The Nation of Bwunda
Africa
Deep in the Sub-Saharan area of Africa, the tiny country of Bwunda had become a rogue state. Plagued by decades of a corrupt government, it has seen plenty of wars and criminal activities that established an unstable regime of violence and poverty. Due to this, many refugees have attempted to flee the nation only to perish at the hands of guerilla rebels or guards working for the current dictator. At this moment, General M'barra had seized control of the country as the United Nations scrambled to deal with his unlawful leadership. So far, no peaceful agreement has been made.
Part of Bwunda's landscape is an uncharted area known as the Okarango Region, where the vast Urzari Jungle exists. Made of deadly indigenous tribes and dangerous wildlife, many of Bwunda's citizens, including government officials, refuse to venture into this area due to the stories of frightening creatures and terrifying supernatural entities that live in this unexplored region. Perhaps, it is these superstitions that have has kept the Urzari Jungle unspoiled by and untouched by the Bwunda government. In either case, it made the perfect hideout for Derinoe and her men.
Artemis landed the invisible jet in a remote area of the Urzari Jungle. Suiting up in their costumes and protective uniforms, the Titans and IADC agents got out of the plane and trekked toward the Bouda Temple. The Bouda tribe are an indigenous race of secretive people that have worshipped false deities for centuries. It would only be fitting that the plant God Urzkartaga would be their current Master.
Concealed within the brush, Zatanna noticed several guards posted outside a large stone temple. A stair-step walkway led up to the main entrance as etched carvings of strange symbols and images appeared all around the structure.
Bizarre hybrid creatures could be seen all around the architecture. Besides the obvious hyena men, some of the Bouda displayed swine-like features and tusks, feline looks with either all black fur or hairy, spotted, yellow skin, and beaks with feathers. Each one displayed rows of sharp teeth and sported a set of claws and talons and each one looked equally as dangerous.
"Oh great," the sorceress groaned. "The Bouda are were-creatures. We got boars, black panthers, cheetahs, and even a couple hawks. This is not going to be easy, is it?"
Henry sighed. "These missions never are. Derinoe probably knows we're already here and came prepared. We'll play the game the way she wants. Helena and I will come alone and bargain the shards for Cassie. Zatanna, Artemis and the rest of the Titans will infiltrate the base. Got it?"
They all agreed.
Zatanna, and the group had their objectives. They raced through the jungle and positioned themselves around the other side the temple to prepare their takedown of the villains. In the meantime, Henry and Helena prepared to face the witch.
Placing the two shards into his messenger bag, Henry signaled to his wife to follow.
Helena grew worried. "Henry, you don't think Derinoe has harmed Cassie?"
Henry calmed his wife. "No. She knows she holds the bargaining chip. She wants the shards and if she wants us meet her, she won't hurt Cassie."
"I hope you're right," Helena prayed silently.
The pair came out of the jungle and approached the temple. Instant growls and screeches came from the hybrid monsters seeing the couple heading toward them. A were-cheetah and were-hawk, carrying manmade spears and clubs aimed their weapons at them.
Helena and Henry raised up their hands. It was Henry who spoke up.
"Tell your Mistress, I have what she wants!" He pointed to the messenger bag on his arm.
The creatures made animalistic sounds, patted down the couple with their monstrous hands, and removed the concealed knives and pistols that Henry and Helena had hidden within their clothes. Tossing the weapons aside, they pushed the pair toward the stairs of the structure and forced them to walk the long path up to the entrance.
From their hiding spots within the jungle, each member of the team watched as Henry and Helena disappeared inside the temple door. The first part of the plan had been achieved. Now it was time to carry out the next objective.
Zatanna and Kory came out first. They rushed toward the other side of the temple, as pair of guards, a panther and hyena, came at them with spears.
Kory attacked first. Illuminating beautifully in her golden skin and glowing green eyes that contrasted gorgeously against the new purple jumpsuit she wore, she spread her hand to release her starfire into the panther. Instantly, he disintegrated into a ball of fiery ash.
Zatanna went next. The were-hyena tried to stab her with his spear, but the sorceress muttered a few words to stop him.
"Eta'Tivel!
The beast hovered helplessly, before she countered with another spell.
"Llaw'Otni Mals!"
Roaring and cackling, the were-hyena slammed against the stone pyramid structure. Blood splattered against foundation, leaving the creature dead.
Even with two guards down, this left a few more ready to defend the post. Four descended upon the ladies, two boars, a cheetah, and hawk. Clubs, spears, and stone swords clutched in their hands, they screeched, roared and growled ready to attack the duo.
A grappling hook said otherwise. Rose swooped in her modified Ravager costume. Wielding two katanas in each hand, she sliced through one of the boars, while stabbing through the cheetah with her blade. Blood stained her swords as she withdrew and prepared to defend her friends.
Leaving the hawk and the last boar to contend with, Dawn as Dove glided down her in her newly designed wings. Landing in front the swine, she spun around, allowing the sharp edge of her cape to shred her bovine enemy, while her claws made work of the hawk creature now trying to use its talons to attack her. It struck. It missed. Dove went on the offensive. Propelling her metal claws from her hands, she slashed through the beak of the were-hawk. Blood dripped from her blades, as she finished it off with a stab in the chest with her talons. The thing collapsed, mutilated and dead on the stone steps.
"Is that all of them?" Kory asked her teammates.
"Not quite," Zatanna answered, looking nervous.
A large group of were-creatures rushed around the temple. Noticing the temple guards dead, they emitted a monstrous cry and charged at the four ladies.
"I guess this is going to take a while," Dove noted.
Rose raised her katanas. "Ready, when you are!"
Swords and talons slashed, cut, and stabbed through the were-creatures. Starfire ignited and burned through some of the beasts, while magic kept most at bay and dispatched a couple monsters with a toss in the air. Still, the ladies knew they were outnumbered.
"There is too many of them!" Dove informed her comrades. "We can't fight all of them!"
"We just need to get to the door!" Zatanna replied, battling a few with her magic.
A hawk and boar came up from behind the distracted sorceress. Raising their clubs high, they got ready to smite her down.
Out of nowhere, an arrow shot through the were-hawk's chest, while another pierced the neck of the boar.
Zatanna and the Titans watched as a series of arrows dispatched some of the were-creatures. A grappling hook attached to the side of the temple, connected to a zip line that came from a tree in the jungle. Artemis zoomed in, wielding a bow and series of arrows as she took down a couple of the beasts with her arsenal.
"Get inside now!" The Amazon ordered, landing perfectly on the temple steps.
Battling through the attacking beasts, the ladies managed to make their way, up the stairs and inside the entrance. Once all five of them, got inside, they shut the heavy stone door to block out the rest of the attacking Bouda monsters.
"No sword this time?" Rose commented to Artemis, once safely inside.
"I'm better with a bow anyway," Artemis replied with a grin.
The Titan women turned around to see a long, cavernous tunnel. Lit with old torches against the wall, they followed the path to see where it would lead, but wary of the dangers that awaited inside.
"I guess we're going spelunking," Dove remarked.
Kory scowled. "Too bad I didn't bring Indiana Jones with me."
"Careful," Zatanna warned. "There might be Bouda men everywhere. Everyone, be on your guard."
With that, they entered the tunnel.
The Bouda led Henry and Helena down a dark path, until they reached the center of a large opening at the middle of the cavern. Lit torches surrounded the circle where a stone altar had been erected. On the slab, Cassie laid, awake and chained as both her wrists and ankles were bound in manacles. She struggled with her bindings.
"You can stop struggling, child," Derinoe laughed, her dark robes flowing around her. "Those bindings are enchanted by Hephaestus himself. They are unbreakable, even for a demigod. You should be proud. They are the same chains that your father used to enslave your Amazon sisters!"
Cassie sneered. "Go head, bitch! Take these handcuffs off me and I'll show you what a real slave can do!"
Derinoe cackled. "Such courage. Unfortunately, your bravery will be your undoing!"
The shuffle of feet in the dirt caught the witch's attention. She turned to see her Bouda creatures shoving a pair of individuals toward her.
"Speaking of your father," she smirked.
Cassie turned her face from the altar and saw her parents. "Mom! Dad!"
"Cassie!" Helena gasped, covering her mouth.
The witch cackled. "The Great Hercules and the radiant Helen of Troy! Welcome to my abode!"
Henry and Helena Sandsmark stood in front of the old crone, as she held their daughter captive and chained on the altar. Out of the darkness, a large group of were-creatures guarded the area, as two figures, one in a cloak holding a scythe and the other, an African American woman in military gear, came out to join the witch. The African American raised her rifle and pointed at the couple.
"Do you have the shards?" LeTonya Charles interrogated the pair.
Henry nodded, lifting his messenger bag to show that it was inside. LeTonya kept her weapon under her arm, as she grabbed the bag and went to inspect it. She took out the two shards and tossed the bag to the side.
"Careful!" Henry clucked. "That's a Ben Sherman bag!"
LeTonya raised her rifle at him. "Shut the fuck up!" Henry quieted, as he watched the Cyborgirl hand all four shards together to the witch.
Cradling the mystical rocks in her arms, Derinoe laughed. "I see you brought me gifts!"
Henry scowled. "You have what you wanted! I kept my end of the bargain! Now let our daughter go!"
The witch guffawed. She shot him a wicked grin. "Now, now, Hercules. I said I would keep your daughter alive. I never said I would release her!"
"You are a lying piece of…" The agent started to march toward her, but LeTonya cocked her rifle at him.
"Back off, motherfucker!" The hacker warned. "I don't how bulletproof you are, but I don't think your wife is." She directed her gun toward Helena.
Henry stopped and listened helplessly to his enemy. He was now at her mercy.
"Cassie," Helena called out to her daughter. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, Mom!" Cassie answered, struggling against her binds. "I can't meet you right now!" She joked. "I'm a bit tied up right now!"
Her humor did not ease her mother's fears.
"Don't worry, honey" Helena tried to comfort her from where she was standing a few feet away. "We'll find away to get you out of there!"
The cloaked figure holding the scythe laughed. "You're so sentimental, Helena!" The female voice taunted. "Still clinging for hope, when there is none!" She ripped off her hood to reveal, the grotesque, disfigured face of a tall woman, badly burned and wrinkled. Stray patches of ginger appeared on her bald scalp as her skull-like, gruesome visage exhibited her raging anger.
"Alkyone!" Helena sneered.
"Yes," the burnt woman grinned. "Your bitch guardian, Nubia, did this to me! I'm going to make you pay instead for her folly!"
Helena folded her arms in defiance. "Actually, it is quiet an improvement. You might want to invest in a little sunscreen or a good moisturizer."
"You stupid cunt!" Alkyone roared. She clutched her scythe and began to march toward her. Unfazed by the warrior woman's threat, Helena stood her ground, but Derinoe pulled her daughter back.
"Enough!" The witch declared. "The lovers will be dealt with in due time. For now, we must prepare for the ritual. There can be no distractions, especially with their friends invading our temple."
Henry and Helena gulped. Derinoe eyed the couple in triumph.
"I knew you wouldn't agree to come alone." The old crone wickedly grinned. "That is why I set up traps to prevent your allies from disturbing a very important ceremony." She turned to LeTonya and nodded. The hacker pulled out her laptop and opened it. "Is everything set?" She asked the hacker.
LeTonya nodded. "Just say when, I'll press the button."
Derinoe smirked. "When."
Henry and Helena watched helplessly as the hacker pushed the button. They now could only pray that their friends would be okay.
The Titans walked down the corridor until the reached an open area where the light became much brighter. Once inside, they searched the room, spotting three different entrances that led to different paths.
"Which one?" Kory asked her teammates.
"Should we do the eeny-meeny-miny-moe test?" Rose suggested.
Just then, something rumbled from within the wall. Artemis noticed it first, as a group of sharp, wooden spears blasted from the wall and targeted Kory. She raced to the alien princess.
"Watch out!" She yelled, grabbing Kory and throwing her inside of one of the entrances for safety, while darting out of the way of the spears.
Stunned by the Amazon's assault, the alien woman landed on her bottom near the edge of the doorway. She got up to walk out, but a stone door lifted off the ground and closed off her path. Now blocked and separated from her friends, she pounded at the obstruction and yelled for help.
On the other side of the entrance, another group of spears shot out of the opposite side of the wall, causing Zatanna, Rose, and Dawn to drop to the floor, as Artemis deflected the projectiles with her magical bracelets and bow. The Amazon waited for another attack and listened as something else rumbled from inside the wall. She turned as a sliding wall sped past the ladies and crashed into her. She flew back several feet into the third entrance as it sealed behind her, trapping her inside.
"It's a trap!" Dove announced to her friends, crouched on the ground.
"No shit!" Rose stating the obvious.
They waited and listened carefully, for any sounds of rumbling inside the room. This was a clue of another attack heading their way. A few seconds passed by, before the silence ended and something sinister started to surface.
The buzzing sound of an enormous saw came out of the side of the walls. Zatanna and Rose managed to roll out of its way but that left Dawn helpless in its path. With no other choice, she wrapped herself in her Dove metallic, feather cape and started running. The blade came closer, striking the blades of her cape as sparks flew everywhere. She darted toward the second entrance, as the saw sank inside the side of the door and disappeared. Sensing no threat of being sliced apart, she dashed back through the door, only to have a concrete wall close in on her, preventing her from going outside. She was now trapped.
Zatanna and Rose got up, realizing that they've been separated from their friends, now captured and imprisoned within the three corridors.
"How do we get them out?" Rose asked the sorceress.
"I don't know," Zatanna replied. "Let me think."
Suddenly, another rumble caught their attention. They knew this was not going to be good.
"Uh oh," said Rose.
Their deepest fears were soon realized. The floor stared to tremor, releasing some of the stone bricks beneath their feet. As each piece of stone began to fall to the earth, the pair quickly knew that the ground was coming apart. Within minutes, the floor crumbled until it finally collapsed, sending the pair plummeting to their doom.
Rose and Zatanna screamed.
Falling into the darkness, the sorceress quickly said an incantation.
"Eta'Tivel!"
Immediately, the pair descended slowly as they hovered and moved down the large cave. Seeing a light at the bottom, they followed it through, until they reached the ground. A collection of stone, rocks dirt, and dust covered the area, as they touched the earth unharmed; they tried to get their bearings. Seeing torches surrounded him and large altar, they turned to see Cassie chained to a slab, Henry and Helena held at gunpoint, and the rest of their enemies now surrounding them. That is when the witch approached.
"Ah, Agent Zatara and the Titan!" Derinoe grimaced. "You're just in time for the ceremony!"
Kory Anders slapped the hard foundation of the stone door. She yelled for help, but no one could hear her. Attempting another tactic, she stood back, raised her hand and allowed her starfire to release upon the rock. It did nothing.
"Dammit!" She cursed.
With no other choice, she followed the path of the walkway to see where it would lead. Coming down a long corridor, she saw some light emitting from the torches at the end and entered through. A large cave of stalactites and stalagmites came into view. She walked down further, until the darkness blocked her sight. She edged her foot a bit to feel around and noticed some ground missing.
"Shit!" She swore. "It's a cliff! Can't go that way!"
She returned in the opposite direction of where she came but was blocked by large muscular figure in black. Dressed in tactical gear, the henchwoman known as M. M. cracked her knuckles beneath the metallic gloves she wore.
"Going somewhere?" She glared at the alien princess.
"Yeah," Kory smirked. "Your funeral."
She raised her hand and drew in her energy to starfire. She could feel it pulse and expel, but her starfire did not release. She stared at her hands in shock.
"Not now!" Kory gritted her teeth.
A heavy punch dazed her, as the metallic gloves glowed with energy from its strength. M. M. reared her arms and prepared for another assault. She swung. Prepared this time, Kory blocked it, but impact did hurt a little. The electronic, tech gloves gave her opponent an advantage as the brute strength caused some damage to her.
This time it was Kory's turn. Performing a kick to her thigh, it temporarily brought M. M. down, giving her time to perform a roundhouse boot strike to the hitwoman's face. She landed on the ground, angrier and more determined.
The alien princess was not down yet. She shot forward, punched M. M.'s face and grabbed the woman by her hand. Gripping her foe's wrist, Kory twisted and flipped the villainess over her shoulder and landed M. M. on her to her back. Now down, the Titan straddled her chest and began punching her, hoping to knock her out.
Disoriented, but not defeated, M. M. charged her gloves even more. Reaching over, she grabbed Kory's neck and squeezed. The pressure of the gloves cutting off her oxygen was too much for the alien princess as she struggled to breathe. With the villainess now having the advantage, she slammed the flailing Kory against the cave wall.
The Titan collapsed to the ground. Kory tried to get up but a kick to her stomach disabled her, as M. M. once again knocked the wind out of her. Ensuring she stayed down, the hitwoman charged her glove and landed a karate chopped to the back of Kory's head, knocking her out unconscious.
Not satisfied with her unfinished business, M. M. picked up the alien princess and walked into the darkness. Seeing the perfect way to end the fight, she lifted Kory's body and tossed it over the endless ravine.
She hoped the fall ending in a violent death.
Dove, a.k.a. Dawn Granger, tried to push at the door but it wouldn't budge. Noticing the walkway to the other side, she followed. A series of corridors landed her inside another cave that had no other pathways. Frustrated with the dead end, she stopped to think of a plan of escape. Footsteps behind her signaled someone following her and she turned around in time to see the wide brim hat of T. H. ready with guns blazing.
She fired.
Dove wrapped her feathered cape around her, while the bullets ricocheted off the metal shield of her costume. Listening to the sounds of empty pistols, Dawn peeked to see T. H. reaching into her hat to pull out another cartridge, it was now her time to strike.
Pulling out a tiny shuriken from her hidden sleeve, Dove shot the blade at the first gun in the henchwoman's hand and knocked it out. Stunned, T. H. went with her other weapon to which Dove tossed another blade and dismantled that pistol as well. Now unarmed, the Titan struck at her foe.
Kicking both guns out of the way, Dove drove a fist into the hitwoman's chest, landing a heavy punch that sent her down. But the experienced mercenary was not down for the count, T. H. regained her position, pulled a set of daggers from her hat and twirled them around her fingers.
"Let's see if I can clip those wings of yours!" The hitwoman threatened.
Dove grinned in defiance. "I'd like to see you try."
T. H. clutched her knives and slashed at Dawn's midsection. However, the Titan was quick. Dove vaulted out of the way, performed a fan kick and loosened T. H.'s grip on her blades. Once again disabled form her weapons, the Titan went on the offensive.
Landing an uppercut on T. H.'s face, Dove kicked the henchwoman in the stomach before landing the final blow upon the mercenary's back. Flipping over her enemy's body, Dawn performed one more kick to the hitwoman's head, causing her to fall backward and into her discarded weapons nearby.
Miscalculating her mistake, the Titan prepared herself as the bruised T. H. quickly retrieved one of her guns and started firing at the heroine.
Once again, she covered herself with her cape to shield herself from the bullets. Once the firing stopped, she peeked through her cape to see T. H. reaching into her hat. She pulled two small devices, turned on the switches and tossed it at her. The beeping sounds coming the objects immediately worried Dawn.
They were detonators. Soon, the beeping stopped, as a loud explosion filled the cave.
Large boulders and rocks fell everywhere as the wall she was standing near collapsed. Within seconds, Dove was buried in the rubble.
Artemis punched at the stone door. Even Amazonian strength was not enough to move this enormous boulder. Annoyed, she turned in the opposite direction and followed the labyrinth down. The walkway led to a large room. She looked around to see no doors and no windows.
"By Hades breath!" She cursed. "There is no way out!"
She decided to return to the pathway, before the smell of smoke filled her lungs. A sinister laugh echoed in the chamber and she slid her bow over her shoulder and pulled out the magical coin to summon her sword. Instantly, she wielded her blade.
The blackened smoke got bigger covering the room, causing her to cough and preventing her from inhaling a breath. She covered her mouth; the ash blinded her eyes, as the heat started building around every corner of the chamber. Artemis watched in horror as flames shot up from the entrance and filled the entire place.
She darted to the only exit, but a wall of fire obstructed her path. Soon the entire chamber lit up in a blaze. Cowering to the ground, mouth covered, she coughed and made out the image of Zara outside the entrance wielding her fiery powers.
"This time there is no escape, Artemis!" Zara taunted. "There are no doors or windows to run through! I'm afraid you'll have to burn in true hellfire fashion!"
She cackled as the flames got nearer. Sadly, Zara was right. There was no escape.
The Bouda creatures grabbed Zatanna and Rose and directed them in front of Derinoe. Rose stared at Cassie, bound on the table, with concern. Their eyes met. However, there was nothing that each of them could do.
Derinoe called the sorceress forward. "Agent Zatanna. I need use of your magical abilities."
"Forget it!" Zatanna spat. "I'm not helping you!"
LeTonya aimed her rifle at Helena. "Do what she says, or I'll blow this bitch's brains out!"
Helena looked at Zatanna. "It's okay, Zatanna. Just do as she says for now."
The magic user sighed. "What do you want, Derinoe."
"I need for you to reseal the four shards." The witch instructed.
"Why me?" Zatanna asked defensively. "Why can't you do it?"
The old crone scowled. "The ancient magicks of Zalmoxis calls upon a magician who is of true goodness and virtuous blood." She sneered. "As you can see, I don't possess any of those qualities." She picked up the shards and held them up one at a time. "The fruits of goodness. Virtue. Kindness. Compassion. Faith." Her voice dripped with disgust. "Now recite those words and reseal them."
Reluctantly, the sorceress took the four pieces and put them together in her hand. "The fruits of goodness." Zatanna ran them off her tongue. "Virtue. Kindness. Compassion. Faith."
With the last mention of word Faith, the four pieces held together with a magical invisible glue. Derinoe quickly grabbed it out of Zatanna's hand as a pair of Bouda creatures each held the sorceress's arms down to prevent her from performing other magical feats.
"Beautiful," Derinoe smirked. "Now to seal it!" She pulled a dagger from her robes and walked over to where Henry and Helena were. "Hold out your hand!" She ordered Henry.
"What?" The agent was confused and defiant over her request. Impatient, the witch grabbed his wrist and made a cut into his palm, letting her knife to soak in some of his blood.
She then turned to Helena. "You too!"
Helena scowled, pulled out her hand as the witch also made a slash on her palm as well. Admittedly, the knife did sting but not enough to cause any real damage.
With both the demigods' blood, she dripped it on to the circular object in her hand. This solidified the seal. Immediately, it started to glow, lighting up the room.
"Behold!" Derinoe raised the artifact in the air. "The seal is complete! Now the ritual can begin!"
She clutched the glowing seal in her hands and meandered toward Cassie. Placing the magical object on top of the teenager's chest, she turned to her captives and screeched.
"URZKARTAGA! ACCEPT THIS OFFERING AND BE RELEASED FROM YOUR PRISON! BE FREE!"
Everyone in the room watched as the glowing seal became even more brighter. Slowly, a tendril of leaves, vines, and branches started to sprout from the glowing object. It started to grow, entwining around Cassie, covering her in a thick blanket of foliage and bark. The teenager screamed as her body became encased in pure greenery.
"Mom! Dad!" She cried.
"CASSIE!" Helena called out to her, helpless to do anything.
"NO!" Henry protested.
It was too late, the foliage cocooned the girl fully, turning her into a living plant and soon it would spread around the cave and into the world.
Bringing forth Urzkartaga and the end of all living things!