"Allies" Part Six
The White House Today was to have been Lex Luthor's finest day as President of the United States. He had convinced two members of the new superteam, the Redressers, to attack the JLA, a team that had been a thorn in his side for many, many years. Even if they hadn't succeeded, he could use the fact that there had been a battle to pass superhuman sanctions through Congress, as lives would undoubtedly be at risk. However, instead of preparing his speech and basking in the glory of reports of casualties from the battleground, his entire office was attacking him. His bookcase had been randomly firing books at him for the past ten minutes, hitting its mark eight times out of ten. Those stray books had of course, changed direction on the way past and rounded him for another go, this time connecting. The grandfather clock, which had sat in the corner of the Oval Office through five previous Presidents, was hopping around the room, its door open and its pendulums swinging wildly out at him. His chairs were running around and trying to trip him up, while his desk was propped up against one wall and growling at him. Outside the office, no one was any the wiser. The Nevada Desert Patriot stood over the Batman's unconscious body, while the other battles raged behind him. He turned to see Superman and Mammoth trading blows; Wonder Woman delivering the final knock-out punch to Astonish; Quickening and the Flash running around in a blur of color; Bug growing to normal size and kicking the Atom. "This is wrong," he muttered. "Exactly my thoughts," Batman replied. Patriot turned to see him standing a few feet away. In his hand he held a grappling gun, pointed at Patriot. "Don't make me use it," Batman said. "What makes you think you are faster than me?" "Experience," Batman replied. "Although you have been doing this a lot longer than I have." "You know, then?" "Of course." Patriot laughed. "What's so funny?" Batman asked. "This situation," Patriot replied. "Us." "I don't find any of this amusing." "I look up to you, do you know that?" Patriot said. "We all do. You're part of the reason we formed, and here we are fighting like school kids. It’s laughable." "You were under the control of another," Batman said. "Sleight," Patriot said. "Yes, but she's gone now." "Gone? Gone where?" "To put things right." Patriot replied calmly. The White House Luthor ran towards one of his chairs that had grown a mouth and was snapping its teeth threateningly. Behind him, the grandfather clock was closing in. He leapt over the rabid chair, and as it snapped at his heels the grandfather clock went crashing into it, smashing it into several pieces. Luthor dove to the side, as the grandfather clock stumbled into the wall where it too was destroyed. The President made for the door, but before he could, the floor before him started to tremble. He tried to keep his feet, but the tremor intensified until he could stand no longer and fell backwards onto the floor. As he landed, a hole opened up just in front of the door and the figure of Sleight gently floated up and into the office. Energy crackled around her body and her eyes burned with a deep red glow. Luthor felt the heat spread out across the room and watched as the floor around the hole seemed to melt and distort. "Luthor," Sleight growled her voice much deeper than it had been before. "It is time." The Nevada Desert "This…" The Flash punched Quickening twice on the face. "…is…" Quickening responded with two punches to Flash's abdomen. "…stupid" The Flash smashed his left fist into Quickening's cheek, then followed through and up with his elbow. "We…" Quickening lashed out but the Flash blocked his strike, countering with three of his own. "…should…" Flash used Quickening's head like a boxer's speedball, reigning ferocious punch after ferocious punch down on him. "…be…" Quickening kicked out blindly, but the Flash dodged. "…working…" The Flash followed Quickening as he fell backwards, and threw out three more punches - a jab, hook and uppercut. "…together." Quickening hit the ground and moaned. The fight was out of him, and the Flash had won. "No… more," Quickening gasped, covering his face with his hands. The Flash stood over him and sighed. Although he was victorious, he could not savor the moment. It was a fight that he had not wanted to take part in, never mind win. In the end though, it was either Quickening or him and the fate of others may have depended on the outcome. "Get up," Flash said quietly. "This is finished." "Flash!" Batman called out as he and Patriot ran over towards him. "Tell me this is over," the Flash said. "It is," Patriot said. "For now." Flash spun around and leaned forward, jabbing his right index finger into Patriot's face. "What do you mean for now?" he roared. "This should never have happened, and…" "That's enough!" Superman shouted as he landed beside them. Flash shot him a look. "Our battle is over, but there is much still to be done," Superman said. "Am I right, Batman?" Batman nodded. "Sleight was controlling them and we don't know why," Batman said. "I have a feeling that Quickening knows," Patriot said. He leaned forward and grabbed Quickening by the collar of his costume and pulled him up from the ground. "Talk, Quickening!" Patriot roared. "What was this all about?" "I…I cannot say," Quickening replied. "Damn it, man, look at what we've done here!" Patriot shouted, pointing out at the battlefield. Quickening looked out to see Behemoth carrying Plastic Man on his back, Mammoth picking up the Martian Manhunter gingerly with his fingers, Wonder Woman helping Astonish to his feet and Idol limping whilst holding the stump where his right hand used to be. "We know that Sleight wasn't the instigator," Batman said. "Something prompted her, but we need to know who and why." "I cannot tell you," Quickening said. "Please do not ask me to, Patriot." "We're waiting," Patriot said, as he shook Quickening violently. "Answer us!" "Let him down, Patriot," Superman said, putting a hand on Patriot's arms. Patriot looked at Superman, who nodded. Patriot turned back to Quickening and set him back on the ground, before lifting his hands away. "Tell us who started this, Quickening," Superman said. "I…" Quickening began as he hung his head."… I cannot." "President Luthor," a voice growled from behind them. Superman turned to see the Martian Manhunter standing shakily in front of Mammoth's left palm as it supported him. "J'onn," Superman said. "Are you…?" "We have no time, Superman," J’onn interjected. "Sleight is going after the President. I fear she is going to kill him." "What?" Patriot breathed. "Lex Luthor was blackmailing them," J’onn continued. "Why, J’onn?" Batman asked. J’onn looked at the Batman and then looked at Quickening who was now sitting on the ground, sobbing. He turned back to Batman. "We don't have time for that at the moment," J’onn said. "We have to stop her." "Right," Superman began. "I want all that can fly to come with me to the White House. Flash, you start out to see if you can intercept her." "I'm outta…." With that, the Flash disappeared, leaving a trail of dust behind him. "What about Oracle?" J’onn asked. "And Molan?" "Damn," Superman said. "You go and stop Sleight," Patriot said. "Let us help you with this other task." "Time to divide the teams," Batman said. The White House "You thought you could trick us, did you?" Sleight asked as she hovered above the cowering figure of Lex Luthor. "You thought you could use us to kill the JLA while you hid in your white fortress?" "Sleight," Luthor coughed. "Leave now and no one will ever know about this or your transgression." "No," Sleight replied, her eyes burning ever brighter. "I will leave here when I am done with you. My brother and I will pay the price for our short-sightedness in good time, as we should. You, on the other hand, will die by my hands now." With that she raised her hands high and Luthor felt the air around him change. He coughed and gasped as the oxygen atoms were changed to mercury. Within seconds he was vomiting on the floor and all down the front of his suit. He coughed again and breathed in deeply as the oxygen returned. Luthor gasped for air, as if it was the last he would ever breathe. Sleight laughed. The Nevada Desert Mammoth carried the Martian Manhunter to where he had left the body of Oracle. Mammoth picked up her body and placed it beside J’onn in his left palm, which he kept flat and walked back to the rest of the team. "Oracle?" J’onn began. "Can you hear me?" "I'm still here, you know," Molan said, his voice weaker than before. "What? Did you think I would have left my new cozy warm host so quickly?" "This is an abomination, Molan," J’onn growled. "You have violated a friend and…" "And have you got my artifact?" Molan growled, interrupting him. "We have," J’onn replied. "Good," Molan hissed. "Now I can get out of this crippled body and back home." J’onn scowled at him. Washington D.C. "The dampeners are out, Superman," the Flash said as he vibrated through the White House gates. "She's good." "We'll be there in a minute, Wally," Superman said. "At all costs, she must not kill him." "Right," the Flash said as he vibrated through the wall and into the Oval office. He stopped and stared in amazement as this was not at all the way he had expected it to be. Trees and bushes covered all four walls; the ceiling was a swirling cloud of gas and the floor, or what was left of it, was a mixture of mud bark and water. If he didn't know any better, he would have thought he was in someplace out of a fairy tale or a nightmare. There in the center of it all was the President, naked and lying in the fetal position. Above him, Sleight hovered, her arms outstretched and her head thrown back. She looked different as well: instead of the flowery dress she had worn on the battlefield, she wore a black and red leather bodice with similar knee length boots and a dark cape. "Well," the Flash whispered. "You've certainly changed, haven't you?" The Nevada Desert Mammoth returned to where the rest of the teams were and placed both the Martian Manhunter and Molan gently onto the ground. "Are you all right, J’onn?" Wonder Woman asked. "All things considered, I could be worse," J’onn replied. "Where is the artifact?" Molan roared, followed by a fit of coughing. "I can't hold on much longer and if I die in here, she dies too." "I have it!" Astonish shouted as he flew down with it in his arms. "Excellent." J’onn said. Astonish handed it to J’onn who turned to Molan. "Give me it," Molan croaked, stretching his arms out. "Not so fast, buddy," Plastic Man said as he walked up beside J’onn. "We want you out of there first." "What?" Molan asked. "You know that I cannot." "Of course you can," Plastic Man said, taking the artifact from J’onn. "You were ether before, you can be again." "You idiot, I…" "Tut, tut," Plastic Man said. "Name calling won't get you any closer to your home, now will it?" "Yeah," Behemoth growled as he walked over to Molan. "And don't insult my buddy, or I'll pull you the hell out of there." "That's enough big blue," Plastic Man said. "Let's hold off on the threats for the moment." Behemoth stepped back. "Now," Plastic Man continued. "Bottom line, we don't trust you. How do we know that when the doorway to your home is opened you don't kill Oracle?" "You have my word," Molan protested. "Not worth the toilet paper it’s written on," Plastic Man replied. "But I'll do you a deal." "Hurry, foo…" Plastic Man dropped the artifact and, as it was about to hit the ground, his foot swept up and changed into a catcher's mitt, stopping it from hitting the ground. "Oops," Plastic Man said with a grin. "Destroy it and you doom the woman," Molan hissed. "True," Plastic Man said. "But you'll never get home and sooner or later my friends and I will get to pummel your ass with the Eiffel Tower." Molan growled. "Here's the deal," Plastic Man said. "You leave her and come into me. We open the portal and you go through, leaving me at the same time. We all live happily ever after." Molan scowled at him. Plastic Man simply grinned. "What d'ya say?" he asked. "Deal?" Washington D.C. Superman caught the Flash as he was propelled of the Oval office. When Sleight hit him with a ball of energy he had only a split second to get up enough speed to vibrate through the wall before impact. Of course, he hadn't been sure how he was going to stop himself, but he did know his team wouldn't let him down. "She's feisty," Flash said as Superman set him down on the ground. "I'll give her that." "I have a feeling I'm going to be close to useless in there," Superman said. "Magic's not exactly your strongpoint, huh?" Flash asked. "Luckily we have backup," Superman said as he saw Idol and Bot fly towards the White House. "Such as it is," Flash commented. Further back, Green Lantern dragged a large green bubble behind him containing the figures of Quickening, Patriot and the Batman. "It'll be enough," Superman said as he noticed three helicopters armed with missiles coming in from the west. "It'll have to be." The Nevada Desert Astonish held the artifact as the blue green mist that was Molan's life essence slithered out of Oracle's mouth and sped out towards Plastic Man. Astonish placed the artifact down a few feet away and stood back, while J’onn began to read out the incantation that Molan had given them a few hours previously. As J’onn read it out, the artifact began to change. The head began to turn slowly and mist snaked out from its eyes, filling the air above. Plastic Man's body jerked slightly as Molan's essence entered through his mouth and nostrils and took control of his body. As it did so, Wonder Woman threw her lasso that dropped over Plastic Man's head and slipped down towards his elbows. She pulled, tightening its grip. "Molan!" Wonder Woman shouted. "Leave this man's body and return home!" At that there was a thunderous noise, and a flame of blue energy shot up the lasso, burning into Wonder Woman's hands. She leapt back, letting go of the lasso, which fell limply to the ground. Plastic Man stepped nonchalantly out of it. "Foolish woman," Molan growled from inside Plastic Man. "You think your weak magic could command me?" Astonish rushed at Molan, who simply lifted a hand and threw him backward onto the ground. Behemoth leapt at him, but froze in mid air, unable to move even the smallest muscle. "Do not test me," Molan said. "I have been holding my powers in reserve. I am more than a match for you." His eyes grew as the mists parted and he saw the world beyond; the world he called home. The others followed his gaze and heard the horrible screams of beasts and monsters as they battled on grotesque landscapes under a horrific black sky. "Ah," Molan sighed. "There's no place like home." The White House Superman flew up towards the first of the helicopter and hovered a few feet in front of it. "Superman!" the pilot shouted. "What is going on here?" "The President is in danger, but we are dealing with it," he replied. "We have been given the task of stopping whatever it is," the pilot shouted. "I'm afraid this is out of your league," Superman said. "Let us handle it." "We have orders, Superman," the pilot continued. "If we cannot get whatever is in there to surrender, we have to blow up the Oval Office entirely." "Including the President?" Superman asked. "Yes sir," the pilot shouted. "He could be compromised." "All I am asking is for a little time," Superman said. "Let us try and resolve this without loss of life." The pilot looked at Superman and thought for a few moments. "All right," the pilot said. "You have ten minutes and then we go in. I'll radio back to the command center." Inside the Oval Office, Idol was lying on the ground bathed in some ethereal green light whilst Bot flew around wildly, his circuitry out of control. Flash was pinned against one wall while President Luthor was hovering over the hole in the floor where Sleight had made her entrance. "Why art thou…?" Idol strained to ask. "Doing this?" Sleight finished. "Simple. This is an evil, evil man and he must be punished." "If he is truly evil, he will be brought to justice!" Patriot shouted as he entered the room through the hole in the wall Idol and Bot had made. "Leave, Patriot," Sleight said. "You have no reason to be here." "Yes, I do," Patriot said. "I have every reason. I got you all into this, and I feel responsible." "Do not be foolish," Sleight countered. "You did not cause the battle, or the destruction that followed." "But I put the team together," Patriot said. "I asked you all to join." He stepped gingerly around Idol and stood before Sleight, all the while not letting his eyes slip from hers. "Remember all those years ago when we met for the first time?" he continued. "We were all lost souls. We banded together to fight for what was good, and what was right. We knew we could make a difference and we did, on our world." "Their world?" Flash whispered. "And then we were attacked by Eternus and he sent us through the portal to this plane, destroying our home as he did so," Patriot continued. "We could find no way back, and even if we could, where would we go? So we decided to stay and carry out our work here." "Patriot, I know all of this!" Sleight roared. "What do you hope to achieve by telling stories?" "I just want to remind you of who you are and what you represent," Patriot replied. "We were born of battle, you and I, but we fight on the side of good and for peace. If you kill this man, no matter how evil he is, no matter what things he has done, you will be just like those who we have fought. You will be as evil in the eyes of the oppressed as the villains we have vanquished in their name." Sleight looked down at him as he pleaded to her. She knew he was right, but this man was evil and he had to be punished. "If this man is truly evil," Patriot concluded. "Then kill him and you will just be taking his place." At that, Sleight closed her eyes and bowed her head. Luthor was gently lowered down and over into Patriot's arms. Bot, Flash and Idol all were released from their bonds. "Thank God," Bot said. "I must go now," Sleight said and with that, she flung her arms out wide. The force knocked all in the room back, and she flew out of the hole in the wall. "Damn!" Patriot shouted. "What," Luthor muttered. "What's going on here? Why don't I have any clothes on?" Sleight flew up towards Superman. "Sleight!" he shouted, but she lifted her hand and he was thrown backwards far into the distance. "I am the one you want," Sleight said to the pilot of the helicopter. "I tried to kill the President." The pilot's head was swimming. He heard voices in his head commanding him to fire, but no one was there with him. "What's she doing?" Green Lantern asked. "My God!" Quickening said and tried to run, but fell over, his body wracked with pain. "Eagle 2 and Eagle 3, this is Eagle 1," the pilot shouted. "Fire on my mark." Quickening reached up in vain towards his sister as the missiles shot out from the helicopters and hit Sleight. The Nevada Desert Molan walked around and smiled. He had easily vanquished the Martian Manhunter, Wonder Woman, Astonish, Behemoth, Mammoth and Bug. He gazed lovingly into the portal and the land beyond. "Now," he began, "it is time to let my world loose on this one." "Hold it right there!" Aquaman shouted. Molan laughed. "Do not laugh," Torrent said. "For we will stop you." "Like your friends have?" Molan asked. "Look at them. They are all gone and you will fall as easily as they did." "Are you so sure?" Aquaman asked. "You did not exactly pick the right body to be in," Torrent laughed. "You dare mock me?" Molan growled, as he felt his powers growing inside of him. "You will die slowly for that…" But something was wrong. He felt his essence was in danger. His life force was ebbing, but he did not understand why. He looked around at the ground, but none that he had vanquished were there. "Holograms," a voice said from beside him. He turned and looked at the cluster of trees, and as they flickered he saw what they truly were. Illusions created to hide the ones he thought he had fought. "We knew you would go back on your word, Molan," Wonder Woman said. "That's when Professor Palmer and myself cranked out the portable hologram equipment he was working on," Bug said. "It was nothing," Atom said. "It is over, Molan," J’onn growled. "No," Molan protested, feeling pain stabbing through his very being. "I still have this host and I will destroy it if you…" It was then that he saw Plastic Man walk out from behind the other. "What?" Molan spluttered, his eyes widening. Plastic Man grinned. "Well," he said. "You ain't in me for a start." Molan looked down at the hands of the body he inhabited, and instead of seeing the rubbery, larger than life ones of Plastic Man he saw the dark, energized hands of Astonish. "I…" "Anti-Matter," Plastic Man said. "You gotta love it." Molan screamed as his life ended. Epilogue JLA Watchtower The JLA were gathered in the Monitor Womb, watching different banks of screens. All over the world things were quiet. Nobody seemed to want to rob banks or kill people or do anything remotely evil, and they were glad of that. The previous few days had been taxing enough. "I don't think I could get used to this," Green Lantern said. "You won't have to," Batman replied. "It's only for tonight." "What do you mean?" "Sleight's final legacy to us," Superman said. "Somehow she reached out and touched everyone with a little good before she died." "But it wears off, right?" Flash asked. "Of course," Wonder Woman replied. "Her power was strong, but not that strong." "It was certainly strong enough to make people forget what happened, especially Luthor," Batman said. "I need to get back down to Atlantis," Aquaman said. "Might as well enjoy the peace with my people." He paused and then looked at each member of the team individually. "No offense," he said. "None taken, Arthur," Superman said. "Hey, guys," the Atom shouted from his perch on the Martian Manhunter's shoulder. "They're leaving." The others hurried to the monitor they were looking at. The image was flickering slightly, but that was to do with the portal to Molan's realm running interference. As they watched the scene below, each member of the Redressers stepped into the portal. First Idol followed by Bot, Torrent, Bug and Mammoth - at normal size- Behemoth, Astonish, and Quickening. As the portal began to close, Patriot looked up towards them. He saluted, smiled and then leapt inside. The portal closed. "Off to find a new home," Flash said. "I hope they find it," Batman said. "So do I," J’onn said solemnly, thinking of what Quickening had to live with. "So do I." The End... Previous Issue | Next Issue |
