PART 5: THE KILLING STROKE
The Justice League had to use the Arrow Plane due to the fact that the amazon was mostly uncharted territory, and the team could not simply beam down into the middle of the rain forest.
As the Arrow Plane approached the coordinates, Hawk Girl's enhanced vision detected the use of cloaking devices and saw an invisible hideout. "Over there," Hawk Girl pointed, helping Green Arrow navigate in the cockpit.
"Alright," Green Arrow confirmed, decreasing speed.
All of the sudden, the veil was lifted and the secret base became visible to all.
"Wait a minute," Hawk Girl cautioned, squinting into the courtyard in front of the secret base. "EVASIVE MANUVERS, NOW"!
"WHY?" Green Arrow started as each turbine blew up simultaneously. "Not another plane"….
"What happened?" Nightwing asked, stepping into the cockpit.
"DEATHSTOKE!" Hawk Girl answered, pulling the two into the main section of the plane as Raven wrapped her cloak around her teammates, teleporting them to the courtyard as the Arrow Plane flew into a force-field, blowing up.
Deathstroke jumped down from his sniper-perch, his custom sniper-rifle in hand. He then proceeded to put his rifle back into its holster, grabbing his twin sub-machines and firing at the Justice League.
Raven put a force-field around her teammates as Static Shock manipulated the magnetic field around Deathstroke sending the mercenary flying into the air. But Deathstroke took out his sword and used it to bounce off the buildings force field and fired his sub-machine guns at Ravens dark energy shield, destroying it and sending her teammates skidding through the rich dirt.
"Stop this, Slade," Nightwing ordered, charging his Escrima Sticks.
"Never, Grayson," Deathstroke responded as Nightwing's escrima sticks met Deathstroke's blade.
"How do you know my name"?
"Luthor's always known your name, Nightwing. He just told me as part of my pay for killing the Justice League"!
As Deathstroke and Nightwing continued to do battle, Nightwing responded, slightly out-of-breath, "Don't be so confident, Slade".
"Why, not, I have help this time".
"Who"? Nightwing asked as their fighting picked up.
"Why should I spoil the fun"?
"Because that's what you always do, Slade".
"Me? You took my daughter from me! YOU MADE HER BETRAY ME! YOU WILL PAY!" Deathstroke responded, backhanding Nightwing and running into the secret fortress, opening a small passage through the force field that was left open even as Deathstroke ran inside.
"So, do we go in?" Static asked as his teammates arrived beside Nightwing.
"Of course," Nightwing muttered angrily, running in after pursuit of his enemy as the rest of his team followed him, dumbfounded by Nightwing's determination, mirroring the heroes days as leader of the Titans and Teen Titans.
As the League ran down the only hallway that led from the entrance, they stumbled upon a humongous room in the center of the dome-shaped complex, only to find Deathstroke and Lex Luthor waiting for the Justice League, all of them in complete armor.
"Thank you for joining us," Luthor spoke in a civilized tone, stepping forward in his large suit of black armor. "You fell right into our hands. And now, you will be crushed".
"I don't think those," Green Arrow responded, advancing with a rebellious tone, shielding his eyes. "Also, your big, shiny, egg head is messing with my eyes".
"I would like to ask you to stand back," Luthor threatened as missile launchers formed out of his armors shoulders. "Or get blown to pieces and chunks".
"I am TIRED of villains starting to monologue!" Green Arrow yelled, firing an explosive arrow at Luthor's chest armor, blowing off the red and blue "L".
"I think you just declared war," Deathstroke laughed, jumping into the group of League members, firing his sub-machine guns.
MEANWHILE
"We never get the chance to test our strength," whined the figure that had been chasing the Justice League, another familiar figure sitting beside him on a couch in a hidden room in the secret base.
"We will soon enough, my brother," the second figure responded, putting his hand on the first figures shoulder.
"I am not so sure my brother. We have had many chances to kill this Justice League, you especially".
"Then why do we not go down there and help our fathers to defeat these second-rate heroes," the second figure encouraged as the two figures stood.
"Good idea brother," the first figure acknowledged.
"No problem," the second figure appreciated, stepping into the light, revealing an "S" shield upon his chest.
MEANWHILE
The Justice League split into two groups: Nightwing and Green Arrow stayed to fight Deathstroke, and Hawk Girl, Static Shock and Raven split up to fight Lex Luthor.
"Your powers are nothing for my technology," Luthor taunted as he shot a barrage of bullets from the machine-gun attached to his suits right-arm.
Static Shock manipulated the magnetic field around Luthor, shattering the bullets and sending Luthor flying into the ceiling.
"I can manipulate magnetic fields, too," Luthor said, his face muffled as his force field around his bald head was lodged in the ceiling.
Luthor raised his hand, and, like a pulley system, Luthor came down and Static went flying through the roof.
As Luthor stood and dusted off chunks of cement and metal, Hawk Girl sped towards Luthor, mace in hand, but, almost bored, Luthor raised his hand once again. Hawk Girl and her mace went flying through several walls.
As Luthor turned, Raven stood behind, throwing a possessed plate of metal at Luthor, who quickly shot several missiles at the chunk of metal and at Raven. The young sorceress grabbed the missiles and flung them back at Luthor.
The brainy villain stumbled over and spoke, "You will have to do much better than that, witch"!
"IS THIS BETTER," Raven asked in a demonic voice as he cloak became and shadow that slowly formed around Luthor and started creeping towards the villain.
As the shadow advanced, Raven was blasted back by a magical force.
"How did you do that?" Raven asked, on her knees in pain.
"I've had some practice with enchantments lately," Luthor answered, pointing to the ring of salt around him.
Suddenly, Hawk Girl sped forward like a blur and hit Luthor full on with her Nyth metal mace, sending Luthor flying through several walls.
"Pay back does suck," Hawk Girl taunted as Raven and Hawk Girl sped forward in pursuit of Luthor.
MEANWHILE
Static flew out of the building after the magnetic field around him shot him up into the air. As Static started falling, he regained control over his metal disc and magnetic powers. He then manipulated the metal ceiling and flew back into the room, but arrived in the middle of the battle between Green Arrow and Nightwing against Deathstroke.
Green Arrow shot two arrows into Deathstroke's sub-machine guns, blowing them up, but Deathstroke grabbed one of his pistols and shot Arrow in the leg, who screamed in pain.
As Deathstroke prepared to shoot to kill, Static sent a bolt of electricity and Deathstroke's pistol, causing the gun to explode.
"We don't like guns," Nightwing vouched for himself and Static.
"Well I do," Deathstroke taunted, taking out his sniper-rifle, and with his enhanced senses, before Static could react, Deathstroke shot the disc that Static uses to levitate, causing Static to skid across the floor.
As Static got his senses back, Deathstroke leaped into the air, sword drawn and prepared to impale Static Shock with his sword, but Nightwing flipped up with his staff and kicked Deathstroke out of the way.
As Slade stood Nightwing stood, his Escrima Sticks fully charged with one in each hand, acting as a lightning rod for Static Shock who sent a high-volt of electricity through Nightwing's insulated suit to Deathstroke, causing a small explosion.
MEANWHILE
As Luthor stood, Hawk Girl and Raven advanced. Luthor swatted away Hawk Girl and shocked Raven with an electrical ray-gun.
As Luthor sped back into the main-room, Hawk Girl channeled the Power of Nyth and Raven her inner-demon and the two sent a blast of tremendous force at Luthor, sending him flying all the way into the main-room.
As Luthor tried to stand, his suit started to sound an alarm and the metal hull started to shake. Luthor hopped out of his suit and started to run as the suit exploded, sending the genius sliding with a broken arm across the floor.
As Deathstroke prepared to fight again, a shadowy purple, black and white figure emerged from the shadows as the Justice League regained their strength.
"Hello Huntress. Come back to get killed, too?" Luthor taunted, grabbing a laser-gun from his suit and preparing to fire.
"Shut your mouth!" Huntress yelled, raising one of her new robotic hands that transformed into a crossbow.
Huntress shot an arrow into Luthor's knee.
"Aargh!" Luthor yelled falling over in pain as Huntress shot him in the throat.
"I'm… doing this for Karen," Huntress muttered tearfully, shooting Luthor in the head, enacting vengeance in her friend's killer.
Suddenly, Deathstroke was blasted next to Huntress by Nightwing and Static Shock, his mask partially ripped off.
"How did you get in here?" Deathstroke asked, slowly getting up.
"I rode aboard the Justice Leagues 'Arrow Plane' as a stowaway and followed them in," Huntress explained, a she shot Deathstroke in the head. "Now die".
To stop Deathstroke's healing factor, Huntress detonated the arrow, blowing the mercenaries head off.
As the Justice League arrived at the blood-bath, Green Arrow asked, limping, "Why did you do that, Huntress"?
Before Huntress could answer, a metal chain and hook busted from her knee and pulled her towards to figures in the shadows. As the first figure held Huntress down with his chain, the second figure burned through Helena Wayne's head with heat vision. The first figure then stomped the ground, igniting flames that engulfed and destroyed the corpse.
As the figures walked out of the shadows, one figure was Superboy, who had just burned through Huntress' head, and the other wore a ninja mask with a gold and black hood and a chest piece designed with a skeletal gold scorpion.
"Who are you"? Hawk Girl asked dumbfounded.
The gold and black ninja like figure answered, "This is my brother, Superboy, and I am Scorpion. I am not of this realm, but I was raised here, like my brother. You just allowed our fathers to be killed. YOU WILL ALL PAY"!
INTERLUDE:
Damian walked through the Batcave with Tim, admiring pieces in the Bat-Museum. Both were dressed in full uniform except for the fact Damian had no mask and Tim's cowl was down.
"We should have never given Alfred a label maker for his birthday," Damian complained, examining how every button in the Batcave and Batmobile had a label and how all the exhibits had labels and plaques, too.
"You're right…" Tim acknowledged glumly, walking over to all the Bat-Suits over the years, putting his head on the glass case every time he examined one, from Bruce's earliest suit to his Deep-Freeze, or Artic Suit.
"What's wrong, Timothy?" Damian asked, putting his hand on Tim's shoulder.
"Dick is stupid," Tim answered angrily. "He is being selfish, not stepping up to take Bruce's place. He's not doing the world ANY favors"!
Damian answered, "Grayson is just taking time to be himself for a little while, before he has to die in the shoes of my father".
"THAT'S SO SELFISH! If he WON'T be Batman, I WILL BE BATMAN"!
Tim grabbed one of the newer Bat-Suits, pushed Damian out of the way, causing Alfred, who just arrived, to drop the drinks he was carrying, in fear of what "Master Drake" had become.
Tim slammed the door of the Changing Room angrily as Damian helped Alfred pick up the broken glass.
"What has become of Master Drake?" the frail butler asked, never the same after the death of Bruce.
"He is demented and is taking things he is not prepared for in his own hands," Damian answered, helping Alfred stand up.
Tim kicked open the door and walked out, pulling up his cowl, revealing two pointy ears.
"Who's not ready?" Tim asked rhetorically, taking the Batmobile and zooming out of the Batcave.
Damian stood angrily, his fists clenched tightly, as Alfred walked up the stairs of the Batcave, sobbing at what one of his children had become.
End of Interlude
MEANWHILE:
Scorpion stepped forward and stopped the ground, separating Green Arrow, Static and Nightwing from Hawk Girl and Raven.
Scorpion teleported and began fighting the 3 heroes.
Green Arrow shot an explosive-arrow at Scorpion, who caught it and absorbed its explosive energy. Scorpion then cartwheeled over to Green Arrow, and they started Kung-Fu fighting. Green Arrow did his signature Hurricane Bow move, where he spun his sharp bow like a wheel, cutting Scorpion. But the yellow and black ninja teleported behind Green Arrow and kicked him in the back.
Scorpion took out is twin swords and prepared to slice Green Arrow, but, Static shot a bolt of electricity at Scorpions swords, electrocuting the Lord of the Dead.
"Bad idea," Scorpion spoke angrily; sending a ball of fire towards the metal plate Static was standing on, melting the plate and causing Static to fall hardly on the ground.
Scorpion then threw his chain and hook, catching Static's coat and pulling him in. "GET OVER HERE!" Scorpion shouted, punching Static as soon as he was reeled in.
Before Scorpion could stomp the ground, Nightwing threw several nitrogen Wing-Dings, freezing Scorpion.
MEANWHILE
Hawk Girl flew towards the traitor, hitting him straight on the head with her mace. But Superboy just clapped his hands together sending Hawk Girl through the roof via a sonic boom.
Raven cried, "AZARATH, METRION, ZINTHOS!" sending Superboy flying through the roof like Hawk Girl. Raven then teleported into the roof where Superboy and Hawk Girl were already battling again.
"Why did you betray us?" Hawk Girl asked, whacking Superboy very fast with her mace.
Superboy grabbed her mace and threw her into the jungle, answering her question as she crashed down, "I was never on your side. I've been working for Lex Luthor for 18 months now. Have you not noticed the decrease in crime in Metropolis? Superman was never that good"!
Raven sent a claw made of dark energy that gripped Superboy, who was weak to magic like Superman. Raven asked as Superboy struggled, "But you weren't always bad".
"I made from the same blue-prints as the former Superboy, but trained by Deathstroke and Lex Luthor, my fathers, like my brother, Scorpion. I was sent to kill Superboy, and I killed Connor Kent. I then took his memories with my enhanced TKK and took his place, leading the Justice League into a series of traps. When you all fought the Outlaws, former members of the Secret Six, I was there, using my TKK to strengthen the war-energy that Ares would receive, causing him to show up and accidentally leading you into a trap".
Raven pulled the shadow hand back and threw Superboy into the amazon.
MEANWHILE
Nightwing super-charged his escrima sticks as Scorpion's heated body simply melted through the ice block he was trapped in.
As Scorpion walked forward, he boiled the melted water with his fiery anger; his white eyes now an orange flame.
Scorpion cried, "COME HERE!" while throwing his chain, but Green Arrow shot the chain in half, causing the hook just to fall onto the ground.
"Hawk Girl was right. Pay back is a JERK!" Green Arrow taunted, standing up and limping forward as his leg wound dripped dark blood.
Scorpion turned towards Green Arrow, flinging his now-only-heated-chain like a whip, slashing Green Arrow's cheek, and then pulling him in like a cowboy with a lasso. He then snapped Green Arrow's back with his knee and burning his face off with his hands simultaneously.
Green Arrow was dead.
MEANWHILE
As Hawk Girl crashed into the amazon, her Nyth metal belt reacted and sent a full body Nyth metal armor that encased her, leaving no part of her former costume or hair out. She stood, admiring her new armor, never seeing it before.
Just then Superboy crashed next to her. As the genetically created clone stood, Hawk Girl whacked him with her mace, sending him flying into the atmosphere. Her mace had made her stronger, too.
She then flew up into the atmosphere and continued to hit Superboy.
"Not smart," Superboy mocked.
"What do you-oh…" Hawk Girl said as she looked down to see Superboy's hand on her shoulder.
Superboy's red and black suit began to glow as the Boy of Steel started using his TKK.
Hawk Girl did not know what Superboy was trying to do, until she felt the weight of the world on her shoulders. Superboy was manipulating the mass and weight of her armor, making it terribly heavy. She then plummeted to back into the building, realizing that the force-field around the base had disappeared.
As she stood, Scorpion teleported next to her and quickly snagged off her Nyth metal belt, taking away all of her armor and strength. As Hawk Girl realized what had happened, Superboy drove his hand through Hawk Girl with a sickening sound. Hawk Girl fell to the floor, cold and lifeless.
Hawk Girl had been killed.
MEANWHILE
Scorpion teleported back to Nightwing and Static as quickly as he had disappeared, the Nyth metal belt burning in his hands.
"You monster," Static yelled angrily, flying towards Scorpion on another metal plate.
The Lord of the Underworld quickly did his signature Teleport Punch and hit Static in the back, grabbed him and threw him onto the metal floor.
Nightwing then shot a grapple at Scorpions leg, pulling him to the ground. But Scorpion skillfully
grabbed one of his swords from his back and cut the grapple in half, the hook still in his leg.
Static then sent all the metal plates and debris at Scorpion, burying the ninja in a pile of scrap. But Scorpion melted all the metal and formed two more chains and hooks with his bare hands, throwing them at Statics arms and pulling the hero towards himself. Static then electrocuted the chains, causing Scorpion to pull them away.
Nightwing then performed a roundhouse kick upon Scorpions face.
Static rushed forward, but Scorpion teleported as Superboy appeared at the speed of sound, causing the hero to fly backwards on another metal plate quickly, falling onto the ground as Scorpion stomped the ground, engulfing Static in flames as Superboy disintegrated the hero with his heat vision.
Static Shock had been killed.
MEANWHILE
As Superboy flew back to the roof, Raven flung several trees at Superboy, crushing the clone.
Superboy then disintegrated the trees and flew towards Raven, who hit Superboy with a blast of magic, throwing him to the ground.
Every time Superboy tried to attack Raven, but she would always form a dark-energy shield, slowly weakening the traitor.
Scorpion then appeared, breaking Ravens seemingly unbreakable barrier with his own magic, allowing Superboy to quickly touch Raven.
Superboy then used his TKK to make Raven form a humongous dark-energy raven around herself.
"Too… much… too big…. can't focus…" Raven whispered in pain as something snapped in her head as she could not contain her emotions.
The large shadow raven disappeared as the young sorceress fell onto the roof, laughing insanely.
"HAHAAAHHAAAHHAHHAHAHA-URK!" Raven laughed as her brain overloaded and she simply died like a flip of a switch.
Raven had fallen.
MEANWHILE
Nightwing tried to remember everything he could about this "Scorpion" as the two battled. He remembered something Bruce had wrote in the "Black-Book", where Bruce had written anything he had encountered that was strange or unexplained, such as the supernatural or times he had disappeared, like when he was captured by the Black Glove.
Dick remembered reading something about a time the Justice League and a few other heroes and villains had been transported to an alternate dimension, Earth 51, also known as the Neatherrealm. There was one being also known as Scorpion who was described similarly to this incarnation, and it was said his family were killed by another being known as Sub-Zero, and that his true face was a skull.
Nightwing grabbed Scorpions shoulders, flipped behind Scorpion, and grabbed Scorpions hood and mask of, and jumped on to the ninja, seeing something he did not expect.
This Scorpion was in his early twenties, had a full set of jet-black hair, odd white eyes, and normal, pale, white skin.
"I…I thought you didn't have a face?" Nightwing asked his escrima sticks to Scorpions throat.
"You got it all wrong," Scorpion explained. "My genetic father was the champion of Earth 51. I was believed to have been killed, but after my parents' encounters in this world, they built a Spacial and Time Rift machine, traveling into the past of Earth 51 and saving me from death, but still making it look as if I died to not interfere with that worlds timeline".
"At least you did something good," Nightwing mocked sarcastically.
"Anyways," Scorpion snapped, continuing his back-story. "My fathers saved me from death. They created a time-bubble in which my brother and I, Connor Luthor, aged but our fathers did not. And what seemed like 22 years was, in reality, only 22 minutes in normal time. I was cared for by Volcano, who trained me to use my fire powers. My brother was trained by Mongul's daughter, another Kryptonian. That is how we came to be. That is how I became this worlds' SCORPION"!
Scorpion put his legs around Nightwing's waist and arms around the hero's neck and flipped him over.
As Nightwing stood, Scorpion grabbed Nightwing's arm, broke it, than flung the hero into the air. Scorpion then teleported into the air and kicked Nightwing in the spine. As Nightwing fell onto the ground, Scorpion grabbed Nightwing by the throat and raised the last member of the Justice League into the air.
Superboy flew back into the buildings, discarding Raven's body like trash on the ground.
"No…" Nightwing whispered, a tear streaming down his face.
"FINISH HIM!" Superboy yelled, anticipating revenge upon the death of his fathers.
Scorpion drove his sword through Nightwing's abdomen, shouting, "TO HELL WITH YOU"!
Scorpion threw Nightwing's body onto the floor and burned it with a ball of fire, putting his mask back on.
Nightwing had been murdered.
The Justice League was gone. Again.
Interlude: (3 Days Later)
Scorpion and Superboy stormed around America, terrorizing cities and claiming them in the name of Lex Luthor and Slade Wilson.
In Metropolis, Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen and Perry White hide under a cubicle desk.
"I wish Superman was here," Jimmy whispered, also never the same after the death of his "Best Pal".
"Hey look its, Superman!" Perry shouted as a figure flew up to the same floor, his eyes glowing red and arms crossed.
"That's not him!" Lois cried, pulling Perry and Jimmy away as the figure ripped off the Superman costume, revealing himself as Superboy, clearing the entire floor with his heat vision.
"Let's go," Lois ordered as her partners ran down the stairs.
As they turned, Scorpion stood, throwing his swords into Perry's and Jimmy's heads, killing the renowned co-workers of the famous Lois Lane.
Scorpion walked forward. Lois took out her pepper-spray, but it would stop Scorpion, who drove his knee into Lois's jaw, shattering her skull into pieces.
Scorpion burned their bodies as Superboy flew down the stairs.
"What is wrong, my brother?" Superboy asked, examining how Scorpion stared into the flames in deep thought.
"Nothing, Connor. It is just…I am wondering…why are we doing this?" Scorpion questioned.
Superboy put his hand on Scorpions shoulder, "We are doing what our fathers wanted. To take over the world in their name. Killing is essential to our conquest. Things get worse before they get better. When we take over America, then the world, we will make the world a better place. We will make the world one".
"Thank you, brother," Scorpion acknowledged.
"No problem".
After an awkward silence, Scorpion asked, "Do you feel it"?
"What"?
"That we have not seen the last of the Justice League"?
"We killed them and burned their bodies. They are not alive," Superboy assured.
"You are right, my brother," Scorpion concurred as the two left to continue their conquest.
End of Interlude
MEANWHILE
One moment, Nightwing was in a deep period of pain. Suddenly it got worse. THEN… calm.
Dick Grayson awoke his body luminescent and transparent. He looked around to see his teammates floating around him, the surroundings a sickening purple and white.
As Dick continued to look around, he saw Ares floating, dressed in normal clothing, his eyes literally piercing through each of the dead heroes.
"Welcome to Limbo," Ares explained. "I'm not through with you all yet".