Chapter Eighteen: The Watchtower

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The Watchtower, 5/9/18, 12:02 PM

Eddie sighed as he watched Tara resting in the bed. He managed to stabilize her and her wound, but the arm had been torn clean off. He could barely believe what he had seen. He moved into the main chamber as she continued sleeping. He had to know what was going on. He entered moving towards the main console when he heard a sound that he recognized, a boom tube. He quickly teleported upwards into the rafters as two men entered the chamber.

Two men entered the chamber moving inside, "Darkseid's technology will never cease to amaze me." Luthor chuckled from inside a giant mech suit.

"We need to get to the reactor." Thawne said moving to the main console, "I'll begin preparations here, you bring the staff down."

Luthor nodded exiting the chamber, Eddie widened his eyes in fear. He couldn't call for help from here and he couldn't stop Luthor and Thawne on his own. He needed backup. Eddie glanced around the chamber looking for anything he could use. He had to make a plan, and quick.

***

New Metropolis, 5/9/18, 11:48 PM

Shazam punched Zod back into a piece of concrete and flew in blasting electricity into his chest. Zod screamed in pain from the power of magic, something Kryptonians were adverse to. Shazam grabbed him by the shoulders and threw him into the air flying up and punching him again. Zod flew up again and turned towards Shazam sending his heat-vision pulsing towards him. Shazam flew away trying to evade the blast, but Zod followed and knocked Shazam out of the sky. He hit the ground and Faora landed in front of him while Zod joined her. 

"You're an idiot if you think you can beat us both." Zod laughed, above them, Black Lightning and Non still flew around one another trading punches. 

"Good thing he isn't alone!" A voice yelled from behind and a blue blast of energy struck Zod in the back. He turned around in anger as Cyborg landed in front of them with Crescent by his side. 

"I'm going to kill each and every one of you until there is none left!" Zod roared, "Faora! Deal with them!"

Faora readied to rush Cyborg, but she too was knocked to the side as Diana flew in. "Give up, Zod. You're outnumbered and outmatched."

"Never." Zod roared, Shazam quickly caught him in a chokehold holding gripping him tightly. 

"Give up!" Shazam yelled, "Or else!"

"You wouldn't kill me!" Zod laughed grabbing Shazam's arm, "You would never-!"

"SHAZAM!" He yelled and suddenly the sky crackled and a lightning strike flew down hitting them both. Zod reeled in pain falling to his knees and Shazam transformed into his true form of Billy Batson. Billy fell to the ground as Zod collapsed. Faora looked down at Zod in fear and back to Diana as she flew in quickly slamming Faora in the forehead and knocking her to the ground before kicking her in the chest. 

"Cyborg, get the Phantom Zone projector from the Watchtower, we're sending them back." Diana said as Black Lightning brought Non to the ground slamming him down and kicking him in the side. 

"On it." Cyborg nodded raising his arm, "Coming with?" He asked them looking around, Crescent volunteered and the two quickly teleported together. 

"Let's restrain them." Diana smiled as she took out a pair of metahuman cuffs, "Everyone regroup, we still have Luthor and Thawne to worry about."

***

The Watchtower, 5/9/18, 12:10 PM

Eddie perched on the rafters as Thawne worked the console, all he needed was for him to move for a second and then he could activate the zeta-tubes. But Thawne hadn't moved an inch away from the console. For now, Eddie was trapped.

"How goes the preparation?" Thawne asked, but Eddie couldn't hear what Luthor replied, they had a communications link between the two of them, if only he could figure out what they were up to. He heard a buzzing sound, the sound of the zeta-tubes turning on. He turned as two figures appeared at the portals.

Eddie widened his eyes, Cyborg and Crescent both appeared on the platform. Thawne turned smiling and in an instant, he was on the platform. Cyborg yelled in surprise and Thawne quickly slammed him against the wall and then moved to Crescent as she materialized. 

"NO!" Eddie yelled as Thawne raised his hands to Crescent's head and snapped her neck before she could even move. Cyborg raised his plasma cannon, but Thawne was upon him before he could do anything holding him against the wall with his hand on his neck.

"I should've done this a long time ago." Thawne smiled, "Killing you heroes has been a dream of mine for a very long time."

"NO!" Cyborg headbutted Thawne knocking him back. Eddie quickly teleported down behind him breathing fire upon the speedster. Thawne quickly sped around back to the console yelling out.

"Luthor! We have company!" He yelled, Luthor's voice sounded now.

"I see!" A green blast of energy struck Cyborg knocking him to the side. Eddie widened his eyes as another green blast came towards him and he quickly teleported to the side evading it. 

"You!" Thawne smiled pointing at Eddie, "Kid Devil, is that right?"

Eddie faltered tilting his head in confusion, "You know me?"

"Of course, I do." Thawne smiled nodding his head, "You are a very powerful being in the future." 

"What?" Eddie widened his eyes, "I am?"

"Oh yes." Thawne nodded glancing to Luthor, Luthor lowered his arm cannon as Thawne walked forward, "You have yet to unlock your full potential. Your teammates treat you as lesser, do they not?"

Eddie looked down at his hands shaking his head, "No... You're trying to get in my head! You're full of lies." He looked up as Thawne suddenly had him pinned against the wall with his hand on his neck.

"Of course I lied, idiot." Thawne snarled in his face, "In the future, you're not a powerful hero at all. You die, just like the rest."

Eddie opened his mouth, but Thawne held it closed and threw him down.

"You're nothing." Thawne laughed, "You pose zero threat to us."

Luthor stepped forward, "End it Thawne, enough gloating. We have a job to do."

"Right." Thawne nodded looking down at Eddie, "Time to end it."

Thawne was blown to the side as he approached Eddie. Eddie looked over as Cyborg stood up raising his plasma cannon, "Eddie move now! Get us out of here!"

Eddie nodded quickly teleporting to Cyborg grabbing his shoulder and teleporting the two of them to the zeta-tubes. Cyborg quickly pressed a button on his wrist and the zeta-tubes activated just as Luthor blasted at them again.

The two appeared suddenly in the midst of the League and Team in the middle of the rubble of the ARGUS headquarters. 

"What the hell?" Diana exclaimed as the two appeared in the center of the group. Eddie fell to the ground in exhaustion as Cyborg looked to her shaking his head.

"Thawne and Luthor are on the Watchtower...they...they killed..." He clenched his fist in anger and looked up at the sky.

"We have to go back." Eddie looked around at them, "Tara is still there unconscious in the medical bay!"

"What are they doing in the-?" M'gann began, but the sky suddenly lit up in a bright green glow. The heroes gazed up as the Watchtower moved in front of the moon causing complete darkness except for the green glow coming from the space station. The tower suddenly released a green blast of energy down from the base heading straight for the Earth.

"Cyborg..." Diana looked to him now with wide eyes, "Get us up there. Now!"

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