Injustice 3: The Might of Magic (Book 3)

Kara:

We are all frozen in place. None of us can move. Even with my super-sonic hearing, I can hardly hear a heart beating. 

"What now," Cyborg repeats, pushing his arm cannon into The Man's head. The Man had no choice but to lean back.

While Cyborg has The Man cornered, Superman looks at Oliver with burning red eyes, and Wonder Woman has a sword against Leonard's throat.

"Surrender all of you," Wonder Woman yells. "Surrender, or the criminal Captain Cold, will die."

"Bite me," Leonard says. "Bitc---"

Before he can finish, Wonder Woman moves her sword, and a thin red line appears on Leonard's throat. Leonard coughs as Wonder Woman cuts his throat.

"Leonard," Pam shouts. She tries to run out of the train but Harleen and Barry fight to keep her inside.

I don't blame Pam though. I want, more than anything, to help The Man but if I move, even a muscle, who knows what Superman, Wonder Woman, and Cyborg will do? All I can do is keep watching from inside the train. However, as I watch, I hear voices and turn.

"Stay down," a mother with long brown hair says. She's rubbing the heads of two children, one girl and one boy. The mother raises her head and looks at me.

"Stay down," I say, repeating the mother's words to her. I look at everyone as they do their best to stay hidden. "Stay down."

"Cyborg," Oliver yells. "Why? After everything with Trigon and his demons? Why now!"

"I wasn't helping you," Cyborg answers. "I was helping the civilians."

Cyborg turns and looks at the train before turning back to The Man.

"Now that they're safe and sound, all of you are under arrest. Put your hand up. Now!"

Cyborg pushes his arm cannon into The Man's head again, and once again, The Man leans back.

"So what's your plan now," Cyborg asks. "Open another portal? Pull out some fancy tech? Become a giant dog again?"

"Become a giant dog again," Leonard repeats.

"Don't ask," The Man says. "It was...one of my bad sides."

"What's your plan now," Cyborg asks again. "What is it! What is it! What is it?"

We all look at The Man. All eyes are on him as we wait for his next move. The Man doesn't move for a while. He stays completely still, like he was frozen in time. I can't be sure how long he stayed frozen but finally, The Man moves.

"We surrender," The Man says, putting up his hands.

"What," we all shout.

"You can't be serious," Leonard yells.

"We don't surrender," Jason screams. He and Slade jump out from behind covers with their guns drawn. However, Superman fires first. He uses his laser vision to burn their hands. Jason and Slade's hands turn red before they drop their weapons.

"Stop," The Man says. Jason, Slade, and even Superman stop to look at him.

"We surrender," The Man repeats, looking at Jason and Slade. Jason and Slade look at The Man before putting their own hands up.

"We surrender," The Man says again, turning to Cyborg. "But please, please, let the civilians go."

Cyborg's mouth drops open when he hears The Man's request.

"They are innocent in all of this," The Man starts. "You have no quarrels with them. Right now, they are scared. They are frightened. They want nothing but more than to leave. Give them that and we will come peacefully."

Cyborg turns to Superman. Superman's red eyes stop burning. The Man turns between Superman and Cyborg.

"After all, you two still cared about protecting the people. Right?"

Cyborg's arm starts shaking. He tries to stop it but can't because he only has one hand left. Meanwhile, Superman's red eyes aren't even bright anymore.

"What is your plan now," Cyborg asks for a fourth time. He steps forward and pushes his armor cannon against The Man's head. As he does, I think I can hear him whisper something.

"Come on," Cyborg says under his breath. "Come on. Where are you?"

"Where is who," I think. "What is Cyborg talking about?"

While I think about this, I see something shoots past my head. It flies through the air and hits Superman on his chest. Looking at it as it falls to the ground, I see it's nothing more than an old pink shoe.

"Leave him alone," someone yells. Turning around, I see one of the kids from before standing. It was the girl. She has another shoe in her hand.

"Leave him alone," the little girl yells again. She winds up her arm and throws her other shoe at Cyborg. It hits him on the head.

"Honey," the mother says. She tries to push her daughter down but the girl pushes her back.

"No," the girl says. "That man. That funny-looking man is trying to save us."

"No," the boy, the brother, shouts, getting up too. "He did save us. They all saved us, and now, they need our help!"

Before his mother or anyone else can do anything, the boy takes off his shoe and throws it at Cyborg too.

"Let him go," the boy cries. "Let him go!"

"Yeah," a tall man yells, joining the boy. "Let them go!"

The tall man takes off his own shoe and throws it. Before I realize it, everyone on the train, all the civilians, are throwing their shoes and whatever else they have at Superman, Wonder Woman, and Cyborg. I see wallets, coins, and even empty bottles flying through the air.

"Ahh," Cybrog says, stepping back. He raises his arms to shield himself.

"Stop that," Superman yells, stepping back too.

"Enough," Wonder Woman shouts. She moves her sword away from Leonard's throat and pushes him to the ground. Pam finally breaks out of Harleen and Barry's grip rushes to help him. While Pam runs to help Leonard, Wonder Woman stomps toward the train.

The people stop throwing their things and back away. However, before Wonder Woman can reach us, The Man screams and stops everyone.

"Everyone get down," he yells. Crouching down, we all follow him without hesitation. As I grab and push everyone down, I cover my own head and hide behind the window. A few seconds later, the ground starts shaking. Another seconds later, it explodes and knocks everyone outside the train off their feet.

The Man:

Managing to stay on my feet despite the explosion, I push myself up and run over the massive hole in the street and through the thick black smoke. Landing on the other side, I see and help Oliver to his feet.

"Ahhh," Oliver says, rubbing his head as I help him up. "Could've gotten us a warning, you know?"

"That wasn't me," I say, pushing Oliver into the train.

"Wait, what?"

"That wasn't me," I repeat. I turn around and run to find Cold and Ivy. Luckily, it doesn't take me long to find the two.

"Are you two okay," I ask.

"We're fine," Cold answers, holding his throat.

"You're not fine," Ivy says. "Your throat is cut."

"It's fine," Cold yells.

"See the Doc later. Right now, we have to get out of here. All aboard!"

Pushing the two onto the train, I push through the crowd until I find Jason and the Professor.

"You two," I shout, pointing at them. "With me now!"

Jason doesn't even ask. He and the Professor follow me to the train's cab. There, I sit in the driver's seat.

"What are we doing here," the Professor asks.

"Fuse first," I say.

Again, Jason doesn't even ask. Nor does the Professor. The two shake hands and fuse together, becoming Firestorm. As soon as they become Firestorm, I grab and hand them a shovel.

"Start shoveling!"

I then point at a box filled with coals.

This time, Firestorm had something to say.

"You needed us to shovel coals," Firestorm asks.

"I need Firestorm to shovel coals and heat up the firebox. The hotter the fire, the quicker the train will move. Now shut up, pipe down, and start shoveling!"

"Firebox?"

I roll my head and point at the train's engine. Opening it, I point at the burning fire inside.

"Ohhhh."

"Idiots," I say, shaking my head. "Don't you two know anything about steam trains?"

"Why would we know anything about steam trains," Firestorm yells while shoveling coals and throwing fireballs inside the engine. "

Grabbing levers and pulling them back, the train whispers as the wheels start moving.

"Choo-choo," I say, watching the Solar Streak train ride away, leaving a still stunned and dazed Superman, Wonder Woman, and Cyborg. Moving fast, riding along the mystical tracks, I steer the train high into the air, away from the ruin of Jump City.

While steering the train, I hear the cab's door opening. Turning, I see Beetle running in.

"Problema," Beetle says. "We have company!"

Leaning out of my seat and looking out the window, I see beta fliers and even Batman chasing after us.