Issue Number Twenty-Three
"From Here To Skartaris"
BOOM!
The deafening explosion of the Boom Tube departing knocked over the four interdimensional travelers it had just deposited. And once its job had been completed, the Boom Tube had withdrawn just as swiftly. The air crackled with the residual energies of the miraculous Apokoliptian transport device and the four members of The Justice Squadron gingerly picked himself or herself up from the lush, grassy hill they had landed on.
"Jeez," Blue Beetle brushed grass from the front of his costume. "No wonder Darkseid and his crew stay in such a bad mood…if I had to travel in something that made THAT much noise…"
Plastique was helping Maya to her feet. The young girl smiled her thanks. She was still a bit out of it due to her having been mentally controlled by Deimos, the insane Skartaran wizard who was holding the entire city of Paris captive back on their world. Plastique was looking around her in wonder. Some 100 or so yards down the hill was the edge of an immense forest of trees that were of truly staggering size. The trunks had to be somewhere around two hundred feet in diameter and the leaves were easily some fifteen feet across and their thick purple and red veins looked almost alive. A huge yellow-white sun hung right in the center of the sky and the tropical heat was oppressive. Soon they were all dripping with sweat.
The Elongated Man had stretched his torso up into the sky and was twisting this way and that, trying to find any signs of habitation or of people.
"Is this Skartaris?" Plastique asked. "Gardinel DID deliver us to where we’re supposed to be, right?"
Blue Beetle shrugged. "Don’t ask me, Mrs. Atom. I’ve never been to the place." He jerked a thumb at Maya. "She’s the closest thing we’ve got to a Skartaran expert with us." Blue Beetle cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted upwards, "Hey, Ralph! See anything?"
"Yeah!" Ralph quickly contracted his body back to its normal dimensions and pointed into the forest. "There’s a clearing not far into that forest and get this: there’s a guy on horseback sword fighting with about nine guys. And he’s holding his own against ‘em all!"
"So what do you expect us to do?" Plastique demanded.
"Go give him a hand, of course," Ralph answered. "Come on, let’s—"
"Could we just take this a bit slower, please?" Plastique said in a quiet, yet insistent voice. "We’re here to find this sorceress and take her back to Paris to stop Deimos. I don’t think we should be getting involved in local affairs that are none of our business."
"First off, it won’t hurt to make a friend since we’re strangers in these parts and don’t have the first idea of where to look for Jennifer Morgan. Second of all, I’m not going to stand by and watch an outnumbered man be butchered when I can do something about it. Third of all and most important, I’M the leader of this team and if you want to STAY on this team, you’ll follow my orders." Ralph had said all this in a calm yet firm voice that left no doubt that he meant what he said. He turned and began running for the forest, closely followed by Maya, who was already forming her bow and an arrow of psionic flame.
Blue Beetle threw Plastique a wry grin. "It’s Rule 11, page 35, paragraph 1 in the Superhero Handbook, Mrs. Atom: always help out the underdog. You comin’?" The Beetle raced to catch up to his teammates.
Plastique muttered something in French under her breath that would have brought an appalled look to her husband’s face if he had been there and followed.
They plunged into the forest and indeed; they could hear the clang of sword against sword, the clanking of armor, the curses and war cries of men engaged in a brutal struggle for survival. Breaking into the clearing, they took in a sight that they had only seen up until now in sword-and-sorcery movies back on Earth.
Indeed, a band of armored men, all on foot were attacking one lone man who sat astride a giant of a midnight black horse. It was this benefit that had kept the lone warrior alive this long as he had the advantage of height and he was an expert enough horseman that he was guiding his massive steed with his knees, using the great round war shield on one arm to deflect the blows of his enemies while striking back with the blood encrusted sword in the other. Three bodies on the ground lay as mute testimony to the skill of the lone warrior.
"Move in hard and fast and take ‘em out, team!" Elongated Man snapped. "I’ll approach our new friend and let him know we mean no harm."
Plastique released a double explosive blast from her fists that scattered the six remaining warriors. They flew backwards, shouting in anger and dismay. They were no cowards, though and quickly recovered, snatching up their swords, spears and battle axes and advanced on the new arrivals, armor clanking as they approached.
Maya fired several flaming arrows, one after the other and as they struck the weapons of the warriors, they exploded into powder. The warriors gaped in awe. Now THIS was something they understood.
One warrior flipped up the faceplate of his helmet. "Foul sorcery! Fall back, men! Fall back! We’ll settle accounts with the dog Morgan another day!"
Elongated Man had heard that. ‘Morgan’? Was this lone warrior in some way related to Jennifer Morgan? Gardinel had promised that he would place them somewhere near the sorceress they sought. Ralph quickly pulled his body back into shape so as not to alarm the warrior who was climbing off his horse.
The warrior was a big man and thickly muscled. Old scars and new crisscrossed his massive chest and arms. His skin had been tanned to a golden-bronze by the hot Skartaran sun. He shook his sword to clean it of the bright red blood that covered the blade from tip to hilt and large drops flew sparkling through the air like giant rubies. The sword went into the scabbard belted about his waist with a heavy clank. He was nearly naked, garbed only in silver and black metal and leather boots and a loincloth of some animal skin. A thick chain crossed his chest, holding a metal shoulder guard in place. The warrior watched as The Justice Squadron approached, removing his winged war helmet and wiping sweat from his face. It was quite a handsome face at that. Diamond blue eyes of piercing intelligence took in the four colorfully garbed forms.
"From the look of you lot and the abilities you display, you could only come from Earth. Who are you? Justice League? Justice Society?"
Blue Beetle grinned and holstered his BB gun. The attack by the female contingent of the team had been so overwhelming that he hadn’t even gotten his licks in. "Hey, you speak English! And how do you know about The JLA and JSA?"
The warrior laughed, a booming, rich laugh full of the joy of living. "I may not get back to Earth all that often, but that doesn’t mean that I forgot everything about it. What’s wrong with your friend there?" The warrior was pointing at Elongated Man.
Blue Beetle turned and looked. Ralph Dibny was standing with his mouth working, strange gibbering sounds of total and complete shock and astonishment emanating from the orifice. Plastique and Maya were looking from Ralph to Blue Beetle, wondering just what had turned the normally verbose Elongated Man into a catatonic turnip.
The warrior frowned slightly, one sinewy hand drifting to the hilt of his sword. "You have some problem with me, friend?"
Ralph finally found his voice; "Ollie? Oliver Queen? What in God’s name are YOU doing here?"
Captain Atom was smashed into the already rubble strewn floor of what had once been The Louvre Museum and was now an ancient Atlantean citadel, transformed by the mystical power of Deimos. While half the team was in Skartaris to locate Jennifer Morgan and bring her back to stop Deimos, Captain Atom, Amazing Man, Crimson Fox and Doctor Light had elected to stay in Paris and slow Deimos down.
So far, the only thing they had managed to do was make Deimos even madder.
Crimson Fox had crawled up a moss and vine encrusted pillar while Captain Atom and Doctor Light had attacked Deimos head on. The plan was to distract him while Amazing Man, who had changed himself to pure silver made a grab for The Urn of Infinite Souls. The plan wasn’t going all that well. Captain Atom and Doctor Light had been knocked flat inside of twelve seconds into the attack.
Crimson Fox leaped and landed right on Deimos’s back, gripping his head with her long talons that could tear steel like paper. Deimos crashed to the floor and Crimson Fox made a decision. She gritted her teeth and said a prayer and with all her prodigious strength, twisted Deimos’s head as hard as she could.
The breaking of the wizard’s neck was horribly loud in the vast chamber.
Crimson Fox stood up and wiped her face. She could only hope that God would forgive her for killing Deimos, but she could see no other way to stop him.
Amazing Man was at her side, steadying her. He looked down at the body of the wizard. Deimos’s head had been turned completely around so that now, he was looking over his left shoulder, right up at his killer, his eyes still open. Amazing Man placed a comforting arm around Crimson Fox’s slim shoulders.
Captain Atom and Doctor Light joined them. The tall, silver skinned Captain leaned down and said softly in her ear; "There was no other way, Constance. There isn’t anyone who can fault you for making the call you did."
Crimson Fox swallowed hard. "I know…it’s just that I don’t know how to explain this to Max and Ralph..Oh, dear God, Ralph…"
"Ralph wasn’t here while we were getting our heads bashed in by this lunatic!" Doctor Light snapped, straightening her gloves with short, sharp tugs. "And if he OR Max dares to give you or any of us any problems about the way we’ve dealt with this situation, so help me, I’ll quit!"
"I’m sure it won’t come to that," Captain Atom reassured her. "Of course, none of us hold with random killing, but sometimes there just isn’t any other way. This Deimos wouldn’t listen to reason and there wasn’t anything we could do to stop him. And when we get back to Squadron Central, I’ve got to sit down with Max and Ralph. If nothing else, this case has demonstrated that we badly need a magic user on the team—"
"Hey." Amazing Man said quietly. His teammates turned to look at him. He hadn’t changed back to his human form. He was still a living statue of pure sparkling silver. "I dunno much about this magic stuff, but if he’s dead, isn’t everything supposed to turn back to normal?"
Captain Atom’s eyes opened wide in sudden realization that his friend had made a definite point. "I’m not all that familiar with magic myself, Will, but I do recall the few times I’ve encountered it that yes, when a magician dies, his spells die with him and anything he may have done reverts back to normal…"
"Then howcum this place still looks like Godzilla’s potty box?"
Amazing Man was right on the money. The entire building still was in its current transformed state. The walls covered with insanely growths of moss and vines. Immense pillars still throbbing with arcane life and The Urn Of Infinite Souls was hovering in mid-air, half formed. Pieces of the urn were drifting upwards from all parts of the room and the urn was continuing to reform itself like some insane jigsaw puzzle.
"God in Heaven, he’s not dead!" Doctor Light yelled. "Get back!" She threw up a blazing shield of light energy as Deimos levitated himself, his head flopping grotesquely over one shoulder as the wizard’s body burned with the blackest of dark magic. His body rose up from a prone position to a standing one. Doctor Light’s shield had protected them somewhat and Amazing Man placed his silver body in front of his teammates as Deimos reached his hands upwards and gripped his head firmly. He yanked it around until it was once again in its proper place. They could hear bones grinding together as Deimos gave his head a last twist and he was again whole. He laughed wildly at the consternation of his enemies.
"I have been cheating Death Herself since before this world’s inception! Do you honestly believe that I could be so easily sent to The Land Of Eternal Shadow by the puny physical efforts of such as YOU?" Deimos lifted his obsidian hands. Pure magical energy…ancient Atlantean energy crackled around his body and his grin was hot and majestic as the ruby in his chest burned. "Time I think that I showed you exactly just WHAT you are up against, my future slaves…"
Ralph Dibny could only shake his head as the tall warrior’s laugh rang out in the primitive forest. "I’m sorry…it’s just that.."
The warrior raised his wide, bloodstained hands. "No need, no need. Yes, Oliver Queen and I DO look alike. In fact, I met him once in Seattle. Got into quite a bit a trouble there because of our resemblance…"
"Resemblance, hell! Except for the fact he’s got blond hair and you’ve got silver hair, you could be his twin brother!"
Indeed, the tall warrior was the exact spitting image of the former Justice League member known as Green Arrow. On Earth, Oliver Queen had been known as an extremely handsome man with a full head of flowing golden hair and a stylish goatee. This warrior also sported a thick, virile mane of hair and a goatee but his hair was silver. And it wasn’t just that. He also had the firm high cheekbones and heroic square chin that Ralph had only seen only on Oliver Queen, who had been the greatest living modern expert in archery on Earth.
Plastique looked from Ralph to the warrior. "Just WHO are you?"
"My apologies, madam." The warrior took Plastique’s purple-gloved hand and raised it to his lips while kneeling. "Travis Morgan, formally a Lt. Colonel of the United States Air Force. But here in Skartaris, I’m known to most as THE WARLORD."
Ralph stepped forward to shake Morgan’s hand. "Sorry about that, Warlord…it’s just that the resemblance between you and Ollie Queen is..well, it’s SCARY, to be honest…"
"I take it you know Queen rather well?" Travis Morgan placed his winged helmet back upon his head. He was having a good time at Ralph’s expense.
"I was his teammate when we were both members of The Justice League of America. But I’m with another team now. The Justice Squadron."
Morgan’s infectious laugh rang out again. "Justice League, Justice Society, Justice Squadron…don’t you people believe in variety when you name your teams?"
"We don’t have time for this!" Plastique snapped. "Listen, Morgan or Warlord or whatever you call yourself! Do you know a sorceress named Jennifer Morgan?"
"I should hope so. She’s my daughter."
"Then we need her help against a wizard who is threatening millions of lives back on Earth! A sorcerer named Deimos!"
The eyes of The Warlord suddenly burned hot with a murderous fury. His hand closed on the hilt of his sword as he said in a voice of ice and steel; "I think you’d better tell me exactly why you’ve come to Skartaris and quickly."
Oberon lifted his head from the computer screen as Maxwell Lord and Shilo Norman hurried into the communications center of The Justice Squadron’s headquarters. Shilo had taken off his suit jacket and tie, but Max still looked as if he had just come from a Hollywood premier in his Armani suit. "Any luck?" Max demanded.
Oberon nodded. "No. I can’t contact anybody from the outside. That damned dome is still blocking any efforts we make to contact the outside world."
"Damnation!" Max paced back and forth. "I just KNOW that if we could get in touch with Green Lantern or Doctor Fate or Zatanna Zatara, they could put the kibosh on this Deimos character!"
"The hell with them," Oberon said feelingly. "Send The mollyfoggin’ Spectre."
Shilo looked confused. "We already got somebody who can reach the outside world, don’t we?"
Max looked over at the younger man. "If you’ve got an idea, spit it out!"
"Gardinel. Can’t he whip up a Boom Tube to get us past Deimos’s mystic dome? He sent Ralph and the others to Skartaris, didn’t he? Isn’t Skartaris OUTSIDE the dome? Why can’t he summon a Boom Tube to bring in the cavalry?"
"I’ve tried that." Gardinel entered the room, his Mother Box in his hand. "Right after I sent Elongated Man and his team to Skartaris, that same idea occurred to me and I attempted to open a Boom Tube to Washington DC. Deimos’s spell prevents my Mother Box from locking in on accurate co-ordinates on THIS Earth. She can send us to other dimensions, yes, but she can’t send us to any point on this Earth with any certainty. I tried and just came back from The South Pole."
"How’s the situation in Paris, Oberon?" Max asked.
"Panic. The people are rioting in the streets and they’re going to attack The Louvre themselves. The police have given up trying to hold them back or control them and in fact, they’re going to join them." The dwarf’s face was strained and haggard. "And I lost contact with Captain Atom 17 minutes ago. If Ralph and his team don’t get back with this Jennifer Morgan damned soon, Max, the streets of Paris are going to run red with the blood of its people."
"Perhaps I should go and give assistance, Mr. Lord." Gardinel offered. But Max shook his head.
"You stay right here. If worse comes to worse, you’re our only escape route out of here."
"But I have no way of knowing where on Earth a Boom Tube will deposit us. It could be in the middle of a jungle or a desert or—"
"It doesn’t matter. I’ve got my satellite phone and no matter where we are, I can get us some help."
"You’re not thinking of runnin’ out on your team, are you, Max?" Oberon asked quietly. Max smiled at his old friend.
"I’m a lot of things, Oberon, but a coward isn’t one of them. But let’s face the facts: there’s a good chance that Deimos has taken out Captain Atom’s team. We have no way of knowing when Ralph’s team will return from Skartaris or even if they can even find this Jennifer Morgan. The four of us may be the last line of defense to stop Deimos. We’ll give Ralph and his team some more time but if things get much worse, we’ll have to Boom Tube out of here and take our chances. We’ve GOT to get word to the outside world as to what’s going on."
"I’ll go," Shilo Norman said quietly. "Gimme the phone."
Max sized the slim youth up. "Shilo, you weren’t hired for this, God knows. I don’t expect you to risk your life like this…"
"Mr. Lord, when I started workin’ with Scott and Oberon, I was in situations a LOT more dangerous than this, trust me. And I’ve got the best chance of surviving wherever the Boom Tube drops me. Scott trained me to survive and I can do this and I can get help."
Max threw Oberon a questioning look and the dwarf nodded. With no further hesitation Max reached inside his suit jacket and withdrew his satellite phone. "Whenever to get to wherever it is you’re going to, just hit THIS button. It’s an exclusive emergency number to my ex-wife. She’s probably aware of what’s going on. She’ll be able to get you picked up from anywhere in the world."
Gardinel spoke again. "I must again warn you, Shilo Norman. I cannot say where the Boom Tube will deposit you on Earth. You may even appear INSIDE the Earth or miles ABOVE it."
"We gonna do this or what?" Shilo jammed the phone in his pants pocket and cracked his knuckles. "Fire it up, big man."
Admiration sparkled in Gardinel’s normally cold dead eyes as he extended his Mother Box and summoned a Boom Tube.
Travis Morgan and The Justice Squadron came to a wide; well traveled path and he led his horse by its reins as Ralph explained the situation back on Earth. The Warlord did not once interrupt, just listened, occasionally nodding. When Ralph was finished he finally spoke; "Deimos and I go back a long way. The feud between him and myself and Jennifer has cost us many friends. The problem with Deimos is that the bastard doesn’t have the good grace to stay DEAD. Hell, I’ve killed him twice and so has Jennifer. And no matter what we do, he keeps coming back."
"But how did he get to Earth?" Maya wanted to know. Ever since meeting Morgan, she hadn’t been able to take her eyes off of him. He was so barbaric…so intense… with the most exquisitely divine eyes…she couldn’t stop thinking of how it would feel to be encircled by those wonderfully muscled arms and held tightly to the oh-so-marvelously broad chest—
"I have no idea. I’ve never heard of this Urn of Infinite Souls you speak of, but then again, I’m no wizard. And I’m flattered by the way you’re looking at me, young lady, but its embarrassing me as well. I may not look it, but trust me, I’m old enough to be your grandfather."
Maya blushed furiously as Blue Beetle burst out laughing and even Plastique smothered a grin. Ralph stretched out an arm and wrapped it around Maya’s shoulders and winked at the girl. Morgan also smiled, but his smile was fleeting as he returned to talking about his nemesis.
"As it turns out, I was on my way to see Jennifer. There’s a coalition of minor mages who have started a cult of human sacrifice in the province of Hartinia about nine days ride to the south. I wanted to get her help in stamping them out once and for all. I’ve fought them before, but like Deimos, they pop up here and there every so often."
"Gardinel said he would make sure we were near where Jennifer Morgan was." Maya said. "Do you know Gardinel?"
The Warlord shook his head. "The only Gardinel I’m familiar with is a legendary demon slayer who was said to have walked Skartaris some two thousand years ago. Supposedly he roamed from one end of Skartaris to the other, battling a demon race that had enslaved much of Skartaris. He wiped out thousands of them and raised up an army of humans to rebel. Once the power of the demons were broken, he simply vanished."
"You don’t think that that Gardinel and ours are the same man? Is it possible?" Plastique wondered aloud.
"Hey, take a look around you, Mrs. Atom…." Blue Beetle replied. "You’re walking in a world that Robert E. Howard would consider a vacation spot next to guy right outta a Frazetta painting and you’re questioning what’s possible?"
"And why do you keep calling me, ‘Mrs. Atom?’ My name is Plastique!"
"Sorry. Last time I looked you WERE married to Captain Atom, right? I kinda the sound of ‘Mrs. Atom’, don’t you?"
Plastique’s angry reply was cut short by The Warlord’s booming voice; "We’re here." He pointed.
The road sharply curved upwards. The distance had been obscured by a bank of dense fog but now, it was blown away to reveal a gorgeous castle that sparkled and shone in the ever noon sun of Skartaris. The castle did not look like something that had been made of brick and stone, but of blown pastel glass and delicate crystal. Pennants and flags flew from the many tall turrets and towers. It was simply a lovely sight and one that took their collective breath away.
"It moves, you know," Morgan said matter-of-factly as he motioned for them to continue walking. "Usually when I want to find Jennifer I just concentrate on her and she brings her castle to wherever I am. That’s probably why your friend Gardinel placed you near me. I was concentrating on Jennifer when I was attacked by those men back there; old enemies looking to settle a score."
"Then if she can come to you just by you thinking about it, why ride?" Ralph asked. "Why not just stay where you were?"
Morgan’s eyes darkened and he turned his face away. "Let’s just say I had personal business to take care of along the way and leave it at that, okay, Dibny?"
Ralph was about to say something else, but Blue Beetle laid a hand on his arm and shook his head in a negative. Ralph nodded in understanding. They would be leaving soon and the chances were that they would never see Travis Morgan again. And Ralph knew that his sudden liking of the man was based largely on Morgan’s uncanny resemblance to Oliver Queen. But it would do no good to get involved with Morgan and his world. They had their own to save.
"How do you think the others are doing?" Plastique said aloud.
"I’m sure that Cap and the others are just fine, Bette." Ralph threw her a brave grin over his shoulder. "Your husband is one of the most capable men I know. In fact, he and the others have probably got Deimos right where they want him."
Amazing Man regained consciousness to a pretty horrible sight. He was hovering in the air along with Captain Atom, Doctor Light and Crimson Fox, all of who looked unconscious. They were outline in coronas of dark mystic energy, just as he was and no matter how he struggled, he couldn’t break free. Neither was there anything close at hand that he could touch to change. When he had been knocked unconscious, he had spontaneously reverted to his human form, as usual. And in order for him to transform into stone or steel or any other substance, he had to touch it. He was touching this black radiance but obviously he wasn’t able to internalize mystic energy.
In front of the four Justice Squadron members, The Urn of Infinite Souls was almost reformed. Just another few small pieces were needed to complete the cursed object. And those pieces were drifting upwards and fitting themselves into place. And Amazing Man had the nastiest feeling that once they did so, there was gonna be one hell of a fat lady singing the LAST song for everybody and everything.
"Deimos!" Amazing Man shouted. Maybe if he could get him talking until Captain Atom or Doctor Light woke up..he was sure that one of them could blast free and then they’d be back in the fight. "Deimos! I’m talkin’ to you, man!"
Deimos whirled around and threw him a murderous glare of hatred. "Silence, you black dog! Deimos does not stoop to communicating with animals!"
Great, Amazing Man thought wryly. Not only is he an all-powerful magician, he’s a RACIST all-powerful magician…just what I needed..but maybe I can use that…
"Maybe that’s because back where you come from a brother opened up a seriously king-sized can o’ whoop-ass on you, right? I saw that look you gave me, man. Somebody my color gave you a serious stompin’ in the past."
Deimos snarled; "It is true that your attitude and arrogance reminds me of one of Travis Morgan’s companions…but here as there, Deimos always triumphs!"
"Get me down from here and let’s put that to the test, aight? Me an’ you. I won’t even use my powers, how’s that?"
Deimos threw back his head and laughed. "And why should I agree to such stupidity as that? Behold!"
Horrified, Amazing Man watched as the final, very last chip of pottery settled into place and The Urn Of Infinite Souls was at last WHOLE.
Deimos’s laugh of victory filled the temple as he roared; "AT LAST! I’VE WON!"
And The Urn Of Infinite Souls extended beams of dark energy that stabbed into the bodies of The Justice Squadron and ripped their very souls loose and Amazing Man felt an overwhelming terror as the most sacred part of his being was taken from him and his scream threatened to drown out the triumphant laughter of Deimos.
She sat on a throne carved out of a single huge pearl. A tall woman dressed in a simple pale rose robe. An amulet sparkled at her throat. Delicate rings of woven gold and silver adorned her fingers. Her eyes were of a heavenly blue that captivated everyone who looked deep into them. Her shining silver hair flowed around her shoulders and down her back.
The Justice Squadron and The Warlord had been met at the castle gates by..well, sprites was the only word any of them could think of. Bright winged creatures with forms of light not flesh who had escorted them to an inner chamber where Jennifer Morgan sat reading. After greeting her father and being introduced to The Justice Squadron, The Elongated Man once again told the story of Deimos’s return to life on Earth.
"But of course I’ll help." Jennifer Morgan said to her guests. Plastique for one refused to believe that this pampered, obviously spoiled princess was the mighty sorceress that was going to help them stop Deimos. She looked as if the only thing she’d had to fight lately was tangles in her hair.
Jennifer turned her eyes suddenly on Plastique and she smiled. "I assure you, Bette, I’m a lot more formidable than I look." Plastique gawped in surprise. She hadn’t told Jennifer her real name and nobody had used it since they’d been in the room, she was sure of that. The sorceress turned to look at her father, who stood next to her throne. "Will you be coming along with me, Dad?"
Morgan shook his head in a negative. "What good would an old sword slinger like me do on Earth when you’ve got men and women there with the power of gods? No…they came to get the right one to help them and that’s you, Jen…you go on back to Earth with them and you stomp a hole in that bastard’s chest. I’ll wait here until you get back."
"Are you sure, Morgan?" Blue Beetle said. "Might be nice to visit Earth again…take in some movies…eat a pizza…"
"Oh, yes!" Maya breathed. "We really, really would like you to come…uh…to help stop Deimos, of course!"
Morgan smiled and bent down to kiss Maya’s forehead gently. "No, child, I’m afraid not. As I said before, I’m a lot older than I appear to be. I’ve been in Skartaris a long time now and I’ve returned to Earth on occasion, but every time I go there, it’s a world I’m recognizing less and less. I may get an urge to go visit…but not today."
Jennifer nodded. "The sprites will see to your needs, Dad."
"Are you going in that Victoria’s Secret outfit?" Plastique snapped.
Jennifer looked at her attire. "You DO have a point there. I’d best change into something more suitable for combat, I suppose." Jennifer snapped her fingers and in a burst of light, she was changed. He long silver hair was now in a sensible, tight bun on top of her head. Leather pants had replaced her robe, fur topped boots and a sleeveless, open necked pullover shirt of sabretooth tiger hide. She reached out a hand and a large leather satchel floated from a table over to where she stood. "Just a few things in here I might find useful." Jennifer winked at Plastique. "After all, a lady never goes anywhere without her purse."
Morgan kissed his daughter lightly on the lips and hugged her tightly. "Be careful, baby. I know you’re the most powerful sorceress in Skartaris, but you’re going to Earth and in a lot of ways, it’s more dangerous than Skartaris ever could be."
"You just rest up. We’ve got a cult to smash when I get back, right?"
Elongated Man and Blue Beetle shook hands with Travis Morgan while Jennifer got ready to transport them back to Earth.
"Too bad we didn’t have more of a chance to talk…bet you’ve got some stories to tell," Beetle said.
"As do you. And who knows? We may cross paths again. Someday." The Warlord stepped back and lifted a hand in salute. "Farewell, Justice Squadron. May you know victory this day."
Jennifer Morgan was tracing patterns in the air. Patterns that left trails of fire in the air. Patterns that circled The Justice Squadron and wrapped them and swirled around them and felt hellish hot yet numbingly cool at the same time.
And then they were gone.
"We’re BACK!" Maya cried as ribbons of mystic energy fell away to reveal the familiar city of Paris around them. Jennifer’s spell had placed them right in front of the transformed Louvre Museum. Plastique nodded in satisfaction and said; "I take back what I was thinking about you."
"Don’t start buying me lunch yet." Jennifer was looking at the transformed museum with dismay. "Lords Of Light, WHERE did he find the power to do all this?"
"From that Urn Of Infinite Souls we told you about..that’s what he claimed anyway…" Maya said.
"Look!" Ralph shouted. "Look around us!" He pointed. The streets were fairly littered with hundreds of Parisians who were lying still as stone, their eyes blank and staring into infinity.
"He’s tapped into the Urn and he’s stolen the souls of everybody in Paris," Jennifer said, horrified. "I didn’t think that even Deimos would be capable of such a monstrous act."
"But can you stop him is the $64,000 question here, sweetheart." Blue Beetle said.
"She can try!" The roof of The Louvre Museum exploded outwards and the entire building, already gutted from the previous battles, collapsed into a pile of flaming, smoking rubble. Deimos floated in midair, The Urn Of Infinite Souls held in his hands over his head. The Urn was pulsing and throbbing with the souls of an entire city contained within. Souls that fueled Deimos and gave him near limitless power.
"Nate! My God, where’s Nate?" Plastique shouted.
As if in answer, four forms appeared out of the smoke and ruin of The Louvre. Captain Atom. Doctor Light. Amazing Man. Crimson Fox. But they were different. Their eyes were empty black pools and their faces were devoid of anything resembling a recognizable human emotion.
Deimos screamed out; "With this urn, even Jennifer Morgan’s power pales besides mine! On this day, Deimos is reborn! No longer Deimos the mad wizard! Today, I become Deimos the GOD! And your friends are the honored first to be my soulless slaves!"
Blue Beetle shot Ralph a quick look. "Okay, boss, it’s your call…what the hell do we do now?"
The Elongated Man said, "We do what we came here for. Jennifer, if we run interference for you and block our teammates, can you take Deimos?"
"I can take him."
"Then what are we waiting for? Let’s finish this!"
NEXT ISSUE: While Jennifer Morgan battles Deimos to the death, The Justice Squadron is at war within their ranks as Elongated Man, Plastique, Maya and Blue Beetle go toe to toe with Captain Atom, Amazing Man, Crimson Fox and Doctor Light! This is a Smackdown Showdown like the WWF never dreamed of and you’ve got a front row seat! And oh yes, we WILL find out what happened to Shilo Norman and we guarantee you’re not gonna believe it!