Justice League 1. Chapter One

**AN/ After much deliberation I have finally been able to continue with this series of mine focusing on the Justice Lords. This Installment is a sequel to 'Relapse' and will focus on the aftermath of the Lords' Thanagarian invasion.**

**A pre-warning about this one, there are some dark themes which will become apparent as you read, that and this story will feel jumpy as there are a number of flashbacks which are necessary to explain certain events. Flashbacks will be recognizable by Italics.**

**A big thanks to Loki's Son for helping me figure out what I wanted to do with this :)**

*****Episode References 'A better world' and 'Starcrossed'*** Also there are a number of direct references to previous installments both 'Fall from Grace' and 'Relapse'. It is strongly advised that you are familiar with those stories in order to understand this one in its entirety.**

**I hope that you enjoy reading this :)**

**Neither Justice League (/Lords) or its characters belong to me, but their respective owners :)**

******This Chapter has been Edited, the last section in this chapter (John's)******

Aftermath

**Eight Months since the Lords regained their powers, and one week since the Thanagarians left Earth.**

"_John!" She shrieked._

_She saw the axe, energised and screaming in its own primitive way for death and blood, she watched as it came down without mercy as all Thanagarian things did. Before the axe could meet with its victim, its arc of decent was interrupted, the shaft of a mace blocking its path and pushing it away from it's would be target. Something just as primitive as the axe, something just as deadly boiled inside of her and she didn't stop when the head of the mace struck his jaw, didn't stop when she saw the blood... _

_Nothing but the dull thud of metal hitting bone. _

_Thud, thud, thud..._

Shayera Hol, former Lieutenant of the Thanagarian empire and former Lord Hawkgirl of the Justice Lords, sat bolt upright in her bed, sweating and feverish. Eyes wide and her mind disorientated, it took her a few long moments before she recognised that someone was knocking on the door.

Pulling off the sheet that had become damp from her cold perspiration, she slung it aside and unsteadily made her way to her feet, the events still playing in her mind's eye like a film on loop. Walking towards the door of her room she opened the door slowly to reveal Bruce Wayne, the man who had kindly allowed her to stay in his home despite everything that had happened.

She cleared her throat anxiously but didn't speak, instead awaited for him to say the same thing he told her most nights.

Bruce looked at her evenly, she could tell he hadn't long returned from his patrol, the bat suit still on except for the cowl that he had pulled back to reveal his face.

"You were screaming again..." It was a statement, it wasn't harsh or accusing, but she felt ashamed regardless.

Averting her eyes she looked away from him and glanced at the floor "...Sorry." She croaked softly and started to close the door but Bruce placed his hand against it and halted the motion.

"Is everything okay?" He paused for a moment reconsidering his question "Are _you_ okay?"

"I'm fine," Even she wasn't convinced by her feeble words "I'm sorry if I woke Alfred." She added quietly before once again attempting to close the door, this time Bruce let her complete the action and the door closed with a soft click.

On the other side Shayera leant against the door, her shoulder supporting her as she pressed the side of her head against the cold wood. Her eyes squeezed shut as her wings drooped slightly before encircling her and shielding her body as she slowly descended to the floor. As she sat still supporting herself on the door, she ran a hand through her short hair, the locks just as moist as her skin from her nightmare.

Nightmares weren't new to her, in one way or another she had always had them, but until now there had always been someone with her that would offer her some comfort. It used to be Hro while she was on Thanagar...it used to be John.

A sob was swallowed as she thought of John, the man she loved, the man she had fought for, the man that didn't believe her anymore, didn't trust her.

_She'd just handed Batman the data she had stolen from Hro's quarters, the small disc containing all of the information concerning the bypass and other details that might have proven interesting at a later date. Each of the Lords tumbled out of their holding cells, dazed, confused, weak...because of her, but she had escaped Hro's captivity and sought to free them. _

"_John!" She called for him as he exited his cell "John, Hro wouldn't let me leave."_

_He wouldn't look at her even as she handed him his ring, what was wrong with him?_

"_Just go Shayera..."_

"_I...I don't understand." She replied confused._

"_I don't want you to lie to me anymore Shayera, I get it...it was an act." He finally looked at her and she saw something in his eyes that terrified her "I've learned my lesson."_

_She reached out to him but he pulled away "What did Hro say to you?"_

_He was walking away, following the others...turning his back on her. _

The sob she had held back broke out of her catching her breath as it choked out of her, the tears were hot and burned her cheeks as they tumbled down but she didn't reach up to wipe them away. Everything hurt; her pain wasn't merely emotional but seemed to punctuate the rest of her being, her heart, her mind even her body ached as it shuddered in her anguish.

Her former Commander and former 'promised one' had spoken to John, she was certain of that. Somehow he had convinced John that her love for him was merely an act, a part of her mission as an intelligence officer, that throughout their entire time together she was still loyal to Hro even despite confiding in him over her mission. They were lies, but it wasn't Hro's lies that hurt her, it was John's ignorance...that he couldn't recognise the truth in her emotions for him, couldn't feel how real it was.

"_I do love you John Stewart...nothing is ever going to change that, not even Hro Talak."_

Somehow Shayera managed to stand up; she stood and slowly crossed the room to the window that occupied the far side. Clumsily she pulled the curtains open to reveal the still dark sky and the spattering of stars that were visible across the ocean. Normally she would look at the stars and wonder about Thanagar, even though she had been comfortable and even happy on Earth, she did still miss her home world, but it was too painful to think of Thanagar now.

Carefully she sat herself down on the windowsill and stared out blankly, her mind consumed as that reel of film repeated itself in her mind's eye for what felt like the millionth time. Her eyes by their own instinct followed the floor until they found the legs of the desk opposite her bed, and as her eyes had done so many times before, she followed the legs to the table top and to the mace. It sat idly on the desk, the only object on its surface, the table completely devoid of anything else. The mace's contours were traced by her eyes, along the worn leather strap at the tip of the handle, up the smooth metal of the shaft before reaching the head, a round globe adorned with spikes. The mace had been a companion of hers for almost her entire adult life, the same weapon had travelled with her everywhere and into every battle, but now it had never felt so separate from her.

Her green eyes found the blood that spattered the globe and spikes, dark crimson blood that had dried and cracked across its surface. It had been a week since the blood had made contact with the metal, but even still, after a week she couldn't find it in herself to clean it...to touch it.

Throughout her life she had killed many, a variety of enemies the terms being her life or theirs and the choice had always been an easy one to make. A week ago the choice had still been easy, his life or John's and she had made the decision in less than a second, but regardless it still sickened her.

The blood sickened her.

The blood of Hro Talak.

* * *

><p>Lord Batman remained on the other side of the bedroom door for a few moments before deciding to leave; it had become a regular habit within the last week that he would check on her each night after returning from his patrol.<p>

"Is Miss Hol quite alright, sir?"

Bruce looked up as he walked towards the staircase; Alfred was standing nearby in his nightclothes a look of concern etched on his features. Reaching the staircase Batman placed a hand on the rail but spoke before he descended.

"She's still in shock; she just needs space and time." He started to make his way down the stairs, heading towards the lower hall and to the large grandfather clock that resided there.

"I'll be down in the cave shortly, Master Bruce." Alfred assured him; now that he was up he no doubt wanted to make sure that Bruce hadn't gotten himself any new and substantial injuries.

"It's fine Alfred, go back to sleep..." He paused at the base of the stairs "She said she was sorry for waking you." Then Batman was gone, nothing but his cloak disappearing as the clock swung back against the wall.

Alfred shook his head "Quite alright."

The bat cave was as always still and quiet, a welcome sanctuary for someone who wanted to be left alone to their thoughts even if it wasn't necessarily a good thing. Bruce didn't bother to change out of his suit, instead choosing to drop into the chair and let his hands glide over the keys and buttons as he analysed the latest news feeds. Once again there were fresh articles that spoke of sightings of the Justice Lords, they were of course still being hunted, even before the Thanagarians had arrived, the Justice Lords had been declared wanted for crimes against Justice, punishment of which had been described as quite considerable. Even after sparing the world from destruction by the device that had been constructed by the Thanagarians, the Lords were given no relief, not even Lord Superman had been given the benefit of the doubt after his help in the invasion.

Bruce cleared his throat before sighing slightly, seeing Clark again hadn't boded well for him or the others, regardless of what Diana thought, Bruce knew that he had helped in order to save his own face. Saving the world would have been a very effective way of improving his public image, not that it had worked. The world still wanted them to pay regardless, and now the former Lord Hawkgirl was right at the top of the list next to Superman.

Observation was something Bruce prided himself in, he saw things others didn't, saw the things they chose to ignore. He had believed her when she told them they were there to pick her up, he had seen the pleading expression in her eyes when she had given him the data disc, he saw the broken warrior that he had helped up from the floor when she wouldn't move.

_The Watchtower was on its way out of orbit and towards the bypass structure, with their limited resources since being depowered it was the only thing they had at their disposal that was big enough to create enough damage. Batman ran down the halls of the Thanagarian fleet ship, trusting that when the time came, J'onn would phase out of the satellite and get himself to safety. His ears picked up a shout and a heavy clunk and Diana came into view wielding one of the Thanagarian weapons, she looked furious as she glared at him before recognising who was standing in front of her. _

"_Where's Clark?" He demanded before continuing down the hall, he needed to get to John and make sure that the shield was deactivated in time._

"_I don't know!" Diana snapped exasperated, "He was outside but he didn't follow me when I boarded the ship." _

"_It doesn't matter." Batman replied before turning another corner, there was more shouting but this time it wasn't Diana's...it was Shayera's. _

_Picking up his pace he started to run down towards the sound, Diana gliding along beside him, both moving faster still when they heard something heavy impact the ground. Both of them reached a doorway that had been forced open and they looked inside ignoring the ranks of Thanagarian soldiers storming towards them. _

"_Great Hera." Diana muttered. _

_Stepping inside they found John lying on the floor, propping himself up slightly with an elbow. Blood trickled down his head from his temple as well as from his nose and lip, a selection of gashes and scrapes torn through his uniform. Not too far away from him Shayera was kneeling on the ground the body of Hro Talak lying lifeless in front of her, his head severely wounded. Blood surrounded both him and her as she held her mace with tight hands trying to stop them from trembling. _

_Diana entered the room and moved to John, helping him up off the floor and guiding him to the exit, the other Thanagarian soldiers that had arrived were still, each of them frozen in horror at seeing their commander defeated before them. Batman moved slowly towards Shayera, a large crash sounding behind him as the Watchtower successfully destroyed the bypass structure, J'onn's voice echoing in his ear. _

"_I have safely exited the Watchtower Batman; I will rendezvous with you shortly."_

_Bruce bent down next to Shayera, a hand on her shoulder. _

"_It's time to go, Shayera."_

_She looked up at him before letting him take the mace that sat heavily in her hands. Getting up he watched her as she removed the two gold earrings from her ears and crawled towards the fallen commander, as he watched she placed the earrings in his palm and closed his limp hand into a fist. _

Batman's hands paused over the keyboard as he noticed something on the screen, Mercy corporations was rearing its head again in the aftermath of the invasion. It was hardly surprising since the Thanagarians had halted the summit of world leaders that had been arranged solely to discuss M-corps' plans, but he'd need to share this particular development with the others. If this proclamation became reality things were destined to get worse than they already were.

Taking a deep breath, Bruce decided to finally call it a night; he'd need to call the others in tomorrow so that he could discuss this new revelation with them. Getting up out of his chair he ascended the stairs out of the cave and climbed a second set to the upper level, before entering his own room though he briefly stopped outside of Shayera's door. For now she was quiet.

* * *

><p>Sleep had eluded him for days now; a full night's sleep had become impossible...ever since <em>they <em>had arrived. John Stewart was sat up in bed, his back pressing against the headboard as he sat quietly contemplating. His thoughts were mostly consumed with Shayera, he hadn't seen her for a week and he was feeling lost without her, not helped by the knowledge that he had hurt her. Bruce had insisted that he leave her and give her space, she was in shock and the last thing she needed was dealing with him as well, that and he could barely walk as it was, she wasn't the only one that needed rest.

John sighed as he looked up out of the window, the night was still out in its best colours and he instantly remembered the nights he'd sit up with Shayera and they'd look at the stars together, pointing out constellations and talking about the many planets they had seen during their lives. He had thrown himself off a cliff for her, he would have openly given his life for her in a heartbeat, he believed that that was what he had been doing when he sent her back to Talak, he didn't think they had any chance of preventing the bypass from destroying the planet, at least if she was with him she would be alive.

Shaking his head he climbed out of bed and crossed the room to the window drawing the blinds shut before turning away. His leg was hurting painfully so while he was up he decided to go to the kitchen and get some painkillers in order to try and rid at least some of his pain if not all. As he limped towards the kitchen Hro Talak's words echoed in his mind.

"_She's trained in espionage Green Lantern...you understand what that means, yes?"_

_John didn't reply as he watched the man in front of him with a look of contempt. _

"_It means," Talak said leaning forward "That she acts very well; maybe she made you believe that she loves you, but she has always been loyal to _me_." _

John shook off the memory, it made him feel sick thinking about it, he felt sick knowing that for a split second he had doubted her, that for that brief moment he had almost believed him. Thinking about standing in front of Talak with Shayera and trying to help her explain that she wanted to stay on Earth with him had been one of the hardest things he'd ever done, that and helping her give her 'promised' earrings back to Talak to symbolise the end of her commitment to Hro as his promised one. It had been hard because he knew what it would mean for her, she wouldn't be able to go home, she would have had to give up everything within her previous life. It was hard to let someone sacrifice so much for him, and yet she had sacrificed that and more.

What had he done? Thrown it all back in her face believing that it would keep her alive.

Reaching the kitchen he found the painkillers he had come for, within a few moments he had selected two and swallowed them, washing them down with a glass of water for good measure. The injury to his leg had been sustained after the fight with the commander.

_His head was throbbing but he managed to stumble towards the lever that would deactivate the shield protecting the bypass, but as he reached it he realised it too was shielded. Shayera came over to him after managing to subdue Talak for the time being, she glanced at him before hurrying to one of the nearby consoles and subsequently deactivating the smaller shield. _

_John pressed his palms to the lever and pushed it downward, Shayera was making her way back towards him but he ignored the notion. Finally as the lever met the base of its stand he watched on the screens as the shield powered down, but before he could begin to leave and find the others, something very hard hit him in the back of his knee and yanked him downward pulling the joint out of place in the process. _

_Landing heavily he grunted in pain and shuffled backward along the floor, Shayera had yelled his name from somewhere but he couldn't see her nearby. As he looked upward he saw Talak looming over him, energised axe in hand ready to come down on him and ultimately kill him...but it never did. _

John washed out the glass and set it on the side, she could have saved him for any number of reasons and he wondered why she still had, even though he'd tried to push her away. Then again...he knew if the boot was on the other foot he would have done the same for her.

Slowly he sank down to the floor, the cold tiles of his kitchen easing the tension in his knee. His hands came up to cover his face as he finally gave into the pain in his leg and that in his heart knowing that he might have lost her.

Knowing that she might not forgive him.

**To be Continued**

**AN/ I hope that this variation on John's actions makes more sense, I realised that what I was trying to do wasn't working so have gone with my alternative direction. Let me know on your thoughts on whether you prefer it or not to the original. Thanks. **


	2. Chapter Two

**AN/ Just a quick note, if you haven't already taken a quick look, Chapter one has been edited (last section). I took a bit of a leap with John and realised that it wasn't working so I've changed it to my alternative idea. Please bear with me, I promise it will make sense, I'll have it all cleared up before this Installment is done :)**

**I hope you enjoy this chapter :)**

Aftermath

Chapter Two

**The next Morning**

'_In the aftermath of the Thanagarian invasion, the world has doubled its search for the Justice Lords, in particular Lord Hawkgirl who is believed to have been at the heart of the Thanagarian occupation of Earth.' _

The television was switched to mute by Princess Diana as she continued to prepare her morning coffee, she wasn't interested in listening to anymore interviews surrounding the Invasion...she knew enough, she had been there after all.

Finishing up with her coffee she stirred it and moved it to her lips taking a draught of the hot liquid and setting it back down again. She retrieved the remote and un-muted the television news.

'_The Summit of world leaders that had originally been organised a week prior has been rescheduled for tonight in order to discuss a proposed law. It is believed that Mercy Corporations is working closely with the government in order to see it passed.'_

Diana sighed; thanks to invasion the populace had even less love for them than they had had previously, if that were possible. Despite their actions in thwarting the Thanagarian's plans, the populace still saw them as a danger that needed to be dealt with, a powerful force that wasn't within their control and a force that needed to be made an example of.

Finally deciding to switch off the television, Diana contemplated her feelings on the current circumstances. She was without a doubt furious at the Thanagarian she had once called her friend and Sister, thanks to her actions and inaction the world hated them even more and their lives were being made much harder than they already were. Adding to that Diana couldn't shake the feeling of being helpless while imprisoned on the fleet ship.

_She was tied by her own lasso, a weakness that only her closest friends knew...her family. Except they had been betrayed...again. The Princess glanced in the direction of the cell to her left, she knew that Batman resided there and she was reminded of his betrayal fifteen months ago. _

_This felt so similar, she felt helpless as she had then when her powers were gone, she hated that she was once again being made to feel powerless and weak, a notion she had found difficult to cope with all those months ago. She knew that a small part of her resented Bruce for stripping them of their powers, but she also respected his decision, it had after all proved to them the wrongness of their choices. However the situation now was different, there was no benefit to be had in their current predicament, no illuminating understanding to show them where they had strayed from the path of righteousness._

_She frowned as she heard the Commander's voice, he was speaking with John who resided in the cell to her right, he was remarking that Shayera was still lying to them, that this had been in her plans all along. _

Diana had believed her when she had told them that she had stopped communicating with her people and that she believed the only reason they were there, was to pick her up. How wrong she had been to believe her, betrayal seemed so common in their family now...she wondered who might betray them next.

Her thoughts were interrupted as the phone rang, knowing the only people who knew the number she quickly crossed the room and picked up the receiver.

"Hello?"

"_Princess?"_

"Oh...hello Bruce...is everything okay?" Diana asked taking a seat by the phone knowing that Bruce would only call if there was something important.

"_I need you to come to the Manor as soon as possible...take the car and pick up John on your way. I'll see you in an hour."_

And he hung up.

Diana sighed and put the phone back into its cradle, she thought for a few moments before picking it back up and dialling another number.

* * *

><p>J'onn had spent a number of months before the invasion disguised as a human, he had done so in order to try and understand the people of this planet, a planet which was no longer safe for he or his kind and he knew that in order to survive, he must understand them.<p>

The last few months that he had spent in the guise of a middle aged man had been full of revelations, the biggest and to J'onn the most disturbing discovery had been the realisation of just how fearful the populace was. Many humans were paranoid, others aggressive without cause, and many discussed the Lords in hushed tones as if afraid that someone may overhear them. The biggest topic of conversation had of course been Mercy Corporations and its plight to protect the world from the dangers of those with super powers. Although as he sat in a small simple apartment he knew that the biggest topic of conversation now was the Invasion.

Despite his telepathic capabilities, J'onn could not say for certain whether Shayera had in actual fact betrayed them or whether she had instead been a victim of circumstance. It had become apparent that he was unable to read any of the minds of Thanagarians and that Shayera herself hadn't been an exception, and he hadn't dared to force his way into any of their minds.

As he meditated he wondered more on the topic of Shayera, he had seen her when she had returned with the others to the manor and he had seen the horror in her eyes. She had been the only person whose mind he couldn't read, and two years ago during the reign of the Lords he would have found it untrustworthy. However circumstances had changed, during the time where he was forced to stay with her and Bruce at Wayne Manor, J'onn had learned to read her, read the pitches in her voice and her body language, he had learned to read her in a way that he hadn't with the others. He believed that he knew her and it aided the understanding he was willing to give her, because he could see the broken woman that had stumbled through the door at the Manor.

He was willing to give her the benefit of the doubt, because he had with Bruce and so far he hadn't been proven wrong...he had faith in his family, he even had faith in Superman.

A small beeping sound began and J'onn instantly stood and crossed the room to retrieve the small device Bruce Wayne had given him, the device itself a useful means for J'onn to stay in contact while he was disguised amongst the humans.

J'onn lifted the device and spoke into it calmly.

"J'onn here."

"_J'onn, I need to see you at the Manor as soon as possible. Diana and John will be on their way shortly."_

"Understood," J'onn replied "I will be there soon as possible."

"_Good,"_ Bruce answered _"And be careful."_

J'onn replaced the communicator to the side and began tidying the room not that many items were out of place. Picking up the device once again he morphed his appearance into that of the middle aged man he had been disguised as and slipped the communicator into his pocket.

He could easily fly to the Manor, but in the current climate it would be an unnecessary risk so therefore he would journey there the long way, it was a good job that Gotham wasn't too far away.

* * *

><p>Falling asleep on the kitchen floor is never advisable, particularly if you have an injured leg. John winced as he attempted to get up from the floor but found that his knee was stiff and wasn't interested in helping him back to his feet. Grunting a specially selected expletive he managed at last to stand up with the help of the work top and fridge which he grabbed in the process.<p>

Finally on his feet he leant on the work surface with his elbows and rubbed his face. He couldn't break down like he had last night, he needed to stay focused the others were depending on him; he couldn't keep letting his emotions get the better of him.

But he missed her and he knew that through his actions he'd made a terrible mistake.

As he had fallen into a restless slumber he had grown troubled, he had replayed the events of the invasion in his mind, examined everything that had occurred and he was having doubts about his choices. Trying to protect her by pushing her towards her people had been a mistake, it wasn't his choice to make whether she stayed on Earth and perhaps lost her life with them, or went with her people and stayed alive.

"_I do love you John Stewart...nothing is ever going to change that, not even Hro Talak."_

He thought back to their moments together on the cliff after he had saved her life, he remembered the love he could see in her eyes, the same love marred by hurt when he had told her to leave. He'd tried to convince himself that she didn't care, that Talak spoke the truth, but trying to believe that she had lied, trying to believe that she didn't love him hurt too much.

He knew he needed to see her…to explain why he had said the things he had.

John sighed as the telephone rang and gingerly made his way over to it, using his ring halfway to grab it and pull it towards him.

"Hello?"

There was no answer and he asked again. Once again nothing.

John debated how strange it was as he replaced the phone to its cradle, after all the only two people that ever called were Diana or Bruce. They weren't the sort to call and not reply on the phone. Eventually he shrugged and decided that perhaps he should get Bruce to change the number.

Just as he stepped away the phone rang again.

"For cryin' out loud."

He picked up the phone a second time and snapped a greeting.

"_Are you okay, John?"_

John was silent as he tried to figure out if he really was okay...he wasn't really sure.

"_John?"_ Diana repeated.

"I'm fine, Diana," He said flatly "Did you call just now?"

"_No,"_ She replied _"I was calling to tell you that I'll be picking you up in ten minutes...Bruce wants to see us at the Mansion._

"Fine," John agreed reluctantly "I'll be ready...I assume you're bringing the car?"

"_Yes...it's safer, see you soon." _

And the line went dead.

John tossed the phone back down and began making his way towards his room. Going to the Manor would give him an opportunity to see Shayera, he hoped that he'd be able to explain to her and that she would listen…but he was afraid he might have hurt her too much.

* * *

><p>She put the phone down as soon as she heard his voice, even as she sat there staring at the telephone she couldn't work out what had made her decide to call him. What would she have said?<p>

'_Sorry John'_ Maybe that would have been a good start?

'_I didn't lie to you'_ Like he'd believe that after what Hro had told him.

'_Hro confined me and wouldn't let me out'_

She sighed to herself pushing her hand through her hair...like he would believe anything she said to him now; Hro had made sure that if he couldn't have her...she couldn't have John either.

Tearing her eyes away from the phone that sat in her room, she slowly moved over to the window and looked out. The sun was up which she knew having watched it rise this morning, everything seemed so peaceful out across the ocean that her window looked out upon and she had a desire she hadn't had for the last week...she wanted to fly.

Over the course of the last week she hadn't left her room for any reason, she had her own bathroom so didn't need to leave to shower or use the restroom, Alfred regularly brought food up for her, but as she looked out of the window she decided it was time for her to surface from her self-made enclosure.

As she crossed the room to the door she glanced over her shoulder and looked at the desk, the mace was still there. She hadn't been able to get back to sleep so during the night she had thought about a great many things, the mace included. As she looked at the mace she decided that it was time to start to climb out of the dark place she had formed for herself, it was time to start dealing with her actions and accepting them. After all, she didn't regret them.

Moving over to the mace she gingerly picked it up careful not to look at the blood on the surface. Crossing back to the door she took a deep breath and stepped out of the door, she could hear Alfred downstairs in the kitchen.

Alfred was indeed in the kitchen and was humming along to a tune she didn't recognise, she liked Alfred and had formed a bizarre and unexpected friendship with him. During the time when her wings were unusable, he had aided her greatly in exercising and maintaining them. She felt comfortable with him in a way where she felt that she could talk to him, of course not on matters that she would share with John, but she could discuss some issues with him comfortably without feeling self conscious.

"Miss Hol," Alfred greeted brightly "It is good to see you, may I get you anything?"

She hesitated a moment still cradling her mace "Actually...I just came to clean this."

Alfred looked at the weapon before making his way over to her "Allow me to take care of that miss, I'll prepare you a cup of tea."

She unexpectedly yanked the mace away from his reach and apologised immediately. "It's just...I need to do it myself."

His eyes showed her an understanding she wasn't sure she deserved, she had killed her former lover and destroyed her people's hopes of defeating the Gordanians...did she really deserve understanding?

"I understand, miss," He offered her a smile "I have a number of products that may prove useful for such a job, I will go and fetch them for you."

"Thank-you Alfred." She whispered gratefully as the butler dashed off.

When he returned he had indeed brought a number of products with him.

"I use these regularly on Master Bruce's ancient weapon collection," He explained while setting them out "Although Master Bruce doesn't notice, they do bring a lovely shine."

Shayera smiled weakly and began cleaning her mace, first of all running it under the tap. She focused her eyes on the discoloured water that washed away from the metal and while she stared at it she hadn't expected Alfred's touch on her shoulder.

She flinched a little and Alfred removed his hand.

"It's okay, miss." He assured her with a friendly smile "In time things will improve."

"I don't think so Alfred," She said anxiously "Can you tell me something?"

He nodded and awaited her request.

"Why is Bruce taking care of me? I don't understand."

Alfred smiled a little more "Master Bruce will help those who are in need of it, he only helps those he believes are worthy of it. He must have some faith in you Miss Hol."

She nodded a little as she dried the mace and selected one of the products to treat the metal. As she continued her work Alfred once again spoke to her.

"I have some tasks I must attend to, I will leave you to your work," He placed a cup of tea next to her before grasping her hand reassuringly "I will prepare some hot chocolate for you tonight, miss...it will help you sleep."

She opened her mouth to tell him she was sorry for her restless nights but he shook his head "I have found that it helps, even Master Bruce sleeps better after a mug of hot chocolate."

Shayera closed her mouth again and smiled a little as Alfred left her; in the mean time she continued with her task and had just finished polishing the orb of the mace when Bruce entered the kitchen.

"Good morning, Shayera." He greeted her while pouring himself a cup of tea.

"Morning." She replied quietly, hesitating for a moment she continued "Thank-you for giving me somewhere to stay."

Bruce sat down beside her and took a sip of his drink "It isn't safe out there for any of us, least of all you;" he smirked at the cleaning products on the table "They polish up the weapons upstairs rather well."

Shayera smiled remembering what Alfred had told her about Bruce not noticing, but as she looked at the mace overall she noticed that the leather strap hadn't escaped the blood. Grasping it in her fingers she tried to rub the blood off but it had absorbed into the material, she became flustered and more aggressive with it as she tried to get rid of it. She didn't know why but her eyes started to burn with tears and just as she was about to throw the weapon as far away from her as possible...Bruce grabbed her wrist.

"It's okay Shayera..."

"I...I can't get it off." She mumbled still trying to get the blood off of the leather.

Bruce leant forward and extracted the weapon from her trembling hands "I've got some material in the cave...I'll have it replaced with a clean strap...okay?"

She nodded feebly.

Bruce took a deep breath "The others will be here shortly; there are things we need to discuss as a group. Why don't you go and get something to eat while I take care of this?"

Without another word she stood up and left, no doubt heading to the dining room to do exactly as he suggested. She needed the stability of someone telling her what to do, because right now she was lost and didn't know what she should do.

Still in the kitchen Bruce looked at the mace and at the leather strap. He stood up after a few moments and walked to one of the drawers to retrieve a knife and cut the leather away from the handle. Just as he placed the discarded fabric into the trash, Alfred returned.

Bruce looked up and gestured towards the dining room "Make sure she eats something. The others will be here soon."

Alfred nodded "Of course, sir..."

**To be Continued. **


	3. Chapter Three

**AN/ Okay, I'm not one hundred percent happy with this chapter and after fighting with it I've decided to leave it as it is now, but be assured that everything you need to know in this Installment is included without exception. I hope that you enjoy the chapter :)**

Chapter Three

Down in the cave Bruce Wayne was sat at the large computer downloading the files he needed, it was vital that they addressed these upcoming issues so that they could at least be prepared. While selecting a number of keys to have the clips recorded to a data disc, Bruce stood up and moved over to one of the metal cabinets to the far side of the cave.

Pulling open the cabinet drawer he selected a strip of black material, Kevlar much the same as the material that his suit was composed of. Threading it through the slot in the mace handle he tied it off securely and checked the size of the loop to make sure that it was long enough. Satisfied he closed the drawer with a snap and moved back over to the computer to check the progress of the data transfer.

"Sir, Mr J'onnz has arrived." Alfred declared from the top of the stairs "Would you like me to escort him here?"

"No, I'll be up in a moment, Alfred."

"Very well, Sir."

A few minutes later and Bruce had ascended the stairs out of the cave and entered the dining room, there he found J'onn sitting at the table in his human/Martian hybrid form and talking with Shayera. As he entered J'onn looked up and greeted Bruce with a smile.

"I came as quick as I was able." J'onn said evenly.

Bruce nodded "Thank-you J'onn, Diana and John should be here soon and then we can begin." He had noticed the flicker that had announced itself over Shayera's face. It was bizarre how readable she was now that she wasn't wearing her helmet.

Walking over to her he handed her the mace "Let me know if you need the strap adjusted."

Reaching out she took it and slipped her hand through the strap before she removed it and settled it down onto the table.

"It's fine...thank-you." She said softly, in truth she quite liked the black material as opposed to the leather brown of before. It signified the change in what the weapon meant to her.

A knock at the door announced that the rest of their guests had arrived, before Bruce could even begin to head towards the door to let them in, Alfred was already there.

"Good Morning, Miss Diana and Mr Stewart...Master Bruce is awaiting you in the dining room."

"Thank-you, Alfred." Bruce heard Diana respond; he also heard a feeble one from John and debated about talking to him later about certain matters.

Before Bruce or the others could offer a greeting, Diana snapped immediately.

"What is _she_ doing here?" The Princess asked hotly.

Bruce narrowed his eyes slightly annoyed, more so as Shayera stood up and started to leave.

"It concerns her as much as the rest of us, maybe even more so." Bruce stated evenly "Shayera, I want you to hear this as well."

Slowly the Thanagarian woman lowered herself back down in her chair careful not to look at anybody.

Bruce turned back to Diana "If you have a problem with her being here, we'll discuss it after we have spoken about why I have brought you all here."

Diana didn't reply but she had cooled slightly, enough that she took a seat in one of the chairs and awaited the beginning of the meeting. John was quite the opposite and didn't seem to know what he wanted to do; he kept glancing at Shayera and looking away. Growing a little more frustrated Bruce decided to give him a push.

"Sit down John." And he did so.

Bruce moved over to the wooden cabinet that was situated within the room, he unfastened the clip and pulled the two wooden doors open to reveal a television. A moment went by in silence as he slipped the data disc into the television and switched it on.

"As you know," Bruce began "Mercy Corporations has been building support amongst the populace." He paused a moment as the others nodded in recognition "As you also are aware, they were involved in a summit that was organised a week ago to discuss their plans with our world leaders."

"They're holding it tonight." Diana mentioned as she sipped the cup of tea Alfred had given her.

Bruce nodded "Right, but I have reason to believe that it's for the benefit of the appearances...the law has in fact already been passed."

"How do you know this?" J'onn asked.

Bruce began the clip he had discovered, the others looked to the screen to see the revelation that required their meeting at Wayne Manor.

The video showed a large building complex although it was difficult to deduce its location. A line appeared to be queuing outside of the building in question and as the Lords peered at the people they could see, it was clear that they were in fact fellow costumes.

"What are they doing?" Diana asked curious.

Bruce pointed at the screen with the remote and zoomed in on a sign that was situated on the right hand side of the queue of people.

'_Meta registration, queue here.'_

Bruce paused the clip leaving only those words on the screen. "The law that has been passed," He began as he placed the remote on the table top "Is that all Meta's must register with the government and give their allegiance to it, or be hunted."

"You can't be serious?" Diana stated suddenly.

He nodded "This is going to cause us problems...Mercy Corporations is right behind this and for now I don't know what they're up to...but we are going to have to be even more vigilant in keeping a low profile." He took a breath "It isn't safe for us out there, not just with the military looking for us, but other Metas as well."

"How did you find out about this?" J'onn asked still peering at the tape.

"I have my resources." Bruce said simply "But trust me, tomorrow morning this will be all over the news."

Diana was looking for Bruce and she made no move to conceal her obvious annoyance with him and the woman he was housing here. As the Princess approached the kitchen Shayera stepped out and practically walked into the Amazon, the former muttering an apology.

The Princess looked down on the shorter woman and narrowed her eyes "Excuse me."

Shayera looked up and frowned before turning away "Save your glares Princess, there isn't anything you can say that I haven't already thought of."

"Perhaps we should test that theory?" Diana challenged.

The Thanagarian woman shrugged "Take your best shot," She started walking away "But you're wasting your time."

Once Shayera had completely disappeared, Diana entered the kitchen herself and found Bruce in there too; she wondered what he might have been talking to Shayera about but decided that she wasn't interested. There were other things she wished to discuss.

"Why are you helping her?" Diana demanded as she watched him.

He set the mugs in the sink that they had been using in the dining hall "She needs somewhere to stay; it isn't safe for her out there."

"She betrayed us!" Diana snapped folding her arms and standing regally next to him.

Bruce let out a breath "So did I."

"That was different."

He shook his head as he turned to face her "No it wasn't, the fact is Diana I betrayed you all in more substantial ways than she has, because of me you lost your powers." He frowned at her "She was burned in this just as much as the rest of us."

"Bruce...how many more betrayals are we going to see? Ever since Flash..." Her breath caught in her throat "Ever since Wally...all we've seen is betrayal."

"I know Princess," Bruce nodded "But that's what life's about and it's one of the things that makes us stronger...not just alone but as a unit."

Diana smiled at him and unfolded her arms "Sometimes, Bruce...you speak a great deal of wisdom."

He smiled briefly "I know I do."

She looked around the kitchen "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"I doubt it," Bruce said as he began to leave "Even if there were anything...Alfred wouldn't allow it."

Diana grinned but looked up at him as he continued speaking.

"You could speak with Shayera."

"There is nothing to say." She stated simply and headed towards the kitchen door.

"Perhaps not...but perhaps," Bruce stood beside her "There is something to listen to."

As Bruce left Diana to her thoughts and made his way back towards the dining room he spotted John walking in the opposite direction, for a moment Bruce considered him and wondered what exactly was on the Lantern's mind, it wasn't completely clear to any of them quite exactly what had occurred between both him and Shayera.

"John." John turned around at his name "Can I have a word?" Bruce gestured to a small room to one side.

When John entered the room Bruce closed the door and turned to the Green Lantern.

"Whatever it is...you need to get over it."

"Excuse me?" John asked a little taken aback.

"I can't have you risking the safety of the rest of us because your head isn't screwed on properly, I won't have you endangering any of us."

John was flabbergasted and annoyed "I wouldn't risk putting any of us in danger!" He snapped and started for the door.

"Right, so what has you looking like a lost school boy? I guess it has something to do with Shayera?"

Bruce knew he had touched a nerve when he saw the brief green glow in the eyes of his friend.

"It has nothing to do with you!"

"It has if you do something stupid that gets one of us killed." Bruce paused a moment looking into John's eyes "She told you everything before the rest of us had any idea...why are you pushing her away?"

John seemed to debate his next actions for a moment "I don't have to listen to this."

Bruce grabbed John's shoulder as the other man made to leave "Maybe you don't John, but you need to set things straight...we're at too much risk."

"Don't worry...I'll sort it!" John snapped and left the room briskly without taking another look back. It was now or never, she'd either understand or she wouldn't and he'd have to suffer the consequences either way.

Shayera was sat on a soft chair in the television room, J'onn was still in the dining room talking with Diana and she had of course excused herself, the looks Diana had been giving her had been making her uncomfortable ever since the Princess had returned from the kitchen. While she sat there she contemplated finding John and trying to talk to him but decided against it, she didn't want him to tell her to leave again.

Just when she was about to stand up and go to her room for some additional solitude the person she least expected to see entered the room and she found that her eyes instinctively stared at him. John stood before her looking uncomfortable and anxious, she couldn't read the look in his eyes but none the less she stood up and started to leave, she was really doing that a lot at the moment.

"Wait, Shayera...don't go."

She stopped with her back to him and didn't turn "What do you want John?" She asked thickly but with a hint of anger "You want to tell me you still don't believe me?"

"No...I...want to say I'm sorry."

She whirled around "Sorry?" John flinched a little "You want to tell me you're sorry?"

He nodded slowly "Please...let me explain."

Her eyes narrowed but she made no move to speak so he began talking albeit nervously, it had been a long time since he had been on the receiving end of her anger.

"I..." He sighed "I don't even know where to begin...I..." He paused again and looked away from her "I wanted to protect you; I didn't think we'd be able to stop the bypass and I knew you'd be safe if you stayed with them."

She cut him off "You decided that I would be better off going back to Thanagar?"

"It would have been better than being killed."

He should have expected what came next but for some absurd reason he hadn't. Shayera's fist connected with the side of his face...hard. John fell back awkwardly his knee giving out beneath him and sending him sprawling to the floor.

"I don't doubt that I deserved that." He said groggily rubbing his chin.

Shayera trembled as she stood above him, she was angry and hurt, how could he have treated her that way just to push her to go with Thanagar so that she couldn't die on Earth should it happen?

"You!" She shouted pointing at him angrily "You had no right to make that decision!" She paused for breath "You made me think that you didn't believe me, that I'd lost you... just so you could keep me _safe_?" she shouted ignoring the fact that both J'onn and Diana had turned in their seats to peer into the next room and see what the commotion was about.

John dabbed his bleeding lip with his fingers before starting to try and get up but his knee wasn't having any of it, so instead he remained sitting on the floor.

"I didn't want you to die for us Shayera...I just wanted to protect you."

Shayera let out a growl in her throat before sitting down beside him and pressing her own fingers to his bleeding lip.

"Sometimes I really hate you." She whispered wiping his mouth gently "I'd rather die here with you than live miserably, because I would have...without you."

She paused for a moment and looked at him carefully "I thought that you didn't believe me, that Hro had turned you against me."

"I did have my doubts at one point." John mumbled softly "I'm not very proud of that either."

She shook her head "No...You shouldn't be."

"Yeah...well I am an idiot aren't I?" He chanced giving her a smile.

Shayera smiled weakly in return before taking his face into her hands and running her thumbs over his eyebrows "You are an idiot John Stewart...but promise me you'll never doubt how I feel about you again."

"I promise, Shayera..."

She nodded slowly before sighing "I thought I'd lost you." She whispered.

"Well you haven't...I promise next time I'll talk to you about everything...okay?"

"It's a start." She said slowly before sitting down next to him on the floor and resting her head on his shoulder. "What have I become John?"

He turned his head to face her taking a moment to appreciate her face with the absence of the mask she usually always wore. "What do you mean?"

"I turned my back on my people John...I've sentenced my home world to it execution...what does that make me? I killed Hro...the man I was once promised to...does that make me no better than Superman?"

John turned his body completely ignoring the pain in his knee, carefully and gently he took her face into his hands and forced her to look into his eyes, to focus on what he was going to say next.

"You sacrificed your home world to save a planet because you didn't believe in the decision to destroy that life," He smiled at her softly "I think that makes you remarkable." He kissed her forehead before continuing "You killed someone you once loved to protect me..." He paused focusing on her teary eyes "That makes me understand how much I mean to you and I know never to second guess it again, to second guess you."

He kissed her once again this time on her lips before looking at her "I love you Shayera Hol...and we'll get through this together, just like everything else."

An hour later everyone once again found themselves sitting in the dining room; Alfred was busy setting out lunch while Diana and Shayera were having an animated conversation at the table. The others were standing to one side talking quietly while watching the two women carefully.

Shayera continued to explain to Diana the events that had occurred on the ship, explaining that after she confessed to Hro her feelings for John that they had been separated and herself locked in Hro's quarters. Diana was listening and to Shayera it meant more than anything...except of course discovering that John had very foolishly been trying to keep her alive, that was far better than him disregarding her love for him as she had first thought.

Bruce cleared his throat after a few more minutes and gestured for all of them to take a seat at the table.

"So what's our next move?" John asked grasping Shayera's hand discreetly beneath the table. Bruce noticed the gesture all the same and he was pleased that the two of them had reunited...again.

"For now," Bruce began "We keep out of the radar, but we also monitor Mercy Graves and her company _very_ closely."

"You really think that they are up to something?" Diana asked reaching out for a muffin absently.

"I don't know Princess, but with our current situation I won't leave anything to chance."

J'onn nodded "How are we to monitor them without drawing attention to ourselves?"

Bruce frowned "For now we won't worry about it, our first priority is ensure our safety and security." He turned to Shayera "You will have to stay here; it isn't safe for you anywhere else."

John squeezed Shayera's hand reassuringly as he spoke "I won't leave her." He stated, he wasn't asking.

"You can move in permanently, I'll have your apartment dealt with for the time being."

John nodded his thanks as Diana spoke "What of Clark...do you know where he is?"

"I don't know Diana...I don't know where he is and I don't know what he is doing..." He paused looking at them gravely "He is just someone we'll have to look out for...as much for our safety as for his."

**AN/ There will be an Epilogue just to tie off a few things ready for the main story which I will finally be making a start on soon. It will hopefully be at least in two parts and will be called 'Advocacy'. I'll have the epilogue up as soon as possible :)**


	4. Epilogue

Epilogue

**The following Morning**

The apartment was eerily quiet which was expected, the man who stayed within its walls was by a large margin very private, no one knew him except for those he worked for. Clark Kent sat on his couch after switching off the television; he was disgusted by the amount of costumes queuing up to sign their independence over to the government. During the reign of the Lords many of those costumes had withdrawn to whatever rocks they had crawled from to begin with, and now here they were pandering to the government, joining them in their quest to subdue what made them who they were. They were creating their own destruction.

Clark sighed before turning to the newspapers that held the same information as the television he had recently switched off, it was legislation and no one was going to be able to avoid it not when the Metas signing up would be scouring the globe for those of them on the run. He knew it was the Thanagarian's fault, he knew it was down to her that everything had become quickly sour, before they could exist but now there was no tolerance left for them.

During the invasion he had helped, he helped in order to prove to the populace that he was to be trusted; he wanted to convince them that his way was the best way, try to save them from the mistakes they were making. Just like the invasion it had failed, he had been captured along with the others and had briefly if reluctantly aided them, but left them midway once he knew they had been successful...he didn't want to be associated with traitors and there was two of them now.

He had more important things to consider now, he was looking for someone.

Ever since the majority of his powers had returned, Clark Kent had been on a search. During the political reign of the Justice Lords, Lord Superman had been acquainted with Lois Lane a relationship which had been complicated and strained, not just because he kept her safely locked away from the dangers of the world. Upon his return to his home dimension he had of course returned to the apartment he had set up for her, although he had arrived as Clark Kent in order to conceal the loss of his powers. Upon reaching the floor that she stayed on he noticed the guards were missing, and subsequently that Lois was missing too.

For a long time he hadn't concerned himself with worry for her, she was of course a very assertive woman and was more than capable of defending herself, but in truth he wasn't so concerned about that. Now that for the most part he was Superman again, he had been attempting to find her, in subtle ways of course such as searching newspaper columns for a style than matched hers, or asking around for her as Clark Kent who had disappeared after Lex Luthor had been permanently silenced.

Clark tossed another paper onto the table as he began flicking through another, he wasn't sure why he needed to find her but he felt compelled to do so.

Finally losing patience he ignored the rest of the papers and stood up, beginning to pace the room as he glanced at the clippings on the wall. Various articles and interviews involving the growth and development of Mercy Corporations, he knew all too well that even though Lex was no longer running the industry, his mark was no doubt well and truly printed upon their policies.

Mercy Graves was running the Corporation and she of course had been more than merely a chauffeur to Luthor.

He'd contemplated a few weeks ago getting involved in the company, perhaps attempt to unsettle it or scare it into submission, but he knew he didn't have the power or the influence to do so just now. That and the world was looking for him with far more vigour compared to the other former Lords, except maybe the Thanagarian.

As he let his eyes wander over the mural of clippings and pictures, he decided it was best to keep a very strong watch on Mercy and the actions of her company...especially with their new Meta army growing.

* * *

><p><strong>Mercy Corporations, One hour later<strong>

"I don't care what Lex would have done! He isn't part of this company anymore, hell he isn't part of anything!"

Mercy Graves tapped her pen against the table in irritation while holding the receiver to her ear. She sighed with annoyance as she listened.

"Look, just do as I ask and get the job done. Call me back in twenty minutes with an update."

She slammed the receiver into its cradle and slung her pen onto the table.

"Moron, Urgh!"

Before she could even contemplate what she wanted to do next, the buzzer on her desk signalled that the secretary needed to speak with her.

"Go ahead." Mercy drawled shuffling some of the papers on the desk around looking for the information she had been given two nights ago.

"Dr Frederick said he needs to see you urgently."

She pushed the intercom button grasping the papers she needed. "Did he mention why?"

"No, Ma'am...just that he needs to see you, something about the M-project."

Mercy sighed "Tell him I'll be there in ten minutes." She released the button and when she did so strung a line of curses.

"Damn Scientists can't seem to do anything without someone right behind them!"

As she left the small monitor blipped and the news report snapped onto the screen.

'_We have estimated that at least thirty Meta's including non-meta humans have signed up since yesterday. The populace can only hope that the tyranny of the Justice Lords isn't repeated.'_

**END**

**AN/ Okay so that's the end of Aftermath. I'm honestly really excited now that the prequels are over and I can get on writing Avocacy Part One. Hopefully I won't take too long in getting the story going in the direction I want but I will probably write some other things in between just to break things up all that jazz :)**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this :)**


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