Ivo waited until Luthor was long gone before letting out a growl of frustration, slamming a hand on his workbench. He took a moment to regain his composure, then headed into his office, pressing his intercom button. “Miss Kendall, can you come in here please?”
A moment later, his secretary Clara Kendall entered the room. “Yes Professor?”
“I need to get in contact with out associate in the west,” he told her.
“As you wish, Professor,” she nodded. Clara walked over to his desk and flipped up a computer screen, punching some buttons and activating a few devices, including one that altered the feed on the security camera in Ivo’s office. Anyone watching would see Ivo sitting at his desk, writing. She turned the screen towards him.
A moment later it flared to life, a picture of a man in a tie and glasses appearing on it. “Ah, Professor Ivo,” he said. “And to what do I owe this pleasure.”
“I need to acquire some… items. Miss Kendall is sending you a list,” he told the other man.
The man turned away from the screen, grabbing a sheet of paper from off to the side. He looked over the list before speaking again. “Can you not get this equipment from Lexcorp?”
“I do not wish my boss to know about this,” Ivo told him.
“Ah…” the man replied. “I shall see that it is done. You know my price.”
“I do indeed, Calculator,” Ivo said before cutting contact.
* * * * * * * * * *
Washington D.C.[/I]
“The Lexcorp One Man Army Corps,” the speaker said as Lex Luthor showed off Ivo’s latest invention to Amanda Waller, and a handful of Senators and Generals. “The One Man Army Corps, or OMAC for short, is the very latest in advanced robotics. Featuring the latest in artificial intelligence and interchangeable weapon systems, the OMAC is designed to deal with any military or criminal situation and is specifically created to face the growing threat of superhuman crimes.”
The group watched as the machine flew through the air before landing and attacking its targets, destroying them easily. “Gentleman, and ladies,” Lex said as the demonstration ended. “The Lexcorp OMAC.”
The machine stood about six and a half feet tall, covering in a grayish silver metal. An incredibly strong alloy created by Lexcorp and named Alexium. The legs and arms were fairly thin and light weight, but strong. They were designed to be replaceable, allowing the robots to be fitted with a varying array of weapons and devices, enabling them to face just about any situation. The body, house of the main processor, was far better armored, the head just a dome attached at the top, no neck. A single slit acted as the machine’s eyes and atop it’s head sat a long fin, almost like a mohawk hairdo.
“Artificial intelligence?” one of the Generals asked. “Not sure I like the sound of that. Machines having control over their own actions.”
“Not to worry,” Lex replied simply. “Each OMAC will have a backup control run by a human that can override their actions with the mere press of a button. There is no way you can lose control of them.”
“No way?” the General repeated.
“Absolutely no way.”
* * * * * * * * * *
Boston, Massachusetts[/I]
The slim motorcycle roared into the city, moving well past the speed limit as it flew down the nighttime streets. Atop it sat Nightwing, the hero having quickly made the short trip from Gotham. He was following the villain known as the Ventriloquist, a short, balding man who suffered from a unique form of split personality. The dominant personality manifested itself inside a small wooden dummy that he carried everywhere, called Scarface.
Parking his bike in an alley, the young man pulled his grappling hook off of his utility belt and aimed upward, taking to the city’s skyline. He hopped rooftop to rooftop, his preferred form of travel, a wide smile on his face as he looked for signs of crime.
It didn’t take long. The sound of an alarm brought him quickly to Miskatonic University, a door wide open leading to the science and technology part of the building. His expression turned serious and he turned to head towards the noise. As he neared, he heard two voices that confirmed his suspicions.
“Great move, Dummy! Now we have to work fast before the fuzz shows up!”
“I’m really sorry, Mr. Scarface. I didn’t know there was an alarm beam there.”
Nightwing fired his grappling hook into the university and swung down, right through the open door. He released the wire as he landed on his feet, quickly finding the room the criminal was in. “Give it up, Ventriloquist!” he said.
“Oh great, the birdbrat,” the dummy in Ventriloquist’s arm growled. Turning to face Nightwing, Scarface fired the small but lethal Tommy gun in his right hand.
“That’s Nightwing,” Dick said while he dove under a desk, the bullets spraying harmlessly past him. As he stood, he pulled out one of his custom batarangs and launched it towards the criminals, knocking the weapon out of Scarface’s hand. “It’s over,” he told the man and dummy.
“On the contrary mate, it’s only just beginning!”
Nightwing turned toward the sound of the new voice, just as a boomerang sank into the tiles of the floor before him. He flipped backwards as the weapon exploded, the shockwave seeming him flying through the air and sliding across the floor.
He came to a rest in front of two red boots, and his eyes looked up to their owner. A tall, statuesque and beautiful, dark haired woman, wearing what looked like a red and blue one piece swimsuit, a golden tiara on her head and silver bracelets on her wrists. Attached to her belt was a golden lasso.
“Is this party for boys only, or can anyone join in?” she asked.
* * * * * * * * * *
San Francisco, California[/I]
Kara-El, aka Clara Kent, aka Supergirl was doing the thing she liked best, flying. She soared over her adopted hometown, enjoying the warm rays of the evening sun on her body. Her joyous mood, however, was ruined when her super hearing picked up the sound of a blast. Using her telescopic vision, she looked down at the city to see a strange sight, a layer of ice surrounding the ground outside STAR Labs. A similar layer was on the building itself, and walking towards the shattered remains of the main entrance was a man in a blue and white parka.
Supergirl quickly flew down from the sky, landing on the ground in front of the man, stopping him in his tracks. “Aren’t you dressed kind of warm for this weather?”
That was when the car hit her.
Kara slid across the ground, having enough sense to grab onto the underside of the car and bring them both to a stop before it hit a building, or worse, some innocent bystander. Sliding out from under it, she stood to see a tall man, his body apparently covered in green scales, standing next to the other man.
“Don’t play with her too long, Croc,” the man in the parka said. “We’re on a tight schedule.”
“Don’t worry, Cold,” Killer Croc replied. “This won’t take long.”
“Not long at all,” Supergirl stated. She pulled the back axle off the overturned car Killer Croc had thrown at her and swung it towards the approaching criminal.
Killer Croc grinned. He quickly opened his mouth wide and then bit down, easily chomping the axle in two.
Supergirl looked at the ragged end of the axle. “Okay then… this might take longer then I thought.”
* * * * * * * * * *
Central City, Missouri[/I]
Wally West sat on his couch watching TV. It had been a quiet day in Central City, and the redheaded young man was enjoying it. He was flipping through the channels when something on CNN caught his attention.
“… fighting Killer Croc and Captain Cold.” Wally watched the TV just long enough to get to location of the battle before he turned it off. There was a gust of wind through the room and by the time the remote hit the table Wally was long gone.
* * * * * * * * * *
Boston, Massachusetts[/I]
“Thanks for the hand,” Nightwing said, having gotten back to his feet with the woman’s help. “Name’s Nightwing. I’m assuming you’re the new Wonder Woman.”
“Yes. But we will talk later. Now it is time for battle,” the Amazon replied.
“I prefer to do both,” Nightwing replied with a grin. Without even looking, the young man pulled a batarang from his belt and flung it down the hall, where it collided with a boomerang, both objects shattering to pieces.
“Nice shot, Kid,” the villain known as Captain Boomerang said, pulling out another weapon. He carried a box under his arm and started moving down the hall away from them.
“You get Scarface,” Dick said to Diana, nodding towards the lab. “I’ll take care of Boomerang here.” Diana nodded in return. Nightwing rushed down the hall after Captain Boomerang, the villain turning and throwing his weapon towards the hero.
Nightwing leaned back, the boomerang passing just over him before slashing into the wall behind. “Crikey mate!” Nightwing called out, mocking the man. “That was a close one!”
“Nice try, mate,” Captain Boomerang replied. “But yer not gonna put me off my game that easily.”
By now the Ventriloquist had retrieved Scarface’s Tommy gun and the villains were firing wildly at Wonder Woman. However the Amazon easily blocked his bullets with her bracelets.
“That doll’s good!” Scarface exclaimed before firing another barrage.
“By Hephaestus! What kind of sorcery is this?” Diana replied, looking at the wooden man.
“No sorcery, toots. Just good old science and manpower,” Scarface replied, firing again. Wonder Woman continued to block his attacks until the bullets stopped, the familiar clicking of an empty weapon filling the hall. “Let’s scram, Dummy!” Scarface shouted.
The Ventriloquist turned and started to flee down the corridor. He didn’t get far however; Wonder Woman’s lasso wrapped around his arms and chest, causing him to tumble to the floor. Scarface went flying from his hands, hitting a chair that toppled over on the dummy.
“Run Mr. Scarface!” the Ventriloquist yelled out.
“I’m trying, Dummy!” came the response from under the chair.
Meanwhile, Captain Boomerang ran through the University, with Nightwing close behind him. He crashed through an exit door and disappeared around the corner. Dick ran outside and looked where the villain had gone.
“I’d love to stay and chat,” Captain Boomerang called out from the door of an already-lifting helicopter. “But I’ve got places to be!”
“Damn it!” Nightwing cursed, while watching the villain vanish into the night’s sky.
“Don’t worry,” Wonder Woman said from behind him, pushing the Ventriloquist out through the doors, lasso still wrapped around him. In her free hand, she held the Scarface dummy.
* * * * * * * * * *
San Francisco, California[/I]
Supergirl ducked under a rock that Killer Croc had thrown at her. She dashed up to the huge man and decked him, tossing him a full five feet and onto his back. She turned back towards the labs that Captain Cold had disappeared into and started inside.
Suddenly, a blast of cold fired from the doorway, hitting Supergirl head on and freezing her in an instant. “Stop fooling around!” Captain Cold called out. “I need you to carry this thing!”
“Yeah, yeah. Spoil my fun,” Killer Croc growled as the two reentered the labs.
While they were inside, the Flash zoomed up to the site. “Too late,” he sighed, looking at the ice-covered form of Supergirl before heading into the labs. He had just enough time to react to that familiar weapon noise, dodging to the left as the ice beam pasted him harmlessly.
“Aren’t you a little far southwest?” Captain Cold asked the hero, firing again. Behind him, Killer Croc was carrying a large machine.
“I could say the same to you, Cold,” Wally replied, dodging the villain’s blasts.
This time, however, Captain Cold anticipated the Flash’s reaction. He fired at the floor, covering it in a thin layer of ice and sending Flash sliding across the room. He crashed into a filing cabinet, bringing it down on top of him.
Killer Croc started to move towards the fallen hero, but Captain Cold stopped him, the sound of a helicopter filling the air. “Forget him,” Captain Cold said. “Our ride’s here.”
The two walked past the still-frozen Supergirl. “Perhaps we could take her,” Killer Croc said. “I could use a nice ice statue in my lair.”
“Just get in the ‘copter,” the other man snapped.
By the time Flash got up, the helicopter was already disappearing over the city’s tall buildings. He sighed and then heard a cracking noise. He ducked just before the ice statue shattered, sending ice flying everywhere and leaving a very ticked off Supergirl standing in the middle of the street.
“Where did they go?!” she growled, looking around.
“They’re long gone,” Flash said. “Oh, and I’m the Flash, by the way.”
“Supergirl,” Kara replied, “and my eyes are up here.”
“Um… right,” Wally replied, chuckling weakly as he raised his view.
* * * * * * * * * *
Boston, Massachusetts[/I]
“I’m telling you, I don’t know!” the Ventriloquist said, nearly crying. “Mr. Scarface didn’t tell me!”
“I don’t understand,” Wonder Woman said. “The lasso should be making him tell the truth!”
Nightwing looked on, thinking. “Then maybe… he is.” Diana just looked at him, confused as he picked up the Scarface dummy. “Try your lasso on this.”
“You want me to interrogate a doll?”
“Just trust me,” Nightwing said.
Wonder Woman rolled her eyes, removing the lasso from the Ventriloquist. “Don’t go anywhere!” she told him. The man just nodded meekly. Nightwing walked over, handed the dummy, minus weapon to the Ventriloquist and Wonder Woman wrapped her lasso around the doll.
“Okay,” Nightwing said. “Who are you working for and what did you steal?”
“Just some fancy doohickey that the Calculator wanted us to.”
“Calculator?” Nightwing asked. “Who’s he?”
“Some big shot. He calls up with jobs every now and then. No one knows who he is or where he works from, but he pays well.”
“And where were you taking what you stole?”
“Don’t know,” Scarface answered. “We was gonna get contacted tonight.”
Nightwing nodded. He tied the two up, allowing Wonder Woman to retrieve her lasso with a slight sigh of relief, just as the sound of police siren’s filled the air. “Time to go,” Dick said.
“You aren’t going to see that he’s handed over to the proper authorities?” Diana asked.
“Not my style,” Nightwing replied. “But if you want to help me find out what’s going on…” He pointed towards a nearby building. “Meet me in that alleyway tomorrow night just after dark.”
“What are you going to do?” Wonder Woman asked.
“Make a few phone calls,” Nightwing replied, while swinging off into the darkness.
* * * * * * * * * *
Washington, D.C.[/I]
“Looks like the boys were impressed with your demonstration, Mr. Luthor.” Amanda Waller said as the two stood in her office.
“Of course,” Lex replied confidently. “I expected no less. I’m assuming that means we have a deal?”
“We do,” Waller told him. “When can you deliver?”
“I can have an OMAC in every major city by the end of the week and half a dozen more in each city by next month,” Lex said.
“Good. Good.”
“This is a grand day, Miss Waller,” he told her. “After today, America will no longer have to rely on vigilantes in capes to protect it from this new class of criminal. After today, the people will truly be safe.”
(To Be Continued)[/I]
