I'm happy to announce that this story is finally off its hiatus! I've done a lot of thinking, and have finally decided where I want this story to go! I should start updating pretty consistently again, and I hope you all continue reading after that long hiatus I put you through!
() - Thanks for the late review you gave, I will absolutely read Legacies and I'm happy to bounce ideas. And as for background on The Invasion, check out the new poll on my profile and vote… you just might get your wish!
Please review!
Chapter Ten: Rebels with a Cause
"Shit." Quinton grumbled. In a flash, everyone was gone. Flo, Alex, Ethan, gone. "I need help." Q repeated as he paced back and forth. "Tommy, Jesse and Troy… they're still out there, as far as I know. I just need to find them. Where are they? Shit."
Out the corner of his eye, Quinton caught a glimpse of someone watching him from behind a ruined wall. In a quick blur, they were gone. "What the…?" Q moved over to the wall and peered around it. No one. "Weird. I could have sworn I saw somebody." Quinton turned around and promptly collided with another figure. They both fell to the ground.
Quinton recuperated first, and got a good look at his stalker. It was a girl, about his age, maybe a bit younger. She had long, dark hair with a purple streak down one side. She was dressed in an old, oversized Slipknot t-shirt and wore dark colored jeans. She was pale, and very thin, but not nearly as emaciated as most. She looked up at him, revealing beautifully deep eyes, which were a strange shade of hazel… almost golden.
"Who the hell are you?" Quinton asked, quickly deciding she wasn't much of a threat. She looked scared. Without a word, she took off running in the other direction. Quinton used the Atlantean gauntlet Flo had given to create a hard-water lasso, which he quickly roped around her feet, toppling the girl onto the hard ground. "I asked a question."
"Tropelet!" She shouted, and suddenly her body flashed with a bright golden light, and she appeared several feet behind Quinton. They both seemed shocked by this. "No way! It worked!" She exclaimed in celebration.
"Interesting… you're a homo magi." Quinton mused as he adjusted his shades.
"…What?"
"People with an affinity for magic. I read a few books on you, but I didn't realize there were any left alive. Which brings me to another question… what are you doing here?"
"Tropolet!" She shouted again, but this time was less successful. When the light faded, the lower half of her body was planted firmly in the ground, causing her upper body to stick up like a carrot. "Damn it! Should've known it wouldn't work twice in a row…"
Quinton formed a liquid shovel from the gauntlet, and walked up to her. "Look, I'll dig you out of there. But first you have to answer my questions. Starting with, who exactly are you?"
"Alright, um… my name is Fate. My last name is debatable, so we'll leave that alone for now."
"Fate. Alright." Quinton nodded. "Question number two: Why were you stalking me?"
"I wasn't. I was watching Tommy." She folded her arms. "I just kind of… lost track of him. And I figured you guys would meet up with soon, so I stuck behind you."
"Ok then… why were you following Tommy? And for how long?"
"I started spying after you all escaped from Warworld. That was when I found you. As to why… I had a dream. Or a vision. Or both."
"A dream about what, exactly?"
"I guess it was really more of a vision, sorry I-"
"Get to the point."
"I saw the future, ok? Well, later on I did. First I saw Tommy, I didn't know who he was at the time, but I saw him. And then I saw a different kid, some blond guy. I still don't know who he is."
"And?"
"And they were fighting."
"Tommy and the other guy?"
"Yes. Like, brutally. They were trying to kill each other. And then I saw people burning. Everything burning. Everybody on Earth died, and then there was this voice… I can't recall exactly what it said, but the gist of it was that I had to find Tommy and this other guy, and make sure they didn't kill each other, or else the second part would come true. Everybody would die."
"And you believe this dream to be true, because…?"
"You said it yourself. I'm a homomagnet, or whatever?"
"Homo magi. And that doesn't necessarily mean you can just see the future."
"Well I did." She shrugged.
"Ok, moving on. How are you alive? The homo magi were some of the first people Apokolips set out to eliminate."
"Yeah. So one of the first places they destroyed was Nanda Parbat, a mystical temple in Tibet where-"
"Where monks practice spiritual sorcery, I know what Nanda Parbat is. Go on."
"Yeah, so Apokolips wiped the place out and killed everybody, but then they just left the ruins there, and never really did anything with it. So before they died, my parents sent me there, where I would be safe. There was lots of stuff growing in the gardens to keep me fed, and enough of the temple standing to give me shelter."
"Who were your parents?"
"That's complicated."
"Enlighten me."
"Later. Right now, I'm pretty sure I've got tree roots growing up my pants… so if you don't mind digging me out?"
"One more question. Why the hell did you run away from me?"
"I, uh… I've never really interacted with anyone else before. In fact, this is the first time I've ever had a conversation with anybody living. Sure, I'd talk to the spirits in the temple now and then, but they're pretty boring and-"
"So basically, you were nervous?"
"Try terrified."
"Alright then. I have come to one conclusion. You are insane." Quinton sighed. And then he began to dig.
"Am I?"
"Yes. Oh, and one more condition…"
"What now?"
"If I dig you out of there, you have to help me find Tommy and the others."
"Well I was already planning on that."
"Good."
Within forty minutes, Fate had been completely removed from the ground. "Ok, now for my end of the deal. I can track your friends."
"How?"
"I'll need something with their aura on it. Like a piece of clothing, or some jewelry."
"Would hair work?"
"Um… yeah, sure."
"I have some of Flo's hair right here." Quinton said, and began to rummage through his pockets. After a moment he had withdrawn a few locks of silvery hair.
"Why did you have that in your pocket?" Fate inquired.
"Um… that isn't important right now." Quinton stated quickly. "You can track her with this, right?"
"Absolutely."
"Ok then, lets get to it."
"Just give me a minute to cast the spell."
"A spell? Really?" Quinton asked skeptically.
"Yeah. Oh, and you might want to hide behind something. Last time I tried this I blew up a temple."
(Sewers on the other end of the City)
"Not certain of the date right now. I'll ask Q next time I see him, he always keeps track. Long story short, Jesse, Troy and I are on our way to meet Corey, who can supposedly get us into The Hole. And then we can save Allie. And possibly pick up a Kryptonian, if Ethan's right. I don't know exactly what to say right now, other than this… we – will – win. This is Tommy Grayson, signing out." Tommy turned off the video journal and slid it into his pocket, taking a deep breath as he did so.
"Why do you do that?" Troy asked carefully. The question hung pregnant into the air for several minutes before Tommy answered.
"It helps keep me sane. It's a way to put my thoughts into words, without having to worry if someone is really listening. And… I guess it brings me hope, you know? Hope that one day, someone will hear what I recorded, know what I went through. What we all went through. It brings me peace of mind to know that I won't just be forgotten. That someone, somewhere, will hear my story, and remember us all. When I die, I won't just fade out, I won't disappear. I'll continue to live on, through my words."
"Weird." Jesse sighed. "I'm just the opposite. I don't want to be remembered."
"Why not?" Troy raised an eyebrow.
"Because memories are just like a criminal record. People remember the bad things in life, and leave out all the rest. If I have to choose between being remembered as a low-life con artist, or not being remembered at all… then I want to be forgotten.
"It doesn't have to be like that Jesse." Tommy said quietly.
"Yeah man, it does." Jesse dropped his gaze. "You have no idea."
"What are you talking about Jess?" Troy groaned. "Have a little faith in yourself for once!"
"Last time somebody put any faith in me, they died!" Jesse snapped. "I'm not a hero, ok? I'm a runner. That's what I do. I get what I can get, and I run away."
"Then why are you here?" Tommy barked, glaring into Jesse's eyes. "If you're such a bad guy, then why the hell have you stuck around this long?"
"Because I get what I can." Jesse narrowed his gaze. "And you guys are the closest thing I've ever gotten to friends."
"Jesse… we spend most of our time arguing, man. Are we really friends."
"I don't know Tommy! I have nothing to compare it to!"
There was silence. "Come on guys; don't get all emotional right now." Troy moaned.
"Better they get it out now then when they meet Corey." Red Hood warned.
"What's so bad about this Corey guy, anyway?" Troy raised an eyebrow?
"Bad? There's nothing really bad about him… you just have to be careful. He spent the first half of his life in The Hole, remember. He doesn't trust much outside himself. And that makes him pretty, uh… edgy."
"Sounds like somebody else I know." Jesse muttered, glancing away from Tommy.
"At least I can face reality." Tommy muttered back.
"What does that mean?"
"You can't take anything seriously, Jesse! That's what really pisses me off about you, alright? You act like everything is one big joke. People lives are at stake. The freedom of the human race is at stake. And you can't stop laughing at the world long enough to see that."
"You think I don't know?" Jesse exclaimed. "Of course I know what's at stake, Grayson! I think about it all the time. I slip up, people could die. The truth is, I'm afraid Tommy! What we're doing, it scares the hell out of me. And when you treat it like a joke, well… it stops feeling so threatening. There's less pressure. And I keep telling myself that I don't have to take it seriously, because I'm terrified that I'll mess up and get you guys killed!" A tear ran down Jesse's cheek. "I can't go through that again, ok?"
"Again?" Troy chimed in.
"His sister." Tommy said quietly, having pretty much caught on now that her death had somehow been Jesse's fault.
"We're here." Hood said as they came to a dead end in the sewer tunnel.
"What? There's nothing here!" Jesse shouted.
"What is this?" Tommy growled, placing on hand on his knife.
"Calm down, will you? You didn't Corey would just leave the entrance to his place sitting out in the open, did you?" Hood placed his hand on a brick in the wall, and pressed it inward. On the far end of the circular brick room, a large number of bricks began to push apart from each other, revealing a sterling white elevator door.
"And elevator?" Troy took a step back. "Where is that thing going to take us?"
"Where else? Up." Hood replied as he touched the doors, and they slid open. He stepped confidently into the elevator. "You guys coming or not?"
"I guess we've got nothing to lose." Tommy sighed, and followed him in. Troy and Jesse entered reluctantly a moment later. The elevator began to rocket upwards with surprising speed, and after a matter of seconds, came to a complete halt. The doors slid open, revealing a sterling white room, complete with a large couch and a flat-screen TV. There was a gigantic window on the far side of the room, giving a view of the ocean.
"What is this place?" Troy asked in bewilderment.
"This is what used to be Titans Tower. Now it's our sanctuary." Hood answered.
"Titans Tower? As in, Teen Titans?" Jesse asked.
"Yup."
"Hold on, isn't this place, you know, on an island?"
"Yeah. That sewer tunnel was designed as a backup passage."
"Ok, but… how is Apokolips not finding this place? It kind of sticks out, you know!"
"The entire island is covered by Corey's EMP Field Generator. It blocks us from all forms of radar, and he uses his powers to constantly cloak the island itself, making it invisible to outside eyes. It's the perfect hideout, because nobody even knows it's here."
"Nice!" Jesse exclaimed, zooming over to the couch.
"Yeah. A bit too nice." Troy said evenly.
"I agree." Tommy nodded. "Are you telling me this place was left completely untouched in the invasion?"
"No, of course not. Corey's done a lot of fixing up over the years, and most of the floors aren't nearly as nice as this one yet." Hood responded. "Like I said, this was HQ for the Teen Titans, and they were actually some of the last to fall during the invasion. Apokolips decided that a bunch of teenagers weren't a main priority."
"All I know is, they've got TV." Jesse chimed in. He reached for a remote, when suddenly the speedster was plucked from his seat and hurled into a wall. Jesse hit with a loud grunt, and fell to the floor in a heap.
"What the hell was that?" Tommy demanded as he drew his knife. No sooner than he had done this, an invisible force grabbed a hold of him and he was smashed directly into the Troy. The brothers stumbled to their feet, and suddenly found that neither of them could move. It was as if they had been paralyzed. Then a person materialized in front of them. He was tall, in his early or mid twenties, with pale skin and a ragged red t-shirt over a pair of brown pants. His eyes were a dark green color. His hair was brown and short, while a five-o'clock shadow rested on his jaw. There was a cigarette hanging out of his mouth, and a fierce look on his face.
"Hood, you brought outsiders here?" He asked in a strong voice, looking directly at the Red Hood.
"They're cool." He promised, pulling down his hood to reveal his dirty-blond hair, which completely contradicted his dark skin tone. "They're League Kids."
"That means nothing to me. I don't trust a League Kid any more than anyone else." The man barked as he shot Tommy a glare. "Especially not one who pulls Apokoliptian weapons at the first sign of danger."
"What?" Tommy gasped in confusion.
"That knife of yours. Do you even realize it's forged from Apokoliptian steel?"
"It was a gift from my father." Tommy said coolly. Suddenly, he felt himself lose control of his arm, and he involuntarily held the knife out for the smoking man to take. He reached out and plucked the knife from Tommy's grip, looking it over carefully. "You had better give that back right now, if you know what's good for you." Tommy threatened.
"You are no position to be making threats, kid." The smoking man snapped, and suddenly Tommy was overcome by a wave of nauseating pain that put him down on his knees, trembling and fighting not to scream. "I'm in control here." After a moment, the pain ceased, and the smoker handed Tommy the knife back. "It's made from the same metal as the Entropy Aegis. Originally an Imperiex drone, but Apokoliptian forces remodeled it into one of the most powerful weapons in the universe. Superman refused to wear it, but it eventually went to Steel, who used it during the war. Chris will be anxious to see it."
"What are you talking about?" Tommy demanded. "Who is Chris?"
"You'll meet him soon. Probably." The man put out his cigarette and looked at Hood. "What in the hell possessed you to bring them here? You know how I feel about outsiders."
"They said they're friends of Ricochet. And the kid with the knife, he took down Deathstroke. And apparently they're also the ones who brought down Warworld. I figured we could use them."
"I decide who we use." He snapped, but then seemed to calm down. "Although, that is an impressive record."
"So are you going to kill us or not? I'm getting pretty pissed off with your tedious crap." Jesse jumped into the conversation aggressively. The man smiled.
"I like you. Jesse West, right?"
"How'd you know-"
"I've been digging around in all of your minds this whole time. I'm Corey."
"Stay the hell out of my mind." Tommy suddenly barked.
"Mine too." Troy growled.
"Actually…" Corey's face suddenly became even more serious. "I couldn't read yours." He said, and stepped directly in front of Troy. "It's like you have a mental block against telepathy. The only time I've ever encountered that was with high ranking officials at The Hole. Care to explain?"
"Um… I don't know. Maybe Dubillex put it there?" Troy suggested.
"Dubillex… the psychic from Warworld?"
"Yeah. They were buddies I guess." Jesse shrugged.
"Dubillex would have died when Warworld was destroyed. And any block he had put there would have been diminished." Corey reasoned. "So I'll ask you one more time… why the hell can I not read your mind?"
"I told you I don't know."
"Corey, his parents were Wonder Woman and Batman." Red Hood said. "From what I've heard, it seems likely that one of them would have done something."
"Wonder Woman and Batman huh?" Corey narrowed his eyes. "I'm not an expert, but I have seen pictures of them both. If you're their kid, how did you wind up with light hair and gray eyes? They both had black hair and blue eyes."
"Maybe I got it from a grandparent or something." Troy said with an edgy voice.
"Or maybe you're a damn spy." Corey hissed. "What do you sat to that?"
Without another word, Troy grabbed Red Hood by the arm. "What is your real name?" Troy asked.
"Connor Queen." He said as his eyes flashed gold.
"What are you doing?" Corey demanded.
"I- I couldn't resist that one!" Connor shouted.
"Wait… Queen?" Tommy raised an eyebrow. "How old are you?"
"Screw yourself punk!"
"I got this Tommy." Troy grinned, and tightened his grip on Connor's arm. "How old are you?"
After the question was asked, Connor's eyes lit up gold again. "Twenty-four."
"Ask who his parents are." Tommy added.
"Who are you parents?"
"My mother was a Japanese warrior known only as Shado. My father was Oliver Queen, but he was never aware of my existence."
"Do you know anyone named Allie Queen?"
"No."
"Okay, one more question." Troy grinned. "What do you really think of Corey?"
"Corey is a paranoid self-absorbed son of a bitch and I hope he dies of lung cancer." Connor blurted. Then Troy let go of his arm, and a look of horror passed over Connor's face. "Corey… you gonna kill me now, bro?"
"Get out of here." Corey grumbled, and Connor ran down a stairway. "What did you just do to him?"
"I can force people to tell the truth, as a result of my mother's long exposure to the lasso of truth. It works better through physical contact, but I can also do it by looking people in the eyes. And I sense lies, too. Still doubt that I'm Wonder Woman's kid?"
"Look," Corey said after a long pause. "I know a liar when I see one. And you look like a liar."
Corey then turned toward an elevator. "Come with me. There's something I want to show you people."
"Alright." Jesse said and ran up to him. Troy began to follow, when Tommy planted his hand firmly on his brother's shoulder.
"I didn't know you could do that?"
"It never came up."
"Look, Troy, Corey kind of has a point. There's a lot that we don't know about you, and a lot of your explanations for things seem to have holes in them. I know that for a while you were raised by some mysterious aunt, or something? And then Dubbilex gave you a high school education whenever you were in the infirmary at Warworld? I'm sorry man, some of it just doesn't add up."
"Well then I'm sorry you can't trust me." Troy growled, and then followed behind Jesse.
A few minutes later, the elevator doors had opened up and the four were staring into what had to be the basement of the tower. But now it was filled with dozens of men and women, young and old. Some were working out, some were modifying weapons, some were trying on armor, and some were just hanging around and talking. There was a large wall filled with weapons, ranging from old hunting rifles to military-grade firearms (before the invasion of course) and even some modified Apokoliptian weaponry.
"What is all this?" Tommy awed.
"This is the future." Corey smiled. "This is what will become the Resistance."
"Resistance? As in… against Apokolips?" Jesse asked wide eyed.
"Right. Ninety-two men and women, as of right now. We're bound to grow as the fight escalates."
"Who are you they? Where did you get this many people to fight?" Troy questioned.
"Many of them are P.O.W.'s that I broke out of a prison camp a few years ago. That's also where I got Connor, who's now my top lieutenant. Others are scavengers were picked up on the street, who remember the times before the war and want them to come back. Some were even soldiers who fought against Apokolips when the invasion first began. But regardless of their background, they all have one goal in mind; freedom."
"They're all going to die." Tommy chided.
"Excuse me?"
"Corey, you seem pretty smart. Paranoid off your ass, but smart nonetheless. So how in the world do you honestly believe that you can lead ninety-two people, most of them completely untrained, and expect them to stand even a miniscule chance against Darkseid?"
"Are you questioning my ability to lead this team?"
"No, I'm questioning your ability to lead a team anywhere except to their deaths."
After a moment of silence, Corey lit up another cigarette, and nodded toward a door off to the far left. "Come with me. There's something I want to show you." He led the group across the room. As they moved, all of the soldiers stopped and saluted Corey.
"They really respect you." Troy stated.
"They feel like they owe their lives to me."
"And you're probably going to spend those lives too." Tommy muttered.
As they reached the door, a tall girl with long, sandy blond hair stepped in front of them. She wore heavy body armor, and scanned the group over quickly. "New recruits?"
"Potentially."
"No." Tommy jumped in.
"Whoa…" Jesse's eyes widened when he looked at the girl. "Who are you?"
"McKayla Saunders. Former prisoner, until being rescued by Corey."
"McKayla was one of the first to join me in my cause. She has become the combat trainer for the rest of the army."
"Combat trainer?" Jesse snickered.
"Why is that funny?" She demanded.
"Well it's just… what do you way, ninety pounds?"
"Why does that matter?"
"Well you just don't look like much of a fighter to me, sweetheart." Jesse grinned. Suddenly he was pulled toward her and punched in the face, flipping him onto the floor. Jesse zoomed back up toward her, and she flipped him with ease, putting him into a chokehold.
"I could literally break every bone in your upper body right now, from this position." She growled into his ear.
"Please don't do that." Jesse gasped. She shoved him forward, and hit a pressure point that caused his legs to give out, making him fall in a heap on the floor. "Do I still not look like a fighter?"
"I take back every word. How long until I can walk again?"
"Give it twenty minutes and you'll start to feel your legs." She said before heading off in a different direction.
"Just wait here Jess." Troy grinned. Corey, Tommy and Troy continued on through the door that Corey had led them to. They were immediately greeted by the smells of grease and hot metal. On the far side of the room was a man welding. Corey's eyes flashed red, and he sent the man a psychic message. He quickly turned off the welder and removed his welding mask. Turning around to face them with a friendly smile, he revealed long silvery hair and platinum-like skin. "What's up Corey?"
"This is Chris Magnus." Corey nodded. "He's our technician."
"Troy Prince." Troy said to introduce himself.
"Tommy Grayson." The other added.
"Nice to meet you both." Chris stated, shaking both their hands.
"IS IT SO DIFFICULT TO WIPE YOUR DIRTY FEET BEFORE ENTERING THE LABORATORY? YOU ARE TRACKING MUD!" A small floating orb scolded with a British accent. A small mechanical arm came out of the orb, and grabbed a mop.
"That might not be mud. We walked through a sewer to get here." Troy admitted.
"OH, YOUR BODILY FUNCTIONS ARE HORRIBLY SICKENING. HONESTLY, I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW YOU HUMANS CAN STAND TO LIVE WITH YOURSELVES."
"What is that thing?" Troy laughed.
"That's Skeets 2.0. He used to follow around the hero known as Booster Gold, but both were killed in the invasion. I salvaged what I could and built that little guy to help me out with projects." Chris explained.
"What kind of projects?" Tommy inquired.
"Creating weapons, mostly. We need an arsenal that can stand up to Apokoliptian technology. I've got a lot of blueprints drawn up, but haven't gotten much done past prototyping."
"You said your last name was Magnus? Where have I heard that before?" Troy inquired.
"Probably thinking of Doc Magnus, the guy who created the Metal Men." Chris smiled proudly.
"So are you like, his son or something?"
"No, he never had a son. I was his last creation."
"Creation? What does that mean?"
Suddenly Chris's body turned into solid steel, and he morphed his hand into a large iron hammer. "Whoa." Troy acknowledged.
"I'm the first ever Organic Robot. A living being with various nanobots mixed in with the cells, which upon command can access my molecular coding to a degree and modify it. To dumb it down, I can basically transform my body into any material in the nanobot's database."
"So for example, if you wanted to turn into glass…?" Tommy prompted. In response, Chris morphed into a glass figure of himself.
"I mostly change into metals. But versatility is always good." He reasoned.
"Listen, Corey…" Tommy turned around with an above-serious expression. "We still haven't told you why we're here."
"And why would that be?" Corey inquired, pulling a chair from one of Chris's many tables to sit down. Tommy did the same.
"Well like we told you, we're friends of Alex-"
"You mean Ricochet?"
"Yeah, sure."
"Ricochet that thieving bastard." Corey grumbled.
"What?" Tommy raised an eyebrow.
"Connor wasn't always my top lieutenant. For a long time, that was Ricochet. But he had little interest in total liberation. All he really wanted to do was take out Granny Goodness, on some convoluted revenge scheme."
"Goodness? He's never mentioned her before."
"He won't, he's tricky that way. He'll lull you into trusting him, until he has you blindly following whatever he says. And that's when he uses to get what he wants. The son of a bitch wanted to take all our troops and raid some base that he thought Goodness might be in. He was willing to risk everyone's life on a hunch! I told him no, and he got pissed and tore apart my entire EMP Field Generator, then he took off. It took Chris three months to rebuild it. That's three freakin' months we all had to hide out in the sewers, all because that asshole Ricochet threw a temper tantrum!"
"That would explain where he got the tech to build that EMP gauntlet of his." Troy pointed out.
"Build it? He stole that design from me!" Chris interjected.
"He steals everything. That's what thieves do. He's like a super intelligent, manipulative and sneaky version of your friend Jesse. Don't trust him, he's probably planning on screwing you all over too."
"I don't think so." Tommy shook his head. "Alex seems pretty set on our goals."
"Oh really?" Corey leaned forward and took the cigarette out of his mouth. "Has he even told you his last name?"
"Well… no."
"We just figure its something embarrassing, like Hoobermeyer or something." Troy shrugged.
"Heh, that's cute. But you should look into that sometime. I think you'll be surprised." Corey grinned. "Anyway, you were telling me why you came here?"
"Right, yeah…" Tommy snapped back to reality. "A friend of ours, Allie Queen. She's-"
"I know who she is. She's been all over your thoughts this whole time." Corey interrupted. "She's in some kind of trouble, right?"
"Big trouble. You see, a little while ago, we infiltrated Themyscira, and things were going well at first… but then the Furies showed up, and beat the hell out of us. We all woke up in Warworld, except for Allie. She wasn't with us… and after talking it over a bit, we decided she must be at The Hole."
"The Hole? And that's why you came to me, right? You want me to help you get inside to rescue your friend?"
"Yes."
"Sweet. But stupid, and also impossible. I was lucky to get out the first time; there is no way in hell I'm ever going anywhere near there again."
"We need you. Without your help we'll be killed on the spot."
"And with my help you'll be killed in an hour, at the most. When I escaped, it was on my own, and it took months of careful planning. There is no way that I can sneak an entire group in there on short notice."
"Then just take me." Tommy narrowed his eyes.
"Tommy-" Troy started to argue but his brother cut him off.
"I'm getting her out of there, with or without a team. That's all there is to it."
"I already told you I am not going back to that place."
"Then draw me a map. You must remember it, right? Just tell me what to do and I'll do it myself."
"They've probably updated all the security since then! And anyway, it wouldn't be possible for you to do what I did. You can't shapeshift."
"I'll improvise."
"You really think you've got all the answers, don't you kid?" Corey grimaced. "Tell me, what if you get to your little friend, and she's already been brainwashed. She doesn't even remember who you are, nor does she care. She's had her mind wiped, and she's training to be the perfect killer. What happens then?"
"That won't happen. Allie's got the strongest will you'll ever find."
"And The Hole has the worst torture you'll ever find."
"All the more reason I need to get her out of there."
"I'm sorry kid, I can't help you. You're welcome to stay the night, and think about joining my army. If you decide not to, then be gone by sunrise." Corey got up and began to leave.
"Please!" Tommy broke in with a shaky voice, looking down to hide the threat of tears in his eyes. "Please, Corey. I've never begged for anything before. But I am begging you… please help me. Allie is the only person I've ever considered a friend, the only person I can say I've ever really cared about… ever loved… and now my friend is trapped in The Hole, and she needs my help!"
"Then your friend is lost. You're gonna' have to face it kid, people come and they go. That's how life works."
"But isn't your goal to change life? Isn't that why you're building this army in the first place?"
"I thought you said they'd all die?"
"They probably would… but Corey, think about how many more people we could bust out of The Hole… how many potential soldiers… a lot of them metas!"
"Figures. You're just like your buddy Alex, willing to sacrifice as many lives as you need to for your own goals."
"I don't want anyone to die! Not your soldiers, not Allie, nobody. I've already got enough blood on my hands Corey…"
"What does that mean?"
"It's my fault Dinah died… its my fault Steppenwolf's planet was destroyed… hell, its even my fault we got captured on Themyscira, its my fault we were even there! So really, it's my fault that Allie is in The Hole right now. I'm done with the guilt Corey."
"Kid-"
"Everything I touch turns to shit! Do you get that now? I'm supposed to lead a team, I'm supposed to take on Apokolips, I'm supposed to save everyone, I'm supposed to do all that when I can't even get my own damn head on straight!" There was a moment of silence before Tommy continued. "I'm tired of watching people die because of me, Corey. And if you help me get Allie out of there, I swear to you, it won't happen. I'll double the size of your army, and make sure you don't lose a single soldier, even if I have to jump in front of all the ammunition myself! I'm not going to have any more blood on my hands Corey. Especially not Allie's. So please, I am begging you, please help me out."
"Nice speech kid." Corey turned around to face Tommy. "But answer me this, who came up with the idea that Allie was even in The Hole?"
"I'm pretty sure it was Alex. And don't call me kid again."
"Interesting. Because remember how I said Ricochet wanted to lead my army into some random base on a hunch, that Goodness might be there? Well guess what… it was The Hole. That's the same damn place he wanted to lead my team. He's doing the same to you, the only difference is he has better bait."
"Shut up Corey…"
"You really think Allie's at The Hole? That's just what Ricochet wants you to think, so he can get his way." Corey leaned in closer. "Allie is probably dead at the bottom of a furnace right now. What do you think about that… kid?"
In a blur, Tommy drove a punch right into Corey's left eye. Corey stumbled back and Tommy grabbed him by the throat. Corey tired to overpower Tommy, but his sporadic super strength kicked in and Tommy smashed Corey onto a metal table so hard that it shattered. He held his right hand tightly on Corey's throat, and used the other hand to mercilessly beat him in the face, drawing more blood with each strike. Rage was seething off of Tommy like never before, and the more blood he saw, the more frenzied he became.
Chris morphed his arm into a metal blade, and came around back to impale the young hero. Moving quickly, Troy put Chris in a headlock and flung his face into a wall with thundering force. "You try to stab my brother again; I'll break your damn neck."
Corey managed to get the upper hand on Tommy for a moment, and struck him the face hard enough to draw blood. Tommy turned back around quickly, and Corey was surprised to see that the wound was already closing up. "You really do have some Amazonian blood in you, huh ki-" His jaw met Tommy's foot. Once on the ground, Tommy unsheathed his knife, and raised it high in the air, right above Corey's face!
"Whoa, Tommy, too far bro!" Troy shouted. Tommy didn't even hear him. He tightened his grip, and prepared to plunge the knife downward. "Tommy no! Don't do it man! There are ninety two people with guns out there who are going to be really pissed off if you do that!" Troy pleaded. Without another moment of hesitation, Tommy flailed the knife downward. "No! No!" Troy was shrieking now, but it was too late. The knife's jet black blade soared down toward Corey's head. And then there one sickening sticking noise, and everything fell silent.
Tommy stood breathing heavily, wide eyed. He stood up, his hands shaking. And lying on the ground at his feet was a panting Corey. He was breathing so heavily that Troy thought he might actually suffocate himself. The knife had plunged directly into the floor no more than a millimeter from Corey's head, slicing his cigarette off and drawing blood from the tip of his nose. Corey stared at his reflection in the knife, and took a long, collective breathe.
"I told you not to call me a kid. And by the way, asshole, you really shouldn't say that kind of thing about Allie. Next time, I'll cut a whole lot more than just your nose." Tommy growled. Then he plucked the knife out of the floor, slid into the holder, and walked toward the door. "Come on Troy. Let's get out of here." Tommy shot Corey one last gaze. "We've wasted enough time on him."
Troy released Chris from the headlock, and tapped him on the cheek. "Get back to factory work, Tin Man." He then followed his brother out the door. Once they were out of earshot from Corey, Troy whispered, "Dude, that was absolutely badass."
"We should never have even come here. That paranoid idiot is about as much help as a match underwater." Tommy grumbled while he searched the room for Jesse. He eventually spotted the speedster chatting it up with some soldiers in the corner, holding a hot dog in each hand, and wearing a beer helmet. "Jesse, we're leaving." Tommy shouted.
"Already?" Jesse groaned, and zoomed over to them. "I just got the feeling in my legs back!"
"Good, we've got a long walk through the sewer again."
"So… Corey isn't going to help us?"
"No."
"Tommy almost killed him." Troy added.
"Oh good then, it isn't just me." Jesse rolled his eyes. "So where are we going to go now?"
"Anywhere but here. If these morons want to get themselves killed on day one, that's up to them."
Just as the trio reached the elevator, there was a thundering blast, and the entire room shook. Then the ceiling began to crumble. Everyone looked up in confusion, and the roar of engines could be heard.
"Oh no." Tommy groaned.
There was another crash, and this time a large section of the ceiling exploded into a hail of shrapnel, causing a massive panic. A large ship began to descend, and a small army of drones and Parademons started to spill from it! Soldiers scrambled to grab their weapons, and some even got a few shots in, before a looming figure descended from the ship, hovering with menace. He outstretched his hand a wave of pure force erupted out, blowing most of the soldiers off their feet. He gave his army a signal to cease fire. His gaze floated to Troy, Tommy and Jesse, and he smiled maliciously.
"Grayven." Troy grumbled.
"Who?" Jesse asked swiftly.
"Darkseid's son. Bad news."
Suddenly, Grayven erupted in laughter. "How perfect! Not only did I find the remaining three fugitives I was assigned to, but I stumbled across the infamous Corey Jones, and his island of misfit toys! Father will reward me greatly for crushing this little uprising!"
"Shit! How did they find us?" Tommy whispered hoarsely.
"I don't know, but it must have been us." Troy stated, a guilty look on his face. "Tommy, we led them here! We put all these people in danger!"
"They put themselves in danger by being here in the first place." Tommy argued.
"Tommy… we did this."
"I know."
"And now, the piece de' résistance!" Grayven waved, and three floating chambers levitated down from the ship, all carrying a different prisoner, bound and chained in energy handcuffs and other restraints. Tommy's eyes widened when he saw the prisoners. Alex, Flo, and Ethan!
"They got them too?" Jesse gasped. A new figure floated down behind Grayven, this one a deathly pale and thin main, wearing all green, with his brain protruding visibly from his head, protected by a glass dome.
"That's Psimon!" Troy gasped. "That must be how they found us… he's one of the most powerful telepaths on Earth."
"And I'm guessing he's not a good guy?" Jesse groaned.
"Not a chance."
Out the corner of his eye, Tommy caught a bright flash on the corner of the gaping hole in the ceiling. He looked closer toward the flash to see Quinton, holding a chunk of broken glass to reflect sunlight and signal Tommy. With him was a dark hair girl who Tommy had never seen before, but regardless, they both looked like they could easily get the drop on Grayven. Thinking quickly, Tommy examined the odds. His army has us beat in both numbers and firepower, but we've got the element of surprise with Q and that girl… Corey should take on Psimon, since they both have psychic powers. Chris and Connor will probably both be useful in a fight, too. We distract Grayven while Corey's guys hold back the army for a bit, and Quinton and that girl can sneak in and free Alex, Flo and Ethan. Once we're all together, we just might stand a fair chance!
Tommy looked to Corey, who nodded to signify that he had read his mind and understood the plan. Grayven was obviously about to make his move. It was time for Tommy to make his.
"What do we do?" Troy whispered.
"Simple." Tommy replied with powerful confidence. "We gamble."