened.

"Don't worry little one." She held him close to her. She could smell his burning skin in her nose despite the sand and wind. "Just hold on to me and it will be over soon." Holding him like he was her own child, Zatanna felt his terrified breath in her ears and his grip tightening around her body. She focused her formidable powers on the image of Kooey Kooey Kooey held in the minds of her friends, reinforced by the desire to heal the child of all his wounds. Both were potent desires within herself and she kept her eyes closed because she did not want to see until it was done.

*********

In the real world, Sigrid and Donovan were party to an amazing transformation. While their friends held their ground in a collective trance, the newest members of the Crusaders were very much anchored to the waking world. Despite their unfamiliarity with magic and mysticism in any shape of form, both were aware that this task Zatanna was asked to complete had to run its course, whatever the outcome. The trance that had captured their friends could not be disturbed for that too was an integral part of the process.

A great wind had rushed up at them with little or now warning, chasing away the clouds that hung over the island with grey intent. However, the wind showed no signs of abating as it circled the island like a loss bird trying to find its bearings. With each gust of its powerful breath, newly formed glass began cracking on the ground. The wind battered down on the charred soil and fused sand relentlessly. As each grain was unearth and washed with the gale, the landscape began changing.

"My god!" Donovan exclaimed, pointing to the ground in astonishment. "Look!"

Below their feet, the sands of Kooey Kooey Kooey were slowly turning white and unspoiled as it had once been. Dead stumps that no longer had any chance of life, began sprouting. New growth was forcing its way out of the charred wood, stretching towards the sky against the howl of the wind. Green saplings struggled upward, reaching for the sun as they strengthened and hardened into seasoned trunks that bent gently with the wind.

The forestation travelled on the breath of the wind moving across the landscape. A lush, tropical jungle sprung into existence virtually before their eyes with astounding ease. The winds seemed to carry the spores of life, scattering them into this barren wasteland in order to give it a second chance.

"I don't believe it!" Sigrid exclaimed, half mad with the euphoria of the moment. "Its beautiful!" She laughed happily.

"Its more than beautiful!" Donovan joined her in her happiness. "Its life Ice Maiden, its life!" The earth was heaving. The spine of the island, flattened by the atomic blast earlier, rose into mountains that fell quickly to the greening process. Within seconds, Sigrid could see a veil of mist forming in the depths of the jungle. She had no doubt that there was no longer any danger of radiation poisoning.

Kooey Kooey Kooey was beautiful again.

**********

"Thank you Zatanna." The boy/ island spoke pulling herself away from Zatanna.

Zatanna opened her eyes and saw him standing before her, a smile living wide on his face. There were no signs of injury on any part of him and he was as healthy as he had been when she first happened upon him. Without being present to witness it herself, she knew Kooey Kooey Kooey was restored. She had succeeded. Somehow, it felt sweeter, seeing her success manifested into this boy's happy smile.

"I was privileged to help." She said with a faint smile.

"I don't hurt any more." He answered. "You made me well again." He came forward and embraced her hard. There was so much feeling in that one act that Zatanna was touched beyond measure. She did not know why but this moment affected her emotionally, the way nothing had in such a long time. For the first time, since her days with the League had she felt such purpose in what her life could mean to those she aided. Zatanna returned his hug and planted a kiss on his forehead as he drew away again.

"You must bring the bad man here." The boy stated.

"You know about him?" Zatanna looked at him with surprise and quickly rose to her feet.

"Yes," he nodded. "I know of him from you and the others here."

By the others Zatanna assumed he meant Ted and the rest of the Crusaders. "We need to stop him." She answered honestly. "We must do it here because of his arrogance. It will make him angry if he thinks his destruction of you was undone."

"He made me alone." The boy declared, a hint of fire inside his eyes. "He took the others away."

"Yes, he did." She nodded softly. "We need to bring him here to end his evil. Do you understand?"

"Yes," the boy nodded slowly. "I understand. You may bring him here but he will not leave."

Zatanna looked at him. "We will do what we can."

"I will make petition to the Green." The boy stated.

"The Green?" She did not understand. What was the Green?"

"I will make petition to the Green and he will help us." He said evasively. "The bad man will not leave this island again."

*********

"Zee?" She heard Ted's voice in her ears.

Zatanna opened her eyes and saw herself staring into the concerned face of the Blue Beetle. She also noticed that he was not wearing a radiation suit.

"Zee are you alright? Come on gorgeous, talk to me." His voice was firm and strong, yet she could see the underlying edge of worry in it.

"I'm okay," she managed to say as she shook the disorientation out of her head. His hands was on her shoulders still, trying to steady her as she made her return to the waking world. The other members of the Crusaders were standing around her, wearing similar expressions of concern over her welfare. For the second time today, Zatanna was touched by the gesture.

"You did it Zatanna." Guy Gardner replied smiling widely. His gaze moved over the beach before them and what she saw hardly surprised her, although seeing it did swell her chest with pride.

"Its so wonderful." Sigrid added. "You guys missed the best of it. General Glory and I got to see it happen. It really was magical."

"Thanks," Zatanna said, examining the restoration. The island was as pristine as she had seen it inside all their minds. Kooey Kooey Kooey was devoid of life but she was capable of nurturing it. Soon, wildlife would return to this island. Nature often found a way to exploit prime real estate for its charges. In that way at least, nature was not very different from man.

No one was wearing their radiation suits. No one felt the need for it. The island's rebirth had filled them with a sense of purpose and a determination to see nothing like this happened again. With that in mind, Zatanna remembered that their tasks were far from complete. "We don't have much time," she said quickly, returning to a more serious note. "Guy, I've know how to bring Dreamslayer down but I'll need you to plan the strategy."

Guy looked at the others before returning his gaze to her. "Tell me what you need and I'll find a way to make it happen."

It was time to finish this.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: SHOWDOWN

Zatanna had no doubt that the telepathic call she had sent out would bring Dreamslayer here quickly, nor did Guy Gardner doubt that he would be alone. Since absorbing the dream essence of the dead in Paris and Kooey Kooey Kooey, the natural abilities of the Gray Man's body would have made Dreamslayer far stronger than ever before. Not forgetting Stone Ridge, whose citizens were expanding the Gray Man's infection to the rest of the state. At least, the situation was containable in the Worgi, where artificial barricades had been erected to quarantine the Teasdale virus. When Dreamslayer arrived, he would undoubtedly have the company of his Extremists companions whom he would have restored to their former state with enhanced strength and abilities.

As for the Crusaders plan of attack, Guy had their strategy mapped in accordance with Zatanna's requirements. Everyone was given their orders regarding their placements when the Extremists made their appearance. Although none of them had voiced it, the Crusaders were impressed by Guy Gardner's abilities as their new leader, particularly the veterans of the JLI who remembered how Guy had behaved in the past. Guy had always been forceful, which was one of the reasons why Ted and Booster had suggested him for the top spot. However, his aggressive nature had been tempered with wisdom and that was something he never possessed before. Ted and Booster had started to see something of the Green Lantern he might have been had it not been for the injuries of his past. What surprised them most was his willingness to listen to opinions other than his own. The plan he had formulated had the basis of all their input. Although there would always be an element of surprise in this encounter, they were confident that they would be able to defeat the Extremists.

"Did you manage to get Catherine?" Guy asked Booster as he returned from the Blue Beetle Bug that was hovering safely above the island.

"Yeah," Booster replied promptly. "I told her that we were confronting the Extremists here and that this area was to be cordon off from all ship traffic."

"Good," Guy nodded with approval. "That will keep Doctor Diehard and Dreamslayer from using any innocent civilians for target practice." He looked at Booster and noticed the slight grimace running over man's face. Although it was difficult to see the real extent of his injuries under his combat suit, Guy knew they were significant. He could see the bruises and lacerations on Booster's face and wondered how much pain Booster was really hiding. "How are you doing?"

As if taken back by the question, Booster took a few moments to answer. "I'm alright. Just a little sore." He replied trying to hide the pain. He had broken ribs that still throbbed, deep lacerations on his back that reminded him quite acutely that they were present and more bruises than he knew what to do. However, Booster was adamant that none of this was going to keep him from this fight.

"You sure about that buddy?" Ted voiced his concern. "You took quite a beating."

"Look," Booster said starting to become a little irritated. "We've got to stick to the plan and I'm a part of it. I'm not backing out because I've got a few bumps and bruises."

"We all know you got a little bit more than that Booster," Beatriz started firmly with equal concern. "You almost got yourself killed."

"I can manage." He said shortly. "Come on Gardner," he turned to Guy for support. "I've been in worse fights."

"Yeah you have been," Guy nodded. It was his call whether or not he wanted Booster in this confrontation. There was a time when he would have taken all the glory for his own. These days however, Guy knew how to be a team player and he also knew how to be a leader when it was required. "If Booster says he is okay, then we're just going to have his word for it." Guy said conclusively, indicating that this matter was now put to rest.

"Thanks Guy." Booster said gratefully. "I owe you."

"Just don't get yourself killed." Guy retorted. "I'm not wasting money on a funeral wreath for you."

"You're all heart." Booster remarked. "And very bit of it granite."

"As long as you know it." He retorted. "Now back to business. Have we got a handle on Doctor Diehard?"

"I've got an idea." Ted remarked even though he was still preoccupied with Booster's welfare.

"Just make sure he doesn't get a chance to bring down any more nukes." Guy warned. "You know what he did last time, not to mention here."

At that, everyone instinctively looked at the arena they had chosen to wage their final confrontation with the Extremists. The island was whole again but none of them could forget what they had seen just a few short hours ago when this entire area was a wasteland of nuclear destruction. Although the white sands and sparkling blue waters disarmed the seriousness of the situation, the danger to this place could not be denied. Zatanna explained that what she had done to restore it required much power and concentration. She would not look forward to preforming that spell again if Kooey Kooey Kooey fell to the same fate again.

"Booster, you've got to keep out of sight until Zatanna or Bea gives you the signal." Guy reminded as he ensured everyone was clear on their placing during the battle. This would make Ted and Beatriz a little less concern if Booster was out of the way for most of the fighting.

"Whatever you say Skipper." Booster answered, pleased that he was still being involved despite the order.

Guy let out a low growl at the title, giving Booster a dirty look before continuing. "Sigrid, don't waste time with Tracer. Take him down and take him down fast. He may look like a reject from a werewolf film but those claws of his can tear through meta-human flesh." He preferred to call Sigrid by name because he was still unaccustomed to thinking of her as Ice. However, despite that one eccentricity, Guy had come to respect her abilities a great deal. She may not be Tora but she certainly had Ice's spirit.

"Understood." She nodded quickly, agreeing with his assessment of her chosen opponent. The injuries she had seen on Booster Gold were considerable, even if he was in denial about their effect on him. Sigrid would not underestimate anyone who could cause so much harm to another.

"General," Guy turned to Donovan Wallace. "You know what to do?" The young man who was the newest member of the superhero community in their group had remained silent for most part, allowing the veterans to plan strategy. However, even if he was a novice, the rest of the group knew that Donovan had natural ability and intelligence that made him hard to beat.

"I am to take Gorgon out." The General answered.

"Right." Guy replied. Gorgon had done considerable injury to Sigrid when they battled. While she had proven she could best Gorgon in combat, Guy preferred to even the odds a little by having General Glory face him instead. With the General's super strength and flight ability, Guy was confident that he would be able to dispatch the tentacled villain quickly with little injury to himself.

Finally Guy turned to Zatanna, "I don't mean to tell you your business with this guy but until you are able to put your spell into effect, let Beatriz take her shots. She can't beat him but she can weaken and unbalance him. That ought to give you and Booster the opening you need." Guy felt genuine concern for Zatanna and a little more than that for Beatriz. He hated letting them face Dreamslayer alone but he had to be on hand to deal with Lord Havok. None of the heroes who radiated any kind of energy could engage Havok without unknowingly recharging the villain's power with their own. Since his powers came from his Vuldarian genetic code, he was in no danger of giving Havok that advantage. He had shown once that Havok was no match for him.

"I understand." Zatanna replied sensing the emotion behind his warning. Guy counted her as one of their own even though they had only worked together a short time. She was aware of the bonds she was forging with this team and knew that while their camaraderie was new, it was nevertheless a friendship. "Fire and I will give each other plenty of cover."

"I'll be okay Guy," Beatriz reassured him. "I'm tough. I go out with you remember?"

Guy offered her an intimate smile before adding gruffly. "Just keep your eyes open and get your pretty butt out of there once Zatanna does her stuff."

"My butt though pretty, does know how to duck." She agreed.

While there was still time, Ted took an opportunity to speak to Zatanna. Instinctively, she stepped away from the others so that they could have some privacy. Once this was over, she would have to do some serious thinking about her feelings for him. Zatanna had not been involved in a long time because men found her abilities daunting. There was always a part of them that could not help thinking that perhaps their affections for her were the product of some enchantment and true feeling. Zatanna sensed no such suspicions in Ted Kord. In fact, his emotions were pointedly clear and required no clairvoyance to decipher. It radiated from him in such warm waves that she could not help being affected by it. There was a sweet gentleness about him, hidden deep beneath the humour he wore like a magic shield. It concealed many insecurities he seldom shared with anyone.

"Are you going to be okay?" He asked, trying not to sound possessive because no real understanding had been exchanged between them.

"I'm the only one who can do this." Zatanna said confidently. "You know that."

"I do." Ted nodded slowly, "it's just that..." He paused. It was so difficult to come out and say what he really felt without Blue Beetle waiting in the wings to take control.

"I know." She said, saving him the trouble of making his feelings known. Since she was telepathic, it felt unfair to make him go through it. "I know you care Ted and if it makes you feel any better, I do too."

His eyes seem to light up with that revelation and the smile he produced was simply endearing. "I've never been very good with women you know."

"Really?" She looked at him mischievously. "I would never have guessed."

"See," he declared gleefully. "I am rubbing off on you." Ted was about to make further comment when suddenly he saw her expression changed. Her eyes darkened and her brow knitted as she met his gaze. "He's coming." She stated.

"Now?" Ted demanded, forgetting all thoughts of their personal relationship, such at it was.

"Now." Zatanna confirmed with a quick nod.

Ted flung around to the others. "Guy!" Ted called out. "Dreamslayer is on his way!"

***********

Only Guy Gardner was standing on the beach when the Extremists arrived.

A pinprick of light glimmered in mid air when suddenly it expanded into a web of energy that opened a doorway through space and time. Tracer emerged first. He sprung out of the wormhole with the predatory grace of a tiger about to spring onto a helpless victim. He landed on his haunches, muscle rippling through his body as he landed on the sandy beach. Tracer's head turned sharply towards him as a breeze carried Guy's scent to him. A vicious smile stole across his face as claws extended for the fight.

Behind him, Lord Havok simply stepped out of the wormhole as a man might step off a bus. His armour showed none of the damage that had been inflicted during their battle earlier. It gleamed in the sunlight as Lord Havok looked around to survey the situation. Like Tracer, he located Guy almost immediately. Even from a distance, Guy could see his eyes narrow with hatred. Guy had no doubts that Havok wanted a rematch after his defeat in Paris. Gorgon and Doctor Diehard emerged from the portal showing no signs of their battle with Sigrid or Beatriz. As expected, the Extremists had undergone repairs under ministrations of their more empowered comrade.

Dreamslayer was the last one to emerge from the wormhole before it flashed out of existence. The villain took a long look around the island and did not appear happy at the state of the island. Considering that it was he who had reduced it to a nuclear wasteland less than a day ago, Guy could understand Dreamslayer's annoyance even if he did not share any enthusiasm about committing genocide. It would not take them long to get here, Guy thought to himself. Even as the notion passed through his head, he saw the Extremists approach.

The Extremists covered the area between them quickly and fanned once they reached him. Guy showed no little concern at being surrounded by them. Guy Gardner possessed one virtue that wall always consistent. He did not know the meaning of the word fear. Fear did not exist for him, not after all he had faced in his life.

"I am impressed." Dreamslayer declared, gesturing to the landscape around him. "Your witch does good work."

"She's not a witch," Guy said with a comfortable drawl. "She's prefers to be called a magician."

"Well," Doctor Diehard added with a malicious sneer. "Too bad about the people though or couldn't she conjure them up too?"

Guy tried not to let the remark effect him and merely shrugged. "You fight the fights you can win."

"You're not going to win this time." Lord Havok hissed. Judging by the sound of his voice, it was all he could do to keep himself restrained.

"You want to rumble with me again, pal?" Guy turned to him and offered a derisive smile. "I could use the exercise."

"I'll tear you apart!" Havok roared viciously.

"Where are the others Tracer?" Dreamslayer asked, knowing that his companion was able to pick up the scent of any other warm body in the immediate vicinity. Tracer's range was extensive, he could tell if there was anyone else on the island.

"I can't smell them." Tracer replied annoyed that he could not scent out prey. Instinct told him that this hero would not be standing out in the open all alone. Against the five of them, it was tactically suicide. However, the man before them was confident and without fear. Usually, he could sense when prey was afraid but he could detect nothing of the sort from the superhero called Warrior.

So he is a brave son of a bitch, for dead meat. Tracer thought.

"They're here and this is an obvious trap." Dreamslayer stated without question. "Where are they Gardner?"

"Around." Guy replied, indicating that was all he was willing to say.

"Whatever your ineffectual plan is, I guarantee you it will fail." Dreamslayer continued. "You've never been able to beat me without the sorceress and she's dead."

"You never know until you try." Guy replied, sensing that Dreamslayer was no good with answered questions. The man did not like surprises as he disliked not knowing why Guy had lured him here if it was not to fight.

"Maybe your screams will bring them out." The huge and obese Gorgon taunted, the tentacles of his head moving around like uncoiled serpents. His eyes were hidden behind dark sunglasses but Guy had no misgivings that the man was any different from his blood thirsty companions.

"It will take a thinner man than you to do it, fat boy." Guy retorted. He could see them seething with rage at their earlier defeat, even Lord Havok who was know for his ruthlessly calm behaviour was enraged to the point of frenzy. Only Dreamslayer maintained any control over his emotions, superior in the notion that he could easily defeat Guy if he wished.

"I'm going bust you up good!" Gorgon shouted, spittle flying from his mouth.

"Enough of this," Dreamslayer glared at Guy. "My friends need to taste blood Gardner, I'm afraid in the absence of your friends, you will have to do."

Guy did not need to hear any more. Without warning, he spun around and started running. Dreamslayer watched him race across the sandy beach. He appeared to be heading towards an outcrop of rock in the near distance. "How quaint," he said to Lord Havok. "He's allowing us a chase."

"He's not going to get far on foot." Lord Havok noted.

"Then go get him." Dreamslayer ordered.

**********

Guy did not know if they were following him and honestly, he was about to stop and look. He did not intend to let any of the Crusaders do something he was not prepared to do himself, thus he had decided to be the bait that separated the Extremists from Dreamslayer. He knew Dreamslayer would remain behind because he had his lapped dogs to do the menial work, which involved capturing him dead or alive, which ever came first. Guy could hear Tracer's approaching voice in his ears, taunting with all sorts of pain when they caught up with him.

Dream on creep, Guy thought to himself as he leapt onto the outcrop of rock and started climbing up. An explosion erupted next to him, impacting on stone and sending jagged shards at him. Guy did not need to look over his shoulder to know that the blast had originated from Lord Havok's arsenal in an effort to slow him down. Although sharp pieces of rock bit into his skin, Guy continued over the rock and jumped to the sand on the other side. His feet gave way under him as he landed. Guy rolled with the fall and was on his knees and running again in seconds.

Beyond the outcrop was the face of a cliff wall on the other side of the island. At high tide, much of this inlet would be submerged underwater. However at low tide, it revealed a narrow cleft that had been carved out from years of erosion and hidden by the outcrop of rock. As Guy heard another blast discharge behind him, he jumped out of the way as the blast impacted on the ground behind him, raining sand around his ears.

"We're coming to get you!" He heard Tracer cry after him.

"Like hell you are." Guy said under his breath as he stopped running and turned around and saw that they were almost on top of him. A few more minutes and they would have caught up to him.

"Now!" He shouted through the open channel of his signal device.

********

If he had not been poised for an attack of some sort, the column of green flame that came shooting out of the sky could have incinerated his physical body on the spot. Dreamslayer jumped out of the way just as the flames reached him. As he fell, he heard the loud woosh of sand being fused into glass by tremendous heat. Dreamslayer rolled across the ground, his back covered in sand as he scrambled to get back on his feet. The attack on his physical form surprised him because he had believed these costume buffoons would have learned by now that he was much too powerful for such measures.

He looked up and saw the woman called Fire, making a pass to send more flames in his direction. A part of him was enraged by the audacity of her to dare to harm his body in such a way. Even if she was a manifestation of fire, he was going to destroy her. Dreamslayer flung a bolt of mystical energy at her but she seemed ready for the attack. Beatriz moved out of the way as the bolt flew past her.

"You're agile." Dreamslayer declared. "But you're no match for me and you know it." He sent another blast of energy at her that she carefully avoided again.

Beatriz was at home in the sky and after years of flying, she knew how to avoid such blasts even if she knew she could not do this indefinitely. At some point Dreamslayer would lash out and she did not know if she could handle the power of his attack when that happened. For the moment, Booster and Zatanna were staying out of sight as planned by Guy. The object here was to disorientate Dreamslayer before Zatanna and Booster could act.

"Let's see you prove it." She sent another blast of fire at him.

This time he was ready for her. An invisible shield sprang up to protect him and the flames bounced harmlessly off the surface, carried away by a breeze that rendered it impotent.

"Your move." He smiled through the shimmering heat of the air around him.

Beatriz knew then she could not defeat him but she was going to give him a fight he was never going to forget. She poured more flames around him, encircling him and his shield in a wall of fire that send columns of dark smoke rising into the air. Dreamslayer remained behind his protection unperturbed but unable to attack because it required lowering his shield to do so. Despite his awesome powers, he was alive only because he possessed a body through which he could function. Without it, he was a simply a disembodied spirit with no way to effect the physical world.

At all costs, the body of the Gray Man had to be protected.

"Your tire me with your impertinence!" Dreamslayer roared and exhaled loudly as if letting out a held breath as he vented the full measure of his formidable powers. The shield around him exploded outward, sending waves of energy that stole the air around the flames snuffing them out completely.

Beatriz had one moment of clarity in which to react before the wave of energy reached her but it was moment to late. The wave hit her as if she had flown into a brick wall at top speed. It knocked the wind out of her as she was thrown backwards. The pain that wracked her body robbed her of her ability to concentrate and she lost flight. The last thing she saw as she fell from the air in spiral descent was the sea rushing up to meet her.

Dreamslayer watched her fall into the water with a loud splash, breathing hard. Despite her ineffectual attack, she had caused him to expend a large amount of energy. Walking towards the shore, he decided she would die for that insult. Around him, wisps of green flame were struggling to remain alight on the sandy ground with little success. He could see the woman rising to the surface after she had made her initial impact.

Suddenly, he slammed into an invisible wall in front of him. What outrage was this? Dreamslayer thought furiously as he placed his hands in front of him and found that there was an invisible barrier before him. Allowing his hands to move over the unseen surface, he realised that he was trapped inside a force field of some kind. It possessed almost as much strength as the one he had erected to protect himself from Fire. Suddenly a voice penetrated through the anger of his inner thoughts.

"Welcome to the end Dreamslayer." Zatanna's voice said coldly.

**********

The Blue Beetle was the first one to emerge from the cleft, followed by General Glory and Ice. Their objective was simple, to separate the Extremists from Dreamslayer at all costs. Guy had gambled on the villain considering himself too good to give chase to what seemed to be obviously a trap. He counted on Dreamslayer being prepared for an attack by Zatanna, not Beatriz. However, in order to make any of it work, he had to lure the other Extremists so that Zatanna could put her part of the plan into action without interference.

"Guy, are you okay?" Ted called out to ask as he flew overhead.

"Just peachy!" Guy shouted back as Ted raced towards Doctor Diehard, like a blue projectile.

While sadism and brutality could be mimicked to near perfection, it required more sophistication than any computer is capable, to produce true intelligence. The original Extremists were a group of blood thirsty murderers but their success had been attributed to their intelligence. The replicants who now lived their lives did so only because of programming. Yet programming was simply not enough to make these facsimiles completely identical to their flesh and blood counterparts. It had been easy to lead them into a trap because their programing had been designed for them to obey their baser instincts. The Extremists were known for their savagery and their designers had used this trait as the blue print for their creation. Intelligence had not been a high priority.

Doctor Diehard was no sooner able to conceive that he and his companions had been lead into a well-orchestrated net before he was dragged into the air. He looked up frantically as the beach became distant below him and saw the Blue Beetle keeping him airborne by his dark cape.

On the ground, the others wasted no time in deciding whether or not their comrade required assistance. Tracer snarled viciously at Guy, baring his teeth in malignant rage. His body contracted like a spring, preparing to launch when he heard Lord Havoc shout in unmistakable warning. "He's mine!"

"Come on." Guy narrowed his eyes and taunted as the armour clad villain approached him slowly. This would be a bare knuckled, blood fisted battle to the death, Guy realised. The idea of such down and dirty brawl sent his blood boiling, answering the call of some Vuldarian thirst he never seemed able to quench. Fortunately for once, he was not held back by notions of morality. Lord Havoc, the man was dead. This creation before him was without a soul and without flesh.

"I'm going to tear out your heart before I'm through." Lord Havoc said through clenched teeth. "Nobody beats me, nobody!"

"I did." Guy retorted as they circled each other, like two titans about to wage war over the earth. "Give me what you got Havoc," he glared at the icy cold eyes staring at him through the slits of armour. "Give me hell and watch me eat it, tin man"

Once again, Havoc did not like being reminded that he was a facsimile of the original. His entire personality program hinged on his ego and his knowing that he was Lord Havoc, leader of the Extremists. "I am Lord Havoc!" He screamed almost in protest as he sprang towards Guy firing all weapons on his body armour. Enormous bolts of power rippled at Guy who quickly morphed his body into something more formidable than flesh. His skin began to transmute. Molecules began shifting and altering, turning soft tissue into high density material impervious to nothing short of a complete anti-matter detonation. In the blink of an eye, Guy's body had transformed into thick Vuldarian battle armour. The blast impacted against his body hard but Guy managed to remain on his feet. The power of the weapon had increased tremendously and Guy was forced to dig his heels into the keep standing.

"Try harder." He sneered once the barrage has stopped and Havoc paused to reload. Guy started forward during the interval, his arms morphing into weapons as he advanced. Judging from the strength of Havok's attack, Guy had been correct in assuming Dreamslayer would have enhanced his powers after their defeat earlier.

Lord Havoc raised his arms to fire again not allowing Guy to close the distance between them. His other companions were having battles of their own to contend with and the Extremist did not intend to endure another humiliating defeat. "I'm going to kill you hero." He said with cold hatred, the memory of their previous encounter gnawing away at him.

"Better than you have tried pal." Guy said as he hands turned into gun barrels and two columns of incendiary fire surged forward.

Havoc jumped out of the way without hesitation. Even with his armour, the Extremist was agile. He landed in the oncoming rush of waves against the shore line. Guy immediately resumed his attack, sending another jet of fire at the villain. Havoc released his weapons through the fire. Some of its artillery impacted on Guy's body but it was not enough to stop the former Green Lantern by any means. Instead Guy ran forward and brought him down with a full body tackle. Both men landed into the water with a loud splash.

Knowing the risks to engage his opponent in a physical combat, Havoc flipped Guy over his head and scrambled to his feet. Guy recovered quickly and did not allow Havoc the chance to fire again. He threw a focused kick that connected in the centre of the villain's chest. Havoc staggered from the blow but still remained standing. Guy refused to allow him the opportunity to take a breath, dropping down and then bringing the Extremist down with an effective leg sweep. Havoc hit the water hard, his entire body impacting with a loud splash. Guy rose to his feet and moved in for the kill.

However, Lord Havoc was far from done.

As Guy approached, the replicant sat up abruptly and discharged all weapons in his armour's arsenal. The following blast sent Guy flying backwards through the air. He hit neck depth water with a tremendous splash. Even with his Vuldarian protection, Guy felt his body ache with pain as he surfaced. He emerged just in time to see Havoc rushing towards him preparing to resume his attack.

Time to put this creep out of commission, Guy thought to himself.

As Havoc fired again, Guy dropped beneath the surface of the water. The blast impacted harmlessly against the waves, sending a spray of froth and salt into the air. Almost frenzied by his rage, Lord Havoc continued firing, releasing multiple energy bolts in the charged sea. Sea water began to bubble from the heat of the energy of his weapons, until steam rose from the frothing ocean surface. He was almost beyond reason. The need for vengeance had completely obliterated the calm deliberation the original Lord Havoc was said to possess. Beads of moisture began to roll down his armour as water condensed on its flawless finish. Yet despite all his rage, Havoc saw no signs of blood or a body. Until he saw Gardner dead with his own eyes, he could not be sure of anything.

Only when the internal systems of his amour indicate that he was pushing it beyond its limits, did Lord Havok finally stopped firing. Inwardly, he knew he was wasting precious energy in this exercise when he had yet to see any evidence of his attacks producing a victory. He stood breathing hard, allowing the swell of rage inside him to be still. Around him, the ocean showed similar wisdom. The water stopped frothing. After a while, the foam was broken up the rhythmic currents of oceanic waves, snaking bath and forth in a see saw approach to the shore. He was still standing in waist deep water and knew he should withdraw to dry land. While his suit was moisture protected, the high salinity content of sea water could effect its electronics. However, he could not rest easy. He did not for one moment believe that he had killed Gardner.

If not, where was the bastard?

He would ponder that question when he was out of the water, Lord Havok decided. Glancing at the beach, he saw his companions engaged in combat with the rest of the Gardner entourage. Tracer had disappeared into the jungle and the female who was fighting him, had chosen foolishly to follow. Behind his mask, Havok allowed himself a wicked smile. She would soon learn better. On the far side of the beach, it appeared as if the good Doctor did require assistance. The new improved Blue Beetle was launching a formidable attack as was the hero called General Glory, who at the moment was soaring into the air, dragging Gorgon with him.

Suddenly, he heard a ripple behind him and turned sharply around just in time to see something shiny breaking the surface of the water. It emerged slowly, rising from the depths as a new born god might have done in ancient mythology. Every inch of it gleamed in the sunlight. Its brilliance enhanced by the water running down its metallic limbs. For a moment, Lord Havok wondered if this was some illusion until the silvery head rose to meet his eyes and he found himself staring into Gardner's green eyes.

Guy Gardner, Warrior waded out of the water. His body having taken on the consistency of liquid metal seemed fluid as he approached. Havok could see ripples and tiny waves where there should have been muscle and sinew. There was a moment of clarity as both men faced each other and knew inexplicably without clairvoyance or foresight that this time would be last. Time slowed to a crawl as Havok raised his weapons to fire, not caring whether he was pushing his suit to its limits or not. The Vuldarian's body morphed again and this time it surged forward like elastic, crossing the distance between himself and the enemy.

The full volume of Guy's substance slammed into Havok as if the elastic band had been pulled and released. Havok managed an angry cry as he fell backward, feeling the viscosity of Guy's flesh ooze into the eye slits of his armour. Once penetrated, he felt it harden and suddenly there were fingers against his cheek. He clamped his eyes shut and uttered a guttural scream of rage as those fingers pulled back.

The armour containing Lord Havok's skull snapped in half. Guy stood above the decapitated body of the former Extremist, with pieces in both hands. Each fragment sparkled with residual energy and spat fiery embers in all directions. The designers had no knowledge of the man beneath the armour and saw no reason to create him inside it. The eyes that had stared at Guy with so much hatred were the only things that had been recreated. Mitch Wacky's creations had been about illusion. In this case, the illusion even deceived itself.

Wires and conduits spat synthetic fluid and Guy looked down at the remnants of Lord Havok's head in his hands. The body twitched spasmodically, trying to re-route to other systems in order to keep functioning. Guy did not know whether or not it would work, however he did not want to wait around to find out. He tossed the pieces aside, taking a moment to ensure that they sank to the bottom of the sea. They may a slight break in water before disappearing beneath the waves. He morphed his two sharp metal claws and dug them into the chest cavity of the headless replicant. When he pulled back, he heard the screeching sound of metal tearing as the body of Lord Havok was eviscerated.

With that, the replicant finally stopped moving and Guy Gardner left Lord Havok to the sea.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN - THE CORINTHIAN

"Was that little flight meant to scare me?" Doctor Diehard sneered, after picking himself off the sand where the Blue Beetle had unceremoniously dumped him. He was still dusting fine grains of white sand from his dark clothes when he realised that his comrades were on the far side of the beach.

Of the Extremists, Ted Kord aka the Blue Beetle, was aware that Doctor Diehard was potentially the most dangerous of the villains. With his powers of magnetic manipulation, Diehard was once able to hold the planet to ransom by keeping an arsenal of nuclear warheads poised in the atmosphere. No doubt, this was probably how he had levelled Kooey Kooey Kooey only yesterday. Ted had no intention of allowing him to use such dangerous tactics again.

"I don't know," Ted declared landing on the sand in front of him. "Do you scare easily or are you only a big man only when you're armed with missiles?" At that, Ted leapt into the air and flew at him with the speed of a bullet. Diehard had neither time to react or scream as he felt fists slam into his stomach with such force that he was propelled backwards. The Extremists was flung into face of cliff wall, causing fissures to appear in the rock from the impact.

Ted did not give Doctor Diehard time to recover and he had plenty of anger left to continue his attack. All he had to do was remember the people of Kooey Kooey Kooey and how this animal had murdered them in a nuclear fireball. He made another pass and slammed a knuckled fist into the reeling man's jaw. As he did so, he could see the fibrous covering that made up Diehard's skin beginning to flake from his punches.

"Nothing to say?" Ted asked as moved in for the kill. "You seem to be a real smart ass back at the Museum or is that just when you're not murdering innocent people?" A slow rising bubble of rage was building up inside Ted Kord. Faces flashed past him with each blow struck against this dimensional monster. Faces flashed before him, faces belonging to friends he cared deeply and for whom he had been powerless to help when they needed him most.

Diehard's narrowed his eyes and looked up just as Ted was to throw another punch at him. "Its more than you were able to do." He managed a derisive smile even though his face looked mangled. "I'll bet you'll be up nights forever, insect." He croaked a taunting laugh. "You'll never be alone in bed again although I'm sure you'll have some issues about failure."

"You bastard!" Ted shouted and flew at Doctor Diehard, his rage getting the better of him. "I'll see you in hell."

"You first." Diehard grinned and suddenly, Ted noticed a shadow looming overhead. He looked over his shoulder just in time to see the Blue Beetle Bug approaching him at top speed. For a moment, it did not register what his former trademark transport was doing here when he had left it on autopilot on the other side of the island. It took a second for him to realise that it was moving erratically and none of the engines were firing. A sidelong glance told him that Diehard had jumped to safety as the craft sped towards him.

There was barely any time to get clear as the Bug came rushing at him like a locomotive possessed. Ted Kord managed one thought before the craft slammed him into the wall and exploded into a thousand fragments.

Looks like I'm going to find out just how invulnerable I really am.

******

Doctor Diehard dropped to the sand just before the explosion up ahead. The roar of the eruption almost deafened him. The Extremist who possessed no extraordinary method of transport, barely managed to get clear before huge flaming debris from the Blue Beetle's vessel came raining down around his ears. As he heard the momentous crash behind him, he jumped clear more out of instinct than any real belief that he could get clear. He rolled across the sand and lay flat on his back for a few seconds as he regained his breath.

After allowing himself a few seconds to gain some equilibrium, he scrambled to his feet and faced the wreckage of the Blue Beetle Bug. It destruction was impressive. The main body had remained intact although it was almost totally consumed by the fire. Metal fragments of what used to be its legs were scattered in close proximity to the crash. There was flaming debris covering the sandy beach like a blanket of fire. A dark column of smoke was rising swiftly into the afternoon sky, almost as a eulogy to the craft and its former master.

"One down," Doctor Diehard said with a triumphant smile. "Any many more to go." Reaching for his jaw, he rubbed it gently where the Blue Beetle had hit him. That insect had a punch on him all right, the Doctor mused. He squinted at the distance and tried to spot his comrades who were engaged in battles of his own. He could see Havok's armour shining in the sun but could not tell whether the leader of the Extremist was winning or losing his particular confrontation.

Maybe I'll just drop a bomb on Gardner's head. The visual image made him chuckled.

Suddenly, he heard a creak of metal and the Doctor swung around quickly. His eyes widened as he saw a piece of wreckage shift uncomfortably before a figure climbed out of the fire. Doctor Diehard swore under his breath. What did it take to kill these bastards? He quickly turned his attention to the other debris and immediately manipulated the magnetic field. The pieces began rising from the beach and started flying towards the rising form of the Blue Beetle. Without warning, the Blue Beetle lashed out and bolts of electrical energy coursed through him. It flashed out of thin air like lightning and racked his body in such intense pain that Diehard could do nothing but scream. He dropped to his knees as he saw the hero approach slowly.

"You gotta do better than that to do me in." Ted said gasping as he strode towards the fallen Extremists. His arm was bleeding through the tear in his uniform and the blue material was quickly becoming soaked, taking on a purple hue. Despite the cuts and bruises, he was still alive, however. Alive and well. Talk about taking the acid test, Ted thought to himself. He now wished he had paid more attention when Guy had been talking about discovering the limits to his powers. At least he now knew for certain just how formidable he could be once he had more experience with these new abilities.

"I'll kill you for this!" Diehard hissed angrily even though he was still on his knees. Crackles of electricity were still sparking across his body. As far as androids go, the Extremists had to be recognised as the apex of the art. Nothing created in this dimension or the next could rival the sophistication of the Extremist replicants. However, when one really looked at it, they were piles of circuits and chips encased in slick packaging.

Another heave of metal sounded behind him although Ted did not react to the sound. He assumed correctly that the Doctor would attempt one last retaliatory strike before the end. Facing Diehard, Ted shook his head slowly. "I will die when I am ready," he said with a look of pity. "But not today." At that, he released a further barrage of lightning bolts, knowing that it would finish Doctor Diehard completely.

The energy struck him violently, creating flashes of blue as it struck his metallic body. Doctor Diehard spasmed as if he were a marionette belonging to clumsy puppeteer. Ted tried to remain dispassionate as he saw the man jerk about in agony as tendrils of electricity did their worst to all the systems in his body. Ted reminded himself more than once as he saw Diehard perform his final dance of death, that this was not a man but a machine. Suddenly, flames shot out of Diehard's mouth as the electrics inside of him sounded their death knell. Immediately, the skin around his face began to melt, running thick rivulets of rubber down his neck. His eye balls shrivelled up as the heat warped its shape to nothing more than white mush.

The whole scene was quite stomach turning, even if Doctor Diehard had been an android. The Doctor collapsed on the ground, his head now completely consumed by fire. Any features on his face were completely destroyed as the rubber melted away. As the plastics layer beneath the rubber began to deteriorate, Ted could see a glint of metal appear though the fissures. Finally, Ted turned away from the scene. He looked up at the sky and saw dark clouds rolling into place above the island. They needed the rain, he decided. The island needed to be washed clean from all that was going to be done today.

He walked to the wreckage of the Blue Beetle Bug and felt a stab of pain at its destruction. For years, it had served him faithfully on countless adventures. He knew he would have little trouble rebuilding the craft. These days he was financially capable of doing so. However, it appeared that none of the wreckage here was salvageable. A new vessel would not be quite the same as this faithful companion. Sure, a new Beetle Bug could be rebuilt but it would never replace this one.

"Oh Baby," Ted kneeled down to pick up a fragment of metal. "I really messed you up didn't I?" He sighed. "If its any consolation," he looked over his shoulder at the unmoving of Doctor Diehard, whose face now seemed like a featureless mannequin. "I got him." He said facing the wreckage. "I got the son of a bitch."

*******

When he ran into jungle, Sigrid questioned the wisdom of following him. Nevertheless, the moment of caution was wiped away by the desire to catch her prey and so she maintained pursuit of the Extremist Tracer. Before committing herself to be consumed by the thick tropical growth, Sigrid had not noticed the dark cumulous clouds forming in the sky above. Thus, it took only about ten minutes before the normal shade of the tall palm trees inside the jungle to become dark and foreboding. Although Zatanna had restored the island back to its original glory, she could not bring back its former residents, whether they are humans, animals or insects. Without them, the jungle was strangely quiet except for the sounds of her footsteps against the soft earth.

This was his environment, Sigrid told herself with annoyance. Tracer had led her here for a good reason and she was aware of the trap that she had placed herself within. Looking around the overhanging vines and leafy vegetation, Sigrid proceeded cautiously. She realised that he had the advantage here because this was a hunter's realm, neither did she doubt that he was watching her even now.

Sigrid slowed her breathing, becoming accustomed to the rhythm of her own heart to gauge her senses. Straining her ears, she listened to every sound, no matter how minute in order to find Tracer before he found her. She moved through the few shrubs that had managed to grow in a rare pocket of sunlight that penetrated the leafy canopy above. All the while, she kept her eyes trained on the thick branches of the trees surrounding her in all directions.

Sigrid kept in mind what Guy said about taking him down quickly and realised that he had made the warning for her own good. After seeing how badly he had injured Booster Gold, Sigrid chose not to take that warning lightly. She kept advancing deeper into the tropical forest, brushing away overhanging vines and small branches that seemed to block every path she chose to travel. Despite herself, she could not dispel this feeling of growing apprehension that Tracer was about to strike.

Suddenly, she heard running water in the nearby distance. Of course it would make sense that there was a source of fresh water on the island. How else would the villagers survive? She wondered if it was a river of merely a small pool and how far away it was from here. Unable to find the Extremists, Sigrid was starting to become uneasy about the man's absence.

From the corner of her eye, Sigrid saw a flurry of movement. It ran across the branches, dislodging leaves in its wake. She had just enough time to turn around when it launched itself at her. Tracer's body slammed her in full force to the ground. Sigrid fell backwards, her feet practically yanked from under her feet. She hit her head against the ground and even if the soil was soft, it nevertheless hurt.

He moved like a frenzied animal. His limbs were blurred movements of claws and hands. Sigrid barely had time to register the pain as sharp claws slashed at her arms and her neck in a series of lightning quick attacks. She recovered long enough to flip him over her shoulder and scrambled to her knees as she saw him land a short distance away. Blood was starting to soak the sling where his razor sharp nails had scratched her. Sigrid prepared herself to freeze this savage villain into submission when he came at her again but instead of attacking, he fled into the jungle.

"Come back here, you coward!" She shouted angrily.

"I'm not stupid enough to let you take me into an ice block babe." He returned as he disappeared into the foliage.

Refusing to allow him another escape, Sigrid bolted after him, not concerning herself with the lacerations or the pain in her broken arm. With adrenaline pumping through her body at full flow, she leapt over the small shrubs and fallen trees in her way, determined to keep him in sight. Meanwhile, she became aware that the sound of running water had started to get louder, until it became a low rumble.

She broke through the vegetation and found the soil underfoot had thinned into hard shale and rock. None of this gave her concern until she saw that she was nearing the edge of a small cliff. Sigrid came to an abrupt halt and looked across the chasm to see the plunge pool of a river below her. The river she had wondered about was on the other side and it culminated into a cascade of white foam that thundered into the crystal blue pool. It was truly beautiful, Sigrid thought momentarily.

"Pretty isn't it?" Tracer's voice said behind her. "Why don't you take a swim?"

Sigrid swung around just in time to see him shove her over the edge. She let out a short scream as she fell but managed one small act before she fell too far down. Concentrating hard and ignoring the fear of the fall, she sent a column of ice at Tracer. Sigrid saw him gloating over her as she descended, until he realised that the ice was coming for him. As unexpectedly as she had been pushed over the cliff, Tracer was ensnared by ice column with similar surprise. It caught him like a frog catching a fly. The weight of the ice dragged him over the edge and he was helplessly caught as he went over as well.

Sigrid hit the water at full impact, feeling the pain of an uneasy landing flare over her entire body. Fortunately, it was deeper than it looked for the depth of the pool was able to protect her from any serious injury. Sigrid immediately swam out of the way as Tracer and the ice column came crashing down shortly after her own landing. Realising that she had the chance to bring this situation to and end, Sigrid started swimming towards the edge of the pool. Her body was aching but she managed to reach the soil embankment in a matter of seconds, even though she trashed through the water like a cumbersome child. Pulling herself on to dry land, she saw Tracer smashing through the ice around him. Fragments of quickly thawing ice disappeared under the water as he broke free.

"I'm going to tear your to pieces." He snarled as he started towards her.

"Really?" Sigrid replied over the sound of rushing water in the distance. "I think you've forgotten where you are."

The rage in his eyes lifted like a veil of mist and comprehension flooded into him. He made a desperate race for ground but it was too late. Sigrid lowered her hand into the water, breaking the surface long enough to get her fingertips wet. Glaring at him with eyes narrowed, she allowed herself a faint smile as the water hardened under her fingers. The ice extended outward, like an expanding ripple of water. Tracer's efforts to reach the shore became panicked. He trashed about wildly, like a fish on a deck of a boat. When it became apparent that he would not outrun the wave of ice threatening to capture him, he paused to make one final show of defiance.

"This ain't over!" He shouted as he saw the ice coming for him. He could start to feel the sudden drop in water temperature and knew that he had only seconds left. "I'll rip your heart out bitch, I promise you that!"

The ferocity in his voice convinced her that he would make good on that threat if he was given the opportunity. "You're done, Tracer." Sigrid said with just as much defiance. "You're not going to do anything." She watched his face turn into a mask of fear as the ice reached him. His body stiffened as the his body started to freeze, the process hastened by the fact that he was soaking wet. Tracer's eyes widened in terror as the cold crawled up his chest. He let out a scream that never escaped the sudden blockage of ice down his throat.

For a brief moment, he was a living sculpture of ice in the middle of the frozen pool. She supposed it was the only time he could be considered to be a work of art. However, it was only a temporary measure because ice in the tropics was not a permanent solution. Fortunately, Tracer was not human and so she had a great deal of latitude in her dealing with him. Concentrating harder, the ice began to crack as she poured more energy into freezing its molecules. Fissures began to appear although it was still solid enough to remain intact.

Tracer's frozen form however, did not weather the increase cold with similar success. Cracks began to appear on the sculpture of his form as the temperature became super cold. In a matter of moments, the molecules holding his shape together would turn brittle. His body began to tremble from the accelerated freezing process until finally, in the climax of the process, it shattered. Chunks of ice flew outward in all directions along with frozen pieces of the Extremist's destroyed body.

Sigrid rose to her feet wishing she did not have to be so extreme. However the savagery of her opponent could not be underestimated. Now that the threat was momentarily over, she became aware of her injuries. Although the scratches on her neck had stopped bleeding, they still ached painfully. Her broken armed throbbed uncomfortably and she made a mental note to see a doctor when they returned to civilisation. She hoped the rest of the Crusaders had fared better than she had.

Sigrid did not relish having to face the rest of the Extremists alone.

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

"How dare you?" Dreamslayer screamed in indignant rage. His hands were pressed up against the invisible barrier. Although he possessed more than enough power to escape it, he was more curious as to the reason for this feeble attempt at entrapment. Surely, the witch knew that he was far too powerful to be contained in such a limited fashion. He looked outside the barrier into the beach and saw no one. In the distance, however, he spied the unconscious form of Fire, being slowly dragged in by the tide to the shore. Obviously, she was in no condition to have produced this contingency. Raising his eyes to the sky, he saw a figure clad in blue and gold and realised who was generating this force field.

"Didn't you learn you lesson the last time Booster Gold?" Dreamslayer shouted at him. "You are no match for me or the Extremists Booster and you cannot seriously think you can keep me in here, do you?" He glared at Booster with utter scorn.

"Probably not," Booster answered, ignoring the man's attempts to provoke him. Instead, he kept his mind focused on maintaining the shield at all costs for as long as possible. "But keeping you in was never the plan." Booster added with a hint of satisfaction, letting Dreamslayer known that he was not as smart as he believed.

In a cloud of grey smoke, Zatanna materialised on the beach before the shield. When the cloud of grey had diminished, she stood before Dreamslayer fearlessly, her dark hair blowing in the wind. For a moment, she looked every bit the sorceress that she was. Calmly, she looked into Dreamslayer's eyes and spoke with cold hatred. "I told you this was far from over Dreamslayer."

"You think you can't take me on?" Dreamslayer demanded arrogantly. "Your pathetic attempts have done little to slow me down. You weren't enough of a bother to be mildly entertaining. You and your little friends have been nothing short of disappointing."

Zatanna allowed herself a faint smile. All his posturing seemed to indicate that he was worried about what she had up her sleeve. While he was right at declaring that she was no match for his powers, he was nonetheless fearful of what he did not know and he suspected that there was method in her madness. "When you took the body of the Gray Man, did it ever occur to you that there were other forces interested in how it conduct itself?"

Dreamslayer's eyes narrowed. "Don't try and bluff me, witch." He said confidently. "I may not dabble in the mystics but even I know that if the Lords of Order haven't intervened by now, they aren't likely too. You overestimate their concern for the welfare of your pathetic lives."

His words were intended to sting but had no such effects on her. "You're right," Zatanna retorted. "You're not a mystic and so you are unaware that there are many forces that exist, other than the Lords of Order." She paced the ground around the barrier, like a predator eyeing a helpless prey. "The universe is more than your perception of it and when you decide to toy with the supernatural, beware of the consequences."

"You are frightening me." He sneered. "Perhaps you are right, witch. Unfortunately, none of these forces are currently present to stop me from killing the lot of you." Dreamslayer declared, grandiosely. He started concentrating on a build up of power, to shatter this ball of energy like glass. "I tire of this game," his voice dripping with superiority. "None of you have proved mildly entertaining. Perhaps the new Justice League might prove a better challenge."

"You're welcome to try." Zatanna said finally before turning to Booster. "Now."

Booster nodded and disconnected the force field. In the split instant between the collapse of the barrier and Dreamslayer's awareness of it, Zatanna put her conjured her final spell. After that, their fates would be taken out of her hands. She had only to utter one word and all of it would fall into place.

"peelS."

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

The sky had suddenly turned pitch black.

Dreamslayer looked up and saw that it was night. The moon hung overhead in the sky, full and bright. Yet the canopy holding it hostage, revealed no flicker of myriad lights but the totality of utter darkness. The beach had disappeared and he stood on the flat plain of a barren wasteland. Through the veil of fog, he could tell that there were no mountains in the distance and no trees he could see. Something about the place looked removed from reality. He wondered if she had teleported him to another dimension. He did not know she had that kind of power. Then again, he had never allowed her the opportunity to show it.

"Welcome to the Dreaming, Dreamslayer." He heard her speak.

He turned around and saw her standing behind him, with Booster Gold.

"A nice trick." Dreamslayer offered sarcastically. "It would appear that you are capable of pulling a rabbit out of your hat. I did not think you were capable of dimensional travel."

"Dimensional travel, is that what you think this is?" She laughed. "You are truly rich, Dreamslayer."

Booster wished he knew what was happening. One minute he had disconnected the force field and the next thing he knew, he was standing in the middle of the spookiest place he had ever been in his life. Even though it was night, the air was hot and the winds blowing across the parched landscape made his skin crawl. Zatanna seemed to know what she was doing though and showed no trace of fear, which was more than he could say for himself. One thing was certain however, until they got out of here, he was not straying from her side.

"Where are we?" Dreamslayer demanded, preparing to blast her with a killing bolt of energy. "Tell me witch, or I will turn your bones to powder!"

"Not if I can help it." Booster declared finding his voice. "You put one hand on the lady and I'll pulverise you instead. Besides, I owe you one."

"Its all right Booster," Zatanna said with a smile, putting her hand on his shoulder to assure him that everything was under control. "Dreamslayer is powerless here. He has the bite of a toothless tiger."

"You are delusional!" Dreamslayer retaliated and prepared to show her how wrong she truly was. However, as he tried to discharge the energy amassed by Gray Man's body, he realised that something was wrong. Nothing was happening! What had she done to him? His eyes widened in disbelief as he glared at her. "What have you done to me witch?"

"Dreamslayer." Zatanna mused. "Has it ever occurred to you what is meant to happen to the dream essence you have been stealing?"

Despite his rage, he knew he could not answer her. "Enough of your riddles!" He snorted. "Tell me what you have done or I will kill this pathetic human." He glared at Booster.

Booster was about to speak but Zatanna beat him to it. "You couldn't hurt Booster any more than you can hurt me, you fool. I did not take you to any dimension. My spell was one of the oldest and most common spells of magic. I merely put us all to sleep. At the moment, you are lying on the beach, with myself and Booster, fast asleep."

"What?" Booster turned to her in surprise. "I don't remember.."

"Does anyone remember the precise time, one falls asleep?" Zatanna answered before turning back to Dreamslayer who was absorbing her words with great difficulty. "Dreamslayer, since I made you sleep, the dream that we are now experiencing is my dream and in my dream, you are powerless."

"I don't believe you." He said defiantly but Booster could tell from the rising fear on his voice that he starting to suspect that her claim was true.

"You said you were going to kill me, I am still here." She responded, her voice full of triumph. "Face it Dreamslayer, you are helpless here."

"So what?" He retorted, regaining some of his balance now that the initial shock had faded. His eyes narrowed with familiar malevolence as he glared at her. "You keep me trapped in this place forever? Even you have to wake up some time, when you do I will be return to reality and I will still win."

Booster had to admit that the louse had a good point and he hoped that Zatanna's hand was stronger that what it appeared to be. Suddenly, his eyes caught sight of something, he swore had not been there before. While Zatanna and Dreamslayer continued their verbal jousting, Booster's attention focused on an unusually shaped tower standing in the middle of the plain. With absolute certainty, he knew that the structure had not been there before this second. For a moment, he wrestled with the possibility that this was an illusion. They were after all in a dream world, could what he was seeing be a figment of his imagination?

Booster doubted it because the tower was something out of a nightmare.

He was reminded of those medieval fortresses, dark and foreboding, with angular corners and jagged edges. Looking at it, made him tremble. What was it? Almost in an answer, he saw a man appeared out of the mist, from the direction of the dark castle. The man was tall and pale, with short white hair cut short to his scalp. Despite its colour, Booster did not think he was very old and estimated that they were probably the same age. He wore a white T-shirt and white denim jeans, with jet black boots. His eyes were hidden by sunglasses and Booster found himself thinking why on earth anyone would need those in a dismal place like this, especially at night.

"Its time for us to leave Booster." Zatanna said to him.

"Leave?" Dreamslayer laughed. "You don't think you can leave without me do you? The moment you wake up, your dream will be over and I will still be strong enough to kill you and your miserable little group."

"I don't think so." The new arrival announced his presence.

At the very sight of him, Booster saw the change in Zatanna's confident features. The reason for her fear was not Dreamslayer but this man in his white clothes and covered eyes.

"You can leave now." He said to Zatanna. "I will take care of this."

"Who are you?" Dreamslayer demanded, starting to become very uneasy by this whole situation. This was not how it was supposed to be. He was Dreamslayer, master of the dimensions, leader of the Extremists! He was not to be left in this stygian world because of the some witch's trick. "I will kill you like I'm going to kill her when I get to the waking world."

For the first time, the man turned his attention to Dreamslayer and he let a small smile steal across his face. "So you are a Dreamslayer?" The man asked, as if the whole notion was some enormous joke that he alone was privy to. His hand reached for his sunglasses. "They call me the Corinthian."

His eyes! Jesus Christ, his eyes!

He had seen many things in his life that was capable of breaking lesser man and Booster Gold thought he had handled those experiences well but nothing prepared him for the Corinthian. Where there should have been eye sockets, pupils and irises were two perfectly formed mouths with sharp and jagged teeth.

Zatanna saw Dreamslayer recoil at the sight of the man, realising perhaps in these last moments of life what he was now facing. "Give our thanks to your master." She managed to say, taking hold of Booster's hand. Booster's eyes were wide open with naked terror, his face was ashen with fear. Zatanna could well understand the emotion. She herself, could sense the dark inside this being and it terrified her even more because she understood what he was. The Corinthian was the essence of the nightmares. He resided comfortably in the depths of fears locked within the souls of every sentient that had ever lived and dreamed.

He was the manifestation of man's darkest ideas.

Zatanna recited the spell that would bring her and Booster back into the waking world. The words to take them home were just as simple as those who brought them here. "ekawA." She repeated to herself. "ekawA."

"You cannot leave me here!" Dreamslayer turned to her desperately as the Corinthian advanced upon him. Zatanna felt the compassion inside her stir for a moment, as the Dreaming started to dissolve around her eyes. For a brief instant, she wondered if he really deserved the fate he was going to get at the hands of the Corinthian. That second faded away when she remembered the people of Kooey Kooey Koeey who had been denied any kind of mercy.

"I am sorry Dreamslayer," she whispered as he started to fade away. "Its out of my hands now. I was merely to deliver you here."

Dreamslayer watched the witch disappear like smoke before he heard the Corinthian's voice behind him. He turned around slowly, terrified because he was weak and helpless and he was perceptive enough to understand that she had left him to the ministrations of something truly horrifying. He remembered what she had said about the forces that existed beyond his understanding and he wondered if it was too late to pray for forgiveness. Almost as if he knew what Dreamslayer was thinking, the Corinthian smiled at him and spoke.

"Just call me the reckoning."

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

"Zatanna, are you all right?" She felt hands shaking her shoulder gently. Zatanna, who was lingering in the nexus between the waking world and the one of dreams, found herself being anchored to that voice. As she surfaced into the sunlight, she opened her eyes and saw the sky above her. The sun was starting to set in the distance but there was still enough light remaining for it to be still considered day.

"General?" She blinked at the face looking over her in concern.

The young man let out a sigh of relief at her response and Zatanna felt the sleep ooze out of her eyes like the dream she was shedding like a second skin. "I'm fine." She assured him even though her head was still swimming. Slowly, she rolled onto her belly and slowly lifted herself off the sandy beach. She could see Booster starting to emerge from his sleep a short distance away.

"What happened?" Donovan inquired. After he had taken care of Gorgon, who would never be reassembled since parts of him were scattered across the Pacific, General Glory had returned to the island. He first discovered Beatriz being carried to shore like drift wood. There was an awful moment when he believed that she might have drowned. Fortunately, he learnt better when he flew her out of the water. Although she was unconscious, Donovan attributed that to the red bruise forming on the side of her head. He was no doctor, but he knew a concussion when he saw one.

After bringing the Latin beauty to shore, he also found the prone bodies of Zatanna, Booster and Dreamslayer. Only close observation led him to understand that they were asleep, not unconscious like Beatriz. Fighting the temptation to wake them, Donovan held back knowing that Zatanna's powers were beyond his understanding and best left alone. Besides, he was certain that this had something to do with this plan of hers to trap Dreamslayer. With that in mind, Donovan allowed the slumber to continue.

"Its over." She said looking into his apprehensive eyes.

"Zee!" She suddenly heard Ted's voice coming towards her. Zatanna stood up shakily with Donovan's help and saw the Blue Beetle descending from the sky. In the nearby distance, Guy and Sigrid were also making their approach. Judging by the look of them, none of the Crusaders had emerged from this mission without their personal scars.

"Go see if Booster is alright." She urged the General. "His injuries might be delaying his revival."

Ted landed in front of her and she immediately noticed the torn uniform and the blood running down his shoulder. There were tiny scratches on his face and a deep gash could be seen through the torn material hugging his biceps. "Are you okay, did he hurt you?" Ted demanded although he saw no evidence of physical harm.

"No," she shook her head. "I'm in one piece." She smiled faintly before turning to Dreamslayer who was still locked in an endless sleep. "I'm in better shape than he is."

At that, Ted looked at the Extremist wondering what nightmares he must be enduring as they stood here watching him. "Is it done?" He asked softly.

"Yes," she nodded slowly. "Its done." She let out a heavy sigh. "The Dream King kept his promise once the island made an appeal to the Green."

"I still don't understand," Ted admitted. The realm of the supernatural was beyond his understanding. He dealt with facts and scientific theory, not the uncertain substance of magic. However, his lack of understanding did not mean he refused to believe in his existence. He had been a superhero long enough to have learnt that there were more things in the universe than his tiny mind could possibly imagine. He knew that the island was alive. Aquaman had explained it to the League once but the concept that a place could have sentience was too much of a possibility around which to wrap his mind.

"The island sentience made an appeal to the Green." Zatanna explained. "The Green is known in the Dreaming as Fiddler's Green. Like the island, it is a place that has sentience. As a minion of the Dream King, the Green is granted a boon. Its boon was to grant the wish of the island, to bring to justice the one who had destroyed its people."

It was still too much for Ted but he did not want to question it. Anything else he was about to say was interrupted by the sudden rising of the Gray Man.

"He's back!" Ted declared and the other Extremists leapt into action, preparing for another attack.

"Stop!" Zatanna shouted. "Look at him."

"Look at what?" Guy demanded, breaking into the conversation when he arrived.

"Dreamslayer." Donovan answered, pointing to the upright form of the Gray Man. "I thought it was over!" He exclaimed.

"It is." Zatanna said calmly. "Look at his eyes."

They did look and what they saw was answer enough. The Gray Man rose to his feet, his eyes gray and dead. There was no expression on his face, no trace of the evil that had destroyed this island and hundreds of others across the planet. It was a face trapped in amber, without feeling or emotion. His eyes stared straight past the heroes as he took a step forward. His movements were stiff and unnatural as if he was an automaton with programmed instructions. The Gray Man started walking forward, his hands hanging limply at his side as his moved past the Crusaders and continued walking up the beach.

For a moment, no one knew what to say. They could only stare at the gray figure that was fading away in the distance, not even leaving footprints in his wake. Those who had encountered the Gray Man before knew what they were seeing of course. It was eerie but familiar.

"What has happened to him?" Sigrid asked first.

"Dreamslayer is gone isn't he?" Booster spoke, now that he was conscious again. He remembered the Corinthian and knew that he would never forget that face for as long as he lived. No doubt, he would see the Corinthian in his nightmares. "The Dream King removed him from the Gray Man's body." Slowly, the memories of the dark place had returned and Zatanna's plan unfolded in his mind like a bitter aftertaste.

"Once he was inside the Dreaming, he no longer had possession of the Gray Man's body. Once freed of Dreamslayer's consciousness, the Gray Man can return to his duties as dictated by the Lords of Order." By now the figure of the Gray Man had disappeared completely and all that was left behind was their memories of this sorry episode.

"So that's it." Guy let out a deep breath. He was holding Beatriz in his arms. Her injuries were superficial but the blast of psychic power had weakened her. Guy chose not to rouse her until it was necessary. "That's the end of Dreamslayer." He let his mind drift to all the lives that had been lost because of the Extremist and wished he could be certain that the bastard would get his due. "I hope he's in a world of hurt."

Booster swallowed hard, closing his eyes as the image of the Corinthian flashed in his mind again. "You have no idea, Guy. No idea at all."

EPILOGUE: SLEEPERS

Zatanna could not sleep.

It was not because for any lack of trying on her part. After the past few days, she certainly felt the need for sleep. Unfortunately, her body had completely different ideas. She tossed around in bed, a thin film of perspiration wetting her skin with each movement she made. At some point in the night, she chose to change tactics. Instead of tossing around, she would sit up and fluff her pillows, adjust the covers over her body and then try to find the most comfortable position before she lay down to sleep.

While it did accomplish the killing of time, it did little to help her sleep. Finally, Zatanna gave up altogether and climbed out of bed. As she walked out of the bedroom, with designs on the kitchen, Zatanna noticed the clock on the mantle piece of her living room. She groaned when she saw that it was still night. It would be five hours before she could even think of getting up early and then she would go through the day like the walking dead.

I wonder what Ted's doing?

That thought slipped out of her mind even before she reached the kitchen. It made her pause and wonder whether the reason for her insomnia was not something as simplistic as man troubles. As the notion imprinted itself in her mind, she let out frustrated sigh. Not that, anything but that!

Unfortunately, the more she thought about it, the more it made sense. It had been a week since the whole business with the Extremists and Dreamslayer. The Crusaders had returned to their own lives although they were connected to each other with their signal devices. As far as she knew, the Crusaders were slatted to meet at Warriors, a week from today, in order to discuss what role they would take in the superhero community. Understandably, Guy did not want the group to become a pale imitation of the Justice League. She could agree with that sentiment although she had yet to decide whether she wanted to be a full time member.

Despite Guy's fears for comparisons with the Justice League, the media reported no such rivalry. Thanks to Catherine's whispers in the right ears, the whole world was now aware that they were responsible for ending the nuclear threat. After Dreamslayer had been vanquished, the United Nations Council felt confident enough to release the real truth behind the destruction of Kooey Kooey Kooey. The Crusaders returned to New York as heroes, with the full glare of media attention in their faces. Part of the reason the group chose to scatter for a few weeks was partially due to all this attention. While Beatriz and Guy were used to it, newer members like Donovan Wallace and Sigrid Nansen preferred the shadows. Zatanna could appreciate their reason for anonymity and quickly returned home.

Zatanna made herself a cup of hot chocolate, hoping it would help her sleep. She sat at the kitchen counter, nursing the warm cup and allowing herself to finally grapple with the subject of Ted Kord.

There had not been a man in her life since Barry Allen, the original Flash and that was years ago. To be honest, Barry had never been hers, not really. As League team mates, they had come together after Barry had believed Iris to be dead. In his grief, he had turned to her and Zatanna had to been too young to know any better. She had loved him deeply but when Iris returned to life, their relationship died. Barry had tried to be a gentleman about it but it changed nothing. She was still hurt. Since then, her relationships with men had been chequered. Being a powerful mystic was a decided disadvantage when one trying to enjoy a social life.

Ted Kord was the first man she felt she could trust enough to give her heart in a long time and that frightened her immensely. She sensed his feelings for her were no passing fancy either. The depth of his emotion was part of the reason why she reacted so strongly to him. Although many of their feelings had been unspoken, Zatanna knew that she was not going to get any peace of mind until she confronted him and her feelings face to face.

Glancing at the clock, she wondered what time it was on the west coast. Lightspeed Entertainment was based in Las Vegas and she gathered that was where Ted lived as well. For a few minutes, she debated the idea to call him but after several soul searching questions, decided that this could not wait. If she was ever going to sleep again, she needed to know.

Taking a deep breath, she picked up the phone.....

*********

She called him. He could not believe it. She really called him.

Ted took a moment to gather himself as he heard Zatanna's voice on the other end of the line. He had been working in his office at Lightspeed Entertainment, trying to shift through the paperwork accumulated during his absence. When the phone rang, he prayed it was Booster telling him that he was cutting his trip to Paris short and was on the next plane home. Booster had decided to take a little vacation after their encounter with the Extremists. No doubt, this sudden idea for a holiday probably had much to do with a beautiful French brunette who was finally giving him the time of day, Ted thought bitterly.

However, when he picked up the phone, there had been a slight pause before the caller spoke.

"Hello Ted."

Ted knew her voice immediately. In the rare periods of time when he able to come for air from under all this paperwork, his mind invariably fell to thoughts of Zatanna. He wrapped himself in dreams of her when he slept and grew more certain with each passing day that he had fallen head over heels. Despite the certainty of his feelings, Ted had no idea what to do about it. This was not the kind of woman that appreciated being rushed and he sensed a vulnerability behind all that confidence when it came to matters of the heart. So, he chose to step back and let her come to him when she felt she was ready.

"Hello Zee." He answered with a smile, trying to hide his jubilance. "How have you been?" He opted for a casual approach first. After all, she had called him.

"I've been fine." She responded. "How about you?" Zatanna winced from her end of the line. They sounded like two high school kids. There had to be a point in maturity that made relationships easier to cope with. Taking a deep breath, she called on the strength, she reserved to fight super villains like Dreamslayer, Wotan and whatever she had encountered throughout her career. "Ted, we need to talk about us."

"Is there an 'us'?" He ventured to ask. Suddenly, his stomach had moved into his throat. He wanted her so much. If she did not feel the same, Ted was not sure how he was going to handle it.

"There could be." She said finally. "I know how you feel."

"The question is how do you feel?" Ted returned.

"I don't know how I feel." Zatanna admitted. "We've never really had a chance to feel anything. Everything happened when we were fighting Dreamslayer and there was so much emotion charging the air, it was hard to be sure of anything."

"Then come here." The words flew out of his mouth before he had a chance to think them through. "Let's find out. Give ourselves a week to find out if any of what we feel is worth hanging on to, Zee."

There was another pause. "I really hate Las Vegas. Its tacky."

Ted tried to suppress a smile, knowing that was a positive response. "I hate New England. There are killer dogs, killer clowns, psychic prom queens and vampire infested towns"

"All right already," she giggled. "How about New York?"

"My kind of town." Ted grinned.

"I'll see you then Ted." She said silkily.

Ted could listen to her voice forever. "I'll make lasagne, put on some CD's.."

"Ted." She interrupted. "I'm hoping that's not the same offer you made Wonder Woman."

I am so going to kill Guy, Ted thought before he came up with an answer.

*******

Sometimes he would wake up at night in a cold sweat, trembling from the effects of a dream he would never remember, even though its presence stayed him with for days. On these occasions, returning to sleep was impossible and he did not relish having to toss and turn all night with the sheets of his bed plastered to his body. Instead, he would live his small caretaker's shed and venture into the garden he was charged to keep.

He would walk barefoot in the soft green grass, allowing its silky texture to tickle his feet before finding himself a nice spot under a tree. Although he would not sleep, he passed the time staring into the moon lit sky, trying to remember if there was more to his existence than being the caretaker of Fiddler's Green. He could not remember anything before his life in this idyllic world even though he must have died thinking of the Dreaming to become a permanent resident in this kingdom of twilight.

When he thought about his arrival here, a permanent haze would descend upon his consciousness so that merely fragments of memory would surface. His arrival into the Dreaming did not arouse much fanfare. One morning, he had awaken from a restless sleep to find himself in the caretaker's shed. At first he had been confused because he remembered nothing before that morning. He ventured out to find Fiddler's Green before him and thought it to be the most beautiful place in the world.

It came as no surprised to him when the Dreaming's residents informed him that he had always been its caretaker and that his name was David. In some part of him, which existed beyond the need for factual data, he knew this was true, even though he suspected that he might have been known as something else once upon a time. Sometimes, he had flashes of memory that appeared and then disappeared with the consistency of smoke. Images of green fire and streaks of blue and gold would taunt him, defying him to solve the riddle trapped inside his mind. At other times, the dreams were darker, even nightmarish.

He would dream that someone had reached inside his mind and eaten away his identity. All of what he was before this life would disappear down the gullet of some unimaginable horror before all reason left his mind and he would awake screaming. Those nightmares had plagued him endlessly during his first days in the Dreaming, levelling off with the gradual passage of time.

Yesterday, he had met the Corinthian for the first time. Bar none other, the Corinthian was indeed the most ferocious and fearsome of all the major arcana in the Dreaming. David remembered the meeting most vividly. The Corinthian had smiled at him and inquired how he found life in the Dreaming. David's answers had been polite even though a feeling of dread rose in his stomach at the sight of the Corinthian. The Corinthian noticed this but did not make mention of his fear.

"What are you called?" The Corinthian had asked him.

"David." He had answered, fighting a wave of nausea that emerged from nowhere.

"It's a good name." The Corinthian said quietly. "Could be worse. You could be called something ridiculous like Dreamslayer."

"In the Dreaming?" David had laughed. "That sounds sacrilegious."

The Corinthian did not join in his laughter but did smile. "It was nice meeting you David." He said politely before leaving the Green.

Perhaps it was his meeting that produced his nightmare on this evening, David decided. He stared up into the dark canopy of night and let the moon bathe him in its glowing beauty. What did it matter who he was anyway? David thought as he suddenly felt his eyelids become heavy. The Green was his responsibility, just as the Dreaming was his home. Tomorrow, he had shrubs to prune and a sapling in the northeastern end of the Green needed tending. There was just so much to do. He did not know if he was content in his previous life but this one suited him well. He had friends who called on him and he was sure that his fear of the Corinthian was a passing phase. For a nightmare, the Corinthian seemed well mannered. David managed one stray thought before sleep claimed him.

The Corinthian was correct.

Dreamslayer was an absurd name.

THE END

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