-THREE-

Within moments, Sana had begun to blast Teth Adam with her dark magic, wrapping him in a cocoon of burning black tendrils. She pulled her fist down sharply, sending him crashing into a construction site, while Dr. Fate saved two nauseatingly familiar people from the impact. Maxine came with her best friend, using her wind magic to give Sana more lift under her wings. 

Forming a cyclone of dust around the fallen demigod, Maxine aided Sana in her fight by detaching the bars from the construction area below, making a cage for him the moment Kent multiplied his form, keeping Adam in a fierce lock. Sana used her sharp talons, having transformed into a massive bald eagle, to cut at the demigod's eyes and face, distracting him. 

However, a surge of electricity sent everyone reeling back, throwing Kent out of his projections, Maxine from her cyclone, Hawkman from his flight, and Sana from her vicious attacks. To stop her head from cracking against a wall, she felt Lucifer's massive leathery wings come out of her back painfully, keeping her hovering. When she was safe, they lowered her to the ground and vanished, leaving her back cut and bloody. 

Within moments, Atom Smasher increased his size and pushed the rising Teth Adam to the ground, while Sana was helping Maxine up. Ignoring the searing pain across her whole back, the brunette hugged her friend close before checking her over frantically. 

"Dumbass, I'm not always going to be there to check you over." Sana muttered, wincing when Maxine's arms went around her. "I hate you for this." 

"I love you too, but why'd you use the Lucifer's curse, you idiot!" The redhead spun her friend around to check her back. The top had two long slits where the wings had torn through, and the blood was slowly beginning to crust over. In certain places, however, it was still steadily dripping. 

"Guys? I hate to break up the moment, but you want me to keep my hand on this thing, right?" Al asked as Adam began to escape his grasp. In seconds, the demigod flew up, sending a painful uppercut to the poor boy's face, knocking him out cold. 

As Al fell to the ground, he knocked over a statue, making its old stone figure crumble under his weight. 

In a trice, Maxine ran over his chest and put her hand out, feeling a gust of his breath on her face. "Yep, definitely still breathing." She replied. 

"He'll be knocked out a while." Sana chuckled, "That was one nasty hit." 

"Syn, come on. Fate needs us." Hawkman looked at her. Rolling her eyes, Sana pecked her friend's cheek and let her Lucifer's curse take effect on her, ignoring Maxine's shouts of annoyance upon seeing the brunette flying off with blood collecting in her shirt. 

"You have the Crown of Sabbac." Said Kent. 

"I don't have it." Adrianna replied defiantly. 

"I can't do this." Said Sana, pausing in mid-air. Her stomach was beginning to churn with nervousness, as her wings flapped restlessly behind her. 

"You can do this." Said Carter. "Come on, now."

He landed with Sana next to him, who winced as her wings retracted back into her body with the sickening sound of bones cracking. 

"She has the Crown of Sabbac." Kent informed. 

"Can we just have a look, please?" Asked Carter. Adrianna scoffed at him and tossed over the bag, saying, "I don't have it."

"You've always been skilled at lying, haven't you, Mama?" Sana chuckled humorlessly. Adrianna gasped and looked closely at her daughter, who stood before her with hatred in her golden eyes. 

"Sana?" Adrianna breathed out, "You're--you're with them?"

"With a large level of reluctance." Said the girl. "You know, for the record."

"What did you call yourselves, the Justice Society?" Adrianna faced the two men, "You know, we have been under military occupation for 27 years, and never showed up. Where were you, when Intergang invaded our country, killed my husband and kidnapped my daughter? When we have a Champion of our own, you suddenly decide to show up?" 

"Oh so now you acknowledge that it wasn't my fault." Sana snarled. "Unbelievable." 

"Teth Adam is a threat to his own existence as well as yours and he needs to be contained." Said Carter. 

"Tell that..." She pointed at the gathered crowd, "To all the people he just liberated." 

"Not like he showed up when the occupation was at its worst. If he didn't appear in a time of need, why did he appear now? 27 years is a long while, not gonna lie." Sana interjected.

"We have access to ancient texts that even you haven't read, clearly." Said Carter. 

"Oh, and what do these supposed 'ancient texts' say?" Adrianna asked, with a humorless chuckle like Sana.

"My god, like mother like daughter." Kent exhaled and muttered in a low voice. Both the Khandaqis looked at him and said, "Excuse me, dare say that to my face?" In an intimidating unison. 

"These ancient texts say that Teth Adam is not a hero. They say that he is a weapon of mass destruction, who in his rage nearly destroyed the city you care so much about." Carter snapped. "Look, I assure you me and my t--" 

At that moment, Al crashed into a statue, sending more rubble to the ground as he asked, "Oh my god was that expensive? I'm so sorry--" 

"Me and you. When we get back to the ship, me and you." Carter warned. 

"Yes sir." Said the poor boy dejectedly. 

"I assure you, me and my team can solve this matter, only if you let us." Said Carter.

Sighing in frustration, Sana snapped at her mother, "Look, it is a very simple matter. You let us take this murderous fool and leave, you guys can have a champion of your own in someone else. I know that replacement isn't that difficult for you." 

"Hey, c'mon, she's your mom. Don't talk to her like that--" Carter began, but a scathing glare from Sana shut him up. 

"He's taken shelter in the palace. I don't think he's there to surrender." Said Maxine. 

"Let's go. Can't give him a chance to regroup." Said Sana, crossing her arms across her chest. 

"I'll come with you. I am the only one he trusts." Adrianna admitted. "And you, Sana, can we have a proper conversation when it's less...chaotic?" 

Maxine looked at her friend, who was looking ready to explode, and whispered, "Do it."

"Fine. I do, however, want to meet my Momo first." Sana sighed heavily, earning a gentle pat on the shoulder from the redhead. 

"Thank you." Adrianna replied. 

"Well then, let's go." Sana turned around and walked off, holding Maxine's hand tightly. 

"I'm proud of you." Smiled the redhead, leaning her head on the slightly taller girl's shoulder as they walked. 

"I'm glad." Sana smiled back, "I'm kind of proud of me too."

"Things will work out, I promise." Maxine reassured her friend. 

"If things worked out, I don't think I would have run away." Sana said, closing the topic as they walked with Adrianna and the others in silence.

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Daisy Rose