DC Gothic – Red-X 2
Part 1
The Home of Doctor Fate
Again I watched Aquaman attempt to play chess with the woman once known by many as Hawkgirl, and to others as Lieutenant Hol of Thanagar. Once she had been both a heroine and an undercover agent, now she was nobody at all. Which meant she was a lot like me really, so it made sense that we were both here.
As for me I was also playing chess, and while every move was being carefully calculated by me, every move brought me closer to defeat because I was playing against a mind that could move planets.
"Check in five moves," predicted Aquaman as he looked at my game "Only three in his".
For me more than three moves after already having started the game was very good. When I'd started playing against the robot I'd someone managed to lose on the second move. I hadn't even even know it was possible to get checkmated that quickly.
"We'll see" responded Shayera.
While red headed woman were not my thing, in fact a couple of them had made awful girlfriends for me in the past, there was something about Hawkgirl that made me want to jump into bed with her. I figured that it was just teenage hormones or something like that, but it was hard to keep my cool.
"Diana told me you used to regularly beat Batman" said Aquaman flatly
Even after that remark Shayera didn't give the King of Atlantis any reaction, and I was impressed. I also wondered why they kept playing when it was clear that Hawkgirl didn't enjoy the game, but to be fair there wasn't much do around here.
I at least had things to occupy my time. Doctor Fate was teaching about magic. At first he hadn't been able to guide me very far when it came to actually casting spells as my magical talent was linked to some god that was too chaotic for his branch of the arcane.
Then he'd introduced me to R'lyehian, which was a magical language made up of R'lyeh Glyphs, which was a sort of hieroglyphic lettering system had was brought to earth by the spawn of the Old Ones when they'd invaded this world thousands of years ago.
Being a servant of Order meant that Doctor Fate couldn't read R'lyehian and neither could A.M.A.Z.O despite how brilliant the android was. So it was left me to translate a pile of ancient texts, and from those I'd learned to create spell of great power.
"Difficult to believe from the current pitiful level of your game" Aquaman was now acidly remarking "I don't think you could even beat Red-X".
Right now I was tempted to go over their and punch the king of Atlantis, but hitting monarchs was a bad idea. They tended to have people executed for that sort of thing.
Not that it would be a big issue for me as I was truly immortal. Doctor Fate had none lethal ways of testing such things, and he also discovered that I was going to be around for a very, very long time.
There were spells to test someone's potential life span, and mine had no end. However this didn't mean I would live forever as I could die in another dimension, but not this one as Death, the person, would never come for me while I was in this world.
"I should have known better than to expect a proper challenge from a woman" said Aquaman with a snort.
The logical part of me knew that the underwater king was trying to piss her off so that she'd actually do something other than brood, but the part of me that felt rather than thought wanted to make him stop. By force if needs be.
"Such scintillating repartee. I'd get better conversation from the android" mocked Aquaman, as he kept trying to get a recation.
To be fair the robot was not very interesting, it was very literally so it had no skill at story telling. Which was a shame because the android had been all over the universe so it must have seen some incredible things.
"You are aware I'm in the room?" asked A.M.A.Z.O while also putting me one move closer to check mate.
Rather then answer the machine, Aquaman made move and I reached for the magic weapon I carried. Not because I wanted to use it but because I liked holding it.
I'd taken it from Reaper, who like me was some madman in a mask only he was much worse, and while for him it was a scythe for me it spent most of its time as a sickle. Which made it much easier to carry around.
Upon seeing it Doctor Fate had informed me that the sickle had been imbued with a demonic essence. Thankfully it had been simple enough to cleanse the weapon of that taint with a short ritual. Now it was actually more powerful than ever, and much safer to use.
"Check!" the royal leader of the underwater city called out, sounding very pleased with himself.
Rather than try to escape the trap her king was in Hawkgirl simply tipped over her most important piece.
"I win again!" Aquaman cheerlessly declared for all to hear.
Still the former member of the Justice League made no facial expression. She was still brooding, and I had no idea why woman found broody men attractive because it sure didn't work the other way around, at least not for me. But it wasn't her feelings that got my attention it was her body.
Sadly there was no point trying to get her to go to bed with me as even if any scheme I cam up somehow worked she wouldn't enjoy it, and for me sex had to pleasurable for both parties or there was no point.
"Huzzah," Aquaman added sarcastically.
That actually had an effect. Not a big one, but it was something.
"It's just a game" said Shayera flatly.
Aquaman then bolted to his feet and knocked aside the chessboard with his hook hand
"You disgust me" snapped Aquaman.
At this point I was sure he was no longer acting.
"Join the club" responded Shayera sadly.
As soon as the now former Hawkgirl left the room our host appeared.
"I could have told you that wouldn't work," said Fate knowingly.
That I had to agree with. I didn't think she would have reacted much even if a bunch ice skating mongooses came and performed the nutcracker for us.
"She was once one of the fiercest warriors I'd ever met" said Aquaman "and now she's a broken shell of her former self.
Well she had betrayed her own people to save the world, after betraying all of her friends. She didn't have anywhere else to go, she'd lost everything and everyone that had defined her life. I could somewhat relate.
"What's she doing here?" the king of Atlantis then asked.
Doctor Fate was able to answer that question.
"Trying to find her way" he explained "Leaving the Justice League was difficult for her. So I provided a sanctuary, a place to meditate on her life and future".
I'd been here long enough to sense when something was going to happen. It was nothing a person without magical powers would pick up but this place, seemed to react when something major was going down.
"We must allow her the time she needs to…" Fate was saying as the feeling intensified enough to divert his attention.
Fate's words trailed off and then he touched the forehead of his helmet. Perhaps he was now in some form of telepathic communication with his strange home.
"Excuse me" Fate said just before vanishing through an ankh shaped golden coloured portal
As soon as he was gone A.M.A.Z.O. telekinetically summoned the knocked aside chess set and table back where Aquaman was now sitting.
"New game?" offered the android "I can easily play two people at once".
That I did not doubt, and the king of Atlantis looked ready to make the machine regret the challenge. Getting into the spirit of the contest I made what I thought was a daring move.
"Checkmate" A.M.A.Z.O then told me.
My response to this would have been unacceptable around small children and Aquaman's attempt to defeat the android met with similar results.
"You are improving. This time it took me 16 moves to defeat you. That's nearly double the number it took Red-X" said A.M.A.Z.O.
While defeated the monarch was already for a re-match.
"Set up the board," commanded Aquaman.
That was Fate emerged from an ankh shaped golden portal.
"Solomon Grundy's grave is empty" we were informed.
Both the King and the Android stood up quickly, but I remained seated as this didn't concern me.
"Tell me where to find those responsible" ordered Aquaman. "And then dig more graves".
I figured then that I might go along with them. If nothing else it would make a nice change from playing chess or translating ten thousand year Old One tablets. I wasn't sure if I had found what I needed to find, but I didn't think I was going to find my purpose here.
"We are dealing with something far more sinister than mere human avarice" Fate then told us. "Grundy's grave was forced open from the inside. The site reeks of chaos magic".
Given that my magic was somewhat like chaos magic everyone sent a glance my way.
"I didn't do it" I said in my best Bart Simpson impression.
No one did think that, but their looks had compelled into denying it.
"He left under his own power" stated A.M.A.Z.O.
Well a zombie rising from his grave wasn't that odd. In fact the undead were well known for such things.
"With far more power than he has evidenced before" Fate added.
After saying that the servant of Cosmic Order conjured up an orb which showed us what Grundy was up to. He was fighting at least three members of League Superman appeared to be losing badly and Green Lantern wasn't looking so good either.
"They need our help" stated Aquaman as he donned his cloak.
Given that the Man of Steel was getting his ass kicked I didn't think we'd be much help, but on the hand there was only one thing that could stop this kind of magic, at least that I knew about, and a certain person who lived right here owned one.
"So does Grundy" said Shayera.
Everyone but me was surprised by her words.
"Let's try to get there before the League kills him" Shayera then added.
I for one wasn't so worried about that.
"That scenario… seems unlikely," commented A.M.A.Z.O.
Grundy was after all winning the battle.
"In any case, are you certain you're up to this?" asked Fate as the orb vanished into nothingness.
She seemed ready to me.
"Doesn't matter – Bad guy, or not, he sacrificed his life to save ours. We owe him" answered Shayera.
Also he'd ripped apart an Old One, which was just so cool.
"Very well" agreed Doctor Fate.
With a wave of his hand the magic user created a hole between dimensions.
"I learned the hard way that the energy dampening properties of weapons such as your mace can disrupt elemental forces" the man in the golden mask told us "So I've kept it hidden in a pocket dimension away from the magic that most flow freely in my home. But if you are truly ready to take up the fight again then you must reclaim your weapon".
Shayera reached into the portal and took hold of her Nth metal mace.
"Your staff may also prove useful, my young friend" Fate reminded me.
I'd forgotten that the spear/staff that Slade had given was made from Nth metal. That meant it had anti-magical properties and therefore had been left in a another pocket reality. Which made me wonder how many things he had stored away in such places.
"Fine I'll go" I told everyone as I put on my skull mask "Just don't let the League arrest me".
Granted they had bigger problems right now, but I didn't doubt that as soon as the smoke cleared one of the do-gooders would try to take me into custody. Heroes were depressing predictable.
(Line Break)
Battlefield
When we got there everything was just terrible, this part of whatever city we were in looked like a warzone and to make things worse Shayera ran right into her ex-lover John Stewart, but not before she'd saved a little girl from being horribly killed.
"Shayera?" said Green Lantern.
Other people might have cried or hugged or done something dramatic but not the former Hawkgirl.
"Hate the beard" was all she said.
Before the hero could reply to the that remark, Superman came out the nearest body of water, which I assumed he'd been thrown into
"You okay?" Green Lantern asked the Man of Tomorrow.
I guessed that he was not.
"Do I look okay" snapped Superman.
Obviously the pounding he had gotten from Grundy had put the hero in a very foul mood.
"Perhaps we can be of some assistance" offered Fate when he sensed that this was the right time to speak.
No one argued about that as there could be no doubt that aid was badly needed.
"Okay, let's throw a wave of big guns at him. Me, Fate, and the Android," suggested Superman.
Shayera then stepped between A.M.A.Z.O. and the others while I just tried to stay out of the way. This wasn't the time for me to act.
"Hold up! Before the golden boy teleports him into the sun, I want to try talking to him" said Shayera to Superman.
Without waiting for permission the former Hawkgirl started to make her way over to the rampaging zombie.
"Shayera wait!" Green Lantern called out.
He was of course ignored.
"Grundy!" shouted Shayera loudly to be heard by everyone, including the reporters on the scene.
The zombie gave the winged woman his full attention. Which made me wonder if something of Grundy was still in there.
"Remember? Birdnose?" she was now saying.
While Grundy did stop for a moment, it didn't last long and soon a wreaked car was heading right for the former Hawkgirl. Thankfully she was saved by Superman.
"What's happened to him?" asked Shayera after she was dropped off with the rest of us.
I decided to get an answer.
"Kadishtu lloig uaad" (Understand Mind Spell)
All I could sense was rage, a desire to destroy. If there was a mind in there, then it was buried under all the anger.
"I'm sorry. I sense nothing of the Grundy we know within that shell" Fate said, confirming my own findings "He is nothing, but rage".
Which meant this could only end one way. The way I'd known it would.
"Then it is time I brought this to an end" decided A.M.A.Z.O.
Shayera tried to stop the android, but it paid her no heed.
"In all my travels in space, I have obtained mastery of forces all but incomprehensible to humans" claimed A.M.A.Z.O.
The light show was impressive, but it did nothing to the zombie.
"Something is wrong" said the machine "The creature is somehow feeding on my energies".
So the robot was as usless here as the magic that Fate wielded and the energy that comes from Green Lantern's ring. No amount of physical strength from Superman seemed to make a differenc eeither. Which meant it was time for me to try something.
"Fm'latgh uaaad" (Burn Spell)
The magical fire engulfed the zombie, but there was so much water around that it was easy for Grundy to put himself out.
"Okay give me a moment I'll try something else" I said to the good guys.
No one replied to that.
"Tell us something helpful doc" insisted Green Lantern.
Fate did just that.
"Grundy was revived using chaos magic, accumulative with no known outer limit" the man in the mask explained "My magics are as useless as A.M.A.Z.O.'s technology".
Vixen, who was John Stewert's current girlfriend, either didn't hear that or didn't care. She went with a very direct approach. Which was to weaken the base of a nearby statue and then let Aquaman topple it so that the zombie was crushed under all the stone.
Of course the statue trick didn't work and trying it nearly cost Vixen her life. She would have died if not for Shayera hitting Grundy with the mace. The weapon appeared to weaken him instead of strengthening which provided a chance for Green Lantern to save Vixen
"Don't make me do this Grundy!" pleaded Shayera over the din all around us.
With each strike Grundy became slower and slower, and soon the zombie was on his knees before the fromer Hawkgirl.
"Why does it hurt him?" wondered Green Lantern.
Since I didn't want her to have to kill Grundy I took out my staff. I doubted it would be as effective but since the undead thing looked close to dying yet again I didn't think it would matter.
"It is because it is made of Nth metal" Fate answered "The weapons of Shayera's people were developed specifically to repel magical creatures. It disrupts the very magic that animates him".
Which was why Nth metal was so effective against demons and other supernatural creatures. The more powerful the being the more it depended on it's magic to support its physical form. Human magic users were not so badly effected because we didn't need our powers simply to exisit.
Still even when fighthing mortals, Nth metal was effective because it was a strong metal and living things disliked being hit with heavy and sometimes sharp objects.
"Your mace may be the one object on Earth that can grant him peace" said Fate when Shayera backed away from Grundy and towards us.
Those words surprised the League members.
"Say, what now?" Green Lantern almost yelled.
I resisted the urge to point out that I had a Nth metal weapon because I didn't want attention drawn to me.
"Your favourite movie is Old Yeller. You know exactly what he is saying" said Shayera.
I watched then as the former heroine held her mace up a little higher. To me it looked as if she was contemplating the meaning of her life, the purpose of her being , and all that introspective stuff that she'd been mulling over for all the time I'd known her.
"Is this my destiny? To be a destroyer? To betray yet another friend?" asked Shayera of no one at all.
While she hadn't wanted one an answer wasn't long in coming.
"Only you have the power to put that creature of its misery" insisted Aquaman "To stop it before it hurts anyone else".
This was all needlessly over dramatic, and while perhaps Shayera had to end all this madness I had a way out of this that didn't involve anyone dying or doing any killing.
"I could give him his soul back" I said.
Everyone turned to me, and I regretted drawing their attention, but I wanted to help.
"I can do chaos magic too" I told them "So maybe I can use my power to give him his soul. It might not work, but it's worth trying".
There was also the chance that it could make things worse, but if I screwed up there was still the mace option.
"Please, do it" requested the former heroine.
I took out a notepad and looked up the right words. I was still learning how to cast spells, but as it was a short of chaos magic it too could be just as limitless as what was powering Grundy.
"Wait, my young friend" insisted Doctor Fate "Grundy's soul may reside in paradise. Ripped it out heaven, or even hell could cause the spirit great pain and there could be consequences".
I mulled things over before saying something.
"Would those consequences be worse than Grudy destroying everything unless Shayera kills him?" I asked.
That shut him up, and understandabley so since there wasn't much he could say to that.
"Besides if it goes wrong I can do undo the spell" I pointed out "Or I could end all this with MY Nth metal weapon".
I was annoyed that Fate had forgotten that I had a spear that could hurt magical things, and I doubted these were the only ones as Shayera's people had left the planet in a hurry.
"Goka orr'e uaad!" (Grant Soul Spell)
I saw a bright light in Grundy's eyes, and then my own vision began to blur as I felt myself slip into darkness.
(Line Break)
The Home of Doctor Fate
"And so you have decided to leave" my host said as I finished putting all of my gadgets back into my belt.
Now that the League was aware that I was here I couldn't stay. The JL knew that Red-X knew things that could harm then, and while Fate could protect me I didn't want to make him chose between me and the League.
"Yep" was all I said on the matter.
That was when the magic user presented me with a small bag full of crystals. They were jet black, but they didn't feel bad in any way.
"If anyone's memories have been altered then breaking just one in their presence will restore what was lost" Fate explained "Give them only to the people who you wish to remember you. Once broken they will recall what your wish took away. I believe that a certain young woman in Jump City would very much like to know you as she once did".
I could send one to Raven as I knew she missed not knowing who I was. Maybe I would give one to Jinx too as she should be allowed to remember me as we had been close once upon time and I found myself missing her too.
As for the others I would be very careful with them because if they fell into the wrong hands then I would have wasted my wish.
"Thank you" I said to Fate.
The man in the mask nodded.
"I may call upon you again should I have an urgent need for your strange brand of chaos magic" Fate told me "And I imagine that Shayera may wish to thank you herself when she finds the time"
My spell had not only restored Grundy's soul, ithad somehow mixed with the magic already inside Grudy to turn him into a newborn baby of all things. Chaos magic was without limits and sometimes it made no sense.
Another theory of Fates's was perhaps some sort of miracle had taken place. If so I was grateful for it as the outcome had spared someone I cared about a lot of pain.
"I'm sure I'll see her around I" I said.
Without any further ado, Fate created a portal for me and I went through it without dely.
I knew exactly where it led.