One Universe: Season IV IC Thread

[Blacklight]

I grin a little. "Sorry, Tony. But Joan doesn't give out her rum tart recipe to anyone. Besides, I thought you were on the wagon."

I pat Tony on the shoulder and motion him inside. "I know exactly what you want. I just can't believe you want it back already."

I notice the man standing outside. I reach out and shake his hand. "Oh, hi. Jay Garrick. You a friend of Tony's?"

"This is Happy Hogan, my personal escort." I informed Jay as I followed his motioning and came inside.

"And as for my being back so quick... Well. I have a bit of a problem. One that has to do with a certain commander in chief threatening me and Steve. I just want to be prepared for whatever comes my way."

 

[Byrd Man]

​

Sarah Essen strode into the new deputy's office. "Captain Essen," Arnold Flass said with a smile, "have a seat, please."

Essen did as she wsa told, sitting down across the desk that had, just 24 hours ago, been Grogan's for nearly fifteen years. "As you already know, Grogan being named Acting Commissioner means I'm bumped up from CID commander to Deputy of Operations. That means I take on all the responsibilities Grogan had, commanding all the divisions of CID, Patrol, and all the district houses in Gotham."

Essen nodded, regarding Flass with nothing but bored recognition. "You did a bang up job on the Two-Face thing, Sarah. In light of this, I'm promoting you to Major effective immediately."

Essen blinked in surprise. "Major? Can I still command the MCU?"

"No," Flass said, flashing a toothy grin. "Major Edwards is retiring at the end of the month, you're taking over the Western District. The MCU is being disbanded."

"What?!"

"Yes," Flass said. "The mayor warned Gordon time and again to back off the Two-Face probe, but he thought it'd be clever to spit in his face. Now, he's paying the price and so will all your people. I'm either burying them in a backroom detective unit where their work will never see the light of court, or put them on a foot patrol so far out in the sticks, they'll see the Metropolis police coming towards them."

"We're talking about detectives, one of them a lieutenant and two are sergeants. You just can't make people disappear," Essen growled.

".....Yes, I can, I'm the Deputy Commissioner."

"What if I help reassign them to their new posts and I take the hit?"

"Go on," Flass said with a bemused smirk.

"I don't get promoted to Major and I get reassigned to the pawnshop unit?"

"No can do, I put your paperwork in already. You're going to be promoted. What about this? I take Captain Eames out of the Southeastern and give him the Western, putting Major Essen in command of one of Gotham's lest crime infested sectors. And I'll co-sign on where your people go. I know I want Bullock and Allen back in Homicide."

Essen sighed and stood up, holding out her hand to Flass. "Deal." She flet her skin crawl as the new deputy shook her hand and winked. "I thank you, the mayor thanks you, but above all, your people thank you."
​

 

[J'adore]

jesse quick

Bobbi propels onto her hands, flipping from left to ride gracefully as she dodges the bullets.

...

Show off.

I take a more hands on approach and launch myself off the roof, vibrating my legs to get steady landing, right behind the slender female. I smirk and slam my hand straight into the back of her neck, grabbing her hair and slamming her onto the dock floor, watching as her face smacks hard against the wood.

My short time of glory is soon over as I hear the fire of guns in my direction. I quickly twirl round in an accelerated speed, watching as the impact of my spin causes men to soar into the sea around us, their guns flying out of their hands and their flat caps shooting off their heads faster than they realize.

In the corner of my eye, I can see Bobbi disarm four of the men at once and then knock two of them out with their own guns and the other two out with her feet.

I finish my whirlwind attack and instantly turn my attention the groaning female on the floors of the dock.

"Not so tough without your men now, are you?" I chuckle, but my eyes soon widen as I see the female pull out a gun from within her dress.

"Where were you hiding that?"

I ask in a moment of humor. The female remains silent as aims the gun at me, wiping the blood away from her mouth with her left hand. I vibrate my hand, sending a tornado type blast towards the gun that the female limply holds.

Watching as the gun shoots off into the water, I pick the female up by the scruff of her black gown, my strength finally kicking in. I turn my head sharply for a quick second, Bobbi giving me a thumbs up as she shoves the unconcious guards into the waters below, then tending to her wounds.

"What's your name!?"

"She told me you were coming..." The female wimpered, a sinister grin creeping up upon her face slowly. I move my hand to hold her neck, watching as she begins to choke.

Bobbi breathes slowly, coming up behind me and twirling one of the dropped guns around her fingers. "Where's Jessica Jones?"

I drop the female and release her from my grip. I open my mouth to grill her about Jones, but I'm interrupted by a bullet slamming straight into Bobbi's shoulder.

Bobbi shrieks in pain, her right hand jolting up to her left shoulder, slamming against the wound. She stumbles backwards and collapses back onto the floor, crying out in pain.

​

 

[wiegeabo]

"This is Happy Hogan, my personal escort." I informed Jay as I followed his motioning and came inside.

"And as for my being back so quick... Well. I have a bit of a problem. One that has to do with a certain commander in chief threatening me and Steve. I just want to be prepared for whatever comes my way."

"Hi there. Good to meet you."

"Good to meet you too, Mr. Garrick."

"It's Jay. Mr. Garrick was my father. Come in, come in." I close the door behind them. "Do you two want a drink? Water? I was going to polish off the two gallons of OJ in the fridge, but guests come first."

"Well, actually..." Tony gives Happy a quick look, and Happy looks a little glum. "No, I'm fine, sir."

"It's Jay. 'Sir' makes me feel old. Gimmie a second." I walk to the back of the house. In my bedroom closet, I put my hand against the wall, and slide the small wood panel. Behind it is a number pad. I type in the 73-digit code in a second, and the trapdoor in the floor slides open.

I know, trapdoor is cliche, right? Well, not back in the war. I used to be a scientist, and still am. And while my house my look pretty normal on the surface, give a Flash a shovel in the morning, and he'll have himself a fancy basement-slash-lab built by lunch.

I trot down the stairs, and cross the basement to the safe. Dialing in the 20-digit combination, the latches click, and I pull it open. Inside are a number of small relics from old battles. A swastika ripped of Captain Nazi's uniform, one of Baron Zemo's masks, and a few others.

And sitting on the bottom, a pair of red, metallic boots...

"Are you sure you want these back?" I ask Tony when I walk back into the living room.

 

[Byrd Man]

Finale​

[YT]UT3zI6qo_VA[/YT]​

Jim Gordon looks out the window at the coming day, a cup of coffee clenched in his fist. Sipping on the mug, he shakes his head and turns towards the stack of files on his night stand. On top is a picture of Gilda Dent from her wedding day, Jim's former friend Harvey clipped out.​

This town is a lonely town
Not the only town like-a this town​

Josh Grogan stands in the hallway of Gotham Central's top floor, hands crossed and smiling at the man applying the new letters to the door. They read Commissioner Grogan​

New Deputy Commissioner Arnold Flass comes up from behind and pats the new Commissioner on the back. Both men share a smile before turning into Grogan's new office.​

This town is a make-you town
Or a break-you-town and
bring-you-down town​

Inside Arkham Asylum, Two-Face sits in his cell. Isolated and left alone with his thoughts, the only sound coming from the room is the sound of ascratched coin being flipped into the air.​

This town is a quiet town
Or a riot town like this town​

Peter "Skinny Pete" Tillman exits from his black SUV and walks to the street corner with Pengiun's chief enforcer, Mink Sullivan. Waiting for them is a young drug dealer selling on a corner without the Pengiun's approval, not even having the good sense to pay the Pengiun tribute money. The two men quickly pull out their guns and fire, dropping the upstart drug dealer with a few bullets. They quickly turn and race back to their car.

This town is a love-you town
And a shove-you-down and push-you-'round town​

Detective Crispus Allen squats over the dead body of a drug dealer. He was hit three times with two different guns, a 9MM and what appears to be a .38 revolver. Two shooters. Word on the street was the young man had pissed off some powerful people. Standing behind Allen is Detective Sergeant Harvey Bullock. The two men talk about the case, betting about how long the case will take and who buys the first round.​

This town is an all-right town
For an uptight town like-a this town​

Kevin "Kasper" Cole, newly minted sergeant in the GCPD walks through the door into the prisoner visitation room, looking around at the cons and their family. Waiting for him at the end of the room is a chubby man dressed in a correctional facility jumpsuit. Looking across the plexiglass window, Cole nods to his father before talking.​

This town, it's a use-you town
An abuse-you town until-you're-down town​

Deputy Mayor Arnold Krohl and his campaign advisors go over strategy, discussing the upcoming three-way election between himself, Mayor Hill, and Councilman Kane. Rubbing his eyes, Krohl stares off into space. His thoughts on the upcoming battle for the mayor's chair.​

This town is a losin' town
It's a miserable town
It's a nowhere town​

Grogan and Flass stand on the roof of the GCPD building, watching the workers go about their business. It doesn't take long and within the hour, the bat-signal is taken down off its mounting and hauled off the roof.​

And I am leavin' this town
You better believe that I'm leavin' this town​

Johnny LaMonica and Parker Robbins sit inside the prison transport bus, their hands and legs shackled. Their clothes now replaced by the dull gray of the Gotham County Corrections Facility outfits. The two bound men share a seat on the bus, underboss and assassin both bound for the same place. Blackgate Penitentiary looms off in the distance.​

Man, it could never be uptown
It's bound to be downtown​

Jim Gordon stands in the terminal of the airport, his bags all packed and a manilla folder in his hands. Sarah Essen and his daughter stands behind him, waiting for the flight number to be called. The PA system announces that Flight 227 to France is now boarding. Giving Sarah a quick kiss and wrapping Barbara in a hug, the former commissioner says his goodbyes and walks towards the boarding gate. In his hands is the file that contains the last known whereabouts of Gilda Dent and her picture, cut from her wedding photo. The former cop heading to France to play detective one more time.​

This town, bye-bye
Bye, bye, bye, bye, bye-bye​

 

[Blacklight]

"Hi there. Good to meet you."

"Good to meet you too, Mr. Garrick."

"It's Jay. Mr. Garrick was my father. Come in, come in." I close the door behind them. "Do you two want a drink? Water? I was going to polish off the two gallons of OJ in the fridge, but guests come first."

"Well, actually..." Tony gives Happy a quick look, and Happy looks a little glum. "No, I'm fine, sir."

"It's Jay. 'Sir' makes me feel old. Gimmie a second." I walk to the back of the house. In my bedroom closet, I put my hand against the wall, and slide the small wood panel. Behind it is a number pad. I type in the 73-digit code in a second, and the trapdoor in the floor slides open.

I know, trapdoor is cliche, right? Well, not back in the war. I used to be a scientist, and still am. And while my house my look pretty normal on the surface, give a Flash a shovel in the morning, and he'll have himself a fancy basement-slash-lab built by lunch.

I trot down the stairs, and cross the basement to the safe. Dialing in the 20-digit combination, the latches click, and I pull it open. Inside are a number of small relics from old battles. A swastika ripped of Captain Nazi's uniform, one of Baron Zemo's masks, and a few others.

And sitting on the bottom, a pair of red, metallic boots...

"Are you sure you want these back?" I ask Tony when I walk back into the living room.

"Very much so, my friend." Tony replied, smirking.

Then he proceeded to whip out an empty suitcase and opened it up. Looking for the folding mechanism on his boots, he found the tiny switch and flipped it before moving on to the next one.

The boots then began folding up into briefcase sized cards, to which Stark placed them in the empty case.

"Thanks alot, Flash. Now if you'll excuse me, I have about 3/4 more of my suit to go..."

Tony and Happy then proceeded to the door. Tony opened it and turned his head to give Jay one last glance.

"Be seeing you, Jay."

 

[J'adore]

jesse quick

Falling to my knees, I quickly lean over to shroud Bobbi. Bobbi gurgles in pain, my hands creating pressure against the wound.

Within the corner of my eye, I see two female figures emerge from the doors of the boat. The first one's tall, but her body is hidden by the long, dark kimono she wears. As she gets closer, I see her facial features- Japanese. Her dark hair is pulled back into a high pinned bun and she dons white face paint with bold red lipstick. The second one holds a gun, still smoke arising from it. Her hair too is jet black, but instead it falls down to her chest. She too wears a kimono, but her one only manages to fall to her pale knees. I look closer....She's American.

"Sofia, get inside. I shall finish off these women. Carla wants to see you, it's about The Blond..."

I'm panicking now. 'Sofia' stands to her feet, wiping the blood away and storming off down the dock. The Japanese woman calmly walks towards me, her eyes thin and dark. She wears dark ankle boots, that are flat and stitched. My eyes are drawn to them, before my glance is shifted up to the woman's face.

"My aim never has been to good. But, that blondie had it coming - I'm sure she wont mind..." The American speaks perfectly calm, her gun now rested in the tight belt of her kimono.

I close my eyes and shiver slightly. Before I know it, I have accelrated to a vast speed. My vibrations cause me to slip under the eyesight of any human in this area. I am invisible.

I manage to keep my invisible mask up, moving around unoticed, quickly whizzing around the dock. The two b****** kimono's wisp in the wind trail I leave behind. I rip the gun out of the American female's hand, hurling it into the river with a full blast. I spin round, becoming visible to my enemys once again.

Before any one can react, I launch into a roundhouse kick, my foot shooting straight into the American's stomach. She stumbles back, before falling into the water below. I smirk, turning back round to see Bobbi and the Japenese woman gone. Only a small puddle of blood lay on the wooden floors.

"You idiot!" The american female rises to the surface of the water, spitting out a trail of the clear water from within her mouth.

"I want Sofia and Carla (and that assassin) dead as much as you do!"

I arch an eyebrow. "I don't have time to play games. Tell me where she took Bobbi or I'll vibrate that brain outta your head!"

She seems serious, but I need to find Bobbi. That's more important to me right now than Jessica Jones.

I see the American jump onto the dock, ripping off her kimono to reveal black shorts and a black tank top. She rings her hair, flashing the middle finger towards me. "Jessica Jones is gone. You can't save her...Zebediah already has her in his clutches. But you can still save your friend. If you follow my directions!"

"You're just lucky I haven't killed you yet. Like you nearly did to Bobbi! My best friend!"

I grab the woman by her straps, lifting her up and throwing her over my shoulder. I hear the loud thump of her back slam against the hard wood. I walk away slowly, towards the boat.
​

 

[Carnage27]

​

"I don't think so, Adam!"

"Your escape is going to be short lived!"
​

I merely fold my arms at the sight of the Green Lantern, shaking my head. The man is a fool to stand against me now, and if he does not stand down, "Leave, Lantern! I have no quarrel with you! My quarrel is with Luthor and his Avengers!"

The Lantern responds by firing a whip-like tendril from his ring, surrounding, and binding me. He floats towards my level, "I don't think so. You're in my sector, and you're not getting away with this on my watch."

"Very well, fool. You have made your choice," I say, struggling through the green binding. The rope shatters against my strength, and I slam into the man with all my strength, the two of us driving into the ground, creating a divet the size of Broadway. Standing, I say, "I warned you, Lantern."

Before I fly away, a green hammer slams into my chest, sending me sliding backwards. The Green Lantern pounces on me before I can regain my footing with a quick shot to the face with a powered punch. I attempt to throw him off of me, but instead, a tentacle wraps around my waist and tosses me into the air.

As he flies towards me, I stabilize myself in the air, and evade another hammer strike from the power ring, and slam my shoulder into the Lantern, sending him spiraling out of control. I act quickly, grabbing his ankle, and jettisoning him towards the ground.

His body slams into the earth, creating a nice sized crater. I rocket towards him, and slam into a green shield covering the said hole. I bounce of the shield, landing dazed next to the crater. John Stewart raises from the hole, brushing the dirt off of him, "You can't beat me, Adam. Give in now and head back to your cell like a good little bad guy."

"YOU DARE SPEAK TO ADAM THIS WAY!?" I scream before driving my heal into his gut. The two of us square off against each other, before he swings at me. I catch his fist, and drive my knee into his sternum. He counters by swinging a swift elbow to my jaw.

We go on for minutes, two cosmic beings trading blows, that is until I catch the hand that wears his power ring. As the two of us struggle, our willpowers do the same. I stare into the Lantern's eyes, anger filling my soul, "Luthor invaded my homeland, threatened and killed my people. He sent his goons under the cover of darkness to destroy my countries infrastructure. And then he lured me into a trap like the snake he is. But he will pay for what he did, Lantern. He will pay, and you will not stop me."

As I finish my vengeful rant, the Lantern's power ring shorts out, and I crush John Stewart's hand, bones snapping under my great strength. I smile at him before turning my back on him, "Not even you can match the willpower of Adam, Lantern. But I am a benevolent ruler, and I will spare you...this time."

I turn my back and head towards my troops that are still congregated around the SHIELD facility, "Go, hide in the designated positions. When I need you, I will call. And Luthor will pay for his transgressions. So says Adam."

 

[wiegeabo]

Edit

 

[Carnage27]

I can see the glow of the fires burning at each end of the George Washington Bridge a few miles before I'm even close to it, and by the time I reach it, the flames are out of control, cars piled high in the flames, smoke billowing into the night sky.

Swinging quickly through the night smokey sky, I land near the police blockade and a familiar face approaches me, and I swallow hard. George Stacy, police captain and Gwen's father. It's obvious why he's here, and it's obvious why he looks just as worried as I do underneath my mask. Luckily, he's always been one of Spider-man's biggest supporters in the police community, so at least he's not going to try and arrest me.

"Spider-man, thank god you're here," he says approaching me. "The Goblin has my daughter, and I'm afraid-"

"I know he does, Captain. And I'm going to get her back, don't worry. Nothing is gonna happen to her. I promise," I reply as I ready myself to head over the fire and into the battle of my life. "She'll be fine."

"I trust you, Spider-man. I know we can count on you."

Before I swing off, Supergirl floats down next to me, "Spider-man, good to see you made it."

I nod to her,"Supergirl, be ready to get the hostage out of there once I get her away from Goblin. Understand?"

"Got it. I'm ready when you are," she says as she begins to float off the ground.

"Let's go."

 

[Eddie Brock]

CYCLOPS

I drop my messenger bag by the desk, taking a look around the empty classroom. My empty classroom now, as weird as that may feel. It doesn't seem like that long ago that I was sitting in those seats, daydreaming about the pretty redhead in the front of the class. Of course, maybe I wouldn't have daydreamed quite so much if I knew that redhead was watching those daydreams and having a nice laugh about them.

I pick up a fresh piece of chalk and hold it in my hand. All those times I would be called to the front of the class to write something on the board, feeling self-conscious about my glasses. I guess the Professor's right. I have done a lot of growing. "Cyclops" used to be an insulting term. Now, I embrace it almost as much as my given name.

I write "MR. SUMMERS" on the board. Stopping, I frown. It sounds too formal, too forced. I pick up an eraser and wipe the board clean. This time, I write "SCOTT." That doesn't really feel right, either. I frown a bit before smirking. Maybe I should have them call me "CYCLOPS."

"Relax, Scott."

I nearly drop the chalk as I spin around. Jean laughs.

"God, I haven't seen you this nervous since I caught you imagining quite vividly what the inside of my shower might look like," Jean says with a wink.

"How am I supposed to be a teacher?" I ask desperately, hoping the ever-calm Jean Grey might have some words of advice. I motion to my outfit. "I feel so uncomfortable."

Jean shrugs. "Well, I doubt the Professor would let you teach in your spandex. The sweater vest was a bit much, though."

I turn away, hoping Jean doesn't notice my increasingly exasperated expression. Though, it's pretty difficult to keep something secret from a telepath.

"Look, do you get this nervous before we go out into the field?"

"No."

"Then, think of this like that. It's basically the same thing, anyway. Except instead of bossing around teammates, you're bossing around students. And instead of tackling dangerous mutants, you're tackling heated historical debates." She smiles, and I feel my nervous melt away a little.

"Thanks." Jean nods and turns towards the doorway. "Hey, what did you mean by 'bossing around teammates?'"

Jean looks over her shoulder and smirks. "You'll be fine, Scott."
​

 

[Carnage27]

Nightcrawler
​

Pete and I enter History class early and take a seat right near the front. We heard Scott was teaching now, and well, we can't help but laugh as we sit, and he shuffles uneasily behind his desk. Scott's a great guy, and one hell of a leader, but we can't help having a little fun on his behalf. In fact, we wouldn't be doing our job if we didn't.

"So," I say to Scott, "do I get extra credit if I take down zhe target on zhe next mission if I quote Lincoln while I do it?"

"Good luck, brother," Pete laughs. "I'm going with Andrew Jackson."

 

[Byrd Man]

Luke Cage helps the dupe and I clear out Harlem and Spanish Harlem of the Goblin's forces. With that done, we head over to the George Washington Bridge just as Spidey is about to duke it out with the villain.

"Your boy knows what he's doing?" Cage asks as we watch from the edge of the bridge.

"Yeah, Spider-Man knows what he's doing. Been doing it longer than I have, I trust him."

"What if something goes sideways?"

"Well, then I'm prepared. You might not believe this, but I've actually been trained to handle a scenario a lot like this."

"You've trained just in case you're backing up Spider-Man when he has to take on the Green Goblin on the GWB with an innocent girl caught in the crossfire?"

I turn to Cage and smirk. "Prep time."
​

 

[Catman_prb]

"Wouldn't you agree, Dr. Pym?"
Luthor leaned back in his chair with a self satisfied smirk. No doubt Pym was listening in somewhere, but hopefully he would have the sense to keep his head down.

"They say that paranoia is an early indicator of madness," Luthor said, feeling that their meeting was coming to a close.

"Well gentlemen, unless you have any other means to threaten me, I feel that we have all said enough. You have attempted to blackmail me, I have declined, and I fail to see what else needs to be said. I have matters of state to attend to. I look forward to seeing your slander in the morning tabloids," the President said, pulling out an economic forecast and casting his eyes over it as though the heroes weren't there.

 

[Carnage27]

I land on a girder across from Gwen as Supergirl floats just far enough away to seem as if she's not going to intervene. I look around before yelling, "Relax, Gwen! I'm gonna get you out of here!"

"ARE YOU NOW!?" Goblin yells as he appears behind me on his glider and slams into me, sending me tumbling through the truss work of the bridge. I quickly sling a web back towards the top of the bridge and swing myself back up, where I find Goblin holding Gwen over the side of the bridge, obviously ready to drop her. "You've spun your webs in my business for the last time Spider-man! I gave you the opportunity to join me and you rejected me and opted for the life of the hero! Well this is what the life of the hero gets you! I tried to shake you by attacking your aunt, but obviously that wasn't enough! So now I'm going to kill your girlfriend!"

"Please don't! Peter, please help!" Gwen cries through her tears. I can almost feel her fear and her desperation. So much so that her calling me by name doesn't even register. Goblin must have told her, but this isn't the time for that.

"Don't worry, Gwen! I promise you'll be okay!" I respond, my voice wavering ever so slightly from fear.

"Don't make promises you can't keep, Spider-man! Now, in a few minutes as you lie bleeding out on the asphalt of this bridge, you'll die with the weight of her death on your heart! And once you've been exterminated, me and Aunt May? We're gonna have one hell of a time!"

With that, Goblin lets Gwen go, and I leap off the bride after her. He attempts to stop me, but I attach a webline to his glider and use my momentum to slingshot myself past him. But I'm still not going fast enough. I can tell, even though it seems like everything is going in slow motion.

I only have one course of action, and I react quickly. I fire a webline from each hand, one towards Gwen, one back towards the bridge. The one snags Gwen's leg and snaps her back towards me violently. The motion she goes through makes me sick just looking at it. Once she's in my grasp, I swing back up to the bridge.

Once there, I brush her hair from her face, fear welling up inside of me. She's unconscious, and I don't know if it's something worse than that. but I don't have time to check as I hear Goblin's laugh, "Hehehehehe....I warned you Parker. And now both of my rivals will die tonight. You by my hands, and Fisk by my followers. And once I have New York, my true plans will go into motion..."

"I don't think so, Gobby! Supergirl!" I yell, and instantly Kara is floating next to me. "Get her to a paramedic. Then take the rest of the Titans to find Wislon Fisk and make sure he's safe."

"But-"

"Trust me. I need you to do this."

She merely nods and speeds off with Gwen in her arms. I turn to Goblin and crack my neck and knuckles, "It's just you and me now, Goblin. You've hurt my friends. You've hurt my family. And now you've hurt the one person I care the most about in this world. This ends tonight. One way or another, this ends tonight."

"I agree, spider. Prepare to die," he responds as he rushes me on the glider.

 

[Byrd Man]

"Don't make promises you can't keep, Spider-man! Now, in a few minutes as you lie bleeding out on the asphalt of this bridge, you'll die with the weight of her death on your heart! And once you've been exterminated, me and Aunt May? We're gonna have one hell of a time!"

With that, Goblin lets Gwen go, and I leap off the bride after her. He attempts to stop me, but I attach a webline to his glider and use my momentum to slingshot myself past him. But I'm still not going fast enough. I can tell, even though it seems like everything is going in slow motion.

I only have one course of action, and I react quickly. I fire a webline from each hand, one towards Gwen, one back towards the bridge. The one snags Gwen's leg and snaps her back towards me violently. The motion she goes through makes me sick just looking at it. Once she's in my grasp, I swing back up to the bridge.

Once there, I brush her hair from her face, fear welling up inside of me. She's unconscious, and I don't know if it's something worse than that. but I don't have time to check as I hear Goblin's laugh, "Hehehehehe....I warned you Parker. And now both of my rivals will die tonight. You by my hands, and Fisk by my followers. And once I have New York, my true plans will go into motion..."

"I don't think so, Gobby! Supergirl!" I yell, and instantly Kara is floating next to me. "Get her to a paramedic. Then take the rest of the Titans to find Wislon Fisk and make sure he's safe."

"But-"

"Trust me. I need you to do this."

She merely nods and speeds off with Gwen in her arms. I turn to Goblin and crack my neck and knuckles, "It's just you and me now, Goblin. You've hurt my friends. You've hurt my family. And now you've hurt the one person I care the most about in this world. This ends tonight. One way or another, this ends tonight."

"I agree, spider. Prepare to die," he responds as he rushes me on the glider.

"Damn, this just got interesting," Cage says.

"Yeah, it's a shame we gotta go."

Supergirl lands beside an ambulance and hands over Goblin's victim to a paramedic and flies over towards Cage and I.

"You can stick around, but we're going after Fisk."

"Protecting the Kingpin? I'll sit this one out and go back to Harlem and keep control of the masses."

"Alright. Good meeting you."

Supergirl flies close above the ground and holds her hands out, I leap up and grab hold and let her fly me up into the air.

"Do we know where Fisk is?"

"No idea. Jamie has his dupes searching the city along with Johnny."

"Alright. I have an idea. Occam's razor."

"What?"

"Occam's razor, it's a theory that the simplest answer is usually the right one. While I was running through New York, I saw a large building with Fisk's name on it. My Robin sense tells me that's where Fisk might be."

"Just point me in the right direction."

 

[J'adore]

jesse quick

I've taken out most of the guards on this ship so far. I also managed to vibrate my finger through the arm of one of the guards, torturing him until he told me where Bobbi was.

-
​

I crack my knuckles, balling my hands into fists. I manage to open the door by only an inch. Looking through the gap, I see the Japanese woman in a humble position, her back facing the door. A large, bulky, blonde woman stands in front of her, only armed with what seems like a pistol.

I move my eyes, scanning the room with only one tiny gap. Within seconds, I spot Bobbi. She's on the floor, Sofia bent down beside her, seemingly checking her pulse. I vibrate, instantly becoming invisible.

I phase through the door, managing to stay un-detected. I cease the opportunity and take out the Japanese woman. My leg flies up in an instant, kicking her round the head. I grab her back by her hair, yanking her to the floor.

I see her jaw crack as she hits the wooden floors. I turn my attention back to the large, bulky, blonde woman. She shoots her gun, bullets flying around everywhere in the room. They create a loud noise, slamming against the large metal walls.

I dodge the bullets with ease, soaring straight over to Sofia and Bobbi. I pull my arm back and release it with all my strength, backhanding Sofia right across the face with my fist. I watch happily as she skids back in to the wall, falling into an unconscious daze.

Of course, this attracts the attention for more goons. They charge into the room, armed with heavy guns and throwing knives. I charge straight into the large, blond woman, taking her down instantly.

The gun drops to the floor, creating a loud echo. And in that exact moment, I stop vibrating, becoming visible to the brainless goons who stand in front of me. "You gonna get that?"

The goons laugh, raising their guns, preparing to fire. I'm too quick. I glide from corner to corner, dis-arming the goons instantly. I shove my foot underneath the gun, kicking it up in to my hands.

Firing with no regrets, the bullets hit three goons, leaving two standing. I throw the gun across the room, once it's empty of course. They die, blood exploding on to the remaining goons. They stand their, frozen in the doorway. I can not help but to let a smirk creep up on my face.

Then, "Hey Madonna! Get down!"

I don't bother to answer back, I just duck.

This action pays out, as a dagger shoots past, above my head. If I had ducked only ten seconds later, I would of been a dead woman.

"You never were part of the family, Maki--"

Loud gun fire rings in my ear, as I jump towards Bobbi, sliding her into my arms. I wait until the Japanese woman falls to the floor, two bullet wounds right in her stomach.

A tall, broad blonde man storms into the room. His arm candy is none other than the American female from earlier on. She twirls a pistol around her fingers, smirking at me. "Nice to see ya again. We're gonna blow this ship, so you betta get out here quick,"

Uh Oh.
​

 

[wiegeabo]

"Wouldn't you agree, Dr. Pym?"
Luthor leaned back in his chair with a self satisfied smirk. No doubt Pym was listening in somewhere, but hopefully he would have the sense to keep his head down.

"They say that paranoia is an early indicator of madness," Luthor said, feeling that their meeting was coming to a close.

"Well gentlemen, unless you have any other means to threaten me, I feel that we have all said enough. You have attempted to blackmail me, I have declined, and I fail to see what else needs to be said. I have matters of state to attend to. I look forward to seeing your slander in the morning tabloids," the President said, pulling out an economic forecast and casting his eyes over it as though the heroes weren't there.

I'm not sure how Kent can keep from putting his fist through Luthor's smug face. Must be one of those superhuman abilities of his.

I also makes a mental note to pay Pym a visit next time he's of a more manageable size. I don't like being made a fool of. Of course, it might be worth it to put a sense of doubt in Luthor's mind.

"I hope you enjoy the news coverage of your impeachment from behind bars, Mister President. The people don't take it lightly when politicians using fellow citizens as guinea pigs. And politicians have no problem saving their own asses, especially if it makes them look good in the public eye and takes down someone they can't stand."
​

I turn to walk out of the office. "Come on, Superman. I certain there's at least a few reputable newspapers that would be interested in publishing our evidence."

 

[Eddie Brock]

I'm not sure how Kent can keep from putting his fist through Luthor's smug face. Must be one of those superhuman abilities of his.

I also makes a mental note to pay Pym a visit next time he's of a more manageable size. I don't like being made a fool of. Of course, it might be worth it to put a sense of doubt in Luthor's mind.

"I hope you enjoy the news coverage of your impeachment from behind bars, Mister President. The people don't take it lightly when politicians using fellow citizens as guinea pigs. And politicians have no problem saving their own asses, especially if it makes them look good in the public eye and takes down someone they can't stand."
​

I turn to walk out of the office. "Come on, Superman. I certain there's at least a few reputable newspapers that would be interested in publishing our evidence."

I feel my fists clench so tightly that my fingernails dig into my skin. I want nothing more than to shatter Luthor's desk in half with one punch. That would certainly get his attention. I close my eyes for a moment and hear Pa's voice.

"Son, hollerin' and fighting isn't going to solve your problems. When you kick a stone, you only hurt your foot."

I'm not like everyone else. I can't let myself get angry. What Pa said is true, but it's also untrue. When I kick a stone, I hurt the stone, too. And that's why I can't let Luthor get the best of me. That's why I can't prove him and everyone like him right by taking out my aggression. I've lived my whole life learning to suppress that anger, and I won't give in now.

"You're probably right, Batman," I say calmly, never taking my gaze off Luthor - though he's still pretending to be engrossed by that paper he's holding. "I can think of at least one Pulitzer Prize winner who'd kill for the chance to break this story."

I turn to face Batman but stop myself. Spinning back around, I release a tiny, focused blast of heat vision. It burns a dime-sized hole in the paper Luthor's reading. Through that hole, our gazes meet, and I give a little smirk to let Luthor know he hasn't gotten the best of me yet. Then, I turn back to Batman and walk out of the Oval Office.

I can't wait for the day when Luthor is forced to walk out of it, too.

 

[Byrd Man]

Cauterets, France

A middle-aged man and wife pass me on the street and cheerfully greet me in France. I stop them and smile.

"Excusez-moi, parlez-vous l'anglais?"

"Of course," the man responds in a thick accent.

"Thank you. I'm looking for the Hotel Pyrenees."

"Ahh, yes. At the end of the street turn left and you should see it."

"Thank you."

"You are quite welcome. Enjoy your stay, monsieur."

The two locals walk off and I trudge towards the hotel. This ski and spa village in the Alps is the last known place Gilda Dent used her credit card. I know I'm working along a trail that's been cold for sometime. Gilda first went missing around the time Two-Face slaughtered what was left of the Gotham mob and took control. It's almost as if I'm following a ghost as I step inside the modest hotel.

"Soyez bienvenus à l'Hôtel Pyrénées," The girl behind the counter says. "Comment puis-je vous aider?"

I crack open the French phrase book I picked up in the airport and look up the phrase I need.

"Ayez-vous vu cette femme?"

I pull out a picture and show it to the woman. It's Gilda Dent on her wedding day.

"You are American?" she asks in broken English. "I can tell by your accent."

"Yes. I'm searching for this woman and I wonder if you've seen her."

"A while back, yes. It was when it was still cold. She stayed for a few days before leaving. I remember her because of her eyes."

"Her eye color?"

"No...she had sad eyes. Like uhh, how you say, heartbreak? Yes. The eyes are a window to the soul and her soul was damaged."

"Okay. Thanks a bunch. I just have one more question for you. Where's the closest rental car place?"

 

[wiegeabo]

"Very much so, my friend." Tony replied, smirking.

Then he proceeded to whip out an empty suitcase and opened it up. Looking for the folding mechanism on his boots, he found the tiny switch and flipped it before moving on to the next one.

The boots then began folding up into briefcase sized cards, to which Stark placed them in the empty case.

"Thanks alot, Flash. Now if you'll excuse me, I have about 3/4 more of my suit to go..."

Tony and Happy then proceeded to the door. Tony opened it and turned his head to give Jay one last glance.

"Be seeing you, Jay."

I put my hand on Tony's shoulder just before he gets out the door. "Tony, be sure about this? You gave up the suit for a good reason. Do we really have the right to put innocents in danger like that again?"

I let Tony go with that thought before turning back inside, running the question through my own head.

***

I watch Stark leave Garrick's house carrying something. His toady follows behind, and opens the door to his car for him. I sit in silence with my thoughts.

"My lord?"

...

"Lord Doom?"

"...If I wanted to speak to you, I would have acknowledged you the first time."

My servant wisely remains quiet. I watch Stark's car leave. I ponder the potential ramifications. It could have been a visit between teammates, but I doubt Stark would have come all the way out here for that. Although, he is more than a little eccentric.

...No. He left the house with equipment he didn't have before. I can't take the chance he was here in League business. I need Garrick to come with me now.

"Drive."

The car moves forward. "Stop." My servant obediently does so. "I will be back soon."

"Yes, Lord Doom." He gets out of the car and opens the door for me. I step out and walk the path to the door, rapping my fist against it three times.

"Did I forget something Tony?" a muffled voice shouts. The door opens. "Oh!" Garricks laughs for a moment. "Gave me a start there, Doctor. I, uh...I thought we were meeting back in Gotham."

I nod my head slightly. "Apologies, Mr. Garrick. But being the head of state sometimes means my time is not my own."

Garrick nods. "I can only imagine. So...would you like to come inside?"

"I would like a decision."

"About the JLE?"

"Yes."

Garrick exhales visibly, then grins. "Who can pass up an offer like that?"

Under my mask I smile. But I make sure he cant see that. "Are you sure? I was uncertain if you would be willing to help me after what happened. I thought you might even stop being the Flash."

Garrick looks into the distance for a moment. "I considered it. But my quitting won't stop other heroes from making the same mistake. Training them from the start, on the other hand..."

"Your point is well taken." I indicate my limousine. "If you can leave now..."

'Um, I can't right now. But getting across the Atlantic isn't a problem for me. And I need to tie up a few matters here."

"Say no more. Come when you can. My people will make you welcome. And, thank you, Flash. My people, all the people of Europe, will be in your debt." I extend my hand to him and he shakes it.

I take my leave and my servant drives me towards the airport. "Did all go well, Lord Doom?"

"Better than expected." One step closer...

I smile to myself as a pour a celebratory glass of wine...

 

[Eddie Brock]

Nightcrawler
​

Pete and I enter History class early and take a seat right near the front. We heard Scott was teaching now, and well, we can't help but laugh as we sit, and he shuffles uneasily behind his desk. Scott's a great guy, and one hell of a leader, but we can't help having a little fun on his behalf. In fact, we wouldn't be doing our job if we didn't.

"So," I say to Scott, "do I get extra credit if I take down zhe target on zhe next mission if I quote Lincoln while I do it?"

"Good luck, brother," Pete laughs. "I'm going with Andrew Jackson."

I laugh - half nervously, half sincerely. I'm not sure if it's a good thing or not that I have my fellow X-Men in my class. At least I can feel more comfortable around them, but I can't help but feel like it could backfire somehow. I remind myself that, in here, they're just students like everyone else, and I can't show favoritism.

"Very funny, Kurt, but no," I say with a smile. I turn to the class at large. "Hello, everyone. For those of you who don't know me, I'm Scott Summers, but you can just call me 'Scott.' I ask that you guys bear with me because this is my first time teaching this class."

I look across their faces. Most of them are paying attention, though a few are dozing off. For the most part, they seem like a pretty normal class of kids. Well, normal by Westchester standards.

"I guess I'll start by telling you a little bit about myself. As you may have noticed, I'm wearing these very stylish shades--" A few of the kids, including Kurt and Peter, give a little laugh. I feel myself loosening up a bit. "And that's because when I was around your age, actually, my mutant abilities began to manifest. When Professor Xavier found me, I had run away from home and was living in an orphanage, pretending to be blind. He brought me back here and taught me how to control my abilities. I sat in the same seats that you're now sitting in. I've been in your shoes."

I put my hands in my pockets and walk around behind my desk.

"Look, I want you to all do well in this course. And if you ace all the tests and quizzes, that's great, but it's not the important part," I explain. "I'm sure a bright group of kids such as yourselves will have no problem memorizing dates and events, but that's not what history is about. I want you to actually learn something in this class, and I'll tell you why."

I pause - partially for emphasis, but also because I suddenly realize that I'm doing it. I'm teaching. I'm not nervous, and I'm not stumbling over my words. Maybe I am cut out for this.

"The history of this country is your history. As modern mutants, you have an obligation to learn something about the plights of other discriminated groups: the Native Americans, the African-Americans, women. Someday, mutants are going to be just another chapter in the book, but only you can decide how that chapter will end."

I pick up a stack of papers from my desk.

"Now, here is the syllabus for this class. On it, you will see information on how to contact me, as well as the class rules and dates for all major tests and papers. I strongly advise you to look over this syllabus and ask me any questions you have."

As I begin to pass them out, I continue, "First order of business: attendance. If you do not come to class, you cannot succeed. I fully expect each and every one of you to report - on time - to class every day. In the event you cannot..."

 

[Carnage27]

Nightcrawler

Pete and I head towards the cafeteria after class, both agreeing that Scott did a good job on his first day, "I don't know. It should be fun. As long as he doesn't start reminding us about homework on missions, that is."

"Haha, yea," he responds as we enter the kitchen and grab food off the stove, then taking a seat by the window.

I can't help but look out across the gorunds from inside, watching as the younger kids play, and the ones our age lay in the grass and converse, some kiss, and some do homework. And I can't help but wonder what happens next. President Luthor doesn't like our kind. He hasn't said it out loud, but we all know it. And seeing what his Sentinels did to the people of Khandaq...well it worries me.

"You okay, man?" Pete asks, worried.

"Yea, I'm fine," I reply nodding and taking a bite of my lunch, still half-lost in my thoughts.
​

 

[Catman_prb]

I feel my fists clench so tightly that my fingernails dig into my skin. I want nothing more than to shatter Luthor's desk in half with one punch. That would certainly get his attention. I close my eyes for a moment and hear Pa's voice.

"Son, hollerin' and fighting isn't going to solve your problems. When you kick a stone, you only hurt your foot."

I'm not like everyone else. I can't let myself get angry. What Pa said is true, but it's also untrue. When I kick a stone, I hurt the stone, too. And that's why I can't let Luthor get the best of me. That's why I can't prove him and everyone like him right by taking out my aggression. I've lived my whole life learning to suppress that anger, and I won't give in now.

"You're probably right, Batman," I say calmly, never taking my gaze off Luthor - though he's still pretending to be engrossed by that paper he's holding. "I can think of at least one Pulitzer Prize winner who'd kill for the chance to break this story."

I turn to face Batman but stop myself. Spinning back around, I release a tiny, focused blast of heat vision. It burns a dime-sized hole in the paper Luthor's reading. Through that hole, our gazes meet, and I give a little smirk to let Luthor know he hasn't gotten the best of me yet. Then, I turn back to Batman and walk out of the Oval Office.

I can't wait for the day when Luthor is forced to walk out of it, too.

Luthor waited for a count of ten after the secret service agent told him that Superman had left the White House airspace, before picking up the phone in a deliberately calm manner.

"Louise? Get me...Sally Floyd. Yes, I want her in now. I am aware of the time. I believe we need to break this story before someone breaks it for us. And get me Amanda Waller's personal file. I wish to peruse it before I throw her to the wolves. Sometimes in the game of chess, you have to sacrifice a key piece in order to stay in the game. I can win this without her. And I'm going to have to,"

 

[Eddie Brock]

"Evening, Miss Lane. May I come in?"

It takes Lois a moment to react before she opens her window and steps back. I give a polite nod as I float into her living room. I've been to her apartment many times as Clark Kent, but as Superman I've only made an unannounced entrance a handful of times. Unfortunately, this can't wait until I can reach Lois at the Planet, so I'm forced to surprise her.

As Lois slowly grasps the situation, she says somewhat softly, "Can I get you anything? Water? Coffee?" She turns away from me and clears her throat, evidently aware that she still looks like a deer in the headlights.

I shake my head as I touch down on the carpet. "Nothing, thank you. I'm here on business, I'm afraid."

That seems to snap Lois out of her trance. "What kind of business?" she asks in that assertive tone I've come to recognize.

I hold out the folder in my hand. "A...friend and I followed the money trail behind Amazo back to its source." As Lois takes the folder, I continue, "As it turns out, the parts which were used to assemble the android were bought and borrowed from a handful of corporations. I've taken the liberty of highlighting some of them for you."

Lois's eyes roll down the list, and I notice the spark of recognition. "These are LexCorp subsidiaries." She looks at me. "You don't think Luthor...?"

"I do."

Lois stares at the paper in disbelief. I know she wants to believe it.

"Did you think it was coincidence that President Luthor announced his registration bill immediately following the events at Stamford?" I ask, knowing that I probably sound like some kind of conspiracy theorists. The only difference is that Lois and I know Luthor, and with him, it's never just a conspiracy theory. "With public support swayed so heavily against the Justice League, it was the perfect time to strike."

"But...all those people..."

I grit my teeth. "Pawns in Luthor's twisted game. What's the death of a few thousand civilians to someone like him? It's all about getting back at us."

At me.

"You know I hate Luthor as much as you do," Lois begins, "But do you really think he's capable of this?"

"Simply put, yes. I do. When I confronted Luthor about this, he didn't deny anything. He simply refuted this evidence."

Lois puts down the folder, seemingly unwilling to think about the senseless murder of thousands of innocents all for a political agenda. "So where do I come in?"

"Someone has to expose Luthor," I explain. "I would do it, but who's going to believe me at a time like this? It needs to come from someone outside the superhero community." I give a little smile to lighten the mood. "I wouldn't trust anyone other than you with this."

Lois returns the smile briefly before replying, "There isn't enough here to make an accusation against the President. Perry will never let me print this."

"Then do what you do best, Lois. Find the truth. But do it quickly. Now that Luthor knows we're coming for him, it's only a matter of time before he makes his next move." I turn to the open window and the Metropolis night behind it.

"Superman?"

I look back at Lois. I see the vulnerability in her eyes, the vulnerability that she only lets Superman see.

"Be careful out there."

I smile. "Sorry to disturb you, Miss Lane. Have a nice night."
​