Post by Deleted on Apr 2, 2015 4:53:59 GMT -5
Titans of Justice Unlimited Chapter 61 - “You CAN Go Home Again Part 12”
Written & Edited By: Power Guy
The West Home, Earth 1...
The all new Wonder Woman stood in front of the League of Titans and exclaimed, “Great Hera! It can‘t be!! Harbinger!!!”
“Yes, it can Donna Long,” countered the former herald of the Monitor. “With the Wizard resetting the time/space continuum, I no longer succumbed to the army of Doomsdays on your enchanted island. Enough about me though. I will need your assistance in setting things right before the inevitable occurs. Will you help me?”
“If it means kicking the Injustice Society’s tail, you bet lady!” spat Super Lad, with his arms crossed over his chest.
Harbinger seemd to ignore Super Lad’s comment and continued speaking, “The Wizard is playing a very dangerous game. I do not believe he is aware of the catastrophe he could cause if things are not set right quickly.”
“What are you talking abou……,” Nucleus began to ask when suddenly he was interrupted by Jemstone.
“OH MY GOD!! OH MY GOD!!!” the pop-star screamed in horror.
Sargona and Black Vulcan immediately made their way to Jemstone’s side.
“Jerrica, what is it? What’s wrong?” Sargona asked with deep concern. “Talk to me honey.”
“Sargona - it’s Scott! He’s in horrible danger! Don’t ask me how but I can feel it!” explained Jemstone, shaking franticly.
“Ahh….he’s probably just getting his chest waxed,” Super Lad remarked, sarcastically.
“Zip it Ahli or….” threatened Black Vulcan as she snapped her fingers and produced a spark.
“No, I’m serious,” insisted Jemstone. “He’s in trouble. I’ve never felt something so strongly before.”
“Well then League of Titans, prepare yourself for the journey to Earth 2,” advised Harbinger as she slowly levitated into the sky to open the one-dimensional portal.
“Wait a minute,” ordered Queen Bee.
The group of Titans all looked at the daughter of Vox and Bumblebee in shock wondering what could be more important than the task at hand.
“Are you all so sure we should do this? Don’t get me wrong, I’m all about saving Wonder Man but this business about setting the universe right has me a bit unsure,” explained Queen Bee.
“Are you out of your mind???” asked Dark Arrow, angrily. “Everything as we know it is messed up!”
“Everything?” repeated Queen Bee. “I think Elongated Lad and a few others might disagree with you.”
“I know I would,” stated Wonder Warrior, firmly.
“Same here,” chimed Kid Comet.
“What’s going on here? Some futurists’ mutiny??” accused Dark Arrow.
“All we can say is that things would most likely work out better for everyone if we just keep things the way they are now,” advised Wonder Warrior.
“Care to explain, Christophe?” requested Green Lantern.
“You know I can’t do that GL,” reminded the son of Donna Long. “Are we the only the only ones who feel this way?”
“Not at all,” Elongated Lad said to no-one’s surprise. “I’ve heard the whispers. I know what will happen to my parents if New Earth is restored. Heck, I won’t even EXIST!!”
“I also prefer the new reality,” the Stranger said, making his opinion clear. He could tell that a few of his teammates were disappointed in his opinion. “Friends, do not think I am being selfish. This new reality holds no personal gain for myself but for my wife. Back on New Earth, she was paralyzed. Here, she faces no such handicap. Please don’t ask me to cripple my wife again,” he pleaded with a few tears running from his eyes.
Suddenly the large group of heroes became quiet, none of them knowing what to say at this moment. While many of them had opposing views, there were also several of them who were stuck on the fence, having compassion for both sides.
As the Titans looked at each other for direction, Nucleus finally spoke. We have a very delicate situation on our hands. Some of us feel very strongly about putting the multiverse back the way it was while others of us are happy with the way things have turned out. While I’m not here to judge anyone, I would like to remind you all that no man, especially the Wizard, has the right to play God with all of creation. I know that deep in your hearts you all agree with me or you never would have put on your cape, mask, or utility-belt in the first place. Being a hero is about sacrificing your own personal gain for the greater good of mankind. Once this is all said and done, let God or fate have the final say in how things turn out, not the Wizard.
“Well said,” compliment Argos as he walked up to Nucleus and placed his hand on the tiny titan’s shoulder. “Though you have always been more brains and I have always been more brawn, you have more than earned my respect today. Sturmer and I will be happy to follow you into battle today. What say the rest of you?” Argos asked the group.
“Fine….we’re in,” Wonder Warrior said, speaking for himself, Queen Bee, and Kid Comet. From the look that Queen Bee gave him, everyone could tell she was less than pleased with his decision.
“I too shall fight by your side,” added the Stranger, reluctantly.
Then everyone just stood silent waiting for Elongated Lad to speak. He looked around at various members of the group. Anger and betrayal decorated his face. His so-called friends were asking him to give up everything - literally.
Harbinger then interrupted the moment, “My friends, I am sorry but we need to get going. There is not much time before…”
“Let’s do it….” grumbled the Elongated Lad as he walked forward towards the former herald of the Monitor.
***
The Brownstone, Earth 2...
Robin and Black Canary had brought the new All-Star Squadron back to their headquarters in hopes of collaborating on a way to locate the Wizard and the rest of the Injustice Society.
The Huntress had returned from her lunch date and was leading the discussion. “Over the last few weeks, we’ve check all of the former hide-outs of the Injustice Society. We’ve found no evidence that they’ve been to any of them in recent months.”
“We’ve also contacted several of their old acquaintances and relatives and no-one seems to have a clue as to their whereabouts,” continued the Jade Sentinel.
“What if we set them up to lure them out into the open?” suggested the new Liberty Belle.
“That’s not a bad idea. We would be in control of the situation that way,” surmised Power Guy.
Suddenly Starman barged into the room. He had sobered up a bit during his trip to the Brownstone but he was still a bit tipsy, “Guys! They’ve got Wonder Man!”
The group of heroes felt a sense of dread come over them.
“The Injustice Society?” guessed Hawk Warrior.
“Yes!” confirmed Starman as he made his way into the room. “They lured him on his own with a purse-snatching and then they must have ganged up on him as I saw about five or six of them carrying him away as I was on my way home after the bar.”
“We’ve got to move quickly before they realize that we’re on to them,” advised Power Guy.
“But how?” asked Sonic Boom. “We still have no idea where they are!”
“You’re wrong, Di Di," countered Power Guy. “The Wizard has made a fatal mistake if my hunch is correct. Starman - did the Injstice Society see you?”
“Nope,” answered the cosmic avenger. “They were all flying through the sky in one of Star Sapphire’s bubbles when I walked out of the bar.”
“Great then they don’t even know that we’re looking for Wonder Man yet” smiled Power Guy.
Lightspeed zipped in front of Power Guy and was already firing up the team’s locater system. “Give me a few seconds here,” requested the super-speedster.
“Thanks Lightspeed,” Power Guy said as he looked at the monitor waiting for a hit.
“There he is!” pointed out Lightspeed. “He’s in New York City!”
“Dear Lord!” exclaimed Liberty Belle. “Those coordinates are the exact location of the Perisphere!”
“Well, now you know why the government wouldn’t let you have the place,” concluded Robin.
“I think we need to strike immediately,” advised the Jade Sentinel. “Liberty Belle, even with your Squadron tagging along, we’re going to be severely outnumbered….” he continued until a bright flash of light filled the room. After what had happened to Wonder Man, the Titans and the Squadron became quickly alarmed and prepared for battle. To everyone’s surprise, Harbinger along with the League of Titans, the Squadron of Titans, the Titan of L.A.W., and the Titans of Freedom plus several of the Titans’ allies such as Miss Creeper, Blackbird, and Tula appeared out of nowhere.
“Great Gotham! It’s Green Lantern and the others!” surveyed the Huntress as she and rest of her group moved forward to meet their long, lost friends.
Suddenly the Arachnid came dashing through the crowd and made his way up to Starman, “SPACEMAN!!!” he said as he gave his best friend a bear-hug.
Starman was a bit speechless about his friend’s shocking display of affection, “Uhh…..it’s good to see you too bug boy but let go. You‘re starting to hurt my back!”
“But I’ve missed you so much!” the Arachnid said, continuing his hug for the sole purpose of being annoying.
Suddenly Phantom Lady walked by and looked at the Spider/Star team strangely. With one eyebrow cocked, she just shook her head a bit.
The Arachnid immediately went into panic mode and withdrew his arms but then punched Starman in the shoulder and said in a deep tone, “Good to see you, dude…”
Phantom Lady just snickered as she continued on over to Dr. Fate and Firebrand. “Kent! It’s good to see you again…” she started to say until she noticed, “Oh…you don’t look so good…”
“It’s this collar that the Wizard slapped on me. It’s severely muting my mystical abilities,” explained Dr. Fate. “And nothing I’ve tried seems to be able to remove it.”
“Well then, I guess we’re just going to have to make the Wizard remove it himself,” declared Firebrand as her fist became ablaze.
On the other side of the room, Jemstone was surveying the crowd looking for the love of a her life. She then turned to Sargona and began to panic, “I don’t see Scott anywhere. I told you something was wrong!”
“Calm down…..there are a lot of people here,” reminded the daughter of Zatanna and Sargon.” he could be just lost in the crowd or in the bathroom or something,”
“I’m sorry to say but that is not the case,” revealed the White Wraith. “Wonder Man has been taken prisoner by the Injustice Society.”
“NOOO!!!” screamed Jemstone. “We’ve got to find him! We’ve got to save him!”
“Easy Jerrica,” Wonder Warrior said, trying to sooth the frantic pop-princess. He turned to the White Wraith and asked, “Do you guys know where the Society is holed up?”
“We just figured that out a few minutes before you arrived,” informed Robin. “They’re hiding in the old headquarters of the All-Star Squadron in New York City. We can leave any time you guys are ready.”
“I’m all set but I have one question before we go,” Wonder Warrior stated as he turned and looked Fausta directly in the eye, “What’s SHE doing here???”
Phantom Lady rushed over to inform the rest of the team about Fausta’s sudden change of heart, “Guys, it’s ok. She’s here to…”
Suddenly, Fausta put her hand over Phantom Lady’s mouth, “Hold your tongue, fraulein. I can speak for myself.” The tall, blonde, imposing woman got in Wonder Warrior’s face. “You look nervous, little man Does my presence here give you cause for concern?” she smiled devilishly.
Wonder Warrior stood firm, teeth gritted and ready to pull out his sword with a moment’s notice. “Anything you do gives me cause for concern,” growled the son of Donna Long.
“I can assure you that I am only here to set things ‘right’ like the rest of you,” insisted the Nazi strongwoman. “But I can make no promises to behave.”
“Yes, but the real question is, what do you consider to be ‘right’?” pointed out Wonder Warrior, staring dead into Fausta’s eyes.
Meanwhile, Sargona was glancing out of the corner of her eye at the reunion between, Sonic Boom, Dark Arrow, Trickshot, and Green Lantern.
The son of Oliver and Dinah Queen wrapped his arms around his sister with a sigh of relief, “Di Di! I’m so glad you’re ok!”
“We were so worried about you, Di Di,” Trickshot commented with a warm smile.
As the twins continued their hug, Dark Arrow whispered in his sister’s ear, “Who’s that creepy guy on the other side of the room who keeps staring at you?”
The third Black Canary turned her head and looked in the same direction as her brother and responded with, “Oh, him,” she said with a tone of annoyance. “He calls himself the Emerald Archer. I just met him earlier today. He hasn’t stopped hitting on me since.”
“Want me to go have a talk with him?” asked the over-protective brother of Sonic Boom.
“Nah…he’s nothing I can’t handle,” advised the blonde bombshell, “Plus, I think he’s your Earth 2 counterpart and I think it would bring about bad karma if you traded blows with him.”
Just then, Green Lantern interrupted the sibling’s conversation, “Di Di, I’m so happy to see you again.” He had been quiet for the last five minutes while summoning up the courage to speak.
The response he got from Sonic Boom was a bit surprising, “Oh really, Dan? And what does Sargona think of that???” she spat.
“Di Di….please. I called off the wedding,” revealed the cosmic crusader. “You’re the one I want to be with.”
“But…you two were engaged…” insisted Sonic Boom, still a bit reluctant to patch things up with her former boyfriend. “That’s why I left Earth 1...or so I was told.”
“Di Di, none of this is how it should be,” Green Lantern said, pleading his case. “This is all the Wizard’s doing. Please give us another chance. I want to be with you today and….every day.”
“You really mean that?” asked a shocked Black Canary.
“Yes, I do,” confirmed Daniel Jordan. “You are the love of my life. I will always be here by your side and support you.”
“Just forgive the poor sap already Di Di,” smirked Dark Arrow.
“I’m sorry for being so cold, Dan. It’s just that everything has been such a mess over the last few weeks,” apologized Sonic Boom as she hugged Green Lantern firmly.
“It’s ok, Di Di. We’ve all been put through a wringer,” agreed Green Lantern.
Seemingly out of nowhere, Knight-Bat emerged and walked up to Robin of Earth 2, “You look just like my dad but a few years older,” he pointed out to Robin.
“That’s because I’m his counterpart,” explained the elder Dick Grayson. “Your dad’s a great guy. We shared a few adventures a while back.”
“This is almost unbelievable,” noted Knight-Bat. “It will be an honor to fight alongside you.”
Suddenly the Jade Sentinel took to the sky, “While I hate to spoil everyone’s reunions, we have a hostage situation and a reality to set right. I’ve worked things out with Phantom Lady, Blackout, and the White Wraith. The three of them will use their teleportation powers to get us to the Perisphere within minutes….”
***
The Perisphere, New York City…
“EEEEEEEEEEIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” Wonder Man screamed in agony as a violent electric current shot through his body. He had been taken to Dr. Poison’s torture chamber and was strapped to a table while the Japanese sadist subjugated him to a series of painful tortures. Currently, he was “lucky” enough to be experiencing the burning shock of electro-torture.
“Give him a hundred more volts, beloved! I want to see his eyeballs burst!” cheered on Dr. Death, waiving his fist in the air.
“Not so tough now are you, Woondah Boy?” gloated the Cheetah as she circled the table that Wonder Man was strapped to.
Wonder Man couldn’t help but scream as another current was fed into his body. His hair was standing straight up and much of his skin was burnt. His tongue was like sandpaper and even when the electricity was shut off, he couldn’t stop shaking. This was probably the most painful event of his life and he wasn’t sure how much longer his body could take this. He noticed several other villains in the room such as Clea and Rag, taking sick delight in his agony. After another twenty minutes, he was sure he was going to die. The only thing that was keeping him alive were his thoughts of Jemstone. Though the two had been separated since the original multiverse was brought back, she was his rock. His memory of the light in her eyes kept him going. He had to hold on or he would never see her beautiful face again.
Just then, the Wizard and Johnny Sorrow stormed into the room.
“Enough!!!” declared the Wizard as shoved Dr. Poison out of the way and shut down her machine. He turned to the Japanese sadist and reminded her, “I told you could torture him, NOT kill him. He’s no good to us if he’s dead.”
“But he’s still alive,” pointed out Dr. Poison, in defense.
“Barely,” scolded the Wizard as he turned again and looked down at Wonder Man.
“Take a break boys and girls,” ordered Johnny Sorrow, pointing to the door.
All of the villains except the Wizard and Johnny Sorrow promptly exited the room.
Wonder Man looked up at the Wizard, uncertain of his motives behind stopping Dr. Poison’s torture. He kept quiet hoping the Wizard bring him up to speed.
The Wizard looked down at Wonder Man again, “Don’t look at me as your savior, boy. This is just a temporary reprieve. You see, with you in our clutches, we have a bargaining chip to lure your teammates into our grasp. Once we have you all, we shall begin executing you one by one. But don’t worry, I promise you will be first on the list,” he said, smiling from ear to ear. “Oh, and don’t even begin to hope for a rescue. Your friends don’t even know we have you nor do they know where we are. In fact, we’re in the last place they would look.”
“W…w..w…where are we?” Wonder Man managed to mumble.
“Why, we’re in the old headquarters of the All-Star Squadron. Now who would think to look for a group of super-villains in a super-hero’s old base of operations?” the Wizard said with a smug tone.
“The Wizard’s right,” agreed Johnny Sorrow. “We’re holding the cards this time and once we’re done, the legacy of the Justice Society will be nothing more than a faint memory!”
TO BE CONTINUED
Written & Edited By: Power Guy
The West Home, Earth 1...
The all new Wonder Woman stood in front of the League of Titans and exclaimed, “Great Hera! It can‘t be!! Harbinger!!!”
“Yes, it can Donna Long,” countered the former herald of the Monitor. “With the Wizard resetting the time/space continuum, I no longer succumbed to the army of Doomsdays on your enchanted island. Enough about me though. I will need your assistance in setting things right before the inevitable occurs. Will you help me?”
“If it means kicking the Injustice Society’s tail, you bet lady!” spat Super Lad, with his arms crossed over his chest.
Harbinger seemd to ignore Super Lad’s comment and continued speaking, “The Wizard is playing a very dangerous game. I do not believe he is aware of the catastrophe he could cause if things are not set right quickly.”
“What are you talking abou……,” Nucleus began to ask when suddenly he was interrupted by Jemstone.
“OH MY GOD!! OH MY GOD!!!” the pop-star screamed in horror.
Sargona and Black Vulcan immediately made their way to Jemstone’s side.
“Jerrica, what is it? What’s wrong?” Sargona asked with deep concern. “Talk to me honey.”
“Sargona - it’s Scott! He’s in horrible danger! Don’t ask me how but I can feel it!” explained Jemstone, shaking franticly.
“Ahh….he’s probably just getting his chest waxed,” Super Lad remarked, sarcastically.
“Zip it Ahli or….” threatened Black Vulcan as she snapped her fingers and produced a spark.
“No, I’m serious,” insisted Jemstone. “He’s in trouble. I’ve never felt something so strongly before.”
“Well then League of Titans, prepare yourself for the journey to Earth 2,” advised Harbinger as she slowly levitated into the sky to open the one-dimensional portal.
“Wait a minute,” ordered Queen Bee.
The group of Titans all looked at the daughter of Vox and Bumblebee in shock wondering what could be more important than the task at hand.
“Are you all so sure we should do this? Don’t get me wrong, I’m all about saving Wonder Man but this business about setting the universe right has me a bit unsure,” explained Queen Bee.
“Are you out of your mind???” asked Dark Arrow, angrily. “Everything as we know it is messed up!”
“Everything?” repeated Queen Bee. “I think Elongated Lad and a few others might disagree with you.”
“I know I would,” stated Wonder Warrior, firmly.
“Same here,” chimed Kid Comet.
“What’s going on here? Some futurists’ mutiny??” accused Dark Arrow.
“All we can say is that things would most likely work out better for everyone if we just keep things the way they are now,” advised Wonder Warrior.
“Care to explain, Christophe?” requested Green Lantern.
“You know I can’t do that GL,” reminded the son of Donna Long. “Are we the only the only ones who feel this way?”
“Not at all,” Elongated Lad said to no-one’s surprise. “I’ve heard the whispers. I know what will happen to my parents if New Earth is restored. Heck, I won’t even EXIST!!”
“I also prefer the new reality,” the Stranger said, making his opinion clear. He could tell that a few of his teammates were disappointed in his opinion. “Friends, do not think I am being selfish. This new reality holds no personal gain for myself but for my wife. Back on New Earth, she was paralyzed. Here, she faces no such handicap. Please don’t ask me to cripple my wife again,” he pleaded with a few tears running from his eyes.
Suddenly the large group of heroes became quiet, none of them knowing what to say at this moment. While many of them had opposing views, there were also several of them who were stuck on the fence, having compassion for both sides.
As the Titans looked at each other for direction, Nucleus finally spoke. We have a very delicate situation on our hands. Some of us feel very strongly about putting the multiverse back the way it was while others of us are happy with the way things have turned out. While I’m not here to judge anyone, I would like to remind you all that no man, especially the Wizard, has the right to play God with all of creation. I know that deep in your hearts you all agree with me or you never would have put on your cape, mask, or utility-belt in the first place. Being a hero is about sacrificing your own personal gain for the greater good of mankind. Once this is all said and done, let God or fate have the final say in how things turn out, not the Wizard.
“Well said,” compliment Argos as he walked up to Nucleus and placed his hand on the tiny titan’s shoulder. “Though you have always been more brains and I have always been more brawn, you have more than earned my respect today. Sturmer and I will be happy to follow you into battle today. What say the rest of you?” Argos asked the group.
“Fine….we’re in,” Wonder Warrior said, speaking for himself, Queen Bee, and Kid Comet. From the look that Queen Bee gave him, everyone could tell she was less than pleased with his decision.
“I too shall fight by your side,” added the Stranger, reluctantly.
Then everyone just stood silent waiting for Elongated Lad to speak. He looked around at various members of the group. Anger and betrayal decorated his face. His so-called friends were asking him to give up everything - literally.
Harbinger then interrupted the moment, “My friends, I am sorry but we need to get going. There is not much time before…”
“Let’s do it….” grumbled the Elongated Lad as he walked forward towards the former herald of the Monitor.
***
The Brownstone, Earth 2...
Robin and Black Canary had brought the new All-Star Squadron back to their headquarters in hopes of collaborating on a way to locate the Wizard and the rest of the Injustice Society.
The Huntress had returned from her lunch date and was leading the discussion. “Over the last few weeks, we’ve check all of the former hide-outs of the Injustice Society. We’ve found no evidence that they’ve been to any of them in recent months.”
“We’ve also contacted several of their old acquaintances and relatives and no-one seems to have a clue as to their whereabouts,” continued the Jade Sentinel.
“What if we set them up to lure them out into the open?” suggested the new Liberty Belle.
“That’s not a bad idea. We would be in control of the situation that way,” surmised Power Guy.
Suddenly Starman barged into the room. He had sobered up a bit during his trip to the Brownstone but he was still a bit tipsy, “Guys! They’ve got Wonder Man!”
The group of heroes felt a sense of dread come over them.
“The Injustice Society?” guessed Hawk Warrior.
“Yes!” confirmed Starman as he made his way into the room. “They lured him on his own with a purse-snatching and then they must have ganged up on him as I saw about five or six of them carrying him away as I was on my way home after the bar.”
“We’ve got to move quickly before they realize that we’re on to them,” advised Power Guy.
“But how?” asked Sonic Boom. “We still have no idea where they are!”
“You’re wrong, Di Di," countered Power Guy. “The Wizard has made a fatal mistake if my hunch is correct. Starman - did the Injstice Society see you?”
“Nope,” answered the cosmic avenger. “They were all flying through the sky in one of Star Sapphire’s bubbles when I walked out of the bar.”
“Great then they don’t even know that we’re looking for Wonder Man yet” smiled Power Guy.
Lightspeed zipped in front of Power Guy and was already firing up the team’s locater system. “Give me a few seconds here,” requested the super-speedster.
“Thanks Lightspeed,” Power Guy said as he looked at the monitor waiting for a hit.
“There he is!” pointed out Lightspeed. “He’s in New York City!”
“Dear Lord!” exclaimed Liberty Belle. “Those coordinates are the exact location of the Perisphere!”
“Well, now you know why the government wouldn’t let you have the place,” concluded Robin.
“I think we need to strike immediately,” advised the Jade Sentinel. “Liberty Belle, even with your Squadron tagging along, we’re going to be severely outnumbered….” he continued until a bright flash of light filled the room. After what had happened to Wonder Man, the Titans and the Squadron became quickly alarmed and prepared for battle. To everyone’s surprise, Harbinger along with the League of Titans, the Squadron of Titans, the Titan of L.A.W., and the Titans of Freedom plus several of the Titans’ allies such as Miss Creeper, Blackbird, and Tula appeared out of nowhere.
“Great Gotham! It’s Green Lantern and the others!” surveyed the Huntress as she and rest of her group moved forward to meet their long, lost friends.
Suddenly the Arachnid came dashing through the crowd and made his way up to Starman, “SPACEMAN!!!” he said as he gave his best friend a bear-hug.
Starman was a bit speechless about his friend’s shocking display of affection, “Uhh…..it’s good to see you too bug boy but let go. You‘re starting to hurt my back!”
“But I’ve missed you so much!” the Arachnid said, continuing his hug for the sole purpose of being annoying.
Suddenly Phantom Lady walked by and looked at the Spider/Star team strangely. With one eyebrow cocked, she just shook her head a bit.
The Arachnid immediately went into panic mode and withdrew his arms but then punched Starman in the shoulder and said in a deep tone, “Good to see you, dude…”
Phantom Lady just snickered as she continued on over to Dr. Fate and Firebrand. “Kent! It’s good to see you again…” she started to say until she noticed, “Oh…you don’t look so good…”
“It’s this collar that the Wizard slapped on me. It’s severely muting my mystical abilities,” explained Dr. Fate. “And nothing I’ve tried seems to be able to remove it.”
“Well then, I guess we’re just going to have to make the Wizard remove it himself,” declared Firebrand as her fist became ablaze.
On the other side of the room, Jemstone was surveying the crowd looking for the love of a her life. She then turned to Sargona and began to panic, “I don’t see Scott anywhere. I told you something was wrong!”
“Calm down…..there are a lot of people here,” reminded the daughter of Zatanna and Sargon.” he could be just lost in the crowd or in the bathroom or something,”
“I’m sorry to say but that is not the case,” revealed the White Wraith. “Wonder Man has been taken prisoner by the Injustice Society.”
“NOOO!!!” screamed Jemstone. “We’ve got to find him! We’ve got to save him!”
“Easy Jerrica,” Wonder Warrior said, trying to sooth the frantic pop-princess. He turned to the White Wraith and asked, “Do you guys know where the Society is holed up?”
“We just figured that out a few minutes before you arrived,” informed Robin. “They’re hiding in the old headquarters of the All-Star Squadron in New York City. We can leave any time you guys are ready.”
“I’m all set but I have one question before we go,” Wonder Warrior stated as he turned and looked Fausta directly in the eye, “What’s SHE doing here???”
Phantom Lady rushed over to inform the rest of the team about Fausta’s sudden change of heart, “Guys, it’s ok. She’s here to…”
Suddenly, Fausta put her hand over Phantom Lady’s mouth, “Hold your tongue, fraulein. I can speak for myself.” The tall, blonde, imposing woman got in Wonder Warrior’s face. “You look nervous, little man Does my presence here give you cause for concern?” she smiled devilishly.
Wonder Warrior stood firm, teeth gritted and ready to pull out his sword with a moment’s notice. “Anything you do gives me cause for concern,” growled the son of Donna Long.
“I can assure you that I am only here to set things ‘right’ like the rest of you,” insisted the Nazi strongwoman. “But I can make no promises to behave.”
“Yes, but the real question is, what do you consider to be ‘right’?” pointed out Wonder Warrior, staring dead into Fausta’s eyes.
Meanwhile, Sargona was glancing out of the corner of her eye at the reunion between, Sonic Boom, Dark Arrow, Trickshot, and Green Lantern.
The son of Oliver and Dinah Queen wrapped his arms around his sister with a sigh of relief, “Di Di! I’m so glad you’re ok!”
“We were so worried about you, Di Di,” Trickshot commented with a warm smile.
As the twins continued their hug, Dark Arrow whispered in his sister’s ear, “Who’s that creepy guy on the other side of the room who keeps staring at you?”
The third Black Canary turned her head and looked in the same direction as her brother and responded with, “Oh, him,” she said with a tone of annoyance. “He calls himself the Emerald Archer. I just met him earlier today. He hasn’t stopped hitting on me since.”
“Want me to go have a talk with him?” asked the over-protective brother of Sonic Boom.
“Nah…he’s nothing I can’t handle,” advised the blonde bombshell, “Plus, I think he’s your Earth 2 counterpart and I think it would bring about bad karma if you traded blows with him.”
Just then, Green Lantern interrupted the sibling’s conversation, “Di Di, I’m so happy to see you again.” He had been quiet for the last five minutes while summoning up the courage to speak.
The response he got from Sonic Boom was a bit surprising, “Oh really, Dan? And what does Sargona think of that???” she spat.
“Di Di….please. I called off the wedding,” revealed the cosmic crusader. “You’re the one I want to be with.”
“But…you two were engaged…” insisted Sonic Boom, still a bit reluctant to patch things up with her former boyfriend. “That’s why I left Earth 1...or so I was told.”
“Di Di, none of this is how it should be,” Green Lantern said, pleading his case. “This is all the Wizard’s doing. Please give us another chance. I want to be with you today and….every day.”
“You really mean that?” asked a shocked Black Canary.
“Yes, I do,” confirmed Daniel Jordan. “You are the love of my life. I will always be here by your side and support you.”
“Just forgive the poor sap already Di Di,” smirked Dark Arrow.
“I’m sorry for being so cold, Dan. It’s just that everything has been such a mess over the last few weeks,” apologized Sonic Boom as she hugged Green Lantern firmly.
“It’s ok, Di Di. We’ve all been put through a wringer,” agreed Green Lantern.
Seemingly out of nowhere, Knight-Bat emerged and walked up to Robin of Earth 2, “You look just like my dad but a few years older,” he pointed out to Robin.
“That’s because I’m his counterpart,” explained the elder Dick Grayson. “Your dad’s a great guy. We shared a few adventures a while back.”
“This is almost unbelievable,” noted Knight-Bat. “It will be an honor to fight alongside you.”
Suddenly the Jade Sentinel took to the sky, “While I hate to spoil everyone’s reunions, we have a hostage situation and a reality to set right. I’ve worked things out with Phantom Lady, Blackout, and the White Wraith. The three of them will use their teleportation powers to get us to the Perisphere within minutes….”
***
The Perisphere, New York City…
“EEEEEEEEEEIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” Wonder Man screamed in agony as a violent electric current shot through his body. He had been taken to Dr. Poison’s torture chamber and was strapped to a table while the Japanese sadist subjugated him to a series of painful tortures. Currently, he was “lucky” enough to be experiencing the burning shock of electro-torture.
“Give him a hundred more volts, beloved! I want to see his eyeballs burst!” cheered on Dr. Death, waiving his fist in the air.
“Not so tough now are you, Woondah Boy?” gloated the Cheetah as she circled the table that Wonder Man was strapped to.
Wonder Man couldn’t help but scream as another current was fed into his body. His hair was standing straight up and much of his skin was burnt. His tongue was like sandpaper and even when the electricity was shut off, he couldn’t stop shaking. This was probably the most painful event of his life and he wasn’t sure how much longer his body could take this. He noticed several other villains in the room such as Clea and Rag, taking sick delight in his agony. After another twenty minutes, he was sure he was going to die. The only thing that was keeping him alive were his thoughts of Jemstone. Though the two had been separated since the original multiverse was brought back, she was his rock. His memory of the light in her eyes kept him going. He had to hold on or he would never see her beautiful face again.
Just then, the Wizard and Johnny Sorrow stormed into the room.
“Enough!!!” declared the Wizard as shoved Dr. Poison out of the way and shut down her machine. He turned to the Japanese sadist and reminded her, “I told you could torture him, NOT kill him. He’s no good to us if he’s dead.”
“But he’s still alive,” pointed out Dr. Poison, in defense.
“Barely,” scolded the Wizard as he turned again and looked down at Wonder Man.
“Take a break boys and girls,” ordered Johnny Sorrow, pointing to the door.
All of the villains except the Wizard and Johnny Sorrow promptly exited the room.
Wonder Man looked up at the Wizard, uncertain of his motives behind stopping Dr. Poison’s torture. He kept quiet hoping the Wizard bring him up to speed.
The Wizard looked down at Wonder Man again, “Don’t look at me as your savior, boy. This is just a temporary reprieve. You see, with you in our clutches, we have a bargaining chip to lure your teammates into our grasp. Once we have you all, we shall begin executing you one by one. But don’t worry, I promise you will be first on the list,” he said, smiling from ear to ear. “Oh, and don’t even begin to hope for a rescue. Your friends don’t even know we have you nor do they know where we are. In fact, we’re in the last place they would look.”
“W…w..w…where are we?” Wonder Man managed to mumble.
“Why, we’re in the old headquarters of the All-Star Squadron. Now who would think to look for a group of super-villains in a super-hero’s old base of operations?” the Wizard said with a smug tone.
“The Wizard’s right,” agreed Johnny Sorrow. “We’re holding the cards this time and once we’re done, the legacy of the Justice Society will be nothing more than a faint memory!”
TO BE CONTINUED