It was only her second time back in The Planetarium since the death of Darkstar, yet Evelyn was all but certain this lurking sick feeling would never dissipate with time, though there was something oddly comforting watching the three generations of his proteges together for the first time in her memory, reunited in the lair. 

The fact that it was in his absence served as the bitter aftertaste to an otherwise sweet moment and the circumstances around the meeting.

Tracy, the woman calling herself Galaxy now, had been adamant that they have a discussion, rounding up herself and Nathan as soon as things had ended. Evelyn could tell that the girl was uneasy, ever since the attack.

She’d gone to gather Eclipse, her abilities granting her the easiest time at finding the man. They’d arrived minutes prior, and Tracy had been quick to gather them in the main room, taking a seat atop one of the center consoles, feet resting atop one of the rolling chairs. She wore a gray sweater over a halter top and jeans, with a handbag resting over one shoulder that Evelyn couldn’t recall having seen her with at the funeral.

“So what’s the occasion,” Eclipse spoke first, mask half raised to allow for a swig from a flask he’d produced from a jacket pocket. 

He was the only of the group besides Catspaw still in costume, only the ankle-length leather jacket removed, sitting folded on the console beside him.

“Family reunion and all. I’m as sad about the old man as anyone but,” he gestured towards Tracy, waving the flask in her direction. 

She nodded, and he tossed it, the woman catching it and taking a swig.

“Even that wouldn’t have been enough to get you back on the horse. I genuinely believed you’d kicked this thing. So what is it that’s got you back?”

Evelyn found a seat of her own, arms folding as she watched the two, her own interest piqued. Nathan sat on a chair a few feet away from the older girl, bruised from the past few days bright and visible on his face.

A glance up at the star-covered ceiling reminded her of why that wasn’t an option - the reason behind all of it. 

“There’s something wrong with all of this,” she started, throwing back another swig from his flask before offering it to Evelyn, which she accepted catching with a quick swipe.

“I can’t quite put my finger on it, not yet, but…there’s something not right here. It’s like I have the pieces of a puzzle but I don’t know what the picture is yet.” 

Evelyn could almost see the gears turning in the young womans head, her eyes narrowed as her mind ran through the various possibilities. She took a sip of the contents of the flask, and welcomed the warmth. It wouldn’t be enough to get drunk, but it would have to do for now. 

She’d drown her various pains in a bottle when the time allowed - the past few days hadn’t been kind to her, the battle against Monster Maker especially leaving her with more than a few gouges even with her quicker than average healing. For now, it seemed the matter at hand called for her attention.

“So what does that mean, exactly?” she asked, tossing the flask back at Eclipse without a glance.

“Pardon my bluntness, believe me it means…a lot seeing you all here but it has been a long few days, and I’m sure we could all use some rest.”

Tracy nodded, chewing at her lip as though to spur the words forth.

“Whatever it is, we trust you,” Nathan spoke, eyes meeting the young woman’s.

He is so genuine, the poor boy. It made her hate the world that had left so much responsibilty on his shoulders.

“Just…say what you do know.”

“I think something happened on the bridge,” she began.

“Well, thank you for that, oh great and brilliant Tracy Chance,” Eclipse started, “Because none of us can see the news -”

“I think something more happened on the bridge. Something other than what the videos show.”

“What do you mean?” It was Nathan who chimed in, an urgency in his voice that was almost infectious, his brows knit in an expression of curious concern.

Evelyn found she too was intrigued, sitting up straighter as she listened. 

“I’m not certain of anything yet, but things don’t feel right. There are just small details that don’t fit, like a narrative is being forced but slivers of the truth are still there to be seen when I look closely enough.”

“For fucksake, you’re gonna have to give us something here, Trace,” Eclipse echoed Evelyn’s own sentiments, despite the man’s incessant abrasiveness. 

“Enough sounding like Yoda or some shit, spit it out.”

“Stop being an asshole Clay.” Nathan chimed, tossing a blunted dagger half-heartedly, which the man caught delivering a mock bow.

“Thanks, kiddo,” Tracy responded, ruffling the younger boy's hair until he ducked away with a scoff.

“The point is that I don’t think we know everything about…what happened. I went to the bridge that night, after everything,” 

That caught her attention, Evelyn stiffening at the mention of the Kingsport Bridge, the location that Darkstar had last been seen alive before it had happened. She’d considered the thought herself, but hadn’t found the time or wherewithal to go.

“I found this,” she reached into the bag slung over her shoulder, fumbling through it until she produced a rolled length of metallic wire, from one end hung a blade-handle, familiar for the black star inscribed in it.

It was a grappling blade, one of Darkstar’s to be sure. 

“Well, I imagine that’s to be expected, isn’t it,” she spoke, stepping closer and running a hand along the length of wire, almost wistful with her touch.

“He would have used it to scale the bridge, right?”

“That was my initial thought, but I’ve watched that video maybe 50 times now. He used one to scale the building, then retracts it to use in his fight with The Dancer. It’s clear in a few of the angles if you look closely.”

Evelyn nodded, running through her own mental recollection of the events from the sparse few videos she’d been able to motivate herself to sit through. She found that as far as she could recall Tracy was right. 

The thought that it might have been some effect of memory, her mind recreating the scene to fit what she was being told yet she felt all but certain as she ran through the scene again. Darkstar, the outline of his cape like a white star as it fluttered towards the top of Kingsport Bridge, the light just barely catching and reflecting off of the metallic wiring as he all but floated to a halt atop the structure, the faint image of the blade point snapping back into the hilt seeming all too clear now. 

Still, it was a small inconsistency, as odd as it seemed.

Nathan spoke before she could gather her thoughts.

“You’re right,” he breathed, before repeating the sentiment, voice louder this time, more firm.

“You’re right. We only saw the grappling blade deployed once, when he climbed the building. Where did you find that one?”

“It was on the bridge, but nowhere that made sense if those videos are all that we’re working with,” Tracy continued, 

“The entirety of their interaction took place atop one pillar, and yet this,” she waved the spool of steel wiring, “Was no where near that. Almost like Darkstar, or someone used another grappling blade to get down.”

“Okay, she’s losing it,” Clay muttered, “So you found an extra blade, so what? We saw him die, Tracy, all of us. We watched him, same as the rest of the world, plummet a couple hundred feet into that cold ass river.” his voice was firm, and yet in it there was a hint of sympathy that Catspaw felt seemed so foreign from the man who’d become the scourge of the criminal world.

“He’s gone. I don’t want him to be, and I know none of you do, but he’s gone and trying to -” he shook his head as though the words needed to be spurred forth.

“Trying to theorize and - and plot and do all of this as if it might bring him back, it’s fucked man. He’s gone. That’s all, the ‘Star of Kingsport City’ has fallen. If you wanna do some good, what this meeting should be about is finding a way onto that prison island shithole and killing the fucker responsible.”

The emotion in his words was hardly restrained as he spoke, and Catspaw could tell in an instant that Clay had been every bit as affected by the loss as the others. It made her sympathize with the man a little for the first time, finding perhaps something of a reluctant kindred spirit. 

Tracy’s eyes were shut, lips drawn into a tight line as she exhaled, the expression one of sheer frustration and one Evelyn had seen from Anthony more times than she could count, as he’d tried to argue some point of morality vs legality with her.

“You’re probably right, Clay, I’m not saying otherwise. But what I am saying is that there are details here that don’t fit, little things at first, but enough little details at a distance can form a bigger picture,” she spoke, keeping her voice distinctly level as she did so, 

“So while I agree, Darkstar is dead, because I was fucking there when we buried him, I also know he taught us never to leave too many threads unplucked. Now if you’re done with the outbursts, I’ll finish.”

Eclipse stayed silent, arms folding as he raised the mask for another swig from his flask though notably without response.

God, they all really did get so much from him. The thought was comforting and yet there was an edge of something to it…an uneasiness that lingered where none had been previously. It was without a doubt a result of the doubt Tracy’s words had instilled in her, though in what specifically, even she wasn’t certain. 

“Now it’s not just the blade, though that was the first piece. Monster Maker, the attack today, did that make sense to anyone?”

Nathan shrugged, while Evelyn could only think, something in the question pulling her into herself.

“I mean, when does it ever make sense?” the younger boy began, glancing between all of the older folks as though for some reassurance.

“The bad guys, I mean. Like, you have the power to create literal monsters, new forms of life, and you choose to try and take over a city? Why? What is the point? He’s just insane, you know? We beat him, a lot. Darkstar and I, hell you guys too when you were still his partner. Maybe he just…wanted a win finally.”

Evelyn was shaking her head though she’d hardly been aware, as she found herself considering the days events in another light. 

It was as though exhaustion that had held her in a vice-grip over the past few days, making it so that she could hope only to confront the challenges as they came, and forget them as they moved past in hopes of being ready for the next - now she was able to think, truly think. 

“No,” she muttered, “No, Monster Maker is insane, but he’s not stupid. That funeral had more heroes in one place than the city has at any given time, not to mention the rest of The Soveriegn. There was no hope for victory for him, no winning possible.”

Eclipse swayed his head briefly, seeming to consider what was being said for a moment before he responded. 

“That’s a move pulled out of desperation. I can admit that, but what’s it got to do with us? With the old man biting it?” he asked. 

Tracy’s eyes narrowed until they were practically slits through which she glared at Eclipse with an ‘are you stupid’ sort of expression. 

“We’re in Kingsport City, and it was his funeral. Monster Maker has been one of the most consistent pains in his ass since I was still wearing the white and red. Of course this has something to do with Darkstar.”

She said, Nathan nodding along, eyebrows raised in a look that spoke to his agreement.

“And it’s not just that,” she continued, voice coming quicker now as though excited by the ability to share that which she’d been thinking on for so long.

“I think, whatever this all is, members of The Soveriegn might be involved.”

Catspaw felt her heart catch in her throat at that, and by the exchanged glance between Nathan and the masked Eclipse, she knew the feeling was mutual. The idea that somehow, the worlds most powerful heroes were involved in the death of the man she loved - one of their own, it made her feel very small suddenly. 

“Why - what, The Soveriegn are heroes…” Nathan spoke, “More than that, they were his friends. You’re not -” he shook his head “You don’t think they…”

“Killed him?” she finished, “No…maybe, I don’t know Nathan. We all saw the video, we saw what The Dancer did but…” she trailed off, “It just doesn’t feel right. Did you see how Kraken responded when Monster Maker began speaking? He just…blasted him, even though he’d given up. Does that seem heroic to you all? Does that seem Sovereign, at all?”

Catspaw couldn’t deny that the interaction had struck her as odd, though in the heat of the moment it had been easy to dismissed. Now, raised along with the other suspicions Tracy seemed to raise it felt much more notable - almost dangerously so.