the next day

[overcame_fear]

Hal isn't sure what to make of that alien bar he stumbled into last night, but when he came back through the Door, he discovered no time at all had passed while he was there. So that day ended just as weird as it started. But at least that allowed him to get some sleep

Comments

[raptorcanaria]

When Dinah arrives at the location Green Lantern provided, she's the first one there, as the others, with their powers of flight, superspeed and extra fast swimming, apparently aren't capable at arriving at a place on time.

Well, that's OK. She knows how to handle a crowd of bored military men. She's blonde, wearing leather and has fishnets up to her waist. She just regales them with a few stories about the Justice Society while waiting for the men to turn up.

[overcame_fear]

Hal isn't surprised to find Canary the center of attention when he gets there, but the way the men are hanging on to her every word, well....

Ok, maybe not the Martian. Hal sets down on the ground and gives the blonde a flashing grin, just to make sure everyone knows who the natural leader is.

"I checked last night, and both aliens are still under the protective dome I made." Hal cocks his head to one side. "And I saw General Eiling's convoy on the way here as I was coming in."

[raptorcanaria]

That's a cocky grin he's got there. Fortunately, Dinah's seen enough of the new Green Lantern to know that he's a reason to be so sure of himself. She grins back.

"I hope they have somewhere to keep them safe. I'd hate to see those guys power up again."

[overcame_fear]

Hal nods but there's a questioning air under his usual confidence, agreeing with her. "Yeah. This isn't their usual kind of problem. But Eiling is top shelf. If anyone has an idea for how to handle them it'll be him."

The Martian is looking off toward the horizon, and a moment later, the rumble of the general's convoy rises in the distance. When it comes into view, from the number of vehicles, General Eiling isn't taking any chances.

[raptorcanaria]

The new Flash mentions that fact out loud, and Dinah nods. There really are a lot of vehicles coming, and when they draw close, she beings to worry about technique over numbers.

"Someone better get doen there and talk to the troops. Yoiu want to brief the General?"

[overcame_fear]

Green Lantern nods again. "I can cover Eiling. I've worked with the General before."

"Probably a good idea to talk to the troops and keep their spirits up. This isn't the kind of thing they deal with everyday."

The lead trucks split into a V, rolling to a stop on both flanks of the heroes, while the general's truck halts a few yards away.

Eiling is getting on in years, silver hair and all, but he's already half out of the truck before it's stopped, and from the look in his eye, he's planning to talk to Lantern first too.

GL starts heading over to him, confident--in fact, almost military--stride already in effect.

[raptorcanaria]

Dinah can leave him to do that, without any worries. As she heads down to talk to the troops, she notices that the other three all remain with the new Green Lantern in the smaller group. For a second, she worries about it.

Then she figures that none of them want to do much facing with the public. Aquaman seems shy; he keeps mumbling, and the Martian is brand new in the public eye.

The troops are all great guys. She lets them know that her new friends and her have it in hand, and if she gets to flirt with a cute soldier, well, that's all part of the job, right?

[overcame_fear]

"Thank you for coming, General," Hal says heartily.

"Lantern," Eiling growls, shaking GL's hand. (The Martian notes how GL's hand twitches for a moment, as if he was about to salute.)

Eiling never stops moving, and the four heroes have to hustle to keep up with him and his escort.

"As you were briefed, several of the alien creatures we fought yesterday were destroyed, and apparently Superman took out a seventh but that's unconfirmed. But two remain intact, if inert. At the request of the Air Force we're surrendering them for further study."

"They're inside this cavern aquaman found for us...."

[raptorcanaria]

The new Flash makes a comment along the lines of 'Aqua- not Caveman', to which that worhty mumbles something about an inlet. Dinah's commanding the attentions of the soldiers when the men arrive, but she breaks off to join the team.

And she has to admit, that attention was very good for her ego. She might not be the most powerful, but she has advantages.

The Martian stays near the back. Dinah glances at him long enough to note that he lokos far more moody than the occasion warrents. But then, he's an alien, so of course his face is hard to read.

[overcame_fear]

"Here you go," Hal is continuing, as the General enters the cavern as if he owns it. "I put the beasts under the protective dome in--."

The dome is there and so are the aliens. The problem is the aliens have picked up a LOT of company. Dozens of unwelcome guests, in fact.

"We appear to have intruders," the Martian Manhunter announces as he takes to the air.

"They're teleporting in!" Hal calls out.

"--And teleporting out with the aliens!!" the Flash finishes already starting to blur.

"Not if I--," Hal's ring flashes a brilliant green.

[raptorcanaria]

"...WE!"

Dinah races forward as soon as she sees the black-clad figures around the aliens. She has fast reactions, but everyone else has faster - well, everything, so somehow she ends up at the back of an onslaught of superheroes.

[overcame_fear]

"--We can help it!" Hal corrects and drops the dome as the aliens' security forces surge forward to attack. Hal and the Manhunter provide cover fire, taking down the armed aliens before they can fire, while Black Canary, Aquaman and the Flash take the fight in close and hard.

The rest of the intruders hold their positions, standing at points around the two inert, larger aliens. But soon after Green Lantern's dome disappears, panic breaks out as the large alien brought down by the Flash suddenly comes back to life, bellowing out a single word in its strange tongue.

"Stay back, people!" the Flash yells, "If the fire giant goes up again, we're--!"

And just as he says it, the giant humanoid bursts into white-hot flame.

"--In trouble."

[raptorcanaria]

Dinah throws herself straight into a crowd of people who turn out, when she's close to be just that; people. She takes down two, maybe three at a time as they launch herself at her and she vaults deeper into the fight. The new flash is a red blur around her; the Martian Manhunter pulls men into the air to take them down; the new Green Lantern fills the place with a green light and nearer to Dinah, Aquaman shows phenomenal strength in his punches.

They're very very powerful, but she sees little technique. That'll have to change.

Then the new Flash yells out a warning and the giant bursts into flame.

But nothing drowns out the terrified scream from the Martian.

[overcame_fear]

Hal is startled to hear the taciturn Martian scream like that, and he nearly delays too long, almost missing the falling Manhunter in the giant green catcher's mitt that appears beneath him.

Aquaman is already moving to intercept the fire giant as Green Lantern flies over to the Manhunter. "Are you all right? Was it the fire?"

The Martian nods, holding his head. "Yes. Flame... weakens me."

Hal can hardly believe it. "Huh? A strong guy like you can't handle--."

The look in the Manhunter's eyes stops him cold. Whatever the reason for his problem with fire, it's as deeply personal as it gets.

"--I mean... so noted."

[raptorcanaria]

Dinah soon finds herself short of goons to fight, and not because there aren't any goons to fight. It's that a certain red blur is concentrating more on circling her than helping diminish the actual numbers.

"I'll protect you, Canary!" he calls out heroically. "Any thoughts."

As it happens, Dinah has two thoughts. "One, that I can handle myself, and two, that the JSA would be done with these losers by now."

She wishes her Uncle Ted or Kent were here right now.

"On their first day?" The new Flash counters, and she'd admit he'd have a point if there wasn't suddenly the sound of shattering ice.

"Oh Hell," she says. "They've let the bird loose too."

[overcame_fear]

"Just what we need," Hal growls, "More aliens running arou--."

Hal stops suddenly, with a glance at the Manhunter. "I- I mean--."

But the Martian waves the non-insult off for what it was. Which frees Green Lantern to give his undivided attention to... the big yellow bird.

"Uh oh."

Canary is quick with a suggestion, but Hal bites the bullet, admitting Starman would have done better than him on this one. "The ring kind of... has a problem with yellow things. I'll find fire giant. Flash, can you handle this?"

Well, that does it. If they aren't a team now, they might as well be. Hal hadn't intended to share that vulnerability with anyone else. It just sort of popped out. Then again, if they're going to work together, they have a right to know.