Chapter Fourteen
Superwoman saw the destruction of Ellis Island, alerted by the smoke billowing forth the wreckage of the national historic site. As she landed, saw Superman and exclaimed, "Clark!"
She bathed him in yellow solar rays after setting a few bones and relocating his shoulder. The worst injuries began to heal but he still needed serious attention. she called the K-Star Ranch and connected with Mia Kent, Lord Superman's daughter with Lena Luthor from their native Eath-2.
"Mia? It's Lana. I need your help. Your father is severely injured and I need a stretcher and an assistant to carry him to the Fortress of Solitude."
"On it!" Mia replied and hung up. Minutes later she landed on the island with a stretcher. They got Superman onto it and then carried him to the Arctic where Kelex could tend to him. Afterwards, they alerted Jonathan and Laura. Linda fetched the twins Carol and Jane to the Fortress where they could stand vigil. Superboy came as well, along with Miss Martian, to assist Jon and Laura's journey.
"Thank you Conner, M'gann, please stay," Superwoman offered.
"Where's Karen?" M'gann asked, "Or Linda Danvers?"
"They must still be in Gotham," Superwoman replied, "Kelex, pinpoint Power Girl and Supergirl's locations."
A map of Gotham City holographically displayed and zeroed in.
"They're injured as well!" Superwoman exclaimed.
"We'll get them here," Superboy promised. He and Miss Martian left the Fortress to retrieve Power Girl and Supergirl. They too were placed under Kelex's care when Superboy and Miss Martian returned with them some twenty minutes later.
"We're needed there," M'gann explained why she and Conner were departing once again.
"I could go," Superwoman said.
"They need you," Conner nodded towards Mia, Laura, Jon, and the twins anxiously watching the auto docs in the med bay tending to their father, their Aunt Karen and Aunt Linda.
"Stay safe," Lana Linda offered.
"No one in Gotham is," Superboy replied.
"We'll be back," Miss Martian added before they exited the Fortress once again.
Harbinger fused back together after splitting off dozens of copies of herself, all gathering the JLers and JSAers. They rendezvoused outside the GCPD, where Commissioner Gordon and Crows Commander Kane were dictating terms to Dagar the Desert Hawk for the Pax Mundi to extend their mission over the brewing crisis.
"Now there's a crisis?" Stargirl quipped.
"A literally grave one," Sandman told them. Harbinger had been summoned to bring he and Sand to Gotham.
"Would someone mind explaining?" General Glory inquired.
"The people the Pax Mundi killed are being resurrected as mummies," Agent Moore told the assemblage.
"Disco Mummy," Chief Man-of-Bats, much worse for the wear, expressed distastefully.
"Oh, it gets better," Barbara Gordon stated, "Meet your new allies."
Azrael, Sister Lilhy, Batwing, Hellequin, Red Alice, the Mad Hatter, the Tweedles, the Wonderland Gang, the Riddles, the Penguins, Captain Atomic, and Young Justice came out into the open.
"Someone has to be kidding," Hawkman snorted.
"What are you even doing here?" Green Lantern sternly asked Young Justice.
"Seeing the sights," Red Robin replied. Catwoman took Catgirl off for a private huddle.
"Green Lantern, Young Justice did my department a huge favor today and captured the newest Anarky and dismantled her operation," Gordon told the assemblage.
"We'd been searching for her for weeks but were always misled on who and where she really was. Your Justicers managed to find her in a few hours," Moore put in.
"And we'll need all hands on deck," Commander Kane added.
"Then add ours as well," Superboy announced as he and Miss Martian landed in their midst.
"They have access to an intelligence source we've grossly overlooked," Catwoman added as she and Catgirl returned to the huddle, "Call this number and talk to a girl called Butch Candon. She'll have info on what's happening across the city."
"One second," Barabra dialed the number and put it on speaker.
"Hello?" Butch was dubious.
"Butch Candon? Of the Newsboy Legion?" Barb inquired, having been given that additional data by Catgirl as Gordon dialed.
"Who is this?" Butch warily asked.
"Police Commissioner Gordon," Barbara answered, "Please don't disconnect! We need your help!"
"How did you get this number?" Butch angrily asked, "Who did you haul in?"
"Catgirl provided the number because we're desperate and she said you'd help like you did during the Nazi and Imperialist occupation," Barbara said quickly, "Will you?"
"You want to know how many mummies there are and where they're at, don't you?" Butch asked in reply.
"Yes!" Barbara didn't care that she sounded as desperate as she felt.
"Think anybody who's ever died in Gotham. Ever," Butch replied, "And our Pax Mundi buddies just added to that count."
Everyone stared at Dagar.
"Thank you, Butch," Barb said genuinely.
"Just lose my number," Butch replied.
"It was a burner phone anyway," Catgirl said as Butch disconnected.
Screams and gunshots could be heard in the GCPD. Mummies from the coroner's office shambled out.
"We've dealt with this before," Red Robin reminded the JSA, "You take the head from the body and the body is animated but aimless."
"Shotguns!" Sophie realized, "Lots of them!"
"Harv! Get Dispatch to spread the word to all units!" Gordon told Bullock, "Go!"
"I'm on it, sir!" Moore told Kane.
"I suggest we work in teams. One per district," Kane suggested.
"Here we go again," Arrowette grumbled.
"We did all right last time," Static grinned. Black Vulcan was glad to see Virgil here and now.
"Anyone have any suggestions on team rosters?" Gordon inquired. Everyone looked to her for guidance.
"Right," she made up a plan on the fly.
"We need to get these people to medical attention," Cyborg announced. Blackhawk Express arrived to take away all the Wonder Women, the Atom, Strange Visitor and Superman, Superwoman, Supergirl, and Power Girl's absences were explained by Superboy and Miss Martian.
"This is why Disco Mummy hired the Injustice Gang, Secret Society, and Legion of Doom to harass you," Sister Lilhy said gravely, "In the absence of your strongest members and Dark Justice, you're left vulnerable to Disco Mummy's ambitions."
"'Guns Blazin' Dagar da Desert Hawk' didn't help any by droppin' bodies. Major Crimes is still tallyin' up da death toll," Bullock accused.
"My people are standing by you now," Dagar pledged, "Secretary-General Luthor has commanded it."
"We seriously need to talk about your chain of command priorities when this is done," Sophie grimaced.
"We need every conceivable squad leader made available," Gordon told the combined Justice League and Justice Society.
"No offense, but your Green Lanterns are looking shaky," Green Lantern opined, "So's your Flash."
"Jade and Spider Queen also look like they've seen demons but they're still standing by us," General Glory replied.
"The Justice League took the heavier burden in combat," Katana noted, "The Justice Society was spared such by greater experience and in some cases sheer good fortune."
"I know this is asking a lot but we need everyone at their best," Kane told them all, "We are the line and the line must remain unbroken."
Everyone was reminded why Kane had been a colonel in the Delta Force.
"We'll get the job done or die trying," General Glory pledged.
"`Cept we're skippin' that last part," Wildcat amended for him.
"Let's get it done," Barbara went to address her own officers and Moore handled the Crows. Across Gotham, private security also hunkered down for a seige. Duquesne Security, Empress Pengiuin's security forces, and Charise Carnes' Zither Security guard details as well as her private agents like Bonebreaker prepared themselves for the literal coming of night.
It was decided to split the teams up and mix them. So each team would have elements of the JLI, JSA, and Young Justice. The GCPD and Crows would unite with the Pax Mundi in street sweeping.
A Harbinger delivered the younger Flash's team to Burnside. Where they discovered an unexpected ally to their cause. The White Rabbit was fighting mummies in the street with a shotgun. Unknown to them, she was focused on defending Jaina Hudson's brownstone. Inside of it, Jaina was also barricaded with a shotgun and a hundred boxes of shells.
The Flash approached the White Rabbit, who looked unusually disheveled. She blew white hair out of her pink eyes, "And?"
"You seem to have attracted their attention. We're here to help," Wally had snapped out of his earlier state of shock. But he could feel it lurking as he watched the varied corpses shambling about looking to kill and add to their numbers.
"Pitch in then," White Rabbit took aim and blew another mummy's head apart.
"Cover me," White Rabbit requested as she began to reload ftom her box case of ammunition. Red Tornado began sweeping mummies out into the river and the bay but they merely marched underwater back to shore. Commander Steel joined with Judomaster and Miss Liberty in trying to physically disable mummies. Arrowette was using a range of arrows to blow apart or otherwise blind mummies. Tweedledee and Tweedledum used hatchets to dismember bodies. The Baffler had his own shotgun and supply of ammo.
Captain Atomic began blowing apart mummies approaching Three Towers in Cheery Hill after Harbinger teleported the team in. Chief Man-of-Bats led Raven Red amongst others in defensive maneuver designed to draw the mummies away from civilians and towards them. Much to Spider Queen, Tarantula, the Whip, and Josette Quelle's mixed feelings, they'd succeeded.
The Neon Gang was out on force in the East End when a Harbinger dropped off the team. Owlwoman immediately went to work dismembering mummies with her talons. Jack O'Lantern torched them. Sir Ystin and Maid Maleen beheaded them with their swords. Girl Detective minded Vanguard, Sir Ystin's flying horse.
Night was falling as Harbingers were delivering the teams to their locations. For Obsidian, this meant his powers were at their peak. Jade crushed mummies with simple constructs. Yz electrified them until they ignited. Devilina Dare proved an ace at beheading mummies with her boomerangs. That left General Glory trying to rein in Echo and Query as they went on a psychotic rampage in Gotham Heights.
Gotham Village saw the arrival of a team. Mr. Terrific had cobbled together some T-Sphere-like replacements from Toyman's technological terrors. Stargirl and STRIPE blew mummies apart. For Catwoman, Catgirl, and Quiz Miss it was a matter of personal combat to stay alive.
Jinx had secured the outer perimeter surrounding the Iceberg Lounge while Bird of Paradise's team managed Empress Penguin's personal safety from within. The elder Flash arrived on foot and used his speed and velocity to devastate mummies. Star Sapphire dropped Wildcat off. She immediately went to work smashing away at dozens of mummies at a time with her power ring. Wildcat just enjoyed knocking heads of bodies one at a time. En route, the Flash realized as others were beginning to, that the Riddles only accompanied teams going to undefended locations. At least defended by those beholden to Knightfall.
Black Mask and a mysterious group were rumored to be mounting their own location driven defenses. Miller Hasrbor was obviously defended by the Penguins so the Riddler hadn't assigned anyone there just as he'd avoided dispatching anyone to Chinatown.
The Ventriloquist and Scarface were rallying a defense of Otisburg when Harbinger delivered a team. Blue Streak immediately set off to server heads at high velocities. Cyborg blew them apart with his white sound cannon. Guardian's hyperkinetic rounds were most effective in blowing mummies to pieces. Harbinger awaited her other selves before engaging the enemy knowing that Guardian would defend her.
The Neon Gang also had a presence in the Bowery. Fire, Ice, and Hourman were the most effective in disabling or decimating mummies. Dr. Mid-Nite and Red Robin had to get more creative.
The Hill possessed a cemetery so it was filled with mummies. Hawkman and Hawkgirl were unrelentingly carving bodies up. Jessica Cruz set a perimeter fence around the district and then began crushing mummies within her visual range. Atom Smasher and Superboy used sheer might to rip apart or crush mummies. Batwing mainly stood by His Girl Tuesday as she blasted mummies with a shotgun.
Enigma was the lone Riddle to attend a district whee the Bonez Gang was already defending it. The Narrows was filled with unclaimed corpses from the Pax Mundi attacks as well as previous murders and bodily disposals. Simon Baz isolated the district and dealt with those mummies nearest him. Sister Lilhy used a sword to behead them while Miss Martian used her Martian Vision to blow them apart. That left Lady Marvel and Captain Marvel projecting lightning to incinerate the animated corpses.
Green Lantern led the defense of Tricorner where the KnightsQuest was out in force. Trajectory's high speed tactics were brutally effective. Green Lantern and Shazam were the most clinical in their methodology. The Mad Hatter used her nanotech devices to motivate the Wonderland Gang into fighting back. The Riddler set out to have a private chat with Father M'Buttu.
Arkham Island was the central scene for confronting Disco Mummy. She'd personally arrived and resurrected inmates from Arkham City's morgue and cemetery. Harbinger delivered the largest and arguably most motivated team there. Within the asylum, the Scarecrow and Madame Crow waged a war pitting living inmates against one another.
Outside, Disco Mummy was amused by the presence of Katana, Claire Voyant, Hellequin, Red Alice, Azrael, Morgan, and Black Siren. She was threatened by the arrival of Anna Fortune, the Sandman, and Sand. But Plastic Woman's presence was an affront to her.
With a snap of her fingers, Green Mummy raced into battle, Aten Khalis' wrappings came alive, Scarab began employing his power ring, Black Pharaoh attempted to bring the plagues of Egypt down upon them, Myra Pyram merged stray animals into were-beasts, and Ghazia animated lifeless objects to pit against her mistress' foes. Disco Mummy herself focused on Plas and Morgan.
"Whatever happened to the fake blonde?" Disco Mummy inquired of Plastic Woman.
"She divorced me," Plas answered, "That's not the usual first question I get nowadays."
"You always seemed feminine to me," Disco Mummy shrugged.
"Where's the wrappings?" Plas asked.
"Long gone like your wife," Disco Mummy chuckled, "Is this your new paramour...or an old one reunited?"
Morgan thought that was a little too on the nose, "We're wasting time."
"She unkillable," Plastic Woman warned her, "We have to find out what she wants first. Then we bargain with her."
"Very good," Disco Mummy literally applauded, "The new you is a smarter version as well as more attractive."
"So what or who is it you want?" Plas inquired.
"Give up Knightfall and this all goes away," Disco Mummy offered.
"Looking for a date?' Morgan asked.
"Why would you ask that?" Disco Mummy wondered.
"The remark you made about Plas being more attractive," Morgan explained.
"Ah, jealousy rears its head," Disco Mummy smiled benevolently, "Despite my 'swinging both ways' as the modern nomenclature has it, I would sooner see Plastic Woman dead before courting her. I mean that literally."
"Nice to be appreciated," Plas muttered.
"You of all people should me enough by now to know I have no use for the living," Disco Mummy shrugged, "Death is my thing."
"And your powers really don't work on me," Plastic Woman understood now.
"But they would work on your paramour," Disco Mummy wore an evil smile, "Bring me Knightfall."
"I can't just hand her over," Plas haggled, "I need a show of good faith first."
"Never. Doubt. My. Word," Disco Mummy grated, "The price just went up."
"Way to go," Morgan hissed at Plas.
"What else do you want?" Plastic Woman dutifully asked.
"Black Mask and Empress Penguin. I doubt they'll bend the knee to me willingly. So I'll have to persuade them to," Disco Mummy's smile was malevolent now.
"A little negotiating doesn't sound so bad," Morgan opined.
"She's gonna mummify them all so they'll serve her," Plas enlightened her.
"You have been paying attention all these years," Disco Mummy laughed.
"I suppose there's a time limit," Plastic Woman said.
"Ten minutes. After that, things escalate," Disco Mummy warned her.
"How much worse can it get?" Morgan wondered.
"Plastic Woman?" Disoc Mummy prompted her.
"Never, ever ask that question," Plas warned her.
Capt. Molly O'Moore of SWAT and her team had broken out the heavy weapons and were using grenade launchers typically employed to distribute tear gas grenades with live rounds provided by the Pax Mundi. Likewise Lt. Renee Montoya and her SRU were using their more exotic weapons provided by Cauldwell Arms. Now that Eliot Cauldwell, better known as the Wrath these days, was held in Iron Heights, his arms factory issued reliable weapons to law enforcement again rather than those he could disable at will. Det. Sgt. Jason Bard helped her direct the SRU in its front line defense of City Hall beside SWAT.
Commissioner Gordon and Lt. Bullock led traditional detectives and beat cops in defending their house.
"We ain't been able to restock since alla da commotion lately," Bullock warned Barbara, "We only got so much ammo."
"And most of that was provided by Dagar with Luthor's kind permission," Gordon grated. Watching Sgt. Astra Adams and Officers Dick Menso, Josh Sabra, and Gideon Abba rally the defenders gave Barbara hope again, "We'll manage, Harv. We always find a way."
Dagar had never fought the undead before. His forces were used to stabilizing warring factions and keeping detente between rebel forces and their oppressors. This was out of his realm of expertise and he wondered just how Gothamites managed to still live there.
Kane and Moore led the Crows defending Blackgate.
"I don't see why we're doing this, sir," Sophie confessed.
"Imagine these thugs managing to get loose and on the streets during this or worse yet, they all get killed and raised from the dead too," Kane explained their mission.
"I'll pass that word," Moore got on the radio.
Kane still resources available to him that Sec. Amanda Waller wasn't letting him deploy for fear of revealing their creation and nature. For now, the Batmen remained a classified secret even the POTUS couldn't know about.
Brother Blood's followers defended their bastion to every last man and woman.
Sebastian Blood was prototyping mirakuru from a sample he'd obtained from a Black Dragon Society member. It had to perfect and administered under exacting conditions or the side effects were either physically distorting or mentally unhinging. Or both. But he had to deliver a trial run of the latest attempt at a batch to volunteers to keep the Church of Blood safe. So they were all injected and unleashed. Most never survived and became the enemy instead. But one seemed perfect and he stood his ground against the others. Brother Blood furiously saved the lot number and batch ingrediant profile before it could be lost in case of an incursion. Soon the Church of Blood would have an army of super soldiers at its disposal.
The Nuclear Family had been in traffic when the mummies arose and swarmed over the city. The GCPD and the Crows were clearing out passengers and running them to shelter. But the Evans decided to fight their way there on their own. Taking their emergency kits, they traveled deep into the subway tunnels and hunkered down for a seeming zombie apocalypse.