DC Infinity - Animal Man

#17

“Justice League of Primates”

By Ed Ainsworth

CONTINUED FROM DCI: SHOWCASE PRESENTS #7

Okavango Swamp, Botswana

Buddy pushed his way through the Swamp walking a few paces behind Tefé. Next to Buddy walked Elasti-girl, a slightly look of disgust on her features as she pushed her way through the calf high water.

“This is staining my boots,” She said to Buddy, who offered her a quick smile to counter-balance Tefé's look of disdain. Rita sighed to herself, and hung her head. She and Tefé didn't get on very well.

Buddy watched Rita's reaction and dropped back a little; according to Tefé there was still a little way to go before they got to their location. Rita was sweet. Really sweet. Almost in a naive way, but she had a sort of knowledge and wisdom about her, it never really translated into anything she said, more the way she moved and smiled, like she just knew.

“Don't worry about Tefe, Rita. She's just a kid; you remember what it was like to feel like nobody understood you, right?” He smiled and brushed some of her amber hair from her face. Rita smiled a tiny smile, and looked up at him.

“I still feel like that, Buddy,” She said quietly, as she pulled her hair over her shoulder to let it hang across her face

Buddy shook his head and let her walk in silence. He watched as Tefe and Rita waved off the insects that swarmed around them, while they avoided Buddy. Sometimes being the man with Animal powers had their perks.

Tefe held up her hand as they stopped, pushing her face slowly through the greenery before her, her face slowly twisting into a female version of her fathers, a thick ridge pulling itself out of her cheeks and forming over her nose.

“Ewww,” Rita said, as Buddy raised a hand, and then moved his thumb and forefinger together. Rita nodded and shrunk down to the size of a small mouse, leaping onto Buddy's flat palm.

“What do you see,” Buddy whispered to Tefe, who parted the plants above her head ever so slightly. Buddy didn't feel quite right leaning against Tefe's back and bottom to look over her, but figured she was old enough to make her own decisions, and so long as he didn't enjoy it, it was okay.

Looking through the gap, Buddy saw something that had obviously distressed Tefe. She'd spoken to him before, briefly, about her trip to Botswana before, where she met the Gardener and ate from the Tree of Knowledge. Buddy could clearly see a number of Ape men, lying dead on the floor, with a few actual apes pinning to the muck and dark water by Gorilla-Droids. Holding a large axe, and a half eaten apple in his hand, Grodd stood before his robotic minions, his left foot pinning a dark haired woman to the tree. Her shoulder was bleeding from animal bites, and Grodd's chest was covered in blood, presumably a mixture of her own and the Ape-Men that lay around him.

Pinned to the tree just above the human woman was the most strangely attractive woman he'd ever seen. She was covered in thick black fur, clearly simian in nature, with the face of a monkey, but the eyes and lips of a woman. Her hair, pulled into two side-facing pony-tails was pure white, much like Tefe's. Buddy licked his lips, feeling something stir within him. Tefe looked up and tutted, pulling him away from the opening in the plant matter and holding him by the shoulders.

“This looks shitty. She's the Gardener, she's supposed to be the guardian of the Tree of Knowledge, the thing that she's stuck to right now,” Tefé ran a hand through her hair and shoved her hand into the water.

“What are you doing?” Rita asked, which was met with more of a look of disgust from Tefé.

“I'm getting some weaponry, aren't I?” Tefé said, pulling her hand out of the water. The muscles in her arm were bloated, filled with dead animals and flesh that had sunk to the bottom of the water, shards of bone and teeth jutting from her fist and slowly flowing around her shoulders into her other fist.

“That's...certainly interesting.” Buddy said to himself, as Tefé turned around and leapt through the foliage.

“DAMNIT! Tefé!!” Buddy yelled. He burst through the foliage, with Rita clinging to the lapel of his jacket. Grodd had already taken a punch to the back of the head that had sent him reeling into the tree dropping his axe into the water.

Tefé growled under her breath as she began to use her powers to pull at the blood on Grodd's chest, pushing it into his own blood-stream, over loading his heart with the death of others. Before Tefé could complete the first phase of her attack, she was blind sided by the one of the Robotic Gorilla's.

She hurtled through the air and hit a tree with the back of her head. It resonated with a sickening crack, before she slid under the surface of the water. Rita suppressed a small yelp, as Buddy stood feet spread far apart staring at the recovering Grodd, blood dripping from his bleeding gums and from his nose.

“DIE!” He screamed, a psionic bolt knocking Buddy off his feet and into the water. Blood spurted form his nose and ears, dirty water gargling in his throat as he screamed in pain. This wasn't going well.

Rita leapt from Buddy's shoulder, hurtling towards Grodd and increasing her size, and mass, so her fist was at least the size of Grodd's head by the time the two connected. Rita hit him in the temple, knocking Grodd off balance again, and Rita into the water.

As she increased her size, biting her lip and anticipation and fear, she dealt another blow from her now massive fist into the Gorilla's back. She felt something snap underneath her fingers. Rita Farr abhorred hurting animals, which was why she winced every time she punched the Gorilla before her.

As she pulled her fist up again, blood dripping from her massive knuckles, Tefé shot into action. She leapt from her position under the water, her bone and tooth encrusted fist smashing into the Gorilla's back, scraping flesh and fur away in great clumps.

“Tefé? What the hell are you doing?!” Rita yelled, as the young white haired woman smiled a cruel smile, swinging her other fist around at the Gorilla.

“My job, Rita. If you're too soft to do it, you're only proving my point.”

Rita's massive hand grabbed hold of Tefé's wrist, pinning it to the ground, as the gigantic woman stared at the daughter of Swamp Thing.

“What do you mean?”

“Look at you. You're part of Doomed Patrol and now this. You don't fit in ANYWHERE, you're just...not part of nature are you? You don't fit,” Tefé wasn't being malicious; the tone was that of just pure fact. Rita didn't feel part of nature, and she was apparently not felt by nature.

That knowledge was strangely empowering. Rita was a woman on her own, free to make her own tasks, her own niche in that natural elemental order she was now part of. She pulled her other fist upwards and punched down, smashing Tefé into the ground. Three times she rammed her fist into the white haired woman, until she stopped moving.

“And you call us Animals...” Grodd sputtered, directing his Android Apes towards Rita and Buddy, who'd managed to pull himself out of the water, wiped some of the blood off his face, and charged towards Grodd.

“Takes one to know one!” Buddy yelled as he threw a kick at the giant Gorilla. Buddy's foot hit the massive mammal with no effect, and was reduced to receiving a punch to the stomach that sent him bouncing off the moist floor below him. Baring his teeth in a wicked smile, he picked Buddy up by the feet and slammed him into the dark haired woman who was pinned against the tree. She screamed and passed into unconsciousness and Buddy spat blood and vomit into the grass at the base of the tree.

“Rrrr...Hurrr.” Grodd laughed to himself, pulling the Axe free of the mud and gore in the now blood red water, and drawing it back. His eyes closed and his head falling back in glee, a few more axe hits struck the bark and the soft flesh of the tree until he was stopped by Buddy's laughter.

“Why are you laughing human?” Grodd asked, turning around. He wasn't prepared for what was before him, or rather hurtling towards his face. Knocking off his feet, Grodd hit the ground hard, his axe falling into the water again as the giant golden form of the Congorilla bore down on him, beating his massive fists against his chest.

“GRRROOODD!” He yelled, bringing both of his hands down on the black haired Gorilla, only for Grodd to grab his attacks wrists in his feet, twisting him into the tree.

Buddy leaned unsteadily against the tree, casting his vision from the fighting Gorilla's to the pinned primates and Rita, suddenly the model of female warriors, putting her massive fists through the Robotic Gorilla's and shrugging off their laser fire. Buddy cracked a smile, though it wouldn't be visible from the blood dripping from his gums covered his teeth in darkness.

“Fine,” Buddy said, attempting to pull himself into the Red. He felt it's connection for the briefest moment before it faded away, his powers deserting him in this instance. Buddy gulped. He was going to have to do this based on human power.

Ducking between the legs of the stoic Gorilla robots, holding the other apes and the Gardner down, he inched towards the axe that lay in the water, as Grodd punched the golden ape so hard one of his Canines came loose. Buddy winced in sympathy and pulled the axe from it's position in the ground, climbing on top of a robot pinning one of the apes to the ground. The Chimpanzee grinned up at Buddy, who returned to sentiment. Swinging the axe into the Robotic Gorilla's eyes, Buddy hacked at it until it's arms just dropped, and it fell to it's knees, the sound of it's innards ceasing their workings becoming like music to his ears.

He helped the Chimp to it's feet. “Names Ricarno, Human, and I've got to get Susan to a hospital,” Concern laced his voice, as Buddy nodded, handing him the axe. The Chimp shook his head and thumbed into his chest.

“I've got powers too, Urb,” He coiled his leg muscles and shot Buddy a wink before shooting towards the Robot pinning the Gardner to the tree, and smashing through it's midsection, bouncing off the bark and down to Susan.

“Free the others, beat Grodd. I'll try and catch up with you later!” He yelled, before bounding away, Susan over his shoulder.

The Gardner pulled herself to her feet, as Buddy rushed over, that feeling of attraction washing over him again. He grabbed hold of her hair and pulled her into a deep kiss. She felt backwards and into his open arms, returning his kiss.

Rita tutted loudly, and shouted over to Buddy.

“You're married, Buddy!”

His eyes snapped open as he pushed the ape-woman away from him. She looked up at the Animal Man, and smiled, putting a hand on his shoulder and brushing against his cheek.

“It's okay, Buddy. I understand,” She responded.

“How do you know who I am?” Buddy asked, as she took his hand and gestured towards the Robotic Gorillas before them. The insects, fish, reptiles, birds and small mammals swarmed the androids, pulling their wiring out of their noses and eyes and ears, rendering them inert.

“I am the Gardener, Buddy. I was created as a Bridge between Human and Animal,” She said, pulling her hands back as the

“Like me?” Buddy said, as the rest of the augmented Apes shot passed him. The Orang-Utan appeared to be wielding some kind of Gravity powers, as he threw his hands down, slamming Grodd into the ground, as the Lemur twisted through the air, and rammed it's black diamond looking fist into the centre of Grodd's back, crashing him into a crater, while the final ape, a Mandrill shoot lightning from it's eyes into Grodd.

“They're killing him..” Buddy began, before the Gardner put her hands on his chest.

“STOP!” The bloodied and gored Congorilla pulled himself to his feet and towered above the other apes. They all paused their activities, looking at their leader.

“We're not animals any more. We're more than that. We don't kill unless we have to,” He began, holding his chest as the blood seeped freely from the gored hole in his body.

“He's hurt, we've got too..” The Gardner shushed him again, and pulled him aside.

“Something large is coming Buddy Baker. You need to prepare yourself, to be test in your abilities, by nature and religion, and by your heart. Everything you know and everything you understand will cease making sense. I will try to guide you as much as I can, I will try to help you from my position here but...I cannot leave the tree,” She sighed. It was her purpose as well as her curse. She would always be guardian of the tree.

As the Congorilla pulled his group away from the broken and bleeding Grodd, Rita pulled Tefe from the water and held her in her hands. The Gardner smiled and looked up at Rita.

“I know Tefé, she said what she said for a reaction. She is not evil, just misguided. Don't take any notice of what she said,”

Buddy shook his head, watching Grodd slowly try to extract himself from the water, crawling towards the tree. His eyes glazed over as he watched, probing the Gardner for more information.

“How did these apes get these powers?” The Gardner didn't look away from Tefe's limp form, as she answered.

“The same meteorite that gave the Gorilla's their super intelligence. It gave these examples of apes powers the same way it gave Grodd his powers,” She replied, tapping Tefe's wrist. Buddy watched as Grodd managed to get to his knees, vomiting blood and flesh pieces onto the grass.

“Where did this Meteorite come from?” Buddy asked, casting a glance to the Gardner.

“Buddy.” The Gardner replied, turning to face him. “Where do you think?”

“Space?” He replied. The Gardner smiled and shook her head.

“Think about it Buddy,” She said before gesturing towards Congorilla. The giant Golden Gorilla slammed Grodd back into the ground and smiled a toothy grin towards Buddy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“You know, I never thought I'd be such good friends with an Angel,” Ellen said, lying on her back in the field just outside their aptly dubbed “Nature Cave.” Maxine ran chasing a butterfly over the grass. Zauriel smiled a comforting smile and put his hand on Ellen's hand. If anyone else had done it, it would have been intrusive, but because it was Zauriel it felt...comforting.

“I've always believed in higher powers,” She told the angel, a belief that had been bolstered by the fact that a white winged agent of God was sat holding her hand now. “It's Buddy who confuses me. It's obvious that you're an angel, but he still isn't very...accepting.”

“Are you referring to his religion?” Zauriel asked the blonde haired woman. She nodded. She wasn't normally a blonde, but she'd dyed it in the last few days, a look that Zauriel very much approved of. She removed his helmet to reveal his feather like hair underneath and avian pupils.

“Yeah, the life power Church of Maxine. Something about that name doesn't sit well with me,” Ellen looked at her daughter, playfully rolling down the hill, the Butterfly following her.

“Does she really look like a Jesus, you know?”

“Are you asking me that question, Ellen?” Zauriel said after a brief pause. She sat up straighter in response to his words.

“Well from your reaction, I'm going to go with “Yes.” She pulled her hands up to her lap, as Zauriel moved the hand that had been on Ellen's onto his golden helmet.

“When I commune with the Angelic Over-mind, nature speaks to me, Ellen. Nature tells me that if feels for your husba...for Buddy, and Maxine the way humanity felt for Jesus. So in a way, yes, Buddy, Maxine and the other Animal Masters are like Jesus,”

Ellen's jaw hung open. Her daughter was just compared to Jesus, and her Husband. She wouldn't be passing that one onto Buddy or to her mother.

“Are you serious?” She asked him.

The Angel nodded.

“The life power church of Maxine isn't just a hippie fad, Ellen. They're promoting awareness of nature, of the power and majesty our lord's creations, something that often falls by the wayside. As they teach awareness of nature and the natural world, they do as the Son of God did, only he preached awareness and the power of majesty of caring for each other and for their souls,” Ellen couldn't believe what he was saying.

“I thought..But...You didn't approve of it when you first appeared on the scene, before Tristess was absorbed into the Red and..all that nasty business with the New Guardians,” Ellen asked, confused by his complete turn around.

“I didn't,” He said simply. “But I've changed my mind.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Congorilla, can I speak to you for a moment?” Buddy asked, putting a hand on the massive primates shoulder. He turned to Buddy and offered a smile, something that in Gorilla language would be a threat, but between humans it was oddly...comforting.

“Of course, Mr. Baker,” he returned. Buddy shook his head and smiled back.

“Mr Baker is my Dad, well, was my dad, call me Buddy,” He began, before pointing towards the apes hand.

“What're you guys going to do now?” Buddy asked, looking at the huge form before him.

“Well...I think we're going to take Grodd back to Gorilla city. We were talking before this, we've got to go and find Kamali, the Gorilla who gave most of these apes their powers.” He glanced over his shoulder at the other apes, who were just milling around, grooming each other.

“The monkey with the Meteor, right?” Buddy asked.

“Ape.” Congorilla corrected.

“And Gorilla City?” Buddy inquired

“We're going to try and fix it. Make it more of an Ape city, Buddy. We're going to try and make it better – For all apes.” The Gorilla looked proud of his plans, but Buddy knew, plans were different to actual events. Plans often went array.

“What about that woman I was...thrown into?” Buddy asked, concern flooding his features.

“Susan? She'll be okay. She's stronger than she thinks she is,” Congorilla replied, sitting down heavy on the ground.

“Sounds like there's more to it than you're letting on,” Buddy said with a smile. The golden gorilla just tapped his nose and winked.

“I heard a rumour that your powers came from a ring, is that right?” Buddy asked, looking at the giant apes bare fingers.

“You heard right, Buddy,” He held up his hand and pointed to his left ring finger. “Used to live right here. Near as I can tell Congorilla's been around for longer than most humanity has been able to create machines. It's older than our knowledge of the Africa certainly, but..” He looked around, gesturing for Buddy to move away from the group.

“It pre-dates Gorilla city certainly. It pre-dates B'Wana Beast as well. Speaking of Beasts..How is Dominic?” Buddy recoiled in shock a little, and shook his head, half of his mouth open in a gesture of shame.

“Sorry Congorilla, he got killed during the Swarm event,” The Golden beast let it's head hang for a moment before forcing a smile and looking up at Buddy with slightly tear filled eyes.

“Good man, was Dominic. Good man,” Sadness washed over the pair, until Buddy patted him on the shoulder in an attempt to restart the conversation before.

“It pre-dates both of those things then?” He asked. Congorilla nodded.

“I've lost my human body, Buddy, and the Ring with it. Near as I can find out though, the ring and this body my brain is wearing, it was augmented and created by, well this is going to sound completely insane but...”

“Aliens, right? Big yellow heads, pointy ears, tiny little spindly limbs that don't make sense?”

“Wow. Dead on,” Congorilla replied.

“That's what I thought. Lemme tell you about these guys...”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Heart of Africa

Below the Earth's crust, underneath the rock work and the crater that once held the Space-B augmented spacecraft known as the Traveller, a single movement represented the reanimation of over a million years worth of evolution. Revered by his tribe, he stole fire from the angry Mountain Gods, holding the molten rock in his hands without burning him, built vast obelisks in England with his command of the rocks, he lowered the sea levels and froze water so that his tribe may cross the great oceans, and flew into the sky to command the clouds and rain so that his family and friends might live.

They never went without food, be it animal or plant, both gave their lives to him willingly. He was their king, and as the Ice Age hit, he found that he was the king of nothing. The Worlds fell on themselves, mountains crumbled, seas dried up into ice sheets and he was left to wander alone.

Now, finally awaken after all these years, he felt the call ring out from his throat, as he pulled himself to the surface. For hundreds of miles it resonated, as loud as when it exited his throat.

Now, he stands, the winds around him blowing, the rain building above his head as Plants sprout underneath his feet, and animals gather around him.

The heartbeat of Africa has returned.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Authors Notes: Crikey, Those of you on my AIM know this issue was difficult for me. It went through no less than three re-writes before it became the beast you see before you, and even then, it's still not very good! Next issue Brings you more Animal Man mentalness and more subplot progression, and the beginning of a storyline I'd like to call...”METAMORPHOSIS”

Yeah...Take a guess what that ones about.

If you would like to discuss this or any other story, check out the DCI Message Board.

Titles: