"The Gathering, Part Three"
WORDENSHIRE, ENGLAND
"Niiiiiiice. Reminds me of the old JLE castle." Ralph Dibny, the stretchable Elongated Man, wrapped his neck around a suit of armor, staring at it intently. He loved old places, especially ones with as much history as Wordenshire Castle. It was enough to make his nose twitch in anticipation of a good old-fashioned mystery.
The rest of the Justice Squadron -- Crimson Fox, Maya and the mysterious Revenant were a bit more subdued in their appreciation of their surroundings. But all had to admit -- Wordenshire Castle, home to Cyril Sheldrake, was stunning in its opulence.
Cyril, a handsome and trim man, smiled indulgently as he led the colorful group on the tour of his home. The Earl of Wordenshire, Cyril was more than a bit proud of his heritage. "The castle has seen royalty and foreign dignitaries alike in its halls. Diana and Charles vacationed here several times right after their marriage, in fact. And Winston Churchill was heard once to remark, "If I were the sort of man to whom a castle could be a home, I would call that home Wordenshire."
Constance D'Aramis, the Crimson Fox, chuckled softly. Sometimes, Cyril's arrogance was almost charming. Almost. "Did you ask us to visit just so you could us a history lesson, Cyril? Or was there more?"
Cyril glanced back and noticed Maya running a hand over an expensive Ming vase. He smiled as he removed her hand. "Please, my young lady -- that is a priceless artifact."
Maya sniffed and peered at it more closely. "Looks just like the one my mother had on the mantleplace back in India. It cost $14.95 American. She bought it off the internet."
Cyril frowned harshly but was distracted from what was going to become a lecture on respecting one's elders by Constance's interruption. "Cyril...? You were going to tell us why we're here?"
"Yes... This way." Cyril stopped next to the same suit of armor that Ralph had been admiring. Tilting the armor's helmet back, a panel slid open on the wall behind.
Ralph snapped his fingers and grinned. "A-ha! I knew it! The old hidden wall trick. A classic."
Constance was the first to follow Cyril down the darkened staircase, though she flashed one of her dazzling smiles at Ralph along the way. "This is why you are so valuable to us, Ralphie. Your incredible eye for detail."
Maya turned to Revenant as the group descended into the Knight's lair. The ghostly figure gave her the frights.
Revenant, who floated rather than walking, his red cloak whipping about him, smiled at her. He was handsome enough but the mere fact that he was a ghost was disturbing. "Don't be frightened, girl. I won't hurt you."
Maya blinked. "You speak English now? I thought you could only speak French!"
"The more I'm around all of you, the more I pick up on it. I have powers that I don't even know about -- apparently, I'm sort of 'language sponge', as well. But I meant what I said, Chandi. I'm only here to help."
Maya nodded thoughtfully. "So what kind of sins did you commit?"
"In order for me to be punished to walk the earth, punishing criminals?" Revenant seemed amused by the question. "Bad ones. Horrible ones, in fact. You don't really want to know...."
"Oh." Chandi hugged her arms and moved a bit faster. "Chilly down here."
Revenant watched her and nodded. "Cold as ice."
Cyril was waiting for them all at the foot of the stairs. The Knight's lair was a state-of-the-art crimefighting headquarters, with computers and weaponry everywhere. "This is the base for all my activities as the Knight. It's here that I uncovered evidence suggesting that a group called the Secret Society of Super-Villains is loose in Europe."
Ralph nudged Constance. "Told you*."
(*Ralph uncovered evidence of the same when he defeated Cluemaster in # 1.)
Constance ignored the Elongated Man. "Why not just fax the information to us?"
Cyril cleared his throat. "Because I wish to join your group after all. I'll pledge my wealth and my resources to the group -- but only on one condition."
"Here it comes. We're gonna have to free your beloved from the clutches of some demon or something, right?"
Cyril stared at the Elongated Man like he were a particularly slow-witted child. "No... My condition is this -- the Justice Squadron will have to move its base of operations here, to Wordenshire Castle. We may protect all of Europe and beyond -- but the Knight must keep his roots here."
Cyril braced himself for what was to come. Accusations of arrogance, protestations that too much time and money had been spent on the group's Paris headquarters....
"Fine by me."
"Me, too."
"I think it is ze best idea I have heard in a long time!"
"One country's sinners are as good as another's."
Cyril couldn't hide his amazement. "Well, then... Consider the Knight signed on for the duration!"
ELSEWHERE
"Mirror Master and Amber are both in the custody of the Americans, but we can have them free within 48 hours."
"Good... but wait a bit longer. I want them to rue their mistakes. Free them in a week's time, no sooner."
The woman nodded, the sapphire gem on her mask's forehead glinting. "Shall we continue to search for the JLI equipment houses?"
The Master leaned back, his shadowy form all but hidden in the dim room. "No... Put that on hold for now. Concentrate on cataloging the full abilities of Europe's newest hero group."
The woman tilted her head. "Which one is that?"
"You should pay more attention to the news." The Master touched a button on the arm of his chair and a holographic image appeared before them both. "The Justice Squadron. Primarily composed of second-rate members of the old International League. Not very powerful... but an experienced group. Learn about them. Find out how to exploit their weaknesses."
"As you command."
The Master watched as she strode from the room. He stared at the heroes who stood smiling in the air before him. "Squadron...A name that brings back memories... Hopefully, this new grouping won't prove to be as much of a thorn in my side as the old."
WORDENSHIRE, ENGLAND
The Knight, now in full costume, sat before the monitor in silence. His new teammates were sleeping in their rooms, except for Ralph Dibny who was trying to convince his wife that she should join them immediately. They're a good group, if a bit undisciplined. I wonder if they'll mind Squire being about? Though with her boarding school in session, perhaps that won't be a problem....
A pinging made him look up. The perimeter alarm was designed to protect the castle from possible attack from the Knight's enemies and was configured to ignore local wildlife. For it to go off now....
The Knight called up a video display and felt his heart skip a beat. Without hesitation, he sounded the general alarm. "Everyone to the main hall -- we have an uninvited guest!"
LONDON, ENGLAND
"You're really going to join them? After the debacle that was the Guardians?!" Piers Grayson leaned over to the side of the man, the sheets barely covering his naked form. A pretty young thing, he was the latest in a long line of lovers for Dorcas Leigh. In his case, however, Dorcas actually felt like he might be the One.
Dorcas turned and looked at him. She was naked, though her long blonde hair writhed about her form and kept her nudity playfully hidden. "Why not? I've recovered from my injuries and I'm ready to start protecting my homeland again. These Justice Squadron-types seem well-funded and eager. I even hear they've recruited the Knight."
"Wonderful. More competition for me?"
Dorcas kissed his forehead. "Hush now. I may have enjoyed my celebrity status a bit too much in the past, but no more. As of today, Godiva is a strictly monogamous heroine."
Piers laughed. "When are you going to call them?"
"Tomorrow. You think they'll have me?"
"They'd be idiots not to...."
Godiva smiled. "Good. Then consider me a member of the Squadron in-waiting, then...."
Lord Havoc stepped into Castle Wordenshire as if he owned the entire area. Clad from head-to-toe in gleaming armor, he looked nothing like the Maxwell Lord who had once served as patron to the Justice League. He slowed to a halt as he saw the assembled Justice Squadron before him.
The Crimson Fox was in the front, crouched low with her claws extended. The Knight and the Elongated Man both stood immediately behind her, fists clenched. Maya and Revenant were on the far sides, one silent and deadly, the other with a flaming arrow notched in her bow. The Fox spoke first, "Halt! What are you doing here, Havoc? Are there other Extremists with you*?"
(*The original Lord Havoc was leader of a group called the Extremists. The Squadron is unaware that the current Havoc is Max Lord.)
"None. I come alone this time..." The mirth in Lord Havoc's voice set Ralph over the edge.
The Elongated Man drove a fist hard into Havoc's face, throwing the villain backwards. "Not this time! I was there when you and your buddies nearly killed the whole League*! I'm not going to give you another chance to do it again!"
(*Justice League Europe # 15-17. Classic issues!)
"Ralph?!" Constance blinked. Ralph Dibny was normally the most joyful, peaceful member of the group.
Maya fired a flaming arrow that struck Havoc in the chest and sent flame streaming over his armored form. "If Mr. Dibny thinks he's that dangerous, that's good enough for me!"
The Fox had to agree with that. She leaped forward, slashing her claws across Havoc's helmet, but doing no damage. The Knight entered the fray, kicking and punching while Revenant tried to use his powers to evoke terror in their enemy.
All the attacks were futile. Havoc sent a powerful backhand across Ralph's jaw, sending the hero's upper body flying across the room. He grabbed the Knight by the throat and slammed his face into the floor. "Fools! Do you think I would have come here if I wasn't sure that I could defeat you all? But I'm not here to fight you -- I come to offer you assistance!"
A second arrow from Maya, however, ended some of his bravado. The mystic weapon burst open in his face, causing him to stumble back in a near panic. Of all the current Squadron, she was perhaps the most powerful in theory -- the cultists who had once tried to worship her had sworn that her powers would only increase in time.
Maya kept her next arrow aimed at Havoc's eyes. Maybe if I can hit him there, I can hurt him. His armor won't protect that, I bet... "Why should we believe you?"
Havoc reached up and slowly began to remove his helmet. Constance readied herself to attack his face the moment he appeared threatening.
What she saw, however, chilled her blood.
Lord Havoc smiled at the assembled heroes. "Because I'm Maxwell Lord and I figure that's got to count for something....
TO BE CONTINUED!!!
AND NOW A SPECIAL BACK-UP FEATURE RE-TELLING THE ORIGIN OF MAYA!
"There's Something About Maya"
Note : This story is set before the team's trip to England.
Chandi Gupta stretched and gazed out the window of her Paris bedroom. Like everything that Constance had provided, it was very nice. Chandi padded over to the bathroom and gazed at herself in the mirror. She was becoming a woman, her shape changing and her outlook on life altering, as well.
Nothing, of course, could match the changes she'd gone through when her powers had first manifested. Outbursts of flame and other unusual physical phenomena had brought her to the attention of a cult that believed she was the reincarnation of Shiva. Worse, her parents had believed it. They'd actually decided to turn her over to the cultists!
Understandably, she'd fled rather than live a life as a freak, revered by people who didn't want her to be a girl at all -- but a Goddess.
And the Justice League took me in and protected me*. Showed me how to love and accept my powers... How to stand up to my parents and convince them to let me decide for myself who and what I am. By the time, I left them, I was much stronger emotionally and spiritually**.
(*Chandi first appeared seeking the League's help in JLE # 47, joining the group in issue # 50. **Maya left the League after the "Judgment Day" crossover in JLI # 67)
Her main power these days was the ability to create flaming arrows which she could fire at enemies, but she'd also displayed the power to fire bursts of flame*, though this was a bit more taxing.
(*As shown in JLI # 63-64, when she was being mind-controlled.)
Chandi heard a knocking at her door and moved to open it.
"Happy Birthday!"
The shout almost scared her into activating her power. She blinked back tears as Ralph, Sue, Constance and the ghostly Revenant stood there. Sue held a cake out towards Chandi, with the words "Sweet Sixteen" on top.
"How... how did you know?"
"Your parents called us from India. They wanted to make sure that such an important day was not forgotten." Constance leaned forward and kissed Chandi on the cheek. "We have presents waiting downstairs."
Chandi threw her arms around first Constance and the Ralph. "All of you are so wonderful. Like family!"
Sue touched her arm. "Home away from home. That's us."
The girl known as Maya knew that was very true, indeed. Even more than her real family, the people who had once fought alongside her in the League were her loved ones.
And they always would be.
Coming up in Justice Squadron # 4 : "The Gathering" comes to an end as Maxwell Lord's secrets are revealed! Plus : The Squadron takes part in their first public battle!
SQUADRON NOTES
The Maya story was designed to acquaint new readers with the character. Though she appeared in JLE/JLI from issue 47 through 67, many people don't know her at all. She's a great character, though. Look for similar things in the future with the Knight and Revenant and for any obscure international heroes who might join in the future.
Hey Barry!
Well, I loved these issues! Seeing Ralph and Sue is always a treat, as is the resurrection of the Crimson Fox. Now if only Amazing Man can come back, and fight Metamorpho for her... :-)
I REALLY liked Revenant, who is a great concept. I want to see more of him. Same goes for the Knight, who I've been wanting to see shine for a while now! Keep up the great work!
TJ Burns
Thanks for writing, TJ! I'm a big fan of these characters, too, and I hope to do right by them. Look for some cool villains soon, too -- and not just with the Secret Society.
Hope you're enjoying things,