OK, I have a confession to make. This is the chapter where I got major writer's block. I wrote this story up to the middle of this chapter with a pen in a notebook, and later decided to continue the story. And now you have this.
Chapter 7
The Rock of Eternity
Sam Manson and Valerie Gray stood on opposite sides, with John Constantine in the middle. He could feel the tension between them. "OK, I don't know-or for that matter care-what went down before between you two lasses, but given our situation, you need to get over whatever little petty bull pizzle you had so we can get home."
"You got us here, so why don't you get me and Tuck out?" Sam snapped.
"I would, but with Black Adam able to detect my magic, I might as well have "live bait" tattooed on my forehead. Sorry."
"So am I," Valerie hissed.
"I apologize, but you will have to stay here until we stop these menaces," proclaimed Pandora.
"Didn't I just say that?" John Constantine asked.
Pandora turned to him, eyes ablaze. "Why are you even here Constantine?!"
"That is a very good question. That is a very good question. While I consider that, why don't you tell me why you're here. Last time I checked, there was a ban at the Rock of Eternity; you, Stranger, and Question."
"Yes. Yes, that is true. However, that was mandated by the old order. That was the one thing that The Wizard himself regretted. As he tasked Shazam with his authority, he has shown us redemption. Only by his compassion are we allowed here."
"Ah, I see. Children do make the best heroes, after all. 'Course I don't know nothing about heroes, must less a child hero, so the point's moot." John started to walk away, and Sam followed after him. Valerie watched him walk off.
"Child hero?"
Valerie looked down the hallway to see Clockwork and The Phantom Stranger in a heated argument. Youngblood floated next to her. "Whaddya think they're gonna do about those bozos?"
"Don't know. Shit, I don't know if there's anything that can be done."
"Grrr. I hate grown-ups. They always have to mess things up, and kids are the ones who have to pay for it."
Valerie smiled. "Yeah, that happens. Like they say, sins of the father. But believe me kid, other kids can be just as bad."
"Sometimes even worse. Oh, I believe you. I used to be picked on really bad, back…"
"When you were…alive?"
He nodded. "Do you wanna talk about it?" He shook his head. "I understand." She never really thought much about the ghosts she hunted down. She never really considered that they might have stories to tell. But the more she was forced to be around Captain Youngblood, she noticed that he kept mostly to himself, preferring to stay inside his own mind, focusing on his interests and obsessions. Her aunt was a psychiatrist, so she knew that that was a coping skill, so she wondered what he must've been through.
Clockwork and The Phantom Stranger approached them. "You must act now," said the Stranger, "Shazam and Danny Phantom have arrived in the Ghost Zone. But the Ghost Empire will attack. You must aid them."
"How do you know they're there?" Youngblood's parrot asked.
Clockwork lifted up a large mirror with the telekinetic power of his staff. The mirror showed Danny, Shazam, Raven, and Deathstroke.
"OK then. Just because you totally outclass us doesn't mean you have to show off."
"I'll do it, but I'll need a ship."
"I believe we can do something about that."
Clockwork and Stranger led Youngblood off, while Valerie hung back. The Phantom Stranger went back to her. "What's wrong?:
"Let's say I don't "aid" them. Let's say that one of them-one, just one-doesn't make it. Would that be so bad?"
"Yes it would. If the Empire is not stopped, they will turn their sights to the mortal world, where they would slaughter every last living thing on earth."
"But what about the Justice League, or the Teen Titans? What about the X-Men or the Youngbloods…wait, are the Youngbloods still around?"
The Stranger took off the necklace he wore. "Do you see this? I was once a regular man, until the day I met the most wonderous man. He was the greatest leader the world has ever seen. He was told of the key to peace and prosperity. I followed him, listening to this vagabond's musings. But he knew my true thoughts. One night, he told us that one of us would betray him. Then he turned to me, and told me with tears in his eyes to do my deed. I turned him in to his enemies with my payment being the silver you see here. He was savagely beaten, beyond the point of death yet he lived. The governor gave his public the choice to have the greatest of all messengers executed, or have a serial killer executed. From what I just said, do you know who I am speaking of?" Valerie nodded her head. "Than you know who chosen to be executed, by means of crucifixiction no less." She nodded again. "The forces of magic punished my actions by making me wander the land of the living for all eternity, forever wearing this reminder of my sins. Because of my betrayal, his teachings were left to the perceptions of others, with them applying the old laws, and in the present, some take those incomplete teachings, and pervert them to messages of bigotry, fear, and conformity. If what I did in the face of power caused so much destruction, do you want to think about the impact of what you don't do will have?" She shook her head. "Then put aside your petty hatred of the Phantom for the welfare of all of us. Now go."
The Ghost Zone
The four were inside the Ghost Zone, trying to lay low, staying on a floating rock. Shazam observed the state of the Zone. "Holey-moley, this place is in shambles."
"Actually, that area's always like that," said Danny. "Over there is where Black Adam and his regime have struck, draped in flags of their symbol.
"Oh. Well, that's bad."
"And so yet another dark reign begins," Raven commented.
"And you end."
Before they found out where the voice was coming from, there was an explosion of sound and energy. The energy pushed the rock away. Shazam turned to see who of all people, but…
"Black Adam!"
"What is this, boy? An army to stop me? You could've done better. But I have no quarrel with them; I only have a reckoning with you."
"You can't win this one!" Shazam jumped up and grabbed him. He punched him repeatedly, and grabbed him by the legs, spun him around, and threw him. Adam stopped himself, and flew towards Shazam. Shazam threw a bolt of lightning at him, which Adam dodged. Black Adam did a mid-air somersault and landed his feet nice and hard on his chest. Shazam was sent flying and hit another rock. Black Adam grabbed him by the throat.
"I don't get it Adam, why are you doing this? You told me that your sole purpose in life is to protect Kahndaq. Why do you want the Ghost Zone?"
"For the same reason that I live and breath; for the sake of Kahndaq. You don't understand the concept of power, so this is above you child!"
Suddenly, a blast hit the back of his head. He turned to see Danny Phantom levitating behind him.
"Such insolence." He slammed Shazam into the rock, shattering it to dust.
"Dammit," Danny muttered under his breath.
Adam charged at him. Thinking quickly, Danny used his freezing vision to cover Black Adam in ice. After struggling for a moment, Adam broke free.
"Cyrokinesis; an impressive ability. However, not impressive enough."
Black Adam lunged. He went to grab him, but passed right through him. He tried again, but to no avail. He punched and kicked, but never landed a blow.
"Intangibility; is that impressive enough?" taunted Danny Phantom. "Ha! Can't hit what you can't-Augghh!" He was electrocuted, and knocked out.
Meanwhile, Raven and Deathstroke watched the battle. "Should we intervene?"
"I don't know. Maybe if we did, we can make short work of…" Suddenly, Raven was covered in weird, red markings. She fell to her knees, writhing in pain. "Trigon," she whispered.
Slade drew his sword. "Show yourself demon! Fight like a man!"
Trigon appeared before him. "Do you have a death-wish, Deathstroke? Because it's suicide to challenge me."
"Suicide huh? I've tried it; it doesn't work. If you can kill me, than you can boast a great deed."
Trigon chuckled and slammed down his hand, palm-down. Raven fought against her father's control, and attacked Trigon. Enraged, the demon shot them with an energy strike from his eyes. She quickly put up a force-field.
The battle between Shazam and Black Adam raged on. Black Adam dodged a roundhouse kick, and shot a lightning charge. The attack was blocked, and Shazam moved in. But Adam grabbed his cape and threw him to where Raven and Deathstroke stood. If the elders that grant power to the Rock of Eternity still cared about him, could they help him?
His answer came in the form a ship teleported to the four's rescue. Trigon and Black Adam were bombarded with cannon fire. Youngblood and Valerie were manning the ship. Youngblood was ecstatic. "Ha ha! This is the best ship ever! Have at thee swirvy dogs!"
"Scurvy dogs."
"Didn't ask for your opinion."
The demon turned to the ship. "My god, that's Trigon!"
"Trigon?"
"Trigon, a trinity of evil in one."
"How do you know this, and I don't? We're connected to each other, so shouldn't we…"
"What is this? Of all the insolence."
"You got this?"
"No, I won't do it."
"C'mon, it'll be funny."
"As a parrot, don't you know how demeaning that is?"
"Do it!"
Trigon shot at them with energy vision. "Stupid whelps."
"Raw, stupid whelps," mimicked Youngblood's parrot.
"Shut up you fool!"
"Shut up fool, raw."
Enraged, Trigon swatted Youngblood's ship. In a quick thought, Youngblood willed the ship to turn intangible, the demon's hand passing through. They hit the deck.
Valerie wasn't happy. "How did you expect that to play out?"
"You know, he was gonna say a lot more, and he'd repeat everything. Then he'd be stumped on what to say, so he says "I'm an idiot". At which point, he'd reply saying "you're an idiot. Because that's funny!" Youngblood laughed, but his humour didn't resonate with Valerie.
"OK, stay on the ship funny man. I'll get them onboard, so be ready to make a getaway. Is that a plan?"
"Yeah. Just go."
"Aye, aye captain." She got up and ran off the plank, jumping off. She got out her board in mid-jump, flying over to the rock where Shazam, Raven, and Deathstroke made their stand.
"Get to the ship. Now. We need to make a quick retreat."
Raven and Shazam flew off. Valerie took one look at Slade, and smirked. She put her hands on her hips. "Well, well, look who it is. What are you doing in all this Wilson?"
"Still trying to figure that out."
"I suppose whatever it is, you'll be doing whatever you please, like you always do."
"I don't want to hear this crap. I'd walk the other way if I didn't have to get over there."
"But why do you need to get over there? What's in it for you?"
"What I get in the end, without the knowledge of the "heroes". Little satisfactions. You know what I mean when I say that, right?"
"Whatever old man. Get on the board."
"Wait! Danny!"
Valerie looked to see Danny Phantom knocked out and floating.
"I'll take two trips."
"No!" Shazam flew down. "I'll take Deathstroke. You get Danny."
"Why don't you get him?"
"It doesn't matter. We need him, go get him!"
Gritting her teeth, cursing them all out in her head, she pushed Slade off her board and began to rise in the air.
Raven met her eyes. "You got the easy job. He's got to take a criminal, and you have to save a hero." She flew away.
'Whose to say they aren't the same thing?' she thought. Hating herself, she flew over and picked him up in her arms. She was half-tempted to put him in a Fenton Thermos and throw it into the depth of the Ghost Zone. All she wanted to do was study this place; what was the need for all this fighting? Was this place that important? But she thought about The Phantom Stranger, and how important one little action can be. She didn't know enough about the Ghost Zone, so maybe she just doesn't understand how these things work. Whatever. She flew him over, and placed him gently on the deck.
"Let's set sail!" The ship flew as fast as it could go, which was actually pretty fast. Valerie kept her fingers crossed, hoping that he wouldn't go back on his traitorous ways. And just like he promised, he teleported them back.
Black Adam and Trigon were left there.
"They got away. She got away."
Adam smiled.
"Adam, why does this please you?"
"Because we still won."
Aww shit. What did Adam do? You know he always has an ace up his sleeve. What is it? To be continued...
