Part 4

When Jade came to, she saw a man in a dark red tunic and a black hooded cowl with a crescent moon on his brow. He was busy checking her pulse and her temperature when she looked up to meet his gaze.

“Mid-Nite,” she whispered. “You came…”

“I rushed over as soon as Ma relayed your message,” said Dr. Mid-Nite.

“Despotellis?” she asked.

“I’ve been taking samples of your blood,” Mid-Nite answered. “I don’t know how you fought it off but you kept it at bay until I arrived. Whatever you did to your white blood cells—I’ve never seen anything like it! It’s astonishing, Jennie! The mixture of magic and biology. You have to let me do some tests. The things we could learn!”

“Later, Doc! Just tell me if I’m gonna live.”

“I’ve given you some anti-biotics that should help finish the job,” Mid-Nite said. “I expect a full recovery.”

“What about the virus itself? Is it…is he…still inside me?”

“It’s hard to say,” the doctor admitted. “It could be lying dormant somewhere or it could have withdrawn, retreated back to space to return to the Sinestro Corps. We’ll know more once I can get you to my lab. Now lie back, Jen. I think the worst is over but you still need rest.”

Somewhere within a vein in Jade’s abdomen, Despotellis brooded. Cursed physician! You will be the next to die! 

But as soon as it had it expressed this, it saw another wave of mystically enhanced blood cells swimming towards its position. These green champions were legion and Despotellis no longer had its spores to back it up. Flinging a few more angry epithets, the virus ran for its life.

* * * *

“Release me, you mountainous moron!” Lesla-Lar demanded, still squirming impotently in the grip of a massive finger and thumb. Without her super-hearing, Supergirl was unsure if she would have even heard the words.

“What are you doing here, Lesla?” the giant blonde asked. A look of pity suddenly came across her billboard-sized face. “You obviously escaped from Kandor some time ago if you’re still shrunken. You should count yourself lucky. The Bottle City was re-enlarged a while back but—”

“—But most of its people are dead!” Lesla spat bitterly. “Killed in a war with Earth’s governments. I saw it all happen on an Earthling info-box.”

“Television,” Supergirl corrected her.

Lesla ignored this and continued to rage. “When Kandor was restored, I wanted to return. To be changed back to normal and take my place among my brothers and sisters. But I knew I’d never be welcomed back. They still considered me a criminal and would have locked me up if I showed my face among them.”

“Can’t imagine why,” Supergirl deadpanned. “And you with such a charming personality.”

“Shut up, you titanic twit!” the tiny lady squeaked, wriggling angrily between the heroine’s fingers.

“Oh, very nice,” said the Girl of Steel. “Do all super-villains get lessons in alliteration?”

“You don’t know what I’ve been through!” Lesla continued. “I stayed hidden, searching for a cure to my condition. Then the war started. Earth’s scientists altered the rays of the sun itself! The red energy drained us of our powers and everywhere, Kryptonians were dying. Falling from the sky, suffocating in space, murdered by soldiers armed with kryptonite. And there I was, powerless, as small as an insect. Huddling in fear from every human’s careless footfall, every beast seeking to make a meal of me. I could only watch, helpless, as my fellow Kandorians were slaughtered!”

“I’m sorry, Lesla. More than you know,” said Supergirl. Her tone had changed as she listened to Lesla’s rant. The so-called “War of the Supermen” had been a dark time in Earth’s history—and that of her own family. Emotion threatened to overcome her as Kara Zor-El relived painful memories.

“We all lost so much in the war,” Supergirl continued. “My parents were in Kandor when it happened. They…they didn’t make it…”

“And yet you still protect these Earthlings? How can you do it?” the minuscule woman shrieked, banging her fist on Supergirl’s fingernail. “How can you live among these monsters who killed your own people?!”

“It’s not like that,” Supergirl insisted. “Not all the humans hate us. And those that do, they were manipulated. The war was engineered by Lex Luthor and General Lane to—”

“They’re all dead and you’re still here!” Lesla screamed. “Why are you still here?! I don’t care how big you are! I’ll kill you myself, you human-loving bitch!” Once again, she started to thrash about wildly, trying to free herself from the giantess’s super-strong grasp.

Supergirl sighed. “No, Lesla. You won’t.” She brought her other hand close to the tiny woman and held her thumb and index finger together. With a quick flick of her finger, Supergirl knocked the shrunken criminal into unconsciousness.

* * * *

Mera fell to the floor, all of her strength leaving her as the temperature of the room increased. Devouris continued to turn up the heat, watching with satisfaction as his opponent struggled like an ant under a magnifying glass. The Genetixos had ceased his attacks, content to observe from his master’s side for the moment. It would not be long now. Soon he could swoop in for a killing stroke.

“Burn, Atlantean,” Devouris snarled. He floated over until he was hovering a few feet above where Mera lay prostrate upon the ground. “Tis but a preview of the doom I bring to thy people! As my strength grows, I shall lay waste to this planet and consume it, like the ancient world-eaters of old!”

Mera strained to look up at him with a scowl. “B-big talk for a little m-man,” she stammered.

“You doubt me?” asked Devouris. “Tell her, Genetixos! Tell her the stories they speak in whispers across the cosmos! Of the civilizations that have but lately fallen before Devouris the Conqueror!”

The herald paused, uncertain. “Thou, er, hast not consumed any civilizations recently, my lord.”

“I’ve been amassing my power,” the dwarfish Conqueror insisted. “Thou knowest this.”

“Aye, lord, I do. Only…”

“Only what, my loyal herald?”

“Well, master, I have but lately entered thy service. I was awed by thy legend and thy reputation, as well thou knowest. And I am honored by thy bestowal of the Strength Celestial upon me. But I have been waiting, um, that is to say, I have been very anxious for, er…”

Devouris frowned impatiently. “Yes? Well? Speak, damn you!”

If the Genetixos had had any facial features, they would have looked extremely nervous in that instant.

“I was merely wondering when the almighty Devouris would see fit to…devour something.”

The Genetixos averted its gaze and shuffled its feet nervously upon its flying sled. Even in her agony, Mera could not help but look up to watch the Conqueror’s response.

“I see,” said Devouris. “Is not my appetite legendary throughout the universe?”

“Indeed, lord,” the Genetixos agreed. “Thou consumed a near mythic quantity of sandwiches at the trans-galactic diner we stopped at last week but—”

“J-just as I suspected,” Mera said. She propped herself up on her hands and forced a slight chuckle. The look on the armored alien’s face was worth it. “The terrible Devouris is all talk.”

The dwarf shifted uncomfortably in mid-air, mortified. Fighting through it, he returned to his default position of blustery rage. “Silence, sub-creature! How darest—?”

“No, you don’t get to speak to me like that, little man.”

“Be that so?” Devouris challenged. “And what, pray tell, dost thou intend to do about it? Thou canst not even stand!”

Mera pressed her hands against the ground and enacted a final desperate salvo. Concentrating intently, she focused all her remaining power on the closest source of water she knew of—the Hall of Justice swimming pool, located elsewhere on the same floor as the gymnasium. Accessing a body of water remotely from this distance was a difficult task but her options were limited.

“I will not be broken by the likes of you, Devouris the Fool!” she declared. “I am Mera, Queen of Atlantis and Champion of Xebel! And I will not be conquered!”

The doors burst open as a tidal wave of water came sweeping into the gym. The flash flood caught Devouris and Genetixos completely by surprise, blasting into them and sweeping them from the air. Mera let the wave wash over her as well and relished its cool embrace. Chlorinated pool water was no substitute for the life-giving power of the ocean but it would have to suffice.

Her enemies were carried across the room and slammed violently against the far wall. Devouris knocked his head hard on the wooden surface, collapsing into unconsciousness. The Genetixos simply exploded against the wall like a rotten tomato. As the flood subsided and the water level came to rest, Mera surveyed her work. She fell to the floor once more, exhausted from this herculean final effort. The queen passed out with a smile of satisfaction on her face.

* * * *

At speeds approaching the sound barrier, Jesse Quick zipped about the room, capturing or disabling every miniature robot in her path. She swept through the clouds of tiny enemies like a blonde-haired hurricane. The Neutron Robots had tried to overwhelm her with sheer numbers but it was difficult to face an opponent who could be almost everywhere at once. 

Having determined that her foes were not organic beings, Jesse pulled no punches. She caught the little metal men in her fists, crushing them utterly with a quick squeeze. She slapped her hands together around others, swatting them like flies. Those closer to the ground she simply stomped upon, trampling them as she rushed past. The little automatons hardly knew what hit them. They saw only a reddish yellow blur, followed by the sight of a giant fist or boot coming towards them with tremendous force. When she came upon a larger cluster of them, Jesse ran circles around the group at incredible speed, trapping them in a whirlwind. They spun about wildly until the heroine redirected the path of her homemade tornado, smashing them against the wall.

Even at super-speed, it took some time but at last Jesse had destroyed or captured every metal warrior in her path. After a quick trip to the Hall’s museum gift shop, she had procured a number of boxes to imprison the horde of machines. She didn’t want to risk the less damaged ones suddenly reactivating and resuming their attack. Soon she had the whole pint-sized army safely stowed in a series of boxes, gift-wrapped for the police or S.T.A.R. Labs or the Department of Extranormal Operations—whoever one contacted in the event of a tiny robot invasion (Jesse was a bit unclear on this point).

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw one last straggler down at floor level, attempting to beat a hasty retreat. Jesse was about to run over and step on it when she noticed its appearance. The creature was not blue, nor did it have a shiny chrome skin like the other robots. Jesse saw a flash of red on its head that appeared to be hair. Curious, the speedster ran after it and in a split second had scooped the little thing into her hand. She was surprised to find herself holding a tiny redheaded woman in what appeared to be a slinky green evening gown.

“Okay, I’ll bite,” Jesse said in confusion. The minuscule lady flinched at this and tried to shield herself. 

“Whoa, relax!” Jesse giggled. “Figure of speech. I didn’t mean that literally! What are you supposed to be?”

The little woman regained her composure and scowled up at her captor. “I am Queen Atomia, sovereign of the Atom Galaxy! Unhand me, you unwashed peasant!”

“Hey, watch it, Tinkerbell. I just showered this morning.”

Atomia placed a hand to her forehead and sent forth a mental command to her minions. On the floor at Jesse’s feet, the gift boxes suddenly began to shake and rattle as the little damaged robots fought to escape.

“You’re controlling those things?” asked Jesse. “Hmm. I think you’d better come with me.”

She reached for a box to trap the tiny queen in but thought better of it when the robots began to thrash about more violently inside. If this little lady was their commander, it would probably be best to keep them separated from her. Jesse looked around for an alternative place to put her. Unfortunately, her costume didn’t have any pockets. She flashed the miniature monarch a mischievous smile.

“Sorry about this, ‘your majesty’,” Jesse said with a smirk. Before Atomia could respond, the heroine slipped her down the front of her collar and stuffed the little struggling queen into her bra. Atomia found herself trapped tightly between a barrier of fabric and a pair of breasts as big as the hills. She fumed and raged at the indignity but Jesse simply laughed and gave her bosom a light pat. The force of a giant hand slapping against her was enough to shut Atomia up for the moment. Once the tiny woman was secure, Jesse gathered up the boxes of mechanical prisoners and prepared to return to the meeting room.

She was about to charge off at super speed when she thought of what that might do to her minuscule passenger. Jesse was wearing a sports bra that gave plenty of support and, well…kept things more or less in place. Still, it might get a bit bumpy in there.

“Don’t worry, I’ll take it slow,” she said, peering down in the general direction of her chest. Holding the boxes under her arms, Jesse began walking down the hall with careful measured steps. Pressed headfirst into a wall of flesh, Atomia could only seethe in anger.

* * * *

All across the Hall, the Mouse Man’s allies were falling before the Justice League. But the gray-suited scientist knew nothing of this. His consciousness was far away, still locked in psychic combat with Vixen on the astral plane. The pair of them had been expanding their mental projections for some time now, each growing themselves larger to match the other. Even the Mouse Man was uncertain how long they could continue.

‘Cease this folly, woman!’ Mouse Man’s thoughts shrieked. ‘If we grow any further, our minds could snap!’

Still expanding through the extra-dimensional void, Vixen hopped from planet to planet as if they were stepping stones. She grabbed a passing comet and chucked it at the Mouse Man. ‘Trying to scare me, Mouseketeer?’

The scientist ducked as the comet whooshed past his head. ‘You imbecile! If we keep expanding, we’ll lose ourselves in the ether! Our bodies back in reality will lie there, comatose and brain dead as our minds are torn apart!’

Vixen had to admit he had a point. This battle was getting them nowhere. And as her astral-self stretched over so great an area, she was finding it harder to focus. There was something he had said that was important. Something that might turn the tide. What was it?

‘Our bodies in reality! Of course!’ the heroine exclaimed. ‘Why am I even bothering with all this psychic mumbo-jumbo? Back in the real world, you’re just a tiny, little man trapped inside my shoe!’

The Mouse Man bristled at this. ‘A technicality. In this realm, the mind is the true power!’

‘Not if I can wake myself up,’ said Vixen. She closed her eyes (or at least imagined her mental-self doing so) and tried to send a message back to her body.

‘Mari! Hey, Mari, wake up, girl!’

Thousands of astral miles away, yet somehow also right next door, Vixen’s physical form was lying on the floor of a hallway in the Hall of Justice. The mouse army surrounded the fallen woman on all sides. They had paused their attack as they waited for instructions from the Mouse Man. In her mind, Vixen kept screaming at herself and tried to sense the presence of her body. With some effort, she got her foot to twitch. Something small tumbled down her instep. Vixen moved her foot around experimentally in her boot as she searched for her tiny opponent. Finally, she found him. With another command to her corporeal self, Vixen clamped her toes around the Mouse Man’s neck.

Back on the astral plane, she saw the Mouse Man suddenly gasp for air. His eyes rolled back and he started to choke and wheeze, flailing about like a rag doll.

Vixen moved her foot back and forth, simultaneously watching the image of her enemy being flung from side to side by an invisible force.

‘This is too weird,’ she thought. But she kept at it, having far too much fun.

Eventually, the Mouse Man’s mental projection lost substance and began to fade. Once it had vanished, Vixen felt herself being drawn back to reality.

She awoke with a start and sat up. This sent the mice all around her scurrying for cover. The Neutron Robots riding them tried to steer them back into the fray but the mice were once again only common animals acting on instinct. Vixen reached through a tear in her legging and stuck her hand into her boot. She fished the Mouse Man out and held him up before her. The tiny villain laid in her hand, gasping for breath.

“I win, Mickey,” Vixen said.

* * * *

The heroines regrouped in the meeting room, each with a wild story to tell and an unusual catch to display. Supergirl and Vixen held their tiny captives firmly in their hands. Lesla was still unconscious in Supergirl’s palm while the Mouse Man was too weak to put up much of a fight. Jesse Quick reached into her top to retrieve Queen Atomia, prompting giggles from her teammates. Mera, somewhat recovered though still weak, staggered into the room with Devouris flung over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes. A call from Dr. Mid-Nite in the infirmary informed them of Jade’s progress.

Once the team had compared notes, they placed their tiny prisoners in a shoebox and prepared to turn them over to the authorities. The largest, Devouris, they tied to a chair.

“I’ve gotta say,” Supergirl told the group, “this has to be the weirdest super-villain team-up I’ve ever seen.”

“Agreed,” said Mera.

“Pint-sized criminals!” Jesse added. “What will they think of next?”

“How about you, Zee?” Vixen asked, turning to Zatanna. “Did you have any trouble with killer leprechauns or thumb-sized masterminds?”

Zatanna smiled slyly at the others. “Not as such,” she said. “But I’d say that your troubles are not quite over.”

Vixen looked at her puzzled. “How do you figure?”

Zatanna gestured dramatically with her hands and focused her power on the team.

“Ecitsuj Sreugael, knirhs!”

Mystic energy sprang from the magician’s fingers and struck each of the startled heroines. As it spread through their bodies, they felt themselves suddenly dwindling in size. Within moments, the Leaguers were each about the size of one of Mouse Man’s furry minions. Zatanna now towered above them enormously, a look of unsettling malice on her distant face above. A tiny man in a blue and white jumpsuit poked his head out of the top pocket of her shirt and gazed down at the bewildered crime fighters.

“Mr. Mind,” said Dwarfstar. “I do like the cut of your jib.”

“Thank you,” the Venusian mind-worm said through the brainwashed Zatanna. “But I don’t think our little friends here share the sentiment.” The colossal magician took a step towards the shrunken heroes, sending them scattering before her feet.

To be continued...