Justice League Nuptials 118
Batman observed the pursuing renegade Global Guardians. He'd removed his bloody cape and tied it to a nearby tree. Batgirl had used her cape to bandage his wounds. Now they were in the jungle canopy preparing an ambush.
The Huntsman's hound found the bloodied cape and bayed at it. The Wild Huntsman lowered his spear and gazed about. A rustle in the treetops above made him look up.
What he saw was Batman diving towards him. The Bat came straight down, head first, arms outstretched. He hit the Huntsman in the shoulders and drove him off of his horse.
They hit the ground as one but where the Wild Huntsman landed flat on his back; Batman rolled with the impact and came up on his feet. The hound attacked but Batman took hold of the dog's collar with one hand and delivered a savage chop to the canine's nose with the other. The dog yowled and ran away into the jungle.
The Olympian rounded the Huntsman's horse's rear and bellowed his rage. At the same time, Batman slapped the horse's flank. The horse mule kicked the Olympian and then ran off into the forest on the hound's trail. The Huntsman unsteadily got to his feet and then pursed his beloved animals.
Batman turned on Bushmaster. The repto-human tried to emulate a python but Batman had prepared a forked tree branch and his pinned the Bushmaster to the ground and he choked him into unconsciousness. That left less than a handful of Guardians to go.
Thunderlord prepared himself but Batgirl leapt out of the tree tops and drove his torso into the ground. She then spin kicked Godiva in the face. Godiva went down but she wasn't out.
Thunderlord rose to his feet and engaged Batgirl. The Taiwanese "hero" was a master of kung fu. Fortunately for her, Batgirl was trained in a mixture of martial arts techniques.
Off to the side, Batman was fighting with Tuatara. The New Zealander's ability to see into the future kept him seconds ahead of each of Batman's blows. Tuatara was an average hand to hand combatant but he was able to perceive miniscule chinks in Batman's armor before they opened up. Forearmed with such knowledge he was able to keep Batman at bay.
Meanwhile, Thunderlord used his sonic abilities to slam Batgirl with an explosive thunder clap. The sound wave bounced her off of the nearest tree. She was out cold when she hit the ground.
The Olympian rose and came towards Batman. Tuatara tried to warn him but Batman tagged him with a backspin kick to the head. Batman then spun around and leveled Tuatara with one punch.
The Wild Huntsman and his animals reappeared. The Huntsman slipped out of the saddle and hefted his axe. The Olympian approached and Batman sought a way out. To add to the peril, Godiva was on her feet, Thunderlord was closing in on him, and Bushmaster was waking up. Batman grimly acknowledged the fact that on some days it just didn't pay to get out of bed. But like always, he carried on to fight some more. He just didn't know where to start.
Superman's voice suddenly boomed out from overhead, "I'd reconsider if I were you."
Batman looked up with the Guardians. Superman, Wonder Woman, Fire, Hawkman, and Starman hovered above them. Further away, Ice and Plastic Man could be seen entering the clearing.
A burst of mystic energy sent Superman hurtling away. Jack O'Lantern and Owlwoman flew into the scene. Jack shouted to the Guardians, "Hold the yobbos off. I'll get us outta here."
A violet burst of light solidified into Tala's form. She looked around, "Not good."
"Oh, really?" Jack sarcastically quipped, "What was yer first clue?"
"Get the tube ready." Tala ordered, "I'll deal with the League."
"Yeah, right." Jack muttered as Tala strolled away.
Wonder Woman was facing the Olympian and although he possessed the strength of Heracles she was prevailing. Bushmaster and Plastic Man were going head to head and Plastic Man was winning. Ice had trapped the Wild Huntsman inside of a landlocked iceberg.
Fire was proving immune to Thunderlord's sonic powers in her plasma form. He countered that by blowing out her flame busts by manipulating the air through sound waves. They were evenly matched.
Starman, on the other hand, had given away his advantage. His solar powers could easily best Godiva from a distance but he closed that distance and now her tactile, invulnerable hair had him wrapped up. Batman waded into this fight. He chopped Godiva in the neck from behind and her hair went limp.
Starman extricated himself from her locks and he wore a rueful grin, "Thank you. I couldn't foresee escaping without harming the young lady."
"A little harm wouldn't be uncalled for." Batman grimly replied, "She's a former superhero and now she's a Legionnaire."
"Really?" Starman asked, "She hardly looks the type."
"Gavyn, when we have a free moment you and I are going to have a long talk regarding human nature." Batman promised.
"All right." Starman agreed, "I'm at your convenience."
"Isn't that nice?" Tala asked with a smirk.
Up in the air Hawkman and Owlwoman were squaring off. Unlike Hawkman, whose flight followed the physical laws concerning dives, downdrafts, and updrafts; Owlwoman could turn, twist, dive, climb, evade, and hover however she wished. All of this meant that she was evading Hawkman's mace and scoring deeply wounding strikes herself.
Superman reappeared and he was angry. He'd worked alongside every one of the Global Guardians that were present here. They'd all had an option to join up when the UN shifted their mandate to the Justice League. Fire and Ice had done so and were invaluable members of the League.
He didn't know why the Guardians were hunting Batman and Batgirl nor did he know why Tala was obviously giving them orders but he was about to find out. Only…his plans changed as a crystalline structured encased him. He glanced about and all of the JLers were similarly encased, even Batgirl.
Jack O'Lantern summoned a boom tube and the Guardians entered it and disappeared. Tala stopped at the wormhole's threshold and blew a sparkling kiss back towards the League. The imprisoning crystals faded as the boom tube collapsed behind her.
All of the JLers gathered as Batman checked on Batgirl. Wonder Woman knelt beside him, "Let me do this. I know about combat medicine than you do."
He didn't doubt her for a moment. He rejoined the others and pointed out, "At least we still have one of them."
"That's right." Superman said as he turned to see the frozen Wild Huntsman and his animals, "Starman, would you be so kind as to thaw him out?"
"It'd be my pleasure." Starman stepped forward, "Ice, stay just behind me and freeze any fires that might start."
"Easy enough." She smiled. She'd prove useful and she'd enjoy the proximity to him. She knew he felt the same way. That's why he'd asked her to stay close to him rather than off to the side somewhere.
Starman brought his hands up and pointed them at the Huntsman. A bright yellow burst erupted out of them and bathed the ice block in its light. Starman stayed within a yellow star's spectrum since life on Earth was optimized for it. He could have doused the Huntsman in the light of a white dwarf but he wasn't sure of how high the Global Guardian's tolerance for radiation went.
The ice rapidly melted and the Huntsman was soon shielding his eyes. His horse reared up and his dog whimpered. Starman ceased his ministrations before the Wild Huntsman was completely thawed.
Ice frosted several plants as Superman strode up to the Huntsman. The Guardian chopped downwards into Superman's chest. His axe broke and he dropped it and went for his sword. Superman plucked it off of his belt and bent it into a circle, "You won't need that."
The Huntsman swore in his native German and ordered his hound to attack. Superman lifted the dog into the air and tossed it aside. Plastic Man turned himself into a cage and held the canine.
The Huntsman's horse reared and struck out. Wonder Woman lassoed the horse and led it away. She quickly calmed it down.
Batgirl strolled up next to Batman, "What'd I miss?"
"Are you all right?" Batman asked before answering her question.
"Other than a headache and a ringing in my ears, I'm good to go." She cheerfully answered.
"Tala appeared and she trapped all of us and then whisked away the renegade Guardians." Batman explained, "Ice had frozen the Wild Huntsman and now Superman is going to interrogate him."
"This should be interesting." Batgirl grinned.
Batman followed Batgirl's gaze to where Superman took hold of the Huntsman's tunic and lifted him into the air. Next Superman drew his fist back, "Why are you and your friends working with the Legion of Doom?"
The Huntsman used a German obscenity. Superman shook his head, "Wrong answer."
Superman's punch bounced the former Guardian off of a tree truck. Superman collected him, lifted him into the air, and then the JLer cocked back his fist; "Let's try again. Why are the Global Guardians working for the Legion of Doom?"
"I don't know what you are talking about." The Wild Huntsman replied.
"Wrong answer." Superman calmly replied and then he hit the Huntsman even harder than before. He went to the Huntsman's crumpled form and picked it up. He braced the Huntsman up against a tree, "This time it's going to hurt. Want to try talking instead?"
"I don't know anything." The Huntsman protested.
Superman drew his fist back and the Huntsman cried out, "Nein! Gott in Himmel, nein! We're working with the Legion, not for them. We've all signed up."
"Who's 'we'?" Superman barked.
"Everyone you saw plus the Rising Sun and the Little Mermaid." The Huntsman answered.
Superman recalled images of the Japanese and Danish heroes. He could scarcely believe they'd enlist with the Legion of Doom. He said as much.
"They enlisted. It's true!" the Wild Huntsman assured him, "Jack persuaded us to all see Bailya's Crimson Queen. Everyone who saw her is now a member of the Legion. Only the Tasmanian Devil, Fire, and Ice avoided her and they're not members of the Legion."
"So you're trying to tell me it's mind control?" Superman scoffed.
"Nein!" the Huntsman replied, "All I'm saying is that all of us that saw the Queen and agreed to join her Meta-human Guard are now Legionnaires."
"Why?" Superman bounced the Huntsman off of the tree.
"I don't know!" the Wild Huntsman cried out, "All I know is that both decisions seemed logical at the time but I can't remember why."
Superman released the Huntsman and then he and Wonder Woman joined the bat pair. Superman shook his head, "That's all I'm going to get out of him without seriously hurting him."
"Still," Batman mused, "Your interrogation techniques are getting more effective."
"I've been taking lessons." Superman smirked, "Now what about what he said?"
"He's telling the truth." Batman opined.
"I agree." Wonder Woman concurred with him, "There was desperation in his eyes, not falsehood."
"Okay." Superman conceded the point, "What do we do with him? It's not like the Javelin is designed to hold a zoo."
"There's a supply of tracers on the shuttle and a few bugs as well. We could plant some on the Huntsman's tackle and see what the horse digs up for us." Batman suggested, "The hound's collar would also be a good place to start."
"I'll go get them." Superman volunteered and flew off.
"I take it the Javelin is nearby." Batman surmised.
"Penny's doing low orbits over the area. She'll come in on VTOL when we need her." Wonder Woman explained.
Superman was back, "Here they are." He handed Batman two, "These are for the Huntsman himself." He handed two to Wonder Woman, "These are for the horse." He held the last one up, "And this one's for the dog."
"You are learning." Batman observed.
"Let's do this if we're going to." Superman said.
Wonder Woman went to the horse and soothed it. While she did so she planted the tracer and bug. She then led the horse back to the Huntsman.
Plastic Man resumed his normal shape and Superman knelt and playfully tousled with the hound. Slipping the bug underneath the collar, he rose and released the dog. It ran back to its master.
Meanwhile Batman brushed against the Huntsman and planted two bugs on him. The Huntsman was ruffled but Batman remained obtuse. Seeing his animals released to him, the Huntsman was confused.
"Vas ist?" he asked.
"You're going free." Superman told him, "Tell the rest of the Guardians we'll be looking for them. You're only going free to deliver that message. Next time, we lock you away until you rot."
Superman leaned in close, "Don't let there be a next time."
"Ja, I understand." The Wild huntsman mounted his horse and whistled to his hound. He waved to the JLers, "Until next time."
The Huntsman rode off into the jungle with the hound leading the way. Superman looked to Batman, "Are you ready to leave now?"
"Do you have to ask?" Batman replied.
Wonder Woman called in Penny. The Javelin hovered above the jungle canopy. The loading ramp was open and awaiting boarders.
Superman took Batman by the armpits and flew him up there. Wonder Woman cradled Batgirl in her arms and took her to the shuttle. Starman carried Ice. Hawkman and Fire flew up on their own. Plastic Man stretched up to the shuttle and then pulled his lower torso up to meet his upper half.
Once they were aboard and secured, Mr. Terrific began treating Batman and Hawkman's talon induced injuries. After examining and dressing the wounds, he shook his head; "You gentlemen are going to have some interesting scars."
"What's a few among a few hundred?" Batman asked.
Mr. Terrific had no answer for that. Instead he turned to Hawkman, "Are you going to be that stoic as well?"
"Thanagarians have greater recuperative abilities than humans." Hawkman replied, "I should be fine."
"Good to know." Mr. Terrific mused, "It means Shayera should be fine."
"Yes." Hawkman declared, "She will be."
"Ooo-kay." Terrific said as he retook his seat. Hawkman's mercurial moods confused them all.
In the cockpit Penny turned to Wonder Woman, "We're gettin' a priority signal. Ya'll might want to answer it."
Wonder Woman listened to the message and then signaled Superman, "The Legion has staged massive breakouts. Every known incarcerated legionnaire has been freed. For the most part the jailbreaks were the result of villain never associated with the Legion before."
"It seems Luthor has done some recruiting." Superman unhappily stated.
"J'onn agrees." She replied, "He wants us to drop Batman and Batgirl off in Gotham and then return to our respective territories."
"So he just wants us to wait?" Superman couldn't believe it.
"They all left by boom tube. That means they're in Bailya. Bailya isn't a member of the UN. We have no jurisdiction there. We have to wait until the Legion is on our territory."
"And you agree with that?" he asked.
"Of course not." Wonder Woman laughed lightly, "But these are Man's World rules. I don't understand all of them but I'm learning to obey them."
"The rules need changing." He declared, "We'll see what Amanda, Sue, and Eiling can come up with."
"And if they come up with nothing?" she wondered.
"I don't know." He admitted, "Hopefully that won't be the case."
"Waiting is all we can do." Wonder Woman decided, "We pledged an oath to work with the governments of the world and not to live above normal humans. If we defy the UN's mandate and invade Bailya there would be severe consequences that would stretch beyond CADMUS and the revulsion that we endured during that crisis."
"I know." Superman sighed, "How about we finish this talk at my place?"
"It's getting late." She smirked, "Are you inviting me to stay the night?"
"Sure." He readily replied, "The guest bedroom is almost always available. Ma and Pa hardly ever fly out since it's so easy for me to go there. Kara has her place in New York and she stays at the Wayne penthouse when she's in Metropolis."
"I accept your kind offer since no one else has deigned it necessary to come over." Wonder Woman said with a longsuffering attitude.
"It's not like that." He protested.
"You can tell me all about it after we get to your place." She said with a victorious smile, "Out."
"Ah declare, you can be positively wicked when ya'll want to be." Penny laughed.
"It does him good." Wonder Woman said confidentially.
"Ah know. Ah keep mah Stretchy Sugar Pie hoppin'. But let's just keep that between ourselves." Penny winked.
Wonder Woman winked back, "It'll be our secret."
Plas stretched his neck up to the cockpit, "What's our ETA?"
"We're puttin' the pedal to the floor now, honey." Penny revealed, "We should hit Gotham in thirty minutes. After that it's a straight shot to NYC."
Plastic Man kissed her cheek, "Is it any wonder why I love you?"
"No, darlin'. It ain't." Penny preened.
"Carry on ladies." He said and then returned his head to his shoulders.
Penny turned to Wonder Woman, "See what ah mean?"
Wonder Woman grinned, "Very informative."
"Just take it to heart and ya'll do fine." Penny promised her.
"I can only hope." Wonder Woman sighed.