19. All Or Nothing
Adam ripped Steel's arm from his body.
A crimson wave of pain rushed through Steel's entire body, pain like he'd never known and he screamed in silent terror, his face locked in horror. Adam, of course, laughed, a laugh of pure joy at the futility of Steel's attack and the ease with which he had grabbed hold of his liquid metal form and torn it asunder. Having drawn the living evil of Eclipso's light back into his already gifted frame, Adam was now unstoppable.
Or so he believed.
“... my god...” Wildling sighed as Steel's unconcious form hit the floor.
“This has gone far enough.” The Atom said, his voice like steel. “Wildling, Element Boy... When I move, you get Steel and Montez and you get the hell out of here. Head back to The World and don't look back. You hear me?”
Element Boy was crying, his fear almost paralysing him.
“But... but what can you do? I mean, I know you're a legend and all, but...”
“Don't give up on us legends yet, son.” Atom said, turning to Element Boy with a sly grin, “We might have some tricks up our sleeves yet. Now get yourselves ready to move.”
And with that, the man known as Ray Palmer; The Atom charged toward Black Adam; No hesitation. No fear.
“How does one become so foolish as to run to his own death, Palmer?” Bellowed Adam, all arrogance and bluster.
“Oh, you know how these things work, Adam...” Atom smirked, leaping feet first toward his enemy, “They always happen in the blink of an eye!”
And as he flew forward, he shrunk himself to the size of a pin and plunged his feet into the vulnerable pupil of this 'Black Adam'.
Adam's scream could be heard throughout the entire, razed city, as the Atom grew back to full size and somersaulted backwards, landing before the blinded villain.
“Bluster.” Palmer said, cool and calm, “You live to cause pain, you and yours... well let me show you new meaning for the word.”
The Atom lunged at Adam, clasping his hands upon the villain's chest and as he did, Palmer closed his eyes tight and concentrated all the White Dwarf Matter energy through his hands.
This new scream; a scream of pure torment rose from somewhere unfelt before within Adam. His eyes opened wide as he felt pain unimagined rip through his entire being, stretching out from the hands of the Atom.
“Do you feel that? Do you feel that, Teth Adam? That is pain!” Palmer's face strained and sweat ran from his brow as the White Dwarf power coursed through him, “That is the feeling of your pectoralis muscles... minor and major shrinking within your chest. They are the tendons you feel, straining to hold them in the place within you... the bones beneath cracking and splintering under the strain. Tell me you feel that? Tell me what pain is now, you Billy Batson, wannabe!”
And as Adam fell to his knees from the pain, Wildling made her move, sprinting in with the speed of the Cheetah and scooping up the still unconcious form of Steel. Element Boy grabbed Montez who was half awake, half in delirium, mumbling to himself as black sparks still flew from his skin. Wildling and Element Boy met in the shadows of what was once the Gotham Post offices and laid the wounded forms of their friends down.
“How are they?" Wildling asked.
“I.. I don't know.” Element Boy answered, feeling about Steels remaining wrist for a pulse, “Montez looks like he might be in shock, though god only knows what Adam's lightning did to him. Steel though... he doesn't look good, you know?”
Wildling looked out to where Ray Palmer and Black Adam still struggled.
“You think he can do it? You think he can beat him?” She asked, the shock of the whole situation creating a strange calm within her, “Maybe we'll be safe after all and can get back to the World. I don't ever want to leave that cave again.”
“He's the Atom.” Element Boy replied, giving up on finding a pulse and looking for material to wrap him in, “THE Atom. He can do anything.”
And as tears poured from Adam's wide, terrified eyes, it seemed almost believable.
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