"At least the fast one isn't here..." Dawn thought to herself as three mind controlled heroes and one, also controlled, novice surrounded her. Ahead of her, down a street cracked and wrecked from battle, stood the enormous figure of Gorilla Grodd. The ape's hands were clasped behind his back as he made no attempt to hide his smugness. Vixen and Myranda were in front of Dawn to the left and the right. David was circling around behind her left side, which meant the sound she heard to her right was Anansi twirling his staff and charging.
Anansi jabbed at Dawn with his staff. She used the blade in her right hand to smack the staff down then attempted a strike of her own. Anansi raised his staff to block then struck at Dawn repeatedly from the sides. She used her swords to deflect the attacks, all the while keeping a note on where the others stood. The distraction cost her as a hit from the staff forced Dawn into a crouching position. She bounced back with multiple strikes, spinning her swords between her fingers as she did. They hummed and sparked as the struck Anansi's staff. The way it withstood the energy swords implied that there was something more to this staff, possibly something mystical that mixed with the pure magic energy of the swords, but there wasn't any time to swap notes at that moment. Anansi twirled his staff to block then spun to evade an attack. He came out of the spin with the staff aimed at Dawn's head. She ducked and it passed over her, but that was exactly what the brainwashed hero wanted. Anansi swept his staff low and hooked Dawn's leg from behind. The hit caused her to lose her footing and she fell onto her back.
Anansi swung the staff down, hitting only the street. Dawn had rolled away but before she could recover she was ambushed by Vixen. The two rolled while Vixen growled aggressively. Dawn elbowed the other woman in the chest, as she pulled away. Vixen crouched, ready to pounce again just as David leapt over her. Dawn raised her swords to block the eskrima attacks coming at breakneck speed. David attacked as fast as Anansi but had much less reach. Dawn kicked out and sent the man who was her childhood friend tumbling back. At that moment, Dawn felt the winds around her growing stronger. She drove one of her swords into the ground as the wind storm Myranda created swept her off her feet. The energy sword in Dawn's other hand dissipated as she clasped both of them around the sword stabbed into the street. Cracks appeared on the sword's shimmering surface before it shattered and Dawn was blown away. She ricocheted off a car and rolled behind it for cover.
"Dammit..." Dawn cursed under her breath as she held her shoulder where it hit the car. She tried to regenerate the energy blades but the pain made it difficult to concentrate. A shadow fell over her, followed by a growl. Dawn looked up just in time to see the snarling Vixen pounce.
Kid Impala's legs kicked up dust behind him as he ran. Earlier today, he would have loved nothing more than to be doing exactly what he was doing right now, but now he was exhausted, hurt and carrying a device capable of leveling a city. He stumbled and almost fell but didn't break his rapid pace. If he could get the bomb out far enough from the coast, the destruction would be averted. As he ran, he thought of his father, and of his legacy. Andile had given himself the name Kid Impala. It meant more than just running fast. It meant he had a duty to use his abilities to help others. No matter the cost to himself, he must always keep running forward. Whatever happened today, Andile would honour his father.
Dawn was on her back, looking up at a snarling Vixen who had her pinned. Dawn held onto Vixen's wrists to keep back the hands that had grown sharp claws. Vixen resorted to gnashing at Dawn's throat. Dawn pushed back but then let Vixen get close as she snapped her head up. Dawn head butted Vixen right in the forehead, sending her rolling back. Dawn got to her feet cautiously as Vixen clutched her head and groaned.
"What...what's going on...?" Vixen asked groggily. The blow to her head had loosened Grodd's hold on her. Dawn was quick to catch on to what happened.
"Grodd. Mind control. Could use your help," Dawn explained as quick as she could. Vixen started to rise but a gust of wind knocked her away. Dawn reached out but was grabbed from behind as Anansi pinned her with his staff. She struggled against the hold as both David and Myranda advanced on her.
Gorilla Grodd had to laugh. The human with the swords really thought she could defeat him alone. If she survived fighting against the other so-called heroes, he would give her to Pryemaul to play with. That might provide a few minutes of entertainment. Grodd was in the middle of wondering whose skull would make the best trophy when a rock bounced off his helmet. He turned to see a haggard and angry Vixen.
"A rock? Really now, that's just childish," Grodd was as arrogant as ever as he tried to retake Vixen's mind. Again he found that he couldn't. It was like something was pushing against his influence.
"I'm getting very tired of this. How are you resisting me!?" Grodd demanded.
"Stubborn as a mule," Vixen replied with a smirk. "And I kick like one too!" Vixen charged at Grodd, leaping and kicking the ape with both feet. Grodd was stunned enough that he staggered back. He swung his massive fists as Vixen who moved swiftly between them. With Grodd's attention on her, his hold on the others began to weaken.
Anansi still had Dawn pinned as David swung an eskrima stick. Dawn titled her head at the last second and the attack hit Anansi instead. The blow released the spider themed hero from Grodd, but Dawn had no time to react as David struck at her again. Dawn ducked and spun away from the stick and grabbed the one in David's opposite hand. As she came out of the spin, she slammed the stick into David's head, stunning him as well. Dawn then threw the stick towards Myranda's head, hoping to get all three of them. Myranda raised her hand and a gust of wind made the stick drop out of the air. Myranda hovered before Dawn who actually looked a little nervous. The younger woman's eyes changed from glowing with the same yellow as Grodd's to a shimmering gold. Myranda spread her arms, ready to unleash a windstorm, just as David's second eskrima stick hit her in the back of the head. Myranda was dazed and fell towards Dawn, whose sharp reflexes caught her easily. David picked up the stick he threw and gave Dawn a subtle nod.
Kid Impala was still running. The landscape around him had faded away to be replaced with a blue blur. He could feel the water under his feet as he took steps too fast to break the surface tension. He looked at the bomb in his hands. It had begun to glow and he was feeling heat on his fingers. It was on the verge of exploding, but it was still too close to the coast. He needed to run just a bit further. Kid Impala held on for just a moment longer before jumping and throwing the bomb. His super speed throw sent it flying as he landed and turned back around to run the other way. He could already feel himself slowing down when the bomb exploded behind him. Kid dared a glance back and saw a massive tidal wave barreling towards him. He pushed himself, but the strain was finally too much. The wave caught up and Kid Impala felt himself get thrown into the air. As he tumbled, the last conscious thought he had was of the young woman he met in the city who could control the winds, then nothingness.
A woman stood on the coastline. She wore a yellow hood that flowed into a yellow cape on her back. Her clothing was purple and she had black knee high boots. Her name was Conjura. Not a name many people knew and she liked to keep it that way. Conjura shielded her eyes from the brightness of the explosion out over the ocean. As it cleared, she waited for Kid Impala to return but she couldn't spot him over the horizon.
"Damn...He better not be dead..." Conjura said to herself. "Tropelet Dik Alapmi ot em!"
After Conjura spoke her magic words, Kid Impala appeared on the ground beside her, water splashing around him as he did. Conjura knelt down to check if he was still breathing and Kid coughed up water that splashed on her.
"Nice..." Conjura muttered. Kid Impala was starting to recover and she didn't want to be discovered. Not just yet.
"Troplet em ot Ytied," Conjura spoke quietly but the effect was the same. As Conjura disappeared, Kid Impala tried to sit up, but chose instead to roll onto his back as he tried to recoup his energy. He assumed that the water had washed him onto the shore. Kid was sure he heard a voice, but assumed it was just the ringing in his ears playing tricks on him. The city of Tinasha had been saved, thanks to him. All he needed was a second to catch his breath, and he would keep running.
Grodd couldn't see his bomb going off, but he heard it and it was definitely not blowing up a city. The ape yelled in frustration and didn't notice Vixen pouncing on his back until it was too late. Vixen grabbed Grodd's helmet and leapt, yanking it off as she flipped backwards. Before Grodd could grab it back, she slammed it on the ground and broke it like a sea otter breaking a clam shell. Grodd roared fiercely at Vixen.
"You'll pay for that! I'll tear your limbs apart and make you watch as I bring humanity to its knees!" Grodd yelled, sending spit in every direction.
"They might have something to say about that," Vixen said, pointing behind Grodd. He looked to see the other heroes, out of his control and ready to take him down. Grodd was about to simply rush at them when he was hit by what felt like a rhino from behind. Then a staff strike to face and eskrima sticks to his legs. A tornado threw the ape into the air where he bounced off a building before hitting the ground. Just as he was getting up, magic energy swords were plunged into his chest. The blades didn't cause physical damage, but the energy arcing off them like lightning caused plenty of pain. Dawn kept generating swords and stabbing them into Grodd like a pincushion. It drained her dramatically, but the lightning storm caused Grodd to scream in pain before collapsing, unconscious. The worn out heroes looked at Grodd's body as if waiting for him to jump up again. After a few minutes, they finally relaxed.
"Now I'm certain that means we've won," Anansi said.
"Indeed you have. Well done, humans," said a voice. The team looked to see another gorilla approaching. It looked similar to Grodd but with gray fur and was flanked by other apes.
"I think I'm just bad luck..." Anansi said as he raised his staff. The others prepared for a fight but the gray ape raised his palm, signaling them to stop.
"Apologies. I should introduce myself. I am Solovar, ruler of Gorilla City. Grodd here was attempting a coup, using that mind control helmet he invented. He seemed to believe that destroying this city would secure his status. A good thing you stopped him of who knows what would have happened. He crippled our fleet before he left, or else we would have arrived sooner. With most of our airships down we had to...err..." Solovar's exposition trailed off as he became aware of the incredulous looks the heroes were giving him.
"You mean to tell me..." David spoke, with an angry edge to his voice. "That this city was nearly destroyed over a feud it had nothing to do with because you couldn't control your own people?"
"Obviously we tried, but that helmet and his own forces caught us off guard," Solovar replied apologetically. "I am glad your team was able to respond in time,"
"We aren't a team!" Daivd snapped. "We just...we came together by coincidence,"
"A happy coincidence then," Solovar said. "We'll help in any way we can and Grodd's army is being rounded up as we speak,"
Two of Solovar's apes picked up Grodd and pulled him towards an airship that had hovered in silently overhead. As he was dragged, Grodd suddenly came to and wrestled away from the two apes. Blinded by rage, he charged forward, pushing past Solovar towards the human heroes. A second before he reached them a super speed blur appeared and a fist connected with Grodd's jaw, sending the would-be ruler back down.
"Um, those ones are the good gorillas, right?" Kid Impala said as he gestured towards Solovar. Instead of answering, Myranda grabbed him and hugged him tightly.
"Ow," Kid winced from the hug. "I didn't realize I was gone so long,"
"I was worried about you," Myranda said, letting up a bit.
"I was...worried about you too," Kid admitted. The two of them both looked like they were waiting for the other to say something, when Vixen stepped in and interrupted the awkwardness to address Solovar.
"So what happens now?" Vixen asked.
"Now we take Grodd and his army and lock them up tight. You won't have to worry about them again. And I think the five of you should get some rest,"
"Five...?" David was confused by Solovar's statement until he looked around and saw that Dawn had disappeared. Somehow he knew they hadn't seen the last of her.
Later, the weary team watched as the gorilla airships, including the one Grodd used, flew off into the distance. Solovar had assured them that his own troops would be back to help in fixing the damage caused, but for now the Tinasha police department and emergency services were doing search and rescues operations for survivors in the wrecked buildings.
"All things considered, I think we did well today," Anansi said.
"We'd do better if we were more organized," David added, holding his side where he had been feeling pain ever since the fight with Aganju.
"True. There hasn't been a team of superheroes in this corner of the world since The Kingdom and that was years ago," Vixen said while moving towards David to check him for injuries. He calmly waved her off.
"Vixen and I were already working together on a mission before this," Anansi commented on what felt like ages ago. "If you three are interested, we could make this team-up a regular occurrence,"
"Well..." Myranda looked uncertain about all this. It was just happening too fast.
"Of course!" Kid Impala interjected excitedly. This was exactly what he was hoping for. A chance to stand among true heroes. Myranda still looked undecided but eventually nodded in agreement.
"Fine. But I need to replace some of my equipment. And I'm sure you two could use some gear as well," David said towards the younger members of the group. "I know a man, Daniel Balogun, he can help us with that,"
"Then it's settled!" Anansi said, raising his staff in the air. "We have a team,"
"Great! So what do we call ourselves?" Kid asked.
"Let's figure that out after we rescue the rest of the survivors," David said. "We're still not done here."
The others headed off to do that, but Vixen stayed with David.
"Something wrong?" David asked her, wondering what was on her mind.
"I was just thinking...Matu was part of Batman Inc. Is it possible we could also bring in Batwing? I know he used to operate in this city. Do you happen to know him?" Vixen was hesitant to ask. She didn't want to bring up Matu until David felt comfortable talking about him, but she had to know who else would be available for the team. David looked away from her and she assumed he was thinking about his old mentor.
"That man is...gone," David said. "But we should do alright with just ourselves. Especially with you here,"
"If I didn't know better, I'd say you were trying to flatter me," Vixen smirked.
David smiled for the first time in a while and only offered a small shrug. He finally allowed Vixen to take a look at his injuries before the two of them went to help the rest of their team.
Meanwhile...
Conjura stood in a darkened room. Beside her was a tall woman whose body appeared to be made entirely out of gold. She was known only as Deity, and was previously a member of the team of African superheroes, The Kingdom. She was one of the only two surviving members. They both watched a crystal ball that showed them images of the heroes' actions during the gorilla invasion.
"So this is the team you want? These five? Are you sure?" Conjura asked the mystic woman beside her.
"I'm certain," Deity answered. Her voice sounded like many speaking at once. "The one with the swords was unexpected, but may prove to be a useful addition,"
"But are you sure they can beat him? Cause I've seen the future where he wins. And it's not pretty," Conjura questioned, making an effort to not sound as worried as she really was.
"They have to," Deity stated solemnly. "Or else all of Africa will fall..."
"You sure know how to lighten the mood..." Conjura said as she crossed her arms. In the crystal ball was a hazy image of David, Vixen, Anansi, Kid Impala and Myranda standing together, but shadows were creeping in from all sides.
((Finally got this chapter out. Thank you a ton and a half for reading (and for your patience from my regular readers). I also have an announcement to add. Starting in September, this story will be moving to DC Prime Universe. A fantastic fan project that you should really check out on here, Youtube and Facebook. Hope to see you all there. And thanks again!))