The "World of Heroes" DC RPG Season IV

[The Question]

We fly across the Illinois state lines at god knows what speeds.

"Thanks again for the ride, Ted."

Kord talks to me over his shoulder.

"My pleasure, Vic. Hell, I had to be getting back home myself."

After a few more minutes, we're finally nearing Hub City. Ted slows the bug down. We both look out the window. Most of the fires are out, but the buidlings are just as bad as when we left. Not much surprise there, of course. Hardly something the city needed added on to the rest of it's problems.

Ted lowers the bug over a rooftop, and I jump out.

"So, what are you going to do?"

"Help with the clean up. Bust some heads. You?"

"The same, probably. I'll make some sweeps over down town, scare away any looters or rioters I see. Seeya."

The bug rises into the air, and I make my way down the fire escape.


*******


A few hours later, and I'm still helping with the clean up. No mask. Just infamous reporter Vic Sage helping with the clean up. True to Hub City form, there are still some people trapped under the rubble. Still people freaking out and acting like it's their last day on Earth. Which, by the way, doesn't involve pleasent and rational hedonism like most crappy musicians like to think, and instead involves a good deal of violence and screaming.

After a while, some emergency service worker tells me to take a break if I don't want another body added to the pile. I sit down on a curb and take a sip from a bottle of water.

Suddenly, I hear a voice from behind me.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

Now, normally, I would probably make some sort of snide comment about overused cliches, but I'm hardly in the mood and I doubt anyone else is. I respond without turning around.

"I'm fine."

"You're a lousy liar."

A woman. Fairly young. Probably barely out of her teens. She crouches down beside me. My eyes stay fixed on the ground. I really don't want to look at anyone right now.

"....I've lived in this city my whole life. I've done every thing I can to try and make it a better place. It never works. And every damn time it looks like things are going to turn around, and Hub City is only going to be the second or third worst hell hole of a town, something like this happens."

She's silent for a few seconds.

"Don't worry, Vic. If I know anything about you, it's that you're very good at doing the extraordinairy. Even if it's just through dumb luck."

How the hell did she know my....

Oh right. I'm a TV star. Weird how you can forget a thing like that.

"I'm certain that soon enough, you'll do something that will effect the whole world."

"Thanks for the confidence, but I somehow doubt that."

"Trust me Vic. You will. You're a truely special guy."

Neither of us say anything. Then, in almost a whisper, she speaks.

"I just hope you'll be able to get through the bad times to do it."

Now, I'm not sure about most people, but cryptic predictions of impending doom tend to promt me to turn around and face the person who made said prediction. Which is what I do.


Strange thing is, when I do, the woman isn't there.



"....huh."

 

[Spider-Man9X17]

"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."

Kyle used his ring to reached out an listen to the life in Metropolis. There were still people, alive, trapped under the rubble that now littered the city. There was still a chance, but they had to act fast.

"We need to start clearing the rubble. There are still people down there who need help."

 

[Franklin Richards]

Kyle used his ring to reached out an listen to the life in Metropolis. There were still people, alive, trapped under the rubble that now littered the city. There was still a chance, but they had to act fast.

"We need to start clearing the rubble. There are still people down there who need help."

"I'm on it."

Hal formed a giant baseball bat with his ring and started knocking boulders into space before they hit the ground.


:gl: :gl: :gl:

 

[Spike_x1]

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.

There they stood. A monster and a man. Not a sound could be heard. No wind, no people, no animals, and no vehicles. It was the first glimpse of true peace that the Parasite had had since he could remember. Rudy Jones closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath, and letting tranquility settle in for the first time in his life.

~This is where I belong.~​

He wasn't sure if he had absentmindedly broadcast his inner thoughts to Clark or not, and he didn't care. The Parasite slowly opened his eyes and looked at Superman, standing in front of him.

"This is where we were always meant to be, Kent." Rudy turned his head, looking around at the barren wasteland that they had created. Nothing for miles in any direction. "Every decision we've ever made, or at least the decisions we thought we made, has led us, right smack-dab here." The Parasite's glowing eyes settled back down on Superman with what could almost be called an expression of sadness. "We don't even need telepathy to know what the other is thinking right now, do we? We both know that one of us isn't going to walk away from this battleground today."

Before his sentence was even completed, the Parasite's fist lashed outward, striking his enemy in the side of the head with a wet-sounding crack.

Superman stumbled backward, struggling to keep his footing, as the Parasite slowly walked toward him. The will, let alone the power, to fight seemed to have left the Man of Tomorrow. "None of our choices were made by us, Clark." Another thunderous jab struck the Last Son of Krypton's face, sending him back. "We are the slaves of things that neither of us can even begin to dream of. We're the puppets. The toy soldiers." The Parasite kept walking. When the monstrosity stepped within reach, Superman threw a last desperate punch, but it was caught in the nightmare's bare hand. "In the grand scheme of things, nothing we do matters in the least. Yes, history will remember the both of us. But not for our real accomplishments."

He let go of Superman's fist and backhanded him across the face. Before Superman could be flung backward, Rudy grabbed a clump of his hair and held him in place by it. "And there's only one way to set us all free, Clark. One way to make sure that only our true footprints are left behind in history. It actually is a shame that you won't be around to see how I end it." The Parasite pulled his fist back and powered it up with the God-like energy flowing through his veins.

 

[LibrarianThorne]

There they stood. A monster and a man. Not a sound could be heard. No wind, no people, no animals, and no vehicles. It was the first glimpse of true peace that the Parasite had had since he could remember. Rudy Jones closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath, and letting tranquility settle in for the first time in his life.

~This is where I belong.~​

He wasn't sure if he had absentmindedly broadcast his inner thoughts to Clark or not, and he didn't care. The Parasite slowly opened his eyes and looked at Superman, standing in front of him.

"This is where we were always meant to be, Kent." Rudy turned his head, looking around at the barren wasteland that they had created. Nothing for miles in any direction. "Every decision we've ever made, or at least the decisions we thought we made, has led us, right smack-dab here." The Parasite's glowing eyes settled back down on Superman with what could almost be called an expression of sadness. "We don't even need telepathy to know what the other is thinking right now, do we? We both know that one of us isn't going to walk away from this battleground today."

Before his sentence was even completed, the Parasite's fist lashed outward, striking his enemy in the side of the head with a wet-sounding crack.

Superman stumbled backward, struggling to keep his footing, as the Parasite slowly walked toward him. The will, let alone the power, to fight seemed to have left the Man of Tomorrow. "None of our choices were made by us, Clark." Another thunderous jab struck the Last Son of Krypton's face, sending him back. "We are the slaves of things that neither of us can even begin to dream of. We're the puppets. The toy soldiers." The Parasite kept walking. When the monstrosity stepped within reach, Superman threw a last desperate punch, but it was caught in the nightmare's bare hand. "In the grand scheme of things, nothing we do matters in the least. Yes, history will remember the both of us. But not for our real accomplishments."

He let go of Superman's fist and backhanded him across the face. Before Superman could be flung backward, Rudy grabbed a clump of his hair and held him in place by it. "And there's only one way to set us all free, Clark. One way to make sure that only our true footprints are left behind in history. It actually is a shame that you won't be around to see how I end it." The Parasite pulled his fist back and powered it up with the God-like energy flowing through his veins.

"Who wants to throw that punch, Rudy?"

The Parasite looked at him qith a quizzical expression, one almost comical considering the Parasite's fang filled maw and orange eyes.

"I know why you keep talking about the Unity. It's still alive, isn't it? And it outsmarted you, and me, and everyone else. I can see it, Rudy. Whatever's left of it, it's inside of you."

Superman looked at the Parasite, and he saw the strange energy that suffused hte monster. A red, glowing presence that almost overpowered the light that shone out from the Parasite.

"You have my powers, Rudy. Everyone wonders why I don't kill, and now you can see it. Look around you, and see the world with my eyes. Infrared vision. X-Ray vision. Macroscopic and microscopic panoramas. The entire electro-magnetic spectrum, and only you and I can see it. Only we can see these manmade electronic signals zigzagging across the sky. Bright beams of infrared from orbiting satellites. A world of color that no one else can see. Now look beyond that. Look at me, Rudy. Do you see it?"

Superman looked down, and saw the same sight that had greeted his eyes hwen he was fifteen years old. "I don't know what it is, not really. But, if any word can describe this, it would be soul. You can see the souls of living things now, Rudy."

Superman coughed. His face looked like a bloody mess, pcokmarked with the occasional swollen bruise. He swayed, and blinked his eyes as the glorious sight faded away. More and more of his powers were leaving, and he felt weaker by the second. He collapsed to his knees.

He realized then what was happening to him. His body had stopped resisting the Parasite's absorption.

As Parasite looks at Superman, he sees the aura fading, wavering. As more and more of Superman's power comes into Rudy, he sees Superman's aura flicker like a candle struggling against a hurricane.

"That's why I can't kill, Parasite. I can't kill Lex Luthor or Bizarro or any other living thing because when that aura fades, I can't look at what's left. God help me, I couldn't kill you because you still have... that light."

As Superman's aura fades completely before Rudy's eyes, the Man of Steel falls facedown into the ground. A single word, mouthed out of almost pure will. The last movement of the Man of Steel. With his newly acquired hearing, Rudy noticed something conspicuous by its absence: the heartbeat of Krypton's last son.

 

[trustyside-kick]

Jason's dialouge
Jason's thoughts
Paulie's dialogue
Narration

Jason Todd- 'Old faces'
--------------------------
The word arsenal appears in various forms in Romanic languages, i.e. Italian arzanale, Spanish arsenal, etc.; Italian also has arzana and darsena, and Spanish a longer form atarazanal. The word is of Arabic origin, being a corruption of daras-sina'ah, house of trade or manufacture, dar, house, al, the, and sina'ah, trade, manufacture. Such guesses as arx navalis, naval citadel, arx senatus, have been discounted.

Enlarge Cannons and mortars of Napoleon's Army exhibited along the wall of the Kremlin Arsenal. For the rest of Early Modern Europe, the Arsenal was the Venetian Arsenal. A first-class arsenal, which can renew the materiel and equipment of a large army, embraces a gun factory, carriage factory, laboratory and small-arms ammunition factory, small-arms factory, harness, saddlery and tent factories, and a powder factory; in addition it must possess great store-houses. Paulie practially fit all of that in his backroom of the Gotham Gentlemen's Club. He was right, I did have no idea.

"Let's see what we go here...Anti-tank rifles."

"Yup."

"Designed to penetrate the armour of vehicles, mainly tanks. You know the usefulness of rifles for this purpose ran from the introduction of tanks into WWII? And they were rendered obsolete. So what use do I have of this Paulie? Vehicle armour eventually became too thick to be penetrated by rigid projectiles from rifles that could be carried by a single soldier, and anti-tank rifles were replaced with shaped charge weapons."

"Well lucky for me...my other clients aren't as educated in guns as you are. You always fascinate me with that knowledge of yours JT."

"Yea well let's hope Big Bertha won't be the only thing I end up taking from your collection."

"Yea but you forget the fact that you might need some of my stuff to use against Task if he becomes aware of our plans."

"If he becomes aware? Oh...he is going to become aware all right. I am going to walk up to him and tell him what we are doing and then I'm going to kill him. Savvy?"

"Always the jokester JT."

"Who said I was joking?"

I smirk a little bit. Although...I am going to eventually approach Task...and then he is going to pay for what he has done.

"Fine...I'll take an anti-tank rifle. Gimme a good deal on the rounds though. I'll wire you the money when I can."

"No need to JT. If you are going to take down Task eventually like you say you will...that is payment enough. I hate that scum."

"Well then...let's continue shall we? Okay let's see...ah...you got a few recoilless rifles here I see."

"That is what those were? Heh, I'm lucky you are here to tell me that. I was sweating when thinking of what I was going to tell my other buyers. So you want a few?"

"Yea, gimme two of those and a few rounds...and oh...how could I forget. PLEASE tell me you have the crates."

"Oh yea...I always have the crates. But you sure you wanna waste them on Task and his men?"

"Nah, that will be for Big Blue."

Paulie gives me a wierd look like if I were dumb. Of course anyone would give me that look. But no one knows what is going on in this mind of mine...sometimes I surprise myself too...deception is a powerful agent; that is how Bruce says it. Boy will Big Blue be decieved.

"Don't worry about it...have I ever been wrong about a hit? Have I ever planned my options and scenarios poorly?"

Paulie's face restores to his smile he had before. I know what I'm doing.

"Allright...let's wrap this up so I can make preparations and plan out this job. Just gimme some of those semi-automatics and automatics and a few of those flashbangs and grenades and we will call it a night."

"If you want you can stay here JT. That way you can have plenty of workspace and all and not have to worry about being interrupted. I got no more deals for the night. Plus, perhaps you could find some more use for my other stuff here. Heck, with all this at your disposal you could plan the Task shipment and Superman hit in one night and be fully prepared."

Jason sits down on the couch.

"Thanks Paulie...for letting me stay and all...and I'll take your other idea under consideration...but I wanna make sure Task gets hurt...professionally, emotionally, and physically. Not sure if I will have time to plan both hits now."

Jason smirks a bit.

Jason's dialouge
Jason's thoughts
Paulie's dialogue
Task's dialogue
Thug's dialogue
Narration

Jason Todd- 'Old faces'
--------------------------
================
The next evening
================

Paulie briefed me well before I came here but just incase something like an emergency were to come up I can contact him by cell-phone...not sure if this counts but I just got one thing to say to him now.

"Damn."

"Guessing you found it?"

"It? More like them."

The entire warehouse is stacked with crates and compartments. Wonder what is in mystery box number 1...2...hell all of them!

"Paulie, do you know anything specific on the crates containing the stuff looks? Like would the crate itself stick out?"

"Yea, of course. They should be using lead crates to contain the radiation sealed in while shipping so most of the crates should be either wooden or steel. Find the lead one and poof, you got it."

Jason walks around the warehouse searching for the lead crate.

"Bingo."

"Found it JT? Is it the real thing? Oh man if only I could see them. What's it look like?"

"Imagine a green ocean so clear that you can even see the coral reef below. That...or imagine 100 lbs of kryptonite."

"Holy crap!!! That sonuva! He told me it would be way less! The punk fooled me! The shipping and handling I charged him shoulda been a whole lot more!"

"Yea well--"

What? What's that?

Jason hears a noise and quickly scans the warehouse. He sees nothing but he can hear what sounds like footsteps...lot's of them.

Oh shi--

Jason quickly places the lid back ontop of the crate of kryptonite but is too late.

"FREEZE!"

"KEEP THEM HANDS UP IN THE AIR FOOL!"

"ONE STEP AND I'LL BLAST YOU!!"

"Oh so only if I do a step?"

"JT! What is going on man?!"

Jason slowly removes something from behind his backk and smirks.

"ICE THIS *****!!!"

As Jason dodges and shoots back at the gangsters he rolls behind the lead kryptonite crate. Bullets continue to hit the crate while he unzips his jacket and takes something out of his left-side pocket.

****! Where's my--

Jason looks across the room behind another crate.

****! HOW COULD I BE SO SLOPPY? Now I gotta go get my damn smoke grenades.

"JT! What the hell is going on?"

"DUDE PAULIE! NOT NOW!"

Jason gets up and runs towards the other side of the room shooting and as he goes. He makes one risky roll to the crate.

Here we go.

"TELL TASK I SAID HI! COURSE, THAT IS IF YOU SOMEHOW GET OUTTA HERE ALIVE!"

Jason relentlessly fights the thugs until none are left standing. Some lay unconscious. Some lay dead; but one remains conscious.

"You are going to regret the fact that my bullet missed your heart."

Jason takes out his kris dagger, and finishes the last thug slowly. He digs the dagger deep into his belly and rides it up his chest. Tired, Jason twists it and pulls it out of his dead victim.

"JT? You still there man?"

Jason sighs.

"Yea...I'm still here. The place is now clear. You can send in the guys and the trucks to bring the crates to your place."

"And what about you?"

"I got un-finished business with Task. Don't bother following me Paulie. Just stick to the plan."

"But hitting Task was only a back-up! You don't gotta do that man! You got the loot AND took out his men! We're home free!"

"Paulie...just...just...make sure before the guys leave to pick up the shipment that two of them are well-armed and with their own transportation. I'll have them come with me."

Jason ends the call and sits down to rest.

Soon Task...Soon.

============================================
1 hour and 15 Minutes later- The Gotham Gentlemen's Club
============================================
Jason is at the bar with Paulie recovering from the night errands.

"S-so it is done? He's done for?"

"Done."

"Mind telling me how it all went down? Try to spare me any gory details...I just wanna hear about how you wacked that scum."

"Well after your guys with the vans came to pick up the shipments the two that I requested be armed went with me in their car. We drove over to Task's territory and silently took out the few guys he had protecting the parameter of his home. I waited outside his frontdoor and had your 2 guys go in and get him. What happened while they were in his home? That I don't know and don't care. The boys had a lil fun with him, slapped him around a little, and brought him outside to me..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"DO YOU KNOW WHO--WHO YOU--ARE MESSING WITH?!"

"You're some big damned drug dealer in the east quarter right?"

"I AM THE EAST QUARTER DRUG TRADE. YOU STUPID BULLETHEADEDBAGS OF..."

"Oh but that isn't all you are...or rather were."

"WHAT THE **** ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?"

"Well, everyone starts out as little fish Laurence and you know that. I mean you cannot just start out being a big fish unless you gained a lot of respect and power while still a little fish. Sure some of the swims you go through in life might be harder then others...but you...you took one of the sickest routes."

"THE HELL YOU SAYING SON? WHEN THIS IS OVER I'M BUSTING A CAP IN ALL YOUR ASSES! NO! MAYBE INSTEAD I'LL GET YOU ARRESTED SO YOU CAN GO TO ONE OF THEM FEDERAL 'POUND ME IN THE ASS' PRISONS! *******!"

"Tsk tsk tsk...you haven't changed a bit since last time I saw you Laurence...not a shock you don't recognize me. Let's just say...it was back in the days when I wore tights."

I see Task is confused with what I said. That doesn't matter. Even the late person will soon be able to connect the dots.

"Don't worry...not like I expect you to connect the dots or anything...just know this...I know some of your dirtiest deeds. And frankly? A few of those deeds I just couldn't stand back then and I still cannot stand them. Several years ago when your drug trade was first starting to grow you targetted highschool students...and your sellers were mainly young teenage girls. Of course...it wasn't easy to get these girls to do what you wanted right Laurence?"

Mr. Task looks away.

"Oh yes...believe me...I read the police files. I just happen to have connections here and there. You would beat and rape the girls in order to get them to do you wanted. And then, you would go and have them sell drugs at their local highschools. Your plan almost worked fine until a dynamic duo ruined your operation in the end. You wonder how I know this? Let's say a little bird told me. You see...before I couldn't take you down like I wanted. But that was another life. Want to know the difference this time?"

Jason looks over to Paulie's men.

"Boys, go inside for a second...watch TV or something...knock yourself out. This part is private."

The 2 men go inside the house, leaving Jason and Task alone outside.

"The difference is this time there isn't a giant Bat looking over my shoulder."

"Y-Y-YOU---YOU MEAN--"

*BAM*

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Woah."

"Yup."

"So that was why you had such a grudge against him? I don't get it though...yea that is real bad but how would it concern you?"

"One of those girls...was a good friend...more than a friend."

I give Paulie a lil look hoping he gets the picture. He gives me a look back; I hope he didn't connect some of the other dots though. Paulie doesn't even know my name...would really be something if he found out who I used to be.

"Oh."

Silence fills the room. An awkward vibe rolls down my spine. I want to change the subject but it is too painful to want to say anything more.

"Well, that S.O.B was well overdue."

Words seem to be impossible to form. I don't know what to do: cry, scream, stay silent, sigh. But I finally come up with the strength to change the subject.

"So...how about that kryptonite?"

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

TO BE CONTINUED IN SEASON V!

 

[wiegeabo]

I need to do something.

I can only watch, holding up uncounted tons of debris, as the Parasite batters Superman into a pulp. I need to do something, but what can I do.

I could drop this mass on the both of them. It would buy Superman time, but only a few seconds. And Parasite would survive, but I am unsure if Superman would. I could knock Parasite away, but again it would only buy Superman scant seconds and he would pull some of my ring energy. I could pull Superman away, infuse him with concentrated sunlight while dropping the mass on Parasite. But he may be able to catch up and feed on both of us. And if I leave his grasp, he may turn on the city.

I need to do something. But I can only float high above and watch as Superman drops to the ground. I scan...and detect nothing. I send out a signal to all the others.

"Superman...Superman has fallen."

I try to regain control over my voice, but cannot.

"He is dead."

 

[Batman]

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?"

Nightwing scanned the area below, spotting a rooftop that seemed to be intact well enough, and big enough to hold all of them. He pointed at it, allowing Dinah to see.

"Down there'd be peachy, Di.", Nightwing stated.

As they were lowered, and Dinah flew off, A message came in. Usually, Dick would think it to be a briefing. But no. Not this message. Not this message bringing forth the news that...

I need to do something.

I can only watch, holding up uncounted tons of debris, as the Parasite batters Superman into a pulp. I need to do something, but what can I do.

I could drop this mass on the both of them. It would buy Superman time, but only a few seconds. And Parasite would survive, but I am unsure if Superman would. I could knock Parasite away, but again it would only buy Superman scant seconds and he would pull some of my ring energy. I could pull Superman away, infuse him with concentrated sunlight while dropping the mass on Parasite. But he may be able to catch up and feed on both of us. And if I leave his grasp, he may turn on the city.

I need to do something. But I can only float high above and watch as Superman drops to the ground. I scan...and detect nothing. I send out a signal to all the others.

"Superman...Superman has fallen."

I try to regain control over my voice, but cannot.

"He is dead."

The air grows colder. A chill goes through Dick's spine, hearing the lone message as he pauses in his step. Superman... dead? He had heard that before. Back when Doomsday nearly destroyed Metropolis. But now? From what Bruce had told him... He could only be ressurected once.

...

Does... that mean...?

NO! No, that can't be... There's no way... No way... NO WAY...

Nightwing turned to Roy, speechless, jaw dropped, eyes widened... every sign of shock imaginable, as he asked his friend the burning question.

"He... He can come back again. Right? He has to come back. I mean... He's Superman, for god sakes. He has to! He..."

Dick's face grew pale.

"... He has to..."

 

[Speedball]

I need to do something.

I can only watch, holding up uncounted tons of debris, as the Parasite batters Superman into a pulp. I need to do something, but what can I do.

I could drop this mass on the both of them. It would buy Superman time, but only a few seconds. And Parasite would survive, but I am unsure if Superman would. I could knock Parasite away, but again it would only buy Superman scant seconds and he would pull some of my ring energy. I could pull Superman away, infuse him with concentrated sunlight while dropping the mass on Parasite. But he may be able to catch up and feed on both of us. And if I leave his grasp, he may turn on the city.

I need to do something. But I can only float high above and watch as Superman drops to the ground. I scan...and detect nothing. I send out a signal to all the others.

"Superman...Superman has fallen."

I try to regain control over my voice, but cannot.

"He is dead."

"Dead..."
How can this even happen. This city is in total chaos, and now it's greatest protector is...No, It's not true. It's a lie! He's lying to us! He hasn't changed at all! He's trying to drop our morale!

"You're lying!!! You haven't changed! You're still as evil as you were bef-"

No...He's not. I know he's not. I just don't...

I drop to my knees on the rooftop, and begin to cry. All of these people keep leaving my life, and I'm just a helpless kid each time. I can't do anything to save them. Why am I such a helpless little kid...

 

[Green Lantern]

Nightwing scanned the area below, spotting a rooftop that seemed to be intact well enough, and big enough to hold all of them. He pointed at it, allowing Dinah to see.

"Down there'd be peachy, Di.", Nightwing stated.

As they were lowered, and Dinah flew off, A message came in. Usually, Dick would think it to be a briefing. But no. Not this message. Not this message bringing forth the news that...



The air grows colder. A chill goes through Dick's spine, hearing the lone message as he pauses in his step. Superman... dead? He had heard that before. Back when Doomsday nearly destroyed Metropolis. But now? From what Bruce had told him... He could only be ressurected once.

...

Does... that mean...?

NO! No, that can't be... There's no way... No way... NO WAY...

Nightwing turned to Roy, speechless, jaw dropped, eyes widened... every sign of shock imaginable, as he asked his friend the burning question.

"He... He can come back again. Right? He has to come back. I mean... He's Superman, for god sakes. He has to! He..."

Dick's face grew pale.

"... He has to..."

Even before the message came in, Roy knew. He had gotten a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach that he had only gotten three times before. His sharp eyes picked up one of his idols falling in the distance, and when the message came Roy completely zoned.

The first time he had gotten that feeling had been a few years ago now, he'd been watching the Star City Comets playing the Metropolis Marvels at the time. They cut away to breaking news. Before the headline appeared, Roy's instincts had told him something bad had happened. He watched as their was a clip of a plane exploding. His heart had fallen to his knees as he read the scrolling bottomline. "Green Arrow Sacrifices Self to Save Metropolis. Firey End For Emerald Archer. More at 11:00" With Lian watching the game on his lap, Roy had turned the TV off before she could figure out what was going on. When he finally did tell her that her grandpa may not ever come home, it was the hardest thing he had ever had to do.

The next time hadn't been as hard on Lian, but just as hard on Roy. It had come when the sun had gone out. With the end of the world nigh, Roy was so busy trying to contain order that this one didn't really hit home until days after it happened. Another of the most important people in his life made the ultimate sacrifice. Hal Jordan flew into the sun to reignite it and save the world. Even when, he'd gone bad, Roy still had had faith in Hal. After all, Hal had faith in Roy when he was hooked on the junk. Seeing the bright green glow of the sun when it restarted, and knowing what Hal had done, made it hit home even more. He redeemed himself, but only in death; noone would ever be able to thank him for it, at least they didn't think they would.

The last time was even tougher. It had come after both he and Lian had come back from their own death experiences, and when he had found out who hadn't come with them. Compounding it was the fact that either way the blast that had taken Dinah had gone, it would have hit him just as hard. Either taking the closest thing he'd ever had to a mother, or taking the man despite their bickering and constant fights, who had always been his best friend. It had sent Roy into the downward drunken spiral that he had just pulled himself out of. Every night, when Lian asked him the same question, it got harder and harder to answer.

"Daddy, when is Aunt Dinah coming home?"

"Honey, I don't know if she will. Sometimes when family dies, they don't come back."

"Yes they do! Unca Hal came back! Gwampa came back! Auntie Dinah is gonna come back! I know she is!"

Roy could never think of a response to that. Never could even look Lian right in the eye immediately afterwards. He always had to turn away so she couldn't see his tears.

As Roy heard Dick's frantic questions, he looked up.

"He... he has to Dick. Honestly... if a deadbeat like me can beat death once, a legend like him has to be able to do it twice, right?"

 

[Batman]

Even before the message came in, Roy knew. He had gotten a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach that he had only gotten three times before. His sharp eyes picked up one of his idols falling in the distance, and when the message came Roy completely zoned.

The first time he had gotten that feeling had been a few years ago now, he'd been watching the Star City Comets playing the Metropolis Marvels at the time. They cut away to breaking news. Before the headline appeared, Roy's instincts had told him something bad had happened. He watched as their was a clip of a plane exploding. His heart had fallen to his knees as he read the scrolling bottomline. "Green Arrow Sacrifices Self to Save Metropolis. Firey End For Emerald Archer. More at 11:00" With Lian watching the game on his lap, Roy had turned the TV off before she could figure out what was going on. When he finally did tell her that her grandpa may not ever come home, it was the hardest thing he had ever had to do.

The next time hadn't been as hard on Lian, but just as hard on Roy. It
had come when the sun had gone out. With the end of the world nigh, Roy was so busy trying to contain order that this one didn't really hit home until days after it happened. Another of the most important people in his life made the ultimate sacrifice. Hal Jordan flew into the sun to reignite it and save the world. Even when, he'd gone bad, Roy still had had faith in Hal.
After all, Hal had faith in Roy when he was hooked on the junk. Seeing the bright green glow of the sun when it restarted, and knowing what Hal had done, made it hit home even more. He redeemed himself, but only in death; noone would ever be able to thank him for it, at least they didn't think they would.
The last time was even tougher. It had come after both he and Lian had come back from their own death experiences, and when he had found out who hadn't come with them. Compounding it was the fact that either way the blast that had taken Dinah had gone, it would have hit him just as hard. Either taking the closest thing he'd ever had to a mother, or taking the man despite their bickering and constant fights, who had always been his best friend. It had sent Roy into the downward drunken spiral that he had just pulled himself out of. Every night, when Lian asked him the same question, it got harder and harder to answer.

"Daddy, when is Aunt Dinah coming home?"

"Honey, I don't know if she will. Sometimes when family dies, they don't come back."

"Yes they do! Unca Hal came back! Gwampa came back! Auntie Dinah is gonna come back! I know she is!"

Roy could never think of a response to that. Never could even look Lian right in the eye immediately afterwards. He always had to turn away so she couldn't see his tears.

As Roy heard Dick's frantic questions, he looked up.

"He... he has to Dick. Honestly... if a deadbeat like me can beat death once, a legend like him has to be able to do it twice, right?"

Dick looked straight at Roy, silent, for a moment. Sure, he had survived death too. It seemed everyone was, these days. But... then again... Roy hadn't went toe to toe with The Parasite after dropping a mountain on him.

"I... I don't know, man... I just... I just don't know."

 

[Spike_x1]

"Who wants to throw that punch, Rudy?"

The Parasite looked at him qith a quizzical expression, one almost comical considering the Parasite's fang filled maw and orange eyes.

"I know why you keep talking about the Unity. It's still alive, isn't it? And it outsmarted you, and me, and everyone else. I can see it, Rudy. Whatever's left of it, it's inside of you."

Superman looked at the Parasite, and he saw the strange energy that suffused hte monster. A red, glowing presence that almost overpowered the light that shone out from the Parasite.

"You have my powers, Rudy. Everyone wonders why I don't kill, and now you can see it. Look around you, and see the world with my eyes. Infrared vision. X-Ray vision. Macroscopic and microscopic panoramas. The entire electro-magnetic spectrum, and only you and I can see it. Only we can see these manmade electronic signals zigzagging across the sky. Bright beams of infrared from orbiting satellites. A world of color that no one else can see. Now look beyond that. Look at me, Rudy. Do you see it?"

Superman looked down, and saw the same sight that had greeted his eyes hwen he was fifteen years old. "I don't know what it is, not really. But, if any word can describe this, it would be soul. You can see the souls of living things now, Rudy."

Superman coughed. His face looked like a bloody mess, pcokmarked with the occasional swollen bruise. He swayed, and blinked his eyes as the glorious sight faded away. More and more of his powers were leaving, and he felt weaker by the second. He collapsed to his knees.

He realized then what was happening to him. His body had stopped resisting the Parasite's absorption.

As Parasite looks at Superman, he sees the aura fading, wavering. As more and more of Superman's power comes into Rudy, he sees Superman's aura flicker like a candle struggling against a hurricane.

"That's why I can't kill, Parasite. I can't kill Lex Luthor or Bizarro or any other living thing because when that aura fades, I can't look at what's left. God help me, I couldn't kill you because you still have... that light."

As Superman's aura fades completely before Rudy's eyes, the Man of Steel falls facedown into the ground. A single word, mouthed out of almost pure will. The last movement of the Man of Steel. With his newly acquired hearing, Rudy noticed something conspicuous by its absence: the heartbeat of Krypton's last son.

Something was wrong.

Where he once thought he'd have complete delight and happiness in this situation, Rudy Jones felt nothing. He'd known Superman for years, hoping for this moment every day, and now that it was finally here...

"This doesn't make sense."

He stared down at the body of Clark Kent, face down in the dust at his feet, for what seemed like forever. Along with Superman, The Parasite had finally stolen the life from his very last opponent.

Himself.

Thousands of dead were piled at the gates of hell thanks to him. He had sworn to murder the few people who he once called friends. He had killed the mother of his child. He killed the wife of his hated enemy. And now that enemy himself was dead before him.

At that moment, the moment that time stopped for the Parasite, he knew. Rudy Jones knew that, no matter how badly he had been manipulated throughout his life, he had condoned every second of it. Every single death was his fault as much as anyone's. More than anyone's.

"Oh Jesus." The once mighty Parasite fell to his knees in front of Superman's body. After all this time, Rudy Jones was never fighting the Unity. That war was already won.

The Parasite had been fighting himself, and it was a war that he stood no hope of ever winning.

Clark was right. The only place that the Unity still lives is inside of me. I am the Unity. It's all my fault.

Tears flowed freely from Rudy Jones' eyes as he held his head in his hands.

Where did things go so wrong?​

 

[twylight]

I need to do something.

I can only watch, holding up uncounted tons of debris, as the Parasite batters Superman into a pulp. I need to do something, but what can I do.

I could drop this mass on the both of them. It would buy Superman time, but only a few seconds. And Parasite would survive, but I am unsure if Superman would. I could knock Parasite away, but again it would only buy Superman scant seconds and he would pull some of my ring energy. I could pull Superman away, infuse him with concentrated sunlight while dropping the mass on Parasite. But he may be able to catch up and feed on both of us. And if I leave his grasp, he may turn on the city.

I need to do something. But I can only float high above and watch as Superman drops to the ground. I scan...and detect nothing. I send out a signal to all the others.

"Superman...Superman has fallen."

I try to regain control over my voice, but cannot.

"He is dead."

"Oh my God."

Dinah breathed stepping back.

The General looked up at her.
"What is it?" He said noting her completely white face.


Dinah bowed her head as tears came to her eyes. This couldn't be happeneing, she didn't even get to see him again. She closed her eyes shutting out the faded screams of friends deaths, their bloodined boddied engulfed in an unholy light never to be seen again, a whole world destroyed before her eyes, a Crisis unaverted.

She wiped her tears and forced the rest back as she raised her head and looked the General squarely in the eye.

"Superman is dead." she stated simple before turning to leave, ignoring the shocked expression on his weathered face.

She stopped at the door and turned towards him.
"I would not tell your soldiers if I were you." She said simply before lifting into the sky and towards the decimation. She landed on the outskirts and watched as Paraiste surveyed the fallen hero.

A figure shimmered into existance next to her, the energy forming it flowing from the ring.

Her entire form was like a sparkling and cut sapphire, reflecting light. High boots that went up to the middle of her thighs, her outfit was a tight dress, the skirt ending just a little bit above the boots. The neckline was a V-neck that dove to dangerous levels, the woman’s face was hidden in a domino mask which flared up into two points over her hair, which was fixed in curves that would have rivaled Betty Grable’s. She had a pretty face perfect cheek bones and a small mouth.

"Ah am so sorry Faye."

Dinah stared into the distance as a stray breeze caressed over the landscape.

"This is your fault. If I'd-"

The figure turned to Dinah.
"There was nothin' ya could have done even if-"

Dinah turned on her her blue eyes sparking.
"After this you go back to where you belong. I don't ever want to see you again. EVER. Why do you think I never brought you out in the first place?" She said as tears came to the surface.

The figure placed it's hands on Dinah's shoulders.
"Grow up. Be the woman ya were before, not the child we created. There are people who need help here."

 

[Speedball]

Dick looked straight at Roy, silent, for a moment. Sure, he had survived death too. It seemed everyone was, these days. But... then again... Roy hadn't went toe to toe with The Parasite after dropping a mountain on him.

"I... I don't know, man... I just... I just don't know."

I stand back up, and wipe my face off. Why are we just standing here, on this roof, like ordinary people who have never seen this before?

I walk to the edge of the roof. It's not a far drop, about 40 feet or so.

"Are we just gonna stand here? I'm going to go make sure that we have a body, so Lois can give her husband a proper burial. Anyone with me?"

I don't wait for an answer. I jump down to street level, using my cape to slow my descent. I tuck and roll when I reach the ground. As I begin to run, I pull out my communicator and ring Sinestro.

-Sinestro, where is he?-

 

[wiegeabo]

I look up at the mass of rubble I hold over the scene. My mind races with ways to kill the Parasite. All the ways I could torture him for what he has done. How I could rip him asunder, shred him limb from limb. How I could drain every last drop of power from him, leaving him a lifeless husk just as he left Sup...

I do not even know if it is possible for the Parasite to be killed. For him to die. And I hear the words in my head. Heroes do not kill. And I remember, despite what I have tried to convince others, to convince myself, that right now...


I am no hero.

 

[Franklin Richards]

I need to do something.

I can only watch, holding up uncounted tons of debris, as the Parasite batters Superman into a pulp. I need to do something, but what can I do.

I could drop this mass on the both of them. It would buy Superman time, but only a few seconds. And Parasite would survive, but I am unsure if Superman would. I could knock Parasite away, but again it would only buy Superman scant seconds and he would pull some of my ring energy. I could pull Superman away, infuse him with concentrated sunlight while dropping the mass on Parasite. But he may be able to catch up and feed on both of us. And if I leave his grasp, he may turn on the city.

I need to do something. But I can only float high above and watch as Superman drops to the ground. I scan...and detect nothing. I send out a signal to all the others.

"Superman...Superman has fallen."

I try to regain control over my voice, but cannot.

"He is dead."

"No."

Hal swooped down to the crater. The body of Superman lying amidst the rubble. He streaked past Dinah and another figure. A purple blur flashed past him.

"Where are you, you blackhearted son of a *****!?"

Parasite was nowhere to be seen. Hal looked down at the Man of Steel.

This can't be happening.

Hal formed an altar of emerald energy and the Last Son of Krypton's body rested upon it. Hal looked over at Dinah. Tears forming in his eyes as he thought of Lois. Barry. Diana. Bruce. Ollie. J'onn. Arthur.

"I can fix it, Dinah. I can make things the way they were."

 

[SuperFerret]

I need to do something.

I can only watch, holding up uncounted tons of debris, as the Parasite batters Superman into a pulp. I need to do something, but what can I do.

I could drop this mass on the both of them. It would buy Superman time, but only a few seconds. And Parasite would survive, but I am unsure if Superman would. I could knock Parasite away, but again it would only buy Superman scant seconds and he would pull some of my ring energy. I could pull Superman away, infuse him with concentrated sunlight while dropping the mass on Parasite. But he may be able to catch up and feed on both of us. And if I leave his grasp, he may turn on the city.

I need to do something. But I can only float high above and watch as Superman drops to the ground. I scan...and detect nothing. I send out a signal to all the others.

"Superman...Superman has fallen."

I try to regain control over my voice, but cannot.

"He is dead."

........

I hear Sinestro's words, and they cut through me to my very core.

Years ago, on Mars, I had a family. A wife. A daughter. Friends. Now they are but dust on a barren red plain, and while I have always mourned them, I have found a new family here on this blue and green world.

First and foremost among them, was Kal-El. Like me, he was the last scion of a dead world. Like me, he wielded powers unimaginable to those around him. In him, more than any other member of the family the Justice League has become, I have a friend. I have a brother.

I was there the first time he fell. I watched helplessly as the creature called Doomsday seemingly ended his life, but this time, this time it feels different.

Kal-El, Clark Kent, Superman, my best friend, my brother, is dead.

And I have not felt worse since I cradled the lifeless form of my daughter in my arms.

I fly to the spot where his body lay on an altar of emerald energy, where the others have gathered, and I kneel beside my friend's lifeless form, and weep.

 

[wiegeabo]

"Are we just gonna stand here? I'm going to go make sure that we have a body, so Lois can give her husband a proper burial. Anyone with me?"

-Sinestro, where is he?-

The boy's voice stops me before I drop the mass. It would have burried Superman with the monster.

No, that would not be proper.

The Parasite appears to have collapsed next to the...body. Almost as if he was...grieving? I look at the mass above me again. And by the time I look down, the Parasite was gone.

"No."

Hal swooped down to the crater. The body of Superman lying amidst the rubble. He streaked past Dinah and another figure. A purple blur flashed past him.

"Where are you, you blackhearted son of a *****!?"

Parasite was nowhere to be seen. Hal looked down at the Man of Steel.

This can't be happening.

Hal formed an altar of emerald energy and the Last Son of Krypton's body rested upon it. Hal looked over at Dinah. Tears forming in his eyes as he thought of Lois. Barry. Diana. Bruce. Ollie. J'onn. Arthur.

"I can fix it, Dinah. I can make things the way they were."

"Follow my signal," I say to the boy, and anyone else listening. "Parasite is gone." I set the mass down gently around the altar, the friends that had already gathered.

"It was an honorable death."

But, for some reason, that is little consolation.

 

[twylight]

"No."

Hal swooped down to the crater. The body of Superman lying amidst the rubble. He streaked past Dinah and another figure. A purple blur flashed past him.

"Where are you, you blackhearted son of a *****!?"

Parasite was nowhere to be seen. Hal looked down at the Man of Steel.

This can't be happening.

Hal formed an altar of emerald energy and the Last Son of Krypton's body rested upon it. Hal looked over at Dinah. Tears forming in his eyes as he thought of Lois. Barry. Diana. Bruce. Ollie. J'onn. Arthur.

"I can fix it, Dinah. I can make things the way they were."

........

I hear Sinestro's words, and they cut through me to my very core.

Years ago, on Mars, I had a family. A wife. A daughter. Friends. Now they are but dust on a barren red plain, and while I have always mourned them, I have found a new family here on this blue and green world.

First and foremost among them, was Kal-El. Like me, he was the last scion of a dead world. Like me, he wielded powers unimaginable to those around him. In him, more than any other member of the family the Justice League has become, I have a friend. I have a brother.

I was there the first time he fell. I watched helplessly as the creature called Doomsday seemingly ended his life, but this time, this time it feels different.

Kal-El, Clark Kent, Superman, my best friend, my brother, is dead.

And I have not felt worse since I cradled the lifeless form of my daughter in my arms.

I fly to the spot where his body lay on an altar of emerald energy, where the others have gathered, and I kneel beside my friend's lifeless form, and weep.

The boy's voice stops me before I drop the mass. It would have burried Superman with the monster.

No, that would not be proper.

The Parasite appears to have collapsed next to the...body. Almost as if he was...grieving? I look at the mass above me again. And by the time I look down, the Parasite was gone.



"Follow my signal," I say to the boy, and anyone else listening. "Parasite is gone." I set the mass down gently around the altar, the friends that had already gathered.

"It was an honorable death."

But, for some reason, that is little consolation.

~I'm picking up air traffic coming this way.~ Saffire said mentally showing Dinah it as she faded from existance and back into the ring.

A blue energy lashed from Dinah's hand covering Hal's green alter.

"No. You can't. Leave him be." She said her voice loud enough to be heard by all the gathering heroes.

"Clark was never stupid. Leave his body be. We've got bigger concerns. He'd never ask us to save his corpse if he knew live people were still in danger." She said firmly, and maybe a little harshly to get them moving.

Dinah rose into the air, her voice softening.
"Clark's body will be taken care of the way he had it planned to be. Hal if you'd like to stay here and guard it you may. In the mean time, we've got Clark's city to attend to. He wouldn't have left us if he didn't think we couldn't handle it."

 

[SuperFerret]

~I'm picking up air traffic coming this way.~ Saffire said mentally showing Dinah it as she faded from existance and back into the ring.

A blue energy lashed from Dinah's hand covering Hal's green alter.

"No. You can't. Leave him be." She said her voice loud enough to be heard by all the gathering heroes.

"Clark was never stupid. Leave his body be. We've got bigger concerns. He'd never ask us to save his corpse if he knew live people were still in danger." SHe said firmly

Dinah rose into the air, her voice softening.
"Clark's body will be taken care of the way he had it planned to be. Hal if you'd like to stay here and guard it you may. In the mean time, we've got Clark's city to attend to. He wouldn't have left us if he didn't think we couldn't handle it."

Dinah is right.

"She is right. If we let our grief overcome us and thus allow Metropolis to continue to suffer, we will have failed Clark. And that I cannot allow."

 

[Speedball]

"Follow my signal,"

I follow it, and it leads me to nothing but more and more disaster. Buildings demolished by the huge brawl.

I'm not sure if Roy and Dick are following me. I don't look back, I just look the way I'm suppossed to be going.

I reach the edge of a crater. In the center are Hal, Sinestro, and Jonn. Superman's lifeless body is on a green altar.

I slide down the crater, toward the middle I begin to stumble. Not sure if it's because it's so rocky, or because my emotions are beginning to swell up.

I walk up slowly, my legs sort of give way and I falter a bit. Tears start to well up.

The glow is gone. Superman's glow has left him. Whenever I saw him, he had a glow, probably because of how he used energy from the Sun. It made him look alive, more alive than anyone else. But now it's gone.

"What..."

My voice crackles. My throat hurts, like after you cough a lot.

"What do you need me to do?"

 

[Franklin Richards]

"All of you go. I can't... I can't just leave him like this without trying something."

The Sun. Clark is a living solar battery. When Doomsday defeated him he was buried under the ground for weeks. The Sun. Maybe that's the answer.

Hal Jordan formed a solar collector two hundred yards above the crater. Hal positioned the stadium sized construct so that the focus of the solar radiation concentrated on Superman's altar.

"Come on, Clark. Not like this."

Hal's chin dropped.

Not like this.

 

[SuperFerret]

"All of you go. I can't... I can't just leave him like this without trying something."

The Sun. Clark is a living solar battery. When Doomsday defeated him he was buried under the ground for weeks. The Sun. Maybe that's the answer.

Hal Jordan formed a solar collector two hundred yards above the crater. Hal positioned the stadium sized construct so that the focus of the solar radiation concentrated on Superman's altar.

"Come on, Clark. Not like this."

Hal's chin dropped.

Not like this.

I place my hand on Hal's shoulder.

"Hal...please..."

 

[twylight]

"All of you go. I can't... I can't just leave him like this without trying something."

The Sun. Clark is a living solar battery. When Doomsday defeated him he was buried under the ground for weeks. The Sun. Maybe that's the answer.

Hal Jordan formed a solar collector two hundred yards above the crater. Hal positioned the stadium sized construct so that the focus of the solar radiation concentrated on Superman's altar.

"Come on, Clark. Not like this."

Hal's chin dropped.

Not like this.

Blue energy entwined around Hal's creationg and Dinah focused, Saffire helping, shattering the green energy into a million shards.

"Stop this nonsense Hal." She said sharply.

"He's not coming back, and if he does it's in his own time."

Her voice turned hard.
"Let him go."

 

[Franklin Richards]

I place my hand on Hal's shoulder.

"Hal...please..."

"J'onn, we can't just.."

I look into his face. The face of a man who's seen his entire world vanish while he lived on. I want to punch him. I want to embrace him. I just want Clark back. I want to fix it.


But I can't.

Blue energy entwined around Hal's creationg and Dinah focused, Saffire helping, shattering the green energy into a million shards.

"Stop this nonsense Hal." SHe said sharply.

"He's not coming back, and if he doesn it's in his own time."

Her voice turned hard.
"I didn't see any of you trying to bring me back. Let him go."

"You *****! Don't say that... Don't you have a heart? Or did you leave that behind in your grave?"



And then it's there again. Something I haven't felt in a long time. Thinking of a world without Superman. A world without his light. It brings to mind something I have fought all my life.

Fear.

"I'm sorry, Dinah. I didn't mean that."

He places his hand onto Dinah's shoulder. Hal Jordan turns to J'onn. Then the Green Lantern of sector 2814 embraces the Martian Manhunter. He turns back to the body of Clark Kent and does something that he's never been good at.


He says goodbye.