Agilely, Batman ducked and dodged his opponent as the goon continued to slash and stab at him with his knife. Smartly, he began to make his way toward the back wall, drawing the battle away from the computers. As the thug lunged forward in another attempt to stab the black wolf, Batman managed to dodge the attack and provide his own defense- snapping at the poacher's hand with his sharp jaws. Narrowly missing his fist, Bruce's strike was enough to scare the thug into dropping his blade, which- after hitting the ground- Bruce quickly swept under a nearby filing cabinet with his paw. "Why you filthy-" the man shouted as he looked around the room for a new weapon. Quickly he snatched up a metal broomstick and held it up to his face, just in time to protect himself from the black entity that flew towards his face- its razor-sharp claws aimed towards his chest! Struggling to keep the vicious mutt away from his face, the poacher shoved the broomstick into Batman, slamming it into his throat. Ignoring the pressure against his chest, Batman continued to attack the crooked hunter, intent on defending his message; when all of a sudden, a familiar scent caught the attention his sensitive nose and alerted him to the sounds of shouts and scratching coming from outside the closed door.
"Batman!" the voices called as the door shook. Trembling from the force, the door continued to rock as Flash and Diana proceeded in their attempts to force their way inside. "Batman!?" Diana shouted from outside; her claws scratching at the door, and her beautiful spotted paw pressing up against the small window near its top. Looking away for just a moment to acknowledge the presence of his friends, Bruce was caught off guard and struck in the head by the butt of the broom! Thrown to the floor, Batman lay in the corner, dazed and defenseless as his aggressor regained his footing and prepared to deliver the final blow to his opponent. Gripping the broomstick tightly in his fists, he slowly raised it above his head and approached his target, just as Bruce opened his eyes and began to stand, there was a sudden series of blips and beeps as the computer finally sent his message to the Watchtower. Relieved that his alert was on its way to send for help, Bruce sprung to his feet, recharged by the sense that he and his team were that much closer to getting out of this mess. Looking up at the rusted stick clenched in the thug's filthy fists, Batman tensed and prepared to defend himself when suddenly, there was a blasting crash and the sound of a furious snarl and a growl as the man screamed in pain and bent down to clench his aching leg as a furious red fox continued to hold his calf in its jaws like a vice.
"Batman!" Diana shouted as she leapt in front of her friend, defending him as he shook off the blow from the broomstick.
"I'm fine," he said sharply, joining Diana as they both rushed the poacher and joined Flash in his attack. Furiously, the man shook and kicked his leg forward, trying desperately to get Flash off of his calf. Finally, slamming his leg into the wall, Flash let go, and, after catching his breath, looked towards Batman and Wonder Woman, begging them to remind him to 'brush his teeth fifty times and to chug some bleach when they finally made it back to The Watchtower.' Debilitated, the crooked poacher limped toward the door and shouted for backup as the leopard and wolf stealthily stalked forward. Their eyes focused and emanating an aggressive rage, the two predators moved forward, dominantly driving the poacher towards the doorway, and out of the room; but before the man, now obviously frightened, could flee, his pale expression of fear was quickly replaced by the slimy smirk of confidence as three of his colleagues entered the room, carrying guns and other weapons, ready for combat.
"Let's see you get your buddies out of this one," one of the hunters snickered at Batman while gesturing his gun towards Diana, and passing a rifle to his injured colleague. Unafraid, both Bruce and Diana held their ground while Wally quickly joined the standoff, taking a place between his teammates. The rage and tension radiated through the room as the three heroes formulated a plan of attack. Eyeing the firearms, they knew that any wrong move could be their last, and given their current status, they'd have to remain on guard and handle the situation as smartly as possible. See the now open doorway, Diana analytically looked past the hunters and out to the open hallway before divulging her plan of action.
"Flash, do you think you could take out another leg?" she whispered, her eyes focused on the burly black man blocking the door in front of her, his shins visible and vulnerable beneath his cargo shorts.
"I have to bite another one!?" he asked, exacerbated, a disgusted sneer on his lips.
"You don't actually have to bite him," Diana assured. "Just make a move convincing enough to get him to move." She then turned to Batman and directed him to make a break for the door once Flash completed his task. Naturally Bruce objected. Refusing to leave her and Flash in the room, he didn't hesitate to point out the firearms clenched and loaded in the men's hands. "We'll be right behind you," Wonder Woman replied matter-o-factly. "Besides," she sighed sarcastically, "I thought you said we were 'too valuable' to shoot?" She asked with a wink and a smile in his direction before finalizing her commands. Eyes still glued to their targets, the men held their ground and nervously aimed their weapons as they watched Bruce take a challenging step forward, a cold, unsettling look in his eerie yellow eyes as he gained the poachers' attention, drawing it away from Wally who, stealthily followed behind his teammate. Then, without warning, there was a sudden yelp as the hunter blocking the door leapt backward, startled by the fiery orange fox that lunged at his foot, only to weave between his legs and follow the black wolf on his b-line for the door. In an attempt to stop the two from escaping, one of the poachers raised his gun and prepared to shoot, only to have the wind knocked out of him as Diana rammed her head into his chest. Without watching her target hit the floor, Diana quickly bolted out of the room and caught up to Wally and Bruce who had already started their way down the stairs to the basement.
"Where are Superman and Lantern?" Batman asked, looking to his side at Diana.
"-We have to go back for them!" Flash shouted, answering for her.
"They activated a trap not far from here," Wonder Woman explained. "When we left, they were trapped inside and John was injured. We have to go back, Bruce." Diligently, Bruce nodded, and directed Diana to get to the basement and hide, while he and Wally went back to help Clark and John. Within minutes, the three reached the basement. Making sure that they weren't followed, Diana watched the door, while Bruce and Wally proceeded to exit the building; but before anyone could escape, the lights were switched on, and the door blasted open as several men entered the room and charged the fugitive animals. Without warning, Flash was snatched up by the scruff of his neck, and Batman and Wonder Woman were violently overpowered and pinned to the floor.
"Well now," said one of the men in a slimy, falsely amused, tone. "Look what we've finally caught…" he sighed, looking at Bruce and Diana pressed on the floor. "Didn't think I'd see you back in here," he paused and sneered at Bruce, "but I can promise you…" he hissed as he loaded his rifle and put the barrel to Bruce's head. "This time, you won't be getting out." His finger wrapped around the trigger, he closed one eye and exhaled, as smile gracing his face as he squeezed the trigger…
"NO!" shouted a voice as the gun fire cracked and the bullet crashed into the floor, mere inches from Batman's skull! Shaken, everyone- Bruce included- stopped breathing, and stared in shock at the electrically-charged mace and the shattered gun that lay on the floor beneath it. "Unless you'd like your ribs to meet the same fate, I suggest you let them go!" Shayera ordered, her mace aimed at the poacher's chest. Without a second thought, he obediently dropped what was left of his gun before being struck in the face by an arrow covered with a bright red boxing glove, knocking him to the floor in a heap. Obediently the other men also dropped their weapons and stepped away from Bruce and Diana and let them get up from the floor.
"You two okay?" Green Arrow asked, looking at Diana as she stood and shook her coat clean of the dirt and stench of the poachers. Solemnly Batman nodded to Arrow while silently acknowledging their rescuers' presence.
"Finally," Flash gratefully sighed in response to his saviors. "Am I glad to see you guys! I was starting to get a fur wedgie," he joked, still dangling in the grip of one of the startled poachers.
"Flash!" Shayera shouted as she turned to the man holding the red fox by the plushy fur on his upper back. "Put him down! Now!" she ordered, watching commandingly as her friend was gently lowered to the ground. "Is anyone hurt? Where are Superman and Lantern?" she and Arrow asked when they realized that two of their teammates were still missing.
"What?" one of the poachers said to himself, as he and his colleagues looked around at each other, confused. "Superman?"
"They're stuck in a trap outside!" Flash quickly explained. "Come on! We have to-" slowly he stopped talking when he noticed the confused and defeated expressions on Hawk Girl and Arrow's faces and remembered that they couldn't speak. "Is that telepathic thing still working?" he asked eagerly, looking to Batman for an answer.
"No," Bruce bluntly replied. "We must have lost it the second time we were transformed," he explained before looking to Arrow and Shayera, who instantly knew what they were talking about. The three continued their conversation a moment longer before Arrow stepped in with an objective.
"We have to get you three out of here. Then you can lead us to Lantern and Super-"
"-Don't know what you kooks think those fleabags are sayin' to you," one of the poachers interrupted as he picked his gun up from the floor. "But we've got direct orders to skin and stuff these hairballs. Those three aren't going anywhere!" He shouted, before firing his gun in their direction! Narrowly dodging the blast, Hawk Girl pushed Green Arrow out of the way, before speeding toward the crooked hunter! Pounding him with her mace, she knocked the filthy man into a nearby wall and turned to face the other hunters who had also regained their courage and continued the offensive attack on her and Arrow in an attempt to reclaim Flash, Batman, and Wonder Woman. Bullets were fired, arrows targeted, and claws swung as the chaos ensued. For a time, it seemed like the battle would never end; but then, just as quickly as it had started, the brawl can to an abrupt stop when Arrow was blindsided- struck in the face by the butt of a gun. Knocked out on the floor, the emerald archer was kicked and punched repeatedly, before Bruce noticed his distressed teammate and sprinted to his aid, only to be caught off guard and savagely kicked in the back by one of the poachers. With two of their teammates laying injured on the floor, Diana, Flash and Hawk Girl found themselves out numbered and without a plan. Impulsively, they surrounded their friends and prepared to defend them to the end. Just then, Batman began to stir, and weakly pushed himself up from the ground to aid in the team's defense.
"Batman," Shayera said, relieved that here friend was alright. Again, the poachers exchanged looks of confusion; trying to process the Thanigarian's words and the supposed identity of the black wolf helping Green Arrow get back on his feet. Finally, they'd had enough and prepared to end this battle once and for all. Her mace charged and ready, Hawk Girl looked to a now standing Arrow and confirmed that he was ready and on the defensive; but before anyone could even make a move, the room- and everyone in it- froze in fear as the entire building began to tremble in response to the thunderous roar and slashing claws of the giant white lion that blasted through the door and took out two of the terrified men with a single swipe of his heavy, clawed paw!
"Superman!" Flash and Green Arrow shouted in unison as they and the others watched their friend corner the two men and buy them enough time to fight off the other still-shocked hunters who continued to watch in fear and awe at the sight of the large white cat.
"Where's John?" Batman asked as he jumped between the two men and aided his friend in his battle. Not answering right away, Superman quickly shot a glance upward and directed Batman's attention toward the ceiling just in time to watch a furious golden eagle dive bomb one of the hunters- wildly flapping his wings and using his sharp talons to disorient the man enough to send him fleeing from the basement in a distressed mania.
"GL!" Flash cheered happily when he saw the green-eyed eagle land on a nearby countertop.
"What'd we miss?" Lantern sarcastically asked as he watched Flash and Diana lunge at one of the hunters, and send him stumbling backward into Green Arrow, who humorously punched the thug in the face.
"Oh, you know, nothing much," Wally cheekily replied as he joined his friend in watching the rest of the thugs being driven out of the room by Clark and Diana's savage roars and razor-sharp claws. "I mean, it's not like things can get any weirder, right?" he asked with a smile.
**A/N: So, here's the newest chapter. I know, it's been a while (and a half) since my last update. My apologies. Hopefully, this was enough for you to forgive me Lol. Enjoy, and as always, please leave a review! 8D