#25: Injustice Unbound! Pt. 5 (Walsh / Rimmer)

Previously, in Justice League...
...the villains stood triumphant.

Chemo and the Galactic Golem were reawakened, sent to rampage across America, while the League’s own satellite was brought down on their Hall of Justice, destroying both. The heroes could only watch helplessly as friends and enemies alike were hunted down to be killed by the unrelenting forces they faced. Angle Man and Prometheus, the masterminds behind the havoc, watched with glee as the heroes were scattered across the country and between dimensions, knowing that this was truly...



Doctor 7 staggered away from the wrecked car, a hand clutching the opposite shoulder as he struggled to clear his head. “Good fortune can sure hurt sometimes,” he chuckled aloud to try and keep his spirits high. He glanced back through the trees at the twisted vehicle with the two unmoving law enforcers within. He turned back in the direction he was headed, further into the trees, hoping to find some place to hide and figure out his next location. He was tired and sore, and the effort of bringing in just enough bad luck to take out the car and cops, and leave him relatively unscathed had left his head aching.

But I’m going to get out of this, he thought excitedly as he continued his erratic path to freedom. Find a place to rest up, then I can get my hands on the money I’ve stashed away during all of this, and then fly far away. Someplace with white sand beaches, where they serve you drinks with little umbrellas. Retire and relax, and watch all of the ensuing fireworks, and let my name echo with Prometheus and Angle Man. Once it all sorts itself out, even I.U. will come around. I’ll be a legend.

A ball of electricity suddenly coalesced then exploded before the sorcerer, and he came face to face with Dreadbolt, enforcer for Injustice, Unlimited. Arms were folded over his chest, partially hiding the lightning bolt skull design, one blank black eye peeking out as Dreadbolt’s actual eyes narrowed and focused on his target. “Going somewhere, Doc?”

“How did you find me?” Dr. 7 nervously stepped back and flexed his fingers, as words of power flitted through his mind. For some reason though, he had trouble focusing, and he squinted and shook his head.

“Mr. Quimby told me how to seek out your peculiar signature from the magic you cast,” the young man replied, as he stood stock still. “You remember him, right? I.Q., one of the founders of our little organization? Man who helped you achieve so many goals? One of the people you stuck in the back when you signed on with Angle Man’s scheme?”

“Now, now, Dreadbolt, let’s talk this out, I didn’t change allegiance, after all,” the sorcerer said, stumbling over his words. His skin tingled, and he felt hairs stand up on end, and he continued his struggle to focus. “Mr. Bend brought me into this, I was in from the beginning.” His eyes widened as he rubbed his forehead. “I mean...that is to say...”

“Shut up,” Dreadbolt ordered. “I’m charging up the area, and especially your body. Disrupting your own electrical impulses. Keeping you from using that tricky luck magic of yours. Takes a lot of concentration, but it’s worth it.”

“Yeah? You drop that effort, and I cast my magic, but if you don’t, I can just run,” the wizard said with a grin. “And then you have to catch up, and then it’s my magic again.” Dr. 7 was bluffing, but he was more experienced than this boy, and felt confident.

“No. But maybe. That’s why she’s the one that’s going to kill you,” Dreadbolt said with a nod of his head.

Dr. 7 glanced behind him and saw the woman wreathed in flames. She leered at him and then a jet of fire streamed out from her hand and tore through his chest. He never felt the ground smack his shocked face.

Dreadbolt stepped up to Volcana as she let the flames flicker out and hugged her tight. “How’d that feel?”

“That was so awesome!” she squealed and kissed Dreadbolt hard on the lips. “I think we need to get some dinner, and then a room, and party it up!”

The young man chuckled and looked back at the body. Electricity crackled over his fingers as he bent down and started to trace lines into the deceased sorcerer’s back. “You go then, and get things ready, sweetie. I have to leave our message so people know you don’t mess with Injustice, Unlimited.”

The Crooked House in the Ghost Zone
Ralph Dibny listened to his cell phone, with a face wildly contorted with concern, as Gypsy looked up from her corner of the small dungeon. She hugged her knees to her chest, one cut lip and a vicious bruise around the other eye, and watched the Elongated Man listen to the cat-and-mouse game his wife played with Xotar, the Weapons Master.

“She’s a tough cookie,” Ralph said as he paced. On occasion, he’d stretch out his body in different places and positions, trying to press through the invisible barrier that sealed their cell closed, to no avail. “But if we can’t find a way out of here soon...”

“Sorry I’m not much help, Mr. Dibny,” Cynthia Reynolds said softly, muttering into her forearms as she rocked slowly. “I haven’t done a thing right since I showed up.”

“Don’t say that, Cindy, it’s okay,” Ralph reassured her, wrapping an arm several times around her slim shoulders and giving a comforting squeeze. “We don’t get to be heroes and Justice Leaguers by giving up so quickly.”

Gypsy stood and let the man give her a supporting hug. She wiped her eyes and nodded. “Right, I...” She stopped and glanced up at the door. “Someone’s coming?”

“Yeah, I hear it too,” Ralph said. “This could be our chance. Disappear.” Ralph pressed up against the front of the cell and stretched himself in a flat border around the force field-guarded doorway, as Gypsy stood against the back wall and faded into the stonework.

“Anyone?” came a cracked and weak female voice from down the hall. “Anyone here?”

“It...it’s us...Zan...Jayna...” Zan’s voice added, and coughed hard, as Gypsy slid along the wall and then peered out as best she could.

“It is! It’s the twins!” Then she gasped when she could see them clearer. “Oh God!”

Their emaciated forms came into view, gaunt skin stretched over skeletal bodies that seemed to be lacking much of their former, robust mass. Zan held Jayna up with all his remaining strength as his sister fiddled with controls, shaking fingers tapping at various buttons. “Come on!” she grumbled through cracked lips, struggling to control her trembles. “Got it!”

Ralph had snapped back into shape and then watched the air shimmer as the barrier dissipated. The two released Leaguers dashed over to the twins, as Elongated Man stretched out flattened, enlarged hands to catch them when they tumbled to the ground.

“What happened to you guys?” Ralph asked as he gently moved them to a more comfortable place, resting on cushioned chairs as Gypsy examined them. Their normal bronze color was ashen gray, and they seemed so much smaller, and she stifled more tears as she tried to make them comfortable.

“Ambushed at the hall,” Zan finally answered as he held Jayna’s hand. She’d passed out with the last of the exertion, and lay limply in her chair. “Knocked out...only woke up at the last second, and saw some guy...Angle Man was his name, I think.” Zan struggled to take a deep breath as he rested from the talking. “Only chance to get away was without being seen...with him...he opened up some kind of hole in space, and...and we used our powers. I became perspiration, she became bacteria. So small...” He was wracked with a dry cough, nothing left in him. “Too small...hurt so bad...he wiped us off here, and we...we could touch and turn back to normal...” He squeezed Jayna’s hand and gave a weak grin. “She’d...she’d heard him say you were here...Cindy here, we knew...knew we had to get to you. Left so much of us...behind in the shift...”

Ralph and Cindy watched as Zan also slipped unconscious now. “Okay, the kids did great, they gave us our chance, and Sue’s been slipping me information when she can, so let’s not waste a moment. We’ll come back for the twins when we’ve polished off Xotar.” Ralph’s eyes were determined, and he wrapped his arm tightly around Gypsy’s waist now. “I have a good idea how to deal with him too.”

At the top of the Crooked House, Sue continued her best efforts to avoid being found by the Weapons Master, though she quickly found herself out of new places to hide. Ralph had passed along to her the plan and she wasn’t all that thrilled with the idea, but she had faith in her husband, even if she never seemed to show that off to their friends.

She dove into position at the last moment, as she caught a glimpse of Xotar, and then answered his last comment. “Ralph’s not weak, and if you think you’re going to do whatever you think you’re going to do, he’s going to kick your ass!”

The door splintered apart now as he leveled the sleek, effeminate weapon at the crouched Susan Dibny that he’d just found at last. She cowered at his appearance and he stepped forward. “I promise you, I will enjoy this at least.”

He moved up closer, slowly, savoring the moment, watching her face twist with fear as he reached for the collar of her shirt. “Oh yes indeed, woman. Where’s your precious husband now?” The material gathered under his fingers and began to rip away. As it did, his smile melted from his face at the same time the fabric melted from his fingers, and the image of his terrified prey melted from view.

“Right here, bastard!” Ralph roared as the man-sized fist crashed into Xotar’s back, and smashed him through the far wall, and out of the building. Gypsy and Sue stood behind him, each in silent awe at Ralph’s display. They watched Ralph stretch out after his opponent, his upper body vanishing through the hole.

“You let that go a little long, don’t you think, Gypsy?” Sue teased the young lady at her side, as she smoothed out her clothes, dusting herself off. “Though I really appreciate what you must think of my rear.”

“Sorry, Mrs. Dibny. I wasn’t trying to be impolite,” Cindy replied with a blush, as the two women dashed up to the hole and watched the battle below.

“I’m just teasing, dear. You two did great.” She winced when she watched Ralph’s elongated arm slingshot the Weapons Master back against the Crooked House’s exterior while his five other fingers slithered about like snakes and snatched various weapons away. “Let’s go get Zan and Jayna while Ralph finishes up.”

At the outskirts of ruined Hob’s Bay
The Galactic Golem was relentless, the metaphorical immovable object brought to life. He had torn through the small town of Hob’s Bay in record time. Wonder Woman, Martian Manhunter and Superman struggled to slow the implacable construct, only to be pummeled by its monstrous strength, battered by its immense personal gravity, and smashed down time and again by the beams of raw cosmic force from its eyes. The members of Injustice, Unlimited continued to work with any number of emergency responders to evacuate the citizens, and rescue those caught up in the titanic battle, but the battle continued to go poorly on all fronts.

Wonder Woman strained with all her might, muscles taut and pulled to their limit as her arms held the golden lasso that currently wrapped around the Golem. She dug her heels into the concrete, feeling it part beneath her as she did all she could to hold it in place.

Superman hovered over the monster with eyes bright red, the air above the Golem shimmering with heat as J’onn J’onzz dropped tons of lead down. The metal struck the Man of Steel’s heat vision and splashed onto the Galactic Golem, as it roared and pulled back against the Queen of the Amazons, slowing getting coated in the heavy metal, until at last, Diana had to pull herself and her lariat back.

Are you well, Diana? J’onn asked in Wonder Woman’s mind as she brushed away splashes of molten metal, burns left on her flesh as she grimaced and worked through the pain.

“Fine, J’onn, just so long as this worked,” she growled as she watched the Man of Steel use his breath to harden the metal shell. “But it’s not, look out!” she cried as she watched cracks starting to form, and then it exploded, lead shards hurtling away at lethal speeds, as she blocked the worst of the shrapnel with her bracers.

“That should have worked! It worked before! It blocked the radiation that powered him,” Superman exclaimed as he and the Martian Manhunter used superhuman speed to block as much of the shrapnel as possible. “How come it didn’t work?”

The Galactic Golem pivoted and swung an arm at Superman. Caught off-guard, and held by the monster’s personal gravity, the Man of Steel hurtled off into the distance when the fist connected with a sickening thud.

“How come it didn’t work? J’onn, any ideas?” Diana asked as she darted around the beast, narrowly avoiding a blast of powerful energy that tore a crater into the ground.

“None, Wonder Woman, I’m at a loss, but Superman is alright and will be back--”

“Now I’m mad!” Superman said as he streaked back into the battle and landed a number of his most powerful blows against the creature, staggering it for the first time in their battle. “This...stops...now!” he declared as he brought down his clasped fists against the top of the creature’s head.

Taking a cue, J’onn and Wonder Woman dove for the monster’s knees, and with all their might, knocked the Galactic Golem off his feet, sending him crashing into the ground with a monstrous tremor. “Good for the moment, but not enough!” Diana called up to Superman and Martian Manhunter. “We can’t keep throwing everything we’ve got and hope something works! We need a solution!”

“I might have one for us.” Diana turned with a startled look as Kid Eternity seemed to drift into existence on a wind only he felt. Behind him stepped out Manitou Dawn, who continued to speak, “It’s a golem. The symbol on its forehead is most likely what animates it. We damage it, and we can stop the creature.”

“It’s a planet, and one I don’t recognize,” Superman said from above the prone form of the Golem as it began to pull itself upright. “J’onn?”

“No idea, Superman,” the Manhunter admitted sadly. “I’ve never seen such a planetary image before.”

“Well, someone get out a star chart and figure it out,” Kid Eternity said as he flew up and faced off with the creature, its energy beams harmlessly passing through him. “Meanwhile, let’s see what I can do.” He took a deep breath of air he didn’t need, closed his eyes, and cried out with all his might.



Kit’s form flickered from the strain, his brow knit in concentration, and then he plummeted to the ground helplessly, vanishing from sight as he passed through the broken surface. But all heads turned off to the coastline as his magic took its effect.

The King of the Monsters roared in response and broke the surface of the ocean, quickly assessing the Galactic Golem’s threat and unleashing a stream of atomic fire straight into its chest.

“Now, I can say I’ve seen everything,” Superman muttered, then collected himself and joined the fray.

Outside of Pueblo, Colorado
The Atom plunged down from the sky encased in a diamond-shaped shell of green energy powered by his team-mate and friend, the Green Lantern. Firestorm hovered next to the emerald gladiator, unleashing the tightest, dullest yellow beam of energy he could to batter at the abomination Chemo below, drawing the beast’s attention. It worked and Chemo projected a gout of vile toxic stew at the two heroes. Atom had the chance to dive into the creature’s mouth and reach the inside.

“Can you guys still hear me?” Atom said as he swam into the heart of the monster, nervously watching his shell hiss and crack against the ugly green chemicals.

“Loud and clear, Tiny,” Firestorm answered as he formed a massive metal wall, and added layer after layer as Chemo smashed against it with powerful fists and that spray of his.

The Flash raced back and forth in a dark red line, slowly burrowing into the earth with his efforts, hidden from view. “FindanythingyetAtom?”

“Aside from how yucky it is in here? Then nothing,” Atom said as he tried to move around inside. “Lantern, you sure this shell is going to hold?”

“Can’t...talk right now...Ray,” Green Lantern replied as he held his forearm tight with his other hand and focused all his will on the Atom’s protection.

“I’m not surprised, I don’t think I’ve ever seen Chemo’s structure like this. It’s nanotoxicity’s been increased at least a hundred-fold!” Atom continued to explore, then added, “There’s a high level of amatoxins mixed into this as well, found in destroying angel mushrooms. Very lethal, but out of place in the usual complement of particles.”

“Explains why it’s so hard to stop it,” Firestorm replied as he watched the wall crash into shards on the ground. He turned intangible to avoid another gout of the chemicals with his eyes closed from instinct.

“Part of the big plan, without a doubt then,” Flash said as he leaped away when Chemo moved through the remains of the wall and stumbled into the pit the speedster had formed. “Anything else?”

“Nothing I can do inside, I’m recognizing some of the same kind of artificial cell structures we saw in the Dharlu,” Atom said as he started to move faster now with the sight of several tiny organisms turning their attentions on him. “I’ve picked up the defense mechanism now! Hal, get me out of here!”

“Those structures are probably designed to provide internal control over it,” Flash said before dashing in front of Chemo and then spinning in an extremely fast, extremely tight circle. The red tornado spun up and struck the monster and staggered it backward momentarily.

“Keeps the outer-shell super-hard to penetrate, and the amatoxins make it even tougher for me to manipulate,” Firestorm added after a moment’s inner conference. “Now what?”

“Whatever it is...has to involve getting Atom out of there!” Hal said through clenched teeth as he shook hard and poured more green energy out of his ring. “I’m starting to dip low, and...Ray’s under...assault!”

Salima, Kansas
The motorcycle squealed up to the side of the road, as the two people stared out at the cornfield with satisfied faces. Merlyn and Cheetah headed out into the rows of wheat, legs pumping hard as they looked forward to their destination. With a flick of a switch, the two killers would escape the League, would elude I.U. and best of all, get their hands on the man who set them up to explode with the Hall of Justice.

“I’m glad we’re at the end of the road,” Merlyn said to Cheetah, who loped along with greater speed, on all fours, occasionally slowing to wait for the archer to catch up.

“Oh? Why is that?” the cat-woman purred as she licked at her claws.

“I’m damned tired of the teleporting. If I had to use another one of the gate-houses IU set up, I think I’d have thrown up. I want this done with now,” Merlyn answered as they neared the projector they knew had been hidden nearby.

“Only way to get here so quick,” Cheetah said as they approached the location in the middle of the field. “But I have to agree with you. One more jump, we’re done. And we get to play with all sorts of toys,” she chuckled wickedly.

As they reached the cleared area of the field and started to dig up the phantom zone projector stashed to steal away the Dibnys, Cheetah sniffed at the slight breeze. “You smell that?”

“Of course not, don’t be...stupid...” Merlyn’s reply slowed and stopped as he noticed a shadow engulfing them. He saw the points at the ends of the shadow, the scalloped lines between them and shook. “Oh fu--”

The Batman crashed into Merlyn viciously, and powered the archer into the ground as he let out a loud, angry growl that made even Cheetah’s heart freeze. “See ya, wouldn’t want to be ya!” she hollered over her shoulder to her partner, who screamed in pain as a response.

She made it four steps before the blank face appeared in her way, and then a stiff forearm cut her off at the throat, bringing her to the ground in a vicious strike. She gasped for breath as the Question stepped hard on her throat, and she could see past him into the night sky, the soaring, circling Hawks waiting to pounce like...Don’t even think it, girl. If you can’t come up with something better, don’t even think it, she thought bitterly as she just lay on the ground limp now.

Hawkman and Hawkgirl landed as the two villains were roughly dragged toward the projector. “Where’s this lead?” Batman asked Merlyn as he pointed to the device.

“Gee, I don’t know, maybe...the Phantom Zone?” Merlyn snapped as he rolled his eyes. “World’s greatest detective, my a--” Batman gripped him by one hand and pressed his other hand between the muscle and bone in the archer’s upper arm.

“Do you like using a bow and arrow?” Batman growled as Merlyn felt his lower arm start to go numb.

“Something Angle Man called the Crooked House!” Merlyn answered loudly, in a rush. “It’s where his partner is! Some crackpot in purple armor called Prometheus! It’s...it’s a part he called the Ghost Zone!”

“Prometheus?” Hawkman asked as he glared over at the archer.

“Never heard of him,” Question said as Hawkgirl took hold of Merlyn from the Batman.

The Dark Knight and Hawkman bent over the projector now, examining it. “There’s some differences from the projector on the satellite,” Katar said as his fingers played over the controls. He popped off a panel and looked at the circuitry. “The use of the term ‘Ghost Zone’ may not be mere semantics. The calibration is just slightly off. Atom and Flash could tell better than I, but there’s something different here. Good news is, it is two-way.”

“Turn it on and see what we can see then,” Kendra encouraged as she pulled out bolos from her belt and used them to tie up Merlyn’s arms.

Batman stepped away as Katar activated the device, a shimmering white light projecting in a cone, and all were surprised at the results: their communicators came alive.

“...hear me out there? C’mon, fellas, tell me I’m working this stuff right,” Ralph Dibny’s voice said.

“Elongated Man?” Batman replied into his communicator now. “This is Batman. Are you hearing me?”

“I hear ya, buddy! Loud and clear!” Ralph whooped and all could hear a female squeal in the background. “Sue’s here too, and we’ve got the kids with us, in someplace called the Crooked House in the Ghost Zone.”

“Gypsy? Was that you? Zan, Jayna, you’re all alive!” Kendra cried out in relief, blinking her eyes a few times as they watered up.

“Gypsy here, Hawkgirl. I’m fine, we’re all alive, but we need to get the twins some medical attention fast,” Cynthia reported dutifully. “And we caught a bad guy!”

“Some alien guy calling himself Weapons Master,” Ralph added. “Nasty sort, but he’s locked up right now. We’ve been trying to use the command console here in the house to reach you guys, but we’ve had no luck until just now. What’s up? Where are you guys? How are things going out there?”

“Going to hell, and fast,” Batman grumbled as he stared at the killers. “We just turned on the projector here in Kansas. The one you two stumbled over?”

“Yeah, that’s the one. The portal’s open then. That gives me an idea,” Sue said with a mischievous sound to her voice. “Think you can boost the projector over there?”

“I think I can give it a go, if I had some sort of power supply,” Hawkman answered and then looked at the small battery-pack Batman tossed down in front of him.

“The Bat-Energizer?” Hawkgirl teased as she recovered emotional control. She winked back as the Dark Knight glanced at her, but shivered when he smiled rather than scowled.

“What have you got in mind, dear?” Ralph asked his wife as his voice faded into the background.

“Well, you said this was a command console, and you’re right. I’m not sure what’s going on, but these two monitors here, for example, they seem to be keeping track of something back on Earth,” Sue’s voice answered as it grew louder when she took the seat. “I’m wondering...man, wish we had Barry or Ray here...but, I think...maybe...um...” There was a pause as the four heroes watched the projector, almost glowing in the haunting silvery light. “This is easier than I thought. Whoever this Prometheus is Xotar was talking about, he’s not a lot better at computers than we are. It’s all easy files and icons and desktop buttons. Okay...got the projector amped up, Hawkman?”

“Ready to go.”

“Step back then,” Sue warned. The heroes did so and pulled the two criminals with them and then, the projector shook and rattled, sparks flying and a humming started, growing into a quick, loud whine. Then the white glow widened and flared into a small sphere of silver-white light and when the six people could see again, there was a house in the cornfield, where the projector once sat. It was tall, bent, twisted, the Earth’s gravity beginning to wreak havoc on the structure, but it was a Victorian house of palpable malice.

Several minutes later, six other people stepped out of the house: Elongated Man and his wife, each helping one of the twins as they took slow, faltering steps, and Gypsy pushing a bound up Xotar.

“If you can’t bring the League to the evil lair, then bring the evil lair to the League, that’s what I always say.” Ralph’s smirk outstretched his face as Kendra dashed over to the twins, and glanced at Gypsy.

“Katar, help me get them to a hospital,” Kendra ordered, and Katar jumped to respond. As the Winged Wonders flew off with their injured charges, Batman continued to stare at the house, and the Question stepped up next to him.

“You’re thinking what I’m thinking, aren’t you?” Question mused as he stroked his featureless jaw.

“Oh yes. Oh yes, indeed.”

Hob’s Bay
“Focus everything you can on the planet at the forehead!” Manitou Dawn called to her team-mates as the Galactic Golem turned away from the defeated monster that had engaged it. Superman and Martian Manhunter fired pinpoint beams of heat and light on the strange planetary image, as Dawn wrapped a bandage around Wonder Woman’s bleeding arm.

“I need to see if my weapon can affect the symbol that powers it,” Dawn said to the Amazon as they watched the energy attack fail to cause any true damage. Instead the Golem launched its own blasts of energy to engulf the Man of Steel and J’onn J’onzz, forcing them deep into the ground.

“Let’s see what we can do about that,” Diana said as she wrapped an arm around Dawn’s waist and flew her up into the air. She streaked up toward the huge head, struggling against the odd gravity the creature generated as the Galactic Golem began its relentless march once again. “You sure about this?”

“No choice,” Manitou Dawn said in a tiny voice, her wide eyes filled with terror at the thought of what she was about to do. There was nothing for it though, and she hurtled from Wonder Woman down through the air and landed on the creature’s head. The pressure was tremendous, holding her fast to the Golem, but crushing her as well, but she fought against it. She brought her tomahawk down into the planet spinning in its forehead, the blade slicing into the astral matter.

Wonder Woman watched what looked like a spray of Milky Way pour from the wound in its head, and it crashed to one knee, frozen for a moment. Dawn looked as if she wanted to strike again, but collapsed herself against the Golem, and Wonder Woman swooped in to pull the magician off, battling against the incredible force of gravity.

“That was an amazing blow, Dawn, simply amazing,” Wonder Woman said with pride as she landed on the ground and laid the battered Amerindian down. “Take a moment to rest, you’ve earned it and apparently, gotten it.”

Superman and Martian Manhunter pulled themselves up from their crater and rejoined the battle, striking at the immobile Golem, and pushing it back away from the inhabited townships, and back into the coastal region again. “The wound, it’s healing!” Superman called out loud to everyone.

“I was afraid of that,” Dawn said as she sat up. “Golems are animated by the Hebrew word for life, and can be stopped by adding a letter that turns life into the word for death. I’d hoped I could break up the symbol on the forehead, but it’s not part of our reality. There’s something in that animating symbol that repairs the damage. It’ll be animate again soon.”

We’re having the same problem out here with Chemo, Flash reported through the telepathic conference established by J’onn J’onzz. Atom confirms that there are additions to its make-up that enable it to heal. It’s being aided by some other signal, and we can’t isolate it. And until we do, we can’t get to Atom, which is a worse problem.

In Colorado, Hal Jordan stood on the floor, his ring aimed at Chemo, the energy focused on his companion inside Chemo, his face drenched in sweat, his body shaking. ”Ring energy at 15%.” “C’mon! Nothing left, get him out of there!”

“We’ve done everything we can, there’s nothing left to do!” Firestorm yellowed back as his battered form crashed into the ground. “I’ve tried everything, and just can’t do anything to that shell. Everything I make around it, Chemo smashes through.”

“I’ve tried every vibrational frequency, and no go, it counters almost instantly,” Flash grumbled as he dashed up to his two companions. “My legs feel like lead, and my hands are big piles of hamburger, and I can’t get through that shell.” Barry held up his battered hands, the gloves long since torn away.

Well get back up and get ready to move, Ralph announced back through J’onn’s telepathic band. Those little extras you guys are picking up? We have the off switch. Ralph turned to look at his two fellow detectives with a satisfied grin. “Let’s save the day, pals.”

“Just a moment,” Question quickly said and interrupted Batman. “Incoming signal from the Chemo monitor.”

The Dark Knight smirked and said, “Green Lantern, you can drop your protective shell around Atom.”

You sure about that, Batman?

“We got him.” Batman turned to watch Atom bounce out of the electrical grid of the Crooked House, and collapse at full size onto the floor, catching his breath, but his thumb was held up high. “Hit it, Question.”

The blank-faced vigilante swept his hands over the control switches, and the monitors feeding information to the Galactic Golem and Chemo registered the switching off of the signals.

The Golem stood back up and unleashed the beams of energy from its eyes, but J’onn and Superman were prepared this time, and stood firm in the air, blocking the beams. Dawn stood back up and turned to Diana, hand clutched tight to her weapon. “Get me back up, and I can shut him down for good this time, I can sense it.”

“You’re not the only one, Dawn, and you don’t have to go through that again.” She pointed toward a slip of white and violet darting up within the stellar field that made up the bizarre Golem. As the creature took a step forward and prepared to launch physical blows at the Man of Steel and Manhunter from Mars, Kid Eternity popped out of the Golem’s forehead.

”Eternity!” The word resounded across the air and suddenly, the powerful form of Atlas appeared, massive shoulders pressing up under the planet lodged in the Golem’s forehead and heaved. With a vigorous roar of triumph, Atlas pressed the planet from the heavens that made up the monstrous figure. Freed from its invulnerability, Superman and Martian Manhunter unleashed their own vision powers, slicing it to pieces and with a loud whistle, the Galactic Golem crashed inert into the ground at last.

But Wonder Woman wasn’t around to watch her team’s final triumph against the beast. She’d caught sight of something else, and her passions exploded. “Angle Man!” she exclaimed just before the Golem fell, and sped off after the voyeuristic villain.

In Colorado, Green Lantern flared to life and flew up into the sky. “Okay, the kid gloves are off!” Energy poured out from his ring, a massive vise tightened around Chemo’s chest, and lifting it from the ground by several feet. “Gentlemen, you have your target!”

Firestorm heard a voice from within offer a suggestion and grinned as he flew up to its head, while the Flash tore across the dusty ground and leaped up to vibrate his battered hands into the plastic of its soles. Firestorm’s golden light blasted into the elements that made up its shoulder monitors and mouthpiece, now deprived of its alteration programming, and transformed them into harmless helium. With a roar, Chemo’s toxic stew spilled out of the broken shell, and Green Lantern let it crash to the ground, and instead reformed the vise into a huge basin to contain the chemicals. “Now that’s more like it!” Firestorm whooped.

Crooked House
“Are we ready for this?” Sue asked nervously from the console, as she looked at the monitor, and saw her husband, Hawkman, Hawkgirl, Question, Batman and Gypsy in the field.

“Atom said he’s rigged the recall switch,” Ralph said into his communicator. “Let’s do it.”

“We’re ready,” Question said as he folded his trench coat up and laid it over the railing of the porch, then rolled up his sleeves. “Hit it.”

Sue nodded, took a deep breath, and pressed the switch. With a sudden screech in the air, the remote controls in the mastermind’s armor were reversed by the Atom’s hot-wiring, and suddenly, Prometheus was wrenched into view before the assembled heroes.

“Oh nice!” Prometheus exclaimed as he oriented himself quickly. He looked over his opponents and grinned wickedly. “Very, very slick. Atom? Flash? They here? One of them reverse my remotes? This supposed to be the high noon showdown? I’m shaking.”

Prometheus and the Justice League charged at each other with furious abandon. There was no more talking to be done, now was the time for battle. The Hawks lifted up high and dove down on their foe as Ralph lashed out with his arms, aiming for the armored man’s legs, as the Question leaped directly at the villain.

Prometheus lifted an arm up at Hawkman and a dazzling blast of particles hurtled up into his diving form. It felt to the Winged Wonder like his mind exploded into a blue screen, his nerves ceasing to listen as he crashed into the ground without any ability to control himself. His other arm swung up and several of the knobs on his forearm fired at Hawkgirl, and they exploded into further projectiles. Finally, dozens of tiny projectiles tore into Kendra, forcing her to veer away, bloodied and dazed. The villain crashed into the Question without even missing a beat in dispatching the Hawks, and the Question landed telling forearms into the exposed jaw under Prometheus’ helmet. He was unaware of the villain pulling with his legs, twisting Ralph’s arm to trap the Question as well. With the enhanced strength from his armor, Prometheus then pulled Ralph in from his position, and lashed the Question with his elongated team-mate.

Gypsy was terrified as she watched this battle. Four of the Justice League had been torn through by Prometheus, and her blood froze at the sight. “It’s just you and me, Batman. You alone, where your League failed.” He grinned further as he marched deliberately toward the Caped Crusader.

“Programmed skills,” Batman said as he slowly circled the incoming villain. “Correct?”

“Yes, hardened and isolated, so your friend at my computer won’t be able to hack into it,” Prometheus grinned wider as he tapped the side of his helmet. “A disc with the greatest warriors alive in it. The real Hawkman. Deathstroke. Wildcat. Shiva. You, of course. Don’t worry.” He moved closer and closer. “More than enough.”

“Nightwing?” Batman asked as the pair circled now, looking for an opening.

“Why?” Prometheus scoffed. “Trained by you, third-hand training. Unnecessary.”

Batman grinned at the information as his hand reached around to the back of his utility belt, hidden by his cloak. “Why are you smiling? You don’t smile. You never smile.”

Richard Grayson said nothing, but instead darted in to aim for Prometheus’ knee, as he knew Bruce would start with. Prometheus was more than prepared as he moved to block and launch his own flurry of attacks, but by then, Batman had soared in a flip over him, and landed at his back. The capsule from his belt punched into the back of the mastermind’s armor, and knocked him off-balance for a moment, but Prometheus merely rolled with the force and brought himself back up.

“You’re not Batman. You can’t be Batman. Batman does not smile, he does not toy and taunt!” Prometheus insisted.

“You make the same mistake everyone makes, Prometheus,” the Dark Knight replied as he stepped forward. He lashed out with a blow, and Prometheus was too slow to block it, to his surprise. “The Batman is not about fear.” A kick this time, and the side of the villain’s head rang, as ice filled his veins, as he struggled to feel the programming guide him, to no avail. “The Batman is not about anger, or hatred, or revenge.” Then the Atom leaped out from the other side of the purple helmet, the disc in his hand as he bounded away, and Prometheus realized what the Batman had struck him with in that first blow. “I am the Batman, and I am about justice!” An uppercut sent Prometheus crashing onto his back, the cracked and tattered helmet falling to piece. “And sometimes, justice needs a woman’s touch.” He grinned and turned away.

As the Caped Crusader walked off with his cloak flared around him, Gypsy melted into view. She no longer had a look of fear. She clenched her fist and glared into the villain’s eyes. In her small voice, filled with iron, she said, “I’m going to do this bare-handed.”

Hob’s Bay
“How could you?” Wonder Woman demanded to know as she tore through a tree in pursuit of her enemy. “All this destruction, all this death, all for what? What?”

Angle Man ducked behind a tight stand of trees and then a dozen of him dashed back out from the other side. “Why? You ask me that? Why are you so furious at me over it? For the same damned reason, Wonder Woman!”

The Amazon paused as she watched the myriad Angle Men dart around her, and the super-sharp Angler sliced out, the control of dimensions at his command allowing the blow to land without her being able to determine its origin. She clutched her wounded arm and felt the blood. “What are you talking about? How are you even alive, Angelo? Why all this...havoc? This was never like you!”

“Did you really, really think a man like me, a man called Angle Man, would get put into something called the Suicide Squad and not have an angle for surviving it? Using it to my advantage? My first criminal connection, Wonder Woman. With Toyman, I helped him figure out his animarionette scheme. That’s what died on that mission. Idiots never even noticed my Angler wasn’t with me.” He watched as she launched a flurry of kicks at several of his false selves and laughed.

“But you still haven’t answered the most important question,” Wonder Woman pressed as she tried to pin down the true Angelo Bend.

“Don’t you get it, Wonder Woman, I’ve won!” Angle Man grinned as he swiped at the Amazon with his weapon, and caught the back of her calf now.

“Your former colleagues want your blood, your plan with Prometheus is in ruins, and I’m going to hurt you so bad when I get my hands on you,” Diana growled, her anger starting to get the better of her. She was seriously underestimating the thief and con artist.

“But if you catch me, so what? When I get out again, released or escape, you won’t be sitting at home wherever you are and go ‘oh, it’s just Angelo. I’ll just snatch him back up quick.’ Oh no. From now on, my name is going to sit up there with the greats. I’m your nemesis, Wonder Woman. You can’t take that away from me, not now, not ever! From now on, I’m a threat you have to take seriously!”

“Nemesis,” Wonder Woman said, the word slapping her like ice water and she paused. She smiled even, a grim, ruthless smile. “You’re right, Angelo. I will never take you as less than a grave threat, ever again. You lie, and cheat, and deceive, you are right. You are my opposite, and I never really saw that before.” She pulled her lasso free from her belt and spun it at her side. Suddenly, she closed her eyes and threw it out away from her, the Lariat of Truth breaking through Angle Man’s deceptions of space.

“Urgh!” Angle Man grunted as the lasso grabbed him up, and then she tugged hard and he hurtled toward his foe and a punch crashed into the side of his head.

“Glory.” Wonder Woman spat the word out as she dragged Angelo Bend’s unconscious body behind her. “This was all for glory. Have we taught this world nothing?”

A New York City hotel, several days later
The large conference room filled in as a substitute meeting chamber for the Justice League. Fourteen colorful figures sat around the huge table, eating a delicious meal and chatting up the events of the last few days. Diana moved around the room, catching up on reports from the members as the group reminisced.

“Okay, okay, everyone,” Wonder Woman finally called out, knocking on the tabletop with a gavel. “We’ve eaten, caught up with each other, let’s get the official business out of the way, so we can enjoy dessert and a pleasant evening of fun.” She smiled at her friends and colleagues as they gave applause to the idea. “First up, you’ll all be happy to know that Zan and Jayna are recovering nicely. The JSA put us in touch with a doctor skilled with alien physiology. When they’re recovered, Cynthia, we’re going to find a better place for the three of you to learn your powers and gain experience. I hope you understand. We’re proud of what you accomplished in this latest mission, but it’s much too dangerous to stay with the League.”

“No problems with that from me, Your Majesty,” Gypsy replied with a coy smile. “I’m not cut out for the League. I’m just glad I didn’t completely fall apart.”

“You’re kidding, right?” Kendra cut in with a look of pride. “Prometheus didn’t need that helmet to hide his features by the time we pulled you off of him, Cindy.”

The table laughed and clapped as Gypsy blushed brighter and blended into her chair, while Wonder Woman gaveled the room back to attention. “Batman elected not to attend tonight, in deference to his expulsion from the League. Firestorm also sends his regards, but is remaining inactive due to personal issues. Green Lantern is also remaining on reserve, as he’s involved in off-planet activities that might keep him away for long periods of time.”

“This might be the time to point out that I’m going to go on reserve too, then?” Hawkgirl said as she cleared her throat.

“Kendra?” Katar glanced at her in surprise, as did several other members. “Are you serious?”

“I am,” she answered as she looked at Katar and then up to Diana. “I appreciate all you’ve done, but since I first got into this harness, I’ve been Hawkman’s partner, and a member of the League. I need a chance to stretch my wings on my own, so to speak.” She shrugged her shoulders. “And Dawn’s more than ready to be her own member, and the kids aren’t needing me as mentor, so it seems like a good time to get out there, see who I am as Hawkgirl.”

“Well, it’s sad to hear you want to go, but I can definitely support wanting to grow into your own,” Wonder Woman answered with a nod. “You’ve done great. Hope you’ll come back to us.”

“Keep me on that reserve list, Diana, absolutely,” Kendra replied with a thumb’s up.

“Well, if it’s time for this sort of thing, then I’m stepping down as well,” Question announced as he stood up. “In the last couple of days, I’ve gotten some disturbing reports back in Hub City, and I think I’ve left my own backyard unattended too long. It’s been fun, but I’ve got to get back to what I do best.”

“Well, been great having you around filling in for Bats,” Ralph said with a long thumb’s up.

“Yeah, thanks a lot,” Cindy said with a Cheshire Cat smile. “I’ll never be able to pay you back for what you did.”

“Just keep doing what you’ve been doing, kid,” Question replied. “I’ll keep an eye out on you.”

“That’s kind of tough, isn’t it?” Barry teased the blank face, and made the others laugh again.

“I’m going to go on reserve too,” Kit spoke up suddenly, from a corner of the room. “I’ve...personal things to sort out, and I need to let myself deal with...stuff.” He refused to look in the direction of Dawn, who stared at him in surprise. She quietly fumed, and looked away from him. “Thanks for the good times, and I’ll be back sometime, count on it. But for a while, don’t go looking for me. I’ve realized I need to...work out being dead a little more.”

“Well, let’s put some smiles back into this party,” Superman said as the group muttered over the spate of departures. “I’m returning to active duty, Diana. Effective immediately.”

“I also return to active duty, Wonder Woman,” J’onn said with a mischievous glint in his red eyes. “Let us be honest, after all. I wasn’t all that reserved anyway.”

“Well, thanks all of you. You’ve done great, and you’ve been a pleasure to lead, through everything we’ve faced,” Diana said. “The Crime Doctor’s crew is already out on bail thanks to the lawyers IU hired. Prometheus and Angle Man haven’t been so lucky. The journals we collected on Prometheus revealed a wealth of information: apparently, these two were responsible for Kanjar Ro’s locating the magical artifacts and activating the signal that drew Overmaster here; getting the Amber Room to the Key; connecting Injustice, Unlimited with Byth and thus drawing Starbreaker here. To call this an ornate plan is to damn it with faint praise.”

“About the only thing they didn’t do was the Lord of Time encounters, and thank goodness, because I think my brain would have exploded trying to sort out how that would work,” Atom chimed in.

“Anyway, I’m proud to have led you all through this period, but I need to focus on the Amazons and my ambassadorial work. So I’m going to arrange for an election for chairperson of the League as soon as we have our new base up and operational. Thanks to you all, for making this one of my proudest positions, and time in my life.” She raised her glass of wine. “To you all, I say: Long live the League!”

A baker’s dozen voices responded, over clinking crystal and scraping chairs, a joyous shout for a momentous victory:




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