JSA: Land Of The Thuggee
By Bruce Wayne
Justice Society of America created by Gardner Fox
Dedicated to ME, who has taught me more about being philosophical than anyone.
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 10
Kosti led the four visitors into a handsome hallway with a black-and-white checkerboard floor and white-washed walls. Brass urns stood in the corners, and a long white marble staircase extended to the second story. Beautiful oil paintings hung on the walls. Most were eighteenth-century Indian art featuring maharajas on horseback or atop elephants with bejeweled tusks. Hawkman recognized the blue-skinned face of Lord Krishna in one painting. A favorite character of Indian artists, Krishna appeared to be courting a woman dressed in silk and seated upon a pile of large pillows.
"Hello, gentlemen," a voice greeted. "I am Ram Sonoka."
A young, slender man dressed in a long silk jacket with a Nehru collar welcomed the three Justice Society members and their CIA ally. A golden turban decorated the rajput's sleek head and several strings of black and yellow beads hung from his neck. Sonoka's right hand rested on the bronze handle of a scimitar. The sword remained in its scabbard as Sonoka used it as a walking stick.
"A great pleasure to meet you, sir," Hawkman replied, approaching the prince. "I apologize for coming here unannounced, and I hope our visit does not find you at an awkward time."
"Not at all," Ram Sonoka assured him. "And I must apologize for my guards. They can be a bit gruff at times."
"No problem," Hourman told him. "We're used to that sort of thing."
"Well," the rajput began, looking at Hourman with disdain, "my men were probably a bit disturbed by your garb."
"This is quite a distance from any towns or cities, Rajput Ram," Rod Lawson stated. "One can't be too careful with bands of robbers roving about and dangerous animals that might wander from the rain forest. In fact, we saw a cobra on our way here."
"It has been my experience that robbers and wild beasts spend most of their time in the cities," Ram said with a smile. "No matter. Please follow me to the drawing room and we'll have some tea while we discuss whatever it is you people have on your minds."
Sonoka led them to a pair of wooden doors at the end of the hall. The rajput slid the doors open and prepared to step into the drawing room. Suddenly Sonoka dashed inside and ran to the cover of a large wing chair.
"Down!" Hawkman shouted as he jumped away from the door.
Atom instantly leaped to the opposite side of the door. Hourman swept an arm to Lawson and threw himself backward. Both men flattened their backs against a wall. A monstrous roar exploded from the drawing room and a great swarm of lead pellets sizzled through the doorway. Several small projectiles tugged at Hourman's costume, tearing cloth. He felt a pellet crease across his chest.
Kosti was less fortunate. The Thuggee priest had ventured too far into the hall, hoping to get a good view of the intended shotgun ambush. The sadist shrieked when buckshot smashed into his upper chest and face. The impact hurled Kosti to the floor, blood dripping from torn flesh.
Hawkman and the Atom began to whirl into action. They spotted three gunmen. The assailants were fumbling with their shotguns and tried to fire another volley of buckshot at the heroes.
Atom had a clear target and went after it. He smashed a fist into the side of a shotgunner's jaw, shattering bone and slicing his tongue in half with the powerful blow. Another punch hit the bad guy's skull, just below the right temple. The man dropped to the ground unconscious.
Hawkman trained his attention on another shotgun killer. He struck the ambusher in the upper torso, and the man's body jerked from the impact, his double-barrel blaster slipping from his grasp. Hawkman quickly hit the man with two more blows from his fists. Both punches slammed into the center of the man's chest. Ribs cracked as the henchman collapsed to the Persian carpet.
Hourman leaped into the drawing room and bent his knees to assume a crouch.
The Man of the Hour sprang forward at the remaining shotgunner. He dived across the threshold, his body low and right shoulder pointed forward.
Hourman hit the carpet, tumbled on his back. The shotgun hit man rose from behind a desk, his buckshot cannon in his fists. The cowled crimefighter hit the man before he could fire his shotgun. Two pulled punches to the man's chin sent him reeling.
The third shotgunner slumped behind the desk in an unconscious lump.
Hourman looked around to make sure there were no other attackers. Suddenly Rajput Ram Sonoka appeared from behind the wing chair. The prince held his scimitar in both fists and raised the naked blade overhead. Hourman raised his arms at Sonoka, but the Indian slashed his sword at the same instant. With enhanced speed thanks to the Miraclo pill, the American hero was able to grab Sonoka's wrists. The sharp steel brushed his cowl. Hourman charged forward and slammed into Ram before the prince could swing his sword again.
Hourman's left hand snared Sonoka's sleeve as he punched his right fist under the Indian's ribs. The JSA muscleman followed through with a solid right cross to Ram's jaw. The rajput groaned as his head bounced from the pulled punch, but he responded by thrusting the tip of his scimitar at Hourman's stomach.
The Man of the Hour sidestepped the stabbing blade and grabbed his opponent's wrist again. He yanked Sonoka's arm downward and slammed it across his knee. The rajput's hand popped open and the scimitar dropped to the floor. Hourman quickly rammed an elbow to Sonoka's breastbone and whipped a backfist to the prince's face.
Sonoka fell back against the wall, blood trickling from his mouth and nose. Suddenly, much to the surprise of Hourman, Ram lashed out a leg and kicked a slipper-clad foot into Hourman's abdomen. The American crimefighter didn't even flinch from the blow.
The rajput bent over to retrieve his scimitar, and as Sonoka's fist closed around the handle of his sword, Hourman stamped a boot on the blade and pinned it to the floor. The JSA member smiled at the prince and suddenly kicked him in the face. Sonoka sprawled on his back as Hourman kicked the sword across the room.
"I think you've had it, your highness," Hourman said.
Ram Sonoka sat up, mopping his crushed mouth with the back of a hand. He spat out a rude remark in Hindi and crawled toward a shotgun. Hourman just shook his head and grabbed the prince from the back. Sonoka screamed as Hourman lifted him off the ground and threw him into a wall. The prince rolled over on his back, moaning.
"Okay, your highness," Hourman sighed. "Try that again and we'll have a royal funeral."
^J^ ^S^ ^A^
The sounds of the gunshots alerted Starman, Wonder Woman and Lieutenant Tagore that it was time to go into action. Lieutenant Tagore reached inside the Jeep for a submachine gun while Starman pulled out his Cosmic Rod from the holster on his hip.
"Halt!" one of the palace guards shouted as he stuck the barrel of his subgun between the iron bars of the fence.
Two other sentries also aimed their weapons at the Justice Society duo and their CID companion. One of the guards opened fire at Wonder Woman. None of the bullets found their mark because, amazingly, the female Amazon was able to deflect the lead pellets with the protective braclets she wore on her wrists.
Tagore fired his gun, hosing the gate with slugs. Sparks appeared as bullets ricocheted off iron pickets. A sentry screamed as one bullet cut a painful swath across his arm. The guard dropped to the ground as one of his comrades tried to train a subgun on the CID lieutenant.
Using her super-strength, Wonder Woman qucikly bent two iron pickets apart so that she could enter the palace grounds. One of the gunman trained his weapon on her but her super-speed allowed her to hit the guard first. The guy fell face first on the lawn.
Starman aimed his Cosmic Rod at the front gate and an energy beam slammed into the gate, blowing it wide open.
More members of Prince Sonoka's security force immediately appeared. Gunmen charged across the lawn, armed with an assortment of submachine guns, shotguns and pistols. Snipers aimed weapons from the second-story windows, and one gunman appeared along the cornice of the roof.
Wonder Woman readied herself for the onslaught while Tagore hosed the foot soldiers with slugs. A burst of rounds picked off a rifleman armed with an old rifle. The man screamed as he tumbled over the windowsill and plunged to the ground below. Two guards hopped and jerked a spasm of death as Tagore blasted them with his subgun.
Starman leaped into the air and flew across the lawn. The crimefighter in red spotted a gunman in a kneeling stance who was trying to aim a shotgun at him. Starman extended his right arm, the Cosmic Rod in his fist. He shot an energy blast at the gunman.
A powerful beam punched through the guard's body as if he were made of tissue paper. He fell backward as he pulled the trigger of his double- barrel blast machine. The shotgun roared, spewing buckshot at the sky above.
Wonder Woman knocked out another attacker. The Amazon warrior heard the whine of bullet whiz past her.
"Great Hera," the female hero muttered as she swung toward where the shot came from.
A man on the roof fired a three-round volley at Wonder Woman, but she managed to easily deflect the bullets with her bracelets. The shots bounced off the hard bracelets with a resounding pinging sound.
The amazing woman leaped high into the air. The sniper was stunned by the image of brightly-clad woman flying through the air.
Wonder Woman executed a midair somersault and aimed herself at the man on the roof. When she hit the man with the soles of her boots, the sniper was hurled across the roof as if he had been propelled by a catapult.
Lieutenant Tagore blasted two more opponents with the last bullets from his subgun. The gunmen fell to the ground in a twitching, dying collection of arms and legs as Tagore hastily swapped magazines.
More security guards dashed from the palace to attack the trio who represented good versus evil. Snipers continued to fire on Starman and Tagore from the second-story windows. Wonder Woman jumped into the air to follow the flying Starman. They both knew they had to help Tagore or he would be cut to ribbons by the guards.
"Merciful Minerva," Wonder Woman called to Starman. "Do you have anything in your bag of tricks to help us out of this mess?"
"Yes," the brilliant hero replied. Starman adjusted a dial on his Cosmic Rod and aimed it toward the ground. An extremely wide beam of energy burst like a miniature supernova that blasted several gunmen at the same time.
Only two enemies on the ground managed to escape the effect of Starman's blast. Both men tried to run for cover. Lieutenant Tagore cut them down with a volley of slugs.
Wonder Woman flew toward a second floor window and crashed through it to land inside the residence.
Chopra, the muscle-bound subpriest of the Thuggees, just happened to be in the room that Wonder Woman had smashed in to. He was jarred by the dynamic entry of the female super-hero. He quickly gained back his senses and proceeded to commit a senseless act. Chopra jumped out of the second-floor window and landed in a row of bushes at the base of the house. The hedge broke his fall and saved the brute from a bone-breaking encounter with the ground. The jump also saved him from a bone-breaking encounter with Wonder Woman.
With the security force soundly defeated, Starman and Tagore dashed for the door of the palace. Starman aimed his Cosmic Rod at the door and blew it open unceremonisly.
Chopra leaped from the bushes and dived into the American hero. Both men fell to the ground. Starman's Cosmic Rod was knocked from his grasp, but the scientist/crimefighter slashed a chop to Chopra's face. The Indian's head recoiled from the blow, blood oozing from a split lip.
Chopra's left hand seized Starman's arm and stopped him from retreiving his Cosmic Rod that lay on the ground. The big Indian's right fist slammed into the American, and Starman gasped and doubled up from the force of the punch. Chopra quickly wrapped his left arm around Starman's neck and raised his fist. Lethal brass knuckles were now in the hand of the killer.
The Indian's brass-knuckeled-clad fist rocketed for Starman's face. The hero was still held fast by Chopra's headlock, but both his arms were free. Starman's left hand deflected Chopra's punch with a heel-of-the-palm parry. His right delivered a ridge-hand stroke between Chopra's legs. The Indian killer wheezed in pain when Starman used his testicles for a volleyball. The JSA crimefighter pried the guy's arm from his neck, but Chopra immediately swung a deadly right cross at Starman's head.
As the American weaved and stepped forward, the brass-knuckled fist whistled past his left ear. Starman grabbed Chopra's arm and pivoted. He bent his knees and jammed his shoulder into the Indian's armpit. Starman hauled the big man off his feet and hurled him to the ground with a judo shoulder throw.
Chopra broke his fall by slapping an arm to the ground to absorb most of the impact. The Indian's legs shot up, and his ankles snapped a scissors hold around Starman's neck. Chopra twisted his body and threw the hero in red head over heels to the the ground. Then the Indian raised a foot to stomp Starman's face to pulp.
The JSA warrior moved his head aside, and Chopra's heel stamped a rut in the ground. Starman rolled away from his opponent and leaped to his feet. Chopra tried to rise, but he was a tad too slow. Starman stepped in and rammed his fist into the Indian's face. Chopra fell on all fours. The American kicked the guy in the ribs and clasped his hands together to chop them at the base of Chopra's neck.
The big Indian fell on his face, only dazed by a blow that would have killed an ordinary man. Starman dropped on Chopra's back, planting a knee at the small of his opponent's spine. Chopra groaned and tried to buck the crimefighter off, but Starman scooped both hands under the Indian's chin and interlaced the fingers.
Chopra knew what was about to happen. He desperately reached for Starman's fingers to try to break the hold under his jaw. The American did not hesitate. He bounced forcibly on the Indian's back and the man collapsed on his belly with Starman on top of him. The JSA hero began to chop at the killer's neck. Blow after blow struck the Indian until Chopra's body finally fell limp. Starman released him and rose to his feet. He proceeded to look for his Cosmic Rod and moved on to the next battle.
^J^ ^S^ ^A^
Inside the palace, Hawkman and the Atom also had their hands full. While Hourman was busy subduing Prince Sonoka, two gunmen appeared on the stairwell overlooking the hall. The pair prepared to aim their weapons at the Winged Wonder.
Hawkman whirled and dived for cover. The gunmen opened fire but the only mark the bullets managed to hit were the wings on the JSA chairman's back.
Atom managed to hurl a chair at the killers. One triggerman cried and tumbled down the marble staircase after being caught in the chest with the chair. The other gunman quickly retreated back up the stairs.
The Atom glanced into the drawing room and saw Hourman binding Ram Sonoka's wrists behind his back. Rod Lawson was unaccustomed to being in the middle of a fight, but his hands were steady when he finally drew his Government Issue Colt .45 from its holster.
Another door in the hall burst open and three gunmen charged from a dining room. Atom instantly hit the closest man to him. One of the goons was thrown back into the room by the force of the blow to the chest. Another flunky was in the way and the two men tumbled to the floor. The third dived out of the way to the floor and tried to train his subgun on the Atom. Lawson's .45 bellowed and a large projectile smashed through the gunman's forehead. The CIA case officer's mouth fell open as he stared at the puddle of blood and brains that leaked from the man's shattered skull.
"Thanks, buddy," the Atom told him as he clobbered the two other henchmen into submission.
Hawkman turned to Lawson. "Shout in Hindi to let these villains know we'll take prisoners if any of them have enough sense to surrender," he told the CIA man.
"I can do better than that," Hourman announced as he shoved Prince Sonoka into the hall. "His royal highness is going to order his men to stop their attack or I'll pound his brains out."
Ram Sonoka cried out to his men, shouting commands in Hindi and Bengali. Starman and Lieutenant Tagore entered the building as the rajput completed ordering the guard force to surrender. Two men descended the stairs, their empty hands held high. Three more henchmen approached from the dining room, their arms raised with hands over head.
"You see what can be accomplished with a little cooperation?" Hawkman commented.
To be continued ...
By Bruce Wayne
Justice Society of America created by Gardner Fox
Dedicated to ME, who has taught me more about being philosophical than anyone.
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 10
Kosti led the four visitors into a handsome hallway with a black-and-white checkerboard floor and white-washed walls. Brass urns stood in the corners, and a long white marble staircase extended to the second story. Beautiful oil paintings hung on the walls. Most were eighteenth-century Indian art featuring maharajas on horseback or atop elephants with bejeweled tusks. Hawkman recognized the blue-skinned face of Lord Krishna in one painting. A favorite character of Indian artists, Krishna appeared to be courting a woman dressed in silk and seated upon a pile of large pillows.
"Hello, gentlemen," a voice greeted. "I am Ram Sonoka."
A young, slender man dressed in a long silk jacket with a Nehru collar welcomed the three Justice Society members and their CIA ally. A golden turban decorated the rajput's sleek head and several strings of black and yellow beads hung from his neck. Sonoka's right hand rested on the bronze handle of a scimitar. The sword remained in its scabbard as Sonoka used it as a walking stick.
"A great pleasure to meet you, sir," Hawkman replied, approaching the prince. "I apologize for coming here unannounced, and I hope our visit does not find you at an awkward time."
"Not at all," Ram Sonoka assured him. "And I must apologize for my guards. They can be a bit gruff at times."
"No problem," Hourman told him. "We're used to that sort of thing."
"Well," the rajput began, looking at Hourman with disdain, "my men were probably a bit disturbed by your garb."
"This is quite a distance from any towns or cities, Rajput Ram," Rod Lawson stated. "One can't be too careful with bands of robbers roving about and dangerous animals that might wander from the rain forest. In fact, we saw a cobra on our way here."
"It has been my experience that robbers and wild beasts spend most of their time in the cities," Ram said with a smile. "No matter. Please follow me to the drawing room and we'll have some tea while we discuss whatever it is you people have on your minds."
Sonoka led them to a pair of wooden doors at the end of the hall. The rajput slid the doors open and prepared to step into the drawing room. Suddenly Sonoka dashed inside and ran to the cover of a large wing chair.
"Down!" Hawkman shouted as he jumped away from the door.
Atom instantly leaped to the opposite side of the door. Hourman swept an arm to Lawson and threw himself backward. Both men flattened their backs against a wall. A monstrous roar exploded from the drawing room and a great swarm of lead pellets sizzled through the doorway. Several small projectiles tugged at Hourman's costume, tearing cloth. He felt a pellet crease across his chest.
Kosti was less fortunate. The Thuggee priest had ventured too far into the hall, hoping to get a good view of the intended shotgun ambush. The sadist shrieked when buckshot smashed into his upper chest and face. The impact hurled Kosti to the floor, blood dripping from torn flesh.
Hawkman and the Atom began to whirl into action. They spotted three gunmen. The assailants were fumbling with their shotguns and tried to fire another volley of buckshot at the heroes.
Atom had a clear target and went after it. He smashed a fist into the side of a shotgunner's jaw, shattering bone and slicing his tongue in half with the powerful blow. Another punch hit the bad guy's skull, just below the right temple. The man dropped to the ground unconscious.
Hawkman trained his attention on another shotgun killer. He struck the ambusher in the upper torso, and the man's body jerked from the impact, his double-barrel blaster slipping from his grasp. Hawkman quickly hit the man with two more blows from his fists. Both punches slammed into the center of the man's chest. Ribs cracked as the henchman collapsed to the Persian carpet.
Hourman leaped into the drawing room and bent his knees to assume a crouch.
The Man of the Hour sprang forward at the remaining shotgunner. He dived across the threshold, his body low and right shoulder pointed forward.
Hourman hit the carpet, tumbled on his back. The shotgun hit man rose from behind a desk, his buckshot cannon in his fists. The cowled crimefighter hit the man before he could fire his shotgun. Two pulled punches to the man's chin sent him reeling.
The third shotgunner slumped behind the desk in an unconscious lump.
Hourman looked around to make sure there were no other attackers. Suddenly Rajput Ram Sonoka appeared from behind the wing chair. The prince held his scimitar in both fists and raised the naked blade overhead. Hourman raised his arms at Sonoka, but the Indian slashed his sword at the same instant. With enhanced speed thanks to the Miraclo pill, the American hero was able to grab Sonoka's wrists. The sharp steel brushed his cowl. Hourman charged forward and slammed into Ram before the prince could swing his sword again.
Hourman's left hand snared Sonoka's sleeve as he punched his right fist under the Indian's ribs. The JSA muscleman followed through with a solid right cross to Ram's jaw. The rajput groaned as his head bounced from the pulled punch, but he responded by thrusting the tip of his scimitar at Hourman's stomach.
The Man of the Hour sidestepped the stabbing blade and grabbed his opponent's wrist again. He yanked Sonoka's arm downward and slammed it across his knee. The rajput's hand popped open and the scimitar dropped to the floor. Hourman quickly rammed an elbow to Sonoka's breastbone and whipped a backfist to the prince's face.
Sonoka fell back against the wall, blood trickling from his mouth and nose. Suddenly, much to the surprise of Hourman, Ram lashed out a leg and kicked a slipper-clad foot into Hourman's abdomen. The American crimefighter didn't even flinch from the blow.
The rajput bent over to retrieve his scimitar, and as Sonoka's fist closed around the handle of his sword, Hourman stamped a boot on the blade and pinned it to the floor. The JSA member smiled at the prince and suddenly kicked him in the face. Sonoka sprawled on his back as Hourman kicked the sword across the room.
"I think you've had it, your highness," Hourman said.
Ram Sonoka sat up, mopping his crushed mouth with the back of a hand. He spat out a rude remark in Hindi and crawled toward a shotgun. Hourman just shook his head and grabbed the prince from the back. Sonoka screamed as Hourman lifted him off the ground and threw him into a wall. The prince rolled over on his back, moaning.
"Okay, your highness," Hourman sighed. "Try that again and we'll have a royal funeral."
^J^ ^S^ ^A^
The sounds of the gunshots alerted Starman, Wonder Woman and Lieutenant Tagore that it was time to go into action. Lieutenant Tagore reached inside the Jeep for a submachine gun while Starman pulled out his Cosmic Rod from the holster on his hip.
"Halt!" one of the palace guards shouted as he stuck the barrel of his subgun between the iron bars of the fence.
Two other sentries also aimed their weapons at the Justice Society duo and their CID companion. One of the guards opened fire at Wonder Woman. None of the bullets found their mark because, amazingly, the female Amazon was able to deflect the lead pellets with the protective braclets she wore on her wrists.
Tagore fired his gun, hosing the gate with slugs. Sparks appeared as bullets ricocheted off iron pickets. A sentry screamed as one bullet cut a painful swath across his arm. The guard dropped to the ground as one of his comrades tried to train a subgun on the CID lieutenant.
Using her super-strength, Wonder Woman qucikly bent two iron pickets apart so that she could enter the palace grounds. One of the gunman trained his weapon on her but her super-speed allowed her to hit the guard first. The guy fell face first on the lawn.
Starman aimed his Cosmic Rod at the front gate and an energy beam slammed into the gate, blowing it wide open.
More members of Prince Sonoka's security force immediately appeared. Gunmen charged across the lawn, armed with an assortment of submachine guns, shotguns and pistols. Snipers aimed weapons from the second-story windows, and one gunman appeared along the cornice of the roof.
Wonder Woman readied herself for the onslaught while Tagore hosed the foot soldiers with slugs. A burst of rounds picked off a rifleman armed with an old rifle. The man screamed as he tumbled over the windowsill and plunged to the ground below. Two guards hopped and jerked a spasm of death as Tagore blasted them with his subgun.
Starman leaped into the air and flew across the lawn. The crimefighter in red spotted a gunman in a kneeling stance who was trying to aim a shotgun at him. Starman extended his right arm, the Cosmic Rod in his fist. He shot an energy blast at the gunman.
A powerful beam punched through the guard's body as if he were made of tissue paper. He fell backward as he pulled the trigger of his double- barrel blast machine. The shotgun roared, spewing buckshot at the sky above.
Wonder Woman knocked out another attacker. The Amazon warrior heard the whine of bullet whiz past her.
"Great Hera," the female hero muttered as she swung toward where the shot came from.
A man on the roof fired a three-round volley at Wonder Woman, but she managed to easily deflect the bullets with her bracelets. The shots bounced off the hard bracelets with a resounding pinging sound.
The amazing woman leaped high into the air. The sniper was stunned by the image of brightly-clad woman flying through the air.
Wonder Woman executed a midair somersault and aimed herself at the man on the roof. When she hit the man with the soles of her boots, the sniper was hurled across the roof as if he had been propelled by a catapult.
Lieutenant Tagore blasted two more opponents with the last bullets from his subgun. The gunmen fell to the ground in a twitching, dying collection of arms and legs as Tagore hastily swapped magazines.
More security guards dashed from the palace to attack the trio who represented good versus evil. Snipers continued to fire on Starman and Tagore from the second-story windows. Wonder Woman jumped into the air to follow the flying Starman. They both knew they had to help Tagore or he would be cut to ribbons by the guards.
"Merciful Minerva," Wonder Woman called to Starman. "Do you have anything in your bag of tricks to help us out of this mess?"
"Yes," the brilliant hero replied. Starman adjusted a dial on his Cosmic Rod and aimed it toward the ground. An extremely wide beam of energy burst like a miniature supernova that blasted several gunmen at the same time.
Only two enemies on the ground managed to escape the effect of Starman's blast. Both men tried to run for cover. Lieutenant Tagore cut them down with a volley of slugs.
Wonder Woman flew toward a second floor window and crashed through it to land inside the residence.
Chopra, the muscle-bound subpriest of the Thuggees, just happened to be in the room that Wonder Woman had smashed in to. He was jarred by the dynamic entry of the female super-hero. He quickly gained back his senses and proceeded to commit a senseless act. Chopra jumped out of the second-floor window and landed in a row of bushes at the base of the house. The hedge broke his fall and saved the brute from a bone-breaking encounter with the ground. The jump also saved him from a bone-breaking encounter with Wonder Woman.
With the security force soundly defeated, Starman and Tagore dashed for the door of the palace. Starman aimed his Cosmic Rod at the door and blew it open unceremonisly.
Chopra leaped from the bushes and dived into the American hero. Both men fell to the ground. Starman's Cosmic Rod was knocked from his grasp, but the scientist/crimefighter slashed a chop to Chopra's face. The Indian's head recoiled from the blow, blood oozing from a split lip.
Chopra's left hand seized Starman's arm and stopped him from retreiving his Cosmic Rod that lay on the ground. The big Indian's right fist slammed into the American, and Starman gasped and doubled up from the force of the punch. Chopra quickly wrapped his left arm around Starman's neck and raised his fist. Lethal brass knuckles were now in the hand of the killer.
The Indian's brass-knuckeled-clad fist rocketed for Starman's face. The hero was still held fast by Chopra's headlock, but both his arms were free. Starman's left hand deflected Chopra's punch with a heel-of-the-palm parry. His right delivered a ridge-hand stroke between Chopra's legs. The Indian killer wheezed in pain when Starman used his testicles for a volleyball. The JSA crimefighter pried the guy's arm from his neck, but Chopra immediately swung a deadly right cross at Starman's head.
As the American weaved and stepped forward, the brass-knuckled fist whistled past his left ear. Starman grabbed Chopra's arm and pivoted. He bent his knees and jammed his shoulder into the Indian's armpit. Starman hauled the big man off his feet and hurled him to the ground with a judo shoulder throw.
Chopra broke his fall by slapping an arm to the ground to absorb most of the impact. The Indian's legs shot up, and his ankles snapped a scissors hold around Starman's neck. Chopra twisted his body and threw the hero in red head over heels to the the ground. Then the Indian raised a foot to stomp Starman's face to pulp.
The JSA warrior moved his head aside, and Chopra's heel stamped a rut in the ground. Starman rolled away from his opponent and leaped to his feet. Chopra tried to rise, but he was a tad too slow. Starman stepped in and rammed his fist into the Indian's face. Chopra fell on all fours. The American kicked the guy in the ribs and clasped his hands together to chop them at the base of Chopra's neck.
The big Indian fell on his face, only dazed by a blow that would have killed an ordinary man. Starman dropped on Chopra's back, planting a knee at the small of his opponent's spine. Chopra groaned and tried to buck the crimefighter off, but Starman scooped both hands under the Indian's chin and interlaced the fingers.
Chopra knew what was about to happen. He desperately reached for Starman's fingers to try to break the hold under his jaw. The American did not hesitate. He bounced forcibly on the Indian's back and the man collapsed on his belly with Starman on top of him. The JSA hero began to chop at the killer's neck. Blow after blow struck the Indian until Chopra's body finally fell limp. Starman released him and rose to his feet. He proceeded to look for his Cosmic Rod and moved on to the next battle.
^J^ ^S^ ^A^
Inside the palace, Hawkman and the Atom also had their hands full. While Hourman was busy subduing Prince Sonoka, two gunmen appeared on the stairwell overlooking the hall. The pair prepared to aim their weapons at the Winged Wonder.
Hawkman whirled and dived for cover. The gunmen opened fire but the only mark the bullets managed to hit were the wings on the JSA chairman's back.
Atom managed to hurl a chair at the killers. One triggerman cried and tumbled down the marble staircase after being caught in the chest with the chair. The other gunman quickly retreated back up the stairs.
The Atom glanced into the drawing room and saw Hourman binding Ram Sonoka's wrists behind his back. Rod Lawson was unaccustomed to being in the middle of a fight, but his hands were steady when he finally drew his Government Issue Colt .45 from its holster.
Another door in the hall burst open and three gunmen charged from a dining room. Atom instantly hit the closest man to him. One of the goons was thrown back into the room by the force of the blow to the chest. Another flunky was in the way and the two men tumbled to the floor. The third dived out of the way to the floor and tried to train his subgun on the Atom. Lawson's .45 bellowed and a large projectile smashed through the gunman's forehead. The CIA case officer's mouth fell open as he stared at the puddle of blood and brains that leaked from the man's shattered skull.
"Thanks, buddy," the Atom told him as he clobbered the two other henchmen into submission.
Hawkman turned to Lawson. "Shout in Hindi to let these villains know we'll take prisoners if any of them have enough sense to surrender," he told the CIA man.
"I can do better than that," Hourman announced as he shoved Prince Sonoka into the hall. "His royal highness is going to order his men to stop their attack or I'll pound his brains out."
Ram Sonoka cried out to his men, shouting commands in Hindi and Bengali. Starman and Lieutenant Tagore entered the building as the rajput completed ordering the guard force to surrender. Two men descended the stairs, their empty hands held high. Three more henchmen approached from the dining room, their arms raised with hands over head.
"You see what can be accomplished with a little cooperation?" Hawkman commented.
To be continued ...