Issue Number Twenty
"Nothing Succeeds Like Success -- Part Two"
Squadron Central
Paris, France
"Please, come in! Come in! Come IN!" The ebullient voice of Maxwell Lord filled the main reception hall of the newly refurbished headquarters of The Justice Squadron. The high-ceiled room was paneled in rich dark brown wood and the polished marble floors gleamed and sparkled. The four individuals who filed into the room at Max's urgings looked around them at the ancient tapestries and paintings on the walls, the dazzlingly bright chandeliers that filled the huge room with light. There was good reason for the interior to be so brightly lit even though it was the middle of the morning. For security purposes, Max had ordered the windows darkened so that no one could see in with high-powered telephoto lenses. It wasn't even super villains he was worried about. The European media frenzy over the reformation of the Justice Squadron had been unrelenting and massive.
Nathaniel Adam ran long fingers through his thick, virile head of silver hair and whistled in appreciation. "I'll say this for you, Max, you always did know how to go big. What did it cost to fix up this place?"
"Never you mind about that. I worry about the books and how they balance. You guys are in charge of the world-saving, right?" Max looked extremely dapper and handsome as always. His thousand dollar Italian suit fitted his well-built body as if he'd been born to wear it and his eyes twinkled with the easy devilish charm that was his trademark. "How do you like it so far, Bette?"
Bette Adam's large dark eyes were moist with excitement and happiness. "Oh, Max…I can't…I don't even know what to say..just to be back home in France…and to be here…"
Will Everett, also known as Amazing Man walked over to the long side table where an array of fruits and snacks were arranged and helped himself to a banana. "Gotta admit, Maxie, you sure make superheroing look good. I gotta admit I had some doubts about me leavin' the US to come live and work in a foreign country…but hey, this sure beats my Washington apartment all to hell."
"And how about you, Ted?" Max asked Ted Kord, aka Blue Beetle. The lanky technologist had flopped in a comfortable chair and was grinning up at Max.
"I'm just grateful to you, Max. You're giving me a chance to get back in the game and that's all I ever wanted."
"Hey! Who's having a party without the bubbly?" Ralph Dibny, the world-famous Elongated Man stretched from the foyer into the reception hall, his long arms wrapped around a case of Dom Perignon champagne. Sue Dibny squealed with delight and ran to hug Bette while Ralph put down the case and went to shake hands.
"Ralph, I can't tell you how good it is to see you again!" Nate was more than a little surprised to find that he actually meant it. Ralph looked just great, better than the last time Nate had seen him. But then again, that had been on Maxima's home world of Almerac when they'd been fighting for their lives to rescue the Extreme Justice team. Maybe it was his fast impending fatherhood that gave him the aura of health and vitality that seemed to surround him. Whatever it was, it was definitely good for him. Nate couldn't help notice out of the corner of his eye than Bette was eagerly asking Sue for details about her pregnancy. Funny how he and Bette had never really discussed having children. After all, he did have grown children of his own from his first disastrous marriage-'
"Earth to Nate!" Will was holding out a crystal flute of champagne. He looked at Nate curiously. "You okay there, buddy? You were really zoned out there for a minute."
"Just a sudden thought hit me, Will. Maybe a thought I should have had a long time ago."
"Anything you wanna talk about?"
Nate smiled at the younger man. "Maybe later. I need to turn it over in my head some more."
"Whenever you're ready, man. I owe you and Bette more than you can ever know. After I returned from the dead and had nowhere to go, it was you and Bette who invited me to come to Washington with you. I don't know if I could have kept it together if it hadn't been for your friendship."
"Quit gabbin' and drink up!" Ralph insisted. "Hey, where's Connie, Kimiyo and Chandi?"
"Constance is upstairs, handling some Revson business. She'll be down soon." Max said. "Damned if I know where Kimiyo and Chandi are. They've been disappearing on their own the last couple of days and never tell anybody where they're going or why."
Nate grinned. "I heard those two have become thick as thieves."
Bette laughed excitedly and threw an arm around Sue's slim shoulder. "Well, they're just going to have to get used to sharing time with the new girl on the block, that's all!"
The reunited friends were so engrossed in laughing and talking over old times; they didn't hear the front doorbell being insistently rung over and over. The building staff hadn't come on duty yet, so it was Constance D'Aramis who had to run from the third floor office where she was on a conference call all the way downstairs to fling open the door.
"Yes! I'm here! We're not bloody deaf you know! I-" Constance looked down and could not help but grin crazily in surprise. "Oh my."
"Oh my, indeed. Come down here and give us a kiss, long, lean and luscious."
Constance bent down to give the man standing in the doorway a long, passionate kiss that made the youth standing some distance behind the shorter man clear his throat in embarrassment. The kiss ended and the shorter man looked up at the youth with a knowing look in his eye. "Constance and I are old friends, kid. I'll tell you about it someday when ya grow hair on your chest." He looked up at Constance. "Where are they?"
"Straight on ahead. Go on. I can't wait to see the look on Max's face when he sees you."
"C'mon, kid." The shorter man strode into the building. He may have been only three feet seven inches tall, but he walked as if he stood nine feet high. He stood in the doorway of the reception hall, fists on his hips and whistled. Every eye in the place turned to look at him, at the nervous black youth who stood just behind him and Constance, who still had that crazy grin on her face.
Max Lord almost dropped his glass of champagne. "Dear God, is it really YOU?"
"I heard you been lookin' for me, Max. Must not'a been lookin' too hard cause I ain't never been that hard to find."
The man known as Oberon, trusted assistant to both men who had worn the multi-colored costume of Mister Miracle and one-time administrative assistant to Maxwell Lord when there had been a Justice League International smiled at the gathering, clearly enjoying the effect his sudden arrival had created. Oberon had been in show business for a long time and at heart he would always be a showman. "Isn't somebody gonna offer me a drink?"
The Louvre
It was safe to say that there was no more famous museum in the world than The Louvre. Built in the 1200's as a fortress then expanded in the 1500's to serve as a palace for French royalty it had official become a museum in 1793 and was renowned for the many priceless works of art that were on display for the enjoyment and cultural education of all. The two women who were hurrying through the museum toward the recently opened Department Of Atlantean Antiquities were not just looking to elevate their artistic knowledge. They were plainly there for a purpose if their hurried strides were any judge.
Both women were strikingly beautiful in their own way. One was a Japanese woman with dazzlingly beautiful large blue eyes and long straight black hair that hung down almost to her waist. Her companion was an Indian girl maybe ten years or so younger and unlike the sophisticated beauty of her companion, she had an innocence about her that was just as appealing. They got more than their share of admiring glances and smiles from the men they passed. They would have gotten more than stares if they had been dressed in the costumes they wore when they were in action as the Justice Squadron members known as Doctor Light and Maya.
Kimiyo Hoshi looked at her platinum watch and said; "This isn't going to take us long, is it, Chandi? I simply HAVE to be at the airport in time to meet my children…"
"I promise..it will only take us a few minutes. I have to show you this artifact…I was here the other day and I could have sworn that I heard..well, VOICES coming from it."
Kimiyo sighed. She'd heard the story from her young friend several times. More times than she had wanted to, actually. But then again, so much of Maya's powers were a mystery, even to the young Indian girl. So far, she had manifested a psionic ability to control fire and water, but from past adventures when extreme anger or fear had pushed her to tap deeper into herself, she had demonstrated frightening levels of power. But then again, she WAS worshipped by a cult in her native India who insisted that Chandi was the living avatar of the goddess Shiva, so who really knew what the girl was capable of?
Aquaman filled the Department of Atlantean Antiquities with relics and works of art that he had donated to The Louvre about a year ago. The undersea monarch himself had been at the opening and the new department enjoyed a healthy stream of visitors eager to learn more about Atlantis. But Chandi was moving over to a special section of the room that contained artifacts from Skartaris.
"Skartaris? Never heard of it? Is it a city in Atlantis?" Kimiyo asked, her scientific curiosity getting the better of her as Chandi shook her head.
"When I first came here, I thought the same thing. I showed my Justice Squadron ID and was able to take a look at the sealed records of where Skartaris is. It's a land inside the Earth, Kimi!"
"You must be confused…that's Pellucidar and it's a fiction. I read the books by Edgar Rice Burroughs when I was a girl."
"Skartaris was discovered some ten years ago by an U.S. Air Force Captain named Travis Morgan. He flew his jet into an opening at The North Pole and found himself in Skartaris. It's a land that's like something out of a sword and sorcery movie, Kimi! It's got dinosaurs, wizards, swordsmen…"
"You must be joking." Even as she said the words, Kimiyo was thinking, but then again, we live in a world where men and women with the power of ancient gods are a reality…I'm sure that in some parts of the world, people hear about Doctor Light and think that I must be a myth or a wild story! So she allowed her young friend to pull her to a huge urn encrusted with runes, sigils and roughly carved jewels.
"So if this is from this Skartaris place, then why is in the Atlantean Department?"
"Sometime in the past, a large number of Atlanteans migrated from Atlantis to Skartaris and built cities there and used their advanced technology to carve out some kind of civilization. This urn is supposed to be some one hundred and three thousand years old…"
"And it talks to you."
Chandi pouted in frustrated impatience. Kimi was one of her best friends…they had served together back when there had been a Justice League Europe and no one had been more delighted than Chandi when Kimiyo had decided to join The Squadron full time, even going so far as to make arraignments to bring her children over from Japan to live with her.
But Kimi could act so OLD sometimes…if Hawkman were still on the team; HE wouldn't be acting like this. HE had treated her like an adult. Maybe not as MUCH of an adult as she would have liked…
"I was here taking some pictures and I heard..well, voices coming from the urn…I couldn't make out what they were saying exactly…just whispers..but they sounded…desperate."
"I see. And did you report this to the proper authorities? Such as the museum staff?"
"Well..no…"
"Did you report this to Ralph or Maxwell Lord? Perhaps this is a matter that should be followed up on by the entire team and not just you."
"Well, I told you, didn't I? I didn't want to bother Ralph with this…he and Sue are so excited over the baby and Mr. Lord's been so busy and I don't really know him all that well…I just wanted somebody I trusted to come here and take a look. And you ARE a scientist…"
"But Atlantean artifacts-"
"Skartaran artifacts!"
"Very well, then. Skartaran artifacts are hardly in my field. In fact, I hardly know a thing about archeology. I wouldn't know a sarcophagus from a slide trombone. I really think that-" Kimiyo stopped. Chandi was waving at her to be quiet. The girl had cocked her head to the side and her eyes were bright with excitement.
"Are you hearing something now?" No answer from the girl. "Chandi?" Kimiyo placed a hand on her friend's shoulder.
"I hear the voices again…and, Kimi.."
"What? What is it?"
"They're getting louder."
Oberon lifted his glass for Ralph to pour in more champagne and continued his story. "So, Scott and I were in Veyska when we got news that Max had been rescued by you guys and he was going to reform the team. Scott said he could spare me for a few days so I collected Shilo here and flew on over to give you all my blessings."
Max frowned. "But you said that you heard I was looking for you to be my assistant, like in the old days. What do you say, Oberon? We made a damned good team back when we ran Justice League International. We could do it again with this team and really put it on the map."
Oberon shook his head, smiling somewhat sadly. "Those WERE good days, Max and I had myself a blast. But I'm committed to being Scott's manager these days. He's got a deal to do some specials that are going to be broadcast by satellite worldwide and we're busy working up some really spectacular escapes. He needs me now. But I didn't want to leave you in the lurch. That's why I brought along my good buddy Shilo Norman."
The slim black youth stuck out a hand. "A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Lord. All of you, really…I can't believe I'm in the same room with you guys."
Max shook Shilo's hand. "If Oberon vouches for you, that's all the recommendation you need. Where'd you meet Scott and Oberon?"
"Some years back, Scott was training me to be an escape artist. I hung around with him and Oberon for a while."
"That's back when Scott first took over being Mister Miracle from Thaddeus Brown. Scott and Barda left Earth to return to New Genesis and me an Shilo kinda knocked around the country for 'bout a year until he decided to go to college. Then Scott and Barda came back to Earth and I hooked up with them again. But I always stayed in touch with Shilo."
"You graduate from college, son?" Nathaniel Adam asked.
"Yes, sir. Took some Business Administration courses if that'll help with the job."
"I'll take you under my wing, Shilo." Max said expansively. "Don't worry about the kid, Oberon. I'll look after him."
Oberon smiled warmly up at Max. "I know you will, Max. So, can you guys put me up in your new fancy digs for the night? My flight out isn't until t'morrow, so that gives us sometime to kick the willy bobo."
"Sure! Not a problem, Oberon. You know that! Gardinel!"
Everyone turned to watch the tall, grim faced man with eyes like dead stones enter the room. He moved with an uncanny ease and grace that immediately marked him as more than human. The Justice Squadron and their guests fell silent as the imposing Gardinel walked over to Max and said, "Yes, Mr. Lord?"
"This is Oberon, a good friend of mine. He's going to be staying overnight. Find him a room. And that's Shilo Norman over there. He's going to be working with me as my assistant. He'll need permanent quarters. You'll see to that."
"Of course, Mr. Lord. Right away." Gardinel glided out of the room as silently and as swiftly as he had came in. Naturally, every eye swung back to Max.
"Okay, Max, where'd you find the golem?" Ted Kord asked with his usual tact and subtlety.
"He's not..quite human, is he?" Bette said. "Something about his movements..his eyes.."
"Well, thank goodness I've finally got some support around here!" Sue Dibny snapped from where she sat, her hands folded over the gentle swell of her belly. "Max showed up with Gardinel one day shortly after he left the hospital and he won't say where he knows him from or where he comes from!"
"How about it, Max? Who is he?" Oberon demanded. Max lifted impeccably manicured hands for silence.
"You'll have to trust me on this one, guys. You have my word that Gardinel is here to help the team. He's got no desire to join, but he has access to certain information and skills that will prove most useful. I've known him for a long time, back before the JLI days, but he worked more in the background then on my behalf. He's great at gathering information."
"I just bet he is," Will muttered. "Cat looks like he chews concrete for breakfast." He looked over at Nathaniel. "What's your call on this, boss?"
Nathaniel threw a swift look at Ralph Dibny, who had fallen silent upon hearing the word 'boss' being used in reference to Nathaniel Adam. Ralph was saying nothing but Nathaniel knew what was in The Elongated Man's mind. Ralph had been enjoying his time as leader of The Justice Squadron. And Nathaniel could guess why. When The Justice League had reformed, Ralph hadn't even been asked if he wanted to come on board. Instead, Plastic Man had been handpicked by Batman to join the team and even though he had joked about it, that had hurt Ralph. He considered Batman a friend and to be just passed over in such a manner, his past distinguished record of service with the former incarnations of The League not even considered..well, it just hurt, that was all.
Since The Crimson Fox had stepped down as leader in favor of Ralph, he had shown an extraordinary aptitude for the job and the only reason he was going to step down now was because of the baby's impending birth and he wanted to devote as much time as possible to being there for the child and Sue. Ralph had grown to enjoy his role as The Squadron's ramrod and Nathaniel was determined that nobody would question that fact for however much time Ralph had left.
He said firmly, "Ralph's the leader of this team, Will. If he's okay with it, I am too."
Will's mouth half opened in sudden embarrassment and he said to Ralph, "Hey, man, I didn't mean anything by callin' Nate 'boss'…I'm just usta him callin' the shots, y'know?"
"It's okay, Will. We've all got a period of adjustment to go through, but we'll be fine," Ralph replied. "Now that that's settled, I think Max has got an announcement to make."
"I do at that, Ralph, Thanks. I've called a press conference at 4PM sharp, so I'd like everybody back here no later than 3PM, in full costumes and I guess you'll have to go get a wax and shine, Nate! We'll formally introduce the New Justice Squadron to the world and be ready to answer a whole lot of pointless, boring, stupid but necessary questions. That clear to everybody?"
"Kinda moving fast aren't you, Max? We've just arrived and already a press conference?" Ted said.
"It's good public relations, Ted. I've made a lot of promises to get the funding for this team and that means that you're going to have to get used to being a very high profile team."
"Did you tell Kimi and Chandi about the press conference?" Constance asked.
"I left memos in their mail boxes," Max said, pulling back a sleeve to look at a Mourois watch of yellow and white gold. "And just where the blazes ARE they?"
"I want you to come away from that thing right this instant, Chandi!" Kimiyo hissed. They were beginning to draw attention from the museum staff and one THIS day, of all days, she did not want attention from anyone except her children.
Chandi was standing in front of the urn, listening to the invisible voices she claimed were coming from inside of it. The girl was swaying back and forth slightly, and now her full lips were moving as if she were answering the voices.
A museum guard approached and asked in French: "Is there a problem here, miss?"
"Do you speak English?" Kimiyo asked. Her conversational French wasn't all that great under the best of circumstances and when she got angry or frustrated, it tended to drive all other languages out of her head except for her native Japanese.
"Yes, I do, mademoiselle. Is the young lady unwell? We have an infirmary here in the museum. Perhaps she would like to go there?"
Kimiyo fished out her Justice Squadron ID. "She'll be fine. Look, I really don't want a big deal made out of this..I have to pick up my children from the airport and-"
But the museum guard, star stuck at meeting a member of the famous Justice Squadron was bowing low, words spilling out of his mouth in a torrent. Kimiyo sighed and forcibly yanked Chandi away from the urn, dragging the girl across the huge hall, ignoring the amused looks and stifled giggles from onlookers. Kimiyo wondered briefly how'd they like being blinded for about ten minutes by a sunburst. Then she thought of lawsuits and Max Lord's outrage and thought better of it.
Behind them, the urn sat under its cone of light, jewels sparkling as if flashing in some secret and ancient code.