The "World of Heroes" DC RPG Season IX

[trustyside-kick]

I was hired by Talia Al Ghul to retrieve your kid. Been a short while since I've worked with or for the League, but a contract is a contract. I'm getting 50 grand for this little snatch. 5 went over to Calculator to help me pinpoint the kid faster. Sucks but 45 is plenty for me for a job as simple as this.

"Calculator...Calculator come the heck in."

"Something wrong, Arthur? Your tone isn't the most--"

"Who the hell is this guy with the kid and The Bat. She didn't say anything about a third likely to be present."

"Concerned are you? My job was to pinpoint where Damian was; that is what you paid me to do. If you want me to hack into one of the satellites again to get a look from above, it's going to cost you another $5,000."

"That b*tch. She probably hired more than one person for the job."

"Just $5,000 more into my account and my 'all seeing digital eye' is once again a service available to 'Merlyn The Magician'."

There was an unknown player thrown into the mix. The odds that she hired another to do the job slaps my career streak in the damn face. Could've paid Noah another $5,000 to find out who but this storm is a freakin' pain and the sooner I get the kid back to Talia the sooner I collect the rest of my money. So I turn off my commlink to Calculator and ready an arrow. Besides, who the heck cares. I've got a clean shot.

He's just a nobody in the end. I was hired to capture Damian but not kill Batman.

Don't know why but in my line of work you don't have to know all the details. If I cannot kill the Bat I cannot kill the Bat.

But she didn't say anything about our mystery friend here.

I'm taking him out. Don't need a distraction.

This is it.

This is when I will finally be rid of him.

As I'm running, I wear a smile on my face.

I'm finally going to do it.

My first shot is fired, and I start to move in. Damn, the bastard isn't completely down. Alright, a tough guy huh? We've got the remedy for that.

More arrows.

Damnit. I'm so damn close.

But now was when I was supposed to jump. I can't.

The pain is too much but I try to keep running.

*THUWKT*

*THUWKT*

Two more arrows dig into my shoulders and the last hits my spine. I stumble forward and Bruce catches me. I look at him, an expression of pure shock over his face as my hand reaches up to him.

That finally puts the bastard down. I leap over to another rooftop that still hits higher than the one Batman and Talia's kid is. I ready my aim, and now it I can finally get down to business. I let loose another arrow, purposely missing my target as it whizzes past Batman's face. Like the smart man I know he is he turns his head my way.

Sure hope my smile shines through this rain his way.

"Damian. Shut. Up," I say sternly as I come out from behind the chimney and leap over my son, rolling across the ground and dodging Merlyn's arrows.

The two take cover, and I'm not in the mood for the cat and mouse game. Boy are you lucky that one of the parameters of my contract is that I can't nail one right into your skull, Bats. I drop to the lower rooftop--the same as them--and ready an arrow as I slowly walk towards where I spotted them last.

"Bats. I don't know the entire story and I do not really care. A job is a job and I'm getting paid a good amount for something so simple. You don't look too hot right now. Matter a fact, I'd think that whoever that nobody was I just took down gave you quite the workout. So hows about you step aside, and let me bring Talia back her little pup."

Talia gave me strict orders to not kill The Bat. But there are so many ways I can induce pain without killing him. Arrows...can be elegant like that.

 

[trustyside-kick]

Once I shove him back, I clap my hands together. Cupping my hands as they connect, I'm able to shape the shockwave into a cone of force that actually parts the ocean itself for miles in a long swath. Arthur tumbles back, now falling through thin air.

I catch him by the foot before he lands, then pull him up before the two enormous walls of water slam back together with force that would have crushed just about anyone.

"Arthur, if you can still hear me in there, fight this," I say, wrenching his arms behind his back to keep him from struggling. "Despero's using you. I know you're stronger than he is. Don't let him turn you into a slave. You might not be a king anymore, but you can still act like one."

As Despero is in the Marine Marvel's mind much like he is in the martian's, he can see what they see like he was there himself. The galactic villain remains at the shipyard while the two heroes attack their fellow teammates, and to his disappointment things are not looking as well as he had hoped.

But at the same time, turning the heroes against each other was not a vital or important piece of his revenge against the Martian Manhunter; simply a last minute addition to his enjoyment. However both Superman and Guy Gardner appear to be more powerful than they were the last time Despero had roamed this planet.

Far more powerful.

[BLACKOUT]He has lost the right of sentient thought,[/BLACKOUT], the voice in the back of my head, the personification of Life known as the Entity, speaks up. [BLACKOUT]Free will is paramount to life. So I am severing his link with the ability known as Despero. [/BLACKOUT]

The white light disappears and J'onn floats down to the deck of the boat, a confused look on his face. "I apologize if you've been hurt, Guy. My mind was not my own."
[BLACKOUT]
"No sweat," [/BLACKOUT]I say as I look at my ring. "[BLACKOUT]You're just full of surprises, ain't ya?"[/BLACKOUT] I look up at J'onn and smirk. [BLACKOUT]"C'mon, Despero still has control of Fishstick for brains We gotta head out."[/BLACKOUT]

The connection and control over the Martian Manhunter's mind has been severed. Despero grunts and returns to the mind of Aquaman. The kryptonian's might is too much even for the Aquatic Ace to overcome. The villain thought that surely were the atlantean given the drive and desire he could so some sort of damage.

And that is when Despero decides to take a more direct charge of the situation as his game is finished. But before he can make it, Guy Gardner and J'onn J'onnz make it over to where Superman has taken hold of the former Sea King. The Martian Manhunter approaches Superman.

"Clark, I believe Guy's white power ring has the power to free Orin like it did me."

Guy floats over as Clark holds Orin. Not really knowing what to do, he simply aims the ring towards the Marine Marvel. A second later there is a flash of white light as it resonates, freeing Aquaman from Despero's control; which Despero quickly senses. The infuriated villain continues to fly at the group, and with a steady mind once again, the Marine Marvel spots it head on.

"Despero."

Now free from Clark's grip as Superman lets go, the heroes turn as Despero meets them head on. J'onn flies forward to block the blow, and Orin jumps up and uppercuts the villain at the jaw from below. Despero flying back from the impact and crashing back onto land, the heroes get ready to charge their foe together. Angered and tired of the games, the Aquatic Ace sends out a telepathic message to his colleagues.

~Guy...that's quite a ring you've gotten your hands on. And Clark, I could see everything Despero was willing myself to do and you handled me like I was a toddler. Time to take him down. We've got more than enough power now.~

~Make. Him. Bleed.~

 

[Byrd Man]

The two take cover, and I'm not in the mood for the cat and mouse game. Boy are you lucky that one of the parameters of my contract is that I can't nail one right into your skull, Bats. I drop to the lower rooftop--the same as them--and ready an arrow as I slowly walk towards where I spotted them last.

"Bats. I don't know the entire story and I do not really care. A job is a job and I'm getting paid a good amount for something so simple. You don't look too hot right now. Matter a fact, I'd think that whoever that nobody was I just took down gave you quite the workout. So hows about you step aside, and let me bring Talia back her little pup."

Talia gave me strict orders to not kill The Bat. But there are so many ways I can induce pain without killing him. Arrows...can be elegant like that.

"The man you killed wasn't a nobody."

I charge towards Merlyn, swishing my cape to distract him and his aim. I toss a batarang sidearm towards the archer assassin and watch it cut through the air towards him.

 

[SuperFerret]

The Circe Interlude: Part Two​

Circe's bestial army surrounds me, snarling and slashing away at me with their claws and talons. Fortunately, they're far too feral and disorganized to properly use the high tech weapons they've brought with them.

Unfortunately, I know Circe's methods. These beasts were once people, probably innocents, and I cannot use my sword against them and must take care not to permanently injure anyone.

"Circe! You coward! Face me yourself and don't hide behind these people!"

I hear her laugh from somewhere to my left, but I can't see her for all the monstrous people in my field of vision.

 

[Bounce]

"The man you killed wasn't a nobody."

I charge towards Merlyn, swishing my cape to distract him and his aim. I toss a batarang sidearm towards the archer assassin and watch it cut through the air towards him.

The Batman’s attention was on the assassin. A dangerous miscalculation on father’s part. Who did he think was behind him? The Drake? Dick-less Grayson?

The boy’s boot strikes hard at the back of the Batman’s head, literally stepping on top of his father as Damian used Bruce Wayne’s cranium as a landing point and springboard. If nothing else, that ought to give his father something to think about while the son tended to his father’s business. Pushing off from the Bat’s cowl, the agile young boy again leapt up into the night’s air. A pair of blunted arrows snapped up from the archer’s bow.

Were his instructions not to hurt ‘Talia’s pup’?

What a shame... Damian didn’t have anything restraining him now.

Twisting in mid-air to avoid the arrows, the little Al-Ghul knocked aside the archer’s bow with a spinning, roundhouse kick to the man’s right hand. If the wrist wasn’t broken, safe to say the man was going to have a hard time holding a bow under tension with it. But it doesn’t end there. Damian is only getting started.

With a fluid grace, the boy lands with perfect balance and strikes. A ball-fist drive up into the solar plexus, Jeet Kune Do. Two-finger jab at the right carotid artery to disorientate, Wushu. Duck under left jab, grab the wrist and immobilize the elbow joint – Aikido. The archer responds with a leg sweep that the boy blocks by stepping in and blocking the man’s leg with his own, then pulling his leg back so that the man’s gait is stretched. And then Damian drives the knee of his free leg right up into the family jewels. Thai kickboxing, *****.

Damian still had the man’s left arm immobilized, wielding it for leverage as the boy took the man off balance and guided him to the floor. Trapping the man’s left arm between his legs, Damian held the wrist trapped against his chest and dropped back to the rooftop. His body weight combined with a little pull and a twist... and the shoulder joint separated with a disgustingly satisfactory sound.

The assassin screamed. And for good reason. The man rolled to the left on instinct, Damian letting go of his hold as the boy popped back to his feet. And just stood there.

He was like a cat playing with the mouse he had just caught. The game wouldn’t be any fun if Damian just kept pressing the advantage the whole time. “Feel free to throw yourself off the roof at any time,” the boy taunted coldly, impassively watching as the archer pulled himself up to his feet gingerly. The left arm hanging completely useless and the right wrist nearly snapped. “You might find suicide preferable to the pain.”

Reaching back, the archer began to say something again, only to have Damian interrupt with a dismissive wave of his hand. “Uh-uh, not going to listen, don’t care,” the boy snapped as he continued to simply watch the target. “Let me ask you something though, was it worth it?”

No sooner had he said it than Damian was on the move again. The archer responded by trying to disengage and keep distance between them. The man kept his remaining good arm in close, using to block only. He was focused on his legs. Very powerful thighs. Strong kicks, good balance, and excellent reflexes. If Damian hadn’t already disabled most of the man’s upper body then the boy would probably have been completely outclassed. Sadly, Damian was feeling inspired tonight.

This was Damian at his most sadistic.

Planting a hand down on own of the man’s knee strikes, the boy attempted a kick to the face. The man used his injured hand to block of course. Smiling like the devil himself, the boy flipped backward and sent a momentum-driven fist straight up into the underside of the man’s chin. Landing, Damian came around with a leg sweep that again landed the assassin on the rooftop cement. Did you see that mother? Don’t I make you proud, the child thought bitterly, as he took a moment to glance back at where he’d left his father dazed and confused from the blow to the head.

The Batman was getting back to his feet. That meant it was time to start wrapping up the evening’s entertainment.

As the assassin was getting back to his feet, Damian gave no quarter. Right kick across the jaw. Left punch to the groin. Right knee to the solar plexus. Left straight-legged kick to the face.

Damian had the man with his back to the edge of the rooftop. Which was exactly where he wanted him.

“Hey father,” the boy called, taking a second to glance back into the veiled eyes of the Batman. “Pick one.”

With that, Damian and the assassin went over the edge of the roof.

 

[Byrd Man]

The Batman was getting back to his feet. That meant it was time to start wrapping up the evening’s entertainment.

As the assassin was getting back to his feet, Damian gave no quarter. Right kick across the jaw. Left punch to the groin. Right knee to the solar plexus. Left straight-legged kick to the face.

Damian had the man with his back to the edge of the rooftop. Which was exactly where he wanted him.

“Hey father,” the boy called, taking a second to glance back into the veiled eyes of the Batman. “Pick one.”

With that, Damian and the assassin went over the edge of the roof.

"No!"

It takes me longer to get to the edge of the roof than I'd like. My fight with Jason and Damien's blow to the head are slowing me down more than I like to think. I shoot a grapnel line into the roof as I run, creating an anchor. Securing the line with my belt, I leap off the roof and free fall towards Merlyn and Damian. Damian is the first one I catch. Wrapping my left arm around him, I try to straighten us both out and become as aerodynamic as possible in order to catch Merlyn. I reach out with my free hand and trying to get a hand on the semi-conscious assassin. I have two seconds before my line catches. I strain and try to get as close as I can. My hand wraps around Merlyn's belt just as my line catches.

The grapnel stops the three of us mid-fall and just ten feet above the asphalt. Damian is in one arm, Merlyn is secured in the other. I breath heavy and let Merlyn go, watching him thud to the ground and moan out in pain. I cut the line with my free hand and let Damian go. We both land on our feet. I straighten up and take a deep breath before turning towards Damian.

"Don't ever do that again."

 

[Bounce]

The grapnel stops the three of us mid-fall and just ten feet above the asphalt. Damian is in one arm, Merlyn is secured in the other. I breath heavy and let Merlyn go, watching him thud to the ground and moan out in pain. I cut the line with my free hand and let Damian go. We both land on our feet. I straighten up and take a deep breath before turning towards Damian.

"Don't ever do that again."

The boy went into shock when the Batman grabbed him, having been expecting to save himself and merely counting down the seconds until he expected to see father pass up the son in order to go rescue Merlyn. To save the criminals that he loved and hated so much as to have dedicated his whole life to some bizarre personal concept of justice and the courts.

But that hadn't happened.

Breathing heavily, Damian's head was swimming. Everything he'd believed, everything his mother had said, everything Jason had said.

Warily, the boy assumed a fighting stance as soon as his father had let him go, fists raised in preparation to go another round with the Batman. But his father was just standing there.

"What did you come here tonight for?" Damian demanded hotly. It was the question he'd been wanting to ask ever since he'd seen his father on the roof with Jason.

 

[Byrd Man]

Warily, the boy assumed a fighting stance as soon as his father had let him go, fists raised in preparation to go another round with the Batman. But his father was just standing there.

"What did you come here tonight for?" Damian demanded hotly. It was the question he'd been wanting to ask ever since he'd seen his father on the roof with Jason.

"You."

I turn my back on Damian and hope he doesn't make me regret it. I walk over to Merlyn's body and sling it over my shoulder. "I came here for you. I spent the last six hours tracking Jason down so I could find you and bring you back to Wayne Manor, bring you back home."

I begin walking down the street towards the batmobile with Merlyn's unconscious body bobbing up and down on my shoulder.

"Come on, son, let's go home."

 

[Bounce]

"Come on, son, let's go home."

The look of shock on the boy's face twisted between uncertainty and confusion as the Batman turns his back to him. The boy began to take a step forward, gritting his teeth in what he assumed to be a deception - except it didn't make sense. Jason had warned that the Batman would be coming. Jason had known that.

Damian hadn't given any thought to why.

And now he didn't want to believe that it had all been for him, but... at the same time, he did. Well, that is to say that he did but he didn't and...

Damian didn't really understand it either.

Letting his hands drop by his side, the boy ran forward to open the door to the batmobile for his father. Then, without a word, slipped inside beside him.

After they had dropped off Merlyn and were on the road back to the Batcave, Damian finally decided that he wanted to speak. "You said back at the cave that we were going to have a talk, but then you disappeared," the boy began quietly, looking out into the early dawn. "Could we talk now?"

And talk he did. Everything from his life with the League of Assassins to what happened with the Yellow Lantern, stealing the Robin suit and running away. Running into Jason Todd. The bank heist and Killer Moth. The crack house on fire, with families in it. Saving the woman and the baby. Watching helpless as a toddler had been gunned down in front of him. Black Lanterns and Jean-Paul Valley.

"Mother never told me too much about you," the boy noted as the drive continued. "I think there's still a lot I don't understand," the young Wayne admitted finally, before he turned his head to look over the driver behind the wheel.

"Is that... okay?"

 

[Byrd Man]

​

The look of shock on the boy's face twisted between uncertainty and confusion as the Batman turns his back to him. The boy began to take a step forward, gritting his teeth in what he assumed to be a deception - except it didn't make sense. Jason had warned that the Batman would be coming. Jason had known that.

Damian hadn't given any thought to why.

And now he didn't want to believe that it had all been for him, but... at the same time, he did. Well, that is to say that he did but he didn't and...

Damian didn't really understand it either.

Letting his hands drop by his side, the boy ran forward to open the door to the batmobile for his father. Then, without a word, slipped inside beside him.

After they had dropped off Merlyn and were on the road back to the Batcave, Damian finally decided that he wanted to speak. "You said back at the cave that we were going to have a talk, but then you disappeared," the boy began quietly, looking out into the early dawn. "Could we talk now?"

And talk he did. Everything from his life with the League of Assassins to what happened with the Yellow Lantern, stealing the Robin suit and running away. Running into Jason Todd. The bank heist and Killer Moth. The crack house on fire, with families in it. Saving the woman and the baby. Watching helpless as a toddler had been gunned down in front of him. Black Lanterns and Jean-Paul Valley.

"Mother never told me too much about you," the boy noted as the drive continued. "I think there's still a lot I don't understand," the young Wayne admitted finally, before he turned his head to look over the driver behind the wheel.

"Is that... okay?"

"That's fine. There's plenty I want to know about you as well. Any questions you have, I'll answer them."

I detour on the way to the cave and park the batmobile were it was ten minutes earlier. "I'll be right back."

I leave the car and come back a few minutes later, carrying Jason's body in my arms. I can't gauge Damian's reaction, but I'm sure he may have seen his share of dead bodies with the League. We drive back to the cave in silence. I slide my mask off as I climb out of the car. I reach in and grab hold of Jason's body, carrying it across the cave and laying it down on a table.

"I'm sorry that it turned out this way," I say under my breath as I reach down and remove his mask. I fan my hand across his face and close his eyes. "You deserved better, Jason. I'm sorry that I couldn't have given you better."

He was just a little boy. That's how I want to remember him, as that little boy who tried to steal the wheels from the batmobile. I don't want to think about the adult he became, how my failure twisted and perverted his outlook on life until he was a snarling and bitter husk of that little boy.

I'm sorry, Jason. Sorry I couldn't save you in this life any more than I could have saved you in your last life.

 

[Eddie Brock]

SUPERBOY

Green Arrow walks back up to us, slipping the communicator back on his belt. "Oracle says this isn't a contained event," he explains ominously. "Apparently, the whole world's gone mad."

I look at the snarling Krypto inside his contained magic sphere. "What about Krypto?"

"Checkmate's on their way to detain him for now," Arrow responds. "Oracle's got sedatives for him."

I frown worriedly. Sedatives? I was hoping for something better than that. If Krypto does have some form of Kryptonian rabies, his life could be in danger. And I don't know that there are a lot of experts capable of treating an illness in a Kryptonian - especially a canine Kryptonian, at that. And what about Cassie? Zach's theory about her magic protecting her holds weight, but there are no guarantees. What if she gets sick, too?

That's when I hear it. Loud, angry voices. Shattering glass. All the sounds of a riot, accompanied by strange animalistic grunts and growls. It's not my superhearing, either, because I see the others picking up on it, too.

"Look, Oracle told me to tell you that you shouldn't be out in the field until you sort out your team issues," Green Arrow begins, "but to be honest, I could use your help if you can give it."
​

 

[SenseiofCheese]

SUPERBOY

"Look, Oracle told me to tell you that you shouldn't be out in the field until you sort out your team issues," Green Arrow begins, "but to be honest, I could use your help if you can give it."
​

Zachary Zatara

With a silent nod we all agree to help. What are the Teen Titans if not way too stubborn to listen when people tell us not to help.

The sounds of rioting mixed with the strangest animal noises get louder and louder and we all stare down the street. Suddenly a hulking creature explodes from a nearby building and crashes into a parked car. With a loud grunt, the half-man, half-rhino grabs the vehicle with one hand and flings it at a wall.

"Seriously, are we just Animal Control now?" I shout incredulously as Superboy and Wonder Girl prepare to meet the beast head on.

But as they are about to shoot down the street, an army of some sort of animal-men burst onto the scene. Almost every kind of animal is standing down the street across from us, but somehow...human.

"I'm so glad I'm not a playboy living the high life anymore, you know? This is just so rewarding." I sigh as the horde of beast-men charge towards us.
​

 

[Byrd Man]

Now free from Clark's grip as Superman lets go, the heroes turn as Despero meets them head on. J'onn flies forward to block the blow, and Orin jumps up and uppercuts the villain at the jaw from below. Despero flying back from the impact and crashing back onto land, the heroes get ready to charge their foe together. Angered and tired of the games, the Aquatic Ace sends out a telepathic message to his colleagues.

~Guy...that's quite a ring you've gotten your hands on. And Clark, I could see everything Despero was willing myself to do and you handled me like I was a toddler. Time to take him down. We've got more than enough power now.~

~Make. Him. Bleed.~

[BLACKOUT]"You took the words right out of my mouth, Gilface. Allow me to provide the covering fire."[/BLACKOUT]

I form a white bow in my hands and top it off with an ivory quiver and arrows. I pull out arrows and start drawing them back, shooting them at Despero while the rest of the group charges. A white arrow strikes the alien in his shoulder and explodes. Despero stumbles back and I wave off the constructs. [BLACKOUT]"Boo-ya! Like to see GA pull that off!"[/BLACKOUT]

I take off behind the rest of the group as they charge the downed alien.

 

[Byrd Man]

Greece
Now


The mountain looms off in the distance, the batwing should be there in a few minutes. I'll take over the controls and land it on the side of the mountain. The news reports coming in over Oracle's network and the news channels all but confirms my early hunches. Grodd is behind all the chaos taking place in America. His army of apes are in the process of occupying Washington while his weapons of science and magic distract anyone who can put a stop to him. From the reports, his "Beast Bombs" sound gruesome. The kind of magic and transmorphing Circe is known for. That's why I've left Gotham City under the protection of others. I see through Grodd's subterfuge and smoke screens, and go to the root of the problem. There's only one thing that can put it all right, and we're on the way to get that.

I say we, because I'm not alone. Damian is in the passenger seat behind me. He wanted to know more about me and what I do, and I've been showing him more and more in the week since the incident with Jason. Now is a chance for him to learn first-hand.

I switch the controls to manual and land on the mountainside. The cockpit slides open and I leap out, Damian at my side. "Stay close. We're not sure if they've thought of this and set up a trap."

I walk slightly in front of Damian, doing my best to block him from an ambush that may come. After a few yards, we come to a plateau with milk-white flowers. "This is Moly," I explain to Damian. "Only grown here, on the slopes of Mount Olympus."

I pull a pair of tweezers from my belt and bend down. "The poet Homer described Moly as a powerful herb, capable of countering the magic of Circe."

I pluck three samples of Moly from the soil and place them in sample tubes before placing them inside my utility belt. "This may seem strange to you, Damian, but this is a strange world we live in. If we can synthesize the effects of Moly, then we can create a cure."
​

 

[SuperFerret]

The Circe Interlude: Part Three​

Feral snarls fill my ears. Hairy, feathery, scaly bodies press in from all sides, bludgeoning me with brutal strikes, lacerating me with vicious talons, and stabbing me with sharp horns and pointed teeth. A lesser person would have succumbed long ago, and at this point, my resolve is beginning to falter. I cannot strike back against my assailants as the weight around me forces my limbs into a defensive position.

Like venom in my mind, the feeling that I may not survive this creeps into my thoughts.

A sudden, sharp blast from a horn cuts through the snarls and growls that surround me. The momentary distraction caused a slight lapse in the pressure around me, allowing my feet to find a strong stance, and my arms room to force the beasts back and deliver a series of blows to them, providing an avenue of escape. Flying upwards, I confirm to myself the source of my salvation: an army of my Amazon sisters standing ready.

"I see this has become a war." Circe says from her vantage point, hovering above her bestial legion.

"It's always been a war, Circe." I state, readying my shield and the Lasso, "Prepare to lose this battle."

 

[Andy C.]

Guy lands the first blows on Despero, knocking him back with his new powers. I've never seen a white ring before; I'll have to ask him about that sooner or later.

As Arthur and J'onn prepare to press on the attack, I charge ahead, grabbing Despero and pulling him up into the air.

"You know what always surprises me about your type?" I say as he struggles against my grip. "It's not the cruelty, or the arrogance, or the anger from the never-ending parade of would-be world conquerors that come to Earth and try to set themselves up as gods. The one thing that always surprises me, Despero? It's the delusion, the inability to see what happened to the last guy who tried it, and the one who came before him, and so on. You and every tin-Hitler like you always seem to ignore how these invasions never work....and who stops them."

Despero snarls at me, trying in vain to break my hold. He's powerful enough that in the past, he could handle the entire League on his own. There were times he had beaten me into the dirt. With my powers as amplified as they are now, I can out-muscle him with ease.

"It's time to bring you down to Earth," I say, releasing my hold to grab him by the arm.

I turn in to wrench his arm over my shoulder and throw him back down.....

.....but then there's a wet pop, followed by a scream.

"YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!"

As I complete the pulling motion to bring the arm over, I find that I'm pulling only his arm, blood pouring from his freshly opened wound.

Despero used to throw me around like a rag doll. Now I've accidentally pulled off his arm.

The mad alien screams, then starts to go limp. I concentrate two beams of Heat Vision onto the stump of his shoulder to cauterize the wound and stop the bleeding, but the sudden drop of blood pressure causes him to pass out anyway.

I catch Despero as he tumbles downwards toward the ground, and call to the rest of my teammates.

"We need to get him somewhere that we can stabilize his condition, but where he won't just break free," I say in a tone of urgency, panicking over what I'd just done. "I'm taking him to the Hall of Justice."

 

[Eddie Brock]

Zachary Zatara

With a silent nod we all agree to help. What are the Teen Titans if not way too stubborn to listen when people tell us not to help.

The sounds of rioting mixed with the strangest animal noises get louder and louder and we all stare down the street. Suddenly a hulking creature explodes from a nearby building and crashes into a parked car. With a loud grunt, the half-man, half-rhino grabs the vehicle with one hand and flings it at a wall.

"Seriously, are we just Animal Control now?" I shout incredulously as Superboy and Wonder Girl prepare to meet the beast head on.

But as they are about to shoot down the street, an army of some sort of animal-men burst onto the scene. Almost every kind of animal is standing down the street across from us, but somehow...human.

"I'm so glad I'm not a playboy living the high life anymore, you know? This is just so rewarding." I sigh as the horde of beast-men charge towards us.
​

"Alright, guys, these are still people under there," I remind the team as the army of bestial warriors charges. "We might be able to reverse the effects of whatever's been done to them, so try to take it as easy as poss--"

I'm cut off as a fire hydrant hits me in the stomach. I crash into the side of a car, feeling the shattered glass falling like rain on my head and shoulders. I look up to see a half-elephant man clearly responsible for throwing it. He blares through his trunk, and I grit my teeth.

Holding the broken fire hydrant in one hand, I fly straight at the elephant man. I swing the hydrant around, connecting with a loud clang against his jaw. The elephant man stumbles, and I hit him with a burst of heat vision to the chest. I'm careful to only give him as much as I think he can take.

 

[Bounce]

He shouldn't complain. He was getting a trip to Greece out of this, but as hard as he tried Damian just couldn't get his head around what it was that his father - the god damn Batman - was doing.

"We're picking flowers. Seriously?" the boy demanded incredulously. "You have to be kidding me, father. Save the flowers, save the world?"

I pluck three samples of Moly from the soil and place them in sample tubes before placing them inside my utility belt. "This may seem strange to you, Damian, but this is a strange world we live in. If we can synthesize the effects of Moly, then we can create a cure."

"You're old, so you might not appreciate this - but this is totally not cool," Damian quipped dismissively, turning his head as he looked over the pastoral picture. Mount Olympus. The central location in a number of dry, boring old stories.

He knew them of course. But they were still boring.

 

[Byrd Man]

"You're old, so you might not appreciate this - but this is totally not cool," Damian quipped dismissively, turning his head as he looked over the pastoral picture. Mount Olympus. The central location in a number of dry, boring old stories.

He knew them of course. But they were still boring.

"When you fight crime and help the world, sometimes you have to do more than drive someone's head through a wall."

Securing the samples in me belt, I stand and turn to my son. "As valuable as your fists can be, your most important weapon is right here," I say as I tap my forehead. "Your brain is your superpower. People likes us can't leap tall buildings in a single bound, or run across country in the blink of an eye. We have to get by with what we have. Most of the time, it's more than enough."

I turn away and begin to head back to the batwing. "Come on, we have to hurry. A minute we waste is one more minute Grodd is allowed to continue his plan."

 

[MST3K 4ever]

Marvel hovers high over the Arkham grounds.

It looks as though I've caught the runners for the time being. The holding area I constructed is crude but still effective for now.

He looks at the actual asylum and sees lots of chared and smoldering concrete and steel.

Looks like the next step in the process is cleaning up.

He then begins clearing away the rubble.

I hope Nightwing is all-right.

 

[trustyside-kick]

The mad alien screams, then starts to go limp. I concentrate two beams of Heat Vision onto the stump of his shoulder to cauterize the wound and stop the bleeding, but the sudden drop of blood pressure causes him to pass out anyway.

I catch Despero as he tumbles downwards toward the ground, and call to the rest of my teammates.

"We need to get him somewhere that we can stabilize his condition, but where he won't just break free," I say in a tone of urgency, panicking over what I'd just done. "I'm taking him to the Hall of Justice."

There is silence among the group of heroes. The former Sea King is silent, because for the first time he is struck with awe as he looks at Clark as he would imagine regular humans first viewed him: a god among men. Aquaman had relied on the fact that Superman was juiced up more than his normal self, for Despero had to be taken down before he could penetrate their minds as well...but not in a million years did Orin think he would witness this.

And the kryptonian realizes this, for he has a near frightened and concern face over what he had just done to apprehend their foe. The thing is, he had not even realized it. His own strength has surprised even him.

"Clark...what are you turning int--"

The call ends, and I switch on my Justice League communicator.

"Justice League, we'll need your help. I have reason to believe a villain is behind all this mess...and someone quite powerful. Who else could pull off a great feat like this alone? If you're available, you're needed. Stay on guard."

At the sound of Oracle's voice channeling through Superman's JLA commlink as Arthur's is currently disabled from the clash with Despero, immediately the Marine Marvel's mindset is quickly shifted. Whatever his friend is going through, can be dealt with later it is not as though he is a danger to himself at least. Just...he may have to be looked after more closely in the lines of combat.

Which Aquaman intends to do.

But not now. Now, there is another alert the JLA must attend to.

"Alright. Take Despero. It looks like we have matters that need attending."

The Marine Marvel immediately jumps into the water, kicking into high gear as he swims at speeds of uncanny intensity. He cannot contact Oracle via his comm, so he hopes that as he telepathically tries to pinpoint and message her, she does not freak out too much.

He has a lock.

~Oracle, this is Aquaman. My apologies for messaging you inside your mind but my JLA comm-link was disabled. We had a quick run-in with Despero but that has been handled and I understand we have another alert at hand. I trust your judgment. Where do you need me?~

 

[Byrd Man]

At the sound of Oracle's voice channeling through Superman's JLA commlink as Arthur's is currently disabled from the clash with Despero, immediately the Marine Marvel's mindset is quickly shifted. Whatever his friend is going through, can be dealt with later it is not as though he is a danger to himself at least. Just...he may have to be looked after more closely in the lines of combat.

Which Aquaman intends to do.

But not now. Now, there is another alert the JLA must attend to.

"Alright. Take Despero. It looks like we have matters that need attending."

The Marine Marvel immediately jumps into the water, kicking into high gear as he swims at speeds of uncanny intensity. He cannot contact Oracle via his comm, so he hopes that as he telepathically tries to pinpoint and message her, she does not freak out too much.

[BLACKOUT]
"Alright, looks like it's just the three of us. I can help Supes getting Despero into custody, J'onn. See if you can help out with whatever the hell is going on out there."
[/BLACKOUT]

"Very well."

Martian Manhunter flies up into the air and away to help out with the latest crisis. I turn towards Superman and create a giant box out of white energy. [BLACKOUT]"This should contain Despero until we get him under lock and key at the Hall of Justice. Care to do the honors and place that son of a ***** in here?" [/BLACKOUT]

 

[Carnage27]

Wondergirl
​

A massive set of jaws almost closes on me as I fly out of the way. I circle back and drive my knee into the crocodile-humanoid's chin and he flies into a building behind him.

Almost immediately, however, claws scrape across my back as a lion-man spikes me into the ground. And the worst part is...it hurt. I turn to face the lion and push off the ground, but at a much slower speed than I'm used to. The lion is knocked through the air, but lands deftly on his feet, and charges me again.

Crap.

Luckily, I manage to get my lasso out and send a shock through it, dropping the monster.

Megan floats down next to me, "Everything okay, Cass?"

I shake my head, "No...I think Zach's right when he says my body will fight the Kryptonian rabies, but it's taking all my magical powers to do-"

I'm interrupted by another elephant man grabbing me in the midsection and tossing me in the air. I barely manage to stop myself from slamming into the pavement by floating to the ground.

I stand next to Megan to face him and say, "This is not gonna be good."

 

[SuperFerret]

The
GlassGRODD Menagerie
Part Nine: President Grodd​

"Do I not destroy my enemies when I make them my friends?" - Abraham Lincoln





The human military fell quickly beneath the feet of my soldiers. The chaos of the "Beast Bomb" going off beneath the Capitol Building during a time where the entirety of Congress was assembled there was enough to allow my smaller force to overcome the lesser primates.

Now, I sit in the Oval Office, the former President of the United States sits at my feet, now the lapdog he always was. My control of the city is nearly complete, and after that, the rest of the country will fall as well. At my right hand, leaning against the side of the chair I lounge victoriously in, is my finest combat spoon, with an edge sharp enough and strong enough to wound even the toughest opponents.

And attached to my left hand, is a briefcase. Contained inside, able to be triggered with but a thought, is a smaller, but equally efficient Beast Bomb. This is my contingency plan, in case I'm assaulted by those who wish to be heroes in this time of war.

 

[SenseiofCheese]

Zachary Zatara

Wonder Girl and Superboy take on the massive elephant-men that were quick to surround us, giving the rest of us freedom to move. Green Arrow is quick to leap into action, completely silent, as if this was just another day at the office. Just by watching him you get the sense he's been doing this for a while.

Beast Boy quickly morphs into a huge, green gorilla (a neat trick, I'll give him that) in time to clash with a man who seems to have half-transformed into a rhino then stopped. GA begins firing volleys of arrows at the various bird-hybrids circling above us, keeping them busy so they'll be unable to swoop down on us.

Ggggrrrrrrrrrr

The growl sends a chill down my spine and I turn slowly.

Some days I really hate being a Teen Titan.

The wolfman lunges for me, his clawed hand raised high. Just before he slashes my flawless face off I duck out of the way. I hit the ground, shoulder first, and grimace from the pain. The wolfman is quick to turn and lunges for me again. My training with Tim kicks in and I take advantage of the fact that he's coming at me so fast. I use the beast's speed against him so when he's close enough, I 'catch' him with the soles of my shoes and vault him over me.

He flies over my head and, with a painful yelp, crashes onto the ground face-first. In other news, Goddamnit I'm awesome.

welldonezachary

What?

Never mind.

I quickly get to my feet, shaking my head. I turn to the wolfman. He's disoriented, but he's getting to his feet as well. Before he manages it I speak the incantation.

" Sehtolc nrut ot tekcajtiarts" and in a manner of seconds the tattered clothes clinging to his body morph into a straitjacket. The beast falls to the ground again, restrained and howling.

All the while I hear Krypto barking and banging around in his magical cage, and I make a mental note of Plan B. If these beast-men start to overpower us, we have an ace in the hole.
​