Justice League Cardinal Sin 74

The boom tube opened a hundred feet in the air above the ocean waves. The Little Mermaid executed a flawless swan dive as she ran out of the tube. She plunged into the water and swam even deeper.

Her gill slits opened and she began to filter oxygen from the water. Her legs merged and became a finned tail. Her sharp eyes were aided by her sonar and she easily spotted the two submarines waiting for her.

One bore a disk-like shape. It resembled a giant clam which was apropos for a ship named the Razor Clam. Appropriately, her captain was the infamous Clam.

The Clam was a result of genetic engineering gone awry. Seeking to evolve various sea creatures to full sentience, Dr. Winston Winslow had elevated the intelligence of dozens of fish and mollusks. The Clam had been his greatest success…and his greatest failure.

The Clam was a veritable genius. He was also enthralled by legendary pirates and the lore of piracy. He tricked Winslow into hiring engineers to construct his unique sub. Next he recruited an unsavory crew. Finally, he had Winslow executed.

The Clam took to the sea and never looked back. Over time he became the most notorious pirate whose reputation was only eclipsed by Devil Ray. The two came to respect one another so their rivalry was a friendly one.

Devil Ray's sub, the Nemo, was an advanced military prototype that he had "stolen" from LexCorp. An attack sub, she was outfitted with the latest Next Generation torpedoes. She also wielded surface to surface missiles, including cruise missiles. When her magazines ran low she simply raided a naval base for more.

The Little Mermaid was specifically rendezvousing with the Nemo. She swam underneath it and saw where the diving trunk was open. She headed for it with such force that she leapt out of the water inside of the sub.

She caught an overhead handhold and her tail reverted to being legs. Her gill slits seamlessly molded back into her neck. She swung herself out and planted her feet on the deck.

Devil Ray impassively watched the show. Finally, he spoke; "Most impressive. Let's hope you display such vitality when it comes to reeling in our prize."

The Mermaid accepted a towel from a steward and she began drying herself, "You and the Clam worry about the surface units and I'll worry about the drill."

"I've offloaded the DSRV so the landing bay is prepared for the drill's arrival." Devil Ray revealed, "All we need now is to carry out the mission."

The Mermaid smiled, "Don't worry. This is one oil derrick that won't know what hit it."

"I tend to agree with you." Devil Ray confessed, "But a little caution is never unwarranted. The Clam is on the line. Let's go over the plan one more time."

"No problem." The Little Mermaid readily agreed, "There's a few fine points that I'd like to go over again anyway."

"We'll be at the rig in twenty minutes. So it sounds like now's the time." Devil Ray replied, "If you'll follow me I'll lead you to the bridge."

"Carry on, O Captain my Captain." The Mermaid quipped. Inwardly she wondered, once again, why she was here and why she was allied with criminals like Devil Ray and the Clam. Or the entire Legion of Doom for that matter? She just couldn't figure it out.

In Brazil, Volcana, Blockbuster, King Kull, the Weed, and Atomic Skull appeared before a massive carved out hillside. Individual laborers littered the landscape. Backhoes and steam shovels carved away new sections of rock and dirt thereby exposing new veins of ore.

The object of their desire was located at the furthest point away. The three-headed drill was boring into piles of rock. When it struck gold ore it spat it out through a chute that shunted off the material left after the rock was crushed between the grinding drill bits. For action movie junkies it looked familiar.

"It looks like a Martian drill machine from 'Total Recall.'" Atomic Skull opined.

Blockbuster laughed, "That's what I was thinking."

"Reality check, boys." Volcana snapped, "This isn't a movie. It's real life."

"They've spotted us." King Kull announced, "They've sent armed guards. I will deal with them."

The sight of a subhuman dressed only in a leather loin cloth, leather boots, and a horned helm greatly amused the security men. They yelled, in between fits of laughter, at Kull in Portuguese. He ignored their entreaties to stop.

Eventually his heavily muscled form and murderous eyes alarmed them. They drew their weapons and gave one last warning. King Kull leapt into action and lashed out at them. For the most part, modern men weren't prepared for the savagery of a barbarian warlord. They were struck down within a minute.

Other workers started stirring. Volcana sized up the opposition, "Blockbuster, Weed, create a distraction. Kull, I want the miners cleared out of here. Some heroic fool may interfere."

She turned to Atomic Skull, "You're with me."

"Always." He said.

At another gold mine in South Africa, Major Disaster, Bane, Big Sir, and the Bronze Tiger emerged from their boom tube to find panicking miners fleeing from them and their tube. Bane snorted in disgust, "I was hoping for a challenge, not these sheep."

"Wait until the Justice League arrives then you'll have your excitement." Major Disaster advised.

"Do you really think they'll come?" Bane asked hopefully.

"They always come." Disaster sighed, "Why should today be any different?"

"Muy excellente." Bane opined, "We can only hope."

"Let's just try and find that drill before they arrive, okay?" Disaster suggested.

Offshore, near the Russian coastline in the Caspian Sea a newly constructed oil derrick was preparing to sink their first drill. The soil in this part of the seabed was extremely rocky. It was a particularly dense rock so a special drill head had had to be brought in from Wayne Enterprises. Little did Lukoil know that that very same drill had garnered them the attention of the Legion of Doom.

A boom tube opened on the main platform and Solomon Grundy, Killer Frost, Metallo, Firefly, and Silver Banshee exited it. Several Russian workers grabbed assault rifles and opened fire. Grundy blocked most of the bullets. Metallo was also immune. Killer Frost erected an icy barrier and even the armor piercing rounds had difficulty penetrating it.

Silver Banshee opened her mouth and she began to wail. Hearers of her shriek began to wither and die. Most of the workers began to abandon the derrick. They cast off in helicopters and boats. Grundy went to the drill shaft and began to pull the drill head up.

On the fields of Azerbaijan another team of Legionnaires appeared. Galatea took flight as Atom Smasher, the Enchantress, Captain Boomerang, and Plastique sized up the situation. The Wayne drills were being used to burrow into the earth in search of crude oil.

Galatea used her X-Ray vision to locate the two drills. She swooped low and guided the others to the appropriate sites. Atom Smasher chased off one crew while Galatea dealt with another.

As the two began to pull the drills up, Boomerang and Plastique dealt with the approaching members of Lukoil's private army. Plastique blow two derricks down on their heads using mines that she'd planted while the two muscular Legionnaires sought their prey. Captain Boomerang knocked out rows of soldiers with his namesake weapons.

The managers of the oil field did as the owners and operators of other afflicted sites had done already. They called the ISA's emergency hotline. They in turn compiled the reports and forwarded them on to the Justice League.

In the plains of western Siberia the final team of Legionnaires stepped out of their boom tube. Black Adam, Superwoman, Spencer Hawk, Dr. Polaris, and Wonder Girl all rose into the air and headed for the oil derricks on the horizon. They landed in the middle of the pumping station.

Unlike the other sites, this one was guarded by the Russian military. The army quickly mobilized. Superwoman laughed, "Doctor, find the drill and extract it. Spencer, go with him and keep him safe while he's distracted."

"What about you three?" Dr. Polaris asked.

Her answering smile was feral, "We'll be convincing the locals to surrender."

He knew better than to ask how that would be accomplished.

The Nemo released two torpedoes. They struck the PEMEZ oil rig #616B. Two of the primary support struts buckled. Workers were thrown to the sea. Those that held on made it to boats.

The call went out to the Mexican Navy. Two destroyers and two frigates were dispatched. The Razor Clam moved to intercept. The Nemo swung around the rig to face away from the crippled structure and providing the sub with a clean escape route but first it surfaced to lock its surface to surface missiles onto the incoming ships.

Meanwhile, the Little Mermaid swam to the ruptured pipe containing the drill head. She ripped the pipe apart. Minding the sharp edges, she took hold of the remote operation tether and began to pull.

The oil well hadn't actually struck oil yet so the environmental damage would be minimal. It wouldn't be much worse than that already inflicted upon the local ecosystem. At least, that's what she told herself.

Having reestablished communications, J'onn recalled all of the investigative teams…all of them except for one that is. Vigilante's team was still incommunicado. To compound matters, so was Blackhawk.

J'onn was about to dispatch a second team when an alarm sounded. L-Ron answered the emergency signal. Plastic Man appeared on the monitor.

"Plastic Man." J'onn acknowledged his virtual presence, "Why have you sounded the general alarm?"

"Bad news, J'onn." Plastic Man was uncharacteristically grim. His normal affable nature was pointedly missing, "The ISA is fielding half a dozen calls all reporting attacks by the Legion of Doom."

"Are they confirmed?" J'onn desperately hoped that they were pranks.

"Every one of them." Plastic Man unhappily reported, "The Nemo attacked an oil rig in the Gulf. Oil fields in the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, and Siberia are all being looted by Legionnaires. Other groups are raiding gold mines in Brazil and South Africa. "

"But what links them together?" J'onn wondered, "What's the connection between gold and oil?"

"Drills." The Question said from behind the Martian Manhunter.

"I won't ask where you came from." J'onn informed him, "But explain your theory."

"Oil and gold are vastly different commodities. There's no connection between them." The Question explained, "Except the fact that these gold mines are using the Wayne Enterprises DH116 drilling system to extract ore from the rock. The oil wells are using the same equipment to chew through rock of a similar density. They're not equipped for ore extraction but the necessary modifications would take fifteen minutes with the add-ons on hand."

"Sounds like a theory." Plastic Man admitted, "Here's a tentative list of who's where."

"Thank you, Plas." J'onn said as the fax came through, "Please return to the Hall. You and your associates will soon be needed."

"You got it." Plastic Man managed to sound a little more chipper.

"L-Ron, dispatch Superman to Azerbaijan. Contact Captain Marvel and have him go to Brazil, Aquaman will be needed in the Gulf." J'onn read more of the list, "We need Supergirl and Mary Marvel in Siberia."

"The team supreme." L-Ron happily quipped, "They'll take down the Legion by themselves."

"We'll still dispatch teams to all of these locations." J'onn dryly noted, "Just to be certain."

"Okay." L-Ron conceded, "But we won't need them."

"Humor me." J'onn ordered.

"Who should I assemble?" L-Ron asked.

"Everyone that's available." J'onn instructed, "Leave messages for the rest to arrive when they can get here."

"Why so many, your Martianess?" L-Ron asked.

"Because Vigilante and his team found the Legion's base. As soon as we've stopped their away missions we'll deal with them directly."

"I take it you realize that Vigilante and his partners have been captured?" the Question asked.

"Yes." J'onn admitted.

"And your plan is…?" the Question asked.

"To rescue them," J'onn revealed, "and to capture the Legion's hierarchy."

"Including Luthor?" L-Ron asked.

"Especially Luthor." The Manhunter said with determination.