10 Justice League Night Falls
Sentinel flew straight for Detroit. His ring's connection with the Earth itself granted him an infallible sense of direction. The wave of darkness that washed over the landscape and rushed by him to cover the East Coast, created a sense of dread within him. The Shadow Realms were tainted with the ineffable essence of both Ragnarok and the Subtle Realms.
The Justice Society had dealt with both. They had fought Surtur for what seemed an eternity in Ragnarok. The JSA encountered the Subtle Realms when Johnny Sorrow had released the King of Tears upon the world. The Spectre had defeated the King of Tears but just barely.
Johnny Sorrow had been disintegrated by Sandy the Golden Boy, now the man known as Sand. Sandy had joined the JSA's fight with Johnny despite the Sandman forbidding him to. Sandy had used an experimental weapon to destabilize Johnny's disintegrator, which was also an experimental prototype he'd stolen.
But it turned out the same rip that granted the King of Tears access to Earth from the Subtle Realms had opened a door that the intangible Johnny Sorrow fell through. The beings inhabiting the Subtle Realms put Johnny Sorrow back together but he was no longer even vaguely human.
His natural state was intangibility. His clothes and mask hung on an invisible frame. But he had to become physical to remove his mask and while it was removed, he was vulnerable. Of course, the merest glimpse of his face caused death, so it was a mixed bag,
It had been the final blow in the long slide of a failed actor. Johnny Sorrow had been a star of the silent cinema. Talkies put him out of business because while he could do melodramatic expressions with flair he couldn't actually recite lines from a script and make them anywhere near believable.
Johnny Sorrow's wife had left him while he flitted about from one odd job to another. He was always trying to get noticed by the studios. But he was an aging bygone product of an extinct era. Finally, Johnny Sorrow stooped to crime.
He knew the new Hollywood elite and the lavish lifestyles the studios bestowed upon them. It just took a bribe here and there to the security forces and Johnny Sorrow had the run of Beverly Hills and Hollywood Hills. He had a sweet gig and he reveled in his revenge.
What tripped him up was his tendency towards the dramatic. Knowing of the rise of masked crime fighters, Johnny Sorrow sought to emulate their foes. He sought front page headlines and the notoriety he'd lost.
So Johnny culled his new contacts in the underworld and learned of an experimental weapon "One Eye" Marconi was eying for himself. Johnny stole it and went berserk. He robbed anything and everything that was standing still.
Marconi himself asked the Justice Society for help. It was an event that literally changed Johnny Sorrow's eternity. After decades of being in the Subtle Realms, he offered to return to Earth to pave out a path from the demons. He would free the King of Tears and cheer on the demonic invasion of Earth.
He'd made one attempt already but the original JSA had stopped him. He'd retreated and hadn't been heard of for over six months. Sentinel knew that was far too long a time to let a threat like Johnny Sorrow run loose.
The Shadows Realms themselves were inhabited but the beings that lived there had always been as a low priority threat. The two neighboring dimensions, the Subtle Realms and Ragnarok had spawned threats on a scale to compare with Darkseid. Surtur was literally the stuff of myth. His armies were predicted to eventually destroy Earth.
Dr. Fate had revealed that the King of Tears also featured prominently in the black magic arcana. Any being that could go toe to toe with Spectre could be regarded as god-like. Unfortunately the King of Tears was a god of malicious evil.
Sentinel knew the time was drawing close. Whatever Todd was unleashing was building to a crescendo. So far only the Shadow Realms had interfaced with this dimension. Who knew how long it would take before a neighbor cross ripped as well.
And where the hell was Johnny Sorrow? Sentinel had a bad feeling the answer to that question could prove vital. He'd worry about it soon enough. Right now he had to help his son like he'd never been given the chance to before.
On the Rock of Eternity, Johnny Sorrow reaffixed his mask. Shazam lay sprawled on the floor. While Shazam was immortal and Johnny Sorrow's true visage couldn't kill him, it could make him wish he were dead. Johnny Sorrow dragged the heavy chains he'd brought with him and began to shackle Shazam.
The wizard stared blankly with eyes wide in horror. Johnny Sorrow's wife had shared that expression as she died. That was when he learned what his true face did to people. He'd wondered what would happen to an immortal that gazed upon him. Johnny Sorrow guessed he had his answer now.
He patted Shazam's throne, "It's good to be the king."
He sat down and realized that he had a perfect vantage point for witnessing what was occurring on Earth. By turning his head to one side or the other he could view the Subtle Realms and Ragnarok. Johnny Sorrow began to laugh helplessly.
"All of this at your disposal and you were still blind," Johnny Sorrow rose. The demon hierarchies in the assorted realms were chomping at the bit. But what was the point? Ultimately, would it grant him his one wish? To be human again, that was his only desire. He supposed if he were destined to be a monster he could literally be one hell of a monster.
Near Shazam's perch sat seven statues depicting various mannerisms. These were why Johnny Sorrow had come. Oh to be sure, putting Shazam down and robbing his champions of their powers was a bonus. But these beauties were his true object of desire.
They were the seven deadly sins of man. And the statues contained the literal personification of each plague. Johnny Sorrow studied each of them in turn. Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Wrath, Envy, and Pride waited for an end to their long imprisonment. So Johnny Sorrow obliged them.
He removed his mask and the statues began to crack. Then they fell to pieces as the sins shrugged their unused limbs. They all leered at Johnny Sorrow, awaiting an explanation.
"Do what you do best, lads," Johnny Sorrow instructed, "Wreak havoc on Earth so that we can herald in a new dawn more to our liking."
They departed with an unholy screech. Johnny Sorrow chuckled to himself, "And I thought I was melodramatic. I guess it's time to venture off to my other destination."
Johnny Sorrow employed the Rock of Eternity's ability to transport one anywhere. Johnny Sorrow chose the JSA HQ as his particular destination. He had a promise to keep and in doing so he would bring about the end of the world.
Galatea punched yet another zombie, "And stay down."
Whatever had taken over the bodies of the population of Detroit, it drove the host bodies onward despite pain and injury. She guessed that a potentially fatal injury might drive the parasite out of the host but she wasn't ready to test that theory just yet. The affected crowd pulled back and seemed to be in silent communication with each other.
"Remember I said to do whatever I ordered, no matter how crazy?" Galatea asked Teth-Adam and Adrianna.
"Indeed," Teth-Adam recalled, "And we shall."
Galatea took a moment to assess how her partners were doing. Teth-Adam had been a royal guard of Pharaoh before being tapped by Shazam to become Black Adam. His training had stayed with him throughout the thousands of years since then.
Adrianna was an archeologist which meant she was more comfortable in the academic arena. Although, Galatea had to admit that Adriana was a scrapper. She could be a literal female Indiana Jones. She certainly had the pluck for it.
"I'm about to punch a hole through this crowd," Galatea announced, "You need to push through before the crowd collapses in on itself and plugs the hole."
"Lead on, Tea," Teth-Adam said, "For we shall follow."
He explained Galatea's instructions to Adrianna in Egyptian. As the mortal Adrianna Tomaz, her grasp of English was fairly limited. The language barrier was a problem that could work against them later on.
"Brace yourself," Galatea warned. She then shot forward with her arm outstretched. She plowed a line through the milling crowd. The affected hosts shook their fists and stamped their feet in protest but Teth-Adam and Adrianna made it out of the block and halfway down the next street before the crowd began to converge on them.
Galatea alighted between the Egyptians and the crowd. Her super breath knocked dozens off of their feet. Galatea grinned over her shoulder, "Ready to go again?"
"Ready!" Teth-Adam affirmed.
Galatea carved another path and Teth-Adam and Adrianna pursued her. They reached an apartment complex only to find the Batsons and Freddy Freeman engaged in a fight. Or, at least, Mary was fighting. The boys were just taking some hard knocks.
Teth-Adam was dismal, "The child is consumed by her anger. Even her feelings for her brother and her friend cannot dissuade her."
"I thought Mary and Freddy were dating," Galatea replied.
"That was a brief episode. They have amicably gone their separate ways since then," Teth-Adam revealed.
"Then how are we going to snap her out of it?" Galatea wondered.
"I have no inkling," Teth-Adam admitted.
It was then that the T-Spheres engaged and teleported Sand's team onto the scene.
"Mary! Stop!" Stargirl shouted as she approached.
Mary turned on her and lashed out with a kick. While Stargirl was impressed by how good Mary's form was in such a short time, she still opted to block the strike with her staff. Mary grimaced but then threw a punch. Stargirl swatted that aside with her free hand.
"Courtney! It's no good! She won't listen to reason!" Billy shouted.
"Okay," Stargirl commented as she ducked another blow, "Let's see what this does."
Stargirl shot Mary with a burst from the Cosmic Rod. Mary recoiled and was in obvious distress. She then scowled and came at Courtney again. Only it wasn't Stargirl she attacked but rather one of King Chimera's illusions.
"Break away while she's distracted," Sand instructed. Seeing Stargirl's reluctance, he emphasized, "Now, Star!"
Stargirl took flight and Mr. Terrific tackled Mary from behind. He wrested her arms behind her back and cuffed them. He zip tied her feet together next. He then broke free of her writhing mass and stood aside.
"She should be fairly harmless now," Mr. Terrific ventured a guess.
Dr. Mid-Nite knelt next to her with a bio scanner in his hand, "This will be my first opportunity to examine one of the affected hosts."
"You think she's possessed, Doc?" Sand asked as he too approached.
"I'm uncertain of the spiritual implications but she is harboring a foreign lifeform of some kind," Dr. Mid-Nite realized, "If it's parasitical in nature then there should be some way of flushing it from the host's system."
"There is," Teth-Adam said as he and Adrianna and Galatea approached.
"Teth-Adam! Adrianna!" Freddy exclaimed, "So Shazam revoked your powers as well."
Billy was holding Courtney but he was mindful of the conversation, "I'm telling you, there's something wrong with the wizard. He wouldn't just yank our powers away if there wasn't a problem."
"I fear you are correct, Billy Batson," Teth-Adam agreed, "And whatever that has felled the wizard may be even mightier than those we currently face."
"Even as a mortal you're a barrel of chuckles," Mr. Terrific commented.
"I did not come to offer good humor but rather hope. As Isis, Adrianna unlocked the key to the shadow demons undoing," Teth-Adam shared.
"You mentioned that upon your initial approach," Dr. Mid-Nite reminded him, "Care to elaborate? Because we found a method for breaking someone free as well."
So Teth-Adam shared.
"So, you're normally Isis?" Cyclone asked Adrianna.
Adrianna shifted uncomfortably and looked to Galatea for help. Tea intervened, "English isn't Adrianna's strong suit. Try Ancient Egyptian, Arabic, or Farsi."
"Adrianna," King Chimera suddenly said in Arabic, "You are normally in the guise of Isis around us are you not?"
"Yes!" she blurted, "You speak Arabic."
"Product of a misspent youth," King Chimera remarked. Seeing her inquisitive stare, he added; "I have an eidetic memory. I travelled throughout the world as a child and retained all of the languages that I learned during that time."
"What a marvelous gift," Adrianna said brightly.
"It can be," a cloud passed over King Chimera's face, "When no one is trying to use your talents for their own gain."
Adrianna gained an insight into his character with revelation, "Do not be afraid, King Chimera. The Justice Society does not wish to profit by your skills. As Isis I am filled with the goddess' insights and she knows that these are good people full of hope and ideals."
"Even good people can betray their ideals," King Chimera said gruffly.
"I think you have found at least one of us to trust with your heart," Adrianna commented.
King Chimera looked at Cyclone standing next to him. Her face was full of hope. Her eyes were awash in the blinding glow of love. And he could see pride for him in them as well. He suddenly felt unworthy.
"Maxine, I've been talking to her in Arabic," he explained.
"Uh huh," Cyclone grinned, "I kinda got that. I am one of the smartest people on the planet, remember?"
"Maybe even smarter than I am," King Chimera admitted, "After all, you saw the solution to my particular problem."
"Yeah," Cyclone smirked, "I see solutions to a lot of your problems. And they all involve me."
King Chimera blinked at her boldness. She'd always been so shy and reticent around him before. He decided he liked this new facet to her character.
"I can see a world of possibilities opening up," King Chimera admitted.
Adrianna didn't understand all of that but seeing Cyclone's face light up, she shared in the joy.
"Take it easy, Freddy," Galatea advised, "We'll pull Mary through this."
"It won't be us that does it though," Freddy realized, "I can only think of one person that can. The problem is he may have been sucked into the darkness as well."
Freddy looked up at Galatea, "You know who I mean."
"Oh," Galatea said as she realized that she did.
"I don't get it," Stargirl confided to Billy, "Pat trusted Mike with the STRIPE duties and the first thing he does is bail on us."
"He probably has problems at his end," Billy predicted, "But they'll work out. You'll see."
Courtney gave him a wry look like he was nuts.
Back at JSA HQ, Commander Steel was struggling with Wonder Girl. The darkness had grabbed her and then it had taken her somehow. All he knew for certain at this point was she was damnably strong and fast. And she knew how to fight.
Pat Dugan and Rex Tyler burst into the command center and Rex blurted, "What the hell?"
"We have to give Commander Steel a hand!" Pat stated.
"Not him!" Roxy suddenly declared from beside them, "Wonder Girl isn't the problem. I called you in to take care of the real problem."
"Which is?" Rex asked.
"Him," Roxy pointed at Mike as he stepped into the command center, armed to the teeth.
"Aw, why'd it have to be Mike?" Pat groaned.
Jake and Smiley exited the pilot's bunkhouse and headed for the main JSA compound. Their eyes were black as coals and they wore giddy smiles as their eyes were filled with evil intent. They stopped at the entrance to the command center building and waited.
Their wait was a short one for Johnny Sorrow arrived from the Rock of Eternity in an instant. He patted them each on the shoulder, "I see you're my kind of fellows. Let's be about our business then."
The doors swung wide and Johnny Sorrow strode in. Jake and Smiley raced ahead of him to open the double doors that led into the center itself. Roxy appeared before them with a challenge.
"Who're you?" she demanded to know.
"I, my dear, am Johnny Sorrow. Hear the name and perish," he removed his mask.
Roxy didn't even blink, "I can see why you wear the mask.
Johnny Sorrow reaffixed his mask in place. He waved his hand through Roxy, "Ah, I see."
"Yeah right," Roxy snorted, "Why don't you take a hike?"
"I would but I have unfinished business inside," Johnny Sorrow said and walked through Roxy's avatar.
Roxy fumed, "Of all the nerve!"
"Greetings fellow thespians!" Johnny Sorrow said as he entered the command center. Mike and Wonder Girl ceased all activities and stared at Johnny Sorrow with eager anticipation.
Commander Steel approached Pat and Rex, "Who's the drama queen?"
"Oh shit," Rex said, "It's Johnny Sorrow."
"Do my incorporeal ears deceive me? I have an admirer?" Johnny Sorrow chuckled as he descended the tiered scallop steps onto the main floor. He rubbed a finger along the center table, "And where does dear Sandy sit, I wonder?"
Rex gave a brief description of Sorrow's history to Pat and Commander Steel, "And then Sand, Jesse Quick, Dr. Mid-Nite, Jay, and Alan faced him alongside Fate about six months ago. Rick was playing Hourman with the JLU at the time. Sorrow was sucked back into the Subtle Realms after looking at his reflection. It was right after that that the team really began to expand.
"Yes, I gave you purpose again," Johnny Sorrow bragged, "And now I'm here to take back what's rightfully mine."
"Go to hell!" Rex retorted.
"I've been there," Johnny Sorrow retorted, "Frankly, it didn't take."
"What do you want, Mr. Sorrow?" Pat went straight to the point.
"I want the vial that contains the Spectre's tears," Johnny Sorrow revealed.
Pat and Rex blanched. Unable to destroy the King of Tears, the Specter had tried to ingest him. But he couldn't contain the nether god so he began to tear up. The original Starman had grabbed a beaker and caught the Spectre's tears. The original Dr. Mid-Nite had transferred the King of Tears essence into a special vial which had been sealed away for the public's good.
Wesley Dodd had kept watch over the vial over the long decades until his death. Sand had inherited the relic among many others. Knowing the vial's contents were dangerous, it had been kept out of the JSA Museum. It had been transferred to the Justice Society's new installation.
"Even if I knew, I wouldn't tell you," Rex growled.
"Hourman, wasn't it? At least once upon a time, I'd say," Johnny Sorrow's mask turned towards Pat, "And Stripsey?"
Johnny Sorrow chuckled as the two men grated under his attention, "You've found replacements I'd say. My allies inform me that a new Hourman is active in Detroit. And as for Stripsey Jr., the less said the better I'd gather."
Pat tried to grab Sorrow's double breasted jacket but his arms passed through. Johnny Sorrow was delighted, "Always the brawler. I wonder if your son inherited that trait."
"I'll tell you what, tell me where to find the King of Tears and I'll spare you the indignity of being killed by your own son." Johnny Sorrow offered.
He turned to Commander Steel and Rex, "And you, of course, won't be trampled underfoot by these gentlemen and lady. Consider my offer carefully."
"I stand corrected," Rex replied, "You're already in hell. But maybe you can pass the time by going and screwing yourself."
Rex made a shocked face, "Oh, that's right! You're intangible and your kisser kills anyone who looks at it. Gotta be a lonely life."
"You have no idea," Johnny Sorrow said with contempt. He snapped his fingers and Mike, Wonder Girl, Jake, and Smiley converged on the three JSA members.
Johnny Sorrow exited the command center and headed off towards the auxiliary buildings to begin his search, "In this fight everyone loses and I'm a winner."