by Philip-Todd Franklin
As Buddy Baker gasped in shock, Rip Hunter turned from the body to see his friend crash to the ground. Rushing over, Rip checked for a pulse and, upon finding one, reached into a pocket and pulled out some smelling salts. However, even after waving the salts under Animal Man’s nose for a few moments, he was unable to draw a response. Not being a proper medic, Rip was left with the dilemma of how to revive his fallen friend and flee the scene before they were spotted in this time and location.
Making a judgment call born of his training and many adventures, Rip decided to gently lift Buddy and move him from the area, just in case someone decided to come and investigate the gunshot. He had just gotten out of view when the sounds of police sirens could be heard slowly approaching from a distance. Rip continued to work to revive Buddy, but he was unable to rouse him, no matter what he tried.
Having heard the sounds of approaching voices not far from their location, Rip was wracking his brain, trying to figure out how to get out of this mess, when a voice spoke just over his right shoulder, startling him.
“Mr. Hunter, I believe you and Mr. Baker are going to need my help.”
Rip Hunter jumped up and spun in place at the voice, only to see standing before him the very same figure who had bent down over the fallen teenager’s body shortly before. This figure looked familiar, somehow, but as Rip tried to peer at the man’s face, he found that it seemed to be constantly hidden in shadow.
“Who are you, and what do you want?” Rip asked, keeping his voice low.
“I’m just a stranger trying to help,” the man said, kneeling and gently placing his hand upon Buddy’s forehead. For a moment, a white light glowed from his hands and around the medallion that hung around his neck, even as he spoke words in a language that even the translator device could not identify.
After the man finished, Buddy Baker slowly opened his eyes, which opened very wide at the sight of the figure before him. “What the–?!” was all he could say.
Animal Man couldn’t help but stare in astonishment at the figure as he came to his senses. The sounds of gathering police cars and ambulances could be heard not far off in the distance. As Buddy Baker tried to get to his feet, only to swoon, Rip Hunter offered a hand to help him up.
“We must not tarry around here much longer,” said the man in black. “There will be many unnecessary questions, and I know that you are needed elsewhere.”
Buddy took Rip’s hands and, with his friend’s help, got to his feet. Once more he looked at the man in black, and it was as if a bomb had gone off in his mind as he suddenly recognized him. “I know who you are!” said Buddy. “Some of the Justice Leaguers told me about you. You’re the Phantom Stranger!”
The Stranger just nodded his head and began to walk away into the darkness.
Wearing a puzzled look on his face, Rip shook his head and turned to Buddy. He could hear a large search party being formed in the woods not far from their location. “Come on, Buddy,” Rip said. “He’s right. We can’t afford to be seen. You know the rules.” And they both followed the Stranger, who was heading toward the Time Sphere.
The trio arrived at the clearing near the church in much less time than it had taken to leave it, having somehow also evaded the authorities, and boarded the Time Sphere. As Buddy took his seat, he stared at the Stranger as he asked, “What do you know about all this?” His voice was still shaking from what he had seen.
Rip Hunter sat down behind the master controls and prepared to hurl the Sphere once again into the time stream.
The Phantom Stranger calmly took a seat across from Animal Man and said, “I know that this is not your time, though both of you also exist here as your younger selves, and I know that where you are from, everything is being threatened.” As he spoke, the Stranger’s voice was calm and reasoned, warm and compassionate, as if he was a wise father instructing his young son.
As Buddy listened to him, he thought, Guy Gardner must be wrong about him. He doesn’t seem like a “fruitcake” at all.
Still feeling shame over having been beaten so easily, Buddy said, “I see, and I take it you know I got my rear-end handed to me when I was there?”
The Phantom Stranger remained silent, regarding Buddy with eyes hidden by shadows, even under the glare of the lights within the Sphere. Then he began to speak once more in the language he had used earlier, the one that Rip’s translator device couldn’t translate. A strange, blue-gray light glowed around Animal Man for a few seconds as the Stranger spoke, and then it stopped.
Nodding his head, the Stranger spoke once more. “Mr. Baker, it would seem that there are many things that are going on here, some that I’m not even sure you would understand. Your defeat before you came here is the least of the matter, yet it’s also a key part of what is going on.”
Upon hearing this, Rip Hunter turned from his controls and spun around in his seat. “What do you mean? We’ve just got to go back and stop that crazy man who’s trying to destroy everything, right?”
The Phantom Stranger turned to the Time Master and said, “It’s not that simple, Mr. Hunter. Mr. Baker, here, already senses the true danger after what he’s seen this day. You shall both need my help if you are to succeed in your coming task.”
Rip turned to look at Animal Man. “What’s he talking about, Buddy?”
The words of the Stranger had begun to sink into Animal Man’s mind, and most of the color drained from Buddy’s face as he took a moment to gather his thoughts, while stopping himself from shaking. The voyage through time continued in silence.
***
Exiting the time stream, the Sphere materialized in a corridor within the Cave of the Stranger, just off from the main chamber. The three companions exchanged glances as Rip Hunter reached back, opening the Sphere’s hatch. “It’s February 28th, Buddy — just after your last confrontation with the man in red,” he announced.
The Phantom Stranger raised his hands, blocking the exit from the ship. “We must wait, or I fear we could exacerbate an already delicate situation,” he cautioned.
Nodding, Rip glanced down at his wristwatch and checked the contents of his pockets to ensure he was fully equipped.
“There’s so much I feel you could answer for me,” Buddy said, standing before the Stranger.
“That has never been my role, Mr. Baker. I’m just a stranger who tries to help when I can.” For a moment, the Phantom Stranger seemed to carry the weight of great sadness, centuries in the making. Then, turning to exit the ship, he added, “I shall see what can be done, Mr. Baker.”
Rip and Animal Man quickly followed the Phantom Stranger as he walked out of the corridor and into the passageway leading to the main chamber.
“Buddy, what are you — and he — not telling me?” Rip Hunter asked his friend and fellow Forgotten Hero in hushed tones.
At first, Animal Man remained silent, grappling with complicated thoughts. “Rip,” he finally began, “you know the body back at the clearing?” Rip nodded as they continued to follow the Phantom Stranger.
“It was the body of the very same man I faced here earlier,” Buddy said, panic creeping into his voice. “Rip, I know it’s impossible, but that man also happens to be an older version of the same boy that was shot and killed long ago!”
Just a few steps ahead, the Phantom Stranger stopped in the passageway outside a large chamber and extended his arms to either side.
Rip and Buddy stopped speaking as they reached the Stranger’s location, sensing that much more needed to be explained before this strange adventure was over.
The Phantom Stranger began speaking in the ancient tongue they had heard before. Small stones along the passageway began to glow with a soft white light.
Within the main chamber, a man dressed entirely in red screamed as the stones illuminated. “No-o-o-o! I will not be stopped!” he cried. “I shall have the power I crave!” Turning to the two apes in the chamber, he shouted, “Find him! Find the accursed Stranger and destroy him!”
As the two apes sniffed the air and left the chamber to begin their search, the man in red resumed the dark rituals described in his ancient books. A large gem before him began to glow a deep, dark red, pulsing like a heartbeat.
Animal Man and Rip Hunter stood by, watching as the Phantom Stranger continued to chant, causing the glow of the stones to brighten.
Loud roars echoed, prompting the two men to turn and look into the chamber. They saw the large apes charging toward them. Absorbing their strength, Buddy thought, Well, I guess I’ll have to play with the boys again.
Rip Hunter stared at the approaching apes and slowly began to back away from the entrance, wishing he had remembered to pack his pistol. How can I be of help against either of these? he thought as the two apes charged.
Meanwhile, the Phantom Stranger remained oblivious to the danger, continuing to chant and forcing the glow from the stones to become almost blindingly bright.
In seconds, the two apes were upon Animal Man. The first ape swung its fist at him, only to have its intended target catch the massive hand effortlessly. Buddy hadn’t flinched; instead, he used a jujitsu move learned during his training with the Conglomerate, sending the ape crashing into the cave wall.
Seeing Animal Man toss the first ape aside, Rip’s eyes lit up with an idea. He turned and ran back toward the Time Sphere as fast as he could.
The second ape, witnessing its companion’s defeat, tried a different tactic. It swung both massive paws at Animal Man’s head, one from the right and the other from the left.
Once again, Buddy waited for the right moment. He dropped below the ape’s arms, which smacked together in a painful collision. Then, he lunged forward, delivering a punch to the ape’s groin.
The large ape’s eyes bulged as its knees buckled, and instead of a mighty roar, only a tiny whimper escaped its lips.
The first ape, recovering from being thrown, now targeted the Phantom Stranger. Launching itself at the figure in dark blue, the ape suddenly heard a strange noise and felt a sting in its back before Animal Man appeared before it. In seconds, the large ape crashed to the ground, unconscious.
Rip Hunter stood nearby, carrying a large sniper rifle and grinning. “Never leave home without your ‘charge account,'” he quipped, quickly tranquilizing the second ape before calmly reloading his rifle . Buddy stared at the gun, then at Rip, shocked; he had never seen Rip brandish a gun before.
As the glow from the stones reached its peak, the cavern’s interior becoming nearly as bright as the midday sun, the Phantom Stranger urged, “We must hurry. Mr. Baker has already seen the damage caused by the creature this man is trying to release.” With those words, the trio walked into the chamber, each lost in their own thoughts.
Roger, the man in red, continued to chant, and the faster he swayed, the faster the light from the gem pulsed. A voice in his mind goaded him, “Yes, yes, I shall have my eternal freedom, and all shall pay.”
“Yes, master, you shall be free,” cried Roger, “and I shall have my power to rule!”
With the flying ability of a bat, Animal Man soared into the chamber, heading straight for the man in red. “Roger, you’ve got to stop this foolishness!” he shouted.
Without a word, Roger turned from the gem and raised his arm, pointing his finger straight at Animal Man. As he spoke, a sickly green beam shot from his finger and blasted into Animal Man, stunning him.
Rip Hunter had decided to creep into the chamber, staying beside the walls. As he spotted Roger at the center of the chamber, he could see what looked like the largest gem he had ever seen just behind the man. That must be the cause of the problem, he surmised.
The Phantom Stranger had entered the main chamber just as Buddy Baker was blasted in midair. Without a moment’s thought, he raised his hands and spoke a few words, causing Buddy to gently glow for a second before he started to softly glide toward the ground.
The voice from the gem responded, “No… no… no! That accursed Stranger — destroy him, my servant!”
Roger raised his arms and began to chant in an ancient tongue, causing a rain of daggers to dive toward the Phantom Stranger.
Moving his hands defensively and muttering words of his own, the Stranger caused a white dome to appear just moments before the daggers struck, blocking their path. The Phantom Stranger then slowly began to walk toward the center of the room.
Shock crossed Roger’s face as his daggers were blocked, and rage nearly consumed the man in red as he began to chant again, more fervently than before.
Having landed gently on the ground, Animal Man began to rub his head, trying to shake the sick feeling that had been crawling into his stomach ever since they’d first entered the chamber.
Rip Hunter continued to walk along the sides of the chamber until he had a clear view of Roger. Slowly, he raised his rifle and began to take aim.
The sound of thunder could be heard in the chamber as lightning began to streak from Roger’s hands out toward the Phantom Stranger, who continued to walk toward the man in red, ignoring the lightning, even as his medallion was brightly glowing white. “This does not have to be,” the Stranger said to Roger, compassion and sorrow in his voice.
Buddy was shocked; he couldn’t believe that, even in the pitch of battle, the Phantom Stranger was able to show compassion for his enemy. Who is this guy? he wondered.
Roger continued to chant, tossing bolts and fire at his foe, but neither had any effect on the Phantom Stranger. “I would rather this had gone another way,” the Stranger said as he reached the center of the chamber. Slowly he raised his hands and began to speak words that none in the chamber could understand.
The voice from the gem shouted, “No-o-o-o-o-o! I was nearly free!”
Roger once again started to chant, but this time he was surprised to find that he could feel nothing. Where is the power? he thought as he continued to speak in vain the ancient words that the entity had taught him.
The Phantom Stranger began to glow brightly as he continued to speak, and as he stood firm, the glow from the gem began to fade.
Roger turned to look at the gem and noticed as the light of his master was fading from within. Motivated by pure rage, Roger reached for the knife on his belt, grabbed it, and quickly headed for the Phantom Stranger, his murderous intent obvious.
Buddy Baker felt like he was watching what was happening as if it was an event on TV and not a live life-or-death battle, and he was shocked to see that the knife Roger pulled from his belt was the very same one they’d used to carve their names on the old oak door at the church so many years ago. Coming to his senses, he jumped up and began heading toward Roger to stop him before he could interfere with what the Phantom Stranger was doing, whatever it was. All Buddy knew was that magic was completely beyond him.
But before Buddy could take more than a couple of steps, the sound of a rifle cracked in the chamber, and Roger fell to the ground, clutching his head. Rip Hunter had been waiting for the right moment, but hadn’t wanted to take a shot until he spotted the knife. With his quick action, the tranquilizer dart had struck Roger, knocking him out.