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Registered User
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Posts: 24
Join Date: Jun 2006
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SIX
Flash forward.
Galatea lay in some kind of advanced medical diagnostic unit, her vital signs fluctuating. She'd been through one hell of a fight; the bruises all over her body testified to that.
It was the kryptonite poisoning that was killing her.
"Will she make it?" Shifter said, crying on her brother's shoulder.
"Not if the radiation levels keep climbing," Downpour answered. "You still didn't tell me. What was he like?"
"J'onn? He was nice. Really nice, and ..." Shifter said.
Downpour understood her sudden silence.
"You two had better leave," 'Tea's male nurse said. "We're all gonna have to clear out soon, before they get here. They're already asking questions and offering rewards."
"They" weren't in reference to the now-defunct Justice Lords...
Present moment.
"Where have you been?" Superman screamed.
God, he's sounding more and more like a spoiled brat, Lois thought. She'd been found by MDC personnel, who in turn contacted the Tower. So far, her part in the plan was going smoothly, even upon returning to the Watchtower.
"You sound concerned," Lois said calmly.
"Why shouldn't I be?" Superman said, slamming a fist into a now-sparking console. "You're in serious trouble. What I wanna know is how you've managed to bring and hide kryptonite aboard and why did you, of all people, betray us? Betray me? I loved you."
"Oh, please," Kara muttered, sticking her finger down her throat.
"I can do without the sarcasm, Kara," Clark said, near to tears.
"Loved me?" Lois said. "If you really love me, Clark, then let me go. This isn't any kind of life; this is more like imprisonment."
"You haven't known 'imprisonment' yet," Clark said, his tone becoming hostile .
"The Phantom Zone," Lois realized. "Your little storage facility."
Barbara's plan just went to hell.
Kara In-ze's was apparently successful.
"We're coming with you," the Ultitwins said.
"Out of the question," Helena said. "If this plan fails, the worst they can do is brainwash me, which will get them nowhere. If they capture either of you, then they can reverse engineer your DNA, and maybe brainwash you to boot; only you'll be more valuable to them than me."
"Reverse engineer is what we want," Shifter said. "That might be the key to our survival."
"She's right," Downpour said. "If we were created from the Martian..."
"His DNA wasn't the only one used," Barbara said.
"?"
The Martian has never turned into a water-based entity, as far as we know," Barbara said. "But Matt Hagen's xenomorphic abilities came from a liquid-based polymer."
"So you're saying that Clayface is my daddy?" Downpour said.
"Not exactly," Barbara said.
"That still doesn't change things, no pun intended," Downpour said.
"Since I can change into animals, then let me go," Shifter said. Then seeing her brother's disapproving look she added , "And Downpour can stay here, in case something does go wrong. Please, brother?"
"Alright, sister," Downpour grumbled. The hug from Shifter, while comforting...
"We're ready," Helena said.
"Good," Barbara said. "Galatea, you know what to do."
"This is for you, Daddy," 'Tea said under her breath.
Flash forward.
Galatea still lay comatose. Deep inside her mind she was reliving the events of the past few hours. A two-against-one fight, a blinding green flash of light, and somewhere in the mix, an albino T-Rex joining the fight, snapping its jaws around Superman's cape and throwing him a considerable distance. Those same jaws snapped around her and the last thing she remembered was being carried off...
"Lord J'onn," tech Kyle said, placing a supportive arm around J'onn. "Are you well?"
"Well enough to return to my duties," The Martian Manhunter replied. "Now you may return to yours. I'll be fine."
"Yes, Lord J'onn."
The technicians were glad to see him return; he was popular in contrast to the "Kryptonian Konquerers', who, well, if you can't say something nice about someone...
Flash forward.
The red sun radiation wasn't helping matters any.
Kara was the first to come to; her holding cell wasn't standard Watchtower quarters.
For the first time in several years Kara In-ze was scared.
My clothes reduced to rags, my powers gone, no one else in this cell except me...
"Clark! Diana? Anyone?"
"They can't hear you," her jailer said.
"Are they..? If you've killed them..."
"Oh, they're still alive, for the moment,' said a familiar voice that wasn't her jailer. "Whether they remain so is entirely up to them. And you."
Kara finally caught a glimpse of her captor.
"You!? It can't be! You're supposed to be dead..."
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