"So you're the newest Red Hood?" Mr. Terrible asked, "Sorry. Not impressed."
"And you're a Mr, Terrific knockoff. So you get zero points for originality too," Red Hood replied. She snap drew a pistol and fired. Mr. Terrible's T-Squares teleported him several meters to the left. Velvet Tiger chronally shifted herself several minutes into the future and to her left. Sweet Sixteen scrambled for cover. Her power to infatuate and control men useless in this fight against a female Red Hood.
Sting returned to human stature, "Jesus! You blew my yellow jacket out from underneath me."
"I don't like sneakers," she spun and fired, hitting Mr. Terrible. He teleported himself to Red Cross' clinic in Devil's Square.
"I give up already!" Sweet Sixteen offered.
"So do I," Velvet Tiger decided.
"I make a box set," Sting was still seriously shaken. but for how long? Red Hood kept both of her pistols drawn and ready to use at a second's notice.
Squire extended her bo staff, "Oi! Who's in the mood to fight?"
Hyena was already in her were-form so she took the bait and the first braining. Two Crazy Quilts accompanied Libra and joined in the attack. Elena Oleyinska herself refrained, wishing to study Squire's means and methods. The young Outlaw seemed to mostly rely on physical confrontation. Not a good match with Libra's Cosmic Transmogrifier.
But while Hyena and the Crazy Quilts were reeling, Squire set her bo staff aside and fired an explosive at Libra with a slingshot. the detonation was absorbed by the Cosmic Transmogrifier and half its concussive force and flames sent back at Squire.
"Oh shit," Squire deftly tucked and rolled with her body wrapped around her staff.
"Bollocks," Squire complained as Hyena and the Crazy Quilts, both female this time, re-engaged her. Libra watched with amusement as Squire fended off Hyena's savage attacks and Crazy Quilt and Crazy Quilt's manic ones. There was no style, no finesse, no thinking, just brute force. Something the overly cerebral Squire found difficult to just let go and just react.
Squire made the smart play and sacrificed her defenses against the Crazy Quilts to take Hyena out. Summer Day would live but she wouldn't want to with the nasty concussion and skull fracture she'd just received. The Quilts redoubled their efforts while Squire was reeling. No one was even certain who they were fighting.
Squire had abandoned her old fighting togs for a yellow turtleneck and black pants and yellow boots to go with her white face paint but no domino mask or feathered beret any longer. But her utility belt contained every item she'd always carried before plus a few newer toys. Squire bank shotted her new shuriken off of Libra's defense field into the backs of the Crazy Quilts. They hit with half the force as thrown but it was enough to embed through clothing into flesh. Right between the shoulder blades. Two throwing stars per Crazy Quilt. While they were distracted, Squire knocked them each out in turn.
Libra settled in for a fight. She didn't need to win it, just delay Squire long enough for help to arrive.
"God futzing damn! What is this? A casting call?" Ravager asked the Secret Society members lining up for a chance at her.
"You're an apex threat," Typhoon told her right before her dagger clubbed him handle first between the eyes, putting him down.
"Right back at'cha," Ravager chuckled at her own joke. Black Angel had arcane marks tattooed on her face and body. Black Cobra had a snake headdress that she psionically animated. Black Death had a corrosive, corrupting touch that could lead to death with prolonged exposure. Black Mikado, a Yakuza samurai and former Imperialist, drew his katana. Black Phantom dressed the part of a 19th Century gentleman but his eyes contained murderous intent. Blue Bolt charged the atmosphere as she prepared herself for battle.
Black Cobra and Black Mikado struck together, narrowing down the pecking order. Ravager drew her twin swords and went to work. Black Cobra's snakes were too damn unpredictable and Black Mikado was too good for his own damn good with his sword.
Ravager was going to have to mete out some punishment. She began by slicing off the snakes from Black Cobra's cowl. Then she battled Black Mikado on even terms.
She knocked Black Cobra out with a heel strike backspin kick to the temple while she disarmed Black Mikado. While he scrambled for his sword, Black Death stepped in.
It was when she touched Ravager that Rose realized the woman before her was merely a host body for the viral entity known as Black Death.
Ravager pointedly pushed her body's immune defenses to their maximum state and Black Death broke contact with a scream. Black Mikado returned as Black Angel touched a rune on her arm and power streamed fourth. Ravager grabbed Black Mikado and used him as a shield. He also went down with a cry of anguish. Ravager vaulted over a dumpster to run up on the closest wall, since Black Angel seemed to by hugging it and delivered a sweeping kick to the head that put the other woman down.
That left Fleir-de-lis, Black Phantom, and Blue Bolt as opponents. Fleir-de-lis was another example of a hero gone rogue. This time a French one. The other two remained complete mysteries still. Fleir-de-lis had been a member of the original Justice League International born out of the original Global Guardians. But after Dr. Mist disbanded the group, the woman fell on hard times and eventually lost her secret agent job with the DGSE. She lost her INTERPOL credentials after that. Disillusioned and embittered, Fleir-de-lis committed her first crime.
Knowing the ins and outs of law enforcement aided her effort and those that followed. But those in the criminal world recognized Fleir-de-lis' calling card and eventually Funky Flashman proposed her as an addition to the Secret Society's ranks. The purging of the ranks had been too effective and the group's membership needed to be increased to project viable force against superhero teams when they inevitably interfered. Now the Secret Society and the Injustice Gang competed for the honor of being the team with the largest roster.
Fleir-de-lis used a rapier as well as fleur-de-lis shaped throwing stars, the calling card that had given away her change of moral code. The sword fight was on semi-even terms until Fleir-de-lis grew ambitious and went for an overhead strike. Ravager crossed her swords to block the move then traced the blade to knock the sword from Fleir-de-lis' grip. She swatted throwing stars out of the air before a knee strike doubled the Frenchwoman over and a pommel to the head knocked her out.
Black Death found "herself" beheaded. The sentient virus would simply pass to the next host. This time a Gotham medical examiner. That left the last two standing. Blue Bolt transformed into a surge of electricity and passed through Ravager's body nearly knocking Rose out. Black Phantom drew a long Gurkha knife out of his overcoat.
"I served beside the noble Gurkha's as they fought for the British Empire in Afghanistan," Black Phantom told the ailing Ravager, "I kept this token to use to purge the streets of London of vile prostitutes declining Her Majesty's capital's males of their moral fortitude. For this they named me 'Jack the Ripper'. I prefer the nom de guerre the Black Phantom."
"How are you still alive?" Ravager managed to get back onto her feet.
"You can thank the Immortal Dr. Fu Manchu for that miracle of alchemy," Black Phantom remarked, "Alongside Irene Adler and Ethel Boston I was specially selected for immortality."
"If you're so righteous, why side with the bad guys now?" Ravager was stalling to continue her recovery from Blue Bolt's attack. Blue Bolt transformed again but Ravager dodged the bolt and Black Phantom was struck instead.
"Oops," Ravager mocked Blue Bolt as Black Phantom passed out, "Guess I won't hear his backstory after all."
"I'm going to fry you where you stand," Blue Bolt had decided.
"First you gotta catch me," Ravager began running evasive pattern while Blue Bolt's lighting surge followed her. Ravager made it to a fire plug and sliced the top valve off
the spraying water short circuited Blue Bolt and she reverted to human and Rose left her inert body in the pooling water and wayward spray not caring if Blue Bolt were still alive. She'd done her bit. She located Squire and wondered why the hell Libra acted like she'd won after all.
The new Streak Carter wondered why Speed McGee was so erratic. Express Man and Express had used chemical means to gain super speed but Speed McGee's steroidal compound seemed to have broken his mind in the process. Streak Carter was the last of Reverse Flash's acolytes to traverse time from the 29th Century to the 21st Century. She was also the second Streak Carter. Her brother having died fighting alongside the Secret Society in Eobard Thawne's service.
Express Man had been a minor hero during WWII and into the Fifties when he retired. the alchemaic process that gave him speed slowed his aging. So he'd actually been in his seventies when he married, appearing to be thirty years younger. His son was born and rejected his father's stories of being the Express Man. That stung Max Murphy. His son wondered why he hadn't parlayed his speed into financial gain.
His grandson, Mark, took an interest in the alchemy he'd used to grant himself super speed. Mark took the formula and improved it, becoming Express. He used his speed to rob banks and nightclubs. Express convinced Max to become the Express Man again and join his crime wave. Libra, the original, persuaded them both to join the Secret Society. It had the highest concentration of speedsters of any team, hero or villain with the sole exception of Young Justice. With the addition of the new Streak Carter, that numerical supremacy was maintained.
What the four speedsters couldn't comprehend was why Arrow and Red Arrow looked so confident despite being "mere" archers.
"Ready?" Arrow had a broadhead nocked and drawn.
"Born that way," Red Arrow did as well. Speed McGee launched the attack by racing around the archers first, intending to veer in and out of his circular pattern to punch them. What he ended up with was a green arrow impaled in one leg and a red arrow impaled in the other.
"I got him first," Red Arrow decided.
"We can argue that later," Arrow told her as he drew back another arrow. Express Man went to press the attach and found an emerald arrow impaled in his shoulder. Express found a red arrow in his leg.
Streak Carter saw how the archers were anticipating the speedsters' movements and firing where they would be rather than where they'd been when the arrow was released.
She opted to be non-compliant. Running as randomly as she could she deftly avoided Red Arrow's shot by a few centimeters but Arrow tagged her in the leg.
"Sonuvabitch!" Streak Carter mouthed off, "How do you do that?"
"Practice," Arrow said grimly.
"Lots of dead tennis balls," Red Arrow grinned.
"Too much information," Arrow told her.
"Who's she gonna tell?" Red Arrow snarked, "She'd have to explain how two norms shot her with a stick with a string."
"She has a damn fine point," Streak Carter pulled the arrow from her leg, "But I heal really fast and learn even faster."
Express Man and Express had their arrows out but looked stricken from the pain.
"I take it they don't?" Arrow nodded in their direction.
"They get wind burn, for cripe's sake," Streak Carter noted, "And their powers wear off."
"Why so cooperative?" Red Arrow was suddenly suspicious.
"To keep us distracted from what's coming next," Arrow predicted.
"I love men with brains," Streak Carter laughed.
Sinister Sphinx was a Jaime Reyes Blue Beetle foe about Protector's own age. Miss Shady was dressed sensibly for a fight. Domino Lady, however, wore am evening dress and carried twin pistols. But she looked to be the only one having fun. Protector knew he looked older than he was. It came from being born in South Central Los Angeles to a Black family in gang territory. Dylan had been a member at a younger age which is how he got into drugs and drug dealing.
Jason Hart saved him from that and got Dylan his first real job. Internet day trading in tech startups made Dylan a billionaire. He'd moved his family to the `Burbs. He'd also set them up with jobs in his companies. No one in his family would have the excuses Dylan had made when he joined the drug culture. As the new Protector, he'd varied wildly from Jason Hart's costume while keeping the color scheme. He knew being an Outlaw seemed to taint the brand but at the same time, like Domino Lady, it added to it as well.
Domino Lady had been an LA crimefighter cashing in on a Forties' hero's legacy. When it didn't pay, she turned to crime. A rare villain with a conscience. Protector promised himself he'd only beat her half senseless. Provided she didn't shoot him first. Domino Lady was renowned for shooting people. She was an expert marksman and rarely killed people but it did happen. She was remorseless as long as there was a payoff, a fifth of bourbon, and a cigarette to be had afterwards and the dead were superheroes or other criminal rivals.
She'd consider Protector to either be an assassin or a bounty killer. So he couldn't let his guard down for a minute. Even if she made a bleached blonde page boy haircut look hot. He found several things odd about their encounter.
First, every one of his opponents was a young, attractive. blue-eyed bottle blonde. Next, there were too few Secret Society members gathering according to Oracle's live updates and GCPD and Crows' reports. So where were the others?
"Poor dear, I think he's figured it out," Domino Lady laughed.
"That could be...problematic," Fay Shady complained.
"Aw, he's cute. Let's keep him," Sinister Sphinx toyed with one of her trademark throwing knives.
"I thought you were still hung up on the Reyes kid," Domino Lady took a drag off of her cigarette.
"Jaime's sooo cute," Sinister Sphinx, "And he doesn't realize it."
"He's probably the Blue Beetle, with your luck," Miss Shady retorted.
"True," Sinister Sphinx sighed, "That would seriously suck. He's got all these after school jobs so I don't know if he'll ever have time to ask me out."
"Does he even want to?" Domino Lady blew more smoke.
"Ladies, I believe our foe is getting impatient," Miss Shady pointed out.
"He's sooo dreamy when he's irritated," Sinister Sphinx sighed again.
"We have got to get you laid," Domino Lady finished off her cig and put it out with her high heeled shoe, "We're ready to kill you now. Just an FYI."
"That might be a relief," Protector snorted.
"Rude. Why are they always rude?" Sinister Sphinx complained.
"Poor upbringing," Miss Shady shrugged, "It's the whole 'hero complex' these monsters get before they turn into psychos."
"Ahem," Domino Lady cleared her throat.
"Present company suitably enlightened, of course," Miss Shady amended her statement.
"Do we hafta kill him?" Sinister Sphinx whined.
"It's him or us," Miss Shady shrugged.
"Then why is he just standing there?" Sinister Sphinx pointed out the very salient fact.
"She's has an arguably damned fine point," Domino Lady conceded.
"You! Explain yourself!" Miss Shady demanded.
"The kill order was rescinded. Now I'm just supposed to stall you long enough for the GCPD and the Crows to get here to arrest you," Protector finally had a chance to explain. Sirens could be heard approaching.
"They'll arrest you too," Miss Shady scowled.
"Except that we cut a deal with the DA," Protector informed them all, "How about you?"
"Rude and obnoxious," Domino Lady drew a pistol.
"He's telling the truth," Miss Shady decided, "We don't need a murder rap when all they can do for now is hold us for questioning."
"You two don't have any outstanding warrants," Domino Lady released the safety and jacked the hammer back on her Colt M1911A1 .45 caliber pistol, "I do thanks to this turd."
"So we finger Intergang and cut a deal to avoid extradition," Miss Shady argued
"I can help with that," Protector offered, "My rep with the LAPD is still good. I can broker a deal with the federal prosecutor there to drop the charges in exchange for testimony."
"I'll still get arrested," Domino Lady complained.
"But you'll walk," Protector offered.
"But my identity will become public record," Domino Lady argued.
"That's going to happen sooner rather than later," Miss Shady joined in.
"I knew he was dreamy," Sinister Sphinx happily declared.
"Look, you have no priors, no firm evidence to link you to the LA killings, and you had an in with the cops for a while. They'll work with you if you let them," Protector strengthened his case.
"it's all moot anyway," Domino Lady gently squeezed the trigger just enough to lower the hammer on her pistol. As a single action semi-automatic, the hammer needed to be pulled back on the first shot or there wasn't one.
"You see, we've delayed you as much as you've delayed us," Miss Shady gloated.
Shock Gibson was the only Society member Street Avenger hadn't read up on. The Trickster, Madame Crow, and Mad Maestro were all known elements. But Shock Gibson was an Everyman Project product. His gen factor seeming useless to Mercy Graves and Lena Luthor. Electrical stimulation could overdrive his body's systems.
he became stronger and faster but he also healed quicker and his senses became more acute and his mental processing increased geometrically based on the level of charge. He wore an electrical stimulation exo suit with batteries attached.
A quick and powerful battery discharge could grant him Majestic-level powers. Lower voltages decreased his power ratio but sustained it for longer amounts of time. He'd been rejected alongside Wonderman, who could display any one Majestic-class power at a time. The men became friends and working partners thus it was that they were invited to join the Secret Society together. They were the Capt. Cold and Heat Wave of the second tier super villain set. Possibly third tier.
Abigail O'Shay had been a research assistant to, and then victim of, Jonathan Crane the original Scarecrow. Now his son Jack was the Scarecrow and the Knightfall appointed master of Arkham Island. The city council refused to reconcile the proof that Dr. Crane was the same man hat had fear toxined all of Gotham despite his mysterious "car accident" that resulted in his being in a body cast. Azrael beating Scarecrow within an inch of his life being the real culprit. The failed Pax Mundi occupation ended as a direct result of Crane's handiwork. The price of Scarecrow forgoing taking reprisals against Azrael was giving him complete and autonomous control of Arkham.
A situation that worked well for Knightfall. Crane's "expertise" could get useful criminals committed to Arkham and "cured and rehabilitated" within weeks. Crane had tracked Harleen Quinzel down and offered her old job back. Harley quickly told him with orifice to shove the offer up. So Scarecrow had to look elsewhere for sympathetic staffers. Graduates from Prof. Hugo Strange's Schoolgirl Sorority of Evil quickly filled the ranks. Strange himself having become a member of the Shadow Seven. Membership in the League of Shadow's ruling council an honor not to be refused and expect to live.
Madame Crow developed an anti-fear toxin because of her treatment at the elder Crane's hands. She was a direct competitor with Jack Crane and Fright for the Scarecrow's legacy. So far, Crane had been winning and using the Scarecrow brand name to do it with. Something Madame Crow no longer feared or feared killing him for it. The original Scarecrow had stolen her toxin and used it on Gotham with near fatal results after dosing Batman. Only Robin had saved the day. Batman owed Tim Drake his life. The Batman would've taken his own had he killed the Scarecrow that day.
Jonathan Crane never crossed Madame Crow after that experience knowing she could dose any of his enemies with less moral conviction. Fright saw herself as the Scarecrow's natural successor so Jack's taking up the mantle enraged her. She even worked alongside Madame Crow at one point to remove Jack from the equation.
That ended badly for both of them. This time Madame Crow made peace with the nascent Scarecrow before returning to Gotham.
James Jesse was still the Trickster. His sidekick, Prank, left him when she got pregnant. He hadn't noticed her absence yet. He had no idea that Zoe Clark was now a member of the Injustice Society based out of Superior City. Nor did he have an inkling that he had a son. These things would remain family secrets for another twenty years. When the son would become a new Trickster to plague Bart Allen's life as the Flash.
Bar Torr and Bart Allen would each be a Flash with Wally West raising a new generation of speedsters with Linda Park. Shira Torr would remain Miss Quick in homage to Jesse Chambers. Bart's cousin, XS, would visit from the 31st Century on occasion. Bart got Central City and the East Coast to defend. Bar received the West Coast and Keystone City as a home base. Miss Quick would be international with the Justice League. For now, though, James Jesse was still the Trickster of choice.
Street Avenger came into this armed with a literal arsenal of modern weaponry, lethal and non-lethal. He preferred lethal but Knightfall had changed the rules. But she had given him a brand new plasma rifle from a raided ARGUS weapons cache left behind in Gotham. Intergang dispersed the weapons but Knightfall kept a handful for her own security forces as well the Penguins. She didn't trust the Riddles with them. That left one for Street Avenger.
The eternally silent, formerly homeless vet had studied every facet of the plasma gun. He was certain he could take down opponents with it without killing them. He was close to testing his theory when Shock Gibson energized his exo frame, stimulating his own powers. Surging forward at super speed, he crushed the plasma rifle with his bare hands. Street Avenger opted for bear spray in the man's face.
Unfortunately for Street Avenger, Shock Gibson came loaded with three batteries. The first one was expendable boosting Shock Gibson to full Majestic-class standards. So his invulnerability made him immune to the spray and the taser shot that followed. But even the high capacity lithium-ion batteries Shock Gibson wore only held so much charge.
After swatting Street Avenger around in an alleyway, the first battery level warning pinged and Shock Gibson lost all of his powers. While he fumbled with the activation sequence and settings for the second battery, Street Avenger bear sprayed him again. Shock Gibson went down screaming in agony. But he stayed at it with the battery initializer. If he could jump start the battery, he would be healed. His non-lethal approach blown, Street Avenger decided to gun down the Trickster and Madame Crow. She dosed the Trickster and he lost all fear of potential consequences. Together with the Mad Maestro, she took a "wait and see" approach.
Street Avenger uncapped his three CS gas grenades and rolled one towards Shock Gibson, a second towards Madame Crow and Mad Maestro. The third he stood by, protected by his tactical gas mask as the Trickster tried to navigate the tear gas unprotected. He pistol whipped the coughing and sputtering Trickster.
Mad Maestro began to play his organ and the alleyway reverberated with the power of the song. Street Avenger quickly shot the organ three times with his submachine gun's 3 round burst setting. He took aim at Madame Crow next as the Mad Maestro was felled by his own malfunctioning organ.
"You think I'm afraid of you?" she laughed at him.
Shock Gibson shoulder checked him out of the ally and across the street into a parked car.
"Bear spray? Really? I'm gonna futz you up for that," Shock Gibson promised. Between the CS gas and the spray, he'd set his harness for its maximum output. Granting him near Shazam-level powers for as long as the battery would last but that wouldn't be for long at this output level. Street Avenger deployed flash bangs to distract Shock Gibson. He kneed the man's groin but merely hurt himself doing so.
Shock Gibson punched Street Avenger and nearly took him out with the single blow. He quickly downgraded the electrical output of his battery. He had less than a 30% charge left to it. He merely doubled his body's own resources afterwards, tripling the battery life and leaving him a third as a spare to deal with any threats that emerged.
Shock Gibson cried out in pain as Street Avenger plunged a combat knife into his foot and twisted it. He barely managed to elevate his system to full power again before kicking Street Avenger away. Pulling the knife free, his skin and tissues healed within seconds. He bent the knife into a horseshoe shape and tossed it aside. The ping let him know he had to charge himself with the last battery. Again, he merely doubled his natural strengths.
Street Avenger was clearly wounded and struggling to rise. Then the vigilante rolled to his side and opened fire with his hidden pistol. The exosuit saved Shock Gibson's life but its electrical grid was damaged. He was wounded in areas it no longer stimulated and couldn't force heal. He boosted the output anyway in a vain attempt to. The entire grid short circuited and knocked him unconscious.
Street Avenger slowly rose and ejected the spent magazine from his pistol and replaced with a loaded one. Madame Crow wisely felt this wasn't the time or place to induce an anti fear sentiment within Street Avenger. He would plainly kill her freed from whatever external measure was presently staying his hand. Instead of shooting her, he holstered his weapon and used a handheld taser to drop her to the pavement. Then he stood by and leaned against the very car he'd impacted before. He slowly sank into the dent to sit on his haunches. Wondering why Knightfall called of the hit, he took inventory of his remaining choice of weapons strapped to his body. Other than ammo, he'd deployed or used most of them. He cradled his submachine gun and waited for the first of them to awaken to his new reality. He was willing to risk Knightfall's ire if a single subdued villain threatened him again.
Wild Dog had a similar quandary. He couldn't kill his foes so he had to, with fewer resources, find a way to disable six opponents. None of whom he'd ever laid eyes upon or heard of before. The hirsute and brawny Beast was a physical powerhouse. A gen active from the look of it.
Cadet Atom was former USAF Academy cadet who's gen factor was activated when terrorists attempted to dirty bomb the campus in retaliation for drone strikes in their country of origin. The cadet absorbed the radiation and was now a minor league walking nuclear accident. Cage Girl was another physical fighter like Beast. She'd been an underground cage fighter before her gen factor was activated. Carnival was a gymnast with a festive air. Cobra Woman wore a snakeskin costume and had untested reptilian powers.
Capt. Flash was another Everyman Project reject whose bioluminscent body always projected light. He wore protective armor that allowed him to harness and release his bodies strobe effect on command, directionally or a massive flash flare. His sexual partners had to wear nuclear flash goggles or blindfolds in order to keep from going blind. He had no means of turning off his power, merely dimming it. His emotional state also increased his output.
Wild Dog faced these threats fearlessly as he always did but with a due amount of caution as when facing new and untested foes. Cadet Atom and Capt, Flash presented the most exotic foes. He'd face them at a distance. Raw experience told him to stay out of reach of Beast, Cage Girl, and Cobra Woman.
Carnival seemed the least dangerous. Until she began moving. She was lethality in motion. It took Wild Dog two carefully placed shots to take her down and she'd almost reached him by the second trigger pull.
"Raaaagh!" Beast charged him.
Bullets refused to penetrate his dense hide. He smashed through a brick wall trying to get at Wild Dog and disappeared. Cage Girl threw a mailbox at him. He shot her leg as he ducked under the square missile. It took her leg out from underneath her but didn't penetrate the flesh, it merely broke the skin. Cobra Woman slunk up to him began to dance. Wild Dog could tell he couldn't take his eyes off of her or she'd strike somehow.
Meanwhile, Cadet Atom and Capt. Flash prepped themselves for action. Beast smashed into Cobra Woman as he burst through another brick wall. She was knocked out but now he had to worry about the war-like savage known as Beast. The punches were fast and furious but on a tempo that Wild Dog used to pull his reserve gun, a sawed off double barrel shotgun, out and blast Beast in the face. To put the otherwise unbreakable man down.
"Congratulations," Capt. Flash said, "That leaves you with just us."
"I'll take those odds," Wild Dog reloaded both his weapons.
"I'm glad you think so," Capt. Flash chuckled. His armor began receding and his fluorescent body shone through, causing Wild Dog to shut his eyes and blindly fire his shotgun. The pellet spray hit the exposed flesh Capt. Flash was using to distract Wild Dog from Cadet Atom. He went down, bleeding, his blood masking his glowing skin. Wild Dog stopped seeing spots soon enough to spy Cadet Atom preparing to hurl a mass of radioactive isotopes at him that he'd charged from the air. Wild Dog sidestepped the glowing ball as it hurled by and put three rounds through Cadet Atom.
All of his foes seemed dealt with when Cage Girl slammed into him. The Latina fighter was enraged at being shot earlier. So Wild Dog emptied his pistol at her point blank range. It was only ten rounds but they did penetrate her skin. She healed almost instantly as she collapsed from the shock of it.
"Now what's next?" Wild Dog wondered as he heard sirens on the approach.
Sparrow on the other hand had read Oracle's latest briefs. The dossiers could be slim but potentially life saving. She knew the albino called Bunny had a hypnotic stare. Crystal Queen could form and throw crystalline daggers. The hazmat suited Cyanide Cindy's fumigator wand sprayed a lethal cloud of airborne and liquid poison. Fantom of the Fair and Fantotrix were opaque, red cape wearing silhouettes who presented physical challenges. Flor was a floral based assassin more like Thorn than Poison Ivy. He-She shifted from make to female and in-between at a random basis.
Only Erica of Belzar was still a mystery. The alien Battle Woman had been a company commander of scouts dispatched by the Empress of Belzar to scout Earth in an attempt to exit the failing war effort on Mar'zz and shift it to a technologically inferior species.
Only Erica's unit had been shot down and killed by Capt. Comet. The Captain's memories had been scrambled but Erica survived and was stranded on Earth by her petulant Empress.
Erica appeared to be a human woman in her mid-fifties but was in reality a 500 year old alien commando leader. Belzarans were Almeracian breakaway colonists. Under Maxima, they were ignored. Under the Republic they were ignored. But the war with Mars had drawn attention to both former colony and its parent. Unwanted attention.
Almerac was prepping a response to threaten the Empress herself. Kalea-El had been chosen as the courier. The Ministry of Executions didn't actually want the Empress dead but by sending Kalea they knew there was at least a 60% chance she'd end up being so. They didn't bother the Presider or the Council of Ministers. Who felt Almerac had wasted enough time tolerating Belzar.
Capt. Hero and her scoutship crew had been selected to insert Kalea. Further limiting the odds of the Empress' survival. None of which would be good news for Erica. For now, her survival depended on her anonymity. Once Kalea and the other Almeracian executioners knew she was on Earth, her lifespan would be shortened.
Especially with Maxima herself dwelling there now with her youngest daughter, Thara Kal-El. Kalea had explained the history of the extinct Multiverse to her mother and why she and Laura Kent could naturally remember it. She'd also explained how Kal-El and Maxima had settled down into a life together on Rann before Kalea killed her mother. Only Glorith's vagueness in handling Rebirth had restored Maxima to the timeline. An event Kalea was grateful for.
Maxima recalled the meeting going where she'd survived. But Thara had still been taken from her and handed off to the Republic to be its token Empress. Kalea amended that by stealing Thara back and killing anyone guarding her. The Minister of Executions recognized Kalea's handiwork but sheltered her best asset. Maxima alone received the blame. The Presider chose not to pursue because Almerac actually didn't require a token monarch to function. So it simply didn't miss a toddler regent with no political power.
It spared the Minister of Executions the headache of eventually dictating a writ of execution on Kalea's sister. Something the El woman would not tolerate. Kalea was a mass murderer and someone you wanted on your side rather than opposed to you. Or worse yet, hunting you. She'd single handedly cracked planet's apart. Killing a lone governmental administration wouldn't challenge her.
Xanna valued Kalea too much to test her loyalty to family versus the Republic. The Blood Royale may have created the Republic out of the Empire but they were still autocrats at heart. At least that applied to Maxima. Kalea was a twisted bag of cats. Her only goal seemed to be to kill as many people as possible in the name of the Ministry.
Golgoth, the Republic's first Presider, planned on recreating the empire in his own image. His daughter Dein was his heir apparent. Xanna was his chief instrument in eliminating rivals. Kalea knew this. Xanna knew it with dead certainty. Kalea was a reformed Democrat who had seen the necessity of empire becoming democracy through slow decree rather than revolution. But what about a democracy that slid back into empire? Would she support that as well? Especially with Golgoth rather than Maxima as Emperor rather than an Empress?
Erica had no idea of what was coming to Belzar. It's own Empress didn't know the wrath of Almerac was coming. Diverting the legendary Battle Women and Battle Dwarves of Belzar to its defense rather than the continued invasion of Mars. The Empress had accomplished the seemingly impossible. She'd united the Red, Green, White, and Yellow Martians and the human colonists on Mars. Unifying the Greens and Whites had seemed previously impossible. Now it was a simple fact they walked together in common purpose. Whether the alliance would hold after Belzar retreated remained to be seen.
Those newly forged bonds would be tested soon enough. Kalea would be the hammer that forced the Empress back into the fold and join the Republic. As Maxima was an inherited title and name so too the Empress was trying to start that tradition with her own self-imposed title. Golgoth would never understand why Maxima tolerated the defection. The former Empress of Almerac being more democratic than the elected Presider. But Maxima kept the name even when she relinquished the power of the throne.
She would be the last Maxima of the Blood Royale and she intended to die carrying the name she'd defended through four interstellar wars. Even as she plotted to remove Lana Linda Lang from Kal-El's life as Clark Kent. Lana Lang wasn't a romantic rival but Lana Linda was and therefore had to die. Then there was Lois Lane. Clark Kent's ex-wife and would-be killer.
Lois and Lana Linda both being from Earth-2 and having survived Lord Superman's tyranny. Lois even caring for his five children. Four by her and the eldest by Lena Luthor. Jonathan Samuel Lane Kent was her eldest but Mia Kent was the oldest. Laura was the middle child. The identical twins Carol and Jane being the youngest by several years. Mia had betrayed Lois' mission and embraced Clark as the father she wanted to have rather than had. All of her children had. Carol and Jane even chose Lana Linda over her.
Of course, she'd abandoned her children when they refused to pursue her path of vengeance and murder. She'd even joined both the Light and its subordinate Legion of Doom. The family's memories of the pre-Rebirth past unlocked by Saturn Queen. Vandal Savage having exiled Eve Aries from Earth but she had work to do amongst the Kryptonian survivors of New Krypton and its conquest by Almerac.
The Daxamites were lost to the Dark Circle but the Kryptonians could still be shaped into a weapon Saturn Queen could use a thousand years into the future against Glorith and M'Onel. M'Onel having once been the legendary hero, Valor. Before his exile to the Phantom Zone by Glorith herself only to side with her against Mordru and to kill the Lord of Chaos. Thereby securing Glorith's place as Domina Regina of the 31st Century.
A fact Saturn Queen couldn't stomach. So she'd traveled to the 21st Century to sow the seeds of rebellion to harvest in the far flung future. Uniting the purposes of the Khunds, the Dominators, the Dark Circle, and the Kryptonians against the United Planets and Almerac-led Confederacy of Worlds. To force the Legion of Superheroes, the Legion of Super Villains, Fatal Five, and the Justice league Infinite to ally themselves with her against Glorith and the former Legionnaire, M'Onel.
All in accordance with the wishes of the Blue Flame of Chaos. It had chosen a willing acolyte in its attempt to burn the New Universe and recreate a second Realm of Chaos. All matters of galactic importance and none to Sparrow at that particular moment.
Careful not to look unto Bunny's eyes, Sparrow used her escrima sticks to devastating effect, knocking her unconscious with a few fractured bones. Crystal Queen formed and threw daggers at her which Sparrow maneuvered to have impale Cyanide Cindy when she dodged them. Crystal Queen was so unnerved by her faux pas she barely had time to react as Sparrow turned her attention to her.
Flor and He-She were next up. Flor was an accomplished fighter. The best yet so far. He-She's random transformations were unnerving and as jarring for him/her as they were for Sparrow. He-She proved rather androgynous when knocked unconscious. Flor took a great deal of effort but Sparrow managed to overcome her.
Fantom and Fantotrix proved to be gen actives as well as void-like silhouettes with brightly colored capes. But they still had the same pressure points as anyone else. And they weren't invulnerable. Just damnably fast and strong. Erica stood by and watched as Fantom and Fantotrix crowded one another and engineered their own defeats.
"Very good, little human. Try your luck against a Battle Woman," Erica taunted Sparrow. Erica's Almeracian physiology was basically intact from her ancestors. She was slower and weaker than a true Almeracian after her ancestors spending centuries on Belzar. Erica herself being born and raised there. Earth's lighter gravity helped her compensate somewhat but her durability compared to her ancestors was drastically lessened. Even Battle Women, born and bred for military service, were far less durable than their cousins from Almerac now.
So Sparrow's blows with her staves hindered Erica but didn't easily incapacitate her. Meanwhile, Sparrow found fighting Erica a lot like sparring with Black Bison or Shieldmaiden. Comparisons she didn't enjoy making. She was already tiring and was now forced to redouble her efforts to stay alive against a physically superior foe with as great a knowledge in hand to hand combat as Sparrow herself. It was grueling test of endurance but Erica seemed especially vulnerable to blows to the head.
So Sparrow started there and didn't relent. But she took some harsh physical abuse in her efforts. By the time Erica went down, Sparrow was near collapsing herself. Even sitting on the sidewalk barely relieved Sparrow's fatigue. Running a hand through her tangled, feather tied, peroxide lightened locks, she blinked her brown eyes free of the sweat stinging them. She dreaded what could possible happen next as the GCPD SRU and the Crows began to arrive in force. GCPD backup black and whites converged on the unintended war zone. Sparrow was too tired to resist an attempt to arrest her so she really hoped Oracle and Arkham Knight's deal with Commissioner Gordon stuck.
Other than Erica, Jetgirl was the oldest Secret Society member edging out even Major Disaster. Her jet powered harness allowed her to fly and carry a small amount of ordnance. After exchanging fire with Starling, Jetgirl's engines were failing and she came crashing into a store front. Starling's other foes included Keyhole, the identical twins that made up the duo known singularly as Madame Madcap, and Micro-Face. Getting both the Madcap sisters working together rather than separately was a rarity. Most people didn't realize there were two Madame Madcaps.
Starling certainly hadn't had a clue until now. Micro-Face wore an exo-suit that could replicate and project any sound. The pink haired Keyhole was the dangerous one. She could create "keyhole" portals into other areas to project threats or alleviate herself of them. One of Keyhole's favorite tactics was to portal a threat back at its issuer.
So if Starling shot at Keyhole, which she desperately wanted to do, Keyhole could send the bullets back at Starling. Starling couldn't even safely throw a punch at the twenty-year old crook. Fortunately for Eve, Keyhole couldn't project an exit portal more than a few inches from her body.
But it was still a danger. Because her entry portal could be as far away as outer space. Which of course, was Keyhole's opening gambit. The small, fist sized portal led to orbit around the Earth. The resultant vacuum threatened to pull Starling towards it but she held on to a lamppost at the cost of one of her rifles. The strain Keyhole was immense so she closed that portal, deciding partially disarming Starling was a success. The battle between the Secret Society and its foes now waged across the Narrows, the East End, and the Bowery.
Azrael had chosen Crime Alley as his battleground and everyone else spread out from there. The Societors had expected Azrael to traverse his normal patrol route through the three districts and they had caught him in it. They just hadn't counted on other defenders to side with Azrael outside of potentially facing Batwing, who was strangely missing from the proceedings. But Libra and Major Disaster had known of the bounty because of the Mighty Bruce's and Funky Flashman's Dark Web adventures.
The internet beneath the internet was also the playground of the Dark Web Conspiracy group. A group of hackers actively engaged in serving the Light and undermining the Network's activities. Oracle in particular had some choice words for them. She'd found herself actually unable to crack their avatars open to reveal their true faces. She found that embarrassing.
None of which actively served to assist Starling. But Knightfall's change of heart towards the Secret Society had come from Vandal Savage himself. He wished to continue using them as cat's paws to distract the Justice League Unlimited and all its branch organizations as well as the Justice Society and the increasingly annoying Young Justice. Then there was the Birds of Prey to deal with in Seattle, the Movement in Coral City, the Huntress and the Question in Hub City, as well the mysterious Sovereign 7 in Crossroads, Vermont. That didn't even account for Danny the Street and the Dannyzens which included the Doom Patrol and the Inferior Five.
At first Hellequin and Red Alice had amused Savage but now he was beginning to see them as a hindrance in his plans for Intergang. Vandal was one of the few people alive that knew Dr. Jamie Moriarty was both the head of Intergang's European Division as well as the mistress behind the proxy Director for Intergang as a whole. Big Boss, the Mandarin, and the Great One had been informed and stayed compliant. Of the 100, only Knightfall and the Gang knew of Moriarty's involvement in Intergang and its totality.
Empress Penguin was the only member of the 1000 so entrusted.
Part of that decision had been making amends for surpassing Empress Penguin by elevating Emperor Blackgate, Ignatius Ogilvy, as a member of the 100 over Regina Swann. she's won the Gotham territorial dispute and he ruled the kingdom it sat upon in Intergang's eyes. She'd had the man incarcerated and now he ruled the world's prisons from his palatial "cage" in Blackgate. Only Belle Reeve escaped his dominion.
But for Starling, the battle had just begun as the Madames Madcap opened fire each with twin pistols. Eve took shelter behind a VW New Beetle. It was bullet ridden in seconds
which pissed her off. She liked the car and drove one herself. When the sisters ran out of bullets, Starling drew her own pistol and shot each of them center mass in their body armor three times apiece. They'd survive but the physical trauma took them out of the fight.
Micro-Face finished off every window before him with a loud explosive booming noise. Starling's ears were bleeding as he made his approach. She emptied her pistol into him and he fell over backwards, presumably still alive. She couldn't hear the approaching sirens that made Keyhole run off to try and escape the building cordon and dragnet. Starling was left wondering if she'd go deaf from this.
As Black Bison, John Black Bison had faced many foes through the years...including Firestorm and the original Killer Frost. None had been as strange as the three he faced today. Wonderman could employ one Majestic-class power at a time. Faceless Phantom wore a skull mask to hide his disfigurement from his botched attempt to recreate Tom Strong's Egyptian Alosun formula. But he still derived great strength and enhanced reflexes from it. Mighty Mite was the strangest. The 13 year old transformed into a blue skinned, muscle bound Majestic-class humanoid. He'd begun as a hero but his 15 year old girlfriend, Teena, saw more profit headed her way from Mighty Mite joining the Secret Society. So she'd persuaded him using sex as a weapon to bedazzle a thirteen-year old's hormones into a life of crime.
Mighty Mite's transformation was the most startling of all. Unfortunately for Mike, he could only hold Mighty Mite;s form for limited durations. His powers, like his sex life, were lasting longer with practice but he was still on a clock. Wonderman sped forward to shift his power to super strength at the last second. Black Bison took the blow and cratered a nearby concrete wall.
Wonderman repeated the exercise but Black Bison was already moving and Wonderman punched a hole through the impacted wall. Breaking his not invulnerable hand in the process. Wonderman shifted his energies towards healing when Black Bison's single punch took him down.
"He always was a poser," Faceless Phantom preened.
"You any better?" Black Bison asked. Seconds later, Black Bison discovered that while Faceless Phantom had failed to replicate all of Tom Strong's powers, he'd duplicated enough of them to pose a serious challenge. Along the way during his any battles with Tom Strong and the Agents of SMASH, Faceless Phantom had been taught to fight. Unlike the sucker punching Wonderman. Faceless Phantom was just as strong as Black Bison so it came down to a test of fighting prowess. Faceless Phantom's skull mask slipped, rendering him half blind and Black Bison poured it on. Relentlessly beating Faceless Phantom, he knocked his challenging foe down. A final blow to the head put him out.
Leaving Mighty Mite. he was all upper body development but still vastly larger than Black Bison. Mighty Mite's opening punch put Black Bison through the building he'd been standing before. Then Mighty Mite swooped in out of the sky to pluck Black Bison off of his feet and throw him through the roof of the building to arrive in the basement. Black Bison was understandably staggered when he emerged from the wrecked twenty story structure. He channeled his reserve power, the one he held back to use against the strongest of foes. He summoned spirit animals. Bison, buffalo, stags, skunks, badgers, wolves, and coyote all appeared to attack Mighty Mite. The blue giant fended them off but eventually burned himself out and reverted back to being a thirteen-year old misguided punk of a youth.
"Don't hurt me," his voice cracked in fear.
"Not much at least," Black Bison took him down with a single punch, pulled so not to kill the boy. Then he thanked the spirit menagerie and dismissed them. The approaching sirens had never sounded so welcome before.
Hildur Goransdottir, in her time as Shieldmaiden, had never faced such an assorted assemblage of foes before. Carapax the Indestructible Man wore heavy combat armor akin to Tank Man or STRIPE. Ant Queen could mutate common ants into giant monsters. Atomic Man was another Cadet Atom, born from the same dirty bomb but an older plebe. Ayesha, She Whom Must Be Obeyed worshiped her own dark goddess and had been given a commanding voice that compelled mortals to obey her every projected word. But Shieldmaiden was a demigoddess.
Her mother, the last shaman-priestess of a dying Icelandic cult devoted to the Nordic goddess of death, Hel. Hel came to Goran and offered a night of unspeakable sexual pleasure in exchange for her undying devotion. What Goran hadn't counted on was that Hel could manifest male genitalia and impregnated Goran. Hildur was born from that union. A "hero" from Iceland, Hildur served her mother's wishes and followed her other mother's dark paths when meting out justice.
The Outlaws had proven a perfect fit for Shieldmaiden's compulsions until today. Today she had to leave survivors. It went against her every natural inclination and her very upbringing. Shieldmaiden's quest was to prove to the world her mother was worthy of their worship. Unfortunately, the English language had substituted her mother's name for the abode of the damned. So name dropping was confusing for English speakers. But Scandinavians understood and her mother had received new converts in thanks of Shieldmaiden's actions on their behalf.
Carapax was the physical threat. Ant Queen the annoyance. Ayesha was an unproven foe. Carapax opened the fight with his wrist gauntlet mounted concussive blasters. Shieldmaiden's shield took the brunt of the blows but the effort strained her and the black top street buckled beneath her. Carapax's boot and back thrusters engaged to gain altitude and try to drive Shieldmaiden into a pit. The gambit knocked Hildur into the sewer. There Ant Queens creations swarmed at her. Now the demigoddess' sword came into play. Carapax unwisely waited by the hole to see if Shieldmaiden would emerge victorious.
Instead she pulled him into it where his massive bulk couldn't navigate and she tore his armor apart, piece by piece. A single blow dealt with the Indestructible Man himself. Ant Queen was an easy target without her ants.
"STOP!" Ayesha commanded. Shieldmaiden humored her. When a gloating Ayesha approached, it took a single blow from Shieldmaiden's shield to put the priestess down. Then the Crows and SRU arrived.
As the Crimson Avenger, Lee Travis wore a blindfold. That's because she saw the world in an echo and a field of pulsating blood. Even without the use of her eyes, she was intimately aware of the location of every building, streetcar, pickup truck, SUV, motorcycle, lamppost, street signs and signal as well as every foe facing her down.
The Owl and Owlgirl were airborne. Purple Tigress' heart was accelerating and her blood pounding. Seductress, on the other hand, was slowing her heart rate down since she couldn't establish a visual, hypnotic lock on Crimson Avenger's eyes by which to seduce her. Scarlet Baroness was also preparing some surprise judging by her pulse's rising rate. The Lamp and Straw Man were each gen actives with a body of straw for one and an incandescent bulb for a head for the other, give or take an alteration. She shot the Lamp's light bulb head but like a big zapper it discharged and melted the bullet with an intense outburst of heat and light.
She imagined she'd have to set Straw Man on fire using the Lamp's discharges. Which she provoked him into doing. The Straw Man broke open a fire hydrant plug and doused himself, becoming too heavy to self propel himself any more. It shorted out the Lamp's powers as well rendering them both inert.
Purple Tigress pounced at her while Scarlet Baroness teleported behind her. Crimson Avenger deftly dodged and Purple Tigress knocked the Scarlet Baroness out with her lunge into a concrete wall. Crimson Avenger put Purple Tigress down with a simple pistol whipping. The Seductress tried to escape notice but Crimson Avenger froze her in place using her power to control blood and knocked her out with a pistol over the head as well. The Owl and Owlgirl circled overhead, trying to draw her out from beneath the water canopy created by the broken hydrant.
"Come out little mouse," Owlgirl mocked Crimson Avenger. They were too far away for her to use her blood powers on them though could distinctly "see" them. The water's spray would deflect her bullets so she'd be shooting wildly. But she took a few shots with her left hand pistol just to stir the pot. When she'd emptied it she calmly holstered her right hand gun and ejected the left's magazine and replaced it.
It was all too tempting for Owlgirl who dove through the water only to fall flat on the ground as her body convulsed as Crimson Avenger's power took hold of her. Two expertly placed shots to Owlgirl's flight pack neutralized her. Two more, one in each leg, made certain she was down. The Owl could stand no more and also dove through, Surprising Crimson Avenger. he pinned her against the closest car and throttled her. Unable to focus well enough to control him, Lee drew her right hand gun and shot through each of the Owl's shoulders. As he staggered backwards, she controlled him into turning around so she could put two in his flight pack. Then the Crows mercifully arrived.
Pagan sized up her opposition. Tigerwoman was a werecat like Hyena was a werehyena. Patricia "Trish" Rich was a mystery Cheetah. Priscilla Rich's great-granddaughter, the newest Cheetah was as carefree and maliciously minded as her ancestor. The First Family of Crime were all loaded for bear and chain smoking. Cheroot wielded a pistol and plenty of spare mags. Cigarello had a revolver and desperado fetish. Upsweep also had a single pistol and spare mags. Stogie dressed like Al Capone and had a tommy gun and a spare M1911A1 semi-auto. Everything everyone carried except for Cigarello used .45 caliber ACP rounds. He used the lone .45 caliber revolver rounds. Which meant most of the family could trade bullets and magazines since they carried the same style of pistols.
The First Family opened fire forcing Pagan under cover. They were as indiscriminate about where to shoot as they were about tattooing their entire bodies. All except Stogie who reserved his prison tats to his arms and chest. He was running out of room and would need to expand his venue to his back or his ample belly.
Pagan used escrima sticks that could be fastened together into a quarter staff just because she enjoyed breaking criminals' bones. Rapists and those assaulting woman deserved no mercy in her opinion. Not after what had happened to Marian Mercer's sister, Sandra. Fortunately Squire had been equipping her with various small useful items to carry on her belt as well. Smoke pellets and gas marbles being amongst them. With the First Family choking and gagging and otherwise blinded to her presence, she beat the ever loving snot out of them.
"Try that with me, prey," Tigerwoman half growled and half keened. Pagan settled for a straight open fair fight against Tigerwoman. The weretiger was fast and ferocious but Pagan's anger drove her to be faster and even more determined to beat down Tigerwoman.
She clubbed her unconscious and turned on Cheetah, "What have you got?"
Like Debi Domaine, Trish had hardened, claw-like fingernails. Her gymnastics trained body was also magically enhanced. Pagan found herself reeling under the assault from a so-called "normal" woman. The magical enhancements unseen and unknown. Pagan fought but steadily lost ground to this newest Cheetah.
According to Oracle all the major villain teams had a Cheetah now. the Legion of Doom had Barbara Minerva, the most powerful of of them all. The Injustice Gang had Priscilla Rich, the original and magically restored Cheetah. the Injustice League had her great-grandniece, Debi Domaine and now the Secret Society had Trish Rich as its Cheetah catching up with the four active Wonder Women. All serving components of the Justice League or Justice Society. Hippolyta restored as the original Wonder Woman and Artemis, Nubia, and Donna Troy all having earned the title.
Queen Diana defended Themiscyra as its Wonder Woman. Raising her daughter Elissa there as she'd once been raised on the island paradise. Donna and Arisia Lowell also having been raised on the island after its founding. Arisia becoming the avatar of the Furies. Fury had joined both the League of Assassins and the Injustice League. Diana's arrangement with Bruce Wayne was that their daughter would come to Man's World at age thirteen and attend Gotham Academy to formalize her training in the outer world before she decided wheat to do with her adulthood. As a mostly human demigoddess her powers were severely curtailed.
But she'd never be formally acknowledged as Bruce Wayne's daughter nor would he train her in the ways of the Bat. Those last parts had been Diana's decisions. After the death of Damien al Ghul, it was plain to see that Bruce's children would always be targets. So Elissa Prince would find her education financed by Bruce Wayne as an academic scholarship. Helena Kyle would also receive support beyond Alfred and Sasha Julia Pennyworth Bordeaux. None would be trained or acknowledged by Bruce as an heir.
Batman was retired by shame and physical infirmity. Azrael and Batwing defended Gotham now. But someday Gotham would need a new Batman and would receive one. None of which helped Pagan's dilemma. She finally went all out against Cheetah just to stay alive. She began to realize there was more to Trish Rich than met the eye. No one "normie" she'd ever fought had this much agility and endurance and those fingernails certainly weren't natural.
The all-out assault stymied Cheetah's attack and even beat her back. Eventually subduing her. But even as Pagan watched, Cheetah's bruises began to heal. She was grateful for once to hear the approaching sirens.
The Nuclear Family fought Commando Ranger. The Adams: Adam, Eve, Cain and Abigail, were the Church of Blood's most devout and highly trained assassins. Together they fought Commando Ranger. Their biggest mistake of their storied yet brief careers. Nemesis Kid of the Legion of Super Villains could adapt to defeat any single foe. Commando Ranger's power was to adapt to any group of foes. Any gathering of two or more activated his gen factor and his meta-gene granted him powers superior to his opponents. This time, he was given sub-par Majestic strengths and he defeated the Nuclear Family in seconds. The last fight being the most difficult since he only had a single opponent left and his meta-gene deactivated. Still, his training as a former SAS operative paid off and he defeated Adam Adams in single combat. Now Commando Ranger assessed the situation surrounding him and called in the Secret Society's second wave.
Vigilante had gotten word of Knightfall's deescalation in contract terms and Pat Trayce decided she'd still kill the Secret Society. Ink and Cinder were down with that program. But they fought the Weather Witch, the Flame, Flame Girl, and Lightning Girl. Kandy Wilson and Linda Dale had gone from rivals to professional partners as the Flame and Flame Girl. Isobel Blake was a frequent collaborator of theirs as Lightning Girl. Joss Jackam was the Weather Witch.
She focused her meta-human powers through a staff rather than use an artificial weather wand to control the elements. Her gen factor factor identified and activated by Ivana Baiul before she joined the Legion of Doom's Brain Trust and LuthorCorp's Everyman Project. Weather Witch had floundered afterwards with no training and no purpose. Libra gave her both. Major Disaster provided training on how to create and manipulate natural catastrophes at Libra's behest. Joss was eternally grateful to Elena for that and the invitation into the Secret Society. Weather Witch had been placed in command of their little unit and she refused to let the opportunity go to waste.
Weather Witch created a cyclone of air around her that Vig's bullets couldn't penetrate. Then she raised hot air to meet cold to strike Vigilante down with lightning. When the SRU arrived, IA would finally gain custody of Det. Patricia Trayce.
Lighting Girl found Ink's shadow demon tattoos were permeable so her lighting streams passed through them them to strike Mark Richards down. Isobel honestly hoped the Tattooed Man survived. She thought he was hot.
Cinder retreated against Flame and Flame Girl as her companions were struck down and the police arrived. But Carla Morenni would remember them all.
"They will try to flank us to kill us," Murder Prophet of the Revenge Syndicate told his companions. Black Rat intercepted Natt "the Hat" Walls and she beat him senseless.
The Weeper caught Hitman setting up his ambush. Tommy Monaghan was a low level telepath, which ordinarily aided him in fighting an opponent but the sorrow coming off of the Weeper was crippling to a telepath. Black Rat was much more straightforward a foe and she was just as aggressive as a rabid rodent.
"Strike now!" Murder Prophet commanded before Hitman could draw his backup pieces after being disarmed. The only thing that saved the Hat and Hitman was the SRU approaching with Crows backup units.
Geist the Twilight Man and Joe Public didn't stand a chance against the Legion of Annoyance despite they're being at half strength. But the police arriving in force spared their lives. LuthorCorp credentials spared them being arrested since they were duly licensed by Knightfall to operate within Gotham.
"Prepare yourselves," Libra smiled as she warned Squire and Ravager, "And do tell me how you recovered your eye."
Undercover Girl of the Secret Society, had been emplaced with the Crows and impressed Crows Command so thoroughly she'd been made a squad leader. As her squad and the GCPD SRU detail arrived, Undercover Girl executed her own squad with shots to the back of the head and then she pinned down the SRU police officers.
"Whatever you're planning, hurry it up!" Undercover Girl yelled at Libra.
"Youth today," Teacher, a 10th Level Intellect on the Coluuan scale, joined Libra. Ultiman chose to face down Squire while Sabra and Zora drew their swords and engaged Ravager.
"Do. It. Faster!" Undercover Girl yelled. Libra turned the Cosmic Transmogrifier against the GCPD. Their bullets sailed back at them at half their initial velocity.
"This I like," Undercover Girl decided as she reloaded her assault rifle and joined in the hail of bullets with precision fire.
"Ultiman, for all his training and usefulness, can't defeat Squire. Ravager will easily overtake Zora and Sabra," Teacher warned Libra, "I hope you have a third option available."
"His name is Bill Dunn," Libra smiled back at her.
Axel Amherst, the Ultiman, was a former SpecOps soldier chosen for the same super-soldier program that created the Commander. Like the Commander it was later evidenced that the formula used warped the brain's perception of reality. Dr. Krigstein, the architect of the Americans Initiative discarded "inferior" candidates after injecting them with trial runs of the last serum. Ultiman was a finalist prototype.
He was faster, stronger, and had more endurance than a normal human. But still paled before a Majestic-class meta-human but he was contemporary with less advantaged artificially gen actives without a meta-gene.
Ultiman was one of the most physically robust Secret Societors until Superman joined. Squire still dismantled him and his defenses with her quarterstaff. Ravager fought Sabra and Zora simultaneously. They were two of the best swordswomen alive and she stabbed them both within a few minutes. She loved every minute of having her full peripheral vision back.
"Showing off, I see," Squire accused.
"When you're this damn good, what isn't there to show?" Ravager didn't even bother with a mask anymore. She'd changed her costume to pure white and silver to distance herself from her father and accentuate her natural hair color. That and show off the fact she was half-Vietnamese. It was the same look she'd carried with her time at NOWHERE as their chief enforcer minus the eyepatch.
That was where she'd first met Beryl disguised as a very male Red Robin. The very first Red Robin. They'd joined the Teen Titans together upon escaping. Afterwards co-founding the Outlaws with Green Arrow, Speedy, and Jason when he'd still been Red Hood. Red Arrow was the first to volunteer to join up and then Jason went recruiting. Squire had recruited Oracle and a mission to rescue her had altered the trajectory of Jason Todd's life forever and Li Harper's as it turned out. But Li and Oracle had made their peace.
Now Beryl and Rose were trying to spot a man for Li. Li being decidedly into the mouth whipping, broody sort. Ollie was spoken for so that left Arrow out of the running. In fact, all of the Outlaws, male and female, seemed spoken for or decidedly wrong for Red Hood. Squire knew Oracle had her eye on a candidate. A sixth Vigilante had appeared in Chicago.
After Greg Saunders retired the ID, DA turned judge Adrian Chase had adopted it, retired it, and reactivated it. In between those times, two other Vigs had appeared. Pat Trayce, equipped by Slade Wilson himself and Chase's bailiff, Alan Welles had picked up the legacy and died for it. Inspiring Chase and his brother Dorian to each become a Vigilante.
Donald Fairchild seemed to be a sixth Vigilante but hadn't christened himself as one yet. A former Chicago Bulls power forward player, Fairchild devoted his monies and training schedule to becoming a presumed Vigilante after the death of his girlfriend at the orders of Intergang's Queenie Hart. Oracle, with Beryl and Rose's avid support, were campaigning for Don to join the Outlaws and commit to the Vigilante name in an effort to redeem it from its corruptions by Trayce and the Chase brothers. Being with the Outlaws would purify Don's mission as well as introduce him to Li. Right now he was just randomly targeting Intergang lowlifes rather than targeting the main players. Players the Outlaws could easily obtain contracts against and blame other Intergang members for it. Starting an internal war between the forces and loyalties of the 1000 against the 100. It was a plan Jason, Oracle, Rose, Beryl, Li, Oliver, and Felicity had devised and were waiting to implement.
"What now?" Undercover Girl shouted out.
"Now we survive," Libra offered a mock surrender. Montoya led the SRU unit arresting Libra, Teacher, and Undercover Girl. her patience had been tried enough today. It was about to be strained.
Red Arrow gassed the recuperated Speed McGee, Express Man, and Express
but Streak Carter got loose to plague the Arrows. Protector joined them after passing off his prisoners.
"Does she ever quit?" Protector asked.
"Does she ever shut up?" Arrow grated. Dr. Riddle, Dr. Mystery, Erda of Dox, Queen Marie, and Spider Woman joined them at that point. Streak Carter stopped long enough to taunt them.
"That answer your questions?" Red Arrow snarked. Streak Carter began racing between them.
"Go back to back," Arrow commanded.
"Bossy," Protector gibed.
"You have nooo idea," Red Arrow lamented.
"Critique me later," Arrow suggested, "Stay alive now."
"Cryptic and bossy," Protector mentioned
"That's how we love him," Red Arrow replied. Arrow fired one. Streak Carter went down with a cry of pain. Then the attached gas cylinder released and knocked her out.
"That would take a Flash down for half an hour," Arrow advised them.
The SRU team was led by an exonerated Det. Jason Bard, who'd collected the other fallen speedsters and now Streak Carter and slapped inhibitor collars on them.
"Attention, you are surrounded. There is no escape. Surrender quietly and it will be noted,' Bard announced over a megaphone.
"Erda of Dox does not surrender to mere humans," she declared. the alien warrior was a contemporary of Erica. Dr. Riddle, Dr. Mystery, Queen Marie, and Spider Woman each had their own jeering replies as well. Dr. Riddle made people confused and befuddled.
Dr. Mystery blanketed minds into a fugue state. Queen Marie was a Marilyn Monroe lookalike who used voodoo magic while Spider Woman had spider powers and could spin webs the same way Arachnid Man and Arachnid Woman had the powers but magically rather than scientifically derived through DNA splicing.
Of course, Arachnid Woman had been the result of a Red Claw scheme while Arachnid Man was just an accidental repeat of the experimental procedure when the DNA infused specimens escaped and bit the young Andrew Toby Holland. The bites killed the spiders but transformed Holland into Arachnid Man. Arachnid Woman kept her actual identity secret but operated under the pseudonym "Jess MacNichol".
Spider Woman herself was Baroness Taklachak, the former leader of an Eastern European, Indian deity spider cult. Their profane rites had given her youth, beauty and power when the cultists sacrificed themselves in 1943. Uncontrolled by Nazis or Communists, the Spider Woman eked out a living as a thief until being contacted by Libra decades later. Taklachak had been touring Eastern Ukraine attempting to resurrect the cult that gave her her powers but no one was buying into it. Instead political separatism was all the rage. So long as a Russian proxy was Ukrainian president, the Donbas barely held off from open revolt.
Libra convinced Spider Woman to join the Secret Society and met Elena then as well, buying her from her Russian and Hungarian captors. Elena would kill Libra and take his place. A move Major Disaster supported. He'd despised Libra for buying a "bride" against her will. Human trafficking being a line Major Disaster wouldn't cross. In Libra's quest for balance there could be no freedom without slavery. So he justified his actions. Just as Elena justified hers.
Her justifications were simply more popular. Elena believed in the haves and have nots. She just preferred to have. So the Secret Society, with Major Disaster's co-leadership, followed her now. Dr. Riddle baffled half of the SRU while Dr. Mystery put the other half in a fugue state. Queen Marie and Spider Woman struck while Arrow played a hunch and used an explosive arrow to knock Erda out. She survived just fine. Protector dealt with Queen Marie before she could cast a spell summoning a spirit. Red Arrow utilized her last gas arrow to knock Spider Woman out. Taser arrows took the Doctors down.
"Apparently I'm not supposed to arrest you," Bard shared, "But some of your buddies need help. Hop in and I'll get you there."
"I get you outta here, Major Man!" Big Sir over turned cars in his rush to ferry away Major Disaster, who was still too stricken to control his own powers. But a new wave of villains presented themselves against Arkham Knight and Red Hood.
"Always making new friends and allies," Red Hood said chipperly.
"Man that guy can move when he wants to," Arkham Knight was still impressed by Big Sir's unstoppable progress.
"Uh...head in the game much?" Red Hood worried.
"Right," Arkham Knight drew his pistol and Red Hood did the same, "Let's kick some ass."
"That's all I ask," Red Hood grinned. They had an array of Societors facing them down when a plane suddenly did a strafing run.
"Damn," Arkham Knight grumbled as Ghost placed his plane in hover mode and descended in his armored might.
"Planes?" Red Hood scoffed, "Really? I bet the guy can't even get it up."
The plane flew off on autopilot and the Ghost remained behind.
"I am not taking that bet," Arkham Knight decided. Black Lion was Black Puma's contemporary and frequent partner. Black Venus trafficked in the dark arts but was a minor mystic. Mime was Carnival's partner and she'd elevated mime to a deadly art. Cave Girl was a literal Tomb Raider and used crime to fund her expeditions. City Girl had powers like Jack Hawksmoor. She drew energy from urban environments. Crawler literally crawled walls and ceilings.
Ghost was a former government operative gone rogue. He was so fetishist with his "Ghost" persona he wore his full regalia at home even when relaxing. Black Lion went on the attack as Cave Girl opened fire. Arkham Knight shot Black Lion in mid-leap, grazing her side so he could pistol whip her. Red Hood got into a running gun battle with Cave Girl. City Girl summoned power from Gotham's spirit. She hurled a bolt at Arkham Knight as Black Venus cast a shrouding spell. Arkham Knight shot her from memory while he dodged City Girl's power bolt. Gotham cut off its power from City Girl as it recognized Jason Todd as one of its favorite sons and he clubbed City Girl unconscious.
Crawler went up a wall while Ghost snorted, "I thought you were supposed to kill us."
"Sorry to disappoint," Arkham Knight meant it. The DEO began arriving in support of the SRU and the Crows.
"Nice try," Ghost's plane came flying in again. He fired a grapnel line and the wing caught it and he lifted into the air. Arkham Knight shot the line and Ghost plummeted onto a parked car. Groaning, he passed out.
"Parlay?" Crawler asked from his perch. Arkham Knight shot him too. Cave Girl was being dragged back to the fore by Red Hood.
"Look, I don't know why but I'm to give you two a lift," Agent Moore told them
"Mind telling us why?" Arkham Knight asked.
"Some of your people need serious help," Sophie told them, "So climb in or not."
"What's with DEO showing up?" Red Hood asked after they were underway.
"Agents Fite `n Maad showed up to take custody of your survivors. Thanks for that by the way. Apparently Sec. Waller convinced Sec. Bones to transport them directly to Belle Reeve," Moore explained.
"Now Agent Moore, we all know Lockdown doesn't run a top secret meta-human housing black site in the swamps of Louisiana," Arkham Knight teased,
"Is he being serious?" Sophie asked Red Hood.
"You get used to his deadpan sarcasm," she shrugged.
"Before we get any further, what's your relationship with Red Hood One and the Red Hoods Gang?" Moore inquired tersely.
"I have none. Those posers wish they were him," Red Hood sighed. Arkham Knight's fanboys were such a headache.
"We dealt with them before. We'll do it again," Arkham Knight promised.
"You slaughtered them last time," Sophie complained, "Please tell me that was sarcasm again."
"That was sarcasm again," Arkham Knight lied. Moore wasn't reassured.
Superman landed in the midst of Street Avenger, Wild Dog, Sparrow, and Starling. They were all broken and unconscious within seconds. Superman took flight again as the stunned DEO, SRU, and Crows agents looked on in disbelief.
"A Black Superman? Of course, he's a crook," a Crows agent sneered.
"Want to face federal charges, agent?" Agent Fite asked.
"Nossir!" the agent barked back.
"Then leave your racist remarks unspoken," Fite warned him.
Crimson Avenger and Pagan sat out while Black Bison and Shieldmaiden dealt with Multi Man, Half-Ape, Gem Girl, and the Polka Dot Bandit in seconds.
"Missed some," Pagan knocked Nadya and Cluemaster out while Crimson Avenger shot Kite Man out of the sky.
"Bring me a challenge," Shieldmaiden complained then Superman landed.
"That is more like it," Shieldmaiden drew her sword.
"His blood is tainted," Crimson Avenger warned, "It has alien elements."
"Which is probably why he dresses as Superman," Pagan said dryly.
"I am the only Superman," Bill Dunn told them.
"We'll see," Black Bison promised.
Weather Witch created localized rain to extinguish the fires Flame and Flame Girl had set on the Murder Prophet and Black Rat while trying to incinerate Azrael. Lightning Girl had shocked the Weeper into unconsciousness trying to attempt the same. Azrael suddenly ran the stricken Revenge Syndicate burn victims through with his flaming swords.
"The wounds are cauterized. They will not bleed to death," Azrael informed Weather Witch. Lightning struck around Azrael but not him directly.
"And you're not grounded," she realized as he sliced her staff in half.
"The totem seems important to you," he noted.
"Dammit! No!" Weather Witch had time to say before Lightning Girl stunned her while Azrael was unaffected.
"Oh shit," Lightning Girl realized the magnitude of her miscalculation. Flame and Flame Girl streamed fire at him and he waded through it.
"Futz me!" Flame said
"I surrender!" Flame Girl quickly shouted, "We all do!"
"We do?" Flame whispered to her.
"We do," Lightning Girl decided as the law enforcement agencies arrived. DEO Agent Maad drove Azrael to the scene where Superman was wreaking havoc.
Catman heard the sirens, "I'm outta here."
Catwoman snapped her whip around his throat as he attempted to leave. Kitten snickered. Catgirl and Claire Voyant dragged Peyton to their location. Scarface was broken beyond repair. There the local DEO SAIC explained what was occurring.
"No way! We are too outclassed. We are not participating," Catwoman declared.
"I agree. Our presence would just be distracting," Claire Voyant voiced.
"You two suck," Catgirl complained.
Black Bison and Shieldmaiden were pounding away at Bill Dunn. "Superman" found himself vulnerable to both Black Bison's spirit animals and Shieldmaiden's enchanted sword, Drekafang. Her shield protected her from his Flash Vision and his Cool Breath. Black Bison wasn't quite as fortunate. His spirit animals sacrificed themselves to protect him from the Flash Vision but could do little to prevent the freezing temperatures and gale force winds of the Cool Breath. It was this nightmare Crimson Avenger and Pagan were trying to navigate while the others were driven in.
Arkham Knight began organizing the others to harry Superman.
Arrow had a kryptonite arrow but Red Hood reminded him, "He's part-Daxamite. Lead should be his weakness yet bullets are having no effect."
"His humanity protects him from the allergy," Squire deduced. Ravager had joined in the physical confrontation. She was having the time of her life. Batwing arrived as Azrael did.
"It is about time you arrived," Azrael told him.
"Can Crimson Avenger hold him?" Batwing asked.
"I need his blood pumping to try and get a lock," Crimson Avenger replied.
"That isn't enough?" Pagan watched the damage being meted out.
"Hardly. He hasn't even broken a sweat yet," Crimson Avenger told her, "His pulse is barely 69 beats per minute."
"Damn," Pagan noted it as well.
"Leave that to me," Azrael promised. He directly engaged Superman. Even with Ultra Speed and Strength, Superman couldn't land a solid blow on Azrael as the Avenging Angel of the Orders of St. Dumas and Batman rolled with every contact returning to the fight seconds later. Shieldmaiden, Black Bison, and Ravager adapted and began fighting the same way. Superman was always under threat and forced to react. Drekafang and the spirit animals scored well earned wounds across the otherwise invulnerable Bill Dunn because they were magical in nature and Superman was as vulnerable to magic as Kal-El, Kara In-Ze, or Laurel Gand.
"Now I have him," Crimson Avenger began to slow Bill Dunn down.
Azrael saw the change, "Lay it on! He's becoming vulnerable!"
His own flaming swords were enchanted by trolls so they seared Superman's flesh as well as broke the skin. Azrael plunged his sword into Superman's chest. Bill Dunn sank to his knees. But when Azrael withdrew the blade, Bill Dunn had already begun to heal. He flew away at Ultra Speed to escape further punishment.
"How did you know that wouldn't kill him?" Batwing asked him seconds later.
"I didn't," Azrael replied. Thus reminding Batwing that Azrael ha d been trained and mentally conditioned as a warrior-assassin by St. Dumas.
"Now?" Jason Bard asked Montoya
"You're all free to go under the terms of your agreement with Commissioner Gordon and her arrangements with Commander Kane and Director Danvers," Montoya announced, "This is a one-time free pass. Don't waste it."
"I have further work tonight," Azrael announced and grapnel lined to the rooftops.
"I'll make myself scarce," Batwing decided.
"Can our people travel?" Arkham Knight asked.
"EMTs have cleared them. They're pretty banged up but are fit to move," Agent Fite told him, "As agreed, their identities remain secret."
"The DEO thanks you for your service," Agent Maad added.
"Then it was all worth it and we roll out as soon as we collect our people," Arkham Knight snarked.
"We can drive you," Fite `n Maad summoned DEO agents to deliver the Outlaws.
While the Secret Society struck across the Narrows, East End, and the Bowery, the Wonderland Gang set a trap by blowing up a bank in the unaffected area of Gotham Heights. Then they waited.
"A little five and dime for you, isn't this?" Bat-Man asked as he and Bat-Woman and Bat-Girl arrived on the scene
"You never know, do you?" Red Alice laughed.
"Where's your playmate?" Bat-Man asked.
"Behind you," Red Alice snickered. Bat-Man instinctively turned and received a baseball bat to the face as Hellequin made her presence known. Then she knocked the Bat Clan off of their perches as well.
Bat-Man took a Miraclo, "She's mine!"
"You can have her," Bat-Woman agreed as she and Bat-Girl prepped to engage the Wonderlanders
Marian Drews knew the exact moment Bruce Alan Wayne's Miraclo took effect. Bat-Man hardened against the pain of Hellequin's newest favorite aluminum baseball bat. So she sheathed the bat and went for the grenade launcher. Spinning it into her hands, she fired at point blank range. Confetti and gas enshrouded Bat-Man.
"Damn," Hellequin complained a she ejected the spent shell and reloaded a new shell casing. The second one released a beanbag that should have broken his breastbone but failed to do so. On her third shell, she found the antipersonnel explosive round she'd been looking for and put Bat-Man on his back, floundering like a turtle.
Red Alice ended up facing Bat-Woman and Bat-Girl alone. Even with her butterfly knife, she was losing against the Dynamic Duo redux. Then a baseball bat hit the back of Bat-Woman's knees, toppling her.
"Get the hell away from my friend," Hellequin snarled.
"Besties?" Red Alice snickered.
"Don't push it," but Red Alice had her answer since she could see Bat-Man struggling to rise. Hellequin had sacrificed the killing shot to intervene just in time. Still Pops was partially avenged. Bruce Alan's cowl was in ruins.
"Uncle Bruce?" Red Alice recognized him immediately, "Now this explains a lot."
"Cousin Bruce was the real Batman," Hellequin told her.
"Really?" Red Alice was surprised, "He hardly seems the type."
"The playboy thing was all an act," Hellequin promised her.
"Pretty damn good acting," Red Alice grumbled.
"Pretty damn big secret. And Kate knows," Hellequin told her, "So does Jacob."
"Everyone but poor Red Alice," she lamented, "Let's kill someone to make me feel better."
"These two?" Hellequin asked.
"For a start. And then Uncle Bruce," Beth allowed.
"`Bout damn time," Hellequin growled.
"They've unmasked Dad," Robin commed in to Selina Wayne. Selina Falcone-Wayne was 49 when she had 15 year old Helena. Selina herself, now 64 was ten years younger than Bruce Alan. Just as Selina Kyle was ten years younger than Bruce Wayne and 45 when she had her Helena. That Helena Kyle was teething while Helena Wayne was Robin.
Standing beside her was the former Anarky, Ulysses Armstrong. As Red Robin, he too was member of the Bat Clan. Nightwing had recruited the original Anarky to take over the Red Robin role pioneered by Squire. Just as he'd persuaded Stephanie Brown to lay down the Spoiler identity to become the new Nightwing.
Dick Grayson personally trained Nightwing. He oversaw key elements of Red Robin's training. Just as Barbara Gordon hand selected and trained her replacement Batgirl, Carrie Kelley. Both based off a list Bruce had kept of potential Robin candidates. Spoiler being the easier of the two to train.
The former Batwoman, Kathy Duquesne, devoted hours, days, weeks, and months to the training sessions as well as her fellow Batwoman, Rocki Ballentine, and Det. Sgt. CPD Sonia Alcona. The trio being just as invaluable as Barb or Dick any day. Sonia dated the Captain of a federally funded interstate meta task force so she found plenty of excuses to persuade Margo Collins to send her to Gotham. Margo knew of Sonia's Batwoman past and time with the Justice League. Margo's promotion and Sonia's own bare survival against Catman realigned her priorities and she formally joined the Chicago Police Department as Det. Alcona. Making Sergeant as soon as her time in grade would allow for the testing.
No one realizing Sonia had died in the Prime Universe and this version derived from Earth-5 where there were no superheroes. Renee Montoya stemmed from Earth-5 as well. The only two known survivors selected by the Monitor to outlive their universe. The New Universe requiring both of them in it. Glorith just happened to oblige with their Prime histories intact.
Bat-Man was donning his spare cowl while Selina cleared the Robins, "You're clear to engage. Be careful."
"We're always careful," Red Robin lied.
"So noted," Selina lied back. The two Robins methodically dropped in the midst of the Wonderland Gang and took down the average members until only the Tweedles, the March Hare, Door Mouse, and the Mad Hatter remained standing. A helicopter arrived to deliver six Batmen.
"Oh dear, an escalation," the Mad Hatter said with faux horror. She deployed the Numbskulls at that point. Red Cross' undead soldiers quickly engaged the Batmen.
"Seems the Bat-Man has an army. Too bad we have one too," Mad Hatter said poutily
"We're still taking you down, Hatter!" Red Robin declared.
"Down? You don't even know me," Anna Wilson countered, "Take them."
Door Mouse, March Hare, and the Tweedles found themselves compelled to engage the Robin and Red Robin.
Red Cross and Special Nurse's reanimation process suppressed Lt. Poole, Sarge, PFC Maloney Sutcliffe, Norris, and Olivia Keller's memories and personalities but their fighting skills remained intact. Their bodies were overdriven so they ran hot and could stroke if not periodically iced down. Mad Hatter's nanoprobes provided motive and direction for the otherwise suppressed mentalities. The Batmen, some of the finest commandos ever trained, found themselves outmatched by the Numbskulls and their seeming inability to die and stay dead. Finally they resorted to grenades to blow the bodies apart.
"Oh dear," Mad Hatter casually remarked while she sat down to enjoy a tea party of one.
Azrael made his arrival then. First he intervened by subduing the Bat Clan. Robin and Red Robin were relatively simple matters. The Batmen were more difficult but already badly shaken by their encounter with the Numbskulls. Who were still trying to attack. Azrael gave Mad Hatter a hidden glare.
"Oh, all right." she did pout this time as she called off the Wonderlanders and Numbskulls.
Next Azrael fought Bat-Woman and Bat-Girl. They proved formidable but the platinum haired Kate Webb and bleached blonde, Asian Jessa Carde were no match for a living weapon.
Azrael intercepted the enraged Bat-Man, "Suffer your loss tonight or face me."
Bat-Man called in a Batmen extraction team that spirited their fallen comrades and the Bat Clan away.
"What the hell?" Hellequin raged.
"They were to be apprehended, not killed," Azrael stiffly replied, "You broke the intent of the bargain. Therefore the bargain was broken. You pay the penalty. Go now. Before the GCPD arrives."
"I won't forget this," Hellequin vowed.
"Neither shall I," Azrael solemnly swore.
"Doctors! We have patients!" Triage called to Red Cross and Special Nurse in their illegal clinic in Devil's Square.
"The formula should repair them once we get everything reattached correctly," Red Cross assessed, "It'll be expensive though."
"I discovered just the threat the Numbskulls need to address," Red Alice told him, "I want them operational."
"Pay me enough and I can work miracles," Red Cross promised.
"The DEO, paragons of time keeping," Neo Joker chuckled. The prison transport left Blackgate containing Black Siren. But Plastic Woman and Nancy Morgan struck first to disable the transport and liberate Laurel Drake.
"I guess we go to Plan M. M for 'mayhem'," Christina Bell manically laughed. The Jokerz struck without warning from every side. Neo Joker's general, Punchline, led the mass charge.
Neo Joker held J-Man, Card Queen, and Dee Dee in reserve, "Now what are they up to?"
The Riddler led the Riddles gang into the fray, seeming to assist the Penguins. But they quickly tried to kill Plas, Morgan, and Black Siren.
"I guess the era of peace and prosperity is broken," Neo Joker laughed. She radioed Punchline and ordered a mass withdrawal.
"I see your point," J-Man was the first to grasp it, "With the Penguins and Riddles engaged in a war, Knightfall's dupes will have to choose sides, and war will break out. Leaving Gotham in sheer chaos and ruin."
"Precisely, me ould son," Neo Joker faked a Gaelic lilt, "Hellequin will approve."
"You infected us with your nanoprobes!" Door Mouse accused Mad Hatter.
"Of course, Dear Sweet Anna did," Red Alice grinned like a Cheshire.
"You knew?" March Hare asked.
"I told her too," Red Alice explained, "You're all infected and loyal to a fault now."
"Everyone except Sweet Red Alice and the Hellequin," Mad Hatter explained, "They don't need external controls. Though I did ponder sparing the Tweedles. But Red Alice made certain to include them as well."
Everyone began to rise.
"Sit," Mad Hatter ordered. They did so.
"Hellequin and I share command authority with our Mad Hatter. So you'll have to manage to kill all three of us to be free," Red Alice taunted them, "And you're baseline is to leave us unharmed."
"We were like siblings. Why do this?" Door Mouse asked.
"'Were' being the operative word," Red Alice replied, "Now let's enjoy a nice tea party and let bygones be bygones."
They found themselves forced to comply and Door Mouse hated Hellequin more than ever.
"Seems I signed on too late to help," the sixth Vigilante met the Outlaws at their underground garage where they parked their new "undercover" Batmobile Porsches.
"Be still my libido," Red Hood murmured. Ravager and Squire exchanged knowing glances. It seemed they and Oracle had chosen wisely. At least exterior wise. Now came the inner qualities to look for.
"Oracle ask I not wear my mask when meeting you all for the first time," Vigilante suited back up, "Now that that's done, how can I help with the wounded?"
"You have a name?" Red Hood asked.
"Donald Fairchild but now you can call me Vigilante," he stated, "Oracle's idea."
She'd run her shared scheme past Jason. He'd approved the approach.
"You the Bulls' forward?" Red Hood was impressed.
"I was," Vig told her, "I was medically released from my contract. The same hit that took out my girlfriend almost killed me. But I survived and now Intergang will pay."
"She's already twitterpated," Arrow noted.
"Let's get everyone home and worry about Red Hood crushing on Vigilante later," Squire suggested.
Azrael came to terms with Father M'Buttu, Sister Lilhy, and Batwing.
"And who are these two?" Azrael asked of the prisoners being held in Father M'Buttu's rectory.
"Assassins sent by Iron Knife to make certain I never reveal his true identity and past," M'Buttu told him, "The Newsboy Legion spotted them and the departing Blue Boys dealt with them."
Azrael beheaded them, "I dealt with them. Now Father, tell me everything. Where one or two venture forth, an army of assassins follows. I need to know what you know in order to protect you and the Order of St. Batman from this 'Iron Knife'."
Open and Public Domain Sourced
Superman
Real Name
Bill Dunn
First Appearance
Science Fiction: The Advance Guard of Future Civilization #3 (January 1933)
Created by
Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster
Origin
Professor Ernest Smalley was a mad scientist who specialized in chemistry. Needing test subjects for his experiments, the professor randomly chooses a homeless man named Bill Dunn from a Depression-era bread line telling him that in exchange for participating in the experiment Dunn would receive a new suit and a hot meal.
The experiment, a potion, granted Dunn telepathic powers. However, the man became power mad and decided to take over the world. Unfortunately for Dunn, the potion's effects are temporary and since he killed Smalley, the secret formula could not be duplicated. Dunn's powers begin to fade and he realized he will be returning to the bread line once more.
Public Domain Appearances
Science Fiction: The Advance Guard of Future Civilization #3
Notes
Bill Dunn was inspired by Hugo Danner by Philip Gordon Wylie.
In 1934, after refusing editors, the two authors decided to recreate the Superman character who launched the Golden Age of Comic Books.
Iron Knife
Real Name
Unknown
Alias
Mbeli Ebedende
First Appearance 2014
PDSH wiki
Created By
Brandon Longstreth
Origins
The Iron Knife is a superhuman African warlord. He murdered his way up the ranks of various Congolese militias , eventually forming his own small army. Some time ago he claimed parts of Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Central African Republic, Cameroon, and Gabon. He named this territory the Iron Country and appointed himself president.
Notes
Iron Knife is an open source character created specifically for use by anyone. Feel free to use to any way you wish.
Ultiman
Real Name
Axel Amherst
First Appearance
Open Source Characters on Facebook (February 26, 2014)
Created by
Corey Grant
Pax Mundi
Real Name
Unknown
First Appearance
November 5, 2010
Created by
Vito Delsante & Uriel Duran
Jenny Anywhere
Real Name
Jenny Anywhere
First Appearance
PDSH website - April 2013
Original Publisher
Public Domain Heroes
Created by
Carter-Ethan Rankin
Jenny Elsewhere
Real Name
Jenny Elsewhere
First Appearance
PDSH website - April 2013
Original Publisher
Public Domain Heroes
Created by
Carter-Ethan Rankin
"The character of Jenny Elsewhere is available for use by anyone, with only one condition. This paragraph must be included in any publication involving Jenny Elsewhere, in order that others may use this property as they wish. All rights reversed."
"The character of Jenny Anywhere is available for use by anyone, with only one condition. This paragraph must be included in any publication involving Jenny Anywhere, in order that others may use this property as they wish. All rights reversed."
Express
Real Name
Mark Murphy
First Appearance
OSSH (Sept. 14, 2017)
Created by
Dustin Smith
"The character of Express is available for use by anyone, with only one condition. This paragraph must be included in any publication involving Express, in order that others may use this property as they wish. All rights reversed."
The Desert Hawk
Real Name
Bart Benson
alias "Dagar"
First Appearance
All Great Comics #13 (1947)
Original Publisher
Fox Features
Created by
Edmond Good
Leads the Pax Mundi and the elite Desert Hawks Brigade
The Express Man
Real Name
Max Murphy
First Appearance
Midnight #1 (April 1957)
Original Publisher
Ajax-Farrell
Created by
Unknown
Chelle Parker
First Appearance
November 11, 2010
Created by
Vito Delsante & Uriel Duran
Origin
Chelle Parker, aka Party Girl, PI just needs to be stylish, hip, and sexy. The glasses are for work mode. She has to look like she is hitting the club immediately after doing some fact checking. She's a detective with a bar tab. A heavy bar tab!