Chapter Seven
Sister Lilhy had approached the KnightsQuest to bring her to Jean-Paul Valley. As she'd hoped, he met with her garbed as Azrael. However, he was the Azrael of the Order of St. Batman rather than her familiar Azrael of the Order of St. Dumas. Father M'Buttu held the meeting in the Church of St, Hildegard of Bingen-on-the-Rhine.
"Speak," Azrael said coldly.
"I did not abandon you," Sister Lilhy promised him, "You needed a push to strike out on your own and you have. However…unorthodoxically you have done so."
The assembled KnightsQuest unit leaders bristled. As ever, Batwing stood by as an ally rather than a member. He was still waiting for the Order of St. batman to implode now that the Occupation had ended. But the Pax Mundi was still in the streets and the Jokerz were still the antithesis of the Order. So they had a few more battles left to fight.
Knightfall had laid out her stipulations and regulations regarding the Order. They were free to transit throughout every district but they had to catch and release any criminal that was properly licensed and operating within the boundaries stated in the license. The KnightsQuest followed Azrael's example and issued severe beatings rather than offer incarceration to criminals caught in the act, licensed or not. They were forcing Knightfall to respond.
With Black Mask threatening her operations directly, Intergang undermining her authority, and the Religion of Crime competing with her alliance with the Church of Blood, Knightfall had enough pressures on her. The Order of St. Batman's flagrant disregard for her authority wouldn't be tolerated for much longer.
"You face a dire threat," Sister Lilhy warned them all.
"Knightfall and her sycophants are no threat," Azrael promised.
"I care little for Knightfall," Sister Lilhy advised him, "But Erishkigal Narayana, the one they call the Disco Mummy, is another matter. The Order of St. Dumas, through the Court of Owls, has learned she intended to strike out at Knightfall while she is weakened."
"Let her. It spares us the trouble," Azrael snorted.
"No, it creates a gang war. One that the Jokerz, Hellequin, Red Alice and the Wonderland Gang would use as an excuse to unleash a blood bath within this city," Father M'Buttu warned him, "Their acts of terrorism would undermine every criminal element and even if the GCPD and the Crows were to unite with the Pax Mundi, they would be powerless to stop them."
"I can see now why he's the brains," Sister Lilhy remarked.
"I am but a humble weapon," Azrael conceded.
"Which is why you are not the Batman," Sister Lilhy reminded him.
"You had to go there," Batwing ruefully murmured.
"Batman tested me and I was found wanting as his Agent of the Bat. Not of will or strength but of deed. I dealt with the emergent Scarecrow and liberated this city from his reign of terror yet the Batman faulted me for my methods," Azrael grated.
"He faulted you for doing so on live television, nothing more or less," Sister Lilhy observed, "St. Dumas and the Matron applauded your ability to defeat Darkwing and the Wrath but found your televised doling out of punishment too much for the general public to bear. It made you a criminal."
"I have always been a criminal in their eyes," Azrael remarked, "As was Batman before he aspired to cheapen himself."
"Yet you name your rogue Order after him?" Sister Lilhy asked.
"The name is derived from the Batman of old. Before the Justice League when he was still willing to pay the price for Gotham's safety," Azrael explained.
"And that price was?" Batwing had to ask.
"His reputation," Azrael sakid derisiebvly, "Before the Justice League formed, Batman could be a criminal. A commonly accepted criminal by the people but a criminal in their eyes nonetheless. Afterwards he had to be the hero. When Gotham and the state outlawed him, he couldn't reconcile his very nature and it broke him."
"I would venture to say it was Deathstroke that impaled him," Sister Lilhy glibly retorted.
"But he had come back before," Azrael said coldly, "But when Barbara Gordon and the GCPD turned against him, his heart was truly broken, far more than by any physical damage. Batman was done with his crusade before he would even acknowledge it to himself."
"Yet the circumstances of his final mission are still a mystery," Father M'Buttu agreed with Azrael, "Bunny Vreeland was rescued but it was Batman's final appearance. Unless you know more than you are saying."
"Leave it, good Father," Azrael advised.
"Like I discovered, never meet your hero," Batwing said derisively, "He just tries to shut you down."
"Batman would not have done so when he began his crusade. Or how do you explain two Robins, Nightwing, and Batgirl?" Azrael replied.
"He did shut the three women playing Batwoman down," Batwing observed.
"After he joined the Justice League. Before Robin, the Joker, and Harley Quinn all mysteriously vanished," Azrael reminded him.
"Yet the Court and the Order both know that the Joker is dead and Harley Quinn lives and is happily married to Poison Ivy," Sister Lilhy stated, "We also know they left Robin a broken vessel."
"I never saw any of that coming," Batwing admitted, "You sure about all of that?"
Azrael and Sister Lilhy both gave him hard stares.
"Sorry for asking," Batwing backed down.
"Batman's fate and what led to it are not our concern here," Father M'Buttu realigned their priorities, "Disco Mummy's threat is."
M'Buttu had been a teenager when Iron Knife carved out the Iron Country from feuding African neighbors. He was one of the few to knew the real name of the warlord that called himself Mbeli Ebedende and his true origins. A truth that could crush Iron Knife's portrayal of himself. Still, the Original Batwing and B'wana Beast had failed to dislodge Iron Knife and liberate the Iron Country.
It had been after the latets effort that David Zavimbe had retired his costumed persona to become a Police Chief Supervisor leaving the identity open for Luke Fox to assume after Lucius Fox's brutal murder had been ordered by Derek Powers. Batwing enjoyed protection from Homeland Security's the DEO and the Dept. for Meta-Human Affairs Black Razors in exchange for the odd job on either Sec. Bones or Waller's behalf. Of course, the DEO was now under Director Alex Danvers' control. Just as Danvers reported to Under-Secretary of Homeland Security Gwen Cormaugh.
The Welsh-born deputy having risen through governmental ranks beginning with directing Task Force X for Waller after an early career with MI5. Gwenyth had seemed unassuming but Waller had recognized the fire in the agnet's belly long before she was recruite d to ARGUS' ranks. Cormaugh had been attached to CADMUS by the British government before it was reorganized into ARGUS. Gwen and Bones were two of the few privileged to know that Waller had restarted CADMUS under Dr. Jenet Klyburn's, from STAR Labs, direction. Even President Olivia McKay was unaware of that salient fact.
Though ex-POTUS Luthor was cognizant of it. Dr. Klyburn had picked through the finest minds from STAR and Mercury Labs to consult as well the engineering and scientific talent emerging from the wreckages of Max Cord Industries, Sivana International, Cale Industries, Palmer Industries, Kord Industries, and Wayne-Powers. So far Max Cord and Sivana were resisting Derek Powers' hostile takeover bids but Cale, Lord, and Wayne Enterprises had all been swallowed. Powers had his sights set on Ferris Air, Starrware, Smoak Industries, and Queen Consolidated as his next targets.
Felicity Smoak was using antitrust litigation to stave Powers off. Karen Starr wholly owned her company and refused to part with it. Even Powers' acquisition of Hal Jordan's Ferris shares hadn't broken Deborah Darnell's 60% majority. But Queen Consolidated was vulnerable. Emiko and the newly revealed Thea Queen were waging an inheritance war that only weakened corporate shares.
Mia Deardon had signed off her shares to Emiko but paternity testing had shown that Thea was Oliver Queen's previously unacknowledged daughter and she was two years older than Emiko. The other Oliver Queen, whose DNA exactly matched their father's, stayed out of the conflict. Mia had been the elder Oliver's sole heir. Having established a trust for Conner Hawke.
Dinah Lance's disappearance to shift from being Black Canary to Ra's al Ghul and marrying Nyssa Raatko had only muddied the waters of Mia signing away everything to Emiko. Dinah had been Mia's legal guardian until she'd turned eighteen. Yet Mia's case of HIV advancing to AIDS had ended her career as Speedy and as the majority shareholder of Queen Consolidated. Having also infected Conner and his case of HIV immediately advancing to AIDS, they'd passed their torches to Emiko. The courts, the medical and scientific communities didn't know what to make of Ollie.
Every scrap and shard of evidence affirmed he was Oliver Queen. The same as the deceased only half his age. Yet Oliver had no interest in contesting Mia's signing over the company to Emiko. Whereas the secretive Thea Queen did. Making the affair even messier was the fact that Thea referred to Dinah and Nyssa as her 'moms' only added emotional impact to the story.
Jason Todd recalled training beside Thea under Nyssa after her father had resurrected Jason using a Lazarus Pit. Thea having become the League of Assassins operative known as Sin.
"Yes, getting back to Disco Mummy, Erishkigal Narayana was a Sumerian princess used to be treated and adored as a goddess made manifest on Earth," Sister Lilhy began her explanation, "She feels the public's recent ebullient acceptance of Knightfall had displaced her from achieving that same end. Therefore, she endeavors to destroy Knightfall."
"What about Plastic Man?" Batwing suddenly asked, "She was one of his main enemies. Do you think she knows he's here in Gotham as Plastic Woman?"
"Woman or man, it won't make a difference. Disco Mummy will also endeavor to destroy Plastic Man," Sister Lilhy predicted.
"And she's joined the Penguins. Which Empress Penguin is joined at Knightfall's hip," Batwing mused.
"Making for a singular, if not elegant, revenge," Azrael spoke from experience in these matters.
"Making stopping her an even greater priority," Father M'Buttu predicted, "So Knightfall and the Penguins go, so goes the criminal underworld in Gotham."
"Or we simply allow them to destroy themselves and kill the survivors," Azrael suggested.
"Man, you are sooo dark," Batwing complained.
"Yet it would answer many prayers," Father M'Buttu was considering it.
"The only problem is that Disco Mummy is already dead," Sister Lilhy pointed out.
"Then we entomb her once more," Azrael offered.
"I say we drop Arkham Manor on her," Batwing suggested, "With the new Arkham City Asylum up and running on Arkham Island no one needs the old building anymore. We could drop it, her, and part of the cliff into the ravine hundreds of feet below," Batwing enthused.
"How do we lure her there?" Sister Lilhy asked.
"We do not. But Plastic Woman does," Azrael decided.
Father M'Buttu deployed the KnightsQuest to locate and retrieve Plastic Woman and Morgan.
Young Justice met with Butch Candon and some of her Newsboy Legionnaires.
"We've been watching this PI looking for Hellequin and Red Alice," Butch explained after several Newsboys gave report sof Party Girl's activities. They included Chelle's recent excursion into Devil's Square to retrieve Agatha Detective Agency's partners and get them out alive. Complicating things was the fact that Plastic Woman, Morgan, and Black Siren had secured Parker's car while she went into the lawless district.
The Penguins remained unseen by Chelle, Grace and Agatha Adams as they departed the district and sped away. Further reports had come in that Grace and Agatha had checked out of their rooms and caught the train back to NYC. Chelle had reported back to the Iceberg Lounge after a stop at a local dive bar to down half a fifth of whiskey.
"Then she drove to Miller Harbor and entered the Lounge and hasn't been seen since," Butch explained.
"She's obviously a very functional alcoholic," Red Robin opined.
"We bagged Anarky. Why are we staying in town with an obvious gang war about to break loose?" Arrowette asked.
"Something bigger is happening," Girl Detective stated, "The news has the Justice League and Justice Society both engaged in battles across downtown."
"Intergang?" Flag Bearer asked.
"Summer Gleason is reporting the presence of the new Injustice Gang and the Secret Society," Raven Red was watching the news.
"Intergang doesn't have any influence over them," Red Robin warned them.
"Black Mask?" Devilina Dare asked, "We've been hearing his name all over town."
"Whoever Black Mask is, he's after Knightfall not the League and JSA," Girl Detective dismissed the notion, "But it's hardly coincidental that they showed up at the same time."
"So who hired the PIs?" Arrowette asked, "Intergang or Black Mask?"
"Why not both?" Raven Red offered.
"So what are the crooks after?" Devilina Dare asked.
"No one saw them do anything but parade around to get attention," Butch explained.
"Maybe somebody hired them to fight the JLI and the JSA," Flag Bearer theorized.
"That's a good working theory," Girl Detective admitted, "Since they seem to be lacking a profit motive, what if the fights themselves are the profit?"
"But why draw both the Justice League and Justice Society into Gotham?" Arrowette asked, "It doesn't make sense."
"Unless someone thinks they can eliminate them both," Raven Red stated.
"The Injustice Gang and Secret Society might pull it off but my guess is they're just the opening gambit," Red Robin opined.
"Makes sense," Girl Detective agreed.
"Any word on who could've hired the two crime gangs?" Devilina Dare wanted to know.
"Everybody in the street has been guessing it was Intergang or Black Mask," Butch shrugged.
"But all they're doing is wearing down the two teams," Arrowette shrugged.
"That doesn't feel like the whole answer," Flag Bearer admitted.
"Intergang wants their money and revenge on Hellequin, Red Alice, and the Wonderland Gang. Only, they haven't been seen since the GCPD arrested a suspect for being Hellequin. But they have a deal with Knightfall," Girl Detective ran down her mental list, "Black Mask wants Knightfall removed from the equation but he probably wouldn't turn down the money if it was recovered."
"What if the whole point is to draw everyone out and accomplish all of it at once?" Arrowette asked.
"You're brilliant!" Red Robin exclaimed.
"I am?" Arrowette asked.
"She is?" Flag Bearer was jealous. She was the oldest Young Justicer and scheduled to graduate the program in a few weeks. The Outsiders had already made a recruitment pitch. Which meant moving to San Francisco. Which was closer to her old home near Denver. Her dad had laid down his shield and retired there.
The MLJ Initiative had been shut down but their headquarters on Destruction Island in the Puget Sound was already occupied by forces unknown. The Birds of Prey were based out of Seattle so they were keeping an eye on movements in the Sound. But Denise missed her old teammates and reporting in at Liberty Station. At least then she'd been able to see Joe Higgins on a regular basis. Before he'd become a fugitive.
But Denise Madigan was nursing a broken heart. Despite becoming a superhero just to impress Joe, he'd contacted her romantic rival, Marcy Holt, rather than reach out to her. Flag Bearer was considering retirement rather than accepting the Outsiders' offer. Girl Detective had been sensing Denise's ambivalence and knew her chance at confessing her love for Denise was quickly fading away.
"Yo!" Devilina Dar e snapped her fingers in front of Girl Detective, "You with us?"
"Sorry, running down clues," she lied. Everyone knew how Girl Detective felt even if Flag Bearer was in denial. They also saw that Flag Bearer had serious doubts about continuing on to another team environment. She'd taken the disbanding of the Mighty Crusaders and Shadow Crusaders hard. It was a blow she'd never erecovered from despite trying to persevere.
"I quit," Flag Bearer suddenly decided, "I'm sorry. I need to head back to Denver."
Girl Detective looked devastated.
"Timing? Really?" Arrowette snarked.
"I can't do this anymore," Denise pleaded for understanding, "I've done it for too long already."
"I guess this is goodbye then," Raven Red was the first to say.
"Get lost, quitter," Devilina Dare was the harshest.
"We'll make do," Red Robin promised, "It's better for us of you leave now before your distractions endanger one of us."
"I've been there. So I get it," Arrowette admitted.
"A minute?" Girl Detective asked for.
"I love you," Sherry Flippe finally confessed to Denise alone in the bathroom, "I always have. A part of me always will. Because of that I support your decision. And Red Robin's right. If your head isn't in this with us, you're a danger."
"Thanks," Flag Bearer went to gather her things and change out of her costume. As Denise Madigan once again, she left to buy a bus ticket
"She's never coming back," Girl Detective stated a she came out of the restroom with Flag Bearer's costume and quarterstaff left behind.
"Hey, hey! What did we miss?" Catgirl asked as she, Static, and Blue Streak arrived from their private mission. They'd been tasked with getting Catwoman and Selina touching bases with their street contacts and other types to ascertain the threat level in Gotham.
"Why did Flag Bearer leave?" Blue Streak asked.
"She quit on us," Devilina Dare said nastily.
"It was a long time coming," Arrowette stated.
"I hope she'll be okay," Static wished for her.
"She'll find her peace now," Girl Detective said half heartedly.
"You gonna be okay?" Catgirl asked.
"I'm fine. I finally made my peace," Girl Detective shared, "This is best for her so I'm good with it."
"Pussy," Devilina Dare spat.
"What the hell is wrong with you anyway?" Raven Red wanted to know.
"She's like most of us. She's a Legacy. And she just walked away from it and us," Devilina Dare was outraged.
"Like Girl Detective said, it's best for her and it's best for us before her doubts get one of us killed," Red Robin opined, "Meanwhile, our mission continues."
"We got news," Catgirl grinned, "Holly and Selina came through for us."
"And it's all bad news," Static warned them.
"Is good we know now," Blue Streak offered.
"Lay it on us," Girl Detective requested.
"We have two major data points," Static told them, "Catwoman's contacts in the KnightsQuest told us someone called Sister Lilhy showed up to warn Azrael that Disco Mummy was behind everything going on downtown. And to expect more as she moves in to destroy Knightfall and Black Mask all at once."
"I knew it!" Arrowette crowed.
"Next part bad news," Blue Streak warned.
"Intergang arranged a hit on Marian Drews, the woman accused of being Hellequin," Catgirl told them, "They're holding her under the Rico Act so she'll be transferred to County in a few hours. She'll be dead as soon as she arrives."
"What about the money?" Red Robin asked.
"Intergang sees punishment as being important so no one else will cross the line," Catgirl explained, "My family would've done the same. '
No one questioned Kitrina Falcone on that point.
"But that still leaves Red Alice and the Wonderlanders in the wind," Girl Detective frowned.
"Not if Black Mask and Intergang's PI finds them," Devilina Dare warned them.
"So we watch her and find them," Butch offered.
"Black Mask wants money," Blue Streak advised them.
"He'll do anything to get it at it," Catgirl opined.
"They have to be prepped for that eventuality," Girl Detective assessed, "But how?"
"Hellequin and Red Alice never cared about money before. So what was the point?" Red Robin asked.
"To make a statement," Red Raven decided.
"Oh shit!" Catgirl blurted, "They don't care about the money so what makes the loudest statement?"
"Getting rid of it," Arrowette stated.
"But how do they do that loudly?" Static asked.
"I know," Red Robin said grimly, "It's something I would've done in the past."
Chelle had finally gotten a lead on Red Alice. Someone matching her description had rented warehouses from the Yakuza. She tracked them down and broke into ine. Inside she found a smoking pile of what had been part of nearly a billion dollars. Parts of the pile were still burning. Tacked onto a wall was a note.
"Hi Roman, this is why I like gasoline and dynamite. They're cheap and affordable," the note said and was signed by Hellequin.
That's when Party Girl noticed the lit fuses. The door had been rigged to light the fuses when she'd entered. She barely had time to get out before the dynamite blew the gas tanks and destroyed the entire building. Debris rained around Party Girl as Chelle tried to recover her hearing. Then the neighboring warehouses filled with burning cash detonated one by one.
She called Sionis Industries and demanded to speak with Roman directly, "I don't care if he's in a futzing meeting! Tell him Party Girl Investigations is on the line and tell him Chelle Parker found the money!"
Sirens could be heard in the distance as Chelle reported to one of her employers in the case, "Hellequin burned all the money and just blew up the warehouses it was stored in. It'll be splashed across the news channels in anbou five minutes!"
She hung and called Bog Boss of Intergang directly, "Bad news. Hellequin and Red Alice torched the money and blew up the buildings they'd stored it in," Chelle told him, "The case is done with. The cops and firefighters are going to be all over this. I'm going to be take in for questioning. I'll keep you out of it."
She hung up and went to burn the note she'd taken from the wall but Det. Lt. Bullock and his Major Crimes detectives and horde of uniforms were on her before she could.
"Party Girl, huh?" Bullock scoffed, "Some rave ya just pulled."
"Bite me," Chelle replied, "I'm the victim here."
"Just `cause ya got caught atta blowed up warehouses that wuz filled with torched money ya wuz hired ta recover?" Bullock sneered, "Nope. No victims here. Who's Roman?"
"I want my lawyer," Chelle told him.
"I wuzn't sure whut ta charge ya wit'. But if yer lawyerin' up then I guess I gotta come up wit' somethin'," Bullock announced his victory.
"Shit futz," Chelle complained.
"Yup," Bullock just grinned like the proverbial cat with his canary.
The Justice League International's battle against the Injustice Gang continued unabated. Superman facing down Superwoman under the Muse's control was the most perilous development.
"Superman? It's me," Superwoman stated uncertainly.
As Superwoman, Linda's face occluded by an energy miasma as solar energies coursed through her. She and Lois Lane had undergone the same Kryptonian DNA splicing but Lois manifested traditional Kryptonian powers. Linda's were completely different. It had taken the birth of the New Universe Saturn Queen's revelation that Lois and Lana Linda had been born in the destroyed Earth-2 universe of a former now non-existent multiverse to explain why the original Mercy Graves had given them their powers.
It had taken Dr. Ernst Smalley, in his soliquay about her powers' origins, to discover that her years of wearing a red kryptonite pendent had altered her DNA and therefore her expression of Kryptonian solar based powers. Of course, Smalley was merely using Linda to test his genetic suppression serum to block her access to her powers.
Lex Luthor's wife, the Contessa Erica Alexandra de Portenza, had similarly dosed Lois. Erica saw Lois as a threat to her stepson, Luthor El-Fadil. Despite young "Alexander" being born to the Crimson Queen, the Contessa had taken him on as her heir as well as their heir to the Luthor family fortunes. Lena certainly didn't seem to be in a hurry to reproduce. Luna was nearly unaware of her own daughter, Lori.
Luna Luthor was an autistic savant, nearly out of touch with the world yet so completely in tune with it she'd deduced the real identity of every JLer and JSAer without ever being listened to by her brother. El-Fadil remained Lex's only child. In a former multiversal way, Mia Kent was Lena's daughter. Lena had conceived when Lord Superman brutally raped her. He'd kept her alive long enough to birth Mia before killing Lena and handing Mia over to Lois to raise as her own.
Afterwards, Lois bore him Jonathan Lane, Laura, and then Carol and Jane. The age gap between Laura and the twins resulting from the Justice League and Luthor depriving the Justice Lord's of their ability to access their particular powers. When Darkseid restored Lord Superman's powers, he'd raped Lois once again upon finding her and she'd conceived Carol and Jane. She'd volunteered for Mercy Corps' "Superwoman Project' after giving birth. The project yielded two Superwomen and a Power Girl. Earth-2's Power Girl, like Galatea, was Kara In-Ze's clone.
Each Superwoman having different powers in a surprising twist. Yet in the end, it was Galatea that killed Lord Superman after he'd killed the original Power Girl. Galatea Hamilton took on the code-name to honor her deceased "sister". Under her own name, Galatea had never quite escaped the public stigma of having joined the Legion of Doom before joining both the Justice League and Justice Society. But as Power Girl she was revered figure. Yet she was the same woman.
Galatea had further occluded her identity after Blackhawk's death by changing her name to Karen Starr and becoming a tech entrepreneur. Now Starrware was the world's most successful privately held tech conglomerate in the world. Blackhawk had shown her investments and they'd created a portfolio together, But it was Power Girl's rare mineral and metals mining of the asteroid fields that infused Starrware with investment capital.
Starrware's alternative market from the Chinese near monopoly on rare earth metals had enabled the USA to return semiconductor and smart phone production to North and South America. Karen Starr referred to her deep sea mineral rights as the source of her increasing stockpiles to meet ever increasing demand. Which was a half-truth since Power Girl soft landed asteroids into the oceans to be extracted by Starrware mining teams.
Linda's powers, though successfully suppressed for a time, had restored themselves yet Superwoman hadn't been reactivated as a JLer until now.
Given Linda's fully restored powers, it was given Lois had hers back as well.
So now there were competing Superwoman rather than complementary ones working in partnership. Now the Lois Lane from Earth-4 had revealed herself as well. But this Lois had been the one responsible for the apocaplyptic conditions that Red Hood, the eldest Cyborg, the Bat-Man, Robin, and Selina Wayne had escaped from.
As the Eradicator, Lois's grief over Superman's death had her lash out at an entire world. Earth-4 had only been spared annihilation by the Eradicator vanishing fourteen years into Earth-4's past. Stranger still in the final 52 Earths that had survived the Crisis of the Multiverse until Final Crisis began, Earth-5 had never had superheroes or villains.
Renee Montoya and Sonia Alcona were unwittingly the only survivors from that Earth. So they'd never died in the New Earth history.
Superwoman's sense of déjà vu increased as Superman smiled at her, "Hello, Superwoman."
His eyes began to glow red. She parried his Heat Vision with a solar blast from her right hand. With her left, she scorched the Muse. Immediately, Superman halted his vision blast. Unfortunately, Superwoman didn't respond as quickly and blasted him off of his feet.
"You're sure you never beat Kal-L?" he asked ruefully as she helped back to his feet.
"Never fought him," she sheepishly admitted.
"I think I'm actually developing a sun burn. I guess there is too much of a good thing," Superman chuckled.
"What's happening here?" Superwoman asked since she lacked Clark's sensory powers. She also only had a portion of his strength and durability. But she was even faster. Like the Flash, she could move nearly at the speed of light. Wally could move even faster but then he entered the Speed Force. Something even Jay and Eliza were hard pressed to do on their own. Jesse Quick and Hot Pursuit hadn't made it on their own despite their own Speed Force connections.
But each and every one of them, along with Max Mercury, Kid Flash, Impulse, Kid Mercury, Lady Flash, Blue Streak, and Miss Quick, could boost themselves into Flash Time. Which was still a step beyond Superwoman's capability.
"Nothing good. The entire city is under siege," Superman stated.
"Where can we do the most good?" Superwoman asked.
"Washington DC," Superman decided, "We have to keep Bones and Waller from escalating matters. Wait! Dagar the Desert Hawk is receiving orders from Luthor to roll out lethal force to maintain order. Apparently, there are outbreaks from the infamous Devil's Square and Arkham Island. Commissioner Gordon and Commander Kane need us dealing the leadership to scale back the government and the UN's responses. I'll deal with Luthor."
"You're sure that's a good idea?" Superwoman asked.
"Our history aside, Luthor can be reasonable. And you can reach Washington DC faster than I can and my personal history with Waller is even worse than my history with Luthor," Superman advised her.
"That's saying a lot," Superwoman grumbled.
"This needs to be done," Superman decided.
"See you on the flip side," Superwoman vanished, streaking off across the horizon.
Superman headed to Manhattan.
"Get. Out. Of. My. Head," Supergirl grated.
"Such a delightful playground to be found here," Dr. Destiny chuckled, "It's almost as if you're two different people."
"I'll warn you once," Supergirl's rage rose.
"You wouldn't dare!" Dr. Destiny gasped.
"Matrix tapped into Linda's latent rage and malevolence at the end and brain blasted Dr. Destiny. His body collapsed as his psyche shattered into even more fragments than Supergirl's was composed of.
"I warned you," Supergirl said with Linda's malice.
"I…I can't hold him much longer!" Turtle Man was panicking.
"Kadabra needs three more seconds," a recovered IQ advised Turtle Man.
But the Flash broke Turtle Man's limits and the temporal twister passed out. Wally knocked both Abra Kadabra and IQ out a second later. Then a very winded Wally took a breather.
Jessica's constructs flew fast and hard enough to keep Chronos off balance. Matter Master barely had time to erect counter defenses.
"Her willpower is too strong!" Mindancer opted to flee into the waiting arms of a GCPD patrol unit.
"Save me!" she screamed.
Chronos fixed himself in place in time. When he released himself, one hour had passed and the Earth had rotated 1040.4 miles. Finding himself in the outskirts of Little Rock, he began preparations to rendezvous at the Injustice Gang's current headquarters in Pittsburgh. Matter Master's own constructions were shattered by Jess' ring constructs. Then she encapsulated him in an airtight bubble. Even with his powers, he couldn't stay conscious when the oxygen depleted.
"Boo!" she taunted Mindancer.
"I give up already!" Mindancer shrieked.
"I don't know what you did, GL. But keep doing it," Officer Dick Menso requested while his partner, Josh Sabra arrested Mindancer and Menso called in the SRU to deal with Matter Master.
Artemis wore the Gauntlet of Hercules on her right hand to give her Diana-esque strength in that arm. she punched a now unconscious Trident into a stricken Caress. Caress' poisonous power afflicted Trident and he succumbed. Artemis used her shield to knock Caress out without touching her.
"You're next, Psycho," Wonder Woman warned "Captain Wonder".
Dr. Psycho dropped the psychokinetic projection.
"I can read your mind. You find me as repulsive as every other woman," Dr. Psycho accused.
"I find every man but Steve Trevor repulsive," Artemis clarified, "And you twisted my affections to create a seductive illusion to try and gain a foothold into my mind to persuade me into sexually pleasuring you."
"How…how did you know?" Dr. Psycho stammered.
"You do it with every woman," Wonder Woman said coldly as she drew her sword again, "Telepathy works both ways."
Dr. Psycho shrieked and fainted. She saw with some satisfaction that he'd pissed himself. Then Artemis memorized the contact information for every woman Psycho had raped. She'd beat a confession for every one of them out of him if she needed to.
Simon was reeling from Sonar's tuning fork gun and Mirage's illusions. Then he dug deep and knocked Sonar out. Mirage was found through echo location and neutralized. Lady Chronos met Chronos in Little Rock, Arkansas. They were only a few blocks apart when they emerged from temporal stasis and quickly tracked each other down.
Star Sapphire knocked Mr. Atom out of the conflict quite quickly. But Night and Fog were more elusive. Night's ability to solidify shadows prevented her from using Simon's echo location to accurately pierce Fog's mist. Then her foes had vanished before Remoni-Notra could find them. She decided she needed a night out as Deborah Darnell to console herself with. She'd convince Jessica to break her out of her "only going to the waffle house with Simon" routine. Jess might even surprise herself and have fun. Nubia would need to come as well. Wonder Woman needed to find some measure of acceptance.
Nubia got a surprising shot in on Cheetah when Priscilla dropped her guard from a half a second. Nocturna was licking her lips at the sight and smell of Wonder Woman's Amazonian blood. Dr. Cyber released her remaining drones and summoned her Reaper variants. They flew between buildings and the Pax Mundi's gunship dirigibles. The GCPD's two helicopters had been grounded to accommodate the plethora of dirigibles in the air.
Every street and avenue had a half a dozen of them stretched down its length. Their spotlights and machine guns tracking every movement in the streets below. During daylight hours, like now, the gunship crews used spotting scopes and targeting lasers. Frankly, given Nubia's history with American law enforcement she was surprised they hadn't opened fire already.
But the incoming missile strikes took Wonder Woman by surprise. Taken by surprise, the air crews called it in and received weapons release to deal with Dr. Cyber and her incoming drones. But the air crews fired at office buildings filled with workers in their attempts to knock down drones. They blew all but one more out of the sky but inflicted dozens of casualties and fatalities. The second round of missiles had Wonder Woman scrambling to shelter Nocturna.
Dr. Cyber sheltered in the subway station and used it to escape. The monorail came grinding to a halt as it suspension rail was damaged.
"You saved me," Nocturna gasped while Nubia ripped the IV out of her arm.
"You might have been a potential foe but you didn't threaten others," Nubia explained. Nocturna abandoned her ambition to drain Wonder Woman of her blood. She even acquiesced as GCPD Sgt. Astra Adams and Officer Gideon Abbas arrested her.
"You need to evacuate that overhead train," Wonder Woman advised them, "The supports are near collapse. I'll hold it as long as I can while emergency crews respond"
"I know most police forces give you plenty of shit but thank you, Wonder Woman," Adams offered.
"Thank me when the people are safe," Nubia requested. But it still felt good to hear it anyway.
Crowbar was the powerhouse. He literally crushed cars with his scientifically boosted prowess transmitted through his crowbar. So General Glory disarmed him with his epaulet blades. Then as Crowbar was made "normal" again, he was vulnerable to a right cross that broke Crowbar's jaw.
"Schweine!" Clock King yelled as he tried to skewer General Glory with his clock hand sword. General Glory's fist travelled down the length of the blade as he sidestepped the thrust and connected with Clock King's masked jaw. The criminal went down with a single punch.
"Now it's just you and I again" Black Spider waited for General Glory to settle himself rather than attempt an ambush.
"I understand you began as a vigilante targeting drug dealers," General Glory recalled.
"Everyone starts somewhere," Black Spider allowed, "They still labeled it murder."
"Shouldn't you be serving multiple life sentences and a few death row convictions?" General Glory asked.
"Thank Task Force X," Black Spider chuckled, "The Suicide Squad earned me full pardons."
"Waller was never that generous," General Glory retorted.
"Tell it to Deadshot or Bloodsport," Black Spider replied, "If you're useful, you get a free pass."
"You must've been very useful," General Glory allowed.
"I have my stories. Now, I pay the bills between hunting cartels," Black Spider stated, "Being your own boss is expensive."
"You don't want to kill me," General Glory realized.
"Never did," Black Spider told him, "But I was hired to give you a workout."
"So we call it good?" General Glory offered.
"Let me walk and I'll do the same," Black Spider told him, "The legal system will have these two idiots out in hours and they deserve the lumps."
"You have a deal," General Glory relaxed. As Black Spider vanished, General Glory wondered why and what he was being softened up for and who hired the Injustice Gang to do so?
Cyborg's white noice cannon dealt with Electrocutioner. But Col. Future's tech was equal with his own. The Ghost seemed immune to everything. Cyborg's interfaces weren't as advanced as Vic's Father Box integration. So he couldn't mentally hack Col. Future and Ghost's tech.
But Col. Future's tech suit seemed to have a three second recharge cycle.
Cyborg defended himself while his systems timed it. It was precisely 2.4 seconds. So he programmed his components to fire a white noise burst at Col. Future's head while he cycled his equipment. The result burst Col. Future's ear drums and sinus passages. Cyborg used a simple punch to put Future down.
"Clever," Ghost allowed.
Cyborg detected that Ghost used quantum variance to phase through objects and energies. If he could just disrupt the variance itself? Ghost had begin phasing through Cyborg, disrupting his cybernetic systems and their life support functions. He stabilized a quantum variance field inside his artificial systems.
Ghost chuckled, "Just won't lay down and let end it, huh?"
"Give it one last try," a haggard Cyborg jeered Ghost.
"Your funeral. I wasn't hired to kill you but them's the breaks," Ghost went to dive through Cyborg again. Instead he split into quantum segments fused in their center. Ghost screamed and fell to the side.
"About damn time," Cyborg sighed.
"Now who the hell 'hired' you?" Cyborg began running IDs and financials.
The Invisible Destroyer only became visible long enough to focus his energies on disrupting Strange Visitor's energy matrix. Which was the essence of her being now. She counterattacked by flowing every iota of energy she had into Invisible Destroyer as she felt his hand upon her. A smoking heap of a man became revealed as the body collapsed next to her
"Clever girl," Infinite Man allowed, "Is that Kismet's power I smell on you?"
"Is that the stink of defeat you reek of?" Strange Visitor retorted.
"I am the Infinite Man! I am…!" he began to roar.
Her fully unleashed power overwhelmed him and the Chaos Avatar deserted its host. The unfortunate human Chaos disciple left behind would be the one suffering for Strange Visitor's unleashing her full power. She felt he deserved it for asking the Lords of Chaos to empower him with an Avatar of Destruction. Infinite Man would probably select a new host rather than return to the one she'd defeated. As the host recuperated, he might resist being used again. Either way, it freed Strange Visitor up for now.
Owlwoman still found and Punch and Jewelee nauseating but Moonbow was the real threat still. Wenonah had barely avoided being killed on several occasions now. She was using the besotted couple as human shields to foul Moonbow's shots. Eventually Moonbow tired of them as well and simply shot them to get them out of the way. She hadn't needed to but she spared their lives.
Punch and Jewelee took offense at being target practice and began using their power gems and strings against Moonbow. Once they'd removed the archer from the equation, Owlwoman simply removed them as well. Then Wenonah alighted pulled an arrow from her shoulder and one from her thigh. Neither were lethal strikes and she could sense their was no poison involved. Moonbow just relied on standard broadheads and her own skill to terminate opponents.
Owlwoman wondered why she'd never heard of anyone this good before. She also wondered who in their right mind amongst the First Nation peoples of Canada trained a white girl to be so deadly with their hidden arts. What did they owe her and she in turn owe them? Owlwoman was determined to get answers later as she summoned an arriving SRU team and some medics.
Jack had his fill of fun and simply blew up Cannon's backup weaponry and Steelclaw's gloves apart. That left the Spook. Jack O'Lantern's fey induced powers sensed the eldtritch evil that encircled and ensorcled the Spook. A twisted mind had been broken by the essence of evil itself and Jack struggled to understand how.
"Your time is coming," the Spook said and abruptly retreated. Jack knew he was risking lives by letting the murderous Spook go. But he also had a responsibility to detain Cannon and Steelclaw, who were rousing. The SRU relieved Jack of his prisoners and the Spook had long since vanished with no further incidents reported. Jack decided to confer with Owlwoman. Her tracking senses could find the Spook if anyone could.
Mr. Element and Dr. Alchemy began working at cross purposes. Mr. Element could transmute elements into new configurations to impede Trajectory. But Dr. Alchemy would warp those elements into new permutations. Finally the tension broke into open conflict. Trajectory knocked them both out while they focused on each other rather than her. She was more than happy to hand them off to a Crows Security team that arrived to "assist" her. Still, Mr. Element and Dr. Alchemy had held back from purely lethal transmutations. Leaving Eliza wondering what or who came next.
Chief Man-of-Bats ignored Night Slayer's knife to Raven Red's throat.
"Good impersonation, but that is not my son," Chief Man-of-Bats announced.
The King angrily tore off his prosthetics, "I told you this wouldn't work."
He stomped off to no one's great loss. Night Slayer sheathed his knife and went after Chief Man-of-Bast with his scythe. He was well schooled in fighting with it. Signalman confused the issue with flares, bells, whistles, and strobes that hindered Night Slayer as much as Chief Man-of-Bats himself.
"Would you stop that?" Night Slayer took a swing with his scythe at Signalman. That left him open long enough for Chief Man-of-Bats to close the distance and finish him off with a fighting rally.
"So it's just down to you and…" Signalman never finished that sentence as Chief Man-of-Bats knocked him out with a single punch.
"That's for having that coward impersonate my son," Robert Great Eagle said coldly.
Neutron's containment suit held his vast nuclear energy. Nathaniel Tryon had been caught in reactor meltdown and transformed into nuclear energy ala Dr. Manhattan. Such comic book characters as Solar, Man of the Atom and Mothergod had been transformed by similar means in pop culture literature. But Solar and Mothergod had reconstituted themselves as human in appearance. Neutron was another Capt. Nathanial Hale and Major Force having been wholly converted into an energy matrix.
Capt. Atom maneuvered Dr. Double X into rupturing Neutron's containment suit. Capt. Atom then funneled the energy matrix out into space while allowing a shock wave to knock out Dr. Double X. The Untouchables made a run for it. Capt. Atom was too drained to pursue them. But the Crows took it up.
Earthworm dove into the Earth to smother the flames Fire ejected burning off the rats. Rat Catcher dropped to her knees sobbing. She and Earthworm didn't resist as the Crows arrested them. Fire had expended her power and needed to recharge but Kalista didn't know that and fled. Bea was happy to see her go.
Ice created a curved ice slide to bomb Overthrow with his own explosive disc. It knocked out Goldface at the same time. She froze Fadeaway Man's feet to the street. Fire punched him on her way to Tora.
"Thank you," Ice sighed, "I just couldn't do it."
"I know. But that's what makes you, you," Fire shrugged, "Everyone loves you just the way you are."
"Guy called again," Ice tentatively brought up Gardner's name.
"Oh God! You're not missionary dating again, are you?" Fire was alarmed.
"He owns a sports bar next to Super Buddies," Ice told her, "He invited me to see the place. We could visit Beetle, Booster, Goldstar, and Claire at the same time."
"This is a recipe for disaster," Fire complained.
"You know you want to chaperone," Ice needled her.
"Okay!" Fire threw her hands up, "For you."
"Thank you," Ice said meekly.
Apache Chief phased through the street into the tunnels below. Then he shrank to human size again and solidified. Recalling where Blakc Thorn and Black Mass had been standing, he stood between their relative positions and said, "Anuk chuk!"
He grew through the street, knocking both Injusticers off of their feet. Then he smashed each of them with a fist, knocking them out.
"The Mayor is going to bill you for that," SRU Det. Jason Bard warned Apache Chief.
"Good," was all Apache Chief would reply with.
Black Vulcan continuously streamed electricity into Bolt's suit until it overloaded. Then he knocked Evil Star out with a massive jolt.
"That's how it's done!" Black Vulcan declared as GCPD patrol units came to collect the villains.
Samurai used fire to slag the shrapnel and winds to pelt FireFist with it. FireFist went screaming down the street to the waiting arms of the Crows.
"See ya!" Lodestone began to fly away but Samurai blew her into a building, knocking her out with the force of the gale.
"It is good," Samurai decided as he regrouped with Black Vulcan and Apache Chief and the Super Friends were reunited in victory.
"You creep!" Harlequin shouted as the Creper knocked the Jester out.
"Creep-er. Common enough mistake," his unexpected right cross took her down.
"Now to find someplace to go loudly insane!" the Creeper exclaimed as he bounded off.
Brie Larvan was startled when the Atom grew in front of her. Then he shrank as her electronic bees targeted him…and stung her. She passed out from the toxin load each bee carried multiplied a dozen times over. Atom grew again and removed the Bug Eyed Bandit's goggles and the bees all deactivated.
"Finally," Ryan sighed and slumped against a nearby wall.
Katana disarmed Saber and his sword flew into Fire Jade, impaling her as Tatsu had intended. Then she knocked Saber out with the pommel of her sword. She pulled Saber's sword out of Fire Jade and employed another pommel strike. Katana's prowess with a sword was legendary but the magic of the SoulTaker amplified her skills. Saber never stood a chance. Neither had Fire Jade so long as she within striking distance of Saber's blade. Katana happily handed them off to the Crows.
The Justice Society of America likewise continued their fight against the Secret Society of Super Villains. The potentially most destructive conflict being waged between Green Lantern and Major Disaster as the Major revived as Green Lantern detained the enraged Big Sir.
"Don't you hurt him!" Major Disaster shouted out as he saw Big Sir struggling to free himself from Green Lantern's construct. A major tremor hit Gotham despite there being no natural fault lines. Streets cracked, pipes burst, and windows also cracked in buildings across the city.
"Calm down. I'm not hurting anyone. I'm just waiting for him to cool down," Green Lantern assured the Major.
"Major Man? You okay?" Big Sir asked in his child-like way.
"I'm fine, buddy," Major Disaster promised him, "Let's get you out of that cage."
He nodded at Green Lantern and Alan dropped the construct field.
"I was scared for you. I thought Ring Man had hurt you," Big Sir looked embarrassed.
"I know. It's okay now," Major Disaster promised him, "Remember how I said you might have to back to the Institute for a few days?"
"Yes?" Big Sir began tearing up.
"Hey, buddy. You said you liked it there. And I'll come and get you as soon as I can," Major Disaster assured him before turning to Green Lantern, "We surrender."
"That easily?" Green Lantern wondered.
"We did our part," Major Disaster grinned.
Jay pushed Speed McGee, Expressman, and Express to their limits. McGee went down with a series of muscle spasms and obvious cardiac difficulties brought on by his steroidal treatments. Expressman tired and his skin was reddened by friction burns. Express lasted longer than either of them but he too suffered from fatigue and windburn in the end. The Flash gathered them up and gladly delivered them to a SRU unit dispatched to assist him. He thought it best to consult with Green Lantern now.
Hawkgirl recognized the age inappropriately dressed Sweet Sixteen as the problem. But Kendra couldn't near her without having to dodge a hail of hyperkinetic rounds from Guardian. Diggle was too accurate a shot as it was. He'd knocked her out of the sky twice now. She couldn't close on him and Sweet Sixteen was staying very close to him.
The Whip and Tarantula were trying to get passed Wildcat to get to Sweet Sixteen. But the Whip was barely keeping him at bay.
"Whatever you're going to do, do it faster," Shelley demanded of Catalina.
"Just hold him off for one more second," the Tarantula had drawn her pistol.
It was also loaded with hyperkinetic rounds and she was drawing a bead on Sweet Sixteen. She just hoped Shannon could keep Dr. Mid-Nite off of her for just as long. Spider Queen's battle with Pieter was drawing in to a close because she'd managed to web gun his face.
He dropped another Blackout Bomb but Spider Queen got clear of its effects while he tried to clear his mask's goggles. Tarantula took the shot as Sweet Sixteen moved around Guardian to taunt Hawkgirl. The non-lethal round hit her like a moving van and blew Sweet Sixteen off of her feet and into a parked car. The car's alarm went off as its door crumpled and side windshield broke as Sweet Sixteen was smashed into it.
The effect on the men was immediate. Guardian went to holster his pistol but Hawkgirl was already in motion and bashed him with her Nth metal mace.
Wildcat held his hands up in surrender, "I'm me again."
Dr. Mid-Nite also emerged from the blackout cloud, "We seem to be freed from the woman's effects."
"You good?" Hawkgirl had her mace poised to strike Guardian again as he struggled to rise.
"Yeah," he said hoarsely, "Whatever mojo she whammied me with vanished as soon as she went down."
"I'd feel bad but you shot me. Twice. Hurt like a motherbitch each time," Hawkgirl lowered her mace.
"I'd say we're even then," Guardian shook it off.
Spider Queen webbed Sweet Sixteen's eyes, "Tell the GCPD or the Crows to send an all-female unit to pick her up."
Dr. Mid-Nite relayed the instructions and cautionary tale to the SRU unit that arrived and then they called for support.
"You're not going to check on her condition?" the Whip asked him.
"I'd rather not," Dr. Mid-Nite angrily replied.
"Gimme somebody ta punch," Wildcat growled.
"Somehow I doubt this is over yet," Tarantula had a gut feeling.
"I'll go with your hunches any day," Hawkgirl assured her, "I'll get an aerial view of what's been happening around us."
As she took flight, Guardian tried to reaching anyone on comms, "No one's answering."
"Means they're busy too," the Whip frowned.
"Hey! Officer! Can you get us a sitrep?" Spider Queen asked the departing SRU unit. What they learned wasn't encouraging. Both the Justice League and Justice Society were dealing with ther assigned problems but matters were escalating quickly. And there seemed to be no reasoning behind the Injustice Gang and Secret Society's presence.
"I've got Green Lantern on comms," Guardian announced, "He and the Flash are rendezvousing with us at this position."
"Good. Then we can kick some major ass," Wildcat enthused. Hawkgirl would've agreed had she been in earshot.
Power Girl discovered that Carapax's armor was powerful but he was hardly an Indestructible Man. After taking some physical abused and some energy discharges, she ripped armor off of him. She knocked Carapax himself out with a flick of a finger despite the kryptonite. She saw Hawkgirl overhead and decided to get a larger picture of what she was hearing across the city.
Wonder Woman anticipated Angle Man's next attack. As the space folding field developed, she reached into it and smashed his face with her fist. He went down as she withdrew her arm from the collapsing field.
Snapping his angle iron in half, she lifted him off of the ground, "Better luck next time."
Her right cross knocked his teeth loose and dropped him. Hippolyta was enough of a strategist to realize she needed far more information of what was occurring in order to properly respond to the threat. The Flash's arrival heralded the Crows' own.
"Hippolyta, we're gathering six blocks due north of here," Jay told her.
"I'll be there," Wonder Woman promised.
As the Flash moved on he recalled why Hippolyta had been the first Wonder Woman. And in his mind, the greatest.
Mr. Terrific and Mr. Terrible met at last as their T-Spheres and T-Squares mutually destroyed one another. Michael Holt had devoted months of training in various martial arts and boxing. He was one of the few that could last a round with Ted Grant. Mr. Terrible relied on gadgets and was soundly beaten senseless. Spreading his surviving T-Spheres across the city, he spotted Green Lantern joining with Guardian and Wildcat's group and teleported himself there as well.
Hawkman simply went airborne as Hyena lunged at him. He landed behind and struck her with the flat of his Nth metal sword, electrifying it as he did so. Hyena went down and reverted back to being Summer Day. Rather than leave a very naked Summer to potential harm, he waited it out as the Crows arrived at his position.
After they took her into custody, he flew upwards to spot Hawkgirl and Power Girl's flight patrol and he soared in to join them.
"I see you're in one piece," Hawkgirl sounded both relieved and irritated by that fact.
"Green Lantern is calling a meeting," Power Girl told them, "You go. I want a further look around."
The Hawks begrudgingly complied as Power Girl began to note Superman and Superwoman's departures. Things must have gotten dire to get Linda back in uniform. And even worse for them tto be departing in opposite directions. Superman was headed to Manhattan and Superwoman was headed south. She decided whatever mission Superwoman was on, she needed the help more than Superman. So Power Girl streaked off to join her. Fortunately for Karen, Linda wasn't moving at light speed.
Robotman's systems detected Sting's infiltration and his body's auto-defenses engaged immediately. Sting himself, and the dead bodies of the insects under his control fell out of Robotman's chassis. Robotman gently picked Sting up and flagged a passing GCPD patrol car. The police secured Sting in a half empty peanut butter jar and thanked Robotoman for his services. Robert Crane reactivated his comms and learned from Guardian that the JSA was gathering nearby.
STRIPE's remote user, Mike Dugan, watched with amusement as his stepsister handed Libra her ass. Libra had no idea that Stargirl was a highly trained kickboxer. Everyone just assumed the Cosmic Staff and Cosmic Converter Belt were everything Courtney had to offer.
"Leave me something to do," STRIPE requested.
Libra was barely on her feet when STRIPE jolted her with 50,000 volts. The staff flew back into Courtney's hands.
"Guardian says everyone is gathering nearby. They want us there," STRIPE warned Stargirl.
"What about Billy? Any news?" Courtney fretted.
"No, but he's freaking Shazam. How much trouble could he get into?" STRIPE asked.
"I'm gonna make sure," Stargirl decided.
"Wait for me," STRIPE sighed.
Hourman was grateful his muscle and bone density increased under the influence of Miraclo. Otherwise, Velvet Tiger would've beaten him senseless. She wasn't a skilled fighter. But her time "jumping" put her in and out of harm's way while he still trying to react. Then a red and blue blur smashed into her.
The Flash tipped back his saucer pan helmt, "Doing okay, Rex?"
"Better now," Hourman grunted.
The Flash streaked off and then reappeared, "A GCPD patrol car will be by in a minute. In the meantime, I need you to head three blocks east and six blocks north to regroup with the others."
"I still have close forty minutes left so I can jog there in a hurry," Hourman promised.
The Flash was gone and Hourman looked back at Velvet Tiger, "What a waste of potential."
Then he heard the approach squad and began jogging. He actually reached the others before Jay returned. Which had him worried
"You really need to stop this now!" Red Tornado yelled at Weather Witch. She was yelling to be heard over the cyclone surrounding them.
"What's the matter, 'Cyclone'? Can't take the competition?" Weather Witch laughed.
"It's Red Tornado now," Maxine replied as she spun Weather Witch around in a smaller tornado until the woman passed out. But her weather system was self feeding now. It took Red Tornado everything she had to quell the storm. Then passed out into the Flash's arriving arms.
"Good girl, Maxine," the Flash smiled appreciatively at her. He'd tried countering the storm to no avail. But Max had proven why she was the Red Tornado now. He carried her to the care of the others, dropped off and set out again before Hourman arrived.
Judomaster tired of dodging Catman's attacks and went on a pure offensive.
Even then, he couldn't counterattack and connect with her. Finally, he couldn't endure the punishment any longer and was knocked out. Judomaster flagged down a passing Crows SUV and handed Catman off. They gave her directions to where the JSA was assembling. So she set out on foot to join them.
Sir Ystin and Maid Maleen effectively destroyed every arrow and boomerang Diana and Boomerang fired or threw at them. Diana had even risked Ystin's wrath by shooting at her horse. The Shining Knight held Maid Maleen back when she attempted to pursue the fleeing couple.
"Something greater is afoot here. Let us find the others and determine what the true threat is," Sir Ystin suggested.
Maid Maleen impulsively kissed her, "After you, my bravest knight."
"You've shown you ready for the trials yourself. You needn't be my squire any longer," Sir Ystin told her.
"I'll always be your squire for as long as you'll have me," Maid Maleen vowed.
"Ahem, ladies," the Flash looked embarrassed, "If you'll head that way, you'll meet up with the others."
He darted off having said that.
"Jay Garrick is good man. An accepting one for a man of his era," Sir Ystin observed.
"Let us meet up as he suggested then. For I wish to uncover this greater evil and vanquish it," Maid Maleen urged her.
"So valiant and brave. Is it any wonder you won my heart all those centuries ago and have kept it ever since?" Sir Ystin asked.
"I feel the same, my love. Now let us be off," Maid Maleen was ready for greater action.
"Stop this!" Jade shouted ta Obsidian as she shattered his shadow forms again. They'd gone back and forth for what seemed to be forever. Madame Crow had left long ago. She had a date with Arkham City. The Flash's sudden arrival and supersonic punch laid Obsidian out.
"Why's he on the crazy train?" Flash wondered.
"Madame Crow dosed him with her anti-fear toxin. This is the result," Jade sighed.
The Flash gave her directions, "Once you get there, talk to your father and come up with a way to contain Todd until the dose wears off."
"What if the effects are permanent?" Jade fretted.
"Then you'll still reach him," Jay encouraged her, "Now scoot."
"Thanks, Jay," Jade enveloped Obsidian in a construct bubble and headed off.
The Flash sighed, "Alan does not need this right now."
Then he was off again.
Crazy Quilt had insulation in her suit and Yz still practically fried her. As Yz became Jonni again, noted the two Crows SUVs had towards her and she flagged them down and happily gave Crazy Quilt over to them. One of the agents offered Jonni a ride to the JSA's location. She was flattered and he was cute.
Anna Fortune stood back and watched as Atom Smasher mowed his way through the opposition. Huntress and Kitten stood their ground but Anna portalled a fleeing Domino Lady and Miss Shady back at Al. She noted with some alarm that the Trickster had eluded her. Then she felt before she heard the Trickstermobile. The latest generation Trickstermobile was a pink semi-truck. She flew above and watched with pride as Atom Smasher caved the engine housing in. The Trickster was badly shaken and didn't resist as Atom Smasher resumed his already hulking normal stature to pull him out of the wreck.
"That was fun to watch," the Flash called up to Anna. Behind him several Crows SUVs pulled up. As they collected the Secret Societors, Jay sent Anna and Al on their way.
Lady Marvel and Captain Marvel were dismayed to find Shazam under Mad Maestro's control. Even they felt the music's pull if they got too close to hear it properly. Lightning Girl was also a nuisance. Then stellar energy destroyed Mad Maestro's keyboard. Shazam looked enraged as he punched the mind bending musician out. Stargirl then dealt with Lightning Girl as well.
"You didn't leave me anyone," STRIPE whined.
"Shut it," Stargirl told him, "Shazam! You okay?"
"I am thanks to you. As always," Shazam told her.
"Just kiss her and get it over with," STRIPE said impatiently.
"Ixnay on the PDA," Stargirl hissed at him.
"You two are no fun," STRIPE griped, "By the way, Guardian is calling. We have a big rendezvous to make. I have his GPS coordinates."
"Then lead us there," Lady Marvel requested.
"The heck with it," Shazam pulled Stargirl in for a kiss anyway.
"Not that I mind, but I do. What if someone saw?" Stargirl blushed.
"Let them," Captain Marvel opined. They all flew off following STRIPE.
Even made of brick, Amazing Man could feel the heat Flame was generating. Finally, she fainted rather than face him. All the mental exertion put into trying to roast him alive having knocked her out.
The Flash arrived, "You okay, son?"
"I just need to cool off," Amazing Man promised.
"You can do on your way to this address," Flash promised him. Having given it, he was off again. Amazing Man's comms earpiece having melted away long ago.
.
Citizen Steel had made certain his grandson would be well equipped to fight evildoers. So he'd had Hank trained as a fighter since he was a boy. It turned out the futire Commander Steel was a natural. He could last three rounds with Wildcat thanks to his metal skeleton and synthetic flesh and muscles. Faceless Phantom was sheer brute force person used to overwhelming the less powerful. Commander Steel enjoyed delivering the comeuppance. He reconnected with comms and got directions from Guardian on where to go. The SRU relieved him of his prisoner and he set out on foot at a jog.
Miss Liberty, despite being a time traveler, had no meta-human gifts unlike Liberty Belle and Jesse Quick. So Flame Girl was running her ragged. But the Flash's timely intervention saved her life. And he even allowed her the coup de grace.
"Let's get you to the others," through physical contact, the Flash could transfer a portion of his Speed Force connection. So they ran together and rejoined the gathered JSA.
Stargirl asked the obvious question, "Where's Power Girl?"