Chapter XXI: Age of Ultriac! Part 4
London, England. September 4, 1942
"Is he really gonna be here?" Kid-Flag paced around the room, nervously tugging on his gloves.
"Yes, Kid." Flag chuckled as he read the newspaper. "Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin wanted us to meet here to discuss our usefulness in the war. Now, will you, please, sit still?"
Suddenly, the crowd outside of British courthouse erupted into a deafening applause. Kid-Flag was now bouncing up and down in excitement. As soon as the palace doors had closed, Wally just stared in awe at the man with a bright red 'H' on his chest. "Wow…" He breathed. "You really do know him!"
"You must be Kid-Flag." Hyperman smiled, brightly. "I hear you're very brave."
"Oh, my God…" Wally could barely form a coherent thought. "He knows my name…"
"Good to see you again, pal." Steve got up and patted his former rival on the shoulder.
"You too. How's the leg?"
"Eh, not bad. How's the face?"
"Excuse me, gentlemen?" Phineas Scott, inventor of the Human Lantern android, stepped out into the grand hallway. "They have made their decision." The trio made their way into the courtroom where they were greeted by the Human Lantern, himself, and Aqua the Sub-Mariner, King of Atlantis. The room fell silent as the five superheroes stood before the leaders of the Allied Forces. Stalin spoke first.
"Gentlemen… your highness…" Russia's leader showed only a glimpse of hostility in his voice as he spoke to the Sub-Mariner. "My comrades and I have come to the conclusion that you may all be our best hope of ending the war."
"It is a miracle that we have been able to hold our own for this long." Churchill continued. "Even with America's help, we are losing support from the French government. And now, we even have word that Hitler has some kind of super-assassin who is just as fast as you, Flag."
"Which is why," Roosevelt finished. "We want all of you to help our forces defeat the Axis Powers. As a special strike force to invade the Axis-occupied countries and liberate them."
That was the day the Justice Society of Invaders came to be.
Iguazu Falls, Brazil. Present Day.
The Flag's mind was able to process information at a much quicker rate than the average human. This often helped with his investigative cases in the Justice Society of Invaders and later the JLA. It was this gift that helped him solve missing persons cases and rescue kidnapped children when he rushed back to America during war time. But after seeing this young man in a purple, skin-tight thermal suit, even his super-fast brain could hardly handle the shocking input; Baron Zero had a son.
"Look, kid, I don't know what kind of lies your father has told you, but you're on the wrong side of this."
"How dare you say that?!" Helmut snapped. "My father is going to bring peace to this God-forsaken world!"
"If peace is what you desire, young one, then you can do so without harming innocents." Thunder Woman stated, calmly.
["I think you're confusing peace with quiet."] Ultriac-5 resputed.
"He's right." Jadestar added. "You people act like heroes, saving the world of adoring masses, but you don't really give a damn about helping individuals."
"That's not true." Hyperman tried. "We've always cared about the wellbeing of everyone."
["Oh, please…"] Ultriac-5 groaned. ["Look at Hyperman… the Man of Might… pretending you're actually human underneath all that solar-fueled muscle. Do you honestly think your parents would be proud of you right now? The last of the great Radonian race-a god among men-clinging to a tired, old farm."] Kent's eyes glowed brightly as the robot goaded. ["I can't physically throw up in my mouth, but you people actually make me wish I could."]
"Enough of this senseless chatter!" Thunder Woman's voice bellowed. "Why have you come to pillage this begotten dwelling of its supplies?!"
["Oh, I'm just so glad you asked because we wanted to explain our master plan."] Ultriac-5 chortled before firing at the trio with a magenta laser. Hyperman acted quickly, blocking the laser with his body so his friends wouldn't be hurt. The muta twins took that as their cue to attack. While Jadestar and Blizardkrieg went after Thunder Woman and Flag, Darkstar faded into the shadows, waiting to strike.
As they fought, Winslow's men burst into the room and helped him to his feet. But before they could take him to a hospital, he gave one final order. "Shoot them…"
"Which ones?"
"ALL OF THEM!" He roared. Flag and Blizardkrieg ended their fight just in time to dodge the bullets. Helmut bombarded his attackers with piercing icicles and lethal frost. With bullets ricocheting off of his shield, Steve rushed at the mercenaries with little restraint.
"Missed me!" Jadestar taunted as she whisked around the Goddess of Thunder, swerving out of the way of her thunderbolts. At last, Thunder Woman lost patience and threw her hammer at the swift muta. Jadestar smirked as time slowed down around her. Once she stepped out of the hammer's path, she gingerly wrapped her fingers around the hilt, only to have it pull her straight through a wall.
Hyperman's heat-vision was holding back Ultriac-5's laser beams to a stalemate. Suddenly, he ducked out of the way, and tackled the armored machine with all of his strength. With his foe pinned, Hyperman ripped off his helmet and proceeded to bash his head in. ["I get the feeling I touched a raw nerve."] Ultriac-5 laughed softly, completely unfazed by Hyperman's attack. ["NOW!"]
Darkstar wrapped his arms around Hyperman's neck. A black mist slipped through his lips and into his prey's ear. Kent's pupils dilated as the dark spell wrapped around his psyche, reaching into the darkest corners of his mind, and bringing his worst memories back to the surface. He stumbled off of Ultriac-5, gripping the sides of his head in a vain attempt to drive the black magic out of his brain. Ultriac-5 took advantage of his distraction and planted the mind-control device onto his forehead.
Flag was blocking Blizardkrieg's icy blasts when he saw Kent fall to his knees. Pushing forward, he knocked Snart to the ground and rushed over to his oldest friend. Darkstar lunged out of the way just in time. "What the hell did you do to him?!"
A robotic arm delivered a powerful blow to his knee, forcing him to kneel before the black muta-human. ["The same thing we're going to do to you."] After Tod sent more black smoke into Steve's nostrils, Jenny zipped in between them to plant another control implant on his forehead.
"You're getting slow, old man!" She laughed.
"My friends!" Diana gasped. She swung her hammer, rapidly, preparing to fly up to the villains. But before her feet could leave the ground, a red-haired man with green eyes shifted through the wall. Diana's face twisted in confusion. "Who the-"
"-hell are you?" Wally finished.
Diana pushed him aside just as Darkstar swooped down at them. The muta-human sorcerer had caught her off-guard, making her drop Mjolnir. Diana tried to break free from his grip, but his cloak wrapped around her body like solid darkness. "How about a kiss, foxy mama?" He chuckled as he forcefully smashed his pursed lips against her mouth. At last, Diana broke free from his clutches and knocked him to the ground. Upon seeing her friends in need, Thunder Woman tapped the communicator in her ear.
"Emerald Man! Gargoyle! Hyperman and Flag are down! I need help!"
"What?" Tony sounded shocked as he and Matt made their way to the hangar. "What do you mean they're 'down'?"
"Ultriac-5 is collaborating with two muta-humans. One of them appears to have placed them under a hypnotic spell. He tried to do the same to my mind but, fortunately, I am mighty." As soon as Diana stopped speaking, she saw a warped vision of Asgard in ruins. She tried to tell herself that it was all an illusion, but it felt so real. Asgardians and Amazons at war with the Olympians, friends and family dead at her feet, and Circi siding with Zeus' army.
Wally rubbed his head to ease the throbbing in his skull. "Did she have to push me that hard?" He thought to himself. As he pulled himself up to his feet, Darkstar shifted out of the shadows. The dark muta grinned wickedly; if he could give H.I.D.R.A. control over the Winter Speedster again, he'd be set for life. With every step, his cloak grew wider, ready to grab the Speedster if he tried to escape. He opened his mouth again…
… And Wally spun around, quickly, vibrating his arm through his chest. Tod's entire body shook violently as the Speed Force energy electrocuted him from head-to-toe. When Wally retracted his arm, Tod smiled goofily as his costume smoked. "Mommy… my choo-choo went swimming in the piano, again…" And then he collapsed, face-first, onto the ground.
"Sorry, kid…" Wally brushed his shoulder gently. "I've already done the whole mind-control thing. Safe to say, I'm not a fan."
Jadestar slammed her shoulder into Wally's chest, sending him flying across the room. "You bastard!" She shouted, and scooped her brother into her arms before dashing off.
"Yeah, you better run, bitch…" His pride hurt more than his body. Just then, he saw the three heroes leaving the building. He rushed outside to see that they were attacking a nearby town. "No!" He dashed towards them as fast as he could, leaving a trail of lightning in his wake. "Steve! Stop! Listen to me! It's me, Wally!" He tried to snap his mentor out of the trance, but it was no use; Flag continued to ransack the town.
Looking up, Wally saw Hyperman burning the market square with his heat-vision. "Kent!" He shouted. "This isn't you! You've gotta stop this!" But it was no use, Hyperman pushed him aside and continued to burn the rest of the small town. Wally decided to focus on saving the civilians. He rushed to get people to safety before he slipped on a large patch of ice.
"Ah-ha!" Wally leapt onto his feet see Blizardkrieg pointing his frozen blade at him. "The Winter Speedster! My father shall be very pleased once I bring him your head! Let us fight!"
"Why are you doing this?" Wally asked with a desperate tone.
"Because it is not sporting to attack an unready opponent." Helmut responded, politely.
"No, I meant why are you destroying people's homes for no reason other than to prove you can control someone?"
"Um... " Helmut's confidence suddenly disappeared at the unexpected question. Obviously, he had killed others in the past, but only because they posed a threat to H.I.D.R.A. and its plan. But the people in the city had never done anything to deserve the destruction they had just suffered; they were innocent. Without taking his eyes off of Wally, Helmut replied. "Because… it is a precursor to the security we will bring to the world."
"Do they look secure to you?" Wally motioned to the people he'd saved from the JLA's carnage.
"I-I…" Helmut could see the fear in their eyes as they huddled away from him. He looked down at his arms, letting the ice melt away. He couldn't speak.
"This isn't safety." Wally snapped. "It's wrong! And if that costume you're wearing is any indication of who you're working for, something tells me you don't even know it!"
Before Helmut could respond, Scudder blasted the former sleeper agent with a solid light blast. "C'mon, boss! We're burning daylight!" Helmut looked at the speedster one final time before entering the laser dimension, followed by Ultriac-5, Jadestar, and Darkstar.
When they arrived back at H.I.D.R.A., the group was given a hero's welcome. Jenny laid her brother on the ground, rushed to the facilities kitchen, grabbed a glass of water, rushed back, and poured it on Tod's face. Coughing and spluttering, the dark muta woke up.
"Good morning, sunshine." Jenny giggled as she knelt down to her brother.
"Get off me!" He snapped and brushed himself off
"I was just trying to help!" Jenny sounded hurt.
"Yeah, I'll bet." Tod muttered.
"Black bonehead."
"Green goonie."
"Pansexual prick."
"Autistic asshole."
As they argued, they noticed everyone decided to ignore their bickering and focus on the others. Once again, their plan did this every time they got too close to showing their love for each other in public. Tod nodded at his sister, thanking her for saving him.
("Well done, Helmut!") Zemo wrapped his son in a firm hug and lead him away from the crowd. ("You have now given us the means to seizing absolute control of this world! And once we have it, we will undo the damage that its governments have inflicted! Only a true Zemo could be capable of…") Leonard stopped talking when he saw his son looking at the ground. ("Something… troubles you?")
("I attacked the Winter Speedster, father.") Helmut took off his mask to look his father in the eyes. ("He… he said our methods are… wrong.")
("He is trying to cloud your judgement, Helmut.") Leonard gripped his shoulders,firmly. ("We are on the verge of bringing complete world security. How could such a philosophy be wrong?")
("But… the people being attacked by the Justice Legion? Are they not innocent?")
("A necessary sacrifice. Acceptable losses.") Leonard reassured him. ("Now, I suggest you get some rest. You've had a busy day. Tomorrow is a new day.") As he walked back to the command room to speak with Ultriac, he looked back to see his son still lamenting on the Speedster's words. ("That's an order.") He said firmly.
"Y-yes, my Baron." Helmut replied, and moved, cautiously, to his quarters.
["Vibranium; obtained. Operation; underway."] Ultriac's monotone voice echoed throughout the building. The supercomputer's sub-program stepped forward to greet Baron Zero.
"What happens now?" Zero asked.
["Eternal Ultriac will use the vibranium we've collected to build the machine."] The suave robot explained. ["Now, it's bigger than what I showed you on the hologram, which is why my master wishes to build it underneath your former headquarters in Markovia. With your permission, of course."]
Zero nodded. "Surely, it will take time to build this device."
["Already taken care of. While my master has been sharing our discoveries with you, he has also been building an army of drones all over the world. They will be sent directly to Markovia and have the machine ready in just two days."]
"I don't know how to repay you, my friend." Zero smiled under his mask.
["Funny you should say that."] Ultriac-5 answered. ["While I was plugged into the web, I discovered something that could be very valuable to me. May I borrow the twins for a few hours, my Baron?"]
Meanwhile, back in Brazil, Emerald Man and Gargoyle saw the devastation up ahead. While Tony exited the jet, Gargoyle put it on auto-pilot and prepared the special armor he designed for this scenario. After Aya's unfortunate demise, Tony had uploaded his back-up A.I.
"Friday?"
["Yes, Mr. Jordan?"] The feminine voice chirped.
"Gimme the Hyper-Buster armor." At that command, the Jordan satellite in orbit locked onto his coordinates and sent the package directly to him. Hyperman, Flag, and Thunder Woman continued to destroy the area with no restraint, helpless against the alien mind-control. Wally was having a hard time catching his breath as he ran around to keep people out of harm's way.
But just when he thought all hope was lost, two men in bulky armor landed in front of the raging heroes.
"Alright, everybody, stand down!" Emerald Man ordered.
"This day just keeps getting better." Wally muttered to himself.
To Be Continued!
