Justice League III: Shattered

Chapter Four: Metropolis

Metropolis, 12/8/15, 9:42 PM

"Any signs of them, Hawkgirl?"  Aquaman asked as she flew down to him from the night sky of Metropolis.

"Nothing."  Hawkgirl shook her head looking at the group, Black Lightning sat on the edge of the rooftop and Cyborg was scanning the city for any anomalies.  Nightwing was pacing around checking all radio frequencies in the area.

"We need to find Deathstroke and whomever is following him quick."  Kaldur sighed as he held his trident close.  The same trident previously used by Arthur Curry, the true king of Atlantis.  The same man that was now dead.  Kaldur felt unworthy of the Aquaman title because of it, he knew Connor felt the same about the title of Superman too.

"Wait, a moment."  Cyborg held up his hand, "I've got a spike in radiation in the southwest side of the city."  Cyborg pointed in the direction and glanced at Aquaman as he did.

"Lets go check it out then."  Kaldur nodded moving towards that direction, he quickly leaped off the rooftop with the rest following after him.

***

Cyborg moved around the corner as he raised his plasma cannon.  He glanced around looking for any hidden enemies, but saw nothing.

"Everyone report it in."  Aquaman ordered over the radio.

"Nightwing check."

"Hawkgirl check."

"Black Lightning check."

"Cyborg check."  Cyborg reported in as he moved up to a rusty door in the facility they had found.

He listened closely, but heard nothing.  Complete silence was taking up the area.  He raised his cannon again as he felt the silence weighing in on him.

"Hello?"  Cyborg asked quietly as he walked in, "Any-?"

CRACK!

He heard that one, he whipped around firing as a figure leaped to the side raising a device that shot out two chords at him.  The chords attached quickly and released electrical shocks that overloaded his system.

Cyborg felt his mechanical joints tensing up as he began to lose power.

"No..."  He cried out, but he collapsed from the shortage in power.

He looked up as a slim figure began moving towards him, a familiar figure... He knew this one... 

It was the hooded assassin girl.

"Hello Cyborg."  The voice spoke, he had never heard her speak and now that he did he felt it was familiar, "Miss me?"  The girl raised her hand taking off the hood and the mask.

He widened his eyes as he saw the blonde hair fall out from the hood.  

"Arte-"  He began, but she raised her foot towards his head.

"Quiet now, we don't want the others to hear you do we?"  She asked before slamming her foot into his head and knocking him out.

Coast City, 12/9/15, 2:21 AM

"Jesus, we've been looking for hours!"  Shazam sighed and yawned over the radio, "You really think it's out here?"

"We have to check."  Blue Devil replied in an exaggerated tone, he was growing tired of Shazam's continuous complaints.

"I haven't seen a sign of it."  Superman sighed as he leaped up to the roof, he looked around and heard another voice speak.

"Still nothing."  Metamorpho spoke now, "Maybe we could draw it out with something?"

"We don't know anything about this thing, it wouldn't work."  Blue Devil answered.

"Hey, I see something!"  Superman yelled as he looked out at the city.  He clenched his fist as he saw a larger figure with a huge shadow moving among the rooftops.  On instinct, he ran forward leaping towards it and the others followed after him.  He ran faster than he had before, though he did not move in Superman's outfit, that was his to wear and not Connor's.  He chose his same black t-shirt, he felt right claiming his own name to the part.  He did not care if people knew Superman was dead, he cared about making them know he was still around.  

Connor leaped up to the roof and charged at the figure.  He saw it now, it had stopped there as if waiting for them.  Connor raised his fists, but the figure turned around and lunged at him.  It had golden metallic skin and huge claws that reached out and grabbed Connor instantly.  It grabbed him and threw him to the side.  Connor rolled to the edge of the roof as the creature began lumbering towards him.

Just in time, Metamorpho charged in with concrete skin and the two crashed into a water tower on the other side of the rooftop.  Connor stood up moving towards them as the creature wrestled Metamorpho to the floor and raised it's claws up in the air.  Connor prepared to charge, but Shazam slammed into the creature first flying up into the sky with it.  Connor watched as Shazam punched it into the air, but the creature unfolded its wings and bit into his shoulder.  The creature let Shazam go as he flew backwards and the creature slammed him away with it's arm.  It turned around as Blue Devil flew up now blasting at it with energy beams.  The creature dodged the attacks and tackled into him heading back for the rooftop.  Connor leaped up into the air and grappled on with the two.  He slammed his fists into the creature, but it again knocked him away.  

He landed in an alleyway as the other two crashed into another building.

***

Blue Devil widened his eyes as the creature stood up before him inside the apartment they were now inside.  Its red eyes glowed at him as its claws were extended.  It lumbered towards him growling lowly.  Blue Devil reached for his trident, but the creature put it's claws down on it and slid it away.

"No.."  Blue Devil muttered, he would not let this be his end.  He watched as the creature stared down at him.  

"GET AWAY!"  Metamorpho yelled punching the creature into a wall from out of nowhere.

Blue Devil grinned as he grabbed his trident and rolled up to his knees and blasted at the creature again.  This time the beam hit it head on knocking it back again.

"Yes, lets get it!"  Blue Devil flew forward hitting the creature in the head with his trident and then blasting it again.  Metamorpho ran in punching the creature in the chest and sending an uppercut to its chin knocking it down.  Blue Devil raised his trident and blasted it again, for good measure.

"That's what you get."  Metamorpho taunted it.

"Time to bring this thing back."  Blue Devil sighed as he walked around it, "And find out just exactly what it is."