Justice League Past Imperfect 92
Rag Doll reached the covey of guards. He slid around the booth low to the ground. For someone triple jointed that meant that he was very low indeed.
He sprang forth and jump kicked a guard. He backflipped off of the offended sentry and then executed two somersaults to land in to the booth. He delivered a right cross to the guard as the other attempted to trigger the alarm.
Rag Doll swung the unconscious guard around as a shield as the other sentries opened fire with their sidearms. The unconscious guard was riddle with bullets as Rag Doll shrank downwards while propping the corpse up with outstretched arms. One of the enraged guards rushed forward and pulled his dead comrade out of Rag Doll's grip.
The guard attempted to aim his pistol, but Rag Doll came up with an uppercut that leveled his would-be executioner. He then dropped to the ground to evade rifle fire. The alarm functions of the booth were destroyed.
The remaining guards took aim. One to the side was leveled by a spin kick to the face. This was followed by a savage punch to the next in line. The Huntress followed with a side kick to the head and dropped another guard.
She grabbed the weapon of the last rifleman. She spun it out of his grip. She rammed the butt into his gut. She then clubbed him over the head with the rifle. She then tossed it aside.
The remaining pistolerros took aim and then suddenly found their target shielded by Commander Steel. Mentally shrugging, they began to fire at Commander Steel. His metal skeleton refused to break under the force of incoming bullets. The bullets bounced off of his synthetic polymer flesh. He advanced on them. His artificially enhanced muscles took care of the rest.
Rag Doll came up to them, "That was impressive. The way that you outmaneuvered them Huntress, and the way you smacked `em around Commander Steel, it must be like getting hit with armor plates when you smack `em."
"Want to find out?" Commander Steel asked. Rag Doll's enthusiasm dimmed. Batman and the others joined them.
Batman examined the controls, "The operating controls are destroyed. Plastic Man, can you stretch under the door and open it from the inside?"
"You betcha." Plas happily replied. He flattened himself out and slid under the door's gap between itself and the ground.
A minute passed and then another. When three minutes had elapsed, Batman turned to the Atom, "You may have to go after him."
"I'd be happy to." The Atom assured him.
Just then the lock cycled and the door opened. Plastic Man confidently stood there and four guards lay strewn about the castle floor. Plas smirked, "I guess you could say that I had a welcoming committee."
Batman brushed by Plastic Man. He peered down the corridor. Although the castle was a new construct, its lighting was still stygian. Shadows dominated the spaces broken only by a single CFL hanging six feet, seven inches apart from another bare bulb. Batman liked what he saw.
Turning to those still outside, he barked; "Obsidian!"
Obsidian presented himself, "You yelled?"
"There are plenty of shadows here." Batman pointed out, "Do what you do best and act as our scout."
Obsidian nodded his assent and he merged with the closest shadows. A vague ripple could be seen on the subsequent shadows as he passed through them. Batman signaled for his team to follow.
Twenty minutes later, Batman and Wildcat had a poor Kaznian guard huddled in a corner. He'd witnessed Batman, Nightwing, Batgirl, Black Canary, the Huntress, and Wildcat as they took apart a courtyard full of soldiers. Thirty-six men down and the JLers hadn't even broken a sweat.
The Kaznian, named Vladic, was babbling in rapid fire broken English. He was telling anything and everything that may prove of interest to the JLers and the Legionnaires without being asked. Hearing all of it, Batman assigned Rag Doll to the task of babysitting Vladic.
"Gee, thanks." Rag Doll grumped.
"It also keeps you out of the line of fire." Batman reminded him, "Besides, I could always send you back to Hawkgirl's team along with Commander Steel and Gentleman Ghost."
"I take it back." Rag Doll quickly recanted, "I sincerely mean thank you."
"Just watch him." Batman instructed. He turned to the others, "Obsidian, take point. Gentleman Ghost, you'll follow his lead. Penguin, you'll lead the rest of us."
"Why me?" the felonious fowl asked.
"That is your bulletproof umbrella, isn't it?" Batman asked.
"Oh, all right." Penguin relented, "But you'd best step lively."
"I'll be right behind you." Batman assured him, "And Batgirl will be right beside me."
Batman turned to the Atom, "I need you to ride on the Penguin's shoulder. You'll be our ace in the hole."
"Got it." Atom replied and shrunk down to a height of four inches. Batman scooped him up and placed him on the Penguin's lapel.
"Play nice." He ordered.
"You heard the man, my little partridge." The Penguin said.
"I think he was talking to you." Atom replied.
The Penguin huffed and wisely let the matter go. Batman turned to Ivy and Nightwing, "You two have our backs."
"That I should live to see the day." Ivy remarked.
"Tell me about it." Nightwing complained.
Ten minutes later they were coming up on a T junction. Obsidian emerged from the shadows, "There are two guards standing outside of the door that Vladic sent us to. There are plenty of shadows around. I could neutralize them."
"Do it." Batman decided.
Obsidian submerged himself into the shadows and his ripple could be seen passing around the corner. The Gentleman Ghost stood at the corner and waited. Seconds passed and then screams and gunfire could be heard from the other end of the corridor.
"Go!" Batman shouted at the Gentleman Ghost. The Ghost flew down the hallway. Bullets riddled the wall as he approached the terrified guards. His hands became solid enough to grasp an assault rifle, pluck it out of Kaznian hands, and use it as a club.
Likewise, the shadows that Obsidian occupied stretched forth massive "hands" and delivered mighty blows to the guards. Soon all of the Kaznian soldiers were unconscious. Batman's forces moved closer upon hearing the all clear. As they approached, the doors to the command center opened and armed troops appeared.
The Penguin popped open his umbrella and bullets began to bounce off of it. Obsidian and the Gentleman Ghost disarmed two of the guards. Plastic Man stretched forth his hands and disarmed two more. The door slammed shut and an alarm sounded throughout the castle.
Batman rushed the Penguin up to the door. He turned to the Penguin's passenger, "Atom, I need you to go in there and release the door. Plastic Man, Gentleman Ghost, you'll go as well to provide a distraction."
"Very well." The Ghost replied.
"You got it!" Plastic Man enthused.
The Atom turned to Plastic Man, "I'll shrink down to microscopic size and ride your clothes across the threshold. When we clear the door, toggle your signal device twice. I'll jump off then and start to grow. If anyone's standing next to the door controls, I'll deal with them. You and the Gentleman Ghost keep the rest of the room busy."
"I understand." The Ghost assured him.
"Good plan." Plastic Man acknowledged, "Couldn't have come up with a better one if I'd tried."
"I could keep them at bay." The Psycho Pirate sniffed.
"First," that Atom wearily replied, "we have to get you in the room."
"So get on with it." The Psycho Pirate commanded.
Plastic Man turned to the Atom, "Ready?"
"Hold me up against your waist." Atom commanded.
Plastic Man did so and the Atom began to shrink. He soon disappeared from sight. Nestled in between the fibers of Plastic Man's costume, his priority now was not getting eaten by the microscopic bugs that hung onto people's skin and clothes.
Plastic Man flattened himself out and once again passed under the door. At the same time, the Gentleman Ghost phased through the wall. Gunfire erupted when the Ghost appeared. Uniformed men and women both pulled their weapons free from their holsters and opened fire. Plastic Man went unnoticed until he began to resume his normal shape.
Plas toggled his signal device and the Atom began to rapidly grow. He went from micrometers to inches in a few seconds. He grew from there.
The guards nervously standing post at the door went from shooting at the Ghost to preparing to shoot Plastic Man. The Atom grew from mere inches to his full height in just under five seconds. He delivered an uppercut to the first guard, knocking the rifle out of his hands. He then delivered a side kick to the second guard, followed by a left cross.
The first guard pulled his pistol out of his holster and took aim. As fast as the Atom had grown, he now shrunk at the same rate. The first guard shot the second several times. The Atom grew again this time driving his knee into the man's stomach. A right cross followed and the guard went down.
Atom triggered the door's release. After doing so he shrunk back down to his four inch height. The door's opening alerted the bulk of the troops to Plastic Man's presence and that of the incoming JLers and Legionnaires.
The Penguin and his umbrella led the charge. Pistol rounds began bouncing off of the umbrella. From behind the Bird, Batman and Batgirl threw batarangs that each knocked out two soldiers.
The Psycho Pirate stepped into the fray and made a laughing face. The crowd erupted into raucous laughter. They dropped their guns and held onto their sides as they howled with hilarity.
Poison Ivy threw selected seeds on the ground. Juniper bushes grew from them. They caught the soldiers with their branches and they troops were pinned in by the bushes' thick foliage.
Ivy smiled, "That should hold them."
Meanwhile, Savage and two of his generals stood upon a dais. They had monitors and consoles displaying all the necessary tactical data. They also looked ready to rabbit.
Plastic Man stretched fort both of his arms and wrapped one around each general. Commander Steel rushed atop of the dais despite Batman's warning. As the Commander stepped foot on the dais, an electric current ran through the rounded platform. Savage and his flunkies stood upon a rubber mat so they were insulated from the shock. Commander Steel, with all of his metal components, was particularly vulnerable to this form of attack.
The charge dissipated allowing Savage to step off of the mat and descend from the dais. Wildcat intercepted him. Savage greeted him with a condescending smile.
"You can't stop me." He warned Wildcat, "I've had millennia to perfect techniques you've never even dreamt of."
"Bring it." Wildcat challenged him.
Savage snapped into action. His movements were almost faster than the eye could see. Wildcat took a blow to the head, then one to the body, another to the body, and then one to the head.
Wildcat unleashed a left jab that connected. He then tried some boxing techniques since that was his first love and his particular skill set's home. Finding himself stymied, he threw in Thai kickboxing. Savage blocked Wildcat's kicks with his feet. His punches were also neutralized.
Savage dropped low and caught Wildcat with a scissor kick. The JLer went down hard. He regained his footing with a hand spring. He then landed a left cross on a surprised Savage. He followed through with a heavy right. Wildcat landed another right, then a left, and followed by a kick to Savage's ribs. He threw and landed another right. He then went into a backspin kick that knocked Savage off of his feet.
Savage gathered his wits while Wildcat hovered nearby, still poised for combat. Wildcat spoke, "This is why I was the reigning Meta-Human Brawl Champ for so long. I not only know techniques, I know how to mix them up."
"Well done." Savage replied and Wildcat gaped as Savage's split lip healed and his already forming bruises vanished, "You've surprised me but as you can see, your victory is a pyrrhic one at best. The meteor that granted me immortality did so through an enhanced healing factor. I can do this forever. You're merely human. Eventually you'll tire. I, on the other hand, won't."
Savage rose and his grin was victorious. A steel cabled bolo suddenly wrapped itself around him. Savage futilely tried to snap it but his strength was that of a normal man. The cable wouldn't budge.
Nightwing exulted in his victory, "All right!"
Batman went up to Savage and put his wrists in batcuffs. Batgirl undid the bolo and handed it back to Nightwing. Batman leaned in on Savage.
"Your reign of terror is over." He declared.
"My dear Batman, I've barely begun." Savage chuckled, "I have until the end of the universe."
Just then a buzzing alarm began to fade in and out. Cosmic Boy's time bubble appeared and the Legionnaire from the future stepped out. He looked to Batman and Batgirl, "Miss me?"
"Cos, look out!" Batgirl shouted as Savage broke free and ran towards the dais. As he did so, he squeezed his pendant. Cosmic Boy was dazed by a sudden electrical charge.
He was on his knees as Savage boarded the time bubble. Cos stretched forth his hand and used all of his magnetic might to rip apart vital components within the time bubble's controls. It was too little too late. The bubble entered the time vortex and disappeared.
"So that's how he did it." Cosmic Boy murmured as Batgirl helped him to his feet.
"What?" she asked, confused by the comment.
"Never mind." He replied, "We need to get off of this platform. We're about to have company."
"What do you…?" Batgirl began as a time bubble siren began to sound off. She and Cos hopped off of the dais as Saturn Girl appeared in another bubble.
"Imra," Cos grinned, "it's good to see you."
"You too, Rokk." She smiled, "I'm here to work my telepathic magic."
"What's she mean by that?" Batgirl asked and then she fell silent. Everyone in the room had the same vacant look to their eyes. Saturn Girl then rewove their memories of the day's events.
"What'll they remember?" Cosmic Boy asked.
"Everyone, and I mean everyone, will remember Savage getting away on a rocket cycle stolen from Roxy Rocket." She explained, "We were never here. Only Supergirl will know differently but I gave her a message to keep quiet about it."
"Is she coming back with us?" Cos asked.
"Not now." Saturn Girl replied, "She's still making up her mind."
"Do you think she ever will?" he asked.
"I don't know." She answered, "Kara's completely torn. History says that she stays in this time but she can still visit the LSH without violating history. I've explained that. She just doesn't know if she wants to."
"I hope she decides to come back." Cos admitted.
"So do I." Imra Ardeen said, "But I can't force her. It's something she needs to work out on her own."
"Here's hoping." Cos said.
"Let's go so I can release my grip on everyone." Saturn Girl suggested, "I'm starting to get a headache."
"Sure thing." He agreed, "It'll be good to get home."
"I thought you had a thing for antiques and past eras?" Saturn Girl asked.
"Playing history student and tourist is one thing." Cosmic Boy rebutted, "Fighting for your life is another."
Saturn Girl smirked, "It just so happens that I agree with you. Now let's go."
"After you, milady." Cos ushered her into the bubble with a sweep of his arms and a bow.
"Why thank you." She grinned, "You should visit the past more often."
"Just don't say that to Lyda." Cosmic Boy referred to Night Girl of the Legion of Substitute Heroes. They'd been dating for over a year now.
"Aren't you two planning a vacation in the early 21st Century?" Saturn Girl inquired.
"We get to leave next week." Cos grinned.
"Remember, no hanky panky. You have an image to uphold." Saturn Girl lectured him.
"Yes, ma'am." Cosmic Boy sighed as he activated the time bubble, "Next stop, LSH HQ."
After they'd faded from 21st Century the Justice League and the Legion of Doom recovered their wits. Batman grabbed his signal device, "Superman! Come in!"
"Superman here."
"Did you spot Savage's exit? He was riding a rocket sled like Roxy Rocket's." Batman asked.
"I don't see anything. Sorry."
Batman could hear the guilt in Superman's voice and let it go, "Understood. Out."
"Batman." The Question spoke up from his place at one of the computer terminals. The Huntress held onto the back of his chair leaned over his shoulder. "You may find this interesting." The Question said.
"What is it?" Batman gruffly asked.
"It appears that Savage may have done Kaznia some good deposing Audrey." The Question explained, "She's accused of war crimes dating back to the civil war and it also appears that she's guilty of most of them."
"Alert NATO and the UN." Batman ordered, "They'll find all of this to be very interesting."
"My thoughts exactly." The Question chuckled.