Chapter I : And So It Begins....

Hello, my name is Pierce....Jefferson Pierce. I have went by another
name at times, but I will get to that later. I have a story to tell.
A grand story. The likes of the tales of Camelot, or the ancient
myths of legendary gods and heroes. This is the story of the
greatest men and women ever to be called heroes.

Where to start? I guess it's easiest to jump ahead and explain why I
am telling you all this, but, no, I should start at the begininng.
Yeah, back then it was a simpler time. But then the war came, and
life was never quite the same. Some of them were already around
before the U.S. joined the war, but it wasn't till that day that
they all came together that the world really knew what they were all
about. They were a league, a league of justice. And there was no
time that America needed a league of justice more then on that
day...the day that will live in infamy.....


Batman swung to the rooftop of the old warehouse building. He landed
so lightly that even the pidgeons roosting there weren't disturbed.
He grabbed a pair of folding binoculars from his utility belt and
peered into the wet night below.

There were two cars sitting there in the darkness. One man was
already standing outside of his car. Soon the other man got out of
his. Batman stood ready as he listened to the men below. It was too
hard to hear what they were saying from this high up, but Batman
could tell that there were angry words being exchanged.

Just then the newest man pulled a gun, but before he could bring it
up to fire it, a batarang came out of the night and dislodged it. In
all this excitement the other man ran for his car. Just as he got
his hand on the handle of the Ford sedan, Batman came swooping out
of the night, knocking the man to the ground, and landed beside him.

"Nice to see ya again, Manny," Batman said leering down at the
fallen man. Batman heard the other man move and turned to see him
bending to grab his gun. "I wouldn't do that Mr. O'Toon, if I was
you.

"Screw you, freak," Harley O'Toon said as he grabbed the gun. He
turned, preparred to gun down both his intended victim and this guy
in the long underware, but Batman was too quick. Batman ran towards
him, and then went down. Before Harley could figure out what he was
doing, Batman pivoted around on the ground, swinging his legs right
into Harley's, taking Harley off his feet. The gun flew from
O'Toon's hands, and before it could hit the ground, Batman had
kipped back up to his feet and caught the tommy gun. Batman then
smiled a smile that could make a convicted murderer want to wet
himself, and proceeded to break the gun over his leg.

"Now, you boys want to play nice and tell me why two of Gotham's
leading lowlifes are trying to off each other?"

"That scum, he told me he wanted to deal. Told me to come alone
cause this deal was too big for anyone's but us two, and then he
tried to kill me like I was a nobody," Manny said, snarling at the
other man on the ground.

"Yeah, and I woulda offed ya, ya mug, if this jerk hadn't showed up.
What the hell are you sposed to be anywho? Somekind of freaky
halloweener?"

"I am known as the Batman, and as Manny can tell ya, I am cleaning
this burg up, one dirty bird after another. Manny, you was supposed
to clean up your act, guess you'll have to go back to the grey slab
a few more months, atleast this time you'll have a buddy to help
keep ya company."
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A few hours later, a couple of Gotham's finest discover Harley"The
Fightin' Irish" O'Toon and Manny"The Kingfish" Gobon tied together
hanging from a street lamp down by the docks. They also discover a
note telling the tale and asking for a passing policeman to kindly
escort them to a safe place behind bars. The two cops look at each
other when they see the signature. It isn't a name, just a drawing
of a big black bat!!!

This is Tyke The Man. Be here for the second installment. Things
really get cooking with the likes of Green Arrow, Captain America,
and Starman.

Thanks, Tyke; )

You know, as long as I've known the guy, Bruc..um...I mean Batman
still amazes me when I think about him. Of all of us, he probably
came to the table with less, but, man, what he did with what he had.

Sorry, I tend to get distracted when I think back about all of them,
anyhow, back to the story....



As the Batman was taking out the trash in the cold, wet Gotham
night, down the seaboard in the nation's capital a very important
meeting is going on in the West Wing of the White House.

"This way private," the secret service agent lead the tall blonde
soldier into the President's office. "Mr. President, sir, he is
here."

"Thank you, Stanley, that will be all," President Roosevelt said
behind a puff of smoke behind his desk.

As the agent went out the door, he couldn't help to wonder what in
the world the President of the United States was in such a state
about seeing a young soldier who was nothing but a buck private,
just didn't make sense.

"Ahhh, Mr. Rogers, please have a seat."

"With all due respect, sir, I'd rather stand," the young man said.

"Now that would be quite rude, seeing as how I don't have much
choice," FDR said as he wheeled his chair around to the front of the
desk so that he was facing the private.

Steve Rogers blushed. He was quite taken a back. He had heard
stories about the President needing help standing, but a wheelchair!!

"You see, Private Rogers, you aren't the only one with secrets. How
do you think the country, especially in the state of affairs of
which we find ourselves in these days, would take it if they knew
their leader was a polio victim and a criple confined to a
wheelchair."

"I don't think with as much as you have done for our country that
they would mind. In fact, I think it shows what an impressive man
you really are," the young man responded.

"Ha, Ha," FDR laughed his famous laugh," I suppose you might be
right, except for those damn Republicans," the president winked when
he said this, "but then again it might just be that you are to young
and naive to know the way of the world. But enough about my secret,
let us talk about yours"

"I..I don't know what you mean sir, I have no idea why you even
summoned me, I'm a nobody."

Again the man in the wheelchair laughed, " a nobody huh, I don't
recall too many soldiers that made it from buck private to Captain
in such a short time.."

"A captain," Rogers interrupted, "With all due respects sir..."

Now it was the President's turn to interrupt, "We do not have time
for such games Private Rogers, or should I say CAPTAIN AMERICA!"
Don't look so surprised son, do you really believe I would know
nothing of one of the government's most important projects."

"I meant no disrespect, sir. I was never told exactly who, and who
didn't know."

"No fear, my dear boy. The project didn't go quite the way as
plained. We were supposed to have an army of super soldiers, but
instead we only got one, but from what I have heard and read, you
have made quite an impression."

"Thank you, Mr. President."

"Captain, the war in Europe is drawing close, as is the one in the
Pacific."

"Yes, sir."

I know you have been on many clandestine, and not so clandestine
missions. You know what we are up against, both here and abroad."

"Yes, and I am here to serve you, sir."

Then I will get down to the real reason for this meeting. As I
stated, the original plan was for an army of men such as yourself to
be ready for when we had to enter this damn war. I have a plan where
that might still be possible, in some ways."

"But sir, the only man who knew the super-soldier formula was
killed."

"I am all to aware of this, that is not what I mean. You see
Captain, there was another agenda feeding the super-soldier project,
besides the war, one closer to home."

"I'm sorry sir, but what do you mean by "another agenda".

"In the months preceeding your rebirth there were other masked
mystery men showing up here on the home front. I'm sure you have
heard of some of them."

"Yes, sir, but I have never met any of them, but from what I have
gathered, they, too, are on the side of good."

"Yes, yes, it would seem so, but it was dangerous times, and still
is. These were not beings which we had created, such as yourself. We
had no idea what they were after, who they served. Look at that fish-
man, he damn near wrecked New York City before that super man took
him down."

"Yes, but I hear he has made his peace, and has even helped rebuild
the city."

"Yes, and even though there is no army for which you to lead,
perhaps..."

"You mean the mystery men? But how do we even contact them. They are
all so mysterious."

"We have a crack team of the government's finest on that, and of
course, we have you."

The President put his cigarette into an ashtray and pulled closer to
the still standing Captain." There is more Steve, our country faces
a threat that is too awful to fathom, you must go out, find these
heroes, and gather together, it is the only way."

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A bright figure flew over the rainy Opal City night. It almost
seemed to glow, like a shooting star, but in the shape of a man!

Starman landed outside the observatory. He felt good, these nightly
rounds of the city to look for any trouble was becoming almost a
soothing habit to him. There hadn't been any problems tonight, he
was glad of that. After last week and that Shade character, Ted
Knight didn't want to have to "mix it up" for awhile.

As he entered the observatory, Starman waved his cosmic rod, and in
a second, where he was dressed in a bright red costume, Ted was now
sporting a simple button down shirt and slacks.

"Ahhh, feels good to be home. But I must say being able to fly is a
great way to see the sights."

"I hope I might get the chance to share that experience."

Startled, but only for an instant, Ted changed back to his "fighting
uniform". He looked into the shadows and saw the figure who had
spoke.

"Come out of there, who are you?" Starman asked. His jaw about
dropped to the floor when he saw who it was......

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Oliver Queen looked at the young man in the hospital bed.

"Hey, come on, Ollie. I feel fine, can't I go home today."

"We'll see as soon as the doc gets here, Roy."

"But, I mean geez..."

"Now, look, you have a busted leg, you fell three stories for crying
out loud, so none of that."

Oliver smiled though he tried not to. This kid sure had spunk, but
looking at his broken leg, Ollie felt the paigns of guilt creeping
up again. Maybe he had made a mistake letting this young boy join
him in his fight against crime.

"Hey," the kid said," you daydreaming or what?"

"Oh, sorry, what did ya say Roy."

"I said that Doctor Williams just went past. Can you grab him and
see how long I'm gonna be stuck here?"



A few hours later Oliver Queen was driving down payne street towards
his penthouse apartment. The doc hadn't let Roy come home, and the
boy was fuming. "Can't blame the poor guy,"Oliver said to himself."

Oliver drove into the underground parking garage. He parked and as
he got out of the car, he was suddenly blinded by a weird glow from
the other side of the garage."

"Hey, you want to douse the light, fellow?"

"Oh, sorry, just wanted your attention. This the guy, Captain?"

Oliver could still barely see. He could make out three figures,
looked like men. There was something odd about them though. Oliver
squinted his eyes, rying to clear them. He heard the men
approaching. He looked at them again. They were beginning to become
clearer. Now he knew what was strange about them, boy did he ever..."



Hey gang, this is Tyke The Man letting ya know that you'll get all
those holes filled in from this time, next time, and y'all will find
out who the three visitors are to Mr. Queen.

Thanks...Tyke; )

Oliver Queen couldn't believe what, or better yet, who he saw
standing before him. Three men in colorful costumes. The one, he was
called the Bat Man, Ollie had actually worked a case with, the other
two he had seen news paper clippings about. The guy who looked like
the American flag come to life was called Mr. America or something
along those lines, the guy with the glowing stick, Ollie wasn't sure
what he was called.

"Hello, Mr. Queen," Captain America said, "I am here on behalf of
the U.S. president to ask for your help."

"What is going on here, Batman? And why would FDR be interested in
me?"

"We don't have time for games, if Captain America is telling the
truth here, we might not have time for it. They know you are Green
Arrow. I told them."

Ollie was stunned. "But...how do you know?"

"It is said that Batman is a pretty good detective, which is what I
need if I am going to round up all the mystery men types. The G-Men
tried their best, but it was a bust, lucky for me Batman had
recently given the Gotham police a signal device in which to contact
him. He then lead me to you & Starman."

Captain America & Starman, those were their names, Oliver
thought. "That still doesn't tell me how you know about my secret
I.D. Batman. I know we worked that case a few months back together,
but I never told you."

"Yeah, I would be interested to know how you knew who I was as
well," Starman said, looking at Batman.

"Well, as far as you are concerned, Starman. It doesn't take a
genious to stake out your stomping grounds and spot a glowing,
flying figure. Cap and I then simply followed you to your
observatory."

"Damn," Starman said, blushing.

"As for you Green Arrow, when we worked together, I deduce that
someone with your arsenal would need a good amount of money to keep
himself and his partner, Speedy in supply. Speaking of Speedy, when
we came to town, it had been a known fact that Green Arrow's partner
in crime-fighting was MIA, I then went through the local hospital
records and found out that Roy Harper, boy ward of millionaire,
Oliver Queen, was in the hospital with a broken leg, it was all a
matter of connecting the dots after that, and here we are."

Laughing, "He's pretty amazing isn't he," Captain America said to
the others.

"I'll be damned, so what is this all about?" Green Arrow asked.

"I'll explain on the way, and you & Starman have nothing to fear,
your secrets where go no further then amoungst us. Now, we must
hurry, there are still more to gather.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Namor, prince of Atlantis jumped out of the blue pacific waters,
followed by a school of dolphins, and lady Mamousa and her nephew,
Kiern.

"Oh, thank you so much for letting Kiern and I come with you on your
trip, your highness," the blue skinned beauty remarked.

"There is no need to thank me, my lady. It seemed like a good idea
to take our little trip in this part of the water world. Our own
atlantean waters are so full of those bloody surface dwellers these
days. Their war is too dangerous a place to have young Kiern."

Namor and Mamousa swam together and stopped and looked back at the
young Kiern and the dolphins playing so merrily.

"There was a time when our children to play freely in any ocean, but
now..." Mamousa said, sadly.

"Do not fear, my lady, that day shall return. Soon I will return to
the surface world. This war that they are waging is getting much too
close to us, and if I have to, I will stop it myself."


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Magno looked over Keystone City. He was their guardian. He looked
over to the corner at Davey. Davey was his boy companion. It seemed
all the mystery men had them. Batman had Robin, Green Arrow, Speedy.
Yes it was only fitting that Magno, The Magnetic Man, have a
sidekick.

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"I'm telling ya Woozy, it's true, the freakin man himself asked me o
join the FBI. I, Eel O'Brian, am a for cryin out loud FBI agent."

"Wow, Plas, how about me?"

"Don't worry, Woozy, ya know I'll always take care of ya. But, get
this, J.Edgar Hoover his own self, has told me that I am going to be
his own personal liason between the FBI and some new government
department of mystery men. He said they would all be part of it,
Superman, Batman, all of them, including yours truly.

"Wow, Plas, but why you?"

"huh, what does that mean? Why, me? Why wouldn't he ask me?"

"Well, no offense, but why not someone like Captain America, or
Superman?"

"Hey! Them guys ain't got nothing on me. Plus, Hoover prolly knows
my ties with the underworld and figures that will come in handy."

OK, OK, just seems kinda funny to me, let's just be careful, ya
know."

"You worry to much, anyways, I got to be going, I have to meet with
the other super types this morning, the FBI is supposed to call me
and let me know, so stay off the horn."

"Sure, ok , your the boss," Woozy Winks said as he walked to the
aprtment door,"I'm going down to the hotdog stand, ya want?"

"Sure," said Plastic Man, "Get me a couple of dogs, this super g-men
stuff makes me hungry."


That's it for this round folks, join us next time, the guy you've
been waiting for makes his debut...SUPERMAN!!!

Thanks...Tyke; )

The blue skies above the city of Metropolis had all eyes pointed
towards it. The crowds below were looking up, as many had started to
do for a few years now.

"Hey, there he is, " cried a newspaper boy.

"Nah, ya crazy kid, that there's just a bird."

"I hear something coming, maybe it's him?" a young mother proclaimed.

"No, Mrs. Condrey." the newspaper boy said.

"yeah," the man proclaimed, "That's just a plane flying overhead."

"I guess I ain't ever gonna get to see him," the young boy
proclaimed.

"Now don't you worry, son," the lady said,"You have a lot of years
to get to see him. Heck, I've only seen him once, and he was so
fast, it was like a blink of an eye and he was gone."

"Yeah, I heard he's faster than a speeding bullet!" the young man
exclaimed.

"Nah, kid, you read too many of them comic books, he ain't that
fast," the man said.

"Have you ever seen him mister?" the young mother asked.

"No, why?"

"Oh, then how would you know how fast he is. I've seen him, and the
boy is right, faster then a speeding bullet," the young woman said,
winking at the boy.

"Well, all I know is the boy better start hawking them papers and
stop staring at the sky if he wants to make any dough," the man said
with a sneer.

"Now you look here.." the young woman started to say.

"No, it's alright mam'. He's right," the newpaper boy said, and
turned and proclaimed," Superman saves female reporter from the
mob....READ ALL ABOUT IT.

The boy happened to glance back over his shoulder at the man and the
young mother. He saw that they had a strange look. The man tried to
say something, but couldn't. Suddenly the boy felt a rush of wind
behind him, and then heard a strong masculine voice say, "Could I
get one of those papers, young man?"

The boy turned and there he was, just landing. Superman!!!

"Oh man, I mean gee whiz...Super...man."

"Clam down youngster,"Superman said, turning towards the
lady, "Mame, sir"

"Wow, here you go Mr. Superman, it's free...no charge, it's just
such an honor."

Nope, won't hear of it, here ya go," Superman put the change in the
boys hand.

"But Superman, this hear's a half a dollar,the paper's only.."

"I know, you keep it boy. I have to keep my fans happy, " Superman
said, winking at the young boy, "Speaking of which, how would you
like an autograph. I've never given one before, but I think I'll
make an exception."

"Oh, wow, sure!!!"

Superman asked the boy his name.

"Billy, sir, Billy Batson."

Superman signed the top of the newspaper, right by his picture,
carrying Lois Lane, ...To Billy, a really stand-up guy, and a good
friend...yours truly, Superman.

He handed the boy the paper.

"Oh, thank you so much Superman."

"No problem, now I've got to go," Superman turned away and with a
mighty Up...Up.. and away!!! he took off into the sky.

The man finally found his tounge, he hollered after Superman, "Hey,
Superman, how about giving me an autograph. I mean not for me, it's
for...um... my ailing mother, yeah, she loves you....hey Superman!!!

But it was too late, Superman was gone.

Superman flew by one of the tallest buildings in Metropolis, where a
figure stood on the roof. Superman took no notice, but the stranger
noticed him.

"The famous americaner, Superman. Now we shall see how super you
really are," the man cloaked in a heavy trenchcoat thought to
himself. He reached into his coat and pulled out a menacing and
strange looking instrument. He flipped a button and suddenly a slow
hum started eminating from it.

The waves of energy coming from the device hit Superman, and he came
to a sudden stop in mid-air.

"Urrghhh, what in the world? I feel like my head is splitting."
Suddenly the pain became even more tense...


Hey guys, this is Tyke letting you know that I hate to leave ya
wondering but ya know...

Thanks...Tyke; )

Chapter V : And So It Begins...


You know, being asked to join the League is a great honor, but when
I was asked I had the double honor of being asked by THE MAN. Not
only was the guy the first of our breed, he was, is, and always will
be the greatest. Hell, we are all called by a name derived from his.
When you say Green Arrow,most people kinda know who your talking
about, Flash...maybe a few more, but when you say Superman, their
eyes light up. Ha, Ha..he wasn't just a hero to all the normal
folks, he was a hero, and an inspiration to all of us in the costume
do-gooders set. I don't think there has been anyone who decided to
go into this gig, and not wanted to be just like the guy. He's the
strongest,but also the most likable super-hero in the biz. He's a
big blue boyscout, and without him, there probably never would have
been a league, in fact that day, if things had gone different, there
might not have even been a now to talk about.....


The pain in Superman's head subsided. He didn't know what that was,
but it seemed to help him think straighter...straighter then he had
ever done. What was he thinking? Playing hero to the people in this
damn country. They were cretins, so far below him, and he wanted to
protect them? They should be worshipping him! That german fellow,
Hitler, he had it right, get rid of the weak, and let the strong
lead them. And who was the strongest there was? Him of course, not
even that Namor character could go toe to toe with him if Clark went
full out. And what about that, why did he hide behind a human
identity? He wasn't Clark Kent!! He was Kar-El of Krypton. He had a
destiny to fullfill. Hell, he had even been holding back in his
Superman identity. He hadn't shown all the fantastic powers he truly
had, and had even been holding back his true strength, so as not to
overwhelm the populace. Well, he would hold back no more. He would
show them, he would show them all what a true Superman could do.

Superman used his fantastic vision to spy the three people he had
just talked to, some several blocks away now. The man(what a blow
hard), the sniveling little brat, Billy something, and that woman.
She didn't think Superman saw how she was looking at him, wondering
what it would be like to be held by such a man. Yes, Superman knew
what to do now. Let them be his example to the world, of what it was
to get on a Superman's bad side. His vision focosing in on the
three, just like the sight on a rifle, then his eyes started to
glow, to burn a fiery red color. Superman laughed to himself, "Yes,
little Billy, I have another present for you, for the three of you
to burn in hell!!!!!

Just as Superman was about to blast the three people with his heat
vision, he suddenly stopped. "What in the world am I doing? Great
Krypton! I was about to kill three innocent people."

Superman never sweated, but the sweat was pouring from him now. He
could remember the hatred he felt, but it was gone, just as fast as
it came. Then he remembered the intense headache he had right
before. "I don't get headaches. What in the world could do this to
me? I'm invunerable, nothing can hurt me."

Superman flew towards home, something was wrong, and for the first
time in his life, Superman was afraid.

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The Japanese captain came into the office of the war minister.

<Sir, everything is set. We await your orders.>*Translated from
Japanese, your pal, Tyke; )

<Very good, Captain. Our Ambassador is in Washington as we speak,
assuring the Americans that we mean them no hostility. Soon we shall
be ready>

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"Yes, sir. We now have four recruits. Yes, sir we are hoping to head
out for Metropolis in the morning. Thank you Mr. President. Yes, I
know how urgent it is to be ready, and we will be sir."

Captain America hung up the phone, and turned to his comrades. "I'm
sure you all heard."

"Sure, but since I'm the new guy, can I get a little bit more info
about what is up, and why the President wants to form some called of
Mystery Man Squadron?"

"I'm sorry, Hourman, in all the rush, it has been hard to fill
everyone in. All I can tell you it what we know right now. There has
been grumblings about a secret attack. We don't know who it will be
from though, or even what it will entail. Could be the Germans,
Italy, or even the Japanese, we just don't know."

"What about the Ruskies, which side are they on?"

"Good question, Starman, from what we have gathered, Hitler's and
Stalin's agreements are blowing up in their faces, so hopefully that
is one country we won't have to worry about," Cap answered.

"Damn, I'm sure glad you guys found me rounding up the Scott Gang,
otherwords, it might have been a problem getting in touch with me."

"I'm not so sure about that," Green Arrow said, as he and Cap and
Starman looked at the dark figure in the corner.

"Huh, what does that.." Hourman started to say.

"Nevermind," Green Arrow interrupted, "I want to ask about the other
thing you was saying on the phone, Captain. You said we would be
heading for Metropolis, does that mean you are going to try to get
you know who?"

"Yes, Arrow. Tomorrow we will try to get Superman to join our little
group!"

Just then the door to the hotel room burst open. "Well, I'm not
Supes, but will I do for a starter?"

The five other men tensed, ready to fight, until they saw the figure
standing in the door, then Green Arrow said,"What the hell?"

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Magno wondered why they hadn't contacted him, yet. Wasn't he good
enough? Surely he was as good as any of the other costume champions
around. The G-man had told him about this unusual group the
government was getting together. Magno liked the idea. Magno looked
at Davey in the corner. Davey turned towards Magno and said,"Don't
worry, you'll be called in, your the best, Magno. You got power come
out of your nose, they'll want you, that's for sure." Magno walked
out of the room. Davey didn't follow.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"The Surface people call these islands Hawaii," the Sub-Mariner told
his two guests.

"Oh it is so beautiful, my Prince. I wish we had brought our
breathing aparatus so that Kiern and I could go visit them with you."

"Nevermind Mamousa, I don't think that would have been a good idea,
even those these islands are owned by the humans at which I have
made peace, you never know, they are an unpreditable lot."

Kiern was paying no mind, he had found a jellyfish to play with.

"Now you be careful, Kiern, don't you hurt that poor thing."

"Ahh, I'm just looking at it," the boy answered.

Namor and Mamousa laughed, but it wouldn't last.

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"What did you think sir?" the advisor asked,"Was the Ambassador
being truthful?"

"Who knows, even if he was, it doesn't mean he speaks for Tojo," FDR
answered. I have this itching feeling that he was stalling."

"Stalling for what?"

"That is what I don't know. All the boys have their ears on, I hope."

"Yes, sir. Every communications and listening facility we have our
listening, on both coasts."

"Good, but I would feel a lot better if our good Captain would get
all those super types back here. Maybe they could figure out
something."

"We can only hope, sir."

That's it for this chapter, gang. Be back here for the next one. The
action has been kinda slow, but it will get cranked up next round.
Plus, we find out who the Captain & Company's unexpected guest was,
who was the mysterious man putting the whammy on Superman, and will
Superman be in the mood to meet his compatriots???

Thanks...Tyke; )

The batplane flew towards the city of Metropolis. As Batman made a
sudden dive, the head of
Plastic Man went flying past Green Arrow.

"Hey, watch it, stretcho, will ya. Geez, it's like flying in a plane
with a dang octopus,"
the archer said angrilly.

"Oh, so sorry," Plastic Man said as he retracted his head,"These
seatbelts weren't made for
a guy with a stretchy bod like me."

"Plastic Man, I would assume that you would have better control over
your...um..ability,
it seems to me you are either trying to be funny or just
disagreeable to our friend, Green
Arrow. Either way, please stop it," Captain America said as he
turned and looked at Platic
Man.

"Yesssssss sir," Plastic Man said, rather sarcastically," I mean,
heck just trying to liven
up the mood."

"This is neither the time or the place," Batman said as he made
another sudden bank.

Plastic Man's whole body went every which-way, his head landing on
Arrow's lap. "Oops, sorry,
I really didn't mean it that time, Bats took me by surprise."

"Get out of my dang lap! Who invited this yahoo to the party anyhow,
huh?"

"Yes, Plastic Man, when you arrived in our hotel room, you never
really said much about how
you knew what we were doing, and where to find us," Captain America
asked.

"OK, look fellas, maybe I'm not as straight laced as you all, but I
got something going for
me. I am a certified G-Man," Plas flashed an FBI identity card when
saying this."


"Oh no way! You are an FBI agent, man I knew the country was facing
bad times, but I didn't
know they were that desperate," Hourman said, laughing.

"And what do they call you... Egg-Timer man?" Plas retorted.

"Now look here..." Hourman started to say.

"Shut up all of you!!!"

All the others looked at the man flying the plane.

And not a one made another sound until they landed at Metropolis
Airport.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Magno looked at Davey and said, "I am tiring of this waiting about.
I have decided that I
will make myself more available." Magno then went out the door.
Davey made no sound nor any
motion to follow.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Clark Kent couldn't concentrate on the story he was trying to type
up. He kept thinking back to
yesterday. He had to find out what...or who was behind
his "episode". A being with his
abilities had to be in control at all times.

"By Rao, I almost killed a child," Clark thought to himself.

"Penny for your thoughts," Mr. Kent.

Clark looked up into the smiling face of Jimmy Olsen. "Oh, sorry
Jimmy, daydreaming, did
you say something?"

"Yeah, did ya hear about all the mystery men?"

"Excuse me, mystery men, what do you mean Jimmy?"

"It was just on the radio Mr. Kent. A bunch of them costume superman
wannabes have shown up
here in Metropolis. It said something about one of them had used
some kind of energy beam
to write a message in the sky. Said, it was addressed to Superman
himself. Jinkies, I can't
wait for Superman to show up and put them guys in their place. I am
heading down to the park,
that's where it said they were, and I want to be there when that
happens, I was asking if you want to
come. Sure to be a big story!"

"Um..no, I better stick around here, you go on ahead Jimmy, maybe
I'll meet ya there."

"Ok, I'm heading down there then."

As soon as Jimmy was out of sight, Clark headed for the stock room.
As Clark begin to change
into his Superman costume he wondered what this was all about. He
had never worked with any
of these other heroes, unless you count the Sub-Mariner, and that
was more battle then
working together. Clark hoped this meeting would be less violent. He
had enough problems
without a bunch of new super types wanting to prove their worth
against Superman. Superman
opened the window and flew towards the park.


"Good job, Starman. That should get Superman's attention," Captain
America said.

"Thanks, I hope it wasn't too straight-forward."

"No, I think 'Superman, please meet with us, signed Starman and
friends' puts it just right,"
Hourman said.

"I bet this guy has an ego as big as all outdoors, you ever see the
write-ups he gets in the
Daily Planet....More powerful then a locomotive...able to leap tall
buildings in a single
bound...almost makes ya think the guy is writing the stuff himself.
Yep, good promotion
is everything," Plastic Man said.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Green Arrow said.

"Enough you two, if I'm not mistaken that's him flying this way
now," Captain America told
Green Arrow and Plastic Man.

Superman landed and walked to the assemblage. "Hello, I'm Superman,
I know a few of you
by name, I'm sorry I've never made any of your acquaintances.
Welcome to Metropolis, and
what can I do for all of you?"

Captain America stepped forward and took Superman's hand and shook
it. "Thank you for coming
Superman, let me introduce my colleagues and I, and explain why we
need your help."

As the Captain was doing just that, none of the heroes noticed a man
sitting on a park bench
a little ways away. He was the same man in the trench coat from the
day before. "Such easy
prey these Americaner heroes will be. So nice of them to gather all
together for me. Now
to run another little test on der Superman," the villian thought to
himself as he pulled
the strange looking device from inside his coat.

"I will help anyway I can," Superman responded after Cap was done.

"From what I have heard you are capable of providing quite a bit of
help," Starman said.

"Thanks...", Superman suddenly went quiet and grabbed his
head,"...ughhh, arrrgghh, MY HEAD
...STOP...STOP...THE PAIN!!!"

"Superman, what is it?" Captain America asked as he and the others
gathered closer to Superman.

Suddenly, Superman looked up, and smiled!

"Superman?" the others said in unison.

Fast, faster then any of them had ever seen a man move, Superman
batted them all with his flying
arm, sending them scattering to all corners of the park. Captian
America landed with a grunt,
but was back on his feet. "What in the world.." but Cap didn't get
to finish, Superman in
one great leap was standing right in front of the star-spangled
avenger.

"HAHAHA, you call yourselves heroes? You think you are in my
league??? You are nothing but
insects to me. And you know what you do to insects, you crush
them!!" As Superman said this
he grabbed Captain America and lifted him up.

"Superman, what are you doing?" Batman said as he gathered himself.
He had to act fast, as
strong as Superman was he could very well crush the Captain like an
insect, had to help him.
Batman grabbed a canister from his belt and sent it flying.

The cannister landed at Superman's feet. "What kind of toy are you
tring to throw at me?"
Superman said, mockingly, his grip tightening on Captain America's
ribs. Suddenly the canister
emitted a screaching siren sound. Due to Superman's super hearing,
it worked better then
even Batman had hoped. Startled Superman loosened his grip, at that
same moment, Captain
America brought his feet up into Superman's chest and pushed with
all his might. It
worked. Cap was free.

Instead of backing down though Cap went back on the offensive. He
threw his shield at
Superman. Superman, now at the ready once again, was just too fast.
He caught the triangular-esche
shaped red, white and blue shield. "You are all just so pitiful. Is
this the best you got?"
Superman took the shield and snapped it right in two.

"Now, to finish this!" Superman said as he took off straight up into
the air.

"What the hell is he doing? Running away?" Plastic Man said.

"I hardly think so, he was batting us around like a bunch of little
girls," Green Arrow said.

"Speak for yourself, if he comes back I'll be ready," Hourman said.

"Well we had all better be ready, because here he comes," Captain
America said.

They all looked up, you could barely see Superman now, he was but a
pinpoint, but he had
suddenly turned, and was coming right at them, FAST!

"Holy crap, he's divebombing us!" Plastic Man said.

"Hurry, Starman can that thing of yours provide us with any
protection?" Captain America
said.

"Yeah, I think so," Starman said, and thought to himself,"Atleast I
hope so."

"Hurry everyone, get behind me," Starman called out. As the others
all huddeled behind
him, Starman raised his cosmic rod, and suddenly it began to glow,
at first only a very small
light was emitted from it's tip, but it grew and became brighter and
bigger, and before
the others eyes, a transperant energy coccooned itself around them.

The heroes all stood silently as the now seemingly crazy Superman
beared down on them!


That's it fans, Uncle Tyke is tired, not too mention a little scared
for our heores. Will
Starman's force shield hold, or will Superman be pulling spandexed
goo out from under his
fingernails for days? Tune in for the next chapter and we'll all
find out.

Thanks...Tyke; )

"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; )

Starman winced as he held his arm.

"Are you OK, Starman?" Batman asked.

"Uhhh, no. My arm, it feels like Superman might have broke it,"
Starman replied.

"It's a hairline fracture, actually. I can't tell you how much I'm
sorry, Starman,"
Superman said after examining Starman's arm with his X-Ray vision.

"And how would you know that?" Green Arrow asked.

"I have what I call X-ray vision. It allows me to see through
anything, except lead."

"Exactly how many darn powers does this guy have!?!" Green Arrow
said to no one in particular.

"Come we must check on Plastic Man and Hour-Man, they may be
seriously hurt," Captain
America told the others.

The group split up, some walking towards Plastic Man's still
stretched out form lying in
the street, while the others went into the park to check on the
fallen Hour-Man. As Superman
started to join the group checking on Plastic Man, Green Arrow
stopped him. "Listen, Big S,
we don't need anymore "help" from you, OK. I think you've done
enough," Green Arrow
admonished the Man of Steel.

Superman stood by with his head down as the others walked away. As
Batman walked past him,
Superman put a hand out and stopped the cowled crusader. "Look, I
know you don't know me,
but I swear...this was not me...I would never do something like
this."

"I know. I think somehow you were being mind-controlled. Let's just
hope you didn't do anything
that can't be forgiven. Now if you will excuse me,"Batman said
pulling away from Superman.

Magno, Green Arrow, & Starman checked on Plastic Man. "Damn, he
doesn't look too good," Starman
said to his friends.

"I can't find his pulse," Magno said as he held the stretched out
arm of the fallen hero.

"How can you, I mean look at him. He looks like a piece of taffy,"
Green Arrow said.

"Huh...uh...where am I?" Plastic Man mumbled.

"My god, I thought he was dead," Magno said dropping Plas' arm.

"Oh,geez, why did ya guys wake me? I was having this dream....it was
so strange...there was
a witch...and a little dog...and..and..you was there," Plas said
looking at Magno," And
you was there, too, Starman....and ...and you were there too Auntie
Em," Plas said looking
at Green Arrow, and then starting busting out laughing.

"Why you.." Green Arrow started to say, but then started laughing
himself. Soon Magno and
Starman joined in. As the three helped Plastic Man get to his feet,
all still laughing,
Superman walked their way, and all four's laughter cut off. Plastic
Man looked at Superman
with fear in his eyes.

"It's ok, PM, he's on our side now, atleast he says he is," Green
Arrow told his friend, giving
Superman a dirty look the whole time.

"Hey! All of you!! Over here! Hour-Man isn't doing so good!! Captain
America hollered from
the park.


XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A German U-Boat glided silently through the atlantic waters a few
miles from the coastal city
of Metropolis. The radio controller called a man in a trench coat
over to him.

<It is General Bolstag, sir>* the radioman told the man in the coat,
the same man who a few
hours before had been sitting in the Metropolis City Park.
*Translated from German...Tyke; )

<Yes, sir....yes...the experiment went perfect...the american super-
man was effected just
as I surmised. It could not have gone more perfectly....Yes, I will
be returning to the
Fatherland in just a short time>

The man in the coat handed the ear phones back to the radioman.
<Thank you, Herr Doctor> the
young German sailor told the man in the coat.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"It's midnight," Magno said looking at the clock,"December 7th now,
are you ready for
Christmas?" he said looking at Green Arrow.

"Christmas? Who can think about Christmas at a time like this?"
Green Arrow responded.

They were sitting in the waiting room at Metropolis General
Hospital. Just as Magno started
to respond, Starman joined the group. His arm was now in a sling.

"How you doing?" Captain America asked the injured hero.

"Oh, it's a little sore, and I will be stuck wearing this cast and
sling for awhile, but
I guess I will make it," Starman said, smiling.

"Good to hear," Cap said putting his arm on Starman's shoulder.

'Geez, all this corny show of emotion is gonna make me cry. I have
to go get some air,"
Green Arrow said as he got up and walked out of the room, making
sure to give Superman, who
was standing in the corner all to himself, another dirty look.

Grren Arrow didn't go outside though. He was worried about his
friends and wanted to check on
them, but he didn't want his friends to know that. "First the thing
with Speedy, and now
this, you just can't keep your partners from getting hurt, can ya
ole Ollie," Arrow thought
to himself. The archer came to Plastic Man's room first. He just
peeked inside the room, so
he wouldn't disturb Plas. When GA opened the door, his eyes went
wide, and a smile touched
his face as he saw the sight before him.

"Ok, ok, and then the duck tells the bartender,'I did say I wanted
it on the rocks'" Plastic Man
said, breaking out in wild laughter. There was a room full of nurses
and orderlies standing
all around the hero's bed. They were all laughing, too.

"You are such a card, Mr. Plastic Man," said a rather rotund nurse.

"You just stick with me, Marguerite, and I'll keep ya in
stitches...get it?...stitches..hahahaha,"
Plas busted out laughing at he's latest pun, slapping the nurse
named Marguerite's rather
large behind with a huge stretched out hand.

"Now, Mr. Plastic Man, you behave yourself," the nurse said,
laughing and blushing at the
same time.

Green Arrow just shook his head and closed the door. "I guess he's
being well taken care of,"
Ollie thought as he turned and looked at the other door. Behind that
door layed his new friend,
Hour-Man. He didn't seemed to fare as well as the stretchable
hero. "Superman really pelted
him good," Ollie thought. Green Arrow was almost afraid to look in,
but he did. Hour-Man was
laying there, still in costume, looking very weak. Bruises covered
his face, the part you
could see anyhow. The staff had insisted that they needed to remove
the mask, but Cap & the
others wouldn't let them do that, in order to protect Hour-Man's
secret identity. The doctor
had admonished all of them for decision. He said,"He might not have
an identity to protect,
if we can't treat him the way we should." They had stayed to their
guns though, and the
costume had stayed on. Now Ollie wondered if they had made the right
decision. He looked so
weak. The doctor had said that he had a major concussion, and there
may be internal bleeding.
They would just have to wait to see if he wakes up, or whether his
condition gets worse.

Green Arrow walked over to his friend's bedside. He reached out and
touched the side of
one bruised cheek. "I'm sorry, I didn't stop Superman from doing
this, Hour-Man." Green Arrow
felt so helpless. There weren't no arrows for this occassion. As
GA's gloved hand touched
Hour-Man's cheek, the Man of the Hour opened his eyes.

Green Arrow gasped....Hour-Man gasped...Hour-Man tried to
talk. "Hold on, buddy..I'll get
the others."

Green Arrow ran into the hall, almost knocking down the rotund nurse
named Marguerite, who
had just came out of Plastic Man's room. "Hey!...HEY!!! YOU GUYS!!!
HE'S AWAKE!! HOUR-MAN'S
AWAKE....HURRY!!!!!" Green Arrow screamed down the hallway. Soon the
other heroes all came running.

As they all entered the room, including to the protests of the
nursing staff, Plastic Man,
Hour-Man's doctor pushed past them. "Now all of you need to get out
of here, this man is
going to need to be examined by the staff & I. He needs to be kept
quiet, and reserve his
strength."

"Is he going to be alright, doctor?" Captain America asked.

"Uhhh..let them in...Cap...Arrow," Hour-Man said weakly.

The others then pushed past the doctor and surrounded Hour-Man's
bed. Only Superman stayed behind.

"Now look here.." but Superman interrupted the doctor, and lead him
out the door,"Come along
Doc," Superman told the physician, as he closed the door, he looked
back in and said," I
figured you all might want some private time with him." He then shut
the room door.

"Uhh..I need..." Hourman sarted to say.

"Easy, fella. Take it easy. You heard what the doc said. You need to
conserve your strength,"
Starman said.

"No..I..need.." Hour-Man said reaching out and grabbing Green Arrow
by his tunic."Mirac.."

"Did he just say miracle?" Plastic Man asked.

"Not miracle...uh...<gasp>..miraclo!" Hour-Man tried again.

"He's delusional. We need to get out of here and let the doctor
check him out," Captain
America said as he turned and motioned to the others to leave.

"No..pleeeeaaase.." Hour-Man said looking paler and paler.

"Wait!"

The others turned towards the man in the bat costume as he spoke. It
was as if this one word
he spoke had froze them all.

"Captain, I saw Hour-Man take a pill of some sort before he went
into the fray with Superman.
It seemed to charge him up, fill him with superhuman power," Batman
said.

"Hey, yeah, I remember him saying something about it being a vitamin
of some sort," Green
Arrow said.

"Yeah, but it didn't make him powerful enough," Plastic Man chimed
in.

"No, but it did give him power. We all have wondered why he calls
himself, Hour-Man. I
have thought about that. He stated something to the effect, that the
pill was like a
miracle, but I think we missed understood him. I think he was saying
miraclo. And I think
this pill gives him super power, but only for a short time," Batman
said.

"For an Hour!!" Green Arrow shouted out.

"Yes.." Hour-Man said weakly.

"His belt, he kept the capsules in his belt," Green Arrow said.

"There it is," Captain America said, grabbing the belt from the
night stand. He opened a
compartment in the belt and there they were. A few tiny capsules.

"Give me one of those," Batman told the Captain.

"I hope you know what you are doing Batman," Captain America said.

"We'll see," Batman answered back.

Just then the doctor came busting back in. "I don't care if you are
Superman, the mailman,
or the milk man...this man is my patient..." the doctor cut himself
off as he saw what Batman
was doing, "What are you doing there...stop that...you can't give
that man any medication
that I haven't oked."

But it was too late. Batman had the miraclo tablet at Hour-Man's
lips, and the Man of the
Hour took it greedily.

He swallowed, and the crowd around his bed just waited, and watched.
His color in his face
returned to a more healthy glow. The cut above his eye started to
fade right before their eyes.
Slowly at first, but then faster and faster, his cuts and bruises
faded away before the
astonished eyes of the onlookers. Suddenly Hour-Man sat up in bed!
He smiled and said,
"How's it going, guys?"

"OH..OH," that was all the doctor said before he fainted. Superman
caught him, and deposited
him on a nearby seat.

"Hey, can I get some of that for my arm, Hour-Man?" Starman said.

"Sorry, pal, only works on me. It's geared to my biological make-
up." Hour-Man said.

To the surprise of the others, Superman came through the crowd. They
all parted letting him through,
even Green Arrow. Superman stood before Hour-Man with his head hung
down. He raised his head
and said one word,"..sorry.."

"Sorry...SORRY...can you believe this guy, he almost kills Hour-Man
and all he can say
is sorry!!!" Green Arrow shouted.

"GA, I'll love you forever for helping me get the help I needed by
waking me, but for right
now, just be quiet," Hour-Man said, still smiling.

"No...he's right...I almost killed you...all this time waiting, I
thought that I had," Superman
said.

"Look, Superman, I don't know what happened to you, but I know this,
you are one powerful
dude, and if our mission is as important as what they all say, then
we need a guy like you,"
Hour-Man said, extending his hand towards the man of steel.

Superman took his hand and shook it,"Thank you, thank you so much."


That's it for this time fellers. Uncle Tyke will be back, and all
hell's gonna break loose
in our next installment.
Thanks....Tyke; )

2:00 AM Eastern time the 7th day of December, 1941


The Secretary of State looked haggard. President Roosevelt wasn't
looking much better.

"Are you sure about this?" the President asked the men standing
around him.

"Yes, sir. We intercepted Japanese radio messages. We only got the
first part of it, but
we know that an attack by the Japanese Empire is imminent. We
believe it will be somwhere
in the southeastern area of Asia," a General stepped forward
answering the Commander in Chief.

"What do you mean 'believe' damn it, we need to know," said the
Secretary of State.

"Did you send my appeal for peace to the Japanese embassy, asking
for peace?" FDR asked his
head of the State Department.

"Yes, sir, I delivered it myself. We never received an answer. I
guess this is that answer."

"Mr. President, may I ask what has become of this special "group"
that you were trying
to form from those costumed mystery men?"

FDR looked at the man asking the question. He didn't remember
calling for J. Edgar Hoover
at this meeting, but that never stopped this man. "I must say that I
have no idea what you
are talking about, Mr. Director, the President answered the man
stiffly.

"Too bad, we could use something like them now," was the only reply
the head of the FBI made.
He turned and walked out the door.

"Who the hell does that guy think he is?" the Secretary of State
said, " And what in the world
was he babbling about?"

Soon the men all left to their duties. FDR sat in the oval office
all alone. The door opened
and Mrs. Roosevelt walked in. "Franklin, you must get some rest
dear. Please, let everyone
else deal with this, you are no good to no one if you collapse from
exhaustion."

"I'm sorry, darling, but there is still work to be done. The
Japanese are attacking, but we
have no idea where. We have to find out, and we must stop this from
happening."

"What about those sweet masked-men, dear? The Super-Man and the
others. Surely they can put
a stop to this. They all seem so wonderful."

The President smiled for the first time in hours. He took his wife
by the hand. With the other
he picked up the phone. Sally, yes, get me Stanley....Stanley, damn
it boy, where are those
damn mystery men? Yes, I know Stanley, but we need them here, now..."

The First Lady slowly released her husbands hand and walked slowly
to the door.

Putting his hand over the receiver the President looked at his
wife," Just a few more hours,
Eleanor. I swear, I'll be to bed as soon as I can."

"Of, course, Franklin. I love you.." But the President was once
again talking to his most
trusted Secret Service agent.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

4:00 AM EST December 7, 1941


Hour-Man was doing find thanks to his ingestion of the miraclo
tablet, but his doctor(once
he was revived) insisted that he stay the night under observation.
The others decided to use
the time to try to recruit the last two on the Captain's list.

Superman, who was the only one who had ever met the Sub-Mariner, or
knew where to find him,
or even had the capability to get there was chosen for that
recruitment. The others went
to Salem, Massachusetts to recruit the mysterious Dr. Fate. Only
Starman and Plastic Man,
due to their injuries stayed behind(much to their protests.)

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

6:00 AM EST December 7, 1941


The Batplane made good time carrying the heroes to the town of
Salem. They landed in a field
outside of town. As they got out Green Arrow said,"What does those
files say about this
guy, Captain? Star City isn't far from here, but I never wanted to
try to look this
guy up. Sounds like a real spooky guy, even compared to Batman here."

"Doesn't say much, just that the government boys have him pegged as
some kind of modern
day sorceror type. Not sure if his magicks are real, or he's
somekind of hot shot hypnotist,"
Cap said looking at his papers.

"I don't believe in magic," Batman said as he was the last out of
the plane.

"Batman my friend, when you have seen what I have seen, you will
believe in many things,"
the usually silent Magno put in.

"You sound like the superstitious lot that usually are on the other
side of the law,"
Batman said, looking at the Magnetic Man rather intently.

"Just what are you trying to imply, Batman, " Magno said, offended.

"Nothing, nothing at all, just making an observation."

"Batman, could you save your observations for the task at hand. You
seem to be able to garner
more info about these guys in a few hours then the government can in
months." Captain America
said.

Batman said nothing, he just walked into the woods. The other three
costumed men looked at
one another questioningly and, finally, followed the Batman. They
walked for what seemed like
miles.. deeper, deeper into the New England wood that surrounded the
town. "Hey, where we going
Batman?" Green Arrow tried to asked, but Batman didn't respond, and
just kept up his
pace.

Green Arrow wasn't sure when he worked with Batman them months ago,
if he liked, or even
trusted him. In the last few days, nothing had changed. Just as GA
was about to tell Batman
to take a long walk on a short pier, and then hike it back to the
plane, they came to a clearing.
It just sorta sprang up on them without warning. One minute they
were in a forest so dense
you couldn't see the stars in the sky, the next they were in a huge
clearing, staring at
some kind of weird stone tower.

"What the hell is that?" GA said.

"Let me guess, this is the home of our good doctor, no, Batman?"

"I think so, what else would a stone tower be doing in the middle of
the woods?" Batman
turned around and finally spoke.

"Did anyone else notice how strange it felt when this clearing just
seemed to appear?"
Magno asked.

Before Arrow could reply in the positive, Batman turned to Magno and
said,"Still seeing
ghosts, Magno?"

Magno just let out a 'humph' and stormed around to the other side of
the tower.

"OK, Batman, how did ya do it? I mean the stuff about Starman & I
was logical, but how
in the world did you know this would be here."

"I didn't." Batman said to the stunned GA & CA, "To be more precise,
I was guessing, and
I got lucky. My plane is equipped with the latest in heat sensing
devices. Any amount
of abundant heat source shows up. This isn't unusual in a large city
like Metropolis &
Gotham, but out here, there isn't enough homes to be heated that it
should show up, but
one did, as we flew over this dense woods. I'll admit, even I didn't
notice this clearing
as we flew over, but there was a tremendous heat source showing up
on my sensors."

"Hey, you are right, I don't miss much with these eyes, and I didn't
see nothing as we flew over,
and even weirder, and I know you think this sounds dumb, Batman, but
like Magno said, I
was looking straight ahead of us, and didn't see no break in the
trees, and then whammo, here
we were," Green Arrow said.

"Well, no matter what, the reason you figured on Dr. Fate is
obvious, who else would be
so far out of the way, and have such a great energy force," Cap said.

"Exactly, I'm going to make a good detective out of you, yet,
Captain," Batman said, smiling.

"Hey, you smiled, and I don't mean no, 'You are gonna kill someone,
Boris Karloff smile' but
an honest to god smile. I never saw that before. I ain't sure
whether to be happy, or
scared, very scared."

"Enough of that, GA. Come on boys, lets see if Fate is at home, if
this is indeed his home,"
Cap said as he walked towards the tower.

"No doubt this is his abode," Magno said coming from the other side
of the tower.

"Why so sure, Magno?" Cap asked.

"Simple, only a sorceror like the doctor could enter a home with no
doors."

"What is he babbling about?" Batman asked.

Magno, giving Batman a side sneer, said, "See for yourselves. No
doors, no windows, no means
of entrance at all. Perhaps you might get to see some ghosts after
all, Batman."

"Have you ever heard of trap doors? secret passages?" Batman said,
brushing past Magno.

But as the other three inspected the tower, they, too, came up empty.

The other two gave up and stood back, dumbfounded, but Batman kept
trying to find a lever, a loose stone
, anything that would be a sign of a hidden doorway.

"Perhaps, this is all a ruse by the Doctor, to send his enemies on a
false path." Magno said.

"No, he wouldn't have it hidden so well in the woods if that was the
case. Believe me, I know
a little about hidden quarters. But I'm still not ready to admit
anything magical about this.
I'm sure the three of you couldn't enter my domain if I didn't help
you & I don't have any
powers at all, magical or otherwise." Batman told the others.

Finally, even Batman stood back from the tower. No one was saying
anything. Then Green Arrow
spoke,"Hey, you guys hear that?"

"What?" Magno asked.

"I don't know, sort of sounds like a tire losing air or something."

"Yeah, I hear it, too," Captain America said, as the four men turned
and came face to face with a terror
beyond the minds of modern man!!!!


That's it for this chapter folks. Be sure to join us next time as
the team faces a beast right out
of myth.

Thanks...Tyke; )

The four heroes could not believe their eyes. It was a snake. A
snake bigger than any other
snake they had ever seen. The creature was coiling, ready to strike.
As it reared up
Captain America hollered, "Spread out, men!!!"

The heroes ran in four different directions. The monster serpent, a
good two stories tall
when reared up, set it's sights on the Batman, and lunged. Just as
it looked like those huge
jaws would snap down upon the dark knight, an arrow flew by it,
releasing a dense smoke.

The serpent let out a hissing noise and then turned and saw Green
Arrow, poised ready to fire
another arrow. "Come on big boy, I have more where that came from,"
the Emerald Archer teased
the beast.

"Careful, Arrow, I believe that to be a basilisk, and if my
knowledge of mythology doesn't
elude me, it is a creature hard to put down," Magno warned.

The snake slithered towards GA at a surprising speed. Green Arrow
let the arrow fly. This
one, a shocker arrow, just bounced off the beasts hide, and hit the
ground beside it, letting
it's electrical charge off into the dirt.

"Damn, Ollie, run!!!" Batman screamed at his friend.

"Magno, do something!" Captain America hollered.

"But there isn't anything metal for me to manipulate anywhere to be
found," Magno hollered.
Then he spyed Batman, and that wonderful belt."Pardon me Batman,"
Magno said as he gestured with
his hands," I need to borrow this." Batman's utility belt flew from
around his waist, and rose
up into the air, as if by invisible hands.

"What do you think you are doing?" Batman asked.

"Hey, remember me? Help!!!!" Green Arrow hollered to his friends
from the tree in which he
was now trapped with the snake trying to reach him through the
branches.

Magno gestured again and suddenly several things came flying out of
the still floating
utility belt, and went flying at the basilisk. A Batarang with a
rope attached wound round
and round the creature's head, snapping it's jaws shut. As the
creature swung around, it
gleared at Magno with two eyes, that weren't eyes, but two
shimmering, perfect, giant green emeralds.

It swung it's big head, and hit Magno with enough force that sent
the hero flying into the woods.

Batman's belt dropped to the ground as did the other weapons that
had been flying in the air
ready to attack. "Now to put these things to some real use," Batman
said grabbing his
belt and it's former items. But when he looked up he saw that their
Star-Spangled leader
was ahead of him. Captain America had grabbed ahold of the other end
of the batrope surrounding
the creature's jars and use it to swing up, so that he was now
astride it, as if riding it
rodeo style.

The Basilisk reared up, and tried to dislodge CA, but Cap hung on.
While this was going on,
Batman helped GA down from the tree and they joined the battle. As
Cap held onto the
beast and tried to use the rope to tame it, Batman and the archer
came up with a plan of attack.

Suddenly the creature rammed it's head right into the strange
tower, top first, which
was where Cap was. "Oh my god, Cap!" Green Arrow hollered. The
basilisk struck so hard, that
smoke and mortar flew from the tower. Batman and Green Arrow
couldn't see a thing. Then
the smoke cleared and the beast was coiled up again, looking right
at them. They both looked
atop of it's head and saw Cap lying there, very still. "Get ready,
Arrow," Batman said.

GA readied an Arrow, Batman had a grenade in his hand ready to throw
it, but then noticed
the creature was rocking back and forth. Suddenly the two emeralds
that seemed to be its
eyes fell out of their sockets and crashed and broke upon the
ground. The snake crashed down
as well shaking the whole ground with it's weight.

Batman and Green Arrow exchanged glances, then both went running to
get Cap off of the basilisk's
now unconscious head.

"Uh...what hit me," the Captain said as he regained consciousness as
he was helped off
the creature.

"You did it Cap, you got that damn thing so mad, it crashed its head
into the tower, and
knocked itself out. How it didn't crush you, I'll never know."

"Yeah, I remember now, I seen what it was going to do and I slid
back along its body
just in time, but the force that was released by the impact knocked
me for a loop anyhow."

"Yes, it was quite a blow, but look at the tower," Batman told his
friends. They looked, and
where the beast had impacted, though at the time it definetely
damaged the wall, that same
wall was just as perfect as it was when they had arrived. "I guess
our good Doctor didn't
want us going through the hole in the wall."

"Do you think that thing is Dr. Fate's doing, Batman?" Captain
America said.

A voice answered from behind them, but it wasn't Magno's," Yes, I am
so very sorry, my friends
the beast is a guard while I am away. He would not have killed you,
simply kept you
busy until my return."

The three heroes said it simultaniously, "Dr Fate, I presume."

"Indeed," Dr. Fate who had been floating in the air, landed."I
cannot believe that you bested
the Basilisk in battle. You must truly be champions," the Doctor
gestured and the basilisk turned to smoke and disappeared right
before the heroes eyes.

"Fate, I am sorry, but I need to know. Since you weren't here, what
is inside there that
is so important to guard, and how in the world do you get in the
thing?" Batman asked, still staring where the giant snake had been
lying, and now was gone.

"There are mystical artifacts within these walls that I cannot let
anyone get to who may use
them for evil doing, but, in truth, there is something even more
prescious within these
walls. I am sorry, I am being such a bad host, come, let us go
inside, and I will show you
what, or rather whom, needs, such as the basilisk, to guard them."
As the Doctor said this
he walked towards one of the tower walls, and went right through it.

"What..."Batman started to say.

"Believe in magic now, Batman?" Magno said coming up behind his
teammates.

Doctor Fate's head poked back out through the solid wall, and he
said,"Are you coming my friends?"



Ohhhh, Uncle Tyke's got goosepimples, kiddies. That Fate sure is a
spooky guy. Will he join the team? What, or who is he trying to
protect in his tower? Does Batman believe in magic? Wasn't that the
name of a song? What is Superman and the others up to?
For the answers to these questions & more tune in next time. Same
Bat-channel, same Bat-time...dudder..dudder..dudder..BAT..MAN!
Sorry, just had to do that, ya know.

Thanks...Tyke; )

It is really strange. When you join the JLA, you are just so
overwelmed. I mean no matter
how "super" you are, you are now a member of a group that includes
extra-terrestrials, gods,
and beings that do things that are right out of a sci-fi flick.
After awhile, though, you
make friends with these beings, and you become a part of a family.

In the League we deal with life threatening danger everyday. It's
the kind of thing that
makes you close with one another. Suddenly, those "beings" become
just like your brother
or sister. But there is still one guy in the League, that, try as I
can, I still cannot
figure out, and that is Doctor Fate. Sure, when he takes that helmet
off, he's a real
guy, but the man is just so amazing. The things he can do, the
things he knows. Most folks
probably think that Superman, Thor, or one of the other powerhouses,
are the most powerful
member. But, forget all those muscle-heads, for my money, Dr. Fate
is probably the most
powerful...and the most strange....

7:02 AM EST December 7, 1941


Batman was the last to walk through the tower wall, and enter Fate's
home. "It's an illusion,
right Fate? Done with mirrors somehow."

"No, I am sorry to disappoint, Batman. In this case, what you see,
is what you get." Fate
answered. The others all laughed.

"Now, if you'll permeant me, I would like to introduce you to the
reason the basilisk
was protecting my tower. Gentlemen, this is my beautiful wife,
Inza." A blonde woman, who's
very beauty struck the men dumb for a minute walked out from behind
a dividing screen.

"I am so sorry, I would have stopped the basilisk if I had known you
were friends of Dr.
Fate," Inza said.

Batman, finding his voice, said,"Actually, we have never met your
husband. We have come
to enlist his aid in something of national importance."

"I am well aware of your need of aid. I sensed your good intent upon
my arrival." Fate said.

"That is good, from what I have seen of your abilities, we would not
like to have to battle
you my friend, as we did Superman, earlier." Magno spoke up.

"Ahhh, so the famous Superman is involved in this as well. Good, I
am sure what ever the
trouble, our combined might will win out in the end," Fate said, "
come, let us drink, and
you can tell me all about it." Fate waved his hand over an empty
table, and suddenly there
were six glasses, filled with wine.



XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

7:40 AM EST December 7, 1941

"Stanley, have the broken all the code, yet?" FDR asked the younger
man.

"I'm sorry sir, from what I have gathered, there were 14 parts to
the message. We have
deciphered 13 parts, but the remaining part, the 14th one, is the
one telling of the target."

The President didn't say anything, he just took another drink of the
brandy in his hand.

"Sir, I also have had no luck in contacting the masked men." Stanley
added, knowing this
wasn't going to please the commander-in-chief.

"Where are they Stanley? How in the world do we lose a bunch of
flying men in bright,
colorful costumes?"

"The last word we had was that they had made it to Metropolis, but
then the info gets strange.
Reports have come back, saying that Captain America and the others
were seen battling with
Superman. Some reports said they had attacked him, others said that
Superman was the protaganist."

"Damn it, why would they fight, I thought they were supposed to be
heroes. It sounds like
the whole lot of them are crazy like that fish-man fellow."

"I'm sorry, sir. We are still looking for them. After the battle, we
seem to have lost them.
Some reports said that they are still in the Metropolis area, some
say that they were spotted
in the New England area, and we have a report from a naval ship
saying they saw Superman
flying over the Atlantic."

"Maybe this idea of mine has all been a mistake," FDR said as he
took another drink, "Perhaps
we should forget all about these supermen, and just get our damn
country ready for a war."

"Indeed, sir. Whatever you think." was the only answer the young
secret service agent gave.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

9:07 AM EST December 7, 1941


Batman and the others returned to the hospital, along with Dr. Fate.

"It's good to see you my friends, although I see you had more luck
with Fate, then I with
Namor." Superman said, greeting them in the hospital.

"He wouldn't come, huh. From what I had heard, I didn't think you
would have any luck,"
Captain America said.

"Tis a shame, the might of the Sub-Mariner would have been of
value," Fate said.

"Actually, I didn't get to even see him. When I arrived at his
undersea home, he wasn't there.
It took me awhile to talk his people into giving me his whereabouts,
but when I said
that he would probably be angry when told his friend was there, and
they didn't let me know
where to find him, they told me." Superman said," I came back here
to check on you, and now
I'll head to Hawaii. That is where he is supposed to be visiting,
with two of his subjects."

"Hawaii, did someone say, Hawaii?" Plastic Man said coming up from
behind, followed by Hour-
Man and Starman, "If he's going, I want to go, too. "aloha-oooh,
alo..ha..oooh.." Plastic Man
started swaying back and forth when he sang this.

"OK, cut it out, Plastic Man. How are the three of you doing?"
Captain America said.

"The two of them seem great. I'm still in this darn sling and cast,
but I'm ready for action
Cap," Starman said.

"Good to hear. Everyone just hold on. Let me contact Washington,
before we decide our next move."
Cap told the others as he headed for the nurse's desk.

Batman noticed Dr. Fate standing off to himself, and appeared to be
humming, "Is everything
alright, Fate?"

Fate didn't respond at first, just kept standing there stiffly,
making that weird humming
sound.

"Fate, you ok?"

"Oh, sorry Batman. I was meditating. There are things out of line in
the fabric."

"Excuse me?" the caped crusader asked.

"It is good that you all contacted me. If what I am sensing is true.
You will have need of
my magicks this day." Dr. Fate said.

Batman just walked away, back to the others.

"What was Fate saying over there, Batman?" Green Arrow asked.

"Just a bunch of mumbo-jumbo. I have no idea if he is legit or not,
but he definetely puts
on a good act," Batman answered.

"What the heck is it gonna take to convince you, man?" Green Arrow
started to say, but then
Cap returned and from the look on his face the heroes knew something
was wrong.

"Just got off the horn with Washington. It seems Plastic Man will
get his way, we are all
going with you, Superman, to Hawaii..."

"Wahoo..um ..sorry, go on Cap.."Plastic Man said.

"After that, we are all to head to southeast asia." Cap said.

The others all started asking questions at once. Cap got ordered
restored and then explained
to them about the messages Washington had intercepted and decoded,
and about the attack that
was coming, but no one knew for sure what the exact target was.

"I can get there a lot faster by myself, perhaps I should go on
ahead," Superman said.

"No, Superman. I think we should all stick together."

Dr. Fate started to tell the others that he could get them all there
much faster than even
Superman, but something he sensed stopped him. The very fates
themselves seemed to be telling
him that would disrupt the balance of things, and if there was one
thing Dr. Fate wanted to
do was keep the balance...the balance between those that served
ORDER....and yes...those that
served the forces of CHAOS. Dr. Fate kept silent.


Your pal, Tyke's getting a crick in the neck, guys, so until next
time, don't take any
wooden nickels.

Thanks....Tyke; )

XII : And So It Begins...


ADVERTISEMENT



I imagine that day that it was quite a sight for all those people in
the midwest when they
looked up and saw a big black airplane flying overhead, but what
really must have sent their
tounges to wagging had to be the blue and red figure of a man who
was flying beside it...

9:45 AM EST December 7,1941

The general was in the oval office and he didn't have good news.

"Damn it, you know what this means?" the Secretary of War stated.

"Yes, we are all too aware I'm afraid. The last part of the message
makes it a certainy
that Japan is planning to attack." FDR, now looking very worn, said.

"Sir, that isn't all. We think we know where the attack might be."
the General said.

"Well, damn it man, spit it out." FDR admonished the army man.

"Mr President, the last part of the message said that you should be
getting a message from
the Japanese Embassy, breaking all diplomatic ties."

"But I didn't get any message, did we, Stanley?"

"No, sir."

"The message was supposed to be delivered our time 9:00 AM,
according to the message we
decoded. This is correspondant to early morning in Hawaii, sir."

"Could they really reach Hawaii? Damn, we have to warn those people."

"We have tried, Mr. President. Communication is down to Hawaii. We
have sent a message
via a commercial telegraph service, but I don't know if it will
reach them in time."

"Stanley, our "special envoy", have they left yet?"

"I believe so sir, but we have no way to contact them, or let them
know the danger."

"Yes, but they are heading for the area. We must all pray to God,
that they reach it in time.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

11:15 AM EST December 7,1941


The heroes all flew in the Batplane over the country, except for the
Man of Steel, who flew
on the outside under his own power. Batman looked out at him. Batman
knew he probably
didn't think they wanted him aboard after the incident in
Metropolis. Batman wished he
could assure Superman that there wasn't any hard feelings. He knew
that whoever that strange
man was, had been controlling Superman, somehow. But Batman wasn't
very good at conveying
friendship. He looked around his plane at the various heroes,
knowing that he had upset
quite a few of them in the short time that they had been together.
Yes, the Batman wasn't
good in groups.

"Are we there, yet?" Plastic Man's head came stretching up to the
front, and broke Batman's
revery.

"Plastic Man, if you ask me that one more time, I am going to throw
you out of this plane
& we will get to see how well you bounce!" Batman said through
gritted teeth.

Plastic Man head snapped immediately back to the rest of his
body. "Soooorrrryyy, I'm just bored
alright. I mean this is taking forever. How far is Hawaii anyhow?"

"Plas, maybe you should try to come up with a way for us to pass the
time. Preferably, one
that doesn't involve irritating anyone," Captain America said.

"Huh, um...ok. I know what we can do. I mean we are all going to be
teammates, right? Why don't
we do that thing we used to do in school...ya know..go round and
everyone introduce themselves
and tell a little about them."

"For once, I think this guy has a good idea," Hourman said.

"Ok, I guess that will be alright, Starman, would you like to go
first?" Cap said.

"Me? Sure I guess. Well, I'm Starman, but as a few of you already
know, I am also
Millionaire and Amateur astronomer, Ted Knight. This thing here is
my invention, I call it
the Cosmic Rod. This little beauty can asorbe the ambient stellar
energy that surrounds us
and the rod focuses it in a variety of ways, that I can control. It
can focus that energy, which
makes it one of the most powerful energy sources on the planet."

"And, one of the most powerful weapons," Batman interrupted from the
front of the plane.

"Um, yes, it can be that, too, Batman, which is why i figured I
would keep its secrets to
myself. I thought that such technology could be very dangerous in
the wrong hands. Instead,
I decided to use it to make the world a safer place so that some
day, this, and any other
fantastic technology, could be put only to good uses. Thus, the
Starman was born."

"Wow, cool, story, Starman, but I bet mine can beat it," Plas said."
I might be a do-gooder
& a FBI agent now, but back in the day.."

"You were a small time hoodlum, looking for his big break," Batman
again interrupted.

"Hey! How'd you know that?" Plastic Man asked, again stretching his
head to face the caped
pilot.

"Simple, your speech patterns tend to make one believe that you are
not very educated, and
sometimes you use euphemisms that are used by underworld figures.
Then we have the way
you are always trying to be funny, a way of hiding the real you, I
would suppose. You add
it all together. No education means no means of support, turning you
to a life of crime, but
something happened to you, I presume whatever gave you your powers,
and since then you have
used those powers for good, probably because of your hoodlum
friends' betrayal, but you still
feel guilty about your past, therefore you use comedy to hide it
from others. As the saying
goes, the tears of a clown are the saddest to behold."

"Damn, do you mind if I TELL MY STORY???" Plastic Man said,
uncharacteristically angry.

"Pay him no mind, Plastic Man, Batman thinks he knows all, you go
ahead," Magno said, gleering
at Batman.

"Thanks, Magno. As I was saying, yeah, I was a crook. I went by the
name of Eel O'Brian. Maybe
ya heard of me, but I doubt it. Batman was right. I was always
looking for my big break, but
it never came, atleast not in the form I was looking for. We were on
this job. It was at
this special manufacturing complex, but the head guy, Slim, he said
that it was actually
this secret lab of some sort, and there was bound to be something in
there worth stealing.

We got inside, but we didn't get far. Guards showed up, and we ran.
Trouble was, I stumbled
and fell into a vat of somekind of weird acid. I made it back out,
no thanks to my "friends".
They were long gone. In all the confusion, I somehow made it out to.
I stumbled into this field
and, I don't remember much after that. I woke up, days later, in a
monastery, yeah, you heard
me right, me, Eel O'Brian, who wouldn't help his own grandma cross
the street, was being put
up by a group of monks. I thanked them for their troubles, but after
my long sleep I felt
pretty good. I couldn't even see any scars where the acid had burnt
me, but I knew it must
have. I had passed out because the pain was so great, didn't I? But
the brothers, they would
hear none of it. They kept saying something about the lord had sent
me to them, so that
they could heal me. I tried telling them that they had done just
that. That I felt
great and that i had places to go, and people to see. Brother
Philip, the one who tended to me
the most, informed me that, yes, the body was healed, but that my
soul still needed their
attention. Of course, I thought, oh yeah, here it comes. They were
gonna save me. That's when it happened.
I tried to get out of bed, but, instead, only my arms went. That's
right, my arms stretched
clear across that room. As this was happening, the rest of my body
got into the act.
Before I was done, I was lying in a puddle on the floor. It was like
all my bones had been
taken out of my body.

The monks poured my deformed body back into the bed, as if they saw
this kind of stuff everyday.
When I finally got enough bodily control to speak. I probably said
every curse word
in the book. I asked them what the hell had they done to me. Why had
they made me a freak?

Brother Philip just smiled and said, "Brother, you are not a freak,
and we did not do this
to you. It must be a gift from heaven."

"A gift, you call this a gift?"

"It will become one, if you allow it to. Remember my words about
your soul. Let
your soul heal, and so will thine body."

And so that was what I did. I enjoyed the monks hospitality for
months. I didn't really
have much choice since my body wouldn't co-operate. But, guess what?
I started really admiring
those men. They didn't know me from Adam, but they gave me their
food, waited on me hand and foot, and after
all that, they asked nothing in return. It really made me think
about my life. Also, it gave me time
to realize that Brother Philip was right. I was given a gift, and I
knew just what to do with it.
I was going to be like the monks, I would give back, without asking
for anything in return.

I left the monastery. I had been given a purpose. I was going to use
my fantastic powers
of elasticity to fight that which I had always been. The kind of
people who took and took, no
matter who they hurt. I would be a crime fighter like the world had
never known. Since that time
I have used my Eel identity to get me close to the worst of the
worst, and then I bust them
in my Plastic Man identity."

"Wow, who would have ever guessed you were that complex." Green
Arrow said, grinning at Plas.

"Hey, thanks, GA, you want to go next?"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

7:45 Hawaii-Aleutian Standard Time December 7, 1941

Namor awoke on the ocean bottom, with Mamousa beside him. They
slowly came out of their
slumber. "We should be heading home, today," The Sub-Mariner thought
to himself.

"Namor!, Kiern..he..he..he is gone!"

"Calm yourself, woman. He probably just woke and decided to go off
exploring. I am sure he isn't
gone far. Come, let us look." Namor swam for the surface with
Mamousa close behind.

They swam around the currents, diving in and out, looking for the
young mer-boy.

"There he is, Namor. By Poseidon, he is near that surface vessel."

Namor looked to where Mamousa was pointing and saw him. He was by a
big ship. Namor's
fantastic eyes could read the strange surface language, even though
the boy and woman
could not. It said USS Arizona. Namor had seen these type of ships
before. They were warships.
Namor started to call out to Kiern, but was interrupted by the noise
of something overhead.
It sounded like a million whales giving their mating calls at once.
Namor looked up, and
he saw the first wave of the Japanese attack....


It's a period of history that we all know, but how will the heroes
change things, or will they?
Be here for the next chapter to find out!

Thanks...Tyke; )

Chapter XIII : And So It Begins...


ADVERTISEMENT



7:55AM Hawaii Standard Time December 7,1941


Explosions were going off all around them. "Damn these surface
dwellers and their wars!"
Namor thought to himself. Then he spotted it. A plane flying right
over the Arizona.
A bomb dropped from the plane. Two more planes were flying behind.

The Sub-Mariner swam at his top speed. He reached Kiern and grabbed
the boy in his arms and
threw him with all the strength the monarch could muster. Then the
bombs hit their target..

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

11:00AM PST December 7, 1941


Doctor Fate AKA Kent Nelson finished telling his story of how Nabu
had come into his life
and given him the helmet and amulet that gave him his mighty mystic
powers. Before him, Green
Arrow AKA Oliver Queen had told his story of his time on Starfish
Island, and how he
developed his archery skills and used them to bag the very pirates
who had caused him
to become shipwrecked. Also Hourman AKA Rex Tyler had told the
others about his developement
of Miraclo, and Captain America had told the story of how a skinny
Steve Rogers had been
given the Super-Soldier Fomula and became America's #1 Protector.

"How about you Magno? You want to go next?" Captain America asked.

"Huh, oh, yes, of course." Magno said, rather apprehensively.

"Yes, I am very interested in your story, Magno," Batman, who had
remained silent for the
most part, said, "I was not too surprised by the other's stories,
but I have a feeling
your's will surprise me."

"I am sorry to disappoint, Batman. My story is simple. I developed
these Magnetic Gloves,"
Magno held up the metallic gloves he wore, showing his fellow
heroes. "They give me
power over anything metal, as you have all seen, and like our
friend, Starman, I decided
I would use them to battle crime."

"Interesting, and what is your real name, Magno?" Batman asked,"I
wondered because every story
I have seen about you, you are referred to as Magno, even when you
aren't in costume. Don't
you use a secret identity."

"My name?" Magno asked.

"Yes, you do have one, don't you?" Batman asked, turning back and
looking at his fellow hero.

"Of course I do! It's er..tom..yes Tom Dalton. I don't use it often,
because I want to make
myself available to those who need my help. I don't want to hide
behind some identity. I have
nothing to hide!" Magno replied, getting angry.

"Calm yourself, magnetic man. I was simply asking questions. If you
have nothing to hide, or
you do, that is of no one's business, but your own. If I may,
though, in Starman's case,
he doesn't share his secret of his rod, because of security reasons,
Hour-Man, because
Miraclo only works on him, but neither of these can be the case with
you, because you have
a young sidekick, who shares your abilities. I think Davey is his
name. It seems strange
you would share your secret with a young boy, but not anyone else."
Batman said.

"Yes, Davey is a very special boy. I would think you, of all people,
might understand,
Batman, since you, yourself, have a young sidekick named Robin, who,
I assume shares your
secrets," Magno responded.

"Touche, Magno," Batman said with a grin.

"Now, we have all told our secrets, I believe it is your turn,
Batman," Magno said.

Batman didn't say anything. "Batman, I am talking to you."

"I realize that, Magno. I just don't have anything to say. I am
sorry to disappoint, but
I did not agree to share anything." Batman finally said.

"What!?!" Magno said. "You hound me, act like I am being
interrogated, and now you won't
offer up anything?"

"I told you that your business, was just that, your business. You
decided to answer my questions.
That was your decision, Magno. And this is mine. You might all feel
the need to share, but
I don't!" Batman said.

"But.." Magno started to say, but Cap interrupted him," Batman has
the right to stay silent,
Magno. If he doesn't want to share, no matter what any of us think
of that, it is his right."

"I'll tell you who's story I'd love to hear," Green Arrow spoke up,"
That guy has to have
a whopper to tell." Green Arrow said, looking out the window at
Superman.

Superman looked at Green Arrow, and smiled.

"Hey...you don't think he could hear what I said way out there do
ya?" Green Arrow said.
When he looked back out the window at Superman, Superman was shaking
his head, "yes."

"Holy...how many powers does that guy have, anyhow???" a shocked
Green Arrow said, to no one
in particular.

On the outside of the plane, Superman smiled again. He had been
listening to all their stories.
There wasn't much else to do out here. He could have flown inside
with them, but after
what had happened between he and they, he wasn't sure if he could
stand all of them looking
at him, not knowing if they could trust him, especially the archer.
It would be nice to
be friends with others who shared his cause. How many times had he
thought of trying to contact
one of them? But now, after hearing their stories, he realized that,
no matter that they may
share his cause, and may even dress like him, they were all still
just men. Even this Doctor
Fate was in truth a human, though it seemed, with amazing
abilities. "But I am more than human, not
born of this world. I am not a man, I am Superman." the Man of Steel
thought to himself.
"I wish Captain America hadn't insisted that I wait on them. If
there is real danger in
the Pacific Rim, then I could have been there hours ago." Superman
figured it was, again, that
lack of trust. But now he would not only have to face whatever
threat there was, and try to
protect the innocents involved, but he would also have to watch out
for his new teammates.
Superman knew it would probably be better if he was on this mission
alone.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
8:06AM Hawaii Standard Time December 7, 1941


The Sub-Mariner awoke. The bombs had stunned him. He spotted
Mamousa, holding Kiern a few
yards away. He swam over to them.

"Namor, thank the seas you are alive." Mamaousa said.

"The boy..?" Namor asked.

"He is alive, but hurt."

Sub-Mariner looked around him. The planes were still attacking."Damn
them. Take the boy, Mamousa.
Get him home to Atlantis, quickly. I must avenge this barbarious
attack."

"My prince, please come with us.."

"No, these devils will suffer my wrath this day, SO SWEARS
NAMOR!!!!!" With that said, Namor
sprung from the ocean and flew straight towards one of the Japanese
planes.

Before the pilot could swerve, or even understand how a man was
flying towards him, the
Sub-Mariner sliced right through the plane. Namor flew on to the
next plane. He ripped the propellor
off and flung it towards another of the planes. "Die, Dogs!!!!"


Namor repelled the first wave, they started turning back. "Where are
you going? Yes, you are
brave attacking a boy. Attacking people by surprise, but now you run
like the cowards you
are. But Namor has not yet quenched his thirst for vengeance! But I
will!!!"

The Sub-Mariner flew after the departing planes.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Superman and the others were now flying over the Pacific Ocean.
Superman, getting itchy
to hurry, decided to use his telescopic vision to scout ahead.
Perhaps he could find
Sub-Mariner early, to save them time for when they did arrive.
Superman's eyes concentrated, and
soon a new world opened before his eyes. "Great Krypton, NOOOO, we
are too late!!!!" Superman
screamed. At the sametime Superman flew off towards Pearl Harbor at
super-speed, leaving
the others far behind.

"What the hell was that? What was he screaming, and where did he
go?" Green Arrow said,
inside the Bat Plane.

"I think he flew off at high speed. Batman, can you speed this up?
We have to catch him."
Captain America said.

"There's no way we can catch him. The Batplane's flying at top speed
now, and he left us
like the hare left the tortoise." Batman responded.

"Hey, maybe I can use the old Cosmic Rod to give you a boost, Bats,"
Starman said, his
weapon already glowing.

"Starman, no..." Batman started to say, but it was too late. The
Batplane, boosted by the
stellar energies produced by the Cosmic Rod, went super-sonic.

Batman held the controls, but at this high speed it was of little
use. "Damn it, Starman, shut
that thing off. I can't control the plane at these speeds."

"Uh, sorry, I'm trying, not used to controlling it with my left
arm," the hero in the sling and cast said.

Suddenly the plane started to dip, they headed straight down towards
the ocean.

"Somebody do something, QUICK!!!" Hour-Man said. Doctor Fate stood
up. While all the others
panicked, he remained calm. He held out his arms, and a light, in
the shape of an ankh, appeared before him. It
started small, but soon grew, engulfing the plane, and then left the
plane and layed upon the
surface of the water below them.

"Nice light show, Fate, but how is that going to help us? We don't
need a bullseye, we know
where we are going to hit!" Batman said through gritted teeth as he
struggled with the plane's
controls.

"Do not fear, my friends, all is well," Fate said, as the Batplane
hit the Pacific.



Can you say, DAAAAAAANNNNGGGGGG. So what is going to happen next? I
know, but I ain't telling.
Atleast not yet. Be here next time.

Thanks...Tyke; )

Batman & the others stand by on the island watching as Superman, Sub-
Mariner, & Magno surround
Starman, with Dr. Fate just floating nearby, seemingly unsure of
what to do.

"Now what is going on?" Green Arrow asks.

"It seems Superman is being effected by something again," Captain
America says.

"Yes, and whatever it is, this time it seems to be effecting Sub-
Mariner, Magno, and to a lesser
extent, Dr. Fate as well," Batman says.

Starman has erected a force field, but the other heroes attack it
with a vengeance. Starman
knows it is just a matter of time before they get through.

"Stand Back! I know how to handle this one," Superman tells his
allies. Superman then hauls
off and hits the field, knocking it, and it's contents flying over
the ocean, clear out of
sight. Superman and the others then turn towards the island, and
start flying towards it.
Dr. Fate hesitates, but then joins them.

"Oh, great! Now what do we do?" Green Arrow asks turning to
Cap,Batman, & Hour-Man. Before either
man can answer, a scream comes from behind them.

Turning they see Plastic Man clutching his head, in pain. He then
seems to come out of this
"fit" and looks at the others and says,"Death to all American
dogs!!!"

Plastic Man stretches his arms towards them, but Green Arrow loads
an arrow into his bow and
lets it fly. Suddenly a bright light emits from the arrow, blinding
Plastic Man.

Cap says, "Everyone take cover, whatever this is, seems to be
effecting everyone but us, for
some reason."

As Batman runs he thinks,"Why is it effecting just the strongest of
us?"

Superman comes right after Batman, shooting beams of heat vision at
the Cape Crusader. Batman
heads for the jungle, hoping to hide.

"Come out of there,"Superman says, burning the jungle in his
wake,"you can't hide from me!"

Meanwhile the Sub-Mariner lands, blocking off a fleeing Captain
America. "Now you will die
for what you have done to the Empire!" Namor says as he strikes at
CA. The Captain ducks and
rolls away from the mighty blow. Sub-Mariner, again, tries to launch
an attack, but Cap's
excellent fighting training pays off, as he ducks and gets behind
the prince, and then
hits him behind a knee with all the power he can put in his leg. Sub-
Mariner goes down to
one knee, more out of surprise, than pain, but Cap is quick to take
the offensive. He jumps
on Namor's back and puts him in a reverse choke hold. The Sub-
Mariner gets back to his feet,
but has trouble dislodging the Captain.

"Damn it," Green Arrow screams as Magno easily uses his magnetic
ability to deflect the
mace arrow he has shot at him. Hour-Man then says,"Looks like you
got him covered, think
I better lend Cap some help before Sub-Mariner turns him into
fishfood.

Batman, hiding behind a rock formation, watches Superman flying
overhead. "He's stopped
using his heat vision, must be trying his x-ray vision to find me. I
wonder why he hasn't
found me, yet?" Batman thinks to himself, unaware that there is lead
in the very rock formation
he is hiding behind, preventing Superman from seeing him. Batman
then sees Dr. Fate fly behind
the Man of Steel. Fate just floats there watching.

"It seems whatever is effecting the others, Fate is trying to fight
off. I just wonder
whether he can." Batman thinks, but then gets his answer as a bolt
of eldritch magic shoots
from Dr. Fate's hands and hits Superman from behind. Superman lets
out a cry of pain, and
falls near Batman.

Batman comes out of his hiding place as Fate lands. "Seems you found
a way to beat it, wasn't
sure there for a minute," Batman says to Fate.

"No...Batman...whatever....effecting us....some...kind
of ....magic...but science....as well
...my magicks have saved me...till...now....only ....one thing to
dooooo," Dr. Fate lets out
a grunt as he reaches up and tears his helmet from his head, and
throws it into the jungle.

Batman, not understanding, cautiously approaches the man. Before him
now stands a blonde
haired man.

"Doctor, are you alright?" Batman asks.

"Yes, but I am no longer Doctor Fate, before you stands only Kent
Nelson. As I told all of you
in the plane my story, I left out one detail. It is only by wearing
the Helmet and this
amulet, that Nabu's essense enters me, and I become Fate, the man
who holds the balance
between Order and Chaos. By removing the helmet, most of my mystical
power is gone as well."

"And you no longer feel under the Japanese control?" Batman asked.

"No, I am once again, myself." Fate answered.

"I knew it! I wondered, and should have figured it out. Only those
of us with powers seemed
to be effected by whatever this strange energy is. Starman, who's
only power comes from his
cosmic rod was not effected, and neither were myself, GA, Cap, or
Hour... oh damn!" Batman turned
in time to see Hour-Man running towards a struggling Captain
America. Even from this distance
Batman could see him taking the pill. "No Hour-Man,Dooooonnn'ttt"
Batman screamed, but it was too
late!

Hour-Man could feel the Miraclo energy building up as he ran towards
Cap and the fish-man.
There was something else to. Something that never happened before.
He felt a severe pain
between his temples. He didn't have time to worry about it, as he
hit Namor,who had dislodged
the Star-Spangled Warrior, with all his might. Namor went flying
across the beach. Hour-Man
then realized that it wasn't Sub-Mariner he should fight, but the
American hero. He turned
towards Captain America, with hate-filled eyes!

"Dammit!" Batman exclaimed as he watched his newfound friends
battle. "Fate, Nelson, whoever you are
, we need to do something to stop this before someone gets killed."

"Hmmm, it seemed that we only became effected when we entered this
area. I can sense a limitation
to this energy field. It only extends so far. Perhaps if we can get
everyone out of here, they
will return to normal."

"Yeah, but how do we do that? You no longer have the power and the
only one of us remaining
who would was sent flying out over the ocean by our super-friend
here...wait, you said you
sense the energy field, does that mean you can still do a few magic
tricks?"

"Yes, I still have some residual abilities. Minor things."

"How about contacting Starman, seeing if he is alright?"

"Yes, I sense him. He seems unhurt. I can send an astral projection,
perhaps rouse him.."

"That's all we need. Now tell him this..." Batman went on to tell
him.

The battle went on between these one time allies, when suddenly a
bright glowing mass of
energy swooped down and grabbed the still unconscious Superman, Sub-
Mariner,Plastic Man, Magno, Hour-Man,
& Fate and sent them out flying back the way they had come."

Starman then came flying down to his friends,"Sorry about the delay,
that blow didn't penetrate
my shield, but it sure knocked me for a loop. But Batman, why did
you want me to send them
all out to sea, won't they just fly back?"

"Not if it works the way we planned. In fact," Batman said as he
rummaged in the jungle and
came out with Fate's helmet," I want you to take all of us to meet
them."

"What?!?" Green Arrow stammered. "Are you crazy.."

Captain America interrupted the archer," Batman hasn't steered us
wrong yet. Do what he says
Starman.

"OK," Starman said, and then with a glow from his cosmic rod, they
were off." Before we go,
can't we just give them a few more shots?" Starman asked.

"Sure, do what you can," Cap answered.

Starman and his friends stopped in mid-air. Starman pointed his rod
at the Japanese fleet
and the rod started glowing, energy poured out of it. A glowing ball
went sailing right at the
biggest carrier. A great gaping hole hit the ship, and it started to
sink. One after another,
the bouncing ball of energy put holes in all the ships.

"Whoooo hoooo! Way to go Starman!" Green Arrow screamed.

Starman grinned and said, "Now we can go!"

As Starman and the others approached their friends, some miles west,
they did so cautiously.
Superman and the others were still encased in the energy sphere of
Starman's making.

"Hey, you gonna let us out of here?" Hour-Man asked. "What the heck
is going on?"

"Yes, all I remember is the Japanese attacking the other surface
dwellers, and then for
some reason I was serving them, in battle with all of you." Namor
said.

Starman released the other heroes. Batman, on the floating platform
that Starman had created
for all the non-flying heroes, handed Kent Nelson his
helmet. "Thought you might want this
back."

"Thank you, Batman." Putting the helmet back on, Fate rose up from
the energy platform and
flew over the sea," We must have a marker. I sense this field
extends all the way around
the Eurasian continent."

"Eurasia, huh, means the Germans and Italians will be protected as
well," Captain America
said.

"Starman, join your energies with mine, this barrier is magic and
science combined, we
shall see if my magicks and your science can defeat it."

Starman and Fate both poured their energies into the energy barrier,
while the others watched.

"Anything?" Cap asked.

"No, I am sorry, Captain. Whatever fiend created this, he made it
quite formidable. It remains."

"But that means none of us can touch them," Superman said.

"Well, none of us with super-powers, that is," Batman said.

"But I must have my vengeance!" Sub-Mariner said.

"If you dare go past this marker," Dr. Fate said as he conjured a
giant band of glowing energy
that surrounded the whole barrier, "then you will only come under
the control of those
you wish to destroy, again, Atlantean."

"Don't worry, Prince Namor, join with us, and we shall protect our
homeland, and yours.
If any of the axis powers try anything like this again, they will
have us to deal with,"
Captain America said, extending his hand to Namor.

The Sub-Mariner flew down to the floating platform, and took the
Captain's hand," I remember
our battle. Though you are merely a surface-man with no powers, you
were quite a combatant.
I respect that. You shall have Sub-Mariner in your service until
these barbarians are tamed."

"I don't know about the rest of you, but how about heading back to
Pearl Harbor. I'm sure
they could use some more help." Green Arrow said. The others agreed
and they all flew west
to Hawaii.

As the heroes approached, they didn't feel like heroes at all.
Superman remembered the young
sailor and his words. They had failed them. Now they couldn't even
touch the enemy. The other
heroes were all thinking the same. They were all very silent as they
approached the bomb
stricken area. When they landed, there was a crowd of people. At
first, the people all stood
quietly, then they all let out a big cheer. They screamed hurray,
and people ran up and
started hugging the heroes.

"Thank you, thank you so much!" one person after another said to all
of them.

Superman then raised his arms to get the crowd to go silent, and
said," No, no, you all don't
understand. We weren't able to get to Japan. We did take out the
fleet and we promise that
we will not let anything like this attack happen again, but that is
all."

"Isn't that enough?" a young woman said, as she held a crying
baby, "It's hard to tell how much
worse this would have been if all of you hadn't shown up. A tear ran
down her face as she looked
at her baby,"We...all of us are alive, thanks to you."

The crowd cheered again at these words. The heroes still felt
guilty, and went right to work
helping to repair some of the damage, and reunite love ones lost in
all the chaos.

A Navy captain came up to Captain America and said," Sir, we have
just got word from the
President. You and the other heroes are to return to Washington
immediately."

"Thank you, sir," Captain America answered, saluting out of habit.

"Looks like we are going to Washington, boys,"Captain America said,
as he gathered the others.

"Great, I bet ole' FDR is real proud of us," Green Arrow said
sarcastically.

The heroes flew back under Starman's power, leaving the Batplane
with the Navy, until Batman
could return for it, so they could double-time it back to the White
House.




So what do you think FDR wants with the boys? Tune in next time, and
as an extra bonus, you'll
see the "birth" of a new hero...or should that be heroine.

Thanks...Tyke; )

The group of colorful heroes flew silently over the nation below
them. It was dawning a new day. The President had ordered them back
to Washington, and none of the mystery-men felt he was going to be
very pleased with them.

Superman broke the silence as he flew close to Dr. Fate, "I have
wanted to ask you something, Doctor. When you blasted me with that
bolt of energy back there on the island, it really put me out of
action. I guess what I'm trying to say is...how? I mean up until now
I have thought of myself as invunerable. Nothing...and I mean
nothing has ever been ever to even tickle me, let alone do what you
did to me."

Dr. Fate looked at the Man of Steel,"It is magic, my friend. It
seems that you are vunerable to that, atleast. It stands to reason
that whatever energy that was affecting the super-powered amoung us
effected you for the same reason fore I could sense magical energies
present there as well. Do not fear though, Superman. No one, not
even you, are truly invunerable. But as luck would have it, you now
have an ally who is well versed in your new found bane."

"Thank, you, Fate. I shall keep that in mind."

Batman, having overheard the two heroes conversation, had been
working something out in his mind for sometime now, but still
couldn't come up with an answer to satisfy himself. He decided that
it was time for him to ask a few questions.

"Magno!" Batman hollered at the man flying close by.

Magno landed on Starman's energy platform. "Yes, what is it, Batman."

"I have a question, if you don't mind. I have been trying to figure
something out, but it doesn't seem to be kosher."

"What is it, Batman. I'm not sure I can help, but I will try."

"OK. Back on the island. The energy only seemed to effect those of
us with powers. I mean to say, those powers born within the various
heroes bodies themselves. For example, Superman, Sub-Mariner, &
Plastic Man were all effected completely, because their powers
are "natural". Coming from the bodies, themselves. Hour-Man,
however, wasn't effected until he took his miraclo, causing him
to "power-up". Doctor Fate was no longer effected once he removed
his helmet, which effectively de-powered him. Starman, like the
three non-powered members, wasn't effected because his powers comes
from the cosmic rod, not his body."

"And now we come to you, Magno. You were effected, like the other
ones, but I don't understand that. Back on our trip to Hawaii, as
I'm sure the others recall, you told all of us that your magnetic
abilities came from the special metallic gloves that you wear, which
should have meant that you shouldn't have been effected by the
brainwashing energy, anymore than Starman was."

"Hey, that's right," Green Arrow said, looking at Magno.

Magno turned and looked right at Batman's eye to eye. His eyes
showed no hint of what he was feeling, but his hands were clenched
at his sides. He stood for a few seconds saying nothing, but then he
spoke, "I'm sorry. My friends, I have lied to you. As I'm sure you
all know, in our "line of work" you have to be careful who you tell
what to. Why, even you, Batman, refused to share any of your secrets.
I guess you wanted to know about me, but I felt maybe I shouldn't
tell quite all."

"The truth is, mymagnetic abilities, and those of my young aide,
Davey, come, not from our gloves, but from an electro-
magnetic "bathe" which we subjected ourselves to. It is an invention
of mind that melds with one's own metabolism, granting the perosn
tremendous magnetic powers. I suppose I felt if an enemy thought my
powers drew only from the gloves I wear, that would be where they
would concentrate their attack. I am sorry for not having trusted
all of you with the truth."

The other heroes silently looked at Magno. No one said anything for
a few moments, but then Captain America clamped his hand on Magno's
shoulder and said, "That's no problem, Magno. I can understand your
hesitation in sharing information like that with all of us, who you
barely know."

The other heroes all said various things to the Magnetic Man,
agreeing with Cap's comments, save for Batman. He just stood
silently, never taking his eyes off of Magno until they got to
Washington.


XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Diana and Artemis were racing down the beach of Paradise Island. For
a stretch they were side by side, and the winner seemed in doubt,
but suddenly Diana sprinted far ahead.

As they came to a stop, both laughing and splashing each other,
Diana looked out past her fellow amazon's ahoulder, towards the sea
beyond, and she saw the explosion in the sky. She also saw a figure
falling into the sea. It was a figure of a man!!!

Diana jumped into the water. Artemis hollered for her to come back,
but Diana kept swimming. Her speed in the water was incredible. She
spanned the vast distance in a little under a minute and a half.

Artemis watched as Diana made her way back to the island. As she
grew near the beach, she stood up, and in her arms was something
Artemis hadn't seen in millenia.

"Princess, stop! Do not bring that foul creature upon our island.
You don't know what it will do!!"

"Do not worry, sister. I have been told the tales. I know our
history, and I know what it means for a man to set foot on Paradise
Island. But that will not happen. I am more than strong enough to
carry him. His foot will not touch a pebble of our glorious sands."

Diana carried Steve Trevor up the beach back toward the palace that
was home to her mother. All the way there, Artemis begged and
pleaded with the young princess to not do this. To, please, put the
man back in the sea.

Fianlly, Diana halted and turned towards Artemis, "Go, sister. You
have no need to worry. I will tell mother that I was alone. You need
not be involved.."

"But Princess.."

"Silence, Artemis! I do not mean to be harsh with you sister, but I
am my mother's daughter, and you WILL do as I say. Now leave me be!
This man needs help. I can not put him back to die at the hands of
Father Neptune, anymore than I would any other creature."

With that said, Diana approached the golden doors leading her to her
mother, the Queen Hipolyta's chambers.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The president welcomed the ten heroes into his office. He was in leg
braces today, and was standing to greet them, with some help from
the secret service agent, Stanley.

"Mr. President, we are so sorry, we failed.." Captain America
started to say.

"Failed? I won't hear none of that now. Buck up my young friends.
This is not a day to be melancholy. This nation has suffered a great
assault, but I will not stand here and let you all try to take the
blame for what the evil men who are currently ruling the Japanese
Empire are responsible for. If not for your valiant effort, the loss
of American lives would be triple, maybe even more, than what is is."

"But sir, we were late. If we had gotten there sooner.." Superman
started to say, only to be cut off by a wave of the cigarette baring
hand of F.D.R.

"Nonscense! Now you all listen to me. I am the one who's idea it was
to bring you all together, so let me be responsible for any
wrongdoings or mistakes that are made. We have more important
matters at hand. In little more than an hour, I will be addressing
the congress of this nation in a special joint session. I will be
asking them for a declaration of war against Japan. More important
than that, due to radio, I will also be addressing the people of
this great nation. I have but one thing to ask all of you..."

"Anything, Mr. President." Captain America said.

"I want all of you there with me."

The president, with help from Stanley, walked past the heroes. The
men all looked at one another, then followed him.


That's it for now, folks. I planned on finishing this story up wth
this chapter, but I have been busy lately, and am very tired LOL,
soooo, join us here next time for the conclusion. By the by, I know
there has been a great abscense of action here at JLFF, but never
fear, for the reason to this has been due to your Unkie Tyke being
busy behind the scenes. I got big news coming in the near future,
and I think the wait will be worth it. As always, keep your signal
devices activated!

Thanks...Tyke; )