JSA: Atrocity
By Bruce Wayne
DISCLAIMER: Most of the characters portrayed in this story are copyright by DC Comics, an AOL/Time/Warner company. They are used without permission for entertainment without profit by the author.
An Elseworld's story: Stories, situation or events involving familiar characters in unfamiliar settings.
Chapter 8
"I got here as soon as I could, Spooky!"
"Your feeble attempt at humor fails to impress me, Atom. I am merely an instrument of His vengence not a walking Halloween costume."
The Spectre and The Atom were meeting in Gateway Park. It was the pre-designated meeting site in case The Spectre or Mr Teriffic needed assistance from other members of the Justice Society of America.
The Atom smiled as he said, "Oh, I know that, buddy, you just the scare the sh ..."
"I'm here!" a voice said from above.
Both The Spectre and Atom looked up to see the winged image of Hawkman. Hawkman seemed to hover over the two other heroes and then slowly floated to the ground.
"Thank you for coming so soon, Hawkman." The Spectre said in greeting.
"I was quite surprised it was you to be the first one to call for assistance since the JSA was re-established, Spectre," Hawkman said. "It must be pretty serious if you call for help."
"Yeah, what's up, Spo ... I mean ... Mr. Spectre?" Atom queried.
The Spectre nodded to his two companions. "It is quite serious, gentlemen. I have come in contact with an evildoer who seems to be even more powerful than the Spectre force."
The Atom asked in an uncredulous tone, "More powerful than you?!" He turned and started to walk away. "Well, I just remembered another case I needed to attend to. See ya guys."
"Atom?!" Hawkman called out.
The Atom turned, faced them and laughed as he said, "I was just kidding! Tell us more, Spo ... Spectre, I'm sure the three of us will be more than a match for the guy."
The Spectre shook his head. "Ah, another attempt at your feeble humor. The correct response would be to laugh. However, I cannot. The adversary that I am in a battle with is named Zor. He claims to be a spirit like myself and is a being of immense power."
"Well, now he is up against the JSA," said Hawkman boldly.
The blue-cowled and caped Atom asked, "What's the plan?"
A fearful thought struck The Spectre. He felt a sudden need to go quickly to the residence of a one-time love of Jim Corrigan's, named Clarice Winston.
"Zor spoke of wishing to bring me real anguish.," The Spectre replied. "I am afraid I may know how he plans to accomplish that. Wait here. You will receive word from me shortly."
As Hawkman and The Atom looked on, The Spectre disappeared before their very eyes.
***
The Spectre returned to the body of Jim Corrigan. Struck by a fearful thought, Jim drove swiftly toward the residence of his one-time love, Clarice Winston.
As he was driving, Jim said to himself, "Can Zor possibly plan to harm Clarice?"
At that very moment, the evil Zor was indeed outside the home of Clarice. As the young woman stood outside, Zor hid behind a nearby tree. He thought to himself as he spied the girl, "This may prove amusing."
Still behind the tree in the dark, Zor transformed himself into the image of Jim Corrigan. "And now to carry out my plan," he thought to himself.
Zor stepped out from behind the tree and Clarice spotted him in the darkness. The attractive brunette greeted what she thought was Jim Corrigan. "Jim! You've come to see me! But I thought ..."
"I couldn't stay away any longer," replied Zor/Corrigan. Looking directly into her eyes, he added with as much feeling as he could, "I've realized what a fool I've been! Come -- Elope with me ..."
Clarice became excited at what he was saying to her. "Elope? Oh, Jim -- You've made me so happy!"
Soon, Clarice went inside her home and quickly packed a suitcase of clothes. It wasn't long until she drove off with the person whom she thought was Jim Corrigan. Clarice was unaware that she was entering the net of the terrible Zor.
About twenty minutes later, the doorbell rang at the Winston residence. The mother of Clarice answered the door.
"May I see Clarice, at once? It's important." asked Jim.
The mother was astounded to find Corrigan at her door. With worry in her voice, she said to him, "But, Jim, I saw her drive off with you a few moments ago!"
"With me? Are you sure, Mrs Winston?"
"I--I thought it was you! I suppose it wasn't. I must've been mistaken. I'm sorry."
"No apology necessary. I'll call back for her tomorrow. Good evening, Mrs Winston."
Once out of sight of the Winston residence, Jim transformed himself into
The Spectre and streaked in pursuit of Zor.
"I've got to reach that monster before he harms Clarice," he thought to himself.
Using his immense super-natural abilities, The Spectre was able to pick up the thought waves of his former love, Clarice. Using her thought waves as a homing signal, it wasn't long until The Spectre was on the tail of Zor, who was presently driving a car.
Even though The Spectre was invisible to the eyes of mortals, Zor was able to see the fighter of evil in the automobile's rearview mirror.
The villian thought to himself, "Well ... well ... well ... an anticipated visitor."
With his mind, The Spectre opened up a telepathic link to The Atom and Hawkman. The present location he was at was not far from Gateway Park. He hoped that the two JSA members would help in defeating Zor.
Via the link, Hawkman replied, "We're on our way!"
Lifting the small Atom in his arms, Hawkman started to rise into the air with the help of his incredible wings.
Back on the street, an incredible scene was taking place. Only those who were actually participating in the event could see what was occurring. Even though it appeared that Jim Corrigan was at the wheel of the speeding car, in the air, outside and above the vehicle, two figures were hovering -- sizing one another up.
It wasn't long before Hawkman and The Atom approached the scene. Seeing their arrival, The Spectre willed them to have the ability to see Zor and himself.
The Atom pointed and exclaimed, "There they are!"
Hawkman began his descent toward the car.
Confronting Zor, The Spectre demanded, "Release that girl!"
With crossed arms, Zor said in open defiance, "But I prefer not to."
The response gave The Spectre no other choice but to begin to do battle with the evildoer. As The Spectre leaped toward the girl in the passenger seat of the vehicle, the automobile exploded in a dazzling burst of energy.
The disappearance happened just as Hawkman touched the ground with The Atom.
"Holy Smoke! Didja see that?!" yelled Atom. "They're gone!"
The two JSA members joined up with The Spectre, who turned to them and said, "Zor has escaped into another dimension. But which one?"
The Atom and Hawkman had no answer.
***
Back in the car, Clarice began to notice something strange was happening. Excitedly, she remarked, "Jim -- we're streaking up through blackness!"
The automobile was indeed sailing quickly into the darkness of the night.
Zor/Corrigan merely replied to the young woman, "Frightened?"
Thinking that was an odd answer, Clarice turned to look toward him and was shocked by what she saw. Lifting an arm to her face to seemingly protect to herself, she screamed, "Your face -- it's changing! You're NOT Jim Corrigan!"
The evil man at the steering wheel smiled and said to her, "ZOR at your service!" Then he laughed.
Clarice looked out the window again and saw indescribable, unearthly sights. As the fearful dimensional creatures yammered outside the vehicle, Clarice fainted in the passenger seat.
Sometime later, in an unknown dimension, Zor's unusual method of transportation came to a stop. He got out of the driver's seat and went around the car to the passenger side door. Opening it, he closely examined the beautiful young woman who was wearing a purple dress.
Zor picked the girl up into his arms. As he was carrying her, he looked into her still unconscious face and said, "It's been a long time since I've had such a lovely guest."
***
Back on earth, just after Zor had disappeared, Hawkman and The Atom heard The Spectre say, "If only there were some way I could combat Zor."
The two other heroes watched as The Spectre exclaimed, "I have it!" He raised his head to the heavens, spread his arms wide and called out, "Almighty! URGENT! Bring me to you!"
Within an instant, The Spectre left the presence of The Atom and Hawkman and was flashing up through the impenetrable darkness.
"Where'd he go?" asked Atom.
Looking up into the sky, Hawkman replied, "I can't be sure. I can only venture a guess."
Moments later, The Spectre was standing before the One who he was the instrument of vengence for on earth. The fighter of evil was explaining his dilemma to the one being of ultimate power.
"The girl --" The Spectre said, "-- a helpless pawn, is in danger at the hands of Zor! I beg for Your intervention." He then lowered his head awaiting a reply.
A thunderous voice was heard through the light and clouds, "ZOR SHALL BE SUMMONED!"
At Zor's abode in another dimension, the evildoer had placed the helpless girl on an uncomfortable table in a bare room. The room was dark, dank, and the walls appeared to be only cut from stone.
Zor had covered the lower portion of the still unconscious girl's body with a single white sheet. Placing his hands on her breasts and fondling them, he looked into her face. The long-dormant feelings of desire were becoming aroused inside of him. He leaned his own face closer to hers and said, "One Kiss of Death, and you shall be imprisoned here in this dimension for all time."
But before their lips could meet, Zor's figure began fading away. From the bottom of his body, his form started to seemingly melt. Even though he was a being of immense power, Zor was himself startled and could only utter "What ...?" before he vanished from the side of Clarice.
When Zor reappeared, he saw the angry figure of The Spectre standing before him. The thunderous voice from nowhere, but seemingly everywhere, boomed again, "THIS MATTER MUST BE SETTLED BETWEEN YOU!"
With his right hand clenched and his arm cocked to throw a punch, The Spectre demanded, "Zor! Free that girl!"
Waving his arm in displeasure of the demand, the evil man replied, "The Spectre asks favors of Zor, eh? Sorry -- I refuse."
Once again Zor vanished into a puff of smoke.
The Spectre turned to the Almighty being. The thunderous voice boomed. 'YOU NOW POSSESS THE POWER TO TRACK ZOR THROUGH THE DIMENSIONS!"
The Spectre bowed his head in acknowledgement and said, "I am grateful."
Through the numerous dimensions that lay through the vast universe, The Spectre pursued Zor and finally arrived at one. It was dark. What stood before The Spectre was Zor's evil castle. Only a single window on the second floor was lit with a soft light. It appeared that perhaps lighted, flaming torches were the source of the light.
Looking out through the window, Zor noticed his visitor that was approaching. Talking to himself, the evildoer laughed and said, "Convenient of The Spectre to walk into the trap I've prepared for him."
With no fear, The Spectre entered the castle by becoming an apparition that he really was. Walking through the wall like a ghost, the battler of evil immediately spotted the girl that he came to rescue. "Clarice!" he exclaimed.
The unconscious form of Clarice still laid on the hard table. A white sheet covered her lower body to just below her breasts.
As The Spectre hurried toward Clarice, he was engulfed within a pillar of light and was frozen transfixed against the wall.
"I can't move!" The Spectre said.
Zor walked easily into the room, as though he didn't have a care in the world. He looked at The Spectre with a smirk on his face and said, "Naturally you can't move -- because you are trapped within the Paralysis Ray. Here you shall remain throughout the ages.
The Spectre thought to himself, "I must think fast."
Laughing at his confident belief that he had defeated The Spectre, Zor explained, "Yes -- and through the centuries you will be forced to listen to Zor fling taunts at the Prince of Fools, who thought he could outwit me."
Though he was unable to move his body, The Spectre could talk to Zor. He said to the evildoer, "Free me and you can have the written formula for creating life."
Zor was intrigued by the offer. He looked at The Spectre and considered making the deal. If he had the knowledge of creating life at will, he could make an army of Zor's and take over the universe!
"Well, is it deal?" asked The Spectre.
It appeared the Spectre's plan worked when Zor began to reach for the switch to the Paralysis Ray that was located on a nearby wall. As he flipped the switch, Zor held out his hand to The Spectre and said, "I'll take the formula -- and attend to you later."
Freed from the Paralysis Ray, The Spectre leaped at Zor.
"That's all I wanted." The Spectre declared.
Backing up toward another wall, Zor prepared to do battle and warned, "You forget that I am capable of crushing you."
The two super-natural titans locked in battle. The Spectre was able to get an upper-cut to the chin in against Zor. The evil being was rocked slightly by the blow.
But due to his evil wisdom, Zor proved to be eventually more powerful. Zor with superior strength grabbed The Sprectre by the neck and began to squeeze. The Spectre sank to his knees.
Zor demanded, "The secret -- give me the secret!"
A note appeared in The Spectre's hand and he tossed it to the floor as he said, "Here."
Zor leapt for the paper with a cry of triumph. He grabbed it and exclaimed, "The secret of life -- mine!"
The Spectre's strategy was successful. As Zor went to grab the piece of paper, he rushed to the switch and imprisoned Zor within the Paralysis Ray.
As the light of ray shined on the evildoer, Zor was shocked, "What ...?"
"Who's stupid now?" asked The Spectre.
With the evil Zor now immobilized, The Spectre approached the table on which the still unconscious form of Clarice lay. He gently picked her up and turned toward Zor.
The Spectre said, "I leave you to the fate that you planned for me. Farewell."
An almost frantic Zor pled his case for mercy, "Imprisoned for all eternity -- the solitude -- I'll go mad!"
With the beautiful girl in his arms, The Spectre faded away from the evil Zor's castle and hurtled back through the dimensions toward Earth-Two.
When he arrived back on Earth-Two, The Spectre reappeared before the still bewildered Hawkman and Atom.
"You're back!" The Atom called out. "Where'dja go?"
Hawkman said, "You've only been gone for a few moments."
"Allow me to return the girl to the safety of her home and I shall return to explain what occurred," The Sprectre told the two JSA members. "Thank you for your assistance."
"But we didn't do ..." The Atom started -- but it was too late. The Spectre and Clarice disappeared before his very eyes. The Atom turned to Hawkman. "We didn't do anything to help him."
Hawkman nodded. "What mattered the most was that Justice Society members came to help when called."
"You're right, birdman." The Atom agreed.
Back at the Winston residence, The Spectre deposited Clarice on her bed and willed himself to disappear.
The girl suddenly regained consciousness and brought her hands to the sides of her head. "Such a terrible experience!" She cried out to herself. "It seemed that ... It must've been a nightmare! I hope I can forget it."
As the Spectre left the home, he thought to himself, "As Jim Corrigan, I loved Clarice deeply. But now I am The Spectre. My work is to destroy evil -- and to that end I dedicate myself."
To Be Continued ...
***
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