"Forgotten" -- The Conclusion! *Part Two"

[jla_villains]

Degaton's command ship -- a warship appropriated from the Warlords of Okaara -- hovers, like the rest of Vanishing Point, in a temporal "pocket." To do so otherwise would risk sliding into the future ... into the last remaining moments of the universe

Comments

Elsewhere On Degaton's Command Ship

[jsaboss]

With Occult's magic in place, Terrific takes the point -- his immunity to electronic surveillance proving a useful boon. The monitor room on the other side is sparsely populated, unfortunately, the soldiers do catch a glimpse of him. He doesn't make a move on them, though. He leaps into combat to take some guards down fast, but his real target is the alarm system itself ... His own computer system is in action before he is, scanning and detecting the alarms, disabling them.

"Take them," is his only message back to the team. Four targets, this should take seconds. At most.

Re: Elsewhere On Degaton's Command Ship

[jla_goldenage]

Richard Occult is not a physical man, although he's been in more than one war zone. Still, needs must, and his fist collides with the jaw of a soldier, one shocked to discover the heroes in their mist.

Re: Elsewhere On Degaton's Command Ship

[midnite_md]

Dr. Mid-Nite is more of a physical man than he would prefer to be, but he's trained for things like this.

Moonerangs fly from his hands at the troopers, to ricochet off of their heads and return to him.

Re: Elsewhere On Degaton's Command Ship

[jsaboss]

His colleagues making short work of the guards, Terrific begins work on the computer, his T-Spheres accessing the system and searching for some hint at Degaton's plans. The system is mind-boggling huge ... technology pulled form Kadabra's time. But he can beat it. He's confident.

MEKANIQUE PROTOCOLS -- END STAGE RESTRUCTURING -- END STAGE KRYPTON EFFECT, RECALIBRATE -- END STAGE GOTHAM CITY EFFECT, RECALIBRATE -- END STAGE GREECE, RECALIBRATE, END STAGE ABIN-SUR, RECALIBRATE ...

"People," he says. "I'm not liking this."

ALLEN, BARRY, TERMINATE -- PALMER, RAY, TERMINATE -- SCOTT, ALAN, TERMINATE -- GARRICK, JAY, TERMINATE -- GRANT, TED, TERMINATE -- SPEAR OF DESTINY, RECALIBRATE ...

Outside Vanishing Point

[allstargal]

It's been a long time since Firebrand's been able to cut loose with her powers, but here, in this strange pocket on the edge of the universe, she burns like a sun, flares engulfing the encroaching ships.

It's not enough. For all their victories, the JSA and their allies are vastly outnumbered. The ships are coming closer, and she doesn't know what happens if Vanishing Point falls.

Then, the unthinkable. One ship managed to gain entry to the station already, and as she and others turn to address the situation from the outside, another battle ship emerges ... larger than the others, more guarded. It fires on Vanishing Point, rocking the station's defenses.

She swears, turns, and unleashes her full fury on the ship. It's not even singed.

"People," she says across the coms. "I think we have a problem."

Re: Outside Vanishing Point

[jla_goldenage]

"Indeed," says Shining Knight with resolve, bringing Winged Victory around to bear on the new ship. For a moment, he glances wistfully at Firebrand -- the woman he loved, that he thought he had lost.

"It has been good to fight by your side, Danette," he says calmly, and then raises his sword high.

"Justice Society! Forgotten Heroes! If this be our last stand, then let it be one that resounds across the heavens! If we die, we die not as mere warriors, but as legends!"

And with that, he leads the charge on the command ship.

Re: Outside Vanishing Point

[mari_grayson]

Close behind him is Nightstar, her age and injuries forgotten. She fires fewer starbolts than she did at the start of the battle, but still they find their mark.

Selya, Dadro ... I love you. Make ready a place for me. X'hal, hear me and mark me well....

Re: Outside Vanishing Point

[jla_forgotten]

The tide is turning, and not in their favor. Arion stops, and readies himself for the onslaught, summoning mystic forces born at one end of time to this place, far-flung on the other. A wave of force erupts from his hands, rocking the command ship.

But the effort leaves him weak, and distracted, as more of Degaton's ships bear down on him, and he's pummeled on all sides by lasers.

And in an instant, Arion is incinerated, his last words a brief, muted scream.

[jla_forgotten]

The shockwave from the newest attack rocks the station, causing both Rip Hunter and his allies and Degton's invading soldiers to falter. Hunter regains his footing first, reactivating the force field to protect those in his charge.

"We've got minutes now, at most," he says sternly. "We only need Terrific and the others in position. ... and those outside to buy us some time."

His face looks haggard, tired. His eyes, desperate.

"Gemma, Maxine," he says. "Stay close. Pariah?"

[jla_extras]

"I can sense them," he says, as though in a trance. "Terrific and the others. They're in grave danger. We all our."

[jla_forgotten]

"I know," says Hunter. "I know. But we're almost there."

His fists tighten, and his back straightens.

"This is our time line's last stand."

[gemma_masters]

She's sensing some of what Hector is feeling out there and her face is grim. She hopes she knew what she was doing making this plan because it's not looking optimistic at the moment.

"I'm ready."

[jla_extras]

A signal breaks over the JSA's communication system -- Mr. Terrific is on the command ship ... and it's shields are down.

[allstargal]

Firebrand hears the signal, and finally allows herself a sigh of relief.

"That's the signal, people! This is now a rescue mission!"

And with that, she burns bright, a burning star burning its way onto the alien ship.

[mari_grayson]

She thinks her left shoulder is broken. The pain, the dead weight of her arm flopping uselessly against her side ... those are trivial things now. She can still fly. She can still fire. She can still fight.

And the signal has been given.

[kara_zor_l]

Kara pulls up next to them, heat vision flaring from her eyes. "Let's see if we can bust a hole into that thing," she says, surging forth, arms out in front of her.

How hard can getting into the ship possibly be?

[jla_forgotten]

Hex takes the moment of distraction to head shadow-wards. He knows he can't do a thing to Degaton, but if anyone can, the JSA will figure it out. He's in this for whatever Hunter has in mind, and, as usual, he even came in with a plan.

But right now, he needs to wait to see what Deagaton is going to do before he can do anything but wait for his moment.

[jla_villains]

Degaton seems to be enjoying the skirmish, taking initial feints at Terrific and Mid-Nite before turning toward Hex, laser pistol extended.

"Did you really think it would be that easy, Jonah? That you and your so-called Forgotten Heroes could waltz in here and dismantle my plans?"

He smiles maliciously.

"You'll die here, never seeing your real time again."

[midnite_md]

Dr. Mid-Nite actually smirks.

"The moment you fire that pistol, Degaton, you have to be in phase with this time... and do you really think you're faster on the draw than Jonah Hex?"

[jla_forgotten]

Hex meets Degaton'sgaze evenly, the evil eye fixing on the man, as if daring him to do his worst. He doesn't point out that Degaton already has his gun out... and yet, by all apparent accounts, he seems unworried.

Even in his time, Hex was never the fastest, just the steadiest, the very definition of nerves of steel.

"See Degaton, that's the fun bit... yeah, we did. Because you phase in for one second, one split second, to stop Mr. Terrific from reprogramming your ship, I put a leak in your brainpan. You try and shoot me, and we see how many bulletholes the two of us can collect before fingers stop twitching on the triggers. I'm game if you are." he says, taking a step forward to put himself squarely between the others and Degaton, nearer the villain.