The New Ultimate DC RPG

[MST3K 4ever]

The Atom sees Emily get into a limo. She quickly flies in through the airvents in the front of the car and makes her way to the back.

When she arrives she sees Lester Bunchinsky sitting across from Emily.

Emily says, "We have a problem. The detective working on this case is suspicious we need him taken out and we still need Palmer taken care of. She is off for the next few days but she won't give up that easily. she'll continue her work in memory of Langstrom."

Lester says, "Well for a determined scientist your price is now doubled."

Emily says, "Doubled? Morton said your price was firm."

Morton... I knew he was invovled in this...I knew it! All-right I want answers and I want them now!

She floats into Lester's inner ear and begins tapping it. She feels Lester starting to sway.

"Woah suddenly I feel very dizzy...nausea is starting to set in," he says.

The Atom lays in one final shot and eventually Lester passes out.

She floats out and sees that Emily is distracted by Lester being out. The Atom quickly opens up the mini-bar and pours water all over Emily and Lester.

Emily screams, "Ahhh!"

The Atom grows to a height that Emily can now see her.

Emily stares at her for a second and then attempts to grab her.

The Atom dodges her attempt and punches her in the mouth. Emily falls back into her seat.

The Atom says, "I would be careful if he wakes up and sees me he is liable to try and use his powers. Which would be a disaster because you both are covered in water and we all know what happens when water and electricity mix."

Emily asks, "What do you want?"

The Atom says, "Answers I want to know everything about Langstrom's death and why you want Rhiannon Plamer dead. I want to know it all."

Emily asks, "Why should I tell you Tinkerbell?"

The Atom replies, "You see what I did to him I can do it to you very easily or I can do a lot worse things."

Emily says, "All-right about 30 years ago I had a child out of wedlock. Morton Throckweller found out about it. He can find out anything about anyone and he also found out that I was paying someone to keep it quiet. My daughter has a good life with her family and she doesn't know about me. Morton threatened it all so I had to start paying him as well. In order to pay him I began embezlling funds from Wayne Enterprises. A little bit here little bit there but I figured sooner or later someone would figure it out so I knew it was time to payback Wayne Enterprises. I set up an account in the Caymans and invested heavily in Devon-Price annonymously. I was using that money to repay Wayne Enterprises. Dr. Palmer's research would be a devestating blow to Devon-Price so that's why I had to take care of her. Langstrom was in the wrong place at the wrong time."

The Atom asks, "What about Lester?"

Emily replies, "Morton is well-connected he set up the meeting with us."

The Atom says, "What a mess."

Emily replies, "Yes it is."

She then picks up a glass and slams it down trapping The Atom against the seat.

Emily says, "Too bad you won't live long enough to tell anyone."

I'm in a vacuum. My air is going to run out in minutes Got one chance!

She pushes her weight against the back of the seat and dives forward. The minute her hands touch the bottom of the glass she shifts her weight forcing Emily to drop the glass. The Atom springs upward and again punches Emily.

The Atom says, "Now if you give me a minute I might be able to help you avoid the electric chair and get rid of Morton at the same time."

Emily says, "How?"

The Atom says, "Tell the D-A everything that will get you leniancy."

Emily says, "But everything will still come out."

The Atom says, "About the embezellment yes, but everything else can remain a secret. Get in touch with your lawyer once I leave."

Emily asks, "But what about Morton?"

The Atom replies, "Trust me me this thing goes public I'm sure there will be many people at Wayne Enterprises who will be willng to come forward to take Morton down. Besides once Bruce Wyane finds out about the blackmailing I'm sure he won't look to kindly on that."

Emily asks, "And Lester?"

The Atom says, "He's a fugitive hold on for a minute."

The Atom floats to Lester and carries him out of the Limo and ties him in rubber tubbing. She then calls the police on Emily's cell phone.

The Atom says to Emily, "You can also prove that Morton has connections with a fugitive. Wayne Enterprises will certainly look down upon that."

Emily smiles for a moment and says, "Thank you, and if you ever see Dr. Palmer tell her I'm so sorry I got in over my head I never wanted to see her dead. Whoever you are thank you"

The Atom begins to float away as she hears the sirens and says, "My name is The Atom."

She floats out of the limo and hears Emily say to The Police, "My name is Emily Patterson and I wish to make a statement."

The Atom smiles and floats off. She then ventures down a darkened alley and sees no one around. The Atom changes back into Rhiannon Palmer.

Well might as well enjoy the evening while I can.

[MST3K 4ever]

D'oh never mind

[Johnny Blaze]

"Good night, Doctor", Alice, the young lab assistant said with a smile as she departed for the night.

"Good night, my dear", Jervis smiled, "I will see you in the morning, bright and early!"

The door to the lab shut behind Alice, leaving Jervis Tetch alone with his work. It was a small room he now occupied, down on the third floor of the WayneTech building's basement.
It was here he and his small team were working on a project about the human mind. Dubbed "The Rabbit Hole" by Jervis for his love of Lewis Carroll's work, the project was meant to explore the deep recesses of the human mind, trying to unlock man's full potential.

"Interesting", Tetch said to himself as he looked at the spectral analysis of a human mind in front of him.

The door to his office burst in, and in stepped a smiling clown along with a trio of costumed goons.

"Heeeeeeeeere's Johnny", the clown said with a sadistic grin.
"And you must be Jervis Tetch! I've heard soooo much about you."

"Who are you? What are you doing here", the small Tetch said nervously as he stumbled over himself to get away from the advancing clown.

"My name isn't important right now", the Joker smiled.
"Just know that I'm a big fan of your work."

Tetch stumbled backwards, knocking over a tray of instruments as he fell hard on his backside.

"Ouch", the Joker winced.
"That looked like it hurt."

"Se-security will be here...any second now", Jervis stammered as he pushed himself backward.

"Yeah, about that", the Joker said with an expression of mock sadness.
"Nobody's going to be coming to your rescue, Jervis, my boy. You see, I dealt with the security guards already. And the cameras", the Joker said as he pointed up to the nearby security camera that was shut off.
"They're not going to be a big help either."

"You're coming with me, Jervis", the Joker stated as his Freakshow walked into the room. The sight of them, especially Croc, sent a shiver down Tetch's spine.

"So, just relax and go with the flow. It'll be easier that way."

Jervis suddenly felt a wave of joy fall over him, and all his fears began to fade away.

"Firebug, be a good lad and help the professor to his feet."

Firebug complied and reached down, picking up the smiling scientist.

"Come on now, Jervis. Time's a' wastin'! We've got plenty of work ahead of us if we're going to wake this city up."

The Joker led the way out of the room, his band, along with the mentally dominated Jervis Tetch following the leader.

[Byrd Man]

Originally Posted by Spike_x1

"Our studies have shown us that you two are the fastest beings currently on your planet, able to propel yourselves at velocities far beyond anything else. You see... our once great planet Almerac is dying, and we believe that your great speeds can save us."

"Not to sound rude or anything...but how can we save it by running? Do you need static electricity or......"

"Almerac's core is dying, the heat that gives the planet life is cooling. Within ten years, all plant life will vanish, and animals to follow. Our scientist calculate we have only twelve years left. Two years ago, our people built The Pantheon. It is a machine capable of recreating the heat our core needs so badly. The power for Pantheon comes from kinetic energy."

"So, pretty much we have to run inside this machine like hampster's in a wheel?"

"We do not know what a hampster is. But essentially, you will be powering it with your speeds."

"How big is Pantheon exactly?"

"11,000 Earth miles wide, and 2,000 Earth miles long."

I turn and look at Superman.

"I could always use the exercise."

[Catman_prb]

"Some of you bastards take down Sinestro and take him back to Oa. We'll be heading back now. Rayner you're with me," Kilowog shouted, gripping the junior Lantern by the upper arm.

"Sir, why aren't there any Fallen bodies?" Rayner asked as they prepared to make the jump that would take them home to Oa.

"Oh there are kid," Kilowog said in a tone barely above a whisper "They're next to the bodies of Red Lanterns,"

"So what does that mean?" Rayner asked.

"I'm working on it," Kilowog said, before there was a sonic boom as the Lantern Corps moved towards Oa.

As the Corps reappeared back in the space of Oa, they found themselves in what felt like a thick black mist that filled the skies. Rayner couldn't see, but he could feel Kilowog standing next to him.

"Careful kid," he breathed.

Kyle used his ring to create an orb of light, the ring itself glowing a vibrant green.



"Oh ****," Kilowog gasped "Power up Lanterns, this ain't over yet!"

[Byrd Man]

"**** me, this is nasty." Bullock mutters as the two of us march through the bogs of Slaughter Swamp. The afternoon sun is beating down on my neck as the smell of rotten something fills the air.

"Call me crazy, Harvey. But I figured a person of your minimal intellectual insights would be down right at home here with the other slimey toads."
"I ever tell you how much I hate you, Nygma?"

"Only every day, my corpulent companion." I say with a smirk as I look at him through my sunglasses.

According to the scanner, a uniform called in a Signal 13 somewhere out here in the swamp. Signal 13 is a dead body, and Slaughter Swamp being the most common dumping ground for mob hits, the dispatcher called out two of the MCU's finest.

"You the two detectives?" the surly police officer asks.

"No. We're just walking through the goddamn swamp during the middle of the day in suits and ties for the fun of it."

"Does that answer your question, officer?"

"Well, the dead body is a little farther up."

"Hey, the two of you seen CSI: Miami?"

They both nod and give me strange looks. I point towards the uniform as I take off my sunglasses.

"Say what you said again."

"Umm....the dead body is a little farther up." He says with a look of puzzlement.

"Well, then." I say as I put my glasses back on my face.

"Let's....marsh on. YEAHH!!!"

Bullock shakes his head and pulls out a cigar.

"Sometimes, Nygma....I wonder about you."

****************

A few hours later and I'm back at my desk. Bullock signed on as the primary for the murder, while I'll be assisting as the secondary.

He can have all the mob hits he wants, right now I'm looking at the homicide case right in front of me. The one that's haunted me for a few weeks now.

H file #0943 the murder of John Grayson.

A fifteen year GCPD vet and member of the MCU, John was murdered by Batman last month. Gordon has been leading a crusade against the masked man, but to no avail. As with every tricky case the police department gets in the eight years I've been a detective, I'm assigned the case.

I guess I should feel honored by it. I mean, when I was in the burglary unit, I managed to find that hacker that robbed Gotham First National with nothing but a laptop, in homicide I managed to track down the fruit loop who kidnapped and butchered Mayor Loeb's daughter. He'd be on death row right now if not for the fact that he started drawing marks on his body and saying he was insane.

And, my shining jewel, The Hangman killings.

Any tough nut the GCPD gets, I have to swallow it. This is no different, I suppose. It just feels all wrong for some reason. Grayson was murdered on the water front, all the way across town where he and his son lived. What was he doing there? Also, the chest and bullet wounds indicate that he was killed by a weapon with a control burst. An automatic pistol or even an assault rifle.

I look around my desk at all the finished crossword puzzles and Rubik's Cubes along with the scattered crime scene photos and evidence.

At its most basic level, the death of John Grayson is, quite simply, a puzzle. I have all the pieces right here in front of me. All I need to do is figure out how they fit.

A puzzle, that's all it is. All that's left is to arrange them in the proper order.

[SenseiofCheese]

Originally Posted by Catman_prb

"Oh ****," Kilowog gasped "Power up Lanterns, this ain't over yet!"

"Oh, so very far from it."


Black Hand's voice echoed across the darkness, coming from everywhere at once. All across the void thousands of specks of light shot back and forth, navigating the pitch black battlefield. Green, Pink, Blue, fought bravely before the shade inevitably swallowed them whole, sending their rings spiraling into oblivion in search of a new wielder.

"I can feel them. Your cowardly Guardians, hiding deep within." Black Hand relished in the thought that soon the Central Power Battery would fall, and his immense power would be made endless. The tidal wave of shadow that was the Black Lantern Corps inched closer and closer to the Oan Citadel, cutting a swath through the Lantern Corps defenses.

-------

He looked up at it, his sunken, empty eyes scanning over the source of the Lanterns' power.



While the Lanterns fought uselessly against his Fallen outside, desperately trying to stop Black from entering, he had already made his way through the pathetic excuse for a security force the Oans had set up to guard this; their very heart.

"William Hand."

A blast of green energy engulfed Black Hand, bathing him in a fiery wave of will power. For a moment it was as if the fire had swallowed him whole, burnt him to ash.



"You will go no further."

The Guardians slowly inched closer, as if even these all-powerful beings where not entirely confident in their ability. As they closed in, he could feel them. Each of them, and he could feel their hearts. The one who had attacked, the immense power of will within him. To his right, a brightly shining heart of love. And behind them, a glimmer of hope.

"I beg to differ, Guardian."

Suddenly the green smoke dissipated and three black tendrils shot from Black Hand's ring. Like snakes they wrapped themselves tightly around the Guardians, binding them. They struggled, but it was in vain. "Can't you see, oh great ones." William mocked brutally. "Your Corps is mine."

[Spike_x1]

Originally Posted by Byrd Man

"Not to sound rude or anything...but how can we save it by running? Do you need static electricity or......"

"Almerac's core is dying, the heat that gives the planet life is cooling. Within ten years, all plant life will vanish, and animals to follow. Our scientist calculate we have only twelve years left. Two years ago, our people built The Pantheon. It is a machine capable of recreating the heat our core needs so badly. The power for Pantheon comes from kinetic energy."

"So, pretty much we have to run inside this machine like hampster's in a wheel?"

"We do not know what a hampster is. But essentially, you will be powering it with your speeds."

"How big is Pantheon exactly?"

"11,000 Earth miles wide, and 2,000 Earth miles long."

I turn and look at Superman.

"I could always use the exercise."

I stand and look to the Almerac Ambassador, and smile hopefully. "If it will help save your world, it's the least we can do." I hold out my hand, and I'm thankful that he has apparently studied Earth cultures well enough to understand what I'm doing, and shakes my hand.

"We, the people of Almerac, cannot thank you both enough," he says very enthusiastically. "With the speed of our ship's slipstream drive, we should be arriving at Almerac within a few Earth minutes. When we land, our Queen Maxima will wish to greet you both and wish you the best of luck, and then it will be on to business at the Pantheon. Until then, I encourage you both to sit back and relax, for I am at your service."

I look at the Flash and smile as I sit back down. It looks like we're about to do some real good.

[Andy C.]

ex Luthor

I am not what you would call a 'believer.' I do not believe in destiny, or fate, or Karma or Divine Intervention or any other superstitious invisible hand that supposedly guides our actions in life. Such things are the suppositions of earlier times, fables told by primitives to make sense of a world that they did not have the experience or knowledge to understand. The fact that such fairy-tales are still prominent in modern culture only goes to show how little we've advanced as a species...and now desperately needed the coming of the Society truly is.

While I do not believe in fate, I do believe in something else: purpose. Human civilization has been shaped not by gods or magic or any other such ridiculous notions, but by the men who invoke them. Throughout history, men have been born with abilities far beyond those of their peers, and have used those abilities to change the world with bold, audacious acts that no lesser man would dare even attempt. They recognized that their talents and the times in which they lived gave them a purpose, and they fulfilled it.

I, too, have a purpose. I am going to bring human civilization to a golden age, the likes of which it has never seen. And in order to do that, I must first eliminate all of those who would rob me and the rest of humanity of their purposes.

Which brings me to today.

I called this press conference after the sting of Adrian Veidt's death had worn off, but before his name would fade away from the public consciousness. It is time to make the best use of his legacy, and in so doing, come one step closer to fulfilling my purpose.

"As many of you are no doubt aware," I say to the slew of reporters and scientists in the audience, "before his untimely death, my friend and mentor Adrian Veidt was working tirelessly to solve the world's energy crisis. The task of creating clean, renewable, and most importantly free energy to all of mankind was his life's work, and he came so very close to completing it.

"I know that many of you will see this as an exercize in standing on the shoulders of a giant, but in the wake of Adrian's death, I and my colleagues in the Society took it upon ourselves to complete his work. We want to see a world where every nation is a first-world nation, where all people have access to the luxuries and standard of living that we Americans have taken for granted all these years. And today, ladies and gentlemen, we come one step closer to realizing that dream of dreams. I present to you...the Blue!"

The large doors behind me slide open, revealing a massive generator surrounded by a transparent cylinder. All around it are swirling tendrils and sparkles of blue light. The rooms is filled with gasps of awe and murmurs of curiosity.

"Utilizing Adrian's concepts, we here at LexCorp have finally unlocked the secret to infinitely renewable energy. Inside that cylinder is a compact super-collider which creates microscopic bursts of antimatter. The energy generated by such a process is then contained inside gravitational fields, and spun like cotton on a wheel until it is usable for everyday consumers.

"Since the energy output is infinite, there is no way to produce it at a loss, therefore it can be distributed throughout the world free of charge. Fossil fuels, nuclear power, geothermal, are all now officially primitive. With the Blue, the world's technology will be able to advance by centuries, all within a few short years!"

Eyebrows raise and a brave few dare to look skeptical. Even then, they know what I'm telling them is essentially true. The free, renewable energy part at least--the 'supercollider' is actually just a prop. The true source of the Blue's energy is locked away deep beneath the LexCorp tower, far from the eyes of the world, and it will stay that way.

"There are no chemical pollutants, no dangerous radiation, none of the endless environmental hassles that come with all of yesterday's energy solutions. There is only the pure, unending glow of the Blue, a glow which will light the way for all humanity."

The crowd applauds, slowly but steadily growing into a wild standing ovation. I, Lex Luthor, have just provided the answer to one of the modern world's greatest problems with the Blue.

The next problem I solve will not be with the Blue...but with Green.

And then I will be able to truly fulfill my purpose.

[Red_Robin77]

Originally Posted by Red_Robin77

I skid down the corridor of the Metropolis Musuem, Rip behind my carrying his suit as he fiddles with it.

"Hurry up!" I yell back to my friend as I try and figure out where the exit is.

"I'm nearly done!" he calls to me, trying to keep up as well as tamper with the suit.

"You can finish it when we get out of this damn place!"

"There!"

I spin around to see Rip holding up his suit triumphantly and begins to speed up slightly. I can see the faint figures of the security guards catching up with us. I look at any other place to go than the corridor and spot a door to the left of us. I dive towards it and it slides open, Rip following on behind me. I look around at my new surroundings, seeing the Superman exhibit. I look back to Rip quickly as he admires his work on his hands.

"We need to get out of here."

"We can use the suit, let me just activate the onboard computer system and-

<S.K.E.E.T.S ONLINE>

"Woah..."

"I told you it would work!"

<HOW MAY I BE OF SERVICE, MR HUNTER?>

"We need to get-"

Before Rip can finish his sentence, the guards burst in, catching Rip by surprise and make him throw the suit in the air in surprise. I catch it as the grab hold of Rip.

"Get the suit out!"

Instinctively, I run through the exhibit hurriedly, clutching to the suit tightly.

<MAY I RECOMMEND THAT YOU PUT ME ON, SIR?>

Hesitantly, I dive off to a random door and leap into a cupboard. The door slides shut and I squirm into the suit in the tight space, before putting my jacket and medal over the top.

<ACTIVATING EMERGENCY PROTOCOL 1>

Before I know it, everything around me warps and I can see nothing as the cupboard disappears and all the world around me goes silent.

Suddenly before my eyes, a blue energy surrounds me, before I'm thrust into an empty alleyway. I groan as I stagger up from the knocked over trash cans beneath me and I look around, confused.

"...Suit?"

<I AM COMMONLY REFERRED TO AS S.K.E.E.T.S, SIR>

"Oh, right, sorry. Call me Booster. S.K.E.E.T.S, where the hell am I?"

<I ACTIVATED AN EMERGENCY PROTOCOL, TO ESCAPE THE AUTHORITIES.>

"And what's that exactly?"

<AN EMERGENCY ACTIVATION OF THE TIME/SPACE EQUIPMENT OF THE SUIT.>

"Oh god...where am I?"

<METROPOLIS, 2009, SIR.>

"Get me back!"

<I'M AFRAID I'M UNABLE TO COMPLY, SIR. MY TIME/SPACE EQUIPMENT HAS BEEN DAMAGED. I AM IN NEED OF EQUIPMENT TO FIX IT.>

"You mean I'm stuck in the past?!"

<PRECISELY, SIR.>

"I can't believe this is happening...where can I get the parts?"

<I BELIEVE THE PARTS ARE AVAILABLE AT->

"Hey!"

I swing around in the alleyway to spot a grubby man advancing towards me, switch knife in hand.

"What?"

"I need some cash. You're going to give me some."

"No, I'm not."

"Oh yes you are!"

Angrily, the man lunges at me, knife sticking it out towards me. Instinctively I put my hands up in defense, only to see two bolts of orange energy burst out of both of them, hitting into the man and sending him flying to the other end of the alley.

"...What the hell was that?"

<THAT WAS A SECURITY FEATURE, SIR.>

"...Awesome."

[Johnny Blaze]

Ultimate Fables presents...
Bigby Wolf in...
The Bear Necessities, or The Not So Quiet Life on the Farm
~ Chapter 1

Bigby took a drag from his smoke as he squinted in the sunlight. A cool breeze was blowing in from the North, dancing across the tree branches of the surrounding wood and sending a menagerie of scents Bigby's way. He took another puff of his smoke, exhaling through his nose as he tried to drown the smells out.

Shutting the car door behind him, Bigby started walked, hands in his coat pockets, towards the jittery person in the large green field ahead of him.

"Sheriff! Sheriff! Over here", the lanky man waved excitedly.

Bigby rolled his eyes and sighed as he came up to the lanky man.

"Calm down, Scarecrow. Tell me what happened", he asked as he flicked his cigarette out and reached in his coat pocket to pull out a new one.

"I was-I mean I-oh jeez", the Scarecrow stammered, a grave look on his face.

"Easy, Straw Man", Bigby growled.
"Settle it down and spit it out. What. Happened."

The Scarecrow swallowed the knot in his throat and started to relax a bit.
"I...I was going for my morning walk through the corn fields. They help calm me down, you know. I find the husks very therapeutic and-"

"Get to it already!"

"Sorry. I was walking through the cornfield when I saw a bunch of buzzards circling in the air. I was curious, so I went to investigate."

"That's when I saw it", he whimpered.
"His dead body..."

"Show me", was all Bigby said as the flustered Scarecrow turned and ran off towards the tree line, a few strings of straw falling from his clothes.
Bigby sighed and followed the Scarecrow into the wood.

Finally arriving on the other side of the wood, Bigby dropped his cigarette and stepped on it with his shoe. In front of him stood a large cornfield swaying in the afternoon breeze.

"C'mon, Sheriff", the Scarecrow waved, "this way!"

Following the Scarecrow into the corn, Bigby began to sniff the air. The smell of blood and flesh that had been rotting in the sun all day hit his nostrils. The scent took Bigby back to his days in the Homelands, and his mouth began to water.

Reaching into his pocket, Bigby pulled out another cigarette and lit it up. He took his first puff as he stepped into a small clearing where the corn had been trampled and pressed down. In it's center was a large bear, it's stomach torn wide up and guts spilled out over the flattened cornstalks.

Bigby shook his head as he looked down at the body, "Baloo, you poor bastard."

"What time did you find the body", Bigby asked as he knelt down to inspect the body.

"A-about two hours ago", the Scarecrow stammered.

"And you're the only one who knows?"

"Far as I know, yes."

Bigby looked up to see the Scarecrow, with his hat off and clenched in his hands, sniffling back tears as he looked at the Baloo's mangled body.
Bigby Wolf put out the cigarette and sniffed the air.

"I'm not picking up any other scents", he growled in frustration.
"There's signs of struggle, but I don't see any other footprints other than yours and Baloo's."

"What are you thinking, Sheriff? That I killed him?"

"You are a prime suspect, Scarecrow", Bigby said as he stood back up and re-lite his smoke.
"But my guess is he was planted here, and the scene made to look like a struggle to throw me off."

"So, what are you going to then? Just go home?"

"Home? Jesus, Scarecrow", Bigby shook his head, "sometimes I wish you still had your brain."

"But I needed the money", the Scarecrow frowned.
"Cocaine's a hell of a drug."

"You can't even snort it! You don't-you know what? Nevermind. Just shut up and don't talk unless I say it's okay."

"Sure thing, Sheriff", Scarecrow smiled as he saluted.
"Wait", the Scarecrow looked horrified, "I just said something! Crap, I did it again! Crap!"

"ENOUGH", Bigby roared, his angry voice frightening the waiting buzzards away.

"To answer your question", Bigby said as he reached into his pockets and took out a bag of dirt.
"I'm going to find out who killed Baloo, catch them, and then tear them apart."

Bigby spread the sand evenly in a tight circle around Baloo's body and then stepped back.
"I'm quarantining this area until I get back."

"Where are you going?"

"We're going back to Fabletown", Bigby stated as he put out his cigarette. The magical ring of faerie sand would act as a barrier, keeping anything but Bigby from entering it's confines. It have him plenty of time to do what he needed to do.

"We", the Scarecrow asked visibly puzzled as Bigby grabbed him by the arm.

"Right now, you're the chief suspect", Bigby replied as he lit up another smoke with his free hand.
"And you're going into holding until we can prove otherwise. Once that's done, I have to round up my deputies and get back up here to start questioning the locals and gather Baloo's body."

"Got to find out where the hell Mowgli is too. Baloo was the kid's best friend. He'll want to know what happened."

Walking through the cornfield and the woods, Bigby led the Scarecrow back to his old 73 Dodge Duster and shoved his prisoner in the back.
"Try not to get straw all over my back seat", Bigby growled as he got into the driver's side and put on his sunglasses.
Taking a drag of his cigarette, Bigby leaned his arm out the window and turned the car on.

VIDEO-CLick to Watch!:

The radio began to blare and Bigby leaned back as he revved the engine.

"Better buckle up."

Bigby put the car in drive and took off like a bullet down the dirt road, leaving a dust cloud in his wake as he rocketed back towards Fabletown...

[Byrd Man]

Originally Posted by Spike_x1

I stand and look to the Almerac Ambassador, and smile hopefully. "If it will help save your world, it's the least we can do." I hold out my hand, and I'm thankful that he has apparently studied Earth cultures well enough to understand what I'm doing, and shakes my hand.

"We, the people of Almerac, cannot thank you both enough," he says very enthusiastically. "With the speed of our ship's slipstream drive, we should be arriving at Almerac within a few Earth minutes. When we land, our Queen Maxima will wish to greet you both and wish you the best of luck, and then it will be on to business at the Pantheon. Until then, I encourage you both to sit back and relax, for I am at your service."

I look at the Flash and smile as I sit back down. It looks like we're about to do some real good.

I nod at Superman just as the pilot makes an announcment that we're landing on the planet.

"If you will be so kind as to follow us," he says with a smile.

We follow him out the craft's door and into the middle of a mob of cheering people.

"Behold! The saviors of Almerac!" The pilot exclaims as we're pushed into the crowd of aliens.

They pat Superman and I on the back as they lead us down the streets of wild celebration.

"Is this, like a usual day for you?" I yell as I lean towards Superman.

[Mr. Majestic]

Normally finishing any repairs wouldn’t take long but Majestrate wasn’t in any hurry to finish, not like he has any place to be. As he was attending to the maintenance on the android his computer interrupted him.

“Sir you have an incoming call.”

“Why are you bothering me? Just let it go to voice mail.” He said with an almost demanding tone.

“But my lord it’s your friend Jessica.” His intellectual computer said with a some what sarcastic reply.

“She is not my friend.”

Friends they might not be in his eyes but out of all the humans on this planet he has spent more time with her. There is something about her that intrigues him that he doesn’t seem to understand.

“Put her on speaker.” He says as he stops what he’s doing waiting to hear her speak.

“Hey Jim, where are?”

“What do you mean where am I?” Normally his speaking tone would be dominant and demanding but when he replied to Jessica it was plain and somewhat soft.

“You were post to meat me in Washington reminder? We do have a job to do, don’t tell me you missed your flight?”

It them dawn on him with all this training he forgot to keep up his alter ego persona. He then looks at the time and realize he was post to be at a computer company with her in Washington to upgrade there security system.

“No I didn’t miss the plane I should be there shortly.”

Majestrate grabs his ear piece to continue his conversation with Jessica, then heads to his bedroom. He grabs the clothes that he left out for himself the night before. He changes into them in a matter of second. Once he was dress he took off out of his base heading to Washington.

“Jim you are always late, will you be here in time?”

“Of course, on my way.”

[Johnny Blaze]

Ultimate Fables presents...

Bigby Wolf in...

The Bear Necessities, or The Not So Quiet Life on the Farm
~ Chapter 2

"I don't like this", Boy Blue said as he along with Bigby stood over Baloo's bloated body.
Two more of Fabletown's officers were working on the body, getting it ready for transportation back to Fabletown. Other deputies rounded off the field, keeping back curious Fables that had gathered from the nearby Farm.

The Farm was Fabletown's special district. Located deep in the forests and mountains of Northern New York State, the Farm was a place where the Fables who couldn't pass themselves off as human called home.

"Hasn't been a Fable homicide here in over a hundred years."

"So the streak's broken", Bigby shrugs.
"We need to find out who did this and catch the prick. Then we can start a new one."

"This one isn't going to be easy", Bigby thought aloud as he looked up at the evening sky and the giant eagles circling above to keep the buzzards away.

"No scent, nothing but bear tracks and that of the Scarecrow."

"Well, maybe there's our answer", Bigby's second in command said.

"No", Bigby shook his head, "no way in Hell did Scarecrow do this. Doesn't have it in him."

"How do you know?"

"When you've been a killer all your life, Boy, you get pretty good at spotting your type out in a crowd", Bigby stated as he look down at Boy Blue.

"Fair enough", Boy Blue shrugged.
"I still think we should hold him until this is over. Some of the locals might not see things your way."

"I agree", Bigby said as he and Blue turned behind them to the commotion going on at the police line.

"I'm sorry, but I can't let you past here!"

"Get the **** out of my way!"

The officer was decked and sent falling onto his backside.



"It's okay. Let him through", Bigby said to the officers who were moving in to grab the man.

"Mowgli", Bigby greeted the Fable as he walked up to them. His rage-filled face was stained with tears as he bloodshot eyes looked down at Baloo's corpse.

'Who's responsible", Mowgli said, his voice cracking as his eyes started to well up once more.

"We don't know yet-"

"What do you mean, you don't know!? What kind of half-ass investigation is this!?"

"Easy, Mowgli", Bigby growled.
"Calm yourself. Now. This investigation just started a few hours ago."

"You must have a lead", Mowgli asked in frustration.

"Sorry, but we can't divulge any information at this time pertaining to this case."

"Watch yourself, Blue Boy", Mowgli scowled.
"Baloo was my brother. We were like family."

"And Baloo is my murder victim", Boy Blue responded calmly, "and we're the cops investigating the crime scene. So, if you're quite done interfering in this investigation, leave so we can get back to work."

Mowgli looked like he was about to fire back, but one look from Bigby stopped him in his tracks.
With a growl, Mowgli turned and stormed off.

"Well, that's going to be another headache", Bigby sighed.

"Had to figure that was going to happen."

"Yeah, doesn't make it any easier though."

"All right, guys", Bigby said as he took a drag from his cigarette, "load the body into the truck and take it back to Swineheart in Fabletown."

As the officers carried off Baloo's bagged body, Bigby flicked his smoke away and turned to Blue.

"Let's go."

"Where to?"

"Going to go talk with Fly. See what's been going on here at the Farm of late. Maybe learn something that can help us figure this mess out."

[Byrd Man]

"I think I got a rat in my organization," Maroni says with a scowl. I look out the resturant window at the Metropolis skyline.

Say what you will about these dumb wops, they sure know how to show a crooked cop a good time.

"What makes you think someone is snitching," I ask as I stab a piece of steak with my fork.

"Just this feeling I'm getting. I got it about four years ago, right before I had Mink executed. Irish ****er was informing on us to Falcone. Toots did some goddamn good work on that one."

"I remember that. Allen got that case, took him two weeks to match Mink Sullivan's head to his body."

Maroni nods as he swallows a piece of meat.

"Back to the subject at hand, what do you know about mob informants?"

I shrug as I take a sip of coffee.

"Essen handles the undercovers. She reports straight to Gordon on it. I'm kept out of the loop."

"Damn. So no help there?"

"I'll see what I can do, Sal," I say as I take a bite of my baked potato.

"But the chances of me getting that information without drawing suspicion are pretty slim."



26 Months Earlier

"Officer Kyle, please have a seat," Captain Essen says as the uniformed officer enters her officer. I'm in the corner, near the file cabinets with my arms crossed. I watch as the uniform takes off her cap and lets her long, dark hair fall arounder her shoulders

"I've been looking over your file, Selina. You've been in Vice how long?"

"Three years," she spits out with just a hint of disdain.

"Three years. You've done some good work in that time, very good work."

"With all due respect, Captain. What's this all about?"

"How would you like to go undercover and catch more than pimps and whores?"

"What Lieutenant Nygma is saying is that, we're interested in sending someone deep undercover into Salvatore Maroni's organization."

"We've crafted a whole new name and identity for you. You'll no longer be Gotham native and GCPD Officer Selina Kyle, but New Yorker Holly Robinson, your father and uncle helped run the protection rackets for the Giganti Crime Family."

"As Holly Robinson, your objective is to get close and seduce Maroni, gaining his trust and ever piece of information you can get. This assignment, as I said earlier, is deep undercover. As such, you'll no longer offically be a member of the police department. Your personnel file wll be burned and the digital copy will be sealed inside the GCPD's encrypted database. Your primary contact will be me. If, for any reason, I am unavalible, you'll either report to my second in command, Lieutenant Nygma here, or Commissioner Gordon personally."

"Well, Officer Kyle, what say you?"

She bites her lower lip as she thinks it over. Finally, she locks eyes with Essen.

"I'm game."

"Good. Meet me in my office tomorrow morning, say 10 am? Lieutenant Nygma and I will give you Holly Robinson's biography and backstory. Be prepared to take notes."

Kyle nods and, after a few minutes of small talk, she leaves the office. As soon as the door is shut, Essen looks at me.

"I hope you know what the hell you're doing, Ed."

"Don't worry, Captain. I promise you it'll work out."

"I agree this case needs an undercover officer, but a quality officer. Not someone who's spent the past three years on their back."

"She's used to deception. We need an officer used to undercover work. It can get strange out there, deep undercover pretending to be someone you're not," I say as I look away from Essen and outside the office window.

"They call it the wilderness of mirrors. Before long, the lines begin to blur. You don't know who's side your on."

"Whatever," she says with a growl.

"Just don't make me look bad!"



Now

After my meeting with Maroni, I'm back in my car and on the interstate, headed for home.

BBBBZTTT!

I flip my phone out my jacket pocket and read the text message on the screen.

From: Restricted
To:8562958206

Tonight
10:45 pm
Ace Chemical Plant
Come alonE
Boss C.G.

I close my phone and slide it back in my pocket as I push past 75 on the freeway.

Since the meeting on the Breyfogle Bridge, Boss Grissom has been in steady contact with me. Apparently, he sees that having a Lieutenant with the MCU on his payroll can only help his situation.

I take a deep breath as I pull something else out of my inside jacket pocket. A small digital recorder.



32 Months Ago

"Do you think you're up to it, Lieutenant?" Commissioner Gordon asks as I sit in his office with my arms crossed.

"Are you saying that...you actually want me to be dirty?" I say with a shocked look on my face.

"Yes. You will seek out Salvatore Maroni and other Gotham mob bosses with the express purpose of giving them classified information for money."

"Uhhh."

"You deposit all the money given to you in a safety deposit box at Gotham First National," he says with a smile.

"After gaining the trust of Maroni to the point where you are no longer frisked, you will record all your conversations and make CDs, that will also be deposited into the safety deposit box. When the time comes, you will hand all the cash and CDs over to me, where upon we will charge Salvatore Maroni and all members of his organization with any crimes that these recordings reveal."

"But, I'm still giving them classified information."

"You love puzzles, Nygma. Look at the bigger picture. He gets away with a crime today, but we get him with five counts two years from now. Along with recordings, you will also start filtering misinformation to Maroni."

"But-...uh, I...."

"I'm sorry, Lieutenant. I'm having lunch with Mayor Loeb in twenty minutes. I'd suggest contacting someone with Maroni's organization sometime in the coming week."

All I can do is stammer as the Police Commissioner smiles at me.

"Welcome to the wilderness of mirrors, Lieutenant."



Now

I look out at the setting sun as I take the car past 80. It's almost eight and I have to meet Grissom in a little over two hours. It's true what I said, about the wilderness of mirrors.

Before long, the lines begin to blur. You don't know who's side your on.

[Catman_prb]

The car pulled up outside the Gordon residence.

"Gotta say, that was kind of a let down," James Gordon said as he helped his girlfriend out of the car, shortly followed by his red-haired sister.

"I know what you mean," Jim said "I mean, there was no real climax to it, it sort of petered out towards the end,"

Sarah Essen merely rolled her eyes as the pair *****ed, unlocking the front door and walking into the kitchen.

Gordon frowned as he entered. Something instictively told him that something was wrong. Wordlessly he moved towards the living room, sticking his head around the door. No one there. He moved towards the kitchen and froze. A thug in a ski mask had a hand over Sarah's mouth, a revolver pointed to her temple. There was a very faint click as the front door was closed and then the cold muzzle of a gun was pressed against the back of his head.

"Stay cool,"

Wordlessly the family were frogmarched into the living room, the masked men gesturing for them to take seats on the sofa. Stephanie Brown was whimpering very faintly, and Barbara was making dry sobbing sounds, like she was having a panic attack.

He was sitting in the armchair, and looked as though he had been for hours even though Jim hadn't seen him a few seconds ago. It was the same figure that he'd seen a hundred times in surveillance photos, though before he'd always seen the face. That damned face. He knew it was smirking now. And then the voice spoke, one he'd heard over and over again on poor recordings of secret meetings.

"Commissioner," he drawled as though he was welcoming him, and it was right then that Jim Gordon knew that this was beyond professional antagonism, he hated this man.

"Do you like my mask?"



Roman Sionis. The Black Mask.

[Catman_prb]

Rayner forced the closest Fallen back with a giant green shield, although they quickly recovered and stepped through towards him, almost ignoring the green energy. He let out a punch, breaking the jaw of one of the Black Lanterns as Kilowog let out a cry of rage. As he watched, the great Lantern was slowly weighed down by the sheer weight of undead creatures. His green blasts lessened in intensity until they stopped completely. For a beat, nothing. Then a wave of red light obliterated the Fallen.

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGHHH," the enraged Lantern cried, red foam dribbling from his mouth as he broke a creature over his knee. His eyes settled on Kyle.

"Oh this just can't get any worse," he muttered to himself.

He dodged one blow from the Lantern, putting up shields that lasted but a few seconds under the heavy blows of a Red Lantern. A giant green mallet was brought down upon Kilowog's head, stunning him for long enough that Kyle could trap him in a green constructed box. The Red Lantern pounded on the walls of his temporary cell before Kyle flew off towards Oa's surface, dodging Black Lanterns left right and centre.

Only the Red Power killed the Fallen. Most interesting, a voice at the back of his head whispered.

The Sacred Steps of Oa were vacant of all the majority of the battle, Black Lanterns littered just outside it's boundries. A trail of black footprints led towards the Source. And the Alpha Lanterns were gone, which alone set Kyle's heartbeat racing. All save one. Boodikka lay on the floor, a huge hole in her chest, blood and machine oil pooling on the steps, a small river running down them. She saw him.

"No man..." she whispered, her face twitching "No man..."

And then she paused, shuddering violently. The light in her robotic eye flickered out and the side of her that was still real stilled for a second before reaching out to him.

"Help me," she pleaded. Kyle crouched down next to her, looking at her with pity.

I pray for your soul

"I'm sorry," Kyle said as her body gave one last shudder before finally stilling. He closed her eyes with the palm of his hand.

He stepped over her body, silent tears falling down his face.

He walked towards the Source.

Originally Posted by SenseiofCheese

"I beg to differ, Guardian."

Suddenly the green smoke dissipated and three black tendrils shot from Black Hand's ring. Like snakes they wrapped themselves tightly around the Guardians, binding them. They struggled, but it was in vain. "Can't you see, oh great ones." William mocked brutally. "Your Corps is mine."

A blinding bolt of jade light hit Hand in the back.

"Of course, that wont do much, will it?" Kyle asked casually, his fists clenched and trembling with rage.

[Spike_x1]

Originally Posted by Byrd Man

I nod at Superman just as the pilot makes an announcment that we're landing on the planet.

"If you will be so kind as to follow us," he says with a smile.

We follow him out the craft's door and into the middle of a mob of cheering people.

"Behold! The saviors of Almerac!" The pilot exclaims as we're pushed into the crowd of aliens.

They pat Superman and I on the back as they lead us down the streets of wild celebration.

I can feel the joy of the crowd wash over both of us, and I can hear the happiness in Flash's voice.

"Is this, like a usual day for you?" I yell as I lean towards Superman.

"Heh, I can't say that I've ever had a welcoming quite like this before." Yeah, there are a lot of people here who are happy to see us. Gradually, we're being led through the massive crowd in the direction of a colossal alien building. I can see several parts of its architecture that seem to defy the laws of physics (at least those on Earth), and it's utterly amazing to look at. It kind of makes me wish that I had brought a camera.

"Welcome, Kryptonian and Human! Praise be to you and yours!"

Along with every other citizen of Almerac, the Flash and I both look up at the sound of the female voice echoing through the air as the crowd immediately between us and the entrance to the Pantheon clears and a woman flies onto the scene and touches down in front of us. She is much less pale than the other Almeraceans, but has the same fiery red hair, and seems to radiate a sense of royalty about her. Judging from the way that the crowd reacts to her arrival, and what the Ambassador told us before we landed, I can only assume that this is...



"I have heard glorious tales of your heroics, Superman and Flash. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Lady Maxima of Almerac. However, as guests on our planet, you may both feel free to refer to me as simply Maxima." Striding to meet us, even I can't help but notice her legs. She smiles politely at the Flash, but I can see something else in her eyes when she looks at me. I... oh, darn...

Think clean thoughts, Clark.

It's the same look that the cheerleaders used to give me back when I played football in highschool, looking me up and down.

Uhh...

"Thank you for welcoming us here, Maxima. Almerac looks like an amazing planet. We will do everything we can to help you."

[SenseiofCheese]

Originally Posted by Catman_prb

A blinding bolt of jade light hit Hand in the back.

"Of course, that wont do much, will it?" Kyle asked casually, his fists clenched and trembling with rage.

Black Hand felt the green energy course along his back. First it felt white hot. But then, almost instantaneously, it became part of him. Another layer of power. Made him stronger.

"Smart boy." William smirked. The black tendrils coming from his ring dropped the Guardian, limp and unconscious, to the ground. Their blue bodies lay huddled on the floor, Hand looking down on them like they were trash. "I always did say us humans had the most potential of them all."

"Too bad we'll never find out." Black Hand lashed out, his ring creating an entire wall of midnight daggers that spun towards the young Green Lantern.

[Catman_prb]

Originally Posted by SenseiofCheese

Black Hand felt the green energy course along his back. First it felt white hot. But then, almost instantaneously, it became part of him. Another layer of power. Made him stronger.

"Smart boy." William smirked. The black tendrils coming from his ring dropped the Guardian, limp and unconscious, to the ground. Their blue bodies lay huddled on the floor, Hand looking down on them like they were trash. "I always did say us humans had the most potential of them all."

"Too bad we'll never find out." Black Hand lashed out, his ring creating an entire wall of midnight daggers that spun towards the young Green Lantern.

"I didn't figure it out," Kyle said, dodging swiftly out of the way of the spikes fast enough to make the air around him blur "Walker did,"

He used the ring to heighten his speed, his reflexes and to hover slightly off of the ground. His eyes flashed green for a second. He threw a punch, using the ring's power to move his arm forwards, gathering extra strength as it hurtled through the air. The ring connected with Hand's cheekbone, making him stumble slightly. A green exo-skeleton formed on the outside of his body. If he couldnt use the ring on Hand, he could always use it on himself.

"Hope is everlasting Hand," he growled, gripping the Black Lantern "And you're giving us humans a bad name,"

[Trigger]

Scott straped himself to the wall of the boomtube and laid his head back so that he could ease his confused mind with the sounds of the boomtube’s subtle humming. He could hear the other members of Alpha Four making their way into the boomtube and strapping themselves in. Inside the the large metal cylinder Scott couldn’t escape the stares from his other teammates. They all knew what would happen when they returned to headquarters, and everyone seemed poised to launch their criticisms at Scott’s behavior.

Alpha Four was a squad of mercernaries from the Genesis Corporation’s Novus Deus program. They were trained to handle any kind of wetworks job that might get thrown at them. They could fight wars at the side of well trained soldiers, infiltrate any secure location, and could eliminate any target set before them. All of the squads at Genesis were trained since their induction as children to work in efficient squads of four. When coupled with their genetic enhancements the squads were supposed to be the best warriors money could buy. On any given mission the squads were given three basic commandments:

• 1. Do not take any action that diretly interfere with the objective of you mission.
• 2. Do not take any action that isn’t outlined in the Mission Overview or approved prior to the mission’s commencement.
• 3. Leave no traces of your presence

Failure to adhere to the commandments meant total purging of the entire squad. Scott hadn’t violated any of those commandments outright during the mission that Alpha Four had just completed. They were tasked with killing a man and his bodyguards, and they did just that. However Scott allowed the victim to take notice of him and his squadmate Kanto. In addition, Scott shot the man with a gun that may have lead back to Genesis and cost the team more than two minutes of time. When they returned to headquarters their performance would be evaluated and this fact wouldn’t escape their superior’s attention because attached to every member of a squad is a device called a “mother” or “father” box. It reported on every facet a squad member’s activity and being while on a mission. The information is then streamed in real time to the Grandmother Box.

Scott stopped trying to avoid the hawklike glares burning a hole into his side and looked towards his left where Kanto was strapped in. Kanto was the oldest of their squad at the age of 19. He was a lithe and agile young man who lead Alpha Four with his silent self-assurance and remarkable skills. To Scott’s knowledge no one at Genesis was better at hand-to-hand combat and no one knew the anatomy of the human body as well as Kanto. Kanto wasn’t a handsome young man though and his expression in this moment and time made his rigid features look unusually stony.

“I’m sorry Kanto,” Scott began “ I forgot the protocol in that instance. Our evaluation can’t be that bad though, right?”

Kanto’s face all the answer Scott needed. His eyebrows twitched in a sudden yet glib manner that suggested that he had suddenly supressed a violent urge that had crossed his mind. He sighed and looked away. The only reply Scott received came from a shrill voice to his right side.

“Don’t go looking for sympathy from us! It was your actions that will cost us points and I’ll make sure that Granny Goodness here’s this in our report!”

The shrill voice came from Phillip an unremarkable young man who had loathed Scott for years. Phillip rarely failed in his tasks and always adhered to the rules given. Phillip wasn’t particularly special in any regard and yet he seemed to be proud of this fact. It was his opinion that specializing in any particular field was a burden and a dangerous deviation of their code. The only notable thing about Phillip was that he didn’t stop refering to the Grandmother Box as “Granny Goodness”, a moniker that most of them had stopped using at age seven. Scott frowned and looked past Phillip to chance a glance at his fourth comrade, another unremarkable man named Mark. Mark stopped staring at Scott and looked away uncomfortably. Phillip decided to use that as his cue to continue whining.

“This isn’t the first time this has happened you know! Scott you let us down during the last mission! You stopped wiring a bomb three minutes into a demolition task and cost us two minutes that time as well!”

Scott winced. He remembered that occasion. A young boy, no older than five, wander to close to a C4 bomb he had planted inside a trash can. He had felt compelled to help the little boy for no reason that he could explain.

“I swear one of these days we won’t be able to recover from a mistake you made! It might cost us the mission and we’ll be purged! All of us dead because of-”

“Enough!!”

Kanto’s voice boomed in side the large metallic structure. His rigid features becoming even more narrow with rage. No one spoke.

“Listen! Didn’t you notice that the humming of the boomtube has died down? We’re probably close to arriving at headquarters. We won’t lose further points because our superiors found us bickering like school children!”

Phillip shrank back against the boomtube wall looking scandalized. Kanto was right. Scott couldn’t hear the slight hum of the boomtube anymore. Seconds after Kanto’s words stopped ringing his ears, Scott could feel the boomtube gently landing in the hangar of Genesis Corporations. They were home. The boomtube’s door flipped open and everyone unfastenend their straps. Beyond the door lay the Grandmother Box and their superiors. Kanto was the last one to undo his strap, but everyone waited until he exited before leaving themselves. Scott’s head hung low as he trailed out last.

[Johnny Blaze]

Ultimate Fables presents...

Bigby Wolf in...

The Bear Necessities, or The Not So Quiet Life on the Farm
~ Chapter 3

Bigby Wolf and Boy Blue walked into the Farm proper. Quite a few of the Fables living in the Farm came out to watch the sheriff and his deputy as they went about their work.
Partly it was curiosity that brought them out of the wood work. But, mostly, it was because many of them still distrusted the Big Bad Wolf in man's clothing. Many still viewed Bigby as the sadistic killer they once knew in the Homelands, unable to give up on their views of him they spent centuries cultivating.

And rightfully so. Many of these very Fables Bigby was now sworn to protect were once tormented by him. Some even killed by Bigby at one point in time (though a Fable is extremely hard to kill completely).

"You seem just as popular as ever", Boy Blue commented as they made their way to the Mayor's house.

"Nature of the game, Blue", Bigby replied as he took a deep drag of his smoke.
"Memories are a hard thing to get rid of. Especially the bad ones."

Coming to the Mayor's door, Bigby knocked hard and waited.

"Hold on, I'm coming", called the voice, partially muted by the door between them.
Opening the door, the Bigby looked down to see Flycatcher, the Frog Prince and Mayor of the Farm Fables standing before him.



"Bigby...*ribbit*, what can I do for you?"

"Hello, Fly", Boy Blue smiled warmly, "it's been a while."

"Blue", the Frog Prince exclaimed in delight.
"It's been ages! How have you been! I heard Snow and King Cole put you to work under Bigby here."

"They did. And I've been doing okay, all things considered. This job tends to be a twenty-four hour gig, so there's not a lot of time to spend with friends and family."

"It's ok, Blue", Fly said, "I understand. Please, both of you, come inside. Would you all care for a drink?"

"Sure", Bigby said as he stepped inside Fly's home. It was a well furnished log cabin, filled with modern day appliances and many oddball trinkets. Fly was an addicted antique collector, Bigby recalled.

"Got any whiskey?"

"Sorry *ribbit*", the Frog Prince croaked, "no alcohol I'm afraid. Don't touch the stuff. But I can get you some soda, or some tea or coffee if you'd like?"

"I'll take a Sprite if you got one."

"I'm fine, Fly. Thanks for offering though."

"Sure, just give me a second. Please, take a seat in the den and I'll be right back with your drinks!"

As the Frog Prince scampered off to get Bigby's beverage, the sheriff and his deputy went into the cozy little den and took a seat on the comfortable couch.

"Sprite", Blue asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm trying to kick the caffeine habit", Bigby said as he lit up another cigarette.

"Seems to me there are other habits that you should kick", Blue chuckled.

"Yeah, yeah", Bigby dismissed as he took a puff, "heard it before. But you know why I smoke these things."

"Besides, not like this will ever kill me", Bigby said as he held up his cigarette for emphasis.

"Please", Fly chimed in loudly as he hopped on back with Bigby's drink.
"I must insist that you do not smoke in this house!"

"All right, Fly", Bigby sighed as he put the cigarette out on the foil inside the pack of Marlboro in his pocket. Diplomacy was the best course now, after all. And there was nothing to gain by pissing off the Mayor of the Farm at this point in time.

"So", Fly said as he took a seat in the old rocking chair situated across from the couch.
"I take it this is about Baloo", he asked sullenly.

"You guessed right", Bigby answered.
"We need to know if there's been anything out of the ordinary going on up here recently? Anything that the deceased might have been involved with?"

"The Farm can be a wild place at times", Fly said as he took a sip from his cup of hot tea.
"Lot of shouting matches, and posturing *ribbit*. But nothing that usually resorts to violence. Though I did have a problem with Shere Khan a few months back."

"Really? Do tell."

"Khan likes to keep up on his hunting skills. So, when he's not hunting Mundy game in the woods, he spends it bullying the smaller, animal Fables."

"Chasing them through the Farm and the underbrush, and generally putting the fear of God into them", Fly said with some disdain.

"And you just let this happen?"

"No", Fly exclaimed defensively.
"I mean, without keeping Khan locked away at all times, it's impossible to stop. I punish him every time he does it by putting him in the Cage. Each time he's caught he spends more and more days locked away."

"You said you had a problem with him a few months back?"

"*ribbit* Yes", Fly said as he took another sip of tea.
"He was tormenting poor Brer Rabbit, chasing him through the forest. Baloo and Mowgli got in his way and put an end to it. They exchanged some heated words, but you two know the history with them."

"Yes, they weren't the best of friends in the Homelands if I recall", Boy Blue chimed in.

"Right you are, Blue. But Mowgli and Baloo brought Shere Khan to me, and he was put in the Cage for a few months of solitary confinement for what he did. Brer Rabbit is jittery enough *ribbit*. Now the poor Fable is positively on edge."

"Where can we find Khan now", Bigby asked as he finished off his Sprite.

"He was release two days ago. Probably out in the forest. He likes to sleep out in the wild. Says it makes him feel more at home."

"Wait", the Frog Prince said as he put his cup down.
"You don't think..."

"I don't know", Bigby shrugged as he stood.
"But it seems Shere Khan's history with Baloo and the recent confrontation that got him locked up gives him plenty of motivation."

"Thanks for the drink, Fly", Bigby nodded.
"And the information. But we've got to get going."

"All right. It was good to see again, Blue *ribbit*", Fly said as he hopped up out of his seat and escorted the pair to the door.
"Whenever you get the chance, you should come up and stay a weekend. We've got a lot of catching up to do."

"I'd like that, Fly", smiled Blue.
"It was good seeing you again too."

"So", Boy Blue looked up to Bigby as they left Flycatcher's house.
"To the woods?"

"Yep", Bigby said as he lit up a cigarette, taking a slow, deep pull off of it.
"Over the river, and into the woods, to Shere Khan's house we go."

[Byrd Man]

Originally Posted by Spike_x1

"I have heard glorious tales of your heroics, Superman and Flash. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Lady Maxima of Almerac. However, as guests on our planet, you may both feel free to refer to me as simply Maxima." Striding to meet us, even I can't help but notice her legs. She smiles politely at the Flash, but I can see something else in her eyes when she looks at me. I... oh, darn...

Think clean thoughts, Clark.

It's the same look that the cheerleaders used to give me back when I played football in highschool, looking me up and down.

Uhh...

"Thank you for welcoming us here, Maxima. Almerac looks like an amazing planet. We will do everything we can to help you."

"I certainly hope so," she says with a wicked grin. Superman's face turns about as red as my costume.

"When do we start our work in the Pantheon?" I ask in a small effort to help the obviously uncomfortable Superman.

"The time for that will come later, for now we will take part in celebrating the arrival of our planet's saviors! All hail the Earth champions Superman and Flash!"

The crowd goes into an ear-splitting round of applause and cheers at that.

The music starts back up and, before we know it, Superman and I are swept back up into the crowd.

"To the grand palace!"

[Johnny Blaze]

Originally Posted by Catman_prb

"Huh," Val said "Quickly, slowly or impressively?"

Lightning Lad gave him a look that clearly said get on with it. Rolling his eyes, Val used the palm of his hand, driving it up under the man's chin in a sharp strike. That was a crack as his head was shunted backwards, breaking his neck. Val pushed him and he dropped onto the floor. He turned to the second man.

"So...wanna talk?"

The terrorist was still silent, despite now visibly shaking.
"Okay", Garth sighed as he back off.
"Saturn Girl, go to work."

With a devilish grin, Imra tore into the terrorist's mind. The man's eyes went wide and his mouth opened in a silent scream as he every thought was laid bare to the Titanian telepath.
Suddenly the man fell over in a state of shock. He was still breathing, but now a drooling vegetable.

"Hey, Garth", Saturn Girl asked, "What's a Validus?"

"Validus", Garth looked at her curiously.
"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Because they managed to release him from his cell."

As if on cue, a distant booming sound is heard. And another, and another. Each time getting louder and louder.

"Um, guys", Shadow Lass questioned worriedly, "what the hell is that noise?"

Suddenly the wall to their left exploded outward, the Legionnaires doing all they could to avoid the debris.
Garth coughed as he inhaled some of the smoke still floating in the air, but the sound of heavy breathing caught his attention.
Looking straight up, Lightning Lad saw the mammoth form of the monster standing in front of them.



"Oh", Garth said, his mouth agape, "this must be Validus."

Validus roared, and a massive bolt of purple lightning danced from his brain and at the Legionnaires...

[SenseiofCheese]

Originally Posted by Catman_prb

"I didn't figure it out," Kyle said, dodging swiftly out of the way of the spikes fast enough to make the air around him blur "Walker did,"

He used the ring to heighten his speed, his reflexes and to hover slightly off of the ground. His eyes flashed green for a second. He threw a punch, using the ring's power to move his arm forwards, gathering extra strength as it hurtled through the air. The ring connected with Hand's cheekbone, making him stumble slightly. A green exo-skeleton formed on the outside of his body. If he couldnt use the ring on Hand, he could always use it on himself.

"Hope is everlasting Hand," he growled, gripping the Black Lantern "And you're giving us humans a bad name,"

Black Hand laughed. It was a cruel, unnatural sound the reverberated off the walls of the Oan stronghold. "Do I now?"

Once more Hands' ring formed three pitch black tendrils. "No, boy. It is you who give us humans a bad name." Suddenly one tendril snapped towards the young Lantern, like a whip. "And them." he roared, his voice growing louder, angrier, as he motioned towards the downed Guardians and another whip came down on Rayner's exo-skeleton. "And all that they stand for!" the third whip launched itself at Rayner, striking him across the chest and cutting a giant gash in his armor.

"They prance your around like dogs, telling you what you can and can not do. They claim to give you power, but it's all lies. All they do is give you the illusion of power, to hide the leash around your necks."

A massive, black fist forms in the air above Black Hands´head. "Will, Love, Hope, Fear, Rage, Greed, Compassion." Black Hand spat with disdain, each word filled with bile and hate. "Just different words over the same kind of slavery. Join me and I can free you from your chains. Embrace death and you will never again be chained by emotion. Die and then you will truly become alive!"

The fist hovering above Black Hand had morphed into a massive, clawed hand and launched itself directly at Kyle Rayner.