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Post by David on Mar 24, 2007 17:33:24 GMT -5
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Post by David on Mar 24, 2007 17:34:06 GMT -5
DC2 Challenge
Week 4 "Seeking That Which Should Not Be Found"
Written by Jay McInyre
Cover by Craig Cermak
Edited by David Charlton |
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Post by David on Mar 24, 2007 17:34:39 GMT -5
Standing in the rain, on the top of a building in Star City, the archer called Merlyn began to laugh. This had turned out to be the best day of his life… and it would be the last day of those from the League of Assassins who had been foolish enough to try to bring him back.
He stepped to the edge of the roof and saw the blonde haired member of the League fleeing. He laughed and pulled back his bow again, but this time did not draw an arrow.
He did not need one.
It was as though energy came from the storm itself; or perhaps it was inherent in the bow, or himself....or yes, maybe the black diamond that was still painfully embedded in his arm.
An arc of purple energy formed as he drew the bow back, twisting and writhing, almost snarling with power. He let it go, and it flew unerringly to its target.
The blonde man didn't even have time to scream. The whole area lit up with purple light, and a concussion of power not unlike thunder roared through the air.
Merlyn laughed again. The diamond in his arm no longer hurt...and his face was no longer quite human. Not that he would've cared.
The lightning arced across the sky, revealing his inhuman visage. His mouth formed a long, unpleasant grin, filled with teeth. There were others out there yet....others to wreak his revenge upon. He could find them now. His need for revenge would draw him to them.
One by one.
This was going to be fun!
Laughing even louder, he dove off the rooftop.
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Post by David on Mar 24, 2007 17:35:01 GMT -5
A secret base somewhere in the Rocky Mountains...
The complex of rooms was well polished yet dimly lit, creating an odd, surreal glow. Some rooms were full of computers, yet this was no office. Everywhere figures in red hoods and robes moved hither and thither, whispering to each other. Yet this was no monastery.
This was the central base and headquarters of the Hierarchy for International Vengeance and Extermination. The HIVE.
As a technocratic supervillain organization, their stock was on the rise. They had contacts in every corner of the globe and they were gradually setting up threat assessments on various organizations, notably the Teen Titans, the DEO, and even the Justice League. For the moment they were laying low; the occasional job here, recruiting a mad scientist into their ranks there. They were quietly working on a long range, long term strategy that would eventually result in the death of the Titans, whom they viewed as the most immediate threat to their security.
Towards this end, they were seeking new weapons to add to their arsenal. Their scientists, of course, were always developing new weapons. The arts of magic were not their specialty; but they recognized well enough that magic was real, and it was a power source like any other, that their scientists could exploit.
Such a project was on their agenda.
But at the moment they were slightly frustrated. Their leadership council sat in session, hoods down, identities concealed.
"Merlyn did not make his appointment," one of them said. "Perhaps it is this chaotic storm that is growing."
"The storm was unanticipated," said another. "It underscores the urgency of our cause."
"A link between our target and the storm has been suggested," said a third.
"Unsubstantiated," snapped a fourth, a deeper tone of authority to his voice. "Besides which, Merlyn is not our only option. Contact with the potential candidate in Gotham proceeds according to optimal parameters. She has agreed to meet our agent."
"Is the agent's camera online?"
"Yes, the storm has not yet interfered with its telemetry. Observe."
An overhead viewscreen flickered to life. A costumed woman scowled out of the screen. "I hope you've got a good reason to call this cat out into the rain," she said.
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Post by David on Mar 24, 2007 17:35:59 GMT -5
Gotham City…
"Indeed I do," the HIVE agent answered her. He was tall and thin, dressed in somber maroon colors. His heavy jacket swathed his form; a cybernetic implant gleamed scarlet out of his left eye socket. His goatee was neatly trimmed; it was the only hair on his head. "My organization has an offer for you."
Catwoman's frown deepened, one hand on the handle of her cat o nine tails. "I'm freelance. I don't usually work for pay. How did you find me, anyway?"
The agent smiled thinly. "We have our ways. And we have an offer that will be of interest to you particularly." He produced a remote control, and pressed a button. A static field snapped into reality over them, keeping off the rain.
"Why didn't you do that to begin with?" Catwoman grumbled irritably.
The HIVE agent only grinned in answer; and she knew full well he had done it to impress her. And it had worked.
"All right, what do you have for me then," she said, hands on hips. She was still very wary, and very much having second thoughts about this meeting. Lightning forked across the sky; the storm was doing nothing to improve her mood.
He put the remote away and lifted the briefcase he held in the other hand. Opening it, he showed her the rather impressive amount of money inside it. She was intrigued; but she was more intrigued by the photograph sitting on top of the crisp, clean bills.
"Is that....?" she gasped, gingerly picking the photo off the top of the money.
"The Child of Bast," the HIVE agent confirmed. "One of the rarest and most coveted cat sculptures in the world."
Catwoman clenched the picture tightly in her hands, then looked up at him. "You must realize there is no way I could part with that statue once I have it."
"Of course not. Both the statuette and the money are yours. All we require is the black diamond out of it's left eye."
Catwoman nodded thoughtfully. She was tempted to argue about the eye; but truthfully, she just wanted the Child of Bast in her own apartment. She could always have another diamond fitted into the socket. Indeed, finding such a one would be worthy caper in and of itself. Her mood had improved considerably.
"All right, we have a deal. Tell me the particulars of the security guarding this thing."
The HIVE Agent smiled.
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Post by David on Mar 24, 2007 17:36:18 GMT -5
The thug was supposed to be fighting. He was supposed to be helping his buddies, his crew, fight the tough-as-nails blonde superheroine. Even though it was clear they stood no chance. Even though it was clear that the blonde was holding back, so she didn't kill them. And if he couldn't fight her, he could at least run. She'd probably catch him anyway, but he could at least try.
But he didn't run, and it wasn't out of fear. It was because of.....
"Cleavage," he said, staring helplessly at her chest.
"Full marks for observation," Power Girl sighed, and gave him a gentle shove. Of course, her ‘gentle’ shove sent him into the wall. It cracked and the whole room shuddered, and the thug slid down to join his already senseless friends. She had gauged her strength; he wouldn't even be paralyzed, but he'd be in a lot of pain when he woke up.
She flew out of the convenience store and up into the stormy, thundering sky. She didn't like this, didn't like it at all. The storm was making her....angry. She didn't know how it was doing that, but it disturbed her more than slightly. Clearly this was no normal storm. But what could she do about it? It wasn't the work of some weather-controlling villain....At least she didn't think so…
Powers Towers looked pretty good right about now.
And why Gotham, of all places? Why had she come here? Curiosity? Loneliness? Boredom? Possibly all three.
All she could do was keep looking.
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Post by David on Mar 24, 2007 17:36:37 GMT -5
Catwoman didn't much like the storm, either. All the more reason to get out of it and on with this latest job.
Granted, the HIVE creeped her out more than slightly. She didn't like working for anyone, and least of all these super-spy movie rejects. But the money was good, and the prize was even better. She couldn't pass it up.
All the same, she hoped Batman wouldn't hear about it. Obviously, they wanted the black diamond eye of the statuette for a reason. Maybe she should quietly leave a tip
somewhere.....a clue for Batman to find and take to those boy scout friends in the Justice League....Yes, she would do that.
After she got the statuette.
Strictly speaking, this job wasn't a home invasion, nor was it a museum or art exhibit. It was somewhere in-between; a private library, owned by an eccentric rich man, a student of the arcane.
But, the HIVE agent had told her, that was precisely why they had hired her for the job; the defenses were designed for magical opponents. A mundane agent could slip through. Not that the place didn't have regular security as well, but she could work her way around such much easier than the HIVE's own agents could. What was called for here was stealth. Her specialty.
Catwoman had considered the window, then frowned and shook her head, wincing as the lightning crashed once more. She had to get out of this gathering storm, but the window was not the way in, not this time.
She smiled, the grin slowly spreading across her face, as the answer came to her: the chimney! She'd enter like Saint Nick; only she would come to take, not to give.
She clambered across the rooftop, not noticing Power Girl flying overhead.
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Post by David on Mar 24, 2007 17:36:55 GMT -5
Within the darkened study, the obsidian statuette of the Child of Bast sat on a pedestal. Within its left eye, the black diamond gleamed softly…
Waiting.
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Post by David on Mar 24, 2007 17:37:32 GMT -5
To Be Continued!
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Post by mockingbird on Jul 28, 2011 13:03:13 GMT -5
To let us know what you think of this issue, please visit the letters page here!
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