ISSUE 6
“EXTREME REACTIONS”
BY
JOHN CHEESE
“EXTREME REACTIONS”
BY
JOHN CHEESE
“What did you do!” King Faraday called over the team’s communication link as Aztek phased back out of the ground behind Batman.
“I made the right choice, locking the Dreamslayer back in its original prison would be akin to handing a convict the keys to their jail cell.” Batman replied as he turned to look at Aztek, “I assume you saw the state of the cask, how it would be unable to hold such a powerful entity.”
“I did, and my helmet scanned it,” Aztek replied as the roar of aircraft engines sounded overhead. “At the current rate of degradation, it would have lasted at least another millennium. By the looks of it Dreamslayer didn’t break out, it was more like someone held the cell door ajar.”
“Your calculations are wrong I…” Batman began only for the entire Justice League to look up at the Javelin and the newly arrived MiG 29 fighter jet’s matching the larger aircraft's movements to the best of their ability.
“Agent Faraday, what is going on, did the Angoran Airforce recall the bomber carrying the Extremist?” Green Flame asked as the looming silhouette of a Tu-95, backlit by the remaining flames spread by the Dreamslayer appeared.
“They aren’t taking chances. The good news is that they only have a single bomb with the nuclear yield required to put the Dreamslayer back into hibernation,” Faraday announced as he sent the schematics of the munition to Cold Warrior’s armor.
“That yield is enough to cause Trillan to become an atomic wasteland.”
“Then the discussion on whether we handled the Dreamslayer correctly can wait,” Batman growled as he looked up at the Tu-95 as the Javelin cut past it, causing it to bank left just before it got to the drop zone. “Cold Warrior, Aztek you two can fly, can you catch the bomb and disarm it.”
“Nyet, I removed flight propulsion systems for additional freon storage.” Cold Warrior sighed as he uncrossed his arms. “And besides, this Extremist bomb, it runs on hard contact detonator. If it makes contact with anything hard it will detonate.”
“I can disarm it, but after the Dreamslayer’s orb dissipated I lost some amour functions, including flight systems,” Aztek added as he summoned up a thirty-foot length of plasma netting. “This will help catch it before it lands but it can’t be down here.”
“Then it looks like I’m going fishing,” Green Flame whistled as she took the length of netting, green sparks running along the length. “You can walk me through disarming it if I can find some way to stabilize myself in the air.”
“What if we remove the nuclear fuel?” Congorilla asked as one of the MiG29’s passed close to the cooling tower. “Then we can let it drop right?”
“Yes, what are you suggesting?” Aztek replied as Congorilla stepped into the plasma netting, the energy coursing up and down his arms and singing his golden fur. “Oh, I see, Yuri, give him some protection would you.”
“Da, this will be cold,” Cold Warrior stated as he walked over to Congorilla and placed his armor’s metal hands around the golden gorilla’s paws, thick ice gauntlets forming up his arms. Grunting in pain slightly, Congorilla gave Green Flame an icy thumbs up, the lithe Brazillian woman bursting into green fire and taking to the air, dragging the netting with him in it up towards the Tu-95, the plane’s course to Point Peryton now clear as the MiGs aggressively chased the Javelin away.
“Okay, the first thing you need to do is capture the Extremist with the net,” Aztek informed the pair as the bomb bay of the Tu-95 opened and a massive bomb dropped out, hurtling towards the green fireball on an intercept course.
“Okay.” Green Flame announced as Congorilla shifted slightly so he was hanging off the netting ready to pull it taunt. With a shrill whistle, the Extremist fell into the plasma net with enough force to pull Green Flame down for a second before she overcame the momentum and started soaring upwards.
“Next step,” Congorilla asked as he hung upside down from the net.
“Remove the panel, it has no pressure sensors so you should be…” Aztek announced only to stop as a warped piece of metal slammed down next to him. “Okay so the fuel cell is Neptunium-237 contained in a cylinder surrounded by detonators, the detonators should be labelled, don’t touch them or the whole thing will explode.”
“Not got the smallest hands here.” Congorilla groaned as he saw a number of wires attached to pressure sensors, the dials glowing a burning red. Reaching past them he flinched as he brushed one of the wires, the dials turning green before fading back to red. Gritting his teeth, he rested one hand on the Extremist’s core. “Okay I have hands on, do I just pull it out?”
“You could, but the detonators are likely to implode and trigger the detonation. What you want to do is crack the cylinder slightly and pull out the fissile material,” Aztek announced as the Tu-95 swung round, the pilots pointing at the spectacle unfolding. “And you may want to hurry up, the Angoran Airforce just caught onto what you’re doing.”
Seconds later the chin-mounted auto-canon opened fire forcing Green Flame to raise her hand, a defensive burst of flame melting the incoming munitions, but also sending a charge down the plasma netting, one that passed to the dials on the sensors, turning them all green. With a roar Congorilla ripped out the nuclear core and let go of the netting, the wires imploding and ripping through the plasma netting, knocking Green Flame out cold.
“Oh shit,” Hummingbird gulped as she saw Congorilla streamline himself to catch up with Green Flame’s tumbling body and grab it.
“If they hit the ground at that velocity the core will detonate,” Aztek stated as he traced the most probable location of the impact zone. “Cold Warrior…”
“Ice slide.” Cold Warrior answered not even bothering to look at Aztek only the suspected point of impact, ice flying from his fingers as the slide formed.
“Hummingbird, get ready for the intercept and disposal,” Aztek ordered as Congorilla hit the top of the ice slide and slid down it. As he reached the bottom, he stumbled heading face and core first towards the ground only for a rainbow blur to streak past ripping the core away and streak towards the containment chamber of the former power station, an explosion muffled by heavy water and thick concrete causing the earth to shake.
“And detonated,” Hummingbird gasped as she slid up next to Sandman. “Hopefully as safely as possible.”
“Looks like it.” Aztek announced as his suit threw up a minor radiation warning. “Still let’s get out of here.” He added as the Javelin roared overhead before hovering over the former power station’s carpark. “Now Batman…”
“He left as soon as Hummingbird took the core,” Sandman coughed as he looked around the neophyte Justice League. “Regardless of what comes from this, I am proud of each and every one of you. Today you all exemplified the bravery, honor, and sacrifice that made the Justice Society and the League that came before it.”
He added as Green Flame stirred slightly and moaned before opening one eye to look at Aztek. “Today you have lived up to the name Agent Faraday gave you, today you are the Justice League.”
“I made the right choice, locking the Dreamslayer back in its original prison would be akin to handing a convict the keys to their jail cell.” Batman replied as he turned to look at Aztek, “I assume you saw the state of the cask, how it would be unable to hold such a powerful entity.”
“I did, and my helmet scanned it,” Aztek replied as the roar of aircraft engines sounded overhead. “At the current rate of degradation, it would have lasted at least another millennium. By the looks of it Dreamslayer didn’t break out, it was more like someone held the cell door ajar.”
“Your calculations are wrong I…” Batman began only for the entire Justice League to look up at the Javelin and the newly arrived MiG 29 fighter jet’s matching the larger aircraft's movements to the best of their ability.
“Agent Faraday, what is going on, did the Angoran Airforce recall the bomber carrying the Extremist?” Green Flame asked as the looming silhouette of a Tu-95, backlit by the remaining flames spread by the Dreamslayer appeared.
“They aren’t taking chances. The good news is that they only have a single bomb with the nuclear yield required to put the Dreamslayer back into hibernation,” Faraday announced as he sent the schematics of the munition to Cold Warrior’s armor.
“That yield is enough to cause Trillan to become an atomic wasteland.”
“Then the discussion on whether we handled the Dreamslayer correctly can wait,” Batman growled as he looked up at the Tu-95 as the Javelin cut past it, causing it to bank left just before it got to the drop zone. “Cold Warrior, Aztek you two can fly, can you catch the bomb and disarm it.”
“Nyet, I removed flight propulsion systems for additional freon storage.” Cold Warrior sighed as he uncrossed his arms. “And besides, this Extremist bomb, it runs on hard contact detonator. If it makes contact with anything hard it will detonate.”
“I can disarm it, but after the Dreamslayer’s orb dissipated I lost some amour functions, including flight systems,” Aztek added as he summoned up a thirty-foot length of plasma netting. “This will help catch it before it lands but it can’t be down here.”
“Then it looks like I’m going fishing,” Green Flame whistled as she took the length of netting, green sparks running along the length. “You can walk me through disarming it if I can find some way to stabilize myself in the air.”
“What if we remove the nuclear fuel?” Congorilla asked as one of the MiG29’s passed close to the cooling tower. “Then we can let it drop right?”
“Yes, what are you suggesting?” Aztek replied as Congorilla stepped into the plasma netting, the energy coursing up and down his arms and singing his golden fur. “Oh, I see, Yuri, give him some protection would you.”
“Da, this will be cold,” Cold Warrior stated as he walked over to Congorilla and placed his armor’s metal hands around the golden gorilla’s paws, thick ice gauntlets forming up his arms. Grunting in pain slightly, Congorilla gave Green Flame an icy thumbs up, the lithe Brazillian woman bursting into green fire and taking to the air, dragging the netting with him in it up towards the Tu-95, the plane’s course to Point Peryton now clear as the MiGs aggressively chased the Javelin away.
“Okay, the first thing you need to do is capture the Extremist with the net,” Aztek informed the pair as the bomb bay of the Tu-95 opened and a massive bomb dropped out, hurtling towards the green fireball on an intercept course.
“Okay.” Green Flame announced as Congorilla shifted slightly so he was hanging off the netting ready to pull it taunt. With a shrill whistle, the Extremist fell into the plasma net with enough force to pull Green Flame down for a second before she overcame the momentum and started soaring upwards.
“Next step,” Congorilla asked as he hung upside down from the net.
“Remove the panel, it has no pressure sensors so you should be…” Aztek announced only to stop as a warped piece of metal slammed down next to him. “Okay so the fuel cell is Neptunium-237 contained in a cylinder surrounded by detonators, the detonators should be labelled, don’t touch them or the whole thing will explode.”
“Not got the smallest hands here.” Congorilla groaned as he saw a number of wires attached to pressure sensors, the dials glowing a burning red. Reaching past them he flinched as he brushed one of the wires, the dials turning green before fading back to red. Gritting his teeth, he rested one hand on the Extremist’s core. “Okay I have hands on, do I just pull it out?”
“You could, but the detonators are likely to implode and trigger the detonation. What you want to do is crack the cylinder slightly and pull out the fissile material,” Aztek announced as the Tu-95 swung round, the pilots pointing at the spectacle unfolding. “And you may want to hurry up, the Angoran Airforce just caught onto what you’re doing.”
Seconds later the chin-mounted auto-canon opened fire forcing Green Flame to raise her hand, a defensive burst of flame melting the incoming munitions, but also sending a charge down the plasma netting, one that passed to the dials on the sensors, turning them all green. With a roar Congorilla ripped out the nuclear core and let go of the netting, the wires imploding and ripping through the plasma netting, knocking Green Flame out cold.
“Oh shit,” Hummingbird gulped as she saw Congorilla streamline himself to catch up with Green Flame’s tumbling body and grab it.
“If they hit the ground at that velocity the core will detonate,” Aztek stated as he traced the most probable location of the impact zone. “Cold Warrior…”
“Ice slide.” Cold Warrior answered not even bothering to look at Aztek only the suspected point of impact, ice flying from his fingers as the slide formed.
“Hummingbird, get ready for the intercept and disposal,” Aztek ordered as Congorilla hit the top of the ice slide and slid down it. As he reached the bottom, he stumbled heading face and core first towards the ground only for a rainbow blur to streak past ripping the core away and streak towards the containment chamber of the former power station, an explosion muffled by heavy water and thick concrete causing the earth to shake.
“And detonated,” Hummingbird gasped as she slid up next to Sandman. “Hopefully as safely as possible.”
“Looks like it.” Aztek announced as his suit threw up a minor radiation warning. “Still let’s get out of here.” He added as the Javelin roared overhead before hovering over the former power station’s carpark. “Now Batman…”
“He left as soon as Hummingbird took the core,” Sandman coughed as he looked around the neophyte Justice League. “Regardless of what comes from this, I am proud of each and every one of you. Today you all exemplified the bravery, honor, and sacrifice that made the Justice Society and the League that came before it.”
He added as Green Flame stirred slightly and moaned before opening one eye to look at Aztek. “Today you have lived up to the name Agent Faraday gave you, today you are the Justice League.”
**********
Javelin enroute to Hub City, US Airspace…
King Faraday frowned as he looked at the fallout from the Dreamslayer’s awakening that was coming out of Angor and elsewhere. People enthralled by the alien were beginning to awaken with no signs of continued possession, but that did little to comfort him, there was a good chance that the Dreamslayer may awaken once again. Relations with the Angoran Government looked as if they were going to be rocky, with some commentators stating that they were irreparable. Already spokespeople from the Airforce were stating that the Justice League were responsible for the attack but, fortunately, the Army was far more level-headed and for the moment so was the government.
Elsewhere there was a buzz, with people whispering that finally, the Justice League had returned, that they had stepped in and saved the world, that perhaps things were not as dark as everyone had feared.
And already there were calls from within the American military to disband immediately.
“Batman has given us new co-ordinates.” Sandman stated as he held up a tablet showing a location. “Apparently it’s not just the government that dislikes us. The League, the original one is waiting for us, for them,” he stated as he gestured to the other members, with Green Flame resting her head on Cold Warrior’s armored shoulder whilst Aztek and Hummingbird talked among themselves quietly.
“If they want to talk the team will listen, but as long as at least one original member sides with us there’s nothing the rest of them can do,” Faraday replied as he got to his feet and walked towards the cabin and the female pilot dressed in a black flight suit emblazoned with a falcon’s head on a yellow backdrop. “Penny, change course to the Opal City compound, we’ve got business to attend to.”
King Faraday frowned as he looked at the fallout from the Dreamslayer’s awakening that was coming out of Angor and elsewhere. People enthralled by the alien were beginning to awaken with no signs of continued possession, but that did little to comfort him, there was a good chance that the Dreamslayer may awaken once again. Relations with the Angoran Government looked as if they were going to be rocky, with some commentators stating that they were irreparable. Already spokespeople from the Airforce were stating that the Justice League were responsible for the attack but, fortunately, the Army was far more level-headed and for the moment so was the government.
Elsewhere there was a buzz, with people whispering that finally, the Justice League had returned, that they had stepped in and saved the world, that perhaps things were not as dark as everyone had feared.
And already there were calls from within the American military to disband immediately.
“Batman has given us new co-ordinates.” Sandman stated as he held up a tablet showing a location. “Apparently it’s not just the government that dislikes us. The League, the original one is waiting for us, for them,” he stated as he gestured to the other members, with Green Flame resting her head on Cold Warrior’s armored shoulder whilst Aztek and Hummingbird talked among themselves quietly.
“If they want to talk the team will listen, but as long as at least one original member sides with us there’s nothing the rest of them can do,” Faraday replied as he got to his feet and walked towards the cabin and the female pilot dressed in a black flight suit emblazoned with a falcon’s head on a yellow backdrop. “Penny, change course to the Opal City compound, we’ve got business to attend to.”
**********
Opal City Hall of Justice Annex…
Wesley Dodds paced back and forth past where the rest of his teammates were sitting as the sound of discussion could be heard from the other room.
“This doesn’t bode well.” Green Flame gulped as the sound of arguing increased, causing Dodds to stop his pacing. “Did you see the looks on their faces as they passed us?”
“I’ve never seen someone look as disappointed as Superman and Wonder Woman,” Congorilla grunted as he folded the page of the graphic novel he was reading. “And Green Arrow looked like he was going to choke Batman when he heard that he had formed a new Justice League.”
“Technically it was Agent Faraday who brought us together,” Dodds announced as the sound of something heavy hitting the table inside. “At least the Flash was happy to see us, and that’s something.” He added as Hummingbird dashed into the room, sparks flying from her boots as she came skidding to a stop. “What’s the situation looking like outside?” he asked as the speedster walked over to the detachable rainbow-colored ribbons from her costume sitting next to Cold Warrior.
“There were a lot of cameras outside, and a lot of reporters,” Hummingbird answered as she shivered slightly. “And a lot of placards, most of them stating that we need cancelling, or that we’re not adequate,” she added as she removed her phone and showed a few covertly taken photos, speed blue covering the majority of the subject.
“The public will soon see what we can do,” Aztek told her as he stood up and looked around at his fellow members of the Justice League. “It’s the people inside that room I’m more concerned about impressing.”
Wesley Dodds paced back and forth past where the rest of his teammates were sitting as the sound of discussion could be heard from the other room.
“This doesn’t bode well.” Green Flame gulped as the sound of arguing increased, causing Dodds to stop his pacing. “Did you see the looks on their faces as they passed us?”
“I’ve never seen someone look as disappointed as Superman and Wonder Woman,” Congorilla grunted as he folded the page of the graphic novel he was reading. “And Green Arrow looked like he was going to choke Batman when he heard that he had formed a new Justice League.”
“Technically it was Agent Faraday who brought us together,” Dodds announced as the sound of something heavy hitting the table inside. “At least the Flash was happy to see us, and that’s something.” He added as Hummingbird dashed into the room, sparks flying from her boots as she came skidding to a stop. “What’s the situation looking like outside?” he asked as the speedster walked over to the detachable rainbow-colored ribbons from her costume sitting next to Cold Warrior.
“There were a lot of cameras outside, and a lot of reporters,” Hummingbird answered as she shivered slightly. “And a lot of placards, most of them stating that we need cancelling, or that we’re not adequate,” she added as she removed her phone and showed a few covertly taken photos, speed blue covering the majority of the subject.
“The public will soon see what we can do,” Aztek told her as he stood up and looked around at his fellow members of the Justice League. “It’s the people inside that room I’m more concerned about impressing.”
**********
“You’ve gone too far once again, Batman!” Superman grunted as he slammed a fist into the table with enough force that it could be heard on the other side of the door. “Do you have any concern for anyone besides yourself?”
“Do you?” Batman replied. “The Titan, the man behind the attack on the Justice League is still out there. The Legion, they were little more than symptoms of a much grander problem, one I plan to root out and destroy.”
“But with those men and women out there?” Hawkman interjected. “Besides Dodds, none of them have the experience required to fight another Legion of Doom. You may as well be marching them into an abattoir one by one.” He added as King Faraday took to his feet from the chair in the corner of the room.
“That’s where you are wrong Hawkman,” Faraday stated as he walked to the table. “Dreamslayer was a Justice League level threat and they handled it. And while I’m not as happy as I could have been with the end result, for the moment the world is safe and the people have hope. If you have doubts regarding their skills, then come help train them.” He offered as he pressed a button on the table, the screens around the chamber coming to life and showing images of news feed regarding the Dream Slayer’s onslaught. “I know I’m not in the minority when I say, this Justice League, hell any Justice League puts some of my fears to rest.”
“You have good intentions, Agent Faraday.” Wonder Woman sighed as she shifted her hair to reveal a mangled scar where Fatality had cut off her ear only months earlier. “But you formed a League without Superman or my own authorization.”
“I don’t need it; Batman has agreed to lead the team at least for a while,” Faraday replied as the entire room looked at Batman.
“Problem solved; those guys are…” The Flash began to say, only to stop as he saw Wonder Woman and Superman shake their heads.
“We stripped Batman of all his powers concerning League recruitment and formation after we disbanded,” Superman announced in a voice that conveyed a growing distaste for the current conversation. “Retroactively when we discovered what he was responsible for.”
“I didn’t know,” Faraday sighed as he turned to head out the door. “I’ll let the guys outside know that your decision…”
“…is that you can continue being the Justice League.” Wonder Woman finished for him. “You need authorization, and I grant it. The world needs protecting, I think we all remember that but are too stubborn to admit it.”
“At this point I can’t stop it,” Superman sighed as he pushed past Faraday. “That doesn’t mean I’m happy about it,” he added as he turned to look at the figures gathered around the table then down at Faraday. “Don’t involve me or my family in this, and you won’t have any problems with me,” he added before leaving the room.
“I think that’s the meeting over.” Flash mused as one by one the former League members funnelled silently out of the room until only Faraday and Batman remained.
“Superman seemed…”
“He’s not angry Faraday, moreover he’s tired,” Batman replied as he turned to look into the darkened corners of the room. “Go, get the League ready, there is much for us to accomplish,” he added, waiting for Faraday to leave the room before remotely turning the cameras off and locking the electronic deadbolt to the door.
“You can come out now Bruce, I know you’re here,” he added as the shadows in the corner of the room swirled and a second Batman emerged, standing on the other side of the table to the one who had been in the meeting.
“You were very convincing; I doubt anyone besides the Martian Manhunter would have realized I wasn’t speaking,” the shadowed Batman growled as the first Batman’s outline collapsed to form the digital ghost of the Titan, the single eye narrowing as it locked onto the person it had been imitating.
“Of course, you and I are destined to conflict, and I’m not above stacking the deck to get what I want,” the Titan buzzed in an electronic voice. “I look forward to the battles to come, and to seeing you fall once again,” it stated before fading from the room, returning to whatever realm of ghosts it had sprung from.
“Your move, Titan,” Batman stated as he turned the cameras back on before turning on the screens to see the Justice League Faraday had gathered celebrating the news they had been given.
“Now which piece to move first.”
“Do you?” Batman replied. “The Titan, the man behind the attack on the Justice League is still out there. The Legion, they were little more than symptoms of a much grander problem, one I plan to root out and destroy.”
“But with those men and women out there?” Hawkman interjected. “Besides Dodds, none of them have the experience required to fight another Legion of Doom. You may as well be marching them into an abattoir one by one.” He added as King Faraday took to his feet from the chair in the corner of the room.
“That’s where you are wrong Hawkman,” Faraday stated as he walked to the table. “Dreamslayer was a Justice League level threat and they handled it. And while I’m not as happy as I could have been with the end result, for the moment the world is safe and the people have hope. If you have doubts regarding their skills, then come help train them.” He offered as he pressed a button on the table, the screens around the chamber coming to life and showing images of news feed regarding the Dream Slayer’s onslaught. “I know I’m not in the minority when I say, this Justice League, hell any Justice League puts some of my fears to rest.”
“You have good intentions, Agent Faraday.” Wonder Woman sighed as she shifted her hair to reveal a mangled scar where Fatality had cut off her ear only months earlier. “But you formed a League without Superman or my own authorization.”
“I don’t need it; Batman has agreed to lead the team at least for a while,” Faraday replied as the entire room looked at Batman.
“Problem solved; those guys are…” The Flash began to say, only to stop as he saw Wonder Woman and Superman shake their heads.
“We stripped Batman of all his powers concerning League recruitment and formation after we disbanded,” Superman announced in a voice that conveyed a growing distaste for the current conversation. “Retroactively when we discovered what he was responsible for.”
“I didn’t know,” Faraday sighed as he turned to head out the door. “I’ll let the guys outside know that your decision…”
“…is that you can continue being the Justice League.” Wonder Woman finished for him. “You need authorization, and I grant it. The world needs protecting, I think we all remember that but are too stubborn to admit it.”
“At this point I can’t stop it,” Superman sighed as he pushed past Faraday. “That doesn’t mean I’m happy about it,” he added as he turned to look at the figures gathered around the table then down at Faraday. “Don’t involve me or my family in this, and you won’t have any problems with me,” he added before leaving the room.
“I think that’s the meeting over.” Flash mused as one by one the former League members funnelled silently out of the room until only Faraday and Batman remained.
“Superman seemed…”
“He’s not angry Faraday, moreover he’s tired,” Batman replied as he turned to look into the darkened corners of the room. “Go, get the League ready, there is much for us to accomplish,” he added, waiting for Faraday to leave the room before remotely turning the cameras off and locking the electronic deadbolt to the door.
“You can come out now Bruce, I know you’re here,” he added as the shadows in the corner of the room swirled and a second Batman emerged, standing on the other side of the table to the one who had been in the meeting.
“You were very convincing; I doubt anyone besides the Martian Manhunter would have realized I wasn’t speaking,” the shadowed Batman growled as the first Batman’s outline collapsed to form the digital ghost of the Titan, the single eye narrowing as it locked onto the person it had been imitating.
“Of course, you and I are destined to conflict, and I’m not above stacking the deck to get what I want,” the Titan buzzed in an electronic voice. “I look forward to the battles to come, and to seeing you fall once again,” it stated before fading from the room, returning to whatever realm of ghosts it had sprung from.
“Your move, Titan,” Batman stated as he turned the cameras back on before turning on the screens to see the Justice League Faraday had gathered celebrating the news they had been given.
“Now which piece to move first.”