3 Justice League Twice Shy
Rocket Red, Aztek, and Steel had been herded together by the tanks' main plasma cannons. These weren't outdated T-72s like the neighboring countries possessed, these were state of the art whisper tanks. They barely made a sound as they traversed the terrain while kinetic and plasma weapons festooned them. Even the United States and Russia barely had any in their inventory. Bailya's army was laden with them and they were employing them to good use.
The more primitive, conventional tanks were prowling the city streets while the whisper tanks patrolled the areas surrounding the palace. The augmented firepower of the tanks combined with the next generation weapons of the infantry, added to the bite of the artillery's smart missiles, made a potent brew that kept the JLers at bay. More to the point, they'd given ground and were looking for a venue for retreat.
Now the next generation helicopters came in. Boasting hyperkinetic rail guns, a plasma cannon turret, twin hard point lasers, and smart missiles; the gunships were the final straw in an untenable position. Retreat now became a vital necessity.
However, the JLers were trapped by the encircling forces and their own morals. They struggled to keep injuries to minimum since their fight was with the Crimson Queen and the Legion of Doom not Bailya's citizenry. Accomplishing that was increasingly difficult as the Bailyans pressed the JLers even harder.
All three heroes were using their various forms of blasters to try and disable the mounting entrapment. Finally, Steel rushed forward and caved in the turret of a tank with his sledgehammer. Rocket Red took to the air to deal with encroaching gunships and Aztek engaged the infantry. All were outgunned and outmanned but they had to try.
Relief came as Superman pulled two of the helicopters out of the sky and used his heat vision to cut off their NOTAR rotors. Rocket Red took heart and redoubled his efforts. Mary Marvel then came in and smashed a tank. Hourman, Black Vulcan, Samurai, and Apache Chief joined the fray. Steel and Aztek felt cascading waves of relief and they fought even harder.
Kestrel repetitively tried smashing in Hawkman's head with her mace. Fortunately for him, he'd dodged the first blow and then drawn his sword to block the rest of them. However, she was starting to get through his defenses and had almost clipped his shoulder several times. If she connected, his shoulder would shatter and then she would finish him off.
Hawkman was startled as a fist came down on Kestrel's helmet with a loud clang. Kestrel was nearly compressed by the blow, falling onto one knee. Captain Marvel stood behind her grinning. She rose and tried to swing a blow at him.
Marvel caught her wrist thus preventing the blow. With his left hand he gonged her helmet again. Shaken beyond belief, she woozily wobbled around. Hawkman finished her off by touching her with the flat of his blade and energizing it. She cried out and fell flat.
Hawkman smiled his thanks, "Now what?"
"The army's surrounded a group of us. They probably need help." Captain Marvel revealed.
"Yes, I can see them." Hawkman peered off into the distance, "Let's go."
"My sentiments exactly." Marvel grinned as they took to the air.
Darkwing slinked into the shop that the Huntress and Catwoman were hiding in. He was hunched forward with his cape draped around his body. The posture, combined with the costume, almost made Catwoman rush out expecting to find Batman come to rescue them. The rational part of her brain told her to stay put.
Darkwing was a purebred assassin. He'd kill her just as soon look at her. In fact, that was why he was here now. He'd already tried to kill the pair of them just minutes before. He'd failed and now he was here to finish the job.
Catwoman could barely see the Huntress but she knew that her feisty partner would be spoiling for a fight. Catwoman feared that the Huntress's predilection would cause her to forgo an easy victory in favor of a life or death struggle. That was, if there was such a thing.
She'd assumed the Gotham City PD had apprehended Darkwing but obviously she was wrong. She wondered who else had escaped Poison Ivy's nightmare in Gotham's wild animal park. Particularly she wondered about the Gentleman Ghost and Rag Doll. They were away from the main conflagration of villains and may have escaped the cops' notice.
The sound of crunching glass sharpened Catwoman's senses and honed her focus. Batman would never have made a sound. This mistake gave her hope. Maybe she and the Huntress stood a chance after all.
The Huntress stood and fired her crossbow. Even as she rose Darkwing was already committed to a roll. The crossbow's bolt harmlessly sank into the wall.
Darkwing rolled onto his feet and made a sweeping gesture with his arm. Shuriken flew across the room at the Huntress. She blocked them with a truncheon, reached into her utility belt, and withdrew throwing knives. She hurled these at Darkwing in a single motion.
He leapt high into the air and engaged in a forward flip. The Huntress extended her truncheon into a quarterstaff and met the assassin as he landed. Her movements were swift and decisive. Darkwing utilized two batons to combat the staff. At first, it appeared that they were evenly matched.
The tide began to turn and the Huntress was winning. Darkwing drew himself in as he retreated by a step and then he lunged in. In a fury, he reversed the tide of battle. The Huntress had lost the initiative and was sorely paying for it now.
Seconds seemed like eons as the battle continued. Catwoman fretfully wondered how she could intervene without getting in the way. Finally, the unthinkable happened. The Huntress was disarmed.
She rammed the heel of her hand into Darkwing's nose. He saw it coming and dodged it just enough to avoid it being a lethal strike. Still, his eyes watered and his nose ran crimson.
Humiliated at having his opponent draw first blood, Darkwing pressed the attack. She blocked his first punch but she was rocked by the knee to her stomach. His left cross nearly hammered her into unconsciousness.
Huntress suddenly stood straight, using the motion to ram his face with her head. She planted a sidekick into his ribs and felt two of them go. Her left jab accentuated the pain in his nose.
Sadly, he caught her arm when she threw a right cross. Applying a wrist lock, he inverted her elbow and pinned her into place. He then began to place kick after hick in her gut. Dropping the wrist lock as her knees buckled, he delivered two crosses; one right one left.
The Huntress blacked out. He pulled her head back by her hair and exposed her throat. He pulled a dagger out of his left boot and made ready to slash her throat.
A bullwhip cracked as it wrapped itself around his throat. Catwoman yanked for all she was worth. The Huntress's head was unceremoniously dropped but she was spared certain death.
Catwoman uncoiled her whip from Darkwing's throat and then cracked it over her head and sent it stabbing straight out. The stinger caught Darkwing across the chest and a river of blood erupted where the slash had been carved into it. Darkwing was apoplectic. Two women had drawn blood from him today.
Like most of the male members of the League of Assassins, and the League of Shadows for that matter, Darkwing felt he was inherently superior to a woman. He was smarter, faster, stronger, and deadlier. In other words, he was a man!
This day was proving to him that his most cherished assumption might be erroneous. If that were to happen his whole paradigm might collapse. That would be catastrophic for him but much better for the world at large.
He blindly lunged at Catwoman. Anticipating this, she used a judo throw to hurl him over her shoulder. He hit and rolled. Coming up on his feet he threw a backspin kick.
Catwoman dodged it but she gave ground retreating. She hurriedly backpedalled through the store to the front window that she and the Huntress entered through. Seeing the Huntress on the ground she winced.
She lashed out with her whip. Darkwing caught the lash with his left wrist. It wrapped itself around his arm and he took hold of the whip's length. Catwoman tugged and tugged but she couldn't break the whip free. She was so focused on that she didn't realize that he was right on top of her until it was too late.
His sidekick sent her out of the window to the sidewalk beyond. She rolled with the kick so her ribs were spared injury. She also managed to retake her footing after landing out on the concrete. She came up in a fighting crouch but she no longer possessed her whip and she had few doubts as to who would emerge victorious in a fair fight between them. Still, she had to try.
More than her usual sense of self preservation drove her. The Huntress's life was at stake as well. She witnessed his plans for her and Catwoman couldn't allow that to happen. She actually liked her newfound teammate and she hated the thought of harm coming to her.
Catwoman triggered her mechanical claws. They protruded from her gloves' fingertips. She threw herself at him while he uncoiled her whip.
Busy with the whip, his guard had been lowered. Catwoman penetrated his defenses and raked his stomach and arm with her razor sharp claws. Darkwing stopped her with a knee to her gut and then one to her face. Catwoman toppled over in a heap.
Darkwing stepped back. If he'd been enraged before it was nothing like now. Only his mouth and jaw could be seen under his cowl but those had grown tight and purple. He intended for her die while enduring a whipping. He would literally strip her flesh from her bones.
Darkwing heard heavy footfalls behind him. He waited until the person had drawn close enough to place a hand on his left shoulder. He then whirled to his right, planting an elbow strike into the other person's face. If it was a fellow legionnaire or a Bailyan, he would apologize later for smashing their face…or at least, maybe he would.
Searing pain erupted from his elbow as it met a hardened object. Snapping into action, Darkwing stepped forward and then fired off a backspin kick. His foot collided with Commander Steel's head. It tilted slightly but remained otherwise unaffected.
"I don't suppose that you'd care to surrender." He smirked.
Darkwing launched into a series of punches, chops, and kicks. Elbow and knee strikes were liberally tossed in as well. Those that Commander Steel couldn't block hurt him but fell far short of crippling him. He also prudently guarded his groin this time around.
Seeing that Darkwing had nearly exhausted himself, Commander Steel went on the offensive. He threw a punch into Darkwing's gut. Then came a right cross. Two left jabs blossomed into another gut punch. Darkwing punched Commander Steel's abdomen. He missed his gut and instead nailed the JLer's ribs. Finding them unbreakable, his hand broke instead.
Commander Steel rocked him with a right cross. He followed this up with a left. Another right hammered Darkwing. The assassin fell to his knees. Commander Steel drove his knee into Darkwing's forehead. The legionnaire folded back into a heap.
Commander Steel went to Catwoman's side, "Are you all right?"
"Yes, thanks to you." Catwoman flashed him a sultry smile.
"Anyone else with you?" Commander Steel said without a moment's hesitation.
"The Huntress is inside of the shop." Catwoman pouted, "But why don't you wait for a second. We're having a moment."
"We can have a moment after we've secured the nukes." Commander Steel stressed.
"Promise?" Catwoman asked.
Commander Steel sighed, "Yes."
The Huntress showed herself. She was tucking her throwing knives back into her belt. Her crossbow was on her hip as was her collapsed staff.
Her eye was blackening and a bruise had formed at the corner of her mouth. Her lips were split and bloody. She'd fought through the disorientation caused by regaining consciousness. She looked ready for a fight.
The Huntress stepped down from the display window, "Is he finished off?"
She looked to her right and saw Darkwing's fallen form, "I hope it hurt."
"Trust me, it did." Commander Steel chuckled.
The Huntress eyed Darkwing's injuries more closely. She pointed at him while she looked at Catwoman, "You did that?"
"All the bloody bits are mine except for his face. That was the good Commander's handiwork." Catwoman boasted as she coiled her whip. Hanging it on her hip she asked, "Now what?"
"I seem to recall a plan revolving around getting through a certain palace gate." The Huntress reminded her. She turned to Commander Steel, "Are you in?"
"Of course." He grinned, "From what I can tell, you ladies know how to throw a party."
"You haven't seen anything yet." The Huntress vowed.