One Universe: Season III IC Thread

[bkhedr]

Boston​

The city has been beseiged by storms for two days now. Angry lightning lances the sky while howling wind and defeaning thunder echo through the rain drenched streets.​

The people of Boston resist the storms. They go to their jobs and keep their schools open, but the weather is relentless and meteoroligists are dumbfounded as they try to understand the cause of the storms and predict when their end will come.​

Imagine, if you will, their surprise if they were to discover that the cause they seek is nothing more than an angry and panicked spirit.​

For two days the God of Thunder has searched for his mortal love Jane Foster and for two days he has had no success.​

He knows he is being mocked by an immortal foe and though he knows not that foe's identity he is certain that Jane is in mortal danger, for whoever took her knew not just about her relationship with Doctor Blake, but also about Blake's true identity.​

That is why he has come here, to a field that should not exist, in a place that should not exist, to seek aid and find answers.​

Here the air is deathly still, the storms that came to be in the wake of Thor's turmoil do not follow, and the Thunder God feels his skin tingle as the very air around him becomes thick with magic.​

There is only one structure here, a tower of the darkest obsidian. It has no doors but such a thing is no obstacle for Thor and he easily propels himself through one of the tower's high windows.​

Once inside the full length and breadth of the tower presents itself before him. Strange, sweet smells drift through the dimly lit halls and ancient artifacts and tomes line the walls.​

In front of a fire stands the man who Thor has come to see. He stands tall with his back to the Thunderer and his face hidden behind a golden helmet.​

He does not turn to face the Thunderer but aknowledges his presence with an almost imperceptible nod and the slightest of bows.​

In different circumstances the Odinson might have responded with curt showing of respect of his own but he was running out of time to save Jane and desperation drove him to get directly to the point.​

"I have need of your skills wizard." his powerful voice boomed in a tone that implied that refusing to help was not an option.​

In response the Wizard turned to face the God who had entered his home and spoke with a voice laced with ancient power.​

"Be at ease Odinson." he said with practiced smoothness "Doctor Fate stands ready to assist you."​

Hours pass as Fate, sequestered within his chambers, searches for the Mortal the Thunderer seeks.

The heavy chamber doors are shut, and fused by some unexplained magical force while the thinnest wisps of smoke and mist drift out lazily from underneath its wooden beams.

From within there is silence, and all the while Thor, God of Thunder, imaptiently paces outside, his mind awash with a combination of worry for Jane, anger directed at her unknown captor, and most of all, guilt.

"I have your woman Stormbringer", the message had read. There could be no doubt that the message's author was the Immortal threat of which Hermod had warned. A threat aware of Thor's presence, able to see through his mortal guise, and worse still, undetectable to Thor's own godly senses. In self exile from Asgard the Thunderer had nowhere to turn save Dr Fate and now the hours pass as Fate too seems unable to locate Jane.

"It is because of me that Jane is in danger. By loving her I put her in the sights of my unseen enemy and now I can not even find her." Thor mutters as he comes to a halt before a golden framed mirror and stares at his own reflection for a moment.

No doubt the Odinson's spirits would have dipped even further as he stood and contemplated the decisions that had brought him to this point if not for a sudden shrill scream from within the chambers of Doctor Fate.

"Fate?" Thor shouts as he races to the sealed door and presses his ear to it.

A moment, two, and then Fate screams again.

Reacting instantly Thor again calls to the Wizard and moves to push the heavy doors apart.

Amazingly the doors hold though Thor strains against them with all his godly might.

Fate's magic keeps me at bay but magic or not, no door of Midgard can stand Mjolnir's fury he quickly rationalizes as he takes a step back from the door and hefts his magic mallet only to have the door suddenly swing open and bath him in an instant decompression of smoke and light from within.

Quickly making his way into the chamber the Thunderer finds Fate slumped on the floor before a shattered globe and takes a hold of the Wizard's shoulders.

"Fate?" he asks as he gently shakes the Wizard who stirs then groans in pain.

"What happened here Wizard? Did you find the one I seek?"

"Y-Yes I did Thor." Fate replies as he struggles to his feet with Thor's help. "I found him and engaged him, but his powers have grown, he has changed, and the entire world...is in danger."

"Who Fate? Who is this knave?"

"Seth." Fate replies grimly"The Serpent God of Death is here on Earth"

"And Jane?" Thor asks after taking a quiet moment to take in the enormous significance of his foe's identity.

"She lives Thor. He has her and will use her against you as he did me."

"He will try." Thor said confidently but Fate merely shook his head.

"He has many prisoners Thor. Somehow he is adding their living essences to his strength. Their lives are both his power and his shield Thor. He is not hiding anymore, he believes himself invincible. I fear you will not be able to defeat him alone, and I...I am sorry but I will need..time..to regain my strength."

"I understand Wizard and I thank you for your help." Thor says as he lowers Fate into a chair and straightens up.

"This is now an affair of the Gods Fate. Show me where to find him."

 

[Keyser Soze]

Finnigan's is what's known as a cop bar. It's the place in Gotham where the GCPD's uniformed officers like to go to unwind in between shifts. Jim said he likes to come here on occasion. Good people here, he said. You never feel alone. But in spite of the laughter and partying going on around me, I feel pretty damn alone right about now.

I sit at the bar, nursing a half-drunk glass of Coke. I don't drink, I never have. I wouldn't after seeing what it did to my father. But as I sit here, I consider ordering shot after shot of Jack Daniel's. Dad's drink of choice. See what it's like, why dad felt the need to lose himself inside a bottle. What do they call it? Drowning your sorrows? God knows I've got plenty of sorrows need drowning.

My wife is in a coma. Sal Maroni is still on the street, plotting to kill me. Carmine Falcone is still untouchable. I can't keep my promise to Gotham. I might as well just call it quits right now...

God, I am becoming like my dad. A bitter, self-pitying failure. I can't let that happen. I down the rest of the Coke. The bartender approaches me as I raise the glass.

"You wantin' something stronger, counseller?" he asks.

"No thanks," I reply, after a moment's thought, "More of the same."

 

[Johnny Blaze]

THE ODYSSEY

Chapter 2 ~ The Good Samaritan - Act 2​

Norrin sighed as the ship's crew came at him. It seemed he would always have his past life as a Herald looming above his head. The feline female lept in, slashing him across his face with her claws.

Norrin's face barely twitched as the dagger-like nails raked across his silver skin, leaving no mark what-so-ever.
With a flick of his hand, Norrin reached out and grasped her by her forehead.

"Sleep", he spoke as the Power Cosmic flowed from him and into her mind. The cat woman hissed in protest as her brain sent signals to her body that it was time for rest. Helpless to stop it, she was soon forced into a deep slumber, laying curled up on the floor.

His cosmic senses warning him, the Surfer rose into the air as the large green being lept at him with a roar. He passed just under Norrin, landing flat on his stomach on the cold metal floor.
Norrin raised his hand and clenched his fist, and the floor around the lizard man came alive and wrapped around him like a cacoon. Norrin left his head uncovered though; he didn't want to suffocate him after all, just subdue him.

"Please, I do not wish to fight you. I have come to help!"

A blast of energy smashed into Norrin's back, knocking him off of his board and onto the floor.

"Sure ya have, chrome dome. Help yerself ta our cargo."

Norrin reached out with his mind, taking control of the tiger-man's large gun and warping it, wrapping it around him like a rope. Bound and unable to get free, he tumbled to the deck, cussing loudly at Norrin.

Suddenly, Norrin felt intense pain in his chest. Looking down, the Surfer saw a spectral hand sticking out of his body.
Norrin lurched forward, out of the phantom's grip and turned to face his attacker.

[BLACKOUT]"You do not belong here, Herald. Leave now before it is too late for you."[/BLACKOUT]

Norrin tried to reach out and grab him, but his hand simply passed right through the wraith.
[BLACKOUT]"You cannot touch me, Surfer. Not unless I allow it."[/BLACKOUT]

"Truly", Norrin asked as his hands glowed with cosmic energy, and the form of the wraith suddenly became solid.
"Clearly you do not fully understand the Power Cosmic. Allow me to demonstrate."

Norrin reached out his hand at the phantom, touching him on the forehead and sending a wave of cosmic energy through his now solid form. The phantom carried the shocked look on his face all the way to ground, as he came to rest like a shadowy puddle.

"Stop!"

Norrin turned to regard the human in red as he held his sword down.
Silence reigned for what seemed like eternity as the man and his remaining two crew members stood by, waiting for something to give.

Finally, the man sheethed his blade.

"All right Surfer...we'll here you out", the man said warily.

--------------------

"An interesting story", replied Corsair, the human and captain of the ship, Starjammer.
It had been a few minutes since the skirmish, and the Starjammer's crew stood behind their captain, Corsair, as the Surfer told them of his mission and all that had transpired for him since leaving Galactus' side.

Corsair seemed particularly interested in the crisis on Earth.

"I apologize for the attack, Surfer", Corsair went on, "but, with our cargo, we can't afford to assume anyone we bump into is a friend."

"What is it that you are carrying, Corsair?"

"That's on a need-to-know basis, Surfer", Corsair chuckled.

"And I do not need to know", Norrin finished for him. It didn't matter. He didn't sense any evil in them, and his instincts were usually right.

"Exactly. Let's just say that there are some rather...unsavory people who want to use it for their own ends. And we can't let it fall into their hands."

"Now then, let me introduce you to the crew. This is Hepzibah, the rather large fellow here is Ch'od, and this is Raza", he said as he motioned to the feline lady, the large lizard man, and the pony-tailed swordsman, respectively.

"You've also met my first mate, Tigorr", he continued as he pointed at the tiger-man smoking a large cigar.
"As well as Nimbus", Corsair continued as he motioned towards the wraith-like being.
"And this here is Doc."

"Greetings."

"You can call us the Starjammers", Corsair said proudly.
"Some call us pirates, or worse...but I like the term freedom fighters."

"It is a pleasure to meet you all", the Surfer replied with a polite nod.
"You may call me Norrin. It is my true name that was taken from me by my former master. Now...is there anything I can do to assist you?"

Corsair chuckled to himself and shook his head.
"I'm afraid not, Surfer. Well, not unless you can fix a busted engine."

This time it was Norrin's turn to smile slyly.
"As a matter of fact..."

Reaching into his being, Norrin summoned the Power Cosmic to his command. The Starjammers took a wary step back as cosmic energy rippled across the Surfer's body, washing over them and the ship like waves washing up the beach.

Suddenly, the entire ship begins to radiate a silvery aura as all of it's damage is slowly mended. Even the aches and pains of the crew are quickly dispelled as the Power Cosmic course through the entire ship.
Finally, a minute later, it is done. The glow around Norrin fades away, and the Surfer descends back to hovering just above the floor.

"There...that should do it. Your ship is fully restored and ready to fly once again."

Corsair is speechless at first, not believing what he just witnessed. But the Captain quickly composes himself.
"Thank you...Norrin", he says with gratitude.
"I guess I underestimated you. And for that I'm sorry. You have the gratitude of the Starjammers. Tigorr, get us ready to resume our course immediately. We need to get out of here as quickly as possible."

"Right, boss", Tigorr said with a nod as he raced out of the room towards the bridge.

"All right, people! Back to your stations. We need to leave, and I mean now!"

As the crew disbanded, rushing out of the cargo hold to prepare the ship for departure, Norrin moved closer to Corsair.

"You are running from something", he stated, matter of factly.
"What was it that nearly destroyed your ship, Corsair."

Corsair hesitated at first, but opened his mouth to speak.
Then the ship rocked as the shockwave hit it, and Corsair cursed under his breath.
"Dammit! He's here already. Bastard's quicker than I thought."

"Who is here, Corsair? Who hunts you?"

But Corsair didn't reply, he simply turned and ran for the bridge. Norrin didn't hesitate to follow, and soon found himself on the rather spacious bridge of the Starjammer.

"He's hailing us, Captain", spoke Ch'od.

"Put him through", Corsair spoke through gritted teeth. His anger obvious from his expression.

Suddenly a holographic image appeared on the bridge, and a smug human stood before them dressed in battle armor.

Spoiler

"I am Steppenwolf, Commander of the armies of Apokolips, and servant of the Great Darkness. You will surrender immediately or I will blow you out of the stars."

 

[Optikal]

"And the Good Lord appeared to me, and proclaimed that the demons were put here on Earth by Lucifer himself! To test the faith of the good, and the pure and the holy!"

Sat upon a stage to the left of a large golden dias, Matthew Risman stared at the speaker. The man upon the dias was covered from neck to toe in long black robes emblazoned with a brilliant white crucifx, his arms spread out over the crowd as he spoke. His name was Reverend William Stryker and he held a captivated congression in the palm of his hand.

Risman glanced over the crowd in front of them and shuffled in his seat a little. Matthew knew first hand that Stryker was a great man, and more of a saviour to the hundreds of people in the room than any of the super-powered freaks that were falling out of the sky.

"And as the world bends and cowers to their will, we will not yield! We will stand strong! Our faith is our power, our purity is our strength and the Lord upon high is our guidance!"

"AMEN!" a random member of the congregation hollered.

"PRAISE THE LORD!" the rest of the congregation joined in.

Matthew glanced across at the white haired leader and smiled, He was the epitmoy of strentgh and power, and every syllable he ushered was spoken with the absolute conviction that was needed to rally people to their cause. The meeting came to an end and the Congression filtered out of the hall. Risman remained in his seat until the room was mostly empty before getting up to approach the Reverend.

He pulled back the deep hood that had covered most of his face and stood, nodding in appreciation. "Another brilliant speech Reverend. Each day more and more join our following. Soon we'll have enough followers to begin our mission in earnest."

Stryker smiled, his eyes glistening. "People are weak alone, they need certainty and leadership in these dark, uncertain times Matthew. That leader is God himself, I am merely a messenger for Him".

Stryker began to walk towards a small side door leading into a small study in the back of the building. Matthew fall into step just behind him. "And your position is a great one Reverend. The Lord is indeed wise and good and we are eternally for him saving the lives of my family."

Stryker stopped in his stride and turned, grasping Rismans shoulders at arms length and staring into his eyes. "God loves you Matthew, as God loves all of his children. He gave you a gift and in return He merely asks for your faith. You are a good man Matthew and in turn, you are destined to do great things".

Matthew nodded in acknowledgement. "I know. I will do whatever it is that He asks. And I will do it in his name".

"Good Man". Srtyker smiled.

 

[Carnage27]

The New York sky line looms overhead of me, and the sounds of chaos surround me. Car horns blare, people's feet hurry to their meaningless jobs, curse fly as cabbies cut other drivers off, and police sirens scream in the distance.

It's good to be home. The unbridled human masses feed into my primal instincts, giving me a natural high, and there is only one thing to do with it...

"Carnage."

 

[SenseiofCheese]

​

Flash turned to face whoever the voice belonged to but was met with a direct punch to the face. And the stomach. And both his legs. And his neck.​

"GYAGH!" he screamed out in pain as he collapsed to the floor.​

"There're some awfully rich people wantin' you dead, Flash."​

Guess I'll be going 4 for 4.​

My name is Wally West. I am the Flash.

The fastest man alive.

And this is the second time today a guy in a costume tries to kill me.

"Come on, boyo! Show me how good ye are!" a choir of the same voice called.

Flash knelt on the floor, grunting in pain as he desperately tried to swat away the barrage of punches and kicks that rained down on him. Everytime he swatted one hand away, another would connect with his back.

"Hahahaha!" twenty voices laughed, all identically cruel. "If I'd have known this'd be so easy, I wouldn't have asked for so much money!"

Gritting his teeth, Wally dug his heel into the floor. With a powerful jerk he kicked himself to his feet and began spinning his body like a top. The miniature scarlet whirlwind seemed to be enough as the hits stopped. Finally the Flash came to a stop and, slightly disoriented, regained his senses.

"Oh, damnit, I saw this in a movie once." he sighed as he stood face to face(s) with the same man, only 20 times over. The man was dressed in a bright orange and green outfit, a malicious grin on his face, his hands on his hips.

"Good luck findin' the right me, Flashy. There're more than one hundred mirrors in'ere." the villain grinned.

"I'm sorry, did you not do your homework?" Wally's retort struck the villain with surprise. "I hate tooting my own horn but I am the fastest man alive. Wait here."

Wally smirked as he darted in between the mirrors at amazing speeds, knocking them all over as he passed them. One by one the mirrors fell to the ground. And one by one they broke into countless numbers of razor sharp pieces, glittering in the light.

And entire 3.4 seconds later Wally stood, confused, on top of a thick layer of glass that covered the floor. He could no longer see the dusty ground for the blanket of glass. He had broken each and every one and still...still the clown who had just tried to kill him wasn't one of them.

"Hehehehee." the laughter seemed to come from below. Looking down, Flash was taken aback as he saw the man's grinning face in every single one of the pieces of glass. There had to be millions of them. "And obviously ye didn't do your homework either. I'm the Mirror Master, laddy, and you are quite dead."

 

[Johnny Blaze]

The room was decrepid, even by slum standards. Bullet holes riddled the ceiling, the walls were riddled with holes, furnature was destroyed, and the floors covered in filth.
And a light mist hung in the air, giving the room a murky tone.

But the Scarecrow didn't seem to care. He sat in the only clean chair left in the room, dressed in his mask and his underwear. In his left hand he held a glass of red wine, swirling about it's contents.

"Tell me, Josie...do you like Phil Collins", he asked regarding the music playing in the background.

"I've been a big Genesis fan ever since the release of their 1980 album, Duke. Before that, I really didn't understand any of their work. Too artsy, too intellectual. It was on Duke where Phil Collins' presence became more apparent. I think Invisible Touch was the group's undisputed masterpiece. It's an epic meditation on intangibility. At the same time, it deepens and enriches the meaning of the preceding three albums."
Crane cocked his head like some confused dog.

"Josie", the Scarecrow asked as he leaned forward in his chair, "are you even listening to me?"

Josie lay in the bed, naked and still, a look of sheer terror plastered on her face. Or what was left of it.

Deep gashes ran down her face, from her scalp to down her cheeks. More disturbing though was the fact that Josie had torn her eyes out. It was all she could do to make the demons stop.

Crane sighed and shook his head.

"Really", he said as he stood up, "it's so hard to find an intelligent conversation these days."

"I'd love to stay, ladies", Crane spoke as he walked to the closed closet and opened it up. Reaching in he pulled out a clean suit and proceeded to change into it.
"But I have other appointments to keep."

After changing, the Scarecrow moved to the door. But, before he exited, he kissed his fingertips and gently patted the top of the woman's head who rested slumped next to the door.

"Goodnight, my sweet Candy", Crane smiled to the dead blond who sat eerily wide-eyed, but still quite dead, with her wrists torn open.

As the Scarecrow moved down the cloudy hallway, he inhaled deeply, the filters in his mask purifying the toxic vapor.
Screams filled the hallways of the hotel he had taken the women to, as his poison still flowed in from the vents.

The Scarecrow exhaled the breath slowly and smiled, taking in the terror around him.

"How sweet it is."

Suddenly, his phone began to ring, and Crane sighed as he looked at who it was.

"Yes?"

"Interesting...sure, you can count on me. I was looking for something to do this evening anyway."

"Excellent, I'll meet up with him there. It will be the perfect setting for my next experiment", replied Crane after a long pause.

"Oh...I'm checking out of the Gotham Merriot at the moment", the Scarecrow spoke as he walked through the lobby, casually stepping over a dead body with a knife in it's back.

"But I can be there in an hour. I just have to get a few toys first."

"Yes...it's been a pleasure doing business with you", he finished as he hung up the phone and returned it to his pocket.
Crane stopped in front of the exit, straightening his suit and taking a deep breath.
Taking off his mask and placing it inside his coat, Crane exited the hotel and disappeared into the Gotham night.

 

[Keyser Soze]

Maroni ended the call to Crane, slipping his cellphone back into his pocket. He leaned back into the driver's seat of his car. He'd driven out to Gotham Village, alone, just to make this particular call. This was something he needed to do by himself.

"This has gone on long enough," he muttered to himself, "It's time to end this..."

 

[Byrd Man]

"You wantin' something stronger, counseller?" he asks.

"No thanks," I reply, after a moment's thought, "More of the same."

"I'm buying." I say as I step up to the bar next to Harvey.

"What'll it be, Commish."

"A jack and coke, minus the jack."

I sit down on the stool next to Harvey and look at him.

"My daughter is entertaining a boy, I decided to head out and let them be kids, but not before I showed him my service piece and scared the crap outta him."

 

[Keyser Soze]

"I'm buying." I say as I step up to the bar next to Harvey.

"What'll it be, Commish."

"A jack and coke, minus the jack."

I sit down on the stool next to Harvey and look at him.

"My daughter is entertaining a boy, I decided to head out and let them be kids, but not before I showed him my service piece and scared the crap outta him."

I let out a laugh, quietly glad that I've now got company.

"I'm sure the kid already knows better than to try anything with the daughter of Commissioner Gordon. Might find himself down in lock-up in the GCPD!"

I take a drink of my Coke.

"Must be hard, raising a kid in Gotham. Gilda, she wanted...she wants to have kids, but..."

I trail off, and silence falls for a few moments. But the last thing I want to do is bring Jim down with my woes, so I promptly change the subject.

"So...this kid your daughter's umm... entertaining... you know anything about him? He a good kid?"

 

[Byrd Man]

I let out a laugh, quietly glad that I've now got company.

"I'm sure the kid already knows better than to try anything with the daughter of Commissioner Gordon. Might find himself down in lock-up in the GCPD!"

I take a drink of my Coke.

"Must be hard, raising a kid in Gotham. Gilda, she wanted...she wants to have kids, but..."

I trail off, and silence falls for a few moments. But the last thing I want to do is bring Jim down with my woes, so I promptly change the subject.

"So...this kid your daughter's umm... entertaining... you know anything about him? He a good kid?"

"He's from New York, name's Peter Parker. He seems like a good kid, I don't know much about him. But I've got a guy in Missing Persons doing a background check. The way the world is today, you can't even be sure about a 15 year-old kid."

I wait a beat before finishing.

"Yes, you can call me paranoid and overprotective."

 

[Keyser Soze]

"He's from New York, name's Peter Parker. He seems like a good kid, I don't know much about him. But I've got a guy in Missing Persons doing a background check. The way the world is today, you can't even be sure about a 15 year-old kid."

I wait a beat before finishing.

"Yes, you can call me paranoid and overprotective."

"Not at all. Believe me, I'd be doing the same. Barbara's your daughter, you gotta look out for her. Who else is going to?"

This thought of guardian angels reminded him of today's departure.

"Oh, and..."

I look over my shoulder, making sure nobody's listening in. All the same, I lower my voice.

"Daredevil is gone from Gotham City. We're back to our regularly scheduled masked vigilantes."

 

[Johnny Blaze]

THE ODYSSEY

Chapter 2 ~ The Good Samaritan - Act 3​

Corsair sneers at the arrogant image of Steppenwolf staring his way. The Apokoliptian New God had him right where he wanted him. The Starjammer floating helplessly in space with his warship looming right over it.

There was no way they could escape before being blasted to oblivion.

Corsair took a deep breath and solemnly nodded, knowing he was defeated.

"Go to Hell", Corsair spat as he cut transmission.

"All right, people, time to go work. Battlestations!"

"Wait."

Corsair turned to face the Silver Surfer.

"Fighting that ship is suicide. You must flee, and I will buy you the time you need."

Corsair stood silent for a moment trying to get a read on the enigmatic being floating before him.

"You could die out there."

"I am aware of the risks. It is the only way to prevent you and your cargo remain out of this Steppenwolf's hands."

"All right", Corsair nodded, "you're on."

"Change of plans", Corsair barked, "full power to the engines, and prepare to make a hyperspace jump once we're clear of the planet!"

Corsair turned as the Surfer departed, phasing through the Starjammer and returning to space.

"Good luck, Norrin. I owe you one."

The warship opens up on the Silver Surfer as the former Heralds flies circles around it's outer hull.

Norrin skims the surface of the ship, systemattically destroying the gun turrets and cannons.

Suddenly something catches Norrin's attention from the corner of his eye, and he turns to see what looks like a swarm of green and gold monsters flying out of the ship.

The parademon horde attacked the Surfer relentlessly, trying to tear at him and blast him out of the stars with their weapons.

But Silver Surfer would not allow himself to be overwhelmed. The former Herald reached deep within and unleashed the full fury of the Power Cosmic.

The radiant sphere of energy expanded outward, incinerating the vile demons and blasting a hole in the warship.

The warship lurched, sinking slowly to her right side, seemingly out of the fight.

"By The Source", Norrin exclaimed as a massive figure darted out of the ship towards the fleeing Starjammer.
The Starjammer was almost away from the gravitation pull of the planet and it's moons. It wouldn't be long before they could make the jump light speed, but whatever had left the ship was gaining quickly.

But Norrin would not allow it to catch them. The Surfer summoned all the speed he could muster and rocketed off after Starjammer's attacker.
The force of the the shockwave from his sudden burst of speed rocked the warship, setting off a series of explosions along it's center.

As the Surfer got closer, he could see that it was a large humanoid figure that persued the Starjammer.
Gritting his teeth, Norrin pushed himself even harder. slamming his board into the being's back. The creature is sent into the planet's nearby moon, the massive impact clearly seen by the Surfer as he slowed to a stop.

The Starjammer disappeared suddenly into the blackness of space. Norrin smiled.
"Good luck, Corsair."

Norrin screamed in pain as a blast of energy blew him off his board. Norrin quickly righted himself from his spinning in space, summoning his board to him once more as he looked at his attacker.

Spoiler

"You have interfered in the affairs of the Gods, Herald. You have prevented me from capturing my prey, and have delayed the plans of my master. For that, you will pay dearly."

"I am Devilance, God of the Pursuit...and today you will die by my hands."

 

[wiegeabo]

I don't wear a watch. Don't need one. I can keep track of time in my head. Don't ask me where I got that skill, 'cause I don't remember. I'm guessin' it was in the army, or marines, or whatever the hell service I was in that the dogtags I wear belong to. The point is, Kurt and I have been waitin' here for fifteen minutes, and that's enough.

"Ok, kid. Get ready to move. First thing we do is hit the guards, fast and quiet. Just like we practiced in the Danger Room all those times." I look through the binocs again at the three guards I can see, and consider the three I can't. "You teleport over to the other side and take those three out. Once you start makin' noise, these three will move. It'll give me the chance to hit them from behind."

"And vhat about the warehouse. Should ve attack?"

I've already considered that. Kurt could teleport in real quick, do some recon, and then we hit any guards inside. But it's risky. If they see Kurt, they'll be on alert. And if Kurt can't see inside, he risks teleportin' inside something. I don't much care for either idea.

"Yeah, we hit the warehouse hard and fast. I hope all the kids in there are smart enough to hit the ground. And if they're not, you're gonna have to get them to take cover."

Kurt nods, readying himself. "Vhat about the others?"

I breath out. "They get five more minutes. Then we start bustin' heads."

 

[Blacklight]

"Two Sides of the Same Coin..." pt.1

​

After a lovely night with his new girlfriend Crystal, Kyle decided to take some time to patrol the city, being that he's been away from it for awhile, what with the android, Skrulls, and Weather-controlling psychopaths drawing him away.

Well everything looks serene... he thought as he circled the skies, leaving a trail of emerald green in his wake.

BOOM!!

Looks like I spoke too soon...

"Ring. Status report?"

:"Sensors indicate that there was a massive spike in energy near Yankee Stadium. Caution is advised.":

Energy spike? Rayner wondered, increasing his flight speed. What kind of energy spike?

As the famous baseball field came into his sights, Kyle noticed a strange pillar of smoke coming from the center of the stadium, where some of the turf was still enflamed, meaning whatever or whoever is causing the trouble must still be in the field...

He scanned the area with his ring, looking for any anomolies, the only thing being found was a strange energy residue as a result of advanced teleportation technology. But this isn't what he wanted to find.

I need a thermal signature, infrared scan, anything... I need to find whoever's causing all this...

"Well if it isn't the Green Lantern...."

Kyle turned to see where the deeply low voice came from, and stood before what could be his greatest threat yet...

Spoiler

"It has been months since the one you call Norrin Radd had me banished, but now that I'm free, it's time to return the favor by crushing your skull within the palm of my hand..."

Oh crap...​

 

[Matt Murdock]

I fake a yawn and check my watch.

"Well, I should be going to bed. I can go toe to toe with killer clowns and masked vigilanties all night, but Barbara's taste in movies scares even me. Don't stay up too late. Peter, it was nice meeting you."

I start to walk up the stairs, I stop and look at the two teens.

"I should also mention that, as a police commissioner and the father of a teenage girl, I don't expect you two to be saints, but you should know that I have listening devices all through this house. So, whatever you do, I'll find out about it...I always find out. Well, good night!"

I finish on a cheerful note before bounding up the stairs, I have a smile on my face.

Like I said, too much fun.

"Abuhbuhbuhbuhbuh-buhbuhbuhbuh..." Peter Parker muttered quietly as he watches Officer Gordon head up the stairs.

He focused all of his energy on locating the devices with his spider-sense for a split-second, but forced himself to stop.

He's bluffing. Parker reassured himself. He simply has to be bluffing.

He glanced at Barbra, staring at her backside for a moment as she looked at her movies.

Right?

Peter shook his head, clearing his thoughts.

"So... uh... movies!" He announced cheerily.
​

 

[Catman_prb]

Kahndaq Airspace, 0800 hours, SHIELD Operatives Sentry and Vision

"So...you don't talk much do you?" Bob said into his head piece over the roaring winds. The Vision turned his robotic head to look at him and then looked back ahead. Bob liked to think that he was zooming in to target the guards that were on duty at the weapons factory, but he had no idea. They weren't close enough yet for him to see the factory himself, but he could certainly see the smoke that was billowing out of it and into the air.

"I'll take that as a no then," he muttered to himself. The factory came into view. To say it was heavily guarded would be an understatement.

"Is that a tank?" he asked incredulously. Then he noticed the bright light that was spiralling towards him. He peered at it and then braced himself.

"Aw sh-" he started, but was cut off when the missile collided with him and englufed him in flames. The Vision looked on mildly as the smoke cleared. Bob coughed.

"AA guns," he muttered. He imagined that the Vision gave him a vaguely condescending look.

"Alright you go round the back and I'll take the front," he said.

The android nodded and flew away towards the factory. Bob followed him, slowing down to land in front of the main gates of the facility. There was the sound of a dozen guards loading their rifles. Bob rasied his hands in the air.

"I'm the Sentry. You may have heard of me, and if you have you should know to stand down," he said. Blank faces "Now,"

All 12 men fired at once. The bullets thudded into him and he winced slightly. There were clicking sounds as the ammunition ran out of the rifles. Bob cracked his knuckles.

"You don't speak english do you?"

 

[trustyside-kick]

OOC: Previously...

It had been several minutes; a little over 20 to be exact. For a little over 20 minutes, Katar had been laying peacefully on J'onn's couch. All the while J'onn has had one hand placed upon Katar's forehead, and the other on his right forearm. Messing with the mind in such a way can be an excruciating and painful experience. So the reason J'onn has one hand on Katar's forearm is to keep him still should he try to budge.

"This Carter Hall...he loves Ms. Saunders greatly, Katar. I can do my best to bypass his memories from resurfacing as frequent...perhaps even permanently...although I'm afraid there is little I can do about his emotions that also lay within."

"So you are telling me, that I have to fight the urge of the man's true love, each and every time they try to overpower me? You don't understand, J'onn. I almost let it do just that. I pictured that his fiancee was Shayera for but a moment, and almost allowed myself to get lost in lust."

"It is but a struggle you must deal with. My powers are just not enough. But it shall help you cope with them nonetheless."

Katar goes silent, closing his eyes again as J'onn continues to work. If only he could find his Shayera. Maybe with this reunion, he could sway aside Carter's love for Shiera Saunders. With luck, once J'onn is done, he will be one more step closer to finding Shayera.

J'onn removes his hands from Katar's forehead and forearm.

"I have created psychic barriers. I could not simply remove them from your mind entirely, Katar, you must understand. That would require I transfer his memories to that of another, and surely you would not ask me to bare them."

"No, old friend. I understand completely."

Sitting up from the couch, Katar watches J'onn walk across the room to the kitchen. He opens up the refrigerator and takes out a glass of milk. Naturally, Katar walks over to the pantry, opening it up.

"Second shelf from the bottom, on the left."

"Old habits die hard, huh old friend?"

Out from the pantry Katar holds a box of oreo cookies. He walks over to the table, and places them beside J'onn's poured glass of milk.

"I have given some thought to the second task you asked me to fulfill, Katar. Believe me, the wellbeing of your wife Shayera means much to me. While I had not the pleasure of ever meeting her while you were stranded on this planet, I assure you I have looked into every possible way to help you locate her."

J'onn slides over a business card. The frontside is the information for a local floral shop down the street, but that isn't what J'onn wants Katar to see of course. Turning over the card, Katar sees an "X".

"What does this mean?"

"There is another, a powerful telepath, who roams among this planet. I have not had the pleasure of meeting him physically...but upon numerous occassions we have gotten to know one each other through our telepathy. The man runs a school; a school for the gifted. In Westchester, New York you will find this man. His name is Professor Charles Xavier."

Katar raises his eyebrow at the mention of a telepath J'onn seems to view more powerful than himself, glancing at the engraved "X" on the back of the card. Written below is the address to the school.

"Now, what makes him of more use than myself, is a device he has. In his quarters lies the machine Cerebro. With that machine, I'm sure he can help pinpoint your wife. I have never met her, so I am unfamiliar with her brainwaves. But with his marvelous machine...he can locate anyone. I predict that through your thoughts and memories, he can channel that into Cerebro and help you find your wife. I already informed him of your future visit."

Katar smiles, standing up from the table, and quickly goes over to J'onn with a hug. Startled at first, J'onn soon smiles back, patting Katar on the back. A tear starts to run down Katar's cheek.

"Thank you, old friend. She means the world to me."

 

[Saved]

"Way to make an entrance, Tony," Steve says with a smile. He extends his hand, but Tony doesn't shake it. He just looks at it for a moment before looking back up at Steve. Steve lets his hand drop. "Beer then?"
"Ok Tony. Enough of the mystery. You're angry, so tell us what's going on?"

Captain America​

Steve stares at Tony intently, looking at the sleak and finished armor with admiration. No matter how long Steve has lived in his new present, there are some things that will still always be science fiction to him.

Captain America puts his hand to his forehead and rubs it gently. He brushes his hand back across his head and pushes his mask off his face. He grabs it tightly with his fingers, keeping a good grip on the piece of fabric. He drops his hand to his side and leans against the wall behind him leisurely. He folds his hands across his chest and lets out a sigh as he prepares to hear his friend speak. "Come on, Tony." Steve says with a smirk. "Let's hear it."

 

[Saved]

SUPERMAN​

The first few rays of sunshine creep the window as a new day dawns. Dancing along the bed, the sunlight flutters over my eyes until I am shaken from my peaceful slumber. Groaning softly, I roll over and yawn deeply. I rub my eyes for a moment before opening them, beholding the cozy room basked in a pleasant orange hue. I don't think anyone can appreciate the miracle of each new day until they've experienced one on a farm. Mornings on a farm are always surreal experiences - the kind that make you feel lucky to be alive.​

I toss my sheet aside and slink out of bed. My back cracks as I stretch, my fingertips gently grazing the ceiling. After throwing on a red flannel shirt and some jeans, I make my bed meticulously. It may have been years since I performed this routine, but it still comes naturally to me.​

I snatch my cell phone off the dresser and examine it.​

1 NEW TEXT MESSAGE - LOIS​

Done playing farmboy yet?​

I smile softly as I think of Lois. I wonder what she's been doing during my absence. Without me around to talk to, Jimmy's probably been wearing on her last nerves. The important thing, though, is that she thought of me. I know I sound like a crushing school boy, but it means a lot to me to be able to wake up to a text message from Lois. I half-expected her to not even notice I was gone.​

NEW MESSAGE:​

A few more days.​

I slowly descend the stairs into the kitchen, where Ma is already hard at work preparing a hearty breakfast. The smell is nothing short of intoxicating. Pa is seated at the table with today's copy of The Daily Planet. He sees me out of the corner of his eye and looks up. "Morning, son."​

Pulling out a chair, I sit down and respond, "Morning." I turn to Ma. "What smells so good?"​

Smiling, Ma explains, "Garden omelettes, bacon, and hash browns." As she speaks, she flips the omelettes with a spatula. The frying pan sizzles, and I nearly salivate.​

"She's not up yet?" I ask. I'm not surprised. She's a teenager. I mean, I always got up early on the weekends, but Kara's not like me. She didn't grow up on a farm. For that matter, she didn't grow up on Earth, either. "I'll let her sleep in," I announce to no one in particular. I reach across the table and grab the front page of the newspaper while Pa reads the sports.​

I smile again when I see Lois's name in the byline.​

​

​

​

​

SUPERMAN​

After finishing the hearty breakfast prepared by Ma Kent, Clark trails off toward the door. Before leaving, he clears the table and places the dishes in the sink. He walks up to his mother and gives her a loving smile. "Thanks, ma." He tells her gratefully. She leans up and kisses him on the cheek, a quick peck, but still loving all the same.

"Your welcome, Clark." She responds happily. Clark smiles again to her as he walks out of the kitchen and heads toward the front door. As he walks through the house, he remembers all the times he spent in the place. His mind floods with memories from the past and a warm grin comes to his face.

Walking through the opening and onto the porch, Clark steps out to the outside. He hears the songs of the birds in the air, their chirps and cheerful calls. He hears the chickens in the henhouse clucking, the cows in the field, and the familiar barnyard sounds he heard when he was only a kid.

Clark places his hands in his pockets and walks down the steps and onto the soft dirt ground just beyond the house. He steps into the early morning warmth of the sun. He feels its rays hit him, energizing and invigorating him. He takes in a deep breath of the clean, clear air, and slowly exhales as he finds an inner peace. "Ah," he sighs tranquily. "It's always good to come back."

Clark stares out at the road a head of the house, looking down the long dirt path that carries from the house out past the property. On either side it is lined with a wooden fence; a fence Clark has rebuilt numerous times. He remembers how he placed each and every stake carefully and correctly, doing one at a time, just as he had been taught.

As Clark gazes down the road, his mind moves back to the thoughts of the town and the people he left behind after High School. His mind starts to wander and he begins to think about all the people he remembers, thinking of the jobs they had and where or what they could be doing now. "It's a small town," he says to himself. "But look at how much I've changed." He turns away from the road and looks up to the sky, staring deeply into the endless blue. "I should stop in town today. See how everyone is." He turns back to the house, and lets out a short breath. "Of course, that is if Kara wakes up." He smiles to himself, and begins walking forward.

"It's early," he tells himself as he heads off toward the barn. "I'll do some work for Pa while I'm here. Mind as well be useful." Clark rolls up the sleeves to his red and blue pladded shirt, and prepares to begin his old morning routine.

 

[Byrd Man]

"Not at all. Believe me, I'd be doing the same. Barbara's your daughter, you gotta look out for her. Who else is going to?"

This thought of guardian angels reminded him of today's departure.

"Oh, and..."

I look over my shoulder, making sure nobody's listening in. All the same, I lower my voice.

"Daredevil is gone from Gotham City. We're back to our regularly scheduled masked vigilantes."

I'm about to say something when a druken cop's loud laugh cuts me off.

"You better not be on duty, officer." I say as I push my glasses up with my finger.

"Who wants to kn-" He says before he gets a look at the voices's owner.

His eyes bug out as he sees me sitting on the bar stool.

"Hehe. Sorry, commish. I'm off duty, got of a few hours ago."

"How about you go sleep it off?"

The officer nods and bolts out of the bar like greased lightning.

"Let's get out of here."

***********​

My breath steams in the cold air. Harvey and I are on the roof of the GCPD headquarters. The darkened Bat-Signal is off in the distance.

"So, how's Gilda?"​

 

[Keyser Soze]

My breath steams in the cold air. Harvey and I are on the roof of the GCPD headquarters. The darkened Bat-Signal is off in the distance.

"So, how's Gilda?"​

"Ah..."

I lean on the ledge of the rooftop, looking out at the city below. Several seconds pass before I offer any further reply.

"That's the thing. She's...fine. Her bullet wounds have pretty much healed, the physical trauma is gone. Technically, there's nothing stopping her from waking up. She could wake up any second now, the doctor's say. They've been saying that for weeks now. Any second, they say. Maybe. Or, maybe, she might never wake up. Could go either way. Fate's just going to... flip a coin..."

I take my own coin out of my pocket, rolling it back and forth along my thumb with my forefinger. I stare intently at it, my back still turned to Jim.

"She could wake up any second, but I'm not there by her side, Jim. I haven't been, not anywhere near as much as I should. I've been off playing superhero with men in masks, or fighting gangsters and nutjobs, or even hanging out with you. That sick freak The Joker made a threat on Gilda's life, and I wasn't there with her. I... I just can't stand it... being there... seeing her like that, it tears me apart! I'm... burying myself in this war of mine, working, crusading and fighting non-stop, and my wife is lying comatose in a hospital bed, alone."

At last, I force myself to turn around and face Jim.

"What kind of person does that make me? What kind of... vile, horrible person abandons their wife like that?"

 

[wiegeabo]

Captain America​

Steve stares at Tony intently, looking at the sleak and finished armor with admiration. No matter how long Steve has lived in his new present, there are some things that will still always be science fiction to him.

Captain America puts his hand to his forehead and rubs it gently. He brushes his hand back across his head and pushes his mask off his face. He grabs it tightly with his fingers, keeping a good grip on the piece of fabric. He drops his hand to his side and leans against the wall behind him leisurely. He folds his hands across his chest and lets out a sigh as he prepares to hear his friend speak. "Come on, Tony." Steve says with a smirk. "Let's hear it."

"You want to hear it? You want to hear it. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if you knew what I was talking about!" Tony says, anger creeping into his voice. "But, fine. You want to play that way? SHIELD just stole my property. How's that sit with you? Your pal Nick Fury just sent some of his goons into my house with no search warrant, no papers, no reason to be there, and took my property."

"They did what?!"

But Tony ignores me, glaring at Steve, leaning forward, his hands on the table. "So...what do you have to say about that, Captain America?"

 

[wiegeabo]

"I still don't see anything," Harkness says as he peeks out the edge of the window.

"Kid's probably seeing things," Trickster replies, stifling another yawn.

"I know what I saw!"

"Yeah, sure." Suddenly, Toad's tongue wraps around Tricksters neck, lifting him high, cutting off his air.

"I. Knoal. Whaah. I. Sssaaa!" Toad mumbles around his tongue.

"Put him down." Trapster commands. "If you're right, we're gonna need him. Even if it's just for cannon fodder."

Toad whips his head to the side and tosses James into some boxes. He gets and grabs his neck, slowly pulling his hand away and looking at it in disgust. "Eeeewww..."

"Cut it out, you idiots. If it's Batman, we've got enough problems." For the first time, I see a break in Giganta's calm. I wish I had thought of this before. Calling a false alarm or two would have gotten their nerves on edge. They would have made mistakes. Maybe even dropped their guard.

"Guess I don't have that chance now. "She's right. We need to cover the doors and windows. If they come in, we'll be ready." Each of us take positions behind crates and whatever cover we can, watching as many obvious points of entry we can. Giganta just stands in the middle. I have no idea what she's planning. But since she seems to be as oblivious to the skylights above us as the others, I can only hope for the best...

...and prepare for the worst.

***

"Ok kid, that's five minutes."

Kurt cracks his knuckles. "I'm ready, Logan."

"It ain't healthy to be that ready for a fight. Just look how I turned out." I pull out my grapnel. "Ok, just like we planned. You take the three on the other side, I get these, and we go inside."

"Right. Just like we planned."

I give Robin and his crew a few more seconds. "Right. Go!"

 

[Green Lantern]

SUPERMAN​

After finishing the hearty breakfast prepared by Ma Kent, Clark trails off toward the door. Before leaving, he clears the table and places the dishes in the sink. He walks up to his mother and gives her a loving smile. "Thanks, ma." He tells her gratefully. She leans up and kisses him on the cheek, a quick peck, but still loving all the same.

"Your welcome, Clark." She responds happily. Clark smiles again to her as he walks out of the kitchen and heads toward the front door. As he walks through the house, he remembers all the times he spent in the place. His mind floods with memories from the past and a warm grin comes to his face.

Walking through the opening and onto the porch, Clark steps out to the outside. He hears the songs of the birds in the air, their chirps and cheerful calls. He hears the chickens in the henhouse clucking, the cows in the field, and the familiar barnyard sounds he heard when he was only a kid.

Clark places his hands in his pockets and walks down the steps and onto the soft dirt ground just beyond the house. He steps into the early morning warmth of the sun. He feels its rays hit him, energizing and invigorating him. He takes in a deep breath of the clean, clear air, and slowly exhales as he finds an inner peace. "Ah," he sighs tranquily. "It's always good to come back."

Clark stares out at the road a head of the house, looking down the long dirt path that carries from the house out past the property. On either side it is lined with a wooden fence; a fence Clark has rebuilt numerous times. He remembers how he placed each and every stake carefully and correctly, doing one at a time, just as he had been taught.

As Clark gazes down the road, his mind moves back to the thoughts of the town and the people he left behind after High School. His mind starts to wander and he begins to think about all the people he remembers, thinking of the jobs they had and where or what they could be doing now. "It's a small town," he says to himself. "But look at how much I've changed." He turns away from the road and looks up to the sky, staring deeply into the endless blue. "I should stop in town today. See how everyone is." He turns back to the house, and lets out a short breath. "Of course, that is if Kara wakes up." He smiles to himself, and begins walking forward.

"It's early," he tells himself as he heads off toward the barn. "I'll do some work for Pa while I'm here. Mind as well be useful." Clark rolls up the sleeves to his red and blue pladded shirt, and prepares to begin his old morning routine.

Kara felt the morning sun beating down on her through the window next to her bed. The warm yellow rays invigorated her, and suddenly she was awake.

WHAT TIME IS IT?!

She frantically looked at her alarm clock, its red digits blinking 10:02.

TEN O'CLOCK!? Half the morning's gone!!!!!

Kara flies down the stairs as fast as she can, nearly running into Martha, washing the morning dishes. Pa laughed as he looked up from his paper.

"Decided to join the land of the living, sleepy head?
"Where's Kal?!?"

Martha looked up from the dishes.

"Nonsense, sweetheart, sit and eat breakfast. We saved a plate."

"Can't. No time. Gotta train."

"Bull honky Kara. You gotta eat. Clark can wait another ten minutes."

Kara sighed, she knew she couldn't argue with both the Kents. She sat down and within minutes had inhaled everything on the plate.

"Was that so difficult sweetie? Clark's out back in the barn."

And with that Kara was gone.