Disclaimer: Batman created by Bob Kane, Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, Wonder Woman created by William Moulton Marston. All three are owned by DC Comics. Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water created by Hayo Miyazaki, based upon characters created by Jules Verne, and owned by Gainax. I own the story and any original characters/species. No copyright infringement is intended.

Justice League/ Nadia - The Secret of Blue Water: Yesterdays and Tomorrows

Synopsis: A Justice League/Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water crossover; During a battle with Morgaine Le Fay, Batman and Wonder Woman are, through the witch'smagic, thrown back through time and space to an alternate 1889, just as Jean and Nadia's adventures are beginning. What effect will the two Leaguers have in the fight against Gargoyle and the Neo-Atlantean movement?

Setting: In the Justice League timeline, this story is set shortly after the series-finale, "Starcrossed". In the Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water timeline, this story is set during/after episode 6, "The Fortress on the SolitaryIsland". Enjoy!

Prologue

"I have long hypothesized that there are an infinite number of parallel dimensions, each containing its own planet Earth. Each Earth occupies the same location in space, but vibrates at a different speed."

-Tom Turbine, 'Legends'-

Stonehenge.

Of all of the mysteries and unknowns that the third planet in the Sol system contained and was home to, none was more debated or studied than a strange circular pattern of stones and ruins located in England and known throughout both that region and the world as Stonehenge.

Historians, archaeologists, anthropologists, architects, and countless others argued over the origin and purpose of the ruins. Were they ancient signal beacons, a temple of some sort for groups like the Druids, or something else? The debate would continually go on for years until concrete proof was found, their purpose finally revealed.

Unknown to the world, the stones did indeed have a purpose, as the Justice League was finding out to its cost.

The ground around the ruins was marked by the bodies of the Flash and Superman. Flash had simply been too slow to avoid a blast and Superman was, for all of his marvelous abilities, practically useless against magic and had taken the full brunt ofa magical paralysis. From atop a stone on the outer ring, the Batman grimaced as he raised his dark swirling cape as if to shield himself from the barrage he and his allies were being subjected to. If John Stewart were here, they could retaliate with Oan energy, but alas until Kyle Rayner arrived with a replacement, the Green Lantern was out of commission. And if Shayera Hol were here, her Thanagarian mace could easily counteract the magical energy, but she was of course long gone. Either way, his currentposition was not secure and he would be moving in the next few moments, but first needed to contact his associate.

"Jason, where the hell are you?!"

There was of course no response; the occultist Jason Blood did not carry a Justice League communicator and without one, determining his position was impossible, especially with the continual bolts of energy that was being hurled at the remaining Leaguers from the center of Stonehenge. He had insisted that his fight with the foe the League was now faced with his and his alone.

J'onn J'onzz would argue differently.

With Diana of Themyscira, AKA Wonder Woman covering his green back, the last Martian was assuming various shapes, battling with a ferocity to reach past theenergy barries and demonic creatures protecting their foe, the witch Morgaine Le Fay. The same Morgaine Le Fay from Arthurian myth, she had survived the centuries following Camelot's fall and had sought out the Philosopher's Stone, which would have granted her the ability to restore Camelot with her son Mordred, upon the throne.

Thankfully, those plans had not come to pass. The witch's sole opponent, Jason Blood, the human bonded to the Demon Etrigan, had hunted her throughout thecenturies and had worked with the Justice League two years prior to prevent her from finally utilizing the stone for her wicked plans. Since that time, the pair had gone underground and with the League's other concerns, from the Secret Society and the Justice Lords to the recently-aborted Thanagarian occupation, the witch and her son had escape their attention.

Then, three days ago, Jason Blood had paid Bruce Wayne a visit at Wayne Manor. Until the Batman could divert sufficient funds to begin construction on a new installation and transportation, the League was operating out of Gothyam City, or rather the Batcave.J'onn and Diana were also holed up in the Manor, since both of them had no where else to stay until a new Watchtower had been built.

J'onn was not a problem; he spent most of the day meditating, emereging only to pillage Alfred Pennyworth's pantry. Ironically, the only thing that went missing were the Oreoes that Tim Drake kept stashed. Ever the Detective, Batman had observed that J'onn's love of the snack had originated shortly after the previous Christmas, which he had spent with Clark. This was one of the few ocassions where Gotham's protector did not want to know how something like that had gotten started, no matter how much Tim was begging him to solve or stop it.

But Diana...

Working with Diana on a daily basis was one thing. Living with her was quite another. More than once, Diana had added to the damage done to the Manor thanks to Hro Talak's assault team, by smashing the walls of her guest room in frustration and anger. Clearly, she had not forgotten or forgiven Shayera Hol's betrayal of the League. Alfred had tried to talk with her, but after she had dented one of his silver platters, the butler to the Bat had wisely stayed clear of the former Amazonian princess.

She was also still furious with him over his near-suicide run involving the Watchtower's orbital re-entry. He didn't expect her to understand, despite her own losses and Amazonian upbringing, the promises he had made and the sacrifices he was willing to make to make sure that the world survived and Gotham City alongside of it. He had given up any semblance of a 'normal' life to serve it and he would do anything for it, including sacrificing his life. That and that Dick and Tim had both been bugging him about finally getting a woman in the Manor and not doing anything un-Bat-like with her.

Still, Batman had allowed both of them access to his 'other' home out of his respect for them as he had spent more and more time in the caves beneath the Manor, rebuilding the damage done to his sanctum by the Thanagarians when Jason Blood had arrived on the Manor's porch. Blood had spent the last two years trying to track down the witch. It had not been easy and not simply because of the amulet she used as a warning beacon to the Demon's presence. With the destruction of the Philosopher's Stone, her primary objective was inruins and what her agenda had morphed into was known only to her and her son -- at least until Blood, in his form as Etrigan the Demon, had had a little 'chat' with several magical and demonic agents that she had had connections to.

And people thought the Batman was scary.

Her target this time, he had told them, was Stonehenge. The ruins, Blood had explained, had long been a nexus of raw magical energy that had been utilized by the Druids and other cults, but the full potential of the energy was inaccessible to all but the most complex of spells and rituals. Even Le Fay, as powerful and as intelligent as she was, had not been able to unlock its power. However, in the two years since their last battle, Le Fay had gained access to the appropriate spells and methods to unlock that nexus. With the power of the ruins being channeled through her, she could complete her previous objective and bring the world to its feet. Unfortunately for Le Fay, she had counted on the League being distracted by the aftermath of the Thanagarian invasion to deal with her or to notice.

Now she was paying the price as her final minions and barrier fell before the wrath of J'onn J'onzz. Le Fay stared at the Leaguer, her gaze hidden behind the expressionless golden mask that adorned her being.

"You are a fool, Martian. But it is not too late. You could have your family and world become whole once again. Let me utilize the power situated in these ruins and Mars can return to the Golden Age it once had."

The Martian glared at the witch with a fury that was easily a contrast to J'onn's calm, unemotional personality, clearly un-moved by her offer.

"Your tricks won't work again. Your price is as before too high. This world is now myhome, these people my family, and as long as I draw breath, I will defend it from the likes of people like you."

Behind him, Diana grinned and the Batman involuntarily gave a sigh of relief. Neither of them had expected J'onn to fall for that again, especially considering the long bout of depression and guilt that had haunted their comrade following his own betrayal of the League and how he had vowed to see Le Fay stopped. The witch simply starred at the Martian and raised her hand, preparing to engulf J'onn with the taste of her own fury over his betrayal of her for the destruction of the prize she had sought. Before the energies could discharge, however, her own hand was swept aside as she was hit with a blast of magic.

A blast of magic that originated from a fourth figure entering the ruins of Stonehenge, hideous hulking mass of yellow flesh, glowing eyes, and teeth that could, in any age, be summed up as being essentially demonic in appearance.

Etrigan the Demon had arrived.

"It's over witch. Surrender and I might show you mercy."

Le Fay threw back her head and laughed.

"One day in the future, perhaps, but not today, beloved."

Batman grimaced slightly. Every time he heard that word, he thought of Talia Head and her father, the immortal and deadly Ra's al Ghul. The Demon simply sneered at the woman that had used him, as Jason Blood, to take down Camelot and King Arthur.

"So be it." Both demon and sorceress began chanting, drawing upon the mystical energies granted to the two of them through birth and by learned abilities. Without hesitation, both unleashed their energies upon each other. Even in her weakened state, Le Fay still had awesome powers at her disposal and it was clear to all that Etrigan was fighting hard to prevent her energies from reaching his person.

"Blood cannot keep that up much longer."

"I know J'onn. I'm on it."

Wonder Woman positioned herself into a fighting stance and charged at the two figures. Batman's eyes widened.

"Diana, don't!" There were times that working alongside an Amazon could be a pain in the ass. Scowling, Batman quickly unfolded his trademark weapon, the batarang, from one of the many compartments in his utility belt. If Diana charged at them and interrupted the spell, that much energy, without control, could be deadly to all involved. He swiftly took aim and threw the bat-shaped weapon –

-- only to miss as Diana, with the speed that only a warrior and one that was familiar with the Batman's fighting skills, dodged the batarang and watched as it slammed into Le Fay's armor-plated chest. Though she had previously been able to raise magical shields and prevent his weapons from striking her, her concentration on Etrigan had been so focused that she had not had the time to raise one.

"You fool! You have no idea what you have --"

Before the Le Fay could finish her shriek an explosion of mystical energies engulfed the ruins and lit up the sky around the countryside for miles. Had the Watchtower still been intact and had had a Leaguer on duty, the explosion could have been, like the Great Wall of China, seen from orbit.

"Take it easy."

His body and head aching, J'onn J'onzz slowly opened his eyes, his vision revealing to him the human form of Etrigan, Jason Blood, with his distinct solemn face and swept-back red hair, complete with the white streak running through it.

"What happened?" "I used a revival spell on you; I just finished performing it on the speedster and the Kryptonian; they should be coming around shortly."

"What happened to Le Fay?"

"If I survived a blast of that magnitude, then so did LeFay; she's gone for now, but at least she wasn't able to complete the unlocking spells."

"And Batman and Diana?"

The expression on Blood's face made J'onn's blood run cold. "I'm not sure. I just, well, I don't know."

Both the Martian and the Demon's host glanced at the blackened center of Stonehenge.

There was absolutely no sign of either the Dark Knight or the Amazing Amazon.

To be continued...

Author's Notes:

This is where it all begins; we'll get into Nadia in the next chapter.

For those who don't know, the Justice League's prior encounter with Morgaine le Fay can be seen in the first season episode 'A Knight of Shadows'.