Flash is full of questions, which he fires out rapid-pace: "Should I let them see me enter the warehouse now? Or are you going to make a magical image? If I go in, presumably they won't set the explosives off on me alone, they'll wait until they think we're all here. If I am able, I could try diffusing the dynamite unobserved, could your spell mimic the explosion, or do you think that would give us away?"
"Finally, we haven't yet isolated a goon for Sandman to impersonate. And what about Shifty, we may as well bring him along, he could easily impersonate a goon too."
The Sandman pauses for a moment, trying to discover what lurks behind the opening door. Assuming that he discovers nothing, he will spring into action, creeping towards the group of thugs, hoping to gather some information about their plans, and seeking to spot a thug that he can incapacitate and quickly replace.
Flash is full of questions, which he fires out rapid-pace: "Should I let them see me enter the warehouse now? Or are you going to make a magical image? If I go in, presumably they won't set the explosives off on me alone, they'll wait until they think we're all here. If I am able, I could try diffusing the dynamite unobserved, could your spell mimic the explosion, or do you think that would give us away?"
"Finally, we haven't yet isolated a goon for Sandman to impersonate. And what about Shifty, we may as well bring him along, he could easily impersonate a goon too."
"The shapeshifter is too unpredictable. If it thought it could further its aims by opposing us it would. Its morals are as maliable as its skin. I think it should stay clear until I can banish it.
Yes I do need you Flash. You need to open the wharehouse door and jam it open. The images of the Sandman and myself will walk out to join you at the door. As they pass into the building a false Flash will join them that is your que to vanish. The images will walk to the center of the building and appear to have a discussion. I expect the bombs will trigger then. The Sandman and I need to be in position by then as our friends will no doubt make a hasty exit.The spell could duplicate the explosion but not the falling dust, smoke and debris. I fear it would not be convincing."
"But what's he going to do then, hang out in the alley here until we get back? I think he knows we want to return him home, and will stay with us until we get a chance to do so." Flash turns to look at Dr Fate , but not seeing anything returns to his surveillance.
"Anyway, let me know when you want me to head over to the warehouse door."
Fates voice comes from the empty air near the Flash.
"As soon as we know why the second van is here. And yes if you can convince it the shapeshifter could be useful."
Flash turns to Shifty. "Will you help us?", he asks eagerly.
Fate's voice sounds from the eather near the Flash. "Is there a new player in this game? Who are these men, they will be at risk from the explosion."
"Ah," Flash says, "that would be Barnacle Bill." Flash looks a trifle embarrassed, "I let it leak to him that the JLA would be here tonight, by way of getting word to Mr X. I left some money at his local bar to keep him liquored up tonight, hoping he wouldn't show, but either the barman simply pocketed the cash or old Bill can hold his liquor better than I thought."
"But let us see what happens, it could provide an ideal distraction for Sandman and Shifty to pull their switcheroos."
"These men will be slaughtered. Warn him. I will buy them some time."
Unseen Dr. Fate walks from the alleyway and swiftly moves towards the white van.
The Sandman continues to listen and watch the thugs, hoping that Fate and the Flash noted the drunken sailors heading towards the warehouse. If they didn't, the Sandman must just have to blow cover to save the nautical nimwits.
Assuming Dr. Fate carries off his plan of sowing confusion, the Sandman will attempt to turn that confusion into an opportunity to nab one of the gangsters, either someone who was left behind, or someone who fell behind.
"But Mr X's goons shouldn't set off the dynamite until they see us show up." Flash says, waiting for a reply from the now-departed invisible Dr Fate.
Finally realising that the magician must have already left, Flash will attempt to find a location where he can be seen by the sailors, but not by Mr X's thugs. From this location, he'll hail the sailors and try to lead them away out of danger. (He's hoping they'll give chase). Once they are well away, Flash will dart back to the rendezvous location in the alley.
Flash pauses to wink and blow a kiss at the sailors, continuing with his plan to lure them away from the vicinity of the warehouse.
Hoping to quickly take out the exclamatory goon, the Sandman knocks him in the head with his gas gun. If fortune favors the heroes, the will then try to pull the gangster into the alley and find some way to conceal both himself and his prey.
Dr. Fate scowls inside his helmet and swiftly moves to the dynamite truck.
Unaware of the troubles his comrades are having, Flash is still heading away from the scene. He stops again, "Come on, I'm wating!", he urges with a broad smile.
When they get close, he moves away again, uppings his pace (only a little compared to what he can manage, he doesn't want to loose them yet!) to try to make the sailors run at maximum speed and tire themselves out.
"Okay, you got me boys," the Sandman sighs, while slowly raising his hands above his head. As he does this, he also manages to "accidentally" drop one of his gas grenades, setting it off.
In the ensuing confusion, the Sandman tries to whip out his grapple gun and fire it at a nearby fire escape and slip free from the goons.
Flash continues leading the chase, taunting the sailors to goad them onward. "What? Are you getting tired already? I'd heard sailors were made of tougher stuff."
Hearing gunshots, Flash decides to return and see what's up. He gradually increases speed away from the warehouse for a couple of blocks (to lose the sailors) then turns right for one block, then turns right again at the next block to return (this will hopefully avoid his being spotted heading back by the sailors).
"Why am I always the one getting shot and eaten?" the Sandman thinks to himself as he attempt to hide in alley with his unconscious foe. "That was also some of my worst sneaking. I hope the others are having more success." Hoping that he has hidden himself, the Sandman takes a moment to examine the thug he has purloined.
Flash stops just near the corner of a building near the warehouse, and peers around quickly to survey the scene...
Fate circles to the rear of the explosives truck.
"The best laid plans..." He mutters softly.
The Phantom Flash will seem to arrive from one of the empty alleys the Phsntom Sandman will grappel down from the wherehouse roof and the Phantom Fate will simply fade into view.
Phantom Fate, loud enough for the goons to hear:"Our plans are known. Quickly we must be sure the evidence is safe."
Phantom Flash: "No problem. I'll have it out of there faser than you can say "open seseme". That is if this blasted door would open!"
Phantom Sandman: "Take your time speedy lets see X's boys hit what they can't see."
As the Phantom Sandman speaks he drops a large canister and great billows of smoke cover the trio of images. From with in the cloud the sound of the wherehouse door opening can be clearly heard.
"Hurm." the Sandman mutters quietly to himself as Dr. Fate casts his spell. "I wonder if Dr. Fate knows that I've already tangled with Mr. X's thugs?" The Sandman continues to examine the thug he carried off for distinctive features.
Flash holds himself in readiness to act, but remains concealed for the moment.
The Sandman watches the mobsters, waiting to see what their game is. While doing so, he binds the man he has seized using his handcuffs. "Perhaps fate can do something about my disguise," the Sandman wonders. "Or perhaps the Flash could do a little speedy shopping for me." Realizing that he will need the aid of his allies to complete his disguise, the Sandman scans the scene, hoping to find some sign of the other members of the Society.
Resisting the urge to leap into action and bust some mobster heads, The Sandman cringes as he prepares for the blast, knowing that, somehow, the cops will find a reason to blame him for the destruction of the warehouse.
Flash pulls his head back from the corner. He dashes around the block (excepting the area immediately around the hoodlums, he doesn't want to be spotted outside!) to make sure the area is clear of any innocent bystanders
Hoping the others are in position Dr. Fate gathers his magic cloak about him and braces himself atop the explosives van. Regretfully he watches the soon to be destroyed building. He knows that part of the coming destruction is due to his action and this weighs heavily upon him. He knows however that this is their best chance to get close to X, and prevent far worse devastation.
Flash pauses when he sees the car... it could be just someone in the wrong place at the wrong time, it could be another of Mr X's henchmen, or (dare he hope!) Mr X himself!?
With the danger of the explosion now over, Flash figures that the risk to an innocent is minimal, and the car bears watching... an innocent would surely try to leave the area of an explosion and not get closer. Cognizant of the fact that if it is related to Mr X he does not want to reveal his presence, he surveils the car covertly to see what it does next...
Flash continues watching events unfold. This wasn't in the plan...
Dr. Fate carefully crouches on the roof of the explosives van. Maybe Mitsuhirato was further up in the organization than he appeared.
While the warehouse explodes, the Sandman is pilfering his unconscious friend's wallet, looking for any identifying information that will allow him to carry off his disguise.
Moments after, the Sandman realizes that his friends may not be able to locate him. The Sandman then looks around the area, hoping to spy some evidence of the Flash or Dr. Fate. If he does, he will attempt to discreetly signal the hero with his flashlight, assuming that the chaos of the explosion, and the ensuing standoff, will provide some sort of cover. If it doesn't, oops.
As the moments tick by, the Sandman waits, wondering if one his companions will join him. "Well, Bruno . . . " he mutters to the unconscious thug, "Perhaps we'll just have to try some old fashioned interrogation when you wake up."