lIt was a seen out of a Hammer film. A trio was gathered around a grave. They were wearing hooded cloaks blanketing their faces from each other. Lighting struck down, blemishing the ground with black marks.
"The time has come," The tallest roared with passion. "Tonight is when we rise like a phoenix from our ashes, only to rise even higher than before". The man raised up his arms to the sky and started scream in Latin, an action copied by his fellows.
Further down the graveyard there stood a large armoured truck. It had two people in it, the first a young female driver, the second was an older gentleman. They were part of the these occultish people's plot.
"Mark," The younger of the two. "How long are they going to horray over therere, I want to get this going" There was visible concern on her face.
"Hey now, we are being paid to do a job," Mark remarked. "And we are going to wait until those rich folks and their money are ready, okay Laura".
Laura gave a small nod of a agreement, for the duo were being paid quite handsomely, they were being paid so much because there were going transporting a object from Gotham to New York. They were told that their cargo was large and they were to allow no one to suspect.
Laura though started to believe that the job was more than the two could handle. For one it was a graveyard job. She and Mark were no graveyard robbers, they had neither the experience or the willingness to deal in body parts.
While the transport people of this plot continued to think deeply, the cloaked trio started to dig into a grave with great gumption. Scraping the dirt off the ground and onto large buckets. They huffed and puffed, two of the three men working started to believe that they should have hired people to do this work for them but their leader had spoken out against doing so as it would further the risk of their plot being discovered.
Eventually the leader of the group cackled madly at the sight before him. The coffin of Solomon Grundy.
21st June 2010 13:13 New York
It was a lovely summer afternoon, I was enjoying my time out of the Tower of Fate, thanks to my work with Diana yesterday Dr Nelson allowed me to some time to myself out in the big city, I was taking my time and enjoyed the sight of one of the busiest cities in the world.
My first stop was a small cafe to have soy milk latte, this act was followed by a ham sandwich. I was going to take in the sights of this beautiful city. I hadn't been in a city of this size before, so the scenes before were eye opening.
The streets were overflowing with the city's populace. On the sidewalk people were shoving and pushing, they were yellow, they were arguing and they were complementing each other. Cabs lined from one end of the street to the other. I found the sounds, sights and even the smells slightly overwhelming.
This meant to reorient myself I had to quickly duck into a alleyway so that I was not overwhelmed.
"I have to get my head on straight," I told myself if I was going to be a Superhero I needed to get used being in large crowds, get used being in front of them and learn how to speak out in front of them. It was easy in the helmet, I didn't have worry about people seeing how nervous I am at any moment,
This line of thought was interrupted by a surprise, there was something digging into my back. It was cylinder in shape and felt cold like metal. It was a handgun and its owner was whispering to me at this very moment.
"Just be quiet," My assilent echoed. "Just be quiet and no-one has to get hurt" He pulled me further into the darkened alleyway. It was a sad thing to happen, this was a man desperate need of funds.
Did he have a family to feed? did he owe someone dangerous money?. He obviously either was bluffing or lacked the skill to use such a weapon. As through my mystic powers, I could tell that the weapon was empty.
"Now turn to face me," He told me as his gun shook in unsteady in his hands. I could do sigh a little bemused at this event knowing that the way he could me was to physically assault me with the gun itself.
"You know," I spoke out without much stress, waving a hand at his gun. "It would help if you actually had a gun"
First came confusion written on the face of the olderman, then a low hissing sound let out in the alley causing him to look down at his gun in fear. Inplace of his gun wrapped around his forearm, dangling onto the floor was a snake.
"Haaa!" He screamed flinging the creature to the ground and running out into the street. With that what was once the gun become so again. Easy spellwork, just an illusion. It wouldn't fool anyone who could tell that there was no physical pressure on their arm.
I went down and picked up the gun, putting it into my side satchel. When the day was done I would ask my elder mentor what to do with it. Just a bit of spellwork so that none would find it except for me.
I walked out into the street once more, discovering something quite odd. The street had become mostly empty. At the one end of the street was a guitarist, on the other end was a large armoured truck. Several cloaked people were walking out the back of it.
I moseyed up to the truck's driver, a blond lady in a mid twenties.
"Hey," I yelled catching the attention of everyone around the truck. "What's ya delivering neighbour". The driver had a panicked look on her face for a moment before it fell back into a calm look of peace.
"Oh you know, Lexcorp stuff," She explained pointing at the building in front of them. "I'm Laura by the way"
"Matthew" I lied. "Must be quite a job, Laura"
"What?"
"Working for Lexcorp" I explained. "How long have you been working for the company"
"Oh for years now" She answered. " Love the job, plenty of travel"
"I better be off, have places to be, goodbye Laura" I yelled as walked back to my alley.
"Bye!" She yelped at my sudden departure. "Idiot" She muttered behind my back.
Once I got out of sight I realised something. The Lexcorps building is on the other side of this district. That building is one of WayneTech research facility. This was something I would have to take great care of, after all, I didn't want someone of Bruce Wayne's money after me if I messed up and caused too much property damage.
"Oh, I got it" I whispered to myself. I placed my fingers together and twirled into my Fate suit. Then I concreted on thoughts of transparency. Soon my physical form lost its ability to be seen by others. It was not perfect invisibility, as it was my outline could be seen if I moved to fast. I also had no way to mask the sound of my footsteps.
Making my way out of the alley slowly. I crept my way to the back of the truck, taking care to not to move to fast or to step on the floor too hard. Their Cloaks were plain, bearing a small skull shaped pin placed in the centre of their chests. They were unloading a large massive box, big enough to hold a dozen men. The box shook suddenly and a large groan came from it, frightening several of the cloaked people into inaction.
"Oi mates," yelped the only one of them still holding the box, as it dangled of the edge of the truck. "Ah, little help wouldn't too much, would it, I'm not bleedn Superman" His knees were bent until they nearly hit the floor.
This put the others back into action as they took the weight off his shoulders, allowing a respite from the heavy box. Letting him stretch his back out and relieve it of the strain. I walked around the group while attempting to mask my footsteps with the sounds of their struggles.
"What was sound?" One of them spoke up. I stopped and held my breath, hoping that they would not search for me. Then the one who spoke up yelped in pain as one of his fellows slapped him across the skull.
"Larry," They spoke. "What did we tell about doing that crap, it's not funny and we won't put up with it". With that sentence, they once again went back to work. Grunting and huffing they finally managed to get the box off the trunk and let it down on the ground.
"Let me out!" Roared the box, causing these cult dressed people to in fright. "I demand to be let out, I promise to be merciful to any that free me" Its voice rang out in dark undertones bouncing down the street.
The group seemed looked at one another. I thought that they must be pondering on whether to let this being out or not. Quickly to ensure the safety of the populace I decided to let loose mystic senses, hoping to find out what was in the box in case that it was something deadly. What I found sickened me.
The feeling of its power filled my mouth, it tasted of rot, it smelled of burning flesh and I could feel the air around me heating up. I knew that I needed to act quickly so I cancelled my transparency and then before the could act I Green Lantern them up. Wrapping theming chains made from my magic energy.
"Fate denies you all," I spoke dramatically, flapping my scarf in the non-existent wind. "I will not allow this dark creature to be released upon the world".
"Is Fate that I hear?," The darkness questioned in glee. "No, its a pretender, a fake"
I didn't ordain the creature with an answer, not out of pride or for a more heroic reason, but because I was terrorfied. I had never faced anything that felt like this before like this before. I took my phone out of my pocket, knowing that I would need backup if this thing got out of its cage.
"Diana!" I yelped into the phone once it answered. "It is I Fate, Not to alarm you as I have the situation under control for the moment," I took a long breath. "I'm outside the WayneTech building in New York, where a group was about to unleash a being that I may not be able to defeat"
"Is everything okay" She asked me, worry clear in her voice.
"Yes," I told her trying remain calm. "I subded the group and the creature remains locked up" I removed the phone from my helmet, placing Wonder Woman on speaker.
"Impotent Fake," It intoned. "There is none that you could call upon that would match me, just release me and I will not destroy you"
"I need some back-up," I explained to Diana. "I don't know what would happen if I attempt to move the creature and its containment box with magic," I sighed. "There is no reason rush though, I have the situation in hand"
"Very well" She replied. "I and Mr Zatara will arrive shortly to assist you, Wonder Woman out"
The call there was a dark sigh from the box. It sounded a bit like the creature was disappointed with me. Odd reaction, I would think that it would be mad at me for foiling its escape.
"Not just a fake fate," It bellowed. "A slave fake, scurrying to the tone of his masters" It let out another sigh. "Don't you want the fame of defeating Solomon himself".
"I have very little need of fame," I told the now apparent male smugly.
"Very well," He told me. "I shall just escape myself"
To my shock he begin bang on his side of the box, denting it with every blow.
"If you could do that at any moment why didn't you?" I questioned
"I wanted the pleasure of crushing the fool who freed me with my own hand," He laughed darkly. "Now Fake, you will," The dented side of the box flew off towards me, reacting quickly I used my powers to transform the metal into water.
When the water splashed on to me I attempted to stand there with epic bravado, but the massive figure that had been revealed to me by stepping out of the box.
"Solomon Grundy," He took a step out of his prison. "Born on a Monday," He now looked at straight at me. "Christened on Tuesday," He started to flex his arms. "Married on Wednesday," He then stared at his own form as if taken it in for the first time. "Took ill on Thursday," His eyes went back to me. "Grew worse on Friday," I collected the water around me with my magic,floating it into the air. "Died on Saturday," Thankfully for me when I magically threw water at him, his only reaction was to quirk his eyebrow. "Buried on Sunday," I started to wave my hands, picking up the chained group beside me, taking them out of danger.
"That was the end," He let out a deep breath, "Of Solomon Grundy"
"No, its not!," I let out an annoyed yell. "Your standing before me now, how was that the end of Solomon Grundy,". He was taken back by outburst.
"You take issue with the rhyme"
"Yes, I take issue with the rhyme" My confusion with the rhyme in a world with said man constantly arose from his grave nearly giving away to a tirade. "I mean you are undead, that means your kinda alive right?," He gave a confused nod. "Which means that it was not the end".
"You have a confusing temperament," He told me in bemusement. "For a fake"
I clicked my fingers together, discreetly freezing the water I drenched him in earlier. His zombie biology insuring that he could feel the cold.
"So fake," Solomon gently spoke. "How would you like me to kill you"
"With loads of money," I joked while gathering power to my hands.
Solomon then leaped at me to which I responded by using the power I had gathered in my hands to rocket away from him. When he landed on the ground, he instantly slipped down onto the floor, landed on his butt and leaving me an opening.
I casted my transparency spell once more, disappearing from his view. I gathered more of my power to my hands, creating a new step for my plan to both stall for time and confine him to this area until reinforcements arrive.
Solomon put his hands on his feet, then he squeezed them until the ice cracked and was rubbed away. Then he stood once more. His eyes scanned the area with a vigor.
"What annoying bug you are," Solomon scowled. "But you know, I can just leave". He then bent his knees, obviously preparing to leap away to freedom.
"Fate denies you, infernus," I yelled out, casting the spell and enveloping Solomon flames. He screamed in pain and threw himself onto ground rolling around in attempt to quench the flames. When this failed he stood up once more, walked over to his former prison picked it up and slammed into the ground. Again and again, he did this, after a minute the fire went out and prison slamming stopped.
I couldn't stop my shaking my body because all the box slamming had sent vibrations through the ground towards me so much that my feet feel wobbly. Solomon searched the area again before his eyes scoped in on my position obviously my shaking allowing him to see my transparent outline.
He ran at me so fast that I could barely react in time to raise a magic shield in front of me. It cracked instantly under his blows. To respond to this issue I teleported to the top of the truck.
"WHAHHHH" The undead monster roared flailing his arms about. After a moment he stopped, took a deep breath and laughed.
"Does something amuse you Solomon" I questioned him while grabbing a flashbang stone from my utility belt. "You find the afterlife to be funnier than I".
"I find your attempts at stall quite amusing," He let a chuckle with words. "But now I will end this" He grabbed a nearby car without taking his eyes off me, letting me throw my flashbang at his face. Solomon screamed in shock once more dropping the car to the ground and crawling at his eyes.
I took this time to cast yet another spell, raising my hands into the air.
"By the power and force of lighting, I Fate, strike you down!" With this the clouds gathered into the air, darkening the world around us until a large lighting bolt slams into Grundy and knocking him into a car.
Using a final spell to restain his fallen form, wrapping him in conjured salted steel, I sat on the sidewalk to catch my breath.
Honestly, I found casting so many spells in the span of a minute frankly exhausting, hopefully I will be able to increase my spellcasting stamina in the future. I usually rely on my runic stones. Their effects could be anything that I could work into a small enough rune.
"Impressive attempt," Grundy stood up breaking my chains with the effort one wipes the dust off their shoulder. "But in the end, you are nothing to me"
He took a car by its front bumper, flinging it at me then leaping at it. The car flying at me with deadly speeds.
I teleport to his last position, transmorphed the ground into a quicksand pit and flung an fireball into the car blowing up in the zombified face of Grundy. Once again on fire Grundy took on action that surprised me. He calmly walked out of the sandpit.
"You have the skill," The zombie told me. "But not the power to defeat to me young Fake".
"No he doesn't, but I think I think you will find Grundy that I do" A voice rung out from the sky, like a angel coming down from above that voice descended the ground.
"Wonder Woman" I sighed out in relief. "Thank George Lucas's editing skills"
For moment there was silence, as two titans of the Earth stood confused staring at me with befuddlement.
"I'm not touching on that"
Author's Note: Part two of this fight will be the next chapter. I skipped what happened with Rebel Kobra because all that was left to do was get in prison or to the police and that was very interesting to me.
It won't be long before he meets some of the members of the team. I don't think I have mentioned his age before, it hasn't come up conversation in fic yet. Take a guess.
I like writing this chapter. I hope people can appreciate the smarter Solomon Grundy in this. There are several versions of him in the comics but I usually only see the kind of dumb version being used in the animation. I used him because I wanted someone stronger than Peter could deal with but also someone who could take any of the spells he could use at this point.
The reason Grundy is so smart is so that Peter has a reason to get involved with the fight with him next chapter. He is mostly going to be support in the next chapter.
I hope in the future that I can improve my word count per chapter. I would like iot to get to 10,000 words per chap. Also I might try to write the next chapter from Wonder Woman's pov but I can't promise it, if not I will write a interlude with her and others from the league.
Any advice for improving my fight scenes in the future would appreciated, please leave it in a review.
Thank you all for reading.