"One Universe" RPG thread.

[Speedball]

{Space Ghost}

A giant hole opens in space.
A large silver starship comes from the otherside of the hole. On the otherside of the hole is, almost 1 million lightyears away, is another planet covered in forests, and small, eroded mountains.
The ship belongs to the man known as Thaddeus Bach, but now better known as Space Ghost.
The hole closes as the Phantom Cruiser's engine exit from the otherside.
"Space Ghost, the guy's not here"
"We followed him here, he must have jumped away right before we got here. Jan, track him again will you?"
"I'll get on it right away."
She turns her seat around, and begins typing into the console on her wall.
Jayce gets out of his seat, and looks out the forward viewport. "Um... Space Ghost, What planet is this?"
"I'm not sure, one second."
He presses a few buttons on the console near his pilots chair, a beeping noise begins. On the screen, a little blue bar moves slowly, telling him that it's searching it's databanks. When it stops, a message appears in blue.
Planet: Unknown
Primary Atmosphere: Carbon Dioxide, Hydrogen, Oxygen.
Environment: Habitable by normal lifeforms.
Life Signs: Detected
"Well. That's weird. I thought the Commandant had mapped out most of the galaxy."
"This planet must be in the undiscovered part of the galaxy."
"I don't think we are in OUR galaxy anymore, look at the stars. I can't find any of our constellations."
Space Ghost gets up and looks out the veiwport as well. He looks for any recognizable constellation, for any recognizable star. He sits down, and presses a button on the console near his left arm. A number pops up on the screen near his right arm. His jaw drops. He stands up and looks at Jayce, eyes almost as big as dinner plates.
"How far did we jump?"
"One Million lightyears. Which means we are in the galaxy next to ours.
Jan turns around from the console, stands up, and walks next to them at the viewport. "We did jump to the right place, because the guy we are looking for landed on that planet 3 minutes ago."

 

[wiegeabo]

I don't know how far I've run before I'm finally able to pull my mind back together. It still feels like my brain is three sizes too big for my head, but at least I'm myself again.

Except for the memories...

I don't really remember everything, but I remember a few things. Important things. Like some of Xavier's memories, and my dads'...

I shake my head. I need sometime to work this out, figure out what's going on. I don't want to deal with this. And I need a drink. I need lots of drinks.

I look around and see a roadsign.

'Atlanta 2 miles.'

Damn, guess I've een runnin' for a while. When I get into the city, it's early morning and very dark. I come to the first liquor store I see and walk through the door. I grab the cash out of the safe, and a few boxes of whatever was nearby, and walk back out. A few minutes later I find a motel that looks decent, but still in a nieghborhood where they won't ask too many questions.

I put the cases down in a safe place. Knowing I can't get a room looking like this, I try something I've never tried before. Concentrating, I recite the incantation that gave me my powers, but this time I focus on giving my power up. Not all of it, got to keep something in reserve. But enough so that I shrink down to a more normal size and can get a decent buzz when I go through all this booze.

Once I'm down to a more managable size, I slip on some clothes I lifted from another store and walk into the managers office. After laying down a few more dead presidents then the guy is used to seeing, I get myself a room on the top floor and all the privacy I want.

The room is surprisingly clean, but that's all it's got going for it. It's small, dark, the walls are probably paper thin, and the tv reception sucks.

It's absolutely perfect.

I pop the top on a can of beer, glad that I happened to pick a case of it up when I grabbed the first stack I saw, and drain the can in one draw. I pop another, sit in the small chair, and stare at the screen, not really paying attention, to tied up in my own thoughts, and those of others...

 

[Andy C.]

(IC: Green Lantern)

"All right, Jordan! Front and center; we're here."

Sinestro's barking orders finally provoked a reaction in Hal Jordan, who was still desperately trying to wrap his mind around what he was seeing. The two had traversed across countless galaxies, plunging through the cosmos towards the very center of the universe. Now, they had reached it.

As they approached their destination, Hal saw a large barren-looking world, uninhabited save for one point: a small city. At the center of this city, a bright beam of green light shone out into space, a seemingly endless column of emerald energy. All across the planet and in the space surrounding it, countless smaller sparks and beams of green flared.

"So this is Oa?"

"That's right, and we'd better get into the fight, or else it won't be here for long."

"What fight? And where's the enemy you were talking about? Where's this--

...and then, Jordan saw it.

--Galactus..."

A man, or at least something in the shape of a man, but immeasurably large and dressed entirely in bizarre-looking pink and purple armor. This being gazed down to the world below him, apparently unfazed by the calamity caused by his arrival. It was then that Jordan realized the green flares and flashes were actually other Green Lanterns, frantically trying to stop this...thing.

"What the hell is that?"

Then, the monstrous being spoke, as if directly addressing Jordan, with a booming voice that penetrated not the ears, but the mind.

Of all the creatures in the vastness of the universe, there is none like me. I was present at the birth of the universe, and I shall be there at its end. Though I ravage worlds to live, I bear no malice to any living thing. I simply do what I must to survive. And why must Galactus survive? For, no matter how many worlds I devour... How many civilizations I destroy... It is my destiny to one day give back to the universe — infinitely more than I have ever taken from it. So speaks Galactus!

Galactus turned his gaze directly towards Hal, ignoring the other Lanterns frantically trying to fight him off, and the Green Lantern of Sector 2814 froze, not out of fear, but rather due to his mind still trying to conceive what this thing was.

"Jordan?"

Hal didn't move.

"Jordan!"

Sinestro smacked Jordan hard on the back of the head, finally getting him to break eye contact with Galactus.

"Come on! If we're going to stop that thing, we'd better start doing something more than gawking at it! Follow me to planet-side. I think I've got an idea that'll stop Galactus dead in his tracks....but first, we've got to get to the Central Battery..."

 

[Midnight Ice]

I follow hoping to find a weapon before he fires his. My gaze catchs the AK Cap dropped.

I charge forward shooting the Ak above my head.

"I'll teach you to go to war with Canada!"

"Canada? You will be lucky if you land as close as Canada."

I aim the rocket launcher at him and fire.

The rocket catches him right in the chest and carries him far out above the ocean to where I can't even see him any more.

"Well, that takes care of him. Bullseye has seemed to ran away. Guess I can go check on Lex."

 

[Midnight Ice]

Double post. Sorry.

 

[twylight]

"I don't have one. I'd have to be drunk to turn down a beautiful woman who wants to go to dinner with me."

******

The restuarant is a nice little place, just a little damaged from the Darksied invasion but nothing too bad. I glance around the room before meeting Dinah's gorgeous blue eyes, it's quiet hardly anyone here, except for a young couple in the far left corner, a few older people at another table, and a couple of others.

"This is a nice place," I say to Dinah smiling, "glad I thought to come here."

Dinah raises her eyebrow and set's down her glass of water after a small slip.

"This isn't just pleasure Mr. Stark. That comes later." She smiled and continued.
"Call me old fashioned but we have to figure out the wedding." She leaned over, showing just enough to taunt him and pulled out from under the table, a burgandy leather folder she'd brought with her. She set it in front of her and spun it till it faced him.

"Face the music." She said opening it up, displaying invitations, color schemes, reception plans and pictures of wedding dresses and tuxedos.
"Start choosing."

 

[TheTurtle]

"I'm sorry son, didn't mean to startle you." I duck down as a car flies over our heads. "First thing's first, we need to clear out the civilians. It'll give us much more freedom to fight if we don't have to worry about people getting hurt."

I take off and start grabbing people off of the street, dropping them off a couple of blocks away, hopefully a safe distance from the fight. Everytime I get the chance I look in on the battle, although at the pace I'm moving, the fight hasn't progressed all that much.

Spider-Man's a brave kid. And no matter how much he pretends not to be, I know he's just a kid. I've fought alongside young heroes enough to know the difference. He hasn't quite earned the name Spider-Man just yet, but he's well on his way. He could be doing so many worse things with his powers like robbing banks, or hurting people. But, even though he's still young, he's out helping strangers.

I think he's someone who'd make a fine addition to the team.

As for Batman...this is the first time I've seen him in action. And I have to admit, the guy has moves. I've never seen a person with his skills before. And I'm assuming the kid in the costume is his sidekick. That surprises me to a degree. That kid can't be more than twelve, thirteen tops! Which is easily pushing too young, even with the young sidekicks I've worked with.

In just a minute, I've cleared everyone from the area, even the EMT's so they can treat the wounded in a safer location. I leave the police officers and firemen alone, they've got enough work to do keeping people out, and keeping the damage confined.

With the area secured, I rejoin the fight, stopping right infront of Doctor Octopus. He jumps back an inch, startled by the blur that's turned into a man.

"I think you've caused more than enough damage," I say to him...

(Eddie Brock)

This is gonna make me rich, awards, television interviews, newspapers fighting over me for these photos...

I change the film in my camera, hiding behind a car as I do it.

I should be running. But what have I got to loose? Nothing. Everything to gain, I'm in the middle of an insane fight, lunatics in spandex everywhere - Spider-Man, Batman, The Flash and some... kid...

Idiots, they should be running too.

But the journalist in me keeps routed to the spot, clicking away with my camera, and I don't think about dying, I block out the fear. Just thinking... about the money.

 

[Batman]

(IC: Bullseye)

"Canada? You will be lucky if you land as close as Canada."

I aim the rocket launcher at him and fire.

The rocket catches him right in the chest and carries him far out above the ocean to where I can't even see him any more.

"Well, that takes care of him. Bullseye has seemed to ran away. Guess I can go check on Lex."

"YOU WISH, GOODY TWO-SHOES!!!"

Bullseye tossed numerous ninja stars at Captain America. Blood was splattered all over his costume. Behind him, the grim form of a massacre could be seen. Cop layed in the streets, with throwing stars sticking out of their necks, eyes, chests, or heads. Bullseye had been busy.

"Let's see what color an Uncle Sam wannabe bleeds!"

 

[Venom160]

<Cyclops>

Jean still looks alittle shaky on her feet so I let lean on my shoulder. I look over at Logan.

"What do we do know Logan?"

 

[MaskedManJRK]

IC: Batman

Life has suddenly gotten wierder.

First, there is the teenager I have taken to my wing (I won't say anything about that little pun, I'll leave that to the black and white-clad teen who I'll get to later), dressed in a red & black kevlar weave, who's now calling himself Robin.

Then, there's the aforementioned black and white teen who calls himself Spider-Man. His age actually surprised me--can't be younger than 15--for the work he's done in New York. I would comment on that...if it weren't the fact he won't shut up long enough for me to do so.

Then, a red and yellow blur approaches and stops--a guy in skin-tight spandex calling himself The Flash.

Let's not forget the reason why we're here--a tentacle-wearing prison escapee with a massiah complex that the press has labeled Doctor Octopus.

And then there's me, in a gray and black kevlar suit with a cowl and cape on, the costume of The Batman: an avenger for the innocent, nocternal vigilantie, I've even heard some newspaper label me "The Dark Knight"--strange title, but I like it.

By the way--all of this is just a little after the sun came up.

IC: Doctor Octopus

Suddenly, my tentacles supporting me drop and I collapse back to the floor. I look and see the man labeled as "The Batman" standing before me.

"Doctor Octavious...get out of my city."

My bottom tentacles push me back up, allowing me to look down on the fool trying to make himself a demon.

"I think not--I actually partially enjoy this city...plus I still have Bruce Wayne to kill..."

My upper tentacles lunge towards him--but somehow he dodges them. Amazing, out of everyone else, he's the one that could dodge them. I'll be sure to commend him of that before I remove his skull from his spinal cord.

"I think you've caused more than enough damage."

I turn around and see yet another costumed freak trying to meddle with my plans--a man in red and yellow spandex.

"Enough of this foolish meddling! Let Otto Octavious be to murder the man he wishes to murder! Stopping me only makes the death toll far more greater than it needs to be..."

I run off to one of the nearby buildings and use my upper tentacles to pick up a man that was gazing at the spectacle through the mirror. Both tentacles grab him at either ends, and slowly rip him in half. The tentacles flail about the miscreant "heroes," throwing them away and smearing them in the "innocent" blood.

"Unless you want more to die, stay out of my way."

 

[The Question]

"....dude."

I wipe the blood from my chest.

"You killed him."

My stomach lurches. I feel nausious.


That bastard.

"You killed him!"

I jump at him, punching him across the jaw.

"YOU ****ING KILLED HIM!!!!!!"

I push him into a wall, grab him by the throat, and start chocking him.

"You ****ing SOCIOPATH!!!! He was just standing there, and you KILLED HIM!!!!! YOU ****ING PEICE OF ****!!!!!!!"

 

[wiegeabo]

I'm...I'm going to be sick.

My stomach lurches. Years of doing nothing more than protecting Central City from hoodlums. And now, from the Invasion to this point, in just a few weeks?...months?...I'm not sure how long it's been, and...this. That poor man...

...it's just too much.

Spider-Man yells as he jumps on Octavius and attacks him, ready to end the criminal's life. I can't let him do that. I can't let someone that young throw their life away.

At superspeed I dodge tenticles which move surprisingly fast, but not that fast. I pull the spider off of Octavius. "Don't kill him," I say. Then I instantly hit Octavius five times. I stare him straight in the eyes, fury burning in mine.

"Let me."

 

[Keyser Soze]

(IC: Superman)



I've had enough. He can insult my intelligence. He can spread his baseless lies about me all he wants. But the minute he even thinks about putting me in the same set of sentances with massacre is the minute that he's gone too far.

"I'm here, Luthor."

Everyone there gasps at my prescence as I float in the air, above them, before landing on the roof.

"And I would be ashamed. I should be ashamed. Maybe I shouldn't have even come today, as you pointed out. But what would that truly solve? Zod would continue his rampage, You'd call me a coward regardless of my prescence here today. No, I think it's time I addressed these fears and concerns everyone has about me. Not for you, Not for Zod... But for the people who deserve the answers."

I cross my arms.

"You want a debate? You have one."

Unimpressed, Lex Luthor crossed his arms and glared at Superman.

"You want to give us answers, Superman? Well, answer this. What do you have to say about massacres, atrocities being committed in your name? Zod claims you are a fugitive, a criminal on the run from your home world. You claim to be a hero, but would a true hero potentially endanger the entire planet in order to evade justice? You have saved many lives, mine included, that cannot be denied. But is it not true that your presence here as acted as a catalyst for thousands of deaths? So, even if your intentions are noble - and I believe they are not - perhaps you are not so much a hero...as a liability."

 

[Batman]

(IC: Superman)

Unimpressed, Lex Luthor crossed his arms and glared at Superman.

"You want to give us answers, Superman? Well, answer this. What do you have to say about massacres, atrocities being committed in your name? Zod claims you are a fugitive, a criminal on the run from your home world. You claim to be a hero, but would a true hero potentially endanger the entire planet in order to evade justice? You have saved many lives, mine included, that cannot be denied. But is it not true that your presence here as acted as a catalyst for thousands of deaths? So, even if your intentions are noble - and I believe they are not - perhaps you are not so much a hero...as a liability."

I don't even flinch. He's wrong about me. He's wrong about everything. That is all I need to know...

...And yet, the last part. Is that wrong, aswell? Or am I simply refusing to believe it?

I speak up.

"Perhaps so. Or perhaps, Luthor, Zod is as much as a liar as he is a cold hearted murderer.", I begin.

I have to address everything. Nothing can be overlooked... No one here deserves half truths in these matters.

"I chose to do what I do because it was needed. Had I stood by and did nothing, many more people would be appearing on that obituaries list today. I didn't ask for these powers... these abilities. But if I was truly a 'liability' as you so boldly claim, Luthor... Then my actions would be for nothing. So I guess the question is... are they?", I ask, with a sneer.

"You want me to say something about the massacres? About the deaths in my name? I say that... If I was truly the cause of them... If Zod's only true purpose in commiting such crimes against humanity was to lure me out... Then I guess I truly have only one thing to say."

I lower my head.

"He can have me. If my actions, brought on by the need to help mankind, are truly causing death and destruction more than aid... Then it shall be, no more. I will defend to the death the fact that Zod is wrong about my home world, and myself... I will testify that his using of my name to commit these vile, sick... inhuman acts insults me to the very core. But what I will not defend, and what I will not argue... is the fact that I was the reason."

I look back up at Luthor.

"I should be seeking Zod right now. Turning myself into whatever madness he has in store for me just to save the rest of you, and prevent this planet from suffering the same, if not a worse fate than my home world of Krypton. But if this is the last time that I am going to address the earth... Then I want everyone to know why I was here in the first place. I'm here to justify my actions, Luthor. Not Zod's. Not Darkseid's. Mine."

 

[wiegeabo]

I'm...I'm going to be sick.

My stomach lurches. Years of doing nothing more than protecting Central City from hoodlums. And now, from the Invasion to this point, in just a few weeks?...months?...I'm not sure how long it's been, and...this. That poor man...

...it's just too much.

Spider-Man yells as he jumps on Octavius and attacks him, ready to end the criminal's life. I can't let him do that. I can't let someone that young throw their life away.

At superspeed I dodge tenticles which move surprisingly fast, but not that fast. I pull the spider off of Octavius. "Don't kill him," I say. Then I instantly hit Octavius five times. I stare him straight in the eyes, fury burning in mine.

"Let me."

I'm ready to do it. I'm going to do it. I pull back my fist, ready to pound on this maniac's head until my knuckles reach the wall behind it. I'm going to kill this man who I've only seen for a grand total of 30 seconds because he just ripped a man in half.

And I don't think I'm going to feel sorry about it...


That's when I hear a shutter behind me. Holding the disoriented Octavius by the throat with one hand I look back and see...

MY. GOD!!!

The man is still alive! Blood is pouring into the street, but he is still breathing! This long look is the the first time I notice that he's not as badly injured as I thought. He is still a gruesome sight, but he wasn't truly ripped in half. Octavius only pulled his legs from his body. Don't get me wrong, the sight is enough to make a hardened fighter like myself ready to vommit, but it's an injury the poor man can survive. If I work fast enough.

I take a moment to glare at Octavius one last time, then fling him over my shoulder. First thing's first, I dash into a store and come out with a box of trash bags, pulling a bag out and carefully putting the man's legs in it. The act sickens me even more and I have to hold down the bile rising in my throat. I feel like a ghoul putting his legs in the bag, but if there is any hope of this man walking again, I'll need to bring these with us. And I know just where to go.

Holding the back with one hand, I approach the man, too scared to touch him. There's only one way to save him, but it's something I haven't done in many years. Closing my eyes, I reach out to the Speed Force, fealing for the thing that I normally tap into without thinking. There...there it is. Touching it in this way always scares me, it feels like...like...like home? Like it's calling to me in nothing more than the faintest of whispers.

I shake my head at such nonsense. I reach out with my power, feeling the speed and energy around the man. Then I pull the kinetic energy around him into my body, speeding myself up and slowing him down. The blood spurts slow, his breathing and heartbeat come to a crawl. I've slowed him down, buying him precious seconds.

And I use those seconds to put the man over my shoulder and run...

 

[Watchman]

Magneto and the Brotherhood wandered through the streets of Metropolis. They needed to leave Metropolis due to the authorites were now looking for them after Magneto's speech. Most of the police force missed them due to the mutant named Mastermind messing with the police force's minds. They ended at a truckstop infront of a giant eighteen wheeller.

"This will do" Magneto said. He held up his hands and begun to manipulate the insides of the truck. Suddenly, the truck started up with the lights shining into the truckstop. A trucker bursted out of it shouting and cursing. He took out the keys from his pocket and headed to the truck. He looked straight at Magneto's group. He stood still in fright. He dropped the keys but before they hit the ground the a blur flew by and snatched them in the air. The blur went back to Magneto's side and gave them to Magneto who handed them to the mutant Toad.

"Thank you Quicksilver. Now we must make sure that our friend doesn't tell the police". A metal tenticle-like object reached from the truckstop and wrapped around the trucker. It pulled him in and slammed him against the wall. A small strip of metal and a few screws whirled around Magneto's hand. The pieces shot out towards the man's face. The strip of metal landed across the man's mouth and four screw begun to dig into thne man's face.

"Come now let us leave this place". Toad grabbed the trucker's hat and headed to the front of the truck with Magneto. The rest of Brotherhood went into the back. The truck headed out of the parking lot and on the road.

 

[Midnight Ice]

(IC: Bullseye)




"YOU WISH, GOODY TWO-SHOES!!!"

Bullseye tossed numerous ninja stars at Captain America. Blood was splattered all over his costume. Behind him, the grim form of a massacre could be seen. Cop layed in the streets, with throwing stars sticking out of their necks, eyes, chests, or heads. Bullseye had been busy.

"Let's see what color an Uncle Sam wannabe bleeds!"

I easily block the stars with me shield.

"Bullseye, I took care of Deadpool and he has a healing factor. Do you think you really have a chance against me? Just make it easy and give yourself and Fisk up."

 

[Johnny Blaze]

The silver being deftly swooped under an emerald energy blast and fired back at the Lantern currently assaulting him. He was definitely a Kree, and still fought with the savagery of his race.

I guess the training a Green Lantern undergoes cannot dispel all unpleasantness, thought Norrin as his cosmic blast caught the Kree Lantern in the chest with enough force to knock him out.

Despite being the herald for a being who devours planets, Norrin Radd would still not kill, so he made well sure to keep his powers checked somewhat.

There was a brief respite in the battle, and Norrin was able to gaze upon the bustling world of the Green Lanterns. Seeing them fly about, desperately trying to stop his master, brought back the familiar pangs of guilt within his body.

This is wrong.

It was not the first time these feeling had fell upon him. Norrin had lived with the guilt of what he does for many years...or is it decades? Time is a substance hard to keep track of out in the nothingness of space.
He has always tried to find worlds which hold no life for his master, but lifeless planets that suit his master's needs are difficult to find.
And so, in his glorious arrogance, Galactus has turned his sights on the planet Oa. The home of the Guardians of the Universe and birthworld of the legendary Green Lantern Corps, a legion a galactic police that bring peace to the entire universe. Though witnessing the deaths of other worlds filled with life, the thought of a planet such as Oa being wiped from existence pained him even more.
With Oa gone, the entire state of the universe would be thrown into disarray. There would be no more Green Lanterns left to help bring justice to the many worlds that needed a hero.

Lost in his thought, the Surfer was caught unaware by an emerald hammer as it struck down atop him, knocking him off his board, and sending him crashing to the planet's surface.

Foolish, thought Norrin as he shook off the blow and stood in up in the crater that was caused when he impacted on the planet's surface, you should know better then to let your thoughts distract you in the midst of battle, Norrin.

"All right, Lanterns", shouted one of the three Green Lanterns that advanced on the Surfer, "let's show this creep what the Corps are made of!"

The Surfer steeled himself as he brought his potent power to bear, "Do not think me crippled simply because I am separated from my board."

Using the Power Cosmic, the Surfer created a large wall of inertron in front of the charging Lanterns. Two of the Lanterns were able to fly around the obstacle, but the third was not as fortunate as she slammed into the wall full force. The only thing saving her from death was the emerald force field that coated her body as she fell hard to the planet's surface, out cold.
The other two Lanterns attacked.
One of them created an emerald spear and hurled it at the Surfer, while the other, the leader of the trio, separated from his comrade and dived towards the planet's surface.

The Surfer casually side-stepped the spear as it came rushing at him.
"I am truly sorry for this", said Norrin as he loosed a blast of cosmic energy that shot the spear-throwing Lantern out of the sky. The Lantern screamed as the Power Cosmic engulfed him and was soon crashing to the planet's surface, unconscious just like his partner moment before.

"I know who you are, Silver Surfer, and know who you serve", said the remain Lantern as he screamed in and grasped Norrin with a large emerald claw.
"You're the Herald for that creature, Galactus. You find him worlds to devour", continued the Lantern as he slammed Norrin into the earth, "worlds filled with life!"

"I've seen the horrors that Galactus brings", the Lantern continued to rant as he whipped the emerald claw around and flung Norrin into the air and crashing through a building and bringing it down on top of the Surfer, "THE DESTRUCTION!"

The Surfer heaved large pieces of the rubble off of him as he made his way out of the debris. Through the dust cloud caused by the building's collapse, Norrin saw the Lantern levitate through.
"You're a party to planetary genocide, and you have the audacity to apologize!?"


"Trillions of innocents have been wiped from existence because of you", a dozen large emerald axes formed out of the Lantern's ring as he raised them above his head and continues his rant to the Surfer, "here's what I think of your apology."

The axes come crashing down for the killing blow, but are knocked off course at the last second as the Surfer's board comes flying in from behind the Lantern and slams into his back. The axes miss their target and the Surfer sends his board flying straight into the air.
"My board and I are forever linked. It responds to my mental commands whether I am on it or not."

With a simple hand gesture, the Surfer sends his board spinning about and flying straight towards the ground. With the Lantern still on the board's front, the Surfer's board crashes into the ground with a deafening boom.
A few quiet seconds pass and then the board slowly rises and floats towards it's master.
Stepping onto the board, the Surfer flies over towards the large crater where the body of the Green Lantern resides. Beaten and bloody, the Lantern is near death.

The Surfer floats down towards him, looking upon him with sorrow filled eyes. Kneeling on his board beside him, the Surfer reaches out his hand and sends a wave of cosmic energy washing over the Lantern, healing his wounds.

"I truly am sorry", states the Surfer as he rises to his feet once more and turns his gaze upward to fall upon his master as Galactus continues to set up his machines.

"For everything."

 

[wiegeabo]

New Yorkers on the street only see a red blur and feel a gust of fast moving wind. I'm glad that can't see what really passed by them. The sight of me carrying this legless, bleeding man would be too much for them. It's too much for me.

I arrive at the building in question and burst inside. The lobby of the Stark Industries Experimental Medical Center is painfully clean, the smell of disinfectant just covered up by the air purifiers working in the ventilation system. I've never been here before, but I know their reputation for experimental treatments. Their success rate at saving 'lost causes' is more than enough to convince me I came to the right place.

"I need to see a doctor now!" I shout at the nurse on desk duty.

She calmly keeps typing. "You cannot just barge in here and demand...!" Her scream upon seeing the man I'm holding makes me cringe and gets security running.

They surround me, their guns pulled. "Freeze! Put the man down or we'll fire!"

I shake my head. "And risk killing him?" In a flash, all of their guns are in a pile at my feet. "Dammit, don't any of you know who I am? I'm trying to save this man!"

"S..ss...sir...," she says, shakily, "we can't just treat...anyone who just..."

"No, what you can do is get this man a damned doctor! I just witnessed him get his legs ripped from his body. I brought him here, with his legs in this bag, from Gotham City because I know that if anyone can save him, you can. I am a close, personal friend of Tony Stark himself, and if this man doesn't receive immediate treatment you will not only have hell to pay from me, but Mr. Stark will come down here and have a few choice words with every single person on staff. Do I make myself clear?"

Within ninety seconds, the man and his legs are on a gurney being rushed to pre-op for immediate surgery. I take a moment to sit down and catch my energy. I have to stop my hands from shaking and get control over my stomach.

"M...Mr...Flash?" the nurse asks.

I smile weakly at her. "Yes?"

"Um...is there anything else we can do for you? Are you feeling ok?"

I nod my head. "I'll be fine. Thank you very much for helping that man, and putting up with me. I know you were only doing your job..."

"Please, our job is to help people. The least we should have done was stabilize him for transfer to a standard hospital."

"Will...will he make it?"

"It's much too early to tell. He lost a good deal of blood, but not as much as he should have. If we can keep his volume up, he should pull through. They can't make a guess about legs yet. But it doesn't look good."

I nod my head again. Dammit, dammit, dammit! I should have been faster! I should have checked on him first instead of wasting time with that madman! I stop mentally punching myself for the moment. I've got to get back to Gotham to help. "If his condition changes, just contact Mr. Stark. He'll get the message to me." She nods her head and I smile before taking off.

There's a fight to finish...

 

[MaskedManJRK]

IC: Batman

"Holy s**t."

I don't know which is worse...the fact that I just saw a man casually ripped in half by a homicidal maniac...or the fact that I've seen worse.

"Holy s**t."

I look over to Dick, standing near the rubble of a crushed Buick. He's only fifteen years old...fifteen years old...and he has to see this carnage... I almost slap myself for allowing this child to lose what innocence he might have left...but a cold, hard feeling burns in the pit of my stomach, slowly starting to propell my legs...

No. I won't let that happen. I won't stoop to his level...not again...

That doesn't stop the other two, though. Suddenly Spider-Man has warped into a...black...something...and started to yell and curse at Octavious. The Flash barely moves and suddenly the "good doctor's" bleeding through his mouth. But just a second after he stopped, he's gone, along with both halves of the poor bastard that got in Octavious's way. Better (I don't know what I could do to stop a guy that could shove his foot up my ass before I even took a step), but there's still a super-strong, hormonally-challenged teenager-turned-blob trying to strangle the hell out of him.

I grab Dick by the shoulder. "Dick--"

"Robin."

"Damnit--ROBIN, you distract him, while I pull him away."

"Right."

Robin--or Dick, I'm not sure which one fits at the moment--starts flipping towards Spider-Man and then takes a huge leap that I couldn't do to save my life and jumps in-between the two. He looks around the two in a strange way.

"Holy crap--some night, huh? Haven't had a three-way with a fat guy with extra appendages and a skitzo superhero before--"

That's when I made my move (thank God, that's an image that scares me), going behind Spider-Man and pulling him in a full-nelson.

IC: Doctor Octopus

I wake up from the dizzing pain of The Flash's...whatever he did...I feel...strange...the tentacles seem...dead...it's as though...my hate for Wayne is...gone...could it be...?

IC: Batman

As I move away from Octavious's unconcious body with a flailing spider-monster in hand, I hear something stir from him. It sounds like he's mumbling to himself...but it almost doesn't sound like him. I wonder...

If what has happened to Octavious is what I think has happened, then this guy is more screwed up then I thought.

More sounds...whirring...mechanical...

"Oh fuc--"

IC: Doctor Octopus

My tentacles grab the three and throw them into the air. They plummet to the floor and the tentacles come down to smash them.

"Die! DIE!! DIE!!!"

 

[wiegeabo]

The tentacles come down, there is a blur, and they strike the ground harmlessly. I put the young one dressed somewhat like the Batman down in the alley with the other two. He and Spider-Man look shaken up, but Batman surprisingly took moving at superspeed in stride. What is he made of?

I stand there wondering too long as a tenticle hits me in the back, knocking me into the wall. Damn, those things move fast. The others move to help me, but I'm already healing and gone. Before Octavius knows it, I've already driven my shoulder into him and knocked him back a couple of dozen feet.

I rush forward and pick him up and hold him by the throat. "Why? WHY?!? Why would you do this? What did that man ever do to you?!?" I backhand him across the face. "Dammit, answer me!"

I hear my voice, but it doesn't sound like me. God, what's happening to me? I drop Octavius and take a few steps back. He looks dazed and confused, but so do I. What is wrong with me? I...god, I wanted to kill this man. And I almost let his victim die. And now I don't even recognize myself.

Again I allow myself to be distracted as a tenticle hits me in the face and chest. I go flying and land hard, hearing and feeling something crack in my arm. I'm angry again, but I notice the look of disorientation on Octavius' face and realize he probably didn't even mean to hit me. Something is wrong with him.

This is going to hurt. I grab my wrist and yank. I bite down on my tounge hard enough to make it bleed as my bones set back into place. It'll heal at superspeed, just like my arm.

But I'm at a loss with what to do about Octavius...

 

[Keyser Soze]

(IC: Superman)



I don't even flinch. He's wrong about me. He's wrong about everything. That is all I need to know...

...And yet, the last part. Is that wrong, aswell? Or am I simply refusing to believe it?

I speak up.

"Perhaps so. Or perhaps, Luthor, Zod is as much as a liar as he is a cold hearted murderer.", I begin.

I have to address everything. Nothing can be overlooked... No one here deserves half truths in these matters.

"I chose to do what I do because it was needed. Had I stood by and did nothing, many more people would be appearing on that obituaries list today. I didn't ask for these powers... these abilities. But if I was truly a 'liability' as you so boldly claim, Luthor... Then my actions would be for nothing. So I guess the question is... are they?", I ask, with a sneer.

"You want me to say something about the massacres? About the deaths in my name? I say that... If I was truly the cause of them... If Zod's only true purpose in commiting such crimes against humanity was to lure me out... Then I guess I truly have only one thing to say."

I lower my head.

"He can have me. If my actions, brought on by the need to help mankind, are truly causing death and destruction more than aid... Then it shall be, no more. I will defend to the death the fact that Zod is wrong about my home world, and myself... I will testify that his using of my name to commit these vile, sick... inhuman acts insults me to the very core. But what I will not defend, and what I will not argue... is the fact that I was the reason."

I look back up at Luthor.

"I should be seeking Zod right now. Turning myself into whatever madness he has in store for me just to save the rest of you, and prevent this planet from suffering the same, if not a worse fate than my home world of Krypton. But if this is the last time that I am going to address the earth... Then I want everyone to know why I was here in the first place. I'm here to justify my actions, Luthor. Not Zod's. Not Darkseid's. Mine."

Lex Luthor smiled, but inside, he was seething with frustration. This Superman was smarter than Luthor gave him credit for. He was providing worthy answers to Luthor's challenges. He was going to have to work harder to win this debate.

"You want to justify yourself? Well, go ahead, justify yourself! You talk about all you've done for our world, but in our darkest hour, during Darkseid's invasion, it was Reed Richards - a human - who ultimately saved the day. Throughout history, mankind has benefitted the world with its displays of intelligence and gift for invention. We have been at our worst when relying on power, brute force. Hiroshima springs to mind. And that's what I see when I look at you. A walking, talking, thinking atom bomb."

Luthor paused for a moment, allowing the drama of his "atom bomb" soundbite to sink in amongst the members of the press.

"Yet, you say that all you care about is protecting the planet. The same can be said for police officers, FBI agents, the heroes who fight in our National Service. But they are open. They make their identities known. But you, and those like you, you hide behind masks and shadows, keep your identity a secret. If you really wanted to be "one of us", you'd make your human identity public knowledge."

 

[Batman]

(IC: Superman)

Lex Luthor smiled, but inside, he was seething with frustration. This Superman was smarter than Luthor gave him credit for. He was providing worthy answers to Luthor's challenges. He was going to have to work harder to win this debate.

"You want to justify yourself? Well, go ahead, justify yourself! You talk about all you've done for our world, but in our darkest hour, during Darkseid's invasion, it was Reed Richards - a human - who ultimately saved the day. Throughout history, mankind has benefitted the world with its displays of intelligence and gift for invention. We have been at our worst when relying on power, brute force. Hiroshima springs to mind. And that's what I see when I look at you. A walking, talking, thinking atom bomb."

Luthor paused for a moment, allowing the drama of his "atom bomb" soundbite to sink in amongst the members of the press.

"Yet, you say that all you care about is protecting the planet. The same can be said for police officers, FBI agents, the heroes who fight in our National Service. But they are open. They make their identities known. But you, and those like you, you hide behind masks and shadows, keep your identity a secret. If you really wanted to be "one of us", you'd make your human identity public knowledge."

I straight at him. I can't reveal to him that I am Clark Kent. Even if this is the last time that I will address Earth, I don't want to put my loved ones through the aftermath of such information. Ma and Pa would never be able to live in peace, as they always have. The Daily Planet would be under heavy scrutiny for allowing me to work there. The endless questions... Perry, Jimmy... Lois...

I cannot, and will not, sacrifice all of that. They mean too much to me. I decide to finally speak up.

"While I cannot speak for any other heroes who have chosen to hide their true identities, as I do not work with them, nor choose their destinies... I have not hidden my own from anyone. My true identity is Kal-El, of Krypton. It is my birth name... It is my true identity.", I begin.

"And while I have never confirmed, nor denied having a human alias... Were I to have one, it would be with reason. That reason is because, despite my alien heritage, I share one humanistic trait above all... Love. Were I to have a human name... a human identity... I would also have loved ones with it. And living openly, as you put it, with those said loved ones would put them in danger due to my very existance."

I step forward. He has to hear me. He has to understand why. No... Not him. Everyone does. They are the ones who deserve explanation.

"You spoke of Reed Richards, the leader of the Fantastic Four. While born a human being, He has aqquired, as everyone knows, extraordinary abilities far beyond those of humans. But if you notice, Luthor..."

I still blame him for this next part. Even if he wasn't directly responsible, I know, in my mind, that he had something to do with it. But I will not make my accusations known. I do not have the right to do so, nor the concrete evidence.

"Immediatley, once Richards made his powers and identity publically known, He and the rest of his team were attacked by an advanced robotic monstrosity that proceeded to attempt to kidnap him and the rest of the Fantastic Four, causing and putting many pedestrians in peril."

I turn to the crowd. I'm not even giving Luthor the gratification of an explaination. I am here to address these issues for them, not him.

"The point I am trying to make, Ladies and gentlemen... Is that, while Mr. Luthor does bring up a very good point... And while I respect and admire what each of those men and women do for this country and the world, even to this day... The fact remains, they are not targets of threats on the scale of what Reed Richards and other superpowered beings have had to endure. Why? Because those men and women are not desired to be studied and used for the capabilities they posess by others. With each new superpowered being, there is that desire, and there is that danger."

I wish I could tell them. Tell them all of how a Kansas raised alien boy grew up and moved to the big city with dreams to make the world a better place. Tell them of all my struggles... Of what it has been like to be me. But... I can't. And I just have to accept that.

"It is not fair that anyone must suffer because of the existance of me. Zod, the monster who attacked and ruthlessly slaughtered those people, did it to get to me. And that is exactly why, if I were to say that I had a human alias, that I would not reveal it. Because if he knew where I was at all times... If he knew everything about me... Many more human beings would not be alive today.", I tell them.

These are topics that I have thought long and hard about. They have plagued me ever since I first discovered my abilites and heritage.

I turn back to Luthor.

"In any case, it would not matter. I would still, very much, not be one of you. I would still be percieved as an alien, as I am every time I fly over the skies of Metropolis."

 

[Batman]

(IC: Bullseye)

I easily block the stars with me shield.

"Bullseye, I took care of Deadpool and he has a healing factor. Do you think you really have a chance against me? Just make it easy and give yourself and Fisk up."

Bullseye stands, mock considering it.

"Hmm. Tell ya what, big guy.", He says, with a sadistic grin.

And suddenly, Bullseye is airbourne. Two sais spring from compartments on his gloves, as he leaps at Captain America.

"I'll do that when you're a star spangled corpse!!!", He yells, striking the sais against the shield.

Well that sucked. How's a guy supposed to gut another guy when he's hidin' behind some kinda oversized dinner plate?

Bullseye hammered into the shield, trying to break it. Nothing. Infact, the sais were beginning to bend from the pressure. Bullseye looked at them, knowing full well he couldn't get to the Captain this way. He then looked up, eyeing something. The sadistic grin? It was suddenly returned.

"Well, you know what they say...", He chuckled, throwing the sais up at a suspended crate that was being held above them from a crane. The sais split the rope holding the crate easily, as it came flying down. Bullseye had already jumped away.

"What goes up, must come down!", Bullseye laughed, as the crate came crashing down atop the masked Sentiniel of Liberty.

Boyscout? yes. Smart? Hell no!

 

[Andy C.]

(IC: Green Lantern)

Through the chaos of battle, weaving between the blasts of emerald energy and devastating waves of the Power Cosmic, Sinestro and his pupil made their way to the surface of Oa. As they approached the Guardians' city, Jordan saw three other Lanterns, all pitted against a fourth being with metallic skin. Try as they might, the Lanterns could not hold off this silver assailant, and one by one they were defeated.

"Sinestro...those other Lanterns....that thing out there...what is that?"

"They call him the Silver Surfer; he's Galactus' lackey. In a stand-up fight, I don't think any one of us can stand up to him. But if what I've got in store works, then we won't have to. Now come on, let's get you to the Central Battery."

Hal and Sinestro rushed into the Guardians' City, through gleaming towers towards the pillar of green light that radiated from the Battery. As they swept through the city towards their destination, they were intercepted by a large, reptillian creature who looked at Jordan suspiciously.

"Sinestro...good to see you here," the creature said, "but I thought you were in Sector 2814. Where is Abin Sur?"

"Abin Sur is dead," Sinestro said, not even raising an eyebrow at the monstrous-looking thing before them. "This is the new guardian of Sector 2814, Hal Jordan of the Planet Earth. Jordan, this is Kilowog, the head trainer of new recruits in the Green Lantern Corps."

"Ummm....nice to meet you," Jordan said nervously. Kilowog grunted and contorted his massive maw into what Hal could only guess was a smile, then turned his attention back to Sinestro.

"Sorry I can't put the rookie through the usual courses at the moment, but reports aren't good. We're taking heavy losses; right now we're estimating about half of the Corps is down, and many of the Guardians too. The only one I know is still here is Ganthet, and he's at the Central Battery."

"Well, the news is about to get worse. The Silver Surfer has reached planet-side, and there's a chance he'll be coming this way. I already saw him take out three of our most powerful Lanterns. Looked like Ruch Ehr, Arisia and Munni Jah."

The massive Kilowog frowned, but Sinestro continued.

"However, I do have a plan. Kilowog, I want you to take Jordan and any of the other Lanterns you can to the Central Battery; we'll need their concentrated power to try and hold off Galactus if he makes his move. I'm heading to the armory, and am going to try and bring the fight to Galactus on his own ship."

"The Taa II? You'll be killed for sure before you can even get on board!"

Sinestro grinned.

"Not necessarily. I've managed to get hold of Boom Tube technology from Apokolips that will put me right in the center of that ship without even trying. And once I'm there, I've got a few...surprises for Galactus and his shiny little friend."

Before Kilowog or Jordan could say anything, Sinestro took off, heading to another part of the city. The Earthman and the giant Lantern from Bolovax Vik stood there, awkwardly regarding each other for a few moments, until the booming report of another explosion resounded through the Guardians' City.

"Well, I guess we should get started. Follow me."