The JLA Watchtower:
Battle Training Room-

The Black Canary dropped to one knee to catch her breath while the computer cycled back to the beginning. She was breathing hard, harder than she should have been, she had to admit, and harder than she liked. She was sweating too, but that she did not mind. Sweat was good; it meant that the body was working properly.

She took deep breaths, controlled breaths, watching as the Battle Wall flashed and blinked, shifting information to accommodate her latest command. She had survived the virtual simulation program that the Martian Manhunter had programmed into the machine's database. Survived it, and beaten it with ease. It had been based more on his memories and ideals more than her specifications of course. Memories of the Black Canary that he remembered from the Justice League of America- the original League- so long ago. Back then she had been young, new and relatively innocent; a naive girl out to impress her mother and to make a name for herself in the world of Masked Men.

The Canary smirked. She had been so stupid back then, so wide-eyed and full of wonder. What had she really expected though, back in the silver age of heroes? She had grown up in the sheltering shadow of the original Black Canary and her husband, Larry Lance; her mother and father. Not to complain, it had been a good life.

Her mother had taught her all that she knew initially, both about being a woman and about fighting. Her mother- Dinah Drake- had been a scrapper, one of the first American women to actually use Judo and not just learn it. Her father had taught her bits and pieces of his trade on the sly; detective work, police work, street fighting. They had taught her the difference between right and wrong, at least in their opinion. A right and wrong that was fairly blatant back in their heyday- the 1940's and 50's. Back then the bad guys had worn tacky green uniforms with swastikas on the arm or had outlandish names like the Thinker, the Gambler and Brain Wave. But then too, there had been heroes…

She had grown up as the unofficial mascot of the Justice Society of America. She had had an army of babysitters, a battalion with names like the Green Lantern, the Flash, and Wildcat. Especially Wildcat- he had taught her how to box. And Wonder Woman. Hippolyta had taught her how to put it all together, all that she had learned.

It had been so simple then. Right and wrong, black and white- it was obvious. Then came Superman…

Dinah Laurel Lance stood and stretched as the computer flashed a five-second warning. She quickly wiped the sweat from her face and tossed her towel to the sidelines out of the simulation perimeter. She tightened the band around the thick tail of her hair in the back, tucking away a few stray strands, and slipped casually into a defensive stance as the lights flashed down from red to green. A claxon blared-

Captain Boomerang shimmered to life before her- a holographic projection of the Flash's foe generated by the battle computer for the particular sequence she had chosen. The image was good, if a bit pale, as the Captain smirked that smarmy smile he had and drew a boomerang out of thin air. A flicker of movement behind his image as a slot in the wall opened and the sequence began.

The Black Canary easily batted the projectile aside, watching from the corner of her eye as it bounced away out of the perimeter. It was a large rubber cylinder, bigger than a bullet with an image receptor built in to project and capture the information that the computer broadcast for the current simulation. At a quick scrutiny it looked like a boomerang and traveled as such, arching out of the wall, fired by the computer on a preset path- at the Black Canary. The Canary deflected it with ease, knocking it away with her wrist bracer. That was a trick she had learned from Hippolyta, a trick that had saved her life more than once.

She heard the computer cycling, picking up the pace. The image of Captain Boomerang shifted its stance and tossed two boomerangs her way. She dodged, flipping head over heels to the side, watching as the computer fired again and again. The Canary flipped and danced from side to side, keeping her hands up and free, deflecting the faux boomerangs that came within reach. The rate of fire increased quickly, trebling within the first few seconds and growing exponentially within the fractions of a second to accommodate the Flash. It was his simulation she was using after all, even though he rarely logged time in the Battle Room. Too slow, he said, and she could imagine that for Wally West it probably was. To this Goldilocks however, at least so far, it was just right!

Captain Boomerang's arms were a blur as he threw his 'boomerangs'. The click and hiss of the wall firing the projectiles merged into a steady rattle, like a keyboard clacking in the office of a Wall Street secretary. The battle area was abuzz with the mock boomerangs- a swarm of angry bees that the Canary easily evaded or batted aside. Her mind was focused on the simulation, her every sense alert to any potential danger as she flipped and twisted away. A flicker of light to the side signaled that the simulation was kicking into the next phase. The Mirror Master appeared, a ghostly image with Boomerang's smirk and holding a small mirror in each hand. He held them up-

Lasers flashed from ports set into the ceiling. Small, thin beams of concentrated light rained down as the Mirror Master rotated his hands, simulating his powers. The mirrors that he held flashed, reflecting the light in the room and another laser beamed down at the Canary. The battle had been joined on two fronts, and the Canary picked up her own pace, now dodging the random attack from above. The beams of light tended to linger however, soon creating a latticework of sizzling peril that the Black Canary had to weave through as she continued to dodge the boomerang projectiles. The lasers worked to her advantage as well however, as the computer had not been programmed to make the rubber bullets avoid the beams of light. Just like the originals, the holographic images from the Flash's Rogue's Gallery did not work well together.

Sweat ran into her eyes as she cartwheeled through the laser web. Strands of hair became plastered to her face as her ponytail started to pull free of its rubberband. She was starting to stink as her practice jersey and tights became wet and stained with perspiration. Her breathing was still regular however, and she had yet to be hit after- a quick glance at the wall clock- eight seconds!

A flicker of light behind her and the Black Canary spun to intercept a new threat. The Weather Wizard appeared with that same ghostly grin, the Wand of Mentachem flicking in his hand. The Canary rolled and sprang forward ready to face his attack. Lightning? Hail? Ice…

The Weather Wizard waved his hand and the Canary saw the floor glow briefly. She leapt, expecting the floor to be set ablaze and too late she realized her mistake. Technology stolen from the Pale Martians, or perhaps the Thanagarians took over and a holographic wash of fog rolled beneath her. The floor became frictionless in an instant simulating a sheet of ice cast by the Weather Wizard. The Canary rolled and tucked, but already coming down there was little that she could do. The Flash would simply vibrate at ridiculous speeds and melt the ice. One of the others- Superman or J'onn would fly. Lord knows what the Batman would do. All that the Black Canary could do was land.

Her feet flew up and out as the Canary shifted her fall as best she could. Her training came to mind as she flailed backwards, trying to land flat and not on her tailbone. She slapped the ground, shouting as she had been taught, trying to absorb the brunt of the landing and spread out the damage. She cried out as a laser beam burned unexpectedly into the flesh of her splayed arm. It was more surprising than fatal, akin to a slight sunburn but enough that she felt it. It stung, but that was all.

The Canary cursed, rolling across the icy floor as the computer got a bead on her. Her savate training came into play as she maneuvered her legs, rolling and kicking out at the boomerangs that were flying fast and furious. Too fast it seemed, as one of the rubber projectiles struck her squarely on the inner thigh. She yelped and rolled as another laser 'pierced' her shoulder. She slipped, sprawling flat and a beam burned into her back-

"You're dead."

Dinah Laurel Lance looked up as she heard the battle simulation powering down. The images of the Flash's foes flickered and vanished as the weapon slots and ports closed with resounding finality. She felt the floor again beneath her and quickly got her feet planted back on solid ground. She stood, massaging her shoulder as she tried to contain her anger.

J'onn J'onzz looked as grim as usual as she approached, his hand lingering at the manual override button near the reinforced door that led in and out of the room. He was eyeing her with concern she knew, even though it was hard to tell since his dark eyes were hidden in the shadows beneath his large, overhanging brow. She knew him well enough however to read the other signs of his body language- they had been teammates and friends often enough over the years. She knew by his cautious stance, the slump of his wide shoulders, his frown that she was in for a speech.

"I designed a special simulation to test your particular skills. I fail to see why you choose not to use it."

Dinah shrugged, picking up a fresh towel and dabbing under her arms and behind her neck. She was wringing wet, but despite a few bruises, she felt great-

"I beat it."

"Then you should have reset to a higher level. I-"

"I beat them all, J'onn. I walked through the highest level, barely worked up a sweat." Not quite the truth, but no need to let him know that. Her heart was beating fast still from the workout and she was still hot and sweating, so he would never know- despite his super hearing. Not unless he read her mind, and she knew he would not do that. He had morals. She locked her gaze on his, her big blue eyes hard and unwavering until he glanced away to the side; "Eye of the Tiger"- a little trick that Ted Grant taught her, and Stallone.

"Then you should have told me. I would have reworked the program to be more of a challenge."

"And I'm quite sure that the next time the Catwoman attacks me with bean bags I'll be ready for it!" she snapped. The Canary stepped right up to her teammate, making him more than a little uncomfortable and actually making him retreat a pace. She ignored the fact that he towered over her own roughly five-and-a-half feet by well over a foot. She knew J'onn J'onzz too well, knew just what buttons to push.

"You still think of me as the girl member of the League, J'onn. The junior Black Canary hanging out with the big boys! I don't have super strength or speed. I don't have a fancy power ring. I'm not an Amazon or a Martian! I age, J'onn. I slow down, a little more every day, and I have to work out every day to keep myself at a peak so I can run with the 'big boys'."

"You have your Canary Cry-"

"Which I hardly ever use if you would just notice. It was taken from me, if you'll remember, and it's only just healing back. It's a crutch, J'onn, and I don't like it! My mother didn't have the Meta Gene and she got the respect she deserved from her teammates."

"We respect-"

"Then stop treating me like a girl, J'onn! I know I'm not in your power league. I'd be lying to myself if I thought that I was, but I could still beat you with a book of matches. I've fought Diana to a stalemate! Hell, I've beaten Batman on occasion, and you know he never holds back. You-"

An alarm blared, cutting across the Canary's tirade and drowning her out. She saw the Martian Manhunter sigh with relief as he looked up and around.

"The Proximity Alarm!" he shouted over the annoying claxon of bells and buzzers. The Canary watched as his body began to pale and desolidify.

"We're needed in the Monitor Womb!" He glanced at her, unsure if he should say more, then simply turned and stepped through the wall, knowing that the Black Canary would follow. She sighed, draping the towel behind her neck-

"Saved by the bell, J'onn?" she smiled coolly, stepping to the door and punching in her access code to signal the exercise was at an end and the computer should clean up and log off. She was hot and sweaty, her body aching, but it felt good. She had let off some steam, both physically and emotionally, but she was far from done. Not by a long shot.

It was almost like starting over, despite all that she had accomplished in the past. She had to prove herself once more, both to her teammates and to herself. Only this time she would be on her own; no parents, no JSA, no Oliver to watch her back. It was just her- the Black Canary and…

	The World's Greatest Superheroes..... RED MENACE Part 1: To Russia With Love
JLA #10 - November, Year 1	by Curt Fernlund

J'onn J'onzz, the Martian Manhunter stared at the view screen, watching as the large shining object hurtled closer and closer. A trick of angles and effect, the object seemed to grow on screen, showing little movement, which in itself was odd. It seemed a meteor, and in fact appeared to be an icy, rock-like substance, but it was not tumbling as a normal stone should, lost in the weightlessness of space while gripped in the tug of the Earth's gravity. In fact, with his Martian senses he could actually see the stone shifting in flight, keeping its lesser end pointed on its course.

"It appears to be a meteor, J'onn. It breached our outer markers and set off the proximity alarms, but it will bypass the moon by several hundred miles."

J'onn J'onzz glanced up through the holographic displays flickering throughout the long cylindrical shaft of the Womb, towards the Suspensor Chair hovering some dozen feet overhead. The chair spun about, a slight glow pulsing underneath as Wonder Woman adjusted her position in the shaft in order to better see both the monitor in question and her teammate. She seemed relaxed, despite the apparent approaching danger, her long legs crossed as she leaned forward to manually adjust a control set into the wall. Her black hair drifted slowly across her bare shoulders, momentarily caught influx within the null gravity sphere of the chair. J'onn looked away.

"I would have dismissed it all together," she continued, speaking softly as she relayed other perimeter sensors to show the meteor's path and make-up, "but as you can see it appears to be a bit more than the usual. It's basic igneous rock of course, with traces of base metal elements, iron and such. There's something underneath though that the computer can't identify." Wonder Woman highlighted the unknown element on the monitor screen and ordered the computer to run a comparison as J'onn watched.

The JLA computer had hundreds of off-world elements and hybrids listed in its database from dozens of encountered races and worlds. Mars, Thanagar, Rann, even Krypton, but what J'onn saw seemed unique and apparently undiscovered.

"It appears stronger than diamond in its composition!" he said, staring at the monitor with fascination.

"Stronger than mutated Kryptonian steel, J'onn; Stronger than Thanagarian nth metal. The computer can't probe within, but initial readings mark it as barely a millimeter thick. It's impressive, to say the least."

J'onzz watched as the monitor flickered and changed images as the rock sped past. It was glowing slightly now, heating up as it entered the Earth's outer atmosphere. Bits of burning debris flared and flaked off as it glowed brighter, but it did not seem to be burning up. More like it was shedding a protective skin.

"Speed still constant, J'onn. Rock and ice are burning away, but the mystery metal seems to be deflecting the heat. Or, more accurately, converting it. I'm getting a power spike on a force level comparable to the Flash's Speed Aura. The meteor actually seems to be channeling the heat into a force field!"

"A ship then."

"So it would seem."

"Well, let's just hope that it's ET and not Predator!"

Both the Martian Manhunter and Wonder Woman turned as the Black Canary entered the Womb. J'onzz had phased immaterial through the walls directly to the Monitor Womb, but the Black Canary had had to circumvent the halls from the Battle Room and had taken somewhat longer to join them. Her hair appeared damp and unruly, and J'onn noted that her skin was still glistening with moisture from a shower. She was only half attired in her uniform, carrying her boots and jacket as she dropped into a chair and glanced at the monitors.

"A ship, hunh? You suppose it's an invasion?" the Canary asked jokingly as she crossed her legs and pointed her toes, directing her foot into one of her boots. J'onzz watched as she pulled the boot up, extending her leg and wiggling her foot before closing the Velcro strap above her calf. She smiled, and J'onzz knew that she was watching him watching her and quickly looked away, thankful that he did not blush. He glanced up and saw Diana smirk-

"Not enough data yet, Dinah." Wonder Woman spun the chair about and started typing on a computer terminal set into the wall. Her fingers flew over the keypad at super speed, and the Manhunter saw the display divide on his monitor, an animated flight path appearing with a probable destination for impact.

"Siberia…" he said, and Wonder Woman nodded-

"Luckily. Over one hundred miles from the closest settlement, though there appears to be two outlying farms near the point of impact- if it crashes that is. And an abandoned mine about ten miles out."

"Surely it won't crash if it's a ship?"

J'onzz felt the warmth of the Canary's body as she stepped right up beside him, sharing his monitor. He tried to ignore her proximity.

"If it is a ship. We should be there regardless. Who's available, Diana?"

Wonder Woman glanced at another monitor before answering. "Just us J'onn. Kyle's on standby, but left a message that he would rather not be disturbed unless necessary. I believe his exact words were, Not unless Darkseid's knockin' on the door."

The Manhunter grunted. Twelve members in the new League, and there seemed less available than before. "Fine. Relay what we have and put him on alert. Is there a teleport station nearby?"

"Closest is… Vladivostok, about 1250 miles from impact."

The Manhunter frowned. He needed to step up the placement of stations around the world, especially in the more secluded areas.

"Very well. Program the coordinates into the computer and-"

"I'm reading a background radiation that may interfere with our return trip, J'onn. Better to go to Vladivostok and then to the site by other means."

"All right. Program the computer to move the jump ship into the bulk transporter. The Canary can fly it and-"

"You can carry me, J'onn." J'onzz felt the Black Canary's hand as it rested lightly on his shoulder, her fingers stroking his skin. "I don't bite after all."

"It would be faster, J'onn," Wonder Woman added with a grin. "We can fly, and it would take several minutes for the ship to be ready for teleport. We could be there by then. As it is, we'll arrive after impact."

"Fine!" J'onzz snapped, stepping beyond the Canary's reach. "Notify the others of our status and meet me at the teleporter."

The two women watched as the Martian Manhunter paled and quickly sank into the floor. In unison they looked at one another and both started to laugh.

"Let me grab a parka from supply and I'll meet you there."

Wonder Woman nodded, still smiling as she sent a status alert to the other members and set the Womb on automatic until someone could come to take over. Within moments, she was on her way…

The Russian Federation:
Siberia, just north of the River Lena-

Still miles away they could see the glow pulsing beyond the horizon. The forest was on fire, and the Black Canary could feel the Martian Manhunter's body tense as he soared higher. Fire was anathema to him and all of his race, a phobia deeply rooted in his ancestral memories that robbed him of his powers and made him and all Martians virtually useless. The Canary tightened her grip about his shoulders as he carried her in his strong arms, her hand gently massaging the tension in his neck-

"It's all right, J'onn," she softly whispered, "I'm here."

J'onzz said nothing as he stared beyond the burning woods, focusing his gaze on the glow beyond the horizon. Far below, Dinah could see the edge of the blast radius, still several dozen miles away from the point of impact. Trees were flattened and stripped of foliage in a wide arch as far as she could see. Smoke was drifting in the distance, and the closer they got, the darker the blasted ground became, old lingering snow quickly covering with soot and ash. She remembered that there were two farms closer to the impact point, but she had little hope that they had survived. The closest city was Olëkminsk, just beyond the fringe of the blast. It would be unharmed but threatened by the fire if it was not contained soon, and covered in soot regardless. Wonder Woman flew closer, the air currents adding to her speed.

"J'onn!" she shouted, though the Canary heard her easily over her open com-link. "We have to contain the fire! The woods are damp from snowfall, but it's too hot. Thousands of acres will be destroyed if-"

"I know!" The Black Canary felt the Manhunter draw a deep breath, trying to control his anxiety. "Notify Green Lantern. We need him. He's better suited to stop the blaze."

"Right." Wonder Woman drifted away, and the Canary heard her voice on the communicator as she called Kyle Rayner, the Green Lantern. He could be on scene within minutes using his power ring. Too, he could put out the fire with little effort, despite the size of the conflagration. It was a good call.

The Canary remained silent as they flew on. J'onn needed to deal with his fears and did not need her jibes right then, but her support. She knew that he hated the fact that something so common as fire left him almost helpless, useless. He had been trying to beat the phobia for as long as she had known him, and she knew that he had succeeded somewhat. But it was still there. She could feel it in his body, and in the fact that he had closed down the mental link between the three of them. It was standard practice in this new League for him to set up mental communication between members of the team on hand, keeping them bonded throughout whatever crisis they were currently facing. It was more than a little disconcerting then to have that link severed without warning. If not for the fact that she was in his arms, she might have thought that something had happened to him.

Shivering, the Canary turned her attention towards the horizon. She was cold, despite the JLA issue parka and the long pants that she had changed into. She was still shaking. Her teeth were chattering sporadically until she forced them to stop, clamping her jaws together. The Martian gave off little body heat so she was forced to huddle closer to retain what warmth that she could.

She could see the point of impact now, a great crater surrounding an egg-shaped, smooth rock imbedded in the cold hard ground. It was glowing slightly, though she suspected from the force field that Diana had mentioned on the Watchtower rather than from the heat of reentry. She wondered, if the meteor converted the heat to power somehow, then how did the fire start?

Debris from the outer accumulated shell!

Dinah gasped to hear the Martian's voice in her mind again. She looked at his face, through the furry opening in her hood and saw him looking at her, his dark eyes shining.

The ship gathered rock and ice, metals as it traveled through space, forming a protective shell. That shell flaked away upon entry into the atmosphere, and sizable burning pieces would be more than enough to set the forest ablaze despite the evident snowfall. The land is fairly frozen and dry. A tinderbox.

Dinah Lance smiled and nodded that she understood and was happy to see her friend smile in return. He was in control once again.

They circled the meteor as they approached, dropping closer with every circuit. Despite its ability to absorb heat it was smoldering and steaming. The ground of the crater surrounding it was blasted clean for dozens upon dozens of yards, and past the rim the larger trees were laid flat and charred, all pointing away. It was a scene of devastation that reminded the Black Canary of pictures she had seen of the Mount St Helen's eruption of the eighties. It would take years for the land to recover.

The rock itself was egg-shaped, though she supposed that it could not really be termed a rock. It looked metallic; though the skin of the thing was the purest white she had ever seen. There was not a nick or blemish anywhere on the smooth surface of its skin, and it seemed to glisten in the bright sunlight still filtering through the smoky haze. It was at least twelve feet long from tip to base as best as she could estimate, and perhaps two-thirds that at its widest circumference. If it was indeed a space ship, she could not see an opening for a door or even a window.

"My visions will not pierce the skin." J'onzz was frowning again, and Dinah could see that he was concentrating his special sights on the thing. "Whatever it is made of that stymied the computer's senses is baffling me as well."

"The crater is hot, but free of fire." Wonder Woman flew in close again, enough to be heard. "Do you want to land?"

J'onzz looked at the Canary and she nodded.

"I think it best. We can learn nothing from here."

They set down a few yards from the egg, close enough that they could feel the heat. There was a sizzling sound in the air, and Dinah could feel the warmth in the ground through the soles of her boots.

"What about the radiation?" she asked, suddenly concerned.

"A very low-level emanation along the lower end of the spectrum. Like a solar flare- enough to interfere with radio waves and other transmissions, but nothing detrimental. You'll be fine. Still, you should remain here while Wonder Woman and I investigate."

Surprisingly the Black Canary agreed without protest. She was hardly suited to deal with radiation, nor did she have the strength to pierce the shell if that was the plan. She could always hit it with a sonic cry from a distance if need be, and best to have one member hang back in reserve just in case. She watched as her friends slowly walked closer across the blasted land.

Wonder Woman and the Martian Manhunter circled the egg several times. They took to the air at one point, and both circled again. The Canary could tell from their expressions that they were finding nothing but a solid shell. She thought-

Well?

It appears unbroken. Neither of us can find the slightest seam that might be an opening.

It's cooling quickly though. Wonder Woman held out her hands as though warming them on a fire. I suspect that the force field is powering-

Wonder Woman and the Manhunter both looked up and away at the same instant. The Black Canary shifted her gaze, squinting into the distance to see what they were looking at. There was a small dot just cresting the horizon to the west.

What-

A ship. Coming in fast!

The Russian Government I suspect. Should we meet them?

J'onzz thought for a moment, and then shook his head.

No. But let's move back, just in case.

In case of what, The Canary wondered but kept that thought to herself as she watched the Russian marked ship approach. It was similar to the United State's Space Plane Constitution in design, though smaller. And faster, it raced through the sky at speeds beyond sound, powering down quickly as it came within range. It landed just a quarter mile away, shifting to VTOL capability without a waver in its flight path. Whoever was piloting the ship was good. It kicked up a cloud of fallen soot as it settled, and within seconds the top hatch was parting-

Part Two:
Red Square!

The three members of the Justice League gasped in unison at the shock of what they saw rising from the confines of the craft. It was big, at least twelve feet tall, but the design was unmistakable. Cast in metal tinted red and silver, the Canary recognized the huge flight boots and the massive cables connected to the backpack that supplied its main power. The suit had been modified since she had last seen it, but the helmet, the general scheme was intact. It was bigger, but still a Rocket Red!

The armored Russian flew straight up and out of the craft, circling overhead once before arching towards the egg in the middle of the vast crater. The Black Canary saw the power pods at its wrists glow with energy as the armor's weapons came online. Was the Rocket Red expecting a fight? The original Soviet Super-Soldier that had been a member of the Justice League Europe was dead, an exposed Manhunter, but he had been just one in an army of others. Surely this one recognized the Justice League, if not as friends then at least not as a threat!

The Rocket Red flew to a spot opposite that of where Wonder Woman and the Martian Manhunter stood and started to hover in place. It seemed focused on the pair, but as the Canary recalled, the armor had a wide array of sensors including a form of radar and sonar, so it was probably seeing everything better than she was within its range. It was obviously waiting, and a second later she saw just what for.

Three more forms flew out of the ship, two men and a woman by the look. The first was a big man, at least as large as the Martian Manhunter was, and probably bigger. He wore dark leather armor; a breastplate and leggings with straps tied all along his arms. He had a long wild mane of black hair fluttering in the breeze of his flight and a thick beard that hung to his chest. He wore a blood red cloak, and in his hands he carried a golden hammer about the size and shape of Steel's, and a large sickle cast in gold as well. They glowed with a shimmering aura as he held them out, crossed before him as though directing his flight.

The second form glowed brightly all on her own. It was a woman, but as far as the Canary could tell she wore no costume save for a shining silver faceplate. Her body was white, head to toe, and seemed almost composed of solid light, showing no genitalia save for the form of a silhouette. A glowing tendril of energy crackled from her hands, sparkling with bursts of energy like exploding flashbulbs brighter even than she. The tendril snaked through the air and enveloped the final member of the trio in some form of telekinesis- the last man whom the Canary recognized.

He had started his career under the name of Starfire, years ago when he had first battled the Teen Titans. Ironically, when he encountered them again- a somewhat different group- he had been forced to change his name to Red Star as the alien Koriand'r had since arrived on Earth and taken his name. He had been a Soviet hero for years, and apparently still worked for the new Russian Federation. He wore his standard costume in shades of green, and like the Canary wore a parka against the Siberian cold, a red star emblazoned on his chest. As they flew closer, she saw Red Star raise his wrist near his mouth-

"Justice League! This is Red Star of Red Square! By order of the Russian Federation, you are asked to peaceably stand down!"

The Canary was surprised to hear the amplified voice suddenly come out of the Rocket Red armor. She was sure that it was indeed Red Star talking, but why the relay? Still, she stood her ground waiting for the Manhunter to make his move. Stand down or fight, she was ready-

We are not here to fight, Canary. We have clearance through the UN Charter to investigate occurrences and incursions such as this. We will offer our aid to this 'Red Square', but if they decline we will leave and file the formal, appropriate protests with the United Nations.

I've not had a chance to read the Batman's log of this group, Wonder Woman added, but I recall their names. Rocket Red and Red Star I'm sure you both recognize. The big man is called Bjorn, named after a Russian legend from early in their history I believe; a heroic figure that fought against the Mongol Hordes. The woman's name is Mysta and I think she controls ambient radiation to a degree. Red Star is apparently their leader.

I didn't even know that they had a file, the Canary admitted. The Martian Manhunter answered, almost scolding-

We are all busy, but we should all take the time to review files logged by all members. Then, I admit however that I have fallen somewhat behind myself.

"Red Star!" he continued outloud once the final three of the Russian super team were within range. "I am the Martian Manhunter of the Justice League. We respect your authority in this matter as we are guests in your homeland, but we are here to help. As a member of the United Nations, Russia has granted allowance for the JLA to investigate-"

"Your help is noted, Manhunter, but is not needed!" Red Star cut off the Manhunter's speech as the glowing woman- Mysta- slowly lowered him to the ground. The Black Canary saw that he immediately took a defensive stance, a form of Aikido that she knew all too well. She noticed too that he kept his hands closer together than the stance suggested. Was he up to something? Something up his sleeve?

"The Russian Federation is well capable of dealing with this. Please depart, now!"

"Surely you will allow us to help contain the fire and check for injured-"

"Did you not hear Red Star, alien?" The man called Bjorn floated down, closer to where J'onzz and Diana stood. His hammer and sickle were glowing slightly brighter, the Canary noted, and the glow had seeped around his entire body. A force field? She saw too that the Rocket Red had his wrist cannons aimed at her friends as well.

"Leave!" Bjorn continued. "You are not needed here!"

"<Not needed,>" Wonder Woman asked in basic, fluent Russian, "<or not wanted?>" It was a show of power on her part of a sort, just to remind the Russians that she could understand them.

"You especially, woman!" Bjorn spat back. "You name yourself ambassador of your people. Ambassador to 'Man's World', yet you wear the colors of the war-mongering America where you dwell!"

"I wear the colors of a great warrior of Amazonian heritage. It's simply coincidence that-"

"Lies!" Bjorn shouted, drawing back his hammer as though to strike. The Black Canary started forward, slipping out of her parka as she went. Immediately she felt the bite of cold, but tried to ignore it, her attention focused on the man with the hammer-

FLASH

The Canary staggered as spots danced in her sight. Light had exploded, a harsh, glaring white that had burned the glowing image of Bjorn into her retina. She moaned, her hands flying to her eyes, only her training keeping her from rubbing them and making matters worse-

J'onn?

Stand ready, Canary! I cannot sense the Rocket Red, but the others are encircling us. The woman used her powers to blind us with a flash of light. It will pass.

The Canary listened, and she could hear the Rocket Red's boot jets overhead. He had not moved far, and she was confident that she could hit him with her Canary Cry if need be, even blinded. She turned to face him even as she heard Red Star again.

"This meteor has fallen on Russian soil, Justice League. The Russian Federation claims it. I give you one final chance to leave, or be considered illegal immigrants! Unlawful, alien trespassers within the recognized borders of the Russian Federation are to be arrested!"

"We are hardly trespassing-" J'onzz started, and at the same time-

"As Ambassador from Themyscira I am-"

"So be it!"

The Black Canary heard Red Star's voice cut over both of her teammate's protestations and a heartbeat later all hell broke loose…

To Be Continued…

NEXT ISSUE: Just what's in that over-sized egg, and why does Red Square seem to want it so bad? Come back soon and find out in Red Menace, Part 2 in JLA #11!

Be there or be Red Square!

 

Hello all,

My name is Curt, and as you've probably noticed I've taken over the reins of the JLU 2000 flagship title, the JLA! I hope you liked this issue, as well as the three previous dealing with the hard luck of Felix Faust. Those three were probably the hardest to write as I was basically trying to fill the run up to date and close out the proposed idea left over from Will Short's great run. I'll be the first to admit that I have some big shoes to fill…

For those who don't know me, or have never heard of me, I do have a few hundred thousand words scattered throughout the Web- though a few of my stories might be a bit risqué for relating here. If you are interested and want to read more, drop me a line and I'll direct you to the right addresses. You might have read my Fantastic Four story over at MV-1 however, in the Holiday Special 2002.

I'm hoping my run on JLA will be a long one, but of course, that's up to you, the readers. I have several stories done, and several more plotted in my head. I have a story arch involving Superman (at last) for the six or so issues after the Red Square Trilogy, and a villain or two that you might not be expecting. After that I hope to do a JLA/JSA story, a return of the Injustice Gang or the Secret Society of Super-villains (haven't decided yet), and a spin-off Black Canary series!

All of this of course hinges on the approval and good graces of James, Russ, and you- the reader. Drop me a line and let me know if you have any praise, criticisms or suggestions. I'll get back to you, and you may see your letter posted here in the JLA Mailroom! Thanks…

Curt F