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Post by DocQuantum on Jun 12, 2017 6:28:33 GMT
Prologue: JanuaryContinued from Infinity Inc: Ancient Prophecies and MalcontentsJanuary, 1986: "I'm glad to have you join us, David," said Sylvester Pemberton. "Your dad is a good friend of mine, and I'm sure that -- wherever he is right now -- he'd be proud that you want to carry on the Starman legacy." "Thanks, Syl," said David Knight, who was dressed in the costume his father, Ted Knight, had made famous as Starman. It was a red union suit with green shorts and boots, a green cape, a yellow belt, and a yellow star on his chest. A finned red cowl covered his hair but otherwise left his face uncovered. At his side an amazing device called the cosmic rod was kept in a holster on his belt. "Uh... I've got to admit I'm not really sure who's on the team these days. Besides you, I know Fury and Silver Scarab, and Jade and Obsidian. And a couple of guys whose names slip my mind. But there seem to be a lot of new faces around here." "You're not kidding. Our little team has grown quite a bit since the Crisis." The leader of Infinity Inc., who had formerly been called the Star-Spangled Kid, was dressed in his new red, white, and blue costume. The streamlined design was a blue and red bodysuit with a white star on his chest, red trousers, blue boots, red gloves with small white stars at the ends, a big white belt, and a bandana-type mask that tied in the back, leaving his short dark hair uncovered. It was a decidedly grown-up look that defined his new identity as the Patriot. "It's getting so you almost need a scorecard to keep up with all the members coming and going." David laughed nervously. He thought joining Infinity would be like hanging out with other super-hero brats, but for much of his life he'd looked up to the Star-Spangled Kid, who was a good friend of his father's and attended the family Christmas get-togethers. He had tried to join the team a couple of weeks earlier, when they were away on a mission, but he'd only met the visiting Johnny Quick and Liberty Belle. Now he started to wonder if he, an untried and untested super-hero, had anything to offer in such a large team composed largely of new heroes. "Besides yours truly, there's Jade and Obsidian -- who have both been spending as much time, if not more, with the JSA Reserves -- and Fury, as you mentioned. But, uh... Silver Scarab left the team a couple of weeks ago. I'd rather not get into it right now; I'm sure you'll find out all about it soon enough. The other founding members are Nuklon, Northwind, and Brainwave Junior, who's recently dropped the Junior from his name. The first new members, who joined just after the Crisis, are the new Doctor Midnight and Hourman -- now called Midnight and Surge. The new Wildcat -- now calling herself Catwoman -- also asked to join at the same time but was busy on the East Coast until just recently; she's back with us now, though who knows if she'll stay? (*) Then came Red Arrow, the new Ray, the new Aquaman, and Jesse Quick, Johnny and Libby's daughter. (*) With Hector -- Silver Scarab -- leaving the team, and you joining, that brings the total to..." [(*) Editor's note: See DC Universe: Crawling from the Wreckage, Book 1, Chapter 3: A New Future and Infinity Inc: To Infinity and Beyond.]"Fifteen," said Starman, doing the math. "Right... fifteen," said Syl. "Needless to say, it's a full house around here. I'll show you around our headquarters." Inside the building, Syl introduced David Knight to a few Infinitors enjoying their downtime in various ways. After passing out of the recreation room, the new Starman turned to Patriot and said with a frown, "'Sly'? Why does everyone call you Sly?" Sylvester groaned and said, "Blame Roy -- Red Arrow. He started calling me that, and soon everyone else did, just for laughs. I'm hoping it'll die away soon." Starman stopped as he heard muffled weeping from behind a doorway. "Is someone crying?" he asked. Patriot sighed. "That would be Lyta -- Fury. A long story, there. I'd rather not spread gossip, but I'm sure you'll hear about it soon enough. Hector Hall, her fiancé, broke off their engagement two weeks ago and stormed off. The really heartbreaking thing about it is that she's pregnant with their child." "Aw, man..." breathed David. "Yeah, it's a real soap opera around here," said the blonde Jesse Quick, who suddenly had her arm wrapped around David's. The blonde was dressed in a sleekly designed dark red and yellow costume fit for the speedster she was, along with yellow goggles that enabled her to keep from squinting while running. "Oh, hi. I don't believe we've--" "Jesse. I'm Jesse. You're David Knight, the new Starman, aren't you? My parents mentioned you when you were here before. Nice to meet you. Anyway, I hope you'll like it here. I hope I like it here. I still haven't decided. Have you had a tour of the place? I'm sure you have, but Sly hasn't shown you around the best places yet. Oooh... We'll have to take you on a tour of L.A.! You haven't been out here before, have you? I mean, I know you live in Opal and all -- Starman's famous there -- so you probably don't get out to the West Coast much, if at all. So, do you get along with your dad? I like my dad; my mom, too, in theory. Y'know what's weird? When your parents get divorced, putting you through all kinds of hell, only to get back together again. It's kind of unnerving, really. I'm not too sure what to make of Dad and Libby being back together. The worst part is that I don't even think they know if they're really back together or not. If they don't know how they feel about each other, how the hell am I supposed to know how I feel about the situation?" David shot a look of helplessness back at Sylvester as Jesse took hold of him and walked him around Stellar Studios. "Uh... Have a great time, kids!" he called with a wave. "Watch out for Solomon Grundy!" "Solomon Grundy?!" were the last words that Patriot heard the new Starman shout back before they left the building.
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Post by DocQuantum on Jun 12, 2017 6:30:51 GMT
Chapter 1: Februaryby Doc Quantum and JSAGL February, 1986: When the Injustice Society of the World dropped Solomon Grundy off at Stellar Studios last month, the members of Infinity Inc. weren't quite sure what to do with him. Nuklon and Fury had managed to secure the swamp giant at first, but the constant pounding and yelling ( "Where Green Lantern? Grundy kill Green Lantern!") had become truly annoying. Finally, Jade decided to confront the creature. If he needed Green Lantern, well, Jennie-Lynn Hayden with her power pulse was the next best thing. The results were not what anyone had expected. The normally belligerent and violent Grundy began behaving like a little puppy dog. Sylvester Pemberton came to a rather amusing conclusion: Grundy had a crush on Jade. Red Arrow and the Ray had laughed for weeks, always teasing Jennie-Lynn about it. "Green girl is all right," said the monstrous Solomon Grundy, a hulking behemoth of a man with chalk-white skin and hair, wearing a tattered black and gray suit. "Is Grundy's friend." Whenever Jade was at Stellar Studios, she and Grundy were virtually inseparable. But whenever anyone had tried to approach her too quickly or get too close to her, Grundy would become aggressive and treat that person as an enemy, even if it was her own brother -- Todd Rice, alias Obsidian. "And her brother is your friend, too, right, Grundy?" said Jennie-Lynn, dressed in the already classic white and green costume of Jade with a green starburst on her chest, set off by the pale green skin and dark green hair she had when using her power pulse. "Grundy... will see..." grumbled the monster. "Useless," said Todd, who was wearing his Obsidian costume. It consisted of a dark blue bodysuit with dark blue boots and long, dark blue gloves, along with dark blue shorts and a obsidian-patterned belt. He also wore a pale blue, high-collared cape and had a dark blue cowl over his head. The parts of his body that weren't covered by the costume showed as black whenever he was in his shadowy Obsidian form, making him look spooky indeed. "Grundy will never see the rest of us as anything but his enemies. Tell me, Jenn, what are you going to do the next time Dad and Molly visit?" "Shhh!" scolded Jade. "Don't mention Dad's name." "I didn't mention Dad's name," said Todd. "Everyone knows he hates G-R-E-E--" " Grundy likes to spell." "--E-E-N... P-E-A-S," finished Jennie-Lynn, giving her brother a warning look. "Green peas. Yuck! Isn't that right, Grundy?" "Grundy hate green peas," agreed the monster. "But Grundy not hate them as much as he hate Green Lantern! Next time Grundy see Green Lantern, Grundy kill Green Lantern!" "Todd, he was just fine until you started in on him," whispered Jenn. "Now it'll take another hour at least to calm him down!" "Need any help over there?" called Beth Chapel from across the studio lot, where she was walking with her boyfriend, Rick Tyler. While at Infinity Inc. Headquarters, all members wore their costumes, and Beth and Rick as Midnight and Surge were no different. As Midnight, Dr. Beth Chapel was dressed in a stylish black costume set off with yellow boots and gloves and a belt, with a yellow crescent moon on the left side of her chest. Her slender midriff was bare, exposing her chocolate-brown skin, and she wore dark green goggles over her eyes. She had long, dark hair that was mostly real, although she'd had to use extensions to get the full effect until her previously short hair grew out. Rick Tyler was dressed in a simple sleeveless crimson shirt and dark blue pants, with brown leather boots, a brown leather belt, and brown fingerless driving gloves, along with a dark blue mask, while his brown hair was uncovered. It was a simplified look from his previous red and purple costume, which all agreed was hideous, but it worked for the strongman known as Surge. "No, it's fine!" replied Jade. "C'mon, Grundy..." "Poor girl," said Beth, "always having to hang around with that big lug." "Mmm," Rick mumbled. "Not like me," she continued in an artificially cheery voice. " I get to hang around with my own cheery boyfriend all the time." Rick looked up, realizing after a moment what she was saying. "Christ, Beth. Do you have to start in on me right now? It hasn't exactly been an easy couple of months, y'know." "Oh, I know. I know all about it. I've had to stand here and listen to your moping about all the live long day, every day for the last couple of months, all while having to be the supportive, understanding girlfriend all the time!" Rick stopped. "What, are you mad at me now?" "If I was, could you blame me?" retorted Beth. "Have you even asked me what's happening in my life lately? And you're not the only one going through stuff, Rick. Lyta's going to have a baby, and the father doesn't want to have anything to do with her! Thank your lucky stars that you have a woman who'll stand by you, no matter what!" "You don't understand -- you can't understand -- how it feels to take a life," said Rick. "It was an accident!" said Beth, folding her arms. "The Wizard's death was an accident, Rick, an accident that happens once in a while in this business. You've just got to accept that. And as for feeling what it's like to have someone's life in your hands... I'm a doctor, Rick. I have someone's life in my hands every day when I'm at the E.R.!" Rick looked at Beth, then nodded silently. "I know. I know, and... and I'm sorry, OK? I just don't know how to handle this, is all. I never thought being a super-hero like my dad was going to be like this." Beth paused for a moment, then pulled him in close and smiled. "I think I know what will cheer you up..." "Hmm?" Rick said, his sad expression slowly turning to a smile as he realized what she was saying. "Do you mean...?" "I think we've waited long enough," said Beth, and she kissed him. "Let's go back to my place." From a building overlooking Stellar Studios, a young blonde woman wearing glasses watched through binoculars as Rick Tyler and Dr. Beth Chapel walked to Beth's car and drove out of the lot. A few minutes later, Todd Rice also left. An hour after that, she watched as Jade flew away, taking a well-deserved break from babysitting Solomon Grundy, who was now sleeping in the special, reinforced room he stayed in whenever Jade wasn't around to keep him occupied. Popping her bubble gum, Marcie Cooper grinned and said to herself, "Bingo." She'd been watching long enough to know that Stellar Studios was empty of almost all Infinitors except one or two of the newbies. But that was a risk worth taking. Putting on the special glasses she'd stolen from the original Harlequin, Marcie used their illusion powers to disguise her appearance, changing herself into an exact duplicate of Jade, glowing power pulse and all. Entering the Stellar Studios lot, she walked toward her destination. "Jennie-Lynn!" Marcie froze. Someone had seen her. Then, just as suddenly, she smiled and turned, back in character. "Jesse! How are you, girl?" she said with a warm voice. "I'm all right," said Jesse Quick. "You?" "Oh, I'm just out for a stroll," she said. "I thought I'd take a look in on Grundy, see how he's doing." "I just checked on him at the monitor station," said Jesse. "You here to relieve me? I was going to go see if David wanted to do something tonight. I've been trying to get ahold of him for weeks, but he never answers his phone. The boy's playing hard to get -- that's what I think." "Right, right," said the false Jade, looking around. "Sorry, Jesse, but I was just about to head back out myself. I just wanted to check in on Grundy and get going. You know how it is." "No problem," said Jesse, turning back to the headquarters. "Seeya!" she said, and a moment later she'd vanished, leaving at super-speed. Marcie breathed a sigh of relief and made her way to Grundy's room. In Jade's hands, Solomon Grundy really was little more than a puppy dog -- a gigantic, angry puppy dog capable of destroying whole city blocks -- but a puppy dog nevertheless. He simply followed her out of Stellar Studios and straight into the large van she parked nearby. She drove back to the hideout, worrying about the weight of Grundy in the back, but it was a relatively simple task, all in all. At the hideout, she gently coaxed Grundy into his new room, a steel-reinforced, padded cage even stronger than the one he'd lived in at Stellar Studios. "Now, you just stay here and sleep, OK?" she said. "I'll be back to check on you later." Solomon Grundy looked up at the woman he thought was Jade and said, "Grundy do what green girl say. Grundy sleep now." Jade exited the room and locked the steel door behind her. Her appearance shimmered, revealing the kaleidoscope costume Marcie Cooper wore as the new Harlequin. "How is our guest, Harlot-Quin?" "Oooh, I love it when you call me that, my little man," Marcie said flirtatiously. "Grundy's sleeping now. He totally believes I'm Jade." "Good. Now, we're off to retrieve our prize, and then I can finally have my revenge." "I don't get one thing, though. Why do we need Grundy?" The Dummy looked at Marcie with irritation. "Don't worry your pretty little head about it. Let's just say that I never like to get my own hands dirty. Now, let's go." Marcie nodded and smiled seductively, even as she inwardly winced at having to play up to this animated doll. She had been acting as a double agent ever since Commander Steel recruited her late last year, calling herself the new Harlequin in order to find out what the Dummy had in store for his enemies, whom she presumed to be the members of the Seven Soldiers of Victory. (*) Three of the former Seven Soldiers were now part of Infinity Inc. -- the Patriot, Red Arrow, and Pat Dugan, who were formerly known as the Star-Spangled Kid, Speedy, and Stripesy. [(*) Editor's note: See Green Lantern: Emerald Renaissance, Epilogue: Enter the Harlequin.]In Steel's organization she was known as Spellbinder, and when she wasn't in disguise she wore her normally blonde hair bright pink, with a short bobbed haircut. (*) She also wore a short pink leather jacket and pink gloves and belt over a black spandex top and shorts, with black leather boots. [(*) Editor's note: See The Suicide Squad: The Price of Redemption, Chapter 4: Fatality.]Now, however, she was trying to pull off her role as the new Harlequin, and she wore a costume patterned loosely after the one worn by the original Harlequin, Molly Maynne. Along with the glasses she had stolen from the Harlequin that allowed her to look like whoever she wanted to look like at a given time, she wore a black tricorner hat, a white frill around her neck, and a black-and-white-checkered costume that covered her body except her right arm and her left leg, which were bare. On her feet she wore Peter Pan-inspired white shoes that curled at the tips. Her hair was also blonde once more while in this role. But while Marcie Cooper had been trained by the best -- namely Amanda Waller and Commander Steel -- she was a valley girl at heart, and even she wasn't sure how well her cover story as a new super-villainess would hold up among hardened criminals. All she could do was continue with the plan, whatever it was.
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Post by DocQuantum on Jun 12, 2017 6:33:22 GMT
Chapter 2: MarchMarch, 1986: "Sorry about all this, Syl," said David Knight. "I really intended to become a full-time Infinitor, but I've come to realize over the last two months that Opal needs me more than you guys do. Hell, with your cosmic converter belt, you alone bring most of the powers of a Starman to the table. I'm just not needed here. Now, if you don't mind, I think I'll just slip away without making a big deal about saying goodbye to everyone here. I've always hated goodbyes, and--" "Hey, who are you talking to?" The new Starman, standing alone in his room facing the mirror, was startled by Catwoman's voice. He turned and saw Yolanda Montez standing in the doorway. She was wearing her slinky Catwoman costume, which consisted of a purple bodysuit with a purple, cat-eared cowl, black gloves with fingertips that enabled her to extend her natural claws, and thigh-high black leather boots that covered most of her otherwise-bare legs. "Oh! Uh... no one. No one at all." "So is it true?" asked Yolanda. "Are you leaving the team, just as I'm starting to get more involved?" "Yeah," said David, sighing. "I've known almost since I first got here that, by joining Infinity, I've been avoiding what I knew I should have done in the first place. Opal City needs its Starman, and by hanging out here with you guys and girls in L.A. -- well, it's like I'm still riding a bike with the training wheels on." "Makes sense to me, amigo. So why are you standing there practicing your little speeches?" "I just don't know how to tell Syl," David replied sheepishly. "I mean, when I joined up, he was just so happy to have me here. To him I'm kind of like a nephew, and I think he was proud to be able to have the next-generation Starman under his wing for a while. When I tell him, he'll be crushed." Catwoman laughed as she fell back onto his bed and reclined in a very feline way. "I think you're overestimating yourself, there, niño. Sly's a grown man. He'll get over it." "And there's another thing," said David, looking at her with concern. "What's that, muchacho?" "I... I just can't get over how forward you L.A. women are!" said David. "Back home in Opal, I never had any girls throwing themselves at me like Jesse has over the last couple of months, or had any girls come into my room and make eyes at me on my bed. That just doesn't happen." "Sounds to me like you've just been living the sheltered life of a little rich boy," Yolanda teased. "You mean to tell me that none of the girls in your private schools ever made a pass at a nice, handsome boy like you?" "No," said David. "Well, yeah. I mean, I've had girlfriends before. But none of them were the type to make the first move." Catwoman sat up and started walking toward the door. Stopping in the doorway, she said in a more serious tone, "I think you should go back home, Starman. Infinity Inc. is a family, and if the role of Sylvester's nephew doesn't fit you that well, then maybe you are better off somewhere else. Hell, you might even be JSA material, for all I know." "JSA material?!" David said incredulously. "I wouldn't go that far..." But he stopped speaking, as the idea began to have some appeal to him. "Have a nice life, Opal boy!" Catwoman walked out of the living quarters and into the monitor room, where Jade was standing next to a young blond woman in civvies who slightly resembled her. "Hey, Yolanda!" said Jennie-Lynn. "Come here and meet my sister!" "Your sister!" said Catwoman, giving the woman a hug. "Nice to meet you," said the woman. "And you," said Yolanda. Turning to Jade, she said, "I never knew you had a sister, chica!" "Neither did I," said Jade, looking utterly happy. "This is Frances Kane. She's from Blue Valley, Nebraska, and Todd and I discovered a few weeks ago that she's our full-blooded sister." "What, did your old man have triplets instead of twins, or something?" asked Yolanda. "No, it's actually a bit more complicated than that," admitted Jennie-Lynn as Frances shook her head. "Frankie is a few years older than me and Todd, but she's still the daughter of my parents, Alan Scott and Rose Canton." (*) [(*) Editor's note: See Showcase: Jade and Obsidian: I Never Promised You a Rose Garden.]"Sounds complicated," said Yolanda. "I'm listening." "Well, it all started when--" "Hey, Jenn, have you seen Todd anywhere lately?" called Albert Rothstein, alias Nuklon, as the tall young man walked into the room, towering over everyone else with his Mohawk-styled red hair. His costume was red and black with a yellow atom symbol on his chest. "No, haven't you heard?" said Jade. "Todd decided to stay behind in the Realm of the Silver Phoenix, learning about his powers." Al blinked at her. "I have no idea what you just said." "I was just about to tell Yolanda all about it." "Sorry, but I don't have time for that right now. We're still looking for Grundy, and I was hoping Todd could help out. I had some ideas on where he might have gone." "That's assuming he went on his own," said Jade, with a concerned tone. "And I'm not so sure about that. Just as I was beginning to like the big lug, he just up and disappears on us." "Hmm... Well, I'll go find Lyta, then. I need someone's help searching the back lot." "Oh, don't bother her, Al," said Jade. "I kind of messed up." "What did you do, chica?" asked Yolanda. "Well, I was pretty excited about announcing that Dad and Molly were expecting triplets, but it completely slipped my mind how Lyta might feel about it. She congratulated me and then went back to her room, but I could have sworn she was holding back tears." "Jenn..." said Al disapprovingly. "Sorry, Al." "I'll go talk to her," Al said with a sigh. "I've known her longer than any of you." As he walked away, Jade called out, "You're a champ, Al!" The three women watched as he walked away. Then, just as Jade was about to resume her story, Yolanda asked, "So... is Al still single?"
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Post by DocQuantum on Jun 12, 2017 6:34:17 GMT
Chapter 3: April
April, 1986:
"Can you believe this chick?" cried Lyta Trevor, the Infinitor known as Fury. "Strutting around in a bikini with a bow and arrow and calling it a costume!"
"Mmm-hm."
"I mean, on Paradise Island the bow-women do sometimes go topless for archery events, but not every day, and certainly not in mixed company." Fury was three months pregnant, but her baby bump still didn't show much, allowing her to wear her classically styled red and gold costume, consisting of a red and gold bodysuit, golden gloves, high-heeled boots, and belt, a golden cape, and a red tiara with a golden gem set in the middle. Her long platinum blonde locks fell gracefully over her shoulders. She was, if possible, more beautiful than ever.
"Mmm-hm."
"And can you believe she's got the gall to say she's carrying on Green Arrow's tradition?"
"Mmm-hm."
"Roy, you really are part of that tradition," said Lyta. "What do you think?"
Red Arrow, alias Roy Harper, finally realized Lyta was talking to him, and he pulled his eyes away from a news report on Star City's newest hero, Queen Arrow. The blond Red Arrow had a dark red costume composed of a sleeveless red tunic with a hood, dark red pants, dark red leather gloves and boots, and a red quiver full of trick arrows that was normally slung over his back, but which now rested on the floor next to him. "What was that?"
"Queen Arrow!" cried Fury. "Can you believe she's parading around in that bikini, claiming she's carrying on Green Arrow's tradition, just like you?"
"Well..." began Roy cautiously, "...she is the genuine article. I mean, Oliver and I knew her back in the '40s and all. She's not really Green Arrow's successor or anything. That's left up to me, his former partner, and Arrowette, Oliver's granddaughter, but she is who she claims to be."
"Yeah, but look at how she's dressed! She'll singlehandedly throw the cause of feminism back thirty years, not to mention the way the media is going to view female heroes with her around!"
Having been single all his life, with few real girlfriends, Roy didn't know a lot about women, but he did know never to argue with a hormonal pregnant woman when she seemed to be picking a fight. Yet he couldn't help himself. "Actually, I... I kind of had a crush on her back then."
"What?" said Lyta, looking at him with some measure of disdain. "Really?! On her?"
"Well, yeah," said Roy, shrugging. "I met her when I was a teenager, and she was this exciting, independent woman archer! I figured, if Oliver wasn't interested in her, then I had every right to be." He paused thoughtfully for a moment, then added, "Of course, she did dress a bit more demure back then."
"And that's just my point," said Fury. "All she's got on is a bikini! That's not a costume!"
"Well..." continued Roy, veering into dangerous territory, "...I've got to admit, she really pulls it off."
Lyta Trevor glowered at him for a moment more, then muttered, "You men -- all alike!" And she stormed off. Roy shrugged and resumed staring at the television.
Next to him, Hank King opened his eyes, no longer pretending to be sleeping. "You are nuts, man," said the man known as Brainwave, a red-haired man with a red bodysuit and boots, blue pants and gloves, a yellow belt and headband, and blue goggles. An emblem on his chest displayed a stylized brainwave pattern in yellow against a blue background. "Arguing with Lyta like that, I mean. You know, there's a reason she's called Fury. But I've got to hand it to you -- you got off easy."
"Mmm-hmm," was all Roy could mutter as he continued to watch Queen Arrow on the small screen.
Suddenly, Ray Terrill ran into the room and said, "Hey, Syl's calling on the video phone -- from Opal!" The Ray then streaked off toward the monitor room.
"C'mon, Roy. Let's go see how Starman is doing," said Hank.
"Mmm-hmm... I'll be there in a sec."
Brainwave walked into the monitor room, where most of the other members were already gathered. The screen displayed a young man, David Knight, in a hospital bed in Opal City. Sitting next to him was a visiting Sylvester Pemberton. David was talking as Hank walked in.
"--got to thank all of you for the cards, flowers, and especially the chocolates," said Starman, smiling. "I'm already starting to feel better."
"We're just glad you weren't hurt, pal," said Nuklon. "Here in L.A., when those energy-spears started raining down on us, none of us could figure it out, despite our team having a mixture of Amazon science, power-pulse magical energy, Feitheran technology, and good old American know-how."
"I just wish my first big Starman case in Opal hadn't turned out to be such a flop," said David. "Some hero I am. Thirty seconds in the air, and I was swatted back down to the ground."
The Infinitors laughed, thinking he was making a joke from his self-deprecating tone of voice.
"I'm just glad the JSA was able to figure out how to get rid of Chroma's fans," continued David. "Not that I really understand what they did. Something to do with time-travel. I'm sure my Dad would have loved it. Anyway, I had another reason for asking Sylvester to set up our video-conferencing connection. Specifically, I had some information to share with Rick."
"What? Me?" said Rick Tyler, his attention diverted from Beth Chapel, who was sitting on his lap. The two had been inseparable for the last couple of months now.
"Yes. I got a letter in the mail just before the alien invasion from... a reliable source. This source told me that there's a young magician in the making, still a teenager, who became a sorcerer's apprentice around January, the beginning of the year or so. Apparently, this Faust character is quite talented, and already knew quite a bit before taking on a teacher."
"That's all interesting, and everything," said Rick, stifling a yawn. "But why should I care about some Doc Fate, Junior?"
"I was just getting to that," continued the new Starman. "My source is very close to the workings of the Injustice Society, and, well, he knew something about this apprentice's teacher, saying that he faked his death for a number of reasons, only one of which was to mess with the son of one of the hated JSAers."
"What are you saying?" Rick asked, his eyes widening.
"I'm saying that you were manipulated into thinking you killed the Wizard, when he's still alive and has been tutoring this Faust all along!"
Rick Tyler, alias Surge of Infinity Inc., was speechless for a moment as the burden of knowing what it was like to take a life began to fall away from his shoulders. "That's... that's really..." he began, stopping when his throat began to choke up. Gulping, he continued, "That's amazing, man. Thanks. Thank you so much for letting me know."
Norda Cantrell, the Infinitor known as Northwind, stepped hesitantly toward Rick and said, "I'm sorry, Rick, that I didn't tell you sooner."
"What do you mean? Aren't you just hearing about it now?"
"No," said Norda regretfully. As Northwind, he wore a simple costume consisting of a blue tunic with a stylized N that covered it from his shoulders down, as well as Roman-style blue boots with stylized golden wings sprouting from the back. As a half-Feitheran, half-human, he had natural wings extending from his arms and a Mohawk-like arrangement of feathers over his head. He had abandoned his mask, since he had no secret identity to protect. "As you all know, I've been in training as a sorcerer myself, though under the decidedly different principles of Feitheran magic. Well, since my return to Man's World, I've been mixing in different circles than before -- meeting other sorcerers and mages. That was where I heard the rumor that the Wizard was alive."
"What?!" Rick said, immediately angry. "And you didn't tell me?"
"I am sorry," continued Northwind. "I had intended to tell you, but only when I could confirm the rumor for myself. Alas, the closer I came, the harder it was to track down the source of the rumor. For all I knew, the Wizard really was dead, and telling you otherwise would just be giving you false hope."
"Such bull$#*#!" cried Rick. "Who are you to decide what's best for me? If you'd told me right away, I could've helped you find out if it was true or not. The fact that you didn't is just... just such a bull$#*# move, man!"
"Richard, you have my deepest apologies," said Norda.
"Yeah, whatever," said Rick. "Hell, maybe I'm just mad because that old con artist got the best of me. I'll tell you what, though -- if it's the last thing I do, I'm going to find the Wizard and bring him to justice!"
"Guys, I'm going to have to break off the connection," said Syl in Opal City. "I'll be back home tomorrow, so keep holding down the fort when I'm gone. And Rick -- don't do anything stupid!"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," said Surge.
***
In Opal City, Sylvester Pemberton clicked off the much-smaller monitor with a built-in camera in the hospital and turned back to David Knight. "Thanks for doing that, David. It was tough seeing Rick go through that over the last few months."
"No problem," said David. "It's the least I could do for my old team. I'm feeling pretty useless as it is here in this bed. Maybe I'm just not cut out for the life of a hero."
"You know," said Syl, "ever since you were a kid, back when I first met your Dad, I could see the same quality in you that your Dad has -- the same quality that made him such a great Starman. You've got a good heart, David, and you're going to make a great Starman. Just don't let little setbacks like this get you down."
David Knight nodded his head and smiled thoughtfully. "Thanks, Uncle Syl."
Sylvester laughed, not having been called that for a long time now. "Anyway, you've got to get back to health if you're ever going to join the Justice Society."
David laughed. "Yeah, right. Me -- in the JSA?"
"Heck, yeah. In fact, I've already put the wheels in motion. The Sylvester Pemberton lobby train is on the move. Don't you know, kid, that the JSA needs a Starman? You've just got to get a bit of experience under your belt, and you're a shoo-in."
"You think so?" said David. "I mean, I never really seriously considered the idea aa just daydreamed about it when I was a kid."
"Of course," said Syl. "Heck, if they let a young whippersnapper like me in, they've got to let you in, Davey. You've even got this whole 'maturity' thing going for you that I didn't have much of back then. You'll fit right in. I give it less than a year before they offer you membership."
"Thanks, Syl," said the new Starman. "I just don't know how you'll ever find a replacement for me."
Sylvester laughed, then said, "Well, there's always your little brother..."
"Jack, a super-hero?! Now that's funny! I think you're barking up the wrong tree, there, Uncle Syl. The only thing Jack cares about is himself -- and his collectibles. If you think Jack is even capable of getting outside of his own head long enough to empathize with another person, then... then, I don't know what to tell you."
"You never know..." said Syl, wearing a strange, knowing smile on his face. "I've seen stranger things happen."
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Post by DocQuantum on Jun 12, 2017 6:36:11 GMT
Chapter 4: MayMay, 1986: "It's been so good seeing you, Lyta. They're keeping me on a pretty tight leash right now. Outside of phone calls, I've hardly even seen your mother over the past few months, and this while she's pregnant!" General Steve Trevor had paid a brief visit to Stellar Studios to see his daughter, Lyta. The last time she'd seen him back at home, he had been arrested by government agents when her mother, Wonder Woman, was away on a case with the Justice Society. At the time, Lyta didn't know when or if she'd ever see her father again. (*) But after a few weeks, he began calling her and letting her know he was all right. Although he couldn't talk much about what he was doing, he assured his family that it was necessary work that the government needed him to do, much as he'd done as a young major in U.S. Army Intelligence. [(*) Editor's note: See The Suicide Squad: The Price of Redemption, Chapter 1: Formations.]He looked nothing like he had even as a young man, however. Late last year, the gods had transformed the elderly, retired Army general into a tall, muscular, long-haired Adonis carved from a Greek statue when they fused him with the soul of the legendary Greek hero Odysseus, also known as Ulysses. It was under the spell of Odysseus that Steve Trevor became a super-hero himself, albeit one with a disregard for life and holding certain sexist and racist attitudes as you'd expect from someone who'd lived in the ancient world. (*) It was his violent vigilantism as Odysseus that was responsible for putting him in prison. (*) But it was secretly also his usefulness to Commander Steel that had placed him in the special Suicide Squad program. [(*) Editor's note: See DC Universe: Crawling from the Wreckage, Book 3, Chapter 1: Love Works Its Magic and DC Universe: Crawling from the Wreckage, Book 4, Chapter 1: Odysseus Unbound.]"Why can't you stay, Daddy?" said Lyta, her pleading voice momentarily sounding cutesy, like a little girl's. "I wish I could, pun'kin," Steve said gently. "But I've still got some debts to pay, and that includes keeping some people safe. Rest assured, honey, when the time comes for both your mother and yourself to give birth, I will be there for you both." Steve Trevor stood and leaned down to kiss his daughter's forehead. Fury looked sad but understanding. She was an army brat, with both parents in the military, and she knew all about duty. "I've got to go, honey, but before I do, I'd like to have a word with Yolanda. Is she still here?" "Yolanda?" said Lyta. "Why would you need to speak with her? How do you even know her, anyway?" "I've never met her before, but I understand she's Ted Grant's goddaughter," explained Steve. "In my... work at Belle Reve Penitentiary, I came across some information that pertains to her. I'm afraid it is private, so I'll have to see her alone." "Sure..." said Lyta, looking puzzled. "I'll go see if I can find her for you." Fury walked down the hallway toward Sylvester Pemberton's office, completely passing by his new secretary, Carole Marmelstein, a mousey-looking woman who was too engrossed in an issue of Newstime magazine to see her. Poking her head in, she noticed Syl in the middle of a video-conference with a young, handsome man with short, curly blond hair who appeared to be the same age as him. That was correct in more ways than one, since this man -- like Sylvester Pemberton -- had been born many years earlier than seemed possible. He was wearing a brown sweater and a tan overcoat atop that. On the table behind him was a stylized gasmask with a decidedly more modern look than that of the Sandman, as well as a tan fedora. This was Sandy Hawkins, the former Golden Boy now known as the Sleeper. "Just one moment, Sandy," said the Infinity Inc. leader. Turning to Fury, he said, "Lyta, I'm in a meeting. Can this wait?" "Sorry, Sly," said Lyta. "Just wondering if you knew where Yolanda was. My dad wants to talk to her." "How the heck would I know?" asked Syl. "I'm trying to find out what's happening in New York right now. She's probably out with Albert somewhere." "Well, could you have your secretary use the intercom or something? He's waiting in the rec room." "What does this place look like to you -- a K-Mart?" asked Syl, beginning to lose his temper. "Geez. Sorry I asked. I'll tell Carole about it." At that, Fury left, closing the door behind her. "I'm really sorry about that, Sandy," continued Syl. "Now, where were we?" "As I was about to say, Syl, I'm not too sure how many people the Monk and Dala turned into vampires, but we're looking at a problem that's not going to go away overnight," explained Sandy Hawkins. "Unfortunately, while I'm still here in London, I can't provide you any new information. You say the JSA isn't answering their phones?""No," said Syl to his old friend, who during World War II had served alongside him as one of the Young All-Stars, the junior contingent of the All-Star Squadron. "But that may only mean that whoever was on monitor duty had to leave his or her post to help with the situation." Sylvester looked pensive as he thought things through. Finally, he said, "I just worry about Kara, mostly. And Superman. If either of them were to be bitten by one of those things... well, I can't imagine how we'd ever be able to stop a Kryptonian vampire or two. If only they weren't so damnably vulnerable to magic as they are." "Don't worry about it, Syl," said Sandy. "If I know Wes -- and I know him better than anyone else, except Aunt Dian -- he's got a plan. You've just got to trust that he and the JSA know what they're doing.""I guess you're right, Sandy," agreed the Patriot, sighing. "I just hate to think of my old home town being overrun by blood-suckers." Grinning, he added, "Any chance I could talk you into joining Infinity? The offer I made you before the Crisis is still open." "No, thanks," said Sandy. "It would feel too much like a Young All-Stars reunion for my tastes, and besides, Roy told me you've already got a full house over there! Even though I'm no longer taking over for Wes, thanks to his rejuvenation, my place is still here at his side." (*) [(*) Editor's note: See The Sandman: Season of Mists.]"Well, you should at least consider thinking up a new name," said Syl. "To be honest, the Sleeper makes me think of a mattress, not a crime-fighter." Sandy laughed. "All right, 'Patriot missile.' Talk to you later. 'Bye.""Take care," said Syl, breaking the connection. Sighing, he fought to keep from worrying over the vampire situation in New York City. For all he knew, it was over, and the JSA was just mopping things up over there. (*) [(*) Editor's note: See The Sandman: Crimson Tide.]Leaving his office, he said to his secretary, "Mrs. Marmelstein, have you had any luck reaching the JSA Brownstone?" "No, Mr. Pemberton," the secretary replied with a nasal tone. "Well, keep trying, please." "Yes, Mr. Pemberton." Walking into the meeting room, Syl reflected on how inactive his team had been over the last few months. Besides that weird light-show and the strange alien non-invasion of Chroma's fans a couple months back, the most excitement the team had seen lately was playing bit parts in one of Stellar Studios' low-budget sci-fi thrillers. It was getting harder and harder to justify to the City of Los Angeles why it needed to pay Infinity Inc. to be its official super-hero team. Of course, unexpected crises like the vampire horde in New York was exactly the type of thing Infinity Inc. was meant to stop from happening in this city. In the meeting room, Obsidian was speaking with the new Aquaman and the new Ray, the sons of the heroes who had gone by those names. They stopped when the team leader walked into the room. Obsidian seemed to be wearing an alternate version of his costume, which was white in the places where it was usually black; in reality, the white parts were his body's new aura of light. "What did I miss?" asked Syl. "I was just telling the others about my new light-based powers," said Todd Rice, smiling, "and all about the Silver Phoenix." "Tell him about the giant cat!" said Ray Terrill, laughing. "Zyzan... zyxan..." "Xyzandra," said Todd. "And she's not really a giant cat. Technically, she's a dragon -- the mystic dragon of light and hope." " Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha-haaa!" Ray was doubled over in laughter. "Puff the Magic Dragon!" he sang loudly, then continued to laugh uproariously. As the Ray, he wore a completely white sleeveless shirt and pants, with a black and golden military-style short-sleeved leather jacket, along with short black boots and a golden pointed helmet over his head that brought to mind both the cowl of the original Ray and the Helm of Nabu worn by Doctor Fate. Prince Arthur, the new Aquaman, was also smiling but looked a little confused about why it was so funny. "A dragon is a noble steed for a knight's quest," said Arthur, somewhat stiffly. The handsome young man with long blond hair wore a stylized blue full-bodysuit camouflaged to mimic sea currents while underwater. "Yeah," said Todd, looking annoyed by Ray's continued laughter. "She is, at that. And she helped me and Jennie-Lynn find our sister, Frankie." "I'd be interested in hearing more about that, Todd," said Syl, moving forward. "Well, to put it simply, Frances Kane is my full-blooded older sister, the daughter of Alan Scott and Rose Canton -- Green Lantern and the Thorn." "But she's a few years older than you," prompted Syl. "Yes," said Todd. "And this is where it gets a bit complicated, to be honest. As the Silver Phoenix theorized, an evil group called the Black Shadow Society had tried to destroy my family's lineage by causing my mother to turn into the Thorn. Then, in the late 1950s, the Black Shadows wanted to see if the Thorn's children would inherit her curse, so they harvested both my mother's ova and semen from a number of mystery-men in an attempt to breed super-humans under their control. They mystically placed the embryos into the wombs of infertile women, but none of them except Frances came to term. The rest all died. And Frances, who has magnetic powers of her own, never knew she wasn't the daughter of the Kanes." Sylvester Pemberton frowned as he listened to the story. It sounded implausible, but he knew stranger things had happened. "Just how did this Black Shadow Society collect their 'samples' from mystery-men in the first place?" he asked, shooting a warning glance at Ray before the teenager began laughing again. Todd Rice shrugged. "I suppose they did it with magic." "Did it with--!" began Ray, before noticing the glares from the other three. "Uh, sorry. I'll be quiet now." "But how did they even do that?" asked Syl. "By the late 1950s, the JSA had been disbanded for nearly a decade, and none of its members had yet revealed their secret identities." "I really don't know, Syl," said Todd, somewhat defensively. "I wasn't there, remember?" "I didn't mean to press you too hard," said Syl. "So, tell me about this Silver Phoenix. Jade told me a little about them, but you seem to be the one who really got to know them, staying as long as you did in that dimension of theirs." Todd's mood lightened considerably as he began to speak. "It's not easy to describe. Jennie and I found the Realm of the Silver Phoenix after reading an old book that, despite being really old, described our whole lives up to the point of buying the book itself! After magically going there--" "'Magically going there'?" asked Syl. "The book said to concentrate on the picture of our mother on its pages," said Todd, shrugging. "When Jen and I did so, there was a puff of smoke, and poof -- we were in another place entirely. It was this green field of grass, with flowers all around us, including several types of thornless roses." "Appropriate," noted Syl. "Well, we looked around, seeing these buildings that looked like they were made out of crystal or something." "Like something out of a fairy tale," said Syl. "Or an ancient legend," agreed Prince Arthur. "Exactly," said Todd. "Well, we soon met these women who lived there, who all wore brightly colored, hooded cloaks. When they pulled back their cloaks, they all looked familiar. And one of them was... one of them was our mother!" Sylvester was surprised. "One of them was Rose?" he asked, having known the woman before her death. "Yes!" said Todd. "We were shocked, to say the least. We soon learned that this place was a haven for our ancestral bloodline, which on our maternal side came from a long line of honest-to-God witches called the Silver Phoenix. They'd discovered this dimension centuries ago, and they all continued to live on there after their earthly deaths." "So they were all spirits?" asked Aquaman. "Sort of. I mean, at times they seemed kind of transparent, while other times they seemed completely solid, and we could touch them like anyone else. But they had all died in the past; Jennie-Lynn and myself were the only ones still living in that place. It was so good finding out about my family, and finally having a loving mother. If I didn't have responsibilities back here, I'd have wanted to stay there longer." "Tell him about your new powers, Todd," said Ray glumly. "Oh, yeah. I gained new powers when I was there, too!" said Obsidian. "Thanks to coming into contact with a mystical silver lantern and silver ring, which are sort of counterparts to my Dad's lantern and power ring, I gained light-based powers!" "He gained light-based powers," said Ray in a flat tone of voice. "Obsidian, here, now has light powers." Turning to Obsidian, he said, "Show him your powers, Todd." "I call it the silver flame," said Todd. Concentrating, his human body began to be covered by a small, blue-white flame that grew in intensity until he was shining like a silvery-blue aura so bright that the others had to look away. Ray, meanwhile, flared brightly as well and said, "Look at Todd's new powers, everybody," he said sarcastically. "Look at how he can shine like a giant floodlight! It's not enough that he cornered the market on shadow powers; now he has to have light powers, too -- just like, oh, I don't know... me -- the Ray!" "Don't take it so personally," said Obsidian. "I didn't gain new powers to piss you off. There's no need to be jealous." "Jealous?" scoffed Ray. "I'm not jealous! Tell me, what can you do with those powers, Todd?" Obsidian reverted to his normal human form, his bare skin now replacing the white in his costume. "I'm not sure yet. I know they're mystical, and they allow me to shine brightly, but I'm not sure how much practical value they have just yet." "Can you switch back and forth between light and dark?" asked Aquaman. "Perhaps you can astonish your foes by creating a strobe effect." "Not really," admitted Todd. "If I've been in my light-based form, I can't easily switch to my shadowy form and back. It takes a while, and it seems to weaken my shadow powers if I use my light powers shortly before. Plus, my silver flame powers don't seem to give me any advantage when I'm in my shadowy form and struck by bright light. It seems to be an either/or kind of power." The Infinity Inc. leader had been silent in thought for several moments until he finally spoke. "Todd, until you learn more about what you can do with the silver flame, I'd like you to cease using it while on official Infinity Inc. business. The same goes for when you're with the JSA Reserves, since I'm sure Hawkgirl will agree with me that your untried powers could be a liability." Todd nodded. Syl turned and said, "Ray, I want you to help Todd with his silver flame powers in your down-time -- try to help him find a way for them to be useful." "Aw, man..." "I will be glad to help as well, in any way I can," said Prince Arthur. "I am very interested in hearing more about the Silver Phoenix, Obsidian. My own kingdom of Atlantis has legends of similar mystical dimensions and dragonlike creatures." "Thanks," said Todd. "Sly, your secretary said you wanted to see me?" asked Yolanda Montez, the new Catwoman. "No," said Patriot, "but Lyta's father was asking for you." "Her father? Why?" "I don't know why," said Syl. "But he's in the rec room if you want to find out." "Will this take long?" asked the pop music reporter. "I'm writing under a tight deadline, here." "At least go and say hello to General Trevor," said Syl. "Trust me -- he won't bite." Yolanda sighed and turned on her heels, heading toward the rec room. Entering, she was surprised to see a devastatingly handsome young man who looked like nothing less than a Greek god or a model for the cover of a Harlequin romance novel. " Hello, stranger." Steve Trevor stood up as she entered and reached out one hand. "General Steve Trevor, U.S. Army," he said. "You're Lyta's dad?! They sure grow them big where you come from!" "Why, yes," said Steve. " Yolanda, right? Yolanda Montez?" "That's right," said Catwoman. "What's this all about?" "Do you have a moment to talk, Yolanda?" "I'll give you five minutes," she replied, pointing to her wrist, where a watch would have been. "Deadline." "Understood," said the general. "Well, to make a long story short, I've come across some information that may be of some use to you -- information about your family." A cold chill ran down Yolanda's spine. "What about my family?" she said guardedly. "My parents and I and my brother are all U.S. citizens." "Don't worry, it's nothing to do with Immigration," said Steve. "It's about your aunt." "Which one?" "Your mother's sister, Carmela. I don't have her married name written down here. But I do know a little about her, which may help explain some things about yourself and your amazing abilities." "Oh?" said Yolanda, suddenly interested. "It seems that your mother and your aunt were very close," began the general. "They moved to Los Angeles from Mexico at the same time, were married at the same time, and even managed to become pregnant at the same time. They saw the same gynecologist, one Dr. Benjamin Love, who had been performing genetic experiments throughout the 1960s, using young mothers as test subjects without their consent. Your mother and aunt were both treated with drugs designed to manipulate DNA." "And that's why I have these powers?" asked Yolanda. "I -- I never knew where they came from, but--" "There's more," interrupted the general. "Although your mother had already successfully gained her U.S. citizenship, your aunt was not so fortunate, and she was deported to Mexico while she was still pregnant. Despite also being pregnant, your mother went with her. Thus, both your mother and your aunt were away from Los Angeles when they gave birth." "I know," said Yolanda. "My mother wanted to make sure I was born in the U.S., so my parents went back over the border just after she went into labor, but they only made it so far as a hospital in San Diego." "Yes, and your aunt gave birth to your cousin in Tijuana." "My cousin?" said Yolanda, frowning. "My aunt was pregnant, yes, but the baby was stillborn." "That's what she told the family," said Steve. "In truth, your male cousin was born horribly disfigured, his DNA mutated by Dr. Love's drugs to resemble that of a great white shark. Your cousin claims that his mother -- your aunt -- tried to drown him as an infant, but thanks to his unique genetics, he took to the water and was able to breathe through the gills on his throat. He claims that he was raised by fish, but his education and strong foundation in the Spanish language indicates that to be impossible. A feral child, unless it is exposed to human language before the age of three, loses the capacity to learn languages, even as an adult. We suppose he was found by someone with access to advanced technology and raised by the seashore. By the time he'd grown up, he had taken the name Carcharo -- from the Latin name for carcharodon megalodon, a prehistoric shark -- and became an international terrorist for hire, complete with an amazingly advanced submarine he claims to be his own design." "What a load of bull!" said Yolanda. "You expect me to believe that I have a cousin that not only has gills and looks like a shark -- but who is an international terrorist, besides?!" "Please, miss, let me continue," said the general. "We've confirmed the family link through DNA tests that your cousin and your aunt both separately agreed to, although your aunt remains unaware that her son survives. Unfortunately, we've also learned that the same Dr. Love who caused genetic mutations in yourself and your cousin was also responsible for creating several other mutants who were born on the same day as you and your cousin were born. These mutants were all kidnapped by Dr. Love on the day of their birth and raised by him; presumably you and your cousin would have been kidnapped as well, had your parents been in L.A. at the time. Those mutants grew up to become the members of Helix, which as your teammates can tell you, is--" "I'm quite aware of Helix," said Catwoman haughtily, "although we haven't heard anything about them since the Crisis. But if you expect me to believe that I come from the same stock as Mister Bones, Kritter, or Baby Boom, you're loco!" She stormed out of the room, not looking back. General Steve Trevor sighed and said to himself, "Well, I could've handled that a bit better."
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Post by DocQuantum on Jun 12, 2017 6:39:55 GMT
Chapter 5: JuneJune, 1986: "Hit 'em hard, Infinitors, and let's end this before anyone gets hurt!" shouted the Patriot as the battle between second-generation heroes and second-generation villains began. The Hollywood Bowl was empty, now that Infinity Inc. had given the audience time to flee. All that was left was the battle. On the stage, the Patriot lunged through the air at the second-generation Penguin. His foe was a slender young man in a tuxedo and a top hat, who looked suave and would have been handsome by any definition of the word if it were not for the long nose he had inherited from his infamous father. (*) The new Penguin easily dodged the hurtling hero, managing to slash Sylvester Pemberton in the back, not enough to seriously injure but enough to draw blood. "Aaagh!" cried Syl. [(*) Editor's note: See Liberty Belle: The Stars Above, Chapter 1: First Blood.]"Ha!" the Penguin crowed as he gracefully bowed and settled into a fighting stance. "If my father -- rest his soul -- were alive today, he'd be the first to laugh at the poor quality of what passes for mystery-men these days." "You're kidding, right?" said the Patriot, landing a few feet on the stage, still wincing at the pain from the flesh wound. Although his cosmic converter belt was capable of deflecting bullets and other weapons, it did not act as a force-field at all times. "I lived in Gotham for a few years when I was with the JSA, and I happen to know that Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot retired as the Penguin after his last stretch in prison, abandoning his criminal career to open a popular bar called The Ice Floe in the late '70s. Your father became quite a decent fellow, Ozzy Junior. I shared many a drink with him back then." "I remain unmoved by your scurrilous lies, sir!" said Oswald Cobblepot, Jr., thrusting the sword-point of his umbrella dangerously close to Syl's neck. "My father, rest his soul, was killed in prison while at the top of his game! He would never reform as you claim! This man you speak of is nothing less than an impostor, one likely dreamed up by the Bat himself to cause a drop in morale for the criminals he fought on a daily basis. Why, I wouldn't be surprised if the Batman had faked his own death in order to more easily direct his continued assaults on criminals from the shadows, using agents such as Robin, the Huntress, and this new Batwing to do his bidding!" "If that's what you have to believe in order to get up in the morning, suit yourself!" said Patriot, grabbing the Penguin's right arm and swiftly tossing the villain over himself in a jiu jitsu move. The Penguin quickly recovered, and the two went back to fighting. Nearby, Jesse Quick sped faster and faster until she was aloft in the air, soaring after the man-bat known as Chiro. Down on the ground, the hulking Blockbuster was tearing up the seats, while Nuklon and Surge tried to keep him contained as best they could. Brainwave, the heroic son of the criminal Brain Wave, was having a battle of the mind with the aptly named Brainstorm. Nearby, Brainstorm's sister Darkstar was battling it out with the Ray, who was at a disadvantage since he wasn't used to fighting a woman. From opposite ends of the Bowl, Red Arrow was throwing trick arrows against his opposite number, the Archer, son of Superman's old foe. Not far away, the Dart -- daughter of the Red Dart -- was firing her own projectiles at the wily Catwoman, who was edging closer and closer to her. Finally, the Enchantress was attempting to destroy Northwind with the Wizard's old wand, while Northwind was using his own fledgling mystical powers to ward off the attack from the air. It had been the new Penguin's idea to form a second-generation team of super-villains composed of several new villains who had first appeared in the last few months, some of whom were the children of old villains. The Enchantress, alias a woman named June Moon, had fought the Junior JSA in that team's first real adventure. (*) Although she had lost, the Penguin noted that she had the mystical ability to help him bring back other new villains who were either jailed or incapacitated in some way. The Enchantress was able to return the device and gem used by Alex and Candy Davis, alias Brainstorm and Darkstar, respectively. (*) The grandchildren of Professor Abraham Davis, in turn, were able to combine their powers with that of the Enchantress to restore the Blockbuster back into a solid form. After that, it was a simple matter to break the Archer and the Dart out of jail, along with Chiro. The Archer and Dart had already fought Arrowette and Flare and a few others, while Chiro had fought Doctor Mid-Nite. (*) Although the Davis siblings wanted to continue their revenge against Ted Knight and his family, which Liberty Belle and Star Sapphire had prevented, and the Blockbuster wanted to go out and kill Johnny Thunder for stealing Daisy away from him, the Penguin was able to convince them to join his scheme instead. Revenge could always wait for an opportune time, after all. [(*) Editor's note: See Junior JSA: Field Trip, Chapter 2: Wand of the Wizard, Liberty Belle: The Stars Above, and Arrowette: Legacies.The Penguin had proclaimed his team the Crime Champions after a short-lived group from the 1960s who had fought the JSA. The team of new villains intentionally struck in the backyard of Infinity Inc., hitting four famous Los Angeles landmarks before running into that heroic second-generation team. Infinity Inc., for its part, had tried to stop the new Crime Champions during its last escapade, only to be forced to let the villains flee when those villains put innocent bystanders in danger, allowing the Crime Champions to flee. By the time the villains struck at the Hollywood Bowl, the Infinitors had been prepared for them, and they helped the audience to get to safety before the battle truly began. The two teams now finally had their showdown after a tense few days in the city. "SCREEE!" cried the grandson of the Man-Bat as he weaved through the air on leathery wings above the Hollywood Bowl in an attempt to escape his pursuer. Although Jesse Quick was indeed fast, she had less maneuverability in the air and could not turn as quickly as her opponent. This bat-winged young villain was the criminal grandson of a Gotham City cop named Joe Langstrom, who in 1947 had been briefly transformed through magic into a Man-Bat by Circe, along with the criminals Wolf Brando and Fox Landon, who became their namesakes. After a short battle with Batman and Robin, the trio's humanity was restored, and Langstrom never became Man-Bat again. (*) But the curse was passed through his genes to his daughter's son, his grandson Ted Brooks. The young hoodlum was related through his father to Paula Brooks, the Huntress, and he had ironically enough been named after the heavyweight world boxing champion, Ted Grant. But he called himself Chiro after the scientific Latin term for a bat -- chiroptera. [(*) Editor's note: See Justice Society of America: Times Past, 1947: The New Olympians, Chapter 5: Mad Men of Gotham.]Chiro had joined the criminal organization run by old "Killer" Maroni, but an encounter with Doctor Mid-Nite had left him in jail until he was freed by the Penguin. (*) The young were-bat had wanted to match his abilities against the similarly winged Northwind, but instead he now found himself fighting a girl -- and a really, really fast one, at that. The first thing she had done was disarmed him, removing the gun he'd kept in a holster at his side. Now it was taking all his speed and maneuverability just to keep her out of reach, and he was starting to become tired. It was time to end this, even if he had to rely on his knuckles instead of his piece to do so. [(*) Editor's note: See Doctor Mid-Nite: Nite Fall.]"All right, sweetheart, show's over!" cried Chiro as he spun around to meet the speeding Jesse Quick in midair. He threw one punch at her face, but by the time it would have landed, the speedster's face was ten inches to the right. When he tried with his other fist, she did the same in the other direction. The taunting grin on her face was annoying as hell. "Stand still and take yer lumps!" he shouted. But the effort of staying aloft in the air while fighting with his wings was too much, and he had to break off in order to keep from plummeting too quickly to the ground. Gaining some more altitude, he spun around in an attempt to strike the super-speedster once more. "Nuh-uh," said Jesse, quickly rushing up to meet him. " My turn now." Chiro never saw it coming. He was struck fifty times in five seconds, and he was dazed before he had time to realize what had happened. "A word of advice, if you can still understand me," muttered Jesse Quick as she began lowering him safely to the ground. " Never get into a fistfight with a speedster." A groan was the only acknowledgement that Chiro had heard her before he finally collapsed into oblivion. Biff Bronston had seen better days. After serving in the U.S. Army in World War II, the blond, musclebound former college football player from Calvin College had made off with a real prize catch when he married Daisy Darling, the beautiful daughter of a wealthy businessman. But with few talents going for him other than the gridiron game, Biff could only find a union job unloading crates at the docks after returning from the war with an injury that kept him from playing football professionally. He began to drink heavily every night after his shift, and sometimes during it, until he was laid off along with several others in the late 1970s. Thankfully, the couple's inheritance from Daisy's father kept them afloat, but it could not do so forever, especially since Biff added a gambling problem to his drinking problem. Their marriage, which had been rocky almost since day one, began to really fall apart. Biff had long suspected that Daisy regretted marrying him and still held a torch for her old boyfriend, Johnny Thunder. Despite living in the same house together, for years they had lived almost completely separate lives and traveled in different social circles, remaining married only because that's what a married couple of their generation did. Finally, near the end of 1985, Daisy decided that enough was enough, and she filed for divorce. Biff spent the next few weeks losing the rest of his money to booze and gambling. Over the years he'd secretly taken on a few jobs as hired muscle for some local hoodlums, but with his alcoholism he had proven himself unreliable even to work for criminals. He was at the end of his rope, and he began threatening his ex-wife, demanding that she give him money. Then, just before the Calvin College reunion in early 1986, Biff Bronston's life changed. He had despaired over the course his life had taken, and he knew he couldn't face his old girlfriend Mary James -- and that runt of a husband he used to torment in college, Al Pratt -- without Daisy at his side. But threatening his ex-wife had accomplished nothing. That was when he met a man dressed like a stage magician who called himself Zor; this man of magic gave Biff a gift, transforming him into a hulking, musclebound brute with staggering physical power, knowing that Biff would cause chaos with this power. Before the sorcerer left, he also gave Biff a new name befitting his new, powerful body -- Blockbuster. As Blockbuster, Biff arrived at the reunion, where he promptly found himself in a fight with two JSAers -- the Atom and Johnny Thunder. But when the Atom struck him with an atomic punch, Blockbuster grew in size and strength, even as his mind grew duller and duller. After the Atom realized that the Blockbuster's mass was remaining the same despite his change in size, Johnny ordered his magic Thunderbolt to really give it to him. The T-Bolt did so, causing the Blockbuster to rapidly expand in size yet retain the same mass until he had dissipated, spread out into the air in a gaseous form. If Blockbuster had retained any consciousness at all, he might have heard the laughter of Zor in the wind. But although he was not dead, his mind was already gone. (*) [(*) Editor's note: See Justice Society of America: Ragnarok Aftermath, Chapter 4: Young Hearts.]Blockbuster's physical body was restored with great difficulty by the Enchantress, Brainstorm, and Darkstar, who also took away his fatal weakness. Now, Blockbuster would remain at the same size no matter how hard he was struck. Unfortunately for the former Biff Bronston, they had also made him stupid enough so he could be easily controlled. With the intelligence of a young child, Blockbuster was now having a temper tantrum. "Biff smash!" cried the Blockbuster as he brought his mighty fists down, destroying several chairs in the nosebleed section of the Hollywood Bowl. But for the two Infinitors trying to rein him in, this was par for the course. "So do you think Hec is ever going to return?" asked Surge, alias Rick Tyler, son of the Hourman. "I mean, he's not going to let Lyta raise their baby herself, is he?" He leaped out of the way as Blockbuster's left fist extended outward to strike him. "I wish I knew," said Nuklon glumly. Al Rothstein and Rick Tyler had both known Hector Hall since they were kids, but the former Silver Scarab had changed so much during his ordeal half a year earlier. How much of the Hector he'd known still remained? "I hope he does return, but if he doesn't, well... someone's got to take care of Lyta." Surge kicked Blockbuster in the back and said, "What was that, Al?" "Nothing," said Nuklon. Striking Blockbuster with a hay-maker that could have knocked flat almost any other super-villain, Nuklon winced from the pain and ducked Blockbuster's next attempt to strike him. "Can you believe this guy used to be the big man on campus at Calvin College back in the early 1940s? His bullying was even partly responsible for my godfather becoming the mighty Atom in the first place!" "Small world, huh?" said Surge. "It seems like most of the villains we run into these days have some kind of tie to the golden age. Makes you wonder if there are any original villains -- or heroes -- left!" "They're all on Earth-One," joked Nuklon, continuing the fight. "Yeah, right," said Surge, rolling his eyes. "Virtually every important hero or villain on that world was somebody big here first, even if they had different names." "I guess that's true," agreed Nuklon. "Say, speaking of villains, how's that hunt for the Wizard coming along?" "Huh?" said Surge, looking confused for a moment, until he remembered. "Oh, that. Right. Well, I've been kind of preoccupied with some real problems lately." "Really?" asked Nuklon. "Like what?" "Brother, you have no idea," replied Rick. Although everyone will be able to figure it out soon enough, he mentally added as they continued to battle the Blockbuster. *** "Can you turn that thing off?" said Lyta Trevor, sitting in the clinic's waiting room. The television was showing coverage of the battle between Infinity, Inc. and the Crime Champions. Just as the Enchantress shot off a blast of white fire that seemed to engulf Northwind, the nurse clicked the set off with a remote control. "Of course, Mrs. Trevor," said the nurse. " Ms. Trevor," Lyta corrected, though she was tired of having to do so. "Dr. Chapel is ready to, uh, see you now," continued the nurse with a cheery tone of voice. Lyta nodded curtly and walked down the maze-like hallway to one of the rooms in the clinic. There she found herself waiting far too long before Dr. Beth Chapel finally stepped in through the door. She had a big smile for her friend beneath her customary dark glasses, and she was wearing a large white overcoat over her unusually frumpy clothing. "Hello, Lyta," she said, "how are you feeling today?" "The nausea is getting worse, Beth," replied Lyta. "Can't you prescribe me anything stronger than Bendectin?" "I'm afraid not, Lyta. Anything stronger could hurt the baby, even one who's one-fourth Amazon. Have you been continuing your workouts? Some of my patients find that exercise helps with the nausea." "Sure," said Lyta, "and they do help. I'm just not used to feeling so... vulnerable lately. I was hoping the nausea would just go away after the first trimester, but here I am at the end of the second, and it's hardly gotten any better!" Beth was nodding her head, but she was distracted. Lyta frowned as she took a good look at Beth. Normally Lyta was too preoccupied with her pregnancy and her impending single motherhood to notice much around her, but she could see changes in Beth's face. And that clothing she'd been wearing lately was questionable at best. Lyta laughed. "Have you been taking fashion tips from me, Beth? Frumpy isn't exactly your style, is it?" Beth opened her mouth, but was unable to think of anything to say. And then it hit Lyta like a ton of bricks. "Omigod. Beth! You're -- you're--" Beth's only answer was a resigned nod. "You and Rick?" said Lyta. "That's incredible! How far are you along? When did this happen?" "Two months ago," said Beth with a sigh. "It wasn't planned. In fact, we'd been celibate by choice, up until recently. Rick and I'd only been dating for six months by the time we decided to go all the way, you know? But Rick... he'd been keeping protection in his wallet that whole time, just in case. Of course, he didn't tell any of this to me until the morning after I got pregnant, by which time it was too late." Lyta was holding her hands in front of her face, partly in shock and partly to keep herself from bursting into laughter. "I can't believe this!" she finally said. "Have you guys told anyone else yet?" "Only my own doctor," said Beth. "Rick's father is strict, and my dad's a Southern Baptist preacher. He wouldn't exactly be very understanding about it all, since we're not married, or even engaged to be married." "Oh, come on, Beth. You don't think he'd be excited to hear he's going to have a granddaughter or grandson?" "Not this way," said Beth, suddenly tearing up. "I'm sorry. It's the hormones. I've been so emotional lately. It just feels good to talk with someone about this, though, Lyta. Rick and I've tried to keep it a secret for the last month or so, but we're gonna have to tell everyone sooner or later." "I can't believe you never told me before now," said Lyta, a touch of anger in her voice. "You don't think I would've appreciated having a friend to go through this with?" "I've been happy to be your doctor, Lyta, but--" "I know, I know... we're not that close. Just a patient-doctor relationship." "That's not what I meant to say at all, Lyta. I do want to be your friend, and help you through these last months of your pregnancy, and beyond... but I'm afraid I'll have to step down as your doctor." "What? Why?" said Lyta, her anger rising again before she glanced back at Beth's barely discernible baby bump. "Oh, right." "I can suggest a few very good doctors in this area," said Beth. "Or, if you want someone with a bit more confidentiality, there's always Dr. McNider." "Doctor to the super-heroes, huh?" said Lyta with a smirk. "You'd think us super-heroes would rate a doctor who can see under normal conditions, right?" "Lyta..." "Yeah, yeah, I know all about his special goggles," said Lyta. "But as far as the world is concerned, he's still too blind to perform operations himself, let alone deliver a baby. I'd imagine the same goes for you, too." Standing up, she walked to the door and said, "Thanks, Beth. I'll see you back at Stellar Studios sometime?" "Uh, sure," replied Beth, not wishing to stir Lyta's legendary bad temper any further. Lyta Trevor drove back to her apartment, her mind in a fog. So Beth was going through the same thing as she was. Except it wasn't the same thing, was it? Beth had Rick to rely on, but Lyta had no one. Sure, her mother was always there for her, but she was going through her own pregnancy with Lyta's father still living away from home. The Trevors weren't exactly doing so well this year, were they? But at least her father had an excuse for his absence; Hector Hall had no such excuse. As she fumbled for the keys to open her apartment door, she could hear the phone ringing. Rushing in, she picked up the phone and said, "Hello?" There was no answer on the other end of the line, but Lyta could hear something like wind in the background. A lump formed in her throat as she said, "Hec...? I-is that you, Hector?" Lyta listened for a few more moments, tears washing down her face, until the line finally went dead, and all she could hear was a dial tone. She spent the rest of the evening weeping.
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Post by DocQuantum on Jun 12, 2017 6:41:36 GMT
Chapter 6: Early JulyJuly, 1986: "I feel like such a fool." David Knight winced as Dr. Charles McNider took a good look at the welt on the back of his head. "I mean, to get knocked out like that, by a girl, no less, without even seeing her coming." "Geri Sloane isn't a typical 'girl,'" Charles said with a laugh. "And even if she were, it could've happened to anyone in your position, son." "But -- ow! -- I'm supposed to be Starman," David continued. "Shouldn't I have a force-field around me at all times? I mean, Dad never would've allowed himself to get cold-cocked like that." Charles McNider laughed at that. "Son, I've lost track of the number of times that I've been knocked over the head. It's one of those things that just comes with the territory of being a mystery-man. And believe me, the original Starman had his share of getting cold-cocked, too. Still, I think the record-holder for getting knocked out the most times back in the '30s and '40s has to be Batman." "The Batman?!" cried David. "You're kidding!" "Nope," said McNider. "He and Robin both got knocked out numerous times, especially in their early years. Why, there were so many times that ordinary criminals had them at their mercy and could've killed them, that I often wonder how they stayed alive at all... or how they kept their real identities a secret." "You mean no one just tried to shoot them when they were unconscious?" asked Starman. "Or even just peeked under their masks?" "I'm sure many crooks over the years thought about it," said McNider. "But you have to understand that the mystique of 'the Bat,' especially in those days, was so strong that even the worst crooks in Gotham were too spooked to kill the Batman or Robin when they were unconscious. And as far as peeking under their masks goes, well... the Batman had already taken that into consideration." "What do you mean?" asked David. "Was his mask booby-trapped or something?" Dr. McNider laughed and said, "Maybe you should ask Red Robin that question sometime, son. He might even give you an answer." "What's that supposed to mean?" "Never mind," said Charles. "Let's go over how you got this bump on your head again. Maybe it will help us figure out what happened to Sylvester." David Knight sighed and said, "Well, I was hanging out at the old Western lot at Stellar Studios with Arthur -- that's Arthur Curry, Jr., alias Aquaman II. We were talking about our families and upbringings, and we just found that we really hit it off. Despite the fact that I was raised in Opal City by an astronomer super-hero, and he was raised in Atlantis as a prince by a retired, water-breathing mystery-man, we actually had a heck of a lot in common. I was even starting to think about coming back to the team full-time, since I'd never really had any close friendships since high school." "Was that when 'Lyta' showed up?" asked McNider. "Yes. Arthur and I were comparing notes on my little brother and his little sister, just laughing at how annoying they could be, when she was suddenly just standing there before us. I asked her how she was doing, and how the baby was, and Arthur mentioned something about her participation in the latest Infinity case with the JSA, the one involving that new Anarchy Society of the World, you know?" "Oh, yes. I remember all too well," replied McNider. "Despite her doctor's wishes, Lyta insisted on helping us fight those young hoodlums. I must admit that she did well when faced those kids of Ramulus -- Oleander and Sumac." (*) [(*) Editor's note: See Justice Society of America: The Anarchy Society of the World, Chapter 4: The Wrath of Madame Mayhem.]"Yes, she did mention that," continued David. "But then she told Arthur that Syl was asking for him at his office, and he left. She started talking with me, and I could've sworn she was even flirting a bit, which frankly made me a bit embarrassed. But the moment I turned my back, everything went black. I woke up much later, and my cosmic rod was gone. I learned later that Sylvester's cosmic converter belt had been stolen as well, but not by Fury." (*) [(*) Editor's note: See Justice Society of America: Vanity Fair (Play), Chapter 3: Secret Identities No More.]"No, not by Lyta Trevor," said Dr. McNider, "and not even by the real Geri Sloane, who had been turned into the madwoman called Madame Mayhem through psychoactive chemicals, either." "She was a Geri from an alternate timeline, wasn't she?" said David. "At least that's what I overheard when I was trying to keep from falling back asleep. What I don't understand is why everyone's so afraid of this Madame Mayhem character. It's not like she has any powers or weapons." "She's the daughter of Mister Terrific, as you well know," said Charles McNider. "I recall that she and Jack were once good friends, though I don't remember if you two got along. Geri's mind is the most dangerous weapon of all, and she is just as multitalented as Terry Sloane ever was. If you're having trouble figuring out why she's dangerous, just imagine if Red Robin or the Huntress -- or even the Batman himself, when he was alive -- decided one day to devote all their mighty crime-fighting prowess into committing crimes, instead." David was speechless as the implications began to dawn on him. "At any rate," continued McNider after a long pause, "your team is conferring right now about your missing leader. Sylvester hasn't been seen since the other Geri stole his belt, but apparently she doesn't have anything to do with his disappearance. And the real Geri was cured of her chemically induced madness on Paradise Island, but Lyta has been too preoccupied with her pregnancy to tell them much about it, and they haven't told her she was impersonated yet, anyways." "Knock-knock," said a female voice. David Knight glanced over to the open doorway, where he saw a beautiful, familiar-looking, red-haired woman around his age wearing green slippers, a green miniskirt, a red mask, and red tights with the words Fair Play written across her chest. This, he knew, was Geri's new costumed identity. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything," Geri Sloane began tentatively. "No, not at all, Geri," said Dr. McNider. "Please come in." "Starman," she said, holding up her hand, which held the cosmic rod loosely within it, the handle facing him. "I believe this is yours." David nodded his head, wincing at the blood rush, and said, "Thank you, uh..." "You can call me Miss Terrific," she replied. "Or Geri, of course, when I'm not wearing this mask. Listen, I'm sorry about what happened to you, David. If I'd known there was an alternate version of me out there who was still Madame Mayhem, I would've--" "Don't worry about it," David said with a strained smile. "Evil doubles are par for the course, right?" "I suppose so," she said, still looking chagrined and somewhat rattled by the experience. "She -- my double -- is on Transformation Island now; hopefully she'll be cured as well. Anyway, how's your brother these days? Keeping out of trouble?" "Well, he was... mostly," said David, "until you up and disappeared on him over a year ago. He was a real handful, even before our dad went missing." "Jack always did have abandonment issues," Geri said sadly. "Well, can you blame him?" David said in a harsher tone of voice than he'd intended. "He was only five years old when our mom died, for God's sake. He was really close to you and your dad, too, when he died. He looks up to you -- you, and nobody else in the world -- and you just disappeared on him. There's only so much a kid can take." "Listen, I'm sorry, David... for everything," said Geri. "I'll call Jack... explain to him what happened, and why I never called him. It's a bit of a long story." "I hope it's a good one, then," said David bitterly, and he rested his head once more on the infirmary pillow. Miss Terrific turned to Charles McNider. "I've, uh, also got Patriot's cosmic converter belt with me, but... I understand he's missing," said Geri. "I'll make sure he gets it, Geri," said Charles with a smile. "Thank you," she replied. "Anyways, I've got to get back and talk with Al and Ted -- Atom and Wildcat, I mean." "I'll see you again soon, Geri," said Charles. "See you, too," said Geri. "Bye, David." "Bye." At that, Miss Terrific left the room. David Knight shook his head and sighed. Just seeing Geri again was like having a knife twisted in his gut. She and Jack had indeed been friends, but she and David had once been much more. After growing up together, they'd finally dated for a few months when they were both students at Oxford University, but suddenly, without much explanation at all, Geri had broken things off and had made it clear that they had no future together. The breakup had devastated David, and had destroyed his confidence. People had always told him how much like his father he was, but while Ted Knight had been a confident hero of the golden age, he had also struggled with his own personal demons, and had spent time both before and after his Starman career in the Elmswood Sanitarium. David had the potential to be the hero that his father had been in his prime, but he had also inherited his father's tendencies to take things too personally. It was thus very difficult for him to shrug things off, as any other young man would do after a breakup. And it was especially hard to forget Geri Sloane. He wondered if he would ever find someone who would erase the ache she'd left in his heart.
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Post by DocQuantum on Jun 12, 2017 6:43:30 GMT
Chapter 7: Late Julyby Doc Quantum, with Libbylawrence, partially adapted from Infinity Inc. #31, by Roy Thomas and Todd McFarlane "Skygirl?!" laughed David Knight. "You mean to tell me you were turned into a woman?" "No, no, not anything like that," replied Sylvester Pemberton, unable to keep from laughing as well. It really had been a ridiculous situation. "Jonni and I were somehow switched in time. She lived my life, I lived hers. So, in the new timeline, I was born in L.A. in the '60s and grew up to become a private investigator, while she was born in the late '20s and grew up to become the Star-Spangled Kid, member of the Seven Soldiers of Victory, and later the time-tossed junior member of the Justice Society and the leader of Infinity Inc., as Skygirl. My entire history had basically been given to her, and vice versa, all thanks to a revenge scheme by our old foe, Knodar." (*) [(*) Editor's note: See Justice Society of America: Times Past, 1972: Time, See What's Become of Me? Prologue, 1986: The Big Chronal Rubout.]"Wow, that had got to be the weirdest thing I've ever heard," said David, marveling at the idea. "Though maybe you've experienced weirder things in your time." "Nope," said Syl. "Despite all the time traveling, the other dimensions and lands, and weird villains I've faced in my life, this really is the strangest thing that's ever happened to me." "It's weird that you still remember it, though," remarked David. "I know, I know," Syl said with a shake of his head. "Both of us remember our other lives, our alternate selves. I doubt we'll ever forget them. But you know what? Somehow, it's made us even closer. Jonni and I now know each other more intimately than any other couple could, even if they were both telepathic. We literally lived the other person's life, experienced every heartbreak and triumph that we'd ever had. Oh, some of the details here and there were altered based on our different genders -- as Johnny Thunder I dated a girl named Karen White, rather than her brother Kevin, as Jonni did in high school, and as Sylvia Pemberton, Jonni had a crush not on Power Girl as I did, but on Robin instead, and she also had to struggle a bit more with Pat Dugan about who was really leading the team of Star-Spangled Kid and Stripesy -- but otherwise our histories were identical." "Doesn't it get confusing?" asked David, his scientific mind considering the implications. "I mean, didn't the experiences we had growing up shape us into the people we are today? Now that you've lived -- or at least remember -- two distinctly separate lives that only run parallel to each other since you met a little over a year ago, wouldn't that other timeline when you were Johnny Thunder change you somehow?" Sylvester nodded his head. "You could say that, yes. Honestly, David, we're still trying to figure this out, and it is confusing. I'm just grateful that it's made me and Jonni closer than we ever were before." "But..." David began. "Sorry, Syl, but I've got to wonder -- doesn't this mean there's no mystery in your relationship anymore? You know everything the other person has ever done and gone through. You might as well be the same person, now. I don't think I'd want to date a female duplicate of myself." Sylvester just smiled a knowing smile. "You're still young, David. Love is about more than the mystery of the other person -- more than chasing after a girl and winning her heart. Love -- mature love -- is really about growing closer to the one you've committed your life to. And believe me, I'm looking forward to growing even closer to Jonni Thunder in the years to come." "This experience really has changed you," said David. "You sound more... mature, even wiser. Not to mention pretty serious about her." "I guess I am, on both counts," said Sylvester. "I'm not sure if I ever really knew how serious I was until just now. Thanks, David." He stood up and started to leave the room. "Now, if you don't mind, there's something I really need to do." "Don't do anything I wouldn't do!" David shouted with a laugh as Syl left. Racing out of the hospital, Sylvester Pemberton entered his Star-Rocket Racer and took off into the air. If he left now, he'd still be able to stop by the jeweler's on the way to his office, which was Jonni's office once more. His heart skipped a beat as he asked himself if he was doing the right thing. The only answer that came back to him was a resounding yes. *** At the offices of the J. Thunder Detective Agency, Sylvester Pemberton took a long look at an object on the desk. It was a strange, golden-colored, ancient South American statue that he knew contained an energy-creature known only as the Thunderbolt. Just days ago when the timeline had been altered, the statue had depicted a man, but it had now returned to its original female shape. He still couldn't get over how weird that felt. Sylvester was still wearing the white suit and tie with the black shirt he'd worn when he was Johnny Thunder, while Jonni Thunder was dressed in the form-fitting patriotic costume she'd worn as Sylvia Pemberton, alias Skygirl. He bent down to pet his pet rabbit, Shamus; of course, technically it was Jonni's pet rabbit, but his memories said otherwise. "I see the statue now resembles you again," said Syl as he moved to Jonni Thunder and held her close, "and you gave me back the belt." He glanced at his cosmic converter belt, which was on the table next to the statue. The belt had been stolen by Madame Mayhem while posing as Fury a few days ago, and after the timeline had been changed, Jonni had taken the belt back as Skygirl, and had held on to it until now. "I guess we're back to normal." Jonni grinned. "Yes, but this Skygirl still has all your memories and training. I know you better than anyone else!" Sylvester nodded. "And I have your experiences, too. We have a closer tie than any married couple!" "Is that a proposal, Mr. Pemberton?" said Jonni, smiling demurely. "Yes," Sylvester said, and kissed her. Pulling out a small box from his white jacket pocket, he looked into her eyes and said, "Skygirl, will you marry me?" "Does this answer your question?" Jonni said, pulling him close for a long, deep kiss. It was a few moments before the two were able to pull back and realize that it had gone dark in the office. " Mmm," said Sylvester, nearly swooning. "Say, what happened to the lights?" " What lights?" Jonni said, continuing to kiss him. "Seriously, the lights just went out," replied Syl. She laughed. "If the switch weren't clear across the room, you'd be a prime suspect. Not that you need to play games any longer. I did accept your proposal, you know." "Not guilty, though I don't mind taking advantage of a good--" Sylvester stopped and sniffed the air. " Huh? Do I smell... smoke?" Suddenly, a loud crackling sound emanated from the electrical socket on the wall, scaring off Shamus, and the bright, electrified figure of the Thunderbolt suddenly appeared before them. The voice that came from the strange being was harsh and guttural, but was unmistakably a distorted version of Jonni's own voice. "Well, don't you two make a cozy couple!" the being said, using the very same speech patterns Jonni was known for. "Hope you won't mind if I cut in, handsome -- 'cause that pretty pink flesh you've got your paws on belongs to me, body and soul -- especially body! It's taken me a long time to get here to claim what's mine, but tell him, Jonni Thunder -- you and I... are one and the same!""Get lost, Thunderbolt!" shouted Sylvester. "Jonni's changed her mind about playing your human host!" "Check!" agreed Jonni. "Go find another warm body to hang your hat on! We're quits, and I mean to keep it that way!" "Not your call, sweetheart!" replied the Thunderbolt. "I am you, remember!"Jonni recoiled as the creature reached toward her with clawed fingers. "Hey -- back off!" "You heard the lady, sparkplug! Beat it!" shouted Sylvester. "Syl -- no!" cried Jonni. "You've no idea what she's capable of!" "Lesson number one, coming right up!" said the Thunderbolt, flying toward him. With a thunderous crackle of energy, Sylvester Pemberton was sent to crash against the wall. "Our boyfriend better be a fast learner, Jonni," the Thunderbolt said as it prepared to hurl another bolt. "Lesson number two is a slow barbecue."Sylvester realized that he was way out of his league, especially since he wasn't even wearing his cosmic converter belt. Even worse, he couldn't signal his team, since he wasn't wearing his Patriot uniform installed with the signal device. He just hoped he could reach his belt before the Thunderbolt noticed, or he'd be struck by a bolt a lot more powerful than the warning shot that had taken all the wind out of him. "Now take a seat, sister, while I acquaint you with a few hard facts," said the Thunderbolt, pushing Jonni forcefully into her office chair. "One of which obviously is -- you can't take me over against my will, or you'd already have done it by now!" "You always were a sharp one. Trouble is, so am I!" At that, it struck Jonni with a painful surge of electricity, causing her to cry out. "Stop it!" cried Sylvester. "You're killing her!" "Hardly," said the Thunderbolt. "Just applying a bit of painful persuasion. Well, Jonni, if you've had enough of this electric chair, maybe we can go back to being bosom buddies, hmm?""Over my dead body!" cried Jonni. "That would kind of defeat the purpose, wouldn't it, honey?" retorted the Thunderbolt. Striking her with another surge of electricity, it swept Jonni up into the air. "Don't fight it, Jonni. I've killed for you, remember? And if I have to, I'll kill for you again, only this time I'll decide who dies, beginning with your busted-up beau over in the corner!"At that moment, the office window shattered inward as Jade and Surge appeared. "Sorry about the window, fearless leader," said Surge, "but your signal was danger priority!" " Signal?" said Sylvester. "I wasn't able to send a signal. How could--?" " I sent the signal," replied Jonni, still dressed in her Skygirl outfit and taking that moment to back away from the distracted Thunderbolt. Sylvester hadn't noticed it until now, but she had slipped the cosmic converter belt back on in all the commotion and was hovering in midair. "Don't forget -- I've still got all your years of experience as a super-hero, and I'm pulling the plug on this walking, talking thunderstorm!" At that, Jonni Thunder shot the Thunderbolt with a blast of shooting stars, then followed that up with a powerful punch that rattled every window in the neighborhood. " Jonni?!" cried Jade. "How'd you do that?" "Call me Skygirl when I wear this outfit and this belt, Jennie-Lynn," said Jonni. "I'm not about to play the victim any longer!" "Looks like that creature's met her match in Jonni, all right!" said Jade. " Keep punching, Jonni!" shouted Surge. "This round's all yours, and she knows it!" " Everybody up to bat, gang!" cried Sylvester, brandishing a Colt M1911 in one hand as if he'd used the pistol for years, and in a sense he had. "It's wrap-up time!" The Infinitors began to surround the Thunderbolt in preparation for another attack, but that attack would not come today. "You win this hand, kiddies," snarled the Thunderbolt. "But let me leave you with one word: later. I'll be back for Jonni Thunder's body, one way or another!" The Thunderbolt then shot off into the sky, moving faster than the eye could see. "Man, can she move!" said Surge. " No way we can track her now!" "Unfortunately," said Jonni. Returning to her nearly destroyed office, she smiled as she saw Sylvester gently cradling her pet rabbit, Shamus. "Don't worry," said Sylvester. "The fire just singed his fur a little. He'll be OK." "My poor baby!" Jonni said, taking the shivering Shamus in her arms. "He's still shaking with fear! By the way, I've cancelled the emergency call to the rest of the Infinitors." "The fire department is on its way," said Surge, indicating the sirens they could hear through the broken office window. "We might be here a while." "While we're waiting, we might as well tell you the good news," said Sylvester. "But you've got to promise to keep quiet about it until we're able to tell the rest of the team, and friends and family." "You don't mean--!" squealed Jade. "Yep," said Jonni, flashing her engagement ring. "Syl made it official!" "Congratulations, you guys!" Jade cried, and hugged Jonni, then Sylvester. "Yeah, congratulations," Surge said in a less-enthusiastic tone of voice. Rick Tyler was frowning in thought as he considered the implications. That's it, he said to himself. I'm not gonna put it off any longer. Mark my words, Beth Chapel: the next time I see you, I'm asking you to marry me -- and no long engagement for us, either! Come hell or high water, I'm going to make an honest woman of you before our baby's born!
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Post by DocQuantum on Jun 12, 2017 6:46:04 GMT
TO BE CONTINUED!
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