Chapter Text
PROLOGUE:
The idyllic beauty of Themyscira has been spoiled tonight by a storm. It was the third one this week and it has been giving the Amazon oracle confusing visions. One of them, though, was horrific. It involved the blood of all--men, women, children. The skies became a dark red with the populace either running away in fear or trying to fend off the inevitability of death. One figure stood in the distance and was immediately identifiable.
Penelope awoke from the vision with her hands covered in blood. She raced to the temple and with her bloodied hands wrote the following warning: "Fear Mares"
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It was June of the year 1942. It was already a year of distress, as the United States was thrust into the all encompassing World War Two a scant half-year ago. The distress was only furthered by Per Degaton, the time traveling conqueror. In his most recent (for lack of a better term) exploit into the time stream, he uncovered something that was nothing less than awe-inspiring. Indeed, he found the Spear of Destiny, rumored to be in the one spear that pierced the body of Christ. Anyone who touched it would turn irredeemably evil and conjure up whatever twisted desires he thought of. His gloved hand kept the spear from coming into direct contact, and thus, Degaton never felt the true awesome power of the artifact.
In his time traveling, he also discovered that a member of the equally awesome Justice Society of America would grant him unlimited rule of the universe, provided they touched the spear. There were two problems with this. The first was that no member of the JSA would be stupid enough to touch the spear. The second was that he didn't know which member of the JSA was the key to this puzzle. The gamble was enticing enough to him, because he would always be able to travel back in time to stop himself if he were wrong. He took off to find the one thing stupid enough to touch the magical item-Solomon Grundy.
His travels took him to Gotham City's Slaughter Swamp, where Grundy was sitting quietly. Degaton's arrival took the monster by surprise, and he turned around.
"Who are you? I'll kill you good," the monster screamed.
"WAIT! I have a gift for you, Grundy. It's shiny and can do whatever you want," Degaton replied while slowly advancing. The monster stopped and watched him move ever so closer with the spear until they were next to each other. Per Degaton then gave the spear to Grundy.
Grundy held the Spear of Destiny and just stared at it. He didn't know what to do at first, but after a while, he made a thought and the spear turned into a club. It was a club that clocked Per Degaton into next week before Solomon Grundy made his advance into Gotham City proper.
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The members of The Justice Society were not in their normal headquarters today. Green Lantern Alan Scott was busy at work as was Flash Jay Garrick and Hawkman. The Spectre and Dr. Fate were both at the Tower of Fate debating differing views. Hourman and Dr. Mid-Nite were busy fighting crime on the streets. Hippolyta was in the middle of a speech to Gotham University students when the entire team roster heard the news report of Solomon Grundy's rampage through Gotham City.
As Hippolyta arrived at the scene, she could already see the Flash, Green Lantern, the Spectre, and Dr. Fate battling the monster with absolutely no success. Somehow, Grundy could knock away everything they could throw at the monster like gnats. She knew she had to act, especially after seeing the Flash being thrown like a rag doll.
"I've got Jay," she screamed at the others, while herself leaping into the fray. "Just keep fighting Grundy!"
The team heard the order and continued their onslaught, still having no effect. Her catch of Jay was nothing short of spectacular. Dazed and confused, Jay uttered, "Something isn't right."
"What do you mean," the Amazon queen asked.
"We should've been able to beat this monster in our sleep. Look out there. Our heaviest hitters are doing nothing."
"Then let me add another heavy hitter," she said as Dr. Mid-Nite joined the group. "Mid Nite, can you get Flash out of here?"
"We'll be back at headquarters," the doctor replied, carrying Flash out of the field of battle. With that, she drew her sword and went into battle with the monster.
The battle was fierce and unusually long. The Spectre hit Grundy with energies that made the entire earth shake for a moment, yet the monster didn't give. He was then joined by Doctor Fate, and not even their combined powers could stop it. In fact, the monster hit them both with the transformed Spear of Destiny, knocking them both for a loop.
Hawkman finally arrived, sweeping in from the skies and after seeing what just happened he ordered, "Get that club away from it!!!" Although she wasn't used to receiving orders, Hippolyta instinctively knew that Hawkman was someone whose orders she can trust. Grundy tasted the cold Themysciran steel hit the beast's hand, slicing it cleanly off.
From here, Dr. Fate, enshrouding Grundy in a field of pure magical energy, handled the monster easily. Still, the team wondered about this club. The Amazon started to pry the club from the cold, wooden, disembodied hand of Grundy; as she was doing this, the Spectre finally figured out the secret of the club.
"STOP," he screamed. "DON'T TOUCH IT, IT'S THE SPEAR--"
His warning came too late, as Hippolyta finally freed the club, which transformed back into its natural form of the Spear of Destiny. The team was taken aback by this and before she could let go of the spear, she made a thought--"Mares." In an instant, the combined War God appeared before all.
"My child," he said, his cold grating voice echoing throughout the land, " give me the spear."
The Amazon queen stumbled for a moment, while the entire world waited for her decision. The entire JSA, even Dr. Fate and the Spectre, knew that nobody could stop her while she held the Spear of Destiny. Seconds passed like days until the final decision was made. Hippolyta knelt down and with movements that seemed as though they were against her will, she handed the Spear over.
With the Spear in his hand, the War God looked over at the Justice Society. Knowing they could not defeat this parody of humanity, they took Hippolyta back to their headquarters to strategize.
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"We cannot beat him," the wraith known to the world as the Spectre said. "He has the Spear, and not even I can touch the Spear."
"There must be a way," Hawkman bellowed. "We will fight and we will win!"
"You will fight and you will die. Do you not understand the evil it presents?"
"Spectre," Dr. Fate said, "we all know this looks hopeless, but if you will not offer anything helpful, then maybe you should tend your resignation."
"Maybe I should tend to you and return you to the Egyptian dust from whence you came!"
"ALL OF YOU," Green Lantern screamed. "God, how many years have we been together as a team? Jay is hurt because we can't act as a team."
"Alan, you're right," Hippolyta said, her voice showing the fatigue. "We need to pull together in order to save this world."
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Across time, across land, across all, is where the Fates live. They are called by many names, though: Fates, Morae, Fatae, the Three Witches, and many others. They prefer to be called by their real names, though. Clotho spun the thread of the universe while Lachesis measured each strand, making sure no thread went too long. Atropos stood ever ready with her scissors, waving them as if she were going to cut anything that stood in her way.
"I can't believe I had to cut this thread twice," Atropos complained. "This is ridiculous. One time is more than enough. The next thread I cut again might keep the Diana dead."
Clotho replied, "Our concern is with her mother, the Eagle, not the Diana herself. I still think we should have one of them kill Mares. He was always so petty."
"Mares can wait for another day, dear sister," Lachesis said. "Right now, we need to keep the thread going."
TO BE CONTINUED