The Reliance, #6

The King Of Crime- Part 4


Facing a room full of powerful villains, Candice and Iron Hand had little confidence that they would survive unscathed. Like a bolt from the blue, Chronos mysteriously reappeared after a month-long absence. With him was Surge, swept along in the time traveller's wake.


Chronos was battered and fatigued from his time spent battling the villain Zoom in a conflict that shattered the space-time barrier and covered a dozen ages of earth's life-span. Amidst the conflict with the assembled team of villains, Chronos slowed time to help Candice recover, meanwhile telling her of his trials and warning of a terrible event fated to happen that would change the members of The Reliance forever.


Finally reunited with his companions, Chronos pushed his powers to their limits and beyond to help his teammates in a struggle against overwhelming odds. Iron hand, in a valiant effort to take down The Thinker, was pummeled by both Killer Croc and Solomon Grundy, and then mercilessly thrown out of the window of the high-rise building. He would soon be followed by Killer Croc, whom Surge blasted in retaliation for the damage dealt to his friend.


With time itself on their side, Candice and Surge relentlessly pounded the villains with mystical assaults and electrical storms, until only The Thinker remained.
"It's so hard to find good help these days", the Thinker sighed and, using a PDA, tranferred his consciousness via satellite link-up, to some undisclosed location.


In the aftermath, Chronos suddenly seemed resigned to something as he verified the familiarity of his surroundings. Having seen this moment in his travels through time, he knew what would come next. "Goodbye." He stated simply. At that moment, the maniacal Zoom appeared. His insane motivation to make heroes stronger through trials played out in a way the heroes could never have anticipated.


"So promising, so promising." He muttered, looking at the members of The Reliance. "But you have to be better. Have to be haunted. Haunted every day. Driven by pain, fear and grief."


Candice alone may have known what was coming. She had listened moments before as Chronos had explained how Zoom is disenchanted with the world of heroes. With the absence of Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman for a year, and the ease with which Black Adam decimated an entire country, Zoom does not believe that earth's current heroes are strong enough to be named its protectors. He believes they must be made stronger, through testing and trial. And this would mark The Reliance's greatest trial yet.


"This will make you better", Zoom said with an eerily compassionate smile as he vibrated his hands through the back of Chronos, ripping him in half and sending his severed body in two different directions across the room.
Both Candice and Surge flinched as a spattering of blood streaked their faces. Without another word, Zoom was gone.


After a time of stunned silence, the heroes numbly go through the tasks remaining. Road Warrior, thought to have returned to the police station, had apparantly been captured by non-powered villains. Surge finds him frozen but alive in a supply closet in the office where the villains were encountered. After calling the authorities, the Reliance sees no choice but to leave the city, thereby avoiding its destruction by The Thinker's hidden explosives.


After two days, the Mayor contacts them, reporting that all explosives have been found and disarmed. And some light has broken through these dreary events. The Flash has returned from his exile to the future. He mourns the loss of his successor, who perished while he was gone, but communicates, through the Mayor, that he owes The Reliance a debt of gratitude for protecting his city, and that they are welcome in either Central City or Keystone City any time.


An incredible victory has been won, but an unthinkable tragedy has accompanied it. The Reliance will now endeavor to move forward, but not without examining their lives, their purpose and the future direction of the team.