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07

By Ed Ainsworth

 

Slightly out of phase with the rest of the world, the Cliff Beetle collides with the new Firestorm, entering the matrix environment. Both Martin and Traci looked surprised. Though this was a new experience for Martin, the Matrix normally had the two composite halves operating independently, their psyches remaining unfused, but inside the elemental form of Firestorm, Traci and he were united as both Firestorm and themselves. Three Psyches moving independently of each other, but inextricably joined.

The Beetle made a move directly for Stein, believing him to be the weakest link in the Matrix.

"Boy, I was a fire elemental before you were even a twinkle." He raised his arms, the matrix of firestorm becoming his very weapon.

"I don't know how you came to be inside here, but we're taking you apart now."

"Stein, you and the Baker-Father believe yourselves to be invincible, and powerful, but you are naught before the Swarm."

Firestorm stood, almost motionless, as Traci and Martin moved around the Beetle. The Cliff Beetle lashed out, thrashing its limbs towards Martin, who deflected it with a shield. It attacked again, moving for Traci, who responded in a similar fashion, until the Beetle was boxed within the Matrix.

"Now Traci, I think you know what to do." Martin said, taking her hands and kissing her.

"Yes, Martin. I think I do." She said, returning the kiss, Firestorm moving towards the Beetle, who lashed out frantically trying to escape from the box.

"You're a product of the Modern world, Cliff Baker. Your body make up proves it, you're the epitome of modern life, and this Scarab within you provides you no benefits. We must remove it."

The Beetle hissed, lashing against the shielding, as Traci and Martin became more and more involved in their passionate liaison, fueling Firestorm with the sparks and energy to perform its duty. The power around Firestorm exploded into life, showering the ground with sparks. It's hand moved through the shielding and focused on the lower back of the Beetle.

"The Pollution in your lungs, Chlorine, from water processing, Seven different types of acid from food, and water, even the Carbon Dioxide from the air, these are all weapons to one who can manipulate them, as Traci 13 can."

The Beetle hissed more, Traci was a magician who drew her powers from the urban environment, and she channeled all these pollutants around the body, from the lungs, into the blood supply, at the detriment to Cliff's body. He would suffer from a severe reaction to pH balance, as well as anaphylactic shock, and Carbon Dioxide poisoning.

The Scarab exploded from Cliff's Body, writhing on the floor, as Cliff dropped to his knees and coughed blood everywhere, the crimson liquid leaking from his eyes, and ears and mouth.

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Rip Hunter was adrift in time, not for the first time either. He made his "living" from it, adventuring and setting wrongs in the time stream. However, since the Crisis he'd been in a great deal of trouble. Particularly within time itself. Having worked out a way to escape from Limbo, he found himself hurtling through the barriers of time and space, Moment-blind and unable to find an appropriate "dropping off point."

Decades and Era's hurtled past him, he say evolution in reverse, then in fast forward as he shot through time, backwards and forwards, like a biological sling shot.

As he hurtled back down the time stream again, he thought he saw a hand reaching from beyond the laws of time and space. However, for Rip Hunter it was not just a hallucination it was a reality. The White clad arm grabbed him and pulled him through a space/time paradox, onto a giant tree branch.

"Rip Hunter; Welcome to the time tree." The man spoke, removing his Glasses, and running a hand through his long, black hair.

"My Name is Kid Eternity; I'm taking an extended vacation from Time and Space at the moment. This little guy here is Mr. Cow."

"Yo." The Bulldog spoke, cocking its head at Rip's startled reaction.

"You think a talking Bulldog called Mr. Cow is weird, wait until we tell you why you're needed, Rip, Old boy. It's going to get so much more weird. Oh By the Way, Do you suffer from Vertigo?"

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"GODAMNIT!" Buddy got up, dragging himself over to where Firestorm convulsed on the floor, every now and then exploding into flames.

"Wake up you Bastard!" He kicked Firestorm in the side and waited for some kind of retaliation.

"My Family is DYING!" He yelled, dropping onto his knees, tears rolling down his cheeks, as he crawled over to Ellen, who lay bleeding out on the floor.

Rita Farr slowly opened her eyes from across the studio, locking her eyes on Buddy and the devastation around her.

"Christ! Buddy, what's going on here?"

"GODAMNIT RITA! GET THEM TO A F*% KING HOSPITAL !" Buddy yelled, tears rolling down his face, his voice shaking and choking as it broke from grief.

".Buddy, I ." She remained silent, growing in size, scooping Ellen and Maxine in her hands, pulling them closer to her chest.

"I'll look after them." She said softly, stepping over Buddy, the limp Firestorm, and beetle Cliff. Firestorm sat bolt upright, looking at Buddy.

"It is done. Your Son is Purged." Firestorms attention was diverted for a moment, before it's eyes snapped onto Buddy again.

"The Parliaments call, we must go. We're sorry."

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Yet another facet of the Animal Man mythos is the Life Power Church of Maxine, currently being headed up by the former lover of Animal man, Tristess. For a long time it had been set up as a minor settlement. Wigwams and shanty houses had been constructed, but with the religion of the Life Power Church of Maxine, there was no formal worship, nothing so rigid. Followers were free to do as they wished, moved where they wanted, as long as they respected nature.

Tristess had given birth to a Daughter, Annie, who was currently very unwell. She'd been unwell for a long time, but only now had she spoken out about what ailed her.

Tristess had no idea what to do, she paced outside of the Wigwam, the groans and moans from her daughter growing louder and louder, ringing over the massive campsite.

She let out a long sad sigh as he eyes began to swell up. Desperation welled within her, and she dropped onto her knees, clawing at the mud underneath her.

"Tristess of the Animal Masters, I have come with words for you." The white winged man descended slowly towards Tristess, removing his Golden helmet and holding it underneath his arm.

"This must stop, Tristess."

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It had been a tiring few days for Buddy Baker. He was exhausted, he'd been attacked on all fronts, both physically, mentally and emotionally, and he wasn't sure how much longer he could take it. The others didn't quite realize just how much it'd taken from him.

The Freedom Beast took its powers from the space place that Vixen and Buddy drew their powers from. The Morphogenetic field, however, all of their power sources had come from the same Alien race, visiting earth at different points through its history. Buddy suspected there was more, MUCH more that the aliens had left in store for him, but now was not the time to concentrate on that.

His Family had been hurt today, badly hurt. He wanted to hurt the creatures that'd hurt them, but Firestorm had already taken care of that for him. He touched gingerly touched his wounded shoulder, looking at his children tucked in their hospital beds. Even Ellen was out. He took this opportunity to spend time with himself, and look at the blood stains embedded on the B'Wana Beast helmet. He wondered what secrets it contained, how could unlock them? Buddy continued to wonder, staring at the Metal of the Helmet until he passed out from painkillers and exhaustion.

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"James?" Platinum spoke as she walked down the stairs into the Laboratory. Her heels clicked on the floor, as she descended slowly, the Zoo Keeper, a former Titans villain in a net behind him. She ran a hand through her metallic hair and dropped him at James' feet.

"Another one for you and Buddy" she said in a matter of fact tone.

James looked up from his work, papers and X-rays were spread out on the oaken desk in front of him.

"..Uhh Thanks Platinum, maybe we should take him to the Lab? Buddy isn't around; he's making some big speech on TV today." He got to his feet and stretched, he'd been sat down all day.

Platinum dragged the net into the Lab, and slung it into a large vertical tube. She closed the door and leaned against it, locking her eyes onto James.

"How is the work going, James?" She said, putting her hands on her hips and smiling softly.

"Well, it's complicated. What Buddy wants me to discover is an incredibly complicated mixture of Biology and metaphysics. If I am honest the only thing that's helping me is Peyote Button."

"What's a Peyote Button?" Platinum asked, taking one from the surgical table in front of James.

"It's a hallucinogenic holistic drug that Buddy and I used when we first met. We saw our Animal totems, or at least I did. Buddy has no animal totem; he is the Animal man after all." James said, sitting down at another desk, sorting through a number of surgical tools.

"Do you ever feel guilty for what you're doing here, James?" Platinum asked, sitting down on the edge of the table, rolling the Peyote around between her thumb and forefinger.

"Sometimes; but then I think of the sacrifices animals make for medical science and science in general; these people." He trails off, looking at Platinum.

"Why do you ask, Platinum?" He questioned, curiously.

"I ask because humans have a great capacity for guilty, for moral recourse even when they are faced with options that are truly for good, they always confused morality with necessity. Despite inventing logic, humans never perform to the logic they set themselves." She removed one of her long forearm covering gloves and set it on the table.

"You know, I've read articles about you, and you seem very different to how you appeared on TV and in the journals."

"Everyone has to change, James. Even the world's changed during the Crisis. Would you deny me finding a place for myself in this world?" She smiled, and removed the other glove.

"No, of course not Platinum, I just."

"ShShh." Platinum placed her fingertip over James' mouth, and slipped the Peyote button between her teeth, holding it, and bringing her face in to kiss James.

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Next Issue: More Life Power Church of Maxine! More on Metamorpho; Rip Hunter learns some important truths and Animal Man discovers a cosmic revelation.