Big thanks to @Doopie for this incredible image!
Hello CBMers!!!
For the uninitiated, Watchtower Tales is a fan fic serial about a group of Justice Leaguers I refer to as the Second Shift. The team consists of Zatanna, Hawkman, Atom, and Black Lightning. Each story often featuring another character joining the group for some general hijinks. Lately the group has put into motion a series of events creating a more detailed narrative now. The team is currently traveling through time in order to stop an evil plot that could see a group of villains building a super weapon with artifacts from throughout history.
On the Watchtower, the Second Shift Crew of Black Lightning, Atom, Hawkman, and Zatanna are seated at the Roundtable of Justice. Atop the table, are playing cards and some articles of the heroes' outfits, most of them belonging to Zatanna. The team is playing strip poker, although it appears Zatanna is coming up short; as she goes to undo her bra.
ATOM:
"Ha, ha. Zee, I never would've thought you'd be losing like this."
HAWKMAN:
Grabs Black Lightning by the shoulders. "I told you! What did I say?! No one beats me at Texas Hold Em! No one!"
High fives Black Lightning. "Yes! Lets see them Zee."
ZATANNA:
"I knew I should have cheated."
Zatanna places her hands behind her back, and the guys lean in intently. Hawkman's mouth hangs open as his entire attention is on Zatanna 's bra which falls to the table top. However, when Hawkman stares at Zatanna's chest with utter confusion as he can only see two oval round red lights. Hawkman shakes his head, and when he looks forward once again, he now notices he is nose to nose with Black Manta. He still is chained to a wall within the Blue Samurai's temple of second century Japan. Hawkman can identify Constantine, Zatanna, Blue Beetle, and Booster Gold all chained to the wall in a line to his left. Before Hawkman, Black Manta is bent over and staring into Hawkman's face with the Blue Samurai standing beside Black Manta.
BLACK MANTA:
Leans back upright. "I think you're right bro. He does seem to be coming to."
HAWKMAN:
Becoming more aware of his surroundings. "NO!!!!!! You're a monster Black Manta! At the very least, you could've left me unconscious for another ten seconds. Damn! I shall have my vengeance, in this life or the next, I promise you!"
BLACK MANTA:
Stares at Blue Samurai as he scratches his helmet. "A bit overly dramatic bro, don't you think? I mean, bro, you got some time before the Lifetime channel will even exist."
Turns away and walks besides the Blue Samurai to another nearby room.
CONSTANTINE:
"Oi, mate. What the bloody hell happened to us. We got taken out by Bane? Bane? The eloquent jock on steroids? What the hell!"
HAWKMAN:
"Oh, don't worry about him. I'm going to introduce him to my mace. He only was able to get us because of that invisibility device he had. Putting some kind of goop over Zee's mouth. Oh man, look!"
Waves his head to the nearby chained up Blue Beetle and Booster Gold. "They got them as well."
BLUE BEETLE:
"Right? They got the drop on us. However, we were able to at least get a message to Batman."
BOOSTER GOLD:
"Oh yeah! That's right! Hey Hawkman, Constantine let me ask you a question. How difficult bromate is it to get our uniforms clean? Right? But, I've been working on a new special cleaner. I'm teaming up with the 'Sham wow' guy to create 'Carbon Clean with a special Booster Power ingredient'. Guaranteed to work every time. We just need a little more start up money. And I'm offering you guys the first chance to get in on this once in a lifetime opportunity!"
Blue Beetle sighs and shakes his head in disgust. Hawkman and Constantine stare bewildered at Booster Gold.
CONSTANTINE:
"Are you serious mate? We're chained up. Being prepped for execution, and you want to talk...what was is? Booster Cleaner? Are you mental?"
HAWKMAN:
"Listen Boost, if we get outta of this alive, trust me, it'd be my privilege to give you the honor of washing my underwear. But first, lets hope Batman will be getting us out of this situation."
Batman walks down a darkened corridor of Belle Reeve prison. Amanda Waller walks next to him as they come to a see through containment cell, with Dr. Psycho inside.
WALLER:
"We've been unable to get anything out of him on this supposed 'Turmoil' team. Could be a lie, in any regard, he does have the power inhibitor secured around his neck."
BATMAN:
"Open the cell."
Amanda pushes a code into a panel near the see through wall of the cell, which then slides up and opens. Batman slowly walks into the cell toward a cowering Dr. Psycho. Dr. Psycho bumps into the corner, his hands raised in fear, and his face filled with fear and trembling.
DR. PSYCHO:
"Ok! OK! The team is in the old Legion of Doom headquarters! But you're too late I'm afraid, they have the device now."
BATMAN:
Grimaces and snarls. "WHERE!?"
DR. PSYCHO:
Lets out a quick squeal. "They moved it to last place they thought anyone would go searching. Detroit! No one wants to go to Detroit! I swear to God!"
Batman quickly and silently exits the cell as Amanda Waller closes the entrance. Amanda quickly walks to catch up with Batman, and as she does, she stares at Batman in great confusion.
BATMAN:
"Something wrong Waller?"
WALLER:
"It's just...Psycho set it up perfectly for you...I mean...I always heard, they had to swear to you."
Batman stops and looks directly at Amanda Waller.
BATMAN:
"Shut up Waller!"
Leans back and puts his right hand to his ear. "Tower. I've got the location of the team. I'd like you to go in now and quickly take care of them. I'll join you shortly."
Back in second century Japan, the team of Aquaman, Black Lightning, Atom, and Shazam materialize outside of the Blue Samurai 's temple. Black Manta and the Blue Samurai appear in the temple's entrance, it looks as if the Blue Samurai gives a large order. Multiple samurais rush out of the temple, all of them dressed in blue armor.
AQUAMAN:
"Ok. Shazam, take out the big Blue Samurai guy. BL and Atom get into the temple and free our teammates. Black Manta is mine."
Shazam takes off in great speed, spearing into the Blue Samurai, driving him through the back end of the temple. Shazam then starts to deliver fierce haymakers to Blue Samurai's face; with each punch there is a small crackle and pop of lightning. Aquaman takes a few high jumps to quickly close the distance between him and Black Manta. Aquaman has his trident out, and aimed at Black Manta. Black Manta pulls out his twin katana swords and rushes at Aquaman with the swords raised above his head. Black Manta swings them downward, but Aquaman catches them both within his trident. Aquaman then quickly twists the trident, breaking the katanas easily. Black Manta stares at his swords with shock, as he does that, Aquaman delivers a brutal kick to his chest. The kick sends him flying into the far wall of the temple. A great number of blue samurais surround Black Lightning and Atom.
BLACK LIGHTNING:
"Hey man, watch this shit, I saw it in a movie."
Black Lightning lifts Hawkman's mace, which he has charged with electricity. He slams it into the ground and a circular wave of electricity ushers out, shocking the surrounding enemies; who fall unconscious to the ground.
ATOM:
"Wow! What movie was that?"
BLACK LIGHTNING:
"I can't really remember. One of those crappy mythology flicks they've been recently making."
Black Lightning and Atom quickly run into the temple and find there friends chained to the wall. The two began to undo their bindings.
HAWKMAN:
"Ah! Yes! BL, you brought my mace! Let me see it. I got something to take care of."
BLACK LIGHTNING:
Hands Hawkman the mace. "Yeah man, you left it at my house after that Bar-B-Que we all had."
ATOM:
"What Bar-B-Que? I don't remember any..."
BLACK LIGHTNING:
Coughs. "Hey, what's that on Zee's mouth?"
CONSTANTINE:
"Just an odd gel to prevent her from saying her spells. Allow me beautiful."
Waves his hand in an odd order, then kisses Zatanna on the lips. The glop dissolves.
ZATANNA:
"Teg yawa!!"
Constantine flies across the room. Suddenly Hawkman takes flight rushing at Black Manta. He smashes Black Manta's helmet, which crumbles in several pieces to reveal his unconscious face.
HAWKMAN:
"There. Black Manta! You've just been cawked!!"
Turns around to look at the others, who all are looking away in all different directions. "Eh...you're probably right. That's a little gay I suppose."
The group breaks out into laughter and Aquaman grabs Black Manta over his shoulders.
SHAZAM:
Walks into the temple, popping his knuckles. "What? Oh man, what I miss? Anyway, turns out that the Blue Samurai dude was Vandal Savage. And he's definitely going to wake up tomorrow needing aspirin. Oh, to bad it won't be invented for a few hundred something years, I bet."
AQUAMAN:
"Ok. Zatanna, lets get back to the Watchtower."
At the headquarters of the Turmoil team, Bane, Cheetah, Vandal Savage, and Joker sit around a table, waiting for the ultimate weapon to fully charge.
JOKER:
"HAHAHHAHA!!!"
Reading the Box Office Mojo website. "I knew by combining Howard the Duck with Gladiator we could make it a huge hit! Marvel's most beloved film!! Ten Oscars! Got them!!
Suddenly Wonder Woman comes crashing through the ceiling bring debris all around her, in that chaos Cheetah runs to a side room and Joker runs to another side room. Bane falls back against the wall and Wonder Woman grabs Vandal Savage by the throat.
VANDAL SAVAGE:
"Joker! Do your thing!"
Wonder Woman throws Vandal Savage into the air and then slams his face with her elbow, sending him crashing through a wall unconscious.
Joker appears in a nearby doorway, holding a knife made of Kryptonite.
JOKER:
"Aw man. Thought for sure, he'd send the boy scout."
Snaps fingers. Raises his hands in fear as Wonder Woman approaches him. "Wait! Wait! Can I...Let me, tell you a joke real quick?"
WONDER WOMAN:
Shrugs. "Ok. Go head."
JOKER:
"Really?!? Ok. How about...umm...ok, knock, knock."
WONDER WOMAN:
"Who is there?"
Grabs Joker by the lapels of his coat.
JOKER:
"Joker!"
WONDER WOMAN:
"Joker who?"
JOKER:
"Oh! Did I say Joker? I meant choke her!!"
Bane quickly grabs Wonder Woman by a choke hold from behind her, she drops Joker to the floor. Wonder Woman then springs into the air, slamming Bane into the ceiling, Bane falls limp to the floor. Wonder Woman then angrily walks to the Joker. As she stands in front of Joker, she raises her knee high into the air.
JOKER:
"Wait! Knock me out, and you won't be able to find Cheetah!"
Wonder Woman momentarily pauses, but Batman walks into the room dragging an unconscious Cheetah. Wonder Woman looks back at Joker and smiles.
JOKER:
"Crap..."
Wonder Woman gives Joker a hard side kick that sends him flying into the far wall, where he falls unconscious.
BATMAN:
"Good job, Diana. Now, lets get these scumbags rounded up and returned to prison."
WONDER WOMAN:
Picks up the device on the table. "What about this?"
BATMAN:
"Trophy room."
As the Turmoil team is in transport back to their containment facilities. The five of Joker, Bane, Cheetah, Black Manta, and Dr. Psycho suddenly glow and appear to dissolve into thin air. The team finds themselves inside an alien spacecraft. A figure from the shadows speaks.
FIGURE:
"I was impressed by how close you got, Turmoil team. And I have use of you. And I can promise you the ultimate revenge on that second shift crew team."
The figure walks into the light to reveal himself, Mongul!!
MONGUL:
"Prepare yourselves. For we, are going to bring great war to these cosmos."
Back in the Watchtower, the second shift sits around at the Roundtable of Justice.
ATOM:
"So relieved the whole Turmoil stuff is over."
HAWKMAN:
Pulls out a deck of cards. "You guys down for a game of strip poker?"
Thank you so much for the read!!! And of course big thanks to Doopie for the picture. And special thanks to some of the faithful readers like SpookyBear, Nova, Ciph, alamborn, and DCGuy!!!