A bright flash illuminated the sky, and Green Lantern was out. Batman narrowed his eyes. It was just him, Flash, Wonder Woman, and Superman now. Vandal Savage had been making a rise to power for the past few months, gaining ground with every confrontation. When he came to blows with the League, the eight man pantheon had gone all out against their immortal enemy. But they weren't prepared for the fight, for Savage had convinced a large chunk of the country's super villains to follow him, and his own Injustice League backed him up in this inevitable showdown. Cyborg and Shazam had been no match for Black Adam, Aquaman had been knocked out by Black Manta, and Sinestro had just taken out Green Lantern.
Captain Cold and Deathstroke rushed Flash and Batman, the red clad hero dashing expertly out of the way, while the Dark Knight grappled to a nearby rooftop. Captain Cold shot out a beam of ice, trapping the Flash's legs just in time, causing the speedster to trip and face-plant on the asphalt. Deathstroke prepared his own grapple as Batman suddenly jumped down, black boots smashing against Deathstroke's helmet. As the mercenary reeled back, he laid a two-handed grip on his sword, shaking his head swiftly to clear his vision, regaining focus right as Batman unleashed a barrage of punches. The merc blocked each punch with the broadside of his sword, slashing each time he found an interval in the attack.
Batman backflipped away, leaving Deathstroke open to a punch from Wonder Woman. Black Adam suddenly rammed into the Amazon, Superman flying in to intervene. Flash regained his senses, and sped towards Captain Cold who was focusing on helping Sinestro secure the other downed heroes. As Flash dealt a left to Cold's jaw, the ice villain hit the ground, with Sinestro turning around to watch the scene with just enough time to put up a bubble construct, shielding himself from Flash's impending attack. Eventually, Sinestro expanded his construct, blowing Flash away.
As the Korugarian raised his ring to press the assault, Black Adam was sent hurtling towards him, crashing both villains to the ground. Superman dusted his hands before being subjected to a red energy blast coming from Black Manta's helmet. Wonder Woman rushed in for the save, knocking out the famed enemy of Atlantis.
"Savage!" Superman's voice boomed, "Your pawns are all down. You have no chance against us. Give up."
As Flash rejoined the battle, the three remaining Leaguers scrambled behind their leader, mustering their fiercest battle ready pose. The Neanderthal that was Vandal Savage sneered, remarking, "It appears yours are too."
"Take your best shot, Justice League," he said, spreading his arms apart, "You can't defeat me. I have taken the entire world by storm, and you are the last line to victory. I have waited eons for this, and every hero I've crushed up until now pales in satisfaction compared to the damage I am about to deal to you."
The part about the other heroes made Superman's eyes widen.
"What are you talking about?" the Kryptonian bellowed.
"Oh don't you know?" Savage replied, plastering a large grin on his face. "My rise to power was not without trophies, you might say. Some I keep captured, others I've killed. And if there are any left, they are sure to fall."
Vandal grinned wickedly, "So I say again: take your best shot."
Superman, Wonder Woman, and Flash charged Savage, while Batman followed at a slower pace, contemplating a plan. As Superman sent out a fist that connected with Savage's jaw, Black Adam came down and grabbed him tight. Hoisting the Man of Steel over his head, Black Adam shouted one word, and down came lightning. Superman writhed in Adam's grasp, each bolt piercing his thick skin. Wonder Woman ran to help him, but was cut off by a blast of red energy, and a yellow beam of light. Flash barely dodged a shot of ice, and Batman spun around just in time to receive a blow to the face from Deathstroke.
The Dark Knight flew back, doubling over as Deathstroke sent a jab to the stomach. The mercenary tossed the Dark Knight aside, moving to secure the downed hero when Batman flipped out a smoke bomb from his utility belt. As the smoke disoriented Deathstroke briefly, Batman rushed away, managing to sneak attack Cold and ambush Black Manta.
As both villains went down, Batman turned to face Deathstroke, who charged at Batman in a blind rage. Batman saw a red and yellow streak fly behind Deathstroke, quickly following him before stopping abruptly, sending the assassin into a nearby wall.
"Thanks," Batman muttered sharply.
"No problem. So," Flash asked quickly, "you got a plan?"
"We can't take Savage with half our men down," Batman analyzed. "We need to fall back and regroup."
"If we don't take him down now, it'll be hard to muster the man power."
"Then we track his base of operations and release the captured heroes," Batman said. Suddenly, a snap was heard, like the sharp cracking of broken bones. Flash and Batman looked towards the source, and their eyes widened in horror.
Weakened by Adam's attack, Superman was getting thrashed by the former champion of Shazam. But the cracking had come from a blow delivered by Savage. The Neanderthal had a glowing green gauntlet around his right arm, and he picked up Superman by the throat with his left, raising him high.
"A gift from Lex Luthor," Vandal gloated. "Powered by Kryptonite, it has many uses."
A sharp punch.
"Such as delivering a promise many have made," another hard crack, "but none have kept."
"Superman!" Wonder Woman shouted, and before she could help, a yellow band wrapped tight around her.
"And so the Man of Steel," a cold, slow, and final blow, "shatters like glass."
Vandal Savage threw the limp, lifeless body of Superman aside unceremoniously, pulling a sleeve back over his gauntlet.
"Tell me Adam," Savage asked, "who should die next? Maybe the Flash, or Batman."
Batman reached into the back pockets of his belt, grabbing a batarang in each hand. Flash got into a mid-running pose, then took a look at Wonder Woman, who was taken prisoner with the help of Cold and Manta. The two men left standing shared a look, and in a flash, they were gone.
Vandal smirked. They would live to fight another day. Though as of now, fighting was useless.
Meanwhile in Hub City…
Two of Vandal's troopers stalked through downtown Hub City, sending ordinary citizens fleeing in fear. The men were tall, about six feet in height each, with all black body suits, highlighted with white stripes. They wore boxy and angular black helmets, with dark red striping along the edges, with only their chins exposed. Each soldier wielded an assault rifle, and they both looked dangerous enough without them.
"This is crap, Frank," one muttered.
"Why's that Rico?" the other asked.
"Well for starters, there's no more heroes for us to hunt down, especially not in this city," Rico voiced. "Why does Savage still need us?"
"Why to instill his perfect order, of course," a third voice came from the shadows.
The two soldiers shared a look, then readied their rifles.
"You really wouldn't have noticed it," the voice continued. "Not unless you asked the questions, saw the signs…"
"Come out with your hands up!" Frank ordered.
"A few heroes off the radar here, a few missing there," the voice now came from another direction, and the aimed guns followed suit.
"But just what was his perfect order," a figure stepped out of the shadows and into the shine of a streetlight, "and why does he still need to ensure that his cities don't revolt?"
The ends of a blue trench coat flapped in the subtle wind, and the soldiers stared down this new presence. Underneath the coat, the figure wore a dark blue suit, with an orange shirt and a black tie. He also wore a blue fedora, with a black band running around it. But what held the men's attention were the figure's facial features, or lack thereof.
"Who are you?" Rico indignantly shouted. "Some sort of hero?"
"Tsk, tsk, tsk, isn't that the Question?"
"He just looks like a punk to me," the other trooper sneered. "Let's waste him Rico."
Assault rifles clicked, but before the fire came, the blue suited figure closed the distance between them fast, reaching out a punch and clocking out Frank. Rico whipped around, but this new figure smacked his gun away, delivering a brutal punch to Rico's nose. The soldier stepped back, clutching his nose in agony, as the hero sent a kick to his stomach.
The other trooper got up, and tried to rush the figure, but his attack was predicted, and The Question side stepped him, causing the soldier to stumble and knock himself out on the asphalt.
The figure, known to some as the Question, tipped his hat, turning around and disappearing into the shadows. Victor Sage walked through an alleyway, contemplating the short scuffle he'd just had. As usual, he was the first to see the signs of Vandal's invasion. At first it was just the simple things: he had instigated a war in Qurac and Bialya, which had ended with Savage in charge, of course. The Quracian and Bialyan military was now his to control, and with its help, he secured many countries and gathered countless WMDs. The odd thing about Savage's rise to power, was the fact that in each country he obtained, he bargained with its leader for an alliance. Then suddenly, neither hide nor tail was seen of that president, prime minister, king, or queen again. And it's military become indoctrinated into Vandal's army.
And so, reasonably, red flags almost literally blinded Victor when Savage had approached the US. Combined with a steady decrease in hero sightings, and more frequent villain team ups, the end of the world as most knew it had come. But Question sighed in resignation. He could only do what he could to help keep the people of Hub City safe, after all, there was still a Justice League keeping the big threats in place. Though a nagging feeling told him that it was probably too late.
Blue Valley, Nebraska…
Courtney Whitmore sat on the roof of her house, staring out into the stars above. A hand reached up instinctively to a fresh bandage around her right bicep. She had been attacked, along with her step-father, by goons who had announced themselves as having been sent by Vandal Savage. S.T.R.I.P.E had been rendered ineffective as soon as an EMP had made contact, and Stargirl couldn't hold her own against what seemed like two dozen armed men. She took out who she could before the fight started to overwhelm her, and she had no choice but to turn tail and run.
She thumped her leg angrily against the roof. She hated leaving Pat like that, but if they were both captured, there would be nobody to rescue them. This thought seemed to help her justify her actions, though the heroic part of her still felt guilty. She ran a hand over her Cosmic Staff, watching silently as the golden rod glistened in the moonlight. Sighing, she turned to the full moon overhead, wondering aloud.
"What am I going to do?" she asked. "I could contact the Justice League, they'd be able to help. At least then, Pat and I could help them in their fight against this guy!"
Already in gear, Courtney grabbed her staff and took flight. It was a long way to the Hall of Justice, and she would need to stop at least once in her quest, but the sooner she started her journey, the better. If only she knew the gravity of the situation.
Hall of Justice…
Batman knew that this was foolish. Coming back to their publicly declared base of operations was the dumbest thing the speedster had ever decided on. But it was the only place Barry could think of on short notice. Running to the Batcave would prove undoubtedly risky, and there was no way in hell Barry was running them to his house in Central. The hometown of the Flash was crawling with Savage's men. He was only glad that this whole situation had seemed to quiet down most of the Rogues(sans a Savage-affiliated Captain Cold of course). If Flash needed to return home for any reason, he would be overwhelmed by the sheer number of Vandal's forces stationed there alone.
But this wasn't about Flash. Batman sat back and rubbed the Kevlar around his nose. Even though his lenses were opaque, the action of closing his eyes made the forehead of Batman's cowl drape down over the lenses momentarily. Currently, the only other remaining hero in the Justice League sat slumped in a chair, snoring loudly.
It was a good thing Batman prided himself with being a night owl. Flash's snores alone would keep him from sleeping. Even so, he was glad that of all the Leaguers he was stuck with, he got stuck with Flash. He was fun loving, but not as insufferable as Lantern, and not as childish as Shazam. Batman really wondered how long Shazam could keep his real age a secret. Cyborg would provide a tactical edge, but he wasn't there. Neither was Aquaman, Wonder Woman, or…
Batman paused mentally and frowned. They had lost Superman. It seemed surreal almost, to see the man most revered as a god beaten senseless. The loud, bone rattling cracks of metal against softened flesh repeated through the Dark Knight's mind. That thought alone kept him awake. Batman was very prone to nightmares despite what most would think, and that was a dream he'd rather not have.
The red clad hero shuffled a bit in his slumber, and Batman cast a gaze at Flash, determining whether the older man was having a nightmare. When Flash settled again, Batman sighed in relief. The Dark Knight figured that while they were at the Hall of Justice, he might as well look up what he could find on Vandal Savage. He stalked to the Hall's main computer, which implemented a database as vast as Batman's own Batcomputer. He took note of the usual, a caveman given immortality by the radiation of a special meteor, Vandal Savage had lived through countless wars, gaining the tactical experience of mankind's entire existence. That was probably why he was so good at takeovers…
And it also explained to an extent why most villains would seek to join him. Savage had provided the means to destroy most of the world's heroes, an army in and of itself, and most villains would jump at power like that. If there were any more heroes out there, Batman figured, they wouldn't stand a chance. If only there was something, someone powerful enough to take on Savage and win. Of course, there had been, but Savage had been prepared.
Batman closed his eyes in anger this time, forcing the horrid thoughts out of his head. They were without Superman, but they weren't without hope. Batman pulled up a screen of heroes who had gone off the radar since Vandal's rise to power. Batman's mask pulled tight around the lenses as his eyes when wide. Good God, that was a lot of names. From Animal Man to Zatanna. Batman quickly refined his search. Now, he was searching for heroes that where still being seen in action. Stargirl and S.T.R.I.P.E. were two of the names. Batman wasn't too impressed by Stargirl, but Patrick Dugan had built himself the S.T.R.I.P.E. armor. That was quite an impressive feat, and the power behind the suit alone could help them. But of course, the two were a package deal, and Batman was sure Flash would give the kid a chance. But Batman wasn't Flash. Still, he added them to a list of names they would track down in the morning.
The Question was a third name. No gadgets, no special powers, and not much more than a detective and a conspiracy theorist. However, he was a skilled combatant according to his Justice League file. Still, Batman doubted that a man in a suit could help them achieve much. Though there was his detective aspect. Batman frowned in thought. Perhaps he could help them trace Savage to his hideout. Another name down.
Vibe, Huntress, and Green Arrow were also brought up, before the list stopped cold. Vibe had a knack for, oddly enough, vibrational disturbances, though he could also manipulate shockwaves of energy. Batman sighed in relief, someone with super powers. That would be a help, the more metahumans, the better. Huntress was next for consideration. Helena Bertinelli. Batman discovered that she had a standard set of martial artistic capabilities, and there was the fact that she wielded a crossbow in battle. However, not only were her choice in arrows dangerous, but she had a bit of a temper behind them as well. Still, manpower. Finally there was Green Arrow. A young billionaire of 27, Green Arrow was, like his name would suggest, an archer. Plain and simple. Excellent shot, and he had a wide range of arrows, but he was only an archer.
And with that, Batman ended the search, adding the names to his list before sighing. Of course, only three remotely useful candidates among six in total. Even without the whole Superman thing, Batman hated Savage for leaving him with such options. He certainly knew what he was doing. Fatigue started to rack the Dark Knight's muscles, and Batman finally gave up his fight to stay awake. All problems would be dealt with in the morning.
Gotham City…
You would think that Batman would take better care of his own city. The streets were crawling with expectant soldiers, searching for any signs of Batman or his countless protégés. A costumed vigilante couldn't even walk her own streets like a common man. She had to stick to rooftops, and even then, helicopters presented a very real problem. Huntress had managed top shoot out the prying eyes of a few spotlights throughout the night, and she was currently reserving energy by looking out over the harbor. A rather large boat was coming from downstream. Eventually docking, it unloaded soldier after soldier, reinforcements for Savage's men no doubt.
Helena smirked. Well, if he was going to send troops, they might as well need them. Huntress shot out a zip line arrow, grappling down to the city below. Sure enough, when she landed, there were at least a dozen men with guns trained on her.
"Hello boys," she greeted seductively, before shooting arrows into each gun's barrel. The firearms exploded as they were tossed away, and Huntress secured her crossbow as the men rushed her. Ducking a punch, she threw a soldier over her head and into his comrade, before kicking a row of three across the face, and kicking the feet from under a sixth. The six remaining troopers were kicked, flipped, and punched around, each man meeting a cold nap. They weren't dead, but right now, they might as well be.
"Hey, I thought I heard something," a voice came. Thunderous footsteps came closer, and Helena zipped up to a rooftop. As six troopers entered the scene, one was taken aback.
"It has to be the Bat!" he shouted.
"Don't be stupid, the Bat couldn't have done this," a second one argued.
"Roscoe, have you seen the Bat? The guy's a monster!" a third said.
"Sorry to disappoint all of you," Huntress announced as she glided down, taking out two troopers who hadn't spoken yet, "but this was all me."
That was all it took before the first trooper started shaking.
"A girl did this!?" he said, gripping his rifle tighter.
"Not just a girl," Helena taunted, "a Huntress."
The sounds of a brutal scuffle came soon after. Helena doubted these men would still remain enlisted in Vandal's army. Not after they all took arrows to the knee.
Star City…
Green Arrow was still relatively new to this hero thing, a few years compared to decades of crime fighting, but he was not without experience. He had been fighting Vandal's men for quite some time, leading a resistance that consisted of him, Arsenal, and Black Canary. But Roy's recklessness got him captured, and two heroes could achieve even less among a whole army. So when Canary had been captured, only Oliver could continue the fight.
Except now he did what he could. A downed patrol here and there was enough to ensure that his city was kept safe. Enough to show Vandal Savage that Star City still had a protector, and that Oliver Queen's resistance would continue fighting, whether it was one man, or an army the size of Texas.
Currently, the blonde archer ran through alleyways and backstreets, dodging as many patrols as necessary. He couldn't take them all on, at least not in one night, but he took out any soldier who was threatening or intimidating a bystander. And unsurprisingly, there were more than a few soldiers who fit that bill.
All of a sudden, a searing gas came into existence at the mouth of the alley. Green Arrow covered his mouth and stopped. He could hear a woman's screams coming from the main street. He waited for the gas to die down before rushing onto the main street, prepping an arrow, and aiming at some troopers.
One of them looked at Queen, cocking his gun.
"It's the Arrow!"
"Green Arrow, thank you," Oliver corrected, "and let the woman go!"
"Nah," a second soldier spoke, "she was resisting… arrest."
"Funny, because it seems to me like you're harassing her," Arrow countered.
Said civilian was lying face down on the ground, with a third trooper crouched over her.
"Ever observant," a strong, commanding voice came from behind, "still, she assaulted an officer of Savage. And that requires punishment."
Queen turned around to look at the source of the voice. Standing in blue and orange before him was none than Deathstroke the Terminator, a persistent crusader against Green Arrow's city. A long sword shined in the streetlight as Deathstroke brought it up to cross his chest.
"On second consideration, you can let the civilian go, gentlemen," Deathstroke ordered. "I only needed her to draw out our unsuspecting hero."
Green Arrow brought up his bow and arrow again, aiming for the confrontation directly ahead.
Detroit, Michigan…
Francisco "Cisco" Ramon was a lover of music. After all, he was born and raised in Motown, the home of many great rhythm and blues artists. It was with this love of music that he gained his personality. Almost everyone who knew Cisco could tell of his enthusiasm for dancing, and in a way, it slipped into each aspect of his life.
For one, break dancing made him more agile, and so he was better able to keep up with punches thrown from various enemies. Plus that, fighting was somewhat of a dance, with its affinity for fluid motion, battling the bad guys always felt rhythmic to Cisco. And a big grin shone on his face as he looked over his handy work. Nearly a dozen and a half "Doom Troopers", as Cisco had coined them, lay unconscious on the ground. His shockwave powers had helped render more than half ineffective, and his love for music helped him do the rest.
"Sweet!" he grinned, walking away from the scuffle pleased. Vandal Savage had sent many recon squads to capture him, too many, and Cisco, AKA Vibe, had taken them all. Pretty soon, Savage would have to handle things himself if he wanted Cisco's head on a silver platter. After all, with the rest of the Justice League Detroit out of commission, somebody needed to keep the city safe.
Vibe ran through the unusually empty streets of Detroit, only encountering a few Doom troops here and there. Usually no more than a brief, disorienting shockwave sent their way and then Vibe was on his. He wondered if the presence of Savage's men had sent the nightlife of the city to a grinding halt. It certainly seemed that way, after all, the second one of Savage's men turned a street corner, people rushed to enter the nearest building they could find.
And recently, patrols had been doubling up. Cisco could barely attend to his day life due to the choking presence. They were intent on capturing him, and Vibe was ready for them.
Noon at the Hall of Justice…
Courtney had managed to keep herself up all night on her trip to the Justice League's headquarters. It had taken from midnight till noon to travel all the way from Nebraska to Washington D.C., a travel time no doubt quickened by her staff. The blue clad heroine gently hovered over the large, museum-esque building, taking in the breathtaking sight. Large gold letters adorned the front of the League HQ, and in the front of the main entrance stood eight huge golden statues, one for each member of the League. From left to right stood the statues of Shazam, Aquaman, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, Superman in front, Batman, Flash, and Cyborg. Stargirl felt as if she was staring at living history, and she was enthusiastic about meeting these legends in person.
As soon as Courtney stepped through the front door, she felt a chill. A cold, lifeless air hung about the lobby, emphasized by the light furnishing it had. The lobby was empty aside from a small reception desk for tourists, and several large columns supporting the ceiling. Courtney held her Cosmic Staff behind her back, shifting from one foot to the other as she took in the overall look of the place. The floor was checkered and marbled, with pearl white and gold squares adorning the floor. The walls were a cream color, and the ceiling and columns shared the same color scheme. In the middle of the floor was a circular mural with a portrait of the hall façade encircled in a blue band with white stars.
Courtney bent down to further examine it, when a batarang came hurtling around the corner. Instinctively countering it with her staff, Stargirl took flight, gathering herself for a confrontation.
After determining who it was, Batman loosened up. He had come to investigate what he had perceived as an intrusion. While he admitted that he probably acted rash, when you had a villain in control of the country, you couldn't be too careful about protecting your base of operations.
Batman stepped into the light in full view of Stargirl, putting a hand to his ear.
"Flash, it's alright," the older hero spoke, and as if on cue a red and yellow speedster appeared beside Batman.
"Hi I'm," Stargirl started before being cut off by Batman.
"Courtney Whitmore, aka Stargirl. I know who you are," the Dark Knight said.
"Where's S.T.R.I.P.E?" Flash asked, making a show of looking around.
Stargirl looked down directly below her.
"Pat's been taken," she said. She looked towards the two senior heroes, "That's why I came here. I thought maybe you all could help."
Then it struck her.
"Where are the others?" Courtney asked.
Batman's already stern face turned more solemn.
"It looks like you'll need to be filled in."