Injustice
October 4, 1940
"Have you seen my mace?" said Carter Hall, as he dug through the armory. He had it installed in his home shortly after becoming Hawkman. His harness and helmet stood proudly next to a complimentary set, owned by his housemate.
"You left it by the back door," said Shiera, without looking up from her papers.
Sure enough, it was there, left carelessly by the doorway. The past week had gone by in a blur. Midway City was hit with a string of supervillains, the latest of which, the Monocle, had taken up yesterday night. The museum added to the list with a new exhibit on Egypt to prep for. And now it was time to travel to New York for the JSA meeting. Carter envied Jay's ability to go anywhere in the country in minutes and Kent's capacity to teleport.
Carter grabbed the mace and brought it back to his room, planting a kiss on Shiera's head along the way.
"You could come to the meeting, you know?" said Carter.
"Mhm," said Shiera.
"They've all been asking about you. Al keeps showing me the papers with our pictures in it," said Carter.
"Uh-huh."
"Dinah wants another woman on the team," said Carter.
This got Shiera to look up from her work. She slid her mug of coffee over and took a long sip.
"What's this about me joining the team?"
Carter ceased his packing. He joined Shiera at the table. There was no way to explain to anyone else what it was like to look at her. To see a person as they are now and as they were, refracted across dozens of lives. He knew those eyes better than the night's sky knew the stars.
"I think you'd like it. To be around others of our kind," said Carter.
"I don't know that there are others of our kind," said Shiera. "Besides, I've got my research to continue. We're run thin as it is."
A glance at the papers confirmed that they were more research into the dig sites in North Africa. Libya specifically. As Hawkman he braved danger every day, but he knew that this was a fraught topic he was bringing up.
"The team could help with this," he said, tapping the papers.
"You've already told me they want no part of the war."
"They can change their minds. They will once they have no choice."
"It's been nearly a year Carter."
"It has."
Shiera got up and began to pace. A habit of hers when working through a line of thought.
"I have handled this… situation better than anyone has a right to. I have made the adjustments to my life. Much of it has been wonderful. It brought me to you."
"But?"
"I promised my people that I would find them justice for what those Nazis did. They murdered my colleagues. My friends. For a dig site in the desert."
"We can't go there blind," said Carter.
"We can't wait for them to dig it up. They may have done so already. If the visions have taught me one thing, it's that there is much out that there does not belong in the hands of those who seek power."
She referred to the rituals they conducted to reveal more of their pasts. It was a tenuous thing, sifting through one's previous lives. The answers were not always pleasant. A large portion of their lifetimes ended in violence.
"Then come with me. Make your case to the others. You've worked with Jay before, you know they're good people," said Carter.
Shiera stopped pacing. Her eyes. They never changed. A constant in their unending cycle of birth and death.
"If this doesn't work Carter, I'll do it alone."
"Not alone."
Dinah locked the door to her flower shop. It was early, but she had the drive to New York City ahead of her.
"Rats. I was about to buy a bouquet of flowers for the loveliest girl," said Larry Lance. Dinah was almost startled by his appearance, but he had a tendency to swing by the shop.
"Too bad. You'll have to make it up to her another time," said Dinah.
"How about with dinner and drinks? I hear there's a killer Spanish joint around here" said Larry.
"Enticing, but I've got plans. My other profession calls," said Dinah.
"Then allow me the pleasure of walking you to your apartment," said Larry.
There was no reason to decline. Dinah's neighborhood was far from the most treacherous, but it was Gotham and you could never be sure when a fellow citizen might decide you looked like an easy target. Dinah didn't mind educating them, but Larry's presence would diminish the probability of such an occurrence. He kept it lighthearted on the walk, but Dinah could tell he was disappointed. They hadn't been able to spend much time together over the past few months. The denizens of Gotham made that prospect slim. Dinah was pulled in every which way by the city and her responsibilities with the JSA. Larry had his own burden with the GCPD. They traded stories till they were at the steps to her building.
"A guy could get jealous, what with you hanging around all these strapping men of action," said Larry.
"Not any guy I'd be interested in. I want a man with a healthy dose of confidence. And trust," said Dinah, prodding him.
"Good for me."
She reached the top of the stairs and bid Larry farewell. He made to leave, but something stopped him.
"How long are we going to do this Dinah?" said Larry.
Dinah didn't answer. She didn't know that she had the time for this conversation.
"Nothing?" he said.
"I don't know what to say right now Larry," said Dinah.
"What needs to be said? I love you. You love me. Why dance around it?" said Larry. He came back up the steps till he was just below Dinah's level.
"And that's all that matters," said Dinah.
"Is marriage really that scary to you?"
"Right now it's impossible. There's too much. In both our lives," said Dinah.
"This isn't some ploy to steal your independence. Or to take away your other life, as much as it scares me. I want to be with you. That's not going to change tomorrow or the next day or any day after that," said Larry.
Dinah leaned down and kissed Larry. It wasn't a long kiss, but it was long enough.
"That's how I feel too. Marriage won't change that one way or another."
Larry face fell momentarily, but he rallied his spirits, at least for her sake. He tried to smile.
"I have to go. We can talk this over another time. At that Spanish joint," said Dinah.
"I'll hold you to that," said Larry.
It was a conversation that Dinah played over in her mind as she rode her motorcycle to Manhattan. Larry was right, more than she let on. This life she made felt like a balancing act, one with progressively higher stakes. Any sudden shift could throw Dinah off, cast her into the open air, where the fall would be long and final. Even with pure intentions, she wasn't sure that she could be married to Larry and be Black Canary. She hoped she wouldn't be forced to sacrifice one for the other.
Dinah didn't know what she would choose.
"This building is far larger than I suspected," said Diana.
"Courtesy of Doctor Fate," said Wesley Dodds.
Diana followed Wesley and Alan Scott through the Society headquarters as they gave her a quick tour. It was her first time at a team meeting. She had been in the field alongside them, but her duties as ambassador prevented her from being here, with the full group thus far. They finished in the meeting room. There was a circular table emblazoned with the insignia of the team on it.
"Any questions?" said Alan.
"The others?" said Diana.
"They'll join us shortly. I believe Al, Johnny and Rex are in the radio room. Working on a 'special project' they described it," said Wesley.
The boy. Johnny Thunder. Why is he not a proper member?" said Diana. The men exchanged looks before Alan responded.
"To be frank, he's immature. Dinah's seen him in action and he's too inconsistent. That much power in one person's hands is reckless."
"Have you given him a chance?" said Diana.
"A few of us have instructed him. If we feel he's ready for it there could be an opportunity to have him join us," said Wesley.
The doors behind them opened. Carter Hall and a woman Diana had not seen before entered. She had tan skin and dark red hair. Her eyes reminded Diana of a bird of prey. Carter introduced her to each of them as Shiera Saunders. Hawkwoman.
"An honor," said Diana, shaking her hand.
"Likewise. When does the meeting start?" said Shiera.
"Soon," said Alan.
"Shiera has a request for us," said Carter.
"Oh?" said Wesley.
"Carter's told you about how I was run off of my dig site in Libya?" said Shiera.
"By the Nazis," said Alan. Diana could tell by his tone that he was not thrilled by where this was going.
"I'd like to return the favor," said Shiera.
"Well that's a big ask," said Alan. "The team will have to discuss it."
"I wouldn't make the request if I didn't think it was worth it," said Shiera.
There was a newfound tension to the room. A weighty subject. Wesley had told Diana that the team was staying out of the war, for fear it would escalate the conflict. She feared the conflict would escalate regardless.
"Hey, Alan," shouted Al. "We need you in the radio room now."
Jay was late as usual. A ship sank in the Mississippi and it had been on him to evacuate it. Then he stopped a truck driver with a heart attack in Jersey. A couple dozen other small scale problems dotted his path to the JSA headquarters. He had scarcely entered the building when Alan summoned him to the radio room. The team used the radios to keep an ear on news across the country, so they could respond to developing incidents. The entire team was in the room, including Wonder Woman and a lady he assumed was Hawkwoman by her attire.
"Kent, no word from the Spectre?" said Carter.
"I am unable to reach them," said Doctor Fate.
"This is all of us. Play it again for Jay," said Alan.
A voice like a razor crawled out of the radio. There was a trickle of feedback in the broadcast, with a hint of echo, as if the man speaking was talking in an expansive hall.
"To the criminal syndicate known as the Justice Society. The tyranny you have imposed on this nation is at its end, an end brought about by a group of concerned citizens who have seen through the impotent facade of you so-called heroes.
We are the Injustice Society. We understand the world and its nature. We do not seek to deceive the public. Our goal is power, plain and simple. To that end we are going to destroy you.
There are a series of bombs planted across the nation. One of them has already been detonated in Metropolis, as an example of the fate of others should you choose to abstain. Others are located in Keystone, Opal and Gotham City, with more to come should you tarry. You have one hour before this first wave goes off.
We wish you the worst of luck in this contest. The Injustice Society shall triumph."
Green Lantern soared into the airspace of Gotham City, the sky a brilliant pink glow as the sun assented to its downfall. He carried Sandman and Black Canary in bubbles of green energy. Both of them appeared nervous with this choice of transport, but there was no faster way to get to their destination. Time was in short supply. If their foes were being at all honest. Fate and other news reports confirmed that Metropolis was attacked. Frozen in a hazy sphere that trapped anything that entered it. Even Superman was missing, caught in the strike. The team split into three groups. Johnny Thunder and Hawkwoman were to remain at headquarters in case of further complications.
"Green Lantern, look below," said Black Canary.
Even in such a big city, it didn't take long to find the source of the commotion. The GCPD had a ring of blocks cordoned off, centered on Cathedral Square. Green Lantern took them in for a closer examination. Floating above the ground in the middle of the square was a roughly spherical object. It writhed endlessly as a series of interlocking rings spun through a complex weave of mechanisms. Glimpses of a yellow light peered out through the gaps. A group of cops were around it, though they were hesitant to move in. Green Lantern set his comrades down.
"It's the Justice Society," said one cop. Most of the officers shifted their attention to the heroes arrival.
"How long has this been here?" said Black Canary.
"First report on it was over half an hour ago. No one's touched it yet."
The revolutions of the rings were building in speed. The yellow light flitted through the spaces at faster intervals.
"Can you deactivate it?" said a cop.
"Allow me," said Green Lantern.
He motioned for the others to stand back. A lance of green light enveloped the device. Green Lantern visualized the light creeping into it, noting where he met resistance. He had his energy hook onto the wheels, to slow their movement. The pressure in his head mounted. The device was fighting him.
"It's spinning faster," said Sandman.
"Get these people clear," said Green Lantern between clenched teeth.
He was vaguely aware of his comrades' efforts, but all other sensory input was falling away to the struggle with the machine. The more will he directed, the more the machine escalated its own workings. The yellow glow was near constant at this point. The air seemed to draw towards it, pulling along leaves and bits of trash. The suction blew his hair around.
"I don't know if I can hold it," said Green Lantern.
The influx of air stopped. The yellow light blinked off. The machine stopped spinning. Green Lantern threw up a shield. Black Canary was in it, Sandman outside.
A tidal wave of warped air shot outwards faster than he could follow. His shield nullified its effect, but everything outside his protection was frozen in place. A flock of pidgeons hung like a diorama. The police officers were still as statues, caught in the poses they made when the device went off. Sandman was locked still, his hand keeping his hat on his head, preventing a fall that would never arrive. Everything was still.
"Alan," said Black Canary, failing to mask the panic in her voice. "What happened?"
"I failed," he said.
"Can you undo it? Break the machine?" said Black Canary.
"I'm barely holding up this forcefield." The sensation was akin to being crushed. It took all his concentration to maintain the shield. Simple movement was almost beyond him.
"What now?"
"I'll try to fly us out of it's effect and we'll see what we can do," said Alan.
"Look out," shouted Canary.
A force struck his shield sending them bouncing along the stone street of the square like a marble. They smashed into the wall of nearby building. He could feel cracks developing in the green energy. Canary was shaken, but intact.
Grey, meaty hands reached into the shield and began to pry it apart. It reminded him of cracking open a clam. Grundy. How the creature was able to move through the stasis field was beyond Alan. He honed in on the breach and imagined an inferno, centered on Grundy's hands. The beast roared, but he held his ground. Green Lantern was already in such discomfort from the effort that he barely felt when the jagged blade pierced his upper arm. A second one caught his thigh. The shield fell.
The true horror of the stasis field, Alan discovered, was that while his physical movements were out of the question, he was still able to perceive everything around him with unbearable clarity. Which was how he saw Grundy, Thorn and Icicle approach him, Sandman and Canary already carried by the beast.
"Lights out," said Icicle as he fired his freeze ray.
Doctor Fate, Hourman and the Atom fell through the portal, so hasty was their exit from Opal City. The wave of energy had rushed to catch them, with only the prompt command of Nabu to thank for their escape. As he got to his feet, Doctor Fate could see the jewel city swallowed by the effect.
"Not good," said Hourman.
"Insightful as ever," said the Atom. "Anything you can do doc?"
This bears the mark of magic and science intertwined. Allow me to take control and I will handle it.
"No. Not yet," said Kent internally. He had no idea what the extent of Nabu's "solution" would be.
"I will seek to reverse it," said Doctor Fate as he left the ground.
"Unlikely," said a voice behind them.
Their foes advanced. The Wizard, Brainwave, Sportsmaster and a woman in a striped bodysuit with a hand crossbow that Kent did not recognize. Doctor Fate and his fellows prepared to greet them.
"You should have kept your element of surprise," said Doctor Fate. He cast a spell of entrapment, caging the villains in a box of golden ankhs. They took their new circumstances poorly, except for the Wizard, who continued his malevolent grin.
"Did you think I would challenge Doctor Fate without adequate preparation?" he said. A swish of his wrist created a tear in the cage that the Wizard stepped through. He held a long knife with a twisted hilt that ended in a serpent's fangs.
The dagger of Set. Stop him now.
Doctor Fate flew towards the Wizard, as the man dashed into a portal he created. He followed the Wizard.
A few minutes later, Brainwave observed as Sportsmaster and Tigress bound the limp bodies of Hourman and the Atom. The former in particular, was meticulous with his approach. Not braindead in all aspects. The two heroes fought well. It was too bad that Brainwave used his psychic powers to make their foes invisible.
"Why don't we kill them now?" said Tigress.
"Not the plan," said Sportsmaster.
"But why not?"
"Their deaths will come soon," said Brainwave. "As a public display."
"Besides, if any of em slip out of the trap, as heroes are wont to do, this'll be incentive enough to walk into another one," said Sportsmaster.
A gash in the air spilled out the body of Doctor Fate, wrapped in burning orange manacles. The Wizard left it after him, sealing it with a twist of his dagger. His attire was rumpled and torn in places, but he looked pleased as could be.
"So much for the good doctor," said the Wizard.
The Flash couldn't remember what Diana was saying as the machine went off. Only that she was frozen in the midst of the statement. Hawkman too, his wings curled for a flap that never arrived. Keystone was like that on every street, people arranged as though they were mannequins, left as a reminder of a pantomime of life.
Jay slowed with each step. His speed shrugged off the initial hold of the field, but it wasn't going to last. He ignored it. All that mattered was an escape. Step by step. He thanked his stars and garters that he had spent so much time mapping the city, street by street. Guilt was his companion on the sad dash from the city. Jay justified his flight as being the only way that any of them would have a chance to undo the disaster.
The Flash was practically at a crawl by the time he fell through the barrier's edge. The transition back to normal speed was so jarring, he nearly shot himself into a tree. He got his bearings and did a few laps around the city to map the dimensions of the effect. Keystone was encased in a bubble of stopped time. His teammates, his friends, his classmates and teachers. Joan. All trapped. Jay hoped the others were having better luck.
"He got away," said the Fiddler. The man was all frowns.
"It appears the Thinker's calculations were correct," said the Shade. They were in the process of binding and incapacitating the two frozen heroes, Hawkman and Wonder Woman.
"Don't just stand there moping. Help us out," said the Gambler.
"Lighten up friend. The Flash will not outrun us. Not if he wants to see them alive," said the Shade.
Flash watched as a black cloud rose from the bubble into the sky. Gaps opened within the murk to form letters. Coordinates. The last line boiled Jay's blood.
"Come alone or your friends die."
The Flash slowed his speed as he neared his destination. He considered going in at full velocity and taking this Injustice Society by surprise, but he didn't know their numbers or what sort of state his fellow heroes were in. Much as it pained him, he would need to walk in the front door. Still, that didn't mean he couldn't do a rapid survey of the area. It was in rural Maryland. A mansion styled from centuries past. The nearest neighboring house was miles away. A remote place for a showdown. The Flash finished his reconnaissance and stopped at the gate to the property.. It swung open on its own. Jay restrained himself. He removed his JSA signal ring and put it in his pocket The front door was already open as well. There was no pretending what this was.
The entrance led to an expansive parlor. The Thinker sat at an ornate wooden table. The Flash's teammates were on pedestals in a half-circle formation behind the villain, caught in what appeared to be a cone of the same haze that swallowed Keystone. The Shade tipped his hat at the Flash as he entered, while the Fiddler shot daggers. Sportsmaster and Tigress lounged on a couch, a bored look on the latter's face. Brainwave inspected the frozen heroes. Grundy loomed in the corner of the room. The Gambler and the Wizard flanked the Thinker at the table.
"Come Flash. Have a seat. Your allies are not going anywhere," said the Thinker.
Though his every instinct screamed against it, Jay followed the villain's instructions. There was no overpowering this group in a straight fight. He would have to bide his time.
"Good, good. Glad you can be reasonable," said the Thinker. He set down an engraved wooden box. It opened into a chess set.
"You expect me to play?" said the Flash.
"If you intend to see your friends live," said the Thinker.
Jay saw now that the pieces on his end were carved to resemble his teammates. The rooks were the Atom and Hourman. Hawkman and Green Lantern the knights, Sandman and Black Canary the bishops. Wonder Woman was the queen. And the king was none other than Jay himself.
"Cute," said the Flash. "Make it yourself?"
"Prod if you must. It only reveals your desperation," said the Thinker.
"Can we just kill him now?" said the Fiddler.
"Afraid you won't get your chance?" said Jay.
"Restrain yourself Fiddler. He plays the game," said the Thinker.
"I still think it should be a game of chance," said the Gambler.
"Nonsense. The Flash deserves an opportunity to show us his intellect. Particularly, when it is reduced to an even playing field," said the Thinker.
A beam of the slowing field shone down on the Flash. The world sped up, while his perception became leisurely. A return to the ordinary.
"If I refuse?"
"The death of your friends. And you," said the Wizard. "Though I assure you that will occur all the same."
"If we fall, other heroes will stop you," said the Flash.
"But the Justice Society will be dead. With all it represents," said the Wizard.
"Lose a piece, lose a teammate," said the Thinker.
The Flash examined his board, then the frozen forms of the JSA. If they could perceive him, the Flash could not tell.
"First move is yours. Consider it a handicap," said the Thinker.
Brainwave spectated the match for its first few ponderous minutes, as the Flash writhed in the intellectual quicksand he was mired in, before growing bored and retiring to the basement to await his prizes. It was Sandman that first descended. "Vaporized" as the Wizard called it. Killing the heroes was one way to victory. Placing them in a mental prison construct, where they would remain until it was time to twist their minds to the Society's goals was a better long term payoff. The Wizard kept his "friends in high places" vague, but Brainwave understood that these power brokers had designs that extended beyond this clash of powers. Hawkman came next, then Hourman. The Flash was not doing well. No chess prodigy beneath the helmet. Brainwave enjoyed the emanations of horror and uncertainty that slipped from his charges. A full inventory of their minds was unlikely, at least for now. Their wills were strong enough to resist a brute force attempt, to the point where Brainwave would have to render them braindead. Better to chip away at their foundations over their captivity. Green Lantern and Doctor Fate followed. Fate's helmet had been removed by the Wizard, using some of his so-called magical artifacts to do so. He was an unremarkable fellow with light blond hair and a rigid face. The Wizard would not let any of the others inspect the helm, secluding it in a vault on the third floor. To tamper with the others in their frozen states risked undoing the effect of the suspension bombs or so the Wizard explained. They would have time to unmask them later, when they were deep in Brainwave's construct.
The Flash had gotten most of the team killed. If his foes were telling the truth. Jay had played a smattering of chess in his life, but the Thinker was a virtuoso. It was no contest. All he could do was delay the inevitable. Only Wonder Woman, the Atom and Black Canary remained on the board, along with a handful of pawns.
"Your problem, my enemy, is that you value their lives too much," said the Thinker.
Jay let the man talk. He flexed out, feeling for how much speed he had left with the ray of energy that was on him.
"You cannot win a game of chess, a real game, without losing pieces. You've spent this match doing your best to preserve your allies and in doing so, doomed them," said the Thinker.
He isolated his speed to his perception, flicking his eyes around, looking for the source of the energy. There were narrow gaps in the ceiling near his remaining companions, where the hazy light fell from.
"There is no shame in admitting you've been beaten. That you have only lasted so long against me because of your speed," said the Thinker.
The other villains were either focused on the match or distracted. Few eyes were on the frozen heroes, particularly as their numbers dwindled. There was no way for Jay to rush past the table. Too many opponents.
Another pawn fell. Wonder Woman was next, her body sinking into the floor.
"This is the endgame," said the Thinker. "Check."
The Flash drummed his finger tips on the table. He did not hide his despair. What he did hide was his other hand, which gripped the underside of the table's rim, on one of the carved protrusions. The Flash vibrated his hand with what little speed remained, carving off a narrow sliver of wood. He made his move on the game board.
The Thinker followed up immediately, taking Jay's last pawn.
"Check."
The Flash calculated the angles as the Thinker pursued his king around the board. There was only one person left that he thought he could reach from where he sat.
"Check."
With every last coursing current of acceleration that he could muster, the Flash flicked the wooden shard into the hole that he hoped housed the projector of the slowing beam.
The Thinker made his move.
"Checkmate."
The Injustice Society sat up at this word, all their attention on the game. A stream of sweat slid down Jay's neck. He could sense the Fiddler and the Shade behind him.
"The natural conclusion," said the Thinker. The beam intensified above the Flash, now fully restraining him.
"Finally," said the Fiddler.
"I'm disappointed Flash. I expected more of you," said the Shade.
"The others are accounted for," said the Wizard. "Thinker, would you like to finish him?"
"I have done so in every way that's meaningful to me. The others may take what's left," said the Thinker.
"Shade?"
"I'll pass. Our companion has a greater grievance than I could hope to muster"
"Fiddler you may play him out."
The Fiddler set his instrument. He worked the strings as a tune ebbed into the Flash. It was skillfully delivered, but there was a mounting pain that followed it, as though the notes were driving themselves into his ear drums as one drove railway spikes into a track. He could feel his heart speed up in tune with the music. The Fiddler's performance took on a frenzied quality. The sound was hammering the Flash. What must be blood leaked from his mouth and nose. His body wished to convulse, but it was in the grip of the stasis beam.
"Don't take it personally fella, but you're no Heifetz."
The Flash wished he could grin as he watched the muscular frame of the Atom suplex the Fiddler into the floor so hard his instrument shattered on impact. As the others reacted, the Atom kicked his full weight into the table, hard enough that it slammed into Jay, knocking his chair to the ground, out of the beam's path. A wave of shadow wrapped the Atom, hoisting him off the ground.
"Are you happy little man?" said the Wizard. "Was that last act worth it?"
"I don't know you schmuck. Ask him."
A couple dozen punches to the Shade's jaw freed the Atom. The Flash did a rapid sprint through the manor, accomplishing a few tasks on the way. He stopped beside the Atom, his helmet in front of the other man to catch a succession of bullets from the Gambler. Jay dumped out the rounds and put his helmet back on his head, his JSA ring on his finger.
"Your odds ain't much better," said the Gambler, a smoking pistol in one hand and fanned out playing cards in another. Grundy lumbered toward them, as Tigress aimed her crossbow and Sportsmaster retrieved a golf club from his bag.
A green light poured from the cracks in the floorboards where the Atom had body slammed the Fiddler.
"I'd make that bet," said the Flash.
Alan was on the streets of Gotham. Alone. The skyscrapers bent till they leered at him, judging his every movement. The many gargoyles shook free from their perches and followed him, a hellish flock of pursuers. No matter how he ran, where he turned they found him. Many corners led to train tracks. Coal black locomotives blazed by, their engines adorned with gaping maws of fire and smoke. Alan heard a scream coming from them, lost to the rushing air as they passed him by. It dawned on him that it was Jimmy's scream. Then Derby's. His parents'. Martin's. His fellow heroes'. Ted's. Alan was caught in a maze of blazing train engines, each powered by the agonized screams of everyone he knew. They began to crash into one another, the engines erupting into crescendos of steel and flame. He collapsed, folded up into a ball. He squeezed his eyelids, but they wouldn't respond. He was forced to bear witness.
A seam opened up in the earth by his ear. A flurry of whispers flew from it. He recoiled instinctively, but they bore him no malice. It was a chant. Alan peered into the seam. There was something inside of it. An ember. Of pure emerald. The crack widened. Enough for a body to fit through. His body. The trains roared by, their noise blanketing the world. There was only the scream, the smoke, the wreckage and ruin. That and the hole.
Alan did not hesitate. His body fell into the black shaft, hurtling to the ember. The green flame surged to his eyes, till it was all he could see. His body was consumed.
And I shall shed my light over the dark evil,
For the dark things cannot stand the light,
The light of the Green Lantern!
Green Lantern was in a basement of sorts. His allies were beside him, static and trapped, their eyes vacant. Brainwave cowered before him, repulsed by his liberation. Before the villain could regain his courage, Alan directed his ring at him, flame spiraling off of it.
"Beware my power."
Wonder Woman crashed through the floor of the manor, freed from the prison of her own mind. The fight was already well under way, her fellow heroes each taking their own set of villains. Green Lantern was busy subduing Brainwave, while the Flash ran circles around the Shade. The Atom grappled with the Gambler. Diana saw Black Canary roll under a crossbow bolt fired by Tigress. The hero in fishnets engaged the villain in hand to hand combat. The Icicle aimed at Black Canary from across the parlor, intent on getting a surprise shot in. Wonder Woman ruined his fun with a lasso around his wrist, as she reeled him in to an upper cut that knocked the man out.
She was blindsided by a tackle from the unsightly Grundy, who carried her through several walls worth and out into the manor grounds. Diana thrust her arms outwards, escaping his grip and she kicked Grundy in the chest to gain necessary distance.
"..married on Wednesday," muttered the creature.
Grundy brought down a gnarled fist at Wonder Woman. She caught it with her own and was nearly sent flying backwards. The creature was strong, perhaps stronger than her. He certainly had little sense of pain, as he did not react as Wonder Woman bent his wrist backwards with a definitive snap.
Sandman dug through his coat pockets for his backup sleep gun. The Injustice Society had no doubt discarded or destroyed his main model. No sooner had he pulled out the smaller gun, then a golf ball knocked it from his grip. A husky laugh alerted Sandman to Sportsmaster, across the room. Near him, Black Canary blocked a kick from Tigress.
"Not so spooky now," said Sportsmaster. He readied another swing of his club.
Rather than going for the sleep gun, Sandman barreled toward his foe. The golf club hit the ball with a thwack, while Sandman flattened himself to the floor. The ball grazed his mask, still painful. A spherical capsule slid out from Sandman's fingers, rolling to a stop at his opponent's feet. It popped into a cloud of inky purple smoke. He could hear Sportsmaster wheezing inside of it.
His victory was short lived as Black Canary collided with him. They both sprawled out over the ruins of the table, as the Wizard aimed his wand at them.
"I believe reparations are owed for the World's Fair," said the Wizard.
Kent Nelson didn't think about where the helm was. He didn't have time to worry about that. Sandman and Black Canary were being squeezed to death by giant red snakes that the Wizard conjured from thin air. Kent lacked the full repertoire of magic afforded to him by the helm, but he was not defenseless.
His rival magician was too smug in his control of the occasion to notice the wall lamp till it struck his back. The Wizard saw the side table, but it rammed his midsection all the same, knocking him through the manor's window. Kent followed, using his magic to hover above the ground.
"So the pretender is not without his tricks," said the Wizard.
"You fancy yourself a mage. Show me," said Doctor Fate.
Hawkman clung to consciousness as Solomon Grundy pounded him on the ground for the fifth time, casting up chunks of grass and dirt into the air. His mouth filled with blood. The beast tossed him aside like a used up doll. Still, Hawkman rose.
"Still with me?" said Hourman. The man's left arm was broken. He had it in a makeshift sling.
"Till the end," said Carter.
They caught Grundy's attention once more. The beast sped up his lumbering steps into a shaky charge. Hawkman prepared his mace. A golden lasso ensnared Grundy's legs, as Wonder Woman dug her heels in. The creature was stopped.
"Now! Take him," said Wonder Woman.
"Throw me," said Hourman.
Hawkman grabbed his companion by the back of his costume, rising from the earth with tremendous gusts of his wings. He flew toward Grundy using the momentum to hurl Hourman. His ally hit Grundy like a rocket, sending the creature's head snapping back, as he vaulted over him. Hawkman followed up with a succession of mace strikes that mashed the creature's face.
It was not enough. Grundy seized the lasso and yanked Wonder Woman off balance, before slamming his fist into Carter's face. He fell on his back as Grundy loomed over him. Hawkman crossed his forearms, bracing for a blow that never fell. Another mace hit Grundy's knee from behind. The creature sagged to one leg and was toppled.
"You look like a mess," said Shiera.
"You look like an angel," said Hawkman.
"That would be the head trauma," said Shiera.
Hawkwoman helped Carter up.
"How'd you find us?" said Carter.
Shiera wiggled her fingers. A JSA signal ring shined on them.
"Flash paid us a visit on the way here."
Grundy was already getting back up, the damage to his face knitting itself back together.
"This one won't stay down," said Carter.
"He hasn't been properly introduced to me," said Hawkwoman.
Black Canary leapt over a widening hole in the floor. Green flame blazed below as Green Lantern battled Brainwave. Loud claps of concussive force rolled in from the manor grounds as her teammates battled Grundy. Beyond her weight class.
A thorn embedded in the wall by her head, close enough to draw blood on her cheek. Thorn stalked through the chaos toward Dinah, hatred smeared on her face.
"You look like a fun kill," said Thorn.
Black Canary blocked an overhead slash. Protrusions came from Thorn's palms. The woman was strong. She could very well overpower Black Canary in a direct contest. She would have to keep out of Thorn's grip.
Their fight skirted the ruins of the parlor, drifting toward the entrance. Somewhere beyond the front door, the Flash zipped between the Shade and the Thinker. Gunfire crackled from the second floor. Black Canary landed a pair of strikes on Thorn's rib cage. She cracked out a kick that connected with Thorn's chin. The villain spat blood.
"You can die now," said Thorn.
The villain spun till she was a blur of motion. Deadly thorns began to fly from the vortex. Black Canary took cover behind the doorframe, but one of the needle-like projectiles sliced her bicep. A second volley hit with such force as to partially penetrate the building. One caught Dinah's leather coat, pinning her. Before she could cast it off, Thorn pressed her body against Dinah's, a forearm tight on her throat. Her other hand held a thorn, it's tip pointed at Black Canary's eye.
The hatred on Thorn's face faded for a second. Her eyes seemed to change color and her expression became confused, then mournful. The pressure on Dinah's neck loosened.
"What? Where am I?" said Thorn.
Dinah socked the woman in the mouth. She spun her movement into a sliding kick that threw Thorn's legs out from under her. The hate poured back in.
"Deepest dreams," said Sandman. A burst of gas surrounded Thorn's head. Her body wobbled before falling backward.
"Are we winning?" said Dinah.
A window shattered above them. The body of the Gambler landed in the front yard, knocked out. Up in the wreck of the window frame, the Atom dusted his hands and carried on.
"Mayhaps we are," said Sandman.
A tree buckled in two as Wonder Woman drove a furrow into the earth. Dinah and Sandman peered at her and where she came from. They could see Grundy fighting off the Hawks, as Hourman was swung about by his cape.
"Mayhaps not," said Sandman.
The Flash released the Shade's collar, as his opponent fell, unconscious. He avoided a gunshot, then another. Its origin was the Thinker.
"You may have your speed, but you've still lost in every way that matters," said the Thinker, pointing to the bizarre helmet on his head.
"Jealous of my fashion style?" said the Flash. "If you wanted a helmet, you could have picked something less ugly."
He ran to catch the Thinker, but the man evaporated when he reached him.
"Jest all you want."
The Thinker was in another spot. The Flash surged to him, a punch at the ready. Again he missed.
"A new sensation for you? Not being quite fast enough," said the Thinker.
They continued their pursuit, the Flash always one step behind.
Doctor Fate and the Wizard stood panting. They were bent over, their flesh singed and cut, their hands blistered. The area around them looked like a forest fire was followed by a blizzard, a lightning storm, an earthquake and a rain of frogs for good measure. The nature of a contest of magic.
"You've done better than you have any right to," said the Wizard, as he straightened his back. "But, this must end."
"I agree," said Doctor Fate.
"A proper duel. One spell each."
Fate nodded. They approached one another. The Wizard's eyes were blood red, the black magic oozing from them. His mustache was disheveled and singed.
"I will take good care of the helm of Nabu," said the Wizard.
They were close now, close enough that there would not be room to dodge whatever fusillade was fired off. One chance to finish it.
"Ready?" said Fate.
"Let's begin," said the Wizard.
The villain started his chant.
Kent merely shouted, "Alakazam," and drove his boot into the Wizard's crotch. His foe cried out in pain and shock. Kent followed through with a punch that sent both men to the dirt.
By the time Doctor Fate got to his knees, the Atom had found him.
"Doc, I didn't know you had it in you," said the Atom.
"All thanks to your tutelage," said Kent.
"We'll make a fighter of you yet."
Wonder Woman brought the better part of a tree crashing down on Grundy's skull. The trunk shattered to pieces, but Grundy stood still. By now, the majority of the team was engaged in combat with the ghoul and the fight remained in a position of deadly uncertainty. Any single blow from the creature could be lethal, particularly to her unpowered companions. "Fall damn you," said Hawkwoman. She and Hawkman bludgeoned Grundy incessantly, but as soon as the creature got a moment's respite, his injuries repaired themselves. It was a war of attrition, one the JSA was losing.
"Your gas work on ugly over here?" said Hourman to Sandman.
"Not likely. I don't think that thing is alive in any conventional sense."
"We could use Green Lantern," said Wonder Woman.
"His ring struggles with Grundy," said Black Canary.
The creature bellowed and slammed the Hawks into one another. Everyone enclosed on him. A pink ray of light fell from the sky, landing between Diana and Grundy. A young man in a pinstriped suit and a red bow tie smoothed out his sleeves.
"What took you so long?" said Hawkwoman.
"I said the wrong coordinates. Ended up in New Mexico for a spell," said Johnny Thunder.
Johnny suddenly became self-conscious and faced the others.
"Hi folks. Glad I could come along this time," said Johnny.
"Behind you," said Dinah.
Grundy stalked to his new prey.
"Oh right," said Johnny. "Say you!"
The pink lighting formed into the Thunderbolt, which swam around the air about Johnny.
"Cage Grundy," said Johnny.
An iron cage appeared around Grundy. The creature was confused.
"Ta-da," said Johnny Thunder with a showman's swagger.
Grundy seized the bars and wrenched them open. Johnny jumped back in a startled leap.
"Oh for the love of…. Thunderbolt put Grundy in a cage he can't break out of."
A solid golden cage assembled itself around Grundy. By the time it sealed, the creature was nowhere to be seen, his rage not even felt through its walls.
"How'd we do?" said the Thunderbolt. Johnny looked pleadingly at the others.
"Our hero," said Black Canary, planting a kiss on his cheek.
"Aw shucks."
"You won't catch me," said the Thinker.
The Flash could not reach him, no matter how fast he ran. His foe would always fade from view and reappear elsewhere.
"Too slow where it counts," said the Thinker.
He was right unfortunately. A direct fight was beyond him. Jay acted on a hunch.
Instead of running after him again, the Flash ran perpendicular to the Thinker. Once he hit a certain distance, he moved in a circle. Again. And again. And again. The Flash sped up lap by lap. His movement created a vortex, one that tossed loose leaves and debris from the ground.
And the Thinker. The man cried for help as he rose in the air. Then as quick as it started the wind tunnel stopped, as the Flash came to a halt. The Thinker plummeted to the ground. At the last instant, the Flash caught him.
"Mercy will be your undoing," said the Thinker. "Just watch."
"Is this the part where you disappear?" said Jay.
"What?" said the Thinker. Whatever he thought was going to happen had failed to transpire.
The Flash pointed to the Thinker's helmet, which was hooked on a nearby tree branch. He set the man down.
"I'll race you to it," said the Flash.
The Thinker's face said it all.
"How'd you find these tunnels?" said Tigress. Sportsmaster lead her through the dank, dim space below the manor. They had to crouch to fit through them. He had abandoned most of his gear back at the house. Easier to carry the money that way.
"I like to know my exit routes."
"How selfless."
"You coulda stayed back there doll. I think either Thinker or the Wizard woulda used these to bail on us when things turned south. Or after they got what they wanted."
"So you were going to betray them the whole time?" said Tigress. "A girl could get nervous."
"Naw. If it worked out it worked out. That was fun enough, but a pro's got to know when to cut and run. I won't backstab you till you backstab me."
"The Flash could catch us in no time if he finds these. Or Doctor Fate."
"Always a possibility. I doubt it though."
"You sound sure of that. Why?"
"Might have something to do with my parting gift."
Green Lantern rose into the main floor of the manor, a subdued Brainwave towed along in a grip of green flame. The building was nearly bisected from the fighting, the entire back end collapsed from the wall being blown out. It wouldn't take much to topple it entirely.
"Green Lantern. We've got a problem," shouted the Atom from the ruins of the parlor.
He dropped Brainwave and investigated his comrade's complaint. Hovering in the middle of the room was another stasis bomb. Near its detonation from the looks of it. Alan barely had time to think before the murky wave shot out from it. He threw up a shield, all too aware of how little that did last time. Only the Atom was in it with him.
"The others…" said Atom.
"Trapped. If it's anything like the other devices, the entire estate is under its power," said Alan.
"Can you take us closer to it?"
Green Lantern willed his bubble of green to shift toward the device, which continued to rotate incessantly. Their small bit of sanctuary now encompassed the weapon that endangered everyone else.
"Can your ring stop it?"
"If it could, it can't now. All my willpower is being spent keeping us safe," said Green Lantern. The resistance outside the bubble was growing. They were working with limited time.
The Atom pulled off his mask. Green Lantern wasn't able to devote his full attention, but the smaller man inspected the machine in close. His brows knit. The Atom traced his finger through the air, as if working out a diagram or process only he could intuit.
"...inelastic collisions, but diffused throughout a radius…the entropy calculations…it would require a power source...no, the specifics don't matter Al, only the necessity of it."
"We got a problem boss," said Al.
"Which is?"
"I think I know how to turn this thing off. The issue is that these parts are moving too fast for me to tinker with it. Could you get your constructs in there, jam up the works?"
Anything Alan did at this point could destabilize the shield. He would only get one chance.
Before he could answer, the haze around them was streaked with red. A fist pounded on the exterior of his shield. Green Lantern imagined enfolding someone new, without breaking the seal. The Flash rolled into the forcefield, breathing fast.
"Thanks Alan. I thought about running off, but when I saw your light I figured why not?" said Jay.
"Just the man for the job," said the Atom. "Jay take a look at this."
Al explained his working theory of how the device functioned. Alan partially understood the technical elements, though he was lost on the more abstract physics jargon. Jay did better, trading thoughts with their young companion.
"The bottom line is that we have to sever the power source. I can't get in there. You can."
"I'm not at full speed, but there's no other way," said the Flash.
The Flash got as close the whirling discs and gears of the machine as he could. He waited, calculated the patterns. Jay raised his arm. With a movement so fast that Green Lantern couldn't track it, the Flash plunged his arm into the machine. He did so again and again.
"No good. I can uncouple the power supply, but they planned for tampering. It reconnects after a moment. If I hadn't been walloped by the stasis field maybe I could uncouple them fast enough that they never got the chance."
AL turned to Green Lantern once again.
"We need you to make it stick. Use your powers to reach into the machine and keep it unplugged."
"When I do this the shield is going to crack. There's no guarantee it holds firm if we fail."
"Then we won't," said Jay.
They took their positions. The Flash was ready to strike. Green Lantern created a new thread of emerald light that slithered into the device. This time he had a better understanding of its inner workings, could use that experience to wind through the whir of metal to the core.
"As soon as I move, snag it," said Jay.
The Flash grabbed one of the power couplings. Alan sensed the shift with his powers and held it steady, a fish on the line. The shield shrank a few feet.
"Next one," said Jay.
The pattern repeated. This time the Flash withdrew his hand and shook his fist in discomfort. Alan could see the start of a bruise. He was moving slower, to give Green Lantern enough time to react. Which meant the whirling discs caught him.
The shield shrank further. Al noticed and locked eyes with Green Lantern. The pressure of the outside was reaching its zenith. He could bear the weight no further.
"Make it happen Flash," said the Atom.
Jay's hand snapped by in a blur. The green flame snatched the coupling as the shield shattered. Alan closed his eyes.
And opened them to a world of movement. The Flash and the Atom performed a similar ritual of disbelief. The device remained in the air for a few seconds more, then crashed to the floor, the yellow light of its innards doused.
Jay clapped both Al and Alan on the backs.
"Hell of a save there fellas. Hell of a save."
"What can I say? I'm more than a pretty face," said Al.
"That's why you wear a full mask," said Hourman, joining them in the ravaged manor. The man was in rough shape, his face bruised, his arm supported by a sling.
"Make your jokes. We coulda left you frozen."
The two men bickered as the team regrouped. They collected the villains. Flash presented Kent his helmet.
"Sorry for the wait pal. Takes a moment to try every combo on a safe even for me," said the Flash.
Sandman called out for them. He found a collection of belts, with a box on them that glowed a familiar yellow hue when you pressed a switch on them.
"This is how they avoided the effect. In the cities," said Black Canary.
"Guess they didn't expect to need them here," said the Atom. "Who set that one off?"
"Sportsmaster and Tigress. They're the only ones unaccounted for," said Hawkman.
"We can track them down later. Let's get the rest of the Injustice Society secured and then handle the cities," said Alan.
It was later, during the cleanup, that Jay allowed himself a breather. He had to rest his weight on a nearby dresser, one that had somehow escaped the destruction. They had survived. He had not gotten them all killed.
October 6, 1940
"No objections?" said Alan.
"Wouldn't dream of it," said Rex. "Not if I want to work with Carter without watching my back."
"Then it's official. Hawkwoman is a member of the Justice Society."
The entire team was present. The Spectre resurfaced yesterday, with a claim that they were busy banishing a being known as Shathan. Jay didn't know what to think whenever their resident spook opened their mouth. Even Johnny Thunder was with them. Dinah insisted he be included after his showing against the Injustice Society. The members around the table offered their congratulations. Carter squeezed Shiera around her shoulders and in spite of her taciturn demeanor she couldn't help but smile. Jay clapped. It was well deserved.
"See this is the kind of change I can get behind," said Dinah.
"Here, here," added Diana. The women laughed.
"There are other matters to settle. Fallout from the Injustice Society," said Alan. He signaled to Wesley.
"All, but Sportsmaster and Tigress are in custody. Most of them are keeping quiet, but Fiddler and Icicle have said that they were approached by the Wizard about the team. The latter mentioned that Wizard mentioned 'friends in high places'. Ones that assisted them in getting the stasis bombs."
"They couldn't have made them on their own?" said Dinah.
"The devices had elements of both scientific and… supernatural components," said Alan.
"The Thinker is clever enough for one half of it and the Wizard does claim to use magic, but I don't buy the two of them putting it together," said Jay.
"So loose ends," said Shiera.
"There's also the problem with the inhabitants of the affected cities," said Wesley.
The team disabled the devices shortly after they rounded up the villains, but by that point quite a few people had been frozen in place for nearly an entire day.
"There's no physical damage as far as we can tell. The mental aspect is where there's a problem. The time they spent in stasis was profoundly troubling for a large percentage. We've got reports of wide scale nervous breakdowns and hysteria," said Wesley.
"We can't punch our way to victory with that," said Al.
"Could Johnny do something?" said Rex.
"Uh, I dunno. That's awful specific," said Johnny Thunder. "I don't know how I'd tell the Thunderbolt to fix it."
"Could the team visit the afflicted. Offer them aid?" said Diana.
The team discussed the merits of Diana's plan, while a glimmer of gold light caught Jay's eye. Doctor Fate's form shimmered, with phantom images of his hands in motion. No one else at the meeting appeared to notice.
"Kent," said Jay. "What did you do?"
"I solved the problem," said Kent. The voice coming from the helmet was distinctly colder than his normal tenor. Jay could see that the others clocked that difference.
"Excuse me, what?" said Dinah.
"What do you mean Nelson?" said Carter.
"I solved the problem. You said that the memories of their predicament were distressing. I removed them."
The atmosphere changed in a blink. The others regarded Doctor Fate with suspicion.
"Removed their...memories?" said Alan.
"Not completely. I cast a spell that dulled their recollection, to the point where it could not provide undue trauma," said Doctor Fate.
"For all of them, just now?" said Diana. "Without discussion?"
"I am unsure of why this perturbs you. I have solved their problem," said Doctor Fate.
"We didn't discuss this Kent," said Jay. The others echoed his misgivings.
"You made that choice on your own," said Al.
"We're not above them," said Dinah. "We can't make their decisions for them, especially not on a whim without consulting us."
Doctor Fate stood abruptly. The others tensed.
"I fear that you have misunderstood the role that I play in this world. Doctor Fate is not a superhero. I am the guardian of Order. Cosmic Order. We are at a tipping point. The wheel spins towards chaos by the day. If this issue was as dire as you said, then it could have provided ample opportunity for the forces of chaos to sow their misdeeds.
I regret that I disappointed you, but I do not regret my decision. My responsibilities are beyond such niceties."
A golden ankh swallowed the doctor, leaving the room silent. Al leaned over to Shiera.
"Welcome to the Justice Society."
"Your lackeys squandered my contribution," said Doctor Thaddeus Sivana to the monitor.
The shaded figure on the other end let out a nasty cough.
"Always the risk with hired help. You didn't seem to mind the payments we gave you," said the figure.
"All my research into suspendium is obsolete. A perfect melding of technology and sorcery gone," said Sivana.
"It couldn't have been that perfect if the simpletons of the Justice Society overcame it," said the figure.
Sivana shut off the feed. He cursed and steamed and kicked a nearby chair till his foot was raw. The things old friends demanded of you. Still, the money was nice. It would funnel into his latest project.
The downfall of Captain Marvel.