Reminder: Italic is Polybius's native language being spoken.
Chapter 39
A Plan in Motion...
To say that there was an animosity between Kid Flash and Polybius was a severe understatement. Whenever the two were in the same room, and Polybius wasn't focused on something else, Donna swore the tension could be cut with a knife.
She wasn't the only one to notice either. Everyone could tell that Polybius's disliking of Kid Flash had now turned into a hatred. And while the clone veteran wasn't going out of his way to necessarily do any adverse action to Kid Flash, when opportunities presented themselves to the veteran, he took them.
Donna had hoped that as time had gone on, Polybius would let go of it, like he usually did. However, because Polybius had moved back into Mount Justice, she was now getting a better sense of the Team's opinions of him, as well as his opinion of them. And it was very clear that he wasn't letting this go. He held those he fought with "for the better and worse part of a decade" as he put it, in very high regard and did not like it when people spoke badly of them.
However, despite everyone clearly seeing the clone veteran's change in attitude towards him, the only person who seemed to be oblivious to the whole thing was none other than Kid Flash himself.
When Donna had tried to approach him about it and how Polybius reacted, she was shut down before she could even say a word to him. He was adamant that Polybius was dangerous and that he should be locked up.
This, of course, created a divide between him and Donna as well. She tried to be understanding of him and could see where he was coming from. However, the way he said it made her feel uncomfortable as she knew Polybius better than anyone else. And he was painting Polybius to be worse than Ares and that she did not like.
Regardless, despite this, the past few months had otherwise been very good for Donna. After 'meeting' Polybius's squadmates, she noticed he was starting to open up more, at least to her. And she felt that their time together was becoming more intimate as while he had previously avoided talking about the war, he was now more open to sharing war stories.
At least, the ones that ended well.
"And I tell you, the explosion that thing made was freaking huge!" Polybius said as he finished recalling a mission he and his squad had gone on, "That cloud had to have been at least eighty stories high!"
"That sounds a little frightening." Donna countered.
"Yeah, if you were a loyalist!" Polybius corrected, "For us resistance fighters though, seeing that armory, which mind you, was the second-largest one in the world, it was a magnificent sight. Not only that, but it put an end to all loyalist offenses on the continent!"
As the two enjoyed themselves on their date, meanwhile, the Team had assembled for a mission briefing from Batman.
"There has been a large increase in missing person reports coming out of this area." Batman explained while showing the Team the area, "However, what is more alarming, is that all search parties sent in to look for them have also gone missing without a trace. We need you to find out what happened to those people and report back in."
"Well, this mission doesn't sound too difficult." Kid Flash commented, "Probably some old hillbilly creep gang that needs to be put in their place."
"We'll take a look into it." Aqualad said.
About an hour later, the Team was on the ground and had spread out. However, what they weren't aware of, is that their adversaries already knew they were here.
"Our sensors have detected the arrival of the Justice League's Team approximately fifteen miles north of our location, and soon to be within the ten-mile bubble." The cyborg assigned to monitoring the sensors reported, "What are your orders?"
"The Team can be used as a useful bargaining chip." The second in command cyborg commented to the leader, "Perhaps we can exchange them for Polybius and Donna."
"My analysis of the League shows that out of the last 172 times they have negotiated hostage releases, all 172 were fake, and they end up using the exchange itself as a platform to destroy their enemies."
"Then what are we to do?" The second in command asked, "We cannot pass up such high-value targets."
"Agreed." The leader said, "I calculate the best strategy would be to lure them here. It won't be that hard, as if we present them with any target, they will chase after it like they do 84.86% of the time. Once here, we can surround them and easily overwhelm them."
"And then what?" The second in command followed up, "It is unlikely that the League will just sit by and allow their capture. It would only be a matter of time before the League comes down here in force, and I doubt our ability to take them on."
"We have a far superior weapon arsenal against them." The lead countered, "I calculate that in 100 battles against the full might of the Justice League on our terms, we will win 98 of them. However, the odds of us actually facing the full might of the League are 5.06%. I calculate the highest probability of us facing off against any portion of the League would be against either only one member or less than 5 at 60.71%."
"That still doesn't guarantee that Polybius will actually come out of his hole." The second in command countered.
"Agreed." The leader stated, "However, I calculate only a 2.98% chance of us staging a successful kidnapping of Polybius and Donna. Our best bet is to draw them here."
"And how are we going to do that?" The second in command said.
"We are going to let Kid Flash escape." The lead cyborg answered, "We will let him report back to the League what happened here, and Polybius, suspecting it is us, will come here, wanting to deal with this himself."
"And what about Donna?" The second in command asked.
"I suspect he will likely bring her, as she is the best person to work with him. Kid Flash and Polybius hate each other, and it is unlikely that the two will work together. Or, if they do, Polybius will want to bring someone else who will actually listen to him. Which most likely, will be her."
Not long after laying out the plans to the second in command, the Team finally got within the 'ten-mile bubble' the cyborgs decided to strike.
Sending a force roughly equal to the size of the Team around and behind them, and waiting, as well as two additional flanking forces on both sides of the Team as well, both equal in size to the rear force.
The short battle started when the front force, this only half the size of the Team and made up of the weakest units, attacked. They had been ordered to only use stun shots, so when Zatanna and Rocket went down as soon as they began opening fire, it sent the Team into a panic.
"So much for stealth!" Kid Flash declared as he dropped his goggles and rushed forward, followed by the rest of the Team.
Playing right into the cyborg's hands, the group that was tasked with the frontal assault fell back but did so in a controlled and organized manner. This allowed them to force the Team to stay at a distance, as they soon realized if they got too close, the withdrawal would stop, and all of them would open fire. And when that happened, it alone was too much for them to try and advance.
Even those who could fly or had super speed were even held back by the barrage.
Despite this, as predicted, the Team's tenacity and determination kept driving them forward and deeper into the trap. Which was set off not long after the engagement started.
The two flanking forces, these made up of higher quality, later generation cyborgs made their move.
Hitting the Team in the flanks simultaneously took the Team off guard, as they weren't used to fighting enemies so tactically coordinated.
It also didn't help that the cyborgs back that the command center could see every move the Team made on their sensors.
By the time the flanking forces hit the Team and were able to lay down heavy, sustained, stun shot fire, this left Aqualad, Robin, Superboy, and Kid Flash, as the only four still standing.
"We've been outflanked!" Robin shouted as he desperately threw explosives at the advancing forces on their right flank.
"We need to retreat!" Aqualad declared.
"What!?" Superboy and Kid Flash asked at the same time.
"We have fallen right into their trap, and we cannot hope to help our friends like this." Aqualad told them, "We have to get out of there."
"We can't just leave them!" Kid Flash said, "Who knows what they'll do to them!"
"And if we stay here, we too will suffer the same fate!" Aqualad declared.
"Aqualad's right!" Robin agreed, "We can't help them!"
"There's no way I'm leaving-" Superboy started, but was cut off when a shot from behind them connected with his head, and he dropped to the ground unconscious.
Looking back, the Team realized that they were surrounded, as a force had appeared behind them and was now attacking them.
"Kid, you've gotta make a run for it!" Aqualad shouted at him.
"I'm not- oof- leaving you guys!" Kid Flash said as a shot hit the tree, he was hiding by.
"You have to!" Robin said, "Our communications are jammed, and you're the only one who's got a chance of making it out! You have to tell the League that something is attacking the people."
"I'm not leaving you!" Kid Flash insisted.
"GO!" Aqualad ordered, right before he took a hit that knocked him out.
"We'll be fine!" Robin assured him, "But we won't be if nobody knows what happened to us!"
Kid Flash, realizing that Robin was right, nodded his understanding and made a desperate dash through the largest opening he saw and managed to escape just as Robin went down.
"Kid Flash escaped." One of the cyborgs on the ground reported up.
"Good." The lead cyborg called back, "Now we wait."
Meanwhile, not far from the battle, Polybius and Donna were still on their date and having a good time. They were actually wrapping it up and heading back to Mount Justice, where they were going to split ways. However, Polybius saw a sign that made him stop for a moment.
"Yo, is this my destiny?" Polybius asked, looking up at the largest word on the sign and pointing at it with an open hand, "To become a citizen?"
"I thought you were one?" Donna asked.
"I am not." Polybius answered, "I was illegal for a while until Batman got that all sorted out. But I am not a full citizen yet. But I am allowed to have a permanent legal residence here."
"Well, don't you want to vote?" Donna asked.
"Last I checked, you're not a citizen either!" Polybius pointed out, without answering the question.
"I'm not." Donna admitted, "But still, you are going to live here for the rest of your life. You might as well become one, so you can vote."
"You're bold to assume I'm going to stay here forever." Polybius said.
"And where are you gonna go?" Donna followed up.
"I don't know, maybe Europe." Polybius said.
"Yeah right." Donna brushed off, "You won't run that far away from the League."
"Maybe you're right." Polybius said, "Or maybe I'll go to Bialya and start a guerrilla movement against Queen Bee."
"Now, that would be something." Donna commented.
Not long after that, the two were back in Mount Justice, where Batman, Red Tornado, and Wonder Woman were. However, right behind them coming in was Kid Flash, who stumbled in and was breathing heavily.
"What happened?" Batman was the first to ask.
"They knew we were coming." Kid Flash managed out, "We didn't stand a chance."
Kid Flash then recalled the events, which caught Polybius's attention. Everything he was describing was ringing several bells in the clone veteran's head. However, what sold him on his idea is when Kid Flash began describing the shots fired by the enemy.
"Hold up." Polybius said, "You said they were firing some sort of stun shot?"
"Y- Yeah." Kid Flash managed out.
"And what attacked you?" Polybius followed up.
"I- I don't know." Kid Flash said, "They were able to keep us away from them. When we tried to advance, they increased their fire. However, we got surrounded real quick."
"Hm…" Polybius said, thinking about the situation.
"Hm?" Wonder Woman questioned.
"I've got a bad feeling about this." Polybius commented.
"Bad how?" Batman asked.
"Well…" Polybius started, "From what he described, it sounds like 'loyalist cohort battle plan 4' of the loyalist handbook. Although usually it's used when the enemy outnumbers you."
"'Loyalist cohort battle plan 4?'" Red Tornado questioned.
"Ever heard of the Battle of Cannae?" Polybius asked, "Basically, Hannibal had a much smaller force but outmaneuvered the overconfident Romans, who threw everything at him, hoping to break his line quickly. This didn't happen, and he surrounded the Romans and wiped them all out. It was one of the worst defeats the Romans ever suffered. And loyalist cohort battle plan 4 is based on those maneuvers, just on a much smaller, more guerilla scale."
"So you think this might be a loyalist detachment sent after you?" Batman asked.
"And using the Team as a bargaining chip." Polybius added before sighing, "And if that's the case, then getting them back is next to impossible."
"Next to." Batman said.
"Well, impossible for you." Polybius said, "But possible for me."
"How so?" Batman followed up.
"Unlike you, I spent the better and worse parts of a decade fighting loyalist forces. I've memorized their battle plans and know them inside and out." Polybius explained.
"That's assuming this is even a loyalist group who has come after you." Red Tornado countered, "Perhaps it is best if the League handles this."
"Or we add to the hostage count." Polybius countered, "As much as I don't want to be, I think I'm right on this."
"You really think this is a loyalist detachment sent here after you?" Wonder Woman questioned, "Seems a bit far-fetched if you ask me."
"Maybe." Polybius admitted, "But then again, how often am I wrong?"
"Good point." Batman agreed, "If you truly believe that this is a loyalist detachment sent here, then you take charge of this."
"Good." Polybius said before turning to his girlfriend, "Donna! You're coming with me."
"Hold on!" Wonder Woman said, "You can't just steal my protégé like that!"
"I need her more than you do right now." Polybius countered.
"Perhaps it would be better to take a more experienced Leaguer with you." Red Tornado offered, "One who escaped from that camp with you."
"Nope." Polybius said, "I want her."
"Why?" Wonder Woman asked.
"This is exactly why." Polybius said, "I need somebody out there who isn't going to question my tactics and orders. Which you do, I don't have much practical use for Batman, Red Tornaodo's powers aren't going to be of much use to be out there."
"And?" Wonder Woman followed up.
"And?" Polybius asked, "And I am going to make sure she comes home on her feet, rather than in a bag. Happy?"
"You've got her." Batman said, stepping in to put an end to the argument, "Take her, as well as anything else you need."
"I'm going to!" Kid Flash spoke up.
"No, you're not." Polybius countered.
"What do you mean no!?" Kid Flash demanded, "I'm a part of the Team! Those are my friends. Therefore this is my priority."
"It's not that." Polybius said, "It's I refuse to work with you because you're just going to end up being a massive pain in my side. And that, I don't need."
Not giving Kid Flash a chance to respond, Polybius turned towards his room and motioned for Donna to follow him. Once he left, Wonder Woman turned to Batman.
"You really think he's right?" Wonder Woman questioned, "That this is a loyalist detachment sent here to get him?"
"He's rarely ever wrong." Batman countered, "And with something he knows way more about than us, I'm surprised you two aren't trusting him as well."
Once in his room, Polybius opened the safe and grabbed his gun.
"So, what's the plan?" Donna asked.
"A simple one." Polybius answered, "We're gonna walk towards their base until we make contact. Once we make contact, I'm going to find out what we're up against. And then we'll move from there. And if we don't make contact, we're gonna walk right up to their base."
"That's it?" Donna asked, surprised at the simplicity of the plan.
"Well, we might as well go there wearing neon lights." Polybius commented, "Their sensors will pick us up and lock on to us long before we get there. And I don't have anything that will make us invisible to them. Or, at the very least, harder to spot."
"Okay." Donna said.
"Now, it's imperative you listen to me." The clone veteran explained, "I chose you because I know you'll listen to me without question. Now, unfortunately, we won't have any radio communication because that'll get jammed. So keep an open ear open for my shouting. If I tell you to turn left, you had better turn left."
"I trust you." Donna assured him.
"I know you do." Polybius said, standing up as he had everything he needed, "And I trust you."
With that, the two left Mount Justice and began to make their way towards the Team's last known location.
However, what they didn't know is that Kid Flash, determined to come along and save the Team, was following them.
About an hour later, Polybius and Donna had arrived at the Team's last known location. They had yet to make contact with the enemy, but Polybius could already tell just by looking at the damage to the landscape that he was right.
"See this mark." Polybius said, pointing to a quarter-size mark on a tree, "That's what happens when a stun shot from a loyalist Suppressor Rifle hits a tree. This is definitely a loyalist hideout."
"You can tell what weapon fired that shot based on the bullet hole left?" Donna questioned.
"Yep." Polybius said, "Each weapon in both the loyalist and resistance arsenal left distinctive marks on what they hit. I've seen and memorized all of them."
Polybius then looked at the mark again.
"Although, the Suppressor Rifle was typically used by the cybernetically enhanced element of the loyalist army." Polybius commented, "It's hard for a normal human to fire those as the butt rifle is quite awkwardly shaped. But the cyborgs didn't need to shoulder the weapon to fire it accurately."
"So we're going up against cyborgs?" Donna asked.
"Unlikely." Polybius answered, "After the war was over, the victorious Impertar saw no reason to keep the cyborgs active and gave them all a shutdown command. The organic parts were cremated, and the inorganic parts were melted down and turned into trophies to be awarded to the loyalist soldiers for the victory."
"Is it possible that the command didn't get to everyone?" Donna followed up.
"Yes." Polybius said, "But I'm now twenty, and that command was given when I was ten. So that puts a decade between the time that command was given and now. So I imagine that any surviving cells have been wiped out."
"Maybe some got reactivated." Donna offered.
"Maybe." Polybius said, "I mean, it has been eight years since I was last there. Maybe the resistance picked up traction again, and that final battle wasn't actually as final as I thought it was…"
Turning past and looked back at Donna, Polybius noticed a small bit of yellow and that was out of place in the environment, move swiftly.
"Goddamnit, Kid Flash!" Polybius cursed, "I told you not to follow!"
Kid Flash then emerged from a bush and crossed his arms.
"I told you this is my Team!" Kid Flash pressed, "They are my responsibility."
Polybius let out a long sigh as he really should have realized this was going to happen.
"Well, since it looks like I can't really stop you, then let me make this clear! I'm in charge! This is now my mission, and you are going to take all orders from me! And if you end up in a body bag, that's on you! Got it!?"
"Whatever!" Kid Flash brushed off.
"No, no whatever!" The clone veteran quickly spat back, "I may be the most lethal and scariest thing in this forest. However, our loyalist enemies are a close number two. They will kill you."
"They didn't the first time!" Kid Flash, "Why would they this time?"
"Because they want to use the Team as a bargaining chip." Polybius explained, "And the only reason you escaped is because they let you. They wanted you to come and tell me what you saw so I would turn up."
"So you're playing right into their hands then!" Kid Flash pointed out.
"Like I have a choice." Polybius countered, "Now shut up and follow me!"
Polybius turned back towards the direction he and Donna were initially heading and drew his pistol. He then began to make his way through the dense forest, followed closely by the two protégés.
And there you have it, Chapter 39! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, don't be afraid to let me know what you think about it, or this story in general, and as always have a good one!