10 Justice League Night Falls
Luthor and Grodd watched the happenings in Detroit with some interest. The Legion of Doom had only completed a few strikes onto the outer world over the last four months. They'd recovered their wounded comrades and brought them to Subera where the others were now based from.
King Kull's subterranean kingdom was unknown to the outer world. It had disappeared from the concerns of surface dwellers three thousand years before a written language was conceived of. Despite the subhumans' brutish exteriors and behaviors, their technology was on par with Gorilla City. Given their advanced tech base, only the low population of subhumans kept them from marching on the surface realm once again. Luthor meant to change that.
"Those idiots are right in its path and they don't even realize it," Mr. Mind opined from his vantage point on Luthor's shoulder.
"The city is well aware of the problem," Luthor pointed out.
"Not them," Mr. Mind corrected him, "The ones in the air. Hawkman, Shayera Hol, and John Stewart are in its path and its growing closer yet they seem oblivious to the danger."
"Are you certain?" Luthor inquired sharply.
"By my calculations, the surface area of the darkness as spread nine miles in a horizontal path over the last thirty minutes. It has also climbed two point four miles in a vertical ascension. In ten more minutes, the want to be crime fighters are going to be swallowed up."
"Where is the Shade?" Luthor asked testily.
"Dr. Sivana went looking for him as you requested," Grodd reminded him.
"That was ten minutes ago," Luthor complained, "Do I have to go and find him myself?"
"Problems, Lex?' Sivana asked as he led the Shade into the viewing room.
"Ah, Shade. Good. Perhaps you can answer a few questions," Luthor suggested.
"I'll try," the Shade said careful not to promise anything.
"What do you make of that?" Luthor pointed at the screens.
"I'd say someone has a problem," Shade quipped.
"Very droll," Luthor said with thinly veiled impatience, "What is the nature of the problem?"
"My guess is Obsidian finally snapped," Shade replied.
"Why would you guess that?" Grodd sought clarification.
"Obsidian's power and my own share a common root. Since I know I'm not at the heart of that mass, I can only venture to guess that he is," Shade shared, "Which also means we may have a problem."
"How so?" Luthor wanted to know.
"You really know nothing about my abilities, do you?" Shade mused.
"Oh, I'm a very rapt audience right now. So why don't you try explaining yourself." Luthor "kindly" suggested.
"Obsidian and I tap into an other-dimensional space best known as the Shadow Realms," Shade began to explain, "And like most dimensions, it's already occupied."
"By what?" Luthor sharply inquired.
Shade began to be uncomfortable, "I'm not sure what to call them. They're more than your average demon and less than demi-gods. All I know for certain is that they feel trapped and want into other realms of existence. And that they are pretty ephemeral on our plain of existence. This is why they need human hosts in order to fully interact with our world."
"And how did you come to this knowledge?" Luthor wondered.
The Shade's chuckle was a mournful one, "I entered the Shadow Realms by accident."
"But you escaped," Luthor observed.
Shade shrugged, "In a manner of speaking."
"How can one tell if someone is possessed by these shadow demons?" Luthor wanted to know.
"Because they'll look like this," for the first time in all of the years Luthor had worked with the Shade, the pale man removed his dark sunglasses. Underneath is eyes were darker than the glasses' lenses. There was no sclera divided from the pupil. It was a completely darkened orb.
"Fascinating," Luthor breathed even as Mr. Mind scrutinized the effect and Grodd and Dr. Sivana pressed in for a closer look, "And this is a result of so-called 'possession'?"
"Yes," Shade answered, "I share my body with a shadow demon. Fortunately I'm one of those few that can cohabitate with one of them without losing control of my mind and body. In turn for corporeal existence, I get my powers over the interface between the Shadow Realms and this dimension."
"Remarkable," Luthor commented, "If all this is true, why would you protest the merging of our world with that of the Shadow Realms?"
"You really don't get what I'm saying, do you?" Shade smirked at Luthor's ire, "The Shadow Realms are occupied. These beings have their own agenda and it's not one that you can set. However, they will bargain."
"Really?" Luthor seemed pleased by this prospect.
"It's not your kind of bargain, Luthor," Shade warned, "These beings get what they are owed. One way or another, they get their payment out of you."
"Yes, the Enchantress mentioned something to affect once," Luthor mused before sobering up, "What aren't you their minion then?"
"I'm immune," Shade replied, "Something about my ability to manipulate the substance of their universe makes me immune from their control."
"But you said there was a price to be had," Luthor reminded him.
"In exchange for my freedom I was to assist their 'chosen ones' in their quest to bridge the universes," Shade shared.
"Yet it sounds as though you're willing to betray these shadow demons by preventing what it is they're after," Luthor noted.
"I didn't want to spend eternity in the Shadow Realms," Shade said calmly, "Why the hell should I want Earth to be swallowed by them?"
"Well, if you and Obsidian are the shadow demons only conduit into this realm, we simply kill him and call it good," Luthor surmised.
"It's not quite that simple," Shade warned, "Once the dimensional tear has been formed, the dark substance of the Realms will simply keep flowing into our universe until it fills it up."
"Then we force Obsidian to assist you in putting it all back," Luthor grated.
"Obsidian has better people to listen to then me right now," Shade declared.
"Like whom?" Luthor wondered, "How many people can be running around in a hell dimension?"
"I only know of one other," Shade replied, "And he's been there since 1944."
Do tell," Luthor insisted.
"His name is Johnny Sorrow," Shade said, "And he is the King of Tears' agent provocateur."
"Who is this 'Johnny Sorrow'?" Luthor demanded to know.
So Shade told him…
Mary swung her leg through the air and her foot caught Junior in the mouth. He went sailing headfirst into the wall. The impact from the collision hardly rattled him but Mary's kick had nearly torn his head off. Junior had time to see that Mary had continued her arc and smashed Captain Marvel in the face. Marvel's nose had begun gushing blood.
Captain Marvel blocked several of his sister's blows but he was totally unprepared for her kick to his groin. Marvel wheezed as he sank to his knees. Mary drew back her fist again.
"That hurt," Obsidian laughed, "But not as bad as this is going to."
Junior came from behind Mary and pinned her arms in a half Nelson. Mary stomped on his foot, the pain of which caused him to loosen his grip. She shrugged out of his hold and spun before he could react. Her fist smashed him in the mouth and he staggered back.
Mary was going to pursue him but Captain Marvel grabbed her shoulder and punched her in the jaw. He fell all over himself apologizing, "I'm sorry! I…urk!"
Mary delivered a Phoenix punch to his throat. Captain Marvel began to gag. While he didn't actually need to breathe, it served many necessary functions just as facilitating his sense of smell and speaking. Mary smashed a fist into his face again.
Junior made a decision. He and Captain Marvel were being hampered by two factors. One was the enclosed space they were fighting in. They were trying to avoid hurting the captive renter. The second problem was Mary herself. She wasn't holding back at all whereas Captain Marvel and Captain Marvel Jr. were restraining themselves.
Junior caught Mary by the waist sand drove through the wall while dragging her along with him. They plowed into the street outside of the complex. Junior propelled himself away from the thrashing Mary. He kept her at bay for several more minutes but he finally resorted to popping her one in the jaw. Mary's head bobbed to one side and then a malice filled smile formed on her features. Her responding punch drove him through the apartment complex.
Captain Marvel caught Mary's feet as she flew after Junior. The Captain's voice was raspy as he spoke, "No, Mary! You have to fight it!"
She began kicking her legs to free herself from his grip. Breaking free, she leveled another punch on her brother. Junior came swooping in and suddenly lightning struck.
Captain Marvel found himself to be Billy Batson again. Freddy Freeman had replaced Captain Marvel Jr. and was once again leaning on his crutches. Between them stood Mary Batson. She stared at the ground and breathed heavily.
As Freddy joined Billy, they watched Mary warily. And for good reason. As she lifted her head, they found her eyes were still swallowed in darkness. Although she'd never spoken a word since her "takeover", her intent was plain to see. She intended to kill them.
"Why'd we change back?" Freddy asked.
"I don't know," Billy admitted and the spoke the name of the wizard, "Shazam!"
Nothing happened.
Freddy scowled, "I was afraid of that."
Mary was shaking from a soundless laugh. Her dark merriment was even more ghastly than her rage. Billy realized something.
"This darkness didn't affect our powers," he said, "It scrambled Mary's brain but it didn't slow our Marvel forms down at all. This has something to do with the wizard."
"I think you can safely say 'Shazam' now just like I can say 'Captain Marvel' and nothing will happen," Freddy said sourly.
"I wonder if Black Adam and Isis are affected," Billy wondered while Mary prowled around them like a tigress.
"Probably Adam but Isis is a mystery," Freddy wagered.
"I wonder if they've been taken over too." Bill wanted to know.
"You really don't know Mary all that well, do you?" Freddy ventured.
"Of course I do!" Billy snapped, "She's my sister."
"No, you don't," Freddy warned, "If you did, you'd understand why this has happened to her and why Black Adam is no longer on our side as well."
Billy wanted to protest a comparison between Black Adam and Mary but she chose to strike then. The boys were soon fighting for their very lives. Billy and Freddy had always counted on their Marvel forms and the fighting form of Achilles to win against an opponent. Meanwhile, Mary had joined Courtney in her kickboxing lessons in her mortal guise.
The infesting shadow demons not only harnessed a being's inner turmoil and rage, but they accessed their skills and abilities as well. Mary was a comparative novice next to Courtney, who had been studying the form since she was fourteen, but Mary had months of experience over the boys, who had none whatsoever.
Galatea barely managed to pull Isis out of Black Adam's grip and fend him off with a blow to the nose. Isis fretted away. She didn't seem to realize that she was Black Adam's primary target. If Galatea were correct over the nature of the problem, then it stood to reason that whatever was controlling Adam would want to eliminate his possible rescue through his love for Isis as well.
Galatea exchanged a few more blows with Adam. His skill set was intact but it was like the parts of his brain were disconnected and talking through an intermediary rather than directly. She could use that.
She put Black Adam on the ground and came to stand beside Isis, "Talk to him."
"What?" Isis was still so shaken she was having trouble with the concept. Galatea didn't have the time or the inclination to be nice about this, "Whatever is controlling Adam is targeting you. That means you're the weak link to its control over Adam. Use that to our advantage. Talk him down. I'll keep him from attacking you but you need to speak to his heart."
Galatea engaged Black Adam again and Isis began to speak. She spoke of a warm day in early June when they had taken Osiris out to a lake. They cavorted and played and then while Osiris slept, they made love in the afternoon. She spoke of her feelings for him and the passion he had awoken in her.
Frankly, Galatea was a little embarrassed to be overhearing these intimate details. But then, they began to have a measure of success. Black Adam staggered away from Galatea and clutched at his head. The black mass infusing his uniform began to slough off and the darkness in his eyes drained out like mucus.
He finally found his voice, "Isis! My love! Forgive me!"
She ran to him even as he ran to her and they gripped each other in a fervent embrace. Black Adam turned his head to face Galatea, "Thank you for this."
Galatea grinned, "What are former students for?"
Lightning struck the Black Marvels and they became Teth-Adam and Adrianna Tomaz once more. Teth-Adam was stunned, "What treachery is this?"
"It has to be a problem directly tied to the source of your powers," Galatea surmised, "But I thought Isis directly received her powers from the goddess, not from Shazam."
"The wizard administers Isis' grant to me," Adrianna explained, "This has never happened before."
"I believe our problems have only just begun to expand," Teth-Adam opined, "If the wizard is incapacitated then all of the Marvels will be out of commission."
"And more to the point, they'll all be vulnerable to them," Galatea pointed at the milling crowds that had gathered.
Teth-Adam gazed into Adrianna's eyes as he held her, "Fear not, my love. This is not how we are destined to perish."
"I know," she said with more than a hint of defiance, "We cannot die for our son needs us."
"Make it quick," Galatea urged, "They're almost on top of us."
"You are a true friend, Tea," Teth-Adam confessed, "Never in all of my days have I found as true a friend as you are."
"Just keep thinking that if I ask you to do something crazy," Galatea warned.
Teth-Adam and Adrianna never had time to question Galatea before the crowds arrived. And with the crowds came the attack.
"Is it my imagination or is the darkness getting closer?" Hawkman wondered.
"It's your imagination, just like everything else, Carter," Shayera replied dismissively.
"Do you have a problem with my being up here with you?" Hawkman grated.
"Yes!" Shayera boldly declared.
"All right," Hawkman snapped, "It's about time we had it out. Just what is your problem with me?"
"You're an over possessive stalker, Carter," Shayera retorted, "Batman was right about you from the beginning."
"You're taking advice from him?" Hawkman snorted derisively.
"Batman is my friend. Like I thought you were. And then John and I got married and you turned weird," Shayera accused.
"If I recall, I encouraged you to marry John," Hawkman was close to yelling now.
"You did!" Shayera did yell, "But it was all part of your reincarnation fantasy. Once I was married, you resented the hell out of me. I'm sorry, but friends like you I don't need."
"I did what was right for you," Hawkman was seething, "And all I got in return was judgment."
Hawkman's helmeted gaze was shielded but she could feel his eyes boring in, "Do you know we're the only two people on this planet with wings?"
"Blue Jay has wings," Shayera retorted.
"Artificial wings. Ours are natural. Did you know I was born with mine?" Hawkman wanted to know. Shayera was startled. She'd always assumed he'd gotten them because he tinkered around with Thanagarian artifacts.
"I was a teenager when they sprouted out of my back," Hawkman explained, "It does wonders to one's self esteem and dating life to be the only freak on the planet growing wings on his back."
"I hid them. Throughout my entire career as an archeologist, I hid them. And then Hawkgirl appeared. I thought I'd gone mad. And then I found the Absorbacon and I knew I had," Hawkman wasn't as angry now. Now he was growing sad, "After the Thanagarians left and I had all this knowledge about Khafu and Chayera, I sought you out."
"Of course, after our second encounter I knew there was no 'us'. There was no remote possibility of 'us'. John Stewart was the current incarnation of your eternal love," Hawkman explained, "So I accepted your offer to join the Justice League but I also stepped aside and became just your friend."
"Bullshit!" Shayera snapped, "You've always wanted more. And this entire incarnation scheme is just more of your bullshit. John and I love each other because we're suited for one another. We were damn lucky to find one another and it had nothing to do with a 'time lost love'."
"There is no such thing as luck," Hawkman argued, "There is only destiny."
"I've heard a lot of crap about the Fates determining the 'destiny' of my daughter," Shayera was livid now, "Let's just play this head game of yours, shall we? Should I run off and tear the Fates a new one because they decreed my unborn child would die?"
"It wouldn't do any good," Hawkman admitted.
"That's the first sensible thing you've said," Shayera acknowledged, "My daughter died because of a tragic mistake that her parents made. We assumed that I was invulnerable and immortal. Well, maybe I am but my baby sure as hell wasn't."
"I believed you and bought into your fairy tales and my daughter died to prove they're fiction," Shayera hissed between clenched teeth.
"So, in other words, it's my fault," Hawkman realized, "You blame me for your baby's death."
Shayera sputtered but then she realized he had a helluva point, "Maybe."
"For what it's worth, I… It's moving again!" Hawkman shouted.
Shayera was going to deny it again when she was suddenly swallowed up by the darkness. It was strange because light still filtered through from the sun yet it was almost like night had fallen. That's when she realized she felt…odd. It was like every negative impulse was at the surface of her skin, trying to rip its way out of her flesh and onto the surface. She looked at Hawkman and realized he was fighting it to. But seeing him made all of her bad feelings erupt to the breaking point.
John found them descending towards Detroit. He'd tried to determine how large the field was now but he couldn't get a bearing that made sense. So he rejoined Shayera and Hawkman.
He'd given them space because he knew Shayera was riddled with issues concerning Carter Hall. Maybe they'd have settled some of them now. As he came upon them, they seemed quiet enough.
"Shayera, Carter, do you have any idea of what just happened?" he asked.
They suddenly rolled onto their backs. Shayera's eyes were glazed in darkness. Hawkman's were covered but his body language said it all. John summed everything up in one statement.
"Ah, hell," he set out to find the Raven and see how Blackhawk and Lady Blackhawk were doing.
His ring pulsed to let him know his wife and her one time would-be paramour were on his trail. As he neared the Raven, a cockpit window shattered. And then a second shout could be heard. The JSA's Oracle-15 plunged towards the city below while a fight for survival waged on aboard it.
John went to intervene but Hawkman and Shayera were already atop of him. Their Nth metal weapons disrupted his ring's constructs. Rather than fight the woman he loved, he shot straight up. Breaking orbit he discovered that near space was free of the inky obstruction.
Looking down, he saw the North American continent was now covered and tendrils of darkness were spreading towards South America, Europe, and Asia. Africa, Australia, and Antarctica would be next to fall.
Not knowing quite what to do, John set forth for the Watchtower. It seemed the Justice Society had failed in an epic fashion. Now it was time to call in the Justice League. He knew that could be problematic. Ninety percent of the JLU lived in the United States and it had just been swallowed whole by this threat. Who knew what kinds of crises were unfolding down there? Would there be any JLers free to respond to a summons? John supposed he had to find out.