The "World of Heroes" DC RPG Season IV

[wiegeabo]

Dinah gave a smug smile.

"Damage control. Welcome to the life of a non-powered hero." she said a little bitterly.

~ Tha' was harsh.~

Dinah bit her lip.
"He deserved it." she said speeding up.

"We need to relieve Zatanna, and alert the military. However at this juncture I almos feel it would be better to not allow the military in. Who knows what they'll want to do if they gain a firm foothold. But coordination of evacuation and safety is the prime concern right now. Hal, you're a military man."

I pull in close to Jordan, so that no one can hear us. "One question, could she always fly? Because, at this moment, she seems to be displaying Lantern-like powers."

 

[Franklin Richards]

I pull in close to Jordan, so that no one can hear us. "One question, could she always fly? Because, at this moment, she seems to be displaying Lantern-like powers."

"I'd let it be. Dinah's always been a private person. She'll tell us when she's ready."

 

[SuperFerret]

"Ok crew. Let's get our game faces on. If everyone is through with the antidote, we need to rendezvous at Superman's last known location. I am sending this message out on all frequencies. League. Titans. Even local radio band. Green Arrow, Wonder Woman, and Martian Manhunter if you can hear us we need you to acknowledge too. All heroes rally to New Mount Swan. The Man of Steel may need us. Green Lantern 2814.1 out."


I turn to Diana, "I think we should meet them there."

We both take off and fly to meet the others.

OOC: Yet another exciting post from Superferret!

 

[MST3K 4ever]

Lex's phone rings.

Angela...I knew sooner or later that she might call...I better answer it.

Lex answers the phone, "Yes Angela what can I do for you?"

She replies, "Mr. President I'm in the press room and the White House press corps is starting to get a little anxious. They want an offical comment on the situation in Metropolis and I can't keep stalling them much longer."

Lex says, "Ahh very well Anglea have the switchboard operator put me through."

Angela says, "Gladly."

Within moments he hears Angela say, "I have on the line the President himself. Go ahead sir."

Lex replies, "Thank you Anglea. Ladies and Gentlemen of the press corps. Let me just say that this is not a press conference. The situation in Metropolis is under in control thanks to the work of, I guess we can call them the Justice League. There are still some unsettled situations but they are being addressed. When the time is right I will address the enitre nation on the situation and have some interesting revelations as well. There is no cause for alarm"

He can hear some of them shouting questions and Lex says, "Everything will be brought to light in due time thank you all very much."

Lex hangs up the phone.

Soon my victory....my long overdue victory will be at hand.

 

[SuperFerret]

As I fly to where the others are, Diana at my heels and the cool breeze on my face, I can feel my strength returning as the buzz of thoughts from the surrounding people returns to my mental "background", and my muscles regain a portion of their former capability. I concentrate, to heal my body further.

Soon, I am able to see my fellow Justice Leaguers.

 

[Franklin Richards]

"Welcome J'onn. Diana. We are containing the battle. The virus has been dealt with. The final few patients should be cured before the day is over. Any updates from you two?"

 

[SuperFerret]

"Welcome J'onn. Diana. We are containing the battle. The virus has been dealt with. The final few patients should be cured before the day is over. Any updates from you two?"

"I was nearly killed by the Parasite, before Kal interceded."

 

[Apprentice]

"And I'm exhausted," Diana announced, a mile touching her lips in an attempt to break the solemn tone enveloping the city. Her shoulders slumped as she ran a hand back through her hair and began to apply pressure to certain points across her body to check for any internal damage. "Would somebody please explain what is going on here? I only knew that you were all in trouble when I came here."

 

[twylight]

"Someone alert Zee she can put her spell down. If we want to keep the military out we need to alert them to focus mainly on the evacuation and medical needs of the civilians." Dinah said

 

[SuperFerret]

"Someone alert Zee she can put her spell down. If we want to keep the military out we need to alert them to focus mainly on the evacuation and medical needs of the civilians." Dinah said

With my telepathy returning, I feel that I am up to the task.

"Just one second."

~Zatanna. You may halt your containment spell. We have the situation well in hand.~

 

[Keyser Soze]

"There's no place like home! There's no place like home! There's no place like hooooooooooooooooooooome! HAHAHAHAHAHA!

Arkham Asylum. Surely it was as much a home as anywhere for The Joker. It seemed that no matter where he went, what hideouts he inhabited, good ol' Arkham was the one place he always ended back in. Home. He got bored whenever he stayed here too long, but he had always said he had fun here in short bursts. And he had lots of fun planned for the near future.

Fun. That's something he hadn't had nearly enough of recently. He'd been so caught up in big plans and grand causes - fighting alien beings, acting as leader to teams of his fellow supervillains, becoming Mayor of Gotham - that he'd seemed to stop having good old-fashioned fun. When he finally decided to ditch the Arkham homestead for another night on the town, he would be happy to paint it red, no strings attached. Just pure, unadulterated, unfiltered carnage.

But that was later. Now, he was scheming. Waiting. He didn't like being out on the sidelines for too long. He'd heard of all the malarchy in Metropolis, somehing about a virus. Well, he still had his Venom Bomb in storage in one of his many hideaways. If it had been THAT that had went off, there would have been no salvation or miracle cures. Everyone in the city would be dead by now. Just like in Bludhaven. The thought of it widened the grin on The Joker's face.

But you know what? If these amateurs wanted to get into their little power-plays, let them. The Joker was never finished. He'd have centre stage soon enough. He could afford to be patient. All he had was time. Time for scheming. Time for waiting. And, of course, most important of all, time for laughing.

And that's exactly what The Joker decided to do, the shrill screech rising to a cacophony that echoed through the entire Asylum like a wild demonic spectre.

And The Joker laughed.

And laughed.

And laughed.

THE END...FOR NOW...

 

[Apprentice]

PROLOGUE​

Metropolis:
Oh, Hera.

It can't be.

She's dead...my exhaustion must be making me see things...

"Dinah?" Diana murmured at disbelief. She stumbled back, her wounds and weariness finally kicking in. "But...you...oh!"

The princess embraced her old friend, relief and joy flooding her. Amidst the destruction, amongst the flames, a seemingly impossible thing had occurred - something good had happened. At that moment, Diana didn't need an explanation. She was content just to sob weakly as memories so faint and distant rose to the forefront of her mind...one final breath of air from Paradise Island, the small form of Artemis at the shore below her...

And then, raw pain.

It struck through her mind, tearing into her and driving her down to the streets, to her very knees. Gripping the sides of her head, she tore her tiara from its lodgings and tossed it aside, sinking her teeth into her lower lip and gagging at the coppery taste of blood. She shrieked, an agonising howl, but it was only a dim sound to her ears, almost as if it were miles away...finally, the overwhelming agony subsided, and, quivering, she slumped to the concrete.

A sickening knowledge was now placed upon her, a knowledge of the future. Somehow, she knew what was about to come, but it didn't make it any easier. Two Amazonian soldiers appeared beside her, yanking her unceremoniously to her feet. Diana groaned, too weak to resist.

"Princess Diana, you are under arrest," one of the armour-clad guards hissed.

A golden light encircled them, and they were gone.

***
​

"I hope I have done the right thing," Hippolyta mused aloud, peering into the viewing portal before her.

The shadowy figure beside the Queen smiled under her hood, watching intently as the guards hauled their charge away from the burning city of Metropolis. "I can assure you that you have, my Queen. My visions are never wrong. Diana's destiny is pre-determined, and if we are to change it..."

"...we must act now," Hippolyta finished with a heavy sigh. Resting her hand on the hilt of the ceremonial sword strapped to her waist, she grimaced. "Oh, Diana, what have you become?"

"I think the more apt question is, my Queen," the figure began gravely, "what are you going to become?"

TO BE CONTINUED IN SEASON FIVE!​

 

[LibrarianThorne]

Silence filled the air. None of the remaining animals in the area were making any noise, frightened to death in their shelters. The only noise that could be heard for miles was the wind settling the dust and the heavy breathing of a super man.

Another noise began to flow through the trees; a noise so small that only one with Kryptonian ears could make it out. Pebbles were stirring and shaking in the remains of Mount Swan. Then a scream was let loose. It was a monstrous roar of both pain and inhuman rage, not solely aimed at the Man of Steel. It was for the world and everyone beyond.

The boulders and rocks exploded, rocketing into the sky in gigantic arcs, melting from the heat of the air's friction. In the epicenter of the blast stood a being with energy and fury boiling from his body.

A whisper in Kryptonian tongue escaped Raymond Jones' lips, "Do you think that killing me would have mattered at all, Clark?" A roaring thunder sounded as the Parasite shot himself at Superman. He slashed his claws across his enemy's face, howling his anguish at him. "Have you any idea of what I learned when I killed the Unity?!"

Superman's knuckles struck the Parasite's jaw mercilessly, but monster's attack pressed on. The two flew, passed the speed of sound, out of the forest and straight into a highway overpass that lead back into the city. The concrete and pavement only gave them a slight pause, but it was enough to provoke the Parasite to steer both of them back into the ground, plowing another trench for miles.

Telepathy gleaned from the Martian Manhunter reinforced Jones' words more than speech could ever do, ~None of our actions were our own, Clark! The Unity was using us all from the very beginning! It made us do things, things that never should have been done, and now we're all paying the price! I'm going to finish what I started when I killed it!~

"Get out of my head."
The words were grunted as Superman struggled against the Parasite. He was being drained, he could tell, but the power leeching from his body was a trickle, where in their previous battle it had been a flood. He didn't know why, and didn't have the time to think about it any longer. He headbutted the Parasite, whipping the purple monster's head backwards.

That small advantage was all the Man of Steel needed. A palm thrust into Parasite's chest knocked him off of Superman, and left a hand-shaped dent in the monster's hide.

"You're insane, and I'm going to put you down like the rabid dog you are," said Superman, blood flowing down his face from the cuts on his cheek. He blurred ahead, catching up to the Parasite. Even with the Martian Manhunter's speed, Parasite couldn't react quickly enough as Superman grabbed two of his fangs and forcefully ripped them out. In one motion, he spun the fangs around and jabbed them into Parasite's eyes in a motion that even Superman himself barely percieved. The purple monstrosity would have screamed in pain had Superman not then backhanded him with such force that he careened earthwards, his ears deaf to the nine sonic booms he made. Parasite impacted the Earth with the force of a large bomb, massive chunks of Earth and stone sent high into the air as one hundred foot crater formed from the impact.

Superman floated above the crater, taking the Parasite's momentary incapacitation to hope that now the Parasite would stay down and he thought about a new plan to kill the delusional monster if he didn't.

 

[wiegeabo]

Half a city away, the battle could be heard. Superman and the Parasite raged against each other, but we stayed here, unsure of what to do. The city was crippled, and needed our help now. The people were no longer afflicted with the virus, still suffering its aftereffects. And...over one million dead. A number that drives into the bone with its meaning.

Yet, if Superman is defeated, which is distinctly possible with Parasite, this city may fall, us included. But if we do help in the battle, the city may fall without us. And then, Wonder Woman falls to ground in pain and disappears in golden light. As if the situation wasn't already strange enough.

"How...how do we handle this?" I ask the others.

 

[Spider-Man9X17]

Half a city away, the battle could be heard. Superman and the Parasite raged against each other, but we stayed here, unsure of what to do. The city was crippled, and needed our help now. The people were no longer afflicted with the virus, still suffering its aftereffects. And...over one million dead. A number that drives into the bone with its meaning.

Yet, if Superman is defeated, which is distinctly possible with Parasite, this city may fall, us included. But if we do help in the battle, the city may fall without us. And then, Wonder Woman falls to ground in pain and disappears in golden light. As if the situation wasn't already strange enough.

"How...how do we handle this?" I ask the others.

"We do it like we've always done it. As a team, and we don't stop until somebody drops."

 

[Franklin Richards]

"Ok, Ring Slingers. I want four walls around the battle zone. Leave doors on the sides for our allies in case they need to assist. Contain the debris but don't interfere with Superman. We don't need Parasite absorbing any more power. If he approaches your wall, drop it. J'onn and Zatanna see if you can find out what happened to Diana. Everybody else stand guard at the doors. Let's move people."

 

[Trigger]

Rose made her way through the thick crowd of people in Metropolis's busy streets with little effort. Everyone seemed so pre-occupied with their own injuries and wounded loved ones to impede on her progress. Even the cops who probably had a warrent to arrest her, weren't paying Rose much mind. Had Conner not haphazardly ran off somewhere, she'd probably using this time to grab a few things off her wishlist.

But due to her lack of superspeed however, tracking down Boy of Steel was bit more difficult than she had initially thought. In fact, she didn't have a clue where she was, but at least she had a chance to think without any interruptions. She was always being interrupted by some idio-

"Aiiiie! M-my baby!!"

Rose folded her arms and turned to her left. A woman in her late twenties sobbed uncontrollably into the arms of firefighter. A burning building behind them was steadily being devoured a sea of flames. Rose rolled her eyes and reluctantly approached them.

"Hey! You two!"


The woman jumped a little at the sight of Rose, but the firefighter was all too happy to have her presence on the scene.

"A-aren't you a Titan? Super-Boy-"

"Is in the building? Right. I know. You can shut up now.."

The firefighter simply stood there as Rose grumpily walked towards the towering inferno. She stood at the entrance to the building's lobby with mild amusement.

"I would have to rush into a burning building two days after being revived."

Rose cut a piece of her sleeve and wrapped it around the lower half of her face. Her body tensed at the idea of being burned alive, but if Conner died then who would she constantly antagonize?

With an unusually mighty kick, Rose knocked open the door to the burning building and stumbled in. The dry heat slapped her in the face and stunned her for minute. Rose bent down on one knee and tried to catch her breath.

"Sheesh, could this be any more dangerous?!"

Rose got back on her feet and looked around.

"Conner! Conner, can you hear me?!"

 

[twylight]

PROLOGUE​

Metropolis:
Oh, Hera.

It can't be.

She's dead...my exhaustion must be making me see things...

"Dinah?" Diana murmured at disbelief. She stumbled back, her wounds and weariness finally kicking in. "But...you...oh!"

The princess embraced her old friend, relief and joy flooding her. Amidst the destruction, amongst the flames, a seemingly impossible thing had occurred - something good had happened. At that moment, Diana didn't need an explanation. She was content just to sob weakly as memories so faint and distant rose to the forefront of her mind...one final breath of air from Paradise Island, the small form of Artemis at the shore below her...

And then, raw pain.

It struck through her mind, tearing into her and driving her down to the streets, to her very knees. Gripping the sides of her head, she tore her tiara from its lodgings and tossed it aside, sinking her teeth into her lower lip and gagging at the coppery taste of blood. She shrieked, an agonising howl, but it was only a dim sound to her ears, almost as if it were miles away...finally, the overwhelming agony subsided, and, quivering, she slumped to the concrete.

A sickening knowledge was now placed upon her, a knowledge of the future. Somehow, she knew what was about to come, but it didn't make it any easier. Two Amazonian soldiers appeared beside her, yanking her unceremoniously to her feet. Diana groaned, too weak to resist.

"Princess Diana, you are under arrest," one of the armour-clad guards hissed.

A golden light encircled them, and they were gone.

***
​

"I hope I have done the right thing," Hippolyta mused aloud, peering into the viewing portal before her.

The shadowy figure beside the Queen smiled under her hood, watching intently as the guards hauled their charge away from the burning city of Metropolis. "I can assure you that you have, my Queen. My visions are never wrong. Diana's destiny is pre-determined, and if we are to change it..."

"...we must act now," Hippolyta finished with a heavy sigh. Resting her hand on the hilt of the ceremonial sword strapped to her waist, she grimaced. "Oh, Diana, what have you become?"

"I think the more apt question is, my Queen," the figure began gravely, "what are you going to become?"

TO BE CONTINUED IN SEASON FIVE!​

Dinah embraced the fellow black haired woman, this welcome home was one that didn't bear the markings of awkwardness because of any previous background. Instead it was pure and hearfelt from the part of Diana and Dinah knew it.

"Diana.." Dinah started before she felt a jolt from Saffire.

~ Might wanna stand back~

Diana recoiled in pain and fell to the concrete below them. Dinah reacted quickly and dove after her.

"Diana are-wha?" Dinah threw her arms up as the light burst quickly and Diana was gone.

She looked around.

"Saff, run a-"

~ Already done, there isn't a trace of her.~

Dinah stood there for a moment. Of course there wouldn't be, not if she'd been called back to-

Sinestro's question brought her out of her pnderings and she flew back up to them, past Dick, Roy and Tim still on the sapphire blue platform she'd created.

"Ok, Ring Slingers. I want four walls around the battle zone. Leave doors on the sides for our allies in case they need to assist. Contain the debris but don't interfere with Superman. We don't need Parasite absorbing any more power. If he approaches your wall, drop it. J'onn and Zatanna see if you can find out what happened to Diana. Everybody else stand guard at the doors. Let's move people."

"I'll alert the Military." Dinah said, no sense in keeping them out of the loop.

Dinah turned to the non-powered heroes.

"Where would you like me to put you down?"

 

[Purple Man]

Rose made her way through the thick crowd of people in Metropolis's busy streets with little effort. Everyone seemed so pre-occupied with their own injuries and wounded loved ones to impede on her progress. Even the cops who probably had a warrent to arrest her, weren't paying Rose much mind. Had Conner not haphazardly ran off somewhere, she'd probably using this time to grab a few things off her wishlist.

But due to her lack of superspeed however, tracking down Boy of Steel was bit more difficult than she had initially thought. In fact, she didn't have a clue where she was, but at least she had a chance to think without any interruptions. She was always being interrupted by some idio-

"Aiiiie! M-my baby!!"

Rose folded her arms and turned to her left. A woman in her late twenties sobbed uncontrollably into the arms of firefighter. A burning building behind them was steadily being devoured a sea of flames. Rose rolled her eyes and reluctantly approached them.

"Hey! You two!"


The woman jumped a little at the sight of Rose, but the firefighter was all too happy to have her presence on the scene.

"A-aren't you a Titan? Super-Boy-"

"Is in the building? Right. I know. You can shut up now.."

The firefighter simply stood there as Rose grumpily walked towards the towering inferno. She stood at the entrance to the building's lobby with mild amusement.

"I would have to rush into a burning building two days after being revived."

Rose cut a piece of her sleeve and wrapped it around the lower half of her face. Her body tensed at the idea of being burned alive, but if Conner died then who would she constantly antagonize?

With an unusually mighty kick, Rose knocked open the door to the burning building and stumbled in. The dry heat slapped her in the face and stunned her for minute. Rose bent down on one knee and tried to catch her breath.

"Sheesh, could this be any more dangerous?!"

Rose got back on her feet and looked around.

"Conner! Conner, can you hear me?!"

"Quiet down, Rose. I can hear you. I can hear Superman on the outskirts of the city. He said he is going to put down Parasite like the rabid dog he is. We shouldn't have come here. I might be the only thing holding this building up, keeping all these people from dieing, but who is going to keep Superman from becoming a murderer?" Conner was down on one knee, surrounded by flames with his arms outstretched. Superboy was barely holding up the corner of the building. His tacticle telekinesis hardly keeping everything from falling apart. Any tears that tried to come from his eyes were instantly turned to steam by his burning heat vision.

"I can't hold on much longer. There's a baby crying five stories up. I don't know where Krypto is, so you're the next in line. I know you hate me, and I know you'd love to take this opportunity to rub that kryptonite in my face, but an innocent life is on the line." Though the fire and smoke obscured the view of the boy of steel, his head was bowed low, the crumbling structure shaking as he sighed. "I need to get this weight off my shoulders. I need you, Rose."

 

[Trigger]

"Quiet down, Rose. I can hear you. I can hear Superman on the outskirts of the city. He said he is going to put down Parasite like the rabid dog he is. We shouldn't have come here. I might be the only thing holding this building up, keeping all these people from dieing, but who is going to keep Superman from becoming a murderer?"

Conner was down on one knee, surrounded by flames with his arms outstretched. Superboy was barely holding up the corner of the building. His tacticle telekinesis hardly keeping everything from falling apart. Any tears that tried to come from his eyes were instantly turned to steam by his burning heat vision.

"I can't hold on much longer. There's a baby crying five stories up. I don't know where Krypto is, so you're the next in line. I know you hate me, and I know you'd love to take this opportunity to rub that kryptonite in my face, but an innocent life is on the line."

Though the fire and smoke obscured the view of the boy of steel, his head was bowed low, the crumbling structure shaking as he sighed.

"I need to get this weight off my shoulders. I need you, Rose."

This was beautiful, absolutely delicious. Rose made her way to Conner and smirked beneath the rag covering her face.

"Is it getting a little hot in here to ya', Conner?"

Rose knelt down and got close to Conner's face. Watching the strain on his face was glorious for some reason. She stood back and up and backed away from him. The flames danced around them and the shadows draped her lean figure. For a second a gleam of her father sparkled in her eyes.

"I give this place another another five minutes. I'd give a baby even less. Do what you want with Superman, but I expect you to be here for three more minutes."

Rose removed the kryptonite from her back pocket and flashed it once again.

"Not that you have much choice in the matter."

Without another word Rose dashed through the building's floor effortlessly. The same flames that seemingly burned away her dream home couldn't hold back the new surge of energy propelling her through the burning building.

Upon entering the lobby of the fifth floor a wall of flames and heat seemed to surround her. The echoing cry of a frightened baby could be heard in the distance, but intense, arid heat did it's job at pushing Rose back.

Rose pushed her way through the heat, through the burns, through the pain.

"N-not....g-gonna...stop..." she panted to herself.

A sudden blast of fire knocked Rose to the ground and sent her rag flying into distance flames. She let out a gasp and inhaled a mouthful of smoke.
Her senses overwhelmed, Rose fell into a coughing fit.

"Pathetic."

Rose looked in terror at the hallucinatory figure standing before her. In the flames, it leered at her.

"W-what....?"

"You heard me. If you were just going to haphazardly rush into danger, then what was the point of even resurrecting you?"

"........"

Rose couldn't respond. Why was she alive? Why was she here?

"Maybe you deserved to die? You certainly don't have a purpose."

Rose's eyes fell to the ground. Maybe she should die...what was the point on living, if she could just be killed by a random fire?

"Waaaaah!"

Rose and her hallucination looked further down the hall. The incessant crying of the baby could still be heard behind a half opened apartment door. It was still in danger. It needed someone.

Rose's eyes moved from the door to Slade. Her muscles tensed as she slowly Rose to one knee.

"Hmm?"

Rose let out a grunt and stood on both of her tired legs. Her platinum hair covered her face and swayed with each breath she took.

" I died...because of you..........I won't die again."

Slade laughed, "Oh really? And after you save that baby, what next?"

Rose's head hung low for a second. She looked up at Slade and smiled before dashing off towards the apartment where the baby was located. The fire behind her raged, but her reply still wisped through the air.

"I'll live...to find a new purpose."

With a burst of strength and energy, Rose fully knocked the apartment door open. She could hear the crying, but she couldn't see the baby.
She ran back and forth between each room, knocking each individual room open until she found the baby. She smiled at the innocent figure lying in it's cradle.

"How could someone leave you here?"

The baby's tears were still fresh, but a smile krept across the corners of it's face. It welcome the sight of the teen and looked genuinely happy in her arms. This was a new feeling, helping somebody out and actually enjoying it.

"Okay, so what say we get outta here and get you to your mother?"

A rumble in the building's foundation agreed.

"Damn Conner, I thought I said three minutes?"

The baby giggled.

"Don't you go repeating that when you get older!"

Under most situations Rose would've checked on Conner, but if he wasn't leaving now, then too bad for him. With a galliant leap, Rose knocked open a nearby window and made her way down the fire escape.

Baby in hand, Rose made her way to the woman and the firefighter. The woman broke down into more sobs and practically snatched the baby out of Rose's hands.

"T-thank you, thank you so much!"

Rose pushed some of her hair behind her right ear and and began to walk off. The fresh city air was nice compared to the towering inferno that raged behind her. The firefighter still looked concerned.

"Aren't you going to help Super-Boy?!"

Rose turned to the man and smiled. She withdrew her katana and threw it through a window on the third floor. She wouldn't need it anymore, but Conner needed a sign that she had made it out.

"He'll be fine."

Rose slipped her hands into the pockets of her jumpsuit and walked off into the busy Metropolis streets. Even with all the chaos, Rose felt a little better, a little happier.

"Where to now, I wonder?"

 

[Spike_x1]

"Get out of my head."
The words were grunted as Superman struggled against the Parasite. He was being drained, he could tell, but the power leeching from his body was a trickle, where in their previous battle it had been a flood. He didn't know why, and didn't have the time to think about it any longer. He headbutted the Parasite, whipping the purple monster's head backwards.

That small advantage was all the Man of Steel needed. A palm thrust into Parasite's chest knocked him off of Superman, and left a hand-shaped dent in the monster's hide.

"You're insane, and I'm going to put you down like the rabid dog you are," said Superman, blood flowing down his face from the cuts on his cheek. He blurred ahead, catching up to the Parasite. Even with the Martian Manhunter's speed, Parasite couldn't react quickly enough as Superman grabbed two of his fangs and forcefully ripped them out. In one motion, he spun the fangs around and jabbed them into Parasite's eyes in a motion that even Superman himself barely percieved. The purple monstrosity would have screamed in pain had Superman not then backhanded him with such force that he careened earthwards, his ears deaf to the nine sonic booms he made. Parasite impacted the Earth with the force of a large bomb, massive chunks of Earth and stone sent high into the air as one hundred foot crater formed from the impact.

Superman floated above the crater, taking the Parasite's momentary incapacitation to hope that now the Parasite would stay down and he thought about a new plan to kill the delusional monster if he didn't.

"You have no idea. How could you?" Superman turned, a mixture of surprise of fury on his face as the Parasite became visible once again behind him. In a flash, Jones grabbed the sides of Superman's head and shoved the hero's face downward, kneeing him in the nose.

"Do you remember when Raven attacked the United Nations? She just went nuts one day and hijacked some nukes to try to kill everyone at the UN. Remember, Kent?" The Parasite's elbow came hammering down into the back of Superman's neck. "Haven't you even bothered to ask yourself 'why would a member of the goddamn Teen Titans do something like that?' Of course you wondered about it. But here's the answer you've been waiting for: The Unity did it."

Superman looked up at the Parasite and gave a guttural growl as he plowed his shoulder into the large monster's abdomen.

As he was being forced back, the Parasite closed his hands together and brought them down in a hammer blow into his opponent's back. "Raven was the Unity's trial run. It just wanted to see how far it could go with controlling people's minds; how much it could get away with as it manipulated the hell out of us. Back then, all of us did things, things that we wouldn't normally do, and when you look back at it, none of it made sense. I couldn't have been the only one who wondered what made us do some of those things. And that's the answer to all of it, Clark! None of our decisions were our own! And even now, a small piece of the Unity still lives on in each and every one of us, and I'm gonna put a stop to that right here, right now!"

His claws ripped through Superman's bio-electric aura as if it weren't even there, splashing blood into the air around the juggernaut and sending the blue-clad enemy spiraling into the high class financial district.

Today is the first day of the rest of my life​

 

[Purple Man]

"Aren't you going to help Super-Boy?!"

Rose turned to the man and smiled. She withdrew her katana and threw it through a window on the third floor. She wouldn't need it anymore, but Conner needed a sign that she had made it out.

"He'll be fine."

Rose slipped her hands into the pockets of her jumpsuit and walked off into the busy Metropolis streets. Even with all the chaos, Rose felt a little better, a little happier.

"Where to now, I wonder?"

"I'll be fine!? She didn't even try and help me!" With his knees buckling under the weight of an apartment complex. Conner screamed his fury at the world. At Superman for losing his way. And at Rose for not finding her way. Was Tim ok?

All his anger and concern were washed away in a wave of concrete. The building had fell directly on top of him. He was holding up the most damaged corner and the weight of the building was on his shoulders. Now the enormous weight was all over him. Burying him alive.

There were several tense moments as everyone was too breathless to gasp in horror. As silence gripped the crowd, suddenly there came a rumble. Debris fell aside as a figure rose from the settling dust.

Superboy stood bruised and bleeding atop the wreckage that was once a home to many. With a broken hand, he reached for his chest, gripping his shirt tight. Throwing his batterd arm forward, he tore his shirt off, holding up the S symbol to the crowd.

"Remember me." As the last syllable was escaping his lips, he fell. Unconcious but breathing.

Fate will decide if he ever wakes.

 

[LibrarianThorne]

"You have no idea. How could you?" Superman turned, a mixture of surprise of fury on his face as the Parasite became visible once again behind him. In a flash, Jones grabbed the sides of Superman's head and shoved the hero's face downward, kneeing him in the nose.

"Do you remember when Raven attacked the United Nations? She just went nuts one day and hijacked some nukes to try to kill everyone at the UN. Remember, Kent?" The Parasite's elbow came hammering down into the back of Superman's neck. "Haven't you even bothered to ask yourself 'why would a member of the goddamn Teen Titans do something like that?' Of course you wondered about it. But here's the answer you've been waiting for: The Unity did it."

Superman looked up at the Parasite and gave a guttural growl as he plowed his shoulder into the large monster's abdomen.

As he was being forced back, the Parasite closed his hands together and brought them down in a hammer blow into his opponent's back. "Raven was the Unity's trial run. It just wanted to see how far it could go with controlling people's minds; how much it could get away with as it manipulated the hell out of us. Back then, all of us did things, things that we wouldn't normally do, and when you look back at it, none of it made sense. I couldn't have been the only one who wondered what made us do some of those things. And that's the answer to all of it, Clark! None of our decisions were our own! And even now, a small piece of the Unity still lives on in each and every one of us, and I'm gonna put a stop to that right here, right now!"

His claws ripped through Superman's bio-electric aura as if it weren't even there, splashing blood into the air around the juggernaut and sending the blue-clad enemy spiraling into the high class financial district.

Today is the first day of the rest of my life
​

Superman's world went spinning after the Parasite's onslaught. Blood fell freely from massive claw marks on his chest, claws that had made tatters of his S-shield. As he tumbled Earthwards, one thorugh ran through his mind.

I have one more chance. That's all. One more.

By sheer force of will, he stopped his cataclysmic descent, but not before he had plowed through two skyscrapers and half a dozen smaller buildings. He hovered a few feet above the ground, collecting his senses. He heard Hal and his friends in the distance.

My God, no! I can't let them get near Parasite. He'll kill them, just like he's-

A rush of wind and a howl like thunder made Superman twist around, and his face was met by the massive purple chest of the Parasite. Wasting no time, Superman let fly beams of super-focused heat vision, beams of such intensity that they glowed white instead of the usual red. The concussive force and supernova heat of the beams drove the Parasite back. Superman wasted no time and rushed forward, uppercutting the Parasite in the jaw and sending the monster skywards at escape velocity. Superman followed, matching the Parasite's speed then exceeding it. He yelled "UNITY?!" as he caught up, and let fly a thunderous right cross that sent the Parasite tumbling. Superman pressed home his advantage, diving into the Parasite's stomach like a rocket of yellow and blue. Together, comet like, the pair slammed into the Earth four hundred miles outside of Metropolis.

Later, people would say that they could feel the impact in their bones. As if the entire planet, just at that moment, shuddered. Later, mathmeticians would use the impact as a comparison point to the kind of devastation caused by several hydrogen bombs. In a flash, millions of tons of dust and rock were airborne, as a crater seventy five miles wide formed.
When Parasite opened his eyes, he was met with a grey wasteland as far as he could see. Bits of diamonds, shattered by their impact, mixed in with the grimy gray dust and sparkled oddly.

"You're blind, Parasite, or easily fooled!" Rudy Jones spun around, and was met by another fist from the hand of Superman. "The Unity's brainwashing only went so far! Even Robin overcame it. Or did you forget that the Red Hood doesn't exist any more?"

A powerful gut punch doubled the Parasite over, and a hammer blow that rang out like armageddon knocked the Parasite to the floor. Superman stood over his enemy, his sometime ally. The man who had murdered his wife, and served a monster that had nearly destroyed everything.

"You will kill everything and everyone I love, unless I stop you now." He knew what it would take. One punch to the head, of sufficient force, would shatter the Parasite's skull and annihilate his brain. Though Rudy Jones' healing powers bordered on the miraculous, the body wouldn't regenerate if it had no signals from the brain. Red enery sparked from his eyes as he cocked back his right hand. It descended at a fantastic speed. Fire leapt around it as it ran through the air. As Superman looked down, he saw one thing.

A rainbow of light, more luminous and beautiful than he, or anyone else for that matter, could describe. A light that Superman didn't think Rudy Jones had any more. A light that would change everything.

"NO!" bellowed the Man of Steel as he diverted his hand from its fatal course. It impacted a scant five milimeters from the Parasite's head, impacting the bedrock with force like an artillery shell. His arm was buried up to his elbow before it stopped. Superman fell to his knees as his strength fled out of him. He knew, as the Parasite stood, that he didn't have the strength to fight him any more.

"Dammit." The word was whispered from Superman's lips, his voice no longer carrying the rage and determination it had before.

 

[wiegeabo]

"Ok, Ring Slingers. I want four walls around the battle zone. Leave doors on the sides for our allies in case they need to assist. Contain the debris but don't interfere with Superman. We don't need Parasite absorbing any more power. If he approaches your wall, drop it. J'onn and Zatanna see if you can find out what happened to Diana. Everybody else stand guard at the doors. Let's move people."

"Too late!" I shout. But the blue and red streak is already gone, closely followed by a purple blur. "Dammit!" Half a second. Just half a second more and I would have had my wall solidified and Superman wouldn't have broken through. I may have even been able to drain the Parasite again.

But the fact is they had broken through. And as we tried to catch up to them, they were gone again.

"Too fast. They are just moving too fast." The ground explodes with their latest impact. The level of dust kicked up could be disasterous if it were to rain down upon the city. I create a giant expanding net, trapping as much debris as I can. "I doubt we can contain the fight. It appears our job is now damage control."

 

[twylight]

Dinah alighted in front of the temporary command station of the Military.

~ Hold up darlin' Saffire said as a wave of blue eneergy ran up and down Dinah, her costume changing from a torn and bloody one piece to familiar leather and fishnet's. Dinah loked down at the extremly low neckline.

~ Ah only had pictures ta go one.~ Saff said in reply to Dinah's unspoken thoughts.

Dinah shook her head and walked for the Command Station only to find herself blocked by two large MP's

"Black Canary, JLA" She said simple as she held her card out.

"The JL-"

"Consider it re-established." she said sharply.
"Now are we going to have to argue about the status of a Hero group or are you going to allow me to speak with your commanding officer about damage control and evacuation?"

They looked at each other before a slight Major brushed past them.

"Black Canary?"
Dinah nodded.

"Follow me please."

He said leading her towards a busy area and announcing her to the General.

He straightend up and grunted, his white gray hair crew cut, and his hat laying on street maps and satellite images.

"'Bout time you got here." He said gruffly.

Dinah reached her hand out to shake his before looking down at the maps and images spread out on the table, phones, computers and radio's going crazy in the background.

"What do we have sir?" She asked respectfully.

"Two Meta's fighting within a civilian area, and many wounded and hurt around the entire city. A few isolated pockets of Villian resistance. This..virus or whatever severely hampered our rescue efforts and many City personnel are still recovering from it."

Dinah nodded.

"I can offer you damage control for here." she pointed her finger to a place on the map.

"And a team can go here to pick up the resisiting meta villians. As well as evac for the immediatly damage area's."

He nodded as Dinah's cell phone went of. She held up a finger and turned away.

"Yes."

"We're on our way. Apparently Wayne Enterprises has several Military grade helicopters. Is there a place to land?"

Dinah turned towards the general and asked a question before turning back to her phone.

"Yes, just north of the city's center, the main park has been turned into a temporary landing pad, also if you've got more than two there's a pad on top of the City Hospital. I'll meet you there."

"Understood"

Dinah turned back to the General,
"We have some more medical personnel brought in to help."

The General nods.
"I don't think I have to say this but, thank you."

Dinah smiles.
"No, you don't."