|
|
Post by Admin on Nov 5, 2007 12:57:31 GMT -5
|
|
|
|
Post by Admin on Nov 5, 2007 12:58:56 GMT -5
Previously, in Justice League...
...the strange sorcerer Doctor 7 attempted to utilize bound Native American trickster spirits to gain control over luck, both good and bad, channeling good luck into an increasing number of accidents while taking that ill fortune and directing it into an array of casinos and state lotteries. With the help of Kid Eternity and Amerindian expert Dawn Makes Strong Move, our heroes were able to shut the operation down, but the great detectives of the League refuse to believe it’s over, especially in light of Dr. 7’s easy surrender, and his creation of a not-for-profit company whose charities benefit from those self-same lotteries...
|
|
|
|
Post by Admin on Nov 5, 2007 13:03:04 GMT -5
Justice League
Issue #9: “To See Tomorrow” Part 1
Written by: Don Walsh
Cover by: Roy Flinchum
Edited by: Mark Bowers |
|
|
|
Post by Admin on Nov 5, 2007 13:05:52 GMT -5
Kim Luk was an angry man. He had lived in the city of Chongjin all his life, and, before that, his family stretched back generations in this once-small fishing village. When he was growing up, the city was thriving, almost overbuilt, with industries of all sorts. Sure, it made the skies choked with pollution and darkened the waters, but people could work hard and support a family and perform their duties to the Great Leader of North Korea.
Kim Luk did just that. Worked hard, raised a family, and struggled with mastering the philosophy of Juche; To become self-reliant, to be strong and independent as his Great Leader had prescribed. It was very difficult, but Kim Luk worked hard each and every day, knowing that his accomplishments were part of the overall growth of his country, in defiance of a world jealous with North Korea’s success. The pollution made him sick in his chest, but still he continued his efforts. His family struggled, but he never wavered. The poor fool.
“Please refrain from personal observations.” The female voice was sharp, commanding, and it made the electronic voice return to its narrative.
His beliefs were broken when the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics collapsed. Suddenly, North Korea, home to Juche, herald of self-reliance and independence, lost its primary source of financial aid and imports. The floods added to an ailing country, killing many, destroying food stocks, laying waste to the populace. Kim Luk was forced to watch his family die of disease and starvation, while he lingered despite his illness. His Great Leader died, his family died, his world is dying around him and he can only watch with a hacking cough that brings a copper taste to his mouth. He is dying with his world, but he refuses to submit. He remains in ardent support of this philosophy of self-reliance. He is perfect.
“I’ll decide that.” The image of the scrawny, bent man with thinning, stringy black hair, sallow skin and spotted hands grew larger before the woman as the other drew the picture larger for her.
The irony would be delicious.
“This isn’t about irony,” she snapped back in retort as the darkness swirled around her like a living thing, like a pet that caressed her. “Though I do concede you the point.”
In his efforts to hew to Juche, he trained his body in its youth. To be a warrior, to be a fighter. His body is weakened now, but the knowledge is still there. Just waiting for a chance to give him his vengeance.
The darkness bunched up at her legs, while tendrils slithered out across space, merging with darkness further away, becoming as one with all the darkness of the night-time. “Yes. You are correct,” the woman said as the darkness flowed up and around her body and simultaneously stretched across the globe.
Of course I am correct. I am not an inferior creation. The woman melted into the dark as it dispersed, leaving the chamber empty and well-lit. The sterile metal room now held only the monitor, showing the darkness welling up far away on Earth. Go and play, sad little sacks of meat. There is much to do for all of us.
Nightfall came to this desolate wilderness of rusting metal buildings and silent factories. Wind whistled down the still streets and the darkness of the Nightfall came to Kim Luk, in his lone room in the tattered building. The decrepit state of the apartment matched the decrepit state of his body as the Nightfall loomed large through the window. The man turned, wide and lifeless eyes glaring at the gathering darkness.
<“Who are you? What do you want?”> the raspy voice was demanding, unafraid as he observed the lush feminine figure stepping from the shadows.
<“I want you, Kim Luk. I want to give you an offer; I want to give you the chance to make this whole world pay for what it has done,”> the woman said, her cloak of shadows fluttering in an ethereal wind, her moon-silver face gleaming from under a halo of midnight-black tresses. <“I want to offer you the strength of body to match your iron will, so that all the injustices of this world can be undone by your hands.”>
<“Why should I trust you?”> He looked her over suspiciously, but his heart beat to her words, and he took a step closer, and watched her outstretched arm and welcoming hand.
<“Why should you not? Why should it matter? I will give you what I have promised, or you will die? How is that so different from your current state?>” She smiled as she took a step toward him, the darkness now curling around both sets of legs as her finger curled around his, offering him a cool sensation of strength in his wracked limb.
<“Okay. Okay, I’m in. What now? And you never did say who you were.”>
<“Now you bid farewell to your old life, Kim Luk. Now I prepare you for your new role. Now, Nightfall arrives on this Earth.”>
And the darkness swept up and over the pair and when it dispersed like clouds in a breeze, the apartment was empty.
|
|
|
|
Post by Admin on Nov 5, 2007 13:07:13 GMT -5
On the other side of the globe...
Deep beneath stately Wayne Manor, the Batman was hunched over his workstation reviewing the array of financial statements and records. He glanced up at the viewscreen with that same stone face he always offered his teammates.
On the other side of the screen sat Susan Dibny, with a matching set of paperwork and an equally concerned look on her race. Her rubber-bodied husband Ralph, best known to the world as the Elongated Man, sat next to her, one arm stretched out to a nearby dry-erase board, and his other crossing ten feet to the far side of the work room inside the police headquarters for Central City. This other arm was busy pouring out two more cups of coffee.
“You’re positive about these findings?” Batman grumbled as he paged through the electronic documents. He knew it was a stupid question to ask. Despite appearances, Sue and Ralph were top-notch detectives, worthy of his respect. The implications ate at him though, and so he asked like any other person might ask.
“Absolutely, Batman,” Sue responded with a weary sigh. “At this point, ManyPenny Enterprises is missing about two and a quarter million dollars, and every last penny has been very carefully, very professionally, siphoned off through any number of channels.”
Ralph’s arm pulled back in, two fingers securely wrapped around each Styrofoam cup, and handed one to his wife. “Here you go, hun. Extra sweet, just like you.”
Sue took the cup and flashed a smile at Ralph. “It’s okay, dear. I know you aren’t an accounting whiz. I don’t mind doing this part of the work, you don’t have to flatter me.” She chuckled and blew him a kiss before sipping from her cup. “Barry was kind enough to get us clearance to work with the forensic accountants for the CCPD on this, but this is going to take a long time to clear out. But you can see...”
“Yes,” Batman cut her off as he leaned back into his chair. “I can see. Special grants, charity fees, leases and subsidies, government lobbies. A tangled mess leading to nowhere visible.”
“It’s this Exeter character Sue mentioned, I’m sure of it,” Ralph said, before turning his lips into a straw to drink up his coffee. “Shus munchoned hesh vonuched since--”
Sue gave her husband a playful tap at the back of his head, sighing with a playful look of resignation. “It’s serious time, dear. Make faces later, okay?”
“Sorry, dear, you’re right.”
“It’s okay, Mrs. Dibny,” Batman countered. “I have all the information I need here to get things started on my end. And I’ve partnered up enough with your husband to understand his ‘weird-face speak’. And I agree, Elongated Man, Exeter’s disappearance on the day we shut down 7 is too bothersome to be ignored.” He ran fingers over his jaw and dipped his head, maintaining that professional frown and covering up how his lips nearly curled up at the corner. He narrowly avoided the smile before looking back up. “My databases have a more complete cross-referencing program than the Central City police, so I’ll send you the initial connections it’s made. Uploading data now.”
“Ooo, Sue, our computer’s going to be talked to by the mighty bat-computer! We’ve made the big leagues,” Ralph joked as Sue started the download of information. Ralph’s brow arched dramatically, wildly and he glanced to his fellow Leaguer. “Um, Bats...is your server overloaded? I kinda figured you’d have a faster connection than this. I can work on that for you if you like?”
“No, you’re right,” Batman growled in response, and fingers tapped at his keyboard as frustration mounted. “Believe me, there should be an extremely tiny group of people with a better set-up than my...‘bat-computer’. I have no idea why it’s running so slow.”
Ralph’s nose twitched and he grinned. “Two mysteries! This is great!”
“Not the word I would use, Elongated Man,” Batman replied coolly as he found no obvious reason for the slow speed of his private servers. “Not at all.”
“This is good stuff, Batman,” Sue said as she glanced at the information when it finally appeared on her computer. “Should help a lot, thanks. I’ll keep working on this here...”
“And Elongated Man can pursue Exeter?” Batman finished the sentence. When he saw Ralph nod, he stood up. “Good. I’ll see you at the next meeting. Batman out.”
|
|
|
|
Post by Admin on Nov 5, 2007 13:07:47 GMT -5
Yale University
New Haven, Connecticut
Ray Palmer had arrived from Ivy University to meet with several colleagues for a physics conference. Ray had enjoyed his welcome at the prestigious college, and was honored to be given a role as a keynote speaker, but now, as darkness descended over the campus grounds, the real reason for his visit came to the fore. He’d intended to skip the conference, but several recent sightings had changed his mind.
Now, as the Atom, he bounded across the grounds. Small in stature, with his full strength to back him up, he hurtled across the quiet quad like a super-powered grasshopper, all the while wondering what had brought his friend to the area and why he had kept it a secret. For the reports that lured Ray Palmer to Yale focused on a winged man soaring over the darkened streets, and centering on the college itself. Like a predator scoping out for prey this winged man swooped through the night skies, and the Atom could only wonder what Hawkman was searching for.
His musings and search would have to wait as he noted a pair of shadowy figures on the roof of the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library. He moved in that direction as quickly as possible, pursuing the two intruders as they seemed to easily defeat the security of the rooftop access and then entered the building. Atom paused to wonder at the capability of the thieves to bypass the advanced security door before continuing his pursuit.
Is this the reason Katar’s in town? Ray mused as he raced down the stairs, surfing the narrow handrails in his miniature form.
Finally, he caught up to them as they flanked a glass case, containing one example of the large number of rare and unusual tomes in this building. What can they hope to gain? No fence in the world is going to have a market for one of these books? Which one is it anyway?
He leaped forward, landing on the top of a rail-post and using it to push off with all of his might. His form seemed to shiver and stretch out as he enlarged, his fist crashing into one of the two intruders, twisting the head around hard from the blow to the jaw. The thief’s partner stared in shock at the sudden arrival and reached for a pouch on the belt he wore.
She, Ray corrected himself as he landed on the far side of the stunned criminal. Definitely a woman, not that it’s a huge deal. He spun around in her direction and began to shrink again as he noticed that it wasn’t a pouch she was reaching into. It was a small module of some sort that came off her belt and with the press of a button, turned into a whirling disk of crackling energy that was suddenly thrown into his direction.
As he shrunk and spun furiously, he watched it give off two mirror disks as well, and he barely shrunk in time to slide between the vicious looking weapon. He landed near her feet, and with a sharp kick, struck her instep.
“Ahh!” the woman cried out, pulling up her foot and hopping back as she clutched at her injury. She swore suddenly, but in no Earthly language.
“You’re speaking Thanagarian!” Atom said in stunned revelation, but it came too late as a shadow fell over him, and suddenly wings seemed to sprout out from narrow packs on the backs of both thieves. The disks the woman threw were hurling back now, and sheared through the glass case, shattering the protective cube as the other thief threw a black pellet at Atom.
Ray back-flipped from the object to try and avoid it, shrinking even more, to merely an inch in height, but he could hear the male intruder say something to him. “Ro-ir manu ti foras da jaski Imskians, Pinion!”
The pellet cracked into the floor and exploded in a spray of nano-fiber netting, sprawling across the tiled surface and wrapping up the Tiny Titan as the winged criminals grabbed the book, sprung up into the air to evade the netting and then escaped the building.
By the time guards and police had secured the building and entered the area, Atom had escaped the mass of nano-fiber and rubbed at his aching joints. He remained at his nearly-invisible height, having no desire to speak to the police. Instead, he grabbed a quick glance at the plaque for the display case and then made his own escape from the scene.
What the hell do Thanagarians want with the Voynich Manuscript? Ray Palmer asked silently for the first of many times that night.
|
|
|
|
Post by Admin on Nov 5, 2007 13:08:27 GMT -5
Two days later
The Flash hurtled across the country in the blink of an eye. He’d just left his friend Sue back in Central City, and was screaming through the city limits of Gotham City. He clutched the flash drive in his hand as he screeched to a halt by the League teleporter, his eyes darting around but knowing in his heart it would be useless to...
“Good afternoon, Flash,” Batman spoke up as he appeared from a shadow. “You have the information?”
“Yeah, I do,” Flash replied with a pout. “Damn it, Batman, I was looking so darned carefully too. How...”
“You were looking too hard. I used that to my advantage.” Batman took the drive into his hand and slipped it into a pouch on his belt. “How is the search for Exeter going?”
“Not good. It’s like the guy fell off the face of the planet. Of course, things would be going faster if it weren’t for the slowdown,” Barry replied with a frustrated tone. “Right now, it’s quicker for me to race these darned thumb drives everywhere.”
“An interesting turn of events,” Batman answered. “So it’s a global effect? The slowdown?”
“So it would seem. It’s been spotty at first, but it’s getting more and more constant, and wider spread each day.” Barry paced back and forth, only four or five steps, but with enough speed that spinning on his heel turned up quite a bit of dust. “I’ve talked to Atom, but we’re not computer specialists, and we’ve both been busy, so we’re not as up on it all as we could...”
He glanced around and frowned at the empty space he was talking to, then sped back off to Central City.
|
|
|
|
Post by Admin on Nov 5, 2007 13:09:10 GMT -5
Later that day, somewhere else completely...
“I’m telling you, Katar, they were Thanagarians. Hawk soldiers!” Ray Palmer exclaimed to his friend, the warrior Katar Hol. They sat across from each other at a small dining room table. “I assured the police later that it wasn’t you and Kendra, but I’m pretty sure they have you listed as ‘people of concern’ in the case just the same. So if you know anything, now’s the time to speak up.”
“It wasn’t me, and it wasn’t Kendra, Ray,” Katar said in a curt, simple statement. “And there is no need to get excited, because I believe you. There are Thanagarians operating on the planet, I am sure of this. We’ve already encountered them.”
“You have? And you didn’t tell us anything at the regular meeting?” Ray asked, surprised at the news. “How come?”
“Seeing as they are my people, I saw these looters as my enemies. It’s not unusual for the members of the League to have their individual feuds; I saw this as mine,” Katar explained, the deep voice clearly brooking no argument on the matter, even with his friend.
“Yeah, yeah. Sorry. You’re right, of course. I see the logic. I still think you should have brought it up, but...okay, well, what the hell happened?”
“We responded to reports that sounded like hawk soldiers operating out in the country of Jordan,” Katar responded slowly, as he relayed the tale. No words were spared, no diversion made. He was a fighter, not a storyteller. “Kendra and I investigated, confronted them, but were unable to stop them. I am ashamed to admit we weren’t prepared for the weaponry they brought along with them. They were vicious as well, threatening several bystanders, which left me fighting them alone while Kendra rescued the innocents.” He paused at this point, clearly upset at himself, but he kept composed and coughed a little before continuing. “So they managed to best me and make off with their prize - something that Kendra called the Copper Scroll.”
“Why the hell do your people want these things?” Ray asked at a loss. “I don’t understand this at all. It makes no sense.” He was about to speak again, but a buzzing interrupted the two men: their League communicators, sounding a priority alert.
|
|
|
|
Post by Admin on Nov 5, 2007 13:10:24 GMT -5
Earlier, elsewhere...
Wonder Woman sat on duty, silent, contemplative, proud and tall at her station in the monitor room of the Hall of Justice. She adjusted various settings, and glanced from time to time at the multitude of newsfeeds, bringing up-to-date information on happenings across the globe. With her regular cycling through the number of stations and screens complete, she returned to her reading, musing over the words in the book of poetry. She enjoyed the play of words over the page, marveling at the skills involved, the emotions evoked by seemingly simple passages. There were many things Princess Diana of Themyscira had been taught, or were innate to her, including an ability to speak with authority and influence. But this mastery of writing eluded her, and she enjoyed trying to understand how it was done. She was a warrior, but she was more, and she understood the true power of words.
So it went through the still evening, at regular intervals examining the cycle of newsfeeds before returning to a new poem. Until something froze her during one such examination of world events.
“...remains furious at the intrusion of the superhuman, and demanding the nation or nations responsible admit to the unwarranted invasion of their national boundaries, and receive the appropriate reprimands from the United Nations. At this time, there have been only denials by those nations able call on such metahuman activity, and so the leadership of Myanmar is left to fume over the encounter. Again, the appearance of a powerful metahuman figure in Myanmar has caused outrage, especially when the figure invaded the government buildings, and, according to anonymous sources, demanded to know what service the government had provided its people in keeping with the proper and honorable code of humane fellowship before departing. While security was said to fire on the intruder, he easily ignored the firearms used on him, and disappeared with speeds in excess of Mach one, again according to anonymous sources. Who was the metahuman? What are his goals? We’ll continue with this story throughout the day, as Myanmar’s ruling body prepares for a stormy confrontation at the United Nations...”
Wonder Woman frowned at the news as she moved through the stations. She caught a similar report, this one a native news station from Pakistan, speaking of a similar incident. A clearer description of the metahuman indicated a tall man, of athletic build in a red suit and blue cape, close cropped black hair and blue eyes. He demanded the same answers, and seemed furious when he was fired upon.
“Heat vision melted the rifles?” Diana murmured to herself in a worried tone as she read the report. “And then he was gone again, in a flash.” She sighed, and flipped through stations again, finding a report now, coming out of Afghanistan, and a confrontation with some of the Taliban groups that were slowly seizing control of the northern regions.
“Who in Hades are you?” Diana frowned after reading that this man had torn an artillery piece in half before speeding away again.
Finally, she found him again, this time smashing into Iraq and breaking up a military round-up of suspected insurgents. “I demand to speak to your leaders!” she learned he had again demanded. “When asked who he was and who he represented, the figure turned to Colonel Richard Myers of the United States Army and replied, ‘I represent your final judgment.’”
She stood up at the final statement from the strange man and slapped her hand on the alarm, summoning the active Justice League members, realizing the great danger facing them all if his name were legitimate.
“My name is Mon-El!”
The words reverberated in her head as she headed into the conference room to wait for the others to arrive. She sank into her chair and tapped at her control panel, patching into the monitor room signals. She leaned forward, staring hard at the scant information provided so far. She gave a start as she sat back and saw Kid Eternity standing at the far end of the meeting table.
“Hey there, Princess,” he said with a wink and a smirk. “You rang?”
“I thought only Batman could do that?” Diana muttered with a slight shake of her head. “Yes, we have an emergency. We just have to wait for the others to arrive.”
The waiting did not take much longer. The Hawks and the Atom appeared, followed quickly by the Elongated Man, and then finally the Flash came streaking into the meeting room. Batman’s image appeared on one of the two screens to be found at each member’s station around the conference table. Without sparing more than a moment’s greeting to the team, Wonder Woman stood and explained the nature of the emergency: the powerful metahuman invading nations across the eastern hemisphere, claiming to be of the House of El.
“I wish I could say that was the only emergency,” Atom spoke up as she finished her presentation. He glanced over at Hawkman, who pursed his lips in annoyance and then nodded his head.
“Perhaps not of the same priority as a potential Kryptonian, but there are Thanagarians, or, at least, people with Thanagarian weapons and wing harnesses, robbing historical treasures,” Hawkman slowly explained, as if the words had to be dragged out of him.
“A rather odd coincidence,” Flash murmured in an unconvinced voice.
“Agreed. Too odd a coincidence, especially considering what can only be attacks on the internet at the same time,” Batman said, his image wavering for just a moment.
“Right. We’re beyond coincidence here,” Wonder Woman agreed when she was brought up to speed on the two thefts. “Most of us need to go and confront this Mon-El figure immediately. Hawkman, I want you to go up to the satellite.”
“Me? I’m a warrior! If you’re going to confront an invader, I need to be on the front lines,” Hawkman argued. He flashed a look at Hawkgirl as Kendra laid a hand on his forearm and shook her head.
“No. I see where Wonder Woman’s going. The satellite has sensors that might pick up Thanagarian activity, or record it,” she said, taking a moment to get confirmation from the League’s chairperson, before continuing. “You’re the only one of us with any real knowledge of what to look for.”
“J’onn was up on the station last I heard,” Flash added. “You two can do a quick sweep, and if things go bad with this Mon-El character, you can come down and back us up.”
Hawkman scowled and jammed a fist into his other hand, but reluctantly nodded. “Very well.”
“The rest of us here will go after Mon-El in the cruiser,” Wonder Woman said, before looking at Kid Eternity. “Except you.”
“Me? Why me?” Now Kit was becoming defensive and folded his arms over his slim chest.
“Because no one steals the Copper Scrolls and the Voynich Manuscript for the delight of it,” Diana countered. A cough from Batman made her correct herself, adding, “normally - unless they’re one of the Gotham freaks, that is. Hawkgirl’s a fighter, and I’ll need her with us out in the field, so that leaves you the only expert left in this kind of thing. Find out what those things could mean, and if any other objects are targeted. Batman...”
“I’m working the internet mystery, and working on the ManyPenny mystery with Mrs. Dibny,” Batman confirmed in his assured voice. “I’ll keep in touch if you need me to back you up.”
“Very well. Let’s go, League, and good luck to all of us!” Diana led her team shoulder-to-shoulder down the hall to the hangar, determined looks on their faces at the thought of what they could be facing in the form of this Mon-El. Kid Eternity watched them leave then gave a wave to Hawkman as Kit’s form slowly drifted apart and out of sight, like mist dispersed on the breeze.
“That’s just not right. Dead men should stay dead,” Hawkman muttered with narrowed eyes behind his helmet before heading out of the building and up toward the satellite.
He soared ever higher, his helmet sealing off to give him oxygen as the Nth metal of his harness kept his body warm and guarded from the thinning atmosphere, also protecting him from the increased radiation and pressure. His mind rolled over the recent events as he stared ever up to the heavens, focused on what seemed to be nothing at first, but slowly grew into the dimmest star of the night sky. This dim star continued to grow in size, in luminosity as he soared ever faster toward it. Thanagarians on Earth stealing historical oddities, it made no sense to him. Mon-El couldn’t truly be another Kryptonian could he? he wondered. His jaw clenched with concern and frustration as he saw the satellite looming larger and larger in his vision now, filling it with rounded shapes of white plating at one part, exposed super-structure at another area, unfinished interior somewhere else. It was getting closer to completion, but it was slow-going for any number of reasons.
As he alighted in an airlock, finally stepping into the completed infrastructure, he thought over the primary reason, which coincided with his presence here. The combination of technologies were a large part of the problem. No one had ever envisioned Thanagarian, Martian or Kryptonian technology needing compatibility. Never mind Earth-based computer systems. That was why he was sent up to the satellite to meet with J’onn. Only Katar had any real talent for operating his people’s systems.
“Greetings, Katar Hol,” J’onn J’onzz said, interrupting the Hawkman’s silent musings. The Martian met him in a hall, falling in step with the winged wonder as he marched to what was becoming regarded as the ‘monitor womb’. “I have just received the meeting report from Wonder Woman over the various situations.”
“Good. Let’s get this sensor sweep over and done with, so we can get to the battle,” Hawkman declared curtly as he stormed into the large chamber. He and the Martian Manhunter floated in the center as the walls swirled into a massive array of screens and monitors, myriad displays of information scrolling by in all directions. “Things seem to be working acceptably at the moment, J’onn.”
“Give it a moment, Katar,” J’onn replied as he reached a hand up and swept it in front of him, left to right. The screens the hand pointed at were swept along with the movement, rearranging the displays before they started to spout a gibberish mish-mash of alien alphabets.
“Gods above!” Hawkman growled. “Still?”
“Still. We’re getting closer, but it takes a slow, gentle hand,” J’onn answered with a soft sigh. “Shall we get to work looking for these Thanagarians?”
Hawkman kept the growl to himself and merely nodded as the pair began their work.
|
|
|
|
Post by Admin on Nov 5, 2007 13:11:20 GMT -5
22,300 miles below
The League’s jet screamed over the horizon and under the noon-day sun over Saudi Arabia, hoping to intercept the stranger calling himself Mon-El. NATO command had finally tracked a trail resembling the figure on a trajectory for the Middle East, and then slowly narrowed down his possible destinations. Now, the five figures inside the jet were just hoping that he didn’t suddenly make a right turn and head elsewhere.
“So how are we handling this?” Ralph asked as he stretched his head up from the rear seat, settling between Wonder Woman and Hawkgirl at the piloting stations.
“We talk first, and hope he’s in the mood to be reasonable,” Wonder Woman answered with a grim look on her face. She stared straight ahead as she answered, not paying attention to the sudden face between her and her co-pilot. “He’s been asking questions, and attacking only when attacked, and even then, only to destroy weaponry. So hopefully, he’s got some sort of learning curve for an agenda.”
“If not, we bounce him around the block a couple of times and send him packing back to...well, wherever he came from,” Hawkgirl added with a sardonic grin as she looked at the red-haired rubber-man.
“And if wherever he came from actually is Krypton? They don’t bounce so easily.”
No one had an answer for that. Instead, a proximity alarm went off, alerting the entire cabin to the presence of a fast-moving figure, dipping down toward the capital city of Riyadh. The jet followed suit, directed by the amazing Amazon as the heartbeat of everyone on board sped up at the thought of the confrontation to come.
On the ground, Mon-El had landed before the seat of government in Riyadh, only to face dozens of heavily armed soldiers with firearms aimed at the intruder. The stiff, hot breeze tugged at the dark blue cape secured to the high-collared scarlet tunic by large golden discs. He faced the display of military force with a passive face, the dark hair fluttering, his blue eyes narrowed, as if looking past them all, through them, through the walls behind them.
<“Step aside,”> Mon-El declared in the native tongue, though his mouth didn’t quite sync with the words that came from him. <“I’m here to talk to your king, and don’t wish to hurt you.”>
“Okay, tall, dark and pushy,” Flash announced as he suddenly appeared between the caped invader and the military, in a wall of sand kicked around by his speed. “Let’s say you don’t go barging into sovereign soil, and talk to us instead.”
Wonder Woman and Hawkgirl alighted on either side of the Flash, as Elongated Man stretched into the scene after them, snapping into normal shape. The Atom stood on Hawkgirl’s shoulder, arms crossed and defiant with his team-mates, while behind them, everyone could hear the soldiers mutter about the scandalous appearance and behavior of the two women.
“I have my duty to perform, and I won’t let you stop me, whoever you are,” Mon-El answered, his voice and mouth now back in sync. He sounded reasonable, his voice level and calm as he stepped toward the five heroes. “You don’t understand what’s at stake here, and if these rulers don’t start giving me good answers and soon, nothing I can do will save you.”
Wonder Woman stepped up to Mon-El, face to face with the tall, handsome young man. She had stood as close to the Man of Steel many times in the past, their friendship giving her many views of the earnest Kal-El of Krypton. Her eyes scoured every inch of his face and she couldn’t deny that this man was of the House of El. The features of her Kal were plainly evident in this young man.
“Explain yourself to us, and explain quickly, and maybe we can put an end to...whatever it is you’re so afraid of, Mon-El,” Wonder Woman answered with equal calm. The rational conversation only served to make the rest of the League edgier, and that only served to heighten the fears of the soldiers, who maintained their weapons on the foreign metahumans.
“I am here to see if your rulers do right by humanity. Do they shepherd wisely, care for well, keep the common good foremost in their actions,” Mon-El answered as he folded his arms over his broad chest. The woman made him nervous, the way she looked at him, like she recognized him. He had been prepared for resistance, even other superhuman resistance. He hadn’t been prepared to be known, and this made him grow more wary of this world. “So far, I am unimpressed. If I’m unimpressed, then there’s not much hope for your Earth.”
“Our Earth?” Diana gave him a tilted look as the other Leaguers pondered the odd comment. Hawkgirl’s wings spread in preparation, making the soldiers twitch and causing Mon-El to glance her way.
“Step aside, and let me continue my mission,” Mon-El warned her, his voice more determined now. The time for talk was past, and he needed to keep moving quickly. “Step aside, or I will swat you aside.”
Wonder Woman opened her mouth to answer, but before she could, the entire city shook. From far beyond the clouds came a massive stroke of lightning, tearing into the ground by Mon-El and sending himself and Wonder Woman off their feet. The rumble that followed cracked windows and made all present clutch their ears. The shockwave set off alarms and frightened all of Riyadh. Down the path of this unreal stroke of lightning appeared four figures, one in the lead.
He was a massively muscled man with bald head, darkened skin, and a brilliant cloak of blood red flaring around his bared arms. A massive axe was clutched in one hand, and power literally crackled around the figure as he landed, clad in sleeveless black shirt. He pointed the axe toward Mon-El, his face contorted in fury as the other three figures landed behind him. A woman in silver, a slender man in sky-blue and white jagged striping, and a foot-tall man of azure fluttering between them all with his wings.
“This ends now!” cried the bald-headed man, staring at Mon-El. “No more shall your master scourge life from any Earth. His reign of terror ends now! So swears Wandjina, Father of the Heavens and Lord of Storms!”
|
|
|
|
Post by Admin on Nov 5, 2007 13:12:27 GMT -5
22,300 miles above the Earth
“Did you see that?” Hawkman asked as he glanced at the sudden appearance of the lightning stroke. “Dear gods, what was that?”
“Dimensional in nature,” J’onn answered, his voice rising a little from concern as he swept his hand and brought up a new scanner, giving energy readings on the sudden event. “And not the only one. Look!” He pointed at a second flare-up, and quickly, Hawkman pulled over a different screen, marking the location of the eruption.
“The Pacific Ocean,” Hawkman noted with urgency in his voice. “Near the Hawaiian Islands. Getting exact coordinates now.”
“The readings are off the scale, Hawkman,” J’onn said as he he watched the scanner shut down on him. “What is happening down there?”
“We need to go down there and find out,” Hawkman answered angrily. “We’ve wasted enough time up here. Contact the League and...”
The monitor womb suddenly shut down, plunging the heroes into darkness. This was quickly followed up by every emergency seal sliding into position as J’onn and Hawkman darted out of the room and into the halls. “What’s this? Is this the tech craziness, J’onn?”
“Negative, Katar,” the Manhunter assured him as he raced for the end of the hall and a remaining observation deck window. He stopped short though, stunned by what he saw at the edge of his vision. “Look! Hawkman!” He pointed to the inky depths of space as Hawkman’s sharpened sight followed the direction. It was cut off by the last bulwark sliding solidly into place, but the feathered fury had already seen it.
“Thanagarian ships,” he muttered angrily. “Wingmen transports, two of them. A couple of dozen Wingmen per ship.” He was livid in rage, hands clutched into tight white fists.
“Headed for the satellite,” J’onn declared in a quiet voice. “And it’s safe to say all systems are down.”
“Trapped in a big steel birdcage,” Hawkman snorted joylessly. “I’m not enjoying the irony. You should go, escape while you can, let the League know.”
J’onn shook his head sadly. “You forget, Katar. We designed these emergency seals with random flux electron patterns. To prevent intangibles like my people from getting inside.”
“Oh. Right.” Hawkman mused at the thought, then added in grim praise, “How tactically sound of us.”
|
|
|
|
Post by Admin on Nov 6, 2007 13:39:34 GMT -5
To Be Continued!
|
|
