10 Justice League Night Falls
"This is fuggin' nuts!" Jack O'Lantern exclaimed as he blasted yet another wave of possessed soldiers. The base that the Global Guardians were housed on also supported NATO's Special Operations Command. Many, but not all, of the SpecFor soldiers had armed themselves and went a wild tear to kill anyone not similarly affected.
A desperate cry for help had been issued to the Global Guardians and they'd responded. Unfortunately, they'd been unable to stem the entire tide and an armored column had marched from Brussels to France. They were now in the heart of Paris. French troops were also running amuck as were some of the police.
"At least we have help," Owlwoman commented from beside him.
The Super Friends had been visiting their old comrades in the Global Guardians when the crisis hit. Apache Chief, Black Vulcan, and Samurai had comprised one of two UN response teams when the Global Guardians had been the other force employed by the international community. The Global Guardians had been set aside in favor of the Justice League Unlimited while the Super Friends had been absorbed by the JLU.
Steel had also been consulting with NATO so he'd pitched in with the Global Guardians. Jack thought that Steel wisely knew to keep his mouth shut and do what he was told. Other JLers had pitched in as well. Rocket Red had been present at a joint NATO/Russian Federation conference. Red represented the entire Rocket Red Brigade and its mission to provide external and internal security within Russia's borders. This mission was now extending beyond those borders to include Russia's allies in the Commonwealth of Independent States. NATO had wanted assurances that this was not a provocative move in the increasing game of one upmanship in the meta-human category of weapons.
Upon reaching Paris, the Global Guardians were met by Crimson Fox. She'd signaled them through her signal device's connection to Steel and Rocket Red. She quickly directed them to the Champ de Mars where the marching forces were firing on the crowds that had sought safety in the lights of the Eiffel Tower and the surrounding park. It was here that the Global Guardians and their allies engaged the military forces.
Steel approached the armor first. Between his sledgehammer, augmented strength, and concussion blasters, he chewed his way through the column. A blurb on his comm device alerted him that Rocket Red had cut off the column at the other end and was proceeding towards Steel. It was then that the gunners within the tanks opened fire at indiscriminate targets.
Oh, they fired at Steel and Rocket Red to be sure. But they also rained fire though their own comrades in order to do so. The units in the middle of the column bracketed the surrounding landmarks. Civilians fled in droves, hindering the Global Guardians' movements.
The infantry deployed and opened fire on the oncoming heroes. Jack blazed a trail through them using his lantern's mystical might. Owlwoman flew high cover and swooped to engage flanking troops with her talons.
Thunderlord used his sonic powers to flatten attacking troops and shatter surrounding widows, raining glass upon nearby streets. The Wild Huntsman charged into the infantry lofting his spear while riding upon his horse. His hound followed and attacked trips as they tried to pull the Huntsman from his saddle. He brandished his axe and began to hack his way through the milling forces.
The Olympian used his powers of flight and strength to ambush pockets of resistance. Nearby, Maxi-Man pummeled those that escaped the Olympians wrath. The Tasmanian Devil attached himself to the Olympian's other flank and trounced the opposition with relish.
Vapor used her acidic mist form to burn and scald those that confronted her. Bushmaster attacked those that evaded her, striking them with venomous fangs. Reverb carved his way through the troops by using the vibrational powers he shared with his brother, Vibe, and shook the soldiers until their organs nearly ruptured and their bones began to fracture.
The Super Friends were protecting the fleeing crowds as military units pursued them. Apache Chief used his molecular shifting to become super dense and invulnerable one moment and incorporeal the next to maximum effect. His enemies had no idea of how to stop him so he capitalized on their confusion.
Black Vulcan's electrical powers stunned wave after wave of oncoming troops. The possessed men seemed to think that they were storming a beach from landing craft they came with such determination and ferocity. Black Vulcan was keeping them at bay but just barely. He could feel his inner resources dwindling and would need to break off and recharge his powers very soon.
Samurai released a hurricane force wind to stem the pursuit. He also had control over flames but he was afraid of what that would unleash in this volatile mix. He could see beyond the plight of he and his partners and what he saw deeply troubled him.
"Just what the deuce is wrong with them?" Godiva demanded to know, observing her teammates in action from a distance.
Godiva, Rising Sun, Echo, the Little Mermaid, Gypsy, Tuatara, and Crimson Fox stood on a nearby knoll. The theory was that they were supposed be the rearguard to prevent a successful flanking operation. Instead they'd watched in mute horror until Godiva couldn't restrain herself any longer.
"It has to be the psychic pressure we're all feeling," Rising Sun guessed, "It felled poor Praxis and some of the others have apparently just been hanging on. Perhaps those cogs have slipped now.
"This is not going to end well," Tuatara predicted. Knowing he could see the future, they accepted his words with due gravity.
"They have to be stopped!" Crimson Fox declared, "Some of their victims are French!"
"And some are British, Dutch, Norwegian, Danish, German, Belgian, Spanish, Italian, Greek, and American," Godiva declared coldly, "Should I go on to list the Canadians and the East Europeans?"
"I should have known you'd be cold hearted about this, you Brit bitch!" Crimson Fox snarled.
Ulla interposed herself between them, "Wait a minute! Now you're both doing it too!"
"We have to stop them," Gypsy suddenly declared, "What happens when they run out of soldiers to kill? There are hundreds, perhaps thousands of people, scattered around here trying to stay alive. The Super Friends are helping keep them alive but they could use some help."
"And we need to stop our people," Echo added, "Or at least slow them down."
Rising Sun made a choice, "Ulla, Echo, and Tuatara you're with me as I try to stop our fellow Guardians. Godiva, you take Gypsy and our friend Crimson Fox and assist the Super friends."
"I knew you were going to say that," Tuatara bemoaned his assignment.
Ulla flew towards the closest cluster of Guardians while Rising Sun, Echo, and Tuatara approached the others on foot. Turning to Crimson Fox, Godiva smiled with syrupy sweetness; "Coming dear?"
"You're still a bitch," Crimson Fox grumped.
"Better a bitch than a whore," Godiva taunted.
"Ladies!" Gypsy forcefully interrupted, "We don't have time for this. Refight the Battle of Trafalgar some other time."
"Agreed," Godiva suddenly said, "Peace…for now."
"Until later," Crimson Fox agreed.
They headed off on foot to support the Super Friends. They reached them just in time.
August General in Iron had found himself allied with his teammates in the JLU against his comrades in China's Great Ten. OMAC, Supergirl, and Kyle Rayner had helped him stop the rampaging Chinese heroes.
Only Accomplished Perfect Physician had been in his right mind. Celestial Archer, Ghost Fox Killer, Immortal Man in Darkness, Mother of Champions, Seven Deadly Brothers, Shaolin Robot, Socialist Red Guardsman, and Thundermind had all been possessed. August General had personally faced down Ghost Fox Killer. He was immune to her lethal touch. Because of her great love for him, he tried to take her down as gently as he could.
The others hadn't fared well against the Justice League members. Accomplished Perfect Physician attended to their wounds, letting his healing touch do its work. It was then that Hal and Carol had arrived.
"No time to explain!" Hal warned, "Guy is coming in behind us and we need to stop him."
"Why couldn't you two…?" Kyle began.
"This is no time for a contest of wills," Hal snapped, "And Guy has little love in his heart for anyone but Guy."
"Here he comes!" Supergirl declared and she met Guy in the air with her fist.
It stopped Guy dead in his tracks. The blow was so powerful, his personal field wavered and he received a bloody nose. Even possessed, Guy had an extreme reaction to seeing his own blood. He smashed Kara into the ground and tried to crush her.
Kyle formed a slingshot around Guy and fired it, and Guy, off towards the distance. He turned to Hal, "Whatever you have to say, say it quick."
He helped Kara back to her feet while Hal spoke, "We need to get Guy's ring off. Carol and I can combat him while you work though his defenses and snatch the ring."
"Excuse me, but I believe I can help," OMAC declared.
"I'm not certain…" Hal began to retort when OMAC's body turned yellow.
Blades and pincers began to grow out of his arms, "Just bring him to me."
Guy was on the hunt. His ting told him Carol was nearby and he dearly wanted to kill her. A violet baseball bat suddenly smacked him the face.
Carol struck a provocative pose nearby, "Hey there! Looking for me?"
She took flight and Guy pursued. She was getting awfully tired of Gardner's attention. She swooped past Hal and Kyle. They netted Guy and flopped him onto the ground in front of OMAC.
Guy wore an evil grin and launched a spear into OMAC's chest. Only it splintered against the cyborg's yellow hide. OMAC went on the offensive. Pushing at Guy with jabs, slices, feints, and cuts, he kept Guy reeling. OMAC used his pincer arm to grab hold of Guy and pin him. Kyle used his own ring to yank Guy's power ring from his finger.
Guy literally snapped his jaws at OMAC and tried to gnaw his way through the cyborg's arm. August General in Iron approached, "Release him."
OMAC complied. Even being reputed as a dirty fighter, Guy was merely human now. Something the biometallic skinned August General had left behind some time ago. Guy of course led with a kick to the groin. August General just glared at him dismissively.
A single blow to the head put Guy out of everyone's misery. August General turned to Hal, "What do you wish to have done with him?"
"Your Great Ten teammate seems to be watching over your fallen comrades," Hal observed, "Why not place Guy in his custody?"
"Do we have to allow Accomplished Perfect Physician to heal him?" August General wondered with a disdainful air.
Hal smirked, "No, I rather think he should avoid doing so in this case."
"Excellent, I shall inform him of his new duties," August General dragged Guy away.
"Why do I feel as if our problems are just beginning?" Carol inquired.
August General returned. His stiff facial features didn't betray much emotion but he seemed agitated, "The common border between the People's Republic and India has broken out in wholesale fighting. The Premier has asked us to intervene."
Hal glanced at Kyle, Kara, and Carol. They all grasped the immensity of the problem. China and India each had populations of over one billion people. China boasted a one million man army by itself. Whichever side was possessed wasn't going to stop until the neighboring population was decimated. Unless of course, the Justice League intervened as asked.
"I think I can safely volunteer us all," Hal voiced his opinion.
"Need a lift?" Carol asked OMAC.
"I would be grateful for one," OMAC admitted.
"I'll do the honors for you, August General," Hal offered.
"Unlike some Green Lanterns, you are a credit to your Corps, Hal Jordan," August General in Iron offered as thanks.
"Don't thank me just yet," Hal grinned, "You're awfully heavy. I might accidently drop you."
August General thought he was joking but he couldn't be certain. Americans were so flippant that they were inscrutable.
Silver Sorceress and Blue Jay had spotted John, Shayera, and the captive Hawkman on their way to find Anna Fortune. Silver Sorceress decided to liberate Carter from the grip of the shadow realm demons in order to recruit more aid in the struggles against Surtur and the King of Tears.
It only took a brief exposure to the white light the Silver Sorceress harnessed to free Hawkman. He was embarrassed by his being taken hostage even if it was to his own darker impulses. While J'onn was left defenseless, John and Shayera led him towards the epic battles that were waging. Hawkman split off to join the Justice Society while John and Shayera hurled themselves into conflict with the fire demons. They joined Superman and Diana in their war with Surtur himself.
"There she is!" Silver Sorceress said excitedly as she pointed to Anna's rising form.
"She's awake," Blue Jay warned, "And she can fly."
"Ground her," Silver Sorceress instructed, "I'll deal with her when you do."
Blue Jay darted off. His flying skills far surpassed those of Silver Sorceress. Blue Jay flew at Anna several times to force her to the ground. Silver Sorceress surmised that Anna was fairly fearless because she met Blue Jay's attempts head on.
Anna gestured towards Blue Jay as he dove at her. Suddenly a mystical barrier formed mere inches in front of him. Unable to stop, it was like he collided with a wall. Blue Jay helplessly fell to the street below.
Anna alighted next to his prone form. She raised her hands as if to conjure an even deadlier spell when Silver Sorceress spoke, "I wouldn't do that."
Anna spun to face the Silver Sorceress. The former Champion of Angor recognized the seeds of Anna's madness. She was consumed by an inner rage. But that rage was causing her to tap extremes of her power that she'd never dared touch before. It was like a narcotic. She needed an ever bigger rush. The highs were diminishing and she craved more especially with her soul drowning in despair.
Before Anna could even twitch, Silver Sorceress bathed her in the White Light of Life. Part of Anna fought. The part that felt an affinity for the shadow demons resisted. But the other part of her, the woman that had found love and a purpose in an unfamiliar time embraced her humanity and her flaws and fought back against the lure of the shadow demons.
Whereas most shadow demons came out like an ooze, Anna's flew out of her like an expulsion. She screamed at the top of her lungs as it left and then collapsed onto her knees. She slouched there. She was weeping as Silver Sorceress came to kneel beside her.
"You're going to be okay," Silver Sorceress assured her. She saw the doubt in Anna's eyes and Silver Sorceress broke into a small smile, "I've been there. You obviously still have something to hold on to otherwise you'd have completely given in to them. Cling to that hope. In the end, there's nothing else here for you."
"Sounds like the bitter words of experience," Anna noted.
"Well, I try not to be bitter," Silver Sorceress conceded, "It's sort of a day by day thing."
Anna began to take note of her surroundings. Suddenly her eyes went wide, "The King of Tears is freed. And Surtur and his armies have invaded."
Silver Sorceress studied her, "How do you know that?"
"It's a knack," Anna struggled to rise; "I have to get there. I'm unsure of what to do about Surtur but I am in possession of the one weapon that may stop the King of Tears."
Silver Sorceress wore a wry grin, "That's what Zee said. That's why she sent us to find you."
Anna heard a groan from behind her. She turned and winced, "I am rather sorry about that."
"Just don't do it again," Blue Jay gasped as he rose, "And mean it when you say you can stop one of these monsters."
"I can," Anna reassured him, "For a time."
"How long is a 'time'?" Blue Jay asked sourly.
"It's unknown. The spell is a precautionary one. It's never actually been used before," Anna shared, "I only carried it because this day was prophesied."
"And you still got caught in the cold?" Blue Jay accused.
Anna stifled a sigh, "As with most prophecies, it was so oblique as to obscure its true meaning. The only point that was made clear was the freeing of the King of Tears."
"One of the problems with the method of bringing back the King was that a magic user had to be sacrificed," Anna divulged. Seeing the blank looks on the Silver Sorceress and Blue Jay's faces, she reached conclusion; "The Thunderbolt seems bereft of purpose. I'd say Johnny Thunder was the victim."
"You don't seem very broken up about it," Blue Jay accused.
"I may not have seen as much death as you have but I've faced the fires of war," Anna said coldly, "I'll grieve in my own way when I have the time."
"What do you know of what we've seen?" Blue Jay was getting hostile now.
"You're covered by the scent of death," Anna observed, "Your eyes reflect its sight. You shouldn't ask how I know but rather why everyone else doesn't see it on you."
Blue Jay grew even more agitated but Silver Sorceress restrained him, "Look! She can help. You can fight with her to your heart's content after we save the planet. That is why we came to this world, remember?"
"Stay away from me," Blue Jay snarled and he flew off.
"Oh, he's going to be a pleasant one to be around," Anna predicted.
"You just hit a little too close to home," Silver Sorceress admitted, "The wounds run deep even if they aren't fresh."
"You'll need to bury them if you're to survive this," Anna warned.
Silver Sorceress wondered if Anna's certainty was a portent of doom.
Galatea had searched several city blocks. Finally she heard screams. But then again she heard cries of terror coming from the entire city. But with the entire possessed population defending the so-called "King of Tears" there were fewer reasons to scream away from the battle waging around the wreckage of James Rice's apartment.
She followed the sounds and found what she'd been looking for. Solomon Grundy was lumbering down the street. A zombie was hard enough to take but one Grundy's size and current foul disposition was a frightful thing. Even Galatea was reluctant to present herself to him since she had no idea of how he'd respond.
Galatea knew she could beat him in a physical contest. She could even overpower him to the point of rendering him unconscious. But that would only be for a few minutes and then he would rise up and start coming again.
She didn't want to have to try and destroy him. For one thing, she wasn't certain it was even possible. And for another, Solomon was a friend. A rather childlike friend but he was loyal to her when many others had turned against her. She hated the idea of rewarding such loyalty with destruction.
Galatea alighted in front of him and held her hands up, "Easy Solomon. I'm not here to fight."
Grundy threw a punch. She caught his arm and restrained it until he pulled it back. He tried again only harder. Galatea responded the same way. Grundy stepped back and blinked at her several times. She could see the dawning recognition in those black orbed eyes.
He suddenly let out a bellowing roar and the darkness sloughed off of him. He settled down and plaintively looked at Galatea, "Tea? Did Grundy hurt you?"
She chuckled, "No, Solomon. You were a good boy."
"Where is Grundy?" he wondered.
"Still in Detroit," she offered as an explanation. She was never certain of how much he really grasped, "Are you ready to help some people?"
"Will it hurt the darkness?" Grundy asked.
"Yes, very much so," Galatea promised him.
"Then Grundy is ready," he replied.
Galatea found she was ready too.