Justice League Past Imperfect 67
Mary Marvel flew over the trenches sheltering Kaznian troops. The men and women there were the castle's last line of defense. She spied a back door into the castle and came to the ground. Soldiers rushed her.
Flinging infantry troops to one side and the other, she made her way to the door and caved it in. Alarms sounded and the trenches depleted themselves as GI's scrambled to stop her. She grinned as they used machine guns, assault rifles, bayonets, grenades, and flame throwers in a vain attempt to kill her. A part of her almost felt sorry for them. Almost.
Captain Marvel and Black Adam landed in front of the first row of tanks. Marvel turned to Adam, "No killing!"
Adam looked wounded, "I'm not bloodthirsty, Captain. I just believe that you occasionally have to set yourself up as judge and executioner of heinous criminals. These poor soldiers have been duped. My wrath is not directed towards them."
"Just keep it that way… Oof!" a thunderous explosion resounded as the first 105 mm HEAT round from a tank slammed into him. Marvel was hurled back towards the emptied trenches.
"Careless Captain." Adam grinned, "Very… Ugh!"
Adam made his own trench as he slid up beside Marvel. He sat up, "I think we should move now."
"Yeah, I think you're right." Both of them leapt to the air as several tanks opened up with their .50 caliber machine guns. Marvel came down in front of the lead tank. Taking a firm grip of its main gun, he yanked it out of the turret. Next he stepped up on top of the tank and took the turret by either side and lifted it up off of the tank.
The soldiers inside of the damaged armored unit fled. Before Marvel could decide what to do next, another tank shot him with a sabot round. He flew backwards. As he stood, four tanks opened fire with HEAT and sabot rounds. Between the explosives and the oversized bullets, he was thrown into the trenches and he didn't get up.
Adam too found himself barraged by enemy fire. The tanks tried a risky circular crossfire and he was struck unawares, not believing that they would actually fire. He went down on his hands and knees and sat motionless as he tried to recover his wits. Another tanks fired and the shot hurled him into yet another tank. He fell before it and it rolled atop of him and there it stayed.
Aztek faced incoming helicopters. The Kaznian air force had also diverted away from the Gordonian saucers as they sought to engage J'onn's team on the ground. Four planes remained on station to attack Captain Atom while two dozen others headed for the castle grounds. Aztek flew in to meet them.
They fired Sparrow missiles at him. He destroyed the missiles but was unprepared for their strafing runs. His armor protected him but the impacts still hurt. The next wave of missiles caught him unprepared and he hurtled into the ground below. There, a tank ran over him and squatted there atop him.
Hawkgirl led Hawkman and Kestrel at the jet fighters. They crippled planes as they passed by. They dove and wove in between missiles and Vulcan cannon bursts.
The Kaznian pilots learned to keep their distance and instead relied upon their cannons. When a Thanagarian tried to engage them, they used their afterburners to break away. Then they would swing around and re-engage.
The Amazons and Steel landed, leading the Javelin shuttles in for a VTOL touchdown. The assorted JLers and Legionnaires scrambled out of the shuttles. Batman almost smiled when he saw Mary's handiwork. He made a mental note to commend her later.
He gathered up his team, "The main gate is being guarded by six guards next to the security booth controlling the gate. Rag Doll, I need you to sneak over there and distract the guards."
"All by myself?" Rag Doll yelped.
"The Huntress and Commander Steel will be following you. I just need the guards too busy to sound the alarm."
"Okay." Rag Doll cheerfully replied, "Consider it done." He turned to the Huntress and Commander Steel, "Well Toots, ready to bail my butt outta the fire?"
"Be a little more respectful." Commander Steel warned.
"Sure, sure, you all-American patty cake." Rag Doll laughed, "But let's get to it before the sun goes down, okay?"
That requirement left them five more hours in which to succeed and that was only because it was summer.
Mary brushed her hands off on each other. The bulk of the Kaznian defenders lay unconscious all around her. They'd put up a good fight but still wasn't good enough when your opponent was empowered by the Greco-Roman goddesses Still, Doctor Fate had said that some of those same gods and goddesses were aiding Savage. What would happen if they decided to suddenly yank her powers away?
She looked around. Steel was attacking the approaching helicopters and Big Barda was leading an assault against the tanks and remaining helicopters. On one hand, the battle looked one sided in the Kaznians favor but she knew her teammates. They'd overcome the obstacles laid out on front of them.
She still wasn't certain that bringing in the Legion of Doom was such a good idea but Athena's wisdom told her it may turn the tide at the end of the day. She caught a flash of orbs of light out of her peripheral vision. Seeking them out she watched as they expanded and coalesced into the very gods she'd been worrying about.
Except…none of the pantheon that endowed her were present. She couldn't see any of Captain Marvel's either. The Egyptian gods were also notably absent. That meant that Black Adam was safe as well.
Every other pantheon was represented by at least one god or goddess. Inwardly, Mary quailed but then her supernatural courage took hold and she decided to act. Ares seemed to be the head honcho, so she decided to start with him.
Wonder Woman led the Amazons, Amazo, Zatanna, and Tala to a position before the Olympians, Asgardians, and assorted deities. She stood before her forces. The Marvels, Black Adam, and Aztek were supposed to be there as well. Not finding them, Wonder Woman spoke.
"Hail Ares." She began, "What are your intentions?"
"My intentions are to take this world back." He rumbled, "By force if necessary."
"All of you are seeing an increase in worship." Wonder Woman pointed out, "This isn't necessary."
"Oh, but it is, Little Princess." Ares chuckled, "Will you oppose us?"
Wonder Woman's reply was a simple, "Of course."
"Then die!" Ares bellowed as he drew his sword.
Suddenly, Mary slammed into him. She followed him as he reeled and then when the moment was opportune, she delivered a mighty right cross that sent him staggering. She then turned on Thor and went after him.
Wonder Woman yelled, "Let's go!"
Amazo and the Amazons took to the air. Wonder Woman and the other two Amazons attacked the gods one on one while Amazo used his powers to unleash hell upon an unsuspecting god or goddess. Zatanna and Tala did their best to mystically bind who they could but their powers were still outmatched by the weakest of gods. However, they gave ground slowly.
Thor struck Mary upside the head with Mjolnir. She fell and he hefted the hammer high in the air. Being the god of thunder and lightning, he charged his hammer with both until the air rumbled and lightning danced across the hammer head.
Captain Marvel suddenly appeared, delivering a massive right cross that hurled Thor away. He reached out a hand and helped Mary to her feet, "Sorry I've been away."
"Skip it." Mary laughed, "Just join in."
Marvel watched in wonder as his sister gaily leapt into the fray and made Marvel wonder about her sanity. However, Atlas's courage began to overwhelm him and he too threw himself into the fight with abandon.
Two different tanks were lifted into the air. Black Adam held one aloft and Aztek another. Seeing each other they threw the tanks at each other. They collided with one another and landed in a heap on top of a third tank.
Seeing that Barda's forces were effectively dealing with the tanks, they left. Aztek pointed towards the divine melee, "I think that is where we're supposed to be."
"It does look like the place." Adam agreed, "Let's go!"
Black Adam confronted a Celtic god no one could remember the name of while Aztek fought Kali. Ares focused on Wonder Woman, "You should not have come."
"Neither should you." She challenged him.
He aimed the tip of his sword and a blinding light was emitted from the tip. Wonder Woman deflected it with her bracelets but as it built in intensity she began to wonder how long she could last. Just then a lightning bolt struck Ares and he dropped his sword.
Hovering on a cloud above them were Zeus, Apollo, Hephaestus, Athena, and Artemis. Beside them were Odin, Heimdall, Aegir, and Sif. Doctor Fate floated between them and none of them looked very pleased.
"All-Father…" Thor began.
"I know that you crave the attention once bestowed upon you, my son, but this is not the way to get it back." Odin pronounced, "You are banished from Midgard for a two thousand year span."
"But father…" Thor pleaded.
"My will is absolute." The sky flashed as Odin spoke, "Loki!"
"Present." Loki held up his hand.
"You are hereby banished to Midgard." Odin said soberly, "But, most of your godlike strength and powers will be stripped from you."
"What?!" Loki cried out. Odin stretched forth his hand and a ball of energy was torn from Loki's body and it came to Odin and was absorbed.
"Go forth and divide my kingdom no more." He commanded.
"Zeus, what is the meaning of this?" Ares demanded.
"Watch your tongue." Zeus bit back, "I am king of the gods, not you. I have many reasons to be displeased with you, Ares. Don't make rebellion yet another."
"But I'm only trying to…" Ares protested.
"I know what you're trying to do." Zeus replied, "But this is why I forbade such a course of action a thousand years ago. The mortals must find their own way. If they return to us, so much the better. But if they don't, we shall survive."
"But…" Ares whined.
"There are no 'buts'!" Zeus thundered. He gestured towards the Marvels, "We had hoped our agents would make you see reason." His arm's expanse swung to include Wonder Woman, Superwoman, and Wonder Girl; "Diana, our chosen, and these unknown sisters of hers also played a part in helping you stop yourself but you chose to ignore them."
Zeus's countenance grew even graver, "I can think of only one suitable punishment. Hades' perfidy has been discovered. Queen Audrey is being restored to her people. You shall take her place. You will serve as Hades' apprentice for a thousand years with no chance of reprieve or parole…starting now."
Energy enveloped Ares and he disappeared in a flash. Zeus turned to the other gods, "Go home. Besides these mortals, you have those gathered before you set against you. Even a Lord of Order is here to stand against you. Leave. Now."
They all disappeared in flashes of light. Zeus turned to Odin, "My thanks All-Father."
"It has been a sorry business." Odin said as he cast his good eye towards Loki, "Stay here and learn charity from these people. It will warm your frozen heart."
"But I'm the child of frost giants." Loki bitterly muttered as the Asgardians faded from sight. When they'd gone, he trudged off into the distance away from the fighting.
"Now for this piece of unfinished business." Zeus said and Audrey appeared from a bolt of lightning.
"Diana!" Audrey joyfully cried and ran into Wonder Woman's embrace.
Wonder Woman returned Audrey's fervent embrace, "It's good to see you too. I see you're growing up."
"And you're just as beautiful as ever. Not a single line on you." Audrey exclaimed.
"The price of being immortal." Wonder Woman chuckled.
"It's disgusting. Why can't I be immortal?" Audrey whined.
"Not too grown up, I see." Wonder Woman opined.
"Ladies, a moment please." Zeus gently cajoled them.
"Forgive me, Lord Zeus." Wonder Woman bowed her head.
"Diana, look up." he gently coaxed her, "We are all grateful for your efforts."
He turned to the Marvels, "We are grateful to all of you. Shazam has chosen wisely…this time."
Black Adam grated under the scrutiny but he held his tongue. Fate floated down from the cloud the Olympians rode upon and came to rest beside Wonder Woman. He folded his arms across his chest and waited for what would occur next.
"Farewell, my children." Zeus said in a jolly voice, "We are off to Olympus."
The Olympians disappeared in a tremendous flash of light. When it faded, Fate spoke; "See to the others, Princess. I shall care for the Queen. Nothing shall harm here."
"Mind what he says, Audrey." Wonder Woman instructed the Kaznian monarch, "It will save your life."
Audrey remained silent as Wonder Woman's team moved into another fray.