20. Out Of The Black
“Just be thankful I didn't grab your head.” The Atom joked, though the profuse sweating and the bulging of the veins in his temples betrayed the strain.
Blood began to trickle from Adam's mouth as his silent scream of pain continued to spill also. The Atom became concerned, hoping that Adam would have fallen into unconsciousness by now, not wanting to kill anyone. Still, he was aware that if there were no other way to save the children, then he would do what he had to and this thought scared him. It unnerved him enough for his concentration to slip a moment and in that briefest of moments, the power faltered through his hands, allowing Adam the briefest of reprieves. Of course, that had all Adam had ever needed and in one, swift and terrible moment, he lashed out, striking Atom across the face and sending him spinning through the air, instantly unconcious. As his limp body, blood trailing from his face hit the dark and dusty ground, Wildling let out a yelp. Element Boy again felt the torrent of tears run down his cheeks, sadness mixed with anger as Adam locked his own tear strained eyes on the two teens.
“YOU!” He seethed, his body still doubled over, still on his knees, but his mind filled with murderous revenge, “You shall pay for this indignity with your SKINS!”
And with that, Adam unleashed the black light from his body once again and it snaked and found the charred remains of the Creepers, filling them again with terrible power; homicidal intent and reanimatingthem; dozens and dozens of murderous puppets, again held by Adam's every whim.
“Kill them!” Adam cried, his body falling to the ground now that the extra power had left him, “Bring me their tongues... their still beating hearts...” Then he fell into blackness.
“COME ON THEN!!!” Wildling stood at the crumbling opening of the Gotham Post, her recumbent friends still inside, watched over by the trembling form of Element Boy and she bared her claws. Tears streaked her face now too, but they were of rage and defiance, the full power of her animal brethren being channeled through her now as she prepared herself for the inevitable. Before her, the Creepers jumped and fell upon each other, all of them laughing maniacally, showing the black claws of their own and bearing their stained and rotting fangs. They stepped over the still, unmoving form of The Atom which lay, broken in the street and approached. So many of them, Wildling thought, so many...
Then the sky exploded.
A fantastic and glorious light shattered the darkness above and seemed to fall to the earth like a great storm of brilliance. It blinded all those below, including Wildling who turned her head from the explosion. When she looked again she could see that the whole battlefield was bathed in the light... and the light was green.
Karissa flew down from the heavens with something less than the force of a meteor, though not much. It had taken her too long, too long to get there as she gained control of her new gifts, but she wasted no time in testing their limits, launching herself with such speed at the point of combat. She manifested her mace and raised it above her head as she bellowed a great battle cry and smashed into the earth, sending the Creepers flying in all directions.
Wildling was blown off her feet by the impact and the dust it through up shrouded the entire city for many blocks in all directions.
As the dust slowly cleared, Wildling crept from the building around her and approached the impact point. She had not seen what had happened, only thi light and as she got nearer to the epicentre, she saw a figure moving. The shadowy figure was rising back to its feet, glowing in the process.
“Karissa?” Wildling asked, disbelievingly, “Karissa, is that you?”
“In the minty, armour covered flesh.” She replied wearily, using her mace to keep her up.
“But how did... how did you just...” Wildling spluttered as she ran over and helped her stand.
“Don't... don't even ask.” Karrisa replied, a strained smile on her face, her eyes gazing past Wildling “I think we've got bigger problems right now.”
Wildling too looked about her and saw the shadows moving in the dusty haze about them. They giggled and sneered as they moved toward them.
“Crap.” Wildling snorted.
“Crap indeed.” Karissa agreed and feebily raised her mace. “So much for the cavalry.”
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