The Campbell Chronicles Part Two

Chapter 15

Batman and Wonder Woman flew over the planet of Cradle. Wonder Woman's Obsidian hair flew out behind her in the wind as she watched purple Rhino-like creatures run across a grassy plain.

People knelt in the fields, their hands glowing as they used their unique abilities to nourish the plants. Others called down fruit from trees and gently levitated them into baskets.

Wonder Woman turned to Batman, her blue eyes reflected in the canopy of his small bat-shaped plane. "I didn't expect this. Despite the strange animals, people are just living normal lives."

Thunder boomed as a dark-skinned woman with white hair hovered in the air, manipulating clouds to water the crops.

Batman watched the people move away from a nearby planetoid. Thick bands of gold spread through the planet.

A flash drew their attention to a town. People appeared in the city's center, surrounded by trash: broken chairs, cracked TVs, refrigerators with missing doors, and so much more. The people in the village emerged from their homes, their hands glowing as the damaged items regenerated into missing pieces.

People took what they needed from the items, while the people who had brought them disappeared with what remained after they finished. Batman turned to Wonder Woman, saying, "We could just be seeing a façade."

Wonder Woman's hand drifted to Lassoasso, and the golden rope glowed under her touch. "I don't think so. I sense no pain, no hidden darkness. These people want to live normal lives and be able to use their abilities to make a living."

"They could do that on Earth, and remember, these people stole satellites that were orbiting the Earth."

"Some of them may be, but others have unique features," Wonder Woman closed her eyes. Images flowed to her of vastly different worlds and histories Earth had never experienced. "I think some of them are from parallel Earths."

"The Lasso told you all of that?"

"The Lasso reveals the truth."

Wonder Woman opened her eyes and turned, tension draining from her shoulders as she saw Superman flying towards them.

Batman's gaze focused on Nicholas Campbell, who flew at the man of Steel's side.

"Pay close attention to Clark; he could be mind-controlled."

Wonder Woman rolled her eyes, but her grip tightened on Lassoasso. She floated forward as they stopped, Positioning herself between Batman's plane and the two men.

"Superman, you're all right. When we arrived at the Hall of Justice, all of you were missing, and there was blood. We feared the worst. Luckily, Oracle was able to access video feeds, and we saw a metahuman Teleport your way with Nicholas." She nodded at the man.

Superman's jaw tightened. "Amanda Waller broke into the Hall of Justice and absorbed Cyborg's electrical components. Flash arrived and tried to free Cyborg, but Amanda Waller placed boom tubes around the exits, and Flash could not vibrate his molecules with Cyborg in critical condition."

The man of steel sighed, "I was reckless and broke through the wall. I tackled her, which allowed her to drain my powers. With my powers, she was able to capture the Flash's speed. Martian man Hunter almost defeated her, but according to what Nicholas told me, her husband's spirit, Joseph Waller, intervened long enough for her to take John's powers."

Nicholas cleared his throat, his arms folded behind his back, "I stepped in after she took John's powers and was able to scare her off. Once she was gone, I contacted an associate to teleport your members here so they may receive medical treatment." Nicholas glanced up, thinking, "That reminds me, I need to pay him."

"Why didn't you intervene before Amanda took their powers?" The Dark Knight demanded.

"I thought you would find it suspicious if I stepped in claiming that it was a Justice League matter that I wasn't needed, so I waited until I felt I had no other choice." Nicholas raised an eyebrow. "After our meeting, I would hate to know what kind of contingencies you've begun to develop for my people."

"It looks more suspicious this way," Wonder Woman said softly. Since you intervened when they needed you most, one could argue you tried to make yourself look like a hero."

Nicholas shrugged. "You can't win for losing; which one of your comrades would you like to see first?" He closed his eyes, reaching out with his mind. "My grandmother is seeing Cyborg."

"My mother is seeing to the Flash with the head of our science division, Emma Frost; they are about to begin the procedure to restore his powers."

"My cousin took Martian man Hunter to Mars in hopes that the rejuvenation effects Mars's atmosphere had on his people would restore his abilities."

Batman and Wonder Woman looked at each other as Superman floated closer to join them. Once he was within arm's reach, Wonder Woman wrapped Lassoasso around his wrist. After a moment, she turned to Batman, "He's clean."

"As much as I don't want to," Batman began, "We need to split up and check on the others."

"I'll go to Mars," the man of steel offered.

"Okay, that leaves Flash and Cyborg; which one do you want, Diana?"

"Cyborg is more technology-based, and that's not my forte, so I couldn't tell if they were doing anything wrong. I will check on the Flash; though his powers come from an extra-dimensional source, they're more mystical than Cyborg's, so I will at least have an inkling of what's happening."

"Alright, stay alert."

Without another word, Superman shot off, heading toward Mars.

"He really should've gone to tell his wife he's okay," Nicholas muttered, "that will come back to bite him." He turned to the other two heroes, "How do you want to check on your friends? I can lead you each to their rooms or download directions directly into your brains."

Wonder Woman and Batman looked at each other, and Wonder Woman turned back to Nicholas, Clearing her throat, "Why don't you just lead us to our friends?"

Nicholas inclined his head. "That's fine," he said, focusing on Batman, "but you're going to have to get out of the plane."

"Do you have a place where I can land?"

Nicholas glanced at the ground, "I'll ask one of the farmers if you can use one of the fields being rotated for the season."

–XX –

Samuel Campbell Junior strode into the medical room where the metahuman the Flash was currently being treated, his gaze instantly locking onto his wife.

Alexi was a few inches shy of 6 feet, with tanned skin, shoulder-length wavy blonde hair, and brown eyes. She wore tight-fitting jeans and a pale T-shirt, showing off her curves. Even after all these years, she still took his breath away.

Maybe Once Cradle was finally steady, they could discuss having another child. They always wanted more children, but the dangers of the prehistoric world didn't seem safe.

Looking up from the screens, Emma found Samuel Campbell Junior standing a few feet from the door, his gaze locked on his wife. Her heart ached as she saw the love and adoration reflected in his yellow eyes.

She wished she could find someone who would look at her that way. With a flick of her wrist, she brought up Samuel's data, comparing it with what her eyes saw.

Samuel was 6'2" tall, lean with defined muscle, a narrow face, short black hair, yellow eyes, and a close-cropped beard. He wore a formfitting black bodysuit, gray chest plate, gray kneepads, and gray boots that covered his shins. Elbow-length gloves adorned his hands.

With two powerful strides, he closed the distance between his wife and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close with a surprised gasp, "You called for me?"

Alexi leaned back into his body, reveling in his warmth, and closed her eyes.

Emma gave them a moment before she cleared her throat: "I hate to interrupt, but Nicholas just contacted me. The other members of the Justice League are here to check on their friends; I feel it would be best to finish the procedure before they arrive."

Removing his arms from his wife, Samuel moved to her side, "What do you need me to do?"

"The Flash's powers come from an extra-dimensional source. I need you to remove the residual energy from his body and amplify it so we can use it to reestablish his connection to The Speed Force."

Samuel nodded and placed his hand on The Flash's chest; the speedster's back arched as lightning crawled from every part of his body, flowing towards Samuel's hand.

Samuel grimaced as the energy flowed into him. Against his will, his body began to vibrate, turning him into a black-and-gray blur.

Alexi eyed her husband, her eyes heavy with concern, "Samuel, are you alright?"

"His voice seemed to bounce as he answered, "I'm fine. This energy just contained more power than expected."

Looking away from the data the room gave her, Emma focused on Samuel. "Can you amplify it?"

Samuel released a breath, and slowly, he stopped vibrating. He glanced at his wife and said, "You said we were going to use this to open a portal to the energy's origin point, right?"

Alexi nodded.

Samuel closed his eyes. The veins of his body lit up yellow as he allowed the energy to flow through him. He slowly attuned it to his natural energy as it circled through his veins. Power danced around him, and static electricity ran through the hairs on his head.

Once the energies were on the same frequency, he added his natural energy to that he had taken from the Flash.

The energy faded, and a luminescent blue glow filled his veins.

Raising his left hand, he allowed the lightning, which had changed to a bright blue, to escape his fingers. His brow furrowed as he molded it into a braided circle above the unconscious speedster. "Is this what you need," he asked, his eyes still closed, his brow wrinkled in concentration.

Alexi moved to his right side, "Yes, that's exactly what we need. Now, hold it just like that." Taking his right hand, Alexi focused her powers through Samuel, connecting to the lightning arcing from his fingers.

Red threads flowed through the lightning that formed the circle, following the path of the intricate braid and giving it a red border. Once the strings connected, Alexi stretched out her other hand. Threads flowed from the Flash's chest, filling the holes within the braid.

As the last hole filled in, the braids turned into crimson energy. Thunder shook the room, blasting the Campbells back. In the center of the circle, an orange sky with purple clouds appeared. A golden bolt of power struck the Flash.

He lifted into the air, his back arched, and electricity curled around his limbs. The portal widened as the Flash was pulled inside, and in a flash of light, it disappeared, leaving behind the smell of ozone and a few static bolts that raised the hairs of those in the room.

Samuel turned to Alexi, "Was that supposed to happen?"

In answer, Alexi asked Emma, "Was that supposed to happen?"

Emma threw her hands up in the air, "How am I supposed to know? This was your idea!"

At that moment, Nicholas entered the room, with Wonder Woman and Batman a step behind him. He looked around, "Wasn't the Flash in here?"

–XX –

Jinks sat cross-legged on Mars's red sand. John Jones lay before her as she stared up at the rust-colored sky. One hand rested on the Martian's brow, and her lips formed a thin line: "Come on, ManHunter. I don't know how else to help you here."

"You're trying, and that is commendable."

Jinks turned.

Superman descended from the sky, his Cape billowing out behind him, his blue eyes locked on his unconscious friend.

"A lot of good it will do if it doesn't work, but there's nothing else to try; Martian abilities are inborn traits; every Martian has them to one extent or another."

Superman sat down beside her. "According to Nicholas, Mar's environment has a healing effect on Martians. Have you tried submerging him beneath the sand?"

Jinks looked at him, "No, I thought breathing in the air would be enough."

"It might have been if Mars had remained in the condition it was when John lived here, but it's not."

Jinks stood to her feet, brushing off her pants as she stretched out her other hand. A shovel appeared in her grasp, and she tightened her grip around the wooden shaft. Backing up, she began digging.

"How deep do you think the whole needs to be?"

Superman shrugged. " It's just deep enough to submerge his body. I know he doesn't need to breathe, but I would feel more comfortable leaving his head above the sand."

Nodding, Jinks through the man of steel another shovel, "Then let's get to work; you have more experience digging than I do."

The man of steel stood up, "and how do you know that?"

"I am married to the Kryptonian god of strength, Mordo; he likes to keep an eye on Krypton's most famous pureblood son."

"Pureblood?"

"You weren't the only survivor of Krypton, but most have changed as they interbred with other species. While they retained similar abilities, they no longer have the same history after a billion years."

"I would like to meet them."

"That could be arranged," Jinks stabbed her shovel into the ground, "but let's get your friend back on his feet first."

–XX –

Batman stepped forward, his eyes narrowed behind his cowl, his lips pressed into a thin line. "Where is the Flash?" He demanded, his voice a deep growl.

Samuel stepped before his wife and opened his mouth to explain, but tiny bolts of static electricity danced through the air before he could speak.

Everyone watched the bolts converge in the center of the room, forming an oval. With a pop, the center of the oval is filled with blue-white light.

Everyone cried out, instinctively shielding their eyes from the light.

A whooshing sound filled the room, like a train going through a tunnel.

A wind swirled around the room, pulling at their clothes.

Wonder Woman removed Lassoasso from her hip, the rope glowing brightly within her grasp. "What is…" Before the Amazon could finish her question, a blurry figure emerged from the portal, stopping less than a foot in front of it.

Barry Allen stared at his hands as pale blue bolts of electricity danced around his body. His gaze was uncomprehending. "What happened? Where am I?"

–XX –

Martian man Hunter lay beneath the Martian soil, his chest slowly rising and falling. Slowly, the land shifted, transforming into tendrils that sank into his body. The Martian cried out as blood dripped onto the sand from the new wounds.

He thrashed as images of tall, spindly people burning like candles filled his mind.

Smoke began to rise from his body before he went limp.

Superman turned to Jinks, "What happened?"

Jinks shrugged, "I have no idea. Throughout that experience, his mind was surrounded by an unknown force. Now, it has been pulled elsewhere."

–XX –

John Jones, a.k.a. the Martian Manhunter, stood in a white expanse that slowly shifted into Mars's landscape. Looking around the bleached representation of his home world, he asked, "Where am I?"

"You in the mental space created by the Martian hive mind," a feminine voice answered.

Slowly, a familiar woman took shape before him.

She was six and one-half feet tall, with dark green skin, extended, narrow features, and red eyes. The back of her skull trailed to a point, and long, slender limbs reached for John as she finished forming, "Hello, my love. It's been a long time."

John's eyes widened as his body reverted to its natural state, not that he noticed, "M'yri'ah, what are you doing here?"

"Though you disconnected yourself from the hive mind, your will keeps us here." She stepped forward, cupping his face in her spindly hands, "But given what happened to you, maybe that was a good thing."

John wanted to ask about his daughter, but something she said caught his attention, "I'm keeping you here?"

M'yri'ah leaned forward and kissed him. When she drew back, she offered him a sad smile, saying, "A part of you refuses to let go of the past."

M'yri'ah's still smiling form burst into flames.

John screamed and staggered backward, his eyes wide with horror.

"Many of us are stuck at the moment of death." Her skin began to run like wax, and tears streamed down John's face, "but that's okay, for if you would never hold on, I couldn't be here at this moment." She stepped forward, wisps of flame trailing behind her, and John backed away.

"Normally, you would have to find a way to remove your powers from Amanda Waller and reabsorb them, but right now, you have the entirety of Mars's hive mind behind you, and at this moment, this very little we can't do."

M'yri'ah stretched forth a burning hand. "If you are willing to let us go and face the past, take my hand."

John stared at his wife's hand, horror written onto his features at what he had unknowingly forced her to endure. Even still, some of him did not want to let her go. He raised his hand but hesitated to reach out. Could he let her go? Could he force her to endure this because he wanted to hang onto her memory?

His hand shook as he reached for hers. Memories of their childhood friendship, blossoming love, life together as a family, and tragic end flashed through his mind.

The flames receded as their fingers intertwined. "I'm sorry," John said as a bright green flash lit the space.

"Don't be sorry, my love, now live."

John was yanked backward, but as he disappeared, he saw millions of spindly creatures standing in the green light. His gaze focused on a more petite figure waving vigorously at him.

"K'hym!"