7 Justice League Conflict
Nemesis, Mr. Terrific, and the Atom faced the Fearsome Five. Nemesis had stunned the overconfident Psimon but now he was evading Gizmo's needle gun. Mr. Terrific was teleporting all around Goldilocks, trying to tangle her hair. That left the Atom to deal with Shimmer and Mammoth.
Fortunately for the Atom, Black Adam came sailing in and engaged Mammoth. Adam's fists created thunderclaps as they struck Mammoth's dense hide. Shimmer looked around while formulating a plan to deal with Atom. Only, she couldn't find him.
"Wimp." She snorted.
Atom grew back to his full height and delivered a right cross to Shimmer's eye. Shimmer cried out and staggered backwards. Atom drove in on her and continued to hit her until she finally passed out.
"Selinda!" Mammoth cried out and he snarled as he threw a punch at Black Adam. The Black Marvel flew over the top of Mammoth's massive arm and connected a round kick to Mammoth's head. Mammoth was insensate but Adam struck him again just to be sure.
While Mammoth collapsed Atom ran towards Goldilocks. He shrank to a four inch height and he sidled up next to her before he grew. He rocked her with an uppercut that nearly took her head off. Knocked to her hands and knees, she gazed around at Atom, Mr. Terrific, and Black Adam. She dashed to her feet and sprinted away.
Adam made ready to pursue her but Mr. Terrific held him back, "It's okay. We've larger threats to contend with."
The Atom surveyed the scene and nodded, "I see what you mean."
Nemesis cried out, "A little help?"
Mr. Terrific teleported behind Gizmo and slapped a stunner on him. The diminutive genius went down. Nemesis was winded.
"Gimme a minute." He panted.
"Have no worries. There are foes aplenty." Black Adam announced, "And I am off to face them."
"Oh, to be a Marvel." Mr. Terrific grinned.
Doomsday punched Mary and she went hurtling in the opposite direction. Galatea kicked him squarely in the groin. Doomsday flinched but otherwise seemed fine.
"Now I'm going to have to hurt you." He declared.
"Oh, great." Galatea muttered.
A red and blue streak slammed into Doomsday, knocking him off of his feet. Supergirl floated above the ground, all the while looking smug. Galatea joined her.
"You pompous little showoff. We don't need your help." She snapped.
"Coulda fooled me." Kara snapped.
"Who ever asked you to think?" Tea snarled.
Mary joined them, "Uh, guys?"
"What?" they demanded in unison.
"He's back." Mary informed them.
"Get his arms and hold him. I'll put him down." Galatea ordered.
Mary and Supergirl shrugged at each other and complied. They bound Doomsday's arms behind him and he was vulnerable to whatever Galatea had planned.
"Just don't stand there looking at him…do something!" Kara yelled.
Galatea had been doing something and it involved looking at Doomsday, or more specifically, his internal organs. Having found his heart, she unleashed her heat vision. It burned a hole through his chest and eventually incinerated his heart. Doomsday shuddered and then he fell over backwards.
Kara saw Tea's handiwork and became livid, "What the hell? You freakin' killed him. We don't kill people. We're supposed to be the good guys. Why can't you learn that?"
"Uh, Kara?" Mary said from behind her.
"If you'd let me explain…" Galatea began
Kara cut her off, "What's to explain? One minute he's alive and then bam you burn a whole in his chest and kill him."
"Uh, Kara…" Mary was more insistent.
"You don't know all the facts." Galatea informed Supergirl.
"What's to know? He's dead. He got that way because of you. I oughta…"
"Kara!" Mary screamed.
"What?" Kara snapped.
"I think he's healing." Mary pointed at Doomsday's chest.
"What?" Kara was confused.
"Take a look. He's healing." Mary explained.
Kara took a look at the crater in Doomsday's chest. The cinder that comprised Doomsday's heart was definitely healing. The burns were fading right before their eyes. The ravaged tissues that made up the whole were healing just as rapidly and the hole was closing.
"I don't get it." Kara admitted.
"Doomsday possesses uncharted regenerative capabilities." Galatea finally got to explain, "How do you think he recovered from being lobotomized?"
"I…uh…well…um…" Kara stammered.
"What's she's too embarrassed to say is that she never thought about it." Mary offered.
Kara shot her a glare.
"Intensive trauma stops him but he heals like there's no tomorrow." Galatea lectured, "I'd say we have about an hour before he rises and when he rises he's gonna be pissed."
"Still, that gives us an hour to round up everyone else." Kara looked to the bright side.
Hawk was struggling against Killer Croc. Croc had just slapped a wicked hold on him and the Tasmanian Devil was still recuperating and totally useless in Hawk's opinion. He found it embarrassing to be in the same dire straits that he'd rescued the Global Guardian out of. Suddenly Croc was thrown off of him.
Dove dove and rolled out of Croc's grasping arms. He came up behind the wrestler and slapped a choke hold on him. Croc struggled but Dove just tightened his hold. In seconds the Legionnaire was down. Dove went to his brother.
"Sorry it took me so long. I had to find you." Dove said.
"Tell me he'll at least have a headache when he wakes up." Hawk bellyached.
Dove grinned, "That's the usual side effect."
"Good." Hawk decided.
"So are we good?" Dove asked.
"I guess so. You came though when it counted." Hawk allowed, "You just shouldn't have let Wonder Girl go. What is it between you two anyway?"
"It's complicated." Dove deflected the question.
"She's bad news." Hawk asserted, "And don't give me that look. You know it too."
"What I know is beside the point. We need to get the Tasmanian Devil up and running. There are plenty of Legionnaires milling about. It shouldn't be hard to find some."
Hawk just stared at him and Dove got impatient, "You are here to arrest them, right?"
Hawk grinned, "Right."
Rocket Red came charging in. He was intercepted by Major Force. They grappled and discovered that they were evenly matched. Major Force began to bombard Dmitry with radiation. Within seconds, the levels had risen above the armor's ability to shield the Russian. Still, Force increased the rad levels. Dmitry was being bombarded by cosmic ray levels found near the sun.
Rocket Red placed his gauntlets on Force's chest and fired them both at full strength. Two holes were blasted into Major Force's containment suit. He stumbled backwards and a flash of energy, all of the energy that comprised Major Force's living essence, burst forth and lit up the sky.
Red was caught in that maelstrom as well. He stumbled and then collapsed in a heap on the ground. Wildcat was the closest JLer, having been headed for the Atomic Skull. The Skull had been standing beside Major Force before Force fought Rocket Red. Atomic Skull approached the fallen Red and Major Force's empty containment suit.
Wildcat knelt and propped Rocket Red up, "Dmitry? Can you hear me?"
The seals on the armor hissed as they released. Wildcat managed to get Red's helmet off. Dmitry was ashen. His hair was already falling out and his lips were covered by the blood he'd coughed up. Another coughing fit racked Dmitry and he spat up blood.
"Wildcat." He managed to rasp, "Tell my children I am proud of them and that I love them all."
"You'll tell them yourself." Wildcat tried to console his teammate.
"Promise me!" Dmitry found a last vestige of strength.
"Of course. I'll tell them their father loves them." Wildcat promised.
"And my wife. Tell her…" a coughing fit interrupted and then he slid down into the armor and breathed his last.
"I'll tell her too." Wildcat closed Dmitry's eyes.
"Aww, too bad. One less JLer to worry about." Atomic Skull said mockingly.
"You might want to tread lightly here, Skull. The man was a friend." Wildcat warned as he stood.
"Shoulda happened sooner. Hey! Guess what? I can kill you too and then no one would be available to tell the man's brats their father remembered them as he died." Atomic Skull laughed.
Wildcat cracked his knuckles, "I'm going to enjoy breaking you in half."
Hourman ran into Bane…literally. Bane chuckled.
"You should watch where you're going, amigo. Someone might take issue with being run into." Bane warned.
"I was looking for you. You're under arrest." Hourman opened with the preliminaries.
"That's been tried once today. Do not tell me you are so foolish as to replace the fool that challenged me." Bane sighed.
"`Fraid so." Hourman replied.
"Very well." Bane threw a punch.
The Green Lanterns flew towards the Dome accompanied by Shayera. Power Ring, Spencer Hawk, and Kestrel met them in the air. John signaled a time-out and the two sides parlayed.
"We don't have to do this. Surrender your rings and we'll let you go." John offered.
"Never!" Power Ring cried out and he hit John with a force beam.
Kyle blocked a similar beam with a shield and then he created a sword and began to duel Spencer Hawk. Shayera and Kestrel flew off in opposite direction so that they could dive at one another. John hit Power Ring with a giant fist.
Power Ring wobbled and John opened the hand to swat Power Ring and drive him into the ground below. The Green Lantern landed next to the pinned Power Ring, knelt, and slipped the ring off of his opponent's finger. Power Ring spoke.
"You said you'd let me go." He begged.
"I said 'if you surrendered'. You fought, "Totally different ball game."
"Argh." Power Ring sighed.
Kyle won the duel with Spencer Hawk. While Spencer was trying not to get skewered by a sword, Kyle used a small pair of pliers to pull Spencer's ring off and bring it to himself.
Kyle grinned, "And everybody's happy."
Shayera knocked Kestrel's sword aside, then she sideswiped the woman's head. Kestrel plummeted to the ground. As she struggled to rise, Shayera swooped down and smacked her head again. This time Kestrel's helmet flew off. Shayera smashed the side of Kestrel's face and the Thanagarian went down. Shayera retrieved Kestrel's sword and slid it into her belt for safekeeping. Looking around for a new target, she settled on Giganta and flew off to meet her.
Superman flew in and attacked Supreme. Captain Marvel fought Ultraman and J'onn aided Diana. J'onn landed near Lashina and attacked her mentally. Lashina let go of Diana's breasts and clutched at her head. As she went down on her knees the other Female Furies reacted.
Stompa shoulder checked him but he just bent and morphed with the blow and slid right around her. As she struggled to look around and find him he resumed his customary appearance and punched her. She hit him back, which he felt, and he drove a fist into her face. This was followed by a left cross and then a right. Stompa weaved and her eyes were glassy. J'onn reached out to her mind.
"Sleep." He commanded and she did.
Mad Harriet leapt at him and he simply phased and allowed her to pass through him. When she landed in front of him, he delivered a nerve pinch that put her down. He'd seen the technique portrayed in television by an alien race. He wondered if the producers had known any Martians.
A whip wrapped around his throat and Lashina energized it. J'onn was driven to his knees and made powerless by the pain. His relief came from Diana yanking Lashina off of her feet and pummeling her with one blow after another. The New God could only take so much punishment and soon she was out cold.
Diana tended to J'onn and he protested, "You too are injured."
"I'll heal." She said.
"As will I." he said as he got to his feet. He was distinctly ruffled and he took a moment to compose himself. Diana remained silent during this process. Once he had recaptured his calm paradigm she spoke.
"You aided me even though we fought." Diana pointed out.
"You were my friend before you were my enemy. I see no reason why we can't be friends again." J'onn explained.
"I suppose you are right." Diana frowned, "Man's world is so strange. Among my people an enemy is always an enemy."
"Then you have an opportunity for growth. Relish it." J'onn suggested.
Diana wasn't certain she would relish it but she did decide that she would let bygones be bygones and embrace fellow JLers again, "There are villains aplenty. Shall we capture them?"
"Indeed." J'onn offered her a rare smile.