JustIce League: The Malignant Uprising

The Challengers - Part One

There was a large cloud of ash that lingered in the air as dozens of heroes appeared in the grey fog. They all landed into the center of the warehouses and began to look around with careful eyes. The shrouded courtyard was silent. The group began to grow suspicious as they gathered themselves into fighting stances.

Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman all emerged into the front of the mob, carefully watching the grey smoke surrounding them. Wonder Woman whispered something only her close comrades could hear. 

"Where are they?"

Batman replied with his gruff tone, "They're here, watching." 

The group stood in silence, listening. Everything was too quiet. Batman approached the edge of the smoke that surrounded the League and then looked back at his friends. He knew he had to get the upper here. He had to survey the scene. Bruce gave a slow nod and then stepped into the murkiness beyond them. 

"Batman! You can't!" Superman was about to go after him when Diana put a hand on his arm.

"Let him do-"

But Wonder Woman was cut off when all of a sudden, figures dressed in white began to attack the League. Each fighter moved as fast as lightning as they hit the group of heroes with all of their might.

The League began to summon all of their strength and power as the warriors in white started separating the group. They couldn't let a small little surprise win. From a distance it looked like the heroes were beginning to defeat the white hooded figures, but it was only when the ahs began to clear did the heroes realize what they had really gotten themselves into.

The figures were coming out of every direction and dozens of them began to swarm the mob. Superman's mind was panicked as he looked around him. His team was fighting courageously, but this new strike force was fighting harder. 

He yelled orders as loud as he could. "Everyone that can fly, fly!" The ground and the sky began to even the odds. The ones on the ground were now protected by those in the sky.

Superman took a deep breath and fired his laser vision. He heard screams as the white figures were being blown back. He was doing quite a bit of damage until he felt something grab  his back. He stopped his laser vision and flying as the figure on his back hit and choked him. Superman reached behind him and was able to grab something hard. He wasn't sure what it was, but he pulled. With his strength he moved it upward. He heard a popping noise as he discarded a motionless body to the ground. 

As he looked at it he felt something inside him sink. He's dead. He shook the thought away and continued to fight in the sky. 

He had to do this. 

He had to.

*****

Wonder Woman appeared flying in the sky with her lasso of truth. She swung the rope around a clump of the fighters. She spun in the air and let the rope loose. The figures scattered  in all directions. She felt sharp pain on her back as she scanned the ground for her team. When she turned around she saw the figures shooting something at her. They continued to fire, but she blocked their hits with her bullet blocking bracelets. She then flew toward them out of rage, making them stagger back. She thought that she was going to deliver the knockout blow, but as she lifted her arm to deliver a punch she felt a stinging sensation cover her forearm.

Diana saw a metallic whip wrap around her limb. It burrowed deep into her skin the more she tugged against it. She tried to grab the whip with her other hand, but as she pulled on it she felt a pain she had never known. It was like she was being electrocuted, but there was something else. She grunted as she pulled against it even more. Soon she felt another whip on her opposite leg. She moved her hand to the other whip, but she felt a pull that started the electrocution. The shocking doubled and quadrupled as all of her limbs were grabbed by whips.

She was overwhelmed. She tried to resist, but couldn't. She tried to twist her head to see where her friends were. She saw them flying into random directions. She tried to call for help, but her eyes soon gave way to darkness as the pain made her lose focus.

******

Martian Manhunter and Super Girl stood back to back on the ground. It seemed like together they were unstoppable. Manhunter shape shifted into a lion. He made his claws extra long as he kept hitting the oncoming opponents. They fell to the ground as Manhunter's blows grew harder.

Super Girl fired her laser vision. The crowd coming at them began to shrink as the figures fell down in piles. She heard Manhunter gasp behind her and saw that a white figure was electrocuting him with a whip. She flew over to him with a soundless speed and tried to pull the whip apart. She instantly let go when she felt its sting. Super Girl used her frost breath to harden the whip and then smashed it to pieces with a punch. She grabbed one half of it and flung it at the soldiers attacking Manhunter. She grabbed one of the remaining fighters and threw him over her head. 

She turned back to Manhunter. "Are you okay?" She helped him up.

"I am fine. We must warn the others about that weapon. It seems to cancel abilities. It cancels powers."

Super Girl nodded and the two flew to find Superman.

*****

Hawk Girl's giant wings knocked her opponents over as she flew into the air. She flew higher and higher until she could only see them as dots. With a target in mind she brought her wings in close and faced down. She began to free fall as fast as a true raptor. She reached the ground within seconds and quickly extended her wings outward. Her opponents were forced back from  the wind her wings pushed forward. Still hovering the ground, she launched forward. Her mace began to knock out anyone standing in her way. She continued to fly at her opponents, but felt a sudden jolt bring her to the ground.

When she recovered her senses she realized that she was trapped in a net. She pulled and tugged, but couldn't find a way out. She saw a large shadow come toward her. It was one of the figures. It extended a long prong into the net. She fought and kicked but felt a pinch enter her shoulder. A cool sensation spread through her body as she felt her eyelids droop. She continued to fight, but her movements began to slow. The figure was about to put another injection into her shoulder when a red and yellow blob knocked him over.

The net around her was ripped off and she slowly began to stand as her eyes became heavier. She saw Flash enter her vision, but the injection the enemy had given her had made Hawk Girl see double. Flash spoke to her, but his voice was like slurred whispers and his face was blurry.

"Hey H, are you okay?!" He touched her shoulder, trying to get her to focus her stare on him.

She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. She stumbled as she advanced toward him. Flash caught her. 

"We need to get you somewhere safe," Flash muttered. With a concerned look he picked her up in his arms and began to run.

*****

Superman continued to fight, ignoring the weight in his stomach about the fighter he threw like a rag doll. His thoughts were interrupted when he felt an invisible force knock him down. He looked up to the darkening sky. A fiery figure emerged in the air, engulfing the battle field with a gold hue. Everything seemed to stop as the figure made its way into the battle. The figure looked down at him and began to approach him with flaming tendrils.