Chapter 9: Battle-Zones
We make it to the clearing with both squads aiming their fire at Kid Flash. The group one the right is wearing regular clothes, while the group to the left is seen wearing red robes and black masks cover half of their faces. Looks like they're part of some cult. This can't be good at all.
Leading the group on the right is a muscular man, clearly Hispanic, wearing blue pants, boots, a black shirt, and what looks like a black and white wrestling mask. I hope that's El Luchadore and not who I think it is.
Superboy makes his way for the Mexican wrestlers as M'gann and I take out the armed thugs. While she uses her psychic powers, I shoot their guns out of their hands with green energy. I'd rather not use any constructs just yet, don't want to drain my ring's charge right when our mission starts.
I aim my ring at two armed thugs when Robin drops from the trees and takes them out himself. "What is wrong with you guys? Remember covert? Why didn't you follow my lead, vanish into the jungle?"
"That was your plan? You could've told us you know. Not all of us are mind readers." I look over to Miss M, who psychically throws two red robed men into a tree. "No offense."
"You told me I could only read the bad guys' minds."
"And that still stands true." As I tell her this, I notice out of the corner of my eye one of the cultists making a run for it. I take aim at him until I see Aqualad drop down from the trees, placing his hand on his chest and shocking him into unconsciousness.
After our tussle with the two warring groups, we gather them up and tie them all to their own trees. Most of them are still out cold, while some, including the masked villain, are still awake.
Robin takes a note of the men in red, more specifically their masks. "I recognize those uniforms. They belong to the cult of the Kobra."
"I am certain Batman would have mentioned it if he knew a dangerous extremist was running Santa Prisca's Venom operation."
"And since there's no love lost between the cultists and those goons, I'm betting Kobra came in and tossed them out. That's why normal supply lines have been cut off."
"Congrats, you figured it out, 2nd greatest detective of Gotham." I tell Bird Boy.
Kid Flash steps into the conversation. "Kobra wanted super cultists. Mystery solved. Radio Bats, and we'll be home in time-"
Robin interrupts him. "These cultists aren't on Venom. Kobra's hoarding the stuff. We don't leave. Not until I know why."
"Until you know why?"
"This team needs a leader."
"And it's you? Dude, you a thirteen year-old kid, who ducked out on us without a word."
Robin laughs at the speedster. "And you're a mature fifteen?"
They keep going at each other, arguing over which of them would be a suitable leader. You ask me, neither of them should lead this team.
I walk over to M'gann and Superboy, watching along with me the ensuing battle. "Hey, don't even ask me. I want to be a part of this team, not lead it."
M'gann then turns to Superboy. "Don't you want to lead?"
He shakes his head and scoffs at the idea of him leading. "You?"
"After the Mister Twister fiasco?" She says, raising her hand in defense.
"You did alright." M'gann turns away while smiling at Superboy's compliment. There she goes again, green girl turning red in the face.
I then notice Superboy looking over to the tied up thugs, more specifically Bane. I can't make out anything of what they're saying, and even if I could they're probably speaking in Spanish. But from Superboy's expression, it seems that he does. Guess the genomorph home school taught him how to speak and understand Spanish. Muy bueno.
I then bring my attention back to Kid and Robin, who're still arguing over leadership. That's it. "Enough, both of you! Arguing about this isn't going to get anything accomplished, especially the mission we have been tasked with. Now why don't you both get your heads out of your asses, or I'll pull them out?"
Both of them look at me in surprise and then look down, taking in my words of harsh but true wisdom. Then I hear laughter. Coming from the trees.
We all bring our attention to Bane, still tied up but feeling amused as ever. "Such clever ninos. But you only know half the story. Let me show you the rest, get you into the factory via my secret entrance."
"And we should believe you why?" I ask him.
M'gann kneels down, her hand touching her head. "There is a secret entrance, but he's also hiding something."
As she tries to go further in his mind, he remains cool as a cucumber. Eventually, she gives out to the Mexican. "He's mentally reciting football scores, in Espanol. This could take a while."
"More like a lot of time, which we don't have unfortunately."
"It's not complicated. The enemy of my enemy is my friend."
We all look across each other, knowing we can't trust him, but we don't have many options either. Aqualad nods in silence, telling us to let him go.
Robin goes over to the tree and cuts him free from it. He then walks past us, presumably to his secret entrance. "Follow me, little ninos."
As we keep walking forward, I can't help but think that we can't trust Bane. We're the good guys, we're supposed to fight and stop the bad guys, not working with them. This is definitely way more different than any mission from the Corps. But I guess being on this team would have its ups and downs, this being a definite down.
But if he decides to try and break us into little pieces, I'll blast him into the ocean instantly. Courtesy of my green ring here.
We reach the top of a hill that overlooks the factory. Bane hands Robin a pair of binoculars while I create my own. Two sets of eyes are better than one.
Getting a closer look, I can see Kobra's cultists hard at work, moving crates of Venom around. And from the looks of it, there are a lot of crates. Something big is going down. Soon.
"A buy is going down. But if Kobra's not selling to the usual suspects, then-"
Aqualad interrupts Robin's pondering. "We need to identify the buyer."
"Exactly. We find the buyer, we stop the buy and Kobra."
"Already have a plan of action, huh GL?" Robin remarks towards me.
"Making jokes now, eh Bird Boy. You want to be a leader, then you need to quit playing around and focus on the job at hand, find our answers."
We turn our attention to Bane, who moves a boulder out of the way of his secret entrance - an old mining tunnel. "Answers are this way."
With a bit of disgust in my mouth, I follow the masked wrestler down the tunnel, as does everyone else does. We keep going until we find a metal door on the side. Bane places his thumb on a DNA scanner, making the door open and letting us into a locker room.
We all wait for Bane and Robin to give us the heads up as they duck their heads outside the door and into the factory room. "All clear." Robin then heads off, leaving us to follow him.
I try to follow the way he went, but not seeing him anywhere. "Ugh, not again."
The others catch up with me. "Has that little fool already been captured?" Bane asks us.
"No, he just does that." Aqualad answers.
Kid brings his goggles to down to his eyes. "Stay put. I'll get our intel and be back before the Boy Wonder." Before any of us can object, Kid goes running off, hoping to find some good intel.
"Great chain of command."
"We're working on it, okay hombre?" I stare down the muscular Mexican, not afraid to wrestle with him. But I step back, not giving him the chance to try to tear me in half.
"Come on, this way." Aqualad directs me to where the cultists are moving their shipments, and more importantly, away from Bane's ugly mug. Too bad he follows us as well.
The five of us hide behind some of the crates that haven't been moved yet. Hopefully they won't be coming our way anytime soon.
"It's a massive shipment." Aqualad says in awe.
"Yeah but they're only taking new product off the line. They're not touching this Venom." Superboy brings up a good point. Why not take all the Venom? The Venom they're taking, there's gotta be something different with it. Maybe in the make or formula of it…
"Helicopter's coming." Superboy alerts us to this before I keep going on in my own thoughts. We all look out the window, waiting to see the chopper come this way. I only get a glimpse of it, and we can't see the landing or who came from it.
"Miss Martian, surveillance. Do it covertly" Aqualad tells Miss M, to which she nods in agreement and goes into camo mode, flying off to see who has landed.
"We need to move, before they spot us." Me and Superboy nod in agreement, ducking down so no cultists can see us. Bane does the same, though part of me wants to push him out in the open, use him as a scapegoat. Quit that, you're better than him. That's not what Jordan would want you to do.
I shake my head of scapegoating as we walk across the catwalk, with no cultists on the floor with us, and where the ones on the ground can't see us either.
Aqualad, Green Lantern, sending you a telepathic image of the buyer now. Miss Martian tells me this in my mind, with an image of Kobra's buyer along with the message. I see a man with short blond hair, brown eyes, and wearing a grey hockey mask.
"Sportsmaster." We both say together.
"He is the buyer? Aqualad to Red Tornado, do you read?" I try to reach Red too, only getting static in my ear.
"Great, they're jamming our comms."
"Can't reach the League, Kid or Robin."
"Can't even reach Hal or John with my ring, they're too far out of range. We need a plan, now."
"I have a suggestion." Before any of us can ask Bane what he's planning, he jumps off the catwalk and onto the concrete, knocking away two armed cultists. One of them open fires. So much for covert.
Before we can do anything, someone - or something - comes crashing through the windows and jumps onto the catwalk, breaking it and sending the three of us onto the ground. We land on our feet and look to face our opponent, though I'm not sure what he is really.
I see before me a giant, muscular human, I'm assuming, with orange hair and a jaw and pair of teeth big enough to snap a coconut in four. He also has open cuts all over his body, one big one on his right side chest. I can actually see his muscles underneath his skin. And I thought Blockbuster was ugly, this guy takes the prize.
Behind the beast, I see a woman, young, thin and fit for combat, wearing purple and black. On her right ear she has three piercings on it. On the left side of her head is orange hair styled oh so fashionably, and on the right side is a tattoo of a face I believe. Don't even want to know who that is on her head.
And next to her is a man wearing a red robe, with the hood resembling a snake. Under the hood I can see his face - pale white like a ghost. Kobra.
"Destroy them." He commands his monster to attack us. Yeah, like we haven't had this happen to us before.
Superboy charges towards the beast, as does he, grabbing a hold of him until the monster grabs Superboy and brings him up into the air.
While Superboy deals with him, the cultists come our way. Aqualad brings out his water bearers, making a water shield, while I create a construct shield of my own. The cultists keep firing at us, leaving us only to defend. Then I see some of them being knocked down by water. I look over to my left to see Aqualad firing shots of pressurized water through his shield. Not a bad idea.
I construct my shield to add a small energy cannon, but still big enough to knock them back a step or too. I fire a few shots, hitting two of them who fall to the ground. "Hope you don't mind if I borrow your idea!" I yell over to Aqualad, if he can even hear me.
"Not at all, my friend."
I bring back my focus to the battle and I see some cultists being thrown to the floor but not being hit by me or Aqualad. Miss Martian.
I look back, hearing a loud noise hit the wall. I see it's Superboy and the big behemoth still battling it out. But what I don't see is our frenemy. "Where did Bane go?" I yell over to Aqualad. Before he can answer, we hear an explosion in the air, and then Miss Martian being thrown to the wall due to it.
"I'm going for M'gann! You go for cover and try to regroup with the others! I'll meet you soon!" Aqualad looks at me, probably worried that something will go wrong. More wrong than this? I don't think so. But he decides to back up, shield up still, and head for cover.
"Now it's my turn." I turn my energy shield into a green energy whip, lashing all the cultists firing in front of me back onto the floor.
I take flight, while still dodging bullets, and find Miss Martian laying on one of the vats. I go to her side, shake her back to reality, with her eyes opening. "Our radio is jammed. Link our minds now."
She nods in agreement and places her hand on her head, mentally linking me with everyone else.
Everyone online?
Yeah. Superboy says enthusiastically.
You know it, beautiful.
Not now Wally!
We need to regroup, now! Aqualad tells us.
Busy now! That's Robin's voice. But I don't see him.
"I'll find Robin, you regroup with the others." Miss M goes off to meet the others, while I fly out of the factory to get a better look at where Robin is. I turn to where the helicopter is to find Robin facing off against the woman. She must be Kobra's bodyguard. Like he needs one.
Robin, get out of there now!
Since when are you the boss of me?
Since now! I dive in to grab him, but before I reach him, I tackled to the ground by someone wearing body armor, and covering his face with a hockey mask.
"Well well, what do we have here? A Green Lantern fighting alongside these sidekicks, interrupting my deal with Kobra. What brings you to Santa Prisca?" Sportsmaster asks me.
"You wanna know?" I knock him off my back and stand on my feet, taking a fighting stance against Sportsmaster. "Come and find out."
We both rush towards each other, me with a pair of glowing green boxing glove around my fists and him with his own special gloves. We swing a few punches at each other, with me getting a hit on him in the jaw. But he returns the favor with by punching me in the chest. Okay, that hurt more than I thought it would.
Sportsmaster then kicks me in the chest, pushing me back up against the helicopter. He's coming my way, ready to knock my lights out. I won't give him the chance.
I bring my right hand, still with the green glove on it, aiming it at him and extends it towards the sports maniac. But he moves to his right, dodging it easily.
"Did you really think that would work, Green Kid?"
"What makes you think I was trying to hit you then?"
His eyes become filled of realization, with him turning around just as my glove comes back around to hit him in the face. And him hitting the dirt. GL 1, Sportsmaster 0.
I fly over to help Robin in his fight, but before I get to him, I'm knocked down to the ground by a swift kick in the face, then being sent to the ground with a fast punch. When I open my eyes, I see who's giving me this beating: Kobra.
I'm about to make a missile construct to blast him off of me, but Kobra stomps his foot on my right hand, stopping me from making or doing anything. He then kneels down, grabs my arm, releases his foot's grip off of my hand and grabs it just after. And then he does the worst thing anyone could do to a Green Lantern. He takes my power ring.
"Give me back my ring!"
Kobra then stands up, after letting my hand go, and admires my ring. "What a wonderful piece you have here, Lantern. So detailed. So beautiful. So much power in it."
I try getting back on me fight. "You give me back my ring right now or I swear I'll-"
Before I can finish my threat, my face gets sucker punched. I can't open my eyes too much, but I don't need to see to tell that it came from Sportsmaster, the jerk. GL 1, Sportsmaster 1.
I turn my head over and open my eyes just enough to see Robin still fighting the woman. He looks over my way, seeing my pinned down and battered.
I'm coming GL, don't move.
No, Robin! You need to go regroup with the others. I'll be fine, don't worry. Now go!
But Kyle-
GO!
He may not want to, but he does what I tell him. I look up to see Kobra, who's still holding my power ring, and Sportsmaster, who's got this pissed look in his eyes. Making friends everyday, awesome.
"Well, it appears that all your little friends have run off and left you alone with us. And it doesn't look like they're coming to save you, Green Lantern."
...
Wake up!
...
Green Lantern!
...
Wake up! KYLE!
I wake up abruptly from the yelling in my head. I open my eyes and find myself in the warehouse where Kobra's been keeping his new Venom. I try to move, but I can't. I look down to myself and see I've been tied down to a steel pillar. Great job Kyle.
The last thing I remember is duking it out with Sportsmaster, then getting knocked down by Kobra and him taking my power ring.
My ring! Ughhh, great! The one thing I needed to get out of here and they have it. Atleast they can't use it, so that's an upside.
I look out to the field near the helicopter is Kobra, Sportsmaster, his female fighter and mammoth sized man. Most of the cultists are outside as well, mostly putting the crates of Venom onto the helicopter. But others seem to be working on the helicopter for some reason. Something must be wrong, damage down to it during a fight, but not from me. So how-
Robin. He must've messed with the helicopter before he left, making sure Sportsmaster doesn't leave anytime soon. Clever bird.
Now all I have to do is figure a way out of these ropes and get to the others. I look around for anything sharp to cut these myself free, but nothing. Not even a rock.
I then hear someone laughing at me. "It's sad really, taking away the power from a Green Lantern and seeing him just struggle and look for an escape. Good thing I've got a front row seat to it."
"Sportsmaster."
He pulls a crate in front of me but a ways back, and sits on top of it. "You know, I was surprised to see a Green Lantern here at all. I mean, the whole lot of you here is surprising enough, but I never expected a Lantern being on a team of kiddie heroes."
"We're not kids."
"Whatever you say kid." I'm hating him more and more. "So why would a GL be working together with sidekicks like Robin and Flash Jr. ?"
"First off, it's Kid Flash. And second, that's for me to know and you to never find out. So why don't you go up to the bulldozer over there and let him have his dinner? Oh but take off the armor and mask though, we don't want him choking on that pathetic thing you call an outfit." I say with a smirk and a mean look in his eyes.
But Sportsmaster just laughs at me still. "You are starting to become a pain in the ass for me right now kid. You're reminding me of my daughter actually."
That statement actually takes me back a second. "You have a daughter?"
"Surprised? I don't blame you. And while she is a pain, she's also survivor, and tough just like her old man."
"Let's just hope she got her looks from her mother. I feel sorry for this girl that's for-"
Next thing I know there's a fist placed on my chest, which came in really fast and really hard. Okay, that definitely hurt more than I thought it would.
Sportsmaster then takes grabs my face and looks me dead in the eye. "Don't you ever talk about my daughter."
I shake my head and make him release his hand from me. "You're lucky that Kobra took my ring from me. Because if I had it right now, I'd blast you so far you'd be on the moon when you land."
He then digs his right hand in his pocket and brings it back out with a small piece of green jewelry. "You mean this ring?"
I struggle to get free from the ropes and reach for my ring, but to no avail and Sportsmaster just backs up back to the crate.
"Give me back my ring now, Sportsmaster! Give it now!"
"And why should I? If I want to go another round with you, I'd rather it be a fair fight with no weapons and no tools that can create powerful and colorful constructs."
Still angry, I breath in and out through my mouth and nice, calming myself down. "You know it won't work for you. Even if you put it on, the ring only works for a Green Lantern. And if I were to die, it would go in search for a new wearer. Someone who is truly worthy of the ring. And anyone would be more worthy than you, Hockey Mask."
He then places his left hand on the butt of his sword that rests at his side. "I would love to test that theory right here and now, Greenie."
Sportsmaster and I just glare at each other for the next minute, but it feels more like ten minutes.
"But I can't. Along with the Kobra-Venom I'm delivering, my employers would also like me to bring you and your ring in as well."
"Employers? Since when do you do someone else's dirty work?"
"Since now. They have plans, big plans for your friends at the Hall of Justice. And they also have plans for you and your Green Lantern brethren and your bosses as well."
"What do they want with the Corps and the Guardians?"
"Like I know, but whatever it is, I can already tell it's not gonna be good."
My eyes continue to glare at Sportsmaster, my anger rising more and more inside of me. Whatever he and his 'employers' are planning, the League and the Corps will stop them. No matter what.
"Sportsmaster." Both me and him look over to see the woman that was fighting for Kobra is calling to him.
The sports reject stands up and starts walking his way towards the woman. He stops halfway and turns back around to me. "Don't go anywhere Greenie, we're not done yet." He then continues his walk with the woman, making their way to Kobra.
Even with his back towards me, I can feel his smug face smiling at the face he's got his own Green Lantern ring. Well not for long. "I've got to get my ring back from Sportsmaster."
"Good luck with that. You're no match for the guy without your ring."
"I am too! The nerve of some… Wait! Who's said that? Who's there?"
I try twisting and turning myself to at least look behind me to see who just spoke to me, but I'm too tied down.
"Calm down, Green Lantern. I'm not going to hurt you."
"Oh yeah, and why should I believe you?"
"Because if I wanted you hurt, I would've done it back at Cadmus."
Cadmus. No, it can't be… But is it really…
"You were at Cadmus? On the Fourth of July? If you're who I think you are, then come to where I can see you!"
I then hear her laugh, which sounds a lot closer than she sounded a second ago. I try to turn myself as far back as possible, so I can atleast catch a glimpse of her. But when I'm able to barely see behind me, there's no one there.
No, there's no way I could've imagined her voice. She's here I know it!
"All you had to do was ask."
My eyes and ears widen in realization that she's right in front of me. I turn back around and, right in front of my eyes, it's really her: The girl in white.