"Hold on everyone, here he comes!!" Starman hollered to his friends.
Superman hit Starman's energy shield with an impact that could
shatter mountains...but it
held.
"Holy smoke, is it going to keep holding, Starman?" Plastic Man
asked with a slight quiver
in his voice.
"I'm not sure if it will take another hit like that one."
"OK, everyone get ready, if Superman gets through, we have to be
ready to take him down!"
Captain America hollered.
"You are kidding, right, take that guy down, did you see how fast
and strong he is. Hell, he
almost broke you in half CA," Green Arrow stated.
"I know I'll be ready, he took me off good, but I think it's time I
take my vitamins,"
Hour-Man said as he swallowed a strange looking pill.
"What is that?" Batman asked.
"Let's just call it an equalizer," Hour-Man said, smiling.
Superman had been standing in front of the field, but as the others
were beginning to hope
that he had given up, he ran forward and started hitting the field
with fists that were
moving so fast, that were but a blur.
The field started to flicker. "Ha, yes, I knew it, nothing can stand
up to Superman! Soon I
will get in there and when I do all of you pretenders will be taught
a lesson."
"Damn it, I'm using the cosmic rod at full power, but I don't think
it's going to hold."
"Just do your best, son," the Captain said putting a hand on
Starman's shoulder.
"As Superman pelted the now weakening energy field, the Batman
watched as several people
who had minutes ago been enjoying a beautiful winter's day in the
city's park, were now
running for their lives in every direction. "God, I hope Superman's
attention remains on
us and he doesn't go after any of these innocent people," Batman
thought to himself, but
as he looked at the fleeing crowd something caught his eye,
something very strange. A man,
a man sitting on a park bench just a little ways away. He was just
sitting there, watching,
as if it was the most natural thing in the world to watch Superman,
this city's protector
trying to kill several other costume crime-fighters. He seemed to be
holding something in his
hand as well. As Batman watched, the field suddenly gave way.
"Scatter men!" Captain America ordered.
"Yes, run you fools," Superman said as the others scattered in every
direction, except for one.
"Aren't you going to run with your friends? Or are you prepared to
die!" Superman said to
the lone remaining figure.
"I'm not the one who should be worried," Hourman said
"Brave words, fool. It would take a miracle to save you now."
"Well, not a 'miracle', but that's close," Hourman screamed as he
lept at Superman.
Superman was so stunned by this action that he was caught off guard.
Hourman hit him hard,
like two bull elephants bunting heads.
"What does that idiot think he's doing?" Batman asked Captain
America.
"He's buying us time, that's what. Everyone regroup!"
Hourman slammed Superman into a tree, the tree shattered sending
debris everywhich way. He then
grabbed him and lifted him above his head and slammed him into the
ground. Superman went down a
couple of feet with the impact. Hourman looked down at him, and he
looked like he was out.
"Gee, I thought it would be a better fight then that," Hourman said,
turning and looking
at his friends, not noticing that Superman was again moving.
"Hourman, look out!!" Plastic Man called out.
Hourman turned just a Superman drew back and hit him and sent him
flying right thru a near
by park bench. A bench very close to the one the mystery voyear was
sitting on, Batman
noticed.
Hourman felt like he had been hit by a ton of bricks, even charged
up on Miraclo, he was
still hurting. "Oh, brother, I think your in trouble now, old Rexy
boy," he thought to
himself.
Superman starting walking towards Hourman, but Captain America and
Batman both jumped on him
trying to buy Hour-Man some time. Superman just shrugged his
shoulders and both men went
flying. Superman then went super-speed and was standing before Hour-
Man before the still
stunned hero could even blink.
"I'm ready for round 2, are you?" Superman said with an evil
grin,"Did you really think you
could fight me, and live? You are strong, I'll give you that, but I
am much stronger, much
faster."
"Oh yeah!" Hour-Man cried out as he swung a haymaker, which Superman
dodged with ease.
"Damn you," Hourman kept throwing punches, not a one hitting it's
mark.
Laughing, Superman said,"I'm sorry that isn't fair, here try again,
I promise not to move."
Hourman reared back and let go with a punch that could shatter
concrete. Superman, true to
his word, didn't dodge this one. It connected and Hourman screamed.
"Oh my god, my hand,"Hour-man said as he held his now very sore hand.
"Oh, did I forgot to mention that I am invunerable, too. You know,
as in nothing, and I mean
nothing can hurt me!!!" Superman said, "Now, it's my turn."
Hour-Man still nursing his hand, looked up, with fear of what was
coming in his mind.
Superman was so quick Hourman was down before the others could help
him. Superman's fists
were moving so fast that it didn't even appear to the naked eye that
he was even moving.
Superman stopped, suddenly Hourman was a bloody mess. Superman was
drawing back ready to
finish him, when a beam of energy struck him from behind.
"Argghhh," Superman reeled back.
"What are you doing Superman, you are gojng to kill him! Starman
said letting go of a few
more balls of stellar energy at Superman.
"Yes, it doesn't seem like Superman is acting under his own power,"
Batman thought to
himself, as he once again caught site of the strange figure sitting
on the nearby bench, not
even moving now that the battle had come so close to him.
Superman was kncoked back by Starman's onslaught. "We already know
that your light tricks
only slow me down, soon I will take care of you, too." Superman told
Starman as he flew
away from the energy beam.
"You won't get away that easy, Superman," Starman said as he too
took to the skies after
the crazed hero.
But suddenly Superman turned and flew straight towards Starman.
Starman intensified his
energy attack. That balls of energy seemed to affect Superman, but
he still was making his
way towards the owner of the cosmic rod.
Superman grabbed Starman as they flew directly above the other
costumed heroes. Batman was
just deciding whether to join his friends in battle or investigate
this stranger watching
them, when he heard Starman let out a cry of pain. Batman looked up
and saw Superman with
a viselike grip on the arm that Starman was holding his weapon in.
As he tightened his
grip, Starman screamed out again, and let go of the weapon.
Batman grabbed his batrope and let it fly. It went around Superman's
throat. Surprised,
Superman dropped the now helpless Starman and he went flying towards
the ground.
"Don't worry, I got ya fella,"Plastic Man said, stretching between
two trees and catching
the now unconscious, Starman.
Superman turns towards Batman and grabbed the rope, suddenly his
eyes began to glow, and
the rope burned and snapped away.
"What was that, Captain? I didn't know Superman could do that!"
Batman exclaimed.
"I don't know, there was nothing about that in his file that
government had on him."
"Great scott, how can we stop him?" Batman said.
"Simple, you won't," Superman said landing in front of the two.
"Don't worry,Plas to the rescue," Plastic Man said as he wrapped his
maleable body round and round
Superman. He kept wrapping himself, until you could no longer even
see Superman,"There, got ya nice
and tight, now just calm down."
"By goodness, I think he has him," Green Arrow said as he joined the
others.
Plastic Man smiled at this statement, but it didn't last, suddenly a
form of a fist appeared
stretching the side of Plastic Man. Then just as sudden, seemingly
several fists were hitting
him from all sides inside his "body cocoon" in which he held the
crazed alien.
"Arrgh, don't know if I can hold him guys...sorry."
But he did hold, Superman stretched him this way and that way, but
no matter how painful
it got, Plastic Man held.
Suddenly it stopped, Plas looked like he was about to pass out, and
then he started rising from
the ground.
"Wha.." a very shocked Plastic Man started to say, as he and his
captive went sailing
skyward. Higher, higher they went, above the birds, then above the
clouds, it got colder, and
the air got thinner, until there wasn't even enough for the valiant
Plastic Man to breathe.
Plastic Man passed out from the lack of oxygen. As he did, his form
released his prisoner.
The three members of their group still conscious waited below, no
longer even able to
see the two in the sky above. "Wait, I see something, is it them?"
Green Arrow cried out.
"Yes, that's them," Batman said peering through his binoculars, "And
it don't look good."
Superman landed in the street in front of the park. He was holding
Plastic Man's still
stretched-out form by the throat. Superman dropped the fallen hero
in the street, and then he
spyed the remaining three."Now to finish this!" Superman said as he
took off flying right
towards the three heroes.
Green Arrow grabbed a T.N.T arrow from his quiver,"This ought to
slow him down some."
Captian America grabbed GA's arm,"No, Arrow, you might hit an
innocent if you miss."
Green Arrow pulled out of CA's grip, and readied himself
again, "Pal, you need to learn
something about me right now....I DON"T MISS!!!!" With that said,
Green Arrow let fly his
arrow. The shaft went straight at Superman, and he caught it in his
hand.
Floating above the three, still holding the arrow, Superman
said,"Did you really think
an ancient human weapon could stop me, when your friend's energy
manipulator couldn't. Did
you see how easy I caight it?"
"Yeah, that's what I was hoping for, ya see that there TNT arrow is
euipped with a timer,"
Green Arrow said as he threw himself at Captain America and Batman,
kncoking both to the ground.
Superman looked down just as the arrow blew up, there was a bright
explosion that sent
Superman flying back towards the street right into two park cars,
completely crushing
them around the kryptonian.
Batman and the others got to their feet. They looked at the mangled
cars, waiting. They
knew it couldn't be that easy. They could hear what sounded like
metal twisting.
"He's coming, be ready."
"Ready, damn, man, we are the three weakest guys in this group, he
took out all of our
big guns like they were nothing, and that was my best arrow, what
the hell do we do now?"
Green Arrow said to CA.
"We fight!" Captain America answered back. Batman said nothing. Cap
and Arrow looked back to where
Batman had stood just a minute ago, but he was gone. "where did he
go?" CA asked.
"Over there, he's walking towards that guy on the bench." GA
answered.
"What does he think he's doing?" but Green Arrow didn't have time to
answer, as Superman
came crashing and twisting his way out from under the cars. He then
picked one of them up
and heaved it straight at the two stunned heroes. As the shadow of
the fallen car swallowed
them, they didn't even have a chance to get out of the way.
Green Arrow was kneeling down, with his eyes closed, waiting for the
car to crush the two of
them...and he waited...and waited. Green Arrow opened his eyes, he
saw CA standing beside him.
GA looked up, the car was a few feet above their heads. It was just
sort of floating there!
"Good day, gentlemen, let me introduce myself, I am MAGNO, THE
MAGNETIC MAN!" a strange
man in a red and blue costume said, as he floated beside the
car."Now I think I'll return
this to sender," Magno said as he gestured and the car went flying
right back at Superman,
crashing into him.
"Damn, it!! Superman said as he threw the car aside,"How many of
there are you???"
"Enough that we will tame you," the magnetic hero said as he again
gestured and the two
crushed cars hit Superman from either side, and started to squeeze
in on him.
Magno was using all his power, but still it was not enough, he knew
Superman would break free.
He needed help. He looked back towards the park. He saw Starman
lying beside the park's
fountain. He then spyed a child's metal bucket beside the
playground's sandbox. The bucket
suddenly lifted into the air, it flew into the fountain, filling
with water. It then flew
above the fallen Starman and tipped out, dumping the water onto the
hero's face awakening
him.
"Starman hurry, get your rod and add your enrgies to mine, perhaps
together we can hold him,"
Magno cried over to Starman.
Starman, still a little groggy, felt almost like he was in a dream.
Then a sharp pain in his
arm woke him the rest of the way. He didn't know who this guy was,
but if he was going to
help keep Superman down, then that was alright with Starman. He
spyed his rod just a few feet away.
He grabbed it and added his energy to Magno's. It seemed to be
working, Superman was struggling,
but didn't seem to be able to escape.
Batman was almost to the stranger when he saw the car flying towards
his friends. As he was distracted
the stranger finally got up, and he wondered away, as Batman watched
the new hero show up
for the save. By the time Batman towards back, the stranger on the
park bench was gone.
As Starman and Magno held strong, knowing eventually this titan
would break free again,
Superman suddenly stopped struggling. He got very quiet and just sit
there.
"Be careful, this could be a trick," Magno said.
"Wha...what is going on? Who are you?" Superman said looking up at
his captors,"Wait, I
recognize you, you are both heroes. Starman and Magno...and you are
Captain America..
Green Arrow...Batman! Superman said as the others came into his line
of sight,"But what is
this all about? Why would you attack me, aren't we all on the same
side?"
"Get this guy, attack him he says," Green Arrow said smuggly.
"No, wait, GA. Something isn't right here. He looks like he is...I
don't no, different
somehow."
"I think our friend Superman was being mind controlled some how.
There was a man watching
all of us from a bench over there. He didn't run like the other
people did, just sat there
watching."
"Um, ok, so?" Starman asked Batman.
"He was holding some kind of device, I don't know what it was, but
whe Superman first went
beserk on us, I spotted him. Just a minute ago I was going to go see
what he was holding,
but he took off, and, get this, as soon as he did, Superman seemed
to be his old self again."
"So that's where you went, me and Cap thought you had turned yellow
on us," Green Arrow said.
"Alright, I think I've heard enough, Starman, Magno,was it?, stand
down please. Release
Superman. All, save for Batman, protested this, but finally they did
what the Captain wanted.
"My head, it was my head again," Superman said as he rubbed his
forehead, "It happened the
other day, too. I felt intense pain in my head, and then it was like
I was a different person.
I had such evil thoughts. I can't remeber everything when it
happens, just a blind hatred."
"Well, it looks like we need to clear up a few things, but for now,
we have a couple of friends
that may be very seriously injured, Captain America said as all the
costume men went back to
gather up their fallen friends.
Whew that was some ride wasn't it, folks. This is your old uncle
Tyke telling ya to be good,
and I mgith just have something even better next time. It will be
December 7, 1941 when we
come back with the next chapter, if that gives ya a hint.
Thanks....Tyke; )