The Debrief

THE DEBRIEF by BILLA1

Disclaimer: The Characters Batman, Green Lantern, Hawkgirl, Wonder Woman, Martian Manhunter, Superman, Adam Strange & Flash their respective secret identities are all owned by DC Comics. This story is intended for my own pleasure and is not for profit. It has been posted to this site for others to read. Places and characters not own by DC Comics are my own creation. This story is based on characters from The Justice League Unlimited Animated Series episode: Wake the Dead written by Dwayne McDuffie and Bruce Timm. Menace of the Robot Raiders by Gardner Fox. Thanks to Merlin Missy for her beta on this story.

The Debrief

Rating: (PG)

Synopsis: Adam Strange debriefs the JLU senior staff on Shayera Hol's first post-Starcrossed JLU mission.

"...but if you are truly ready to take up the fight again." -Doctor Fate

"I'm ready." -Shayera Hol (Wake the Dead)

(One month after the death of Solomon Grundy at the hands of Shayera Hol)

As I got off the elevator and started down the corridor of the third deck, I was struck by the thought that most of us weren't called to this floor unless there was something wrong. This was their floor. There were floors above and below but no one stopped on this floor unless they were directed to do so.

My name is Adam Strange. I am, by trade, an archeologist. Years ago, while digging in the ruins in Peru, I encountered the zeta-beam. The beam transported me thousands of light years from Earth to the planet Rann. The beam allows me to stay on Rann only for a short time before I am involuntarily transported back to Earth. When I am on Rann, I try to help the residents of Ranagar, Rann's largest city-state, as best I can by fighting menaces that occur there. I have no super powers but I can think. And if I can think, I can win.

The sign on the bluish-steel door said 'Do Not Disturb' and I hesitated briefly before finally knocking. I shook my head as I realized how timid my knocking must sound on the other side of the thick door. I wasn't knocking. I was tapping on the door. I knocked a little harder this time. I finally heard a voice say, "Come in."

As I entered the dim, sparsely decorated space, I saw in the center of the room a large, yellow circular conference table with seven chairs. Only six were occupied. There was a bright overhead light that shone on the table illuminating the seated members. Around the table sat Wonder Woman, Batman, Superman, J'onn J'onzz, the Flash and the Green Lantern. I was a little nervous to be in the presence of the "big guns" of the planet but I gathered a little strength knowing they wanted to hear what I had to say. I stood next to the empty chair waiting to be offered an invitation to sit. It never came.

J'onn spoke first. "How did it go?"

I looked around the table and smiled at all of them. "It went well. It's all in the report."

I was a little taken back when the Batman snapped at me: "We know what's in the report. I want to hear from you. How did she do?" I thought to myself that he must be awfully frightening at night because even in this light he was doing a pretty good job of intimidation with me. I won't say I was afraid, but I will say I decided at that moment that any future encounter I would have with Batman would have to be in brighter light. I didn't have time to say anything before Wonder Woman added, "Yes, who did she kill this time?"

Superman responded quickly and was curt. "Will you give it a rest? It's beginning to get tiresome." It was then I noticed the small smile from the Green Lantern.

J'onn interrupted, "Adam, please go on." He cast a quick glare to both Wonder Woman and Superman and then at that moment I understood. I truly understood. Seven chairs. Six members and seven chairs. This debrief was not about me or even about her. It was them. This was always about them. The unbalanced wheel. That's what they were. And they were looking for ways to restore balance.

"We met the zeta-beam in Brazil," I said.

"The zeta-beam?" the Green Lantern asked.

"Yes," I continued. "It's a beam which transports me to the planet Rann but it hits the Earth at different points each time it strikes the planet. Anyway, did you know she speaks Portuguese?" I noticed the Flash smirking at Wonder Woman and her frowning in response.

"Well, when we got to Rann, I was met by Alanna...um... she's a friend."

Batman's tone was cold and sharp. "We know all about your girlfriend on Rann. Get to the point. How did she do?"

J'onn glared at Batman again and then looked at me. "Please continue."

I nodded my head at J'onn but it was becoming real easy to dislike Batman. I'm just going to have to make a point of putting him on 'ignore' in the future. "Ranagar, which is the largest city on Rann, had been given ten giant robots by an alien race called the Griks as a peace offering. The robots were each fifty-foot tall and very friendly and did everything they were tasked to do for two weeks before we got to Rann. Then they suddenly started destroying property and killing people. At first the police on Rann thought the scientists who were using the robots were the ones who were wreaking the havoc, but I soon figured out that wasn't the case."

Wonder Woman interrupted. "Wonderful story. So did she smash the robots and save the day?" The Amazon looked around the table and saw frowns from the other five - even from Batman. She cleared her throat and continued. "Look, I'm trying to be supportive here and talk about what she does best. You know...break stuff."

You people are in bad shape. I almost feel sorry for you guys. I cleared my throat. "Actually, no. She refused to attack them."

They tried to keep a poker face on, but I could tell they were all surprised. "She refused?" the Flash blurted out.

Gotcha. "Yeah, in fact she kept saying all the time, 'What would Batman do?'"

I would have given two weeks' salary to have a picture of the stunned look on Batman's face.

"You must have been some sort of model for her," I said, looking at Batman. I continued. "Anyway, she looked at what the robots destroyed and plotted out the attack on the map and noticed they only destroyed military buildings and other military command and control centers. Now, eventually the Ranns would have figured out what was happening, but she put it together first. She was the first to notice that it wasn't random destruction but rather a systematic coordinated attack on the military infra-structure of Ranagar."

The Green Lantern bought his fingers to his lips, "So then did she smash them?"

"No," I replied. "We figured they were being controlled by some local force and not from the Grikian home world. She flew around one of the rampaging robots, taking and repelling fire from the machine's defensive systems and found it had an opening in its head. She ripped the door open and found a Grikian inside driving the robot. She grabbed him and threatened to drop him -- from fifty feet -- unless he told us how to disable the machines."

The grin from the Flash was huge. "All right, Hawkgirl. Shayera. Whatever. Cool."

I noticed the Lantern smiling too.

"Well," I said, "he wouldn't talk so she took him up about a hundred feet and dropped him."

I noticed Wonder Woman smirked and then just hummed.

"But, she caught him when he was about five feet off the ground. At that point, he told us everything...even his sister's birthday. We couldn't shut him up. Anyway, we were able to tell the police and the army how to shut the robots down without destroying them. Now the people of Rann could still use the machines. We also learned the government of Grik commissioned the robots but they claim they didn't know about the man-hiding compartments."

I looked at Superman as I spoke. "She was a little worried about possible Rann retaliation on Grik for the destruction. I told her don't worry. The people of Rann will do the right thing. Just then the zeta-beam pulled us back to Brazil. But she did good."

Superman stood up and said, "Thanks for the brief, Adam. And I'm glad things worked out on Rann."

"No problem," I said as I headed for the door. I stopped and turned around to face the six. Superman was still standing. "Have a good day...no wait. I've been known to be occasionally unpleasant but I am not stupid. The only reason I'm here debriefing you six is because you want to know if you can trust her."

Batman stood up. "Well?"

I cleared my throat again and suddenly wished I had not stopped. But I had something to say and I wasn't going to allow Batman to rattle me. I walked back to the conference table. "She's good. Real good and she did good. I don't mean she performed well. I mean she helped the people of Ranagar in ways I would not have been able to do working alone. She's smart and can think on her feet. I don't know what she brought to your team before but she can play on my team any day. I trusted her and she didn't let me down. I personally hope no else wants to work with her. That way I can be assured of always working with her."

The Green Lantern stood up. "Thanks. We all got your message. You may get a chance to work with her some more but some of us at this table will be working with her in the near future as well. You gave a good brief. You opinion was valuable."

"Okay." I think I've just been dismissed. "But I meant it about working with her again."

I walked out of the conference room and closed the door behind me without looking back at them. If I smoked, this would have been one of those moments when I would light up. But I don't smoke. Instead I just sighed as I walked down the corridor and stopped in front of the elevator. As I pushed the button to take me to the level I belonged, the level I was comfortable with, I said out loud to myself, "You really screwed them up, Shayera Hol."

As the doors opened and I stepped in the elevator, I thought to myself that those six may never find the balance they're looking for without her. But if they decide she's not third floor material anymore, then I, who have worked alone for years, may have found a partner. Nahh. I'm just kidding myself. They're smart enough to figure out that she is what they're missing and I may never get another chance to work with her solo again. I hope I'm wrong about that...I mean about getting to work with her again. Sure hope I'm wrong.

END