The Despero Intersection

"Wait, it gets worse," Booster said, handing a beer to Beetle, who passed the Doritos in return.

"How the hell did ya two record this?"

"What do you think? We sell it to Hard Copy or not?"

"Now, you can't do that to a fellow Leaguer. Max would... OH, MAN! THAT'S SICK!"

"Want some Doritos?" offered Booster.

"Can't we sell copies at a comic convention or something?" Beetle asked.

"Sorry, you just can't make a profit off this."

"Aw, crap..."

"Nothing can stop you from posting it on the Internet, though..."

**************************************

PART SIX: THERE'S EVIL BREWING

His mind found the first one easily, among the millions of insignificant, doomed vermin infesting the planet. He had traveled through countless miles of space from the system's outer planets, and a few tons of brick and metal in his path were as nothing to him.

He stood among the wreckage, his body already grown to full-power, suckled on the milk of his hate, enormous muscles bulging beneath blood-red skin.

What the sight of his third eye told him just enraged him even more. The so-called hero named Steel, the Cyborg member of the Justice League, was no more. The spark of stubborn life barely flickered in the remaining flesh hooked to a multitude of machines, like the echo of a forgotten question. No sentient mind answered his probes.

He roared his frustration. The countless others dead around him were deaf to his curses.

His hate needed expression. The Justice League had to pay for his defeat, for the agonizing, maddening torture suffered as his mind was scattered across space, almost to the point of oblivion. Only the purity of his hate had allowed his mind to endure, and his lust for revenge had brought him back, but the Justice Leaguer Steel could no longer provide him with satisfaction.

Destroying the life-support machines with savage fury, he tore apart Steel's pathetic remains. But even as he raged, a horrible smile began to take shape in his mouth, baring the myriad sharp, spike-thin teeth.

The other members of the Justice League were still there. Alive. He could sense them. And they would not escape his wrath as easily as Steel had.

**************************************

"Oberon, have you seen Sco-Uh, Mister Miracle?"

"Barda called in early to excuse him," Oberon answered dryly from his monitor duty chair, not looking up from the screens. "Said he'd be busy at home all day."

"Oh," Fire said, nervously. "It's really quiet here today. Where's everyone?"

"Well, I saw the grocer's truck arrive earlier, so Kilowog's cooking again," Oberon said. "Max left earlier for Metropolis, and J'onn retired to meditate, to be disturbed only for alien invasions, the end of the world, or tea, whichever comes first. Booster and Beetle went to an United Nations conference..."

"Those two? At an UN conference? Will there be free food or what?"

"Princess Diana is giving an address there for UNICEF. On aid programs for third world children, I think-"

"Oh, sure! The Nice Princess will be there, so they go too! What's next? The opera?"

"Bea?""

"And... Tora?"

"Ice said she had some shopping to do, so Guy took her to Bloomingdale's or somewhere."

"WHAT? Tora's out with Guy? Why didn't you warn me?" Fire asked incredulously.

"Bea, she's a grown girl. She doesn't need ya ta watch over her alluva time."

"She's out with GUY GARDNER."

"Good point." Oberon conceded.

**************************************

"-can be done. If this aid package is routed not through the corrupt and politicized local government channels, but through nonprofit foundations overseen directly by UNICEF, using this allocation plan, we estimate that current efforts can be improved in over two hundred percent, allowing the children malnutrition index in Honduras alone to decrease by-"

Representatives of the world's richest, most powerful nations sat at the Assembly Hall, their eyes fixed on the young woman dressed in flowing, Hellenic ceremonial robes, who stood before them. Their interest was uncharacteristically unwavering as her melodious voice carefully explained the complex strategies she had helped develop. Most of them nodded thoughtfully throughout, apparently deeply concentrated on the ideas expounded. Others discussed among them in hushed tones with serious consideration.

*Joder, la tia no usa sosten... Y mira que esta buena...* thought the Spanish delegate.

"No brassiere! Etonnant!" the French delegate whispered to the Belgian one, who nodded in agreement.

*Assuredly she's not wearing knickers, either,* muttered the British delegate.

**************************************

The signal device rang insistently.

"Let it ring. You have work to do."

"Answering the Justice League signal device is a priority action. Hello, I am Scott Free, Mister Miracle, the-"

#For God's sake, Scott! Cut it out!# Oberon's voice said. #Teleport over here on the double! We have a BIG situation!#

"WHAT? SO I AM NOT A PRIORITY?" Barda cried out.

**************************************

It had seemed like just another pleasantly normal day. She had left school, joked a bit with some friends on the way and finally arrived home. To find her life destroyed.

Gypsy tried hard not to think of what she had seen. She tried hard to keep back her tears. But some things could not be denied. She saw again her parents, in the wreck of the living room, unmoving. It was too much to bear.

"YOU CANNOT HIDE FROM ME, CHILD," he said, his voice filling the air like a tangible presence. "I CAN SENSE YOU."

It was her fault, she told herself, as sobs shook her slender body. She had thought her past forgotten. She had wanted so hard to believe that she could be just another typical teenager. But the past had come looking for her.

"YOU CANNOT ESCAPE ME. I AM HATE. I AM DEATH."

Gypsy's camouflage powers had kept her alive, aided by the skills she had learned from her time of living on the streets and her brief membership in the Justice League. Her family had not been so lucky.

She had brought him to them. It was all her fault.

"SHOW YOURSELF, GIRL, OR EVERYONE HERE WILL DIE."

He had already laid waste to half the town. The train she had tried to escape on was now derailed, wrecked. He would get to her friends and neighbors.

She knew that she could not let anyone else die. She had to do it for them.

"Despero..." she called out with ragged breath, holding back her sobs, as she let light flow normally around her, her camouflage field gone. "Don't. I'm here. Don't hurt anyone else..."

The hulking creature stood before her, his massive shape dwarfing her fragile figure. The third eye below his ridged crest glowed with an unholy malevolence.

"Time to die," Despero hissed with a hideous smile.

>>>NO!<<<

Gypsy looked up, and her tears flowed again, unrestrained, but this time with savage relief, as the echo of the telepathic voice soothed her. Now it would all be alright.

J'onn was here.

**************************************

"This had to happen before we could get to the free buffet, I knew it," Beetle complained, strapping himself to the pilot chair of the Justice League's airship.

"Those robes were really something else, eh?" Booster said. "She seemed to have everyone pretty well convinced, too."

"You don't skip free food. It's just wrong."

"Come on, man. Sure, we are broke, but we get all we can eat at the Embassy, specially if Kilowog's cooking."

"It's a matter of principle," Beetle muttered. "Everyone belted down? Ok. We're off."

"Did he do ANYTHING? Go on, tell me. Anything at all?"

"Guy took me shopping, that's all, Bea," Ice said with a sigh. "How many times must I tell you? Why must you get so worked up?"

"How serious is this?" Booster asked.

"Very. J'onn flew ahead on his own. I think he was really worried."

"J'onn was worried?"

"Yep."

"Oh, shit."

"You managed to contact Captain Atom yet?"

"Nope. The European Embassy's not answering."

"Damn. We could use the reinforcements."

"You don't need that shiny moron," Guy Gardner cut in. "Ya'll have right here America's greatest hero, remember?"

"Whatever you say, Guy."

"Hello, I am Scott Free, Mister-"

"Put a sock in it," Guy Gardner replied.

"In what?"

"Fuck off, Mister."

"You seem angry."

"I'd almost talked Ice into tryin' on this lacy little thing and ya jerks hadda call..."

"Would you like to stop being angry?"

**************************************

"YOU! YOU WILL PAY!"

Despero hurled himself at the Martian Manhunter, his enormous bulk making even the Martian's tall and heavily muscled body seem puny.

But J'onn was ready. His feet were spread wide, his psychokinesis focused on leveraging him against the ground, as he swung his right arm in a powerful arc, dense Martian muscles aided by psychokinetic enhancement and the shape-shifting of isolated masses contracting to deliver an Earth-shaking punch .

The blow struck Despero mid-air with the sound of thunder, and sent him to crash against a hill half a mile away, dozens of shattered trees left in his path.

Despero stood up and smiled.

"THIS WILL BE FUN, MARTIAN."

PART SEVEN: THERE'LL BE A PRICE TO PAY

"JUST GET HIM AWAY FROM ME!"

"Damn it, Guy! We're on a mission! You can't go picking fights with other Leaguers!" Booster said, his force field keeping Guy restrained.

"HE TOUCHED ME!"

"Oh, for crying out loud! Don't be ridiculous!"

"Are you hurt?" Fire asked, kneeling on the airship's floor next to Mister Miracle's fallen figure, cradling his head to her bosom.

"Should I?"

"Please tell me you aren't hurt."

"I am not hurt."

"He-He wanted to-to-"

"Look Guy, why don't you just fly ahead to help J'onn?" Beetle suggested.

"Yeah, anything to get away from that-"

"Just go!"

"I knew, I knew it," Guy said, heading for the exit hatch. "No one straight could wear that yellow and red costume..."

"SCOTT'S ALL MAN, YOU CABRON!" Fire shouted at him. "I KNOW THAT FOR SUR-"

"Bea?" asked Tora, her eyes wide open.

Beetle and Booster looked at each other, eyebrows raised beneath their masks.

"O-key..." they said in unison.

**************************************

J'onn winced in pain as Despero's blow struck him, sending him to his knees. It took all of his psychokinetic power to keep the following punch from taking his head clean off.

"J'onn?" Gypsy asked, her voice trembling with worry. Despero had seemed to take all that the Martian Manhunter could dish out, and was returning it, with interest.

>>>Gypsy, get away.<<< J'onn far-spoke, trying to get back to his feet while Despero approached him again. The creature was smiling, J'onn saw. He had forgotten how powerful Despero was.

"I won't leave you!"

>>>I'll be fine. Get yourself to safety.<<< J'onn assured her, even as Despero's kick sent him to crash against an overturned train wagon.

"But..."

>>>NOW.<<< J'onn insisted. He could feel the inner bleeding starting again. As a shapechanger, he was completely aware of every part of his body, and knew exactly what Despero's punishment was doing to him. His body was busy repairing itself, ribs shifting back to proper form and position, torn tissue mending, but he could hardly concentrate on the healing while fighting off his opponent.

"YOU GAVE ME FAIR SPORT, MARTIAN, BUT PLAYTIME IS OVER."

Focusing his mind on the approaching brute, J'onn struck hard with his PK power alone, making Despero fall back gasping, clutching his throat.

Despero coughed twice, and smiled again.

>>>USING YOUR MIND, MARTIAN? TWO CAN PLAY THAT GAME.<<<

J'onn J'onzz screamed.

**************************************

"Bea! How could you? Scott's married!"

"I know, I know! I didn't plan to, ok? It just happened."

"And right after we-?"

"Look, I was angry, and he was there. Just a one-night stand kind of thing. It doesn't mean anything."

"Then you shall not require my presence at your room tonight like you reque-?"

"Shut up, Scott!" Fire cut him off. "Tora, it was just sex, ok? Don't-"

"Is it always just sex for you?"

"No!"

"Does it ever mean anything to you?"

"Tora, you know it does. You-I... Tora, you know..."

"Yes?"

"You know I love you."

"Oh, Bea..." Ice said, her eyes clouding.

"I'm sorry," Fire said, embracing Ice. "I can be such a bitch at times."

"Damn, that's so sweet," Beetle told Booster. "Gotta a tissue?"

"PILOT THIS THING AND MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS, YOU JERKS!" Fire shouted.

"Barda will kill you if she finds out." Ice said, smiling at last.

Fire's eyes opened wide. "Shit, I hadn't thought of that."

**************************************

"J'onn! Are you hurt? Talk to me!" Gypsy cried, as her slender arms tried to embrace J'onn wide back, while he trembled, fallen in fetal position on the ground, his face twitching spastically.

"M-m-my m-m-mind-" J'onn stammered, his voice barely a whisper. "He entered my m-mind..."

"YOU, NOW," Despero said, grabbing Gypsy by the neck, and lifting the struggling girl with ease. Glowing plasma began to coruscate around his baleful third eye. "GOODBYE."

As the burst of destructive energy was released, it was contained by a glowing green sphere that formed around Despero's head.

"AARGH!!!" Despero screamed, releasing Gypsy. A giant glowing green booted foot materialized from thin air and kicked Despero, sending him through the air in a great parabolic path.

"Who?" coughed Gypsy in confusion.

"Green Lantern at your service, babe," said Guy Gardner, the power ring glowing on his hand.

"Green-?"

"Lantern, yep. Did the squeeze Red there gave ya made ya deaf or what?"

"Wasn't Green Lantern taller, and much cuter?"

**************************************

"Gee, I never figured that Scott..." whispered Booster.

"It's always the quiet ones," said Beetle sagely.

"Barda's going to kill him."

"Wonder if I can get his room at the Embassy. Much better view than mine."

"You keep the room, I'll go after the widow."

"Deal," agreed Beetle. "At least it's a relief to know that Guy was blowing it off his ass as usual."

"Uh?"

"You know, about Scott being..."

"Oh. Well, I never thought Scott'd have such lousy taste, anyway. But why would it be a relief?"

"Well, I'm not homophobic or anything, but..."

"And just 'cause of Fire? Look, Scott's from a more advanced society, you know. Everyone is bisexual in more developed cultures."

"Aw, stop pulling my leg."

"Yeah, man, stop being a troglodyte. Everyone in the future I came from was bi, too."

"Everyone?"

"Sure."

"EVERYONE?"

"Hey! Did you see some red thing just fly by?"

**************************************

"J'onn, you can't! You're hurt!"

"I have to," J'onn said, staggering to his feet. "He must be stopped."

"But-"

"Rest now, child," J'onn said, tenderly caressing Gypsy's soot-stained face. "The nightmare will soon be over. One way or the other."

**************************************

"Just why the hell Guy had to throw him at New York?"

"Don't ask me. Damn! Booster! Shield those people!" Beetle ordered through the comlink.

"There! Damn! GET THOSE PEOPLE OUTTA HERE!" Booster shouted as the police herded people in frantic attempts to evacuate the area.

"Oh, crap. Another building."

"I'm on it!" said Ice, forming columns of ice to support damaged structures.

"Guy! Don't get close to him! For God's sake! Don't fight hand to hand! Just bind or blast him with your ring!"

"Why couldn't we get the real Green Lantern?" Booster muttered. "The good one?"

"HEY! I HEARD THAT!" Gardner complained.

"Oh, fuck!" Beetle spat as Despero tackled Gardner into Rockefeller Center. "Ice! Fire! Get over there! Wait for Despero to come out!"

"Now who made you leader?" Fire said, her flaming green figure flying to the spot.

"Bea, don't argue!" Beetle spat, running up a flight of stairs, feeling every ounce of the extra pounds he carried. Lack of actual powers and his status as the League's regular pilot had kept him mostly at the sidelines. Since Scott had offered to man the JLI airship this time, Beetle could now feel the results of his sedentary life. "I must get Kilowog off the kitchen..." he muttered.

With a grunt of effort, Beetle vaulted over the slab's edge. "Fire, as soon as he shows his red naked butt through that hole, you barbecue him!"

"I tried that! My flame hurts the creep, but it doesn't stop him!"

"Just do it! Ice, just after Fire toasts him, you freeze his ass. The sudden temperature change may knock him out!"

"Hey, that isn't a bad plan," Fire said, with no little surprise.

"I'm immature, not stupid. We need teamwork here or we'll get creamed."

"You don't think Guy will be able to beat him?" asked Ice.

"HA!" Fire said.

"Fat chance!" Beetle agreed.

"That'll be the day." Booster added.

"Here they come!" screamed Beetle, as the noise of the brawl below rose.

Suddenly, a green-nimbus-surrounded figure was hurled through the roof slab, several meters to a side of the original opening, barely missing where Ice stood.

One second later, Despero erupted through yet another spot, scattering chunks of concrete in his wake. One of them hit Ice on the head, and she fell, instantly unconscious.

"TORA!" Fire cried out.

"Shit. There goes the plan. Booster! Pick up Ice! Take her to safety!"

"YOU GODDAMNED BASTARD!"

"AAARGHHH!" Despero screamed as an inferno of green fire enveloped him.

"You motherfucker!" cried Fire, amidst a barrage of Portuguese curses. "You hurt Tora! I'll-"

"WHAT? He hurt ICE?" asked Guy Gardner, as he rejoined the fight. "THAT'S IT!"

Gritting his teeth, Gardner pointed his power ring and channeled his furious will through it. A blinding flash of green light suddenly lit all the surroundings as the powerful plasma blast struck Despero.

Despero grunted in pain, but refused to fall.

"ENOUGH," he spat.

"Guy! Keep your shields up while blasti-!"

Despero's third eye unleashed a fearsome energy blast, and Guy Gardner fell unconscious.

"Guy's down!" Fire called out, while resuming her own attack.

"Damn! How did he do that? Anyone read the files on that ugly bastard?" Beetle asked. "Just what can't that sucker do?"

"OH, SHIT!" Fire cried out as another plasma burst barely missed her.

"Shit indeed," mumbled Booster. Despero barely seemed to notice his wrist blasters' fire.

"Scott! Give us some air support here!"

"Despero is very angry, is he not?" Mister Miracle's voice sounded over the comlink. "Maybe I-"

"Don't start! Use the airship's weaponry! Do evasive maneuvers to distract him. Buy us some fucking time!"

"As you wish. I believed this was not the right time to fuck, though."

The JLI airship dove towards Despero, heavy machine-guns blazing, the armor-piercing bullets ricocheting off Despero's thick hide. Two short- range missiles struck the creature full-on.

"ANOTHER GNAT," Despero sneered. His third eye glowed.

The airship exploded.

"SCOTT!" Fire screamed. "NOOO!"

"Damn. There goes next year's budget," Beetle grumbled. "Booster! Get Guy outta there!"

"BEETLE? SCOTT'S-"

"Scott got out just in time. That's what he does, remember? Mister Miracle always escapes somehow. Scott, report, please."

Despero roared in fury as Booster picked up the unconscious Guy Gardner an instant before the creature's energy blast destroyed the spot.

"Scott?"

"SCOTT?" echoed Fire.

"Oh, no," whispered Beetle, feeling a cold dread run through him. "It can't be..."

"YOU FUCKER!" Fire cried out as she showered Despero with flames.

"SHIT! SHIT! Where the hell are the damn reinforcements? We need fucking Superman here!" Booster said. "We can't beat a major villain alone! We're just second stringers!"