The "World of Heroes" DC RPG Season III

[Spider-Man9X17]

"Doin' the best I can, Hal. I don't know how secure this is going to be against the Unity. We're in Metropolis, top of Lexcorp."

 

[Sentry2005]

The signal, or lack thereof, was getting stronger, or weaker depending on your point of view. I could tell by the interference of the signal we had been tracking that we were finally approaching the boundary where Unity's influence ended, and the speedster's connection to the speed force began.

I kept an eye on Gardner to see what would happen when that threshold was finally crossed.

"Yo Sinestro"

I yell up to the yellow guy.

"I think we're getting closer..."

I'm getting weaker.

OCC: sorry for not posting sooner.

 

[MaskedManJRK]

I look up when I hear that familiar voice. Thank God. There's not much energy left in me after the fight and exhaustion of nursing myself upright so I softly spit out, "...Slade..."

I crouched down to him and examined the broken leg.

"I'll need to set the bone before I try to move you." I took the leg with both of my hands. I take one of my gloves off and put the glove next to him, hoping he'll get the message. "This will hurt. A lot."

SNAP. His yell is muffled by the glove. I pick him up and fly off to the Cave. I practically heard Dick's eyes pop out of his skull.

"Don't worry, I got you. ...Just don't make any 'Who's got you?!' cracks."

 

[SuperFerret]

OOC: It's cool man.

IC: Flash III

I was just about read to blurt HELL YEAH!!! when all the emotion drained from my face...Dissapointed, I sat down in my hospital bed.

"...I...I can't." I say reluctantly. "I'm sorry...When I made the choice to hang up the tights...It was a permanent one...The speedforce. It stripped me of my powers. As soon as I put that Flash ring down on Barry's grave I could feel it drain from me. But that wasn't what scared me...For the first time in my life...Barry wasn't there. It was like he left me and when he did, he took my gifts with him...<sighs> I'm sorry Clark but...I'm useless."

"No, you're not."

"I don't know if you realize this, but you are the epicenter of one of the fourteen areas that have not been completely Unified. Your presense is the key to it. You may not have access to your powers, but you still are connected to the Speed Force. And that's all what we need."

 

[batnkevlar]

"Doin' the best I can, Hal. I don't know how secure this is going to be against the Unity. We're in Metropolis, top of Lexcorp."

I hear his message and meet up with him on top of the building in a flash.

Haha, Wally's not around, so I figure I can say that.

"So I'm here. Where's Clark?"

 

[wiegeabo]

The signal interference jumps, moving closer to us. Not by much, but my ring can pick up the difference. The jump shouldn't have happened, but it did. The only explanation I can come up with, the speedster's connection to this force that blocks Unity just increased.

And then, without warning, we cross the threshold. I'm caught by surprise. I was expecting a gradual increase in interference, not an instant loss of the signal. The unity frequencies are virtually completely blocked. As powerful as Unity is the speedster must have an incredibly strong connection to his own force, to be able to cut this area off so completely.

And that's when I remember...

Gardner!

 

[glfan83]

OOC: This post takes place closer to the beginning of the Unity stuff…And sorry it's so long - just had to make a proper introduction!


“The Lightning and The Thunder”

Mr. Malcolm was never late. Ever. Since the beginning of the school year, he has always managed to beat even the most punctual of students to class. Today was certainly no exception – 8:15 AM on the dot, Mr. Malcolm walked through the door.

Only something was different about him today…something about his walk, maybe? Or perhaps it was his attire? There was something not quite right, something that young Billy Batson just couldn’t put his finger on as he watched the teacher cross the front of the room.

Mr. Malcolm stopped behind his desk and turned smoothly toward the class, an eerie look of calm on his face. “Good morning, children.”

“OK, now that’s just weird,” Billy thought to himself. Malcolm never referred to the class as “children”. They’ve always been “students” or “people” – Malcolm liked to think of himself as one of the “cool” teachers.

“We are going to forgo our usual lesson for today in favor of a more appropriate and useful one,” the teacher continued.

A small, wiry girl with blonde hair in the front row raised her hand. “But Mr. Malcolm, we were supposed to review for the test today!” she said, clearly not waiting to be called on.

Mr. Malcolm turned smoothly to face her, his facial features hardly even shifting. “Ms. Jenkins, you did not speak in turn. We will not tolerate an aberration from the rules.” He continued to stare coldly at her.

“’We’? What, does he have a mouse in his pocket?” Billy thought. Something is definitely up with his teacher, Billy knew that much. He just didn’t know what it was.

Mr. Malcolm started to move closer to the girl in the front row. Slowly, almost gliding, he stopped next to the girl’s desk and, without even so much as looking at her, placed his hand over hers.

At that moment, something seemed to change in the girl. She sat up a bit straighter, her feet moved so that they sat right next to each other and her hands moved to a position directly in front of her and didn’t move after that.

Mr. Malcolm began to slowly walk up the aisle of desks, gently touching the hands or arms of students as he walked by, as if he were a priest or pastor blessing each one. Only it didn’t seem to bless any of them – they all simply straightened their posture and looked straight forward, never turning to see what the strange teacher would do next.

The teacher reached the end one of the rows and started to turn down the next one. Billy could hear him coming closer, afraid to turn around and look him in the face. “Something’s not right here…I’ve gotta get outta here so I can figure this thing out!” he thought.

Just then, Billy heard the steps of his teacher growing closer. He knew that if he was going to do something, he needed to do it soon.

“Uh…Mister…Mister Malcolm? I need to use the restroom…please?”

“We do not have the time for such trivial matters. Simply sit in your assigned seat. Your objective will become clear momentarily.”

“But I’ve really gotta go!” Billy jumped up out of his seat and began to run for the door.

He stopped just short when he noticed Principal Ruiz through the window on the door. He had the same strange look about him that Mr. Malcolm and now his other classmates had. He heard the scraping of chair legs on the ground. Billy turned in shock to see his classmates leaving their desks and walking smoothly and calmly toward him.

Beginning to feel boxed in, Billy eyed the only way that he might be able to escape: the window. Could he make it to the window in time? Billy knew he had to try.

As he dashed across the front of the classroom, he heard the door open. He glanced behind him just long enough to notice that Principal Ruiz was joining the mass of people following him towards the window, only he wasn’t alone either. Other students and teachers were right behind him, all trying to box Billy in.

He reached the window and threw it open as quickly as he could. He glanced down and remembered (much to his chagrin) that he was on the third floor. “Oh man…I hate it when this happens…” he thought to himself. He prepared to launch himself out of the window, trying to aim himself towards one of the trees in the courtyard.

Just as he was about to leap, he felt a hand clamp down hard on his arm. “We can’t allow you to leave yet, Mr. Batson,” said a voice that sounded a lot like the girl who sat in the front row, and yet, at the same time, like Mr. Malcolm.


Her touch felt cold and hot at the same time. A sensation ran through Billy’s arm, something akin to a buzzing…or maybe a shock? Regardless of what it was exactly, the most disturbing thing was that Billy began to hear things, voices in his head – voices of people he knew, some he didn’t, all telling him just to come back inside. The room began to spin as the combined problems of the physical sensation and the mental sensation took its toll on Billy.

Suddenly, the voices quieted a bit and the grasp on his arm loosened a bit. Disoriented yet aware that he had to get out of there, Billy leaned out the window and let gravity take hold. As he hurtled towards the ground, he managed to grasp at a few limbs of a nearby tree, never actually holding any of them, but at least slowing his descent.

He landed in the grass a little harder than he had planned but he knew he didn’t have time to check for bruises. He slowly got to his feet and made his way out of the courtyard, towards the back of the school. As he stumbled and bumped his way back behind a dumpster, he could hear the large metal doors that led outside of the school slam open and people file out. No words were exchanged but their footsteps sounded in concert, as if all of them already knew what they were supposed to do. Oddly enough, it didn’t sound as if they were coming in his direction. In fact, they seemed to be headed away from him…

Billy slumped down against the back of the dumpster, his head still reeling from whatever it was that had happened to him. His arm was sore where the girl had touched him. His mind was a jumble of words and images, telling him who he was, what to do…what was going on?

Then one thing came to him, the one thing that he could never forget, no matter what messed with his mind…

The one word that had changed his life…

“SHAZAM!”

A flash of lightning accompanied by a thunderous boom zapped behind the school. Billy felt energized and refreshed as the familiar bolt washed through him.

He stood up and stepped out from behind the dumpster.

“Now let’s figure out what’s going on here, shall we?”

 

[Spider-Man9X17]

"Clark went to find Wally. Haven't heard from him since. We don't have time to keep waiting around though. I'm sure he'll be able to catch up to us."

 

[Keyser Soze]

Metropolis. God, how The Joker hated this miserable city. But for some reason he kept on finding himself back here. But he wasn't here to battle The Unity this time. Oh no, he'd leave that to the do-gooders now. This time, he was looking for Lex Luthor.

The Joker had greatly enjoyed looking through Lex Luthor's secret files. Sadly, there was no porn stash. HA HA! But there was plenty of information that would prove useful in his search. And he had to start with Rudy Jones - better known as The Parasite.

Luthor had been doing his homework on all the metahumans in Metropolis. He seems to have made it his personal duty to keep tabs on them all, try and keep them under control. Guess that plan blew up in his face. But he had plenty of info on The Parasite, including a list of all his known hideouts. The Joker had visited a few, hoping to find Luthor. After all, for his purple friend to keep impersonating good ol' Lex, he'd have to be keeping him alive somewhere in the city so he could suck him dry whenever it was required. And what with the whole Unity thing, The Joker was betting he hadn't gotten round to finishing off Luthor.

And that's why The Joker and Harley Quinn were at an abandoned warehouse on Hob's Bay. When they entered, The Joker spotted a collection of drugs scattered on a table. They'd been keeping someone sedated. It had to be Luthor. He'd hit the jackpot.

He spotted a door near the back of the warehouse. Luthor was being kept on the other side.

"Okay, Harley," said The Joker, "I don't know how drugged up he is, but he'll probably be out cold. We go in here, pick him up, and cart him back to our hideout before waking him up. Then we can all have a nice...little...chat."

But as The Joker got nearer the door, he realised that the lock was broken. Cautiously, he opened the door, and walked into the small room. There was a bed, but it was empty. Luthor was gone.

The Joker stared at the empty bed for a few moments. Then, a grin slowly spread across his face. Sitting down on the edge of the bed, The Joker looked up towards the door. The lock had been burst from the inside. Luthor hadn't been taken. He had gotten up and walked out of here. Lex Luthor was out there right now.

"Where are you?"

 

[dtorn4]

I open my eyes and all I can see is the bright lights of the Batcave infirmary. How did I get here? The last thing I remember is fighting with Deathstroke. I try to move, but the pain in my knee is excruciating. I can't even get up. That's when it all comes back to me. How could I have been so careless?

"Bruce, are you there?"

"I'm here Dick."

"What happened, how did I get here?"

"I found you lying in the streets and brought you back here to recover."

"I can't believe I let Slade do that to me. How bad is the damage?"

"Torn ACL and MCL, you are going to out of commission for a while and it is going to be a long road back."

"Well then I guess I should get started."...

 

[glfan83]

OOC: This take place a bit closer to the current timeline…

“The Lightning and The Thunder, Part 2”

A red streak flashed across the Fawcett City sky as Captain Marvel zipped his way to the Rock of Eternity.

Walking down the long corridor to the wizard’s chamber, Marvel glances at the statues of the Seven Deadly Sins that line the hall as a reminder of what the wizard strives to combat: Pride, Envy, Greed, Hatred, Selfishness, Laziness and Injustice.

“[font=&quot]At least I’m not dealing with one of these. I’d rather round up my teachers at school than put down a hardcore demon…[/font]”

He made his way down to the chamber and lit the wall sconce. The image of the wizard Shazam slowly appeared, hazy and misty at first. To Billy, the wizard looked older every time he saw him. His wrinkled face and long, seemingly-endless beard and hair only added to the powerful wizard’s aged look.

“[font=&quot]Fear not, Billy Batson – I do not grow old anymore, as you well know.[/font]”

Billy was rarely surprised anymore when the wizard told him what was in Billy’s own head. Of all people, Billy understood the wizard’s capabilities better than anyone.

“[font=&quot]I know, sir. It’s not a bad thing, I just don’t think I’ll ever get as old as you.[/font]”

“[font=&quot]One day, Billy Batson. All things in their own time.[/font]”

“[font=&quot]OK, not really sure what that meant[/font]…” he thought, before he remembered that Shazam would be able to read that, too. However, if the wizard had picked that up, he didn’t show it.

“[font=&quot]Anyway, I’m here because something strange is going on in Fawcett City and, as far as I can tell, some sort of zombie process or mind control has gotten to them. Only thing is, the Wisdom of Solomon can’t tell me where it is coming from or what may be causing it. Do you have any idea what’s going on?[/font]”

The wizard paused for a moment. “[font=&quot]I have felt a strange presence in this realm as of late…something that I have not felt before. I am sorry that I cannot be of more help to you, Billy Batson, but you should know that you are once again needed in Fawcett City.[/font]”

“[font=&quot]Alright, I’m on my way![/font]” Marvel ran down the hallway and took off from the Rock of Eternity towards Fawcett City.

As he got closer, he noticed that large groups of people were beginning to congregate in the middle of the park at the center of town. “[font=&quot]What is going on here?[/font]”

Flying down closer, he noticed that the large group was bearing down on a smaller group of people, who had obviously noted that something was amiss. Calling for help, they didn’t expect it to come so quickly in the form of Captain Marvel.

Marvel swooped down from the sky and uprooted a large tree from nearby. Using the tree as a barrier, he pushed the large crowd back away from the small group and towards the lake. As the people in the rear of the group began to fall into the water, those in the front began to push forward and climb over the now-horizontal tree. Marvel quickly dropped the tree and headed for the small group of people.

“[font=&quot]Quick! Get on the playground![/font]”

The group looked confused but headed towards the brightly colored equipment. Once they had all climbed on, they looked around for more direction from the red-clad superhero. They began to worry when they couldn’t see him anywhere – and the group of mindless people that had been chasing them was still coming towards them!

Suddenly the earth around them shook and, although it took them a bit to realize what was happening, they soon understood that they were rising in the air! A voice from underneath the uprooted equipment called out to them: “[font=&quot]Hang on! We’re going for a ride![/font]”

Marvel flew the group far from the park, to the roof of a building downtown. Setting them down, he asked them why the group may have been after them. Since no one seemed to know, he decided that he would have to investigate on his own. And when it came to villainous plots involving mind control, there was one person that Marvel usually found as the culprit: Mister Mind!

 

[Batman]

IC:Mr.Freeze.

Hope.

It is non-existant,in this world.It is a lie.It is a pointless notion that many people hold onto.But in this cold,unforgiving world...There is no hope.

I sit in this reched cell that I've grown accustomed to,waiting as my final minutes in this....cage...begins.I have made plans.They will be followed with accuracy,because if they aren't...Someone will freeze.And they know it.So I know that I have mere minutes left with her.With...Nora.

I admire the small Ice sculpture that I constructed many winters ago.It is supposed to represent the essence of true beauty,but...It fails.Only She represented that with accuracy.

My Wife.My beloved Nora.They will pay for taking you away from me,My love.Just wait,for I will not rest until your spirit is justified by the same,cold feeling in my heart that has formed since your death.

Yes...Cold.

I shall make the world feel as I have.I shall make Gotham City perish under a blanket of snow and ice,and then watch as the world plummets into the next Ice age.

But first...Revenge.

I do not know where,or who he is...But I have a vendetta that I am still holding.Against the one they call 'Batman'.HE is the reason you are beyond saving,Nora.If he hadn't ducked when I fired my cold gun at him,I would've never hit your chamber,causing you to freeze to death.Maybe,just maybe,if he hadn't done that....I could hold you in my arms once more.

My blood nearly boils,if that's possible,at the thought of him still having the privilage of life when you,my love,cannot.

I cannot extract my revenge now.Batman is pre-occupied,and I must use this to my advantage.But He WILL pay.Everyone will pay.Everyone....shall Freeze.

At that moment,I hear it.The anarky...The chaos...The screaming....

My carraige awaits.

Soon,I can see,through the fogged window of my cell,five or six shadows.They are the men of whom I will need to proceed with my plan.They are the ones who are setting me free.

I'll kill them.I'll kill them all,when the time is right,and I have found no more use for them.They do not deserve to live.

I begin to hear them talking.They are strategizing on how to destroy my cell door,so I can escape.I would,if I had the equipment,simply slam it down with the force of my armor.But,alas,I don't have my armor.That's why I need these...neanderthals.

Suddenly,the door begins to turn to Ice.That's nearly impossible,considering it was built to prevent such temperatures from harming it....Unless...

Ice Bombs.They are using my Ice Bombs.Of Course...

Then,the door shatters,like glass.The five men step inside,all wearing parkas.I can see,in the background,that they have made the inner halls of Arkham into a 'winter wonderland',so to speak.

"Ready,boss?"One asks.

I look down at the Ice Sculpture,before placing it under my bed.I pray this is the last time I see it,because I do not plan on returing to this prison.I look at him,with no emotion to match his obviously scared expression.

"The suit."I say,angrily,losing my patience very quickly.

As if on cue,one of the men steps out,and steps back in,wheeling in a large,man sized crate.I smirk.

"Go back to the car.Wait for me.I have buisness to attend to."I say,ignoring them as I go to the crate.

They comply.My eyes nearly sparkle at the sight of the armor that rests inside of the crate.

Nearly...Being the key word.

*click*

*snap*

*sss*

I finish with the last part of the suit,as more guards come in,trying desperately to block my way.I look at them,almost with pity.

"Are you so desperate to stop my mission that you try and oppose me without rational thought?" I ask.

They seem to ignore my words,pulling out their weak,useless pistols.I smile,somewhat,at that.

"I assumed so."

I take the last remaning piece of equipment out of the crate.It is the Cold Gun...A weapon of which I will be needing,on this night.I turn to them,and fire.Their eyes widen,as they are incased in large blocks of ice before they can even blink.

I look at back at my cell,one last time,before making my departure.

Hope?

There is no Hope.Only DEATH.

 

[Spike_x1]

Wonder Woman and Jay Garrick had finished their modifications to the device commonly referred to as the Cosmic Treadmill and were now on their way to Superman&#8217;s Fortress of Solitude, Jay running and Diana flying with the treadmill on her back. They stopped in front of the large sphere that contained the Fortress inside of a pocket dimension. Setting the treadmill onto the snow-covered ground, Diana began flying around the sphere, using her Amazonian strength to shift the pieces of the sphere into the correct placement in order to open the doorway into the miniature dimension. Once that was completed, Wonder Woman picked the treadmill back up and began walking into the Fortress with the Flash, discussing their plans. They made their way into the control room to hook the treadmill up to the proper connection. As they were working, Diana heard a sharp scratching sound coming from somewhere behind them. She turned, assumed a fighting stance, ready to engage any intruder, but sighed with relief when she realized that the source of the noise was none other than Superman&#8217;s dog Krypto. She lowered her arms out of her stance and turned back to the machine.

As the two heroes continued to work at top speeds, Krypto began to enjoy sniffing around Jay&#8217;s legs and hopping around him, barking for attention. Jay raised an eyebrow and bent down to the dog, petting him. &#8220;Sorry Boy, but we&#8217;ve got to work.&#8221;

What happened next nearly gave poor Jay Garrick a heart attack.

To the Flash&#8217;s surprise, Krypto actually smiled and spoke to him. &#8220;All work and no play makes Jay a dull boy.&#8221; Then, with the combined speed of the real Krypto (who now lay in the zoo section of the Fortress), and the speed stolen from Garrick by being in such close proximity to him while he worked, the Parasite leapt onto the Flash, knocking the old man onto his back. Within a fraction of a second, the dog had transformed back into the more familiar form of the Parasite and put all of his effort into draining the pinned-down Flash to death. Just as Jay was passing out, he heard the whip-like crack of Diana&#8217;s lasso and felt the immense weight of the hulking monster being lifted from his chest.

 

[Johnny Blaze]

"Clark went to find Wally. Haven't heard from him since. We don't have time to keep waiting around though. I'm sure he'll be able to catch up to us."

"Catch up with us?" asked Garth, "Where are we headed?"

 

[Spider-Man9X17]

"Catch up with us?" asked Garth, "Where are we headed?"

"I don't know, but the answer obviously isn't here."

Kyle's power ring crackled with energy, sheathing the Green Lantern in a green light. He began to levitate off the rooftop.

"The rest of you can stand around and insult each other all night, waiting to see if the answer will bite you in the a$$, but I'm going to face this thing head on. You wanna come with me, try and keep up."

 

[batnkevlar]

"I don't know, but the answer obviously isn't here."

Kyle's power ring crackled with energy, sheathing the Green Lantern in a green light. He began to levitate off the rooftop.

"The rest of you can stand around and insult each other all night, waiting to see if the answer will bite you in the a$$, but I'm going to face this thing head on. You wanna come with me, try and keep up."

"Keeping up isn't a problem, kid."

OOC: Where are we heading?

 

[Spider-Man9X17]

Kyle felt the tingle at the base of his skull again. Their was definitely something going on in Metropolis; He didn't feel the Unity until he got here, and now it wouldn't let him alone.

"Something's here Hal, in the city. It wants my ring, and it's trying to burrow into my brain. This thing knows me. All my fears, all my insecurities, that only I can use my ring."

Kyle floated out over the city, peering at the streets below.

"It's talking to me, trying to kill my fear, make me drop my guard. Because once I stop fearing it, I stop fighting it, and it wins."

It was getting closer. Somewhere on the street below. The ring began to grow brighter.

"But that's where it's wrong. The very power it wants is useless to it. This thing sucks the souls out of anything it comes in contact with, bending them to its vision of a perfect race. And how does it do that? It takes away their willpower. It kills it, its almost a poison to this thing. But to us, willpower is life, is power. To let this thing connect to tha Battery, to pure will, would probably be like pouring salt on a slug."

There, on the street below. A single person, walking down the sidewalk. Kyle's ring began to burn his finger.

"I think I can stop this thing, Hal. Even just the little chunk after me. But, if I'm wrong, I'm going to need someone to pull me back. I'm going to need someone else tapped into the Battery who can pull me out. And, if I am wrong, and it gets into the Battery, we may not be able to get it back out. Game over, we lose."

The entity was getting closer.

"Do you trust me?"

 

[Johnny Blaze]

Garth stood back and listened to the two Lanterns as the one called Kyle Rayner went over his plan that could possibly stop the Unity. As he listened, what he heard was in turn stealthily sent back to the Unity through an untraceable psychic link.
Garth rose off the ground to join the pair.
"That actually doesn't sound like a bad idea", said Garth, "still, even when you get your battery, you'd need a way to link directly to this thing, since it can probably just shut down any link it would have with you from it's end."

 

[batnkevlar]

Kyle felt the tingle at the base of his skull again. Their was definitely something going on in Metropolis; He didn't feel the Unity until he got here, and now it wouldn't let him alone.

"Something's here Hal, in the city. It wants my ring, and it's trying to burrow into my brain. This thing knows me. All my fears, all my insecurities, that only I can use my ring."

Kyle floated out over the city, peering at the streets below.

"It's talking to me, trying to kill my fear, make me drop my guard. Because once I stop fearing it, I stop fighting it, and it wins."

It was getting closer. Somewhere on the street below. The ring began to grow brighter.

"But that's where it's wrong. The very power it wants is useless to it. This thing sucks the souls out of anything it comes in contact with, bending them to its vision of a perfect race. And how does it do that? It takes away their willpower. It kills it, its almost a poison to this thing. But to us, willpower is life, is power. To let this thing connect to tha Battery, to pure will, would probably be like pouring salt on a slug."

There, on the street below. A single person, walking down the sidewalk. Kyle's ring began to burn his finger.

"I think I can stop this thing, Hal. Even just the little chunk after me. But, if I'm wrong, I'm going to need someone to pull me back. I'm going to need someone else tapped into the Battery who can pull me out. And, if I am wrong, and it gets into the Battery, we may not be able to get it back out. Game over, we lose."

The entity was getting closer.

"Do you trust me?"

"Kid, while I was gone, gone for a while at least, I feared that the Earth woud not have another Green Lantern. The Green lLnterns, they're different than any other "capes". They represent the light. Where there is darkness, we bring the light. In harmony, a balance. You kept the balance. HE didn't think you would. HE does not know all, as assumed. You proved Him wrong."

I look at Kyle. God, he's grown up so fast.

"What I'm trying to say kid, is that if I had a son, I wish to God it was you."

I look into his eyes.

"Of course I trust you. Let's do this."

 

[Spider-Man9X17]

Kyle looked over to that Garth guy. He didn't like him. Something...didn't feel right.

"You let us worry about that, 'k?" he said, turning back to Hal.

The entity, it was right below them now.

"It's time to do this."

Kyle descended to the street below. The figure was still cloaked in darkness, but it had a feminine form. Kyle never let his guard down as he approached her, or it.

"I know what you're doing, Kyle. It won't work, and you'll be responsible for the unification of the universe."

Kyle recognized the voice. He had no doubt that he would, but he was surprised at who's voice it was.

"Jenny," he growled. A wave of emotions swept over him.

"No," he told himself. "Don't let it get to you. It's not really her."

Kyle regained his composure as the form walked into the dim streetlight. Indeed, it did look like Jenny Lynn, but everything else told Kyle it wasn't.

"You're too foolish, Kyle. Too wild eyed. That's why you lost me, and that's why you'll fail. I needed a real man, a real hero. Not some alley rat that feel into his ring with blind luck. Give it up. Join the Unity, and it will help make you that man."

Kyle hesitated, looked away,...and smiled.

"Stupid b**ch."

He let loose with a blast of energy. The Unity was thrust backwards and crashed into the pavement. Kyle felt the ground shake.

"Helluva 'thud'. I didn't hit it that har..."

Kyle felt something ram into his stomach, force him backwards this time. He thought fast enough though that his shield never went down. He opened his eyes as he landed.

Major Force. At least, a copy.

"How many people have you let down, runt? How many people have died? How many women walked out? How many staff assisstants gotten beat to an inch of their lives?"

Kyle didn't answer. It was now or never. He just hoped Hal was in place.

He focused all his energy, envisioned the Central Battery, the dimensional rift. His ring crackled with energy, and he thrust it forward, embedding it in the assimilation's chest. In a crack of green energy, they were both gone.

 

[glfan83]

"The Lightning and The Thunder, Part 3"


Zipping back across the skies, Captain Marvel looked for large groups again to see if he could find where they were centered at. &#8220;[FONT=&quot]This is where I could really use that &#8216;super-sight&#8217; that Superman has&#8230;[/FONT]&#8221; Soon, he found a group of people congregating at a nearby construction site. Dropping in closer, he came face-to-face with the man he was looking for &#8211; Brainwave.

&#8220;[FONT=&quot]Brainwave&#8230;or should I call you &#8216;Mister Mind&#8217;? I always get so confused when there&#8217;s a worm in someone&#8217;s head&#8230;[/FONT]&#8221;

The villain looked surprisingly unconcerned with his adversary&#8217;s hovering arrival. &#8220;[FONT=&quot]Captain Marvel, you have no idea what you&#8217;re getting yourself into,[/FONT]&#8221; he matter-of-factly stated.

&#8220;[FONT=&quot]What&#8217;s[/FONT] [FONT=&quot]the point of this, Mind? What are you up to?[/FONT]&#8221;

&#8220;[FONT=&quot]This is bigger than me, Marvel. Bigger than you. Why don&#8217;t you come down here and I&#8217;ll show you what I mean.[/FONT]&#8221;

&#8220;[FONT=&quot]I&#8217;ve fallen for that one before, Mind &#8211; I won&#8217;t do it again. Now who put you up to this? Black Adam?[/FONT]&#8221;

An evil yet empty laugh rose out of the man called Brainwave that chilled Captain Marvel more than usual. &#8220;[FONT=&quot]You can&#8217;t fight the inevitable, Marvel. It&#8217;s only a matter of time&#8230;[/FONT]&#8221;

And with that, something went screaming past Captain Marvel&#8217;s head. No, literally &#8211; screaming. Marvel turned around and saw a person flying off into the distance. Marvel turned back around just as another one was headed for him. He quickly dashed in midair to avoid the attack. &#8220;[FONT=&quot]They can fly?[/FONT]&#8221;

&#8220;[FONT=&quot]No, you moron. But they do make excellent ammunition.[/FONT]&#8221; Mind spoke directly to Marvel&#8217;s mind, confusing the hero even more. Mister Mind was telepathically flinging people at Captain Marvel as weapons!

&#8220;[FONT=&quot]Wait, if they can&#8217;t fly&#8230;Holy smokes![/FONT]&#8221; Marvel took off towards the direction of the flung citizens. Grabbing one by the jacket, he made a quick turn and caught up with another one just as she was about to hit the ground.

He felt both people struggling and hitting him as he flew them to safety. &#8220;[FONT=&quot]Geez, guys &#8211; how about a little gratitude?[/FONT]&#8221; He dropped them off in the middle of the city and flew back to the construction site. As he got closer, steel beams flew towards him. With a thunderous blow, Marvel knocked one away, bending it in the process. As he turned to face the other, it began to bend and twist, wrapping itself around Marvel in an attempt to squeeze the life out of him.

With a strong flex of his powerful muscles, Marvel shattered the beams that embraced him. Grabbing some of the pieces, he flung them back towards the area where Brainwave/Mister Mind launched his attack. The fragments landed all around Mind, frightening him enough to weaken his assault momentarily.

A moment was all Marvel needed &#8211; with a quick push-off in mid-air, Captain Marvel launched himself at Mind. With a quick right hook and a strong uppercut, Brainwave was dazed and down. The worm inside however, could operate just fine. &#8220;[FONT=&quot]Marvel, you have no idea what you are dealing with.[/FONT]&#8221;

Lifting Brainwave up by the front of his costume, Marvel looked him right in the eyes, as if he could see the worm operating behind it. &#8220;[FONT=&quot]Tell me what&#8217;s going on, you nasty little worm, or I&#8217;ll make sure you don&#8217;t crawl anywhere.[/FONT]&#8221;

A round of telepathic laughter startled Marvel as the worm reacted to his threat. Through it all, Marvel could only make out one single word: &#8220;[FONT=&quot]Unity.[/FONT]&#8221;

The crowd of people began to swarm around Marvel and the villain. He realized that this was much bigger than he could handle on his own. He was going to need some help &#8211; and fast. He glanced at the semi-conscious villain in front of him. &#8220;[FONT=&quot]You got lucky this time, Mind&#8230;I&#8217;ll be back for you.[/FONT]&#8221; Marvel dropped Brainwave into the crowd and flew away to find the handful of people who might be able to help him out.

 

[Johnny Blaze]

Kyle looked over to that Garth guy. He didn't like him. Something...didn't feel right.

"You let us worry about that, 'k?" he said, turning back to Hal.

"Hm...ok, whatever", said Garth after the semi-rude remark.
He floated back down to the ground, ignoring his remark, and landed right next to Imra. With social skills like that, it's no wonder you guys are pretty much non-existant in the future, he thought to himself.

Turning to the beautiful Imra Ardeen, Garth said, "Imra, is there any way you can search through the Unity mess to find the other heroes? We should probably meet up with them since it seems that team green over there doesn't need our help."

 

[Red]

"Hm...ok, whatever", said Garth after the semi-rude remark.
He floated back down to the ground, ignoring his remark, and landed right next to Imra. With social skills like that, it's no wonder you guys are pretty much non-existant in the future, he thought to himself.

Turning to the beautiful Imra Ardeen, Garth said, "Imra, is there any way you can search through the Unity to find the other heroes? We should probably meet up with them since it seems that team green over there doesn't need our help."

The narrow pale blue hallways weak lights cast shadows everywhere. From one dark corner, a small agile figure silently dashed softly from one to the next, searching, hunting for something. It swiftly moved, keeping its appearance hidden. It abruptly stopped and appeared from out the darkness. Although little could still be still seen of the mysterious silhouette it was clear he was a young man.

A black gloved hand appeared from out the shadow it felt around the pasty blue wall, till it found what it was looking for, then its fingers slowly mapped out a square and then it tapped in the centre of it. The square area he had mapped out pushed toward, the noise echoed throughout the building. He grabbed the square and laid it on the ground, it exposed a concealed safe. One hand reached to the safes lock, and tapped on it for a few moments, as he tried to remember the combination. His hand froze, then suddenly awoke and clutched the locked, turned it 3 to the left, 5 to the right and then 7 to the right again. The lock was heard, releasing. His other gloved hand reached to the safe&#8217;s handle and pulled the steel door open. He cautiously reached into the safe, his knuckles tightened as he snatched something from within the safe .As he withdrew his nails scraping across the safe dragging a black piece of cloth behind them. He held the cloth out and revealed it to be a black mask with a white skull covering the face of it.

X awoke; he had almost lost himself to his exhaustion. His encounter with the unity had taken more out of him than he had first thought. X regained his composure and joined Imra and Garth

 

[twylight]

Imra closed her eyes and flew into the sky.

***I can't go through the Unity, however...***

"The Unity is getting stronger if it's taking on human form."

She could feel the pressure of it pressing in on all sides of her.
She withdrew into her mind.
Blackness swirled around her, calling to her before taking form in the shape of a man. A cloak of darkness billowed out, and the form pulsated casting ripples across her.

Why are you here?

Why are any of us here?

Imra glared at him.
You aren't earning any points with cryptic language. That's best left to Holovids.

The figure motioned a hand and Imra could see the battle between the Green Lanterns and the Unity created figure.
Why do people fight? Fear? Anger? I have the answer to all that. I can make this a peaceful place. We can make a peaceful existance for humanity. Isn't that what heroes do? They protect and create peace.

No, that's a contorted view. We protect them. We protect their free will. We don't make them do our bidding, if we helped you we would be abusing our powers.

But through free will they hurt each other. Your world is peaceful because there are no secrets. How is Earth any different?

We don't mess with peoples choices, or take that power away from them.

It seemed as if the figure smiled.
Imra, Imra...can't you tell? Can't you see? Scan me, feel me. Then you'll know.

She felt drawn towards the figure, the urge to search his mind and delve farther into it encompassed her mind.

NO! Is this how you did it with the others?

Oh no, they were much easier. However I didn't forsee a telepath in my plans. It took me a little bit longer to culture plans for you. Why do you think I&#8217;ve left you untouched so far?

"Then he doesn't know about the future.."

You know nothing about me! You don't know what I can do.

Don't get that impression. I have more knowledge than you think.

Her vision seemed to blur as she felt her mind pulled to him. A peaceful feeling washed over her. She relaxed, there was no need to fight anymore, she smiled. Suddenly she sensed something familier. She was going to deep, she clung to her mind, not allowing it to slip into the Unity&#8217;s grasp, she pulled herself out, pain shot through her as she eased away.

NO! You can't do this. GET OUT!" She screamed pushing it away. All the the good feelings, the peace, the lies.

Pink rays extended from her piercing the darkness, melting it as the rays intensified.

GET OUT OF ME AND NEVER COME BACK!

This isn&#8217;t over&#8230;..

NO!
Through all of her pushing she could feel the Unity put up no fight.

&#8220;Why is it pulling out?&#8221; Mentally she could feel the one known as Kyle leave this reality along with a portion of the Unity.

Slowing her heartbeat down she sifted through the knowledge she&#8217;d gotten from the Unity. Her mind ached in pain.

Opening her eyes the bright sunlight pierced them. Blinking a few times she landed back on the roof next to Garth and spoke cooly.

&#8220;Wonder Woman and Jay Garrick are at the Fortress of Solitude, they are being attacked by Parasite. Superman is with the current Flash in a hospital. I can&#8217;t get a lock on Supergirl.&#8221;

 

[Red]

Imra closed her eyes and flew into the sky.

***I can't go through the Unity, however...***

"The Unity is getting stronger if it's taking on human form."

She could feel the pressure of it pressing in on all sides of her.
She withdrew into her mind.
Blackness swirled around her, calling to her before taking form in the shape of a man. A cloak of darkness billowed out, and the form pulsated casting ripples across her.

Why are you here?

Why are any of us here?

Imra glared at him.
You aren't earning any points with cryptic language. That's best left to Holovids.

The figure motioned a hand and Imra could see the battle between the Green Lanterns and the Unity created figure.
Why do people fight? Fear? Anger? I have the answer to all that. I can make this a peaceful place. We can make a peaceful existance for humanity. Isn't that what heroes do? They protect and create peace.

No, that's a contorted view. We protect them. We protect their free will. We don't make them do our bidding, if we helped you we would be abusing our powers.

But through free will they hurt each other. Your world is peaceful because there are no secrets. How is Earth any different?

We don't mess with peoples choices, or take that power away from them.

It seemed as if the figure smiled.
Imra, Imra...can't you tell? Can't you see? Scan me, feel me. Then you'll know.

She felt drawn towards the figure, the urge to search his mind and delve farther into it encompassed her mind.

NO! Is this how you did it with the others?

Oh no, they were much easier. However I didn't forsee a telepath in my plans. It took me a little bit longer to culture plans for you. Why do you think I’ve left you untouched so far?

"Then he doesn't know about the future.."

You know nothing about me! You don't know what I can do.

Don't get that impression. I have more knowledge than you think.

Her vision seemed to blur as she felt her mind pulled to him. A peaceful feeling washed over her. She relaxed, there was no need to fight anymore, she smiled. Suddenly she sensed something familier. She was going to deep, she clung to her mind, not allowing it to slip into the Unity’s grasp, she pulled herself out, pain shot through her as she eased away.

NO! You can't do this. GET OUT!" She screamed pushing it away. All the the good feelings, the peace, the lies.

Pink rays extended from her piercing the darkness, melting it as the rays intensified.

GET OUT OF ME AND NEVER COME BACK!

This isn’t over…..

NO!
Through all of her pushing she could feel the Unity put up no fight.

“Why is it pulling out?” Mentally she could feel the one known as Kyle leave this reality along with a portion of the Unity.

Slowing her heartbeat down she sifted through the knowledge she’d gotten from the Unity. Her mind ached in pain.

Opening her eyes the bright sunlight pierced them. Blinking a few times she landed back on the roof next to Garth and spoke cooly.

“Wonder Woman and Jay Garrick are at the Fortress of Solitude, they are being attacked by Parasite. Superman is with the current Flash in a hospital. I can’t get a lock on Supergirl.”

"No we are getting somewhere"