Justice League of America - Batman: The Stone King by Alan Grant (best english novels to read .txt) 📗

his ring to clear it, but as fast as the green beams dissipated the mist, more appeared, so thick he could barely see his hand in front of his face.

I could be at this for days and not make any difference, Lantern concluded, futilely trying to brush away the dull turquoise tendrils that wafted round his face. Time to try a different tack!

Another thought, and the ring responded at once, creating a green spotlight that shone brighter than the noonday sun. It penetrated the mist, but only partially. Not enough for Lantern to see what was happening to his companions.

How come I can't even hear them? he wondered anxiously. Surely this thing hasn't managed to kill them?

The thought tailed away, to be replaced by a feeling of what he could only call dread in the pit of his stomach. Something was moving through the mist toward him, something ancient and powerful and unspeakably hideous.

It walked on all fours, its feet scaly and clawed. Its body was massive, covered in armored plates like a dinosaur. A knob of sharp spikes bristled on the end of its long, heavy tail. Huge jaws opened wide, showing foot-long teeth festooned with scraps of meat and rotting flesh. And its cobalt-blue eyes blazed with a hatred that he could actually feel.

Obedient to Lantern's every whim, the power ring armed him with a double-bladed battle sword. As the monster lunged at him, its drooling jaws snapping, Lantern swung the sword with all his might.

His blow embedded the blade deep in the huge beast's skull. Blue sparks flew, and a wild shriek of pain assailed Green Lantern's ears.

He raised the sword to strike again, but already it was too late. The beast's nightmare jaws snapped shut around his torso. In agonized disbelief, Lantern felt the creature's teeth puncturing his flesh as if the ring's protective field was no longer in place.

Burning pain, the likes of which he'd never felt in his life, scorched through him. And the whole world seemed filled with his own terrified screams. . . .

The bull-headed figure's massive hand had closed around Superman's body, lifting him high off the ground and squeezing with a power the Man of Steel found hard to believe possible. Bracing himself, he flexed every muscle in his body in an effort to break free, with scant success.

At any moment, he expected to hear Martian Manhunter's telepathic voice inside his head, detailing what he and the others must do to overcome mis predicament But J'onn wasn't here, and the only thoughts in his head were his own.

Exerting all of his fantastic strength, Superman managed to pry the figure's treelike fingers apart for a fleeting moment. Everything was swirling blue-green light. He could see no sign of his comrades.

Superman blinked, bringing his heat vision into play. He trained the focus of the narrow beam on the fingers that held him in their unbreakable grip, the heat quickly mounting until it felt like the surface of the sun. Black smoke poured from the creature's charred flesh, and Superman seized his opportunity as its hand relaxed its grip slightly.

With one superhuman effort, the Man of Steel broke free. Powering into flight, he tried to put distance between himself and the sixty-foot-tall bull-headed figure. But no matter how hard he tried, he could only move a few inches. The air was thick and viscous, and the more Superman struggled against it, the harder the air seemed to ding to him and slow him even more.

"Batman? Superman?" Wonder Woman's voice sounded thin and hollow as she narrowed her eyes and tried to pierce the weird turquoise fog.

Can't see anything . . . but they were right beside me only moments ago!

There was a spine-tingling roar behind her and she whirled, instinctively dropping into defensive pose as she braced for attack. Nothing there. Another roar, closer now, but coming from somewhere off to her right. Wonder Woman turned quickly. There was nothing but thick mist.

Like the sea mist in the mornings off the coast of Themyscira, she thought, with a sudden, uncharacteristic stab of homesickness.

Suddenly, from out of the fog, a stone club smashed into her skull, thrown or swung with such force that it disintegrated into dust on impact. Normally impervious to physical violence, Wonder Woman staggered and almost fell. Recovering her balance, she heard a low swish as something cleaved through the air toward her.

This time she raised both hands, and a second heavy club ricocheted off the silver bracelets she sported on each wrist. Wielded by hands she couldn't see, the weapon swung at her again and again, and Wander Woman's own hands became a blur as she fought to anticipate and ward off the blows.

Thoughts chased chaotically through her head, tumbling over each other How long have I been here? Where are the others? What in the name of Themyscira is going on?

Her mind seemed to be seizing up, crammed full of a million thoughts all clamoring to express themselves at once. Grimly, she shook her head, trying to clear it. And that was all the opening her unseen foe needed.

A dozen dubs thudded into her simultaneously. Still trying to fight back, Wonder Woman fell to her knees, snarling defiance. But a second wave of blows rained down on her, coming in from all angles, bombarding her with blinding pain.

Her vision seemed to fill with stars, before darkness mercifully claimed her.

Only the Flash's reaction had been swift enough when the light-column swelled.

He'd moved back instinctively, but at superspeed, so the expanding light barely touched him before he lost his footing and fell off the pyramid's top course. He hit the sloping side once, rolled, and crashed heavily to the second course ten feet below.

Cursing beneath his breath, ignoring the pain that flared in his left ankle, the Flash scrambled back to his feet and looked up. No column of light. No Justice League members.

Nothing at all.

The moon was blanketed by a black mass of clouds, and not