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#2

"Dealing with it All"

By Tony Thornley 

 

Rick Tyler rubbed his eyes. The Miraclo did this to him sometimes. The time release pills were the absolute greatest high ever, but as with any drug, there were undesired side effects. He looked back up at his computer screen, read several lines, then turned to the monitor room's only other occupant.

"Any luck Tornado?" he asked the android. The red figure shook his head.

"None," he replied, feeding himself information, two wires attached to a data port in his arm. Red Tornado scanned the logs of their fight with Kobra almost a week previous, data streaming through his systems at speeds that Rick couldn't dream of computing. Even as Hourman and with the help of the Miraclo.

"Although the digital cameras we installed in our communications were effective, nothing of any use was recorded." Red Tornado turned his head to look Hourman in the eye. "We know that Kobra is responsible for the disappearances of our comrades. Unfortunately, it appears that their location is not something they seem willing to reveal." Tornado gave Rick an ironic grin and he chuckled in response.

"Were we able to get anything out of their computer systems?" he asked. "Maybe a location of their base of operations, or the identity of their new leader?"

"Nothing on the surface," Tornado replied. He frowned and narrowed his eyes. "Perhaps if I scan deeper. Maybe reconnect to the Kobra database."

"Sounds like you're right on top of things in here." Hourman looked up to see Firebrand in the doorway. Danielle was wearing a red hooded sweatshirt and gym shorts, and had her arms folded over her breasts.

"Yeah," Rick replied. "Maybe if we raid a couple more Kobra bases we'll get another clue."

"Good luck on that," Dani said. "Tornado, do you mind if I steal Rick for a minute?"

"By all means," he said with a nod. "I can complete my analysis alone." Rick gave Tornado a nod, then walked out the door, Dani following him close behind. She followed him several yards down the corridor, and then they stopped. Rick leaned against the wall and looked at her.

"What's up?" he asked, folding his arms.

"Rick, what the hell are you doing?" Firebrand asked, her expression darkening. Rick frowned.

"I'm not sure what you mean," he said.

"You're killing yourself over this," she said. "Look at you. Tornado didn't need you in there. He's perfectly capable of handling this himself. For all we know you were slowing him down."

"Is this just about me being in there with him?"

"No, it's not," Dani said. "Kendra and Shade practically had to order you to stay here a couple hours ago when they went out after that warehouse, Karen was ready to punch you through a wall yesterday, and Jakeem refuses to talk to you when we're not in the field. You've been driving us all nuts about this. You're a fantastic leader Rick." She reached out and took his hand. "But you need to back off some. We respect you and will follow you anywhere." She stepped closer to him and leaned against his chest. "You're not the only one of us that wants to find them."

Rick let go of her hand and wrapped his arms around her. She was right. He'd been driven, single-minded, the last few weeks. He'd neglected his team, and he'd neglected her.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. He kissed the top of her head, and then rubbed her back. "I didn't even realise I was doing it."

"It's okay," Dani replied, pulling back a little so she could look at him again. "Sometimes we need a dickhead around to put things in perspective."

"Hey!" Rick laughed, pushing her away. She playfully pushed back.

"The truth hurts sometimes, no?" she said.

"Pardon the interruption," Red Tornado said. They turned and saw him standing just outside the monitor room. "I believe I have something we should see."

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"So why'd you do it?" Kendra Saunders lifted a piece of scrap metal from the floor of the warehouse, and began inspecting beneath it. The Shade materialized from the shadows grasping his cane defensively, then lowering it.

"I'm sorry my dear," he said. "I sensed something here. What are you asking exactly?"

"Why did you join the Society?" she crouched scanning the floor. "I mean, you've been one of our most bitter adversaries for years. Why change?"

"Well," he said, still looking around. "It's complicated." Shade suddenly jumped aside. A reptilian creature leapt at him as he dodged. It was tall, bipedal, with red scales across its back. It had a tail that extended from the base of its spine about three feet. Shade hit the creature hard in the kidneys with his cane. It cried out and turned to him.

"We knew you would come!" it hissed. "You won't learn anything here!" Hawkgirl raised her mace and started towards the creature, but Shade held out his hand, stopping her. She lowered her weapon and stepped back.

"You knew did you?" he said, approaching the creature. Tendrils of shadow began wrapping around its legs, preventing its movement. "Who are 'we?' How did you know? Where did they go?" By this point, the creature was wrapped completely in tangible shadow.

"Heroes," it hissed. "We are Kobra. Your Society shall fall."

"Why has Kobra branched into genetics?" Hawkgirl asked. "Why have they created you?"

"You have more quesssstions than you shall ever answer." It sneered as it raised its arm to its mouth. "How do you feel about that?" It bit itself, administering a fatal dose of venom into its system.

"Dammit!" Shade exclaimed as the snake creature went limp.

"Well, that was a total was-" Kendra stopped and noticed a comm device hanging from his hip. Shade's eyes were drawn to the same spot her eyes were.

"Or not," he said with a smile.

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Jakeem Williams walked into the large chamber that Brainwave inhabited. He'd specifically requested it when he joined the team, and spent over a week fitting it with psychic dampeners and amplifiers. He glanced to his right and saw a mattress and boxspring sitting on the floor with a picture of Infinity Inc. next to it, the only decoration in the room.

"Just because the Thunderbolt's magic prevents me from reading your thoughts, doesn't mean I don't know you're there." Jakeem startled as Henry King spoke. Brainwave sat in the center of the room, wearing his psychic amplifier, with his back to Jakeem. He was sitting on the floor, his legs folded beneath him, as if in meditation.

"I'm sorry," he said. "The door was open, and I-"

"No need to explain," Hank said, turning to him. "Ma Hunkle left some windows open and I was hoping for some air circulation." He removed the helmet and stood. "You've got something on your mind?"

"Thought you can't read my thoughts," Jakeem said.

"I can't," Hank replied. "But I can sense your emotions. You're agitated. What can I help you with?"

"I sent the Thunderbolt out a little bit ago," he said. "He found... where the others were held. I wanted to go find them. See if they're still there. Or if there's at least a clue." Hank frowned, and walked over the closet where he kept his costume.

"You haven't told Rick yet, have you?" he asked. Jakeem tensed. He hadn't, and wasn't planning on it. This was his mission. His time to prove himself to the others.

"Tell Rick, and we'll organise a formal team," Hank said. "I'll make sure you're on it." He glanced back at Jakeem. "We trust you. You're a valuable member of the JSA."

Jakeem shrugged. "Okay. I guess I'll tell him." He turned and left the chamber. He started to walk to his room, dreading any contact with Hourman.

"Hey Jakeem!" He turned, started at the voice. It was Jesse Quick. She jogged up to him eagerly. "I heard everything. You know where they are?"

"Well," Jakeem muttered. "I know where they were. Who had them last and all." Jesse smiled.

"What are we waiting for?"

Inside his chamber, Brainwave frowned. Rick wouldn't be happy about this.

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

Rick and Danielle leaned over Red Tornado's shoulder as he scrolled through to a link he'd discovered in the finance records of the Kobra outpost of all things. The records appeared to be the standard batch of transactions, deposits, withdrawals and so on. Rick wasn't seeing what Tornado had found. The android stopped and pointed.

"This deposit," he said.

"Yeah?" Rick said. "What of it?"

"It came from a company by the name of Ichor Industrial," he continued. "They're a chemical processing plant in northern Maine . Nothing exceptional there. Until you look at Ichor's parent companies." A small chart appeared on the screen tracing Ichor back through three companies before stopping on an all too familiar name.

"Savage," Rick muttered. "Kobra's being run by Vandal Savage."

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

"Can you trace the signal?" Shade asked, looking over Kendra's shoulder. She fiddled with the controls of the Kobra comm device, then grinned.

"Nope, but it's got a GPS locator." Hawkgirl chuckled. "We can find any Kobra outpost in the world from this puppy. Meaning..."

"We can find the others," he finished. "It might take a little searching, but we can find them!" Shade tapped his cane on the ground. "Good news indeed."

Suddenly the warehouse began to shake, and the windows shattered. Several dozen Kobra stormtroopers burst into the warehouse, surrounding the two heroes. Each drew weapons of some sort, leveling them at Hawkgirl and the Shade.

"Well then," he muttered. "Looks like we might be needing some help."

"Yeah," Kendra replied, tapping her JSA comm twice, activating the emergency call. "But we ought to get it started before they get here." With that she lifted her mace and charged into the troopers with a roar. She hit the first man hard, sending him flying, and continued swinging her mace through her opponents.

"Ah, the thrill of youth," Shade muttered, then jumped into the fray himself.

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

Brainwave rushed into the monitor room. Power Girl just beat him inside, while Firebrand, Red Tornado and Hourman were already inside. He already knew the cause of the alarm, but Power Girl voiced the obvious question.

"What's happening?" Karen asked. "Whose beacon is it?"

"Kendra's," Rick said. "It looks like they ran into trouble at that warehouse. Where's Jakeem and Jesse?"

Hank frowned. He hadn't followed their thoughts after he'd heard them outside his chamber, but he feared the worst. He opened his awareness and confirmed his fear.

"They've left," Hank said, gritting his teeth. "Dammit! That little shit!"

"Whoa, calm down Hank!" Danielle said. "What's so bad about them leaving?"

"Jakeem said he had a clue about the others," he said. "I told him to talk to you first Rick. They've gone off half-cocked in to something potentially deadly!"

"Damn," Hourman muttered. He leaned forward, resting his fists on the console. "One crisis at a time. Hawkgirl and Shade first, then we follow Jakeem and Jesse."

"Then let's pray that they don't get themselves killed first," Karen declared.

"Amen," Firebrand echoed.

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

Atom Smasher read the mission dossier again carefully. He couldn't believe what he was reading. This mission was simply frightening. He slowly walked into the ready room, and looked at the assembled Suicide Squad.

Pied Piper sat up as he saw the expression on Al's face. They'd been working together the longest, and Hartley had come to know Al well enough to know when something was bothering him. Al gave him a half smile and nodded.

"It's pretty bad people," he said. "It's Kobra. I've been watching them for a while, as the JSA have had some issue with them recently."

"Screw the sentimentality," Hellhound grunted. "What's happened?"

"They're stolen something," Icicle said. "Haven't they?" Al nodded and threw the mission dossier on the table.

"A tactical nuclear warhead."

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In JSA #3 : The Society and the Squad versus Kobra! With Vandal Savage in play, what does that mean for our heroes?