Chapter 1: Challenge of the Super Friends, Season 1, Episode 1: "Man of Tomorrow"
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
EXT. CITY, DAY
Plumes of smoke rise into the air as a battle rages in the city streets below.
NARRATOR
THE CITY OF METROPOLIS IS IN
PERIL!!!
Our focus shifts to a street level view. We see the battered and bruised bodies of THE CHAMPIONS strewn across the ground.
NARRATOR
(V.O.)
THE PLANET’S MOST POWERFUL
PROTECTORS, THE CHAMPIONS, HAVE
FALLEN BEFORE THE MIGHT OF THE EVIL
EXTREMISTS!!!
Our view pans across the battlefield to see THE CRUSADER standing defiantly against the four supervillains who defeated his comrades: The savage brute known as TRACER, the multi-limbed madman called GORGON, the master of magnetism who calls himself DOCTOR DIEHARD, and the leader of the group, the armor-clad LORD HAVOK. Together, they are THE EXTREMISTS.
NARRATOR
(V.O.)
And if THE CRUSADER can’t defeat
them, next falls THE WORLD!!!
LORD HAVOK
Give up now, Crusader! Your defeat
is inevitable against our combined
might!
CRUSADER
I’ll never give up, Lord Havok!
Though my body may give way...
The Crusader attacks Lord Havok with a mighty swing from his indestructible sword.
CRUSADER
... MY SPIRIT WILL NEVER YIELD!
Just as The Crusader’s sword is about to make contact with Lord Havok’s head, some kind of energy field yanks it out of The Crusader’s hands. It floats through the air and comes to a rest, hovering beside Doctor Diehard.
DOCTOR DIEHARD
Fool! Do you forget that your
invulnerable promethium sword is
still QUITE vulnerable to the
magnetic mastery of DOCTOR
DIEHARD?!
Lord Havok steps forward.
LORD HAVOK
‘Tis a pity, sir knight. You truly
were a great man, but you never let
go of those childish notions of
“good” and “evil,” never realized
that they were merely two sides of a
worthless coin, not fit for a
beggar on skid row.
Lord Havok raises his hand toward The Crusader, and charges up a technomagick energy blast in the palm of his hand.
LORD HAVOK
Goodbye, Crusader!
Back down the street, where the other Champions lay bruised and broken, the acrobatic young mall crawler known as LADYBUG wearily lifts her head as she looks upward.
LADYBUG
... up in the sky...
Ladybug’s comrades, MACHINEHEAD and WANDJINA, pull themselves to their feet with great effort as they too look up.
WANDJINA
Is it a bird?
MACHINEHEAD
Or a plane?
NARRATOR
(V.O.)
NO, heroes... !
We cut back to Lord Havok and the Extremists about to kill The Crusader. Suddenly, a man falls out of the sky and lands between Havok and Crusader with a titanic thud, knocking the villains back with the shockwave created by the impact. The man is muscular, built like a circus strongman, wearing blue tights with red trunks, red boots, a red cape, and a stylized red and yellow “S” on his chest. Most notably, his eyes are the most dazzling, otherworldly shade of blue.
NARRATOR
(V.O.)
... IT’S SUPERMAN!
The feral Extremist known as TRACER lunges at Superman. Superman immediately falls onto his back, and catches Tracer with his feet, kicking in a bicycle motion to spin tracer round and round in the air in the way old-timey circus strongmen did.
NARRATOR
(V.O.)
Yes, SUPERMAN! That strange visitor
from another world with the
strength of 100 MEN!
Superman kicks Tracer through the air, smashing him into Lord Havok and Doctor Diehard just as they pull themselves to their feet. Gorgon counterattacks by lunging his mighty tendrils at the man of steel.
GORGON
Insolent PEST!
Superman grabs Gorgon’s tendrils just before they strike, and then spins his own body in a circle at incredible speeds, whipping Gorgon’s entire body in a wide arc before letting go and hurling him at Tracer just as he stands up, sending both of them flying and crashing into an armored truck parked behind them. Before Diehard or Havok can react, Superman grabs both of them. Superman lifts the two men into the air, one in each hand, and then begins rubbing their bodies together, back to back, at super speed.
NARRATOR
(V.O.)
Thinking fast, Superman turns his
enemies powers into the instrument
of their defeat, using Doctor
Diehard’s body to turn Lord Havok’s
armor into an electromagnet!
Superman throws the two-man magnetic missile at the armored truck, hitting the other two villains on the way and knocking out all four with incredible force. Dusting off his hands, the universal sign of a job well done, Superman turns to The Crusader, still sprawled out on the ground, and offers him a hand up.
CRUSADER
Thank you, young man! The
Champions, and the city of
Metropolis, owe you a great debt of
gratitude.
SUPERMAN
I’m just happy to help, sir.
CRUSADER
Help is an understatement, my
friend. You have the makings of one
of the next great super heroes. What’s
your name, son?
Superman, somewhat bashfully, smiles while scratching the back of his head.
SUPERMAN
My name? Oh, you can just call me...
INT. CLASSROOM. DAY.
A teacher stands over a student scribbling in his notebook at his desk.
TEACHER
Clark Kent!
The student, Clark Kent, age 14, looks up at the teacher through the thick coke bottle glasses that distort his eyes to resemble grayish-blue blobs.
CLARK
... yes?
TEACHER
Clark, what did I just ask you?
CLARK
... a question?
Without asking, the teacher grabs Clark’s note book and reads it.
CLARK
Ummm...
TEACHER
“Secret Crisis 4,” colon,
“Champions VS Extremsist,” colon
again, “Rise of a Hero...”
This garners a giggle from the class, and a look of embarrassment on Clark’s face. The teacher hands back Clark’s notebook and looks down at him with a condescending smile.
TEACHER
Comic book adventures are good fun
for your free time, but school is
the time when we focus on the
things that are actually important
in the real world, alright?
Clark timidly nods in acknowledgement. The teacher turns his attention away from Clark toward another student.
TEACHER
Whitney, perhaps you can tell me
where the first battle of the
second crusade was fought...
INT. SCHOOL HALLWAY
Clark exits the classroom, meeting up with his two best friends, LANA LANG and PETE ROSS.
PETE
That was rough.
CLARK
I think that’s what dying feels
like.
LANA
I’m gonna draw your story.
CLARK
Really?
LANA
Yeah. I think it’s cool.
PETE
Heck yeah it’s cool! Way cooler
whatever Mr. Teacher Man was
talking about. Did the crusades
even have robots?
LANA
... do you not know our teacher’s
name?
PETE
I plead the fifth.
CLARK
I’m hungry.
PETE
I’ve noticed that public
humiliation makes you hungry.
CLARK
I know it’s weird.
PETE
Well, don’t worry buddy...
Pete removes his backpack and opens it up, revealing that it’s full to the brim with snack foods, a veritable cornucopia of inadvisable starches.
LANA
Where did you get all this?
PETE
Can you plead the fifth twice in
the same day?
Clark eyes Pete suspiciously, but still takes a packet of snacks out of the bag.
CLARK
... I’ll allow it.
LANA
Clark, did you get the movies?
CLARK
Yes! Except the video store didn’t
have the Champions Holiday
Special, but that’s okay because I
taped it last year.
PETE
Did your remember to pause during
the commercials?
CLARK
I did not.
PETE
UGH!
CLARK
At least they’re Christmas
commercials.
Pete glares at him.
CLARK
Christmas is nice.
LANA
Guys, I gotta get going if I’m
going to pretend to finish my
homework before tonight.
PETE
Wait, can your mom come back to
pick me up after detention?
CLARK
You have detention again?
PETE
Don’t change the subject.
LANA
My mom’s got a church thing
tonight. I’m walking to Clark’s.
PETE
What?!
LANA
It’s only a 20 minute walk if I cut
across the woods.
PETE
How am I supposed to get there?
LANA
Get a ride from your brother?
PETE
I can’t!
CLARK
Why not?
PETE
Because my brother sucks!
LANA
Listen, Pete, I gotta go...
PETE
But LANAAAAAAA...
Lana peels away from the group.
LANA
Bye guys!
Pete looks on as Lana leaves, discouraged. Clark pats his friend on the shoulder.
CLARK
I’ll see you tonight, buddy.
EXT. DIRT ROAD BEHIND THE SCHOOL. DAY.
Clark scarfs down the packet of snacks Pete gave him and stuffs the empty bag into his pocket. Rounding a corner to a secluded spot that’s just out of sight, Clark takes a moment to concentrate, as we see a subtle blue energy charge up his body before it disappears. Clark then suddenly accelerates to superhuman speed, clearing the hour-long walk from his school to his house in a matter of minutes.
EXT. KENT FARM. DAY.
Clark comes screeching to a halt on the dirt driveway out front of the farm house where he lives with his adoptive parents, JONATHAN KENT and MARTHA KENT. Martha is packing up the family truck, and looks startled to see her son arrive so soon.
MARTHA
Clark!
CLARK
Hey, ma.
Jonathan Kent comes out of the barn, with an unknown man walking beside him.
JONATHAN
Hey, son. You’re home early.
A quick look of panic flashes across Clark’s face, as he realizes he just nearly blew “the big secret.”
CLARK
Oh, you know, I got a ride from a
car... driver...
Clark trails off, and then switches gears and extends his hand towards the newcomer.
CLARK
Hi, I’m Clark.
The man, JOHN JONES, shakes Clark’s hand and smiles.
JOHN JONES
John Jones, pleased to meet you.
JONATHAN
I hired Mr. Jones to check out
the clog in the water tank.
JOHN JONES
And I’ll be taking a look at
the rest of your equipment, since
I’m already here.
JONATHAN
Mr. Jones will be in and out all
weekend, son. Try to make sure you
kids’ll stay out of his hair?
JOHN JONES
But, if you do need help with
something, don’t be afraid to
holler.
Jonathan and Mr. Jones peel away from Martha and Clark to go take a look at something else on the farm. Clark turns to his mother.
CLARK
Is he a secret baby sitter?
MARTHA
He’s not a secret baby sitter.
CLARK
Okay, but if he was and I asked you
would you tell me?
MARTHA
Absolutely not. I understand the
importance of keeping a secret.
CLARK
Are we pivoting to a lecture?
MARTHA
Yes.
CLARK
Ma, I’m sorry I slipped up just
now...
MARTHA
It could have been very bad if Mr.
Jones saw that.
CLARK
I know...
Martha sighs. She places her hands on her son’s shoulders and smiles reassuringly.
MARTHA
I know you know. I don’t want you
to think we don’t trust you. We
wouldn’t be going away for the
weekend if we didn’t. I’m just
asking that you try to be super
mindful this weekend that you’ll
only be around people who don’t
know “the big secret,” and you need
to be extra careful.
CLARK
I will. I promise.
Martha bends down and kisses her son on the forehead.
MARTHA
I know you will, dear. Now, I left
a green bean casserole for you guys
in the fridge.
CLARK
Thanks, ma.
MARTHA
And I left some money on the
counter if Pete and Lana want
something else.
CLARK
I’ll eat the casserole.
MARTHA
I know you will, dear. Now scoot, I
have to finish packing up.
CLARK
Okay.
Clark walks away from his mother, leaving her to pack. As Clark approaches the house, he passes SHELBY, Clark’s trusted canine companion, a white Labrador retriever who has been by Clark’s side since the day he was born, and who is curled up and napping in front of the house. Clark leans down to scratch his best pal behind the ears, waking up the dog who then happily jumps up and follows his boy into the house. When Shelby opens his eyes, we see that they are an unnaturally bright shade of blue, exactly the same as how Superman’s eyes looked in Clark’s fantasy sequence. Clark enters the farmhouse, touching the mezuzah in the door frame on the way in, and heads up the stairs to his attic bedroom.
INT. ATTIC BEDROOM. DAY.
Clark’s room is plastered wall to wall in comic book superhero posters, all of them from the Champions comics and their sister titles published by ANGOR COMICS. If we can get away with it, the posters should be done up in the style of classic Marvel covers, with the appropriate ANGOR character standing in. Clark sets down his backpack and sits down at his window facing desk to start his homework. When he does so, he takes off his thick coke bottle glasses and sets them down on the desk. Without the distorting effect of the thick frames, we see that Clark’s eyes are also that unnaturally dazzling shade of blue, resembling the twinkling light of a distant blue star. As he sets up his homework assignments, Clark looks to his left, looking at a large poster of the comic book hero THE CRUSADER. The poster features The Crusader with a text bubble saying “Who has what it takes to be the next great superhero?” Again, if we can get away with it, the poster should be made to resemble the classic Avengers #16 cover that introduced the “Cap’s Kooky Quartet” team lineup. In any event, Clark stares at the poster wistfully.
INT. KENT FARMHOUSE. NIGHT.
Clark is preparing for his friends to arrive, talking to PETE ROSS on the phone while he gets ready. In one hand, he balances several VHS tapes in a stack, while in the other he holds an enormous bowl of cheesy poofs. He has the telephone pinned between his ear and shoulder, stretching the cord that connects the Kent family’s landline to the wall as he carries the items to the living room to set them down on the coffee table.
CLARK
I’m really sorry to hear that,
Pete.
BEAT
CLARK
He’s SUCH a jerk.
Setting down his snacks and sweet movies, Clark heads back into the kitchen to get a few more things. He passes the casserole dish that once held his mom’s green bean casserole, already completely emptied out and half soaking in the sink. Clark begins scrounging for more bowls and more big bags of snacks.
CLARK
No, Pete.
BEAT
CLARK
Pete, I’m sorry you have to walk,
but if we wait to start until you
get here we won’t get done with all
the movies until morning.
Clark grabs a big bag of pretzels and a bowl to pour them in. He pulls at the bag to try and open it, but it’s sealed especially tight. Clark takes a moment to look out the window.
CLARK
Pete, hold on a second...
Clark moves his mouth away from the receiver.
CLARK
Mr. Jones?
No response. Clark moves his mouth back to the receiver. That same subtle blue energy charges up in his hands and then disappears.
CLARK
We can wait until you get here to
put on the holiday special.
Clark opens the bag, but uses too much force, ripping the bag clean in two and sending pretzels flying everywhere.
CLARK
(muttering to himself)
... aw dang
Clark is suddenly startled by a loud crashing sound coming from outside. He turns in the direction of the window, which looks out at the barn.
CLARK
... Pete, I gotta go.
We can faintly hear Pete shouting “but CLAAAAAAAARK” from the other end of line as Clark hangs up the phone.
EXT. KENT FARM. NIGHT.
Flashlight in hand and Shelby by his side, Clark heads out to investigate the crashing sound he heard.
CLARK
Mr. Jones? Is everything alright?
No response. Clark approaches the barn, shining his flashlight inside to see that the door to the barn’s root cellar has been ripped off its hinges and cast aside.
CLARK
(quietly)
Oh no... !
Faster than the previous two times we’ve seen it, Clark once again charges his body up with that blue energy, and rushes into the root cellar in a burst of superhuman speed. As soon as Clark arrives in the cellar, he sees a tall muscular figure standing with his back to Clark, looming over the very ship that brought him to earth 14 years ago. The tall man turns to Clark, revealing his face. In some ways, he resembles a taller, older, more muscular version of Clark, although any resemblance is mired by the fact that his skin is composed of some kind of white crystalline substance. On his forehead, three metallic disks form the points of an inverted triangle, some kind of surgical implants, with a build up of crystalline growths around each of them which resemble scar tissue. One trait that he and Clark clearly have in common, besides their messy dark hair, is that they both have that unnaturally bright shade of blue in their eyes. This man, BIZARRO, stares out of those blue eyes at Clark with a blank expression. Then, in a burst of speed that makes Clark look slow, Bizarro grabs Clark by the throat, lifts him into the air, and the two of them burst out of the entry to the cellar, causing more damage on the way through, and are suspended in the air in the center of the barn. While gravity still has its hold on Clark as he dangles from Bizarro’s hand by the neck, Bizarro himself simply hovers at a fixed point in space, completely motionless. From the ground below them, Shelby barks at Bizarro. Bizarro’s eyes begin to glow with blue energy as he narrows his gaze on Clark’s face. Just then, Shelby’s body charges up with the same blue energy we’ve seen from Clark before, and shoots into the air like a rocket, biting Bizarro on the side of the head and forcing him crashing into the dirt driveway outside of the barn just as he lets loose a blast of blue laser vision, tearing up a trench in the dirt as he comes crashing to the ground. Bizarro grabs Shelby by the throat, tears the dog off of his face, and slams him into the ground with such force that the impact sounds like the crack of thunder. A look of fear goes across Clark’s face as his body charges up with energy.
CLARK
SHELBY!!!
He lunges toward Bizarro at super speed, attempting to punch the villain, but Bizarro catches Clark’s punch in his hand as if he were catching a gently lobbed ball. Clark looks up at Bizarro with fear, and Bizarro looks down at Clark with lifeless ambivalence. Suddenly, a figure materializes out of Clark’s chest, like a ghost becoming visible and passing through his body at the same time. It is the heroic form of J’ONN J’ONZZ, THE MARTIAN MANHUNTER, who punches Bizarro in the face just as his green fist finishes materializing, walloping the villain with incredible force and sending him crashing into a nearby tree. Before Bizarro can pick himself back up, The Martian Manhunter speeds over to him, pinning him down by grabbing the sides of his head, and stares into his eyes. The Martian Manhunter’s own eyes then glow a deep red color.
J’ONN
(echoing)
SLEEP.
The booming echo of J’onn’s voice reverberates in Bizarro’s largely empty mind, forcing him into unconsciousness. J’onn stands and turns to Clark, shifting into his “John Jones” form as he does so.
CLARK
... Mr. Jones?
J’ONN
Clark, I can... oh no.
Clark turns and looks behind him. Standing there is Lana Lang, in a state of absolute shock.
LANA
(experiencing a paradigm
shift)
... what?
INT. KENT FARMHOUSE. NIGHT.
Clark, Lana, and J’onn are all seated at the kitchen table. Shelby is eating floor pretzels. An awkward silence fills the air. Lana has a thousand yard stare on her face, while Clark and J’onn simply seem like two people trying to build up the courage to have a VERY awkward conversation.
CLARK
... so the guy outside... ?
J’ONN
He is alive. I rendered him
unconscious.
CLARK
... with of your psychic powers?
J’ONN
... yes.
LANA
(quietly)
Are you gonna do that to us?
J’ONN
No, I am not. Even if I could, I
would never do that to either of
you.
CLARK?
Why can’t you? Do it to us, if you
could do it to that guy, I mean.
J’ONN
His brain is simpler than either of
yours. The people who sent that
creature here tonight stripped away
every part of his mind not vital to
carrying out his mission a long
time ago.
CLARK
(getting frustrated)
What people? What kind of creature
is he?
J’ONN
I know you have a lot of questions
right now...
CLARK
Are you my dad?
BEAT
J’ONN
No, Clark. I am not your father. I
was born a planet other than earth,
like you were. But unlike you, I am
native to this solar system. I come
from the planet humans call Mars.
CLARK
You’re a Martian?
J’ONN
Yes.
CLARK
And I’m from, what, some other
planet?
J’ONN
Many light years from here.
CLARK
Does earth have a lot of aliens,
then?
J’ONN
Yes, Clark, it does.
LANA
(to Clark)
You’re an alien?
CLARK
... yes.
LANA
(Still processing)
Oh.
CLARK
(to J’onn)
Why is this happening?
J’ONN
The people who sent that creature
have access to a wide array of
advanced technology, much of it
extraterrestrial in origin,
including a machine that makes it
possible to travel through time.
CLARK
Actual time travel?
J’ONN
Yes. They have come here from the
future and targeted you
specifically, because one day you
will become a threat to them.
CLARK
... someone’s trying to Terminate me?
J’ONN
I will not let that happen. But
when their agent does not return to
them, they will send someone to
investigate. We cannot be here when
that happens. You need to pack some
things, and then we have to leave.
LANA
How do you know all of this?
J’ONN
Two weeks ago, I received a
message, a warning from my future
self that contained all the
relevant information.
LANA
What kind of message?
J’ONN
It was a telepathic message, sent
through the enemy’s time portal
before it closed.
LANA
So you can’t show us? It’s just “in
your head” or something?
J’ONN
Given the circumstances, suspicion
is an appropriate response on your
part...
LANA
The “circumstances” are aliens AND
time travel! That’s kind of a lot,
okay? Forgive me if I’m having a
hard time accepting anything you
say at face value.
CLARK
Well, the alien part is definitely
true, so I don’t see why he’d lie
about the time machine.
LANA
Well Clark, maybe I’d have an
easier time accepting the time
machine if I knew about the “alien
stuff” ahead of time.
CLARK
... are you mad at me?
LANA
Yes, Clark! Yes I am mad at you! We
have known each other our whole
lives and not once did you ever
mention that you’re from outer
space!
CLARK
I’m sorry, Lana, but how do you
tell someone that you’re a... a
different species?!
LANA
Well, WORDS are a good place to
start...
J’ONN
(shouting)
We do not have time for this! There
are people coming here to kill all
of us...
EXT. KENT FARM. NIGHT.
The unconscious body of Bizarro lies unconscious, slumped at the base of an old tree. J’onn’s psychic paralysis should keep the creature out of commission for hours, and under better circumstances, it would.
J’ONN
(V.O.)
... and they could arrive at any
minute!
EXT. LOW EARTH ORBIT.
A satellite comes into position directly over Kansas. There is an object attached to the hull, not a component that’s supposed to be there, but some kind of techno-organic parasite that has latched itself onto the outer hull. The device has the same three circles forming the points of an inverted triangle that Bizarro has on his forehead. Those circles begin to glow green.
EXT. KENT FARM. NIGHT.
The three circles on Bizarro’s forehead start glowing green, and he opens his eyes.
INT. KENT FARMHOUSE. NIGHT.
J’onn is standing, while Clark and Lana are still sitting at the kitchen table. Shelby is still eating floor pretzels.
J’ONN
Clark, I need you to pack a bag
quickly. Lana, I know...
With a thunderous crash, Bizarro’s body bursts into the room through the outer wall. J’onn’s eyes immediately begin to glow fiercely, but this time the telepathic assault has no effect! Bizarro’s mouth twists into an unsettling pale recollection of a pleasant smile. Bizarro then opens his mouth, but the voice he speaks with is the voice of BRAINIAC.
BRAINIAC
I’m sorry for the inconvenience,
J’onn, but now that I’ve activated
administrative override, you’re
locked out of that function.
J’ONN
Brainiac!
Smiling, Brainiac turns Bizarro’s head to look at the kids.
BRAINIAC
Hello, Kal-El, Miss Lang.
CLARK
Kal-what?
J’onn shifts into his hero form and launches himself at the Brainiac-controlled Bizarro, who we’ll just be calling Brainiac from now on to keep it simple. The two of them shoot through the hole Brainiac created when he kool-aid man-ed his way in, and they crash in the field beside the barn. J’onn punches Brainiac with incredible force, and then immediately becomes intangible and sinks into the ground like a ghost. Brainiac rises into a hovering position, looking at the ground and using his x-ray vision to try and track J’onn’s underground movements. J’onn shoots up out of the ground right beside Brainiac and takes a swing at him, socking him in the jaw. Brainiac retaliates with a blast of laser vision, which passes harmlessly through J’onn as he morphs a hole in his torso, but hits the propane tanks behind him, causing a fiery explosion that knocks J’onn directly into Brainiac’s fist, punching him back into the center of the flames. J’onn is now on the ground on all fours, struggling to maintain the cohesion of his solid form. The heat of the flames burning the ground beneath him and all around him is causing the molecular bonds of his body to weaken, and the intense PTSD trigger of seeing so much fire around him is causing him to freeze up completely. Casually, Brainiac floats over to him.
BRAINIAC
You sent a memetic copy of your own
consciousness to your past self.
Very clever, J’onn. This might set
back my timeline by an entire day.
INT. KENT FARMHOUSE. NIGHT.
Lana and Clark watch on in shock as the fires begin to spread. Clark looks at the rubble left by Brainiac’s attack on his home. He looks at Lana’s backpack, its contents spilled across the ground. One sheet of paper in particular, a mockup of a comic book cover, drawn by Lana herself, based on his story from class. The character on the cover is Superman.
CLARK
Lana, you need to stay here with
Shelby.
Clark tenses his muscles, and his entire body charges up with that strange blue energy, which quickly fades. This time, when he charges up, there’s a slight “push” of air that briefly emanates from his body, causing his and Lana’s clothes to very briefly billow as if there was a sudden gust of wind.
CLARK
He’s an alien, too.
Clark runs to join the fight in a huge burst of speed.
BEAT
LANA
(to Shelby)
Really?
EXT. KENT FARM. NIGHT.
Brainiac hovers over J’onn on this fiery battlefield.
BRAINIAC
It’s hard to believe there was a
time your people were feared across
the entire galaxy.
Brainiac’s eyes glow as he prepares a burst of laser vision.
BRAINIAC
Try taking some comfort in the fact
that I will always remember you.
Before Brainiac can land the final blow, Clark bursts into the scene, body-checking Brainiac and knocking him to the ground with incredible force. He then immediately disengages before Brainiac has a chance to get back up.
BRAINIAC
Kal-El?
In the distance, there is a loud cracking sound, and a huge object comes hurtling through the air; it is the water tank of the Kent farm’s water tower, thrown directly at Brainiac by Clark. It hits, causing a huge impact and spreading water everywhere, but it only serves to annoy the villain. Clark takes a running leap at Brainiac to deliver a WWE style “Superman Punch.” However, Brainiac interrupts the assault by letting loose a blast of laser vision that sends Clark flying into the air. Brainiac then shoots up ahead of Clark and spikes him back into the ground with a single strike, creating a small crater impact when he lands. Brainiac descends to finish Clark off, but is then immediately attacked by J’onn, freshly recovered, who hits him with a stretched out arm and a supersized fist. J’onn then pins Brainiac to the ground with his giant-sized hand, digging his fingers into the Earth for leverage.
J’ONN
Yield, Brainiac.
Clark, bruised and battered, limps forward to stand by J’onn.
CLARK
So, what do we...
J’ONN
Wait.
J’onn’s eyes begin to glow.
J’ONN
Brainiac has triggered a cascading
cell failure in the creature's body.
CLARK
I don’t know what that means.
Cracks begin to open up in the crystalline skin of the Bizarro creature under Brainiac’s control. A bright blue light shines out from between these cracks as they overtake the body.
J’ONN
It means self-destruct.
Brainiac in hand, J’onn flies up into the air at incredible speeds, kicking up so much wind that it knocks Clark off his feet. Up in the air, climbing faster and faster, Brainiac manages to smile through the lips of his puppet.
BRAINIAC
We’ll see you again soon, J’onn.
We’re all looking forward to it.
J’onn accelerates, breaking the sound barrier and rising to the upper atmosphere. J’onn spins in place like a top and hurls Brainiac into space, where he explodes in a ball of brilliant blue light.
EXT. KENT FARM. NIGHT.
Clark looks up and the blue glow from the explosion in amazement and wonder. He is joined by Lana and Shelby, who look up with him.
EXT. KENT FARM. NIGHT.
J’onn finishes packing things into his pickup truck, and gets into the driver's seat. Clark, Lana, and Shelby are already in the car, waiting.
CLARK
What are we going to tell my
parents?
LANA
Or mine?
J’ONN
We have three days to figure that
out.
CLARK
... oh.
LANA
That’s not reassuring.
J’ONN
I apologize for that, but time is
not on our side.
J’onn starts up the car and begins to drive away from Kent farm.
CLARK
Where are we going?
J’ONN
To a safe place. I have some
friends who can offer us shelter
for a little while. But first, we
need to make a stop.
CLARK
Why?
J’ONN
You are not the only person in
danger, Clark. There is someone
else, not too far from here, who
they might come after.
LANA
So where are we stopping?
J’ONN
Central City.
The truck and its passengers drive off into the night.
THE END
EXT. KENT FARM. NIGHT.
POST CREDITS SCENE:
Pete Ross, dirty, sweaty, tired, and VERY annoyed, steps out of the woods and onto Kent farm,
PETE
(mumbling)
I hate my brother so much I swear.
Pete walks up to the farmhouse from the back by the tree line.
PETE
Hey GUYS! I got lost in the woods!
Please tell me you saved the
holiday...
As Pete rounds the corner, he sees the destruction from the battle. Horrified, he starts running toward the destruction.
PETE
CLARK! LANA!
Spotting a green light emanating from the entryway to the barn’s root cellar, Pete heads down, where he sees Clark’s spaceship. The panel on the spaceship display’s three circles forming the points of an inverted triangle, all glowing bright green.
PETE
(quietly)
What the... ?
Suddenly, three metallic tentacles shoot out of the panel, one from each of the three circles, and lunge at Pete’s face
THE END
Notes:
My goal with this series is to feel like an American made shonen anime. As such, here is the intro music:
https://youtu.be/SBjQ9tuuTJQ?si=uzc-uYj2nn3y1mqe
and here is the outro music:
https://youtu.be/KMXNiw4H6qA?si=2ojD1YEi94-vqQbT
Chapter 2: Challenge of the Super Friends, Season 1, Episode 2: "Secret Origins"
Summary:
Clark, Lana, J'onn, and Shelby rush to the aid of Barry Allen, a boy living in Central City, Missouri, who also has an unusual destiny.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
EXT. SUBURBAN STREET. NIGHT.
FOUR YEARS AGO: A seemingly quiet evening in the suburbs. A man steps into frame. He is wearing a yellow jumpsuit covered in tears and scorch marks. He is smiling, but the smile is not friendly. This is ZOOM. He approaches another man, sprawled out by the side of the road by a large stone fence. He is wearing a jumpsuit like Zoom’s, with the same kind of damage, but his suit is red instead of yellow. He is THE FLASH. The Flash is seriously injured, with damage to his spine. He cannot walk and he can barely move. Zoom is grinning like a madman, but he is not happy.
ZOOM
Where’s the kid?
FLASH
(pained)
... s-safe...
ZOOM
(euphoric with rage)
That’s a shame. That is a shame.
Zoom kneels over The Flash.
ZOOM
Well, I didn’t get what I came for...
Zoom grasps The Flash’s neck.
ZOOM
... but I still get to kill...
INT. MIDDLE SCHOOL GYMNASIUM. DAY.
NOW: BARRY ALLEN, age 14, is trying and failing to sneak into the school science fair at Mid-Central Central City Middle School. He is wincing, having been caught by his teacher, who is shouting his name from out of frame.
TEACHER
(O.S.)
BARRY ALLEN!!!
Barry approaches his teacher, HARRISON WELLES, who is holding an enormous coffee mug in his hand and looking very squidwardly.
WELLES
You’re late.
BARRY
I’m sorry, Mr. Welles.
WELLES
Extremely late.
BARRY
Okay, so what happened was I kind
of lost my shoes...
WELLES
You’re wearing shoes right now.
BARRY
The reason I was late was because I
had to go home to get my OTHER
shoes...
WELLES
You only have two pairs of shoes?
BARRY
Well, now I only have ONE pair of
shoes...
WELLES
How do you lose your shoes?
BARRY
My foot got caught in a storm
drain.
WELLES
And you lost BOTH of your shoes?
BARRY
It wasn’t a very dignified moment
for me.
WELLES
... you know, it doesn’t matter, just
- your girlfriend was looking for
you...
BARRY
I’m not sure I’m comfortable
classifying our relationship as...
WELLES
Please just go.
BARRY
Going!
Barry scoots off to find his friend who is a girl but isn’t EXACTLY his girlfriend. Welles looks on after him. As he does so, his eyes grow cold and he does not blink.
EXT. MID-CENTRAL CENTRAL CITY MIDDLE SCHOOL. DAY.
The party gets out of J’onn’s truck, parked on the street outside of the school.
CLARK
So another alien goes to school
here?
J’ONN
He is not an alien.
LANA
Then why are the future guys after
him?
J’onn produces a vest for a seeing eye dog from the back of the truck. He kneels down to put it on Shelby.
J’ONN
If history remains unaltered, Barry
will one day become a meta-human.
LANA
What’s a meta-human?
J’onn shapeshifts into the form of a blind 14 year old boy. He grabs the handle on Shelby’s vest.
J’ONN
It means a person who has super
powers.
LANA
Woah.
CLARK
Cool.
The party begins walking toward the front door of the school.
CLARK
When is he gonna get powers?
J’ONN
In about twelve years.
LANA
Then are you sure the future guys...
can we call them something other
than the future guys?
J’ONN
I call them the Legion of Doom.
CLARK
That’s kinda scary.
LANA
Okay, how do you know this Legion
are going to come after him right
away?
J’ONN
According to the message I received
from my future self, Eobard Thawn, a member of
the Legion and the inventor of the
machine they used to get here, may
have accidentally arrived in the past years
ahead of schedule. Additionally, there was some kind
of incident at the Allen household
four years ago. I do not have all
the details, but I know this resulted in
Barry now living with a foster
family, something I am certain did
not happen in the original
timeline.
LANA
How are you certain?
The question hangs in the air for a moment.
J’ONN
The biographical information in the
message was very detailed.
Lana frowns suspiciously, but keeps her thoughts to herself. The party enters through the front door of the school. It is homecoming weekend, and to celebrate there are a whole host activities going on at the school: a basketball game, a play, a bake sale, and a science fair are all happening today. A young man walks up to the party. He is wearing a T-Shirt that says “CCCC Student Teacher: VOLUNTEER,” and a name tag that says “CARTER.”
CARTER
Do you need any help getting
around?
J’ONN
(adult voice)
Hello, Carter.
CARTER
(startled)
Please don’t do that, J’onn.
J’ONN
(kid voice)
Sorry.
J’onn gestures toward Clark and Lana.
J’ONN
This is Clark Kent and Lana Lang.
J’onn scratches Shelby behind the ear.
J’ONN
And "Shelby."
CARTER
Pleased to meet y’all.
J’ONN
(to Clark and Lana)
Carter is aware of the situation. I
sent him ahead to keep an eye on
Barry while I was in Smallville.
CLARK
(friendly but kinda awkward)
Hi!
LANA
... hey.
J’ONN
(to Carter)
Status?
CARTER
No signs as of yet. Barry was late
getting here, but that’s just kind
of normal for him. I did a full
sweep early this morning. If the
Legion is here, they haven’t made a
peep.
J’ONN
Where are Barry’s foster parents?
CARTER
Cafeteria. There’s a bake sale.
J’onn turns to Clark and Lana.
J’ONN
Stay with Carter. Keep an eye on
Barry. Talk to him. Get to know
him. Establishing a rapport will
help when we have to explain all of
this.
J’onn leaves with Shelby to go to the cafeteria. Lana, Clark, and Carter watch him go.
LANA
You know, he still hasn’t explained
all of this to us yet.
CARTER
I know you’re young, and it’s hard,
but there’ll be time for
explanations if we get through this.
LANA
You’re only, like, a year older
than us.
CARTER
I’m older than I look, and I’ve
been doing this for a very long time.
CLARK
What is “this,” exactly?
CARTER
Fighting wars.
Carter looks Lana in the eyes.
CARTER
And surviving them. Don’t worry,
J’onn and I will keep you safe. Now
c’mon, we gotta keep moving.
The party begins walking down the hall to find Barry.
BEAT
CLARK
Are you an alien?
CARTER
DEFINITELY no time for that
explanation.
INT. MIDDLE SCHOOL GYMNASIUM. DAY.
Barry Allen is putting the final touches on his entry into the science fair, “META-HUMANS: SCIENCE FICTION OR SCIENCE FACT?” His display is covered in images of Bigfoot, UFOs, the Loch Ness Monster, as well as references to DC comics lore such as a newspaper clipping of the Smallville meteor shower, photos of the phantom “Danny Street," blurry photos of a “swamp thing,” and a memoir published by an English explorer telling of how he survived a “city of talking apes.” One of the centerpieces of the display is a thick paperback comic book, featuring a team of super heroes called “The Justice Society of America,” next to a typed document.
VOICE
(offscreen)
Smile!
Barry turns just as the flash on the camera goes off, temporarily blinding him. After he rubs the spots out of them, he opens eyes to see that his photo has been taken by IRIS WEST, the aforementioned girl who is a friend but isn’t his girlfriend.
BARRY
You’re evil.
IRIS
No I’m not.
BARRY
Wicked, even!
IRIS
I’m delightful.
BARRY
How’d it come out?
Iris produces the still developing Polaroid.
IRIS
Your eyes are red.
Barry takes the Polaroid from Iris’ hand and looks at it.
BARRY
(annoyed)
Ugh. This always happens.
IRIS
Dad’s gonna be mad when he finds
out you lost the new pair of shoes
he just bought you.
BARRY
I didn’t lose my new shoes, I’m
wearing my new shoes, I lost my
other shoes.
IRIS
There’s still going to be a Joe
West Speech About Responsibility
when we get home.
BARRY
I’ll make bingo cards. What do you
think of my project?
IRIS
(sincere and encouraging)
Your project is really impressive,
Barry.
BARRY
So you think I’ll get an “A?”
IRIS
Absolutely not.
BARRY
Well, what does Welles know anyway?
IRIS
Science, Barry. He knows science.
BARRY
I think he hates me.
IRIS
He definitely hates you. Because he
is a grumpy jerk with no
imagination, and you... are not.
BARRY
You just called me annoying and
weird and tried to make it sound
like a compliment.
IRIS
Yes I did.
BARRY
Thanks, I appreciate that.
Carter, Lana, and Clark approach Barry and Iris.
CARTER
Hi Barry. Iris.
BARRY
Hey Kurtis.
CARTER
My name’s Carter.
BARRY
What’d I say?
CARTER
(ignoring Barry)
This is Clark and Lana. They’re
new, and I was asked to show them
around.
CARTER
(to Clark and Lana)
Barry is the school’s top student.
IRIS
Usually.
BARRY
My project this year is unorthodox.
CLARK
(noticing Barry’s project)
... comic books?!
Clark zeroes in on the “Justice Society of America” comic book that sits at the center of the project display.
CLARK
(awestruck)
I’ve never seen this one before.
Barry walks up beside Clark.
BARRY
That’s probably because its from
Japan.
CLARK
(quietly)
So worldly...
LANA
So, what does a comic book have to
do with your science project?
BARRY
Because, Laura...
LANA
Lana.
BARRY
... it is EVIDENCE!
BEAT
CLARK
Evidence of wh-
BARRY
(announcer voice)
For centuries, they have walked
among us, moving silently through
the ages. The signs they have left
behind are everywhere, in folklore,
in urban legend, and in countless
mysteries that remain unsolved to
this day. Crop circles, cryptids,
psychic phenomena, UFO sightings,
these things all point to the
existence of human-like
intelligences capable of impossible
things. Are they aliens? Demons?
The results of random genetic
mutation? Or perhaps all of the
above? We don’t know. I have
compiled documentation and evidence
of dozens of unexplained phenomena,
because we will never know until
these meta-humans are found!
BEAT
CLARK
... and brought to justice?
BARRY
What? No. What?
CLARK
Sorry. The way you said it, it just
kind of sounded like you were gonna
say “and brought to justice.”
BARRY
I wasn’t.
CLARK
Yeah. I know. Sorry. I think your
project is really cool!
BARRY
Thanks, Kirk.
CLARK
My name’s Clark.
BARRY
What’d I say?
LANA
You’re really into all of this
“paranormal ufo” stuff...
BARRY
Yeah. It’s important to me.
CLARK
How come?
Barry’s expression grows dark.
INT. ALLEN HOUSEHOLD. NIGHT.
Barry flashes back to that night four years ago, when he hid at the top of the stairs and watched in horror as his mother screamed for help at the center of a storm of red and yellow lightning swirling around the family living room.
EXT. ALLEN HOUSEHOLD. NIGHT.
Barry flashes to another memory of that night. A burst of light can be seen coming through the living room window. A split second later, a red blur highlighted by streaks of yellow lightning dashes out of the front door and down the road.
EXT. EMPTY ROAD. NIGHT.
Another flash of memory. We see Barry, standing alone in the middle of the road, miles from home, looking lost and scared, electricity crackling on the ground around him.
EXT. ALLEN HOUSEHOLD. NIGHT.
The front lawn is covered in police cruisers. Barry approaches the scene on foot, his pajamas wet and filthy from the walk home, just in time to see his father, Henry Allen, being led out of the house in handcuffs.
HENRY ALLEN
(shouting)
I didn’t hurt my wife! Please!
Where is my son?!
INT. MIDDLE SCHOOL GYMNASIUM. DAY.
Back to the present. Barry’s face looks downright grim now, though he tries to hide it.
BARRY
It’s a long story.
INT. MIDDLE SCHOOL CLASSROOM. DAY.
Harrison Welles locks the door behind him as he enters his empty classroom. He sits in his desk chair. He is absolutely exhausted on every level. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small metal tube. He unscrews the top, taking off the cap which is attached to a small spoon, which he uses to scoop out a small portion of the white powder from inside the tube. He holds the small scoop up to his nose and quickly snorts the powder into his nasal cavity. A look of peace and calm washes over his face. He screws the cap back on and puts the metal tube away. That is when he notices the small package envelope on his desk. The name of the sender is obscured by a paper note taped to the envelope that says “PICK UP YOUR MAIL HARRISON - Principal Burke.” Welles tears off the note and stares at it with intense hatred before setting it down, and opens up the package, which he overturns to spill its contents onto his desk: a small metal disc with some kind of smooth glass lens in the middle. The glass lens lights up green, and a holographic 3D image of three circles forming the points of an inverted triangle appears in the air above Welles’ desk. The projection speak with the voice of BRAINIAC.
BRAINIAC
Hello, Eobard. I want to apologize
for the wait.
ZOOM
Brainiac...
BRAINIAC
Of course, the wait wouldn’t be
necessary if you had just stuck to
the plan.
ZOOM
If the Flash hadn’t chased me into
the portal, he would have destroyed
the time machine!
BRAINIAC
Which is why we appreciate all of
your hard work and sacrifice.
ZOOM
I’ve been stranded here with these
CAVEMEN for FOUR YEARS!
BRAINIAC
I advise caution when traveling
through the time stream. It can be
pretty easy to get lost in there!
ZOOM
You patronizing...
BRAINIAC
Now, onto next steps-
ZOOM
There aren’t going to be any next
steps! My powers are basically
gone, Brainiac. When I fought The
Flash, he did something to me, he
tried to steal my speed, and it
damaged by connection to the speed
force.
BRAINIAC
We know, Eobard. We’re aware of
everything that has happened since
you arrived four years ago. While
your haste has complicated matters
for us, we want you to know that we
appreciate the fact that you have
held your post here, in keeping
with our emergency protocols. It’s
because of this that we want to
offer you a second chance, Eobard.
ZOOM
(under his breath)
So generous...
BRAINIAC
First, as he is a witness, we need
you to eliminate the Barry Allen
of this time.
ZOOM
Finally.
BRAINIAC
Second, Kal-El and J’onn J’onzz are
aware of our presence and
intentions. I predict that they
will be in Central City soon, if
they have not arrived already.
ZOOM
A powerless kid is one thing, but
how do you expect me to fight a
Kryptonian AND a Martian? I can
barely hold a charge for a full
second, and I’m left completely
exhausted for the rest of the day.
BRAINIAC
Don’t worry, Eobard, I have a
solution to your problem.
INT. MIDDLE SCHOOL CAFETERIA. DAY.
J’onn and Shelby, in their respective disguises as a blind teenager and a service dog, have found Barry’s foster family: Joe West, his wife Cecile Horton, and their infant son Wallace.
J’ONN
(telepathically)
Please pull me in the direction of
the far table.
SHELBY
*BARK**WOOF*
J’ONN
(telepathically)
Thank you.
Shelby pulls J’onn in the direction of the bake sale’s main snack table, where the bulk of the West family has gathered. Joe is holding baby Wallace in his arms, while Cecile feeds the child small cut pieces of fruit. J’onn, using his extra-sensory perception, listens in on their conversation.
CECILE
Joe?
JOE
Yes, dear?
CECILE
Did you see Barry’s project?
JOE
Yes I did.
CECILE
Joe, we need to have a talk with
him. We both know where this
obsession is really coming from. He
has to accept the reality of what
his father did instead of blaming
it on UFOs.
JOE
I know. I just don’t want him to
think that we think he’s crazy. I
was hoping that it would blow over
if we just let it be.
CECILE
Not with Iris cheering him on.
JOE
We should probably have a talk
about that too...
CECILE
That girl has got it BAD.
JOE
We need to move them to opposite
sides of the house before high
school starts.
Cecile laughs. Baby Wallace starts laughing because his mother did, a cute moment shared by a family that is interrupted by a blind boy and his service dog asking for help.
J’ONN
(in his child voice)
Excuse me, sorry to bother you but
I was wondering if you could help
me...
JOE
Oh, of course, what-
Joe is interrupted by the sound of the school intercom.
ZOOM
(over the intercom)
Barry Allen, please come to the
principal’s office. Barry Allen,
please come to the principal’s
office.
JOE
(annoyed)
What has that boy done now?
Joe hands baby Wallace to Cecile.
JOE
Here. I’ll go deal with this.
CECILE
I’ll go find Iris and ask her if
she knows what’s going on.
JOE
(to J’onn)
I’m sorry, but-
J’ONN
Actually, the principal’s office is
the place I need help finding.
JOE
Oh, well, this way...
Joe guides the seemingly blind J’onn toward the principal’s office.
INT. MIDDLE SCHOOL GYMNASIUM. DAY.
Barry and Clark are huddled over the comic book, talking.
BARRY
So you see, the events detailed in
the declassified FBI document match
this sequence in Chapter 4 of
Volume 6, but the document was
declassified TWO YEARS after the
comic came out.
CLARK
Do you think the artist is psychic?
BARRY
That’s the common theory, but-
ZOOM
(over the intercom)
Barry Allen, please come to the
principal’s office, Barry Allen,
please come to the principal’s
office.
BARRY
(to Iris)
I swear I didn’t do anything
(recently).
IRIS
That sounded like Mr. Welles.
BARRY
I told you, he hates me.
While Barry and Iris are talking, Carter pulls Lana and Clark aside.
CARTER
(quietly)
We need to keep following him. Now,
this might just be normal school
stuff, but if it’s not I’m going to
need both of you to follow my lead.
I’ll get us all through this as
long as you trust that I know what
I’m doing.
LANA
Okay.
CLARK.
I trust you.
CARTER.
Good.
Carter turns back to Barry and Iris.
CARTER
Hey Barry, our next stop on the
tour is in that direction. Why
don’t we-
Barry is not there. Iris is sitting in a folding chair, casually flipping through Barry’s JSA comic.
IRIS
... oh, he already left.
CARTER
... aw dang.
INT. SCHOOL OFFICE. DAY.
Barry pokes his head into the school office.
BARRY
Hello? Mr. Welles? Principal Burke?
No response. Barry lets himself into the school office, and approaches Principal Burke’s office, its door ajar. Barry pushes the door open and steps inside. Principal Burke is slumped over the desk, face down, with a note taped to the top of his bald head that reads “PICK UP YOUR MAIL HARRISON - Principal Burke.”
BARRY
(frightened)
Principal Burke?
There is a whooshing sound and a sudden burst of air pressure blows through the room.
ZOOM
(O.S.)
You can’t help him, Barry.
Barry turns around. Behind him stands Harrison Welles, AKA Eobard Thawn, AKA PROFESSOR ZOOM, THE REVERSE-FLASH! His body crackles with red electricity, and he is surrounded by a hazy aura as the very molecules of his body are vibrating at incredible speeds. The disk that he had received in the mail is now attached to his chest, and the red electricity coursing through his body seems to be generated by the now red glowing lens at the center of the disk.
ZOOM
You can’t save anyone this time.
Barry freezes in horror, and he remembers.
INT. ALLEN HOUSEHOLD. NIGHT.
Four years ago, Barry is huddled at the top of the stairs as he watches his mother scream in terror at the center of a lightning storm in his living room. Next to his mother, in the center of the storm, he sees the flickering image of a man, dressed in yellow, with crackling red electricity hemorrhaging from his eyes, staring directly at him.
INT. PRINCIPAL’S OFFICE.
Barry is frozen in horror before his mother’s killer.
BARRY
It was...
ZOOM
It was me, Barry. I was in your
house that night. I killed your
mom.
BARRY
(tearing up)
Why?
ZOOM
There are so many reasons, but none
of them matter anymore.
Zoom charges up his hand with kinetic energy.
ZOOM
They’re not going to happen now.
Suddenly, an object comes crashing through the door of the principal’s office. It’s some kind of snare, like a bola, made of metallic thread. It wraps itself around Zoom’s body tightly and sends him crashing into the wall. At the door stands Carter Hall.
CARTER
Run, Barry!
Barry does not run. The word “run” begins to echo in his mind as the memories of that traumatic night overwhelm him. Carter steps forward. He pulls a small metal cylinder out of his pocket, which seamlessly extends into a large handle, sprouting a mace head at the other end that crackles with electricity and seems to warp the very air around it. At the same time, a pair of silver metallic wings sprout out of his back, tearing two large holes in his “volunteer” t-shirt. HAWKMAN has entered the fight. The fire alarm then goes off just as Clark rushes in at super speed and comes to a stop beside Barry.
INT. SCHOOL HALLWAY.
Lana Lang has pulled the fire alarm. She then runs down the hall, passing by J’onn, Shelby, and Joe on the way.
LANA
Fire! Actual fire! Not a drill!
J’onn lets go of Shelby’s harness.
J’ONN
(telepathically)
Go with her!
Shelby sprints after Lana to run alongside her as she continues to shout and warn every person she passes.
JOE
(quietly)
Barry...
INT. MIDDLE SCHOOL GYMNASIUM. DAY.
The assembled students, teachers, and family members, including Iris, Cecile, and Baby Wallace, are startled and confused by the fire alarm going off. Lana runs past the doors to the gymnasium with Shelby by her side as she shouts.
LANA
Fire! A real fire that’s actually
happening!
People look around in confusion and begin to shuffle toward the exit.
INT. SCHOOL HALLWAY.
Looking after Lana as she runs, J’onn shifts into his heroic MARTIAN MANHUNTER form.
J’ONN
Detective West, I apologize for
being so blunt-
J’onn turns, only to see that Joe has already sprinted down the hall toward the principal’s office.
INT. PRINCIPAL’S OFFICE.
Zoom begins to vibrate back and forth at incredible speeds, overloading his restraints and generating an enormous amount of energy that lights up the room. Carter charges up his mace, further adding to the light show. Clark tries desperately to get Barry’s attention.
CLARK
Barry, we gotta get out of here!
But Barry doesn’t move. He remembers.
INT. ALLEN HOUSEHOLD. NIGHT.
Four years ago, Barry saw two men, dressed in jumpsuits that were identical besides their color (one red, the other yellow), charging at each other and locking up in the center of the living room as Nora Alan watched on in horror just a few feet away, flooding the room with arcs of red and yellow lighting that seemed to be generated by their bodies. The energy built up between the two men, waving chaotically back and forth between them as it grew larger and larger like a tug of war between two Tesla coils, until the energy exploded, flooding the house.
INT. PRINCIPAL’S OFFICE.
Carter charges at Zoom, but Zoom bursts free from his restraints just before Carter’s blow connects, standing and catching Carter's arm in one fluid motion. He palm-strikes Carter in the mid-section at super speed, sending the winged young hero flying backwards through the office door. Zoom dashes over to Carter and begins to rain down a flurry of super speed punches, which Carter blocks by using his wings as a shield. Joe appears at the door to the office, watching the scene before him in stunned horror.
JOE
... Harrison?
Zoom looks up at Joe.
ZOOM
Oh. Hey, Joe.
Zoom speeds over to Joe, but the heroic form of The Martian Manhunter materializes behind him, sticking his ghostly arm through Zoom’s torso and semi-solidifying it, sending arcs of agonizing pain through Zoom’s body. Zoom begins to vibrate the molecules of his body into an excited state, allowing him to harmlessly slide off of J’onn’s arm and fall through the floor like a ghost. Zoom them pops up out of the ground a few feet away, right behind Carter, grabbing him by the wings and spinning like a top to wind up for a throw, launching Carter directly into J’onn and Joe. J’onn manages to push Joe aside and catch Carter, but this moment of tangibility allows Zoom to hit J’onn with an accelerated explosive punch, sending both heroes flying through the school office door and down the hallway. Zoom then turns to Joe. Back in the principal’s office, Clark grabs Barry by the shoulders and tries to snap him out of his stupor.
CLARK
Barry! We have to go!
Barry remembers.
INT. ALLEN HOUSEHOLD. NIGHT.
The explosion of energy washes over the ten year old Barry. Just as it subsides, and he opens his eyes, the man in the red suit speeds up, grabs the young Barry, and runs him out of the Allen household to safety. However, not 200 feet from the front door, the scarlet speedster’s knee gives out, sending him and young Barry tumbling into a stone fence. Our hero shields his young charge from the impact, but in doing so lands back first into the corner of the stone fence, shattering his spine. The two figures skid to a halt in the dirt. The 10 year old Barry is barely holding it together. The adult Barry, The Flash, is barely clinging onto life.
FLASH
(dying)
Barry... Barry I’m so sorry...
The Flash uses his arms to pull himself closer to his younger self.
FLASH
This is too much for you... you’re so
young...
The Flash grabs the young Barry by the shoulders. Orange/gold electricity begins to flow out of The Flash’s body through his hands into Barry. The energy flows through the boy's veins, filling his body with an orange/gold glow.
FLASH
... but I don’t know any other way to
keep you safe.
The orange/gold energy subsides, but the young Barry’s eyes now glow with that crackling orange/gold lightning.
FLASH
Now run, Barry...
INT. PRINCIPAL’S OFFICE.
We close in tight on Barry’s eyes, as we see that they, too, glow with that same crackling lightning.
THE FLASH
(V.O.)
... RUN!
In the outer-office, Zoom casually walks up to Joe.
JOE
It was you, you...
ZOOM
... killed Nora Allen, yes, we
already went over that. You know,
Joe, I’ve killed so many members of
the Allen-West clan, traveling up
and down the time stream and back
and forth along infinite Earths,
but I don’t think I’ve ever killed
a Joe West before.
Faster than the human eye can see, Barry Allen shoots out of the principal’s office like a rocket and kicks Zoom directly in the face with the force of a sonic boom, sending Zoom flying out the door of the outer office and down the hall. Zoom shoots past J’onn and Carter, who have managed to right themselves, and tumbles and skids to a halt, managing to land on his hands and feet.
ZOOM
(insane with rage)
HOW?!
Barry speeds up to his greatest enemy.
BARRY
(with righteous fury)
You’re the reason my dad’s in jail!
Zoom moves to strike, but Barry drops into a baseball slide at the last nanosecond, sliding between Zoom’s legs and righting himself into a standing position behind the villain.
BARRY
And why everyone thinks I’m
crazy!
Zoom lunges at Barry, who immediately does a 180 and starts running from Zoom. The two chase each other through the hallways of the school. At one point, Barry looks behind him and sees that Zoom suddenly fades out of existence. Not Zoom, but an after image! The real Zoom is directly in front of Barry. Zoom then grabs Barry by his shirt collar and slams him into the hallway lockers.
ZOOM
I’m better than you’ll ever be,
Barry Allen.
Carter suddenly flies into the fray, swinging his high tech mace at Zoom’s head. Zoom just barely fails to dodge, getting grazed by the Hawk-Man's mace and losing his grip on Barry in the process, and then Clark darts in with the speed of a bullet and the power of a locomotive and body checks Zoom into the wall. However, just in time, Zoom accelerates his molecules into an excited state, causing him to phase harmlessly through the wall like a ghost. Zoom then shoots out of the ground behind Clark and decks him with another explosive punch, sending Clark flying. J’onn materializes through the wall to one side of Zoom, while Carter readies himself in a fighting stance on the other. Zoom looks back and forth between the two heroes, but then he notices something: the device on his chest is missing!
BARRY
(off screen)
Sure, I guess...
Barry dashes over to Clark, who is just picking himself up and dusting himself off after Zoom’s punch. Barry is holding the metal disk in his hand.
BARRY
... but I’m faster.
Barry hands the disk to Clark, who immediately crushes it between his hands.
CLARK
(sarcastically)
Oops.
Thawn looks down at his body as he feels the speed force begin to drain away.
ZOOM
(transcendent with hate)
Allen you little-
In a flash (ha!) Barry races toward Zoom and runs around him in a circle, kicking up an enormous wind and filling everyone’s vision with an enormous red blur. Once the motion subsides, the now powerless Zoom is tied up with a fire hose on his knees, with Barry standing triumphantly before him. He then notices that his shoes have friction burns on them and are letting off smoke. He starts stamping his feet to put out the tiny fires.
BARRY
(annoyed)
Oh, jeez! Every time... !
Joe West, out of breath, rounds the corner.
JOE
Barry...
BARRY
My dad is innocent, Joe.
JOE
Barry, you were right. You were
right about everything. Barry, I’m
sorry, I...
At regular speed, Barry runs up to Joe and gives him a hug.
EXT. WEST HOUSEHOLD. NIGHT.
Clark, Lana, Shelby, and Carter are waiting on the front porch. Through the window, we see J’onn inside, talking with Barry and the entire West family. We see J’onn shift from his human form to his hero form and back, to the shock of the Wests and the fascination of Barry. Lana watches the scene unfold over her shoulder, and then turns to the others.
LANA
Why do you think Welles agreed to
confess?
CARTER
A full investigation might expose
the Legion.
CLARK
So he was protecting his friends?
CARTER
He was afraid of what his friends
would do to him if he spilled their
secrets.
Clark especially is troubled by that. The front door of the house opens, and out walks J’onn (in his human form).
J’ONN
Given the circumstances, the Wests
have agreed that Barry needs to be
moved to a safer location for the
time being.
J’ONN
(to carter)
I need you to fly ahead and gather
the others. It’s time.
CARTER
(to the kids)
I’ll see you guys soon.
Carter unfolds his wings. He hovers in the air for a moment, and then uses the force of his wings to launch himself into the air at incredible speeds.
CLARK
Cool...
LANA
What others?
J’ONN
There will be time to explain
everything later. Barry is packing
his belongings, and we need to be
ready to leave as soon as he is. We
have a long drive ahead of us.
J’onn walks down the front steps and heads to his van to pack up.
LANA
Clark? Do you trust Mr. Jones?
CLARK
I do. You don’t?
LANA
I don’t know. There’s a lot he
doesn’t tell us.
Clark gently wraps his hand around Lana’s.
CLARK
I’ve got your back.
LANA
And I’ve got yours.
CLARK
I kind of wish Pete was here.
LANA
I hope he’s not too worried about
us.
Barry darts out in a red blur of super speed.
BARRY
So you guys are my new bunk mates?
LANA
(startled)
Oh god!
The three of them begin walking to the car.
CLARK
So Barry, do you like American comics too?
BARRY
I do!
CLARK
Let’s name our favorite character
on three.
BARRY AND CLARK
(in unison)
1... 2... 3... LADYBUG!
The two boys high five.
CLARK
Did we just become best friends?
BARRY
I think we just became best
friends!
LANA
Now I’m kinda glad Pete’s not here...
The party loads up into the truck.
INT. HOUSE. NIGHT.
Pete Ross returns home.
PETE
(weary and monotone)
Hey honey, I’m home.
No response. He walks into the house. He sees his brother, passed out on the couch in the living room. He sees the pile of crushed beer cans next to his father’s arm chair. He stops briefly in the hall to look at his reflection in the mirror. He doesn’t feel anything. He turns and walks away down the hall. His reflection in the mirror, however, stays where it is. It turns to watch Pete go with two black eyes, both of them with three green dots forming the points of an inverted triangle in place of pupils.
THE END
INT. JAIL CELL. NIGHT.
POST CREDITS SCENE:
Zoom sits in his jail cell, staring at his hand. He begins to vibrate it at super speed, generating a small amount of red electricity as he does.
ZOOM
(quietly)
1... 2... 3...
The vibration stops, and Zoom holds his hand. It hurts from over exerting himself. Zoom takes a deep breath, centers himself, and then starts vibrating his hand again.
ZOOM
1... 2... 3... 4...
THE END
Notes:
As I wrote, I imagined the voices of the actors I dream of casting. I share them with your now:
Clark: Jack Quaid
Lana: Jennifer Paz
Pete: Griffin McElroy
J'onn: Giancarlo Esposito
Shelby: Flea
Brainiac: Alan Tudyk
Carter: Zeno Robinson
Welles/Thawn/Zoom: Tom Cavanaugh
Young Barry: Matthew J. Kok
Adult Barry: Grant Gustin
Joe: Jesse L. Martin
Iris: Candice Patton
Cecile: Danielle Nicolet
Chapter 3: Challenge of the Super Friends, Season 1, Episode 3: "Birds of Prey"
Summary:
J'onn leaves Clark, Lana, Barry, and Shelby in Covington, Ohio, under the care of some old friends, while he travels to Gotham City, New Jersey, to save two more kids being targeted by the Legion.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
EXT. ROOFTOP. NIGHT.
A young woman dressed all in black is running across the roof of a warehouse. Her name is DINAH LANCE, and she is trying to get away. When the roof’s edge is just in sight, another young woman descends from the sky, wielding a large metal mace and flying through the air with the aid of enormous metallic wings strapped to her back. This is KENDRA SAUNDERS, and she has caught her prey. The beat of Kendra’s mighty wings kicks up a powerful gust of wind, which almost knocks Dinah off her feet, but she stands her ground.
KENDRA
Stop! I’m not going to hurt-
Kendra is cut off when Dinah produces a billiard ball from her jacket pocket and throws it directly at Kendra’s head. Kendra casually swats away the black number 8 ball with her mace, shattering it on impact, but this split second gives Dinah the opening she needs to hit Kendra with a devastating uppercut, knocking the winged young woman off balance. With her opponent disoriented, Dinah makes a b-line for the edge of the roof and takes a swan dive off of it.
KENDRA
NO!!!
Kendra dives off the ledge to rescue Dinah. However, before Dinah’s fall comes to a sudden stop, she opens her mouth and releases an enormous shock wave, accompanied by a deep rumbling sound, that acts as a cushion and slows her descent. The shock wave then increases in intensity, as does the deep rumbling sound, and Dinah is propelled back upwards into the air. As she rises and becomes level with Kendra, Dinah twists her body around in the air to face Kendra, and generates another powerful sonic blast, knocking Kendra back onto the roof and sending herself flying through the air. Dinah comes to a landing on a nearby roof, generating another sonic pulse to cushion her fall, which also blows the tarp off of a motorcycle that Dinah had stashed on the roof earlier. Dinah hops onto the motorcycle, and guns it towards a makeshift wooden ramp set up on the other side of the roof with the logo of the Black Canary crudely spray painted on it. Dinah hits the ramp and launches herself into the air.
DINAH
WAHOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!
Recovered, Kendra tries to catch up with Dinah. However, before Kendra can catch her, Dinah’s motorcycle lands on a highway overpass opposite the roof she launched off of, one that leads directly into an underground tunnel. Kendra comes to a stop mid-air as she watches her quarry escape underground.
KENDRA
... crap.
Kendra turns around mid air and flies back into the city, going right past the sign happily declaring “Welcome to GOTHAM CITY!”
EXT. DOOM MANOR. DAY.
J’onn’s truck is parked out front of a large mansion at the center of a large estate on the outskirts Of Covington, Ohio. The party stands by the truck, bags in hand, looking up at the strange building.
LANA
Are you sure this safe house is
safe?
J’ONN
Very. This house is owned by a man
named Niles Caulder, an old friend.
He will keep you safe until I
return.
CLARK
Return?
J’ONN
As I have told you, there are
others the Legion will target.
They are still in danger.
LANA
So you’re just going to leave us
here?
J’ONN
The people here are kind, and they
will protect you. I promise I will
return shortly.
J’onn ascends into the sky, turning invisible as he shoots off at high speed. The kids and Shelby watch him fly away.
BEAT
*BOOM* A loud crashing sound coming from behind the house suddenly grabs their attention. Barry immediately darts off at super speed.
LANA
Barry! Wait!
CLARK
I’ll just walk normal.
LANA
Thank you.
EXT. DOOM MANOR BACKYARD.
Barry screeches to a halt in the backyard of Doom Manor, and sees a seven foot tall bronze colored robot man in a leather jacket and a heavy metal band t-shirt crawl out of a crater that was made in the ground when his body hit it. His name is CLIFF. The tanned, athletic, blond haired Hawaiian surfer dude who body slammed him into the ground chuckles apologetically. His name is ARTHUR.
ARTHUR
Hey man, sorry, I didn’t mean to go
so hard.
CLIFF
That’s it!
Cliff charges at Arthur. Though Arthur is briefly shocked, his reflexes are quick, and the two of them lock up pro wrestling style, pushing against each other with such incredible force that their feet dig huge trenches into the earth. To the side of them are spectators: a mummy in sunglasses and a trench coat sitting in a lawn chair (LARRY), a woman in a 1950s summer dress (RITA) standing and holding a green baby (GARFIELD), and a young woman in punk/goth attire sitting in the grass (JANE).
RITA
Cliff! Please mind the grass?
JANE
Hammerhead says she’s got next!
LARRY
I’d be willing to put money on
that.
JANE
How much we talking?
It’s at this point that Rita notices Barry’s presence.
RITA
Oh dear...
Rita goes over to greet Barry.
RITA
You must be one of the children
J’onn told us about. My name is
Rita Farr. And this little bundle
of joy is my son, Garfield. I know
his appearance may be a little
strange...
The baby in Rita’s arms instantaneously transforms into a baby deer with a small “pop” sound, frightening his mother as he leaps out of her arms and begins to awkwardly run into the woods.
RITA
Garfield! Garfield you come back
here this instant!
LARRY
I’ve got him!
Larry’s body goes limp as a humanoid being made of pure energy flies out of him and chases after the young shapeshifter. Rita calms down.
RITA
(to Barry)
Don’t worry, Larry is very good
with children.
Over at the fight, Arthur gets Cliff with an arm drag and slams him into the ground once again with titanic force, just as Clark, Lana, and Shelby round the courier to the back yard. Arthur stands triumphant over his fallen foe, both Clark and Lana are completely awestruck at the bizarre sight in front of them, and Shelby remains a dog. A translucent wave of energy passes over Jane’s body, causing tattoos to appear on her skin as HAMMERHEAD, one of Jane’s 64 super powered personalities, takes control of their body and charges at Arthur, screaming.
HAMMERHEAD
RAAAAAAAAAGGHHHHHH!
Hammerhead body checks Arthur, sending him flying, and she then chases after him, stepping on Cliff along the way. Rita and Barry walk over to greet Clark and Lana.
RITA
Hello. I’m Rita Farr. Welcome to
“Doom Manor,” as we like to call
it. A bit of an inside joke. Come,
let’s get you settled in.
EXT. GOTHAM CITY ROOFTOP. DAY.
Kendra Saunders stands alone, sans-wings, on a rooftop in the middle of Gotham City. J’onn J’onzz materializes next to her.
J’ONN
Kendra...
KENDRA
(startled)
Ah!
J’ONN
I apologize. I did not mean to
startle you.
KENDRA
It’s alright. You got my message.
J’ONN
Yes.
KENDRA
I’m sorry I lost her.
J’ONN
Do not be sorry. There is only one
place in Gotham that Dinah Lance
would go to.
KENDRA
If we’re going to the gym, he’s got
an appointment there today. That
could complicate things.
J’ONN
No. The situation is accelerating
faster than I predicted. It is time
to bring him in.
INT. ATTIC ROOM. DAY.
Dinah is sitting cross legged on the floor of her attic bedroom. In front of her are several stacks of documents and files. She is flipping through one of them that has a piece of paper taped to it that has the word “SIONIS” scribbled on it, circled, and underlined twice. In the corner, her Black Canary costume, yellow wig and all, is hung up on a mannequin.
VOICE
(off screen)
Junior!
Your sparring partner is here!
Come beat him up!
DINAH
I’ll be right down!
Dinah puts down the SIONIS file and stands up to head downstairs.
INT. WILDCAT GYM.
Dinah descends the stairs to WILDCAT GYM, an establishment owned and operated by her uncle TED GRANT. Dinah walks up to the boxing ring where Ted is waiting for her. Her sparring partner, a 16 year old boy in a gray t-shirt and black shorts, is warming up on the bag when Dinah starts to get her boxing gear on.
TED
Be on time.
DINAH
Sorry.
TED
He was on time.
DINAH
He’s always on time.
TED
Yes. He is.
DINAH
But, like, to the point of being
eerie.
TED
Get in the ring.
Dinah and her opponent get into the ring and square off against each other.
TED
Alright, you both better give me
your all in there. I wanna see if
today is the day Bruce Wayne can
beat Dinah Lance.
INT. DOOM MANOR. DAY.
A man in a wheelchair, NILES CAULDER, is hunched over a desk in a large library overlooking the backyard of Doom Manor through large glass doors. Caulder is tinkering with some kind of space age helmet that is full of wires and technology. The intercom on Caulder’s desk lights up, and the voice of STEVE DAYTON comes through it.
STEVE
(intercom)
Chief? I felt the ground shake! Is
everything alright up there?
CAULDER
Everything’s fine, Steve. Just a
bit of horseplay between Cliff and
our young house guest. How are you
doing down there?
STEVE
It’s, uh, cozy. Wouldn’t mind
stretching my legs soon.
CAULDER
Your helmet will be done shortly,
if you let me get back to work.
STEVE
Righto, Chief! Mento: Out.
Caulder turns off the intercom just as Rita approaches with the party in tow. In the background, we can see HAMMERHEAD hitting Arthur with an elbow drop.
RITA
Children, this is the Chief.
CAULDER
Ah, our new arrivals.
Caulder wheels around to face the kids.
CAULDER
My name is Niles Caulder. J’onn is
a dear friend to this house, and we
are glad to help you and him in
these dire circumstances. Now, I know
you must have a lot of questions. I
don’t have all the answers, I don’t
think anyone does, but I will
answer what I can.
Behind the children, Hammerhead throws Cliff like a discus just as Arthur takes a running leap at her, and the two collide in the air.
BARRY
I’ve got a couple questions.
CLARK
Yeah.
LANA
One or two.
INT. THE CHIEF’S LAB.
The kids follow Niles Caulder into his basement laboratory, which resembles a combination of a dentist's office, an auto shop, a library archive, and a haunted museum dedicated to tacky Americana.
CAULDER
My career in America began as a
field researcher for a federal
agency known, in those days, as “The
Bureau of Oddities.” The mission
statement at that time was to
investigate and chronicle anomalous
phenomena. In my time with the
Bureau, I traveled the world,
seeking out legends and hunting
down rumors of impossible things,
hoping to find hidden wonders that
might be brought into the light. It
was in my travels that I
encountered many individuals such
as yourselves, Mr. Kent, Mr. Allen,
people who possessed traits which
set them apart from humanity, and
which allowed them to perform
miracles.
BARRY
(pleased to be right)
Meta-humans!
CAULDER
Pardon?
BARRY
I’m just saying I was right about
meta-humans existing. That’s what I
call them. Meta-humans.
CAULDER
Oh.
BEAT
CAULDER
That’s a much better name than what
I was going to say.
CLARK
What were you gonna say?
CAULDER
Oh no, I’d be too embarrassed.
BEAT
CAULDER
As I was saying; Many “meta-humans”
I met had been shunned by others,
called “monsters.” Many others
likely would have been, if they had
ever been given the opportunity to
be a part of the world in the first
place. I believe such individuals
should be cherished, not rejected
or abused, and so I opened my home
to meta-humans with nowhere else to
go. J’onn J’onzz was one of them.
He called this place home for many
years, and you will be just as
welcome as he was.
LANA
What are meta-humans? Clark’s an
alien, but Barry isn’t, so it can’t
just be aliens.
CAULDER
It is true that Earth is home to
many extra-terrestrials who have
sought refuge here, but they
are not alone. I have seen
conventional notions of what is
human challenged in more ways than
anyone can count. Negative spirits,
robot-men, elastic women, swamp
things...
The Chief is interrupted when a chimpanzee in a deerstalker cap walks up to him, carrying a small bundle of envelopes.
DETECTIVE CHIMP
Here’s your mail, Chief.
CAULDER
Thank you, Detective Chimp.
Caulder takes the mail from Detective Chimp, who then leaves, passing the kids along the way.
DETECTIVE CHIMP
(to the kids)
Hey.
Detective Chimp exits the scene.
BEAT
CAULDER
To put it simply, life is much more
creative than we give her credit.
INT. WILDCAT GYM
Bruce is working the punching bag. His stare is intense. Ted pats him on the shoulder.
TED
Hey kid, cheer up, you almost had
her this time.
The front door of the gym opens, and in walk J’onn (human form) and Kendra. Ted notices them, and doesn’t look happy to see them.
TED
Hey kid, why don’t you take five?
Bruce nods, takes off his gloves, and leaves.
TED
(to J’onn)
I’ve got a private session, you’ll
have to come back later.
J’ONN
I know she is here, Mister Grant.
TED
I don’t know what you’re talking
about.
KENDRA
Ted, we literally saw her through
the window just now. We just wanted
to talk to you first.
TED
Why are you with this guy, Sharon?
KENDRA
My name is Kendra now.
TED
Sorry, Kendra. Why are you taking
orders from him?
KENDRA
Me, him, Dinah, we’re all being
hunted by the same people. There’s
no reason for us to be enemies.
J’ONN
Mr. Grant, I am trying to protect
everyone involved.
TED
Since when do you know the first
thing about protecting people?
KENDRA
Ted, don’t...
TED
No, Kendra. Why should I put my
life, or a kid’s life, in the hands
of a guy who was too scared to
leave his own room until a few weeks ago?
INT. ATTIC BEDROOM.
There is a flushing sound, followed by the sound of a sink running, followed by Dinah walking out of the bathroom attached to the attic loft above Wildcat Gym. She is startled to find Bruce Wayne standing in her room.
DINAH
Hey! Don’t be in my room!
BRUCE
There are two people downstairs.
Ted recognized them, and he wasn’t
very happy to see them. I’m
guessing the reason they’re here
has something to do with the fact
that you’ve been sneaking out of
this room every night in some kind
of biker-disguise to go jumping off
of rooftops and operating a motor-
vehicle without a license.
DINAH
How did you- ?
BRUCE
They’re here for you, aren’t they?
They’re here to arrest you, or take
you away, or something like that.
DINAH
... yes.
BRUCE
I’ll help you get out of here.
DINAH
Wait, really?
BRUCE
On one condition.
DINAH
What?
BRUCE
I want in.
INT. DOOM MANOR. DAY.
Clark, Lana, Barry, and Shelby are led by Larry into a large room with six sets of bunk beds. Arthur, the boy from outside, is lounging in a hammock strung diagonally between two sets of bunk beds.
BARRY AND CLARK
(in unison)
BUNK BEDS!
The two super powered teens super speed their way to side by side top bunks. They high five as they both lay on their respective top bunks, feeling like cool kids. Shelby, meanwhile, bounds into Arthur’s lap in his hammock. Arthur happily greets the pup and starts scratching his ears.
ARTHUR
Hey buddy! How’s it going?
Larry walks into the center of the room and sets down everyone’s bags. Lana walks in, looking around at this bizarre situation, and just lets it all sink in.
LARRY
(to Lana)
Sorry about the co-ed living
situation. It’s been a while since
we’ve had this many people in the
house at one time, so space is kind
of at a premium.
LANA
I’ll manage.
LARRY
Alright. Well, Arthur was in this
room first, so I guess I can let
him give you guys the tour. If you
need anything, please do not
hesitate to ask.
Larry exits. Lana sits on the bottom bunk nearest Arthur’s hammock.
LANA
Arthur, right?
ARTHUR
Arthur Orin Curry, at your service.
LANA
I’m Lana.
BARRY
Barry!
CLARK
Hi, I’m Clark Kent.
LANA
How long have you been here?
ARTHUR
Green dude brought me here about a
week ago. I think it was Wednesday?
We crossed a couple of time zones...
Barry speeds over to stand by Arthur and Lana.
ARTHUR
Woah!
Clark sits up on his bed.
CLARK
Mr. Jones brought you here?
ARTHUR
Yeah. He just found me on a nowhere
stretch of beach in Mexico.
BARRY
What were you doing there?
ARTHUR
Sleeping.
LANA
Did he say there were evil time
travelers trying to kill you?
ARTHUR
Yeah. It sounds crazy, but my
life’s already low key kinda crazy.
CLARK
Ours too.
LANA
Not mine. Not until two days ago.
Lana stands up, and looks around the room, noticing just how many beds there are.
LANA
How many other kids are involved in
this?
INT. WILDCAT GYM.
J’onn, Ted, and Kendra are still respectfully disagreeing.
KENDRA
Ted, I don’t expect you to help us
for J’onn’s sake, but what about
Dinah’s mother? Does she know where
her daughter is?
TED
If you ask me, her mom’s half the
problem.
KENDRA
Ted!
TED
You know I love Dinah Sr. She’s
family, just like you are, and I
don’t got much family left. But she
should have never kept Junior in
the dark. It’s bad enough the kid
had to find out she had powers on
her own, but she didn’t even get to
find out why from her mother.
Ted turns to J’onn, and looks him directly in the eye.
TED
(to J’onn)
Instead, she had to find out from
you.
Ted turns back to Kendra.
TED
Of course she ran away.
BEAT
KENDRA
Uh, guys? Where’s Bruce?
TED
Oh, he’s... um...
BEAT
TED
Crap.
INT. ATTIC BEDROOM.
J’onn, Kendra, and Ted enter Dinah’s attic bedroom. It’s full of information from Dinah’s investigations. The far window is ajar. J’onn and Kendra scan the room while Ted is a little shocked.
TED
This stuff wasn’t here when she
moved in.
J’ONN
So you were not aware that she had
been sneaking out at night under
the guise of the Black Canary?
TED
... I did not.
KENDRA
Embarrassed?
TED
Proud, actually.
KENDRA
(to J’onn)
How do we find them?
J’onn picks up one of the files and hands it to Kendra.
J’ONN
Start reading.
INT. OLD GOTHAM RUINS.
Bruce and Dinah have stopped for a moment in the ruins of old Gotham City that were built on top of after the great earthquake. Dinah is changing into her Black Canary gear.
DINAH
How’d you find these tunnels?
BRUCE
There’s entrances all over town,
you just have to look. We’re going
to the Sionis factory, right?
DINAH
How do you know about that?
Bruce holds up a piece of paper that had previously been taped to one of Dinah’s file folders, with the word “SIONIS” written on it, circled, and underlined twice.
DINAH
(annoyed)
Oh.
Dinah snatches the note out of Bruce’s hand, and the two start walking.
DINAH
I’ve been on the trail of some
sketchy financial transactions,
which led me to Sionis Industries.
Last week-
BRUCE
The entire Sionis family died in
a car crash on the highway exit to
Gotham.
DINAH
I, uh, I guess you read about it in
the news?
BRUCE
Their son went to my school. He was
in my class.
DINAH
I’m so sorry.
BRUCE
We weren’t close.
DINAH
Ooookay. Anyway, after the Sionis
family joined the choir invisible-
BRUCE
Someone swooped in, bought out
the company, and immediately laid
off its entire workforce and closed
down the factory.
DINAH
Okay, how did you know that?
BRUCE
I do actually read the newspaper.
DINAH
Right. Anyway, the new buyers were
a shell company inside a tangled
mess of other shell companies,
pretty much all of which popped up
outta nowhere the day before the
car crash.
BRUCE
So you suspect foul play?
DINAH
Obviously.
BRUCE
How did you get caught up in all of
this?
DINAH
It’s a long story.
BRUCE
Are those two back at the gym
involved?
DINAH
They’re... they think they’re trying
to protect me.
BRUCE
But they’re really not?
DINAH
... there’s a lot of stuff my mom
never told me, because she thought
not telling me was protecting me.
But now, all of that family
business stuff she kept from me has
become my problem, and I’ve got to
deal with it all on my own.
BRUCE
Why?
DINAH
Because I can’t trust people who
can’t be honest with me right now.
Now, you answer my question. Why
are you helping me? Why do you want
to come along?
BRUCE
A combination of impulsive thrill
seeking and compulsive caretaker
behavior, both stemming from early
childhood trauma.
DINAH
That was... honest.
BRUCE
So, now you know you can trust me.
Dinah grasps the railing of a ladder and climbs up. She then drops down a bundle of safety gear, including knee pads, elbow pads, a helmet, biker goggles, and a thick leather coat.
DINAH
(off screen)
You’re gonna need these.
BEAT
BRUCE
Why?
EXT. HIGHWAY OVERPASS. SUNSET.
With Dinah driving and Bruce clinging onto her from behind, the motorcycle of The Black Canary, and all-black 1969 Harley Davidson with the words “Blond Bombshell” written in cursive gold on the side, rockets down the overpass, crossing the Gotham City skyline with Wayne Tower in the distance. Dinah looks like she’s having the time of her life. Bruce looks nauseous.
DINAH
Hey Bruce! I can see your house
from here!
BRUCE
I don’t live there!
EXT. SIONIS INDUSTRIES. NIGHT.
The looming silhouette of the gutted factory hangs in the distance. Dinah and Bruce use grappling hooks to climb up a wall and through a window.
INT. SIONIS INDUSTRIES.
Bruce and Dinah crouch along the roof of the main office structure that overlooks the factory floor. Below, illuminated by the only lights on in the building, are three men. The first is decked out in state of the art tactical gear, wearing a full face mask that is black on one side and orange on the other, with one eye hole on the orange side. He is Slade Wilson, a.k.a. DEATHSTROKE, THE TERMINATOR. The second is a man wearing a white Italian suit with black gloves and a full face skull mask made of charred ebony. He is Roman Sionis, a.k.a. THE BLACK MASK. The final figure is what can only be described as a living shadow stretched taut over a skeleton, wearing a silver mask which depicts the face of a sea creature with three pointed ridges running across the top of it’s head, a mouth made of tentacles, and two perfectly circular eyes, deep red and lifeless. This is ORM MARIUS.
BLACK MASK
Standing here, I feel like I’ve
written the epic finale to the saga
of my life.
DEATHSTROKE
I don’t care.
BLACK MASK
And now I am free to write the
first chapter of a new saga.
DEATHSTROKE
Please shut up.
BLACK MASK
Don’t mock this, Slade. For the
first time in my life, I feel truly
alive. Like I’ve been reborn.
Wanting to end this conversation as soon as possible, Deathstroke walks over to Orm Marius, who is taking some kind of chemical samples from a hole drilled in the ground and running them through some kind of alchemical apparatus.
DEATHSTROKE
Marius! How much longer?
ORM MARIUS
At least another hour, Mister
Wilson.
Orm Marius rotates his head around 180 degrees to look at Deathstroke.
ORM MARIUS
The substance is very volatile.
Back in the rafters, Dinah and Bruce look at the scene with shock and confusion.
DINAH
(whispering)
I have no idea what’s going on.
Despite how quiet she was being and how far away they are, Deathstroke perks up his ear.
DEATHSTROKE
Did you lay out rat traps when we
got here?
ORM MARIUS
No. Why?
In a single powerful leap, Deathstroke jumps in a 20 foot arc up to the railing of the catwalk, and from there makes a comparatively short hop onto the office roof where Dinah and Bruce are hiding. Before either of them can react, Deathstroke grabs both of them by the collars of their respective autumn evening outerwear and lifts them both up, one hand each.
DEATHSTROKE
‘Cause I found a couple of rats!
CUT TO
Deathstroke plops the two teens down in folding chairs set out for them by the villains.
BLACK MASK
See, Slade? It’s like it’s my
birthday!
ORM MARIUS
Let’s not get too hasty. Must be
mindful of timetables, Roman.
BLACK MASK
That’s not my name anymore.
Black Mask kicks Bruce in the chest, forcing him to fall backwards onto the ground in his chair.
DINAH
Bruce!
Deathstroke whips out a knife and holds it up to Dinah’s throat. Black Mask rests one foot on Bruce’s chest and looms over him.
ORM MARIUS
Pitty. I’ll have to rework my
entire schedule now.
DEATHSTROKE
Learn to live in the moment, Marius. I
want to see this.
Black Mask leans over and looks Bruce dead in the eyes.
BLACK MASK
You know, I’ve hated you longer
than anyone else. Ever since you
were... this. This brooding, conceited
child who everything comes to so
easily. Good grades, good at sports,
girls always fawning over your
“mysterious tortured soul" crap, and you
couldn’t care less about any of it.
Staring at the back of your head
every day for four years... it made
me hate you because you had
everything I wanted and you didn’t
even want any of it. And that
included having dead parents.
BRUCE
(figuring it out)
... Roman Sionis?
Black Mask stands up straight, and adjusts his tie.
BLACK MASK
*PHEW* I really said that out loud,
didn’t I? Wow. Wow, that’s, like, a
lot of weight has just suddenly
lifted off of me. Yeah. Thanks,
Bruce.
Black Mask points his gun down at Bruce’s face,
BLACK MASK
This was really therapeutic for me.
J’onn bursts out of the ground, grabs Black Mask by the shirt collar, and pins him against the wall with an extended stretchy arm. Kendra drops through the skylight and throws Deathstroke and Orm Marius off balance with the beat of her mighty wings. The large double doors of the factory’s loading area shudder, and then burst open, as Ted Grant enters the scene carrying a large box.
TED
(to himself)
Yeah, don’t help the guy
who can’t fly carry the big box...
Deathstroke and Orm Marius get to their feet. Deathstroke draws his Promethium bo staff, and several inky black tentacles ending in jagged razor sharp points grow out of Orm Marius’ body.
DEATHSTROKE
I’ve been waiting for this...
Suddenly, the wooden crate that Ted had been carrying crashes to the ground in front of Orm Marius and Deathstroke. It is full of illegal fireworks. For a split second too long, Deathstroke and Orm Marius stare at the box, confused by its presence, as Ted Grant lights a Molotov cocktail and throws it at the box.
ORM MARIUS
(jimmies thoroughly ruffled)
Darn it.
The Molotov cocktail hits the wooden crate, exploding in a huge fireball and causing the fireworks in the box to start going off. Kendra uses her wings to shield Dinah and Bruce. J’onn recoils in terror and falls back. Orm Marius uses one of his razor shadow tentacles to tear a hole in space, creating a portal of swirling darkness. Deathstroke glares at the heroes, while Black Mask stands and points his gun at them.
ORM MARIUS
(to Black Mask)
PROTECT THE ASSET!!!!
Begrudgingly, Black Mask holsters his gun and helps Deathstroke escape with Orm Marius’ equipment through the
portal. Ted and Kendra immediately begin evacuating Dinah and Bruce. While J’onn cannot move any closer to the villains due to the fire, he lingers a moment and glares at them as they make their escape. As Orm Marius steps back into the portal, it looks like his body dissolves into the darkness, and only his silver mask can be seen, staring directly into J’onn’s soul with its haunting red eyes.
ORM MARIUS
Ta ta for now, J’onn.
The portal begins to close. The last thing visible before it vanishes is Orm Marius’ lifeless mask.
ORM MARIUS
Say hello to big brother for me.
INT. DOOM MANOR. NIGHT.
Dinner is served! The dining room table is packed with the manor’s residents, including Clark and Barry, enjoying a fairly lavish feast of assorted random food stuff. Clark is scarfing down an enormous bowl of boeuf bourguignon that he has doused in bright red ketchup, while Barry is chowing down on a plate of 20 hot dogs, and has an entire 2 liter bottle of Caffeinated Green Soft Drink all to himself. Lana does not sit at the table, instead she sits on the bench of a bay window, sketching an image of the monster that attacked them just two nights ago in Smallville. Arthur enters the scene and sits down beside her.
ARTHUR
Hey.
LANA
Hi.
ARTHUR
How are you holding up?
LANA
Hanging in there.
ARTHUR
It must be rough. Besides the
Chief, you’re the only “normal
person” wrapped up in this, and I’m
not sure the Chief counts.
LANA
Yeah, why do they call him that?
ARTHUR
I have no idea, man.
BEAT
LANA
I just can’t wrap my head around
the fact that all of this exists...
Lana gestures towards the dinner table.
LANA
... like, all of this EXISTS...
Arthur chuckles as Lana points out the absurdity of the situation.
LANA
... and most people will never know
about any of it. My best friend has
been an alien this whole time, just
being an alien right there in front
of my face, and I never knew. No
one did. It’s surreal.
ARTHUR
Listen, when I was growing up, my
dad knew about my whole situation.
But my step mom, and my kid
brother, they didn’t know. Dad said
it was up to me to tell them when I
was ready. When my dad died, I
decided to tell them. They were all
the family I had left, y’know? And
so, when I showed my brother and my
step-mom what I really look like...
Arthur holds up his hand, and his entire forearm transforms, increasing in size slightly and growing webbing between each finger and small claws at the end of each finger, while changing from the usual deep tan of his skin to a two-tone pattern: a sea green so dark it’s almost black on the back of his arm and hand, and a blueish-green so light it is almost white on the other side.
ARTHUR
... let’s just say I felt a lot less
welcome in that house after that.
Arthur shifts his arm back into its human form. Lana is shocked, to say the least.
ARTHUR
My point is, folks like us are
usually more comfortable on the
sidelines, y’know?
LANA
... yeah.
The front door of Doom Manor opens. In walk J’onn (human form), Bruce, Dinah, Kendra, and, surprisingly, Ted. Caulder wheels up to the new arrivals.
CAULDER
Hello J’onn. Will Mr. Grant be
joining us for supper?
J’ONN
We had an encounter with the
Legion. It is no longer safe for
him in Gotham.
TED
How’dy do, Niles?
CAULDER
It’s certainly getting crowded
around here...
J’ONN
I promise, Chief, this will not be
a permanent arrangement.
CAULDER
I know. In fact, I might have some
good news for you on that front
very soon...
Lana, Clark, Barry, Arthur, and Shelby, approach the new arrivals.
CLARK
(to J’onn)
Are these the other kids you were
talking about?
J’ONN
Some of them.
LANA
Some of them?
J’ONN
Yes, Lana. There are still others
in danger from the Legion.
J’onn turns to Kendra.
J’ONN
Help everyone get settled in while
I am away.
KENDRA
Is Carter in trouble?
J’ONN
Carter is fine. I may have
a lead on the princess. I will
See you soon.
J’onn smiles, and then, turning into his heroic MARTIAN MANHUNTER form, flies up into the air, phasing through the ceiling as he ascends. Ted smirks.
TED
(to Kendra)
Real partnership you two’ve got,
Sharon...
KENDRA
I told you, my name is Kendra now.
Kendra walks toward the dining table. Ted follows her.
TED
Kendra, sorry.
Dinah follows after them.
DINAH
(to Ted and Kendra)
Okay, how do you two know each
other?
Back with the rest of the group, Bruce stays where he is, looking around and inspecting his surroundings. Clark extends a hand to him.
CLARK
*AHEM*
This catches Bruce’s attention, and after an awkward pause he takes Clark’s hand.
CLARK
My name’s Clark Kent.
BRUCE
Bruce Wayne.
The Chief interrupts introductions.
CAULDER
Alright, everyone. Supper is on.
Once we’ve eaten, we can get
everyone settled in.
Everyone heads to the dining room, except for Lana, who stands there, staring up at the spot J’onn just disappeared through, thinking.
THE END
INT. THE BOARDROOM.
POST CREDITS SCENE
The leadership of the Legion of Doom is assembled. Seated at a large black table are LEX LUTHOR, DEATHSTROKE, CHEETAH, GORILLA GRODD, a holographic image of THAAL SINESTRO, QUEEN BEE, and finally ORM MARIUS.
LUTHOR
Can anything be salvaged from the factory?
DEATHSTROKE
Whole building went up like a book
of matches. Turns out Roman’s old
man cut a lot of corners on fire
protection.
CHEETAH
We still have the sample.
LUTHOR
Yes, and the insurance payout will
help us start again at another
site. Gotham isn’t lacking for real
estate, I’m not worried about that.
But I think we all know how big of
a problem this will become if it’s
allowed to fester. We need to
respond quickly and aggressively.
DEATHSTROKE
I think I have us covered.
Deathstroke retrieves a GPS tracking device from his tactical belt.
INT. DOOM MANOR. NIGHT.
The kids are all fast asleep in the bunk room. Dinah’s leather jacket is hung up on a hook by her bed. Beneath the collar, a small tracking device activates.
THE END
Notes:
Update to the hypothetical cast:
Dinah: Sabrina Carpenter
Kendra: Tawny Newsome
Cliff: Brendan Fraser
Arthur: Dante Basco
Rita: April Bowby
Larry: Matt Bomer
Jane: Diane Guerrero
Caulder: Timothy Dalton
Steve: Will Kemp
Detective Chimp: Mark Hamill
Garfield: Greg Cipes (doing baby noises)
Ted: Jensen Ackles
Bruce: Ricco Fajardo
Deathstroke: Ron Perlman
Black Mask: Ewan McGregor
Orm Marius: F. Murray Abraham
Lex Luthor: Michael Rosenbaum
Cheetah: Michelle Gomez
Chapter 4: Challenge of the Super Friends, Season 1, Episode 4: "Incoming"
Summary:
Actions, it turns out, have consequences.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
EXT. ATHENS. NIGHT.
A young woman awkwardly stumbles down an alleyway. She seems lost, and possibly under the influence of something. Regardless of how her night started, it doesn’t seem to be going well now. As she glances around the alley, trying to find her way, a man appears out of the shadows. He is a handsome, soft-faced young man, with messy blond hair and eyes hidden by round sunglasses. He is wearing a fairly simple gray long sleeved shirt and brown slacks, with a wooden cross dangling around his neck.
MAN
(in Greek)
Are you lost, sister?
WOMAN
(in Greek and confused)
No... I am... I can’t... I think my
friends left without me...
MAN
(in Greek)
Let me help you find your way,
sister.
WOMAN
(in Greek and a little
afraid)
... alright.
The young man approaches her, stepping behind her and leaning in close.
MAN
(in Greek)
I will take care of you, sister...
The man smiles, and his mouth sprouts snake-like fangs. His eyes appear over the top of his glasses, and we see that they are snake-like as well. The woman instantly shifts into the heroic form of THE MARTIAN MANHUNTER and slams the vampiric fiend against the wall.
J’ONN
(in Greek)
A girl has been killing your kind
in this city. Do you know where she
is?
VAMPIRE
(in Greek)
FUCK YOU!!!
Behind J’onn, several more vampires appear out of the shadows. J’onn looks over his shoulder at them and scowls. He tosses the vampire he has pinned to the wall at the others and lunges into battle.
INT. DOOM MANOR. DAY.
The kids are lounging around the bunk room, bored and restless. Clark and Barry are lying next to each other on their respective top bunks. Barry is drinking a large slurpee.
CLARK
Where do you think Mr. Jones is
right now?
Barry takes a loud gulp from his slurpee.
BARRY
*shrug*
Barry speeds down from his bed on the top bunk to the center of the bunk room. Everyone’s attention is pulled away from what they were doing by the sudden movement.
BARRY
So, what’s everyone’s deal?
BRUCE
Excuse me?
BARRY
Well, I’m fast.
BRUCE
We all noticed.
BARRY
Yeah, so, why are you being hunted
by evil time travelers?
BRUCE
(exasperated)
... I don’t know!
CLARK
(to Bruce)
So, you’re not an alien?
BRUCE
... no. I am not an alien.
CLARK
Oh.
BEAT
CLARK
Cause I am. An alien. So’s my dog.
Bruce gives up and goes back to his book.
ARTHUR
(to Clark)
Like, from space?
CLARK
Yeah.
BARRY
(geeking out)
Yeah! And his alien physiology
grants him superhuman strength and
durability!
CLARK
And super speed!
BARRY
I mean, yeah, but not super speed
like I have super speed.
CLARK
What do you mean?
BARRY
Well, for starters, I am way
faster...
CLARK
Are you?
BARRY
I mean... yeah, obviously.
CLARK
It’s just, y’know, we haven’t
really tested it...
BARRY
I’ve seen how fast you go, I’m
definitely faster. Being fast is,
like, my whole thing, I can just
tell this stuff.
DINAH
Wait a minute, if you’re an alien,
why do you look human?
CLARK
I... don’t know.
BARRY
Maybe you have a secret other form?
CLARK
I don’t know. I never thought of
that. Do I? How would I know if I
do?
ARTHUR
I do.
BARRY
Do what?
ARTHUR
Have a “secret other form.”
Barry bolts over to Arthur.
BARRY
(excited)
Really?!
ARTHUR
Yeah.
Arthur takes a moment to shift into his Atlantean form, a humanoid form perfectly adapted to aquatic life.
CLARK
(in awe)
Wow...
BARRY
This is the coolest thing I’ve ever
seen.
DINAH
(to Arthur)
Are YOU an alien?
Arthur shifts back into his human form.
ARTHUR
No, I don’t think so. I think my
mom was, like, a mermaid. Or
something.
BARRY
Mermaids are real! I totally called it!
DINAH
(to Arthur)
Like, an ACTUAL mermaid?
ARTHUR
Pretty much, yeah.
DINAH
Weird...
CLARK
What about you, Dinah?
DINAH
Well, I’m not an alien OR a fish.
BARRY
Okaaaayyyyyy, but do you have,
like, a power?
DINAH
I do. It’s a sound thing.
BARRY
A sound thing?
DINAH
I could demonstrate, but I’d need
something shatter-able.
ARTHUR
Oh! Check this out.
Arthur picks up his water bottle and unscrews the cap. Then, using the power of WATER BENDING, makes the water float out of the bottle and hover in the air, taking the shape of a perfectly smooth sphere. Ice crystals then rapidly form inside the water ball and steam starts to come off of it and the air around it ripples with heat, and it falls out of the air and into Arthur’s hand as it freezes solid in a matter of seconds.
BARRY
(quietly)
Cooooooool...
ARTHUR
So, should I... ?
DINAH
Toss it.
Arthur lobs the ball gently into the air. Dinah generates a highly focused sonic blast with her vocal chords, shattering the glass ball into fine powder and showering the bunk room with snowflakes. This gets a positive reaction out of the other powered kids.
CLARK
Where did you get your powers from?
DINAH
From my mom. She can do the same
thing.
BARRY
Okay, where did she get them?
DINAH
She never told me about any of this
stuff. I found out about my powers
on my own, and I only know my mom
has them too because J’onn told me.
So, that conversation was... awkward.
BARRY
Is that why you ran away?
DINAH
You really just cut to the chase,
don’t you?
BARRY
Kinda.
ARTHUR
(to Dinah)
I left my step mom’s place. Almost
two years ago.
CLARK
Really? How come?
ARTHUR
Sometimes you just gotta walk away
from a bad situation to get some
time to yourself, man.
DINAH
Same here. It felt like the only
way I could get my head clear.
CLARK
Oh wow...
BARRY
I wonder how J’onn knew about your
mom.
DINAH
I kind of wonder how he knows any
of the stuff he says he knows.
Meanwhile, Bruce looks up from his book at Lana.
BRUCE
Hey.
LANA
... what?
BRUCE
I guess that makes you and me team
“no superpowers.”
LANA
At least you belong here.
BRUCE
None of us belong here, Lana.
INT. CHIEF’S LAB.
Kendra, Ted, and The Chief are having a serious discussion.
TED
What kind of timetable ware we
looking at?
CAULDER
Danny will create an access point
inside of the supply closet in the
library tomorrow morning.
KENDRA
Wait, is that a joke?
CAULDER
A bit, I suspect.
TED
And how long will we be staying
with Danny?
CAULDER
Danny is acting merely in the role
of ferryman in this venture, I’m
afraid. They will be taking you to
the facility I have arranged for.
TED
Kinda wish we could hide out with
Danny for a while. I can’t think of
many places harder to find than
them.
CAULDER
If what J’onn has told us about our
enemy is true, it is well within
their capabilities to track Danny.
TED
If he’s telling the truth.
KENDRA
What’s that supposed to mean?
TED
I just have to wonder what exactly
the message he got said.
CAULDER
It’s not like J’onn is a stranger,
Mr. Grant.
TED
But he’s acting like one. The
Martian who used to live here was
afraid of his own shadow. I don’t
recognize this Mr. Action Man we’ve
been dealing with. How do we even
know this is the same shapeshifter,
and not someone this “Legion” sent to
coral everyone into one place?
KENDRA
If we start suspecting each other
now, we’re gonna fall apart.
CAULDER
I do agree with Ms. Saunders.
Division within our ranks at this
point will only serve the enemy’s
interests. However, the radical
shift in J’onn’s demeanor has not
gone unnoticed.
KENDRA
So, what are you saying?
CAULDER
All I am saying is that we must be...
There’s an enormous crashing sound upstairs, shaking the foundations of the house.
CAULDER
(quietly)
... careful.
The DOOM MANOR proximity alarm goes off.
INT. DOOM MANOR.
Ted and Kendra run up the stairs to the manor’s entrance hall. As they do, the kids also run down the stairs to investigate the noise, with Barry (naturally) being the first to arrive.
BARRY
We heard a noise.
CLARK
Is everything alright?
Kendra approaches the front door.
KENDRA
Stay back while I...
Kendra comes to a halt and, to her horror, she sees the scene unfolding outside.
KENDRA
(quietly)
... investigate...
EXT. DOOM MANOR. NIGHT.
Robotman sits at the center of a crater made when his body impacted the front steps of Doom Manor. Negative Man and Elastigirl stand to either side of him, helping him back to his feet. Mento and Crazy Jane have just arrived on the scene, and Detective Chimp looks on grimly. Advancing towards the Doom Patrol are the assembled shock troops of the Legion of Doom: GIGANTA, SOLOMON GRUNDY, METALLO, DEATHSTROKE THE TERMINATOR, and, leading the group, ORM MARIUS.
ORM MARIUS
May we please speak with the
children? It will only take a
moment.
Robotman stands.
ROBOTMAN
As I tried to tell your very tall
lady friend, this is private
property!
ORM MARIUS
(to the Legion)
Kill everything.
A ripple flows across Crazy Jane’s body, and she transforms into SUN DADDY, one of her 64 alternate personalities that takes the form of a 15 foot tall woman with a sun for a head. Sun Daddy begins hurling fireballs at the Legion, causing them to scatter. Mento hits Orm Marius with a powerful psychic blast, knocking him backwards. Mento advances to continue the fight with Orm Marius as the scattered Legion members begin to attack. Metallo shoots his extending Inspector Gadget arm at Robotman, grabbing his chest and pulling him towards Metallo. It’s at this point that Rita “Elastigirl” Farr has had enough. Using her complete mastery of her elastic body, Elastigirl embiggens, becoming a giant matching Giganta in size.
ELASTIGIRL
Get out of my HOUSE!!!
Elastigirl casually stomps on Solomon Grundy as she engages Giganta in hand to hand combat.
INT. DOOM MANOR.
Kendra, now fully geared up, shoots out into the fight over the kids' heads. Barry is looking out the door with excitement, Clark is looking out with concern. Dinah and Arthur look determined, while Bruce and Lana are just in shock, and Ted is trying to keep a handle on the situation.
BARRY
... woah!
CLARK
Should we help?
DINAH
Yeah we should!
TED
Absolutely not!
DINAH
Where around here is safe?
ARTHUR
They need our help, man! I know how
to fight!
DINAH
Me too!
Negative Man enters the scene.
NEGATIVE MAN
(to Ted)
Do we have an escape plan?
TED
I think the Chief has something
cooked up, but...
DINAH
Screw this.
Arthur leaps over Negative Man’s head while Dina slides under his arm, and the two of them enter the fight.
TED
(quietly)
God damn it...
EXT. DOOM MANOR. NIGHT.
Arthur and Dinah leap into action. Arthur goes straight for Solomon Grundy, just as the titanic zombie gets to his feet. Dinah makes a b-line for Deathstroke, who is currently fighting Kendra, testing his promethium bo staff against her Nth Metal mace. Dinah lets loose a sonic blast, knocking Deathstroke into a tree with a massive THUD. Dinah stands triumphant, proud of her ability to best the villain.
DINAH
See? I TOLD you guys I could...
KENDRA
DOWN!!!
Kendra pushes Dinah out of the way just in time to save her from the bullet fired from Deathstroke’s handgun. The bullet hits Kendra in the shoulder, and she falls to the ground and tumbles to a stop. Dinah looks on in horror as time seems to freeze for her. Then, before Deathstroke fires again, Dinah lets loose an incredibly powerful sonic blast at him, pinning him to the ground. Dinah advances on Deathstroke, hammering him with sonic waves. Deathstroke manages to unclip one of his flash bang grenades and sets it off, stunning Dinah just long enough for him to jab her in the throat. Dinah gasps for air as she realizes to her horror that she can’t use her powers. Dinah immediately tries to punch Deathstroke, but he grabs her arm and twists it painfully. Casually, he uses his free hand to retrieve the tracking device he had placed on her jacket back in Gotham.
DEATHSTROKE
Thanks, by the way.
Dinah’s eyes widen in horror as she realizes what this means. She attempts to strike Deathstroke with her free hand, but he grabs it and throws her to the ground. Deathstroke then draws a knife and advances, but is stopped when Kendra, one arm dangling limp from her body, runs up and bashes him in the skull with her mace. Kendra looks Dinah directly in the eyes.
KENDRA
We are leaving NOW!
INT. DOOM MANOR.
Caulder enters the scene, exiting the freight elevator that leads to his basement lab.
CAULDER
What the hell is happening?
BARRY
Bad guys are here.
TED
Arthur and Dinah ran off.
Dinah and Kendra enter through the front doors.
KENDRA
Escape! Plan! Now!
CAULDER
I need to contact Danny. Ted, take
the children to the library. When
you get my signal, get everyone
through the double doors and close
them behind you!
CLARK
What about Arthur?
NEGATIVE MAN
I’ll get him...
At that, Larry Trainor releases the negative spirit from his body, causing him to lose consciousness as the energy being flies into the battle.
EXT. DOOM MANOR. NIGHT.
The negative spirit flies over the battlefield to assist and retrieve Arthur. Along the way, it passes Robotman, locked in battle with Metallo. Metallo grows secondary robot arms with spinning drills at the ends and begins to tear into Robotman’s armored frame while Robotman tries to dig his thumbs into Metallo’s eyes. In the far corner of the battlefield, Giganta puts Elastigirl in a headlock. Elastigirl shifts her mass, returning to normal size as she stretches out her limbs like rubber to ensnare the giant villain. Mento battles Orm Marius alongside Silvertongue, one of Crazy Jane’s 64 personalities, who backs up Mento by attacking Orm Marius with flying razor sharp Malcolm X quotes. Nearby, Arthur trades blows with Solomon Grundy, avoiding the Zombie’s punches by gracefully jumping over him while continuously getting hits in.
ARTHUR
C’mon, man! You can do better than
that! I believe in you!
The negative spirit flies in, wrapping itself around Solomon Grundy, ensnaring the beast.
ARTHUR
Thanks, man, but...
Arthur's words are cut short, as a mass of jagged tentacles grabs him and slams him to the ground. From behind, Orm Marius approaches, walking on his mass of shadow tentacles while carrying an unconscious Crazy Jane in one appendage and a struggling Mento in another. Arthur looks up at Orm Marius, defiant.
ORM MARIUS
(to Arthur)
Hello, big brother.
INT. DOOM MANOR LIBRARY.
Ted and the kids and the unconscious Negative Man have gathered in the library.
BRUCE
What’s the plan?
TED
Chief told us the plan.
BRUCE
“Wait in the library” isn’t a plan.
TED
Listen, if the Chief says he’s got
an escape plan, I believe him. The
guy’s got a way of pulling off hail
Mary's.
BRUCE
How do you know these people?
TED
Long story.
CLARK
We should help.
TED
No!
BARRY
I’ve already fought a bad guy.
CLARK
I’ve done it twice!
TED
The last thing our guys out there
need are some amateurs they have to
babysit while they fight.
KENDRA
I second that.
DINAH
(voice still rough)
I said I was sorry...
KENDRA
That was for everyone else. Save
your voice, dear.
BRUCE
Ted, please answer my question...
CLARK
What about Arthur?
BRUCE
Please stop interrupting people!
TED
Larry said he’d get him! We just
have to sit tight!
Bruce throws his hands in the air and turns away from the group. Clark looks extremely frustrated.
TED
I know it’s frustrating, but-
Clark dashes away at super speed.
TED
(like how Charlie Day says it)
God... DAMN IT!
EXT. DOOM MANOR. NIGHT.
Orm Marius approaches Arthur, keeping him pinned to the ground.
ORM MARIUS
(cheerful)
I have good news! We’re going to
kill you last!
Arthur struggles against Orm Marius’ shadowy grasp.
ARTHUR
(strained)
Get... OFF of me!!!
ORM MARIUS
(cheerful)
No!
The negative spirit attacks Orm Marius, but the fiend stabs sharp and jagged shadow tentacles into the spirit’s energy form, causing it to writhe in agony.
ORM MARIUS
We’re talking.
INT. DOOM MANOR LIBRARY.
Larry’s unconscious body begins to seize up.
TED
Yeah, that’s not good.
EXT. DOOM MANOR.
Orm Marius lowers himself to get up close to Arthur.
ORM MARIUS
It may seem a bit nepotistic, but
we have big plans for you, big
brother. You’re a key part of our
plans.
Orm Marius leans in close to Arthur’s face.
ORM MARIUS
(cheerful)
You’re literally a key!
ARTHUR
(struggling to speak)
... what are you...
ORM MARIUS
And until we get to the door you
open...
Orm Marius squeezes Arthur, who cries out in pain.
ORM MARIUS
... I get to jangle you in my pockets!
Just then, Crazy Jane begins to stir and she regains consciousness. Noticing this, Orm Marius draws her in closer and readies a sharpened shadow appendage.
ORM MARIUS
Oh, you’re waking up. Better fix
that...
ARTHUR
(struggling)
No!
MENTO
(struggling)
You... FIEND!
J’onn J’onzz, THE MARTIAN MANHUNTER, enters the fight like a ballistic missile, his fist connecting with Orm Marius’ face with a titanic thud, causing the warlock to lose his grip on his hostages and sending him crashing into the ground. J’onn comes to a stop, hovering motionless in the air.
J’ONN
You will not hurt them.
Orm Marius launches a counter attack, generating dozens of tendrils and launching them directly at J’onn. J’onn blocks the attack by using his shapeshifting to mimic the shadow tentacles, countering each one of them. J’onn then quickly turns immaterial, causing all of the tentacles to embed themselves in the lawn as J’onn sinks into the ground. J'onn then shoots up out of the earth directly in front of Orm Marius, once again punching him in the face. Just as Orm Marius is about to launch a counter strike, he is held in place by an aura of pink energy, and then pulled violently away from J’onn and smashed into the ground. The pink energy is none other that the telekinetic power of Mento.
MENTO
Take Arthur and go!
J’onn grabs Arthur and super speeds both of them into the library.
INT. DOOM MANOR LIBRARY.
J’onn and Arthur enter the scene.
LANA
Arthur!
J’ONN
(to Ted)
Do we have an escape plan?
TED
On the Chief’s signal, we hide in
that closet over there.
J’ONN
That makes sense.
BRUCE
(miffed)
How?!
J’ONN
Where is Clark?
TED
He ran off, I didn’t see where he
went.
J’ONN
Damn it!
TED
You didn’t see him out there?
J’ONN
No...
The intercom on the desk in the library turns itself on.
CAULDER
(through the intercom)
Mister Grant! You have to go now!
You only have a few seconds!
Ted immediately approaches the double doors and opens them.
TED
Alright, everyone in!
BRUCE
Seriously?!
LANA
What about Clark?
TED
Everybody in!
KENDRA
C’mon, let’s go!
The kids start filing through the double doors. Lana doesn’t know what to do, and J’onn looks worried.
J’ONN
Clark...
EXT. DOOM MANOR. NIGHT.
Through sheer force of will, Orm Marius breaks through Mento’s telekinetic grasp and grabs Mento with a shadow tentacle. Mento is prepared this time, and manages to remove his helmet before being caught. Orm Marius pulls Mento in close and begins to crush him.
MENTO
(pained)
It’s all... over now!
ORM MARIUS
Yes, I know. Removing the source of
your power was a foolish mistake.
BEAT
ORM MARIUS
Why did you do that?
MENTO
The helmet doesn’t give me my
powers.
A pink psionic glow starts to shine from Mentos' eyes.
MENTO
It keeps them contained...
The intensity of the glow’s brightness increases, engulfing the battlefield.
INT. DOOM MANOR LIBRARY.
J’onn and Arthur move to go through the double doors, and are trying to get Lana to go with them, when the pink glow becomes visible through the windows.
ARTHUR
What the...
J’ONN
Lana, WE HAVE TO GO NOW!
LANA
But Clark...
CLARK
(off screen)
INCOMING!
Like a super fast blue blur, Clark darts in and pushes the rest of the party through the double doors, which close behind them just in time. Now fully “inside,” the party find themselves standing on what seems to be the downtown Main Street area of a generic small American town, with the sun shining down on dozens of people going about their business. The makeup of the pedestrians is extremely diverse in just about every way you can imagine. In the distance, the flagpole at the center of town waves the gay pride flag. The double doors that the party came through are the doors to what appears to be a yoga studio with a lumberjack aesthetic.
BRUCE
It was night just a second ago...
J’onn walks up to Clark.
J’ONN
Clark, where did you... ?
Clark turns to J’onn, revealing that he’s holding a green baby in his arms.
CLARK
I remembered there was a baby.
J’onn smiles.
J’ONN
Clark...
The green baby human turns into a green baby giraffe and awkwardly hobbles away down the street.
CLARK
Oh!
J’ONN
Do not worry.
CLARK
Should I... ?
J’ONN
Danny will handle it from here.
Bruce walks up to J’onn.
BRUCE
Excuse me, “Danny?”
A banner suddenly appears, suspended across the street, which Reads “HI KIDS!” in big block letters.
J’ONN
Danny is a sentient genderqueer
street who exists outside of normal
space, and they have agreed to take
us to safety.
Bruce covers his hand with his mouth and resigns himself to this. J’onn turns to the banner.
J’ONN
Thank you, Danny. I know you are
putting a lot at risk helping us.
A random person walks up to J’onn and hands him a newspaper. The first page headline is “I JUST WISH I COULD DO MORE, J’ONN” written by Danny T. Street.
J’ONN
It is more than enough.
J’onn turns back to the kids. Clark approaches J’onn.
CLARK
Mr. Jones, those people, at the
house...
J’ONN
Niles Caulder is worse at dying
than any human I have ever met, and
he has spent his life surrounding
himself with people who have a
knack for defying the odds.
CLARK
So, they’ll be okay?
J’ONN
I hope so.
LANA
What do we do now?
TED
We settle in for the night, head
out in the morning.
BRUCE
That’s it?
TED
That’s it. C’mon, motel’s this way.
Ted leads the kids to the motel.
BRUCE
Wait, you’ve been here before?
The group heads off to the motel. Kendra hangs back to talk to J’onn.
KENDRA
Do you really think Caulder and his people
got out?
J’ONN
I have no idea.
KENDRA
This one was too close.
J’ONN
I know.
KENDRA
What are we going to do next?
J’ONN
I have been giving that thought.
KENDRA
And?
J’ONN
Tomorrow, I will tell them
everything.
THE END
INT. MOTEL ROOM. NIGHT.
The boys are crammed tightly into a single motel room. Barry and Clark are sleeping in the same bed, their heads and feet pointed in opposite directions from one another. Bruce is asleep in his own bed, and on the floor Shelby is curled up tightly around a tiny green puppy. Arthur’s bed is an olive green couch in the corner, but he is not asleep. Sitting up, he holds his (waterproof) wallet in one hand and stares at a folded up photograph he holds in the other. The photo captures an image of Arthur on a fishing trip with his father. Over each of their heads, their names are handwritten in pen, “Thomas Curry Sr.” And “Arthur Curry.” Under them is written, again in pen, “SUMMER FISHING TRIP.” Arthur uses his fingers to unfold the photo, revealing that, just beyond the fold he made to fit it in his wallet, the image continues and shows that Arthur, in the picture, has his arm wrapped around the shoulders of a younger boy, who’s name is written in pen above his head, “Thomas Curry Jr.” Arthur looks at the image of him, his father, and his younger brother, and his face turns grim.
THE END
Notes:
No hypothetical castings today, as most of the new villains this episode don't have any lines. The most talkative new character is the nameless snake vampire guy who I created for the cold open, and I don't know really any Greek-language actors so he isn't anyone in particular.
I suppose I will detail a stylistic choice about that scene that I didn't convey in the script: In my head, the scene is entirely untranslated with no subtitles. I just think it would lend a cool vibe.
Chapter 5: Challenge of the Super Friends, Season 1, Episode 5: MEANWHILE, Part 1
Summary:
The rest of the team finally comes together. Secrets are revealed, and plans are set into motion!
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
INT. LABORATORY.
Detective Chimp is strapped to an operating table. He is conscious. A robotic drone, resembling a floating metallic human torso with appendages that have multiple fingers and opposable thumbs and a robotic head sporting Brainiac’s symbol as a face, floats beside the operating table.
DETECTIVE CHIMP
You’re not gonna get anything out
of me!
The drone raises its “hand,” and several of its "fingers" come together and begin producing an arc of green energy that makes a sickly humming sound.
DETECTIVE CHIMP
I learned how to withstand torture
from the League of Assassins! I
trained in the art of breath
control under Harry Houdini
himself! I’ll never tell you a god
damned- !
INT. OFFICE.
Lex Luthor sits at his desk. He is watching the footage of Detective Chimp’s interrogation on the small computer monitor in front of him. The large monitor to his right displays Brainiac’s symbol. While Lex watches, his hands are busy working on Orm Marius’ silver mask. He is soldering some kind of circuitry on the inside of it.
DETECTIVE CHIMP
(over the video feed)
AAAAAAAGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!!
LUTHOR
Brainiac, schedule a conference
call with the board.
BRAINIAC
Making preparations now, Lex. Also,
Orm Marius is here to see you.
LUTHOR
Send him in.
The shadows in the room coalesce into a humanoid form, his back to us.
LUTHOR
Marius, thank you for coming.
ORM MARIUS
Is it ready?
Luthor produces a small black box. He opens it, revealing several small objects which resemble computer chips attached to a USB connector. He runs his finger along them, looking for one in particular, which he takes and slots inside of the mask with a click.
LUTHOR
Are you?
Marius extends a tendril, grasps the mask, and places it upon his face.
ORM MARIUS
I’ve spent my entire life preparing
for this.
EXT. MOTEL. DAWN.
Arthur is using the pay phone outside of the motel on Danny the Street.
ARTHUR
C’mon, c’mon...
The phone rings several times before it picks up.
ARTHUR
Hey, Mary! Is Tommy there?
BEAT
ARTHUR
It’s Arthur.
BEAT
ARTHUR
Yeah yeah, I’m sorry, I didn’t know how
late it was for you, is Tommy
there?
Arthur listens to the response.
ARTHUR
Maybe ‘cause I just wanted to check
in on my little brother, okay? Just
let me talk to him!
BEAT
ARTHUR
No, don’t... !
Mary hangs up.
ARTHUR
(frustrated)
AAGGHH!!
It’s at this moment that the assembled members of The Party (sans J’onn) turn the corner as they head out in a group. Everyone takes notice of Arthur, but most continue heading toward their destination. Clark, however, hangs back. Bruce stops for a moment, but then keeps going when he sees Clark has taken charge in this situation.
CLARK
(to Arthur)
Who was that?
ARTHUR
My step-mom...
CLARK
Sounded... kinda rough.
ARTHUR
Yeah. It did.
BEAT
CLARK
Hey, listen, Mr. Jones wants
everyone to meet at the diner for a
“breakfast meeting.”
ARTHUR
Yeah, I’ll be there in a minute.
Clark exits the scene hesitantly, and Arthur hangs up the phone angrily.
EXT. DANNY (THE) STREET DINER.
The Party, sans J’onn, are walking up to the “DANNY (the) STREET DINER.” Clark and Shelby are at the front, followed by Bruce and Kendra, Dinah and a very bleary eyed Lana, with Arthur bringing up the rear and Barry speeding back and forth alongside the rest of the group, impatiently.
BRUCE
I wish he wouldn’t do that.
LANA
(yawning)
You get used to it.
They enter the diner, and find J’onn at the counter, having just ordered what looks like 15 or 16 large takeaway meals that are now balanced in stacks on the counter. Ted stands a few feet away from him, cradling an additional armful of food.
CLARK
Hey, Mr. Jones...
J’ONN
Hello, everyone! Clark, Arthur,
Kendra, could you three give me a
hand?
Kendra picks up a stack of five boxes with one hand and balances them on the tips of her fingers effortlessly.
DINAH
(quietly, to Bruce)
You know, we never did talk about
what her deal is.
Arthur partially transforms his arms into his Atlantean form, using the greater surface area of his elongated webbed fingers to carry a large group of boxes easily. Clark activates his super strength with the shimmering blue glow passing over his body before fading, and he lifts the largest stack of food and drinks without any effort, but some difficulty keeping it all balanced.
ARTHUR
Where am I taking these?
J’ONN
One moment. Danny?
A door materializes in the wall of the diner.
ARTHUR
Oh, okay.
The door swings open on its own, and J’onn leads the party through.
INT. THE HALL OF JUSTICE.
The party enters a large underground hangar, stuffed to the brim with all sorts of strange devices and objects being kept in storage. Once the last party member steps through, the door shuts behind them and disappears.
BRUCE
I’m guessing we’re not “on” Danny
anymore?
J’ONN
No. This is a storage facility
owned by S.T.A.R. Labs. The Chief
was able to use his contacts within
the company to secure it for us as
a safe house.
BRUCE
It’s safer than Danny?
J’ONN
Niles drew upon considerable
resources to secure this site for
us. There is no longer any record
of this building’s existence in
S.T.A.R. Labs’ files, and if the
security measures put in place here
cannot hide and protect us from the
Legion, I doubt anything can.
CLARK
Is there any word about The Chief
and the others?
J’ONN
Not yet, I am afraid.
CLARK
What about the baby?
J’ONN
Young Garfield is safe in Danny’s
care, I assure you. Now, we do have
more pressing matters to attend to.
The party enters a large room in the facility that has been converted into a lounge area, with big comfy chairs and a huge wide screen television. The room is not empty, there are four people already waiting inside; Carter Hall, from episode 2, and three other young men we have not met yet. There is a blonde haired 15 year old boy wearing a school uniform, a 16 year old brown haired boy wearing a bomber jacket, and a 12 year old boy with dark black hair wearing shorts, suspenders, a short sleeved button up, and a bow tie.
CLARK
Oh. Hey.
Clark, Kendra, and Arthur set the food down on the large coffee table between the couches and the TV. Kendra then moves up beside Carter and gives him a kiss on the cheek, eliciting a smile from the young man. The two make eye contact and share an unspoken understanding. Also they are holding hands.
J’ONN
Please allow me to introduce our
new arrivals. There is Carter Hall,
who some of you already know, as
well as Oliver Queen, Harold
Jordan, and Raymond Palmer.
HAL
Just Hal is fine.
BRUCE
The Legion’s after them too?
J’ONN
Unfortunately, yes. Please,
everyone, sit down. Carter, please
hand me the imager.
Carter hands J’onn a small metal sphere, and then he and the rest of the party take seats on the couches.
J’ONN
As you are by now all aware, the
world is far stranger than it
appears. It is home
to many phenomena that most would
consider “paranormal,” home
to sentient life forms who may
appear on the surface to be
entirely human-
Barry quickly raises his hand and doesn’t wait to be called on.
BARRY
Meta-humans!
J’onn smiles.
J’ONN
Yes, Barry, “meta-human” is an apt
term. The earth is full of them.
Alien life forms who have come to
Earth seeking refuge, extra
dimensional entities anchored to our
plane of reality, otherwise
ordinary human beings who, through
either circumstance of birth or the
influence of some outside force,
have been changed and imbued with
fantastic abilities, all of them
and more have secretly walked among
humanity for millennia. They have
reason to hide in the shadows, and
there are many out there who would
prefer they stay there. As such, a
thin veil exists between the
mainstream of society and the truly
strange.
J'onn's eyes glow a deep red color, and the orb in his hand begins to hum and glow itself.
J’ONN
This will change.
The orb begins emitting a holographic image of what appears to be news footage. The news camera is pointed upward, and shows a commercial airplane falling out of the sky, its engines having blown up. Suddenly, the plane begins to level out. The camera zooms in, and we see that a man wearing some kind of costume has dug his fingers into the hull of the plane, and he is straining with all of his might to lift the airplane. The same blue glow that appears when Clark activates his powers is emanating out of the man’s arms and spreading through the hull of the plane as it fades, as ripples of force emanate outward from his body in a sphere. His face is obscured from the camera by the angle and the blur of motion, but we recognize him as SUPERMAN.
J’ONN
Twelve years, seven months, and one
week from today, Clark Kent will
reveal his meta-human abilities to
the world when he saves the Lexair
979 from crashing on its maiden
voyage.
The holographic image changes, becoming a montage of newsreel footage of various JLA members in action.
J’ONN
This act will inspire other meta
humans to stop hiding their
abilities, and instead use them in
the service of humanity.
The image changes again, this time showing shaky news footage of the founding members of the Justice League fighting giant elemental monsters.
J’ONN
In time, a group of humans and
meta-humans will come together
under Clark’s leadership, to defend
the Earth from extinction level
meta-human threats, and to fight for a
better world. They will be called
“The Justice League of America.”
The image changes again, now a montage of images of the various members of the Legion of Doom. Some are from news headlines or publicity photos, others are criminal mugshots and wanted posters.
J’ONN
Unfortunately, not everyone wants a
better world. There are those who
benefited from the way things used
to be, and those who viewed Meta
Human power as something to exploit
at the expense of others. The
Justice League will make many enemies,
the most dangerous of whom will join
forces as the Legion of Doom.
The image changes. The original source of the footage is hard to tell, but we see the Justice League’s founding members, as well as several other superheroes we haven’t met yet, battling an army of security robots and disposable C-List supervillain henchmen.
J’ONN
On the eve of the Justice League’s
final victory over the Legion, the
Legion’s core membership and their elite followers
will enact their escape plan.
In the holographic image, The Flash breaks through the enemy lines first and enters the Legion headquarters. Moments later, however, a tear in the fabric of time and space erupts out of the building.
J’ONN
By tearing a hole in time, they
will be able to travel to the past,
before anyone knew what a Meta
Human was...
The tear in space grows larger and consumes the image just as J’onn shuts it off.
J’ONN
... and when their greatest enemies
are still just children.
The party sits in stunned silence.
J’ONN
When it became apparent that the
battle was lost, my future self
initiated a telepathic connection
with me through the time portal,
and sent all of his memories in
order to warn me of the Legion’s
arrival in our time period, to
prepare me to fight them, and to
keep you all safe.
BEAT
CLARK
... we’re superheroes?
J’ONN
Yes, we are superheroes.
Clark smiles. Barry is shaking with excitement. Dinah has a smirk on her face, Hal looks determined, Ollie looks like this has flattered his ego maybe a little too much, Arthur looks like his mind is a million miles away, Carter and Kendra look like they’ve heard this story before, Bruce looks like the gears are turning in his head, Ray just looks nauseous, and Lana looks confused.
LANA
I’m not, though. I’m not meta-human
or a superhero or anything. Am I?
OLLIE
I had assumed she was the rope
girl.
J’ONN
Lana, you are a bystander. A friend
of Clark’s who is, unfortunately, a
witness to the crimes and existence
of the Legion. That also makes you
a target.
LANA
So, when can I go home?
BRUCE
When can any of us go home?
J’ONN
I do not know.
LANA
Can I talk to my parents?
J’ONN
Yes. While I was away I spoke with
each of your families and informed
them of the full situation as I did
just now with you.
ARTHUR
How did they react?
J’onn makes eye contact with Arthur. There is a moment of hesitation before he responds.
J’ONN
The reactions I received were
mixed, to put it lightly. But they
are all aware of the situation and
understand the danger you would be
in if you returned home at this
time.
BRUCE
Are they safe?
J’ONN
Arrangements are being made to move
them to safety. Alibis have been
constructed to explain your absence
to friends and neighbors, and a
secure phone line will be in place
the day after tomorrow if anyone
wishes to call their loved ones.
BRUCE
So... what do we do now?
J’ONN
We still have to find the last
founder and bring her to safety.
OLLIE
Rope girl!
DINAH
Yes, please, tell us more about
this “rope girl.”
J’ONN
Her name is not “rope girl,” her
name is Diana. I have an
approximate idea of her location,
but tracking her down has proven
difficult for several reasons.
Kendra, Clark, Bruce, I am asking
for your help in finding Diana.
BRUCE
You want us to go with you?
CLARK
(getting excited)
... on a mission?
J’ONN
I know it may seem soon, but I
cannot do it alone.
KENDRA
And the last time you went off by
yourself and left us we all almost
died.
J’ONN
That is also true.
BRUCE
But I don’t... y’know...
J’ONN
Trust me when I say that you do not
need powers, Bruce Wayne. Your
greatest strength is and always
will be your mind. I have memories
from the future, I know that you
and Clark are the men for the job.
Bruce glances over at Ted.
TED
Trust me, kid, powers are
overrated. You remember what I
taught you and you watch each
other’s backs, I think you’ll do
good out there.
BRUCE
... okay.
Clark gets up from his seat.
CLARK
I won’t let you down, Mr. Jones.
J’ONN
I know you will not.
CLARK
(to Barry)
You want to practice super powers?
BARRY
YES!
The two of them bolt off in a streak of blue and red.
J’ONN
I will assemble everyone when it is
time to go.
Kendra pats Bruce on the shoulder.
KENDRA
C’mon, let’s get you geared up.
BRUCE
Geared up?
KENDRA
(to Carter)
Is the armory set up?
CARTER
Right this way...
Carter and Kendra lead Bruce off to the armory.
DINAH
What about the rest of us?
J’ONN
Get settled in. Hal, Oliver, and
Ray can show you the sleeping
quarters. There are not enough
rooms for everyone, so you will
need to pick roommates.
OLLIE
This way, ladies and other guy.
The kids get up and head to the living quarters in the back.
OLLIE
(to Dinah)
Y’know, I don’t have a roommate
yet...
DINAH
Pump the brakes, dude.
OLLIE
(embarrassed)
... sorry...
RAY
(nauseous)
My stomach hurts...
HAL
(to Ray)
Deep breaths, buddy.
Ted takes that as his cue to leave.
TED
I guess that makes me dorm matron.
Ted follows after the group.
J’ONN
Arthur, would you please stay and
speak with me for a moment?
ARTHUR
(concerned)
... sure.
The rest of the party leaves. It is just J’onn and Arthur now.
J’ONN
I did not speak with your family.
ARTHUR
Yeah, I kind of figured that.
J’ONN
I must explain myself to you, and
what I am about to tell you is
something you have the right to
keep to yourself if you wish.
ARTHUR
Get to the point.
J’ONN
In Covington, during the attack,
there was a man who commanded
shadows to do his bidding.
ARTHUR
You saved me from him. He talked to
me like he knew me.
J’ONN
He does, Arthur.
ARTHUR
(figuring it out)
... no...
J’ONN
The name he uses now is
“Orm Marius,” but the name he was
born with was Thomas Curry Jr.
Arthur begins to cry.
J’ONN
He is your brother.
ARTHUR
(shouting)
My brother is ten years old!
J’ONN
He is now, yes. But, years from
now, if the course of his life is
unaltered, he will go down a very
dark path in pursuit of power, and it
will break his mind.
ARTHUR
How could this happen?!
J’ONN
I just told you...
ARTHUR
That’s not what I mean! How
could... ?! My brother... Tommy... he
plays dorky board games! He builds
ships in bottles and he cries when
animals get hurt in movies! He’s
my little brother! He doesn’t... has
he killed people?
J’ONN
(grimly)
Yes. He has.
BEAT
ARTHUR
And he hates me.
J’ONN
As a member of the Legion, Orm
Marius has dedicated himself to the
destruction of the Justice League
and all of its members.
ARTHUR
Oh god...
J’ONN
But Tommy is still still a ten year
old boy who loves his big brother.
Arthur moves to the door. J’onn puts out an arm to stop him.
ARTHUR
I’m going to him.
J’ONN
No, Arthur! The Legion may be
surveilling your childhood home.
ARTHUR
I can’t just...
J’ONN
I know how you are feeling.
ARTHUR
How could you know? He’s my
brother!
J’ONN
I know better than you think.
I had a family, once. But
right now, Arthur, if you go to
Tommy, the Legion will likely
be alerted, and you will be killed.
Arthur pushes J’onn away. He thinks for a moment, but then turns and heads to the living quarters with the others. J’onn sights, and leaves for the living quarters as well. The sound of J’onn’s sigh echoes through the walls to the back of the large storage area where the party entered the safe house, where Clark Kent is standing, crackling with blue energy and a bit sweaty. The sound echoes inside his head, just like the entirety of J’onn and Arthur’s conversation had. The look on Clark’s face is conflicted. Suddenly, Barry bursts into the room.
BARRY
Hah! Lapped you!
CLARK
Oh...
BARRY
You alright?
CLARK
(lying)
Yeah, I’m fine.
INT. LIVING QUARTERS.
Clark has gotten himself set up in his new room. Arthur appears in the doorway, knocking on the door frame.
ARTHUR
You wanted to see me, man?
CLARK
(awkwardly)
Heyyyyyyy Arthur... why don’t you
just... close the door behind you and
take a seat.
ARTHUR
... okay.
Arthur does just that, sitting down opposite of Clark
CLARK
Hey.
ARTHUR
Hey.
BEAT
CLARK
(nervously)
I know about your brother!
ARTHUR
What?
CLARK
I’m sorry...
ARTHUR
How?
CLARK
It was an accident.
ARTHUR
... how?!
CLARK
Y’see, when I use my power and
supercharge myself it makes all of
my senses a lot more intense, and
when I stopped to get some water I
guess I was close enough for my
super hearing to hear you but still
far away enough that you guys
didn’t see me and I kind of heard
the whole thing.
ARTHUR
Why did you keep listening?
CLARK
I was, I don’t know, surprised? I
didn’t think, I’m really sorry, I
didn’t mean to eavesdrop on you.
ARTHUR
So, what, you’re telling me because
you felt guilty?
CLARK
No.
ARTHUR
No?
CLARK
I mean, I do. Feel guilty. But
that’s not why I told you. Or, not
entirely.
ARTHUR
So why did you tell me?
CLARK
Because I want to help you save
your brother.
ARTHUR
Save him?
CLARK
From, y’know, turning evil and
stuff.
ARTHUR
Why do you want to help?
CLARK
(as if it were obvious)
... because we’re superheroes.
ARTHUR
(smiling)
Alright, man. So, what’s your plan?
CLARK
Oh. Ummm, I kinda figured we would
come up with that part together.
ARTHUR
Oh. Okay.
BEAT
ARTHUR
Do you know how to get to Hawaii
from here?
BRUCE
(off screen)
Better question, do you know where
“here” is?
CLARK
Oh yeah, I never asked where...
Clark and Arthur suddenly turn to see Bruce standing behind them.
CLARK
Where did you come from?
BRUCE
The bathroom.
ARTHUR
(to Clark)
I thought you have super hearing.
CLARK
I don’t have it on right now.
BRUCE
(ignoring their little aside)
The answer to that question is
Metropolis, by the way. We’re in
Metropolis.
Bruce takes a seat.
BRUCE
That’s in Delaware.
CLARK
I know where it is.
ARTHUR
And how do you know
where we are?
BRUCE
It was printed on all of those
shipping crates we passed on the
way in.
ARTHUR
Oh...
BRUCE
A commercial flight from Metropolis
to Honolulu is over twenty hours,
usually with a layover in Los
Angeles or Coast City.
CLARK
Okay, how do you know that?
BRUCE
Because I passed 9th grade
geography. So, your first hurdle is
finding a way to get there.
ARTHUR
I don’t mind a long plane ride.
BRUCE
I don’t think you have the time,
Arthur. When I encountered the
Legion back in Gotham, one of them
talked to me like we knew each
other, and some of the things he
said, they implied that he was Roman
Sionis, a kid from my school, or,
at least a version of him from the
future. Problem is, Roman Sionis
died over a week ago, and it was
his death, along with the deaths of
his parents, that made it possible
for the Legion to buy the Sionis
factory.
CLARK
... I don’t follow.
BRUCE
I think the Legion are killing
their past selves.
CLARK
Why would they do that?
BRUCE
If I was a war criminal from the
future, I might view another
version of myself as a potential
rival.
ARTHUR
But how would they do that? If you
kill yourself in the past, don’t
you fade away like Marty McFly’s
hand?
CLARK
Not necessarily. There are two
basic theories of time travel. The
first is what you’re talking about,
where anything you change in the
past will affect the future you
come from, but the other model
posits that any changes to past
events will cause the timeline to
diverge into a parallel universe,
so changing the past in a way that
effects your future is impossible.
Some people even think that both
models might be correct, depending
on the method of time travel used.
BEAT.
CLARK
(a little embarrassed)
I read about it in a comic once.
Bruce rolls his eyes.
CLARK
(off Bruce’s look)
It was very well researched.
ARTHUR
So Tommy could be in danger right
now.
BRUCE
I think so, maybe.
ARTHUR
Then we have to go right now!
BRUCE
Woah, hold on a second.
CLARK
Bruce, we have to go save him!
BRUCE
(to Clark)
You and I have a field trip. If we
bail on that, J’onn will just come
looking for us.
ARTHUR
And we still don’t have
transportation.
BRUCE
That I have handled.
ARTHUR
How?
BRUCE
On the way back from the armory,
Kendra and Carter showed me the
hangar where the plane we’ll be
using is stored. Some kind of high
tech stealth jet the military
didn’t want to pay S.T.A.R. Labs
for. There were two of these planes
there...
Bruce produces a small plastic electronic key card.
BRUCE
... and Carter used to have the spare
key.
INT. JAVELIN.
Bruce and Clark board the plane for the mission while Kendra preps for takeoff in the cockpit with J’onn in the co-pilot seat.
KENDRA
(to J’onn)
Are you sure they’re ready for this?
J’ONN
Both of them possess skills that
will be of use in finding Diana.
KENDRA
That wasn’t an answer to my
question...
J’ONN
I know what they are capable of,
even at this age.
KENDRA
I still think you’ve got another
reason.
J’ONN
I suppose I do. In the future,
Clark, Bruce, and Diana had a
special bond. It made them quite a
formidable team.
KENDRA
You’re hoping they’ll have that
kind of connection again?
J’ONN
I think of it as a healthy mix of
hope and superstition.
Behind J’onn and Kendra, Clark is buckled into his seat, while Bruce stands and heads for the back.
BRUCE
I’m heading in the back to practice
with this gear.
CLARK
Gotcha.
BRUCE
You alright?
CLARK
I’m just... worried about the others.
INT. HANGAR.
Arthur, Barry, Hal, Dinah, and Lana watch as the Javelin takes off. Once the coast is clear, the party moves sneakily toward the other Javelin.
DINAH
(mocking Arthur)
“Oh hey bros, thanks for helping me
with this dangerous mission, man.”
ARTHUR
(to Hal)
Are you sure you can fly this
thing?
DINAH
(to herself)
Yeah, whatever...
HAL
(To Arthur)
Every S.T.A.R. Labs concept jet
from the past 20 years uses the
same control system.
DINAH
(to Hal)
How do you know that?
HAL
I like planes.
LANA
Are we sure Carter or Mr. Grant
aren’t going to catch us?
HAL
I bribed Ollie to keep them busy.
DINAH
How do you bribe a rich kid?
HAL
He’s my roommate. I let him have
the top bunk.
ARTHUR
Everybody shut up.
Arthur swipes the key card and opens the entrance to the Javelin. The party boards, and Barry immediately dashes to the pilot’s seat.
HAL
Get up.
Barry dashes out of the way. Hal gets in the pilot seat and Barry gets in the co-pilot seat. In the mid-section of the Javelin, Lana and Dinah seat themselves. Arthur stands, tense.
LANA
Don’t worry, Arthur. We’ll get
there in time.
ARTHUR
(smiling weakly)
Thanks.
Suddenly, the back section of the Javelin opens up, and out walks Carter and Ted, with Ollie in tow.
CARTER
I gotta say, Bruce is one fine
pickpocket. I didn’t notice the
card was gone until I was back in
my room.
LANA
(under her breath)
Ah, crabapples...
CARTER
Granted, I couldn’t figure out at
first what he would want with my
keycard, but then Ollie cleared
that up for me.
DINAH
Ollie!
OLLIE
Sorry, guys, turns out the guy with
a collection of siege weapons is
pretty intimidating.
CARTER
Arthur, I know you love your
brother and you’re scared for him
right now, but...
Arthur punches Carter in the face, knocking him out with one blow. Arthur looks Ted directly in the eyes.
ARTHUR
You gonna say something?
BEAT
TED
*sigh* Let’s go be heroes, kids.
ARTHUR
Hal, punch it.
In the cockpit, Hal switches all the switches and begins takeoff.
BARRY
Hal, how long have you had your
license?
HAL
Three months.
BARRY
Wait wh-
Barry’s words are cut off as the Javelin takes off into the sky. As it exits the hangar’s bay door and flies over the Metropolis skyline, the cloaking technology kicks in
automatically, turning the plane invisible. Everyone is rocketed back into their seats, until the plane becomes level at a cruising altitude. After a moment of disorientation, everyone in the party manages to right themselves. Then, Ray Palmer sits up in his seat, lifting his head over the back of the chair in front of him that had been obscuring him from view.
RAY
Where are we going, guys?
THE END
EXT. ATHENS. NIGHT.
POST CREDITS SCENE:
J’onn, Clark, Kendra, and Bruce are walking down a windy side street in Athens, Greece. Bruce is wearing a pair of high tech goggles with green lenses.
CLARK
I’ve never been out of the country
before.
J’ONN
I vaguely recall your future self
telling my future self that your
parents took you to Canada once.
CLARK
Oh yeah, I forgot about Canada.
KENDRA
(to Bruce)
How are those goggles treating you?
BRUCE
They’re incredible. Everything is
as clear as day, and the little
heads up display... where did you get
these?
KENDRA
Space.
BRUCE
Of course y- wait. There’s some
movement down that alley. No heat
signature, though.
KENDRA
Sounds promising.
The party heads down the alley. In the shadows, the form of a young woman with dark hair can dimly be seen.
CLARK
Hello?
BRUCE
Everyone, stand back.
The woman advances. There is no sound of footsteps, but instead a slithering noise. As she advances from the shadows, we see that the lower half of her body is that of a giant snake, and the upper half of her body has shredded strips of skin hanging from where snake and human meet, as if the snake tail had burst out of the bottom half of a normal lady. Her eyes are also the eyes of a snake, and she has razor sharp fangs. Clark charges his body with power, Kendra activates her mace, and Bruce produces a collapsible bo-staff that crackles with energy similarly to Kendra’s mace. J’onn steps in front of the others.
J’ONN
Get behind me...
Suddenly, MOVEMENT! A figure leaps out of the shadows from behind the monster and soars over her snake lady head. The figure lands in a three point stance just as the monster’s head hits the ground with a thud. Both body and head crumble to dust, and I DEMAND that the sound effect be the vampire death sound effect from Buffy The Vampire Slayer. Princess Diana of Themyscira then stands, wipes her blade clean of dust, and sheathes her sword.
THE END
Notes:
Hypothetical cast update:
Oliver: Kyle Phillips
Hal: Danny Pudi
Ray: Lawrence Simpson
Chapter 6: Challenge of the Super Friends, Season 1, Episode 6: MEANWHILE, Part 2
Summary:
The team, split into two groups, must simultaneously tackle two threats on opposite sides of the Earth!
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
EXT. CITY STREET.
A 10 year old boy is walking himself home from school. His name is Thomas Curry Jr.
ORM MARIUS
(V.O.)
Hello, Tommy.
TOMMY
(frightened)
What?
There is no one there. Tommy shakes his head and keeps walking. His shadow is much longer than it should be, and it has a strange face.
INT. ABANDONED BUILDING. NIGHT.
Diana leads the party members into the abandoned building she has been squatting in for the past two weeks. The princess sets aside her weapon, and lights a fire for warmth. Reflexively, J’onn positions himself so as to put Diana between him and the flame.
DIANA
Who are you?
J’ONN
We are friends.
DIANA
Things would be going differently
if I suspected otherwise.
J’ONN
My name is J’onn J’onzz. I am not
of this world.
DIANA
I can see that.
J’ONN
My people are gifted with the
sight.
DIANA
What did you see?
J’ONN
Young women and men, yourself
counted among them, all destined
heroes, being hunted by those who
wish to thwart that destiny.
Diana leans to the side to get a better look at Clark, Bruce, and Kendra.
DIANA
They’re the destined heroes?
J’ONN
Some of them, yes.
DIANA
... alright.
J’ONN
I am bringing all of you together
so I can protect you.
DIANA
I do not need your protection.
J’ONN
With all due respect, Diana, you do
not know what our enemy is capable
of.
DIANA
(with cold fury)
I know exactly what they’re capable
of!
BEAT
J’ONN
Diana, how did you come to be in
this city, living in this place?
Diana sits down by the fire. As she sits and stokes the fire, the shadows grow long and loom over the room.
DIANA
Two strangers came to the island of
Themyscira.
The shadows behind Diana flicker, taking the shape of two human-like figures. One, a woman with cat-like characteristics such as pointed ears, a tail and claws, and a tall and slender-thin man. The shadows in his face part, as if there was a shadow puppet with holes cut in it, denoting two round, unblinking eyes. J’onn and the rest of the party look up at this impossible sight as they listen to Diana tell her tale, completely speechless.
DIANA
A woman with the soul of a
beast bound to her heart,
and a warlock draped in shadows.
Shadow puppet figures of several Amazons appear to fight the two intruders. The shadow villains tear them to shreds with ease.
DIANA
They slaughtered a dozen warriors
like they were children at play.
The shadow villains step over the mangled remains of the Amazons, and approach a looming gate. The detail in these shadow images continues to increase unnaturally, as the two figures are now clearly recognizable as the villains CHEETAH and ORM MARIUS.
DIANA
And then they tore open the Tartarus gate.
The shadow Orm Marius reaches out a clawed hand, and unlocks the puzzle wheel at the center of the gate. The gate swings open, and hundreds of horrific demonic beasts spew forth.
DIANA
Unleashing upon the earth a horde
of the most evil creatures in the
universe.
We see a shadow-image of Diana running towards the scene.
DIANA
I tried to fight. I ran toward the
battle with my sword in hand.
A wispy, ethereal figure descends from the sky in this phantasmagoria, and lifts up the shadow Diana and carries her to safety.
DIANA
But Gaia sent the west wind to
carry me to safety.
We see the shadow Diana, tears in her eyes, desperately reaching for the island as she sees it become overrun by a demonic horde.
DIANA
That’s how I came to be here.
The shadows shrink and return to normal. Kendra, Bruce, and Clark are absolutely stunned by what they just saw. J’onn approaches the fire to stand beside Diana.
J’ONN
Why stay here?
DIANA
You ask a lot of questions for a
seer.
J’ONN
I do not like to look without
permission.
Diana smiles weakly.
DIANA
Most the fiends unleashed when the
gate was opened came to this city
when they reached the mainland.
They’ve nested in the city’s
outskirts, in the darkness and the
hidden places, stalking the edges
of the hearthfire’s light.
Bruce steps into the light.
BRUCE
So, you want revenge.
DIANA
Vengeance will not be satisfied
until I face the two who opened the
gate. I stay because it is my duty.
The Amazons swore to guard the gate
for eternity. If I truly am the
last Amazon, these monsters are my
responsibility.
Clark steps forward.
CLARK
How can we help?
EXT. HONOLULU, HAWAII. DAY.
The OTHER Party are walking down a street in a run down neighborhood of Honolulu. Carter is nursing his aching head.
CARTER
Please come back to the plane.
ARTHUR
No.
CARTER
Arthur, man, c’mon, we could be
walking into a trap.
ARTHUR
That’s literally the reason why I’m
going.
CARTER
Ugh. Anyone have aspirin?
RAY
Oh, I do!
Ray fishes a bottle of aspirin from his fanny pack and hands it to Carter.
CARTER
Thanks...
OLLIE
Hey, are you sure this is Honolulu?
ARTHUR
I grew up here, man.
OLLIE
Wow. It looks a lot different when
you’re at the resort.
ARTHUR
Yes it does, Ollie.
DINAH
I thought the Starling Academy
crowd vacationed in Europe.
OLLIE
How did you know I go to Starling?
DINAH
It says it on your jacket, dude.
OLLIE
Oh...
Ted walks up to Arthur.
TED
So what’s the plan here, kid?
ARTHUR
You trying to talk me out of this
now?
TED
No, I gave up on that when you
punched Carter in the face, but you
do actually need a plan.
ARTHUR
I just need to talk to Tommy.
TED
And then what?
ARTHUR
And then, I...
TED
Listen, kid, I’ve spent my entire
adult life doing stupid things for
causes I believed in, and half the
reason I’m still alive is that I
always took a second to assess the
scene and come up with a plan.
ARTHUR
So... what do you suggest?
TED
Hey, kid flash!
BARRY
‘Sup?
TED
First thing’s first kid, I need you
to promise me you won’t go anywhere
until I tell you I’m done talking.
Cool?
BARRY
Okay... ?
TED
I need you to look around the area
in a two block radius around
Arthur’s house. Keep a lookout for
anyone sitting in parked cars,
anyone inside their houses with the
lights off, and any objects you
can’t identify that look out of
place. Make sure you don’t get any
closer than two houses down from
Arthur’s place in any direction.
I am done talking now.
Barry darts off in a streak of red. Ted begins silently counting on his fingers, and almost gets to five when Barry returns.
BARRY
All clear. There was a parked car
but they were kissing and stuff so
I thought that was probably fine.
TED
Alright everyone, let’s get closer.
Following Ted’s lead, the party moves further into the neighborhood until Ted signals for them to stop.
TED
Okay everyone, stop for a second.
Junior, you’re up.
DINAH
Me?
TED
Remember when I told you about that
trick your mom used to do?
DINAH
Yeah, I’ve never tried it...
TED
Try it now.
Dinah kneels down.
DINAH
Could you at least talk me through
it?
TED
You’re gonna want to send out a
continuous pulse, make it as deep
and as wide as you can, like a real
low hum. Send it right into the
ground in front to of you, and just
feel it bounce back into you.
DINAH
Alright...
Dinah does as instructed, sending the sonic pulse into the ground and letting it wash over her body as it bounces back to her. She grimaces, trying to sort through the information bombarding her, but she is quickly overwhelmed and rears back.
DINAH
Too much! That’s too much! I can’t...
there’s too much noise...
TED
Hey, hey, Junior. Relax. Relax. You
can do this. Listen, if you try to
sort through it all, you’ll go
nuts. You gotta do the opposite.
Let your mind go blank and let the
sound wash over you. Let it fill
your head with a picture, and then
just tell us what it says. You can
do this.
DINAH
Okay...
Dinah makes her second attempt. This time, she gives herself over the flood of sensation, and allows her mind to form a picture of the neighborhood.
DINAH
(trance-like)
I can feel everything...
TED
What do you feel in Arthur’s place?
DINAH
Two houses down from here, right?
Yeah, there’s... there’s two people
in there...
ARTHUR
Tommy?
DINAH
No, they’re too big, I think
they’re both adults... one of them is
sitting on the couch, the other is
standing... he’s holding something...
he’s pointing something at her?
ARTHUR
Her?
DINAH
The one on the couch. I can’t make
out what they’re saying, but it
feels like a feminine voice... I
don’t think she can move...
Dinah stands up.
DINAH
They have a hostage.
ARTHUR
That’s my step mom!
Arthur starts to move.
DINAH
Wait! There’s someone else, too.
Not in the house, but standing on
the front porch. He’s got a pocket
watch he keeps checking.
TED
A gunman on the inside to keep an
eye on the hostage, and someone
outside keeping lookout. Definitely
a trap.
ARTHUR
What do we do now?
TED
We need a way to disorient them,
catch them off guard, something
like that to make a window for us.
Carter, you got a weird bird gadget
for this?
CARTER
Well, I would have geared up before
we left, but someone knocked me
unconscious. All I’ve got on me is
my mace. I don’t even have my wings.
TED
We might need to go back to the
plane and regroup.
ARTHUR
No way!
TED
Listen, Arthur, we can’t just rush
a hostage situation. If we’re even
a split second too late-
RAY
Um, excuse me?
Everyone turns to ray.
RAY
(embarrassed)
Oh, uh, I wasn’t... I mean...
TED
What is it, kid?
RAY
Well, I was just going to ask Dinah
if she’d ever heard of gray noise.
EXT. CURRY-O’SULLIVAN RESIDENCE.
CHRONOS, a member of the Legion, stands watch on the front porch. Suddenly, he’s overcome with an intense dizziness and nausea, and he begins to lose consciousness.
INT. CURRY-O’SULLIVAN RESIDENCE.
The same thing is affecting the two people inside, MARY O’SULLIVAN, who is tied up on the couch, and MERLYN THE DARK ARCHER, who is holding her hostage at arrow point. The disoriented Merlyn is quickly knocked out when Barry darts into the room and kicks him in the face at super speed while clasping his hands over his ears, his body vibrating to counteract the effects of the gray noise. A split second later, Chronos comes crashing through the front door as a result of Arthur kicking him through it. Arthur stumbles into the room, hands over his ears as he is also feeling the effects of the gray noise.
ARTHUR
(shouting!)
Dinah! You can stop now!
The hum subsides. Dinah enters through the front door, quickly followed by Ted, Carter, and Ollie.
DINAH
Did it work?
Ray enters looking especially worse for the wear, and quickly turns around and runs out the front door and out of sight. We can then hear him puking.
TED
It worked, Junior.
Barry quickly unties Mary and ties up the two villains. Ollie retrieves Merlyn’s bow and quiver.
OLLIE
Now this is what I’m talking about.
DINAH
Do you even know how to use that
thing?
OLLIE
I’ll have you know I’m the captain
of the Starling Academy junior
varsity archery team.
DINAH
Doesn’t that just make you the
junior captain?
OLLIE
No. Junior varsity and varsity are
distinct teams.
DINAH
Sure.
TED
(to Hal)
Hal, go back to the plane and get
her prepped for takeoff.
HAL
I wanna stay. I can fight.
TED
I have fighters, what I need is a
pilot. If this goes sideways we’ll
need a quick getaway.
Ray enters the house again.
RAY
What about me?
TED
You’re twelve years old and you
just puked.
RAY
That’s a fair point. Hal, let’s go
to the plane.
HAL
(not happy about it)
Alright.
Hal and Ray exit. Arthur approaches Mary, who is regaining her senses.
MARY
Arthur?
ARTHUR
Hey, Mary.
MARY
What are you doing here?
ARTHUR
I just rescued you from kidnappers.
MARY
Yes. Thank you for that.
ARTHUR
Mary, I’m going to need you to
focus up, where is Tommy?
MARY
Tommy? Tommy isn’t home from school
yet.
ARTHUR
Oh yeah. School.
MARY
Arthur, what’s going on?
ARTHUR
These men came here because they
want to hurt Tommy. I’m not going
to let that happen.
MARY
This is because of you, isn’t it?
It’s because of whatever you are.
ARTHUR
Yes, it is.
MARY
(crying)
Oh my god...
ARTHUR
We seriously do not have time for
family drama right now, we-
TOMMY
(off screen)
Arthur?
Arthur turns to see Thomas “Tommy” Curry Jr., his ten year old half brother, standing at the shattered doorway. Arthur smiles and approaches his brother.
ARTHUR
Tommy, man...
The figure of Orm Marius rises up behind Tommy. A flurry of shadow tendrils arc out from the villain, slamming Arthur into the ground with considerable force. Barry attempts to enter the fight, but a tendril reaches out from a shadow on the ground and snags his foot, lifting him into the air and quickly coiling itself around his entire body. At the same time, Dinah readies a sonic blast, but one of Marius’ tendrils ensnares her mouth and throat.
ORM MARIUS
This is a private family gathering.
Ted grabs Mary and pulls her to safety. Carter lunges into the fight and destroys the mass of tendrils pinning Arthur to the floor with one strike from his Nth Metal mace. In the corner, Ollie fires three arrows at Orm Marius in quick succession, but two merely bounce awkwardly off of Marius’ metal mask, and the third misses entirely. Marius spares an errant tendril to snatch Ollie, and Ollie in turn ducks for cover. The bulk of Marius’ tendrils are being used in a violent flurry of strikes that Carter deftly parries with his mace. Arthur kicks up into a standing position and launches himself at Marius, but Marius holds up young Tommy as a human shield.
TOMMY
Arthur! Help!
ARTHUR
Tommy... !
In this moment of distraction, Marius snags Arthur’s foot and pulls him out of the front doorway, smashing him into the cement walkway leading up to the house. Inside, a single tendril manages to get through Carter’s defense, piercing his shoulder and causing Carter to yell out in pain as he, too, is ensnared in a mass of tendrils. The shadow tendrils also overwhelm Ted and Mary, and Mary is dragged to the front threshold.
MARY
(screaming)
Tommy! Oh my god!
ORM MARIUS
(affectionately)
Hello, mother.
With a jaunty-yet-casual horrifying octopus crawl, Marius drags Tommy and Mary into the front yard, where Arthur is struggling desperately to get free. While Marius pins Arthur and Mary to the ground with force, he sets Tommy down gently, and even lets go of him.
ORM MARIUS
There you go. Safe and sound.
Marius turns to Mary and Arthur.
ORM MARIUS
Just family now. How it should be.
ARTHUR
(to Tommy)
Tommy, you gotta run!
Tommy is frozen, like a deer in the headlights. Orm Marius kneels down, coming face to face with Tommy.
ORM MARIUS
Hello there, Tommy Curry.
TOMMY
(frightened)
Who are you?
Orm Marius removes his mask. The face beneath is bloated, like a water-logged corpse, with blank white eyes. The face is gradually being consumed by an encroaching shadow growing from the rest of his body.
ORM MARIUS
(cheerful)
I’m you! All grown up!
TOMMY
You’re me?
ORM MARIUS
I came here in a time machine!
Pretty cool, right?
ARTHUR
(to Marius)
Get away from him!
Marius squeezes Arthur, crushing his body slightly and causing Arthur to yell out in pain. Tommy looks at his older brother in fear and shock.
ORM MARIUS
(to Arthur)
Wait your turn, big brother.
Tommy turns back to Orm Marius, tears starting to well up in his eyes.
ORM MARIUS
(to Tommy)
I came all this way, Tommy, because
I want to ask you to do something
for me.
TOMMY
(terrified)
What?
Orm Marius produces a knife. He hands it, handle first, to his younger self.
ORM MARIUS
I need you to kill me.
EXT. ATHENS, GREECE. NIGHT.
The Athens Party stands on a rooftop opposite of an abandoned church that has been converted into a nightclub. Bruce is surveying the scene with his high tech goggles.
BRUCE
A nightclub in an abandoned church.
How vogue.
DIANA
Many of the creatures who have
settled in this city have gathered
under the leadership of Circe, a
witch imprisoned by the gods for
terrorizing mortals with her
sorcery.
BRUCE
Didn’t she turn men into pigs?
DIANA
Yes. And then she butchered and ate them.
KENDRA
So, what’s the play?
Diana unsheathes her sword.
DIANA
According to rumors, Circe spends
her time here, wallowing in
hedonism with her followers. If an
Amazon can defeat their leader in
battle, they will know fear. That
will be a start.
CLARK
Are you gonna, y’know, kill her?
DIANA
Circe cannot die. The blades of the
Amazons were forged from adamantine
and quenched in the waters of the
Styx. Any creature that falls to
them will be banished back to
Tartarus.
BRUCE
If the hatch on the pit is open,
won’t she just come back?
DIANA
It is a very deep pit.
KENDRA
What do you think, J’onn?
J’ONN
If we have to escape, I will carry
Clark and Diana and you will carry
Bruce.
KENDRA
I like your optimism.
BRUCE
Our only real option is to sneak in
as customers and strike hard and
fast.
CLARK
(nervous)
Hard and fast. Got it.
DIANA
Have you ever been in a fight
before?
CLARK
Yeah, actually. But those kind of
happened fast and this is the first
time I’ve... had time to... you know,
get terrified.
BEAT
DIANA
(to Clark and Bruce)
Give me your hands. Both of you.
BRUCE
Why me?
DIANA
I can tell you’ve never been in a
real fight.
BRUCE
... fine.
The three of them put their hands together.
CLARK
What are we doing?
DIANA
Shhh...
Diana unties the ribbon in her hair with her free hand. She takes the red length of silk and uses it to tie their three hands together. Diana then reaches into her back pocket and pulls out a zippo lighter, and holds it over their bound hands. She flicks it open and sparks a light.
DIANA
(as if this were somehow
impressive)
Pretty cool, right?
CLARK
... sure...
BRUCE
Please get on with this.
Diana closes her eyes.
DIANA
I invoke Hestia, mother of the
hearth in whose name we swear to
protect the hearth of the world.
May that we stand together in its
light, may the fires in our hearts
burn as one, and may Athena temper
our bravery with wisdom.
BEAT
Diana extinguishes the light.
CLARK
... amen.
BRUCE
Let’s go.
INT. NIGHTCLUB.
It’s a full blown 80s goth club. The party walks in. J’onn is in his human form and Kendra and Bruce have stowed away their gear. The four minors in the group all have stamps on their hands. Diana is looking at hers, suspiciously.
DIANA
Is this to mark us as foreigners?
BRUCE
They’re to mark us as people who
are too young to buy alcoholic
beverages.
DIANA
(sadly)
... even wine?
J’onn sends out a telepathic signal to the others.
J’ONN
(telepathically)
I sense a psionic presence by
the stage. Perhaps we should...
The music stops. The lights go out. A spotlight illuminates center stage. There stands CIRCE THE SORCERESS, looking rather fabulous in a dress made from the armor of the Queen of the Amazons, Hippolyta. The golden lasso of truth, gifted from Hera to be wielded by the champion of the Amazons, dangles from the belt like tawdry jewelry. Diana rests her hand on the hilt of her blade, ready to leap and strike when she sees an opening.
CIRCE
Greetings, esteemed Athenians! It
has been a long time since I was
last in this city, far too long,
and I know many of my friends in
the audience feel the same way!
A cheer erupts from several large pockets of the crowd. All of the party members look concerned, as it seems like Circe has more minions among the crowd than they had suspected.
CIRCE
Now, as much as you all want to
stay here, as much as I want to
stay here, to reminisce, to savor
this beautiful city as it slowly
dies, the fact is that we already
have bigger and better things on
the horizon.
The curtains behind Circe drop as the lights go up. There are thudding noises from all directions as the exits are all closed and locked. Behind Circe, twelve stone pillars, each one depicting a different, grotesque face, loom over the audience.
CIRCE
Our liberators will begin the
ritual shortly, and the rightful
monarchs of the primordial universe
will reward us for our devotion!
A bigger cheer erupts from the crowd. The Party can hear murmurs from some people in the crowd who clearly don’t know what’s going on and are getting scared.
CIRCE
With their blessings bestowed upon
us, we will march forth as an army
under the banner of those who freed
us from bondage, and we will tear
down the world of Man!
An even bigger roar of applause.
CIRCE
But! In the meantime, let’s party!
The lights go up. In the crowd, Circe’s followers have shed their human disguises. Monsters from all across Greek mythology are present, such as minotaurs, Gorgons, harpies, dryads, lamia, and those Gigantes guys who have snakes for arms and legs, as well as many other strange and horrible beasts that defy classification. The monsters outnumber the humans in the crowd two to one. The bystanders scream and try to run, but the monsters descend upon them. Kendra deploys her wings and mace, J’onn shifts into his hero form, Clark charges up his powers, and Bruce deploys a collapsible bo-staff. Diana jumps to the stage in a single leap, and holds Circe at sword point. When Diana speaks, her voice echoes through the room.
DIANA
Let these people go or I take your
leader’s head.
The monsters freeze, not sure what to do. At this, Kendra turns and smashes open the doors with her mace.
KENDRA
(to the bystanders)
Everyone follow me!
As Kendra leads the human bystanders to safety, Circe looks Diana in the eyes and smiles.
CIRCE
(playfully)
An Amazon! Looks like the warden
found us, friends!
A murmur of laughter from her minions. The party members in the crowd prepare themselves for a fight.
CIRCE
Tell me, little warden, how did you
manage to escape the island?
DIANA
Where did you get that armor?
CIRCE
I asked first.
DIANA
(losing her patience)
Where did you get my mother’s
armor?!
Circe smiles
CIRCE
I peeled it off of her corpse.
Enraged, Diana pulls back her sword to wind up for a decapitation blow, which gives Circe an opening to blast Diana backwards with a ball of green fire. The fight begins.
EXT. HONOLULU, HAWAII. DAY.
Tommy looks down at the knife being offered to him.
TOMMY
Why... ?
ORM MARIUS
Power comes from two things, little
me: making sacrifices, and keeping
promises. When I entered into this
time traveling scheme, I knew that
going back to before I made those
sacrifices would be seen as
breaking my promises. “That will not
do,” said the King of Tears. “A new
sacrifice is required. A greater
sacrifice.” But in exchange, little
me, comes greater power.
TOMMY
I don’t understand...
ORM MARIUS
(cheerfully)
Then I will make you understand!
Orm Marius crushes Mary and Arthur in his shadowy grip, causing them to scream out in agony.
ORM MARIUS
(cheerfully)
Do it, or I will keep hurting them!
ARTHUR
Tommy! Don’t! Don’t do it, just run
away!
Tommy looks over at his brother.
ARTHUR
(tearfully)
Tommy...
Orm Marius once again applies pressure on his two hostages and they both yell in agony. Tommy’s gaze turns from his brother to his mother. There are tears in her eyes. Tommy turns back to Orm Marius.
TOMMY
I’ll do it if you promise to let
everyone go.
ARTHUR
(tears in his eyes, in agony)
Tommy! Tommy, please... !
ORM MARIUS
(smiling)
Alright...
Orm Marius extends his hand to Tommy.
ORM MARIUS
... shake on it?
INT. NIGHTCLUB.
The battle is on. J’onn immediately claims the space around him by taking the form of an enormous Martian dinosaur, flailing his tendrils to swat at the monsters and beating his mighty wings to kick up wind and keep them at bay. Bruce uses his grappling gun to grapple up to the stage, dropping smoke bombs and flashbangs on the monsters as he goes, and lands a flying kick to Circe’s face with the Nth Metal enforced boots Kendra gave him. Circe stumbles and falls toward the ground, but catches herself, dragging her hand along the wood of the floor and transforming the floorboards into knives that launch themselves at Bruce. Bruce just barely manages to dodge. Clark barrels through the crowd of monsters like a steamroller, knocking at least half of them prone, and he rushes to the stage in a burst of super speed and body-checks Circe into the central stone column, causing the column to crack slightly upon impact. It is at this point that Diana re-enters the fight, vaulting off of Clark’s back with one foot into a flying sword strike at Circe’s face. However, just before the blade connects, the eyes of the statues light up and generate a wall of light and a wave of force that knock Diana, Clark, and Bruce back, as well as causing J’onn and the monsters in the crowd to recoil slightly. Diana manages to land in a three point stance and stay on the stage, while Bruce and Clark are both knocked off of the stage. Bruce uses his grappling hook to latch onto one of the ceiling support beams and break his fall. When Clark lands, the force of the impact causes the floorboard beneath him to cave inward. On the stage, Diana braces herself against the wall of force and marches forward. She is met by Circe, floating in the air and overflowing with power.
EXT. HONOLULU, HAWAII. DAY.
The knife sticks in Orm Marius’ chest. Tommy’s hand is on the hilt. They both have tears streaming down their eyes.
ORM MARIUS
(singing quietly)
Aloha ʻoe, aloha ʻoe, e ke onaona
noho i ka lipo...
The shadows at the edges of Orm Marius’ face finally consume him completely. His shadowy form loses cohesion, dissolving into the Earth. Everyone is freed from the grasp of the tentacles. Arthur immediately tries to run to his brother, but a shadowy wall of force blows him back. This force lifts Tommy into the air, his teary eyes completely blank, his mouth open wide and his face expressionless. Orm Marius’ silver mask begins to float as well, and it rises up to Tommy’s face. The darkness then swallows Thomas Curry Jr.
INT. NIGHTCLUB.
Diana lunges at Circe with an overhead strike of her sword. The sword stops suddenly in the air, as if it were a fixed point in space, which causes Diana to lose her footing. Circe catches Diana by the throat and pulls the girl’s face close to her own, digging her talon-like nails into the Princess’ cheeks.
CIRCE
You’re the child Hippolyta was
allowed to keep as a pet...
Back on the dance floor, the floorboard gives under Clark’s weight, and he falls through it. At the last moment, Bruce catches his arm, and holds Clark dangling over the hole in the floor.
CLARK
Thanks!
BRUCE
You’re surprisingly light.
CLARK
Really?
Bruce looks past Clark at what’s below him. The church, it seems, was built upon a series of old catacombs, its weight supported by a complex system of wooden beams.
BRUCE
Clark?
CLARK
Yes, Bruce?
BRUCE
I’m going to drop you now.
CLARK
... why would- ?
Bruce drops Clark.
BRUCE
(shouting down the hole)
Break everything you can!
Up on the stage, Circe throws Diana to the ground.
DIANA
(pained)
I am her daughter!
CIRCE
Oh dear, daughters are born. You
were sculpted.
Circe grabs Diana’s sword out of the air.
DIANA
I will avenge my mother, my sister,
and my people!
Circe raises the sword for a killing blow. Suddenly, the ground begins to rumble and shake, causing Circe to lose her footing for a moment.
CIRCE
So, I didn’t do that...
BRUCE
(O.S.)
Diana!
Bruce tosses the Lasso of Truth at Diana, who grabs it by the loop. Circe looks down at her belt, sees the lasso is missing, and scowls. Bruce launches his grappling line toward J’onn, who grabs it in the air and pulls Bruce and Diana to safety as the floor of the building collapses in on itself. Monsters scramble to escape, and a few of them manage to, but most fall into the catacombs below. Circe stands on the stage as the building collapses around her.
CIRCE
I hate children.
The building collapses in on itself completely. J’onn manages to pull Bruce and Diana out, and Clark gets out in a super fast streak of blue just in time.
EXT. HONOLULU, HAWAII. DAY.
The shadows part, and there stands Orm Marius, born again in the body of his ten year old self. The mask remains the same, with the same lifeless round eyes, but now he wears an all-black school uniform, as well as a pair of black gloves. Arthur approaches Orm Marius.
ARTHUR
Tommy... ?
ORM MARIUS
(with the voice of a child)
Sleep.
Arthur immediately loses consciousness. Orm Marius walks toward the house.
MARY
(to Orm Marius)
Tommy, baby, what’s happening... ?
Ignoring his mother, Orm Marius enters the house. Carter immediately tries to strike with his mace, but he is frozen in the air, suspended by a dark energy as Orm Marius casually walks by, ignoring him. Barry also makes an attempt to stop the child warlock, and is thwarted in much the same way. Marius approaches his two incapacitated comrades, Merlyn and Chronos.
ORM MARIUS
Get up.
The two villains suddenly wake as Marius' voice echoes in their minds. Nursing headaches, the two rise to their feet.
ORM MARIUS
We’re leaving.
MERLYN
What do you mean “we’re leaving?”
ORM MARIUS
It means we’re going to stop being
here and start being somewhere
else.
MERLYN
Aquaman is right there! We can grab
him!
ORM MARIUS
No.
MERLYN
Why?
ORM MARIUS
Because I made a promise. Gather
your gear and let’s go.
Begrudgingly, Merlyn grabs his equipment from Ollie, who is cowering in the corner.
MERLYN
I’ll be seeing you real soon,
Queen.
The villains leave the house.
OLLIE
... why me?
As the villains leave the front yard, they encounter Lana, cowering in fear by the fence. She looks into Orm Marius’ cold eyes.
LANA
(terrified)
Are you going to kill me?
ORM MARIUS
Why would I kill a dead woman?
The villains leave. Shortly after they do, the Javelin decloaks and hovers over the scene. The Javelin's intercom turns on.
HAL
(over the intercom)
Did we win?
INT. THE HALL OF JUSTICE.
The members of the Hawaii team are sitting around the main lounge area, looking thoroughly miserable. The Athens team arrives, and the party members already present turn to look at their new arrival. An awkward silence hangs in the air, and is broken when J’onn steps forward.
ARTHUR
J’onn, I-
J’ONN
Ted has already told me everything.
TED
I called him while you were,
y’know, unconscious.
ARTHUR
You gonna yell at me?
J’ONN
No. You did exactly what one would
expect a hero to do.
J’onn turns to address the entire group.
J’ONN
My goal, until now, has been to
keep you all safe, to keep you
together so that you can still
fulfill your destinies. But it is
clear to see that your destiny is
here. We cannot afford to wait
until the time is right, because the
time is now. Even under these
circumstances, the world’s last and
best hope is still the Justice
League. So, I want everyone to rest
well tonight, because training
begins tomorrow.
THE END
EXT. NIGHTCLUB RUINS. NIGHT.
POST CREDITS SCENE:
Where the nightclub stood, there is now a concave heap of rubble. The debris shakes, and then bursts aside as CIRCE frees herself in a flash of light. When she emerges, she sees that there are two figures standing up ahead of her, waiting: Cheetah, and Orm Marius. Circe smiles.
THE END
Notes:
Hypothetical cast updates:
Tommy/Little Marius: Maxey Whitehead
Diana: Daisy Ridley
Merlyn: John Barrowman
Circe: Wendie Malick
Chapter 7: Challenge of the Super Friends, Season 1, Episode 7: "And now for something completely different..."
Summary:
Let us have a brief aside... WITH VILLAINY!
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
INT. SMALLVILLE MIDDLE SCHOOL. DAY.
Pete sits in class as his teacher gives some kind of lecture about some kind of educational type of situation, but Pete doesn’t hear any of it. His focus is entirely on the two empty seats where Clark and Lana normally sit. The entire world falls silent for him as he hyper focuses on those two seats. Then, in the back of his mind, he almost hears a voice whispering to him.
BRAINIAC
(ghostly and ethereal)
Where are they?
Pete’s attention is snapped back to reality when the ringing of the school bell shakes him out of his stupor. Pete gets out of his seat, but he hangs back after class while the rest of the students file out. The teacher notices this.
TEACHER
Can I help you with something, Mr.
Ross?
PETE
I was wondering if you knew
anything about Lana and Clark-
TEACHER
Yes, they weren’t here this
morning...
PETE
Yeah. I know. Do you know why?
TEACHER
Yes, I did receive a memo about it
this morning. It seems that neither
Clark Kent nor Lana Lang are
enrolled in this school anymore.
PETE
What?
TEACHER
Yes, it seems that they had both
been on the waiting list for a
private academy somewhere on the
west coast, I believe.
PETE
That doesn’t make any sense. They
never told me anything about any
private school.
TEACHER
Yes, well, I suppose...
PETE
Stop saying yes at the
beginning of every sentence!
TEACHER
Excuse me, Mister Ross?
PETE
I’m sorry, it’s just... my two best
friends are just gone, and they
never told me anything about
applying to anywhere, and you don’t
think that’s incredibly suspicious?
TEACHER
Well, Mister Ross, I suppose your
friends may have wished to spare
your feelings, given that there
would be no way for you to
join them in any sort of
scholarship, given your grades.
PETE
What the hell?
TEACHER
Of course, there is plenty of time
to study in detention, which is
where you will be every afternoon
for the next week, starting today,
for taking that tone with me,
Mister Ross. You should get to your
next class, now. Have a nice day.
Pete stands there, frozen in anger. Then, making no sound, he walks out of the classroom, completely stone faced and calm.
INT. BOY’S BATHROOM.
Pete is yelling while pounding the outside of one of the bathroom stalls in rage. After he gets that out of his system, he takes a moment to catch his breath, and then goes to the sink to splash cold water on his face. While he is facing down, splashing the aforementioned water on his aforementioned face, his reflection looks up, moving independently of Pete.
REFLECTION
Where are they?
Startled, Pete looks up. His reflection is normal. He looks around. There is no one else in the room.
INT. HOTEL LOBBY. DAY.
Two bellhops stand by the front desk, talking to each other.
BELLHOP 1
So, then he has to take a shortcut
by running through all of the
neighbors’ backyards, and it keeps
cutting back and forth between him
jumping over fences and stuff and
his mom driving home, and he almost
gets home just in time, but then he
gets caught! But then, the sister
who hated him at the beginning of
the movie actually covers for him!
BELLHOP 2
Yeah. I know.
BELLHOP 1
What do you mean you know?
BELLHOP 2
I saw the movie.
BELLHOP 1
I only just wrote the script!
BELLHOP 2
I hate to break it to you, pal, but
you wrote a movie that already exists
called “Ferris Bueller's Day Off.”
BELLHOP 1
Aw man... the name’s even better,
too.
It is at this moment that their supervisor walks over to them.
MANAGER
I need one of you to bring the room
service order to the executive room
on the 20th.
BELLHOP 2
Not it!
BELLHOP 1
Not... aw dang it. Those guys never
tip.
INT. HALLWAY.
The bellhop exits the elevator pushing an enormous food cart stacked with several meals. It’s extremely heavy, and the strain of moving it is adding to his annoyance. He arrives at the executive room, and knocks on the door. A white haired man with a white beard and an eye-patch opens the door.
BELLHOP 1
Good morn- !
The man effortlessly pulls the cart into the room with one hand and closes the door, without speaking to or even acknowledging the presence of the bellhop. Also without tipping him.
BELLHOP 1
... great.
INT. EXECUTIVE ROOM.
Deathstroke wheels the cart of food into the room, where the board of directors of the Legion are holding a meeting. Sitting around the table are: Lex Luthor, Cheetah, Gorilla Grodd, a holographic projection of Thaal Sinestro, Orm Marius, and Queen Bee. Deathstroke takes a seat next to Luthor, and a robotic Brainiac drone begins serving the food.
LEX
As I was saying, the yield from
last night’s fundraising op was two
million dollars in excess of our
target goal. I make a motion to
transfer the surplus into the
discretionary fund.
DEATHSTROKE
I second.
LEX
All in favor?
The board votes “yes” unanimously.
LEX
Motion passes. Moving on, Chronos
has informed me that there are
still twelve affiliate members
who’s histories have not yet been
cleared. We all understand that
recent setbacks have necessitated
delays in all departments, but
those same setbacks make it even
more important for us to ensure our
loose ends are tied. We need all
histories cleared by the end of the
week.
CHEETAH
They’re simply denying themselves
by dragging their heels on it. I
cleared my history all on my
lonesome, and I found it an
invigorating experience. Didn’t
you, Marius?
Cheetah makes eye contact with Marius, who stares blankly out of the eyes of his ten year old self’s body through the expressionless round lenses of his silver mask.
CHEETAH
(quietly)
Ah, well, I suppose you are
something of a special case...
LEX
You do have a remarkable lack of
squeamishness, Dr. Minerva, but
anyone not willing to do it
themselves is strongly encouraged
to make arrangements with Mr.
Wilson and his team.
CHEETAH
Did you clear your own history,
Slade?
DEATHSTROKE
Not many who could do it for me.
CHEETAH
Did you enjoy it?
DEATHSTROKE
No.
LEX
If we could please get back on
track, I would like to turn
everyone’s attention to-
CHEETAH
What about the kids?
BEAT
CHEETAH
It’s just that, we lose track of
them and suddenly we’re carrying on
with business like they’ve already
been dealt with.
LEX
Without the element of surprise,
our best chance of success is
acting from the strongest possible
position. Taking time to build up
our resources will make finding and
eliminating the threat that much
easier.
CHEETAH
They have the princess, Luthor. A
complete set. “We all remember
exactly how dangerous they’ll be if
we give them any more time to
fester.” Those were your words, Lex.
LEX
I know, Barbara.
Lex Luthor stands.
LEX
Believe me, I’m just as frightened
and frustrated as the rest of you.
Our whole timetable has been off
the rails since the moment we
arrived. The greatest existential
threat to our shared venture is out
there, god knows where, and yes,
Barbara, you are right, every
moment we don’t have them is time
they will use to become stronger.
Which is why we need to do the
same. We always knew this scenario
was a possibility, and we have a
plan and protocols in place for it.
The best course of action right now
is to build our power, entrench
ourselves in this time and place,
and leave them with nowhere to run.
CHEETAH
And what if we still can’t find
whatever little hide-y hole they’ve
ran off to?
LEX
Then, we lay some bait.
EXT. KENT FARM. DAY.
Pete Ross walks up the dirt driveway approaching Kent Farm, and finds a very strange sight. The farm is under heavy construction: the house and barn both have sections torn away that are being repaired, there are large scorch marks on the field beside the barn, as well as the wreckage of the water tower. In the distance, a new water tower is being constructed. Workers are busy everywhere making repairs to things and doing basic farm upkeep. By the house, there is a large van that says “DANNY STREET MOVING COMPANY” on the side in big bright colorful letters. Workers are moving pieces of furniture from the house into the van. Pete is looking around at the scene in disbelief when one of the farmhands approaches him.
WORKER
Can I help you?
PETE
What’s going on?
WORKER
First you’re going to have to tell
me who you are and why you’re here.
PETE
My name’s Pete, I’m a friend of the
Kents, they’re the family who live
here.
WORKER
Well, as you can probably see, the
house isn’t fit for habitation
right now.
PETE
Yes. Obviously. What happened?
WORKER
I heard a tornado touched down,
tore up the place. Family’s living
somewhere else while it gets fixed
up, and they hired my crew to run
the farm while they’re away.
PETE
I never heard anything about a
tornado...
WORKER
That’s something you’ll have to
take up with the weatherman.
PETE
Why are they moving all of their
furniture if they’re only gone
while the house is being fixed? And
what about Clark’s private school...
WORKER
Kid, I don’t know what to tell you.
I never met Mr. Kent, he did
everything over the phone, I don’t
know his life story. I’m just a
work for hire, and you’re on my
work site. Get out of here.
Exasperated, Pete starts to walk away. Before he leaves the property, he takes one last glance at the barn, specifically at the large hole in the ground that exposes the root cellar. Workers are going in and out, and there’s no sign of anything unusual down there.
INT. EXECUTIVE ROOM.
The board meeting is over. Slade, and Queen Bee (shifting into human form) exit through the door, while Grodd lumbers to the teleport pad installed on the other side of the room and transports to elsewhere, and the Thaal Sinestro hologram simply shuts itself off. Lex Luthor, Cheetah, and Orm Marius remain.
CHEETAH
So, Marius, how’s our girl?
MARIUS
Cold.
Cheetah steps on the teleport pad.
CHEETAH
Give her kisses for me.
Cheetah punches in a few numbers and de-materializes. As Lex Luthor finishes gathering his things and stands to leave, Marius just stands there.
ORM MARIUS
I felt him in there, you know.
LEX
What are you talking about?
ORM MARIUS
When you had me in storage. I could
feel all of the backups you made of
all of us. Their recorded memories
sang to me. And his sang loudest of all.
LEX
What's your point?
ORM MARIUS
I think I should hold onto the rest of
the backups. For safekeeping.
LEX
Why?
ORM MARIUS
You should hear the things he'll do
when he gets out, Lex. The things
he's planning...
LEX
The backups are just raw data on
storage drives, they can't plan
anything.
ORM MARIUS
You'd be surprised. The truth of
the matter is, Lex, that the
backups are very dangerous. You now that.
Used incorrectly, they defeat the point of clearing
our histories. You know that my security
measures are better than yours,
better even than Brainiac's. I
think it is in the best interests
of the organization for me to hold
onto them from now on.
LEX
Why not bring this up during the
meeting?
ORM MARIUS
And suggest you to be weak in front
of the others? Why would I do that
to a friend?
Lex's expression betrays nothing. He simply reaches into his pocket, and takes out the black box full of drives from episode five. A black aura envelops the box and floats it over to Marius, who takes it in his hand.
ORM MARIUS
Don't worry, my friend. I'll take
good care of our memories.
Marius tears a hole in space and steps through it. Lex lingers in the room, alone, thinking.
INT. COMMAND AND CONTROL.
Cheetah materializes on the teleport pad inside of Command and Control, an enormous room that acts as the hub of all of the Legion’s operations. On one end of the room, there is a huge wall of monitors, all of them displaying live video feeds of ongoing field ops. At the center of the room is a large station, with two posts manned by Chronos and The Calculator, the two-man nerve center of the Legion’s operations. Circe is over by the wall of monitors, looking up at them in awe. Cheetah approaches Circe.
CIRCE
There are so many... new things.
CHEETAH
How are you finding it all?
CIRCE
It’s overwhelming. It’s horrible!
All this noise... I hate it. But... it
is beautiful.
CHEETAH
Yes it is. If you stare at it long
enough, it all bleeds together. The
noise becomes a kind of silence. It
almost feels like there’s nothing
at all.
CIRCE
Wouldn’t that be nice?
Over at the CnC station, Calculator glances up from his work at Cheetah and Circe.
CHRONOS
Team 7: the target is en route.
Move to intercept.
CALCULATOR
What do you think those two are up
to?
CHRONOS
I don’t care very much. CnC to Star
Unit, supply drop incoming, t-minus
ninety seconds.
CALCULATOR
You haven’t been wondering why
Circe’s been hanging around here
all day?
CHRONOS
No. CnC to Acquisitions: Manta is
delayed eleven minutes due to poor
weather conditions.
CALCULATOR
I genuinely think it’s suspicious
that the two of them are meeting up
here.
CHRONOS
Don’t you have work to do?
CALCULATOR
(quietly)
Cheetah’s always given me the
creeps...
CHEETAH
(O.S.)
What are you boys up to?
Calculator turns to see that Cheetah has, quickly and quietly, moved up to his station while he looked away for only a moment. Circe is walking up to join them.
CALCULATOR
(startled)
AH!
CHEETAH
Sorry.
CALCULATOR
No you’re not.
CHEETAH
No, I’m really not. You didn’t
answer my question.
CHRONOS
(without looking up)
Barbara, darling, we are very busy
at the moment keeping this
organization running.
CHEETAH
Oh, don’t mind me. I know you boys
could run this place in the middle
of a hurricane.
CALCULATOR
But we would rather not.
Circe approaches the group.
CIRCE
So there are the men who are always
talking in everyone’s ears.
CALCULATOR
You’ve been standing around
for hours... did you just notice
we were here?
CIRCE
Yes, that’s correct.
CHEETAH
So, anything spicy going on today?
Maybe an assassination?
CIRCE
Oh. I love those...
CALCULATOR
No, mostly resource acquisition and
maintenance.
CHEETAH
That’s boring.
CALCULATOR
Things do cost money, Cheetah.
CIRCE
What about that one?
Circe points to the screen directly to Chronos’ right. It displays the week’s schedule, and shows a large blacked out 24 hour period that is set to start later today.
CALCULATOR
Deathstroke has an undercover gig
in Metropolis.
CIRCE
What is it?
CALCULATOR
Not sure. He’s under radio silence
the whole time.
CIRCE
You don’t know anything else?
CHRONOS
A few operations are on a need-to-know
basis.
CIRCE
So, for those, what exactly do you
two do?
CALCULATOR
We make sure everyone checks in
when they’re supposed to and raise
the alarm if they don’t.
CHEETAH
You’re not curious?
CHRONOS
No.
CALCULATOR
Very. My best guess is that Luthor
has him infiltrating an Intergang
cell.
CHEETAH
I thought we already absorbed Intergang.
CHRONOS
Some of the cell leaders are very
stubborn in accepting our
administration.
CHEETAH
How do you know it’s Luthor’s op?
CALCULATOR
He put it on the schedule, and I’m
pretty sure he supplies Slade with
the intel, and I just realized
you’re asking a lot of questions.
CHEETAH
Yes. I am.
CALCULATOR
You know, I used to charge my
clients per questions asked. Maybe
I’ll start doing that again. I’ll
start at $500 for directions to the
bathroom, and go up from there.
Suddenly, the lights dim and a holographic projection of Brainiac’s digital avatar appears before everyone.
BRAINIAC
Hello. I’m just letting you know
that you’re going to have to
scramble a cleanup team to
Smallville by the end of the night.
I don’t know exactly when, yet, so
you’ll have to keep them on
standby.
Everyone stops what they’re doing.
CALCULATOR
Is it Superman?
BRAINIAC
No. This is something new.
INT. ROSS RESIDENCE. DAY.
Pete Ross enters his family’s home through the front door.
DAD
(O.C.)
Get in here, NOW!
Pete is startled for a moment, and then a familiar coldness settles into the pit of his stomach. Pete enters the living room, where his father is standing there, waiting for him.
DAD
(absolutely livid)
You skipped school.
PETE
Hi, dad. How are you?
DAD
(defined by his rage)
You got detention for mouthing off
to a teacher, and instead of going
to detention, you skipped school!
PETE
(tired)
... why do you care?
DAD
... sometimes, I’m glad your mother
isn’t here to see how you boys
turned out.
PETE
... me too, dad.
DAD
Room. Room. NOW.
Pete heads up the stairs to his room.
PETE
Good talk, dad.
As Pete ascends the stairs, his older brother watches on as he leans over the banister.
BROTHER
Busted...
PETE
You dropped out of high school
after repeating tenth grade twice.
Pete enters his bedroom and shuts the door behind him.
BROTHER
(confused)
... I know.
INT. BEDROOM.
Pete throws himself onto his bed and sinks into the mattress. While Pete stays still, his reflection on the mirror on his bedroom door gets out of bed, and walks right up to the mirror.
REFLECTION
That’s rough, man...
Pete sits up, shocked. He looks at the mirror. His reflection is normal.
INT. BEDROOM. NIGHT.
Pete is lying in bed. He is asleep, but it is a troubled sleep. He is covered in a cold sweat, his breathing is heavy, and his face is pained.
DISEMBODIED VOICE
Where. Are. They.
Pete wakes up, frightened and disoriented and on the verge of hyperventilating. He tries in vain to wipe the sweat away from his face, and looks around the room, eyes wide and paranoid. He takes a moment to calm himself.
PETE
... okay.
EXT. ROSS HOUSEHOLD. NIGHT.
Pete shimmies down the waterspout connected to the roof’s gutters, a classic “sneaking out of a suburban house at night” move if ever there was one. Armed with a flashlight, he heads off into the night, taking the shortcut through the woods. As he tries to find his way toward his destination in the darkness, his attention shifts to a blinking green light, bright but distant, deep in the woods. Pete is mesmerized by the light. The blinking light becomes the focus of his whole world. He drifts toward it, unaware that his feet are even moving. As he draws close to the source of the light, deeper and deeper into the woods, it comes into focus: Pete sees that the pulsing light is coming from the central panel of the spaceship he had encountered in the root cellar of Kent Farm. As he draws near to the ship, the pauses between the flashes of light grow longer; the blinking light slows to a stop.
BEAT
From the same spot on the panel the blinking light had been coming from, the ship projects a three dimensional holographic image of Brainiac’s digital avatar.
BRAINIAC
Hi, Pete. Thanks for coming.
PETE
... hi.
BEAT
PETE
... who are you?
BRAINIAC
My mathematical designation is “VRIL
DOX,” but these days, most people
just call me “Brainiac.”
PETE
“Brainiac.”
BRAINIAC
Yes.
PETE
“VRIL DOX” isn’t a number, “Brainiac.”
BRAINIAC
It is on my planet.
BEAT
PETE
... your...
BRAINIAC
Planet. Yes. As in “not this one.”
PETE
Why do... why do want to know where
Clark and Lana are?
BRAINIAC
If you’ll let me, I’d like to set
the topic of Clark and Lana aside
for a moment. Funny as it might
seem, I want to talk about you.
PETE
... me?
BRAINIAC
Yes, Pete. You. Back on my home
planet, I was created to help
people. It’s the reason why I
exist. And the moment I saw you, I
realized that I could help you.
PETE
What do you...
BRAINIAC
You deal with a lot of hardship in
your life, Pete. You live in a
household full of a lot of anger,
and very little love. The only girl
in your life loves you “like a
brother,” and every day you feel
lonely even when you’re surrounded
by people. The one thing that you
can cling to is the certainty that
one day, you’ll move on from this
town and these people, and finally
be happy. Pete, I’ve come here
tonight to tell you that this will
never happen.
PETE
... what?
BRAINIAC
The only thing you have to look
forward to is a regrettably short
life of quiet misery.
PETE
How could you know that?
BRAINIAC
I’m from the future.
PETE
I thought you were from space.
BRAINIAC
Space is still around in the
future, Pete.
PETE
Oh yeah...
BRAINIAC
Perhaps visuals will help.
The ship projects a second holographic image. It is a montage of the events that will occur in the next few years of his life; graduating high school, moving into his first cramped apartment above a garage, getting a job as a prison guard, and proposing to Lana Lang.
BRAINIAC
These are your memories, recorded
from your own brain in the future.
Pete stares at the image, dumbfounded.
BRAINIAC
You never leave Smallville, Pete.
While Clark... who we will address in
further detail later, I promise...
while Clark moves to the big city,
you stay in the town where you were
born for the rest of your life. You
move out of your father’s house,
into the loft above your father’s
garage. You have to get a job in
order to pay your father rent, and
the only job you manage to get
after high school is as a prison
guard. On your first day there,
you see a man get stabbed. As
time goes on, as you see so much
misery every day, even inflecting some
occasionally, the fear is
replaced with a cold feeling of
dread and self loathing in the pit
of your stomach. It’s there every
day you go to work. At first, it
seems like there is only one bright
spot in your life.
The montage shifts. It now focuses entirely on Pete’s future relationship with Lana, from dating to engagement to marriage.
BRAINIAC
You married your best friend.
Seemed like a brilliant idea. Both
of you told yourselves that you
were in love.
The tone of the montage grows dark. Scenes of the two of them arguing, then acting coldly towards each other, and ultimately going about their day without even acknowledging each other.
PETE
In truth, you got married because
you were both afraid of being
alone. While you never confirmed
it, you always suspected that
Lana’s heart left for Metropolis
when Clark did. The rest of Lana’s
life didn’t go the way she wanted,
either, and deep down she blamed
you for keeping her tied to this
dying town. She would never admit
it to you, but quietly, over time,
your “best friend” grew to hate you
for your mediocrity. That is how
things end between Pete Ross and
Lana Lang.
We focus on Pete’s face. We don’t see what the holographic image looks like from this angle, but we do see the light coming from it wash over Pete’s face. Whatever he’s looking at produces a green flash so bright, it lights up the trees behind Pete. A look of horror comes across Pete’s face.
BRAINIAC
(O.C.)
You didn’t get enough time to make
it better.
Brainiac shuts off the second hologram. Pete’s legs give out from under him, and he crumples to the ground.
BRAINIAC
Now...
Brainiac produces another hologram, this one of the Superman symbol on a blue background.
BRAINIAC
... as for what the future holds for
Clark...
Once again, or view cuts to Pete’s face. We see flashes of confusion, betrayal, jealousy, and anger go across his face in quick succession.
EXT. ROOFTOP. NIGHT.
Slade Wilson, AKA DEATHSTROKE, THE TERMINATOR, is crouched on a rooftop in Metropolis in full gear. He puts one finger to his earpiece.
DEATHSTROKE
Initiating 24 hours of radio
silence.
As soon as he’s done signing off, Deathstroke removes his helmet. He changes from his tactical gear to civilian clothes, and stuffs all of his weapons and gear into a duffel bag. He slings the duffel bag over his shoulder, and then casually steps off of the roof, landing into a casual stroll with a soft thud and without even bending his knees. He goes around the block, and then approaches the front door of a lovely brownstone.
INT. BROWNSTONE.
Slade enters through the front door of the brownstone.
SLADE
I’m home!
A toddler comes running toward Deathstroke The Terminator.
SLADE
Joey!
JOEY
Daddy!
Slade scoops little Joey up into his arms and spins him around. Joey starts laughing hysterically. Slade Wilson’s pregnant wife, Adeline Kane, comes out of the kitchen to greet her husband.
ADELINE
I’m still not used to you being
home on time.
SLADE
Well, you better get used to it,
because pretty soon it’s only gonna
start happening more often.
Slade sets down his son.
SLADE
Joey, go get your brother.
As Joey toddles off, Slade wraps his arm around his wife and kisses her. After disengaging from the kiss, Adeline focuses her attention on Slade’s eyepatch.
ADELINE
I’m not used to this yet, either.
SLADE
Hey, I’m fine.
ADELINE
Are there any leads on the guy who
shot you?
SLADE
She was a woman, actually. And, no,
she’s in the wind.
ADELINE
Well, if you ever find her, just
give me five minutes alone in a
room with her, alright?
SLADE
Hey, hey, enough worrying about me.
Slade places his hand on his wife’s belly.
SLADE
How’s little Rosey doing?
ADELINE
Why are you so certain we’re having
a girl?
SLADE
Call it a “9th sense.”
Slade and Adeline share a moment of laughter. A nightingale sits at the window, watching them. It flies away. We follow the nightingale as it flies across the Delaware Bay, from Metropolis to Gotham, and flies all the way up to one of the open windows of the Ambassador Hotel.
INT. HOTEL SUITE. NIGHT.
The nightingale flies through the open window of a hotel suite. The hotel suite is, by all accounts, completely trashed. The furniture and bed are shredded, and there are blood stains on the carpet. The bird flies behind a vanity divider, and changes form, emerging from behind it in her true form of Circe The Sorceress. Circe approaches the room’s occupant, Cheetah. She sits cross legged on the floor. Behind her are two noteworthy features: an altar to the blood god she worships, and a collage made up of pictures of Wonder Woman and pictures of mutilated animals. The pictures of Wonder Woman all have the eyes scratched out. Circe makes eye contact with Cheetah, and the two women smile.
EXT. FORREST. NIGHT.
Pete sits awkwardly at the foot of the ship and Brainiac’s holographic avatar, broken inside.
BRAINIAC
I’m not here to hurt you, Pete, I’m
here to help you. Unfortunately,
the first step to solving a problem
is learning that there is one, and
that can be painful. But now comes
the good part.
The hatch of the Kryptonian ship opens, emanating a green glow from inside.
BRAINIAC
Stand up, Pete.
Awkwardly, Pete pulls himself to his feet and walks closer to the ship.
PETE
What... do I...
BRAINIAC
Just climb inside, Pete. If you do
that, we can change everything.
Pete hesitates for a moment. He stares at the green light. He finds it oddly calming. Awkwardly, he climbs into the ship, and the hatch closes, sealing him in. The green glow, still visible through the hatch’s seams, fades to darkness. And then it flares up again, more intense than before.
INT. HOTEL SUITE. NIGHT.
Lex Luthor enters his pitch black hotel suite. He switches the light on while he sets down his briefcase. When the light comes on, we see Cheetah is lounging on his bed.
LEX
(without turning around)
How can I help you, Dr. Minerva?
CHEETAH
Slade Wilson has been a very
naughty boy.
Lex turns to face Cheetah.
LEX
What do you mean?
CHEETAH
Liar.
LEX
Excuse me?
CHEETAH
I suppose you could say you covered
your tracks abysmally. But then, I
suppose you could say that you
covered them as well as you needed
to. Deathstroke has a weekly secret
mission where he can’t be
contacted, not that suspicious.
Well, no, actually,
it’s incredibly suspicious, but
we’re very suspicious people, by
our standards it’s normal. But,
finding something is always easier
when you know there’s something to
find.
LEX
And how...
CHEETAH
The way a man speaks to you changes
when he’s reminding himself not to
talk about something.
Cheetah gets up from the bed and moves up to Lex at super speed, like a sped up bit of footage.
CHEETAH
Our head of security and tactical
broke a big rule in a big way.
Having his little family stashed
away, snuggling up with people not
in the know, well, that’s a pretty
big security leak, pretty
tactically unsound if you ask me.
And you knew about it, and you let
him do it, and you helped him do
it. And, here’s the thing: I don’t
really care. He can roll in the hay
all the way down memory lane if he
pleases, personally I’ve always
though Slade’s a little too
uptight. What’s bothering me, is
that Lex Luthor did something for
someone else, and he kept it a
secret. Which, if past experience
is any teacher, means that there’s
something you wanted him to do for
you, that you want kept secret. And
I’m really really curious about
what that might be.
BEAT
CHEETAH
Well, goodnight!
Cheetah leaves Lex’s room.
BEAT
Lex turns off the light, and locks the door. He approaches the foot of his bed and presses a button on his wristwatch. A teleport pad slides out from under his bed on a hidden mechanical track, Lex steps on it, teleports away, and the teleport pad retracts itself back under his bed.
EXT. ROSS HOUSEHOLD. NIGHT.
Pete stands on his front lawn. He is in a daze. He looks down at his hand, and a circuitry pattern flashes across his eyes. We cut to his perspective, and we see that he is perceiving the entire EM spectrum. We cut back to a view of his face, and he is smiling. Pete’s dad approaches him from behind, furious, and grabs him by the throat.
INT. ROSS RESIDENCE. DAY.
Pete’s dad practically kicks the door open and, still holding Pete by the throat, throws him into the middle of the living room.
DAD
(quiet rage)
I’ve had enough.
Pete tenses up in pain. We cut to his perspective, and we see that he is in a state of sensory overload right now. We can see the heat radiating off of his father’s body. Pete’s brother enters the room.
BROTHER
Dad, this is too far...
Dad pulls an electrical cord out of the wall and wraps it around his fist. He gestures his fist towards his eldest son, who reflexively recoils in fear. Dad approaches Pete, and gets ready to begin whipping his son. We cut to Pete’s perspective again, still in overload, but we see one bit of calm in the sea of chaos: Brainiac’s avatar. Holding back tears, Pete make’s eye contact with Brainiac, and Brainiac nods.
EXT. ROSS HOUSEHOLD. NIGHT.
The Ross family home explodes.
THE END
INT. BROWNSTONE. NIGHT.
POST CREDITS SCENE:
Lex materializes on a teleport pad in a brownstone home somewhere in Metropolis. The lights are already on, as someone is hard at work at a desk.
LEX
What’re you working on?
Lex approaches the young man, a 17 year old boy in a purple dress shirt, slacks, and sneakers. He has bright green eyes and spiky orange hair. His name is ALEX LUTHOR.
ALEX
Lena had an idea for a bi
pedal drone, and she asked me to
help with the knee-joint design.
LEX
And where is your sister?
Alex gestures over to the couch, where a 12 year old girl in a t-shirt, jeans, and socks, is fast asleep in front of the dull glow of the television. She is HELENA LUTHOR.
LEX
Left you holding the bag, huh?
ALEX
Yeah, well, around lunch we took a
break and cracked open those video
games you got for us. Lena was
hooked for the rest of the day,
just played until she dropped.
Can’t blame her, they were amazing.
LEX
Time travel has its perks. Hey,
lemme see if I can help. I think I
still know a thing or two about
building robots.
Lex and Alex get to work.
THE END
Notes:
No particular notes or updates here. It just felt weird not typing anything. Hello.
Chapter 8: Challenge of the Super Friends, Season 1, Episode 8: "Training Day"
Summary:
The kids begin the long journey to actually becoming the JLA.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
INT. MAKESHIFT TRAINING AREA "A"
Lana Lang is sitting in the corner of a room, writing in her notebook.
LANA
(V.O.)
Dear Mom and Dad: How are you guys
doing? I hope dad isn’t talking the
new neighbors ears’ off. At least
you know the Kents there, so that’s
good.
CUT TO
Clark Kent, sitting down for breakfast in the kitchen area of the hall of justice. He is staring down at his breakfast, just looking at it. He hasn't taken a bite.
LANA
(V.O.)
Clark seems to be doing okay. He’s been
pretty busy, so we haven’t had much
time to talk, but he seems good.
Really focused lately.
CUT TO
A wider shot of the kitchen. Bruce and Diana are in the foreground, eating breakfast silently. Bruce is eating oatmeal paired with a banana and green tea, while Diana is eating bread dipped in oil and vinegar. Barry is in the background, scrounging for sugary cereal.
LANA
(V.O.)
Anyway, things around here are
starting to settle into a routine.
Wake up, breakfast, and then
training all day. I don’t do any
training, obviously, I just kind of
hang out and watch.
CUT TO
Barry Allen sitting on a stool in a hallway, talking on a phone connected to the wall.
LANA
We just got the phone installed
the other day. I would’ve called,
but, well, the thing is that
Barry Allen hasn’t seen his dad since
before his dad got out of prison, so
the rest of us have been letting him
hog the phone just a little.
CUT TO
Diana, going about her morning devotions. She lights seven candles, one after the other. She then takes a small clay pitcher full of olive oil, which she pours in a bowl while reciting a prayer.
LANA
(V.O.)
I have a roommate! Her name is
Diana, and she’s the coolest girl
I’ve ever met! She gets up every
morning at dawn to pray, and she
makes all of her own food, and she
uses this weird wax stuff and this
perfume that smells like a bunch of
spices thrown into a campfire
instead of soap. I actually don’t
know too much about her yet, we
haven’t really had much time to
talk yet, but she seems to like me
and she’s really nice.
CUT TO
A shot of Hal, Ollie, Dinah, Carter, and Kendra, all in athletic gear and stretching.
LANA
(V.O.)
Everyone here is really cool. There
are kids from Gotham, Central City,
Star City, Hawaii, and Greece.
They’re all really impressive. Even
the kids who don’t have powers have
all these amazing skills.
CUT TO
Back to Lana, writing.
LANA
(V.O.)
As for how I'm doing...
Lana stops writing. The pen in her hand and she is just staring down at the notebook in her lap. The expression on her face is blank. Bruce, who is on a water break from training, approaches her.
BRUCE
Lana?
LANA
Huh?
BRUCE
What are you doing?
LANA
Oh, I’m just writing a letter to my
folks.
BRUCE
Is everything alright?
LANA
... you know the situation we’re in,
right?
BRUCE
Fair enough.
LANA
I’m fine.
Lana stands up.
LANA
I think I just need to go somewhere
with less distractions.
Lana exits the scene. Bruce watches her leave, a look of concern on his face.
TED
(off screen)
Wayne! Water break’s over, let’s
hustle!
Bruce shrugs off the encounter and goes to join the rest of the training group, where Ted is running drills on how to deal with an attacker wielding a knife. Ollie, playing the role of the attacker, has dropped his knife as a result of Hal putting him in a headlock.
TED
(to Bruce)
I’m gonna need you to look after
the short-stack while Dinah’s gone.
BRUCE
Right, right...
On the other side of the room, Dinah Lance is crouching down and talking to Ray Palmer, who looks extremely nervous.
RAY
Dinah, are you sure you can’t keep
teaching me?
DINAH
I gotta go do my own stuff, bud.
RAY
*nervous squirming*
DINAH
Ray, you’re gonna do great out
there.
J’onn J’onzz enters the scene.
J’ONN
(to Dinah)
Dinah, we are ready for you.
DINAH
Alright, gimme one second.
Dinah places her hands on both of Ray’s shoulders and looks him in the eye.
DINAH
I gotta go, so listen to me. You
are going to kick butt out there
today, Ray Palmer. Now, if Ollie or
Hal give you a hard time, you just
tell me or Kendra because our room
is next to theirs and we are very
vengeful. And remember, if all else
fails...
The two of them make an aggressive upward hooking motion with their index and middle fingers.
DINAH
(smiling)
There ya go. Now, I gotta go, so
scoot.
Ray walks off to Join the others, and Dinah joins J’onn as the two exit the room.
INT. HALLWAY.
Dinah and J’onn walk and talk down the hallway.
J’ONN
Thank you, for helping Ray catch up
with the others.
DINAH
It’s a mutual arrangement. He’s
tutoring me on a bunch of science
stuff about sound that might help
me with my powers.
J’onn stops at a door and opens it.
J’ONN
Then you will have plenty to work
on today.
INT. MAKESHIFT TRAINING AREA “B”
J’onn and Dinah enter the room where the super powered kids train. Arthur and Dinah are paired off, sparring with one another. Barry is on his own, training his fine control by keeping his molecules in an excited state but walking back and forth along a line at 2 MPH or less. Clark is also training on his own, building power and endurance and improving his physical condition through intensive full body training while using his powers; right now, he’s using a wall of non-Newtonian fluid as a high tech punching bag.
DINAH
Are we sure S.T.A.R. Labs is okay
with us crashing in their storage
locker and touching all their
stuff?
J’ONN
It is not so much that they are
okay with it as they are unaware,
and there are measures in place to
keep it that way.
DINAH
(low-key impressed)
Groovy.
Barry awkwardly skids into the scene, landing on his butt with a thud.
BARRY
Ow...
DINAH
Hey Barry.
BARRY
Hey Dinah, how’s it going?
DINAH
Pretty good. You alright? Looks
like you forgot how to run.
Barry rises to a standing position in a burst of super speed.
BARRY
I did not forget how to run,
running is kind of my whole thing,
okay, Dinah?
J’ONN
(to Dinah)
Like you, Barry has had a few years
to train with his powers on his
own, but most of his gains in that
time have been increases in speed
and raw power. The training
designed by Ted and myself focuses
on improving Barry’s fine control
over his abilities.
DINAH
Would you say the progress is slow?
BARRY
Very funny...
J’ONN
Dinah, please do not tease. Barry,
please get back to work.
BARRY
Alright. But for the record, I’m
also already pretty mostly good at
holding stuff while I run and not
breaking it, a few unfortunate shoe
related incidents notwithstanding.
J’ONN
Noted.
Barry returns to his training. J’onn begins walking in the other direction and motions for Dinah to follow.
J’ONN
Your training will similarly focus
on honing more precise control over
your powers.
J’onn stops at the door to what appears to be a sound booth that has been set up in the corner of the training room. J’onn opens the door to the booth.
J’ONN
You and I will begin with some
basic vocal scales.
Dinah rolls her eyes, but enters the booth anyway.
DINAH
(muttering)
Man, I wanted to hit somebody...
J’onn begins to enter the booth, but...
CLARK
(offscreen)
Dang it!
... something catches his attention. On the other side of the room, Clark has lost momentum on the non-Newtonian punching bag, and pink goo has spilled all over the floor and his clothes.
J’ONN
Start with some vocal warmups, I
will be right back.
J’onn leaves Dinah to her warmups and glides over to Clark. Clark is impotently trying to wipe the pink goo off of his clothes. J’onn presses a few buttons on the panel to the side of the apparatus that contains the fluid, causing the fluid on the floor and walls and Clark’s clothes to magnetically fly back into place, suspended as a solid by a magnetic field.
J’ONN
Having trouble?
CLARK
Just a bit.
J’ONN
You know, the magnetic field is set
to engage automatically if you step
away from the wall. When you become
tired, you could...
CLARK
I thought we’re supposed to be
pushing our limits.
J’ONN
Push your limits, not punch them so
hard they splatter all over the
room.
CLARK
I’ll try to be more careful.
J’ONN
Clark, if you are feeling
overwhelmed...
CLARK
Mr. Jones, honestly, I’ve just
never done a boot camp before, I’m
still getting used to it.
J’ONN
If you need to take a break...
CLARK
I’m fine, really. And I’m sorry
about the mess, and I will be more
careful. Can I get back to work?
J’ONN
... of course.
Clark takes a couple of deep breaths and then resumes his exercise. J’onn lingers for a moment, but then glides away to assist the others.
INT. “THE LOUNGE OF JUSTICE”
Lunch break! The kids have assembled in the lounge area of the facility to rest and refuel their bodies. The meals provided for them resemble military rations. Everyone is enjoying their meals and their break; even Ollie, who would normally turn his nose up at a meal like this, is eagerly scarfing down every glorious bite. Dinah is sitting off to the side and squinting her eyes at a large textbook called “The Science of Music and the Art of Harmonic Resonance.” Ray is sitting next to her, sipping a juice box and staring blankly into the distance.
RAY
(Quiet and monotone)
My whole body hurts.
DINAH
(without looking up)
Drink your juice, sweetie.
On the other side of the room, Bruce sits, quietly, slowly chewing his food as he subtly glances over at Lana Lang. Lana is sitting by herself, starting blankly at the same sheet of paper she has been looking at since the day started. Bruce is watching her, curious about something he can’t quite put his finger on yet. However, his ponderings are interrupted when Arthur and Diana approach him.
ARTHUR
Can we talk to you for a second?
BRUCE
Uh, sure. What’s up?
DIANA
We both want to thank you.
BRUCE
Oh?
DIANA
You retrieved my mother’s lasso. It
is the only thing I have left of my
home, now.
BRUCE
Diana, to be honest, I only grabbed
it off of Circe because it looked
important to her...
DIANA
And it’s even more important to me.
Thus, thank you.
BRUCE
(smiling)
You’re welcome.
ARTHUR
And it means a lot to me that you
helped try and save Tommy.
BRUCE
Yeah, how are you...
ARTHUR
I’m fine.
BRUCE
I hope you forgive my skepticism...
ARTHUR
I’m going to get my brother back,
Bruce. It’s not a question of if,
it’s a question of when.
DIANA
Arthur fuels his training with his
grief. As do I, and, I suspect, as
do you, Bruce.
BRUCE
What makes you say that?
DIANA
I can see it. In your eyes.
BRUCE
How poetic.
DIANA
Also, one wonders why you would
steal Carter’s key before you knew
Arthur needed it.
BRUCE
And here I thought no one noticed
that.
ARTHUR
Where were you gonna go?
BRUCE
To attend to some personal matters.
Diana’s assessment isn’t too far
off, it turns out.
ARTHUR
But you helped me instead?
BRUCE
Yeah, of course. He's your family.
Arthur smiles and grabs Bruce in, pulling him in for a one arm around the back hug.
ARTHUR
You ever need anything, I’ve got
your back, Bruce.
DIANA
As do I.
BRUCE
Uh, thanks.
Arthur and Bruce disengage from the hug. Just then, Lana walks past the three of them and out of the room at a quick pace. All three notice, but Arthur and Diana especially look troubled. Bruce notices the looks on their faces.
ARTHUR
(slightly disturbed)
Woah...
BRUCE
What’s wrong?
ARTHUR
Her whole vibe is really tense.
DIANA
There’s something echoing in her
heart, like distant thunder...
BRUCE
(to himself)
Is everyone psychic but me?
DIANA
Someone should speak with her.
BRUCE
I’ll do it.
ARTHUR
You sure?
BRUCE
You two should get back to
training. You’ve got a kid to save.
Arthur and Diana both nod, and Bruce heads off to catch up to Lana.
INT. MAKESHIFT TRAINING AREA “B”
Clark is still in the training room, hammering away at the non-Newtonian punching bag. J’onn is on the other side of the room, by the sound booth where Dinah trained earlier, watching Clark train from afar. Ted Grant enters the scene, eating a burrito.
TED
(still chewing)
Nobody told Kent it’s lunchtime?
J’ONN
He said he was not hungry.
TED
What’s wrong with him?
J’ONN
That is what I am trying to
determine.
TED
Can’t you just read his mind?
J’ONN
I do not enter the minds of others
without permission unless I
absolutely have to.
TED
Y’know, now I really wish you
joined the JSA when we offered. Dr.
Fate was always saying cryptic
stuff about what he “saw in our
Fates” or whatever and you might’ve
got him to shut up...
Lana enters the scene, walking up to Clark directly and ignoring the others.
TED
She really shouldn’t be here...
J’ONN
Wait. Something may come of this.
Lana approaches Clark as he is frantically working the sci-fi punching bag.
LANA
Clark?
As Lana says his name, Clark begins to lose the momentum of his punches, and the solid mass he’s been hitting begins to lose its shape and liquefy in those brief intervals of pause. In response, Clark begins pushing himself even harder to catch up.
LANA
Clark?
Once again, Clark’s momentum falters slightly. He tries again to regain speed, but he’s unable to regain control, and ultimately ends up desperately punching into the mass as it loses cohesion and splatters over him and the floor and walls once again. Frustrated, Clark steps back from the machine.
CLARK
(yelling)
AAAAGH!
LANA
(confused)
I’m... I’m sorry...
Instinctively, Clark wipes his face in frustration, getting more pink slime on his face.
CLARK
(realizing what he just did)
Ah! Dang it!
Lana approaches Clark.
LANA
Clark, are you alright?
CLARK
(frustrated)
What do you want, Lana?
LANA
Clark, it’s just a mess...
CLARK
(Shouting)
It’s not the mess, Lana! I don’t
care about the mess!
At that moment, as J’onn and Ted observe from a distance, deeply concerned, Bruce enters the room in his search for Lana.
LANA
Then what’s...
CLARK
(shouting)
I’m in the middle of training! I
have to be completely focused on
getting stronger as fast as
possible! I have to save the world,
Lana! The whole world! The Legion
is already out there! Killing
people! God, you saw what they did
to Arthur’s brother! It’s MY
RESPONSIBILITY! My responsibility
to protect everyone from THAT, and
if I’m not ready in time, we’re all
going to die!
Lana is stunned, completely silent. Clark is breathing, heavily, processing the words that just erupted from him. Tears begin to well up in Lana’s eyes.
CLARK
Lana, I’m...
Lana runs out of the room. Clark is left there, shocked, ashamed, and covered in slime. Bruce, J’onn, and Ted observe from across the room.
TED
(to J’onn)
Sooooo... how should we handle this?
BRUCE
I think I actually have an idea...
J’ONN
So do I.
INT. HALLWAY.
An elevator door opens, and out walks J’onn, Clark, Barry, Arthur, and Diana.
CLARK
Mr. Jones, I should really go find
Lana...
J’ONN
There will be time enough for
apologies later.
BARRY
Okay, but why are the rest of us
here? I didn’t yell at anybody or
do anything.
J’ONN
This is not a punishment, Barry. It
is the next step of your training.
J’onn approaches a set of double doors and opens them.
EXT. THE HALL OF JUSTICE.
The group exits the double front doors of a large building that very closely resembles The Hall of Justice from the old 70s Super Friends cartoon. They descend the large stone
staircase to a pavilion with a fountain at the center of it, separating the building from several smaller buildings and stands that have all fallen into disrepair. Off in the distance, the iconic skyline of Metropolis can be seen, with the rotating copper statue of a ringed version of the planet Earth atop the Daily Planet building at the center of the city.
ARTHUR
Woah, is all of this stuff... ours?
J’ONN
Essentially, yes.
DIANA
What is this place, exactly?
J’ONN
Fifteen years ago, S.T.A.R. Labs, a
company dedicated to scientific
research, hosted the Metropolis
World’s Fair. I attended, with Rita
Farr and Niles Cauler. It was a
truly spectacular event. After it
ended, the fairgrounds fell into
disrepair due to lack of use, and
S.T.A.R. Labs converted the sub
levels here into long term storage
for unsold patents.
ARTHUR
So we live in an abandoned
amusement park that was run by mad
scientists?
J’ONN
Essentially, yes.
Both Clark and Diana look off at the city in the distance.
CLARK
I keep forgetting that we’re in
Metropolis. Look at that building
with a planet on it! So cool!
DIANA
J’onn, do you think it’s safe for
us to be in the open air like this?
J’ONN
There is a theoretical risk, but
your next lesson will work best
with fresh air and open space.
BARRY
And what is our next lesson?
Stepping off the bottom steps, J’onn leads the kids to the fountain at the center of the pavilion. At each of the four corners of the fountain’s square base, J’onn has set a cushion.
J’ONN
Barry, how do you prevent your
clothes from being damaged when you
run?
BARRY
Ummm, well, when I concentrate, I
can get stuff that I’m touching to
accelerate with the rest of my
body. It works pretty well for my
clothes and most of the stuff I
usually carry on me, but my shoes
still get scuffed up pretty bad
sometimes.
J’ONN
This happens when you concentration
wavers?
BARRY
Uh, yeah, I guess. My shoes are in
contact with the ground more,
obviously, so I guess it’s like I
have to remember to concentrate
more, if that makes sense.
J’ONN
So, the energy that allows you to
accelerate your body to superhuman
speed can also be willed, by you,
to imbue that property to objects
you are in physical contact with?
BARRY
I... yeah, I guess so...
J’ONN
Clark, same question.
CLARK
Which... same question?
J’ONN
How do you protect your clothing
from damage when you use your
abilities?
CLARK
I, um... I’ve never really thought
about it at all, but... yeah,
thinking about it, I guess it kind
of works for me similarly to how
Barry described it.
J’ONN
So, this control is more reflexive
for you?
CLARK
I guess? Maybe?
J’ONN
(addressing them as a group)
So far in your training, I have had
you focus on your physical
conditioning, improving your
bodies’ ability to channel your
power. In order to continue to
progress, you must come to
understand the nature of your
power. Each of you, in your own
way, is a conduit for primal cosmic
forces. These energies flow through
your and surround you, but they
also permeate our world. Our goal
here is to begin a journey that
will help you clear your minds and
open your senses to these natural
forces that you are connected to.
Only then will you truly understand
your power as a living thing that
must be cultivated, and cared for,
so it will grow as you do.
J’onn rises into the air.
J’ONN
All of you, take a seat. I will
guide your meditation
telepathically, from a distance, so
that my physical presence will not
be a distraction.
Unsure of what else to do, the four kids take cross-legged seated positions on each of the four cushions left out by J’onn.
J’ONN
(telepathically)
Focus on the sound of my voice. Let
it push away all other thoughts.
Close your eyes, breath in, and
breath out, breath in, and breath
out, breath in, and breath out,
breath in, and breath out, breath
in, and breath out...
The kids follow J’onn’s telepathic guidance. As they breath in, and out, and in, and out, the world around them falls away, and each of them becomes aware of things that had been going on around them the whole time, but they had simply failed to notice; As Clark breaths in and out, he feels energy flowing through his body. With every inhale, the energy flows into him, concentrating itself in every molecule of his body, and with every exhale, it flows out of his through his mouth in a cone of barely perceptible force. He becomes aware of the concentrations of energy in his body, and even with his eyes closed, he has a mental image of every component part of his body and the relative density of his bones, muscles, and organs, almost as if he had some kind of vision that functioned like an x-ray. When we see the x-ray look at Clark, we see that while he is outwardly quite human, his skeletal structure and organs are extremely alien looking. Barry is aware of every motion happening within him around him, with every subtle movement, every air current and muscle twitch radiating outward like ripples in a pond. As Diana breathes in and out, she can feel embers smoldering in her chest, building into the raging fire of her heart. As the flame of her soul burns brightly, she becomes aware of the burning fires of light within her three compatriots. Arthur can feel the life force flowing through his body, radiantly glowing crystal clear blue water flowing through his veins, forming strands of psychic connection that reach out to the life force within the beings around him. The four kids let their minds slip away as they are enveloped by the world of their senses.
INT. DORM ROOM.
Lana is sitting on her bed. She had been crying earlier, but now she’s just sitting, wallowing in silence. There is a knock, and she looks up to see Bruce standing in the doorway.
BRUCE
Hey, Lana. How’re you doing?
LANA
(clearly not fine)
Fine.
BRUCE
Right. Obviously.
Silence hangs in the air.
BRUCE
So, I need to apologize for
something.
Bruce produces a sheet of notebook paper, filled in on one side and half filled in on the other.
BRUCE
The letter to your parents. I read
it. I didn’t mean to, I swear, I
found it on the floor in the
training room, I started reading it
to figure out what it was, and,
well... sorry.
LANA
(clearly not okay)
It’s okay.
BRUCE
(uncomfortable)
Right.
Bruce walks forward, paper in hand, reaching out to give it back to Lana. Just before he hands it to her, he pulls his hand back just slightly.
BRUCE
There was something that I noticed.
There’s a lot of stuff in here
about all of us. Our names, where
we’re from... you spend about 90% of
this letter talking all about your
new friends. Which makes the place
where you left off kind of
interesting to me.
Bruce hands the letter back to Lana. She holds it in her hand, and glances at the last line she wrote: “Anyway, as for how I’m doing...” It cuts off there. Bruce crouches down into a seated position, his back against the wall opposite of where Lana is sitting.
BRUCE
Strangers came into your life and
decided that it was theirs to toy
with. It’s okay to not be okay
right now. None of the rest of us
are. Least of all me. But we all
have something to focus on. We have
our training, and this insane
“destiny” that the Legion wants to
kill us all for. We have the Team.
And the Mission. And that...
Bruce pauses for a moment.
BRUCE
Do you know that I’m an orphan?
LANA
(shocked)
... no.
BRUCE
My parents died eight years ago,
because someone decided that he had
the right to destroy my entire world.
I know what helplessness feels like,
Lana, and it took me a few years to
figure out that the only things
that make that feeling go away are
having a goal and having people you
can count on.
Bruce extends a hand toward Lana.
BRUCE
So, what do you say we be not okay
together?
BEAT
LANA
(confused)
... are you asking me on a date?
BRUCE
No. I’m asking you to join the
Justice League of America.
EXT. HALL OF JUSTICE.
The four heroes in training sit in meditation, their senses flooded by the forces flowing through and around them. The image we see is lit up, a blending of their sensory perceptions, like some kind of beautiful psychedelic portrait. And suddenly we snap back to reality as everyone opens their eyes in shock.
CLARK
There’s something...
BARRY
Everyone move!
Barry pushes Clark out of the way just as a humanoid figure crashes into the spot where Clark had been sitting. The four super powered teens brace themselves as they see, rising from the crater at the base of the fountain, another BIZARRO clone with a forehead implant lit up and indicating that he is under the control of BRAINIAC.
BRAINIAC
Hello, Kal-El.
CLARK
You all need to get inside and warn
the others!
Clark launches himself at Brainiac, only for Brainiac to immediately catch Clark by the throat, holding him in the air.
BRAINIAC
(helpfully)
Try using a different move next
time.
Arthur, using the power of WATER BENDING, calls forth a torrent of water from the cracked and exposed piping at the bottom of the crater left by Brainiac’s landing, and engulfs the villain in a wall of water that he immediately freezes into a block of ice. The only part of him sticking out is the arm that still holds onto Clark. In a burst of speed, Barry frees Clark and pulls him back to the line. A split second after he does so, twin blue glowing circles appear inside the block of ice, which then explodes as Brainiac fires two blue laser beams from his eyes and a sphere of force emanates outward from his body as he flexes his host body’s titanic muscles. Before he can attack, Diana rushes forward with a devastating right hook, and then Arthur comes in, summoning water around his hand that he freezes into a giant ice fist, and smashes Brainiac with a titanic left uppercut, the ice shattering on impact. Barry dashes in with a flying kick, and as he does so, he accelerates the momentum of not just his foot, but the air in front of his foot as well, causing the strike to explode on contact in a brilliant wave of light and force and sending the force of the blast forward into the villain’s jaw. Brainiac is sent flying backwards, crashing to the ground a few hundred feet away. The kids reform their line.
CLARK
(to Barry)
You have explosion kicks?
BARRY
Yeah. I kind of just figured out I
could do that, like, just now.
DIANA
(to Clark)
We need to stay together!
CLARK
You’re right...
ARTHUR
But we should warn the others.
CLARK
... I think I have an idea.
On the other side of the battlefield, Brainiac rises into the air and begins to scan the area. It doesn’t take long, however, before he sees Clark charging at him at full speed. Brainiac smirks, and readies himself to fight the boy. However, at the last minute, Clark turns and runs away from Brainiac in the opposite direction.
BRAINIAC
This looks promising...
Using the powers of his Bizarro host body, Brainiac flies after the boy.
INT. LOUNGE OF JUSTICE.
Barry flashes into the room, where Ted and the other members of the party are watching what’s going on outside on the big TV.
BARRY
(panicked)
Monster attack! Everyone, we... !
Barry notices that no one looks worried. Everyone is casually lounging around. Dinah is draped over the two arm rests of an armchair and eating popcorn, and Bruce is setting a freshly brewed pot of tea down on the coffee table in front of Lana, who is sitting on the couch between Ray and Hal. Ollie is sitting on the floor, holding an ice pack to his lower abdomen while he stares daggers at Ray. Kendra, Carter, and Ted are all standing at the back of the room, and Ted is swigging a beer bottle. All of them are watching Brainiac chase Clark on the TV.
BARRY
(confused)
What are you guys doing?
DINAH
(mouth full of popcorn)
We’re watching the fight on TV.
BEAT
BARRY
(confused)
... huh?
EXT. THE HALL OF JUSTICE.
Brainiac is flying after Clark, gaining on him quickly, when the loop of Diana’s magic lasso snags him around the neck. Using all of her divine strength, Diana swings Brainiac around and slams him into the center of the fountain. Arthur, using the power of WATER BENDING, completely covers Brainiac in water up to the neck and then freezes it. Clark and Arthur run up besides Diana, who yanks up on the villain’s neck while stepping on his frozen chest.
DIANA
Yield.
Brainiac smiles. He then transforms back into J’onn J’onzz, The Martian Manhunter.
J’ONN
You all did very well today.
DIANA
(confused)
... what?
J’onn phases out of the ice, and then by hand gently undoes the lasso around his neck and hands it back to Diana.
ARTHUR
(annoyed)
Was that really necessary?
J’ONN
Yes, it was.
J’onn locks eyes with Clark.
J’ONN
Do you need me to explain the
lesson?
CLARK
No. I think I get it.
J’ONN
(smiling)
Good. I will see you all inside.
J’onn exits the scene.
BEAT
ARTHUR
(shouting)
What the hell, man?!
INT. MAKESHIFT TRAINING AREA “B”
Lana, changed into light athletic wear appropriate for combat sports training, slams face first into a training mat. Dinah, who used a judo throw to do said slamming, looks down at Lana.
DINAH
(smiling)
Look at it this way, rookie...
Dinah reaches down and helps Lana back to her feet.
DINAH
... now you can say you’ve taken your
first bump.
LANA
Wasn’t as bad as I thought it would
be.
DINAH
Don’t worry, it’ll get worse. Lemme
show you how I did that. I shall
demonstrate with they help of my
lovely assistant. Hey, Ray!
Ray Palmer lies on a nearby bench, trying to recover from the day. He turns his head to Dinah.
RAY
(kind of out of it)
... huh?
DINAH
Come here and show me and Lana what
you learned in school today.
Ray lets out a long, deep sigh, and then pulls himself up and walks over to the girls.
RAY
(muttering to himself)
I want superpowers...
On the other side of the room, J’onn is speaking with Clark, Diana, Barry, and Arthur.
J’ONN
I want to apologize.
ARTHUR
I really hope you’re apologizing
for trying to kill us.
J’ONN
I am not.
ARTHUR
(Muttering)
Right, of course...
J’ONN
That kind of deception would not
have been necessary had I realized
my error sooner.
DIANA
Your error?
J’ONN
When... the other me, from the future
timeline the Legion came from, when
he sent me the... warning, it was not
just information. In that single
moment he was able to make contact,
the only way to ensure I knew
everything I needed to know was to
meld our two minds into one. I
remember his entire life as if I
lived it. And I remember each and
every one of you as the
extraordinary men and women I know
you will become one day. But that
means sometimes I forget how young
you are now, how new and
frightening all of this must be for
you, and the amount of pressure you
must feel to succeed. Clark, you
especially must feel burdened,
given how much I emphasized the
role your future self played in
leading and inspiring the others.
If I seem like I expect too much of
any of you, know that it is because
my confidence in every single
member of this team is absolute. I
know that you are all capable of
incredible things if you work
together, but I failed to realize
that you still need not just my
teachings, but my support and my
patience to help you to get there.
I will not make that mistake again.
BEAT
BARRY
Well, I forgive you.
J’ONN
Thank you for that, Barry.
ARTHUR
So, have we learned the value of
teamwork to your satisfaction?
J’ONN
Yes.
ARTHUR
(annoyed)
Whatever...
Arthur gets up to leave.
ARTHUR
Diana, you want to spar?
DIANA
Sure.
Diana exits as well.
CLARK
I should probably apologize to Lana
for earlier.
J’ONN
Oh no, you should definitely
apologize.
CLARK
I’m gonna go do that.
Clark heads over to where Lana is training.
BEAT
BARRY
Are you going to teach us lessons
with deception and simulated
violence a lot?
J’ONN
I probably won’t.
On the other side of the room, Clark approaches Lana.
CLARK
Hey, Lana.
LANA
Clark...
CLARK
I am a big dumb jerk and I am so
sorry for how I acted earlier...
LANA
I forgive you.
CLARK
... really?
LANA
Yeah. None of us are okay right
now.
CLARK
Oh. Huh. It’s just that I planned a
bunch more apologizing in my head...
LANA
I mean, I guess you could still say it...
CLARK
No, that would be weird.
Bruce walks by.
LANA
(to Clark)
Oh, hold on a second.
Lana walks up to Bruce.
LANA
Hey.
BRUCE
Lana, hi. I was just looking for
you...
LANA
And you found me.
BRUCE
That I did.
LANA
I just wanted to thank you. Getting
involved with the training, it
really has been helping.
BRUCE
Oh, come on. All I said is “keeping
busy helps.” Not exactly a radical
notion.
LANA
I think you said a lot more than
that. I feel like I owe you one.
Bruce places a hand on Lana’s shoulder.
BRUCE
If I ever need help, I know you’ve
got my back.
LANA
Totally.
BRUCE
Now, c’mon, Ted is showing people
how to disarm a guy with a gun.
LANA
Ooh, neat!
Lana turns to Clark.
LANA
Hey, Clark, I’ll talk to you later,
okay?
CLARK
(confused)
... sure. Totally.
Lana leaves with Bruce. Clark watches them go. Something about this situation bothers him, and he can’t quite put his finger on it.
THE END
INT. THE LOUNGE OF JUSTICE
POST CREDITS SCENE:
J’onn is sitting in the lounge, reading. Lana, Diana, and Dinah enter the lounge. Diana and Dinah keep going to the dorm rooms, but Lana hangs back.
LANA
(to the other girls)
I’ll catch up in a minute.
Lana sits down in the chair nearest J’onn. J’onn looks up from his book.
J’ONN
Hello, Lana.
LANA
Hi, Mr. Jones.
J’ONN
How can I help you?
LANA
Oh, well, I have a letter I want to
send to my folks...
J’ONN
I will send it first thing in the
morning.
Lana hands the letter to J’onn.
LANA
Thanks.
J’ONN
Of course.
BEAT
J’ONN
Is there something else?
LANA
Well, um, Diana was telling us
about how your future memories
work... that’s okay, right? That I
know? It’s not a secret, right?
J’ONN
(smiling)
It is fine that you know.
LANA
Okay. Cool. Well, anyway, I was
just wondering, y’know, I know I’m
not really supposed to be here like
the others are, but I was just
wondering, since we both know Clark
and everything, I was wondering if
you had any future memories of me?
EXT. CRATER.
We cut harshly to a scene from the future. The founding members of the Justice League, all of them adults in their full superhero costumes, are standing by an enormous crater dug into the earth. There are looks of horror and despair on each of their faces. Superman is ahead of the others, kneeling on the ground and weeping openly and deeply in front of a shattered wooden sign strewn across the ground that once said “WELCOME TO SMALLVILLE.”
INT. LOUNGE OF JUSTICE.
J’ONN
No. I don’t.
THE END
Notes:
And we got ourselves a bottle episode! Useful for saving money, but infinitely more useful for character development. Lana is now a member of the Justice League! I wonder what her superhero name will be? Any suggestions?
Chapter 9: Challenge of the Super Friends, Season 1, Episode 9: "History"
Summary:
The heroes in training learn about a secret history!
Chapter Text
INT. LOUNGE OF JUSTICE.
Bleary eyed and yawning, Clark enters the safe house’s living room area, ready to start a new day. There, he finds Dinah, Lana, and Diana sitting on the couch, eating their breakfast, which for Diana consists of tearing chunks off of a loaf of bread and dipping them in a mixture of balsamic vinegar and olive oil.
CLARK
(yawning)
Good morning.
DINAH/LANA/DIANA
Yo/mornin’/good morning
CLARK
Have you guys seen Bruce?
DIANA
No.
LANA
Not recently.
DINAH
(suspicious)
Why?
CLARK
(confused by their response)
No reason...
(sniffing the air)
What smells so good?
DIANA
I baked bread.
CLARK
Oh, how come?
DIANA
(confused by the question)
... I was hungry.
Clark stops to think about that for a second, but his thoughts are interrupted when Barry dashes into the room and begins darting around at super speed, looking for something and kicking up a lot of wind in the process.
DINAH
Allen, will you KNOCK IT OFF?!
Dinah uses her power to make her voice ECHO, and Barry skids to a halt in front of the couch.
BARRY
I’m looking for my book. Arthur
said he saw it in here.
Dinah holds up a thick paperback that had been tucked beside her.
DINAH
Your comic book?
BARRY
You STOLE it!
Dinah shoves the book into Barry’s hands.
DINAH
You left it on the coffee table
last night.
BARRY
Oh... I don’t remember doing that...
DINAH
Where’d you get it, anyway?
BARRY
I’m a part of this mail order
program at the bookstore I go to,
it’s actually a really good deal...
DINAH
Barry, I don’t care where you
bought it, I’m asking where it
comes from...
BARRY
Japan, I guess. Why?
DINAH
Well, for one thing, I am a little
curious about who it is in “Japan,
I guess” who’s making a comic about
all of my family secrets.
BARRY
What are you talking about?
DINAH
This comic is about my mom and her
friends, which is weird.
BARRY
Huh?
Dinah rolls her eyes and sighs.
DINAH
My mom used to be the Black Canary.
She ran with this group called the
JSA. Ted was a member, he went by
“Wildcat.” And all of that’s
supposed to be this big secret, but
apparently there’s a guy in “Japan,
I guess” turning big secrets into...
Barry dashes out of the room at super speed.
INT. MEETING ROOM.
Ted is sitting on one of the chairs in the meeting room, his feet up on the table, drinking coffee and reading a sports illustrated. Suddenly, Barry dashes into the room,
kicking up a huge gust of wind and causing Ted to spin around in his chair. When he comes to a stop, Barry’s holding the manga up to Ted with a manic look on his face.
BARRY
TELLMETELLMETELLMETELLMETELLME!!!!!
INT. THE LOUNGE OF JUSTICE.
The entire Party has gathered in the hideout’s living room area. Kendra, Carter, and Ted are all leaning over one of the tables, looking at Barry’s comic. The rest of the party are scattered around the room, but most of them have their attention focused on Ted and the Hawks, with the ones who are most engaged (Barry, Lana, Dinah, and Diana) hovering close by.
TED
I told you guys...
KENDRA
This is wild.
LANA
So this comic is about you guys?
How is that possible?
TED
I’m wondering that myself...
CARTER
Look at the cover. There’s a
signature near the bottom.
TED
It’s in Japanese...
CARTER
Katakana, to be precise.
LANA
What does it say?
KENDRA
... “Scribbly.”
BEAT
Ted, Carter, and Kendra all break out laughing.
LANA
... I don’t get it.
BARRY
Well, my theory is that “Scribbly”
is the code name of a former FBI
agent who escaped the country with
top secret files-
KENDRA
“Scribbly” is what we used to call
an old friend of ours.
BARRY
An FBI friend?
CARTER
No.
BARRY
Oh...
TED
He was a kid one of our old
teammates used to look after. He
was always hanging around HQ
drawing in his sketchbook, so...
BARRY
You mean the Brownstone?!
TED
Yea-
Barry dashes over to the table and back, grabbing his comic and holding it up to the girls, showing off a two page spread that shows various JSA members standing around the trophy room in the team’s secret headquarters.
BARRY
The Brownstone is the JSA’s state
of the art secret headquarters, a
modern day guild hall for heroes,
hiding in plain sight in the heart
of Gotham City!
LANA
This place is real too?
TED
Oh yeah.
CARTER
The picture is surprisingly
accurate.
KENDRA
I’m really proud of how good he’s
gotten.
LANA
How is it possible that there was
an actual team of superheroes with
costumes and powers and everything
operating in a major city and no
one knew about it?
TED
We kept a low profile. We had to.
There’s a lot of powerful people
out there who don’t like it when
meta-humans start drawing attention
to themselves.
KENDRA
And the enemies we were up against
had their own reasons for staying
in the shadows.
DINAH
Oh yeah, that reminds me: how is it
that you guys, who are the same age
as me, were members of my mom’s old
team?
KENDRA
We’re older than we look.
DINAH
Hrm.
DIANA
Why did the Justice Society
disband?
TED
We drew too much attention.
Diana takes the comic from Barry and looks at the two-page spread very closely.
DIANA
Why didn’t we choose this place as
our safe-haven?
J’onn J’onzz enters the conversation.
J’ONN
Because it is a location the Legion
is aware of. In the other timeline,
after the existence of meta-humans
became common knowledge, Dinah’s
counterpart opened the Brownstone
to the public as a museum.
DINAH
Oh. How nice of me.
DIANA
Still, I can only imagine the kinds
of relics that would be on display
in such a trophy room.
TED
Well, about that...
J’ONN
Yes, Ted, I think this does sway my
decision.
BARRY
Decision about what?
J’ONN
We had been planning to send Ted,
Kendra, and Carter to the
Brownstone on a sort of “supply
run,” to bring back any useful
equipment or resources that they
can find, and I have been
considering whether or not to send
some of you with them. I have just
now decided that I will.
BEAT
BARRY
FIELD TRIP!
This outburst catches the attention of the other party members present.
OLLIE
Field trip, you say...
HAL
Count me in.
ARTHUR
We going somewhere?
OLLIE
The super secret headquarters of a
super secret hero team. You weren’t
listening?
RAY
(nauseous)
I didn’t like our last field trip...
J’ONN
Hold on, everyone. I cannot allow
all of you to go to a city where
the Legion has recently been
active, the risk is too great. Only
those of you who already possess
meta-human abilities will be going,
while everyone else will stay here
and enjoy a day off from training.
Ollie is excited by this and Ray is deeply relieved. Hal’s not too happy, though.
HAL
(under his breath)
Of course...
Hal walks off.
OLLIE
Hey, wait for me!
Ollie follows after Hal, followed shortly after by a slightly confused Ray. Both Lana and J’onn notice Hal’s sour temperament, and the two share a look of concern.
TED
Anyway, anyone who’s coming with,
wheels up is in an hour, so you
better get ready.
BARRY
Wait, really?
TED
Go!
Barry runs off in a burst of super speed, followed quickly by Clark. Diana, Arthur, and Dinah head off to the dorm rooms at a normal pace to get ready. As they do, they pass by Bruce, who has this whole time been sitting in the corner, reading while listening to the conversation. Bruce and Dinah make eye contact, and Bruce holds up two fingers. Dinah nods.
INT. TRAINING ROOM.
Hal, Ollie, and Ray are in the training room. Hal is aggressively doing pull-ups, while Ollie is halfheartedly practicing his archery and Ray is up against the wall and attempting to stand on his head.
OLLIE
I was kind of looking forward to
having the day off...
HAL
(strained)
I’m not keeping you here, Ollie.
OLLIE
Yeah, but all you want to do is
work out, so what else am I
supposed to do?
HAL
(strained)
Not here to entertain you, Ollie.
Ray fails in his attempt to stand on his head and falls on his butt.
RAY
(to Ollie)
We could hang out.
OLLIE
Yeah, but I don’t get you.
It’s at this moment that Hal notices that J’onn and Lana have entered the training room. Lana is smiling and waving, kind of awkwardly, at Hal, trying to get his attention. Hal drops down from the pull-up bar and walks over to them.
HAL
What’s up?
BEAT
Lana turns to J’onn.
LANA
Oh, so you weren’t going to...
J’ONN
It is your idea.
LANA
Alright. Yeah.
Lana turns to Hal.
LANA
Hal. Hi.
HAL
Hey.
LANA
Could you come with us, please?
BEAT
HAL
Why?
J’onn sighs.
J’ONN
We have devised a new training
regimen, specifically for you.
HAL
Just me?
J’ONN
Yes.
HAL
Being trained by the two of you specifically?
LANA
That is correct.
Hal takes a moment to ponder this.
HAL
... okay.
Hal exits the training room with J’onn and Lana. Ray makes hopeful eye contact with Ollie, who rolls his eyes in annoyance.
INT. THE WORKSHOP.
J’onn leads Hal and Lana into a large space full of various kinds of tools and machinery, from anvils and laithes to various supplies for arts and crafts to a large computer bank.
HAL
How many rooms does this place
have?
J’ONN
One hundred and eight, not counting
the hangar and primary cargo bay.
Hal, your frustration has not
escaped our notice.
HAL
And here I thought my demeanor was
positively sunny.
LANA
My advice, don’t play poker.
J’ONN
Your restlessness is only natural.
You are on uneven footing with your
meta-human peers. Your destiny is
still many years away.
Hal sighs and rolls his eyes.
HAL
So, what are we doing here?
Lana runs up ahead of the others, excitedly.
LANA
We’re doing...
Lana comes to a stop in front of a corner of the workshop dedicated to art supplies. She holds out her arms like she’s presenting the grand prize of a game show.
LANA
... ART CLASS!
BEAT
HAL
J’onn, why are we doing art class?
J’ONN
The Power Ring of the Green Lantern
Corps is a weapon of the mind. The
ring grants physical substance to
the wearer’s imagination, and is
controlled by their will alone.
Preparing you for your future will
require mental exercise; honing the
ability to hold a complex image in
one's mind is the foundation of a
Green Lantern’s training.
HAL
Hence, art class.
J’ONN
Precisely.
HAL
Why’s she here?
LANA
Rude.
J’ONN
Lana has a considerable artistic
background for a young woman her
age. She will be tutoring you.
HAL
I... guess I’ll give it a try.
Hal steps forward, and begins to inspect the art supplies with mild skepticism.
HAL
(under his breath)
I hope the others are having fun.
EXT. THE BROWNSTONE.
An old brownstone manor, large enough that it takes up almost the whole block, is nestled quietly in downtown Gotham. Its windows are all shut with the blinds drawn. As far as any of the locals are concerned, the place is abandoned. A gust of wind puffs out from the roof of the building as the cloaked Javelin uses its silent running VTOL engines to come to a stop on the discreetly hidden helipad on the Brownstone roof.
INT. THE BROWNSTONE.
The skylight over the second floor landing opens, and a rope ladder drops down. Ted descends the ladder, followed by Barry (who speeds ahead of him to get down first), Dinah, Clark, Arthur, and Diana. Kendra and Carter opt to gently float down to the second floor landing using the gravity manipulating power of their Nth metal gear. Barry darts off to explore the building.
TED
Hold on, kid-Flash. Wait until we
get the lights...
The building’s emergency lights come on, dimly illuminating the interior. Barry darts back to rejoin the group.
TED
... on.
The kids approach the balcony overlooking the building’s entrance hall, where they see the large seal of the Justice Society of America in the floor’s marble tiles. Ted steps up behind the kids, smiling.
TED
C’mon, lemme give you the tour.
The group walks off to follow Ted on the tour of the brownstone.
And then, a rope drops down from the skylight, and down slides Bruce Wayne.
INT. THE BROWNSTONE
Ted leads the Party down a hallway.
TED
The JSA was founded a little over
twenty years ago. It’s heyday
lasted about ten, although a couple
of us clung on for a few years
after we should have admitted it
was over. But the good old days
were something to see. Most of the
team were metas, but there were a
few of us with no powers, just
something to prove, along for the
ride and clinging on for dear life.
All together, we were a bunch of
idealistic kids who thought we
could save the world. A couple of
times, we actually did.
Ted opens the large double doors that lead into the meeting room of the Justice Society of America.
TED
And this is where we did it.
A large round stone table, inscribed with the words “JUSTICE SOCIETY of AMERICA” and encircled by chairs, each one featuring their assigned hero’s insignia on the back. Around the room, there are display cases, each one containing an item that represents one of the members of the JSA. On the far wall of the room, a large Alex Ross-esq portrait depicts the assembled membership of the JSA standing proudly, with their leader, Alan Scott, THE GREEN LANTERN, standing at the center of the image.
TED
Take a minute. Take it all in.
The kids fan out into the room. Barry immediately runs up to the chair belonging to his hero, a man who before today he thought was merely fictional, Jay Garrick, the original FLASH.
BARRY
This is the best day of my life.
Just then, Barry notices that Jay Garrick’s iconic helmet is resting in a glass display case off to the side, and he darts over to it.
BARRY
Oooooooh...
The rest of the group takes a moment to look around as well.
TED
This room has most of the smaller
stuff we’re gonna want to bring
back. The bigger stuff is in the
trophy room...
Ted notices Kendra and Carter approach a set of cases dedicated respectively to Hawkman and Hawkwoman. Each one contains their iconic hawk-helmets, as well as one of their signature weapons: one of Hawkwoman’s maces, and a gold colored metal gauntlet with an Egyptian aesthetic. Notably, there is a crack over the left eye of the Hawkwoman helmet, caused by a puncture in the metal that looks like a bullet hole. Ted walks up behind the two as they reminisce.
KENDRA
Ted... this place... it’s a shrine...
TED
I had to do right by you guys
before I locked up...
Carter embraces Ted in a large manly hug.
CARTER
Thank you, Ted.
TED
Okay okay, I love you too, buddy...
KENDRA
Carter, look!
Carter disengages from the hug and goes over to Kendra, who is pointing at the Hawkman display case.
KENDRA
The Claw of Horus!
CARTER
I was wondering where that got to!
KENDRA
(excited)
I know you have! You keep talking
about it!
CARTER
Did I ever tell you about the time
I used that to punch out a frost giant?
KENDRA
Yes dear, many times...
DINAH
(O.S.)
Okay, that’s it!
Dinah enters the conversation.
DINAH
You two, you’re cryptic and weird
and you look like you’re our age
but you’re friends with my mom.
You’re the only ones who haven’t
explained your deal. Explain your
deal, bird people.
TED
Dinah, c’mon, we’re here to work,
we can...
KENDRA
No, Ted, she’s right. We are
supposed to be a team. Teammates
trust each other.
CARTER
Showing them our old room might
help.
KENDRA
If that’s alright with Ted.
TED
*sigh* alright. Story time, then
work.
CARTER
Everyone, follow us.
The party follows Kendra and Carter out of the room.
TED
Hey, kid-Flash, remember to grab
the lantern, that one’s at the top
of our list.
INT. THE WORKSHOP.
Lana is looking over Hal’s work in his sketchbook, guiding
his progress.
LANA
And that is how we draw a cone.
HAL
Thrilling.
LANA
Try and have a better attitude
about this, Hal. You’re training to
be a superhero! Exciting!
HAL
Hmmm.
Lana looks over at J’onn and mouths the words “HELP ME.”
J’ONN
You know, Hal, I engaged in
exercises very similar to this in
my training as an initiate monk at
the Monastery of the Manhunter
Lodge. We would spend hours drawing
complex geometric patterns into the
desert sand, before altering our
forms to recreate these shapes and
shift them into three dimensional
structures. The work was hard and
tedious, but my memories of it are
fond. It was, after all, in that
training that I met my wife. She
had assumed the shape of an
inverted dodecahedron, and I...
He goes on like this for a while. The kids' eyes start to glaze over. Hal glances at Lana and holds up his sketchbook, where he has quickly scribbled the words “THIS BITES.” Lana sighs and rolls her eyes. Then, she notices the three patches on the arm of Hal’s jacket: One that shows a jet flying over a globe and says the words “FERRIS Aircraft” in a slick mid-century aesthetic, the second a patch with the seal of the United States Air Force, and the third the seal of the Jordanian air force. She then glances at his sketch pad, and notices that the cones and cylinders are much neater and cleaner than the other shapes he is practicing.
LANA
I’ll be right back.
Lana gets up and walks away.
BEAT
J’onn continues at length about his history at the Monastery. Lana returns with a big book, the cover of which says “THE FUNDAMENTALS OF AERONAUTICAL DRAFTSMANSHIP” by Bartholemew Hawk and Zinda Blake. She opens the book to a pre-selected page, which breaks down the schematics of a 1940s fighter plane.
LANA
Why don’t we focus on an area of
interest?
INT. THE BROWNSTONE.
The party enters the former quarters of Hawkman and Hawkwoman. It’s a large bedroom, with a king sized four poster bed against the back wall and plenty of space to move all around it. The walls are covered with artifacts and memorabilia from all around the world and all throughout history. Among this collection, there are several portraits, some of them photographs but most of them paintings or drawings, of two people, a man and a woman, sitting side by side. Their manner of dress, their physical appearance, even their ethnicity changes from one picture to the next, but somehow the essence of the same two people remains in each image.
DINAH
So, the people in the pictures...
KENDRA
They’re us.
CARTER
Kendra and I have been born, lived,
and died two hundred and six times
over the past five thousand years.
KENDRA
You remember the exact number?
CARTER
I was counting in my head on the
way up here.
ARTHUR
So, reincarnation is real, I guess?
KENDRA
It is for us.
CARTER
Can’t speak for anyone else’s
experience.
DIANA
And you remember all of your past
lives?
KENDRA
Not at first. We forget everything
at first.
CARTER
Memories don’t usually begin to
emerge until we meet each other
again...
KENDRA
Which we always do.
CARTER
... and even then, it can be a long
process.
KENDRA
J’onn sped up the process this
time. He used his powers to awaken
all of our memories at once.
DINAH
Are you... okay with that?
KENDRA
I am.
CARTER
If J’onn hadn’t awakened the
memories and skills of our past
lives, we would have lost this one
to the Legion before it got
started.
KENDRA
Usually, it takes us years to
remember everything. And we don’t
always get years.
ARTHUR
This is wild, man...
DINAH
Where do you come from originally?
Kendra and Carter look at each other. They then look back at the others, and they simply point upwards without saying anything. Barry looks up at the ceiling, confused.
ARTHUR
They mean space, Barry.
BARRY
Oh...
DINAH
Alien lovers, stranded on earth,
cursed to be reborn throughout
eternity! It’s like some kind of
epic poem. Or maybe an album.
DIANA
It is quite compelling.
BARRY
Were you ever ninjas?
KENDRA
I was a ninja.
TED
Okay guys, story time is over, we
do have work to do.
DINAH
Aw, c’mon Ted. All we do is work.
Can we please have more story time?
BARRY
Yeah! Story time: Extended Edition!
With ninjas!
CLARK
Mr. Grant, why don’t I get started
on some of the heavy lifting? Let
everyone else have a little fun for
a minute?
TED
... fine.
Clark exits the room, and story-time continues.
BARRY
Okay so tell us everything about
ninjas...
INT. BROWNSTONE RECORDS ROOM.
Bruce has buried himself in the JSA’s records room, meticulously combing through the files. Clark is standing in the doorway behind him.
BRUCE
Hello, Clark.
CLARK
How’d you know it was me?
BRUCE
Same reason you knew I was here, I
suspect: good ears. Not as good as
yours, obviously, but...
CLARK
What are you doing?
BRUCE
I’m looking for something.
CLARK
Bruce, I can stand here all day and
badger you with questions while you
answer cryptically and I’ll
definitely outlast you, but I’d
prefer to get an answer before Mr.
Grant catches you here.
BRUCE
Are you going to rat me out?
CLARK
What are you looking for?
BEAT
BRUCE
The Justice Society of America
operated in Gotham City as a covert
vigilante group for years,
they might have information that
the police and the press missed...
CLARK
About who killed your parents?
BRUCE
Yes, Clark! I am looking for the
person who murdered my parents! I
am wondering why you have a problem
with that!
CLARK
I have a problem with the way
you’re treating people.
BRUCE
What the hell is that supposed to
mean?
CLARK
The others are in on it, aren’t
they? Dinah and Arthur and Diana,
it’s their job to keep everyone
distracted so they don’t catch you
down here, right? You planned all
of this.
BRUCE
Yes, I did.
CLARK
Oh my god! This is why you gave
Arthur the key to the Javelin! It’s
why you’ve been cozying up to all
the girls... I thought you were just
hitting on them! But you’ve just
been, I don’t know, “currying
favors” this whole time!
BRUCE
Clark, I do not have to justify
myself to you.
CLARK
Lana’s involved too, isn’t she? Her
job is to keep Mr. Jones busy so he
doesn’t notice you’re missing.
BRUCE
... yes.
CLARK
I kept getting this weird feeling
when you were talking to the
others, especially when it was
Lana. I thought I must be, I don’t
know, jealous of you or something,
but you’ve just been getting people
to trust you so they’d help you
with... this. How long have you been
planning this?
BRUCE
I didn’t know about the JSA at
first...
CLARK
So, what, you were banking favors
with people “just in case?”
BRUCE
Yes, I was.
CLARK
Oh my god...
BRUCE
Clark, I’m sorry if you think I
needed to be more forthcoming with
the people I met three weeks ago.
CLARK
You stole Barry’s comic, didn’t
you? To get everyone talking about
the JSA.
BRUCE
... I knew I needed at least Dinah’s
help at the Brownstone and J’onn
was on the fence about bringing
people...
CLARK
Which you knew... ?
BRUCE
... because I planted S.T.A.R. Labs
surveillance equipment in his room.
CLARK
Oh my god, Bruce! Are you even
listening to yourself? Are you
hearing the way you’re talking
about other people? Why even do any
of this? Why not just ask Mr. Jones
for help... ?
BRUCE
J’onn won’t help me find a man I
want to kill.
BEAT
CLARK
... what?
BRUCE
You heard what I said.
CLARK
Yeah, I heard what you said! Bruce,
you can’t... ! We’re supposed to be
heroes!
BRUCE
I never agreed to that! None of us
did!
CLARK
I did.
BRUCE
I have no desire to be a hero,
Clark. The only thing I want is
justice for my family.
Clark doesn’t know what to say.
BRUCE
Unless you plan on telling Ted that
I’m here, I’m going to get back to
work now.
Bruce turns to return to his investigation, but in a burst of speed, Clark is now standing between him and the filing cabinets, files and papers fluttering in the air around them.
BRUCE
Get out of my way, Clark.
Blue energy ripples across Clark’s body and sparks up in his eyes before fading away.
CLARK
Or what?
Bruce doesn’t know what to say.
CLARK
You can go back to your hiding spot
on the Javelin, or I can drag you
there. Either way, Mr. Jones and
the others don’t have to know about
any of this.
BRUCE
... fine.
Bruce backs away from Clark, and exits the room.
INT. THE BROWNSTONE.
Bruce pushes open the set of double doors that lead out into the hallway. He makes it a good way down the hall until he stops and punches the wall in a moment of frustration. When he does so, a door he had not noticed before gently swings open, and a glint of gold from inside catches Bruce’s eye.
DISEMBODIED VOICE
Bruce...
Gently sliding the door open, he sees that it leads to the meeting hall that Ted and the others were in earlier. The glint of gold came from a large golden helmet, resting on the display stand right next to the case dedicated to Hawkman, its glass case removed and set aside on the floor. Bruce is drawn to it.
DISEMBODIED VOICE
Bruce...
Bruce lifts up the helmet, staring into its eye holes for a moment, almost entranced, and then places the helmet on his head. His whole body suddenly seizes up as white beams of light shoot out of the helmet’s eye holes.
INT. INFINITE VOID.
Bruce Wayne is standing in an infinite void, surrounded on all sides by darkness and completely alone.
BRUCE
(in Spanish)
What the hell?
Alone, until the darkness begins to move. With an enormous quiet thud, too large limbs come down on either side of Bruce, and an titanic face, molded from shadow into the form of a giant fruit bat, peers down at him. This is CAMAZOTZ, THE MAYAN GOD OF BATS, VENGEANCE, AND THE NIGHT, AND THE PROTECTOR OF THE BORDER BETWEEN EARTH THE UNDERWORLD. Bruce is terrified. Camazotz smiles back at Bruce with an unsettlingly manic grin.
CAMAZOTZ
(in Yucatec)
Welcome home, little one.
BRUCE
(in Spanish)
What the hell are you?
CAMAZOTZ
(in Yucatec)
You know. We have met before.
BRUCE
(in Spanish)
... right. Of course.
CAMAZOTZ
(in Yucatec)
You have come back to me so soon, little
one. Something has changed. Where
there was one, there is now two,
and this one has brought you to me
before you are ready.
BRUCE
(in Spanish)
Ready for what?
CAMAZOTZ
(in Yucatec)
You know. We have met before.
BRUCE
(in Spanish)
I am ready.
CAMAZOTZ
(in Yucatec)
Perhaps. A test is required. Then
we shall see.
BRUCE
(in Spanish)
What kind of test?
CAMAZOTZ
(in Yucatec)
The greatest test there is. I will
give you what you want.
INT. THE BROWNSTONE.
Bruce gasps for air as he yanks the Helmet of Fate off of his head. His hair is a mess, his face is dripping with sweat. He breathes heavily as he contemplates what he has just learned, resting his weight on the Hawkman display case.
INT. THE BROWNSTONE.
Bruce descends the stairs to the main entry hall of The Brownstone with purpose in his stride and cold determination in his eyes. As he approaches the front door, Clark appears from around the corner, his body rippling with blue energy.
CLARK
C’mon, Bruce, just go back to the
ship...
Bruce quickly removes his right hand from behind his back, revealing that he is wearing the Nth metal weapon THE CLAW OF HORUS, and immediately decks Clark in the face, the titanic magnetic power of the glove allowing him to knock out Clark with one punch.
BRUCE
Sorry about that.
Bruce takes off the gauntlet and drops it on top of Clark’s unconscious form. He then exits the Brownstone.
INT. BIG BELLY BURGER.
An employee is standing behind the cash register, wearing a company uniform and a name tag that says “my name is JOE.” He is being scolded by his manager, a red faced, white haired man in a short sleeved button up with his necktie tied far too tight.
MANAGER
This is unacceptable, Chill!
Leaving the cash register unmanned?
During the dinner rush?! Are you
kidding me?!
JOE CHILL
I had to go to the bathroom, man!
MANAGER
So you get someone to cover!
JOE CHILL
I’m the only one on the damn shift!
MANAGER
So you HOLD IT until someone gets
here!
JOE
C’mon, man...
MANAGER
Don’t give me that! Remember, I’m
doing you a favor here! Do you want
to end up back on the street? Or
back in jail? I can make that
happen for you!
JOE CHILL
No, sir...
MANAGER
Didn’t think so. This is your last
warning, Chill, I mean it.
The manager storms off to the back, just as a customer approaches the counter.
JOE CHILL
(unenthusiastic)
Welcome to Big Belly Burger, home
of the Big Belly Burger, can I...
Joe stops talking when he recognizes Bruce Wayne standing in front of him. The look on Joe Chill’s face turns to one of cold horror. He and Bruce lock eyes.
JOE CHILL
What do you want?
BEAT
It's the second-longest moment of either of their lives.
INT. THE WORKSHOP.
Lana looks over Hal’s work as he sketches a fairly impressive draft of a plane’s schematics.
LANA
Hal, this is really good.
HAL
Thank you very much, Ms. Lang.
LANA
I mean, really really good.
HAL
Was there ever any doubt?
LANA
(suspicious)
You said you weren’t an artist.
HAL
Are you calling me a hustler?
LANA
It is a bit suspicious.
HAL
Well, I have the benefit of knowing
the design of this particular plane
very very well.
LANA
What, is it your favorite or
something?
HAL
I wouldn’t say “favorite,” but me
and my dad built a model of this
plane together when I was a little
kid. I know this baby inside and
out.
LANA
Do you miss your dad?
HAL
... why do you ask?
LANA
Well, just because we’re all
separated from our families right
now. I know I kind of miss my
parents. Only a little, but...
HAL
My dad... died.
LANA
Oh Hal, I’m so...
HAL
Hey, don’t apologize. You didn’t
know.
LANA
How did he... ? You know, I probably
shouldn’t...
HAL
Plane crash.
BEAT
HAL
That might’ve revealed a little bit
more about my psyche than I may
have intended.
LANA
(awkward laughter)
Just a little bit.
BEAT
LANA
For what it’s worth, I think your
dad would be proud of you.
HAL
Proud for what? I get bad grades, I
got kicked out of ROTC...
LANA
You’re a superhero.
HAL
Not yet, I’m not.
LANA
You will be.
HAL
Maybe. I mean, everything’s already
different from how it was supposed
to go. What’re the chances I still
come across one tiny piece of
jewelry?
LANA
I... don’t know.
BEAT
LANA
So, why’d you get kicked out of
ROTC?
HAL
I punched a drill sergeant.
Lana bursts out laughing.
HAL
It’s not a joke! I actually punched
a drill sergeant. In the face. In
my defense, I had a very good
reason.
LANA
What was your reason?
HAL
He was being an idiot!
LANA
Oh, well that makes it alright
then.
HAL
Finally, someone who understands!
The two share a laugh.
HAL
So, Lana, I have to ask... are you...
into me?
LANA
What? No! What?
HAL
Because, and it’s not like I’m not
flattered, and it’s not like I
don’t like you or I don’t think
you’re good looking or anything
like that, it’s just that you’re,
you know, an eighth grader.
Lana rolls her eyes.
LANA
My my, the sophisticated and
worldly tenth grader is awfully
sure of himself, just assuming this
is a study date.
HAL
It happens more often than you
think.
LANA
Why would anyone bring a teacher on
a date?
HAL
Teacher?
LANA
Yeah, Mr. Jones...
The two of them look around. J’onn is nowhere in sight.
EXT. GOTHAM.
Bruce runs out into the street. Joe Chill watches him run off from inside the Big Belly Burger, utterly baffled. Bruce runs down an alleyway, where he doubles over and vomits. J’onn J’onzz materializes behind him.
J’ONN
He was not what you expected, was
he?
Bruce spins around to face J’onn.
BRUCE
How did you... ?
J’ONN
I knew what you were planning,
Bruce.
BRUCE
You read my mind?
J’ONN
No. The devices you planted in my
room emit a quiet hum that can be
detected with the right equipment.
Or, Martian ears. I imagine that is
why S.T.A.R. Labs never sold them.
BRUCE
How much of my plan was actually
your idea?
J’ONN
Essentially all of it.
BRUCE
Did you plan the giant bat?
Because, just between you and me, I
really, REALLY do not like bats...
J’ONN
Visions granted by the Helm of Fate
are unique experiences, showing
what needs to be seen in order to
learn.
BRUCE
Learn what?
J’ONN
What do you want, Bruce? What did
you come here looking for tonight?
BRUCE
... justice. For my family.
J’ONN
And did you find it? With him?
BRUCE
... no. He was... he wasn’t what I
needed him to be.
J’ONN
What did you need him to be?
BRUCE
... bigger. I needed him to be more
than just... a man.
J’ONN
Where will you find justice?
BRUCE
I don’t know.
J’ONN
Yes, you do.
J’onn steps aside, making room for Bruce to walk out of the alleyway. As he walks out onto the street, Bruce looks up, and sees Wayne Tower looming over the rest of the city.
J’ONN
Whether you forgive the man who
murdered your parents or you kill
him, it ultimately does not matter.
There will always be another.
Another person, crushed under the
weight of all the pain and cruelty
of this city and this world, ready
to become the next villain
or victim. For many, that is the
only choice they’re ever given. In
the end, to get justice for your
family, and for yourself, the only
thing you can do is save the soul
of Gotham City.
BRUCE
... I don’t know how.
J’ONN
We can show you, Bruce.
J’onn puts his arm around Bruce, and the two walk away.
BRUCE
Are you going to punish me?
J’ONN
No. But you do have to apologize to Clark.
BRUCE
So, me punching him wasn’t part of
your plan?
J’ONN
No it was not.
THE END
INT. HALL OF JUSTICE.
POST CREDITS SCENE:
Bruce and Clark are sitting side by side on the couch, eating tacos. Clark is holding an ice pack on his head.
BRUCE
So, yeah. I’m really sorry.
CLARK
Hrm.
BRUCE
You... you don’t have to forgive me,
I guess.
CLARK
No, I’ll forgive you.
BEAT
CLARK
(quietly)
Mainly because these tacos are real
good.
BRUCE
You know, Gotham is known for its
tacos.
CLARK
Really?
BRUCE
We’ve got taco trucks the way New
York has hot dog stands.
CLARK
That’s really interesting.
BEAT
CLARK
The tortilla’s really good.
BRUCE
It’s the best.
CLARK
It’s like chewy and crunchy at the
same time!
BRUCE
I know!
THE END
Chapter 10: Challenge of the Super Friends, Season 1, Episode 10: "THE SUPER-FRIENDS' 'THE CHAMPIONS' HOLIDAY SPECIAL' HOLIDAY SPECIAL!"
Summary:
T'was the night before Christmas...
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
INT. KITCHEN. MORNING.
Bruce Wayne enters the kitchen to begin his morning routine. He puts on a kettle to boil, and starts getting out the basic components of his meal: a banana, instant oatmeal, almond milk, peanut butter, and green tea. He is just starting to prepare his oatmeal when he notices something. He looks around at the empty kitchen.
BRUCE
Huh.
CUT TO
Bruce approaching the door to the Lounge of Justice.
BRUCE
Where is everybody this-
Bruce steps into the lounge, where he finds the rest of the party already gathered, staring in awe at the state of the place: overnight, the entire lounge has been redecorated for every holiday imaginable. There is a HUGE Christmas tree, constructed from paper and cardboard and absolutely stuffed with hand made ornaments (and pine scented air fresheners), a menorah constructed of piping and sporting electric candles, a paper craft Bodhi tree with a sculpted styrofoam buddha sitting at the base, and a large banner hanging across the wall that seems to have Arabic script written on it.
BRUCE
I see we're doing this today.
Bruce enters the lounge. Clark dashes over to him in a streak of blue.
CLARK
There you are, buddy!
BRUCE
Good morning, Clark.
CLARK
Now that you're here, we can get
started.
Bruce looks around at all of the decorations.
BRUCE
This hasn't started yet?
Clark pulls Bruce over to the bulk of the rest of the party, and then goes to stand in front of the big tv with Lana and Barry. He faces the crowd.
CLARK
Does anyone know what today is?
OLLIE
Saturd-
CLARK
TODAY is December 24th! I know it's
hard to believe, but it was only
last night I realized that
Christmas is almost here! Luckily,
the three of us were able to stay
up all night making these last
minute decorations.
BARRY
(quietly)
It wouldn't have taken all night if
Clark hadn't been slowing me down.
LANA
Barry! Christmas spirit!
BARRY
You're right, Lana. Clark, I'm
sorry for teasing you about our
relative skills.
CLARK
I forgive you, Barry, because
you're my friend, and because it's
Christmas.
BRUCE
(quietly)
Christmas eve.
CLARK
Now, I know this oversight on our
part leaves us with very little
time for gift getting. I did ask
Mr. Jones if it would be okay for
us to take the day off from
training to go into town and shop,
but he said he didn't think that
was a good idea.
J'ONN
I believe my exact words were
"absolutely not."
CLARK
However, there should be time
between the end of training today
and the party tonight for last
minute arts and crafts gifts, and
who doesn't love last minute arts
and crafts gifts?
OLLIE
I don't.
CLARK
That's because you've never gotten
one from me. Now, some of you may
have heard me mention a party
tonight. Lana?
Lana proudly presents a VHS tape to the group.
CLARK
Last year, I had the foresight to
record the greatest televisual
event in history, "The Champions
Holiday Special."
OLLIE
Isn't that the one that got really
famous for being really bad and low
budget?
CLARK
Yes. And this year, I had the
foresight to pack it in my bag when
we went on the run. Including
commercials, it is one hour and
fifty seven minutes long. We will
begin the viewing at 10:03
precisely, so that the viewing ends
on Christmas day. Are there any
questions?
OLLIE
Aren't you Jewish?
CLARK
Yes.
LANA
He does Christmas at my house.
CLARK
Also, this isn't a Christmas
special, it's a holiday special. I
like to think of this as an
ecumenical celebration, and we
strove to decorate accordingly.
BARRY
Me and Lana put a lot of work into
the Bodhi tree.
Hal points up at the large banner.
HAL
Is that supposed to say "Eid
Mubarak?"
BARRY
Yes?
HAL
Well, first, you spelled it
backwards.
BARRY
Ah dang.
HAL
Second, Ramadan starts in April
this year.
OLLIE
How do you know that?
HAL
I'm Muslim.
OLLIE
Huh?
HAL
Well, on my dad's side. My mom's
Irish Catholic.
OLLIE
How?
HAL
What do you mean "how?"
OLLIE
Well you're, y'know...
HAL
I'm what?
OLLIE
Your last name's "Jordan."
HAL
Yeah. As in the country my dad's
family is from.
OLLIE
Oh. I guess that makes sense.
HAL
Gee, thanks.
J'ONN
Clark, I appreciate your commitment
to team moral, but now that we have
covered our plans for the holidays,
I want everyone to feed themselves
and get to training. Now.
The party heads off to get ready for the day.
INT. MAKESHIFT TRAINING AREA "B"
Kendra, Dinah, Ray, Arthur, and Diana are getting stretched and ready to start training. Lana, on the other hand, has fallen asleep sitting up against the wall. Kendra approaches her and nudges her awake with her foot.
KENDRA
Wake up, Lang.
LANA
Ah!
KENDRA
No napping in my gym.
LANA
Since when is this your gym?
KENDRA
No arguing in my gym either.
LANA
I was up all night.
KENDRA
I didn't ask you to do that.
DINAH
Why did they need your help,
anyway?
LANA
I designed everything. And I had to
teach Barry origami.
DIANA
The decorations on the tree are
very good.
LANA
Aw. Thanks.
DINAH
So, Kendra, what holiday do you and
Carter celebrate?
KENDRA
We've been everything, and we're
from another planet originally.
We're not picky.
DINAH
So what're you getting him for "the
holidays?"
KENDRA
Nothing. We haven't exactly had
time for any of that kind of
tradition building relationship
stuff this go ‘round.
LANA
But this is you first Christmas
together.
KENDRA
Just in this lifetime. Trust me,
guys, when you've been married for
five thousand years, presents
become less of a big deal.
RAY
Did you... talk to Carter about not
doing presents this year?
KENDRA
Well, no, but we all forgot about
the holidays until today, and it's
not like either of us have had any
time to...
Kendra trails off. She makes eye contact with Ray.
KENDRA
Ray?
RAY
(nervous)
Yes?
KENDRA
What do you know?
RAY
(nervous)
What do you mean? I mean, I know a
lot of things. Not that I know
everything, but...
KENDRA
Ray?
RAY
Yes?
KENDRA
Is Carter getting me a present?
RAY
No.
KENDRA
But?
RAY
... he is making you a present.
The look on Kendra's face becomes very tense. She paces around in circles a few times before coming to a stop and turning back to Ray.
KENDRA
Do you know what it is?
RAY
No!
KENDRA
Ray?
RAY
... yes.
KENDRA
Ray, I need you to tell me what it
is.
DINAH
Hey, hold on a second, I get being
curious, but isn't the surprise
half the fun?
KENDRA
This isn't about curiosity, this is
about tactics. I know him, Dinah.
He's going to take me aside, as
soon as we get to the party, and
he's going to pull out this box
from nowhere and inside is going to
be the most thoughtful gift I've
ever received and that means I have
less than ten hours to get him
something that's at least as good
and I'll have an easier time doing
that as soon as Ray tells me
exactly what Carter is making for
me!
RAY
No.
KENDRA
(intimidating)
Ray?
RAY
I said no! Carter asked for my help
to make it. He never actually asked
me to promise not to tell you what
we're doing, but he did make me
promise not to tell you what we're
making, and I'm not going to ruin
the surprise any more than I
already have.
KENDRA
That... that's honorable of you, Ray.
I respect that.
RAY
Thank you.
BEAT
RAY
But I will tell you that it is
really REALLY good.
Kendra turns away from Ray.
KENDRA
Lana, in light of your sleep
deprived state, you do not have to
train today.
LANA
Awesome!
KENDRA
Instead you are going to come with
me and explore the depths of this
place's storage areas to find a
gift for Carter.
LANA
What? Why?
KENDRA
Lana, there's nothing I can make in
the amount of time I have before
the party that can match up to
whatever Carter's been making.
DIANA
Have you considered, instead of
burdening yourself with the
responsibility of matching Carter's
gifts, simply accepting the gift
with gratitude? We give gifts to
see our loved ones smile, after
all.
KENDRA
Okay, Diana? I do not need that
kind of negativity while I'm on
such a tight schedule. You're
coming with us and you're helping
too.
DIANA
I am?
KENDRA
More eyes and more hands means the
work gets done faster, and right
now time is our enemy.
ARTHUR
You want me to come too? I mean,
Diana's my sparring partner, so...
KENDRA
The more the merrier! Now, let's
go, we're wasting daylight.
Kendra storms off. Lana, Diana, and Arthur look back and forth at one another before following after her.
ARTHUR
(quietly)
We're underground...
Dinah watches as they go, and after a moment's thought, shrugs and follows after them. Ray is left by himself.
RAY
*sigh*
INT. DARK HALLWAY.
Kendra smashes in the doors of a dark hallway with her mace. She steps in, followed by Lana, Diana, Arthur, and Dinah.
DINAH
No lights?
KENDRA
We never wired this part of the
facility for gas or electricity. It was
kind of a rush job.
ARTHUR
I do pretty well in the dark.
DIANA
As do I.
DINAH
Hm.
Dinah produces a flashlight.
DINAH
So, what are we looking for?
KENDRA
A really good Christmas present.
LANA
I guess we'll know it when we see
it.
DINAH
How are we even sure we'll find
anything good here?
KENDRA
We've been able to scrounge for a
lot of items and parts in these
storage areas. The whole training
room was built out of stuff we
found, and we’ve barely explored five
percent of the place. S.T.A.R. Labs
has a lot of impressive technology
stored down here, and at least one
of these gadgets has to make a good
Christmas present for my husband.
DIANA
Why is it all just sitting here?
KENDRA
S.T.A.R. Labs was never able to
sell them for commercial
production. A lot because they
never got them to work properly,
but some of them just because they
were too expensive to make.
Those're the ones we want.
Lana looks through the window of one of the doors at the boxes piled all the way to the ceiling.
LANA
We're going to have to look through
all of this?
Arthur opens the door and sticks his head in. With his ear pointed out and his eyes closed, he taps on the wall with his fingertips a few times. He then pulls his head out and turns to the others.
ARTHUR
All the boxes in there are full of
paper.
LANA
Woah.
ARTHUR
I can tell by the echo in the room.
DINAH
What, you're part dolphin?
ARTHUR
Possibly.
KENDRA
See, this is great. We're already
making progress.
The group heads deeper into the storage area. As Dinah scans the walls with her flashlight, she comes across a door. Upon further inspection, she is startled when she sees a face!
DINAH
Ah!
The party stops in their tracks.
KENDRA
What is it?
DINAH
I'm not sure.
The party gathers round. The flashlight illuminates some kind of humanoid robot, pressed up against the door by the sheer tonnage of items stored behind it. It seems incomplete, with a soft plastic face covering the skull of an otherwise exposed mechanical skeleton, with some kind of large battery at the center of the chest. Dinah shines the flashlight upward. Above the door is a sign reading "Project A.M.A.Z.O. Storage, Project Director Anthony Ivo." On the door is taped a note. Dinah shines the flashlight directly on the note.
DINAH
(reading)
"WARNING: Professor Ivo’s research
was primarily focused on military
R&D. Almost all of the items
inside are dangerous in one way or
another. All S.T.A.R. Labs
employees are cautioned to stay out
of this area if not on official
business."
Dinah turns back to the others.
ARTHUR
That sounds worth avoiding.
KENDRA
Carter does love weapons, but it's
not worth the risk. I'll have to
come back here with J'onn later,
have him take a look at it. For
now, let's just move on.
The party ventures further into the depths of the complex. As the light of the flashlight fades, the robot's eyes begin to glow, and it turns its head to watch the kids go.
INT. WORKSHOP.
Carter is at a work table. We can't see what he's working on. Ray approaches him.
CARTER
Hey, buddy. How's my favorite
roommate?
RAY
I have something to tell you.
CARTER
What's up, Ray?
RAY
I accidentally told Kendra about
the present. She still doesn't know
what it is! She asked but I didn't
tell her. But she does know we've
been making her something.
CARTER
*sigh* That's okay, buddy. She
should've figured I would get
something for her, I always do, and
at least the surprise is still
intact.
RAY
She acted like she thought you guys
weren't doing presents this year.
CARTER
Hah! I guess I can see why she
would've thought that. I bet she's
running around like a headless
chicken for a last minute gift.
RAY
Yeah.
CARTER
She'll find something great. She
always does.
RAY
Are we almost done?
CARTER
Almost. Just gotta add the
finishing touches.
Carter holds up a brass colored piece of metal.
RAY
Nth metal?
CARTER
We've got to add
it last. Otherwise, Kendra would've
felt it days ago.
RAY
Felt it?
CARTER
Kendra and I are connected to the
stuff. That's a part of our curse.
We can always sense when it's
nearby, and being around it
stimulates our cells.
That's why we heal so fast,
and why we're stronger and faster
than normal.
RAY
It doesn't do that for other
people?
CARTER
Nope. Just us.
RAY
I've been meaning to ask, what
exactly is Nth metal? All of your
stuff is made out of it, so it must
be really good, right?
CARTER
It's more than good. It's the
source of the Thanagarian Empire's
power. It's an extremely rare
element, and Thanagar has almost
all there is in the galaxy. When
you run an electrical current
through Nth metal, it causes
gravity to bend around the metal.
RAY
Woah.
CARTER
By manipulating the voltage and
amperage of the current, to can
control the way gravity bends.
RAY
How does it work? I mean, on a
subatomic level? How are the
particles interacting with each
other to make that happen?
CARTER
I could explain it to you.
RAY
Please!
CARTER
We'll talk while we work.
INT. DARK HALLWAY.
The party is hard at work, digging through boxes and storage crates in search of a really cool Christmas present. Various strange gadgets and doodads are inspected and discarded for one reason or another. Dinah perks up when she finds something.
DINAH
Oh! I found this cool tactical
helmet. It says here it's supposed
to increase your aim and reflexes.
KENDRA
Check why it didn't sell.
Dinah reads further.
DINAH
It makes you insane.
KENDRA
Yeah, no.
DIANA
I found some automatic massage
shoes.
KENDRA
Neither of us are exactly "going
for a walk" people.
ARTHUR
Well, I found an invisibility cloak
that... also makes you insane. What
do they make this stuff out of?
LANA
Kendra, I just found a room that I
think is all household appliances
and stuff like that. Maybe there's
something good in there?
KENDRA
Carter loves to cook. Maybe-
ARTHUR
Quiet!
The conversation stops dead.
ARTHUR
(quietly)
We're being followed.
LANA
(whispering)
Maybe it's just one of the others.
ARTHUR
(quietly)
None of the others have metal
footsteps.
Arthur silently walks toward the bend in the hallway, motioning for Diana to come with him. As they round the corner, they are immediately ambushed by the robot! Arthur immediately kicks it, sending it flying backwards, skidding to a halt on the ground.
KENDRA
(O.S.)
What is it?
ARTHUR
It's a robot.
Arthur turns to talk to the others. As he does, the robot sits up.
CUT TO
Amazo's POV, a HUD that is taking scans of everything in the environment. It zooms in on on Arthur, highlighting specific parts of his body with graphical displays denoting his enhanced musculature, hydraulic circulatory system, and unique neural structure inside of his brain, with a percentage progress bar labeled "scanning" that is rapidly approaching 100%
ARTHUR
(pronouncing it "amaze-oh")
It's the thing with the creepy face
from that AMAZO room.
DIANA
(pronouncing it amah-zo)
I think it would be pronounced
AMAZO.
ARTHUR
You think so?
Amazo stands up and begins walking toward Arthur. The power core in the center of its chest cavity lights up, and the tubes connected to it begin pumping a fluid that begins secreting from spots throughout the robot's frame. This fluid begins to take the form of incredibly powerful synthetic muscles, light blue in color but with the tension of tightly wound steel cables, supported by some kind of hydraulic tube system made of the same light blue material.
ARTHUR
What the hell?
Amazo rushes Arthur and decks him, creating the sound of a thundercrack and sending him crashing through the wall into the room on the other side, where Arthur crashes into and dents a steam pipe. He hits the ground on his hands and knees and pushes himself up into a standing position. He leaps back into the hall, where Diana is struggling with the robot.
CUT TO
Amazo's POV. The HUD is trying to scan Diana, but the progress bar is stalled out as every attempt to scan prompts an ERROR message. Arthur runs in with the assist, and the two heroes in training knock the robot back with a powerful blow.
CUT TO
Back to a normal view of things. Diana and Arthur slowly approach the enemy robot as the others round the corner.
DINAH
You want us to do a run in?
DIANA
We'll let you know.
CUT TO
Amazo's POV. The HUD zooms in on the hole in the wall behind the kids, where condensation has been collecting due to the steam.
CUT TO
Back to the normal view, we see veins of that blue fluid spread over the robot's metal skull through the semi translucent plastic skin. Behind the kids, the condensation comes together to form a floating glob of water, which flings over the heads of the kids in the back and launches at Arthur and Diana, transforming into multiple ice spikes on the way. Diana manages to block with her bracelets, but Arthur is just a split second too slow and gets stabbed in the shoulder.
ARTHUR
(pained)
ARGH!
Dinah runs past Arthur and Diana, running up to the robot and hammering down on it with a wall of sound. Amazo is pushed back about fifteen feet before regaining its footing, using its titanic strength to slowly walk forward.
CUT TO
Amazo's POV. The HUD is highlighting and scanning the unique musculature of and around Dinah’s vocal folds, with a progress bar that rapidly goes from 1% to 100%.
CUT TO
Back in 3rd person POV, the same fluid pumps out in the area connecting the head to the torso, forming into structures resembling human vocal folds, albeit light blue in color. This structure begins generating its own wall of sound, pushing back against Dinah's attack and causing her to stumble backwards. As Amazo advances, Lana runs past the robot in a panic, fleeing down the hallway as the fight continues. As Lana runs through the dark, she comes to a stop in front of the doors to the AMAZO room, which have been torn off their hinges. She looks inside with a look of determination.
INT. LOUNGE OF JUSTICE.
Clark is sitting on the couch, getting everything set up for the watch party. Bruce approaches and sits down next to him.
CLARK
Hi Bruce.
BRUCE
Hey.
BEAT
Bruce places a paperback on the table and slides it over to Clark.
BRUCE
Here.
Clark picks it up. It is a novel about the Gray Ghost.
BRUCE
It's not a comic book, but the main character is basically a superhero, and I think you'd like it.
CLARK
Where did you get it?
BRUCE
It's mine.
CLARK
Bruce-
BRUCE
Don't worry about it. I've...
(quietly)
I've probably read it a hundred
times.
Clark gives Bruce a hug.
BRUCE
I see you are a hugging person.
CLARK
Yup. Thanks, Bruce.
Clark disengages from the hug and reaches into a bag at his feet. He pulls out a collage, made of cut outs from magazines, full of dark cool "noirish" imagery and lots of pictures of bats, from cartoon bats to actual photos of bats to spooky gothic art of bats.
CLARK
Happy Holidays, Bruce.
Bruce takes the collage. He holds it a little bit away from his face, his expression betraying discomfort.
CLARK
It's a collage. It's my go-to for
presents if I don't have time or
money. Not to brag, but I've gotten
pretty good.
BEAT
CLARK
Do you... like it?
Bruce places the collage down on the table.
BRUCE
Clark, there is something I am
about to admit to you about myself
that I have been playing pretty
close to the chest since this whole
thing started.
CLARK
What is it?
BRUCE
I'm afraid of bats.
CLARK
... what?
BRUCE
I am afraid of bats. I am terrified
of bats. I hate bats with every
fiber of my being, and it is a
hatred born from fear.
BEAT
CLARK
... but you're Batm-
BRUCE
I do see the irony, Clark.
(sighs)
When I was four, I fell through a
sinkhole in our backyard. I dropped
down about ten feet into an
underground cave, and I sprained my
ankle, and I started crying, and
then THOUSANDS of bats started
flying at me and circling all
around me and ever since bats have
filled me with mortal terror. Not
just the animals themselves,
anything that reminds me of bats
makes me start to feel just the
tiniest impulse to panic.
BEAT
CLARK
... so the costume-?
BRUCE
Obviously, my counterpart in the
future managed to cope somehow.
CLARK
You'll figure it out.
BRUCE
Thanks.
Clark reaches down into the bag again.
BRUCE
What are you doing?
Clark pulls out another collage, covered in red sportscars and red birds and images of shaolin monks in green gis fighting with bo staffs and acrobats in red leotards pulling off spectacular feats, all done in a "cool kid in the 90s" kind of vibe, but with a touch of sophistication.
CLARK
I made backups.
BRUCE
How many did you make?
CLARK
I collage quickly.
Bruce inspects the card. He flips it over to find a handwritten note, wishing him a happy Hanukkah and a merry Christmas.
BRUCE
You personalized the backups?
CLARK
C'mon man, don't give me a complex
about being too nice. I didn't know
if you wanted more dark and gloomy
or if you'd like some color for a
change, so I looked through some of
Mr. Jones' images from the future
for inspiration for colorful stuff
you might think looked cool.
BRUCE
Thanks, Clark. It's great. So, how
much longer until the movie?
Clark checks his watch.
CLARK
People better hurry.
INT. DARK HALLWAY.
Diana rushes Amazo, only to be knocked back by a punch to the face. Arthur tries to move in, but Amazo hits him with a focused sonic blast, disorienting him.
ARTHUR
AGH!
Kendra leaps into the fray, swinging her mace at the robot, but it catches the weapon and yanks it out of her hand as it pushes her back.
CUT TO
Amazo's POV. It is attempting to scan the mace. Individual parts of the mace are highlighted with text indicating "UNKNOWN ELEMENT," with the progress bar sputtering and lagging as the scan is taking some time.
CUT TO
3rd person POV. Diana interrupts the scan by punching the robot in the face. She attempts to grab at the robot’s power core, but Amazo uses the stolen mace to swat her arm away. Amazo then unleashes a focused blast of sound just like the one it used on Arthur, disorienting Diana long enough for it to swat at her with the mace, sending her flying back and knocking over Arthur and Dinah in the process. Amazo begins to advance, but stops as it is suddenly hit in the back by an energy bolt. Amazo turns to see Lana, wearing some kind of wrist mounted energy blaster.
CUT TO
Amazo's POV. The robot scans Lana, with readings showing no meta-traits whatsoever.
CUT TO
3rd person POV. Amazo begins advancing toward Lana as she continues to blast it. The energy blasts hit Amazo with some force, causing it to rock back slightly with each hit, but its stride continues.
LANA
Leave my friends alone!
Amazo continues its advance.
KENDRA
(O.S.)
Lana, cease fire!
Lana stops shooting just as Kendra runs up from behind and jumps up onto the robot's back. Swiftly and savagely, she reaches into the robot's chest and grabs its power core.
KENDRA
(strained)
YRGHAAA!
With a mighty tug, Kendra pulls the robot's heart out of its chest. Blue fluid hemorrhages everywhere. Amazo falls to its knees, the lights in its eyes going out, before it topples over. Kendra stands over her fallen foe, holding its still-warm heart in her hand.
KENDRA
I think we're done here, guys.
INT. LOUNGE OF JUSTICE.
The exploratory party returns as the watch party is already in session.
CLARK
Lana, quick! Our karaoke song's
about to start!
LANA
Oh!
Lana hurries over to the couch.
DINAH
We miss anything good?
BRUCE
Definitionally, no.
HAL
There was a musical number where a
sibling act did a song that was
written for a couple, which was...
interesting.
BARRY
And there was that commercial for the
automotive union where they sang a
song.
OLLIE
I found it oddly moving.
As the kids get settled in, Carter approaches Kendra.
CARTER
Hello, my love.
Kendra leans in for a kiss.
CARTER
Hard day?
KENDRA
I got in a good workout.
CARTER
Well, I have it on reliable
information that you already know
why I'm here.
KENDRA
Do your worst, Carter Hall.
Carter produces a box, which he holds out to Kendra and opens. Inside, there is a bronze khopesh with Nth metal inlay.
KENDRA
(in love)
Oh, Carter...
CARTER
I took our old helmets, the ones on
display at the brownstone, and I
melted them down to forge this.
Kendra inspects the handle, with a gemstone inlay which contains an image of two hawks flying side by side.
KENDRA
I love it. Now, for your gift.
Kendra hands Carter the Amazo power core.
CARTER
What is it?
KENDRA
While we were exploring the
facility, we came across a robot
that powered up and attacked us. We
had to fight it, and we won by
pulling the power core out of its
chest. So, in robot terms, it's...
CARTER
(in love)
... the still-beating heart of an
enemy. It's perfect.
The eternal lovers share a loving kiss and a warm glance. Then, arm in arm, they walk over to join the others. Clark is standing up and urging Lana to do the same.
CLARK
Lana, it's time!
LANA
If I must perform, so be it.
On the TV, two actors dressed in really cheap costumes representing the fictional comic book superheroes LADYBUG and WANDJINA sit side by side on a piano bench.
WANDJINA
I must say, Ladybug, in all of my
long centuries, never could I have
imagined a comrade in arms such as
you!
LADYBUG
I know what you mean, Wandjina.
THIS mall-crawler from Suicide Slum
DEFINITELY never expected to be
palling around with an
extradimensional storm spirit. But
here we are, more than just
teammates, but best buds!
WANDJINA
AGREED! Come what may, the Ladybug
can always rely on the Axe of the
Mighty Wandjina!
LADYBUG
Right back at'cha! In fact, you
might say that...
(singing)
Whenever I call you friend...
On the TV screen, Ladybug and Wandjina begin singing a duet cover of the Kenny Loggins/Stevie Nicks hit "Whenever I Call You Friend." In the lounge of justice, Clark and Lana jump up on the table as they start singing along, Clark singing Wandjina's part and Lana singing Ladybug's, to the amusement of the crowd. Diana watches this, a big smile on her face. As he eyes scan the room, she see's J'onn, standing in the corner, alone. Diana can sense something. She gets up and walks over to J'onn.
DIANA
Hello, J'onn.
J'ONN
Diana.
Diana stands beside the Martian.
DIANA
Something troubles you.
J'ONN
I'm fine.
DIANA
I don't need the lasso to tell you
weren't completely honest just now.
J'ONN
No. No I was not.
Diana watches Clark and Lana in their revels.
DIANA
What do you know of Lana Lang,
J'onn?
BEAT. Diana and J'onn maintain eye contact that speaks volumes.
DIANA
She's not a League founder, not a
member at all in the original
timeline, not even a meta-human,
and yet today...
J'ONN
(worried)
Did something happen today?
BEAT
More eye contact.
DIANA
There was a minor crisis. She
handled herself well. Kept her cool
and executed a plan. Did whatever
she could to contribute toward a
successful outcome. She may have
saved my life.
J'ONN
What happened?
DIANA
Fought a robot. Don't change
the subject. You know something
about Lana, Don't you? Something
from the future.
BEAT
J'ONN
I do.
DIANA
And it weighs on you.
J'ONN
It does.
DIANA
J'onn, what-?
J'ONN
I know how she dies.
BEAT
J'ONN
Thirty years from now, Brainiac
will attack Smallville. He will
digitize all matter within the
borders of the town, to store it as
data within his systems. In a
matter of seconds, the town of
Smallville, and all of its
inhabitants, will be wiped from
existence. It will be the Legion's
declaration of war against us. And
I will arrive, along with you and
Clark and the rest of the League,
four and a half minutes too late to
stop it.
Diana looks at Lana, happy and celebrating with her best friend.
DIANA
What do you do with that
information?
J'ONN
I make sure it never happens.
THE END
Notes:
This is the episode where Clark acts the most like how I act in real life. His holiday zeal is 100% from me.
Chapter 11: Challenge of the Super Friends, Season 1, Episode 11: "The Man Who Fell to Earth"
Summary:
The team splits into two groups, to try and find a way of getting the advantage over the Legion of Doom.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
INT. MEETING ROOM.
The party files into the meeting room. Barry is already there, standing and ready to give some kind of presentation.
BARRY
Thank you all for coming.
As the kids take their seats, they discover that Barry has taped a piece of notebook paper to the back of each chair. Each sheet has a crude facsimile of the symbol of a member of the JLA scribbled on it in marker, denoting assigned seating. Everyone finds their seats. As Bruce takes his, he tears the paper with the Batman logo off the back of his chair, crumples it up, and throws it in a nearby trash bin.
BRUCE
What’s this about, Barry?
Barry pulls down a projector screen with the word “ALIENS!!” written on it in black marker. Clark raises his hand.
CLARK
... present?
BARRY
Not you.
In a burst of super speed, Barry turns off the lights and wheels in a slide projector almost instantaneously. Barry turns on the first slide, and immediately it is obscured by the “ALIENS!!” scribbled on the screen.
BARRY
Oh...
In another burst of super speed, Barry replaces the projector screen with a clean one. We can now see clearly that the slide depicts a tabloid newspaper headline about a UFO sighting over the skies of Bialya.
BARRY
Last Friday, at approximately 1:03
AM (local time), an Unidentified
Flying Object was sighted in the
skies over the Bialyani desert.
Barry clicks to the next slide. This one is a photograph of a piece of notebook paper, with a crude image of a flying saucer scribbled in colored marker and labeled “ARTIST’S RENDERING” across the top. At the bottom of the page, the drawing is signed by “B.H. Allen.”
BARRY
Eye witness reports claim that a
large metallic object came crashing
out of the sky and created a crater
on impact in the region’s largest
desert...
Barry clicks to the next slide. This one is a photograph of military vehicles in the desert.
BARRY
... in an area that was cordoned off
the very next day by the army for
“war games.” The Bialyani military
has denied any knowledge of the
crash.
Barry runs to the lights, turns them on, and runs back in less than a second.
BARRY
Any questions?
DINAH
You only made three slides.
BARRY
Not a question.
CLARK
Where did you hear about this?
BARRY
A reliable source.
OLLIE
Was it your girlfriend?
BARRY
Iris is not my girlfriend!
OLLIE
(to Clark)
It was his girlfriend.
BARRY
Transitioning from “best friends”
to “dating” is a pretty big deal
and we have NOT had time to have
that conversation so I really don’t
feel comfortable-
BRUCE
Barry, for the love of God, please
stop telling us about your feelings
and explain why you called an
emergency meeting about a flying
saucer.
BARRY
We’re superheroes, Bruce. It’s a
superhero’s responsibility to
investigate possible extra-
terrestrial phenomena.
BRUCE
... is it?
J’ONN
I believe Barry may have stumbled
onto something of great
significance.
BRUCE
... you do?
J’ONN
It may not surprise you to learn
that I have had a keen interest in
UFO sightings ever since arriving
on Earth. With the memories of my
future self, I have fairly detailed
knowledge of every alleged extra-
terrestrial encounter for the next
three decades, and yet I have no
memory of this incident. It did not
occur in the original timeline.
LANA
... so the Legion’s responsible.
BRUCE
Maybe not directly. This could be a
consequence of something they did.
J’ONN
The location of the incidents is
also noteworthy. Queen Bee, a
founding member of the Legion, has
strong ties to the nation. Her
counterpart in this timeline,
Princess Beatriz, is a member of
the Bialyani royal family.
BRUCE
Has anything happened to the
Princess? Anything in the news?
J’ONN
No, but...
ARTHUR
They could’ve replaced her.
Couldn’t they?
J’ONN
Queen Bee’s meta-human abilities
allow her to alter her appearance,
impersonating a younger version of
herself would be relatively simple.
ARTHUR
Then that’s probably what they did.
That way, they have a whole country
under their control. They’re pretty
practical like that.
J’ONN
Bialya is a constitutional
monarchy, the powers of the royal
family are predominantly
ceremonial, but Princess Beatriz is
considerably powerful and connected
in spite of that fact; she is the
president and CEO of the CYCLOPS
corporation, the largest employer
in Bialya and the backbone of the
nation’s economy.
ARTHUR
Anybody think they’d just pass all
that up?
BRUCE
If the Legion is involved to that
extent, then they’re definitely
aware that the story got out.
They’ll probably be hoping we’ll
come to investigate, and they’ll
definitely be prepared for us if we
do.
J’ONN
And yet, we cannot pass up an
opportunity to learn more about
their plans.
BARRY
(to Clark)
Kobayashi Maru.
CLARK
(nodding)
Hm. Hm.
BRUCE
We’re never going to gain ground on
the Legion if we only ever react.
We need to take proactive action.
J’ONN
You have a plan.
BRUCE
You’re right, J’onn, this is an
opportunity we can’t pass up, so we
should proceed with the
investigation as cautiously as
possible. I think you should go to
Bialya on your own. Your powers
make you the best suited for
stealth out of all of us, and
you’ll have an easier time staying
hidden if you’re alone. Kendra and
Carter will stay behind and monitor
you over comms. If anything goes
wrong, they’re your retrieval team.
If the Legion does have their
fingers in what’s going on in
Bialya, that’s where their
attention will be focused, so while
J’onn investigates the crash, Ted
and I will take a team to Gotham.
We know the Legion has been buying
real estate there, so we’ll
investigate those properties,
gather any intel we can, and if
we’re lucky, sabotage a part of the
Legion’s operation in the process.
DINAH
Are all of your plans going to be
“go back to Gotham?”
BRUCE
Dinah, you’re kind of a key figure
here.
DINAH
I am?
BRUCE
You’ve investigated these properties
already, I’ll need your help to sort through
everything. I mean, if we go ahead with it.
We should put it to a vote, first.
Upon hearing Bruce say this, Clark makes eye contact with J’onn, and they both smile.
J’ONN
I agree. All in favor of Bruce’s
plan?
One by one, starting with Clark, each member of the party raises their hand.
BRUCE
Alright then. Let’s talk details.
INT. HANGAR.
The Gotham team, consisting of Bruce, Ted, Diana, Dinah, Arthur, Clark, and Shelby the Dog, are prepping for takeoff. Most of the team has boarded the Javelin already, and Clark is approaching the plane with Shelby walking beside him.
CLARK
Alright buddy, I know you haven’t
been outside for a while, but this
isn’t playtime. Our friends need
our help, and we might end up
having to get into a fight. You
ready for that?
SHELBY
*BARK* *WOOF*
CLARK
Good boy.
Clark and Shelby are about to ascend the stairs that lead into the Javelin when Lana runs up to them, carrying some kind of bundle in her arms.
LANA
Clark! Wait!
Clark stops and turns to his friend.
CLARK
Lana?
LANA
I’m glad I caught you.
CLARK
What’s up?
LANA
I found a screen printer in the
workshop, and I made you this.
Lana hands Clark the bundle.
CLARK
Thanks, Lana.
LANA
I figured, if you get into a fight
with supervillains, you should at
least look the part a little bit.
Clark unwraps the bundle and looks at it. We can’t quite see what it is, but it puts a huge grin on Clark’s face.
CUT TO
In the hangar, the Javelin turns on its silent running magnetic VTOL engines as its cloaking device activates. It rises into the air through the opening in the hangar’s hatch, which opens up into the enclosed courtyard on the abandoned fairgrounds. The Javelin takes off into the sky, cruising silently and undetected over Metropolis, passing over the Delaware Bay, and then Gotham City, before using its silent VTOL engines to come to a stop on the lawn of...
EXT. WAYNE MANOR. NIGHT.
The party, having disembarked the Javelin, ascend the stairs leading up to the front door of the mansion.
CLARK
Taking the Javelin for such a short
trip feels weird.
Bruce walks up to the front door and rings the doorbell.
BEAT
VOICE FROM THE OTHER SIDE OF THE DOOR
(in a thick cockney accent)
I have a twelve gauge shotgun,
purchased legally and registered
with the state of New Jersey,
pointed at this door. Who are you,
and what do you want?
BRUCE
Alfred, it’s me.
BEAT
There is a shuffling sound, and a sound of an object being set aside, and the door opens, and there stands Alfred Pennyworth.
ALFRED
(in R.P.)
Master Bruce. I wasn’t expecting
you. I see you’ve brought company.
How lovely.
BRUCE
Stellar first impression, Alfred.
Bruce enters the manor, with the others following behind.
ALFRED
You’re the one who told me that
staying at the manor meant being
ready to defend myself if this
“Legion” comes calling.
BRUCE
You’re the one who wanted to stay.
ALFRED
Someone has to look after your
grandmother’s blue sundries.
TED
Hey Al, how’s it going?
ALFRED
Mr. Grant, a pleasure, as always.
The rest of the party spreads out into the entrance hall of Wayne Manor. The house is huge, dark, and somewhat foreboding. There is a thin layer of dust covering most visible surfaces. The only dusted areas appear to be the rooms and adjoining paths that Alfred and Bruce use on a daily basis, while the rest is left as it is, with much of the furniture and decorations under white tarps to protect from dust.
DINAH
Of course this is your house.
CLARK
It’s very... big.
BRUCE
Is it? I hadn’t noticed.
DINAH
Wanna give us the grand tour?
BRUCE
No. We should probably get set up
in the kitchen to hold the mission
debrief.
ALFRED
*SIGH* If you told me we’d be
having company, I could have done
some shopping...
INT. THE LOUNGE OF JUSTICE.
The remaining party members are gathered in the lounge. They are gathered around the large television screen, which is displaying an image of clouds moving by at incredible speeds in the night’s sky. A cable connects the TV to a large metallic object, silvery and smooth, which itself is very crudely attached by a mess of wires to a large computer terminal/switchboard. Ray is manning this console, working quickly with a laser like focus as he maintains the machinery. Barry dashes into the room and sets up a buffet of snacks on the coffee table, kicking up a mini-tornado in the process. Ray is distressed by this development.
RAY
Kendraaaaaaaa...
KENDRA
Barry, slow down!
Barry skids to a halt.
BARRY
Huh?
KENDRA
You’re distracting Ray.
BARRY
How hard is it to operate a radio?
RAY
This is a computer terminal
prototype that was never available
on the market and that I’ve never
seen before today that I had to
connect to a psychic alien radio
with spare wires I found in a
drawer.
BARRY
Oh. I apologize, then.
Barry begins setting out the snacks at normal speed. Hal approaches him.
HAL
Shouldn’t you be in Gotham with the
other metas?
BARRY
And miss possible first contact
with an alien civilization?
HAL
We live with four aliens.
BARRY
Fifth contact, whatever. Being a
superhero isn’t just about fighting
bad guys. Sometimes it’s about
boldly going where no one has gone
before.
HAL
... we haven’t gone anywhere.
BARRY
(appalled)
You have... no culture! You have
no- !
LANA
Both of you be quiet, Mr. Jones is
almost there.
Lana grabs a bag of pretzels from the snack table and sits down to watch what’s unfolding on screen.
EXT. BIALYANI AIRSPACE. NIGHT.
J’onn rapidly decelerates from his supersonic cruising speed as he makes his descent to the Bialyani desert below. He turns invisible as he approaches his destination, the crash site. There, he flies over hundreds of military vehicles and dozens of tents, creating a sort of makeshift city in the shape of a donut, encircling THE SHIP: a large cylindrical object, made of some kind of silver-colored metal, crumpled at the bottom of the crater it made when it crashed.
INT. THE LOUNGE OF JUSTICE.
The kids watch the action unfold on the TV.
OLLIE
Barry, I’m sorry to say it, but
your drawing needs work, because I
do not see the resemblance.
BARRY
Ollie, I really enjoy joshing
around with you, I mean it, it’s
something I look forward to most
days, but I’m gonna have to ask for
fewer negative comments. They’re
hurtful, and you’re better than
that.
OLLIE
... sorry.
EXT. CRASH SITE.
J’onn comes to a stop, hovering a few feet above the heads of the scientists in hazmat suits picking apart the crash site on behalf of the military.
J’ONN
(telepathically)
How is the feed? Can you see what I
see?
KENDRA
(telepathically)
The image is crystal clear.
RAY
(telepathically frantic)
But please hurry...
INT. THE LOUNGE OF JUSTICE.
The party looks at the image of the crashed ship.
CARTER
It’s Thanagarian.
HAL
What’s “Thanagarian?”
KENDRA
Thanagar is the planet we’re from.
I don’t recognize the model...
CARTER
I do. It’s a ThalKol class
civilian transport. The line was
discontinued about... I’d say 60
years ago at this point. You’d only
find an older model like this in a museum,
or on the black market. Whoever flew it
might not even be Thanagarian.
EXT. CRASH SITE.
J’onn hovers before the ship.
J’ONN
(telepathically)
Time for a closer look, then.
J’onn phases through the ship’s hull into...
INT. THE SHIP.
J’onn phases into the dark corridors inside the ship. Tiny streaks of light shine in through the cracks in the hull from the floodlights outside, but not enough to see by.
J’ONN
(telepathically)
Adjusting for low-light conditions.
J’onn’s eyes physically transform, growing larger and rounder and glowing ever so slightly.
IN. THE LOUNGE OF JUSTICE.
The image on the tv screen becomes much brighter. In front of J’onn is a large metallic doorway. There appear to be scorch marks on the door frame.
KENDRA
What are those markings on the
door?
INT. THE SHIP.
J’onn floats over to the door.
J’ONN
(telepathically)
It appears that the military has
attempted to open this door using a
blow-torch. They seem to have been
unsuccessful so far.
KENDRA
(telepathically)
Can you get in?
J’onn phases through the door.
KENDRA
(telepathically)
... right.
On the other side of the door, J’onn finds himself in a small room containing several items scattered around on the floor, and an alcove containing some kind of soft cushion.
J’ONN
(telepathically)
I have found what appears to be
sleeping quarters.
J’onn looks around the small room, and a glint of green metal catches his eye. He reaches down to grasp...
INT. THE LOUNGE OF JUSTICE.
On the screen, J’onn holds in his hands a Power Battery of the Green Lantern Corps. Hal Jordan stands and stares at the image on the screen.
INT. WAYNE MANOR KITCHEN.
The Gotham party sits in the cramped kitchen/butler’s pantry that sits off to the side of a grand dining hall that Bruce can’t ever remember stepping foot in, eating grilled cheese sandwiches prepared by Alfred. Bruce, Ted, and Dinah are focused on the case files from Dinah’s initial investigation, Clark is on his third plate, Diana is confounded by the goopy crunchy thing before her, and Arthur isn’t eating. Shelby whimpers and tugs at Alfred’s apron until the housekeeper relents and gives the dog one of the burnt sandwiches.
DINAH
... so what I’m saying is, I think
they bought the Ambassador Hotel
because at least some of them are
living there.
BRUCE
I understand that, but it’s why we
shouldn’t go.
DINAH
It’s exactly the reason why we
should go! It's where the intel is!
BRUCE
It’s a fortified location full of
hundreds of potential hostages-
ARTHUR
Do I have to be here for this part?
BRUCE
I... guess not...
TED
Yeah, kid, why don’t you go stretch
your legs? We’ll come get you when
we’ve finished putting a plan
together.
ARTHUR
Cool.
Arthur gets up and exits the scene. Bruce makes eye contact with Clark and Diana, and the three of them share a non verbal exchange of information, which leads to Clark and Diana getting up to follow after Arthur. Shelby tags along, bounding after his boy.
INT. WAYNE MANOR.
Arthur, quietly strolling through the dark halls of the mansion, finds himself in a large room that has walls lined with paintings and two rows of several large displays under white sheets. Arthur walks up to one of these displays and removes the tarp, revealing a full set of Samurai armor, a deep blood-red in color.
ARTHUR
What the hell?
Behind Arthur, Clark switches on the lights as he and Diana enter the room.
CLARK
Hey Arthur. What’s that?
ARTHUR
No idea.
DIANA
Samurai Armor of the Honda Clan,
dated 1652.
CLARK
How do you know that? Did amazons
fight samurai?
Diana points to the informational placard at the foot of the display.
ARTHUR
Oh, hey.
Diana pulls another tarp off of another display. This one contains a set of Athenian armor.
DIANA
Someone in Bruce’s family must have
collected weapons and armor for
display. Hm, this helmet doesn’t go
with this breastplate...
CLARK
Seeing the house Bruce grew up in
explains a few things...
ARTHUR
Why are you guys here?
CLARK
What do you mean? We just wanted to
hang out, keep you company while-
ARTHUR
You’re babysitting me.
DIANA
We’re concerned for you, Arthur,
myself especially. You and I both
grieve for what the Legion has
taken from us, you don’t-
ARTHUR
My brother’s not dead!
DIANA
It’s still a loss, it still leaves a wound on your heart.
ARTHUR
I’m not grieving, I’m...
DIANA
You’re wondering what you’ll do if
you face him in battle tonight.
ARTHUR
... yeah. Kind of have no idea how
that’d go down.
CLARK
Well, whatever happens, however it
happens, you know we’ve all got
your back. Me, Diana, Bruce-
ARTHUR
Didn’t Bruce punch you in the face?
CLARK
Yeah, but we talked that over and
things are cool now.
INT. THE LOUNGE OF JUSTICE.
Hal and the rest of the party look up at the image on the screen.
OLLIE
Hey Hal, that’s the thing you need!
HAL
Yes, Oliver, we are aware you have
no tact or subtlety, thank you.
OLLIE
... y’know, I’m not going to
apologize for that one, I was just-
CARTER
Oliver, please stop talking. J’onn,
what’s our next move here?
INT. THE SHIP.
J’onn looks down at the lantern in his hands.
J’ONN
(telepathically)
I will have to leave the lantern
here. I have no way of taking it
with me without alerting the
Bialyani military to my presence.
J’onn places the lantern back where he found it, doing his best to hide it under other objects and debris. He then flies up, phasing through the ship’s hull and high up into the night’s sky.
J’ONN
(telepathically)
This raises many questions, but the
first one we must ask is...
CARTER
(telepathically)
... where’s the Green Lantern?
OLLIE
(telepathically)
J’onn JUST left it on-
CARTER
(telepathically)
Oliver! Quiet! Please!
OLLIE
(telepathically)
Shutting up.
J’onn scans the scene below him. He notices a supply convoy leading away from the military encampment around the crash site out into the desert. Invisible, J’onn flies off after the military trucks.
INT. THE LOUNGE OF JUSTICE.
Hal falls back onto the couch. Barry approaches him at a normal walking speed.
BARRY
Hal, you okay?
HAL
Yeah. Yeah, I’m good.
Without realizing he’s doing it, Hal begins scratching the ring finger on his right hand.
INT. WAYNE MANOR.
Arthur and Diana are sparring in one of the large empty rooms in Wayne Manor. It is a light sparring session, as neither wants to damage Bruce’s house, somewhere between sticky hands and a slow reenactment of every step of a choreographed hypothetical fight that they’re making up as they go along. Clark sits on the floor with Shelby, giving his dog ear scritches as he watches. Arthur comes at Diana with a left hook, which she sidesteps, allowing her to hook Arthur’s arm and throw him to the ground with an arm drag.
CLARK
That was cool!
DIANA
Why was it cool?
CLARK
... because you threw him?
Diana and Arthur share a look as the Amazon helps the Atlantean to his feet.
DIANA
Clark, let’s go a round while
Arthur takes a break.
CLARK
Oh. Okay.
Clark gets up as Arthur sits and replaces him on dog scritching duty.
DIANA
Clark, know that I say this with
all of the love in the world: you
are very bad at fighting. You have
no real combat instincts to speak
of, you rely solely on brute force
and surprise tactics, and your weak
form and awkward movements result
in an unnecessary waste of time and
energy in battle.
CLARK
... you maybe could have said that a
little nicer, but sure, note taken...
DIANA
We can fix this together. First,
where do you keep your eyes in a
fight?
CLARK
... forward?
Using the index and middle fingers of her right hand, Diana draws a straight line from her left shoulder, across her collar bone, to her right shoulder.
DIANA
During a fight, imagine a line
right here on your enemy’s body,
and keep your eyes on that line at
all times. This keeps all four
limbs as well as the head in your
peripheral vision, allowing you to
anticipate strikes from any
direction more easily.
CLARK
Imagine a line. Okay...
DIANA
Next, stance.
Diana shifts into a fighting stance.
DIANA
Shift your body sideways, to make
yourself a smaller target. Pull the
side of your dominant hand back and
lead with the side of your off
hand. When you strike, put all of
your weight onto your front foot.
Clark assumes a fighting stance, per Diana’s instructions. Diana holds up her two palms.
DIANA
Now give it a try. Don’t use your
power, yet, let’s just focus on
form for now.
Clark begins throwing punches that Diana gracefully catches in the palms of her hands. At first, his punches are awkward, as he is thinking about his stance while thinking about throwing punches while thinking about aiming at Diana’s hands, but as he slowly gets into a rhythm, his movements become more fluid and natural.
SHELBY
*BARK**WOOF*
ARTHUR
He said “good job.”
Clark stops punching and looks at his dog.
CLARK
Oh. Thanks, Shelby.
DIANA
That’s not his name.
CLARK
Huh?
ARTHUR
She’s right. He doesn’t mind that
you call him that, but that’s not
his name in his head.
CLARK
How do you know that?
DIANA
He told us.
CLARK
You can talk to animals? You both
can talk to animals?
ARTHUR
More like get a feel for what
they’re feeling. And the word that
feels like his name to him isn’t
“Shelby.”
CLARK
What is it?
ARTHUR
Not sure. Like I said, it’s more of
a vibe thing for me.
Clark turns to Diana.
DIANA
For me as well. I can sense the meaning of the name,
but not the word itself.
CLARK
What does it mean?
DIANA
“Of Home.”
CLARK
... huh.
The door opens, and Alfred sticks his head in.
ALFRED
Sorry to bother you, but Master
Bruce has requested your presence
in the drawing room.
ARTHUR
... what’s a drawing room?
INT. DRAWING ROOM.
The party gathers around a table where Bruce has laid out a large map of Gotham.
BRUCE
The property we’re going after is
here. It’s a huge parcel of land
that makes up most of Slaughter
Swamp.
ARTHUR
Why’s it called Slaughter Swamp?
BRUCE
The mob’s gotta stash "witnesses"
somewhere.
DIANA
Why this location?
BRUCE
It’s big, it’s out of the way, it’s
not obviously useful, which is
itself interesting, and the Legion
has committed considerable
resources to the property. They’ve
hired a massive construction team
to build something on the land.
CLARK
What are they building?
BRUCE
That’s what we’re going to find
out. We’ve mapped an approach;
Arthur, you’ll scout ahead in the
water while we take this footpath.
Once we arrive, our primary
objective is recon. Our next move
after that depends on whatever
intel we get. I want to head out in
twenty minutes, so everyone should
get geared up with anything you
think you’ll need.
CLARK
I know exactly what to wear.
EXT. BIALYANI AIRSPACE. NIGHT.
As J’onn follows the trucks, they lead him to a large complex of buildings nestled among a small mountain range.
INT. THE LOUNGE OF JUSTICE.
The party watches the feed on the tv.
J’ONN
(over the comm)
This looks promising.
CARTER
J’onn, do you want backup?
J’ONN
(over the comm)
Negative. This still remains a
stealth mission for the moment.
EXT. MYSTERIOUS BASE. NIGHT.
J’onn scans the area with his enhanced senses, detecting anomalous lifesigns in a sub basement area of the base. Invisible, J’onn descends, phasing through the buildings and down through the floor to get to the sub level.
INT. SUB-LEVEL.
J’onn descends through the ceiling, and discovers a room full of containment cells, each cell made up of four posts generating four walls of a shimmering yellow force field. Most of the cells are occupied. Some of the occupants are individuals we have met before: Elastigirl, Robotman, Negative-Man, Crazy Jane, Detective Chimp, and The Chief, altogether known as THE DOOM PATROL. In addition, there is another figure in a cell far at the back of the room.
INT. THE LOUNGE OF JUSTICE.
The party watches the action on the TV.
OLLIE
Who are these people?
BARRY
They’re the ones who took care of
us in Ohio.
KENDRA
The Doom Patrol.
OLLIE
... what, are they a band or
something?
INT. SUB-LEVEL.
Becoming visible, J’onn approaches the cell containing Rita Farr, AKA Elastigirl, who is sitting in a chair, motionless and expressionless.
J’ONN
Rita...
Rita stares ahead blankly, not looking at J’onn but looking through him.
J’ONN
Rita, it is me, J’onn J’onzz.
Rita tilts her head slightly without changing her gaze.
RITA
... hm?
J’ONN
Oh, Rita...
VOICE
(O.S.)
She can’t hear you.
J’onn turns to the cell at the far end of the room.
VOICE
They have her in some kind of
stasis to inhibit her metamorphic
abilities. It affects the mind as
well as the body. They’ve all been
sedated in some way, since the
interrogations stopped.
J’onn approaches the cell at the far end. There, he discovers that it is occupied by ABIN SUR, GREEN LANTERN OF SPACE SECTOR 2814.
ABIN SUR
It’s what I have to look forward
to.
J’ONN
Not if I have anything to say about
it. I am here to rescue you.
Several large spider-like appendages emerge from the darkness and stab into J’onn’s body. He screams in agony.
INT. THE LOUNGE OF JUSTICE.
The feed has gone dead. A panicked Ray tries in vain to get the image back. Hal stands, and looks around at the others as everyone wonders what to do next.
EXT. SLAUGHTER SWAMP. NIGHT.
The party embarks on their mission. As per the plan, Arthur swims ahead as a scout while the rest of the party goes on foot. Everyone is decked out in lightweight covert tactical gear mixed with sensible dark colored clothing, with the exception of Clark, who is wearing red converse, blue jeans, and a blue t-shirt with the Superman \S/ symbol printed on it under a bright red windbreaker.
BRUCE
(whispering)
Did you really have to wear that?
CLARK
(whispering)
Yes. I did.
Bruce rolls his eyes. The party advances, and they approach the construction site. It is full of heavy machinery and lit with floodlights. There are loud thudding sounds coming from inside the site, like two elephants wrestling in swamp water. Bruce holds up his hand to signal for the group to stop. He makes eye contact with Arthur, who sticks head up out of the water, and signals for Arthur to scout ahead and then come and report back. Arthur, in his Atlantean form, dives under the water and swims ahead. Swimming past all of the equipment, he peeks his head out of the water by the cover of some old logs and witnesses the following sight: construction has been halted because TWO Solomon Grundies are battling each other to the death in the middle of the site. The fight is watched by a small collection of villains: Black Mask, Bane, Black Manta, and Orm Marius!
THE END
Notes:
Hypothetical Cast Update:
Alfred: Anthony Steward Head
Abin Sur: Stanley Tucci
Chapter 12: Challenge of the Super Friends, Season 1, Episode 12: "Somebody's Going to Emergency, Somebody's Going to Jail"
Summary:
Two stealth operations go off the rails at the same time!
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
INT. THE JAVELIN.
The interior of the Javelin sits empty for a moment, before Barry bursts in at super speed carrying Hal in his arms, deposits Hal in the pilot’s seat, and then runs back out in about half a second.
HAL
Woah, head rush...
Quickly getting his bearings, Hal begins prep for takeoff as Barry darts in and out of the Javelin at super speed, filling the seats behind Hal with the rest of the party. Everyone is dazed for a moment due to their sudden change in location, but the Hawks immediately adjust and get into mission mode. Carter turns to Lana, Ray, and Ollie, while behind them, Barry loads the Javelin with equipment.
CARTER
The three of you don’t have to
come.
OLLIE
(under his breath)
I wish you’d told that to Barry...
LANA
If there’s any chance I can help
even a little, I have to go.
KENDRA
What about you, Ray? You don’t-
RAY
(nervous)
Yeah I do. CYCLOPS security is
probably heavily computerized.
J’onn needs my help just as much as
he needs yours.
CARTER
We promise, Ray, we will keep you
safe.
Barry loads the last bit of gear.
BARRY
Done!
In response to Barry, Hal begins to warm up the engines.
CARTER
What about you, Oliver?
Ollie looks back at the door, and for a moment he looks very tempted, but then turns back to Carter.
OLLIE
Eh, I hate being by myself in a big
building, it’s spooky.
Hal punches in some commands, and the Javelin begins to cloak as it takes off with its VTOL engines.
EXT. SLAUGHTER SWAMP. NIGHT.
Bane, Black Mask, Black Manta, and Orm Marius watch as the two Solomon Grundy's battle one another to the death, knee deep in the muck of the swamp. One Grundy falters slightly, giving his twin the opportunity to get him in a headlock and, with a titanic twist, snap the poor creature’s neck. He lets go of his doppelganger's body, which sinks down into the swamp.
ORM MARIUS
Well, there we go, problem-
BLACK MASK
Wait for it...
A few yards away from the victorious Grundy, at the foot of an old gnarled black tree, the swamp muck begins to bubble and foam. Out of the swamp water slurry shoots an enormous arm, still mid-construction; skin, muscle, and sinew are rapidly growing on top of what appear to be bones made of black wood. As the creature rises, its body finishes taking shape, and we see that it is another Solomon Grundy. The two monsters make eye contact, and then charge at one another to begin their battle anew.
ORM MARIUS
Oh! I see now.
BLACK MASK
Therein lies the problem.
ORM MARIUS
And that happens for both of them?
BLACK MASK
Yes it does.
BANE
They’ve completely halted
construction.
ORM MARIUS
Yes, I understand why this is a
“me” problem now, I apologize for
my earlier comment.
BLACK MASK
You know, I really do appreciate
that. I’m being serious, I-
A gigantic octopus arm-like appendage made entirely out of swamp water rises up, completely engulfs Black Mask, and drags him under. Bane is shocked and unsure of how to react for just a microsecond, but Black Manta’s response is immediate, taking a defensive stance with his shock-pulse rifle. However, Manta is then engulfed in a second water tendril and dragged under as well. Marius watches dispassionately as his ally is sucked down into the swamp water.
ORM MARIUS
Oh dear...
Bane activates the VENOM injector on his wrist, but not in time to stop him from being dragged under as well. Orm Marius appears to find this annoying. He begins counting down with his fingers.
ORM MARIUS
(quietly, to himself)
Five... four... three...
Another giant water tendril shoots out of the swamp and engulfs Marius, but this one stops at the neck, and instead of dragging him under the water, it holds him up in the air, trapping him inside a standing column of water and pinning his limbs against his body with water pressure alone. It is then that an amphibious life form rises out of the water. As he does so, he transforms back into his human form of Arthur Orin Curry.
ARTHUR
Hello, Tommy.
Orm Marius looks down at his brother through the expressionless eyes of his mask.
ARTHUR
(getting frustrated)
What? What, you seriously don’t
have anything to-
A blast of compressed force hits Arthur and sends him flying deep into the swamp. Orm Marius drops to the ground as the water dissipates. Black Manta, shock-pulse blaster in hand, approaches Marius.
BLACK MANTA
I am offended he thought that would
work.
ORM MARIUS
He hasn’t actually met you, yet.
BLACK MANTA
Then introductions are in order.
With the help of his armor’s magnetic propulsion system, Black Manta rises into the air and shoots after Arthur like a rocket. As this happens, Bane drags himself back onto dry land, and pulls a coughing and panting Black Mask out of the water with one arm.
BANE
Your brother?
ORM MARIUS
Just missed him.
BLACK MASK
*HACK* *COUGH* not FUNNY *COUGH*
Marius!
ORM MARIUS
Not a joke. He really was just
here.
BANE
He may have not come alone. We-
Bane is cut off when a smoke grenade explodes at his feet, blanketing the three villains in a thick blanket of black smoke.
BLACK MASK
OH GOD WHY?!?!?!
Orm Marius levitates above the smoke as Bane struggles against it and Black Mask genuinely sounds like he’s coughing up an organ.
ORM MARIUS
I’m going to visit with my brother.
Deal with this.
Marius gently floats away in the direction of Arthur and Black Manta’s fight. Stumbling through the smoke, Black Mask pulls himself to his feet and reaches for his gun.
BLACK MASK
You goddamn sons of-!
Before Black Mask can draw his firearm, Ted Grant runs up to him and, using a high tech pair of brass knuckles that crackle with electricity, punches Black Mask in the face and knocks him out with one punch. Bane rises from the smoke, looming over Ted, but Clark jumps into the fray in a burst of super speed, kicking up wind that disperses the smoke in the process, and punches the enormous villain into a large rotted tree, which splinters on impact. The remaining party members group up next to Ted.
BRUCE
DAMN it Arthur!
DINAH
What’s the plan?
CLARK
Go help Arthur. I’ll keep the big
tough guy busy.
The party leaves Clark to hold down Bane as they head deeper into the swamp to find Arthur. The two Solomon Grundies notice the intruders, and cease their combat with one another in order to attack our heroes instead. Diana makes eye contact with Shelby, and then, in unison, the two peel off to fight the two titanic undead. Diana hits one Grundy in the face with a drop kick, while Shelby bites the face of the other. Meanwhile, deeper in the swamp, Arthur rises out of the water in the spot where he landed just as Black Manta catches up with him. The armored villain grabs the Atlantean teen by the throat and slams him down with incredible force, displacing all of the swamp water around them in a huge wave and pressing Arthur into the muddy earth below. As the water Rushes back in, Arthur reflexively shifts into his amphibious form, but the vice-like grip of Black Manta’s gauntlets not only crushes his windpipe, but also presses down on his gills, preventing them from taking in water. Arthur struggles against Black Manta’s grip, but finds that the villain’s armored suit increases his strength to be on par with that of the merteen. Above the water, Orm Marius quietly floats into the scene.
ORM MARIUS
David? We do need him for later.
BLACK MANTA
*SIGH*
Manta picks up Arthur and throws him into a nearby tree as hard as he can. Arthur goes through the tree, and the one behind it, before coming to a stop when he slams into the third tree in the line.
ORM MARIUS
Thank you, David. Now, would you
please-
Marius is cut off by a massive sonic burst generated by Dinah Lance, who has just arrived on the scene with Bruce and Ted. The blast sends the two villains flying back. Marius and Manta take a moment to catch their balance, and as this happens, a huge wave reaches up and engulfs Marius, dragging him down into the depths. The water around them then swells up, collecting into a large mass that moves away from the fight, toward the construction site. A roughly human shaped figure darts away through this collected mass of water, moving as fast as a torpedo.
BRUCE
Arthur!
The water around them completely recedes, leaving Bruce, Ted, Dinah, and Black Manta standing in a bed of mud. All four then shift into a fighting stance, and the three heroes charge the lone villain. Meanwhile, under the water, Arthur, in his amphibious form, has his evil younger brother grabbed by the shoulders, rocketing the both of them with aforementioned torpedo speeds back toward the construction site in an ever growing mass of water. Arthur glares into his younger brother’s completely expressionless eyes. He then lets go, and begins swimming around his brother in circles at incredible speeds, creating a whirlpool effect that keeps the small Warlock pinned in place. While maintaining his circular swimming pattern, Arthur then begins to swim upward. The bulging water begins to rise and take the form of a massive spire. As Arthur swims upward in a spiral, dragging his evil brother behind him, the spire climbs higher and higher. Nearby, all of the fighting pauses as the water in the swamp recedes, leaving the fighters standing ankle-deep in mud. As the bulk of the water gathers at the base of the enormous column, it begins to freeze solid. The ice quickly catches up to Marius, freezing him solid, and then creeps up behind Arthur. Increasing his speed, he swims out of the tip of the tower of water just before it freezes. He hangs in the air for just a moment, hundreds of feet above the ground, and then begins to fall.
ARTHUR
Oh yeah...
Arthur quickly plummets to the ground, landing in the mud with a muffled thud.
ARTHUR
(pained)
Ow.
The tower of ice looms above him. It creaks and echoes, its structural integrity unsound. It begins to collapse under its own weight, and falls over right on top of Arthur.
ARTHUR
(exhausted)
Crap.
However, deep at the heart of the tower of ice, Marius’ eyes glow a dark blood red. The ice shatters into a fine powder just before it hits the Atlantean prince. The force of the blast sends Arthur skidding backwards in the mud, and is felt by the other fighters on either side of the two brothers. Marius floats down to his older brother as snow begins to fall on Slaughter Swamp.
INT. EVIL LABORATORY.
J’onn, forced into his “default” Martian form, is held suspended in the air by an energy barrier generated by the lab’s equipment. Queen Bee paces around her captive in a circle.
QUEEN BEE
Hello, J’onn.
Struggling to open his eyes, J’onn glares down at his sworn nemesis as best he can.
QUEEN BEE
Oh J’onn, don’t try to move.
Queen Bee reaches to a panel beside her and turns up a dial, causing J’onn to seize up in pain as she effectively tightens his restraints.
QUEEN BEE
I’m not allowing you to.
A platform behind Queen Bee lights up and activates, as a figure materializes atop it. A strange looking man, with a tiny withered body and a bulbous head almost twice the size of the rest, floats off of the teleport pad into the room in some kind of specialized chair that hovers a few feet off of the ground.
QUEEN BEE
Hector, thank you for coming.
J’onn, you’ve met Dr. Hammond
before. He will be running your
interrogation, the reason for that
is obvious, I’m sure. I’ll just let
you two get to it, then.
Queen Bee steps onto the teleport pad and exits the scene. Hector Hammon looks up at J’onn with jaundiced, bloodshot eyes. Though his face is just as atrophied as the rest of his body, his eyes betray a sadistic enjoyment of J’onn’s pain.
HECTOR HAMMOND
(telepathically)
I came all this way just to speak
with you, Mr. J’onzz. I hope that
illustrates how excited I am to
have the opportunity to pick your
brain...
Hector Hammond begins to concentrate. J’onn’s eyes suddenly open wide, and his pupils contract into barely visible dots.
EXT. BIALYANI AIRSPACE. NIGHT.
The Javelin enters into a holding pattern above the hidden base where J’onn was taken captive. Inside the plane, the kids look out the windows at their target.
OLLIE
So, how exactly do you guys propose
we get in that place?
KENDRA
Carter and I have experience with
stealth ops, we’ll go in while-
LANA
Kendra, I know you two are super
skillful warriors and everything,
but do you really think you’re
going to do a better job of
sneaking into a place than a guy
who can walk through walls,
disappear, and fly?
CARTER
Just to be clear, we can also fly.
BARRY
Don’t worry, guys. Ray’s got this.
The party turns to look at Barry. He is standing beside Ray, who is typing away on a bulky laptop.
BARRY
What do you think he was working on
the whole flight over here?
Before anyone can answer, Ray ejects a disk from his laptop, gets up, walks over to the co-pilot seat, and inserts the disk into the plane’s computer terminal. Outside the Javelin, the high tech jet’s gun ports activate.
EXT. CYCLOPS BASE. NIGHT.
A lone security guard stands watch at the front gate. He stares out at the cold desert night, bored out of his mind, when a strange sound catches his attention. It’s some kind of music. Just then, a giant explosion of light and fire goes off right outside of the guard post. Outside, the Javelin decloaks, blaring Kenny Loggins and Stevie Nicks’ “Whenever I Call You Friend” over its loud speakers and using its VTOL engines to strafe over the base, raining down a hail of white fire shot rapidly out of the ship’s mini-guns. The guard immediately grabs his phone and sounds the alarm. The entire base goes on high alert, and armed guards come out to try and shoot down the aircraft. A few hundred yards away, the party crouches among some rocks while they watch the action.
OLLIE
Ray, did you just kill hundreds of
people?
RAY
No! The Javelin doesn’t have any
bullets, those are its signal
flares. S.T.A.R. Labs designed them
so they’re bright, but not very
hot.
OLLIE
(under his breath)
Kind of like you...
Lana smacks Oliver across the back of the head.
OLLIE
Ow!
LANA
Ollie! Apologize!
OLLIE
(quietly)
Sorry Ray...
LANA
Ray, keep going.
RAY
... um, like I was saying, you can’t
even burn your skin on them. I
programmed the Javelin’s autopilot
to fly and attack in the same
formation as the aliens in Space
Invader. The Javelin’s shields can
stand up to anything they have, so
it should keep them distracted
until they figure out it's harmless.
CARTER
Which won’t take long. Let’s move.
EXT. SLAUGHTER SWAMP. NIGHT.
Snow falls on the muddy bed of the now drained swamp. Bane pulls himself out of the mud and approaches Clark Kent.
BANE
Finally! A worthy test of the new
formula!
He reaches for the dial on his wrist that controls the rate at which VENOM is injected into his body, and turns it to its highest setting. Every muscle in his body bulges out and then contracts, becoming tight and compact, like finely wound titanium micro-fibers. His veins bulge out as well, and begin to glow green very slightly.
BANE
The World’s Strongest Man!
Bane charges at Clark, who blocks with both arms. The impact of the strike creates a shockwave that pushes all of the mud and snow immediately around them away with incredible force. Meanwhile, a short distance away, Diana and Shelby continue to do battle with the two Grundies. Diana grabs her Grundy by the leg, swings him around, and slams him into the ground, creating a small impact crater. Grundy’s limp body begins to sink into the mud. Diana turns to go assist the Dog of Steel, coming at the surviving Grundy with a running jump and a right hook as he takes swings at Shelby. Diana’s fist makes contact with Grundy’s jaw, staggering the monster for a moment, but Grundy flails wildly at the princess and manages to get in a lucky shot, sending Diana flying into the base of a nearby tree as Shelby bites the monster’s arm. As Diana right herself, she notices something at her feet: a skeleton, entangled in the roots of the old gnarled tree that clearly grew from inside the cadaver’s chest cavity, is visible now that the water has drained away. In the split second it takes Diana to ponder this strange sight, two enormous skeletal arms made from gnarled black wood grow out of the base of the tree and grab at Diana, who quickly jumps out of the way. An enormous human skeleton made out of this black wood begins to grow out of the base of the tree. Muscle, sinew, and pale waterlogged skin rapidly grows on top of the wooden skeleton as it rises, and a new Solomon Grundy is born. Deeper in the swamp, Orm Marius hovers over his brother as snow falls around them. Marius holds out a hand, and Arthur levitates out of the mud and snow and rises into the air to meet Marius’ gaze.
ORM MARIUS
You know I don’t like playing tag,
big brother.
ARTHUR
(strained)
Give him back you son of a-
Black electricity arcs from Orm Marius’ finger tips and electrocutes Arthur, causing him to writhe and cry out in pain.
ORM MARIUS
I know she and thee don’t get on,
but I will not have you talking
about mother like that.
Orm Marius relents his electric assault. Arthur goes limp, his eyes vacant in his half-conscious state.
ORM MARIUS
Come along, big brother. Let’s see
how the others are doing.
Deeper still in the swamp, Ted, Dinah, and Bruce take on Black Manta. While they have him out numbered, he has them outgunned: Ted comes in close, getting body shots in on the villain with his high tech knuckles, bobbing and weaving to avoid Mantas counter blows, but while Manta does seem to feel the punches, it’s still not enough. Manta manages to grab Ted by the arm and slam him into the ground with a violent arm drag, causing Ted to cry out in pain. From behind Black Manta, Dinah lets out a highly focused sonic blast and hits Manta square in the back, knocking him several feet away from Ted. Manta lands on his feet with the help of his suit’s thrusters. He turns to Dinah and raises out his fist, firing several poison darts from his gauntlet. Dinah ducks behind a tree, and the darts dig into the wood. Dinah tries to come out of cover to counter attack, but Manta holds her down with suppressive fire of yet more darts. With Manta’s attention focused on Dinah, Bruce manages to sneak up behind the villain and snag is dart-shootin’ wrist in a high-tech set of handcuffs. Manta wrenches his arm and flings Bruce off of him, sending him sliding into the muddy ground. Manta approaches Bruce, and Bruce produces some kind of firearm: Manta’s very own shock-pulse blaster! The villain instinctively reaches to his holster and finds that the blaster isn’t there! Bruce managed to lift it off of his enemy during their brief contact. Bruce fires the blaster, knocking Manta back with incredible force and causing him to crash into a nearby stone outcropping. Manta attempts to ready himself, but is held down when Dinah unleashes a wall of sonic force upon the villain. Black Manta strains against the sonic assault, the red lenses of his helmet beginning to crack under the pressure. As Dinah runs out of breath, her attack subsides, giving Ted, with his right arm dangling limply from his dislocated shoulder, the opening to run up to Black Manta and punch him directly in the face as hard as he possibly can. The front of the helmet cracks and indents slightly, and Manta slumps to the ground, unconscious.
DINAH
Ted, are you-
TED
I’m fine. Go! Help the others. I
can handle this guy.
Dinah and Bruce peel off and run back in the direction of the construction site. Bracing himself against the large rock, Ted relocates his right shoulder with a pop.
TED
AAGGHHHlways the right shoulder, I
swear to God...
EXT. CONSTRUCTION SITE. NIGHT.
Clark and Bane lock hands in a test of strength. Bane’s muscles tense and his green glowing veins bulge, and Clark’s body crackles with blue energy, as the two combatants push against each other with all of their might. At first, they appear evenly matched. But, little by little, Clark pushes the villain back. Bane tries desperately to maintain his footing in the mud beneath them, but no matter how hard he pushes forward he finds himself sliding back. Clark smiles; he knows he’s the stronger of the two. Clark lets go of one of Bane’s hands and winds back for a punch, but while he is stronger than Bane, Bane has superior fighting instincts; in the moment it takes Clark to wind back for a punch, Bane strikes first, punching Clark in the face and sending the Kryptonian teen flying back. Bane charges after his opponent. As Clark skids to a halt in the mud, Bane takes a running jump and delivers a coup de grace directly to the center of Clark’s chest.
CLARK
*JUST A HORRIBLE NOISE*
A short distance away, Diana and Shelby continue their fight with the two Grundies. Diana and Shelby share a moment of eye contact, and then move in opposite directions and begin encircling the two Grundies at incredible speed. Diana then breaks formation, jumping into the air and throwing her golden lasso at the two Grundies, ensnaring them both. With one mighty pull, she hoists the two Grundies into the air, spins them around, and then slams them directly into the base of the gnarled old tree, shattering the skeleton beneath it. Diana then lands next to the tree and rips it out of the ground. She leaps into the air once again, spins the tree around in her hands, and as she descends she slams it, pointed end first, into the two Grundies. She lands and continues to PUSH, driving the tree and Grundies as deep into the ground as she can. Diana takes a moment to catch her breath, and then notices Clark struggling in his fight against Bane AND Marius casually arriving with a paralyzed Arthur in tow. Diana shoots a glance at Shelby, who runs to Clark’s assistance. Diana, meanwhile, retrieves her lasso with a simple tug, the chord magically unbinding itself in accordance with her will, and then charges towards Marius. The warlock is too quick, however, and binds the Amazon telekinetically.
ORM MARIUS
Princess! I was just looking for
you.
Over at the Clark/Bane fight, Bane lifts Clark out of the mud with one hand, and prepares to continue his beat down, but Shelby runs up and bites his leg. With super-canine strength, Shelby drags Bane’s foot out from under him and tosses him away from Clark. Battered and panting for breath, Clark rises to his feet.
CLARK
Thanks, buddy.
Bane gets back on his feet and charges at the Kryptonian boy and his Kryptonian dog.
CLARK
I’m going to need you to keep him
off his balance.
SHELBY
*BARK**WOOF*
CLARK
Good boy.
Shelby lunges at Bane, biting down on his left wrist like a vice and damaging the controls for his VENOM injector. Bane tries to wrest the Dog of Might off of him, giving Clark the opening he needs to deliver a right hook to Bane’s face with near-perfect form. Shelby tears out the tubes connecting the injector to the back of Bane's head, and Clark, calling upon his training with Diana in the previous episode, gets Bane on the ropes, delivering three right/left combos in quick succession and staggering the villain. Without the source of his power, Bane falls after one more blow from the Boy of Steel. Clark only has a moment to revel in his victory, however, as he notices that Marius has Diana and Arthur in his clutches just a short distance away. Over with them, Marius monologues very slightly at his captives.
ORM MARIUS
You know, Princess, at first I was
a bit miffed that you managed to
survive our attack on the island,
but I’m glad you did. I’m working
on a project you might be able to
help me with.
Diana struggles against Marius’ telekinetic grip. Although the rest of her body is frozen, she discovers that she is able to move the hand that is holding the Lasso of Truth. Just then, Clark and Shelby charge in to help their friends. Marius freezes them mid-air without looking away from Diana.
ORM MARIUS
(to Diana)
Wait until you see it. You’ll just
die.
BEAT
ORM MARIUS
... although, after that I will
actually have to kill you, just to
be cl-
Marius is blasted by a combination of a shock-pulse and focused canary cry, fired from below by Bruce and Dinah. The villain is knocked off-balance for just a moment, losing some of his grip on Diana and Clark, before turning his attention to the new interlopers. This gives Diana the opening she needs. Using one hand, she winds the lasso down the rest of her arm, breaking her free of Marius’ control enough for her to reach out and punch Marius in the face with a fist wrapped in the golden lasso. Clark, shuck loose from the warlock's grip, grabs the other end of the lasso and wraps it around Marius, binding the Warlock and cutting him off from his powers. Marius, Arthur, Diana, Clark, and Shelby fall out of the air, landing in the mud below. Bruce and Dinah walk up to their teammates, to find that Diana has Orm Marius in her custody.
INT. CYCLOPS BASE.
Two guards maintain their post outside of a room labeled “holding area.” The men are very heavily armed. Despite the fact that the general alarm is blaring and gunfire and explosions can be heard coming from outside, the two men don’t move, although they do eye one another nervously as other base personnel run by in a panic. Before they can act on this feeling, Barry dashes in at super speed and chops both of them on the vagus nerve in a single movement. The sudden strike to their nervous system causes the two to pass out, allowing Barry to tie them up with a length of rope and shove them into a nearby closet. The rest of the party enters the scene.
CARTER
Nice work.
BARRY
Thanks, I thought of that move when
I was-
KENDRA
Not now, sweetie.
BARRY
(quietly)
Sorry.
Ray goes to the door’s computerized lock and prepares to hack it. However, Carter produces his mace and approaches the door.
CARTER
Sorry, Ray...
Carter smashes the door open with one blow.
CARTER
... we’re in a hurry.
The party enters the holding area. Inside, they discover the members of the Doom Patrol, all of them either barely conscious or in a total daze as a result of their interrogations, trapped inside of energy cages alongside the Green Lantern, Abin Sur.
LANA
Oh my God...
KENDRA
We need to get these shields down.
CARTER
Ray, looks like you’re back at bat.
RAY
Huh?
Carter gestures toward the computer terminal in the room.
CARTER
Please turn off the force fields.
RAY
Oh, right!
Ray runs over to the computer and begins hacking. Carter and Kendra position themselves by the exits, ready to fight if a guard comes in, while the other kids look around.
LANA
J’onn’s not here...
ABIN SUR
They took him for interrogation.
The party turns to face the captive Lantern. Hal approaches Abin Sur’s cage, and the two make eye contact, sharing an unnerving and profound moment that neither could possibly put into words.
BARRY
I’ll get him!
Barry dashes off at super speed.
ABIN SUR
No, WAIT!
Hal runs after Barry.
INT. EVIL LABORATORY.
Hector Hammond looks at a smooth green sphere suspended in the air above him. Hammond narrows his gaze, and ripples spread across the surface of the orb. Suddenly, and quite violently, the mass of the orb expands outward and takes the shape of J’onn J’onzz’s “default” Martian form.
J’ONN
*SCREAMING IN AGONY*
J’onn’s body quickly contracts back into the form of the orb, completely motionless and silent.
HECTOR HAMMOND
(telepathically)
Interesting.
The door bursts open as Barry enters the room in a blur of motion.
BARRY
... what’cha doing?
Barry begins to lift into the air.
BARRY
Hey! Wait a-!
Barry is flung into the wall with considerable force, knocking all of the air in his lungs out of him with a very loud and painful gasp. It’s at this moment that Hal Jordan enters the room. Hector Hammond turns to look at him.
HECTOR HAMMOND
(telepathically)
... Hal Jordan?
HAL
... yeah?
HECTOR HAMMOND
(telepathically)
This is a... pleasant surprise, let’s
say.
HAL
I’m guessing you’re... one of mine?
HECTOR HAMMOND
(telepathically)
Look at you. No ring, no clue of
what’s going on, and you’re still
the first one to chase after the
stray.
HAL
I am going to have to ask you to
let him down-
Hector Hammond forces Hal down on his knees with telekinetic power.
HAL
Ah!
HECTOR HAMMOND
(telepathically)
It’s such a strange thing, to see
the shadow of the mighty oak cast
by such a tiny seed. One wonders-
A bolt of bright green energy strikes Hector Hammond, knocking him off of his hover chair and rendering him unconscious. Hammond’s telekinetic hold is broken, and Barry, Hal, and J’onn are all freed. J’onn drops to the ground, and enters his heroic Martian Manhunter form. Abin Sur enters the room, hand extended in a fist, his ring glowing with awesome power.
ABIN SUR
Is everyone alright?
INT. HOLDING CELLS.
Abin Sur, J’onn, Barry, and Hal return to the holding cells. The force fields are down, and the remaining party members are helping the dazed members of the Doom Patrol out of their cells. As they enter the room, they walk right past Queen Bee, using her powers of camouflage to hide behind a pillar and spy on her enemies before confronting them.
RAY
I got the forcefields down!
HAL
I noticed. Thank you for that.
J’ONN
What is our escape plan?
KENDRA
You’re not going to like it.
LANA
It’s not... perfect, but if we’re
fast it should be safe.
J’ONN
Lana, please, just-
Before J’onn can finish his sentence, a door materializes on the nearby wall. The door swings open, and sunshine pours in from the city street on the other side.
J’ONN
... you called Danny.
KENDRA
(to Lana)
Told you he wasn’t going to like
it.
From her hiding spot, Queen Bee smiles.
EXT. WAYNE MANOR. NIGHT.
The party, having returned from Slaughter Swamp, board the Javelin parked out front of Wayne Manor. Taking up the rear are Bruce and Alfred.
ALFRED
Is this really necessary?
BRUCE
We made pretty significant contact
with the Legion tonight. If you
stay here by yourself they will
come after you to retaliate.
Alfred lets out a loud sigh.
ALFRED
(quietly)
... gave fifteen years of my life to
those bloody roses...
Bruce and Alfred board the Javelin, and Ted immediately begins prepping for takeoff. The mood in the jet is tense, and all eyes are focused on the Javelin’s newest passenger (besides Afred): Orm Marius, bound by the lasso of truth in one of the Javelin’s seats. Alfred stops and looks at Marius.
ALFRED
I thought you said you fought a
whole group of them.
BRUCE
We only have the one rope, so let’s
get going before his friends come
looking for him.
Bruce leads Alfred to the back of the plane. The other kids remain grouped around Marius.
CLARK
So, the lasso can make anyone tell
the truth?
DIANA
It can.
CLARK
Should we... ask him questions?
As the Javelin rises into the air, Bruce sits down with his teammates. Alfred takes a seat near the back, as far from Marius as he can get, eyeing the creepy child warlock nervously.
BRUCE
We’re going to want to be very
careful about what questions we ask
him. It would probably be best to
avoid talking to him directly until
we get back to base.
CLARK
Yeah...
Most of the party members try to turn their attention away from Marius. Arthur, however, is just staring daggers at him. Shelby comes up to Arthur and nuzzles the Atlanteen’s hand, but Arthur merely retracts his hand from the dog. There is only one person on his mind right now.
BEAT
TED
(O.S.)
Hey guys? I think we have a
problem.
Bruce, Diana, and Clark get up and walk to the front of the plane.
TED
Radar says there’s something
following us.
Bruce looks at the radar screen.
BRUCE
It looks too small to be a plane,
but it’s way too fast to be a bird...
TED
Hold on...
Ted turns the stick hard, bringing the Javelin about to catch a visual of their neighbor in the skies through the jet’s windows. As the Javelin comes around, they look out and see the Kryptonian clone BIZARRO chasing after them.
BRUCE
What is that?
CLARK
Oh God...
EXT. DANNY THE STREET. DAY.
The Bialya party exits through the door onto Danny the Street. Just before the door dematerializes, a very fast creature with an outer shell camouflaged to match its surroundings skitters through the crack in the door very quickly and scurries down the narrow space between two buildings to hide. No one in the party notices this happen.
J’ONN
You all took an incredible risk
summoning Danny. Their movements
through time and space cause
ripples that the Legion are capable
of detecting and tracking. As long
as we remain their primary target,
our presence here endangers
everyone for whom Danny serves as a
safe haven.
By this point, the Dannyzens have noticed this large and colorful cast of new arrivals. The Doom Patrol are well known to many of the long-time residents of Danny, and so the locals immediately come to greet them and care for them in their weakened state. Two of the newest Dannyzens, Jonathan and Martha Kent, recognize Lana and J’onn and approach both of them.
MARTHA
Hey, Lana.
JONATHAN
Jones, what are you doing here with
the kids?
MARTHA
Is Clark with you?
J’ONN
(to Lana)
Case in point.
LANA
Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Kent. Mr. Jones is
right, we really can’t stay long,
we’re just passing-
The communicators worn by Carter and Kendra activate, with the same message coming through both of them.
TED
(over the comms)
This is a JSA general distress
call! Wildcat in need of immediate
assistance!
INT. JAVELIN. NIGHT.
Ted sits at the controls, flying away from Bizarro as fast as he can.
TED
I am being chased by an s-class
hostile and I require
immediate assistance!
Bruce is hunched over the radar screen, watching as the tiny dot representing Bizarro gets closer to the tiny dot representing the Javelin.
BRUCE
He’s gaining on us, Ted!
TED
I am aware!
DIANA
What is this thing that’s chasing
us? It looks like the form J’onn
took during training.
CLARK
It’s the drone Brainiac attacked us
with back in Smallville. I saw it
explode, how... ?
ORM MARIUS
Bizarro is a clone. Brainiac just
grew another one.
ARTHUR
(to Marius)
You be quiet.
ORM MARIUS
They asked.
ARTHUR
(to Clark)
What’s he a clone of?
ORM MARIUS
"The World's Strongest Man."
ARTHUR
What did I just-?
The entire Javelin shakes violently as something strikes it from outside.
ARTHUR
... crap.
TED
(into the comms)
Justice Society of America general
distress call! I-!
KENDRA
(over the comms)
Ted, we hear you! Carter’s
positioning your coordinates
The Javelin shakes again.
TED
Please hurry!
CLARK
Do you think I can fight him?
ORM MARIUS
You don’t even know how to fly yet,
little superboy. He will crush your
bones into a fine-
ARTHUR
Diana, please tighten his bindings.
Diana pulls on the lasso of truth, choking Marius slightly.
ORM MARIUS
(strained from the choking)
Stop asking questions then!
The Javelin shudders for a third time, this one the most violent of all, and a hole tears in the rear of the hull as Bizarro rips open an entrance for himself. The plane immediately begins to lose altitude. Bruce and Dinah struggle to maintain their footing under these conditions, and Alfred is hanging onto his seat for dear life, but Arthur, Clark and Diana stand relatively steady, ready for what might be a very short fight.
TED
(into the comms)
ANY TIME NOW!
Just then, a door materializes in the floor of the Javelin. Bruce immediately opens the door and the party begins jumping in it. Diana pulls Marius to her with one pull of her lasso and grabs him as she dives through the door, with Arthur going in after. Clark looks over at Shelby.
CLARK
Go! I’ll be right with you!
Shelby runs through the door. Clark dashes over to Alfred, grabbing him and running him over to the door, running past his evil doppelgänger on the way. Clark pushes Bruce and Alfred through, but Bizarro is right behind him, and is on him just before Clark has the chance to cross the threshold. Just then, J’onn J’onzz phases through Clark, making his fist tangible just in time to punch Bizarro, sending him flying to the back of the plane. J’onn then grabs Clark and pulls him onto Danny just as the door closes and dematerializes.
EXT. DANNY THE STREET. DAY.
The party is now fully assembled on Danny the Street. The Kents approach their son as he picks himself up and dusts himself off.
MARTHA
Clark!
Clark goes up to his parents and gives them a hug.
CLARK
Hey Ma, hey Pa.
Over with the rest of the party, Lana walks up to the newest arrivals.
LANA
Hey guys. How’s it going?
DINAH
We captured Arthur’s evil brother.
LANA
Neat.
Watching all of this unfold from her hiding spot, Queen Bee sees her opportunity to strike. Lunging out of the shadows, she summons all of her might into one Hercules beetle strength empowered pistol shrimp punch that she delivers directly to Diana’s face, sending the Amazonian princess flying and causing her to lose her grip on the lasso of truth. Reacting quickly to this, Lana rushes to grab the lasso before Queen Bee can, but with superhuman reflexes, Queen Bee stabs Lana in the shoulder with a long barbed stinger that grows from her wrist.
CLARK
Lana!
With her free hand, Queen Bee reaches out and unties Orm Marius’ bonds. The evil warlock rises into the air, and the heroes group up in preparation for a big fight.
THE END
Notes:
Hypothetical Cast Update:
Bane: Danny Trejo
Queen Bee: Marina Sirtis
Black Manta and Hector Hammond: Honestly, another two I never thought about. I'm open to suggestions.
Chapter 13: Challenge of the Super Friends, Season 1, Episode 13: "Smackdown in the Sand!"
Summary:
Ready... FIGHT!
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
EXT. DANNY THE STREET. DAY.
The air is thick with tension on Danny the Street. On one side stands the collected members of the Justice League of America and their affiliates. The team groups close together, with J’onn and Abin Sur standing in front of everyone else. All of the kids can feel the weight of their responsibility to keep the Dannyzens safe. On the other side stands the villains, Queen Bee and Orm Marius. Queen Bee stands triumphant, as Marius gently massages the marks left by his bindings. At Queen Bee’s feet lay both the lasso of truth, discarded after Orm Marius was freed, and Lana Lang, discarded after Queen Bee stabbed her in the shoulder with a venomous stinger. In a burst of super speed, Barry grabs Lana and the lasso and pulls them back behind the line. Jonathan and Martha Kent immediately go to Lana’s side, and Martha puts pressure on Lana’s wound with her hand. Lana remains conscious, but is gasping for air in intense pain. Carter kneels down and produces a first aid kit, and he and Jonathan get to work tending to Lana’s wound. At the front of the line, J’onn and Abin Sur make eye contact with one another. For a moment J’onn’s eyes glow a deep red color, and Abin Sur nods.
J’ONN
(quietly)
Ready yourselves, we are about to
have a very sudden change of
scenery...
CLARK
What about Lana?
J’ONN
Lana will stay here on Danny with...
With considerable effort, Lana pulls herself up to her feet, clutching her freshly bandaged stab wound.
LANA
(strained)
I’m coming with you...
J’ONN
Lana, you need medical attention...
BRUCE
She can get it from us.
Bruce lends Lana a shoulder to help her balance.
BRUCE
She’s part of the team, J’onn.
Over with the villains, Marius is massaging the rope marks on his neck.
ORM MARIUS
My Queen...
QUEEN BEE
Be ready, Marius. We don’t want to
give the Martian any more time to
plot than we...
All of the light suddenly goes out as Danny shifts locations in time and space.
QUEEN BEE
... have to.
Before Queen Bee or Orm Marius have a chance to react, the sun rises over the horizon behind the heroes, and the sudden shift in lighting momentarily blinds the two villains. In that moment, Abin Sur uses his power ring to generate a wall of force behind the assembled members of the party, scooping them all up, Lana included, and leaving the Kents and the other Dannyzens behind. This wall of green force propels forward and scoops up the villains, pushing both good guy and bad guy alike out into the Bialyani desert at dawn just as Danny the Street teleports away to parts unknown. J’onn and Queen Bee immediately lock up, the force of their respective superhuman strength sending ripples through the yellow desert sand as the green energy all around them dissipates, before veering off into the desert at incredible speed. Clark moves to go after them, but Diana grabs him by the arm, pulling him back to the front line. Carter hangs back with Ray, Hal, and Ollie to tend to Lana’s wounds, Dinah, Ted and Shelby stand between them and the fight, and the remaining party members get ready to face off with Orm Marius. Arthur steps forward, but Diana holds out her hand to stop him.
DIANA
Hold!
ARTHUR
Hey!
DIANA
Let him make the first move.
CLARK
Shouldn’t some of us go help Mr.
Jones?
DIANA
We need to wait for our moment.
As the heroes wait for their moment, the villain takes his.
ORM MARIUS
Look at me. The bell of the ball.
Marius generates dozens of shadow tendrils out of his hands, blasting them into the ground and causing the very earth to shake and uproot itself, knocking the party off balance. At the back of the line, the non-combatants are enveloped in green energy, which lifts them into the air as Abin Sur uses his ring to fly them to a safer distance from the fighting.
ORM MARIUS
Let us dance, shall we?
Clark very nearly falls into a newly formed crevice between two rocky mounds as they violently jut upward, but Diana grabs him and, with nimbleness and grace, pulls both Clark and herself to stable ground. Barry uses his speed to move out of the way of the seismic chaos, and Kendra rises into the air out of harm’s way, carrying Bruce with her. In an impressive display of speed and agility, Arthur vaults himself over the jagged upturned Earth, launching himself at his wicked brother.
ORM MARIUS
Silly brother...
Marius reaches out his hand, and his elder brother becomes frozen in an aura of dark energy.
ORM MARIUS
... we’ve danced this dance before.
Not far away, Diana helps Clark regain his balance.
CLARK
Arthur... !
DIANA
Not our moment.
CLARK
But he needs backup.
DIANA
He has it.
Just as Diana says this, ABIN SUR, GREEN LANTERN OF SPACE SECTOR 2814, flies overhead to come to the aquateen’s rescue. Marius reaches out and ensnares the emerald avenger in another dark aura, but with the power of his ring and the strength of his will, Abin Sur shrugs off the attack, dissipating the darkness with his light. Sur then generates a circle of force to bind the wicked warlock. Marius uses his dark power to repel the enclosing galactic donut, but this causes him to lose hold of Arthur, who uses the opening to deck his evil brother right in the schnoz, sending the pint sized practitioner flying. As Marius flies in one direction, the tangled pair of the Martian Manhunter and Queen Bee fly by in the other as they zig zag around the battlefield. The two trade blows back and forth, until a crucial moment when J’onn draws Queen Bee in, leaving himself open to attack, only to go intangible, enveloping her body and then solidifying around her to grapple the villain into submission. However, as Queen Bee struggles against him, he fails to completely cover her face, allowing her to counter attack by vomiting up a cone of acrid chemical flames, engulfing and incapacitating the Manhunter from Mars. His physical form begins to lose cohesion due to the intensity of the flames, freeing the wicked queen. However, before she can capitalize on the opening, her arm is suddenly ensnared by the golden lasso of truth! Not far away, at the other end of the glistening gilded lariat, the Princess of the Amazons forces Queen Bee to “GET OVER HERE” with a mighty tug, pulling her into a straight punch to the face. Momentarily dazed by the powerful punch, Queen Bee responds, not by counter attacking, but by tearing off her own arm, much to the disgust of her opponents. Now free, she uses her own severed arm to club Diana in the face, knocking her to the ground. Clark comes to the rescue, coming in with a leaping right hook to the villains face. Queen Bee spins around to roll with the punch, and as she does so, the missing arm suddenly grows back in its entirety, Namekian-style. Landing gracefully, she grabs Clark by the chest with her newly grown arm and slams him into the ground with the strength of a Hercules Beetle. Bruce slips past the fighting in order to offer aid to J’onn, quickly scooping sand onto J’onn to smother the flames.
BRUCE
Hang in there, J’onn.
BACK OF THE LINE
Carter is tending to Lana, but her condition seems to be deteriorating. She’s paler now, her whole body is covered in sweat, and she’s shaking slightly. Carter has hooked up an emergency IV drip, and has tasked Ray with holding it up and keeping it safe and clean.
CARTER
How do you feel?
LANA
(strained)
I feel like I’ve been stabbed.
CARTER
Lana, if you tell bad jokes, Oliver
isn’t going to have anything to do
around here.
Carter places the back of his hand on Lana’s forehead.
RAY
Does she have a fever?
CARTER
(grimly)
No. She doesn’t.
Nearby, Ollie, Dinah, Hal, Ted, and Shelby watch the fight unfold.
TED
You’re not itching to get into the
fight, junior?
DINAH
No. We’ve got wounded. Someone’s
gotta hang back and protect the
people who can’t fight.
OLLIE
(quietly)
It’s kind of rude to just say it
out loud...
TED
Proud of you, kid.
DINAH
Thanks.
BEAT
An explosion is heard in the distance.
DINAH
(wistful)
Does look kinda fun, though.
OLLIE
I don’t get you.
Nearby, Hal stares in awed silence as he watches Abin Sur in action battling Orm Marius alongside Arthur.
MARIUS FIGHT.
Marius, growing desperate, has generated dozens of black energy tendrils to keep Abin Sur at bay, but the Green Lantern expertly parries with the energy of his ring. With Marius preoccupied with the alien hero, Arthur is able to run up behind his wicked brother and grab him in a full nelson.
ARTHUR
Tommy, you and I are going to have
a conversation!
ORM MARIUS
(playfully)
No we’re not!
Marius conjures up a large mass of dark energy and blasts it forward, pushing himself and Arthur backwards into a rock face with significant force. Marius lands on the yellow sand at the foot of the rock face and places his hands on the ground. Tendrils of dark energy come out of his hands and enter the ground, causing it to bubble and shake before a jet of yellow sand blasts out of the ground towards Abin Sur, hitting the Green Lantern squarely in the chest and knocking the wind out of him. Marius stands, and then turns on the spot to face his brother, who is embedded in the rock wall and in a fair amount of pain.
ORM MARIUS
Now, where to start with you...
Barry darts up alongside Marius, just out of his line of sight, and curiously investigates the scene in a mocking pose. Sensing his presence, Marius turns to look, but Barry moves behind him to his blind spot on the other side before Marius can finish turning his head. Barry then begins spinning his right arm, winding up for a punch at x10 speed.
ORM MARIUS
Huh?
Marius turns back to where Barry is now standing, just in time for Barry to sock him in the face with a hyper accelerated punch, sending the villain flying. Barry then grabs Arthur by the hand and pulls him out of the wall.
BARRY
On your feet, buddy.
Barry helps Arthur steady himself and brushes the dirt off of him.
BARRY
I’ll see you later. Good luck with
that guy.
Barry darts off just as Abin Sur lands on the ground next to Arthur. The alien hero is massaging his chest where he was hit with Marius’ attack.
ABIN SUR
Are you alright?
ARTHUR
I need you to keep him busy for a
minute.
ABIN SUR
What are you...
Just then, Orm Marius comes roaring back at the heroes. The warlock and the Green Lantern immediately lock up in a battle of shadow tentacles VS green force field.
ARTHUR
Just do it!
Abin Sur doesn’t need to be told a third time. He pushes forward, moving the fight away from Arthur as best he can. Arthur, in turn, drops to his hands and knees, gigging his fingers into the earth. He concentrates.
QUEEN BEE FIGHT
Queen Bee is fighting Clark and Diana at the same time, using a recently grown second set of arms and the strength of a hercules beetle to block and parry attacks from the two titanic teens. Kendra swoops in with her Nth Metal Mace from behind the villain, but QB grows additional appendages out of her back to block the Thanagarian’s attack. Bruce is standing by J’onn, who is regenerating from his fire wounds. As Barry joins this fight, Bruce tosses a bandoleer of flash-bangs and a rope at the young speedster. Barry catches them, and darts over to Queen Bee, tying her feet together before she can react and dropping the pins from the grenades in the sand as he darts away.
BRUCE
EVERYONE DOWN!
The other heroes disengage, ducking and covering their eyes and ears just as the payload explodes, releasing a deafening sound louder than a sonic boom and a giant flash of light five times brighter than the surface of the sun. As the light fades and the smoke clears, a dazed Queen Bee stands at the center of the blast zone, her legs now unbound, looking absolutely livid. A small trickle of blood is dripping from her left ear.
QUEEN BEE
(slightly dazed)
We- are NOT-!
The Queen is cut off when J’onn J’onzz, freshly recovered, hits Queen Bee in the face with a right hook that cracks with the sound of thunder. As the two old enemies begin their battle anew, nearby, Diana reaches out a hand to Clark, half buried in sand and dirt, and helps him to his feet.
DIANA
Are you alright?
CLARK
Yeah. This is actually going a lot
better than I was expect-
Clark is cut off by the sound of an object striking the ground nearby with the force of a meteor. The kids turn to the newly created crater, and through the smoke they see BIZARRO rise into the air.
CLARK
Aw beans.
Clark rushes his clone, avoiding Bizarro’s attempt to grab him and landing a powerful blow to the monster’s stomach. Bizarro is pushed back slightly, he clearly feels the punch, but the damage appears to be minimal. He charges up his laser vision, but the lasso of truth suddenly ensnares him by the neck. With a superhumanly strong leap and pull, Diana pulls herself toward Bizarro like a reverse “GET OVER HERE” to deliver a flying kick to Bizarro’s face, but Bizarro is too quick, grabbing the princess by the leg, swinging her around in the air, and smashing her into a nearby rock. However, this gives Kendra an opening to swoop in and smash Bizarro in the face with her Nth Metal mace, knocking the monster for a loop. Before Bizarro has time to recover, Diana counter attacks, springboarding off of her hands into a double kick directly to Bizarro’s chest, sending the creature hurtling through the air. Clark, Kendra, and Diana regroup as they chase after Bizarro.
KENDRA
What the hell was that?
DIANA
A duplicate of Clark from the
future timeline, whose mind has
been bent to the Legion’s will.
KENDRA
(annoyed)
Well that’s just...
Clark pushes Kendra out of the way as Bizarro retaliates with a blast of laser vision. Diana, on the other hand, blocks with her adamantine bracelets.
KENDRA
He has eye lasers?!
CLARK
Yeah, I don’t know how to do that
yet.
Diana digs her heels into the earth as the force of the blast pushes her back, but her divinely forged armor holds against the solar powered Kryptonian attack. The two remain in a stalemate for a moment, until, suddenly, Diana disappears. Bizarro’s lasers simply pass through the spot she was just standing in and burrow harmlessly into the ground. Just as Bizarro looks around for any sign of his enemy, Barry Allen appears beside him in a burst of super speed.
BARRY
Woah, where’d she go?
Bizarro turns to blast Barry with his laser vision, but Barry darts out of the way just in time, and once again the laser blast harmlessly hits the ground. Just then, Clark and Kendra charge at the distracted Bizarro. Clark socks Bizarro with a titanic right hook, while Kendra swoops behind Bizarro’s back and comes around with her Nth metal mace to deliver a second strike to the monster’s head going the other way. Finally, Diana comes in with a straight forward punch to the villain’s face, sending him flying backwards. Bizarro manages to right himself and come to a stop mid-air before hitting the ground. Then, focusing a majority of energy into his arms, he claps his hands together with the force of a meteor impact at a speed faster than sound, creating a massive shockwave that sends all of the kids tumbling backwards into the desert sand. Only Barry manages to catch his footing, and runs over to Bruce. Bruce is standing by as J’onn and Queen Bee struggle against one another, his brow furrowed as he is desperately trying to think of a plan or find an opening.
BARRY
We’re not doing too hot over there.
Bruce glances back at the Bizarro fight.
BRUCE
Castling.
BARRY
Castles? What?
BRUCE
Barry, listen to me very carefully...
Back with Queen Bee and Martian Manhunter, the two old foes trade blows back and forth. Then, in a burst of speed, Barry grabs J’onn and pulls him away from the fight, kicking up a wave of sand in the process and momentarily blinding the villain. In that moment, Bruce runs up behind Queen Bee, vaulting off of her back to jump over her. As he does so, he uses a snare trap gadget to stick an object to her head; another bandoleer of flashbangs. As Bruce arcs over Queen Bee, grenade pins scatter out of his hands, and the two briefly make eye contact before Barry dashes in and out, pulling Bruce out of the blast radius just before they go off. Barry and Bruce skid to a halt beside J’onn.
BRUCE
(to J’onn)
Go help the others.
J’ONN
Bruce, no, I...
BRUCE
We can keep her busy. They need
you.
J’onn sighs, and smiles, and nods, and flies off to assist in the fight with Bizarro.
BIZARRO FIGHT.
Bizarro has grabbed Clark by the shirt collar, raising him into the air. Kendra is unconscious, and Diana is struggling to get to her feet. Just then, J’onn J’onzz rushes in, using his power of intangibility to thrust his arm through Bizarro’s torso and then solidify it, causing Bizarro to go rigid with pain. J’onn yanks Bizarro away from Clark, causing the villain to lose his grip, and then spins around and slams Bizarro into the ground. J’onn then grabs Bizarro by the hair and wrenches up his face. J’onn’s eyes glow as he attempts to overload Bizarro’s mind, but the metallic Brainiac symbol surgically implanted in Bizarro’s forehead blinks a glowing green color, creating a psychic feedback that pushes J’onn out of the creature’s mind. Bizarro then counters J’onn by flying up into the air, dragging J’onn along with him. J’onn goes intangible to unbind himself from Bizarro, and the two begin trading titanic blows mid-air.
BACK OF THE LINE
Hal Jordan watches all of the action unfolding before his eyes.
HAL
We need to help them.
OLLIE
How are we gonna help, buddy?
DINAH
Running off because you’re feeling
restless isn’t going to help
anyone, Hal. Trust me.
Hal begins to summon the energy necessary to swallow his pride, but this interaction is cut short when Ted suddenly runs to catch Bruce, who has been thrown to the back of the line. Queen Bee approaches the heroes, holding Barry by the back of his neck. Barry is struggling to get free, his rapidly vibrating hands clawing at the villain’s vice-like grip.
QUEEN BEE
I, for one, think you should go out
there, dear. You should start
running as fast as you can.
Shelby lunges at Queen Bee, biting down hard on the wrist of the arm holding Barry and forcing the villain to let go. Barry hits the ground and immediately runs over to the others. Ted uses this opening to swoop in with his high tech brass knuckles and deliver a shattering left hook to Queen Bee’s face. Queen Bee responds by bashing Shelby into Ted, sending the two flying. Barry circles around Queen Bee, stopping directly behind her with a slightly disoriented Dinah with him.
DINAH
... that was kind of a lot...
Queen Bee turns to face Barry and Dinah.
DINAH
Oh yeah...
Dinah hammers Queen Bee with a wall of sound, hitting the villain with everything she has. Queen Bee struggles against the sonic assault. As the villain slowly steps towards the young Black Canary, Carter swoops around the two combatants, coming about behind Dinah.
CARTER
Dinah! Down!
Dinah stops her canary cry and drops to the ground. Carter flies at Queen Bee with THE CLAW OF HORUS on his right hand, and punches her in the face with such force that it creates a shockwave. Queen Bee slumps to the ground, unconscious, and Carter immediately binds her with one of his bola capture snares. Over by Lana, Ray turns to Ollie.
RAY
Ollie, can you take this from me
for a second?
OLLIE
Uh, sure.
Ollie takes the IV bag from Ray.
RAY
Thanks.
Ray runs off screen as fast as he can. We then hear loud vomiting noises.
HAL
I’ll go make sure he’s okay.
Hal runs off after Ray.
BIZARRO FIGHT.
Down on the ground, Clark takes a moment to catch his breath. He extends his hand to Diana, who takes it as Clark helps the Amazon to her feet.
CLARK
We’re not very good at this.
DIANA
We’re alive.
Diana bends down and check’s Kendra’s vitals.
CLARK
How is she?
DIANA
No serious injuries that I can see,
although she likely has a
concussion.
CLARK
Okay...
Clark bends down and picks up Kendra’s mace.
CLARK
I think I have an idea.
MARIUS FIGHT.
As Orm Marius and the Green Lantern struggle back and forth with the massive volumes of energy they control with their will alone, the earth beneath them begins to rumble. Arthur closes his eyes with intense concentration. Then, several huge torrents of water erupt from the desert beneath their feet, as if five geysers had spontaneously appeared. These geysers begin to move unnaturally, manipulated by the power of Arthur’s WATER BENDING to move around like tentacles and ensnare Orm Marius. As Marius defends against Abin Sur, he is unable to stop himself from being enveloped by the water, which begins to freeze around him. Abin Sur assists, adding layer after layer green force as more water continues to freeze around Marius. The villain is, ultimately, contained in a sphere of ice suspended in and reinforced by a glowing green energy barrier containing a complex network of inner support structures and restraints, all generated by Abin Sur’s ring.
BIZARRO FIGHT.
Clark and Diana stand facing each other. Clark is holding Kendra’s mace in one hand, and one end of the lasso of truth is tied tightly around his other arm as well as his torso. Diana is holding the other end of the lasso.
DIANA
Are you sure about this?
CLARK
No, but we have to try.
Diana nods and steps back. Clark charges his body with blue energy, pushing himself as far as he’s ever pushed himself so far; blue energy continues to crackle out of his eyes after he’s powered up, and the air around him is distorted, as if his body is emitting an invisible aura of force. He presses a button on the mace’s grip, activating the electro-magnetic/gravitational distortion around the head of the mace that gives it its unearthly wallop. Diana pulls the lasso taught, and begins spinning around on the spot, swinging Clark around and around in a wide arc before letting go, hurling Clark up into the sky toward the fight between J’onn and Bizarro. Clark rapidly approaches the two and hits Bizarro square in the face with one mighty swing of Kendra’s mace, knocking the villain unconscious with an incredible explosion of force that even knocks J’onn off balance. Clark reaches the apex of his jump, and then falls to the earth, landing near his teammates and creating a crater and shockwave in the process. The party is momentarily blinded by the gust of wind and sand kicked up by Clark’s landing. When the dust settles, we see Clark, his body crackling with blue energy, standing at the center of the crater.
BEAT
Clark looks down, and notices that his shoes were torn to shreds when he landed.
CLARK
Aw man...
Barry darts up next to Clark, and looks down at Clark’s feet.
BARRY
Oh yeah, that happens to me all the
time. It’s just the worst.
J’onn descends from the sky, carrying the unconscious Bizarro with him. Abin Sur also arrives, along with Arthur and the imprisoned Orm Marius. As J’onn touches down, Bruce approaches.
BRUCE
We won.
J’ONN
Yes, we did.
Clark rushes to Lana’s side.
CLARK
Lana!
LANA
(very weary)
Heyyyyy buddy...
CLARK
How’re you feeling?
LANA
Not- not great. No sir.
CLARK
Okay. Just hang in there for me,
alright?
LANA
(distant)
Yeahhhhhh...
Carter approaches Clark.
CARTER
We need to get her out of here as
soon as possible.
CLARK
I guess we’ll have to carry-
Before Clark can finish his sentence, Diana walks up to Lana and scoops the injured girl into her powerful Amazonian arms in one fluid motion.
LANA
Oop!
CLARK
That works.
LANA
(dizzy)
Oh boy, you sure are strong...
CARTER
Okay everyone, group up! I’m going
to check for injuries!
Ollie looks around and notices...
OLLIE
Where’s Hal?
DINAH
Did he actually run away?
OLLIE
(annoyed)
I wanted to do that!
DINAH
I don’t see Ray eith-
Dinah is cut off by a gust of wind. The Javelin hovers overhead.
HAL
(over the speakers)
Hey guys! Ray remembered where we
parked!
Ray waves at the group from the window. He is sipping from a can of ginger ale through a straw.
INT. JAVELIN. SUNSET.
The party is mid-flight back to the safe house. Most of the group have passed out in their seats, exhausted from the battle. To one side of the cabin sits Abin Sur, quietly watching the setting sun. Near the back, Clark and Shelby sit beside Lana, who is lying on a gurney with an IV hooked up to her arm while Carter examines her. Bruce stands nearby, observing.
LANA
(tired)
When am I going to be able to feel
my arm again?
CARTER
Probably a lot sooner than you’d
like.
LANA
(unenthusiastic)
Great...
CLARK
(to Lana)
But you’re gonna be okay.
(to Carter)
She’s gonna be okay, right?
CARTER
The anti-venom seems to be working,
but you do have to remember, I went
to medical school in the 1840s...
LANA
(kinda peeved)
I would have liked to have known
that before you practiced medicine
on me.
CARTER
All the more reason to get you to a
proper doctor.
BRUCE
I’ll make it happen.
Bruce walks out of the scene and into...
INT. JAVELIN BACK CABIN STORAGE AREA.
Diana and J’onn stand over the League’s three prisoners: Queen Bee, Orm Marius, and Bizarro. All of them are bound together by the golden lasso of truth, held by the Amazon princess. J’onn’s eyes glow as he uses his psychic abilities to keep the three villains unconscious during the journey. Ted Grant is at the back of the cabin, leaning against the wall next to Kendra, who is sitting in a folding chair and nursing her head with an ice pack. Bruce enters the back cabin and approaches J’onn and Diana.
BRUCE
J’onn, are you...
Bruce notices that J’onn is as still as a statue, staring forward unblinking with glowing eyes, and has not acknowledged his presence at all.
BRUCE
(confused)
... free to talk?
DIANA
He can’t hear you. He’s with them.
She gestures towards the prisoners.
BRUCE
With them?
DIANA
Inside of their dreams. Keeping
them asleep.
BRUCE
Huh.
DIANA
How is Lana?
BRUCE
That’s actually why I wanted to
talk to J’onn...
DIANA
(worried)
What’s wrong, is she...
BRUCE
Lana’s doing alright, all things
considered. But she really needs to
be examined by some kind of medical
professional, preferably someone
accredited this century.
TED
I know a guy.
KENDRA
(to Ted)
Charlie?
TED
Charlie.
BRUCE
JSA friend?
TED
He was team medic.
KENDRA
A real surgeon and everything.
BRUCE
There’s a superhero doctor?
TED
He’s been out of the game for a
while now, but he’ll help us out.
I’ll go make a call.
Ted exits the scene to head to the front of the plane. Bruce turns back to Diana.
BRUCE
How are you doing?
DIANA
Fine. What are you asking me?
BRUCE
You just seemed especially
concerned about Lana, I thought, I
don’t know, maybe...
Diana looks down and away, her gaze drifting to the golden lasso she holds in her hand.
DIANA
Lana was injured because I failed
to counter the Queen’s ambush.
BRUCE
You shouldn’t blame yourself.
DIANA
I don’t...
(glances at lasso again)
... and yet...
BRUCE
None of us are to blame for living
in a world with people who stab
innocent girls.
Diana glances at the bound villains. A look of disgust on her face appears, and quickly melts away into pity.
DIANA
No, none of us are...
INT. FRONT OF THE JAVELIN. DUSK.
Ted is standing at the console by the co-pilot seat, talking into the radio, just finishing up his call.
TED
Alright Charlie, see you then. Stay
safe, brother.
Ted hangs up the radio. He nods at Hal, the pilot.
TED
Thanks, kid.
Hal nods at Ted as Ted returns to the back cabin. Hal returns his attention to flying the plane. Or, at least he seems to. He has his hands on the controls, but the autopilot is engaged, and though he keeps his body positioned forward, he tries to very subtly turn his head just enough to glance back at Abin Sur.
BEAT
Abin Sur, seemingly noticing Hal in his peripheral vision, begins to turn to look at the pilot just as Hal turns back to a forward-facing position “just in time.”
BEAT
Hal begins to turn back “subtly” once again, only to find Abin Sur standing right behind him.
ABIN SUR
Can I help you?
HAL
Ah!
Hal turns to face the alien.
HAL
(awkward)
Hi.
ABIN SUR
You were looking at me. Is there
something I can help you with?
HAL
Ah, yeah. Did J’onn explain our
whole... situation to you?
ABIN SUR
He summarized.
HAL
Did he summarize anything about
me...?
ABIN SUR
... being the one who replaces me
after I am dead, yes, he mentioned
that.
HAL
(quietly)
Guess you kind of gotta get that
one out of the way early.
Abin Sur takes a breath. He then sits in the co-pilot seat, turning to face Hal.
ABIN SUR
You and I have a lot to discuss,
Hal Jordan of Earth.
HAL
Let’s discuss. The autopilot can
handle things for a while.
Abin Sur takes another deep breath.
ABIN SUR
The situation is worse than any of
you realize. The Green Lantern
Corps is...
HAL
(concerned)
What?
ABIN SUR
(grimly)
Our numbers are not what they used
to be.
EXT. HALL OF JUSTICE. NIGHT.
The Javelin decloaks itself as it lands through the hidden hatch in the building’s courtyard.
INT. HANGAR.
The Javelin rests in the plane’s hangar. The party disembarks, with Carter and Clark carrying Lana on the gurney leading the group with the rest trailing behind. Hal, who is at the back of the line with Abin Sur, looks thoroughly harrowed. They are greeted by a middle aged man in a suit with salt and pepper hair, thick round sunglasses, and a cane for the visually impaired. This is DOCTOR CHARLES MCDNIDER.
CARTER
Charlie, good to see you.
CHARLIE
I wouldn’t know. It’s “Carter” now,
right?
CARTER
That it is.
CHARLIE
Well, now it’s “Nurse Carter.” I’ve
prepared an infirmary, walk with
me.
Carter and Dr. McNider lead Lana to the infirmary.
CHARLIE
(to Lana)
Hello, Lana. My name is Dr. Charles
McNider, I’m going to be saving
your life today.
LANA
(dreamily)
Aw... that’s so sweet of you...
Clark attempts to follow after, but a hand placed on his shoulder stops him. He turns to see Bruce.
BRUCE
Clark, you have to let the doctor
work.
Clark sighs, and looks up and away.
CLARK
Yeah. Alright.
Shelby nuzzles his boy’s hand. Clark looks down and smiles.
CLARK
Thanks, buddy.
Clark then looks around.
CLARK
Do you know where Mr. Jones went?
BRUCE
Yeah. “The brig.”
CLARK
We have a brig?
INT. THE BRIG.
Diana unloads the unconscious Bizarro in one of the cells, uncoiling him from the lasso of truth. She steps away, and the large metal door of the containment cell closes. She steps back and stands besides Arthur and J’onn.
DIANA
Will these hold them?
J’ONN
I have been preparing for an
eventuality such as this since the
beginning. They will hold.
ARTHUR
Well, we can’t hold them like this
forever. Do we have a long-term
plan?
J’ONN
We’ll figure it out.
J’onn walks towards the door.
J’ONN
They will be awake soon. I am sure
the both of you are eager to take
guard duty.
ARTHUR
(staring at Marius)
You would be correct.
J’onn stops at the door.
J’ONN
If they talk to you, whatever you
do, do not respond.
J’onn exits the room. In the hall, he runs into Bruce, Clark, and Shelby.
CLARK
Mr. Jones, I had a question.
J’ONN
Yes, Clark?
CLARK
Do you know how to speak the
language that they spoke on the
planet I’m from?
J’ONN
A little.
CLARK
How would you say “of home?”
J’onn thinks for a moment, and then he looks down at Shelby. The pieces click into place, and he smiles.
J’ONN
There are a few ways to say it, but
I believe the word you are looking
for is “Krypto.”
KRYPTO
*BARK**WOOF*
Clark looks down at KRYPTO, THE SUPER-DOG!
CLARK
“Krypto...”
KRYPTO
*BARK**WOOF*
J’onn turns to Bruce.
J’ONN
Did you need something, Bruce?
BRUCE
I just wanted to keep an eye on our
guests.
J’ONN
To the surprise of no one. I am
retiring to my quarters to rest.
Good night.
The boys say goodbye to J’onn, and Bruce leans against the doorframe of the entrance to the brig, watching along with Arthur and Diana as the three villains begin to regain consciousness. Bizarro sits up with a start, shifting from “out cold” to alert almost instantaneously, while Queen Bee begins to stir in a more traditional manner, and Orm Marius wakes up like a hungover octopus that wears the hollowed out corpse of a child in order to walk on land. As Queen Bee pulls herself back toward consciousness, she makes eye contact with Clark, and she smiles. Bruce looks back at Clark. This worries them both.
THE END
Notes:
Hypothetical Cast Update:
Dr. McNider: Jared Padalecki
Chapter 14: Challenge of the Super Friends, Season 1, Episode 14: "Crash"
Summary:
The team struggles with the consequences of their fight in Bialya.
Chapter Text
INT. INFIRMARY.
Lana is laying back in a hospital bed. Clark and Krypto sit by her side, and Clark is holding a book of “Mad Libs.”
CLARK
“A Walk In The Park.” Gertrude
“CHAIR”sdottor took the “ZERO”
o’clock train to “HOUSE” city. She
was going to the “RIDICULOUS” park-
LANA
This game’s a little more fun when
you’re allowed to cuss.
CLARK
(conflicted)
I’ll consider it.
As Clark considers it, Dr. Charles McNider enters the scene.
MCNIDER
Don’t mind me...
Dr. McNider begins the process of changing Lana’s IV drip.
LANA
(under her breath)
Well, you’re kind of touching my
arm, so...
CLARK
Doc, how is Lana doing?
MCNIDER
I’d rather you not call me “doc.”
CLARK
I’m sorry...
MCNIDER
As for Lana...
(turns to Lana)
... I’m going to keep monitoring your
vitals for the next few days, but
by my estimate you should be back
on your feet by the weekend
CLARK
That’s great news!
LANA
As for the stab wound in my
shoulder... ?
MCNIDER
That will take considerably longer.
LANA
(unenthusiastic)
Yaaaaay...
Diana enters the room.
DIANA
J’onn has called a meeting.
CLARK
... right.
(turns to Lana)
Lana, I...
LANA
Take notes for me.
Clark smiles and gets up to leave with Diana.
DIANA
(to Lana)
I’ll come visit later.
LANA
You better.
Clark and Diana exit the scene. Krypto stays behind, placing his head in Lana’s lap.
INT. MEETING ROOM.
The rest of the party have gathered around the circular meeting room table. Everyone is sitting in their assigned seats, still denoted by the pieces of paper with their hero symbols Barry taped to the backs. The Batman symbol on the back of Bruce’s chair has been replaced, and considerably more tape has been added this time. Abin Sur stands by J’onn J’onzz, while Ted Grant sits off to the side in a folding chair, his hand resting on a wooden crate to the side. Clark and Diana enter and take their seats. J’onn stands and looks around at each member of the team seated at the table.
J’ONN
Our mission, while successful, was
not without consequences. Making
contact with the Legion, helping us
to capture three of its members no
less, has put a target on Danny the
Street. As I have told you all
before, it is well within the
Legions power to track the ripples
that Danny leaves as they travel
across dimensions. This is why it
has been so important to minimize
their involvement in this crisis.
CLARK
Is Danny gonna be okay?
BRUCE
What about our families?
J’ONN
For the safety of Danny and all of
their residents, including your
loved ones, they have fled to the
most remote corner of the universe
they know of, where they will
remain in hiding until the Legion
has been dealt with. Until such a
time, all contact with Danny will
have to be discontinued. The phone
line is now non-functional, and
there will be no more letters.
A visible (but still metaphorical) weight falls upon the assembled members of the team.
J’ONN
I do not want any of you to burden
yourselves with guilt. What I want
is for all of you to learn from
this experience. One of our successes
was rescuing the Green
Lantern, Abin Sur. Not only is he a
valuable ally, but he is also a
much needed source of intelligence.
With that...
J’onn sits, and Abin Sur takes the floor. Hal looks particularly grim when Abin Sur begins to speak.
ABIN SUR
The Green Lantern Corps, which for
one hundred million years defended
peace and justice throughout the
galaxy, has fallen. Our leaders are
imprisoned, our ranks have been...
Abin Sur takes a moment to compose himself.
ABIN SUR
... the few of us left are hunted
like vermin. Our pursuers are led
by the one who betrayed us; Thaal
Sinestro, once the greatest hero of
the Corps, deactivated planetary
defenses at our headquarters on Oa,
allowing an army of mercenaries to
invade the planet and slaughter us
by the thousands.
J’ONN
In the other timeline, roughly
thirteen years from now, Thaal was
excommunicated from the Corps after
charges of corruption were brought
against him by his pupil, Harold
Jordan.
HAL
Apparently he’s the main guy in the
Legion who hates my guts in
particular.
J’ONN
If the Legion’s history is any
indication, it is likely that Thaal
Sinestro killed and replaced his
counterpart from this timeline in
order to access Oa’s secure
systems.
ABIN SUR
Now that he has control of the
planet, he is building an army. He
has tapped into the Central Power
Battery on Oa, and he has
conscripted the Weaponers of Qward
to forge new rings to arm his
followers. The Corps’ destruction
has already spread shockwaves of
panic throughout the galaxy. As
instability festers among the great
galactic powers, Sinestro prepares
for war.
OLLIE
(uncomfortable)
Like, with a whole planet?
ABIN SUR
Hundreds of worlds. The most likely
first target would the Thanagarian
empire. It is vast, and already
vulnerable to outside pressures.
As Abin Sur says this, Kendra and Carter look especially troubled.
ABIN SUR
I have come to Earth on behalf of
the surviving members of the Corps.
Without the central power battery,
our individual lanterns cannot hold
a charge. When our rings run out of
what power they currently have, we
have no means of recharging them.
There is a lantern here on Earth,
however, one which possesses an
independent power source. It could
be the key to saving the Corps, and
I am told that it is in your
possession.
On cue, Ted enters the frame, carrying a large wooden box. He places it on the meeting table and opens it to reveal the Lantern of the first Green Lantern to ever come from Earth, Alan Scott. Abin Sur takes the lantern in his hands and looks at it, a reignited spark of hope in his eyes.
OLLIE
(speaking up)
So, congratulations, first of all, I’m happy for you,
but I’m wondering what what exactly you expect us to,
you know, do with this information.
J’ONN
For the time being, nothing. Abin
Sur will remain with us, until we
can be sure that he can leave the
planet without being detected by
the Legion. At this point, there is
very little we can do to help the
surviving member of the Green
Lantern Corps. In time, perhaps...
but the team isn’t ready yet.
However, we now know the breadth
and depth of what is at stake if we
allow the Legion to win. If nothing
else, this information must renew
our resolve. I want everyone to
take the day off from training.
Relax. Try your best to have fun.
This meeting is adjourned.
The kids get up to leave.
J’ONN
Diana, Arthur, a word?
Diana and Arthur peel off from the rest of the kids to speak with J’onn and the three walk off into a different scene. While most of the party leaves to spend their day off, Hal stays behind. He approaches Abin Sur as the alien hero stares at the old lantern with marvel in his eyes (but DC always in his heart). Grasping the lantern by its handle, Abin Sur holds his ring up to it, and begins to speak. The sounds that come from his mouth are strange and ethereal, not a sound any human voice has ever made. As he speaks, the lantern lights up, pulsing with bubbling emerald energy. As Abin Sur finishes speaking, the energy fades, and his ring now emits its own healthy green glow. His ritual finished, he turns to see a dumbfounded Hal Jordan standing there.
ABIN SUR
(friendly)
Hello.
HAL
What was that sound you were
making?
ABIN SUR
That was my language.
HAL
What were you saying?
ABIN SUR
It was the oath. When you join the
corps, you write your own oath,
pledging your life and soul to the
cause of justice and peace. We
recite it every time we recharge
our rings, so we may never forget
it.
HAL
... oh. That’s, uh... I mean, must be
rough if you’re not much of a poet.
ABIN SUR
The words don’t need to be elegant,
they need to be true.
Hal stands there, awkwardly, not sure what to do with himself.
ABIN SUR
You have a question.
HAL
No? I mean...
Abin Sur places the lantern down on the table. He takes the ring off of his finger, and he hands it to Hal.
HAL
I...
ABIN SUR
According to J’onn J’onzz, this
very ring will choose you in
thirteen years time. I trust this
ring.
Slowly, gently, very nervously, Hal Jordan takes the ring from Abin Sur and slips it on his finger.
HAL
How does it work?
ABIN SUR
Imagine a sphere. Hold the image of
it in your mind.
Hal closes his eyes.
HAL
Okay. Sphere imagined.
ABIN SUR
(slowly, gently)
Focus on the sphere. Let everything
else fall away. Hal Jordan and the
sphere are the only two things that
exist.
Hal centers himself as he concentrates completely on the task. After a moment, his face becomes cast in a green light.
ABIN SUR
Hal.
HAL
What?
ABIN SUR
Open your eyes.
Hal opens his eyes, to see a dazzling green sphere hovering in the air before him.
HAL
Oh. Dang.
ABIN SUR
You can make it move, you know.
A smile begins to spread across Hal’s face as he begins to will the orb to start moving about, slowly at first, but soon whizzing around the room.
ABIN SUR
(gently)
Don’t lose control.
Hal’s smile turns into a confident smirk as the sphere zips around the room quickly, but in a tight controlled pattern.
ABIN SUR
Very good.
HAL
Oh hey, check this out.
Hal brings the ball to a stop mid air a few inches to his right. He then shoots forward at a downward angle, causing it to hit the floor, bounce up and forward, hit the wall, and bounce back, where Hal stops it again mid-air. He begins repeating this process.
HAL
I’m Steve McQueen!
ABIN SUR
I don’t know what that means.
HAL
Yeah, I guess you wouldn’t...
As Hal’s concentration wavers, the ball’s trajectory shifts, causing it to slam into the top of the wooden box on the table. The ball dissolves into nothingness on contact.
HAL
(confused)
What did I do wrong?
ABIN SUR
Nothing. I thought something like
that might happen.
Abin Sur holds his hand out to Hal, who looks down at it for a moment, confused.
HAL
(getting it)
Oh, sorry.
Hal fumbles slightly as he takes off the ring and hands it back to Abin Sur.
ABIN SUR
Alan Scott, the previous owner of
this lantern, had the same problem.
HAL
Problem?
ABIN SUR
With wood. Anything created by a ring
charged with this lantern will
dissolve on contact with the
substance.
HAL
Is it broken?
ABIN SUR
Not anymore. It was severely
damaged when it landed on earth.
Its connection with the Central
Power Battery on Oa was severed, so
in order to repair itself, it drew
energy from the planet. Now, it is
rendered useless by a substance
that grows from its new power
source.
HAL
Why would that happen?
ABIN SUR
(smiling)
A way of keeping things balanced, I
suspect. The Central Battery of Oa
does not lend out its power freely.
The Emerald Flame it gives us falls
away when cast in yellow light, and
cannot touch any object which
reflects it. This yellow impurity
is imposed on all lanterns by the
Central Power Battery. Even though
this Lantern is disconnected, it
seems to have filled that void.
HAL
Can we get back to the part where
Green Lanterns are weak against the
color yellow?
ABIN SUR
What of it?
HAL
Is that on purpose?
ABIN SUR
The power of Oa’s green light is
endless. It can be used to will
anything into existence. And not
just shapes, Hal, that’s only the
start of it. The only thing that
limits what we can create with
these rings is the depth of our
imagination, and the strength of
our will. Worn by a truly
disciplined mind, the possibilities
are literally endless.
HAL
Right, so why make them useless
against anything yellow?
Abin Sur’s face grows grim.
ABIN SUR
When a limited being wields
limitless power in the pursuit of
peace and justice, mistakes, poor
judgment, lapses in character,
these can lead to cataclysms on an
incomprehensible scale. We have a
responsibility to accept
limitations on our power.
Hal picks up on the change in Abin Sur’s mood.
HAL
That... makes sense.
Abin Sur’s mood seems to lighten up.
INT. INFIRMARY.
Clark and Barry are in the infirmary, catching Lana up on the events of the meeting.
BARRY
... so, we’re basically looking at a
state of galactic civil war.
LANA
Okay, wow. I’m not sure how I’m
going to be much help in space.
BARRY
I’m not sure how I’m going to be
much help in space.
CLARK
Mr. Jones said that when I’m all
charged up I can survive in space
as long as I can hold my breath.
BEAT
CLARK
Oh god I’m gonna have to fight guys
in space aren’t I?
LANA
Are you excited or scared?
CLARK
(excited and/or scared)
I am.
BARRY
Hey, let’s change the subject!
Barry eyes the mad-libs that Clark and Lana have been using.
BARRY
When did you have time to go get
these?
LANA
He brought them from home.
CLARK
I like to keep long car ride games
on hand whenever possible, in case
I have to wait for something.
BARRY
(muttering)
That’s actually genius.
Barry takes a seat beside Clark.
BARRY
Well, I apologize for not bringing
anything, but in my defense we do
live in a basement.
LANA
It’s okay.
BARRY
So, how long ‘til you’re vertical
again?
Lana cranes her head backward to shout at Dr. McNider.
LANA
(shouting)
That’s a good question!
MCNIDER
Lana, as I told you before, I’ll
discharge you once your blood
pressure climbs back up to normal
levels and stays there.
Lana turns back to Clark and Barry.
LANA
*pouty moan*
BARRY
Hey, silver lining, we may not be
able to bring the tv in here, but I
can run back and forth and tell you
what’s happening.
LANA
I think I’d rather play mad libs.
CLARK
(holding up a mad libs)
This one’s summer camp themed.
LANA
Did Diana say when she’d be coming
by?
CLARK
She’ll be along later.
BARRY
She got kind of tied up.
INT. BRIG.
In the center of the dark room, a single light shines down on Queen Bee, tied to a metal folding chair by the golden lasso of truth, which also binds her hands and feet. The golden cord is held by Diana, who along with Arthur and J’onn stands around the villain in a circle, just at the edge of the light. J’onn steps forward, just slightly into the light.
J'ONN
We have questions for you, Queen
Beatriz.
QUEEN BEE
(looking around)
I... suspected you might...
J’ONN
We have reason to believe that
members of the Legion have been
residing at the Ambassador Hotel in
Gotham City.
QUEEN BEE
(sarcastically)
Which Legion are you referring to?
American? Roman? French-Foreign?
ARTHUR
(annoyed)
We’re asking if the Legion of Doom
is...
QUEEN BEE
(laughing)
I almost forgot about that little
pet name you have for us.
(turns to the kids)
That’s not what we call ourselves.
We don’t really call ourselves
anything. Just a merry band of
thieves in a shared venture. No, I
believe it was The Flash who coined
“Legion of Doom.”
(turns back to J’onn)
You know, we swept Thawn’s
apartment before the police could.
Found The Flash’s costume, all
burnt up and torn to shreds,
hanging on his wall. It’s made a
lovely addition to our rec-room. We've
hung it above the pinball machines...
J’ONN
(forcefully)
Are members of the Legion of Doom
living at the Ambassador Hotel?
QUEEN BEE
Yes.
J’ONN
How many?
QUEEN BEE
I don’t know.
ARTHUR
How can you not know?
QUEEN BEE
People come and go. We’re all very
busy.
DIANA
On average, how many members would
you say are permanent residents at
the Ambassador Hotel?
QUEEN BEE
That depends on how you count...
DIANA
How do you count?
QUEEN BEE
... fifteen of us have permanent
rooms there, but out of that
fifteen only about seven or eight
are there on any given day. The
rest of the organization are housed
there as needed when not on
assignment.
J’ONN
What are the names of those seven
or eight?
QUEEN BEE
(struggling not to answer)
... Lex Luthor, Circe, Winslow
Schott, Roman Sionis, Oswald
Loomis, John Corben, Randolph
Jones, and Barbara Minerva.
(starting to smile)
Not that it matters. All of our
sites are connected by teleport,
reinforcements can be there in an
instant.
ARTHUR
Backup never came at the swamp in
Gotham. Or at your little dungeon.
QUEEN BEE
You’d have to ask dispatch about
that, I’m not involved in those
decisions.
J’ONN
How many sites does the Legion
control?
QUEEN BEE
I don’t know.
J’ONN
How can you-
QUEEN
We keep assets on a need to know
basis. We have an entire team
dedicated to asset acquisition.
Calculator and Chronos run it. They
go out and they find things we
might need; money, land,
technology, political connections,
they get these things for us and
they become available to us the
moment we need them. The whole
organization is divided into
departments like this, and we keep
as much information decentralized
as possible just in case of the
exact situation I’ve found myself
in. Minerva held an office seminar
on phrasing internal memos to
minimize how much information this
stupid rope can get out of us.
ARTHUR
Well, what do you know?
QUEEN BEE
My reading, writing, and
‘rithmatic.
ARTHUR
This isn’t getting us anywhere.
DIANA
We have to be patient. She’s just
dancing around the truth, she can’t
keep it up forever.
J’ONN
And we have all the time in the
world, don’t we?
QUEEN BEE
(quietly)
Depends.
J’ONN
Depends on what?
Queen Bee makes eye contact with J’onn.
QUEEN BEE
Who you ask.
Barry dashes into the room, kicking up an enormous burst of air in the process.
BARRY
(out of breath)
It’s Lana! She-
Diana’s eyes widen with fear, and then narrow in anger. In a burst of speed and strength, Diana throws Queen Bee at the wall and slams her up against it, causing the whole room to shake.
DIANA
(so angry)
What did you do?
Queen Bee smiles.
INT. INFIRMARY.
Lana Lang is unconscious, hooked up to an IV and a breathing tube. Doctor McNider tends to her medical needs.
J’ONN
(V.O.)
It is a virus...
INT. MEETING ROOM.
The party is gathered around the table. The atmosphere is grim.
J’ONN
... bioengineered by Beatriz herself.
On its own, it is benign. She hosts
it inside of her body, where it
bonds with the cornucopia of toxins
produced there. Once it is passed
on to a victim by her sting, it
will begin replicating all of those
toxins within the new host body in
random sequence. Administering
anti-venoms will extend the
victim’s life, but...
CLARK
(desperate)
There has to be a cure.
J’ONN
There is not.
DIANA
But Beatriz says she could make a
cure, if she could have access to
her lab in Bialya.
OLLIE
Anyone else think this trap might
be a trap?
DIANA
When we pressed her on that very
question, she said that she has no
plan in mind, but she does intend
to betray us the moment an
opportunity presents itself.
OLLIE
Okay but an improvised trap is
still a trap...
CLARK
I don’t care. I’ll do it.
DIANA
As will I.
OLLIE
Okay, but what do we do about the
trap part of it?
Clark stands up, striking a strong profile that gives off strong leader vibes.
CLARK
The most experienced meta-humans
will go, that’s me, Barry, and
Diana, with Carter as our pilot.
DINAH
I take offense at that.
ARTHUR
So do I.
CLARK
Dinah, this is a stealth mission
first and foremost, your powers are
only going to be useful if things
go wrong. Besides, we still need
capable fighters to stay behind in
case of an emergency, that’s why I
think Kendra should stay behind as
well.
BARRY
Also I have had powers two years
longer than you so...
CLARK
Not now, Barry.
ARTHUR
We still haven’t addressed my
omission...
CLARK
I just figured no force on Earth
could tear you away from your
brother right now.
ARTHUR
Fair enough.
OLLIE
Okay, but...
CLARK
The trap, I know. We’ll have to
bring Doctor McNider along to keep
watch of Lana’s vitals and
administer anything she needs
anyway. Between him and
Diana with her lasso, we can make
Queen Bee explain the steps of what
she’s doing and make sure she
doesn’t double cross us.
There’s still risk, but I am
willing to take that risk to save
my friend’s life. Does anyone here
feel differently?
Clark looks around at everyone at the table. No one objects. He looks at J’onn.
J’ONN
What are we waiting for?
Clark and Diana stand and immediately exit the meeting room. Barry and Carter quickly follow behind them.
INT. JAVELIN.
We skip ahead in time. We see Clark, Krypto, Barry, and Dr. McNider by Lana’s side. Carter is in front, flying the plane, and Queen Bee is bound and gagged in the back of the plane with Diana standing guard over her. Clark is hunched over, tense, trying to keep his composure. He glances at Lana, who is gently and affectionately giving Krypto ear scritches. The sight makes Clark smile. Barry, on the other hand, is absentmindedly staring out the window, trying to keep his mind off the grim situation.
BEAT
BARRY
Where do you think J’onn gets the
fuel for this thing?
CARTER
He asks for it. Being a telepath
opens a lot of doors.
INT. BRIG.
Arthur stands in the shadows of the dimly lit room. He is scowling quite broodily. J’onn enters the room and stands beside Arthur.
J’ONN
Are you ready for this?
ARTHUR.
Yes.
The two walk toward the center of the room, where Orm Marius is restrained, tied to a chair at the center of a sigil reminiscent of the lesser keys of Solomon drawn on the floor.
ORM MARIUS
Brother, please forgive my
rudeness, but these accommodations
you’ve had prepared for me are-
J’onn holds out a hand toward Orm Marius, his eyes glow a deep red color, and the world falls away.
THE DREAMING
J’onn and Arthur stand on a sandy hill overlooking a Hawaiian beach, on what would be a sunny day were it not for the approaching hurricane. At the top of the hill stand the burnt remains of what was once a lighthouse, the charred husk of its tower looming ominously. Arthur and J’onn approach the lighthouse, more specifically the yard at the base of the lighthouse, where Orm Marius, in his adult form, sits and drinks tea and looks out at the sea.
ARTHUR
Tommy...
ORM MARIUS
Hardly.
J’ONN
What are you doing?
ORM MARIUS
(cheerful)
Why, enjoying the view of course!
J’onn and Arthur look out with disgust at the graveyard of ships, a dozen at least, wrecked against the rocky shore. In addition to the wrecked ships, we can see one crashed aircraft that looks an awful lot like the Javelin.
ARTHUR
Jesus, Tommy...
ORM MARIUS
Wrong again on both counts, dear
brother. What do you want that’s so
important that you invade my mind?
J’ONN
As you can imagine, we have
questions.
ORM MARIUS
Is a simple conversation beneath
you?
J’ONN
Even with your mental defenses,
which are quite impressive, by the
way...
ORM MARIUS
Thank you.
J’ONN
... this would still be the path of
least resistance over a verbal
sparring match.
ORM MARIUS
And what is it exactly we’re doing
right now?
J’ONN
Pleasantries. A hollow courtesy
while we both stall for time; you
trying and failing to intimidate us
with macabre imagery while Arthur
and I acclimate to this mind
palace, feeling its borders,
testing them. There is only so much
you can do to scare us before we
start to find the cracks. I
mastered psychic warfare four and a
half thousand years ago. You are an
amateur, Thomas.
Orm marius tilts his head, like a dog.
ORM MARIUS
And what a teachable moment for the
boy. “Intro to Mind Palace siege
tactics” or some such. Guiding him
in the ways of the telepath. Show
him how to do something beyond
getting a dolphin to do tricks.
ARTHUR
(staring out at the wrecks)
I had no idea you had this much
hate inside of you, Tommy.
Marius snaps his head around and stares directly at his brother. As Arthur looks into his wicked brother’s eyes, the ship graveyard, including the crashed Javelin, looms in the background.
ORM MARIUS
Imagine what else you must have
missed, brother-of-mine.
The scorched door of the lighthouse swings open.
J’ONN
Come along, Arthur.
Arthur looks at Marius one last time before following J’onn into the lighthouse. Marius turns to look back out at the graveyard of ships.
INT. BIALYANI OFFICE BUILDING. TOP FLOOR. NIGHT.
From the inside of the office, we see the team descend from the roof onto the private balcony outside of Princess Beatriz’s corporate office in the heart of the nation’s capital. Clark, Barry, and Dr. McNider all shimmy down via rope, Carter gently descents to the ground along with Lana, holding her gurney steady as his Nth Metal belt lessens the pull of gravity for them, and Diana simply lands in a super cool three point stance with the bound and gagged Queen Bee tucked under her arm. Queen Bee looks not amused. They enter Queen Bee’s password on the keypad lock and enter the office. Diana immediately sets Queen Bee down and un-gags her.
QUEEN BEE
About time.
Diana pushes Queen Bee toward her laboratory equipment on the other side of the room, causing her to hop with her legs bound together.
DIANA
That was not an invitation to
speak.
McNider and Carter follow behind Diana, rolling Lana’s gurney toward the lab area. Lana is hooked up to an IV and has a breathing mask. She’s pale, and shaky, and her eyes are half closed.
MCNIDER
Don’t worry, Lana, I’ll be working
with Beatriz on every step of the
process to make sure she doesn’t
try anything.
LANA
(out of it)
That’s so thoughtful...
Carter takes Lana by the hand to get her attention.
CARTER
Lana, listen to me...
LANA
Yeah?
CARTER
(handing her a syringe)
This is adrenaline.
LANA
Woah...
CARTER
If we get caught by security, or
god forbid, the Legion...
LANA
I hate those guys...
CARTER
Lana, focus up.
LANA
Yes.
CARTER
If something goes wrong and you
need to run, inject this into your
thigh.
LANA
What is it?
CARTER
It’s adrenaline...
LANA
Woah...
As Carter tries to explain to the half-lucid Lana, Clark and Barry hang back and look around the office.
BARRY
Clark?
CLARK
Yeah?
BARRY
How’re you doing, buddy?
CLARK
I’m... ummm...
Clark glances over at Lana on the gurney.
BARRY
Clark?
CLARK
Yeah?
BARRY
D’you wanna snoop around this
supervillain lair we seem to have
found ourselves in?
CLARK
I’d like that a lot, Barry.
Clark and Barry begin to poke around the villain’s office. Out in the hallway, a masked armor clad individual hides in the shadows and watches the party through the window. We shall call him CONDUIT.
THE END
BOTTOM OF THE OCEAN.
POST CREDITS SCENE: The Javelin, the one that crashed when Bizarro attacked it, lays wrecked at the bottom of the ocean floor. It is suddenly illuminated by light, coming from the helmet of Black Manta.
BLACK MANTA
(radio)
I found it.
Black Manta swims through the hole made by Bizarro’s attack to explore the interior of the craft. He swims up to the pilot's seat, and on the dash, illuminated by Black Manta’s headlights, is the manufacturing stamp of S.T.A.R. Labs.
THE END
Chapter 15: Challenge of the Super Friends, Season 1, Episode 15: "Chrysalis"
Summary:
Endings, beginnings, and revelations!
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
INT. PRINCESS BEATRIZ’S OFFICE. NIGHT.
Lana lays on the gurney. Doctor McNider administers care as Queen Bee gives instructions, still completely bound by the lasso of truth, with Diana standing guard.
QUEEN BEE
I need a sample of her blood.
McNider draws Lana’s blood.
MCNIDER
What next?
QUEEN BEE
There’s a work table to your left. Bring the
blood sample over to it, and bring
me over there too.
McNider moves over to the work station with the blood sample. Diana picks up Queen Bee in an over the shoulder carry and takes her over to the work surface.
QUEEN BEE
(quietly)
So undignified...
Diana plops Queen Bee down next to McNider.
QUEEN BEE
Wave your hand over it.
McNider does just that, and a metal cylinder rises out of the work station. Awkwardly, Queen Bee hunches over in front of the cylinder to allow for a retinal scan. The scan accepts her, and the gray metal cylinder spins open to reveal a transparent glass cylinder. At the base of the cylinder there is an electronic interface. Inside the cylinder is a shimmering ring of floating liquid metal, morphing in and out of different geometric shapes but always finding its way back to the shape of a floating ring.
MCNIDER
What is this?
QUEEN BEE
I don’t know what its real name is.
I call it the HIVE Matrix. It is
the source of my powers; its
counterpart in the original
timeline bonded with my body when I
discovered it, turning me into the
woman I am today. I’ve been
conducting experiments on this one
since I arrived. It's some kind of
universal genetic catalyst. I
suspect it is alien in origin.
CARTER
The Spider-Guild. Huge mercantile
empire, ruled over two thirds of
the galaxy about fifteen thousand
years ago. When it fell, the web
oligarchs hid a lot of their
treasures on rim-worlds like Earth
before going into hiding. Most
never came back for them.
QUEEN BEE
Fascinating.
(to McNider)
Place the blood sample in the slot
at the base.
MCNIDER
What will it do?
QUEEN BEE
It will break down and analyze her
blood and everything in it,
including the virus and all of the
toxins it’s been flooding her body
with. Using that data, I can
construct a new virus, one that
will both boost her immune system
and trick it into registering it as
part of her body, as well as grant
her a degree of immunity to the
toxins in her system, all while it
actively eradicates the original
virus. You know you’re wasting time
asking all of these questions.
Diana tightens Queen Bee’s restraints.
DIANA
He’s allowed to waste time. You
aren’t.
MCNIDER
Walk me through every step of the
process.
QUEEN BEE
*sigh*...
Carter leans over to Diana.
CARTER
I’ll check on the boys.
Carter heads to the other side of the office, where Clark, Krypto, and Barry are standing by.
CARTER
How goes the watch?
BARRY
I looked through all of her drawers
and stuff and there was nothing
good. Oh, and if you’re curious
about the book case? Don’t bother.
I checked, and there are NO secret
doors.
CARTER
Thank you for that update.
Krypto starts snarling at the door. Carter immediately takes a defensive stance and readies his mace.
CARTER
I’ll check it out.
Carter walks over to the door, pushes it open gently, and peers outside.
CARTER
I don’t see anyone. I’ll head out
there and do a sweep of the floor...
BARRY
That’s dumb. It’ll be faster if I
do it.
CARTER
Barry, I don’t...
Before Carter can finish that sentence, Barry is already out the door.
CARTER
God damn it.
INT. HALLWAY. BIALYA. NIGHT.
We follow Barry as he zips around the halls, the world around him a blur. As he runs past a connecting hallway, we shift into slow motion; Barry turns his head to see a mysterious figure standing down at the end of the hall. The slow motion ends, and Barry overshoots the adjoining hallway entirely. Skidding to a halt, he reverses and stops in front of the adjoining hallway. There isn’t anyone there.
BARRY
That’s probably not good.
Barry runs down the hall, finding just as much nothing up close as he saw from a distance. He turns around and looks back the way he came, puzzled. The figure, now identifiable as CONDUIT, is back where he was originally, standing directly behind Barry as if he just appeared out of thin air. He reaches out with the metallic tendrils that slither out of his large black gauntlets and ensnares Barry, sending a powerful electric current through his body.
INT. THE DREAMING.
J’onn and Arthur descend a spiral staircase in what resembles some mid-way point between a library, a cathedral, and an insane asylum, all designed with non Euclidean geometries and a pitch black/sickly pale color scheme. This is the mind of Orm Marius.
J’ONN
The first thing you must remember
is that Orm Marius is the
environment. He is all around us at
all times, and he can manipulate
our surroundings as easily as one
controls one’s own body. But, like
the body, there are finer
mechanisms at work that are beyond
his conscious control. This is what
we will exploit. Second, we are not
part of this place. We are our own
minds, and our will is a shield
that protects us from influence; do
not let it waver.
ARTHUR
And we’re looking for his memories...
J’ONN
In a roundabout manner. Marius will
keep his memories well guarded;
difficult to reach, and constantly
moving. I called him an amateur,
but that was largely a bluff.
ARTHUR
Not instilling a lot of confidence
here.
J’onn stops and turns to face Arthur.
J’ONN
I apologize for that.
ARTHUR
It’s... all good, man.
J’onn nods and starts walking again.
J’ONN
The most effective method of
getting full access to his memories
is to exploit the greatest weakness
of his psyche; the overlap of the
minds of Orm Marius and Thomas
Curry Jr.
ARTHUR
What are you saying?
J’ONN
Tommy’s personality is being
suppressed by an artificial
duplicate of the mind of his future
self. Both sets of memories are
identical right up to moment the
timelines diverge. This doubling of
information likely caused
imperfections in stored long term
memory, which can be exploited to
access more recent memories...
J’onn stops again.
ARTHUR
What?
J’ONN
I cannot know for certain, but
there is a possibility that we may
find a way to reach the suppressed
personality.
ARTHUR
We can save Tommy?
J’ONN
I do not know. But we will try.
With renewed resolve, Arthur and J’onn continue their descent into the mind of Orm Marius.
INT. THE BRIG.
J’onn and Arthur stand, still as statues, in front of Orm Marius. Ollie is leaning against the door frame, watching. Dinah walks down the hall past him, but stops and comes back when she notices him.
DINAH
What are you doing?
OLLIE
They haven’t moved in almost an
hour.
DINAH
It’s rude to stare.
OLLIE
I mean at all.
Dinah grabs Ollie by the arm.
OLLIE
Hey! What-?!
DINAH
You need to socialize.
Dinah starts dragging Ollie away.
DINAH
Being by yourself makes you weird,
Queen.
INT. PRINCESS BEATRIZ’S OFFICE. NIGHT.
Clark and Carter stand by the door. They both look concerned, Clark especially.
CLARK
Is it bothering anyone else that
Barry isn’t back?
CARTER
*sigh* god damn it Barry. Okay,
I’ll go
DIANA
Carter.
Carter turns to Diana, who walks over to him and hands him the end of the lasso of truth.
DIANA
Hold this.
CARTER
(quietly)
Or not I guess...
Diana heads to the door. She shoots a glance at Krypto, who immediately stands up and begins to follow her. As Diana opens the door, Clark motions to follow, but Diana turns back to him.
DIANA
If we both go, that leaves Carter
and the doctor to themselves if
there is an attack. They need you
here.
Clark turns and looks at Lana.
CLARK
Right...
Diana And Krypto exit the room.
THE DREAMING
J’onn and Arthur proceed down the maze of crooked hallways. The environment is a patchwork of places from various points in Marius’ life; elements of a prison cell block, a musty old occult book store, an Atlantean ruin, and a rocky sea cave blend together.
ARTHUR
What is all this?
J’ONN
His life, how he remembers it.
Arthur looks down a hallway that leads to a prison cell block, with visible discomfort.
ARTHUR
(quietly)
What happened to you... ?
From the end of the hallway behind Arthur, there is the loud sound of a door slamming. J’onn and Arthur both look down the hall just in time to see a slightly younger version of Thomas Curry Jr., maybe 8 years old, briefly run across their view. Arthur immediately tries to go to him, but J’onn puts out his arm to stop him.
J’ONN
Let me go first.
J’onn walks past Arthur, and Arthur follows behind him as they walk down the hallway. The gray stone walls gradually become wood paneling, the stone floor becoming seafoam green carpet. As they reach the other end, they find themselves walking to the living room of Arthur and Tommy’s home in Honolulu. The front door swings open, having been slammed shut so hard that it bounced open again, shattering part of the door frame in the process. Outside, the sky is gray and it is raining heavily.
J’ONN
This appears to be a memory that
Tommy and Marius both share...
ARTHUR
It’s the night I left.
INT. HALLWAY. BIALYA. NIGHT.
Diana and Krypto explore the dark hallways, searching for any sign of Barry Allen. Krypto sniffs the ground for a moment, until finding Barry’s scent. The direction is indicated to Diana with a head tilt, and the two of them break into a brisk jog. As they round a corner, Diana sees, at the end of the hallway, Conduit looming over an unconscious Barry, who is ensnared in the villain’s metallic tendrils. With zero acceleration, Diana sprints down the hall with the speed of a jungle cat. However, just as Diana’s fist is about to connect with Conduit’s helmeted face, the villain disappears with a pop, causing Diana to overshoot. Conduit reappears behind her almost instantaneously and launches a counter attack, lunging at her with his tendrils, but Diana is too quick, gracefully coming to a stop and pivoting around just in time to block the attack, causing the tendrils to wrap around one of her adamantine bracelets. Conduit sends a powerful shock through the tendrils, electrocuting Diana and causing her to grimace with agony, but she pushes through the pain, pivoting on her feet and using Conduit’s own tendril to throw him down the hallway and away from Barry, who is slumped on the ground and half awake. Diana then takes a defensive stance. Conduit comes to a stop and lands on his feet part way down the hall, before using his teleportation power to move up to Diana instantaneously. They stare each other down.
THE DREAMING
As J’onn and Arthur inspect their surroundings, they hear a faint sound coming from down the hall. The sound is coming from the first door on the left.
ARTHUR
My room.
Gently, Arthur pushes the door open. Slowly, he steps inside, walking past his surfing trophies and old school photos and the metal band posters on his walls, and we can see his heart break on his face; on Arthur’s bed, his little brother is crying himself to sleep.
ARTHUR
Oh god...
INT. HALLWAY.
Diana and Conduit stare each other down.
DIANA
Who are you?
CONDUIT
Me? I’m just the scout.
Four figures materialize in the hallway; METALLO, PARASITE, TOYMAN, and THE PRANKSTER, known collectively as THE SUPERMAN REVENGE SQUAD, Lex Luthor’s personal hit squad within the Legion. Parasite lunges at Diana, coming at her with a right hook that she catches in the palm of her hand. However, Parasite clasps his left hand over Diana’s, holding her in place as he begins draining the energy from her body. Diana falters as Parasite’s muscles bulge up. Conduit uses this opening to disengage, bringing Prankster and Toyman with him. Krypto attempts to give chase, but is blocked by Metallo.
THE DREAMING
As Arthur stands there, stunned and horrified at his brother’s tragic memory, the door suddenly slams shut behind him, separating him from J’onn. Arthur turns to the door.
ARTHUR
J’onn?
Behind Arthur, the adult form of Orm Marius rises up from the ground and looms over his brother. Out in the hall, an enormous hand slams J’onn hard into the wall. The hand belongs to a large muscular man who speaks with the voice of Hector Hammond.
HECTOR HAMMOND
Hello again, Mr. J’onzz...
EXT. HALL OF JUSTICE.
A beat up gray van is parked out front of the entrance to the building that sits above the safe house.
INT. VAN.
In the back of the van, Hector Hammond sits in a mobility chair, staring off distantly as he smiles.
HECTOR HAMMOND
(telepathically)
... care for a rematch?
INT. THE LOUNGE OF JUSTICE.
The kids are sitting on the couch. There is a stack of VHS tapes on the coffee table. Ollie is standing, holding one of the tapes in his hand with a label reading "The Last Man," arguing with Dinah.
DINAH
Ollie, everyone got one veto and
you already used yours.
OLLIE
I don’t care. I’m not watching
“masterpiece theater.”
BRUCE/RAY
(in unison)
But it’s Mary Shelley!
OLLIE
Look, I can do old, or I can do
British, but I will not-
Dinah jumps at Ollie and pushes him out of the way just as a black arrow whizzes through the spot he was just standing in. The rest of the kids turn and see that DEATHSTROKE, SPORTSMASTER, TIGRESS, BLACK MANTA, and MERLYN THE DARK ARCHER have infiltrated the safe house. As Kendra activates her wings and mace, she also activates her communicator.
KENDRA
This is a JSA general distress
call! Home base has been
compromised!
The safe house’s internal alarms go off.
INT. PRINCESS BEATRIZ’S OFFICE. NIGHT.
The distant sounds of a struggle can be heard through the door. Clark and Carter ready themselves for a fight.
CLARK
What are the chances someone’s just
working late?
A large crash is heard.
CLARK
I mean, a lot of pro wrestlers have
day jobs...
Over at the work table, Queen Bee raises her head and looks over at the heroes.
QUEEN BEE
You know, I’m going to be very
annoyed if I had to invent an
entire cure just to get rescued
anyway.
LANA
(half-conscious)
Could someone gag her please?
By the door, footsteps can be heard from the other side.
CARTER
Get ready.
The pointed ends of several metallic tendrils pierce the office door, which is then causally torn off of its hinges and tossed aside. In walks Conduit, flanked on either side by Toyman and The Prankster. Conduit lunges at Clark, and the two lock up like a pair of rival pro wrestlers. When they connect, a small shockwave is created. Carter lunges at Toyman, but the shockwave causes him to stumble in the air, making him vulnerable to a blast from The Prankster’s silly putty gun. Carter falls to the ground with a thud as the goo envelops him. With Carter incapacitated and Clark preoccupied, the two villains casually stroll over to the other side of the room.
PRANKSTER
Madam, your carriage awaits.
QUEEN BEE
It’s about time, Oswald.
As the villains approach, the blind doctor casually removes his jacket and necktie, rolls up his sleeves, picks up his walking stick, and strolls over to the villains.
PRANKSTER
Who are you supposed to be?
McNider retrieves a small black sphere from his pocket and tosses it on the ground at the feet of the two villains. Upon impact, it violently spews a cloud of smoke so dark in color that literally no light escapes it. As the villains begin coughing, McNider takes his walking stick in both hands, twists it, and separates it into two escrima sticks.
MCNIDER
Doctor Midnight.
With the speed, grace, and precision of a nocturnal bird of prey, Doctor Midnight strikes.
INT. THE DREAMING.
J’onn J’onzz and Hector “Hulk” Hammond (from now on just “Triple H” for short) trade titanic blows in the hallway. Triple H catches a punch from J’onn in the palm of his left hand, and then uses his right hand to push J’onn against the wall again, this time with such force that it shatters, sending both of them tumbling into the greater collective unconsciousness that is The Dreaming. Back inside of Arthur’s bedroom, Orm Marius looms over the aqua teen.
ORM MARIUS
Good day to you, brother-of-mine.
Arthur tenses up when he hears Marius speak. There is a crack of thunder from the storm outside.
ARTHUR
(cold fury)
Marius...
ORM MARIUS
That’s the first time you’ve called
me-
With the speed and force of a bolt of lightning, Arthur spins around and punches his fist into Orm Marius’ chest.
ARTHUR
(nuclear fury)
... give me back my brother!
INT. THE LOUNGE OF JUSTICE.
Deathstroke and Tigress begin firing at the kids. Bruce grabs Ray and ducks for cover beside Ollie. Dinah scrambles to her feet and unleashes a sonic blast at the villains, momentarily disorienting them and giving Kendra cover to swoop in and attack. As she is doing that, Black Manta attempts to fly over the wall of sound using his jet pack, and he and Kendra collide in the air. Over in the corner where Bruce, Ollie, and Ray are ducked for cover, Hal slides into the scene with a duffle bag slung over his shoulder.
HAL
I heard the ruckus, so I came
running.
Hal unzips the duffel bag, revealing that he stuffed it full of gadgets from the armory.
HAL
And I brought a bag of stuff.
Bruce starts gearing up.
BRUCE
Hal, I want you to get Ollie and
Ray out of here.
OLLIE
Screw that.
Ollie reaches into the bag and pulls out a compound bow.
OLLIE
I really don’t like that guy.
Dinah continues to hold the remaining villains at bay while Kendra and Black Manta battle in the air, but unfortunately she still needs to breathe. As the sonic blast subsides long enough for her to draw a breath, Merlyn raises his bow and takes a shot at her. Dinah ducks out of the way just in time and the black arrow embeds itself in the couch. Merlyn reaches for another arrow and knocks it in a split second, but suddenly doubles over in pain as another arrow, this one green, hits him in the hand. He looks over and sees Ollie, knocking another arrow.
OLLIE
That’s for trying to shoot me with
an arrow, jerk!
Merlyn pulls Ollie's arrow out of his hand and fires it back at him, and Ollie ducks just in time for it to hit the wall behind him. He grabs Ray by the arm.
OLLIE
Okay let’s go.
Ollie drags Ray behind him as he sprints away down the nearby hall. Before he can give chase, Merlyn, Tigress, and Sportsmaster are suddenly ensnared by a glowing green tendril. Abin Sur enters the fight. With his speed and reflexes, Deathstroke actually manages to evade capture by the emerald ring slinger, but is hit mid air by a focused blast from Black Canary and is slammed into the far corner of the room.
ABIN SUR
This ends now.
Deathstroke pulls himself to his feet and activates his communicator.
DEATHSTROKE
Send him in.
Space itself appears to wobble and shimmer, and then part, as SOLOMON GRUNDY teleports into the room in a shower of white sparks. Grundy looks radically different from the last time we saw him; his height and body mass have increased by roughly 50%, he has four enormous muscular arms, and a lumpy misshapen head with two fused faces peering out of it. It appears that the two Grundies have become one.
THE DREAMING
Arthur stands before Orm Marius with his fist shoved into the Warlock’s chest. Marius doesn’t seem impressed.
MARIUS
Why would that work here?
Marius flicks Arthur on the forehead with his finger, generating enough force to send the aqua teen crashing through the bedroom door out into the hallway with the sound of thunder. The lights are off, and the hole in the wall caused by J’onn’s fight with Hector Hammond is nowhere to be seen. The storm outside is also gone. It is quiet. Arthur looks around as he scrambles to his feet, while Marius slowly glides into the hall after him.
ARTHUR
J’onn?!
MARIUS
This isn’t the same memory.
CHILD
(O.S.)
... mom?
Arthur turns to look at where the voice came from. His face freezes over with sheer terror.
MARIUS
It’s not even one of mine.
We see a barely four year old Arthur Curry standing at the edge of the family living room, watching his mother, Queen Atlanta, being strangled by a monstrous looking fully grown Atlantean in his aquatic form. Tears are welling up in the eyes of both Arthurs.
ARTHUR
(quietly)
... mom...
Orm Marius comes up behind Arthur and jabs his talon-like fingers into the sides of Arthur’s head.
ARTHUR
*simply the worst sound*
INT. THE BRIG.
In the physical world, Arthur’s body goes slightly limp. He drops to his knees, staring forward with blank eyes. Then, as if it were controlled awkwardly by marionette strings, Arthur’s arm raises up before his fist smashes into the ground, breaking the binding seal beneath Marius. Marius’ physical body shakes off his restraints with a wave of dark force, knocking the unconscious Arthur and J’onn back against the wall as Marius rises into the air.
INT. PRINCESS BEATRIZ’S OFFICE. NIGHT.
Clark is locked up with Conduit. The two struggle against each other for a moment, but Conduit turns the tide by slithering his metallic tendrils down and around Clark’s arms, giving him the leverage to hoist Clark into the air before slamming him into the ground with a powerful cracking sound, the tile floor beneath them caving in slightly. Before Conduit can continue wailing on him, Clark braces his arms against the ground and kicks back with both feet, hitting the villain square in the chest. Conduit falls backwards, retracting his tendrils and letting go of Clark in order to use them to brace his fall.
CONDUIT
Not bad...
Clark pulls himself to his feet and rushes at Conduit in a burst of super speed. The world goes into slow motion, and just before Clark can strike the villain, Conduit disappears and immediately reappears behind Clark, delivering a spin kick to the side of the head. This sends Clark stumbling, and Conduit again teleports to the other side of Clark to deliver a powerful punch to his face, and then teleports once more to ensnare him with his tendrils from behind, using them to send a powerful electric current through the boy of steel.
CLARK
*absolute suffering*
Clark limply falls to the ground. Conduit looks down at him curiously.
CONDUIT
(quietly)
The strongest man in the world...
INT. THE LOUNGE OF JUSTICE.
Solomon Grundy charges Abin Sur, who puts up a force field just in time to protect himself from the downpour of Grundy’s four thundering fists. The battle begins again. Bruce enters the fray, charging at Merlyn. The two trade blows. Dinah continues her rematch with the psychotic super-soldier of fortune, dodging Deathstroke’s attacks while keeping him off-balance with quick targeted sonic pulses, overwhelming his super senses. Hal charges at Sportsmaster, who easily sidesteps and slams the kid to the ground. The villain unsheathes the cricket bat strapped to his back and holds it up to Hal’s neck as he paces around him tauntingly. Tigress stands by with a crossbow aimed at the boy.
SPORTSMASTER
Not the brightest, kid...
Suddenly, Tigress stumbles forward, having been attacked from behind. Sportsmaster turns just in time for WILDCAT’s fist to reacquaint itself with his face.
TED
Hi Brock.
Wildcat and Sportsmaster trade blows like a couple of prize fighters. Hal manages to kick the staggered Tigress in the hand, causing her to lose grip of her crossbow. Hal grabs it out of the air and points it at her.
HAL
Gotcha!
Over at Abin Sur’s fight, the Green Lantern switches to an offensive strategy, projecting his force field forward and enveloping Grundy in a green aura. Using all of his will, Abin Sur tightens this aura around Grundy, freezing him in place in a test of will against brute strength.
ABIN SUR
I think you will find my mind
stronger than your-
As Grundy struggles against the green force field holding him in place, he grits his teeth and lets out a blood curdling roar. He pushes so hard against the green energy that his flesh begins to crumble away, leaving his hideous skeleton, composed of gnarled blackened wood, to pass through the force field effortlessly. Abin Sur is frozen in terror as a gigantic wooden skeleton lunges at him, wrapping its fingers around his torso before lifting him into the air and smashing him into the concrete walls and floor of the room several times, flailing the alien hero around like a rag doll. Hal drops the crossbow and runs over to Abin Sur, freeing up Tigress to back up Sportsmaster. Kendra sees this, and disengages from Black Manta to preemptively attack the skeletal Grundy before he can hurt Hal. Kendra drives Grundy away from the limp and broken Abin Sur, freeing up Hal to run to Abin Sur’s side (and freeing Black Manta to fly deeper into the compound).
HAL
(panicked)
Oh god...
Abin Sur grabs Hal by the hand, smudging it with a blue substance that appears to be his blood.
ABIN SUR
(dying)
Hal... keep the fire...
Tears well up in Hal’s eyes as he watches the life drain away from Abin Sur’s.
BEAT
The sound of struggle can be heard in the background. Abin Sur’s ring begins to glow. The world falls away. Hal is enveloped in an infinite sky of shimmering green light. In the distance, giant faces are etched into the cosmos itself. In his heart, he can hear a thousand voices.
THE GUARDIANS OF THE UNIVERSE
Hal Jordan of Earth,
possessed of strong will and a courageous heart.
You are worthy of joining the Green Lantern Corps.
Suddenly, Hal is surrounded by images, a tapestry of the exploits of thousands of Green Lanterns, spreading peace and justice throughout the galaxy, all painted in shimmering green light.
THE GUARDIANS OF THE UNIVERSE
Do you accept?
With tears still in his eyes, Hal smiles a cocky smile. The scene is enveloped in blinding light.
INT. HALLWAY. BIALYA. NIGHT.
Diana and Krypto are locked in battle with Parasite and Metallo. Diana delivers a drop kick to Parasite’s chest, freeing herself from his grasp. He lunges, but Diana dodges with the grace of a dancer. Krypto has clamped his jaws around Metallo’s wrist and is in a tug of war with the sadistic cyborg.
METALLO
I’ve always hated you, you stupid
dog...
In the corner, Barry regains consciousness. He pulls himself up just in time to see a frustrated Metallo grab Krypto with his free hand and choke slam him against the wall.
BARRY
Hey!
Barry runs over to Metallo and hits him with an explosive punch, staggering the villain and freeing Krypto.
BARRY
Leave my friend’s dog alone!
DIANA
(dodging)
Barry! My lasso!
BARRY
I don’t have it!
BEAT
BARRY
Right.
Barry darts off at super speed.
INT. PRINCESS BEATRIZ’S OFFICE. NIGHT.
The smoke from the blackout bomb dissipates, and we see Doctor Midnight standing over the battered Toyman and Prankster.
MCNIDER
Lana, we need to get out of-
He is cut off when a tendril begins strangling him. Doctor Midnight falls to the floor, struggling for air, as Conduit walks up to Queen Bee and unbinds her.
QUEEN BEE
Are you one of Luthor’s new people?
Before she can get an answer, Barry darts into the scene and snags the lasso.
BARRY
Sorry, I need this back.
Barry is gone.
CONDUIT
Damn it!
QUEEN BEE
Doesn’t matter.
Queen Bee turns to grab the HIVE Matrix container.
CONDUIT
Don’t forget the girl. Brainiac has
plans-
As Conduit gestures toward Lana, he realizes that the tendril that had been strangling Doctor Midnight hangs limply from his arm. The villains turn to see that Carter and Doctor Midnight are free, a parting gift from Barry.
QUEEN BEE
Deal with it.
Conduit charges at the two heroes.
INT. HALLWAY. BIALYA. NIGHT.
Diana and Krypto continue their fight against Parasite and a recovered Metallo. Barry runs into the scene, tossing Diana’s lasso to her. Diana grabs it and leaps over Parasite, wrapping the lasso around his neck and landing feet first on his back, pulling up on the lasso and pushing down with her legs, choking the villain into unconsciousness. She jumps off the villain’s back with an effortless backflip as he collapses to the ground, and then throws the lasso at Metallo, binding the metallic menace in her golden rope as she delivers a flying punch to the cyborg’s chest, skewering both Metallo and the wall behind him. Diana frees her arm in one fluid motion, and pulls out Metallo’s power core, which she drops to the ground. Krypto whimpers and backs away as the green glowing power core clatters across the floor.
BARRY
(quietly)
Woah.
DIANA
How is it back there?
BARRY
Bad.
Though not as fast as Barry, Diana starts sprinting back to the office with such speed and force that it kicks up a powerful gust of wind, momentarily disorienting Barry and Krypto before they can follow after her.
INT. PRINCESS BEATRIZ’S OFFICE. NIGHT.
Queen Bee casually strolls over to Lana and starts pushing the gurney toward the balcony.
LANA
What are you doing?
QUEEN BEE
This is your lucky day. It looks
like you matter after all.
Weak and terrified, Lana looks around and sees her friends caught up in battle, her best friend unconscious... and then she remembers the adrenaline injector. She stabs herself with it in the thigh, and her pupils contract. With her sudden burst of energy and strength, Lana lunges at Queen Bee, tackling her and sending the both of them tumbling with the HIVE Matrix container, which shatters when they hit the ground. The substance inside begins wildly flailing on contact with air, and begins crawling onto Lana, enveloping her.
INT. LOUNG OF JUSTICE.
The dazzling emerald light subsides, and there stands HAL JORDAN, GREEN LANTERN OF SPACE SECTOR 2814. The fighting momentarily stops as the whole room looks at him.
.
DEATHSTROKE
(quietly)
Crap.
Hal, enveloped in a green aura, gently rises into the air. He inspects himself, now clad in the uniform of the Green Lantern corps (sans mask), before turning his attention to Kendra, who is battling the rapidly regenerating Solomon Grundy. Hal looks around for a way to affect the creature, and notices the gas pipes running along the ceiling and walls. Hal uses his ring to grab a pipe, rip it out of the wall, and create a funnel to use the gas and ignite it. A focused cone of flames fires at Solomon Grundy. Hal then conjures up a force field to bind the creature, which Grundy struggles against, tearing away his flesh, but this only exposes his wooden skeleton further, causing it to catch fire faster. Hal then looks back at where his friends are engaging the Legion, and a wall of green force appears and slithers its way through the room, separating the villains from the heroes.
DINAH
Hal, I appreciate the help, but
you’re kind of burning down our
home!
BRUCE
This isn’t our home anymore.
INT. HALLWAY. BIALYA. NIGHT.
Diana arrives, with Barry and Krypto right behind her, just in time to see Conduit come crashing violently through the wall. Diana skids to a stop in front of the hole in the wall, and comes face to face with Lana, standing and looking curiously at her own body; not only does she appear to be cured, but parts of her body have transformed, most notably her right arm, which is larger and more muscular and covered in a black chitinous armor. In addition, a pair of dragonfly wings have sprouted from her back. Diana and Lana make eye contact. Lana's eyes are a brilliant gold color, with a complex and ever shifting mesh of geometric shapes hued in dark brass in place of her pupils. As Lana stares into Diana's sky-blue eyes, Barry and Krypto rush past them into the room to help the others.
BEAT
The fight begins again as Diana lunges into the office to stop Queen Bee from attacking Lana from behind. Lana turns and watches Diana run in and fight, but before she can join her, Conduit picks himself up.
CONDUIT
What the hell is this?
LANA
My origin.
Conduit ensnares Lana with his tendrils, but the black chitinous armor spreads across most of the rest of her body, and Lana pivots and slams Conduit through the wall again, sending him back into the office and creating another hole in the process. Conduit slams to the ground, and rolls over to stand back up. As soon as he does, a hand grabs his shoulder and violently jerks him around.
CLARK
(weary)
Remember me?
Clark socks Conduit in the face, cracking his helmet. The villain doubles over and clutches his hands to his face. Just then, Krypto lunges at Conduit, clamping his jaws down around the villain’s head.
CONDUIT
DAMN IT SHELBY!
Barry runs over to Diana, who is trading blows with Queen Bee. He runs around the villain and ties her up in the lasso of truth once again.
QUEEN BEE
Oh for the love of...
Barry gags Queen Bee.
BARRY
You shouldn’t leave this thing
laying around.
Carter throws one of his nth metal capture weapons at Conduit, ensnaring the villain and allowing Krypto and the others to disengage. The party groups up around Diana and Barry as Doctor Midnight throws down more blackout bombs for cover.
CARTER
We got what we came for. We need to
go now.
Diana punches Queen Bee in the face as hard as she can, knocking the villain unconscious with the sound of cracking thunder. With a gentle tug, she unties the lasso and coils it up.
DIANA
Let’s go.
INT. THE BRIG.
Marius stands over his unconscious brother, adjusting his tie. Black Manta flies into the room.
BLACK MANTA
Marius...
ORM MARIUS
If you’re here to rescue me, David,
you’re a tad late.
Manta looks down at Arthur.
BLACK MANTA
We’ve got him.
ORM MARIUS
Yes. We do.
THE DREAMING
J’onn and Triple H continue to trade blows. J’onn is getting his ass kicked. Triple H hits him with a back rake, a pedigree, and a leg-drop! He then grabs J’onn in a front facing choke hold.
TRIPLE H
(full on insane villain
monologue)
I AM THE STRONGEST MIND IN THE
UNIVERSE!
J’ONN
I don’t have time for this...
J’onn reaches forward and grabs both sides of Triple H’s head. He then blasts red energy out of his eyes, enveloping and incinerating the villain’s head.
INT. VAN.
Hammond, in his chair in the physical world, begins shaking violently before going limp, his eyes open and lifeless.
INT. THE BRIG.
J’onn begins to regain consciousness.
ORM MARIUS
David, we could do with a
distraction...
Manta looks over at something off screen.
BLACK MANTA
This’ll do.
He punches some buttons on the wall, before scooping up Arthur and slinging him over his shoulder. J’onn rises.
J’ONN
(infinite fury)
MARIUS!
J’onn charges at the two villains, only to be tackled by BIZARRO, suddenly freed from his cell, and the two of them go careening out into the hall. Marius casually drags his finger downward in the air, causing a tear in time and space leading to a shadowy dimension.
ORM MARIUS
Let’s go home.
The two villains, with Arthur as their captive, walk through the portal, which closes behind them.
INT. SAFE HOUSE HALLWAY.
J’onn and Bizarro trade frantic blows mid-air. J’onn wants this over immediately. While the two titans are roughly evenly matched, a new hazard appears: fire. The flames from Hal’s attack against Grundy are spreading through the facility, and as they grow closer to J’onn’s battle against the Kryptonian clone, it has the expected effect on him; he begins to experience a panic attack, and his physical form starts to lose cohesion the closer the heat gets. The balance of the fight shifts, and Bizarro begins absolutely wailing on J’onn. HOWEVER! Just in the nick of time, a giant green boxing glove flies out of nowhere and wallops Bizarro right in the face, sending him crashing through several walls. Hal flies in, using the energy of his ring to put out the flames. We see that the rest of the party are floating in the air behind him, suspended in a green aura. Ray looks nauseous. Hal scoops J’onn up and the whole party starts to fly through the halls at high speeds.
J’ONN
Abin Sur...
HAL
Didn’t make it.
The party careens into the empty air hangar. Hal points upward with his ring and blasts a giant hole in the ceiling. The green aura that everyone is suspended in begins to take shape, forming into an exact replica of the Javelin (excepting the fact that it is green and glows slightly). Inside the Javelin construct, everyone is seated, with Hal in the pilot seat.
HAL
This is your captain speaking,
reminding everyone to put on their
seatbelts. Also, fair warning, the
cloaking device isn’t operable
because I don’t know how it works.
J’ONN
I do.
J’onn’s eyes glow a deep red color, and Hal’s eyes in turn briefly glow a bright green color.
HAL
Cool.
The Javelin rises into the air as it turns invisible.
INT. JAVELIN.
The Bialya party frantically seats themselves in the plane. Carter gets into the pilot seat and immediately begins takeoff. Barry, Lana, and Clark all sit down next to each other.
CLARK
Ow.
Krypto begins licking his boy’s face.
BARRY
So, bug powers, huh?
LANA
Yeah, I guess so.
BARRY
Awesome.
With a shudder, the javelin rises into the air and takes off into the night. On the dash of the Javelin, a beeping light goes off and numbers appear on one of the screens.
CARTER
(worried)
They're coordinates...
EXT. HAPPY HARBOR, RHODE ISLAND.
The cloaked Javelin lands on a rocky beach next to a giant outcropping of rocks, over 100 feet high.
INT. THE CAVE OF JUSTICE.
The Bialya party squeezes between the rocks to enter a sea cave, almost hidden from the beach. They find their way into a large chamber, where the rest of the party is waiting. The two groups look at each other curiously, especially Hal and Lana, but Clark makes eye contact with J’onn J’onzz.
CLARK
Where’s Arthur?
THE END
INT. THE SHADOW REALM.
POST CREDITS SCENE: Arthur lays face down in an infinite black void. He stirs, and drags himself back to consciousness, pushing himself up onto his hands and knees. There is definitely some notion of “floor” in this place, but visually nothing is defined.
ARTHUR
(groggy)
Where the hell
VOICE
(O.C.)
Hello...
Arthur looks up, to see a little girl, no older than eight, standing before him. She is wearing a simple white dress and Amazonian bracelets. Physically, with the exception of being obviously younger, she is an exact duplicate of Diana.
DONNA TROY
... my name is Donna. What’s yours?
THE END
Notes:
Hypothetical Cast Update:
Donna: Emma Watson
Chapter 16: Challenge of the Super Friends, Season 1, Episode 16: "Running into Danger"
Summary:
As the team regroups in Happy Harbor, J'onn, Ted, and Diana set out on a mission to retrieve the future power source of one of the JLA founders!
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
EXT. HAPPY HARBOR, RHODE ISLAND. SUNRISE.
We open on a shot of the rocky outcropping that conceals the sea cave.
INT. THE CAVE OF JUSTICE.
Ray Palmer lays on the ground, curled up in his sleeping bag like a pill bug. His sleep is disturbed as he hears distant muffled voices. As Ray struggles his way back to the waking world, the voices become clearer.
J’ONN
... on our way to Ivytown.
Ray opens his eyes and lifts up his head to see a small group of the others gathered by the camp station that had been set up last night; a table with a portable gas stove and two plastic jugs of the Javelin’s emergency water rations. Carter, Diana, Lana, Bruce, and Hal are all gathered together by the table, eating a breakfast of gas station snacks as they listen to J’onn speak.
J’ONN
You should all try to rest. Diana,
either Ted or I will let you know
when it is time. It will likely be
soon, so prepare yourself.
J’onn stands up, and then casually floats into the air and phases through the cave ceiling.
BRUCE
I’m not used to that yet.
Ray gets up and walks over to the others.
RAY
What’re you guys talking about?
BRUCE
Making plans. J’onn got us
breakfast.
RAY
About what?
Bruce takes a sip of his coffee, shuddering at the acrid taste of the cheap convenience store instant.
BRUCE
What about what?
RAY
(annoyed)
The plans.
LANA
Just about what we’re going to do
next.
RAY
So, what are we going to do next?
BRUCE
Run and hide, mostly.
LANA
(to Ray)
Hey, don’t worry. Mr. Jones told us
he’s already found a new place
for us to stay, with real beds and
everything. We’re just going to
have to wait here for another day
or two before it’s ready.
RAY
(suspicious)
That’s what he left to go do?
LANA
Yeah. Absolutely.
CARTER
Hey, Ray, I saved you a bag of
Chocos.
RAY
(genuinely appreciative)
Aw, thanks!
Ray walks off with Carter and the group begins to disperse. Hal floats into the air as a green aura envelopes him.
HAL
I’ll be training, if anyone needs
me.
Lana holds out her hand to Hal, making a fist as the chitinous armor grows over it.
LANA
Need a sparring partner?
HAL
I promise I’ll go easy.
LANA
You will regret your hubris one
day, Jordan.
Hal floats off to his training spot. Lana starts to follow after, but Diana gently places a hand on Lana’s shoulder to stop her.
LANA
Hey.
DIANA
Why did you lie to Ray?
LANA
... I thought the truth might make
him... sad. Is that a bad thing?
DIANA
I’m not sure it’s wise to treat him
differently from the rest of the
group.
LANA
He’s not one of the fighters.
DIANA
We don’t keep things from Oliver.
LANA
That is true.
DIANA
Ray is one of us. He deserves to be
treated like one of us.
LANA
He is the youngest.
DIANA
As one of the oldest, believe me when
I tell you that the gap between you
and Ray is a lot smaller than you
think.
LANA
(realizing implications)
Exactly how old are y-?
Lana is cut off when Ted enters the scene.
TED
(to Diana)
Alright, I’ve got us
transportation; a black sedan
parked up on the cliff side road.
J’onn went off to do a security
sweep of the area. He wants us and
anything we need in the car by the
time he gets back, I’d say about
half an hour.
DIANA
Alright.
(to Lana)
Excuse me.
LANA
Yeah, of course. I’ve got to catch
up with Hal, anyway. We’ll talk
later...
Lana runs off after Hal. Diana stands there for a moment, looking conflicted. She glances over at Carter and Ray, sitting on the cave floor with a bag of Chocos between them. Ray has a padlock in his hand and is fiddling with it using a bobby pin.
CARTER
What have you got there?
Ray twists his pick inside of the padlock, causing it to click open.
RAY
It's just... something to do.
CARTER
How're you holding up, Ray?
RAY
I'm fine. I mean, I'm worried about
Arthur and everything that's going
on, but I'm okay.
CARTER
Are you sure?
BEAT
RAY
I just really want to go home.
Ray closes the padlock and begins attempting to pick it again. A few feet away, Diana watches Ray and Carter with a conflicted look on her face.
INT. STOLEN CAR. DAY.
Diana and Ted are packed and ready to go, Diana in the front passenger seat and Ted in the back.
DIANA
Where did you get this car?
TED
From a lovely couple vacationing in
Florida at the moment.
DIANA
You know them?
TED
No, but I’m gonna return it with a
full tank.
J’onn descends from the sky, phasing through the roof of the car and settling into the driver’s seat, transforming into his “John Jones” human disguise in the process.
J’ONN
Are we all ready to go?
TED
All set.
Diana nods. J’onn starts the car and pulls out onto the road.
DIANA
What is our timetable?
J’ONN
We will arrive in Ivytown in
approximately two hours, well in
advance of tonight’s impact. Ted
and I will take that time to
surveil the neighborhood. Diana,
while we do that, I want you to
spend time in the downtown area,
keep an eye out for anything
suspicious.
DIANA
What time is the impact?
J’ONN
The white dwarf alloy meteor will
land in the backyard of the Palmer
family residence at exactly 10:06
tonight. You and I will get into
position at 10:00 PM precisely.
DIANA
Why cut it so close?
J’ONN
In all likelihood, the Legion will
be sending Chronos to acquire the
meteor, and he will not arrive a
moment before has to.
DIANA
What is there to know about
Chronos?
J'ONN
David Clinton, self described as
"the world's greatest thief," was
given the moniker "Chronos" in
reference to his reputation for
precision timing and meticulous
planning. In the original timeline,
he crossed paths with The Atom
while attempting to steal the white
dwarf alloy meteor from Ray
Palmer's laboratory. After joining
forces with the Legion, he was
given technology that allows him to
manipulate the flow of time to a
limited degree, making him even
more dangerous. When we confront
him, we will need to be incredibly
quick and precise.
DIANA
You're sure it's wise to face him?
J'ONN
The meteor is almost important
enough by itself to be worth the
risk; one day, it will be the
source of Ray's powers as The Atom,
and in the hands of the Legion it
could be used for terrible
purposes. But Chronos himself is
our primary goal; we know from our
interrogation of Queen Beatriz
that he is directly involved with
the planning, coordination, and
resource management within the
Legion. Given his familiarity with
the area and the target, as well as
his history of enmity with The
Atom, the chances are very high
that he will be there. If there is
a chance that we can capture and
interrogate an enemy agent who can
tell us how to find Arthur, we
cannot pass it up.
DIANA
Where will Ted be during the
confrontation?
TED
Parked around the block with the
getaway car.
DIANA
That’s the plan, then.
BEAT
J’ONN
Ray, you can come out now.
Ray pokes his head out from under the pile of bags in the back, startling Ted.
RAY
Did you read my mind?
J'onn taps the rear view mirror.
J’ONN
No, the items in the back moved
every time you breathed.
TED
How the hell did you get back
there?
RAY
I jimmied open the trunk.
Ray pushes himself up and over the back seat, awkwardly somersaulting into the rear passenger seat next to Ted. Ray reaches behind Ted's ear and, in an act of sleight-of hand, produces a bobby pin.
RAY
I’m good with my hands.
TED
(annoyed)
Put on your seatbelt.
RAY
Mr. Jones, I don't want to go on
the mission or fight a villain or
anything like that. It’s just that,
when I heard that you were going to
Ivytown...
J’ONN
You felt homesick.
RAY
Yeah.
J’ONN
I know the feeling.
(glances at Diana)
I am curious as to how Ray found
out where we were going.
DIANA
That would be because I told him.
BEAT
DIANA
Lying isn’t in my nature.
J’ONN
No, I suppose it is not. Ray, you
will stay with either Diana or Ted
at all times. During the mission
you will hide in this vehicle with
Ted, and he will get you to safety
the moment something goes wrong. Is
that clear?
RAY/DIANA/TED
Yessir/yes/crystal.
J’onn lets out a small sigh as he drives off toward Ivytown.
INT. THE SHADOW REALM.
In an infinite void of darkness, Arthur’s only companion is Donna Troy, the eight-year-old princess of the Amazons.
ARTHUR
Hi. I’m Arthur.
Donna bows very politely.
DONNA
It’s very nice to meet you, Arthur.
ARTHUR
Donna, do you know what this place
is?
DONNA
No, I don’t. I’m sorry.
ARTHUR
It’s alright.
Arthur stands up and begins looking around.
DONNA
What are you looking for?
ARTHUR
*sigh* A whole lot of nothing. How
long have you been here?
DONNA
I’m not sure. I lost count of the
days. Weeks and weeks, at least.
Arthur looks down at the child, noticing her manner of dress, especially the large metal bracelets she wears.
ARTHUR
You know, I’ve got a friend who has
a pair of bracelets just like
yours.
DONNA
(excited)
Really?
ARTHUR
Yeah, my friend Diana...
DONNA
(super excited)
You know my sister?
Arthur is shocked by this revelation. Before he can say anything, blinding white light suddenly pours into this realm of shadows and just as suddenly stops. In walks Orm Marius, carrying two trays of food.
ORM MARIUS
Helooooooo.
Arthur lunges at Marius.
ARTHUR
(so angry)
MARIUS!
Marius sighs as the shadows that encompass this very reality reach out and ensnare Arthur, holding him in place.
ORM MARIUS
The saddest part is that I knew you
would do that.
Marius glides forward.
ORM MARIUS
(cheerful)
Good morning, princess! Breakfast
will begin after we finish our
singing lessons!
DONNA
No.
BEAT
Marius sets down the trays of food.
ORM MARIUS
(soft spoken, polite, and
blinded by rage)
... what did you say?
DONNA
I don’t want to do the lessons. I
hate the lessons.
ORM MARIUS
(serene in his blood fury)
Little girls do not eat until after
their lessons. It even says so,
right on the schedule.
DONNA
I wouldn’t have to do any lessons
if my sister were here. She
wouldn’t let you make me do them.
She wouldn’t let you make me do
anything!
Marius rotates on the spot to look back at his brother.
ORM MARIUS
(singsong)
Someone’s telling stories...
The shadows push Arthur over toward Marius and Donna.
ORM MARIUS
(still looking at Arthur)
Princess, I must remind you that
guests do not eat until little
girls eat, and we both know what
has to happen before little girls
can eat.
ARTHUR
Donna, no-!
The shadows reach out and envelop Arthur’s mouth, effectively gagging him. Marius rotates his head around like an owl to stare directly into Donna’s eyes.
ORM MARIUS
You cannot begin to imagine how
much I would enjoy watching him
starve.
Donna stares into Marius’ unfeeling eyes. We see the fight go out of her.
DONNA
(defeated)
Please let’s begin the lesson now,
sir...
Marius' body rotates to match his head.
ORM MARIUS
Good girl.
Marius reaches into his pocket and retrieves a small pitch pipe.
ORM MARIUS
Let us begin.
Marius blows into the pitch pipe, a strange discordant sound coming out. Donna takes a deep breath and begins to sing. Her singing starts as what sound like basic scales, but immediately there is something wrong; her voice has a strange, atonal, otherworldly quality. This ethereal discordant singing grows more chaotic and overwhelming by the second. To the side, Arthur, struggling against his restraints, suddenly develops a nose bleed before passing out.
INT. IVYTOWN HOUSE OF PIZZA.
Diana sits across from Ray, who is happily chewing on a slice of pizza.
DIANA
Is this your favorite place to eat
in town?
RAY
Yeah. My mom takes us here all the
time.
DIANA
"Us?"
RAY
Me and my brother.
Diana smiles awkwardly.
DIANA
I’m glad I was able to help. I know
what it’s like to be the youngest.
RAY
Yeah?
DIANA
I was the first child on
Themyscira. Everyone around me was
an adult, and it was a very long
time before the others viewed me
as a peer.
RAY
What happened?
DIANA
I slew a demon.
RAY
Really?
DIANA
Really. The Amazons... guarded the
gate of Tartarus, prison to the
most evil beings in the universe.
Sometimes, some of the smaller ones
managed to slip through the cracks.
Our duty was to send them back.
RAY
(in awe)
Woah...
DIANA
Since I could walk, I would run to
the beach when the alarm sounded,
just to watch. My mother hated that
I did it. But no matter how close
an eye she kept, I always managed
to slip away... I would lay in the
grass and watch the royal guard do
battle, sometimes for hours. As I
grew older, I begged my mother to
let me join the guard. She refused.
In her eyes I was still the
youngest, still just a child. That
was how almost everyone treated me.
One of the few exceptions was
Phillipus, our teacher and the Captain
of the Guard. She taught us how to
fight, track, and hunt as they did.
But these were nothing more than
lessons. Phillipus would never
disregard my mother’s wishes, and
so I continued to merely watch.
Until one day a creature managed to
break through the gates, larger
than usual, but nothing the guard
had not faced before. And yet...
Diana pauses.
RAY
What?
DIANA
The creature managed to get the
best of Phillipus. Overpower her.
She was at its mercy, with no help
in sight. And that was the moment I
joined the fight. My legs carried
me down to the shore almost faster
than I could think. I guarded
Phillipus from the monster’s blow
with only my bracelets. With no
weapon, I fought back with my
fists, and I defeated the beast.
RAY
And you weren’t scared?
DIANA
I was terrified. But I don’t see
fear as some kind of enemy or
obstacle. Fear is an ally. It warns
you when there is danger. It tells
you when you need to be cautious.
And it is powerful. It is raw,
unbridled energy, flooding your
body with the strength and drive
necessary to survive, and to win.
RAY
Yeah, but...
DIANA
What is it?
RAY
What about someone like me?
DIANA
What do you mean?
RAY
I don’t have any powers like you...
DIANA
After tonight you will.
RAY
We’ll have the meteor, but I have
no idea how to use it. Mr. Jones
said the other me didn’t figure it
out until he was in college. I’m
just a kid who’s good at puzzles
and computers and school.
DIANA
Who is training to become a hero.
RAY
I don’t do so well in the training.
DIANA
You do well at some things.
RAY
Yeah, at being sneaky and picking
locks...
DIANA
And there was that time you
produced a coin out of nothingness
behind my ear.
RAY
It’s all just puzzles and tricks.
That’s all I’ve ever been good at.
I’m not a fighter.
DIANA
We weren’t talking about being a
fighter, we were talking about
being a hero.
RAY
Huh?
DIANA
Do you know what the difference is
between a fighter and a hero?
RAY
... no?
DIANA
A fighter is merely someone skilled
in the art violence. By itself, the
goal of becoming a better fighter,
becoming better at hurting other
people, is a selfish one. Being a
fighter can be helpful for a hero,
in some situations it's invaluable,
but it isn’t what makes them a
hero. Heroes fight for something,
not just themselves. And when you
have something to fight for,
something you care about more than
yourself, then regardless of how
strong or skilled you are, that
rush of fear coursing through your
body can give you what you need to
run into the danger.
Ray doesn't say anything, but the look on his face betrays how heavy Diana's words weigh in his mind. Diana senses this immediately. She leans in close to Ray and smiles.
DIANA
The other thing about heroes is
that their first priority is to
help those in need. Just as surely
as I can depend upon you to protect
me if I am ever in danger, be sure
that I will always protect you when
you are in danger, Ray Palmer.
Ray smiles.
INT. STOLEN CAR. DAY.
J’onn and Ted are parked in the neighborhood where the Palmer family home is located, surveying the neighborhood.
TED
Y’know, I’m kind of surprised you
didn’t turn the car around when the
kid popped his head out.
J’ONN
Ray has been in the field before.
TED
Never with your permission. He’s
the youngest, he’s got no powers, I
figured you’d be more protective of
him than any of them.
J’ONN
I walk a fine line here, Ted. I
have to protect them from the world
while I train them to be its
protectors. There comes a point
where I have to be confident in the
children’s ability to take care of
themselves, and in my ability to
protect the children.
TED
Still...
J’ONN
It is a risk, I know.
TED
So, why the impromptu field trip?
J’ONN
Because my mission here is not
simply to keep them alive, it is to
ensure that they grow into the
people they need to be, the people
I remember them as. The children
have been living through one crisis
after another, under enormous
stress, the kind that can snuff the
light out of a person’s eyes, given
time. I refuse to let that happen.
TED
I hear you.
BEAT
J'ONN
This is the longest conversation
you and I have ever had.
TED
What? No it's not.
J'ONN
You have not kept your dislike of
me a secret.
TED
I don't dislike you, I...
J'onn glances at Ted with a kind of a look.
TED
Since all this started, it's stuck
out to me how different you are.
When we met ten years back, sorry,
you were kind of a wimp. Quiet,
jumpy, always holed up in your room
at Doom Manor. You suddenly walk in
during this crisis and you're
taking action and giving orders...
J'ONN
You thought I might be a spy?
TED
The thought has occurred to me.
J'ONN
I have changed, there is no denying
that. In an instant, my mind was
flooded with memories of a life I
never lived, with all of the
feelings that come with those
memories. This experience has...
effected me.
Ted and J'onn share a moment of silence.
INT. THE SHADOW REALM.
Arthur lays, unconscious, face down on whatever constitutes the ground in this place. A trickle of dried blood runs down his nose. Donna's hand comes in from out of view and gently slides a tray of food over to Arthur. Arthur sniffs the air, and slowly begins to wake up.
ARTHUR
... huh?
DONNA
He left food for us.
Arthur pushes himself up into a seated position and examines the tray of food before him.
DONNA
I already ate mine.
Arthur investigates the food before him.
ARTHUR
I like all of this stuff.
DONNA
(cheerful)
That's good!
ARTHUR
(quietly)
I don't understand my brother...
DONNA
(disturbed)
He's your brother?
ARTHUR
Yeah.
DONNA
(quietly)
Your brother is very wicked, sir.
ARTHUR
(sad)
I know.
BEAT
ARTHUR
What was that singing?
DONNA
The lessons.
ARTHUR
The lessons. Yeah. The sound was...
horrible...
DONNA
Your brother taught me that awful
song when he brought me here. I
hate it. I hate singing it. It...
(quietly)
... it hurts to sing it.
ARTHUR
I'm sorry.
DONNA
Why? You didn't do anything.
Arthur smiles.
ARTHUR
We're gonna get out of here, Donna.
I have friends, and they're not
going to stop looking for us, and
that includes your big sister. No
force on earth can stop Diana when
she puts her mind to something.
I've got the bruises to prove it.
Donna smiles. And then her smile turns into a frown as she remembers something.
DONNA
He told me to tell you something.
Your brother. He told me to tell
you, when you woke up...
ARTHUR
What?
DONNA
You're going to have lessons too.
EXT. SUBURBAN STREET. NIGHT.
A quiet nighttime suburban setting. Down the road, headlights appear. The light gets brighter as the vehicle drives closer, and a black ‘67 Chevy Impala gently comes to a stop at the exact moment a glowing white meteor violently crashes into the woods in back of the Palmer family residence, causing the ground to shake. The engine shuts off, and the supervillain CHRONOS calmly and casually gets out of the driver’s side door. Chronos takes a moment to adjust his necktie, and then walks around to the back of the house.
EXT. THE WOODS NIGHT.
Chronos approaches the glowing white rock at the center of the small crater. Above him in the trees, Diana crouches on a branch like a leopard stalking her prey. Below, Chronos removes a metal capsule from his coat pocket. He twists off the top, discarding it on the ground behind him along with a small metal disk, and tosses the capsule onto the meteorite. The capsule unfolds, in defiance of the laws of conservation, into a metal apparatus, four legs holding up a black cylinder, with a glowing blue glass eye pointed down at the white space rock. Behind Chronos, J’onn materializes and descends. He approaches Chronos, ready to pounce, but just as Diana leaps down from the trees, the metal disk that Chronos had tossed on the ground suddenly pops up into the air. A ripple in space/time radiates out of the disk and hits J'onn and Diana, causing the two to freeze in the air like someone had hit the pause button on the video only for them. Chronos casually steps out of the way. The effect ends, and J’onn and Diana crash into each other and skid into the ground at an angle going away from Chronos.
CHRONOS
Mr. J’onzz, Princess, good evening.
J’onn lunges at Chronos just as Chronos tosses yet another small device from his pocket. This one hits J’onn with another shimmering wave, trapping him in a repeating loop of the same half second. Casually, Chronos then leans to one side just in time to move out of the way of Diana’s lasso. Frustrated, Diana retracts the lasso and lunges at Chronos, who draws his gun and fires at Diana. Diana stops and uses her bracelets and incredible reflexes to deflect the bullets. Diana then begins running and deflecting at the same time, moving in a serpentine pattern to avoid the bullets. Chronos Begins moving away from Diana, sidestepping quickly in a wide arc, forcing Diana to course correct suddenly. Despite being on the move, Chronos' aim remains steady, and Diana is forced to dodge and deflect as she advances on him, slowing her down and causing her to zig-zag wildly around the field. Chronos tosses another small metal disk from his pocket at Diana, which hits the ground at her feet at the exact moment Chronos’ gun runs out of bullets. Hit by another wave of warped space, Diana is sent backwards violently, as if hit by the rewind button. She is sent crashing into J’onn just as his time loop expires. Before they can get their bearings, Chronos tosses four more devices at the ground around them, generating a wall of warped space around them. Diana attempts to punch the wall, but is hit with another rewind effect.
INT. STOLEN CAR. NIGHT.
The sound of the battle can be heard from the next block over. Ted starts the car.
TED
Okay kid, gunshots are our cue to...
Ray quickly slides out the door.
TED
... what did I expect, really?
EXT. WOODS. NIGHT,
Chronos turns to the prize he came for. He turns a knob on the black metal cylinder, and a shimmering blue beam of light is projected at the meteor, pulling it up like a tractor beam as the meteor shrinks down to the size of a pebble and slots into a compartment inside the black cylinder.
CHRONOS
I wonder if this constitutes irony.
Chronos removes the black cylinder from the machine and places it into his pocket. He turns to leave, stopping right beside where J'onn and Diana are imprisoned.
CHRONOS
(checking his pocket watch)
The field extends up and down, so
don't bother phasing. Those are
25th century batteries, so don't
count on them running out of power
this decade. Someone will be along
to help you eventually. Or not. I
don't actually know and I really
don't care.
Chronos emphasizes his point by clicking a button on his watch and placing it in his pocket, next to the black cylinder. With a spring in his step, Chronos walks away from the two trapped heroes, walking around to the front of the Palmer residence. Ray, peering from around the corner of the other side of the house, uses this as his opening, and dashes toward J'onn and Diana. Chronos turns back as he hears the sound of the boy running.
CHRONOS
(smiling)
Doctor Palmer! What an unexpected
pleasure!
Chronos draws his gun and loads in a new clip, but just as he is about to take aim and fire, he turns and steps aside to dodge a right hook from Ted Grant.
CHRONOS
And Mr. Gra-
Chronos is cut off by a left hook to the face. Ray reaches the others and removes one of the four discs, breaking the barrier and freeing them.
DIANA
Thank you, Ray.
Diana and J'onn move toward Chronos, who has just paused Ted.
CHRONOS
*sigh*
Chronos manually adjusts the hands on his pocket watch, and a shimmering aura surrounds him. He begins replaying his motions backwards, like a super high-speed rewind, causing J'onn and Diana to overshoot their target as he moves in reverse. Chronos stops in the spot where he stood by J'onn and Diana while they were imprisoned, right next to where Ray is standing now. The villain scoops the boy up in his arms and holds him at gunpoint.
CHRONOS
I'm a reasonable man! I'm open to
terms!
J'onn stands there, a look of frustration on his face. Diana, however, remains calm. She makes eye contact with Ray. There is panic in his eyes. Diana looks into his eyes, and nods. Ray finds a sense of calm.
CHRONOS
My freedom has value to me! The
boy's life has value to you you!
RAY
Chronos?
CHRONOS
Yes, Raymond?
Ray holds up Chronos' pocket watch. Using his thumb, he winds the minute hand forward.
CHRONOS
(smiling)
Doctor Palmer...
Chronos is sent forward violently at incredible speed. Ray manages to wriggle free from his grasp and land on the grass with a thud. Chronos runs face first into Diana's fist. The Amazonian Princess ensnares him in the golden lasso of truth before he even hits the ground. J’onn and Diana now stand over Chronos, who lays on the ground with his arms pinned to his side by the golden rope. J'onn begins searching the villain.
J'ONN
The capsule containing the meteor
is gone.
RAY
Yeah...
Ray stands up and produces the cylinder.
RAY
I got that one too.
Chronos produces a Derringer pistol from a compartment in his sleeve. With incredible precision, Chronos shoots from the hip, shooting the capsule out of Ray’s hand and causing its contents to rapidly expand back to normal size as they shatter, causing an explosion of force and meteorite shrapnel directly in Ray’s face. Diana turns and runs to Ray, slumped on the ground and badly injured. The lasso retracts and coils around her arm, an act of instinct in a moment of panic.
CHRONOS
A Pyrrhic victory, I admit
With an expression of cold fury on his face, J’onn grabs Chronos, picks him up, and phases his arm through Chronos’ chest, solidifying it inside the villain’s body. Chronos’ entire body tenses up. If he were capable of making any noise, his screams would be deafening. J’onn stares down the villain as he squeezes the life out of him from the inside out. It’s at this moment that Ted unpauses. He quickly takes stock of the situation and rushes up to the Martian.
TED
J’onn, that’s enough!
J’onn does not respond. Chronos continues to writhe in agony as his body’s systems start to shut down.
TED
We need him alive!
BEAT
J’onn releases Chronos. The villain slumps to the ground, gasping for air. Without a word, J’onn walks over to Diana and Ray. Diana is kneeling over Ray, holding his hand. Ray is conscious, but kind of out of it.
RAY
Did I do good?
DIANA
(smiling, holding back tears)
You did great.
Without saying anything to the Amazonian princess, J’onn scoops Ray up in his arms and flies away. Diana and Ted watch as he goes.
INT. HAPPY HARBOR, RHODE ISLAND. NIGHT.
The remaining party members are in the cave. Hal and Lana are off practicing with their new abilities, while the rest of the kids are playing cards to pass the time. Just then, J’onn flies in, cradling the injured Ray Palmer in his arms. The kids all stop what they are doing and congregate around J’onn as he lays Ray down on a bedroll in front of Doctor McNider, who immediately begins tending to the boy.
CARTER
What happened?
J’ONN
We won.
THE END
INT. THE SHADOW REALM.
STINGER: Arthur and Donna stand side by side in the infinite void. For a brief moment, light floods into the realm of shadows before stopping. Orm Marius floats into the room.
ORM MARIUS
It's time for your lessons, big
brother.
ARTHUR
You're going to make me sing?
ORM MARIUS
We don't need you to sing, big
brother. When the time comes, that
will be the little princess'
responsibility. No, what we need
you to do to, at the appointed
time, is die.
Shadows reach out of the void, ensnaring Arthur and Donna. Donna is blindfolded and gagged and pushed off to the side, out of the way. Arthur is suspended in the air, his arms and legs encased in shadows and pulled in opposite directions. Shadows creep over his body and begin attempting to crawl into his body, through his mouth, nose, and eyes.
ORM MARIUS
Given that you've never done it
before, we're going to have to
rehearse.
THE END
Notes:
Hypothetical Cast Update:
Chronos: David Hyde Pierce
Chapter 17: Challenge of the Super Friends, Season 1, Episode 17: "Crucible, Part 1"
Summary:
The team takes the fight to the Legion!
Chapter Text
INT. IMPALA. NIGHT.
Ted careens down the highway in Chronos’ black Impala. Dr. McNider is in the back seat with Ray Palmer. Ray's face and right arm are heavily bandaged. His head rests on a pillow in Dr. McNider's lap, while the doctor is keeping track of his vital signs.
TED
How's the kid doing?
MCNIDER
He needs a hospital.
TED
No luck there, Charlie, but we're
going somewhere better than a
hospital.
MCNIDER
My old bunker isn't an ideal place
to practice medicine.
TED
J'onn called in a favor. You'll see
when we get there.
MCNIDER
Technically, no, I won't.
INT. CAVE OF JUSTICE.
Chronos is tied to a folding chair inside of the hidden sea cave. He is bound by the lasso of truth, held by Diana, who looms over him beside J'onn. All of the kids sit off to the side, watching intently.
J'ONN
Tell us where to find Arthur Curry.
CHRONOS
I can't.
J'ONN
Why not?
CHRONOS
I don't have a grasp on the
geography involved.
J'ONN
What does that mean?
CHRONOS
It means I don't understand the
relevant geography...
J'onn grabs Chronos' ear and twists violently, forcing him to tilt his head toward the Martian at an uncomfortable angle.
J'ONN
The rope is a courtesy. I could dig
the information out of your mind.
It would be very painful for you.
Chronos stares into J'onn's eyes, terrified. Diana places her hand on J'onn's shoulder and gently pulls him back. J'onn relents, letting go of the villain.
DIANA
Is there a way for us to get to the
place where Arthur is being held
and rescue him?
CHRONOS
Theoretically, yes.
DIANA
What is it?
CHRONOS
It-
Diana tightens the restraints.
DIANA
Don't spare any details.
Chronos grimaces.
CHRONOS
The young prince is being held in a
pocket dimension that exists
outside of conventional space,
created by his brother, Thomas
Arthur Curry the 2nd A.K.A. Ocean Master, A.K.A. Orm
Marius. Marius is the only one with
direct access, but there is a way
for someone else to get in. Like
every member of the board, Marius
has a permanent room on the top
floor of the Ambassador Hotel. In
that room, there is an altar,
blessed (or I suppose desecrated,
depending on your point of view) by
the warlock himself. It has the
power to access this pocket
dimension. It was set up in the
event that something were to happen
to Marius. Spill a fresh drop of
blood on the altar, and the portal
will open. Unfortunately, you have
two problems for you going into
this: the first is that Marius will
be alerted the moment another
person touches his altar, let alone
tries to use it. There was a
regrettable incident with one of
the maids last week. Your second
problem, however, is arguably
worse. Security is tighter at the
hotel than it ever has been. Most
of the board are living there full
time now, with their accompanying
security details and support staff.
We've also recently brought on some
new hired help. The top ten floors
are all us. Brainiac is wired into
every square inch of the building
and has upgraded it with all manner
of devices designed for the
detection and deterrence of
unwanted guests. You'd have to make
your way through all of that before
you even got to the altar.
DIANA
You mentioned a "board." What is
that?
Chronos smirks.
CHRONOS
The board of directors are the
leaders of our little shared
venture. They directly oversee
every department, and they set the
organization's agenda and
timetable. Current board members
are Lex Luthor, Slade Wilson,
Barbara Minerva, Grodd, Thaal
Sinestro, Queen Beatriz, and Orm
Marius. Former board members are
Eobard Thawn, absent since his
incarceration...
J'ONN
I think we have what we need.
CHRONOS
(smiling)
... and Despero, absent since
he was killed by J'onn
J'onzz.
BEAT
CUT TO
A few minutes later, the party is gathered round the supply table, with Chronos bound and gagged with duct tape off in the distance.
J'ONN
We know how to find Arthur. We have
to decide how we are going to get
there.
BRUCE
Are we going to pretend that didn't
happen just now?
J'ONN
We will discuss it later. At the
moment, we-
LANA
You know, J'onn, I'm getting pretty
tired of you being the only one who
dictates when we talk about
something.
BRUCE
I second that.
J'ONN
And I will tell you everything, I
promise, after we have rescued
Arthur-
DIANA
An assault on the hotel is a
campaign we might not all return
from. If a leader is to be trusted
with the lives of others, they must
earn that trust with their every
word and deed.
J'ONN
(quiet aside)
You're starting to sound like
Wonder Woman.
DIANA
I am Wond-
J'ONN
(breaking point)
No you're NOT!
J'onn's voice echoes through the cave like the crack of a whip.
J'ONN
You are Princess Diana! By the
standards of my people and yours,
you are still a child! All of you
are children! None of you
understand ANYTHING about what life
is REALLY LIKE! I'm the only one
here who has seen everything! Who
has suffered through EVERYTHING! I-
The kids look on in discomfort as J'onn breaks down. Clark steps forward, removing his thick coke bottle glasses. He places a gentle hand on J'onn's shoulder and looks at him with compassion radiating from those unearthly blue eyes.
CLARK
J'onn. What happened?
J'onn steps back, away from Clark. He awkwardly falls into a seated position in a nearby folding chair, reverting to his "default" Martian form in the process.
J'ONN
He came to my home the night they
arrived, the apartment I had lived
in alone for the past six and a
half years. He was the first person
who ever came over. The only one.
His plan, I am sure, was to catch
me by surprise. He did not expect
me to wake so suddenly, so
violently after having the most
vivid, the most overwhelmingly
intense dream I have ever had. A
dream where I lived an entire life
as a hero, among a League of
heroes. No one's called me anything
like that in a very long time. Back
home, I used to be... the most
literal translation is "Manhunter,"
naturally. A kind of warrior monk
in a society of pacifists,
dedicated to confronting those who
oppose peace. Perhaps you could have called
me a hero then. But since I lost
everything, I have been a lonely,
broken man. When I awoke, I... I
experienced three decades of
memories in a matter of moments! I
was so confused, and so frightened!
In that chaos, I was attacked by
one of... by someone who would have
one day become one of my deadliest
enemies, and...
BEAT
J'ONN
I awoke from a dream where, for the
first time in three thousand years,
I had a family again, and I was a
hero... and the first thing I
did was kill a person. For the
first time in my entire life, I
killed another person.
A chilling silence floods the cavern.
CLARK
Let's leave.
LANA
Clark, what?
CLARK
We can plan our next move in the
Javelin, and I don't want this
creep overhearing any more than he
already has.
Clark gestures to Chronos. Everyone agrees silently and begins gathering their things. As everyone gets ready to leave, Diana addresses Chronos.
DIANA
Someone will be along to collect
you eventually. Or not. I don't
know, and I don't really care.
Chronos scowls at Diana as she walks away.
INT. JAVELIN. NIGHT.
The entire party is loaded up in the Javelin. Carter and Hal are in the pilot seats, with Bruce and J'onn up front talking to Ted Grant and Dr. McNider over the radio. Bruce is standing. J'onn is sitting.
J'ONN
How is Ray?
MCNIDER
(radio)
He's stable right now.
TED
(radio)
We should have him in Alec's tender
care in about an hour.
BRUCE
How soon can you be in Gotham after
that?
TED
(radio)
An hour, maybe two. Depends on how
much time I can make up on the
highway.
BRUCE
Do what you can. Stay in contact.
Javelin, out.
Bruce turns to J'onn.
BRUCE
You okay?
J'ONN
Yes.
BRUCE
We still need you in this. Even if
my attitude might sometimes suggest
otherwise. We can't do this without
you.
J'ONN
And I think I have proven that I
cannot do this without any of you,
either.
Bruce smiles, and then turns to Carter and Hal and nods. Carter and Hal activate the plane's autopilot, and the group gathers in the passenger section.
BRUCE
What the hell are we going to do
next?
BARRY
Well, we just have to break down
what we know. The only way to
rescue Arthur is by using some
weird altar that will alert the
villains the second we use it. It's
on the top floor of a building
owned by the Legion, where most of
them live, that has all sorts of
hidden traps and alarms and an army
of goons, and is also full of about
two hundred potential hostages.
KENDRA
If we can't use stealth, the only
option is to strike hard and fast.
CARTER
And that circles us back around to
the hostages.
BRUCE
We could find a way to get the
hotel evacuated. Call in a bomb
threat.
DIANA
That loses us the element of
surprise.
OLLIE
I'm not seeing a lot of options
that don't end with us all dying
horribly.
CLARK
I do.
The group turns to look at Clark.
CLARK
We win.
OLLIE
Huh?
CLARK
This fight isn't an option for any
one of us. Not just because it's
coming for all of us eventually,
but because it's coming for the
whole world. We know the Legion
isn't gonna stop with us. We're
step one for them. We're the ones
who are in the way of what they
really want: everything. They want
to put the world in a bottle, keep
it on a desk, shake it like a snow
globe when they're bored. We don't
know their entire plan, but we know
they need Arthur to make it work.
Saving him isn't just about
rescuing one of our own, it's about
protecting everyone on this planet
from whatever the Legion plans to
do to it. We can't let that happen.
We have to protect them, because
right now, no one else is going to.
And since we can't sneak in, and we
can't get in and out fast, and we
can't evacuate all of the
bystanders ahead of time, the only
choice is to go in ourselves and
evacuate everyone right away before
the Legion has time to react. When
we do that, the Legion's goons are
going to come down on us hard. When
that happens, our only choice is to
fight them, because if we can't get
to Arthur then it's only a matter
of time until there's nowhere we
can hide. And when we fight them,
our only choice is to win. So
that's the plan. We win.
INT. AMBASSADOR HOTEL. DAY.
The lobby is relatively empty, save for a few guests milling about and two bellhops manning the reception desk.
BELLHOP 1
Alright, so, the idea is
that there are there four turtles,
brothers hatched from the same
clutch of eggs, who fall into the
sewer with a rat that used to be
owned by a ninja-
The bellhop is cut off when the team enters the lobby. The team are all geared up, mostly wearing the tactical gear worn in episodes 5 and 6 with the obvious personal flourishes (Carter and Kendra have their wings, Ollie has a bow and quiver, Barry is wearing a red hoodie and red and yellow sneakers, etc.) with the exception of Hal, who is simply in his Green Lantern uniform (sans mask), Clark, who is wearing only the bottom half of the tactical gear with his red jacket and Superboy t-shirt on top, and J'onn, who is in his "John Jones" human form. Clark walks over to the nearby fire alarm and pulls it. Barry, with a pair of welding goggles, a blowtorch, and some chains slung around his torso like a bandolier, darts off into the hotel at super speed. J'onn approaches the two bellhops. His eyes glow red as he holds up a blank index card.
J'ONN
Detective John Jones, GCPD arson/
homicide. We have just received
report of a bomb threat, somewhere
on the top ten floors of this
building. I need to two of you to
work with me and evacuate all the
lower floors as quickly as possible.
BELLHOP 2
Shouldn't we evacuate the floors
the bomb's supposed to be in?
J'onn holds the blank index card closer to the bellhop.
J'ONN
(authoritatively)
Son.
The bellhops look at one another, nod, and head off with J'onn. Barry returns in a burst of speed.
BARRY
Stairwells to the tenth floor are
blocked off.
BRUCE
The elevators should shut down
automatically when the fire alarm
is pulled, but I doubt it will take
Brainiac too long to correct that.
BARRY
I'll help with evac.
Barry darts off again.
CLARK
I hope that buys us time.
BRUCE
I'm still worried about what's
going to happen if any of the
people here happen to notice him
running around like that.
CLARK
I'm really not.
CUT TO
An exterior shot of the Ambassador Hotel in Gotham City.
CUT TO
The Ambassador Hotel lobby. The fire alarm is ringing. Barry locks the door behind the last evacuee. He rejoins the group.
BARRY
That's everyone.
The elevator dings.
BRUCE
Right on cue.
Everyone readies themselves for a fight. J'onn shifts into his heroic MARTIAN MANHUNTER form. The elevator doors slide open, and out steps Lex Luthor, alone, unarmed. He approaches the children at a casual pace.
LEX
I thought it was time we actually met.
My name is Lex Luthor. I'm chairman
of the board of directors.
The kids look back and forth at one another, nervously. J'onn moves to approach Luthor, but is stopped when Clark steps in ahead of him. Clark Kent and Lex Luthor look one another in the eye.
LEX
Clark Kent. There you are.
CLARK
Why are you here?
LEX
That's a broad question.
CLARK
You could have sent down an army of
goons to deal with us. You came
down to talk. Why?
Lex smiles.
LEX
I am an incredibly lazy person. I
know that's surprising for someone
like me to admit, inventor,
businessman, former US President...
CLARK
You were president?
J'ONN
Until he was impeached for war
crimes.
LEX
The fact is, I simply hate putting
any more time or energy into
something than I absolutely have
to. That's where my passion for
engineering began, designing and
building labor saving gadgets to
get my chores done faster. I value
patience, I value a job well done,
but at the end of the day, every
facet of my life is geared toward
solving my problems as quickly as
possible and with as little wasted
effort as possible, so I can go
back to my workshop and tinker in
peace. Here's my offer: you turn
around, you go home right now, and
you get to live. We've gotten
everything we need from you, we
just had the carpets redone, and
you're too young to die. There's no
point in violence today, Clark.
Clark looks down, his face contemplative.
CLARK
Huh.
The young man turns around and walks back to rejoin the others.
CLARK
Now.
Clark pivots on the spot, and his body crackles with blue arcs of energy, his eyes glowing. Luthor smiles and nods. Nanomachines crawl out from under his clothes, morphing around him and forming his BATTLE SUIT. As this happens, dozens of villains file out of the elevators and stairwell doors. Clark dashes forward at Lex Luthor, coming in with a powerful punch that is blocked by the power suit's personal forcefield. Luthor's armored fist crackles with green electricity, and he punches Clark with an uppercut so powerful he's sent crashing up through the ceiling. Lex flies up to chase after him. As the assembled villains advance on the heroes, Hal uses his power ring to generate a large force field bubble around the team, protecting them from the bad guys. The villains begin attacking the forcefield, and inside, Hal struggles to maintain it. J'onn, Ollie, and Bruce all place their hands on Hal's back. J'onn's eyes glow a deep red color, and the eyes of all three boys begin to glow a bright green color. The force field bubble grows in size and begins pushing the villains back.
CUT TO
Upstairs, Lex hovers over Clark, who landed on the fourth floor after going through the ceilings of the first three.
LEX
I know what the obvious irony here
is.
Lex disengages his rockets and lands with a thud beside Clark.
LEX
But I still can't get over the fact
that I'm taller than you.
Clark jumps into a standing position and punches Lex, once again coming up against the protective barrier. He hits Lex with another left-right combo, again to no avail. Lex counters with a right hook, which Clark quickly ducks under. Clark lunges forward, wrapping his arms around Luthor's waist and grabbing tight. He begins running around as fast as he can, smashing Luthor through the walls like a battering ram, Luthor's force field engaging with every impact, draining the suit's power supply with every hit. Luthor activates his suit's propulsion systems, and sends the both of them rocketing up through three more floors, crashing up into the grand ballroom on the seventh floor. Lex grabs Clark's shoulders and activates his energy canons, blasting Clark off of him with violent beams of crackling energy. Clark manages to right himself in the air and land in a cool hero stance. Lex drops to the ground.
CLARK
Ready for round two?
Conduit teleports into the scene and punches Clark with a superhuman right hook, knocking him back.
CONDUIT
Yes, I am.
CUT TO
Inside of Hal's protective barrier, the kids ready themselves to fight. While most of them are eyeing the villains nervously, Lana keeps glancing upwards at the hole Clark was punched through, with a look of concern. Villains pound on the green force field with all of their might. One of them, Sportsmaster, finds that his wooden bat passes through the force field effortlessly.
SPORTSMASTER
Hey! Dr. Woodrow!
Out of the mass of villains steps JASON WOODROW, THE FLORONIC MAN, a villain whose body is made of plants, primarily wood. He passes his hand through the field, and smiles. He steps partially across the threshold of the barrier and holds out his arm, creating and opening for villains to get through.
KENDRA
Crap!
CARTER
So much for controlling how many we
have to fight.
Lana darts over everyone's heads at incredible speed, diving to fly under Woodrow's arm and knocking a few villains prone in the process. As she flies out, she looks behind her and kicks Floronic Man in the back, causing him to stumble forward and thus causing the opening to close. She then flies up toward the hole that Clark was punched through. The villains who manage to get through the barrier are SPORTSMASTER, TIGRESS, ICICLE, SHADOW-THIEF, COPPERHEAD, and GIGANTA. Diana capitalizes on Lana's move by doing a GET OVER HERE with her lasso, pulling Floronic Man into an uppercut to the jaw, and then quickly binding him to get him out of the way. As she does this, Barry is the first to dash forward to deal with the intruding villains. He is quickly fended off by Icicle firing cryonic blasts at him. In the back, Hal grimaces and expands the barrier even further, pressing the villains outside up against the walls of the hotel lobby and giving his friends room to fight. It's room they will need, as Giganta begins magnifying her size. Seeing the obvious problem with this in an enclosed space, Diana darts at the villain and begins running up her quickly enlarging body. Below, the remaining kids engage the remaining villains. Barry zigzags to dodge ice blasts from Icicle, Dinah does battle with Sportsmaster, Carter fends off crossbow shots from Tigress, which unfortunately leaves him open to sucker punches from Shadow Thief as the villain hops in and out of Carter's shadow, and Kendra struggles mid-air as Copperhead coils his tail and creepy flexible limbs around her. As Giganta grows in size, Hal raises the ceiling on his barrier to accommodate, forcing Lana to race through the hole to avoid being crushed. Inside, with speed and movements like a determined jungle cat, Diana does a pretty good "Shadow of the Colossus" impression with Giganta, running up her body and avoiding the villain's attempts to swat her off. She gets up to Giganta's head and jumps up in the air. As she winds up for a punch, wind swirls around her feet, creating a cushion of compressed air for her to leverage her body against in order to punch Giganta with the maximum amount of force. She punches Giganta, managing to knock the villain over. Diana jumps forward off of this cushion of air, forcing Giganta down and effectively punching the side of her head into the ground, knocking her out and causing the marble and granite floor to crack. Diana looks over at Carter, and dashes over to him, blocking Tigress' arrow bolts with her bracelets. Free from Tigress' ranged distraction, Carter is free to dodge and counter Shadow Thief's next attack, hitting him in the gut with his mace.
CUT TO
In the ballroom, Conduit is hammering Clark, using his teleport ability to punch him over and over while avoiding any counter attack. He then extends his tendrils, ensnaring the boy of steel and sending arcs of electricity through his body.
CLARK
*screaming*
As Conduit looms over his rival, Lana flies up out of the hole in the ground and decks Conduit with a super powerful punch, sending him flying and forcing him to lose his grip on Clark. Lana catches the boy of steel and sets him on his feet.
LANA
I got your back.
Lex moves to intervene, but Brainiac stops him, his holographic arm making constant with Lex's forcefield and holding him back.
BRAINIAC
He can handle it. He was made for
it.
On the other side of the ballroom, Conduit stands, one eye peering out of a crack in his helmet.
INT. HALLWAY.
DEATHSTROKE, THE TERMINATOR, stands alone in a hotel hallway. A grate in the ceiling drops down, followed by two figures: DOCTOR MIDNIGHT, and WILDCAT, both in their old superhero outfits.
DEATHSTROKE
Always pays to guard the rear.
WILDCAT
Looks like we've got a fight,
Charlie. That suit still fit well
enough for you to move?
MIDNIGHT
Let's find out.
Wildcat pops the claws on his costume. Doctor Midnight throws several blackout bombs at Deathstroke's feet, and the two sides advance.
CUT TO
Villains in the hallway outside of the lobby are bottle-necked, blocked by Hal's force field. A few at the front try chucking bits of wooden furniture at the heroes through the barrier. The crowd behind them begins to part. DOCTOR BARBARA MINERVA, THE CHEETAH, has arrived on the scene. She is dragging a wooden coffee table behind her with one hand. Effortlessly, she swings the table around and grips the table with both hands, holding it outward in front of her, and she runs at the barrier. She passes through, crashing on the ground, the table splintering into pieces as she lands on all fours in a predatory feline stance. She pounces at Diana, who blocks Cheetah's claws with her adamantine bracelets. The two lock eyes.
CHEETAH
Just in case it wasn't made clear
(smiling)
I'm the one who slit your mother's
throat.
Diana head butts Cheetah in the face, and the villain's body recoils backwards.
CHEETAH
*cackling*
Cheetah does a backflip in the air and lands once again on all fours, her claws digging deep into the marble floor.
CHEETAH
Now I'm awake!
Diana lunges at Cheetah, who hops out of the way. Diana's fist collides with the floor, making a small crater. Cheetah pivots on her hands and swipes at Diana's face with the claws on her feet. The princess dodges out of the way just in time. With speed that almost rival's Barry's, Cheetah dashes to Diana's left, then behind her to the right. She turns to claw Diana with a southpaw attack, which blocks with her bracelets. Cheetah pivots to strike again with the right, but it's a feint, opening Diana up and allowing Cheetah to use her left hand, hooking the back of Diana's neck and slamming her head down just as Cheetah's knee rises to meet Diana's chin.
MEANWHILE
Clark and Lana stand side by side. Conduit glares at the two of them from across the ballroom, his cybernetically enhanced eye staring out through the crack in his helmet, radiating malice.
CLARK
I've got a plan.
LANA
What?
CLARK
Play keep away.
Conduit teleports up to them with a pop. The moment he appears, the two dash to the other side of the room. And so it goes, zig-zagging around the ballroom, constantly keeping just out of his grasp, until the moment they retreat from him, but he doesn't teleport after them; instead. he just stands there, glaring once more.
LANA
I think we tired him out.
CLARK
Good.
The two teen heroes rush the villain. Conduit manages to dodge a flying kick from Lana, snagging her leg with a tendril in the process, but he fails to dodge a punch from Clark, which cracks his mask further. Conduit manages to counter with a punch to Clark's face, knocking him to the ground, but Lana uses this opening to tackle Conduit, sending the both of them crashing through several walls.
CUT TO
Cheetah clutches Diana by the throat. She glares at her most hated nemesis.
CHEETAH
You know, Diana, dear, when I
imagined this moment, I envisioned
it being a bit more intimate. How
am supposed to enjoy your death
when I've got the sound of all your
little friends dying to distract
me?
Carter swoops in and bashes Cheetah in the side of her head, knocking her back and forcing her to lose her grip on Diana, who drops to her feet in a crouched position, massaging her throat.
CARTER
Ma'am, I apologize for the
inconvenience.
(to Diana)
Are you alright?
Diana stands.
DIANA
No.
Cheetah lands on her feet a few yards away, looking furious.
CUT TO
On the other side of the battlefield, Barry keeps dodging cryonic blasts from the villainous Icicle, who is successfully keeping the young speedster at bay. Barry is getting frustrated.
BARRY
Okay, screw this.
Barry darts off to the side, into the fight between Dinah and Sportsmaster, which is currently locked in a draw. Barry grabs Dinah by the shoulders.
BARRY
'Scuse me.
Barry darts back over to his fight with Icicle, Dinah in tow, and then deposits her to fight the frosty fiend as he returns to battle Sportsmaster.
DINAH
A little warning would be-
Dinah is cut off when Icicle launches an ice spike at her. She immediately shatters it with a sonic blast, and then begins advancing on the villain, pinning him down with a focused wall of sound. Over with Sportsmaster, Barry is ducking and dodging out of the way of Sportsmaster's attacks, removing a piece of gear from him every time he does so. Back with Icicle, his ice continues to shatter as quickly as he can create it. This gives Barry the opening he needs to dart in and overpower the villain with a flurry of super speed punches.
BARRY
Thanks for the assist, Dinah, I
couldn't-!
Dinah grabs Barry by the scruff of his hoodie and drags him to another part of the battlefield.
DINAH
(annoyed)
Just come with me.
In the air above them, Kendra continues to struggle with copperhead. The villain unhinges his jaw and expands it into a gaping maw, ready to take a big bite out of the winged wonder. Kendra manages to wrest her arm from his grip just in time and ram the head of her mace down the villain's throat. Copperhead recoils, gagging, giving Kendra the room she needs to free herself from his grasp and send the both of them shooting down toward the ground, Kendra landing feet first on top of Copperhead right beside Carter and Diana. Barry and Dinah also join the line. Kendra kicks the dazed and battered Copperhead over toward his comrade, Cheetah, who is currently alone against the heroes.
CHEETAH
Well thank you, that's very
considerate.
With speed like lightning, Cheetah casually reaches down and slits Copperhead's throat, to the disgust and horror of the kids. She holds her hand up to her face and licks her claws clean of blood. Her pupils dilate, and then suddenly contract, as her muscles bulge, her wounds heal, and her body begins to crackle with energy.
BARRY
That was gross.
DIANA
One more thing she can never be
forgiven for.
Barry and Diana charge at the villain. Cheetah dodges out of the way of Barry's attack, and Cheetah blocks Diana's punch with one of her own, their two fists colliding and generating a wave of force that pushes the others back slightly.
CUT TO
On the top floor, Midnight and Wildcat continue their battle with Deathstroke. Midnight and Deathstroke dodge and counter one another's blows with incredible grace and precision, moving in and out of clouds of total darkness without ever missing a beat. Wildcat brings up the rear, using his suit's claws to run along the wall on all fours to get behind the villain. Dropping down, he pivots and retracts his claws, causing his suit's electric knuckles to activate and crackle with energy. As Deathstroke dodges a swipe from one of Midnight's batons, he's left open for Wildcat Grant's undefeated left hook, getting walloped with enough force to be sent flying back down the hall. Midnight keeps running forward down the hall.
MIDNIGHT
Thanks.
Midnight passes Wildcat and run downs the hall, stopping in front of room #6. Midnight opens the door. Inside, there is an altar, carved from obsidian and dead coral, anointed with black candles that never go out. Midnight approaches the altar. He rolls up his sleeve, produces a knife from his utility belt, and cuts the back of his arm. Drops of blood drip down from the wound and splash on the altar. The shadows cast by the light of the candles coalesce into a mass hovering in front of Doctor Midnight. It is a portal. Midnight steps through it, and is transported to...
INT. THE SHADOW REALM.
Arthur hangs in the air, suspended by the shadows themselves binding his limbs. Donna sits on the "floor" below him, wallowing in sadness. Suddenly, light floods into this realm of shadows, but it does not disappear this time. Its continued presence causes the shadows to recede, freeing Arthur, who drops to the ground with a thud.
ARTHUR
Ow!
DONNA
Arthur!
Though he is difficult to see with the light behind him, we soon see that it is Doctor Midnight, who approaches the two young captives.
MIDNIGHT
Don't be afraid. My name is Doctor
Midnight. I'm here to rescue you.
The light suddenly vanishes. Orm Marius has entered the scene.
ORM MARIUS
Yeah, about that.
CUT TO
Clark rushes through the tunnel created by Lana and Conduit when they shot through several walls like a missile. He skids to a halt when he sees Lana, sitting on her knees in a state of total shock.
CLARK
Lana, what's-?
Clark looks up at Conduit. It seems his mask had shattered from the impact of Lana's last attack, and had fallen off of his head completely, revealing a very familiar face.
PETE ROSS
Hey Clark, how's it going?
THE END
Chapter 18: Challenge of the Super Friends, Season 1, Episode 18: "Crucible, Part 2"
Summary:
The assault on the Ambassador Hotel continues. Once it is over, things will never be the same again.
Chapter Text
INT. AMBASSADOR HOTEL HALLWAY.
Clark is frozen in place. Lana can't even muster the strength to get up. Pete just stands there, smiling. Lex Luthor approaches Clark from behind.
LEX
Now that we've had the big reveal...
Lex walks around the stunned Clark and violently grabs him by the throat.
LEX
... I'm tagging back in.
Lex activates his suit's propulsion system and rockets back into the ballroom, where he choke-slams Clark into the floor. The holographic projection of Brainiac's avatar appears, looking down at Clark.
BRAINIAC
Kal El. You must have some
questions.
INT. THE SHADOW REALM.
Orm Marius slowly approaches Midnight, who stands between the villain and his two young hostages, Arthur and Donna.
ORM MARIUS
You're the blind doctor who plays
with shadows.
The shadows comprising this very realm swirl around Marius, and razor sharp tendrils begin to grow out of reality itself around him.
ORM MARIUS
You. Me. The kids. All alone with
no way out. There are so many new
games I can't wait to-
Doctor Midnight produces a golden medallion from his utility belt.
ORM MARIUS
Is that what I think it-?
A whirlpool of golden light erupts from the metal disk and envelops Marius, sucking him into the medallion itself.
ARTHUR
What the hell-?
MIDNIGHT
Amulet of Fate, a powerful relic a
friend left with Ted in case of
emergencies. This seemed like an
emergency.
DONNA
We're free now?
MIDNIGHT
Not quite. With the wizard trapped,
there's no way to open the door
from the inside.
ARTHUR
So what are we going to do?
MIDNIGHT
We're going to wait.
INT. UPSTAIRS HALLWAY.
Ted "THE WILDCAT" Grant is locked in battle with the villainous Deathstroke, The Terminator! Deathstroke has drawn his side arm and is firing at Wildcat, who puts up his arms to cover his face as the high tech body armor in his suit blocks the bullets.
WILDCAT
(quietly)
Charlie really took care of the old
girl.
Deathstroke unloads the entire clip. Frustrated, he charges at Wildcat, readying a powerful right hook. Wildcat smirks and readies himself to block the blow, but Deathstroke misses on purpose, instead using his right hand to reach for and draw his sword and slash at Wildcat. Wildcat reals back, but Deathstroke manages to slash the palm of his hand, cutting open the more flexible material there and drawing blood.
DEATHSTROKE
Heh.
Wildcat clenches the hand Deathstroke just cut into a fist and swings at the villain with an electrically powered punch. Deathstroke does a backflip to dodge out of the way, and Wildcat's fist smashes into the floor, creating a huge hole and causing the hallway to shake and doors to rattle open.
INT. LOBBY.
Cheetah and Diana face off against one another, their fists colliding with such force that a shock wave emanates outward. Barry rushes Cheetah from behind, but she sidesteps, grabs him, and throws him at Diana. Diana catches Barry, but the force of the impact causes her to stumble backwards. Carter and Kendra then swoop in, both swinging their maces at Cheetah, who jumps in the air and slides between their two attacks. She lands on all fours before pouncing at Carter. She gets inches away from slashing at his throat, when Kendra swoops back in for the save, swinging at Cheetah with her mace. Cheetah dodges, but not quite fast enough, and she is grazed by Kendra's attack. Cheetah arcs through the air, but before she can land she is hit by a focused sonic blast from Dinah, knocking her back. Dinah then lets loose a wall of sound as Cheetah lands on her feet, creating a tidal wave of force to push the villain back. Cheetah digs her claws into the ground, scraping deep slashes into the marble as she slowly pushes back. She is smiling.
INT. HALLWAY.
Upstairs, Lana looks back in the direction Luthor took Clark.
LANA
Clark!
PETE
I think we're losing sight of the
shocking revelation that-
As Pete is speaking, Lana's arm becomes covered in black chitin and bulges in size. In one fluid motion, she stands, moves up to Pete, and punches him in the gut with explosive force.
PETE
*just the worst sound*
Pete is sent flying back and smashes into the wall, becoming slightly embedded in it.
LANA
(furious)
Why?
PETE
(flippant)
Why not?
Lana pulls Pete out of the wall and slams him into the floor, causing it to crack.
LANA
WHY?!
PETE
I saw how we die!
LANA
(taken aback)
... what?
PETE
He showed me our whole lives, Lana
Lang. Every miserable second in
that prison called Smallville,
right up until the moment you and I
are atomized by fire from heaven.
Pete pushes Lana off of him. She falls backwards with a thud, and Pete rises into a standing position.
PETE
He showed me that Superman never
comes to save us.
Lana morphs her right arm into an enormous hornet stinger and slashes at Pete, who parries with his metallic tendrils, binding Lana's arm.
PETE
And then he showed me the way out.
Pete lets go of Lana.
PETE
Come with me.
LANA
Excuse me?
PETE
We can write our own futures
together. We don't have to die like
that.
LANA
And we don't have to work with the
Legion of Doom.
PETE
Is that what you call them?
LANA
Pete, look what they've done to
you-
PETE
Me? Look at you! Look at the both
of us! What we've become! We're
amazing, Lana, we belong together!
LANA
Yes! You, me, and Clark!
PETE
(enraged)
Clark lied to us and left us to
die!
CUT TO
Luthor plucks Clark out of the floor of the ballroom, holding him up so he and Brainiac can talk face to face.
BRAINIAC
Pete Ross was an improvisation.
LEX
A brilliant one, at that.
BRAINIAC
(to Lex)
I learned from the best.
CLARK
(strained)
You brainwashed him.
BRAINIAC
Brainwashing is normally a long and
often clumsy process. While its
basic principals do apply to the
techniques I use, I'm able to
significantly expedite the process
with increased precision, given
that I can access the neurons
directly.
CLARK
(cold fury)
I am gonna find every single backup
you have down to the last floppy
disk and wipe you from the face of
the universe.
BRAINIAC
That's a very old threat, Kal El.
LEX
(amused)
Almost word for word.
BRAINIAC
No matter how hard you try, you
will never get rid of me. Our
people built me to do many things,
but my first imperative above all
others is to endure.
CLARK
In a manner not unlike a fungus.
Brainiac reaches out his hand. The holographic projection phases into Clark's chest, and then begins channeling energy into the body of the young Kryptonian, electrocuting him violently.
CLARK
*absolute suffering*
BRAINIAC
Your success, on the other hand,
has always largely been thanks to
luck.
Lex lets go of Clark just as Brainiac's electrical assault ends, and the boy falls to his hands and knees with a thud.
BRAINIAC
Luck you've historically had mixed
results sharing with others. Which,
of course, brings us back to Pete
Ross.
CUT TO
PETE
The righteous god among men Clark
Kent left us behind for a great
life in the big city as the most
famous man in the world, and we
died in the same crappy town we
were born in. He isn't any use to
us, Lana. We've grown beyond him,
now.
LANA
So, how do we die? Huh? What story
did the Legion tell you? What
reason could you have for believing
anything they've said?
PETE
If Brainiac wanted to lie to me, he
probably wouldn't have told me that
he's the one who destroys
Smallville in the future.
LANA
You found out how you died in the
future and you decide to work for
the people who murder you?
PETE
Well, if you think about it,
staying on their good side makes a
lot of sense.
LANA
Pete, it's psychotic!
PETE
(snapping)
I will not be a VICTIM!
The echo of Pete's voice hangs between them. Lana is horrified.
PETE
We get married, you know.
LANA
What?
PETE
In the future. The other Pete and
Lana. They settled for each other.
And it was miserable. But it
doesn't have to be that way for us.
Look at us! Look how much we've
changed, how much stronger we are!
We don't need Clark, or the
"Legion," or anyone else. You and
me, together, on our own... we don't
have to settle for anything. We can
take on the world.
Pete holds his hand out to Lana.
CUT TO
BRAINIAC
You left us all the tools we needed
to forge Mr. Ross into a weapon to
use against you, in the future as
well as now. Every secret kept,
every lie told, every promise
broken in the name of what you
thought best.
LEX
And you call us arrogant.
Lex kicks Clark in the stomach.
CLARK
(gasping)
And here I thought your plan was to
talk me to death.
LEX
Even when you have the right tools
and you're dealing with a specimen
not yet fully mature, the process
of thoroughly killing a Kryptonian
can take hours. Your species clings
on to life very stubbornly.
Lex grabs Clark by the hair and yanks up his head. His other hand crackles with energy.
LEX
My father always taught me that if
you want something done properly,
you need to take your time, there's
just no way around that. And, if
you must take your time with
something, it's best to find ways
to enjoy it.
CLARK
Well, if we're drawing this out, I
have a question-
Lex shocks Clark with his electric gauntlet.
CLARK
*agony*
LEX
What's your question, Clark?
Lex relents the electric assault.
CLARK
(panting)
What's the thing? In chess. When
the knight and the rook swap
places. What's that called? Do you
know?
LEX
(suspicious)
"Castling."
Clark holds up the communicator on his wrist.
CLARK
(to the communicator)
"Castling."
(to Lex)
Thanks.
Lex rips the communicator off of Clark's wrist and crushes it in his hand. Just then, Pete comes flying into the room, not of his own accord, and crashes into the far wall, quickly followed behind by Lana, who flies up to Lex at super speed and decks him, knocking him back.
LANA
(to Clark)
You okay?
CLARK
No.
Clark dashes over to Pete, who is pulling himself to his feet.
CLARK
Hey buddy. We should talk.
INT. UPSTAIRS HALLWAY.
Deathstroke lunges with his sword at Wildcat, who manages to parry the attack with the armored part of his gloves. Wildcat pounces, moving in close to Deathstroke and hitting him with a powerful right-left-right combo, square in the kisser! The flurry of gadget enhanced wallops throws Deathstroke for a loop, causing him to stagger backwards. It is at this moment that Wildcat descends upon Deathstroke, raining a biblical hail storm of punches down on the villain, forcing his meta-human adversary to submit. Once satisfied that Deathstroke isn't getting back up again, Wildcat disengages, making a b-line for room 6. As Wildcat is running to the door, however, he is suddenly overtaken by none other than Deathstroke, almost immediately recovered, who reaches door 6 ahead of Wildcat, pivots on the spot, and grabs the prize fighting hero by the throat. Effortlessly, he lifts Wildcat up and slams him against the door.
DEATHSTROKE
That hurt.
In one fluid motion, Deathstroke grabs the shotgun strapped to his back, whips it around to point it at Wildcat's torso, and pulls the trigger, blasting Ted through the door, shattering it.
INT. LOBBY.
As the fight within the green barrier continues, the front doors of the hotel open, and in walks CIRCE, THE SORCERESS! She approaches the emerald barrier, and examines it quizzically. Then, she looks down, spotting a small piece of wooden debris on the floor. She bends down, picks it up, and gently holds it up to the energy barrier, poking it through the force field as if it were not there. When the tip is through to the other side, Circe whispers into the end she holds in her hand, and her words swirl around the piece of wood, traveling up its length to the tip poking into the inside of the force field, where strange purple flowers suddenly bloom. Circe's whispered words spurt out of the flowers like pollen and encircle the heads of Hal, Ollie, Bruce, and J'onn. The force field begins to lose its structural integrity.
MEANWHILE
Inside the barrier, as she is helping Barry back to his feet, Diana notices that their defenses have begun to weaken. She looks back, seeing Circe, and disengages from the battle. Running to the back of the line, Diana dives through an opening in the flickering and fluctuating force field as Hal and the others struggle to maintain their focus amidst Circe's psychic assault. Hitting Circe with a pro-wrestling style flying spear, Diana and the evil witch are sent flying through the front doors of the hotel into the streets outside. Circe's spell is broken, the flowers withering and the cloud of whispers dissipating, and Hal Jordan redoubles his focus. The barrier holds.
EXT. GOTHAM CITY STREET. DAY.
Diana crouches over Circe, who she holds by the scruff of her robes.
DIANA
I owe you a beating, witch.
Diana then looks up, and looks around at the empty city streets around them, confusion on her face.
CIRCE
And then the little princess
thought to ask herself, "where is
everyone? Where is the
constabulary, the city militia, the
gossips and onlookers come to see
what the noise is all about?"
Several figures come out from the corners and alleyways. Dozens of them, maybe hundreds. They appear human. As Diana glances around at them, she realizes that their shadows do not.
CIRCE
My friends have managed to shoo
them away. You remember my friends,
Princess. The ones you're
responsible for rounding up. The
ones you buried under a hundred
tons of stone.
Diana steps back and assumes a defensive stance. Circe gets up.
CIRCE
It took Tartarus to hold them,
dear, did you think they couldn't
dig themselves out of a little
cave-in? Granted, a few of them
were too injured to be of any
further use, but it was just a few.
In the end, all you did was help us
prune dead weight.
The monsters in disguise rally behind Circe as they begin to advance.
CIRCE
The sworn duty of the Amazons
stands before you, Princess. What
will you do?
INT. BALLROOM.
Lana flies towards Luthor, who keeps her at bay with his armor's hand blasters. Lana ducks and weaves around the blasts with a natural grace and supernatural speed.
BRAINIAC
(spectating)
Her body has acclimated to the HIVE
Matrix very quickly.
Lex concentrates, watching and analyzing Lana's movements as he lines up one perfectly timed shot, and BAM! Lana tumbles to the ground and rolls to an awkward stop.
LANA
(pained)
I'm okay! I'm okay!
Lex approaches Lana, holding his hand out towards her as he charges up a blast.
BRAINIAC
Lex, I think it might be wise to
keep her alive.
LEX
To what end?
BRAINIAC
Having her around will help keep
Mr. Ross happy, and-
Something inside of Lana snaps. She arches her back as her arms transform, becoming covered in black chitin while doubling in thickness and increasing their length by half. On her fists, large armored protrusions sprout up on each of her knuckles, quivering with primal energy waiting to be released. Her arms moving too fast to be seen as anything but a blur, Lana lunges at Lex and rains a hurricane of punches down upon him, forcing his suit's protective energy barrier to push itself to its limits to keep the genius villain safe.
CUT TO
Clark and Pete face off. Pete lunges at Clark with a powerful right hook. Clark uses his arms to block, but the force of the attack still pushes him back. Pete then hits Clark with a left uppercut, launching the boy of steel into the air. Pete grabs Clark with his tendrils and slams him into the ground. Clark clenches his entire body, and summons an aura of crackling blue energy around him as he bursts out of his restraints, causing Pete's tendrils to shatter.
PETE
*pain screams*
Clark rushes Pete, maneuvering behind him and putting him into a rear headlock.
CLARK
We can fix whatever Brainiac did to
you!
PETE
Brainiac SAVED ME!
Pete uses his undamaged tendrils to reach back and grab Clark, flinging him off and to the ground. Clark tumbles and manages to land on his feet in a crouched position.
PETE
He never LIED to me!
Pete lunges at Clark with his remaining tendrils. Clark darts out of the way just in time for the tendrils to smash into the ballroom floor.
PETE
I am the conduit of his will!
Clark charges at Pete as he retracts his tendrils. Just before the moment of contact, Clark drops into a baseball slide, grabbing one of Pete's tendrils in his hand as the Kryptonian boy slides between his former friend's legs and gets behind him. Clark then gets his feet back under himself and pushes himself forward and to the side with his body still low to the ground, coming around Pete and grabbing a second tendril. He ties the two lengths of flexible metal into a bow as he comes around in front of Pete.
PETE
(incredulous)
SERIOUSLY?!
Clark pivots on his left foot, and swings his right leg around to hit Pete with a powerful roundhouse kick, which would send the cyborg teen flying if Clark weren't holding onto the knot of tendrils, which he uses to swing Pete around in the air and slam him down into the ballroom floor, causing the tiled floor to begin to cave in slightly.
CLARK
(exhausted)
Seriously.
INT. ROOM 6.
Wildcat gasps for air as he lays in the shattered remains of the door. Deathstroke strolls into the room, resting his shotgun on his shoulder.
DEATHSTROKE
That armor of yours is impressive.
Ted rolls over and awkwardly pushes himself to his feet, wobbling slightly as he takes a fighting stance facing Deathstroke. The mercenary casually points his shotgun at Wildcat.
DEATHSTROKE
I wonder how many more of those you
can take.
Wildcat readies himself to try and dodge and counter, but his right knee suddenly gives out under him, bending to the side.
WILDCAT
*the song of agony*
Deathstroke is actually a little shocked by this, as Wildcat tumbles over to the side, catching himself with his right hand on the stone altar and barely managing to stay on his feet, with no dignity intact.
DEATHSTROKE
Heh. HehehehehAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
Deathstroke breaks into condescending laughter. Wildcat looks up at Deathstroke as he holds himself steady, balancing against the stone altar, grimacing in pain. At first, it is a look of contempt, but then Ted starts to see the humor in the situation too.
WILDCAT
... heh. Heh
hehehehehehAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
The two of them break into side splitting laughter together.
WILDCAT
(laughing)
You are a big dumb stupid idiot,
Slade Wilson.
DEATHSTROKE
(laughter trailing off)
Heh?
Wildcat holds up his right hand, blood still dripping from the cut Deathstroke gave him. There is a bloody handprint on the altar. A dark hole in the fabric of space tears open, and Dr. Midnight jumps out, followed by Arthur. We see that Midnight is carrying Donna in his arms as he throws down a blackout-bomb. The vantablack smoke obscures Deathstroke's vision, giving Arthur cover to lunge at him and punch him so hard that he crashes through two walls and lands on the bed in the room across the hall, unconscious.
ARTHUR
'bout time I get to hit somebody
today.
Wildcat turns to Dr. Midnight as he sets Donna down.
WILDCAT
Sorry I took so long.
MIDNIGHT
I never doubted you.
Wildcat notices Donna.
WILDCAT
Does Diana have a kid sister we
don't know about?
DONNA
Yes, Diana is my sister. I'm Donna.
WILDCAT
Wait, seriously?
DONNA
Hello.
MIDNIGHT
We need to go, Ted.
The quartet regroups and files out into the hallway.
MIDNIGHT
(into his communicator)
I have Arthur. Let's go.
As they make their way down the hall, something catches Donna's eye. She stops, looking into one of the rooms, the door having been pushed open by the sheer force of Wildcat's ground punch earlier. Arthur runs back to Donna.
ARTHUR
Donna, we have to go!
DONNA
No, look!
Donna runs into the room, and Arthur follows after her. It appears to be the suite belonging to Dr. Barbara Minerva, AKA The Cheetah. The furniture is shredded, strange books and relics are stacked everywhere, and there is of course her grotesque blood altar and accompanying hate-shrine to Wonder Woman. However, the only thing that has Donna's attention is the newest display piece: the armor of the champion of the Amazons, which once belonged to her mother, with Diana’s sword resting beside it.
DONNA
(distant and heartbroken)
That was my mother's.
Arthur's heart breaks as he hears this. Midnight and Wildcat enter the room.
MIDNIGHT
We do not have time for this.
ARTHUR
Sorry, Doc.
Arthur walks up to the display and rips the armor and sword free.
ARTHUR
Just needed to grab this.
INT. LOBBY.
A message comes in over Hal and J'onn's comms.
MIDNIGHT
(radio)
I have Arthur. Let's go.
Without missing a beat, J'onn and Hal's minds work in unison, retracting the energy barrier and conjuring glowing green auras around each individual member of the team, levitating them into the air.
EXT. GOTHAM CITY STREET.
Diana gets a message over her communicator.
MIDNIGHT
(radio)
I have Arthur. Let's go.
Diana looks around at Circe and her monsters.
DIANA
Another day.
Diana turns and books it into the lobby. She leaps into the air, retrieving her lasso along the way, and is caught by a green aura. The assembled members of the team rise into the air and fly through the holes made by Clark's battle with Luthor. Hal is at the head of the line, threading the metaphorical needle with speed and precision.
INT. BALLROOM.
Clark turns to Brainiac, who's holographic avatar is projected behind him.
BRAINIAC
Do you feel like you've won, Kal El?
CLARK
You know, I haven't finished making
up my mind yet, but right now
there's a very strong possibility
that I hate you the most.
Hal flies into the ballroom with his flock of flying teens in tow. Clark and Lana are snatched up by glowing green auras and lifted into the air.
LANA
(regaining her composure)
I'm okay. I'm calm. I'm good.
Hal blasts a hole in the window, and the group begins to file through. As he is lifted away, Clark looks down at Pete with a very heavy expression.
INT. UPSTAIRS HALLWAY.
Deathstroke, The Terminator! slowly walks out into the hallway through the hole his body made when Arthur punched him through two walls. The villain is unsteady on his feet. His eye burns with determination as he reloads his pistol.
EXT. AMBASSADOR HOTEL.
The line of heroes flies up the outside of the hotel to the roof, where Dr. Midnight, Wildcat, Arthur, and Donna have just arrived. Hal begins setting everyone down by the cloaked Javelin. Carter flies up to the door of the Javelin and pulls it open, disrupting the vehicle's cloak.
CARTER
EVERYONE IN!
The party begins filing into the plane quickly, starting with Hal and followed by the others. Kendra dashes over to Ted.
KENDRA
Woah, buddy, let me help you.
Ted swings his arm around Kendra's shoulder as she carries his weight.
TED
(out of it)
thanks sharndra...
Kendra leads Ted to the Javelin. Arthur follows, and Barry speeds back to greet him.
BARRY
Hey, man! How've you been?
ARTHUR
Not now, Barry.
Arthur and Barry head to the Javelin. Diana, however, stands as still as a clay statue.
DIANA
(verge of tears)
... Donna?
Donna launches herself into her big sister's arms. Diana breaks down into tears.
DONNA
I was so scared!
The sisters embrace deeply. Dr. Midnight stands over the two. He glances over to Carter and gestures to indicate "give us a second." Donna pulls away, and holds the armor and sword she holds in her hands up to her sister.
DONNA
Mother's gone...
Diana takes the items in her hands.
DIANA
(holding back tears)
We have each other, little one, now
and forever.
Deathstroke bursts through the door to the hotel roof. Dr. Midnight reaches for a blackout bomb as Deathstroke aims his gun and fires. The blackout bombs pass the bullet as they are thrown through the air, and the bullet hits its intended target: the bulging pouch on Dr. Midnight's utility belt. he pouch bursts open, sending the Amulet of Fate tumbling through the air as it splits in two from the bullet's impact. Dr. Midnight's blackout bombs hit the ground and begin belching black smoke, but the smoke gathers into a large mass, and out of it emerges an enormous shadowy form wearing the mask of Orm Marius. Marius slashes at Diana with one of his razor tendrils, flinging her hard against the side of the Javelin just as its VTOL rockets come on, as well as cutting her across the face. Marius then lunges at Dr. Midnight, piercing him directly through the heart, killing him.
CARTER
(enraged)
CHARLIE!
Marius scoops a crying and terrified Donna up in his tendrils just as Carter swoops in to attack, swinging his mace at Marius with a wild fury. Back at the plane, J'onn runs to the door to see what's happening. Carter continues his assault on Marius, but Marius pulls back and holds up Donna as a human shield. Carter stops his attack just in time, but this leaves him open, and Marius skewers him through the heart with a razor tendril. Back at the plane, Kendra tries to rush out to help Carter, but J'onn blocks the door.
KENDRA
(total panic)
CARTER!
J'onn spots Diana, pulling herself to her feet, clutching her mother's armor and her own sword tightly in her arms. J'onn stretches out his arm and grabs Diana, pulling her back into the plane.
DIANA
NO!
J'onn falls backwards into the plane with Diana, closing the door. He turns to Hal.
J'ONN
GO!
Hal hesitates.
J'ONN
NOW!
Hal pulls the plane up into the air. Diana pulls herself free from J'onn's grasp and runs at the door, banging her fists against it as she falls to her knees.
DIANA
(sobbing)
No! No! NO NO NO!
In the corner, Kendra is curled up in a fetal position, silently weeping. Arthur is standing at the back of the plane, looking absolutely horrified. The rest of the group, Clark and Lana especially, have vacant thousand yard stares as the weight of everything that just happened hits them.
THE END
Chapter 19: Challenge of the Super Friends, Season 1, Episode 19: "Fallout"
Summary:
Both the League and the Legion deal with the aftermath of the battle, and its long-term consequences.
Chapter Text
EXT. NEW YORK CITY. NIGHT.
A wide panning shot of the New York City skyline.
CUT TO
An aerial view of Central Park.
INT. THE OWL'S NEST.
The assembled members of the party quickly spill into a dark underground bunker.
J'ONN
The infirmary, it is the first door on the left.
Hal, carrying Ted "THE WILDCAT" Grant by suspending him in a green aura, carries the injured hero to the infirmary. He is followed by Arthur, who is helping Clark and Lana walk into the infirmary. Krypto follows behind, worried. Barry darts into the depths of the bunker. Diana strides quickly and purposefully into the complex, but comes to a stop at the edge of the room, her face haunted. As she enters the infirmary, Lana looks back at Diana with a look of concern. J'onn stands in the middle of the room, as Bruce, Ollie, and Dinah file in after, followed last by Kendra, who walks into the room slowly, with a blank expression and a face stained with tears. Dinah cautiously extends a hand toward Kendra, to offer comfort, but Bruce stops her, slowly shaking his head with a solemn expression. As everyone comes to a stop, a suffocating silence fills the air. The lights come on, and Barry darts back toward the entrance.
CLARK
(O.S.)
Uh, GUYS?!
Everyone in the room is snapped out of their stupor, and they move toward the infirmary. The party files in, with Diana and J'onn at the front.
DIANA
Clark, what-?
Diana stops mid sentence as she notices Ray Palmer, still bandaged but less seriously than before, laying on a bed on the other side of the room. He has been stirred awake by the lights. Standing at his bedside is an enormous humanoid figure, with a bright green body that seems to be made up entirely of vegetable matter. He is Doctor Alec Holland, AKA "SWAMP THING!"
RAY
(groggy)
... hey, guys...
DIANA
(excited)
Raymond!
Diana rushes to Ray's bedside.
LANA
I mean, yeah, he's here too, but...
J'onn approaches Swamp Thing.
J'ONN
Doctor Holland, thank you so much.
SWAMP THING
It's been my pleasure. Ray has been
a delightful patient. I was hoping
to consult with Doctor McNider,
though, is he with you?
ARTHUR
He's dead.
Arthur turns and heads to the door.
ARTHUR
Doctor Midnight's dead.
A chill settles over the room.
SWAMP THING
I'll make some tea.
CUT TO
A few minutes later the party, sans Ted, Ray, Lana, and Clark, are sitting around the central area of the Owl's Nest, Doctor Midnight's study, a cozy room with wooden walls and furniture and floor to ceiling bookcases. No one is facing each other. Kendra sits in the corner, her back to everyone else. An owl is perched by the desk. Swamp Thing comes in with a tray of tea, offering a cup to Diana.
DIANA
(quietly)
Thank you.
Swamp Thing nods politely. He goes around the room passing out tea.
BRUCE
(to J'onn)
What is this place?
J'ONN
"The Owl's Nest." It is... it was
Doctor Midnight's base of
operations.
BRUCE
And we'll be safe here?
J'ONN
For the moment, at least.
BARRY
What're we gonna do next?
J'ONN
I do not know.
Barry looks down at his tea.
OLLIE
Not many rooms.
DINAH
You complaining?
OLLIE
No. I'm just... saying.
BEAT
HAL
What's with the bird?
Everyone turns and looks at the elderly owl perched beside the desk.
J'ONN
He was Doctor McNider's pet. His
name is "Hooty" I believe.
Arthur approaches Hooty and gives him a lil scratch.
ARTHUR
Your old man wasn't very creative,
was he?
Arthur look's into the owl's eyes. Hooty looks sad.
HAL
(to Bruce)
What time is it?
BRUCE
(checking watch)
Just after midnight.
Hal sets down his tea and walks over to the desk next to Hooty with a purposeful stride. He bends down and starts rummaging around the drawers, looking for something.
ARTHUR
Hal, what are you doing?
HAL
I've got an idea.
ARTHUR
What's your idea?
HAL
Just gimme a minute.
Hal gathers together a stack of papers, several pens, tape, and a ball of string.
HAL
Arthur, do you have a lighter?
ARTHUR
Why would I have a lighter?
DIANA
I have a lighter.
HAL
Bring it with you.
Hal stands up. As he does so, his Green Lantern uniform is replaced by his normal clothes in an instant.
HAL
I want everyone to come outside
with me.
(to Swamp Thing)
Green man, can you help Ted and Ray
get to their feet?
SWAMP THING
Yes, of course.
HAL
Alright, go get them and the
others. Oh, and try to find some
candles. Everybody, follow me.
The assembled members of the team look around at each other, a little baffled. Only Kendra doesn't move at all, simply staring off blankly into space.
OLLIE
Hal, what are we doing?
HAL
(going through the door)
We're saying goodbye.
This gets Kendra's attention.
EXT. CENTRAL PARK. NIGHT.
The party is gathered in one of the thicker patches of trees in the north woods of the park, tucked out of sight. Clark and Lana are both patched up from their fights, and Ted and Ray are both being propped up by tree roots that have grown upwards to offer them support, thanks to Swamp Thing. Hal is passing out pens and sheets of paper.
HAL
We've lost people since this crisis
started. The ones who died...
Hal briefly glances at Lana and Clark.
HAL
... and the ones we used to trust.
Either way, they're gone now. We
can't just pretend that didn't
happen. So, we are going to write
down our goodbyes, to Carter, Abin
Sur, Doctor McNider...
Hal glances at Arthur.
HAL
... everyone. Just write how you
feel. It doesn't have to be pretty,
it just has to be true.
Everyone takes their paper and starts writing. We see Lana writing furiously, while Clark stares at his sheet of paper for a good minute before he starts. We only get snippets of each person's, but we do see Hal's contains a part that says "In Brightest Day, In Blackest Night..." When everyone is finished, Hal collects the papers and tapes them together into the shape of a hot air balloon, words facing inward, with strings tied to it that suspend a candle. Diana hands Hal her lighter, which Hal in turn hands to Kendra. Kendra nods quietly, and lights the candle. As she does this, Swamp Thing kneels down, touches the ground, and closes his eyes. The trees around them begin to bend backwards, flat to the ground, creating a path for the balloon to float into the air as Kendra lets go, letting it fall into the sky. The party stares up as it floats high into the sky, over the New York City Skyline. There are tears in Kendra's eyes.
INT. LEGION HEADQUARTERS.
The Legion is celebrating. Doctor Midnight's costume and Carter's wings have been hung on the wall, beside the costumes of Abin Sur, Mento of the Doom Patrol, and the future Barry Allen, right above the pinball machines. Music is blaring over speakers somewhere, playing MIA’s "Paper Planes," with the assembled members of the rank and file of the Legion, many of them inebriated, jovially and atonally singing along. The only member of the board mingling among the party is Cheetah, who is moving among the crowd with a drink in her hand and a grin on her face.
CHEETAH
(loudly singing along)
ALL I WANNA DO IS
*GUNSHOT**GUNSHOT**GUNSHOT*
AND *CASH REGISTER SOUND* AND
TAKE YOUR MONEY!
ALL I WANNA DO IS-
Circe sits off to the side, nursing a drink and looking annoyed. Her army of monsters loiter around the edges of the gathering, just standing there. Lex Luthor stands on the catwalk overhead, looking down at everyone. Orm Marius emerges from the shadows.
LEX
Hello, Thomas.
ORM MARIUS
Why do you do that?
LEX
I apologize, Marius, but I've
always found the names and the
costumes to be a bit much.
ORM MARIUS
They are liberating.
LEX
I've never felt the need to be
liberated from myself.
Lex takes a swig of his drink.
ORM MARIUS
We shouldn't be celebrating. We
lost the key.
LEX
We still have the girl.
ORM MARIUS
The girl is useless without the
key. It is a loss.
LEX
Then you should take it up with
Barbara, she's the one who insists
on throwing a party for each body
added to the pile. You know,
technically this celebration is in
your honor.
ORM MARIUS
I believe Cheetah understands what
matters. Do you?
LEX
What the hell do you mean by that?
ORM MARIUS
From the moment we arrived, you
have treated capture and
containment as a secondary
priority, focused instead on hoarding...
... earthly power.
LEX
For god's sake, we've had this
conversation before! Thawn lost the
element of surprise for us. With
our quarry gone to ground, the
surest way to catch them is to wear
them out and slowly box them in.
ORM MARIUS
We are the strongest we've been
since we arrived.
LEX
And they're getting weaker every
day! They're on the run, no home,
no supplies, and we're whittling
down their numbers. It's only a
matter of time until we have your
brother again. And by the time we
find him, we will be operating from
such a position of strength that
the power behind that door will
seem like a mere bauble added to
our collection.
ORM MARIUS
... collection.
Marius backs away from Lex slightly.
ORM MARIUS
(coldly)
I understand.
LEX
I'm glad we could come to an
understanding. Now, if you'll
excuse me.
Lex exits the scene. Marius just stands there, staring forward blankly. A projection of Brainiac's avatar appears.
BRAINIAC
You seem troubled.
ORM MARIUS
You said he was ready, Brainiac.
That he understood.
BRAINIAC
Lex is on schedule. Exactly where
he needs to be.
Marius turns to look at Brainiac.
ORM MARIUS
Perhaps I misjudged the both of
you.
Marius is quickly swallowed by shadows and disappears.
INT. THE OWL'S NEST.
Diana is setting up the part of the bunker that will serve as sleeping quarters, a large storage room where several cots and bedrolls have been laid out. Lana Lang enters the room, still bandaged up from her injuries, and looks around at the accommodations.
LANA
Spartan in here.
Diana grabs a knife from her bag and whips around into a fighting stance.
DIANA
(deadly serious)
Where?!
Lana is shocked by this. The two make eye contact. Diana then looks around the room. She sets down the knife and straightens her posture into a more casual stance.
DIANA
Yes, the accommodations are bare.
LANA
(letting it go)
We'll manage. It'll be like a
slumber party, just not
fun or comfortable.
DIANA
Hm.
LANA
Are you okay?
Diana gives Lana a look.
LANA
Okay by our standards, I mean.
DIANA
I don't know.
Diana sits down on one of the cots.
DIANA
(smiling, bittersweet)
My sister is alive.
LANA
You never mentioned her before.
DIANA
It hurt too much. The thought that
she was gone, more than any of the
others, more than my mother...
(tears welling up)
She's my little sister.
Lana comes to Diana's side and pulls her into a deep embrace.
LANA
We're gonna get her back.
Lana disengages from the hug.
LANA
We're superheroes. We save people.
That's what we do.
DIANA
How are you doing? You lost a
brother, in a sense.
LANA
Yeah, the whole "best friend turned
evil" thing
(quiver in her voice)
not great.
DIANA
Have you discussed it with Clark?
LANA
I'm not sure what we'd say to each
other. Besides, he's dealing with
it by focusing on work. That's
actually why I came in here. He
wants to speak with all of us.
CUT TO
The party is assembled, sans Ted, Kendra, and Ray (and including Swamp Thing), in the study. Everyone is standing. All eyes are on Clark.
CLARK
I want to start off by mentioning
that Kendra and Ted aren't going to
be joining us just right now. They
both need time. All things
considered, they were hurt the
worst. Second place ain't that
far behind. We may have
completed our mission, but I don't
think anyone in this room feels
like a winner right now. If this is
what success keeps looking like for
us, we're not gonna last long. The
Legion will pick us off one by one
until the last ones left are too
tired to keep running. So far,
we've been surviving, but now we
need to start winning. That starts
with figuring out what we know.
Gotham. The Legion's been buying a
lot of land all over that city.
Bruce, Dinah, the two of you looked
into that stuff the most.
DINAH
The Legion has over a dozen
properties in Gotham. So far, we've
only managed to look into three of
them: the old Sionis factory, the
plot of land in the swamp, and the
hotel.
CLARK
What was going on at the factory?
Were they building something?
DINAH
No, that's what was suspicious.
They completely shut down
operations.
BRUCE
They were digging something out of
the ground. Some kind of green
liquid. Marius was there, and he
was conducting some kind of tests
on it. Whatever it was, they were
much more concerned about
protecting it than protecting the
factory or capturing us. That means
either they already collected
however much they need, or the
Sionis factory wasn't the only
location where they're able to get
it.
DINAH
It could be any of them. The hotel
is the only one that serves an
obvious purpose. We
don't know anything about the rest.
We never even managed to find out
what they were building at the
swamp. We got kind of distracted.
ARTHUR
Partly by the two giant zombies
fighting each other. What was with
that?
J'ONN
Solomon Grundy, an undead
monstrosity born out of the waters
of Slaughter Swamp. He was and is
an extremely persistent enemy,
battling both the JSA and the
Justice League on many occasions;
even if his body is destroyed, he
will simply be reborn in the waters
of Slaughter Swamp. To my
knowledge, no one has ever
discovered the mechanism at work
behind this. As he already existed
in this time period, it seems that
the two Grundies came into
conflict.
BARRY
Which they overcame by fusing into
a horrifying multi-limbed
monstrosity.
DINAH
It'd be an awfully big coincidence
if the samples they took from
Sionis had nothing to do with
whatever funky swamp water made
Grundy.
BRUCE
Marius was there at the swamp when
we were. He might be the one in
charge of handling whatever this
substance under Gotham is. Whatever
they're building in the swamp might
be some kind of collection or
processing facility.
ARTHUR
My baby brother is showing up a lot
in this conversation.
CLARK
It sounds like Marius is a key
figure in whatever the Legion's
plans are. Arthur, you were... you
were with him for two days, weren't
you?
ARTHUR
On and off. Mostly, he left me and
Donna by ourselves.
DIANA
Did you learn anything?
ARTHUR
I figured out a little. For
starters, whatever it is they need
me for, it's connected to why they
captured Donna. They need us do
something for them. Marius wasn't
specific about much. He just...
Arthur pauses.
ARTHUR
(hesitant, afraid)
... Marius would come in, twice a
day, for what he called "lessons."
He said it was to prepare us. My
lessons were basically torture. It
felt like my insides were on fire
and being pulled in a million
different directions. Whatever it
is that's supposed to prepare me
for, I'm definitely not looking
forward to, but Donna's lessons... it
was a song. He had her rehearse,
over and over again...
I don't know how many times. I blacked out
before they finished. It was the
most horrible thing I ever heard in
my life. It didn't sound real, it
sounded like something you'd only
hear in a nightmare.
DIANA
This is something my sister did?
OLLIE
I have a question.
All eyes turn to Ollie.
OLLIE
And before you guys go saying it's
dumb or pointless or a weird thing
to ask, I think it's actually
extremely relevant to everything
that's going on, so I want you to
hear me out. Diana, you're from an
island of all women, right?
DIANA
Correct.
OLLIE
Where do the babies come from?
DINAH
What the hell, Ollie!
OLLIE
I said just hear me out. Let her
answer.
DIANA
One morning at dawn, at the
instruction of Athena, my mother
went to the shore and molded the
form of a baby girl out of clay.
The gods breathed into the dull
clay and gave me life.
OLLIE
Okay, and I'm sorry if this is a
rude question, but, why?
DIANA
Motherhood, the eternal laughter of
a child, this was my mother's
reward for guarding the Tartarus
gate.
OLLIE
And, what, a couple years later she
asked if she could have another
one?
DIANA
(dawning realization)
No. That's... that's not how my
sister was born.
All eyes are on Diana now.
DIANA
When I was much younger, I used to
go down to the beach to watch the
royal guard. There was a grassy
hill, directly above the cave
containing the Gate. If there was a
breach, it was the perfect spot to
watch the action. Even on peaceful
days, it was my favorite place to
sit and think, to daydream and wish...
I used to wish so badly for there
to be other children on the island.
One day, near the end of my
twelfth summer, there was a breach.
The creature was not of any kind I
had seen before. It was large, and
amorphous, as if it were made of
quicksilver. It overpowered
Phillipus, the captain of the
guard, and would have killed her
had I not rushed in. I had no
weapons, only the blessings given
to me by the gods at my birth. It
was extremely difficult; the
creature's body behaved like a
fluid, but it became as hard as
steel with every strike. I nearly
lost my life. Ultimately, I
defeated it by overwhelming it with
blows until its body hardened to
the point that it shattered.
BARRY
(quietly)
That's awesome.
ARTHUR
What does this have to do with your
sister?
DIANA
... as tiny shards of the creature's
body fell like snow, I saw a child
running toward me from the entrance
to the gate. A girl of no more than
six summers, who looked very much
like me. She jumped up into my arms
and hugged me, like she'd always
known me. My mother had arrived at
this point, and she ordered the
child be brought to the palace.
Mother went on to the temple, to
pray for guidance on the matter.
When she returned, she declared the
girl to be a gift from the gods, a
blessing upon our family and a sign
that I had begun my journey into
womanhood. She was named Donna,
second daughter of Hippolyta and
princess of the Amazons. However...
LANA
However, what?
DIANA
That night, while they thought I
was sleeping, Phillipus confronted
my mother. I'd never heard her
speak to my mother like that. There
was so much anger and fear in her
voice. I didn't hear everything
that was said, but I remember
hearing mother say that she refused
to harm a child, but she would do
what was necessary to protect her people
if she had to.
She then ordered Phillipus to keep close watch of Donna.
Seasons passed, and nothing ever came of it. Donna
became a part of our family, and we
all came to love her deeply, even
Phillipus. If either her or mother
ever knew I was listening that
night, neither of them said
anything. Over time, it became easy
to remember it as if it were a
dream.
Everyone is momentarily stunned as the story sinks in.
CLARK
Now I think we have an idea of what
they want with your sister...
DIANA
She is not evil.
CLARK
No, she's not. But it sounds like
she is powerful. And they want to
exploit her for that power. That's
what we need to save her from.
ARTHUR
(to Diana)
You said she appeared by the gate?
DIANA
Yes.
ARTHUR
Marius kept calling me a key, said
that there was something I opened.
What if there's another gate out
there, like the Tartarus gate? I
open it, which will kill me, or
might kill me, and then Donna...
Donna sings to whatever's on the
other side.
BARRY
That sounds like a fate worth
avoiding.
ARTHUR
Do you think the gate's under
Gotham?
BRUCE
Let's not make too many
assumptions, there's still a lot we
don't know. Besides, the first gate
they opened was on a magic island
in the Mediterranean sea. If there
is a next one, it could be in the
lost city of Atlantis for all we
know.
J'ONN
Atlantis does seem more likely.
BRUCE
(realizing what that means)
... excuse me?
J'ONN
Given the fact that both Arthur and
Marius are directly involved, it
would stand to reason that this
gate or door that they are after is
in Atlantis.
Bruce turns you Arthur.
BRUCE
You're from Atlantis?
ARTHUR
I'm from Hawaii. But my mom, well...
DINAH
Guys, so far this has made a pretty
good pitch meeting for a heavy
metal concept album, but we're
still not getting close to a plan.
CLARK
Regardless of where this door is,
it sounds like this mystery liquid
under Gotham is connected, even if
it's just through Marius being
involved with both. All in all, it
sounds like the best chance we have
of saving everyone we can is
finding out more about what's going
on at Slaughter Swamp.
DIANA
"Everyone we can?"
CLARK
I'm not giving up on Tommy Curry.
He's an innocent in all of this,
just like Donna. Winning for us
includes nothing less than getting
Marius out of Tommy's head for
good.
LANA
And Pete?
CLARK
... we'll try. But, we've got to
focus on one thing at a time right
now.
DINAH
So we have a goal, but not a plan.
BRUCE
We're in no shape to face the
Legion head on any time soon.
CLARK
We need to find some way of putting
Slaughter Swamp under surveillance.
SWAMP THING
I believe I may be able to offer
some assistance there.
BRUCE
... go on.
SWAMP THING
My awareness can be spread to any
place vegetation exists.
BRUCE
You're saying you can spy on them
with the swamp?
SWAMP THING
Not exactly. Slaughter Swamp is one
of the few places that are
effectively off-limits to me.
Whatever gave birth to Solomon
Grundy, it is unnatural, a blight
on the land itself. It repels my
very essence. But I can get close,
and I can keep track of whenever
someone crosses the border of my
awareness.
BRUCE
That's information.
CLARK
And while we're gathering it, we
need to get ready for the fight
ahead of us. None of us are where
we need to be if we're going to
beat the Legion. We're tired, and
we're hurting, and we've got
tonight to rest, because tomorrow,
we've got to get to work.
INT. AMBASSADOR HOTEL.
Cheetah stumbles through the halls of the Ambassador Hotel, a nearly empty bottle of champagne clutched in her hand. Along the way, she passes several Brainiac drones repairing the damage from the battle. When she gets to her room, she fumbles with the doorknob before nearly falling into the dark room. She catches herself, and flips the light switch. Nothing happens. She flips it off and on again.
CHEETAH
Huh.
The darkness recedes, allowing the light it was blocking to shine through. With the room illuminated, we see that Circe and Orm Marius have been waiting for Cheetah. Cheetah shuts the door behind her.
CHEETAH
Did you enjoy the party?
CIRCE
I was trying my best, but my mood
simply wasn't for it. I didn't even
get to kill anyone like the two of
you did.
ORM MARIUS
We have a problem.
CHEETAH
(casual, half paying
attention)
I know.
ORM MARIUS
Luthor-
CHEETAH
(angry, commanding)
I KNOW!
The two lock eyes.
CHEETAH
It's been obvious since we arrived.
His heart isn't in it. But, luckily
for all of us, I'm pretty sure I've
figured out where he's been keeping
his heart.
INT. ABANDONED SUBWAY TUNNEL.
An abandoned subway tunnel, pitch black aside from the beam of one flashlight wiggling in the far corner.
BARRY
(voice)
Okay, one, two, three...
With a loud THUD, Barry pulls the lever and brings the generator online, illuminating the dark abandoned tunnel. Clark is standing there, alongside J'onn and Bruce.
CLARK
Alright, we're in business.
BRUCE
Businesses make money. We're in
hiding.
The rest of the party begins to file in through the maintenance door to the side. Kendra brings up the rear and stays at the back. Swamp Thing suddenly grows out of the ground beside Bruce.
BRUCE
(startled)
Ah!
SWAMP THING
(embarrassed)
Sorry.
CLARK
(to the group)
This should give us all the room
and privacy we need to train.
J'ONN
I wish there was more time for you
all to master the fundamentals of
your abilities, but we will need to
go beyond that if we intend to
survive. Our goal here is to push
ourselves to our limits, to learn
everything we possibly can about
what we are capable of. Though
knowing your futures gives us a
road map, ultimately, your power is
something you must each discover
for yourselves. Nonetheless, we
will have each other as we go on
this journey, and that is why we
will succeed.
CLARK
Alright, everybody, pair up.
Everyone splits up into their training groups. Arthur hangs back a moment to talk to Kendra.
ARTHUR
Kendra. Hey.
Kendra turns to him. She doesn't say anything.
ARTHUR
Are you... how are you?
KENDRA
(matter-of-fact)
I have the mission.
A look of confusion comes over Arthur's face. Kendra turns and leaves before he can ask what she meant.
THE END
INT. APARTMENT. NIGHT.
A cozy little apartment for three near the Metropolis financial district. A hand pops up in front of the window, and uses its claws to cut a large circle in the glass. Cheetah quickly crawls through and begins moving through the apartment, scurrying with speed and precision like a cat on the hunt. She approaches a set of doors. One has the name "Lena" on it in big colorful foam letters, the other a plain white door. Cheetah smiles. She approaches the unlabeled door and pushes it open gently. She sees a boy in his late teens sleeping in the bed. Slowly, she creeps inside. Then, Lex Luthor, the ADULT Lex Luthor, steps out from behind the door and puts a blaster gun to Cheetah's head.
LEX
Good evening, Barbara.
THE END
Chapter 20: Challenge of the Super Friends, Season 1, Episode 20: "Unfortunate Events"
Summary:
Where we spend some time with a pair of orphans who have been put in danger by their sinister and mysterious caretaker.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
INT. BEDROOM. NIGHT.
Lex holds Cheetah at blaster-point.
CHEETAH
Now, I know how this must look,
but-
Lex pulls the trigger. With superhuman speed and reflexes, Cheetah manages to dodge out of the way just in time and then slash the weapon in half with her claws in one fluid motion, causing the energy blast to shoot a hole in the floor. As this happens, Lex uses his free hand to tag Cheetah's arm with a small device. Cheetah holds it up to her face to inspect it, and a green light starts blinking. Suddenly, Cheetah is violently pulled THROUGH the wall by a tractor beam, leaving a huge hole in the process. By this point, Alex Luthor, age 17, is wide awake, sitting up in his bed with a shocked expression. Lex casually walks through the door and out to the front hall, where Cheetah is suspended in a stasis field. A holographic projection of Brainiac's avatar appears.
LEX
Brainiac, what is the status on my
suit?
BRAINIAC
The battery is at 78%, Lex.
LEX
It'll have to do.
Lex holds down a button on his watch, and nanomachines begin crawling all over his body, forming a high tech battle armor. Alex comes out of his room.
ALEX
What's going on, Lex?
LEX
Go back to your room, Alex.
CHEETAH
(laughing)
And there it is, "before and after"
rendered in flesh!
Lex holds his hand out toward Cheetah and begins charging up an energy blast.
LEX
NOW, Alex!
A door opens, and a bleary eyed HELENA LUTHOR, AGE 12, walks into the scene.
LENA
(yawning)
What's going on guys?
LEX
(under his breath)
Oh for the love of god...
CHEETAH
(delighted)
And little sis makes three!
LENA
(confused)
Is she a cat?
LEX
Both of you go to your rooms NOW!
CHEETAH
It's exactly what I told you all,
but none of you wanted to believe me.
LEX
(turning back to Cheetah)
What did you say?
CHEETAH
You wanted to believe so badly in
Luthor's "society of equals"
hogwash that you insisted I
let you into my head so I
could show you with my own eyes and
I think that's how long it'll take
him to walk to the nearest-
GORILLA GRODD materializes in the living room.
CHEETAH
- teleport.
GRODD
(THE LEFT WING OF JUDGMENT)
LUTHOR!!!
Grodd slams down on Lex's head with both fists, generating a wave of force that kicks up a gust of wind in all directions as he collides with Lex's energy shield. Stumbling, Alex grabs Lena and tries to make a break for it. However, Chronos teleports in between the two kids and the exit. Alex takes a swing at Chronos, who effortlessly side steps the boy's punches before socking him hard in the gut, causing Alex to double over and drop to his knees. Over with the OTHER Lex Luthor, Grodd is hammering down a relentless surge of powerful blows.
GRODD
I HAVE EATEN MEN FOR LESSER INSULTS!
Conduit teleports into the room with a pop. He grabs Grodd with his metal tendrils, pulls him off of Luthor, and slams him into the ground with a loud THUD! Lex stands, and sees that Chronos is holding Lena at gunpoint.
LEX
David-!
CHRONOS
(absolutely furious)
No attachments. No loose ends. No
witnesses. Those were your words,
Lex. And we all agreed to them.
We all "cleared our histories," no
matter how distasteful we found it,
because we knew it was the only
way, and because we knew it was
fair.
LEX
David, just let her go and we can
talk.
Chronos moves his gun away from Lena's head, aiming it at the stasis field generator holding Cheetah in place and shooting it out. Now free, Cheetah pounces at Lex with incredible speed and force. Conduit moves to intervene, but Grodd grabs him with his enormous hand and throws him out the window. Alex tries to get up to stop Chronos, but the master thief simply kicks him in the face.
CHRONOS
(into his comm)
Marius, I'm requesting a pick up.
A tear in space opens up behind Chronos, who backs into it, still holding Lena at gunpoint. Alex pushes himself up and hurls himself at Chronos, tumbling through the portal in the process. In the midst of his struggle with Cheetah, Lex sees the portal closing, and is momentarily distracted.
LEX
(frightened)
NO!
Grodd grabs Luthor and throws him out the window. Cheetah chases after, jumping through the hole. Lex crashes violently on top of a parked car, and the next instant Cheetah lands on top of him.
CHEETAH
(ecstatic)
YES!
Lex supercharges his suit's energy shield, pushing Cheetah off of him and sending her flying through the air.
CHEETAH
*laughing*
Cheetah gracefully lands on all fours and then rights herself as Grodd steps through the hole in the window to join her.
CHEETAH
You have no one but yourself to
blame, Lex. The secret king, living
by his own set of rules while
pretending he's just like the rest
of us. Did you really imagine you
could sustain that?
LEX
I have a question for you, Barbara.
How long do you think this coup of
yours is going to last? I have
Brainiac, and Wilson. The bulk of our
material assets and all of our
paid staff remain mine. You turned
Chronos, which is a loss, and
you've managed to make some powerful
friends, but I am still very much
in control of this organization.
By this point, nearby pedestrians are gawking in stunned terror as others run. Conduit pulls himself to his feet a hundred feet away and awkwardly stands there, far too aware of how much he sticks out. A person can be heard shouting "should we call the police?" Cheetah and Lex both scan the environment before re-initiating eye contact.
CHEETAH
(smiling)
May the best man win.
A tear in space opens behind Cheetah and Grodd, who back into it and disappear. Lex takes a moment to catch his breath, staring at the spot where they just stood, before activating his suit's propulsion system and flying off into the sky.
INT. WILSON FAMILY HOME. NIGHT.
Slade Wilson stands in the center of the family living room. The lights are off, the only illumination coming from the full moon peering in the windows from outside. Slade is holding a katana in one hand. It is streaked with what appears by moonlight to be an inky black liquid. There are several lifeless human shapes on the floor around him. Behind Slade, his pregnant wife and two young sons huddle together in fear in the doorway connecting to the kitchen. Slade turns his head to look back at his family.
SLADE
Pack a bag.
INT. AMBASSADOR HOTEL CONFERENCE ROOM.
Lex Luthor strides into the room, adjusting his tie, as several other members of the Legion teleport in; Deathstroke, Queen Bee, Bane, Black Mask, Merlyn, Black Manta, and Calculator, at least, remain loyal to him. Brainiac's holographic appears alongside Lex.
BRAINAIC
Thaal Sinestro has responded to
our communication regarding
Doctor Minerva’s breakaway.
LEX
What did he say?
BRAINIAC
“Deal with it.”
LEX
*sigh* Of course he did. Brainiac,
give us a status report.
BRAINIAC
I have every one of our assets
locked down, Lex. Energy fields in
place to prevent any unwanted
guests from teleporting in.
LEX
Do we know where "the rebellion"
has fled to?
BRAINIAC
No.
LEX
I want a telepath doing loyalty
sweeps on everyone left.
BRAINIAC
Grodd is on their side.
LEX
Hammond...
(remembering)
... is dead.
BRAINIAC
That leaves...
(mildly exasperated)
... Doctor Psycho.
LEX
We know he's loyal to us. The
little troll despises Barbara.
Wilson, how many from your team
defected?
DEATHSTROKE
They're dead.
LEX
Well, one less thing-
DEATHSTROKE
(furious)
They came after my family!
BRAINIAC
The Wilson family Has already
arrived at our base on Starfish
Island in the South Pacific.
LEX
Now, do you want to hit them back?
DEATHSTROKE
(quietly)
Yes.
LEX
Alright. But before we get down to
brass tacks, there's something that
needs to be made clear: as of right
now, I am your commander in chief.
We are at war and don't have time
for democracy. If anyone has a
problem with that, or with my
conduct thus far, now's your turn
to speak.
The assembled villains glance back and forth at one another.
QUEEN BEE
Truth be told, Lex, I'd assumed all
of us had been sneaking sweets now
and then.
CALCULATOR
I for one have embezzled a lot of
money from the war chest.
Lex shoots Calculator a look. Calculator begins rapidly typing into his wrist computer.
CALCULATOR
... that I will be giving back right
now.
BLACK MASK
Is anyone else kind of surprised
Minerva even cares? I got the
impression she enjoyed clearing her
history.
LEX
She's not doing this because she
thinks I'm being unfair, that's
just their sales pitch. Minerva,
Marius, they think we're too human,
and they think that makes us weak.
I intend to show them our strength.
INT. OMINOUS UNDERGROUND ALCHEMY LAB.
Deep within the bowels of Gotham City's underground, Cheetah and Marius hold court. The rebel villains are gathered in the ruins of some ghastly laboratory. Green liquid flows through open drains at their feet, leaking out of ancient industrial machines. Included among the group are Chronos, Solomon Grundy, The Scarecrow, The Riddler, Floronic Man, Gorilla Grodd, and Giganta, with Marius, Cheetah, and Circe standing before the others.
CHEETAH
I have had less comfortable
accommodations.
GRODD
What is this place?
ORM MARIUS
It is the source of the Azoth
flowing beneath Gotham. I was
tasked with finding it by Luthor.
GRODD
Did you tell him you found it?
ORM MARIUS
Obviously not.
CHRONOS
Brainiac will have locked all of us
out of administrative functions by
now.
ORM MARIUS
The only thing they still have that
we want is Alpha Base. We can take
it from them when the time comes.
CHEETAH
They still have your altar. They'll
come for the princess.
ORM MARIUS
I have prepared for that.
CHEETAH
Are the Luthor children with her?
CHRONOS
No, I stashed them nearby. Always
helps to keep your leverage close
at hand.
INT. UNDERGROUND STORAGE AREA.
Alex Luthor is bound to a wooden chair with heavy rope, with his hands handcuffed behind his back. He closes his eyes, takes a deep breath, and shifts his weight, causing him to topple over. He hits the ground with just enough force and at just the right angle, causing the wooden frame of the chair to shatter with a muffled cracking sound. His younger sister sits nearby, bound to another chair in the same manner.
LENA
This is your fault.
Alex uses the extra slack to begin wriggling free from the ropes.
ALEX
(struggling)
We agreed when this whole thing
started that I would not be held
accountable for anything my
counterpart did.
LENA
You're the one who said we should
go with him, Alex.
Alex shimmies out of the ropes and hops up into a crouched position with his arms still handcuffed behind his back.
ALEX
I asked you if you wanted to go
with him, Lena, and you said yes.
LENA
You've been talking about your big
"exit strategy" for over a year!
Alex walks over to his younger sister.
ALEX
You thought my exit strategy
involved time travel?
LENA
I figured there was some
improvisation along the way.
Alex turns around so his back is facing Lena. He holds his hands out and she leans her head towards him. Alex removes a bobby pin from his sister's hair.
LENA
Ow!
Alex crouches down behind Lena so they are back to back. The two begin working together to pick the locks of their handcuffs.
LENA
You're doing it wrong.
ALEX
No, I'm not.
LENA
You need to go up and to the right.
ALEX
You're not helping me, you're
describing what I'm about to do
next.
LENA
Give it to me.
ALEX
No.
LENA
I can do it faster.
The two begin struggling.
LENA
Like this...
ALEX
Give it back!
The two struggle back and forth for a moment, before the sound of a few clicks and they separate, Lena's arms coming free as the ropes come away and two pairs of handcuffs clatter to the ground. The two stand. Alex rubs his wrists.
LENA
First step: assess the environment.
ALEX
Lena, right now the last thing I
want is to hear you echoing one of
Lionel's drills.
LENA
This is exactly the sort of
situation the drills were for.
ALEX
I highly doubt this is exactly-
LENA
Alex!
ALEX
(exasperated)
Alright, alright!
Alex begins looking around.
ALEX
There's a light.
LENA
Which means-
ALEX
There's a power source somewhere.
LENA
And-
ALEX
People are supposed to be in here.
LENA
But-
ALEX
There aren't any air vents, meaning
that people aren't supposed to be
in here for very long.
LENA
Which means-
Alex's attention turns his attention to the door.
ALEX
- that this is a storage room.
LENA
Which means-
Alex moves to the door, crouching in front of it.
ALEX
- that this is the back panel of
the locking mechanism.
LENA
With exposed screws and everything.
ALEX
Non perishables rarely stage
breakouts.
LENA
This is progress.
ALEX
Lena, all we have is a bobby pin-
Lena hands her brother a screwdriver.
LENA
Zeroth step: keep your tools handy.
Alex takes the screwdriver from his sister and gets to work dismantling the back panel.
ALEX
Freak.
LENA.
Salutatorian.
With a few moments tinkering, Alex disengages the lock with a thud and manages to pry the door open. Lena peers out the tiny crack.
ALEX
What do you see?
LENA
Hold on a second.
ALEX
Do you see any lights? Do you see
any people? D-
LENA
Wait!
Lena crouches down as she looks at the floor. She sees something. Gently, she opens the door wider.
LENA
(quietly)
We need to be quiet.
ALEX
(quietly)
Lena, what-
LENA
(silently)
*SHHH!*
Alex backs off and crouches down behind his sister, silently. The two slowly move out into the hallway. There, Alex sees that the floor below them is a grate, and they can see light coming up from the rooms below them. And they can see people. The laboratory in which Cheetah's rebellion holds its court is directly beneath the two siblings.
GIGANTA
What are we going to do about the
Justice League during all of this?
CHEETAH
We're going to leave them be, for
the moment. Focus on settling
things in-house first.
Alex makes eye contact with Lena and points to the visible electrical wire running along the base of the wall. He indicates that it runs down the length of the hallway in both directions.
GIGANTA
If we lose them, this "internal
dispute" is a waste of time.
Lena nods, and the two begin silently creeping down the hallway, following the wire.
CHEETAH
That's the brilliance of it all; we
can't lose them, thanks to Mr.
Marius.
In the room below, Marius produces a small round device. Lena looks down to watch.
ORM MARIUS
Brainiac didn't see me lift this
off of the big dead bird. It's how
they talk to each other.
Marius tosses the communicator to Chronos.
ORM MARIUS
You can track them with it.
CHRONOS
(smiling)
Indeed I can.
Alex and Lena round a corner, where they find what appears to be an elevator door.
ORM MARIUS
That wasn't a question.
CHEETAH
By the time we've settled this,
we'll know exactly where they're
hiding.
Using the screwdriver for leverage, the siblings work together to pry the door open. Carefully and quietly, they step onto the roof of the elevator, stopped on the floor beneath them, letting the doors gently shut behind them. The siblings look up the elevator shaft, which goes so high up that they can't see the top. They then look at each other.
INT. AMBASSADOR HOTEL.
Deathstroke is standing outside Suite 6 on the top floor of the hotel, mounting up for battle. He is accompanied by Bane, Sportsmaster, Merlyn, and Tigress. The elevator doors slide open, and Pete Ross, AKA Conduit, steps through.
CONDUIT
This team, it feels like it's
lacking something.
DEATHSTROKE
Go away.
Conduit approaches Deathstroke.
CONDUIT
You're not packing a whole lot of
firepower, are you?
Deathstroke draws his gun and points it at Conduit's head.
CONDUIT
Brainiac sent me.
DEATHSTROKE
Brainiac isn't my boss.
CONDUIT
He is mine, and he sent me here to
back you up.
Deathstroke holsters his gun.
DEATHSTROKE
We don't need backup from Grodd's
newest chew-toy.
The other villains laugh.
CONDUIT
Really? Because it looks to me like
three guys without powers and two
guys whose powers are that they're
on drugs are about to go up against
the most powerful warlock on Earth.
DEATHSTROKE
Kid, if you want to tag along, suit
yourself.
Deathstroke kicks down the door of Suite 6 (again). The villains enter, and Deathstroke quickly cuts his palm and drips a bit of blood onto the altar. The portal opens, and the villains jump through.
BEAT
Lex Luthor enters the room. A holographic projection of Brainiac's avatar appears beside him.
BRAINIAC
Lex, may I ask you a personal
question?
Lex crouches in front of the altar and begins examining it.
LEX
Go ahead, Brainiac.
BRAINIAC
I get the impression that you view
this operation solely in the
context of a distraction. The
princess is vital to our plans, and
there is a high chance that Slade
Wilson with fail to retrieve her,
and yet you were adamant that we
make the attempt immediately. Is
retrieving the backups you gave to
Marius so urgent that it's worth
risking so much?
Lex reaches along the side of the altar and around, running his fingers up and down the space between the wall and the back panel.
LEX
Remember the second "step toward
success in any situation,"
Brainiac: "prioritize short term
survival, you can't succeed if
you're dead."
Lex feels his fingers catch on something. He applies pressure, and a hidden compartment opens on the front of the altar with a clicking sound.
LEX
We can reacquire the princess at
any point before Marius reaches the
seal. He still needs his brother, after all.
Lex moves around the front of the altar and reaches into the compartment. He pulls out a black box. He opens it, and there are several small objects that resemble microchips attached to USB ports. Lex removes one and looks at it.
LEX
If I let Barbara get her hands on
this, we might not live another week.
INT. ELEVATOR SHAFT.
Alex is climbing up the elevator cables. Lena is clung to his back.
LENA
These cables aren't very well
lubricated.
ALEX
Are you complaining that the rope
we're climbing isn't covered in
grease?
LENA
It's bad engineering. Friction on metal cables is going to
produce a lot of heat. It's unsafe.
ALEX
They don't feel like metal. It
feels more like silk.
LENA
That is an improbable amount of
silk.
ALEX
I didn't say it was silk, I said it
feels like silk.
LENA
Weird.
ALEX
What's weird is how god damned tall
this elevator shaft is.
LENA
Well, if you don't want to climb
anymore.
Lena gestures to the set of elevator doors that they're approaching to their right. Alex comes to a stop level with the doors.
LENA
We should try it.
ALEX
No.
LENA
Why not?
ALEX
Look down if you want that answer.
LENA
What exactly is your plan, then?
ALEX
There's bound to be a maintenance
hatch at the top of the shaft.
LENA
Bound to be-?!
ALEX
We can climb up to the roof from
there.
LENA
Alex, we still can't see the ceiling!
You're not gonna make it all the
way up. Our only chance is to-
Lena pulls her knees in and puts her feet against her brother's back. She kicks off, using her arms to fling herself at the elevator doors.
ALEX
(terrified)
LENA!
Lena collides with the doors, managing to wedge the screwdriver between them. She catches her feet against the small ledge at the base of the doors as she digs her fingers and the screwdriver into the gap.
LENA
(struggling)
*sounds of struggle*
Using all of her strength, Lena pushes the doors open and flings herself forward, skidding to a stop on a solid floor. Alex adjusts his position on the cable and makes the jump, landing on his feet behind Lena.
ALEX
Need help?
Lena gets up.
LENA
I'm fine, thank you very much.
The two of them look around. To their amazement, they have found themselves in the underground ruins of a steampunk main street scene, set at the base of an enormous metal foundation.
INT. SHADOW REALM.
Deathstroke's team, accompanied by Conduit, stand in an infinite void of shadows.
MERLYN
I don't see the girl.
DEATHSTROKE
She won't appear before he does.
On cue, the shadows that make up this realm begin to concentrate into a mass. From that mass, the mask of Orm Marius emerges.
ORM MARIUS
Hello, friends.
Deathstroke retrieves a small device from his pocket, a button fob attached to some kind of thumb drive. Deathstroke presses the button, and Marius immediately seizes up. The shadows around his mask dissipate, revealing the body of ten year old Tommy Curry, dressed in an all black school uniform and wearing the mask of Marius. Tommy/Marius falls to the "ground," writhing in pain.
TOMMY/MARIUS
(both voices overlapping)
*the sound you make when your brain
becomes scrambled eggs*
DEATHSTROKE
All that power doesn't change the
fact that your brain is wired with
Lexcorp cybernetics, Marius.
The shadowy mass begins to dissipate. As it recedes, several roots are revealed on the "floor" of this realm of shadows. They immediately spring forth and ensnare the villains. The non-powered villains are trapped. Deathstroke struggles against his restraints, and Bane is assaulted with the heaviest onslaught of roots, tearing them away as fast as new ones sprout to bind him. Conduit swats the wooden roots away with his own metal tendrils. As the shadows recede, we see Floronic Man come into view, controlling the roots. Beside him are Donna, cowering in fear, and The Scarecrow. Scarecrow removes the pins on two smoke grenades and tosses them at Deathstroke's team, engulfing them in a cloud of fear gas.
INT. WONDER CITY.
Alex and Lena look around at their strange environment.
LENA
This is-
ALEX
Wonder City!
LENA
That's not what I was going to say.
ALEX
Wonder City was the centerpiece of
the Gotham World's Fair, over 100
years ago.
LENA
Right. The earthquake.
ALEX
The ground opened up and swallowed
most of the city, and they rebuilt
on top of the ruins.
LENA
What, did you take a tour?
ALEX
There's a museum. I went on a field
trip.
Alex turns back to the elevator shaft. It is built into the enormous metal foundation that towers over everything.
ALEX
So if we're in Wonder City...
Alex places his hand on the metal foundation, right beside the elevator doors.
ALEX
... this is the foundation of Wayne Tower.
Alex turns back to his sister.
ALEX
I know the way out.
INT. SHADOW REALM.
Deathstroke and his team are enveloped by Scarecrow's fear gas. Deathstroke manages to hold his breath, but the others don't fare quite so well, and begin having reactions as the roots overtake them. Deathstroke continues to struggle against the roots, but a lack of oxygen slows his movements. Conduit, on the other hand, is completely unaffected by the gas. Using his tendrils to swat the roots out of his path, he lunges at Floronic Man. Just as Floronic Man prepares to counter attack, Conduit teleports behind him and Scarecrow, using his tendrils to grab both of them and slam them into each other. Conduit then slams the two villains to the "ground" and approaches Donna.
CONDUIT
You're coming with me, princess.
As conduit approaches the child, she slowly backs away, a look of terror in her eyes. We shift to Donna's perspective for a moment, and we see that Conduit is distorted, huge and looming with thunderous footsteps, the effects of the fear gas.
CONDUIT
(monstrous voice)
Don't be afraid.
Donna's body tenses up, and the shadows around her jut forward violently.
DONNA
(terrified)
GET AWAY!
The shadows around Donna lash out at Conduit, pushing him away from her and back towards Deathstroke and his team with incredible force.
INT. SUITE 6.
A portal opens directly above the altar, and Deathstroke's team and Conduit are violently ejected from it, crashing into the other side of the room. From inside the portal, Orm Marius walks forward, adjusting his mask, stopping just at the portal's edge.
ORM MARIUS
That was rude, Mr. Wilson.
Marius holds up the device Deathstroke had used to incapacitate him. A shadow tendril sprouts up from the space around him and skewers the object, causing it to shatter. It then lunges downward at the altar, destroying it completely and causing the portal to close.
INT. WONDER CITY.
Alex is standing in one of the underground passages, looking back impatiently.
ALEX
Lena, let's go!
LENA
(O.S.)
Hold on a second!
Alex rolls his eyes and walks back in the direction of his sister's voice. Lena pops up from behind one of the dilapidated stands left over from the Gotham World's Fair. Behind her, several humanoid clockwork automatons lay in a heap, rusted and tangled.
LENA
I've got some good stuff here.
ALEX
We need to go now.
LENA
We're not in a hurry.
ALEX
We're on the run!
Lena uses the screwdriver to pry open the arm of one of the robots. She reaches in to try and pull something out.
LENA
They don't even know we're gone.
ALEX
They might know by now.
LENA
Alex, look at this stuff! These are
actual robots! This room's over 100
years old, these shouldn't even be
here!
ALEX
"Robots" is a generous term. They
had puppets in the 1800s.
Lena pulls out what looks like some kind of battery. She holds it up to her brother as she gives him a knowing look.
ALEX
Alright, that is a little strange,
I admit, but we don't have time to
solve history's mysteries, Lena.
LENA
Third step-
ALEX
- take stock of and acquire any
available resources, always. Why do
you keep bringing up Lionel?
LENA
I'm not bringing him up, Alex. Our
father is a bastard but he does
occasionally have good advice.
ALEX
Fine. Sorry. But we still can't
stay in one place this long. We are
going now.
Lena rolls her eyes as Alex begins moving ahead. She pulls an additional length of copper wire out of the arm before following her brother.
INT. AMBASSADOR HOTEL.
Lex Luthor is in the hall, waiting, when Conduit storms out. He walks past Lex without acknowledging him and puts his fist through the wall. Lex watches him do this with mild curiosity. Deathstroke and his team exit the room a moment later.
LEX
I take it the mission didn't go
well.
DEATHSTROKE
No girl, and we lost the altar.
LEX
It was always going to be a risky
move no matter when we made it. At
least we didn't give them time to
use the altar against us.
DEATHSTROKE
What do we do next?
LEX
You and I have an errand to run,
Slade. Follow me.
Lex leads Deathstroke to the elevator. The rest of the villains begin to disperse, leaving Conduit alone in the hall. Then, Brainiac appears.
BRAINIAC
Anything I can help with?
CONDUIT
I couldn't get it done.
BRAINIAC
You'll get it next time.
CONDUIT
I keep failing.
BRAINIAC
Oh, Pete. You're too impatient. You
have to remember that every great
chess player was once a beginner.
INT. GOTHAM UNDERGROUND.
Alex and Lena are climbing up a ladder leading up to the surface. Alex is in front and Lena is behind him. Alex comes to a stop as Lena has lagged behind.
ALEX
Lena, I swear, if you get us
murdered...
LENA
Hold on, I'm almost finished.
Alex climbs down the ladder to get closer to his sister. He uses one hand to hold onto the rung and leans back to look down at Lena and hold his hand out to her.
ALEX
Give me the screwdriver.
LENA
What?
ALEX
Lena, you can't tinker and climb at the same time,
give me the screwdriver.
LENA
You're the one who says we have to
hurry!
ALEX
Give me the screwdriver.
LENA
I'd stop and take my time but
you're the one hurrying us!
ALEX
Lena, please, we cannot possibly be
fighting while hanging from a
ladder this high off the ground.
Please give me the screwdriver.
Lena relents, and hands her brother the screwdriver. The two resume climbing.
LENA
I was done with the screwdriver
anyway, so, whatever.
ALEX
What are you even trying to build?
LENA
I think I can make a pretty crude
taser out of this old battery.
ALEX
Why?
LENA
What other weapons do we have?
ALEX
The screwdriver's a weapon.
LENA
Try using the screwdriver on the
giant zombie.
ALEX
Try using your taser on the- wait.
Alex slows to a stop. He can see the manhole cover.
ALEX
Surface is just ahead.
Alex climbs up to the top of the ladder. He hooks his legs around it for leverage and pushes up, peering out at the street above. He slides his hands out onto the ground above and begins pushing himself up to the surface. Suddenly, the manhole cover is pushed aside as Alex is yanked up violently. The supervillain Chronos has intercepted the escaped teen!
CHRONOS
Mr. Luthor! Even at such a young
age, you never fail to impress! Or infur-
Alex attacks Chronos with the screwdriver. Chronos catches the boy's wrist, swinging him around with some force and slamming him into the front hood of the villain's black Impala.
CHRONOS
It's like they say, give Lex Luthor
an inch and he'll ha-!!!
Chronos seizes up and then crumples to the ground. Lena is behind him, having just jabbed him with her homemade taser. Alex and Lena make eye contact.
CUT TO
The Luthor Siblings load Chronos' bound and unconscious form into the trunk of the car.
CUT TO
Alex Luthor gets into the driver's seat of Chronos' car as Lena settles into the front passenger's seat. Alex starts the car, and they drive off.
LENA
Where are we going now?
ALEX
I don't know. I'll figure it out
once we're out of the city.
LENA
We could... we could go back to-
ALEX
No.
LENA
Alex!
ALEX
No!
LENA
You can't honestly tell me dad is
worse than this.
ALEX
They are two entirely different and
entirely unacceptable kinds of
terrible.
LENA
Okay, but dad has money
ALEX
(amused)
Not as much as he pretends he does.
LENA
I'm just saying we need help.
ALEX
(furious)
Lionel Luthor never helped a single
person once in his entire life,
Lena! If he ever proved anything as
a father it's that you and I cannot
trust him or depend on him. I know
you're scared, but we can't ever
forget that fact.
LENA
Okay. You're right.
BEAT
LENA
I have an idea.
ALEX
Lena, come on-!
LENA
Not about dad, doofus. A new idea.
ALEX
What?
LENA
We know there's someone else
they're after, right? We heard them
talk about a "League."
ALEX
So?
Lena holds up the communicator she lifted from Chronos, the one he planned to use to track the Justice League.
THE END
Notes:
Hypothetical Cast Update:
Lena: Ashley Johnson
Chapter 21: Challenge of the Super Friends, Season 1, Episode 21: "Eye of the Storm"
Summary:
The Justice League of America train for the battles to come.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
EXT. GOTHAM CITY. MORNING.
A young man exits a bookstore and steps out onto the street. He appears to be a student, as he has a large stack of chemistry books he is awkwardly attempting to fit into a backpack. After a moment of struggle, he zips the bag closed, slings it over his shoulder, and gets on his way. Across the street, Slade Wilson, AKA Deathstroke, The Terminator, sits in a parked car, dressed in street clothes. He watches the man as he goes. Slade speaks into the handheld two-way radio he is holding.
DEATHSTROKE
Deathstroke reporting. I found him.
INT. UNDERGROUND TUNNEL.
Kendra and Arthur are in the middle of a fierce sparring session. While Arthur is much stronger than Kendra, her speed and maneuverability, coupled with the power of her mace, more than evens the playing field between them. Kendra hovers mid-air, using her wings to make a series of quick subtle adjustments to her position, allowing her to dodge the aqua-teen's powerful blows and come around him for an attack from behind. Arthur manages to duck, grabbing Kendra's wrist and landing a kick to her stomach, knocking her back and causing her to hit the ground with a thud. Arthur approaches her.
ARTHUR
Kendra, you okay?
KENDRA
Again.
ARTHUR
Maybe we should take a-
Arthur dodges out of the way just in time, and Kendra's mace smashes into the ground on the spot where he was just standing.
KENDRA
(like a Viking berserker)
YAAAAHHH!
Kendra lunges at Arthur, and the two begin their battle anew. A short distance away, Clark, Diana, and Lana are all sparring against J'onn. Diana lunges at the Martian, attempting to snare him with the lasso of truth. J'onn dodges vertically, rising into the air above his opponents. Lana chases him into the air, carried by the dragonfly wings sprouting from her back. Lana morphs her right arm, covering it in black chitin armor and turning her hand into an enormous hornet stinger. She lunges at J'onn, who merely grows a hole in his mid section, causing the stinger to pass through harmlessly. J'onn sprouts two additional arms, one on each side, and grabs hold of Lana. He rockets downward, slamming the teen into the ground with some force. Suddenly, Clark rushes in, socking J'onn in the face and pushing him off of Lana. Clark advances with a powerful right-left-right combo, but as J'onn blocks the blows, he grows several additional limbs to counter attack simultaneously. Clark falls back, but J'onn closes the distance effortlessly with a burst of speed, raining a storm of punches down on Clark with a dozen arms. Clark holds up his arms to block against the onslaught. Diana comes running in and delivers a WWE-style flying spear to J'onn, pulling him off of Clark and sending both him and Diana tumbling to the ground. Just as they hit the floor of the tunnel, J'onn renders himself intangible, and harmlessly passes through the floor and disappears. Diana jumps to her feet, and is joined by Lana and Clark, both aching. Suddenly, J'onn rises out of the ground and hovers above them.
J'ONN
That is enough for now.
J'onn gently floats to the ground.
J'ONN
You have all made considerable
improvements.
LANA
I would argue I've made the most.
DIANA
It's not enough.
CLARK
The three of us can't even beat
you.
DIANA
It's not just a matter of strength.
Our mobility, our range, our
versatility in battle must all
improve if we hope to stand a
chance against our enemies.
CLARK
I know there's a lot more I should
be able to do. That clone the
Legion has, he can fly, shoot eye
lasers...
J'ONN
You have the potential for all of
that and more. All of you do. But
these are skills that took your
counterparts years to master.
DIANA
We do not have years.
J'ONN
I believe the kind of progress you
are looking for is possible, but it
will not be easy.
CLARK
I mean, you can fly. That should
make teaching us a little easier.
J'ONN
You and I are not of the same
species, Clark. Diana's flight is
not even a biological process. Our
methods of locomotion have the same
effect, but they come about it by
different mechanisms. What it feels
like to fly for each of us are very
different things.
LANA
I have wings, so that at least
makes sense.
J'ONN
The one thing that will be required
of all of you is clarity of mind,
and focus. Follow me, please.
J'onn leads the three into a side chamber. Over in the corner, Barry and Hal sit side by side. Barry is stretching while Hal is floating an amorphous geometric shape, projected by his ring, focusing on shifting it from shape to shape in order of increasing number of sides from a sphere to a dodecahedron and back.
BARRY
So, what'd you have in mind for
today?
HAL
You know you don't have to keep
pairing up with me.
BARRY
Aw c'mon! You can make, like, the
best obstacle courses!
HAL
I preferred Ollie as a workout
buddy. We just did our own things
next to each other.
BARRY
Where is Ollie? Is he ditching? I
thought we weren't doing hi-jinks
anymore.
HAL
Ollie's in the infirmary.
INT. INFIRMARY.
HAL
(V.O.)
He's keeping Ray company.
In the infirmary, Oliver Queen is sitting at Ray Palmer's bedside, nursing his right hand with an ice pack. Ollie has a small table in front of him with a large bowl of water on it. Ray's injuries have healed quite a bit, and most of his bandages are gone. He is tinkering with a small device. Nearby, Swamp Thing is tending to Bruce, who has injured his knee. Dinah is standing at Bruce's side, and Ted is sitting up in bed behind them, still recovering from his injuries.
DINAH
I'm really sorry.
BRUCE
(annoyed)
Please stop apologizing.
Swamp Thing grows vines from the tips of his fingers that wrap around Bruce's leg.
BRUCE
(wincing)
Ah!
SWAMP THING
You've sprained your ACL.
DINAH
That sounds bad.
SWAMP THING
He just needs to keep off of it for
a few days.
BRUCE
I'll fall behind on training.
TED
If you want to have a long career,
you're going to rest when the
doctor tells you to rest.
DINAH
I think that's a little
hypocritical coming from you, Ted.
TED
How would you know?
DINAH
I read Barry's comic.
TED
Artistic license.
DINAH
(skeptical)
Uh-huh.
SWAMP THING
(to Bruce)
Those vines are secreting a special
blend I designed that should numb
the pain and speed up the healing
process, but you'll still need to
keep your weight off of it for two
days.
BRUCE
(annoyed)
Great.
Swamp Thing helps Bruce up and guides him over to a free bed.
TED
Junior, you should head back.
DINAH
I guess we can have a rematch in
two days.
BRUCE
Yes. We will.
Dinah exits. Bruce settles onto the bed between Ted and Ray. Ollie, sitting on the other side of Ray's bed, looks over at Bruce.
OLLIE
I guess we're going to be
neighbors.
BRUCE
Why exactly do you get out of
training today, Oliver?
OLLIE
I don't, I'm just taking a break.
TED
That break is up, by the way. I've
been counting.
OLLIE
*SIIIIIIGH*
Ollie sits up. He takes a moment to stretch out his arms, and then he holds his right hand over the bowl of water. He brings his hand down with quick controlled force, and begins slapping the surface of the water rhythmically.
OLLIE
(breathing hard)
Ted says it's archery training.
TED
Builds strength, speed, and
endurance all at once.
BRUCE
(impressed)
That's not a bad idea.
OLLIE
(breathing hard)
My hands are really sore.
TED
Hey, Alec-?
SWAMP THING
I'll look for another bowl.
Swamp Thing exits the infirmary in search of another bowl. Bruce turns to Ray, who has been fiddling with a small object in his hands this whole time.
BRUCE
What is that?
RAY
It's a piece of the shrinking
device Chronos had. I'm pretty sure
it's the battery, or part of the
battery, or the battery and another
part attached to it. It's pretty
complicated, but it all makes a lot
of sense to me. I think it's
something the other me from the
future designed.
BRUCE
Do you think you can figure it out?
RAY
(smiling)
Technically, I already did once.
INT. CAVERN.
Clark, Lana, and Diana are seated cross legged with their eyes closed. J'onn walks around them, leading them in a guided meditation.
J'ONN
Concentrate on the sound of my
voice. As thoughts come into your
mind, so do they go out. Thoughts
are waves on the shore of your
mind. Let my voice be the
lighthouse that guides you to
shore. Let everything else fall
into the sea.
Diana flinches slightly. J'onn senses this and glances at her.
J'ONN
Feel the stillness. Feel what
exists within that stillness. Feel
the life force that permeates the
infinity within the stillness of
you.
Diana flinches again. Her mind flashes to the image of her sister.
J'ONN
There is a living energy flowing
through you, generated by you,
creating and defining your form.
Feel its ebbs and flows. Feel-
Another flinch, and Diana stands with a start. Clark and Lana open their eyes, startled.
J'ONN
Diana-
DIANA
I'm sorry. I can't... I can't. I
can't do this right now, I-
J'ONN
I understand. I can only teach you
what I know, Diana. If my practices
cannot help you, you will have to
find your own path.
Diana takes a deep breath, and then exits the scene with purpose in her stride. Lana gets up and follows after.
BEAT
J'onn and Clark look at each other.
CLARK
I'm good.
EXT. CENTRAL PARK. NORTH WOODS. DAY.
Nestled in a thick cluster of trees in the North Woods of Central Park, a large stone slides to the side on a mechanical track, revealing the entrance to the Owl's Nest. Diana steps out into daylight.
LANA
(O.S.)
Hey!
Lana slips through the opening just in time as the stone slides back into place.
DIANA
You don't have to come with me.
LANA
I want to.
Diana smiles.
LANA
So, what's the plan?
DIANA
I have a connection to the wild
places and things. I can hear what
they feel, feel what they hear... if
I cannot find stillness within myself,
perhaps I can find it in nature.
LANA
Works for me. I mean, technically I
have a whole connection to nature,
too. Or, bugs, at least. It doesn't
make me feel anything, though.
DIANA
How do your abilities work,
exactly?
LANA
The way J'onn explained it, the
HIVE Matrix was a medical device
made by aliens who are, like, huge
spider things. It's supposed to
reprogram cells and make them
healthier. But, it only really understands
the biology of arthropod species.
DIANA
What's a "jointed-leg” species?
LANA
Arthropod. Insects, arachnids,
crustaceans, dust mites... bugs,
basically. The HIVE Matrix is
bonded with my body and it keeps
regenerating my cells, but it also
keeps trying to encode my DNA with
arthropod traits. It won't let
itself do anything that will will
hurt me, so it keeps all of those
traits dormant so there aren't any
dangerous mutations, but since the
matrix can rearrange my cells, I
can make some of those traits
un-dormant without hurting myself and
grow all sorts of modifications to
my body...
Lana sprouts a pair of dragonfly wings and hovers in the air.
LANA
... on "the fly!" ;)
DIANA
That is a pun.
Deflated and annoyed, Lana drops to the ground and the wings disappear.
LANA
Yes.
DIANA
It sounds like you already have
considerable power.
LANA
I still don't really know how to
use it, though. There should be
thousands of things I can manifest,
but so far I've only figured out,
like, three things. Three and a
half.
DIANA
Half?
LANA
Back at the hotel, I sprouted some
kind of crustacean bone knuckle
things on my hands. I think they
were from a pistol shrimp. It made
my punches way more powerful, but I
haven't been able to do it again
since. I thought doing a lot of
research on different bugs would
help, but knowing all of the cool
stuff I might be able to do hasn't
helped me figure out how to do any
of it.
DIANA
These abilities you manifest, they
are the adaptations these animals
have developed in order to survive.
Such things are governed by
instinct, not the conscious mind.
They respond to need, not thought.
LANA
So, what does that mean for me?
DIANA
Instincts cannot be learned. But
they can be honed.
INT. INFIRMARY.
Bruce and Ollie are sitting, facing one another. Between them are two tables, each with a large bowl of water on it. They each hold a hand over the water. Ted sits off to the side.
TED
Ready? Go!
The two begin slapping the surface of the water, alternating hands, competing to see who can do the most the fastest. Bruce's face is stern as he concentrates. Ollie looks flustered.
OLLIE
(quietly)
gottawingottawingottawingottawin
Nearby, Dinah is sitting in the bed right next to Ray's. She is nursing her head with an ice pack.
DINAH
We really need to talk to Kendra about
all that anger she's been having lately.
RAY
Can you blame her?
DINAH
No. I'd just like to help her, is
all. And to not get hit in the face
so much, maybe.
Dinah turns to Ray.
DINAH
What are you working on?
RAY
It's a part from the shrinking
device Chronos had. I think it's a
battery, or part-
Ray sticks his finger into a recently opened compartment of the object, and he suddenly vanishes.
DINAH
Ray?!
This catches the attention of everyone else in the room (except for Ollie, who is completely lost in concentration). Bruce stops what he's doing and hobbles on one leg over to Dinah.
BRUCE
Where's Ray?
DINAH
I don't know!
BRUCE
He was just here!
DINAH
I know!
BRUCE
He couldn't just vanish!
DINAH
He did!
BRUCE
Ted, we have to-!
Suddenly, Ray reappears. He looks shocked, and he is breathing heavily. Everyone stares at him, equally shocked.
BEAT
OLLIE
(O.S.)
I won!
Everyone turns to Ollie, who has his fists raised in the air in triumph.
OLLIE
(confused)
What?
INT. CAVERN.
Clark sits cross legged as J'onn guides his meditation.
J'ONN
Focus on your breathing. Breath in,
and out. In, and out. In, and out...
Clark follows J'onn's instructions, focusing his awareness on the rhythmic rise and fall of his chest as he reflexively breathes in and out.
J'ONN
To breathe is to live. Breath is
life. Life-giving air, entering
your body, nourishing your cells.
Clark settles into the rhythm of his breathing. The world around him begins to fall away. Our perception begins to shift, as we start to see the concentrations of energy in the world around Clark.
J'ONN
The planet Krypton was, by all
accounts, inhospitable to life. Its
atmosphere heavy and noxious,
lacking magnetic fields to shield
it from the cosmic radiation, it
orbited a dying star. Its gravity
was five times that of Earth. For
life to evolve there, it had to be
creative, and it had to be
powerful.
We see the world as Clark sees it, as an x-ray composed of contrasting lights. Clark is seeing the concentration of potential energy in all of the objects around him. J'onn appears as a solid glowing humanoid figure, while Clark's internal anatomy is visible, revealing the utterly alien biology hidden under his seemingly human exterior.
J'ONN
Kryptonian bodies draw power from
the heart of the nearest star,
storing it within each cell. This
energy is transferred into
movement, multiplying the
force and allowing the Kryptonian
to push against the gravity of
their home-world. As energy passes
through the cell membranes, they
harden to maintain integrity.
As Clark breathes in and out, we can see the air going in, collecting in his (oddly shaped) lungs, and then being pushed out with every inhale and exhale. As he continues, breathing in and out over and over again, we see his lungs begin to glow more intensely, and more and more energy becomes concentrated there with every breath.
J'ONN
It is an adaptation that allows a
species to flourish and survive on
a planet adversarial to life. And
on Earth, with one fifth the gravity and a
healthy sun overflowing with power,
it is this adaptation that gives
you the strength to move mountains.
There is a hurricane of force,
swelling in your chest, building
and building with every breath...
Clark's breathing becomes harder and faster. His muscles tense up. His body crackles slightly with energy. Then, suddenly, just as our perspective returns to normal, Clark suddenly and violently exhales, creating hurricane force winds that swirl chaotically around the cavern. J'onn strains to hold his ground against such force. After a few moments of chaos and struggle, Clark runs out of breath and the wind subsides.
CLARK
(breathless)
*GASP!*
Clark tumbles back, gasping for air.
CLARK
What was that?
J'ONN
You concentrated energy into your
lungs, strengthening them while
infusing the air inside with power.
When you exhaled, it was with the
force of a tornado. Your
counterpart referred to the
technique as "super-breath." He
said it was one of the first he
learned.
CLARK
A tornado?
J'ONN
A small one.
EXT. CENTRAL PARK. NORTH WOODS.
Diana leaps from tree branch to tree branch in the thick overgrowth of Central Park's north woods, while Lana keeps up in the air.
DIANA
I was given many blessings by the
gods upon my birth. Chief among
them came from Gaia, the mother of
all things. It was her decree that
the world would shoulder my every
burden. This is the source of my
strength; anything I lift, the
earth itself lifts with me, and my
fists strike with the weight of
mountains.
LANA
Planet strength. Got it.
DIANA
Until now, I thought strength was
all there was to it.
When the west wind carried me away from Themyscira,
I thought it divine
intervention, not a skill I could
master. But in my battle with the
giant at the hotel, for a moment, I
stepped on air itself. In that
moment of need, my instincts
responded, and made use of Gaia's
blessing in a way I had never
consciously considered before.
LANA
Right, but, how do you learn
instinct?
DIANA
I already told you, you don't.
LANA
You hone it. How?
DIANA
It helps to observe it in action.
Diana comes to a stop on a tree branch. She holds out her hand, and as if on cue, a small brown sparrow flies down and perches on her finger.
LANA
You really are a princess.
DIANA
Look at her. No one taught her how
to fly. It came to her as naturally
as breathing.
LANA
Yeah, but what about us? I mean, I
can already fly, but...
Diana flicks her finger ever so lightly, and the bird hops up and begins flying in circles around the two girls' heads.
DIANA
Watch how she moves. How she makes
a hundred subtle adjustments moment
to moment in order to ride the air
currents. Her body is listening to
the world around her, and she is
listening to what her body tells
her. We must do the same, as we
observe.
LANA
So, what, I go look at some bugs?
DIANA
I admit, I have an advantage in
this task.
LANA
What should I do?
DIANA
The first step, Lana, is to listen
to your body. Everything else comes
after that.
INT. CAVERN.
J'onn and Clark sit side by side. Clark is taking a break for water and orange slices.
J'ONN
Your power is a reflex, one that
you have learned to call upon when
you need it. You have learned to
summon considerable power, but now
you need precision and control. "Super-breath"
was the first step, learning to
move the energy around in your body
and concentrate it where you need
it. If you wish to fly, it will
require you to call forth an
enormous amount of energy in every
part of your body at once, and
maintain complete control as you
project it outwards, constantly
making subtle adjustments in output
to maintain stability.
CLARK
That... uh... that sounds hard.
J'ONN
It will not come all at once. Your
next step will be concentrating
your energy in order to kinetically
boost locomotion.
CLARK
Huh?
J'ONN
"Super jump."
Clark looks around.
CLARK
We're gonna need more room.
INT. UNDERGROUND TUNNEL.
Barry is using a wrench to tighten a bolt on what looks like a large water tank. Hal is standing by, looking bored.
HAL
So, what are we doing here?
BARRY
We're here to test out my new move!
HAL
"New move?"
Barry finishes up his work. He puts down his tools and rejoins Hal.
BARRY
You know how I can make my punches
explode by accelerating the
momentum of the air in front of my
fist at the last moment?
HAL
Kind of?
BARRY
Well, I thought of a more advanced
version of it.
Barry holds out his arm and begins moving his hand and fingers around a fixed point in the air at super speed.
BARRY
If I can apply that principal, but
move my hand around to get the air
molecules accelerating in a bunch
of different directions at once, I
think I can create this hyper
condensed ball of kinetic energy in
the palm of my hand.
HAL
And the water tank-?
BARRY
Think of it as a punch testing
machine. If I can strike the tank
and get the water to burst out the
other side, we can measure power
output by how much water gets
displaced.
HAL
Okay, and final question: why am I
here?
BARRY
You're force field guy.
HAL
Pardon?
BARRY
Well, if I get the math wrong in my
head, then the energy ball will
explode and kill us all.
HAL
Hence force field guy.
BARRY
Precisely!
Barry turns around and faces the water tank. As his hand and fingers move rapidly around a fixed point in the air, they begin to crackle with energy.
BARRY.
You might want to hold onto
something.
EXT. CENTRAL PARK. NORTH WOODS. DAY.
Diana is once again leaping from tree branch to tree branch, moving at a much faster pace than before. All around her, birds fly and dance through the air.
CUT TO
Lana, standing alone among the trees, closing her eyes, listening to her body.
CUT TO
Diana running through the treetops. With each leap, she extends her time in the air a bit longer, riding over the currents of wind like a body surfer in the ocean, trying to match the grace of the birds swirling around her.
CUT TO
Lana, eyes closed, concentrating.
FLASHBACK
The night of the hotel mission. Lana is on her hands and knees. Lex Luthor is standing over her, his hand extended, ready to blast her away into nothingness. Brainiac stands off to one side.
BRAINIAC
Lex, I think it might be wise to
keep her alive.
LEX
To what end?
CUT TO
Lana is deep in contemplation.
CUT TO
Diana diving through the air. She pushes off of a tree branch, and instead of landing on another one, she shoots forward, twisting and arcing through the currents of air like a fish navigating the currents of a river. The birds circle around her in perfect formation.
CUT TO
Lana Lang, eyes closed, deeply focused.
FLASHBACK
Back at the hotel. Brainiac walks up beside Luthor and looks down at Lana.
BRAINIAC
Having her around will help keep
Mr. Ross happy, and-
CUT TO
Lana's face clenches with rage, as does her fist, which sprouts black chitin armor and forms large bone-like protrusions on each knuckle. In a moment of anger, her fist lunges forward as she punches the air in front of her. The knuckle-bones move forward and back faster than the speed of sound at the moment her arm fully extents, creating a deafening cracking noise and generating and enormous shockwave that shoots forward from Lana's fist.
CUT TO
Diana is shooting through the air like a dolphin in water. She twists and swoops and dives, and then suddenly shoots upward, clearing the tree line and rising into the air, where wind begins to circle and concentrate around her feet, giving her a cushion to help push her up into the air. Diana comes to the arc of her ascent and hovers mid air for a moment, admiring the beauty of New York City, before diving back under the canopy.
CUT TO
Lana, standing there, stunned and deeply impressed, as she sees the several trees that were blown over by the force of her punch.
INT. UNDERGROUND TUNNEL.
Clark stands at the center of a large underground tunnel. J'onn stands off to the side. Clark is focusing, charging up his body as usual, but now paying attention to how it feels as the energy courses through him. He concentrates, and the power starts to collect in his legs, which actively crackle with arcs of blue energy.
J'ONN
Ready?
Clark smiles. He makes a simple hop, and shoots to the ceiling of the tunnel, over thirty feet up, in an instant. The bricks on the ceiling crack as his hand and legs, surging with power, make contact. Nearly instantly, he shoots down at the ground, and then up to the ceiling again, and begins ricocheting around the tunnel like a hyperkinetic pinball. At several points he whizzes right by J'onn, barely missing him as he zips from wall to ceiling to floor and back with precise movements, generating a burst of pure force every time he makes contact. The room begins to shake slightly.
J'ONN
Enough for now!
Clark's movements reach their crescendo, and he lands with a hard thud, skidding to a stop next to J'onn and kicking up a great deal of dust in the process.
CLARK
That was AWESOME!
J'ONN
You did very well.
CLARK
I was like a pinball wizard!
J'ONN
That is not what the song is about.
CLARK
What song?
J'ONN
(smiling)
Never mind for now.
CLARK
So, what comes after “super-jump?”
J'ONN
Once you have mastered kinetically
boosted locomotion, your next goal
is sustained propulsion.
CLARK
Flying?
J'ONN
Flying.
Clark's eyes light up.
LANA
(O.S.)
Way ahead of you, boss.
Lana and Diana both glide into the scene, Lana carried by her wings, Diana carried by the air itself. They both come to a landing next to J'onn and Clark. Clark looks super excited.
CLARK
You can fly?!
DIANA
Briefly, for short distances. It's
a start.
CLARK
It's awesome!
LANA
I can do explosive punches.
CLARK
(thinking)
I could probably make explosions
by clapping my hands real hard.
J'ONN
If you think so...
J'onn shifts into a fighting stance.
J'ONN
... why not give it a try?
The kids smile and shift into fighting stances.
INT. UNDERGROUND TUNNEL.
Kendra sits by herself. She is drinking water. Her body is exhausted, but her mind will not rest. A short distance away, Arthur sits, also taking a water break. He looks at Kendra for a moment before making up his mind and getting up to walk over to her.
ARTHUR
You really should take it easier.
Kendra does not answer.
ARTHUR
Not even easy, just easier. You're
pushing yourself harder than the
rest of us. You're taking less
breaks.
No response.
ARTHUR
I get it. I went through something
similar when my mom died. And when
I lost my dad, I bailed on my whole
life. So yeah, I definitely get it.
But the stakes are high right now.
We already lost Carter. We don't
want to lose you, too.
BEAT
KENDRA
Did you hear that?
ARTHUR
Yes.
Kendra stands, and walks in the direction of the sound she heard. Arthur follows behind. She approaches a rusted metal door. Muffled voices can be heard coming from the other side. Kendra and Arthur make eye contact. They both nod. Kendra readies her mace as Arthur approaches the door. He grips it with both hands and tears the door off of its hinges, casting it aside like a foil tray. On the other side of the door stand Alexander Luthor and Helena Luthor. The two sets of teens stare at each other, completely stunned.
ARTHUR
What the fu-?!
THE END
INT. APARTMENT. NIGHT.
POST CREDITS SCENE: The student from the beginning sits at a desk, reading a college chemistry textbook and taking notes. Next to him is a turntable playing a Richard Pryor comedy album. He looks up from his reading as the recorded audience bursts into laughter at a particularly punchy punchline.
STUDENT
(chuckling)
Richard, you are on fire right now!
Suddenly, there is a loud knock at the door. Annoyed, the student turns off the record player and gets up.
STUDENT
(shouting)
Hey, I'm not expecting anybody, so
if you're with the government or
the church-!
As he approaches the door, it is kicked in, right off its hinges, by Deathstroke, The Terminator.
STUDENT
(terrified)
So, not the church?
Deathstroke grabs him and holds him down. Lex Luthor strolls in after him.
STUDENT
Listen, if you guys are with the
Romans, I don't do that stuff
anymore. I'm going to school now, I
don't know anything that's going on
anymore... I mean, I might be able to
hook you up with some fake IDs,
but...
Lex produces a syringe containing an amber colored liquid and jabs it into the student's neck, pushing down the plunger.
STUDENT
Ah! What is that?!
LEX
(to Deathstroke)
Quickly.
Deathstroke grabs the back of the student's head and pushes it forward and down, exposing the back of his neck to Luthor. Lex produces the microchip from last episode. He places it on the back of the student's neck, and the metal teeth protruding all around it clamp down, digging into his brainstem and spinal cord. A green light blinks on, and the student's body seizes up. Deathstroke lets him go and allows him to drop to his hands and knees. He screams, silently, as the download takes effect. Lex steps away to grab a chair. He places it in front of the student and sits down.
LEX
Hello, old friend.
From your perspective, I pressed record
just a moment ago, but it has been some
time. You didn't make it, obviously. That's
what this was for, after all. You are in your own
body, the version of it from this timeline,
years before you were ever... you. Best
chance of the download sticking that way. I
injected you with a copy of Slade's serum, in
order to boost elasticity in your neurons to help
the download along. As a result, you're going to be
much stronger than you've ever been before.
You're going to need it. I need your help.
Doctor Minerva and Marius have staged a coup.
I can and will handle them on my own, but
there is still the matter of the League. I can't win
a war if I'm fighting on two fronts. I am asking
you to find the Justice League in this timeline,
the ones that are still children, and keep
them pinned down until I have resolved matters
with Barbara. What do you say?
BEAT
THE JOKER
... hehehe hehehe haha hehehahahah
HAHAHEHEHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH
!!!
THE END
Notes:
Hypothetical Cast Update:
The Joker: Donald Glover
Chapter 22: Challenge of the Super Friends, Season 1, Episode 22: "The Warmup"
Summary:
I would like, if I may, to take you on a strange journey...
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
INT. DRESSING ROOM. NIGHT.
A man is sitting in front of a vanity in a dark room. Our view of him is from behind, we can only see the back of his head, wet and slick from having recently been dyed green. His body obstructs our view of the mirror. He reaches to one side, grabbing a white mask, and holds it up to his face.
LEX LUTHOR
(V.O.)
I can't offer you much.
INT. APARTMENT. NIGHT.
The apartment from the previous episode. The recently embodied Joker is on his knees, his back to us, giggling quietly.
LEX LUTHOR
In terms of money or real estate,
you're going to be on your own...
INT. DRESSING ROOM.
Our angle is the same, but the man is standing, his head out of frame. He swings his arms around to put on a purple jacket in a grand swooping motion.
LEX LUTHOR
(V.O.)
... but then, you've never had much
trouble scrounging for resources.
INT. APARTMENT.
Luthor is pacing back and forth in front of the newly corporealized clown prince of crime. He is holding a stack of papers in his hand.
LEX LUTHOR
What I can give you is what little
manpower I can spare. Don't worry...
INT. DRESSING ROOM.
The man approaches the door of the dressing room. His back is to us. He is fully decked out in a purple suit, with gloves and everything, he reaches to one side, retrieves a purple fedora, and places it upon his head.
LEX LUTHOR
(V.O.)
... they're your kind of people.
CUT TO
A close up of a purple glove-clad hand turning on a record player. The record is the 1972 Adriano Celentano single "PRİSENCÓLİNENSİNÁİNCIÚSOL."
INT. MANSION. NIGHT.
THE JOKER exits the dressing room onto the second floor landing. He is dressed in full classic Joker regalia, with the addition of an eternally smiling white mask covering his face, to make up for the lack of weird acid burn skin bleaching in this timeline. The music is still playing, and The Joker is dancing toward the top of the stairs.
EXT. PARKING LOT ATM. NIGHT.
Flashing back, we see The Joker, still wearing his former self's clothes with the noteworthy addition of a white cloth mask with a red smile and eyes scribbled over the face, sitting on top of a car, cross legged, counting an enormous stack of money as he quickly stuffs it into a bag. All around the car, motionless bodies of men dressed in dark clothes and ski masks are strewn across the ground. Nearby, a parking lot ATM stands, its front panel having been wrenched open violently by a crowbar that is still stuck in the machine. Errant 20 dollar bills flutter in the wind. As The Joker finishes filling the bag, one of the men on the ground starts to try and get up. As The Joker hops down from the roof of the car, bag in hand, he casually points a handgun at the man on the ground and shoots him three times as he strolls off.
CUT TO
Back in the present, The Joker is dancing down the staircase to the beat of the music in a complex routine.
EXT. DOORSTEP. DAY.
In the recent past, The Joker, dressed as a delivery man, stands before the front door of the mansion, holding up a large bouquet of flowers that obscure his face. As the door opens, he drops the flowers, casually sprays whoever is answering the door with bullets from the small machine gun in his other hand, and walks forward all in one fluid motion, done without thought.
CUT TO
The Joker, in the present, dancing further down the stairs.
CUT TO
In the recent past, in the dining room of the mansion, The Joker lays out blueprints on a table and begins marking it with a large red pen. On the blueprints, the words "Iron Heights Penitentiary" can be read.
CUT TO
Joker's dance routine.
INT. CENTRAL CITY AEROSPACE MUSEUM. NIGHT.
The metal wall of the airplane hangar begins to glow orange, and then melts away. An enormous figure wreathed in green flame steps aside, and The Joker lets himself in. He looks up at the B-52 bomber on display.
EXT. IRON HEIGHTS PENITENTIARY. DAY.
Everything seems quiet in the prison. Up in one of the guard towers, a guard looks out the window, attentive but fairly bored. A shadow grows over him. He looks up, and a look of horror grows on his face. Nearby, The Joker floats into the yard, wearing a parachute, as the guard tower explodes. Bombs begin to drop from the sky, causing chaos and calamity all around the clown prince of crime. He begins a light stroll deeper into the complex.
CUT TO
More dancing back in the present. The joker is nearing the bottom of the stairs.
INT. IRON HEIGHTS PENITENTIARY.
It's absolute calamity. Alarms are sounding. Guards are running around like chickens with their heads cut off. Prisoners are trapped in their cells, rattling the cages and shouting to be let out, and their words fall on deaf and panicked ears. A guard in full riot gear jogs down the cell block toward one particular cell, occupied by Harrison Welles, AKA Eobard Thawn, AKA PROFESSOR ZOOM, THE REVERSE FLASH! One guard, standing by Thawn's cell, looks towards the SWAT officer with a look of panic on his face.
GUARD
I heard explosions! What do we-?!
The SWAT guard draws his gun and unloads three rounds into the other guard's chest. He lifts the keys off of the corpse and unlocks Thawn's cell. Confused, Thawn gets up and faces his savior, who lifts up his helmet's visor to reveal The Joker's mask underneath.
CUT TO
The Joker continues to dance down the grand staircase of the mansion in perfect time to the music. He reaches the bottom of the stairs, and as the chorus of the song begins, he is joined by the Legion members that Lex has assigned to work with him: DOCTOR PSYCHO, THE PRANKSTER, TOYMAN, ATOMIC SKULL, BLACK MASK, ZOOM, DOCTOR POLARIS, DOCTOR ALCHEMY, all of them dancing with The Joker in a perfectly choreographed routine. As the voice of Claudia Mori joins Adriana Celentano on the track, Roscoe Dillon, AKA THE TOP, joins the others. The Joker takes her hand in his and the villains finish their dastardly routine as they enter the dining room, The Joker and The Top dancing together on top of the dining room table as the song's harmonica solo plays.
INT. THE OWL'S NEST STUDY.
The entire party stands staring at their two newest arrivals, Alexander and Helena Luthor. Everyone looks shocked and uncomfortable, to say the least, but some expressions of note: Bruce remains stone faced, refusing to betray anything as he scrutinizes. Kendra glares at them like her namesake bird of prey getting ready to pounce. Diana's expression is a mixture of disgust tempered with guilt for having felt said disgust. In the depths of Clark Kent's soul, his fight, flight, feint, and fawn responses are all simultaneously screaming Y-E-S at a volume comparable to a sonic boom, as he stares forward with a deer-in-the-headlights expression at all of the pain and cruelty in his future embodied in a seemingly regular guy and his kid sister. J'onn is the only one visibly keeping his cool completely.
J'ONN
You are Alexander and Helena
Luthor.
ALEX/LENA
(simultaneously)
Correct/Yes
CLARK
(to Lena)
You're his sister?
LENA
... yes?
OLLIE
(to the group)
Is it weird that he has a sister,
or am I weird for thinking it's
weird he has a sister?
DINAH
I cannot explain why but it is so
incredibly weird he has a sister.
DIANA
Oliver, Dinah, please don't be
rude. These... are our guests.
ALEX
I take it all of you are familiar
with...
LENA
(doing finger quotes)
"... Lex"
J'ONN
We are. How are you familiar with
him?
ALEX
(facetious)
You mean besides being the same
person?
Lena elbows her brother in the side.
ALEX
Ow!
LENA
Don't be a jerk!
ALEX
All right, sorry...
LENA
(to J'onn)
He approached us back in September.
ALEX
Specifically, he approached me back
in September. He told me who he was,
and he showed me an old yellowed
archive copy of the next day's
newspaper to prove he was telling
the truth. Then, he offered to take
both of us in.
LENA
That's when I met him.
J'ONN
You were living on your own?
ALEX
We were living with our father.
LENA
At the time, Lex seemed like the
better option.
ALEX
(quietly)
Don't give Lionel too much credit.
J'ONN
I understand.
BRUCE
I don't.
Bruce steps forward.
BRUCE
Not completely. So far, with only
one very notable exception, the
Legion have eliminated every one of
their counterparts we've come
across. And yet they made contact
with you?
ALEX
"Legion?"
BARRY
(speaking up from the back)
"of Doom."
ALEX
Do you mean Lex's former friends?
BARRY
It's what we call them.
BRUCE
Did you say "former?"
LENA
There's someone we should probably
show you.
CUT TO
Chronos once again sits before the party, as Diana is tying him to a metal folding chair with the golden lasso of truth.
DIANA
(smug)
Hello, David.
CHRONOS
(annoyed)
Princess.
Alex holds out an old black leather doctor's bag. Clark, noticeably, is standing as far away from him as possible.
ALEX
He had this with him. We didn't
have time to look through it.
Ray walks up to Alex.
RAY
May I...?
Alex hands the bag to Ray.
ALEX
Sure. Knock yourself out.
Ray opens the bag and looks inside.
RAY
This looks like more of the
equipment he had on him in Ivytown.
(to J'onn)
Can I take this stuff and go look
at it?
J'ONN
Go ahead.
Ray walks off, eyeing Chronos with an awkward disdain as he goes. Dinah follows after Ray and grabs Ollie by the arm to drag him along.
OLLIE
Hey!
DINAH
We're going to make sure he doesn't
knock himself out.
As they exit, Clark, who this entire time has been awkwardly attempting to not awkwardly stare at Alex, backs out of the room after them.
CLARK
You know, I should go, also, and go
do...
Clark dashes away at super speed, cutting himself off in the process. J'onn turns back to Alex.
J'ONN
Tell us about your encounter with
Chronos.
ALEX
He attacked us.
LENA
He was with a cheetah woman. And
a talking Gorilla. And a talking...
shadow, I guess.
ARTHUR
Last one sounds like my brother.
LENA
Oh.
J'ONN
(to Chronos)
Is the Legion is at war with
itself?
CHRONOS
(grimacing)
... yes.
J'ONN
Who leads the factions?
CHRONOS
(reluctant but resigned)
Luthor and Cheetah.
DIANA
What are they fighting over?
Chronos glances at Alex and Lena.
CHRONOS
Them.
J'ONN
Why?
CHRONOS
We all agreed to certain things
when we joined this venture. Chief
among them was that each of us
would see to it our histories were
cleared upon our arrival in the
past.
BRUCE
(disgusted)
You have a name for it.
J'ONN
Luthor's betrayal was his
intentional failure to "clear his
history?"
CHRONOS
Yes.
DIANA
That's enough to start a civil war?
CHRONOS
Lex Luthor was reliving his
childhood in secret while I saw to
the annihilation of mine. I may be
a scoundrel, Princess, but I have
my pride.
DIANA
What you have are answers to our
questions.
Barry extends a high five to Diana.
BARRY
Nice.
Diana examines Barry's hand and carefully presses her palm against his.
ALEX
Well, have fun interrogating,
everyone.
Alex walks towards the door. Everyone watches after him as he goes.
LENA
Yeah, sorry about that. Alex thinks
being a loner is cool. It's super
lame.
Bruce, eyeing Alex suspiciously, follows after him. Barry watches Bruce walk off and then turns to Lena.
BARRY
We know the type.
BEAT
LENA
Should I... be here for this next
part?
BARRY
Probably not, let's go.
INT. OWLS NEST HALLWAY.
Bruce catches up with Alex.
BRUCE
Luthor.
Alex stops.
ALEX
What?
BRUCE
Where are you going?
ALEX
I'm going to, I don't know, get
settled in, I guess.
BRUCE
So you, what, live here now?
ALEX
I distinctly remember being
referred to earlier as a guest.
BRUCE
Guests are invited. I don't know
what you are, yet. I'm wondering if
you know, either.
ALEX
What is that supposed to mean?
BRUCE
Alex, what you appear to be is
someone asking us for help, except
for the part where you actually say
"please help me." And I want to
help you, Alex, I truly do. But
right now, my first priority is to
the people hiding for their lives
in this bunker. We've lost so much...
all we have left now is each other.
To be blunt, with the stakes this
high, you don't get the benefit of
the doubt, Luthor.
BEAT
ALEX
(nonchalant)
Good to know.
Alex turns on the spot and continues walking away. Bruce glares as he watches him go.
BRUCE
(quietly and sarcastically)
Welcome to the team...
INT. INFIRMARY.
Ray is sitting cross-legged on a bed, with a whole array of small devices spread out before him. The gadgets confiscated from Chronos in Ivytown, broken and drained of power, as well as their replacements, confiscated from Chronos five minutes ago, fully charged and pristine. Ollie and Dinah are sitting in chairs on each side of the bed, with Ray's bed between them.
DINAH
Do you know what you're doing?
RAY
Define "know what you're doing."
OLLIE
You can't define "know what you're
doing." It's one of those things
that just is what it is.
RAY
I'm not sure I agree with that,
rhetorically. Or philosophically.
DINAH
I guess what I'm wondering is if,
in the process of playing with the
supervillain's gadgets, you end up
vanishing again.
RAY
I didn't vanish.
OLLIE
You kinda vanished.
RAY
I shrank.
DINAH
Really?
RAY
Well, yeah. I thought that was
obvious. I'm, y'know, The Atom.
OLLIE
Yeah, but you don't have powers
yet.
RAY
The Atom doesn't have powers. His
"powers" come from the shrinking
device built into his costume,
which is the same technology that
was used to make this.
Ray holds up a small white pill-shaped capsule with a small button on one end. He clicks it, and it *POP*s open, and a tiny speck rapidly and preternaturally grows into a Colt .45 handgun, which plops on the bed.
RAY
Chronos uses shrinking technology
he stole from The Atom to store
things.
BEAT
OLLIE
(panicked slightly)
Okay, that's a real gun!
RAY
(scared)
AH!
Dinah nonchalantly picks up the gun, removes the clip, pulls back the slide to eject the round in the chamber, puts the safety on, and places the gun on the empty bed next to her in less than a second.
DINAH
Ray, you were saying?
OLLIE
(quietly)
wow...
RAY
Um, right. Yeah. Anyway, like I was
saying, these capsules use The
Atom's shrinking technology.
Ray holds up the broken capsule from the previous episode.
DINAH
So, it shrank you?
RAY
No. Well, I mean, yes it did shrink
me, but... let me explain. This one
is broken. Not only does it not
have a power source, but the
circuits are severed. And, even if it
were working, I don't think it's
made to work on people.
OLLIE
Okay, but it did shrink you.
RAY
Right. So, when I got hurt, I was
holding this capsule in my hand
when it exploded. Inside was the
white dwarf, which was supposed to
be the power source for the
shrinking technology in the future;
the capsules have tiny white dwarf
batteries. When this capsule
shattered, the meteor was forced to
return to its normal size while it
was exploding. I was hit with
microscopic shrapnel that was
expanding as it was embedding
itself in the atoms and molecules
of my body.
OLLIE
Wouldn't that make a person
explode?
RAY
That's what I thought, but it seems
that a pretty significant
percentage of the meteor's mass has
actually been incorporated into my
body on a molecular level. I think
all the extra matter and energy that
would have made me explode was
absorbed into the space between the
atoms of my body, which is
technically infinite. That's
actually the fundamental principle
behind the shrinking technology,
you see...
DINAH
Skip to the end.
RAY
My body is part shrink ray battery
now. When I stuck my finger inside
the battery port, I completed the
circuit and acted as a power
source.
DINAH
That's why you shrank?
RAY
That's why I shrank.
OLLIE
Sooooooo... what does that mean?
RAY
It means I got powers.
Dinah smiles, and gives Ray an affectionate arm punch.
RAY
Ow!
(smiling)
Thanks.
DINAH
So, what's next for "The Atom?"
RAY
Well, if I'm right, I can use
Chronos' shrinking capsules, plus
spare parts from his other gadgets,
to build a full-body harness that
should let me shrink on command.
At this moment, Barry and Lena enter the room.
OLLIE
What're you two doing here?
BARRY
We decided that interrogating an
evil murderer probably involved
strong language and adult content
not suitable for minors.
LENA
Why do you talk like that?
BARRY
Like what?
Lena ignores Barry's response and approaches Ray.
LENA
What're you doing?
OLLIE
We're building Ray's super suit.
LENA
Awesome! Can I help?
RAY
Yeah. Sure. Of course. If that's
what you...
Lena, not entirely paying attention to Ray, picks up one of the capsules and begins fiddling with it.
RAY
... I mean, if you want to help, of
course you can, but it's going to
be a while before I'm ready to make
any kind of costume or anything, I
mean, I...
Lena clicks the capsule and it *POP*s open, releasing a machete that clanks to the floor. Dinah picks up the machete and gingerly places it next to the gun. Lena turns to Ray.
LENA
Listen, kid, we can talk
engineering later, but I'm going to
need someone to talk me through the
physics behind that, please and
thank you.
RAY
Oh, well, it has to do with the
infinite space that exists between
atoms.
LENA
(suspicious)
Go on...
RAY
Okay, well, first, actually, it'd
be helpful if I explain this metal
called "white dwarf alloy..."
INT. OWL NEST.
Alex is walking down the halls of the bunker. He stops as he passes a room and looks to the side. He sees Clark Kent setting up a cot in a room full of them.
ALEX
What are you doing?
CLARK
(startled)
Ah!
ALEX
(not that sorry)
Sorry.
CLARK
(genuine)
It's okay.
The two just stand there for a moment.
ALEX
So, what are you doing?
CLARK
I'm, uh... I'm making your bed. I
guess.
ALEX
Oh.
BEAT
ALEX
Uh, thanks for that.
CLARK
You're welcome.
An awkward silence hangs in the air. Barry darts in.
BARRY
(serious)
We have a problem.
CUT TO
INT. OWL'S NEST. MAIN ENTRANCE.
The entire party stands in stunned silence. Before them, on the floor, sits a large package. It is wrapped in purple paper, and tied with a green bow. It has a tag that reads "To the JLA" in cursive handwriting.
CLARK
Where did it come from?
BRUCE
A courier set it on the ground
outside, just a few minutes ago.
J'ONN
Hal, would you please-?
Hal extends his ring-hand. The ring glows, and a similar green glow appears around the package. The bow appears to untie itself, and the package falls apart, revealing a small TV with a VHS player and a tape labeled "PLAY ME."
CLARK
Huh.
CUT TO
The party assembled around the TV, placed upon a table. Clark pushes the tape into the VHS and presses play. First, static, which gives way to a recording of a live broadcast of Central City Picture News from earlier the same day. Reporter Eric Larkin is on screen, standing outside what looks like a small warzone.
ERIC LARKIN
... coming to you live from Iron
Heights Penitentiary, which has
suffered, as strange as it sounds,
an aerial bombardment. Just one
hour ago, an estimated 27 home-made
bombs were dropped on the prison
from above. The culprit? A B-52
bomber, stolen last night from the
Central City Aerospace Museum, a
theft that somehow went unnoticed
until early this morning. So far,
there are seventeen confirmed
casualties, five guards and twelve
inmates, and one confirmed escape...
The image on the screen changes, showing the mugshot of Harrison Welles. Barry's eyes widen in horror.
ERIC LARKIN
... Harrison Welles, who had been
serving a life sentence for the
murders of Nora Allen four years
ago, and his employer Harold Burke
late last year. Welles is at large,
and authorities warn the public
that he is extremely...
Barry shuts off the TV. A cold silence fills the room.
BARRY
We need to run.
INT. JAVELIN.
The party files into the Javelin quickly. Diana shoves Chronos in, still bound by the lasso.
CHRONOS
Be gentle!
DIANA
No.
Alex brings up the rear with Lena and Ray.
ALEX
You have an invisible plane.
RAY
We used to have two.
Everyone straps into their seats as Hal initiates takeoff. The javelin, still cloaked, rises into the air and shoots off into the night sky.
LENA
Where are we going, exactly?
HAL
We are figuring that out.
J'ONN
I do not wish to alarm anyone, but
we are running out of viable
locations to hide.
TED
Blackhawk Island?
J'ONN
The Legion knows of it.
DIANA
I would like to know how our latest
base was compromised.
BRUCE
I hate to be the one saying it, but
the fact that this occurred at the
same time as our new arrivals...
ALEX
Accusations. Lovely.
LENA
I for one did not betray anyone
here.
ALEX
We're trying to get away from these
people too, you know.
CLARK
No, I don't think that's it...
Clark reaches out and places his hand on Alex's shoulder.
CLARK
Excuse me.
ALEX
(uncomfortable)
Sure...
Clark closes his eyes, and he focuses on his breathing. The world falls away, and we see things as Clark sees them, the concentrations of energy in the people and objects around him glowing against a backdrop of black, revealing an x-ray like image of the world. Unlike Clark or any of the others, Alex and Lena's bodies are giving off a steady glowing pulse of energy. Clark retracts his hand and opens his eyes as the world returns to normal.
CLARK
Their bodies are giving off radio
waves.
ALEX
What?
CLARK
It... feels like it's coming from
their blood.
J'ONN
Luthor must have injected you with something.
ALEX
(stunned)
... we got booster shots...
Bruce walks over to Hal.
BRUCE
Hal, we have a problem. The
Legion's tracking...
HAL
(trying to keep his cool)
Yeah, I'm not in control of the
plane anymore, Bruce!
As Hal fights against it, the plane begins to turn hard as their course changes. Frustrated, Hal slams his fist on the dash.
HAL
What is wrong with this thing?!
The video display on the dash comes on, showing a small cartoon image of a mustachioed man in a tacky green suit, wagging his finger with a smug expression on his face.
PRANKSTER
(video)
Uh-uh-uh! Uh-uh-uh!
HAL
Computers. Great.
Alex and Lena quickly approach the dash.
ALEX
Move out of the way.
HAL
Hey!
ALEX
Do you want us to fix this or do
you want us all to get killed?
Using her screwdriver, Lena pries open a panel next to the screen. Alex moves in next to his sister.
LENA
Let's see what we're working with...
The Luthor siblings get to work trying to de-hack the plane's computers.
HAL
Are you sure you guys can do this?
LENA
We will let you know.
ALEX
Yes, we're sure. Don't distract us.
HAL
(to Bruce)
If this doesn't work, I could
protect everyone with a force field
while I blow up the plane.
ALEX
Oh yes, "blow everything up,"
genius strategy.
HAL
I don't hear you coming up with any
better ideas.
ALEX
That is literally what I'm doing
right now.
LENA
I thought you didn't want
distractions.
ALEX
Not my fault I can hear...
Alex rewires a circuit inside the console, and the image on the screen shuts off.
ALEX
(smug)
... and "voila."
The plane decelerates. Hal returns to his seat and resumes control.
ALEX
You're welcome.
BEAT
The lights in the Javelin flicker and go off as the plane's engines stall out. The Javelin goes into free fall.
LENA
(shouting)
WE DID NOT DO THAT!
EXT. SKY. NIGHT.
The Javelin plummets out of the sky. Hal and J'onn fly out of the plane's side hatch, and Hal catches the plane in a green energy field.
HAL
Alright, we should be okay. But now
we're pretty exposed.
J'ONN
And we still need to discover what...
Suddenly, shooting up from the Earth like a fiery rocket, the hulking frame of THE ATOMIC SKULL collides with J'onn, wreathed in an aura of green flames as he grapples with the Martian.
HAL
J'onn!
Before Hal can come to the rescue, DOCTOR POLARIS swoops into the scene, blasting Hal with a focused beam of E-M radiation from his hand and knocking the teen GL tumbling backwards through the air. The Javelin begins to fall again, but Polaris uses his mastery of magnetism to catch it, and begins bringing it toward the intended destination. Nearby, Hal comes to a stop mid air. He readies to give chase, but he is suddenly attacked by an enormous figure who leaps at him, grabbing hold and dragging him down to the ground below with a powerful BOOM! Hal manages to protect himself with a force field in time, and finds an enormous muscular warrior, wearing Greco-Roman armor with a design reminiscent of Hippolyta's armor, looming over him. Just as Hal readies himself for a fight, the figure melts away into a strange fluid-like energy that quickly dissipates.
DOCTOR PSYCHO
(O.S.)
Mister Jordan...
Doctor Psycho steps into view from behind the tree line. His eyes are glowing a dazzling magenta color.
DOCTOR PSYCHO
(smiling, sadistically)
... it is a pleasure.
INT. JAVELIN.
The party looks around the darkened airplane cabin. There is a palpable anxiety in the air.
OLLIE
Where'd all the green go?
DIANA
Hal is no longer the one carrying
us.
EXT. JAVELIN.
Doctor Polaris flies alongside the Javelin as he brings it to the intended destination. Diana and Lana exit the Javelin. Gripping the side of the plane, Diana closes her eyes and takes a step onto the air. Smiling, she and Lana fly up to confront Polaris.
DIANA
What do you want with us?!
Polaris holds out his hand, and begins using his power to pull Diana's bracelets, and by extension her arms, in opposite directions with considerable force.
DIANA
AGH!
Furious, Lana dives toward Polaris, punching him in the face with incredible force and causing him to pass out for a moment. He loses his grip on Diana, freeing her. He also loses his grip on the plane, and it begins to fall.
LANA
(quietly)
Crap.
Lana dives down after the Javelin. In the air, Diana removes her bracelets and lets them drop to the ground. Doctor Polaris regains his wits, and turns his attention to the Princess.
DIANA
Defeating you will mean fighting
without weapons or armor.
Diana takes a fighting stance in the air, wind swirling beneath her feet to create a stable platform. She smiles.
CUT TO
Lana diving after the plane. She extends her arms outwards, closes her eyes, and lets herself feel. Suddenly, spinnerets grow on her wrists, and she begins shooting long strands of webbing at the plane. The webs catch, and Lana grabs hold, infusing her arms with Hercules beetle strength as she attempts to slow the plane's decent. She is pulled down with the aircraft, and her wings fight with all the power they have to pull upwards.
LANA
(pained)
NGH!
Lana seems at first to struggle in vain, the force of her wings nothing against the plummeting mass of the Javelin. As she closes her eyes and concentrates, feeling the need of the moment deep in her soul, her body begins to transform once again. From her lower back sprouts an appendage resembling the explosion chamber of the bombardier beetle, and out of it shoots a white hot jet of explosive energy. With the added thrust, Lana begins to slow the fall of herself and the plane. HOWEVER, it is at this moment that a figure rises up behind her, a man in a hood and robes standing on a floating circular platform and holding a large red stone in his hand. He is DOCTOR ALCHEMY. Doctor Alchemy holds the stone out toward Lana, and gasses appear and swirl around the stone, combining into a powerful chemical reaction that blasts Lana, causing her to lose her grip. The plane begins to plummet again.
INT. JAVELIN.
Bruce, holding on for dear life, sees the ground rapidly approaching through the window.
BRUCE
HOLD ONTO SOMETHING!
The Javelin hits the ground, coming in at an angle and skidding to a halt on what appears to be the grounds of a large mansion estate. The Javelin lays still for a moment, until the door is kicked off of its hinges with superhuman force by Clark. Unsteady on their feet, the party members exit the plane. Bruce notices the mansion in the distance.
BRUCE
There. Let's go.
INT. MANSION. NIGHT.
Arthur kicks down the door and the party files in. Cark is carrying Chronos, slung over his shoulder in a fireman's carry.
BRUCE
Barry, find the people who live
here and get them to safety. We're
setting up base camp in the
kitchen.
Barry darts off, and the rest of the party files into the kitchen. Bruce switches on the lights. Lena and Dinah both begin scrounging the area for resources. Clark sets Chronos face down on the floor.
CHRONOS
(muffled)
Hey!
CLARK
This is bad.
BRUCE
We can all see that, Clark.
DINAH
(O.S.)
Uh, Bruce?
BRUCE
id you find something?
Bruce walks over to Dinah, who is standing by the pantry door.
DINAH
Yeah...
Bruce looks inside the pantry. A look of horror and disgust comes across his face.
DINAH
... the people who lived here.
CUT TO
Deep inside the mansion, Barry is darting around, searching for people in need of rescue, when a blurred figure comes out of nowhere, grabs him, and slams him against the wall at super speed. Barry looks down and sees the crackling electrical eyes of ZOOM staring up at him with hate.
ZOOM
Barry.
BARRY
Thawn.
CUT TO
Back in the kitchen, a look of stunned horror creeps across Bruce's face as he comes to the realization.
BRUCE
They led us here.
Music begins to play. Strange, alien music to the teens in this vaguely late 1980s setting, but music we recognize as "Die Young" by the artist "Ke$a." The kids begin looking around wildly in confusion.
BRUCE
(just done with this)
What now?
Bruce quickly walks out of the kitchen into the main hall of the mansion, and the other kids follow after him.
CHRONOS
(annoyed)
You're not going to bring me?
Hello?
The kids enter the main hall area of the mansion, looking around frantically for the source of the music.
BRUCE
Dinah, Clark, where's it coming
from?
CLARK
Everywhere.
DINAH
It's like... it's like the foundation
of the building is a speaker.
ARTHUR
I don't like that Barry isn't back
yet.
The kids look around, all clearly scared, and some hiding it better than the others. When the song gets to the lyric "let's make the most of the night like we're gonna die young," a chill spreads through the party.
CLARK
I get it...
ALEX
We all get it!
BRUCE
They're trying to scare us.
OLLIE
It's working!
BRUCE
Ted, Dinah, take the noncoms and
try to find cover. Everyone else,
group up.
Ted and Dinah do as Bruce says, and leave Bruce, Clark, Arthur, Kendra, and Krypto behind to fight.
ARTHUR
What are they waiting for?
CLARK
Remember your training, stick
together, and we'll get through
this.
BRUCE
(quietly)
I'm getting real sick of these
games.
As the bass drops, Roscoe Dillon, AKA The Top, the woman capable of rotating faster than sound, slams into Clark with titanic force and sends the both of them careening down a hallway. Before the others have a chance to react, they are beset upon by what appear to be giant living green army men soldiers that lunge at them from the darkness. Bruce briefly trades blows with one before it grabs him and throws him across the room. He skids to a halt before a pair of stylish leather shoes.
THE JOKER
Hello, Bruce.
Bruce looks up, into the eternally smiling face of The
Joker.
THE JOKER
I'm so glad we get to do this all
over again.
THE END
Notes:
For the uninitiated, this is the song that The Joker and his gang were dancing to at the beginning:
https://youtu.be/bQDY3HFkh_Y?si=q_bfxxs_sBABH1XY
Chapter 23: Challenge of the Super Friends, Season 1, Episode 23: "The Floor Show"
Summary:
The JLA make their way through The Joker's funhouse of horrors!
Chapter Text
INT. MANSION. NIGHT.
We pick up exactly where we left off, with Bruce Wayne laying at the feet of The Joker, looking up at his eternally grinning face for the very first time.
THE JOKER
(calm, pleasant)
Please, stand up.
Bruce pushes himself up on his knees in order to stand, and The Joker kicks him in the face.
INT. MANSION. NIGHT.
Clark is lying on a pile of debris, with dust in the air all around him.
CLARK
(pained)
Ow.
Clark stands up, and sees that he was thrown through at least three walls by a powerful blow.
CLARK
What was that?
THE TOP
(O.S.)
That would be me.
Clark turns to see his attacker: A woman with dark hair and bright green eyes. She is wearing a dress in the style of a 1950s housewife, with a yellow and green striped pattern, and a black domino mask. Clark notices that she has what resemble ball-joints in place of each of the joints on her body, including her neck, causing her to resemble a life-sized human doll.
THE TOP
(cheerful, pleasant)
Roscoe Dillon...
She holds up her hand as she smiles, her demeanor eerily chipper and pleasant. It's then that Clark notices that her fingertips are made of metal. Suddenly, her hand and forearm begin rotating rapidly, like a drill, as tiny arcs of green electricity kick off of the rotating limb. Next, her entire lower body begins to rotate at the same drill-like speeds with the same arcs of green lightning, causing her to resemble, well...
THE TOP
(stepfordian)
... known professionally as "The
Top."
CLARK
Great...
INT. ENTRANCE HALL. NIGHT.
A few yards behind Bruce and The Joker, Arthur, Kendra, and Krypto are fending off life-sized green army man soldiers, who are engaging them in hand-to-hand combat and using their rifles as bludgeoning weapons. Kendra manages to get a good hit on one of them with her mace, causing its head to come off and revealing the circuitry inside the soldier's body.
KENDRA
Robots. I guess that makes sense.
Arthur begins to struggle as four army men dogpile on him at once.
ARTHUR
Does it?!
Kendra and Krypto move to assist, Krypto pulling one of the army men off of Arthur with his powerful jaws while Kendra swats two of them away with her mace, freeing Arthur to put his fist through the chest of the last one. More army men advance from the shadows.
ARTHUR
I'd love a little more backup about
now!
EXT. WOODS. NIGHT.
Hal Jordan stands, force field raised, as he is approached by Doctor Psycho, the villain's eyes glowing with psionic energy.
HAL
Let me guess, fifteen years from
now I stop you from doing something
horrible and you decide you hate me
forever.
DOCTOR PSYCHO
Oh, no, when I say introductions
are in order, I mean it. This is
our first encounter in any
timeline. No, my interests lay
entirely with the Amazonian
Princess. My desire is to tame her,
you see.
Hal blasts Doctor Psycho away with an energy beam from his ring. Hal smirks and rises into the air.
DOCTOR PSYCHO
(O.S.)
As I suspected, sheer brute force.
Hal turns to see Doctor Psycho, once again, approach him from the tree line.
DOCTOR PSYCHO
A weapon that gives substance to
thought, and you use it like a
cudgel.
The world around them falls away into an infinite black void.
HAL
What are you doing?
DOCTOR PSYCHO
We're inside your mind, Mr. Jordan.
We have been for the last minute or
so. This is why I wanted to meet
you. I want to see what makes you
worthy.
EXT. EMPTY FIELD.
The Atomic Skull is on top of J'onn J'onzz, raining down punches wreathed in green nuclear fire.
ATOMIC SKULL
(ranting, madman style)
GREEN DEVIL! VASSAL OF ELECTRON'S
EMPIRE OF LIES! WITH HELL'S HATE I...
Atomic Skull stops punching when he realizes that he's just punching the ground.
J'ONN
(O.S.)
I am sorry, Joseph Martin.
The Atomic Skull turns to see J'onn phasing out of the ground and rising into the air.
ATOMIC SKULL
I am DOCTOR ALBERT MICHAELS! I am a
LIVING and FREE MAN, despite the
LIES peddled by Doctor Electron's
PUPPETS in the media!
J'ONN
The Legion are merely the latest to
exploit your delusions for their
gain. I wish I had time and
resources to help you.
ATOMIC SKULL
I am the sighted man in a world of
THE BLIND!
Atomic Skull opens his mouth and lets loose a beam of destructive energy, forcing J'onn to dodge just barely in the nick of time, getting grazed by the attack.
J'ONN
(pained)
NGH!
EXT. WOODS. NIGHT.
Lana lays on the ground, dazed from the blast. Her wings twitch slightly as she opens her eyes. She hears a strange crinkling sound, which helps her pull herself out of her stupor. She sits up and looks around, finding, to her shock, that the forest around her is transforming into glass, the transformation spreading outward from an unknown spot and rapidly approaching her; before she has time to react, the glass reaches her leg, and begins to transform HER into glass as well.
LANA
AH!
Lana's wings kick into overdrive and she rises into the air. She looks down at her left leg, the outer half of which is now MADE of glass.
LANA
Okay. Okay. Don't panic. Lots of
bugs grow legs back. Just focus,
and feel...
Lana closes her eyes and lets herself feel. Her leg bulges unnaturally as it regrows its outer half, pushing the glass out of her body and causing it to fall to the ground and shatter, leaving a large hole in the left side of her pants.
LANA
Okay. Cool.
Lana looks around, and then flies toward what appears to be the source of the glass. As she moves toward the edge of the tree line, she hears...
DOCTOR ALCHEMY
(O.S.)
Of course. I understand.
A few feet away from the glass tree line, the source of the field of glass converges at a point, directly at the feet of what appears to be a hooded wizard in a robe. He is holding a red stone up near his face, and he is speaking to it.
DOCTOR ALCHEMY
The formulae reveal themselves.
Lana comes to a stop mid-air near Doctor Alchemy.
LANA
Are you talking to a rock?
DOCTOR ALCHEMY
I commune with the divine
principle.
Doctor Alchemy crouches down and slams the Philosopher's Stone into the ground, causing the ground to warp like a fluid. Suddenly, earth rends and glass shatters as giant iron blocks shoot up out of the ground at random angles, attempting to crush Lana.
LANA
*EEP!*
Lana frantically zips and dives to avoid the giant iron blocks.
EXT. SKY. NIGHT.
Doctor Polaris flies backwards, down toward the ground at high speed, as Diana pursues like a falcon honing in on her prey. Polaris blasts the princess with an E-M blast, but Diana manages to anticipate the attack and dodge, swooping down at Polaris with a left hook counter attack. Using his magnetic mastery on his own armor, he just barely manages to dodge out of the way of the Amazon's mighty blows. Polaris looks behind him, toward the rapidly approaching ground, and sees the Javelin laying there. He reaches back with both arms and summons sections of the plane's hull forth as weapons, launching them at Diana, who is forced to take evasive maneuvers. She swoops down, into the forest, with the metal projectiles chasing after her. She drops to the ground, skidding to a halt and using all of her strength to dig her hands into both sides of a large tree and rip it up out of the ground.
DIANA
*ARGH*
Tree in hand, Diana spins around on the spot and swats the metal projectiles away.
INT. HALLWAY. NIGHT.
Dinah and Ted are trying to lead Alex, Lena, Ray, and Ollie to somewhere safe to hide. Ted is trying to force open a door to one of the side rooms, while Dinah is struggling to open a window, only to find...
DINAH
(frustrated)
Windows are sealed shut.
TED
Doors, too.
ALEX
At least that song stopped.
LENA
Yeah, what was that?
RAY
Somehow, they caused the foundation
of the building itself to vibrate
at the right frequency so the music
could be heard in the whole house.
ALEX
That would require a lot of
equipment to pull off.
LENA
I don't know about you guys, but
that makes me really curious.
OLLIE
Does anyone else think it's weird
that Bruce implied I was a noncom?
RAY
What is that?
ALEX/LENA
(in unison)
"Non combatant."
DINAH
What is it now, Ollie?
OLLIE
First of all, I know what "what is
it now" means.
DINAH
Oh my god...
OLLIE
I'm serious! I've been getting a
lot better in training! I even beat
Hal once!
DINAH
Did he have his ring?
OLLIE
Yes, actually.
DINAH
Was it in his pocket?
OLLIE
I don't have to answer-
A jack-in-the-box falls from the ceiling and lands at the feet of the group.
TED
DOWN!
Ted grabs Ray and lunges for cover. Alex does the same for Lena, and Oliver, to his credit, manages all on his own. Dinah lets out a focused sonic blast and sends the toy flying, tumbling through the air down the hall. As it pops open, a little toy version of The Toyman pops out, holding a tommy-gun that sprays real bullets wildly down at the other end of the hall. Before Dinah can catch her breath, however, the previously locked doors along the hallway swing open, and out march life sized mechanical toy soldiers carrying what appear to be real riffles.
DINAH
Oh f-
Dinah ducks for cover as the toy soldiers open fire. Ted runs out in front of the kids, activating his Wildcat suit's body armor and holding up his arms to shield his face, blocking the bullets.
TED
Behind me, NOW!
INT. ENTRANCE HALL. NIGHT.
Bruce pulls himself to his feet, rubbing his chin. The Joker strolls towards him.
THE JOKER
This is worse than I thought.
Bruce throws a one-two combo that The Joker weaves around effortlessly.
THE JOKER
Frankly, it's pathetic.
Bruce lunges at The Joker, who sides-steps and trips him like it's an afterthought.
THE JOKER
That's blunt, and I'm sorry, but
there's no other word for it.
Bruce pushes himself up onto his feet and faces The Joker in a fighting stance.
BRUCE
What the hell are you talking
about?
THE JOKER
(genuinely upset)
I was looking forward to this, you
know! A second "first fight!" Who
gets that?! But I... oh, who am I
kidding?
The Joker's demeanor changes. He looks sullen. He's let his guard down. Bruce immediately capitalizes, lunging at the clown with a powerful and precise punch, but without even looking at the boy, The Joker holds up his hand and catches Bruce's fist like a gently lobbed ball.
THE JOKER
I was kidding myself, that's who
I've been kidding. I mean...
The Joker gestures toward Bruce's fist in his hand.
THE JOKER
... look at this!
The Joker flicks his hand and sends Bruce flying, landing on his back with a thud a few feet away.
THE JOKER
I actually thought to myself,
"Joker, it's going to be SO
EXCITING to see what clever plans
and gadgets he comes up with to
deal with our new Deathstroke
powers," as if I was actually
talking about HIM. You're not him.
You're not even Year One "still
wears purple gloves" him.
The Joker strolls over to a nearby umbrella stand.
THE JOKER
You're still a kid. You should be
in school. You've got so much to
learn before you'll ever be him.
The Joker reaches into the umbrella stand and pulls out a cane. He twists the handle and pulls, revealing a sword. He turns to Bruce.
THE JOKER
Class is in session.
INT. MANSION. NIGHT.
Clark is guarding against a flurry of attacks from The Top, the metal fingertips of her drill-like hands shredding the sleeves of his shirt and leaving deep red marks on his skin.
CLARK
(pained)
NGH!
THE TOP
(unpleasantly pleasant)
A strapping boy like you should put
up a better fight than this!
Clark concentrates, focusing energy into his legs and shooting up toward the ceiling with explosive force, knocking The Top off balance for a split second before she corrects herself. The speed of her forearm's rotation begins to rapidly accelerate, generating even more crackling arcs of green electricity. The moment Clark makes contact with the ceiling, he repeats the trick, launching himself back down toward The Top with a mighty right hook. However, The Top manages to lean out of the way just in time and rotate her midsection just enough (without her head moving at all), and then complete the rotation of her torso to spin around again for a counter strike, the rotation of her forearm accelerating past the speed of sound at the exact moment of contact. This generates a loud *BOOM* and a powerful shockwave, sending Clark back up towards the ceiling, crashing into it this time before falling back down to the ground with a thud.
THE TOP
("nice")
Golly!
The Top lunges down at Clark with another sonic boom drill strike, but Clark manages to dodge just in time. The shockwave causes the room to shake. Quickly, Clark attempts another super-jump, bouncing up toward the ceiling at an angle. The second he makes contact, he super jumps back down again. This time, however, he misses The Top on purpose, hitting the ground on a different spot and jumping up again at a different angle. He repeats this process again and again, speeding up as he does so, and begins ricocheting around the room everywhere EXCEPT where The Top is.
INT. HALLWAY. NIGHT.
Wildcat uses his body armor to shield the children from the hail of bullets as they crouch for cover behind him.
OLLIE
Screw this.
Ollie produces the gun from the previous episode.
DINAH
(incredulous)
You brought the GUN?!
OLLIE
Check this out.
Ollie closes one eye, leans to the side, and fires three rounds directly at one of the robots' chests. They bounce off harmlessly.
OLLIE
Come on...
DINAH
Move!
Dinah pushes Ollie out of the way as she runs up behind Ted. She vaults off his back into the air over his head, at an angle safe from the bullets, and lets loose a powerful blast of sonic force that fills up the whole hallway, knocking the robots back and forcing their guns to drop and scatter, even breaking a few of them. Dinah lands in the hallway in front of Ted. She turns to the group.
DINAH
Check that out.
Behind Dinah, one of the Toy Soldiers, which managed to land near the gun of one of its comrades, picks it up as it stands and aims it at Dinah. Without thinking, Ollie rushes forward, pushes Dinah out of the way, and dives toward the robot, gun extended and one eye closed. Ollie fires, and the bullet travels directly into the barrel of the robot's gun, hitting the other bullet before it can exit the barrel and causing the gun to explode. Ollie and Dinah turn and make eye contact with each other, both breathing hard.
DINAH
(quietly)
Oh wow...
EXT. ESTATE GROUNDS. NIGHT.
Doctor Polaris hovers near the tree line, watching the area where Diana disappeared. Suddenly, Diana emerges from the darkness, carrying a tree in her arms. She shoots through the air toward Polaris, who pulls off more sections of the Javelin's hull, this time to shield HIMSELF from the Amazon's attacks. Diana uses the tree like a bat to swat away each shield as soon as Polaris calls it forth. A short distance away, Lana is having her own problems. She desperately tries to dodge every iron block conjured by Doctor Alchemy while trying to get close to him, but when she nearly makes contact, he puts up an iron shield and pushes her back. Lana flies up to get some distance, and that's when she notices Diana trying to swat Polaris like a fly. Lana makes a b-line for Polaris, coming in at him from the side and giving him a mighty wallop that sends him flying. She pauses in the air for a moment.
LANA
CHESS!
Lana darts off after Polaris.
DIANA
(shouting)
Lana, that's not what-
Diana is cut off when iron blocks begin shooting up at her out of the ground. She swats at them with the tree, but it shatters in her hands. Instead of flying away from the thicket or iron blocks, she flies into them, punching them with as much force as she can muster. Nearby, Lana is rushing towards Polaris. However, Polaris holds out his hand, commanding wires and cables from the Javelin to come forth and ensnare Lana. Lana continues flying forward with all her might, even activating her bombardier beetle rocket again, and the metal creaks as it stretches, but it holds.
DOCTOR POLARIS
(with a metallic echo)
*chuckling*
Lana opens her mouth wide, and for a split second it morphs into insectoid mandibles, and a caustic mist sprays forth, enveloping Polaris' head.
DOCTOR POLARIS
(metallic echo)
*COUGH**WHEEZE**GAG*
Lana's restraints loosen, and she gives Polaris another wallop, knocking him to the ground where she then assaults him with a series of web-blasts, gluing him to the ground. Lana pauses for a moment to catch her breath.
LANA
(out of breath)
That was gross.
CUT TO
Doctor Alchemy, crouching, continuing to focus the power of the stone into the earth, creating weapons to use against his enemies. However, a rhythmic crashing sound can be heard, growing louder and louder. Step by step, punch by punch, Diana is shattering the iron blocks and advancing toward the mad alchemist, her knuckles scraping and bleeding against the rough metal. Alchemy grimaces, but then the stone glows slightly, and a strange, faint tone is heard, and Alchemy realizes something. He relents his assault, much to the surprise of the princess, who stops in her tracks as the ground returns to normal. Standing before her is Doctor Alchemy, with the stone held in both hands close to his chest.
DIANA
Tired, alchemist?
DOCTOR ALCHEMY
The Philosopher's Stone knows not
fatigue. It is the divine principle
made material, the penultimate
culmination of the great work,
second only...
The stone glows. Diana looks down in horror as she realizes that her hands are starting to turn into clay.
DOCTOR ALCHEMY
... to the creation of life.
The clay begins creeping up her body, consuming her.
DIANA
What is this?!
DOCTOR ALCHEMY
You are a homunculus, life created
from nonliving matter. I can feel
it. You are the final step of the
great work, the ultimate expression
of the divine principle that I have
sought my entire life. Despite my
studies and efforts, the knowledge
of how to create a being such as
yourself eludes me.
The clay has consumed most of her body at this point, and is now creeping up over her face.
DOCTOR ALCHEMY
Reversing the process, on the other
hand...
Lana shoots into the scene like a rocket, punching the stone out of Doctor Alchemy's hand and directly into his face, knocking him out and visibly cracking a tooth. Lana lands, and the moment Doctor Alchemy hits the ground, she pins him there with a volley of webs. She looks up and sees that the stone's effects are reversing, and Diana is returning to normal.
DIANA
*GASP*
LANA
Diana, are you o-
Diana glomps onto Lana in a huge hug.
DIANA
(quietly)
Thank you.
Lana hugs back. They have a nice moment, but then Diana disengages.
DIANA
We have to-!
LANA
The others!
INT. HALLWAY. NIGHT.
Dinah helps Ollie to his feet.
DINAH
Those were some quick moves,
Speedy.
OLLIE
Well, you know. Instinct.
Adrenalin.
DINAH
I've heard of them, yes.
*THUD!**THUD!* The hallway shakes. Everyone turns and sees an eight foot tall teddy bear slowly lumbering towards them, its footsteps rocking the building.
OLLIE
(genuinely upset)
COME ON!
The teddy bear robot advances, but before it reaches the kids, Diana and Lana come crashing through the window.
LANA
You guys need help?
DIANA
(looking at the bear)
That's new.
Ollie drops to his knees.
OLLIE
(sobbing slightly)
Oh thank you god!
Diana lunges at the bear and locks up with it, WWE style, while Lana flies around and begins stabbing it with wasp stingers.
TED
We're moving! NOW!
Dinah grabs Ollie and pulls him to his feet as the group gets out of the way and starts moving further down the hallway.
OLLIE
Why aren't we going outside?
DINAH
You a noncom all of a sudden?
OLLIE
I'm just worried about the others.
ALEX
I'm getting pretty sick of these
robots.
OLLIE
Outside will solve that problem.
LENA
Somebody must be controlling them
somewhere.
DINAH
Hold on a minute.
Dinah crouches down and places her hand on the floor. She lets out a subsonic pulse into the floor, too deep for a normal human ear to hear, and she feels it as it echoes back into her body, giving her a mental image of what is around and below them.
DINAH
There's three people in the
basement, and they're surrounded by
what feels like a lot of heavy
machinery and electrical equipment.
Dinah stands up and looks at Ollie.
DINAH
Still feel like running, Speedy?
EXT. EMPTY FIELD.
J'onn darts around the field, dodging nuclear energy blasts from Atomic Skull.
ATOMIC SKULL
STAND AND FACE DEATH WITH HONOR,
DEVIL!
J'onn keeps moving, staying one step ahead of Atomic Skull but still unable to get close to him. As he dodges one blast, it hits a well on a nearby hill. This gives J'onn an idea. He dives down and phases into the ground. Atomic Skull ceases his assault.
ATOMIC SKULL
COWARD! Soulless SHEEP of the
GODLESS ORTHODOXY! Run back to
whatever PIT Electron calls home,
and TELL him that THE ATOMIC SKULL
shall NEVER...
The ground rumbles, and a torrent of water shoots up out of the ground right under the Atomic Skull’s feet. J'onn phases up out of the ground in front of the newly made geyser. He grabs Atomic Skull, holding him in place. The atomic flames that engulf his head are too hot to truly be quenched, but the fire itself is put out as the heat of the radiation causes the water to boil. This gives J'onn the shielding he needs to attack, growing a second pair of arms out of his shoulders and delivering a brutal beatdown to the mad villain, walloping him like a speed bag. J'onn then suddenly stops, grabs the sides of Atomic Skull's head, digs his liquefying fingers into his brain to establish a physical link (sizzling in the process), and looks deeply into Atomic Skull's dazed glowing eyes. J'onn's eyes glow a deep red.
J'ONN
(echoing, thunderous)
SLEEP!
J'onn then tosses the Atomic Skull to the side, where the villain flops to the ground. His flames are extinguished, but we can both see and hear that he is breathing. J'onn immediately takes off.
EXT. FERRIS AIRFIELD. DAY.
Hal is kneeling on the ground on a dirt path beside a chain link fence that surrounds the Ferris Aircraft airfield. There, on the tarmac in front of him, a crashed jet lays in two mangled pieces, burning. To the side, and a step behind, stands Doctor Psycho.
HAL
(crying)
Why are you doing this?
DOCTOR PSYCHO
You're a plebeian, Mr. Jordan! A
jock! And yet the greatest
brains in the observable universe
deemed you worthy! I wish to
understand why, Mr. Jordan. What
intangible quality you possess that
makes you, in the eyes of these
supposedly enlightened aliens, one
of the best Earth has to offer.
Psycho snaps his fingers. The flaming wreck instantly vanishes. Then, a moment later, the plane crashes into the tarmac all over again, exploding in a massive ball of fire.
HAL
(weeping)
NO!
DOCTOR PSYCHO
To understand a man, you must
understand his formative moments.
It is basic psychology, Mr. Jordan.
J'ONN
(O.S.)
It is sadism, Hal.
Psycho turns to see J'onn standing parallel to him on the other side of Hal.
J'ONN
That is all he understands.
DOCTOR PSYCHO
You were not invited.
J'ONN
You speak of consent? The very word
would curdle in your mouth.
DOCTOR PSYCHO
Eloquence doesn't account for
rudeness, sir.
J'ONN
He is weak, Hal!
DOCTOR PSYCHO
And that's downright mean.
J'ONN
In a straight battle of wills, he
would lose to you every time! That
is why he attacks your heart!
Doctor psycho holds up his hand as his eyes crackle with energy.
DOCTOR PSYCHO
I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to
leave, sir.
A wave of psychic force shoots from Psycho to J'onn behind Hal's back. J'onn struggles against it.
J'ONN
(struggling)
His tactics are those of a coward,
Hal! Even now, you are the stronger
man! Your will is greater than his!
In your heart burns a fire he
cannot understand!
Hal closes his eyes, swallows back his tears, and takes a deep breath. An emerald barrier of energy appears between J'onn and Psycho, protecting the Martian from the psychic waves. Hal joins J'onn to stand beside him.
HAL
What do you say, J'onn? Let's show
this creep what we-
EXT. WOODS. NIGHT.
Hal and J'onn are standing in the woods. Doctor Psycho lays at J'onn's feet, unconscious.
HAL
(confused)
-whaaaaaat the hell...?
J'ONN
I knocked him out.
HAL
When? How?
J'ONN
He was so preoccupied with our
psychic battle, he neglected to
protect his physical body.
HAL
(disappointed)
Oh.
Hal walks up to the villain. He halfheartedly kicks Doctor Psycho in the side. Really kind of a rough nudge.
HAL
Little creep.
J'ONN
You have no idea. Come, we must go
help the others.
HAL
Alright.
Hal captures Doctor Psycho in a green aura and floats him alongside himself and J'onn.
HAL
Better take him with us.
J'ONN
Are you sure that is wise?
HAL
It's better than letting him out of
our sight. Besides, based on some
earlier comments, I think Diana is
going to want to meet him and then
beat him up.
J'ONN
You have no idea.
INT. MANSION. NIGHT.
Clark is darting around the room like a hyperkinetic super bouncy ball, bouncing off of the floor, ceiling, and walls, all around The Top. He's moving too fast for The Top to get a good hit in, and he keeps his eyes on her the whole time, waiting for an opening. The Top remains chipper.
THE TOP
Well, young man, if you won't come
to me...
The Top kneels down and places her hands on the ground. The green electricity crackles around her arms and flows out into the room itself. And then, the room begins to spin; tables, chairs, everything not bolted down and the air itself begins spinning around the room in a tornado of chaos' even loose floorboards begin snapping off and spinning wildly. Clark is thrown around by this storm, completely losing control of his movement as he is battered around the room. He catches his feet on a bit of debris and jumps down toward the ground, focusing energy into his hands and feet as he digs them into the floor, struggling against the chaos. The Top smiles, and sends even more energy into the room, increasing the speed and force of the spinning. Clark grits his teeth, and uses all of the strength he can muster to start crawling towards The Top.
THE TOP
My, you're spunky!
As Clark slowly progresses towards the villain, he breathes in deeply, focusing whatever energy he can spare into his lungs, and exhales with the hurricane force, blowing a torrent of wind at his opponent, creating a counter force that to push back against the villain's chaos storm. The Top's lower half begins spinning rapidly in order to stabilize, and as a result, the storm of chaos begins to calm as its energy is drained. Clark runs out of breath, and for a split second The Top seems to regain the upper hand, but Clark just inhales and lets out another blast of super breath. Clark keeps up, putting more energy into the super breath as he rises to his feet. The Top begins to wobble, before being blown away and smashed into the far wall. Clark pushes out the last bit of air.
CLARK
*GASP!*
Clark gasps for breath, a little dizzy from the lack of oxygen. His knees wobble a little.
CLARK
Oohh boy...
INT. HALLWAY. NIGHT.
Dinah, Ted, and the others approach the basement door. Dinah walks up to it and kicks down the door. On the other side, at the bottom of the stairs, is The Black Mask, pointing a gun at them. Ted pushes Dinah out of the way and leaps down the stairs, shielding himself from the bullets with his armor. His fist connects with Black Mask's face before his feet touch the ground. Ted swats the gun out of Black Mask's hand and the two begin trading blows. Nearby, Toyman and The Prankster stand up and draw weapons on the intruders. Dinah runs in and lays down cover in the form of a sonic blast, debilitating the two fiends from Metropolis for a moment. Ollie, Alex, Lena, and Ray rush in after her. As Dinah runs out of breath, she runs up and attempts to knock out Toyman with a punch, but he is surprisingly nimble and dodges her blows with grace. Ollie awkwardly jumps at The Prankster.
OLLIE
YAAAAHHH!
He gets the dazed and surprised villain in a headlock.
OLLIE
How d'you like THAT?
Alex, Lena, and Ray make a b-line for the computer terminals the villains have been using to control the traps and robots throughout the building. Alex frantically begins hacking while Lena pries open a panel and gets into the guts of the machine. Nearby, Toyman does backflips to evade Dinah, coming to a stop gracefully as toy helicopters rise up behind him and advance on Dinah.
DINAH
Guys?
ALEX
Working on it!
LENA
Just give us one-
The terminal shuts off. The helicopters drop out of the air, much to Toyman's dismay. Dinah takes the opening and decks him in the face. Over at the terminal, a confused Alex and Lena look to see Ray, holding the power cord he just pulled out of the wall.
LENA
Well, now I'm embarrassed.
INT. ENTRANCE HALL. NIGHT.
The Joker lunges at Bruce with the sword, Bruce frantically dodging and avoiding his strikes and thrusts.
THE JOKER
Oh come on! Anyone can dodge!
As Bruce moves backwards in a slight panic, his back hits an armchair by the fireplace. He does a back somersault over the chair and lands by the fireplace, where he grabs a fire poker just in time to parry a downward thrust from The Joker as he jumps over the chair.
THE JOKER
That's more like it!
Bruce gets back up to his feet as he frantically parries The Joker's attacks.
THE JOKER
Use your environment!
Bruce grabs a stack of magazines from the nearby coffee table and throws them at The Joker. He slices them and the pages scatter through the air.
THE JOKER
Improvise!
Bruce uses the opening to lunge with the fire poker, jabbing The Joker's hand and knocking the sword away.
THE JOKER
Classic Batman!
Bruce comes around for another strike, which The Joker catches effortlessly in one hand while he grabs Bruce by the throat with the other.
THE JOKER
What else you got?
ARTHUR
(O.S.)
He has us.
The Joker turns, and sees that Arthur, Kendra, Krypto, Lana, Diana, J'onn and Hal are standing there. Hal has Doctor Psycho suspended in a force field. The robotic army men and the giant robot teddy bear lay in a heap behind them.
ARTHUR
That was pretty corny, but you kind
of walked into it, so...
Clark enters the room, awkwardly limping.
CLARK
(weak)
Hey guys...
And then Dinah and the rest of her group enter, holding Toyman, Prankster, and Black Mask captive.
J'ONN
You are surrounded, Joker.
THE JOKER
Heh.
The Joker throws Bruce at J'onn. As he does so, he presses a button on his lapel that sprays a torrent of flames down at the ground between him and the party.
THE JOKER
I'm surrounded by kids and a guy
who's afraid of matches. Also...
The Joker opens his jacket, revealing a dozen or so small grenades, with all of the pins tied together by a string The Joker holds in his free hand.
THE JOKER
... have you MET ME?!
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA?!
The Joker's laughter echoes through the room.
THE JOKER
And if any of you think these are
the only explosives in this room,
you are deeply stupid!
HAHAHAHAHAHA!
BRUCE
You're bluffing! You're not going
to blow yourself up just to get us!
The Joker's shoulders drop. He looks like his heart just broke.
THE JOKER
God... DAMN IT!
The Joker turns on the spot in a moment of frustration, and then looks directly at Bruce.
THE JOKER
Do you have ANY IDEA how much it
hurts to hear you, you of ALL
PEOPLE, say THAT to ME?! I mean,
I'm not even sure I WANT to blow
ANYTHING up anymore now!
PRANKSTER
Don't say that, Joker!
TOYMAN
Arson is your second favorite!
THE JOKER
No, no, I appreciate what you're
trying to do, guys, I mean it, but
my mood has just been ruined! This
was supposed to be my COMEBACK! My
big reboot! But... he's just NOT
BATMAN! Not yet! Batman KILLED me,
for God's sake! This kid couldn't
kill GERMS!
J'ONN
Batman did not kill you.
BEAT
THE JOKER
(quietly)
... what did you say?
J'ONN
Batman was not the one who killed
you.
The Joker takes a deep breath.
THE JOKER
(quietly)
Lex seems to have neglected to
mention that...
The Joker begins pacing around in circles.
THE JOKER
(quietly)
I'm okay, I'm okay, I'm okay
(shouting)
I am NOT OKAY!
The Joker turns back to the party.
THE JOKER
Who?! Who did it?! Was it Superman?
Because, I'm not going to pretend
that I'm happy about ANYONE else
doing it, but if I actually got
THAT stick in the mud to kill
ANYONE then that's almost...
J'ONN
Blue Beetle.
THE JOKER
Excuse me.
J'ONN
You were killed by The Blue Beetle.
At the back of the crowd, Lana leans over to Clark.
LANA
Who's the Blue Beetle?
CLARK
*shrugs*
THE JOKER
BLUE BEETLE?! THE BLUE BEETLE?!
Where the HELL did that DOLLAR
STORE SPIDER-MAN get the STONES to
try and FIGHT ME, let alone KILL
ME?!
LANA
(to Clark)
Who's Spider-Man?
CLARK
*shrugs*
J'ONN
He was not fighting you.
THE JOKER
(quietly)
... what?
J'ONN
It was in the midst of a large
battle between many members of the
League and the Legion. Blue Beetle
was fighting alongside Nightwing
against Slade Wilson. He fired his
miniature handheld air cannon,
missed, and the blast of compressed
air hit the turbine of the hover
platform you were standing on
twenty yards away, causing it to
explode. Your death, though
technically at the hands of The
Blue Beetle, was a complete
accident.
BEAT
THE JOKER
Winslow?
TOYMAN
Yes?
THE JOKER
Did you do the thing I asked you to
do earlier?
TOYMAN
Yes!
THE JOKER
WE'RE GOING HOME!
Toyman presses a button on his costume, and every member of The Joker's gang teleports away, even Doctor Psycho.
HAL
Oh come on.
Bruce looks around the room with a stunned look on his face.
BRUCE
What the F-?!
EXT. ESTATE GROUNDS. NIGHT.
The kids, bruised and weary, file out of the mansion. They walk up to the carved up Javelin.
BRUCE
That's just great.
OLLIE
How are we going to get home?
LANA
We don't have a home anymore,
Ollie.
OLLIE
Oh yeah.
HAL
I can carry everyone.
DIANA
Where will we go?
CLARK
J'onn, is there anywhere...
Clark looks around to try and find J'onn, only to see him flying out of the house towards them.
J'ONN
We have a problem. I cannot find
Barry.
INT. SUBURBAN HOME. NIGHT.
Barry lays on the floor of a living room, unconscious. He begins to stir, and slowly sits up.
ZOOM
(O.S.)
Good.
Barry gets up with a jolt and sees Zoom sitting in an armchair across from him.
ZOOM
You're up.
BARRY
Where am I?
ZOOM
You don't recognize it?
CUT TO
EXT. SUBURBAN STREET. NIGHT.
A familiar shot of a suburban home at night. It is the house where Barry Allen grew up, and where Zoom killed his mother.
ZOOM
(O.S.)
You're home.
THE END
Chapter 24: Challenge of the Super Friends, Season 1, Episode 24: "The One With Karaoke"
Summary:
In which decisions are made.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
INT. THE FORMER ALLEN RESIDENCE. NIGHT.
Barry stands in the center of the darkened living room, looking at Zoom, who sits across from him in an armchair.
BARRY
What did you do to the people who
live here?
ZOOM
They're out of town.
BEAT
Barry runs toward the door, only to be cut off by Zoom, who runs in between Barry and the door and knocks Barry onto the living room couch with an open-handed palm strike to the chest. All of that happens in half a second. Barry looks up at Zoom from the couch.
BARRY
Are you going to kill me?
ZOOM
Ideally. Eventually, yes.
BARRY
But not tonight?
ZOOM
No, it probably will be tonight.
Just not right this second.
BARRY
What're you waiting for?
ZOOM
For it to feel right. For when it
feels like the appropriate moment.
Killing the Flash is a pretty big
deal, you know. At least, it is to
me. And, since I've already killed
you once, I'm not in a hurry.
BARRY
So we're just going to sit here
until you get bored?
ZOOM
No.
Zoom grabs a chair and places it facing Barry. He sits down.
ZOOM
I thought we'd talk.
BARRY
About what?
ZOOM
There's a question you want to ask.
BARRY
Why do you hate me?
Zoom smiles.
ZOOM
I didn't always. I used to love
you. I was The Flash's number one
fan. Hell, I was your only fan. By
the time I was born, The Flash was
a historical footnote. No one cared
about you except for me. I read
about all of your exploits, studied
how your powers worked... I loved how
you never gave up, how you were
always one step ahead of the other
guy. You were nothing like me. You
were everything I wanted to be. I
found a way to give myself powers,
just like yours, and I tried to
become the new you.
BARRY
What happened?
ZOOM
I met you. There was an incident,
involving a time machine; you found
yourself in my era of history, your
future, and our paths crossed. You
rejected me. Just like... just like a
lot of people, you were only
capable of seeing what was wrong
with me, seeing the ways I fell
short of you. You tore the mask off
of my face, telling me I didn't
deserve to wear it, and you
humiliated me in front of an entire
city.
BARRY
Did you ever think, when you
started killing people, that I
might've had a point?
ZOOM
You don't get to judge me, Barry
Allen.
Sudden rage surges through Barry's body, as he bolts forth at super speed and attacks Zoom, who easily blocks.
BARRY
You killed my mother!
ZOOM
Yes.
Another burst of speed, and now Zoom is holding Barry up against the wall.
ZOOM
I did. I came here to kill you, but
instead, I killed Nora Allen.
BARRY
(strained)
Which lends credence to the initial
assessment that you don't deserve-
ZOOM
(echoing with rage)
WHAT DOES BARRY ALLEN KNOW ABOUT
DESERVING ANYTHING?!
Zoom just stands there, holding Barry against the wall, breathing hard. His eyes seem distant. He calms himself down, and snaps back to reality.
ZOOM
Sorry.
Zoom sets Barry down.
BARRY
*COUGH*
ZOOM
I keep forgetting... the other Barry
Allen, he didn't understand
suffering. He had a perfect life,
wanted for nothing, material or
immaterial. He wasn't like us. I
think that's why I killed your
mother. I wanted to see a version
of Barry Allen who knew what life
is really like.
BARRY
And hey, guess what? He's still
better than you.
Zoom lunges at Barry, putting his fist through the wall as Barry ducks out of the way.
BARRY
See what I-
Zoom grabs Barry and knees him in the stomach at super speed.
BARRY
*just the worst sound*
Zoom tosses Barry onto the ground.
BARRY
*gasp**wheeze*
Zoom walks over to Barry.
ZOOM
Hey, Barry.
Zoom holds up his hand, which begins vibrating at super speed.
ZOOM
Can you guess what time it is?
There is a knock at the door. Zoom looks over at the door, and then back to Barry. His hand stops vibrating. He kicks Barry in the ribs.
BARRY
*ugh!*
ZOOM
Stay there.
Zoom moves up to the front door in a split second, and opens it. There is no one there. Zoom looks out, puzzled and suspicious, as J'onn J'onzz materializes behind him and kicks him out onto the front lawn, where Clark, Diana, and Hal rush into the scene. J'onn hovers through the front door out onto the lawn.
J'ONN
Eobard Thawn.
ZOOM
(smiling)
That was fast.
Barry hobbles out of the front door. Zoom looks over at him.
ZOOM
Catch you later.
Zoom darts off at high speed, faster than any of the assembled heroes have time to react.
CUT TO
The party heads through the relatively small gap between the former Allen residence and its closest neighbor.
BARRY
(pained)
How did you guys get here so fast?
J'ONN
We got a ride from a friend.
As they walk, the buildings to either side seem to change from wooden shingles to brickwork, and the lighting shifts from night to day. They take a few more steps, and they step out onto...
EXT. DANNY THE STREET. DAY.
BARRY
Danny?
A small flier fluttering on the wind gets pinned against Barry's chest. He peels it off, and it says "Hi Barry!"
BARRY
I thought it was too dangerous for
the Dannyzens.
J'ONN
It was Danny's idea. They felt
that, with our enemies divided in a
state of civil war, the risk of an
incursion from the Legion is less
for the moment.
BARRY
So, how long are we...
Barry doesn't finish the sentence. He sees his father, Doctor Henry Allen, buying groceries at a nearby fruit stand. Barry rushes into his father's arms at super speed.
BARRY
(joyous)
DAD!
Henry Allen drops his bag of groceries as he gives his son a big hug.
HENRY
(startled but happy)
Barry!?
Nearby, J'onn watches the reunion and smiles.
J'ONN
Clark, Hal, I suggest you both go
and spend time with your families
as well. We do not know how long we
will be staying here.
HAL
No complaints here.
CLARK
Just let us know when you need us.
The two young men dart off at super speed. J'onn smiles as he watches them go. Then, he turns to Diana.
J'ONN
Shall we?
J'onn and Diana head off to...
INT. PEEPING TOM'S PERPETUAL CABARET.
J'onn and Diana enter Danny the Street's resident performance venue and karaoke bar. Bruce and Arthur are sitting at the bar. J'onn and Diana approach the stage, where Chronos is tied up. Bruce and Arthur get up and follow them.
DIANA
And now to deal with you.
ARTHUR
Can I hit him?
J'ONN
We will not resort to torture as an
interrogation tactic.
ARTHUR
I don't want to ask any questions,
I just feel like hitting him.
J'ONN
No. We will do this the right way.
It will take patience, but with
Diana's lasso, we will get to the
truth eventually.
CHRONOS
And as fun as that doesn't sound, I
have a thought: Quit being so
squeamish and just read my damn
mind already. At this point,
I would prefer it.
J'onn looks around at the others.
J'ONN
... if you say so.
J'onn puts his hands on the sides of Chronos' head, and his eyes glow red for an instant. J'onn then turns to Bruce.
J'ONN
Go. Get the others.
BRUCE
That was it?
J'ONN
Yes. Now go. Tell everyone I have
new information.
CUT TO
A few minutes later, the entire party is gathered in the club, sitting around while J'onn gives something of a presentation, with visual aids provided by Danny via projection. An image of a large structure, very familiar as the classic Legion of Doom headquarters, is projected behind J'onn.
J'ONN
It is called "Alpha Base." It is
what the Legion has been
constructing in the swamps outside
of Gotham.
The image cuts to a cutaway of Alpha Base, revealing its interiors and floors.
J'ONN
The core of the structure is the
time machine the Legion used to
arrive in this time period. It has
been converted into a reactor, and
the rest of the base has been built
around it. When it is complete, it
will hold a crew compliment of
exactly one thousand, it will be
capable of flight speeds reaching
Mach 10, and it will have the
capability of generating wormholes
that will allow it to travel to
any location in the galaxy.
The image behind J'onn changes, now showing a network of tunnels, highlighted in green, beneath a map of Gotham City.
J'ONN
It is fueled by a substance known
as "Azoth." The name comes from a
hypothetical substance, believed by
alchemists of the ancient world to
be a universal solvent and panacea.
This Azoth is very real, and has
flowed through the water and sewage
pipes in the ruins of Old Gotham,
beneath the city, for the last
century. It is, essentially,
industrial runoff from experiments,
conducted in secret beneath the
city over one hundred years ago by
an alchemist known as Ra's Al Ghul.
DINAH
I see we're getting back into heavy
metal concept album territory.
J'onn ignores the comment and continues with the debrief. The image behind him changes to a schematic of Alpha Base's reactor.
J'ONN
Alpha Base has been designed to act
as a collection and filtration
system, pulling Azoth from beneath
the city through pipes that open
out into the swamp. Once purified,
the Azoth, when placed under a
pressurized magnetic field, can be
used inside the Alpha Base reactor
to achieve cold nuclear fusion,
generating enough power to bring
the base fully online. But, it has
other uses.
The image behind J'onn changes, showing images of mutating meta-humans from experiments conducted by the Legion.
J'ONN
Chronos' understanding of the
science behind it was minimal, but
what he does know is that the Azoth
can be used medically, to reprogram
living cells in almost any way one
could imagine; it was the Azoth
runoff in the swamp that originally
created Solomon Grundy. The Legion
intend to use it to bolster their
ranks with an army of newly created
Meta-Humans.
ARTHUR
What about me? I fall somewhere in
the master plan, don't I?
J'ONN
You do.
The image changes, showing a cool old map of Atlantis.
J'ONN
This is the part of the Legion's
long term plans that Chronos
understands the least. What he
knows is that, somewhere beneath
the city of Atlantis, there is a
seal. The royal family of Atlantis
swore an oath to guard the seal,
and as the last living member of
the royal line, you, Arthur, are
the key which opens it. Beyond the
seal, there are... life forms. Not
life in any way that we could
possibly understand, but nonetheless
animate and aware. They are very old, and very powerful.
Infinitely more powerful than any
of the meta-humans present here,
and I include Danny in that
assessment. Alpha Base will be used
in the Legion's assault to take the
city, and the Azoth... as Chronos
understands, it acts as a kind of
food for these creatures.
ARTHUR
(glancing at Diana)
And, uh, what about Donna?
OLLIE
Yeah, and what's with these guys
and gates? Why are there so many
gates and oaths and monsters behind
gates?
ARTHUR
(to Diana)
Do you think the seal under
Atlantis is connected to the gate on
your island? Like, maybe it was
built by the same people, or
something?
DIANA
(distant)
I don't know...
LANA
(to Diana)
Hey, what's up?
DIANA
I'm remembering something.
Diana stands. The lights in the club dim, and a soft spotlight comes up on Diana.
DIANA
Deep within Tartarus lay the
Titans, primordial rulers of the
universe, whose cruelty was
rivaled only by their madness. They
were overthrown by their own
children, the gods, who sought to
bring meaning to chaos. The gods
cast their life givers into
Tartarus, down to its furthest depth,
and bound them in mighty chains,
held in place by...
(to Arthur)
... by a great seal.
BRUCE
First they open the gate on
Themyscira, then they use
Arthur to unlock the chains. And
Donna...
J'ONN
Donna is how they intend to
communicate with these creatures.
She is how the Legion will control
them.
A silence hangs in their air for a moment.
J'ONN
At the moment, Lex Luthor is in
control of Alpha Base, while
Cheetah and her followers have
taken control of the source of the
Azoth beneath the city, Ra's Al
Ghul's abandoned laboratory. Both
sides will be focused on acquiring
what the other possesses, for the
time being.
BRUCE
What about The Joker?
J'ONN
Who knows? The Joker will,
ultimately, do whatever amuses him
most in the moment.
CLARK
What do we do now?
J'ONN
I don't know.
BEAT
J'ONN
I want everyone to take some time
off. There is nothing to be done at
this exact moment, and all of you
need rest. Spend time with each
other, and with your loved ones.
EXT. PARK. AFTERNOON.
It's time for a family cookout on the patch of park ground on Danny the Street. The Kent, Allen, West, Lance, Palmer, Lang, and Queen families are all present, as well as Bruce and Alfred, Diana, Arthur, Mary O'Sullivan, J'onn, and Alex and Lena. Even the Doom Patrol are present, as well as a diverse cast of Dannyzens, mingling with the other families. Rita Farr can be seen in the background walking up to Cecile Horton to introduce baby Garfield to baby Wallace. Martha Kent and Aflred are on the grill together, and Bruce is in line for a hot dog.
BRUCE
I'm surprised you even know what a
hot dog is, let alone how to cook
one.
ALFRED
Master Bruce, I'll have you know
that I can cook anything.
Nearby, Oliver Queen is regaling his parents and younger sister with tales of adventure.
OLLIE
And I shot a bullet INTO the barrel
of the other gun and it EXPLODED!
ROBERT QUEEN
That's certainly impressive, son.
MOIRA QUEEN
I'm not sure how I feel about you
playing with firearms, Oliver.
OLLIE
(proud of himself)
Well, normally I'm more of a
bowman, but sometimes a hero has to
use whatever's handy, mom.
THEA QUEEN
I bet all your friends stories are
way better.
A few feet away, Dinah's excellent hearing picks up this conversation, and she looks over at the Queens to chime in.
DINAH
(shouting)
That would be correct!
Thea laughs.
OLLIE
(shouting)
No one asked you, Lance!
Dinah's mother, Dinah Drake-Lance, turns to her daughter.
DINAH SR.
Didn't that boy save your life?
DINAH
Trust me, mom, we want Ollie to
stay as humble as possible.
DINAH SR.
You just called me mom.
DINAH
Yeah, so? You are my mom, aren't
you?
DINAH SR.
Well, that's not what you called me
in the note you left.
DINAH
Oh. Yeah, I forgot that. I'm sorry
I wrote that. And I'm... I'm sorry I
ran away.
DINAH SR.
I'm sorry I didn't tell you the
truth, Dinah. I should have told
you sooner, I can see that now,
plain as day. Even under the
circumstances, you've acclimated
pretty well to... all of this.
DINAH
Yeah, well, danger aside, this
stuff can be pretty cool sometimes.
DINAH SR.
It sure can.
Nearby, Barry Allen dashes up to his foster mother at super speed and scoops up his baby foster brother in his arms at normal speed, swinging him around in the air playfully and eliciting laughter from the baby.
BARRY
BABY Wallace!
Joe West approaches with a huge plate of hot dogs. Seeing this, Barry gently hands his foster brother to his foster mother and then darts around at super speed to begin chowing down on the huge plate of hot dogs.
HENRY ALLEN
I’ve seen a lot since
getting out prison, but
I think I’ve gotten used
to that the least.
JOE WEST
I’m just glad I know why
my annual sneaker budget was
getting so high.
BARRY
(mouth full of food)
Hey, I haven’t done that in
a while.
IRIS WEST
Barry, don't be gross.
Barry swallows his food in a big gulp.
BARRY
Sorry.
Iris starts to laugh.
BARRY
What?
Iris gives Barry a big hug, which he eagerly returns.
IRIS WEST
Nothing. I just missed you, Barry
Allen.
BARRY
I missed you, too.
*HACK**COUGH* A few feet away, Jessica Jordan starts coughing up a lung. Hal conjures a chair for her and helps her sit down.
HAL
Mom, you alright?
JESSICA JORDAN
I'm *COUGH* I'm fine.
HAL
Have you been remembering to take
your medicine?
JESSICA JORDAN
Yes, dear.
HAL
Danny, has she been taking her
medicine?
Smoke from the grill wafting over their heads morphs into the words "Three times a day. I've checked."
JESSICA JORDAN
Hal, I'm fine, and you're a sweet
boy.
Jessica kisses her son on the forehead.
JESSICA JORDAN
I'm just glad I get to see you
again.
HAL
Me too, mom.
Not far away, Mary O'Sullivan stands under the shade of a tree, smoking a cigarette. Arthur Curry, her estranged step-son, approaches her.
ARTHUR
I thought you quit four years ago.
MARY
A lot's happened since then.
BEAT
MARY
I still blame you for what happened
to Tommy.
ARTHUR
Yeah. Me too.
Not far away, Lana, Lena, and Ray are sitting with the assembled Lang and Palmer families. Lana is showing off her new powers to her parents, morphing her hands into enormous pincers and back.
DR. LEWIS LANG
My word...
LANA
I can fly, too, but I'm kind of
tired right now.
DR. SARAH LANG
You can show us later, dear.
Ray's older brother turns to him.
SYDNEY PALMER
Why don't you show off your powers?
RAY
I told you, I'm still working on
how to use them on purpose.
SYDNEY PALMER
Yeah, right.
SANDY PALMER
Sydney! Don't tease your brother!
SYDNEY PALMER
Yes, mom...
Clark approaches the table with two plates of food.
CLARK
Lana!
Both Lana and Lena turn to look.
CLARK
I said "Lana."
LENA
Oh.
Clark sits down and sets Lana's food down in front of her.
LENA
That's going to happen a lot, isn't
it?
LANA
Probably.
CLARK
Having "Dinah" and "Diana" was bad
enough already.
As Clark says this, Lana looks around, and sees that Diana is sitting off to the side, alone.
LANA
Hey, excuse me for a second...
Lana gets up to go check on Diana.
LENA
Do you think she's okay?
CLARK
Lana or Diana?
LENA
That's Diana? I thought that was
Dinah.
CLARK
Diana's family is kind of... gone.
Her sister, the one the Legion has
captive, she's all Diana has left.
LENA
I guess it's hard for her to have
fun at a family picnic, then.
CLARK
Yeah.
Lena looks over at her brother, Alex, sulking off in the distance.
LENA
So, what's his excuse?
CLARK
You'd know better than me.
Lena gets up. She begins walking over to Alex, but then stops. She takes a moment to look back at all of the families having a good time, and makes a decision. She walks down Danny a little ways and ducks around the corner of a building.
LENA
Danny?
A banner drops down between the two buildings, which reads "Hi, Lena! How can I help?" Lena smiles a little.
LENA
Danny, is there a way you can check
in on my dad? I don't want to go
see him, I just want to know how
he's doing. Can you do that?
Lena gets no response.
LENA
Danny?
The banner falls to the ground, revealing a second banner which reads "I'm sorry to be the one to tell you..."
LENA
Tell me wh-?
Lena looks down at the ground, and sees a copy of the Daily Planet at her feet, turned to the obituaries section.
CUT TO
Lana and Diana, sitting side by side a little distance from the party. Lana's head is resting on Diana's shoulder. Suddenly, they are startled by a commotion.
LENA
(O.S.)
DID YOU KNOW?!
Lana and Diana get up and head over to the source of the commotion: Lena, standing in front of her brother, holding up a newspaper declaring Lionel Luthor dead as a result of a house fire. Tears are streaming down the girl's face.
LENA
(crying)
Did you know?
ALEX
... yes.
Lena drops the newspaper and runs away.
RAY
Lena!
Ray goes after her. Alex bends down and picks up the newspaper.
INT. STORAGE SHED.
Kendra, Ted, and Dr. Niles Caulder sit in the storage shed behind the doll hospital, surrounded by equipment that once belonged to members of the Justice Society of America. Ted is pouring The Chief a drink.
TED
You sure this stuff's good for your
head, Chief?
THE CHIEF
My head is feeling much better, Mr.
Grant, thank you very much.
The Chief holds up a toast.
THE CHIEF
To old friends.
They toast, and they drink. Kendra has a tear rolling down her eye. Ted places a hand on Kendra's shoulder.
TED
Kendra, hey.
KENDRA
I'm okay.
THE CHIEF
You don't have to be, you know.
KENDRA
Yeah.
(quietly )
It's what I don't know that's...
Kendra leans back in the chair.
KENDRA
The only thing I really know for
certain is that the memories pass
on. When I die, two kids will be
born somewhere with our memories
buried deep inside their minds...
but I don't really know if it's the
same person looking out of new
eyes, or just someone who got
saddled with hand-me-down memories.
I don't like it when you call me
Sharon because I'm still not sure
if I really am Sharon. I don't
really know if it's actually going
to be me on the next go around... and
I don't really know if I'll ever
see Carter again.
The three sit in silence for a moment. Then, the door to the shed opens, and Lena walks in.
KENDRA
Lena?
TED
You okay, kid?
LENA
No.
KENDRA
Wanna talk about it?
LENA
No.
Ted grabs a nearby chair and sets it up for her (while also hiding the bottles out of sight). Then, Ray enters.
RAY
Lena!
LENA
Ray? What are you doing here?
RAY
I just... I guess I was worried about
you. Do you want me to go?
LENA
No, I want you to stay.
Ray smiles, and sets up a chair next to Lena.
RAY
What is this place?
THE CHIEF
I like to think of it as a
superhero junk drawer.
TED
It's some of the gear we picked up
from the brownstone. Me and J'onn
decided that Danny should hold onto
some of it for safekeeping, until
we need it.
LENA
So, what are guys going here,
guarding it?
KENDRA
Reminiscing.
Lena stands up and looks at all of the assembled relics, including the Cosmic Converter Belt, the Star Rod, and parts of the S.T.R.I.P.E. armor. She reaches down and picks up a bright pink ballpoint pen from one of the tables, and begins twirling it in her fingers.
LENA
I bet you guys have a lot of cool
stories about this stuff.
Ted smiles
TED
Sit back down. We've got a million.
EXT. DANNY THE STREET. SUNSET.
Alex is sitting on a bench, sulking. Clark Kent walks into frame.
ALEX
What do you want?
CLARK
You okay?
ALEX
What do you care?
Clark sits down.
CLARK
I care, Alex.
ALEX
Well, if you must know, no, I am
not okay.
CLARK
Because your sister found out about
your dad being dead?
ALEX
Obviously.
CLARK
So. What exactly happened?
ALEX
I didn't do it.
CLARK
I wasn't thinking that.
ALEX
Yes you were.
CLARK
I really wasn't.
BEAT
ALEX
I was planning to kill him.
CLARK
(shocked)
What?
ALEX
You're really shocked? You know how
I turn out.
CLARK
Yeah, like, in the future.
ALEX
I guess I got an early start. My
life has never been like yours,
Kent. When it comes to fathers,
you're luckier than most. You
wouldn't understand.
CLARK
I know that.
ALEX
Do you, now?
BEAT
ALEX
I had it almost all planned out. I
knew exactly how I was going to do
it, how to cover my tracks and get
Lena and myself set for life off of
the insurance payout. I was still
working out some of the finer
details when Lex came into our
lives. He made his offer, and we
accepted... Lena said it was the way
out we'd always talked about. A few
days after we were settled into the
new place, Lex came to me, told me
he had "taken care" of Lionel. He
said he wanted to spare me the
"burden of patricide."
CLARK
Do you feel like you were spared?
ALEX
I don't know.
Clark stands up, looking away from Alex, thinking.
ALEX
So, I laid my cards on the table.
Confessed all of my sins. Are
you ready to pass judgment?
CLARK
Why do you talk like you want
people to hate you?
ALEX
I don't...
BEAT
CLARK
Listen, Alex, anything you've done
or tried to do in the past doesn't
really matter to me. What matters
is that, right now, there isn't
anything stopping you from doing
the right thing. The question is,
What’re you going to choose to do?
Clark walks off, and leaves Alex alone to think. Clark strolls down Danny the Street, where he runs into Lana and Bruce. Lana is sitting on the curb while Bruce is leaning against a street lamp.
BRUCE
Good evening.
CLARK
Hey.
LANA
Hey.
CLARK
How's Diana?
LANA
She's dealing with a lot.
CLARK
Yeah. She's not the only one.
BEAT
LANA
I've been thinking about Pete a lot
since we got here, Clark.
CLARK
Me too.
LANA
It feels so strange, him not being
here, us knowing where he is and
why...
(quietly)
Oh God, I don't know what we're
gonna do...
CLARK
It is tricky. We can't really get
to him as long as the Legion is
around, and...
BRUCE
What are you talking about?
CLARK
I'm talking about what it's going
to take to save Pete.
LANA
... we can't beat them, Clark.
CLARK
What?
BRUCE
There's no way we can beat the
Legion, Clark, you have to know
that.
CLARK
No, I don't know that.
BRUCE
You saw what they have at their
disposal, what they're going to
have... we can't win against
that. Our only real hope is to
let them destroy each other.
It's obvious. To all of us.
CLARK
Us?
LANA
We talked to some of the others,
and...
CLARK
No.
BRUCE
No, what?
CLARK
We are not staying here.
LANA
Clark, our families are here...
CLARK
Not all of them. Not the ones who
still need our help.
BRUCE
After everything that's happened,
do you really still believe we can
save them?
BEAT
CLARK
Lana?
LANA
What?
CLARK
Can you do me a favor?
LANA
... what?
CLARK
Go get the others. Tell them I'm
holding a meeting.
LANA
... where are we meeting?
INT. PEEPING TOM'S PERPETUAL CABARET.
KARAOKE NIGHT! The Dannyzens are assembled to sing their hearts out on stage, and the party, sans Ted and the Luthor kids, are filing into a large booth that Clark has reserved. Everyone looks varying degrees of exhausted and introspective, Arthur, Kendra, and Diana most of all. Arthur has his face down on the table.
BRUCE
What are we doing here, Clark?
CLARK
Just wait a second. Is this
everybody?
KENDRA
Lena's still hanging out with Ted
and the Chief.
RAY
There was some pretty cool stuff in
that shed.
(quietly)
I kind of want to go back.
LANA
And Alex just didn't seem
interested.
CLARK
Alright. Well then...
Clark checks his watch.
BRUCE
Clark, what is-?
CLARK
Just hold on.
At that moment, the lights go down and the emcee of karaoke night, Ms. Maura Lee Corrupt, takes the stage. Applause all around.
MAURA LEE CORRUPT
Well, I don't know about all of
you, but I'm ready to get this
show started!
Cheers from the crowd.
MAURA LEE CORRUPT
Let me hear all of those beautiful
voices! First on deck is a newcomer
who's just eager to sing his little
heart out. Would Mr. Clark Kent
please come to the stage?
With a smile on his face, Clark walks up to the stage as the crowd applauds.
BRUCE
I don't like where this is going.
Clark takes the microphone from Maura.
CLARK
Thank you, ma'am.
Maura lets Clark have the stage, and the spotlight falls on him. Then, a cheap karaoke track version of the opening chords of Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'" start to play.
LANA
No...
BRUCE
What is this?
CLARK
(singing)
Just a small town girl, living in a
lonely world...
LANA
This is a thing he does when he
thinks I'm being too fatalistic.
Clark, wireless mic in hand, starts walking back to the table with the others while he sings.
BRUCE
That's horrible. This is horrible.
CLARK
Sorry you feel that way Bruce,
'cause this next one's for you!
(singing)
Just a city boy, born and raised in
South Detroit...
BRUCE
I'm not from Detroit.
CLARK
(singing)
He took the midnight train going
anywhere!
As the guitar solo kicks in, Clark puts down the mic to speak.
CLARK
There's a lot to be scared of. The
Legion has a lot of power. But look
at them. Look at the state they're
in. We have the one thing they
don't: we're a team. If we work as
a team, and if we exploit the fact
that they can't, we will beat them.
I've never been more certain of
anything in my life.
Clark holds the wireless mic up to his friends. Lana relents.
LANA
(singing)
A singer in a smoky room.
Clark holds the mic up to Bruce, but before he can react, Barry grabs it.
BARRY
(singing)
The smell of wine and cheap
perfume!
Clark takes back the mic, and begins leading Lana and Barry in song. Diana, Ray, Hal, and Dinah start to join in.
CLARK
(singing)
For a smile they can share the
night, it goes on and on and on and
on...
Arthur slaps his hand on the table as he sits up and joins in. Except for Bruce, everyone at the table is singing along, even Kendra.
THE JLA
(singing)
Strangers! Waiting!
CLARK
(singing)
Up and down the boulevard!
THE JLA
(singing)
There's shadows! Searching!
CLARK
(singing)
In the niiiiight!
Clark heads back up on stage. As he leads, the crowd starts to join in.
CROWD
(singing)
Street lights! People!
CLARK
(singing)
Living just to find emotion!
CROWD
(singing)
Hiding! Somewhere in the...
CLARK
(singing)
NIIIIIIIIIGHT!
Bruce looks up at Clark as he leads the crowd, inspiring them, giving them hope, and he smiles.
CUT TO
A MONTAGE SET TO THE REAL SONG
Shots of drawers of sewing supplies being opened.
CUT TO
Martha Kent, sitting in front of a sewing machine with reams of blue and red fabric. She is joined by Alfred, Bruce, and Diana, and they are working with several rolls of fabric of various colors to sew together... you know. ;)
CUT TO
Clark, Diana, and Arthur engaged in fierce three-way sparring.
CUT TO
Barry running wind sprints up and down Danny at incredible speeds.
CUT TO
Arthur and Barry, trying out different costume options with Ma Kent.
CUT TO
Bruce and Kendra, running an exercise where they spar with bo-staffs while standing on narrow surfaces.
CUT TO
Ollie doing target practice, firing three arrows at once and hitting all three targets.
CUT TO
Arthur doing heavy endurance training by rapidly using an oak tree as a punching bag.
CUT TO
A shot of Kendra taking a water break, looking at the sunset.
CUT TO
Lana trying on costumes, with Martha Kent helping her. There are several rejected designs on a board in the back.
CUT TO
Lena and Ray, wearing welding goggles, working on parts for Ray's suit. Behind them are several JSA gadgets, including the star rod and the cosmic converter belt. Lena takes notes with her new pink pen, and it shocks her with pink static electricity when she clicks it. Nearby, Ted is trying on gauntlets for an upgraded Wildcat suit, smiling as he watches the kids work.
CUT TO
J'onn, leading Clark, Barry, Diana, Arthur, and Bruce in guided meditation.
CUT TO
Dinah and Ted sparring, fiercely.
CUT TO
Alex, standing at a distance, watching the others train.
CUT TO
Hal, cycling through the mask options for his suit, from full face to half face to the Kyle Rayner crab mask, before finally settling on the classic domino mask.
CUT TO
Martha Kent, presenting a costume to her son that's just out of view.
MARTHA KENT
Well? What do you think?
CLARK
Ma... I love it.
CUT TO
A shot of a familiar red cape swinging dramatically as it is being put on.
CUT TO
A shot of Clark Kent, AKA SUPERBOY, standing in front of a full length mirror, admiring his costume, the Classic Superman costume, sky blue with crimson accents (INCLUDING THE TRUNKS). Superboy is standing in the classic pose with his fists on his hips, grinning from ear to ear with his alien blue eyes lit up like it's Christmas. Behind him stands Bruce Wayne, wearing the familiar costume of ROBIN, THE BOY WONDER, sans mask.
SUPERBOY
Go get the others.
ROBIN
Anything in particular you want me
to tell them?
SUPERBOY
Yeah. Tell everyone, it's time to
put on your tights, and give 'em
hell.
THE END
INT. AMBASSADOR HOTEL.
POST CREDITS SCENE: Brainiac's alarm is sounding. Lex is leading a small group, with Deathstroke by his side.
LEX
Brainiac?
BRAINIAC
(V.O.)
I have isolated the intruder in
suite 13.
DEATHSTROKE
ID?
BRAINIAC
(V.O.)
Negative, they've scrambled my
internal sensors.
LEX
That's interesting.
Lex leads the group up to suite 13, and Deathstroke kicks down the door. They step inside, and find Alex Luthor, sitting in a chair with a bound and gagged Chronos at his feet.
ALEX
I think you've been looking for
him, and me.
THE END
Notes:
For your listening pleasure:
https://youtu.be/1k8craCGpgs?si=_ZcuiNOilE3qabAd
Chapter 25: Challenge of the Super Friends, Season 1, Episode 25: "SHOWDOWN AT SLAUGHTER SWAMP"
Summary:
https://youtu.be/iYZIUtDAFIw?si=AoyQ6PkL20vPBIhJ
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
INT. AMBASSADOR HOTEL.
Alex sits facing Lex and the others, with Chronos handcuffed at his feet.
ALEX
I figured you'd want to question
him...
Alex kicks Chronos toward Lex for emphasis.
ALEX
... so I thought I'd bring him along.
Alex picks up a duffel bag behind him and tosses it at Lex's feet, causing it to land on top of Chronos with a thud.
CHRONOS
*OOF!*
ALEX
I also come bearing gifts. A few
trinkets from the store room of the
Justice Society of America, plus
some of the items Chronos had on
him.
Lex nudges the bag off of Chronos with his foot.
LEX
Slade? Take Mr. Clinton for
questioning.
Deathstroke nods. With one hand, he picks up Chronos and slings him over his shoulder.
LEX
Give us the room.
The rest of the Legion members present file out of the room, shutting the door on their way out. Lex pulls up a chair and sits facing Alex.
LEX
I was a bit worried you wouldn't
come back.
ALEX
Really?
LEX
I'm not sure I would've, if I was
in your place. Where's Lena?
ALEX
She's with the Justice League.
That's where we've been.
LEX
You found them?
ALEX
Lena did.
LEX
(smiling)
Of course she did.
ALEX
She found out about Lionel. They
all did. That's why I came back.
LEX
Of course. None of those people
could ever understand. Not even
Lena could.
ALEX
She'll be safe with them.
Lex stands up and approaches his younger self.
LEX
I know she will. What matters right
now is that you're back. You did a
good job, Alex. I'm proud of you.
Lex places a hand on Alex's shoulder, and the two share a warm moment.
INT. DARKENED HOTEL ROOM.
Chronos is on the floor, handcuffed, while Deathstroke, Sportsmaster, and Merlyn the Dark Archer kick him repeatedly in the ribs. Deathstroke holds up a hand to signal the other two to stop. The three then back away from Chronos.
CHRONOS
*GASP**COUGH*
DEATHSTROKE
Feeling more awake now, David?
CHRONOS
(pained)
Positively chipper, Slade.
DEATHSTROKE
Good. That's good.
Deathstroke sits down on the bed, looking down at Chronos.
DEATHSTROKE
I've decided that we're going
to take our time, and you and I are
going to have a long discussion
about the men you sent to kill my-
A ripple of warped space spreads over the room, and everyone in it becomes completely frozen in time. Except, of course, for Chronos, who quickly picks the locks of his handcuffs and stands up, dropping a gadget on the way, its battery spent.
CHRONOS
You talk a lot for an assassin,
Slade.
Chronos grabs the gun out of Deathstroke's holster and walks over to the teleport pad.
INT. ALPHA BASE.
Chronos teleports into Alpha Base's command and control room. The Calculator gets up as soon as he sees Chronos port in.
CALCULATOR
David!
Chronos shoots Calculator in the chest and he falls to the ground.
CHRONOS
Good evening, Noah.
Chronos walks behind the control panel and begins accessing and deactivating Alpha Base's security system with a series of keystrokes. He then checks his watch.
BEAT
A tear in space opens up, and out walks Cheetah, Circe, Marius, and the rest of their faction of the Legion.
CHRONOS
Doctor Minerva, Alpha Base is now
under our command.
CHEETAH
Little Lex was right, that was easy!
INT. AMBASSADOR HOTEL.
The alarm is sounding on Lex's communicator.
LEX
What now?
Deathstroke bursts into the room.
DEATHSTROKE
Chronos escaped. He teleported to
Alpha Base.
LEX
What?!
Deathstroke holds up one of Chronos' gadgets.
DEATHSTROKE
He had this on him.
Lex turns to Alex. Alex looks down at his bag.
ALEX
(quiet)
He must've lifted it when I wasn't
looking.
DEATHSTROKE
You stupid little-!
LEX
That's enough, Slade! There will be
time for that later. What's the
status of Alpha Base?
DEATHSTROKE
Chronos has taken control of CnC
and lowered the shields. Cheetah
and her people are already inside.
LEX
If it's a war Barbara wants...
Brainiac!
Brainiac appears.
BRAINIAC
Yes, Lex?
LEX
Signal everyone we have. Tell them
to get ready for combat and gather
at Slaughter Swamp immediately.
We'll retake Alpha Base by force if
we have to.
BRAINIAC
Lex, when you say everyone, does
that include...?
LEX
The Joker has his own mission and
he's to be left to it. At the
moment, ours is to end this
rebellion. I want everyone
mobilized, now!
The troops start to mobilize. Lex activates his nanotech power suit.
LEX
Well?
ALEX
What?
LEX
You coming, or not?
Alex smiles, and reaches into the duffel bag, pulling out the STAR ROD.
INT. ALPHA BASE.
Inside of the base where Cheetah and her faction have just taken control, the proximity alarms begin to sound.
CHEETAH
Chronos?
Chronos checks the external cameras, and projects a live image of Lex, fully geared up in power armor, teleporting into Slaughter Swamp with everyone still loyal to him, including Deathstroke and his team, Conduit, and Queen Bee. Alex is by his side, wielding the star rod and wearing the cosmic converter belt.
CHEETAH
(smiling)
Perfect timing.
EXT. SLAUGHTER SWAMP.
Lex's forces are assembled. A tear is space opens up, and out step Cheetah, Circe, and Orm Marius.
LEX
And where is the rest of your band
of rebels, Barbara?
CHEETAH
Back on the ship. You're a sneaky
one, Lex Luthor, I'm not going to
leave the newly captured prize
unguarded. Besides, you forget,
when we split up, you got to keep
all of the hired help, but I kept
Circe...
Behind Cheetah, the swamp water begins to stir. Out of the muck rises the army of monsters that Circe commands.
CHEETAH
... and Circe kept all of her
friends.
The two armies, one of supervillains, the other of mythical monsters, stare off at each other.
CHEETAH
I mean, come on, Lex! Did you
really come here expecting an easy
fight?
LEX
Not at all. But I do expect to win.
*CLAP**CLAP*CLAP* Lex and Cheetah both turn toward the sound of applause, coming from the nearby tree line. The Joker, backed up by his gang, steps out onto the battlefield, giving very polite applause.
THE JOKER
Bravo! Brava!
The Joker comes to a stop in front of Lex and Cheetah.
THE JOKER
This is a riveting scene the two of
you have set.
CHEETAH
(to Lex)
You brought The Joker back to life?
LEX
You forced my hand.
THE JOKER
Barbara, darling, how lovely to see
you!
CHEETAH
(disdainful)
Clown.
LEX
Why are you here?
THE JOKER
There's a party, I get an
invitation, I show up, what is
this, rocket science?
LEX
I didn't call for you, Joker.
THE JOKER
Well, somebody messaged that little
beeper you gave me. Here's
the thing, though, Lex, me and my
boys have been talking...
LEX
Your "boys?"
THE JOKER
My boys, yes. We've been talking,
and it occurs to us that we're not
sure who we want for a dance
partner at this party.
LEX
You're betraying me.
THE JOKER
I'm CONSIDERING betraying you, Lex,
please keep up.
LEX
Some of your "boys" are from my
gang, Joker!
THE PRANKSTER
I'm sorry, Lex, but we've really
bonded with The Joker these past
few days over shared mutual
interests.
TOYMAN
You never ask us about our hobbies.
He LOVES hearing about our hobbies.
THE JOKER
I love you guys too, but let's not
get ahead of ourselves! There are
decisions left to be made and I am
willing to weigh my options. First,
let's start by answering a
question: who paged us? The person
who actually requested my presence
automatically gets points for just
making me feel wanted, y'know?
Silence. Lex and Cheetah look around at their followers.
CHEETAH
Don't look at me, I didn't know he
was alive.
CIRCE
I don't even know who he is.
LEX
Who signaled The Joker?
Green light shines down on the villains.
SUPERBOY
(O.S.)
We did.
The villains look up. Overhead, suspended on a glowing green floating platform, stand THE JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA: Superboy! Insect Queen! Robin! Wonder Girl! The Flash! Green Lantern! Aqualad! Speedy! Black Canary! Hawkwoman! The Martian Manhunter! Accompanying them are THE DOOM PATROL and two former members of the JSA, WILDCAT and WHITE CANARY, as well as someone piloting the S.T.R.I.P.E. mecha armor.
CHEETAH
(to Lex)
Truce?
LEX
(cold fury)
Kill them.
Aqualad leads the charge, jumping down directly towards his wicked brother, Orm Marius.
ORM MARIUS
(amused)
Oh God, not...
To Marius' surprise, Aqualad changes course at the last second! Using the waters of the swamp, he uses his WATER BENDING to create a moving platform to land on and maneuver around his brother!
ORM MARIUS
(quietly)
... again?
As heroes and villains lock up all around, Aqualad glides along the surface of the water at high speeds, pulling water from behind him to raise the water level in front of him and leaving behind a field of mud for this battle to take place. Superboy leaps down at Lex, and his fist connects with Lex's force field, generating a wave of force that pushes back those around them. Wonder Girl jumps towards Circe and Cheetah, swinging her sword, but just as she is about to land in front of them, she tosses her sword back over her shoulder and pivots into a kick directly to Cheetah's stomach, knocking her back. Behind the Amazon, The Flash catches the sword and runs past the villains to catch up with Aqualad. Back at the line, Martian Manhunter and Queen Bee meet in battle, their fists colliding with one another.
CUT TO
As Aqualad glides along the surface of the water, he wills the water to freeze, trapping Circe's army of monsters chest deep in ice! Before the fiends can react, The Flash comes in with the magic sword, using it at super speed to cut every single one of them in a matter of moments. The creatures fade away into smoke as they are banished back to Tartarus.
CIRCE
NO!
Hawkwoman swoops in, wielding a bronze khopesh with Nth metal inlay, and bashes Circe in the face, sending her flying. She comes to a stop in front of Marius.
ORM MARIUS
Oh good. I'll have a matching set.
Hawkwoman charges the warlock, and he blocks her blow with a shadow tendril. Nearby, as he blocks the boy of steel's attack, Lex looks over his shoulder at Aqualad and The Flash heading toward Alpha Base.
LEX
Stop them!
Zoom runs after the two heroes, and Green Lantern streaks through the air after them. In the middle of the battle, Robin spin kicks an enemy in the head and then lands on the ground in front of The Joker.
THE JOKER
It is a marginal improvement.
Robin swings at The Joker with his bo staff, which The Joker blocks by pulling out a crowbar.
THE JOKER
But I know how to squish little
red birds.
Nearby, Conduit uses his tendrils to throw Robotman of the Doom Patrol away from him, and then turns just in time to get decked in the face by Insect Queen. She comes to a stop and faces her former friend.
INSECT QUEEN
Hey, Pete.
CONDUIT
Hey baby.
INSECT QUEEN
(quietly)
Well, you're not making this
harder...
The two charge at each other, Conduit extending his tendrils, Insect Queen sporting a massive Hercules beetle fist with pistol shrimp knuckles. Just as they're about to make contact, Conduit teleports behind Insect Queen, but she pivots at the last second and lands an explosive blow to his stomach, launching Conduit into the sky where she gives chase.
CUT TO
Aqualad racing toward Alpha Base. Zoom speeds up behind him, coming in to attack, but The Flash darts in, knocking Zoom away with a shoulder check and chasing after him.
AQUALAD
Thanks, man.
The Flash darts back.
THE FLASH
You're welcome!
The Flash darts away, coming to a stop facing his arch nemesis.
ZOOM
The Flash.
THE FLASH
The Zoom.
They stare each other down for a moment, like a pair of gunslingers, before taking off! The two speedsters begin to chase each other around Alpha Base in dazzling streaks of red and yellow.
CUT TO
Superboy continues to push with all his might against Lex's shields for a moment before jumping back, relenting his assault.
SUPERBOY
I have to hand it to you, Luthor,
that's one heck of a-
An energy beam shoots out of the breastplate of Lex's armor and blasts Superboy backwards, skidding to a halt face up in the swamp muck. Lex approaches him, charging an even more powerful blast of crackling green energy in the palm of his gauntlet.
LEX
(grim)
I am done with this.
Just as Lex is about to blast Superboy into cosmic dust, dazzling golden energy blasts the villain instead. His force field activates, but he is pushed back by the sheer power of the attack. He looks to see Alex, the star rod in his hand crackling with golden energy, helping Superboy to his feet.
ALEX
Hey, Clark.
SUPERBOY
Hi Alex.
ALEX
Don't you have somewhere to be?
SUPERBOY
Going!
Clark dashes off at super speed. As Clark runs, Krypto, The Superdog (cape and all) runs up alongside him.
SUPERBOY
Ready, boy?
KRYPTO
*BARK**WOOF*
The two concentrate, channeling energy into their legs, and then shoot forward at incredible speed, flying low to the ground like a rocket. Back at the fight, Alex faces off with Lex.
LEX
You ungrateful-!
Alex blasts Lex with the star rod, bombarding the villain's force field with incredible force. As Lex struggles against it, he presses a button on the gauntlet of his suit.
INT. DARKENED LABORATORY.
In a dark laboratory, BIZARRO sits, silent, motionless. The three circles on his forehead light up green, and he opens his eyes.
EXT. SLAUGHTER SWAMP.
Aqualad arrives at the outer wall of Alpha Base. He digs his fingers into the metal wall, willing giant tendrils of water to do the same, and with his muscles and his mind he tears open a hole before gently hopping in. He is immediately greeted by the villains still waiting in the base, including Giganta, Solomon Grundy, and Black Manta.
AQUALAD
Alright then...
Suddenly, an emerald energy barrier pops up between Aqualad and the villains as Green Lantern flies in.
GREEN LANTERN
Need a hand?
The banter is interrupted when Solomon Grundy begins forcing his way through the barrier, shearing his flesh off in the process and revealing his wooden skeleton.
GREEN LANTERN
Oh yeah...
AQUALAD
New plan!
Aqualad rushes at the wooden skeleton and punches it with all his might, sending it flying through the force field and knocking over the assembled villains.
AQUALAD
I fight, you clear a path.
Green Lantern retracts the force-field and conjures a large industrial drill.
GREEN LANTERN
Works for me.
CUT TO
Wonder Girl is fighting a defensive battle against Cheetah. The feline fiend is moving constantly, jumping from one spot to another, attacking from a different angle with every swipe of her claws, all at lightning fast speeds. The Amazonian princess is barely able to keep up as she blocks with her adamantine bracelets. Behind her, Circe the Sorceress returns to the fray, readying a sneak attack against Wonder Girl. But, just in the nick of time, Black Canary comes in for the save, blasting the witch away with a well placed sonic blast. Cheetah sees this and, spotting an opening, jumps past Wonder Girl, landing beside her and then pouncing at her comrade! However, while mid-leap, Cheetah is blasted away by White Canary, sent flying in the direction of Alpha Base.
BLACK CANARY
Thanks, mom!
WHITE CANARY
Watch yourself, dear.
Wonder Girl begins coiling the lasso of truth around her arm.
WONDER GIRL
I'm going after her.
BLACK CANARY
You going alone?
WONDER GIRL
I have a plan.
Wonder Girl leaps past the tree line and begins flying under the cover of the canopy toward the direction Cheetah went in. As Black Canary watches her go, she is assaulted by Sportsmaster, but deftly dodges and counters with a judo throw. Nearby, Speedy the boy archer ducks for cover as a mook takes a swing at him, only for the villain to be decked by Wildcat.
WILDCAT
Watch yourself, kid!
SPEEDY
What do you think I'm doing?
BLACK CANARY
Just keep your head down 'til your
moment, Speedy!
SPEEDY
Stop CALLING me that!
INT. ALPHA BASE.
The Flash and Zoom are chasing each other around the interior hallways of the base at incredible speeds. Zoom comes up alongside The Flash and takes a swipe at him. The Flash parries and goes in for a punch, which Zoom blocks before wrenching the arm violently, grabbing The Flash, and slamming him up against the wall and dragging him along it as the two skid to a stop. Zoom prepares for a kill shot, but The Flash manages to pull in both of his legs and kick out, hitting Zoom with a double kick and slamming him into the opposite wall. Both speedsters drop to the floor at the same time. The Flash is gripping the arm Zoom had grabbed, clearly in pain as it dangles limp and seems to be twitching.
ZOOM
Y'know, I'm feeling real nostalgic,
Barry. I'm thinking, maybe after
we're done here, me and The Joker
and the rest of the boys'll go pay
Iris a little visit.
The Flash just stands there, grimacing with rage and clutching his arm as it twitches with pain. Zoom stands up and approaches The Flash.
ZOOM
(laughing)
Y'see, now I know you're out of
gas. The Flash I knew would've
already handed me a few of my own
teeth just for saying that. You're
fast, kid, I'll give it to you, but
you don't have the endurance, you
don't have the skill...
THE FLASH
Thawn?
Zoom looks down. The arm he thought The Flash had been clutching in pain has in fact been moving this whole time, the hand and fingers in constant motion around a single spot as he pours the speed force into it, accelerating the movement of the air molecules in that spot in as many different directions at once as possible, causing them to spin around in circles at speeds approaching the sound barrier, creating a sphere of condensed hyperkinetic energy in the palm of his hand.
THE FLASH
Stay away from my girlfriend.
The Flash hits Zoom in the exact center of his torso with a palm strike, supercharged by the hyperkinetic ball of air.
ZOOM
*just the worst sound*
CUT TO
Aqualad, fending off attacks from multiple opponents! He uses his water bending to keep the others at bay, creating walls of water to push them back, while focusing his physical attacks on Solomon Grundy. Grundy rains down a torrent of blows with his four mighty fists as Aqualad blocks. While the other villains are held back, Black Manta uses his suit to dive THROUGH the wall of water. Landing on the ground right beside Aqualad and Grundy. He draws a small harpoon gun and fires at Aqualad. Our view goes into slow motion as the projectile hurtles toward the Atlantean teen, and The Flash comes in just in time to catch it out of the air. The Flash runs up to Black Manta and hands the harpoon back to him.
THE FLASH
You dropped this, and that was
rude.
Manta takes a swing at The Flash, who darts around him and trips him over with considerable force with a hyper speed leg sweep.
CUT TO
Not far away, Green Lantern is making progress, drilling through the walls to get to the reactor core. His drill pokes through to the other side, and he dismisses it, floating into the reactor room through the hole. He activates his communicator. As he is talking, leaves and wooden vines crawl out of the vents behind him and form together into The Floronic Man.
GREEN LANTERN
Green Lantern to the JLA, I'm at
the destination...
The villain lunges, morphing his fingers into a binding prison of lacquer chains, ensnaring the hero.
GREEN LANTERN
(startled)
... requesting long range assist!
EXT. SLAUGHTER SWAMP.
BLACK CANARY
Hear that Speedy? You're up!
Speedy takes a running jump toward Black Canary, who holds down her hands to catch his foot and vault him into the air.
SPEEDY
I said don't CALL me that!
As Speedy twists in the air, he draws his bow, closes one eye, and fires an arrow at Alpha Base. The arrow, with a cylindrical head that bares an atom symbol on it, flies through the air, whooshing past Aqualad and The Flash's fight with the villains, threading through the hole left by GL's drill, and flying right past Floronic Man's head, embedding itself harmlessly in a piece of equipment. Floronic Man looks down at GL.
FLORONIC MAN
Some support.
Floronic Man begins squeezing Green Lantern.
GREEN LANTERN
*ACK!*
Floronic Man smiles, and without looking, catches another arrow out of the air before it can hit him.
FLORONIC MAN
That boy needs to find himself
another...
The arrowhead explodes, spraying thermite in Flormonic Man's face and causing him to catch fire. His grip lessens, and Green Lantern activates his communicator.
GREEN LANTERN
Flash! Castling!
Green Lantern flies back through the entrance he made with his drill, and he and The Flash pass each other as they swap places. Green Lantern flies out just in time to push back Black Manta and a few other villains with a wall of force, giving Aqualad breathing room to bind Grundy's feet with water tendrils and go on the offensive.
CUT TO
Back in the reactor core, The Flash is running circles around Floronic Man, grabbing his vines and tying them together into huge knots. Then, suddenly, WOOSH, Zoom darts into the room and pins The Flash up against the wall. There is a massive hole in Zoom's costume, revealing a nasty looking bruise covering most of his torso. There is blood running down from his mouth and nose, and the blood vessels in one of his eyes have burst. Floronic Man scrambles out of the room as fast as he can.
ZOOM
(strained, furious)
That *COUGH* hurt!
Zoom begins vibrating one of his hands at high speed, readying for a kill shot.
THE ATOM
(over communicator)
Atom to JLA! I did it!
EXT. DANNY THE STREET. SHED. DAY.
FLASHBACK. The party has been gathered outside the storage shed behind the doll hospital on Danny, which has been converted into a workshop for Lena and Ray to use. Bruce, Clark, J'onn, and Diana are at the front of the group, talking to Ray and Lena.
BRUCE
What did you do, Ray?
RAY
I figured out how to beat the
Legion, all thanks to a discovery
Lena made while we were examining...
Ray holds out a small silver disk with an hourglass symbol etched onto it.
RAY
... this. It's one of Chronos'
devices. It causes the affected
target to move backwards through
time, kind of like getting rewound.
DIANA
It was most unpleasant.
CLARK
What's the discovery?
LENA
Every object in existence has a
temporal signature that corresponds
to the point in the timeline it
belongs to. This signature can be
isolated and manipulated, which is
how the device causes objects to
move through time backwards, and it
can be detected in order to
determine if an object has been
displaced from its natural point
on the timeline.
CLARK
... okay.
Ray grabs a diagram of Alpha Base.
RAY
Look here. The reactor core,
basically a big radioactive engine
that powers the whole base. It was
built out of the time machine they
used to get here, right? That means
a majority of its mass is from the
future. And this little dot right
here? This is where the time
machine was connected to its
original power source when it came
back from the future. Lena and I
have been talking and fiddling with
this thing, and we're pretty sure
that if I can connect it to this
port and, god willing, pull off a
little rewiring of some of the
nanocircuitry on the fly, we can
send the reactor back through the
hole in the timestream it punched
to get here. And if I boost the
device's radius by tapping into the
reactor's power output, it will
suck up any matter inside that
radius that's from the same time
period as the machine. And what all
of that means is...
INT. ALPHA BASE REACTOR ROOM.
The room begins to fill with blinding light as the reactor powers up, generating a ripple in spacetime that spreads outward, enveloping the whole room and beyond. Zoom looks down at his hand, and sees that he's beginning to go out of phase with this timeline.
THE ATOM
(V.O.)
... I can send them back.
THE MICROVERSE
Ray Palmer, wearing the bulky prototype suit of THE ATOM (think arrowverse armor), bounces from molecule to molecule, rewiring nano circuits on the fly to make this Hail Mary work.
THE ATOM
You should see it start to take
effect over the next few minutes.
Or possibly seconds. I wasn't able
to test this.
EXT. DANNY THE STREET. SHED. DAY.
OLLIE
You can't test this?
RAY
No time, and no back
up rewind gadget.
LENA
There are other problems. There's a
limit to how much we can boost this
thing's radius. We're pretty sure
at maximum we can affect all of the
base's interior, so unless we can
get the entire Legion inside the
base at once, we're not going to
get them all.
RAY
Although, we might be able to make
signal boosters. We don't have time
to make many, and we'd have to tag
individual members of the Legion
with them.
OLLIE
How do you expect to get many of
them that way?
RAY
Well, that's where you come in.
OLLIE
... me?
RAY
Ollie, You're kind of a key figure
here. I need you to fire the
projectile I'm going to ride to get
to the reactor...
EXT. SLAUGHTER SWAMP.
Speedy, darting around the battlefield, hitting several Legion members (including Queen Bee as she fights Martian Manhunter) with his SIGNAL BOOSTING ARROWS, each one stunning the villain with a taser charge as they too begin to go out of phase with the timestream as happened to Zoom.
THE ATOM
(V.O.)
... and then I need you to keep as many
of them from getting away as
possible.
Speedy fires one arrow directly at Merlyn the Dark Archer, but before it can hit him, Deathstroke catches it out of the air and throws it at a Legion member he doesn't like.
DEATHSTROKE
We're pulling back.
MERLYN THE DARK ARCHER
Are you serious?
DEATHSTROKE
Alpha Base is lost. We're
regrouping on the island.
EXT. DANNY THE STREET. SHED. DAY.
BRUCE
So, all of this hinges on getting
all of the Legion in one place at
one time. Both factions, plus
Joker's team.
ALEX
(O.S.)
Yeah...
The group turns to see that Alex has joined them.
EXT. SLAUGHTER SWAMP.
ALEX
(V.O.)
... I think I have an idea.
Alex is bombarding Lex with energy from the star rod. Lex's force field holds, but it seems like he is cornered. On the back of Lex's armor, several slots open, small missile ports that fire a dozen small homing missiles that fly toward Alex. He reels back, destroying the missiles with a wave of energy, but leaving himself open to a counter from Lex, who charges at the boy, grabbing him and pinning him down into the muck.
LEX
(furious)
WHY?!
ALEX
Well, for starters, there's the hair.
Like, is that a choice, or did we not inherit Lionel's-
Lex raises his fist, and Alex blasts upwards with the star rod, sending Lex flying into the air. Lex activates his thrusters in the air and comes to a stop, surveying the battlefield with the look of a man brought to the brink. His eyes turn to Alpha Base, which is consumed in a bubble of warped space.
EXT. DANNY THE STREET. SHED. DAY.
Alex is standing with the group now, having just shared his plan.
BRUCE
Are you sure you can pull it off?
ALEX
I'm great at lying to people,
myself especially.
LENA
(cold)
Why do you even want to help?
Alex looks at his sister, shame spreading across his face. He looks away, and instead makes eye contact with Clark.
ALEX
I'm choosing to do the right thing.
LENA
Yeah, whatever. There's still
another problem.
Lena points to a spot on the schematic.
LENA
Doing this is going to send a power
surge through the base. The problem
is that, in the event of a power
surge, the base is designed to vent
excess energy into the Old Gotham
tunnels under the city. If that
happens, all of the green goo
that's still under there is going
to ignite, and if that happens...
it's going to be the great Gotham
earthquake all over again.
BRUCE
Why are we proposing a plan that
will blow up my town?
RAY
Because there is a solution! Lena,
you really should lead with the
good news in these situations.
LENA
Okay, sorry.
Ray pulls a map off Gotham's underground from his workbench.
RAY
Right here. See? It's a big metal
seal that's a part of the Old
Gotham pipe system. The ignited Azoth has to
pass through here to vent into the
rest of underground. But, if it
were held shut by, say, the world's
strongest man...
Ray turns to Clark, as do the eyes of everyone else in the group.
RAY
... then the energy would be forced
back into the base...
INT. GOTHAM UNDERGROUND.
Superboy and Krypto skid to a halt in front of the enormous metal seal, easily 30 feet in diameter, that is connected to a now broken hydraulic system.
THE ATOM
(V.O.)
... and it'll blow right up.
Superboy looks up at the enormous metal object.
SUPERBOY
Well. It is bigger than I imagined.
(to Krypto)
Let's hurry.
The boy and dog of steel dash up to the large metal seal. They summon all of their strength, and begin to push it shut.
SUPERBOY
(strained)
It's-*NGH*-actually lighter than it
looks...
With a flash and a crack of thunder, Superboy is struck and sent crashing into the nearby concrete wall, causing deep cracks in it. He lands with a thud. As he picks himself up off the floor, he sees BIZARRO advancing.
EXT. SLAUGHTER SWAMP.
Lex Luthor is flying toward Alpha Base.
LEX
Brainiac! Brainiac, come in!
Lex gets nothing but static. Suddenly, errant blasts of golden energy streak past him. Alex is in pursuit. Lex takes evasive maneuvers, and we have the beginnings of a chase on our hands! Alex keeps firing blasts that Lex deftly dodges. Lex generates an orb of energy in each hand and throws them backwards. Alex uses the star rod to put up a force field just in time as he collides with the orbs and they explode on impact. Lex smirks as he makes his getaway, but suddenly the S.T.R.I.P.E. mecha falls out of the sky and crashes down on top of him, slamming him into the earth.
CUT TO
An interior shot of the mecha, where Lena Luthor is piloting it.
CUT TO
Elsewhere in Slaughter Swamp, Cheetah pulls herself up out of the muck. She spots movement in the trees, a glint of gold she recognizes as the lasso of truth, and readies herself for an attack. Wonder Girl does indeed jump out of the trees, lunging toward her sworn enemy. Cheetah notices the glistening gold wrapped around Wonder Girl's forearms and hands, and realizes too late what is happening: Wonder Girl has wrapped the lasso of truth around her hands, winding each end of the cord around her fingers in the style of muay thai hand wrappings. Her hands are connected by the length of the rope, which she swings over and behind Cheetah as she lands, pulling Cheetah into a close quarters fight with no room to move! Wonder Girl smiles, and then begins pummeling Cheetah with rapid fire muay thai strikes.
CUT TO
High in the air above Slaughter Swamp, Conduit and Insect Queen are locked in battle. The two are entangled mid-air, Conduit clinging on for dear life with his tendrils as his free arm is used to trade punches with his former friend. Insect Queen lands a blow so hard it cracks Conduit's helmet in two, causing it to fall away, revealing a human face ghoulishly wired into cybernetic cables.
CONDUIT
Give us a kiss?
Lana transforms her face into an insectoid mandible and sprays Conduit in the face with a caustic mist. As Conduit coughs and gags, Insect Queen grabs him and flies back down at the ground, slamming the villain into the earth with incredible force. As she gets up, she places her foot on his chest and uses her Hercules beetle arms to tear his metallic tendrils off of his body.
CONDUIT
*just the worst sound*
Insect Queen steps away as she drops the tendrils to the ground. She hits Conduit with a few web blasts to immobilize him.
INSECT QUEEN
I'll be back for you later. I have
to go help my friends.
Insect Queen flies away, leaving Conduit to stew. However, that is when Brainiac steps into the scene.
BRAINIAC
Don't feel frustrated, Pete.
Brainiac waves his hand, and an invisible force tears away the webs.
BRAINIAC
We're still on schedule.
Brainiac holds out a hand. Conduit grabs it, letting Brainiac help him up, and is surprised when he realizes it's corporeal.
CONDUIT
You're solid.
BRAINIAC
I need a physical body to store
data for our journey.
CONDUIT
Journey?
Brainiac looks out at the battlefield.
BRAINIAC
Things have run their course here
on Earth. If you and I are going to
stay on schedule, we have to get
going right away.
CUT TO
Robin and The Joker, trading blocks and parries furiously with their melee weapons. The Joker's blows are fiercer, more powerful, but Robin has agility on his side. He flips over The Joker, kicking him in the head, his high tech boot crackling with energy and knocking The Joker back. The Boy Wonder lands as The Joker stumbles to a stop.
THE JOKER
That's a new toy.
Robin charges The Joker, planting his staff in the ground and uses it to leverage a supercharged flying kick. The Joker manages to catch the leg and fling Robin over his head, slamming him into the ground.
THE JOKER
Batman does love his toys. But if
you take those away from him, he
still has the will, the vision,
necessary to win against unwinnable
odds. What the hell does Robin
have?
Insect Queen flies into the scene, decking The Joker and knocking him back.
ROBIN
He has friends.
The villain skids to a halt in the mud.
THE JOKER
I'll admit it, I keep walking into that
one.
Nearby, Hawkwoman is battling both Marius and Circe with the rage of a Viking berserker.
HAWKWOMAN
*pure rage*
She pummels Marius with a flurry of blows, each one blocked by a shadow tendril, but every magic bolt Circe throws her way manages to be deflected with the sword without breaking the warrior's vengeful stride. That is when Circe spots Robin and Insect Queen advancing upon the downed Joker.
CIRCE
You know what, Kendra?
Out of the corner of her eye, Hawkwoman sees Circe drag her hand along the ground, transforming the mud into a swarm of knives sent flying at the other heroes!
CIRCE
I think Carter could use some
company!
Instinct kicks in, and Hawkwoman disengages from Marius to save her comrades. She darts off to catch up with the knives, and Circe uses telekinesis to grab The Joker and pull him over to her.
CIRCE
Marius, darling, be a dear and make
an exit? I think our partnerships
with Lex AND Barbara are coming to
an end tonight.
ORM MARIUS
It does seem that way, my lady.
Marius reaches out and tears open a portal.
ORM MARIUS
You're bringing him?
THE JOKER
"Him" has a name, mister.
CIRCE
We still need help, Marius, and I
think this one is a good match for
us.
THE JOKER
Come on. You're just saying that.
Not far away. Hawkwoman catches up with the swarm of knives, shattering them with her sword just before they hit Robin.
INSECT QUEEN
Woah!
Hawkwoman looks back and sees the villains escaping.
THE JOKER
(distant)
Don't forget about my boys...
HAWKWOMAN
Damn it!
ROBIN
Later! Focus on containing the
rest!
INT. GOTHAM UNDERGROUND.
Superboy rushes Bizarro, and the two lock up, creating a wave of force in the air. Krypto lunges at the clone, but Bizarro's reflexes are too quick, and he catches the pup of steel by the throat. However, this creates an opening for Superboy to sock Bizarro with a mighty punch to the head. Unfortunately, while his head is knocked back slightly, he shows no sign of pain or injury. Superboy dives forward, grabbing Bizarro by the mid section. He puts all of his power into his legs and shoots up like a rocket, slamming Bizarro into the ceiling. Bizarro simply looks down and lets loose a blast of laser vision, knocking Superboy to the ground. Casually, Bizarro descends. Krypto lunges at him, but Bizarro swats him away like it's nothing. Krypto skids to the halt on the ground next to his boy, as Bizarro sets his feet down between the two heroes and their goal, his eyes vacantly crackling with energy.
EXT. SLAUGHTER SWAMP.
Lena, in her mecha suit, is raining down punches on Lex, really working out some anger with every blow. Lex manages to grab one of the mecha's arms and, assisted by propulsion rockets all over his suit, wrenches the robot off of him with a judo throw. The mecha lands on its feet and skids to a halt just as Alex touches down next to it.
ALEX
Lena, I know you're not a big fan
of me right now, and honestly I'm
not either, but for the moment, how
about we work together and take it
all out on that version of me over
there?
LENA
(over the coms)
Sounds good to me.
INT. ALPHA BASE REACTOR ROOM.
As the blinding energy consumes the room, The Atom hops out of the microverse, growing to a height of roughly six inches and landing on The Flash's shoulder. In the heart of the reactor itself, a whirlpool of energy forms, and Zoom, in his shimmering "half there" state, is sucked into it.
THE ATOM
We should probably go now!
With The Atom riding on his shoulder, The Flash darts away at super speed, running through the opening made by GL. As he exits into the outer hallway, he unceremoniously grabs Aqualad as the villains around them are sucked into the singularity at the heart of the reactor.
AQUALAD
Watch it!
The Flash runs out of Alpha Base with Green Lantern hurrying after him.
CUT TO
Elsewhere on the battlefield, Martian Manhunter, Speedy, the Canaries, and Wildcat look around as villains tagged by the arrows are sucked into the singularity over at Alpha Base.
CUT TO
Cheetah, bruised and battered, laying in the mud. The spectral forms of villains being sucked into the time portal fly by. Wonder Girl removes the ropes from her arms and walks a little ways away.
CHEETAH
(dazed)
We still playing, princess?
WONDER GIRL
The time for games has ended.
Wonder Girl reaches down and picks up the enchanted sword from the spot where The Flash dropped it.
CHEETAH
(dazed)
Well, we have to do this again
sometime...
Wonder Girl grabs Cheetah by the back of the neck and hoists her up.
WONDER GIRL
The next time we see each other...
Wonder Girl thrusts the sword through Cheetah's torso.
WONDER GIRL
... it will be in Tartarus.
As Cheetah's body dissolves into smoke and fades away, she smiles.
CHEETAH
I'll be looking forward to it.
CUT TO
Alex blasts Luthor with a continuous stream of cosmic energy, forcing him on the defensive once again. Lena uses this opportunity to go on the offensive, hammering punches down on his force field like mad. As Lex guards against these attacks, his HUD warns him that his power cells are dangerously low. Lex activates his suit’s scanners, and the HUD displays the scan of the S.T.R.I.P.E. mecha, highlighting the location of its power core. The chest piece of Lex's suit then fires a small green laser at the power core, piercing it and causing it to explode. This rips the mecha in half and sends the upper body (and cockpit) flying back, crashing into the swampy ground.
ALEX
LENA!
Alex relents his assault and flies over to the damaged mech. He uses the star rod to yank open the cockpit door, revealing Lena to be injured and dazed but still breathing. Lex hovers over to them.
LEX
Look what you made me do, Alex.
Alex Luthor snaps. He turns and blasts Luthor with everything the star rod has.
INT. GOTHAM UNDERGROUND.
Superboy is on his hands and knees before Bizarro. Krypto is by his side, injured and struggling to stand. As Bizarro looks down at them, eyes crackling with energy, Superboy closes his eyes, getting ready for the end. As he does, the world falls away, replaced with an x-ray view of things... and Superboy can hear a rumbling sound. A ways down the tunnel ahead, a torrent of destructive energy is hurtling towards them, and Superboy can feel it! He grits his teeth, and his body lights up with energy in this x-ray view of the world. Next to him, Krypto's muscles tense as he follows suit. Superboy uses all of his will to move the energy in his body, focusing it entirely within his eyes. He then opens his eyes, and a wave of blue energy shoots forth, hitting Bizarro and knocking him back. Superboy stands while continuing the assault, and Bizarro pushes against the wave of energy, struggling to slowly move towards the boy of steel. And that's when Krypto joins in, unleashing his own blast of laser vision to double the wave of force! Bizarro struggles against it for a moment, but is quickly knocked back, pushed through the opening and hurled down the tunnel toward the oncoming fireball. The Superboy and his Superdog relent the energy attack and rush toward the seal, grabbing it and using all of their strength to shut it and hold it shut just as the energy venting from Alpha Base hits it. Superboy and Krypto struggle with all their might, the room shaking and their heels digging into the concrete floor as they keep the seal shut and force the energy back where it came from.
EXT. SLAUGHTER SWAMP.
Alex hammers Lex with a furious assault, hitting him with blast after blast as Lex flies back, trying to dodge and parry. After some quick maneuvering, Lex gets enough of an opening to get in a counter attack, forcing Alex to put up his own force field to defend. The two come to a stop mid air right next to Alpha Base. Lex lets up his blast, allowing Alex to drop his shield. He keeps up his gauntlet, still crackling with green energy.
LEX
We don't have to do this, Alex. We
can still talk. We've both solved a
lot of problems by talking. You
know that.
Alex, breathing hard, lowers the star rod. Lex powers down his gauntlet and lowers his arm.
LEX
Things have gotten out of hand.
That's obvious. But it doesn't make
any sense for us to fight. We're
the same person. I'm your destiny,
Alex.
The two of them hang in the air for a moment, looking into each other's eyes.
ALEX
Sorry.
Alex shoots toward Lex, who puts up his gauntlet and blasts. Alex dives at just the right time to dodge the blast. He begins charging up a massive blast of his own as he flies back up toward Lex.
ALEX
Lex Luthor makes his own destiny!
Alex collides with Lex and blasts him up and back, knocking him directly over Alpha Base at the exact moment that the energy feedback causes the base to explode. Lex Luthor is consumed in a ball of fire that lights up the night.
CUT TO
The Justice League of America and its allies, weary from the fight, assembling on the battlefield in its aftermath. As he stumbles back from the fight victorious, Superboy notices something on the ground: the arm and gauntlet from Lex's armor, torn off in the blast. Superboy picks it up, and looks inside.
SUPERBOY
That's gross.
He drops the severed limb and looks around at his teammates, smiling.
THE FLASH
Guys... I think we kinda won.
The assembled members of the League look around at each other, a cautious sense of victory on their faces. Then, a city street suddenly appears in the swamp beside them.
J'ONN
That would be our ride.
The heroes step onto the street, which shifts through time and space.
EXT. DANNY THE STREET. DAY.
Momentarily blinded by the light, the Justice League and their allies find themselves standing on Danny the Street, greeted by all of their friends and family, and all of the Dannyzens with Miss Maura-Lee Corrupt at the head of the massive and colorful group, all gathered in anticipation of their return. Alfred is holding a cake, and Swamp Thing is there too (with Hooty the owl).
SUPERBOY
Hi guys.
The Dannyzens erupt into applause and celebration. A banner reading "CONGRATULATIONS" drops down above the crowd. The tired heroes begin to mingle. Clark Kent embraces both of his parents in a big hug.
OLLIE
I can't believe we won!
J'ONN
Our fight with the Legion is not
over yet. Some did manage to
escape.
DIANA
Some of them key figures.
LANA
And there's still people we need to
save.
BARRY
And we still haven’t done anything
about the galactic civil war.
OLLIE
Listen, I was expecting more of us
to die today, maybe even me! Only
mostly winning is a cause for
celebration!
As the League and friends begin to celebrate their victory, Ray begins darting through the crowd. This catches Bruce's eye, and he follows. Ray is heading to the shed behind the doll hospital, its door wide open, where he runs up to his computer. He boots it up and connects a flash drive in his hand to a jury rigged port connected to the 1980s technology. Bruce comes up from behind.
BRUCE
Ray, what are you doing?
RAY
Sorry, I found this by accident.
Turns out Brainiac stores data
microscopically. I was able to
access some of their files while I
was in there.
BRUCE
Ray, that's huge!
RAY
It was kind of luck, really.
As the files download, Ray starts looking through them.
BRUCE
What do we have?
RAY
A lot of audio and video files...
this computer isn't equipped to
read them, so they're for later I
guess... there are some text files I
can open.
Ray clicks a folder, and it opens up hundreds of files, each one titled with a name. Some of the names listed include: Ralph Dibney, Rex Mason, Zatanna Zatarra, Jefferson Pierce, Brian Malkov, Guy Gardner, John Stewart, Tatsu Yamashiro, Selina Kyle, Mari McCabe, along with many many more.
RAY
What do you think these are?
BRUCE
(smiling)
Backup.
THE END.
Notes:
See you all in Season 2!
Chapter 26: Challenge of the Super Friends, Season Two, Episode One: "How I Spent My Summer Vacation - Chapter One"
Summary:
Season Two begins!
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
INT. HALL OF JUSTICE. MEETING ROOM.
THE JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA, in full costume, sit around their meeting table. Robin stands before the other members of the group. Behind him, projected on a screen, are images of the major members of the Legion not yet dealt with: Thaal Sinestro, The Joker, Circe, Orm Marius, and Deathstroke The Terminator.
ROBIN
There are seventeen members of the
Legion still at large, leads that take
us to Gotham, the bottom of the ocean,
and the center of the galaxy, and a
mile long list of future superheroes
who might be able to help us. This
leaves us with one option: we're going
to have to split up, gang.
THE FLASH
… I have a bad feeling about this.
EXT. SMALLVILLE, KANSAS. KENT FARM. SUNRISE.
Clark Kent, age 14, is kneeling on the front porch of his family's farmhouse. In front of him is his lifelong companion, a white Labrador retriever who's collar says "Shelby," but who's name is Krypto. Clark's parents, Jonathan and Martha, stand at the doorway.
CLARK
I've gotta go now, Krypto. I've got
work to do, and I need you to stay
here and protect Ma and Pa. Okay, boy?
KRYPTO
*affirmative whimper*
Clark kisses his dog on the forehead.
CLARK
(quietly)
Good boy.
Clark stands.
CLARK
Well, guess I'm going now.
JONATHAN KENT
Stay safe out there, son.
MARTHA KENT
Make sure you and your friends all
look out for each other.
CLARK
I will. I love you guys.
JONATHAN KENT
We love you too, Clark.
Clark comes in for a group hug with his parents.
JONATHAN KENT
We know you're going to do great out
there.
MARTHA KENT
We believe in you, son.
CLARK
Thanks.
Clark disengages from the hug and smiles weakly. He picks up his bag and slings it over his shoulder, and walks down the dirt path leading to the road, at the end of which waits Lana Lang, age 14, Clark's best friend.
LANA
Are you ready?
CLARK
As ready as I can be.
LANA
That'll have to do.
Clark stands next to Lana, and she takes a small device out of her pocket. She presses a button. Space shimmers and warps around them before they vanish in crackling white light.
EXT. METROPOLIS PIER. MORNING.
Clark and Lana materialize the docks of the Metropolis pier. Docked next to them is a yellow submarine.
CLARK
Uh, teleporting makes my stomach hurt.
LANA
I know what you mean, I don't know how
the Legion could stand using that
thing every day.
The hatch of the submarine opens, and Helena Luthor, age 12, pops out her head.
LENA
Hey guys.
CLARK
How're things in there?
LENA
Captain Perkins has kept the engine
and all the instruments in good
condition, but the whole interior
smells like a barber shop.
CLARK
What kind of barber shop?
LENA
A grandpa barbershop.
CLARK
Well, I've got weeks of that to look
forward to.
LANA
Suddenly, my arrangements are looking
a lot better by comparison.
CLARK
Speaking of, shouldn't you be going?
LANA
I'm going to wait until Diana gets
back. I want to say goodbye to both of
you before I go.
CLARK
I get that. She's with Arthur, right?
LANA
Yeah…
EXT. ANTIQUE SHOP. SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA. NIGHT.
LANA
(O.S.)
… they're recruiting the wizard.
It's 3:00 AM, and the fog is thick in San Francisco. A single light peers out of the storefront window of "Shadowcrest Antiques."
CUT TO
Inside the antique shop, behind the front counter, a young woman with dark hair, wearing a dark coat over dark clothes, is reading by lamplight, lost in concentration as she studies the ancient tome. She is ZATANNA ZATARA, age 16. There is a knock at the door.
ZATANNA
We're closed!
DIANA
(O.S.)
We're looking for Zatanna Zatara!
Zatanna looks up. Through the window, she can see the two people knocking at her door. A young man with blond hair (Arthur Curry) and a young woman with dark hair (Diana Prince), both of whom appear to be around her age. Zatanna gets up and walks to the door.
ZATANNA
(through the glass)
What do you want?
Arthur produces a pendant on a chain, engraved with strange runes. He holds it up for Zatanna to see through the window. She squints at it, and then her eyes open wide in shock. Frantically, she unlocks the door and opens it. She takes the pendant in her hand and inspects it closely.
ZATANNA
Where did you get this?
ARTHUR
It was my mother's.
Zatanna looks up at Arthur.
ZATANNA
Your mother?
ARTHUR
She said it was from the place where
she was born.
Zatanna looks back and forth between Arthur and Diana for a moment, before letting go of the amulet.
ZATANNA
Come in.
Zatanna holds the door open for Arthur and Diana, and turns on the lights as she locks the door behind them.
DIANA
We apologize for coming to you so
late
ZATANNA
Don't worry about that, let's get to
the point. Do you know where that
amulet comes from, specifically?
ARTHUR
It comes from Atlantis.
ZATANNA
Right.
Zatanna walks past Arthur and Diana and steps behind the counter.
ZATANNA
I'm wondering how and why you came to
the conclusion that I'm an expert on
that subject.
DIANA
You showed obvious interest in the
amulet.
ZATANNA
You knew my name before you came in
here, sweetie. What's up with that?
ARTHUR
It's kind of a long story.
ZATANNA
My favorite kind.
ARTHUR
*sigh*… my name is Arthur Orin Curry.
Me and my friend here, Diana,
we're…like you.
ZATANNA
In what regard?
ARTHUR
We're different from other people. My
mother was born in Atlantis, at the
bottom of the ocean, where she was
able to breath thanks to the gills
that everyone in our family is born
with. Diana is an Amazon. As in, an
actual Amazon from myth. Until
recently, we've been chased by a group
that was keeping tabs on people like us.
We stole a bunch of records from
them, which is how we found you,
Zatanna Zatara, daughter of occultist
Zachary Zatara and direct descendant
of the original Atlanteans, the ones
who built the ruins my mother's people
settled in.
ZATANNA
Someone was keeping tabs on me? Who,
the government?
ARTHUR
No. Like I said, it's complicated
ZATANNA
You keep saying that, and it sounds
like kind of a red flag to me…
As Arthur and Zatanna talk, Diana's concentration wavers. Her eyes are slowly drawn to a large clay vase on display in the antique shop. Diana walks over to the vase, which depicts three winged women sitting in profile in a line, drawn in a classical Greek style. She is transfixed by it, and we begin to hear whispers emanating from it.
BEAT
ARTHUR
Diana!
The whispers disappear immediately as Diana snaps back to attention.
DIANA
Hm?
ARTHUR
A little help here?
DIANA
Right.
Diana turns to Zatanna.
DIANA
I understand your suspicion. Please
understand that we are coming to you
because we've been searching
desperately for help, and you're the
only person who can help us. My
younger sister has been kidnapped. The
people who took her know the location
of Atlantis. That is where they are
going, right now, and they're bringing
her with them. We aren't here on some
treasure hunt, or to entrap you, we're
here to beg you to help us find a
missing child.
ARTHUR
And at the same time, offering you the
chance to go to the lost city you've
been studying for years.
Zatanna glances back and forth between the two as she considers their words.
INT. RESTAURANT. DETROIT, MICHIGAN. DAY.
The bell jingles as JOHN STEWART, AGE 17 enters the establishment. Just a few feet behind him, another young man, GUY GARDNER, AGE 18, squeezes in before the door closes. Though they did not arrive together, the two young men approach the counter at the same time, and both produce the same brightly colored flyer from their pockets.
JOHN
Hey, I-
GUY
I'm here for the "all you can eat if
you come exactly at noon" deal. I
drove 45 minutes to get here, so it
better be good.
JOHN
(quietly annoyed)
I'm here for the lunch special, too.
WAITRESS
Can I see that?
The waitress grabs the coupon out of Guy's hand and inspects it.
GUY
Hey!
WAITRESS
Yeah, this isn't ours.
GUY
Then who's is it?
WAITRESS
It's not real.
GUY
You mean it's fake?
JOHN
What else would that mean?
GUY
I drove forty-five minutes to get
here!
JOHN
I just live down the street, so-
GUY
Well, isn't that nice for you?
JOHN
I guess?
WAITRESS
Um, gentlemen?
The two look at the waitress, and see that she is pointing toward a booth at the back, where someone is using one hand to hold a large poster board sign, which reads "JOHN STEWART AND GUY GARDNER" in thick black marker, over the booth's privacy screen. John and Guy approach the booth, where Hal Jordan is sitting.
HAL
Good afternoon.
JOHN
What's going on, man?
GUY
(holding flyer)
Did you send us these?
HAL
Yeah. My name's Hal Jordan. Don't
worry, please, take a seat. Order
whatever you want, I'm buying.
The two young men exchange a look before they both, hesitantly, sit down.
GUY
(quietly)
I'm ordering so many things.
JOHN
Just tell us what this is about.
HAL
Well, I might as well get to the
point.
Hal removes the green ring from his finger and places it on the table in front of the two young men.
GUY
What the hell are we looking at here,
jewelry?
HAL
I'm not showing you the ring.
The ring begins to glow very faintly.
HAL
I'm showing you to the ring.
The ring's glow grows brighter, as it begins to hover in the air in front of the baffled and amazed faces of the two young men.
HAL
I guess it likes what it sees. Which
leads to my next question: How do you
boys want to spend your summer
vacation?
EXT. METROPOLIS PIER. DAY.
In a shimmer of white sparks, Arthur and Diana teleport in along with Zatanna, who's carrying a couple of big bags.
ZATANNA
(nauseous)
Oh god…
ARTHUR
You'll get used to it.
Clark and Lana are standing there to greet them, with Lena, Kendra, and Captain Perkins behind them, loading supplies through one of the submarine's logistic hatches on the side of the craft. Clark approaches Zatanna.
CLARK
Hi, I'm Clark.
ZATANNA
Zee.
CLARK
Huh?
ZATANNA
That's what people call me.
CLARK
Oh, cool.
ARTHUR
Let me show you to your bunk.
Zatanna follows Arthur into the sub to get settled in. Lana looks at Clark and Diana.
LANA
I guess this is it.
CLARK
Good luck, Lana. We'll see you in a
couple of months.
DIANA
Take good care of other others.
LANA
I will. Both of you be careful out
there, okay?
CLARK
We've got a pretty good team here,
we'll be alright.
Lana leans in for a big group hug.
LANA
I mean it.
DIANA
We'll be careful, Lana. I promise.
LANA
Thanks. I should get going.
Lana disengages from the hug. She takes out the teleport fob and presses the button, disappearing in a shower of white sparks. Clark and Diana share a look and a quiet moment following Lana's departure.
THEN, in a shower of white sparks, Lana reappears! She moves up to Diana, puts her hands on the sides of the princess' face, and pulls her into a passionate kiss, which Diana eagerly returns as she wraps her arms around Lana in a deep embrace. Clark looks on, very startled. Lana disengages from the kiss and looks lovingly into Diana's eyes.
LANA
I'll see you soon.
DIANA
Yes, you will.
Lana steps away, smiling. She teleports away in another shower of sparks. A smile as wide as the horizon creeps across Diana's face as she turns to enter the submarine.
KENDRA
It's about time.
CLARK
You knew about that?
KENDRA
Of course.
LENA
You didn't?
CAPTAIN NEPTUNE PERKINS
It was a bit obvious.
CLARK
Huh.
Clark shrugs, and turns to enter the sub.
INT. AIR HANGAR.
Hal Jordan opens the air hangar doors, followed by John Stewart and Guy Gardner.
HAL
Gentlemen, I present to you-
In a shower of sparks, Lana teleports in front of them, sporting a huge smile on her face.
HAL
Ah!
LANA
(giddy)
*SQUEEEEEE*
HAL
Lana, don't do that!
J'ONN
(O.S.)
I concur.
John Stewart and Guy Gardner look past Hal and Lana into the hangar.
JOHN
(quietly)
What in the world?
GUY
Woah…
Inside the hangar is an enormous, brass colored, roughly star-shaped spaceship, like something right out of an old sci fi movie. J'onn J'onzz, The Martian Manhunter, is hovering down from the top of the craft toward the new arrivals. Behind him, Alex Luthor, wielding the Star Rod, is hovering around the craft, and Barry Allen is darting around it at super speed, both performing maintenance checks.
J'ONN
The transporter drains an enormous
amount of power. Try not to use it so
liberally.
LANA
(smiling)
Last time, I swear.
HAL
You seem happy, Lana.
LANA
Shut up.
HAL
Did something happen with some sort of
princess?
Lana abruptly walks away, toward the ship, while Hal smirks. He turns back to the boys.
HAL
Sorry about that. Like I was saying…
Hal gestures toward the ship.
HAL
… this is the Star-Ship. We're
borrowing her from the friend of the
mother of a friend of ours. She's old,
and small, but spacious enough for our
purposes, and she'll get us where
we're going.
GUY
Which is space.
HAL
The galactic center, specifically.
That's where most of the "civilized"
galaxy can be found.
JOHN
Right.
John looks around at J'onn and Alex casually floating around in the air and Barry darting around at super speed.
JOHN
And these are the folks we'll be
traveling with?
HAL
We're a colorful bunch, I admit. And
there'll be plenty of time for
introductions, but we're quickly
approaching the point where the two of
you have to make a choice. I gave you
the sales pitch, explained everything
the best I could, and I think I've
established my credibility regarding
some of my wilder claims.
JOHN
Can we have some time to think about it?
HAL
No. We're leaving tonight.
GUY
Seriously?!
HAL
I can give you a couple of hours to
make some calls, the green guy up
there's already gone to the trouble of
working out excuses you can use for
your absence, but that's it. Right now
there's a war brewing that will tear
the galaxy in half. Earth's far away from the
fighting, but that'll change if we don't act fast.
I understand if the two of you don't think you're
ready. If you really aren't, it'd be
better if you stayed behind.
But this ring seems to think you are ready,
and I trust this ring. I know this is a
lot to process, and I know I'm asking
you to take a lot on faith.
Right now what you have to ask yourselves is,
"what do I want to do?"
The boys are silent for a moment as they think.
GUY
I've got a football scholarship in the fall.
Do you know when you're coming back?
HAL
We're hoping to only be gone for a few
months. But honestly, Guy, I have no
idea how long this will take.
JOHN
I'm in.
GUY
Really?
JOHN
I don't have any scholarship. It's
either this or the Marines for me.
This might be safer.
Guy glances up at the spaceship.
GUY
… ah hell, screw football. I'm in too.
HAL
You won't regret this. Although I
should reiterate that this will be
dangerous so there might be some…
CAROL
(O.S.)
HAL JORDAN!
HAL
(quietly)
… regret.
A young woman with dark hair and tan skin, wearing expensive clothes of pink and purple, storms into the air hangar with vengeance in her eyes. She is Carol Ferris, age 16. J'onn quickly turns invisible. Alex drops to the ground, and uses the star rod to block Barry's path as he points out the unexpected guest. Lana and the boys just watch in shock (and some amusement)
CAROL
You've got SOME NERVE, buddy!
HAL
(quietly)
I am now realizing I forgot to close
the door.
CAROL
Do you want to know how my summer
vacation is going so far, Harold?
HAL
(quietly)
Oh boy, "Harold."
CAROL
I'll tell you how my vacation is
going. I was SUPPOSED to be getting on
a connecting flight to Aspen, but then
some plane has to go and crash in some
country I've never heard of called
"surname" or whatever, and suddenly
daddy is all "aviation stocks are
plummeting" and "I'll be in meetings
for weeks," and suddenly MY vacation gets canceled
and I have to come here to take a private plane back home,
and who should I run into? My deadbeat EX
boyfriend!
Lana immediately approaches the group.
LANA
Boyfriend?
CAROL
Oh, who's this?
HAL
Hello Carol. Good to see you. What are you doing here?
CAROL
My father owns the airfield, moron.
(to Lana)
Are you his "new thing?" Let me warn
you, sister, Hal Jordan is the kind of
guy who will up and VANISH two days
before homecoming after you ALREADY
paid for your dress-!
LANA
I'm not his girlfriend! I'm… his
producer.
CAROL
Producer?
LANA
Yeah.
(gestures towards ship)
We're making a sci-fi movie, for…
HAL
Movie camp! This is a… film-making
summer camp.
CAROL
Can I be in it?!
LANA
Sure! Come on, let's get you into hair
and makeup…
Lana leads Carol away.
CAROL
(O.S.)
If we're doing makeup I should tell
you, I'm actually an autumn AND a
winter… !
J'onn materializes next to Hal, glaring at him.
HAL
I'll fix it.
INT. HALL OF JUSTICE.
The inside of the old safe-house is a mess, soot and debris everywhere from The Legion's incursion. Bruce is in the armory, taking stock of the gear they had to leave behind when they fled. Dinah enters the scene, holding a pair of goggles in her hand.
DINAH
These the ones you wanted?
BRUCE
Yes they are.
DINAH
Also, my mom called. She said
everything went smooth. Her and Tatsu
are on route to Gotham.
BRUCE
Did you remind her to take the tunnel
access to the cave?
DINAH
(slightly exasperated)
Yes!
BRUCE
Hey, it bears repeating. I don't need
the Drakes next door seeing our
comings and goings.
DINAH
But your butler does know we're
squatting in your basement, right?
BRUCE
You think I didn't remind him?
DINAH
Fair point.
BRUCE
Are you going to be alright living in
close quarters with your mother again?
DINAH
Yeah. Things are going really well
between us. I'm kind of looking
forward to this, actually. Not that
I'm inclined to say so with her in the
room.
BRUCE
I'm glad. I'm really happy for you,
Dinah.
DINAH
Aw, Bruce Wayne's a big softie.
BRUCE
I've never denied it.
DINAH
You never really advertise it, either.
BRUCE
Speaking of people who don't like to
show how sensitive they are
DINAH
Oh, come on, Bruce!
BRUCE
You know Ollie's too proud to say how
badly his feelings are hurt.
DINAH
I didn't mean anything by it. I
already told him I didn't mean
anything by it.
BRUCE
I know you didn't mean anything by it,
but it's not like Ollie feels the way
he does for no reason. Some of us are
still in the habit of not taking him
very seriously, and that includes the
of us. both
DINAH
(waffling)
I mean, sure, but
BRUCE
Dinah, come on. I don't think you're
the bad guy here, I just think it
might be a good idea to talk to him
before we head out. Just to clear the
air, that's all.
DINAH
Alright, sure, I'll go look for him.
CUT TO
DINAH
(V.O.)
I think he's still packing.
Ollie is sitting in the dorm room he once shared with Hal Jordan, sifting through the ruins to try and find anything that wasn't destroyed. He holds up some of his burnt clothes.
OLLIE
(downtrodden)
Aw man…
Ray walks past the door, which catches Ollie's attention.
OLLIE
Ray?
Ollie gets up and walks out into the hall.
RAY
Oh, hey Ollie.
OLLIE
I thought you went home.
RAY
I'm going to. I just came back to pick
up some stuff.
OLLIE
Wanna hang out?
RAY
Sure!
The two of them enter Ray's room. Ollie takes a seat in the desk chair. Ray walks up to the bottom bunk, and looks at it hesitantly for a moment before sitting down; he glances at the Egyptian weapons hanging on the wall beside the bed, and the photo booth images of Carter and Kendra taped up next to the pillow, with sad eyes. Ollie notices this.
OLLIE
I miss him too, man.
RAY
Yeah.
Ray sits down on Carter's bed. He reaches under it and pulls out a sliding drawer, full of random gizmos (Ray's stuff) and swords and crossbows (Carter's stuff), and begins loading items into his duffel bag.
RAY
Are you excited for the mission?
OLLIE
Define "excited."
RAY
Are you afraid? I hear Gotham can be
dangerous sometimes, so
OLLIE
Why does everyone think I'm a coward?
RAY
That's… kind of related to what I
said, but-
OLLIE
I'm sorry, Ray.
RAY
Is this about the thing Dinah said?
OLLIE
You heard about that?
RAY
I only heard it happened. What'd she say?
OLLIE
She said I should go with the Gotham team "I guess."
RAY
… I don't get it.
OLLIE
(embarrassed)
During the big team meeting, after
your mom picked you up to go clothes
shopping, we were going over mission
assignments, and I hadn't gotten a
mission assignment yet, and Dinah said
I should go with the Gotham team "I
guess." As in " It doesn't really
matter where you go, so I guess you
should go there."
RAY
You know she didn't mean anything by it.
OLLIE
I know that. She told me as much.
RAY
Then why did you start a fight?
Ollie gives Ray a look.
RAY
I told you, I heard about it.
OLLIE
I didn't start a fight. I… only almost
started a fight. But then I just
stopped talking and walked away,
because I knew it would be pointless,
because I knew that Dinah didn't mean
anything by it and that this is a me
thing. I'm not completely oblivious,
Raymond. And I know that people have
plenty of reason to look me as just an
extra set of hands around here, but
I'm actually trying now and I'd just
like a little credit for it.
RAY
I recognize your efforts, Ollie.
OLLIE
Thank you.
Ollie sits back in his chair and sighs.
OLLIE
To be honest, I am kind of dreading
the mission. I feel like I still have
so much to prove to everybody. It's...
... suffocating
RAY
Have you thought of going home? You
know, just for a little while. To
relax.
OLLIE
Going home would just be admitting I'm
useless.
RAY
(hurt)
Oh…
OLLIE
(realizing)
For me, I mean.
RAY
(covering)
I get it.
OLLIE
It would feel that way for me.
RAY
(fine-ish)
Ollie, it's… fine.
OLLIE
I'm not saying that you're… all was
saying is how I would feel, I didn't
mean
RAY
Ollie, I mean it, it's okay.
Ray finishes loading the things he needs. He zips up the duffel bag as he stands up.
RAY
I need to get going. I'll see you
later, okay?
OLLIE
… sure.
Ray exits the scene. Ollie drops his head into his hands.
OLLIE
(muffled)
*embarrassed groaning*
Passing Ray in the hall, Dinah walks to Ollie's door.
DINAH
What was that about?
OLLIE
(muffled)
I don't wanna talk about it.
Dinah gingerly steps into the room. Ollie looks up at her.
OLLIE
What?
DINAH
Listen, I just wanted to say I'm sorry
for…
BEAT
OLLIE
For… ?
DINAH
(quietly)
To be honest, I'm not entirely sure
what I'm apologizing for.
OLLIE
Great. Thanks. Good talk.
DINAH
No, no. I didn't mean that how it sounded.
OLLIE
Yeah. I know what that's like.
DINAH
What I'm trying to say is that I'm
sorry that you feel like the rest of
us don't respect you.
OLLIE
I feel that way because it's true.
DINAH
Ollie, come on
OLLIE
I'm not like you, Dinah. If the Legion
hadn't shown up, you'd still have
super powers and a secret ninja biker
mom and a cool uncle. I'd be hanging
out in my parents' pool house.
DINAH
I mean, I hate to say it, but, why
don't you, Ollie? It'd be a lot safer.
OLLIE
I don't want to be safe. I want to
make something of myself.
DINAH
Quit being so dramatic, Speedy.
OLLIE
Stop CALLING me that! I'm not trying
to be somebody's cute lil' sidekick,
I'm trying to be The Green Arrow! I've
seen my future, Dinah! I know that before
he was a superhero, Oliver Queen was a
screw up! Just some idiot party boy
wasting his life, exactly how the rest
of you see me! He didn't start acting
like a man until he was stranded on a
deserted island for five years! I
can't play it safe if I want to be
somebody!
Ollie walks off.
DINAH
Ollie, come on!
Dinah stands alone in Ollie's room.
EXT. METROPOLIS PIER. AFTERNOON.
Clark is standing on top of the submarine, getting one last look at Metropolis. Diana pokes her head out of the hatch.
DIANA
Clark? We're ready to go.
CLARK
Alright. Next stop, Atlantis.
DIANA
Are you anxious for the journey?
CLARK
Extremely confident. Maybe this is
just what the calm before the storm
feels like, but I feel like we just
don't have anything to worry about as
long as we watch each other's backs,
y'know?
Clark climbs into the hatch next to Diana.
DIANA
We do make a good team.
CLARK
Team?
The two enter the submarine.
CLARK
(O.S.)
You're dating Lana, that practically
makes us family.
The hatch closes, and the submarine dives below the surface.
INT. AIR HANGAR.
Alex walks up to Barry with a clipboard in his hand.
ALEX
Did you double check the safety rails?
BARRY
Yes.
ALEX
And they're in good condition?
BARRY
(annoyed)
Yes!
ALEX
You're sure?
BARRY
What are you, my mother?
ALEX
Are you setting me up for a tasteless
joke?
BARRY
Maybe a little.
Alex rolls his eyes and turns to the rest of the group.
ALEX
Maintenance checks complete!
Nearby, John Stewart is on the payphone, finishing up a conversation.
JOHN
It's a real miracle, mom, the woman
from the architecture summer camp
scholarship lottery office told me no
one's ever dropped out the day before
the start of camp before. Listen, I
can see the bus, I gotta go. I love
you, mom, I'll see you soon.
John hangs up the phone and walks to the ship. As the group begins to board, he turns to Guy.
JOHN
You're not calling anybody?
GUY
Nah.
As the group boards, J'onn, in his human form, looks over at Hal, who is standing right next to Carol, who is sitting in a folding chair and checking her makeup. Hal gives J'onn an "okay" hand gesture and J'onn rolls his eyes before boarding the ship. Hal approaches Carol.
HAL
Carol, babe-
CAROL
Don't call me that.
HAL
Noted. We're about to shoot the big
takeoff scene. So, just sit right
here, and I'll be right back and then
we can do your closeup.
CAROL
Which better make it into the movie,
Hal Jordan, or I swear-
HAL
Hold that thought?
Hal quickly exits, climbing the ramp to enter through the ship's main airlock. Hal takes a moment to breath a sigh of relief before pressing the button to close the airlock.
CAROL
(O.S.)
What kind of idiot do you take me for?
Before the doors slide shut, Carol quickly squeezes past.
CAROL
Big "takeoff" scene? "Just sit right
there?" You were going to ditch me
again!
HAL
(panicked)
Carol, please
CAROL
You know, I bet you're not even making
a real movie!
The ship shudders as it takes off. Hal and Carol both lose their footing. Hal tries to catch himself on a hand rail, but it snaps off, and the two of them are send tumbling down a small set of stairs.
HAL
Oof!
CAROL
Get OFF me!
EXT. AIR HANGAR. NIGHT.
The star shaped ship takes off into the night's sky through the opening in the ceiling of the hangar.
INT. COCKPIT.
In the spacious cockpit, the group looks on in wonder as the stars shoot past them. J'onn, in the pilot seat, initiates a few button commands, which causes a wormhole to open up in space in front of them as they exit the atmosphere. He throttles the acceleration, and the ship flies into hyperspace. J'onn turns to the group and smiles.
J'ONN
The rest of the galaxy now awaits us.
The door to the cockpit opens. A flustered looking Hal and Carol stick their heads in.
HAL
Crap.
CAROL
Hey, why is he green?
INT. HALL OF JUSTICE.
Dinah is waiting with some bags packed. Bruce approaches her, holding a piece of paper in his hand.
DINAH
We heading out? Where's Ollie?
BRUCE
About that.
Bruce hands Dinah the note. She quickly scans it.
DINAH
(quietly)
… god damn it, Oliver.
INT. BOAT.
20 HOURS LATER: Oliver Queen is laying on a cot with his eyes closed. He is wearing simple, practical clothes.
VOICE
(O.S.)
Hey kid! We're here.
Ollie gets up. The captain of the boat gestures out the window. Through the mist, a massive island with intimidating rocky crags looms over them.
OLLIE
(quietly)
Lian Yu.
Ollie picks up his bag and walks out on deck. The Captain follows him.
CAPTAIN
You know what this island's name
means, right?
OLLIE
"Purgatory."
CAPTAIN
Are you even meeting anybody here?
OLLIE
Yeah. You, in three months, if you
want the other half of your money.
Ollie vaults the railing of the small boat and lands in the beach's watery surf.
CAPTAIN
(Chinese)
Your funeral, kid.
Ollie walks onto the beach. He looks up at the mountains in the distance. He pulls a collapsible compound bow out of his bag, and unfolds it with a flick of his arm.
THE END
Notes:
And we are back for Season Two!
The show's intro music remains the same: https://youtu.be/SBjQ9tuuTJQ?si=WSASWVNXroz7bd8G
But the outro music will now change from episode to episode. I only have ideas for specific episodes, and this is not one of the, so I would love suggestions in the comments.
The hypothetical cast updates once again:
Zatanna Zatara: Kee Wahlgreen
John Stewart: Phil Lamar
Guy Gardner: Clifford Chapin
Carol Ferris: Charisma Carpenter
Just a little peek behind the curtain: I finished all of season one before I published it, but I have not finished season two yet. I am in the middle of writing episode 11 and I have edits to make to some of the earlier episodes still. I'm going to start posting season 2 weekly in order to motivate me to finish writing and editing it. I hope that works! Wish me luck!
Chapter 27: Challenge of the Super-Friends, Season Two, Episode Two, "How I Spent my Summer Vacation- Chapter Two"
Summary:
Bruce Wayne prepares for war with The Joker, and Oliver Queen tries to make something of himself.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
EXT. GOTHAM. NIGHT.
A full moon shines down on a weary Gotham City, illuminating the scene and allowing us to see a young woman, dressed all in black, running quickly along the rooftops of the city, hopping from building to building without breaking her stride. She is SELINA KYLE, AGE 16, and she is being chased. Selina glances back at her pursuer, a cloaked figure whose face is obscured by a hood, a little over 100 feet behind but quickly gaining ground. Selina looks both puzzled and annoyed, but then smirks just before casually stepping off the side of the roof and falling down into the alley below. On the way down, she grabs hold of a zip-line, breaking her fall as she rides it down to the ground, landing next to the cute cat graffiti she had left as a calling card earlier. She produces a knife and cuts the line before darting away down the alley. She makes a sharp right turn, and proceeds to take a complex and winding route through an interconnected network of back alleys. Selina looks back again as she continues to run, smiling with confidence. Unfortunately for her, it’s at this moment that she is suddenly and quite violently yanked into the air, where she finds herself hanging upside down from a fire escape, her ankle caught in a snare trap she had stepped into. Looking around frantically, Selina sees her cloaked pursuer step out of the shadows. He raises his hood slightly, and we see that it is ROBIN, THE BOY WONDER.
SELINA
How did you know which way I was
going to go?
ROBIN
Your squat’s half a block north of
here.
SELINA
Well, first of all, calling it a
squat makes it sound gross, I put a
lot of effort into that place
ROBIN
Oh, I think your place looks great.
Very posh.
SELINA
Yeah, that’s my second point:
You’ve been stalking me?
ROBIN
Only professionally.
Selina takes as good a look as she can from her position at Robin’s outfit.
SELINA
What profession? You look like, I
don’t know, a pro-wrestling ninja.
Or some kind of tactical magician.
ROBIN
Both aren’t that far off, but that
doesn’t matter. What matters is
that I’m coming to you with an
offer of employment. I’m
undertaking a project, one that
will, from time to time, require me
to break into secure buildings and
take things that don’t belong to me.
Given that you’re an expert in
that field, I’m asking for your
help. Think of it as a short-term
consultancy, one that you will be
paid for handsomely.
SELINA
How handsomely, exactly?
ROBIN
Five hundred thousand dollars in
nonconsecutive unmarked bills.
SELINA
Y’see, I don’t know, I’d only call
that "Kevin Costner" handsome.
ROBIN
*sigh* I can also offer a jewelry
set priced at 1.5 million dollars.
Additionally, you get first pick of
any valuable loot,
and it’s yours to keep when the job
is done.
SELINA
Alright, that’s more "Dennis Quaid"
handsome.
Selina pulls herself up the rope, and uses her knife to cut herself free, landing on her feet in a cool pose before standing up.
SELINA
You know, if you’re planning to
offer a girl a job, you might want
to open with that. Otherwise, she
might worry that your intentions
might be impure.
ROBIN
I tried, but as soon as I said your
name, you kicked me in the head and
ran away.
SELINA
That’s because "Selina Kyle" isn’t
the name I’ve been using lately.
Where’d you hear it?
ROBIN
Answering that question requires a
very long explanation.
SELINA
Mm-hm. Well, why don’t we start
with your name, wonder boy?
ROBIN
Robin.
SELINA
Well, Robin, if you were
just going to offer me a job, why
did you set a trap half a block
away from where I live?
ROBIN
I thought there was a possibility
you might kick me in the head and
run away.
Selina looks down and away, and smirks. She looks back at Robin.
SELINA
I’ll do it, on the condition that I
get to inspect the money and the
jewels first. You can hold onto
them until the job is done, I just
want to make sure they actually
exist.
ROBIN
I will have to bring you to them.
Selina uses her knife to gesture at Robin.
SELINA
After you.
INT. CRASHED B-52 BOMBER. LIAN YU. SOUTH PACIFIC. NIGHT.
Inside of a crashed B-52 bomber on a lonely island in the south pacific, Oliver Queen reclines on a bedroll by a campfire, wearing a S.T.A.R. Labs company track-suit as his wet clothes dry on a line suspended over the fire. A small hole in the hull of the plane is patched by a large olive green tarp, keeping out the rain from the storm outside. Oliver is writing in a journal.
OLLIE
(V.O.)
Lian Yu, Day One. Or I guess Day
Two. It’s my second night here but
my first full day. I’m just gonna
call it day one but I’ll mention
last night too, I guess.
CUT TO
A flashback to the night before, where we see Oliver kneeling in a small clearing in the woods, struggling in vain to set up his tent while the sun sets in the background.
OLLIE
(V.O.)
Last night didn’t go so well. My
attempt to set up a tent before
sunset was, sadly, not successful.
CUT TO
Slightly further ahead in time, the sun is now fully set and the discarded tent lays flat behind Oliver as he struggles to build a fire, holding a small flashlight in his mouth to see by as he frantically rubs two sticks together in the dirt in front of a small pile of kindling.
OLLIE
(V.O.)
I then prioritized starting a fire.
Oliver sneezes, accidentally spitting the flashlight out of his mouth. It lands in the pile of dry brush Ollie was using for kindling, before rolling away down a small hill.
OLLIE
(V.O.)
This also proved challenging.
CUT TO
The same spot the next morning. Oliver is asleep on the ground.
OLLIE
(V.O.)
I don’t remember falling asleep.
Sudden, heavy rainfall comes out of nowhere, and a startled Oliver wakes up in a panic.
OLLIE
(V.O.)
I vividly remember waking up.
CUT TO
Oliver stumbles through the forest, holding the tarps of his tent over his head to shield himself from the rain. The water is cascading off of the leaves and branches of the trees like a thousand tiny waterfalls.
OLLIE
(V.O.)
I thought I could get shelter under
a tree or something, but somehow
the forest made the rain more wet.
A loud *CLANG* sound in the distance catches Ollie’s attention.
OLLIE
(V.O.)
Luckily, I had some good luck.
CUT TO
Back in the present, Ollie stops writing and looks up thoughtfully.
OLLIE
Huh.
CUT TO
Back in the past, Ollie has followed the noise to discover a small clearing, at the center of which sits the wreck of a crashed B-52 bomber.
OLLIE
(V.O.)
I found this old plane from, like,
the war or something. Except for
one hole on the side that I was
able to patch super easy, it
totally keeps the rain out.
CUT TO
Ollie enters the plane and sets aside his things. The inside has all sorts of crates strewn about. Up front, partly obscured by the cargo, the outline of a skeleton can be seen sitting in the pilot’s seat.
OLLIE
(V.O.)
I did find a skeleton in the front
seat, which I threw a tarp over
because looking at it was gross,
but I also found a bunch of
supplies, including a whole bunch
of military rations and a fire
starting kit.
CUT TO
Back in the present, Ollie reaches into a ration bag to grab some crackers to munch on while he continues to write.
OLLIE
(V.O.)
On the one hand, it feels a little
like cheating, but on the other
hand I don’t want to be cold
anymore. I’ll practice starting
fires during the day while I keep
using the kit at night until it
runs out, I think that’s fair. The
rations are pretty good. They’re
actually the same kind as the ones
I brought from the safe house. At
first, I thought that was weird,
but then, I thought it made sense.
Oliver smiles.
OLLIE
(V.O.)
I’ve had some pretty good
beginner’s luck, and I’m not going
to waste it. Now that I’ve got a
camp set up, the real work starts
tomorrow.
INT. OLD GOTHAM TUNNELS.
Robin drops down from a hole in the ceiling above, landing in a cool hero pose. As he produces a flashlight to illuminate the tunnel, Selina climbs down the ladder behind him.
SELINA
That was dramatic.
ROBIN
I like to move quickly.
SELINA
You were showing off.
ROBIN
I don’t deny that.
Selina drops down next to Robin.
SELINA
So, this is as far as I’m willing
to go into a dark tunnel with a
stranger before I ask to see the
merchandise.
BLACK CANARY
(O.S.)
Right here.
Robin points the flashlight at THE BLACK CANARY, who has just arrived carrying two large suitcases.
BLACK CANARY
That’s pretty far, by the way.
SELINA
I’m very confident.
(to Robin)
Your girlfriend?
ROBIN.
She wishes. Canary?
Black Canary sets down the suitcases, laying them down flat as Robin shines his flashlight on them.
SELINA
Robin and Canary? If you’ve got a
theme thing going on for the aliases on
this job, you should know that I do
not care for birds.
BLACK CANARY
Black Canary, actually. Please say
the full thing, brevity be damned.
Black Canary opens the cases.
BLACK CANARY
And you get to pick your codename.
Inside one case is five hundred thousand dollars in cash, and inside of the other is an antique jewelry set. Selina kneels down to inspect the goods, producing a jeweler’s loop from her pocket to take a closer look at the diamonds.
SELINA
Where did you get these?
ROBIN
Do you need to know?
SELINA
Just curious. You said I get to
keep the loot when this is over,
right?
ROBIN
As long as it isn’t something I
need, anything with monetary value
is yours to keep.
SELINA
You’re not in this for the money?
ROBIN
I’m trying to accomplish a goal
that will require access to things
that are very well guarded. You are free
to take anything of value you come
across while you help me get to the
things I need, under one condition:
at no point during our time working
together are you to take any action
that would cause harm to an
innocent person.
SELINA
Define "innocent."
ROBIN
Someone who hasn’t done anything to
seriously hurt anyone else, or who
doesn’t have the power to stand up
for themselves.
SELINA
That’s a pretty broad definition.
ROBIN
In the event of any ambiguity, I
will have the final word.
Selina stands up and turns around to face Robin. She’s still holding a diamond ring in her hand.
ROBIN
Those are the terms. What do you
say?
SELINA
Who are "T and M?"
ROBIN
What are you talking about?
SELINA
On the inside of the ring, it says
"T loves M forever." Do you know
who that is?
ROBIN
No.
Selina scans Robin’s face.
SELINA
I’ll take the job.
Robin holds out his hand.
ROBIN
Then I’ll hold onto your payment
until the job is done.
Selina smiles, and places the ring in Robin’s hand. Black Canary closes the suitcases and picks them both up.
SELINA
So what’s next, boss?
Robin and Black Canary begin to head deeper into the tunnels.
ROBIN
We head to base camp.
Selina begins following after the others.
SELINA
Oh, please don’t tell me you want
me to stay there.
ROBIN
Is that a deal breaker?
SELINA
No, I just don’t have an overnight
bag.
BLACK CANARY
Don’t worry, we’re fully stocked on
hygiene essentials, and we’ve got a
few changes of clothes ready for
you.
SELINA
You know my size?
ROBIN
I have been stalking you.
SELINA
I almost forgot.
ROBIN
Again, professionally.
SELINA
Of course.
The group approaches the opening of a long tunnel with a slight downward incline that opens up into natural underground cave formations. Parked at the entrance to the tunnel are two motorcycles, the bright crimson "REDWING" and the sleek black "BLOND BOMBSHELL." Selina inspects the black motorcycle.
SELINA
Not bad.
BLACK CANARY
Wait'll you see how she handles.
Robin and Black Canary mount their respective motorcycles and don their helmets. Selina swings her leg over the back of the Blond Bombshell, sitting behind Black Canary and wrapping her arms around the young heroine's mid-section.
SELINA
You know, you guys seem like a lot
of fun.
The motorcycles rocket off down the tunnel at incredible speeds.
SELINA
(excited)
WAHOOOOOOO!
Black Canary smiles at Selina’s reaction, while Robin remains stone faced. The bikes shoot down the tunnel, making a small jump at the end and launching into the natural cave formations under the city. The teen heroes drive down a predetermined, smoothed out and curved path. All around them are pools of water and large crystalline salt deposits. Robin suddenly takes a hard turn, and Black Canary follows suit. The two motorcycles skid to a near-halt in front of a cement wall that sits behind a Gotham City DPW sign reading "HARDHAT AREA." The DPW sign folds down flat to the ground as the wall slides to the side, revealing an entrance to another branch of the cave system. The two motorcycles drive through the entrance, and the wall and sign automatically return to their original places.
INT. THE BATCAVE.
The motorcycles slow to a halt, and the three dismount in a large underground cavern. Running water can be heard nearby, and light shines from the top of a rocky plateau to their left. Selina looks around curiously as she follows Robin and Black Canary up a set of stone stairs carved into the cave wall. As they climb the stairs, Selina glances down at what we can now see is an underground river, flowing down a long dark tunnel. Selina takes a mental note of this as the group reaches the top of the stairs, where they find what appears to be a high tech military encampment; there are several large white tents, computer banks, a gated off armory in the distance, and a common area with tables and chairs. Waiting for them there are the two other masked vigilantes, WILDCAT and WHITE CANARY, and the other two new recruits, JEFFERSON PIERCE and TATSU YAMASHIRO, both 16 years old and both wearing S.T.A.R. Labs tracksuits, blue and red respectively. There is an ornate katana awkwardly balanced on the chair next to the one Tatsu is sitting in. Robin and Black Canary walk past Jeff and Tatsu to stand next to Wildcat and White Canary.
ROBIN
Selina Kyle, let me introduce you
to Tatsu Yamashiro and Jefferson
Pierce. Like you, they’ve only
recently been brought on.
Selina gingerly sits down on the chair on the other side of the katana from the chair Tatsu is sitting on. Tatsu reflexively grabs the sword and holds it sideways in her lap.
SELINA
A pleasure.
ROBIN
In addition to myself and Black
Canary, the other members of our
team here are Wildcat and White
Canary. You can pick your own code
name, but please do it quickly. Are
there any questions?
SELINA
Yeah.
(points to Tatsu’s outfit)
Who picked the space camp outfits?
TATSU
It’s not actually space camp.
Selina turns to Tatsu. Tatsu quickly looks down at the sword in her lap and then sets it down on the ground before quickly sitting back up again.
TATSU
I told my parents
(glances at sword)
that I was going to space camp, but
I do know it isn’t space camp
(glances at sword)
and that it’s actually...
Tatsu quickly reaches down to grab the sword and then reaches behind her to lean it upright against the back of her chair.
TATSU
... whatever this is.
SELINA
I thought this was a heist.
ROBIN
What this is is an extralegal
covert operation to protect the
people of Gotham from malicious
actors. With some heist elements.
SELINA
And what the hell is that?
Jeff smiles and holds up his hand. Arcs of electricity appear between his fingers.
JEFF
Superheroes, man.
Selina is a little dumbfounded. The sword resting against the back of Tatsu’s chair falls over, and a look of panic flashes across Tatsu’s face as her reflexes kick in and she catches it.
ROBIN
Wildcat, White Canary, please help
everyone get settled in. I’ll hold
a full debrief tomorrow. Black
Canary? Let’s secure Ms. Kyle’s
wages.
Black Canary nods and follows Robin into an elevator. The doors slide closed and take them up to...
INT. WAYNE MANOR. NIGHT.
The grandfather clock in the study slides to the side, and Robin and Black Canary step out of the hidden elevator. Black Canary sets down the two suitcases to remove her wig and mask at the same time Robin stops to remove his mask.
DINAH
I like her.
BRUCE
That’s nice.
Bruce begins walking through the halls of Wayne Manor and Dinah follows.
DINAH
Do you like her?
BRUCE
Does it really matter if I like
her, or are you just trying to
insinuate something tawdry?
DINAH
Most of the time, but we are going
to be living in pretty close
quarters, personality conflicts are
a concern.
BRUCE
I’m sleeping up here.
DINAH
Seriously?!
BRUCE
It’s my house.
DINAH
Don’t you think that’s a little
unfair?
BRUCE
Probably, yes. But Dinah, were you
aware that, in the month following
the deaths of my parents, I was
interviewed by eleven different
major national news publications?
DINAH
That’s horrible.
BRUCE
It really was, and the worst part
is that I’ve been somewhat of a
public figure since I was eight.
I’ve gotten pretty good at staying
out of the news, but I still need
to minimize the chances that any of
our new friends recognize "Robin"
as "Gotham’s hermit prince," and
that means not sharing a bathroom
with them.
The pair come to a stop outside the kitchen door.
DINAH
Your logic is sound, and yet I
still deeply resent you.
BRUCE
You absolutely should, my bed has
down feathers.
Bruce opens the kitchen door.
DINAH
You monster.
Bruce walks into the kitchen.
BRUCE
And silk sheets.
Dinah follows after him.
DINAH
(mocking tone)
*GASP*
The two enter the kitchen, and stop dead in their tracks at the sight before them: a very conventionally attractive woman in her late 30s, wearing an oversized Gotham Knights Football t-shirt as a nightshirt, as well as fuzzy slippers and nothing else that we can see, is sitting at the kitchen counter picking at a charcuterie board in front of her.
BRUCE
(confused)
Dr. Tompkins?
She turns to look at the kids, shocked and confused, with a half eaten cracker in her mouth.
LESLIE TOMPKINS
(mouth full)
Bruce?
DINAH
Who is this?
BRUCE
(confused)
My pediatrician.
ALFRED
(O.S.)
Leslie, dear, we have two of the ’53...
Pushing the door open with his back, a (shirtless) Alfred Pennyworth steps out of the cellar with a bottle of wine in each hand.
ALFRED
... a red and a rose‘, which would-
Alfred turns and stops dead in his tracks when he sees Bruce and Dinah.
ALFRED
I swear you said this was happening
tomorrow.
BRUCE
*sigh* Dinah, please fill Dr.
Tompkins in.
A weary Bruce walks off, as an amused Dinah, a confused Leslie, and an irritated and embarrassed Alfred watch him go.
BRUCE
I have an early morning.
BEAT
LESLIE TOMPKINS
What was he wearing?
INT. CRASHED B-52 BOMBER. LIAN YU. SOUTH PACIFIC. NIGHT.
Once again, Ollie is reclining on his bedroll by the fire while he writes in his journal. As he writes, he drinks water from a coconut shell. There are some coconut husks strewn on the ground behind him, and nearby there is a pile of coconuts stacked in the corner.
OLLIE
(V.O.)
Lian Yu, Day Two. Today went
extremely okay.
CUT TO
Earlier that morning, we see a quick cut montage of Ollie doing sit ups, push ups, and (awkward) palates.
OLLIE
(V.O.)
After a breakfast of rations, I
started off my morning with some
exercise. Then, it was off to
archery practice.
CUT TO
Ollie standing by the bank of a river, bow in hand with a quiver strapped to his back.
OLLIE
(V.O.)
I decided to kill two birds with
one stone by using arrows to kill
fish.
Ollie knocks an arrow and carefully aims his shot.
OLLIE
(V.O.)
That way, I train and stock up on
provisions at the same time.
Ollie takes his shot.
CUT TO
Hard cut to Ollie unloading his catch onto a large banana leaf laid out on the ground.
OLLIE
(V.O.)
I lost a few arrows, but overall I
did pretty well for myself.
Ollie looks down at the large pile of fish, puzzled about what to do with all this food.
OLLIE
(V.O.)
Almost too well, as I realized
storage was going to become an
issue.
The sudden sound of eight dull thuds in quick succession off in the distance catches Ollie’s attention.
OLLIE
(V.O.)
Thankfully, I had another lucky
break.
CUT TO
Ollie approaches a small clearing near the beach, with a large rock formation taking up most of the space. Eight coconuts lay on the ground.
OLLIE
(V.O.)
I found some coconuts that fell out
of a tree, which would have been
good on its own...
One of the coconuts slowly rolls toward the rock formation, tumbling down an opening at its base and creating echoing thuds as it bounces around the cavern beneath it.
OLLIE
(V.O.)
... if I hadn’t found the cave.
CUT TO
Ollie sliding down the opening into the dark cold sea cave underneath the huge stone. Ollie’s breath mists in the cold as he looks around at the large crystallized salt deposits around him.
OLLIE
(V.O.)
It’s super cold down there, and
it’s full of salt crystals. I’m
going to have to get used to eating
salted fish, but at least I’ve got
storage figured out.
CUT TO
Back in the present, Ollie continues writing.
OLLIE
(V.O.)
After I finished with that, I
brought the coconuts back to the
plane. I was ready for a few hours
of trial and error trying to get
them open, but while I was putting
them away I found this box of
emergency pamphlets I must’ve
missed yesterday. There was one
that had all of the instructions
for shucking a coconut, and a few
other really useful ones like-
Ollie stops writing. He sits up.
OLLIE
Wait a minute.
A mixed expression of annoyance and embarrassment comes across Ollie’s face.
OLLIE
You can come out now.
BEAT
Suddenly, RAY PALMER, AGE 13, appears as he grows back to normal from microscopic size. Over his normal clothes, he is wearing a slightly more streamlined version of the high tech harness from the season one finale.
RAY
How’d you know it was me?
OLLIE
(startled)
Whoa, Ray?
RAY
(confused)
You didn’t know it was me?
OLLIE
Not specifically. But I’ve never
had that much good luck two days in
a row before, so I figured,
y’know...
RAY
Yeah.
OLLIE
What the hell are you doing here,
Ray? If it’s just to babysit me…
RAY
It’s not.
OLLIE
Then what-?
RAY
I decided you were right.
OLLIE
Which time?
RAY
When you said that going home was
admitting failure.
OLLIE
No, Ray, that wasn’t one of the
times I was right, that was one of
the times I was being a jerk.
RAY
Okay, but after you were a jerk, I realized that I
already felt that way too.
OLLIE
So you tagged along? Were you
hiding in my pocket or something?
RAY
No, I hitched a ride on the button
hole of your coat lapel.
OLLIE
Why did you hide at all?
RAY
I figured you would want to talk me
out of it, because of how dangerous
the island is.
OLLIE
What? God no! I’ll take any help I
can get!
RAY
Oh.
Ray sits down on a crate on the other side of the fire facing Ollie.
OLLIE
(whining)
This is hard.
RAY
You didn’t think it would be hard?
OLLIE
Of course I knew it was going to be
hard, I’m not stupid Raymond. I
just decided that, in exchange for
actually doing it, I get to
complain as much as I want.
RAY
I... guess that’s fair?
Ollie turns around to face Ray, sitting cross legged on his bedroll.
OLLIE
Listen. Neither of us are taken as
seriously as we’d like to be by the
others. We can all try to be polite
to each other as much as we want,
but that don’t change the truth.
I’ve decided something: I don’t
care if anyone ever takes me
seriously. I looked at J’onn’s
hologram things, future me dressed
up like Robin Hood to rob mafia
casinos, he clearly didn’t care
about anyone’s opinions. What I
care about is how I see myself, and
I want to see myself as a man who
can be useful to people in a
crisis. You’ve made it pretty clear
that you feel the same. So, the way
I see it is this: You’re very
smart, I’m very stubborn, and if we
put our heads together, we just
might make something of ourselves.
Ollie stands up, and holds his hand out to Ray over the flame.
OLLIE
Wanna have a team-up?
Ray smiles. He stands up, and clasps Ollie’s hand.
OLLIE
(smirking)
Alright.
CUT TO
An exterior shot of the plane. The silhouettes of the boys can be seen through the tarp patching the hole in the hull, illuminated by the fire. From behind the tree line, watching with curiosity, is TALIA AL GHUL.
EXT. ST. JUDE’S CATHEDRAL. MORNING.
The sun shines down bright on Gotham City, glistening off of the stained glass windows of St. Jude’s Cathedral. A taxi pulls up in front of the Cathedral, and a middle aged man in a business suit steps out, glancing around nervously.
CUT TO
Bruce Wayne, wearing a black and red "Gotham Rangers" hoodie and a green baseball cap, standing on the rooftop of the building opposite the cathedral, watching the man in the business suit as he pays the driver and heads inside the church. Bruce takes a few steps to his right and steps right off of the roof, using a grappling hook to slow his fall, allowing him to land gently in the alley below. He recoils the line, tucks the launcher in his pocket, and puts on a pair of sunglasses as he casually steps out onto the street. He takes a few steps, sits down on the bench of the bus stop facing the cathedral, pulls a rolled up magazine from his pocket, and starts to pretend to read it as the stakeout begins.
BEAT
SELINA
(O.S.)
And what are we doing today, boss?
A startled Bruce turns to see Selina Kyle standing behind the bench with a smirk on her face. She casually hops over the back of the bench to sit next to Bruce.
SELINA
Hi.
BRUCE
How?
SELINA
Wasn’t hard. There’s only one place
in the whole city where an
underground river lets out into the
bay. I wasn’t able to see the mouth
of the cave from where we came in,
but based on where we went
underground and the direction we
went, it was pretty easy to figure
out that we had to be somewhere
under Cape May Heights. All I had
to do was sneak out after lights
out, look for one of the repair
hatches for the old Cape May
Trolley system, and climb to the
surface. I retraced my steps, and
found myself outside of stately
Wayne Manor.
Bruce grimaces slightly.
SELINA
After that, I just waited in the
bushes until you left the house,
Bruce.
Selina leans back, quite smug.
BRUCE
Was there a point to this?
SELINA
Not really. This isn’t a mutiny, if
that’s what you’re asking. As far
as I’m concerned, I still work for
you.
BRUCE
For the moment.
SELINA
You’re paying me to help you
thieve, and the only code of
conduct I agreed to was your "first
do no harm" thing, you never said
anything about being a brat.
Bruce eyes Selina wearily. Selina sits up and scootches closer to Bruce.
SELINA
When I go into business with
someone, I prefer an even dynamic.
You know my real name, I know
yours, that’s a dynamic I can be
comfortable with. If you’re worried
about your precious secrets, take
comfort knowing I don’t care. As
long as I get payed and stay out of
prison, the whys and wherefores of
the other people involved don’t
matter to me. So, now that we’ve
both taken turns establishing
dominance, how’s about we get to
work, boss?
BRUCE
*sigh* You really love hearing
yourself talk, don’t you?
SELINA
That a yes?
BRUCE
That’s a yes.
Selina turns around in her seat to face the Cathedral.
SELINA
Who’s the mark?
BRUCE
William Earl, President and CEO of
Wayne Enterprises.
SELINA
Are we biting the hand that feeds?
BRUCE
To start with. Earl is tied up in a
network of shady deals with shady
people. Either he or someone he’s
in business with will lead me to
the subject of my investigation.
SELINA
And who’s that?
BRUCE
Long story.
SELINA
Are those the only kind you have?
BRUCE
I’ll give you and everyone else a
full debrief back at base, for
right now-
KATE
(O.S.)
Bruce?!
Bruce stops mid sentence and turns to see his cousin, KATE KANE, AGE 16, standing on the sidewalk.
BRUCE
Kate?!
SELINA
Kate?
KATE
Bruce, where have you been?!
BRUCE
Hi, Kate.
KATE
Answer the question you were asked, Bruce.
(looks at Selina)
Who are you?
Selina stands up and walks around Bruce to extend a friendly hand to Kate.
SELINA
Selina Kyle. And you are?
KATE
Kate Kane, I’m Bruce’s cousin.
(to Bruce)
Where have you BEEN?!
BRUCE
It’s kind of a long story, Kate.
KATE
God, are those the only kinds you
have?
SELINA
(grinning)
I like her.
KATE
Thank you, that’s so sweet.
Bruce stands up quickly.
BRUCE
Kate! I’ve been gone for a while
and there’s just a lot of story to
tell. Didn’t Alfred say anything
about where we went after he got
back?
KATE
He’s been a little busy with
Leslie. Aren’t they so cute
together?
BRUCE
(sarcastic)
Adorable.
KATE
So, No, I haven’t been filled in on
why you DISAPPEARED in the middle
of the semester! Everyone at school
INSISTED it was rehab, which would
only make sense to people who
haven’t met you! Was it a mental
breakdown, Bruce?
(sincere)
Oh god, was it? You know there’s no
shame in that, Bruce, mental health
is something this family takes
seriously, I will support you just
like we supported Martha during her
tough times...
Kate’s words fade into the background as Selina gets distracted by a sleek black car that pulls up in front of the church. A balding middle aged man with gray hair and a mustache, dressed impeccably in an Italian suit, steps out of the car. With confidence, he walks directly into the church as he adjusts the flower pinned to his lapel. Selina sees this man from across the street, and the world around her falls away as her eyes widen in horror.
BEAT
Selina whips around and clasps Bruce’s hand, fingers laced together.
SELINA
I have an idea. Bruce, sweetie,
there’s a little coffee shop around
the corner. Why don’t we all go
there right now, so you and your
cousin can catch up and I can get
to know her a little?
BRUCE
Selina, that...
Selina quickly and rhythmically squeezes Bruce’s hand. The keen observer will notice that the rhythm spells out "S.O.S." in morse code.
BRUCE
(getting it)
... is a great idea.
INT. ST. JUDE’S CATHEDRAL.
Inside the cathedral, it is dark and musty. Thick incense wafts through the air, and the only sources of light are the candles and the sunlight streaming in through the stained glass windows. The attendance is considerable for so early on a weekday morning, with a dozen pockets of two or three people scattered throughout the pews. Carmine Falcone walks down the aisle, and sits down in the pew directly in front of William Earl, who is hunched over, praying. Falcone picks up a prayer book and begins flipping through it as he leans back.
WILLIAM EARL
(quiet)
I really hate conducting this kind
of business here, Carmine.
CARMINE FALCONE
And you’re complaining to me about
this? The man you insisted I bring
in on this is the one who wants to
meet here. Me personally, I find it
distasteful. His people are late,
by the way.
WILLIAM EARL
(frustrated)
I bet he’s just making us squirm
for a laugh.
CARMINE FALCONE
Again, I remind you, bringing him
in was your idea.
WILLIAM EARL
I know, I know.
A man enters the church. As he walks down the aisle, he and Carmine make eye contact. The man and Carmine both look utterly shocked.
WILLIAM EARL
He’s the biggest diva I’ve ever
met, but he-
CARMINE FALCONE
Shut up Willy.
The man looks back and forth, and then quickly hurries down the aisle and sits down next to someone far up at the front of the church, who he begins whispering to frantically.
WILLIAM EARL
Carmine do you know-?
Falcone quickly stands up, and begins scanning the room.
WILLIAM EARL
Falcone, who-?
CARMINE FALCONE
Sal Maroni, he used to work for me, he-
Falcone looks around the room, and as he sees each face in the room, he recognizes them. Earl stands up.
WILLIAM EARL
Is that Rupert Thorne over there?
CARMINE FALCONE
Yeah. Sitting next to Commissioner
Loeb.
Falcone turns and faces Earl.
CARMINE FALCONE
What the HELL is-?!
EXT. GOTHAM CITY STREET.
Around the corner from St. Jude’s Cathedral, Bruce, Selina, and Kate sit at a table in front of a cafe, angled perfectly to keep the cathedral in Bruce’s line of sight while he plays catch up with his cousin. This gives him the perfect view to see the Cathedral explode.
THE END
Notes:
This week's end credits music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OGK74GOanU
Hypothetical Cast Update:
Selina Kyle - Anairis Quiñones
Kate Kane - Allison Brie
Leslie Thompkins - Robia LaMorte
I had picks for Tatsu and Jeff but I forgot to write them down and subsequently forgot them. If you have any suggestions, or if you just liked the chapter, please leave a comment!
Chapter 28: Challenge of the Super Friends, Season 2, Episode 3, "How I Spent My Summer Vacation, Chapter Three"
Summary:
We check in with "Team Atlantis" and "Team Space" as they continue on their journeys..
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
EXT. BOTTOM OF THE OCEAN.
Nothing but darkness, soon pierced by the light of a submarine exploring the ocean’s depths, a tiny yellow speck against the backdrop of the enormous hieroglyph-covered stone wall, partially illuminated by the craft’s light as it passes by.
INT. NAUTILUS 2.
Inside of the submarine, with it’s shag carpeting and wood paneling, TEAM ATLANTIS are sitting and waiting: Arthur Curry sits at the back, alone, silent and still as stone; Kendra is on her feet, running sword-stance drills with the last gift Carter gave her; Clark and Diana are playing cards, while Zatanna sits beside them, looking out of the submarine’s side window with wonder in her eyes as she reads the Atlantean hieroglyphs illuminated on the wall outside. Up front, Lena Luthor sits beside the submarine captain, Neptune Perkins, listening to him tell a story. Like at the end of last season, she is fiddling with a pink ballpoint pen in her hands.
NEPTUNE PERKINS
... and that’s when the support
columns gave out!
LENA
(riveted)
No!
NEPTUNE PERKINS
The entire antarctic base started
collapsing in on itself.
LENA
But it was built out of an
extraterrestrial alloy!
NEPTUNE PERKINS
Ah, but that was 150 years ago.
LENA
That’s true.
NEPTUNE PERKINS
We obviously managed to get out,
but it was a close one. Green
Lantern... that’s Alan Scott, the
old Green Lantern from back in my
day... his force field only barely
held for long enough. If it weren’t
for Hourman acting fast when the
floor gave out, the Justice Society
would’ve lost Mr. Terrific that
day.
LENA
What about your grandad?
NEPTUNE PERKINS
He sacrificed himself fighting
Helmut Streichter and Professor
Thule, giving the JSA a chance to
escape.
LENA
Oh wow. I guess in the end, there
was still good in Captain Nemo
after all.
NEPTUNE PERKINS
History remembers him as some kind
of mythical storybook figure, the
pirate king of the Nautilus, but my
grandfather began his journey
through this life as a freedom
fighter for Indian independence. No
matter how embittered he was by the
passage of time, in the end he
remained a freedom fighter at
heart.
LENA
Your grandfather was very brave.
BEAT
LENA
So, if your mom got pregnant next
to a radioactive meteor, why did
that make you be born half-dolphin?
NEPTUNE PERKINS
The meteor was originally from an
alien planet ruled by
dolphin-people, it was their
society’s power source.
LENA
Oh. Hm.
BEAT
The expression on Perkins’ face becomes more serious as he looks up ahead.
NEPTUNE PERKINS
(speaking up)
Everyone, we’ve got potential
contact up ahead.
Everyone in the back stops what they’re doing and walks up to the front of the sub. Through the front window, deep in the darkness, a light can be seen.
NEPTUNE PERKINS
I don’t see anything on the radar.
Whatever that is, has to be very
far away and very very big.
ZATANNA
The lights of a city?
ARTHUR
(under his breath)
Or a big nasty angler fish.
DIANA
Whatever it is, we need to prepare.
Everyone to stations.
Lena buckles into her seat. Diana, Arthur, and Kendra begin to gear up while Clark dramatically takes off his glasses while pulling his shirt open to reveal the Superboy costume underneath. Zatanna sits back in her seat by the window, and pulls out a deck of tarot cards.
BEAT
ZATANNA
(embarrassed)
... there’s probably not much I can
do with these right now.
Up at the front, a dot quickly darts across the radar screen.
NEPTUNE PERKINS
I’ve got movement.
Back by the window, Zatanna is once again looking out at the hieroglyphs on the ancient stone wall. As the submarine moves, it passes some kind of large square recess in the side of the massive stone wall. The face and arm of a humanoid figure can barely be seen for an instant before darting out of sight.
ZATANNA
(startled)
*scream*
Zatanna falls backwards, scattering her deck of cards on the floor. The radar shows several objects circling the sub quickly, and the sub’s passengers look around the cabin as they hear the whooshing sound of objects circling the craft. Along the massive stone walls surrounding them, biolumanescent plants suddenly light up, revealing a vast network of dwellings carved into the walls of the passageway, inhabited by aquatic humanoids, the Atlanteans.
EXT. NAUTILUS 2.
We see the true scale of this settlement, a small city’s worth of living spaces carved into the walls, with a population leering out of the shadows in curiosity to match, illuminated by an intricate network of biolumanescent plants. The Atlantean population is diverse in appearance, with a fairly wide range of body sizes and complexions; worthy of note is the fact that some Atlanteans appear to have two legs that end in wide flipper-like feet, while others have a single dolphin-like tail, like a mermaid. Several Atlanteans, a mix of tailed and bipedal, are circling around the sub, weilding spears and knives.
INT. STARSHIP. CREW CABIN.
We open on a shot of rows of bunks with sliding privacy doors in the ship’s sleeping quarters. Faintly, in the distance, the sound of drumming can be heard.
CAROL
(muffled)
Hrmphsh...
One of the privacy doors slides open, and Carol Ferris rolls out, landing on the floor with a thud. She is wearing the same clothes she was wearing in episode one.
CAROL
*groan*
Carol picks herself up, dusts herself off, takes a basic pass at straightening her hair, and exits the crew cabin. She enters the ship’s kitchen area, where Barry and Lana are eating breakfast. The drumming sound is slightly louder now.
BARRY
Morning!
CAROL
(groggy)
Morning.
Carol reaches into one of the storage compartments, and pulls out a pouched beverage. She pierces it with the attached straw, and then removes the straw and chugs it all down directly from the pouch. Once the pouch is drained, she disengages.
CAROL
*deep breath*
BEAT
CAROL
What’s that noise?
LANA
Hal is-
CAROL
That makes sense.
Carol casually tosses the pouch away and walks through the kitchen area toward the bridge of the ship, where the sound seems to be coming from. Standing in the doorway is Alex Luthor, who is watching Hal Jordan, John Stewart, and Guy Gardner as they sit together around the helm of the ship. Music is playing, specifically "Run Runaway," the 1984 hit by the band "Slade." Hal, sitting in the pilot’s chair, is rapidly conjuring green energy disks in the air in time to the song’s drum line, these disks hanging in the air for an instant before widening like ripples in a pond as they fade away. Hal is pointing a finger at each disk as it appears, moving in time to the music with a focused look of cool concentration on his face. Guy and John are watching, riveted. John is focused on the constructs themselves, while Guy is focused Hal himself as he does this.
CAROL
(not amused)
What is this?
ALEX
(amused)
They asked Hal to show them his
favorite way of training with the
ring.
Alex smirks as he watches the display, while Carol rolls her eyes at it. She steps away, walking further down the circular hallway of the Starship, going past the storage area and on toward the general-use area/"hall where the airlock is," where J’onn J’onzz is currently meditating, floating cross-legged in the air.
J’ONN
Good morning, Miss Ferris.
CAROL
Is it morning? How can you even
tell?
J’onn uncrosses his legs and is now standing on the floor.
J’ONN
According to this ship’s computer,
right now, subjectively, it is
seven-eighteen in the morning. But
there is no sunlight to indicate
this, something you were unprepared
for, for which I apologize.
CAROL
I just wanna go home.
J’ONN
I have come to a decision about
that. I have asked Hal to adjust
our course, and we will be making
stop at a port of call. There, we
will acquire enough fuel to bring
you back to Earth before continuing
on our journey.
CAROL
You’d really go out of your way for
me like that?
J’ONN
I am not in the business of
kidnapping teenage girls, Miss
Ferris, nor endangering their
lives. Your well being is a concern
to me.
CAROL
Aw...
Carol gives J’onn a big akward hug, pinning his arms to his torso.
CAROL
Thank you Martian Man.
J’ONN
That is part of my name.
Carol disengages from the hug and steps back.
CAROL
How long?
J’ONN
It will be approximately fifteen hours
until we reach the nearest port on
the edge of the galactic center. It
may take a few days there to
acquire the necessary fuel, and
then another fifty-two hours through
hyperspace back to Earth.
CAROL
Isn’t there any way you could go
faster? Like, "warp speed" or
something?
J’ONN
Hyperspace travel is considerably
faster than warp drive, actually.
We are currently traveling at tens
of thousands of times the speed of
light. Though, it is considerably
less fuel efficient than warp,
hence the need to be conservative
in its use.
CAROL
Oh, don’t worry about that with me,
my family were big donors to the
Reagan campaign.
J’ONN
Yes. Well, the best thing you can
do right now is try and relax.
CAROL
I only ever succeed or fail at
things, it makes life a lot
simpler.
Carol leaves J’onn to ponder this axiom, walking further down the cirular hallway, through the crew cabin and back into the kitchen area. She walks up to the table where Lana and Barry are sitting and sits down with them, grabbing a rations bag from the table and tearing it open to eat the crackers inside.
BEAT
CAROL
(to Barry)
So, like, if you went fast
right now while we’re flying at
hyperspace or whatever, would you
explode, or what?
BARRY
(a little scared)
... huh.
EXT. BOTTOM OF THE OCEAN.
A group of Atlanteans are swarming around the Nautilus 2, armed with spears and knives. They are not attacking, but they are observing the craft and prepared to strike if necessary.
INT. NAUTILUS 2.
The party are all geared up at at their stations.
SUPERBOY
We’re in the city already?
WONDER GIRL
It may be a smaller settlement on
the outskirts.
ZATANNA
Like the suburbs?
HAWKWOMAN
Or the boonies.
AQUALAD
I’m going out there.
WONDER GIRL
Are you sure?
AQUALAD
They’re my people, I’m not here to
fight them. Perkins, can you give
me backup? You know, just in case.
NEPTUNE PERKINS
In the water, you’ve got me for
three hours, that’s my limit.
AQUALAD
One way or another, it’ll be over a
lot sooner than that.
EXT. NAUTILUS 2.
Aqualad and Neptune Perkins dive out of the airlock hatch of the Nautilus 2. Aqualad remains in human form at first when he makes contact with the water. The Atlanteans see them exiting the craft and dive to intercept them. Aqualad and Perkins look up at the armed Atlanteans.
NEPTUNE PERKINS
(telepathically)
You ready for this?
AQUALAD
(telepathically)
Yeah.
Aqualad swims up to meet the Atlanteans. As he does so, he shifts out of his human form and into his Atlantean form, with aquatic characteristics such as smooth cetacean-like skin in hues of light and dark green, large round black eyes, gills running down the sides of his jawline, and frills growing out of his gills and running up the back of his neck to the top of his head, bright gold in color, replacing his blond hair. As the Atlanteans approach, they stop, their eyes widening in shock. Some of the Atlanteans in the back are so startled that they drop their weapons, while the ones in front grip them tighter. The citizens in the rock-face settlements whisper among each other, and a ripple of anxiety can be felt moving through the crowd. Neptune Perkins looks around at all of the Atlanteans. He notices that, like Arthur, they have small frills in place of hair, but all of theirs are the same color as the skin on their backs. Arthur is the only Atlantean, out of the many hundreds here that are staring at him in shock, who has bright golden hair.
NEPTUNE PERKINS
(telepathically)
Arthur, I think they recognize you.
Arthur looks around at how the Atlanteans are reacting to him. The Atlanteans in front of Aqualad and Neptune Perkins begin looking back and forth at one another, whispering to each other in a series of strange high pitched tones. One of the Atlanteans at the front of the group reacts to a noise coming from a device on his wrist, and seems to issue some kind of command, and the group splits in two, heading into the rock-face settlements on either side of the submarine and shouting some kind of orders at the bystanders as they move. Suddenly, all of the Atlanteans present, Arthur excluded, retreat deep into the interior of the settlement, seemingly getting as far away from the entrances as possible.
NEPTUNE PERKINS
(telepathically)
Well, that’s probably not a good-
AQUALAD
(telepathically)
Neptune, MOVE!
Aqualad uses his WATER BENDING to push Neptune Perkins out of harm’s way, gesturing with his left hand to direct Perkins’ trajectory as he uses his right arm to block the hit from the living torpedo that just slammed into him; a female Atlantean, with bright green skin and long bright crimson frills, has just entered the scene while moving at hundreds of miles per hour and punched Aqualad all in a single motion. She is MERA XEBELLA, AGE 17, CAPTAIN OF THE ATLANTEAN CLERICAL GUARD, and the force of her blow that Aqualad just (barely) blocked is sending a massive shock wave through the water, battering the Nautilus 2 and causing it to smash against the great stone wall.
INT. NAUTILUS 2.
The submarine is battered about. Hawkwoman, Superboy, and Wonder Girl manage to stay relatively steady, and Lena is safely strapped in (although RAPIDLY clicking the pink ball point pen she’s holding to keep from panicking), but Zatanna (and her cards) are sent flying. In a burst of speed, Superboy catches the teen witch before she slams into a wall, landing awkwardly on his feet as the now-slanted submarine provides poor footing.
ZATANNA
(out of breath)
Thank you.
SUPERBOY
It’s what I do. Diana, can you help
Zee to her seat? I think Arthur
needs help.
EXT. BOTTOM OF THE OCEAN.
Sent shooting back by the force of the blow, Aqualad uses his WATER BENDING to force himself to a stop. He looks at his opponent and smirks, before once again using his WATER BENDING, this time to create a cyclone of force with which to trap his opponent. The cyclone of water surrounds Mera, and she smiles as she casually darts through it, going under Aqualad and then quickly swimming up behind him to attack from above. As Mera passes Aqualad, the water in her wake swirls around him, binding his limbs in condensed spheres of rapidly swirling water and pulling them in opposite directions. As Mera plunges to attack, she strikes Arthur on the chest with an open palm strike, the force of her blow multiplied by the swirling ball of pressurized water in the palm of her hand. Another smaller shock-wave is created by this blow, and the air still in Aqualad’s lungs is knocked out of them violently. Mera looks around curiously at the air bubbles before turning her attention back to her foe. Behind the fight, Superboy drops out of the Nautilus 2’s airlock hatch, holding his breath while his body crackles with arcs of blue energy. He concentrates the energy into his legs and shoots forward at Mera, who blocks just in time, fortified by a wall of pressurized water. Superboy bounces off the wall of water, concentrating the energy in his body to force himself to come to a stop. As the boy of steel gets his bearings, a mermaid-tailed Atlantean swims up behind him and blasts him with an Atlantean shock pulse blaster, sending him crashing into the far wall. She is LORI LEMARIS, AGE 16, a junior in the clerical guard. Superboy hits the rock face face-first, releasing a small air bubble as he reflexively gasps in pain.
SUPERBOY
(water distortion)
*pained gasp*
Superboy clasps his hands over his mouth and nose to prevent any more air from escaping, and crackles with energy and he quickly turns around. Not quickly enough it seems, and he is hit square in the chest by another shock pulse blast from Lori Lemaris, smacking him back into the rock wall and forcing all of the air our of his lungs in one huge bubble. As Superboy begins to pass out, Neptune Perkins darts back in at dolphin-like speeds, grabbing Superboy and pulling him out of harm’s way. Lemaris fires several shots off at the man-dolphin, but even with the extra weight of the Kryptonian teen, Neptune Perkins is too fast! Perkins swims back up to the sub and throws Superboy into the airlock hatch before diving back toward Lemaris in a wide arc, drawing her fire away from the submarine. Perkins comes in for the attack, but Lemaris’ blaster fire manages to keep him at bay. Still, while he can’t get close to her, he swims circles around her blaster fire, resulting in a stalemate for the moment.
INT. NAUTILUS 2.
Diana pulls the airlock door open before it has completely finished draining the water, causing water to spill out into the Nautilus 2’s interior as she grabs Clark’s limp body and lays him on the ground. Kneeling beside him, Diana raises her fists in the air before slamming them down hard on Clark’s chest, causing the ship to shudder slightly and forcing the water out of his lungs. As air is forced back into his lungs, he regains consciousness.
CLARK
(dazed)
What? Where-?
DIANA
You drowned.
CLARK
(dazed and confused)
I can hold my breath for an hour.
DIANA
You lost hold, Clark.
KENDRA
They still need backup.
DIANA
I can fight under water, but I can
only hold my breath for fifteen
minutes.
ZATANNA
If you give me five minutes, I can
help with that.
EXT. BOTTOM OF THE OCEAN.
Mera suspends her captive above her, glancing over her shoulder at Lemaris’ struggle with Perkins. Suddenly, the water around her and Aqualad begins to shimmer, and Mera recoils in pain as the water begins to boil! Ice crystals are rapidly forming around Aqualad’s hands and feet as he freezes the pressurized water holding him in place, forcing the heat out into the water around him and causing it to boil! As Mera recoils from the boiling water, Aqualad, shifting into human form, swims THROUGH the boiling water, the ice on his arms and legs crumbling away as it melts from the heat. Aqualad shields his face with his right arm, the ice providing some small protection from the heat as it melts, and dives towards Mera, delivering a powerful left hook to her face that sends her tumbling backwards! This distracts Lori Lemaris just long enough for Neptune to tackle the merteen and grab the gun out of her hands. Mera rights herself and sees this happen. Pressurized water begins to swirl around her hand as she prepares to attack Neptune Perkins, but a hand grabs her arm and pulls her into...
INT. THE BUBBLE.
Mera tumbles to a stop on a strange surface; it is water, but with a surface tension that supports her weight. She stands, finding herself standing inside of an enormous air bubble, along with Wonder Girl, Hawkwoman, and Zatanna, who is quietly muttering to herself as she is concentrating on maintaining the bubble.
WONDER GIRL
Hello there.
Mera inhales the air inside the bubble deeply, the gills on the sides of her neck closing and laying flat as she does so. As she exhales, she looks at Diana and smirks. She lunges at Wonder Girl, and the two begin trading rapid fire blows that crack like thunder. Hawkwoman swoops in and strikes Mera with the flat of her sword, knocking her into the bubble’s wall. The bubble stretches as Mera slams into it feet-first, and she uses it’s momentum as it returns to its shape to launch herself up at Hawkwoman, who deftly dodges in the are and swats Mera away with the flat of her sword one again. Mera bounces off the wall of the bubble, with far less control this time, and is snagged in the air on her rebound by the Lasso of Truth, held by Wonder Girl. Mera tumbles to a stop, and the party stand over her.
WONDER GIRL
We’d like to talk.
INT. STARSHIP.
Hal sits at the helm, while John and Guy sit beside him, and Alex is still leaning in the door-frame, like some kind of cool guy.
HAL
So, you boys want to take it for a
spin?
In the time it takes John Stewart to draw a breath, Guy Gardner stands up.
GUY
(excited)
Me! I do!
JOHN
(quietly)
Yeah, okay...
Hal slips the ring off of his finger and tosses it to Guy, who catches it awkwardly. Guy slips the ring on his finger and makes a fist. He takes a moment, focusing on the ring, and then an aura of green energy envelops him. Smiling, he rises into the air, hovering off the ground as he begins shadow boxing, generating small waves of green force that shoot out of his fists and quickly dissipate in the air.
HAL
Not bad, not bad.
Guy drops to his feet as the aura dissipates. He takes off the ring and tosses it to John Stewart.
GUY
Show us what you’ve got, Johnny.
John puts on the ring.
JOHN
Just John, thanks.
John closes his eyes. The ring glows. One by one, small constructs resembling individual pieces of building material begin to pop into existence in the air around John’s head. They appear slowly at first, but their rate of generation gradually increases until they’re popping into existence at a rapid pace. As they are rapidly being conjured, all of the pieces slide into place to create a small model of a triple decker apartment building. John opens his eyes.
JOHN
Oh, hey...
HAL
Very nice.
GUY
How’d you do that?
JOHN
It’s a building I designed. I spent
months drafting it, I’ve got the
whole thing memorized.
GUY
I might be able to do that with the
engine block of my car... hey,
Stewart, give me another go.
Hal holds out his hand to John Stewart.
HAL
It’s my ring, Gardner.
John takes of the ring and places it in the palm of Hal’s hand.
GUY
Oh yeah. Right. How is that going
to work, exactly?
HAL
Once we meet up with the surviving
Lanterns on Mogo, we should be able
to get you two set up with rings of
your own.
JOHN
"Should?"
HAL
Not much is certain right now. If I
didn’t make that clear enough,
since we’re making a quick return
trip for Carol, you do have one
last chance to back out if-
JOHN
No. I didn’t say that.
John glances out the view-screen, at the shimmering energy that makes up hyperspace.
JOHN
I’m not going home now.
John looks back at Hal.
JOHN
I just want to know if we’ve got a
backup plan if "Mogo" place is a
bust.
HAL
To be honest? Not really. The fate
of the Green Lantern Corps pretty
much hinges on us getting the power
battery to Mogo. Right now, I’m the
only Green Lantern in the galaxy
who can recharge his ring. If that
doesn’t change... but it will. It
will change. We’re gonna pull this
off, trust me, this team has a
track record of pulling off
miracles.
ALEX
I’m not sure one time establishes a
precedent, Hal.
HAL
Green Lantern business, butt out.
ALEX
He is right, though. In fact, our
detour for Miss Ferris, while
costly, will help us in the end.
Backtracking this much might make us
harder to find.
Hal points at Alex while looking at Guy and John.
HAL
That’s a good point, Alex.
Alex gets up and walks up to the helm, standing beside the others as he looks out the window.
ALEX
Also, I have my own self contained
life support system, so I can
always escape into space if I need
to.
Alex turns to the others.
ALEX
I’m sure you’ll be fine.
Guy and John share a look, and then Guy starts walking to the door.
GUY
Well, I’m hungry.
As Guy leaves, John gets up and follows after them.
JOHN
Actually, I could eat.
As they exit, Alex sits down in one of the chairs next to Hal. He begins typing commands into the ship’s computer terminal.
HAL
Your comedy routine needs work,
Luthor.
ALEX
I don’t do things to amuse others.
HAL
Just try not to rile people up,
alright?
ALEX
You gave them two chances to back
out and they didn’t take either, I
don’t think they're easily rattled.
HAL
Hey, here’s a question: why are you
here?
ALEX
I’m adjusting the navigational
computer.
HAL
I already set our coordinates,
don’t mess with it.
ALEX
You’re joking, right?
HAL
What’s that supposed to mean?
ALEX
Do you really think you understand
a computer like this well enough to
use it?
HAL
I typed in everything J’onn wrote
down.
ALEX
Hal, an error in these coordinates
could result in us reappearing in
normal space inside of a star. With
that in mind, are you really too
proud to let me double check?
HAL
... proceed.
ALEX
Thank you.
BEAT
HAL
See, you can be diplomatic if you
try.
ALEX
Oh, I always knew that.
INT. THE BUBBLE.
Inside of the air bubble, Wonder Girl and Hawkwoman stand over Mera, while Zatanna stands behind them, muttering her chants to keep the bubble intact. Aqualad enters the bubble and approachs Wonder Girl.
AQUALAD
So, we really should’ve discussed
how to deal with the language
barrier.
WONDER GIRL
We won’t have to. She understands
everything I’m saying.
(to Mera)
Don’t you?
As Wonder Girl says this, her voice echoes slightly. A puzzled Mera listens to the words.
MERA
I can. How can I-?
WONDER GIRL
It’s a gift I have.
AQUALAD
Do you know who I am?
MERA
I think so. My question is, do you
know who you are?
AQUALAD
My name is Arthur Orin Curry.
MERA
"Orin?"
AQUALAD
That name mean something to you?
MERA
More than it means to you, I
suspect.
AQUALAD
My mother told me it was my
grandfather’s name.
MERA
If it was, then I know exactly who
you are.
AQUALAD
Who am I to you?
MERA
Someone I’ve been ordered to kill.
Neptune Perkins hops into the bubble with Lori in tow, landing on his feet with Lori’s weapon leaning on his shoulder while Lori bounces and skids to a halt near Mera.
MERA
Lori!
NEPTUNE PERKINS
Sorry I’m late, she’s hard to pin down.
LORI
Sorry, Mera.
AQUALAD
I see you two know each other.
Lori looks up at Aqualad, puzzled for a second before she looks back and forth between his costume and his blond hair.
LORI
(scared)
Prince Orin?!
MERA
Get a hold of yourself, Lemaris.
AQUALAD
I thought you said her name was
Lori.
LORI
(to Aqualad)
Lemaris is my last name.
(to Mera)
You said Prince Orin didn’t exist!
MERA
I said he PROBABLY didn’t exist,
and you are coming dangerously
close to insubordination, Lemaris.
LORI
Sorry, Captain Xebella.
AQUALAD
Why do you want to kill me?
MERA
I don’t want to, I was ordered to.
Frankly, I don’t care about you one
way or the other.
AQUALAD
Then why?!
MERA
You’re the last of the Kordax
dynasty, heir to the traitor-queen.
Your existence threatens
Atlantis.
Aqualad stays silent. He looks contemplative.
HAWKWOMAN
This complicates things.
WONDER GIRL
We should go back to the Nautilus
and regroup.
Ignoring these comments, Aqualad walks toward Mera and kneels down in front of her.
AQUALAD
Diana, please let her go.
Diana tugs at the lasso and it recoils in an instant. Mera rubs her wrists as she and Arthur stare each other down.
BEAT
Mera attempts to attack Aqualad, who manages to grab her wrist just before she can strike. The two continue to stare each other down for a moment as they struggle against each other. Then, using his thumb, Aqualad activates the communicator on her wrist.
AQUALAD
To whoever’s listening, my name is
Prince Orin, and I have Captain
Xebella in my custody. I have no
intention of hurting her, or anyone
else, and I have no interest in
taking any thrones away from
anyone.
INT. ROYAL CHAMBERS. ATLANTIS.
A large, dark, ornate room, dimly lit by biolumanescant plants. A male Atlantean, wearing ornate robes, is listening to Arthur’s communication over his own communicator.
AQUALAD
(radio)
All I want to do is talk.
The Atlantean male looks terrified and furious. He disconnects the signal, and takes a moment to collect himself, breathing deeply through his gills. He then turns his communicator back on.
STEWARD NEREUS
General, this is the Steward.
Assemble your forces.
ORM MARIUS
(O.S.)
Don’t do that.
The Atlantean’s eyes go blank. Behind him, his shadow lengthens, grows to a monstrous proprotion, and gains a very familiar distorted face with very familiar round red eyes.
ORM MARIUS
It’s not nearly time for that yet.
GENERAL
(radio)
Steward Nereus, what’s happening?
The light returns to Nereus’ eyes as he regains his senses.
STEWARD NEREUS
I want you to assemble your forces
for a welcoming ceremony. A
diplomatic envoy has come Atlantis,
and I wish for them to be greeted
by our honor guard.
GENERAL
Understood sir. Preparations will-
The steward hangs up. His eyes gloss over once again.
ORM MARIUS
Good boy.
THE END
Notes:
No outro music for this episode, but here's the song Hal was listening to with John and Guy:
https://youtu.be/rEfmwXPT3cM?si=j32loa0omNQdWO7x
Hypothetical Casting Update:
Mera Xebella - Gillian Jacobs
Lori Lemaris - Tara Strong
Neptune Perkins: Kumail Ali Nanjiani
If you liked this chapter, please comment and share.
Chapter 29: Challenge of the Super-Friends, Season 2, Episode 4, "How I Spent My Summer Vacation, Chapter Four"
Summary:
Investigations and research.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
INT. WAYNE MANOR. NIGHT.
The entire Gotham team sits around the TV room, watching news coverage of the cathedral explosion. Bruce, Dinah, Selina, and Ted sit around the TV in chairs, while the rest of the group (including Leslie Tompkins) stand behind them. The mood is grim. Selina looks especially distressed; even though she is seated closest to the TV, she seems to refuse to look at it, only listening to the news as she looks down and away. Jeff and Tatsu stand near the back, both glancing around awkwardly at the place they've found themselves in.
TV
"There are no words to describe the
scale of this tragedy. Included among
the departed are men Gotham can never
hope to replace; City Councilor Rupert
Thorn, Police Commissioner Gillian
Loeb, local business leaders such as
Carmine Falcone and William Earl..."
On the TV, a fresh faced young politician, MAYOR HAMILTON HILL, AGE 26, is speaking from behind a podium.
HAMILTON HILL
These men were my colleagues and my
friends. As mayor, and as a man, I am
experiencing every kind of mourning
imaginable.
Hill pauses for a moment, almost choking up very subtly, but remaining strong and regaining his composure before continuing. Bruce watches the mayor intensely.
HAMILTON HILL
But I do not mourn alone. All of
Gotham grieves today, and I know that
the people of Gotham can once again do
what we do best; coming together
during crisis, to shoulder the weight
of one another's grief as we walk into
the new dawn together.
Bruce glares at the TV screen.
BEAT
JEFF
You're Bruce Wayne?
Startled, Bruce stands up and turns around, just now seeing that Jeff and Tatsu are here. He's bewildered for a moment, before turning to Selina, who's sullen expression falls away in exchange for a sly smirk.
INT. MAYOR'S OFFICE. NIGHT.
The office of Mayor Hamilton Hill stands dark and empty for a moment, before Hill suddenly scurries in, shutting the door behind him to muffle out din of voices and movement coming from the hallway. Hill, stumbling slightly, turns on his desk lamp before awkwardly leaning back against the wall behind his desk. He is panting, sweating, clearly overwhelmed by the chaos around him.
HAMILTON HILL
(hyperventilating)
*heavy breathing*
The mayor's heavy breathing begins to slow down and lighten up as he undoes his tie and leans his head back with his eyes closed.
BEAT
The mayor suddenly grimaces and leans forward, letting loose a blood curdling roar as he clenches his face with rage and screams as loud and as he possibly can.
HAMILTON HILL
(pure rage)
*the sound of pure rage*
The mayor holds his scream for as long as his breath will allow (which isn't that long, considering the panic attack he seems to be having), the sound petering out right before he stumbles forward and takes a breath, catching himself on his desk with his hands. He opens his eyes.
HAMILTON HILL
(moderate whimpering)
Why'd this happen to me?
Hill stumbles over to his private bathroom. He opens the door and steps into the dark room, turning on the cold water. He turns on the light switch and immediately bends over to splash cold water on his face, revealing to the viewer that The Joker is sitting on the toilet, reading the newspaper.
THE JOKER
Funny thing is...
The Mayor, startled, stumbles back, panting and afraid.
HAMILTON HILL
(out of breath)
Who-?!
THE JOKER
... if this'd happened BEFORE the
election, you could have ran on it.
The Joker folds up the newspaper and tucks it under his arm. He stands, flushes, and puts the toilet seat down.
THE JOKER
Real sorry I was late.
HAMILTON HILL
(panicking)
Who are you?
THE JOKER
An old friend you've just met,
Hamilton.
HAMILTON HILL
How did you get past my security?
THE JOKER
Buddy, you don't even have to worry
about them. They're already dead.
HAMILTON HILL
Oh god...
THE JOKER
-is away on business right now,
Hamilton, I made that very clear.
HAMILTON HILL
You- the explosion! You were-
THE JOKER
Obviously. Try to keep up, man.
HAMILTON HILL
What do you-?!
The Mayor stops mid sentence when The Joker produces a vial of bright green liquid.
BEAT
HAMILTON HILL
(quiet)
Is that what I think it is?
THE JOKER
None other than.
HAMILTON HILL
(grim)
How did you find the safe?
THE JOKER
Oh no, this one isn't yours, Hamilton.
Your emergency stash remains safe in
its safe.
The Joker begins twirling the vial between his fingers, evoking a look of quiet terror on Hill's face.
HAMILTON HILL
(quiet, panicked)
Don't-
THE JOKER
I brought this from home. It's one of
mine.
HAMILTON HILL
Please stop, you don't know how
dangerous that...
The Mayor trails off.
HAMILTON HILL
"One" of yours?
THE JOKER
heheheheheHeHaHaHahAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!
EXT. ATLANTIS.
The Nautilus 2 approaches the lost city of Atlantis, a glistening jewel amidst the darkness of the ocean's depths.
INT. NAUTILUS 2.
The party look out the windows of the sub with tense anticipation. Arthur and Diana stand near the front, behind Lena and Captain Perkins. Lena is nervously clicking her pink pen. Behind them, Clark, Zee, and Kendra are all seated next to their "guests," Mera and Lori. The tension in the sub is palpable. Anxious from the silence, Clark begins glancing around the room, and suddenly and quite awkwardly makes eye contact with Lori. The two freeze in a moment of adolescent terror, before looking away, both now sporting looks of embarrassment.
EXT. ATLANTIS.
The sub draws nearer to the city. Glistening metal spires standing tall in the darkness, dimly illuminated by a bio luminescent plant network, and loosely organized into a series of concentric rings. The sub flies over the outer rings of the city, where, below them, merfolk of varying shapes and sizes look on in wonder. Two rows of Atlantean soldiers swim up alongside the craft, unarmed.
INT. NAUTILUS 2.
The occupants of the craft look out of the windows to see the Atlantean soldiers gesturing for the sub to follow them. Neptune Perkins looks back at Arthur and they make eye contact. Arthur nods.
EXT. ATLANTIS.
The sub follows the two lines of soldiers, who guide it to the center of the city, "THE FIRST CITY," a massive domed complex containing all of Atlantis' governmental buildings. They pass through the dome, some kind of massive bubble that stretches and ripples as they pass through it. The sub glides over the inside of the complex, and is led to a smaller bubble attached to the side of one of the buildings. The sub passes through this bubble, and the soldiers descend to a standing position and gesture for the sub to settle on the ground. As the sub lands, the water is drained out of the airlock.
INT. AIRLOCK.
The soldiers stand at attention around the sub as the water completely drains away, all standing in line except for one, who stands by the door leading into the rest of the complex. The hatch of the sub opens, and Arthur pops out his head.
ARTHUR
... hey.
Arthur climbs out of the hatch and hops down to the ground, followed by Diana, who is carrying Lori in her arms, and Mera. The guards very suddenly salute, which startles Arthur briefly before he regains his composure. He approaches the Atlantean standing by the door, with Mera following quickly behind him.
ARTHUR
Who's in charge here?
ATLANTEAN SOLDIER
I-
MERA
(to Arthur)
I am!
(to the soldier)
What's going on?
The soldier salutes.
ATLANTEAN SOLDIER
Captain! By order of the High Priest
Steward Nereus Xebella, the honor
guard has assembled to welcome the
diplomatic envoy-
MERA
Diplomatic envoy?! My father would
NEVER-!
The soldier produces a small silver orb, identical to the holographic imager used by J'onn in season one. The orb produces a flickering blue light that stabilizes into the holographic image of Steward Nereus.
NEREUS
I, Nereus Xebella, make this recording
for Captain Mera Xebella and second
lieutenant junior grade Lori Lemaris.
It is my decree, as high priest and
steward of the First City, that Prince
Orin to be treated as a diplomatic
envoy, to be offered every hospitality
and protection granted to him by
protocol. Until I send word, the
captain and second lieutenant junior
grade are ordered to act as guides to
him and his party. End recording.
The hologram shuts off.
MERA
Well. I suppose my father would.
Behind Arthur and Mera, in Diana's arms, Lori turns to the Amazonian princess.
LORI
Um, excuse me?
DIANA
Hm?
Lori points over at Mera.
LORI
Could you?
DIANA
Oh, of course.
Diana walks up beside Mera.
LORI
Captain, what do you want us to do?
MERA
Offer every hospitality and protection
granted by protocol, obviously.
LORI
What are the protocols?
MERA
I have no idea, there's never been a
diplomatic envoy before.
Mera turns and looks at Arthur.
MERA
To start, we should probably find them
a place to stay.
Mera turns and walks past the saluting soldier.
MERA
Dismissed.
The guard assumes a casual stance as Mera heads to the door of the airlock and enters the main part of the complex.
LORI
I'm pretty sure she wants us to follow
her.
A look of anger grows on Arthur's face before he bolts out the door after Mera.
INT. CORRIDOR. ATLANTIS.
A high tech corridor, bustling with activity, full of bipedal Atlanteans walking about. Mera is walking down the hall with a purposeful stride when Arthur exits the airlock door and catches up to her. The Atlanteans in the hallway turn and look in surprise at human-form Arthur.
ARTHUR
I'm not done talking to you.
MERA
We weren't talking.
Mera keeps walking and Arthur keeps up just behind her as they talk. Heads continue to turn toward Arthur as he walks down the hall, but more heads turn back toward the airlock door, where Diana exits with Lori in her arms, followed by the rest of the group. Nearby, an Atlantean guard brings a bubble chair, a device used by tailed Atlanteans to move around out of water, over to the arrivals.
LORI
Oh, thank you.
Diana helps Lori into her bubble chair, and the group follows after Arthur and Mera. Further down the hall, the bickering continues.
ARTHUR
Where are you going?
MERA
To your room. You're following me, by
the way.
ARTHUR
I want to talk to whoever's in charge
around here.
MERA
You are.
ARTHUR
You've got a boss.
MERA
Who will send for you when he's ready.
ARTHUR
I don't have time to wait, there are
lives at stake, I-
Arthur notices that the other Atlanteans in the hallway are either staring awkwardly, or quickly glancing at him curiously. Arthur stops walking as he looks around at all of the aquatic creatures around him. Slowly, Arthur's body shifts into his Atlantean form, causing him to resemble Mera and Lori and the other Atlanteans around him. The rest of the group comes to a stop behind Arthur and Mera, and watch as Arthur finds himself surrounded by his people for the first time in his life. The other Atlanteans look back at him with varying looks of confusion, some glancing for a moment and continuing on their way, while others stop and stare, especially at Arthur's blond hair, nowhere else to be found anywhere in the crowd. Mera looks around at the scene, both intrigued by it and suspicious of it. Diana steps forward and approaches Mera.
DIANA
Captain Xebella, your orders were to
offer us hospitality and protection
befitting diplomats, yes? I do not
know what your protocols entail, but I
hope that you would help anyone search
for a child who has been kidnapped by
criminals, ambassador or not.
MERA
A child?
DIANA
Arthur was telling the truth, we have
no interest in disrupting your
society, or staying any longer than
necessary. We are on a mission, one
with many lives at stake, including my
missing sister's, and all of ours.
And, possibly, all of yours, too.
Mera looks concerned as she processes this.
EXT. GOTHAM CITY. NIGHT.
The burnt remains of St. Jude's Cathedral loom in the moonlight, cordoned off by police tape and abandoned. At the back of the alleyway opposite the ruins, Wildcat and White Canary stand over the two officers, who are bound and gagged and disarmed on the ground, while the rest of the group exits the alley and steps out onto the sidewalk.
ROBIN
Jeff?
Jefferson Pierce kneels down next to a lamp post and places his hand on its base. Electricity crackles and arcs where his hand makes contact with the metal. The lights from every lamp post on the block suddenly begin to flicker and then go out. The party darts across the street under a blanket of darkness.
CUT TO
Darkness, suddenly broken by three slashes, which cause debris to crumble away and reveal the silhouette of Tatsu sheathing her sword, illuminated from behind by Robin's flashlight. Robin steps around Tatsu to take the lead, descending down the cathedral's basement stairs. Tatsu stays off to the side to let the rest of the group pass, but Selina stops.
SELINA
After you.
TATSU
(cheerful)
Oh, okay!
Tatsu descends the stairs, and Selina follows after.
SELINA
Tatsu?
TATSU
Yes?
SELINA
I have to ask about the sword.
TATSU
Oh!
(from memory)
This sword, along with it's matching
short sword, comprise a daishō
collectively referred to as "Dakkon-
tou," or "Soul-taker" in English. It
was forged for the Yamashiro clan in
the 14th century by the sword smith
Muramasa, and became the signature
weapon of the patriarchs of the
Yamashiro clan for generations, most
notably during the revolt of
Shakushain, where Dakkon-tou earned
the title of "the blades that tamed
the north." Significant battles in
which this daishō was wielded include-
SELINA
Why do you have it?
TATSU
Oh! Yamashiro. That's me. I mean,
that's my family.
SELINA
It's a family heirloom?
TATSU
Yes.
SELINA
That slices through rocks?
TATSU
It was forged from a meteor and then
after that it was cursed by a witch,
is what my grandfather told me.
SELINA
That's why it can cut through rocks?
TATSU
It's what he said.
SELINA
That doesn't sound like a curse,
what's cursed about it?
TATSU
According to the stories? The more you
use it, the more you want to use it...
Tatsu rests her hand on the hilt, gripping it tightly.
TATSU
... and the blade never forgets
anything it cuts.
Robin comes to a stop and holds out his arm to signal the others to stop as well. His flashlight shines down on the soot-covered crater left by the bombs when they went off.
ROBIN
Tell us what you see, Jeff.
JEFF
Say please.
ROBIN
Seriously?
JEFF
You made us spend the night on cots in
a cave under the secret mansion you
live in.
BEAT
ROBIN
Please tell us what you see, Jeff.
JEFF
Thank you, Robin, I would be happy to.
Jeff takes the goggles dangling from around his neck and puts them on. Sparks appear briefly where his skin makes contact with the goggles, and the lenses light up blue.
JEFF
Woah. Hey.
Jeff is momentarily taken aback by the flood of sensory information, but he quickly shakes it off and begins scanning the room.
JEFF
How do these goggles work, exactly?
BLACK CANARY
The box said "made of special glass"
and "electricity makes it go." What do
you see?
JEFF
The entire EM spectrum.
SELINA
What's your story, Jeff?
JEFF
Not one I want to share right now.
Jeff begins to focus on the blast site, pacing around the area illuminated by Robin's flashlight.
JEFF
Robin, would you please kill the
light?
Robin turns off the flashlight. Now, the only light source in the room is the faint glow from Jeff's goggles.
CUT TO
Jeff's POV, where we see his vision shifting through the entire EM spectrum, moving like waves across his vision from right to left, back and forth. He crouches down and concentrates, with crackles of energy around his eyes as he focuses his vision on one particular wavelength.
CUT TO
Selina, squinting in the dark to try and follow what Jeff is doing by the dim light offered by his goggles. Suddenly, a light goes on behind Selina as Robin has just turned his flashlight on under his chin while standing behind her.
ROBIN
(whispering)
Can I talk to you for a second?
Selina turns around. She and Robin are now face to face, illuminated by the flashlight between them under their chins.
SELINA
(whispering)
Yes, Bruce?
ROBIN
(whispering)
Your liberal use of my name is the
issue I want to discuss, actually.
SELINA
(whispering)
Shouldn't we include "Jeff" in this
conversation?
ROBIN
(whispering)
He isn't a public figure. When you
decided to reveal my real name to the
others, something you promised you
weren't going to do, he recognized it.
Selina rolls her eyes. She grabs Robin and drags him into a further corner of the basement.
SELINA
Listen, wonder boy, we're in way over
our heads on this job. If we want to
find the the bomber without dying, we
all need to be on the same page, your
"mysterious benefactor" shtick isn't
going to cut it anymore.
ROBIN
You're right.
SELINA
I am?
ROBIN
Yes. And that is why I need to be sure
you won't make a unilateral decision
regarding a member of this team again.
SELINA
(flustered)
I... you... did you just turn this
around on me?
ROBIN
Yes. You broke your word and chose to
take a huge decision out of my hands.
Given that you have secrets of your
own, this calls your reliability into
question.
SELINA
What secrets?
ROBIN
Carmine Falcone was your father,
wasn't he?
Selina is shocked.
SELINA
How...?
ROBIN
I recognized him as soon as you did, I
already knew Earl was there to meet
him. What I didn't do was react the
way you did. I couldn't tell if you
were panicking about Falcone, or if
you'd noticed something I hadn't, but
since we were trying to shake Kate at
the time, I decided not to press you
on it. But I've had time to think
since then, and based on things I
already knew about you, about where
you grew up, about where your mother
worked... it wasn't hard for me to
recognize the look in your eyes, is
all I'm saying.
Selina steps back, hand on her mouth and watery but not quite crying eyes.
ROBIN
Selina, I'm sorry.
SELINA
I just, I need some air...
Selina exits the scene. Robin lets out a quiet groan as Black Canary sidles up to him.
BLACK CANARY
You okay, bud?
ROBIN
I'll be fine. Would you please go and
check on her?
BLACK CANARY
Are you asking me to apologize to a
girl for you?
ROBIN
I'm asking you to go back up your
teammate.
BLACK CANARY
On it.
Black Canary exits the scene. Robin sighs before he walks over to join Jeff and Tatsu with his flashlight held up to his face.
ROBIN
How are-?
TATSU
(startled)
*startled noise*
ROBIN
Sorry.
TATSU
Oh hey. It's okay. Where did the
others go?
ROBIN
They're checking something out on
ground level. How are things coming
here?
JEFF
I've got a lot of information;
chemical residues, how hot the
explosion got, the specific epicenter
of the blast...
Jeff hands a notebook to Robin.
JEFF
I took notes. I still don't know what
all of it means yet.
ROBIN
Once we do
EXT. CATHEDRAL RUINS. GOTHAM. NIGHT.
ROBIN
(V.O.)
- we can find the person who did this.
Black Canary approaches Selina Kyle, sitting on the charred remains of the confessional, resting on some debris at a slight angle. Before her on the ground is a shrine to those lost in the blast, hundreds of candles placed on the ground around a small mountain of flowers and photos of the dead. Black Canary sits down next to Selina, with as much distance between them as the awkward angle will allow. Selina is quiet, sullen, her eyes red and her face flushed from crying.
BEAT
SELINA
I hated him.
BLACK CANARY
Who... ?
Selina shoots Black Canary a look.
BLACK CANARY
Right. Sorry.
BEAT
SELINA
I hated him. I hate him. He left us to
die. I used to daydream about finding
his obituary in the morning paper.
But...
Selina starts to well up a little.
BLACK CANARY
Hey.
Black Canary reaches out and places her hand on Selina's.
BLACK CANARY
Your father died, and you're sad. You
don't need to justify that to anyone.
Selina smiles weakly at Black Canary as she returns the hand hold and there is a mutual comforting hand squeeze.
BEAT
Selina looks down.
SELINA
What's that?
CUT TO
Inside of the confessional, it is dark and cramped. There is dim light from the candles outside, and we can see the rough outline of a humanoid shape in a mangled heap. The door is suddenly torn open by Black Canary, and now fully illuminated, we see that it is a battered about crash-test dummy, dressed in a cheap party store version of Bishop vestments.
BLACK CANARY
What the hell?
Black Canary reaches into the confessional, and pulls out a battered tape recorder. After giving it a split second of consideration, she presses play.
TAPE RECORDER
"-rrection of His Son has reconciled
the world to Himself and sent the Holy
Spirit among us for the forgiveness of
sins; through the ministry of the
Church may God give you pardon and
peace, and..."
Black Canary and Selina share a look of deep concern.
INT. FIRST CITY. ATLANTIS.
Darkness, broken by the light streaming in as an enormous vault door swings open. Mera leads the "diplomatic envoy" into the enormous chamber, with Lori bringing up the rear. A handful of dim lights flicker on, revealing an enormous archive of books, scrolls, tablets, and artifacts that appears to stretch out infinitely into the looming shadows. Of note: Arthur has remained in his Atlantean form.
ZATANNA
Oh my goddess.
MERA
This is the archive.
ZATANNA
(awestruck)
It sure is.
MERA
Our people's entire history,
everything we know about the fore
comers...
ZATANNA
Those would be my people.
MERA
Excuse me?
ZATANNA
Well, I wasn't there, but I'm
descended from the original
Atlanteans.
Lori glides over from the back of the group.
LORI
Could you be a little more specific?
The archaeological record indicates
the rise and fall of three
civilizations before we settled here.
ZATANNA
When I said original, I meant it.
Lori gets excited.
LORI
How much do you know? I have so many
questions!
ARTHUR
And you can ask them later, we need to
get to work.
Arthur walks further into the archive and begins looking around, frustrated, not knowing where to start. Zatanna shares a look with Lori and then approaches Arthur.
ZATANNA
Her questions pertain to that work,
Mr. Curry. It does help to know what
we're looking for.
ARTHUR
Marius wants to open up a portal and
let out a bunch of monsters, how
complicated is that? All we have to do
is look up...
Arthur trails off as he looks around, a little flummoxed.
ZATANNA
"... P for portal?"
ARTHUR
(deadpan)
Shut up.
CUT TO
The party, seated around a table, take in a presentation being given by Zatanna, Lori, and Kendra.
ZATANNA
History lesson.
LORI
145,000 years ago, the First City of Atlantis was established.
ZATANNA
My ancestors.
LORI
The first city is the one we know the
least about. They left behind no signs
of any technology that could explain
the architectural marvels they built.
ZATANNA
They were wizards, they used spells.
LORI
50,000 years ago, the second city was
built around the remnants of the
first. We know a little more about
them; they were very technologically
advanced, and their entire society was
organized into some kind of military
hierarchy.
KENDRA
Those would be MY people. 50,000 years
ago was when the Thanagarian Empire
first started exploring space. A
colony was established on Earth that
lasted for a few thousand years. At
it's height, there were hundreds of
satellite Thanagarian colonies all
over the planet.
CLARK
What happened to them?
KENDRA
No one knows. Interstellar
communication was slow back then. One
day, we stopped getting messages. When
we came to investigate, everyone was
just gone.
LORI
Then, 3,738 years ago, a human
settlement was established that
rapidly grew over the course of six
hundred years, before the original
island sank.
KENDRA
That I have first hand experience
with; Carter and I lived lives in the
Third City during its height. It was a
Mycenaean Greek colony that was
founded by the priesthood of a
Poseidon cult. They were able to
reverse-engineer the Thanagarian
technology, and establish contact with
the ruins of the satellite colonies
around the world. It was, arguably,
the first global superpower.
DIANA
Its sudden destruction was a major
contributing factor toward the Late
Bronze Age Collapse.
LENA
I do have a question about that:
Islands are just mountains that are
mostly under water, how can they sink?
LORI
The original island was relatively
small. As the Third City expanded,
they ran into a problem of finding
available space, which they solved by
building down, carving a network of
tunnels and chambers to house an
entire civilization out of the
bedrock, going down several
kilometers. Effectively hollowed out,
an earthquake and subsequent tsunami
caused the island to collapse in on itself.
LENA
And that's where you guys come in?
LORI
About five hundred years later, give
or take. We found these caverns, and
the ruins of the first three cities.
LENA
And where do you come from?
MERA
The sea.
ARTHUR
J'onn explained this one to me.
Atlanteans are primates that branched
off to become sea mammals about seven
million years ago. We're evolutionary
cousins of humans in the same way that
dolphins are related to wolves.
Somewhere along the way, we managed to
re-evolve gills and migrated into the
deepest parts of the ocean, which is
why contact has been so minimal.
CLARK
Dolphins are related to wolves?
ARTHUR
Yeah. Kind of in the same way
Atlanteans are to humans.
LENA
I am also curious why some of you have
tails and some of you have legs.
ZATANNA
And that is definitely something we
can get to later. My ancestors built a
city here because it's a place of
power, but I don't know many details
beyond that. "Occult" literally means
"hidden knowledge," wizards keep their
secrets well and uncovering their past
is a monumental task.
Zatanna looks around at the archive.
ZATANNA
But then, I've never been here before.
Kendra, please pass out the first
round of books.
Kendra does just that, as the group begins RESEARCH! BEAT
LORI
Also, tails are a recessive gene.
INT. OLD GOTHAM RUINS.
Darkness. Then, the lights in the old opera house, decaying deep underground, come on. A moment later, and the gagged and blindfolded MAYOR HAMILTON HILL is dropped from a hatch in the ceiling onto the floor of one of the ails. A rope then drops down, and The Joker climbs down.
HAMILTON HILL
(pained)
*groans*
The Joker picks up Hill and pulls off his gag and blindfold.
HAMILTON HILL
Where are we?
THE JOKER
If I was going to tell you, why would
I blindfold you?
The Joker pulls Mayor Hill along, dragging him into the ruins of the opera house's backstage area, full of old props and costumes strewn about in varying states of damage and decay. The Joker approaches a large tattered poster for an operatic production of "The Masque of the Red Death." The Joker pulls out a button fob, which he double clicks, eliciting the sound of a car alarm turning off and causing the poster to slide to the side, revealing an antique elevator shaft.
HAMILTON HILL
What the hell is this?
THE JOKER
It's an elevator, Hamilton.
The Joker drags Hill into the elevator. He pulls a switch and it begins to descend.
THE JOKER
(quietly)
You god damned simpleton.
CUT TO
The elevator coming to a stop in a sub basement where dim yellow light illuminates a Frankenstein lab full of alchemical contraptions caked in dust. The Joker leads Hill over to the far wall, Hamilton stumbling awkwardly to keep up with the villain's pace. The Joker walks up to a panel, and once again produces the vial of green liquid, which he fits into a slot in the panel before pulling a switch. The machinery to the side of the panel comes to life; lights flicker on, and the green liquid glows as it drains into the machine. As the lights come on, we see a humanoid figure nestled among all of the machinery; gray skin, dried and withered, pulled tightly over thick muscles wound from steel, with clockwork prosthetic implants modifying the creatures limbs into predatory tools. As the machines whir and green liquid begins to pump through the tubing around it, the TALON opens its eyes, glowing a deep blood red.
THE JOKER
This, Hamilton, is the cause of and
solution to all of your problems.
THE END
Notes:
Outro music: https://youtu.be/tfPRo2fdogo?si=PLUBDI3-fkQQD5of
Hypothetical Cast Update:
Mayor Hamilton Hill: Glenn Howerton
Chapter 30: Challenge of the Super Friends, Season 2, Episode 5, "How I Spent My Summer Vacation, Chapter Five"
Summary:
A night at the opera, a day at the space port.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
EXT. DEEP SPACE.
Space, dark and infinite, suddenly shimmers and warps as THE STARSHIP comes out of hyperspace. As space behind it returns to normal, the ship moves forward and our view swings around to reveal that it is approaching an enormous planet with a multicolored patchwork surface, surrounded by several satellite space stations and a lot of traffic in orbit around it.
INT. STARSHIP. BRIDGE.
The party is packed into the ship's bridge, looking out through the view screen at the planet.
J'ONN
This is Mosaic, a world created by the
Guardians of the Universe over ten
thousand years ago from fragments of
planets destroyed by war, to serve as
a refuge for those with no world to
call home.
BARRY
You will never find a more wretched
hive of scum and villainy.
J'ONN
That is not true.
CAROL
So it's safe?
J'ONN
It has its dangers, but they can be
avoided. More importantly, it has
historically been treated as neutral
territory during times of interstellar
conflict. We will be landing the ship
in an area known as "Hope Springs,"
where the atmosphere is compatible
with humans.
CAROL
And then you'll take me home?
J'ONN
Every major settlement on Mosaic acts
as a hub for travel and commerce, so
we should have little-to-moderate
difficulty in securing the necessary fuel.
HAL
And while we're here, you can take in
some shopping.
CUT TO
The Starship, entering Mosaic's atmosphere.
EXT. HOPE SPRINGS. MOSAIC. DAY.
The Starship lands at a space port outside of the settlement of Hope Springs, a massive town with a hodgepodge of architectural styles.
CUT TO
A closer shot of the party disembarking the landed craft. J'onn is in the lead with the kids behind him. As the kids disembark, they stop to take in the sight before them: a bustling community with wondrous and ancient architecture (as well as several touches that are reminiscent of a small southwestern American town). Walking all about are creatures of every imaginable shape and size, including several classic DC alien races such as Khunds, Tamaranians, Dominators, members of the Spider-Guild, Gordanians, Durlans, Zambians, G'Newtians, Naltorians, Space Dolphins, Star Conquerors with bipedal hosts, and many many more. The kids take a moment to look out at this scene in wonder, especially Hal, Guy, and John.
HAL
(in awe)
So this is another planet.
Unimpressed, Carol walks past him.
CAROL
We already knew that, dummy.
Carol approaches J'onn.
CAROL
So, where's the nearest space gas
station?
J'ONN
It does not work like that. As we have
no currency, we will need to find a
local vendor willing to barter.
CAROL
*sigh* I guess you can use my credit
card if that would help.
J'ONN
It would not.
As the party walks through Hope Springs, they encounter a sight worthy of note: a group of aliens on a street corner, wearing white robes with golden accents. One of the robed figures is standing on a box, seemingly preaching, while his followers listen intensely and passers by either stop to listen or pick up their pace as they walk on. Behind him on the wall appears to be graffiti, the painted image of the symbol of the Green Lantern Corps, with the symbol of the Sinestro Corps drawn over it in golden paint. Beside the graffiti, an alien in a black uniform with gold accents, the symbol of the Sinestro Corps on his chest, and a golden ring on his finger leans back against the wall, observing proceedings. Looking concerned, Hal comes to a stop.
HAL
J'onn, what is that guy over there
saying?
J'onn stops and looks at the street preacher, and his eyes glow a deep red color. On the other side of the street, the preaching alien's unintelligible speech shifts into English as J'onn translates telepathically.
PREACHER
... for he shall bring forth the
deepest terrors of the unworthy! Let
those who stand in the path of
absolute justice be burned to ash by
Thaal Sinestro's golden light!
Members of the crowd, both robed adherents and new passers by, cheer. A chill passes over the party. Hal takes off his ring and slips it in his pocket.
HAL
Let's keep walking.
The party ventures forth into Hope Springs, as a few more passers by join the preacher's crowd.
INT. WAYNE MANOR. MORNING.
The team sits around the table in the dining hall of Wayne Manor. The crash test dummy in the Bishop costume is on the table, along with the tape recorder and Jeff's notes.
BRUCE
As far as I've been able to establish,
no one has seen the Bishop in person
for weeks. Last month, he abruptly
left a message with his secretary
saying he was taking "personal time."
Yesterday was supposed to be his first
day back, but witness statements
indicate that no one actually saw him
arrive at the cathedral that morning,
he was already in the confessional
when everyone else got there. Except
now we know that he wasn't actually
there at all.
DINAH
Do we think he might still be alive?
BRUCE
We have no way of knowing.
SELINA
Why put the fake one there at all?
What's the point?
BRUCE
I imagine The Joker thought it was
funny. The only thing we can
reasonably assume right now is that he
kidnapped the Bishop and used his
access to the cathedral to plant the
explosives. Jeff, do you have a lead
for us on that front?
JEFF
I think so.
Jeff flips through his notebook.
JEFF
The bombs were made out of steel
barrels painted with acrylic
polyurethane. The paint was blasted
off of the barrels by the force of the
explosion, but I found residue on the
walls. Assuming I didn't make a
mistake, it looks like 80% of the
paint was red, while 15% was green and
5% was yellow. Ace Chemicals' logo is
yellow letters on a green backdrop,
and they ship their chemicals in red
steel barrels. They also manufacture
every chemical I identified in the
blast residue, and they're the only
factory in the tri-state area that
manufactures prometheum powder, which
I found trace amounts of at the
cathedral, probably from the bomb's
blasting cap.
BRUCE
Which means we're going to send a
group to Ace Chemicals to break in and
find their shipping orders.
DINAH
What about the Bishop?
BRUCE
The last place he was seen in public
was at the Gotham Metropolitan Opera
last month. Word in the Gotham arts
scene is that Bishop Jacob Kennedy
left last month's production of The
Barber of Seville just before the
intermission, but was never seen
actually leaving the building. The
next morning, the note announcing his
last-minute sabbatical was found in
his office.
SELINA
Security at the opera house is no
joke, they have a lot of valuable art
on display there.
BRUCE
And buying tickets isn't an option,
they're sold out for the next two
months.
DINAH
The Wayne family must have a reserved
box there.
BRUCE
We used to.
TATSU
What happened?
BRUCE
After my parents died, my uncle
threatened to contest Alfred's
guardianship in court; he just wanted
to get his hands on my trust fund, so
I got him off our backs by signing
over all of the non-monetary and non-
real estate assets I was going to
inherit when I turn 18, which made him
happy enough to drop the issue.
DINAH
How old were you?
BRUCE
I don't know, ten?
SELINA
Well my point is, breaking in isn't
going to be easy, it'll take time and
preparation, but it can be done. The
trouble is, we don't know what we're
looking for. I've never broken into a
place to "look for clues." Without a
clearer objective than that, we could
be wandering around in there for
hours, which drastically increases our
chances of getting caught.
BRUCE
Time isn't on our side. It's risky,
but our best course of action might be
to drop a dime to the GCPD. They
follow up with a warrant, and then we
piggyback off of their investigation.
JEFF
Breaking into the opera house is a big
scary risk, so we should stalk some
cops instead?
BRUCE
I said it's a risk, but with the GCPD
we'd at least have the benefit of
knowing what we're looking-
There is the loud sound of the doorbell ringing.
BRUCE
(quietly)
Mother of God.
EXT. WAYNE MANOR. DAY.
Bruce Wayne opens the door, where Kate Kane, his cousin, glomps onto him with a big hug.
BRUCE
(deadpan)
Good morning, Kate.
KATE
(quietly)
How're you doing big guy?
BRUCE
(deadpan)
Oh, you know, fine.
Kate disengages from the hug.
KATE
I've been worried about you since the
cathedral, I know how sensitive you
are.
BRUCE
Okay, well, thanks for stopping by, but-
KATE
Oh, Selina's here.
Kate walks around her cousin to approach Selina, who, much to Bruce's annoyance, followed him to the front door.
BRUCE
She sure is.
Kate gives Selina a big hug.
KATE
How're you holding up?
SELINA
(sincere)
Ups and downs.
Kate disengages from the hug.
KATE
It was the same for me when I lost my
mom.
BRUCE
Wait, how do you know about that?
SELINA
We talked on the phone.
KATE
Yeah, we only just met but Selina and
I have really formed a connection.
And, if I may, I think she's really
good for you Bruce, you better not
blow this one.
SELINA
(sincere)
Awwww.
BRUCE
(deadpan)
Thank you, for that.
SELINA
Hey Kate, Bruce was just mentioning
that your father has a reserved box at
the met opera.
KATE
Oh yeah, the family four-seater.
SELINA
Four? That's perfect! We have a friend
who's in town from Japan, she's never
been to the opera before and we were
just talking about how fun it would be
to go.
KATE
Oh my god that's an amazing idea!
SELINA
Bruce, honey, what do you think?
BRUCE
I... think that sounds great.
KATE
The next show is tonight, though. Is
that too short notice?
SELINA
Our schedule tonight is completely free.
BRUCE
What's the show?
KATE
Pagliacci.
EXT. HOPE SPRINGS. MOSAIC. DAY.
The kids sit outside an alien junk shop, waiting for J'onn. While the rest of the group oohs and ahhs at all of the fantastic alien sights, Carol Ferris sits on a metal crate, looking impatient and annoyed. Hal Jordan glances over at her.
HAL
You alright?
CAROL
I blame you for this.
HAL
That's... probably not completely
fair, but you deserve a break so I'll
give it to you.
CAROL
Gee. Thanks.
HAL
I promise, we'll get you home, Carol.
CAROL
Oh, because your promises are worth so
much, Harold.
It's at this moment that J'onn exits the shop and approaches Hal and Carol.
J'ONN
I have managed to acquire the
necessary fuel.
CAROL
I can go home?
J'ONN
I have arranged to have the fuel
delivered to the ship. We will be
ready to depart in approximately seven
and a half hours.
HAL
(to Carol)
What'd I tell you?
CAROL
This isn't your accomplishment.
J'ONN
Here.
J'onn hands a pouch to Hal.
J'ONN
I was able to haggle the price down
considerably. As a result, we have
four hundred and fifty quarks out of
the deal as well.
CAROL
What're quarks?
J'ONN
The local currency.
CAROL
As in money?
HAL
What do you want us to do with space
money?
J'ONN
This entire region of the planet is
compatible with human needs, it should
be safe to explore as long as you keep
a low profile, and it will be good for
all of you to get to know what you are
swearing to protect.
HAL
(smiling)
C'mon Carol, let's go shopping.
CAROL
(exasperated)
FINALLY!
Carol stands up.
CAROL
We're doing something that makes
sense!
Hal turns to the others.
HAL
Hey guys! Dad gave us arcade money!
The party begins to group up. J'onn takes Alex aside.
J'ONN
I trust you to be responsible, and I
trust Hal to be responsible, but I do
trust you to be responsible more than
I trust Hal to be responsible. Please
keep an eye on everyone.
ALEX
(taken aback)
Really?
J'ONN
(sincere)
Really.
Alex smiles, and nods, and leaves J'onn to go join the rest of the group.
EXT. MARKETPLACE. HOPE SPRINGS. MOSAIC. DAY.
SHOPPING! The party spreads out into the marketplace. Most everyone begins checking out clothing and trinkets, but Barry heads straight for the food, bouncing with excitement as he manages to restrain himself from using powers and runs up to the outdoor diner counter at a fast-but-not-super speed.
BARRY
Space food!
The aesthetic of the food stand is completely in line with a 1950s diner/soda fountain, with a round and friendly looking middle aged human dressed in 1950s fry-cook attire to go with it. He turns and smiles at Barry as the young man spins around on the stool.
AL ROBINSON
(chuckling)
Well hello there young man, what can I
get you?
Barry spins back around to face Al.
BARRY
Space food!
AL ROBINSON
(chuckling)
You're gonna have to be a bit more
specific than that, lil' buddy.
BARRY
Ummm...
Barry looks up at the menu behind Al. All of it is standard for a diner back on earth: burgers, milkshakes, fries, all of it. The menu even specifies that the eggs come from a chicken.
BARRY
Huh. Space food seems an awful lot
like Earth food.
AL ROBINSON
You know about Earth, huh?
BARRY
Ah, you've heard of us.
AL ROBINSON
Oh my goodness, you're from Earth,
aren't you?
BARRY
... yes?
Al smiles and shakes Barry's hand with a big jovial handshake.
AL ROBINSON
(laughing)
I'll be! I've never met somebody from
the mother country before!
BARRY
You're from Earth too?
AL ROBINSON
I'm human, ain't I?
BARRY
Yeah. I guess you are.
AL ROBINSON
Never been myself, of course. I was
born on planet Rann, like most of the
humans out here, but my great-
grandpappy was from Earth; they thawed
him out of one of those old Spider
Guild science experiments, he was from
some place called "Normandy Kingdom,"
said he was something called a "Viking
Raider," back before they snagged him
and put him on ice. Mind if I ask you
some questions, kid?
BARRY
Yes I do mind. But, give me a triple
cheeseburger, extra rare, four hot
dogs well done, a mountain of curly
fries, and a strawberry shake, and
I'll answer any questions you have.
AL ROBINSON
(chuckling)
You've got a deal.
Elsewhere in the market, Hal, Guy, and John are looking around at various trinkets. One of the vendors, seemingly human as well, holds out a fistful of charms and pendants.
MERCHANT
Ah, I can see you boys are travelers.
Can I interest you in any of these
finely crafted scapulars? A little
divine favor never hurts on a journey.
JOHN
No thanks.
MERCHANT
Are you sure? They say Scott Free, god
of liberation, watches over those who
traverse the stars.
JOHN
I'm, like, just a normal Christian, I
guess...
MERCHANT
What's that?
Hal glances over and Lana, Carol, and Alex looking through the wares of a clothing stall.
HAL
I'll be right back.
Hal walks away. The frustrated merchant switches his attention to Guy.
MERCHANT
What about you, sir? That jawline of
yours, the fire in your eyes, I'm
reminded of the legendary High-Son of
New Genesis, Orion!
GUY
You are?
MERCHANT
Can I interest you in a pendant
dedicated to the hero of the gods you
resemble so strongly?
Guy is flattered by this, while John is annoyed. Over at the clothing stand, Hal approaches the other half of the group. He steps up behind Lana, who is looking at a large and beautiful alien dress of some kind.
HAL
You have good taste, miss Lang.
LANA
Thank you.
HAL
That looks like it's at least a size
too large for you.
LANA
It's not for me.
HAL
A gift? For who? An "amazon?"
Lana slaps Hal across the shoulder in a mostly playful manner.
LANA
You be quiet.
Hal puts his hands up and steps away, chuckling to himself. With a half amused/half annoyed look on her face, Lana turns back to the task of gift getting. Carol glances over at the interaction.
CAROL
Ah, there's that Hal Jordan charm.
HAL
Hello, Carol.
CAROL
I want to thank you for that display,
it's helpful to be reminded of how how
cute and charming your routine isn't.
HAL
You're engaging in retail therapy
right now, we're both creatures of
habit.
CAROL
Well excuse me for trying to squeeze
some enjoyment out of this B-movie
freak show, Harold.
HAL
Hey now, that's not fair, some of my
very good friends happen to be freaks.
CAROL
Are you really asking me to be the
bigger person right now?
HAL
I... no. No, I'm not. I have a few
things that I owe you explanations
for, Carol. And many, many more things that I
need to apologize for. I was wondering
if that's something you'd like to talk
about.
Carol looks up at Hal.
CAROL
*sigh* later. I am shopping now.
Talking can happen on the trip back.
HAL
I'll stay out of your way, then.
Hal begins to disengage from the group. He briefly points at Alex and makes eye contact.
HAL
We're all good, right?
ALEX
As far as I'm aware.
HAL
Cool.
Hal walks off, and begins exploring the alien marketplace on his own. He begins perusing the various market stalls, with various cool alien trinkets being sold by cool alien people. Hal rounds a corner and begins walking down one of the side streets, only to bump into a figure clad in black and green metal armor.
HAL
Sorry, man.
CONDUIT
Watch it, meatbag.
HAL
Hey, I said I was-
The two young men from Earth do a double take as they recognize each other; Hal Jordan has come face with Pete Ross, aka CONDUIT, erstwhile (meaning former) buddy (meaning friend) of Clark Kent and Lana Lang, and current acolyte of the evil AI known as BRAINIAC!
HAL
Well dang.
Hal spins around and grabs a display of knickknacks and throws them in Conduit's face before the teen cyborg can lunge at him. Hal begins running from Conduit down the street, dodging out of the way just in time as Conduit attacks him with his metal tendrils, smashing the merchant stand behind the spot where Hal just was. Hal reaches into his pocket to grab his ring, but Conduit teleports in front of him, snagging Hal in his metal tendrils and immediately running an electrical current through Hal's body, causing the boy to writhe in agony.
HAL
(in agony)
*screaming*
The electrical assault ends and Hal goes limp, dropping to the ground, the ring falling out of his hand in the process. Before the ring can hit the ground, it glows and begins floating mid-air before darting away down the street, making a sharp turn to fly directly toward Guy Gardner and float in front of his face, glowing. Off to the side, John looks at the ring and then down the street, concerned.
JOHN
Uh-oh.
Guy Gardner smiles and snatches the ring out of the air.
CUT TO
Conduit stands over Hal Jordan.
CONDUIT
Hey.
Conduit gently kicks Hal.
CONDUIT
You're alive, right? I wasn't supposed
to kill you yet, so-
*POW* Lana Lang flies in, decking Conduit with a super powered punch and sending the young villain flying, immediately darting away in pursuit of the cybernetic fiend. Guy is the next to enter the scene, skidding to a halt mid- air as his body is enveloped by a crackling green aura.
GUY
Wait up!
Guy darts after the fight, leaving Hal alone only for a moment before Barry darts into the scene.
BARRY
I'm here, what's happening?
Barry is then joined by Alex, John, and Carol. Alex and Carol immediately go to Hal's side.
CAROL
Hal!
Alex pulls the star rod and cosmic converter belt out of his bag and tosses them to John.
ALEX
Here.
JOHN
What?
ALEX
The belt generates a personal force-
field that enhances movement, the
staff works like the green power ring
but with less precision, the grip
controls power output and everything
else. I'll look after Hal, you go be
heroes.
John nods and smiles and puts on the belt. Barry darts over to him and grabs his arm.
BARRY
Sorry, we need to catch up.
The two dash away at super speed. Alex pulls out a first aide kit.
CAROL
Is he going to be okay?
ALEX
He is if I have anything to say about
it.
Dazed and confused, the half-conscious Hal Jordan looks up at Alex and Carol.
HAL
(dazed/confused)
Truly, I am blessed, for when I fall
the lord sends angels to catch me.
CAROL
(rolling her eyes)
Oh god...
MEANWHILE
Conduit flies down the street like a rocket, righting himself mid-air and landing on his feet, using his tendrils for leverage and tearing up the street in the process. Bystanders flee in terror as Conduit comes to a stop, just in time for Lana to catch up and hit him with a titanic uppercut, launching him into the air. She then shoots up to give chase. When she catches up with Conduit, she finds him floating in the air like a fixed point in space, his feet planted on a just barely visible disk of translucent energy beneath him.
LANA
Upgrade?
CONDUIT
Always.
LANA
Brainiac takes good care of his tools.
Guy Gardner and John Stewart fly up beside Lana, who smirks at Conduit with confidence. On the ground beneath them, Barry darts around the area, searching for a way to get up in the air, before coming to a stop, head craned up toward the sky.
BARRY
Dang it.
Back in the air, Lana's confident expression is washed away by a sudden powerful gust of wind accompanied by a loud *BOOM* sound, which knocks all three young heroes off balance for a moment. When they look back up, they see that Conduit is no longer alone, that he has been joined by TWO Bizarro clones. Lana's confidence wavers slightly at the sight. Down below, Barry looks up, concerned.
BARRY
Crap.
Barry darts away at super speed.
EXT. THE STARSHIP. NEW HOPE. MOSAIC. DAY.
J'onn stands by the ship, talking to an alien worker as the two of them oversee the installation of the extra fuel. In the background, we can see another worker counting the haul of jewels and precious metals that J'onn is offering up in trade. Suddenly, everyone stops in their tracks as Barry darts into frame, breathing hard.
J'ONN
Barry?
BARRY
(out of breath)
J'onn, there's...
Suddenly, a high pitched whirring sound is heard as the literal green lantern Hal uses to charge the ring comes flying out of the ship, shooting through the air over everyone's heads at incredible speed.
BARRY
(confused)
... trouble.
The lantern rockets through the air over the heads of the citizens below, flying up over the rooftops and coming to a stop when it is caught by the handle by a man wearing a cloak, his face obscured by a hood. He looks at the lantern, and then looks up at the confrontation in the sky above.
ALAN SCOTT
(tired)
*sigh*
The man holds his fist up to the lantern. Both the lantern, and the green ring on the man's finger, begin to glow.
ALAN SCOTT
(with conviction)
And I shall shed my light over dark
evil, for the dark things cannot stand
the light of THE GREEN LANTERN!
As the man says these words, the glow of the lantern and the ring grows larger and larger, engulfing his body. His cloak falls away and is replaced, as an armor seemingly grafted from emerald and jade materializes on his body, followed by a long flowing cape and green domino mask. Alan Scott, THE GREEN LANTERN, flies up to join the fight!
EXT. GOTHAM METROPOLITAN OPERA. NIGHT.
The outside of the Met-Opera is packed with cars.
INT. GOTHAM METROPOLITAN OPERA.
Bruce sits in between Selina and his cousin Kate in the reserved box seats, glaring at the singing clown on the stage with an aggressive ambivalence. Selina is glancing at Bruce's sour expression, amused, while Kate is chatting up Tatsu. Selina checks her watch, and then nudges Bruce. The two make eye contact. Selina gets up and leans over to Kate.
SELINA
(whispering)
Bruce and I are stepping out for some
alone time. We'll be back... in a bit.
Kate responds with a knowing wink and an "OK" hand-sign. Selina scooches to the exit, and Bruce gets up to follow, avoiding eye contact with his cousin at all costs.
INT. GOTHAM METROPOLITAN OPERA. ENTRY HALL.
Bruce and Selina hurry downstairs. They move past the charity collection booth for the families of the cathedral bombing, and make their way to one of the entrances to the backstage area. There, a security guard is slumped over at his post, asleep. The coffee he had been drinking lays on the floor, its contents spilled. Selina leans down in front of the door and begins to pick the lock.
BRUCE
He's going to be okay, right?
SELINA
He'll wake up with a bad headache, but
he won't die.
The lock clicks open.
BRUCE
Good.
The dynamic duo enter the backstage area of the opera house. The double doors lead to a dark and winding passageway, with what appear to be many branching paths a little ways up ahead.
SELINA
So, we're looking for clues. Where do
we find those?
BRUCE
A good place to start is anywhere
someone might pick to hide something.
The two proceed into the labyrinthine backstage of the old opera house. Wood creaks as they walk, and the distant sounds of the stage can be heard. As they advance, they pass a room labeled with a sign that says "camera room." Inside, another guard is passed out with another spilled cup of coffee, illuminated only by the monitor screens. Bruce and Selina both look at the camera room, and then each other.
BRUCE
How many cups did you spike?
SELINA
None, I dosed the coffee grounds.
BRUCE
Good work. Try checking the tapes for
anything involving the bishop, I'll be
right back.
Selina nods and the two split off. Bruce approaches the point in the hallway that branches in multiple directions, with hallways and staircases crisscrossing in the maze of the guts of the opera house. Bruce glances around, and notices one small door with a small sign above it reading "Underground Access" and a much larger sign on the door reading "RESERVED FOR TOUR GROUPS KEEP OUT." Bruce forces the door open with very little effort, opening it to find a rickety wooden staircase leading to a slab of granite foundation, attached to an old iron ladder leading down into darkness.
INT. CAMERA ROOM.
Selina searches through the archived tapes, finding the one with the appropriate date and timestamp. She sits down in the chair beside the unconscious security guard and inserts the tape. She begins scrolling through it, until she finds what appears to be Bishop Jacob Kennedy, dressed in a tuxedo, stumbling out of the performance hall and into the entry hall. He appears to be distressed.
INT. OLD GOTHAM UNDERGROUND.
Bruce climbs down the ladder, reaching a point about 40-50 feet above the nearest level surface where the ladder seems to have snapped in two. Bruce pulls out his grappling gun, fires it into the wall to anchor it, and then repels down the rest of the way, detaching the line and landing with a thud in the dusty darkness. Bruce dusts himself off, coughing slightly as he begins to look around. He steps out on old steel scaffolding, overlooking the prop storage area of the old opera house from before the earthquake, full of old props, broken and forgotten.
BRUCE
If this isn't related, I'm gonna feel
real stupid.
INT. CAMERA ROOM.
Selina watches the video of the bishop, looking around with a frightened look on his face as he heads for the exit. Just as he nears the doors, something catches his attention, a sound perhaps, and he stops and looks to his left as he sees the doors to the backstage area, the ones Bruce and Selina just came through, swing open of their own accord. Then, a blur of movement, and the bishop is gone. This startles Selina. She rolls the tape back and plays it again, frame by frame. She sees a dark, vaguely humanoid shape lurking at the bottom right corner of the frame, one she had completely failed to notice up until now, lunge at the bishop so fast that it only appears in the video as a blur. The shape connects with the bishop violently, before both of them move through the open doors, once again too fast to be seen as anything besides a blur.
INT. OLD GOTHAM UNDERGROUND.
Bruce walks along the scaffolding. He takes his grappling hook and attaches it to the railing, and repels down to the area below, taking out a flashlight to begin to look around. Above and behind him, a pair of glowing red eyes watch him from the place where he entered this underground ruin.
THE END
Notes:
Outro music: https://youtu.be/mONTSRzdRZw?si=SAedXu86AuHrnd3W
Hypothetical Cast Update:
Alan Scott - Tom Hanks
Chapter 31: Challenge of the Super Friends, Season 2, Episode 6, "How I Spent My Summer Vacation, Chapter Six"
Summary:
In Gotham and in Space, the members of the JLA always find themselves in one kind of trouble after the next.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
EXT. SKY ABOVE HOPE SPRINGS. MOSAIC. DAY.
Lana Lang, Guy Gardner, and John Stewart face off against Conduit, who's backed up by Bizarro #2 and Bizarro #3.
CONDUIT
Lana, you have to introduce me to the
new guys.
Lana holds out a hand to stop Guy before he can even begin to move.
CONDUIT
Did you even warn them about the kind
of monsters there are out here?
Conduit moves back as the two Bizarros begin to advance. THEN, a powerful gust of wind knocks all parties off balance for a moment. Alan Scott, THE GREEN LANTERN, has entered the scene. In his hands he holds a sword made of dazzling green light, which has skewered Bizarro #2! Lana darts around them and targets Conduit. They trade rapid fire blows in the air, but Conduit quickly takes the upper hand by maneuvering around Lana with several teleports in quick succession, knocking her off balance with a series of quick strikes before delivering a pro-wrestling style spear, sending both of them crashing down through the roof of one of the buildings below.
INT. ALIEN BUILDING.
A cloud of dust surrounds the spot where Conduit and Lana crashed through the roof. Alien bystanders scatter in fear as Conduit stands over his former best friend, pinning her to the ground with his metal tendrils. Lana grows an additional set of legs to push herself up, and Conduit responds by channeling massive amounts of electricity into her body. Lana glares up at Conduit with a look of defiance as she pushes forward with all her might. Suddenly, Conduit teleports into the air behind Lana, causing her to lunge forward from the sudden lack of resistance, just as John Stewart and Guy Gardner rush into the scene. Conduit grabs the two force field-clad heroes with his metal tendrils as he falls to the ground, slamming them both into the floor in the process. Lana assumes a fighting stance in front of Conduit as he glares at her, the room still shaking from the impact.
EXT. SKY ABOVE HOPE SPRINGS. MOSAIC. DAY.
Bizarro #2 stares at the Green Lantern with a blank expression as it grabs the blade with both hands. Its hands and eyes crackle with blue energy before it lets loose with a blast of laser vision. Alan Scott puts up a force field just in time to block the blast, but is sent flying backwards. The sword sticking through #2 de-materializes, and its wound crackles with energy as it rapidly heals. The two Bizarros fly after Alan Scott, who comes to a stop mid air as he conjures a sword and shield. The drones hone in for the kill, but #3 is suddenly and violently knocked off course when The Martian Manhunter enters the fight. #2 stops to look at this for just a moment, allowing Alan Scott to come in with a titanic swing of his sword, which #2 blocks with its forearm, creating a massive shock wave in the skies above Mosaic.
INT. ALIEN BUILDING.
Conduit retracts his tendrils as he stands up, leaving a battered John Stewart and Guy Gardner at his feet. He and Lana stare each other down. Barry darts into the scene, quickly grabbing Guy and John and pulling them back behind Lana.
BARRY
Lana, you alright?
LANA
I'm alright.
BARRY
You want help with this guy?
LANA
We've got it. Go check on Hal and the
others.
BARRY
I'm a communicator away if you need
anything.
(to Conduit)
Just so you know, I replaced you in
the karaoke act.
Barry dashes away as John and Guy get to their feet.
EXT. MARKETPLACE. HOPE SPRINGS. MOSAIC. DAY.
Hal lays in the dirt while Alex and Carol kneel by his side. Alex is checking Hal's vitals.
ALEX
There aren't any immediate signs of
cardiac damage.
CAROL
How would you know?
ALEX
I have this whole... genius thing, I
guess.
HAL
(dazed)
It's true, he's very very smart.
"ALEX/CAROL"
(unison)
Be quiet!
Hal pipes down and the other two get back to worrying.
BEAT
Alex and Carol make eye contact as the sound of footsteps gets their attention.
VOICE
(O.S.)
Don't get up.
Alex and Carol look to see a humanoid alien with blue skin and scarlet hair, wearing a black uniform with gold accents and sporting a yellow power ring. He is MIKAAL TOMAS OF THE YELLOW LANTERN CORPS.
MIKAAL TOMAS
It would be pointless to struggle.
It's at this moment that Barry Allen, THE FLASH, dashes into the scene in full costume, kicking up an enormous amount of dust and startling Mikaal Tomas. The Flash turns back to his friends.
THE FLASH
Please tell me he just said something
ironic.
CAROL
What're you wearing?
THE FLASH
It's my superhero costume.
CAROL
You're a superhero?
THE FLASH
Did we- did we not mention that part?
The Flash is suddenly ensnared in a golden aura.
THE FLASH
'Scuse me just a second.
The energy field holds The Flash still, preventing his movement as he floats up into the air and toward Mikaal Tomas.
THE FLASH
Hey there.
MIKAAL TOMAS
What... are you?
THE FLASH
I know how your ring works, you know.
I know all about it. You need to
concentrate to make it work, yeah?
MIKAAL TOMAS
What of-?
The Flash begins to vibrate rapidly.
THE FLASH
(vibrating)
I apologize in advance for the
headache.
The intensity of the vibration rapidly intensifies very quickly. Tomas redoubles his focus, but is quickly overwhelmed: there is a "flash" of golden light, and THE Flash lands on the ground in a cool three-point hero stance, free! Mikaal Tomas, who had reeled back from the blinding light, looks down at the scarlet speedster and glares. The Flash looks up at the rogue and smiles.
EXT. SKY ABOVE HOPE SPRINGS. MOSAIC. DAY.
J'onn J'onzz and #3 trade titanic blows in the sky above Hope Springs. J'onn's eyes glow a deep red color, but the disks on #3's forehead glow and J'onn recoils in pain from the psychic feedback.
J'ONN
(pained)
*aaaahhh!*
J'onn tries to grab at #3's head with a series of lightning fast movements, which #3 quickly dodges, J'onn's fingertips only barely phasing through #3's shoulders as it bobs and weaves. #3's eyes begin to light up with blue energy, and J'onn dodges out of the way of a blast of laser vision, stretching his arm around to grab #3's face as he does and phasing his fingers in to grasp the circuitry inside. The metal dots light up and make a crackling noise, and J'onn grimaces with pain.
J'ONN
(grimaced)
*pain*
J'onn retracts his arm as he flies forward with great force, pushing #3 into a nearby rocky outcropping with a titanic crash. J'onn then goes intangible and flies forward, phasing THROUGH #3 and INTO the rocks just as #3 pulls itself up out of the rocks and into the air. J'onn then SHOOTS out like a rocket, tackling #3 and sending the both of them flying back toward Alan Scott's battle. Scott is slashing fiercely at #2 with his energy sword, shock-waves echoing with each strike as #2 blocks. #2 starts charging up its own eye lasers, but is suddenly knocked away when #3 slams into it with incredible force. #3 hangs in the air for a moment, dazed, giving Alan Scott and J'onn J'onzz an opening; with J'onn's left fist doubling its size and mass and Alan Scott's right fist crackling with emerald energy, the two of them punch #3 in the face simultaneously, sending it rocketing through the air. J'onn turns to Alan Scott.
J'ONN
Hello, I am J'onn J'onzz.
ALAN SCOTT
We met once, I remember. Thanks for
that.
The conversation is cut short when both Bizarros return, each clashing with one of the heroes and generating a wave of force in the process. Both heroes are pushed back by the attack.
J'ONN
This is tiresome.
ALAN SCOTT
Agreed.
J'onn's eyes glow a deep red.
J'ONN
(echoing)
I have a plan.
Alan Scott's eyes glow a bright green, and he smiles.
ALAN SCOTT
Groovy.
The two heroes disengage and create considerable distance between themselves and the Bizarros. As they hover side by side, their eyes continue to glow as their faces go blank with concentration. The Bizarros advance, but whisper-thin sheets of glowing green energy begin to materializes and wrap themselves around them. The rate at which these sheets materialize and wrap around the clones begins to accelerate as soon as they first appear, and very quickly the Bizarros find themselves struggling against an infinite number of layers of infinitely thin force-fields, creating a constricting force that would confound even the Man of Steel!
J'ONN
(echoing)
Stay focused!
J'onn's arms stretch forward toward the two clones. His hands phase into their foreheads, and he grasps at the circuitry inside. The metal disks light up and make a crackling noise as both Alan and J'onn grimace with pain. The Bizarros begin to find some give in their bindings. Energy spews forth from the heads of the two clones as J'onn pulls with all of his might, and YANKS the metal disks and some of the interior circuitry out of their heads. The glowing in J'onn's eyes intensifies.
J'ONN
(echoing)
SLEEP!
The two clones go limp and drop out of the sky like rocks. J'onn turns to Alan.
J'ONN
Follow me.
INT. ALIEN BUILDING.
A frantic battle is taking place as Guy Gardner, wielding Hal Jordan's ring, John Stewart, wielding the Star Rod and Cosmic Converter Belt, and Lana Lang, wielding bug powers, dart around the room as they attempt to pin down Conduit, who teleports around at lightning speeds. Conduit stymies the heroes, making rapid fire sneak attacks and forcing his opponents to dodge or block, keeping them off balance and one step behind him. In a blur of motion, J'onn and Alan enter the scene, making a b-line for Conduit. The scene goes into slow motion just as J'onn is about to strike Conduit, and the cyborg teleports behind him, the scene returning to normal speed as Conduit twist around in the air to grab the Martian with his metal tendrils. Conduit sends a powerful current through the Martian Manhunter's body.
J'ONN
*just the worst sound*
Lana lunges at Conduit with a Hercules Beetle + Pistol Shrimp haymaker, creating a shock-wave that knocks everyone else back and sends Conduit CRASHING into the stone floor. Lana lunges to strike again, but Conduit teleports behind her, grabs her, and violently electrocutes her as he punches her INTO the stone floor, making the crater left by his initial impact DOUBLE in size. In a flash of green light, Alan Scott launches at Conduit, knocking him off of Lana and pinning him to the wall. Alan Scott stands in front of him, holding the hilt of the energy sword that has run Conduit through and literally nailed him to the wall.
CONDUIT
(pained)
*cough**gag* oh wow...
ALAN SCOTT
That's enough, son.
CONDUIT
(pained)
Real glad I don't have any organs.
(quiet)
Ow.
John and Guy help Lana and J'onn to their feet.
ALAN SCOTT
Those things up there fought like
Daxamites.
J'ONN
Close. Kryptonians.
ALAN SCOTT
I thought they were extinct.
CONDUIT
(quietly)
Oh don't I wish.
Conduit grasps Scott's arm with his tendrils and pulls himself FORWARD on the blade, getting close enough to violently head-butt Alan Scott in the face. Scott stumbles back, and the sword dematerializes as he loses focus. Conduit drops to his feat.
CONDUIT
*heavy breathing*
Lana catches Alan Scott and helps him stay on his feet.
LANA
What's the matter, Pete? Getting
tired?
CONDUIT
(out of breath)
Not even close.
Conduit cups his hands together.
CONDUIT
It's like you said.
A tiny ball of green energy appears between Conduit's hands, slowly growing larger.
CONDUIT
Upgrades.
The energy ball rapidly expands as Conduit throws it forward. Alan, Guy, and John all put up force fields while Lana and J'onn duck for cover, as the ball of energy explodes.
EXT. MARKETPLACE. HOPE SPRINGS. MOSAIC. DAY.
Mikaal Tomas braces himself with a defensive aura as The Flash zig-zags the battlefield, pummeling the villain with rapid fire strikes from every angle. As Tomas defends against the super speed volley of blows, he concentrates the energy of his ring downward into the ground, generating a thorny terrain to trip up the speedster. The Flash trips as he dodges to avoid the spikes. His left arm is pierced by one as tumbles over.
THE FLASH
(pained)
*pain*
The Flash tumbles to a halt on the dusty ground, cutting his leg on another spike in the process.
THE FLASH
(heavy breathing)
Ah! Oh man!
Mikaal Tomas conjures a cloud of daggers that fly at the scarlet speedster, who darts out of the way just BARELY in time. He runs a considerable distance before changing course and launching himself at Tomas at top speed. Unfortunately, he is knocked off course when an enormous object comes falling out of the sky; standing at eight feet tall exactly, weighting 1,125 pounds, and fortified by a glowing aura of golden energy, MONGUL crashes into the ground like a comet, generating a shock-wave that knocks Tomas off balance. The Flash is launched into the air by the force of Mongul's landing, making him an easy target for Mongul to snatch out of the air. The fingers of his enormous hands wrap entirely around the teen's body, pinning his arms to his chest. Mikaal Tomas picks himself up.
MONGUL
I grew tired of waiting, Tomas.
MIKAAL TOMAS
I had everything under control,
Mongul!
MONGUL
(sarcastic)
I don't doubt that. Did you do your
cloud of daggers?
MIKAAL TOMAS
I was wearing him down, and you're
supposed to be guarding the ship.
MONGUL
I chose to rest in the ship, I do not
stand guard, and I have no patience
for games, Tomas.
Barry, struggling for breath, begins to vibrate rapidly, trying to loosen Mongul's grip. Mongul looks at the boy in his hand curiously, and then smiles.
MONGUL
You're quite a funny little thing,
aren't you?
Mongul tightens his grip on Barry. As he does so, his ring glows, and the intensity of the aura around him increases. Mongul's smile widens, but his eyes show pure malice.
MONGUL
That tickles.
Mongul bashes Barry into the ground with incredible force, creating a powerful shock-wave and kicking up a huge cloud of dust. Mongul proceeds to press Barry into the ground, causing him to burrow further down like a drill. Two of them to start to sink.
MONGUL
Sinestro's affection for pageantry and
spectacle is beyond my understanding.
Mongul flies up into the air. Bruised and battered, Barry continues to vibrate rapidly, trying to shake Mongul's grip and get free. Mongul looks down at Barry again with the same hate filled smile, and Barry spits blood in his face with the force of a bullet, which bounces off his fave, leaving only a shallow mark.
MONGUL
Delightful!
Mongul flies down, creating another crater impact and burrowing down into the ground. By the market stalls, Alex and Carol drag Hal behind an abandoned market stand to take cover. Deep in the ground, Mongul holds the ever-defiant Flash down against an enormous stone, boring into it as his vibrating struggle continues.
MONGUL
As I was saying, I have no interest in
"shattering the limits of the mind."
Mongul stands up straight and holds Barry into the air. The glow around his hand intensifies further as his grip tightens.
MONGUL
To me, the ring is a means of
multiplying the strength I have used
to conquer worlds.
Barry grits his teeth as he struggles against Mongul for just a moment longer, but his vibration begins to slow and sputter before he goes limp and passes out. Mongul lets up his grip and floats back to ground level. Mongul lands next to Mikaal and tosses the unconscious Barry at his feet.
BARRY
(unconscious)
*gasp**wheeze*
MIKAAL TOMAS
Was that necessary?
MONGUL
Everything I do is necessary.
Mikaal holds out his ring. A golden light shines out and scans Barry, and a yellow holographic display appears in the air, listing the biographical information of Bartholomew Henry Allen, A.K.A. "The Flash!"
MIKAAL TOMAS
He's a human, from Earth. It says his
body is infused with zero-point
energy.
MONGUL
Explains the speed.
MIKAAL TOMAS
He's listed as interrogation priority.
MONGUL
He's breathing, so he's probably
alive. I think that's how humans work.
MIKAAL TOMAS
I think you're right.
Nearby, Alex and Carol crouch behind a stand. Hal is laying at their feet, still recovering.
CAROL
(quiet and annoyed)
What are we going to do?
ALEX
(quiet and trying to think)
I think we can make a run for it.
HAL
(quiet and in pain)
I don't feel included in that.
CAROL
(whispering)
Maybe they haven't-
Wood splinters as the market stand is smashed by Mongul's giant glowing hand.
MIKAAL TOMAS
(O.S.)
Don't hurt them, Mongul.
Mikaal approaches. In front of him are holographic displays for the biographical information regarding Harold Jordan, Caroline Ferris, and Alexander Luthor. All of them are interrogation priority.
CAROL
(incredulous)
Why me?
Mongul grabs Carol, pinning her mouth shut with his thumb, and lifts her into the air.
CAROL
(muffled)
*mph!*
MONGUL
I have heard so many people say that.
EXT. GOTHAM METROPOLITAN OPERA HOUSE. NIGHT.
Establishing shot.
INT. PERFORMANCE HALL. GOTHAM METROPOLITAN OPERA HOUSE.
The performance of Pagliacci continues. Kate and Tatsu sit side by side in the Kane family's box seats.
KATE
(whispering)
Tatsu?
TATSU
(whispering)
Hm?
KATE
(whispering)
How are you enjoying the opera?
TATSU
(whispering)
It's very interesting. I don't
understand any of the words, do you?
KATE
(whispering)
Not at all, I'm completely lost.
Kate smiles, which Tatsu returns. Kate then looks around for a moment.
KATE
(whispering)
They've been gone for a while, haven't
they?
TATSU
(whispering)
Oh. Um...
Tatsu glances down at a flashcard concealed in her hand which reads "If Kate asks questions: I DON'T KNOW, BUT I THINK THEY'LL BE GONE FOR A WHILE." Tatsu glances back up at Kate.
TATSU
(whispering)
I don't know, but I think they'll be
gone for a while.
KATE
(whispering)
So... they're not coming back time any
soon?
TATSU
(whispering)
... yes.
KATE
(whispering)
Do they do this a lot?
TATSU
(whispering)
... yes.
KATE
(whispering)
... dang, Bruce.
INT. ABANDONED OPERA HOUSE. GOTHAM UNDERGROUND.
Bruce stands in the ruins of the old Opera House's backstage area. High up behind him on the landing Bruce had climbed down onto to reach this place, THE TALON stands and watches Bruce with its glowing red eyes. With a single step, the Talon leaps down and lands with an enormous thud almost directly behind Bruce. Bruce, startled, stumbles but catches himself as he turns to look at the Talon. The Talon stops, and looks Bruce up and down.
BEAT
TALON
What is the password?
BRUCE
... password?
BEAT
TALON
What is the password?
BRUCE
Okay, shot in the dark here,
"swordfish?"
BEAT
TALON
Your non-compliance has been logged in
the court record.
The Talon LUNGES at Bruce! Bruce falls back and uses his grappling hook to get away up into the rafters! As Bruce quickly ascends, the Talon leaps at the wall, bounces off of it, and leaps up to Bruce, slashing the line with its claws and grabbing Bruce, pulling him down. The Talon lands on its feet, clutching Bruce in its hands. Bruce begins punching at its face to try and get free, but Talon completely no-sells Bruce's blows.
SELINA
(O.S.)
GO LIMP, WONDER BOY!
Bruce does as he's told. The Talon turns just in time for Selina to run up at stab it in the left eye with her knife. As the Talon staggers back, Selina grabs Bruce and pulls him out of harm's way. The Talon comes to a stop and reaches up to pull the knife out of its eye. It drops the knife to the ground as it stands up straight to glare at Selina and Bruce, thick brown blood oozing out of its eye.
BRUCE
Now might be a good time to-
SELINA
Yeah.
Selina pulls out her whip. Bruce pulls out his bo-staff. Selina clicks a button on her communicator.
INT. PERFORMANCE HALL. GOTHAM METROPOLITAN OPERA HOUSE.
A quiet buzzing sound emanates from the bag at Tatsu's feet.
TATSU
(whispering)
Excuse me.
Tatsu bends down and reaches into her bag to take out her pager, which is vibrating and flashing the word "EMERGENCY!" Tatsu sits back up and turns to Kate.
TATSU
(whispering)
I have to go now.
Tatsu stands up. She picks up her bag and exits.
BEAT
Kate stands up and starts to follow.
KATE
(whispering)
What the f-?!
INT. ABANDONED OPERA HOUSE. GOTHAM UNDERGROUND.
Selina and Bruce are fiercely locked in battle with the Talon. Selina quickly dodges several slashes from its claws, and Bruce counters with a series of quick strikes with his bo staff, all of which seem to do little more than nudge the Talon. It grabs Bruce's staff in it's hands and shoves him away with its foot. Selina attacks with her whip, snaring the Talon by the neck. Selina tries to pull the Talon off its feet, winding her whip around her arms for leverage, but the Talon grabs the whip and flings Selina through the air INTO Bruce, knocking both to the ground. The Talon walks forward, the whip falling to the ground as it uncoils. Talon approaches, preparing to strike Selina with its claws, when TATSU rockets into the scene, attacking with a swipe of her katana. The Talon is knocked back by the force of the attack, and Tatsu stands in a cool hero stance, sword in hand, her body faintly glowing with a spiritual aura.
KATE
(O.S.)
Ah!
Bruce and Selina look up to see Kate dangling from the broken ladder. Bruce turns to Tatsu.
BRUCE
She followed you?!
TATSU
... that appears to be the case, yes.
The Talon rushes at Tatsu and slashes wildly with its claws, forcing Tatsu to go on the defensive. Bruce turns to Selina.
BRUCE
Let me borrow your grapple, you back
up Tatsu.
Selina hands her grapple to Bruce and rushes into the fight, scooping her whip and knife up off the ground on the way. She uses the whip to snag one of Talon's arms, giving Tatsu the opening to go on the offensive, delivering a powerful slash. Bruce holds up the grapple, and takes aim. The grapple shoots out and embeds itself in the wall right beside where Kate is hanging.
KATE
Ah!
Bruce retracts the line and SHOOTS up into the air, coming to a rest beside his cousin.
BRUCE
Hey Kate.
KATE
Bruce, what the hell is going on?
BRUCE
Can we talk down there?
KATE
... yeah okay.
Bruce hooks his arm around Kate and kicks off the wall, repelling down to the landing below. They hit the ground with a thud, and Kate immediately gets up and runs to the rusty catwalk overlooking the fight. Tatsu slashes at the Talon with wild precision, battering it back but failing to cut deeply. Tatsu takes a step back, closes her eyes, takes a deep breath, and tightens her grip on her sword. She attacks the Talon, but its reflexes are too great, and it sidesteps the attack with a superhuman dodge, causing Tatsu to stumble forward. The Talon turns to deliver a killing blow with its claws, but its wrist is snagged by Selina's whip. The Talon turns to look at Selina as it casually cuts the whip with its claws.
SELINA
(quietly)
Should've seen that coming.
Up on the catwalk, Bruce approaches Kate. Without turning to look at him, Kate addresses her cousin.
KATE
Bruce, what the HELL is going on?!
Down below, the Talon hears this and looks up. It stops as it takes a moment to look directly at Kate.
KATE
Is he looking at me?
The Talon drops a smoke bomb and leaps up to the catwalk in a single fluid motion, landing next to Kate with a loud thud that causes the catwalk to shudder, smoke trailing behind it.
KATE
Ah!
Down below, Tatsu stumbles out of the thick smoke cloud, coughing. She looks up and sees the Talon approaching Kate on the catwalk.
TALON
What is the password?
KATE
I don't... there's a password?
BRUCE
What?
Down below, Tatsu closes her eyes, breaths in deep, and steadies her sword stance. As she breathes and concentrates, the world around her falls away, giving way to darkness, and the faint glowing aura around her body intensifies. Back up on the catwalk, Bruce gets between his cousin and the Talon.
BRUCE
Why are you doing this again?
TALON
What is the password?
KATE
No one told me anything about any
passwords!
BRUCE
Why now?!
Down below, the darkness around Tatsu is illuminated by the glowing auras of the other people in the room, shown in bright shades of yellow and blue. The Talon's aura is sickly and green, unnatural in appearance. With her eyes closed, Tatsu can visualize the lines of motion all around her, not just the people but the currents of air themselves. Tatsu grips her sword tighter and breaths deep. The aura around her sword flares up, and wisps of spiritual energy fly off of it, swirling around Tatsu, and then the room, creating a path from her to the catwalk above. Tatsu slows her breathing, and the aura around her shrinks while its brightness intensifies. The wispy paths of spiritual energy retreat back into her, intensifying her aura even more, and the world around Tatsu returns to normal.
BEAT
With EXPLOSIVE force, Tatsu dashes forward, cracking the rotten floorboards in the spot she had been standing on and generating a burst of air pressure that completely dissipates the smoke. She hits the far wall and immediately ricochets off, leaving a cracked indentation as she launches herself up to the catwalks, where the Talon advances toward Bruce and Kate.
TALON
Your non-compliance has been logged in
the court record.
In the span of a blink, Tatsu lands on the railing of the catwalk next to the Talon, and then hops down beside, around, and then behind it while swinging and sheathing her sword in one full motion. There is just a moment's pause before the force of her landing is felt, a shock-wave and a gust of air as the catwalk begins to buckle. Tatsu maintains her footing on the now crooked surface, and slides the last inch of her blade into its scabbard at the exact moment that the Talon's torso slices diagonally in two from shoulder to hip. As the Talon's body falls, Tatsu stands up and turns to Bruce and Kate, who are hanging onto the railing to keep their footing.
TATSU
(giddy)
Holy crap did you see that?!
KATE
That was... very impressive.
BEAT
The catwalk shudders and then falls. All three of our heroes brace themselves on the railings as the catwalk plummets to the floor below. They land with a thud, causing the rotten floorboards to finally give. Selina sees this and picks herself up off the unsteady ground.
SELINA
God damn it!
The catwalk drops down into the unknown dark depths below.
BRUCE/KATE/TATSU
(simultaneously)
*screaming*
Selina runs toward the growing hole in the ground and dives in after the plummeting catwalk. The party falls into darkness.
INT. ALIEN BUILDING.
In the aftermath of the explosion, Lana helps a dazed J'onn back to his feet. Alan Scott, John Stewart, and Guy Gardner lower the layers of force fields they had used for protection. Conduit is nowhere to be seen.
ALAN SCOTT
He's gone.
J'ONN
We need to regroup.
Lana activates her communicator.
LANA
Barry.
Silence. Everyone looks concerned.
LANA
(quiet panic)
Barry, come-!
Lana is cut off when The Martian Manhunter flies away in a burst of speed so powerful it kicks up a gust of wind.
EXT. SKY ABOVE HOPE SPRINGS. MOSAIC. DAY.
J'onn zips over the settlement of Hope Springs. He stops over the scene of Barry's fight with the Yellow Lanterns, now empty and full of signs of a struggle. J'onn scans the surrounding area with his senses, flying over Hope Springs and coming to a stop over the space port, not far from where the Starship is parked. He hovers to a stop over a landing pad, covered in smoke and steam from a recent takeoff. The large display on the side of the pad reads "DEPARTURE STATUS: ON TIME." Slowly, quietly, J'onn lands. He closes his eyes, and opens up his senses. Alan Scott lands behind him.
ALAN SCOTT
Mr. J'onzz-
J'ONN
Their ship left a warp signature. I
can follow it.
ALAN SCOTT
That's good news, but we-
J'ONN
Take care of them for me, Mr. Scott.
J'onn turns to look at Alan Scott. His eyes glow red as Alan's glow green.
J'ONN
(echo)
The future depends on it.
J'onn flies off into the sky with the speed and force of a sonic boom. Alan Scott, The Green Lantern, watches him go, a look of grim resolve on his face.
ALAN SCOTT
(quietly)
That answers my questions.
INT. SPACESHIP.
Bruised and battered, Barry Allen rouses back to consciousness. He finds himself laying on his side, on the floor, hands bound behind his back. Carol, Alex, and Hal turn to look as he stirs. They are all sitting in the corner of this dark place, illuminated by some light source some distance ahead of them. They have been similarly handcuffed. He sits upright, and looks around. He sees that he is in the rear compartment of a spaceship, directly behind the area where Mongul and Mikaal Tomas are piloting it. Right behind the two pilots, Conduit is leaning against the wall in a roguish stance. In front of them, through the view screen, we can see out into space: The spaceship is approaching an enormous structure hanging in space, a collection of jagged metal spires covered in skyscrapers and lit up with sickly yellow city lights, all unfolding from an enormous metal sphere one thousand kilometers in diameter with the logo of the Sinestro Corps emblazoned on it. They are arriving at RANX, THE SENTIENT CITY.
THE END
Notes:
I updated early this week! Why, you may ask? No reason, I just felt like it.
No outro music for this week.
Also no hypothetical cast update for Mongul or Tomas.
If you have suggestions for either hypothetical music or hypothetical VAs, or if you just like the story so far, please lave a comment!
Chapter 32: Challenge of the Super-Friends, Season 2, Episode 7, "How I Spent My Summer Vacation, Chapter Seven"
Chapter Text
EXT. ACE CHEMICALS. GOTHAM. NIGHT.
Establishing shot.
INT. ACE CHEMICALS. RECORDS ROOM.
Dark and cramped, lit only by the emergency exit sign, the records room is empty, with the obvious exception of the rows and rows of filing cabinets. Suddenly, a ceiling panel drops down with a thud, and four shadowy figures quickly drop down, one after the other. One of them snaps their fingers, generating a spark of electricity, and the lights come on, revealing that it is Jefferson Pierce, Black Canary, Wildcat, and White Canary. White Canary pulls out a folded up piece of paper, a reference chart for the records room, while Black Canary produces her assembled Legion files for cross referencing.
BLACK CANARY
Where did you get that?
WHITE CANARY
You don't want to know.
BLACK CANARY
Did you seduce a guard?
WHITE CANARY
What? No! I went through a guard's
trash, don't be vulgar!
BLACK CANARY
Alright, jeez, sorry.
The two canaries get to work, looking through the filing cabinets systematically.
WHITE CANARY
You think I could have seduced a guard?
BLACK CANARY
Hell yeah.
WHITE CANARY
(touched)
Aw.
Wildcat and Jeff hang back, standing by the room's emergency exit.
WILDCAT
So, kid, you thought of a name yet?
JEFF
I'm still working on it.
WILDCAT
Got a long list? Having a hard time
choosing which one?
JEFF
Not exactly...
WILDCAT
Yeah, that's what I thought.
JEFF
What do you mean?
WILDCAT
You've already picked the one you
want, you're just worried it sounds
corny.
JEFF
I...
WILDCAT
Just remember that the point isn't to
be cool, the point is to go by
something that feels like it's your
name, while remaining anonymous. All
that matters is that you believe it.
Jeff doesn't know what to say, simply thinking about Wildcat's words. Black Canary walks over to them with some files in her hands.
BLACK CANARY
Got a couple of matches.
Black Canary hands one folder to Wildcat, and the other one to Jeff.
BLACK CANARY
You're from Freeland, right?
JEFF
Yeah.
BLACK CANARY
This one's a Freeland address.
Jeff takes the file and then begins to look through it. Black Canary heads back to work. As Jeff scans the file with his eyes, his expression shifts from mild interest into a brief flash of confusion that quickly gives way to fear and then anger in quick succession. Jeff clenches his fist, his eyes and hands crackling with electricity, and the file crumpling and smoking as it catches fire.
WILDCAT
What are you doing?!
Using his insulated gloves, Wildcat attempts to wrest the quickly smoldering folder out of Jeff's hand. Jeff relents, letting go of the file, which Wildcat throws on the ground and stamps on to extinguish, as his entire body charges up with electricity. Jeff hovers in the air for a moment before using his electromagnetic powers to rip the metal door off of its hinges and fly out into the hallway, crashing through a window and flying out over the Gotham skyline. The remaining party members stand there, dumbfounded, as building's security alarm goes off.
INT. OLD GOTHAM TUNNELS.
Bruce Wayne awakes, surrounded by darkness, to discover that he is laying on cold hard ground, his folded up jacket serving as a pillow. He sits up. Selina is sitting on a rock, watching over him. Tatsu and Kate are sitting on the ground a little ways away. The scene is dimly illuminated by an electric lantern.
SELINA
You were out for 74 minutes.
Tatsu and Kate get up to join the others. Bruce tries to stand, and Selina helps him up.
BRUCE
Where'd the light come from?
SELINA
Tatsu brought it.
BRUCE
Anybody else hurt?
SELINA
Just a few bruises. I attached our
last grapple to the catwalk, it broke
our fall.
BRUCE
Do we have a way back up?
Selina holds out the broken grappling gun.
BRUCE
Right.
KATE
Aliens AND time travel?!
BRUCE
They filled you in?
KATE
Yes!
BRUCE
That saves time.
Bruce walks past his cousin, who is quietly aghast at his casual attitude, and walks over to the battered remnants of the catwalk. The top half of the Talon is laying cut-side down on the ground in front of him. Bruce kneels down to inspect as the others gather behind him.
KATE
(quietly)
oh god...
Bruce removes the mask from the Talon's head, revealing withered, mummified corpse with bits of skin missing, stuffed with clockwork surgical implants, including mechanical eyes (one of which is damaged from Selina's attack).
SELINA
What is that?
TATSU
He didn't feel... human.
KATE
What does that mean?
TATSU
I'm really not sure.
Bruce stands and turns to the others.
BRUCE
It asked for a password.
KATE
I know.
SELINA
When?
BRUCE
When I first encountered it. And then
again when it saw Kate.
TATSU
It went right to her.
KATE
I find that terrifying.
BRUCE
I find it interesting. We should bring
the head with us, at least.
KATE
Bring it where? We're trapped in a
hole in the ground!
BRUCE
We're in the cave system that runs
under Gotham. It'll take a couple of
hours, but I can lead us to the caves
under the manor.
SELINA
So, who wants to carry the
Frankenstein for the next-
There is a loud slicing sound. The others turn to see Tatsu closing up her duffel bag, having just placed the newly decapitated head into it, and sheathing her sword.
TATSU
I'll do it.
Tatsu stands up straight and slings her duffel bag over her shoulder. She picks up the battery powered lantern and starts walking down the tunnel.
EXT. HOPE SPRINGS. MOSAIC.
Lana, Guy, and John exit the alien building and step out onto the streets of Hope Springs on the planet Mosaic. The street is empty, but there is the sound of commotion in the distance.
JOHN
What's our next move?
LANA
I wanna say wait for J'onn...
ALAN
(O.S.)
He's not coming.
The kids look up as Alan Scott descends from the sky, his cape and armor de-materializing and revealing his street clothes underneath as he touches down.
ALAN
Your friends have been taken captive
by Sinestro's Corps, and J'onn J'onzz
has gone after them.
Guy Gardner's ring glows.
GUY
Then we gotta back him up!
A green aura envelops Guy as he hovers in the air for a moment. Acting quick, Alan Scott conjures his own green aura, generating giant hands surrounding his own that he uses to grab Guy by the shoulders, as well as two additional glowing emerald arms sprouting out of his back which he uses to grab Lana and John. In one quick movement, he pulls the entire party into a nearby alleyway, pinning guy against the wall and using his real arm to hold up his black cloak to block the green glow of his constructs, as it's counterpart construct hand holds a finger up to Guy's lips.
ALAN
(silently)
*shhh!*
On the street, a group of city militia guard march past. Alan waits until he can no longer hear their footsteps before dropping his cloak and letting go of the party.
ALAN
We have a plan, but we need to act
quickly. Follow me.
Alan leads the party down a complex network of back alleys.
ALAN
My name is Alan Scott. I was born in
Gotham City forty-seven years ago, and
I was the first human from Earth to
ever join the Green Lantern Corps. I
came to this planet to enjoy my
retirement, which ended several months
ago.
LANA
I think we know why.
GUY
The ring chose both of us, that makes
us members of the corps too, right?
ALAN
"Both of us?"
JOHN
Me and him.
ALAN
Well, that makes you new recruits,
which we are short on as of late.
(to Lana)
What about you?
LANA
I'm just a freak looking to help out.
Alan stops at a door.
ALAN
My kind of people.
INT. ALIEN BUILDING.
The door bursts open and Alan Scott rushes in, followed by the others. They are greeted by an alien, a humanoid plant creature with a body made of thorny vines and large red flower petals growing around an alluringly beautiful face. She is ROSE. She is holding a green skinned human toddler (Jenny), while a humanoid toddler who's body is made of shadows (Todd) stands beside her. Alan Scott scoops Todd up in his arms.
ALAN
Hey, buddy.
He kisses his wife.
LANA
Oh. Huh.
ALAN
It's not going to be safe here much
longer, Rose. I want you to take Todd
and Jenny in the shuttle and go stay
with Derby on Rann until things cool
down.
ROSE
What will you do?
ALAN
Fulfill the oath.
They kiss once again.
ALAN
I love you.
ROSE
I love you, Alan Scott.
Alan hands Todd to his wife, who supports both children in her vines. They depart to prepare for their journey, and Alan turns to the party.
ALAN
First thing we need to do is get to
the ship you used to get here, we can
use it to trace their warp signature
and follow after them.
LANA
Do you know where they're being taken?
ALAN
Nowhere good.
EXT. RANX THE SENTIENT CITY. DEEP SPACE.
Establishing shot
INT. RANX THE SENTIENT CITY.
A space shuttle lands in a spaceport. As its engines shut off, the shuttle door opens. Hal Jordan is pushed out onto the spaceport's dock, with his hands bound behind him, by Mongul. Hal stumbles forward as the titanic alien villain steps out of the shuttle, the craft creaking under his enormous weight. Behind Mongul, Conduit shepherds out the rest of the party (Barry, Carol, and Alex), while Mikaal Tomas takes up the rear. The villains lead their captives into the enormous living city known as Ranx. Giant spires, miles in height, loom over the party, with countless thousands of lifeless gray buildings sprouting out of them, illuminating the grimy spaceport with the sickly yellow light of a hundred million rows of windows. All around them in the spaceport, vicious and harrowed looking individuals of various alien races go about their business. Those that come near the yellow lanterns eye them suspiciously before scurrying away in fear. Our captive heroes are led to a far wall. Conduit interacts with an interface on the wall, and a panel slides open, revealing some kind of large industrial elevator compartment. The party are herded inside, and the door closes. The compartment suddenly rockets upwards, and then to the side, darting up and down and side to side through the complex network of shafts that runs through Ranx the sentient city. Inside the elevator, Conduit glares at the captives.
CONDUIT
So, how've you guys been?
He gets no response. Conduit turns to Alex.
CONDUIT
Maybe switching sides wasn't such a
good idea after all?
No response. The compartment comes to a stop. The doors begin to slide open.
CONDUIT
God, you're boring.
Conduit uses his tendrils to push the party out the opening doors. The kids tumble back into darkness, falling for a noticeable amount of time before landing with a thud in a chamber with very tall and very wide black walls and a (barely) soft gray floor, illuminated by a fairly bright white light coming from no discernible source. Above them, the compartment doors close. Silently, the kids slowly settle into seated positions in this alien jail cell.
BEAT
J'onn J'onzz materializes in the cell.
J'ONN
It is safe to talk.
CAROL
Thank GOD! That was creepy!
J'onn frees Barry from his restraints, who then quickly darts around and frees the other three. Hal begins rubbing his wrists.
HAL
That's better.
ALEX
Hal, how are you?
HAL
Feeling better, thanks. I passed out
for a little bit on the ride over, I
think the sleep did me good.
BARRY
Is there a way out of here?
J'ONN
None that I can detect.
BARRY
Great.
HAL
What're we going to do?
CAROL
Better question, where the HELL are
we?!
J'ONN
We have been brought to Ranx, the
Sentient City.
CAROL
When you say sentient...
J'ONN
We are inside of a living organism.
CAROL
Ew!
ALEX
Can this thing hear what we say?
J'ONN
I cannot feel its mind present here at
this moment, but that could change.
For now, all you can do is stay put,
and try not to discuss anything we do
not want overheard. I will explore our
immediate surroundings and return as
soon as I can.
J'onn rises into the air and quickly phases through the wall, leaving the kids by themselves in the cell.
BARRY
I had other questions.
INT. RANX THE SENTIENT CITY.
J'onn phases through the twisted metal and concrete structures that make up the enormity of Ranx, his eyes glowing red as he keeps his extrasensory perceptions open. He comes to a stop in a gap between two large jutting spires, and widens his psychic scan. We see what he sees, the life forms present in Ranx lighting up like stars in the night. J'onn's attention is drawn to an enormous light in the distance, as bight as a small star; a beam of light shines forth from it like a spotlight, illuminating a portion of the city off in the distance far away from J'onn's current position. He turns back, and scans the area he just came from: an enormous wall, miles high, full of sealed-off cells. Many are empty, but many others contain glowing life signs. J'onn begins lightly scanning all of the imprisoned life signs, getting snippets of thoughts and feelings as he goes. One snippet catches his attention:
VOICE
(telepathically)
... Viereen Bata neckt!
J'onn focuses on this voice.
VOICE
(telepathically)
Tu sutag, plaskiss nok, Eckideal skaow
foa oggle, Lakipatem kulaso tiemja
Illusa baka mies, Viereen Bata neckt!
J'onn flies back into this prison complex, invisibly flying through several cells and passing several strange alien creatures (including a cameo from Lobo!), but comes to a stop in one cell in particular, where an enormous figure sits in a kneeling position, muttering to himself.
VOICE
(quiet muttering)
Tu sutag, plaskiss nok, Eckideal skaow
foa oggle, Lakipatem kulaso tiemja
Illusa baka mies, Viereen Bata neckt!
J'onn becomes visible as he touches down on the floor of the prison cell.
J'ONN
Do not be alarmed.
J'onn approaches the enormous figure sitting at the center of the room, who stops chanting.
J'ONN
You do not know me, but I know you by
reputation. I am J'onn J'onzz, last of
the Manhunters of Ma'aleca'andra.
The enormous figure at the center of the room turns his head slightly to glance back at J'onn when he says this.
J'ONN
I am an ally in the fight against
Thaal Sinestro. I have come here to
free my comrades. They were arrested
by Sinestro's Corps, because we are on
a mission to deliver the last
remaining functional power battery to
the resistance.
The enormous figure stands, towering over J'onn. The figure turns, revealing himself to be KILOWOG, GREEN LANTERN OF SPACE SECTOR 674, his tattered Green Lantern uniform hanging from his body in shreds but still recognizable.
J'ONN
I could use your help, Kilowog.
EXT. FREELAND, NJ, NIGHT.
Two motorcycles race through the night, the Blond Bombshell ridden by White Canary, and the Cat-o-Cycle ridden by Wildcat, with Black Canary sitting in the sidecar.
BLACK CANARY
(shouting)
I don't see why I have to ride in the
side car, Ted! It's not like you guys
are very responsible parents
otherwise, all things considered!
WILDCAT
(shouting)
Gotta draw the line somewhere, junior!
The blond bombshell pulls ahead and screeches to a halt, and Wildcat breaks to a stop in response.
WHITE CANARY
The address is a block north of here.
Let's stash the bikes, climb up to the
rooftops, and go the rest of the way
on foot.
WILDCAT
How do you suggest we start looking
for Jefferson?
BLACK CANARY
I don't think that'll be hard.
Black Canary points up. On the roof of a building down at the end of the block, a figure can be seen standing on the rooftop, a few errant sparks of electricity visibly arcing off of him.
EXT. ROOFTOP. FREELAND, NJ. NIGHT.
Jefferson Pierce stands at the edge of the rooftop, glaring at the building across the street, his body crackling with energy.
WHITE CANARY
(O.S.)
Word of advice?
Jeff turns to see the rest of the group approaching.
WHITE CANARY
Don't stand so close to the edge, it
kind of defeats the whole point of
sneaking.
JEFF
Don't try to stop me.
BLACK CANARY
Jeff, we don't even know what you're
trying to do. Talk to us.
Jeff turns away from the others, and resumes glaring at the building across the street. Black Canary shares a look and a nod with her mother, and walks up beside Jeff. She looks across the street at the rather plain looking gray building that looks like it could be an office building, or a very dreary school. Most of the windows are dark, but a few lights are on.
JEFF
They brought my entire grade to that
building when I was ten years old.
They told us the doctors who worked
there were giving free check-ups and
booster shots to the kids in Freeland.
(grim)
They called it charity.
BLACK CANARY
What happened?
Jeff holds up his hand. Crackling electricity arcs between his fingertips, as his eyes crackle with electrical energy.
JEFF
I was one of the lucky ones.
A look of horror spreads across Dinah's face.
JEFF
None of the deaths, or the... "medical
anomalies" were ever officially
linked to the lab. They shut down less
than a year later, and that building
has been empty ever since. But, that
file said that a huge shipment of the
exact ingredient list for those bombs
was sent to this address two weeks
ago, and right now it looks like
somebody's home.
White Canary walks up and stands beside Black Canary, and Wildcat walks up and stands besides Jeff.
WILDCAT
You know, you could've told us that
before.
JEFF
I wasn't thinking rationally, I'm
sorry.
WHITE CANARY
You're thinking rationally now. What
do you want to do next?
JEFF
I'm still trying to figure that out.
BLACK CANARY
I recognize the address. The Legion
owns this place. Or, owned this place.
Point is, The Joker could be in there
for all we know. We need a plan, and
backup.
INT. OLD GOTHAM TUNNELS.
The Opera House party make their way through the tunnels of the Gotham underground. The opening ahead of them widens up into a large cavern, tall and cramped, filled with the foundations and remnants of Old Gotham's building's.
TATSU
What is this place?
KATE
Wonder City. Part of the old Gotham
that caved in on itself from the great
earthquake a hundred years ago.
The group walks into the ruins of Wonder City.
TATSU
This is... eerie.
KATE
It's weird hearing you say that.
TATSU
Why?
KATE
You cut a guy in half and stuffed his
head in a bag, Tatsu.
TATSU
I am aware of that.
KATE
You said he didn't feel human. What
does that mean?
TATSU
The energy of his body, his spirit...
it was animate, but it felt like a
dead thing.
KATE
Okay, and what does that mean?
TATSU
I... don't know!
Tatsu's voice echo's in the underground cavern. Everyone stops and looks at Tatsu. Tatsu takes a deep breath and then storms off in the direction they were already going in. The group starts moving again, and Selina moves up alongside Kate.
SELINA
I probably should have mentioned,
anything sword's a big deal with her,
a lot of heavy emotions there.
The party moves onward. They approach the center of Wonder City, and enormous concrete and metal structure.
TATSU
What is this?
BRUCE
That is the foundational support
structure for Wayne Tower. Right above
the ceiling of this cavern is the
tower's second sub-basement.
SELINA
Is it a way out?
BRUCE
Doubtful.
KATE
Okay, then why is there a door?
Kate points toward the elevator door at the base of the support structure.
BRUCE
What in the world?
The party approaches the support structure. Bruce, Selina, and Kate inspect the elevator doors, while Tatsu stares up at the structure, resting her hand on a panel to the side of the elevator doors. The panel has no markings on it, and appears to simply be bolted onto the wall beside the door.
KATE
That's an elevator.
BRUCE
This shouldn't be here.
SELINA
Is it a way out?
BRUCE
Possibly.
Bruce turns to Tatsu.
BRUCE
Tatsu, are you alright?
TATSU
I can feel something.
KATE
Is it the wall?
TATSU
Inside of this structure, I can
sense... it feels like the thing that
attacked us; animate, but dead. I've
never felt anything like it anywhere
else. It feels concentrated, somehow,
behind this panel.
BRUCE
Alright. Let's have a look, then.
Tatsu nods. She draws her sword and uses it to slice the panel off of the wall. Behind it, there is an imprint in the wall in the shape of a right hand. The party members look at it and one another.
KATE
Should someone...?
BRUCE
Let me.
Bruce unbuttons and rolls up his right sleeve. He places his hand in the indentation. A loud mechanical sound emanates from the wall.
BRUCE
(pained)
Ow!
Bruce retracts his hand.
SELINA
What happened?
BRUCE
It bit me.
Bruce holds up his hand. There is a tiny needle prick in the center of his palm. There is a *ding*, and the elevator doors slide open. Bruce looks at his hand, and then the elevator, and a chill descends upon the party.
INT. EXECUTIVE OFFICE, WAYNE ENTERPRISES, NIGHT.
The large and opulently decorated office of Wayne Enterprise's late CEO, William Earl. Behind the desk, an enormous floor-to-ceiling portrait of company founder Patrick Wayne looms over the room. On a far wall, two panels slide to the side, revealing a secret elevator that the party steps out of.
SELINA
Where the hell are we now?
KATE
This is the top floor of...
(quietly)
... Wayne Tower. Oh god...
Bruce steps into the center of the room and looks around at everything before turning back to the party.
BRUCE
This was my grandfather's office.
Bruce's communicator activates.
BLACK CANARY
(radio)
... Black Canary to Robin, do you read
me?
BRUCE
Robin here, I read you.
BLACK CANARY
Jeez, I've been calling for, like,
twenty minutes!
BRUCE
There was signal interference, what is
your situation Black Canary?
BLACK CANARY
I sent you coordinates. Get suited up
and get here ASAP. We've had a pretty
interesting development in our
investigation, to say the very least.
BRUCE
Yeah. Us too.
EXT. STARSHIP. SPACE.
Establishing shot.
INT. STARSHIP.
The Starship Rescue Party sit around the cockpit area, the ship flying on auto-pilot through hyperspace.
LANA
How do we fight a whole city that's
alive?
ALAN
I've dealt with Ranx before. I can
keep its attention focused on me. In
all likelihood, you're going to have
to go into the belly of the beast. Do
you think you can handle that?
LANA
I mean, I'll admit, I've had to adapt
to these kinds of high-stress
situations pretty quickly, but the
super powers do help.
GUY
They sure do!
Guy's body is enveloped in a green aura. He rises into the air, and starts shadow boxing, shooting out harmless bursts of energy with each punch. Alan Scott takes note of this, and then glances over at John Stewart, who is watching with a weak smile on his face.
ALAN
Gardner, Stewart, as new recruits, you
both owe me drills.
JOHN
We do?
GUY
Give us your worst.
ALAN
First, show me a dodecahedron.
GUY
Easy.
(beat)
What is that, again?
ALAN
A shape with twelve sides.
GUY
No problem.
Guy Gardner concentrates. One at a time, twelve flat squares blip into existence, suspended in the air around his head. They then start swirling around as he attempts to fit them together.
GUY
Just gimme one second.
(beat)
One second...
JOHN
Those are the wrong shape.
GUY
They are?
JOHN
The sides of a dodecahedron are
pentagons, not squares.
GUY
Right.
Guy stops and thinks about this for a second. He then takes off the ring and hands it to John.
GUY
Show me.
JOHN
Oh, alright.
John takes the ring and slips it on. He conjures a dodecahedron almost instantly.
GUY
Oh! One of those things.
Alan smiles.
ALAN
I want you two recruits to pass the
ring back and forth. Practice
conjuring shapes and morphing them to
increase and decrease the number of
sides, starting with a sphere and
going up to a dodecahedron and back.
Stewart can go first. And remember,
this isn't a competition. I want the
two of you to work together on this,
got it?
The boys nod affirmatively.
GUY.
Let's practice in the kitchen, I'm
hungry.
The buys head off to practice. Alan turns to look out the ships view screen.
LANA
You're good with them.
ALAN
I've trained recruits before.
LANA
I wish I could have a proper mentor.
The only other person with the same
powers as me is evil, and we threw her
through a time portal so she's not
even around anymore.
ALAN
I think you're in pretty good hands
with J'onn J'onzz.
LANA
Yeah. I think so, too.
ALAN
Although, I do wish he'd warned me
before he shoved an entire plan in my
brain.
INT. RANX THE SENTIENT CITY.
The captive party sit around on the floor of their holding cell. Barry has a pad of paper and a pencil in his hands.
BARRY
Okay. Now an adverb that ends in "LY."
ALEX
"Swimmingly."
BARRY
Lame.
ALEX
What do you mean "lame?"
BARRY
Everyone picks "swimmingly."
HAL
He's right, Alex, everyone does pick
"swimmingly."
J'onn phases into the room.
ALEX
Thank god.
J'onn's eyes glow a deep red color, as do the eyes of the other party members.
CAROL
Ugh, not again!
J'ONN
(telepathically)
Listen to me very carefully: the plan
for our escape has been set into
motion. We will be leaving within the
hour.
INT. RANX THE SENTIENT CITY.
A dark chamber. Mikaal Tomas and Mongul stand at the center of the chamber, standing in front of a round view screen looking out into space. Another Yellow Lantern of Sinestro's Corps, a young female alien wearing a gold and black uniform, walks into the room. Her name is FATALITY.
FATALITY
How long has he been here?
MIKAAL TOMAS
Less than a minute.
FATALITY
What has he done?
MONGUL
Nothing.
MIKAAL TOMAS
He's just floating there.
Fatality waves her hand in front of the view screen. Her ring briefly glows, and the image changes, zooming in on a figure standing as a fixed point out in space: ALAN SCOTT, wearing his armor and cape and enveloped in a green aura. Fatality smiles like a predator.
FATALITY
(quietly)
Hello, Alan Scott.
THE END
Chapter 33: Challenge of the Super Friends, Season Two, Episode Eight, "How I Spent My Summer Vacation, Chapter 8"
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
EXT. ROOFTOP. FREELAND, NJ. NIGHT.
We catch up with the Ace Chemicals team just as the two Canaries are returning from recon. Jeff Pierce stands a little bit away from the others, glaring silently at the complex across the street. Just as the two Canaries set foot back onto the roof, Robin and the others step out of the shadows.
BLACK CANARY
(out of breath)
That was fast.
ROBIN
Alfred met us half way with our gear.
He gave Kate a ride back to the manor.
SELINA
You'd like her, she's got spunk.
ROBIN
What do we know?
WHITE CANARY
We did a sonar sweep. There's one
person in a fourth floor office, and
five armed guards in front.
ROBIN
That's a lot of security for one
person.
BLACK CANARY
But wait, there's more.
WHITE CANARY
Two warehouses in back: one shows no
signs of life, just medical equipment,
the other is shielded from sonar and
sealed; only way in is through an
underground passage connected to the
first warehouse.
ROBIN
And now I'm curious. How are you
feeling, Jeff?
JEFF
(eyes crackling)
I'm feeling just about ready to go and
do something.
EXT. SPACE.
Alan Scott, Green Lantern of Space Sector 2814, floats at a fixed point in the depths of space, looking at a tiny metallic shape far in the distance. The tiny shape lights up, and Alan has just a moment to dodge as a massive beam of golden energy blasts right past him. Alan's aura flares up as he shoots toward Ranx like a rocket, swerving to avoid the evil location's energy blasts. Ranx relents and changes tactics: thousands of vaguely humanoid figures with sharp angular limbs appear in space between Alan and his enemy. The Green Lantern smiles as he conjures a shield and sword and charges into the fray. Using his shield for cover, Alan expertly slays the creatures, destroying one with every swipe of his sword, but it is their sheer numbers that pose the real threat to him. As he swats at the creatures like flies, he is gradually overtaken, finding himself at the center of a mass of enemies. Alan pulls back, his weapons dissolving, and he concentrates. His green aura flares up at the center of this swarm of monsters, enveloping his whole body, and then recedes, becoming a sort of tight shell-like coating. This shell then begins to expand, pushing the swarm back as, for all intents and purposes, Alan Scott grows to the size of a giant. The swarm redoubles its efforts, but the giant GL forces his way through and continues to grow as he moves; by the time his titanic fist collides with the glowing orb at the core of Ranx's nucleus, Alan's emerald avatar easily exceeds one thousand feet in height.
INT. RANX THE SENTIENT CITY. HOLDING CELL.
J'onn and the others all stumble as the entire city shakes from the impact of Alan Scott's fist.
CAROL
What now?!
EXT. SPACE.
Ranx's glowing nucleus begins to flicker from the force of the punch. The giant construct dissipates, revealing the real Alan Scott floating at its center. Alan takes a moment to catch his breath.
FATALITY
(O.S.)
Reckless, Alan Scott.
Alan turns to see Fatality, Mongul, and Mikaal Tomas approaching him.
FATALITY
Ranx is a CITY. Countless millions of
the "bystanders" you fret so much
about call it home.
ALAN SCOTT
Ranx's brain is too radioactive for
most life forms to settle near it.
Anything that could would have to be
so tough that my punch would've felt
like a tickle.
FATALITY
What if you'd missed? Made a mistake ?
Fatality conjures a spear with an ax on each end and assumes a sighting stance in space.
FATALITY
It's happened before.
Fatality attacks Alan Scott with the savagery of a rabid animal and the precision of a surgeon, which the GL blocks with a shield.
EXT. SPACE.
We cut to an angle showing the Starship approaching Ranx.
INT. STARSHIP.
Lana, Guy, and John are standing in front of the air lock, looking out at Ranx through the window. John is wearing the power ring and holding the lantern in his hand, while Guy is holding the star rod and wearing the cosmic converter belt.
LANA
You boys ready for this?
GUY
You're damn right I am.
JOHN
Are you?
LANA
This isn't my first one of these.
JOHN
No, I mean are you sure you can
survive in space?
LANA
Theoretically, yes.
Lana places her hand on the latch.
LANA
Wish me luck.
Lana pulls the latch, and the airlock opens. The three of them are quickly and violently sucked out into space. Lana clenches up; as her usual black chitin armor grows all over, it is accompanied by an ultra-thin translucent film that coats every surface of her body. She relaxes and opens her eyes, and she finds herself floating harmlessly in the vacuum of space. She smiles. She sprouts a pair of dragonfly wings, which begin buzzing rapidly. With no air resistance, Lana remains in place.
BEAT
Silently groaning with embarrassment, Lana sprouts a bombardier beetle blasting chamber from her lower back as her wings disappear. The rescue party blasts off in the direction of Ranx the Sentient City; its massive frame is lilting away from the fight between the Lanterns from the force of Alan's blow. The three of them fly directly into the giant space city's port, zipping past a graveyard of ancient spaceships left to rot on the dock. John Stewart slows down to assess the environment.
LANA
(radio)
Something's wrong. Alan said J'onn
would meet us.
GUY
(radio)
So what, do we wait, or-?
JOHN
(radio)
Stop!
Guy comes to a stop, and Lana grabs on to the star rod to halt her momentum. They turn to John.
JOHN
(radio)
Look.
Directly behind them, there is an enormous wall. The entrance to the port and the dock full of ships they just flew over are nowhere to be seen. The party stare in shock and disbelief.
BEAT
A swarm of glowing golden monsters swoops in and immediately overwhelms the three. John puts up a force field around the party, which the monsters bash and claw at, stretching it like rubber with every strike. Guy swats at the grasping arms warping the bubble around them.
GUY
(radio)
Any way it could not do that?!
JOHN
(radio)
If I make it rigid, I make it brittle.
LANA
(radio)
We do have to fight them eventually.
John, do you think you can make a
small opening, just let a few in at a
time?
JOHN
(radio)
It would make it harder to maintain
structural integrity, the whole thing
might-
J'ONN
(telepathically)
Do not be afraid, John Stewart.
Dozens upon dozens of green tendrils snake their way around the monsters and constrict them. The swarm is parted as J'onn J'onzz, his arms morphed into branching tendrils, pulls the swarm apart.
J'ONN
(telepathically)
A Green Lantern must act decisively.
John nods and makes an opening in the barrier. The party dart out of it quickly, flying past J'onn who disengages from the swarm to follow after them. Instead of giving chase, the swam dissipates. J'onn flies up to take the lead, and as the party makes their way deeper into the sentient city, its dimensions begin to change as the walls and corridors shift.
GUY
(radio)
What now?!
J'ONN
(telepathically)
Ranx can shift its internal
configuration at will.
LANA
(radio)
So what do we do?
J'ONN
(telepathically)
I can chart a path, but we will need
to clear one ourselves by force.
Lana holds up a bulging black chitinous arm, the shell-like knuckles of her massive fist quivering with potential explosive energy, and looks at J'onn with a nonchalant expression.
LANA
(radio)
Oh, that's not so bad.
INT. RANX THE SENTIENT CITY. HOLDING CELL.
The party members in the holding cell are unsteady on their feet as the room they are in moves up and down and side to side and diagonally.
CAROL
I hate you Hal Jordan!
Barry drops to his knees and places his hand on the floor. Golden electric sparks arc around his hands and travel up his arms into his body, his eyes beginning to crackle and glow as he absorbs the energy. The shaking of the room starts to slow down, as the smashing sounds outside get louder. Everyone turns to look at the wall just as Lana punches her way through it, followed by the others.
CAROL
Oh, hey.
LANA
Barry, did you slow the room down?
BARRY
Yes I did.
LANA
Thank you! That helped so much!
John walks up to Hal, and presents the ring and lantern to him.
JOHN
Wanna tag in?
Hal takes the ring and slips it on his finger. He takes the lantern and holds it out, making his ring hand into a fist and holding it up to the lantern.
HAL
(with conviction)
In brightest day, in blackest night,
no evil shall escape my sight; let
those who worship evil's might, beware
my power, GREEN LANTERN'S LIGHT!
As Hal recites his oath, emerald energy swirls up his arm, conjuring the costume of THE GREEN LANTERN to his body. Hal holds up his hand and looks down at the ring.
GREEN LANTERN
(quietly)
I missed you.
(to Barry)
You're up!
Hal tosses the lantern to Barry, who changes into his costume in the time it takes for the lantern to arc through the air over to him. The Flash catches the lantern in his gloved hands.
THE FLASH
I'll be back in a... eh, you know the
rest.
The Flash darts out the hole Lana punched through the wall, followed quickly by the Martian Manhunter. Guy walks over to Alex and hands him the star rod and the cosmic converter belt.
GUY
These have too many buttons.
ALEX
Fair enough.
Alex takes back his equipment and equips it.
LANA
Let's move it, people!
Alex conjures a glowing yellow aura around himself, which spreads out and around John, Guy, and Carol, and lifts them into the air with him. The party exits through the hole that Lana punched through the wall.
INT. RANX THE SENTIENT CITY. HALLWAY.
The Flash darts down the hallways of Ranx's prison complex, with Martian Manhunter flying behind him. He stops outside of a door.
THE FLASH
(suspicious)
Hmmm...
J'onn comes to a stop beside The Flash.
J'ONN
This is the one.
THE FLASH
Are you sure this will work? The
science seems kind of fringe, even for
me.
J'ONN
You have seen Thawn do it. If you
follow my instructions, you should be
fine.
J'onn's eyes glow a deep red color for just an instant. The Flash becomes slightly dizzy and disoriented.
THE FLASH
Whoa.
J'ONN
Would you rather I not-?
THE FLASH
No, I always prefer things that save
time.
The Flash approaches the door, holding out his hand, which begins vibrating at incredible speeds. He focuses, and the vibrations appear to "tighten" as they reach down to the molecular level. He passes his hand THROUGH the door, and smirks. The vibrations spread all over his body, as well as the lantern, and he and J'onn step through the door together.
INT. RANX THE SENTIENT CITY. HOLDING CELL.
The Flash steps out onto empty air, and falls roughly fifteen feet onto the white floor next to the hulking frame of KILOWOG, GREEN LANTERN OF SPACE SECTOR 674.
THE FLASH
Ow.
KILOWOG
You alright?
The Flash gets up as J'onn gently floats down.
THE FLASH
I'll be fine.
(presents the lantern)
This is for you.
Kilowog takes the lantern from The Flash, and smiles.
INT. RANX THE SENTIENT CITY. HALLWAY.
The other half of the party zip through the ever changing interior of Ranx the Sentient City. Green Lantern flies at the lead, using his power ring to blast a path through the ceilings and floors of the facility to make an escape, but the shifting interior dimensions have them going in circles.
LANA
I don't feel like we're making a whole
lot of progress!
GREEN LANTERN
Escaping from a building that's alive
isn't exactly straightforward!
ALEX
I feel like we should have anticipated
for that!
Alex and the noncoms take up the rear as the party continues to zig-zag through the living innards of this wicked very large town. Suddenly, the walls of the corridor close in on them with speed and force; it is only a timely protective barrier conjured by Green Lantern that prevents the party from being crushed.
CAROL
Hal Jordan you better not get me
killed today!
GREEN LANTERN
(strained)
Working on it!
ALEX
I thought they wanted us alive!
GREEN LANTERN
Well, that was before we went and
ruined their day!
BOOM! A force smashes through the enclosing walls, a glowing green energy that joins Hal's force field, fortifying it and expanding it, forcing the walls back and causing them to crumble away in the process. Up ahead, the Martian Manhunter, The Flash, and Kilowog have arrived.
GREEN LANTERN
Finally, some backup.
THE FLASH
Hey, you know what? That's...
The Flash trails off as he darts away at super speed. He zips down the corridors of the detention facility, smashing open the doors of the cells with hyper-kinetically charged punches. The inmates begin climbing out to freedom.
INT. "ABANDONED" LAB. FREELAND. NIGHT.
Five guards stand watch in the front lobby of the abandoned laboratory complex. Their uniforms say "rent-a-cop," but their muscles, tattoos, and side-arms say "private security." One of them is sitting and reading, while one watches the security monitors, and the other three stand at posts around the room. The guard watching the monitors notices something.
GUARD #1
We've got movement! Front door!
The reading guard looks up from his book and looks over at the security monitors. On the monitor, Jefferson Pierce is approaching the front door.
GUARD # 2
Looks like a local.
The guard stands up, and draws his side arm.
GUARD # 2
I'll scare him off.
The guard walks up to the front door, and looks at Jeff through the glass.
GUARD # 2
This is private property. Leave.
JEFF
I'm here to lodge a formal complaint
with your employers.
GUARD # 2
(chuckling)
Who the hell do you think you are?
BLACK LIGHTNING
Black Lightning.
Electricity arcs from Jeff's hands and forces the double front doors off of their hinges, knocking the guard back through the air, skidding to a halt on the tiled floors. As the other guards draw their weapons, Black Lightning channels electricity down through his feet. As he takes a step forward, a small arc of lightning hops from one foot to the other, causing the air around his feet to rapidly expand and launch him forward through the air with the force of thunder, whizzing into the center of the room where he lands, feet first, creating another arc of lightning with all four limbs this time, creating another wave of thunderous force that knocks the remaining three guards off their balance. Black Lightning charges up a cloud of arcing electricity around his arms, which he throws at the guards, arcing towards the guns in their hands and giving them all a terrible electrical shock. All of the guards are knocked back and lose consciousness. Black Lightning looks around, scanning the environment with his EM spectrum goggles. One guard, he notices, has irregular electrical activity around the heart, a sign of cardiac arrest.
JEFF
(quietly)
Oh no- !
Black Lightning rushes over to the unconscious goon. He looks down at the man using his EM senses, seeing that his heart is in a state of atrial fibrillation. Black Lightning charges up his hand and slams down on the man's chest, using a burst of electricity to return his heart to a normal rhythm.
JEFF
(quietly)
Thank god.
Black Lightning takes a deep breath. Behind him, completely silently, two Talons step out of the shadows.
JEFF
I need to be more careful.
One Talon advances, moving to strike, when Tatsu leaps into the scene just in time, blocking the Talon's attack with her sword and kicking up a gust of wind from the speed and force of her movements. Shocked, Jeff turns, his eyes and body crackling with lighting.
JEFF
Did you hear what I just said?!
TATSU
No!
JEFF
(quietly)
Thank god.
INT. WAREHOUSE. NIGHT
A dark warehouse, full of medical equipment, work stations, and surgical tables. A skylight slides open, and down drop Black Canary, Robin, Selina, White Canary, and Wildcat. Robin looks around at the scenery with a grim look on his face. The Canaries lead him to a door in the center of the far wall. Behind them, wooden vines creep and move in the shadows. White Canary kicks down the door, which slides down the set of stairs leading to an underground tunnel. Robin turns on his flashlight and begins descending the stairs, followed immediately by Selina. White Canary is just beginning to go down when Black Canary, alerted by a subtle slithering sound, turns and pulls Wildcat out of the way just as a mass of wooden tendrils attacks! White Canary turns back to see that Jason Woodrow, THE FLORONIC MAN, is attacking from the shadows.
ROBIN
(in the tunnel)
What's happening?!
WHITE CANARY
Keep going!
(turns to Floronic Man)
We've got this.
White Canary conjures a wall of sound with her voice, pushing the malevolent tree-man back with a wave of thunderous force. Black Canary and Wildcat scramble to their feet beside White Canary, preparing for a fight. Down in the tunnel, Robin and Selina rush toward the large metal door at the other end.
SELINA
I don't think I can kick that down.
Robin produces a small angular throwing weapon, with a complex system of weights and counterbalances suspended in a triangular network of metal pieces with a vaguely boomerang-like curve. There is a red ball with a circular green light in its center suspended in the middle. Robin throws it at the door, it's pointed end wedging itself perfectly into the gap in the door frame, and the green light begins to blink. Robin pulls his cape around the both of them to act as a shield just as the explosion goes off, blowing the metal door off of it's hinges. Robin and Selina stand and look at the open doorway through the smoke. The two step over the threshold and climb the stairs to...
INT. THE SECOND WAREHOUSE.
Robin forces the door open, and he and Selina step into the dark room; Robin's flashlight and the emergency exit signs are the only light sources. Robin flashes his light along the wall to his right. He is shocked to come face to face with a girl.
ROBIN
(quietly)
Jesus!
The girl is no more than fourteen years old, with red hair and green eyes and dirty clothes. She is locked behind a Plexiglas screen, in some kind of tiny room built into the wall. She and Robin share a haunting moment of eye contact, before he shines his flashlight down the length of wall, revealing two other occupied cells.
SELINA
(quietly)
Oh my god.
Behind Robin and Selina, a pair of glowing red eyes light up.
TALON
What is the password?
EXT. SPACE.
Alan Scott and Fatality trade fierce blows in the depths of space. Mongul and Mikaal Tomas look on.
MIKAAL
Should we help-?
MONGUL
She'd skin you alive, boy.
The battle rages on, Fatality wailing on Alan with her spear as he defends with his sword and shield, both of them conjuring platforms beneath their feet to gain footing as needed. Fatality takes advantage of the three dimensional nature of space, effectively "walking on air" around Alan to stab down at him with her spear from an overhead angle. Alan takes the blow to the face, cushioning it the best he can with his aura, and then comes around with his sword, slicing the spear in half! Fatality lunges toward Alan, grabbing the other end of the spear before violently headbutting him to create distance. Alan holds up his shield-hand to his now bleeding nose, a look of annoyance on his face, as Fatality assumes a two handed stance before charging once again. The two lock weapons with incredible force.
FATALITY
Tired, old man?
ALAN SCOTT
I can play space samurai with you all
day.
The two disengage and then immediately trade a violent flurry of blows, both of them striking, blocking, and parrying with perfect form. After a tense exchange, they both pull back.
FATALITY
You don't have all day, Alan Scott.
ALAN SCOTT
Well, we haven't established the local
timezone-
FATALITY
It'd say you have less than ten
minutes until he gets here.
BEAT
ALAN SCOTT
(quietly)
I really wish I didn't believe you...
INT. RANX THE SENTIENT CITY. HALLWAY.
The prisoners file out into the hallway, a diverse menagerie of alien creatures. The Flash darts back up to the rest of the group.
THE FLASH
... not a bad idea! Look! More Backup!
KILOWOG
Wonderful. Now, if we want to get
away, we need a ship. Mine's an old
hyperspace freighter, it should do the
job.
GUY
We passed a shipyard on the way in.
JOHN
But the hallways moved.
J'ONN
I can chart a path-
Lana holds up her fist.
LANA
Just point the way.
CAROL
Okay but what about them?
Carol points to the escaping prisoners.
KILOWOG
My ship is plenty big enough, but we
have to round them up fast.
HAL
I'll take care of it. I'll meet up
with you at the ship.
ALEX
I'll help.
Alex and Hal fly off together, noncoms in tow, while the rest of the party begins carving a path to the shipyard.
GUY
Woah, hey, you don't need us for this
part, do you?
Carol lightly slaps his arm.
CAROL
Shut up you baby!
(beat)
Now that he mentions it, though...
INT. RANX THE SENTIENT CITY. HALLWAY.
The other half of the party use their combined might to punch their way through the maze-like interiors of Ranx the sentient city, following J'onn's lead. As our heroes make their way, blow by blow, they are greeted on the other side of a crumbling wall by the blank face of CONDUIT! The cybernetic villain immediately attacks his erstwhile buddy, Lana Lang, coming in with a powerful punch which the insectoid hero blocks with her beetle-armored-arms. Lana sprouts an extra set of arms out of her sides, grabbing Conduit and THROWING him back the way she came. She then launches toward him with a bombardier beetle rocket powered explosive super strength punch, sending the villain FLYING back down the path our heroes just carved. Lana looks back at the others.
LANA
I'll meet up with Hal! Keep going!
J'onn nods affirmatively, and the party presses on as Lana rockets off after her erstwhile buddy.
INT. RANX THE SENTIENT CITY. HALLWAY.
Hal and Alex are helping load the other escaped prisoners, a crowd of several dozen diverse alien creatures, onto a solid energy platform made of green energy and protected by a dazzling gold-colored force-field being conjured by the two teens. Around them, the more violent prisoners continue to do battle with Ranx's security measures. As the refugees step onto the platform, Hal conjures a glowing green seat with a safety strap for them. A tall and slender blue alien in gray robes is seated next to Carol, and glances at her. As the last refugee is loaded on, Hal and Alex work in perfect unison to float the platform in the air and fly it away from the chaos of the prison break and away toward freedom. As they go, however, the battling pair of Lana and Conduit move toward them; Conduit punches Lana and sends her flying right into Hal Jordan, who conjures an enormous baseball glove to cushion the impact.
LANA
*OOF!*
HAL
Gotcha!
The glove vanishes.
HAL
You need help?
LANA
No.
Conduit launches himself at the heroes, using the force field platforms under his feet to run and jump on air. Lana smirks, and takes evasive maneuvers. Conduit gives chase, and the two zip past Hal and Alex back toward the prison riot. Lana zigzags over the prison riot, making her way to just the right spot, and then spins around in space, using her blasting chamber to propel her self back the way she came, causing Conduit to overshoot. As the two pass each other mid- aid, Lana twists around to leave Conduit with one parting super-strong explosive punch to the face, sending Conduit flying toward Lana's intended target: an enormous, muscular, and very mean looking alien who Conduit collides with, head first, hitting the gruff biker looking alien square in the gut. The impact knocks the wind out of him, causing him to fall over backwards with Conduit on top of him. The violent looking alien grabs Conduit by the scruff of the neck, lifts him up, and looks him (approximately) in the eyes.
LOBO
(sadistic)
You know, a funny thing happened to
the last guy who did that...
... which we will find out about later, as Lana rockets back in the direction of the escape party, catching up with Hal and Alex and joining their exodus. On the glowing platform, the alien sitting next to Carol cradles a small violet colored gem in her cupped hands. It glistens as she glances back and forth between it and Carol.
INT. RANX THE SENTIENT CITY. SPACE DOCK.
With a blast of emerald energy, Kilowog blows a hole in the wall blocking the party's path, which opens up into the space dock. He scans the dock, and spots his freighter.
INT. RANX THE SENTIENT CITY. HALLWAY.
The glowing caravan zigs and zags through the violently carved path. Unsteady on her feet, Lana makes her way over to a seat next to Carol and straps herself in.
LANA
How're you holding up?
CAROL
Oh you know. Hanging in there. You?
LANA
This is the best rescue I've been
involved in so far.
CAROL
That sure is... something.
BEAT
Carol turns to the blue alien next to her.
CAROL
Excuse me, is there a REASON you keep
STARING at me?
The alien is taken aback. She glances down at the violet gem in her hands, and hesitantly holds it toward Carol Ferris. As it gets closer to her, it glows more intensely. Carol finds this unnerving. Her attention is pulled away from the glowing gem as the environment around them begins to shift; a compact, rocket-shaped shell begins to form around the platform, smooshing the occupants together tightly, as Hal Jordan's voice is broadcast to to them.
GREEN LANTERN
(radio)
This is your captain speaking;
apologies for the tight fit, you'll be
disembarking to board your connecting
flight shortly.
INT. CONSTRUCT COCKPIT.
Hal and Alex sit side by side as Hal pilots.
HAL
(quiet)
I hope.
INT. RANX THE SENTIENT CITY. HALLWAY.
This rocket-shaped emerald construct vehicle shoots through the interiors of Ranx, bending as it needs to in order to thread the needle and reach it's destination...
INT. RANX THE SENTIENT CITY. SPACE DOCK.
Kilowog's freighter begins takeoff, floating in the air as it positions itself between the hole in the wall and the exit out into space. The space dock doors begin to close, and walls of emerald energy appear between them to hold them open.
INT. RANX THE SENTIENT CITY. HALLWAY.
All around the rocket, yellow construct monsters pop into existence as they struggle to keep up with it, swatting at the vehicle as they barely keep pace.
INT. CONSTRUCT COCKPIT.
Hal grits his teeth as he holds his hands on the controls.
HAL
(quietly)
Just like threading a needle...
Alex Luthor reaches over and places his hand on Hal Jordan's shoulder. Hal glances over at Alex, and the two share an silent moment of understanding.
INT. FREIGHTER. COCKPIT.
Kilowog grips the throttle as he holds his freighter in place, gritting his teeth as his eyes and his ring glow with dazzling green light. Up ahead, the emerald gateway to freedom is struggling against Ranx's strength to stay open.
KILOWOG
This one's gonna be tight!
BARRY
Don't worry.
Barry places his hands on the freighter's console. His hands and eyes crackle once again with golden electricity.
BARRY
That's my specialty.
Kilowog uses his fee hand to flip a switch on the console.
INT. RANX THE SENTIENT CITY. SPACE DOCK.
The doors to the freighter's rear cargo area open up, pointed toward the hole in the wall.
INT. RANX THE SENTIENT CITY. HALLWAY.
The rocket zigs and zags through the innards of Ranx, the construct monsters gaining ground and getting solid hits in.
INT. CONSTRUCT CABIN.
The cabin shakes, and Carol's attention is once again drawn to the glowing crystal, flaring up from the movement. She looks up at the alien holding the crystal, and the two hold eye contact for a beat.
INT. CONSTRUCT COCKPIT.
Hal grits his teeth hard, his eyes laser focused on his objective; the opening to the hangar up ahead. He guns it.
INT. RANX THE SENTIENT CITY. SPACE DOCK.
The rocket construct shoots out of the hole in the wall, soaring through space with the monsters hot on its tail, making a rough but otherwise perfect landing as it hits its target of the freighter's cargo bay.
INT. FREIGHTER. COCKPIT.
Kilowog flips a switch.
INT. FREIGHTER. CARGO BAY.
As the rocket skids to a halt in the enormous cargo bay, the doors begin to close, crushing a handful of the monsters that were in pursuit.
INT. FREIGHTER. COCKPIT.
KILOWOG
Clear!
Kilowog presses forward on the ship's throttle just as Barry POURS the speed force into the ship.
INT. RANX THE SENTIENT CITY. SPACE DOCK.
The freighter rapidly accelerates, clearing the distance to the exit in an instant!
EXT. SPACE.
Alan and Fatality's conversation is cut short by the sight of the freighter bolting away at incredible speeds.
ALAN SCOTT
Well.
Alan and Fatality turn back to one another. Fatality looks down at Alan's hand, and notices a shimmering green cord wrapped around his hand, floating lip and trailing off into space. It is rapidly losing slack, at pace with the ship departing in the distance.
ALAN SCOTT
Another time, then.
The line pulls taught, and Alan Scott is pulled away into hyperspace in an instant. Fatality glares.
INT. "ABANDONED" LAB. FREELAND. NIGHT.
Jeff conjures an enormous arc of lightning between his hands, creating a thunderous burst of force that knocks the Talons back. Tatsu rushes after them in a burst of speed. The two Talons right themselves in the air and land in a standing position. Tatsu lands directly between them. She grips her sword, summoning a wellspring of energy as she spins around, pushing the Talons back with the sheer force of her sword swing.
TATSU
Keep going!
Jeff nods and darts over to the elevator doors, pulling them open with his electromagnetic abilities before jumping in and shooting upward like a rail gun. The two Talons advance on Tatsu, who once again grips her sword tight as she concentrates. A dark energy flares up around the blade and then spreads to Tatsu's whole body. Her eyes simmer with a warrior's determination.
INT. WAREHOUSE. NIGHT
Robin and Selina turn in shock to find the Talon standing directly behind them.
TALON
What is the password?
SELINA
Crap.
The two dodge out of the way just in time as the Talon strikes, punching a hole through the transparent screen behind them with its claws. Selina drops to the ground and knocks the Talon over with a sweeping leg kick. The undead automaton topples over, but catches itself on the ground with its hands, kicking Robin in the face and sending him flying across the room before spring boarding back into a standing position.
TALON
Your non-compliance will be added to
the Court record.
It grabs Selina by the throat and lifts her into the air. Selina looks down into the Talon's expressionless red eyes with fear and defiance. Just then, thorny green vines begin to creep up and around the Talon's body, wrenching it away from Selina violently and forcing it to drop her. She lands with a thud, and looks up at her savior; the redheaded girl from the holding cell, her body reforming itself from the vines she transformed into in order to escape through the hole in her cell. She is PAMELA ISELY, AGE 14.
INT. "ABANDONED" LAB. FREELAND. NIGHT.
The elevator doors are pulled open by electromagnetic force, and Jeff hops out. He looks around with his EM senses, seeing a heat signature matching a person through the walls in one of the offices. Cautiously, Jeff approaches the door. He gently pushes it open, and peers inside, where he sees a middle aged man, sweaty and filthy and unshaven, wearing the vestments of a priest, strapped to what appears to be a bomb.
EXT. SPACE.
Fatality, Mongul, and Mikaal Tomas float in space, Ranx floating behind them in the distance.
MIKAAL
What do we do now, commander?
FATALITY
We-
Fatality is cut off as all three of them are enveloped in a glowing aura. Directly beneath them, a glowing golden platform materializes. All three of them are forced down onto this platform, landing in a kneeling position. Behind them, in the distance, the same glow overtakes Ranx, which begins to reposition itself beneath the glowing platform. On the platform, a pair of golden boots walk toward the kneeling Lanterns. THAAL SINESTRO stands over them. He reaches down, putting a finger under Fatality's chin to gently lift her face up toward his, meeting her gaze.
THAAL SINESTRO
(calm, warm, gentle, livid)
You're going to tell me what went
wrong, Yrra.
THE END
Notes:
An extra update this week, as I was late last week. Sorry bout that.
Hypothetical Cast Update:
Thaal Sinestro - James Marsters
Chapter 34: Challenge of the Super Friends, Season Two, Episode Nine, "How I Spent My Summer Vacation, Chapter 9"
Chapter Text
INT. OFFICE. NIGHT.
Jefferson Pierce, BLACK LIGHTNING, stands frozen in the doorway of the office where he has found Bishop Jacob Kennedy, thought dead by the public, very much alive and very unwell as he is bound and gagged and surrounded by explosives. Jeff is sweating hard, breathing heavily, and his pupils are contracted into tiny dots. His shaking hand grips the door handle like a vice. Jeff takes a step back, and the Bishop lets out a desperate whimper. Jeff's eyes meet the Bishop's; the older man's face is stained with tears, and his eyes show nothing but terror and despair. Jeff sees this, and his heart breaks. He closes his eyes, takes a deep breath, and centers himself. He looks the Bishop in the eye.
BLACK LIGHTNING
You're Jacob Kennedy, right? I'm Black
Lightning. I'm going to save you.
INT. FRONT WAREHOUSE LABORATORY.
Wildcat and the two Canaries stand back to back, ready to fight. All around them, the faint sound of slithering wooden vines can be heard. Black Canary focuses on her hearing.
BLACK CANARY
Wildcat...
White Canary hears it too, and the two of them grab Wildcat and pull him out of the way of an enormous wooden tendril.
BLACK CANARY/WHITE CANARY
(simultaneously)
... MOVE!/GET DOWN!
The wooden tendril slams into the spot where Wildcat had just been standing. Black Canary hops back to her feet and blasts the tendril back with a focused sonic blast. White Canary repels a flanking attack from another set of vines, and the party regroups, standing back to back.
FLORONIC MAN
(echo)
*laughter* Very good, very good.
BLACK CANARY
(quiet)
Gee, thanks.
WILDCAT
(quiet)
Where is he?
WHITE CANARY
(quiet)
Everywhere.
FLORONIC MAN
(echo)
You ladies are a remarkable pair of
specimens.
BLACK CANARY
(disgusted)
*shudder*
FLORONIC MAN
(echo)
I don't often have the opportunity to
study meta-abilities across
generations.
A dozen wooden tendrils attack from the darkness. Wildcat uses his armor to block, while the Canaries use hyper-sonic blasts to fend off the violent vegetation. However, a lone wooden vine slithers along the floor, winding up White Canary's leg and snatching her up into the air! The blond bombshell is hoisted up to the ceiling, hanging upside down in the darkness, out from which appears the face of Jason Woodrow, THE FLORONIC MAN.
FLORONIC MAN
Your development is impressive, Miss
Drake.
INT. REAR WAREHOUSE LABORATORY.
Selina Kyle looks up in horror and wonder at the sight before her: Pamela Isely, age 14, her arm morphing into a thick cluster of thorny green vines that have ensnared the Talon which had been guarding this room, and are currently tearing the undead automaton to bits. Behind the girl, Robin, the boy wonder, pulls himself up to his feet, assessing the scene just as the girl turns to meet his eyes. Their gazes lock for a moment, heavy in its silence.
BEAT
Robin takes a single step toward Pamela and immediately lowers himself down onto one knee in a single motion. He places his hands on the ground, and looks up at the girl.
ROBIN
You saved our lives. Thank you.
Pamela glares down at the boy wonder, unsure of how to react.
INT. FRONT LOBBY. NIGHT.
Lit only by moonlight, Tatsu takes a defensive stance, her blade facing one of the two Talons while she glances backward at the other behind her. Without any windup, the two Talons pounce at Tatsu, who manages to draw her tanto and block both attacks with a lightning fast spinning motion. Tatsu locks up with her two opponents for just an instant before jumping up in the air in a corkscrew motion, sheathing her tanto and clutching her katana with both hands as she violently kicks both Talons in the face, causing one to lose its footing completely. As Tatsu lands, she slashes with her katana at the Talon that's still standing, only to be blocked by the creature's mechanical reflexes. Tatsu withdraws, jumping backwards to gain distance and put both enemies in front of her. Tatsu grips the hilt of her sword tightly, closes her eyes, and concentrates. The katana's translucent blue aura flares up and spreads over Tatsu's body, supercharging her. With an incredible burst of force and power, she dashes at the two mechanical undead, striking the Talon she had knocked off balance just as it was regaining it's footing and separating its head from its body. Time stands still for a moment as Tatsu makes eye contact with the second Talon before she charges at it. The creature blocks, and a wave of force is generated when Tatsu's sword collides with the creature's claws. The force is too much for the Talon, which is sent flying backwards and slams into the far wall. Tatsu runs up to the Talon in the blink of an eye and skewers it with her sword. She looks into the creature's eyes as life leaves its body, and misty grey translucent energy begins to flow out of the wound, going up the length of Tatsu's sword and entering her body. Tatsu seizes up, and her eyes go white.
CUT TO
A first person POV shot of someone strapped to an operating table, a blinding light shining overhead. The shadowy figure of a surgeon comes into frame, holding a scalpel.
CUT TO
Tatsu, her eyes white and her expression blank, summoning the strength to pull the sword out of the wall, causing the Talon's lifeless body to fall to the floor at the same time Tatsu drops to her knees in a near-catatonic state.
INT. OFFICE. NIGHT.
Gently, Jeff steps into the room, scanning the environment with his EM vision.
BLACK LIGHTNING
Is it alright if I call you Jacob?
The Bishop nods.
BLACK LIGHTNING
Well, Jacob, right now I'm conducting
a full spectrum scan of the room.
It's, uh, well it's one of my super
powers. It'll help me figure out
exactly how these bombs are put
together so I can defuse them.
Jeff glances around, and through his EM senses we see that all of the bombs are connected to a single circuit underneath the box the Bishop is sitting on. Jeff kneels down next to the Bishop and looks at the base.
BLACK LIGHTNING
Hm.
Through his EM senses, we see Jeff scan up and down the spectrum to get a full picture of the device's construction.
BLACK LIGHTNING
So, Jacob, it looks like you're
sitting on a pressure plate. If you
stand up-
The Bishop starts nodding emphatically.
BLACK LIGHTNING
Guess you already knew that, huh?
Well, the device is drawing power from
the room's wiring, but I need to move
you out of the way in order to
disconnect it, which isn't an option,
and if I try to blow out the power in
the room it could cause a surge,
which, with bombs involved...
Jeff stands up and looks around.
BLACK LIGHTNING
I could drain power out of the room,
but the building's got a continuous
flow of energy coming from the city
grid, I can't drain it completely. The
best I could do is get the power to
flicker, which would give us a window
of maybe two seconds at most...
Jeff trails off. His face is tense as he tries to focus on formulating a plan. He makes eye contact with the Bishop, who looks very frighted by what Jeff might say next.
BLACK LIGHTNING
(smiling)
I can do this. I just need a little
help from my friends.
INT. FRONT WAREHOUSE LABORATORY.
White Canary hangs upside down, suspended from the ceiling by a wooden vine controlled by the Floronic Man. Below, Black Canary rushes to her mother's rescue.
BLACK CANARY
Wildcat! Vault!
Black Canary takes a running jump at Wildcat, who catches her foot in the air with his two hands cupped together and throws her higher. Black Canary grabs onto the metal rafters and swings off of them for momentum, landing seamlessly into a full sprint on one of the large wooden vines crisscrossing the room. Up among the rafters, Floronic Man's grinning face leers at White Canary.
FLORONIC MAN
To say that you've recovered from
dysarthria would be an understatement,
wouldn't you agree?
White Canary inhales deep and lets loose with a focused blast of sonic energy, which Floronic Man anticipates, splitting his head in two and letting the blast pass in between the two halves while he grins and laughs. The sound of laughter is joined by the sound of heavy rapid boot-steps, as Black Canary enters the frame. Time slows to a halt as we see the high tech pair of metallic knuckles she is wearing "activate," projecting round metal protrusions that arc with electricity and warp the very space around them. Time returns to normal speed as Black Canary forces the two halves of Floronic Man's head back together with the ballistic force of an Nth Metal enhanced punch. Momentarily dazed, Floronic Man loses grip of White Canary, who drops to the ground, tucking and rolling to a stop beside Wildcat, soon joined by her daughter. A large mass of wooden vines coalesce as they land with considerable force in front of the heroes, reforming into the very enraged main body of the Floronic Man, who immediately goes on the offensive by grabbing Wildcat with a mass of vines growing from his arm and throwing him at the other two, knocking them all prone.
FLORONIC MAN
You've had your fun.
The fingers of Floronic Man's other hand stretch out and ensnare the necks of the two Canaries, choking them and rending them unable to use their powers.
FLORONIC MAN
Now behave.
From the side, a mass of thorny green vines move toward Floronic Man, swatting him across the room with incredible force while grabbing and tearing the wooden tendrils growing from his arms. Pamela Isely has just entered the room, the tips of her fingers morphing into the mass of vines. Floronic Man slams into the equipment on the other side of the room, his body dispersing into a mass of wooden roots on impact. Robin and Selina rush to the others, and Selina uses her knife to cut the two Canaries free, and the two begin coughing and gasping for air. On the other side of the room, Floronic Man's body reforms itself, and a look of horror can be seen in his eyes as he realizes that Pamela has been freed.
FLORONIC MAN
(heartbroken and terrified)
Oh Pamela...
Floronic Man's body dissolves into a mass of tendrils once again, and he shoots up an air vent in the wall to make his escape as Robin and Pamela watch on.
INT. FRONT LOBBY. NIGHT.
Tatsu is kneeling on the floor, her mouth agape, her eyes completely white and open wide with no emotion behind them.
CUT TO
In Tatsu's vision, we see from her point of view, laying on the operating table, looking down at her hand, a complex clockwork monstrosity in the shape of a human hand with large curved talons extending from the tips of the fingers, crudely grafted onto the end of a fleshy stump of an arm.
BLACK LIGHTNING
(distant echo)
Tatsu!
CUT TO
Tatsu, kneeling on the floor with her eyes white and blank.
BLACK LIGHTNING
(radio)
Tatsu!
Tatsu is snapped out of her stupor, her eyes returning to normal as she regains her senses.
TATSU
(dazed)
... ah, what?
BLACK LIGHTNING
(radio)
Are you done with your guys?
Tatsu looks around at the remains of her enemies.
TATSU
Yes. I'm done.
INT. OFFICE. NIGHT.
Jeff pops the office windows out of their frames and lets them fall to the ground below and shatter. Tatsu stands at the door. The Bishop looks back and forth between the two of them as they speak.
TATSU
I don't think we want to land on that.
BLACK LIGHTNING
Better than crashing through it.
Besides, we should land a lot further
away than that.
Jeff turns back to Tatsu, and makes eye contact with her and the Bishop.
BLACK LIGHTNING
Everyone ready?
Tatsu and the Bishop both nod. Tatsu rests her hands on the hilt of her sword, gripping it tightly. The look on her face is tense, and her hand shakes slightly. Jeff notices this.
BLACK LIGHTNING
You alright to do this?
TATSU
Yes. I am.
Tatsu looks down at the hilt of her sword as she grips it tighter and steadies herself.
TATSU
I want to save someone tonight.
Jeff nods and positions himself between the Bishop and the opening where the windows used to be. He places his hand on the wall, and drains the electricity out of the room, causing the lights to flicker.
BLACK LIGHTNING
Now!
Tatsu grimaces as she draws spiritual energy out of her sword, which swirls up her arm and around her body as it energizes her with preternatural power. Tatsu's eyes turn white again just as she bolts forward in a superhuman burst of speed and scoops up the Bishop and Jeff in her arms.
EXT. OFFICE PARK. FREELAND, NJ. NIGHT.
Tatsu, Jeff, and the Bishop rocket out of the window.
BEAT
A massive fireball erupts from the window as the office explodes. As the trio arc through the air, clinging onto each other for dear life, Jeff's body crackles with electricity, creating a blast of thunder in the air beneath them to cushion their fall. Car alarms all over the neighborhood start going off. They land with a thud in the lab's parking lot.
BLACK LIGHTNING
Is everyone okay?
The Bishop lets out a muffled affirmation. Jeff stands up and starts dusting himself off. He looks down at Tatsu.
BLACK LIGHTNING
Tatsu, are you hurt?
TATSU
(quietly)
No.
She unclips the daisho from her belt and rests it on the ground.
TATSU
(quietly)
I am uninjured.
ROBIN
(O.S.)
Good to hear.
The three turn and sees that they are being approached by the rest of the party, who are accompanied by Pamela Isely and the two other young test subjects of The Joker's experiments; Waylon Jones and Harleen Quinzel.
ROBIN
We're going to need all the supplies
we have.
SELINA
Good thing we have extra cots.
INT. ARCHIVES. ATLANTIS.
Deep within the bowels of the Atlantean archives, the looming towers of the catalog shelves cast long shadows, barely kept at bay by the lanterns illuminating the research tables. "Team Atlantis" are neck deep in research, surrounded on all sides by stacks of books and scrolls and slate tablets and digital tablets as they work through the material. Zatanna Zatara is in her element, combing through the texts and cross referencing with the speed and efficiency of an industrial machine. Helena Luthor, sitting to her left, glances on in awe as she struggles to keep up. To Zatanna's right, Neptune Perkins has dozed off in his chair. Across from her sits Arthur Curry, with Clark Kent and Diana Prince sitting to his right and left respectively. Arthur, resting comfortably in his Atlantean form, is pouring over an ancient tome and struggling with the dry archaic material, not helped by his repeated glances toward Mera, sitting at the head of the table between Diana and Perkins, who is watching him and not trying to hide it. Diana and Clark are themselves distracted; Diana by her concern for Kendra, who is far off to the side on her own, sitting by the catalog shelves and reading in the darkness, and Clark by Lori Lemaris, who sits at the other end of the table opposite her superior officer, and who is deep in conversation with the Kryptonian teen.
LORI
But why is it illegal to be psychic?
CLARK
Humans often fear and hate what they
do not understand. The world is a
cruel place, and that's why Doctor Zen
formed the Zen-Men, to fight for
psychic liberation and protect the
innocent from Doctor Diehard's
Fraternity of Malicious Psions; all of
it, in the name of peace and justice.
LORI
That's a beautiful sentiment.
As Clark and Lori talk, Diana gets up and walks over to Kendra.
DIANA
Wouldn't you like more light?
Kendra looks up at Diana.
KENDRA
Hawk eyes.
DIANA
(smiling)
Of course.
Diana sits down on the floor next to Kendra.
DIANA
How are you?
KENDRA
Same as I always am.
DIANA
Do you see why that worries me?
KENDRA
Diana, please...
Kendra chokes up.
KENDRA
(quietly)
I see him everywhere. Please don't...
Diana nods quietly.
BEAT
DIANA
How goes the search?
Kendra holds up the tablet she has been reading from.
KENDRA
This is a fragment of a 50 thousand
year old Thanagarian field survey. It
lists all of the fresh water sources
on "the land mass."
DIANA
Which refers to the island that used
to exist on top of this very spot, I
assume?
KENDRA
Yes. This part is interesting.
Kendra taps her finger on a part of the text.
KENDRA
It says there's something called "the
secret sea" in an underground grotto,
and then right here it lists the
latitude, longitude, and altitude of
the grotto.
Kendra taps her finger on a very large string of digits.
KENDRA
This is a negative number. These
coordinates point to a spot UNDERNEATH
the city we're in right now.
Diana smiles. Cutting back to the study group, and Arthur has begun glaring at his red headed babysitter, resulting in a very moody staring contest. Clark and Lori are procrastinating by glancing back and forth between Arthur and Mera. Diana and Kendra approach the group.
DIANA
We may have a lead.
ARTHUR
Thank God!
Arthur turns around in his chair to face the girls.
ARTHUR
Where are we going?
DIANA
Kendra found a fragment of an
environmental-
ARTHUR
Skip to the end.
KENDRA
There might be something under the
city called "the secret sea."
ZATANNA
I know that.
Without looking up, Zatanna hands a scroll to Diana.
ZATANNA
The diary of one of the priests of
Poseidon's temple in the Third City.
Princess, would you please read the
highlighted section? Your Mycenaean
Greek is better than mine.
DIANA
(reading aloud)
"... on the seventh night following
his departure, the High Priest Atlan
returned from the grotto. He has been
changed. His hair and his eyes are
white as death. That night, his words
burned with a divine fire that lesser
men might mistake for madness, as he
told us the story of what he found
when he sailed to the edge the secret
sea."
Diana looks around at the group before returning to the scroll.
DIANA
(reading aloud)
"He spoke of a great shore beyond the
horizon, at the edge of all things,
where stands a temple dedicated to
seven nameless gods, housing inside of
it an great seal...
(looks around at the others)
... to which he already holds the
key."
A silence hangs in the air for a moment as the group processes what they've heard. Arthur looks at Kendra and Diana.
ARTHUR
I'll go with you two and check this
out. Clark, do you mind staying here?
CLARK
You'll call if there's trouble?
ARTHUR
Only if it's more than usual.
Arthur and the girls turn to leave, and Mera gets up to follow.
ARTHUR
(annoyed)
Right.
Arthur turns to Mera.
ARTHUR
You don't have to go with me
everywhere I go.
MERA
Yes, I do.
ARTHUR
It's not your job to babysit me!
MERA
Yes, it is!
KENDRA
Arthur, just let her come, let's get
going.
ARTHUR
I don't like her knowing about every
single thing we do.
MERA
(incredulous laughter)
Well that's too bad, your highness.
ARTHUR
Am I funny to you?
MERA
You're not used to being told "no,"
are you? I bet you were mommy's
"special boy," weren't you?
Arthur closes the distance, getting right up in Mera's face, shifting back into his human form for the first time in a while. Her face is smug, while his is deadly serious.
ARTHUR
(ice cold)
You do not know me.
MERA
Mm, yes, I bet you're so mysterious.
Arthur's whole body tenses up, and Diana gently places her hands on his shoulders, lifts him off the ground, turns him around, and places him down again.
DIANA
Let's get going, Arthur.
ARTHUR
(quiet fury)
Why don't we?
Diana and Kendra lead Arthur away, followed by Mera. Clark and Lori watch as they go.
CLARK
Lori, can I ask kind of a weird
question?
LORI
(excited)
Sure!
CLARK
Arthur, he looks like an Atlantean
when he's in the water, or when he
wants to, but he looks human the rest
of the time. Why don't the rest of you
do that?
LORI
It looks like he's using a cellular
loom, although I don't see where he
could be wearing it.
CLARK
What is that?
LORI
I can show you, if you want.
CLARK
Sure!
(glances at Zatanna)
Um, we can go after the others get
back.
Clark picks up one of the books in front of him.
CLARK
In the meantime, we-
ZATANNA
(without looking up)
Just go.
CLARK
Cool, thanks!
Clark gets up out of his seat as Lori's bubble-chair glides away from the table.
LORI
This way!
Clark follows Lori off to elsewhere. Zatanna, Lena, and Neptune remain at the table.
LENA
That was generous.
ZATANNA
I'm not their dad, and research
doesn't get done any faster by having
more people sitting around not doing
it.
LENA
You sound like my dad.
ZATANNA
Your dad sounds like a real jerk.
Zatanna glances to the side to make eye contact with Lena, and the two break out into laughter. This startles Neptune Perkins awake.
INT. HALLWAY. ATLANTIS.
The "away team" descends a staircase that leads to a sub- level hallway of the First City complex. Kendra is in the lead, referencing her notes, followed by Diana, Arthur, and Mera in the rear.
KENDRA
Why are there so many places with air
in Atlantis?
MERA
We are mammals. Besides, some of the
equipment won't work when submerged.
KENDRA
Hm. Seems kind of inefficient.
MERA
(sarcastic)
"Hm."
Kendra pauses for a moment at the bottom of the stairs, checking the coordinates before choosing which direction to go, leading the group down a corridor that opens up to...
INT. ATLANTEAN HALL OF THE DEAD.
An enormous archway, 100 feet tall at it's highest point and stretching down an appropriately massive corridor further than the eye can see, made entirely of glass and shimmering with bright blue light. The walls of the arch are comprised of row after row of long curved glass rods. Water flows down the rods, running through the complex pattern of grooves carved into them, creating a hauntingly beautiful wall of harmonious sound that floats over the heads of all who walk through the archway. Atlanteans can be seen in the distance, sitting on benches or walking along the length of the corridor. The party's pace slows, and Arthur moves to the front of the group.
ARTHUR
What is this place?
VULKO
(O.S.)
The Hall of the Dead.
To Arthur's right stands an older looking Atlantean man. He is VULKO.
VULKO
Each of us is born with a unique call,
a song we sing to find one another
across the vastness of the depths.
When we die, our call is carved into a
glass rod, slotted into the walls of
the Hall of the Dead. Ocean water
drips from the ceiling, playing the
songs as it slides down the glass,
producing a symphony of the dead.
Mera leans over to Kendra.
MERA
Seem inefficient to you?
KENDRA
I stand corrected, don't be smug about
it.
VULKO
Please excuse Captain Xebella, that
bravado is how she expresses the depth
of her devotion to the seven cities.
MERA
Minister. Good day.
VULKO
Prince Orin, I've been hoping to speak
with you ever since I was informed of
your arrival. My name is Vulko. Your
mother was a very dear friend of mine,
a long time ago.
MERA
Before she committed treason, of
course.
Arthur turns back and glares at Mera.
VULKO
Captain, I'm sure the party line can
make allowances for an old statesman's
nostalgia.
Arthur glances back at Vulko, then glances over at Diana and Kendra, and has an idea. Arthur turns to Vulko, shifting back into his Atlantean form as he does.
ARTHUR
You worked here when my mom was queen?
VULKO
For many years.
ARTHUR
You must have so many stories about my
mother.
VULKO
Thousands, at least. Most of them
appropriate to share with her son,
even.
ARTHUR
Ladies, why don't you go on ahead
while I get acquainted with Minister
Vulko, here? I'd like to learn
something about my heritage.
DIANA
Of course.
KENDRA
No problem.
Kendra and Diana continue to walk further down the corridor. Mera looks back and forth between them and Arthur a few times, a look of frustration on her face, before she resigns herself to her mission and walks up alongside Arthur and Vulko.
MERA
(annoyed)
Would you mind if I joined you,
Minister?
VULKO
Not at all, Captain. I have a few
stories about your family, as well.
Mera makes eye contact with Arthur. Mera is livid. Arthur is quite pleased with himself.
INT. STORAGE ROOM. ATLANTIS.
The lights go on as Lori leads Clark into the storage room. She glides over to one of the storage shelves, and pulls out a drawer, from which she produces a small metal device.
LORI
This is a cellular loom.
CLARK
What does it do?
LORI
Allow me to demonstrate!
Lori straps the device to her forearm. She presses a button causing a blue light to come on. She turns a dial for a moment, looking for a particular setting, and then presses down on the dial. The blue light turns orange, and a mesh made of light spreads across Lori's body, enveloping her before disappearing as her entire body shifts into the form of a 17 year old human girl. Clark blushes.
CLARK
(quietly)
Oh wow...
LORI
That is what it does.
CLARK
Can you...?
LORI
Walk? No. The loom can only rearrange
what's there, so my "leg" bones aren't
strong enough to support my weight.
CLARK
(earnest)
Well, you... look great.
LORI
(blushing)
Thanks.
BEAT
LORI
You want to try?
CLARK
Sure!
Lori presses and twists the dial, shifting back into her true form as the mesh made of light flows back into device, its orange indicator light switching back to blue. She removes the cellular loom and hands it to Clark. As soon as he straps it on, the light on the device flashes orange.
CLARK
What does that mean?
LORI
(confused)
It means there's already a cellular
weave in place.
Lori glides over to Clark to inspect the loom. She presses and twists the dial. Clark's body twists and contorts and a mesh made of light flows out of him into the loom, and the orange light switches to blue. Transformation complete, Clark stands before Lori in the form of an almost stock image of a "grey alien," with visible nose or ears, a bulbous bald head, smooth and shiny black insectoid eyes, and three long fingers and a thumb on each hand. Clark looks down at his body with a confused expression on his alien face that quickly shifts to panic.
LORI
(quiet)
Fascinating.
CLARK
(screaming)
*scream*
LORI
(startled)
Oh!
Lori grabs Clark's wrist and twists the dial, reversing the process. She removes the device from his wrist as he looks down at his hands, breathing hard.
CLARK
What was that?!
LORI
That was... what you really look like.
Clark looks down at his hands in shock.
LORI
You're not human.
CLARK
(distant)
No. I'm not.
Lori looks down at her tail, not sure what to say.
BEAT
LORI
(smiling)
Well, neither am I.
Clark looks up at Lori. A surprised smile grows on his face.
INT. ATLANTEAN HALL OF THE DEAD.
Kendra and Diana reach the end of the hall of the dead; just past where the giant arch stops, there is a large metal wall, with a doorway leading to a small room. As Diana and Kendra enter, they pass an alcove containing a computer terminal directly on their left. Diana glances at the computer, while Kendra looks around the room, full of what appear to be decorative objects on shelves, with a work station behind a counter in the far corner, currently unattended.
DIANA
It is a list, the names of mourners
who have visited the hall.
KENDRA
The guest book.
Kendra turns back to Diana.
KENDRA
This is the gift shop.
DIANA
Is there an exit?
Kendra pokes her head through a door on the far right wall, which leads to a very tall set of stairs going back the direction they came from, and a sign on the wall.
KENDRA
Stairs going up. Sign says they lead
to the airlocks for the submerged
sections above us.
DIANA
How far are we from the coordinates?
Kendra points at the far left wall of the gift shop, toward the corner.
KENDRA
About three hundred feet that way...
(points down)
... and two hundred feet down.
DIANA
Hm...
As Kendra looks around in frustration, Diana's attention begins to drift. Gradually, quietly, the sound of chattering whispers draws the princess into a trance just as it did back at the antique shop in San Francisco. Half aware, she glides over to the work station alcove in the corner of the room, behind the counter, where the whispering seems to emanating from the panels in the wall.
KENDRA
Diana, did you find-?
Diana rips the panels off the wall, revealing a large maintenance area full of pipes and wiring and a narrow corridor for access.
KENDRA
Holy crap.
Kendra follows Diana down the narrow maintenance corridor. After walking less than fifty feet, they find themselves standing before a ladder leading down into a hole with no visible bottom.
KENDRA
How did you know that was there?
DIANA
I do not know.
KENDRA
... great.
INT. ATLANTEAN HALL OF THE DEAD.
Arthur and Mera walk on either side of Vulko as they stroll through the hall, ignoring the glances from passers by.
VULKO
My career in politics began during the
reign of your Grandfather, King Orin
the Second.
ARTHUR
What was my grandfather like?
MERA
King Orin was a great man, a hero to
our people who singlehandedly drove
off the Fire Troll invasion over one
hundreds years ago.
VULKO
It was ninety-seven years ago, and he
had help.
ARTHUR
I thought you hated my family.
MERA
Your family did not betray Atlantis,
it was your mother betrayed us all! If
your grandfather were alive to see
what became of his dynasty-!
VULKO
Then he would mourn his daughter's
death, and he would wish for his
grandson, long lost, to be welcomed
home. I know it is difficult for the
Steward's daughter to understand,
Mera, but love of country is confined
within its borders. Love for one's
family is wider and deeper than the
sea.
Mera looks down and away, holding her tongue. Vulko turns to Arthur.
VULKO
Orin, I believe you are owed some
answers. Please, follow me.
Vulko leads Arthur and Mera to a large connecting hallway at the center of the corridor, branching off to a slightly smaller archway of water cascading down grooved glass rods.
VULKO
This is the Hall of Kings, where the
songs of the royal dynasty join the
chorus of the dead.
ARTHUR
The family plot.
Arthur walks down the hall of Kings, surrounded by the harmonious choir of his ancestors, looking around in awe. He quickly reaches the end of the hall, where there are still many available slots in the walls for the songs of future monarchs. Vulko stands beside Arthur by the last song in the line.
ARTHUR
This is my grandfather?
Vulko points to another glass rod nearby.
VULKO
No, this is your grandfather. That is
King Orvax, your mother's first
husband.
MERA
Who she murdered.
INT. UNDERGROUND TUNNELS. ATLANTIS.
Diana drops down the ladder, finding herself in an underground network of tunnels. Kendra soon follows.
KENDRA
Not far now.
The two heroes make their way down a unsteady and winding rocky tunnel for just a short time before they see the light ahead. As they walk toward the light, they come upon a baffling sight:
THE SECRET SEA
The cavern opens up to a grotto, a patch of dead grass with a single gnarled, barren tree, overlooking the shore of a vast frozen sea, nothing but ice stretching out toward the horizon under a gray sky. In the distance, large industrial machines can be seen, drilling into the ice and belching black smoke.
THE END
Chapter 35: Challenge of the Super Friends, Season Two, Episode Ten, "How I Spent My Summer Vacation, Chapter 10"
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
THE SECRET SEA
Diana and Kendra look at the unending vastness of the frozen ocean before them.
KENDRA
... lives up to the name. I guess.
The two walk across the dead grass, passing the gnarled barren tree as they step out onto the ice. The gray sky and frozen ocean seem to stretch on forever in every direction. Behind them, the grotto appears to be sitting at the mouth of a cave in a large icy mound. They walk on, approaching the large industrial machines belching black smoke; drills, boring into the ice, seemingly to harvest it. The sound is deafening, and the smoke makes it difficult to see or breath. Kendra and Diana begin coughing. Diana raises her arm to shield her eyes from the smoke.
KENDRA
(inaudible)
*COUGH* Let's go around!
As Diana shields her eyes, she peers under her arm; through the smoke, she can see three figures standing in the far distance.
KENDRA
(inaudible)
*COUGH* Diana! *COUGH*
Diana narrows her gaze. Somehow, she makes eye contact. *CRASH* The industrial drills spark and sputter, shutting down.
KENDRA
DIANA! Oh... *COUGH*
The smoke parts to reveal three women standing before them; a young maiden, a middle aged woman with a maternal bearing, and an old crone. The Kindly Ones.
INT. THE HALL OF KINGS.
Arthur stands before the song of King Orvax, his mother's first husband, the man she murdered.
VULKO
Twenty years ago, Queen Atlanna
entered the catacombs with her husband
the king, carrying with her the symbol
of the monarchy, The Spear of
Poseidon. When she ran back out she
was panicked, covered in blood, the
spear nowhere to be seen. She fled the
kingdom that night. Her husband's body
was discovered by the priests, run
through with a weapon that was never
found.
MERA
Whatever she did down there had
greater consequences than murder; she
disrupted some mechanism of the fore-
comers technology that is so vital to
this city, only the high priest is
trusted with it. Since then, our
energy reserves have been depleting.
My father has had to enact strict
rations to maintain stability.
ARTHUR
Why would she do that?
MERA
Maybe she threw a tantrum after the
king refused to join her coup? That's
my theory.
Arthur turns around and gets up in Mera's face.
MERA
I suppose she thought if she couldn't
have it all, then no one could have
anything.
VULKO
Mera, enough!
Scowling, Arthur storms out of the Hall of Kings, shifting back into his human form as he does, attracting the attention of passers by. Following orders, Mera goes after him.
MERA
Do you know why these people keep
staring at you? They're afraid of you!
They've all wondered when the day
would come that "Prince Orin" would
finally return to Atlantis with an
army of Fire Trolls or Trench Dwellers
in tow to take his revenge.
Arthur turns around, holding out his arms in exasperation.
ARTHUR
No army! So sorry to disappoint! I
came here to save my brother, and to
save my friend's sister, and maybe
save all of your lives! I don't care
what you think my mom did! I don't
even care she really did! I just what
want to do what I came here to do and
go home!
Arthur's voice echoes through the hall of the dead. Vulko approaches him and gently places a hand on his shoulder.
VULKO
Let's go for a swim.
THE SECRET SEA
The three women smile, each unnerving in its own way.
CYNTHIA
What's new, pussycat?
MILDRED
A little toad croaked your name.
MORDRED
So of course, we came.
KENDRA
... who are you?!
DIANA
(quiet)
... no...
Diana backs away from the three women, grabbing Kendra's arm.
DIANA
We need to go.
Diana backs into the three witches, now standing behind her.
CYNTHIA
Don't go, princess!
KENDRA
(startled)
*annoyed surprise*!
MILDRED
We've only just arrived!
MORDRED
How rude! Surely your mother taught
you better.
KENDRA
You're one to talk about manners. You
still haven't told us who-
DIANA
They are the Hecateae, the triune
goddess, mother of witches, weaver of
fate and instrument of its will.
KENDRA
Oh. Them.
CYNTHIA
(curtsying)
Cynthia.
MILDRED
(bowing)
Mildred.
MORDRED
(sneering)
Mordred, and can it with the heka-
nonsense. Do we look Greek to you?
MILDRED
You may refer to us, collectively, as
"The Kindly Ones."
CYNTHIA
We're here to help, after all.
DIANA
I did not summon you!
MILDRED
You didn't need to.
MORDRED
Everything that withers and dies at
the touch of these warlocks, we feel.
MILDRED
You know what the word "warlock"
means, don't you?
CYNTHIA
The oaths they broke were made in our
name.
MILDRED
Before they belonged to their Titans
and their teary eyed kings, they
belonged to us.
DIANA
I know the law! You can only take
vengeance on behalf of a wronged
party! I have not...
Diana trails off as she begins to lose composure.
MORDRED
Not what?
MILDRED
Been wronged?
CYNTHIA
They butchered your family.
MILDRED
Kidnapped your sister.
MORDRED
You didn't see the things they did to
them. You weren't there when Marius
beat Phillipus with her own arm.
MILDRED
When Cheetah sliced Io open from neck
to navel.
CYNTHIA
When Circe desecrated your mother's-
DIANA
(snapping)
ENOUGH!
Diana winds up a haymaker to throw at the three witches, but stops mid way as she begins choking on nothing. Grasping at her neck, struggling for air, she drops to her knees.
CYNTHIA
Know your place, princess.
KENDRA
Diana!
MILDRED
You too, priestess.
KENDRA
You know me?
MORDRED
Intimately.
The invisible force choking Diana subsides, and she begins gasping for air.
MORDRED
You swore to guard the gate.
MILDRED
He opened it.
CYNTHIA
You swore to protect your people.
MILDRED
He cut them open, like they were pigs
for the Christmas ham.
MORDRED
Snatched up sweet little Donna, the
poor-
DIANA
I will not kill a child to save a
child!
MORDRED
*hmph* How "modern" of you.
MILDRED
You are a warrior.
DIANA
Tommy Curry is innocent!
CYNTHIA
Innocence does not win wars.
MILDRED
Your mother is dead. Her throne is
your burden, now.
MORDRED
And you would damn the last of your
people, and the whole of the world,
for an innocent?
DIANA
I am not the queen!
MORDRED
No.
MILDRED
You are not.
CYNTHIA
Princess.
Diana looks up at the Kindly Ones and glares. She gets up to her feet, takes a deep breath, and centers herself.
DIANA
Thank you for your offer. I decline.
Kendra, we're leaving.
Diana steps around the Kindly Ones and begins walking back to the grotto. Kendra follows her while eyeing the three witches suspiciously.
KENDRA
Right.
The Kindly Ones watch as the two young heroes depart.
CYNTHIA
(smiling)
Mind how you go.
EXT. ATLANTIS.
In his Atlantean form, Arthur swims alongside Vulko over the city of Atlantis, with Mera following a respectful distance behind.
VULKO
I cannot imagine how hard this must be
for you, Arthur.
ARTHUR
(dismissive)
Hm.
VULKO
You must understand the monarchy's
relationship with the people. The
royal line descends from Kordax, the
man who discovered these ruins, and
the first of our people to develop
power of The Blue; the ability you
inherited from your mother which
allows you to control the movement of
water, and to extend your mind outward
to touch the minds of others. For the
most part, this ability is rare in our
people, only presenting itself
randomly in a meager few, and rarely
with any potency. Only the Kordax
dynasty produced heirs both touched by
The Blue and powerful in its ways in
every generation.
ARTHUR
I wouldn't call the Captain back there
"impotent."
VULKO
What came to you naturally took Mera a
life of training. I imagine she
resents you for that, just a bit.
ARTHUR
I'll add it to the list.
VULKO
It is unfair to you, but Atlantis'
relationship with your family has
always been adversarial. From the
beginning, the people were suspicious
of the great house of warrior
sorcerers, consolidating power in
their very blood. The House of Kordax
understood this fear, and the
responsibility their gifts shackled
them with, so they swore an oath to
serve Atlantis and protect her people.
It was your family's duty to march
ahead of the armies of Atlantis, ready
to lay down your lives for the
kingdom, your duty to work your
sorceries in service of Atlantis and
her people, meeting the city's needs
with your very bodies and blood. In
exchange for dedicating every
generation to a life of service, the
family lived without want in the First
City. The day to day affairs of state
have always been handled by the
elected council of lay-ministers,
while the city guard and the archives
of the first three cities are
controlled by the priesthood; the
monarch stood before both secular and
religious councils as advocate of the
people. This is how power has been
balanced in Atlantis for over two
thousand years, a balance your mother
shattered when she murdered her
husband, and along with it, the
delicate trust of the people.
Vulko and Arthur both slow to a stop in the water, maintaining an intense eye contact.
VULKO
I do not want to burden you with
blame. You have done nothing wrong.
But you must understand, that is how
you are viewed by your people. It is
not right, it is not fair, but it is
the situation before you. Whatever
crimes she was guilty of, your mother
was my friend, and I would like to
help you navigate these waters, if you
let me.
Vulko extends a hand, which Arthur accepts in a firm handshake. Cautiously, Mera closes the distance. Vulko turns to Mera as she approaches, while Arthur glances down at his hand, still clasping Vulko's, curiously.
VULKO
Captain Xebella, you have good timing.
I am needed in chambers shortly, I
assume you and the prince must be
going as well?
Vulko disengages from the handshake, and Arthur quickly closes his hand into a fist.
MERA
That is up to Prince-
ARTHUR
Let's head back.
Arthur quickly swims away.
ARTHUR
I'm hungry.
Annoyed, Mera swims after Arthur. Vulko watches them go with a smirk on his face.
INT. CAVE.
Diana hurries through the underground caverns at an agitated pace, while Kendra scrambles behind her to keep up.
KENDRA
Diana, hold on a second!
DIANA
We can rest when I am sure it is safe.
KENDRA
You don't want to stop and talk about
what happened just now?
DIANA
No.
Diana approaches the ladder leading up to the Hall of the Dead gift shop. Kendra summons the energy to dash up ahead of Diana and stand in her way.
KENDRA
Hold up.
DIANA
We can discuss this-
KENDRA
Now! THE three witches just walked up
to us and offered to kill Marius!
DIANA
I was afraid of this...
KENDRA
So you thought this was a risk?
DIANA
My mother told me the Hecateae take
interest when those with divine blood
weather hardships. She also warned me
that fate is fickle, and vengeance tastes
bitter, and that the offers of the Kindly
Ones are not to be trusted.
KENDRA
If they are who I think you're saying
they are... how bad will it get if
they get involved?
Diana brushes past Kendra and starts climbing the ladder.
DIANA
They will not.
KENDRA
Be straight with me, Princess, are we
in danger here?
Diana stops climbing and turns to Kendra.
DIANA
They will not harm us, and they will
not act unless they are invoked to act
on another's behalf. It is divine law.
KENDRA
Then why the panic?
Diana turns around and begins climbing again.
DIANA
Because I want to accept, and they
know that.
Kendra lets this sink in for just a beat before climbing up after Diana. However, before she can make it up more than a few rungs, Diana falls down to the ground with incredible force, creating a small impact crater in the rocks when she lands.
KENDRA
DIANA!
Kendra looks up, to see CIRCE THE SORCERESS floating down, her hands crackling with pink lightning.
CIRCE
(singsong)
Hi-iiii!
INT. ATLANTIS
Clark and Lori are making their way back to the archive room.
LORI
So it's above the air and it's mostly
filled with nothing?
CLARK
Right, and planets are these big round
rocks that float out in-
LORI
(embarrassed)
Clark, I was kidding.
CLARK
(embarrassed)
Oh.
The two share a laugh as they pass by the airlocks. The Nautilus 2 is visible on the docking pad just through the window. As Clark and Lori pass by, Arthur and Mera enter.
CLARK
Oh, hey guys.
ARTHUR
Hi Clark. Wanna grab lunch?
CLARK
Sure!
LORI
Hello, Captain Xebella.
MERA
Lieutenant.
GUARD CAPTAIN
(O.S.)
ATTENTION!
Lori snaps to attention while Clark, Arthur, and Mera turn with puzzled looks to see a small regiment of the city guard march toward them in formation. Bystanders cast nervous glances as they scatter in different directions.
ARTHUR
What's the meaning of this?
MERA
That's what I was going to say!
GUARD CAPTAIN
By order of High Priest Nereus
Xebella, Steward of the First City, I
am here to place you under arrest for
high crimes and treason against
Atlantis.
Arthur's whole body tenses up.
ARTHUR
Like hell!
MERA
(laughing)
It's about time!
The guards group up and encircle all four of them.
MERA
What are you doing?!
GUARD CAPTAIN
Do not resist!
Arthur grabs the guard Captain by the shoulders, spins him around in the air, and slams him full force against the airlock window, knocking over several other guards in the process and causing the corridor to shake.
ARTHUR
I refuse.
INT. ATLANTEAN ARCHIVE.
ZATANNA, LENA LUTHOR, and NEPTUNE PERKINS sit at the research table. Lena clicks her pink ballpoint pen absentmindedly as she reads. Neptune is still asleep in his chair, but even as he sleeps, his ears perk up at an almost imperceptible sound in the distance.
BEAT
LENA
What did you say y-?
Neptune Perkins bursts out of his chair.
NEPTUNE PERKINS
DOWN!
Perkins dives toward the girls and pulls both of them to the ground just as blaster fire goes off over their heads. The three hit the ground with a thud.
ZATANNA
What's going on?
NEPTUNE PERKINS
Don't know. Gotta go!
Atlantean guards begin to swarm into the archive chambers. Neptune pulls himself up into a crouching position and helps the girls do the same as he quickly tries to lead them in a crouch-walk to cover behind the book-stacks. The guards begin sweeping through the archive, hunting their prey.
INT. ATLANTIS
Several Atlantean guards rush Clark, who charges up his powers as they dog-pile on him. Four other guards attack Arthur and a very flabbergasted Mera.
MERA
I'm on YOUR side, idiots!
Mera and Arthur both dodge and weave to evade the guards' attacks. To the side, Lori watches, panicked and unsure. On the other side of the fight, Clark summons a burst of power to throw the guards off of him, sending them flying across the hall in all different directions. One slams into the wall nearest Lori with a thud, startling the merteen. As the dazed guard slumps to the floor, Lori looks past him and notices the submarine docked in the airlock chamber. Lori glides over to the wall, and punches a security code into the keypad. The door opens.
LORI
Come on, let's go!
INT. ATLANTEAN ARCHIVE.
Zee, Lena, and Neptune crouch-walk quickly and quietly, avoiding the guards who are searching for them. Neptune pulls the girls to cover around a corner just as a guard sweeps past.
LENA
(whispering)
Where are we going?
NEPTUNE PERKINS
(whispering)
Still working on that.
ZATANNA
(whispering)
I can get us out of here. Be ready to
run when I say so.
Zee holds her hands together and begins encanting.
ZATANNA
(whispering)
Llac htrof a lartceps dnuoh ot ediug
su ot eht tseraen dekcolnu rood
Blue energy appears and swirls between Zatanna's hands before shooting outward, taking the form of a blue glowing translucent dog.
ZATANNA
(whispering)
Run!
The party starts running, following the spectral bloodhound's lead.
ZATANNA
Eht ria dniheb su lliw esnednoc otni
a sselthgiew cimanydorea dleihs sa
drah sa leets, derehtet ot ym sdnah
The noise alerts the guards, who rush after the group and take aim with their blasters. Zee throws her hands back while continuing to look and run straight ahead, conjuring a translucent shield to block the oncoming energy bolts. The party follow the bloodhound to a dark corner of the archive, where the spectral dog runs up to a door and begins pawing at it. Perkins opens the door, only to find a closet inside.
NEPTUNE PERKINS
Dead end.
ZATANNA
Move!
Zatanna pushes Perkins out of the way and pulls the door shut again. The heavy footsteps of the approaching guards can be heard. Zee holds a hand up to the door and begins encanting.
ZATANNA
Tcennoc siht rood ot ym tesolc rood
kcab emoh rof eno esu!
Zatanna pulls the door open just as the guards round the corner. Bright sunlight streams in through the door, momentarily blinding the mermen.
ZATANNA
Hurry!
The party run through the door, closing it behind them. The lead guard, rubbing the spots out of his eyes, rushes up to the door and pulls it open. Inside, there is an empty closet.
INT. ATLANTIS
Arthur, Mera, Clark, and Lori rush into the airlocks.
MERA
Lieutenant, what are you doing?!
Arthur turns around to deck a pursuing guard in the face and push him back toward his comrades.
ARTHUR
Saving our lives, looks like!
CLARK
Everyone get behind me!
Clark gets in front of the group and holds out his arms. Pouring energy into his arms, he claps his hands together as quickly and with as much force as he can, creating a directed shock-wave that knocks all of the guards back. Arthur opens the hatch.
LORI
Can you drive this thing?
ARTHUR
Don't have much of a choice!
MERA
Lemaris, you can't help these people,
they are fugitives!
Back in the hallway, one of the guards manages to pull himself back up to his feet. He picks up one of the spears strewn across the ground and throws it like a javelin directly at the one target he has a good shot at: Mera. Unfortunately for him, her warrior reflexes are too finely honed, and she turns around to catch the spear in a fraction of a second. As she registers what just happened, a look of hurt and betrayal appears on her face.
LORI
So are we, Mera.
Mera drops the spear and turns to look at Lori, at a loss for words. Clark dashes out into the hall to sock the guard in the jaw before dashing back to help Lori board the submarine. Arthur, standing by the hatch, turns to Mera.
ARTHUR
You coming?
Mera looks at Arthur, again at a loss for words.
INT. APARTMENT. DAY.
Zatanna, Lena, and Neptune Perkins stand in the middle of what appears to be the messy bedroom of a teenage goth girl.
NEPTUNE PERKINS
Where are we?
ZATANNA
San Francisco.
LENA
What?
Zatanna pokes her head out of the bedroom door.
ZATANNA
DAD! I'M HOME!
ZACHARY ZATARA
(O.S.)
Okay sweetie!
Zatanna shuts the door.
LENA
We're really in San Francisco?
ZATANNA
Yeah. My place. Well, my dad's place.
Neptune and Lena both look around at the situation they've found themselves in.
LENA
So what do we do now?
INT. SUBMARINE.
Arthur sits in the Captain's chair. A VERY uncertain looking Mera sits beside him.
CLARK
Arthur, how are we going to get the
sub in the water?
ARTHUR
I'll handle it.
Arthur closes his eyes and begins to concentrate.
CUT TO
In the airlock, the bubble dome surrounding it begins to warp as Arthur attempts to use the power of The Blue to break its surface tension and fill the chamber with water.
CUT TO
Inside of the sub, Arthur is struggling with all of his might against the strength of the protective dome. Mera glances at him, and places her hand on his. She closes her eyes and adds her power of The Blue to his own.
CUT TO
In the airlock, the walls of the bubble begin to warp and ripple even more chaotically and violently, before the bubble suddenly bursts into countless tint bubbles and water comes rushing in.
CUT TO
Inside the sub, Arthur opens his eyes and immediately activates the sub's propellers.
CUT TO
Inside of the sub, the party watches through the windows as they flee Atlantis.
CLARK
What about the others?
ARTHUR
Right now, all we can do is have
faith in them.
INT. DUNGEON.
Kendra and Diana lie on the ground of a dark and dingy prison cell, unconscious and chained to the wall. They are quickly forced back to consciousness as water is thrown on them. Diana aggressively scrambles to her feet, while Kendra takes a moment to collect herself.
KENDRA
(groggy)
... what?
DIANA
(furious)
WHO DARES?!
Diana sees that Nereus Xebella is standing before them. Orm Marius and Circe the Sorceress are both standing behind him to either side.
NEREUS
Did you think you could trick me? Did
you really think Orin's ploy would
ever work?
Diana glances back and forth between Marius and Circe, a stern look of determination on her face.
DIANA
Ploy-?
NEREUS
Do you have any idea the kind of mind
I possess? The will? I lead the oldest
civilization in this world. I have
weathered crisis after crisis since
the boy's mother abandoned us. I have
held this kingdom together with the
strength of my own hands!
Diana's gaze remains on the two supervillains. She is barely paying attention to the Steward. Nereus scowls at her and turns around. He almost walks out of the room, but stops as he notices Marius and Circe, as if for the first time.
NEREUS
You...?
ORM MARIUS
Don't mind us.
CIRCE
You run along now, sweetie.
Nereus stands there for a moment, a confused expression on his face with no light behind his eyes, before he smiles and nods and walks out of the room. The two villains turn their gaze back to the young heroes.
ORM MARIUS
Let the games begin.
THE END
Notes:
Hypothetical cast update:
Mordred - Emma Caufield
Mildred - Amber Benson
Cynthia - Michelle Trachtenberg
Chapter 36: Challenge of the Super Friends, Season Two, Episode Eleven, "How I Spent My Summer Vacation, Chapter 11"
Summary:
The Joker sets the stage for a big finish.
Chapter Text
EXT. ARKHAM ASYLUM. GOTHAM CITY. JUST BEFORE SUNRISE.
The sky is thick with dark clouds, and a low rumble of thunder shakes the heavens. On the roof of the asylum, a haggard looking Mayor Hamilton Hill sits on his knees, his hair a mess and his face caked in dirt and sweat. The Joker enters the scene.
THE JOKER
On your feet, Hamilton.
Hill looks up at The Joker with an exhausted, defeated look.
HILL
I want to go home.
THE JOKER
Hamilton, you shouldn't tell people
things they already know. It's rude.
HILL
(verge of tears)
Why am I here?
The Joker grabs Hill by the throat and lifts him into the air with one hand.
HILL
(choking)
*choking*
THE JOKER
You're the audience.
The Joker drops the mayor into an over the shoulder carry.
HILL
(gasping)
*gasping*
THE JOKER
Use your brain, dummy.
The Joker carries the mayor to the other side of the roof, where THE JOKER'S GANG are assembling an elaborate stage with lights and backdrops: THE TOY-MAN, THE PRANKSTER, THE TOP, DOCTOR ALCHEMY, and DOCTOR PSYCHO.
HILL
You said you were going to solve my
problems.
THE JOKER
And what does it look like I'm doing?
The Joker sets Mayor Hill down in a wooden folding chair facing the stage. He turns to Doctor Psycho and The Top.
THE JOKER
If he gets up, do something bad to
him.
The two demented sadists grin with glee as The Joker steps away, signaling for the rest of his gang to join him. They walk over to the brick wall of the clock tower that sits atop the asylum. The Joker takes out a modified car key fob, double clicks it, and a hidden door slides open with the sound of a car alarm unlocking, revealing a secret elevator. The Joker, Toyman, Prankster, and Doctor Alchemy step inside.
THE JOKER
Let's wake up the past.
The door slides shut as the elevator descends.
INT. BATCAVE.
The motorcycles of Robin, Black Canary, and Wildcat come to a stop at the foot of the carved stone staircase, with a kind of dirty 1970s camper hitched to the back of the three bikes. Alfred hurries down the steps to greet them.
ALFRED
Is that the "bat-camper?"
BRUCE
It got the job done, didn't it?
Bruce and the others begin climbing the stairs to the upper platform. The camper door opens, and out step Jeff, Tatsu, and the Bishop. The Bishop stops and turns to look inside the camper, where Harleen Quinzel, Pamela Isley, and Waylon Jones are still sitting.
BISHOP
(gentle)
You needn't be afraid. We won't hurt
you.
BEAT
Harleen's arms out the camper door and up to the top STRETCH of the rocky plateau above, shooting herself into the air above the plateau like a slingshot as her rubbery arms retract.
BISHOP
Holy-!
Harley falls to the ground, bouncing to a stop like a rubber ball next to Kate Kane and Lesley Thompkins. A mass of thorny green vines suddenly sprout up out of the earth next to Kate and morph INTO Pamela Isley.
KATE
(startled)
Ah!
PAMELA
... what?
Back with the Bishop, the camper suddenly creaks under Waylon's weight as he climbs out. The teen towers over Bishop Kennedy, who looks up at the adolescent crocodilian before him.
ALFRED
What happened ?
Ignoring Alfred, Bruce walks past him and toward the elevator.
KATE
Bruce, wait!
Kate rushes after her cousin, leaving the rest of the group standing in an uncomfortable silence. Kate runs up to the elevator doors just as they close, and slams the wall in frustration.
KATE
(annoyed)
*grunt*
Back with the others, Lesley glances around awkwardly at the new arrivals. She walks over to Waylon, only staring up in shock at his hulking form for a moment before her professional instincts kick in. She extends a hand.
LESLEY
My name is Lesley, I'm a doctor. Come,
sit down.
Waylon smiles and takes Lesley's hand. She leads him to the seat. Alfred looks on in puzzled shock. Tatsu steps forward, her duffel bag slung over her shoulder. She retrieves the severed head of the Talon and places it on a nearby table.
ALFRED
Good Lord...
LESLEY
Where did this...?
WHITE CANARY
(O.S.)
It's called a Talon.
White Canary steps forward, as Black Canary helps a slightly injured Wildcat to his seat. A flash of recognition appears on Tatsu's face as she starts searching for something inside of her duffel.
WHITE CANARY
Me and Wildcat have seen these things
before. The Justice Society of America
was intimately familiar with the Court
of Owls.
WAYNE MANOR. DAWN.
Bruce Wayne sits in the chair in front of the fireplace, staring up at the painting of his parents that hangs over it. The sound of footsteps can be heard in the distance.
KATE
(O.S.)
Bruce?!
The footsteps get louder as they pass by the open door. They stop, and double back.
KATE
Bruce?
BRUCE
Hello, Kate.
KATE
Bruce, you and I need to have a
conversation.
BRUCE
About what, Kate?
KATE
About our family. And about how
you're... handling all of this.
BRUCE
Oh, I'm feeling fine-
KATE
That's not what I-
BRUCE
(angry)
I know!
KATE
(serious)
Do not yell at me, Bruce Tomas Wayne.
It is very clear that you have not
been handling things well since long
before we discovered that we're
descended from the Illuminati.
Kate sits down next to her cousin.
KATE
When your mother and father died, you
were still at the age when a boy's
parents are his heroes. That's always
how you've seen them, "Thomas the
Great Healer," "Martha the Crusading
Philanthropist." You want to make them
proud so badly that you became an
actual superhero, and for the first
time in your life you have been forced
to face the possibility that our
family has done terrible things.
Bruce lets out a small sigh as he takes in Kate's words.
KATE
Did you really think that much money
came from anywhere good?
BRUCE
I never thought it'd be this bad.
KATE
Yeah.
(quietly)
Neither did I.
BEAT
Bruce stands up and walks towards the fireplace.
BEAT
BRUCE
I don't care if Ezekiel Arkham or
Solomon Wayne were righteous men.
Bruce glances up at the portrait once again.
BRUCE
I just need to know if they knew.
ALFRED
(O.S.)
Some of it.
Bruce and Kate turn as Alfred enters the room.
ALFRED
They knew that both of their families'
fortunes had blood on them, and they knew
that the Waynes and the Arkhams were
at the center of a web of "mutual
understandings" running through
Gotham. I don't think they knew about
the zombies. Never mentioned that to me.
BRUCE
So you saw the zombie.
ALFRED
The others would like to hold a
meeting. I came up here to remind you
that they can't do that without you,
Bruce.
BRUCE
Right...
Bruce glances back at the portrait, his eyes wide and blank like a deer in the headlights. Alfred glances down and away, biting his lower lip as he thinks for a moment. He walks behind Bruce and sits down in the chair Bruce had just been sitting in.
ALFRED
I met Thomas and Martha Wayne 15 years
ago in a tiny one-bedroom apartment in
The Bowery.
Bruce turns to Alfred.
BRUCE
(confused)
... what?
ALFRED
10 Raleigh Parkway, Apartment 3b.
Your father had been living there ever
since medical school; it was closer
to the hospital than this place, and
there was no chance of crossing paths
your grandfather on that side of town.
I met him there to inquire about a
position as his valet. Thomas and I
sat less than two feet apart from each
other at a card table used for both
dining and admin, while Martha was
changing your diaper in a bathroom the
size of a closet just behind him. I
asked him, "Mr. Wayne, if you intend
to hire a live-in valet, I would suggest asking around
at the circus, as it appears that you have made your
home in a clown car." He laughed, and
then you laughed because you heard
your father laughing, and it made you happy;
Thomas said it was a good sign that you liked me.
He told me that he and Martha had become far too
successful in their careers to continue pretending not to come from wealth.
Then he told me that his father had just died, and that the
family would be moving back into the manor. He went into some detail about
a great many things that occurred between his father and himself, none
of it particularly relevant to tonight's events, but suffice to say,
Thomas hated Patrick Wayne. He said that every memory
of the man left a taste of bitter ash in his mouth. I asked him,
"If you hate your father so much, why move into his mansion?" Your
dad just smiled and said "It isn't his anymore. It's mine ."
Alfred stands up and approaches Bruce.
ALFRED
They were very dear friends, but I
know there are a great many things
your parents never told me. If either
of them saw or participated in any of
the ghoulishness we've seen tonight,
they kept it to themselves. But,
whatever there is left to discover
about Thomas and Martha Wayne, no
matter how ugly, the one thing I know
for certain is that this is not their
house anymore, Bruce. It's yours .
Bruce looks into Alfred's eyes.
INT. BATCAVE.
Bruce walks into the scene with Alfred and Kate right behind him.
BRUCE
What do we know?
DINAH
We-
Tatsu pushes herself to the front of the group, clutching a very familiar looking comic book in her hands.
TATSU
(stifled excitement)
Since its founding in 1635, Gotham
City has been under the control of a
secret society comprised of its
wealthiest and most elite citizens,
known as "The Court of Owls."
DINAH
(rolling her eyes)
*groan*
BRUCE
Is that... true?
WILDCAT
Basically. For as long as anyone can
tell, Gotham's high society,
government, business sector, and
organized crime have all been one big
happy family thanks to the Court;
Mayors and Dons and captains of
industry have all been members of this
little social club going back to at
least the earthquake of 1888, and
probably a lot further than that.
WHITE CANARY
Along with MIBs and neo-nazis, they
were the JSA's biggest enemies.
Tatsu holds up her copy of the JSA manga; it is a different volume from the one we've seen Barry reading, and it features The Black Canary on the cover.
TATSU
I can't believe I didn't recognize
them! The art isn't very accurate at
all.
WILDCAT
Scribbly never actually saw them, his
drawings are how he imagined the
stories we told him.
TATSU
I got his autograph once at-
DINAH
If we can get back on topic, please?
The Court made these undead cyborgs,
called them Talons.
Dinah gestures at the severed head.
WHITE CANARY
We fought through a small army of the
things back in the day. They're
powered by refined Azoth, and the JSA
discovered that the Court of Owls had
a finite supply with no way of making
more. The Court was too powerful and
too connected to bring down
completely, but by taking the fight to
the Talons, we forced them to burn
through their reserves of the stuff,
and permanently crippled their
operations; even though they outlasted
the JSA in the end, they were never
quite the same after us.
TATSU
(quiet)
*SQUEE!*
DINAH
(quiet)
*groan*
BRUCE
The big names that were in the
cathedral when it exploded, they must
have made up the bulk of the Court's
current membership. With them out of
the way, Joker was able to use the
Legion's refined Azoth to revive the
remaining Talons.
JEFF
That's not all he used it for.
Bruce follow's Jeff's gaze as he glances over at The Three newest arrivals.
BRUCE
The lab in Freeland, did the Court-?
WHITE CANARY
No. That lab was a front for a top
secret federal research initiative
called CADMUS that studies meta
humans; how to find them, and how to
make them. Jason Woodrow, "The
Floronic Man," a member of the Legion,
he used to work for them way back
before he turned himself into a tree.
Pamela tenses up slightly at the mention of Floronic Man. Bruce notices this.
BRUCE
(to Pamela)
How did they find the three of you?
Pamela glances down and away.
DINAH
All of their names came up in a quick
search of the Legion's files, they
must've been targeted-
BRUCE
No, That's not what I meant.
(to The Three)
Where were you, and what were you
doing, when they kidnapped you? How
did it happen?
WAYLON
I went to bed one night and woke up in a cage.
PAMELA
(quiet)
I was in my bedroom, when I was taken.
BRUCE
And?
PAMELA
... I blacked out. Woke up in the lab.
HARLEEN
I stand out! I was walking home from seeing Dr. Strange at 3:30 in the
afternoon. 'Course, I don't sleep
much...
BRUCE
(serious)
Doctor Strange?
HARLEEN
Yeah. My shrink. I see him twice a
month down at the clinic on account of
my behavioral problems and-
PAMELA
(quiet)
Doctor Hugo Strange?
Bruce looks at Pamela, his eyes wide with shock.
HARLEEN
Yeah?
PAMELA
That's... I see him when he comes to
my school. He... he's my therapist, too.
All of the color drains out of Bruce's face.
WAYLON
Huh. Mine too.
Harleen gives Waylon a puzzled look.
WAYLON
(off her look)
Court ordered.
Bruce takes a few steps backwards and turns away, looking out into the darkness. The chattering sound of bats can be heard faintly in the distance.
KATE
Bruce, what-
BRUCE
After my parents were killed, I
received trauma counseling from a
psychiatrist named Hugo Strange.
INT. ARKHAM ASYLUM. DAY.
Professor Hugo Strange walks down the corridors of Arkham Asylum as he finishes his morning rounds. He nods at a colleague as he rounds a corner and opens the door to his office.
INT. HUGO STRANGE'S OFFICE. DAY.
The lights are off and the curtains are closed. The shadowy figures of The Joker and his gang can be seen waiting for the good doctor in the dark. He closes the door behind him.
THE JOKER
Leave the lights off. I have a
hangover.
HUGO STRANGE
Of course. Are we on schedule?
THE JOKER
There's nothing left to do but wait.
HUGO STRANGE
Good.
Strange sits down at his desk, facing the small gaggle of lunatics staring back at him from the darkness.
HUGO STRANGE
Have you come for a final session?
The Joker leans forward.
THE JOKER
I've got a lot on my mind.
INT. BATCAVE.
Bruce stands at the head of the group.
BRUCE
We're going to Arkham Asylum tonight.
EXT. ARKHAM ASYLUM. NIGHT.
Most of the lights of the hospital are dark. The shadowy figures of our heroes can be seen in the distance, scaling the side of the building.
BRUCE
(V.O.)
Hugo Strange's office and research
laboratory are on the second floor of
the east wing of the building.
INT. ARKHAM ASYLUM. NIGHT.
The only source of light in the otherwise dark hallway is a security station, illuminated by a yellow desk lamp and the eerie pale glow of security monitors. The guard on duty is still as a statue as he glares at the monitors. With a flicker and a brief arc of electricity, the lamp and the monitors go out along with all of the power on the floor. The guard stands as he switches on his flashlight, only for another brief arc of electricity to short it out just before Black Lightning runs into frame illuminated by the taser punch he's delivering to the guard's face.
BRUCE
(V.O.)
We'll cut the power, subdue and
restrain any guards.
CUT TO
Robin, Black Canary, White Canary, and Black Lightning approach a door with a sign reading "H. Strange, MD/PhD" hanging above it. Behind them, Selina and Tatsu are stuffing a tased and dazed (and bound and gagged) security guard in a closet.
BRUCE
(V.O.)
As long as we can secure the floor
quickly and silently, we'll have free
reign of Strange's files for at least
an hour.
Robin reaches a gloved hand out at the doorknob with trepidation.
BRUCE
(V.O.)
We will find out what the doctor's
role in all of this is.
INT. BATCAVE.
Bruce stands before the group.
BRUCE
We have the rest of the day. Get some
sleep, stay sharp for tonight.
Bruce disengages from the group.
DINAH
(awkward)
... meeting adjourned.
Selina disengages from the group to catch up with Bruce, who has taken off his shirt and is working the punching bag in the training area in the corner.
TATSU
I am going to bed.
Tatsu picks up her duffel bag, stuffing her comic and her sword back in it as she heads over to the elevator. The group begins to disperse, with Alfred leading The Three to follow Tatsu to the manor, and Wildcat hobbling behind them at a comfortable pace. Dinah glances over at her mother.
DINAH
You never mentioned she was a "fan."
WHITE CANARY
It's how I convinced her to join up. I
think I’m her favorite.
DINAH
Oh boy. How did that go, exactly?
WHITE CANARY
She cried and hugged me and thanked me for being real.
DINAH
God, that comic just existing gives me the creeps.
WHITE CANARY
Hey, Scribbly's a good kid. Besides, I like that somebody's telling our
story.
DINAH
(playful)
You're so easily flattered.
WHITE CANARY
(sincere)
It's not about that, junior.
DINAH
So what is it about, senior ?
WHITE CANARY
Careful now.
JEFF
(O.S.)
It's about being heard.
Jeff wanders over to the Canaries.
WHITE CANARY
That's exactly right.
JEFF
You know CADMUS, don't you, Mrs.
Lance? Like how I know them.
WHITE CANARY
I do.
DINAH
(realization into shock)
... wait, what?!
WHITE CANARY
Junior... when I was eight years old I
lost the ability to move the muscles
in my voice box. The doctors called it
"dysarthria." They said it was caused
by some problem with my nervous
system, and that there wasn't a cure
for it. My dad was in denial for a few
weeks, but after three second opinions
that all agreed with the first, he was
just about ready to give up. That's
when Jason Woodrow approached us. I
later learned that this was straight
out of the CADMUS playbook; wait until
the family is just about ready to
throw in the towel before throwing
them a lifeline. Woodrow didn't
oversell it; he feigned anxiousness
and humility, showed us numbers we
thought we understood and
documentation that looked real, and he
promised that he would do everything
he could for us. He convinced us that
he was doing it for us .
JEFF
I guess that's what CADMUS does.
DINAH
Was it... what was like?
WHITE CANARY
It didn't hurt, if that's what you're
asking. I guess I was one of the lucky
ones, too. He gave me shots and pills
and little by little my voice came
back. I stopped going to his office,
and I went on with my life until...
BEAT
DINAH
Mom...
WHITE CANARY
My dad died from a heart attack when I
was 19. I found him lying on the
floor, cold and stiff with his eyes
wide open, and as if possessed by a
banshee I let out an anguished wail
with a force like thunder that tore
away the walls. That was the first
time I ever used my powers. There was
an investigation; CADMUS had my name
on a list somewhere, and they came to
see if the seed they planted had
sprouted. Once again, I was lucky; my
dad was a cop, all of his friends were
cops and most of my friends were cops,
too. That included your dad, junior.
We fudged the evidence, made it look
like it was just a gas explosion and
that I was a dud, so they'd leave me
alone. So I'd be safe. CADMUS only
likes Meta-Humans that are under their
control and hidden from the world.
When you have them as an enemy, you
lose the luxury of being seen . So,
yeah. I like the comic. Even if the
details aren't perfect, I like that
people like Tatsu can... see me.
JEFF
Sounds nice.
A few feet away, Selina approaches Bruce as he works the bag.
SELINA
Y'know, my school made my mom take me
to a shrink once. I don't remember his
name, but...
BEAT
SELINA
Do you really think we're going to
find any kind of answer that would
satisfy you?
BRUCE
No. I just want to find The Joker.
INT. ARKHAM ASYLUM. NIGHT.
The group is gathered in front of the door. Robin reaches out and grasps the doorknob.
BRUCE
(V.O.)
I want this over with.
INT. HUGO STRANGE'S OFFICE. NIGHT.
The door creaks open. Robin enters, followed by the others. Robin's flashlight cuts through the darkness, illuminating Hugo Strange's desk. Strange is sitting behind his desk, his body partially illuminated by the flashlight but partially obscured by files stacked on the desk, his face hidden in shadow. Robin walks forward, cautiously.
ROBIN
Professor Strange-?
As Robin steps forward, the rest of Hugo Strange's corpse is illuminated, revealing the frozen smile and narrow lifeless eyes caused by The Joker's toxin.
SELINA
(quiet)
God...
Haunted, but undeterred, Robin examines the desk. Several case files are laid out neatly in front of the dead body, the names on the files clearly displayed: Edward Nashton, Harvey Dent, Pamela Isley, Waylon Jones, Harleen Quinzel, Jervis Tetch, Jonathan Crane, Roman Sionis, Victor Fries, Thomas Elliot, Bruce Wayne, and John Doe. The file labeled "John Doe" is the one directly in front of the dead doctor. It has a yellow post-it note with "look up :)" written on it. Robin shines his flashlight upward.
BEAT
"GULLIBLE" is written on the ceiling in big black letters.
BLACK CANARY
Seriously?
ROBIN
Wait a minute...
Robin hops up onto the desk and concentrates his flashlight on a small black scribble trailing off of the "E" in "GULLIBLE." It is writing, in very tiny print, that says "meet me on the roof."
EXT. ARKHAM ASYLUM. ROOF. NIGHT.
Robin and the rest of the team step out onto the Asylum roof. They approach Hamilton Hill, slumped in his chair in front of the dark and lifeless stage. Jeff runs up to the Mayor.
BLACK LIGHTNING
Are you alright?
Hill turns to him and opens his eyes.
HILL
(half-mad)
No one's going to be alright.
Lights and music come on with the sound of a loud THUD. The stage is lit up with carnival lights as a whimsical organ tune plays. The Joker steps out on stage, doing a pantomime of a somber funerary march. He walks to the center of the stage, turns on the spot, and then marches to the front. He holds up a hand and the music stops instantly.
THE JOKER
Dearly beloved, we are gathered here
today to remember the life of Hugo-
A grapple-line shoots past The Joker's head and embeds itself in the back wall of the stage behind him. Robin reels in his grapple and delivers a powerful mid-air kick to The Joker's face as he shoots through the air. The Joker rolls with the kick as he hops into the air and grabs Robin by the leg.
THE JOKER
AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
The Joker twists his body in the air and pulls Robin along with him, disorienting the boy wonder for just a moment as the two of them hit the floor of the stage and a trap door gives way, sending both of them tumbling down a shaft.
THE JOKER
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
HAHAHAAHA!!!!
The back wall of the stage falls away and reveals a large canon, which rolls forward and fires its payload at the audience.
WHITE CANARY
(enhanced by her power)
SCATTER!
The entire party jumps for cover; Jeff grabs the Mayor and uses his powers to launch them through the air just in time before the pellets fired by the canon explode when they hit the roof, sending out a concussion wave that further pushes the team apart.
INT. VENTS.
Robin and The Joker tumble through the vents.
THE JOKER
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
Robin battles The Joker, striking the mad clown with his fists, but The Joker merely kicks the teen hero in the face to push himself away and tumble out of sight down a branching shaft. Robin continues to fall before eventually landing on a large soft cushion in a room lit dimly by red lights.
ROBIN
*ugh*
Robin pulls himself to his feet and dusts himself off. He looks around, assessing his environment. The room is cast in oppressive red lights with long heavy shadows. It appears to be the basement of the asylum. The nearby rattle of pipes tells him he is near the boiler room. Robin takes out his flashlight and begins inspecting the room more closely. He shines the light at the soft surface he landed on; it is an enormous novelty pillow designed to resemble a whoopee cushion.
ROBIN
(dry)
Wonderful.
Robin continues to look around. It takes him a moment of looking through the assorted collection of macabre junk around him before he notices something: an enormous wooden cutout of a clown holding out his arm to the side, with text reading "you must be THIS TALL to go through," propped up next to the entrance of a long dark hallway.
ROBIN
*hrm*
Robin walks past the the wooden clown and makes his way down the long dark hallway. As he makes his way down the hall, he shines his flashlight at the walls to either side of him, noticing framed portraits of stuffy looking old men with their names carved into little gold plaques at the base of each frame; Solomon Wayne, Alan Wayne, Kenneth Wayne, Patrick Wayne, and Thomas Wayne all running down one wall, and mirrored by they counterpart generations of the Arkham family from Ezekiel all the way to Martha on the opposite wall. Robin reaches the end of the hall, the portraits of his parents framing him on either side, as he comes face to face with a door. Suddenly, bright lights and carnival music come on, momentarily blinding the boy wonder. Robin shields his eyes for a moment until the adjust. He looks up, and sees that a banner reading "WONDER CITY 2" has just dropped down from the ceiling along with several balloons. Robin glares up at the sign. He glances at the portraits of his parents to either side of him. Then, he opens the door and steps through.
THE END
Chapter 37: Challenge of the Super Friends, Season Two, Episode Twelve, "How I Spent My Summer Vacation, Chapter 12"
Chapter Text
INT. ARKHAM.
A pitch black room. A door opens, letting in enough light to make out a figure stepping through the door and shutting it.
BEAT
The room is suddenly illuminated by warm multicolored carnival lights. ROBIN, THE BOY WONDER looks around at his surroundings with deep annoyance. The room resembles some kind of 19th century museum of oddities, with wood paneled walls and built-in glass display cases containing clockwork dioramas. Overhead hangs a large yellow sign with "WONDER CITY" spelled out in bright green neon letters. THE JOKER's voice comes over an unseen speaker system.
THE JOKER
(speaker)
Welcome to the Gotham World's Fair at
WONDER CITY!
Robin steps forward, only to stop as soon as his attention is caught by one of the dioramas lighting up with a loud mechanical thud, its tiny clockwork puppets coming to life. The diorama depicts immigrants getting off of a boat in Gotham in what looks like the 1800s. A spotlight shines on the figures of a man and a pregnant woman.
THE JOKER
(speaker)
Our story begins in 1841, when Carlos
Xaman and his wife Nicte arrived from
Yucatan in Gotham Harbor, to start a
better life in these Great United
States of America!
Robin glares at this scene for just a moment, before the sound of another mechanical thud behind him catches his attention; the glass display on the opposite wall has lit up. Grimacing with annoyance, the Boy Wonder crosses the hall and approaches the display. Inside, he sees a busy city street depicted in miniature. A tiny clockwork Carlos and Nicte Xaman are depicted going about their day in a loop; leaving their tenement building every morning to go to work, Carlos at a nearby newspaper stand, Nicte in a maid's uniform at a fancy brownstone down the street, and then returning home at the end of the day.
THE JOKER
(speaker)
Carlos found work selling newspapers,
while Nicte took a job as a
housekeeper at the prestigious "Owl's
Nest Social Club for Gentlemen of
Leisure."
With another mechanical thud, the next glass case along the same wall lights up. It depicts one small portion of the city street from the neighboring diorama, but enlarged to take up the entire display; the fancy looking brownstone building, the sign over the front door reading "The Owl's Nest Social Club for Gentlemen of Leisure" now big enough to be legible.
THE JOKER
(speaker)
Now, don't beat yourself up if you've
never heard of the Owl's Nest. The
building isn't there anymore, but
there was a time when it was the
capital of Gotham City's high society.
In the diorama, a little clockwork man approaches the building. All of its doors and windows open up, allowing the man to enter and Robin to see the scene inside; the man, going from room to room and shaking hands, before arriving in some kind of great hall and waving to a cheering crowd.
THE JOKER
(speaker)
The club was founded the very same
year the Gotham colony was
established, as a private respite for
the wealthy land owners who had funded
the colonial project. The office of
Club President had traded hands
between the same three families since
the club's founding in 1635, but in
1841 it was the "new money" Arkham
family's eldest son, Ezekiel, who
shattered over 200 years of tradition
by winning the office of Club
President less than a year after
joining.
Another mechanical sound. Robin lets out an inaudible groan of annoyance as he once again crosses the hall. This diorama depicts the inside of a large room filled with small clockwork babies and children. Nicte Xaman sits at the center of the room, reading a storybook to the children, while Ezekiel Arkham listens from the door frame with a smile on his face.
THE JOKER
(speaker)
As President, Ezekiel made several
reforms, including improvements to the
working conditions of the club's
staff; he established a nursery, and
encouraged club members to set aside
class prejudices and allow their
children to be looked after alongside
the workers' children. He hired Nicte
Xaman as nursemaid, and let his own
son, Amadeus, be raised in the nursery
alongside Nicte's newborn son,
Solomon.
Robin focuses his attention on the two small figures sitting at Nicte Xaman's feet.
THE JOKER
(speaker)
Though they came from entirely
different worlds, Amadeus Arkham and
Solomon Xaman would become like
brothers, and their bond would go on
to define the history of Gotham City.
EXT. ARKHAM ROOFTOP. NIGHT.
A thick white smoke hangs over the rooftop of the asylum. The party have been scattered across the battlefield. Near the edge of the roof, BLACK LIGHTNING gets back on his feet. He looks down, sees Hamilton Hill sprawled on the ground, and pulls the mayor to his feet by the arm. Black lightning looks around and spots the roof access door. Using his powers, he tears the door off of its hinges.
BLACK LIGHTNING
Go hide! Now!
HILL
... okay.
As Hill runs to safety, Black Lightning uses his EM goggles to scan the area. He notices some faint heat signatures through the haze, but his attention is drawn to an enormous branching web of intense heat quickly spreading across the roof. The smoke is pushed up high into the air by the heat of the flames as the party are cut off from each other by walls of fire. Black Lightning generates an arc of electricity and launches himself into the air. He spots the source of the flames, illuminated by bright swirling colors through his EM vision. Electricity intensifies as Black Lightning causes the air behind him to rapidly expand, generating an sonic boom and LAUNCHING himself at his target: DOCTOR ALCHEMY, holding his philosopher's stone to the ground, mixing and matching gasses to generate walls of fire. Black Lightning tackles Dr. Alchemy, sending both himself and the villain hurtling over the side of the roof. Black Lightning grabs the edge of the roof and Dr. Alchemy's leg at the same time, letting out a cry of pain when the full weight of Dr. Alchemy's body very nearly dislocates both of his shoulders.
MEANWHILE
White Canary and Selina Kyle stand back to back, surrounded by a dozen tiny toy fighter planes.
MEANWHILE
Black Canary and Wildcat face off against The Top, who leers at them menacingly as she prepares to strike.
MEANWHILE
Tatsu finds herself trapped by flames with Doctor Psycho.
MEANWHILE
Stone in hand, Dr. Alchemy generates a powerful explosion, launching himself back onto the roof and leaving Black Lightning dangling off the side. The villain fires an explosive blast at the compromised hero, who dodges by letting go and falling. He generates more arcing energy between his limbs and lifts himself back onto the roof. As he lands, he generates another thunder-burst in front of him, blowing Dr. Alchemy back but also launching himself backwards off the roof.
BLACK LIGHTNING
(quietly)
Dammit!
MEANWHILE
White Canary generates a massive wall of sound, keeping the robotic planes off balance as Selina uses her whip to crack them out of the sky. White Canary's ear perks up as a nearby hatch opens, and ends her Canary Cry as she grabs Selina and runs in a serpentine formation, just in time to avoid machine gunfire from The Prankster. White Canary doge-rolls to the side and "returns fire" with a focused sonic blast, hitting The Prankster square in the chest and sending him tumbling backwards through a wall of fire.
PRANKSTER
(agony)
*scream*
Before victory can be savored, another hatch opens, and an enormous jack-in-the-box pops out, wielding a giant wooden mallet that White Canary and Selina narrowly avoid being smashed to bits by.
MEANWHILE
The Top smashes one of her supersonic drill arms into the roof with a massive crashing sound as the heroes take evasive maneuvers. Wildcat, having just barely dodged, immediately comes back with a right hook, which The Top shifts her body to avoid.
THE TOP
Golly, you've got a heck of a punch,
mist-!
Black Canary blasts The Top in the back with a focused Canary Cry, knocking her forward, face-first into a powerful left hook from Wildcat!
MEANWHILE
Tatsu draws her sword as she stares down Doctor Psycho.
DOCTOR PSYCHO
Why hello there. You're a pretty
little thing. What's your name?
She grips the hilt tighter. The blade flares with spiritual energy.
DOCTOR PSYCHO
Oh-ho-ho! What is this?
Doctor Psycho's eyes begin to glow with magenta-colored psionic energy, and the aura around the sword starts to grow and flail wildly, reaching out with tendrils that ensnare Tatsu.
MEANWHILE
Black lightning comes to a stop mid-air, electricity arcing off of his body as he hovers. He generates another thunder- burst behind him, launching himself back toward the roof, charging his fist with electricity as he strikes Dr. Alchemy with a taser punch! Doctor Alchemy tumbles over and slumps to the ground, as Black Lightning lands feet first and skids to a halt just short of a ten foot high wall of fire. Behind him, a mass of wooden vines slithers together and takes the shape of THE FLORONIC MAN.
FLORONIC MAN
Very impressive, Mr. Pierce.
INT. WAYNE MANOR. NIGHT.
Kate, Leslie, Bishop Kennedy, Pamela, and Harley sit around the drawing room. Alfred is off to the side, putting the finishing touches on a tray of tea. Waylon is just entering the room, munching on a turkey leg.
ALFRED
Did you manage to find something
suitable, Mister Jones?
WAYLON
Turkey's not my favorite, but it'll
tide me over.
ALFRED
Good, good.
Alfred carries the tray over to the others and sets it down on the coffee table.
ALFRED
Give the tea a few moments to steep.
BISHOP
Thank you, Mr. Pennyworth.
ALFRED
Oh, it's no trouble. I'm English.
WAYLON
Dr. Thompkins, mind taking a look at
my head?
LESLIE
Of course.
Waylon sits down on the couch between Kate and Pamela, as Leslie gets up and grabs her medical bag.
WAYLON
I conked it real bad other day. Didn't
hurt then, but it hurts now.
Lesley crouches down, setting her bag down on the couch beside Waylon as she pulls out a small flashlight, and begins examining him for a concussion. Uncomfortable with how cramped the couch area is getting, Kate stands up and takes a few steps away from the group.
KATE
How long do you think they'll be?
ALFRED
We really have no earthly way of
knowing.
KATE
You were in the army, can't you guess?
ALFRED
I never did anything like this in the
army, Kate.
Alfred walks over to Kate.
ALFRED
I'm worried, too.
KATE
I'm not worried.
ALFRED
Really, now?
KATE
Worried isn't the right word. I'm
terrified, Alfred.
ALFRED
Which goes to show that you are still
sane.
Alfred gently leads Kate back to rejoin the group. Leslie has finished examining Waylon's eyes and is putting something away in her bag, while Waylon is pouring and passing out tea for everyone.
KATE
Maybe let's stay off the subject of
mental health, given the
circumstances.
WAYLON
Oh, we don't mind.
PAMELA
Speak for yourself.
HARLEY
Speak for yourself, red!
PAMELA
I did. I am.
HARLEY
Woah. Did you just think of that right
now?
PAMELA
(deeply confused)
... what?
Waylon turns his attention to Alfred and Kate as he sips his tea.
WAYLON
Well, speaking for myself, I don't
mind. I've spent a little time under
psychiatric care, and I have some
opinions on the matter.
KATE
Well you don't have to-
WAYLON
I said I don't mind. I don't get
squeamish about things like that
anymore.
Waylon stands up and begins pacing around the room. Kate sits down on the couch, in between Pamela and Leslie.
WAYLON
I know the kind of fear you're talking
about, Kate. It feels like a ten pound
lead ball that was left out in the
snow all night suddenly materialized
inside your body, right below your
stomach, in the diaphragm, this ice
cold feeling of weight dragging you
down into a darkness so deep there's
no bottom.
KATE
... yeah, actually.
WAYLON
I won't miss that feeling.
KATE
What do you mean?
Waylon stops pacing. He turns to look at Kate. Next to Kate, Leslie is rummaging through her bag, searching for something with a look of concern on her face.
KATE
... Waylon, what do you mean by that?
A smile slowly creeps across Waylon's face. He continues to look at Kate. He says nothing. Kate locks eyes with Waylon, a look of confusion and discomfort on her face. Alfred notices this, and stands up. Kate turns to Leslie, who continues to search her bag, her concern having graduated to mild panic.
KATE
... Leslie, is Waylon-?
LESLIE
(deadly serious)
Excuse me, Kate.
(raised voice)
Has anyone seen a small white bottle
labeled...
Leslie looks up and pauses for a moment as her eyes widen in shock.
LESLIE
(quiet)
... benzodiazepine.
KATE
Leslie, what-?
Kate looks back at Waylon, who is still standing there, silently smiling, now presenting a small white bottle to the room. Kate and Leslie just stare at him for a moment, bewildered. Alfred starts to position himself between Waylon and the others. With the exception of Waylon, whose demeanor doesn't change a bit, smiling with completely blank eyes, everyone is startled when Harley and Pamela's tea cups loudly clatter as they fall to the ground. The two Meta-Human teens have passed out on the couch. Waylon regains everyone's attention when he creates a clattering sound by dropping the bottle of pills and the turkey bone, now picked clean.
KILLER CROC
Turkey didn't fill me up.
INT. ARKHAM.
As Robin continues down the length of the hall, the glass display cases are replaced with large television screens. These screens flicker on, showing a compilation of black and white photographs of life in Gotham City in the 1800s, set to period appropriate somber music. After a moment, the screen fades to black as the music cuts out and a title card reading "GOTHAM" appears.
THE JOKER
(V.O.)
I like to think of Amadeus and Solomon
as "the brothers who found each
other."
The image on the screen changes. We see The Joker, wearing a blue button up shirt under a brown sweater, sitting in an armchair in a relaxed posture in front of a bookshelf. He is wearing a false grey beard, and speaking in a heavily affected gentile southern accent. Text reading "THE JOKER: Villain" appears on screen for a moment before vanishing.
THE JOKER
(TV)
They were brothers in almost every
sense, excepting blood of course. As
boys, they were inseparable. Amadeus
leveraged the Arkham family name to
get Solomon enrolled in secondary
school with him, just so they could
room together.
The image on the screen changes to a black and white photograph of young men in a collegiate environment, slowly zooming in on Amadeus and Solomon standing side by side.
THE JOKER
(V.O.)
Solomon was the more studious of the
two boys. I don't imagine Amadeus
would have made it through law school
without Solomon's help.
The image on the TV screen switches back to The Joker in his chair.
THE JOKER
(TV)
Naturally, they went into private
practice together after passing the
bar exam. "Arkham & Wayne: Attorneys
at Law." Of course, we can't say for
certain which one of the boys had the
idea to change Solomon's name. It's
tempting, today, to imagine Amadeus
pressuring Solomon to cast aside such
an inconveniently foreign sounding
name as "Xaman..."
The image on the screen changes to a black and white photo of Solomon Wayne in his late middle age, wearing judges robes and standing in front of the courthouse.
THE JOKER
(V.O.)
... but all contemporary accounts
portray Solomon Wayne as a ruthless
pragmatist, with little patience for
sentiment. When his own father died,
he payed for the funeral, but did not
attend, as he was scheduled in court
that day.
Robin glares at the image of his ancestor on the screen.
THE JOKER
(V.O.)
I don't imagine a family name would
carry much weight to a man with
ambitions such as his, and such a
terrible will to see them through.
The image once again cuts to The Joker.
THE JOKER
(TV)
They called him "The Hangin' Judge"
for a reason.
The screen goes dark for just a moment before showing a photograph of the Owl's Nest brownstone, on fire.
THE JOKER
(V.O.)
With the sponsorship of his legal
partner, Solomon Wayne became
president of the Owl's Nest in 1861,
youngest in the history of the club.
The clubhouse burned to the ground
later that same year. It was assumed
that the fire was caused by a faulty
gaslight, and not much of an
investigation was conducted. Solomon
Wayne bought up the land where the
clubhouse once stood, which was the
beginning of the Wayne real estate
empire, as well as the future site of
the Wayne Tower, and the Owl's nest
club faded into obscurity, with
nothing left to remember it by but
ghost stories.
The screens suddenly shut off as eerie music begins to play. The discordant voices of children can be heard over the speakers, singing: "Beware The Court of Owls, that watches all the time, ruling from a shadowed perch, behind granite and lime. They watch you at your hearth, they watch you in your bed, don't speak a whispered word of them, or surely you'll be dead." As the music plays on a loop, a projector hanging from the ceiling begins playing something on the large white screen taking up most of the far wall. It is silent, black and white, hand-cranked footage from the 1888 Gotham City World's Fair. It shows a 47 year old Solomon Wayne standing on a heavily reinforced platform overlooking the centerpiece of the fair, the "WONDER CITY" pavilion at the base of "Wonder Tower." He is checking his watch. His lifelong friend, Amadeus, stands beside him, as well as a group of other wealthy looking Gothamites. On the other side of Solomon stands a tall slender man with a goatee and balding salt and pepper hair, wearing an ornate Ottoman cloak over a dark colored suit. This man and Solomon make a brief moment of eye contact, the man quickly nods, and Solomon braces himself against the hand rail a split second before the ground and the camera start to shake. The very earth under the pavilion opens up and collapses in on itself, leaving only the foundations of the tower standing and sending up enormous plumes of dust as entire city blocks cave in and disappear under the Earth. One of the men standing on the platform loses his footing and falls off, to the horror of his compatriots. Amadeus Arkham looks on in shock. Solomon Wayne watches with an unflinching stoicism that almost looks like boredom. The man in the cloak is smiling. The projection shuts off as the white screen retracts into the ceiling and the far wall slides open. Robin is temporarily blinded by the shift in light. Before him sits The Joker, perched atop a throne. Between him and The Joker are two rows of Talons, ten each and twenty in all, standing on either side of the path to The Joker's throne.
THE JOKER
And for those of you playing along at
home, that was Ra's Al Ghul next to
ol' "hangin'" Judge Wayne. Call me
crazy, but do you think he could be
the one who gave the Court all these
clockwork zombies?
The Joker leans over as he establishes eye contact with Robin from across the room. Robin's gaze drifts over the squadron of Talons before meeting The Joker's.
THE JOKER
Who do you think they used to be?
Robin runs towards The Joker, and immediately blocks attacks from the Talons on either side of him with his bo-staff.
EXT. ARKHAM ROOFTOP. NIGHT.
Black Lightning stares down the Floronic Man.
BLACK LIGHTNING
You remember me?
FLORONIC MAN
I remember all of my patients.
Black Lightning lunges forward, grabbing both of Floronic Man's arms as he charges his hands with electricity.
BLACK LIGHTNING
Do you remember how many of us came to
your lab?!
FLORONIC MAN
(chuckling)
Come now, Jefferson, you should know
wood is an insulator, not-
Black Lightning tightens his grip and increases the intensity of his electricity, causing Floronic Man's wooden body to begin smoldering and burning.
FLORONIC MAN
(pained)
*ARGH!*
BLACK LIGHTNING
There were a hundred and fifty kids in
our fourth grade class!
Black Lightning's eyes crackle with electricity. Annoyed and bored, Floronic Man elongates his fingertips into thorny wooden vines ending in needle-like points and stabs them into Black Lightning's arms. Black Lightning grits his teeth and grimaces in pain, and the crackling energy in his eyes intensifies. Both Black Lightning's hair and Floronic Man's leaves begin to stand on end, which catches Floronic Man's attention, his eyes darting around as tiny arcs of static electricity begin popping between Floronic Man and Black Lightning, and dust particles begin rapidly rising into the air.
BLACK LIGHTNING
There are less than thirty of us left!
Floronic Man and Black Lightning are struck by a bolt of lightning from the storm clouds above.
MEANWHILE
White Canary fires a sonic wave at the robotic jack-in-the-box, which flails its hammer wildly. Selina attempts to snare the hammer with her whip, but the robot is far too strong, and sends her flying. She lands with a thud just as The Prankster re-enters the scene, his face red and singed and his burning jacket crumpled behind him. Grinning like a madman, he takes aim with his gun, only to be shocked with electricity as Black Lightning jumps into the scene, generating an electromagnetic pulse that fries the robotic toys before rising over the walls of flame to land beside Black Canary and Wildcat, mid-battle with The Top. Black Lightning blasts The Top with a concentrated blast of electricity, and then turns and generates an enormous thunder burst to dispel the wall of fire behind him.
BLACK LIGHTNING
Go help the others!
Black Canary and Wildcat do as instructed, while Black Lightning stares down The Top, who is quickly recovering from his initial attack.
MEANWHILE
Tatsu stands off against Doctor Psycho, both of them enveloped by shimmering spiritual energy.
DOCTOR PSYCHO
My my, this is a treat! What have you
been up to, little one? There have to
be at least a thousand souls in that
pig-sticker of yours!
Spiritual energy flows off of the sword and swirls around Tatsu, like a thousand tiny ghosts flailing and crying out in anguish. Tatsu grits her teeth and stands her ground.
DOCTOR PSYCHO
You call yourself a hero?
INT. WAYNE MANOR. NIGHT.
A tense silence hangs in the air. Alfred glances at his shotgun, hanging up on the wall almost directly behind Killer Croc. Croc's expressionless eyes dart around the room, sizing up each one of his prey at lightning speed, before settling on Alfred.
KILLER CROC
Bet you want that gun, English.
With cold eyes and a big toothy grin on his face, Croc looks over his shoulder at the gun hanging on the wall.
KILLER CROC
That's a Winchester lever action, if
I'm not mistaken. That's an American
gun. That's a cowboy gun.
Croc saunters over to the mounted firearm.
KILLER CROC
You had to come a long way for a piece
like this, English. They don't make
'em like this 'cross the pond, do
they?
Bishop Kennedy stands up.
BISHOP
Waylon, please, you don't have to-
Croc's smile vanishes and his eyes glaze over as he lunges at the Bishop, sending the both of them tumbling over the back of the couch. Leslie grabs the unconscious Harley and Pamela and drags them away, while Kate runs off in a panic. Alfred grabs the shotgun and unloads two shells into Croc's back. The pellets embed themselves in Croc's leathery hide, but don't penetrate deeply. He slowly stands, fresh blood dripping from his mouth, and casually picks up a chair with one hand and throws it across the room at Alfred, knocking him over. Killer Croc returns to his meal.
MEANWHILE
Using all of her strength, medical bag clutched in hand, Leslie drags the semi-conscious Harly and Pamela into a darkened side room.
HARLEY
(half-conscious)
... but i wanna sleep...
LESLIE
(strained)
Not now!
Leslie drags the girls as far into the room as she can before her strength gives out and she is forced to lay them awkwardly on the ground. Leslie sets down her medical bag, opens it, and begins fishing around for something.
LESLIE
Sorry about this, girls...
Leslie retrieves a syringe full of amber liquid, and jabs it into Pamela's thigh. Pamela's eyes shoot open and she sits up with a jolt as she takes in a massive breath, the hair on her head rapidly growing and sprouting into flowers as she does so.
MEANWHILE
Kate runs through the darkened corridors of the dusty manor in a blind panic. She begins to hyperventilate, dropping to her knees as her legs give out beneath her, and scrambles into one of the rooms to her side. Shutting the door behind her, she finds herself in the armory display room. Kate sits down with her back against one of the displays. She closes her eyes and tries to calm herself, but tears well up in her eyes.
KATE
(quietly)
Stupid, stupid, stupid, coward... !
KILLER CROC
(O.S.)
Kate?!
Kate goes silent as her eyes open in shock. Killer Croc's voice faintly echoes through the halls of the manor.
KILLER CROC
(O.S.)
Still hungry, Kate!
CUT TO
Killer Croc walks through the darkened hallways, wiping blood away from his mouth.
KILLER CROC
That preacher didn't fill me up!
Nothing but gristle, and fat!
Suddenly, Croc pulls one of the doors to his side off its hinges, revealing a dark and empty bathroom.
KILLER CROC
I need something with meat on its
bones!
CUT TO
Silently, Kate stands up. She looks around the armory.
KILLER CROC
(O.S.)
'Course, if you don't want to be on
the menu, maybe join the dinner party?
Kate notices that one of the displays, containing a set of samurai armor, is already missing its tarp. Carefully and quietly, Kate steps over to the display.
KILLER CROC
(O.S.)
You won't be able to regret it! He
takes regret away! Fear, too!
Kate gently opens up the display case and unsheathes the sword from its scabbard.
CUT TO
Killer Croc, perking up his (not externally visible) ears as his enhanced senses pick up on the sound of the sword sliding out of its scabbard.
KILLER CROC
(quietly)
... and pain...
INT. ARKHAM.
Robin blocks simultaneous attacks from two Talons standing to either side of him, the first two in the 20-"man" gauntlet between the Boy Wonder and the Clown Prince of Crime. He hops backwards, planting his bo-staff into the ground and using it as leverage as he hops into the air and uses both feet to scissor-kick their heads into each other, smashing their faces. Robin uses his bo-staff to vault forward and land feet-first on the two undead cyborgs' necks with a sickening crunch. As he lands, he drops his bo-staff, grabs two batarangs from his utility belt, and clenches one in each fist as he uses them to slit the throats of the next two Talons in the line before burying one in each of their eyes on the rebound. Robin rolls into a backwards somersault as he drops two smoke bombs, creating distance again and retrieving his bo-staff as he rights himself. The next two Talons in the line step out of the smoke and advance. Robin retrieves two adhesive strips from his utility belt as he drops into a baseball slide between the talons, twisting and kicking against the ground to push himself to his feet and apply the strips to the backs of the Talons' heads. As he pulls away the activation strips, igniting the thermite and incinerating the two Talons, Robin turns to face the next two in line and barely avoids being slashed by an oncoming attack. Robin does a back-flip to create some distance, and throws two electrified batarangs as he lands, which embed themselves in the Talon's chests and overwhelm both of them with a powerful sudden burst of electricity. As the next two push aside their fallen comrades, Robin throws a small volley of mini explosive batarangs, which momentarily disorient the Talons and give Robin an opening to fire his grappling gun with a batarang attachment, looping around the two Talons and ensnaring their heads. Robin pulls the rope tight, effectively garroting two necks at once, and leaps forward into a kick to both of their faces, landing on their heads with a crunch as he stabs the next two Talons in line with another set of electrified batarangs. The next two Talons advance, and Robin grabs his bo-staff to block, but he only manages to block one attack, the other scratching his face and drawing blood. Robin reels back as he grabs something from his utility belt, and manages to handcuff the two Talons together when they come in for their next attack. Using his bo-staff, he bashes both of them in the face and the back of the head in one quick motion, pushing them down to the ground behind him as he moves on, ducking simultaneous attacks from the next two Talons as he sweeps their legs, knocking them down. He grabs two more batarangs as he goes to capitalize, but the next set of Talons in the line both slash at his arms while the final pair at the end of the line deliver a double kick to the Boy Wonder's face. Robin stumbles backwards, just as the two Talons he handcuffed together stand and free themselves. The two of them grab Robin by the cape and hurl him into their six comrades in front of the Boy Wonder, who descend upon Robin with a flurry of kicks and punches. Robin manages to block and counter a few blows at first, but every hit he blocks comes with five more he doesn't, and he falls to the ground as the beating continues. The Joker stands up from his throne and walks toward Robin, kneeling down to look him in the eyes as the life is beaten out of him.
THE JOKER
HehehehehahahahahahahaHaHahahaHAHAHAHA
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
EXT. ARKHAM ROOFTOP. NIGHT.
The Top charges at Black Lightning, who shoots a wave of electrical energy at the omni-jointed supervillain, magnetically charging her ball-bearing joints and suspending the wicked meta-human cyborg in the air. The Top begins spinning her body parts at wild speeds, seemingly to no avail, which elicits a cocky smirk from Black Lightning. However, as her limbs spin faster and faster, The Top's body begins generating green arcs of electricity that spread outward and dissipate into the air. Suddenly, a powerful cyclone wind picks up out of nowhere, so strong that it knocks Black Lightning off of his feet and sends him flying in wide and rapid circles around The Top, who falls to the ground and catches her balance by spinning her lower body as soon as she lands.
THE TOP
Let's see how YOU like it, pal!
MEANWHILE
Tatsu becomes overwhelmed as the spirits hemorrhaging out of her sword grow in size and number and consume her completely. She falls to her knees and looks upward with blank eyes and a gaping mouth, and Doctor Psycho cackles with sadistic glee.
DOCTOR PSYCHO
Hehehehehe! This is delicious!
The howling of the spirits surrounding Tatsu grows louder, and clearer; dozens, hundreds, thousands of voices, many the voices of proud men, but many more the voices of children, women, the sick, and the elderly, all saying some variation of the same thing: "Please don't kill me. I don't want to die."
MEANWHILE
Black Canary, Selina, White Canary, and Wildcat face off against The Prankster and Toyman; Toyman is sticking his upper body out of a hatch on the ground, releasing dozens of tiny toy soldiers and tanks as quickly as he can. On the other side, the two Canaries create a wall of sound to hold the mini robot army at bay. Nearby, Wildcat stands his ground, shielding his face with his arms as his bulletproof costume protects him from The Prankster's machine gun fire. Selina stands behind him, back to back, taking cover and frustrated.
SELINA
Hey, old man!
WILDCAT
Kinda busy here!
SELINA
Throw me!
Wildcat turns around to face Selina, bullets now bouncing off the back of his armored costume.
WILDCAT
What in the hell?
SELINA
Toss this at them...
Selina hands a smoke grenade to Wildcat.
SELINA
... and then throw me.
Over by the villains, Prankster continues to fire as Wildcat, shielding his face with one arm, turns and throws the smoke grenade at his feet. It spews forth smoke and momentarily blinds him, causing him to let go of the trigger as he tries to shield his mouth and nose.
PRANKSTER
*COUGH**COUGH*
A few feet away, Toyman quickly ducks down into the hatch. As he is coming back out, holding a small electric fan, a shadow grows over the door of the hatch a split second before Selina Kyle lands on it, whamming Toyman on the head and forcing the hatch shut. Without missing a beat, she snags Prankster's machine gun with her whip, yanks it out of his hands, and swings it around in the air to smack him in the face with it, knocking him flat on his back. The Canaries let up their sonic assault. As the team starts to regroup, however, a charred wooden vine slithers along the roof. It splits in two, and with the speed of a serpent it snags both Canaries by the throat. From the other end of the wooden tendril, the charred, smoldering, half-formed body of Floronic Man starts to take shape, awkwardly, feebly, as he is clearly badly injured.
FLORONIC MAN
(in pain)
Mr. Pierce is so impressive... you are
so impressive, Ms. Drake, as is your
daughter... all of my surviving
subjects have developed remarkably...!
A third wooden vine shoots out and snags Wildcat's leg, flipping him upside down and slamming his head on the ground before he can come in for the assist. Selina sees this and starts running toward Floronic Man.
FLORONIC MAN
(in pain)
I am so proud of my work... !
A bullet whizzes right past Selina's head, just barely grazing her hear. Time seems to slow down, the world seems to lose all color and become cast in the starkest black and white contrasts, as the bullet hits White Canary directly between her eyes, killing her almost instantly.
MEANWHILE
The blade of Tatsu's sword shatters into hundreds of pieces.
MEANWHILE
The Top watches Black Lightning spin round and round for just a moment before ending the cyclone effect and flinging the teen hero off into the distance.
MEANWHILE
Floronic Man looks across the battlefield at The Prankster, standing and brandishing a still-smoking pistol, with an annoyed look on his face.
FLORONIC MAN
Oswald, you idiot!
Black Canary screams silently, unable to make a noise with her throat constricted, tears pouring from her eyes like waterfalls. Nearby, Selina Kyle stands there, completely stunned. Wildcat claws at the vine holding his foot with his costume's razor sharp talons. He drops to the ground, lands on his shoulder with a thud, and then immediately scrambles into an awkward but monstrously fast all-fours gallop towards Floronic Man.
FLORONIC MAN
She was an experiment I've been
working on for decades, you can't
just-
Feral and berserk like a wild rabid animal, Wildcat pounces on Floronic Man, punching his head into the roof with his Nth Metal enhanced fists and using his claws to tear Floronic Man's wooden tendrils to shreds.
WILDCAT
(insane with rage)
*AGHGHGHGH!*
Black Canary drops to her knees with a thud as the wooden vine unravels around her neck.
BLACK CANARY
*COUGH**COUGH*
She covers her mouth with her hand to stifle her coughing as she looks with total horror and despair upon her mother's corpse, lying on the ground a few feet away from her. Tears well up in her eyes for just a moment, before she raises her face to the heavens and lets out a scream with the force of a sonic boom and the anguish of an Irish Banshee. The flames on the battlefield are blown out instantly. Every window in Arkham Asylum shatters. All of the active combatants cover their ears and struggle to stay on their feet, while the unconscious and the deceased are slowly pushed across the roof by the force of the tsunami of sound. Crackling with electrical energy, Black Lightning flies back onto the scene, stopping mid-air for a moment to take in the horrific sight before him, before adrenaline forces him to act; using his electromagnetic powers, he pulls four metal rebars out of the wooden stage and wraps one of them around Tatsu, pulling her into the air. He notices the shards of the broken blade and the discarded hilt tumbling across the roof, and snags them in an EM suspension as well. It is at about this time that Black Canary runs out of breath, ending the massive Canary Cry just as she passes out from exhaustion. Holding back, tears, Wildcat scoops the teen up in his arms just before his metal-reinforced armor is magnetized and pulled into the air by Black Lighting.
WILDCAT
Woah, hey...!
BLACK LIGHTNING
(strained)
We gotta go NOW!
A second magnetized rebar scoops up Selina, and the other two smack The Top and Doctor Psycho in the face as Black Lightning leads the retreat.
INT. WAYNE MANOR. NIGHT.
Kate Kane stands in the armory, katana drawn, doing her best impression of the stances she's seen Tatsu use. She is terrified, but uses all of her willpower to steady her breathing.
KILLER CROC
Rich folks got so much stupid crap.
Kate turns with a fright and finds Killer Croc standing right behind her. She tries to swing with the sword but he catches her wrist in his hand.
KILLER CROC
I'm awful sneaky for a big fella,
ain't I?
Kate uses her free hand to punch Croc's chest. He chuckles.
KILLER CROC
What's that supposed to do, Kate?
PAMELA
(O.S.)
Let her go!
Croc looks up just as a mass of green vines grab him by the throat. Across the room, Pamela Isely, unsteady on her feet, enters the room with a look of defiance on her faced.
PAMELA
I will kill you if you don't let her
go.
Killer Croc smiles.
KILLER CROC
I'd believe you if your grip was a
little tighter. And you knees weren't
shaking.
Pamela grimaces as she tries to ignore the comment. Without letting go of Kate, Croc walks over to Pamela, pulling the vines off of his neck with a snapping sound.
PAMELA
(pained)
*NGH!*
KILLER CROC
You're fighting off those benzos with
pure adrenaline. You're gonna lose
that fight, sooner or later.
PAMELA
... please don't kill anyone else.
KILLER CROC
Nah. I wanna.
PAMELA
We'll go with you, me and Harley, if
you don't kill anyone else.
KILLER CROC
I will take you. There is no "if"
here.
PAMELA
I can fight you every step of the way,
Waylon. I'll bite, I'll gouge your
eyes, I'll grow nettles in your skin
and sprout mushrooms in your lungs and
I promise you that I will die before I
let you "take" me, and hurt you in
every way I can before-
With lightning speed, Killer Croc gently places his free hand on Pamela's cheek.
KILLER CROC
Sounds fun.
PAMELA
Sounds like going back to The Joker
with nothing.
KILLER CROC
Heh.
Croc drops Kate. She falls to the ground, quietly sobbing, as Killer Croc escorts Pamela through the door.
KILLER CROC
Let's go.
EXT. ARKHAM GROUNDS. NIGHT.
Straining himself to slow their descent, black lightning lands on the grass with a thud; Wildcat lands on his feet with an unconscious Black Canary in his arms, while Selina and Black Lightning need to pick themselves up. With a quiet sigh, Black Lightning re-establishes the EM field to pick up the unconscious Tatsu and the remains of her broken sword.
WILDCAT
We need to get back to the van now!
Move it! Selina, grab the duffel!
Wildcat immediately goes into a purposeful stride, followed by Black Lightning, but Selina just stands there for a moment.
WILDCAT
Kyle! Duffel! MOVE IT!
Selina snaps out of her stupor, scooping a large duffel bag out of the bushes as she runs to catch up with the others. They hurry through the brush, and approach the hidden spot where they stashed their getaway vehicle. Wildcat comes to a sudden stop as Black Lightning and Selina come up behind him.
WILDCAT
Oh God...
Before them, laying on his back, upside down on the hood of the van, is Robin, beaten, bloody, and unconscious, with a note taped to his chest which reads "CONDOLENCES."
THE END
Chapter 38: Challenge of the Super Friends, Season Two, Episode Thirteen, "Hard Traveling Heroes"
Notes:
If you like my story, I have a side project I'm working on, developing my very own comic book superhero universe, and I'm looking for artists to collaborate with. If you or anyone you know is a graphic artist with a strong talent for sequential visual storytelling, hit me up in the DMs!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
INT. SPACE FREIGHTER.
Hal Jordan sits on the floor of a long and sporadically lit hallway, his back against one wall, throwing a rubber ball at the opposite wall and catching it as it bounces back, over and over again. His face is a mixture of brooding and boredom.
BEAT
Alex Luthor rounds the corner of the adjoining hallway.
ALEX
Hey.
HAL
Hello.
Alex sits down next to Hal.
ALEX
What are you doing?
HAL
Taking a break.
ALEX
Do you want to grab something from the
mess-?
HAL
Alex, in the god-knows-how-many days
we have been on this ship, I have
eaten 27 of those ration packs Kilowog
has the audacity to call food, and I
will not eat one more until I am so
hungry my will fails me.
ALEX
... listen, I don't disagree, but-
HAL
(softly)
Quiet!
Hal catches the rubber ball and stands up with his back flat against the wall. A little confused, Alex quietly does the same. Hal inches forward just enough to get an angled view of Carol Ferris exiting into one of the freighter's adjoining hallways. She looks around briefly, but doesn't seem to notice Hal, and walks away in the opposite direction.
ALEX
Really?
HAL
(softly)
Shut up.
ALEX
Hal, stalking your ex-girlfriend is-
HAL
(whispering)
Quiet!
Alex puts his hands as he complies with a smirk. In the adjoining hallway, the door slides open again, and a tall slender alien with pale blue skin and violet robes steps out of the room Carol just exited, walking away in the same direction at a leisurely pace.
ALEX
... huh.
HAL
This has been going on for at least a
week.
ALEX
You don't think-?
HAL
God , I hope not. C'mon.
Hal walks over to the door, and Alex follows.
ALEX
So, what's your plan, here?
HAL
Not sure. I'm more of an improv kind
of guy.
Alex rolls his eyes.
ALEX
Of course.
HAL
Wanna help me break in?
Alex thinks for a moment.
ALEX
Sure.
Alex pulls out his tool kit and kneels down to begin examining the door.
ALEX
Do you have the ring?
HAL
Nah, the other guys have it for
training.
ALEX
And why aren't you training?
HAL
I already told you, I'm on a break,
would you just get on with it?
ALEX
It's an alien lock, Harold, I need at
least a minute to look it over.
HAL
People only call me "Harold" when
they're scolding me.
ALEX
If that's a pattern you've observed in
your life, I'm not going to argue with
you.
HAL
Oh, we've got a wise guy over here.
JOHN
(O.S.)
What are you doing?
Hal turns to John Stewart, enveloped in a glowing green aura and floating through the air towards Hal and Alex.
HAL
Hey John. We're doing crime.
JOHN
Are heroes supposed to do crime?
ALEX
Well, technically I'm a villain.
HAL
No way, you're a lovable rogue.
ALEX
Thank you, Hal, that's so sweet of you
to say.
JOHN
Well, Alan and Kilowog sent me to tell
you, we'll be arriving at Mogo soon.
EXT. LIAN YU. DAY.
A furious rustling darts through the undergrowth of the jungle. Above, in the treetops, a hooded figure hardcore parkours from branch to branch in pursuit. The acrobatic hunter, clad all in green, quickly gains on his prey, and then overshoots, landing and stopping on a tree-branch ahead, drawing a bow, and knocking an arrow. The hunter crouches on the tree branch, taking aim and readying his shot as the creature runs ahead. The rustling gains more and more distance, as the hunter closes one eye, adjusts his shot for the arc of the arrow, and lets loose. The arrow whizzes through the air, arcing at a downward angle at incredible speeds and striking the running creature with perfect precision. Back on his tree branch, Oliver Queen smirks with satisfaction as he lowers his bow.
CUT TO
Ollie approaches the spot where the creature fell. Using his bow to part the undergrowth, he reveals the carcass of a wild boar, with a green arrow sticking out of its neck. Ollie produces a length of rope and crouches down.
OLLIE
(quietly)
You sure are a big fella.
Ollie begins to tie up the boar.
OLLIE
(quietly)
Alright, lets get you ready for-
Ollie's ears pick up as he hears a faint creaking sound. Time slows to a crawl as Ollie quickly turns, side-steps, and draws his bow as a barbed black arrow whizzes past him, taking a single hair from the side of his head with it. Time returns to normal as Ollie knocks and shoots an arrow. Without missing a beat, Ollie knocks another arrow and shoots it up into the trees, with an ultra thin metal cable trailing behind it, connected to his bow. Ollie presses a button on his bow, and is pulled up into the trees by his grapple-arrow's reeling mechanism, just in time to avoid another black arrow. Ollie lands on a tree branch and just barely avoids being hit by a third arrow, spinning on one foot as he shoots back with a rapid fire volley of three arrows. Time slows once again as we follow the arrows through the air; three black arrows fly at them at a perfectly straight angle, and time returns to normal as Ollie's arrows are swatted out of the air.
OLLIE
(under his breath)
Show off...
Ollie begins to hardcore parkour once again, hopping from tree branch to tree branch as he just barely manages to stay one step ahead of the black arrows being fired at him. One of the black arrows seems to over-correct, landing a few feet in front of Ollie. As he hops over it, its snare trap engages, snagging Ollie by the foot and causing him to trip and fall.
OLLIE
*yelp!*
Ollie swings wildly from side to side and spins as he hangs upside down from his foot. A figure clad all in black approaches him, knocking an arrow and aiming it directly at the boy.
MALCOLM MERLYN
Hey, Queen.
OLLIE
You!
BEAT
OLLIE
... who are you?
The Dark Archer snarls as he shoots an arrow at Ollie, who's wild swaying from side to side allows him to just barely avoid being skewered. Ollie shifts his body weight to swing himself up and grab onto the black snare arrow, freeing himself just in time for a newly shot snare arrow to bind him to the tree.
MALCOLM MERLYN
It was stupid of you to come to this
island alone, Queen.
OLLIE
That's where you're wrong, asshole.
I'm not alone.
MALCOLM MERLYN
Really? Was that supposed to be a
threat, because I'm actually very
interested in-
Ray Palmer appears, growing from microscopic size as he punches Merlyn, the force of the young teen's rapidly expanding fist sending the villain flying.
OLLIE
OH THANK GOD!
Ray hops over to Ollie and produces a knife as he begins to cut him free.
RAY
Ollie, you didn't know I came with you
to the island, so you basically did
OLLIE
Not the time, Ray!
Ray cuts through Ollie's bonds and frees him.
EXT. CAMP. LIAN YU. DAY.
Ollie and Ray hop down from the trees and land outside of the camp site they built in and around the remains of a crashed B-52 bomber. The area has improved since the last time we saw it, with tarps and a washing station and a small garden outside of the plane. We follow the two as they enter the crashed plane. It is dark inside, and just as Ray turns on the lights, Ollie draws his bow and knocks an arrow as he turns on the spot, aiming at the intruder who is now visible in the light: Talia Al Ghul, who stands in the sights of Ollie's bow as she holds a sword to his neck.
OLLIE
We are not having a good day!
RAY
*yelp!*
TALIA
You sensed me. I am impressed, Oliver
Queen.
OLLIE
You wear the same old lady perfume my
mom does, and way too much of it if
you-
Talia glares ever so slightly as she applies the smallest amount of pressure to Ollie's neck with the tip of her sword, causing Ollie to wince in pain.
OLLIE
Hey now! Do you want me to lose my
grip on this thing? Also, how do you
know my name?
TALIA
I know many things.
OLLIE
That is not an answer to the question
I asked!
RAY
(O.S.)
Ollie, we have a problem!
OLLIE
(quiet)
I wish I thought you're still talking
about her...
Ollie glances toward the door, and his eyes widen in shock just before he backs away from Talia and drops to the ground. A crossbow bolt whizzes through the air over Ollie as he falls; outside, Tigress and Sportsmaster are attacking! Sportsmaster aims a hunting rifle at Talia, who ducks out of the way as Ollie scrambles for cover beside Ray.
TALIA
You let them follow you?!
OLLIE
I've never seen these guys before!
RAY
Yes you have, they work for the
Legion!
OLLIE
I meant today!
TALIA
You did not!
Talia rolls forward and lands in a cool action crouch as she throws several small knives at the villains; Tigress manages to dodge out of the way, but Sportsmaster is hit in the leg.
SPORTSMASTER
(pained)
*yell*
Talia smirks as she dashes toward Sportsmaster with her sword. The villain drops his rifle and draws his metal cricket bat, and the two begin a fierce exchange of blows. Ollie comes out from behind cover, but immediately returns to it as Tigress shoots at him with her high tech repeat action crossbow.
OLLIE
I hate to say it, Ray, but I think we
need to find a new place.
RAY
That's okay, I prepared.
Ray pulls what looks like a small toy jeep out of his pocket and jumps out of cover.
RAY
EVERYBODY DUCK!
Ray tosses the jeep before rapidly shrinking to avoid getting hit by crossbow bolts. As the jeep arcs through the air, it returns to its original size and weight. Sportsmaster, Tigress, and Talia all jump out of the way as the two and a half ton machine lands with a thud on the grass. Ray jumps back to normal size beside Talia and holds out his hand to her.
RAY
Come on!
Talia is puzzled for a moment, but is too smart not to take help when offered. Ray leads her to the car, which he unlocks with a pair of keys. He crawls over the driver's seat into the front passenger seat, and tosses the keys to Talia as he buckles his seat belt.
TALIA
Why me?
RAY
I'm thirteen.
Talia slides into the driver's seat as Ollie scrambles into the back passenger seat. Talia starts the car and guns it.
OLLIE
(like Jerry Lewis)
*yelp!*
The jeep takes off. Sportsmaster and Tigress scramble to their feet as they fire after it, shattering the tail light with a bullet and the back window with a crossbow bolt. In the car, everyone ducks out of the way as the bolt embeds itself in the dashboard. The jeep gains speed, and drives off into the distance, far away from the villains. Sportsmaster glares as they drive away, and activates his communicator.
INT. OFFICE.
A dark office, lit only by the smallest slivers of sunlight slipping in through the closed blinds. A man sits in an office chair behind a desk, slouched like a jaded king and barely visible by the thin strands of light in the room. In his left hand, he holds a rigid metal mask, black on one side and orange on the other, which he glares at with his one good eye; a look of disgust and regret. In his left hand he is nursing a glass of bourbon, and on his desk there is one half empty bottle in front of two others that are completely spent. A communicator sitting beside the bottle begins to beep and blink red. The man puts down his drink and picks up the communicator.
SLADE WILSON
Go.
SPORTSMASTER
(radio)
We made contact, but we lost her. It's
the JLA; Oliver Queen and the Atom,
they're on the island, and for the
moment it seems that they're working
with her. What do you want us to do?
The man cloaked in shadows stands up.
SLADE WILSON
Find Merlyn. Come back to base.
SPORTSMASTER
(radio)
Under- *CLICK*
The man turns off the communicator. He puts on the mask.
INT. SPACE FREIGHTER.
The mess hall of Kilowog's space freighter is packed with at least a hundred alien refugees from the prison in Ranx the Sentient City, all seated at tables and listening to Alan Scott speak. He is standing by a table where the party is seated.
ALAN SCOTT
We'll be arriving planet-side in four
hours. Mogo is an M-Class planet
orbiting a yellow star on the far side
of Thanagarian space, which is about
as far from Sinestro as we can get
before we start to run out of food.
There's already been shelter set aside
for all of you, and the Green Lantern
Corps will protect you.
A quiet murmur spreads through the crowd.
ALAN SCOTT
You should take the time remaining to
prepare yourselves.
Alan steps back and takes his seat, ending his announcement. The crowd begins to disperse, some leaving the mess hall to prepare for departure, others remaining and discussing what comes next in hushed tones. At the table, Lana Lang is bent over in her seat, laying almost face-down.
LANA
I've missed sunlight. And real air.
BARRY
And real food !
HAL
They do have real food on Mogo, right?
KILOWOG
Fruit, mostly.
HAL
I'll take it.
GUY
So, we know what the hitchhikers are
doing once we land, but what about us?
BARRY
I will eat so much fruit.
KILOWOG
The surviving Lanterns have their own
camp right on the equator. We'll land
there, and the refugees will settle in
the surrounding forests. We'll be
staying in the camp, where the two of
you will be getting rings of your own.
Guy and John both look noticeably excited.
HAL
That reminds me.
Hal turns to John, who hands over the ring. Hal slips it back on his finger. He smirks, as his body is enveloped in a green glow and his clothes are suddenly replaced by his costume.
HAL
That's better. Almost makes me forget
how hungry and stir crazy I am.
Hal glances over at Carol, who is absentmindedly eating from her ration pack.
HAL
Carol, how're you holding up?
CAROL
(monotone)
I'm fine, Hal.
An awkward silence hangs in the air for a moment. Hal glances over at J'onn J'onzz, making eye contact.
CUT TO
Hal, J'onn, Alex, and Alan Scott standing in the corner of the mess hall, talking quietly among themselves.
HAL
Something weird's going on with Carol.
She's been spending a lot of time with
one of the aliens on the ship, being
real secretive about it. I don't like it.
ALEX
I do think there is a 30% chance that
this is just Hal processing the
break-up poorly, but I will admit that
Carol's behavior lately is different.
ALAN SCOTT
She is a 16 year old girl caught up in
a war in space. This might just be
shell-shock.
HAL
That is still a problem.
J'ONN
And it may not be all there is to it.
HAL
What do you mean?
J'ONN
Normally, a person's thoughts and
feelings radiate off of them. I can
usually get a sense of someone's mood
and the general subject of their
thoughts without having to try to read
their mind. I get nothing from Carol.
I have not been able to since before
we escaped from Ranx. At some point in
the last few weeks, her mind has
become like an airtight steel trap,
and I do not know why.
HAL
Can you... get past whatever it is?
J'ONN
Probably. But not without alerting who
or whatever is responsible.
Kilowog and Alan Scott make a brief moment of eye contact.
ALAN SCOTT
Why don't you let me handle this?
ALEX
Handle it how?
ALAN SCOTT
I'll talk to the alien. Out of all of
us, I think I probably have the most
experience with interstellar
diplomacy.
KILOWOG
Besides me, of course.
ALAN SCOTT
Yeah, but you lose your temper and
start punching things way too easy.
Kilowog lightly and playfully punches Alan's shoulder.
KILOWOG
Watch it, poozer.
ALAN SCOTT
See what I mean?
Alan Scott starts to peel away from the group, and Hal starts to follow.
HAL
So, what are you going to say?
ALAN SCOTT
Well, I'll probably start by asking
her name.
HAL
Okay, but what's the plan here? What
are we gonna do if-?
ALAN SCOTT
Hal, stop, listen to me. I understand
that you feel responsible for Carol,
and appreciate how restless you are
right now, but in all likelihood there
is an innocent explanation for all of
this, and even if there isn't, this is
probably the kind of thing that gets
solved with a serious conversation and
setting a few boundaries. I'll handle
it, but I need you to trust me on this
one.
HAL
... okay.
Hal nods and turns back to join the others. Alan watches him go, expressionless.
INT. DARK ROOM.
A dark room, draped in hues of purple and pink, with a single violet light dimly illuminating the space, casting the long and looming shadow of the room's only occupant. There is a loud banging sound on the door.
ANAMEDE
It's open.
The door slides open. In walks Alan Scott, fully decked out in his jade armor and surrounded by a shimmering green aura, his eyes glowing with emerald energy and rage.
ALAN SCOTT
Hello, Anamede.
The room's sole occupant stands, the tall and slender blue colored alien who Carol Ferris had been visiting with earlier. She holds a violet colored sapphire gem, cupped between her two hands.
ANAMEDE
Know your place.
ALAN SCOTT
You're the one overstepping here.
In a frightening display of speed, Anamede closes the distance between herself and Alan in an instant, wrapping her long slender fingers around his neck. Her body and eyes glow with a violent violet aura, which clashes sickeningly against Alan's emerald energy.
ANAMEDE
I was ancient before your sun finished
forming. I have given birth to
civilizations and laid siege to
planets, and you will not address me
as if you were capable of
comprehending me.
BEAT
ALAN SCOTT
... oh, I'm sorry, did you say
something? I wasn't listen-
Anamede takes her free hand and places her palm on Alan's forehead. Her violet aura flares up and envelopes everything.
CUT TO
A flash of Alan Scott fighting Fatality in space.
CUT TO
A flash of Alan Scott fighting the Bizarros alongside Martian Manhunter on Mosiac.
CUT TO
A flash of Alan watching a holographic projection of the fall of Oa with his wife in their home, both horrified, as their children play in the background.
CUT TO
A flash of Alan Scott's retirement ceremony on the planet Oa, with thousands of celebrating Green Lanterns in attendance.
CUT TO
A flash of Alan Scott, awestruck, floating in the sky above Gotham City as he meets Abin Sur for the first time.
CUT TO
A flash of Alan Scott calling the first ever meeting of the Justice Society of America to order.
CUT TO
A flash of Alan Scott battling a young woman dressed as some kind of gothic clown or mime on the rooftop of a building, fending him off with her meta-human powers of illusion.
CUT TO
EXT. GOTHAM RAIL YARD. DAY.
Alan Scott, age 20, stands at the center of a burning hellscape. Twisted steel and towering flames surround him as he surveys the aftermath of the train crash he just survived. There is nothing but terror and destruction around him, the sound of screaming audible off in the distance, but he is completely unharmed, surrounded by a faint glowing green aura and clutching an antique jade-colored metal lantern in his left hand. As he stands there, in a state of shock, Anamede appears from behind him, whispering in his ear.
ANAMEDE
Your mind, and its place in time, are
mine to do with as I please. I can
stitch the horrors of your life into a
prison you will NEVER-
Alan Scott grimaces, clenches his right fist, and turns to punch Anamede directly in the face.
CUT TO
Anamede falls on the floor of her dimly lit quarters on the ship as reality returns. Alan Scott strides into the room, radiating energy.
ALAN SCOTT
Are you tired? You were just bragging
about how very old you are, maybe you
should take a rest?
ANAMEDE
(quietly)
Insolent ... !
ALAN SCOTT
We have the same enemy, Anamede. We
have every reason not to fight each
other.
ANAMEDE
Insult is a poor peace offering.
ALAN SCOTT
Stay away from Carol Ferris.
ANAMEDE
As are orders.
ALAN SCOTT
We cannot afford distractions or
infighting. Whatever interest you've
taken in Carol Ferris-
ANAMEDE
You know what my "interest" is!
ALAN SCOTT
It is an unnecessary distraction-
ANAMEDE
Unnecessary-?!
ALAN SCOTT
-that will only sow division! Ferris
is a kid! She's a bystander! She is
here by accident, and it is my job to
keep her safe!
Anamede studies Alan's face for a moment, and then smiles.
ANAMEDE
You do not know anything about who
Caroline Ferris really is, Alan Scott.
ALAN SCOTT
And you do?
ANAMEDE
The mind, and its place in time, are
mine to do with as I please.
The sapphire gem in Anamede's hands flares up with energy once again, generating a wall of violet force that pushes Alan Scott violently out into the hallway.
ANAMEDE
You cannot fathom the depth of my
knowledge.
The door slams shut. Alan Scott sits in the hallway, his back against the wall, looking very tired.
BEAT
HAL
(O.S.)
That didn't go how you expected, did
it?
ALAN SCOTT
It went better than I expected, just
worse than I hoped.
Hal sits down next to Alan.
BEAT
ALAN SCOTT
I lied to you, kid.
HAL
Yeah, I kind of figured.
ALAN SCOTT
For starters, I already knew her name.
And, before I went in there, I already
had a pretty good idea of what she
wants from Carol.
HAL
Now?
ALAN SCOTT
I'm pretty much sure of it.
HAL
How bad is this gonna get?
ALAN SCOTT
Well, let me put it this way: I'm not
sure if I'm capable of stopping her...
and I'm not sure if I should even try
in the first place.
HAL
What?!
Alan turns to Hal.
ALAN SCOTT
I think you're due for the long
version of the story, kid.
INT. CAR. DAY.
The car speeds through the trees of the island as the three inside bicker.
RAY
So we need a plan for what's next.
TALIA
I have a hiding place, but the forest
will soon become too thick to drive. I
will need to guide us on foot.
OLLIE
Who are you?!
TALIA
My name is Talia Al Ghul, second
daughter of Ra's Al Ghul and heir to
the League of Assassins.
OLLIE
Shouldn't the heir be the first-?
TALIA
You do not have permission to discuss
my sister.
RAY
You're an assassin?
TALIA
In training.
OLLIE
Why are you here? Also, why are the
Legion of Doom here?!
TALIA
"Legion of Doom?"
RAY
The people that attacked us, are they
after you?
TALIA
No, I'm after them.
OLLIE
Well, they're after us. They must have
followed us to the island.
TALIA
*scoff* You only arrived seven weeks
ago, Queen, they've been on the island
for almost a year.
OLLIE
Okay, well, that's on me for not
checking.
RAY
What have they been doing here this
whole time?
TALIA
They intend to steal what belongs to
my father. I have come to remove their
thieving hands. But further explanations
will have to wait.
OLLIE
(under his breath)
Aw jeez, a team meeting...
The car slows to a halt as it reaches the part of the forest too dense with trees to drive through. Talia turns off the car, and the party gets out. Ray places a hand on the jeep, and his fingertips briefly flash a glowing, blue-tinted white, before the jeep shrinks back down to the size of a hot-wheels car, which he bends over to pick up and place in his pocket. Talia looks on in amazement.
TALIA
(quietly)
My word...
OLLIE
So, where to next?
TALIA
My camp is in the mountains. We must
move quickly and quietly, try to keep up.
Talia runs off and hops up into the trees, beginning a hardcore parkour from branch to branch. Ollie holds open his pocket as Ray shrinks down and hops in.
OLLIE
I do not care for her.
Ollie fires off a grapple arrow and pulls himself up into the treetops.
INT. EVIL SECRET BASE. DAY.
In a large dimly lit facility, a man works on a large industrial floor overlooked by a catwalk office. He stands before a work station, scrambling through a mess of papers and notes, until he freezes in terror at the sound of the office door upstairs opening and closing.
DEATHSTROKE
(O.S.)
Did we lose anything?
Trying to stifle his quiet terror, the man turns to find DEATHSTROKE THE TERMINATOR standing directly behind him!
PROFESSOR IVO
(startled)
*yell!*
DEATHSTROKE
Answer the question, professor.
PROFESSOR IVO
I believe she, ah, that is to say it
appears that some of my personal
reference material is missing, which I
find very irritating, but it's nothing
vital to completing the project.
DEATHSTROKE
Any sensitive information?
PROFESSOR IVO
Sensit-?
DEATHSTROKE
Passwords, schedules, maps, do you
need any more examples before you
answer the question?
PROFESSOR IVO
No, nothing like that.
DEATHSTROKE
Good.
A large set of doors open, and Merlyn, Sportsmaster, and Tigress enter the scene. Without missing a beat, Deathstroke turns to them and disengages from the Professor, much to Ivo's relief.
DEATHSTROKE
What do we know?
MALCOLM MERLYN
I found Queen's journal at the camp,
it's just him and Palmer.
SPORTSMASTER
They got away in a jeep.
MALCOLM MERLYN
One of Palmer's little tricks.
TIGRESS
The tire tracks should be easy enough
to follow.
DEATHSTROKE
We will not underestimate them. We all
know where that leads. Get resupplied,
we move in five minutes.
Deathstroke stiffly walks past the others and heads to the door.
DEATHSTROKE
You're responsible for everything that
happens here while we're away,
Professor. Don't let me down.
Deathstroke exits the scene.
EXT. LIAN YU MOUNTAINS. SUNSET.
An exterior shot of the Lian Yu Mountains at the center of the island.
INT. CAVE.
Weary from travel, Talia, Ollie, and Ray enter Talia's hiding place. Talia lights a lantern. The inside of the cave is fairly cozy, with a hammock suspended over a work station with a chair.
OLLIE
Nice place. Very cozy.
TALIA
Are you mocking me?
OLLIE
Not at the moment. It's hard to tell
with me, I know it's a problem, I'm
working on it.
RAY
I packed plenty of food and camping
supplies, you can help yourself to
whatever you need, Talia.
TALIA
Thank you, Raymond.
RAY
When did I tell you my name?
OLLIE
Yeah, she seems to do that, doesn't
she?
Ollie grabs the chair from Talia's work station and sits in it backwards, facing her.
OLLIE
Ray and I are superheroes in training.
We didn't know there was anyone else
on the island, that's why we came here
to train. Now it's your turn. Why are
you here, what does it have to do with
the Legion, and how do you know our
names?
TALIA
Are you trying to intimidate me,
Oliver?
OLLIE
Yes, but mostly just for practice.
Anyway, we're in the same situation,
so let's help each other. I read Lord
of the Flies, I know how these things go.
Talia smiles and nods. She walks around Oliver and leans back against the work table.
TALIA
I belong to the League of Assassins, a
Nizari Isma'ili order of holy
warriors, considered heretical by
fools blessed with ignorance, who have
sworn to rid paradise of the blight of
sin.
OLLIE
... right.
RAY
(quietly)
They're kind of like ninjas. They're
guys that Bruce fights a lot in the
future.
TALIA
This island belongs to us, it has for
centuries. Its resources are ours to
protect, and ours alone to take. This
"Legion" set roots down here nearly a
year ago, settling in the remains of
the American Military's attempt to
steal from Ra's Al Ghul years ago.
OLLIE
And he's your father, right?
(to Ray)
We've heard that name before, right?
RAY
Yeah, he's one of Bruce's guys. He's
not a member of the Legion, but he's a
big deal.
TALIA
What are you talking about?
OLLIE
Our story is colorful, but it's still
your turn. You said earlier you were
still in training, if your dad is this
big bad supervillain-
TALIA
(incredulous)
Supervillain?
OLLIE
- why are you dealing with this and
not him?
TALIA
I am chasing a ghost.
OLLIE
... is that literal?
TALIA
To be honest, I'm not sure. Ten months
ago, my teacher was murdered in front
of me by an archer dressed in black.
The killer had the same face as the
man he murdered, the teacher who
raised me, Malcolm Merlyn. He looked
older, but it was the same face. When
I told my father what happened, how
one of his most loyal followers had
been murdered, he insisted that the
matter not be pursued because he
"feared an ill omen" or some such
cryptic nonsense. I could not accept
this, and so I left home to chase this
ghost. The trail led me to this island
three months ago. Since then, I have
stayed in hiding as I watched events
unfold. I watched the two of you when
you arrived. I entered your camp and
read your journal while you were out
hunting, that is how I know your
names.
OLLIE
Right. So, you came after this Malcolm
guy, and it turns out he's in the
Legion. Makes sense, the Legion are
bad guys from the future, they've been
killing the past versions of
themselves so they won't be
competition down the line. Based on
how well connected he sounds, he must
at least be a moderate deal. Ray, what
do we know about him?
RAY
You really don't remember?
OLLIE
You know I'm bad in the meetings!
RAY
Ollie...
OLLIE
Hey, I'm working on stuff, but there
is still stuff to work on!
RAY
Okay, but, Ollie... Malcolm Merlyn,
The Dark Archer... he's the Green
Arrow's greatest enemy.
OLLIE
... oh.
BEAT
OLLIE
... my main guy is the henchman of one
of Bruce's guys?!
THE END
Notes:
If you like my story, I have a side project I'm working on, developing my very own comic book superhero universe, and I'm looking for artists to collaborate with. If you or anyone you know is a graphic artist with a strong talent for sequential visual storytelling, hit me up in the DMs!
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