32
Dr, Marina Maru typically engage in single assassinations. They were pedestrian at best and plebian at worst. Her work as Dr. Poison was infamous. But one needed to pay for her working materials. Pirate Blue's Syndicate Underground was resurgent and poised to ouster the independently minded defectors. And killing Julia Sazia in the most horrific way possible also sent a second message back to Intergang. Pirate Blue offered her financing and old bunker laboratories scattered across Nevada to cook her particular brand of malevolence.
Her unwilling partner was merely a soldier for hire. Deathblow had been recruited because her poisons couldn't harm him. He wouldn't even get a sniffle or a nosebleed. There was a specimen Dr. Poison longed to eradicate just for the challenge of it.
Deathblow's part in it was to distract the bodyguards with the impressively overcompensating amount of ordnance he brought to bear. Marina Maru wondered if Michael Cray had lost a little something when he transformed into Deathblow. What she did know for certain was the merc was respected by the likes of Deathstroke. They had a healthy rivalry underway, each offered contracts turned down by the other. They even actively referred work to the other party.
"Do you remotely think you're ready for this?" Dr. Poison radioed.
"You do your end and stay out of mine," Deathblow responded from atop the marquee.
"You realize my gas will kill everyone on the street within a city block?" she tested his squeamishness.
"Not my call. They'll roll that on you," Deathblow replied, "The detail is bringing the convoy around. Sazia will be exiting the building."
"Let her try," Marina Maru malevolently chuckled.
The Khunds dropped out of hyperspace, not yet possessing the universe traversing Almeracian Phantom Drive. It seemed inexplicable that Lord Ultraa, currently in command of three imperial fleets had withdrawn his forces to guard a seldom used hyperlane. But Maxima and Kalea were each expected to assume command of an individual fleet, one to Ultraa's port and the other to his starboard.
Both the Khunds and the Dominators had long distrusted Lanterns so they had each developed appropriate countermeasures. Atrocitus led the Red Lantern's charge with a bellow that reverberated through every power ring of every spectrum. Not to be outdone, Guy Gardner led the Fear Lantern assault with a rallying and carefree whoop. Bekka remained behind to study their mutual foe. With thousands of Lanterns already engaged, Carol Ferris took a moment as well.
"Ladies, I need you to keep alive despite yourselves," the Sapphire Queen instructed. Her detachment of Star Sapphires deployed alongside Katma Tui's Green Lanterns.
Sister Sercy and Indigo-1 held back their meager forces. Sister Sercy asked the pertinent question, "Why did Lord Ultraa withdraw?"
"Has he no love for his people?" Indigo-1 accused him of cowardice.
"He loves himself above all others," Carol observed.
"And neither Ultraa nor the Khunds feel any fear," Bekka dourly told them, "Which run contrary to what we expected."
"We need someone to ask Maxima in person," Indigo-1 suggested.
"Khunds are master strategists and tacticians. They know what they're facing and yet they're more confident than ever," Bekka complained.
"As if they were prepared for our combined presence," Carol deduced, "All the more reason to get Maxima on the front lines."
Half a million light years away, the Dominators also lack the Phantom Drive and had to emerge from the hyperland to recalibrate their navigation arrays and recharge their engine coils. Hal Jordan and Sinestro commanded their respective corps. Remoni-Notra guided her Star Sapphires. Brother Wurth advised his Blue Lanterns while Abyssma and Antipathy terrorized the Red Lanterns. Leaving Slog the Slayer cajoling the Indigo Tribesmen.
"Fear me!" Sinestro yelled as his Fear Lanterns went into combat.
"Iz we really doin' our duty?" Kilowog asked.
"I don't see why not," Hal confessed and the Green Lanterns committed as well.
Abyssma and Antipathy divided their force further. Then quarter portions of total Corps attacked on two fronts. The Blue Lanterns and Indigo Tribe were assertive without being aggressive. The Fear Lanterns were just as hateful as the Red Lanterns.
"Yo! Hal! Whuzzat goin' on wit' the Sapphires?" Kilowog took time to ask.
"I thought it was Carol from a distance but that has to be Remoni-Notra. I've only heard about her. She had one of the five shards of the original star sapphire. Carol stepped down to make her queen," Hal described.
"Howz dat workin' fer her?" Kilowog asked.
"Obviously, Carol is queen again," Hal grimaced.
"Howz dat workin' fer ya?" Kilowog wanted to know.
"She's an unnecessary distraction," Hal angrily decided, "If Kyle were a Green Lantern I'd court martial him for being married to her. But he's a White Lantern now so he can have her and be done with it."
"Yeah, right. `Cause him `n Kara sure know it," Kilowog retorted.
"Get your head out of your ass and back in the game," Hal snarled before flying closer to a Dominator warship.
"Ya got problems," Kilowog woefully realized.
"This going disastrously well," Sinestro preened, "All thanks to my leadership."
Antipahy hissed at him and he shooed her off, "Go tell Abyssma it's time for some judicious surgery."
The New Guardians were intercepted by Ultraman's army leaving from Thanagar's direction. Kara In-Ze was startled, "These are honest to Rao Kryptonians. How did they get here?"
"We could ask them," Kyle Rayner suggested.
"Don't be an ass," Kara snapped at him, "My people are supposed to be extinct."
"They still need breathing equipment so we know they aren't Daxamites and we can see they're led by Ultraman," Kyle observed.
"And that slutty Ultragirl," Kara growled and she sneered her name, "Kara Zor-L."
"It appears the object of your scorn is taking the bulk of them onward past us while their leader chooses a mere hundred to oppose us," Saint Walker pointed out.
"We should still take the fight to this Saturn Queen," Arkillo hissed.
"Agreed. I'll go with you," Laira Omoto volunteered.
"But how did Kryptionians survive much less follow an interdimensional villain?" Yrra Cyvil, or Fatality, inquired.
"Let's ask them," Munk suggested.
Cascade delivered everyone onto Talok VIII. The population was definitely humanoid but with one noticeable difference. Here everyone had blue skin. Indigo fit in perfectly. The others were all immediately branded as strangers from other worlds. Given the relative proximity of human colonies, the JLers and Sovereigns weren't out of place but sorely unwanted.
Through various trials, Shadow Champions were chosen amongst a single family. Lydea, Laryssa, and Lanton Mallor were the current champion. Only, Laryssa and her daughter Lydea had gone missing. Lanton, as Shadow Lad, was a fugitive for defending average Talokians from Dark Circle oppressors.
Power Girl found it relatively amusing that the Sovereign Seven were already closer to her than some of her former teammates in the Justice League. But before departing Earth with Kalea, Karen Starr spoke with Alan Scott, Jay Garrick, and Ted Grant. That discussion led to Power Girl rejoining the Justice Society of America as endorsed by Sentinel, the Flash, and Wildcat. She would take up her responsibilities upon her surviving and returning.
"You there!" a Dark Circle sergeant barked in Interlac. Of the Earth Primers, only Superman, Supergirl, and Power Girl spoke the language. Which seriously annoyed Wonder Woman, who was magically fluent in every human language. Network instantly imprinted the knowledge on their brains.
"Wow! I could've used you during my doctoral studies," Killer Frost realized.
"Everyone is blue," Power Ring stated the obvious, "Except for the guys with guns."
"Classical Roman doctrine. Occupy a country with forces external to that country, even after being conquered," Artemis clarified.
"You! Are you imbecilic?" the sergeant held up a fist and his troops aimed their rifles.
"Seriously? We just got here," Network fumed.
A dark sphere formed around and above the soldiers. It was an energetic darkness that also absorbed the light waves of the weapons fire that followed. Shadow Lad approached the strangers.
"That will keep them harmless and confused," he announced, "I'm called Shadow Lad and even on Talok VIII we've heard legends of Superman and Supergirl."
"We do our part," Superman cut Matrix off before she could reveal she wasn't Kara In-Ze despite her reddish hair giving the game away. Matrix had been imprinted with Lana Lang's identity but she no longer only resembled Lana. Nor was she the blonde that arrived from the Pocket Universe. In fact, no one had seen her shapeshift in months.
"We shouldn't leave witnesses to or arrival," Cruiser said.
"That's not how we do things," Superman angrily told him.
Killer Frost and Artemis looked inclined to disagree. Cascade intervened, "We do on occasion. Should the situation warrant it."
"Look, I'd love to ice them but wouldn't there just be reprisals against civilians later om?" Killer Frost asked.
"Thank you for considering the welfare of my people," Shadow Lad acknowledged, "And she's correct."
Some locals approached, "Welcome strangers. If a Mallor vouches for you, we'll all embrace you. Come inside our humble inn and you can talk the business of rebellions."
Indigo was the most readily accepted given hir own blue skin. Shadow Lad quickly deduced Cascade and Superman were the leaders of the two groups. Cascade irritably reminding Superman that Power Girl had invited the Justice League along not her or any Sovereign.
The resistance leaders arrived, having been summoned by the innkeeper. While they were wary of the Sovereign Seven and especially Jessica Cruz as Power Ring, they were willing to take Superman on blind trust and Barda as a representative New God.
And then they were stunned to learn that they all intended to topple the Papal Father and Holy Mother. Despite Killer Frost snickering at the leader's name, "Doesn't 'Papal Father' just mean 'Papa Daddy'?"
In the heart of Chicago's lakeside warehouse district, a battle was underway. Goldilocks led the Injustice Society both through earned right and the fact this scheme was her own. Intergang threw Mindboggler at her and General Glory sought to interrupt their clash.
"I don't want trouble," the youthful Goldilocks explained to General Glory.
"Then explain why you're here with them," he countered.
"If I did you'd just be uppity," Goldilocks complained.
"You left your life of crime. Why you even here at all?" General Glory insisted on knowing.
"I'm doing what needs to be done and no one else will," she insisted, "I left my life for my sister and for Sir Justin. She's dead and he used me for sex. You'll have to take my word that I'm doing the right thing here."
"I'm not sure I can still do that," he regretted having to say.
Nearby, in a cloak of illusion, Ifrit had taken the bodies and powers of the previous Mindbogglers. She'd been so effective at the identity theft, no one could remember Ifrit being anyone else. And no one else cared to.
Ifrit knew Goldilocks' ambition was to secure the two E Dials Intergang had paid so much for. And they stood to make a one hundred percent profit from the Auctioneer's next sale. Something the Injustice Society seemed to realize. And every buyer would know each dial could bestow a randomized gen active costumed identity for one hour before it needed to be redialed. Hence the value to any criminal organization. Especially one lacking metas.
Mindboggler projected illusions of each Injusticer and JLer provoking one another in their respective minds. Ifrit couldn't perform mass hypnosis but small groups were her specialty. The conflict had already escalated.
"What the effin' hell?" Goldilocks beat back an imaginary attack from General Glory. In turn her actual hair added to the illusion she was actively involved in trying to kill him.
"I'm bringing you in," General Glory growled.
"Bloody hell you are," Goldilocks snarled.
It was all Mindboggler could do not to burst out laughing. But that would spoil everything by breaking the fantasy turned reality.
Icicle vaguely recognized Jack O'Lantern despite Liam McHugh's new costume creation. But the lantern was unmistakeable, "Beat it, Irish. I've got things to steal."
"I was like ya once. Doin' everythin' fer a cause. No limit ta what I'd do. But times change, boyo," Jack gave Icicle a chance to stand down.
"I'll put in the good word and ya an' the wife can git outta here. No questions asked an' no thanks needed," Jack clarified. And Swarm could see Icicle was mulling it over. Far too seriously to suit her.
Swarm's body divided up into hundreds of insect-sized duplicate of her. And she swarmed each man. But with a different message for both.
"Forget it, Jack! He's not falling for the trap!" she said for Icicle's benefit.
For Jack she declared, "Let's go, Icicle. We aren't stopping and we aren't taking prisoners this time out."
Added to the independent statement were biolelectric "stings" that caused severe pain to each. The swarm moved on to reunite as Swarm. And she gleefully waited for them both to take her bait.
"Hiding behind skirts?" Icicle raged.
"What? She's protectin' ya not me. Are ya daft or somethin'?" Jack had to wonder.
"Eat this!" Icicle tried freezing Jack. But lantern protected its chosen.
"That all ya got, ya wee little man?" Jack scornfully asked, "What're ya? Butt ugly useless except fer tendin' bar?"
"You'll see just what I've got, ass wipe," Icicle mounted a second and Jack went offensive to stay defensive. Swarm tittered in delight. With luck they'd either kill each other or leave one survivor weakened so she could kill him.
Tigress faced down Owlwoman with Black Hand observing. Of course, Hit Coffee wasn't the Black Lantern creating Black Hand. He wasn't even the original successor to the title. Coffee had taken the costume and gear off of an Irish Intergang enforcer. But now he was enjoying his role as the most menacing person in the room amongst other Intergang enforcers.
Tigress didn't even quibble before firing her magazine fed crossbow at Owlwoman. As the original Artemis Crock she hadn't forgiven her father for allowing Paula Brooks, her namesake and mother, to die in a robbery. Then Crusher had married Paula Nguyen and had a second daughter that he had the gall to name Artemis as well by padding it with her mother's maiden name fit in the middle. Word had it her father, now free from prison, had taken an apprentice her sister's age and was training her to be the Sportsmistress.
Tigress' last encounter with Sportsmaster had cost her her left eye as she vehemently disavowed her stepmother. Paula's oldest daughter from a prior marriage was one Jade Nguyen, the assassin known as Cheshire. Artemis barely knew her younger namesake and cared less about knowing her or acknowledging her as family. Icicle was all the family she registered now.
"I can't go back to prison," Tigress snarled as she reloaded, "I have a four-year old daughter."
"Then I will personally find her a home," Owlwoman pledged, "Just don't make me kill you."
"Like hell you will!" Tigress shouted as she resumed firing bolts at Owlwoman.
Wenenoh Littlebird extended her fingertip talons and prepared to carry her threat and her promise.
Black Hand saw what was coming and stayed the hell out of it.
"Grundy doesn't like Lantern Man," the zombie proclaimed.
"Lantern Man doesn't like you either," John Stewart admitted.
"Where Lantern Man with cape?" Solomon Grundy asked about Sentinel.
"He's busy," Green Lantern informed him.
"Good. Grundy hate that Lantern Man," he declared.
"Bird Nose wants you to come live with her," John invited him. Frankly he though Shayera Hol had lost her mind. Where would they put a hulking Zombie. A potentially homicidal zombie? The neighborhood just wasn't ready for it and never would be.
"Tell Bird Nose this is Grundy's family now," he decided.
"Great," John muttered.
Adhesive Man watched in secret. The gluey maverick waited for Grundy to crush GL and then he'd glue Solomon Grundy in place. But seeing Grundy and Green Lantern just…talking was quite a disappointment. Taking out a light emitting beacon, he set it for green. Gluing it at Grundy's eye level, he activated its beacon setting and stepped back into the shadows. The light flashed in Grundy's eyes, who raged.
"Grundy kill lying Lantern Man!" the bellow resonated.
"Great," John muttered again. Adhesive Man certainly thought it was.
STRIPE hovered while studying Rival, "So...you're the original Reverse Flash."
Edward Clariss despised STRIPE's mechanized disbelief, "I was Flash's rival before that preening popinjay came through time to dare call himself the Reverse Flash," Rival grated.
"So…you're his rival too?" Mike had to ask.
"Is there anyone inside of that thing that at least pretends to have a mind?" Rival was irritated beyond words, "Or are you just too stupid to live?"
"Hey! I built this mech," Mike protested.
"Based on someone else's original design," Rival sneered, "Anyone could've done that."
Metal Witch had had enough. Her power wasn't magnetic but rather psionic. So she couldn't manipulate nonferrous metals as well. So she took hold of STRIPE and deployed his weapons pods and opened fire. Rival sped out of the way and attempted to dismantle the mecha. But he was failing to do so. Meanwhile, Metal Witch was indulging herself.
The STRIPE control pod had been moved from the K-Star ranch to the Justice Society Brownstone where Roxy had an easier time of monitoring the control interface. Mike was dumbfounded, "Rox, what just happened?"
Dunno, the AI responded through his audio input speakers.
"How do I regain control?" he asked.
I got nuthin'. This isn't digital, analog, or magnetic. It's something my databases simply don't cover, Mike knew how hard it was for Roxy to admit ignorance I'll query Oracle and Hack.
"Aren't they on opposing sides?" Mike wondered.
Yes, but they have the STRIPE schematics, Roxy shared.
"How? Did they steal them?" Mike was alarmed.
Nope. I gave them to the ladies, Mike suddenly wasn't absolutely certain he and Roxy were on the same side. And the mysterious and genderless Oracle was revealed to be a woman.
Darkness blanketed Stargirl, "Hey!"
"The better to truly see you in," Shade chuckled.
The Cosmic Rod flared to life, "I'm so gonna kick you in the balls."
"First you'd have to find them," Shade retorted.
"You said it, not me," Stargirl snarked.
Silhouette's outline was the only visible part of her on the best of occasions. She was able to easily maneuver behind Courtney Whitmore and grope her.
"You slimy sonuva…!" Stargirl sprayed cosmic energy in every direction in a single sweep, "You pervert! I swear to God if you touch me again I will end you."
Shade wondered what she was on about.
"Yeah, you're gentlemanly," Silver Sorceress wiped the blood from her swelling lips.
"Now, now. You attacked me," Gentleman Ghost recalled, "Maybe you should have kept that ridiculous hat after all."
Defacer tackled Silver Sorceress and punched her in the face. Getting up she backed away and let Iron Mask take a turn.
"You attack one Injusticer and you attack us all," he cried before he departed with Defacer.
"That wasn't right," Gentleman Ghost muttered.
"Plan on staying dead," Silver Sorceress began gesturing to conjure mystical energy, "Any last words this time around?"
"But I didn't…" he protested, "They aren't…"
"Eloquent," she said sarcastically and unleashed her spells.
Ragdoll was impressed with Pigeon, "Woo hoo! Where'd get the skills?"
"I eat my greens every day," she smarted off.
"Can I have your number?" he inquired.
"This isn't a dating service," Pigeon protested.
"That isn't a 'no'," he realized.
"Look, I'm supposed to kill you if you don't walk away," Pigeon warned him.
"Come and get me," Ragdoll swooned.
"For the luvva…" Pigeon couldn't believe this guy. Then again, she hadn't turned him down. Defacer was always jealous when Pigeon went off with guys. She was the jealous type.
"We could do this hard and fast," even she wasn't certain to what she was referring to.
"Or hard and slow…then fast…then slow again, rinse repeat, and spin again," Ragdoll suggested.
"C'mere you. Let's find somewhere private and settle this. Two or three times," Pigeon decided.
"You have no idea of what I'm physically capable of," he warned her.
"I'm settling for nothing less than mind blowing," Pigeon warned him in return.
"I love a challenge," Ragdoll admitted.
"Otherwise I will still kill you," Pigeon let him know.
Shadow Thief's Daemonite derived suit let her phase through objects but also create dark light constructs. So she was focused on killing Blue Jay. And then Dragonfly swatted him out of the air before vanishing again. While Aviva Metula had been a Mossad agent, Dragonfly had been an up and coming assassinette. Odds were she was working for Intergang. But why help her?
Blue Jay grew to human height and marched on Shadow Thief. Now she had to decide on whether or not to kill him herself. Because Dragonfly was lurking around to kill them both.
Iron Mask and Defacer chose Shiv as their next target of availability. But Cindy's serpent staff kept Iron Mask at bay and her body knives threatened Defacer. Which just pissed Defacer off.
Anna Fortune engaged Virtuoso in a magical duel. Atom Smasher was dealing with Hazard. Insect Queen was embattled by Mist. And in the sidelines stood the Puzzler and Blue Damsel Fly waiting for an opportunity to deal a lethal blow. Or at least Valeri van Haaften was. Blue Damsel Fly was reticent. Anna and Al were a power couple and Insect Queen was an unknown.
The Burners confronted Jenny Elsewhere. Crosscut spun energy blades at her so he dropped through a portal in the ground to arrive in the Sahara. Lightweaver could construct objects and fields out of stored solar light. He flew through a portal to the arctic where his energies could protect him.
Breakdown projected entropic energy so Jenny couldn't let him touch her. Intersek, who could break down any form of communication even within a body, couldn't latch onto her otherworldly nervous system. So Jenny dropped Intersek off in Thailand. Breakdown was sent to the Russian Steppes.
Jenny considered whisking Queenie and the dials to safety. But where was the fun in that?
The American Crusaders were assessed the scene back at the GULAG. An autonomous outgrowth of the Shadow Crusaders, the United States' very first Crusader team was temporarily back in action. All of its members, except one, were past retirement age. But that very experience gave them a better read on how extensive the damages truly were and how the Titans had penetrated the outer and inner defenses.
The Mighty and Shadow Crusaders were the first teams chartered to law enforcement and the MLJ Initiative. The American Crusaders and later Crusaders had been developed and sanctioned by the Dept. of Defense. The Crusaders had been tried, convicted, and incarcerated for war crimes. The American Crusaders had gone into seclusion following the original Shield and Black Witch's departures/disappearances.
The guards were pushed to their limits trying to calm down the remaining inmates. The warden was clearly shaken. The supposedly impregnable and inescapable supermax had been breached and notorious inmates had escaped. The surveillance footage of all the prison grounds attested to everything that could be said. Doc Strong wondered why they were even present.
"Why are we even here, Doc?" Firefly voiced the shared thought.
"Better yet, who financed this little surgical strike?" Captain Commando shifted the focus.
"Deathstroke or his Titans are among the most expensive mercenaries on Earth. Deathstroke being the single most highly paid," American Shield reminded everyone.
"Luthor's sister's personal and corporate finances are scrutinized," Doc Strong stated.
"What if she used his stash of money?" Captain Commando wondered, "They never have been able to cut him off."
"Then we need to hand these questions over to Gen. Latham," American Shield put forth.
"Which is probably why we're here at all," Doc Strong theorized.
"Let's do that and get a beer," Firefly suggested, "I'm ready to call it a day."
"I'll call the airfield," American Shield volunteered and stepped way.
"Poor kid. Stuck with old farts like us," Firefly sympathized.
"He's with us to get an edge of experience and uncloud that unreasoning hatred for Joe Higgins," Captain Commando reminded him.
Joe had been selected as the finalist in the Shield program and underwent the nanotech injections. Most of the other candidates had gone rogue after the experiments performed on them. American Shield just had a nearly violent resentment over not being chosen to be the Shield.
The American Crusaders transmitted their reports while airborne and en route to SeaTac Airport. Jack Latham, Director of the MLJ, read them all and had to agree with the summations. He called the Treasury Dept. after acquiring the necessary legal search and seizure orders issued by the Western District Federal Court in Washington state. Those orders would then be upgraded by the judicial panel of Homeland Security and become a national jurisdiction and limited international authority. And Treasury and the Justice Dept. would assign teams of agents to pour over Lena Luthor, LuthorCorp, and seek out Lex Luthor's hidden assets.
Latham looked at legal maneuvering the same way he had planned and executed special operations missions during his military career. He'd retired from the US Army to become director of the nascent MLJ. His oversight of the Shield deployments had gained him recognition. President McKay herself had singled him out as her nominee for the posting. Senate oversight had breezed him through in two days' time. A record that would never be broken.
Satisfied, he began summoning the Mighty Crusaders and Shadow Crusaders for separate assignments.
Sarya and her Fatal Five set foot on Qward for the first time. The Antimatter Universe of her time was sterile and devoid of life. Even Antimatter Earth was barren. Emerald Empress intended to change all of that starting now. And with both Eyes of Ekron at her command she could claim this universe as her very own and in a vicarious way repay the subjects that had ousted her from her original throne.
"My Empress," Cera Kesh alerted Sarya to an incoming threat. The Emerald Acolyte wore a Ring of Sarya crafted by the Eyes. Cera's fellow Acolyte and chief rival, Ingria Olav, wore one too. Sun Girl and Inertia were also from their mutually lost 31st Century. Sun Girl being the younger sister of the wretched, womanizing Legionnaire, Dirk Morgna. Persuader was the only native to the 21st Century. But she wielded the Atomic Axe as the Persuader in everyone else's time had as a member of the Fatal Five.
"Those are Thunderers," Emerald Empress had been telepathically briefed on what to expect by Saturn Queen prior to transitioning between the matter and antimatter universes. Eve Aries was no fool. She fully realized Sarya planned on marching on the Matter Universes as soon as she'd secured her foothold in the dismal Antimatter Universe.
"They hurl lightning," Emerald Empress advised her cohorts, "I know next to nothing about their vehicles."
"The bikes resemble Lobo's," Persuader keenly observed.
"The transports appear to be scout craft of some design," Sun Girl added.
Sarya was pleased. Once she'd jackbooted the Thunderers, she'd force the Weaponers that designed and built the Thunderers' infamous weapons to her side. Cera and Ingria were already preparing themselves for the inevitable conflict. Their rings flared to life.
"Give me the word," Inertia was vibrating from excitement.
Persuader hefted her axe across her body and behind her head. Sun Girl began to glow and radiate heat. Sarya smiled. It would be good to have an initial test of the Fatal Five's skill sets.
Blackjack watched the situation unfolding but he didn't know what sides every player was on. Deathblow used a minigun to perforate the lead SUV through its armor. Four bodyguards died in vain. The others tried to back away but a second vehicle, the rearguard was caught in an IED explosion that shredded those inside of it. The remaining eight guards abandoned their vehicles along with the limo driver and tried to get Julia Sazia to safety.
Blackjack was amused to see Sazia pull a handgun out of a discreet holster at her back. They made it into the casino before Deathblow chose to lead his targets. He cast off the disposable antipersonnel "suppressive" weapon. Unslinging an assault rifle he went to chase the prey by rappelling to street level before she could reach a rear exit and summon an extraction.
"Idiot! Why didn't you just shoot them all!" Dr. Poison snarled.
"I don't work for you," Deathblow ignored her as he left to flank Sazia's guards. Dr. Poison sauntered up into the casino. Guards intercepted her and she used her wrist mounted gas injector to spray them. They died horrific deaths. Bystanders gawking away that inhaled the drifting gas died as well.
Knave smashed the end of her quarterstaff against Dr. Poison's forehead. Several key strokes disconnected the feed tube without releasing more gas. Only then did she remove her gas mask.
"I'd advise you to stay," she suggested.
"Grr! I'll still kill you," Dr. Poison arose with a hypodermic filled with noxious substances.
"Righty-O," Knave went to work with the staff before detaching it into fighting staves. Beaten, battered, and soon to bruise, Marina Maru went down only to suffer a discontented unconsciousness.
Knave checked in, "Maru is down. I'm letting security summon the police. I'll join up in a few."
She heard nearby explosions and found Green Arrow and Speedy had blocked Deathblow's pursuit. After Conner Hawke imbedded an explosive arrow in Deathblow's chest and he survived, Mia Deardon felt liberated to employ supposedly lethal force. Deathblow felt spikes impale his back.
He turned to see Red Hood drawing his sidearms, "You don't want to do this."
"I really think I do," Red Hood waited for the archers to get clear before firing a dart into Deathblow's forehead. Then he threw himself around a corner. Deathblow pulled the dart free and saw it was a diode. And it blinked once before detonating the mines on his back.
Deathblow went down but he was still conscious, if barely alive. Red Hood was joined by Knave, "Ravager was right. This bloke is unkillible."
"We just haven't tried hard enough," Red Hood remarked.
Beryl Hutchinson had to recall Jason Todd had been trained by Nyssa Raatko and led his previous team, the Outsiders, into a lethal ambush. The archers rejoined them and they began restraining Deathblow. Attaching cables to the restraints, they drug him further into the casino where Sazia had arranged for accommodations until they could all be extracted.
Ravager watched Blackjack observe the scene as it unfolded. The police had an understanding with the local vigilante but so to did the casino owners and mafiosos. He fought crime one minute and enforced gangland law the other. He at least drew a line where sex trafficking and drug cartels were concernred. When Deathblow paused to allow Sazia to run, Blackjack stood to jump to the marquee below. Ravager tossed a bolo around his ankles.
Blackjack almost went into free fall. Ravager caught his arm, "Just relax. Everything is taken care off."
The screams from across the street could be plainly heard, "I doubt that."
"You either believe me or I throw you off this roof," Ravager said nonchalantly.
"You're Deathstroke's kid, right?" Blackjack belatedly realized.
"Sometimes, on a good day," Rose Wilson listened to Beryl check in, "Everything is contained. The local PD are on their way. Say 'hi' to them for me."
"Wait! How are you getting down?" Blackjack knew from the sirens the cops were incoming and would arrest her.
"Easy," Ravager backed against the ledge and simply fell over backwards.
Blackjack hopped to see but Rose was already gone, "Damn. Note to self: never underestimate that kid."
Then he went about unraveling the bolo.
"Daisy Miller, you only have one infrequent role in this coffee bar," Violet Jones lectured her ostensible "cousin", "You prep the special rooms when they're reserved and get out after unlocking the closet door."
"It was early," Daisy complained.
"It has a gender that doesn't equate to human norms," Violet sternly informed her.
"Look, I appreciate living here and all but the pretending gets on my nerves," Daisy complained.
Like Violet and Pansy, Daisy was both more and less than she appeared.
"It's part of our agreement for picking the Prime Universe of all others and the other realms to live in. You know that," Violet said coolly.
"But I have to go to high school…for a few more billion years," Daisy replied, "How will I hide that I don't age like a human?"
"I'll take care of that," Pansy promised, "But you will have to repeat your grade for a few thousand years."
"Jesus," Daisy griped.
"He'd tell you the same thing," Violet spoke, "Remember meeting Him?"
Daisy sighed, "Okay. I'm condemned."
"You'll have a special job to do in a few," Pansy promised, "And you get an outing to prep for it."
"Okay, I can totally get into stepping out. But why are you letting me?" Daisy was suspicious.
"The Sovereigns will still need a home to come back to," Violet said.
"You think they will?" Daisy was doubtful.
"With some help they will," Pansy twinkled.
"Here comes Conal, late as usual," Daisy observed.
"But with good reason," Violet registered Conal's mother, Sheriff Molly Savoy coming into the coffee house.
"Here we go again," Pansy frowned.
"Be kind. There was a mess last night," Violet replied.
Superman watched with some enjoyment as the JLers and S7 mingled with the locals on Talok VIII. Barda was aloof as always. Indigo was still the single most popular Sovereign. Hir ability to adapt hir gender to suit hir audience had alreaady made s/he a minor celebrity already. Cascade's dark skin was also soothing to the Talokians speaking with her. Network stood by her best friend and translated foreign concepts for Cascade.
Cruiser was enthusiastic and sullen all at the same time. Finale's brooding and full body suit kept her from attracting a crowd as she projected silent menace. Rampart was the quintessential ladies' man. His swarth skin tone also set the Talokian women at ease. The mountainnous Reflex entertained his growing audience with tale of his father's long hall and going aviking every summer's season.
Killer Frost's light blue skin tome also set many at ease. And her obvious sexuality garnered her more than a few female admirers. Power Ring and Artemis made a comedic pair. They'd drawn a throng of male admirers and neither Jessica Cruz nor Artemis had a clue as how to respond to them.
Power Girl and Supergirl were in a deep huddle and the Talokians gladly gave them space. Karen Starr and Matrix were smart enough to speak in whispers drowned out by the tavern's occupants. But Clark Kent heard one reoccurring name being mentioned: Linda Danvers. And who that was was any guess Clark could have made.
"Attention people, the show goes live in four seconds," Network broadcast to all the teams' members. And a half dozen hard bitten men and women entered the pub. Superman's X-Ray Vision showed they were all armed. And their heartbeats were elevated far above what seemed to be Talokian norms.
"Who speaks for the aliens," a grizzled former miner asked.
"I do," Cascade and Superman nearly said as one.
"Good," the miner drew a weapon but found it in a telekinetic bubble that removed it from his hand. Superman had never seen anyone as remotely large as Reflex move with such speed and grace to disarm the rest of the newcomers. The man was tapped into the Speed Force.
With the weapons pilled in a corner, Power Girl and Supergirl stood watch over them. A Talokian male tried to punch Karen in the face but broke his own hand. A woman did the same to Matrix and managed to move Supergirl's jaw. But her TK Vision blast sprawled the woman across the tables.
"Want to see how hard I can hit?" Supergirl asked.
"The mind witch has linked all of our minds into a cerebral network. She's co-ordinating strategy and responses as deemed by Cascade," Barda remarked to Superman, "This is why telepaths are forbidden amongst the New Gods."
"But it's an advantage we'll need," Clark replied.
Barda snorted derisively. Kal-El was a naïve fool most of the time even if he could deliver endless orgasms. She knew she needed to break it off with him but the sex was the only thing keeping her with him.
"Can we try an actual conversation now?" Cascade dryly asked. A Talokian freedom fighter tended to his hand while the other was being put on her feet by her comrades. The miner grunted in appreciation.
"And Galatea and Matrix?" Superman softly asked.
"Acted on their own volition. The Sovereigns only dealt with other Sovereigns," Barda assessed, "And her name is now Karen. Try to get passed your own prejudice and remember that."
"I'm not prejudiced," Clark protested.
"In regards to Power Girl and Lex Luthor, you revile them to the point of hatred," Barda informed him, "Or do you not recall your own clash with Captain Marvel over Luthor?"
Superman scowled and Barda intervened, "Don't be a petulant child. Despite Clark Kent's press clippings, Superman isn't perfect."
"Lois was the one who kept me in balance," he said with infinite sorrow.
"Now you need to find an internal mechanism for keeping yourself in perspective," Barda offered, "Diana wasn't an internal means. You can seek an external guide and conscience but it always must end the day within your own mind and your heart."
"I'll…take that to heart," and he meant it.
"It's getting interesting," Barda advised him. Clark realized Barda was inferring that she wasn't serving as his Jimminy Cricket. And he sensed there were larger goodbyes in play here.
"So who sent you? Do you answer to the Papal Father himself? Or the Unholy Holy Mother?" the miner grated.
"We serve you. Your cause is our own," Superman promised.
"That symbol is supposed to mean something," the miner recalled.
"In my people's language the glyph means 'hope'. That's our message here," Superman promised.
"The timing is far too coincidental," the miner grumbled.
"Tell Dox that Kalea-El fulfilled her bargain. Now it's up to him to uphold his own bargain," Power Girl interjected.
"Kalea, eh?" the miner took a new appraisal of the situation, "And you're her infamous fair haired friend?"
"Most of the time," Karen clarified.
"Dox said she was a handful," the miner actually chuckled, "He said you were coming and bringing others."
"I'm here now," Power Girl belabored the obvious, "And they count as the 'others'."
"Why should we trust you?" the miner gruffly asked.
"You're aware of Dox's plan. You need us as much as we need you. We light the spark here and it inspires trillions," Power Girl explained.
"You could prove yourself to us," he suggested.
Power Girl smirked, "And here I was thinking that about you."
"Not 'could' but 'have'," Shadow Lad entered the tavern at that moment, "The Dark Circle is terrified of them and that particular symbol. Word has it the Papal Father and his sister, the Holy Mother are terrified of him."
"Which means a shitstorm is coming whether we want to participate in this insanity or not," one of the rebels remarked.
"You'd all better follow us," the miner was disgruntled, "Shadow Lad, blanket the area so we can make it back to our base."
"Already on it," the champion grinned.
White Rabbit had come to meet with the Metropolis SCU captain Mara Taggard and NYPD Police Commissioner Maggie Sawyer. The GCPD wasn't represented since Knightfall knew Barbara Gordon wouldn't negotiate adopting her model of licensing criminal activities. But the mayor and mayoral candidates as well as Gotham's District Attorney were already in her pocket.
White Rabbit was speaking on Knightfall's behalf. Catwoman and Catgirl had tracked the neophyte 'kingmaker' to Metropolis and now as Selina Kyle and Kitrina Falcone were listening in on the meeting. That morning, Knightfall's hidden assets, Sen. Barbara Keene and Rep. Lynette Colby had introduced legislation into the federal Congress to license vigilantes and outlaw those outside of governmental compliance.
Of course, Pres. Olivia McKay had vowed to veto any such legislation but Keene and Colby promised to have the votes to override any veto. So the rhetorical warfare had begun. Already the pollsters and pundits were predicting quick and decisive passage of both bills and an insanely brief negation to pass a rewritten version that both Houses could pass the same day it was presented.
"Glad you'd show for the meet `n greet, Commissioner," White Rabbit smirked.
"Why am I talking to eye candy?" Sawyer wanted to know.
"Aw, do you think I'm pretty? Do I make you horny?" White Rabbit teased her. Sawyer's later in life admission of her true sexuality had cost her job at SCU, obviously her marriage, and custody of her daughter. She had to endure supervised visits because of her "immoral lifestyle". A happenstance that infuriated and severely depressed her. Her hatred for superheroes not only stemmed from the existence of their opposing super villains but also partly from heeding Superman's advice to come out to her family. His reassurances of their love and understanding had been criminally naïve.
"I'm gone," Sawyer rose off of the hotel room couch only to find White Rabbit had cleared the living space to stand before her, "You're a forking meta-human?"
"And so much more," White Rabbit winked as she eased Sawyer back onto the couch. Taggert occupied one of the two soft chairs.
"Can we please get to it? Maggie, I know you may have problems with our hostess but she was vouchsafed by Knightfall," Taggert spoke up.
"And who vouches for Knightfall?" Sawyer wanted to know.
"Her results," White Rabbit said, "With little to no support, Knightfall cut organized crime in Gotham by eighty percent. Random crime is down ninety percent. Only the so-called 'super' criminals consist of slightly over ninety percent of all crime and rackets compared to twenty percent a year ago. And all of that was brought about by Knightfall infiltrating Intergang and pitting average criminals at each others throat and then summoning in the GCPD to mop up the survivors. You can enjoy identical numbers now and be upgraded when an anti-'super' crook package is deliverable."
"I can't believe someone is mass marketing law enforcement," Sawyer admitted.
"Ever heard of the federal, state, and municipal governments?" White Rabbit wondered, "Everyone pitches anti-crime measures and methodologies and then creates agencies to perform them. This privatizes the think tank portion but retains traditional law enforcement to implement it. And if Keene and Colby's measures are ratified, you'll have you own squads of licensed and deputized mystery men and women to supplement your shortcomings in dealing with costumed and gen active criminals. All these proposals are tried and tested means to regulate virtue and vice to a degree not seen in this country before."
"It sounds like it borders on fascism," Taggert worried.
"Knightfall's methods don't regulate ordinary or daily life. Just its excessive extremes," White Rabbit clarified.
"I hate to admit it but this makes a fair degree of sense in our world where a single person can destroy it by shrugging," Sawyer pinched the bridge of nose and closed eyes for a second.
"Hear that, Selina?" White Rabbit asked.
Next door, Selina and Kitrina stared at the audio receiver of the parabolic dish attached to the connecting wall. Kitrina looked shell shocked, "How does she always freakin' know?"
"More to the point, we just committed a felony with the police commissioner next door," Selina led her to the balcony and they rappelled to the street below. Sawyer made it out onto her balcony with her weapon drawn. Calling dispatch, she requested a team of black and white's be sent to their location with orders to arrest Selina Kyle and an accomplice on sight. They were considered armed and dangerous and lethal force was authorized.
"She's harmless," White Rabbit assured her, "She's been tailing me for Batsy."
"Batman?" Taggert sought clarification.
"None other," White Rabbit glowed.
"Why doesn't he deal with you?" Sawyer asked.
"Because I'm not doing anything illegal," White Rabbit answered, "Selina, though, has broken laws across state lines."
"And you're fine with that?" Taggert asked, "Despite her stalking you?"
"I'm peachy with it. It gets it out of her system and soothes Batsy's mind," White Rabbit smirked.
"You sound like you and Batman were on…intimate terms," Sawyer stated.
"Now Commish, a girl doesn't have multiple orgasms a day for several days and talk about it," she winked again.
Taggert and Sawyer just stared at each other.
Goldilock's sister, Dorcas Leigh, had used a Celtic talisman to become Godiva. Angrily searched Dorcas' rooms after her sister became a superhero, Goldilocks found the self-same talisman and the spell book with which to use it and she charmed herself and gained Godiva's powers. Years of hate built up from her uncle's five years of sexually molesting her in every conceivable way spilled out as she used her hair to snap the wooden talisman in half and throw the pieces, along with the book, into the fire.
Enraged at her parents constantly defending her uncle and accusing her of fabricating accusations to seek attention, she wouldn't be ignored again. With her uncle in attendance as he connived his way into the family's dwindling wealth by seeking to sell off part of the estate grounds, Goldilocks made one last accusatory statement. And her father and mother leapt to his defense. So she snapped their necks. Her "precious" uncle had his legs and arms ripped off.
As he died an agonizing death, Goldilocks chose to cleanse her family's history. She torched the manor house and set fire to the grounds. Two days later she was in London, breaking into the archives and stole every shred of evidence regarding her birth and tax rolls, national health care registry, and her BritRail pass receipts.
Taking a ferry to Paris, Goldilocks began her career as a thief. At first it was just to survive. But as a four-old child enduring her uncle's depravity and being told it was her own fault for making him sexually abuse her, her mind snapped. She'd lived in a fairy tale world ever since. And that created her new identity. Learning about Sir Justin, the original Shining Knight, she fixated on him.
It wasn't until she associated with Dark Justice, the former Justice League Dark, that she recaptured part of her soul. She reconciled with her sister just prior to Godiva's death. And she enjoyed having her Prince Charming and joining the lauded Justice League. But the JLers barely tolerated her and only on Justin's behalf. And Justin was merely using for sex while he recovered from the revelation that his wife, Tessa Richardson, was in fact Eve Aries, the condemned Saturn Queen.
So she made a plan and enlisted with the Injustice Society and even became its leader. And this was their first caper under her guidance. Which meant everything had to be successful or her plan would go awry.
She was the first to recognize Mindboggler's power at work. General Glory's initial responses didn't correlate with his supposed actions. And her defensive strategy only seemed to anger him beyond a disproportionate response. Of all the JLers, he'd always been the kindest to her. Often encouraging in her new life of abandoning crime. He'd give guidance on how to live a fulfilled life.
And now, if her eyes were to be believed, he was a homicidal berserker out to kill her. She didn't even want to know what he was seeing. Recognizing her responses were off target, she chose to evade him by grappling over him with her hair. Then she sought out her true foe while trying to distance herself from her fellow victim.
General Glory was still wondering why Goldilocks had so wounded after he threatened her over her trying to kill him. And now, he saw her continuing to menace him but she wasn't within arm's reach and her hair never physically made contact. And he began to wonder what reality truly was.
Ifrit maintained her illusions but her victims weren't cooperating. In fact, General Glory's temper had cooled and Goldilocks was actively searching for her. She never saw Darkling emerge from the shadows behind her or detect her own immersion into them to reappear behind a locked jail cell where guards quickly clamped an inhibitor collar on her before leaving her alone in the cell.
"Oi! You there! What the forking hell is going on?" Goldilocks demanded to know.
"I second that," General Glory admitted.
"Here's what I know so far," Darkling began to explain. As Goldilocks plotted her own getaway to steal the E Dials.
Icicle was tiring out but so was Jack O'Lantern. And then Jack's lantern fused inside his body and flames erupted around his head. And he began to directly channel the faery power and his flaming heat blast overwhelmed the hapless Icicle.
Liam McHugh took stock in the changes to him and simply said, "Bloody hell."
"What are you up to?" Web sternly asked Swarm.
She sighed, "I'm guessing you're the resident party pooper."
"Depends on the party," Web stated, "What's your game?"
"Only this," Swarm blurred and then hundreds of insect sized duplicates amassed around Web. Her bioelectric stings weren't harming him but his action suit had to reboot. So he charged the air around him and stunned every one of her. And they unconsciously were drawn together to become a whole again.
"Day's are getting weirder," John Raymond supposed. He had a date with his estranged wife, Rosie, tonight and he'd do anything to be on time.
Tigress went down, clutching her intestines. Owlwoman could hardly care, sporting knife wounds herself. But she dutifully called it into the Hall of Justice so they could route local EMTs to the scene. Then she saw the glow from Jack O'Lantern's flames and she marveled at the changes in Liam McHugh. All of them good.
Black Hand had relocated to the Intergang warehouse's roof. The one secreting the E Dials was one of twenty such stash and relocate centers. He'd brought a .50 caliber sniper rifle with him to assist any enforcer needing aid in killing either a JLer or an Injusticer. Of course, he didn't have a clear line of sight on half the situations but he was still willing to wager he could kill a few of either interlopers.
Hit Coffee felt so secure in his shooting cradle, he neglected to chain the roof access door shut. Black Hood's entry was only given away by rusty hinges. Black Hand rolled and drew his twin MAC-11 machine pistols and fired. Rated at a cyclical fire rate of 2000 rounds a minute, it was a savings on ammo that each only had a thirty round clip. And Black Hand emptied both into Black Hood.
Black Hand exchanged spent clips for new one. Then he approached and realized Black Hood wore a suit of body armor. And his head came up, Black Hood revealed he was still alive. He emptied a 9 mm handgun into Black Hand's chest. Hit Coffee had the insight to wear a tactical vest and was knocked out instead of killed. Black Hood took up the abandoned binoculars and sighted in different Injusticers before retrieving the sniper rifle.
Solomon Grundy had been a deceased gangster before voodoo and Chaos magic resurrected the body. Grundy wanted nothing more than to reunite with his soul and finally expire. But Tala had located the soul in Hell and she couldn't release it just as Lucifer Morningstar couldn't. Felix Faust was there as well it turned out. Wotan, the sorcerer that claimed to be a Germanic god suffered great torments as well. She had never told Grundy because then he would lose his last hope.
Adhesive Man chose to exploit Grundy's infamous temper while the zombie and Green Lantern reassessed their options. He slapped glue on John's mouth and nose and Grundy took the opportunity to hit him into unconsciousness while John Stewart's power ring shattered the glue. But John's skull was severely fractured and he was dying.
Adhesive Man congratulated Solomon Grundy then glued his hands and legs together. He found Grundy's roars of impotent rage gratifying. And Green Lantern's breathing became increasingly shallow. A sure sign a fatal blow had been dealt.
Rival hammered away at STRIPE and the unit was losing structural integrity. So the thrusters fired and elevated STRIPE ostensibly out of reach. But Mike Dugan dropped concussive grenades knowing Rival would make another play to destroy STRIPE. The resultant detonations disabled Edward Clariss. But an EMP triggered from within the warehouse deactivated the mecha.
"Aren't you a little…whatever…to be wearing a metal bikini?" Shield asked Metal Witch.
Both pieces unclasped and fell to the ground, "Better?"
Joe Higgins had never been so embarrassed in his life, "Not really."
She was left with her metal mask, a metal threaded cape, and metal stilettos, "Your armor isn't metal but your body is teeming with it. Let me help you out."
All of the nanites supporting Joe's vital organs extracted themselves and he immediately began dying…and he knew it. But he'd die taking Metal Witch down.
Shade made the inevitable mistake of assuming the Cosmic Rod was Stargirl's only weapon. Shiv had warned him innumerable times about her Cosmic Convertor Belt but it just seemed so innocuous. Until her gloves were hurling energy stars and stripes at him. And then he recalled Courtney Whitmore had begun as the Star Spangled Kid with just the belt It wasn't until Starman bequeathed the original rod to his son Jack that it became a staff. And Jack quickly tired of being Starman. So he gave fifteen-year old Courtney the staff, still inexplicably described as a "rod".
The combined might of Stargirl's weapons overwhelmed all but Shade's personal field of darkness. And he was literally being pushed back whilst seeking safety. So it was he resorted to desperate measures.
Fox could barely make out Silhouette's outline but he was still managing to give the woman, or at least presumed woman, a thrashing. But Silhouette fled out of the light and into the shadows. So Fox drew his katana and proceeded cautiously if with some deadly intent.
Silver Sorceress had been captured in Russia beside Blue Jay when they and Wandjina translated from Angor's dimension to Earth Prime. Wandjina died saving the Russians from their own ineptness with a reactor meltdown. It cost him his life. And the White Light selected Silver Sorceress as a champion to enable her to liberate Blue Jay and leave Russia.
But the Light was gone from her. Her truest magical talent was in spatial rifts. So she shifted Gentleman Ghost along with herself to Angor to literally change the venue.
War Eagle impaled Defacer and Iron Mask with her fingertip talons, one hand apiece. But she made certain they were nonvital wounds. Latham had difficulties processing her killing suspects. But that didn't mean she could drop them in Lake Michigan where they could either survive or naturally bleed out.
Ragdoll and Pigeon were undertaking a little pre-coital violence. Her blow to his jaw was actually felt, "Yeah! Haven't been tagged like that in years. Will you marry me?"
"You're certifiable," Pigeon retorted.
"That's not an answer," Ragdoll reminded her.
"You're frackin' serious," she just realized.
"I can get us to Vegas and we can get a quickie marriage," Ragdoll specified.
"I'm kinda in a relationship," Pigeon felt guilty for saying.
"I'm willing to share," he promised, "I'll sweeten the deal. We leave now, grab coffee and a bite to eat and settle in and just have a normal conversation. I'll let up on you and if you decide to ditch me, I'll never bring it up again."
"Do you always connive your way into a date?" she asked.
"First time and the first time I've asked anyone in three years," Ragdoll confessed.
"Look, I'll go with you but first I wanna get forkin' laid. It's been a while since I was with a guy. No strings and no frickin' commitment. Just getting laid sex," Pigeon countered.
"I won't say 'no' but I have to warn you, my body's kinda mind blowing," Ragdoll advised her.
"Prove it," Pigeon challenged him.
So Ragdoll did. Five times until Pigeon begged off to possibly saving herself from going into shock or having a heart attack. Her chest was heaving and every nerve was on edge, "Oh. My. Forking. God. You weren't kidding."
"It's a curse," he shrugged.
"Buddy, as far as forking goes, I've seen the light. Let's try that normal date thing and see if I survive the next twelve hours," Pigeon offered.
Normally Blue Jay's size alterations and years of experience gave him an edge. Instead he was trying to stay alive. So he chose the last desperate gamble: go wild ass crazy.
Dragonfly felt Jaguar's claws across her back. She spun to confront the were-cat, "Dick move."
The smell of Dragonfly's blood threatened to drive Jaguar crazy, "Go!"
"What ?" Dragonfly was confused and scared.
"Run away before I lose it and kill you," Jaguar was shaking.
Dragonfly fled for her life. Maria de Guzman licked the blood off of her fingers. The only thing better would be Cat-Girl's warm, oozing… Maria stopped herself there. She'd go back to Brazil before that happened.
Virtuoso's mad music was enchanted. Subtle notes lulled victims to sleep. Melodies overwrote minds. Discordant jangles filleted people alive. Anna Fortune studied the violinist's strengths and musical repartee. And once she'd made her determinations, Anna went on the offensive.
Andy Nash became a living mist. But she could solidify portions of her body act offensively rather than strictly defensively. But Mist hated hurting people. But she'd accidently killed bullies and the wanted to neutralize her power and try her as an adult rather than send her back to juvee. So Mist knew what Insect Queen hoped accomplish. But she disagreed and billowed away, penetrating any space that wasn't airtight. And in the dark she quickly eluded Lana Lang.
Puzzler's one weakness was being forcibly reassembled after she splintered into puzzle-like pieces. Each piece of her, properly connected to a matching piece, would adhere. Meanwhile she was physically swirling about Steel Sterling trying to hammer away at him. And on a hunch he grabbed a single piece and then randomly grabbed another until he had a fit. Puzzler screamed in impotent outrage. And because she couldn't distance herself from herself, she was forced to endure Steel Sterling's methodical reassembly.
"An admirer," Blue Damsel Fly congratulated Fly Girl, "But guns? So passe."
She began hurling bioelectric discharges. Fly Girl went airborne and gunned down Blue Damsel Fly with her electrostatic pistols, "Old school, bitch."
Shiv reached Jenny Elsewhere, "Game on, vermin."
Jenny waved and Shiv vanished, "Enjoy wherever."
Maxima left her war council and returned ot her chambers to gear up for waging said war. Lord Ultraa would command a single fleet. Maxima would assume control of the largest. And Kalea would be the commander of the third fleet. The Home Fleet would be held in reserve along with the scout and courier boats.
Kalea hadn't returned yet from Zamaron and Maxima worried. She didn't doubt her daughter's reckless courage. She fretted over Kalea learning the Counselors had unanimously restored her daughter's titles and appointed her Maxima's heir once more. All were things Kalea detested and would run from. And with good reason.
At Kalea's urging Maxima had finally pushed through reforms she'd learned from Kal-El. Almerac and its empire were a constitutional monarchy now. Within narrow mandates, Maxima could still simply decree laws but they had to be ratified at a later date. And the Council of Ministers and Prime Minister were elected by the citizens with two counselors chosen by the noble class and four by the subjects normally denied the vote or a voice in society. And even the slaves elected a Counselor or Minister, whoever was addressing the lawmaker. The nobles strongly felt slaves and proletariats should know their place.
The Imperial Senate housed representatives of every imperial world. And it had almost as great a voice as the Council. The populace was largely overjoyed but the noble houses stoked a fire of discontent. But they were the fewest in number and the slaves the greatest. And the citizens would not endure being second-class again. So Maxima was assured success as long as Ultraa didn't seize the throne as he planned.
Maxima spun and drew her sword, "Dammit, Kalea. A little warning."
"Next time," Kalea promised, "And hello to you too."
"I take it you were successful," Maxima sheathed her weapon.
"Largely. The Lanterns are already engaged in battle at the first jump point. Karen recruited father for the Dark Circle mission," Kalea seemed oddly concerned about her estranged parent.
"How the hell did you get past every defense?" Maxima wondered.
"Trade secrets," Kalea smirked, "Lord Ultraa couldn't learn my location until this moment."
"You think he has spies in my bedchamber?" Maxima was surprised.
"I know he does," she lifted a trigger device and sparks flew from almost everywhere, "He planted those during the war against the Gordanians."
"Much as I'd like to, we can't martyr him. The nobility will create an image of him to try and rally the other classes to uphold and undo all the reforms that have been accomplished," Maxima advised.
"Don't kill him. Got it," Kalea said half interested, "General Trysta wants to bed you along with her usual romps with Ultraa."
"I want no part of either of them," Maxima nearly spat. Which was odd in a way. She'd hardly been virginal since being impregnated by Kal-El. And Ultraa was considered a superior genetic specimen even if he was vile person. And Maxima was strictly heterosexual in nature.
Kalea had no gender preference. As a child she'd had sex with half the palace, courtesans and servants alike. She'd once "entertained" her entire bodyguard detail at the same time. It was a desperate attempt at love, being acknowledged and acceptance in regards to her being a cyborg in a society that typically executed the lame, disabled, and inorganic. Her only reprieve from an automatic death sentence was her being the Crown Princess. And people were intimidated by her mixed Kryptonian-Almeracian heritage.
Kalea's record was one of staging a coup, imprisoning her mother, invading Earth, Torturing her father and being exiled to Argo. Afterwards she was freed from exile, staged a second coup, remade society, rescued Maxima from exile, placed her back on the throne and served as the Empress' personal agent until that present moment. And the one person she'd ever unconditionally loved and had liberated her from the frozen graves of Argo, she overthrew Almerac's radicalized government they'd created together before killing him with her own bare hands to insure her mother's restoration to power.
"Why are they announcing my return to grace and restoration of my titles?" Kalea had her head cocked to one side.
"You and those damn ears," Maxima grumbled, "You're my heir again."
"No," Kalea said flatly.
"It was the Council and the Senate's choice. You're a national hero. They think you've actually earned the right to rule," Maxima explained.
"No," Kalea was almost defiant.
"Damn you, you can't demand democratic reforms and then defy the will of the electorate," Maxima stated.
"It's never stopped me before," Kalea was firm in her denial, "What if I were to dethrone you again?"
"Empty threat," Maxima shrugged, "The people would love you for it and I'd get a much needed rest. Besides, it shows initiative. Galactically bad judgment, but initiative nonetheless."
Maxima took pity on her daughter, "Kalea, let this stand for the next few days then abdicate if you want. The gods know you deserve an opportunity to seek a little happiness for yourself after Marcus."
"Three days," Kalea offered, "And only to prickle Ultraa."
"That's my daughter," Maxima smiled.
Kharlak was Khundia's greatest warlord in living history. He relished the legends that would arise from crushing every Lantern Corps. It was time to test their countermeasure.
The Dominators had been a intersteller power to be reckoned with. But repetitive wars against the Khunds and the Gordanians had driven them to the breaking point. And then Lar Gand had happened. A single Daxamite broke their empire. And the Dark Circle had consumed half of their territory spreading like a cancer that now claimed nearly a quarter of the galaxy. Saturn Queen had promised them the much needed Almerac and its empire and its keys to Earth. The Khunds be damned.
"I thought Power Girl told us the Kandorians had been herded into extermination camps," Kara In-Ze remarked, "Why are there still tens of thousands of them?"
"My guess would be is someone in the echelon hid those orders," Laira Omoto surmised.
"But it does say something about Maxima to issue them," Kyle Rayner said.
"Wait," they're breaking off into thousands of smaller groups," Yrra Cyvil observed.
"I do wonder where they are all going," Saint Walker admitted.
"And we are too few to stop them," Munk complained.
"Who cares?" Arkillo demanded to know.
"Wherever they go, that place deserves them," Bleez opined.
"Ultraman retained the largest force," Laira pointed out, "So the main thrust is still aimed at Almerac."
"I suggest we focus on Ultraman and his inbred cousin first. Kryptonians tend to view commanders as racial champions," Kara told them, "Remind me to explain the allure of Jax-Ur and Mala some other time."
"Then we fight?" Arkillo hoped.
"Yes, we do," Kyle agreed.
"About time!" Bleez exploded into action. Arkillo trailed her. Everyone exchanged weary glances before pursuing their overzealous comrades.
"Cardinal, sector command requests assistance at Talok VIII. Apparently the rabble are being defiant," a Believer reported.
"Dispatch a cruiser, a destroyer, and a frigate. Issue orders to destroy the planet if they do not yield and worship," the Cardinal ordered.
"Your Grace, there are uprisings," a Faithful ran to the room.
"Yes, it's being dealt with," the Cardinal sniffed.
"No, on every occupied world. Millions of rebels on thousands of world. It's anarchy," the Faithful explained.
"Contact Temple Mount. I demand communion with the Papal Father," the Cardinal ordered.
"Papal Center has closed all incoming and outgoing transmissions. They've already ordered fifty percent of our forces return to hold that system," the Believer was double checking the logs.
"Is the Papal Father insane or a coward?" the Cardinal raged.
The Believer and the Faithful just gasped at the heresy.