Post by HoM on Oct 21, 2015 17:32:10 GMT -5
Previously, in JUSTICE LEAGUE...
Last month the JUSTICE LEAGUE were caught on camera storming SKYWATCH and slaughtering a dozen STORMWATCH soldiers! The evidence was compelling, but no one wanted to believe that the World’s Greatest Heroes were capable of such atrocities, especially after KOBRA attempted something so similar so recently!
Of course, the video was all HENRY BENDIX’s doing, and he showed his hand when he attacked MERA and WONDER WOMAN in the UN General Assembly, unleashing previously-unseen mental abilities against them. Meanwhile, BIG BARDA, DOCTOR LIGHT and ZATANNA fought for their lives outside the assembly against TEAM ACHILLES!
Meanwhile, THE GUARDIAN relived the fall of Khera thanks to JACK MARLOWE and LORD MAJESTROS sharing their memories. It quickly became clear that the alien race were betrayed by one of their own, LORD IMPERATOR, who made a horrific pact with the DAEMONITES to doom his home world!
Concurrently, HAWKMAN and MISTER MIRACLE headed towards THE GUARDIAN, ignorant of the events unfolding, determined to prevent MAJESTROS going rogue after his act of seemingly-kidnapping MARLOWE from Los Angeles mere hours before.
Back on Laputa, THE ATOM, BLUE BEETLE and CYBORG uploaded themselves into the psychic mainframe that holds all their secrets to chase a deadly virus that was stealing their precious data. That virus’ name? THE THINKER!
Finally, CHLOE SULLIVAN, the recently-removed head of the GLOBAL PEACE AGENCY, found an oddity in the footage framing the JUSTICE LEAGUE, a cry for help from an unknown player in the game! What will she do with this information?
With all this in mind, please join us now for the continuing adventures of the JUSTICE LEAGUE--
{Guardian-- can-- hear--} The distorted voice of Hawkman filled James Harper’s brain, sending a visual crackle through the memory projection he was experiencing at the hands of Jack Marlowe and Lord Majestros. {We-- nearing-- position-- do you-- assistance?}
{I’m all right. I’m safe,} said the Guardian. {Majestros is contained. Marlowe is safe. Do not intervene. We’re getting to the bottom of this.}
Hawkman soared above the island where the Guardian, Marlowe and Majestros currently lay unconscious.Winding cables connected the three men’s heads, and they twitched as they experienced some kind of shared dream state.
Beside Katar, Mister Miracle floated with ease thanks to his Aero Discs. He looked down at the scene beneath him and shook his head. {From-- we’re at-- like you’re-- to each other-- and that’s-- all right-- you?}
{Yes. Keep working. We’re kosher,} came the Guardian’s terse response.
“You heard him,” said Hawkman. “He says that… whatever that is…” He pointed his mace at the three men. “It’s ‘all right’.”
“How can we be sure?” said Miracle as he zipped down, leaving Katar alone in the skies. “I’ve been in countless death traps, physical, metaphysical, psychic… this could be a trap…” He paused when he followed the cables back to Jack Marlowe’s head. “Marlowe’s a cybernetic being, but these systems are beyond anything I’ve seen on Earth before.”
“Like the thing in storage at Science City, Yon Kohl?” said Hawkman.
“The one you know as Yon Kohl is our template-father,” said Marlowe, abruptly. “We were built in his image, to honour his memory.”
“You’re awake?” said Miracle. “I feel like I shouldn’t be surprised by this.”
“I am dedicating the majority of my processing power to the memory link,” said Marlowe. His face was against the sandy soil of the island, and Scott carefully turned him so that his mouth was out of the dirt, without dislodging the cables trailing out of his head. “Thank you. I am sharing my experiences with Lord Majestros and the Guardian. I am unable to disengage at this point. Your friends will awaken fully when the process has run its course.”
Hawkman’s belt made a noise and he took steps away from the others, carefully removing his old Justice League transmitter from its pouch. He didn’t trust the nanotelepathy that the Guardian had introduced after the Martian Manhunter left the team, so kept his old communicator at hand. The voice coming from the machine was instantly recognisable. <Justice League, this is Chloe Sullivan on Green Lantern’s old frequency. Do you read? I have information that will help clear your names-- but you’re not going to like what it’s going to take. >
“Sullivan, this is Hawkman,” said Katar. “Not liking something never stopped us from doing it. Go on..”
<Katar, it’s great to hear your voice. Here’s the situation: There’s a message hidden in the broadcast. Whoever was able to create the footage was a pro, but I think they’re being kept against their will. I think the only place Bendix would feel secure in keeping a prisoner is on board his space station. If you can get to the prisoner, I think you can clear your names.>
Hawkman turned to Mister Miracle. “Scott, how do you feel about breaking into a secure space station we’ve already been accused of breaking into this week?”
“Happy to prove my chops,” said Scott. “What about these guys though?”
“We will be fine,” said Marlowe. “When the memory transfer is complete, disengagement will be instant. Good luck.”
“Where we’re going, we don’t need luck,” said Mister Miracle. “Maybe an EVA suit though?”
LAPUTA, WITHIN THE TELEPATHIC DATABANKS:
“There he is,” said the Atom, leaning forward over the dash of the artificial Bug they travelled in.
Ahead of them floated the Thinker, devouring the chaff data Cyborg set up before they entered the mainframe. He hadn’t noticed that it was empty data, weighted to look important. They knew that he would soon enough, and then he’d double down on finding the good stuff at the heart of the database.
“Eating as much as his little stomach can hold, which, apparently, seems to be a lot,” said Blue Beetle.
“I want to know where they’re sending the data,” said Cyborg. “There’s no outgoing connection. No uplink. But somehow they got Vandal Savage’s blackmail database out and used it against those inside. How? ”
“We can ask him before we delete him,” said Blue Beetle. “Or whatever, I don’t know how this is going to work.”
“Let’s make him swallow this anti-virus software Angie designed,” said Cyborg. “I hope the others are having an easier day than us.”
Barda collected the unconscious Zatanna up in her arms and headed for the outside, while Doctor Light laid down suppressing fire with a series of high intensity light blasts that kept Team Achilles on their heels. If they could wake Zee up then she’d be able to level the playfield with one word, and Santini, Achilles’ field leader, knew as much.
{What about Mera and Wonder Woman?} said Doctor Light.
{They can look after themselves, our priority is to get Zatanna clear. Wait, I have an idea-- Spica, I need you in the medical bay now!} Without another word, Barda charged forward, through the front doors of the UN, and into the daylight outside. The entire area was locked down, with not another human being in sight. “Door!”
An orange portal opened next to her and she stepped through, landing in the medical bay of Laputa.
Angie Spica, the Guardian’s technical support, hurried inside and started looking Zatanna over, while Barda headed straight back through the portal and back in action.
Picking up as much speed as possible and dodging the bullets fired by Stormwatch, she sprinted toward Santini, grabbed him by the harness he wore to hold his weapons, and then threw him across the steps of the UN building, knocking him head over heels before coming to a stop in a heap. She smirked as she continued on toward the rest of Team Achilles, Mega-Rod crackling with energy.
Meanwhile, held aloft, Wonder Woman choked for life, trying to fight back against the clutch of Bendix. His limbs extended away from his body, sending them above the seats where the UN ambassadors would sit. “Wh-why are you doing this, Bendix? You s-say you want to protect the world from superhumans, but then you become one?”
Bendix shook his head. “Sometime you have to become what you hate the most to win the day. I accept that sacrifice every single day of my life.”
“Don’t make us kill you, Bendix,” said Mera. She tried prying Bendix’s energy hand away from her throat, but found that he was intangible, although he somehow could continue to inflict his deadly touch.
“That’s your way, and it’s mine as well,” said Bendix. “You’re lucky I want you to--”
Santini was thrown through the previously sealed doors of the chamber, and was followed by the unconscious bodies of Team Achilles. Behind them stood a haggard Doctor Light and Big Barda.
“Put those women down,” said Barda. She pointed her Mega-Rod at Bendix. “Before I make you.”
“I’m not scared of a pair of little girls,” said Bendix. His limbs flexed and stretched, and additional hands began to breach their surface and reach toward them.
“Bright in here,” said Doctor Light. “Thanks.” She blasted Bendix with all her might, staggering the man and causing him to drop Mera and Wonder Woman. They staggered back to their teammates and prepared for the next round.
The Thinker swallowed another piece of data greedily, but when his stomach continued to rumble he grew confused-- just as Cyborg sent a stream of anti-virus software into his side, desynchronising him from the database for a split second. He vomited up the empty data packets he’d been tricked into devouring, then turned his attention back to the Justice League.
“This anti-virus of Angie’s is great, but there’s subroutine present that I can’t--” Cyborg’s eyes lit up. “Oh, that’s clever. C’mon, Thinker! Open wide!”
“STOP-- DOING-- THAT--”
“Nah,” said Ted Kord, aiming his BB Gun at the Thinker. He fired a salvo that caught the Thinker in the gut, and the virus’ stomach fragmented, an odd, pixelated gap in his being where part of his lower torso should be.
The Thinker turned tail and headed off further into the databanks, the Atom driving the construct of the Bug after him while Blue Beetle and Cyborg kept shooting. “He’s slowing down,” said Palmer. “At least, I think he is, it’s weird, I--”
The Thinker stretched out and billowed to colossal size. With one swipe, he caught the Bug and held it aloft in front of his face, his gaping mouth opening wide. “ENOUGH. THAT IS ENOUGH.”
Cyborg shot a sustained anti-virus blast into the Thinker’s mouth and was plucked out of the Bug and held aloft.
“I SAID ENOUGH.” The Thinker threw Cyborg into his mouth and swallowed.
“Vic!” said Ted. “Jesus, he just-- if he devoured Cyborg, then--”
“I WILL EAT YOUR--” The Thinker paused. “I WILL--” He spluttered. Quaked. “OH. I HAVE MADE A TERRIBLE MISTAKE.”
The Thinker shattered, leaving a gigantic version of Cyborg in his place. “Well, that was easy,” said Vic with a shrug.
“What the hell was that?” said Ted. “You just let him eat you?”
“I needed direct access to his core programming. Angie’s anti-virus needed to be exposed to that so it could be deployed back to Stormwatch’s own databanks. Still, if they reboot his mind offsite, then he’s still a threat, but right now we’re free of him and the big bads are getting a taste of their own medicine. Let’s disengage. I could see where they’re keeping his body, where they’ve plugged in his brain. If we’re to stop this for good, we need to get onboard--”
Mister Miracle and Hawkman snuck aboard Skywatch relatively easily. With the force field up around it, the shimmering blue bubble hanging in orbit was visible via telescope, and with the help of the Doors, they could just walk in.
Wings sheathed and hidden beneath Stormwatch armour, Katar Hol looked like any other member of the UN sanctioned taskforce, while Mister Miracle slipped into the role with relish, the born entertainer leading the way down the corridors of the satellite.
{What are we looking for?} said Katar.
{Well lucky for you, I’m in your ear,} said Chloe, piping her voice through from her home in Coast City. What Hawkman and Miracle couldn’t see were the schematics she had spent the day scouring, and it was her guidance that would make this journey worthwhile.
{Talk fast, Chloe. I don’t think it’d be good for the Justice League’s profile to get caught in here,} said Katar.
“Hey there, what are you doing down here?”
Katar and Scott turned toward the armed guard approaching them.
“You know this place is restricted, you can’t just walk down here, Christ,” said the man. “Our databanks are being drained of data and you’re just strolling around, I mean, come on--”
Katar moved forward, his fist clenched, but Scott slapped his hand across the Thanagarian’s chest. “Whoa there. And whoa there to you too, kid. Do you not know who you’re talking to?”
“What?” said the armed guard, taken aback.
“This is Colonel Hall, Stormwatch Black,” said Scott. “Bendix’s elite elite unit. This is the man who’s going to save you from the things that go bump in the night that even Achilles can’t handle, and the first thing-- the very first thing you do when you meet him-- is challenge his credentials? What’s your name? Don’t just stand there looking at me like an idiot, what’s your name? ” He glared at the man, nostrils flaring. He used the nanotelepathy to talk to Sullivan. {You ready for this?}
{Born ready, Scott. You’re a terror.}
“North,” said the soldier. “I, uh, I’m sorry, sir.”
“Don’t apologise, give me a full name,” said Scott. “Now.”
“Brandon North, sir,” said the guard.
{Give me a minute,} said Chloe, typing the name into her database back home. {Uploading now.}
“I know that name,” said Free. “What, you think you can jump ship from the FBI’s metahuman taskforce and stay under the radar? You were a damn good soldier back in the day, and now you can’t even respect rank. You want sending back to Podunk Iowa, North? Because one word in the Weatherman’s ear and you’re off the satellite and back Earth-side sucking eggs!”
“No, no sir,” said North. He looked over at Katar. “I’m sorry, sir.”
“That’s… fine,” said Katar. “Now get out of here.”
North vanished, and the two Justice Leaguers kept moving.
{What was that?} said Katar.{Since when did you pull that kind of thing?}
{I do these things to amuse myself, Katar. When you get as old as me, you’ll try something crazy once or twice.}
{You’re headed in the right direction,} said Chloe. {There’s a transmitter linked up to the private quarters of the Weatherman. I’m thinking he’s keeping his prisoner kept close to home. And what did that guy mean when he said the data is being drained? Any clue?}
{That’d be us, guys-- what are you doing on Skywatch?} Blue Beetle’s voice came through loud and clear and sounding as nervous as hell.
{Long story,} said Katar. {What’s wrong, Beetle?}
{There’s some kind of data receiver up there, taking in whatever the-- okay, look, you’ve missed a lot since we parted ways a few hours ago. Basically, we’ve been hacked and we’ve plugged one hole, but if you don’t find the hacker, Stormwatch could potentially start the process again and they’ll end up with a few more secrets than they rightfully should.}
Katar looked at Scott, who shrugged. {Chloe, where would they keep someone like that?}
{Bear with me,} said Chloe.
Mister Miracle glanced around the hallway. {We need information fast, Chloe.}
There was silence across their connection, then Beetle’s voice came through again. {Guys, I just tried getting up to you, but the Door won’t connect. Everything all right? How did you get up there?}
{They’re on to us,} said Free. {We need to wrap this up double time or they’re going to come down on us hard. It’s not going to take long before North gets his head together and realises I just railroaded him into submission. I have my Boom Tube generator, that’s our escape plan.}
{There’s a receiver linked up to one of the side rooms. The antenna is aimed at the middle of the ocean-- Laputa-- I’m uploading the location now. You’re going to have to split up.}
{I’ll take the transmitter, you take the receiver,} said Katar. {Let’s move.}
Lord Emp looked over at the inert Spartan unit he had managed to drag into the escape pod, and grimaced. The escape pod wasn’t made to survive exposure to the dimensional rift, and there was no promising it would hold up under the strain they were experiencing. Even if they did make it through, who knew where they would end up?
Even as the numerous indicators and controls fluctuated and spun wildly next to Emp’s arm, the pod spluttered and shook before a cataclysmic bang indicated their sudden arrival on a planet of some sort. Emp sent a burst of energy from his finger into the Spartan’s batteries and it opened one eye. “Don’t be leaving me alone yet, kiddo. Plenty left to do.”
The Spartan lurched up and kicked the sealed door of the escape pod open, and a burst of fresh air filled the cabin. Emp stepped out and surveyed their surroundings.
“Breathable atmosphere. No life signs in sight. Good and good,” said Emp. “How long were we caught up in the dimensional rift?”
The Spartan’s head pivoted toward the now settled console to its side and its head jerked awkwardly around, life-motion still not fully restored. It clicked and whirred like a clockwork man, and Emp knew he’d have to fix that sooner rather than later. “Kheran calendar-- solar year calculated at-- 27,042.”
“Wha-at?” said Emp. “We left in 4,453.” He ran his hands through his hair. “We’ve been in that rift for tens of thousands of years. By the Gods. It felt like minutes. Can we detect the location of the ark? It must have landed here, somewhere, connecting the two points of the dimensional rift? Any other escape pods?”
“No other-- Kheran ships-- detected,” said the Spartan.
“Hidden then,” said Emp. “Damnation. We need to get our bearings. Let’s get the escape pod hidden away somewhere safe.” He gestured toward a mountain range nearby. “We’ll strip it of any useful tech, bury it under there and then figure out where exactly we are.”
The Guardian looked over at Marlowe. “That’s you? ” He gestured toward the wrecked Spartan unit spluttering around the crash site.
Marlowe’s projection nodded. “I was wrecked by Lord Imperator’s attack, but Emp repaired and then rebuilt me as the years progressed. We arrived in 1924. ”
“I think I can see where this is going, ” said the Guardian.
“Lord Emp took the name Marlowe and anticipated the Wall Street Crash. He used that opportunity to falsify records and ensure that Marlowe & Son-- with myself installed as the figurehead-- was born. When the time was right, in the seventies, he assumed the role of CEO, and we rebranded as HALO, using the developments Emp made in the interim to replicate Kheran technology to further the success of the company, but also ensure that the technology was in every single home. ”
“Why does it need to be in every home? ” said the Guardian.
“Kheran technology, once fully activated, can create a detection field capable of exposing Daemonites in their possessive form. Anyone harbouring a parasite will be exposed, and the Daemonite itself will be forced out. ”
“Why haven’t you activated it yet? ” said Majestros. “Why have you allowed the Daemonites to spread without pause? ”
“Only a Lord-- a member of the Kheran Pantheon-- may activate the field, ” said Marlowe. “Lord Emp anticipated he would be the one to do so, but was murdered before it could be done. Only you can do so now, Lord Majestros. ”
“And you never tracked down Imperator? ” said Majestros.
“There was no trace of him, but the Daemonites found traces of us. They sent an unkillable assassin after us, one of their genetic aberrations, ” said Marlowe.
“Kenyan,” said the Guardian. “The man who killed Jacob Marlowe.*”
*We met Kenyan in Justice League #4
“Correct, ” said Marlowe. “A genetically-engineered assassin instilled with the belief that he was part of some grand war against Lord Emp, that Emp himself had built him to amuse him across the ages. Lies constructed by the Daemonites to make their killer all the more ruthless. ”
The cables connecting them severed, leaving the Guardian and Majestic with a dull pain in the back of their skulls, and Marlowe with his head open as the wires returned to his interior with a whir.
Guardian pulled himself to his feet and put a finger to his ear. {World holding together?}
There came no response from any of the teams the Justice League had split into.
“Guess we have work to do,” said the Guardian. “You holding together, Majestros?”
“My head is clear,” said Majestic. “Whatever Spar-- Marlowe-- did, it’s healed the broken connections in my mind. I remember everything.”
“I’m glad,” said Marlowe. “We need to activate the HALO-- the array that will identify the Daemonites.”
“We can’t,” said the Guardian. “We don’t know how many there might be, and right now, their threat is dormant. We need to regroup and prepare.”
“I--” Majestros started to speak, but realised that Harper made perfect sense. “I-- I agree. I will have my revenge,” he looked at Marlowe, “we both will. But now, what do you need us to do?”
“Majestros, I need you to head up to Skywatch. I know your power levels are off the limits, so I want you to punch their force field and get them jittery. That gives our boys upstairs a chance to get on with their jobs with a bit of secrecy. Do not engage with the satellite itself. ”
“I can do that,” said Majestros. He shot upwards, and broke orbit immediately.
“What about me?” said Marlowe.
“We get you back to Los Angeles, and book an appointment to continue our discussions,” said the Guardian. “I don’t want anyone thinking we kidnapped you.”
“Sounds agreeable,” said Marlowe. “You know, I have some ideas that might make the Justice League--”
“Let’s clear our names first,” said the Guardian. “C’mon. Door. ”
With one immense swing, Bendix was thrown across the room and crashed into row upon row of chairs by Big Barda as she surged forward. Bendix looked up, grimaced, and then glanced over to Team Achilles. “I’m getting sick of this!”
“We all are,” said Wonder Woman. “Stand down. This isn’t a battle you can win.”
“Not alone,” said Bendix. “Team Achilles-- activate subroutine Black Razor.”
Ben Santini choked to consciousness, gagging on something inside his throat. “Wha-- what--”
The soldier’s body was torn inside out and he jerked upwards as he transformed into an eight-- foot tall, ink-black-skinned humanoid. His limbs were lined with razor-sharp edges, and his fingers stretched into claws.
“What have you done?” said Wonder Woman.
“Refused to lose,” said Bendix, as the transformed men attacked the Justice League-- until they were suddenly reverted back to human with two words--
“odnU snoitatum,” said Zatanna, who propped herself up in the hallway. She pointed at Bendix, an angry look in her eye. “evomeR stnemecnahne.”
Bendix fell apart. His body shrank, he lost about a foot in height, and his arms sprang back to flesh and blood. Outside his body, hard plastics appeared that had previously been under his skin, circuitry, wiring, all the things that made him a threat to the gathered team were now removed from him, leaving a small man frothing at the mouth.
“My-- my-- “ said Bendix. He looked at his hands. “How did I--?” Then he looked at the Justice League. “Oh, my God. Transfer bay, take me home.”
The Weatherman of Stormwatch vanished in a swirl of teleporting light, leaving the now-naked and human Team Achilles behind. Barda was about to say something scathing when they vanished too.
“Where are they?” asked Barda. “What happened?”
“Some kind of emergency teleport,” said Doctor Light. {Uh, Laputa, we just had a mass exodus of Stormwatch personnel at our location, are you able to track?}
Angie Spica’s voice piped into Hoshi’s ear. {There’s a massive amount of interference that I can’t cut through, I’m afraid I can’t help on this end, Doctor.}
Barda cursed and turned to Zatanna. “Can you do anything?”
“I’m still bleary-eyed from that tranquiliser dart… a spell of that size… I can’t help, I’m sorry,” said Zee. “If I had more time…”
“No fear, Zatanna,” said Wonder Woman. “There’ll be other opportunities. Damn. We were so close…”
Klaxons blared across the satellite and Hawkman feared the worst. Instead, a voice emerged over the tannoy. <UNKNOWN SUPERHUMAN HAS ENGAGED THE STORM DOOR! ALL INACTIVE TROOPS NOW ACTIVE! PREPARE FOR ATTACK!>
{That’s Majestros, buying you some time,} said the Guardian. {Marlowe is calling a press conference as we speak to clear up the last twenty-four hours. Give the media something to chew on. Won’t do us any good if there’s a media manipulator ready to undo it, Katar-- Good work on that intel by the way, Sullivan.}
{Doing what I can,} said Chloe. {Katar, you’re at the door. That’s Bendix’s private quarters.}
{Can I teleport inside using the Doors?} said Hawkman. {Or will that cause further issue? I’d rather not batter my way in, would draw too much attention.}
{I can’t answer that, only way you’re going to know is by trying,} said the Guardian.
“Hrm,” said Hawkman. “…Door?” An orange portal opened and he stepped through, into Henry Bendix’s private chambers.
Inside, the walls were lined with weaponry, but in the centre was a sealed pod, wires trailing out of the end and heading into the wall.
Hawkman approached and his eyes widened when he saw what was inside. “Seven Hells. I need help.” He swallowed. {I need help.}
{We can’t get to you,} said the Guardian. {What’s wrong?}
{The media manipulator is here-- but she’s just a girl-- wired to the ship-- I don’t-- I can’t--}
Hawkman staggered back, memories flooding back to him of the boy he couldn’t save, the boy he had to kill to ensure hundreds of lives wouldn’t be lost*. He swore, and then took a step forward, back toward the pod. The girl was emaciated, her head shaved to allow the wires easy access to her skull. A respirator kept her breathing, and she was strapped down. Behind closed eyelids, Katar could see movement. Alive. But what would come next?
A split second later, a massive explosion rocked the ship and the door to Bendix’s chambers was torn off its hinges. Majestros stood there, his knuckles bloodied. “Apparently I can punch a forcefield out of existence. I don’t know my own strength. What’s wrong?”
“The girl--” Hawkman gestured to the pod, but Majestros was already there, scanning the interior and its resident.
“Drugs in her system keep her unconscious. Control systems are wired into her brain, allowing them control over her abilities. Let me think.” He tore the lid of the pod off as if it were paper. “I need to remove the wires in the right order, or--”
Gunfire rattled against Majestros’ back, and he turned, eyes flaring as he melted the weapons of the Stormwatch soldiers who entered “-- Keep them off us, Hawkman. I can get her out.”
As the sound of more soldiers coming down the corridor filled the room, Hawkman flexed his wings and tore through the stolen uniform he wore. He took his mace from its holster by his leg and trudged into the corridor, batting away the first soldier he saw.
“You need to lay down your arms,” said Hawkman. He took a round in the chest but the bullet bounced off his armour. He looked down at where it landed, then back at his attackers. “I warned you.” With a scream, he tore into them, mace swinging.
“What are you doing here?” said the doctor on duty. “Project: Data Worm is restricted to--”
Scott Free punched the doctor in the face, knocking him out. “Well, at least I know I’m in the right place.”
Clifford DeVoe, aka the Thinker, was older than sin and plugged into a computer monitor. He was kept alive with what looked like an iron lung, and he made no efforts to acknowledge Mister Miracle.
Scott sealed the room and approached DeVoe. The monitor by his head displayed a silver-headed avatar, who looked over at Miracle when he got near and spoke in a disjointed, mechanical voice. “YOUR FRIENDS FRAGMENTED ME. SENT ME BACK HERE. HUNGRY. I AM EATING ALL STORMWATCH DATA. UNACCEPTA--”
“Please be quiet.” Miracle unceremoniously unplugged the computer, and looked down at DeVoe as his eyes opened wide.
With a wheeze of great effort, Clifford locked eyes with Scott Free and stared daggers at the master escape artist, but Miracle chuckled and shook his head. “You’re not scary when you’re offline.”
“Hff… hff… hff…”
Hawkman looked up at the wall of unconscious bodies he’d somehow built up around him in his warrior’s rage, and then trudged back into the room where Majestros pulled out the final wire from the young woman’s head. When the needle emerged, Majestros’ eyes flared and sealed the wound, and the girl gasped as she breathed under her own power for the first time in who knew how long.
“I… I…”
“You’re safe now,” said Majestros. “Nobody is going to hurt you. I am Lord Majestros of-- of the Justice League.” He looked over at Hawkman, who nodded. “We’re getting you out of here.”
“Majestic,” whispered the girl. “I didn’t… I didn’t want to do what they made me do…”
“Looks like you’ve got your hands full,” said Mister Miracle, as he pushed Clifford DeVoe’s life support chamber into the room. He’d placed his Aero Discs under the chassis and placed it down next to Majestros.
Hawkman nodded in acknowledgment of his comrade. “Scott, we can’t Door out, and more soldiers are on their way. Suggestions?”
Before Mister Miracle could begin reeling off all the methods of escape available to them, Majestros looked about the room and then zipped around. The room shook and began to fold into itself, until Hawkman, Mister Miracle, the girl and DeVoe were in a smaller compartment made from the larger room they had previously stood within.
{I’ve sealed off the room and adapted it to be an escape craft. Hold on, we just need to get clear of the satellite,} said Majestros.
{Where are you?} said Hawkman.
{Outside,} said Majestros, matter-of-factly.
Mister Miracle smiled. “Show off.”
The entire structure shuddered and then they could feel the gentle tug of movement as they were dragged deeper into space, away from the range of the satellite. Miracle looked out of the one window left to them and saw the gentle sway of Majestros’ cape and behind him, the melted slag of what remained of the room they’d been in. Majestros had made the remains airtight, allowing those on board the satellite to survive
“I… you need… to put me… in front of a camera…” said the girl. “I can put this… right…”
Numerous glowing orange portals appeared next to the four of them as they were transported to safety by the Justice League’s teleport system.
Wonder Woman was on the stage, flanked by the assorted members of the Justice League, minus the Guardian and Majestros. “--You just saw footage taken from inside the United Nations General Assembly Hall. Henry Bendix gloating as to the truth behind the last 48 hours. I’m just glad that no matter how realistic the footage seemed, you believed in us, in the Justice League.”
“Right now, Stormwatch is off the grid, there’s no trace of their satellite in orbit and we believe they have cloaked themselves to avoid any repercussions. That said, the UN have revoked their sanction to operate across the globe, and there is a warrant out for Henry Bendix’s arrest. We will not rest until we find them and we bring the puppet masters behind Stormwatch to justice.”
“…This is ridiculous,” whispered Hawkman. “That we have to parade ourselves out to prove we did no wrong.”
“Just the way it is right now,” said Beetle. “Back in the big leagues. Nature of the beast.”
Behind the stage, sat the young girl rescued from the satellite, along with the Guardian, who was currently trying to put her off her intended plan of action.
“Adele, you don’t have to do this. We need to get you back to the hospital, get you back to full strength--”
“You don’t know what he did to me,” said Adele, “I need… I need the world to know…”
“Too stubborn for your own good, aren’t you? Okay, I’ll be right there,” said the Guardian. “And Majestros is up there, somewhere, watching, so you have nothing to fear.”
“I know,” said Adele. “Even plugged in, I saw everything you all did. Together, apart, the Justice League. I saw you. You always win. No matter what. I trust you.”
With that, cameras flashing and rolling, Adele headed onto the stage, supported by the Guardian. She took a seat in front of the Justice League, and leaned into the microphone.
“Hello. My name is Adele Benson, but my superhero name was going to be the Projectionist. I found out when I was young that I could change what was on television screens. On the radio. First I would just flip the channels, but when you’re young, you get excited, and I found myself making my own cartoons with my favourite characters.”
Still weak, the young woman leaned against the Guardian, who made sure she didn’t fall over in her seat.
“When I was seventeen a man approached me at school. Henry Bendix. The Weatherman of Stormwatch. He wanted me to join his super team, and when he showed me what he could do, when he told me I would meet Wonder Woman, and Superman, and… and, well I went with him. And he plugged me into a computer and stole my life. I was a tool used to manipulate the media so that Stormwatch looked better than they actually were.”
She looked around the room.
“You don’t believe me,” said Adele. “I mean, I know you know that the Justice League didn’t attack that satellite. You know better than that. But you think I’m lying, or whatever.” She pointed at one of the journalists at the front of the room. “Take a photo of me with your phone.”
The journalist looked around, stood up, and snapped a photo of Adele. He held up the resulting image to his partner, who gasped. Adele pointed at the camera, then at the screen used to show Bendix’s madness to the world.
The photo of her appeared, and it was of her-- but the version of her she wanted to be-- head full of blonde hair, well-nourished, and with a light behind her eyes that was only just starting to come back in reality. She then waved her hand across the room and everyone’s phones buzzed.
The Guardian’s brow furrowed.
“Is this you?” said another journalist, holding up his phone.
“What did you do?” said the Guardian.
Adele nodded slowly. “Triggered an RSS feed with my photo in it. They’re getting an update letting them know.” She stood up abruptly. “I can do what I claim. So listen close. The Justice League were a threat to Stormwatch, so Bendix made me fake that footage you all saw. Someone picked up on the message I snuck into it and they rescued me. Stormwatch are corrupt, and they fooled everyone. Now you get to rectify that.” She doubled over. “Nnn. And yeah, I need… I need to go to the hospital now…”
The Guardian bundled her up, leaned into the microphone and said two words. “No questions.”
President Stuart sat at his desk in the Oval Office, rapping his fingers against the mighty oak surface that forty three men had signed executive orders upon for centuries. He’d finished watching the Justice League’s press conference an hour or so back, and the media was already praising him for standing by the team at the uncertain time when their loyalty to the world was in question. A poll by the Daily Planet had seen his approval ratings go up. Not that he cared about such things. There were more pressing concerns.
Without fanfare, the Guardian entered the room through the secret passage he’d been introduced to by Eisenhower after the Second World War had ended. No need to teleport. No need to materialise or apparate. The office of the president deserved more, in Harper’s opinion. And he’d deliver that respect to the best of his ability.
“At ease, Colonel,” said Stuart. The president saluted the old soldier, and the Guardian returned the sentiment in kind. “What brings you to the White House in the dead of the night? Good news, I hope?”
The Guardian stood in front of the president’s desk, as much at ease as he could manage. “You asked me to do something and I made sure it was done.”
Stuart was silent for a moment. “…Bendix’s intelligence stash?”
“Eradicated,” said the Guardian. “Every piece of dirt the Stormwatch database held is gone. Your family is safe.”
“I couldn’t…” Stuart’s trail of thought wandered off before he got started. “The man threatened my son … but I couldn’t let that stop me from doing my job. From supporting the Justice League, and standing by my belief system.”
“And I appreciate that. You called me to do what needed to be done,” said Harper. “And now it is. You can rest easy. But sir…”
“Yes, James?”
“I operated covertly within my team today. I got lucky. Next time, I may not get so lucky. Not that I won’t try my hardest to protect the interests of this country, but if my loyalty is called into question… well. I just thought I’d say… I’ll do my best for the United States of America. But I won’t risk the lives of my team.”
“I understand,” said Stuart. “I’ll speak to my son… ask him how that… recording was made…”
“Do what you think is best, sir,” said James, standing beside the secret passage. “That’s why you were elected.”
“Weatherman, are you all right?” said one of Stormwatch’s observation technicians.
Skywatch was compromised, cloaked, and sent for a spin past the moon until the heat was off. Bendix had evacuated his loyal staff to one of his alpha sites, secluded, deep under the earth, and built up in the time he’d been an intelligence operative.
“I don’t know what happened,” said Bendix. “The enhancements must have been damaged. Corrupted. All the work we did, undone by madness. Accusing the Justice League of a crime of that magnitude… why… why…?”
A new voice entered the fray: “I’m afraid that’s a question that’s going to be asked of you for a good long time, Bendix.”
Emerald constructs formed around the ankles of all the gathered Stormwatch personnel, tethering them to the ground. Vines formed from the restraints and seeped into every weapon, every piece of technology, rendering them inert. Bendix felt the warm energy flow over him, until he was completely restricted in his movement. The construct tightened, and he toppled to the floor. A gag covered his mouth, as well as the rest of the men and women who believed in his crusade.
“You took something from me, so it’s only fair I return the favour,” said Chloe Sullivan. The former Weatherman of the Global Peace Agency, the intelligence agency dismantled by Bendix in favour of Stormwatch, aimed her pistol at his head.
Behind Chloe stood the father of her child, Hal Jordan, returning to his role of Green Lantern one more time since his retirement a year before and assisting her in the biggest spy bust in the history of the business.
With a smile on her face, Chloe nodded slowly. “Henry Bendix, you’re under arrest.”
NEXT ISSUE: Before the fiftieth issue of DC2’s Justice League arrives in December, our next issue arrives with breathing room to spare. Our heroes are about to learn that down time isn’t necessarily a good time. Who will remain when the roster shifts once more?
The horrific reptilian hybrid equal parts hissed and shrieked as it dove for Batwoman, but Barbara was having none of it. The thing was built like a brick wall, thick muscles reminding her of Blockbuster. His skin was covered in scales, though patches were missing and she could see exposed muscle underneath. Its mouth was full of fangs and a forked tongue licked out as it made aggressive noises in her direction.
Batwoman was having none of that. She feigned left, drew the creature in and then went in the opposite direction of the feint. The creature barrelled into the wall behind her, and she swung her heel into the base of its spine, causing it to cry out in pain. It spun around, rage blazing in its eyes and slashed toward her abdomen, but she was gone, moving with the trained grace of a Gotham-born crime fighter.
“I don’t want to hurt you,” said Barbara. “But I will if it means putting you down.”
“Praissssse Kobrrrraaa,” hissed the creature.
Barbara grimaced. Okay, going the Batman route didn’t work. Time for the Batwoman method. She grabbed the creature by the ears and somersaulted over its head. Her momentum wouldn’t be enough to flip the thing heel-over-head, but it cried out as the muscles in its back wrenched and its head exploded with pain as its thin ears were mangled. It swiped again, wildly, but the pain caused by Batwoman’s attack gave her the time to draw a syringe from her belt and bolt it into her grapnel gun. She levelled it at the creature’s exposed neck and fired, embedding enough sedative into its jugular to put down a dinosaur. It was unfortunate that she knew how much sedative that took, but hers was a life fantastical, and it came with the territory.
After a few more moments of pathetic flailing, the reptilian creature fell down, leaving Batwoman alone in the returned silence of the Kobra outpost.
“So, not so abandoned,” said Batwoman. She wondered how many more of these things there were roaming the halls, and she measured that expectation with the knowledge of how much sedative she still had on her-- not much. “Weren’t picked up on my preliminary infrared scans…” she mused. “Cold-blooded, then.”
Best make this quick, she thought. Her attention back on the events that brought her there, she resumed her thinking about the cell. Jeffrey Burr, the king of Kobra, knew that a joint taskforce of military and superhuman might was descending upon this place. Instead of trying to escape, he came down here to kill his brother.
“Unless…” started Batwoman. She examined the floor. There were no grooves on the floor to suggest a secret door. No mechanism hidden in the wall that she could detect. “This isn’t a cell…”
Batwoman took a sample of the reptilian creature’s blood and an imprint of its hand. First, she injected the blood into a compartment on her wrist that would begin complete genetic analysis of the sample. Secondly, she copied the handprint onto her smart-glove, the surface of the material affecting that of the creature’s own hide, the porousness of the invention allowing slight traces of the creature’s genetic material to seep through. She began to carefully move her hand across the room, searching, probing, until there was a slight click when her hand found something-- a sensor?
“Open sesame,” said Batwoman. The wall began to dissolve in a beam of green light. There wasn’t a secret door-- there was a trans-dimensional gateway. Accessible only to those with the right genetic signature. How could anyone expect that to be lurking in a cell? She took a small, flat piece of metal from the back of her utility belt and pressed a button, causing the flat metal to expand into a sphere. She smiled at the technology, something she'd come up with after a conversation with Michael Holt, the Justice Society of America's Mr Terrific, and rolled the sphere through the trans-dimension gateway. Immediately, atmospheric and environment readings fed into her cowl computer, and she could see that wherever the portal led... was breathable, was human, was somewhere on Earth...
"Right. Okay."
Batwoman sent a data burst to the Justice League satellite and then considered her options. She could step through. She could journey further into the mystery and follow it down whatever rabbit hole Kobra had engineered. Or she could wait, call in the Justice League, and let them take over. But what if it was nothing? What if she was about to walk into some trap, or some warehouse full of knockoff designer gear? This could be another public relations nightmare waiting to happen, and she wasn’t going to be the one to inflict that on the world’s greatest superheroes.
“Best do what I’m told,” said Batwoman. “And call in help.”
“The thing is, it’s not about being funny ha-ha, it’s never been about that,” said the man at the bar, “it’s more like… well, it’s absurd. It’s stream of consciousness. It’s about whatever comes into your head and funny be damned. Luckily, I’m freaking hilarious, so things never go ass-ways.”
“I didn’t ask,” said the bartender. “You wan’ another drink?”
“Like it’ll make any difference,” sighed Eel O’Brien. “I miss the good old days, pal. Back when you could--” A small device on Eel’s belt began to buzz. “Hey hey hey, what’s going on down here then?” He winked at the bartender. “It’s not what you think.”
“I think you’ve still got a buzzer, pal. That’s not even old school.”
“It’s not a buzzer,” said Eel. “It’s time to get the band back together.”
“Sure,” said the bartender, “Gonna pay your tab first?”
A few blocks across, in an apartment high above the city, a black-haired woman opened her handbag to find an identical communication device buzzing away, and she smiled as she recognised the reason behind its activation. She activated the lever that opened the secret room in her apartment and grabbed her costume, making sure to check that her quiver was full of crossbow bolts.
“Kate? Your thing is buzzing.”
“What? Are you sure it’s not your--”
“No, no, I know what sound that makes.”
Kate Spencer rolled her eyes and wandered into her bedroom. The move to Gotham City had been a relatively easy one to make considering her new role in the DA’s office, and it went all the easier thanks to the presence of her girlfriend, Grace Choi. That said, Ramsey was having trouble adjusting, especially considering the events of the last year or so. The less they dwelt on that the better, but still, it had to be addressed.
“Oh, wait, it is my thing,” said Grace. “My Outsider comms. I thought we were done.”
Kate checked her underwear drawer, and sure enough the communication unit she’d used back in her days as an Outsider was buzzing away. “Yeah. Guess we aren’t.”
“Buddy, your Outsiders buzzer-badge-thing is going off. I thought you threw it away,” said Ellen. “Oh, wait.”
“Yeah, I can’t throw anything away,” said Buddy. “Huh. Not often you get the call from Batwoman.”
“You’ve only been on that team for five minutes,” said Ellen. “From the Justice League to this… bit of a backwards move.”
“Justice League work meant I was away from you and the kids more than I liked. Outsiders work is infrequent, especially recently. I thought the team had ran its course, but this… well, guess I better find my goggles.”
Ellen held her husband’s protective goggles on the end of her finger and smiled. “Just be sure to come back in one piece.”
“As you wish,” said Buddy, kissing his wife on the cheek.
“I hope that worked,” said Batwoman, pocketing her communication device. She considered the shimmering gateway and took a breath.
“I hope you’re not planning on going through there alone,” said Huntress, entering the cell behind her. “Else I wasted all that time digging out my costume.”
Batwoman’s eyes opened wide and she grinned. “You made it.”
“You called, I came,” said Huntress. “Been a while. Glad to see we can still access the Justice League’s teleportation circuits when we need to.”
“Well look who it is,” said Grace Choi, entering the room followed by the Manhunter. “Like a greatest hits collection.”
Batwoman felt something catch in her throat. It had been a while since the Outsiders had gathered, and to see her friends coming to her aid when she needed it meant the world to her. Behind Manhunter appeared Animal Man, and next to him was Plastic Man.
But who hadn’t come when she called? Black Canary was off gallivanting across the world with Green Arrow, she knew that. Where was Red Tornado? Black Condor? Even the Phantom Stranger and Nightwing had their own Outsiders comms.
Hell, anyone who was ever an Outsider had a comm, the likes of Rose Psychic, Zatanna, but had they all grown so distant that when Batwoman called, some didn’t answer? Maybe their lives had gone in different directions, maybe they’d let their communication units’ batteries die. Who knew?
“Let me catch you up,” said Batwoman. “I’ve been tasked to dig into this whole Kobra mess.”
“Who by?” asked Manhunter.
Batwoman smiled and stuck her fingers up above her ears. “Who do you think?”
“We’re in the Justice League’s good books now?” asked Grace.
“We’re here to do a job,” said Huntress. “I say we follow BW’s lead and worry about the rest later.”
“I was just asking…” said Grace.
“I’ve uncovered this portal--” Batwoman gestured to the glistening doorway behind her. “And I’m going through. I’ve been told to utilise whatever assets I deem fit, and the way I see it, you’re the best guys I’ve ever known. So I’m about to step through into the unknown, and if you’ll--”
“Wait up,” said one final voice. Batwoman turned and Red Tornado stood next to Black Canary, who cracked her knuckles. “You didn’t think we’d let you go into the impossible by yourself?”
“You took your time, Canary,” said Huntress, embracing the fishnet-clad heroine. “Didn’t think you were going to show.”
“I was hip deep in someone. Something,” said Black Canary with a wink. “But hey, you’re my family, guys. Where you go I go, trouble be damned.”
Red Tornado shrugged. “I was asleep. I apologise.”
“You sleep now?” said Plastic Man. “Didn’t think the tin man had it in him.”
“I’ve been upgrading my personality algorithm. Sleep also seemed appropriate,” said Tornado. “So, we’re to step through that, to whoever knows where?”
“Correct,” said Batwoman. “You ready?”
“Why aren’t we through there already?” asked Black Canary.
NEXT ISSUE: The OUTSIDERS are on the scene but are they prepared for what lies beneath Kobra’s secret compound? Will the ever-increasing mystery left behind by the death of JEFFREY BURR and the enigmatic clone of JASON BURR that is currently in FBI custody be solved? Join us next month for MEANWHILE, THE WORLD KEEPS TURNING-- Now an OUTSIDERS Adventure-!
Last month the JUSTICE LEAGUE were caught on camera storming SKYWATCH and slaughtering a dozen STORMWATCH soldiers! The evidence was compelling, but no one wanted to believe that the World’s Greatest Heroes were capable of such atrocities, especially after KOBRA attempted something so similar so recently!
Of course, the video was all HENRY BENDIX’s doing, and he showed his hand when he attacked MERA and WONDER WOMAN in the UN General Assembly, unleashing previously-unseen mental abilities against them. Meanwhile, BIG BARDA, DOCTOR LIGHT and ZATANNA fought for their lives outside the assembly against TEAM ACHILLES!
Meanwhile, THE GUARDIAN relived the fall of Khera thanks to JACK MARLOWE and LORD MAJESTROS sharing their memories. It quickly became clear that the alien race were betrayed by one of their own, LORD IMPERATOR, who made a horrific pact with the DAEMONITES to doom his home world!
Concurrently, HAWKMAN and MISTER MIRACLE headed towards THE GUARDIAN, ignorant of the events unfolding, determined to prevent MAJESTROS going rogue after his act of seemingly-kidnapping MARLOWE from Los Angeles mere hours before.
Back on Laputa, THE ATOM, BLUE BEETLE and CYBORG uploaded themselves into the psychic mainframe that holds all their secrets to chase a deadly virus that was stealing their precious data. That virus’ name? THE THINKER!
Finally, CHLOE SULLIVAN, the recently-removed head of the GLOBAL PEACE AGENCY, found an oddity in the footage framing the JUSTICE LEAGUE, a cry for help from an unknown player in the game! What will she do with this information?
With all this in mind, please join us now for the continuing adventures of the JUSTICE LEAGUE--
JUSTICE LEAGUE ROLL-CALL:
TEAM ONE:
TEAM FOUR:
TEAM ONE:
BIG BARDA | DOCTOR LIGHT | MERA | WONDER WOMAN | ZATANNA |
TEAM TWO:
TEAM THREE:
THE ATOM | BLUE BEETLE | CYBORG |
TEAM THREE:
HAWKMAN | MISTER MIRACLE |
TEAM FOUR:
THE GUARDIAN | MAJESTIC |
THE UNITED NATIONS:
Henry Bendix, Weatherman of Stormwatch, held Mera and Wonder Woman aloft using what could only be described as telekinetic powers. He grinned as he clutched their throats with an invisible force and felt laughter rise up in his throat as he choked the life out of them.
Mera flexed her fingers and Bendix reeled as the juices in his brain suddenly clenched as the heroine took control of his cranial fluids, and his two opponents fell to the floor. They weren’t down for long. Wonder Woman trudged toward Bendix, who frothed at the mouth, while Mera continued to dictate the flow of essential fluids inside the man’s body.
“You really shouldn’t have done that,” said Wonder Woman.
A halo of energy surrounded Bendix’s head as he lurched up and grabbed her, his skin crackling as his fingers gripped her tight. “I build superhuman enhanciles in my spare time, Diana! Let me show you what I’ve been working on recently!” The voice coming out of his throat was inhuman, the foam at his lips still flowing freely. “I’m sure you’ll love it. ”
Mera swung a sword made of swirling, hardened water down across Bendix’s arms just under the elbow, and severed the limbs clean. Bendix reeled back and Wonder Woman brushed his hands away from her shoulders.
“You probably shouldn’t have done that, Mera,” said Wonder Woman.
“You’re probably right,” said Mera. “Look.”
Crackling, energy-ridden arms began to grow out of the stumps Bendix had just acquired. “Rerouting pain receptors. It’ll take more than that to put me down, ladies!”
Mera and Wonder Woman screamed and fell to their knees as the pain of losing one’s limbs filled their brains.
Bendix just smiled, not caring one jot that he was becoming something horrific. “No one will know the truth. These cameras, all around us?” He gestured around the room. “Under my control. Nothing leaves this room without my permission. A cut here and a paste there, and you’ll attack a man who just wanted to make peace, to understand why you did what you did. Your actions will lead to war being declared against both your people and all the super-beings of the world. While your comrades hold up their hands and beg for understanding, my people will end their threat once and for all. And the names of the great evil who started this downward spiral for the metahuman community? Well, who else, who bigger, than the--”
JUSTICE LEAGUE
Issue Eleven: “When The Truth Stops”
HoM / RIMMER / BOWERS
{Guardian-- can-- hear--} The distorted voice of Hawkman filled James Harper’s brain, sending a visual crackle through the memory projection he was experiencing at the hands of Jack Marlowe and Lord Majestros. {We-- nearing-- position-- do you-- assistance?}
{I’m all right. I’m safe,} said the Guardian. {Majestros is contained. Marlowe is safe. Do not intervene. We’re getting to the bottom of this.}
Hawkman soared above the island where the Guardian, Marlowe and Majestros currently lay unconscious.Winding cables connected the three men’s heads, and they twitched as they experienced some kind of shared dream state.
Beside Katar, Mister Miracle floated with ease thanks to his Aero Discs. He looked down at the scene beneath him and shook his head. {From-- we’re at-- like you’re-- to each other-- and that’s-- all right-- you?}
{Yes. Keep working. We’re kosher,} came the Guardian’s terse response.
“You heard him,” said Hawkman. “He says that… whatever that is…” He pointed his mace at the three men. “It’s ‘all right’.”
“How can we be sure?” said Miracle as he zipped down, leaving Katar alone in the skies. “I’ve been in countless death traps, physical, metaphysical, psychic… this could be a trap…” He paused when he followed the cables back to Jack Marlowe’s head. “Marlowe’s a cybernetic being, but these systems are beyond anything I’ve seen on Earth before.”
“Like the thing in storage at Science City, Yon Kohl?” said Hawkman.
“The one you know as Yon Kohl is our template-father,” said Marlowe, abruptly. “We were built in his image, to honour his memory.”
“You’re awake?” said Miracle. “I feel like I shouldn’t be surprised by this.”
“I am dedicating the majority of my processing power to the memory link,” said Marlowe. His face was against the sandy soil of the island, and Scott carefully turned him so that his mouth was out of the dirt, without dislodging the cables trailing out of his head. “Thank you. I am sharing my experiences with Lord Majestros and the Guardian. I am unable to disengage at this point. Your friends will awaken fully when the process has run its course.”
Hawkman’s belt made a noise and he took steps away from the others, carefully removing his old Justice League transmitter from its pouch. He didn’t trust the nanotelepathy that the Guardian had introduced after the Martian Manhunter left the team, so kept his old communicator at hand. The voice coming from the machine was instantly recognisable. <Justice League, this is Chloe Sullivan on Green Lantern’s old frequency. Do you read? I have information that will help clear your names-- but you’re not going to like what it’s going to take. >
“Sullivan, this is Hawkman,” said Katar. “Not liking something never stopped us from doing it. Go on..”
<Katar, it’s great to hear your voice. Here’s the situation: There’s a message hidden in the broadcast. Whoever was able to create the footage was a pro, but I think they’re being kept against their will. I think the only place Bendix would feel secure in keeping a prisoner is on board his space station. If you can get to the prisoner, I think you can clear your names.>
Hawkman turned to Mister Miracle. “Scott, how do you feel about breaking into a secure space station we’ve already been accused of breaking into this week?”
“Happy to prove my chops,” said Scott. “What about these guys though?”
“We will be fine,” said Marlowe. “When the memory transfer is complete, disengagement will be instant. Good luck.”
“Where we’re going, we don’t need luck,” said Mister Miracle. “Maybe an EVA suit though?”
LAPUTA, WITHIN THE TELEPATHIC DATABANKS:
“There he is,” said the Atom, leaning forward over the dash of the artificial Bug they travelled in.
Ahead of them floated the Thinker, devouring the chaff data Cyborg set up before they entered the mainframe. He hadn’t noticed that it was empty data, weighted to look important. They knew that he would soon enough, and then he’d double down on finding the good stuff at the heart of the database.
“Eating as much as his little stomach can hold, which, apparently, seems to be a lot,” said Blue Beetle.
“I want to know where they’re sending the data,” said Cyborg. “There’s no outgoing connection. No uplink. But somehow they got Vandal Savage’s blackmail database out and used it against those inside. How? ”
“We can ask him before we delete him,” said Blue Beetle. “Or whatever, I don’t know how this is going to work.”
“Let’s make him swallow this anti-virus software Angie designed,” said Cyborg. “I hope the others are having an easier day than us.”
THE UNITED NATIONS:
Barda collected the unconscious Zatanna up in her arms and headed for the outside, while Doctor Light laid down suppressing fire with a series of high intensity light blasts that kept Team Achilles on their heels. If they could wake Zee up then she’d be able to level the playfield with one word, and Santini, Achilles’ field leader, knew as much.
{What about Mera and Wonder Woman?} said Doctor Light.
{They can look after themselves, our priority is to get Zatanna clear. Wait, I have an idea-- Spica, I need you in the medical bay now!} Without another word, Barda charged forward, through the front doors of the UN, and into the daylight outside. The entire area was locked down, with not another human being in sight. “Door!”
An orange portal opened next to her and she stepped through, landing in the medical bay of Laputa.
Angie Spica, the Guardian’s technical support, hurried inside and started looking Zatanna over, while Barda headed straight back through the portal and back in action.
Picking up as much speed as possible and dodging the bullets fired by Stormwatch, she sprinted toward Santini, grabbed him by the harness he wore to hold his weapons, and then threw him across the steps of the UN building, knocking him head over heels before coming to a stop in a heap. She smirked as she continued on toward the rest of Team Achilles, Mega-Rod crackling with energy.
Meanwhile, held aloft, Wonder Woman choked for life, trying to fight back against the clutch of Bendix. His limbs extended away from his body, sending them above the seats where the UN ambassadors would sit. “Wh-why are you doing this, Bendix? You s-say you want to protect the world from superhumans, but then you become one?”
Bendix shook his head. “Sometime you have to become what you hate the most to win the day. I accept that sacrifice every single day of my life.”
“Don’t make us kill you, Bendix,” said Mera. She tried prying Bendix’s energy hand away from her throat, but found that he was intangible, although he somehow could continue to inflict his deadly touch.
“That’s your way, and it’s mine as well,” said Bendix. “You’re lucky I want you to--”
Santini was thrown through the previously sealed doors of the chamber, and was followed by the unconscious bodies of Team Achilles. Behind them stood a haggard Doctor Light and Big Barda.
“Put those women down,” said Barda. She pointed her Mega-Rod at Bendix. “Before I make you.”
“I’m not scared of a pair of little girls,” said Bendix. His limbs flexed and stretched, and additional hands began to breach their surface and reach toward them.
“Bright in here,” said Doctor Light. “Thanks.” She blasted Bendix with all her might, staggering the man and causing him to drop Mera and Wonder Woman. They staggered back to their teammates and prepared for the next round.
LAPUTA, WITHIN THE TELEPATHIC DATABANKS:
The Thinker swallowed another piece of data greedily, but when his stomach continued to rumble he grew confused-- just as Cyborg sent a stream of anti-virus software into his side, desynchronising him from the database for a split second. He vomited up the empty data packets he’d been tricked into devouring, then turned his attention back to the Justice League.
“This anti-virus of Angie’s is great, but there’s subroutine present that I can’t--” Cyborg’s eyes lit up. “Oh, that’s clever. C’mon, Thinker! Open wide!”
“STOP-- DOING-- THAT--”
“Nah,” said Ted Kord, aiming his BB Gun at the Thinker. He fired a salvo that caught the Thinker in the gut, and the virus’ stomach fragmented, an odd, pixelated gap in his being where part of his lower torso should be.
The Thinker turned tail and headed off further into the databanks, the Atom driving the construct of the Bug after him while Blue Beetle and Cyborg kept shooting. “He’s slowing down,” said Palmer. “At least, I think he is, it’s weird, I--”
The Thinker stretched out and billowed to colossal size. With one swipe, he caught the Bug and held it aloft in front of his face, his gaping mouth opening wide. “ENOUGH. THAT IS ENOUGH.”
Cyborg shot a sustained anti-virus blast into the Thinker’s mouth and was plucked out of the Bug and held aloft.
“I SAID ENOUGH.” The Thinker threw Cyborg into his mouth and swallowed.
“Vic!” said Ted. “Jesus, he just-- if he devoured Cyborg, then--”
“I WILL EAT YOUR--” The Thinker paused. “I WILL--” He spluttered. Quaked. “OH. I HAVE MADE A TERRIBLE MISTAKE.”
The Thinker shattered, leaving a gigantic version of Cyborg in his place. “Well, that was easy,” said Vic with a shrug.
“What the hell was that?” said Ted. “You just let him eat you?”
“I needed direct access to his core programming. Angie’s anti-virus needed to be exposed to that so it could be deployed back to Stormwatch’s own databanks. Still, if they reboot his mind offsite, then he’s still a threat, but right now we’re free of him and the big bads are getting a taste of their own medicine. Let’s disengage. I could see where they’re keeping his body, where they’ve plugged in his brain. If we’re to stop this for good, we need to get onboard--”
SKYWATCH:
Mister Miracle and Hawkman snuck aboard Skywatch relatively easily. With the force field up around it, the shimmering blue bubble hanging in orbit was visible via telescope, and with the help of the Doors, they could just walk in.
Wings sheathed and hidden beneath Stormwatch armour, Katar Hol looked like any other member of the UN sanctioned taskforce, while Mister Miracle slipped into the role with relish, the born entertainer leading the way down the corridors of the satellite.
{What are we looking for?} said Katar.
{Well lucky for you, I’m in your ear,} said Chloe, piping her voice through from her home in Coast City. What Hawkman and Miracle couldn’t see were the schematics she had spent the day scouring, and it was her guidance that would make this journey worthwhile.
{Talk fast, Chloe. I don’t think it’d be good for the Justice League’s profile to get caught in here,} said Katar.
“Hey there, what are you doing down here?”
Katar and Scott turned toward the armed guard approaching them.
“You know this place is restricted, you can’t just walk down here, Christ,” said the man. “Our databanks are being drained of data and you’re just strolling around, I mean, come on--”
Katar moved forward, his fist clenched, but Scott slapped his hand across the Thanagarian’s chest. “Whoa there. And whoa there to you too, kid. Do you not know who you’re talking to?”
“What?” said the armed guard, taken aback.
“This is Colonel Hall, Stormwatch Black,” said Scott. “Bendix’s elite elite unit. This is the man who’s going to save you from the things that go bump in the night that even Achilles can’t handle, and the first thing-- the very first thing you do when you meet him-- is challenge his credentials? What’s your name? Don’t just stand there looking at me like an idiot, what’s your name? ” He glared at the man, nostrils flaring. He used the nanotelepathy to talk to Sullivan. {You ready for this?}
{Born ready, Scott. You’re a terror.}
“North,” said the soldier. “I, uh, I’m sorry, sir.”
“Don’t apologise, give me a full name,” said Scott. “Now.”
“Brandon North, sir,” said the guard.
{Give me a minute,} said Chloe, typing the name into her database back home. {Uploading now.}
“I know that name,” said Free. “What, you think you can jump ship from the FBI’s metahuman taskforce and stay under the radar? You were a damn good soldier back in the day, and now you can’t even respect rank. You want sending back to Podunk Iowa, North? Because one word in the Weatherman’s ear and you’re off the satellite and back Earth-side sucking eggs!”
“No, no sir,” said North. He looked over at Katar. “I’m sorry, sir.”
“That’s… fine,” said Katar. “Now get out of here.”
North vanished, and the two Justice Leaguers kept moving.
{What was that?} said Katar.{Since when did you pull that kind of thing?}
{I do these things to amuse myself, Katar. When you get as old as me, you’ll try something crazy once or twice.}
{You’re headed in the right direction,} said Chloe. {There’s a transmitter linked up to the private quarters of the Weatherman. I’m thinking he’s keeping his prisoner kept close to home. And what did that guy mean when he said the data is being drained? Any clue?}
{That’d be us, guys-- what are you doing on Skywatch?} Blue Beetle’s voice came through loud and clear and sounding as nervous as hell.
{Long story,} said Katar. {What’s wrong, Beetle?}
{There’s some kind of data receiver up there, taking in whatever the-- okay, look, you’ve missed a lot since we parted ways a few hours ago. Basically, we’ve been hacked and we’ve plugged one hole, but if you don’t find the hacker, Stormwatch could potentially start the process again and they’ll end up with a few more secrets than they rightfully should.}
Katar looked at Scott, who shrugged. {Chloe, where would they keep someone like that?}
{Bear with me,} said Chloe.
Mister Miracle glanced around the hallway. {We need information fast, Chloe.}
There was silence across their connection, then Beetle’s voice came through again. {Guys, I just tried getting up to you, but the Door won’t connect. Everything all right? How did you get up there?}
{They’re on to us,} said Free. {We need to wrap this up double time or they’re going to come down on us hard. It’s not going to take long before North gets his head together and realises I just railroaded him into submission. I have my Boom Tube generator, that’s our escape plan.}
{There’s a receiver linked up to one of the side rooms. The antenna is aimed at the middle of the ocean-- Laputa-- I’m uploading the location now. You’re going to have to split up.}
{I’ll take the transmitter, you take the receiver,} said Katar. {Let’s move.}
AN UNKNOWN AGE AGO:
Lord Emp looked over at the inert Spartan unit he had managed to drag into the escape pod, and grimaced. The escape pod wasn’t made to survive exposure to the dimensional rift, and there was no promising it would hold up under the strain they were experiencing. Even if they did make it through, who knew where they would end up?
Even as the numerous indicators and controls fluctuated and spun wildly next to Emp’s arm, the pod spluttered and shook before a cataclysmic bang indicated their sudden arrival on a planet of some sort. Emp sent a burst of energy from his finger into the Spartan’s batteries and it opened one eye. “Don’t be leaving me alone yet, kiddo. Plenty left to do.”
The Spartan lurched up and kicked the sealed door of the escape pod open, and a burst of fresh air filled the cabin. Emp stepped out and surveyed their surroundings.
“Breathable atmosphere. No life signs in sight. Good and good,” said Emp. “How long were we caught up in the dimensional rift?”
The Spartan’s head pivoted toward the now settled console to its side and its head jerked awkwardly around, life-motion still not fully restored. It clicked and whirred like a clockwork man, and Emp knew he’d have to fix that sooner rather than later. “Kheran calendar-- solar year calculated at-- 27,042.”
“Wha-at?” said Emp. “We left in 4,453.” He ran his hands through his hair. “We’ve been in that rift for tens of thousands of years. By the Gods. It felt like minutes. Can we detect the location of the ark? It must have landed here, somewhere, connecting the two points of the dimensional rift? Any other escape pods?”
“No other-- Kheran ships-- detected,” said the Spartan.
“Hidden then,” said Emp. “Damnation. We need to get our bearings. Let’s get the escape pod hidden away somewhere safe.” He gestured toward a mountain range nearby. “We’ll strip it of any useful tech, bury it under there and then figure out where exactly we are.”
The Guardian looked over at Marlowe. “That’s you? ” He gestured toward the wrecked Spartan unit spluttering around the crash site.
Marlowe’s projection nodded. “I was wrecked by Lord Imperator’s attack, but Emp repaired and then rebuilt me as the years progressed. We arrived in 1924. ”
“I think I can see where this is going, ” said the Guardian.
“Lord Emp took the name Marlowe and anticipated the Wall Street Crash. He used that opportunity to falsify records and ensure that Marlowe & Son-- with myself installed as the figurehead-- was born. When the time was right, in the seventies, he assumed the role of CEO, and we rebranded as HALO, using the developments Emp made in the interim to replicate Kheran technology to further the success of the company, but also ensure that the technology was in every single home. ”
“Why does it need to be in every home? ” said the Guardian.
“Kheran technology, once fully activated, can create a detection field capable of exposing Daemonites in their possessive form. Anyone harbouring a parasite will be exposed, and the Daemonite itself will be forced out. ”
“Why haven’t you activated it yet? ” said Majestros. “Why have you allowed the Daemonites to spread without pause? ”
“Only a Lord-- a member of the Kheran Pantheon-- may activate the field, ” said Marlowe. “Lord Emp anticipated he would be the one to do so, but was murdered before it could be done. Only you can do so now, Lord Majestros. ”
“And you never tracked down Imperator? ” said Majestros.
“There was no trace of him, but the Daemonites found traces of us. They sent an unkillable assassin after us, one of their genetic aberrations, ” said Marlowe.
“Kenyan,” said the Guardian. “The man who killed Jacob Marlowe.*”
*We met Kenyan in Justice League #4
“Correct, ” said Marlowe. “A genetically-engineered assassin instilled with the belief that he was part of some grand war against Lord Emp, that Emp himself had built him to amuse him across the ages. Lies constructed by the Daemonites to make their killer all the more ruthless. ”
The cables connecting them severed, leaving the Guardian and Majestic with a dull pain in the back of their skulls, and Marlowe with his head open as the wires returned to his interior with a whir.
Guardian pulled himself to his feet and put a finger to his ear. {World holding together?}
There came no response from any of the teams the Justice League had split into.
“Guess we have work to do,” said the Guardian. “You holding together, Majestros?”
“My head is clear,” said Majestic. “Whatever Spar-- Marlowe-- did, it’s healed the broken connections in my mind. I remember everything.”
“I’m glad,” said Marlowe. “We need to activate the HALO-- the array that will identify the Daemonites.”
“We can’t,” said the Guardian. “We don’t know how many there might be, and right now, their threat is dormant. We need to regroup and prepare.”
“I--” Majestros started to speak, but realised that Harper made perfect sense. “I-- I agree. I will have my revenge,” he looked at Marlowe, “we both will. But now, what do you need us to do?”
“Majestros, I need you to head up to Skywatch. I know your power levels are off the limits, so I want you to punch their force field and get them jittery. That gives our boys upstairs a chance to get on with their jobs with a bit of secrecy. Do not engage with the satellite itself. ”
“I can do that,” said Majestros. He shot upwards, and broke orbit immediately.
“What about me?” said Marlowe.
“We get you back to Los Angeles, and book an appointment to continue our discussions,” said the Guardian. “I don’t want anyone thinking we kidnapped you.”
“Sounds agreeable,” said Marlowe. “You know, I have some ideas that might make the Justice League--”
“Let’s clear our names first,” said the Guardian. “C’mon. Door. ”
THE UNITED NATIONS:
With one immense swing, Bendix was thrown across the room and crashed into row upon row of chairs by Big Barda as she surged forward. Bendix looked up, grimaced, and then glanced over to Team Achilles. “I’m getting sick of this!”
“We all are,” said Wonder Woman. “Stand down. This isn’t a battle you can win.”
“Not alone,” said Bendix. “Team Achilles-- activate subroutine Black Razor.”
Ben Santini choked to consciousness, gagging on something inside his throat. “Wha-- what--”
The soldier’s body was torn inside out and he jerked upwards as he transformed into an eight-- foot tall, ink-black-skinned humanoid. His limbs were lined with razor-sharp edges, and his fingers stretched into claws.
“What have you done?” said Wonder Woman.
“Refused to lose,” said Bendix, as the transformed men attacked the Justice League-- until they were suddenly reverted back to human with two words--
“odnU snoitatum,” said Zatanna, who propped herself up in the hallway. She pointed at Bendix, an angry look in her eye. “evomeR stnemecnahne.”
Bendix fell apart. His body shrank, he lost about a foot in height, and his arms sprang back to flesh and blood. Outside his body, hard plastics appeared that had previously been under his skin, circuitry, wiring, all the things that made him a threat to the gathered team were now removed from him, leaving a small man frothing at the mouth.
“My-- my-- “ said Bendix. He looked at his hands. “How did I--?” Then he looked at the Justice League. “Oh, my God. Transfer bay, take me home.”
The Weatherman of Stormwatch vanished in a swirl of teleporting light, leaving the now-naked and human Team Achilles behind. Barda was about to say something scathing when they vanished too.
“Where are they?” asked Barda. “What happened?”
“Some kind of emergency teleport,” said Doctor Light. {Uh, Laputa, we just had a mass exodus of Stormwatch personnel at our location, are you able to track?}
Angie Spica’s voice piped into Hoshi’s ear. {There’s a massive amount of interference that I can’t cut through, I’m afraid I can’t help on this end, Doctor.}
Barda cursed and turned to Zatanna. “Can you do anything?”
“I’m still bleary-eyed from that tranquiliser dart… a spell of that size… I can’t help, I’m sorry,” said Zee. “If I had more time…”
“No fear, Zatanna,” said Wonder Woman. “There’ll be other opportunities. Damn. We were so close…”
SKYWATCH:
Klaxons blared across the satellite and Hawkman feared the worst. Instead, a voice emerged over the tannoy. <UNKNOWN SUPERHUMAN HAS ENGAGED THE STORM DOOR! ALL INACTIVE TROOPS NOW ACTIVE! PREPARE FOR ATTACK!>
{That’s Majestros, buying you some time,} said the Guardian. {Marlowe is calling a press conference as we speak to clear up the last twenty-four hours. Give the media something to chew on. Won’t do us any good if there’s a media manipulator ready to undo it, Katar-- Good work on that intel by the way, Sullivan.}
{Doing what I can,} said Chloe. {Katar, you’re at the door. That’s Bendix’s private quarters.}
{Can I teleport inside using the Doors?} said Hawkman. {Or will that cause further issue? I’d rather not batter my way in, would draw too much attention.}
{I can’t answer that, only way you’re going to know is by trying,} said the Guardian.
“Hrm,” said Hawkman. “…Door?” An orange portal opened and he stepped through, into Henry Bendix’s private chambers.
Inside, the walls were lined with weaponry, but in the centre was a sealed pod, wires trailing out of the end and heading into the wall.
Hawkman approached and his eyes widened when he saw what was inside. “Seven Hells. I need help.” He swallowed. {I need help.}
{We can’t get to you,} said the Guardian. {What’s wrong?}
{The media manipulator is here-- but she’s just a girl-- wired to the ship-- I don’t-- I can’t--}
Hawkman staggered back, memories flooding back to him of the boy he couldn’t save, the boy he had to kill to ensure hundreds of lives wouldn’t be lost*. He swore, and then took a step forward, back toward the pod. The girl was emaciated, her head shaved to allow the wires easy access to her skull. A respirator kept her breathing, and she was strapped down. Behind closed eyelids, Katar could see movement. Alive. But what would come next?
*Back in Justice League #2
“The girl--” Hawkman gestured to the pod, but Majestros was already there, scanning the interior and its resident.
“Drugs in her system keep her unconscious. Control systems are wired into her brain, allowing them control over her abilities. Let me think.” He tore the lid of the pod off as if it were paper. “I need to remove the wires in the right order, or--”
Gunfire rattled against Majestros’ back, and he turned, eyes flaring as he melted the weapons of the Stormwatch soldiers who entered “-- Keep them off us, Hawkman. I can get her out.”
As the sound of more soldiers coming down the corridor filled the room, Hawkman flexed his wings and tore through the stolen uniform he wore. He took his mace from its holster by his leg and trudged into the corridor, batting away the first soldier he saw.
“You need to lay down your arms,” said Hawkman. He took a round in the chest but the bullet bounced off his armour. He looked down at where it landed, then back at his attackers. “I warned you.” With a scream, he tore into them, mace swinging.
MEANWHILE:
“What are you doing here?” said the doctor on duty. “Project: Data Worm is restricted to--”
Scott Free punched the doctor in the face, knocking him out. “Well, at least I know I’m in the right place.”
Clifford DeVoe, aka the Thinker, was older than sin and plugged into a computer monitor. He was kept alive with what looked like an iron lung, and he made no efforts to acknowledge Mister Miracle.
Scott sealed the room and approached DeVoe. The monitor by his head displayed a silver-headed avatar, who looked over at Miracle when he got near and spoke in a disjointed, mechanical voice. “YOUR FRIENDS FRAGMENTED ME. SENT ME BACK HERE. HUNGRY. I AM EATING ALL STORMWATCH DATA. UNACCEPTA--”
“Please be quiet.” Miracle unceremoniously unplugged the computer, and looked down at DeVoe as his eyes opened wide.
With a wheeze of great effort, Clifford locked eyes with Scott Free and stared daggers at the master escape artist, but Miracle chuckled and shook his head. “You’re not scary when you’re offline.”
ELSEWHERE:
“Hff… hff… hff…”
Hawkman looked up at the wall of unconscious bodies he’d somehow built up around him in his warrior’s rage, and then trudged back into the room where Majestros pulled out the final wire from the young woman’s head. When the needle emerged, Majestros’ eyes flared and sealed the wound, and the girl gasped as she breathed under her own power for the first time in who knew how long.
“I… I…”
“You’re safe now,” said Majestros. “Nobody is going to hurt you. I am Lord Majestros of-- of the Justice League.” He looked over at Hawkman, who nodded. “We’re getting you out of here.”
“Majestic,” whispered the girl. “I didn’t… I didn’t want to do what they made me do…”
“Looks like you’ve got your hands full,” said Mister Miracle, as he pushed Clifford DeVoe’s life support chamber into the room. He’d placed his Aero Discs under the chassis and placed it down next to Majestros.
Hawkman nodded in acknowledgment of his comrade. “Scott, we can’t Door out, and more soldiers are on their way. Suggestions?”
Before Mister Miracle could begin reeling off all the methods of escape available to them, Majestros looked about the room and then zipped around. The room shook and began to fold into itself, until Hawkman, Mister Miracle, the girl and DeVoe were in a smaller compartment made from the larger room they had previously stood within.
{I’ve sealed off the room and adapted it to be an escape craft. Hold on, we just need to get clear of the satellite,} said Majestros.
{Where are you?} said Hawkman.
{Outside,} said Majestros, matter-of-factly.
Mister Miracle smiled. “Show off.”
The entire structure shuddered and then they could feel the gentle tug of movement as they were dragged deeper into space, away from the range of the satellite. Miracle looked out of the one window left to them and saw the gentle sway of Majestros’ cape and behind him, the melted slag of what remained of the room they’d been in. Majestros had made the remains airtight, allowing those on board the satellite to survive
“I… you need… to put me… in front of a camera…” said the girl. “I can put this… right…”
Numerous glowing orange portals appeared next to the four of them as they were transported to safety by the Justice League’s teleport system.
LATER, THE UNITED NATIONS:
Wonder Woman was on the stage, flanked by the assorted members of the Justice League, minus the Guardian and Majestros. “--You just saw footage taken from inside the United Nations General Assembly Hall. Henry Bendix gloating as to the truth behind the last 48 hours. I’m just glad that no matter how realistic the footage seemed, you believed in us, in the Justice League.”
“Right now, Stormwatch is off the grid, there’s no trace of their satellite in orbit and we believe they have cloaked themselves to avoid any repercussions. That said, the UN have revoked their sanction to operate across the globe, and there is a warrant out for Henry Bendix’s arrest. We will not rest until we find them and we bring the puppet masters behind Stormwatch to justice.”
“…This is ridiculous,” whispered Hawkman. “That we have to parade ourselves out to prove we did no wrong.”
“Just the way it is right now,” said Beetle. “Back in the big leagues. Nature of the beast.”
Behind the stage, sat the young girl rescued from the satellite, along with the Guardian, who was currently trying to put her off her intended plan of action.
“Adele, you don’t have to do this. We need to get you back to the hospital, get you back to full strength--”
“You don’t know what he did to me,” said Adele, “I need… I need the world to know…”
“Too stubborn for your own good, aren’t you? Okay, I’ll be right there,” said the Guardian. “And Majestros is up there, somewhere, watching, so you have nothing to fear.”
“I know,” said Adele. “Even plugged in, I saw everything you all did. Together, apart, the Justice League. I saw you. You always win. No matter what. I trust you.”
With that, cameras flashing and rolling, Adele headed onto the stage, supported by the Guardian. She took a seat in front of the Justice League, and leaned into the microphone.
“Hello. My name is Adele Benson, but my superhero name was going to be the Projectionist. I found out when I was young that I could change what was on television screens. On the radio. First I would just flip the channels, but when you’re young, you get excited, and I found myself making my own cartoons with my favourite characters.”
Still weak, the young woman leaned against the Guardian, who made sure she didn’t fall over in her seat.
“When I was seventeen a man approached me at school. Henry Bendix. The Weatherman of Stormwatch. He wanted me to join his super team, and when he showed me what he could do, when he told me I would meet Wonder Woman, and Superman, and… and, well I went with him. And he plugged me into a computer and stole my life. I was a tool used to manipulate the media so that Stormwatch looked better than they actually were.”
She looked around the room.
“You don’t believe me,” said Adele. “I mean, I know you know that the Justice League didn’t attack that satellite. You know better than that. But you think I’m lying, or whatever.” She pointed at one of the journalists at the front of the room. “Take a photo of me with your phone.”
The journalist looked around, stood up, and snapped a photo of Adele. He held up the resulting image to his partner, who gasped. Adele pointed at the camera, then at the screen used to show Bendix’s madness to the world.
The photo of her appeared, and it was of her-- but the version of her she wanted to be-- head full of blonde hair, well-nourished, and with a light behind her eyes that was only just starting to come back in reality. She then waved her hand across the room and everyone’s phones buzzed.
The Guardian’s brow furrowed.
“Is this you?” said another journalist, holding up his phone.
“What did you do?” said the Guardian.
Adele nodded slowly. “Triggered an RSS feed with my photo in it. They’re getting an update letting them know.” She stood up abruptly. “I can do what I claim. So listen close. The Justice League were a threat to Stormwatch, so Bendix made me fake that footage you all saw. Someone picked up on the message I snuck into it and they rescued me. Stormwatch are corrupt, and they fooled everyone. Now you get to rectify that.” She doubled over. “Nnn. And yeah, I need… I need to go to the hospital now…”
The Guardian bundled her up, leaned into the microphone and said two words. “No questions.”
THE WHITE HOUSE:
President Stuart sat at his desk in the Oval Office, rapping his fingers against the mighty oak surface that forty three men had signed executive orders upon for centuries. He’d finished watching the Justice League’s press conference an hour or so back, and the media was already praising him for standing by the team at the uncertain time when their loyalty to the world was in question. A poll by the Daily Planet had seen his approval ratings go up. Not that he cared about such things. There were more pressing concerns.
Without fanfare, the Guardian entered the room through the secret passage he’d been introduced to by Eisenhower after the Second World War had ended. No need to teleport. No need to materialise or apparate. The office of the president deserved more, in Harper’s opinion. And he’d deliver that respect to the best of his ability.
“At ease, Colonel,” said Stuart. The president saluted the old soldier, and the Guardian returned the sentiment in kind. “What brings you to the White House in the dead of the night? Good news, I hope?”
The Guardian stood in front of the president’s desk, as much at ease as he could manage. “You asked me to do something and I made sure it was done.”
Stuart was silent for a moment. “…Bendix’s intelligence stash?”
“Eradicated,” said the Guardian. “Every piece of dirt the Stormwatch database held is gone. Your family is safe.”
“I couldn’t…” Stuart’s trail of thought wandered off before he got started. “The man threatened my son … but I couldn’t let that stop me from doing my job. From supporting the Justice League, and standing by my belief system.”
“And I appreciate that. You called me to do what needed to be done,” said Harper. “And now it is. You can rest easy. But sir…”
“Yes, James?”
“I operated covertly within my team today. I got lucky. Next time, I may not get so lucky. Not that I won’t try my hardest to protect the interests of this country, but if my loyalty is called into question… well. I just thought I’d say… I’ll do my best for the United States of America. But I won’t risk the lives of my team.”
“I understand,” said Stuart. “I’ll speak to my son… ask him how that… recording was made…”
“Do what you think is best, sir,” said James, standing beside the secret passage. “That’s why you were elected.”
AN UNKNOWN LOCATION:
“Weatherman, are you all right?” said one of Stormwatch’s observation technicians.
Skywatch was compromised, cloaked, and sent for a spin past the moon until the heat was off. Bendix had evacuated his loyal staff to one of his alpha sites, secluded, deep under the earth, and built up in the time he’d been an intelligence operative.
“I don’t know what happened,” said Bendix. “The enhancements must have been damaged. Corrupted. All the work we did, undone by madness. Accusing the Justice League of a crime of that magnitude… why… why…?”
A new voice entered the fray: “I’m afraid that’s a question that’s going to be asked of you for a good long time, Bendix.”
Emerald constructs formed around the ankles of all the gathered Stormwatch personnel, tethering them to the ground. Vines formed from the restraints and seeped into every weapon, every piece of technology, rendering them inert. Bendix felt the warm energy flow over him, until he was completely restricted in his movement. The construct tightened, and he toppled to the floor. A gag covered his mouth, as well as the rest of the men and women who believed in his crusade.
“You took something from me, so it’s only fair I return the favour,” said Chloe Sullivan. The former Weatherman of the Global Peace Agency, the intelligence agency dismantled by Bendix in favour of Stormwatch, aimed her pistol at his head.
Behind Chloe stood the father of her child, Hal Jordan, returning to his role of Green Lantern one more time since his retirement a year before and assisting her in the biggest spy bust in the history of the business.
With a smile on her face, Chloe nodded slowly. “Henry Bendix, you’re under arrest.”
NEXT ISSUE: Before the fiftieth issue of DC2’s Justice League arrives in December, our next issue arrives with breathing room to spare. Our heroes are about to learn that down time isn’t necessarily a good time. Who will remain when the roster shifts once more?
Meanwhile, The World Keeps Turning; Part 3
A Batwoman Adventure
The horrific reptilian hybrid equal parts hissed and shrieked as it dove for Batwoman, but Barbara was having none of it. The thing was built like a brick wall, thick muscles reminding her of Blockbuster. His skin was covered in scales, though patches were missing and she could see exposed muscle underneath. Its mouth was full of fangs and a forked tongue licked out as it made aggressive noises in her direction.
Batwoman was having none of that. She feigned left, drew the creature in and then went in the opposite direction of the feint. The creature barrelled into the wall behind her, and she swung her heel into the base of its spine, causing it to cry out in pain. It spun around, rage blazing in its eyes and slashed toward her abdomen, but she was gone, moving with the trained grace of a Gotham-born crime fighter.
“I don’t want to hurt you,” said Barbara. “But I will if it means putting you down.”
“Praissssse Kobrrrraaa,” hissed the creature.
Barbara grimaced. Okay, going the Batman route didn’t work. Time for the Batwoman method. She grabbed the creature by the ears and somersaulted over its head. Her momentum wouldn’t be enough to flip the thing heel-over-head, but it cried out as the muscles in its back wrenched and its head exploded with pain as its thin ears were mangled. It swiped again, wildly, but the pain caused by Batwoman’s attack gave her the time to draw a syringe from her belt and bolt it into her grapnel gun. She levelled it at the creature’s exposed neck and fired, embedding enough sedative into its jugular to put down a dinosaur. It was unfortunate that she knew how much sedative that took, but hers was a life fantastical, and it came with the territory.
After a few more moments of pathetic flailing, the reptilian creature fell down, leaving Batwoman alone in the returned silence of the Kobra outpost.
“So, not so abandoned,” said Batwoman. She wondered how many more of these things there were roaming the halls, and she measured that expectation with the knowledge of how much sedative she still had on her-- not much. “Weren’t picked up on my preliminary infrared scans…” she mused. “Cold-blooded, then.”
Best make this quick, she thought. Her attention back on the events that brought her there, she resumed her thinking about the cell. Jeffrey Burr, the king of Kobra, knew that a joint taskforce of military and superhuman might was descending upon this place. Instead of trying to escape, he came down here to kill his brother.
“Unless…” started Batwoman. She examined the floor. There were no grooves on the floor to suggest a secret door. No mechanism hidden in the wall that she could detect. “This isn’t a cell…”
Batwoman took a sample of the reptilian creature’s blood and an imprint of its hand. First, she injected the blood into a compartment on her wrist that would begin complete genetic analysis of the sample. Secondly, she copied the handprint onto her smart-glove, the surface of the material affecting that of the creature’s own hide, the porousness of the invention allowing slight traces of the creature’s genetic material to seep through. She began to carefully move her hand across the room, searching, probing, until there was a slight click when her hand found something-- a sensor?
“Open sesame,” said Batwoman. The wall began to dissolve in a beam of green light. There wasn’t a secret door-- there was a trans-dimensional gateway. Accessible only to those with the right genetic signature. How could anyone expect that to be lurking in a cell? She took a small, flat piece of metal from the back of her utility belt and pressed a button, causing the flat metal to expand into a sphere. She smiled at the technology, something she'd come up with after a conversation with Michael Holt, the Justice Society of America's Mr Terrific, and rolled the sphere through the trans-dimension gateway. Immediately, atmospheric and environment readings fed into her cowl computer, and she could see that wherever the portal led... was breathable, was human, was somewhere on Earth...
"Right. Okay."
Batwoman sent a data burst to the Justice League satellite and then considered her options. She could step through. She could journey further into the mystery and follow it down whatever rabbit hole Kobra had engineered. Or she could wait, call in the Justice League, and let them take over. But what if it was nothing? What if she was about to walk into some trap, or some warehouse full of knockoff designer gear? This could be another public relations nightmare waiting to happen, and she wasn’t going to be the one to inflict that on the world’s greatest superheroes.
“Best do what I’m told,” said Batwoman. “And call in help.”
LAS VEGAS:
“The thing is, it’s not about being funny ha-ha, it’s never been about that,” said the man at the bar, “it’s more like… well, it’s absurd. It’s stream of consciousness. It’s about whatever comes into your head and funny be damned. Luckily, I’m freaking hilarious, so things never go ass-ways.”
“I didn’t ask,” said the bartender. “You wan’ another drink?”
“Like it’ll make any difference,” sighed Eel O’Brien. “I miss the good old days, pal. Back when you could--” A small device on Eel’s belt began to buzz. “Hey hey hey, what’s going on down here then?” He winked at the bartender. “It’s not what you think.”
“I think you’ve still got a buzzer, pal. That’s not even old school.”
“It’s not a buzzer,” said Eel. “It’s time to get the band back together.”
“Sure,” said the bartender, “Gonna pay your tab first?”
A few blocks across, in an apartment high above the city, a black-haired woman opened her handbag to find an identical communication device buzzing away, and she smiled as she recognised the reason behind its activation. She activated the lever that opened the secret room in her apartment and grabbed her costume, making sure to check that her quiver was full of crossbow bolts.
GOTHAM CITY:
“Kate? Your thing is buzzing.”
“What? Are you sure it’s not your--”
“No, no, I know what sound that makes.”
Kate Spencer rolled her eyes and wandered into her bedroom. The move to Gotham City had been a relatively easy one to make considering her new role in the DA’s office, and it went all the easier thanks to the presence of her girlfriend, Grace Choi. That said, Ramsey was having trouble adjusting, especially considering the events of the last year or so. The less they dwelt on that the better, but still, it had to be addressed.
“Oh, wait, it is my thing,” said Grace. “My Outsider comms. I thought we were done.”
Kate checked her underwear drawer, and sure enough the communication unit she’d used back in her days as an Outsider was buzzing away. “Yeah. Guess we aren’t.”
LOS ANGELES:
“Buddy, your Outsiders buzzer-badge-thing is going off. I thought you threw it away,” said Ellen. “Oh, wait.”
“Yeah, I can’t throw anything away,” said Buddy. “Huh. Not often you get the call from Batwoman.”
“You’ve only been on that team for five minutes,” said Ellen. “From the Justice League to this… bit of a backwards move.”
“Justice League work meant I was away from you and the kids more than I liked. Outsiders work is infrequent, especially recently. I thought the team had ran its course, but this… well, guess I better find my goggles.”
Ellen held her husband’s protective goggles on the end of her finger and smiled. “Just be sure to come back in one piece.”
“As you wish,” said Buddy, kissing his wife on the cheek.
THE ARCTIC:
“I hope that worked,” said Batwoman, pocketing her communication device. She considered the shimmering gateway and took a breath.
“I hope you’re not planning on going through there alone,” said Huntress, entering the cell behind her. “Else I wasted all that time digging out my costume.”
Batwoman’s eyes opened wide and she grinned. “You made it.”
“You called, I came,” said Huntress. “Been a while. Glad to see we can still access the Justice League’s teleportation circuits when we need to.”
“Well look who it is,” said Grace Choi, entering the room followed by the Manhunter. “Like a greatest hits collection.”
Batwoman felt something catch in her throat. It had been a while since the Outsiders had gathered, and to see her friends coming to her aid when she needed it meant the world to her. Behind Manhunter appeared Animal Man, and next to him was Plastic Man.
But who hadn’t come when she called? Black Canary was off gallivanting across the world with Green Arrow, she knew that. Where was Red Tornado? Black Condor? Even the Phantom Stranger and Nightwing had their own Outsiders comms.
Hell, anyone who was ever an Outsider had a comm, the likes of Rose Psychic, Zatanna, but had they all grown so distant that when Batwoman called, some didn’t answer? Maybe their lives had gone in different directions, maybe they’d let their communication units’ batteries die. Who knew?
“Let me catch you up,” said Batwoman. “I’ve been tasked to dig into this whole Kobra mess.”
“Who by?” asked Manhunter.
Batwoman smiled and stuck her fingers up above her ears. “Who do you think?”
“We’re in the Justice League’s good books now?” asked Grace.
“We’re here to do a job,” said Huntress. “I say we follow BW’s lead and worry about the rest later.”
“I was just asking…” said Grace.
“I’ve uncovered this portal--” Batwoman gestured to the glistening doorway behind her. “And I’m going through. I’ve been told to utilise whatever assets I deem fit, and the way I see it, you’re the best guys I’ve ever known. So I’m about to step through into the unknown, and if you’ll--”
“Wait up,” said one final voice. Batwoman turned and Red Tornado stood next to Black Canary, who cracked her knuckles. “You didn’t think we’d let you go into the impossible by yourself?”
“You took your time, Canary,” said Huntress, embracing the fishnet-clad heroine. “Didn’t think you were going to show.”
“I was hip deep in someone. Something,” said Black Canary with a wink. “But hey, you’re my family, guys. Where you go I go, trouble be damned.”
Red Tornado shrugged. “I was asleep. I apologise.”
“You sleep now?” said Plastic Man. “Didn’t think the tin man had it in him.”
“I’ve been upgrading my personality algorithm. Sleep also seemed appropriate,” said Tornado. “So, we’re to step through that, to whoever knows where?”
“Correct,” said Batwoman. “You ready?”
“Why aren’t we through there already?” asked Black Canary.
TO BE CONTINUED...
NEXT ISSUE: The OUTSIDERS are on the scene but are they prepared for what lies beneath Kobra’s secret compound? Will the ever-increasing mystery left behind by the death of JEFFREY BURR and the enigmatic clone of JASON BURR that is currently in FBI custody be solved? Join us next month for MEANWHILE, THE WORLD KEEPS TURNING-- Now an OUTSIDERS Adventure-!
Please take a moment and follow this link to let us know what you thought of this issue!