The "World of Heroes" DC RPG Season VI

[SuperFerret]

“Have you heard the tale of Cain and Abel? It is the first story about brothers, and the first story about murder, two subjects that I know can sometimes go hand in hand. Cain was jealous of his brother Abel, for much of the same reasons that humans become jealous of each other now; because Abel was more loved than Cain. Thus, Cain murders Abel, and he is punished for it. I’m not telling it right, but it’s not important really. What is important is my story, another story about brothers and murder. A story about genocide.

On the red planet that the Earthlings call Mars, there were two brothers; J’onn and Ma'alefa'ak. As with Cain and his brother; one was beloved, the other, cast out. This fundamental difference between them was so ingrained that it was even within their very names. J’onn, the beloved one, was the “light to the light”, while Ma’alefa’ak meant “darkness in the heart”. J’onn became a Manhunter, and Ma’alefa’ak became an outcast, cut off from all other Martians by severing his tie to the Great Voice of our people. His memories were altered so that he did not even remember ever being a part of the Great Voice. Cut off from the most basic form of communication that Martians had, Ma’alefa’ak became the first lone Martian in millenia. Ironic, considering the fate of the beloved J’onn.”

The martian pauses, collecting his thoughts, while the figure sitting across from him looks on intently.

“Continue.” the figure says, gesturing to the chess board in front of them. “and it’s your turn.”

The martian lifts his arm, moving his knight into position, removing one of his opponent’s pawns from the game.

“Outraged by his life as an outcast, Ma’alefa’ak’s heart was filled with hate and evil plotted his revenge. He created a telepathic plague, H'ronmeer's Curse, which would fill the martian mind with thoughts of fire until the body too was consumed by flame. To survive, J’onn the beloved hero to his people was forced to abandon them and sever his link to the Great Voice. J’onn confronted Ma’alefa’ak, and each brother thought the other killed. Each believed themselves to be the last Martian.

They would meet again, on Earth. There they would clash time and again. And each time, J’onn, the light to the light, would defeat his brother, Ma’alefa’ak, the darkness in the heart, the slayer of the martian race.” The martian sighs heavily, “I want to make things right.”

“An interesting tale,” the figure says, “and truly a noble desire.” The figure moves their bishop, threatening the martian’s king. “Check.”

“Take this victory, my friend. I am needed elsewhere, and I have dawdled long enough.” The martian stands.

“Indeed you are. Brainiac is now fighting the entire Justice League, as well as some of their allies, and the Batman has died.”

“I sensed that as well. My heart is heavy for his passing. I mourn him.”

“You could have saved him, helped him. You know that.”

“I could have, but I have other priorities. He’d understand, after all, how many deadly threats have I, have the entire Justice League, faced while he was out in his city doing other things.”

“Bitter?”

“No. Angry. He should not have died. And I need not be here now. My friends need me. Farewell, we shall speak again.”

The Martian stands and leaves, walking through the solid wall and heading for Gotham.

“Farewell, J’onn.”

 

[Blacklight]

"I can do no more. I suspect your body can handle the rest."

I try sitting up, and Booster helps me. "Thanks." I look at Sinestro and realize just how battered he is. "You look how I feel."

He almost grins. "I am probably worse. You see, while I heal you...my ring...can't heal...me..." His eyes roll up and he falls back onto the ground.

"Damn. Booster, get us out of here."

"You got it. Hang on tight..."

Slinging the wounded Sinestro on one shoulder and putting Jay on my other, I took of into the dark sky, and spotted a nearby buildingtop that I stopped in front of to drop Jay and Sinestro off on.

"Wait here. I'll go get Aquaman..."

"Booster wait..."

"What is it?"

"Catch."

Jay tossed my belt at me and I caught it in mid-air, before placing it back on my waist.

"Thanks."

No offense to Mr. Garrick, but the belt looked better on me anyways.

"Booster to Aquaman. Do you copy? We have a wounded Sinestro and we could sue that hand of yours to get the job done..."

God that sounded so politically incorrect...

"Skeets this is Booster. Where the frak are you!?! Have you found J'onn?"

 

[twylight]

I have a little smile on my face...that is until I see the look on Roy's face. It's deadly serious, like a stone wall. I know that whatever he knows...it's bad...real bad. I'm almost too afraid to ask.

"Oh, god. What's wrong?"

Gypsy burst into the room, her black hair flying.
"Dinah we have to go." Lian looked up confused and Dinah smiled at her before slipping away.

Walking over to Gypsy she looked at her quizzically. Gypsy gave a slight choke, more out of shock than sorrow. Leaning towards Dinah, after surveying the other two adult faces in the room, she said quietly.

"Batman's dead."

Dinah jerked her head back. What? No, it wasn't possible. Bruce was always prepared, for anything, he had that annoying 'prep-time', he had a brain tht worked on a different level from everyone elses. He...

"Babs wants you back as soon as possible." She flicked Dinah's earrings. "Might want to turn the comm on, we're tracking a huge fight with Doomsday."

Dinah trembled slightly, this was...a lot of information. She glanced back at Lian and the two men, damn it. This was her place, but she couldn't just leave the people she grew up with, and trained with...

She flicked her comm on, "-nah" Babs must have been waiting for the line to go live.

"Here."

"Get back here a soon as possible, we have a ton of clean-up to do." Her voice sounded strained and 'clean-up' wasn't exactly in her vocabulary.

"Right-O, be there as soon as possible." She forced herself to sound..somewhat cheerful. However Bruce's death wasn't going to be easy for Babs to handle, and she needed every friend she had to support her. Dinah bit her lip before walking over to the end of Lian's bed.
"I have to go, but I'll be back soon." She smiled at Lian and then looked at Ollie. She had to go, and if anything he reminded her of that. He was the reason Babs was like family to her, without the pain he'd caused her...Babs wouldn't have needed to have been there to help her piece life back together.

 

[SuperFerret]

Doomsday/Brainiac was caught in the middle of the two giant emerald hands, as they smashed into him in rapid succession.

But the monster's annoyance definitely out-weighted any pain he might possibly be feeling. And it showed as the creature looked up at the Lantern with his hate-filled eyes.

The telepathic attack was swift and brutal. Kyle's mental blocks and Green Lantern training were the only thing that kept it from being fatal.
The hands disappeared instantly, but the Lantern remained in the sky. A testiment to his force of will.

"Impressive, but futile."

The monster grabbed hold of the Lantern with it's telekinetic grip and yanked him down.
Kyle kept enough wits about him to conjure up a force field before the impact, but the force in which he smashed into the ground still left the Lantern dazed and hurt.

Picking up a broken SUV in one hand, Doomsday/Brainiac lept into the air towards Kyle, ready to smash the Lantern into paste.

I react before thinking or saying anything. We've already had one ally fall tonight, and I'm not going to allow another. Besides, if it's a fight Doomsday wants, it's a fight he'll get. And there's only one person in this world worthy of challenging him. That's not me, but - until Clark returns - I'm the closest we've got.

On the first pass, I race by and snatch the SUV out of Doomsday's hands. Tossing it effortlessly aside, I come back for a second pass to get Green Lantern out of there. I take Green Lantern a few yards away, and I put him back on his feet. "Never worse for the wear, I hope," I state with a kind smile.

My smile fades as I take off again, spinning around to face Doomsday.

"Surely you'd be much more interested in a half-Kryptonian than a lone Green Lantern," I announce. Sometimes, I really wonder where this confident tone is coming from. After all, I'm willingly challenging one of the two creatures that managed to kill Clark - without even the help of Kryptonite. I must be crazy. "I mean, what does he matter to someone like you?"

I arrive on the scene, invisible, as Superboy moves in to take on Doomsday. I halt my approach and hover high above them, watching. Connor is a capable man, and his performance against Captain Nazi was admirable. I want to see how he fares here. So I wait, and watch, ready to step in if need be.

 

[SenseiofCheese]

Zachary Zatara

We arrive back in Gotham, and it looks even worse than when we left if that's at all possible. Superboy's in the air within a second of our arrival, and I silently slink to the back of the group. I spot Doomsday...kind of hard to miss, really...and my heart just sinks. I close my eyes shut, half hoping I can wish him away. Opening them again, I see the monster still standing there and get flashbacks to before. He had me in his hand, his hot breath slamming into my face, and next came to most unbearable pain I'd ever felt. I wanted to die.

Screw that. I may not be able to take him down with my magic alone, but if anyone knows how to be slightly irritating, it's Zachary Zatara.

I watch as Superboy hovers above Doomsday, calling him out.

"Dnuorg peek yadsmooD llits!" I mumble under my breath, and watch as the cement under Doomsday's feet shifts like a well-rested animal waking up.

The behemoth barely notices, but the street he's standing on slowly begins to inch up his legs, until he's knee deep in concrete. With his feet burrowed in the street, Superboy has the perfect opportunity to strike.
​

 

[Keyser Soze]

It really was a beautiful day.

Sat in the backseat of the squad car, his hands cuffed behind his back, The Joker admired the crisp, clear Gotham morning. A safe distance from the wreckage on the ground, the sky was bright and cloudless, summer announcing its presence. The sun shone proudly, unaware of how close it had come to destruction. Its heat glared at The Joker through the car's window, making him feel somewhat like an insect under a magnifying glass.

Casually, he glanced up at the cop driving the car. He had his window open, his head ever-so-slightly inclined out of it to soak in the rays. Somewhat like an insect not under a magnifying glass.

Letting out a sigh, The Joker rotated his head slowly, the joints in his neck cracking with the motion. Then, calmly, he entered into an old trick he'd learned some time ago, after a particularly violent encounter with Batman. There would be no more of those now, sadly. Considering his loss once more, The Joker dislocated both his shoulders simultaneously. The rush of pain gave him a fleeting, hollow pleasure, which he basked in for a moment while he made sure the cop hadn't heard the bones popping out of their sockets. He hadn't. Then, The Joker slid his arms down under his legs, barely even needing to move from his relaxed sitting position. As he brought his cuffed hands up in front of his chest, the top half of his body - the half visible from the rearview mirror - barely seemed to have moved at all. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and pooped his shoulders back into place.

Then, he slammed his head right through the closed window.

The cop barely had a chance to register the shattering of glass before The Joker had wrapped the steel chain-links of the cuffs around his throat. The cop's eyes went wide with panic as he feebly attempted to pull the chain free, but it was too late. The Joker pulled back tight, cutting off the air, choking him. The squad car swung wildly from side to side on the empty road, the officer struggling in vain to find his breath. And all the while, The Joker merely looked up at the sun, his head rolling back, his thoughts focused on relishing this kill.

"Nothing."

The Joker closed his eyes, breathing slowly, deeply, as he pulled back on his cuffed wrists tighter and tighter. But his heartbeat never quickened, his pulse never raced. Not when a car passing in the other direction, sounding its horn wildly, missed him by millimeters as he dangled out of the side of the squad car. Not even when the chain cut through the artery in the cop's neck, and a jet of blood sprayed over the car's front windscreen. And then with a rancid croak, the police officer reluctantly gave up his life to him.

"I feel nothing."

Nonchalantly releasing his grip on the dead cop, The Joker remained dangling out of the side of the squad car, seemingly indifferent to the fact the car was still driving at breakneck speed without a driver. He just closed his eyes once more, felt the wind whipping into his face. Things like this made him feel so alive! At least, they used to.

Then all went black.

When The Joker regained consciousness, he found himself dangling upside down, out of the wreckage of the squad car. It had evidently crashed into a wall. Apparently, he had survived.

"Hmm."

The Joker shuffled himself out of the car, falling in a heap onto the ground. Crawling into the mangled mess that had been the front half of the car, The Joker pulled the keys from the belt of the dead (and now also mangled) police officer, using them to unfasten his cuffs. Rotating his wrists, The Joker strolled down one of Gotham's many dark alleys.

He'd disappear now. Not much else to do. What joke could there be that was possibly worth telling, now that the only audience that mattered was gone forever?

 

[Catman_prb]

I turn back at look at Tim. Like a boxer, we've both been knocked to the canvas way too many times. Our parents, our friends, Alfred, and now Bruce.

But that's why we fall.​

"Come here, Tim."​

He gingerly approaches me and I put my hand on his shoulder.​

"It's just you and me now, Kiddo."​

Someone once joked to me that the qualifications of being Robin was to have someone in your family die.​

If that's the case, then Tim is the best one.​

"You and me."​

The two Robins. Orphans, once again.​

"I wonder if that's the way it was always gonna turn out. I mean...christ, I thought he was gonna live forever. I thought it'd be you next...or Babs. Never him. Never him," Tim said, his eyes flickering back to the screen.

"You remember after that thing with Jason? When I asked you what the point was?" he asked, his eyes falling back on the body of the man he thought of, deep down in his heart, as his father "I think I've just found a reason,"

"For Bruce,"

 

[Johnny Blaze]

The monster growls as his leg muscles strain against the gray, un-yielding concrete that wraps around his legs.
With a resounding burst, one of the monster's massive legs breaks free. And seconds later the other leg tears free from the seemingly living concrete's hold.

But not before Superboy uses the opportunity to charge in and rain heavy blows down upon the monster's body.

Shot after shot connects with Doomsday/Brainiac, the sound of thunder echoing across the area with each blow.

Superboy rears back and punches at the monster's head, but the creature's hand intercepts Connor's fist.

"You are brave, child", states the monster as he crushes Connor's hand in his deadly grip. The sound of bones crunching act as a static background noise as the monster speaks.

"But you are no Superman."

With frightening speed, Doomsday/Brainiac spins around, whipping Superboy into the air and smashing him into the concrete. Rubble flies in all directions as the Boy of Steel is burried into a small crater of his own creation.

Doomsday/Brainiac, still holding Connor's hand in a vice-like grasp, whips his massive arm sideways and launches the young hero into the rubble of destroyed building.
The impact of Superboy connecting to the rubble is explosive, scattering debris of all sizes across the battlefield.

As an eerie silence falls on the area, Doomsday/Brainiac looks skyward.

"You cannot hide from me, Martian. I know you are there. Come, face your destruction, and I shall send you to H'ronmeer's cold embrace."

 

[Byrd Man]

"I wonder if that's the way it was always gonna turn out. I mean...christ, I thought he was gonna live forever. I thought it'd be you next...or Babs. Never him. Never him," Tim said, his eyes flickering back to the screen.

"You remember after that thing with Jason? When I asked you what the point was?" he asked, his eyes falling back on the body of the man he thought of, deep down in his heart, as his father "I think I've just found a reason,"

"For Bruce,"

My eyes glaze over slightly as Tim talks, my thoughts elsewhere.

"Tim...tell me something..."

My voice takes a serious tone as I look at him. A question that I have yet to ask comes out of my lips.

"Who did it?"

 

[MaskedManJRK]

FADE TO BLACK
​

I remember my first encounter with death quite vividly. It wasn't the night in the alley, when my parents were taken away, a few years before that.

It was Christmas evening, we had settled in for dinner when my father was called out on an emergency. I asked him if I could come with him and said I could. We drove from the manor to another, along the edge of Gotham and told me to stay put. I played with the Zorro action figure I got and then with the steering wheel for a while and went inside.

The house was quiet, the only thing I could hear was loud thumping from the upper story. A familiar voice grunting. Something like a rattle from a sick man's throat.

"Hang on Edward! Nurse, call an ambulance!" An old woman in a robe ran out of the room, into another and I walk up the stairs. I walked towards a room, the only one with light coming out. "Hang on, Edward!" I looked inside and reconize the voice as my father's. He slumped over the body and puts a sheet over the man. He took me by the shoulders and lead me out, and I saw his face before I turned to walk ahead--he looked tired.

When we were driving home, I realized what had happened.

"Dad...that man is dead, right?"

"Yes, son. It was his time."

"Are you and Mom going to die?" My father pulled the car over to the side of the road and looked at me.

"Well, yes we will, Bruce. Everyone passes on. But not before our time. And that's a long way away."

"Promise?"

"I promise, son." He pulled me into a hug, and I believed every word.​

*****​

I stand above my own dead body. I know it's mine--no one wears a costume like mine, even one so destroyed. My body is also in Joker's twisted embrace, which is what I last remember. But how am I standing next to my own body? Unless...

No. It can't be.

I see Clark flying towards me with incredible speed, so fast the windows break in his wake, when I feel someone tugging on my cape. I turn around, ready to fight, when I see it's a young woman behind me, can't be older then Tim, completely pale and wearing all black. Civilian. I start to pull her away from the scene when she smiles and waves.​

"Hi, I'm Death--you must be Bruce Wayne."

"...No..."

"Would you prefer me to call you Batman?"

"No--I mean--this...this can't be happening."

"What can't be happening? You being dead or me being real?"

"Okay...I'm standing over where I was before, right before I passed out. I'm standing over here, in front of Cla--Superman--"

"Don't worry about your 'secret identities,' Bruce. I met Clark already, after fighting that awful alien Doomsday."

"...Right. So, I'm next to him and yet he's not acknowledging me...okay, so I'm dead. I just don't believe you're real."

"Really?" She puts her hand on my shoulder and leads me into the alley. She slams the lid of a dumpster shut and sits on it. "You're in a weird, though kinda hot, costume, nearly addressed an alien by his first name, and you just crawled out of a spaceship that nearly ate up the sun. You've been in the company of aliens, demigods, and a fallen angel, and yet you can't believe in life after death?"

"...When you put it that way, you have a point." I pull off my mask and realize that my costume is completely fixed--another piece of evidence that I'm not really here. "But I could see all of them with my own eyes. I knew that inside a rational world, those things happened. So my question is...how do I know this isn't my imagination?" She looks at me with a small smile.

"You don't, really. This could be your mind hallucinating before it shuts off completely. But...you're dead either way, so is it that big of a deal?"

I can't think of anything to answer back to her, so I sit next to her on the dumpster and look around me--at the city in ruins. I feel cold to the bone and feel like shaking.

"I should have done more. Look at this place--I made a promise that I would guard this city, protect it, make it a good place to live in. But look at it. Crime is still high, it's invaded constantly by costumed maniacs, and almost destroyed by a group of goddamn super-villains! My whole life...I dedicated my whole life to protect it...but I couldn't save it.

"God...and my life. I'll never be able to live. My family, my friends...can never see them again. Barely saw them because of the mission. So many people I...disappointed. Dick, Tim, Barbara, Jim, Clark, Cassandra, Selina, Helena, Ollie, Eel, Dinah...so many missed opportunities. I'm dead. It's all over.

"It's all over."

I feel completely cold and numb all over, as I speak. Death wraps her arms around me and says nothing. We both say nothing for a while. Soon I feel warm again and Death looks at me.

"Bruce...you're being too hard on yourself. You didn't win your 'war on crime,' but it was impossible for you to do, alone or with your dozen teammates or with an entire army. You just saved the world--you stopped a horrible man from destroying the sun. You, and you alone, saved billions of lives tonight. You've inspired an entire city, and while you missed opportunities to be with them, your friends and family love you more than anything." She jumps from the dumpster and extends her hand towards me.​

"Give me your hand. You've led a good life--long and filled with horror, but now you can be at piece."

I look at her hand, look back to her, smiling genuinely. I'm certain I've heard it from others before, but if she is truly what she says she is, then it makes what I have to do easier. I take her hand.



She's right. For the first time since I was eight years old...I am at peace.​

 

[SuperFerret]

The monster growls as his leg muscles strain against the gray, un-yielding concrete that wraps around his legs.
With a resounding burst, one of the monster's massive legs breaks free. And seconds later the other leg tears free from the seemingly living concrete's hold.

But not before Superboy uses the opportunity to charge in and rain heavy blows down upon the monster's body.

Shot after shot connects with Doomsday/Brainiac, the sound of thunder echoing across the area with each blow.

Superboy rears back and punches at the monster's head, but the creature's hand intercepts Connor's fist.

"You are brave, child", states the monster as he crushes Connor's hand in his deadly grip. The sound of bones crunching act as a static background noise as the monster speaks.

"But you are no Superman."

With frightening speed, Doomsday/Brainiac spins around, whipping Superboy into the air and smashing him into the concrete. Rubble flies in all directions as the Boy of Steel is burried into a small crater of his own creation.

Doomsday/Brainiac, still holding Connor's hand in a vice-like grasp, whips his massive arm sideways and launches the young hero into the rubble of destroyed building.
The impact of Superboy connecting to the rubble is explosive, scattering debris of all sizes across the battlefield.

As an eerie silence falls on the area, Doomsday/Brainiac looks skyward.

"You cannot hide from me, Martian. I know you are there. Come, face your destruction, and I shall send you to H'ronmeer's cold embrace."

I allow myself to become visible again as I float slowly down towards the Doomsday-Brainiac composite.

"Actually, Coluan, H'ronmeer is god of fire, as well as death, so I'd imagine his embrace to be quite warm." I say monotonously as I cross my arms and glare at the monster.

I land before him, looking up at the craggy face of my opponent, visually inspecting the bony protrusions that mark it's features. I had faced Doomsday before, when the creature made it's first appearance, when I was forced into believing myself as a man called Bloodwynd. Now, with Brainiac controlling the beast's body, he may be unstoppable. Realizing this, I try something unorthodox.

My voice softens as I speak, keeping my arms crossed and body ready for the inevitable attack.

"Brainiac, you and I both know that among the beings on this little rock, I alone am the only one who can provide you with a challenge both physical and psychic. With the combined might of the Justice League behind me, I promise you that you will be stopped."

I harden my voice with these last words, phrasing them more as a command than as a request.

"Give up now, or else be destroyed."

 

[Eddie Brock]

EDIT: Ignore.

 

[Catman_prb]

My eyes glaze over slightly as Tim talks, my thoughts elsewhere.

"Tim...tell me something..."

My voice takes a serious tone as I look at him. A question that I have yet to ask comes out of my lips.

"Who did it?"

"Joker," he spat, turning away from Dick.

"Did you really think it could be anyone else?"

 

[Byrd Man]

"Joker," he spat, turning away from Dick.

"Did you really think it could be anyone else?"

"Where is he?"

"He's headed back to Arkham....again."

I turn away from Tim, and look off in the distance.

"I'll be back."

"Dick...you can't...what about the line we can't cross? You said so yourself, it's what seperates us from them."

I turn back to Tim, my face a mask of anger and rage.

"I'll do what has to be done."

Tim tries to restrain me, even he knows it's a losing fight, as I throw him off me.

I take off into the darkness, like a wild animal out for blood.

*********​

I've left Tim behind now, as I stand on the rooftops of Gotham, decked out in my full Nightwing gear.

"I know you're out there somewhere, Joker."

"Tonight, you die."​

 

[Blacklight]

Blue Beetle Begins pt. XI
​

"Get ready, Jaime..." he whispered in my ear so that they wouldn't hear.

I sighed and reluctantly readied myself.

"Oh, and now might be a good time to tell you about my new upgrades..."

And in the blink of an eye, a huge cannon formed on his shoulder, and started charging up.

"Mierda santa..."

It then fired a humongous laser blast and it was headed straight for me.

"Ah me jode..."

I quickly jumped out of the way of the laser before firing an energy blast at Carapax. Mr. Kord angrily tackled that other guy and started punching his helmet repeatedly.

Carapax was tough the last time, but with these new upgrades of his and his new partner, we could be done for...

...but I'm not ready to let that happen. Not with these powers at my disposal.

Quickly while Carapax had his back turned, I jumped high into the air, doing a front flip in the process. It seemed like slow motion to me...like something right out of "The Matrix". But time then reached normal pace again as I landed right on Carapax's back.

"ARGH! Get off me, bug!"

~Scarab, can you do an analysis of some sort? I need to find a weak point to shut his armor down...~

-tytybcadadgfhlflfyfygvvdd..................-

The screen in the corner of my eye started blinking and a center scope was whizzing around all over everything I was looking at, and scanning everything for a possible spot to disable the suit.

Meanwhile, Carapax made things more complicated by shaking and flailing around to get me off him.

~C'mon hurry up!~

While I stuggled to stay on, I looked to see Mr. Kord wasn't faring much better. The two were fighting like ninjas or something. They were really going at it...

-BEEP!-

I could here the beeping right in my head, and I looked at the pointer which was aiming at some open wires in the armor's neck.

Having my hand transform into a sharp blade, I cut all the wires and vaulted over his head.

"What the? No! How did you--"

A couple clunking spasms and short circuits later, he was stuck in place and all the glowing lasers and power sources all dimmed down to nothing.

One down. One to go...

"Mr. Kord! Get out of the way!"

I put both my forearms together and watched as the transformed into a single cannon that started charging up some blue electric energy.

Mr. Kord then saw the cannon and immediately jumped out of the way, leaving Catalyst wide-open.

I fired the massive shot that pounded into Catalyst and knocked him back into the wall, out cold.

"Nice shot, Jaime..."

"Thanks. All that "Call of Duty" I play pays off I guess..."

We ran down the long corridor until we saw a big steel door at the end, and Mr. Kord looked at me.

"Are you ready, Jaime? This is it. This is the endgame."

I took a deep breath, and loked at the door. The Calculator's inside, and lord knows what will happen. But I'm ready for it...

"Yeah. Let's do it."

 

[Byrd Man]

Thunder rolls off in the distance, a storm's coming to Gotham, my newly set arm is hurting inside it's cast, top that off with the dozens of other bruises, bumps, and scratches I've had since this whole Dark Alliance mess started. Right now, I could care less abou any of those things.

I swing in low and land next to a wrecked police car, I can tell by the carnage and death that he's been here. The officer in the car is cut and bleeding, but his wounds are post mortem. The marks around his neck tell me he was strangled, more than likely by a pair of handcuffs. I know good and well who did it, and I know he's not far.

"Nothing." I hear someone whisper in the darkness of a rundown alley.

I whip out my escrima sticks and toss one of them at the sound of the voice.

"Ow.."

"JOKER!" My voice sounds more like Bruce than I realize, another painful reminder, anothe reason why I can enjoy what I'm about to do.​

 

[Keyser Soze]

Thunder rolls off in the distance, a storm's coming to Gotham, my newly set arm is hurting inside it's cast, top that off with the dozens of other bruises, bumps, and scratches I've had since this whole Dark Alliance mess started. Right now, I could care less abou any of those things.

I swing in low and land next to a wrecked police car, I can tell by the carnage and death that he's been here. The officer in the car is cut and bleeding, but his wounds are post mortem. The marks around his neck tell me he was strangled, more than likely by a pair of handcuffs. I know good and well who did it, and I know he's not far.

"Nothing." I hear someone whisper in the darkness of a rundown alley.

I whip out my escrima sticks and toss one of them at the sound of the voice.

"Ow.."

"JOKER!" My voice sounds more like Bruce than I realize, another painful reminder, anothe reason why I can enjoy what I'm about to do.​

The escrima stick connected with the back of his head, sending him lurching forward into the wall of the alley.

"Ow."

While before, he relished conflict, now it was tedious to him. So it was with a dejected sigh that he limped towards his challenger. He flashed the slightest of smirks when he saw who it was.

"Ah... the pretender to the throne."

The Joker ran a hand through his lank, blood-stained hair, bringing his shambling walk to a halt as he stood before Batman's lackey. The kid had vengeance in his voice, he could just about smell the murderous hate on him. Good.

"Umm...I don't know how to tell you this, but...you're a little late."

 

[Byrd Man]

"Umm...I don't know how to tell you this, but...you're a little late."

I grab him by his neck and slam him into the wall as hard as I can.

"No."

WHAM!

My first drives into the side of Joker's face, blood and spit fly through the air.

"I'm just in time."

WHAM!

This time, the blood and spit are accompanied by little shards of white, Joker's teeth.

"ARE YOU HAPPY?!"

WHAM!

I take out my other escrima stick and start using it to knock Joker upside the head.

"YOU GOT WHAT YOU WANTED!"

WHAM!

WHAM!

WHAM!

"HE'S DEAD NOW, AND YOU FINALLY GOT YOUR SICK LITTLE PUNCH LINE!"

WHAM!

WHAM!

WHAM!

I let go of the bloody mess that is Joker and let him slump against the wall.

"Now." I say as I try to catch my breath.

"You can watch as I do something that he could never do, something that should have been done along time ago."

I grab Joker's mess of hair and pull him up by it, I put him right in front of me so he can see my face.

"I'm going to kill you."

 

[Keyser Soze]

I grab him by his neck and slam him into the wall as hard as I can.

"No."

WHAM!

My first drives into the side of Joker's face, blood and spit fly through the air.

"I'm just in time."

WHAM!

This time, the blood and spit are accompanied by little shards of white, Joker's teeth.

"ARE YOU HAPPY?!"

WHAM!

I take out my other escrima stick and start using it to knock Joker upside the head.

"YOU GOT WHAT YOU WANTED!"

WHAM!

WHAM!

WHAM!

"HE'S DEAD NOW, AND YOU FINALLY GOT YOUR SICK LITTLE PUNCH LINE!"

WHAM!

WHAM!

WHAM!

I let go of the bloody mess that is Joker and let him slump against the wall.

"Now." I say as I try to catch my breath.

"You can watch as I do something that he could never do, something that should have been done along time ago."

I grab Joker's mess of hair and pull him up by it, I put him right in front of me so he can see my face.

"I'm going to kill you."

"Heh."

The Joker's whole body coursed with agonising pain. And he liked it. The only thing that was keeping him standing was the fact that Nightwing was holding him up by the hair. He flashed a gap-toothed grin at the kid, and spat a wad of blood right into his face.

"You're going to kill me. Promises, promises, proooooooomises. The Batman, he said that a few times too, but he never followed through. It took me a lot of time and a lot of work to finally make him cross that line, for him to leave me to die. But I survived, and...and killed him instead. I...EEEEEEEEEUUUGH!"

The clown wretched up a mixture of blood and vomit onto the ground below, a product of the beating.

"I killed...Batman. And now you want to kill me. Well, go ahead! What have I got to live for now? Kill me! KILL ME! Grow a pair, and stop living under the shadow of the bat. Finish it, right here. 'Cause if you don't, I'll keep on killing the people you love. Maybe I'll add another Robin to my scorecard. Or maybe I'll finish the job on that ugly redhead b**ch you have a thing for."

Oh, that one got to him.

"I don't know, did her...PFFFT..."

He spat out another wad of blood.

"Did her ah,.,, plumbing still work, you know, down there, after I was done with her? Maybe I should go find out for myself. Why don't you ***** out and let me try...boy."

 

[Byrd Man]

He spat out another wad of blood.

"Did her ah,.,, plumbing still work, you know, down there, after I was done with her? Maybe I should go find out for myself. Why don't you ***** out and let me try...boy."

I can feel the blood flowing through my face as I slam Joker back against the wall.

I keep on driving my fists into his body, pounding away on his sides and face. I can't see straight, all the anger, all the rage. Every punch that hits Joker has more than me behind it, it's got all the collective weight of everyone Joker ever harmed or killed.

I grab him by the head and slam him hard to the ground. That's when I notice something...

He's laughing. He doesn't feel pain, or remorse for what he did. He's actually...taking pleasure in this. He wants to die, that's when I realize the sad truth....without Bruce, he has nothing to live for.

"You sick bastard. It all makes sense now."

I look down at the broken and beaten....thing in front of me.

"See, Joker. Without Batman, you've lost your way. The sad thing is, you needed him much, much, more than he needed you. Without him, you're just some would be comedian who got his skin bleached."

I squat down next to him and I do something I haven't done in what seems forever.

"Hehe." I laugh.

"Heh, see without Batman, you have nobody left. Nobody to play your games with, nobody you can hurt try to hurt. Hehe. So, go ahead. Threaten me, try to push my buttons, but I'll never be what Batman was. And you can't stand it. You want me to kill you, and that's so funny, it's sad."

I stand back up and walk away from the bloody mess of scum that's the Joker. I turn back and look at him before I dissapear.

"Get it?"

 

[Keyser Soze]

I can feel the blood flowing through my face as I slam Joker back against the wall.

I keep on driving my fists into his body, pounding away on his sides and face. I can't see straight, all the anger, all the rage. Every punch that hits Joker has more than me behind it, it's got all the collective weight of everyone Joker ever harmed or killed.

I grab him by the head and slam him hard to the ground. That's when I notice something...

He's laughing. He doesn't feel pain, or remorse for what he did. He's actually...taking pleasure in this. He wants to die, that's when I realize the sad truth....without Bruce, he has nothing to live for.

"You sick bastard. It all makes sense now."

I look down at the broken and beaten....thing in front of me.

"See, Joker. Without Batman, you've lost your way. The sad thing is, you needed him much, much, more than he needed you. Without him, you're just some would be comedian who got his skin bleached."

I squat down next to him and I do something I haven't done in what seems forever.

"Hehe." I laugh.

"Heh, see without Batman, you have nobody left. Nobody to play your games with, nobody you can hurt try to hurt. Hehe. So, go ahead. Threaten me, try to push my buttons, but I'll never be what Batman was. And you can't stand it. You want me to kill you, and that's so funny, it's sad."

I stand back up and walk away from the bloody mess of scum that's the Joker. I turn back and look at him before I dissapear.

"Get it?"

"RrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrruuuuuuuaaaaaaaaRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGH!"

Coiled and twisted on the ground, a bloodied, beaten mess, The Joker let out a guttaral, feral growl. He sounded like a wounded animal, blood frothing out of the side of his mouth, his eyes wild with pain and fury.

"Where...where do you think... you're going... boy?"

But Nightwing just kept on walking, heading out of the alley.

"I knew it! You don't have the guts! You coward! Just like Batman. He begged, you know. Cried like a little ****e when the knife went in! Pissed in his tights! HA! HA!"

But the laugh was false. There was no smile, only an expression of growing desperation as Nightwing disappeared around the corner.

"Come back! DON'T YOU WALK AWAY FROM ME! Don't..."

The Joker tried to push himself up to his feet, tried to follow Nightwing. But his battered body wouldn't support him. He collapsed back down into a puddle of his blood, and curled himself up into a ball.

"Please kill me..."

 

[Johnny Blaze]

"Give up now, or else be destroyed."

The monster stared at the Martian standing in front of him. And then the creature began to laugh. It started as a chuckle, but soon became a roaring laughter that sounded like rolling thunder.

"Come and destroy me then", stated Doomsday/Brainiac as he smiled at the J'onn.

 

[SuperFerret]

"Give up now, or else be destroyed."

The monster stared at the Martian standing in front of him. And then the creature began to laugh. It started as a chuckle, but soon became a roaring laughter that sounded like rolling thunder.

"Come and destroy me then", stated Doomsday/Brainiac as he smiled at the J'onn.

"Very well." I state calmly, shifting my mass to an incorporeal state and slipping down through the ground, exploding upwards from underneath Doomsday's feet not a second later.

I spread out my body as I tackle the monster from below, enveloping him while simultaneously invading his psyche and filling his mind with the most painful experience I know: FIRE.

"You speak of H'ronmeer, attempting to mock me with my heritage." I yell, also sending my voice echoing through his mind, burning the words into him. "I am the LAST MARTIAN. Feel H'ronmeer's Curse and know the wrath of a god."

 

[Johnny Blaze]

The Martain wrapped himself around the monster, squeezing him like a constrictor.
The mental attack of the Manhunter pierced Doomsday/Brainiac's mind with lethal precision. But he was no stranger to telepathic warfare, and the mental defenses of Doomsday/Brainiac held firm under the bombardment.

The laser vision of J'onn burned deep into the monster's forehead as the determined hero did not halt his assault.

"The wrath of a god", Doomsday/Brainiac growled as his muscles flexed underneath the Martian mass around him.

"I AM A GOD!"

The creature's strength was astonishing as he stretched his arms and tore himself free of the Martian Manhunter's grasp.
A craggy gray hand grasped J'onn around the throat and yanked him towards the monster's jaws. Doomsday/Brainiac's teeth sunk deep into J'onn's shoulder, tearing out a chunk of flesh and he ripped his head back.

Like a child discarding a toy, Doomsday/Brainiac tossed J'onn over his shoulder.
The monster surveyed the carnage around him, a white hot rage boiling in his breast.
Like a feral thing, Doomsday/Brainiac let out a roar that shook the very air around him.

"Is there no one else? IS THIS ALL YOU PATHETIC CREATURES CAN MUSTER!?"

 

[SuperFerret]

The Martain wrapped himself around the monster, squeezing him like a constrictor.
The mental attack of the Manhunter pierced Doomsday/Brainiac's mind with lethal precision. But he was no stranger to telepathic warfare, and the mental defenses of Doomsday/Brainiac held firm under the bombardment.

The laser vision of J'onn burned deep into the monster's forehead as the determined hero did not halt his assault.

"The wrath of a god", Doomsday/Brainiac growled as his muscles flexed underneath the Martian mass around him.

"I AM A GOD!"

The creature's strength was astonishing as he stretched his arms and tore himself free of the Martian Manhunter's grasp.
A craggy gray hand grasped J'onn around the throat and yanked him towards the monster's jaws. Doomsday/Brainiac's teeth sunk deep into J'onn's shoulder, tearing out a chunk of flesh and he ripped his head back.

Like a child discarding a toy, Doomsday/Brainiac tossed J'onn over his shoulder.
The monster surveyed the carnage around him, a white hot rage boiling in his breast.
Like a feral thing, Doomsday/Brainiac let out a roar that shook the very air around him.

"Is there no one else? IS THIS ALL YOU PATHETIC CREATURES CAN MUSTER!?"

I scream in agony as the monster tears a piece of my shoulder away in it's jagged teeth, consuming a part of me as my flesh slipped it's throat, then, I am tossed away like I am nothing.

I stand up, shaking off debris and balancing on wobbly legs as I reform my arm. I will not be defeated so easily, but neither will he.

"You are not a god." I cough, barely making my words audible. "You are not a god, Brainiac. Not by a long shot."

My confidence regroups as I notice the others getting up themselves and preparing to join the battle.

"We are the Justice League." I state loud and firmly, "We've beaten up REAL GODS and made them cry."

"You are NOTHING to us."

I hope my taunts buy enough time to allow the others to mount their assault. I throw myself at the monster once more, pummeling him with fists, psuedopod tentacles, martian vision and psychic assaults.

"We will NOT fall."