"You're certain this is where you wish us to leave you?" Black Adam sounded less impressed by the awesome scenery. He looked dubiously at the frozen wasteland. "There's nothing for miles. No villages. No settlements."
Vic chuckled to himself. "Yeah, that sounds about right." This whole excursion was his idea, and he was being typically cryptic as to why they were relocating to the Himalayas. Not that Renee was complaining; she was willing to take a breather from tracking Intergang if it meant a side trip to the highest mountains on Earth. How cool is this?
"Then we have come to the parting of our ways," Adam said solemnly.
Vic nodded. "Thanks for everything."
"It is we who should thank you, Victor Sz-asz." Adam shook Vic's hand. "Isis and I owe both you and Renee a great deal. My family counts you as friends."
Osiris expressed his gratitude as well. "A month ago I thought my sister was dead and I would never walk again." His boyish face was filled with happiness. "Now, thanks to you, I have a family—and I can fly!"
Isis kissed Vic on the cheek. She seemed immune to the frigid temperatures, despite her wispy costume. Her slender limbs weren't even showing goose bumps. "May there always be more questions for you to ask, Charlie." She turned and clasped Renee's hand. Her touch was impossibly warm. Flowers blossomed beneath her feet. "And may you find the answers you're so desperately seeking, Renee."
The goddess's compassionate gaze made Renee uncomfortable. She awkwardly let go of Isis' hand. "The only answer I want concerns Intergang and how to stop them from taking over Gotham."
"Then perhaps you are asking the wrong question," Isis replied enigmatically. She cupped her hands before her and a luminous purple glow emanated from her upraised palms. Renee's eyes widened as a bright red rose materialized from the ether. The flower's vibrant color contrasted dramatically with the wintry white landscape around them. Isis handed the miraculous rose to Renee. Her kohl-lined eyes looked deeply into Renee's, as though peering into the hidden recesses of the other woman's soul. "Who are you, Renee Montoya?"
With that, the Black Marvel Family took to the air, leaving Vic and Renee alone on the mountainside. Renee sniffed the fragrant rose. It smelled like springtime. "Hell if I know," she muttered.
Speaking of answers, she decided that it was past time that Vic filled her in on what exactly they were doing here. It was hard to imagine that Intergang had any sort of presence in this glacial wilderness, but maybe Vic was seeing something she wasn't. She opened her mouth to interrogate him....
"Charlie!"
An enthusiastic voice abruptly informed her that they were no longer alone. Looking up from the rose, Renee spotted two men standing on the snowy slope above them. One of them came running toward them, waving his arms to get their attention. An older man wearing a parka, he risked taking a nasty spill as he raced down the slippery incline.
"Tot!" A smile broke out across Vic's face. He waved back at the man. "You made it to the middle of nowhere."
"With the help of several chartered jets and a state-of-the-art GPS system, yes." Breathing hard, the old man came to a halt in front of Vic and Renee, who put his age somewhere in the sixties or seventies. Spectacles and a white goatee gave him the look of an elderly scientist or professor. The flaps of a bushy gray hat covered his ears. "From what we just saw, I think you had the better mode of travel."
"Air Black Marvel," Vic confirmed. "It can't be beat."
Renee glanced curiously at the second man, who seemed to be keeping his distance. Squinting, she made out a bearded, red-haired Caucasian male in surprisingly lightweight clothing. While the rest of them were all bundled up against the cold, the aloof figure wore only a black wool sweater and trousers. He waited silently upon the mountain, his arms crossed atop his chest. He looked younger and more athletic than the panting old man, who was obviously still acclimating to the high altitude. He sniffled as he spoke.
Tot eyed Renee. "Is this your friend?" he asked Vic.
"Absolutely." Vic made the necessary introductions. "Aristotle Rodor, meet Renee Montoya." He gestured at the older man. "Renee, meet Tot."
"Pleasure!" Tot vigorously shook Renee's hand. "I've heard a lot about you."
"Mutual." Even though they had only just met, she got a good vibe from the old man. He struck her as genuinely cheerful and friendly. "I've heard very little about you."
Tot laughed warmly. "That sounds like Charlie." He playfully nudged Vic in the ribs. "You almost know what he's thinking at the best of times."
Vic looked up at the standoffish second man. "Richard! You coming down here or not?"
"Going down is easy," he replied. "Right up to when you hit the bottom.
Ask any drop of water." He remained in no hurry to join them. "The hard part is climbing up again." He turned his inscrutable brown eyes on Renee. "Isn't that right, Renee?"
She bristled at his attitude. "Charlie, who the hell is this guy?"
"That's Richard Dragon, Renee. He's a teacher, the real deal." Vic started up the hill toward Dragon. "He's the guy who taught me." He looked back over his shoulder at Renee. "And he's just told you that class is now in session."
FAWCETT CITY.
A robot maid, complete with a frilly lace cap, served dessert.
Black Adam and his family sat around a long antique table in the dining room of Dr. Sivana's gloomy mansion outside the city. The remains of a large turkey dinner were spread out atop the white damask tablecloth. A lighted candelabra added to the illumination provided by a hanging crystal chandelier. A roaring blaze crackled in the fireplace. More robots cleared away used plates and cutlery. A mechanical butler sparked and sputtered as though about to short-circuit at any moment. A beautiful blonde woman, in a red satin evening dress, sat across from the Black Marvel Family.
"Thank you so much for coming," Lady Sivana said. "It's been weeks since my husband went missing, and I am so terribly worried about him." Long golden tresses framed her lovely face. "When Superman or Wonder Woman disappears, it's a national tragedy, but when someone like my dear sweet Thad-deus vanishes, everyone says good riddance!"
Black Adam had never understood how Sivana, that hideous gnome of a man, had won the enchanting Venus as his bride, but the ways of the heart could be truly mysterious at times. "I believe I made it clear that your exhusband was no friend of mine." Although they had both opposed Captain Marvel for years, Adam had always considered the mad scientist an entirely reprehensible specimen of humanity.
"I know, and I don't blame you," Venus said. "Our marriage ended because of his obsession with Captain Marvel, but despite his madness, my love for him is still there." Moist sapphire eyes entreated them. "Black Adam. Isis. Osiris. I donated twenty million dollars to Kahndaq's Children's Hospital so that you would accept my invitation ... and consider finding my husband."
Black Adam appreciated the woman's generosity. Her donation would do much to benefit the countless orphans and refugees Isis had taken under her wing. "We will take your request under serious consideration, Lady Sivana."
"Please, call me Venus." She dabbed at her eyes with her napkin. "If you find him ... if you happen upon him ... please don't hurt him."
Touched by her obvious grief, he nodded solemnly. "I give you my word."
"This is stupid," Osiris muttered in Arabic. He picked listlessly at his peach cobbler. "What are we doing here anyway?"
Isis patiently addressed her brother. "This is important, Osiris. Our hostess has made a generous gift to our people."
"She only did it so we'd go find that crazy scientist. We should be trying to throw Dr. Sivana in jail, not having dinner with his wife!" He pushed away from the table and jumped impatiently to his feet. "I'm leaving."
"Osiris!" Isis protested, shocked by her sibling's poor manners. "Amon! Stop! Where are you going?"
"Don't you get it?" Osiris stormed toward the exit. "All we ever do is fly around the world, running from one event or adventure after another. I've done everything you've as
ked of me, Adrianna. Now I need something more."
Isis hurried after him. She laid a gentle hand upon his arm. "You share the powers of Black Adam," she pointed out. "You have a wonderful home. You have a family again." Confusion showed upon her exotic features. "What more do you need?"
Osiris paused and looked back at her. "I need friends."
Caught off guard by this sudden outpouring of emotion, she stood by silently as Osiris fled from their presence. An awkward silence descended over the dining room. Embarrassed by the scene, Black Adam hoped that Venus Sivana did not understand Arabic. He and Isis exchanged a worried look. Neither of them had the remotest idea how to handle this situation.
"Oh, he's just like a little Black Adam Junior!" Venus exclaimed, seeming more amused than offended by the boy's abrupt departure. "Isn't that precious?"
Adam opened his mouth to apologize for Osiris' behavior, but an ominous rumbling noise suddenly intruded upon the meal. Puzzled, Venus peered across the table at her guests. "Is that my stomach growling or yours?"
Before either he or Isis could answer, an enormous crocodile charged into the dining room. Rising onto its hind legs like a man, the huge reptile jumped onto the table, scattering the plates, candles, and silverware. Thick green scales armored the creature's hide. Dorsal fins ran along its back. Snapping jaws revealed rows of pointed teeth. Crimson eyes, with slitted pupils, glared ravenously. A torn shirt and trousers clung to the monster's body. Its swinging tail lashed out, decapitating a robot butler. The automaton's head bounced across the floor, trailing sparks from its shattered neck assembly. Jagged claws tore through the damask tablecloth, scratching the polished wood underneath. The monster grabbed onto the remains of the turkey with both hands and hungrily wolfed it down, bones and all.
"Oh no!" Venus shouted, knocking her chair over as she jumped back from the table. "It's ruining my peach cobbler!"
Black Adam began to suspect that Lady Sivana was just as insane, in her own way, as her megalomaniacal husband. He launched himself into the air. "Isis?" he called out. "What is that creature?"
"I'm not sure." She joined him several feet above the floor. "I cannot make contact with him. Whatever that animal is, it must be a perversion of nature."
Startled by the flying humans, the crocodile sprang from the table and crashed through the wall. Running erect on two legs, the monster smashed through one wall after another on its way out of the mansion. By the time Adam and Isis confirmed that Lady Sivana was indeed unharmed, the trail of gaping holes led through adjoining rooms to the shadowy grounds outside. Greasy footprints stained'the carpeting and hardwood floors. Adam stared down the length of the escape route the monster had torn through the interior of the mansion. He turned to Isis in puzzlement.
"Where did it go?"
Autumn leaves littered the ground of the estate's sprawling gardens, which looked like it hadn't been tended to in years. Weeds clotted the overgrown shrubs and flower beds. Dry brown grass infested the cracks in the cobblestone walkway. Fallen tree branches threatened to trip the unwary stroller. A broken birdbath lay on its side. Dr. Sivana was obviously not much of a gardener.
Probably spent all his time in his lab, Osiris guessed, building bigger and better super-weapons. The costumed teenager sat dejectedly on a marble bench beneath a weathered statue of the mad scientist himself. He felt bad for ruining the dinner, no doubt embarrassing his sister and Adam, but why couldn't they understand how lonely he felt sometimes? Isis and Adam had each other, but he was just their tagalong little brother. 1 need a life of my oivn, with friends my own age I can hang out with.
He was feeling thoroughly sorry for himself, until a snuffling noise, coming from behind a thick bank of hedges, disturbed his moody ruminations. Intrigued, he got up to investigate. He darted around the hedge—where he was surprised to find an unhappy-looking crocodile sitting on a toppled tree trunk. Bizarrely, the croc was wearing clothes and sitting upright like a person. The snuffling sounded suspiciously like sobbing.
"Oh," Osiris blurted. "Hello."
The creature looked up in alarm. He threw his scaly hands up in front of his face. "P-p-please don't hurt me!"
Osiris blinked in surprise. "You can talk?"
"Of course I c-c-can," the beast said fearfully. His gravelly voice fit his bestial appearance.
"But... you're a crocodile," Osiris pointed out.
"I was ... until six months ago, when D-d-doctor Sivana pulled me out of the Nile and brought me here!" Lowering his hands, he pointed at the marble statue of the mad scientist.
Sivana, of course. Osiris had never actually met the infamous doctor, but he had heard all about him from Black Adam. "What did he do to you?"
"I didn't understand what he said back then, but I remember him laughing at me." The crocodile seemed to realize that Osiris meant him no harm. "The next tiling I knew I was down in that 1-1-lab of his, and he fed me all sorts of things. Glowing things. And I grew these." He showed Osiris his hands, complete with opposable thumbs. Then one day he left.. . and he never came back." The croc shuddered at the memory. "I've b-b-been downstairs, trapped in a cage, ever since. I haven't eaten in months." A rumbling came from deep within the animal's belly. "I finally broke out of my cage and I was going to 1-1-leave, but the smell... your dinner smelled so good. And I was so awfully hungry." Oily tears leaked from his eyes. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare your family."
The boy's heart went out to the poor creature, an innocent victim of Siv-ana's crazed experiments. He didn't worry about Black Adam and Isis; they could take care of themselves, and probably Mrs. Sivana too. "Well, they aren't all my family."
"Your friends then," the crocodile said. He signed plaintively. "I wish I had friends to eat dinner with."
An idea occurred to Osiris as he remembered Mr. Tawky Tawny, the talking tiger who palled around with Captain Marvel Jr. He stroked his chin as he contemplated the homeless reptile before him. "What's your name?"
"I don't have one," the monster admitted.
Osiris grinned. "Do you want one?"
WEEK 27
SOMEWHERE IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY.
IT'S ABOUT TIME, read the sign over the doorway of an unassuming shop facing a quiet side street, just off the main avenue. Inside the darkened interior of the store, dozens of clocks, of every size and generation, confirmed that it was nearly five-thirty in the morning. Grandfather clocks, cuckoo clocks, alarm clocks, pocket watches, hourglasses, and sundials filled the walls and shelves of the quaint little store. Clockwork mechanisms clicked with metronomic precision, counting off the passing minutes and seconds. Digital displays glowed in the shadows.
5:25:18 a.m.
In the back of the shop, as far as possible from the front door and windows, an unearthly golden glow radiated from behind a counter. The luminous aura emanated from a huddled figure crouched upon the floor like a frightened child. Matthew Ryder's skin and uniform had a bright golden sheen. A nimbus of coruscating quantum energy crowned his head. Gleaming wristbands matched the metallic luster of his flesh. Burnished eyelids were squeezed tightly shut. His arms were wrapped around his knees as he curled himself into a trembling ball of dread and apprehension. The steady ticking of the clocks did little to soothe his frazzled nerves.
5:25:19 a.m.
Once free to traverse the myriad timelines at will, the being known as Waverider was now afraid to even lift his head to peer beyond the counter. Where his precognitive gifts had previously allowed him to glimpse beyond tomorrow, now the future stalked him like an unseen predator. Along with his colleagues, the Linear Men, Waverider had devoted himself to preserving a single continuous timeline that had suddenly become all too unpredictable— and deadly. Some unknown enemy, beyond his powers to discern, was striking down the guardians of time, until Waverider feared that he was the only one left. Who is doing this?, he wondered desperately. And to what end?
The ticking clocks held no answers for him. A novelty cat clock, its mechanical whis
kers twitching, grinned inanely on the wall above him.
5:25.20 a.m.
A second passed—or did it? Abruptly, the relentless ticking ceased, so that Waverider heard only the rapid beating of his heart. He looked up in alarm at a nearby digital clock.
5:25.20 a.m.
The blinking numerals refused to advance. So did all the other clocks in sight.
"Oh, no," he whispered.
Time had stopped.
Instinctively, he tried to dive back into the timestream, to seek refuge in the future or the past, but his trans-temporal abilities abandoned him. He sprang frantically to his feet, only to find himself anchored to a single moment in time. Dozens of frozen clocks blocked his escape.
He was trapped.
A sonic boom shook the store. A flash of sapphire energy heralded the opening of a space-time rift only a few feet in front of him. Waverider backed away warily. His brain raced through a litany of likely suspects as he tried to anticipate what fearsome entity was about to emerge from the shimmering time warp.
Monarch?
Darkseid?
The Time Trapper?
Parallax?
"Skeets ...?"
He blinked in surprise as Booster Gold's robot sidekick materialized before him.
“here you are!” Skeets declared, “waverider, the seer of hypertime.” His electronic voice held a sarcastic tone, “keeper of divergent timelines.” .
"By Wells!" Waverider exclaimed, invoking the patron saint of time-travelers. "You're the one Rip Hunter tried to warn us about." He couldn't have been more surprised if Krypto the Super-Dog had suddenly revealed himself as a diabolical mastermind. "The tremors. The paradoxes? You're the one splintering the historical mainline!" ..
“no,” Skeets informed him. “the catalyst was the crisis, but in its wake . . . something n ew.” Bands of quantum energy blasted from the robot, pinning Waverider's wrists to the wall behind him. “i can smell it