Tuesday 3rd July 2010, 21:30.
New Jersey,
Gotham City,
Gotham Academy.
"We're approaching Team B's location." Batgirl called over the radio as they rushed through the streets on the backs of their bikes, having pushed them all to the limits. There hadn't been any time to waste, each of them moving as quickly as they could and driving quite recklessly on the roads due to the current threat of the situation hanging over their heads. "We're five minutes out."
"Miss Martian, can you link with their minds?" Esau wondered.
"...Not yet." She could, but not while moving at her current speed, it would prove far too risky and the sigh she heard made M'gann curl in on herself, ashamed at her weakness. But it was her fault, that much she knew because Esau and even Batgirl had tried their best to make her train harder yet she had been unwilling to do so.
"Right now, the others have already engaged the robot, Amazo and Professor Ivo is the one behind him." Esau recounted the current situation that had been reported by Kid Flash before he had moved to support Team B, making sure everyone was aware of what they were about to walk into. "When we get there, MM, establish a mind link. Once that's done, MM and I will move in to support the others. Batgirl, you and Robin will then move to a higher vantage point and find a weakness in Amazo we can exploit."
"Got it."
"Understood."
Batgirl and Miss Martian responded straightaway, the three of them pulling into the parking lot of Gotham Academy, but the three split into two separate groups. Miss Martian rose off her bike and moved to fly, it was slower than the bike, but with it, she was able to safely work on opening a mind link with the rest of the team. Batgirl meanwhile, brought her bike to a stop, using the grappling hook to propel herself up to the roof of the school where she knew a skylight would be overlooking the gymnasium.
All the while Esau never once slowed down his bike, bursting through the front doors of the school and riding through the corridors of the school, Miss Martian lagging behind. "Link established." She said and Esau was ready.
"Aqualad, Superboy, KF, I'm approaching the main entrance of the gymnasium, try and move Amazo towards it where I can ram straight into him."Affirmative responses were given, Esau trusting them to do their best. "Robin, you move to a high vantage point, join with Batgirl and find us a weakness we can exploit."
Twisting down a few more corridors, Esau was surprised to see that instead of having moved to a higher vantage point, Robin was actually right by the door waiting. "Though you could do with a helping hand." The Boy Wonder replied and Esau smirked and then pushed his bike to its top speed, Robin then opened the door at just the right moment for Esau to burst through and rush right towards the exposed back of Amazo who had currently been engaging in combat with Aqualad and Superboy.
The two didn't need an order though, jumping back just in time to avoid getting wrapped up in what came next.
Amazo also turned, having realised something was coming. "Access." But it was not quick enough, Esau jumped off his bike as it smashed right into Amazo and sent it flying across the gymnasium, skidding to a half and tearing a large trench up on the floor.
Landing in a crouch, Superboy and Aqualad coming to his side, Esau rose up, seeing Professor Ivo sitting in the stands as if a fan watching his favourite game. "I've called the Justice League." Aqualad informed, having done so as soon as he, Kid Flash and Robin arrived on the scene to find Superboy getting beaten up by Amazo. "They'll be here soon."
Esau looked to Ivo once more, then back to Amazo that had stood up, turning to them. "Change of plans."
Before he could say anything else though, Amazo made its move. "Access. Martian Manhunter." One hand of the androids became elongated, swinging down like a whip that he, Aqualad and Superboy that they just barely avoided. "Access. Captain Atom." Its other hand then thrust out, a beam of energy firing towards Superboy and Aqualad who had jumped to the same side, a barrier of water forming in the beam's path just in time.
Even then, it wasn't enough, shattering the barrier upon impact and carrying through to strike the suspended heroes. "Batgirl, Robin, move into position around Ivo. KF, you're with me, we're joining them in taking him captive. Superboy, Aqualad, MM, you're still on Amazo duty. Keep him occupied and off of us as best as you can."
"Access." As Esau landed though, Aqualad and Superboy flung back from the energy blast, Amazo then turned its attention to him. "Flash." Esau had always known that comparing Kid Flash to his mentor in terms of top speed was impossible, the gap between them was incalculably large. But actually being on the receiving end was another thing entirely, as before he could even react, Amazo was right before his eyes, its appearing to almost teleport from its previous location to its current one.
Tensing up, Esau prepared himself for the pain only for Amazo to slow down massively in the nick of time, he was able to twist his footing and leap to safety. It was by no means graceful, Esau landing on his back and scrambling back, but it did the job of helping him get to safety as Miss Martian floated in the air, eyes glowing green and arms stretched out as she fought to restrain Amazo.
It was a fight Amazo was winning though.
That was until Superboy and Aqualad came charging back in. "Go!" Nodding his head at Aqualad's words, Esau turned to see Kid Flash already in motion, a blur rushing towards Ivo who seemed to have noticed his approach. But he had not seen Batgirl and Robin who were approaching him from behind, cutting off his escape, he was trapped and didn't even realise it.
"Amazo, protect your master. Priority alpha." Having noticed Kid Flash's approach, Ivo no longer seemed to be as comfortable as he had been before, his voice holding a tinge of panic to it. The android registered the orders and turned, gazing upon the approach of Kid Flash and focusing entirely on the speedster, leaving it exposed to the water hammer that smashed into its back. It was flung off its feet from the force behind that blow, Aqualad having put everything he had into the strike by the way his hammer broke apart and he spun unsteadily on his feet.
However, he accomplished what he aimed for, throwing Amazo right towards Superboy who stepped in and throw a powerful haymaker straight into Amazo's jaw. An echoing boom rang out, the floor of the gymnasium shattering around the strike as Amazo was then rocketed back across to the other end of the gymnasium where he smashed into the stands.
Miss Martian was there waiting though, having ripped out a section of the stand with noticeable strain and then sending it crashing down on top of the android.
Kid Flash then came across Ivo and the few robot monkeys went to stop him, only for Batarangs to come down and destroy most of them, a few surviving but not lasting long against the speedster. Ivo had tried to run away, yet he was not nearly quick enough to avoid the Flash's sidekick who came up and kicked him from behind.
Right to the feet of Esau who had been moving to provide backup.
"Maelstrom!" He didn't need to know what was happening though, ducking down to avoid the elongated metal arm that came over, the wind from it showcasing just how damaging that would have been. Esau then turned, placing one hand on the floor and using that to flip himself to one side, simultaneously unhooking a few throwing knives and throwing them towards Amazo who went intangible, the follow-up strike passing through his body harmlessly.
Kid Flash then came along, tackling Esau to one side, both of them rolling to safety as Amazo's other hand came down and cut through the gymnasium floor where they once were. Superboy then came down with a roar, both hands clasped above his head that he brought down in a hammer strike, one that passed through the intangible Amazo.
"Access. Superman." The top half of the metal body then spun and backhanded the Kryptonian clone across the face, throwing him back across the gym. Aqualad then came down from underneath, the hammer, the only weapon that had proved effective against the android and smashed it on the underside of its chin.
A chin that didn't move an inch.
Aqualad just barely avoided the straight punch that would have no doubt put him out of the fight for good and countered with a blow to the ribs. Yet the result did not change, Amazo instead turned its attention towards its creator who was coming under attack from four people. This was something Aqualad noticed and wrapped both arms around its waist and put all his strength into attempting to lift him up, the ground cracking beneath his feet and yet; nothing.
Amazo was not lifted off the ground.
Nor was Amazo restrained.
With one hand, it grabbed hold of Aqualad's wrist, ripped them from his body and held the Atlantean aloft in the air, throwing him away like discarded litter. "It's coming!" Aqualad warned just before being thrown away.
"Access. Flash." Amazo announced, the four quickly choosing to abandon their approach lest they be putting themselves in too much danger, Amazo came to a stop in front of its creator. "Access. Captain Atom." But it was by no means finished with them, firing out blasts of energy on all of their team, each forced to block and dodge as best as they could.
"Guys, get on him, Ivo's making a move to escape." Esau ordered, all of them noticing Ivo moving for the exit having recognised that he was no longer safe to simply sit back and watch the fight unfold now that he had become a target.
Superboy came charging in first, his fist getting caught in the hand of Amazo, Aqualad came around with a hammer to the knee that rocked the android enough for Superboy to land an uppercut. Yet, the android's second hand glowed, energy gathering only for it to be violently ripped to one side, Miss Martian having used her telekinesis just in the nick of time to save her two friends, the blast firing harmlessly away from them.
"Robin, fall back with me." Batgirl said. "You direct those three in dealing with Amazo, you've had more time to study him. Esau, Kid, I'll watch its approach and warn you in plenty of time, just focus everything on Ivo. Miss Martian, can you separate the mind links."
"I can." She replied. "But I won't be able to help out much."
Batgirl was undeterred though, an idea stuck in her head and no one on the team raised objections. "That's fine."
Nodding his head, Esau reached behind him, unclipping his extendable staff and using it as a javelin launched it across the gym, it landing right in front of Ivo's face causing him to cry out in shock. Even so, his survival instincts must have been on full alert as he quickly crawled along the floor, tripping slightly a few times as he got to his feet, making a break for the ext.
Kid Flash moved to intercept.
"Slow down!" Batgirl called, but the time between her instructions and Kid Flash's response was a little too long, the two of them too much out of sync for it to fully mesh properly. As a result, the stomp Amazo landed on the ground sent a rippling wave across the floor that launched Kid Flash into the air and into the stands. "Sorry."
It was not her fault, not entirely.
The fault lay in their teamwork, or lack thereof.
Esau didn't pay it any heed, just as Batgirl said and continued to chase down Ivo, unhooking numerous throwing knives. "Above." The words were quick and Esau didn't hesitate or even spare time to look, not like Kid Flash had done, just twisting his footing and stepping to one side sharply, the elongated hand coming down like a whip.
However, Esau's speed didn't slow by even a second, the gap between him and Ivo closing down.
"Energy blast, six o'clock." Jumping to one side, Esau braced one foot against the side of the wall, using that as a springboard to flip over the energy beam that came crashing into the path he had been running in originally. "Straight right, head." Landing with a roll, Esau leaned his head and torso to one side, the metal fist bursting past him, just a hairsbreadth away from his face, but Esau's gaze was focused on Ivo.
His right hand flicked out precisely in that moment, his aim true and precise.
The knives soared through the air and Esau could hear the words from Amazo whose sole focus was on protecting its creator. "Access. Flas..." Despite that though, Esau was already in motion and threw his body right into the path of the android just as Aqualad and Superboy came down upon him from above.
A hammer and a right cross respectively smashed into the back of Amazo's head just before he could finish uttering those words, just as Robin had said upon their own private link. For whatever reason, Amazo had to announce which hero's powers he was copying, perhaps it was to install fear, but perhaps, it was to also buy time for his body to switch to using said powers.
They had taken full advantage of that fact.
Amazo smashed headfirst into the ground, Esau grunting as he felt a few of his bones break from getting caught up in that blast, but he didn't care. His aim had been true and the knives were embedded into the wall, same with Ivo, a knife in his leg and another piercing through his hand that was stuck to the wall.
He wouldn't be moving anywhere quickly anytime soon.
Leaving just Amazo who spun around quickly, a plethora of blows unloaded upon all three of them, Esau, Aqualad and Superboy blown back. "Access. Captain Atom." Amazo then raised one arm that glowed brightly, prepared to fire a powerful blast out upon the three, Miss Martian attempting to use her telekinesis to throw the arms off target and Kid Flash rushing to move them out of harm's way.
But at that moment, a red and blue blur burst onto the scene quicker than anything they had seen up until that point, appearing right in the path of the beam and taking the full brunt of it. The entire gymnasium shook threatening to bring it all down upon them, yet green structures rose up and stabilised it at that moment and as the dust cleared, Superman stood before them unharmed.
The Justice League had arrived.