18
Brains had invited the surviving members of the Black 7 to attend as well. As she ferreted Ballard away to safety and anonymity, the Black 7 foursome emerged from that same hiding place. They were unaware that Blaze had told Brains about her bargain with the Black 7 four whereby she and Satanus gave them each powers in exchange for loyalty.
So the four assassins each chose a member of the Movement to deal with. Dragonfly chose Virtue. Dragonfly's own meticulous nature had been enhanced into an ability to focus all of her concentration and attention on a single detail. Coupled with an ability to race, turn, and strike and superhuman speeds, Dragonfly now lived up to her name.
Virtue tried connecting with an emotional hook and she found one that led to Angelica Blaze. But Angelica was a front for Lady Blaze and Virtue found herself confronting the totality of Blaze's demonic nature. Her abject horror and surprise left her open to attack.
Dragonfly struck without mercy or remorse. She was about to kill Virtue but Brains called her off from doing so, "She'll make a potent ally."
"She'll be sure to betray you," Dragonfly warned her.
"Not after Ms. Mesmer has her way with her," Brains corrected Dragonfly.
Silken Spider had the ability to project spidery webs from her fingertips. They weren't composed by a physical process but rather a magical one. In addition, she possessed a bioelectric "venom" sting.
When Tremor reached for the floor, Silken Spider webbed her hands and then adhered them to the ceiling. Tremor's geokinetic power required physical contact so her gift was neutralized. Then Silken Spider wrapped up Tremor's feet so she couldn't struggle. A taste of Silken Spider's venom blast was the last thing Tremor endured before passing out.
Brains congratulated her, "Ms. Mesmer will be so pleased to have so many minds to toy with."
Tiger Moth had been gifted a "moth's bite" blast that withered away whatever it struck. Tiger Moth enraged Mouse by killing his rodent friends with it. Then she turned it on him.
Emaciated, Mouse passed out. Brains intervened as Tiger Moth prepared to slay her opponent. Tiger Moth was the only true sociopath amongst the four Black 7 survivors and killed for sport.
Black Beetle now had the ability to burrow through anything. And his advanced armor possessed weapons of every description. So Black Beetle distracted Burden so that Bulldozer and Kong could commit a one-two combination attack to knock Burden out and return Christopher to his natural form.
Line, Wisp, and Fly brought in Katharsis and Bluebird. Brains frowned, "Strip them of their gear and then secure them in chairs."
"I found a van with New Jersey plates outside our quarantine zone. It was empty except equipment to guide surveillance drones and an unoccupied wheelchair," Fly reported.
"So the crippled hacker got away," Ms. Mesmer commented, "We can use her friends to draw her back in."
"The sooner the better," Brains cautioned them all, "Vengeance Moth may begin recruiting the limited number of quieter meta-humans that also call Coral City home."
"We'll be prepared if she does," Kong promised.
"Ven, can hear me?" a strangely familiar voice floated amongst the fog in Vengeance Moth's head. Warm fingers caressed her cheek and the voice spoke again, "I think she's coming around."
Ven blearily rose out of the muddle and opened her eyes to see a blurry Sarah Rainmaker watching over her from seat beside Vengeance Moth's own bed.
"Here, these'll help," Rainmaker gave Ven her glasses, freshly cleaned.
"How did I get back to the Sweatshop?" Ven asked.
"You don't remember?" Rainmaker wondered.
"No, I…I remember…Holly. Holly and the others were under attack. I left the van somehow and…" Vengeance Moth's voice trailed off.
"The kids here reported you flew here under your own power and then passed out. That was over four hours ago. They came to get me while we waited for you to wake up," rainmaker informed her, "Your friend, Bluebird, left the surveillance drones online so we've been able to watch the area."
"We?" Ven asked.
"Your people looked to me for help and I gathered some friends that came here from NOWHERE like I did," Rainmaker explained, "And we managed to procure you a replacement wheelchair."
"I won't ask how," Ven promised.
"No one will miss it," Rainmaker promised.
"These your friends?" Ven carefully positioned the wheelchair and got into. She still felt like crud but her own friends were in unknown danger so she couldn't crawl away and sleep for a couple of months like she wanted to.
"These are them," Rainmaker said proudly.
One was a redheaded Caucasian that looked angry and burned out on life. Another was a stout Eurasian that looked like a fireplug crossbred with a sumo wrestler. The youngest was a girl with pink highlights framing her face. And she was a smoker, an addiction Ven knew intimately.
"Meet Burnout, Grunge, and Freefall. When NOWHERE devolved into chaos and Lynch began terminating subjects, we managed to escape together and make our way out of the Arctic and arrive here. The Tweens seemed about as abandoned as the Arctic so we thought we could just disappear," Rainmaker explained.
"Starting a cult around yourself is hardly disappearing, Sarah," Vengeance Moth scolded Rainmaker.
"Others joined the Teen Titans and there are those that have successfully disappeared," rainmaker remarked, "Somehow I think we're going to have a high profile after today."
"I'm sorry," Ven shared.
"Holly's worth it," Rainmaker commented, "And these three idiots think I'm worth it."
"I can remotely pilot the drones in closer but I need to access to my network," Ven shared.
"You'll probably need help wheeling over there too," Rainmaker surmised.
"Yeah, much as I hate to admit it," Vengeance Moth grimaced.
"Grunge, put your lazy ass to work and get my friend to the computers," rainmaker ordered.
Grunge brightened and Freefall scowled. Ven suddenly knew which way those winds blew.
Flash and Mr. Terrific were the mechanism by which residents were evacuated out of Trump Tower. Atom Smasher, Sentinel, and Praxis held the structure together as best they could to extend the time to evacuate everyone. Supergirl and Strange Visitor dealt with the debris falling from structure as those on the lower levels fled on foot.
Finally, the All Stars and Conglomerates had to let things happen naturally. Jurgens reported in to apprise the groups of what was going on in the larger world, "Trump is screaming at the mayor who in turn is screaming at Commissioner Sawyer. The Commissioner is spitting red hot nails over this."
Everyone remembered Maggie Sawyers' tenure as GCPD Commissioner which stood in stark contrast to her service as Captain of Metropolis' SCU. Jurgens continued, "Elements of these Fourth Reich extremists are holed up in a union meeting hall. Disco Mummy seems to be with them. We have reports regarding the Injustice Society stemming from all over the Five Burroughs and the Valkyrie and her goons disappeared alongside those anarchists that leveled the UN."
"You'd all be sitting jail right now on trumped up charges but Claire Montgomery has your corporate sponsors leaning even harder on the mayor than Trump," Jurgens revealed, "The NYPD's intelligence unit lost six officers probing into the Breakers as they're called and their ideological allies. Best guess is they headed for Gotham where they'll feel safer."
"Time ta call the Bat," Wildcat urged.
"Anarchism can seem attractive," Sentinel admitted, "The state fo New York declared martial law in response to anarchist activities. The US Supreme Court took the state to task and now the Federal government has to concede there's no other way and authorize such a move."
"And today's divisive climate doesn't help," Jurgens admitted, "There are people all over NYC cheering for what just happened."
"France lost their first republic to anarchy and they got Napoleon because of it," Mr. Terrific pointed out.
"We're likelier to get General Sam Lane," Sand opined.
"And everyone has the same aims just different methods," Flash shared.
"And we guarantee their right to espouse their views as long as they don't threaten the public safety by doing so," Jurgens added.
"Freedom of speech is one of our most cherished liberties," Sentinel pointed out.
Jurgens' radio squawked, "Excuse me."
He returned with a very angry expression on his face, "The meta-human transports headed for Stryker's Island were hijacked by the Injustice League. And everyone is now gathered at the union hall."
"I'll alert Vapor that we're still on the job and still need her help," Mr. Terrific decided.
"Wildcat, Flash, and I will go to Gotham to lend a hand," Sentinel offered.
"Harvey Bullock is running things for the political appointee in charge. I'll call him so he can clear a path for you. But remember, you can recon but the GCPD has to make the arrest," Jurgens advised them.
"What about the Bat?" Wildcat wanted to know.
"They dismantled the signal but rumor has it Amanda Waller and ARGUS maintain a way to contact Batman," Jurgens divulged.
"Then we'll head to Brooklyn first," Flash stated.
"I'll warn the JLA," Jurgens volunteered.
Grunge appropriated a van the same way he'd acquired a new wheelchair. Both would eventually be returned just a little worse for the wear. Vengeance Moth looked at the entrance to the passenger van and gulped.
"Um…not to be rude or anything…" Ven trailed off.
And then she found herself floating above her wheelchair. Freefall was gloating, "No worries, Chickadee."
Burnout maneuvered Ven into the front passenger seat and Freefall let her down surprisingly easy considering the woman's jealousy issues. Ven strapped and rummaged through her backpack.
"Fruit snack, anyone?" Vengeance Moth cheerfully offered.
Burnout folded the wheelchair and accepted Ven's offer, "Sure. Yo Grunge! She's handing out food."
"Gimme!" Grunge called from the rear seat he shared with Freefall.
"Is this code speak?" Freefall asked nastily.
"It's a literal fruit snack," Rainmaker was losing patience from the driver's seat, "You buy them in a grocery store."
"Does your brain ever revolve around anything normally?" Burnout was disgusted.
"Hey! She's the one handing out so-called 'fruit snacks'," Freefall accused.
"God, you're pathetic," Burnout snapped, "No wonder you have to bring home drunken dregs to get laid."
Burnout sat on the seat beside Ven's wheelchair. Freefall glared at him until Grunge nudged her. Then she looked like she hungrily wanted to go down on him in the back of the van witnesses be damned.
"Um…yeah," Vengeance Moth watched the transformation.
"You see what we have to deal with," Rainmaker sighed, "Show me where Harper Row's van is."
Ven began giving directions, "And Captain Meers is ordering the police to conduct a sweep of the Tweens around Intergang's location."
"Can we trust him?" Rainmaker asked.
"Holly does and I trust Holly," Ven stated.
"Me too," Rainmaker promised.
"The cops are coming at us down four main boulevards," the Intergang chief of security reported to Brains, "They have enough manpower to blow through our barricades."
"Fall back to this location and play the lawyer," Brains commanded, "Buy us time to escape and then our relay lawyers will liberate you in turn."
"Mum," the man turned and began issuing orders through a handset radio.
"We'll be leaving as well," Dragonfly informed Brains, "This repaid our debt for turning us towards Morgan Edge and Angelica Blaze. Don't summon us again because Black 7 will not respond."
"You need to do some recruiting or change your name to the 'Fab Four'," Brains snickered.
"You're nowhere near as funny as you believe yourself to be, Brains," Dragonfly sneered.
Black 7 had a helicopter waiting for them on a nearby roof. It could be heard departing. Brains turned to Ms. Mesmer.
"Ms. Mesmer, a word please," Brains began, "The CCPD is highly unremarkable but they will penetrate our defenses. How much time do you require to break our guests?"
"Virtue, Katharsis, and Gordon are the real challenges. Tremor is an unknown variable as is Bluebird. It may take minutes or days. Possibly even weeks before I can break and remold them in a way to make them utterly reliable," Ms. Mesmer complained.
"You don't have the time," Brains shared, "What can you do down and dirty?"
"I can make them psychotic," Ms. Mesmer shrugged, "But they'll be totally unmanageable."
"Be ready in case we need you to," Brains decided.
Freefall got Vengeance Moth back into Harper's van. Burnout helped settle her in her own wheelchair. Rainmaker watched as Ven fired up the drones and remotely reactivated them.
"I've got eyes," Vengeance Moth announced.
"How is Intergang responding to the police?" Rainmaker asked.
"They've all fallen back to the warehouse and are forming a cordon around it. My guess is they're lawyering up," Ven ventured, "You can break into Tremor's tunnel that will lead you into the building two blocks from here."
"Any visuals from inside?" Rainmaker fretted.
"No, I'm sorry," Ven meant it.
"They're the ones that'll be sorry," Rainmaker promised.
At the abandoned New York Trade Union Hall, the JSA All Stars and Conglomerate descended in force to arrest everyone associated with and working for Disco Mummy. Mr. Terrific and Vapor had split their teams up and sent them from every direction. Upon arrival it seemed the opposition was now narrowed down to the Fourth Reich and Axis Amerika. Everyone was sick and tired of Nazis.
Baron Blitzkrieg felt old and tired as he found himself confronting Praxis. Praxis' mental probes assaulted the Baron. But Blitzkrieg's own powers stemmed from his mind so he'd been taught advanced psionic shielding. But Praxis' powers had been bestowed upon him by a serial killer he'd tracked down and killed. So when he used his powers, he touched a latent image of that killer. Which the Baron would soon regret.
"So they send a fraulein after me," Captain Nazi laughed.
"I don't suppose you'll let me just punch you once because I'm so weak and helpless and you're a big strong man?" Supergirl asked.
"Ja," Captain Nazi chuckled, "Why not?"
Supergirl knocked him out with a single right cross, "Thanks."
"Why are you…blue?" Madame Libertine asked Strange Visitor.
"Because I'm a strange visitor from another planet," she jested.
"Really?" Madame Libertine asked.
"Of course not," Strange Visitor harrumphed.
"I am the wave of the future, not you," Madame Libertine boasted, "Perhaps I'll let you serve me."
"Boring," Strange Visitor retorted.
Madame Libertine flew straight at Strange Visitor. Sharon used enough power to light up the eastern seaboard if she'd been plugged into the electrical grid. But she did knock Madame Libertine out without even a whimper.
"And finally, she shuts up," Strange Visitor congratulated herself.
Red Tornado sucked Baroness Blitzkrieg up in a tornado he sued to create a vacuum around her and she passed out from lack of oxygen. Reddy carefully laid her out on the ground and stood guard over her until the NYPD could send officers in to apprehend her.
New York had faced the specter and terror of war within living memory so the Shadow of War fed off of these memories and incited feelings of hatred and panic. Anna and Atom Smasher dealt with the effects. Jakeem Thunder directed his Thunderbolt against the cause.
Shadow of War never saw the hex bolt coming at him and banishing him to Limbo. And once there, Surtur delighted in tormenting Shadow of War by ingesting him and letting the spirit rot within his own fecund innards.
Green Ghoul saw Hawk and Dove facing him together and he broke and ran. They followed him into Central Park where he vanished beneath a foot bridge. Dove let Hawk down easy.
"He went back to his home dimension," she told him, "I don't think we'll see him again anytime soon."
"An' I just wanted ta bust his head again," Hawk pouted.
"Let's go back to union hall and see what's happening there," Dove offered.
"Yeah" Hawk eagerly agreed.
Captain Murder's feverish brain devised dozens of ways of kill Maxi-Man before the fight even began. And then she rapidly revised them because he easily held his own against her. But the bodiless shadow circling them was either real or another of her phantasms.
Gypsy wrapped her head scarf around Captain Murder's throat and began to choke her. Every time Captain Murder tried to protect herself, Maxi-Man proceeded to pummel her. So Captain Murder found she still needed air to function. Something to keep in mind on a future note.
Dr. Light deduced White Dragon's suit was more for his protection than others'. So while Rising Sun distracted him, she fired laser beams to carve away portions of his suit. White Dragon fled screaming as his body burned in an uncontrolled reaction to the oxygen flooding across him.
"If you fight him alone, you'll get all grunty and sweaty. Two things I like to do with you not watch as a spectator," Goldilocks warned Sir Justin of his intentions to fight Hunter alone.
Her hair snared Hunter's ankles and lifted him upside down in the air. He tired of hacking away futilely at her hair and challenged the Shining Knight to a duel. Sir Justin half heartedly fought him until Hunter tired and a strike from a sword pommel put him out.
"Wasn't that easier?" Goldilocks asked expectantly.
"Aye, but it felt scurrilous somehow," Sir Justin complained.
"Men!" Goldilocks grated.
Dove had explained that Count Berlin was a former vampire. So Starman brought the full intensity of an earthbound sun onto Count Berlin. And after nearly incinerating him, he clubbed him into unconsciousness with his staff.
Metamorpho had reported into the All Stars only to announce his transfer to the Conglomerate as Stagg Industries' representative on the team. Since Simon Stagg was his father-in-law and had financed and equipped his recent recovery, Metamorpho felt obligated to comply with Stagg's wishes.
So Metamorpho's first case with the Conglomerate was dealing with the seemingly cartoonish Captain Swastika. A crossbreeding between the Question and Sonar, minus a tuning fork gun. And the featureless mask with a swastika emblazoned where a face would go was really over the top in Metamorpho's opinion.
So Metamorpho simply became sleeping gas and put the dolt out of everyone's misery.
Dr. Demon, as a cyborg, couldn't even see Mr. Terrific who was invisible to machines and electronic surveillance. But she could see his T-Spheres. And she kept blasting them until he teleported her to the Arctic. Where she blasted that T-Sphere and he had no means of retrieving her.
Judomaster paralyzed Reichsmark with expertly placed nerve junction strikes. Commander Steel wrapped Reichsmark's wrists in the chain padlock that held the union hall's doors shut and then knocked him out with his fist. Commander Steel and Judomaster were the first to enter the hall.
Baron Gestapo depleted his weapons cache until he finally deduced King Chimera was simply casting illusions all around him. And then Cyclone struck until he begged for mercy. Baron Gestapo was never so happy to puke in all his life. At least he was still alive to do so.
Gudra had returned Axis Amerika to Disco Mummy's service in an effort to abate Luthor's ire. She found herself facing Vapor in combat. Gudra had served Hitler in the war and when she'd been summoned by Felix Faust she'd assumed she was brought forth on Midgard once more at Hitler's behest.
But despite seeing all manner of strange things across the Nine Realms, she'd never seen a woman transform herself into an acidic mist before. Particularly a mist that ate away at her armor and raiment's, leaving her stark naked. Gudra retreated in shame back to Valhalla vowing vengeance upon all mortals.
Nightwing came with the Little Mermaid when she rejoined the Conglomerate. He merely downplayed his desires to see her safely home again. And he utterly refused official acknowledgement with the team's corporate sponsors.
So they were paired up against Horned Owl and Fledermaus. The feeling of déjà vu nearly overwhelmed Dick but Ulla handily captured Fledermaus in seconds. And Nightwing could see Horned Owl preparing an all out assault against Dick's fiancé. So he stepped in.
Batman had prepared Nightwing for attacks for all manner of foes. What he didn't expect was the quality of Horned Owl's training and obsession. But Horned Owl was still no Batman. So Nightwing battled him to a standstill and Ulla took him out with a single punch.
"Sorry. I was bored," Ulla apologized.
"It was almost over but I'm more than happy to get the reprieve. What did you do with the kid?" Nightwing asked.
"Over there," she nodded.
Fledermaus had a post office letter drop box wrapped around him. Nightwing laughed, "The Post Office will probably complain but I think it's brilliant."
"That's just because you love me," Ulla demurred.
"Which means I'm brilliant too," Nightwing admitted.
Kamikaze flew headlong into a building before Lightning zapped him, "Well, that's done."
"Not quite," Aztek looked embarrassed, "Would you like to go out for dinner in a few days when this is all done for real?"
"Took you long enough," Lightning grinned, "And that's a 'yes' by the way."
Usil fired arrow after arrow into Sand but Sandy Hawkins refused to die. Eventually he ran out of arrows. Sand cheerfully pulled a few free and handed them towards Usil, "Need a couple more?"
He turned into literal sand and all the arrows fell free, "Or maybe not?"
Usil began to panic and Sand gas gunned him, "Night-night."
Baron Blitzkrieg fled before Praxis as he transformed into a crazed psychokinetic madman. Supergirl had to knock him out, "That can't be good."
The Injustice Society delivered Disco Mummy to Saturn Queen at Fort Siegel. Saturn Queen welcomed them all to her underground lair, "I'd like to propose alliances with you both. I feel together we can achieve our mutual goal."
"Which is?" Disco Mummy asked.
"The removal of Lex Luthor," Saturn Queen wore a cunning smile.
Sentinel, Flash, and Wildcat each used their abilities to try and ferret out the Breakers. But the GCPD was tipped off to their arrival. Bullock hated to dismiss them but he gave them the option of leaving town or spending the night in lockup. Bullock cursed Maggie Sawyers' name as the JSA Founders returned to Manhattan. A circumstance that amused Batman hidden away nearby.
Using her borrowed UAVs, Ven guided Rainmaker's group around the police advance to an opening that would lead them into Tremor's approach tunnel. But once they were inside, Vengeance Moth lost all contact with them. But with dozens of men and women guarding the outer gates and doors, two inside guarding the tunnel entrance seemed inconsequential.
Freefall rapidly ascended them into the roof and then dropped them to the concrete below. They'd live but be in traction for months. Grunge absorbed the qualities of the concrete flooring and prepared for the fight to come. Burnout suddenly transformed into a plasma field version of himself not unlike Cinder.
Grunge added steel from a nearby door to his mix while Rainmaker imperiously strode into the center of the warehouse to confront the Gang and the Intergang specialist enforcers. Brains had gotten what she wanted out of Numbers and had him killed.
Rainmaker saw the Movement was all sitting in metal folding chairs. Virtue and Tremor looked anguished while Mouse and Burden seemed complacent. Bluebird was beginning to stir and a yellow clad woman with a mask and a spinning "G" symbol on her shirt focused her attentions on Barbara and Katharsis.
Brains seemed delighted to see Rainmaker, "Ah! The girlfriend."
Vengeance Moth had pulled up everything she could on the Gang. They were easily identified by the "G" marker on their uniforms. And everyone except Brains wore a mask. Apparently she was the only one brazen enough to risk indentifying herself.
Given how Brains was directing everyone it was obvious she was considered the leader of the group and possibly Intergang at this point, "Wisp, take Fly and Line and secure the perimeter. King and Bulldozer, the prisoners are yours to defend."
Freefall bounced Fly off the ceiling and then plummeted him to the floor. Burnout flew high and burned a trail to Wisp where he volleyed plasma streams at the gas man. Grunge shattered Line's jaw with a punch.
Bulldozer plowed Grunge into a wall. Grunge was outraged, "Giddoffame!"
Grunge used a judo move to flip Bulldozer end over end. Kong traded places with Bulldozer. Rainmaker began a storm within the warehouse to hamper the Gang and their minions and to awaken the Movement.
"You really are the Rainmaker," Brains was delighted by the possibilities.
"Free Virtue and her friends," Rainmaker delivered her ultimatum.
"Or?" Brains was intrigued.
"Or I drown you all inside this building," Rainmaker promised.
"I don't think so," Brains scoffed, "What about your lady love?"
"Better to die free than your slave," Brains could tell Rainmaker meant it.
"Boys," Brains called out.
Burden and Mouse joined her side. Burnout landed near Ms. Mesmer, "Back the hell up."
"I don't think so," Ms. Mesmer echoed Brains' sentiment, "Just keep staring at my boobs and the little symbol between them."
And she had Burnout.
Rainmaker brought torrential rains down upon Brains, Mouse, and Burden. The winds buffeted them and blew the nearby Ms. Mesmer off of her feet. Burden staggered as well. Which suited Rainmaker's purposes as she drew closer to Virtue.
Grunge was holding his own against Kong and Bulldozer. He'd studied Judo because his father preferred it over Greco-Roman wrestling. And now it was saving his life combined with his power to absorb the nature of objects he touched. So his concrete-steel blend made it harder for the Gang to really hurt him.
Freefall intervened against Burnout to defend Rainmaker. Twisting gravity all around her usual teammate, she lured Burnout towards where Grunge fought the Gang. Burnout unleashed his wrath…on Bulldozer and Kong.
Then the Mighty Crusaders, an ARGUS Legacy team, entered the fray against Line, Fly, and Wisp. The original Mighty Crusaders had fought in World War II and afterwards on behalf of the FBI's IMPACT program. Their children had also served as covert agents for law and order. And their children had followed in their predestined footsteps. But the great-grandchildren wanted the excitement of masks and costumes. So the Mighty Crusaders had been reborn.
The Shield, the Fox, and the Black Hood challenged Line and Wisp. Corporal Joe Higgins had been serving in Afghanistan when he'd been mortally wounded. Injected with prototype LexCorp nanites, Joe became a "super soldier" worthy of his great-grandfather, the Shield of old. So he was given the bulletproof uniform and trained even more extensively by ARGUS and become the first of the Mighty Crusaders to join the team.
Paul Patton had been a photojournalist he put on the old Fox uniform to drum up sales of "superhero in action" photos. Then the Shield had contacted him and talked him into following his great-grandfather's legacy. His animalistic senses, strengths, speed, and agility literally made him a human Fox.
The Black Hood had been passed own from individuals chosen through the Middle Ages down through modern eras. Nate Cray was the latest to bear the Black Hood. It made him an expert in every form of weapon and driven to eradicate evil in every form. And it gave him a superhuman tolerance for pain.
Wisp tried to gas Shield but the toxic substance had no effect. Wisp was knocked unconscious after a mere series of two blows. Then Shield confiscated the Wisp's gas canisters.
Line tried snaring Fox but the Fox cleanly outmaneuvered him every time. Then Black Hood revealed himself by placing a sawed off shotgun under Line's jaw and cocking it.
"I wif oop awready!" Line cried through his broken jaw.
Black Hood clubbed him over the head with the shotgun. Then the trio bound and gagged their prisoners and watched the conclusion of the battle of the Fly and Fly Girl versus Intergang's Fly.
Thomas Troy had recreated his Great-grandsire's formula to biologically transform into a winged avenger with the proportion speed and strength of a fly besides being able to share the visual perceptions of a fly. So he adopted the long abandoned guise of the Fly.
Then he injected his lab partner, Kim Brand as well. ARGUS expected a return on their funding so Fly Girl joined the Fly in action. But she hated the name.
Then they'd learned about Intergang's mechanical Fly Man. And they unleashed all of their ire and frustration on him. The fight lasted seconds rather than minutes.
Shield joined Rainmaker and Freefall's battle with Brains, Ms. Mesmer, Mouse, and Burden. Freefall was levitating the two half drowned Movement members. Ms. Mesmer twirled her emblem again and the Gang vanished. Shield was just as astonished as the others as he checked his watch.
"It's been three minutes," Shield hated to share, "Plenty of time for them to escape in."
"Help us wake everyone up," Rainmaker ordered, "Burnout is yours."
"Fiery guy?" Shield asked.
"Fiery guy," Freefall winked.
"Great," Shield grumbled.
Grunge temporarily disabled Kong and Bulldozer then he confronted Fox and Black Hood. A seeming flash interrupted everyone and suddenly Kong and Bulldozer were both gone and Grunge felt a homicidal rage towards Fox and Black Hood. Black Hood aimed his semiautomatic weapons at Grunge's face while Fox leapt onto Grunge's shoulders and tried twisting his head off.
"Waitaminute!" Grunge snapped his fingers, "You're not the guys trying to kill me."
"Give it five seconds and we might be so inclined," Black Hood retorted, "Fox! Get off of him."
"I guess I'm happy to meet you," Grunge admitted, "I still feel so conflicted about it."
"You twitch wrong and I shoot you," Black Hood offered, "Deal?"
"Um…sure?" Grunge wasn't really uncertain if he were glad to meet the Mighty Crusaders now.
Fly and Fly Girl were trying to wake Barbara, Katharsis, and Bluebird up. Fly noticed, "They're fighting it. We just need to help."
"How?" Fly Girl asked drolly. Virology and genetics were her forte not hypnosis.
"The hypnotic spell seems to have been triggered through the visual cortex," Fly deduced as he fished out a pen light and began blinking it in Barbara's eyes until she came to, "Morse code for SOS does it."
Fly Girl tried to remember basic Morse from her Girl Scout days. She woke Bluebird up while Fly dealt with Katharsis. Then they moved on to assist with Tremor, Mouse, Burden, and Burnout. Rainmaker woke Virtue with a kiss.
Katharsis led the Movement back through the tunnels where Tremor waited for Virtue to follow. Rainmaker and her crew down the tunnel. The Mighty Crusaders stayed with Barbara as Captain Meers and his officers forced their way into the warehouse. The Mighty Crusaders' ARGUS credentials went a long way toward mollifying the cops. But Barb was taken into custody to be extradited back to Gotham. She didn't even hint at resisting.
Bluebird reclaimed her van and drove Vengeance Moth back to the Sweatshop. Once reassembled Rainmaker introduced Gen13 to the Movement. Virtue was delighted to see Sarah had friends.
"You never cease to amaze," Holly shared.
"Spend the night sometime and I'll show you amazing," Sarah offered.
"Tonight's good," Tremor prodded Holly.
"Thanks Roshanna, I can take a hint," Virtue mock grumbled.
"You've never been able to before," Ven riposted.
"I feel the love…despite your cruel words," Holly moved off to pack an overnight bag.
"I need to head out too," Bluebird admitted, "I doubt my supervisor will buy a second day of supposed food poisoning."
"Thanks so much," Vengeance Moth handed her a box of fruit snacks, "For the road."
"Katharsis, what a surprise," Harper stated as she exited her van, divested of her Bluebird gear.
"Tell Gordon to look into Knightfall's dealings," Katharsis told her, "The Gang was one of her clients. She can lead you to them."
"I didn't know you cared," Harper stated.
"I shouldn't but Gordon's an honest cop even if she's a prig," Katharsis went back underground leaving Harper Row to her thoughts.