Chapter 4: Smoke and Mirrors
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"We're coming up on Washington," I told Batman. "Can you locate Gypsy more precisely?"
"I can activate the GPS locator within her comlink. It will give me her position to within a meter," he answered. A moment later, he added, "It looks like she is still inside the Capitol building. Southwest corner of the house chamber. They'll likely to be shooting at any costumes they see. We need to make a stealthy approach. You stay with the plane and I'll...."
"No," I told him. "We don't have time for a stealthy approach." I mentally ordered the forward cockpit to open and leapt from the plane.
A roiling cloud of smoke rose from the Capitol building. It was hard to make out details, but there appeared to be gaping holes in the central dome. Most of the smoke, however, was coming from the south wing, where the house chamber was located. I could make out tanks and heavy weapons positioned around the building. Bolts of energy sprang up from the ground at intervals, although at what - if anything - they were aimed, I could not tell.
My best chance seemed to lie in speed. I was confident I could get past the defenders before they could react. Getting out again might be more problematic. I called forth all the speed Hermes had granted me and flew towards the south wing.
As I approached closer, I could see soldiers all around the building. Many lay still and unmoving. Cold clutched at my heart but it was clear that any attempt to succor them was likely to only result in more casualties.
There were shots. Several soldiers fired bolts of energy at me, as did one of the tanks, but none came close. I concentrated on stopping before I smashed into the roof.
But most of the roof was simply not there. I flew slowly down into the smoke, suppressing the urge to cough and ready for anything.
Anything, except what I found before me.
The chamber was strewn with the rubble of smashed desks, shattered seats and the broken roof. But what drew my attention was the figure thrashing around in the middle of the chamber, as if playing Blindman's Bluff.
"J'onn! You're alive!"
I flew to join him.
"Wonder Woman, no! That's not...."
I turned my head, looking for the source of the voice, as I had seen no one else.
Wham! The blow knocked me back across the chamber and into a wall. I picked myself up and looked at the creature again. The impersonation was complete - no detail was wrong - but I am not easily lied to and I knew.
"You are not J'onn."
His smile was pure evil. "No?"
I launched myself at him and ... flew right through him, smashing into the podium behind. As I picked myself up, another blow smashed me to the floor.
"Have you forgotten I can turn intangible?"
Another blow knocked me back against the remains of the podium. I rolled onto my back and saw... no one.
"Or invisible?"
A blow knocked my head back. I brought up my arms, but that didn't stop a blow to my solar plexus followed by another blow to my head.
Suddenly the blows stopped.
"Where did you go?" my opponent bellowed and now his voice sounded nothing like J'onn's. It was deeper and rougher. I shook my head to clear it and looked around. I could still not see my attacker but in one corner a young woman with short black hair in a red, gray and gold costume crouched in front of three older men.
"Well, well, well," I heard the deep, rough voice say. "You may have hidden the witch, girl, but it's going to cost you."
I had to do something or Gypsy would die. I knew I wasn't facing J'onn, which meant he hadn't actually turned intangible. It must have been an illusion of some sort; probably his 'invisibility' was actually an illusion as well. And I had just the thing for that.
My hands were reaching for my golden lasso before my mind had thought its way through to its conclusion. I spun it rapidly over my head and snapped it towards one corner of the room, playing it out like a fishing line. As it reached its maximum extent, I swung it around so the lasso swept across the room.
Halfway around it hit something. Momentum caused the end of the lasso to wrap around and suddenly a huge, hulking figure was standing there. For no one entangled in my golden lasso can lie and what is an illusion, but a sort of lie?
"Gorilla Grodd!" I yelled and he tried to turn towards me. Before he could manage, I jerked on the lasso - yanking him off his feet - and he came flying towards me. My fist smashed into his face, sending him flying backwards, then I jerked him back towards me. After several rounds of playing the yo-yo, Grodd flew free of the lasso and hit the wall. He slumped to the ground unconscious. I gathered up my lasso and staggered over to the four people in the corner. It was, I realized, the southwest corner of the chamber.
"Gypsy?" I gasped.
The young woman nodded. I took a couple of deep breaths and felt the world steady. I would have a fine set of bruises to show off shortly. I offered a hand to Gypsy and helped her up.
"We need to get you all out of here."
She nodded, then her eyes slid past me.
"Look out!"
A violent blow knocked me forward into the wall. Gypsy couldn't quite get out of the way in time. My body slammed into her shoulder and smashed it back into the wall. I heard something snap. She gasped and fell to her knees. I managed to stay on my feet and turned to face the new threat. Soldiers poured through the north and east entrances to the chamber. I recognized the uniform of the Human Defense Corps. The HDC had been recently created by Luthor to defend the planet from alien invasion. The soldiers were armed with high-tech energy weapons whose power I could personally vouch for. A half dozen of these guns were already pointed at me and more soldiers were entering as I watched.
An officer followed the soldiers in and shouted, "What are you waiting for? Kill them!"
My arms were a blur as I deflected the beams with my bracelets. It was an effort after all the blows I had taken and more soldiers were joining in every moment. They were spreading out as well. Shortly, they would be firing from too many different angles for me to be able to block them all simultaneously. Behind me, I heard Gypsy groan and climb to her feet.
"Hold your fire!"
Everyone's attention turned to the west entrance to the chamber, some thirty feet from where I stood, where another officer had appeared. He was tall and powerfully built, although he limped slightly. Gray hair poked out from under his helmet and he wore the insignia of a major.
The first officer clambered across the chamber, keeping well away from me, and expostulated, "But Major, my orders...."
"Yes, Lieutenant, what ARE your orders?" The major's voice was soft, but with an edge of steel that warned he was not to be trifled with.
The Lieutenant, who had now reached the Major, replied truculently, "I'm to clear this wing and kill any metas encountered along with anyone found with them."
The major nodded to the three cowering men in the corner. "Including members of congress?"
The Lieutenant's eyes narrowed with sudden suspicion. "Anyone," he repeated.
"Good man! I have to say that I wasn't sure you boys would have the stones to carry out your orders, but I was clearly wrong in your case. However..." He turned to glance at us. Gypsy had leaned herself back against the wall, cradling her injured left arm and staring at the officers. The major's eyebrow quivered in an almost wink. He turned back, showing us his silhouette; "...I have new orders." He reached carefully into breast pocket - several of the soldiers were eyeing him doubtfully - and slowly pulled out a paper.
"The new orders are to take prisoners for interrogation." He handed the paper to the lieutenant, who glowered suspiciously.
"But my orders...."
"What?" the major grinned. "Never heard of the top brass changing their minds before?"
The lieutenant snorted at this and looked less suspicious
"I'll need a squad of your men to escort the prisoners."
"Sir, I don't have enough men to search this wing properly as it is!"
"I wasn't asking, lieutenant," the major replied with a snap in his voice.
A tough-looking older non-com spoke up. "Pardon the interruption, sirs," he said, not sounding the least bit apologetic, "but Wonder Woman, at least, doesn't look like she's ready to be taken prisoner. How do you plan to keep her under control?"
"You obviously haven't read your briefings," the Major replied in a tone of someone reaching the end of his patience. "You tie her manacles together," he pointed at my bracelets, "and an amazon loses her powers."
He grinned lasciviously as he edged towards me, keeping out of the line of fire. "They must be big into bondage on that island of theirs. And that," he pointed at my lasso, "is the perfect thing to tie her up with. It's unbreakable; not even Wonder Woman could break free of it."
He lifted the lasso off my belt and tied my bracelets together with it. "And there's plenty left over to tie the others up with."
Gypsy hissed as he tied her hands together. She was white with pain. The three men made no resistance.
The major turned to the older non-com. "Okay, sergeant, gather up your squad and let's get going. Lieutenant, carry out your orders."
The other soldiers moved on into the Capitol building while the major ordered things to his satisfaction.
"You two men, you'll have to carry the gorilla between you. I know he's heavy, but someone's got to do it. You'll lead, so we don't risk you falling behind. You two flank them and keep your eyes on that gorilla. They can't use their weapons while they're carrying him. You two flank Wonder Woman. The other woman is injured and the men don't look like they'll make trouble, so you," he pointed to the last soldier, "ought to be able to handle them. The sergeant and I will follow behind where we can cover everyone. Let's move out."
We passed out the west entrance and down a short corridor. The two men struggling with the bulk of Gorilla Grodd set the pace. Outside, the grounds were swarming with HDC soldiers, intermixed with DEO tactical teams and the occasional policeman. Tanks were scattered around, as well as what looked like high-tech anti-aircraft guns. I could imagine our reception, if we had appeared without our guards, and grinned.
"Where to now?" the sergeant asked.
The major pointed straight ahead. "The National Mall." The National Mall was a sward of lawn, a block wide and several blocks long, lined with national museums. It was two long blocks away and I worried about whether Gypsy could make it.
She did. The mall itself was surprisingly empty. An occasional tank rolled along the roads and soldiers nervously guarded the museums, but the lawn itself appeared empty.
We had hardly set foot on it, when one of the guards carrying Grodd emitted a "oof!" and stopped. He put his hand to his nose, while the other dropped Grodd, who fell face first on the ground, and reached in front of him.
"Major, there's something here, only it's like its invisible or something."
"That's because it IS invisible," growled a familiar voice that sounded not at all like the major.
My guards turned at this. Their lapse was only momentarily, but it was enough. My lasso dropped away from all our hands and I lashed out with both arms. Both guards hit the ground, unconscious. Two batarangs flew past, taking out the two guards flanking Grodd.
The two who had been carrying Grodd turned and tried to raise their weapons. I flew past Gypsy and knocked their heads together. They slumped to the ground. By the time I turned around, Gypsy had taken care of her guard. I looked back and saw the sergeant laid out next to Batman. He clearly had taken him out first.
I looked at him and opened my mouth to speak... and he said, "We'll need more passenger room." He jerked his head toward the invisible plane.
I nodded and - unseen by the others - the passenger compartment expanded to seat six. I coiled up my lasso and then I lifted Grodd in one hand and flew him up and dropped him in the special locked cell that had just formed in the plane.
Batman turned to Gypsy and carefully felt her left arm. Ignoring her hiss of pain, he produced a roll of tape from his utility belt and taped her arm to her body.
As he did it, she gasped, "Batman, I'm sorry. I froze. They looked like the JLA and I was so surprised, I froze. They killed Luthor, they killed Burns. I was too slow, I couldn't stop them. I'm sorry."
Batman paused. "I should have expected this. Clever, Luthor, clever."
"How can it be clever?" Gypsy asked. "He's DEAD."
Batman turned and looked at the others.
"We're leaving. You've seen the danger you stand in here. I can't make you come with us, but I strongly advise you to do so. When the military has orders to kill members of congress, it's clear there is more to the situation than the obvious. I can explain to you what is really going on, but to hear that explanation, you will have to come with us. There's no time right now."
One of the three asked, "You're not a soldier. Who ARE you?"
Batman unbuttoned his HDC uniform and stepped out of it. Beneath was his other uniform.
The man gasped. Another muttered, "I thought he was just an urban legend."
The first man said, "You're one of them, the ones who want to kill us."
"It wasn't the Justice League that attacked the Capitol, Congressman Jackson, just as it wasn't the Martian Manhunter who tried to kill you. As for us," his gesture included Gypsy and me, "if we wanted to kill you, you'd be dead right now."
"I'm not going to stand here and be threatened like that!" He looked to the others. "And you're crazy if you trust them!" Then he turned and ran away.
The other two looked uneasily at each other.
I landed next to them and spoke. "Gentleman, Gypsy saved your lives when the Capitol was attacked, we saved your lives from Gorilla Grodd and the Batman saved your lives from the soldiers. We will continue to save your lives, if you let us. But you must decide now. We've attracted too much attention," I gestured to the approaching soldiers, "and we must leave NOW."
"The choice is simple," Batman told them, "come with us or stay here and take your chances with soldiers who have orders to kill anyone found with a meta. Always keeping in mind that, like Grodd, the next person you meet may not be who they seem to be."
The younger man said, abruptly, "I don't know about you, Harry, but I think my chances are better with them."
The other nodded. "Okay, Piotr, let's go."
I grabbed an arm of each and lifted them into the passenger compartment of the plane. Then I very carefully lifted Gypsy in my arms although, from her gasp of pain, I knew I wasn't careful enough. Once she was settled, I went forward to the pilot's seat. Batman was already in the copilot's seat next to it, putting on his cape and cowl.
"Binding our bracelets together makes us lose our powers?" I murmured. "Tying me up with my own lasso?"
He shrugged. "They bought it didn't they?" He looked out at the troops that were closing in on us. "I was able to land undetected in the noise and confusion. I don't think we'll be so lucky taking off."
"Perhaps, but this is not an easy plane to hit. Plane, take off."
Author's Notes: Due to Real World concerns, it will probably be about two weeks before I can post the next chapter. At least this time I didn't stick you with a cliffhanger! Between chapter 3 and 4 I found a map of Washington with a layout of the Capitol building, so my descriptions are a bit more realistic than they would otherwise have been. The description of Gypsy's uniform is based on the appearance of her future self in JLA: Incarnations #5. Gorilla Grodd's powers, of course, include great physical strength, telepathy, the ability to fire off mental blasts and the ability to manipulate other's minds. In JLA: Incarnations #2 he makes others see what he wishes them to see.