7 Justice League the Corps
Mary Batson led her brother Billy and his girlfriend, Courtney Whitmore, out of the food court in the sprawling Mall of America. Billy and Courtney had only just reunited after a painful break up instigated by Courtney. She'd been driven by a mad plan to link up with her much fantasized obsession, Al Rothstein.
Of course, all of these players had other guises. Billy and Mary, when invoking the name of the wizard, Shazam, became Captain and Mary Marvel respectively. Courtney was known to the world as Stargirl. Al's secret identity was as Atom Smasher.
Mary's own boyfriend, Ray Terra, operated as the Ray. He and Freddy Freeman were off on an errand together. The lame Freddy would transform into Captain Marvel Jr. when he invoked the name of his greatest hero, also known as Captain Marvel. Of course this prohibited Junior from reciting his own name lest he transform back into Freddy inadvertently.
Things were still a bit tender between Billy and Courtney. He'd been badly hurt by her actions and only his sincere and profound love for her compelled him to take her back. As it was, her veracity was still in question and trust was a fragile commodity.
The normally vibrant Courtney was very subdued. Billy instinctively knew that a gesture was required. He sidled up next to Courtney and gently, almost gingerly, took hold of her hand. She gazed up at him and surprise shone in her eyes. He smiled at her and it was a genuine smile, full of warmth and of hope.
"It's gonna be okay, Court. Just give it time," he advised.
She was so happy that tears came to her eyes. He halted and pulled her to a stop. Wiping away the tears, he rested his forehead on hers, "I never stopped loving you. That's why I know it'll be okay `cause it's already been as bad as it can be and we survived."
He grinned and mischief sparkled in his eyes, "Someone may have wandered around a bit but she came back to me and I believe in her,"
"Billy, I…" Courtney fumbled for words.
"Court, you don't have to say anything right now. You being here is enough for me. Now c'mon, let's catch up with Mary before she thinks we got lost," he said.
Mary had indeed wondered that very thing. She'd come back to find them head to head. Recognizing the importance of the moment, she wisely stepped aside and took up position at the railing that kept people from falling into the theme park that dominated the center of the mall.
Billy walked up to her, still holding Courtney's hand, "What's up?"
She gave him a wry look, "I'm not the one stopping in the middle of the walkway."
"I…" he started to say but she held up a hand.
"Trust me. I got it but we are running late for meeting up with Ray and Freddy." She reminded him.
"Hey! There you are!" Ray called out. He went as fast as he could and still have Freddy keep up. Despite expectations, Freddy could maintain a fair clip despite his crutch. They joined the others. Both possessed mysterious packages.
"What's this?" Mary slipped two fingers into the top of a bag and started to pry it open.
Ray smacked her hand, "You'll find out when you're supposed to and not before."
Mary wasn't sure if she should feel affronted or chastised. She decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. After all, if it was off limits then there was a good chance that it was for her.
"Not even a hint?" she pouted.
Ray gave her a wry look, "Don't even start to think that's gonna work on me."
"Yes, you are stone," Mary said in her best come hither voice.
"And that won't work either," Ray argued, "Besides, that's more a Courtney thing. You're terrible at it."
"Hey!" now she did pout.
"Don't be that way, silly. I love you because you're terrible at it," Ray consoled her.
"Really?" she had her doubts. Wasn't it a bad thing that she didn't have a seductive bone in her body?
There were several yelps and a commotion began to rise behind them. They all turned and stared as two violet rings flew to them. They began pulsing and the cycle began again as Mary and Courtney were drawn to accept them.
Courtney shook it off first. She could feel the ring warring with something else. She realized it was her bond with the Cosmic Rod and her Cosmic Convertor belt as they sat in her shoulder bag. She withdrew the Cosmic Rod and extended it into its staff configuration.
She spun Mary around and slapped her, "Snap out of it!"
Mary shook herself, "What the…?"
The rings sensed defeat and began to withdraw. Courtney used her staff to capture them in a gravity bubble. The rings discharged and then streaked towards the roof. An explosion later, they were in the open sky and heading for Arven's bag.
"The Orb!" Mary exclaimed.
They took off and ran through the mall's crowds. All except Freddy. He stood alone and made a decision.
"The hell with it." He declared before saying, "Captain Marvel!"
Lightning descended and washed over, imbuing him with the power of the gods. He flew off in pursuit of the others. It took him a moment to remember which entrance/exit they'd come in through. When he reached the Orb, the others had already climbed aboard.
He approached the driver's side door and Mary rolled down the window, "I'll fly ahead to the Hall of Justice and let them know you're coming in and coming in hot."
"Thanks Junior." Mary said.
Captain Marvel Jr. flew off and Mary eased the Orb out of its parking place. She drove through the massive parking garage. However, when it came time to merge into traffic, she engaged the flight mode and flew out of town, headed for Brooklyn.
Clark and Diana got aboard a ferry to cross back over to the American side of Niagara Falls. They stood slightly askance of one another; arms wrapped around each other, and took in the view. Their fellow passengers began to stir and a pulsing violet light reflected off the guard rail. They turned and Diana gasped.
The ring made its approach and she was entranced. But she shrugged it off and then grew angry. Trying to snatch the ring out of the air, she was struck by a force beam from it and she went sailing over the railing. Clark caught her. He'd been a little faster than a mortal man but the crowd explained it away as he was propelled by his great love for Diana as he hauled her up. They were swarmed by passengers wanting to know if Diana was all right.
Clark used the distraction to slip away and sweep the sky with his enhanced vision. The ring was nowhere to be found. He had a bad feeling that the "honeymoon" was over.
Galatea gazed adoringly across the table at Blackhawk. He'd come to Belgium for the weekend and they'd toured the countryside taking in the real essence of the country. They'd found this village café a few hours ago and they'd wiled away the time listening to the locals tell their stories. Of course it helped that Galatea's skill with languages had been inherited from her progenitor and she could speak every known language on Earth. She translated while the farmers and local artisans spun their homilies.
The farmer whose turn it was described his bull's prowess with his herd suddenly stopped and gaped. Galatea and Blackhawk followed his line of sight and became aware of a sapphire ring floating there. As in all the cases, Galatea felt drawn to it but she glanced over towards Blackhawk and her love for him broke the spell.
The ring shot off over the horizon and Galatea and Blackhawk launched themselves out of their chairs and they ran to the Orb they were travelling in. Blackhawk fired up the engines and Galatea swore.
"Tea, what is it?" he asked.
"I lost it," she admitted painfully, "All of my powers and I lost it."
"Well, it's a ring. It's not like tracking the Goodyear blimp," Blackhawk consoled her.
She smiled. Now she knew why she'd made her choice. Still, what the ring had offered…
Dick Grayson escorted Ulla Paske out of the theatre. Behind them came Don Hall and Donna Troy. Bringing up the rear was Wenonah Littlebird and Daniel Cormack. In their other lives they were known as Nightwing, the Little Mermaid, Dove, Wonder Girl, Owlwoman, and Jack O'Lantern. Although Dick and Don had travelled to Belgium in Blackhawk's Orb, they were currently relying upon a van licensed to NATO.
They walked down the alleyway beside the theatre, along with other patrons, and headed for the van. The white van was suddenly bathed in violet pulses of light. They all turned and two rings presented themselves.
Wenonah was the first to respond. She walked forward and reached out to the ring drifting to her. Donna followed and she too was chosen. Their clothes transformed and the batteries appeared and they recited the oath.
Jack started forward and Wenonah blocked him with a wall construct. She lowered it to a half wall and she leaned over it and kissed him.
"Have no fears, my love. Now I know what I have to do," she said dreamily.
"Donna?" Don asked.
"The world needs love, Don. I can give it to them," she said with a rapturous smile.
"No!" neither Dick nor Ulla would ever know you said it first, Jack or Don, but she restrained Jack while Dick gripped Don. The newly chosen Star Sapphires took to the sky and flew off out of sight.
"What the hell was that?" Jack lamented.
"I don't know but their clothes are identical to Star Sapphire's costume and that oath they recited is highly reminiscent of the Green Lanterns' mantra." Dick said as calmly as he could. He needed the two men to get over their agitation and put their energies towards solving this particular riddle.
"We need to get back to Guardians' HQ and see what the League has to say about this or if they even know about it," Dick suggested.
The two abandoned men grumbled but they all climbed into the van. On the way back to the base, Ulla asked in a whisper, "Why wasn't there a ring for me?"
"I have no idea. We don't know what the candidate criterion is," Dick whispered back.
"It seemed to revolve around 'love' if that mantra was any indicator," Ulla pointed out, "Does this mean I don't have love inside of me?"
"Of course it doesn't. You may not have the right kind of love to be chosen," he theorized.
"But what's the right kind?" she wondered.
"That's a very good question." Dick replied.
"Do you think Captain Marvel will accede to your request to be best man at our wedding?" Isis asked Black Adam.
"I don't know. Despite having the Wisdom of Solomon the good Captain is a 17 year old boy at heart. Boys lead more with their hearts than their minds and Marvel's heart is prejudiced against me but for good reason," Adam admitted.
Isis knew that cost her beloved, "Will you choose Captain Marvel Jr. to stand in his place of he chooses not to stand for you?"
"No. The lad means well but he is a neophyte amongst the Marvel Family. I have chosen Atom Smasher as my second choice," Adam announced.
Isis was puzzled, "Who?"
Adam chuckled and he told the tale of how Atom Smasher was a JLer who'd been exposed to the Meta gene bomb and how it altered his mind. Adam and the Smasher had become close friends during their mutual time with the Legion of Doom. They'd been separated by Adam's decision to break away and rule Bailya.
Atom Smasher had subsequently been captured and his dementia had been revealed. Treated and cured, a jury had determined that he was innocent. He'd since rejoined the JLU and was there with them at present.
"Hopefully our friendship can survive his madness and mine and continue on now that happier days are here for us all," Adam wished.
"I wish that as well. You deserve a little happiness," she decided.
They were sitting together on a couch in his private study. The Crimson Queen had stocked hundreds of DVDs and a multimedia center in this space. Isis had asked Adam to keep the collection. He conceded but he had one wall converted to a floor to ceiling bookshelf. His tastes ran the gamut. The only thing that wouldn't be found there was nonfiction. The Wisdom of Zehuti granted him knowledge in all fields. It was on call, whenever he needed it. What was the point of reading what you already knew?
Adam lifted the chin of his future bride and leaned in and kissed her. He could feel her body respond and she leaned into it. It was then that the ring arrived.
Both Black Adam and Isis were instantly alert when the light pulsed. On their feet in a second, they began to assess the nature fop the threat. Only…it wasn't a threat.
Isis held out her hand and the ring slipped onto her finger…and then all hell broke loose. Isis screamed as the ring tried to break her bond with the goddess she was named after. Her powers went wild and winds raged all around. The plants in the room began to writhe. Lightning flashed as rains began to storm. All through this, Adam stood his ground and desperately sought the wisdom of how to help her. Time and again, the answer came: wait.
Adam raged against that answer but he obeyed for he had no better option. Isis cried out again and the ring shattered. Its gemstone embedded into the wall.
Adam rushed to her side, "How can I help?"
"Just hold me," she implored.
"I do not understand? Your healing ability should have protected you from harm," he wondered aloud.
"It tried to separate me from Isis. It tried to sever the very bond that makes me a Black Marvel. The pain was unlike anything I've ever faced, either as Adrianna Tomaz or Isis."
"I doubt that this was an isolated incident," Adam admitted, "When the stone flashed it closely resembled the stone that empowers Star Sapphire. If she is behind this then she will pay."
"If this isn't an isolated incident than we need to tell someone," Isis insisted.
Adam mulled it over than he nodded, "I shall contact both the Justice League and our friends in the Global Guardians. Are you with me?"
She managed a wan smile, "Of course."
He stood and offered her a hand. She rose and led him out of the study and straight to the communications center. Black Adam was impressed by her take charge attitude and spunk at getting back into the fray after the attack she'd suffered. He'd find a special way of telling her tonight.
