by Rubberman41
A penthouse in Metropolis:
Alexis Luthor cleared her throat as she walked into the living room of the spacious apartment. Seated around the room were four individuals of her ilk.
To her left she saw a blonde woman with a white and pink costume bearing a stylized A. She had a crossbow and and a quiver full of quarrels. Sitting next to the blonde was a woman with auburn hair who was dressed as a Las Vegas dealer, down to the old-fashioned garters on her sleeves and fishnet stockings.
Across the room, seated on a couch, was a young man dressed all in white, including a pointed white hat. Then her gaze landed on the last of the quartet, a serious-looking man wearing a leather jacket, T-shirt, and blue jeans, with three days’ growth of beard.
Alexis cleared her throat again, and all of her guests turned to look at her. “Hello, ladies and gentlemen. I am Alexis Luthor, daughter of Alexei Luthor, and I have asked you here for a very urgent reason.”
After hearing no response, Alexis continued. “First, I would like the rest of you to know each other.” Alexis gestured at the woman in white and pink and said, “This is Artemis Crock, daughter of the original Huntress and Sportsmaster. She is a master of the crossbow, as well as many other weapons, and hand-to-hand combat.” Alexis then gestured to the auburn-headed woman. “This is Hazard, granddaughter of the Gambler. She controls the powers of probability.” Alexis pointed out the man in white. “This is Icicle, son of the original Icicle. He has the abilities of his father’s ice-gun, but his are internalized. “And last, but not least, is Nimbus, son of the Mist. He has the powers to change into a gaseous form with several special side-effects.
“OK, now that we are done with the introductions, let me get to the meat of the matter,” Alexis continued. “Our main mission is to destroy the JSA and all its legacies — Infinity Inc. and these new brats in the Junior JSA. But to do that we need soldiers.
“Now, I know each of you is capable in your own areas, but you’re just not enough.” Alexis smiled and said, “We need more help in our fight, but most of those willing to help are decrepit old geezers on their last legs. The Ultra-Humanite and I have been approached by the Lord of Chaos known as Wotan. He claims that he can rejuvenate these geezers en masse.” She took a breath. “The only drawback is that he needs the power of the Starheart to do it.
“The Starheart is what Green Lantern’s ring and battery are made of,” Alexis went on. “Only two people that we know of control the power of the Starheart — Green Lantern himself and his daughter, Jade. It has been declared that the children of our world’s criminals — us — capture the daughter of one of the most powerful crime-fighters. Pretty poetic, don’t you think?
“Together, we will take Jade, rejuvenate the geezers, and show the world that the next generation has come.” Alexis’ eyes flashed. “We will be known as Injustice Unlimited!”
***
The JSA Brownstone, Gotham City:
Alex DeWitt sat in front of the JSA monitor board going over old case logs. She was still collecting her thoughts on the events of the last few days: her acquiring the ring with the yellow energy; her taking the name Corona, and all the beer jokes that came with it; her coming to Gotham to find the Green Lantern to teach her to use the ring; her meeting the JSA, and their rapid departure on yet another Earth-shaking calamity; her being asked to join the JSA Reserves during their absence. It was all so surreal.
Running her hands across the computer console, she marveled at the technology possessed by the JSA. She remembered back to the night before when Obsidian — no, he wanted her to call him Todd — showed her how to use the monitor board. He was very good-looking, lean, and fit. He had this dark, brooding side that she found most appealing. What am I thinking? Alex thought to herself. I have a boyfr–
“Kyle!” she said out loud. I’ve forgotten all about him. He must be worried sick by now, she thought to herself as she reached for the phone. Hmm. I wonder what the JSA rules for personal calls are? she thought as she dialed her and Kyle’s number.
The phone rang. It rang again. It rang four more times before Alex remembered she hadn’t even unpacked the answering machine from the boxes of stuff that she and Kyle had brought from Los Angeles. She hung up and dialed again, but there was still no answer. I wonder where Kyle is, she thought to herself.
***
Kyle Rayner stepped out of the passenger-side door of the car he had ridden in all the way to Gotham City. He turned to the driver. “Thanks for the ride, man, now go back to New York. When you get there, you will remember nothing that just happened.”
A pinkish glow surrounded Kyle and the man. “Yes, see you later,” said the man as he sped away.
Kyle approached the JSA Brownstone, walked up the steps, and started pounding on the door. “Alex, I know you’re in there,” he yelled. “I need to talk to you.”
Inside the Brownstone, Alex heard thuds, and the monitor screen flashed to a scene of the front door. Kyle was banging on the door, calling her name. “Man, speak of the Devil, and he appears.” Alex scratched her head, then she noticed that Kyle was wearing a baseball cap. He never wears hats, Alex thought to herself. He’s always worried about mussing his hair.
Alex walked to the front door and opened it. “Kyle! What are you doing here?” Alex asked, surprised to see her boyfriend here of all places.
“Alex, I need to talk to you,” Kyle said as he walked into the foyer.
“How did you know I was even here?” Alex asked.
“I saw you on TV,” Kyle responded. “I came to bring you back home.”
“Take me back home?!” Alex said, fuming. “Who do think you are, barging in here like this? Do you think you can just order me to come home with you?”
“Look,” Kyle went on. “You’re my girl, and you will do what I tell you, or else!” At that, the Powerstone embedded in Kyle’s forehead began to glow a pinkish color. The baseball cap that had been covering the stone burned away as a beam of searing energy shot from the stone, demolishing an antique table.
“Kyle, stop that!” Alex said, cringing. “What? Where did you get these powers?” she asked.
“It doesn’t matter where I got them, Alex,” Kyle went on. “It only matters that we are equals now, and we can be together forever.”
“Equals? What the hell are you talking about?” Alex asked as she looked around and heard the whirls of the automated defenses. “Stop, Kyle, before you get hurt.”
At just that moment, Jade walked into the room. “Corona, what the hell is going on?” She looked from Alex to Kyle; her eyes widened, and she pointed at Kyle. “He has the Powerstone!” she gasped. “Computer, subdue intruder!” Jade ordered as beams of energy struck the young man.
Unprepared for the barrage of the automated defenses, Kyle screamed in pain and collapsed in a heap on the floor.
“Oh, Kyle, what have you done?” Alex said as she rushed to Kyle’s side.
“You know this guy?” Jade asked.
Alex turned to face Jade. “Yes, he’s my boyfriend.”
“Your boyfriend!” Jade asked, shocked. “Then where in the hell did he get the Powerstone?”
“Powerstone?” Alex asked.
“Yes, the Powerstone,” Jade explained. “On my first mission as an Infinitor, the Ultra-Humanite dragged me and most of the other Infinitors back to World War II. The Humanite, whose brain was in the body of this beautiful Hollywood actress, used the Powerstone to control our minds to destroy our parents and mentors. We finally defeated him, uh, her in the end, but the Powerstone was destroyed, or so we thought.” (*)
[(*) Editor’s note: See “A Gauntlet Hurled,” Infinity Inc. #2 (May, 1984), “The Infinity Syndrome,” All-Star Squadron #25 (September, 1983), “Talons Across Time,” All-Star Squadron #26 (October, 1983), and “The Ultra War,” All-Star Squadron Annual #2 (1983).]
“And this Powerstone — this is the same thing stuck in Kyle’s forehead?” Alex asked, agape.
“Yes, it appears to be,” Jade went on. “I’d better call in the rest of the Reserves.” But before Jade could even turn to head to the monitor board, the large front doors were blasted off their hinges.
A striking red-haired woman in a green-and-purple uniform stepped forward. Behind her four other figures stood. “You’re not going anywhere, sister!” the redhead said. “You’re coming with us!”
Alexis Luthor strode confidently into the sanctum of her worst enemies. She noticed that the two large doors that once stood at the front of the JSA Brownstone now laid flat on the floor, broken and battered. She also noticed the many blaster guns protruding from the walls. She reached into her belt, grabbed a small device, and triggered it. Those in the room felt a strange sensation, and the blaster guns just hung suspended in the air.
“What was that?” the green-skinned Jade asked.
“That, my dear Jade, was a localized electromagnetic pulse,” Alexis said, sneering. “Now, if you would please surrender, we won’t have to beat you and your friends to a pulp.” Alexis looked at the other two people who occupied the room. One was a blonde woman in a yellow and white costume kneeling over the other. Alexis noticed a yellow ring on the woman’s finger. The other was a man, obviously unconscious. He was wearing street clothes but had a large red gemstone embedded in his forehead.
Jade put a force-field between the couple on the floor and the new threat. “Just who the hell are you?”
“I am Alexis Luthor, daughter of Alexei Luthor,” the redhead said, smiling. “And I would like to introduce you to Injustice Unlimited! Artemis, Hazard, take out Jade! Icicle, Nimbus, the blonde bimbo is yours,” Alexis ordered.
With that, four other figures entered the room, two women and two men. The two women made a beeline for Jade. The two men went for the blonde woman crouching over the unconscious man.
“Corona, stay on your toes — we’re outnumbered here,” Jade warned the blonde.
“No one calls me bimbo and gets away with it,” Corona spat as a yellow glow suddenly surrounded her.
Artemis and Hazard took places in front of Jade. Artemis’ reflexes were faster, and she shot a quarrel from her crossbow at Jade, who barely ducked out of the way. She looked over at Hazard, who was shaking a pair of dice in her hand, and waved her own power-pulse hand, creating a large green energy fist that knocked Artemis off her feet, who landed hard as her quarrels fell from her quiver and scattered across the floor. Hazard shook her hand like she was throwing craps, and Jade lost her footing, falling hard to the floor.
The Icicle flung an ice spear at Corona, but it bounced off of Jade’s force-field. Nimbus floated up to the force-field. “Hmm. I wonder if air can get to you in there?” Nimbus mused dryly. With that, Nimbus dissipated, oozed through the field, and surrounded the couple laying on the floor.
“I think some sleeping gas should do the trick,” Nimbus chuckled as Corona and the man started to cough and gag. Corona thought of blowing the gas away, and a large fan appeared, blowing Nimbus back through the force-field, which disappeared due to Jade’s falling.
“Aha!” Alexis said. “I see you both have the abilities of a Green Lantern. Very interesting.” Alexis reached again to her utility belt and withdrew some components that she hastily assembled.
Jade stood up as Artemis scrambled to gather her quarrels. Hazard began shaking her dice again. Icicle engulfed Corona in a block of ice, but she easily broke out of it. She then created a large hand that grabbed up Alexis, crushing the components in her hands.
Nimbus took this opportunity to slip up behind Corona and bash her over the head with both fists. Corona’s force-field collapsed, and Icicle hit her in the face with a ball of ice, knocking her unconscious. Alexis Luthor slumped unceremoniously to the floor, free from Corona’s grasp.
Hazard looked at her teammate Artemis. “Sugah, you’re gonna need all the help yah can get.” With that, a yellow glow surrounded Artemis, who picked up a quarrel and cocked her crossbow.
Jade, who had recovered, put up another force-field around herself. Seeing Artemis and the Luthor woman on the ground, she summoned a hand and backslapped Hazard across the room. Hazard landed with a thump, falling unconscious.
Artemis regained her footing and aimed her crossbow at Jade. “This is for trying to make a fool out of me, bitch.” With that, Artemis fired a quarrel at Jade. The quarrel whizzed through the air through Jade’s force-field and smacked into Jade’s temple, knocking her unconscious. Jade fell to the floor. Artemis walked over to Jade, then noticed the quarrel sticking in the wall. The quarrel was made out of wood.
Alexis Luthor stood up and gathered herself. “Come on, gather the wounded, and let’s get out of here before any others show up.”
“What about blondie and the gem-guy?” the Icicle asked.
Alexis took a closer look at the gem in Kyle’s forehead and frowned in thought for a moment. “Leave the girl, but bring the boy with us.”
With that, Injustice Unlimited left the JSA Brownstone and disappeared.