Justice League of Amazons: Halo
Chapter 12
…
STAR Labs, Metropolis.
Five trucks were being loaded with a singular crate each. Armed guards stood guard, each armed with pistols and semi-automatic rifles and wearing high grade Kevlar body armour. The Justice League members were also in the area, each armed with whatever they felt they needed for the mission.
John was in his MJOLNIR armour. His current loadout was the ever-reliable MA5C assault rifle, an M6G handgun as a sidearm and an M45D Tactical shotgun for close range engagements. Each of the firearms were fitted with TTR rounds, although the Spartan made sure to take with him standard ammunition as well as high-velocity armour piercing rounds for the Z8A Combat trainers that Intergang were said to have. For situations where guns were not advisable be it hand-to-hand combat or team-members were in close quarters proximity, Chief had the Humber stun device; a slightly sour memory came to the Spartan's mind as he remembered during his training days where he and his fellow Spartans were 'motivated' to get out of bed with the stun devices. John also had a complement of grenades on his person ranging from standard fragmentation grenades, flashbangs to Covenant plasma grenades
Pushing the memory aside to focus on the task at hand, John looked over the new vehicle he had taken with him. The AV-49 Wasp; it had gotten some looks from both the League and the security as they got a good look at the aerodyne. Chief knew that with the debut of the Wasp, some of the remaining militaries would want to get a good look at it and see if they could add it to their arsenals.
The security guard in charge of the shipment approached the Spartan. "Sir, we'll soon have the shipments all loaded up and ready to go," she informed the Spartan.
"Good. We're burning daylight as it is," John said as he checked his HUD's clock. "What's the ET of departure?" he asked.
"Ten minutes. We have a couple more things to check off, then we're ready to roll out," the security chief replied.
"Make it five," John told her, and the woman nodded in understanding.
"Was that really necessary?" Shayera said to the Spartan. "Wouldn't ten minutes be more time to check everything off?" she asked.
"It would be," John admitted. "But we don't know when Intergang will make a play for the android. The sooner we move out, the better off we'll be," he said.
"Well, I can't argue with that," Hawkgirl said with a nod of her head. Looking at the League members, she told them, "Eyes up everyone, we'll be moving in five minutes! With your teams and be in radio contact!"
Soon the five-minute margin had passed and the trucks were loaded and checked off. John climbed into the Wasp and started up its engines. With a low roaring hum followed by a rising whine, the Wasp rose into the air and Hawkgirl and Stargirl also took the air to hover beside the vehicle.
"All teams check in," John said through the comm system.
"Team Bravo checking in," Huntress's voice came through first.
"Team Charlie is online," Zatanna said.
"Team Delta is ready to roll," Vixen's announced.
"Team Echo is loud and clear," Supergirl spoke through the comm system.
"Team Alpha is online," John said firmly. "All teams stay in radio contact. Watchtower, do you read? This is Team Alpha reporting in, over," he added.
"Team Alpha, this is Watchtower reading you loud and clear," Batgirl's voice came through. "All signals green and ready to go," she said.
"All teams stay with their trucks and report any suspicious activity," John said. "Everyone copy that?" he asked.
Everyone gave an affirmative signal and the Master Chief then spoke in a firm clear voice, "Commencing operation in 3… 2… 1… Mark!"
The trucks then began to drive out of STAR Labs with the teams following each of them. John and his team took point with the first truck, flying high above the vehicle as it weaved through the almost empty streets of Metropolis.
After making their way through Metropolis City and out onto the highway, the convoy of trucks then began to diverge, taking different routes and roads, splitting off in different directions.
John then spoke into the comms. "All teams keep in radio contact. And keep your eyes on your six, Intergang will be making a play for the android, so get ready for a fight," he said to everyone on an open channel.
"Copy that, Master Chief," Zatanna said in the comms. "I mean, with this crew, what can go wrong?" she asked confidently.
John didn't say anything to that, but in his head, he felt that the magician may have just jinxed them with those words.
…
Half an hour into the journey, there had been no sign of Intergang agents approaching the trucks. At least that's what everyone had reported thus far when they checked in at the half hour mark, but John wasn't letting up for a second. This tech shipment was too choice a chance for Intergang to let it slip away, they were simply waiting for the first sign of complacency and guards to lower.
Cortana then spoke to John on a private channel. "Chief? I know this is going to seem a little cliché but isn't this the moment when the bad guys show up when our guard is lowered?" she asked.
"Perhaps," John said quietly.
"Well, it's been over half an hour now into the journey and so far, we haven't encountered any resistance. Don't you find this a little too easy?"
John did not say anything, but something told him this was too easy. Granted it was only half an hour in as Cortana had said, but they hadn't encountered any resistance at all. The roads were clear. Unusually clear. And something in the Spartan's gut told him this was a set up.
"Chief?" Cortana asked.
John then made a decision. "Call for the trucks to stop. I want to check on something," he said..
"Will do, Chief."
Cortana then put out a signal for the truck to stop and at that moment Shayera and Courtney noticed and Shayera asked a question over the comms.
"Chief? Why have we stopped? Is something the matter?"
"This is too easy. This shipment is too choice a chance for Intergang to let slip by," John voiced his thoughts aloud. "Why haven't they attacked yet?" he then said.
Stargirl then voiced her opinion. "Maybe they're scared," she joked.
"No, the Chief's right," Hawkgirl said in understanding. "This isn't like Intergang to pass up the opportunity for a shipment of advanced tech. So, why haven't they attacked or set up an ambush?" she asked.
John then broadcast on an open channel saying, "All teams, this is Sierra-117 checking in. Can anyone hear me, over?"
There was a moment of silence before Wonder Woman's voice came through, "Spartan, this is Team Bravo. Everything is fine, over."
"There, everything's fine," Stargirl said casually.
John however wasn't so sure and he spoke to Cortana on a private channel. "Cortana can you hack nearby satellites to provide visual on the other teams?" he asked his partner.
"Sending visual to you, Chief," Cortana said smoothly.
On the HUD of the Wasp, John was mildly surprised to see the other trucks being attacked. He then spoke again, "All teams check in. Satellites show you're under attack. Respond!"
Then there was static.
"Chief?" Hawkgirl asked. "Something's gone wrong hasn't it?" she said in grim realisation.
"All teams are under attack, comms have been hacked by an outside source," John said in answer to Shayera's query. He then called the Watchtower, "Watchtower, this is Sierra-117, all teams are under attack. Repeat, all teams are under attack. Requesting immediate assistance!"
Batgirl's voice came through, but it was garbled and filled with fizzing static, "Sp…tan… Comms… acked! Can't…et through… ignal is weak!"
"Damn it," Chief muttered.
Then Stargirl spoke up, "Chief! We've got company!"
"How many?" John asked as he prepared to disengage the safeties of the guns.
"Two dozen hostiles! Most are Z8 androids! We got choppers too!" Stargirl replied and John could tell there was a hint of panic in the young heroine's voice.
"Stay frosty. Stay close and don't play heroics," John told her.
"Yeah, I can stay frosty! No problem!" Stargirl said and outside the cockpit window, John saw Stargirl's cosmic staff glow brightly with cosmic energy.
John then punched the engines and the Wasp surged forward towards the group of androids. As soon as the Wasp was within range of the robots, John flipped the cover of the trigger and squeezed it.
With a momentary windup, the guns of the Wasp began to fire, peppering the ground and the occupants below with machine gun fire. Most of the Z8s fell to the onslaught, although some had managed to avoid the incoming fire. One of the Intergang helicopters soared towards the Spartan who then began an evasive action as the helicopter began to fire upon him.
Another Intergang chopper flew towards the Spartan who prepared to fire the twin 50mm rocket launchers when Hawkgirl came flying in from the side and smashed her Nth metal mace into the hull of the Intergang chopper. The intense electrical current from the Thanagarian's weapon sent sparks of electricity throughout the enemy aerodyne, making it short itself out. Smoke exploded from its engines as it began to spiral out of control down towards the ground.
Stargirl flew about, using her cosmic staff to blast apart any Z8s that tried to approach the truck carrying the android part. Courtney gritted her teeth as she used a simple light construct in the form of a rope/tendril to wrap around a group of androids and hurled across the field.
Just as she was about to take a moment to signal the Spartan, Courtney was suddenly hit with a gust of bitterly cold wind. Ice crystals formed on Stargirl's body and it was all the young woman could to bring up a shield construct in time. Her teeth chattering from the intense Antarctic like temperatures, Courtney looked up to see none other than Killer Frost, a cruel sadistic smile on her frosty blue lips and a pair of wickedly sharp icicles in her hands.
"Up for a little ice cream?" Louise Lincoln joked darkly as she strode over to Stargirl and prepared to stab one of icy weapons into the young woman. Suddenly the ground in front of the quite literally cold-blooded metahuman exploded as 7.62mm bullets peppered the ground.
Louise gritted her teeth in annoyance as she looked up to see the Spartan's aerodyne bearing down on her. Tossing aside her weapons, Killer Frost put her hands together and fired off an almost anime-style beam of ice. The result was immediate as the Spartan's vehicle was covered in a thick coating of solid ice.
Alarms rang inside the Wasp as the HUD flared red showing a systems failure. John then prepared to bail out of the vehicle and pulled the emergency lever. The glass cockpit exploded outwards, and the Spartan was launched into the air.
Shayera saw what happened and she saw Killer Frost approaching the truck carrying the android part. "Oh no, you don't!" the Thanagarian said as she shot towards the ice-powered criminal, her Nth metal mace raised for a powerful overhead strike. Louise turned just in time to throw up a thick ice wall in front of her just as Hawkgirl's mace was brought down. The ice shield was cracked deeply by the sheer force and momentum of Hawkgirl's attack. Gritting her teeth in anger, Shayera reeled her arm back for another strike and slammed her mace down onto the ice wall again, breaking it further.
As she made to take another swing at the ice wall, Shayera felt her feet grow cold. Looking down, the redhead saw ice beginning to cover her feet and going up her calves. Flailing a little, Shayera fell back onto her backside and tried to break free of the icy shackles. Killer Frost came out from her cover, licking her lips in anticipation of an imminent kill.
"This'll make my rep," the icy metahuman remarked as a long sharp icicle was formed in her hand and she raised it above her head, the tip pointed down towards Shayera who glared up at her. She would not flinch or cower; she would look death in the eye and spit in its face.
Just as Killer Frost prepared to lunge at the Thanagarian, a loud crack and bang rang out and the ice spear in Louise's hand was shattered by a bullet. Frost looked to see the Spartan approaching, his assault rifle in his hands aimed at her. Sneering in anger, Frost's body was then covered with thick icy armour, her eyes going a full pupilless yellow colour.
"I'll turn your blood to ice, Tin Man!" Louise said through her icy armour.
The Spartan did not say anything, he simply charged towards Frost, firing his assault rifle at her. Frost's armour took the brunt of the bullets and cracked slightly but did not break as Frost herself fired off numerous icicles like proverbial bullets at her armoured foe.
John wove around the frosty projectiles that were so like bullets made of ice. Some broke apart when they hit the MJOLNIR's shields, but a majority the Spartan avoided as he fired his assault rifle at Killer Frost who simply tanked the barrage, her thick ice armour more than taking the brunt of them.
Switching tactics, John placed his assault rifle on his back beside his shotgun and pulled out his humbler stun device in his right hand and his magnum in his left. The stun device hummed and crackled to life with high voltage electricity. Sensing this was about to be a close-up engagement, Killer Frost created a pair of swords made of ice and surged towards the Spartan who met her charge.
Frost swung her ice blades at the Spartan who sidestepped the strike and swung his stun device at her head. Frost barely managed to avoid the crackling head of the electrified baton while she thrust one of her swords at the Spartan's chest. The MJOLNIR's shields flared a little as the tip of the ice sword struck it. Frost then slammed her foot on the ground and a large stalagmite of ice grew up from the ground and John barely managed to avoid the sharp tip.
"This isn't working," he muttered to himself.
Cortana then spoke to the Spartan in the armour. "Careful, Chief! Frost's powers aren't like anything you've handled before!"
"Suggestions?" the Spartan II Commando asked as he fired his magnum at Killer Frost who erected an ice wall to protect her.
"Perhaps a couple of grenades might do the trick? A flashbang and a plasma grenade," Cortana said seriously.
"Noted." John then took out a flashbang grenade and a plasma grenade. Priming the plasma grenade first, the Spartan then tossed it at Killer Frost who was foolish enough to stare and wonder what the glowing blue ball of light was before it exploded in a maelstrom of white hot plasma fire. Luckily for Louise, her frost armour took most of, if not, all the damage but it broke off her and left her vulnerable for the next grenade which was the flashbang. Louise tried to get away from the explosive but too late as it exploded next to her with an enormous boom of light and ear-splitting sound.
"GAH! Dammit!" Louis screamed as she screwed her eyes shut and covered her ears from the pain and discomfort. Her vision blurry and out of focus, the icy metahuman saw the vague shape of someone standing over her before something struck her on the head and the world was covered in darkness.
Shayera had managed to free herself from her icy shackles and delivered the strike to knock Killer Frost out with her Nth metal mace. "Nice work, Chief," she then said to John who nodded who looked up at something.
"Twelve o'clock!" the Spartan exclaimed as he brought out his sidearm and fired multiple shots as a green light construct slammed down onto the earth, separating Shayera and the Master Chief from the truck. Floating down with a condescending mocking look in her eyes was Maria Contranetti the Militant Comedienne.
"Maria Contranetti," John stated as he eyed the Militant Comedienne with disdain in his eyes hidden by the visor of his helmet. "Come quietly and I'll make sure you get a fair trial," he said as a courtesy offer and warning.
Maria sneered as she replied, "Tempting, but no dice! You're just like every other guy in my life who I had to suck up to and get diddly squat!" Lashing out with her power ring, Maria made a large mecha construct which slammed the Spartan backwards. John dug his heels into the ground, tearing up deep trenches into the road and earth, bracing his arms against the hard light energy construct that was pushing him back.
Once the Spartan was pushed back far enough for her liking, Maria then turned her attention to the truck. Tearing it open with a buzzsaw construct, Maria grinned evilly as she found the container with the android part.
"Score one for me!" the Militant Comedienne crowed triumphantly as she flew up into the air and used her power ring to grab onto the box and flew off.
"Yom Sheguruth!" Shayera cursed angrily in her native Thanagarian tongue. She then noticed Courtney who was shivering from the attack Killer Frost had done to her. "Crap! Medic!" the redhead shouted desperately as she moved to tend to the shivering young woman. "You're gonna be okay, Stargirl! Just hang in there!"
John quickly radio contacted the Watchtower. "Watchtower, this is Sierra-117, requesting an evac. We have wounded personnel, over."
Batgirl's voice came through the comms. "Acknowledged, Spartan. Comm systems are back online. The others are okay, but they've all reported that the android parts have been taken!"
"Figured as much," John replied. "Question is how they were able to track them," he said.
"I have a few ideas as to that, Chief," Cortana said in the comms. "For now, just head back to the Watchtower so we can get a debriefing," she advised.
"Willco, Cortana," John replied before cutting out the comm as he then moved to assist with the wounded and tend to Stargirl who was having a case of hypothermia.
…
An hour later aboard the Watchtower, when everyone's wounds were stitched up or bandaged, almost everyone met in the Monitor Room where Cortana's holographic projection stood before them.
Everyone was displeased with the fact that they had failed in their mission to stop Ivo's android from being taken by Intergang. Many of them were wondering just how their comm systems had been hacked and garbled by the criminal organisation and they were angry that they had gotten jumped by Intergang.
"So, how is it that our comm systems were messed with?" Vixen asked she nursed a nasty burn from Volcana during the mission. "Isn't the League comm systems the most advanced telecommunications we have?" she also asked.
"They should be," Black Canary replied. "But no comm system is completely perfect," she said as she held an icepack to her shoulder.
"Any theories?" Zatanna asked everyone at large.
Cortana then spoke up, "I have come across one possibility," she said as she brought up the image of a man wearing a red uniform and a blue cape. "Sonar AKA Bito Wladon, a criminal from the small European country of Modora with a bent for sonic devices, including telecommunications," the Smart AI read off the information.
"Wouldn't he be dead to the virus?" Huntress asked blankly.
"He is, but his technology would still be up for grabs," Cortana replied. "Sonar has been known to do work with Intergang before, so it's plausible that they used his sonar and communication tech to somehow hack into the League comm systems and scramble our communications," she said.
"Okay, that's one thing explained, but how was it that Intergang managed to find the trucks with the android parts?" Power Girl asked.
"I have one theory, and that theory could help us track Intergang down," Cortana said with a smile on her lips.
John immediately came to the obvious conclusion. "GPS tracking devices," he said rather than asked.
"Of course! It's so obvious that we didn't even think of it!" Hawkgirl exclaimed. She then looked at Cortana and asked, "Could you somehow track the GPS devices that the android parts might've had?"
"I can, but if Intergang used the GPS to track the parts down, they might figure out that we now know of them as well, so we'll need to work fast," Cortana said. "This might take a little time, so get what rest you can," she advised everyone.
"Let us know when you've got a fix on the android's location," John said to Cortana whose holographic avatar nodded in reply.
The Spartan then prepared to head to his room to prepare himself for another mission when Shayera stopped him. "You okay, Chief?" the Thanagarian asked him gently.
"I am. Are you?" Chief responded.
"Other than the fact that Intergang got away with potentially doomsday level tech? Yeah, I'm fine," Shayera said with a shrug of her shoulders. "Just need a hot shower and I'm ready to go," she added.
"You look like you could use one," John said to her.
A sly little smile crept into Shayera's face as she said to him, "Would you care to join me? I'm sure there's room for the two of us."
John simply looked at her for a moment, his face hidden by his helmet before he walked off. Shayera smiled briefly as she called out to him, "If you change your mind, let me know."
"I'll take it under advisement, Ms Hol," John said over his shoulder which made Shayera smile more widely before she headed for the showers for a hot shower to get rid of the cold that affected her a little from Killer Frost's attack on the truck.
TO BE CONTINUED…
A/N: There! Twelfth chapter of this story is done and dusted. I hope you all enjoyed and I'm hopeful that I delivered a bit of action to you after so long of nothing but filler. Next chapter might see some more action with Cortana tracking the android parts down and the League and Chief getting the android parts from Intergang's hideout and coming face to face with the fully assembled android.
In other news, I recently published a new Justice League of Amazons crossover, this time with Dungeons & Dragons using a homebrew Hedge Knight adventurer OC. I've even set up a romance poll for the story and so far Power Girl and guest character Black Cat from Marvel Comics have taken the lead.
Speaking of Black Cat, I was thinking of how to bring her into this story as well as my other Justice League of Amazons stories. Some of you will know that I planned on bringing in Emma Frost into the story and I have one or two ideas how to do so, one idea was that when Chief visits STAR Labs to see a possible portal or interdimensional transit device being made to get him and Cortana back home, the device malfunctions and zaps in both Emma Frost and Black Cat, and maybe a couple other Marvel babes into the JLoA universe. That's just one idea, so if anyone has some ideas, feel free to share.
In other news, I also recently published a Game of Thrones/Injustice crossover of Aegon VI ending up in the Injustice universe, specifically the start of the Injustice 2 storyline, so feel free to have a read of that and let me know what you think of it.
And that's about all I have at the moment, so I'll leave this here and see you all in the next one.
Be kind to one another,
Angry lil' elf.