“Questions Inside Riddles Inside Enigmas”
Harm whirled around, sword at the ready, as Joshua appeared in his seedy motel room. “What do you want?” ”Not much,” Joshua said as he flipped through a file folder lying on the desk. He held up a grainy picture of Buzz. “Friend of yours?” ”Hardly,” Harm replied as he snatched the photo and the file away. He slid them into a small suitcase. “I will ask one more time. What do you want?” ”Simple,” Joshua said with a smile on his face. “Now that the Overseers are no more, I believe that you may have some free time on your hands. I have a proposal for you.” A smile spread across Harm’s face as Joshua explained. Gar Logan’s eyes slowly opened. The entire team was still lying on the floor. “Brain?” he asked weakly. “What is this?” ”Shut up!” Risk yelled, kicking Gar in the face. The Changeling grunted, as his head bounced off the floor. ”Zat ees enough,” the Brain said. Slowly the little robot rolled forward. “So you are awake. Excellent. When ze rest of your little team wakes up, ze executions can begin.” ”Where are you going?” Gar asked. In response, the Brain and Risk simply rolled back into the shadows and vanished. A moment later a door slammed shut. Gar slowly got to his feet and started toward Terra. “Tara?” he asked. She sat up. “Ow.” ”I know,” Gar said. He looked around and saw everyone else starting to stir. “Everybody ok?” he asked. Nods and yeses were his reply. “Good. Let’s see if we can’t get out of here.” Just then the overhead lights snapped on, filling the room with a blinding brightness. Gar squinted against the light and saw the Brotherhood leaning on a railing above them. “Welcome, mes amis,” the Brain said. “Eet ees good to see you all awake.” ”What do you want, Brain?” Gar demanded. “Ah, zat ees zee question,” Brain replied. “You see, Monsieur Logan, when I was… occupied by your stepfather some time ago* he left several ideas behind een zis body’s data banks.” (*Steve Dayton’s possession of the Brain was revealed in TW #12 – db) “Can’t you guys just go to counseling or something?” Vibe asked. “Shut up, Paco,” Gar replied. “What does this have to do with us?” ”Seemple. Ze Brotherhood wants you all dead. And I believe zat our newest member would like the honors. I have provided young Monsieur Driscoll wiz a very large bomb. We shall be on our way momentarily, but first we wish to see your demise.” The Brain turned to the side. “You may begin, Monsieur Driscoll.” Risk smiled an insane grin. “With pleasure.” He jumped down into the pit as steel shielding slid down in front of the Brotherhood. “Hiya, kids,” Cody said. “Time to die.” Gar didn’t even blink as he slowly stepped forward. “This is your last chance,” he said. “Give it up or we’re taking you down.” “Please,” Cody said, laughing an oddly high-pitched laugh. “You can’t stop me.” ”It doesn’t matter that you used to be one of us,” Gar said. Behind him, the rest of the team was slowly moving into position. “One of you!” Cody screamed. “I was never one of you! If I was, you wouldn’t have made me wear a collar like your dog! You never wanted me on the team! You took Taco back there in and took him in my place! Even Bette!” He turned his head and caught Vibe’s eye. “She’s a real tiger, isn’t she? Oh, right. Since you were dead so long some parts probably don’t work any more, so I’m sure you wouldn’t know.” ”That is enough,” Gar said, stopping Vibe in his tracks. “You’re right about that!” Cody said, reaching for a button on the wall. Cody screamed as Red Star’s hand shot out and started bending Cody’s hand back. Red Star’s face didn’t change expression even as sickening crunches started coming from Risk’s hand. “Cody, please stop this!” Bette yelled as tears started rolling down her face. “You don’t have to do this!” ”Yes I do!” Risk replied as he kicked out and caught Red Star in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him. “But I don’t think I’ll use the bomb just yet. Taco’s mine!” “Wrong!” Bumblebee yelled, opening fire with her honey gun. The thick liquid covered Risk’s face, blocking his vision. “I’ll rip you apart!” Risk said as he tried to clear his vision. “You can try,” a voice said from in front of him. “This is for Alex and Sarah.” Golden Eagle slipped a screamer into Cody’s ear. Cody screamed as the deafening sound tore through his head. The next thing he knew, he was trapped from the neck down in a column of earth that was as hard as concrete, courtesy of Terra. “You won’t stop me,” Risk muttered. “Yes we will,” Red Star said as his fist slammed into Risk’s jaw. Cody slumped into unconsciousness. “Good work,” Gar said. “But I wouldn’t put it past the Brain to have another switch up there for that bomb! Leo, think you can help with that shield?” ”Of course,” Leonid said as he ignited. He started walking toward the metal wall. Joshua was itching like mad, but he knew he couldn’t scratch. The flesh-colored makeup that covered him from head to toe could not be damaged in any way, or his entire plan would be ruined. Silently he and Harm followed May Bennett through the underground caverns. She motioned for them to halt as they reached an overlook with an oddly reddish glow. “There it is,” May said. Joshua licked his lips in anticipation. “Excellent,” he said. “When I am ascended, you and Jessica will live in opulence for the rest of your days in my country.” Joshua waited as the leader descended into the pool. “Both of you, remain out of sight until it is time,” he ordered. Joshua carefully pulled his clothes off and double-checked his makeup before climbing up onto a ledge. “It is time!” he yelled, drawing the attention of the crowd assembled below. “It is time for the future!” With a yell, he dove into the warm, red pool. It was more incredible than he could have ever imagined. “Look!” Plasmus yelled. “Dey are burning through de wall!” “Eet seems zey are,” the Brain said. “I believe zat young Monsieur Driscoll may not have been ready to join us. Kill zem all. Zen I shall detonate ze bomb.” ”Wait!” Warp said. “Zey’ve stopped.” Mallah anxiously shifted the gun in his arms. “What are zey up to?” Phobia’s eyes didn’t leave the tiny hole in the wall. The Brain was silent. Unseen by the Brotherhood, a small green gnat landed on the button that controlled the shield. “So far so good,” Gar thought. “Now just a little more weight…” Gar crawled beside the panel and shifted into a hamster. Smiling, the hamster pressed the button and changed back into a fly. “The shield’s going up!” Phobia yelled. “How is zis happening?” Warp asked. “Who cares?” Plasmus said, stepping forward. “Burn zem all!” ”Yes,” the flaming Red Star said as he stepped forward. “Let us see who burns hotter.” “Kill zem!” the Brain yelled as he started wheeling backward toward an escape hatch. A black and yellow striped arm reached down from above and leisurely tipped the Brain over. Brain’s wheels spun uselessly as Bumblebee smiled at her handiwork from above. “Mallah!” the Brain screamed. “Help me, you stupid ape!” ”I don’t think so,” Gar said as he shifted into a monkey and started toward Mallah. “Magilla’s all tied up right now.” Bumblebee smiled again as she pulled a wire loose from the Brain and he went silent. “Well, that’s got his speaker disabled. Now we can get some work done.” Warp stepped forward, his eyes smoldering. “Release him,” he ordered. “No thanks,” Bette said, somersaulting in front of him. Before Warp could blink, Bette’s boot had smashed into his face. Warp fell to the ground, unconscious. Phobia spread her arms so that her cape billowed around her. “Time for fear,” she said. “You got that right,” Vibe said. He grabbed her and forced her to look at the Brain. ”No!” Phobia yelled as the Brain began screaming noiselessly. ”Yeah. Now light’s out.” An uppercut later Phobia fell to the ground as well. “Nice shot,” Terra said. Vibe just smiled. “What can I say?” ”Now watch this.” Red Star jumped aside as he heard a rumbling. “Vat?” Plasmus asked a second before the ceiling and floor slammed into each other, splattering him. “Thanks,” Red Star said as he turned off his flames. “Now allow me to return the favor.” Red Star jumped onto the ledge and punched Mallah in the back of the head. Gar looked around as the ape fell to the ground. Changing back to his human form, he smiled. “Well, we took down the Brotherhood. Not bad for a day’s work.” Terra turned back to the main arena and asked the question they were all pondering. “What do we do with him?” she asked, pointing at Risk. Leonid closed his eyes and walked away. Another tear rolled down Bette’s face. Vibe clenched his fists. Golden Eagle tried to make it look like he was helping Karen secure the Brain. “You give him to me,” a voice said from behind them. The team turned to face the speaker. “Lilith?” Gar asked. “What are you doing here?” ”I go where I am needed,” Lilith replied. She walked forward and leaned on an undamaged section of railing to look out at Cody. “What are you going to do to him?” Gar asked. “I believe I can help him,” Lilith said, making her way down to the arena’s floor. “Wait a minute,” Gar said, jumping down and grabbing her arm. “What do you mean, help him?” ”I can still reach the good inside him,” she said. “I will take him to Azarath and-“ ”Hold on,” Gar said, cutting her off. “He doesn’t deserve to go to Azarath. He deserves to be locked up for the rest of his life.” ”And who are you to make this choice?” Lilith asked. “Who am I?” Gar asked. “I’m one of his victims! He tried to murder me! He tried to murder Tara, Vernon Questor, Sarah Simms, and more people than I care to think about right now! He did kill Hero Cruz, Karen’s secretary, and a friend of Jason’s! And I’m just supposed to let him go? Are you nuts?” ”Search yourself deeply,” Lilith said, laying a cool hand on Gar’s forehead. “I will abide by your decision.” Gar closed his eyes and saw himself standing on a building overlooking Titans Tower. The Mento helmet was heavy on his head. He watched as Lilith boarded the barge and started to cross the East River. He fired at her and leaped away, making sure he was seen. The helmet-created disguise of Deathstroke never faltered. “What are you thinking?” Lilith’s voice brought him back to the present. “I was remembering Slade’s trial,” he said. “I disguised myself as him and caused a little trouble to try and get him acquitted.” “And why did you want that?” Lilith asked. “Because I wanted to kill him myself,” Gar replied. He turned away. “God forgive me, take him. And let me pray every night that I’ve made the right decision.” ”You have,” Lilith said. Gar turned back and his face was haunted. “You’re not the one that needs to be convinced of that,” he said. Tara walked up. “Are you okay?” she asked. “Later,” Gar said. “I just - Later.” He changed into a bird and flew away as Lilith vanished with Risk. The old man climbed out of the pool and stood before his worshipers. He opened his mouth to speak and screamed as smoke coming out of his mouth. He fell to the ground, dead. Joshua crawled out of the blood pool, the makeup washed away and the true red color of his skin revealed. “The pool has chosen,” May said as she stepped to his side and handed him the old man’s white robe. Harm stood behind them. “His time was past. The blood pool has even marked this one as your new lord. I am Mother Mayhem, a follower of our Lord for many years. Join me and Brother William as we serve as his new acolytes! Now praise your lord!” May and Harm stood silently as the crowd began to chant. Joshua smiled as he heard his praises raised from the congregation. All hail Brother Blood. Next Issue: The Legionnaires are back! They’ve tracked down one of Dabney Donovan’s labs, and they need the TW to help them gain access! Previous Issue | Next Issue |
