Countdown (28 page)

» “Mother Box,” she said in awe. “And more: I see the Source in your eyes.”

Jimmy gulped. “Maybe I’m turning into a New God.” “No.” She eyed him thoughtfully. “Something else. Something . .. unique.”

He wasn’t sure he liked the sound of that. “Is that the real reason you tracked me down?”

“Yes,” she confessed.

“So ... I’m just prey to you?” He was surprised at just how hurt—and disappointed—he felt. “Something you can capture and exploit?”

She came nearer to him, so that they were only a few inches apart. He inhaled her perfume with every breath. “You were. Yes.”

He pinned his hopes on her use of the past tense. “And now?”

She placed her hand gently upon his chest. His protective quills receded from her touch, leaving flushed pink flesh behind. He swallowed hard, dousing the last embers of his fire-breath, as she pressed herself against him. His body sensed instinctively that there was no danger here, at least not of the physical variety. His arms circled her waist, pulling her closer. Their lips met and he tasted the sweetness of her nectar. She buzzed fervently. Her antennae caressed his brow.

Jimmy hoped he knew what he was getting himself into.

Bemadeth
crouched upon the sticky, bloodstained floor of the torture chamber, wherein she had spent so many blissful hours. She heard the redheaded Terran and his subhuman handmaiden flee the fortress, but made no effort to recapture them. Her throbbing hand testified that there were agendas at play here beyond her ken, and she had no desire to inadvertently incur Darkseid’s wrath once more. Mere physical punishment was one thing, and even had its virtues under the right circumstances, but demotion and/or summary execution were altogether different matters. Bemadeth had fought and schemed and betrayed to gain her current ranking in the Female Furies. The last thing she wanted was to lose all that because of one innocent mistake.

I’m not to blame,
she thought indignantly.
Nobody told me that miserable worm was under Darkseid’s protection!

Footsteps sounded in the corridor outside and she flinched in anticipation of her lord’s extreme displeasure. “I was deceived,” she called out nervously. “The cunning mortal tricked Bemadeth.” She kneeled before the doorway. “Please forgive this unworthy one....”

A brilliant glow entered the dungeon as a luminous figure appeared in the doorway. “Forgiveness is no longer an option,” a stem voice declared. A crackling nimbus of energy emanated from the figure’s extended right hand.

“You?” Bemadeth squinted into the glare. Her eyes widened in surprise. She groped for her fallen blade, only to find it worryingly beyond her reach. “You’re not...” “The Fourth World is coming to an end. I am the harbinger.” He stepped into the dungeon, illuminating every dank comer of the chamber with his preternatural radiance. “Your time has come ... and, unfortunately for you, there is no pain in death.”

Bernadeth’s black heart exploded into flames as cosmic vengeance consumed her.

16 AND CODNTBNG.

, PARADISE ISLAND.

“This?
This is the reason you deserted your training?”

Athena stared down at the severed haunch of the giant warhound, which rested at the foot of her throne. Armored guards flanked the throne, while additional Amazons stood watch over Holly and Harley as they faced Athena’s judgment. Holly couldn’t help noticing how much grander and more opulent the beautiful temple was compared to the miserable barracks she and the other newbies had been stowed in. Marble friezes, depicting the founding of Themyscira, ran along the tops of the walls. Towering caryatids, sculpted in the likenesses of great Amazon heroines of the past, supported the high ceiling. An exquisite Persian carpet surrounded the throne. Incense perfumed the air.

Rank has its privileges,
Holly thought,
and something here is
really
rank.

She did her best to conceal her resentment as she defended herself before the scowling goddess and her armed attendants. “If we’d deserted, we wouldn’t have come back.”

“Yeah,” Harley said. “We just figured, since we’ve all been busting our behinds, maybe some fresh meat would help keep morale up.”

Holly shrugged. “The big dog was all we could find.” Canine blood smeared their soiled chitons, which had definitely seen better days. Hauling the grisly trophy back though the woods and underbrush had been a chore and a half. “Not exactly prime barbecue material, but beggars can’t be choosers.”

“You slew the hound yourself?” Athena asked skeptically. She leaned forward to inspect their prize. “With what weapons? How did you fillet the meat from its bones?” Outnumbered and unarmed, Holly tried not to look too worried. “We found a stash of old weapons in the hills.” “There was all kinds of rusty old Amazon junk,” Harley attested. “No cute shoes in my size, though.”

'' Athena pondered their words for an endless interval.
Is she buying this?
Holly fretted. A trickle of sweat ran down the back of her neck. Even with Harley at her side, there was no way they could defend themselves against Athena’s elite honor guard. She prayed that Hippolyta had not overestimated her ability to put one over on Athena and her warriors.
Otherwise, we might be doggie chow.

The counterfeit goddess rose from her throne. Her regal face held an inscrutable expression. She approached the two accused deserters.

“I shall expect you to show us this weapons cache later,” Athena declared. “For now, your prowess speaks volumes.” She laid approving hands upon their shoulders, bestowing her dubious blessing upon them. “There is a place in my elite for those who show such initiative.” Her grip tightened, digging painfully into their flesh. Her gray eyes flashed a none-too-subtle warning. “Do not, however, let it happen again.”

She released her grip and Holly let out a sigh of relief.
Ohmigod,
she thought,
we ’re actually getting away with it. We ’re not dead!

Harley nodded a little too eagerly. “Okeydoke!”

“I think what she means is,” Holly explained, “we live to serve.”

At least until we find out who you really are, lady, and what your game is.

APSK0UP&

“I don’t understand,” Mary said. “What are we doing here?”

A moment ago, they had been on Earth. Then Eclipso had used the mystic power of the black diamond to transport them across the universe to possibly the most evil place in the cosmos. Mary had never been to Apokolips before, but she knew of its dread reputation. The wizard Shazam had often spoken ominously of the hellish planet

• and its infamous overlord. The New Gods were supposed to be just as formidable as the old ones from which the Marvels drew their powers ... if not more so.

“Don’t worry, dear,” Eclipso said soothingly. She guided Mary down a torchlit corridor. Dense stone walls gave the alien fortress a forbidding atmosphere that made Zatanna’s spooky mansion seem like Disneyland by comparison. Muffled screams escaped dungeons several levels below. An open window offered a glimpse of a smoky black sky. The crimson glow of the Fire Pits penetrated the corridor, so that the somber walls seemed splashed with blood. “I wouldn’t have brought us here if I didn’t think it was time.”

Time for what?
Mary wondered apprehensively.
Surely Jean doesn ’t think that I'm ready to take on Darkseid himself?
Her nerves faltered at the prospect.
I’ve learned a lot lately, and I’m stronger than I’ve ever been, but Darkseid has defied the entire Justice League.

She took a deep breath of the palace’s hot, oppressive air. Her costume clung stickily to her skin. Apparently, Darkseid wasn’t big on air-conditioning.

“This way.” Eclipso led Mary into an imposing stone

chamber. Tiny figurines were positioned atop a chessboard. At first, Mary thought she and Eclipso were alone in the room, then she spotted an imposing figure standing upon an adjacent balcony, his massive arms clasped behind his back as he surveyed the stygian landscape outside the fortress. Either unaware of or unconcerned by the two women’s arrival, he remained as still and silent as a statue. “My lord?” Eclipso addressed him.

The figure slowly turned around. Mary gasped out loud as she found herself face-to-face with the undisputed master of Apokolips. Darkseid’s granite features reminded her of the petrified Sins at the Rock of Eternity, but were even more intimidating. His red eyes blazed like the Fire Pits outside. His deep voice rumbled from his chest. “Eclipso. What brings you here?”

Eclipso proudly presented Mary to Darkseid. “For your approval, Dark Lord, a powerful supplicant, newly versed in the ways of vengeance.” She curtsied gracefully. “May she serve you well.”

Huh?
Mary thought, trying to keep up. Suddenly, everything was happening too fast.
We ’re not here to fight Darkseid? Jean wants me to join him instead?

Eclipso gave Mary a discreet shove from behind, so that the confused heroine stumbled toward Darkseid. The sinister New God towered above Mary as he inspected her. “I—I’m not sure why I’m here,” she stammered. “Jean said I was ready...

Despite her obvious uncertainty, she seemed to meet with Darkseid’s approval. He held out his left hand. “Come to me, child. Know true darkness.” A merciless smile sent a chill down Mary’s spine. “I have many minions, but I can use a sorceress of your ability. I sense great potential in you.”

“As did I,” Eclipso said, quick to take credit for Mary’s conversion. “She shall be a tremendous asset to our cause.” “Not so fast!” Mary blurted. Now that she’d had a chance to get over her initial shock, she realized that Eclipso had been working for Darkseid all along. Glancing more closely at the chessboard, she spied a six-inch replica of herself among the deployed figurines, which also included miniatures of Eclipso, Zatanna, Black Adam, Klarion, and even her brother. Anger overcame trepidation as she finally grasped just how deliberately she had been played. “I don’t care who you are,” she snapped at both Darkseid and Eclipso. With a sweep of her arm, she dashed the figurines from the table. “Gods or demons, you can’t use human beings like toys!”

Darkseid frowned. “Your education is incomplete. The first lesson of power is that all beings are subject to the whims of their betters, even you!”

His eyes flashed balefully, and a pair of deadly Omega Beams converged on Mary, who blocked the attack with a shimmering force field. “Nice trick,” she snarked, “but I saw it coming from a mile away.” She stood her ground •against Darkseid, even as Eclipso furtively signaled her to back down. Lightning crackled around Mary’s upraised fists. “You want magic?”

Eclipso’s bisected face went pale. “Mary, no!”

But Mary wasn’t listening to the other woman, not anymore. “Try this!” she exclaimed as she flung a sizzling thunderbolt at Darkseid.

The blast, which shattered the stone tiles beneath Darkseid’s boots, was powerful enough to blow apart an army of killer robots, but provoked only a grimace from the fearsome lord of Apokolips. “You have spirit, child,” he conceded with what sounded like a hint of admiration, “but you are no match for me.”

He stomped heavily upon the floor, triggering a seismic tremor that knocked Mary off her feet. Cowering behind him, Eclipso grabbed on to the game table to keep from falling. The scattered figurines bounced atop the quivering floor. Darkseid stalked toward Mary, crushing her miniature replica beneath his heavy tread. Springing into the air, Mary hoped that wasn’t some kind of omen.

Maybe I’m pushing my luck here,
she thought. As furious as she was at the villains for manipulating her, she wasn’t sure she could take on both Darkseid and Eclipso simultaneously, and on their own ground no less. Perhaps a prudent retreat was in order?

“I’m out of here!” she announced defiantly. Fists first, she launched herself toward the ceiling, smashing her way out of the dismal war room. Rubble rained down behind her as she punched her way through level after level of the alien fortress. Darkseid’s booming voice rang out behind her. “She is your charge, Eclipso! Return her to me!”

Over my dead body,
Mary thought.

15 AND CODNTiNG.

Earth
was a
looong
way from Apokolips. Despite having the speed of Horns at her command, Mary felt like she had been flying through space forever before she finally glimpsed a tiny blue globe in the distance. The wisdom of the gods guided her toward home, while their divine endurance shielded her from the vacuum. Isis’s magic had allowed her to traverse the dimensional boundaries separating Apokolips from the rest of the cosmos.

But even magic had its limits. Exhausted by her headlong flight across the universe, Mary paused for a breather in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. It felt good to set foot on solid ground again. Craters and ridges distinguished the rocky surface of the asteroid, whose gravity was barely noticeable. She gazed longingly at the Earth, roughly three hundred million miles away. Home, sweet home.

A flash of purple light intruded on her reverie. She scowled as Eclipso materialized upon the asteroid, only a few feet away from her former protegee.
Damn,
Mary thought.
I should have known that witch would catch up with me eventually.

“There you are!” Eclipso declared. Despite the lack of an atmosphere, she had no trouble breathing or speaking, which Mary chalked up to Eclipso’s own magic. The two-faced demoness threw up her hands in exasperation. “Oh, Mary, what were you thinking? Why did you run away like that?”

“Because you sold me out!” Mary angrily turned her back on Eclipso. “You fed me all this bull about how we were so much alike, how you wanted to help me. Then you gave me to Darkseid as an ... an offering!”

Eclipso came around to look Mary in the face. She leaned casually against a granite tor. “You misunderstand my intent. I
presented
you to Darkseid to be anointed in the ways of darkness.”

'' “Are you crazy?” Mary asked indignantly. “What made you think I wanted to get mixed up with that kind of evil?” “All a matter of perception, Mary.” She held the black diamond up to her eye like a monocle, peering at Mary through its translucent depths. “Haven’t you been called
evil
at times? Think of Madame Xanadu, Zatanna, even your own brother. Haven’t they all turned you away?” “That’s true,” Mary conceded. Uncertainty flickered across her face. Maybe Jean had a point? “They didn’t even give me a second chance.”