Post by C_Miller on Feb 15, 2012 2:15:54 GMT -5
Ultimate Justice Society of America #6
All These Strangers Pt. 1
Note: Special Thanks to Buck for giving me the right inspiration when I was plagued with writer’s block.
Jack Knight stirred awake from his slumber to the sound of a very loud voice coming from the entrance hall of Camelot, his late father’s house. The place had been bustling ever since the children of the Justice Society of America and several other costumed heroes returned home from Kahndaq, where they were held captive by Vandal Savage. With masked men and women constantly in the headlines and in the national consciousness, the general public was hanging on the fate of the Justice Society.
Throughout the last couple days, other heroes, reporters, and just general fans had made a pilgrimage to the home in hopes of joining the non-existent team, booking an interview or simply to get a glimpse of the heroes. So needless to say, there was much confusion in the house, but something about this was different.
“WHO THE HELL IS IN CHARGE OF THIS OUTFIT?! I DON’T CARE WHO YOUR FATHER IS, YOUNG LADY!” Jack heard a man’s voice scream and he decided he couldn’t ignore it any longer. Shirtless, wearing only a pair of flannel pajama bottoms and a wide disingenuous smile, he exited his room and saw the scene from the balcony over the grand foyer.
When he arrived on the scene, he saw a man in a military uniform standing over Jessica Garrick, using his enormous size to intimidate. Behind him, in a wheel chair was daughter of the original JSA’s military liaison, Barbara Gordon who was in a wheelchair due to an accident she sustained several years ago, in because of Jessie.
Jack clapped his hands to make is presence known. “Ah Good Morning, but could we please use our inside voices. Some people were trying to sleep, but it’s no matter. By all means, keep screaming your head off.”
“You must be Starman…” The man grunted as he moved towards the staircase that Jack was walking down.
Jack smiled widely and shook his hand. “I must be. Now, care to put us on an even playing field?”
The military man shifted his eyes back and forth. “Eiling. General Wade Eiling.”
By now, the room was starting to fill with other heroes. Sand came out of the kitchen with Artemis following closely behind. Yolanda appeared on the staircase from the opposite direction of her room with Rick right behind her. Even Ryan Choi and Dr. Charles McNider came up the stairs from the subbasement to assess the commotion.
“Now, General Eiling, I’d love to speak with you, but could we please move this to my father’s old office.” Again the General looked unsure of himself, but he relented with a simple nod of the head. “Wonderful. It’s down that hall, third door on the left. I’ll be right there.”
The General was hesitant as if he wasn’t used to people giving him instructions. As he left, Sand walked up to Jack, placing his arm around him. “Jack, you want me to take care of it? When I was in Iraq, I dealt with a lot of guys like him.”
Jack sighed. “Tempting, but no. I got this one. My house, my problem.” Sand nodded and went back to the kitchen to finish his breakfast with Artemis. Once he was out of sight, Jack turned to Barbara. “Please tell me he’s not one of yours.”
“The blonde surfer guy or Mr. Over-Compensation?” she laughed, upwardly nodding towards Jack’s father’s office.
Rolling his eyes, Jack let out a curt laugh. “I see your wit still has yet to fail you... Mr. Over-Compensation.”
“Ha. If only. I only wish I could find someone to make Jessie squirm that much.” Babs looked up at Jess with a fire in her eyes that Jack couldn’t completely place.
He knelt down and spoke to Barbara and eye level. “I haven’t had the chance to thank you yet. If it weren’t for your girls… I don’t know. I’d rather not think about it.”
Barbara opened her mouth to speak, but only managed to give him a knowing look and an earnest nod. “Courtney, right?” Jack nodded. “How’s she doing? I heard on the network that she was pretty beat up.”
Jack took in a deep breath. “Yeah… it was pretty touch and go for a while, but she went home today. I wish we could have kept her here. Her mom and stepdad don’t care about her. They didn’t even know she was gone until McNider brought her home. Or rather they didn’t think anything was out of the ordinary. Bollocks.”
Barbara stopped her self from snickering at the ridiculous sound of the British slang mixed with the bastardized amalgamation of the Baltimore and South London accents. She flawlessly regained her composure before Jack noticed her amused face. “So, um, have you had the talk with her yet?”
“The one where I say ‘remember when my mom died when I was twelve, yeah, My Dad hooked up with your mom six months later and you’re the proof?’ Yeah, I think I’m gonna skip that one?” Jack chuckled and even Babs’ solemnly straight mouth curled at the edges.
Babs swatted him. “You’re a… wanker.” She winked, mimicking his accent, to which Jack let out a genuine, unpessimistic laugh. “It’s really good to see you.”
“You too. Your girls are in the infirmary, but they’re fine. You can head down now, but I better take care of the esteemed General before he calls in a drone strike.” Jack began to walk away, but he indicated towards Jessie. “Hey do you want to escort Babs to her people?”
Jessie froze like a deer in the headlights, but she slowly nodded as Jack turned back towards his office. The two women stared at each other for an impressive few moments as the rest of the dwellers of the house went back to whatever they were doing. “You look good, Babs.”
“Save it, Jess. You may have fooled Jack and Rick and the rest probably don’t care, but you can’t fool me and despite what you may think, I care,” Babs spat out with venom behind each word until the last one, which she said in a labored voice that indicated she was holding back her true emotion.
Jess looked down at the floor as not to meet her judging eyes. “I’m trying, Barbara. I really am.”
Barbara sighed. “I wish I could believe you, I really do, but I just can’t trust you anymore. Not after what happened to weeks ago.” Jessie got behind Barbara’s chair and began to push her towards the elevator to the subbasement. “Do you plan on joining?”
“I’m sorry?” Jessie asked with genuine confusion.
“The Justice Society. I know Jack, he’ll be reluctant, but in the end it’ll all be put back together. “ Babs’ tone was flat as if she was just filling idle conversation, not especially caring about either side.
Jessie shrugged with a blank look on her face as they elevator door opened. “I’m not sure. I would think that they’d want The Flash… that’s not me anymore.”
The wheelchair bound woman let out a bitter laugh. “Yeah, I’ll say. Wally called me after you two had that talk… I was about ready to wheel myself to Keystone solo just to kick your ass. I may not have legs, but I am fully, 100% capable.”
The second the elevator door swung open to the subbasement, Jessie stepped in front of Babs’ chair. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry I disappointed you so much.” With that, she took off towards the stairs at top speed, leaving Barbara alone to her thoughts.
***
Jack Knight tentatively walked into his father’s old office to see General Eiling sitting in front of the desk waiting for him. He went around to the back of the desk and sat in the chair, he remembered his father sitting in all those years ago, smoking his pipe and filling out paper work. “General, to what do we owe the pleasure?”
General Eiling glared at the young costumed hero as he took his father’s old seat at the desk. “Don’t be cute with me, Starman.”
“Please, it’s Jack. I’ve never really bothered with a secret identity. Starman just makes good headlines.” Jack spoke with a confident swagger, but it was clearly masking a bit of fear an apprehension that he had sharing a room with such an intimidating figure.
The General nodded, calming his stance a little bit, but he remained the dominant figure in the room. “So… Jack… what’s your angle?”
Jack flexed his brow in disbelief. “My angle? With all due respect, General, you come into my father’s home at eight in the morning, shouldn’t that be my question?”
General Eiling shifted in his chair, moving his body closer to the desk, still towering over Jack. “The Justice Society of America was broken up twenty-two years ago for a reason, Mr. Knight. The fact that it has come back is alarming to some people in some very powerful positions.”
“Again, with all due respect, that’s false. If you’re going to re-write history, don’t try to do it to a history teacher.” Jack moved it, with certain bluster in his voice and for the first time in the conversation, a sense of superiority. “The Justice Society split up on its own accord, I should know, my father was there.”
General Eiling gritted his teeth and let out a sound that Jack could only classify as a growl. He closed his eyes, got up and began to pace the room while Jack looked on from behind the desk. “Mr. Knight, we are on the brink of a new era. The Age of Heroes. Sure, they’ve popped up throughout history in the form of supposed Gods, the JSA did a lot of good during Vietnam and Keystone City has had a constant defender since 1965. But, we are approaching something we’ve never seen before.”
The General put his hands on the back of his chair and leaned over it. “Superman in Metropolis, Green Lantern in New Mexico, Hawkman in St. Roche, that damned lady in Gateway the papers are calling Wonder Woman. And those are just the ones trying to do good.”
“What’s that have to do with us?”
The General laughed and continued to pace the room. “Everything, Mr. Knight. I work for an organization whose only task is to keep tabs on people like you, people who go out thinking they’re doing the right thing and those who know they’re not. The Justice Society represents a concentration of power that we don’t want to have to deal with.”
Jack sighed. “Truth be told, General, I wasn’t too thrilled with the idea of reforming myself. I may have taken up my Dad’s mantle, but the Justice Society was his team…”
Eiling looked as if he was about to counter that point but stopped when he realized that Jack was actually on his side. “That’s good to hear, boy. If you get any thoughts to the contrary, give us a call and we’ll set you straight.”
The General left the office leaving Jack to mull over what he had just been told and threatened to do or not to do. He didn’t have much time to think before there was a knock at the door, after which Rick Tyler walked in without being invited. “Hey Jack. How’d that go?”
Jack shrugged. “Heh. As well as can be expected. I may be alone, but I’ve never really been a fan of angry people threatening me by throwing their weight around.”
The son of Rex Tyler sat down across from Jack and rubbed his hands together, taking a long deep sigh. “I… I have to admit, I was eavesdropping a bit. Spending time in Syria really honed my hearing.”
“Oh yeah?” Jack wasn’t especially listening. He was sitting with his arms cross and staring into space towards the center of the desk.
Rick nodded. “Yes and I heard that you don’t plan on reforming the Justice Society.”
Jack cocked his head to the side with a raised eyebrow, indicating a slight disbelief. “What do you care? No offense, brother, but you seldom showed any interest in your father’s exploits as Hourman and have gone on the record saying that it destroyed any chance of a normal childhood.”
“I’ve been to way too many funerals in the past few months, Jack. And none of them for natural causes.” Rick’s voice sounded intense, with a drive that Jack had never heard from him before.
He scrunched his face at his friend. “Rick, the Justice Society belongs to our parents and I say this as the guy who’s running around Opal City with a Cosmic Rod calling myself Starman.”
“They need us, Jack!”
Jack threw his arms up in frustration. “Who?! Who needs us?”
“Your half sister, your brother, my cousins, my aunts and uncles, Joan Garrick, all seven hundred of Wildcat’s kittens… my father” Rick replied. “And we’re not the only ones. There are more and more people putting on costumes every single day… they need our protection.”
Jack’s eyes darted around the room. “What can we do for guys like Superman?”
“If there’s one thing I learned about in the field, it’s collective security. Strength in numbers my friend. And for every heroic Superman, there are ten who would stop at nothing to destroy everything we stand for.”
Jack sighed. “Look, I’m not saying you’re wrong…”
Rick shook his head firmly. “I don’t want to hear it… in this whole damn thing I lost two sets of aunts and uncles and seven cousins and my father. You lost a couple distant relatives and almost lost Courtney. Would you be so passive if you actually lost her or had to identify her in the morgue?”
The older hero paused for a second to think, seeing Courtney’s bloody body on her bed transported to the morgue in his mind. “Rick… the people upstairs don’t want us to reform the team.”
Rick let out a cynical laugh. “Of course they don’t, Jack. That’s the other thing I learned, the Government doesn’t want the people to do anything. But the can’t take care of us, Jack. Not against them…” Rick said obviously referring to Vandal Savage and people like him.
“Look, if you want to reform the team, by all means, go ahead, just leave me out of it.”
Rick shook his head profusely. “Doesn’t work that way. It has to be you. Who do you think’s going to follow me?”
Jack shrugged
“Or Jessie? She’s awesome, but she’s a mess and the public knows it. Or that Wildcat girl? A former prostitute would sure be a big hit with the masked community. Sand seems responsible, but he’s greener than Kermit the Frog. No, Jack. It needs to be you.” As Jack’s frown evened out, Rick smiled devilishly.
“You’re right… but what about the General?
Rick gave Jack a devil-may-care face. “Not sure, but I do know that there’s nothing more punk rock than telling a five-star General to fuck off.”
Jack met Rick’s eyes for the first time and let out a laugh. “I’m not thrilled about this, but you’re right. We have to take care of our own.”
Just as Jack finished his thought, Jessie came running through the door. “Jack, they’re trying to take Artemis.”
Jack, Rick and Jessie ran back to the Grand Foyer where Yolanda was engaging the General’s Operatives in a fight by herself as one of them moved Artemis towards the door in shackles. Jack looked to Jessie and gave her a nod, after which she took off towards the subbasement. A split second later, she came back with his Cosmic Rod.
“ENOUGH!” Jack turned on his Cosmic Rod, pointing it towards the pair of soldiers who had their guns pointed at the daughter of Ted Grant. He pressed a button on the shaft and immediately, the soldiers’ guns went crashing into the ground, lodging themselves in the marble. “By all means, pick them up.”
General Eiling turned around towards Jack and got in his face. “We’re taking her unless you want to be charged with harboring a terrorist.”
Jack shook his head violently. “I’m not putting up with your kangaroo courts, Eiling. If you can explicitly tell me what crimes SHE specifically committed, she’s all yours.”
Eiling’s hand collapsed into a fist that began to shake. Before things got out of hand, Sand stepped in between them. “Jack, if I may,” he whispered. “General, I have no doubt that this is legitimate. Kahndaq is well known as a country that harvests terrorists, but I’m sure you can understand that we want to see some type of documentation on this before we hand over the woman who saved our lives.”
Sand eyed his uniform. “I can tell from the patch on your uniform that you’re United Nations. The PATRIOT Act doesn’t cover this, but you do need to follow the Rome Statute, so the second we see all of the paper work, you can have her.”
Eiling let out a little bit of a growl, but then stormed out of the house, with the men he brought with him in tow. Rick let out a bit of a holler in celebration. “They forgot their guns…”
Jack clapped his hands. “Come on team, we’ve got work to do.”
***
Jack Knight, Rick Tyler, Jessie Garrick, and Sand Hawkins had been in the Conference Room for the better part of two days while they screened potential new team members.
There was one guy who was a perfect chameleon who failed when it came to hair. One woman had the power to breath under water, but had no skills besides that and there was an older man who had the energy of a child. However, none of them seemed to fit what they team was going to be about.
“They have a lot to live up to. Let’s be honest, our references are stellar.” Jessie spoke with an uncharacteristic lightness in her voice.
Jack responded with a light chuckle. “I don’t know, Jess, I don’t think Jay Garrick stacks up to the Store Manager at the Beck Street McDonald’s in Fawcett City,” he said reading a resume that was in front of him.
The entire group responded with a hearty laugh. However it was not all fun and games at Camelot. In her room, Delilah Tyler was letting her mother do her hair and make up after a long hot shower. “Mom… I think I want to try out for the JSA.”
Her mom laughed long and hard before looking down on her daughter with a condescending look. “Wait… you’re serious?”
Dee looked up in the mirror and glared at her mother. “Why… wouldn’t I be?” she spoke with a bit of sass in her tone. “Rick’s joining…”
“Rick’s an immature man… but you’re an immature child. I’ve had to take care of you your whole life, you go out into the real world and bad things start to happen.”
A tear ran down Delilah’s cheek. “I’ve done it before…”
“Yeah with that loser boyfriend of yours… Ghost Man and Phantom Girl sure put fear in the hearts of all criminals out there. Please, you dated him because he was able to read the instructions on your shampoo to you.”
Delilah shot up and began to angrily throw on her clothes; a simple tank top and skinny jeans. “Yeah, if I do this, I might actually be something that I can be proud of and not make you any more money.”
Delilah’s mother cackled. “You’re a pop star. Pop stars aren’t superheroes. That Michael Jackson music video? It wasn’t real. You know what happens to superheroes? They get killed… even professionals like your Uncle…” Delilah didn’t notice that her mother had been crying since the conversation started.
“Mom…”
Her mother shook her head and threw her off as she tried to hug her. “Don’t. We’re leaving tomorrow. Get your bags packed.” She stormed out of the room as Delilah began to sob.
A few moments later, Delilah had practically drowned in her own tears when she heard a knock at the door. “Dee? Are you alright?” She looked up and saw Dr. Charles McNider standing in the doorway. “I was just giving the Spoilers their medicine. Is something wrong?”
She shook her head. “Just my mom… I told her I wanted to try and join the Justice Society…”
“And I take it, she wasn’t in favor of it…” Dr. McNider spoke with warmth as he laid a hand on hers.
Delilah laughed through her tears. “Understatement of the century… I mean, after her only brother died, I guess it kind of hit home. But I have never felt more like I’m doing what I should be doing than when I was in Kahndaq.”
“I see… I think you should go for it. When I was in the military, I always told myself that I’d rather die doing something I’m passionate about than live a long time and do something that wasn’t truly me… that’s probably why I made it home.” Dr. McNider’s smile made her feel warm in a way that she hadn’t felt in years.
Carefully, she stood up, taking the Doctor with her. “Thanks, Charlie.” She kissed him lightly on the cheek, causing him to blush. “Want to walk down with me?” With they both left the room and strolled down to the subbasement.
***
The past few days of auditions had been taxing on the members of the newly formed Justice Society. As per Rick’s original reservation, very few of the heroes that they saw were able to live up to the legacy of their parents. “That girl… the one in the purple dress and cloak… the telepath. She had promise.”
Jessie shuddered, which turned into the shake of her head. “She was probably up there with the best we saw, but that’s not the image we should portray.”
Sand furled his brow at her questioningly, calling for further elaboration.
“When our parents did this, the public opinion was turned against them mostly due to the fact that they were unknown elements and of course they worked for the government in an era when Government approval was at an all time low… but it still stands, we all need to be out in the open…” Jessie explained to the group to nodding heads. “Telepaths are naturally in the shadows.”
Rick nodded affirmatively. “She’s right. What about that guy with X-Ray vision who only came to see through Jessie’s costume. He certainly made me smile.”
Jessie rolled her eyes and buried her head in her hands. “I will say, Delilah impressed me.”
“No,” Rick bluntly responded.
“Why not? She’s your cousin.”
Rick shook his head firmly. “That’s exactly why. I know her better than the rest of you… she’s just immature. I mean, I love her and all, but she’s just needy… and that’s not what we need right now.”
“I think we should give her a chance. She’s a blood relative, I feel like we should be open to her. Plus she has a nice defensive support ability,” Jessie explained.
Sand nodded. “She did pull through for us in Kahndaq. Maybe if we still need a seventh member, she can have it. That’s the number Jack wanted right?”
“Speaking of which, where is Jack?”
The group looked around at each other, unsure of themselves. “I don’t know… didn’t say he would be back by this afternoon? Where did he go?”
***
Metropolis, Delaware
The sun hung low in the sky as Starman took one more pass over the city and turned back around to land on his hotel balcony. Just as he powered down his Cosmic Staff, he heard a sound of wind passing over his head. Looking up, he saw a streak of red and blue shoot over his head. When he turned around to walk back into his hotel, a man wearing a blue and red costume adorned with a giant “S” over the chest stood in his way.
“Superman…”
The man in the costume nodded, his cape fluttering in the late autumn breeze. “You’re Starman. It’s a pleasure.” He held out his hand, which Starman graciously shook with enthusiasm. “Now what can I do for you?”
“I… I’m not sure if you’ve been following the papers, but the Justice Society of America is… erm, we’re getting back together… would you like to join us?” Starman chose every word carefully as he spoke. “We… um… we need a leader.”
Superman’s eyes tore through Starman as they stood there in silence. “Why me?” he simply spoke with equal parts naivety and aloof detachedness.
Jack smiled at the simplicity of the response. “Well, I can’t say I’ve ever had a conversation with President Harper. You may not have any connection to the past, but speaking for my guys, we look up to you.”
For the first time, a slight smile scratched across Superman’s face. After a few seconds, he let out a hearty infectious belly laugh, which caused Starman to join in. “I never thought I’d hear that when I first started. I just wanted to do some good.”
“And you have. That’s what we all want, but among all your powers, you have the power to inspire people.” With a swell of pride, Jack suddenly felt like he was Jay Garrick, the original Flash in the way that he was speaking to the man who the papers were quickly calling the World’s Greatest Hero.
Superman placed his strong hand on Jack’s shoulder. “What can’t you lead them?”
Jack shrugged slightly. “Taking over for my father was not part of the plan. I thought if I skipped the costume, I’d be doing my own thing, but then the Justice Society comes back and I’m not sure if I can avoid following in his footsteps.”
Superman took in each word that Jack spoke with care. “There are plenty of heroes. You haven’t answered… why me? Why not Wonder Woman in Gateway City or Hawkman in St. Roche?”
“You’re different. You’re above it all, yet some how you’re one of us…”
Superman nodded assuredly. “Starman, even if I am the one that inspires the hero community, I have my own inspiration.” He paused for a second adding to the gravitas in his voice. “The original Starman… your father.”
With that he took off and hovered above the balcony. “I may have learned how to inspire people, Starman… but it’s in your blood. Take care of yourself.” And with that, he was gone; up, up and away.
Jack snickered to himself. “Oh bollocks. What the fuck did you get yourself into, Jackie-Boy?”
*To Be Continued*
All These Strangers Pt. 1
Note: Special Thanks to Buck for giving me the right inspiration when I was plagued with writer’s block.
Jack Knight stirred awake from his slumber to the sound of a very loud voice coming from the entrance hall of Camelot, his late father’s house. The place had been bustling ever since the children of the Justice Society of America and several other costumed heroes returned home from Kahndaq, where they were held captive by Vandal Savage. With masked men and women constantly in the headlines and in the national consciousness, the general public was hanging on the fate of the Justice Society.
Throughout the last couple days, other heroes, reporters, and just general fans had made a pilgrimage to the home in hopes of joining the non-existent team, booking an interview or simply to get a glimpse of the heroes. So needless to say, there was much confusion in the house, but something about this was different.
“WHO THE HELL IS IN CHARGE OF THIS OUTFIT?! I DON’T CARE WHO YOUR FATHER IS, YOUNG LADY!” Jack heard a man’s voice scream and he decided he couldn’t ignore it any longer. Shirtless, wearing only a pair of flannel pajama bottoms and a wide disingenuous smile, he exited his room and saw the scene from the balcony over the grand foyer.
When he arrived on the scene, he saw a man in a military uniform standing over Jessica Garrick, using his enormous size to intimidate. Behind him, in a wheel chair was daughter of the original JSA’s military liaison, Barbara Gordon who was in a wheelchair due to an accident she sustained several years ago, in because of Jessie.
Jack clapped his hands to make is presence known. “Ah Good Morning, but could we please use our inside voices. Some people were trying to sleep, but it’s no matter. By all means, keep screaming your head off.”
“You must be Starman…” The man grunted as he moved towards the staircase that Jack was walking down.
Jack smiled widely and shook his hand. “I must be. Now, care to put us on an even playing field?”
The military man shifted his eyes back and forth. “Eiling. General Wade Eiling.”
By now, the room was starting to fill with other heroes. Sand came out of the kitchen with Artemis following closely behind. Yolanda appeared on the staircase from the opposite direction of her room with Rick right behind her. Even Ryan Choi and Dr. Charles McNider came up the stairs from the subbasement to assess the commotion.
“Now, General Eiling, I’d love to speak with you, but could we please move this to my father’s old office.” Again the General looked unsure of himself, but he relented with a simple nod of the head. “Wonderful. It’s down that hall, third door on the left. I’ll be right there.”
The General was hesitant as if he wasn’t used to people giving him instructions. As he left, Sand walked up to Jack, placing his arm around him. “Jack, you want me to take care of it? When I was in Iraq, I dealt with a lot of guys like him.”
Jack sighed. “Tempting, but no. I got this one. My house, my problem.” Sand nodded and went back to the kitchen to finish his breakfast with Artemis. Once he was out of sight, Jack turned to Barbara. “Please tell me he’s not one of yours.”
“The blonde surfer guy or Mr. Over-Compensation?” she laughed, upwardly nodding towards Jack’s father’s office.
Rolling his eyes, Jack let out a curt laugh. “I see your wit still has yet to fail you... Mr. Over-Compensation.”
“Ha. If only. I only wish I could find someone to make Jessie squirm that much.” Babs looked up at Jess with a fire in her eyes that Jack couldn’t completely place.
He knelt down and spoke to Barbara and eye level. “I haven’t had the chance to thank you yet. If it weren’t for your girls… I don’t know. I’d rather not think about it.”
Barbara opened her mouth to speak, but only managed to give him a knowing look and an earnest nod. “Courtney, right?” Jack nodded. “How’s she doing? I heard on the network that she was pretty beat up.”
Jack took in a deep breath. “Yeah… it was pretty touch and go for a while, but she went home today. I wish we could have kept her here. Her mom and stepdad don’t care about her. They didn’t even know she was gone until McNider brought her home. Or rather they didn’t think anything was out of the ordinary. Bollocks.”
Barbara stopped her self from snickering at the ridiculous sound of the British slang mixed with the bastardized amalgamation of the Baltimore and South London accents. She flawlessly regained her composure before Jack noticed her amused face. “So, um, have you had the talk with her yet?”
“The one where I say ‘remember when my mom died when I was twelve, yeah, My Dad hooked up with your mom six months later and you’re the proof?’ Yeah, I think I’m gonna skip that one?” Jack chuckled and even Babs’ solemnly straight mouth curled at the edges.
Babs swatted him. “You’re a… wanker.” She winked, mimicking his accent, to which Jack let out a genuine, unpessimistic laugh. “It’s really good to see you.”
“You too. Your girls are in the infirmary, but they’re fine. You can head down now, but I better take care of the esteemed General before he calls in a drone strike.” Jack began to walk away, but he indicated towards Jessie. “Hey do you want to escort Babs to her people?”
Jessie froze like a deer in the headlights, but she slowly nodded as Jack turned back towards his office. The two women stared at each other for an impressive few moments as the rest of the dwellers of the house went back to whatever they were doing. “You look good, Babs.”
“Save it, Jess. You may have fooled Jack and Rick and the rest probably don’t care, but you can’t fool me and despite what you may think, I care,” Babs spat out with venom behind each word until the last one, which she said in a labored voice that indicated she was holding back her true emotion.
Jess looked down at the floor as not to meet her judging eyes. “I’m trying, Barbara. I really am.”
Barbara sighed. “I wish I could believe you, I really do, but I just can’t trust you anymore. Not after what happened to weeks ago.” Jessie got behind Barbara’s chair and began to push her towards the elevator to the subbasement. “Do you plan on joining?”
“I’m sorry?” Jessie asked with genuine confusion.
“The Justice Society. I know Jack, he’ll be reluctant, but in the end it’ll all be put back together. “ Babs’ tone was flat as if she was just filling idle conversation, not especially caring about either side.
Jessie shrugged with a blank look on her face as they elevator door opened. “I’m not sure. I would think that they’d want The Flash… that’s not me anymore.”
The wheelchair bound woman let out a bitter laugh. “Yeah, I’ll say. Wally called me after you two had that talk… I was about ready to wheel myself to Keystone solo just to kick your ass. I may not have legs, but I am fully, 100% capable.”
The second the elevator door swung open to the subbasement, Jessie stepped in front of Babs’ chair. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry I disappointed you so much.” With that, she took off towards the stairs at top speed, leaving Barbara alone to her thoughts.
***
Jack Knight tentatively walked into his father’s old office to see General Eiling sitting in front of the desk waiting for him. He went around to the back of the desk and sat in the chair, he remembered his father sitting in all those years ago, smoking his pipe and filling out paper work. “General, to what do we owe the pleasure?”
General Eiling glared at the young costumed hero as he took his father’s old seat at the desk. “Don’t be cute with me, Starman.”
“Please, it’s Jack. I’ve never really bothered with a secret identity. Starman just makes good headlines.” Jack spoke with a confident swagger, but it was clearly masking a bit of fear an apprehension that he had sharing a room with such an intimidating figure.
The General nodded, calming his stance a little bit, but he remained the dominant figure in the room. “So… Jack… what’s your angle?”
Jack flexed his brow in disbelief. “My angle? With all due respect, General, you come into my father’s home at eight in the morning, shouldn’t that be my question?”
General Eiling shifted in his chair, moving his body closer to the desk, still towering over Jack. “The Justice Society of America was broken up twenty-two years ago for a reason, Mr. Knight. The fact that it has come back is alarming to some people in some very powerful positions.”
“Again, with all due respect, that’s false. If you’re going to re-write history, don’t try to do it to a history teacher.” Jack moved it, with certain bluster in his voice and for the first time in the conversation, a sense of superiority. “The Justice Society split up on its own accord, I should know, my father was there.”
General Eiling gritted his teeth and let out a sound that Jack could only classify as a growl. He closed his eyes, got up and began to pace the room while Jack looked on from behind the desk. “Mr. Knight, we are on the brink of a new era. The Age of Heroes. Sure, they’ve popped up throughout history in the form of supposed Gods, the JSA did a lot of good during Vietnam and Keystone City has had a constant defender since 1965. But, we are approaching something we’ve never seen before.”
The General put his hands on the back of his chair and leaned over it. “Superman in Metropolis, Green Lantern in New Mexico, Hawkman in St. Roche, that damned lady in Gateway the papers are calling Wonder Woman. And those are just the ones trying to do good.”
“What’s that have to do with us?”
The General laughed and continued to pace the room. “Everything, Mr. Knight. I work for an organization whose only task is to keep tabs on people like you, people who go out thinking they’re doing the right thing and those who know they’re not. The Justice Society represents a concentration of power that we don’t want to have to deal with.”
Jack sighed. “Truth be told, General, I wasn’t too thrilled with the idea of reforming myself. I may have taken up my Dad’s mantle, but the Justice Society was his team…”
Eiling looked as if he was about to counter that point but stopped when he realized that Jack was actually on his side. “That’s good to hear, boy. If you get any thoughts to the contrary, give us a call and we’ll set you straight.”
The General left the office leaving Jack to mull over what he had just been told and threatened to do or not to do. He didn’t have much time to think before there was a knock at the door, after which Rick Tyler walked in without being invited. “Hey Jack. How’d that go?”
Jack shrugged. “Heh. As well as can be expected. I may be alone, but I’ve never really been a fan of angry people threatening me by throwing their weight around.”
The son of Rex Tyler sat down across from Jack and rubbed his hands together, taking a long deep sigh. “I… I have to admit, I was eavesdropping a bit. Spending time in Syria really honed my hearing.”
“Oh yeah?” Jack wasn’t especially listening. He was sitting with his arms cross and staring into space towards the center of the desk.
Rick nodded. “Yes and I heard that you don’t plan on reforming the Justice Society.”
Jack cocked his head to the side with a raised eyebrow, indicating a slight disbelief. “What do you care? No offense, brother, but you seldom showed any interest in your father’s exploits as Hourman and have gone on the record saying that it destroyed any chance of a normal childhood.”
“I’ve been to way too many funerals in the past few months, Jack. And none of them for natural causes.” Rick’s voice sounded intense, with a drive that Jack had never heard from him before.
He scrunched his face at his friend. “Rick, the Justice Society belongs to our parents and I say this as the guy who’s running around Opal City with a Cosmic Rod calling myself Starman.”
“They need us, Jack!”
Jack threw his arms up in frustration. “Who?! Who needs us?”
“Your half sister, your brother, my cousins, my aunts and uncles, Joan Garrick, all seven hundred of Wildcat’s kittens… my father” Rick replied. “And we’re not the only ones. There are more and more people putting on costumes every single day… they need our protection.”
Jack’s eyes darted around the room. “What can we do for guys like Superman?”
“If there’s one thing I learned about in the field, it’s collective security. Strength in numbers my friend. And for every heroic Superman, there are ten who would stop at nothing to destroy everything we stand for.”
Jack sighed. “Look, I’m not saying you’re wrong…”
Rick shook his head firmly. “I don’t want to hear it… in this whole damn thing I lost two sets of aunts and uncles and seven cousins and my father. You lost a couple distant relatives and almost lost Courtney. Would you be so passive if you actually lost her or had to identify her in the morgue?”
The older hero paused for a second to think, seeing Courtney’s bloody body on her bed transported to the morgue in his mind. “Rick… the people upstairs don’t want us to reform the team.”
Rick let out a cynical laugh. “Of course they don’t, Jack. That’s the other thing I learned, the Government doesn’t want the people to do anything. But the can’t take care of us, Jack. Not against them…” Rick said obviously referring to Vandal Savage and people like him.
“Look, if you want to reform the team, by all means, go ahead, just leave me out of it.”
Rick shook his head profusely. “Doesn’t work that way. It has to be you. Who do you think’s going to follow me?”
Jack shrugged
“Or Jessie? She’s awesome, but she’s a mess and the public knows it. Or that Wildcat girl? A former prostitute would sure be a big hit with the masked community. Sand seems responsible, but he’s greener than Kermit the Frog. No, Jack. It needs to be you.” As Jack’s frown evened out, Rick smiled devilishly.
“You’re right… but what about the General?
Rick gave Jack a devil-may-care face. “Not sure, but I do know that there’s nothing more punk rock than telling a five-star General to fuck off.”
Jack met Rick’s eyes for the first time and let out a laugh. “I’m not thrilled about this, but you’re right. We have to take care of our own.”
Just as Jack finished his thought, Jessie came running through the door. “Jack, they’re trying to take Artemis.”
Jack, Rick and Jessie ran back to the Grand Foyer where Yolanda was engaging the General’s Operatives in a fight by herself as one of them moved Artemis towards the door in shackles. Jack looked to Jessie and gave her a nod, after which she took off towards the subbasement. A split second later, she came back with his Cosmic Rod.
“ENOUGH!” Jack turned on his Cosmic Rod, pointing it towards the pair of soldiers who had their guns pointed at the daughter of Ted Grant. He pressed a button on the shaft and immediately, the soldiers’ guns went crashing into the ground, lodging themselves in the marble. “By all means, pick them up.”
General Eiling turned around towards Jack and got in his face. “We’re taking her unless you want to be charged with harboring a terrorist.”
Jack shook his head violently. “I’m not putting up with your kangaroo courts, Eiling. If you can explicitly tell me what crimes SHE specifically committed, she’s all yours.”
Eiling’s hand collapsed into a fist that began to shake. Before things got out of hand, Sand stepped in between them. “Jack, if I may,” he whispered. “General, I have no doubt that this is legitimate. Kahndaq is well known as a country that harvests terrorists, but I’m sure you can understand that we want to see some type of documentation on this before we hand over the woman who saved our lives.”
Sand eyed his uniform. “I can tell from the patch on your uniform that you’re United Nations. The PATRIOT Act doesn’t cover this, but you do need to follow the Rome Statute, so the second we see all of the paper work, you can have her.”
Eiling let out a little bit of a growl, but then stormed out of the house, with the men he brought with him in tow. Rick let out a bit of a holler in celebration. “They forgot their guns…”
Jack clapped his hands. “Come on team, we’ve got work to do.”
***
Jack Knight, Rick Tyler, Jessie Garrick, and Sand Hawkins had been in the Conference Room for the better part of two days while they screened potential new team members.
There was one guy who was a perfect chameleon who failed when it came to hair. One woman had the power to breath under water, but had no skills besides that and there was an older man who had the energy of a child. However, none of them seemed to fit what they team was going to be about.
“They have a lot to live up to. Let’s be honest, our references are stellar.” Jessie spoke with an uncharacteristic lightness in her voice.
Jack responded with a light chuckle. “I don’t know, Jess, I don’t think Jay Garrick stacks up to the Store Manager at the Beck Street McDonald’s in Fawcett City,” he said reading a resume that was in front of him.
The entire group responded with a hearty laugh. However it was not all fun and games at Camelot. In her room, Delilah Tyler was letting her mother do her hair and make up after a long hot shower. “Mom… I think I want to try out for the JSA.”
Her mom laughed long and hard before looking down on her daughter with a condescending look. “Wait… you’re serious?”
Dee looked up in the mirror and glared at her mother. “Why… wouldn’t I be?” she spoke with a bit of sass in her tone. “Rick’s joining…”
“Rick’s an immature man… but you’re an immature child. I’ve had to take care of you your whole life, you go out into the real world and bad things start to happen.”
A tear ran down Delilah’s cheek. “I’ve done it before…”
“Yeah with that loser boyfriend of yours… Ghost Man and Phantom Girl sure put fear in the hearts of all criminals out there. Please, you dated him because he was able to read the instructions on your shampoo to you.”
Delilah shot up and began to angrily throw on her clothes; a simple tank top and skinny jeans. “Yeah, if I do this, I might actually be something that I can be proud of and not make you any more money.”
Delilah’s mother cackled. “You’re a pop star. Pop stars aren’t superheroes. That Michael Jackson music video? It wasn’t real. You know what happens to superheroes? They get killed… even professionals like your Uncle…” Delilah didn’t notice that her mother had been crying since the conversation started.
“Mom…”
Her mother shook her head and threw her off as she tried to hug her. “Don’t. We’re leaving tomorrow. Get your bags packed.” She stormed out of the room as Delilah began to sob.
A few moments later, Delilah had practically drowned in her own tears when she heard a knock at the door. “Dee? Are you alright?” She looked up and saw Dr. Charles McNider standing in the doorway. “I was just giving the Spoilers their medicine. Is something wrong?”
She shook her head. “Just my mom… I told her I wanted to try and join the Justice Society…”
“And I take it, she wasn’t in favor of it…” Dr. McNider spoke with warmth as he laid a hand on hers.
Delilah laughed through her tears. “Understatement of the century… I mean, after her only brother died, I guess it kind of hit home. But I have never felt more like I’m doing what I should be doing than when I was in Kahndaq.”
“I see… I think you should go for it. When I was in the military, I always told myself that I’d rather die doing something I’m passionate about than live a long time and do something that wasn’t truly me… that’s probably why I made it home.” Dr. McNider’s smile made her feel warm in a way that she hadn’t felt in years.
Carefully, she stood up, taking the Doctor with her. “Thanks, Charlie.” She kissed him lightly on the cheek, causing him to blush. “Want to walk down with me?” With they both left the room and strolled down to the subbasement.
***
The past few days of auditions had been taxing on the members of the newly formed Justice Society. As per Rick’s original reservation, very few of the heroes that they saw were able to live up to the legacy of their parents. “That girl… the one in the purple dress and cloak… the telepath. She had promise.”
Jessie shuddered, which turned into the shake of her head. “She was probably up there with the best we saw, but that’s not the image we should portray.”
Sand furled his brow at her questioningly, calling for further elaboration.
“When our parents did this, the public opinion was turned against them mostly due to the fact that they were unknown elements and of course they worked for the government in an era when Government approval was at an all time low… but it still stands, we all need to be out in the open…” Jessie explained to the group to nodding heads. “Telepaths are naturally in the shadows.”
Rick nodded affirmatively. “She’s right. What about that guy with X-Ray vision who only came to see through Jessie’s costume. He certainly made me smile.”
Jessie rolled her eyes and buried her head in her hands. “I will say, Delilah impressed me.”
“No,” Rick bluntly responded.
“Why not? She’s your cousin.”
Rick shook his head firmly. “That’s exactly why. I know her better than the rest of you… she’s just immature. I mean, I love her and all, but she’s just needy… and that’s not what we need right now.”
“I think we should give her a chance. She’s a blood relative, I feel like we should be open to her. Plus she has a nice defensive support ability,” Jessie explained.
Sand nodded. “She did pull through for us in Kahndaq. Maybe if we still need a seventh member, she can have it. That’s the number Jack wanted right?”
“Speaking of which, where is Jack?”
The group looked around at each other, unsure of themselves. “I don’t know… didn’t say he would be back by this afternoon? Where did he go?”
***
Metropolis, Delaware
The sun hung low in the sky as Starman took one more pass over the city and turned back around to land on his hotel balcony. Just as he powered down his Cosmic Staff, he heard a sound of wind passing over his head. Looking up, he saw a streak of red and blue shoot over his head. When he turned around to walk back into his hotel, a man wearing a blue and red costume adorned with a giant “S” over the chest stood in his way.
“Superman…”
The man in the costume nodded, his cape fluttering in the late autumn breeze. “You’re Starman. It’s a pleasure.” He held out his hand, which Starman graciously shook with enthusiasm. “Now what can I do for you?”
“I… I’m not sure if you’ve been following the papers, but the Justice Society of America is… erm, we’re getting back together… would you like to join us?” Starman chose every word carefully as he spoke. “We… um… we need a leader.”
Superman’s eyes tore through Starman as they stood there in silence. “Why me?” he simply spoke with equal parts naivety and aloof detachedness.
Jack smiled at the simplicity of the response. “Well, I can’t say I’ve ever had a conversation with President Harper. You may not have any connection to the past, but speaking for my guys, we look up to you.”
For the first time, a slight smile scratched across Superman’s face. After a few seconds, he let out a hearty infectious belly laugh, which caused Starman to join in. “I never thought I’d hear that when I first started. I just wanted to do some good.”
“And you have. That’s what we all want, but among all your powers, you have the power to inspire people.” With a swell of pride, Jack suddenly felt like he was Jay Garrick, the original Flash in the way that he was speaking to the man who the papers were quickly calling the World’s Greatest Hero.
Superman placed his strong hand on Jack’s shoulder. “What can’t you lead them?”
Jack shrugged slightly. “Taking over for my father was not part of the plan. I thought if I skipped the costume, I’d be doing my own thing, but then the Justice Society comes back and I’m not sure if I can avoid following in his footsteps.”
Superman took in each word that Jack spoke with care. “There are plenty of heroes. You haven’t answered… why me? Why not Wonder Woman in Gateway City or Hawkman in St. Roche?”
“You’re different. You’re above it all, yet some how you’re one of us…”
Superman nodded assuredly. “Starman, even if I am the one that inspires the hero community, I have my own inspiration.” He paused for a second adding to the gravitas in his voice. “The original Starman… your father.”
With that he took off and hovered above the balcony. “I may have learned how to inspire people, Starman… but it’s in your blood. Take care of yourself.” And with that, he was gone; up, up and away.
Jack snickered to himself. “Oh bollocks. What the fuck did you get yourself into, Jackie-Boy?”
*To Be Continued*