One Earth: The Marvel/DC RPG

[Carnage27]

​

Once on his feet, Terrax brings his axe up and points it at the center of Thor's chest. The edge of the weapon begins to spark and glow, warning of a powerful blast to come.

A beam of destructive energy flies from the tip of Terrax's great axe, bound for the Odinson. Quickly, I speed between the beam and my new ally, putting up a defensive barrier between us. The energy slams into the shield I've erected, and causes an energy explosions that sends us all flying.

Warning. Energy level reaching critical levels. Ring requires recharge.

"Of course you do," I sigh to myself.

Not wanting to waste anymore time dancing with the rock rider, I head over to Thor, while firing a series of green projectiles towards Terrax to try and keep him at bay, "Hey, Fabio! We gotta end this soon or this guy's gonna take us down hard."

 

[Byrd Man]

The Baxter Building
Manhattan


In his lab, Reed was hard at work. His neck and head were stretched halfway across the room, observing a formula on his erase board. Meanwhile, his hands were using a soldering iron on a circuit motherboard.


"Reed," Sue said as she entered the lab. "General Lumpkin's calling. The Pentagon is nervous, they want us to help out."

"That's what I'm doing, my dear."

Reed's neck snapped back to his body. He swiveled his stool around and showed Sue the device in his hands. It was about the size of an iPod and metallic gray.

"I imported the results from my scanner into this device. Using this, we can track that unusual energy signature from the ship. If this Gorgon character was anywhere near the scene, he'll have that energy coated all over him."

Reed activated the device and listened to the soft hum it gave out.

"I have a second prototype of the Fantasticar--"

"That's what we're calling it now? Really, Reed?"

"Yes. It's a bit less conventional than the last prototype, but it will work. Let's go collect Ben and Johnny and then go tracking."

FBI Field Office
Gotham City


"Begin scan."

Batman stood in the middle of the burnt out shell that had been an office building twenty minutes earlier. His lenses flashing information across the inside of his cowl.

Air particles detected:
Chemical compound "Pentaerythritol tetranitrate"
Chemical compound "Styrene-butadiene rubber "
Uses: Ingredients for plastic explosive Semtex


Rubbing his chin, the Dark Knight digested the information that had just been presented to him. Semtex, a powerful plastique, didn't just get in the hands of anyone. Something was off about this. Gorgon comes on national television, threatening the country, and federal buildings all across the country are bombed. He was behind this, that much Batman knew.

"Computer, open up criminal database network. Search for any heavy ordnance related theft that occurred within the last thirty days."

The results whizzed by on his heads up display, thefts of everything from assault rifles to tanks went past. A third of the way down the list, Batman found what he was looking for.

Criminal incident report:
224 Burglary at Metropolis National Guard
Stolen: 16 pounds, plastic explosive

"Metropolis," he said under his breath. It wasn't much, but it was a start on what he presumed was Gorgon's trail. On top of that, there was someone in Metropolis that could maybe help Batman in his cause.

"Alfred."

"Yes, sir?"

"I'm on my way back to the bunker. That prototype aircraft we have? Prep it for me, I'm taking a trip."
​

 

[Carnage27]

​

Latveria/Symkaria Demilitarized Zone
WWII HYDRA Facility

"The DMZ is littered with landmines," Coulson says as he initializes the Quinjet's hovermode. He pushes a few buttons on his front console, "It looks like the agents that were here cleared out the ones in front of the facility. We've got a small drop off point then."

"Thanks, agent," I say patting the man on the back. Out of Fury's human agents, he's definitely impressed me the most. The man knows what he's doing.

"Oh and Cap?"

I look back at Coulson, "Watch your step. I just had this thing washed."

Heading back towards the landing pad, laughing a bit, I find my team double checking their equipment. Barton goes over his bowstring like a master cellist before a concert. Romanoff reloads her pistols. Ted tapes up his hands. And Flag simply stares out the window. And Dinah looks dejected. She'll learn. This was the way it had to be for this mission.

Picking up my shield, I wait for the signal from Coulson and open the back hatch to find the jet hovering just a few feet above the ground. I turn back to the team. "Make a beeline for the entrance. This area is hot and I don't want to linger and step on a mine. Now...MOVE!"

Jumping from the jet, I sprint towards the entrance of the facility, and am quickly inside the large, arched doorway. Before long I'm met by my teammates, and Coulson takes the jet up to wait for us to be picked up.

"Doors open into a big, dark hallway," Hawkeye says, pushing the large metal door, which swings freely on its hinge. "That's not creepy or anything."

"Definitely sends up a red flag," Ted agrees.

"I don't like it either," I respond shaking my head. "Hawkeye, cover the entrance. If anyone approaches that isn't a friendly, put an arrow in its eye and warn us."

"My pleasure," he smirks, nocking an arrow.

"Wildcat, you're with Flag. Widow's with me. The two of us have been through one of these facilities before and know what HYDRA's MO with traps were. Most were probably deactivated by the skeleton crew, but better to be safe than sorry." I continue by opening up the radio to the Quinjet, "Coulson?"

"Miss me already?"

"Keep an eye on the skies. I don't want a Latverian or Symkarian jet sneaking up on us."

"Can do."

Moving into the facility, the four of us split up and begin to explore the cavernous hallways so hauntingly familiar with me. After a few dozen yards without seeing anything, Black Widow speaks up quietly, "So you've been through one of these before? I know what HYDRA did, Cap. They were monsters."

"You have no idea, Natasha."

**********
​

HYDRA Weapons Facility
North Western Italy
1942

Bullets and mortar blasts fill the air as the Howling Commands charge towards the facility. Nazi and HYDRA soldiers fire into our ranks before a wave of sand washes over those in the middle of their line, putting them all to sleep. I turn and give a nod to Wesley Dodds, the Sandman, as he loads another one of his special grenades into a launcher.

As the fascists attempt to sure up their defenses, the commandos and I break through the center of the line, scattering them and causing confusion. My shield finds three of their skulls, and Union Jack fires into a group with a machine gun.

A Nazi tries to come up from behind me and stick me with a bayonet, but instead he receives a devastating haymaker from Wildcat, "Why am I always saving your ass?"

"Luck, I guess," I respond, catching my shield. "Jack, cover the entrance with Sandman and Squad B. Dugan."

"Yea, Cap?" the former circus strongman asks, cocking his shotgun with a smile.

"You and Squad A are with Wildcat and me."

We head into the facility, and Ted comes up from behind me, "Don't worry, Cap. He'll be fine."

"He better be," I respond, flexing my shield hand. "If they done anything to Bucky, there isn't a place they can hide."

**********
​

Now

"Cap. Cap!" Widow whispers loudly, rousing me from my memories. When I look back at her, she nods up the long, dark hallway and then points to her ears, asking whether or not I can hear something.

I listen carefully, hearing a scratching sound coming from the end of the hallway. I nod to her, and motion for us to move forward carefully and quietly.

 

[MST3K 4ever]

The Hulk carries Betty as he navigates his way through the labyrinth of tunnels trying to reach the surface.

He shields Betty from the gun-fire with his body and kicks what ever is in his way.

Betty says, "The main corridor is to your left once you get there go as fast you can to the big door and tear it down and we're home free!"

The Hulk says, "We never be free Betty. Men always try to attack Hulk!"

Betty says, "I'll see what I can do to stop that Hulk."

Hulk smiles for a moment and says, "Hulk like Betty. Betty not hurt Hulk."

Just then Betty notices something the guns have fallen silent and the men are backing off.

She asks, "What are they up too?"

The Hulk replies, "No matter to Hulk. We go!"

The Hulk picks up his pace and reaches the main door. Suddenly the facility begins to shake and pieces of it begins to fall in on The Hulk and Betty.

Betty yells, "Hulk get us out of here! The facility is gonna collapse at any second!"

The Hulk stands before a massive vault like door and with a might roar he rips the door off the hinges!

Quickly he grabs Betty as the roof begins to collapse and sprints up the ramp to daylight. As the entrance begins to collapse The Hulk leaps out with Betty in his arms.

The Hulk looks back and sees the entrance and rest of the facility cave in on itself.

The Hulk looks at Betty in his arms and asks, "Betty okay?"

She looks up wearily and says, "If I say yes promise me we won't have to do that again."

The Hulk looks around and sees a familiar red and blue figure standing on top of what once was the building. He sets Betty down and The Hulk begins to move towards the figure standing there.

He yells, "Superman! Superman not hurt Hulk or Betty!"

The red and blue figure smiles and flies away. The Hulk yells, "Hulk find you Superman! Hulk destroy you!!!!!!!!! ROOOAAAARRRRR!!!!!"

Betty quickly approaches The Hulk and says, "No Hulk don't worry about him now. We have to get out of here. Far from here. There will be others coming for us. They will try to do bad things to us. We have to go. Now!"


The Hulk looks at Betty and nods. He then takes her into his arms and leaps away.

 

[Byrd Man]

Metropolis

The jet passed through the clouds thousands of feet above the ground. Inside the cockpit, Batman piloted the aircraft towards the glowing beacon that was the city of Metropolis. The aircraft was one of a few prototypes WayneTech had in research and development. It was capable of supersonic speeds that matched a fighter jet. An augmented reality head-up display relayed data and situational information across the screen in front of the flight controls. Its low visibility and minimal exhaust output put it on par with the B-2 bomber in terms of stealth. It was outfitted with a variety of offensive and defensive ordnance.

In short, it was an aircraft that was as good, if not better than most currently being used the armed services. And it was the only one of its kind. Batman took hold of the yoke and began to descend the jet down through the clouds towards the city.

"Five minutes to location"scrolled across the jet's HUD. A blip showed on the right side of the display, indicating his target was eight miles out. Batman pulled back on the joystick and the jet banked to the right towards the target.

"Computer, shift to autopilot. Run flight pattern twenty-two fifty-five."

On cue, the jet slowed and lost altitude when it was within a thousand feet of the marked location. The Dark Knight unbuckled himself from the pilot's seat. The jet's thrusters slowed down, the stabilizing engines underneath the jet kicked on. The aircraft hovered above the target. Batman pressed a button in the cockpit. The glass windshield popped open and he jumped from the jet, freefalling towards the ground. Running a small current through the fabric of his cape, the cloth went from a glider in just an instant. Batman rode the currents and thermals down to the ground. He landed on the roof of the building with a soft thump.

Standing up, the Caped Crusader pressed a button on his gauntlet. The hovering jet shifted its engines and took off into the skies disappearing into the clouds. He turned his attention on the task at hand. Walking across the rooftop, he surveyed the sign displayed on the building.

Metropolis National Guard Armory

​

Jumping from the roof, Batman glided down to the ground. The thermal and UV scans from his lenses showed there were two officers on duty, a thousand yards away from his current location. He reached into his belt and pulled out a tiny remote with only one button it. Batman pressed the button. Although he couldn't hear it, the miniscule device sent out a high-pitched, sonic signal unable to be heard by humans. Dogs and other animals could hear it, and, Batman was willing to bet, a man alleged to have super-hearing.
​

 

[bkhedr]

A beam of destructive energy flies from the tip of Terrax's great axe, bound for the Odinson. Quickly, I speed between the beam and my new ally, putting up a defensive barrier between us. The energy slams into the shield I've erected, and causes an energy explosions that sends us all flying.

Warning. Energy level reaching critical levels. Ring requires recharge.

"Of course you do," I sigh to myself.

Not wanting to waste anymore time dancing with the rock rider, I head over to Thor, while firing a series of green projectiles towards Terrax to try and keep him at bay, "Hey, Fabio! We gotta end this soon or this guy's gonna take us down hard."

"Agreed." Thor says with a nod even as Mjolnir races past the Green Lantern and smashes into Terrax's shield.​

Thor also races past and meets Mjolnir as it returns. He spins the hammer round, redirecting its momentum and turns himself into a living missle in the process.​

Terrax, still stunned by the fist hammer blow and under pressure from Green Lantern's uninterrupted assault, moves to defend himself from the dive bombing Thunderer by raising his axe, but he is too late and Thor impacts with a deafening crack of Thunder which roils across the vacuum of space in defiance of man's laws of physics.​

Dust and debris float outwards slowly from the point of impact, as if dancing in the low gravity environment, then Thor raised Mjolnir again. Terrax rises slowly, and moves to parry, but the Thunderer is ready for the move and counters by spinning on his heel to avoid the parry attempt and striking Terrax in the back with a twisting hammer blow that sends him falling forward, right into a giant green battering ram.​

"Well struck emerald one!" Thor roars excitedly, clearly having enjoyed the hard fought battle.​

The combination of blows leaves Terrax starry eyed. He grunts and attempts to balance himself on shaky legs but Thor kicks him in the back of the knee, forcing him to kneel on one leg. The self proclaimed Tamer tries to raise his axe again but Mjolnir crashes down upon his wrist with a blow that makes him holler in agony and release his grip on his weapon.​

Showing remarkable durabilty, Terrax attempts to fight on. He turns his head to face Thor and his eyes light up with energy only for a green visor to suddenly materialize over them. The timing is perfect and Terrax is too late to pull back his blast. The result is a muted flash and another yell of pain from the Tamer who finally slumps to the rocky surface of the moon, barely conscious and muttering something indecipherable.​

Thor stands over the now prone Terrax with one hand clutching Mjolnir tightly. His other hand moves to the Tamer's chin and he turns the alien's head one way, then the other to insure that the fight has left him.​

Satisfied, Thor straightens up just as the Recorder land in front of him.​

Thor eyes the airborne Green Lantern and nods towards Terrax"A worthy foe, but no match for our combined might."

The Lantern remains on his guard, but he lands near Thor nonetheless.

"So Recorder? Is this the miscreant who destroyed your master's ship and murdered her shipmates?"

The Recorder stares at Terrax for a moment

"Unable to confirm. Based on the available date, the probability that this is perpetrator of the initial attack stands at 54.4%."

Thor looks at the Recorder, then rolls his eyes.

"Well he was certainly trying to destroy you a moment ago" He bends at the waist and grabs Terrax by the fabric on the front of his clothing "And I would know why."

Thor straightens, lifting Terrax with him. He shakes Terrax, bringing some clarity to the rocky man's eyes.

"Speak barbarous one. Are you one who destroyed the Colonizer ship?"

"No." Terrax spits, only semi alert.

"Then who did? An ally of yours? A minion? You can't expect us to believe that you attacked us for no reason?"

Terrax laughs in response. It is a sad, pitiful laugh full of wounded pride and bitterness.

"Ally? Minion? You have no idea what is happening here do you?" He growls, now more alert, but still in no condition to put up any resistance.

"Tread carefully axe man." Thor warns "The Son of Odin will not be mocked."

"No." Terrax mutters.

"The Son of Odin will be dead!" He barks "You and the Lantern, hell all the Lanterns, and that stupid recorder and his big headed owner and that whole stinking blue planet down there with everyone and everything on it!"

He pauses, his head slumping slightly from the exertion of his outburst. And yet hecarries on like a man with a burning need to get something off of his chest.

"You'll all be dead when the one who made me a slave gets here. You could have been left out of it. But you interfered with his will and he won't tolerate that."

"I'm only here because the Rigelians offended him. He wanted them all dead. Now he'll come and kill you all himself."

Thor drops the alien in disgust and look at Green Lantern

"If what he says is true then you'll need to be briefed and quickly."

He proceeds to fill Green Lantern in on the afternoon's events up to he point when their paths crossed.

Lightyears Distant

The ruined hulk of what was once Tana Nile's mighty Colonizer ship drifts lifelessly in orbit around a planet with a pale pinkish atmosphere and brilliant purple mountains.

Silence rules here.

That is until Terrax the Tamer falls in defeat untold leagues distant. Moments after the Tamer falls unconscious there is a rumbling, it starts quietly, almost inaudibly, but then it builds and continues to build until the sounds rivals that of tectonic plates grinding against each other.

The remains of the Colonizer ship appear to drift closer to the planet, as if accelerating towards it by means of some unseen propulsion, then burn up in its atmosphere as the rumbling continues.​

 

[Batman]

"Allen, you're late! That latte better not be cold!"

Ah, words that are always a welcome addition to any morning. How I've missed you.

Of course, maybe I'm just too used to hearing the first part. The very concept of tardiness and I go way back, and I thought that after I became - well, whatever I am now - I'd be able to put that terribly ironic reputation behind that me once and for all. Turns out that all my accident did was put a hell of alot more on my plate. It figures, but that's pretty much how my life is always gonna go, isn't it? Surpressing a wry smirk at the thought, I approach Doctor Thwane and hand him his beverage, retrieved at the last second once I realized that I was heading into the office without it. Hard to keep track of details like that when you're busy dispatching a gang of misfit youths from robbing a couple on the streets.

"Uh, far from it, sir. Had them make it fresh."

Thwane feels it in his hand, inspecting the styrofoam of the cup before taking a sip. The displeasure on his face catches me off guard, as he turns to me and points his wrinkly finger at my chest. I nearly squirm. He may be Head of Research around here, but that doesn't stop me from being continually creeped out by how much he looks like some mad scientist out of a movie.

"Decaf?! I told you to check it before you left! Had the neanderthals at the Coffee Bean hid their idiocy well when your predecessor was bringing me the drink, I'd deduct the cost of this from your salary!"

I simply shrug my shoulders. "Sorry, I could have sworn I did. Won't happen again."

He hands me my list of chores - uh, tasks, that is - as he passes me into the main lab.

"It had better not! In the meantime, here are your projects for today. Do try and give them a more focused portion of your attention!"

By the time he disappears from sight, the smirk returns to my face, always taking a sabbatical whenever I'm in the prescence of the good Doctor. He's very no-nonsense, making it hard to stand his prescence - even if he is a brilliant chemist in his own right. The man wrote a thesis on the properties of nitrogen compounds that was honestly part of the reason I came to Horizon Labs. The paper read like it was written by someone who doesn't just understand the key points scientific research - he honestly seemed like he loved them, giving us at least one thing in common.

Everything else is pretty much up in the air. On the other hand, I'm pretty glad to know that Thwane can't run faster than the speed of light. He'd probably spend all of his time harassing us with it.

Alright. First on the agenda, digitally copy down all of Doctor Singh's notes regarding the clean energy grant. Shouldn't take too long, since the representatives for Stark Industries did most of the heavy lifting. Who'd have thought it - the same company that turned their own CEO into a technological war machine also knows their stuff when it comes to scientific data. I think I owe Forrest twenty bucks for that one.

Second order of business is...

"Holy crap! Everybody come quick, some lunatic's on TV! You gotta see this!"

...apparently, going to be delayed.

"People of the United States of America, I am the Gorgon and I bring you a warning."

Silently, I follow everyone into the conference room as a crowd builds from the outside, hearing the broadcast as the volume's turned up. With the funding we got last year, Director Dyne was able to afford to install a couple of flatscreens in a few of the floors, so everyone gets a good look at the guy while he stares us down with plenty of grimace. Seriously, I thought Thwane was bad. This guy gives him a serious run for his money. Looks like something out of Game of Thrones.

"Your's is an arrogant and spiteful nation that consumes far more than its fair share of the world's resources. The burden you place on this planet has become unsustainable. Like a cancer you must be purged so that the body may live. In less than twelve hours my organization will detonate a series of radiological weapons in major cities throughout your nation. All those caught within range of these detonations will die painful deaths. Understand this: Your military cannot protect you. Your heroes cannot save you. Your only chance is to heed my warning and flee these cities while you can."

My eyes fixate on the people around me, as time itself begins to slow down for me again. Everyone's looking at eachother, visibly panicked and worried for what this means in Central and Keystone. Bad enough that we have to worry about the rising crimewave as it was, but now some madman with a grudge for the entire country is threatening to blow us away. I can definitely understand the paranoia that instantly begins to set in, even before the crawl with a list of cities starts.

Sure enough, towards the end, one of the twin cities pops up. Keystone City. We're in Central, but if it's a radiological weapon, there's going to be no such thing as a minimum safe distance within the confines of either town. Either during a demonstration or otherwise. Right as the group of scientists begin to murmur to themselves, with some heading directly for the elevators, I casually begin to stroll in the opposite direction.

Well, you may have just gotten to know me, Central. But I think you're gonna need my help for this one. This is a job for The Flash.

By the time I make it past the door leading out to the lobby, I take a deep breath and raise my left hand to my other. Taking the dial of my ring, I lightly twist it three times and hold it out towards the open air infront of me. A series of nomex particles come spraying out of it once the base pops open, and I smile to myself. I'll never know how I came up with the idea of hiding my costume in a ring, but thank god I did. I don't think I could stand to wear the thing under my clothes.

Manually building up the friction in my body, I race forward and reach peak velocity in a matter of seconds. The nomex particles build and expand, activated by the electrical current that ricochets from the precise patterns of vibration running through my skin. In lamens terms, static electricity is what does the trick, combining the particles into something tangible - something more solid and rigid. Five seconds later, and I've already slipped the completed uniform over my body.

Not bad at all, Barry.

Doubt your fashion sense is gonna impress The Gorgon, though.

Need to find that radiological weapon he was talking about. I've already reached the middle of 7th street, so any path I take from here should lead me to the most likely areas of a detonation site: The testing field, out by the airport. The Keystone National Guard. The desert beyond city limits. Any remote area of isolation that requires just a little bit of leeway and alot of discretion. They can't just go firing off in the middle of a street. Which, admittedly, would make this alot easier.

C'mon, Allen. Pick something! You can stop by all of those places in less than a minute!

This is no time to pick favorites!

*KRAK-THOOM!*

What in the HELL?!

I'm nearly knocked off of my feet by a sudden and powerful burst of lightning that touches down on the streets infront of me. Blinding and deafening me for a split second, I come to a sudden stop and begin to topple over myself on the pavement. Blood trickles down my nose, as electricity courses through me in a way I've never even felt before. And this is coming from a guy who's been struck by lightning at close range.

What just happened was statistically impossible and scientifically improbable. The skies were crystal clear a minute ago. And even looking up now, there are still no clouds to be seen. But during a day when it shouldn't have, lightning just hit me for the second time in a year. The first time didn't end so well.

The second, it seems, hasn't brought about anything nearly as...

"At last, All-Father! I have arrived!"

My eyes widen and my jaw drops, taking a glance at the last thing I expected to see in place of the steaming hot circle that appeared on the ground whenever the lightning hit.

Am I hallucinating this?

"Midgard! Tis a welcome sight from the tundra of Jotunheim!"

?!

Yeah.

I'm hallucinating this.

 

[bkhedr]

Untold millenia ago, in a dimension parallel to our own, there existed a planet not unlike the Earth. This counter Earth was a place rife with ancient power, a place where magic and science were one and the same.​

It was in the early days of this Earth, when the first cities made of sun dried brick rose in fertile lands, that a powerful being rose to power. Some stories called him a sorcerer, others called him a shaman. What matters is that this being, called only Ba'al, was a master of incantations and spells, that he helped bring much needed rains and healed the sick. For this his people loved him. It is said that some even went so far as to worship him. Perhaps it was this that first whet his appetite for godly power and set him on the path to darkness.​

For soon love began to pale compared to worship. Love was not enough for Ba'al. He was still but a man and like all men, he grew hungry for power over his fellows. For him, adoration would be no acceptable substitute for power.​

And so Ba'al used his power to become a Sorcerer King of a city unlike any other in creation. Great towers were raised in his name and thousands lived under his rule. But the desire for power continued to fester in Ba'al's heart and in time he used his magicks and knowledge to call upon alien powers from other planes of reality. And his call was answered. And Ba'al walked his Earth no more. In his stead rose something far greater and far baser, than anything that had ever lived on that doomed Earth. He became a creature that needed the life of others to live on and to feed his power. He no longer had need of a name and to his servants this new being became known only as The Beast.​

The Beast's power grew to encompass dozens of cities. Wherever The Beast's armies marched terror marched with them. Entire families were thrown screaming into pits of fire so that their dying agonies could feed him.​

But there were those with powers of their own. Those who arrayed themselves against The Beast and determined to fight for their freedoms and their very lives. Savage was the war, fought with bronze spears and magic, with winged chariots that soared flaming into the sky and mighty spells that laid waste to whole cities. Mighty heroes fought and died against the monstrosities the Beast summoned from the netherworlds and the ones he created as his servants. Monstrous hounds and hunters forged out of the dark metal of that world and given terrible sentience by The Beast's black magicks. The greatest of these creations was the living holocaust Ultimo. The very Earth trembled beneath Ultimo's boot heels and the slaughter of his coming was so great that entire seas ran red with blood.​

The Beast's armies eventually triumphed and the dark lord became master over all he surveyed. But even one so powerful can still be made powerless by his own nature. There are stories, long forgotten and stories half remembered, stories of how The Beast slew so many, destroyed so much, that the Earth itself rebelled against him, tearing asunder as if in an attempt to cast him and his servants off or drown them in the flames of its molten heart. Others claim it was Ultimo who ultimately ended that world's sad existence. Still others say that plague swept the land, killing all and depriving the Beast of his sustenance. Whatever the truth, what matters is that the counter Earth became a lifeless place. A dead world which could no longer sustain The Beast. And so it was that The Beast escaped that world and retreated to the nether realms. leaving behind him Ultimo and a physical manifestation of his terrible power, embodied in an orb which he dubbed the Heart of Darkness.​

And there the Beast has remained, ruler of a dark and terrible dimension, sending his creations from one world to another, one plane of reality to another. Everywhere they go, death follows, death which fuels The Beast, extending his life and making his power grow still. Entire universes, entire dimensions have thus been picked clean of life and still the Beast's power grows and still he is not sated....​

Western Antarctica
Our Earth
Now​

Three large carrier vessels idle on the frozen plains, their massive cargo bay doors gape open as numerous pairs of AIM scientists hand crates over to corresponding pairs of Hand ninja. The ninja quickly break the crates down and retrieve their bounty, high tech versions of their traditional weapons in the form of energy blades, self propelled throwing daggers and energy shielding weave armor. The ninja test the weapons eagerly while even more are unloaded and their excitement is palpable. No longer will they be outmatched when facing the world's heroes. No longer will their blades break upon hardened skin.​

A ninja tests a throwing knife, hurling it expertly towards a frozen outcropping. The blade hums with energy and move impossibly fast before slicing clean through the four foot thick block of solid ice and coming to rest in a rocky butte beyond it.

He nods with satisfaction and waves two ninja forward. The ninja bear an ancient looking casket, heavy with gold and precious metals. Payment for the AIM scientists in exchange for their services.​

Meanwhile, some distance away, the Gorgon stands in relative solitude. He shivers, but not from the cold wilds which howl around him. No The Gorgon shivers with anticipation, for he is close, so close, to his goal.


"Lord Gorgon."​

He turns his head to find his men armed with their new weapons and the AIM ships taking off.​

"Yes Warrior" He replies. His voice is calm, at ease.​

"The transaction is complete." a lieutenant says "We stand ready."​

"Excellent."​

The AIM ships head northwards, activating their cloaking fields as they approach the horizon.​

The Gorgon turns his gaze eastward, towards the mountains. He has come to unearth what lies beneath those mountains. Ultimo will perform that task, then he will ignite the unearthed element, and that will be the end of it....​

But the element radiates a unique vibratory field which interferes with the Gorgon's teleportation technology, allowing his force to get no closer except by conventional means. A most...frustrating development.​

The Gorgon presses a hidden trigger under his sleeve and Ultimo appears in a flash, covering them all in his long shadow and causing more than one hardened warrior to take at least one step back. The monstrous robot is larger than before, standing nearly 200 feet tall.​

The Gorgon gestures for his men to begin their advance and the entire force sets off, heading East.​

Marching towards the End of the World.​

 

[bkhedr]

​

A high powered cutting laser slices a near complete circle in the reinforced steel hull of a sinking destroyer, letting light in to the trapped sailors inside. If not for Iron Man these sailors would have but a few minutes to live. Fortunately for them, the rising waters are not fast enough to keep up with the armored Avenger who peels away the freshly cut steel and lifts it above his head before tossing it aside and stepping back to allow rescuers to reach the trapped sailors.

"Thanks Iron Man." An officer says "We probably wouldn't have reached these men in time if not for your help."

"My pleasure Sergeant, you just let me know if you need anymore help." Iron Man.

"Thanks but I think we've got it from here." The Sergeant replies as new information is relayed to Stark via the Jarvis AI.

"That's great." Iron Man says quickly, suddenly in a hurry "Cause I've gotta run!"

Booster jets kick in and launch Iron Man skyward in a southerly setting. The sailors instinctively look up, following his trail, then flinch involuntarily as the sonic boom generated when he breaches the sound barrier.

Iron Man quickly leaves the remains of the strike group behind.

Behind the armor's imposing face plate is a worried Tony Stark. If the Gorgon is after what he thinks he's after then the entire world might be in danger.

He passes Mach 2 and keeps accelerating. At this rate he'll be lucky to have 60% power when he gets there.

Tony thinks of the carrier, with its guts ripped out. All its guns and all its planes and all the guns of its fleet couldn't stop that robot.

"No sense in taking chance. Jarvis: Patch me through to the Baxter Building."

"Channel open sir"

"This is Tony Stark. I need you put me through to Reed Richards."
​

 

[Batman]

This is pointless.

Try as I might, I'm not getting anywhere. I wanted to move here ever since I was a boy, but the truth of the matter is, Metropolis is one of those rare cities that is actually so bright and lively that it makes it difficult for me to zero in on one specific individual crime. I've meant to keep myself in practice with that, going out on a nightly patrol around the city to gain a more familiar sense of my surroundings, but the world as a whole has kept calling to me. I never realized just how much I've actually neglected the one city I swore to protect, whenever I first put these abilities to good use. The Gorgon could have hid his radiological weapon anywhere, even in plain sight, and I'd still have just as much difficulty finding it compared to a much smaller place.

Have to keep trying. Every second that I haven't found what I'm looking for, the greater the risk is for the people. Even though I've circled the city sixteen times, my x-ray and microscopic visions can only do so much, and I'm still working on focusing my hearing on the city proper. It takes alot of meditation to be able to drown out the various sounds - car horns, voices, screams, televisions, animals - and really listen in for what I want to hear. And unfortunately, during a crisis like this, meditation can be particularly hard to put into practice.

*ZEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE*

"ARGH!"

An incredibly high-pitched noise comes screaming at me out of Metropolis, forcing me to barrel down from my path of flight and cover my ears. I've never heard anything so loud in my life! It hurts my ears so much that I can't even focus for a straight few seconds, feeling myself being assaulted by the pitch. Whatever it is, it's much louder to me and a heck of alot more direct than anything else coming from the city. Could it be something inconcsequential? Should I just ignore it.

Ears are still throbbing. I don't think I can ignore it.

Using my microscopic vision, I scan the air around me and look for the precise pattern of soundwaves associated with the noise. They're tinier to pinpoint than most forms of air, but they make a very keen shape in the form of ripples in the surrounding oxygen. After a moment of searching, I finally find a ripple bigger than the others - leading out to the Metropolis National Guard.

In a matter of seconds, I reroute myself and fly my way there, feeling myself overcome with relief as the noise stops upon approach. Whoever's doing this had better explain themselves fast, because this is no time for me to become...

...distracted...

That can't be who I think it is.

Sure enough, the closer that I come to the roof of the military base, the more that it becomes apparent - he's here, and he's real. This night just became a whole lot more strange for me. I touch down infront of him, staring him down for the longest time, obviously skeptical. But once the moment passes, I place my hands at my hips and shake my head. This is just about the strangest thing I've come across yet.

Which, for me, is saying something.

"I don't believe it."

 

[Byrd Man]

That can't be who I think it is.

Sure enough, the closer that I come to the roof of the military base, the more that it becomes apparent - he's here, and he's real. This night just became a whole lot more strange for me. I touch down infront of him, staring him down for the longest time, obviously skeptical. But once the moment passes, I place my hands at my hips and shake my head. This is just about the strangest thing I've come across yet.

Which, for me, is saying something.

"I don't believe it."

"Believe it," Batman said, turning off the remote beacon in his hands. "I'm sorry if that sonic pitch did permanent ear damage, but it was an experiment. A successful one. Besides, from what I've heard you can take it."

Tucking the beacon back into his belt, the Caped Crusader looked at Superman. "Time is a luxury we don't have, so I'll be brief. If Gorgon's threats of nuclear weapons are to be believed, then I need your help... and I'm willing to bet that even you need help."

 

[Byrd Man]

Manhattan

​

The Fantasticar Mark II flew over Manhattan while Reed monitored the craft's levels. Johnny flew beside the car, smiling at the sight.

"You're right, Ben, it does look like a flying bathtub!"

"See! Told ya!"

"It's just a prototype. I'm sure Reed can work out the kinks later. Beside, now's not the time to argue over aesthetics."

While the rest of the group talked amongst themselves, Reed was preoccupied with the tracker in his hands. He had designed it to trace the unusual radiation and energy emitting from the Gorgon's ship and robot. Oddly enough, the weak signal was far away... much to far to be America. Somewhere in the far south of the Earth.

Before Reed could speculate further, the console of the Fantasticar beeped. The panel in front of him read "Incoming call forwarded from Baxter Building: Stark, Anthony."

"Tony," Reed said as he answered the call. "I came up with a way to track Gorgon's energy readings. I have to admit, I'm getting some interesting results."

 

[Carnage27]

HYDRA Weapons Facility
North Western Italy
1942

I'm sick to my stomach as the sights of this facility flood over me. It's the Red Skull's "reprogramming" facility. The man has been devoted on turning the minds of our soldiers against them. I've known that for a while. Whether it's turning them into his spies, melting their mental capacities till they're nothing more than drooling husks, or turning them into berserker suicide attackers, the man has wreaked havoc on us with this facility.

But actually seeing it. Knowing how its done. Seeing the implements of torture and brainwashing is sickening. Luckily, we've been freeing our men and sending them out as we clear the building out.

But the view that I have now is the worst. Bucky is strapped to a chair, facing a projection of Nazi propaganda, shots of me as a villain, and shots of dead Allied soldiers played with some sort of hellish music blaring in the background.

We shut the machines down, and I kneel in front of my young friend, who barely knows what's going on around him, "Don't worry, Bucky. We're getting you out of here."

**********

Now

The scratching noise continues as we move down the hall, but we're not getting any closer to it. Which to be honest, is troubling. I don't know what's making the sound, but it seems to be leading us somewhere. The question is what's going to meet us there.

After a good fifteen minutes of walking, we pass into a laboratory. Most of the equipment and specimens have been cleared out, but there are some things still scattered about. A chunk of green rock lies in a glass case. Some weapons are on a table that look like they come from Thor's realm.

"What was this place?" Widow asks, taking a look at some of the tanks that line the walls.

"Looks like extraterrestrial studies," I respond. "HYDRA was pretty obsessed with alien weaponry back in the day."

"Did they ever get any?"

"Oh yea," I chuckle before realizing the scratching sound has gotten a bit louder. I'm drawn to a room shooting off from the lab, once I enter, the scratching stops, and I find the dead bodies of two men who look like they were ripped to shreds.

"Oh that can't be good," Black Widow says, surprised, as she walks in. "How many men were working this facility?"

"Four," I respond as my radio springs to life.

"Cap, Wildcat. We found two of the agents dead," Ted's distressed voice comes over the radio and an impending sense of dread overcomes me. Four men. All dead. Their bodies split up on opposite sides of the facility. That's not a coincidence.

"Ted, get the hell out of here," I say to my friend and motion to Natasha to begin heading out towards the exit. "This was a trap."

We're moving through the lab towards the exit, weapons ready, when the first thing drops from the ceiling.

​

 

[Batman]

"Believe it," Batman said, turning off the remote beacon in his hands. "I'm sorry if that sonic pitch did permanent ear damage, but it was an experiment. A successful one. Besides, from what I've heard you can take it."

Tucking the beacon back into his belt, the Caped Crusader looked at Superman. "Time is a luxury we don't have, so I'll be brief. If Gorgon's threats of nuclear weapons are to be believed, then I need your help... and I'm willing to bet that even you need help."

Batman...

The Batman. I still can't believe he actually exists. Sure, I had heard of some of the stories from Gotham City. And to some degree, given the type of world we're living in now - even being a large part of that shift in the scales myself - I should have been more open to the idea of a man running around, dressing up like a monster and frightening the mob. But first of all, Gotham City is not one of the most corrupt metropolitan cities in America, it's also a city shrouded in superstition. They've once claimed they have a giant alligator man running around in the sewers. A man made of mud living in the opera house. Heck, I think I even heard someone living there claim that they were the reincarnation of Zues.

I don't know. To me, the idea of some Batman seemed more like a fairy tale than anything. One man able to accomplish so much without the use of any abilities, putting so much fear into so many people at the same time. I've had to work to get people to even accept that I exist, and people have photographic evidence to distill that rumor.

Forget it, Clark. He's here, he's real. Move on with it, there are bigger things at stake.

"I don't mean to offend... Batman,", I begin. "But I think I was better off handling this problem on my own. I'm sure that your intentions are noble, but if the rumors about you are true, you're a mortal man. What sort of help do you have to offer me that I can't get by myself?"

 

[Byrd Man]

"I don't mean to offend... Batman,", I begin. "But I think I was better off handling this problem on my own. I'm sure that your intentions are noble, but if the rumors about you are true, you're a mortal man. What sort of help do you have to offer me that I can't get by myself?"

The Dark Knight stood still for a few seconds, staring at Superman and gathering his thoughts. He pulled a device from his hands and activated it. A hologram floated above both men, showing grainy surveillance photos from a security camera. There were black shrouded figures moving in stop motion with each new picture.

"These were taken three days ago at this very location. Sixteen pounds of plastic explosives were taken from the armory. That same plastique is a chemical match for suicide bombings that happened all across the country, from Metropolis and Gotham to LA and Seattle. Gorgon, the man who threatened the country on live TV, was behind the bombings. He's a man I've faced before, he's part of an organization I've dealt with. To put it simple terms: I know how he acts, I know how he thinks. No amount of muscle can compensate for that. Gorgon isn't some raging steroid monster. You can't punch your way to him. That's where I come in."

 

[Batman]

The Dark Knight stood still for a few seconds, staring at Superman and gathering his thoughts. He pulled a device from his hands and activated it. A hologram floated above both men, showing grainy surveillance photos from a security camera. There were black shrouded figures moving in stop motion with each new picture.

"These were taken three days ago at this very location. Sixteen pounds of plastic explosives were taken from the armory. That same plastique is a chemical match for suicide bombings that happened all across the country, from Metropolis and Gotham to LA and Seattle. Gorgon, the man who threatened the country on live TV, was behind the bombings. He's a man I've faced before, he's part of an organization I've dealt with. To put it simple terms: I know how he acts, I know how he thinks. No amount of muscle can compensate for that. Gorgon isn't some raging steroid monster. You can't punch your way to him. That's where I come in."

I stare up at the images coming from device that he produced. That isn't something you see everyday, much less something you can buy. Consider me genuinely intrigued - there may be more to this guy than what I originally thought. More importantly, however, he's encountered the Gorgon before. And that sort of prior experience may be exactly what could give me and everyone else looking to prevent this crisis an edge.

Holding my hands up in a manner of defeat, I try and hide the growing smirk that stretches across my face. It isn't often that someone gets the chance to prove me wrong like that. Then again, that's probably because I don't really encounter anyone like this outside of powerful monsters and reporters. Except for The Fantastic Four, of course.

"Alright, you've convinced me. We'll play it your way."

Raising an eyebrow, I can't help but give into my curiosity.

"Though I'm certainly surprised. What would a vigilante from Gotham want with somebody like me? Where do I fit into this?"

 

[Byrd Man]

"Alright, you've convinced me. We'll play it your way."

Raising an eyebrow, I can't help but give into my curiosity.

"Though I'm certainly surprised. What would a vigilante from Gotham want with somebody like me? Where do I fit into this?"

Batman deactivated the hologram and slid the device back into his belt before crossing his arms.

"If you can do what they say you can do, then you're a vital asset to this situation. Your strength, speed, and senses are key to finding Gorgon and his weapons. I have the means, but lack the ability. You have the ability, but lack direction. Both our cities are being threatened with destruction, both of us are unable to do it alone."

Batman held out his hand and stared straight into Superman's eyes.

"So, let's do it together. Help me find Gorgon and save my city, I help you do the same."

 

[Batman]

Batman deactivated the hologram and slid the device back into his belt before crossing his arms.

"If you can do what they say you can do, then you're a vital asset to this situation. Your strength, speed, and senses are key to finding Gorgon and his weapons. I have the means, but lack the ability. You have the ability, but lack direction. Both our cities are being threatened with destruction, both of us are unable to do it alone."

Batman held out his hand and stared straight into Superman's eyes.

"So, let's do it together. Help me find Gorgon and save my city, I help you do the same."

For a moment, I hesitate. I've never really been faced with an opportunity like this, being offered help with a problem that's probably above my head. But his demeanor seems serious enough to not be mistaken for an amatuer, and the sound of his heartbeat doesn't indicate a lie. He just wants to protect his territory, and I can certainly understand that. We can be beneficial to eachother - even if that doesn't mean we necessarily have to trust eachother.

"Well, as the old saying goes..."

I accept his handshake and give a smile.

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Any idea where we'd start?"

 

[Byrd Man]

"Well, as the old saying goes..."

I accept his handshake and give a smile.

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Any idea where we'd start?"

"Right here," Batman said as the glove holding Superman's hand flashed for a brief millisecond. He broke the handshake with Superman and a message scrolled across the display on his lenses.

Fingerprint scan: Successful...
Beginning database search...

"As I said, the Semtex in all the bombings were similar, and they all originated from here. If we can follow their trail to the airport and possibly the waterfront. From there, we can trace their point of origin to..."

Batman trailed off and looked down at his feet before looking back up at Superman.

"This... and that's just what Gorgon wants."

Turning away Superman, Batman began to pace. "Distraction... a wild goose chase. When I met Gorgon, he created a massacre in Gotham City just to keep the police occupied. His true objective was me... This is happening again. The big, theatrical address to the country, a 24 hour deadline. Gorgon and the Hand don't make threats and gloat, they go for the jugular right away."

The Dark Knight stopped and turned to Superman. "This is a set-up. Gorgon has been playing us."

 

[bkhedr]

Before Reed could speculate further, the console of the Fantasticar beeped. The panel in front of him read "Incoming call forwarded from Baxter Building: Stark, Anthony."

"Tony," Reed said as he answered the call. "I came up with a way to track Gorgon's energy readings. I have to admit, I'm getting some interesting results."

"Well if your tracking him South, as in all the way to Antarctica, then we're on the same track." Tony says. He knows all about how smart Reed Richards is supposed to be but experiencing it first hand was probably going to be a real treat.​

Assuming we live that long​

"I think I know what's he's after Reed." Tony's voice takes on a more serious tone. "I'm sending you some data now."​

Tony transmits information through the channel to Reed. The data includes references to an archealogical expidition to Antarctica conducted by Tony's grandfather in the 1920s. It also includes information on something that expedition found. Something the data refers to as 'anti-metal'​

"Records are incomplete and I don't know what the expidition was supposed to be looking for." Tony says, commenting on the data he has just sent "What I do know is that they found a huge deposit of this anti-metal. It emits a vibratory field that dissolves all metal on contact. Everything from lead to gold to vibranium and probably adamantium, though they didn't have any on them to test."​

Tony continues to race southward, streaking over the cloud cover​

"Anyway they didn't have the means to harvest the metal and my grandfather made the decision to bury it again. They used all their dynamite and buried it under a mountain and its laid there, inert in the ice and rock ever since. But now it looks like the secret's out."​

Tony shudders inside the armor as more pieces of the Gorgon's plan begin to come together in his head. The planet Earth is almost 50% metal. Could that maniac be out to melt the planet itself out of existence? What little information Tony has on him gives him no reason to doubt that he would.​

"Reed. The only thing that's not scary about the anti-metal is that its effective range is fairly limited, tests showed it to be no more than a few dozen feet." He continues "But if the Gorgon manages to unearth that deposit and weaponize it somehow, say by means of a giant robot bursting with radioactive fuel, the result could well be the end of the world."​

 

[Byrd Man]

"Records are incomplete and I don't know what the expidition was supposed to be looking for." Tony says, commenting on the data he has just sent "What I do know is that they found a huge deposit of this anti-metal. It emits a vibratory field that dissolves all metal on contact. Everything from lead to gold to vibranium and probably adamantium, though they didn't have any on them to test."​

Tony continues to race southward, streaking over the cloud cover​

"Anyway they didn't have the means to harvest the metal and my grandfather made the decision to bury it again. They used all their dynamite and buried it under a mountain and its laid there, inert in the ice and rock ever since. But now it looks like the secret's out."​

Tony shudders inside the armor as more pieces of the Gorgon's plan begin to come together in his head. The planet Earth is almost 50% metal. Could that maniac be out to melt the planet itself out of existence? What little information Tony has on him gives him no reason to doubt that he would.​

"Reed. The only thing that's not scary about the anti-metal is that its effective range is fairly limited, tests showed it to be no more than a few dozen feet." He continues "But if the Gorgon manages to unearth that deposit and weaponize it somehow, say by means of a giant robot bursting with radioactive fuel, the result could well be the end of the world."​

"Anti-metal," Reed said as he looked over the data package Stark had sent. "Fascinating. Although the practical uses for it could be limited, I can at least think of two dozen non weaponized uses--."

"Focus," Sue said over his shoulder. "Killer ninja, giant robot, mass destruction."

"Right. Well, here's a theory, this metal may be able to disrupt most elements and minerals on a basic molecular level, yes? What about giving it a taste of its own medicine? If we can replicate that vibratory field and coat it on something as simple as a piece of quartz, then there's a very good chance that both intersecting fields would either cancel each other out, or the two colliding fields could cause instability and shake both the anti-metal and quartz to bits. As I said, this is just a theory."

 

[bkhedr]

Tony does some quick mental math then nods "Its worth a shot."

The Antarctic shore, with its towering high cliffs of ice, comes into view on the horizon before him while a display inside his visor warns that his armor is now below 60% power

"Listen Reed, I'm burning through my armor's energy reserves to get to the site but I'll be there in less than two minutes."

He thinks of the Gorgon's threat and wonders how many heroes are presently caught up looking for non existent bombs or aiding in pointless evacuation efforts. His throughts then turn once again to the remains of the Carrier Strike Group and to the sheer destructive power the Gorgon's robot has already displayed.

"I'm going to make some more calls and see if I can't scrounge up more support." He adds "Just get here as soon as you can."

Without waiting for an answer Tony closes the channel and opens a new one.

"Come on Bruce. Pick up."

 

[Byrd Man]

"Its worth a shot. Listen Reed, I'm burning through my armor's energy reserves to get to the site but I'll be there in less than two minutes. I'm going to make some more calls and see if I can't scrounge up more support. Just get here as soon as you can."

"We're on the way," Reed said as the line went dead.

"What you were talking about with Iron Man, countering this anti-metal's charge? Can you do it?"

"There are a lot variables in play, Susan, but we have four physical constants at play. The four of us. Doesn't matter what the problem is, the four of us can solve it."

"Zzzzzz," Ben said loudly from the back. He had his head propped on his hand, feigning sleep. "Sorry about that. All that nerd talk was putting me to sleep."

"Antarctica,huh?" Johnny asked with a raised eyebrow. "Wished you would have told us. I could have packed a bathing suit."

The Fantasticar and Johnny tore through the sky, leaving Manhattan and headed south towards the pole.

*****

​

Metropolis

Batman turned away from his new ally as an incoming call flashed across his HUD. This one was not from an ally, but an old friend.

"Come on Bruce. Pick up."

"I'm listening."

 

[bkhedr]

Bruce's voice is filled with steely intensity and he sounds as if he's chewing gravel.

"I figured you'd be in character. Good, because its your alter ego who I'm actually looking for."

Tony then proceeds to update Bruce on the situation and send him the data packet on the anti-metal.

After the quick explanation is complete Tony adds "I'll be on top of the Gorgon and his cronies in less than a minute but I've got a feeling that I'm going to have my hands full"

 

[Byrd Man]

Bruce's voice is filled with steely intensity and he sounds as if he's chewing gravel.

"I figured you'd be in character. Good, because its your alter ego who I'm actually looking for."

Tony then proceeds to update Bruce on the situation and send him the data packet on the anti-metal.

After the quick explanation is complete Tony adds "I'll be on top of the Gorgon and his cronies in less than a minute but I've got a feeling that I'm going to have my hands full"

"I'm on my way," Batman said, looking over his shoulder at Superman. "And I'll be bringing backup. Batman out."

The line went dead and the Dark Knight hit a button on his wrist. Overhead, a distant roar began to fill the air. It got louder and louder until Batman's jet appeared overhead, hovering above the roof.

"That was a friend of mine. He's managed to track Gorgon down and needs help. I'll explain on the flight. I won't be able to talk directly to you from inside the cockpit, so take this..."

Reaching into his belt, Batman pulled out an earpiece and tossed it at the Man of Steel. Superman held his hand up and snagged it with one hand. "Miniaturized mic and earphone. Just stick in in your ear, and you can communicate with me. It has a range of about five thousand miles. It's only a prototype, but it should suffice. "