JustIce League: The Malignant Uprising

Caught In Crossfire

My body ached as I stumbled to my knees in the Commander's ship. I was taking in the silence of the room when a gagging sound ruined my reverie. When I investigated the sound I saw Wonder Woman restrained to the wall. She was foaming at the mouth, trying to lunge at me.

It was sad, but satisfying, to watch her struggle to get free. I gathered myself and walked up to her.

"At least you'll be put to good use for something," I smiled inches from her face. She let out a venomous growl that made her elongated her features enough to make her look unworldly. "You won't have to die like your friends."

My feet began to glide back a few steps. Now what?

I find Father?

What will you tell him?

Hawk Girl's dead. Super Girl's dead.

You need to hurry.

They need to suffer.

That's how the villains' lose in fairytales.

Cold, ashy air filled my lungs as I took in what the voice said. It called me, The Complex, a villian. I brushed the thought away and turned my focus back on the ship.

I knew the Commander would be in his spider hole. That's where I would find him. The hole was a limestone room where torches hung on the walls and where pathways lead to dead ends. Few people knew the right ways to get in and out. Few people knew where the Commander hid his creations and secrets.

When I turned the corner from where Wonder Woman was being held, I saw the flight room. The Commander's seat was in the back while panels of controls surrounded the front window. To the side of me there was a large window that showed the fighting. I could see Superman on his knees.

When I looked down there was a hole in the floor. I couldn't make out anything in the shadows, but I knew that was where I would find the Commander.

A small flame flickered on my hand as I walked down the hole. Shivers ran down my spine as the cool air grasped my arms. An old and musty smell filled my nose as I went deeper into the hole. The only sight I could make out with my flame was that I was walking down a spiral staircase, boots were echoing like I was in a cave.

Soon I could see lights twisting around the stairs bend. I picked up my pace and extinguished my flame. When I arrived at the bottom of the stairs I saw torches lining the wall for miles on end.

Go, I thought to myself. Go and find him.

******

The Commander stood still in an empty room. He closed his eyes and imagined the terror and fear his last attack had caused. The League was hurt, the government was broken, and society didn't trust anyone. The chaos was perfect and the public only gained more fear when the Jelapose made headlines.

If only it weren't for Juliane. He should have known.

The Commander's sly smile disappeared from his face as his eyes snapped open. He balled his fists and could feel sweat gathering in his palms. Juliane's dead. You killed your wife.

The Commander tilted his head up and placed a hand on his gun he kept on his side. He shakily lifted it and pointed it at the wall in front of him. A thunderous roar filled the room as the bullet pierced the stone. The wall began to crack and fall apart. Soon the floor was filled with litter and debris.

He looked up to see a white safe. It's frame stretched for the entirety of the wall while a retina scanner hung in the center. The Commander stepped through the pile of broken rocks and placed his eye in front of the scanner. Blue light shimmered as the safe swung into itself. The Commander was about to walk in when he heard the clicking of boots behind him.

He turned and pointed his gun. "I thought I sent you to kill Superman."

Tempest leaned in the arched doorway. "What a nice way to say you sent me to die."

He looked at her face. For once he couldn't read it. She was beginning to act like him. Careful, he thought.

"I never said that." He lowered the gun and stood upright.

She slowly walked toward him. "Of course you didn't."

Careful. He gave her an angry smirk. "Watch your tongue."

Tempest walked forward so that she was face to face with him. Fear and excitement filled her gut as she looked into his dark eyes. "You should have kept that gun on me when you had the-"

The Commander snapped out the gun and hit Tempest on the head. She stumbled back and he came at her again. He punched her with all of his strength.

She collapsed onto her knees. Her hair was sticking to the fresh blood on her face. Tempest heard the clicking of the barrel and lifted her eyes to meet his.

"I should kill you, I would kill you. Let me be clear. You are to do what I say, when I say it. The only reason you're alive is because the revolution needs a young face like yours. They need you. Don't think I like you alive." The Commander turned and headed to the safe. "Now, like a soldier, tell me the report."

Tempest slowly went up into a kneel and went back to the subject at hand. I warned you. You never listen, crooned the voice.

"Hawk Girl and Super Girl are dead."

"The others?"

"Fighting. Angry. Confused." Tempest looked at what he was doing and made a point to track his every move. "It should be easy to take them out. "

He looked back at her over his shoulder. "Just wait. I want to see."

Tempest agreed in silence as the Commander walked behind the door of the safe. She heard footsteps and clicking sounds. She looked back down at the ground.

This is what you get. You deserve this. The voice was loud inside her head.

Why? What did I do?

Nothing. That's just what the world is like.

I'm following him. I'm loyal to him. I thought this was right, but now I think that this is wrong.

So?

So what do I do?!

Trust me next time. Maybe those are the only voices who like you.

Tempest felt weak. She didn't feel like a strong storm. She wanted to break down. She wanted to run away. She knew she couldn't. She knew that no matter what she thought on the inside, the revolution was right. It had to be. What else was there?

Tempest looked up and saw the Commander gazing down at her. She quickly got up and stepped to the side. She noticed something different. His clothes.

Instead of white, he was wearing all black. He wore black pants that connected to his boots. Gun holsters were hanging from around his hips. He wore a belt that looked like Batman's. He wore a black armored shirt that covered his neck and the sleeves went down to his elbows. Swung around each of his shoulders were an array of bombs criss crossing into an 'X' shape.

Tempest walked behind him and followed. "Sir?"

"What is it?"

"What do we call you now?"

"I'm the Commander to you. To everyone else, I am Crossfire," he replied callously.