JustIce League: The Malignant Uprising

No Turning Back

We hide the armada of ships a mile from the attack site, lowering ourselves into a sandy dune. The military's storage area was built in a desert landscape so far from humanity that it would take days to reach any form of civilization. The base itself was surrounded by a chain link fence, but it was old, so patches of it were missing here and there from trespassers who had miraculously found the place. 

After landing, our army formed into tighter clumps of 30, silently heading into our positions at the base. Everyone seemed to flourish in night's darkness, and I could tell that a lot of the people here had a new sense of pride as the moonlight trickled onto the warehouses we could now see in front of us.

Inside the fence, warehouses stretched in parallel lines toward the horizon. In the center of the base, a large cobblestoned plaza broke the pattern of rows, revealing our future battlefield. The sight of the dull storage spaces gave me a feeling of relief in a way. Everything here is quiet and has a sense of age. 

But something inside me cringed, so I tried to ignore what I knew. In a couple hours, the League would lie here. Dead. With nothing. The stone plaza wouldn't be silent anymore.

You can still turn back, said the conniving voice. 

No.

I hid behind a building that led to the big courtyard. Upon further examination, it seemed to expand for miles, making me realize how big this facility was. 

But then I felt the back of my neck buzz. I turned around to see the Commander eagerly staring at me.

"Tempest." His voice was dark and gruff.

"Yes, Commander?" I did my best to hide my hesitation for the fight.

You killed once before you know. This should be easy.

I hated it.

Well, you better learn to love it because blood is all that you'll see now.

"Put everyone into a mind link," the Commander directed, "and when the Justice League comes, block their telepathic and communication signals." 

I nodded and turned back around so I wouldn't have to look at him anymore. 

This was it.

 I started to focus on a hero that had strong mental abilities. I thought of Martian Manhunter and Me'gann. Their eyes flashed red when they used telepathy. I take a breath in and feel an invisible force project outward. I stumble back as I hear hundreds of whispers echo in my mind. It was our army. I knew that they could hear my thoughts so I tried to block them from mine. I clench my jaw as the voices grow louder. Focus.

I soon felt the presence of the army disappear, and the Commander surprised me by laying his hand on my shoulder.

I kept my back to him.

"We are the heroes, the angels." 

I replied as calmly as I could, "And we will reshape the Earth."

*********

The Watchtower

As soon as Batman returned to the Watchtower, he saw the zeta tube's light from the corner of his eye. He guessed it was a deployment team that launched right before he got there. Curious, Bruce stalked over to Manhunter near the observation monitor.

Sensing Batman's presence, Manhunter advised, "You shouldn't be here. This isn't your shift."

Bruce stood next to Manhunter and crossed his arms. "It's always my shift."