Ace's first day at university had been... underwhelming. No drama, no interesting things happening or meeting interesting people, just nothing. To her, it was just a day full of boring lectures and wandering between unfamiliar buildings. But what bothered her most was that she didn't see Courtney anywhere.
She had been looking forward to seeing her friend, even carrying a small present to give her. But Courtney never showed. Ace had tried contacting her multiple times, but every call went unanswered.
Ace bit her lip nervously. The last time they talked, Courtney had mentioned she was on her way back from Japan and she will be there in a few hours at most. And then radio silence.
Amazo, walking beside her as they exited the campus grounds, noticed her growing frustration "If she's busy, she'll contact you later," he said with a casual shrug. "Heroes get caught up sometimes."
But Ace wasn't having it. She immediately pulled out her phone and dialed Ashborn.
"Dad," she said the moment he answered, "Can you find Courtney for me? I'm getting worried."
Ashborn's voice, calm as always, replied "She's probably busy saving people or something. No need to worry."
"Dad, please find her for me," Ace said, her voice pleading.
Ashborn sighed on the other end, but didn't refuse. Within moments, he spread his shadows across the globe, searching through every crack, every hidden place.
A minute later, he returned with the answer "She's fine, Ace. She's inside the Earth's core, a land called Skartaris. Some magician pulled her and a few others there to help fight a war. They'll probably be okay."
He paused, then added in a more serious tone "If you really can't sit still, the path is in the North Pole. If you go, make sure your brother stays with you."
Ace beamed "Thanks, Dad! You're the best!"
She hung up and turned toward Amazo, a wide grin stretching across her face. Amazo sighed in resignation. Without a word, he moved closer, wrapped an arm securely around her, and teleported them both away.
The freezing cold of the North Pole immediately assaulted them… or it would have, if not for Amazo's barrier enveloping them in a protective bubble of warmth. Scanning the icy surroundings, Amazo quickly pinpointed the entrance Ashborn had spoken of.
Without hesitation, he flew forward, carrying Ace with him toward a cavern that seemed to lead into the very Earth itself. Minutes later, they emerged into an entirely different world.
Lush forests and towering mountains stretched below them. Dinosaurs, real living dinosaurs, roamed freely across the landscape.
Amazo's scanners swept the region, locking onto a large mountain fortress where primitive humans seemed to have established a settlement.
The two of them descended toward it.
As they neared the stone gates, the humans spotted them. Immediately, a shout went up, and weapons, spears, bows, and crude clubs were raised defensively.
Ace stepped forward holding up her hands.
"I'm just here looking for my friend!" she called out.
The barbarians either didn't understand her or didn't care, they surrounded the two newcomers, ready to strike.
Ace sighed and turned to Amazo.
"Please?" she asked sweetly.
Amazo nodded. With a simple gesture, he released a controlled wave of energy, knocking every attacker unconscious without causing any real harm.
Ace walked forward confidently, Amazo right behind her. The two approached a large central hut, even as more wary humans began to emerge from nearby structures, some wounded, some armed.
At the forefront stood a fierce-looking barbarian man and two women by his side. They were clearly alarmed by the newcomers, tense and ready to defend.
But then a familiar voice rang out.
"ACE? AMAZO?"
Ace turned to see Stargirl, Courtney, rushing out from the central hut, her staff in hand, looking both surprised and relieved.
Ace grinned brightly "You didn't meet me like we agreed," she said, hands on her hips. "And you didn't answer my calls. So I came to check on you."
She added with a teasing wink "And Dad made Amazo follow me. Extra protection and all"
Amazo raised his hand in a casual greeting
"Hi," he said simply.
Stargirl nodded lightly in response, her expression mixed with relief and confusion "I thought Ashborn was way stricter than my dad," she said, raising an eyebrow. "How come he allowed you to come here?"
Ace grinned mischievously "I'm an adult now. Besides, Amazo's here, so I'm totally safe," she said, throwing a thumb toward her brother.
Then she added, "Your turn, how did you end up here? And do you need help getting out?"
But Stargirl didn't answer immediately. Instead, she turned around to face the barbarians and called out "These two are friends."
The leader of the barbarians, a towering man with a piece of white cloth covering his lower half, stepped forward.
"Did they harm my people?" he asked gruffly.
Amazo answered calmly "They're only unconscious. I didn't use more power than necessary."
The barbarian leader studied him for a moment, then nodded. He gave a sharp command, and a few warriors rushed off to check on the fallen. Meanwhile, he gestured for Ace and Amazo to follow him inside the main hall.
Seated around a long table made from old wood and bones, the leader began to explain again. He spoke of Demos, an evil magician, who had started gaining power recently. According to the leader, Demos had found ways to pull weapons from the outside world, technology and tools that didn't belong in Skartaris.
His goal was simple: to conquer the land and enslave all who lived there.
"That's why we pulled heroes from your world," the leader said gravely "We need all the help we can get."
Ace looked around the hall, her eyes scanning the others present. There was Stargirl, standing proud next to her stepfather, Pat. A Green Lantern, not Hal Jordan, but someone else, a man with black skin. And Supergirl stood near the back, arms crossed, her sharp gaze focused almost solely on Ace and Amazo.
Ace noticed the hostility but brushed it off. She tilted her head and said "Well, lucky for you, Amazo and I are here now too. We'll lend a hand."
She added "The faster we finish this, the better. So, where's this Demos guy? Amazo can probably bring him down before he knows what had hit him."
Amazo, for his part, didn't object. He merely nodded lightly, already calculating possibilities.
The leader, however, shook his head "Demos' magic is powerful," he warned. "Taking him down won't be that easy."
Stargirl smirked and gave a confident shrug "I don't know about that," she said. "Amazo's probably the strongest being on Earth right now. I doubt some magician's going to put up much of a fight against him."
The Green Lantern, more cautious, chimed in "It's better to stay careful. Gather more information before we jump into battle."
Ace shrugged easily "Fine by me," she said. "A little extra time here isn't the worst thing."
Satisfied with the agreement, the barbarian leader decided to take them to see something important, the real reason Demos had been stirring so much trouble.
He led them through winding paths inside the mountain, through an ancient cavern guarded by people and inside it a giant door. The barbarians opened the door and behind it was a giant rock, glowing sickly green.
It didn't take long to recognize it. It was a massive chunk of Kryptonite. Supergirl fell to the ground instantly prompting the green lantern to close the door quickly.
Barely moments after they discovered the massive chunk of Kryptonite, a black leopard darted into the cavern, alarming everyone. The sleek beast skidded to a halt, its body shimmering with strange magic.
Before their wide eyes, the leopard transformed into a woman draped in animal skins, who stumbled forward. Before she hit the ground, the barbarian leader rushed to catch her.
With a raspy breath, she whispered "Demos is here..." Then she lost consciousness.
The tension in the room exploded. The group rushed outside, weapons and powers ready, only to find a full army gathering at the mountain's base.
Hundreds, maybe thousands, of lizard-like humanoids, each armored and wielding weapons both ancient and high-tech, stood in neat, disciplined rows. Among them were advanced laser cannons mounted on beast-drawn carriages, gleaming menacingly in the strange light of Skartaris.
The barbarian leader screamed "Prepare to fight!" as his people scrambled to defend their home.
Ace stood calmly at the front, scanning the sea of enemies. She pointed toward a figure clad in red clothes, sitting atop a horse.
"That guy," she said to Amazo, her voice steady. "Looks like the leader, Demos."
Amazo's eyes glowed faintly as he scanned the battlefield.
He nodded. "He's giving orders."
Ace grinned slightly. "You grab him. I'll deal with the army."
Amazo gave a slight nod.
The leader turned to them, confused by their casual conversation amidst the tension. But before he could speak, Ace stepped forward.
Her eyes flared with a golden intense light. She stared down the assembled army, and almost immediately, the lizard soldiers froze. Screams erupted across the battlefield as they clutched their heads, then, one by one, they dropped to the ground, unconscious.
At the same moment, Amazo teleported with a flicker of energy, appearing in the middle of the lizard army. He seized Demos, who barely had time to react before slumping unconscious from Amazo's grip.
In the next heartbeat, Amazo teleported back, dropping the limp magician at Ace's feet.
Ace smiled casually.
"Easy and quick," she said, brushing imaginary dust off her hands.
The barbarian leader, the warriors, and even the Justice League members stood stunned. No one had expected the battle, a war they had braced for with blood and iron to end in mere seconds.
Courtney swallowed hard, her heart thudding. She knew Ace's glares were scary but years of friendship somehow managed to make her forget that. This was a stark reminder.
The leader recovered first, roaring triumphantly "We have won! Capture and tie our enemies!"
The warriors, still in a daze, erupted in cheers and quickly rushed to follow orders, moving to secure the unconscious lizard soldiers.
Ace turned toward Courtney, a small sheepish smile playing on her lips "Sorry for stealing your thunder," she said. "I just didn't want this to get messy or to stay here longer than necessary."
Courtney chuckled, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "Why not join the hero line of work?" she teased. "We could be partners."
Ace shrugged lightly. "Not interested, I like civilian life" she said. "Besides, I doubt my dad would approve."
She grinned playfully and added "Honestly, I think he'd only support me if I went the villain route. He's got a soft spot for evildoers."
Courtney laughed at that, shaking her head.