259. Break the Circle part 19
Beep-Beep-Beep-Beep!
Beep-Beep-Beep-Beep!
A shrill beeping sound echoed like a wailing siren.
It was immeasurably loud for Cyborg…..
….for he was the only person who could hear it.
The android Titan gasped. In the middle of speeding the jeep to the City's northwest, he cupped one metal hand over his ear and squinted his human eye.
"Hrmmmm…..wh-…..wh-what in the world?"
The soldier looked over from the passenger seat. Her lips pursing curiously.
Lieutenant Smith leaned in from the back of the jeep. "Is there something wrong, Cyborg?"
"There's……a mess of electronic signals crossing through the air…," he murmured. "My internal receiver is picking them up from the south."
He was silent.
VRMMMMMMMMMMmmmmmm……!
The jeep and the five flanking motorcycling police officers sped onward and onward towards Phaser Labs.
In the meantime, Cyborg gritted his teeth. "Missiles! Missiles…and lots of them!"
"What?" the soldier exclaimed loudly.
Smith leaned forward more, panting: "Where?"
-T-T-T-T-T-T-
SWOOOOOOSSSSSH!
Starfire soared over the Bay Waters.
Straight southward….
Straight against a throttling line of blazing rockets launched from the recently uncloaked hovercraft of Dagger.
PFTOOOOOOOOOOOOOSSSSSSSSSH!
They heatedly vibrated in the air as they blazed a streaking path towards the scarred City's skyline.
Starfire was just one amber-skinned body piercing down the middle of the nearly mile-wide fan of throttling explosives.
Regardless, that did not stop her from—at a long distance—thinning her eyes and dancing to life a flickering emerald brightness to her optics. Her eyes blazed…blazed…twitchd…..and—
FLAAAAAAAAA-AAAAAAAAAASSSSH!
Two green beams streaked out and converged on the centermost rocket.
They missed.
The rockets kept surging northward.
Starfire gritted her teeth, growled, and adjusted her optical aim—
FLAAAAAAAAAAAAAASH!
This time, she tore off a 'wing' of the middlemost missile. The rocket shook and wobbled in mid-air before spinning wildly off course and slamming suicidally into the waters below.
SPLOOOOOOSH-SPLASSSSH! The second fountaining splash resulted from the charge's explosion underwater. The Bay's surface ruptured and shot twenty meters into the air—dousing two of the flanking missiles.
Starfire soared forward, shouting a warcry—"RAAAUGH!"—and fired optic beams left and right with a twist and turn of her neck muscles.
FLAAAASH!
FLAAAAAAASH!
FLAAASH!
The missile to her right was knocked up towards the red night's sky. It twirled, toppled, and fell dead into the concrete waves. Exploding—POWWWW! Fire and plasma vomited outward in a circle, burning the water's epidermal layer to steam. SSSSSSSSSssssssssssssssssss……
The missile to her left shook in mid-air. Her last optic blast ruptured into its metal belly and made fiery contact with the core—KABOOOM! The missile shattered into flaming shards.
And then Starfire crossed the advancing line of missiles.
FWOOOOOOOOOOOOO-OOOOOOOOOSSSSH!
The dozen-or-so of the first volley soared past her on either distant side and continued their charge towards the city.
Starfire tensed every muscle in her soaring body. She snarled and spun a wide arc. She swung around—low….close to the water's surface, forming fountaining ravines of froth to appear on either side of her.
And soon Starfire was heading northward…chasing after the fan of destruction…charging up energy in a desperate attempt to do the impossible.
-T-T-T-T-T-T-
"Do you see that?" Wonder Woman floated in mid-battle, gazing westward. "Do you?"
"Yes!" Superman nodded, breathless. "There must be twelve or thirteen missiles. They're heading straight for us!"
Wonder Woman looked at the Kryptonian. "What is the likelihood that they may be charged with mankind's nuclear arsenal?"
His eyes thinned. He shook his eyes. "I don't see any nuclear cores inside of them. But they'll lay waste to everything between here and the shoreline if they make it here!"
Wonder Woman clenched her fists. "Then it's our job to make sure they don't get here!"
SWOOSH! Green Lantern and Steel flew up and hovered nearby, still panting from golem-battle. "Are you nuts?" the galactic guardian remarked. "We've got a battle going on here! If so much as one of us leaves, Dagger's defenses will be too strong for Calvin's dual advance!"
Wonder Woman exclaimed: "If we don't leave, there won't be a City for Calvin and the Titans to reclaim!"
"……..," Green Lantern clenched his jaw.
Wonder Woman pointed: "Mr. Irons! Come with me!"
"Yes, ma'am!" Steel patted the head of his sledgehammer. "Time for batting practice!"
"Will you two be all right here?" Wonder Woman asked Superman.
"We'll have to be," the Kryptonian nodded. "Go! Save the City! You'll be a lot closer to doing so than the rest of us…."
"You heard the man!" Steel soared off with rockets on his suit's feet. PHOOOOOOOM!
Wonder Woman took a deep breath. "Hera, protect us….." SWOOOOOOSH!
"Fan-damn-tastic….," Green Lantern shook his one good fist.
"Come on!" Superman waved and dove like a living missile straight towards a towering giant in the Downtown streets below. "If it's just you and me, we'll have to be brutal!"
"Yeah. I think I can do that." Green Lantern summoned a huge mallet of pure energy and soared down at the golden golem crowd tossing debris at him. "RAAAAAAAUGH!" SLAMMMMM!
-T-T-T-T-T-T-
PHWOOOOOOOOOOSSSSH!
The Batwing spiraled over the City. The burning remains of a HIND fell behind the Gotham aircraft.
Batman stabilized the airjet…and was suddenly caught off guard by a blinking light on his console.
He tapped a few buttons and brought up a digital schematic of the City's Bay.
His eyemasks widened for a brief moment….and then he frowned.
"Always with a backup plan. Isn't that right, Dagger?"
He gripped tightly to the flight sticks and---
PHWOOOOOOOSSSSHH!
--veered southward.
Trailing rocket exhaust and mist.
"Clark, this is Batman. There're a dozen heavily charged missiles flying on a delineating trajectory towards the City's Downtown District. At their rate of speed, they should be impacting the buildings on shore anytime now."
-T-T-T-T-T-T-
SWOOOOOOSH-SLAMM!
Superman grunted as a burning giant's hand planted him firmly against a buildingside.
He hissed, struggled under the pressure of the huge monstrosity, and growled back to the communicator:
"W-Way ahead of you…B-Bruce!"
"Snnnkkt! I'm already en route! I'll try to disable as many charges as I can! But I'll need—"
"Three of us….are a-already on it!"
"Who?"
"Nnnnngh-RAAAUGH!" Superman bashed the wrist of the huge monster apart. SMASH!
CRKKKK!
He flew into the creature, mercilessly pummeling it with charging, Kryptonian fists. "Henry and Diana! They're taking the things out as we speak!"
"Who is the third?"
"I-I definitely saw Starfire!" Superman shouted and slammed his foot across the crown of the giant. CRACK! "She's taken a few of them out already!"
"…………that still isn't enough!"
Superman hovered above a collapsing giant, panting in the golden glow of hundreds of compacted golems in the Downtown Streets below him. "Well what d-do you suggest, Bruce? I doubt you have enough ammo in that plane of yours!"
"At least I might have a chance to determine where those missiles are coming from. Then I might need real help."
SWOOOOSH! Green Lantern streaked backwards besides Superman, holding up his ring finger and summoning a force field to block the slams and punches of an advancing golem giant. "Tell that mangy bat to hurry the Hell up if he wants to get us anywhere with—"
PHHHHHWWWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-OOOOOOSSSSSH!
Superman and Green Lantern flinched as the rocket soared directly overhead, nearly blowing them over.
Superman grunted.
Green Lantern bit his lips. "N-Never mind then!"
-T-T-T-T-T-T-
PHWOOOOSSSH!
Batman's cockpit shook and rattled from the intense speed with which he was accelerating southward.
Lights splashing against the inner curves of his computerized cockpit window zeroed in on the targets far away over the water.
The targets grew and grew in size and velocity.
As Batman's gloved hands clung tightly to the handles, he spotted three figures. One silver. The other belonging to Wonder Woman. The third….streaking green light.
The Dark Knight's eyes narrowed. "I hope you trained your Titan well, Robin…."
-T-T-T-T-T-T-
"RAAAAAUGH!" Starfire shouted as she flew at high speed and caught up to the flaring rear of one missile.
Sneering, she charged a starbolt in two hands….curled her alien fingers….and shot the glowing green fire into the exhaust vents of the sailing projectile.
FLASSSH!
KA-POWWWW!
The missile exploded brilliantly.
Starfire bravely flew through the flame cloud, swinging her hands to 'fan' the plasma away. She glided sideways in mid-air…drifting towards the missiles to her right.
The Bay Water blurred beneath the air-splitting chase. The buildings lining the southern shore of the City stood defenseless in the path of the warheads.
Starfire reached the next missile, joined her hands together, jutted her shoulder, and—with teeth clenching—rammed her upper body into the speeding missile.
"Nnnngh!" CLANK!
Again.
"Nnnnaugh!" CLANK!
Again.
"Nnnnn---"
SWOOOOSH-SMASH! An Amazonian fist smashed the missile in half out of nowhere.
BLAMMMM!
The rocket exploded into Starfire.
She let out a gasp…a shriek….and plummeted with a maddening twirl towards the watery surface of the Bay below—
GRIP! Wonder Woman's hand clasped around the Tamaranian's wrist and hoisted her along in the zooming, mid-air chase.
Starfire shuddered, her emerald eyes wide. "P-Princess Diana?"
"Be at ease, Starfire…..," Wonder Woman breathed above the wind-whipping chaos. "…you are not alone now. We must—"
"The missiles!" Starfire shook Wonder Woman's grasp of her wrist loose and flew up parallel to the Amazonian. "We must hasten to eliminate them for the City's sake!"
"Starfire! Please….we have a handle on it!" Wonder Woman gestured while flying towards the next mid-air projectile.
"……..?" Starfire glanced westward.
Steel was soaring towards the distant string of missiles and was furiously slamming his sledgehammer through their flammable bodies. "RRRRGHHH!" WHANG! "RAAAAAUGH!" SMASSSH!
One….two….three missiles exploded brilliantly from his merciless assault.
P-PLOW! BLAM! KRA-KOW!
"………," Starfire looked ahead again and clenched her fists in an unwavering intensity. "That is not sufficient enough!"
"Starfire, listen---"
"If we work against Dagger at all….," Starfire soared directly past the Amazonian towards the next projectile. "….we must work together!"
"………..," Wonder Woman smiled. "You've got my helping hand, Titan."
"Galadren'm de X'Hal! Thank you kindly, Princess Diana, your honor. Let us now kick the butt!"
"Took the words out of my mouth."
FWOOOOOOSH!
SWOOOOOOOOSSH!
-T-T-T-T-T-T-
SW-SW-SW-SW-SWISSSH!
A pair of birdarangs flew down from a seven-story building and ate viciously into the tires of a terrorist's jeep.
P-POP!
The vehicle's wheels gave out. It screeched, spiraled, and smashed sideways against a lamppost.
SCREEEEECH-CRUNCH!
The thugs inside groaned.
Two terrorists stumbled out and made to run—
P-POWWW! A fire hydrant's hose nozzle suddenly snapped loose and a jet of violet-glowing water shot outward….slamming into the bodies of the thugs.
WH-WHAM!
WHUMP!
"OOOF!" the doused men were out cold.
Up above…
On the building rooftops…
Robin and Tempest had paused just long enough to unleash the projectile and black-magical punishment from up on high.
"You think they'll have any children after that?"
Robin gritted his teeth. "You think that I care?"
Thwooosh!
I blurred by on the rooftop.
Followed shortly by Changeling. The green elf glanced back in mid-sprint and motioned the other two along before leaping to another buildingtop.
Robin and the Atlantean swiftly followed.
"The League has been nice enough to intercede on our City, Tempest. I can't thank you and Cyborg enough for that."
"Eh, don't try and be humble, Boy Wonder. Nothing we ever did made the League come here tonight. I think they've warmed to us gradually over time."
"Still…," Robin went on as if there was no response to his first statement, "….this is the Titan's battle. Inevitably, everything settles on us. We need to get to the Crunch and finish off Dagger once and for all!"
"All I want to know is where the Hell Deathstroke's at!" Tempest uttered as the two jumped a building and ran up alongside Changeling and myself. "Didn't he have some godawful vendetta of blood against you or some crap?"
Robin shuddered. "Deathstroke hasn't shown up to so much as lift a finger against me the whole time Noir and I have been in this war zone. And that worries me."
"Flippin' duh!" Changeling panted. He led the way past a/c units and other rooftop structures. "He's been going after me and Raven! It's the same old Slade! Out to make the Titans absolutely miserable!"
I bit my lip in mid-sprint.
Robin's jaw tightened. "It's different this time, Beast Boy. Someway…somehow….it's different."
"Like how? I mean….besides the sword and the red farting breath and crap."
Tempest raised a finger in mid-jog: "I've never met this Slade person before. But somehow I get the feeling that whatever he is now, it's a than the previous one."
I nodded mutely.
"Slade used to want power….manipulation….," Robin panted. "Now, Beast Boy, he just wants death."
"Whose death? Ours?"
"The Titans….yes….," he nodded.
"He seems to be a really rotten job at it," Changeling frowned as we leapt to another buildingtop….a long drop. "Nnngh!" We resumed running and he said: "You sure he isn't just wanting to torture us….as always?"
"He wants me, Garfield," 'Tim' finally said.
"……………"
"Hasn't he always wanted you, man?" Tempest said.
"And I don't know why….not for the life of me…," Robin panted. He gulped. "And Deathstroke wants to take that life of me away………maybe so that he himself can finally find out what he's always wanted. For the two of us. And he's not afraid to use Dagger's war—and the Titans' peril for his desires to be made manifest. F-For me to die…bleeding in his red arms…."
Changeling glanced back over his bruised shoulder. Sweating. Huffing. He looked forward and gulped: "M-Maybe we shouldn't have left Raven back there at Bayside Plaza alone after all, dude."
Robin murmured under his panting breath. "It isn't….Raven….th-that I'm…….worried about………"
"………………….," I was silent. Head tilted aside somewhat. Absorbing Robin's words.
I stared ahead at the increasingly bright streets of gold where the Crunch was….where Superman and Green Lantern fought alone….desperate.
I listened to the heartbeat pulsing in my own ears. Thankful to have both of them and not be in Garfield's shoes.
You still in there, Joey?
………..
Hang tight, buddy.
Just as the four of us jumped across another building space, a chime in Robin's communicator went off.
The beeping sounded simultaneous to our landing on the rooftop.
We paused momentarily in our heavy sprint and gazed at Robin as the Boy Wonder dug into his utility belt and pulled out the communicator. He flipped it open with a Star Trek sound. "Robin here….," he panted.
"Robin! Guess what! Shit happens!"
The Boy Wonder's eyemask narrowed. "Cyborg?"
Tempest and I craned our necks to look and listen….
"My internal circuitry's picked up something. Calvin's forces are in danger!"
"Did you get inside Phaser Labs?"
"No, man. We're barely halfway there. Look….there're missiles being launched from the Bay! Dagger's yet another knife up his sleeve!"
I gasped.
Changeling's jaw dropped.
Robin gritted his teeth. "How many of them?"
"There were about fifteen to begin with. But it looks like the Justice League has gotten to a bunch of them. The first wave is almost completely wiped out."
"Well…..," Tempest exhaled and smiled at us. "I guess…no harm, no flounder!"
"It ain't that pretty, Flipper! According to my sensors, there are three times more of those missiles still out there! Ready to be launched!"
"Three more waves…..," Robin murmured.
"Out in the Bay?" Changeling remarked. He made a face at us. "Like…what the Hell?"
"Dagger's got…g-got…uh……some navy or something!"
"Figures that the man would exploit the seas as a last resort," Robin said.
"Ohhhh….," Tempest suddenly sneered. "Now that's cold…."
"Cyborg!" Robin spoke into the communicator. "Do you have a fix on exactly where these missile launch ships are?"
"Nuh uh, man! My internal sensors can only read so much. I'm heading to Phaser Labs. If I can get inside there and use the laboratory sensors, I should be able to get a proper fix!"
"We don't have the time," Robin turned and gazed at the rest of us. "…………………."
We waited.
He made his decision. "Beast Boy! Tempest! Time to go for a swim!"
Tempest smirked with a salute. "Saving the gills for last. My favorite tactic." He leapt down off the building, one balcony at a time.
"Both of you comb the Bay! Find those ships! They're probably cloaked….which is why neither us or the Army found them before now!"
"Dude….where the waters break…..we'll see them."
"Exactly. Now go!"
Changeling made to leap off, but paused to look over his shoulder at the Boy Wonder and I.
"Robin….Tim…..whoever you are…."
"Yes, Garfield?"
"……….if you run into Starfire….t-tell her I'm sorry, will you?"
Robin pointed and said in a loud, commanding voice: "No one's going to be sorry after tonight. Do you hear me? No one."
"………,"Changeling smirked somewhat. His one ear twitching. "Grrfff….all right…."
He dove off, morphed into an eagle in mid-air, and glided southward through the streets while Tempest ran through the aid of extracted water tentacles towards the distant Bay.
I looked at Robin. I gestured.
"You and I?" he replied. "We have to pretend that the Crunch will go off as expected…..which means trashing any heads of the enemy we see between here and Downtown….before we join the fight ourselves."
I took a deep breath, nodding.
Robin got into a running position. He gulped: "Assuming there's going to be a Downtown by the time we get there…"
And we both hurried off….
-T-T-T-T-T-T-
Cyborg took his hand off from palming the side of his head and returned both sets of fingers to the steering wheel of the jeep.
He sped the convoy further westward towards Phaser Labs.
VRMMMMMM!
Lieutenant Smith leaned forward and spoke above the surrounding noise of motorcycles.
"About those missiles…..is the Justice League truly wiping them all out?"
"Yeah," Cyborg nodded with his eyes on the road. "My sensors tell me that nearly all of them are gone."
Smith took a deep breath. "Doesn't that strike you as a little too convenient?"
"…………………..," Cyborg was silent.
The soldier in the passenger seat looked nervous.
Smith sat back, arms folded. "Dagger's distracting us. Nothing about this seems right. If I didn't know better, I'd say that man was pulling out the dirtiest trick we've seen from him yet."
"Then that's why I gotta get inside Phaser Labs….," Cyborg grunted. Frowning into the biting wind. "At all costs."
VRMMMMMMMMMMM!
-T-T-T-T-T-T-
ZZZZzztt!
Zzzzt—ZZZzztt!
In Phaser Labs, Clayface twitched and grunted as his body solidified firmer and firmer under the electrocuting ministrations of the robotic arms rotating around him from the ceiling.
He took long….steadier breaths….
Flexing his brown limbs.
In the meantime, computer consoles flashed and blinked.
Simon Stone gazed flickeringly at the instruments. He stroked a holographic chin with his fingers. "Hrmmmm……"
"What is it, doc?" Hagan asked, yellow teeth gritting.
"Dagger's in the middle of launching the payload towards the City," Stone uttered. "Our leader is getting desperate. Perhaps Red Aviary has somehow gotten the upper hand…but………--"
"But what?"
"If I didn't know better, Dagger will soon be resorting to the ion cannon."
"Ion cannon?" Clayface pivoted his muddy crown. Amber-glazed eyes squinted at the hologram across the basement laboratory. "What's that mean exactly?"
"……………," Stone's figure turned—flickered—and faced Hagan emotionlessly. "Nothing. It means nothing. Relax and continue rebuilding yourself."
"Nnnnngh….," Clayface shut his monstrous eyes and……let the robot arms do their work.
"………………………," Stone turned. With a wave of his holographic wrist, he made a map of the City appear with a blinking light traveling west north-west along the streets. Heading straight for Phaser Labs.
The hologram stared in silence.
Seemingly 'contemplating'…..
-T-T-T-T-T-T-
Along the southern shore…
In the reflective glow of burning golems and tank shells exploding several blocks away…
Tempest ran down a stretch of docks.
Changeling floated down overhead. He transmogrified in mid-air from an eagle back to his typical elf form and landed feet first.
The two Titans ran straight towards the water, panting.
"Why do I get the wyrd feeling…," Tempest smirked while running "That I've risked my gilled neck more for this City in two months than I ever have for all of Atlantis in ten years?"
"This isn't a joke…," Changeling muttered. "Let's find those launch points…..buoys, robots, boats, whatever. And let's smash them to bits."
"Wow, aren't you the serious one all of the sudden?"
"………….."
"Yup," Tempest sighed. A lasting smirk as they reached the docks' edge. "Guess this means you're going to buy me a salt-water Jacuzzi with your 'Moped Funds', right?"
That time, Beast Boy did chuckle. "Don't frickin' count on it, dude."
"Meet you on the other side, elf."
"With bells on!"
And they both dove.
SPLASSSH!
SPLOOOOOSH!
-T-T-T-T-T-T-
"Where did all those damn cow-people go?"
"Why should I care? Let's get the Hell out of Dachshund! Dagger can have this City if he wants it…I ain't risking my neck no more!"
VRMMMMMM!
Three thugs sped down a side street in an open jeep. Two in the front. One in the rear with the mounted machine gun.
The drivers panted as they tried to find an escape route from the battle.
The gunman was shaking involuntarily…nervously gripping tightly to the mounted gun.
VRMMMMM!
"Hold it!"
SCREEEECH!
The jeep spun half a circle and stopped in the middle of a rubble-strewn intersection.
The driver looked at the passenger. "Wh-What is it, Joe?"
"……….," the thug looked curiously at the driver. "Isn't it supposed to be 'get the Hell out of Dod—'?"
"HI-YAAAA!" Robin dove down with an air-whistling dropkick.
CRNNCHH!
The thug's rib cage buckled from the slamming of the Boy Wonder's boot.
The man in the driver's seat shouted and reached for his pistol.
Robin grunted, dug his kicking foot into the gut of the passenger, twisted, and thus twirled his other foot up and slamming heel first into the driver's chin.
TH-THUNK!
A bloody tooth or two flew out.
The gunman in the back shouted. "Shit! Just like Croc said in his briefing!" He pivoted the mounted gun around and aimed it dead into Robin's head. "DIEEEE—"
TH-THWOOOSH! I teleported and materialized right in front of him. CHIIIING! Myrkblade slashed straight through the mounted gun.
CRACKKK!
P-POWWW! The bullets inside exploded and showered against the man.
"Aaaaugh!" he stumbled back.
I gritted my teeth, swiveled, and slammed my foot into his face.
WHAM!
He fell off the jeep amongst a shower of bullet shells.
Thwack! WHACK! Robin karate-chopped the driver and passenger into unconsciousness.
I looked at him.
He looked at me.
We gave each other a thumb's up and twirled our weapons—Myrkblade and Robin's bo-staff—as we ran down the road towards a high overpass of the central highway.
Towards the Crunch.
And as the rumbling of tank shells and giant golem feet filled the air…
Robin glanced up.
Towards the sky.
Red….
Red.
-T-T-T-T-T-T-
Raven was under drugs.
Almost entirely sedated.
She lie back while various medics, nurses, and physicians treated her…cutting her leotard open naked to get to her chest injury.
She tilted her head back with violet eyes rolling.
And something flickered a bright gray in her cornea.
And a gasped escaped her throat.
So that when a medic placed a mask over her lips……
……The dark girl barely murmured"
"He's after you……he's after you……"
The voices.
The hands.
The beeping.
"St-Starfire………he is after y-you………"
And Raven slept.
-T-T-T-T-T-T-
"Hckkkk-Clik-Clik-Clik-Snkkkkt—HCkKK!"
The last three missiles on their flank soar towards the City.
The alien and the Amazonian shout and snarl for vigor as they speedily catch up to the projectiles and slam their fists and feet into them.
Starbolts and lasso whips and plummeting shoulder-slams force one rocket after another off course.
And the closer they get to the feet of the City……
To the Bay's northern shore……
The narrower the destruction of the last remaining missiles……
"…….snkkkt….Snkkkt-clik-clik-clik-clik-snkkkkktt……."
The red strobes brightest around her.
Her flaming hair.
Her tattered sweater and scuffed jeans.
The scrapes and bruises of water kissing around her amber skin.
The fire vaporously trails out of her cuts.
Red smoke cascades out of her gaping mouth as she shouts and fires two optic beams at the last of the missiles, causing it to veer off course and into Wonder Woman's fist.
"HCKKK-Clikkkt!"
-T-T-T-T-T-T-
"RAAAAUGH!" POWW!
Wonder Woman punched the missile into oblivion.
The ashes and burning debris from the craft settled just on the crashing shore of the beach.
Another half a second later, and the missile would have slammed mercilessly into a line of storefronts.
Wonder Woman hovered in place…panting for breath. The sounds of the rising battle between Calvin's forces and the clustered golems sounded off in her ear.
The Crunch was beginning.
THWOOOOSH!
Starfire floated over along Wonder Woman's side.
"Our flank of missiles have been destroyed?"
"Y-Yes…."
"Glorious…," the Tamaranian girl said. But it was firm and bitter. Determined…emotionless. "We must now go and support Mr. Steel."
Before she could fly off--
"Starfire! W-Wait!" Wonder Woman grabbed the alien's shoulder.
"Nnngh!" Starfire tugged. She stopped and glared back at the Amazonian. "Your Highness, I entreat you. You must let me go. If we waste time—"
"Starfire….," Wonder Woman held both of her shoulders. "Don't just go flying off! Steel and I can handle this! You need to go reunite with the Titans."
"The T-Titans?" Starfire blinked. Her jaw dropped some. She leaned forward. "M-My friends…..are safe?"
Wonder Woman nodded. "Yes. For the time being."
"Wh-What of the nefarious Metallo with whom I was so brutally entangled?" the alien girl hyperventilated. Her green eyes widened. "THE TOWER!"
"Your friends made it out safely….," Wonder Woman said. "They'll live. And as for Metallo, I think you did a good number on him yourself. But there's something you need to kno—"
PFTOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSSSSSH!
From across the bay…..
The thundering sound of rockets filled the air.
The Tamaranian and Wonder Woman gasped, spun, and looked across the waters.
A new slew of fifteen missiles were rocketing heavily towards the City. A line of solid destruction just as strong and flammable as the first round.
"Dagger! He is launching a second wave!"
"Great Hera…."
Starfire pulsed green and lifted upwards. "Hurry! We must eradicate the projectiles before they too enter the City's domain!"
Wonder Woman reached out towards the girl and shouted in futility: "Starfire! Don't! Just wait a second!"
FWOOOOOOOOSH!
Starfire was gone.
Skirting southward over the waters.
"……….," Wonder Woman stared. Lips pursed. "Robin is alive……" she murmured to the December winds.
She glanced aside….northwest along the shore.
Just over the Suspension Bridge, Steel was single-handedly struggling to eliminate the last of the missiles. There were four of them left….and it didn't look like he would be destroying any more of them in time.
Wonder Woman gritted her teeth. "By Artemis' spear….."
THWOOOOOSSSSH! She soared like a black and gold bullet towards the midair scene.
-T-T-T-T-T-T-
"NNNGH!"
SWOOOOSH!
CLANG!
Steel flung his sledge hammer into the hull of a rocket.
"Come on…."
SWOOOOSH!
CRACK!
"COME ON!.!.!"
THWOOOSH!
SMACKKK!
"Blow up, you stupid cone-nosed son of a bitch!" Steel screamed through his mask and hammered….hammered…..hammered away at the rear of the last four missiles of the first volley. He streaked over the Suspension Bridge in binding pursuit of the wave as he struggled onward. "I can take all of ya on! I can take all of ya! Just watch me!"
He paused sweatily amidst his punishment and saw—through his helmet—the mainland and its warehouses and storefronts looming directly ahead.
"…………or not."
Suddenly….from above….
PHWOOOOOOOOOOSSSSSSH!
Steel looked up from where he was rocketing.
The Batwing lowered…speeding at even velocity with the Prototype-suited vigilante. Inside the cockpit, Batman gave a signal.
Steel smiled, gave a metal thumb's up, and gave his missile one last—CLANG!—before levitating aside and giving Batman clearance.
-T-T-T-T-T-T-
Inside the cockpit of his throttling aircraft, Batman flipped open the missile trigger of his joystick.
"He who lives by the sword…."
Click.
PFTOOOOOOOSSSH!
One rocket streamed and destroyed the rear missile that Steel was hammering.
A second—PFTOOOOOSSSSH!—skirted ahead and shattered the frontmost missile.
POWWWW! KA-BLAAM!
Batman took a deep breath through his masked nostrils.
"All right….."
He tilted the nose of the Batwing down and angled it with the last two flaring projectiles.
He fingered the rocket trigger again.
"…..time for intermission."
Click.
……….
………
Nothing.
Batman's eyemasks narrowed.
He gazed at the cockpit's digital schematics.
Indeed, he was out of missiles.
"……..hrm….."
Batman flipped the cover to the missile trigger closed and flipped open the machine gun trigger from down below instead.
He targeted the computer on the leftmost missile and fired.
Click.
RAT-A-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT!
The streams of bulletfire streaked through the air and dug into the flying explosive.
RAT-A-TAT-TAT-TAT! PING! P-PING! PING!
KA-POWWW!
Batman spun the Batwing through the smoke and angled himself after the last missile of the wave.
The Suspension Bridge shrunk away beneath him.
Dry land and small buildingtops stretched open below.
Batman gritted his teeth.
He targeted the last missile.
He hit the trigger.
Click-Click-Click-Click-Click-Click.
"………..," his eyemasks widened. He glance at the display gain.
The machine gun compartment was entirely empty.
Batman snarled: "Alfred…I thought I told you to give the Batwing a thorough maintenance check!"
The missile soared ahead…..straight towards a twelve-story building that stood in its way.
In thirty seconds…the missile would slam into the building and wipe out everything within a radius of six blocks with its plasma explosion.
"…………."
"Snkkkt. Batman? Uhm………what the Hell are you waiting for, man? Shoot the damn thing!"
Batman hissed into his communicator: "Standby, Mr. Irons…."
He jerked forward on the flight handles.
-T-T-T-T-T-T-
PHOOOOOOOOOOOSSSSSSSSSSSSH!
The Batwing rocketed ahead and ducked underneath the missile.
The aircraft barely soared over the increasingly taller rooftops blurring underneath it.
Steel hovered to a stand-still, watching with wide eyes under his mask.
FWOOOSH! Wonder Woman flew up and levitated besides him. Panting.
"What in Olympus' name is he doing?"
"I-I don't know…," Steel shouted into his communicator. "What are you doing, man?"
"Snkkkt. Standby. BEEP."
"Batman!" Wonder Woman shouted in the same communicator. "Pull out! There's nothing you can do at this point! Batman? Bruce!"
Steel did a double-take. "Bruce?"
-T-T-T-T-T-T-
PHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSSSSSH!
Batman's gloved hands gripped tightly to the handles as he positioned the Batwing beneath the belly of the last rocket.
He pulled a lever, adjusted the thrusters from the dials on his dashboard, and lifted the aircraft.
PHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSSSSH!
The Batwing rose and rose and rose…..and collided with the missile beneath it.
CL-CLANK!
The entire cockpit shook.
"Nnngh!" Batman gritted his teeth, absorbed the shaking, and kept pulling up at the stick.
SCCcccCCCccCRAAAaaAAAPEEE!
Sparks flew from the grinding of cockpit glass against metal.
Batman slowly shoved the missile up….up…..up.
Inching towards the distant rooftop of the twelve-story building.
With the city rooftops blurring underneath the aircraft and nearly scraping at its metal belly.
PHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSSSSSSH!
"Nnnnnnnngh!" Batman struggled with the effort.
The entire aircraft buckled.
The missile above sputtered flame out its thrusters, 'fought' against the lifting Batwing, and started to shake.
Eight stories….
Nine stories…..
PHOOOOOOOOOO-OOOOOOOOOOOOSSSSSSH!
Batman's vision blurred from the shaking of the cockpit.
He barely made out the reflection of his hurtling craft in the glass sheen of the incoming building's windows….
SWWOOOOOSH!
Ten stories…………
"NNNNAGHHHH!" Batman jerked hard at the handles and kicked a trigger with his foot, activating the bottom harrier thrusters of the Batwing.
RUSSSSSSH!
The Batwing jolted up, 'carrying' the missile with it.
-T-T-T-T-T-T-
CL-CLANKKK!
The Batwing scraped over the edge of the building's rooftop—smashing a piece of the ledge into dust.
PHOOOOOOOOO-OOOOOOO-OOOOOOOSSSSH!
Batman's airplane and the rocket went spiraling outward across the reddened Cityscape.
Over the Crunch of army men, golems, Justice Leaguers, and giants converging…..
-T-T-T-T-T-T-
Robin ran to the edge of a rooftop.
I followed him as he stopped and looked over.
Gazing outward from the top of the building.
As I approached, he turned to look towards me.
Jaw clenched.
Eyemask icy…
"This is it….," he uttered.
And he pulled out a grappling hook.
POW!
CL-CLANK!
And sailed out into the thunderous noise.
And I followed him…
Blurring down the buildingside and leaping in a smoke-aided glide through the red air.
And into the Crunch.
PFTOOOOOOOOOOOOOSH—KABLAAAM!
P-POW!
RAT-A-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT!
CRKKKKKKKKK-KKKKK!
SL-SLAM!
CRNNNNCHHHH!
BL-BLAM!
POWWW!