In the Golden Light - A Justice League AU

Chapter 26 - Rising Threats

! Before You Read Act 3 !

{Act 3 has been branded with a content warning for containing the following topics: depression (moments of emptiness and hopelessness), alcohol abuse, verbal abuse, physical abuse, manipulation, gore, death and trauma. Please protect yourself first if these topics will upset you/cause a trigger.} 

 {This particular chapter deals with: Gore, death}

Rita crouched as she listened in. Her body ached with fear as Starshern's voice boomed throughout the conference room. She was surprised no one had figured out this meetings were going on with that voice of Starshern's. It also ached to see her own niece, the princess's friend Oraca, standing by her, her dark blue eyes narrowed and burning with some kind of need for revenge. Her blood boiled at what must have Starshern said to manipulate Oraca to be on her side, considering the child was only 13 years old. She sat back and only focused on Starshern, watching her paws glide over a holographic map of the interior of the palace.

She was noting every important detail, every stage, every back up. Rita usually kept a small notebook within her satchel that she would bring to hide the notebook in the case something happened to her. She looked around as she wrote notes; security seemed to have ramped up this time. There must have been suspicion already Starshern was experiencing so it was likely she had hired (rather manipulated) bodyguards to surround the entire crowd. Their eyes burn through the large crowd. Rita swallowed hard, keeping her fears and giveaway at bay.

All was going well.

Until...

Starshern had paused, lifting her nose in the air upon being whispered something by one of her bodyguards. She gave the air a good sniff and narrowed her eyes, scanning the crowd. The guards also scanned the crowd. "One of you here is a spy," she declared. "A traitor within our very walls."

The crowd began to mumble to one another, looking around. Rita wanted to yelp and run away right away, but she kept quiet. The guards were making their way within the crowd, talking with members. Starshern rose and headed down to the crowd herself from the podium, Oraca joining behind her. "Whoever you are, spy, you're not going to last long." Starshern blinked, her eyes bouncing from one Atlantean to another. "If you think you're going to get away easily this time from sneaking in here, you are dead wrong."

The emphasis on the word death only meant one thing to Rita.

Quietly and quickly, she closed her notebook and hid it back in her satchel. She began to back away slowly. Paws slammed into her back at once, and she was forced to the ground, unable to move. The crowd around her parted, gasping in shock and speaking in an incoherent mess. She struggled with all her strength to free herself but she only felt the cold floor against her fur. Who did she hire as her bodyguards!? Rita thought to herself. Her heart thrashed inside her ribcage as she feared the worst. Never in her time from joining Oddeth's secret force to her reconnaissance missions was she ever caught, but it seems that streak was over.

And so would be her life too, if she couldn't free herself in time. 

Starshern approached, the rowdy crowd giving her a pathway as they quieted their voices to whispers. Oraca bounded right after her aunt, standing tall as she stared at Rita. Starshern lowered her head to the Atlantean, her piercing ice blue eyes blazing into her skull. 

"Who are you, spy, and who are you working for?"

"I'm not saying anything to you, you traitor!" Rita grunted. "Your plans to take down the Royal Family will be foiled. You won't win, Starshern! You never will!" She struggled again against the strong paws but she fell back down with a thump. "Nnngh!" It was no use; whoever was holding her down was way too muscular for her.