6 Justice League Crossroads

The briefing took place while the Javelins flew circles over the Gulf of Mexico. Next, they requested use of the shuttle's onboard weaponry in the attack. The Security Council mulled it over and a green light on the instrument panel signaled their intent.

"We have weapons release." Blackhawk announced.

"Take us in." Superman ordered, "Remember, we don't want casualties. Loss of material and firepower but no casualties."

"I'm not bloodthirsty, Superman, I'm just thorough." Blackhawk replied.

Diana approached Lady Blackhawk. She'd decided to accept the pilot's olive branch and rode with her on this mission. So far there'd been no sparring.

"Buckle up, Princess. We're going in." LBH declared.

"The UN approved the use of weapons?" Diana asked.

"Got a literal green light." Lady Blackhawk gave her a thumbs up.

"Hera." Diana breathed.

"Not to worry. I'm not going to intentionally kill anyone but I am going to make them run like scared jackrabbits." LBH grinned.

"Hopefully." Diana commented. Lady Blackhawk cast her a sidelong glance and smirked.

"Ah hate this part." Penny fumed.

"Honey, you've never done this before." Plas reminded her.

"Ah had dogfights in Bailya. That was bad enough. Ah've never done a turkey shoot at ground pounders before." Penny clarified.

Plas looked to Anna, "Didn't I just say that?"

Anna grinned. This flying business got more and more interesting all the time.

The Javelins flew towards the western side of the island. That was where most of the criminal infrastructure resided. The docks and surrounding warehouses were all part of the cartel's assets. Several villages littered the interior of the island. The warehouses were partitioned by a large empty field at the center of the constructs. Blackhawk had designated this the LZ.

"Penny form up. Good girl. Jake, trim out a bit. We're rolling in now. Arm kinetic weapons and missiles." Blackhawk instructed through his headset, "Maintain the 'V' formation. Javelin Lead will instigate the firefight. Javelins Two and Three, after Lead has waived off, engage secondary targets. Javelins Four and Five, secure the LZ and deposit your passengers. Afterwards break off and secure the perimeter."

"We're five kilometers out." Blackhawk warned, "Tally ho!"

Javelin Lead, flying "Sawbones" engaged the dockside ships. The heightened weapons provided by the Almeracians devastated ships and dock structures alike. All of the berthed freighters and speedboats sank, irreparably hulled. Blackhawk released his missiles at the closest warehouse, which housed tens of millions of dollars worth of drugs and it went up in explosive flames. He broke off.

Javelins Two and Three, flown by LBH and Penny struck the remaining warehouses. The only one to escape unscathed was the one near the village. That housed the sex slaves. The guards manning that post would be dealt with on foot.

Javelins Two and Three veered off. Four and Five came in and hovered above the ground sweeping a wide circle back to back, the shuttles leveled everything in sight with their hyperkinetic cannons. When all movement stopped they peeled off and landed side by side. Popping the hatches, the JLers streamed forth. As soon as the superheroes were clear, the shuttles lifted off and began making orbits around the island.

Javelin Lead, flanked by Two and Three, landed in a triangular formation. They disgorged their passengers and lifted off. They joined Four and Five and there was continuous visual coverage of the island.

Plastic Man approached the Flash, "Wanna look for Hula Hula?"

Flash grinned, "Hop on."

Plas became a bandolier around Flash's chest. The Scarlet Speedster grinned, "I think you've been hanging out with Anna Fortune too much."

"Spare me the wisecracks and pour on the speed." Plas replied.

Flash smiled, "You want to see speed? Let's go!"

They darted in, out, and around hundreds of buildings in seconds. Finally they came across Cuero's. Inside Hula Hula was tied to a chair. They'd been interrogating him and he was bloody, bruised, and feeling cranky. His right eye was swollen half shut and livid bruises and cuts dominated his face and lips. Hula saw the Flash, and then he saw Plastic Man regain his normal shape and he smiled.

Ramirez was puzzled, "Hula Hula, are you so addled that you are beginning to enjoy our ministrations?"

"I think he's smiling because of us, bunky." Flash said.

Ramirez and his men turned. Although none of them would ever admit to anyone or themselves, they felt the stabbing prick of fear in their hearts. The entire world was full of images of American supermen. The Flash was especially famous since he was one of the Justice League's Founders. Plastic Man wasn't as famous but he was known to the underworld thanks to his years in the Agency.

The guards whipped out their pistols and Flash wore a sour look, "Guns? Puh-lease. Can't you come up with a challenge?"

Ramirez yelled, "Fire!"

The guards opened up. Plas stretched himself out like a wall. Bullets went into him and just as swiftly bounced back at their launchers. After being pelted by hot lead, the gunmen stopped.

"Well, just don't stand there. Get them!" Ramirez ordered.

The former gunmen rushed forward as a line. Flash brushed past Plas, "My turn."

The Flash darted from one attacker to the other. He hit each one six times in three seconds. After he'd gone down the line he raced back to Plas's side. Plastic Man had just regained his shape as the first cartel man fell. They all fell afterwards in a cascading row just like dominoes.

Ramirez chose that moment to verify that discretion is the better part of valor. He started to sneak out but the Flash intercepted him and knocked him out with a right cross. He then joined Plastic Man as Plas unfastened Hula Hula's ropes. Hula stood and rubbed his raw wrists.

"Thanks guys. I don't know how much longer I could've held out. If they broke me then the Legion of Doom would've had access to anything they learned." Hula gushed.

"You're a mess, Hula. Can I get you anything?" Plas asked.

Hula Hula looked around the room and retrieved his backpack. It had been opened and all of the magazines, his ammo and spare gun had been taken but the million dollars remained. He went to the bar and ordered up.

Requesting a clean towel and some pineapple juice, he downed the juice in a single shot and then went to the restroom to clean up. When he came out he wasn't bloody but he was still a mess. He faced Plastic Man.

"I'm sorry I missed the wedding but I had to find the Legion." Hula Hula said.

Plas grinned, "You didn't miss anything. Penny wouldn't get married without you there to give her away. Plus, beings you're pulling double duty, I wouldn't have had a best man. How can I get married like that?"

"Plas, I'd best be getting back to the others. They may have found the Legion by now." Flash said.

"You go ahead. Hula and I will mind the store here." Plastic Man replied.

The Flash streaked off and Hula Hula said, "You don't have to babysit me, Plas."

Plas was hurt, "Hula, I haven't seen you for almost a year. Don't you think I'd like to spend time with my best friend? My best friend that is also beat up and surrounded by a bunch of guys that are going to wake up cranky?"

Hula looked embarrassed, "Sorry, Plas. I've been workin' alongside criminals for so long I forgot what it's like to have a friend."

"Don't worry about it, Big Guy. Help me stash these guns and we can figure what to do with them when they wake up."

Despite the pain, Hula Hula grinned; "Sounds good."

The Flash reached the sex slave repository in time to see a burst of green flame erupt from the main doors. A dozen men ran out of the doors a moment later. They were on fire and the hit the dirt road and dropped and rolled. Fire flew out of the doors and she was livid. Ice emerged as well. Flash had never seen her so angry. Up until now he never knew Ice could get that angry.

She stretched forth her hands and the burnt "protectors" froze in place. She stopped when there was a literal iceberg in the midst of the road. Diana, Kara, and Mary approached the terrified slaves. Since they could speak every known language, they quickly deduced that Romanian was the tongue they required and they addressed the slaves and assure them of their safety and freedom. Fire and Ice were selected as their protectors while the rest of the JLU went looking for the Legion.

Superman answered his signal device, "Superman."

"Blackhawk here. We've located the Dome. I'm patching the coordinates into the network."

"Copy that. Could you soften them up while we mobilize?" Superman requested.

"Shouldn't be a problem. Give us five minutes then we'll commence our run." Blackhawk said.

"Acknowledged." Clark replied.

"Blackhawk out." The pilot signed off.

The five Javelin shuttles broke away from the island. Heading out to sea, they formed a straight line. Maintaining a staggered formation, the Javelins looped and headed back towards Isla Salvaje.

Inside the Dome, the Ultra-Humanite noted the maneuvers; "Lex, they're now on a bee line straight for us."

"Damn. They must have spotted us. Activate counter measures and prepare for launch." Luthor ordered.

"I think it's too late for the ECM's." the Humanite replied.

"Rolling in on target. Target acquired. Tally ho!" Blackhawk recited. He unleashed his plasma missiles. Next he opened up with his proton cannons. The subsequent strafing runs employed concussion missiles and hyperkinetic rounds but then again their shuttles hadn't been modified by Almerac's imperial forces.

The attacks were devastating. The hull was ruptured by the fourth strike and the fifth was inbound as Brainiac began shrieking about a hull breach. One of the subsequent concussion missiles sailed into the Dome's interior. It smashed the computer core.

"Emergency download underway." Brainiac announced, "This unit is now the repository of the AI system."

Luthor was unnerved. That meant the computers were restricted to local back-ups. If Brainiac's avatar were to be destroyed, the AI would be lost. Although he was no longer psychologically conditioned to try and revive and preserve Brainiac he had begun to find the computer to be invaluable.

"What's still working?" Luthor shouted over the claxons.

"What?" Grodd asked.

"Brainiac! Shut off those damn alarms!" Luthor yelled. The avatar typed at a keyboard and the cacophony of noise ended.

Luthor gathered his wits, "What systems are still functional?"

"External cameras are still operational. All sensors are down. The damage control systems were damaged and we have a runaway fire in the computer core." Grodd reported.

"Lex!" the Humanite suddenly shouted, "The lagoon!"

Luthor observed the appropriate monitor. On the beach leading to the lagoon stood the assembled JLU. For the first time in a very long while, Luthor felt dread.

"Muster the Legionnaires." He said calmly, a calm he didn't truly feel.

"Lex?" Grodd sought clarification.

"Tell them we're in for the fight of our lives." Luthor instructed.