10 Justice League Night Falls
Vic Sage ducked as his wife, Helena Bertinelli, threw a savage punch. Vic spun out of the way. Helena's eyes had glazed over with some black ooze as soon as the skies darkened. Vic thought he could understand what had happened to her. He himself had suddenly been overwhelmed by every darker impulse that he held at bay every moment of every day.
He knew Helena walked a tighter line than he did. Her anger was so deep it frequently tried to overwhelm her. He just supposed that with this external pressure it finally had. Now the trick was getting past her.
He blocked another quick succession of blows. She landed a couple of them and his head was spinning. The Huntress truly lived up to her name. Of course, as the Question, Vic also bore a second identity.
Hating himself, Vic drove his knee into Helena's stomach as she threw yet another punch. He smashed a fist into her jaw as hard as he could. And then he ran.
He locked himself in his study. The steel door would resist Helena's attempts to smash the door. The door jam, however, was still vulnerable. She was soon pounding at the door.
Then the blows ended. Vic assumed Helena was getting a micro bomb from her utility belt at that point. He quickly applied his mask and hair changing chemical mist. He then requested a teleport to the Watchtower. When Helena blew the door open, he was already gone.
Sir Justin shielded Tess Richardson behind him, "Beware, Lady Tessa. Foul things are afoot."
"Are you referring to the sudden inky blackness that swallowed the city or the cops coming towards as with evil intent in their nonexistent eyes?" Tess asked dryly, "I won't even mention those 'things' that came out of the ground to grab at us."
Sir Justin was pleased that Tessa was comporting herself so well. Then again, she'd managed to cope with his adventures as the Shining Knight better than he so far, it seemed. He handed off his JLU signal device.
"Summon a transport," he requested.
"How?" she inquired.
"Press 'transmit' and begin speaking," Justin began to tense up as the mounted officers approached. They'd been at the stables to see Winged Victory and move him upstate to the JSA HQ. He suddenly grabbed Tessa and pulled her to Winged Victory's side, "Belay that, milady. Our foes art armed."
A shot rang out and Tessa scrambled onto Winged Victory's back with Sir Justin's help, "They're really trying to kill us!"
"Aye, we must withdraw from this madness at once," Justin mounted his winged horse and spurred the steed into action.
Winged Victory climbed into the air and then Sir Justin steered him north. He called over his shoulder as he held up a waiting hand, "My signal device, if you please."
"What? You don't think I can handle it?" Tessa smarted off.
"Thou art truly the most capable woman I know, Lady Tessa," Sir Justin admitted, "I just did not wish to trouble thee further."
"Trouble me," she said into his ear as she leaned into him, "I like trouble."
Sir Justin grinned, "Please access the GPS and guide Winged Victory and I to the Justice Society's headquarters."
Tessa played with the iPod sized device for several moments. After turning on the GPS, she explored drop down menus until she got the desired result. She smiled.
"Steer us west until I say different," she instructed.
Sir Justin complied and when Tessa told him to head due north, he readily smiled; "Tis true. We art meant to be a team."
"I could've told you that waaay before this," Tessa snorted, "You not only survived my parents and brothers but you have them eating out of your hand. No one has ever managed that before."
"Thy family is wonderful, Lady Tessa. Perhaps thy previous suitors did not fully appreciate them," Sir Justin opined, "Just as they did not fully appreciate thee enough to make such an effort."
Tessa though she had something new to consider. To distract herself she said, "Keep us on this heading, flyboy. If our speed remains constant we should be at the JSA HQ in half an hour."
"That long?" Justin sounded worried.
"Yup," Tessa confirmed it, "Is there a problem?"
"Hold fast to me, milady," Sir Justin instructed, "Winged Victory is about to speed on ever faster."
"Won't he get tired?" Tessa worried.
Sir Justin actually smirked, "My steed carries more than one enchantment. The magics that gave him wings also granted him supernatural endurance. Trust me Lady Tessa, my steed shall get us there with strength to spare."
The Shining Knight spurred Winged Victory on. Tessa was glad that Sir Justin had instructed her to take a firm grip as she was almost thrown backwards. She kept her arms wrapped around his waist and she leaned into his back. It was quite pleasant despite the obvious danger that affected the skies around them and the chain mail. She sighed at the thought of the chain mail. Her skin would look like a waffle iron by the time they landed but she didn't care. She knew she was safe while she was with Sir Justin.
"Are you gals tryin' to tell Booster and I something?" Greg Saunders asked Claire Connelly and Heather Williamson.
The woman laughed. A year ago, Greg wouldn't have been caught dead in a LBGT bar. But then again that was before he knew Claire. Claire and Booster were getting married in a week and this was pre-wedding celebration.
You see, Claire and Heather were M2F transsexuals. They'd both undergone SRS and were now physically classified as 'female' besides the psychological requirements that they'd met years ago. Claire had made a bet with Greg that if she kept hooking him up with women, he'd eventually fall for a T-Girl.
Of course, she'd thrown in enough naturally genetic females to throw him off. He had evaded the Pre- and Non-Ops but Heather had been the first Post-Op woman that he'd met. He hadn't even known her surgical status and she'd had him eating out of her hand inside of five minutes.
Then Claire had undergone SRS as well. Like Heather, she now had an "F" on the gender portion of her driver's license. Claire had waited for that moment her entire life. And then Booster had proposed and she'd nearly swooned she was so happy.
Booster was properly called Michael Jon Carter. He was a man out of time. He'd travelled from the 26th Century to the 31st through the use of a one way time machine. In the 31st Century he was enamored with the Legion of Super Heroes. Finding out the LSH was in turn inspired by the rise of superheroes in the 20th and 21st Centuries; Booster endeavored to return to that era to join a super team.
The JSA had too messy a history so Booster set his sights on the Justice League Unlimited. He'd been such a glory hound at first; the JLU had wisely kept him away from action. But he'd eventually proven himself and now he was fully fledged member in his own right.
Skeets had returned to the future to check on Booster's status in the 31st Century. He'd never returned. Booster had no means of pursuing the little AI that was so loyal to him. He often wondered if Skeets had found someone else just as Booster had found Claire.
Greg Saunders also served in the JLU as Vigilante. Greg was a country music crooner. His summer tour had been delayed until after the weddings. Plastic Man and Penny were finally getting married this weekend and Booster and Claire were taking the plunge next week. It was the first plunge for both couples.
Greg was about to suggest a toast when the darkness washed through the building, "Whut the?"
The hand effect took place and amidst the screams, dozens of people suddenly grew silent, and then began attacking those unaffected near them. Greg and Booster leapt into action. Greg was an accomplished kung fu master. He'd taken to practicing his forms with August General in Iron. Booster had some basic training but against a crowd like this, he was woefully unprepared.
"Ya'll got yur force field belt with ya?" Greg asked between opponents.
Booster grimaced, "I just have my flight ring."
Greg wanted to sigh. Not that he had much to complain about. His six guns and ammo were at Heather's apartment. He was spending the night and hadn't seen much point in carrying them around NYC. Cops tended to discourage such things.
"Get the gals onto the roof," Greg instructed, "Rustle up a teleport."
"What about you?" Booster wasn't going to budge until he knew.
"Get the ladies ta safety. Ah'll be right behind ya," Greg offered, "If Ah'm not, ya'll kin bail my butt outta the fire. Deal?"
Booster nodded, "Sounds good."
"Now git!" Greg urged.
He knocked over the last person that was afflicted by whatever the hell it was. He led a crowd outside. A police squad car stopped in the street. Two officers stepped out. Greg was relieved until he saw their eyes.
"Aw hell," he remarked as they chambered rounds into their pistols and opened fire on the innocents fleeing into the streets.
Greg managed to flank one of them as he reloaded. Rushing into the officer, he disarmed the cop. He then bounced the patrolmen's head off of the car's roof. Smashing the stunned officer with the door, Greg pulled it back and smashed him a second time.
The second patrolman aimed his reloaded pistol at Greg. The JLer ducked and the windows shattered as bullets drove through them. The report of the handgun wended and Greg could swear he heard flesh on flesh blows. He came up to find Booster standing over the downed cop.
"Are you finally ready to leave?" Booster asked ruefully.
"What about the gals?" Greg inquired.
"They wouldn't leave without you," Booster grinned, "God knows why."
"Ah think it's time we find out whut's goin' on around here," Greg opined.
"I don't think anyone is going to argue," Booster shared.
Still, Vig felt guilty for leaving the panicking crowds behind.
"I read your report," Carol Ferris said as she glanced at the incident report Hal Jordan had filed.
"The plane is a piece of junk, Carol," Hal snorted.
"Now just a minute!" Dave Gibbons, the head of the design team protested, "That aircraft met every requirement made of it."
"Dave, it handles like a bloated pig," Hal bluntly informed him, "Even cargo planes should have some response when you turn the flight yoke. There was a fifteen degree response delay on almost every turn or bank that I initiated."
"It's a safety feature," Dave sniffed, "To protect the aircraft from hot dogs like you."
Carol smirked. Dave had just declared war. Hal knew it as well.
"One of the simulations thrown at me was the arrival of an unexpected interdicting aircraft. This wasn't some fighter plane. This was some civilian liner that was out of its lane at an airport. The reason why is a nonfactor, just as it would be in the air," Hal tried to keep the anger edging his voice under control, "All that mattered was I suddenly had another aircraft on a collision course with mine. I initiated an emergency dive under the tower's control and permission. The aircraft responded ten seconds after the collision had theoretically occurred."
Hal's eyes bored into Dave's, "Forgive me, but I think that's unacceptable. Your plane is unsafe. Who designed it? A committee?"
"Yes," Dave sniffed again.
Hal wanted to roll his eyes. He really did, "Well, have the committee take a second look and improve those controls. The basic airframe is great. The controls just suck."
"Ms. Ferris?" Dave looked to Carol.
She pointed at her tablet, "The simulation data is solid. The control lag caused an estimated five hundred deaths. We can do better."
Dave immediately knew she meant he and his team could do better, "We'll look into it."
Dave exited and Carol stood, "I need to stretch my legs. Want to walk the flight line?"
"Take a walk with a beautiful woman to look at sexy aircraft?" Hal grinned, "How can I say 'no'?"
"Just as long as you find the woman as sexy as the planes," Carol teased.
They drove out to the hangars and met with the maintenance crews and the design engineers making adjustments. Darkness washed over the sky and black hands reached out from the shadows on the ground. Hal and Carol were able to break free. They were shaken but unaffected.
"What was that?" Hal wondered.
"In a word: evil," Carol answered. Seeing Hal's quizzical glance, she elaborated; "You know my ring allows me to read the 'heart' of people. Well, this darkness is teeming with life. And it is malevolent. Think Black Lanterns that want to possess people."
"Possess, huh?" Hal asked, "Would you venture to say that's what happened to them?"
Carol turned around to see flight crews fleeing members of their same teams with ebon black eyes and darkness clinging to their clothes, "Yup. That'd be it."
"Time to suit up," Hal's clothes transformed into a Green Lantern uniform.
Carol wore a wry smirk as her power ring changed her clothes into a Star Sapphire uniform. Unlike her uniform when she'd been the Star Sapphire who hosted the actual star sapphire, Carol's current garb didn't match any other Star Sapphire's. Her black arms and legs bore star field patterns. Her mask no longer flared up above her head. Rather, it was rather like the current Dove's.
"Your ring manifests Love," Hal reminded her unnecessarily, "Love can have an amazing effect on evil."
Carol had to admit he was right. It was just such a large leap for a Green Lantern to make. She aimed her ring at the possessed person closest to one of her employees. Carol channeled a beam of pure love into her chest.
The affected woman thrashed about and then finally tackled the man she'd been chasing. She unceremoniously began to pound him into the tarmac. Carol lifted her off with a hanging claw.
She looked over towards Hal, "Any other ideas?"
"Is the bunker still stocked?" he inquired.
Carol grimaced. The bunker was a Cold War relic. Being a major defense contractor, Ferris Aircraft had been a strategic target. Its product line was diversified now but there were still some that take issue with Ferris Aircraft's employees. Plus, their proximity to Edwards Air Force Base made them a collateral target.
"Yes," Carol said sadly, "The times still being as uncertain as they are, the bunker is fully stocked and equipped."
"Then we get those that aren't affected safely squirreled away and then try to found out the source of this soup," Hal suggested.
Hal and Carol divided up the fleeing crewmen and deposited them at the bunker. They then swept all of the buildings and retrieved everyone that they could. Afterwards, the Green Lantern and Star Sapphire hovered over the sprawling complex.
"What aren't you telling me?" Carol inquired at last.
Hal knew she'd pick up on his reticence, "I can't get a reading on this goop."
"I told you what it is," Carol replied, "It's probably an interdimensional cross rift."
"Agreed," he said.
Seeing her amused expression, he copped to it; "Look, you obviously know what you're talking about. My problem is I can't tell how wide this effect is."
"That is a bad sign," Carol conceded.
"I think we need to climb above this stuff…if we can," Hal urged.
"Always so hopeful," Carol teased.
Hal's face puckered, "There are just too many variable to account for right now. We…aggh!"
A green construct had smashed Hal through the Ferris building roof. Carol took up a guard position. She had a feeling she knew who this was.
When she saw Guy Gardner, she decided it was worse than her first guess. Guy came at her with a sledgehammer. Carol created a chisel and the hammer broke in half as it struck her construct. She then created a bolo which she wrapped Guy up in. The weighted ends smacked into his skull as intended and he seemed momentarily oblivious to her.
Carol had already noted that those possessed by the interdimensional beings didn't seem to be able to talk. Which in this case was a relief. Guy would have popped off with half a dozen sexiest comments by now and Carol would be tempted to castrate him. She was still tempted but it wasn't a pressing concern.
A green rake pushed its way through one the first floor walls. Hal emerged only to have at least two dozen possessed Ferris employees leap upon him. She knew he was safe enough as long as he kept his personal field up.
A green energy burst broke her bolos and Guy was free again. Carol had been thrown against the roof. Guy may be silent but his facial expression reflected the demented glee his "guest" felt.
A battle between her and Guy could only escalate to the point of people getting hurt. She didn't want to see that. These people weren't in control of their actions. They were also co-workers and friends besides. And Hal could be jeopardized by the sight of her engaging Guy. So she decided to relocate.
She headed out into the Mojave. Guy dutifully followed. As she neared the mountains, she baited her trap.
Guy created another blunt instrument. Even possessed by a shadow demon he had no imagination. Carol suddenly halted in mid-air. She created two booster rockets strapped to Guy. They went blazing into a cliff and dust plumed up while rock shattered and fell from the mountain.
Carol came in closer to see the results of her gambit. What she found was Guy standing amidst the impact crater. His glee was unparalled.
Nuts, Carol glumly thought as she realized the fight had only just begun.
"Everyone's going insane," Clark Kent said grimly.
"I must remove Alexandra from this place," Diana Prince-Kent said of their daughter.
"Themiscrya?" Clark asked.
"Exactly," Diana confirmed it, "The island is isolated from the mortal plane by the gods. If it is affected by this dark threat, it shall be the last place on Earth to be so."
Diana was wearing Hera's armor but it now bore a new accessory. Alexandra's carrier sat in front of Diana. Clark's heart melted at seeing the two most important women in his life. Knowing they were about to abandon this mortal coil made him sad.
"What is it?" Diana asked softly.
"I just hate goodbyes," he confessed.
"Mother will take charge of Alexandra," Diana assured him, "My sisters will keep her from harm. She'll be under the protective hands of the gods themselves. Meanwhile, I shall return to you and face this new foe."
"We're not even certain there is a foe yet," Clark mused.
"There is always a foe," Diana declared.
"Not for long," Clark grinned.
They exchanged a heated kiss and Diana smiled as she stepped back, "That will have to suffice for now. Until later, my husband."
Clark waved as Diana twirled her magic lasso around her and Alexandra. After passing the lariat up and over them several times, Diana began a down stroke and she and her daughter disappeared as the loop descended.
"That lasso is rather handy," Clark sighed. He contacted the Watchtower and requested a teleport. It was gratefully scheduled.