JSA: The Face Of Evil

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.

CHAPTER 11

The interior dome of the Capitol building soared more than one hundred eighty feet -- about 18 stories -- above them as Batman and Wildcat entered the Rotunda. Wonder Woman stood at the center of the huge area beneath the dome on a mosiac floor of various shades of gray. As the Caped Crusader shouldered through the knot of people in the room, he called to the Amazon princess. "Is everything ready here?"

As Batman reached the center of the floor space, Wonder Woman, nodded in reply to the Masked Manhunter's question.

Batman turned to the Green Lantern, Doctor Mid-Nite, and the Atom. "Okay, Doctor Mid-Nite's gotten together with the custodial staff and Capitol security and will give each of you maps of the old tunnel underneath the Capitol. The tunnel entrances will probably be heavily guarded by False- Face's men. But you can get into the tunnels through a ventilation shaft that was built toward the end of the last century to draw cool air into the structure, a kind of primitive air conditioning system. There's an old ladder running down into it, and the shaft connects into the main system of tunnels. Doctor Mid-Nite is uniquely suited for this mission because he can see in the dark."

"Quite," Mid-Nite acknowledged.

Batman nodded. "So the Doctor will lead the two of you through the tunnels. You also have some of your Blackout Bombs, Doc?"

Mid-Nite nodded.

"Atom, you'll carry a radio so that we can keep in contact."

"Alrighty, Batty."

"Remember," Batman continued, "you'll have to operate in darkness so that you don't tip our hand. I don't want one of those Nazis down there detonating one of the devices because he figures the jig is up. Mr Terrific and I will begin our part of the operation in a few minutes. We'll need a lot of time to prepare -- so you three have plenty of time to carry out your part of the mission. I figure in about three hours and fifteen minutes from now, I'm going into the House chamber with Mr Terrific. We need those bombs and the Nazis guarding them neutralized by that time."

Wonder Woman said to the three crimefighters who would be going into the tunnels, "If you get trapped in the tunnels, and we are successful in stopping this terrible man, I'll personally rip out the floors of this place to dig you out. A lot of those tunnels are falling apart and could cave in at any time, they tell me."

"Well, if we don't pull this off," Green Lantern remarked, "it won't matter."

"Any questions?" Batman asked.

Wildcat stepped forward. "What is it that you and Mr Terrific are going to prepare for?"

"We're going to pull a trick out of False-Face's book and use makeup to disguise ourselves. We're awaiting supplies from a theatrical supply shop, here, in D.C." Batman explained. He looked to Doctor Mid-Nite, Green Lantern, and the Atom. "You three better get going."

His face more sober-looking than Batman had ever seen it, Doctor Mid-Nite adjusted the goggles over his eyes, and very quietly said, "Yes, I guess we'd better."

***

Batman, Mr Terrific, the President of the United States, a leaner and haggard-looking Hourman and Selina Kyle were in the Congressional Ladies' Reading Room. With them was a deliveryman from the District of Columbia Theater Products Company. The delieveryman was small and wiry, no more than five-feet six or so, and his brown curly hair was touched with gray and receded at the temples despite the obviousness of his age -- about thirty, Batman judged.

There was a solidness and resonance to his voice as he spoke. "I've never had a call for a delivery to the President of the United States before. At first, I thought it was a gag." He gestured toward a huge black case partially open at the top. "-- I brought a professional makeup case, threw in everything I thought you could possibly use. You guys know much about theater makeup?"

Batman replied, "I've had some experience."

"As well as I," Mr Terrific said.

After the delieveryman left, Batman said to everyone that was still in the room, "I need to be able to walk into the House chamber wearing one face and beneath that wear the face Catwoman says belongs to False-Face. And it has to be good enough to shock False-Face long enough for Mr Terrific, who will be disguised as the President, or for me to get hold of that detonator. And afterward, I'd like to be able to remove False-Face's face and have my own back, such as it is."

Selina's eyes searched Batman's face. She picked up the photo that had been hand delivered by the Flash moments earlier to the Capitol building. It was a photo of Selina's father -- and as Selina had said, exactly what False- Face would look like.

Mr Terrific's eyes flicked to Batman. "I think we can do it. In order to protect our secret identities we'll need to keep this room cleared and Hourman you'll stand guard, my friend."

"You got it, Terrific. No one will get past me through that door." Hourman said.

The President and Selina left the room followed by Hourman, who closed the door and stood in front of it outside the room.

"Okay," Mr Terrific said to Batman, "if we work together, we can cut the time down."

"Two hours and fifty-three minutes, Terrific," Batman announced looking at the clock on the wall.

From the nearby bathroom, Mr Terrific filled a glass with warm water.

"I guess we'll begin," he said.

From the black case, Mr Terrific pulled out what looked like a roll of thin bandage material. "Batman, you can take this roll of plaster bandage and begin cutting it into six-inch strips with these scissors, then reroll each strip."

"I've done this before many times, Terrific," Batman informed him.

"Yes, sorry, I forgot that you've dabbled with disguises in the past."

"More than merely 'dabbled,' I assure you."

Mr Terrific nodded somberly and yelled to the door, "Hourman!"

The door opened and Hourman peeked his head through the doorway with a quizzical look on his cowled face.

"I need some containers, Hourman. The containers should be the size of a pan you'd make spaghetti in and filled with water. Two will do. Have someone get that."

Hourman said, "I'll have someone try the Senate restaurant," and closed the door.

Mr Terrific turned to Batman. "Okay, I'll do you first and then you can do me. Go into the bathroom and scrub your face with soap and water, then rinse it very, very well. If they have one of those blower hand dryers in there, use it to dry your skin -- especially get the eyebrows. Okay?"

"I know the routine, Terrific," Batman said in a slightly irritated voice.

"We're going to make a life mask," Mr Terrific announced.

"I know," Batman said in an exasperated tone.

As Batman started off to the bathroom, he pulled off his cowl and cape.

Mr Terrific took a blue container from the makeup kit. The container was labeled Plaster of Paris.

***

Colonel Flagg studied the face on the television screen. He had never thought he could come to hate someone so much.

False-Face was talking. Like any other mastermind villian, he seemed to like to talk, to parade his power and to sneer.

"And so, you have reports for me dealing with the placement of my personnel?"

"We have contacted the governments concerned. The French are as yet unwilling to cooperate. The British Parliament is meeting in emergency session. The Russians haven't said anything yet. And no reply from the Chinese as of yet, either. You must give us more time."

"I cannot give you more time, Colonel Flagg. I have ordered my men in Reddington, Illinois, to detonate the device there and kill your President at precisely six A.M. Eastern Time. That is slightly more than two hours from now. At seven, if my demands have not been met, the bombs laced with VX nerve gas will be exploded in major population centers in each of the countries that failed to cooperate. At eight, if my demands have still not been met, I shall consider the operation a failure. And since I cannot tolerate failure, I shall activate this switch and destroy all of Washington. Almost immediately thereafter all the major population centers of the countries I've named will suffer the same devastation. I would suggest that you encourage the reluctant heads of state to acquiesce."

"I shall try, False-Face, I certainly shall try," Flagg told the camera, still watching False-Face's face on the closed-circuit monitor.

"Then I'd suggest, also, that we terminate this conversation so you can be about your work."

"Yes. False-Face, I was about to suggest that myself." Flagg turned away from the screen and walked to his desk. As he sat down, he felt his face seam with a grin. Under his breath, he muttered, "That madman doesn't know we got the President out alive!"

***

Doctor Mid-Nite adjusted the elastic that held the goggles over his eyes. He crawled ahead of Green Lantern and the Atom along the ventilation shaft, following the brightly drawn markings on the map. Dirt filtered down from tunnel supports and seams in the tube of the tunnel itself. Mid-Nite couldn't be quite certain he knew just what the tunnel walls and floor and ceiling were made of. He kept moving.

Behind him he heard the Atom rasp, "Doc, how much farther?"

"I don't know how much farther, Atom. I'll let you know when we get there."

Mid-Nite continued to crawl ahead.

A few yards farther on he stopped to check the map. "This is it! Just ahead and to the right," he whispered hoarsely to the crimefighters behind him.

A wooden panel formed part of the tunnel wall on his right.

"Atom, come up here and rip this panel off for me," Mid-Nite asked the stronger of the three men. Green Lantern's power ring wouldn't work against anything made of wood.

Doctor Mid-Nite anticipated that the sound of forcing the door would make noise and alert the Nazis. Nevertheless, it had to be done.

The Atom began the task. The boards were placed horizontally and crumbled as he pried at them with his hands. Dry rot, he guessed, for the tunnel seemed devoid of moisture.

The Atom hammered at the base of the door with his right fist again and again until the board loosened. Then he set his hands to it and tugged. The board snapped loudly in the otherwise almost total stillness.

The opening was large enough to crawl through. Doctor Mid-Nite turned to Green Lantern and whispered, "We're coming in almost directly opposite the main entrance to the tunnel network. So we should be able to come up behind them. If we didn't alert them with all this noise and we maintain complete silence from now on -- well, we'll see, I suppose."

Doctor Mid-Nite crawled past the Atom and began to lead the way once more. The three members of the Justice Society of America moved through the darkness in the bowels of Capitiol building into the unknown.

***

"What the hell's that stuff doing?" Batman asked Mr Terrific.

"Chemical change, just relax. My own special formula." Mr Terrific was working soap into Bruce Wayne's eyebrows.

Batman sat in an overstuffed chair, watching his face in a mirror.

"I think you'll be surprised with how well this works." Mr Terrific smiled. "At least I hope you will, Bruce. The reason for the soap is so that when I pull the plaster of Paris away, I won't rip your eyebrows out. You'd probably find that awfully painful."

"I might at that." Batman nodded.

"Try not to move your face. Get used to it before I put the plaster on." Mr Terrific wiped his hands on a towel, turned away for a moment and then turned back with a jar of Vaseline. "Now this is to protect your face from the plaster and also to lubricate it so the plaster can be removed and won't stick to your skin." He began rubbing Vaseline into Batman's face as he watched in the mirror.

"Is this how False-Face -- yuck --" Batman got a mouthful of Vaseline when he moved.

"Here take a tissue," and Mr Terrific handed one to Batman. "You just let me do the talking, Caped Crusader. From the way I see False-Face, I don't think he uses life masks. There's a certain degree of movement possible, but there's some movement that isn't possible. He probably uses the technique we'll employ to build your False-Face face over your face." Mr Terrific looked away. "This photo of Catwoman's father is old. So I'm going to do the best I can to blend in the facial details and coloring."

Mr Terrific finished with the Vaseline. He said, "Okay, I've got about as many six-inch strips of plaster bandage that I need. I'm going to roll and soak them. After that, I'll squeeze them as nearly dry as I can and put them on your face. I'll have to work fast."

"Maybe you should have the Flash help you," Batman suggested.

"Good idea. Hourman!"

The yellow and black cowl of the Man of the Hour peeked through the slightly open door again. "You rang, Terrific?"

"Yes, tell Flash I need him to help me for a few moments."

Hourman nodded and closed the door.

Obviously, it took the Flash only moments to respond. Mr Terrific explained what needed to be done.

Mr Terrific dipped his hands into the plaster mixture. He said to Batman, "Now, don't talk -- don't move a muscle. Keep your eyes closed. A lot of people use drinking straws in the nostrils so they can breathe, but I never do. I'll see that you can breathe. Just follow my directions, and we can get it done right the first time."

Batman closed his eyes as the warm plaster was slathered over his left cheek.

***

Doctor Mid-Nite inched forward on his stomach. He could see clearly in the dark, and he thought he had seen a man at the edge of a bright glow. He crept toward it. After a moment, he edged back on his haunches, his back hurting as he moved from being cramped over for so long.

He edged toward his enemy, watching how he was handling the M-1 rifle he carried. At the edge of the circle of light cast by a lamp he saw movement. He froze.

"Peter," said a voice, "how do you think it goes for Herr False-Face?" The English carried a heavy German accent.

"I do not know, Arnie," a French-accented voice answered in English. "I do not know."

"Do you think that we all shall die?" the German asked anxiously.

"I am ready to die for what Herr False-Face has told us. But I hope we do not."

Doctor Mid-Nite could see the men quite clearly. He decided that the first man he would take out would be the German, Arnie. Peter, the Frenchman, would be second.

The JSA's master of darkness worked his way laterally, to the far left of the tunnel. Dirt drifted down onto his face from where the timbers met whatever lay overhead in the darkness.

He rested his back against the tunnel wall. Moving ever so slowly he crept up toward the two men.

On the opposite wall, away from Dr Mid-Nite, a green circle of light was projected on the wall and caught the attention of the two guards. They turned to see what it was. In doing so, they turned their backs to Doctor Mid-Nite and that was all the diversion he needed to jump into action.

The German went down first with a heavy blow to the back. The Frenchman spun around to see what happened and Doctor Mid-Nite slammed him into the wall of the tunnel.

The German started to rise, but the Atom, who had come to assist, crashed the lamp over the man's head -- knocking him unconscious.

A punch to the stomach and then a right cross to the chin put Peter out for the count.

Green Lantern, using his power ring as a flashlight, joined his two companions. He stooped beside the fallen men, carefully checking each body.

"Grab that rope over there, Doctor! Let's tie these two up," the Emerald Warrior instructed.

The Atom took out a radio he was carrying from the right side of his belt. "This is the Atom. We took two down. Looking for more -- out."

Doctor Mid-Nite saw a crate nearby. He was certain that would contain a bomb. He pointed to the crate.

The Atom got back on the radio. "We found one of the bombs! Green Lantern will be removin' it now!"

Green Lantern's power ring encapsuled the crate into what appeared to be a glowing green bubble.

"Will ya be gone long, Lantern?" the Atom asked.

"I'll fly this out into outer space where it won't be able to do any harm, my friend."

Doctor Mid-Nite had a question of his own, "You'll be able to find us, when you come back?"

"Yes, Doctor. If the two of you can standby for just a few moments, I don't think this will take long."

Upstairs in the Congressional Ladies' Reading Room, Batman looked at the clock on the wall. In just over two two hours he was going to walk into the House chambers to bluff False-Face.

To be continued ...