[02nd October 2010]
[Bayou Bartholomew, Arkansas]
"Gott'em mate, there e' is, and I'd guess thems his mates there and there" John muttered back to us as the 'map' that had arranged itself upon the ground thanks to the powers of the nature elemental Swamp Thing. Fortunately for us, and unfortunately for him, Count Verner Vertigo had a blood sample on file with the US State Department thanks to an injury during one of his...diplomatic immunity usages.
And even better we had a nasty British magician very good at making use of sympathetic magic against someone with likely little to no magical training or resistance. Two of the mud figures glowed ever so faintly in the night as the multi-tone voice of the Lord of Order made itself clear "These foes stand as the strongest wielders of power within those shown; even from here the foul taste of Wotan's dark sorceries fills the very air of this land"
I nodded, okay then those were likely to be Wotan and Black Adam "Have we been detected do you think?"
"Nay, Wotan's magic is well known to me and between our arts, and the aid of the Champion of the Green, we are as yet undetected..." Nabu replied as the rapid setup of the ground force continued as the sound of choppers filled the air behind us "...but once we approach we will be revealed to his sorcerer's sight. It would be best to distract him, and draw him and the Fallen Champion out before making our true strength known"
"I have to agree with that..." I answered looking at my teammates and then at Amanda Waller and the assembled group of Special Forces standing ready nearby "...the priority has to be in shutting down the plants and whatever control mechanism their using first, and best to try capture it first in case of a dead man's switch if me blow the place up. I recommend we draw Wotan away from the place...and Black Adam too if possible...then scry and fry the defenders left, take the place while the rest of us take their heavies away from the facility"
The Nature Elemental's deep rumbling voice filled the air again "I will go to this place first, to save these sproutlings that have been tainted and twisted by these villains. Then the punishment of this Poison Ivy will follow, even now I hear her shrill voice whipping at the edge of the Green. What insolence to demand as she does!"
John gave the American woman technical overseeing this little shindig a serious enough look for him as he stubbed out his cigarette beneath him "Best let Alex led in the charge, take control out them plants away from the bad guys, and keep the Green happy too while we're at it. If yer Lordship of Order ere' and the marines goes in with'em, and mini-batman ower there..." he nodded at Robin who squawked about his actual name "...as the rest ah'us take the rest of them. Me and evil-john 'ere can hold Wotesy till Nabu 'ere gets back, and muscles over there hold down Black Adam while we try fill evil-dude full of bullets and bombs"
"Aren't you forgetting to worry about the Joker in all this planning, he's a dangerous lunatic and..." Robin complained and before I could say anything, or any of the others, the blunt gruff tones of Amanda Waller voiced what I'd been thinking.
"And not bulletproof, nor is Vertigo or Atomic Skull. He's got no hostages around him this time to act as cover, and no Bat or soft hearted little liberals to whine over civil liberties. Colonel Markham lethal force is authorised if deemed necessary...you will enter the facility under the command of Doctor Fate and in conjunction allied forces. You will secure the facility, ensure that the plants control mechanism is brought under friendly control, and the attacks on our cities stopped. Once done you will hold the facility against and all till relieved while our allies here return to aid in the fight here"
The aforementioned soldier saluted immediately "Yes Sir, as you command, we'll do our duty"
She barely acknowledged his reply before turning back to us "I've seen better plans, and worse ones too, but time is of the essence. Let us begin..."
--
[T 15]
[Bayou Bartholomew, Arkansas]
'Vertigo' she mouthed silently to herself hidden behind the trees and overgrowth of the swamp as off in the distance above she saw green clad man scanning about, then focusing on a spot in the sky in the opposite direction.
Softly, slowly, carefully, Artemis leaned away from the tree and began to pull back the drawstring of her bow as the distracted villain brought his hands up to his head with a smirk and turned his back to where she was hidden. Hidden and Invisible thanks to Skulls, which was awesome, as with ease she pulled back the stun quarrel and let loose...
"Aaarrgghhhhhh!" echoed out from maybe a hundred and fifty yards away as it slammed into the back of the distracted Count Vertigo and unleashed its electrical discharge into him. His shriek ended after a few seconds before he fell to the ground with a wet splat sound coming to her ears as she moved as quickly away where she just been as she whispered into the communicator at her throat "Vertigo down"
Even as she stated it a warning buzzed into her earpiece from Skulls "Everyone Black Adam incoming!"
She sprinted the few metres left to where her teammate was crouched, the others in their own positions nearby as in the air above the bio-ship was starting to move once again, descending rapidly towards the ground some distance away. Despite the situation it was still strange to see Skulls without the skull-mask and instead dressed like a soldier in his camouflaged combat armour, helmet upon his head, and little flag patched on the shoulder of it. A little way across from him Aqualad had those strange blue coloured magic swords made of water ready in his hands as...
Whaammmmm
Her head jerked in the direction of loud rumbling noise just in time to see the bio-ship slammed into by a black clad figure and sent flying off to crash swamp a few hundred metres behind her. Skulls reached out and grabbed her shoulder, his voice coming over the earpiece as well as from being so close as the other touched the communicator at his throat "M'gann is okay, the ship is shielded with magic as well its normal armour, SAM's launch now! Superboy attack on my mark!"
Whoosshhhh! Whoosshhhh! Whoosshhhh!
The noise echoed out from around the swamp around her as she pulled another of the more advanced arrows to her bowstring in readiness. A handful of smoke contrails suddenly filled the sky from around and behind her, along with those dying whooshing roars, as M'gann's voice flashed across her mind that the Martian girl was in fact okay and getting out of that living ship of hers. Echoed out just as the sky exploded into light and sound with the detonation of the missiles on, or probably just near, where Black Adam had been. Skull's hand was already at the communicator again.
"Superboy engage, now..."
"Wotan incomin' lads and lasses, think he got the plant lady an' the monkey just behind 'em..." the voice of Skulls mentor interrupted even as Superboy fly up from the underbrush behind her thanks to some magic stuff she didn't understand. Much like the gloves, boots and bracers that her friend had given her which somehow made her faster, stronger and supposedly tougher even without the fact he'd made her invisible despite him still being able to see her "...sendin' in me little welcome gift to meet'em!"
Skulls turned to her, motioning at Aqualad and an empty spot nearby as his voice echoed out in her head "Artemis your ranged support..." gunfire erupted from somewhere nearby along with a bestial sounding roar from the sky above "...targets of opportunity an' use your own discretion, Kid Flash, Aqualad, focus on Ivy and the Ultra-humaite with ground supportas the others are gone in for the main target. I'm going airborne to help, M'gann your with me and Connor, make sure your IFF's pingers are on"
Then his voice echoed out over the comms as he rose into the sky "All air units deploy, be aware friendlies engaging hostiles. Take your shots carefully people! Ground troops be aware Poison Ivy and Ultrahumanite are in play and camouflaged
"On it!" Artemis grinned back moving off behind Aqualad as she heard the also invisible Kid Flash do the same though Skulls probably didn't hear as he was flying upwards just as Superboy roared something loud and incomprehensible before she saw Black Adam flung backwards towards the ground along with the flash of something in the air...
--
[T 21]
[Airborne, Bayou Bartholomew, Arkansas]
"I said no fucking demons John" I snapped into the comms as I felt, then saw, the ugly horror winged horror hurtle through the air towards the ascending form blue skinned form of Wotan. Off of my side I heard the rapid-fire staccato that nearly drowned the reply that came to my earpiece as the two Apache attack helicopters that had arrived on the field poured rockets into where Black Adam has impacted.
"Summoned Voodoun spirit mate! So technically not breakin' not summon demons thing ah promised!" I heard him say but had no time to reply as I directed my flight path forward towards Connor's position. Flying was as strangely liberating as always as I bit down on a reply before bringing my hand up and pointing in the direction of the blue skinned sorcerer fighting the not-demon flying demon horror.
"Lightning Bolt" I uttered out as the power built inside me and I sent it hurling towards Wotan. As I expected he blocked it with a wave of his hand and forming a shield of some sort just in time...but the impact and the distraction allowed Constantine's not-a-demon to slam into him with snapping teeth and claws. Within seconds the Norse Sorcerer was falling towards the ground while struggling frantically with the creature, but I continued as I focused on aiding Connor as the magical powers flared and surged around all around. Constantine was coming in as well, and Wotan was distracted, but Black Adam...
Roared out of the dust and debris thrown up by the heavy guns and rockets towards Connor, though looking slightly worse for wear along with rage filled looked decorating his face. My chant was already on my lips as he rushed upwards, and Superboy readied the warhammer with an enchantment much like a vampiric blade in effect that I'd given him. Somewhat awkwardly as Superboy wasn't really used to having the ability to fly rather jump good, and I was at his side just as he'd adjusted his stance downwards and the dark lightning bolt that was Black Adam roared towards us. My hands were already moving, delaying just a few seconds before unleashing the blast of arcane power directly into our foe.
"Lance of Disruption!"
In truth the 'Lance' was more a big beam, or maybe swirling mass of energy with a cone shaped head, than any lance would be. And it slammed fist first into the snarling and enraged face of the empowered champion of the fallen Gods of ancient Kahndaq. But I had fought such before, even not empowered in this odd manner, and my own divine might was touching on this sphere as much as his unwilling supporters so he did not just shrug off this spell of concussive and disrupting force as he had expected.
Oh his spell resistance was ridiculous some part of my mind noted idly as he was pushed backwards by the force of the spell...falling then as his full force was turned towards fighting off my attack. I could feel Connor's grin even as I heard his voice shout out as he moved in pursuit swinging his weapon in anticipation "I got him now! Thanks!"
For a few brief seconds I couldn't help but watch as I turned and moved away. Superboy surging forward...as much falling as flying...and slamming the warhammer with all his might into Black Adam's face with a sickening crack of power. Punches and blows were exchanged in midair as I flew away, blood splattering away from Black Adam's face before I heard and felt him slam back into the ground below and Connor call over the comms to 'pour fire into him' to the attack copters.
Across the way I saw the swamp erupt in a sea of explosions as three A-10 Warthogs made attack runs on one of our foes, I assumed the Ultra-humanite as Artemis, Kid Flash and Aqualad were across on the other side of the swamp fighting Poison Ivy.
"Base is under our control! Plant attacks have ceased!" Amanda Waller's voice came across my earpiece as I saw John approach and the signs of Wotan fighting his way free of the not-a-demon flying horror below "Be advised Clown and Skull are down, probably permanently, Doctor Fate and Swamp Thing relocating to combat zone. All units be advised to watch for friendlies. There will be no friendly fire incidents people!"
"Copy Command, this is Strike-04. Confirming Attack Run complete and successful; the monkey is hamburger" well that answered that I supposed as I flung another lightning bolt at Wotan as Constantine flung a fireball of his own at the same time...
...something he managed to dodge, and block, respectively before launching his own attack upon me. Flight wasn't exactly my best skill being out of practice, but I dodged and shielded myself from the lance of purple energy hurled in my direction. Before an explosion from a missile's detonation hurled the flying blue wizard to the side and down...then attacked again by Constantine's not-a-demon...
"Holy sh...Swamp Thing just got Ivy! Prettttyyy sure she's out for the count!" Kid Flash's startled voice echoed out over the comms as I dodged and flared magic once again. Just a little closer...just a little...
"Flesh to Stone!" I snarled managing to close with the weakened and bleeding Norse sorcerer as he managed to finally destroy the ugly winged horror tearing into him. His protections were down, only momentarily but for just long enough as the grey colour spread out from the spot I slammed my fist into his back as he flailed forward in shock shouting in Old Norse I think...for but a moment as the stone consumed flesh and all that was left was a statute that fell from the sky...
Only to be caught and hover in mid-air as a golden ankh appeared a hundred metres away from me. Connor's tired, pained, but joy-filled voice came to my ears "Black Adam is down, M'gann get an inhibitor collar over here. And...ugh...a medic too probably..."
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