Heat and light roared from the four staves, a primal explosion that tore the very mountaintop asunder, engulfing the two women in its expanding sphere of destruction.
The Dragon Queen stood at the very epicenter of the explosion; felt the way her body was torn to shreds, the shreds ripped to tatters, the tatters burned to ash, and all the while, staring in fury at the people who surrounded her. The decadent western Knight who destroyed her, the pathetic lovesick dog that betrayed her and the fiery American harlot who would at the least share her fate.
Instead, her fading vision saw the fires bear little effect on the mystery woman called Firebrand, the force of the explosion hurled her through the air, true, but there was no sign to the dying brain of the Japanese mastermind that the tart wouldn't survive it. She screamed silently as her body was reduced to dust, her gaze never wavering from Firebrand. There was still the briefest of seconds to do something, she was the Dragon Queen. This primordial globe of devastation was hers, and hers alone to command, as it tore her spirit apart now just as her body had been. But she bent the last of her will to it, rode it, merged a scintilla of self with the primeval power and let it race her to Firebrand. The brilliant corona of fires mingled, and flared so brightly that all went dark for the Dragon Queen at long last.And now the all-consuming darkness faded from the brilliant radiance again, and this brilliance faded to light as the Dragon Queen saw her enemies arrayed before her. An incandescent cyclone empowered her, made her feel power more directly than she'd ever felt before, and she let a wicked grin cross her stolen face.
“The Knight first! He is the greatest threat to our Queen's existence!” She heard the strange woman in purple issue the command, but her words echoed with wisdom, and she turned the firearms in her hands on Sir Justin, releasing gouts of flame that trailed after the vivid beams yellow-white light. Some person clad in blue below her likewise turned his attentions on the armored soldier, blasts of electricity crackling across the distance between them.
The scream of pain from Sir Justin was music to the Dragon Queen's ears. The attacks smashed into him, blunted by his enchanted armor, but the savagery and focused power couldn't be totally stopped, and the Shining Knight hurtled backward, crumpled a monitor station, then fell to the ground in a smoking heap. As delightful as his agony sounded though, the wailing from deep inside the Queen's hijacked body made her even more exultant. The villain fed off of Danette Reilly-Arthur's torment and hungered for more.
“The Law's Legionnaires,” Dragon Queen uttered, her voice so different-sounding to her ears. It wasn't nearly as silken and soft, its register was lower, more coarse and less refined, but she could speak, see, hear,
live again, and so she overlooked the harlot's faults for now. “Brought back to life through one of your own, to see to your demise! The dragon scales of balance tilt back toward me and my grand Society!” She triggered another attack, and let it spray across the incoming heroes, forced them to scatter, hesitant and defensive, open to her own forces to dispatch. “Such power, in this body, in these guns, brought to the service of a mind properly able to harness such power! The world will tremble before me again!”
*7*
Sally Bonner could feel in her gut that something had gone terribly wrong. She stared out the window of her rundown apartment, sought out any sign of Keith Beacham on the streets below while she felt the chill creep out from her heart to coat her skin, and she hugged herself tight.
It was when she turned back from the window that her world changed in a way she never expected. On the kitchen table were a pair of Colt .45 automatics. The handles were well-worn, gunmetal sleek and glinting in the harsh light of the overhead bulb, and they drew her gaze. She stepped toward them, hands reached out to them, fingers curling reverently around the cool grips and she felt something slip inside of her.
Keith did not die in vain.
The words were like a bullet to her heart as she felt them echo inside of her. She had known, but didn't want to believe it. Now though, she realized she couldn't deny it anymore as images flashed unbidden through her mind's eye.
He gained his vengeance, and achieved redemption.
“He didn't need redemption,” Sally muttered as she clutched the guns, both comforting and terrifying, tighter against her chest. She watched as the history of the Crimson Avenger played out through her mind, coming to the combat in the warehouse, at the side of an emerald-clad archer, and the kinship she felt for the stranger in gold and red called Wing.
For you, no. For himself, yes. And now, you can help bring justice to those who tried to use him as a pawn and discard him. Justice for all those others like Keith that have been trapped, or like yourself, who have had their lives destroyed by the evil of others.
No more words were spoken, for the spirit of the guns knew Sally's answer even as she knew it for herself. Crimson mist swirled out of the ether and wrapped around her, as Sally felt strength she never knew before fill her body, her senses grew more keen, her own self submerged into a warm pool of another, one who knew how to see, decide, move, act; and the world changed as the mist fell away and plunged her into the heart of the battle against the enemies of this other person, this Lee Travis who made her the Crimson Avenger. The way his thoughts joined with hers when she saw his ally the Green Arrow appear, and then Wing, her heart soared at the sight of him.
And then the world started to freeze around her.Now Sally Bonner felt as if her head plunged above the surface of that deep pool, gasping at the sights and sounds around her. To her right was Wing, and before them both were Lee's automatics, being pointed at her allies, her team-mates, and Lee's friends.
“Wing, he's trapped inside of me,” she said to the Crimson Avenger's partner. “I can still do what he could do, but I'm not him, I'm me, and he's stuck until we get his guns back.”
“You kissed me,” Wing replied, uncertain of anything else to say as flames erupted around them, and the Soldiers moved into battle against their three enemies.
“I did. It was a passion of the moment thing, get over it,” Sally said quickly. “I'm not sure if whatever's been done to Firebrand and awakened the Dragon Queen will override the fact that the guns are only supposed to hurt or kill whoever the Avenger is targeting.”
“Seeing as her attack put the Shining Knight down, I'd hazard a guess to say yes,” Wing observed. “We must get them back to you.”
Sally gave Wing a determined nod, as the pair joined into the battle.
*7*
“Come on, chica, let's put down la perra púrpura and see if that messes up her mojo,” La Garra said to Gimmick as she pulled the younger heroine into the battle.
“Right!” Gimmick replied with a cocky grin as she dashed up behind her feline partner.
She slipped what looked like netting over her right hand and lashed out with a punch to Wyrm Indigo's stomach as La Garra leaped high into the air and landed a kick to the villain's face. Unfazed by the blows, Wyrm indigo merely growled, a sneer on her face.
“I gained gifts from my other mother too,” Indigo said as a lazy backhanded slap sent La Garra spinning through the hair. In a blink, her face was pointed at Gimmick, eyes ablaze as pointed canine teeth elongated. “I am the scion of two queens, stripling!”
“Holy crap! A vampire?” Gimmick cried out in shock as she backflipped from the woman. “No one said anything about vampires! Where did the vampires come from?”
“Hey there, watch the language, Gimmick,” Skyman chided her as he bounded toward Indigo. “Blood-sucking leeches are not a good reason to get all crass.” He unleashed a blast of energy at their enemy, only to watch as a jet of fire intercepted it. “Damn!”
“You truly are our daughter,” the Dragon Queen said, pride in her voice as she directed the flaming assault directly on Skyman now, his suit increasing its reddish glow in response. “Crafted from the Queen of Blood's supernatural vitae and my own sorcerous knowledge, you have grown in my absence and you make a mother proud.”
La Garra picked herself up and shook her head as she watched Skyman's force field flare and falter under the Dragon Queen's barrage as Gimmick struggled to avoid Wyrm Indigo's super-strong strikes. “Crafted, eh? No holding back then?” She leaped forward, claws raking Indigo's back to little effect.
“Please, don't hold back on my account, kitty-cat,” Indigo snarled as she swept her arm at La Garra, narrowly missing and shattering the floor where she had stood.
“Greg, you go see if Justin's okay, we're gonna need that sword of his,” Stripe said to the cowboy as he flexed his fingers and rolled his head. “I'm going to round up the lackeys, and let the kids handle the super-powers.”
“Got it,” Vigilante said as he made his way to the fallen knight. He sidestepped a pocket of fire and casually punched down a minion that tried to tackle him, then bent over his long-time friend. “Ya in there, Justin? Gotta get back up on the horse, pard.”
The Shining Knight grabbed up the Vigilante's hand and dragged himself from the wreckage. “Dan-Danette?” He looked past the cowboy to see the body of his wife tearing through the last of Skyman's shields and drive his team-mate back from the white-hot fire. Behind them, Green Arrow dashed across the length of the room, manically firing arrows to block blasts of electricity from Blue Dragon, unable to get a moment's advantage. Then the madwoman who orchestrated this all, Wyrm Indigo, tearing up the center of the room as she tried to land powerful blows on Gimmick and La Garra.
“Don't know what ta say, Justin,” Greg said. “I've no clue what sorta whammy this Wyrm dame's gone and done to Danette, but I promise ya, we'll figure out how to undo it.”
“I've no doubt of that, Gregory,” Shining Knight said in a low voice. He gripped his sword and took a step toward the fight, only to crash to the ground in a howl of pain. “My leg! No! I'll not be denied by weak flesh, no! Danette!”
“That sounded painful,” Blue Dragon commented as he fanned a bolt of electricity toward the emerald archer, the diffuse blast catching Ollie in the chest and tossing him back against the wall.
Good thing for you,” Green Arrow replied with a shaky voice, “'cause that's a wounded heart there, pal, and if the Knight gets up on his feet and gets his hands on you, that sword's going places you don't want it to go.”
Blue Dragon sneered in response as his hand gripped Ollie by the throat. “Doesn't sound like he's getting back up on that good leg of his and hopping here in time to keep your head from popping like a kernel of corn, Arrow.”
There was a tap on the Dragon's shoulder, and he turned his head only to receive a punch to the jaw. “Guess I'll fill in for Justin then,” Skyman said through gritted teeth, clutching his burnt hand.
Blue Dragon let Green Arrow slump to the floor and turned on his heel, arcs of energy jumping across his body now as a protective screen. “With you on your last legs? Fine then, Star-Spangled Punk, let's do this dance.”
“No taking the dance floor 'til you're looking your best,” Gimmick said from his right side and tossed several small spheres in his direction. They connected with the electrical field and exploded into a dirty cloud, allowing the gray dust to cover Blue Dragon completely.
“Okay then, Blue, let's do it,” Sylvester added and proceeded to punch the non-conductively coated criminal, then hit him again, and again, taking great delight with each wince of pain from his tattered fists. “It's not about the powers, Blue. It's about the skills.” He offered a momentary wink at Gimmick and then proceeded to use Blue Dragon to teach him and the youngest Soldier a lesson.
The Crimson Avenger and Wing had moved into the central fight now, the pair closing with Dragon Queen, using fists and kicks to draw her attention as the aura of heat and flame burned at the tandem.
“You have something that doesn't belong to you,” Crimson Avenger said as she quickly shed her now-burning trench coat, and leaped to one side of the chamber. “I aim to get them back, count on it!”
“Do your worst, stupid cow,” Dragon Queen shouted as she gouged the floor in the Avenger's wake with the beams of fiery light, paying little heed to the way the pair of heroes directed the course of the battle. “I'm free! And once I burn your flesh from your bones, there'll be no spirit to take the guns from me!”
Wing bounded from floor to counter, to land a powerful two-legged kick into Dragon Queen's back now, and sent her crashing into a wall as he felt her fiery shield burn away at him. “You have much to answer for, and rest assured, you will answer!”
With Firebrand's body driven away from Wyrm Indigo, Green Arrow darted toward the outmatched La Garra. “Here you go, babe,” he said as he leaped past her and forced a small bundled object into her hands. Then he rolled forward, sprung up and cracked his bow into Indigo's face with all his might. “Always dangerous to be a vampire when there's an archer around who's big shtick is firing long hunks of wood.” He winked at Indigo and cracked that cocky, smug grin of his.
“Then you should have done so, foolish little man!” Wyrm Indigo replied as she landed a blow to the side of Ollie's head that staggered him.
“He did, honey,” La Garra answered for him as she pounced on her back and drove something through her. Wyrm Indigo stared down as she saw the headless arrows poke out through her chest, four wooden arrow shafts bound up tight. With a lurch, she felt her body seize, and she crashed to the ground.
“Nicely done,” Arrow said with a wink and a tip of his hat.
Stripe and Vigilante closed ranks with the Shining Knight, who staggered as best he could, one leg clearly broken. He refused to let it stop him, as his teeth ground. Not another sound of pain came out of the warrior as he staggered up to Wyrm Indigo, one hand clutching the hilt of his sword, the other gripped the villain's collar and lifted her to her knees. “Undo this magic! Free my wife, creature!”
“There isn't a way to do it, and even if there was, she's my mother, I'd never betray her!” Wyrm Indigo snarled, her face twisted in agony, her heart pierced and incapable of powering her body further.
“There's one way to do it,” Sally Bonner said as she tore her blindfold off, and met Firebrand's eyes. She jumped at the flaming figure now that Wing had brought her to the ground, and screamed in pain as her hands clutched Danette's hands. “I said...these...aren't yours!”
All eyes focused on the young woman who laced her fingers with Firebrand's, reaching for the guns, skin crackling, peeling, but she refused to back down. “Go get her, Lee,” she gasped to no one anyone could see.
The spirit of Lee Travis surfaced back up through the pool of Sally Bonner's personality when he heard her though, and the fingers touched his guns and he returned to them and filled them.
”Danette! Danette, I'm here for you!” Lee Travis called out as his spirit stormed her physical body.
Danette Reilly-Arthur heard the voice from deep inside, heard her companion call to her; her eyes fluttered open, and her spirit sparked and guttered to life, as she called back to him. “Lee? What's going on? I...it's cold and dark in here!”
“No! I won't permit this!” Dragon Queen said as she swooped through the dark, imprisoned mind and confronted Lee Travis. “She is mine! She is weak, and I am strong! This is my realm, Avenger!”
“Yeah, Dann's got no practice in this kind of fighting, and maybe I don't have enough yet, but Soldiers are never alone, lady,” Lee replied as he lifted up the guns and fired them, symbolic bullets firing out and darting around the Dragon Queen, to slice through the mental bonds trapping Danette. “And together, well, you can't beat that kind of strength.”
Firebrand flared to life and leaped at the Dragon Queen from behind now, as the villainess screamed in fury.“Get...out!” Firebrand screamed as the Queen's garb started to burn away to be replaced by Danette's costume. She looked at Justin and blew him a wistful kiss. “Lee and I...have to finish this, dear...”
Sally staggered back and then collapsed into a heap as Gimmick dashed up to her, a small aerosol can in her hands that she fired at the ruined smoldering hands. Still, all eyes continued to watch as Danette lifted the Crimson Avenger's firearms and pressed them to her chest.
“NO!” Justin screamed as they all watched Firebrand pull the triggers, the gunshots echoing for a frightening, endless moment. Wordlessly, Firebrand flickered out and crashed to the ground, crimson mist falling from her now empty hands and dissipating.
Justin stared in horror, his body trembled, tears welling in his eyes. For a half-second, crazed laughter started to echo from Wyrm Indigo's lips, but that ceased as the Shining Knight's blade slid through her neck, severing head from body as he numbly stepped toward his wife's body.
Wing knelt at Danette's side, and cradled her head in his lap as he watched Sir Justin hobble to his wife. Sally groaned softly as Gimmick was joined by La Garra now, and they gently carried the brave young woman away from the caverns.
“Danette,” Justin croaked as the rest of the Soldiers shuffled closer, no one sure of what to say or do. They all winced and cringed when the Knight dropped to his knees next to his wife and heard the pain slip from his mouth and muted splintering noises echoed up from his battered leg. “Danette, no...don't leave me...” His sword clattered to the floor and his fingers touched her cheek smooth and warm.
“Okay,” Firebrand answered weakly, a smile crossing her pale face, and blues eyes opening. “Since you asked...so nice...hun.”
“The guns,” Sally said as she hung between Gimmick and La Garra, eyes glazed from painkillers, “only strike the wicked. The unjust. Dragon Queen, they shot her down. Don't think we'll have any more trouble from her.”
“Oh? You think? She stuck around as a spirit for sixty years last time,” Gimmick said unconvinced. “What makes this different?”
“The Avenger's moved on. I've gotten justice for Keith,” Sally said with a goofy drug-induced grin at Gimmick. “I'm not a hero anymore.”
“Don't kid yourself, lady,” Green Arrow said as he reached into his belt and pulled out his cell phone, Outsiders and League communicators. “Hmm...911's enough this time, I think,” he muttered to himself as he kept the phone out. “Don't kid yourself one bit. There's a couple of people at least, who are gonna see you as a hero for a long, long time.” He watched with the others as Danette and Justin hugged and kissed passionately.
*7*
The tide of police and paramedics washed through the sea of blue and red lights as the area was secured. The initial reports had been taken down and now the Seven Soldiers of Victory stood as a group to one side while the Nefarious Dragons were secured into special vans provided by the Federal government, and a dozen worked over thugs and criminals were led to waiting police cars.
“Don't ya worry a whit, pard,” Greg Saunders assured the Shining Knight as he was rolled to the rear of one ambulance. “I'll take good care of Victory, and get him back up to Blue Valley for ya, you just worry about gettin' that leg better, and seein' to that little lady a' yers.”
“Thank ye, Gregory. I know Victory will be well tended,” Justin replied with a weary smile. He turned his head and held Danette's hand tightly. “As for the other instructions, consider them well-advised.”
“Thanks for everything, Greg,” Danette said as she curled her fingers around the Knight's, and huddled under her blanket as she stepped into the ambulance with her husband. “Make sure the others know. I'll let everyone know how we're doing, I promise.”
“We know, Dann, we know. You just focus on recovering, and we'll save the reunion worries for when you're back on your feet, both of you,” Pat Dugan assured the two as they helped the EMTs secure the back door.
At another ambulance, Wing accompanied Sally Bonner's gurney, and kept a steady hand on her shoulder. “You did great, Sally. Lee's proud, I just know it. You rest, these guys are going to get you to the hospital, and I'll make sure you get the best help available.” He smiled.
“That kiss...didn't mean anything, Wing,” Sally said as she smiled back and felt the world swim around her. She tried to focus hazy thoughts, and added, “I mean...it's a moment, it passed, don't...it didn't mean anything.”
“Not to you, no. But you're a part of something bigger now, and we take care of our own,” Wing assured her as she was lifted into the ambulance.
“'We'? Is that the way it is, Wing?” Skyman clapped an arm around the earnest man's shoulders and looked into the vehicle at Sally. “Guy's right though, Sally. You did right by us, and we'll do right by you. We Soldiers stick together.” She laid her head back down and the doors closed up and soon she too was off down the road. “That mean you're a part of the team now? With Crimson Avenger...on detached duty, I guess, there's a place.” He held his hand out and waited to see Wing's response.
“Call me, and I'll be there. It's what I'm all about, after all.” Wing clasped Skyman's hand in return and bowed in respect.
“What about you, Arrow?” Greg asked as he stepped back up to Oliver Queen. “Finally win ya over? I remember whut you said back in the Big Easy and all, but...”
“Hey, save your pitch, cowboy,” Ollie said as he took Greg's cell phone and pressed a series of buttons in rapid succession. “I think I can spare some time from time to time, make sure you guys have some real professional help to get your back when the going's tough.”
“Gee, thanks, how did we ever survive the war without ya?” Stripe laughed as he tapped Ollie's shoulder with a light punch.
“Here you...” Ollie paused as he looked at Greg and chuckled. He turned to La Garra and handed her the cell phone instead. “I remember how well the old man here handled these. Why don't you take it?” He winked at her and added, “All booty-call enabled. Should you need me.” He glanced at Vigilante and Stripe flanking him. “Or the team needs an extra hand. Mind giving me a ride back to my bike in that souped up jalopy of yours?” He grinned at Stripe.
“So it's settled?” Sylvester said as he stepped up to the small knot of costumed heroes.
“Yeah, I think so,” Greg answered with a nod. He glanced over them each in turn: Green Arrow, Stripe, Skyman, La Garra, Gimmick, and Wing. “We keep in better touch, maybe dinner once a month at the restaurant, and no more hidin' out from the world or each other. After all, we're all we got left right now. I'll get in touch with Danny and let him know what's the plan too.”
“Well then, if we're done the mushy stuff, let's get out of here,” Gimmick said as she pulled her goggles off and yawned. “I'm a growing girl, and need my beauty rest, after all.”
“Yeah, sure thing,” Stripe said with a chuckle as he led her, Syl and Ollie to the Star-Rocket Racer. Wing shook hands with Greg and headed off to be picked up by his own people, and soon, Greg was left alone with La Garra.
“That was a dirty trick, old man,” Yolanda said as she looked at the cell phone. She grinned and slipped it into a hidden pouch in her gauntlet.
“Oh? Don't know what yer talking about.”
“You keep having good looking guys coming through, making me feel like part of the team, and I just might buy this whole Seven Soldiers thing,” she said with a laugh, and then bounded off to her motorcycle, the powerful engine roaring in the early morning gray.