"One Universe" RPG thread.

[Batman]

IC: Superman

I can barely even contemplate the force of the impact the moment I hit him. That's how strong it is.

In the moments leading up to it, alot went through my mind. I thought of what would happen to Ma and Pa if this monster got within a good range of Smallville. I thought of my birth parents, and what he would've done to them had he escaped and they were still alive. I thought of what would've happened had I been locked in combat with him while Lois and Jimmy fell to their deaths. Had I not been there in time...

All of which I didn't want to imagine. All of which I had to, because of the being infront of me. That's all it took to make me lose it, for even a moment. The thought of losing Ma and Pa. The thought of an unfair demise for a lost race at the hands of this madman. The thought of failing Lois. All because of him.

As we go rocketing into the sky, I hit him across the face with a left hook. Then a right. Then I press on the attack by driving my head into his chest, and throwing us both higher into the sky. Taking in some breaths, I look up at him, eyes blazing with red energy, as I blow a thick sheet of ice in his face. Then, I focus my vision on him... before smashing the ice with a blast of heat vision, and headbutting him. I don't even give him time to shake the frost from his face as I head into him again, throwing multiple punches his way, before ending it with a final, hard uppercut.

He goes flying back. I hold my ground, waiting for him to make another move, as he begins to slow down and regain control of his own balance in the sky. But not once does the heat fade from my eyes. No, that won't fade anytime soon. Not with those thoughts still in my head.

"Fight me."

He looks at me. I grit my teeth. I've had it with him and his stares of superiority. He's not on Krypton anymore. He's here. On my home. He has no right to be... And I'm going to make him very aware of that.

"YOU HEARD WHAT I SAID!"

 

[wiegeabo]

I really should be sleeping as the early morning sun filters in through the windows. My body tells me it needs rest. But my mind is too busy thinking.

After I returned to the cave, Alfred met me there with some disturbing news. Apparently, the CNN was reporting how Oscorp had been attacked. And eyewitnesses had said the attacker had been riding a giant mechanical bat.

The news had hit me cold. I immediately had changed and rushed upstairs to watch the early reports. There was little information, but a bat theme was apparent, and the early indications was that it could have been me. Or, as the reporter had put it, "Suspicion has fallen on the mysterious Gotham character, The Batman. Although the Batman's existance has never been confirmed by Gotham authorites, New York City and Gotham police are seeking any and all information regarding his whereabouts."

And that is why, hours later, I sit in my den, the painting of my parents looking down on me. By the time the morning paper had arrived, more information had become available. Witnesses said that the figure on the flying bat had been some kind of hideous green monster. Although the police were no longer certain Batman was the attacker, they still were looking for him. For me. And I cannot afford for that to happen. My work requires anonymity.

Alfred comes in and takes the tray of untouched food. The news had taken away my appetite, and it still hasn 't returned. "Afred," I say just before he leaves the room.

"Sir?"

"I'm going to bed." I stand up, still looking out of the window. "When I get up, we'll begin the installation. And then..."

"And then, Master Bruce?"

"And then...we're going to New York."

 

[Andy C.]

IC: Superman

I can barely even contemplate the force of the impact the moment I hit him. That's how strong it is.

In the moments leading up to it, alot went through my mind. I thought of what would happen to Ma and Pa if this monster got within a good range of Smallville. I thought of my birth parents, and what he would've done to them had he escaped and they were still alive. I thought of what would've happened had I been locked in combat with him while Lois and Jimmy fell to their deaths. Had I not been there in time...

All of which I didn't want to imagine. All of which I had to, because of the being infront of me. That's all it took to make me lose it, for even a moment. The thought of losing Ma and Pa. The thought of an unfair demise for a lost race at the hands of this madman. The thought of failing Lois. All because of him.

As we go rocketing into the sky, I hit him across the face with a left hook. Then a right. Then I press on the attack by driving my head into his chest, and throwing us both higher into the sky. Taking in some breaths, I look up at him, eyes blazing with red energy, as I blow a thick sheet of ice in his face. Then, I focus my vision on him... before smashing the ice with a blast of heat vision, and headbutting him. I don't even give him time to shake the frost from his face as I head into him again, throwing multiple punches his way, before ending it with a final, hard uppercut.

The fury that Kal-El had unleashed upon Zod was truly terrifying to behold. The soldiers on the streets below began to dive for cover, mistaking the deafening thunder from his powerful blows to be explosions. Miles away, S.H.I.E.L.D. monitors could barely track their movements as Superman sent the General tumbling through the skies again and again.

His final devastating blow shattered the Kryptonium armor of Zod's helmet, and as the General reeled, the world could finally see his true face.

He goes flying back. I hold my ground, waiting for him to make another move, as he begins to slow down and regain control of his own balance in the sky. But not once does the heat fade from my eyes. No, that won't fade anytime soon. Not with those thoughts still in my head.

"Fight me."

He looks at me. I grit my teeth. I've had it with him and his stares of superiority. He's not on Krypton anymore. He's here. On my home. He has no right to be... And I'm going to make him very aware of that.

"YOU HEARD WHAT I SAID!"

The General put up his hands, trying to block the beams of immense heat that Kal-El fired towards him. As he did, he drew in a deep breath and let it loose towards Superman. A column of gale-force wind knocked his enemy off-balance for just long enough for Zod to swoop in for a counter-attack.

The slammed directly into him, catching Kal-El dead in the chest with his armored fist. The younger Kryptonian would have been sent flying, but before he got out of reach, Zod grabbed him by the arm and pulled him back, bringing him in for a knee to the solar plexus. The General kept one hand on Kal-El to make sure he did not fly out of reach, while the other delivered blow after blow to his ribs and face.

Superman brought up his hands to fight back, but Zod caught him by the wrist, and began to squeeze; even someone as indestructible as Superman would feel pain as his own bones scraped against each other. As his enemy writhed to break free, Zod looked him squarely in the eyes.

'

"You told me to fight you, did you not? Well, perhaps you should be careful what you wish for, Kal-El. Before this day is over, I will break you beneath my heel."

Zod tightened his grip on Kal-El's wrists, before blasting him at point blank with his heat vision.

"I will make this world perfect, a reflection of the glorious Mother World! You would have it still be a den for apes and inferiors. Just as your father would be content to let a Council of bureaucratic fools drive Krypton to its death. Your family has been my bane for decades. It ends today....with the killing of you!"

With that, Zod broke his grasp on Superman's wrists, and instead grabbed both sides of his head, pulling it down and driving it into Zod's knee. He then raised his right arm and brought the elbow down hard on the back of Kal-El's neck. To his disappointment, the spine didn't break, and so the General instead clamped his other hand around Superman's throat, and hurled him as hard as he could eastwards, towards the open ocean.

As the man in blue tore across the air, Zod followed him, as the two now left the confines of the city. Their battlefield would be the entire world.

 

[wiegeabo]

I wake in the early afternoon, slightly annoyed that I slept so long. During my training days I had gotten down to four hours of meditative sleep. Now, I have let myself go soft and am up to six hours. I'll have to work on that. Even though my sleep fully recharges me, Alfred is never happy about what he sees as sleep deprevation. But I need the extra hours of activity in the day if I am going to function as Batman at night and playboy Bruce Wayne during the day.

Getting out of bed, I down the glass of juice Alfred had left on the nightstand and make my way into the showers. The hot water beating on my muscles loosens the knots I had earned during the night and help to wake me up while calming my mind.

I reflect on what turned out to be a good night's work. The only situation had been the explosion at the docks. Turned out to be two rival gangs fighting over a shipment of guns. But I took them down with little difficulty. They never even laid a hand on me. Unlike the lucky punk that landed his baseball bat on my arm. The bruise still aches and is a very pronounced blue. But I just played it off as a racquetball injury when Lucious bumped into me the next day.

After dressing and spending half an hour in a quick workout, I eat a quick breakfast...well, lunch. Then Alfred and I get to the task of putting together the new equipment. The first task is getting all of the components into the cave, which requires us to disassemble it. I think about plans to add some type of freight elevator to lower future large equipment down into the cave, but mostly focus on the task at hand.

After a couple of hours, the disassembly is done and we've moved a good bit of the parts down below. Alfred takes a break to fix us some drinks and I keep at work, not williing to go another day without the new equipment. I should have had this installed in the cave before the first time I went out. It's a mistake I'm going to rectify.

"Master Bruce!" I hear Alfred call. The urgency in his voice snaps my focus and I rush to see what is happening. I find Alfred watching a live news report on CNN.

What I see and hear stops me cold. Just like Flash had said, Superman and Zod had met in Washington DC. And just as feared, a battle had ensued, forcing a mass evacuation for a fight that would not, could not, be contained.

I watched as the reportes explained that they could only get a few minutes of footage up to the start of the battle when all bad place broke loose. Filming had become impossible and the reporters on the scence were forced to rely on witnesses and what little information the military was giving out.

"I know what you are thinking, sir," Alfred says.

"That I should be there?" He nods. "No, there's nothing I could do. Nothing I have that would help me fight a Kryptonian."

"Possibly help with the civilians?"

I just stand there, my arms crossed, my muscles tensed. My body screams for me to do something, but I know there is nothing I could do, even if I was there. "The military wouldn't let me." I know I'm saying it for my own benefit, not knowing if it was true or not. And I know Alfred knows that's why I said it.

But "Of course, sir," is his simple reply. He leaves me to watch the events unfold. I turn the set off after a few minutes when it becomes clear the fight is no longer confined within the city. I can't help now, but I'm determined never to be unprepared again.

I walk back into the room and Alfred looks up from the components on the floor. "We're going to need more equipment. A lot more..."

 

[Batman]

IC: Superman

The fury that Kal-El had unleashed upon Zod was truly terrifying to behold. The soldiers on the streets below began to dive for cover, mistaking the deafening thunder from his powerful blows to be explosions. Miles away, S.H.I.E.L.D. monitors could barely track their movements as Superman sent the General tumbling through the skies again and again.

His final devastating blow shattered the Kryptonium armor of Zod's helmet, and as the General reeled, the world could finally see his true face.

The General put up his hands, trying to block the beams of immense heat that Kal-El fired towards him. As he did, he drew in a deep breath and let it loose towards Superman. A column of gale-force wind knocked his enemy off-balance for just long enough for Zod to swoop in for a counter-attack.

The slammed directly into him, catching Kal-El dead in the chest with his armored fist. The younger Kryptonian would have been sent flying, but before he got out of reach, Zod grabbed him by the arm and pulled him back, bringing him in for a knee to the solar plexus. The General kept one hand on Kal-El to make sure he did not fly out of reach, while the other delivered blow after blow to his ribs and face.

Superman brought up his hands to fight back, but Zod caught him by the wrist, and began to squeeze; even someone as indestructible as Superman would feel pain as his own bones scraped against each other. As his enemy writhed to break free, Zod looked him squarely in the eyes.

'

"You told me to fight you, did you not? Well, perhaps you should be careful what you wish for, Kal-El. Before this day is over, I will break you beneath my heel."

Zod tightened his grip on Kal-El's wrists, before blasting him at point blank with his heat vision.

"I will make this world perfect, a reflection of the glorious Mother World! You would have it still be a den for apes and inferiors. Just as your father would be content to let a Council of bureaucratic fools drive Krypton to its death. Your family has been my bane for decades. It ends today....with the killing of you!"

With that, Zod broke his grasp on Superman's wrists, and instead grabbed both sides of his head, pulling it down and driving it into Zod's knee. He then raised his right arm and brought the elbow down hard on the back of Kal-El's neck. To his disappointment, the spine didn't break, and so the General instead clamped his other hand around Superman's throat, and hurled him as hard as he could eastwards, towards the open ocean.

As the man in blue tore across the air, Zod followed him, as the two now left the confines of the city. Their battlefield would be the entire world.

I don't know what's more agonising. The fact that I felt my spine nearly crushed by his attack, the fact that my wrists are nearly broken, or the fact that I'm beginning to think I may be in over my head.

I see a streak of red liquid fly infront of me as I'm hurled, backwards, through the air. I... I'm bleeding. From my nose... from my mouth... I think even my ears. And for me, shedding blood is a rare occurance. But I have a feeling that I'm going to lose even more, by the time this is over.

I try to move... try to stop myself from falling back any farther away, before Zod can press on his attack. It pains me to do so. But I ignore the pain, and push myself as hard as I can. Surely enough, I eventually slow down, stopping to a halt above the ocean. Washington... Even land in general is far from sight, at this point.

Whether Zod knows it or not... He's just given me everything that I need.

I look back, seeing him fly at me, ready to go in for another punch. At his current speed, He's liable to break my jaw in half. And I can't have that. Especially this early. The heat swells behind my retinas once again, as I aim for his shoulder, and fire.

"F-Funny... Zod...", I say in between breaths of exhaustion and the force of the blast coming from my eyes, as it strikes him, knocking him off course for the attack.

I fly forward, driving my face into his, and smashing it with what I've heard is called a 'headbut'. Taking my knee, I slam it into his abdominals, and pull him back up by his hair, pulling back my other arm as a fist forms.

"You're the second person... who's threatened to break me... under their heel.", I continue, thinking of Darkseid.

With an agonising punch (for both he and I) driving into the emblem that resembles my own on his armor, I hold up my forearm, and drive it into his atom's apple, forcing us into a massive burst of speed that neither of us can control. Raising my legs, I place my feet onto his armor, and push with all of the strength that I can, sending him into the water below at an unfathomably fast descent.

As I float, for a moment, looking down at the water, I utter something that I know he can hear, due to his shared hearing levels...

"And he didn't succeed either."

But my momentary rest is halted the minute that I spot air bubbles rising from the ocean. He's coming back for me. I spit out a wad of blood, and ready myself for the worst. For the ongoing battle.

For the neverending battle...

 

[Andy C.]

IC: Superman



I don't know what's more agonising. The fact that I felt my spine nearly crushed by his attack, the fact that my wrists are nearly broken, or the fact that I'm beginning to think I may be in over my head.

I see a streak of red liquid fly infront of me as I'm hurled, backwards, through the air. I... I'm bleeding. From my nose... from my mouth... I think even my ears. And for me, shedding blood is a rare occurance. But I have a feeling that I'm going to lose even more, by the time this is over.

I try to move... try to stop myself from falling back any farther away, before Zod can press on his attack. It pains me to do so. But I ignore the pain, and push myself as hard as I can. Surely enough, I eventually slow down, stopping to a halt above the ocean. Washington... Even land in general is far from sight, at this point.

Whether Zod knows it or not... He's just given me everything that I need.

I look back, seeing him fly at me, ready to go in for another punch. At his current speed, He's liable to break my jaw in half. And I can't have that. Especially this early. The heat swells behind my retinas once again, as I aim for his shoulder, and fire.

"F-Funny... Zod...", I say in between breaths of exhaustion and the force of the blast coming from my eyes, as it strikes him, knocking him off course for the attack.

I fly forward, driving my face into his, and smashing it with what I've heard is called a 'headbut'. Taking my knee, I slam it into his abdominals, and pull him back up by his hair, pulling back my other arm as a fist forms.

"You're the second person... who's threatened to break me... under their heel.", I continue, thinking of Darkseid.

With an agonising punch (for both he and I) driving into the emblem that resembles my own on his armor, I hold up my forearm, and drive it into his atom's apple, forcing us into a massive burst of speed that neither of us can control. Raising my legs, I place my feet onto his armor, and push with all of the strength that I can, sending him into the water below at an unfathomably fast descent.

As I float, for a moment, looking down at the water, I utter something that I know he can hear, due to his shared hearing levels...

"And he didn't succeed either."

But my momentary rest is halted the minute that I spot air bubbles rising from the ocean. He's coming back for me. I spit out a wad of blood, and ready myself for the worst. For the ongoing battle.

For the neverending battle...

Zod raced upwards from the cold of the ocean floor, the total darkness of the deep broken by the crimson glow from the General's heat vision, boiling the water above him. A cloud of red followed him as he rose from the depths; Kal-El's headbutt had broken Zod's nose. His pain was drowned out, numbed by his anger. As he propelled himself towards the surface, an idea came upon him.

The General slowed himself to a halt before reaching the surface, and held out his arms on either side and began to spin. The water began to swirl around him, and Zod increased his speed. He spun himself faster and faster, generating the centripetal force needed to create a whirlpool in the open ocean.

As Zod felt the force of the water beginning to pull him down, he flew up from the swirling vortex he had created, aiming for Superman. The son of Jor-El was ready to intercept him with a right hook, but Zod ducked under it, swooping behind Kal-El. The General brought his fists together, and slammed them with all of his might into Kal-El's back.

Zod grinned as Superman plummeted downward, into the force of the whirlpool. If the General could not break him, then perhaps he would drown him....

******

The Pentagon

"Okay, folks, it looks like Washington is clear. Move all military and emergency personnel back into the city for rescue and relief operations. Those two are leaving one bad place of a mess.

"I want the S.H.I.E.L.D. HeliCarriers to scramble; there's no use in having them in the city anymore. Get the fastest planes we've got to take up standby positions globally. Wherever Superman and Zod end up, we need to make sure we've got someone there."

"Colonel Fury, sir!" One of the officers spoke up. "NORAD has picked up what appears to be a meteor landing in the South Atlantic. The impact has generated a tide that is expected to reach tsunami strength and hit the coast of Portugal within the hour."

Fury kept his eyes locked on the map display, not even bothering to look at anyone else in the room.

"That was no meteor, son. That was them. They're doing more damage to everything around them than they are to each other. If they had hit in a populated area.....

"Allright....allright. We've got to stop this before they tear the whole planet apart. We wait till they touch down somewhere, and pray to God that there aren't any civilians around. Then....we nuke them."

The Colonel lit another cigarette, then glared at the other S.H.I.E.L.D. operative.

"You happy now?"

 

[wiegeabo]

Superman's impact with Zod sends Powerman and I flying. I create a couple of small whirlwinds with my arms to slow us down and land us gently.

I'm amazed at the power these two beings are displaying. "How are we supposed to help him?" I ask, not really expecting an answer. I turn to Power Man. "Time to get some help."

I grab Power Man and take off back towards the military. To Power Man's credit he doesn't throw up, which is what usually happens the first time someone goes superspeed. When we arrive we see medics scouring the area, helping military and civilains alike. I see the Green Arrow helping as well and stop right next to him.

"Superman and Zod have taken the fight out of the city. Do we have anything that can help?"

 

[Byrd Man]

Superman's impact with Zod sends Powerman and I flying. I create a couple of small whirlwinds with my arms to slow us down and land us gently.

I'm amazed at the power these two beings are displaying. "How are we supposed to help him?" I ask, not really expecting an answer. I turn to Power Man. "Time to get some help."

I grab Power Man and take off back towards the military. To Power Man's credit he doesn't throw up, which is what usually happens the first time someone goes superspeed. When we arrive we see medics scouring the area, helping military and civilains alike. I see the Green Arrow helping as well and stop right next to him.

"Superman and Zod have taken the fight out of the city. Do we have anything that can help?"

In a streak of red light Flash and Power Man appear. I stand up and look at them.

"I got a couple of arrows in my quiver, but nothing that could stop Zod, maybe slow him down so you can do one of those hand of god punches. I also got a plane that could get us to them."

"Nevermind boys."

I turn to Power Man and see a small grin on his face.

"I can get us on one of those S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarriers and take us to Big Blue and Big Ugly in no time."

 

[wiegeabo]

In a streak of red light Flash and Power Man appear. I stand up and look at them.

"I got a couple of arrows in my quiver, but nothing that could stop Zod, maybe slow him down so you can do one of those hand of god punches. I also got a plane that could get us to them."

"Nevermind boys."

I turn to Power Man and see a small grin on his face.

"I can get us on one of those S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarriers and take us to Big Blue and Big Ugly in no time."

"Then let's do it. We'll go with the arrows first, see if they help. If that fails..." I look down at my hand, ignoring the ache.

"We'll worry about that when it happens."

 

[Byrd Man]

"Then let's do it. We'll go with the arrows first, see if they help. If that fails..." I look down at my hand, ignoring the ache.

"We'll worry about that when it happens."

"Alright then, Amanda."

The helicarrier creates a shadow as it hover in the air. The cargo door opens and Amanda Waller steps out.

"Cage, Flash, Arrow. Let's roll."

 

[wiegeabo]

"Alright then, Amanda."

The helicarrier creates a shadow as it hover in the air. The cargo door opens and Amanda Waller steps out.

"Cage, Flash, Arrow. Let's roll."

As we step onboard, even with everything that's just happened, I can't help but let out a low whistle. "Gentlemen," the one called Amanda says as she indicates a direction.

She leads us down corridors and through elevators to the bridge. The entire time, Green Arrow and I look around in awe. When we get to the bridge, it's a hotbed of activity. The mood of the crew quickly sobers me up.

"Where are they?"

 

[Byrd Man]

As we step onboard, even with everything that's just happened, I can't help but let out a low whistle. "Gentlemen," the one called Amanda says as she indicates a direction.

She leads us down corridors and through elevators to the bridge. The entire time, Green Arrow and I look around in awe. When we get to the bridge, it's a hotbed of activity. The mood of the crew quickly sobers me up.

"Where are they?"

Amanda Waller turns to meet Flash's gaze.

"Right now, Zod and Superman are in the south atlantic, Near Portugal. We should be there soon. A word of warning though, The president green light the option of using nuclear force if nessecary."

"Nukes? Holy $hit this getting heavy."

"Don't you understand? If we don't stop them they'll tear apart the whole world in a matter of hours."

 

[wiegeabo]

Amanda Waller turns to meet Flash's gaze.

"Right now, Zod and Superman are in the south atlantic, Near Portugal. We should be there soon. A word of warning though, The president green light the option of using nuclear force if nessecary."

"Nukes? Holy $hit this getting heavy."

"Don't you understand? If we don't stop them they'll tear apart the whole world in a matter of hours."

"Not if we stop them first." They look at me like I'm crazy. I don't blame them. "We're not even sure if nuclear bombs will stop them. We've got to try anything and everything before we go that route."

I turn to the Arrow. "Will you be able to hit them with that thing at the speeds they travel?"

 

[Byrd Man]

"Not if we stop them first." They look at me like I'm crazy. I don't blame them. "We're not even sure if nuclear bombs will stop them. We've got to try anything and everything before we go that route."

I turn to the Arrow. "Will you be able to hit them with that thing at the speeds they travel?"

I bite my bottom lip and think.

"I should, I just need a spotter. Someone to tell me when to fire, think you can do it?"

 

[wiegeabo]

I bite my bottom lip and think.

"I should, I just need a spotter. Someone to tell me when to fire, think you can do it?"

"Hmmm...maybe you won't need one. If this hellicarrier can get in a good position, I could lend you some of my speed. Help you catch up with, and keep track of, Superman and Zod."

I throw him a mischievous grin. "And if it can't get in ga ood position, we could just run across the water to find one."

 

[Byrd Man]

"Hmmm...maybe you won't need one. If this hellicarrier can get in a good position, I could lend you some of my speed. Help you catch up with, and keep track of, Superman and Zod."

I throw him a mischievous grin. "And if it can't get in ga ood position, we could just run across the water to find one."

"Well let's hope I don't puke."

I smile and check the arrows in my quiver, Nitro arrows, gas arrows, my special comet arrow that my father gave me, and all my regular arrows.

"Alright gentlemen, were almost to Superman and Zod. Get your $hit together and get ready to rumble."

I see Power Man smile and laugh.

"I don't know about Y'all but today is a good day to die."

 

[wiegeabo]

"Well let's hope I don't puke."

I smile and check the arrows in my quiver, Nitro arrows, gas arrows, my special comet arrow that my father gave me, and all my regular arrows.

"Alright gentlemen, were almost to Superman and Zod. Get your $hit together and get ready to rumble."

I see Power Man smile and laugh.

"I don't know about Y'all but today is a good day to die."

I raise my eyebrow. "Speak for yourself. I plan on living forever." I turn towards Amanda. "Can we get in a good position."

She stands there, arms crossed, looking at a screen. "It'll be difficult if they move around much. But right now, they seem pretty stable."

"Then we need to get up on deck. Someplace with a full view of the area."

 

[Andy C.]

Colonel Fury had gone through too many cigarettes today; virtually everything that could have possibly gone wrong with this operation had gone wrong. Superman and Zod had managed to escape the bounds of the city despite the defense perimeters. The collateral damage caused by their battle had stretched into two countries once the tidal anomalies created by Zod began to affect Portugal's coastline. Unregistered metahumans had entered the combat zone, one of whom was a S.H.I.E.L.D. operative who was taking actions without his orders....and now they had just commandeered a HeliCarrier???

"So let me get this straight..." Fury said into his headset, communicating with the captain of the carrier, "After given the order to scramble to intercept positions, you willingly and knowingly disobey orders and turn around to pick up an agent, one who is not responding to direct orders, and his two civilian friends?"

"Colonel Fury sir, he registered as S.H.I.E.L.D. personnel, and could still be of use in the fight. Not to mention Flash actually managed to knock Zod out temporarily, and Green Arrow could prove to be an asset."

"Right now we've got two powerhouses causing global-scale catastrophe, fighting in the ocean! What the bad place are two land-based metas and a Robin Hood impersonator going to bring into the fight?"

"I....I'm not sure, sir. What are your orders?"

"If we're going to butt in on Superman and Zod, we're at least going to do it right. Hold your current position until you receive contact from an incoming plane; I'm coming aboard and taking command of your vessel myself. After that, we'll try and reach the combat zone before those two take off again, and do what we can."

"Sir, yes sir."

The headset hissed with static as communications with the HeliCarrier ended. Fury looked blankly into space for a few second, and then slammed his fist down onto the desk.

"Will one of you stupid bastards tell me what part of this mission I actually command?!"

With that, the Colonel stormed out of the war room, and made his way up to ground level.

 

[Byrd Man]

I raise my eyebrow. "Speak for yourself. I plan on living forever." I turn towards Amanda. "Can we get in a good position."

She stands there, arms crossed, looking at a screen. "It'll be difficult if they move around much. But right now, they seem pretty stable."

"Then we need to get up on deck. Someplace with a full view of the area."

"Good idea."

A ringtone echoes through the bridge as Amanda picks up her cellphone.

"Yes? Well you tell him that. But Flash. Arrow. Yes I hear you loud and clear."

She hangs up the phone and looks at the small group with a displeased look on her face."

"Let's get to the deck before were graced by The Colonel, You'll get a kick out of this."

 

[wiegeabo]

"The Colonel?" I wonder out loud as we make our way towards another elevator. In no time we've moved to the top of the carrier and into an large room. Amanda nods to the men working the consoles who nod back and press some buttons.

Lights flash a warning yellow and the large door opens. The sound of rushing wind invades the small space. We step out into a breezy late afternoon, several timezones ahead of the gloomy morning we left in Washington. Then I realize most of the wind is coming from the large, very large, helicopter blades spinning around us.

Amanda points off in the distance where we can just make out a craft heading towards us. A few minutes later we can tell it's a fast moving helicopter. Another couple of minutes later and it's coming in for a landing.

When the side door of the chopper finally opens, standing there is a hard-edged, cigarette smoking, eyepatch wearing sonova***** that I haven't seen, much less work with, in years. I almost laugh out loud, but just keep it as a broad smile.

"I knew you'd make Colonel someday, if you didn't get killed first. Good to see you again, Nick."

 

[Byrd Man]

I see a man with an eyepatch step out of the helicopter.

"The Colonel? The man looks more like Long John Silver than Colonel Sanders."

I hear Power Man bust out loud laughing.

"Yo-ho maties! All a shore that's going a shore!"

 

[Andy C.]

"The Colonel?" I wonder out loud as we make our way towards another elevator. In no time we've moved to the top of the carrier and into an large room. Amanda nods to the men working the consoles who nod back and press some buttons.

Lights flash a warning yellow and the large door opens. The sound of rushing wind invades the small space. We step out into a breezy late afternoon, several timezones ahead of the gloomy morning we left in Washington. Then I realize most of the wind is coming from the large, very large, helicopter blades spinning around us.

Amanda points off in the distance where we can just make out a craft heading towards us. A few minutes later we can tell it's a fast moving helicopter. Another couple of minutes later and it's coming in for a landing.

When the side door of the chopper finally opens, standing there is a hard-edged, cigarette smoking, eyepatch wearing sonova***** that I haven't seen, much less work with, in years. I almost laugh out loud, but just keep it as a broad smile.

"I knew you'd make Colonel someday, if you didn't get killed first. Good to see you again, Nick."

Fury did his best to keep his composure around civilians, but upon seeing one of the old war heroes, he couldn't help but grin.

"Flash, it's been a long, long time since the old days. Wish we were meeting up under better circumstances, but it's still good to see you back in costume."

I see a man with an eyepatch step out of the helicopter.

"The Colonel? The man looks more like Long John Silver than Colonel Sanders."

The Colonel's smile quickly faded as he approached the Green Arrow.

"Keep it up, pal, and you'll wind up getting deep fried yourself. I'm wondering exactly what the bad place you plan on doing here...trying to stop an indestructible madman with a couple of toys?"

"Yo-ho maties! All a shore that's going a shore!"

Fury gave Arrow a contemptuous grunt, and moved on to Power Man.

"And as for you, soldier, disobeying orders during wartime operations is an act of treason. When this is all over, you're gonna have to come up with some damn good reasons for me not to have you executed. You break the chain of command, and the tactics fail. The tactics fail, people get killed. You got me?"

The three of them said nothing. Fury reached into his coat pocket, fumbling for a cigarette as he headed for the interior of the HeliCarrier.

"But since you three just had to get involved, let's do this right. Flash, I take it you're still fast enough to run across water?"

 

[Watchman]

Lex Luthor had one hand a window the other holding a glass of scotch. He looked down at all the people of Metropolis with the sounds of the Superman/Zod fight coming from a monitor. Rogers has not contacted him in a while now but he had business to attend to. In a few minutes he would have a meeting with a man that would show all metahumans around the world that humans were still in charge.

"Mr. Luthor?" a woman's voice came over from a intercom

"Any word from Rogers yet?"

"None yet but...."

"If you hear anything from him contact me immediately"

"Yes sir but your three o'clock is here"

"Send him in" the doors of his office opened and a man walks in.

"Bolivar Trask, sit down we have much to talk about" the two men sit opposite of one another. Trask puts down a folder which spills a few blue prints of what look like a giant man.

"I believe that you would these most interesting in dealing with the metahuman problem" the battle rages on in the monitor.

"Very much so. Looks like we are in business Mr. Trask"

 

[wiegeabo]

Fury gave Arrow a contemptuous grunt, and moved on to Power Man.

"And as for you, soldier, disobeying orders during wartime operations is an act of treason. When this is all over, you're gonna have to come up with some damn good reasons for me not to have you executed. You break the chain of command, and the tactics fail. The tactics fail, people get killed. You got me?"

The three of them said nothing. Fury reached into his coat pocket, fumbling for a cigarette as he headed for the interior of the HeliCarrier.

"But since you three just had to get involved, let's do this right. Flash, I take it you're still fast enough to run across water?"

"Ease off, Nick. He never got your orders, and no one here mentioned them." I make sure to keep eye contact with Fury and not glance at Amanda or anyone else. The last thing we need right now is more trouble.

"It was my idea for us to group up and join Superman in the fight. Power Man just happened to have the transportation. And since I'm a civilain, and not subject to your commands, there's not much you can do about it."

I can see Nick get a little ore angry, but I know this man. We saw things in the war we still don't talk about. He'll do what's right if it will save lives. "And yes, I can still run on water, but I'm not about to take a nuke out there if that's what you're going to ask. That has to be our last option, and Arrow and I have a few things we want to try first."

 

[Andy C.]

"Ease off, Nick. He never got your orders, and no one here mentioned them." I make sure to keep eye contact with Fury and not glance at Amanda or anyone else. The last thing we need right now is more trouble.

"It was my idea for us to group up and join Superman in the fight. Power Man just happened to have the transportation. And since I'm a civilain, and not subject to your commands, there's not much you can do about it."

I can see Nick get a little ore angry, but I know this man. We saw things in the war we still don't talk about. He'll do what's right if it will save lives. "And yes, I can still run on water, but I'm not about to take a nuke out there if that's what you're going to ask. That has to be our last option, and Arrow and I have a few things we want to try first."

There was an uncomfortable pause for a moment, as they waited for the Colonel's response. In fact, even Fury himself wasn't entirely sure what he was going to say until he said it. Millions of lives were at stake, and they didn't have time for discussion.

"....fine. The nuclear option is still on the table, but it's last resort. In the meantime, we've got to get Zod somewhere where he can't cause damage. Surveillance has indicated that he's temporarily disposed of Superman, so that's another problem we need to address.

"Flash, I'm wanting you to draw Zod's fire, and get him to some unpopulated dry land, say, the Sahara or the Antarctic. Once's he's away, we work on retrieving Superman from the ocean floor. Power Man, I understand that you're tough enough to survive deep-sea pressure, so you'll be fitted with the necessary gear to dive down and get him. After that, we move in on Flash's position, and do what we can to take Zod down.

"Arrow, I'm giving you one chance to do whatever it is you and Flash are preparing to do. Unless you've got arrows that can travel at hyper-sonic speeds, it'd better be good. If that fails, and if Superman still isn't back into the fight, everyone gets the bad place out of Dodge and we drop the bomb. Anyone have a problem with that?"

Fury didn't wait for an answer; there was no time. At any second, Zod could head for civilian areas and kill God knows how many.

"Just for the record, I'm not too crazy about leaving a matter of international security in the hands of civilians. But if an old legend like Flash is backing you two up, then it's at least worth a shot. Now let's get ready; there might not be another chance."