Fear the Unknown
Chapter 12: Out of the Frying Pan.
They were penned in and, from what Dick could see, their situation was rapidly worsening. And that damned voice just wouldn't shut up.
"You are indeed a fascinating group of individuals. Its really a shame you chose to put your talents to use in this way. Some of you might have been quite useful to us. As it is. well, believe me when I say that I wish things could have turned out differently."
Panels began to open on the walls and a variety of devices emerged. Dick realized that, whatever they were, they weren't going to be friendly.
"Lantern! Shield!"
Emerald energy shot from Hal's hand and created a dome around the group. Again, the speakers spat forth that inane voice, always calm, always cool, and always annoying as hell.
"I'm afraid you're going to have to do better than that."
One of the devices shot out a beam of blazing light, refracted at just the right angles to tinge it yellow. It lanced through the shield and hurled Jordan across the room, leaving him writhing in pain. In the air above them, Kent was furiously dodging what appeared to be beams of green light, but he was slowing down. Whatever they were, they were having some effect on him even without hitting him.
"Troy, Beast, I need ideas."
"All out, bossman."
"Shit."
As he looked on, one of the beams caught Super-man in the small of the back, dropping him like a rock. As he fell, panels in the floor opened up and steel tentacles emerged, snaring Jordan and Kent and dragging them inside. A moment later Dick heard a slow hissing sound.
"I'm afraid that the rest of you aren't nearly as interesting to me as those fine gentlemen, so I must say goodnight."
It was Beast that spoke first.
"He's draining the air. he's going to suffocate us!"
"I know. Anybody have an idea yet?"
"Shh!"
"That won't help, Troy."
"SHH!!! I hear something else."
The other two stopped talking and then they both heard it; a sort of humming from the door behind them.
"Everybody get back!"
Seconds later, the door went flying into a million pieces and, amid the smoke, they made out the figure of Barry Allen dropping to one knee.
"Now that took some effort."
"What'd you do?"
"Got the molecules in the door vibrating fast enough that it shook itself apart. Forgot for a second how dense titanium is." He looked around. "What happened to the others?"
"Someone, not Bliss, has them. They were taken down and dragged into the floor."
"Well we've got to go after them!"
"No."
Barry fixed a deadly glare on Dick.
"No? What the hell do you mean, 'No'?"
"I mean we still have a job to do. They knew the risks. Now we have to do what we came here to do."
"No way. There is no way in hell that I'm leaving them to rot in whatever psycho chamber of horrors these wackos have cooked up."
"We won't leave them. But we have to complete the mission."
The two locked eyes and then, as his adrenaline came down, Barry realized that he was right.
"Okay. Lets do it then. What now?"
"Now that we're not going to suffocate, we find a way around. I think I have an idea. Those doors in walls must have some sort of conduits. Beast, make me a hole in the wall!"
A second later, a big, green gorilla fist rammed its way through one of the wall casements and tore the plating off. Dick made sure his gloves were on good and tight and reached in and grabbed the first thick cable he found.
"Here goes nothing."
He yanked hard and tore the cable loose, pulling one end clear of the wall. He then held it out toward Allen.
"Think you can jam that into that big door?"
"On it."
The cable disappeared from his hand and reappeared half imbedded in the door, which was now shaking violently. They could see arcs of electricity jumping from it and then they heard a loud boom from somewhere behind it.
"I'd say we killed it. Troy, would you do the honors?"
Donna calmly walked over to the door, cracked her knuckles and reached to the bottom of it. Digging her fingers into its hard surface, she pulled up as hard as she could and it began to bend.
"Beast, help her."
Gorilla-Garth darted over and howled as he added his strength to Donna's. With a great wrenching sound, the door gave way and was sent crashing inward.
"Now, lets go get the fireboy and find the others."
Just down the corridor was a computer terminal embedded in the wall. Dick pulled a small device from his belt and hooked it to the interface.
"I have it. He's in holding cell AA-23. Speedy, do it."
Barry went racing away and came to a halt in front of the door to the cell.
"Well, this worked before."
He concentrated and jammed his hyper-vibrated hand into the middle of the door. It was made of somewhat lighter material than the giant blast door, so with a shriek it went flying into hundreds of pieces. What he saw when he stepped into the cell was almost enough to make him vomit.
Hanging from the wall was the limp body of a man, his body largely composed of what had once been blazing energy. Now there were all kinds of cables hooked into him at every possible place, from head to toe.
Dick had approached from behind him and joined him.
"My god. They're sucking the life out of him."
"Well, not quite."
They whirled around and saw a tall, well built man standing behind them, dressed in a finely tailored suit and holding a small remote control. Barry tried to run at him, but was thrown backwards as he ran into what seemed to be a force field.
"Congratulations to all of you on being far more ingenious than I gave you credit for. I really must remember to put better shielding on those defenses."
"What do you want with us?" Dick growled.
"With you? Oh, nothing, really. Your friends I may need to do some tests on, but you, I can see, are rather ordinary. As for our companion on the wall. he is really quite remarkable. Soon he will have charged a small contraption I've been working on and I will be able to change everything. No mistakes. No failures. No one lost."
"And that justifies killing him?"
"Sometimes sacrifices must be made. The good of the many. well. I won't bore you with my tedious justifications. Suffice it to say that his power will go to benefit all of mankind."
"And you?"
"Me? Only in a small way. His power will save lives. That is all I want."
"Who are you? Where do you fit into all this?"
"I'll just say that The Reverend Mr. Bliss are old friends."
"Well, I must once again say goodnight. I hope you all sleep well, we have much to learn from you."
They could smell the gas that was seeping into the room and, as he lost consciousness, Dick heard him say something.
"So like him."
Chapter 12: Out of the Frying Pan.
They were penned in and, from what Dick could see, their situation was rapidly worsening. And that damned voice just wouldn't shut up.
"You are indeed a fascinating group of individuals. Its really a shame you chose to put your talents to use in this way. Some of you might have been quite useful to us. As it is. well, believe me when I say that I wish things could have turned out differently."
Panels began to open on the walls and a variety of devices emerged. Dick realized that, whatever they were, they weren't going to be friendly.
"Lantern! Shield!"
Emerald energy shot from Hal's hand and created a dome around the group. Again, the speakers spat forth that inane voice, always calm, always cool, and always annoying as hell.
"I'm afraid you're going to have to do better than that."
One of the devices shot out a beam of blazing light, refracted at just the right angles to tinge it yellow. It lanced through the shield and hurled Jordan across the room, leaving him writhing in pain. In the air above them, Kent was furiously dodging what appeared to be beams of green light, but he was slowing down. Whatever they were, they were having some effect on him even without hitting him.
"Troy, Beast, I need ideas."
"All out, bossman."
"Shit."
As he looked on, one of the beams caught Super-man in the small of the back, dropping him like a rock. As he fell, panels in the floor opened up and steel tentacles emerged, snaring Jordan and Kent and dragging them inside. A moment later Dick heard a slow hissing sound.
"I'm afraid that the rest of you aren't nearly as interesting to me as those fine gentlemen, so I must say goodnight."
It was Beast that spoke first.
"He's draining the air. he's going to suffocate us!"
"I know. Anybody have an idea yet?"
"Shh!"
"That won't help, Troy."
"SHH!!! I hear something else."
The other two stopped talking and then they both heard it; a sort of humming from the door behind them.
"Everybody get back!"
Seconds later, the door went flying into a million pieces and, amid the smoke, they made out the figure of Barry Allen dropping to one knee.
"Now that took some effort."
"What'd you do?"
"Got the molecules in the door vibrating fast enough that it shook itself apart. Forgot for a second how dense titanium is." He looked around. "What happened to the others?"
"Someone, not Bliss, has them. They were taken down and dragged into the floor."
"Well we've got to go after them!"
"No."
Barry fixed a deadly glare on Dick.
"No? What the hell do you mean, 'No'?"
"I mean we still have a job to do. They knew the risks. Now we have to do what we came here to do."
"No way. There is no way in hell that I'm leaving them to rot in whatever psycho chamber of horrors these wackos have cooked up."
"We won't leave them. But we have to complete the mission."
The two locked eyes and then, as his adrenaline came down, Barry realized that he was right.
"Okay. Lets do it then. What now?"
"Now that we're not going to suffocate, we find a way around. I think I have an idea. Those doors in walls must have some sort of conduits. Beast, make me a hole in the wall!"
A second later, a big, green gorilla fist rammed its way through one of the wall casements and tore the plating off. Dick made sure his gloves were on good and tight and reached in and grabbed the first thick cable he found.
"Here goes nothing."
He yanked hard and tore the cable loose, pulling one end clear of the wall. He then held it out toward Allen.
"Think you can jam that into that big door?"
"On it."
The cable disappeared from his hand and reappeared half imbedded in the door, which was now shaking violently. They could see arcs of electricity jumping from it and then they heard a loud boom from somewhere behind it.
"I'd say we killed it. Troy, would you do the honors?"
Donna calmly walked over to the door, cracked her knuckles and reached to the bottom of it. Digging her fingers into its hard surface, she pulled up as hard as she could and it began to bend.
"Beast, help her."
Gorilla-Garth darted over and howled as he added his strength to Donna's. With a great wrenching sound, the door gave way and was sent crashing inward.
"Now, lets go get the fireboy and find the others."
Just down the corridor was a computer terminal embedded in the wall. Dick pulled a small device from his belt and hooked it to the interface.
"I have it. He's in holding cell AA-23. Speedy, do it."
Barry went racing away and came to a halt in front of the door to the cell.
"Well, this worked before."
He concentrated and jammed his hyper-vibrated hand into the middle of the door. It was made of somewhat lighter material than the giant blast door, so with a shriek it went flying into hundreds of pieces. What he saw when he stepped into the cell was almost enough to make him vomit.
Hanging from the wall was the limp body of a man, his body largely composed of what had once been blazing energy. Now there were all kinds of cables hooked into him at every possible place, from head to toe.
Dick had approached from behind him and joined him.
"My god. They're sucking the life out of him."
"Well, not quite."
They whirled around and saw a tall, well built man standing behind them, dressed in a finely tailored suit and holding a small remote control. Barry tried to run at him, but was thrown backwards as he ran into what seemed to be a force field.
"Congratulations to all of you on being far more ingenious than I gave you credit for. I really must remember to put better shielding on those defenses."
"What do you want with us?" Dick growled.
"With you? Oh, nothing, really. Your friends I may need to do some tests on, but you, I can see, are rather ordinary. As for our companion on the wall. he is really quite remarkable. Soon he will have charged a small contraption I've been working on and I will be able to change everything. No mistakes. No failures. No one lost."
"And that justifies killing him?"
"Sometimes sacrifices must be made. The good of the many. well. I won't bore you with my tedious justifications. Suffice it to say that his power will go to benefit all of mankind."
"And you?"
"Me? Only in a small way. His power will save lives. That is all I want."
"Who are you? Where do you fit into all this?"
"I'll just say that The Reverend Mr. Bliss are old friends."
"Well, I must once again say goodnight. I hope you all sleep well, we have much to learn from you."
They could smell the gas that was seeping into the room and, as he lost consciousness, Dick heard him say something.
"So like him."