Issue Number Seventeen
"The Extremist War, Part Two"
PROLOGUE - THE ONES LEFT BEHIND
Sue Dibny felt a slight kick in her stomach and she placed a hand protectively over her unborn child. She sat before the Squadron's monitor board, waiting for a signal from her husband that they needed help. She'd placed the Titans and the JSA on stand-by, but she still wondered if they'd be able to move quick enough to help the Squadron.
After all, the Extremists could kill in seconds. Madmen who had destroyed their entire world, they'd nearly done the same here -- coming close to slaughtering not only the entire Justice League Europe team, but every man, woman and child on the planet.
It's like this every time... We decide it's too dangerous and so Ralph leaves the League... And then I see him waste away until the opportunity to come back presents itself. The sad thing is, I miss the excitement sometimes, too. But it's no longer just us... We have a baby on the way -- a baby that needs a mother and a father.
Sue bit her nails, alone in Wordenshire Castle.
Elsewhere, on another continent, a war was about to heat up. She could only pray that her husband would survive the coming conflagration.
END PROLOGUE
SOUTH AMERICA
The Crimson Fox slipped through the tall grass, keeping her head low. Her keen sense of smell was almost a liability here, with the scent of fear of death thick in the air. She halted, looking up at the makeshift fortress that the Extremists had assembled.
Constance raised her communicator and whispered. "Found it. Tell Kimi that her tracking device worked wonderfully -- we have ze Extremists and they do not even know we are here...."
Less than a mile away, the rest of the Squadron -- the Elongated Man, Hawkman, Maya, Dr. Light and Rocket Red -- huddled around their shuttlecraft. The Thanagarian deflection shields installed by Hawkman rendered it invisible to most forms of radar and surveillance, but Ralph Dibny still had butterflies in the pit of his stomach. He remembered how the Extremists had taken out a JLE squad that featured Captain Atom, Power Girl and the Flash... Looking around at his teammates, he wasn't sure that his current group had the firepower to stand toe-to-toe with the villains. That was one reason he'd suggested a quiet approach. "Good going, Connie. Stay right where you are -- we'll join you in as soon as we can. If you're spotted, run for it -- don't stand and fight. Got it?"
"Oui, Ralph. I shall run as fast as my little feet shall carry me."
Ralph turned off his communicator and turned to the others. He stretched his neck out so that he stand where he was but still move closer to them. He saw a bit of fear in Maya's eyes and felt a pang of guilt. She was powerful, but she was still a kid. Maybe I should have left her with Sue... "As soon as we're in position, I want Rocket Red and Dr. Light at the forefront -- you're our heavy hitters and I want you to take out the enemy right away, if possible. Dmitri -- be on the lookout for Dr. Diehard. His magnetism could give him control of your armor. Hawk, you and Maya take the rear. The Fox and I will try to slip away and find whatever device they're using to summon beings from the 5th Dimension."
Kimiyo Hoshi, though she had been increasingly grim since the death of her lover, could not help but smile. "Ralph, I think you have the makings of a great leader."
"Thanks, Kimi -- but let's wait and see if we make it out of here alive. If we do that, then I'll pat myself on the back."
"Why are just sitting here? We should be out dividing up this miserable planet into sections!" Tracer sat around the Extremists' makeshift meeting room table, licking a bit of dried blood off one of his claws.
Lord Havoc glared at his companions. The part of him that remained Maxwell Lord was repulsed by them, but the dominant personality at present was Lord Havoc's -- and he considered these brutal killers to be useful tools. "Word is beginning to spread about our actions in Bialya -- let the people of this world tremble in terror, wondering when and where we'll strike next! Then, when they least expect it, we'll slaughter millions."
Gorgon grinned maniacally, while Tracer grunted his approval. Only Diehard remained stoic.
Havoc turned his armored attention Diehard's way. "Something wrong with you?"
"Not really... Just a feeling that you're not telling us everything." The Master of Magnetism stood up. "You don't bother telling us about that Iker's gadget until you've already purchased it from the Mist -- then you decide we're gonna bust Bialya for some reason you won't go into... And, quite frankly, sometimes you don't seem like you."
The room became very quiet, as the tension level rose. Lord Havoc sounded amused. "Well, well. You haven't challenged my leadership since the early days of the group, Diehard. Do you remember how I beat you like a dog? How you bled from every h--"
Tracer cut off their mounting argument. "Shh! Something's not right...."
Everyone hushed immediately. Tracer's enhanced senses sometimes lent him an almost eerie ability to sense danger.
Gorgon leaned forward with a mixture of nervousness and excitement. "What is it? Enemies?"
Tracer's tongue snaked out as he licked his lips. "Oh, yes... Several of them. I smell girls... I smell boys... and I smell tinker-toys."
Lord Havoc cocked his head. "I hear something -- it's coming in fast! Watch yourselves!"
His shouted warning came too late, however. The side of the building exploded inwards as twin beams of energy shot forth. Dr. Light, carried aloft by a hard-light generated slide, swooped inside, Rocket Red at her side.
The powerful Russian landed with a clank, his gauntlets spewing forth concussive blasts. One of his attacks struck Havoc hard in the chest and sent him hurtling backwards, clear out of the building.
The Extremists, to their credit, reacted quickly.
Tracer narrowed his eyes as he saw Hawkman enter the rift, the young girl known as Maya in his arms. Choosing his targets, he murmured to his companions, "Cut 'em up, boys."
Tracer leaped into the air, raking his claws across Hawkman's bare chest. Blood flew, splattering on Maya's face. The young girl screamed and reacted instinctively -- flame jetted forth from her hands, burning Tracer. The Extremist flipped backwards, landing once more in the meeting room.
The Thanagarian set Maya down and drew a large blade. "Animal! Your aura shows you for what you are -- a beast, a killing machine, with no morals."
Tracer laughed. "Music to my ears, birdie. Let's play...."
Gorgon wrapped his tentacles around Dr. Light's throat, squeezing hard enough to bruise her tender flesh. "Not nice to bust in unannounced."
Kimi bared her teeth in a savage snarl and shot a laser beam right through Gorgon's writhing tentacles. She cut them neatly in half. The part around her throat fell loose to the floor, while Gorgon howled in agony.
Rocket Red, in the meanwhile, was doing the one thing that Ralph Dibny had told him not to do. He was going toe-to-toe with Dr. Diehard.
Actually, that was too kind.
He was getting his clock cleaned by Dr. Diehard.
The master of magnetism had seized control of the armored hero the moment he'd entered. Now he was wielding Rocket Red like a weapon, slamming him into Maya and knocking her to the ground. One of her arms snapped with a horrible sound.
The sound of the young girl screaming made Dmitri wince. I am an idiot! I was hoping to knock him out before he could do this to me... But I'm not totally helpless.
Certain aspects of his armor's unique design were controlled within his helmet. In an emergency, for instance, he could actually target and fire his weapons systems by moving his eyes in a certain pattern and blinking.
Now he focused his sights on Diehard -- and fired.
The powerful beam of force slammed into an unprepared Diehard. He fell backwards and nearly succumbed to the wave of pain that washed over him. But he reached out his hand in a clenching motion and said, "Damn tin can! Crush you like a tin c--"
Dmitri's screams rang out loud as the battlesuit suddenly collapsed inwards. Two of his ribs broke immediately, one of them puncturing a lung.
Dr. Light frowned. She could see that both Maya and Dmitri needed medical help, but the battle was far from over. She had managed to overpower Gorgon, but Hawkman and Tracer's battle had spilled out into another chamber. And Lord Havoc was still free... with his device for summoning djinn.
Tracer and Hawkman were engaging in what was perhaps the bloodiest of all battles in the next room. Tracer had tried to dodge Hawkman's blade, but the Thanagarian had cut deep. Tracer, for his part, had slammed one of his fists into Hawkman's belly, twisting his knife-like claws.
"You're good, hawkie. Real good. Why are you with these losers?" Blood trickled down the corner of Tracer's mouth as he spoke, blocking another of the Thanagarian's attacks.
The two men moved in a beautiful, but deadly, dance.
"I'd never sink myself to your level. I've seen killers. I've been a killer. But I've never seen anything that disgusts me as much as you. I saw the remains of one of your hunts earlier...Bastard!"
Tracer couldn't resist laughing at that. He ducked suddenly, slashing upwards. He opened a long gash from Hawkman's belly to his neck. The scent of lifeblood was thick now, and both men smelled approaching death.
Hawkman felt no fear over this, however. After absorbing all the hawk-champions, he'd found himself possessed of many memories -- memories which had included death many times over. The beyond held no terror for him.
In the end, perhaps it was his very fearlessness that turned the tide. Hawkman tossed aside his weapon and placed both hands along Tracer's chin. He wasn't sure if he'd be able to do this to a living man, not anymore -- not after seeing all the horrors of the avatars -- but to a machine, a simulacra? There was no hesitation.
Hawkman twisted with all his strength and a sickening pop signaled the end of Tracer.
Not that it matters. All it will take is for someone else to rebuild him....
Katar Hol fell to his knees, Tracer still in his arms. He looked down at his lap, seeing the blood and gore seeping out from his wounds.
"Shayera...."
And then he fell into darkness.
Ralph Dibny tried to ignore the cries of pain from below. He and the Crimson Fox were snaking their way into the interior of the citadel, eager to locate the device with which the Extremists had summoned their giants. "Close yet?"
Constance, sickened even more than Ralph thanks to her enhanced sense of smell, could only nod and stare at the small monitor in her hands. "Kimi's device says it's at ze end of this hall. Do you think we should head back and help them? They are our friends!"
The Elongated Man bit his lip. He hated this -- hated being in command. In the old days of the Justice League, he'd been the comedy relief. Now, he was being looked at as the experienced old veteran. "We have to trust 'em. That's all we can do."
The Crimson Fox didn't answer as they came to a shut door. The monitor signalled that their prize lay within. The Fox knelt before the door and checked it. Locked.
She extended one of her claws and pressed it into the slot. It took a bit of time, but her expertise paid off. The tumblers rolled and the door swung open.
What they saw within froze the blood in their veins.
Before them stood Max Lord, though he still wore the armor of Lord Havoc. His helmet lay carelessly on the floor. He held an object in each hand -- in one, a pistol. In the other, he held the Iker device. "Took you guys long enough." His lip twitched as he spoke, sweat running down his face. He looked like some tremendous war was going on within him.
Ralph stretched towards him, but held back as Max jerked the gun up, pressing it against his own temple. "Whoa! Max, put the gun down, pal. We're friends!"
"You don't understand... There's something inside me. Havoc. He'd going to kill all of you... Unless I kill him."
Constance flooded the room with her pheromones, desperate to stop Max. "No! Mon ami, put ze gun down. We shall help you!"
Max's face contorted as the gun dropped to the floor. The Iker device came up. Havoc shone in Max's eyes. "Help me? Woman, you and your world are the ones who need help!"
Ralph screamed, "No!" just as Havoc pressed the button on the Iker device. Immediately, the world twisted in a chromatic display of power. A rift in space appeared for a microsecond and then faded,leaving three giants in their midst. Two of the djinn grinned evilly, while the third swept Havoc up in the palm of his hand.
Lord Havoc stared down at his former friends and laughed. "End of the line, heroes. First Angor, now Earth!
In Justice Squadron # 18 : "The Extremist War" comes to a horrifying end! The final fate of Maxwell Lord revealed! And a major change in the Squadron's status quo!
EUROPINIONS
Gruesome enough for you? I know it's somewhat shocking, but this is the way the original Extremist storyline went. Brutal.
Next issue sees the shocking end of our current storyline and a couple of major changes in the way the Justice Squadron is structured. Rumors are flying that a slight title change might even be in the works... Now what could that possibly mean?
Be here next issue to find out!
In other news, I'm pondering doing a spin-off of the Justice Squadron, a title that would star one of its members in a solo series. I don't want to talk about it too much, but look for it to possibly appear around the time as Justice Squadron # 20.
Keep in touch,