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Lashina engaged Bernadeth, Wunda, Bloody Mary, and Speed Queen. The others stood by and waited. Lashina began her attack by neutralizing Wunda, especially given the prevalence of technology all around them.
Bloody Mary was the next target. Her ability to absorb life forces didn't protect her from Lashina's energized hands. Then Lashina pulled the hidden lash from around her waist.
She snared Speed Queen with her whip coiled around Speed Queen's throat. Intermittently energizing it, Lashina steered Speed Queen into Bernadeth's path. Predictably Bernadeth cut Speed Queen down with her Feron Blades.
Lashina ducked under Bernadeth's stabbing lunge. She looped her lash around Bernadeth's throat and energized it. Bernadeth's screams seemed limitless as Lashina exacted her revenge. Finally Desaad's sister passed out.
Lashina coiled her lash and confronted the bystanders, "Granny Goodness uses trial by combat to determine the leadership of the Female Furies. Bernadeth lives only because the Master wishes it. If you think you can take me and lead instead, you're welcome to try."
"I certainly don't want to fight you," Stompa admitted.
"It'll be like old times," Mad Harriet giggled.
"You're obviously still a superior strategist and combatant," Gilotina observed, "I'll follow you."
"I'll take you over that prickly harpy any day," Artemiz agreed.
"Malice?" Lashina asked the New God equivalent to a tween.
"Bernie's no fun," Malice Vundabar complained, "And she's afraid of Chessy."
Lashina thought it was wise to fear Malice's pet shadow demon, Chessure, "I'm sure you'll get to let him out to play more often from now on."
"First we kill Luthor," Lashina ordered.
"Luthor is under the Master's protection," Gilotina advised her, "We were specifically sent to protect him from you."
"Then I'll do it myself," Lashina decided.
Artemiz nocked an arrow and Gilotina drew both of her swords. Malice tsked her, "Do you want to play with Chessy?"
Artemiz's Cyberpak was missing but Lashina doubted she could defeat these women. Especially with Malice being involved. Darkseid was the only other New God that could bend Chessure to his will.
"Then let's get off this world. I'm sick of the Prime Universe," Lashina said with disgust.
"We have news for you," Gilotina sheathed her swords.
"And it's a game changer," Artemiz returned her arrow to her quiver.
Stompa dragged Speed Queen and Bloody Mary while Mad Harriet took hold of Wunda and Bernadeth. Malice opened the boom tube and the Female Furies passed through it to return to Granny Goodness' Orphanage on Apokolips.
Johnny Quick was the first member of the Crime Syndicate to die. He raced in circles around Shaggy Man. Finally the creature flashed his hand out flattened like a blade. Quick's velocity met the unmovable Shaggy Man and he was decapitated. Atomica screamed her rage and grief before vanishing as she shrunk to insect size.
Atomica intended to enter Shaggy Man's mouth and then erupt out of his esophagus. Only, his mouth didn't lead to lungs or a trachea. It was then it finally dawned on her that Shaggy Man wasn't alive in the strictest sense of the word. She beat a hasty retreat as the others began their attacks.
Deathstorm's over confidence as he burned away swathes of Shaggy Man's all pervasive fur allowed the creature to tear him in two. Sea King harpooned Shaggy Man but Ivo's creation pulled the weapon free and plunged it deep into Sea King's chest.
Owlman led Superwoman on a multi-pronged assault. Ultraman refused to assist them having learned Owlman had impregnated Superwoman. She should have been his plaything, his Kryptonian sex slave, Shara, be damned.
Owlman had speed and a lethality inherited from hundred of Talons through the ages. Superwoman had her rage fueled tenacity. Her ferocity briefly made her a match for Shaggy Man.
But Shaggy Man eventually had both by the throat and he lifted them off of the ground. Superwoman desperately clutched at Owlman's hand while Shaggy Man awaited Ivo's instruction. Having received it, he crushed their throats.
Professor Ivo emerged from the Hall of Doom to join his creation. Shaggy Man Mark II was an improvement in every aspect. Ivo wondered what to do about Ultraman.
"I suppose you have Saturn Queen's offer for me," Ivo ventured.
Ultraman relayed her terms and Ivo happily agreed to them.
Luthor's loyalists now faced the Secret Society and their allies. Signalman found himself confronted by both Killer Moth and the Silver Ghost. Signalman and prepped the area surrounding the Hall of Doom so flares, whistles, strobes, flares, and music erupted all around him and his would-be attackers.
Silver Ghost was distracted by the cacophony and didn't see the sand bar in front him. The void sand discharged its air pocket and swallowed Silver Ghost up in seconds. Killer Moth was a tad more reticent after that.
Killer Moth's helmet helped filter out all of the noise and some of the visuals. His father had wanted to become the "Batman of Crime". In the end, he was only loved by his niece and not even by his own son. Killer Moth had no idea his cousin was a meta-human or that she was the muscular dystrophy stricken Vengeance Moth of Channel M fame.
This Killer Moth was far closer to achieving his father's goal than the man himself. But a final flurry of sights and sounds enabled Signalman to escape Killer Moth. Killer Moth knew Saturn Queen wouldn't approve.
Sparrow Hawk fought the Sizematic Twins to a standstill. That is, until Sizematic Small shrank and tried to use his proportionally increased strength against her. She energized her Nth Metal sword in the water he stood and he was electrocuted to death.
Sizematic Large's grief caused him to grow beyond his usual limits until he finally passed out from lack of oxygen stemming from decreased blood flow. Sparrow Hawk happily slit his throat after he crashed down into the swamp. After severing his carotid artery, she left as he bled out seconds later.
Sparrow Hawk followed orders and fled the scene.
Copperhead confronted Hyena and Angle Man. He found her feral nature to be as predatory as his own. Except she was napping her jaws at him mongoose-esque. And Hyena was getting closer and closer to clamping him between her teeth while Copperhead had completely lost track of Angle Man.
Hyena drove Copperhead back and through a teleportation door Angle Man had opened. Copperhead found himself fifteen thousand feet above the Pacific. He promised himself if he survived the fall and he found a small uninhabited island, he'd happily live there until he died.
Dr. Psycho had drained the elderly Agent Steve Trevor of his mental energies thereby costing him his life at long last. With that energy and Trevor's fantasy, he became Captain Wonder, Wonder Woman's ideal paramour. And since all of his physical endowments came from Diana's impression upon Steve back in World War II, Captain Wonder was more powerful than even Diana herself.
Reverse Flash found it nearly impossible but Captain Wonder's reflexes were nearly as fast as his own. But Reverse Flash knew there was a trick here. History hadn't recorded the existence of a villain matching Captain Wonder's description. And as Reverse Flash kept up his attacks, Captain Wonder burned through the psychic energy reservoir that made Dr. Psycho Captain Wonder.
Reverse Flash halted as he was left facing the dwarfish Dr. Psycho. But he could feel Dr. Psycho's telepathy beginning to sway him. She flattened his hand and dismembered Dr. Psycho. Then Reverse Flash honored his agreement and sped out of the swamp to the rally point.
Catman hunted Quakemaster and Double Down. When Quakemaster set his earthquake inducing jackhammer aside, Catman pounced from the tree tops. His claw blades made short work of Quakemaster.
Double Down, it turned out, had a ranging weapon all his own. His enchanted deck of cards were all razor sharp and animated by Double Down's will. Catman was forced into a retreat without dealing Double Down a lethal blow. And the card master retraced his steps to arrive at the Hall of Doom.
Catman couldn't have cared less. If Luthor hadn't absconded by now, he deserved whatever punishment Saturn Queen meted out.
Captain Comet and Bizarro entered Earth's upper atmosphere. The sight of space beyond snapped Captain Comet out Saturn Queen's hold on him. Leaving Bizarro behind, he charted a course out of the solar system.
Bizarro had already forgotten why he was nearly in space. His brain hit a semi-default state and he went looking for Lois Lane. And ended up at her grave.
Fright used a dart gun to hit both Mania and Jinx. While they suffered horrible visions of pure terror, Fright withdrew along the route she'd been assigned. Eventually she rendezvoused with the others.
Lady Lunar had returned only to be thrown back into combat. Typhoon tried using the local swamp water all around d them against her. But her gravity powers splashed it down to the ground once again. Skorpio was easier to deal with because guns were his thing.
She sank him into the swampy mud while floating his ammo above him. Then she weighted it and dropped on his head. Typhoon marshaled another attack. But Lady Lunar checked her watch. Enough had been enough and she flew off. Typhoon didn't appreciate the outcome but he resumed his march on the Hall of Doom.
Count Vertigo cued Fadeaway Man to drown. Then he joined Devil Ray. Devil Ray had killed Captain Stingaree outright with his dart launcher. Cavalier was enraged, "You killed my husband!"
"I didn't see that one coming," Count Vertigo commented while Devil Ray killed the spouse.
Torpedoman skipped through the swamp water but Count Vertigo deal with him until he expended his air supply and drowned in less than six inches of water.
"Is it time yet?" Count Vertigo asked.
"My Heads Up Display says we're actually over," Devil Ray answered.
"Then let's be off," Count Vertigo insisted.
Dr. Polaris crushed Vault's armor and the wearer inside, Dr. Polaris snorted in disgust, "At least use non-ferrous metals."
Hummingbird dodged every obstacle created above her to fall in her flight path by Matter Master. So she aimed to fly over him. Predictably, he created a concrete. That promptly fell on his head, crushing his skull.
Hummingbird had done her part. The rest was on Luthor.
Blackstarr blew Hi-Jack's constituent atoms apart. But Libra was harder. His Cosmic Transmorgrifier absorbed her energy bolts, converted them, and hurled them back at her.
Blackstarr threw everything she could muster at him. And his weapon repeated his results. Blackstarr faded from sight as she transformed into energy and relocated herself. Libra's Cosmic Transmorgrifier registered the power surge but couldn't locate it or tap into it.
Libra aimed his staff-like Transmorgrifier at the Hall of Doom and unloaded every iota of energy he'd stored with it. The base support and part of the north wing was blown apart. The entire structure leaned until the dome that comprised the bulk of the facility was leaning into the swamp.
Zebra-Man had similar thoughts about Metallo as Dr. Polaris had felt about Vault. He used his magnetism to crumple Metallo's body until the kryptonite powering the exoskeleton popped loose and sank in the swamp water. Than Zebra-Man magnetically hurled Metallo's inert body further into the swamp itself.
Rebecca Payne wasn't the first woman to wear the Marauder armor or bear the brand name. But she felt she was the best to have, male or female. Another Marauder had joined the Legion of Doom. She hadn't shed a tear earlier that year when his armor reported his death.
Marauder fought Atomic Skull. He was stronger but her onboard weaponry affected him. Her voltage generators were particularly nasty knee deep in water. Sting backed her up by controlling hornets and wasps nearby and having them attack Atomic Skull.
Atomic Skull ducked behind a tree and vanished. Marauder was incredulous. He didn't even register on her sensors.
"How does a guy with a flaming skull, green flames on top of it, simply vanish into thin air?" Marauder wanted to know out of exasperation.
"I don't know but it'll be problematic in the long term," Sting predicted.
"And depressingly, you're right," Marauder conceded.
Humpty Dumpty and the Tweedles had cooperated on an engine of destruction. Dr. Sivana, waders and all with Mr. Mind on his shoulder, came towards them and he pressed the button on the remote control.
The weapon detonated, killing it creators. Mr. Mind's voice synthesizer delivered his punch line, "Now we'll be going."
"Heh-heh-heh, my where has the time gone?" Sivana appreciated his own twisted joke.
The Superior Five was tasked with dealing with the Kings of Catastrophe. Of course, the newest members off the Kings off Catastrophe didn't realize Disco Mummy and Ruby Ryder had bargained with Saturn Queen. The Kings would realistically take their lumps and be poised to heed Luthor's call should he escape.
Half-Ape led Dr. Dome and Lobster against Tremor. Tremor's inhuman agility allowed him to evade every punch thrown at him and be in place to deliver one when his target's back was turned. Eventually Half-Ape signaled their surrender.
Gulliver Foyle, a Plastic Man lookalike, and Tuxedo faced down Hindenburg with Mr. Morbid's help. Hindenburg inflated and floated above the swamp. Then as he released gases, he came down atop the three Kings of Catastrophe. They surrendered to avoid further humiliation.
Lagomorph laughed at being threatened by Mason Stucko, Mr. Cat, and the Mangler. Mason Stucko's trowel for a hand was just too much. Lagomorph had formerly been known as Dumb Bunny before her gen factor had been activated, transforming her into a superhuman intellect.
Lagomorph proved that point by outwitting the three and pitting them against one another. After tying their hands, or what passed for hands, behind them she scraped up some of Mason Stucko's plaster and coated their mouths so they couldn't complain when they awoke. She dared anyone to call her "Dumb Bunny" now.
Jongleur dressed the part of a jester. He was also the frontrunner besides Duela Dent to wear the Joker's abandoned mantle. Facing the man named Mother Goose and the Knight of the Tower, he used his best material. But he pulled a few punch lines since he was under orders not to kill them.
Ambush Bug teleported everywhere but in Splitshot's sights. But Splitshot fired dual arrows at separate targets as a matter of course. Finding Splitshot to be an existential nightmare, Ambush Bug teleported far away to have some fun.
The Fourth Reich was finally able to deal with their upstart rivals in both Axis America and Axis Amerika. Ubermensch had an early effort to replicate the experiments that created Captain Nazi. But the procedures had warped his already demented mind. And Ubermensch gained terrific strength and durability but he couldn't fly like Captain Nazi could.
Captain Nazi enjoyed the Herculean struggle to best Ubermensch. But he realized the process had retarded his opponent. So Captain Nazi did the merciful thing for the Reich and killed Ubermensch.
Baron Blitzkrieg received the honor of facing down Horned Owl and Fledermaus. He found them to be perfect Aryan specimens, trained to the utmost of human potential lacking a gen factor. So he killed them rather painlessly.
Madame Libertine had always goaded Gudra even when they were supposed allies but actually rivals. She fought the Valkyrie to a standstill. But the order to withdraw came too swiftly. Madame Libertine startled Gudra by simply flying away. Odin's shield maiden was utterly baffled.
Baroness Blitzkrieg amused herself toying with Kamikaze until his rocket suit expended all of it fuel, leaving him helpless. And Baroness Blitzkrieg killed the weak without pity or remorse.
Hunter had killed man lycans before being frozen in time. But he'd never encountered an aquatic werewolf before. Which merely meant he had to hack his foe into pieces rather than drown him. Hunter thought it was great sport.
Usil the Golden Archer hadn't managed to hit Captain Swastika yet. But when he did, it was a heart shot guaranteed to kill. Except, it didn't. Captain Swastika pulled the shaft and its arrowhead out. Then he flung a sodden tree branch at Usil.
Having dodged the branch, Usil was irritated to find Captain Swastika missing. He searched the nearby area, always alert to an ambush. But his foe was utterly gone.
Zaladin amused Dr. Demon. The anachronistic Arab swordsman could prove useful after all, given his people's hatred of all things Jewish. He, in turn, was aroused by her blonde hair, blue eye, and mechanical body parts. All of which were all but unknown in his race.
Zaladin swung his sword down upon Dr. Demon. She blocked and it notched his sword where it struck her arm. Using her other hand, she clasped onto his throat and lifted him off of his feet. Zaladin truly believed she lived up to her name at that point. He had no idea of what was still to come.
"Poor, poor Arab. You're such a beautiful specimen of a man. But you chose your side poorly," Dr. Demon chose to employ English thinking he would better understand her than if she relied on her native German, "Don't worry. I won't be killing you. But since I can't allow you to further hinder us even in the future, steps must be taken."
She aimed two fingers, one at each eye, with her free hand. Lasers erupted out of them, searing his eyes and destroying his optic nerves. There was no going back once the nerves were scorched. Zaladin was blinded and would remain blind throughout the rest of his life.
Dr. Demon sat him down and he sank to his knees. She kissed his forehead, "Too bad it wasn't meant to be."
She left because she was already behind schedule. Zaladin tried to cope with his new reality. And he failed.
Fleshburn was a flaming green skeleton in the vein of Atomic Skull. But like Mano in the 31st Century, his touch destroyed all flesh and organic compounds. But Reichsmark was immune to his touch. So Reichsmark simply choked Fleshburn, breathing being his one great necessity, and killed the rival Nazi.
Baron Gestapo's weaponized techno vest assessed and deduced all of the gigantic Great White's weaknesses. And so Baron Gestapo slowly, and excruciatingly painfully, dismembered Great White. But he left enough of the man alive to drown in the swamp.
The woman called Hel had been a waitress who'd dabbled in paganism until a sacrifice made on an altar dedicated to Odin summoned the All-Father himself. He transformed her into a Shieldmaiden of Asgard. And he took her to his bed.
Taking the name of the goddess of death, Hel served as Odin's retribution on a world that had forgotten him except in comic books. Unlike the Valkyrie, Hel wasn't a chooser of the slain. She was the slayer.
So she was surprised to meet Captain Murder. All of Hel's supernatural senses told her Captain Murder was a contemporary rather than an enemy. Hel warded off Captain Murder's frenzied attacks but she never struck a blow in reply.
And suddenly she found herself back in her village in Norway facing Odin's wrath, "You had one task and you failed it. I take from you all I have given but the memory of it to torment you over what you have lost."
Odin vanished and Hel was reduced to being a simple tavern maid again.
Virtuoso accompanied Saturn Queen in her triumphal arrival. Virtuoso's playing brought all of the captured Kings of Catastrophe to Saturn Queen. And she asked them one question: Where is Luthor? And no one knew.
"It seems the pawns have been sacrificed," Saturn Queen mused.
"Will you make them join us now?" Libra asked.
"Their mistress already has," Saturn Queen smirked, "And so they will too of their own accord."
Saturn Queen sent out a message to all the criminal world: deliver Luthor and the reward would be beyond imagination.
Meanwhile Luthor studied events from the safety of Clock King's temporal bubble. The Legion of Doom had salvaged a Time Masters' vessel and Clock had deduced how to control and operate the temporal drive. So he and his fellow Legionnaires currently existed in the space between seconds.
So Clock King transported the Legion to Luthor's redoubt, prepared well in advance.
