Fear the Unknown
Chapter 13: Deus Ex Machina
"Well, shit."
Slade Wilson, codenamed Hawk, was not a happy camper. He'd been monitoring communications from the strike force on the ground and had just heard the thumps indicating that they were down for the count. Whoever the unidentified voice was, he definitely knew just what he was doing when it came to super-powered beings. He drummed his fingers on the control panel for a moment before growling slightly and hitting the communication controls.
"Hawk to Base. Strike team has been compromised. Advise action."
He sat and waited for the inevitable snarl from the other end.
"Hawk, this is Big Man. Please confirm: strike team compromised."
"Affirmative, Big Man. Primary target is intact, secondary target intact, strike team has been detained."
Static began disrupting the transmission and Wilson could barely hear the next message.
"Ad. H.k.. inco.. Evas.!"
"Repeat, base, repeat!"
The jet rocked violently and Wilson struggled to regain control. As he righted the craft, he saw a streak of black and blue rocketing toward the ground, the flames of afterburners flaring out behind it. The shape was deftly dodging the fire coming from the few remaining ground troops and Wilson realized, as it landed, that it was shaped like a man. Smaller shapes zipped to and fro, emerging from what Wilson realized was a highly advanced suit of mechanical armor. He tried to reestablish contact with base, but discovered that all frequencies were jammed.
"Who is that?"
On the ground, it couldn't have been a worse day to be a soldier. After only a brief period of recovery from the beating they'd received at the hands of the metahumans, the troopers found themselves engaged in another impossible battle. The man in the armor was everywhere, anticipating their every move, dodging the fire, taking them down in ones and twos until, finally, there were none left standing.
Assessing the damage, the armored figure calmly walked to the sealed base door and used a computer interface to jack into the security system. Inside his helmet, the base's security grid was displayed in vivid holographic detail. He noted the weak points in the grid for future reference, and then focused his attention on the metahuman detention areas.
"Release security locks, AA-20 through AA-27. Initiate command lockout, authorization Mattie zero-nine."
Sirens sounded within the compound as the main door and the selected cell doors opened. Deep inside, The Doctor was just beginning his examination of his new specimen.
"I apologize, Mr. Kent, it seems as if the interruptions just keep on coming today. Don't worry though, we will have plenty of time together."
"Not today you won't."
Behind him was the armored man, silhouetted in the doorway like a vengeful spirit.
"You." The Doctor growled. "I should have known that you'd stick your nose into this. I should have taught you your lesson a long time ago."
"You missed your chance. Turn him loose."
"Over my dead body."
The armored man raised a gauntlet that glowed on the end; a laser pre-fire sequence.
"As a certain prince once said, 'that can be arranged'. Now release the restraints and shield the rock."
With hate in his eyes, the Doctor moved to a control panel and the kryptonite rock retreated into the ceiling and the restraints slid away.
"Stand against the back wall and don't move." He cocked his head. "You, pick up your friend."
The shock on Barry Allen's face was apparent enough that he could almost hear a chuckle from within the suit of armor.
"How did you?"
"Know you were coming? That's my business. Now take him and get out of here."
"We still have to get."
"The time traveler? I'll see to him. Just get out, now. You have about five minutes."
"What did you do?" The Doctor hissed.
"Just left you a small present. See you soon."
And with that he whirled and vanished down the corridor.
****
Waverider sat with his rescuer atop a rock formation as they watched the jet with his would-be rescuers sail off into the sunrise.
"Remarkable. In any world. As are you."
"Tell me something. Was I any better. in those other worlds that you've seen?"
"In some ways, perhaps. in many ways you were far worse. Now I have a question for you. Why not reveal yourself?"
"Its better this way."
"As you wish. If I may. why did you save me?"
"Bliss couldn't have you. and HE certainly couldn't. As for the Big Man. he and I will have a reckoning very soon."
Chapter 13: Deus Ex Machina
"Well, shit."
Slade Wilson, codenamed Hawk, was not a happy camper. He'd been monitoring communications from the strike force on the ground and had just heard the thumps indicating that they were down for the count. Whoever the unidentified voice was, he definitely knew just what he was doing when it came to super-powered beings. He drummed his fingers on the control panel for a moment before growling slightly and hitting the communication controls.
"Hawk to Base. Strike team has been compromised. Advise action."
He sat and waited for the inevitable snarl from the other end.
"Hawk, this is Big Man. Please confirm: strike team compromised."
"Affirmative, Big Man. Primary target is intact, secondary target intact, strike team has been detained."
Static began disrupting the transmission and Wilson could barely hear the next message.
"Ad. H.k.. inco.. Evas.!"
"Repeat, base, repeat!"
The jet rocked violently and Wilson struggled to regain control. As he righted the craft, he saw a streak of black and blue rocketing toward the ground, the flames of afterburners flaring out behind it. The shape was deftly dodging the fire coming from the few remaining ground troops and Wilson realized, as it landed, that it was shaped like a man. Smaller shapes zipped to and fro, emerging from what Wilson realized was a highly advanced suit of mechanical armor. He tried to reestablish contact with base, but discovered that all frequencies were jammed.
"Who is that?"
On the ground, it couldn't have been a worse day to be a soldier. After only a brief period of recovery from the beating they'd received at the hands of the metahumans, the troopers found themselves engaged in another impossible battle. The man in the armor was everywhere, anticipating their every move, dodging the fire, taking them down in ones and twos until, finally, there were none left standing.
Assessing the damage, the armored figure calmly walked to the sealed base door and used a computer interface to jack into the security system. Inside his helmet, the base's security grid was displayed in vivid holographic detail. He noted the weak points in the grid for future reference, and then focused his attention on the metahuman detention areas.
"Release security locks, AA-20 through AA-27. Initiate command lockout, authorization Mattie zero-nine."
Sirens sounded within the compound as the main door and the selected cell doors opened. Deep inside, The Doctor was just beginning his examination of his new specimen.
"I apologize, Mr. Kent, it seems as if the interruptions just keep on coming today. Don't worry though, we will have plenty of time together."
"Not today you won't."
Behind him was the armored man, silhouetted in the doorway like a vengeful spirit.
"You." The Doctor growled. "I should have known that you'd stick your nose into this. I should have taught you your lesson a long time ago."
"You missed your chance. Turn him loose."
"Over my dead body."
The armored man raised a gauntlet that glowed on the end; a laser pre-fire sequence.
"As a certain prince once said, 'that can be arranged'. Now release the restraints and shield the rock."
With hate in his eyes, the Doctor moved to a control panel and the kryptonite rock retreated into the ceiling and the restraints slid away.
"Stand against the back wall and don't move." He cocked his head. "You, pick up your friend."
The shock on Barry Allen's face was apparent enough that he could almost hear a chuckle from within the suit of armor.
"How did you?"
"Know you were coming? That's my business. Now take him and get out of here."
"We still have to get."
"The time traveler? I'll see to him. Just get out, now. You have about five minutes."
"What did you do?" The Doctor hissed.
"Just left you a small present. See you soon."
And with that he whirled and vanished down the corridor.
****
Waverider sat with his rescuer atop a rock formation as they watched the jet with his would-be rescuers sail off into the sunrise.
"Remarkable. In any world. As are you."
"Tell me something. Was I any better. in those other worlds that you've seen?"
"In some ways, perhaps. in many ways you were far worse. Now I have a question for you. Why not reveal yourself?"
"Its better this way."
"As you wish. If I may. why did you save me?"
"Bliss couldn't have you. and HE certainly couldn't. As for the Big Man. he and I will have a reckoning very soon."