31
The Invisible Jet flew unseen through the air. It was masked from all electromagnetic detection as well as electronic and visual surveillance. To add to the plane's allure, the CX-17 was heavily modified from its banal C-17 cousins in that it was a supersonic aircraft. So a transcontinental flight from LexCorp's outer Metropolis airfield to Coast City would take less than an hour compared to the three hour long subsonic variant.
The Justice League of America now boasted more than an impressive plane. It had an official headquarters now. Max Lord had convinced the United Nations' Secretary-General to cede the Brooklyn site for the Hall of Justice over to the JLA. And Max had already built a facility to Amanda Waller's specifications. In preparation for the handover, in exchange, ARGUS in general and the JLA in particular, guaranteed a high degree of cooperation with the UN's Justice League International.
However, after Atlantean, Almeracian, and World Army troops had ravaged New York City in efforts to capture the World Body, native New Yorkers were less than thrilled to have a Justice League returning to their city. Petitions and protests had been underway for a week now. Pundits debated, editorials were written, and newscaster interviewed countless people on the street. And all of it was useless because the bureaucracies had already decided the fate of the common man.
Otherwise, the JLA rode a wave if accolades concerning their mission to Gotham City just a short two weeks ago. Even POTUS himself fanned the flames of the praise in order to liven up his own Presidential legacy which would be ending in thirteen more months. Waller was already sifting through the candidate pools determining who would be the most malleable.
Col. Steve Trevor sat at the communications console within the Invisible Jet's cockpit, "Anything new to report, Sue?"
Sue Dibney, longtime wife of the Elongated Man and current Chief of Operations for the JLA, sighed, "No, Ferris Security is overwhelmed by the Legion members attacking their hub facility in Coast City. Since Ralph is on inactive duty, I have him running down radio intercepts to track down who all is involved."
"Tell him he has another ten minutes and we'll go with what he already has," Trevor told her, "We need to get our planning brief underway so we can cook up a good countermeasure to the crisis."
"He'll be ready. He's just being nitpicky at this point," Sue said wryly, "Ralph's just pissed that Guy got cleared for duty and he was left behind."
"Gardner has a thicker head," Trevor chuckled, "And assure him any contribution the Elongated Man makes to a case is a valuable one."
"Oh God, no. He'd be absolutely insufferable then," Sue laughed
"Any news on Selina and Kitrina?" Trevor wondered.
Selina Kyle and Kitrina Falcone served the JLA at Trevor's behest. Catwoman had a remarkable record with the Justice League Unlimited. She had an even longer rap sheet with the Gotham City Police Department and INTERPOL. Kitrina was Roman Falcone's niece and was wanted by the police under her old pseudonym "Kittyhawk" before she became Catgirl. Since her supposed "disappearance" and moving in with Holly Granger, Kitrina was now sought after by the Falcone crime family and the GCPD alike.
So Catwoman and Catgirl were unofficial members of the JLA and were excused from all the press conferences and official dispatches. And at this moment in time, they were enjoying the sights and sounds of Monte Carlo in one of the city's finest, and most expensive, 5 star hotels. Selina had refused to undertake the mission otherwise. Waller had tapped into the ever shrinking black funds and paid their way.
Sue knew Trevor's interests in Selina were conflicted. She was obviously infatuated with him. To a degree that eclipsed her usual penchant for Batman. Trevor was coyer regarding how he felt. But the truth of the matter seemed to color his responses where Catwoman was concerned.
"Do either Selina or Kitrina have a clue Spoiler is on their tail?" Trevor asked.
Stephanie Brown had been included into the JLA at Batman's direct behest. Waller had almost tripped over herself to get Spoiler into the club. And she was a natural since Cluemaster was the JLA's target in Monte Carlo and Stephanie had originally donned her costume in an effort to spoil her father's schemes.
"They probably do," Sue let him down mercifully, "Both Selina and Kitrina have lived this long by having fifth, six, seventh, and probably a whole slew of senses we know nothing about."
"And Spoiler doesn't know her father is behind the proposed heist she's there to prevent?" Trevor asked.
"Amanda relented and finally told her before she was sent off to the airport. It seemed to just fire her up more. I think she's finally ready to kick the crap out of her dad," Sue reported, "But the offside of all of this is that Arthur Brown is using the baccarat tournament as a cover for the jewel heist Catwoman and Catgirl are preventing. Cluemaster has been given this task by Lex Luthor as a buy-in to the Legion of Doom. Jewels are irrelevant to the Legion's day to day operations so we actually have no idea what Cluemaster's true agenda is. Or if he's prepared to kill his own daughter to achieve it."
"Her mission is to distract Cluemaster. Anything above and beyond that is on her own initiative," Trevor replied.
"Damn it, Steve! She's a teenage girl going up against her super criminal father. No matter how this goes down, Spoiler will be the true victim here," Sue lectured him.
"Which is why Batwoman is our hidden asset none of the players know about," Trevor finally revealed to Sue.
"I saw Kathy Duquesne get on board the Invisible Jet with you all. How can she be in two locations at once?" Sue wanted to know.
"Batwoman is our one operative that can be," Trevor sounded a little smug even to himself.
"Oh. My. God. How did you get Rocki Ballantine back in the costume?" Sue immediately disapproved.
"Her startup needs impressively large contracts to justify its existence. ARGUS will provide those in exchange for her occasional service," Trevor explained.
"Steve, there is no way in hell Dr. Ballantine is up for this. Who the hell thought up this disaster waiting to happen?" Sue was furious.
"It originated with me but Amanda loved it," Trevor confessed.
"She would," Sue said snidely, "So you effectively bribed Rocki into a suicide mission. I hope your both proud of yourselves. I expected more from you both than bribery"
"I tried appealing to her sense of justice and patriotism. Amanda resorted to the bribe," Trevor shared, "Even that didn't work until Amanda threatened to blacklist the company so no one would ever place any orders."
"I can't tell you how disgusted I am with this," Sue retorted.
"I'll survive," Trevor told her, "Don't have any illusions about me, Sue. I will do anything necessary to accomplish my assigned mission."
"I can see that now," Sue grated.
"You may not want to be saying that loud enough for those of us without super hearing to listen in," Power Girl warned him from the door leading to the passenger deck.
Trevor noted how Galatea wasn't even fazed by what she'd undoubtedly overheard. Her star went up a notch with him, "What's going on, Galatea?"
"The others are growing restless," Power Girl advised him, "We need to start the mission planning."
"I'll be there in a second," Trevor promised. As she secured the door again, Trevor returned his attention to Sue's image on the screen, "I need Ralph's list."
She turned away and spoke to someone off camera before facing him again, "It's uploading now. I don't think you'll need me to wish you luck."
She signed off and Trevor scowled. This could prove problematic in the long run.
Trevor exited the cockpit and entered the passenger lounge. The seats were all up against the cabin walls next to windows. He used the small remote magnetically attached to the outer restroom wall to activate the center table. As it lifted off of the deck, all of the chairs unlocked from their positions and slid to the table.
Trevor activated the smart table's holographic projector and an orthographic view of the Ferris compound floated above the table's surface. As Trevor stood to give the briefing, he noted that Power Girl, Black Adam, and Isis stood behind their respective seats. What was turbulence when you were basically immune to conventional harm?
"Here's what we know so far," 2D satellite imagery appeared in flat screen styled displays below the floating facility, "The security force has been ravaged. Only pockets of resistance remain but most of the employees made it out off the grounds."
Stragglers appeared in the thermal imaging as they made their way towards the perimeter fencing. Trevor resumed his brief, "ARGUS is coordinating with the local FBI assets in place to surround the facility and quarantine it. The International Security Agency offered to help but Director Waller declined on your behalf."
"Is Waller completely brain dead?" Speedy blurted out.
"Waller is interested in securing military secrets stored in or parked at this compound," Trevor replied, "ISA personnel are derived from multiple international sources. Therefore they would be privy to information we don't want hostile regimes to acquire."
"So this is less about the people being terrorized as it is closing down a potential leak for the military," Speedy said harshly.
Black Canary gave her a pitying look. Dinah Lance was all too familiar with this world. But Speedy wasn't done yet.
"In three weeks I become the chairperson of Queen Consulate's board. When that happens, I promise you I will be shutting down any godforsaken military projects the company has underway," Speedy angrily announced.
Trevor cast a sharp glance Black Canary's way. She shrugged. She was only Mia Deardon's guardian until she turned eighteen and Speedy was very much her own woman already.
Trevor reeled for a second. The table's computer pinged and Trevor called up the received data, "Here's our list of who's who on site. This may or may not be a partial report Ralph pieced together from radio intercepts."
The document appeared on the table's surface at every seat. Speedy took one last shot, "Excuse me, but are even going to bother rescuing any potential hostages?"
"Let's just run down the list and begin planning for every contingency," Trevor allowed and inwardly groaned. Trouble was just multiplying today and they hadn't even met the enemy yet.
On the CEO's office at Ferris Aircraft, Ultra-Humanite had rolled out his own roll top keyboard and tablet. He was tapped into the complex's CCTV, motion and infrared sensors, and the radar installations. The federal agents at the fences had been smart enough to cut the outer CCTV network and verify the Legion had electrified the fences.
But the inner perimeter, local airspace, and inner buildings were still under close observation. Most of the building interiors were monitored as well. Ultra-Humanite had found two things to marvel at this juncture.
One was that Carol Ferris had built such a remarkable empire in her short tenure as CEO. Ferris had been a thriving concern under her father's watch but when the star sapphire freed Carol to act under her own will, she'd employed her formidable drive and will into forging her inherited company into the industry leader. Even Luthor grudgingly admitted admiring Carol's business acumen.
The second being, Humanite actually found himself wishing either the Riddler, Clock King, or Calendar Man were here to alleviate some of the concerns Ultra-Humanite had with trying to monitor miles of Ferris property. Although, since Riddler's henchwomen, Query and Eco, had returned to him and he'd learned of the existence of his illegitimate daughter, he'd been even more obnoxious than ever. And it seemed the teenage girl, calling herself "Enigma", viewed herself as a rival to the Riddler. And if her bilking Penguin out of one million Euros was any indication, she was savvy enough to be a credible threat.
The entire Coast City operation, and Ferris Aircraft as its target, was a carefully orchestrated lure for the JLA to intervene. Ultra-Humanite and his team had every available scrap of information the Legion had on the Justice League if America at their disposal but they unknowingly lacked key pieces of data. For one thing, they didn't even have a complete team roster.
The Legion had assumed Catwoman and Catgirl would be coming along with the rest of the team. They had no knowledge of Spoiler or Batwoman II's participation with the JLA. Penguin had been nebulous in handing over any information regarding Starling and it wasn't confirmed or denied that she'd enlisted with the JLA. To all of the Legion's knowledge, she was just a disgruntled ex-special ops soldier turned mercenary.
Guy Gardner and Nemesis would also prove to be unexpected surprises because the Legion still had them listed in the inactive roster. And finally, no one had a clue Azrael had joined the JLA. They had less of a clue regarding who Azrael even was beyond a semi-mythical figure attached to the even more enigmatic Order of St. Dumas.
Jean-Paul Valley had inherited the role of the Order's chosen champion after the death of his father. Few in the Order had expected Jean-Paul to survive his first mission. But he had and the burgeoning Azrael had not only met the infamous Batman but he'd been recruited as an agent of Batman, Inc. With Wayne Enterprise's hostile takeover by Powers Technology, all corporate funding to Batman, Inc. had ceased.
Bruce Wayne still had his personal fortune to cover his personal crusade but most of the other foreign Batman operatives enlisted in the Justice League International. Batman had secured Spoiler and Azrael's places in the JLA. But Waller knew the tech genius Jean-Paul was also designing next-next-generation equipment for Batman. Her taps into the fabled Bat Computer were limited since Barbara Gordon hadn't worked on the system for two years now and Bruce Wayne had upgraded several key software security patches since their divorce.
But regardless, the former Batgirl's intelligence gathering spyware had proven Azrael was designing a new Batsuit and a Batmobile that could actually fly. The suit was a technological marvel that would augment Batman's strength as well as granting him sensor capabilities beyond human sensory capability. The new batarangs were also a vast departure from the old school originals.
It seemed Batman was finally admitting that he was mortal after all. Bruce Wayne was nearing fifty years old now and dragging Batman along with him. He could only keep pushing his body so far before it broke down completely. Sheer force of will was an awesome thing but it could only take you to the levels of human endurance.
Of course, the Order of St. Dumas had originally balked at sharing Azrael as an agent of the Bat. But the Order quickly deduced that it was an excellent training program for Azrael so long as his first loyalty lay with the Order itself. In fact, the Order of St. Dumas' grudging admiration of Batman grew as Azrael began to assist him. Their entire paradigm began to shift as a result and the secret cabal actually pushed Azrael into joining the JLA. Waller knew Spoiler and Azrael were proxies intended by Batman to observe and influence the JLA on his behalf.
But the Legion of Doom had one simple mission in Coast City: to beat the JLA into submission. But Saturn Queen had decided to allow them to kill any extraneous JLA members who couldn't prove worthy of the challenge. The Legion was more than willing to test the Justice League.
Saturn Queen had supplied a list of those she desired to be beaten, humiliated, and broken into submission if they survived the onslaught. Once that was accomplished, the Legion would detain the survivors while the LSV Founders dealt with the Justice League International. Then, with the combined might of the JLU and the JLI at their disposal, the Founding Trio would tackle the challenge presented by the JLA and the JSA All Stars. Once they were indoctrinated as well, the rest of the world would quickly capitulate. In the end, even the vaunted Justice League Dark would kneel before them.
Ultra-Humanite, and even Luthor, didn't fully grasp the depths of the LSV Founders' plans. They intended to create a new society. A society geared to follow the dictates of an Overseer. Luthor would be their proxy in this time as they travelled back to their own future. Luthor would use the Justice League as foot soldiers in Darkseid's quest for power. New Genesis and Almerac would fall. The Greek and Norse Pantheons would topple before them. And finally the Prime Universe itself would be ground under Darkseid's heel before the thousand year conquest of the multiverse began. And in exchange for initiating this pogrom, The Legion of Super Villains would reign over the Prime Universe in the 31st Century.
Ultra-Humanite didn't trust Luthor or Grodd's ultimate ambitions in this venture with the future Legionnaires but his own conspirator, Blockbuster, was assigned to Saturn Queen's unit. He took a moment to reflect on Rachel Sands.
He'd never noticed her when she'd been a boring super model. But now she was the first woman he'd been sexually active with since his former lab partner, Santana, had helped him genetically mutate his ape body and she'd surgically transplanted it into the simian body. Santana had never looked twice at him as a human but she became a voracious lover once he was in a gorilla's body.
It was then that he'd discovered she frequently indulged in bestiality. But a few animals had proven too dangerous to couple with. So she desired them all the more. They'd parted ways and he'd since learned she continued her work and had created a mutated, brain swapped sex cult in Africa. But despite her proclivities, she never altered a thing about herself.
When he'd contacted her, Santana sent him a host of pornographic sex films she'd taped of her encounters. Her pay-per-view website funded her work. Ultra-Humanite began sending ones of he and Rachel together and Santana found Rachel just bestial enough to be aroused.
Ultra-Humanite knew it would take time for the JLA to arrive and strike. But even Brainiac hadn't discovered the existence of the Invisible Jet yet. So the Legion was planning on a two-to-three hour respite while the JLA flew in, landed, acquired transportation, and negotiated passage through the cordon surrounding Ferris Aircraft.
So when the Invisible Jet did a flyby before landing on one of Ferris' own runaways, Ultra-Humanite was suitably surprised. He did find it sporting that the JLA had delivered themselves like a tidy little prize. He alerted the Legion and set back as Scarecrow prepared the final surprise of the day.
Power Girl, Black Adam, Isis, Hawkman, Guy, and Troia flew ahead of the ground based JLers. Every building needed to be checked for hidden employees or hostages. Col. Trevor would lead a select team straight to the main admin building where the Ferris Security force had last reported in from. Huntress, Question, Starling, and Bat-Girl accompanied him while the rest deployed across the campus.
Man Bat had already been in the air when the Invisible Jet came in for a landing. He chose, with instinctual cunning derived from his animal nature, to attack Hawkman first. The reincarnated Thanagarian had dropped back from the other flyers for some reason, and it made him a perfect target.
Man Bat struck at Hawkman from above and when he dove off, Carter Hall saw the killing gleam in Man Bat's eyes as he peered over his shoulder and emitted a sonar cry to ascertain Hawkman's exact position. Carter decided he didn't care if there was a human base inside the Man Bat template; he was going to rid the world of this pestilence once and for all. So he was free to engage with whatever means he had at his disposal.
Man Bat swooped around and came at Hawkman again. His claws ended whatever reservations the archeologist had. He applied his Nth metal mace liberally to Man Bat's head.
As Man Bat withdrew, he was bleeding from scores of wounds to his face and head, had a number of cracked ribs, and a broken leg. And Hawkman wouldn't let up as he pursued the fleeing Legionnaire. What he didn't know was Ultra-Humanite had prepared for such a contingency.
Ferris had developed ion missiles based upon technology leased from Queen Consolidated. They created an electrical field that ran counter current to most electrical systems thereby knocking them out. The same ran true for most nervous systems.
So when Humanite triggered the launch of a phalanx of ion missiles from the test firing range, Hawkman had thought they were simple, conventional warheads. It wasn't until his nervous system was shorted out that he would later realize his mistake.
After Hawkman limply fell to the dirt field below, Man Bat landed near him and dragged his broken leg as he crawled to reach Hawkman. Man Bat wasn't the most reasoning of creatures but he saw a simple exchange rate here. Hawkman had hurt him so he would eat Carter.
"Very impressive," Bane remarked as he viewed the armored Azrael, "And who might you be, senor?"
"I am Azrael," Jean-Paul answered, "The Avenging Angel."
"Or the Angel of Death, no?" Bane was amused, "But I am Bane and I am the end of your existence."
Blades extended from the sheaths that covered Azrael's arms from his wrists to his elbows. Then the blades ignited. Bane was delighted.
"Very impressive indeed," Bane chuckled, "But how is this for a parlor trick?"
He hit his Venom injector controls and a dose traveled up the tube from his wrist to the connection at the base of his skull. Metabolizing almost as swiftly as received, Venom made Bane's muscles bulge and expand, swelling with artificial power. Bane flexed.
"How does this compare to your toys?" Bane demanded to know.
Azrael didn't go for the obvious lunge. Instead he ducked under Bane's attempted bear hug and drove a knee into the man's chin. Bane staggered back. Azrael delivered a sidekick between Bane's fifth and sixth ribs and felt them cave in. And as he went for another kick, he was brutally reminded of why, although the bulk of a human being's power is in his/her legs, a kick throws one partially off balance and leaves them vulnerable.
Bane grabbed Azrael's leg and swung him like a club into a nearby wall. Bane released the leg and stepped back to survey his work. But Azrael rose like a mythical phoenix.
Now he employed his blades. Bane's reflexes and speed were augmented by the Venom as well. He blocked most of the strokes intended to disembowel or behead him, but Azrael did score several debilitating strikes against Bane's legs.
A leg sweep knocked Bane over. Azrael could tell Bane was already slowing down and as the crime lord reached for his injector again, he knew it was true. So Azrael severed the line between injector and addict. Bane bellowed in rage as he scrambled to his feet.
"I will kill you, Diablo! I will crush the life out of you," Bane threatened.
Azrael had always been taught to spare words during combat. While they could distract a foe they could distract the speaker while s/he sought a pithy comeback. So as Bane crossed his arms and charged like a roaring bull, Azrael simply stabbed Bane's arms before being driven into the wall behind him. Azrael felt all the air in his lungs being pressed out of him and he couldn't draw a breath anyway.
Ri and Darknight caught sight of roaming Ferris employees. But at one glance at their costumed attire, the employees invariably ran from the Chinese couple. And Ri and Darknight knew that while infamous in their native China, they were hardly known in their new country, despite ARGUS' media efforts.
So they followed a group of stragglers to an outlying hangar complex that seemed shuttered. As they entered one employee shut and locked the door behind them. And then he sprinted to join three others. And after a collective fusion, stood revealed as Clayface.
When the duo spoke, it was in their native Mandarin. Darknight advised Ri, "Be very careful. He can assume any shape or guise."
"But surely he can't fight us both from different sides," Ri suggested as she drew her sword.
Darknight also drew two short swords from underneath his cape, "I do not know but I fear the worst from this one."
As the JLers split up, Clayface grew two extra arms and bisected his head so one eye tracked each agent. As each arm became a blunt or edged instrument, it lunged at them both and attacked towards the two different sides. Ri immediately regretted her early assumptions but she marveled at Darknight's agility and ability to evade Clayface's arms of destruction.
She knew Darknight was an orphan raised in a traveling circus. He'd spent most of his time with the acrobats and tumblers. Scouts from the government had taken the boy and trained him to be Darknight, the People's Hero just as they had taken Ri at an early age as soon as she began manifesting her healing gifts.
Ri cut off each arm as she dodged it but the remaining stump would lengthen out to replace the lost limb even as the severed trunk itself crawled back to Clayface's main body. She knew Matt Hagen had been human once upon a time but there seemed to be little trace of that now. Ri was losing heart and ground then she saw Darknight retreat to an oil barrel.
As he punctured the barrel several times with his blades, Darknight discovered what was really the drum was JP-10 aviation fuel. Which would serve him even better. He dropped a flare in the leaking fuel and sprinted straight for Ri. Shielding her with his body, they weathered the drum's explosion.
And then alarms began to sound and the fire suppression system activated. As Darknight had guessed, it was an old fashioned sprinkler system rather than the newer Halon devices because the hangar couldn't be sealed nearly airtight. But Clayface howled in horror as the water saturated his body and he began to melt.
"Quickly now!" Darknight urged. He led Ri to Clayface and began scooping away large portions of Hagen's body and letting them melt even faster. Ri followed his example and together they ripped away half of Clayface's torso. The entire globular mess was getting down into the drains scattered everywhere.
Clayface moaned as Darknight and Ri tore the rest of him apart and dismembered him. Almost every trace was washed from the floors and from the JLers before the fire system detected the blaze had been extinguished for twenty minutes and didn't seem likely to rear up again. Kicking open the locked door they'd entered through, the couple set out to find out if their comrades were in peril as well.
The history of the criminals known as the Reverse Flash was as tangled as it was murderous. The first Reverse Flash was Edward Clariss. Clariss had duplicated Jay Garrick's chemical formula that had transformed Jay into the original Flash. Clariss called himself Rival, a Reverse Flash. And because of the natures of Limbo and the Speed Force, both men had survived nearly in middle age from their first encounters in the Thirties to the modern era where they continued their ageless struggle.
The second Reverse Flash was one Hunter Zoloman, or Professor Zoom. Hunter had been born in the 29th Century and obsessed over his childhood hero, the Flash. His obsession carried him to the point he wanted to replace Barry Allen as the Flash. Hunter seemingly killed Iris West but he'd secretly transported her to the future instead where he intended to claim her as his own. Barry managed to transport himself to the 29th Century shortly before his own death repairing the timeline. Iris had conceived in the few months she'd been intimate with Barry and the Allen line continued in the future.
And the Allens developed a rivalry with the Thawne clan. No one knew just how unstable the Thawne's had become until Eobed Thawne recreated the accident granting Barry Allen and Wally West the power to tap into the Speed Force. Thawne recreated the procedure on a youth who called himself Kid Zoom. But once in the 21st Century, Kid Zoom went his own way and changed his moniker to Inertia and enlisted with Nyssa al Ghul's Injustice Titans.
Thawne killed Professor Zoom and assumed the mantle of Reverse Flash as his very own. His particular obsession was to kill every other speedster. Wally West, Jay Garrick, Rival, Jesse Quick, Max Mercury, Kid Flash, and Inertia were all targets. Once they were all dead, Reverse Flash would be the only Flash and he would see that history was rewritten portraying him as the only speedster to have ever existed.
Reverse Flash had only accepted this assignment because Saturn Queen, Lightning Lord, and Cosmic King were also from the 31st Century and he knew them by reputation. They weren't sentients that one crossed and expected to live. And they had access to Time Bubbles that Reverse Flash could utilize to kill off his rivals during their childhoods.
Reverse Flash felt Katana was beneath his talents. And as he made two high speed passes by her and striking her, he knew it to be true. But Katana's confidence never wavered and that annoyed Thawne. As he returned to finish her off, she either blocked his blows or evaded them altogether. Now Reverse Flash began to fret.
Katana drew the SoulTaker from its sheath and stood poised to repel an attack from any side. Reverse Flash tried coming in behind her but she slashed his leg. Several more attempts ended the same way. Finding himself effectively hobbled by the wounds, he limped away. But Katana pursued and when she caught him, she ran her sword through the Reverse Flash.
"There will be no escape for you this time," Katana promised Thawne.
Before he sank into oblivion, Darknight and Ri caught up with Katana. All Reverse Flash could marvel at was the preoccupation Asian heroes had with swords.
Batwoman and Nemesis worked together to clear the engineering department's building. Batwoman would inspect the first three floors and Nemesis would check on the upper three floors. Batwoman cleared the first two floors but on the third, Catman pounced at her. Batwoman quickly fought him off. A round kick to his head followed by two jabs and a left cross had him temporarily reeling.
Copperhead slithered up from behind and wrapped around Batwoman's waist and chest. Constricting, he laughed as she futilely tried to push him away and get free. Finally, she aimed her left hand at him. Tipping it up, she worked hidden controls in her gauntlet and a spray nozzle detached from her left wrist. Aiming at Copperhead's eyes she sprayed him full of CURB.
CURB was ten times more potent than pepper spray or mace. It was so powerful, it could kill if ingested. Only the military had legal access to it in the United States. Batwoman had been eminently pleased when ARGUS supplied her with some.
Copperhead screamed in agony and slithered away, blindly trying to make his way to a restroom or eye washing station. Catman didn't know whether to feel threatened or amused. But he chose threatened in the end.
"You're one of those Bat bimbos that tried to kill me in Chicago," Catman recalled.
"This time there won't be any Firestorms interfering," Batwoman promised.
Catman grunted as he lunged at Batwoman. The claws mounted on the back of his gloves extended out several inches and then curved like a cat's. He parried and swiped at her as she used two batarangs to block the claws from striking her. And she began using her knees and legs to kick and strike him while he tried to attack.
Batwoman unexpectedly retreated and threw one of the batarangs at Catman's head. It connected and he was momentarily dazed. Realizing she was coming straight at him, he threw a swipe with his right hand. She caught his arm, pulled him towards her, and swept his legs out from underneath him.
As he fell, she maintained control of his arm. Hyperextending his elbow, she slapped a wrist lock on him. Catman whimpered.
"I'm going to make you pay one piece at a time," Batwoman vowed.
"What were you?" Catman asked in anguish, "Her lezbo lover?"
Batwoman broke his wrist, "That's one. There's plenty more to go through before we're done."
"I…argh!" Batwoman broke his elbow and then released him. Catman warily got up…and tried to run away.
Her grapple gun snagged his leg and she dragged him back, "Not so fast or easy."
Catman realized he was literally fighting for his life. Using his good arm, he came at Batwoman again. She used jabs and knee strikes to distract him, and then stomped into his knee when he locked it. It broke with a loud crack!
Batwoman put him face first into the wall as he sank to his knees. Her knee hit his head into the wall until it had created a hole in both the sheet rock and fire wall behind it. Batwoman stopped before he could pass out.
"I know Sonia didn't beg for her life but I'd be interested in hearing what you have to say. Just to prove she was more man than you'll ever be," Batwoman growled.
"I wouldn't give you the satisfaction," Catman was defiant at last, "Go on! Do it already!"
"You actually sound eager," Batwoman realized, "Could you be trying to avoid prison?"
"I'm not going back there," Catman grated, "You want to kill me. Do it now!"
"No," Batwoman decided, "Because you want me to I won't. I'd rather you live a long time as someone's bitch."
"Waitaminute!" Catman protested.
She jerked his hands behind him and handcuffed his wrists. Then she cuffed his ankles, "See you around."
"Let's talk about this!" he finally pleaded as she reentered the stairwell and went to find out what was keeping Nemesis.
Catman couldn't believe his dumb luck. He'd actually her out of killing him by wanting her too. And he honestly preferred that option over prison.
And then explosions ripped through the building and Catman was left helpless as the upper floors began to collapse and he wondered just what the hell Plastique thought she was doing.
It wasn't until Nemesis reached the uppermost floor that he encountered any opposition. And when he did, it just had to be Plastique. He was the reason Bette San Souci had been in Belle Reeve Prison to be recruited for Task Force X's inaugural CADMUS mission.
Once upon a time, Nemesis had been a Spyral agent. And when the Canadian government requested the UN's help in tracking down and capturing Quebec separatists, Nemesis had been specifically selected by Agent Zero, back before it was discovered he was secretly Dr. Dadelus.
Nemesis had gone deep undercover, including helping plan and carry out terrorist attacks, but he hadn't counted on Bette. To that very day, he'd never known if he'd seduced her or she'd seduced him. Maybe it had been a mutual seduction, but that hadn't mattered when Spyral gave the word they were coming in after the separatist cell Nemesis had infiltrated. And they were coming in hard with orders to terminate rather than apprehend.
Nemesis broke cover and placed the cell under arrest. He negotiated with the Canadian authorities for their lives. Eventually Plastique and several leaders were sent to trial in the US rather than become martyrs on their native soil. But Waller couldn't leave well enough alone and traded Plastique's freedom in exchange for infiltrating the Watchtower space station.
Afterwards, bereft of home, cause, and comrades, Plastique had proven to be a willing recruit to Luthor's Legion of Doom. But from the footage Nemesis had seen, Plastique's heart just wasn't in the mayhem making business anymore. That was, until she spotted him at the end of the hallway.
"I heard you had joined the Justice League but I never thought you would be so bold, or so idiotic, to cross my path again," Plastique's French accented English had softened with her years away from Quebec.
"This doesn't have to become a fight," Nemesis promised her, "You can walk away and I'll never report you're being here."
"You'd let me?" Plastique said scornfully, "Just like that? As if you had the power to change my life again? If I leave it is because I choose to."
He'd forgotten how fiercely independent Bette was. It was one of the reasons it had been a challenge getting her to open up to him. And doing so had been its own greatest reward.
"Bette, it doesn't have to be this way," Nemesis fervently wished.
"Really?" she asked scornfully, "Can I go home again? Can I live in a free Quebec? Can I ever stop running from bastards with badges and so-called authority? All because of you!"
"You were killing people!" Nemesis shouted back at her.
"It was the only way to get people to listen to our pleas," Plastique argued the old argument again, "How do things get changed? Through force! They may talk it through in the end but only because the gun and the bomb are aimed at their heads."
Nemesis knew he'd have a hard time arguing that shred of political science. After all, what were the Justice Leagues but concentrated force to accomplish an accepted good?
"Well?" Plastique was annoyed by his lingering silence, "No pretty lies to assuage my soul?"
"I know I hurt you," Nemesis slowly stated, "You wanted to die for your cause and I prevented that. But I couldn't face a tomorrow without you in it."
"So how have you faced the last seven years?" Plastique spat.
"I at least knew you were alive," Nemesis confessed, "I poured over reports to make certain of it. And I knew that this day, if it ever happened, wouldn't go well. But we may not be able to win but we can both walk away from this alive."
"I don't to live anymore," Plastique confessed and it broke Nemesis' heart.
"If you want to kill me, do it. But don't take your own life in the equation," Nemesis offered.
"You honestly do care," Plastique realized.
"I've always cared," Nemesis shared, "Even when I destroyed the life you led in order to preserve the life you could have."
"What life is this?" Plastique snorted.
"I can get you back into Canada and even into Quebec. I have friends in all the right places to create a new life for you," Nemesis revealed, "They all owe me favors you can't imagine so it would be off the books and completely yours to do with what you wanted to with no one watching over you or interfering."
"How could you do this?" Plastique wondered, giving it serious consideration.
"First, we have to leave Coast City and get down to Los Angeles. From there I can contact my network of associates and they will provide everything you specify desiring. In three weeks time, everything would be arranged and we'd just have to cross the border. Once you're plugged in and settled, I stay or go as you deem fit," Nemeses described the plan.
"Will they look for us if you go missing?" Plastique wondered.
"ARGUS would probably mount a manhunt," Nemesis admitted, "But it's my profession to avoid those."
"What if they thought you were already dead?" Plastique wanted to know, "And me as well?"
"Then we'd have all the time in the world," Nemesis grinned.
Plastique had forgotten how infectious his smile was, "As you say, when I am settled I'll decide our future. Meanwhile, plant these charges as I deem fit."
She began removing disc-like explosives from her uniform, "And be precise or we'll bring the entire building down."
She described her pattern to him and they split and laced the walls with remote activated bombs.
Batwoman felt the first explosion rip through the uppermost stair as she reached the fourth floor landing. The roof collapsed and drove the sixth floor into the fifth. Debris from the impact perforated into the fourth and third floors. Batwoman pushed rubble off of her and knew she was going to be a massive network of bruises in a few hours. And she knew she had to check on Catman and Copperhead. Nemesis and his foe were already dead and unrecoverable.
But unknown to her, Nemesis and Plastique had already cleared the building before detonating the bombs. Now they were making their way across the Ferris Aircraft campus to reach the fence line. And from there they'd use a stolen federal vehicle to get into the city proper where they could steal a civilian car to exchange again in LA.
Galatea spotted Doomsday from a distance and so Power Girl swooped in on him and hit him as hard as she could. That staggered the failed Kryptonian clone. While he recovered, Power Girl landed a right cross and then a knee to his jaw. As he recovered, she used a right-left cross combo to send him reeling again.
Doomsday roared his displeasure which only spurred Galatea onward. Her next attack was a backspin kick that threatened to tear his head off. But at that point Doomsday was done with simply absorbing punishment.
Doomsday's first retaliatory blow knocked Power Girl through a steel reinforced concrete wall surrounding the large aircraft assembly area. Power Girl studied the building's support structure and decided on how to deal with Doomsday. But then it felt like fire ripped throughout her body and she began to feel ill and weakened all at the same time.
And judging by Doomsday's weaving and stumbling about, it was affecting him as well. A voice spoke from behind PG, "Well just don't stand there, you stupid oaf. Get outside, out of range and behind the concrete to shelter you while I kill her."
Galatea recognized Metallo's voice and as he came beside her, she could see his chest aperture was wide open and his kryptonite power source was emitting a lethal dose of radiation. At least it was lethal to her and Doomsday. It would also affect Superman and her sister, Kara.
"I've been looking forward to this ever since you betrayed the Legion and joined the idiotically pathetic Global Guardians. And then you had the gall to join the Justice League. You! Joining with your mortal enemies," Metallo seemed incredulous, "Why would you do that?"
"At least they're not a band of sociopathic psychotics," Power Girl grated through clenched teeth.
"There has to be more to it than that," Metallo reasoned.
"My father was afraid of me," Galatea confessed, "He'd never been afraid of me until I joined the Legion. I couldn't live with that."
"Boo hoo!" Metallo sneered, "Daddy got upset. You should have simply killed him and got it over with quick."
"Remember what I sad about psychotics?" Power Girl wondered, "You just made my case."
She leapt into the air and had enough wherewithal to flip over his head. Metallo's lead lined metal chassis began to shield her and her strength began to immediately return. But it was still difficult yanking a support beam free.
Using the girder, she smacked Metallo's back before he could fully turn and face her. The clamps fastening the kryptonite rock in his chest couldn't hold on and it popped free. The nutrient tank encasing Metallo's brain didn't need the kryptonite to function but every other system in the robotic shell did. He shut down and toppled over.
Power Girl quickly dragged her girder away from the loose kryptonite stone. Getting free of its affects, she began to hurry. Doomsday's enhanced hearing had to have heard the commotion and even that unimaginative brute would investigate sooner than later. Using her heat vision, Galatea sheared off the girder's tip at an angle. Then using her hands to sculpt the molten metal, she created an edge that she then sharpened with her heat vision and her fingers.
As if on cue, Doomsday spotted her through the very hole he'd knocked her through. He began stomping her way and then clutched at himself. He spotted the loose kryptonite too late to beat a hasty retreat.
Power Girl threw the girder like javelin and it when completely through Doomsday's chest and imbedded there. He collapsed and Power Girl used her X-Ray vision to examine the wound. She'd speared his heart and it was torn to literal shreds. And with the steel girder planted within him, and the kryptonite radiation pouring over him, Doomsday wasn't regenerating this time.
Power Girl made her own exit and went airborne to see what had transpired while she'd been ambushed. Seeing others in trouble she began to prioritize a response.
"I can't believe you never mentioned being married," Crimson Fox bitterly complained.
Animal Man turned on her, "Let's cut the crap, okay? You're just mad and turned on because your pheromonal love potion jungle juice doesn't work on me. And that's true of your twin sister as well."
"What did you say?" Crimson Fox gasped.
"Your identical twin sister, the one you used to swap wearing the costume back and forth with," Animal Man stated flatly, "That was in the old JLU days. Since you joined the JLA, she hasn't made an appearance. I'm guessing she's more of a French patriot than you are and objected to joining an American team. And it would explain why she isn't as fluent in English."
"How long have you known?" Crimson Fox whispered.
"Almost as soon as I caught the difference in scent every time I worked with 'you'," Animal Man confessed, "I kept it to myself in the JLU days because the organization was pretty loosely run. But the JLA is a completely different 'animal' and the missions we go on are even more risky. It seemed right that Waller and Trevor know the truth."
"And?" Crimson Fox dreaded his answer.
"They already knew," Animal Man almost laughed, "This is what they do and they're damn good at it. Waller also knew your sister retired rather than have two Crimson Foxes be spotted running around France and the US at the same time. What no one knows is why you signed up for an American sponsored Justice League."
"They need to pay," Crimson Fox said with venom lacing her voice.
"Okay, who are the nebulous 'them'?" Animal wondered.
"The Legion of Doom. Before Waller asked me to join the JLA I'd already tired of Superman's tactics that played catch and release with the Legion. We'd stop them, taking horrific losses along the way, we'd incarcerate them and they might spend six months in prison before escaping or being liberated to come back at the world in order to terrorize it," Crimson Fox answered, "And in the JLA I could do more about it than prowling about Paris."
"Then we have something in common," Animal Man shared.
An explosion ripped up the concrete next to them. Spotting a caped figure on a neighboring roof, they sprinted closer to the building where the villain couldn't get a straight shot at them. Crimson Fox got an odd look.
"Did your wife ever get used to this life?" she asked.
"Hell, she barely tolerated me being a Hollywood stuntman," Animal Man admitted, "But when she finally got kidnapped to get at me, it was the last straw. She threw me out and moved my so-called best friend in. Since then I've been waiting for divorce papers but she won't file."
"Why? It's what she wants," Crimson Fox didn't understand either.
"Because whoever files has to pay court costs," Animal Man said bitterly.
"So…because you're still married you won't…?" Crimson Fox asked.
"No," Animal Man was still trying to spot where their foe had gone.
"I admire that," Crimson Fox shared, "You should file the damn papers yourself but I admire your self control."
"I'm glad you approve. It's a pain in my ass," Animal Man spotted a cape furl over the roof's edge; "We need to move."
"Why haven't you filed?" Crimson Fox wouldn't let it go, "Do you still love her and you don't want it to end?"
"I'll happy to end it as soon as I get a day off," Animal Man complained.
Another power beam tore through the concrete before them. An electromagnetic signal that coalesced into Blackrock stood before them, "No more running, I'm afraid."
He saw them both tense up, "Ah, ah, as cozy as you two look I can still blast you before you twitch."
"So why don't you?" Crimson Fox inquired.
Animal Man wondered what the hell it was with her and the questions today. Blackrock obliged her anyway, "Because I'm not murderer. I'd rather hold you here in an electrostatic shield and leave the brutality to my more bloodthirsty comrades. Although, I'm told the mission commander doesn't mind a few fatalities."
"Who is the mission commander?" This time Animal Man approved of Crimson Fox's question.
"I don't know and I'm being paid enough not to care," Blackrock answered, "So we'll make do with the situation."
He cried out and stumbled forward. He was unconscious before Animal Man caught him. Crimson Fox looked towards Power Girl as Galatea lifted the power stone off the ground.
"Well, that was…anticlimactic," Crimson Fox decided.
"You want excitement?" PG asked, "Col. Trevor's group is headed straight into some kind of ambush. The Scarecrow has been prepping bodies for God knows what."
"Something to that rock?" Animal Man asked.
"It's actually a rather advanced piece of alien technology despite its simple appearances," Power Girl assessed.
"And you've seen your share of alien tech?" Animal Man was dubious.
"I grew up in STAR Labs and my dad is Emil Hamilton. You figure it out," Power Girl tossed the stone to him; "I need to run. Other people need help too."
"Others?" Crimson Fox asked.
"Hawkman is on the menu so I need to hurry," Power Girl streaked off.
"Eaten?" Crimson Fox asked Animal Man.
"Who knows?" he sighed.
Queen Bee was an exceptionally gifted flyer. She could instantly stop and shift into any direction without changing where she was facing. That was something Troia envied her for.
Zazzala had also augmented her weaponry. Besides her techno-virus dealing wand, she now wore wrist "stinger" blasters. Donna Troy's Amazon bracelets could stop the nanites from the techno-virus wand from infecting her but the bioelectric stings from the wrist blasters were conducted by the bracelets rather than deflected.
If the nanites ever infused Troia's cells she would become a warrior bee in Queen Bee's cause just as any male would become a breeding drone. All of which annoyed Troia. And most of all, she was irritated by the fact Zazzala's multifaceted eyes seemed to track her wherever she went.
Man Bat never saw Power Girl hit him. The already heavily injured Man Bat added a broken jaw to his list of injuries. Hawkman was already rousing.
"Thanks. I was getting around to that," Carter told her.
"Never mind, Donna needs your help," Power Girl alerted him.
"Where is she?" he was almost frantic.
Power Girl gave him directions and he was still slipping on his helmet as he took flight. A hundred yards out he unclipped his mace from his belt and threw a few test swings. And he flew like his life deepened on it.
"I guess that answers that question," Power Girl brightly mused.
Troia barely spotted Hawkman's approaching dive but she managed to before Queen Bee did. Distracting Queen Bee, Troia kept Zazzala blindsided as Carter hit her full force with his mace. Queen been was dazed as she lay on the concrete.
Hawkman landed on Queen Bee's wrist blasters, "Are you okay?"
"Are you?" Troia retorted.
"Galatea did the same service for me so there's no need to feel insulted," Hawkman insisted.
"I wasn't insulted until you implied that I should be," Troia shot at him. She reached down and snapped the virus wand in half, "Okay, thanks. I needed the help after all."
"I'm just glad to get here in time," Hawkman blurted.
"Really? Why?" Donna asked innocently.
"Oh grife, just kill me now," Queen Bee's head thunked back onto the concrete.
"I think that's a discussion for later," Hawkman said hastily.
Troia groaned, "Why do men invariably say that?"
"Because it's usually true!" he insisted.
"It's an excuse not to talk at all," Troia fumed.
"Ahem," Power Girl floated nearby, "Can we argue later and deal with the prisoner now?"
"See?" Hawkman threw at Troia.
"That's not what she means," Troia angrily replied, "And you are so going to rue the day you said that."
"Just get on with it!" Queen Bee screamed at the top of her lungs, "He loves you. She loves you back. Now go elsewhere and breed. But for fren's sake, leave the rest of us in peace."
Hawkman and Troia both turned bright scarlet. Which totally belied their images as bad ass warriors. Power Girl barely quelled her laughter.
"You have this?" Hawkman nodded towards Queen Bee as he turned to Power Girl.
"Go," PG scooped up Zazzala by her tunic and her eyes began to glow red, "Don't even think about it."
Carter clipped his mace onto his belt beside his sword. Next he removed his helmet and tucked it under one arm. Using his free hand, he swept Troia into his arm and kissed her with a long neglected passion.
It didn't take long for Donna to enthusiastically reciprocate with equal fervor. But Galatea interrupted the moment, "Propose later. We still have a mission on."
The developing couple detached from one another, eyes still locked on one another until Carter put his helmet back on, "We're still having that discussion later."
"Okay, whenever," Troia said giddily.
"Now you agree with me all of a sudden?" Hawkman was dumbfounded.
"Uh-huh," Troia said dreamily.
"Were you like this with Blackhawk?" Hawkman asked Power Girl.
"Still am on occasion," she confessed.
Hawkman stripped Queen Bee of her stinger weapons and smashed them with his mace. Power Girl bound Zazzala's wings with her own arms and locked them into place with her handcuffs. Troia was confused.
"Didn't you face any opposition?" she asked PG.
"Of course I did," Galatea confirmed it.
"The why did you still have both pairs of handcuffs?" Donna asked.
"Because they wouldn't work on either Metallo or Doomsday," Power Girl said as though it were the most reasonable thing in the world, "Now follow me."
Troia glanced towards Hawkman, "She faced both of them?"
"She obviously doesn't want to talk about it," his beating wings lifted him into the air.
"Yeah, but they regularly almost kill Superman," Troia reminded him.
"But Tea as a range of options Superman won't use," Hawkman stated.
"Oh, yeah," Donna said dismally.
"What are you anyway?" Spencer Hawk wanted to know, "Some lame ass Red Lantern?"
"I'm yer worst nightmare, punk," Guy Gardner promised him.
"Bring it, you sorry sack of shit," Spencer was angered by Guy's flippancy. Ever since Luthor had brought him across dimensions to this Earth he'd been mocked and derided. And Spencer's universe didn't even exist now so there was no going back. But there were fifty-one other universes besides this one in the multiverse. He could make do.
"Ready ta rumble, poser?" Guy's ring emitted a red swathe of destruction and brought an entire building down.
"Damn!" Spencer exclaimed, "What if someone had been in there? I thought you were the marvelous hero."
"Shaddup!" Guy snarled as he created a red dragon construct.
Spencer reacted by creating three things. First was his sword construct. The second was a shield to go with the sword. And the third was a suit of armor to reinforce his personal force field. As Spencer attacked the beast he didn't realize it was replica of a Keyt dragon from Hyperion III. And it was just a distraction.
Guy flew in from under the dragon and into Spencer's embrace. Locking hold of Spencer's shoulders, he vomited acid blood all over Spencer's constructs. Spencer used his foot to push Guy away.
"Gaahd! That is so disgusting," Spencer was utterly revolted, "What the hell is wrong with you, man?"
"Nuthin'," Guy smirked, "But yer in a world of hurt now, ya pansy."
"What?" Spencer suddenly noticed his constructs were all melting and just the fizzing foam of the acid blood near his skin alone burned. He quickly shucked away the constructs, which only left his personal field as protection.
Guy vomited again all over Spencer's field and he had to expel it away from him. Which momentarily left him helpless. Guy capitalized on the error and grabbed hold of Spencer's wrist and spewed acid blood all over the renegade Green Lantern's ring hand.
Guy backpedalled in midair as Spencer screamed and tried whipping the blood away. His ring was utterly nonresponsive and suddenly he plummeted to the concrete fifty feet below. Dazed by the impact he slowly became aware of the pain lessening in his hand. Pushing off of the ground onto his knees he lifted his afflicted hand.
Only now his hand was nothing but bones and a scorched partially melted power ring. Even the ligaments tying the bones together were beginning to dissolve way leaving Spencer with nothing but a stump at the end of his wrist. Guy chose that moment to land in front of him.
"Got any wise ass cracks fer me?" Guy sneered.
"Just finish me," Spencer said despondently.
"Yer damn lucky I ain't yer usual Red Lantern. `Cause I'd simply kill ya, drain ya of yer blood, and feed it ta our central power battery so's we could make more power rings," Guy explained, "But I think I'll let ya live. Which'll probably be worse fer ya."
The Red Lantern flew off and Spencer Hawk vowed undying vengeance. He would have his justice and he knew just how to get a new power ring. Then Guy Gardner would scream and beg for mercy…and none would be forthcoming.
Dr. Polaris used his magnetic powers to throw everything in range at Isis. She used her elemental control to summon severe winds to swat those objects away. Then she started summoning down lightning strikes all around him but he used conductors to draw the bolts away.
Grabbing an aircraft fuselage he'd tossed at her, she hefted it over her head and threw it back towards him. He easily shredded it and flew the shards at her to impale her. Only…Isis wasn't there any longer.
He almost belatedly realized she was above him. Ripping rebar reinforcement poles from nearby walls, He built a cage frame around her body. But she noticed her groin was unsuitably unadorned compared to the rest of her.
He lowered and spiked the rebar into the ground. He began adjusting his belt, "I hear you married Black Adam. I'm willing to bet that pompous ass spends so much time preening in the mirror he doesn't satisfy you at all. I'll remedy that."
Isis swore she'd summon Shazam's lighting if Dr. Polaris began to touch her. Let his innards boil over from the mystic surge. But before Dr. Polaris could approach there was a loud clang and he stumbled forward.
Isis noticed two things right away. First was that the back of Dr. Polaris' ridiculous helmet had a large dent in it. And second was that Troia held a piece of concrete that had broken free of the wall when the rebar was pulled from it and she had murder in her eyes.
"You...you dare?" Dr. Polaris was incensed.
"Not as much as you," Troia hurled the concrete chunk into his face. His helmet kept it from caving in his skull but his exposed face was still highly damaged.
Troia worked on him with fists until Isis calmed her frenzy, "Easy, child. I am unharmed."
"Bastard tried to rape me once upon a time," Troia said through tears, "I made the mistake of leaving him alive then."
"Would killing him now change anything?" Isis wondered.
"He wouldn't ever rape anyone again or even threaten them," Troia countered.
"He would do it again every time you remembered killing him or thought of his crimes and the desperate measure you took to stop him," Isis advised her, "Leave him with his shame. Rape is about power and lust. He's proven once again he has no power over women and his lust will be contained by his fellow prisoners."
Troia's hands were shaking but eventually they stopped, "You can be very persuasive when you want to be."
"Blame it on my patron goddess," Isis said before winking, "And my impossibly stubborn husband. Now, will you help me out of this infernal cage?"
Together, Troia and Isis made short work of Dr. Polaris' evil creation. Isis grew concerned, "How goes our master plan?"
"There's been a few kinks," Troia admitted, "Power Girl says Col. Trevor is wading into a trap and I think she killed Doomsday."
"Can he truly die?" Isis wondered.
"I don't know," Troia confided, "But if anyone can do it, it's Tea."
"Since Galatea is rarely wrong about things such as traps, let us depart and see what we can do for our comrades in arms," Isis suggested. But she too had qualms about an Argoan who was willing to use her nearly incomparable power to kill. But Tea had also been Black Adam's student in the ways of True Justice and her husband was also one known to kill when the crime warranted it.
Livewire streamed electricity at Black Canary and Speedy. The pair split up to present harder targets. Speedy quick drew a trick arrow and fired it over Livewire's head. The enlarged tip exploded and a net cast itself over the former shock jock.
"You're kidding, right?" Livewire asked disdainfully. Her electrical discharges created sparks off of a metal missile launcher. The sparks ignited the ropes and Livewire was able to slip free before being burned.
Speedy fired a second arrow at her and Livewire barely flinched. This time it was a stunner arrow and Livewire fed off of it, "Oh cupcake, gimme more!"
Speedy deliberately nocked a third arrow and took careful aim. Livewire blew her a kiss before Speedy fired. The ion arrow struck Livewire's forehead and disrupted her electrical powers and her adapted nervous system.
Livewire was barely standing when Black Canary applied the coup de grace to knock Livewire out. Speedy boasted, "It's like Grandpa Ted always taught, fill them with overconfidence before you bring it from the floor."
Dinah Lance gave Mia Deardon a wry look and Speedy shrugged, "Yeah, I know he's only five years older than me now but he'll always be 'Grandpa Ted' to me."
Black Canary squeezed Speedy's hand. The girl had lost everything more than once yet she was always resilient and kept fighting. Even against her own HIV diagnosis.
And in three weeks, she'd be the richest eighteen year old in America and the youngest Chairperson of the Board as well. Dinah's role as her guardian would be officially over. But they'd still be family.
Black Adam couldn't recall how he'd gotten into such a ludicrous position. Bizarro had him in a full Nelson and was trying to break his neck. And Atomic Skull was blasting away at him with enough radiation to test his invulnerability.
Suddenly Bizarro released his grip. Black Adam looked to the sky to see Power Girl dragging the distorted clone off into space. Atomic Skull looked totally unnerved.
"Aw crap," was all he had time to say before Black Adam put him down.
Black Adam waited but Power Girl didn't return. He lingered a while longer, torn between checking on his wife and learning the fate of his prized would-be daughter. Finally, Black Adam's relief was manifest as PG landed in front of him.
"Remember Guy and Ralph saying they'd encountered an unknown Bizarro clone? And Guy tersely saying he'd 'desalt with it'?" Power Girl inquired, "I found the clone on the dark side of the moon where I dropped the actual Bizarro off at. And there's some kind of fortification built miles away. Something I think we should all be aware of."
"How is Isis?" Black Adam asked knowing Galatea could easily tell him.
She used her X-Ray vision and swept the campus, "She's fine but I think she and Donna need a moment to resolve a personal crisis."
"Very well," Black Adam huffed, "One minute."
Power Girl rolled her eyes.
It took Vigilante three shots to knock Cheetah out. He tipped back his ten-gallon hat, "Ah'll be hornswoggled. Ah kin't believe it took three hyperkinetic rounds ta put that kitten ta bed."
"She may have been even tougher if she hadn't been afraid I'd rip her throat out if she attacked you," Vixen purred.
"Well, there wus that too," Vigilante's ego bubble burst.
"Take off that bandito mask and thank me properly," Vixen demanded.
"Why ma'am, ya'll make me blush," Vig tugged his mask off of his nose and mouth.
"No, you won't. You're a shameless slut when you're in love," Vixen countered.
"So, ya'll think Ah'm in love?" Vigilante had to ask.
"I know it to be a fact, Cowboy," Vixen wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders, "Now c'mere you."
Their kiss lasted until they heard beating wings. Vixen looked annoyed, "You're a horrible mood killer, Carter."
"Are we done yet?" he asked in reply.
"You're just jealous," Vixen accused.
He didn't deny it, "Power Girl spotted that the Colonel is leading his team into a trap. We're rallying the troops to help."
"We're already movin' out," Vigilante promised as he affixed his mask with one hand and pulled Vixen by the hand with the other.
Azrael could feel Bane's strength waning. So the Venom metabolized out of the system as quickly as it did entering the system. He needed a distraction and he could free himself. And then Katana led Darknight and Ri into the area.
"Stand down," Darknight commanded.
"Or what, hombre?" Bane inquired.
But he'd shifted his weight to look over his shoulder. Azrael pulled his knees up and shoved with his arms as he pushed out with his legs. Bane's stance was broken and he stumbled backwards.
"Will you interfere?" Bane asked Katana, the only one he feared out of the group.
"No," Katana pledged.
Azrael ignited his blades again and went on the offensive. Now he knew exactly how fast Bane could be and wasn't any longer. His attacks were expertly placed and Bane was quickly hamstrung with most of his major ligaments having been severed. Bane collapsed on the ground and lay groaning.
"Are you done yet?" Katana asked Azrael.
"For now," Azrael pledged.
"Good, we are rendezvousing with our team at the main administration building. There has been no communication from Col. Trevor or his team. The worst may have befallen them," Katana explained.
"Then we should hurry," Azrael agreed.
Trevor's team came upon the admin building with no interference. But upon arrival, they found the entire security force rousing from slumber. Each of them had a device attached to their wrist.
"Question, I need an opinion on what that is," Trevor ordered.
"It appears to be a Venom injector similar to Bane's," Question noted.
"But there's no hose attached to the base of their skulls," Huntress protested.
"What's in the vials?" Bat-Girl wondered.
"And excellent query," Question went to remove the vial from an injector and suddenly it activated. The entire vial drained into the wearer in seconds, "It seems to be inserted into the veins of the wrist."
Suddenly every man and woman wearing an injector began to swell as their muscles expanded. Clothing was ripped and torn as its wearers grew too large for it. Trevor and his team backed away from the security force. One guard followed Starling and Bat-Girl.
"Hey honies, just gimme some sugar and we'll be cool," he leered at them, "You won't say 'no' after I'm balls deep inside of you."
"I'm saying 'no' right now," Starling grated as he lifted her rifle and took aim.
"No, you're not!" he yelled and lunged at them.
Starling put two bullets in his chest and one in his forehead. The other security guards grew even more agitated. Trevor was worried.
"Shit, Eve. What have you done?" he asked.
"He wasn't afraid," Starling reported, "There wasn't an ounce of natural, instinctual human fear in him. He was just going to keep coming until he got what he wanted."
"None of them do," Bat-Girl observed as the Chief of Security waved his frenzied cohorts on to attack the JLA.
"Oh crap," Trevor grimaced.