NEOMAGE: So, Mr. Narrator, do you do disclaimers too?
NARRATOR: Sure! And since you doubled my salary, I'll gladly do it for you for free!
ZOOM: This is interesting.
DARKSEID: Can't wait to see how it turns out.
NARRATOR: Now, then, allow me to demonstrate... "neomage does not own anything to do with Justice League except this fanfiction."
NEOMAGE: Sounds a little strange...(he thinks of the free Burger King coupons) but okay!
FLASH: Um, guys...those fanboys are after us again!
DARK MAGICIAN: Don't worry – I'll blast them into the next millennium with my Dark Magic Attack!
FLASH: And it looks like they've got a Blue-Eyes White Dragon on their team too!
DARK MAGICIAN: OO;;; I was never here! You never hired me! Hey, neomage, keep your money – I'm outta here! (he jumps on his bike and speeds off)
NEOMAGE: TRAITOR!!!
ZOOM: Never mind him – they're catching up to us!
(The still-angry fanboys are now closing in on the group)
NARRATOR: What will befall our beloved author and his friends? Will they survive this onslaught being dished out to them by the enraged fanboys?!
NEOMAGE: Now's not really a good time...
CHAPTER 05
TIME: 6:00 a.m.
PLACE: Wayne Manor
Alfred hummed to himself as he lightly dusted the furniture with a rather large feather-duster. In the kitchen nearby, the kettle was already on the stove, and some biscuits were in the oven for the morning's breakfast. "I do hope Master Bruce comes home soon," he mused. "I'd hate for those biscuits to get cold for any reason."
In all honesty, Alfred didn't mind being up this early doing housework – it gave him plenty of time for himself in the evening. Besides, he'd been doing this for the last twenty-something years, enough time for it to become second nature to him. In any case, he was content to be able to keep the home fires burning so that no matter what transpired on the streets, Master Bruce would have something wonderful to come home to.
Suddenly, as he was replacing the figurines on the mantelpiece he'd been dusting, a loud banging on the front door broke his train of thought. He nearly dropped one of the figurines in his surprise, but he caught it in time and gently placed it in its rightful spot. "It's much too early for the Girl Scouts to be bringing cookies," he thought as he hurried to the door and opened it.
What he saw shocked him so much, the feather-duster dropped from his hand without him even realizing it. "Oh, dear God..." he whispered.
Standing there on the porch was the Flash, battered and bruised, holding a badly beaten Batman in his arms. "Alfred...help me with him. Quick!" Flash ordered.
Alfred managed to find his voice again. "All right. Bring him in, quickly."
In a few moments Batman's bloody costume was soaking in a basin of hot water, and its owner was lying face-down on a table in the Batcave, the wounds on his back being tended to by Alfred. Wally West sat nearby, his mask removed as he tended to the bruises on his own face. "Master Wallace, how did this happen?" Alfred asked as he worked.
"I'm not entirely sure," Wally admitted, wincing as he touched his split lip. "I guess he must've been jumped from behind or something."
"Well, that's not important now," Alfred said firmly. "Master Bruce has lost a lot of blood and his wounds are otherwise very severe. He's in need of proper medical attention, and fast – as are you."
"I know," said Wally. Gingerly he fingered his back and was glad to find that the graze that had been there was healing quickly. "You don't need to worry about me, though – I'm a fast healer," he assured the butler. "But what about Bruce? We can't just take him to the hospital in his condition – they'll ask too many questions."
"Yes, I realize that," said Alfred, "but what can WE do here, without the proper tools?"
"Well, we won't be alone for long," said Wally. "I've already contacted the others – J'onn should be here shortly."
No sooner had Wally said the word than J'onn himself emerged from the shadows. "I came as soon as you called," he said. "What happened?"
Wally explained the situation. "There was a break-in at Arkham Asylum," he said. "Sinestro, Volcana, Zoom and Killer Frost were after somebody, it seems – and my guess is they got him out, too. Bats got jumped from behind and they – they brutalized him." He indicated the table where Bruce lay unconscious.
J'onn took one look and got a pained expression on his face. "Allow me to assist you, Alfred," he offered.
"Thank you kindly, sir," Alfred nodded his consent.
Suddenly Bruce gasped, then let out a loud groan. "Killer...Croc..." he wheezed.
The other three men looked at each other. Of course, they knew all about Killer Croc, the man-croc mutant that was often more than a match for the Dark Knight. "You mean...that's who attacked you?" Wally asked uneasily.
Painfully, Bruce nodded. Alfred then said, "Easy, Master Bruce; your wounds are quite severe. Take it easy and rest for now."
Relenting, Bruce relaxed. J'onn then examined the wounds and remarked, "You know, you are quite lucky. From the looks of these wounds, Killer Croc somehow missed your vital organs. Still..." Then to Alfred he said, "Do you have something with which I can stitch these wounds, Alfred?"
"Of course. I'll bring them right away." And so saying, Alfred walked off.
J'onn regarded Wally. "What about your injuries? Your face has taken quite a beating, it would seem."
"I'll be all right," Wally assured him. "But right now, I'm worried. D'you think that Killer Croc was the one they specifically came for?"
"Perhaps," said J'onn. "And if what I'm thinking turns out to be true, then chances are they might be trying to start up another Injustice Gang – or a second Secret Society, for that matter."
Wally nodded grimly. "And with someone as brawny and vicious as the Croc on their team, they'd well have an advantage."
In a moment Alfred returned with a needle and some thread, as well as an armful of bandages. "Here are the necessaries," he announced. "And the rest of the Justice League has arrived. They want to know what Master Bruce's condition is like. Should I tell them?"
Wally replaced his mask, becoming the Flash again, and braced himself. "No, Alfred, but thanks. I'll do it." Slowly, not like him at all, he headed for the stairs that led out of the Batcave, leaving Alfred and J'onn to do their work of healing on Bruce.
In a few minutes Flash was back in Bruce Wayne's living room, where he found the other members of the League – Superman, Green Lantern and Wonder Woman – waiting. "How is he?" Wonder Woman asked, her voice filled with very real concern.
"Well...he did get a nasty back-attack," Flash admitted, "but J'onn and Alfred are doing everything they can right now. All we can do for the time being is wait."
"Do we know who did this?" Superman asked, his voice taking an edge.
"Yep." Briefly Flash told his and J'onn's suspicions.
"A second Secret Society?" Lantern asked when the Scarlet Speedster had finished telling his tale. "At this time? This is not good."
"I don't care – I'll take them all on myself," Wonder Woman declared bitterly. "For someone to do something like this to one of our own – it's unforgivable!"
"I have to agree with Diana," Superman put in. "With one member down, the League is weakened considerably. Those of us that are still able to fight have to strengthen ourselves in order to be able to combat these guys."
"Well, I'm still capable of fighting," Flash nodded his head. "Just give the word, Supes. I'll find those guys in no time at all!"
"Well, we'll all be doing it together, mind you," Superman cautioned. "I want these guys as much as you do, but if we're going to be successful, we have to know exactly what we're getting ourselves into and not rush into anything recklessly."
"That's true," Lantern agreed. "The last thing we have to do now is to lose our heads simply because Batman's been injured."
"Speaking of which, can we see him? Is he conscious?" Wonder Woman asked.
"I'm not sure if he still is, but yeah, why not? Let's all go," Flash agreed.
The four went back into the Batcave, where J'onn was just finishing the stitching on Bruce's back. "Is he awake?" Superman asked.
"Yes, I am," Bruce said quietly. His face was black and blue from bruising. "There's just one thing I want to say to you. Don't think that just because I'm injured now, you'll be leaving me out of this whole affair."
"Are you sure that's wise of you?" Lantern cautioned. "You should look at yourself right now!"
"I can just imagine what I look like," Bruce defended himself. "But here's what I do know: Killer Croc is out there now, joined up with a bunch of no-good super-villains, and unless we get him back in prison, he'll cause a lot of trouble for everyone. So again I say, I'm going with you."
"No, you should stay here," Wonder Woman urged. "At least give yourself a day or so to heal. We'll be able to handle things for a while."
Bruce looked at her for a long moment, then gave in. "All right. Just for one day."
"Deal." Superman nodded. "J'onn, are you ready?"
"As ready as I'll ever be, Superman," J'onn answered. "Shall we go, then?"
"Right!" And with that, the other five heroes exited the cave, leaving Bruce and Alfred behind.
Bruce chuckled as he watched them go. "You really think I'd let them have all the fun?" he asked.
Alfred shook his head. "I'm not in favor of you going out in your condition, Master Bruce...but if you're really determined, I won't stop you."
"It'll take more than a few stabs to the back to bring me down, Alfred...you should know that by now," Bruce remarked. "In any case, this should be a good opportunity for me to test the new suit that I've been working on."
"The prototype, sir?" Alfred asked. "Are you sure you should...?"
"I am sure...and I will, too." Bruce gave Alfred a knowing look. "Don't worry, Alfred. I'll take it easy for a while...just not lying down. You know I hate being in one place for too long, inactive."
"Yes, sir. I'll ready the suit right away."
TIME: 7:00 a.m.
PLACE: A castle outside Metropolis
"Ladies and gentlemen, this hour is one of celebration," Savage said smilingly at the other members of the Society. "For now our group has been fully assembled, and in the process the Justice League has been drastically weakened. It will only be a matter of time before they will all be crushed under our mighty heel."
The others nodded approvingly. Seated together in that room, along with Savage, were the Ultra-Humanite, Sinestro, Volcana, Zoom, Killer Frost and Killer Croc. "Great speech, Savage," said Zoom. "Though, honestly, I'll feel much better when we actually beat the League."
"Same here," said Sinestro.
"Patience, gentlemen – it's all about patience," Savage consoled them. "No good plan is carried through well if it is hurried. We must bide our time and let our enemies come to us. For you see, I have a plan that will ensure that the Justice League will bow before us sooner than they would ever wish to. All we need to do is lure them in, and then the trap will be set."
"Whatcha got in mind, Savage?" asked Frost.
Savage looked knowingly at Humanite. "Would you mind...?"
Whereupon Humanite pulled out what looked like a giant silver attaché case. "In here," he explained, "is a special weapon that Mr. Savage and I have been working on for some time now. I can say, without bias, that this is my finest invention yet." Opening the case, he revealed to the astonished group a pair of metallic gauntlets. "If you'll do the honors, Mr. Savage?"
Savage walked over and took out the gauntlets, slipping them onto his wrists. They covered his arms from his elbows to the first knuckles on his fingers, and were intricately designed. But as the group looked at them, they were amazed to see a small spark of electricity coursing over them.
"Uh, what's that all about?" Croc asked.
"These gauntlets are made of a very special type of metal," Savage explained. "It's called 'Nth' metal – as some of you may recall, that is the same substance that the Thanagarians were using to power their starships and weapons when they occupied Earth last year. I found traces of it in several places around the globe shortly after they left, and so I was able to gather enough of it to make these." And he fondled the gauntlets with affection.
"But what do they do?" Sinestro asked.
"Allow me to demonstrate." Savage walked over to the wall, then pointed to the other side of the room at a huge suit of armor. "Watch the armor, ladies and gentlemen," he announced.
Then, as the others watched in wonder, electrical energy began to course all over Savage's arms. Gathering it all into his hands, he formed it into two balls of energy, one inside each palm. Then suddenly he pushed both arms out, aimed at the armor. To everyone's shock, two bright-blue beams shot out and smashed into the armor, completely destroying it. As if that weren't enough, the beam continued right into the wall, tearing out the bricks that held it in place.
"Oh...man..." Even Volcana was speechless.
Savage grinned, obviously pleased with his demonstration. "Since I have no superhuman combat abilities like the rest of you, I had these built so I could at least keep up," he said. "And these will be the instruments that ensure the downfall of the entire Justice League."
"Yeah, Savage! You've got it made!" Frost exclaimed, and the others nodded in agreement.
TIME: 7:40 a.m.
PLACE: Wayne Manor
"It has just reached our newsroom that one of the escaped prisoners from Arkham Asylum is still at large," the news anchor said. "Waylon Jones, better known as the vicious Killer Croc, is to be considered armed and extremely dangerous. If you see him or have any knowledge of his whereabouts, please call 911 or your nearest police station."
Bruce grunted in disgust. "Like that'll really help matters," he muttered. "He'll just lay low because of this."
Alfred came up behind him. "Sir, the suit is almost ready," he said "And I took the liberty of adding a few extra features to it."
Bruce looked behind him. "Show me."
Alfred turned and left for a moment. Then he came back, rolling in a table on which lay a costume with a very unique design. It had a large neon blue cape, slightly bigger than the one on the old costume. Pieces of the metal shoulder pads, the utility belt attached to it, and the knee braces were gold. The gauntlets – for there was no better way to describe them – were metallic blue, with white finger-claws. The dark-blue cowl was designed to cover all but the mouth, just like the mask on the other costume.
"Allow me to explain," said Alfred. "The cape is, of course, bulletproof, but thanks to the design modification I made, it will also be able to withstand flames and small laser fire. In addition, it has a special camouflage effect that allows you to become partially invisible – of course, for it to work, you have to be in a spot where it's shadowy. And, of course, it also serves as a glider-parachute." He then pointed to the mask. "This will allow you to have four types of vision – normal, thermal, infra-red and night vision. Normal vision is default; you can activate the other three with a flip of a button, found here in the utility belt." He pointed to one of the belt's many compartments.
"You really did add a few modifications," Bruce remarked.
"I'm not finished yet," Alfred continued. "Now, then, take a look at the gauntlets. There are two compartments on each – one for holding a grappling gun, the other for firing small shuriken at a designated target. On the top-side of each, just below the wrist, there are two buttons that can activate grappling guns or shuriken, as you choose."
Bruce gave an appreciative whistle. "Nice."
Next Alfred pointed to the bat insignia on the chest, which was fashioned to look like a dark-yellow bat inside a light-yellow circle. "This acts as a flashlight. By touching another button on the utility belt, you can turn it on and off as you will."
Lastly Alfred turned to the utility belt itself. "As you can see, Master Bruce, this belt is built right onto the suit – which means nobody will ever be able to take it off you. And, of course, it has all the different compartments for storing things – your Batarangs, flash grenades, smoke bombs, gas pellets, medical supplies, and so on."
"You really think of everything, don't you?" Bruce remarked.
"Always, sir."
Bruce nodded his approval. "Very well," he said. "I still need to give myself time to heal even a little, so I'll wait until night comes along. Until then, see if there are any more additions you can place on this suit. But so far, I think it'll do quite well, even as a prototype."
Alfred nodded his understanding. "Of course, sir."
(neomage is beating the crap out of a Wonder Woman fanboy)
NEOMAGE: Take that and that and that and that and that and that and that!
DARKSEID, FLASH & ZOOM: OO;;;;;;;;
ZOOM: Um, boss, you can stop now...we've already beaten them all...
(All around them lay the unconscious bodies of various fanboys)
NEOMAGE: What about the Blue-Eyes White Dragon?!
NARRATOR: As it turns out, I am also a trained beastmaster! I managed to get the dragon under my control!
NEOMAGE: Is there any job you can't do?
NARRATOR: Well, let's see...businessman...politician...birthday clown...Barney mascot...
NEOMAGE: Sorry I asked.
DARKSEID: Does it matter! Now we've got an edge! Wonder Woman, just show your ass now!
(Crickets chirp)
FLASH: Oo;;; Did you HAVE to say that???
DARKSEID: ;