Earth's Last Defence [DEFENDERS OF EARTH BOOK IV]

Pulling Out

The Tri-Wing rolled and spun away from the attacks of the Sinestro Corps. Multiple streaks of yellow light chased the aircraft through the city streets. Just ahead were several Sinestro Corps members circling a rooftop. On the rooftop was Rorschach one one knee, panting and grunting, his hat sitting next to him. Batman sped towards them, and fired a round of rubber bullets at them. Two of them were caught off guard and struck down unconscious instantly. The rest all created walls to defend themselves. They also spawned turrets to fire back, and yellow bullets bounced off the cockpit window. The Tri-Wing crashed through the large constructed walls and the Corps members floated back to avoid it. A small compartment in the side of the aircraft opened up, and a smoke cloud spread out across the rooftop. The side entrance to the aircraft opened up, and Rorschach stood up, picking up his battered hat with him. He made his way through the smoke screen and into the Tri-Wing, and they sped off, the door closing behind him. Rorschach made his way to the cockpit and stood beside the chair Batman was sitting in.
"Pulling out?" The vigilante said. Batman didn't reply.
"Where's Simmons?" He instead asked. Rorschach tilted his head.
"Saw him being chased through Times Square. Many pursuers. Can't take them all on." Rorschach answered. He paused. "So we are pulling out."
"We don't have a choice." Batman said sternly. The Tri-Wing turned a corner, and Times Square was just visible across the city. "None of us can fight them. Not like this."
"Smart move. City's long gone." They entered Times Square, and saw light on a nearby building. Spawn jumped from building to building, using his chains to pull himself further. A crowd of close to 40 chased him, attacking him with whatever they could think of. Rorschach looked at the Bat. "Idea?"
"Maybe..." Batman pondered. He opened a voice comm. "Alfred, did you complete an analysis on the Corps?"
"I did, sir." Pennyworth replied through the commlink. "I'll skip to what I'm sure you want to know. The yellow aura around them also acts as a shield of sorts- they'll feel pain, but it's minimised to an extraordinary level."
Without regarding him, Batman turned off the link, and sped the aircraft forwards. He rammed it into a large clump of the Corps, sending them flying. They landed on the streets, groaning and struggling to get up. Spawn was on the building on his back, clutching his side. The side compartment to the Tri-Wing opened up, and Spawn got up and staggered inside. Once again, the door slid closed behind him, and the Tri-Wing lifted off again.
A terrible, screeching sound was heard from behind. One of the Corps had constructed a hook on the end of a chain, and had it lodged in the hull of the aircraft, holding it back. Batman flicked a button, and the back thrusters blew a large round of flames, sending their assailant flying backwards, the hook vanishing. The other Corps members had recovered from the smoke, and had turned to the aircraft. The Tri-Wing sped forwards, rolling and dodging energy blasts and whatever else the Corps had come up with.
"We can't outrun them." Spawn said, holding his side. He was healing, but not as fast as normal. Batman said nothing in response.
He pressed a few buttons on the console, then a few on the dashboard above his head.
"Step away from the yellow line." Bruce said to Rorschach and Spawn. They looked down and stepped away from the bright yellow line, and then came the roar of a jet engine. The whole back section began folding in on itself, detaching certain parts and sliding new ones in to compensate for the missing space. Then Batman pressed another button, and the Batwing detached itself and sped off on its own, pre-programmed flight path. It flew right past the Corps, and half of them stopped, looked from aircraft to aircraft, and decided to chase after the Batwing.
"Nicely done." Simmons commented, looking at the rear-view screen. "That cuts them down a bit."
"Master Dick is cornered on 42nd, sir. Just a few blocks away." Alfred told Batman through the comms unit. "I'd advise getting there with haste. He's lasting, but..."
The Tri-Wing jolted to the side all of a sudden, and zoomed towards 42nd. The Corps were tearing the city apart, building after building, road after road, monument after monument.
There were several Corps members on 42nd, all surrounding one corner shop. In the shop was Nightwing, holding a leg with one hand and an escrima stick with the other. Blood was trickling down from his mouth. There were cuts and holes in his amour. His face was covered with blood, sweat and dirt. Batman pressed a few more buttons on the dashboard. The lights in the cockpit went from red to blue. The Caped Crusader pressed another button, and his seat, and the floor below, dropped open. He dropped down and out of the aircraft, extending his cape to glide through the air. He barrel rolled out of the way of incoming fire from Sinestro Corps members.
He landed and rolled just behind the Corps members cornering the shop. He dropped a stun grenade, and Nightwing closed his eyes. It went off with a bright flash, and Batman kicked one member in the back of the head. She groaned and fell down. The one next to her reacted by constructing a hammer, and swung it towards the Dark Knight, hitting both the Batman and other member along the way. Batman rolled into the store, and grabbed Nightwing by the wrist he pulled him up, took out his grapple gun, and went out through a hole in the roof.
From above them, the Tri-Wing went about its pre-programmed flight path. The Corps members from in front of the store levitated upwards and faced the two.
"This city's gone. Long gone." The lead one laughed. "But I guess you've realised that, since you're running away." Bruce pressed a button on his belt, and the Tri-Wing fired a small flashbang flare at the rooftop. The two heroes looked away, and Batman grappled onto the incoming Tri-Wing, hitting the hull. The two were pulled along with it, slowly getting towards the opening compartment. They finally reached it, and Spawn pressed a button and it opened, and the two clambered inside.
It closed behind them, and Grayson sat down on the chair. "Spider's the only one left." Rorschach said to the Batman as he got back into the pilot's seat, deactivating the flight path, and the the cockpit went back to the red lighting. "Know where he is?"
"To answer his question, sir..." Alfred said through the comms. "Mr Parker is on the New York LexCorp Tower. Currently running up it, I believe." There was a pause. "We have a problem, sir. They've taken down the Batwing and have realised it was just a decoy. You're about to get a lot of company, sir."
"Alfred, are there any civilians in or around the perimeter of LexCorp Tower?" Bruce asked.
"Let me check thermal imaging... no. No, there are none, sir."
"None in any surrounding buildings?"
"No, sir."
"Thanks, Alfred." Spawn turned to him.
"What's your plan?" He asked.
"A risky one." The Bat answered. From behind them, in the distance, emerged about twenty more yellow shapes, chasing the aircraft. Batman opened the comms. "Spider. Get ready to latch onto the Tri-Wing."
"We are NOT leaving this city!" Spider-Man said with anger. "We're not giving up!"
"We need more time to prepare! Now get ready to latch on, Parker!" Spawn and Rorschach looked at each other briefly.
There was fighting on the side of LexCorp tower. Spider-Man was battling several of the Corps- one of them was Sinestro himself. Batman gritted his teeth. Parker looked across at the aircraft coming towards him. He had to decide.
He fired the web and latched onto the hull of the Tri-Wing. It flew past and pulled Spidey along with it. Then, a missile was launched out of the back, hitting the tower, causing a massive explosion and an even bigger smoke cloud. Rubble fell down from the building and onto the streets. The Corps were flung away, some into building, some into streets.
Spidey pulled himself up and through the bottom hatch, which closed behind him. Batman activated the turbo, and the shot out of the city at an incredible speed.
And they left the torn-up city behind them.