"Was that little flight meant to scare me?" Doctor Diehard sneered, after picking himself off the sand where the Blue Beetle had unceremoniously dumped him. He was still dusting fine grains of white sand from his dark clothes when he realised that his comrades were on the far side of the beach.
Of the Extremists, Ted Kord aka the Blue Beetle, was aware that Doctor Diehard was potentially the most dangerous of the villains. With his powers of magnetic manipulation, Diehard was once able to hold the planet to ransom by keeping an arsenal of nuclear warheads poised in the atmosphere. No doubt, this was probably how he had levelled Kooey Kooey Kooey only yesterday. Ted had no intention of allowing him to use such dangerous tactics again.
"I don't know," Ted declared landing on the sand in front of him. "Do you scare easily or are you only a big man only when you're armed with missiles?" At that, Ted leapt into the air and flew at him with the speed of a bullet. Diehard had neither time to react or scream as he felt fists slam into his stomach with such force that he was propelled backwards. The Extremists was flung into face of cliff wall, causing fissures to appear in the rock from the impact.
Ted did not give Doctor Diehard time to recover and he had plenty of anger left to continue his attack. All he had to do was remember the people of Kooey Kooey Kooey and how this animal had murdered them in a nuclear fireball. He made another pass and slammed a knuckled fist into the reeling man's jaw. As he did so, he could see the fibrous covering that made up Diehard's skin beginning to flake from his punches.
"Nothing to say?" Ted asked as moved in for the kill. "You seem to be a real smart ass back at the Museum or is that just when you're not murdering innocent people?" A slow rising bubble of rage was building up inside Ted Kord. Faces flashed past him with each blow struck against this dimensional monster. Faces flashed before him, faces belonging to friends he cared deeply and for whom he had been powerless to help when they needed him most.
Diehard's narrowed his eyes and looked up just as Ted was to throw another
punch at him. "Its more than you were able to do." He managed a
derisive smile even though his face looked mangled. "I'll bet you'll be up
nights forever, insect." He croaked a taunting laugh. "You'll never
be alone in bed again although I'm sure you'll have some issues about
failure."
"You bastard!" Ted shouted and flew at Doctor Diehard, his rage getting the better of him. "I'll see you in hell."
"You first." Diehard grinned and suddenly, Ted noticed a shadow looming overhead. He looked over his shoulder just in time to see the Blue Beetle Bug approaching him at top speed. For a moment, it did not register what his former trademark transport was doing here when he had left it on autopilot on the other side of the island. It took a second for him to realise that it was moving erratically and none of the engines were firing. A sidelong glance told him that Diehard had jumped to safety as the craft sped towards him.
There was barely any time to get clear as the Bug came rushing at him like a locomotive possessed. Ted Kord managed one thought before the craft slammed him into the wall and exploded into a thousand fragments.
Looks like I'm going to find out just how invulnerable I really am.
******
Doctor Diehard dropped to the sand just before the explosion up ahead. The roar
of the eruption almost deafened him. The Extremist who possessed no
extraordinary method of transport, barely managed to get clear before huge
flaming debris from the Blue Beetle's vessel came raining down around his ears.
As he heard the momentous crash behind him, he jumped clear more out of
instinct than any real belief that he could get clear. He rolled across the
sand and lay flat on his back for a few seconds as he regained his breath.
After allowing himself a few seconds to gain some equilibrium, he scrambled to his feet and faced the wreckage of the Blue Beetle Bug. It destruction was impressive. The main body had remained intact although it was almost totally consumed by the fire. Metal fragments of what used to be its legs were scattered in close proximity to the crash. There was flaming debris covering the sandy beach like a blanket of fire. A dark column of smoke was rising swiftly into the afternoon sky, almost as a eulogy to the craft and its former master.
"One down," Doctor Diehard said with a triumphant smile. "Any
many more to go." Reaching for his jaw, he rubbed it gently where the Blue
Beetle had hit him. That insect had a punch on him all right, the Doctor mused.
He squinted at the distance and tried to spot his comrades who were engaged in
battles of his own. He could see Havok's armour shining in the sun but could
not tell whether the leader of the Extremist was winning or losing his
particular confrontation.
Maybe I'll just drop a bomb on Gardner's head. The visual image made him chuckled.
Suddenly, he heard a creak of metal and the Doctor swung around quickly. His eyes widened as he saw a piece of wreckage shift uncomfortably before a figure climbed out of the fire. Doctor Diehard swore under his breath. What did it take to kill these bastards? He quickly turned his attention to the other debris and immediately manipulated the magnetic field. The pieces began rising from the beach and started flying towards the rising form of the Blue Beetle. Without warning, the Blue Beetle lashed out and bolts of electrical energy coursed through him. It flashed out of thin air like lightning and racked his body in such intense pain that Diehard could do nothing but scream. He dropped to his knees as he saw the hero approach slowly.
"You gotta do better than that to do me in." Ted said gasping as he strode towards the fallen Extremists. His arm was bleeding through the tear in his uniform and the blue material was quickly becoming soaked, taking on a purple hue. Despite the cuts and bruises, he was still alive, however. Alive and well. Talk about taking the acid test, Ted thought to himself. He now wished he had paid more attention when Guy had been talking about discovering the limits to his powers. At least he now knew for certain just how formidable he could be once he had more experience with these new abilities.
"I'll kill you for this!" Diehard hissed angrily even though he was still on his knees. Crackles of electricity were still sparking across his body. As far as androids go, the Extremists had to be recognised as the apex of the art. Nothing created in this dimension or the next could rival the sophistication of the Extremist replicants. However, when one really looked at it, they were piles of circuits and chips encased in slick packaging.
Another heave of metal sounded behind him although Ted did not react to the sound. He assumed correctly that the Doctor would attempt one last retaliatory strike before the end. Facing Diehard, Ted shook his head slowly. "I will die when I am ready," he said with a look of pity. "But not today." At that, he released a further barrage of lightning bolts, knowing that it would finish Doctor Diehard completely.
The energy struck him violently, creating flashes of blue as it struck his metallic body. Doctor Diehard spasmed as if he were a marionette belonging to clumsy puppeteer. Ted tried to remain dispassionate as he saw the man jerk about in agony as tendrils of electricity did their worst to all the systems in his body. Ted reminded himself more than once as he saw Diehard perform his final dance of death, that this was not a man but a machine. Suddenly, flames shot out of Diehard's mouth as the electrics inside of him sounded their death knell. Immediately, the skin around his face began to melt, running thick rivulets of rubber down his neck. His eye balls shrivelled up as the heat warped its shape to nothing more than white mush.
The whole scene was quite stomach turning, even if Doctor Diehard had been an android. The Doctor collapsed on the ground, his head now completely consumed by fire. Any features on his face were completely destroyed as the rubber melted away. As the plastics layer beneath the rubber began to deteriorate, Ted could see a glint of metal appear though the fissures. Finally, Ted turned away from the scene. He looked up at the sky and saw dark clouds rolling into place above the island. They needed the rain, he decided. The island needed to be washed clean from all that was going to be done today.
He walked to the wreckage of the Blue Beetle Bug and felt a stab of pain at its destruction. For years, it had served him faithfully on countless adventures. He knew he would have little trouble rebuilding the craft. These days he was financially capable of doing so. However, it appeared that none of the wreckage here was salvageable. A new vessel would not be quite the same as this faithful companion. Sure, a new Beetle Bug could be rebuilt but it would never replace this one.
"Oh Baby," Ted kneeled down to pick up a fragment of metal. "I really messed you up didn't I?" He sighed. "If its any consolation," he looked over his shoulder at the unmoving of Doctor Diehard, whose face now seemed like a featureless mannequin. "I got him." He said facing the wreckage. "I got the son of a bitch."
*******
When he ran into jungle, Sigrid questioned the wisdom of following him. Nevertheless, the moment of caution was wiped away by the desire to catch her prey and so she maintained pursuit of the Extremist Tracer. Before committing herself to be consumed by the thick tropical growth, Sigrid had not noticed the dark cumulous clouds forming in the sky above. Thus, it took only about ten minutes before the normal shade of the tall palm trees inside the jungle to become dark and foreboding. Although Zatanna had restored the island back to its original glory, she could not bring back its former residents, whether they are humans, animals or insects. Without them, the jungle was strangely quiet except for the sounds of her footsteps against the soft earth.
This was his environment, Sigrid told herself with annoyance. Tracer had led her here for a good reason and she was aware of the trap that she had placed herself within. Looking around the overhanging vines and leafy vegetation, Sigrid proceeded cautiously. She realised that he had the advantage here because this was a hunter's realm, neither did she doubt that he was watching her even now.
Sigrid slowed her breathing, becoming accustomed to the rhythm of her own heart to gauge her senses. Straining her ears, she listened to every sound, no matter how minute in order to find Tracer before he found her. She moved through the few shrubs that had managed to grow in a rare pocket of sunlight that penetrated the leafy canopy above. All the while, she kept her eyes trained on the thick branches of the trees surrounding her in all directions.
Sigrid kept in mind what Guy said about taking him down quickly and realised that he had made the warning for her own good. After seeing how badly he had injured Booster Gold, Sigrid chose not to take that warning lightly. She kept advancing deeper into the tropical forest, brushing away overhanging vines and small branches that seemed to block every path she chose to travel. Despite herself, she could not dispel this feeling of growing apprehension that Tracer was about to strike.
Suddenly, she heard running water in the nearby distance. Of course it would make sense that there was a source of fresh water on the island. How else would the villagers survive? She wondered if it was a river of merely a small pool and how far away it was from here. Unable to find the Extremists, Sigrid was starting to become uneasy about the man's absence.
From the corner of her eye, Sigrid saw a flurry of movement. It ran across the branches, dislodging leaves in its wake. She had just enough time to turn around when it launched itself at her. Tracer's body slammed her in full force to the ground. Sigrid fell backwards, her feet practically yanked from under her feet. She hit her head against the ground and even if the soil was soft, it nevertheless hurt.
He moved like a frenzied animal. His limbs were blurred movements of claws and hands. Sigrid barely had time to register the pain as sharp claws slashed at her arms and her neck in a series of lightning quick attacks. She recovered long enough to flip him over her shoulder and scrambled to her knees as she saw him land a short distance away. Blood was starting to soak the sling where his razor sharp nails had scratched her. Sigrid prepared herself to freeze this savage villain into submission when he came at her again but instead of attacking, he fled into the jungle.
"Come back here, you coward!" She shouted angrily.
"I'm not stupid enough to let you take me into an ice block babe." He returned as he disappeared into the foliage.
Refusing to allow him another escape, Sigrid bolted after him, not concerning
herself with the lacerations or the pain in her broken arm. With adrenaline
pumping through her body at full flow, she leapt over the small shrubs and
fallen trees in her way, determined to keep him in sight. Meanwhile, she became
aware that the sound of running water had started to get louder, until it
became a low rumble.
She broke through the vegetation and found the soil underfoot had thinned into hard shale and rock. None of this gave her concern until she saw that she was nearing the edge of a small cliff. Sigrid came to an abrupt halt and looked across the chasm to see the plunge pool of a river below her. The river she had wondered about was on the other side and it culminated into a cascade of white foam that thundered into the crystal blue pool. It was truly beautiful, Sigrid thought momentarily.
"Pretty isn't it?" Tracer's voice said behind her. "Why don't you take a swim?"
Sigrid swung around just in time to see him shove her over the edge. She let out a short scream as she fell but managed one small act before she fell too far down. Concentrating hard and ignoring the fear of the fall, she sent a column of ice at Tracer. Sigrid saw him gloating over her as she descended, until he realised that the ice was coming for him. As unexpectedly as she had been pushed over the cliff, Tracer was ensnared by ice column with similar surprise. It caught him like a frog catching a fly. The weight of the ice dragged him over the edge and he was helplessly caught as he went over as well.
Sigrid hit the water at full impact, feeling the pain of an uneasy landing flare over her entire body. Fortunately, it was deeper than it looked for the depth of the pool was able to protect her from any serious injury. Sigrid immediately swam out of the way as Tracer and the ice column came crashing down shortly after her own landing. Realising that she had the chance to bring this situation to and end, Sigrid started swimming towards the edge of the pool. Her body was aching but she managed to reach the soil embankment in a matter of seconds, even though she trashed through the water like a cumbersome child. Pulling herself on to dry land, she saw Tracer smashing through the ice around him. Fragments of quickly thawing ice disappeared under the water as he broke free.
"I'm going to tear your to pieces." He snarled as he started towards her.
"Really?" Sigrid replied over the sound of rushing water in the distance. "I think you've forgotten where you are."
The rage in his eyes lifted like a veil of mist and comprehension flooded into him. He made a desperate race for ground but it was too late. Sigrid lowered her hand into the water, breaking the surface long enough to get her fingertips wet. Glaring at him with eyes narrowed, she allowed herself a faint smile as the water hardened under her fingers. The ice extended outward, like an expanding ripple of water. Tracer's efforts to reach the shore became panicked. He trashed about wildly, like a fish on a deck of a boat. When it became apparent that he would not outrun the wave of ice threatening to capture him, he paused to make one final show of defiance.
"This ain't over!" He shouted as he saw the ice coming for him. He
could start to feel the sudden drop in water temperature and knew that he had
only seconds left. "I'll rip your heart out bitch, I promise you
that!"
The ferocity in his voice convinced her that he would make good on that threat if he was given the opportunity. "You're done, Tracer." Sigrid said with just as much defiance. "You're not going to do anything." She watched his face turn into a mask of fear as the ice reached him. His body stiffened as the his body started to freeze, the process hastened by the fact that he was soaking wet. Tracer's eyes widened in terror as the cold crawled up his chest. He let out a scream that never escaped the sudden blockage of ice down his throat.
For a brief moment, he was a living sculpture of ice in the middle of the frozen pool. She supposed it was the only time he could be considered to be a work of art. However, it was only a temporary measure because ice in the tropics was not a permanent solution. Fortunately, Tracer was not human and so she had a great deal of latitude in her dealing with him. Concentrating harder, the ice began to crack as she poured more energy into freezing its molecules. Fissures began to appear although it was still solid enough to remain intact.
Tracer's frozen form however, did not weather the increase cold with similar success. Cracks began to appear on the sculpture of his form as the temperature became super cold. In a matter of moments, the molecules holding his shape together would turn brittle. His body began to tremble from the accelerated freezing process until finally, in the climax of the process, it shattered. Chunks of ice flew outward in all directions along with frozen pieces of the Extremist's destroyed body.
Sigrid rose to her feet wishing she did not have to be so extreme. However the savagery of her opponent could not be underestimated. Now that the threat was momentarily over, she became aware of her injuries. Although the scratches on her neck had stopped bleeding, they still ached painfully. Her broken armed throbbed uncomfortably and she made a mental note to see a doctor when they returned to civilisation. She hoped the rest of the Crusaders had fared better than she had.
Sigrid did not relish having to face the rest of the Extremists alone.
*************
"How dare you?" Dreamslayer screamed in indignant rage. His hands were pressed up against the invisible barrier. Although he possessed more than enough power to escape it, he was more curious as to the reason for this feeble attempt at entrapment. Surely, the witch knew that he was far too powerful to be contained in such a limited fashion. He looked outside the barrier into the beach and saw no one. In the distance, however, he spied the unconscious form of Fire, being slowly dragged in by the tide to the shore. Obviously, she was in no condition to have produced this contingency. Raising his eyes to the sky, he saw a figure clad in blue and gold and realised who was generating this force field.
"Didn't you learn you lesson the last time Booster Gold?" Dreamslayer shouted at him. "You are no match for me or the Extremists Booster and you cannot seriously think you can keep me in here, do you?" He glared at Booster with utter scorn.
"Probably not," Booster answered, ignoring the man's attempts to provoke him. Instead, he kept his mind focused on maintaining the shield at all costs for as long as possible. "But keeping you in was never the plan." Booster added with a hint of satisfaction, letting Dreamslayer known that he was not as smart as he believed.
In a cloud of grey smoke, Zatanna materialised on the beach before the shield. When the cloud of grey had diminished, she stood before Dreamslayer fearlessly, her dark hair blowing in the wind. For a moment, she looked every bit the sorceress that she was. Calmly, she looked into Dreamslayer's eyes and spoke with cold hatred. "I told you this was far from over Dreamslayer."
"You think you can't take me on?" Dreamslayer demanded arrogantly. "Your pathetic attempts have done little to slow me down. You weren't enough of a bother to be mildly entertaining. You and your little friends have been nothing short of disappointing."
Zatanna allowed herself a faint smile. All his posturing seemed to indicate that he was worried about what she had up her sleeve. While he was right at declaring that she was no match for his powers, he was nonetheless fearful of what he did not know and he suspected that there was method in her madness. "When you took the body of the Gray Man, did it ever occur to you that there were other forces interested in how it conduct itself?"
Dreamslayer's eyes narrowed. "Don't try and bluff me, witch." He said confidently. "I may not dabble in the mystics but even I know that if the Lords of Order haven't intervened by now, they aren't likely too. You overestimate their concern for the welfare of your pathetic lives."
His words were intended to sting but had no such effects on her. "You're right," Zatanna retorted. "You're not a mystic and so you are unaware that there are many forces that exist, other than the Lords of Order." She paced the ground around the barrier, like a predator eyeing a helpless prey. "The universe is more than your perception of it and when you decide to toy with the supernatural, beware of the consequences."
"You are frightening me." He sneered. "Perhaps you are right, witch. Unfortunately, none of these forces are currently present to stop me from killing the lot of you." Dreamslayer declared, grandiosely. He started concentrating on a build up of power, to shatter this ball of energy like glass. "I tire of this game," his voice dripping with superiority. "None of you have proved mildly entertaining. Perhaps the new Justice League might prove a better challenge."
"You're welcome to try." Zatanna said finally before turning to Booster. "Now."
Booster nodded and disconnected the force field. In the split instant between the collapse of the barrier and Dreamslayer's awareness of it, Zatanna put her conjured her final spell. After that, their fates would be taken out of her hands. She had only to utter one word and all of it would fall into place.
"peelS."
********************
The sky had suddenly turned pitch black.
Dreamslayer looked up and saw that it was night. The moon hung overhead in the sky, full and bright. Yet the canopy holding it hostage, revealed no flicker of myriad lights but the totality of utter darkness. The beach had disappeared and he stood on the flat plain of a barren wasteland. Through the veil of fog, he could tell that there were no mountains in the distance and no trees he could see. Something about the place looked removed from reality. He wondered if she had teleported him to another dimension. He did not know she had that kind of power. Then again, he had never allowed her the opportunity to show it.
"Welcome to the Dreaming, Dreamslayer." He heard her speak.
He turned around and saw her standing behind him, with Booster Gold.
"A nice trick." Dreamslayer offered sarcastically. "It would appear that you are capable of pulling a rabbit out of your hat. I did not think you were capable of dimensional travel."
"Dimensional travel, is that what you think this is?" She laughed. "You are truly rich, Dreamslayer."
Booster wished he knew what was happening. One minute he had disconnected the force field and the next thing he knew, he was standing in the middle of the spookiest place he had ever been in his life. Even though it was night, the air was hot and the winds blowing across the parched landscape made his skin crawl. Zatanna seemed to know what she was doing though and showed no trace of fear, which was more than he could say for himself. One thing was certain however, until they got out of here, he was not straying from her side.
"Where are we?" Dreamslayer demanded, preparing to blast her with a killing bolt of energy. "Tell me witch, or I will turn your bones to powder!"
"Not if I can help it." Booster declared finding his voice. "You put one hand on the lady and I'll pulverise you instead. Besides, I owe you one."
"Its all right Booster," Zatanna said with a smile, putting her hand on his shoulder to assure him that everything was under control. "Dreamslayer is powerless here. He has the bite of a toothless tiger."
"You are delusional!" Dreamslayer retaliated and prepared to show her how wrong she truly was. However, as he tried to discharge the energy amassed by Gray Man's body, he realised that something was wrong. Nothing was happening! What had she done to him? His eyes widened in disbelief as he glared at her. "What have you done to me witch?"
"Dreamslayer." Zatanna mused. "Has it ever occurred to you what is meant to happen to the dream essence you have been stealing?"
Despite his rage, he knew he could not answer her. "Enough of your riddles!" He snorted. "Tell me what you have done or I will kill this pathetic human." He glared at Booster.
Booster was about to speak but Zatanna beat him to it. "You couldn't hurt Booster any more than you can hurt me, you fool. I did not take you to any dimension. My spell was one of the oldest and most common spells of magic. I merely put us all to sleep. At the moment, you are lying on the beach, with myself and Booster, fast asleep."
"What?" Booster turned to her in surprise. "I don't remember.."
"Does anyone remember the precise time, one falls asleep?" Zatanna answered before turning back to Dreamslayer who was absorbing her words with great difficulty. "Dreamslayer, since I made you sleep, the dream that we are now experiencing is my dream and in my dream, you are powerless."
"I don't believe you." He said defiantly but Booster could tell from the rising fear on his voice that he starting to suspect that her claim was true.
"You said you were going to kill me, I am still here." She responded, her voice full of triumph. "Face it Dreamslayer, you are helpless here."
"So what?" He retorted, regaining some of his balance now that the initial shock had faded. His eyes narrowed with familiar malevolence as he glared at her. "You keep me trapped in this place forever? Even you have to wake up some time, when you do I will be return to reality and I will still win."
Booster had to admit that the louse had a good point and he hoped that Zatanna's hand was stronger that what it appeared to be. Suddenly, his eyes caught sight of something, he swore had not been there before. While Zatanna and Dreamslayer continued their verbal jousting, Booster's attention focused on an unusually shaped tower standing in the middle of the plain. With absolute certainty, he knew that the structure had not been there before this second. For a moment, he wrestled with the possibility that this was an illusion. They were after all in a dream world, could what he was seeing be a figment of his imagination?
Booster doubted it because the tower was something out of a nightmare.
He was reminded of those medieval fortresses, dark and foreboding, with angular corners and jagged edges. Looking at it, made him tremble. What was it? Almost in an answer, he saw a man appeared out of the mist, from the direction of the dark castle. The man was tall and pale, with short white hair cut short to his scalp. Despite its colour, Booster did not think he was very old and estimated that they were probably the same age. He wore a white T-shirt and white denim jeans, with jet black boots. His eyes were hidden by sunglasses and Booster found himself thinking why on earth anyone would need those in a dismal place like this, especially at night.
"Its time for us to leave Booster." Zatanna said to him.
"Leave?" Dreamslayer laughed. "You don't think you can leave without me do you? The moment you wake up, your dream will be over and I will still be strong enough to kill you and your miserable little group."
"I don't think so." The new arrival announced his presence.
At the very sight of him, Booster saw the change in Zatanna's confident features. The reason for her fear was not Dreamslayer but this man in his white clothes and covered eyes.
"You can leave now." He said to Zatanna. "I will take care of this."
"Who are you?" Dreamslayer demanded, starting to become very uneasy by this whole situation. This was not how it was supposed to be. He was Dreamslayer, master of the dimensions, leader of the Extremists! He was not to be left in this stygian world because of the some witch's trick. "I will kill you like I'm going to kill her when I get to the waking world."
For the first time, the man turned his attention to Dreamslayer and he let a
small smile steal across his face. "So you are a Dreamslayer?" The
man asked, as if the whole notion was some enormous joke that he alone was
privy to. His hand reached for his sunglasses. "They call me the
Corinthian."
His eyes! Jesus Christ, his eyes!
He had seen many things in his life that was capable of breaking lesser man and Booster Gold thought he had handled those experiences well but nothing prepared him for the Corinthian. Where there should have been eye sockets, pupils and irises were two perfectly formed mouths with sharp and jagged teeth.
Zatanna saw Dreamslayer recoil at the sight of the man, realising perhaps in these last moments of life what he was now facing. "Give our thanks to your master." She managed to say, taking hold of Booster's hand. Booster's eyes were wide open with naked terror, his face was ashen with fear. Zatanna could well understand the emotion. She herself, could sense the dark inside this being and it terrified her even more because she understood what he was. The Corinthian was the essence of the nightmares. He resided comfortably in the depths of fears locked within the souls of every sentient that had ever lived and dreamed.
He was the manifestation of man's darkest ideas.
Zatanna recited the spell that would bring her and Booster back into the waking world. The words to take them home were just as simple as those who brought them here. "ekawA." She repeated to herself. "ekawA."
"You cannot leave me here!" Dreamslayer turned to her desperately as the Corinthian advanced upon him. Zatanna felt the compassion inside her stir for a moment, as the Dreaming started to dissolve around her eyes. For a brief instant, she wondered if he really deserved the fate he was going to get at the hands of the Corinthian. That second faded away when she remembered the people of Kooey Kooey Koeey who had been denied any kind of mercy.
"I am sorry Dreamslayer," she whispered as he started to fade away. "Its out of my hands now. I was merely to deliver you here."
Dreamslayer watched the witch disappear like smoke before he heard the Corinthian's voice behind him. He turned around slowly, terrified because he was weak and helpless and he was perceptive enough to understand that she had left him to the ministrations of something truly horrifying. He remembered what she had said about the forces that existed beyond his understanding and he wondered if it was too late to pray for forgiveness. Almost as if he knew what Dreamslayer was thinking, the Corinthian smiled at him and spoke.
"Just call me the reckoning."
*************
"Zatanna, are you all right?" She felt hands shaking her shoulder gently. Zatanna, who was lingering in the nexus between the waking world and the one of dreams, found herself being anchored to that voice. As she surfaced into the sunlight, she opened her eyes and saw the sky above her. The sun was starting to set in the distance but there was still enough light remaining for it to be still considered day.
"General?" She blinked at the face looking over her in concern.
The young man let out a sigh of relief at her response and Zatanna felt the sleep ooze out of her eyes like the dream she was shedding like a second skin. "I'm fine." She assured him even though her head was still swimming. Slowly, she rolled onto her belly and slowly lifted herself off the sandy beach. She could see Booster starting to emerge from his sleep a short distance away.
"What happened?" Donovan inquired. After he had taken care of Gorgon, who would never be reassembled since parts of him were scattered across the Pacific, General Glory had returned to the island. He first discovered Beatriz being carried to shore like drift wood. There was an awful moment when he believed that she might have drowned. Fortunately, he learnt better when he flew her out of the water. Although she was unconscious, Donovan attributed that to the red bruise forming on the side of her head. He was no doctor, but he knew a concussion when he saw one.
After bringing the Latin beauty to shore, he also found the prone bodies of Zatanna, Booster and Dreamslayer. Only close observation led him to understand that they were asleep, not unconscious like Beatriz. Fighting the temptation to wake them, Donovan held back knowing that Zatanna's powers were beyond his understanding and best left alone. Besides, he was certain that this had something to do with this plan of hers to trap Dreamslayer. With that in mind, Donovan allowed the slumber to continue.
"Its over." She said looking into his apprehensive eyes.
"Zee!" She suddenly heard Ted's voice coming towards her. Zatanna stood up shakily with Donovan's help and saw the Blue Beetle descending from the sky. In the nearby distance, Guy and Sigrid were also making their approach. Judging by the look of them, none of the Crusaders had emerged from this mission without their personal scars.
"Go see if Booster is alright." She urged the General. "His injuries might be delaying his revival."
Ted landed in front of her and she immediately noticed the torn uniform and the blood running down his shoulder. There were tiny scratches on his face and a deep gash could be seen through the torn material hugging his biceps. "Are you okay, did he hurt you?" Ted demanded although he saw no evidence of physical harm.
"No," she shook her head. "I'm in one piece." She smiled faintly before turning to Dreamslayer who was still locked in an endless sleep. "I'm in better shape than he is."
At that, Ted looked at the Extremist wondering what nightmares he must be enduring as they stood here watching him. "Is it done?" He asked softly.
"Yes," she nodded slowly. "Its done." She let out a heavy sigh. "The Dream King kept his promise once the island made an appeal to the Green."
"I still don't understand," Ted admitted. The realm of the supernatural was beyond his understanding. He dealt with facts and scientific theory, not the uncertain substance of magic. However, his lack of understanding did not mean he refused to believe in his existence. He had been a superhero long enough to have learnt that there were more things in the universe than his tiny mind could possibly imagine. He knew that the island was alive. Aquaman had explained it to the League once but the concept that a place could have sentience was too much of a possibility around which to wrap his mind.
"The island sentience made an appeal to the Green." Zatanna explained. "The Green is known in the Dreaming as Fiddler's Green. Like the island, it is a place that has sentience. As a minion of the Dream King, the Green is granted a boon. Its boon was to grant the wish of the island, to bring to justice the one who had destroyed its people."
It was still too much for Ted but he did not want to question it. Anything else he was about to say was interrupted by the sudden rising of the Gray Man.
"He's back!" Ted declared and the other Extremists leapt into action, preparing for another attack.
"Stop!" Zatanna shouted. "Look at him."
"Look at what?" Guy demanded, breaking into the conversation when he arrived.
"Dreamslayer." Donovan answered, pointing to the upright form of the Gray Man. "I thought it was over!" He exclaimed.
"It is." Zatanna said calmly. "Look at his eyes."
They did look and what they saw was answer enough. The Gray Man rose to his feet, his eyes gray and dead. There was no expression on his face, no trace of the evil that had destroyed this island and hundreds of others across the planet. It was a face trapped in amber, without feeling or emotion. His eyes stared straight past the heroes as he took a step forward. His movements were stiff and unnatural as if he was an automaton with programmed instructions. The Gray Man started walking forward, his hands hanging limply at his side as his moved past the Crusaders and continued walking up the beach.
For a moment, no one knew what to say. They could only stare at the gray figure that was fading away in the distance, not even leaving footprints in his wake. Those who had encountered the Gray Man before knew what they were seeing of course. It was eerie but familiar.
"What has happened to him?" Sigrid asked first.
"Dreamslayer is gone isn't he?" Booster spoke, now that he was conscious again. He remembered the Corinthian and knew that he would never forget that face for as long as he lived. No doubt, he would see the Corinthian in his nightmares. "The Dream King removed him from the Gray Man's body." Slowly, the memories of the dark place had returned and Zatanna's plan unfolded in his mind like a bitter aftertaste.
"Once he was inside the Dreaming, he no longer had possession of the Gray Man's body. Once freed of Dreamslayer's consciousness, the Gray Man can return to his duties as dictated by the Lords of Order." By now the figure of the Gray Man had disappeared completely and all that was left behind was their memories of this sorry episode.
"So that's it." Guy let out a deep breath. He was holding Beatriz in his arms. Her injuries were superficial but the blast of psychic power had weakened her. Guy chose not to rouse her until it was necessary. "That's the end of Dreamslayer." He let his mind drift to all the lives that had been lost because of the Extremist and wished he could be certain that the bastard would get his due. "I hope he's in a world of hurt."
Booster swallowed hard, closing his eyes as the image of the Corinthian flashed in his mind again. "You have no idea, Guy. No idea at all."
EPILOGUE: SLEEPERSZatanna could not sleep.
It was not because for any lack of trying on her part. After the past few days, she certainly felt the need for sleep. Unfortunately, her body had completely different ideas. She tossed around in bed, a thin film of perspiration wetting her skin with each movement she made. At some point in the night, she chose to change tactics. Instead of tossing around, she would sit up and fluff her pillows, adjust the covers over her body and then try to find the most comfortable position before she lay down to sleep.
While it did accomplish the killing of time, it did little to help her sleep. Finally, Zatanna gave up altogether and climbed out of bed. As she walked out of the bedroom, with designs on the kitchen, Zatanna noticed the clock on the mantle piece of her living room. She groaned when she saw that it was still night. It would be five hours before she could even think of getting up early and then she would go through the day like the walking dead.
I wonder what Ted's doing?
That thought slipped out of her mind even before she reached the kitchen. It made her pause and wonder whether the reason for her insomnia was not something as simplistic as man troubles. As the notion imprinted itself in her mind, she let out frustrated sigh. Not that, anything but that!
Unfortunately, the more she thought about it, the more it made sense. It had been a week since the whole business with the Extremists and Dreamslayer. The Crusaders had returned to their own lives although they were connected to each other with their signal devices. As far as she knew, the Crusaders were slatted to meet at Warriors, a week from today, in order to discuss what role they would take in the superhero community. Understandably, Guy did not want the group to become a pale imitation of the Justice League. She could agree with that sentiment although she had yet to decide whether she wanted to be a full time member.
Despite Guy's fears for comparisons with the Justice League, the media reported no such rivalry. Thanks to Catherine's whispers in the right ears, the whole world was now aware that they were responsible for ending the nuclear threat. After Dreamslayer had been vanquished, the United Nations Council felt confident enough to release the real truth behind the destruction of Kooey Kooey Kooey. The Crusaders returned to New York as heroes, with the full glare of media attention in their faces. Part of the reason the group chose to scatter for a few weeks was partially due to all this attention. While Beatriz and Guy were used to it, newer members like Donovan Wallace and Sigrid Nansen preferred the shadows. Zatanna could appreciate their reason for anonymity and quickly returned home.
Zatanna made herself a cup of hot chocolate, hoping it would help her sleep. She sat at the kitchen counter, nursing the warm cup and allowing herself to finally grapple with the subject of Ted Kord.
There had not been a man in her life since Barry Allen, the original Flash and that was years ago. To be honest, Barry had never been hers, not really. As League team mates, they had come together after Barry had believed Iris to be dead. In his grief, he had turned to her and Zatanna had to been too young to know any better. She had loved him deeply but when Iris returned to life, their relationship died. Barry had tried to be a gentleman about it but it changed nothing. She was still hurt. Since then, her relationships with men had been chequered. Being a powerful mystic was a decided disadvantage when one trying to enjoy a social life.
Ted Kord was the first man she felt she could trust enough to give her heart in a long time and that frightened her immensely. She sensed his feelings for her were no passing fancy either. The depth of his emotion was part of the reason why she reacted so strongly to him. Although many of their feelings had been unspoken, Zatanna knew that she was not going to get any peace of mind until she confronted him and her feelings face to face.
Glancing at the clock, she wondered what time it was on the west coast. Lightspeed Entertainment was based in Las Vegas and she gathered that was where Ted lived as well. For a few minutes, she debated the idea to call him but after several soul searching questions, decided that this could not wait. If she was ever going to sleep again, she needed to know.
Taking a deep breath, she picked up the phone.....
*********
She called him. He could not believe it. She really called him.
Ted took a moment to gather himself as he heard Zatanna's voice on the other end of the line. He had been working in his office at Lightspeed Entertainment, trying to shift through the paperwork accumulated during his absence. When the phone rang, he prayed it was Booster telling him that he was cutting his trip to Paris short and was on the next plane home. Booster had decided to take a little vacation after their encounter with the Extremists. No doubt, this sudden idea for a holiday probably had much to do with a beautiful French brunette who was finally giving him the time of day, Ted thought bitterly.
However, when he picked up the phone, there had been a slight pause before the caller spoke.
"Hello Ted."
Ted knew her voice immediately. In the rare periods of time when he able to come for air from under all this paperwork, his mind invariably fell to thoughts of Zatanna. He wrapped himself in dreams of her when he slept and grew more certain with each passing day that he had fallen head over heels. Despite the certainty of his feelings, Ted had no idea what to do about it. This was not the kind of woman that appreciated being rushed and he sensed a vulnerability behind all that confidence when it came to matters of the heart. So, he chose to step back and let her come to him when she felt she was ready.
"Hello Zee." He answered with a smile, trying to hide his jubilance. "How have you been?" He opted for a casual approach first. After all, she had called him.
"I've been fine." She responded. "How about you?" Zatanna winced from her end of the line. They sounded like two high school kids. There had to be a point in maturity that made relationships easier to cope with. Taking a deep breath, she called on the strength, she reserved to fight super villains like Dreamslayer, Wotan and whatever she had encountered throughout her career. "Ted, we need to talk about us."
"Is there an 'us'?" He ventured to ask. Suddenly, his stomach had moved into his throat. He wanted her so much. If she did not feel the same, Ted was not sure how he was going to handle it.
"There could be." She said finally. "I know how you feel."
"The question is how do you feel?" Ted returned.
"I don't know how I feel." Zatanna admitted. "We've never really had a chance to feel anything. Everything happened when we were fighting Dreamslayer and there was so much emotion charging the air, it was hard to be sure of anything."
"Then come here." The words flew out of his mouth before he had a chance to think them through. "Let's find out. Give ourselves a week to find out if any of what we feel is worth hanging on to, Zee."
There was another pause. "I really hate Las Vegas. Its tacky."
Ted tried to suppress a smile, knowing that was a positive response. "I hate New England. There are killer dogs, killer clowns, psychic prom queens and vampire infested towns"
"All right already," she giggled. "How about New York?"
"My kind of town." Ted grinned.
"I'll see you then Ted." She said silkily.
Ted could listen to her voice forever. "I'll make lasagne, put on some CD's.."
"Ted." She interrupted. "I'm hoping that's not the same offer you made Wonder Woman."
I am so going to kill Guy, Ted thought before he came up with an answer.
*******
Sometimes he would wake up at night in a cold sweat, trembling from the effects of a dream he would never remember, even though its presence stayed him with for days. On these occasions, returning to sleep was impossible and he did not relish having to toss and turn all night with the sheets of his bed plastered to his body. Instead, he would live his small caretaker's shed and venture into the garden he was charged to keep.
He would walk barefoot in the soft green grass, allowing its silky texture to tickle his feet before finding himself a nice spot under a tree. Although he would not sleep, he passed the time staring into the moon lit sky, trying to remember if there was more to his existence than being the caretaker of Fiddler's Green. He could not remember anything before his life in this idyllic world even though he must have died thinking of the Dreaming to become a permanent resident in this kingdom of twilight.
When he thought about his arrival here, a permanent haze would descend upon his consciousness so that merely fragments of memory would surface. His arrival into the Dreaming did not arouse much fanfare. One morning, he had awaken from a restless sleep to find himself in the caretaker's shed. At first he had been confused because he remembered nothing before that morning. He ventured out to find Fiddler's Green before him and thought it to be the most beautiful place in the world.
It came as no surprised to him when the Dreaming's residents informed him that he had always been its caretaker and that his name was David. In some part of him, which existed beyond the need for factual data, he knew this was true, even though he suspected that he might have been known as something else once upon a time. Sometimes, he had flashes of memory that appeared and then disappeared with the consistency of smoke. Images of green fire and streaks of blue and gold would taunt him, defying him to solve the riddle trapped inside his mind. At other times, the dreams were darker, even nightmarish.
He would dream that someone had reached inside his mind and eaten away his
identity. All of what he was before this life would disappear down the gullet
of some unimaginable horror before all reason left his mind and he would awake
screaming. Those nightmares had plagued him endlessly during his first days in
the Dreaming, levelling off with the gradual passage of time.
Yesterday, he had met the Corinthian for the first time. Bar none other, the Corinthian was indeed the most ferocious and fearsome of all the major arcana in the Dreaming. David remembered the meeting most vividly. The Corinthian had smiled at him and inquired how he found life in the Dreaming. David's answers had been polite even though a feeling of dread rose in his stomach at the sight of the Corinthian. The Corinthian noticed this but did not make mention of his fear.
"What are you called?" The Corinthian had asked him.
"David." He had answered, fighting a wave of nausea that emerged from nowhere.
"It's a good name." The Corinthian said quietly. "Could be worse. You could be called something ridiculous like Dreamslayer."
"In the Dreaming?" David had laughed. "That sounds sacrilegious."
The Corinthian did not join in his laughter but did smile. "It was nice meeting you David." He said politely before leaving the Green.
Perhaps it was his meeting that produced his nightmare on this evening, David decided. He stared up into the dark canopy of night and let the moon bathe him in its glowing beauty. What did it matter who he was anyway? David thought as he suddenly felt his eyelids become heavy. The Green was his responsibility, just as the Dreaming was his home. Tomorrow, he had shrubs to prune and a sapling in the northeastern end of the Green needed tending. There was just so much to do. He did not know if he was content in his previous life but this one suited him well. He had friends who called on him and he was sure that his fear of the Corinthian was a passing phase. For a nightmare, the Corinthian seemed well mannered. David managed one stray thought before sleep claimed him.
The Corinthian was correct.
Dreamslayer was an absurd name.
THE END
Well that's it for the Crusaders. I hope you enjoyed this story and rest assured this is not the end, merely a pregnant pause. I look forward to hearing comments and feedback.