Chapter 9: All's Fair...

Nothing that they had tried had worked yet, and they had tried a lot of things. They were having even less success than the guys and gals down there facing the thing head on. All the kit, all the advanced technology at their disposal, and none of it was doing a damn thing. Even what Batman and the others had been up to before the cloud turned them into vegetables wasn't an option, not anymore. Blasting it with repulsor beams now that it was in the atmosphere wouldn't be a smart move. They'd only end up getting it to the people of Metropolis faster.

Green Arrow hated to admit it, but they were out of options. From up here, there was nothing more that they could do.

"T., we managed to get the magic circle all in session?" he asked, looking up from his monitors after giving up on his last attempt against the cloud.

"They've all gathered at Dr. Fate's home," Mr. Terrific replied. "I don't really want to disturb them. Last I heard they were trying to use their combined powers against it, but were yet to have any success."

"Yeah, they're not the only ones," Arrow muttered in response. "You got the number of that guy commanding the marines?"

"A General Felix Mulligan, yes," Mr Terrific answered him again. "Do you want me to open a channel?"

"Yeah, I do," Green Arrow was quickly nodding the affirmative, looking back to his screens at the cloud drawing ever closer to the vast, highly populated city. "Gather up every available body we've still got up here, would you? There's no point in us hanging around. It's time to go see how the other side live. We've gotta go see if the marines want a hand in getting that city empty.

"Oh, and T.," Arrow quickly added, watching the developments on the screen ever closer. Things really weren't looking good. Unless Superman, Shayera and the rest could pull off a miracle, or Dr. Fate and his magicians had a trick left up their many sleeves, the cloud would be hitting Metropolis any minute now. It truly was relentless. "Hurry."

Green Lantern was throwing all his will and every ounce of effort that he could muster behind the light of his power ring. The energy cloud couldn't break through the giant barrier he had been able to create, but neither was it being stopped. It just kept on coming, pushing GL backwards through the air as it rammed its full strength against his barrier, and it had plenty of power. GL was trying, but he couldn't resist its force. However, he was managing to slow it down. That was why he couldn't stop. He had to keep this thing as slowed down as he could, and hope that one of the others would find the way to stop it that they had been sorely lacking up until now.

When he had woken up this morning GL had never thought that he would go going toe to toe with a cloud, but here he was. As if to convince himself of the reality and desperate necessity of the situation, Green Lantern dared to peer behind him through the strains of effort he was throwing into trying to hold his ground. They may still be in the skies, but Metropolis was becoming ever clearer to see. Hell, Lantern almost felt like he could make out the whites of the eyes of the people down in the streets below as they all started to take notice of what was going on above them. They were close enough that he could see the panic setting in in the city, and the first signs of the marines coming in to try and take control of the situation.

However, what GL could see the most was that they were already simply too damn close.

"Need a hand?"

The voice was Superman's. Sure enough, the red and blue blur suddenly came into view, the man of steel then visibly hovering between GL and his will-powered barricade. Superman wasn't alone either. She didn't quite posses Superman's speed, but Shayera was not far behind the big Kryptonian, taking up a similar position. However, she wasn't so quick and ready to even look at GL, let alone talk to him. GL knew that was his fault, and it actually hurt him quite deeply. Now, though, wasn't the time to fix that.

"If there's nothing else you need to be doing..."

GL's answer was deliberately non-committal. He knew all about the complete plethora of powers at Superman's disposal from plenty of first-hand experience. He didn't want those to go to waste if there was somewhere else where they could be better used. He also knew, though, that Superman wouldn't be hiding away, especially given this was his city at stake. He would have already tried his powers, likely in every combination he could think of. The fact that he was here now was far from comforting.

"Nothing more important than driving that thing away," Superman returned. "Come on, Shayera. Time to push."

There was no need for GL to change anything that he was doing. He was already putting all his energy into trying to push the cloud backwards. Now, though, he had help. Before his eyes he watched as Superman and Shayera pushed too. They both planted their hands flat against the light he was creating as if it were just an ordinary wall. Then, with all their combined strength and momentum, they began pushing. GL made sure that the only reason the light fought their efforts was because of the cloud pushing back from the other side.

And, what was more, it was working.

GL had been slowing the cloud down before. Now, with the strength of both a Kryptonian and a Thanagarian pushing with him, the cloud was pretty much being held to a standstill. They were doing it. The thing wasn't going away, the measure was temporary, but it was working. It didn't matter if all three of them were having to grunt and groan from the straining efforts. All that mattered was that they kept it up for long enough for a better plan to come to mind.

But, of course up against this thing, GL had grown too optimistic too soon. The bugger wasn't going down without a fight, and it had already proved that it was damn good at brawling, even against the best. This time was no different.

GL saw the energy surge coming before it actually hit. He tried to counter it, to throw more power behind the light, but he had already been giving it full juice. His efforts were futile, completely useless. There was nothing he could really do but allow his eyes to widen in horror as the sudden huge jolt of energy struck.

The green barricade was smashed apart as if it had been made of glass as the tentacle like energy surged outwards, ahead of the main body of the cloud. It was all that GL could do to make sure that enough of the barricade remained intact to shield Superman, Shayera and himself. It just about managed to save them from the same fate that had befallen Batman, J'onn, Wonder Woman and Flash on the Watchtower.

But it couldn't save them from being thrown across the skies as if they had been caught in the shock wave of a bomb blast. GL only just managed to regain control of his flight before he was slamming into one of the luxury towers of Metropolis. He had to catch Shayera before she slammed into him and made it happen anyway.

She was quick to shrug him off of her as soon as she had her own control back, still not saying a word to him, but she didn't fly away. Neither of them could for a brief moment. They were overcome by the shock of seeing the cloud again. Now that the barricade was gone, it was slowed no longer. Before their eyes, the thing was surging forwards. GL could now hear the screams from the people down in the city, a city which he could now reach out and touch. He knew that if he turned around to look through the windows right behind his back, he would likely be face-to-face with scared and screaming citizens who were yet to begin to run.

The energy cloud was almost on them.

Not only that, it was almost on them. That tentacle of energy that had broken GL's barricade had not merged back into the cloud's main body. Instead, it was poised to strike again. Poised to strike right in GL and Shayera's path...

Clearly the building behind the two of them was its true target. Clearly there were still many people inside that vast tower. But that didn't mean that the two of them were in the clear, not for one second. In fact, it put them in even greater danger. They couldn't run away. They couldn't leave all those people in there to suffer and potentially die. They had to try and save them, even if everything they had tried up until then had failed miserably. They had to hold ground and hope they could stop the tentacle this time. They had to hope that it wouldn't stop them.

"Shayera..." GL began to say. The tentacle was poised, its energy levels clearly building. They only had seconds. Despite all his avoidance of her to try and get his head sorted, John Stewart couldn't help but want to talk to her in what could well be their last moments. He had to at least apologise for all that he had put her through. However, she was having none of it.

"Save it!" she quickly growled, her mace firmly back in her grip, itself powering up. Her voice made it clear enough, but the fact that she didn't even want to look at him made it even clearer in that moment. She didn't want to talk. "Just get that ring of yours lit up, fast!"

GL did as he was told. The green light began forming before them, stretched out ahead of them to try and keep the cloud well away from the skyscraper. His jaw clenched even more than before, knowing that facing this could well be their last stand. He only just got the light in place in time before the energy of the cloud began to strike.

And immediately it managed to smash his shield to pieces once again. It had a strength beyond what he could muster. It had a power beyond his. He couldn't stop it.

Once again, his eyes widened in horror, only this time there was no way out. There was no safe zone for them to be blown into. The trap of the building saw to that. Shayera held her mace at the ready, but even as GL tried to reform the shield he knew that there was now nothing either of them could do. He braced himself for the end...

But it never came.

GL felt the edge of the icy wind cross his face, seeing out of his eye corners as Superman flew in with his super speed and began to try and literally blow the cloud away. He wasn't the only one attempting to fly to the rescue either. At the exact same moment, Captain Atom flew in from the opposite direction, sending targeted blasts of radiation right into the tentacle of the cloud. His and Superman's attacks struck at the exact same time, just a heartbeat before the tentacle was about to hit.

After so many failures, they had finally done it. They had finally found a method, a combination that could beat the cloud. The combined efforts of the two strong Leaguers worked. GL, Shayera and all the people in the skyscraper were saved. The tentacle was stopped.

But it wasn't only stopped. An electrical wail split the skies for miles around. It was almost like the cloud was screaming in pain, that what had been done to it was agonising. If they were right and that thing was alive, then it likely was agonising. For the tentacle wasn't just stopped. It was hacked clean off. Freezing irradiation completely severed the chunk of energy from the cloud. GL didn't get the science of it but he didn't care to either. It was like cutting a man's arm off. The tentacle began to fall, limp, even the sparks of energy fading with its source lost.

That might have meant they had cause for celebration. Might. But they didn't. Severing the chunk of energy wasn't enough. It may be severed, it may be draining, but there was still plenty of energy there, enough for it to hold its shape as it dropped. In that instant the old tall tales about what would happen if a penny was dropped off the Empire State Building sprang through GL's mind. He could see countless people on the road down below, crammed in the streets, trapped in the gridlock from their efforts to flee, the marines yet to get them clear.

And the tentacle was heading straight for them.

With his ring GL made a desperate attempt to catch the thing, but the extra power that had been put into the tentacle meant that even severed he could do nothing to stop it. Still not a physical thing, there was nothing Superman, Shayera or Captain Atom could really do either. They tried, they all tried something, but it was all in vain.

With a crack like thunder, the tentacle hit the streets, citizens included. There was the briefest moment when many voices cried out in harmonious pain, and then there was just silence down there. GL saw the bodies fall where the light had hit them. Even severed, the energy of the cloud seemed to have the same effect.

The cloud had just claimed its next set of victims.

"No!" Superman shouted at the sight, clearly feeling the loss. He wasn't the only one either. GL could already feel the lump forming in his throat, but he was also fighting it away. Grief was important, but it could wait. They had to try and make sure there weren't any more people to also grieve first.

However, that didn't stop GL from briefly glancing at Shayera to make sure she was all right, only to discover that she had already flown off, back to join the rest of the fight against the cloud.

"It worked," GL stumbled around the words, almost silently the first time before rediscovering his steely, charismatic voice. "Superman, Captain Atom, whatever you just did beat this thing. Can you use it against the cloud? Can you destroy it?"

"We can..." Captain Atom began in his heavily accented twang, not sounding overly convinced or happy at the idea.

"What the Captain means is, dare we do it?" Superman quickly interpreted. "From what we just saw we could well do more damage than good. Sacrificing ourselves is one thing, sacrificing innocents is another. We have to find another way."

"There might not be another way," GL pointed out, not dancing around the issue. There wasn't time for them to sit around and debate the morality of the situation. They were in it now. They had to deal with it and find a way to accept the consequences. The rest of the Justice League were still battling the cloud, the people were still trying to get to safety. The three of them had to get back to helping, fast.

"We can't–"

But what they couldn't do GL didn't get to hear. Superman's words trailed off. Clearly he had heard something, something that really caught his attention, something so quiet or distant that GL hadn't a clue what it was.

"Keep fighting the cloud. I'll be back in a minute!" Superman then suddenly barked out the orders, without the hint of an explanation. Before GL could ask for one, the last son of Krypton was gone, disappearing with another red and blue blur. Captain Atom merely looked at GL and shrugged.

"Back to plan A it is," he commented, before turning and flying away, back towards the main body of the cloud. Even with the Justice League still fully engaging it, the thing was beginning to position itself right over the city. It was getting ready to absorb massive chunks in one swift blast. Captain Atom was right. With Superman gone, they had to just keep trying anything to stop it.

GL quickly looked back down at the city. He could see the marines moving in, but he could also see that there was a long way to go before the evacuation was done. A long way to go.

The Justice League were still Metropolis' only real hope.

And so GL got back to work, however futile that might be.

"Folks, whatever this thing is, it sure seems powerful," Snapper said, maintaining his usual tone despite the very real dangers going on all around them. Lois had to give him credit. He was a very good journalist...for TV.

The news helicopter had arrived at the roof of the Daily Planet only seconds after Lois herself did. Only a few seconds later than that, they were up in the skies, flying fast up to that...thing. Lois was in the back of the helicopter. Snapper was typically up front with the pilot, as close to the action as he could get, view completely unobstructed. Lois couldn't say the same thing. She had the cameraman with all his gear in her way as Snapper was determined his report wouldn't miss a single second of the action.

But Lois could see enough to know that there was plenty of action happening out there. Plenty. And none of it looked like the good kind either.

She had known Superman for long enough. Hell, she had certainly got caught up enough in his superhero shenanigans. She ought to be qualified by now to recognise these things when she saw them. She certainly felt sure that she knew the signs of Superman and his super friends kicking some bad guy ass.

And she was spotting none of them now. In fact, she was practically seeing the opposite. This cloud thing was giving the Justice League hell.

Yep. This was certainly going to be one hell of a story unfolding right before their eyes. And Lois had got herself in prime position to see it.

Perhaps too much so...

"It's fair to say that this reporter has certainly never seen anything like it, and I'm already hoping that we don't have to see it for very much longer. That said, we will keep bringing you minute by minute pictures of this as events unfold and the Justice League risk all to try and save the world once again," Snapper was still going on, although Lois was only half listening to his commentary. Her eyes were glued to what part of the action she could see, and not only for journalistic reasons. She was keeping an eye on...certain heroes too. That was why she was really on this ride, and she was relieved to say that even though they weren't winning, the Justice Leaguers out there were all still alive.

And it was a ride that could make any roller-coaster pale, especially as they got ever closer to the action. Lois could have sworn that she warned Snapper not to let the pilot get carried away, that they should avoid getting too close. It was a good job for them that there was never really a chance to say 'told you so'.

For to get the best pictures, to truly show this cloud and the Justice League in action, the helicopter had to get in close, no doubt so the audience could feel like they were living it with their heroes. It was good journalism. It also happened to foolhardy, and perhaps stupid. It didn't matter that they were just observers.

They had gone and made themselves into a very prominent target.

Lois saw as Superman, Green Lantern and the former Hawkgirl got blown through the skies by a branch of energy leaping from the cloud. As she tracked Superman across the sky, blocking Snapper out in that moment's worry, she saw it out of her eye corners. It was remarkable considering the size of that thing, and how much it contrasted with the pale blue skies, but it had managed to creep up on them. Part of it, anyway.

For the cloud was beginning to surround them. And none of the others had realised it yet. The pilot was flying them right into a trap.

"Snapper, I know I said I'd keep my trap shut, but we got a problem here!" she called out for all to hear. No doubt that really was all. The live broadcasting microphone would no doubt have picked her voice up. Sure enough, Snapper was quickly flashing a glare back at her for interrupting, but in doing so he made himself face what Lois had seen. That made the anger that had emerged on his face instantly change to fear.

"Get us out of here! Now!" he quickly shouted out to the pilot, stammering around the words. It was odd to hear from such an accomplished journalist, but Lois couldn't blame him. What was happening regarding everyone else had to be completely forgotten. The wisps of energy were virtually in touching distance outside of Lois' window now.

The walls had sprung from nowhere, and they were closing in. Fast.

The pilot actually let out a squeal as he too saw the danger they had put themselves in. Instantly he tried to get them out of there, throwing the controls to full speed instead of the cruising rate he had been going at before so the camera could get the clearest shots. Up until that point, the helicopter's path had been left clear, obviously some part of the trap to keep them thinking they were safe. It was that clear run that the pilot was aiming for. It was also the exact place where the cloud threw up its energies to stop them.

A cacophony of screams and gasps followed that sight. In that instant, even Lois Lane had her life flash before her eyes, despite all of her bravery and aptitude for being rescued from the most ridiculous of dangers. Thankfully, the pilot's reflexes were sharp enough the throw the helicopter into a dive, but that only kept them out of the cloud's energy, diving into the last gap in the bubble that it had formed around them.

But the dive could do nothing for the rotors. Up top there, the helicopter couldn't dive quick enough to get everything through to the clean air. Lois couldn't really see it, but she could certainly hear it, feel it. She was no scientist but she could figure what had happened. This cloud thing seemed to be all about energy. The rotors coming into contact with that vast amount of power must have overloaded them. All of a sudden, they lost all power. There was nothing left to keep them in the air.

The helicopter began to plummet, and fast. Worse, it wasn't far down until the very solid ground of Metropolis. For the second time in seconds, it seemed the end was nigh.

But that wasn't even the end of the problems. Snapper was only just beginning to yell something out when it happened. Apparently the cloud wasn't going to be happy until it had dealt with them itself. Directly. The flash of the energy was almost blinding as a tentacle similar to the one that had attacked Superman and his pals whipped through the helicopter as if it wasn't there.

Instinctively, Lois flung herself back in her seat, as far as she could get. It was a good job too. It meant that she wasn't caught in the light. Very close to it, but she made it out of the way in time. The other three, however, did not. Lois gasped in horror as she watched all three – Snapper, the cameraman and the pilot – go limp.

Then she remembered the very imminent ground, and thought that perhaps they were going to prove to be the lucky ones.

She should have known, though, that such thoughts were too soon, especially with her very powerful, very caring guardian angel around.

He had heard the screams, even over all the ruckus of battle and fear around the city. With his enhanced hearing, he was always listening out for her, always ready to make sure she was all right. It was why he was always there to save her. Despite all that was going on, despite all that was at stake, despite there being many, many others in just as deadly peril, now was no different.

Superman could not let Lois die, no matter how many others would be lost. He could easily sacrifice himself for others should he have to, but never her.

He caught the carcass of the helicopter only seconds before it smashed into the concrete of the streets. He lifted it as if it were nothing but feathers, not even slowing when he did so, despite the desire being intense in him to stop and check that Lois was all right inside it. He had heard the other screams stop, his x-ray vision showing him only one person inside it moving; Lois. He didn't have to have seen what had happened to understand that the cloud had struck again. He was just relieved that somehow it had missed her.

The cloud was still up there in the sky, still close by and getting ever closer to the city. The Justice League were still battling it, but Superman knew that if there was anyone left at the top of the tallest towers, then they would quickly be following the fate of Lois' fellow helicopter occupants. He had to get back up there, to try and stop it, somehow. Just as soon as he had Lois taken to safety.

It didn't take him long to spot where the marines had set up their command post to lead the evacuation. The hub for saving people, it was definitely the safest place in the city, and so the safest place he could take her right now. Even with his speed, he couldn't afford to fly any further, not with all those people at risk.

Within seconds he was setting the helicopter's battered and broken shell down beside the trucks and the troops. Almost straight after, Lois was scrambling out of it, throwing herself at him in a very relieved embrace.

"You took you're sweet ass time," she muttered to him. She sounded annoyed, but Superman knew her better. She was saying a very sincere 'thank you'.

"I was in the middle of something," was his rebuttal, no more explanation needed. "I know you'll want this story, but Lois, please get out of here. Get the marines to get you clear, and get Snapper and the others looked after. I have to get back up there."

"Sure thing, cowboy," she returned, though she did lean in to plant a quick, caring kiss on him. "You be careful up there."

"Aren't I always?" he replied, putting confidence into his voice that this cloud had really stated to drain out of him. With that he made as if to launch, to fly away back to the action and the source of the screams ringing in his ears. However, the shout made him pause for a moment.

"Superman! Wait!"

It was Green Arrow calling. Superman quickly looked up. The man who modelled himself on Robin Hood was striding rapidly across to him, a very official looking military man right at his side. That officer had a scowl on his experienced, battle-worn face that Batman would be proud of.

"This is General Felix Mulligan," Arrow wasted no time in explaining. "He's in charge of the evac operation. He wants a wo–"

"What the hell are you doing?" the General thundered, interrupting Arrow mid-word. He certainly seemed to have a temper, this man. Hopefully he was able to use it the right way. "Why aren't you destroying that thing up there?"

"It's not as simple as it sounds General..." Superman began to try and counter, well aware that there wasn't really time for this. The General knew that too.

"I know damn well how simple it is!" he bellowed so loud that the spittle began flying. "We all saw what happened a minute ago. We know you found a way to destroy that thing! And, yes, before you say anything, we also know the dangers you're method has. My guys on the front lines say those people the bit you broke off hit are all dead, but we don't have a choice. That thing just took out several city blocks while you were playing with helicopters! Hell, it even got the famous Daily Planet building. We don't have time to dither, to worry. We don't have the time needed to get these people out of here. We have to go for the greater good, the lesser evil. If you don't destroy it, more people will be lost than if you do. Now get the hell back up there! Finish this!"

If there was the time for him to be, that would have stunned Superman into a momentary silence. His eyes even began to scan for the signatory globe amongst the rooftops, but he couldn't spot it where it should be. It was indeed shrouded in the darkness. First there was the fact that even more people than he had realised had been lost to the cloud, including his own friends from the sound of things. Perry White... Jimmy Olson... They would likely have still been in the Planet, and if the cloud had absorbed it all... And then there was that other thing. It must have been because the tentacle had been separated from the cloud's main body, but something that he had caused had gotten several people killed.

And he was being asked, perhaps even forced to do so again. If the city was being taken out from under them, perhaps the General was right...

But this certainly was not a call that Superman wanted to make. He didn't know if his conscience could take it.

"Superman!" the General barked, making Superman realise that he had wound up being stunned anyway. The General was staring at him pointedly, Green Arrow likewise waiting for Superman's response. He could also feel Lois stood behind him, likewise staring, expectedly. A lot hung on how he was going to reply.

He did so by raising a hand to his ear, and hoping to high heaven that he wasn't going to wind up regretting this.

"Superman to Captain Atom. We need to regroup. We don't have a choice any more. Regardless of the risks, we need to destroy the cloud. Now."