LSH: The Battle For The Universe
By Bruce Wayne
Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, I'm just borrowing then for a while.
The characters are owned by DC Comics and I'm writing this just for the fun of
it.
CHAPTER 4 - EARTH DOOM
In the bleak iciness at Mount Everest's peak, Tazz, the alien,
invader of a host of worlds, spoke again. "No, I came not to invade
Earth but to destroy it. I will wreck this world and annihilate all humans
on Earth, every last one."
Ferro Lad was stunned by Tazz's threat and by the venom of his
words. "But why? What has Earth done to you or your faraway world?"
"That is too long a tale to explain right now," responded Tazz
abruptly. "I am wasting time. I must set the coordinates of my ultramagnet
and keep it centered on its target."
"Just what is your ultramagnet aimed at, out in space?" asked
Brainiac 5.
"I have no time for frivolous explanations," Tazz answered sharply.
"It is part of my plan to destroy Earth, that's all you need to know before
you ... die!"
With that, he pressed a button on his belt. A livid ray sprang forth
and a rock next to Ferro Lad turned to dust. Brainiac 5 pressed a button
on his own belt and his force-field was activated. Tazz's next ray struck
Ferro Lad squarely in the chest.
"Good-bye, Masked One," said Tazz, starting to turn toward Brainy.
He swung is eyes back, in a double-take. "You're still standing there!" he
gasped.
"Sure," said Ferro Lad cheerfully. "Whatever your gizmo was
supposed to do, it failed because I'm invulnerable.
Tazz quickly turned to Brainiac 5 and again fired his ray. One more
time, he failed because of Brainy's invulnerable force-field.
Respect shone in Tazz's eyes for the first time. "I see you are very
special humans, equipped to battle superforces."
"That's correct," Brainiac 5 came back. "And it so happens that we
are members of the Legion of Super-Heroes, I'm an official guardian of Earth.
Now I'm demanding you off this world ... you and your machine, both ... Or
else!"
"Or else you will drive me off?" Tazz said with a scornful laugh. "All
right, do so."
"You asked for it, you monster." Ferro Lad was getting ready for
action. He charged forward suddenly. "I'm going to knock you halfway to
Neptune," he grated between clenched teeth.
Ferro Lad wondered why Tazz didn't move, why he didn't show the
slightest fear. Except for his belt, he seemed unarmed, helpless. Ferro Lad
swung his fist, ready to knock all the fight out of the alien right from the start
with his super-strength.
Klang!
Ferro Lad's balled fist struck some invisible barrier before it reached
Tazz. Nolan reeled back himself, seeing now the glowing aura that surrounded
Tazz protectively.
"I should've known," the Legionnaire chided himself. "Brainy, he has a
force-field around himself like you have!" He looked back at Tazz, "Don't
worry, Pal, I'm not through. I've got a dozen other fighting tactics to try."
Tensing himself, Ferro Lad prepared for all-out battle against a
superscientific foe.
***
On the podium at the Legion's gathering, Invisible Kid said to the
video audience across the galaxy, "We still have a special surprise for every-
one! Last, but the furthest from the least you can get is a popular Legionnaire
who we haven't introduced yet.Even though he's one of our newer members,
he's known not only to the younger people of today, but to everyone!"
"Invisible Kid pressed a couple of buttons on the podium and a
door opened and spotlight shone on ... "Karate Kid!"
A smile was on Karate Kid's face as he entered the Council Hall.
Karate Kid, whose real name was Val Armorr, was born on Earth. He
wore a tannish-brown martial arts gi uniform with, of course, a black belt.
Brown gloves and boots completed his outfit.
Invisible Kid completed his introduction, "Karate Kid was adopted as
an infant and was raised by a master of the martial arts. The master trained Val
in all manner of the martial arts. Val became the youngest warrior ever to earn
the title Samurai in Japan. Karate Kid is an expert in all forms of hand-to-hand
combat and in combat with martial arts weapons. Although he officially has no
superhuman powers, he was accepted as a member of the Legion when he
demonstrated, by almost defeating Superboy in combat, just how effective
he could be .. Go to it, Kid!"
The spotlight broadened to take in a phaser ray gun that came out
of a recess in the wall, with a android behind it.
"That phaser rifle will be fired by an automatic device. The android
is just a target for Karate Kid," said Lyle Norg. "Watch!"
Crouching slightly and standing sideways, Karate Kid waited until
a loud whinning sound crashed the silence. At almost the same second, he
leaped forward and rolled to the floor to avoid the ray of death.
Like a tiger, he sprang forward, leaping in great bounds, powered
by strong leg muscles. He had spent countless hours at some of the toughest
training camps ever known -- to hone his skills. And virtually everyday he
spent endless hours between duties in the Legion's superb gym, practicing
his martial arts and gymnastics skills that made his body a smooth human
fighting machine with speed, power, and quickness of reflexes.
Where Colossal Boy could rely on his giant form, Sun Boy on his
bright light and heat, and even Ferro Lad with his being able to turn into
virtual indestructible iron, Karate Kid had nothing to depend on except
his skill and wits.
Running straight into the barrage of a death ray, moving just enough
so that it would miss him, Karate Kid made an incredible flying leap. While
landing head foremost, his mighty rock-hard fist swung against the android's
chin, knocking his enemy twenty feet away. The phaser ray gun stopped
firing and Karate Kid stood up, a momentary triumph lighting his face.
"Great, Val!" yelled Sun Boy, leaping to his feet, as all the video
audience must had been doing.
"Why, Sun Boy!" rumbled Colossal Boy, half accusingly. "You
actually said something good about someone for once."
Sun Boy flushed guiltily.
"Amazing!" muttered Gim, shaking his head as if to clear it. "Don't
let it happen again, Dirk, or we'll begin to think that down underneath it
all you're an alright guy."
Invisible Kid had a shock -- two shocks -- for the audience. "That
android weighed two hundred and fifty pounds. And that phaser rifle was
real. Karate Kid insisted on it -- he doesn't believe in fakery."
All over the galaxy people were amazed. They hardly had to be
told the conclusion spoken by Invisible Kid: "And so, the primary quality
that won this peerless battler Legion membership is his one-man-army
fighting ability!"
The Legionnaire in the brown gi uniform was flattered ... but also
worried. He had heard that Ferro Lad and Brainiac 5 were overdue and
apparently missing. Their absence was now definitely alarming.
***
Across the world on Mount Everest, Ferro Lad tried a new tactic
against Tazz, the Invader. Andrew flew high into the air at an incredible
velocity. He was only a blur to the human eye. He flew high into the sky
over Everest, into the clouds. A few moments later, he flew in at a high
rate of speed popping up right behind Tazz, who was taken by surprise.
An iron fist lashed out and caught the alien in the small of the back,
sending him sprawling ignominiously.
"I thought so," grated Braniac 5. "Your force-field only protects
you from the front, not from the back. It's not a curving shield all around
you but a flat barrier that can protect you only on one side. I instructed
Ferro Lad by our comm-link to attack you from the rear."
"Clever deduction, Green One," snarled Tazz leaping to his feet.
"But it will gain you nothing. And now let us see if you can withstand my
lightning-blast ray."
Tazz touched another button on his belt and lightning flash sprang
forth toward Brainiac 5. Though it didn't harm him, Brainy raised his arms
protectively up toward his face as a dazzling display of sparks flew off
his own force-field barrier. The Legion's top mind could see that the
alien's ray was comprised of unbelivable voltage.
"Sorry, Tazz," Brainy explained. "Our own Lightning Lad has
already tested my force-field against great electrical power bolts. His
result was the same as yours."
Ferro Lad flew back into the air in a blur-swift arch, to come
down directly behind Tazz again. An iron leg swung before the alien
could turn.
"Owwww!" It was a very human-sounding yelp from Tazz as an
iron boot connected with the proper part of his anatomy in back.
"A kick in the pants is only the first of the punishment you're
going to take," Ferro Lad vowed grimly, darting away as the infuriated
alien whirled and shot forth another ray, which missed.
A strange duel began then. Again and again, Andrew twisted
through the air in swift flight, circling to come up behind Tazz and deliver
blows at his unprotected back. Angrily, Tazz shot forth a variety of rays,
all of which sprang off Ferro Lad's armor without doing any harm.
"You'll be a mass of bruises from the back of your head down to
your heels," promised Ferro relentlessly delivering another blow from the
rear.
Tazz cursed in a language that Brainiac 5 and Ferro Lad were
unfamiliar with. "It's not you," said the alien, "but your iron suit that I am
fighting."
He suddenly touched another button on his belt. The ray that struck
Ferro Lad seemed to do nothing at all. He felt no blow, no force. But with
a gasp he noticed the trail of red dust left in the air as he flew in a loop.
"Yes, iron oxide," gloated Tazz. "That was a Rust-ray, with the
ability to oxidize iron instantly. Keep coming until I can turn your whole
suit into crumbling dust."
Brainiac 5 saw Ferro Lad try to twist and loop in the air, but Tazz
made an adjustment on his belt and the rust-ray expanded into a wide cone
constantly bathing its target. Andrew could sense his uniform and mask
were crumbling away, layer by layer.
It was a losing battle. If his metal suit and mask turned into rust,
he would be literally naked in the cold Himalayas, at the very least. He
opened the comm-link to Brainiac 5, "Brainy, I've got to get out of here.
His ray is doing something to my suit!"
Going at full speed, Ferro Lad spun away from the peak of
Mount Everest as fast as he could.
Brainiac 5 said, "Round one goes to you, Tazz." With that,
Brainy flew upwards and away from the dangerous alien. "But we'll
return ... with other Legionnaires."
"You will be doing me a favor," came back the challenge. "I
want to prove how futile it is for any humans to match wits and weapons
with me. Nothing can stop me from fulfilling my mission -- Earth's
destruction."
Brainiac 5 was worried about the threat. It was a sign of the
superior evil mind they were pitted against.
To be continued ...
By Bruce Wayne
Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, I'm just borrowing then for a while.
The characters are owned by DC Comics and I'm writing this just for the fun of
it.
CHAPTER 4 - EARTH DOOM
In the bleak iciness at Mount Everest's peak, Tazz, the alien,
invader of a host of worlds, spoke again. "No, I came not to invade
Earth but to destroy it. I will wreck this world and annihilate all humans
on Earth, every last one."
Ferro Lad was stunned by Tazz's threat and by the venom of his
words. "But why? What has Earth done to you or your faraway world?"
"That is too long a tale to explain right now," responded Tazz
abruptly. "I am wasting time. I must set the coordinates of my ultramagnet
and keep it centered on its target."
"Just what is your ultramagnet aimed at, out in space?" asked
Brainiac 5.
"I have no time for frivolous explanations," Tazz answered sharply.
"It is part of my plan to destroy Earth, that's all you need to know before
you ... die!"
With that, he pressed a button on his belt. A livid ray sprang forth
and a rock next to Ferro Lad turned to dust. Brainiac 5 pressed a button
on his own belt and his force-field was activated. Tazz's next ray struck
Ferro Lad squarely in the chest.
"Good-bye, Masked One," said Tazz, starting to turn toward Brainy.
He swung is eyes back, in a double-take. "You're still standing there!" he
gasped.
"Sure," said Ferro Lad cheerfully. "Whatever your gizmo was
supposed to do, it failed because I'm invulnerable.
Tazz quickly turned to Brainiac 5 and again fired his ray. One more
time, he failed because of Brainy's invulnerable force-field.
Respect shone in Tazz's eyes for the first time. "I see you are very
special humans, equipped to battle superforces."
"That's correct," Brainiac 5 came back. "And it so happens that we
are members of the Legion of Super-Heroes, I'm an official guardian of Earth.
Now I'm demanding you off this world ... you and your machine, both ... Or
else!"
"Or else you will drive me off?" Tazz said with a scornful laugh. "All
right, do so."
"You asked for it, you monster." Ferro Lad was getting ready for
action. He charged forward suddenly. "I'm going to knock you halfway to
Neptune," he grated between clenched teeth.
Ferro Lad wondered why Tazz didn't move, why he didn't show the
slightest fear. Except for his belt, he seemed unarmed, helpless. Ferro Lad
swung his fist, ready to knock all the fight out of the alien right from the start
with his super-strength.
Klang!
Ferro Lad's balled fist struck some invisible barrier before it reached
Tazz. Nolan reeled back himself, seeing now the glowing aura that surrounded
Tazz protectively.
"I should've known," the Legionnaire chided himself. "Brainy, he has a
force-field around himself like you have!" He looked back at Tazz, "Don't
worry, Pal, I'm not through. I've got a dozen other fighting tactics to try."
Tensing himself, Ferro Lad prepared for all-out battle against a
superscientific foe.
***
On the podium at the Legion's gathering, Invisible Kid said to the
video audience across the galaxy, "We still have a special surprise for every-
one! Last, but the furthest from the least you can get is a popular Legionnaire
who we haven't introduced yet.Even though he's one of our newer members,
he's known not only to the younger people of today, but to everyone!"
"Invisible Kid pressed a couple of buttons on the podium and a
door opened and spotlight shone on ... "Karate Kid!"
A smile was on Karate Kid's face as he entered the Council Hall.
Karate Kid, whose real name was Val Armorr, was born on Earth. He
wore a tannish-brown martial arts gi uniform with, of course, a black belt.
Brown gloves and boots completed his outfit.
Invisible Kid completed his introduction, "Karate Kid was adopted as
an infant and was raised by a master of the martial arts. The master trained Val
in all manner of the martial arts. Val became the youngest warrior ever to earn
the title Samurai in Japan. Karate Kid is an expert in all forms of hand-to-hand
combat and in combat with martial arts weapons. Although he officially has no
superhuman powers, he was accepted as a member of the Legion when he
demonstrated, by almost defeating Superboy in combat, just how effective
he could be .. Go to it, Kid!"
The spotlight broadened to take in a phaser ray gun that came out
of a recess in the wall, with a android behind it.
"That phaser rifle will be fired by an automatic device. The android
is just a target for Karate Kid," said Lyle Norg. "Watch!"
Crouching slightly and standing sideways, Karate Kid waited until
a loud whinning sound crashed the silence. At almost the same second, he
leaped forward and rolled to the floor to avoid the ray of death.
Like a tiger, he sprang forward, leaping in great bounds, powered
by strong leg muscles. He had spent countless hours at some of the toughest
training camps ever known -- to hone his skills. And virtually everyday he
spent endless hours between duties in the Legion's superb gym, practicing
his martial arts and gymnastics skills that made his body a smooth human
fighting machine with speed, power, and quickness of reflexes.
Where Colossal Boy could rely on his giant form, Sun Boy on his
bright light and heat, and even Ferro Lad with his being able to turn into
virtual indestructible iron, Karate Kid had nothing to depend on except
his skill and wits.
Running straight into the barrage of a death ray, moving just enough
so that it would miss him, Karate Kid made an incredible flying leap. While
landing head foremost, his mighty rock-hard fist swung against the android's
chin, knocking his enemy twenty feet away. The phaser ray gun stopped
firing and Karate Kid stood up, a momentary triumph lighting his face.
"Great, Val!" yelled Sun Boy, leaping to his feet, as all the video
audience must had been doing.
"Why, Sun Boy!" rumbled Colossal Boy, half accusingly. "You
actually said something good about someone for once."
Sun Boy flushed guiltily.
"Amazing!" muttered Gim, shaking his head as if to clear it. "Don't
let it happen again, Dirk, or we'll begin to think that down underneath it
all you're an alright guy."
Invisible Kid had a shock -- two shocks -- for the audience. "That
android weighed two hundred and fifty pounds. And that phaser rifle was
real. Karate Kid insisted on it -- he doesn't believe in fakery."
All over the galaxy people were amazed. They hardly had to be
told the conclusion spoken by Invisible Kid: "And so, the primary quality
that won this peerless battler Legion membership is his one-man-army
fighting ability!"
The Legionnaire in the brown gi uniform was flattered ... but also
worried. He had heard that Ferro Lad and Brainiac 5 were overdue and
apparently missing. Their absence was now definitely alarming.
***
Across the world on Mount Everest, Ferro Lad tried a new tactic
against Tazz, the Invader. Andrew flew high into the air at an incredible
velocity. He was only a blur to the human eye. He flew high into the sky
over Everest, into the clouds. A few moments later, he flew in at a high
rate of speed popping up right behind Tazz, who was taken by surprise.
An iron fist lashed out and caught the alien in the small of the back,
sending him sprawling ignominiously.
"I thought so," grated Braniac 5. "Your force-field only protects
you from the front, not from the back. It's not a curving shield all around
you but a flat barrier that can protect you only on one side. I instructed
Ferro Lad by our comm-link to attack you from the rear."
"Clever deduction, Green One," snarled Tazz leaping to his feet.
"But it will gain you nothing. And now let us see if you can withstand my
lightning-blast ray."
Tazz touched another button on his belt and lightning flash sprang
forth toward Brainiac 5. Though it didn't harm him, Brainy raised his arms
protectively up toward his face as a dazzling display of sparks flew off
his own force-field barrier. The Legion's top mind could see that the
alien's ray was comprised of unbelivable voltage.
"Sorry, Tazz," Brainy explained. "Our own Lightning Lad has
already tested my force-field against great electrical power bolts. His
result was the same as yours."
Ferro Lad flew back into the air in a blur-swift arch, to come
down directly behind Tazz again. An iron leg swung before the alien
could turn.
"Owwww!" It was a very human-sounding yelp from Tazz as an
iron boot connected with the proper part of his anatomy in back.
"A kick in the pants is only the first of the punishment you're
going to take," Ferro Lad vowed grimly, darting away as the infuriated
alien whirled and shot forth another ray, which missed.
A strange duel began then. Again and again, Andrew twisted
through the air in swift flight, circling to come up behind Tazz and deliver
blows at his unprotected back. Angrily, Tazz shot forth a variety of rays,
all of which sprang off Ferro Lad's armor without doing any harm.
"You'll be a mass of bruises from the back of your head down to
your heels," promised Ferro relentlessly delivering another blow from the
rear.
Tazz cursed in a language that Brainiac 5 and Ferro Lad were
unfamiliar with. "It's not you," said the alien, "but your iron suit that I am
fighting."
He suddenly touched another button on his belt. The ray that struck
Ferro Lad seemed to do nothing at all. He felt no blow, no force. But with
a gasp he noticed the trail of red dust left in the air as he flew in a loop.
"Yes, iron oxide," gloated Tazz. "That was a Rust-ray, with the
ability to oxidize iron instantly. Keep coming until I can turn your whole
suit into crumbling dust."
Brainiac 5 saw Ferro Lad try to twist and loop in the air, but Tazz
made an adjustment on his belt and the rust-ray expanded into a wide cone
constantly bathing its target. Andrew could sense his uniform and mask
were crumbling away, layer by layer.
It was a losing battle. If his metal suit and mask turned into rust,
he would be literally naked in the cold Himalayas, at the very least. He
opened the comm-link to Brainiac 5, "Brainy, I've got to get out of here.
His ray is doing something to my suit!"
Going at full speed, Ferro Lad spun away from the peak of
Mount Everest as fast as he could.
Brainiac 5 said, "Round one goes to you, Tazz." With that,
Brainy flew upwards and away from the dangerous alien. "But we'll
return ... with other Legionnaires."
"You will be doing me a favor," came back the challenge. "I
want to prove how futile it is for any humans to match wits and weapons
with me. Nothing can stop me from fulfilling my mission -- Earth's
destruction."
Brainiac 5 was worried about the threat. It was a sign of the
superior evil mind they were pitted against.
To be continued ...