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Chapter One by Derrick Ferguson Aquaman heaved broken rubble and masonry from his aching sore back and looked around him at what had once been the proud and gleaming city of Poseidonis and gritted his teeth so hard his jaws throbbed. It was either that or give voice to the scream bubbling in his throat. All around him, the proud and pastel towers of Poseidonis lay in ruins. Destroyed by one single lone being that had shattered the might of the Legions of Atlantis and had hurled him aside like a mere child. Screams of pain and cries for help assailed both his ears and his mind. At least he could shut off his telepathy. Several soldiers of the Atlantean Legion swam toward him, their battered armor and drained energy lances spoke of the battle they had been through more than any words. "Sire! The enemy has left the city proper and heads toward the western provinces!" Aquaman's reply was a snarl; "See to the wounded and regroup the Legion. I'll try to stop that thing again." "Sire? Should you not call your comrades in the Justice League?" "This is my realm and my responsibility, soldier. You have your orders." And Aquaman was gone, speeding through the blue-green water, now tinged crimson with the blood of his subjects. It only took him thirty seconds to catch up to the being. Nearly eight feet tall, it was impossible to distinguish any features since it was so incredibly hot that the water bubbled, hissed and steamed for ten feet around it. Man shaped, it strode like some invincible golem, crushing anything in it's path. Fish gave the creature a wide berth, save for a school of killer whales who seemed curious. Aquaman commanded them to stay back and with a mental command to his prothesis, it morphed into a metal hand. He had tried a tactical approach before but right now he was only in the mood to crush this devil with his own hands. Aquaman sped like a living torpedo at his foe and smashed into the small of it's back, throwing the creature to the ocean floor, where it was obscured by a cloud of disturbed silt. Aquaman ignored the intense heat and with interlocked hands began pounding into the creature's back while using his telepathy to probe into the creature's mind, looking for some leverage...some advantage he could exploit.... Suddenly, Aquaman stopped his attack and kicked away from his foe, drifting backwards in the cloudy waters, his face a tortured mask of shock. "YOU! How could you....why are you..." The creature rushed forward and griped Aquaman with burning hands. The Sea King battered furiously with both hands as he forget his pride and sent forth a telepathic cry to the one mind on Earth that could help him now..... <J'ONN!>
Superman smiled as Steel and Green Lantern stepped out of the transporter and entered the meeting hall of the JLA, located in their imposing Watchtower on the Moon. "Glad you could make it on sch short notice, gentlemen." "No prob, Superman." Even though he'd worked with the Man of Steel for quite awhile now, Kyle Rayner still couldn't quite get past his awe of Superman. When you got right down to it, nobody really did..... .....except for the dark figure who stood by his chair, wrapped in his cloak like a creature out of nightmare. The Batman fixed Green Lantern with his tombstone stare and said nothing. "We'll begin as soon as Diana, Arthur and Plastic Man arrive," Superman was saying as Steel and Green Lantern took their seats. "J'onn's just went to-" The scream was inhumanly loud and they all turned as one to see The Martian Manhunter stumble from the elevator and crash to the gleaming metal floor, twisting and writhing in agony. Superman was the first at his side, kneeling to turn the huge green body over. Batman bent over Superman's shoulder. "Can you see any injuries?" Superman shook his head in a negative. He was busy using his X-Ray vision to check J'onn's internals. Batman issued orders: "Lantern, use your ring to scan for intruders. Steel, you-" "NO!" J'onn J'onzz roared, his big green hand reaching out to grip Superman's shoulder. It didn't escape Batman's eye that Superman winced ever so slightly. J'onn's grip was as powerful as that of the Kryptonian's. "There is no enemy here! The enemy is in Atlantis....it has destroyed Atlantis..." "What about Arthur? J'onn? What's happened to Aquaman?" The Martian Manhunter's voice was cold as the icecaps of his native planet as he said; "I feel nothing from his mind. I fear that Aquaman is....dead....."
Boston Brand floated in the Realm of the Just Dead, ignoring the pitiful cries of the lost souls around him. Most people handled death pretty well, overall, but a few of them really fell to pieces over the whole thing. Deadman moved forward, casting the occasional glance at the spectres around him. He still missed being alive, but his power to briefly inhabit living bodies gave him the small taste of humanity that he craved. All in all, he had accepted his fate and was okay with it. Diving "down" (though all directions were relative in the Afterlife), Deadman sank into the realm of Charon. The ferryman stood in his boat, which was docked on the shore. Since all areas of the Afterlife were linked together, Deadman could easily move from one religion's realm of the dead to another's. "Hey, Charon. How's it hanging?" The ferryman ignored the banter, staring ahead at a figure who was moving through the mists. Deadman squinted in that direction, feeling a phantom itch on his head. He rubbed it absent-mindedly, not even thinking about the strangeness of a dead man feeling an itch. "Hey, that fella looks kind of familiar...." The ferryman nodded slowly as the recently deceased stepped from the mists. He was tall and lean, with a close-cropped blonde beard and long, flowing hair. A hook glinted in place of one of his hands. "Where am I?" Deadman felt his ethereal stomach drop. "Aquaman? I think you and I better have a chat...."
The heroes of the Justice League were silent as they rode Wonder Woman's invisible plane towards Atlantis. The wondrous machine was able to mimic almost any shape and for the moment it was wrapped protectively around its cargo like a submarine. Their names were legendary -- Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Martian Manhunter, Flash and Green Lantern. Kyle Rayner, the last Green Lantern, glanced over at the Man of Steel. "You really think he's dead? Maybe J'onn misinterpretated something...." Superman's jaw tightened. "J'onn doesn't make mistakes." The terseness of the reply surprised Kyle, until he remembered Superman's own brush with death a few years back. Ahead of them, a monster waited.
22,300 miles above the earth, a satellite flared to life. Its very existence seemed an improbability, but somehow it had just become very real. An exact replica of the old JLA satallite, it set off alarms at the Watchtower, where Plastic Man remained on duty. Eel O'Brien's eyes stretched out impossibly in surprise as he stared at the viewscreen. "Good googly-moogly! What the heck is that?!" Plastic Man extended an arm to the communications array, his eyes never leaving the screen. "Better call the Big Guns about this." To his surprise, however, some blocked his path. He turned just in time to see an elongated fist slam into his forehead. The blows came so quickly that Plas never had time to defend himself. "God bless ILA transporters," his attacker said, a smile on his face. He wore a blood red costume, with blue gloves and yellow trim. Ralph Dibny, the criminal mastermind known as the Elongated Man, shook his head sadly as he regarded Plastic Man. "Tsk, tsk. I can't believe the League here replaced me with you... Sigh. True genius is never appreciated." His nose suddenly twitched and he looked around to see that Steel had just arrived via the Watchtower's transporter. "Hmm. I smell a new victim."
Superman was out of the vessel before it ever reached the ruins of Atlantis. The fiery figure was moving steadily towards the shore now, but Superman was intent on preventing him from ever reaching it. He slammed into the monster with all his strength, sending the beast tumbling forward. Superman's eyes sizzled as his heat vision kicked in. The turbulent mist around the figure had parted somewhat and the Man of Steel gasped in horror. Despite the mishapen nature of the face before him, he recognized his foe instantly. The monster wore a red-and-yellow costume, his eyes blank white and his scalp aflame. He was eight feet tall and his skin was horribly burned -- from radiation, Superman knew. "Great Krypton... Firestorm?!" The Nuclear Monstrosity growled and slapped away Superman, before using pushing off with his massive legs. Firestorm burst from the ocean, even as the other JLAers approached Superman. Those that needed it wore breathing apparatus. Wonder Woman helped Superman to his feet. "Did you see who it was, Kal?" "Yes... and I think we're in a world of trouble, Diana."
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