The "World of Heroes" DC RPG Season VI

[Johnny Blaze]

"And we won't give up."

The crimson blur that is the Flash rockets towards the monster. Hundreds of blows rain down on Doomsday/Brainiac as Wally darts around the monster, finding the openings left by J'onn and striking with all his might.

Doomsday/Brainiac grits his teeth as the duo assail him, both mentally and physically.

The Flash's knuckles begin to bleed from the constant punches, but Wally does not relent. He can't.
They lost Kara. They lost Bruce.

I'll be damned if I'm going to let anyone else die on my watch.

And, slowly, it seemed that the frantic attack was working. It seemed that the monster was finally starting to succumb to the onslaught.

But hope is a fleeting thing.

The monster roared, and, as he did, a wave of psychic energy flooded out from him. The psychic attack lacked simplicity, but it made up for it in sheer power.

The Flash stopped immediately, lurching over in pain as he cried out in agony.

The Manhunter faired better, but was still left momentarily dazed. And the monster used that moment to grab J'onn by his newly reformed arm and slam him into Wally as though he were a baseball bat.

Lifting J'onn high into the air, Doomsday/Brainiac slammed him down into the concrete.

The ground shook as the monster's massive foot came crashing down on the Martian's chest, burying him deeper into the Earth.

 

[Johnny Blaze]

****ing Hype can lick my sack.

(Please delete, MB.)

 

[Byrd Man]

They say there are seven stages of grief. Shock, denial, barganing, guilt, anger, depression, and finally, acceptance.

So far, I've been through denial and shock with Babs. With Joker, it was anger. I'm not sure if I'll go through guilt, or barganing. But I do know what stage I'm smack dab in the middle of right now.

Yep, you've guessed it.

Depression.

I'm not sure where Commissioner Gordon is, but someone at Gotham Central has turned on the bat-signal, a cry for help that will never be answered.

I've faced death on an almost daily basis, I've seen friends die, a few have died in my arms. But the one man I never had to worry about is dead. I need someone to talk to. Someone, like me, has seen friends and family die too many times.

Pulling out my Titans communicator, I hit the button.

"Roy..."​

 

[Green Lantern]

They say there are seven stages of grief. Shock, denial, barganing, guilt, anger, depression, and finally, acceptance.

So far, I've been through denial and shock with Babs. With Joker, it was anger. I'm not sure if I'll go through guilt, or barganing. But I do know what stage I'm smack dab in the middle of right now.

Yep, you've guessed it.

Depression.

I'm not sure where Commissioner Gordon is, but someone at Gotham Central has turned on the bat-signal, a cry for help that will never be answered.

I've faced death on an almost daily basis, I've seen friends die, a few have died in my arms. But the one man I never had to worry about is dead. I need someone to talk to. Someone, like me, has seen friends and family die too many times.

Pulling out my Titans communicator, I hit the button.

"Roy..."​

Roy looked over at Ollie as the older man gave him that questioning stare.

"It's Dick. His... his voice is cracking. I've never heard him like this."

Roy in turned pressed the button on his comm marked with Nightwing's symbol.

"You got me bud, what's going on?"

 

[Byrd Man]

Roy looked over at Ollie as the older man gave him that questioning stare.

"It's Dick. His... his voice is cracking. I've never heard him like this."

Roy in turned pressed the button on his comm marked with Nightwing's symbol.

"You got me bud, what's going on?"

"It's Batman, Roy....Bruce is dead."

I can feel the lump forming in my throat the moment the words leave my mouth.

"He's really gone, Roy."

And then, suddenly, I feel like I did that night, standing under the big top, the smell of death still fresh. Only this time, there isn't a kind stranger coming out of the shadows to offer me justice, this time, it's just me in a silly costume.

 

[Green Lantern]

"It's Batman, Roy....Bruce is dead."

I can feel the lump forming in my throat the moment the words leave my mouth.

"He's really gone, Roy."

And then, suddenly, I feel like I did that night, standing under the big top, the smell of death still fresh. Only this time, there isn't a kind stranger coming out of the shadows to offer me justice, this time, it's just me in a silly costume.

A flood of emotions hit Roy like a freight train. He didn't even look at Ollie, he just stared at the wall.

"Wh.. wh... wait. Are you sure. He's not just faking it or something? He's not setting a big ass trap to catch the DA by making them think he's gone? No. Bruce can't. He can't be gone. The world needs Batman. Give me a minute Dick, and I'll be right there."

Roy leaned over his daughter, tears streaming from his face once again.

"Honey, that was Uncle Dick. Uh, Uncle Spooky is uh... god. He's gone, sweety, and Uncle Dick needs me. But if you need me to stay here with you, I will. It's up to you, princess."

Roy hugged his little girl, closely and fatherly.

 

[Catman_prb]

"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.

And then he was alone again, in the cave.

They all just seem to be leaving you, don't they?
Shut up.
I wonder if any of them ever liked you.
Shut up.
Probably just pity.
I SAID SHUT UP!
My my, we are touchy tonight aren't we.

His eyes flicked back to the large screen, where Doomsday was beating up the Martian Manhunter. He rubbed his forehead, pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to block out the voice in the back of his head.

Why aren't you there?

He slammed his fist down on the desk in front of the computer, before picking up the domino mask he had discarded before. He attached his cape back around his neck, talking to Babs on the other end of the line.

"Oracle, I'm going back in," he said bluntly.

"Tim, you can't. We can't have any more casualties tonight," Babs said, sounding slightly hysterical.

"Exactly," he said, before cutting her off. He headed towards the batmobile, opening it up, sending one last look at Bruce.

"Damn you," he whispered, getting in the car and driving off into the night.

 

[Byrd Man]

Roy disconnects and I look down at the city below me.

So, Bruce. This is what you left me? My inheritance, a trust fund full of gangbangers, and drug pushers. Well, if it's my destiny. Then so be it.

I have to prove that Bruce's fight was worth fighting. That he didn't die in vein. I'll turn Gotham into a place that doesn't need a Batman. And I promise you, Bruce. I'll do this.

Even if I have to do it by myself.​

Now, in my time, I've taken some shots and hits. But what comes out of Roy's commlink hits me like a ton of bricks.

"Roy."

I wrap him in a bear hug and squeeze him tight.

"I know I don't say this much, but I love ya kiddo. Don't forget that."

"Ollie I-"

"I know, you gotta go and be with your friend. He needs you right now, I can take care of Lian."

​

 

[Saved]

And then he was alone again, in the cave.

They all just seem to be leaving you, don't they?
Shut up.
I wonder if any of them ever liked you.
Shut up.
Probably just pity.
I SAID SHUT UP!
My my, we are touchy tonight aren't we.

His eyes flicked back to the large screen, where Doomsday was beating up the Martian Manhunter. He rubbed his forehead, pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to block out the voice in the back of his head.

Why aren't you there?

He slammed his fist down on the desk in front of the computer, before picking up the domino mask he had discarded before. He attached his cape back around his neck, talking to Babs on the other end of the line.

"Oracle, I'm going back in," he said bluntly.

"Tim, you can't. We can't have any more casualties tonight," Babs said, sounding slightly hysterical.

"Exactly," he said, before cutting her off. He headed towards the batmobile, opening it up, sending one last look at Bruce.

"Damn you," he whispered, getting in the car and driving off into the night.

Rose stands inside an abandoned building. She walks through the dark room on the seventh floor, moving about the rubble and strune debris on the floor. As she moves about, she feels tremors shake the building, knocking dust and bits of ceiling down. She walks to the edge of the room, stepping over broken shards of glass. She puts her leg up on the sil of the shattered window, and watches the battle below.

"What a waste," she says with a sneer. "All that power..." She watches in disgust, her envy strangling her conscience. She wishes she had the power the others had. Just a fraction. Just a taste.

She moves away from the window, her eyes unable to continue watching the fight. She is angry. Bitter. Here on the battlefield, she realizes Zach was right. She is useless. Just a bystander who could be killed by accident amidst the fight.

As she makes it to the elevator shaft, she sees the door broken, stuck in the open position. She peaks her head into the shaft, and sees the elevator at the bottom, stuck, dangling on a broken cord. "Perfect," she growls. Carefully she jumps, grabbing hold of the thick cord, and slowly moving down it to the ground floor.

Moments later, Rose finds herself back outside, standing by the side of the building. She looks about the street, covered in broken building and thick dust. Here she hears the fight loudly. She feels it in her bones as the earth shakes. She frowns in frustration, remembering once again what she is. Useless.

Suddenly, the roar of an engine sounds, and Rose looks up. A vision comes to her, and she runs to the next street down. As she runs down the street, she watches a dark armored car turn the corner, it's engine sounding once again. The car drives past her, but suddenly stops. As Rose stares at it, she realizes who the car belongs to, and she stares at it in both confusion and curiosity.

The car backs up to her, and she stares even closer, her mind fascinated by the driver. It is the Batmobile, the Batman's choice of transportation. However, Batman is dead, killed not too long ago in an alley of this very city. The car stops in front of Rose, and she smiles a proud and cocky smirk.

"Thought you were dead." She speaks to the car. The top of it unlocks, and the roof moves backward, revealing the driver. "Tim," she says in a dissapointed voice. "Well, it makes sense." She says, her tone slightly changing. "You...okay?" She asks in a forced voice of kindness, the good in her trying to reach out and comfort Tim, as he had comforted her.

 

[Catman_prb]

"Thought you were dead." She speaks to the car. The top of it unlocks, and the roof moves backward, revealing the driver. "Tim," she says in a dissapointed voice. "Well, it makes sense." She says, her tone slightly changing. "You...okay?" She asks in a forced voice of kindness, the good in her trying to reach out and comfort Tim, as he had comforted her.

"I'm alive," he said bluntly "Better than some,"

He jumped up and out of the batmobile, and walking over to her. He stood next to her, leaning against the side of the car. It was kind of awkward, but he didn't really care. As long as he was actually near another real person, and not listening to voices in his ear. Or his head.

Kiss her. She's begging for it.
Shut up.
Is that your only insult these days?
Pretty much, yeah.
That depresses me.

"So," he said scratching the back of his head "I assume that if we try and mess with Doomsday we'll get killed messily, right?"

Rose nods.

She feels helpless, useless. She's angry. She's bitter.
She's hot.

"I saw some looters going to town on the way over. I didn't want to stop in case I was needed. If I'm not, I'm sure we could go beat the crap out of some petty thugs," he said.

 

[Saved]

"I'm alive," he said bluntly "Better than some,"

He jumped up and out of the batmobile, and walking over to her. He stood next to her, leaning against the side of the car. It was kind of awkward, but he didn't really care. As long as he was actually near another real person, and not listening to voices in his ear. Or his head.

Kiss her. She's begging for it.
Shut up.
Is that your only insult these days?
Pretty much, yeah.
That depresses me.

"So," he said scratching the back of his head "I assume that if we try and mess with Doomsday we'll get killed messily, right?"

Rose nods.

She feels helpless, useless. She's angry. She's bitter.
She's hot.


"I saw some looters going to town on the way over. I didn't want to stop in case I was needed. If I'm not, I'm sure we could go beat the crap out of some petty thugs," he said.

"Fighting?" Rose asks in a curious voice. She looks over her shoulder to see Doomsday and Superman clashing in the air, their punches creating strong gusts of air, hitting her like a brick. She turns back around with a dry expression, staring at Robin. "Yeah...that sounds about right."

 

[Catman_prb]

"Fighting?" Rose asks in a curious voice. She looks over her shoulder to see Doomsday and Superman clashing in the air, their punches creating strong gusts of air, hitting her like a brick. She turns back around with a dry expression, staring at Robin. "Yeah...that sounds about right."

"Shall we walk or take the batm-" he started, but caught the look on Rose's face.

"Stupid question right?" he says, gesturing for her to get in the batmobile.

Congratulations, you fail at social skills.
She's an ex-villain with a drink problem, anger management and daddy issues. I doubt you can find a way to make any social situation with her worse.
And yet, you manage it exceedingly well.

As he made to get in the car he noticed something. Rose was in the driving seat.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"What does it look like?"

"Move over. I'll drive," he said, getting in the batmobile and closing the top over their heads.

 

[Saved]

"Shall we walk or take the batm-" he started, but caught the look on Rose's face.

"Stupid question right?" he says, gesturing for her to get in the batmobile.

Congratulations, you fail at social skills.
She's an ex-villain with a drink problem, anger management and daddy issues. I doubt you can find a way to make any social situation with her worse.
And yet, you manage it exceedingly well.

As he made to get in the car he noticed something. Rose was in the driving seat.

"What do you think you're doing?"


"What does it look like?"


"Move over. I'll drive," he said, getting in the batmobile and closing the top over their heads.

"You enjoy this, don't you?" She asks Tim with a grimace. "Spoiling my fun." giving him a piercing look. Tim starts the car, and they drive down the road, driving toward their target. As they make their way to the location, Rose looks over to Tim, staring at him intently. Suddenly, a curious smile comes across her face.

"Hey, Tim," she starts, her voice compelling. "I...I want to try something. Something," her smile grows, her eyes fixing on Tim intently. "Something fun."

 

[Catman_prb]

"You enjoy this, don't you?" She asks Tim with a grimace. "Spoiling my fun." giving him a piercing look. Tim starts the car, and they drive down the road, driving toward their target. As they make their way to the location, Rose looks over to Tim, staring at him intently. Suddenly, a curious smile comes across her face.

"Hey, Tim," she starts, her voice compelling. "I...I want to try something. Something," her smile grows, her eyes fixing on Tim intently. "Something fun."

Tim keept his eyes firmly fixed on the road despite the urge to look round at the beautiful girl sitting next to him.

Do you have something against getting laid? Has your libido done something to offend you?
Shut up. We're both vulnurable at the moment and-
Vulnurable? Jesus Christ, could you be any more of a *****?
Probably.
Okay, granted, you could be worse, but you're still pathetic with girls.
I don't get much of a chance.
That's cos you're a *****.

"Is this fun thing going to be something I don't like, Rose?" he said calmly.

 

[Saved]

Tim keept his eyes firmly fixed on the road despite the urge to look round at the beautiful girl sitting next to him.

Do you have something against getting laid? Has your libido done something to offend you?
Shut up. We're both vulnurable at the moment and-
Vulnurable? Jesus Christ, could you be any more of a *****?
Probably.
Okay, granted, you could be worse, but you're still pathetic with girls.
I don't get much of a chance.
That's cos you're a *****.

"Is this fun thing going to be something I don't like, Rose?" he said calmly.

"Depends," Rose says in a soft voice. "I want you to open the cockpit and brake the car really hard, propelling me right into the fight with the criminals." She gives Robin a serious, yet, excited grin. "I really need some action right now, and you're going to help me."

 

[Catman_prb]

"Depends," Rose says in a soft voice. "I want you to open the cockpit and brake the car really hard, propelling me right into the fight with the criminals." She gives Robin a serious, yet, excited grin. "I really need some action right now, and you're going to help me."

'Cockpit'? She 'really needs some action'? Why not just run around topless shouting '**** Me!'
That...is actually quite a good point.

"Ye - Wait, you weren't wearing your seatbelt?" he said, turning around to look at her "This thing can go at a stupidly high speed. It's got a nitro button on it!"

He caught the look she was giving him and promptly stopped talking. Sighing, he dropped the top of the batmobile and put his foot on the break. Hard. Rose went hurtling towards the looters, drawing her swords as she went.

That girl is crazy.
But hot. Don't forget hot.

He nodded in silent agreement with himself, parked the batmobile, and joined the fray.

 

[Saved]

'Cockpit'? She 'really needs some action'? Why not just run around topless shouting '**** Me!'
That...is actually quite a good point.


"Ye - Wait, you weren't wearing your seatbelt?" he said, turning around to look at her "This thing can go at a stupidly high speed. It's got a nitro button on it!"


He caught the look she was giving him and promptly stopped talking. Sighing, he dropped the top of the batmobile and put his foot on the break. Hard. Rose went hurtling towards the looters, drawing her swords as she went.

That girl is crazy.
But hot. Don't forget hot.


He nodded in silent agreement with himself, parked the batmobile, and joined the fray.

"Dude, dude, get the other end!" One man yells to another. "No! Damn, you are stupid. Lift with your legs! LIFT!"

"I'm tryin, dammit!"

"Lift it up! HIGH! You drop it, it's useless!"

"Yeah, yeah, I got it."

Two men move amongst a conglomerate of others. They are in an electronics store, lifting the biggest plasma screen TV in the store. The window to the store is broke, the door, kicked open. The two men awkwardly move about the store as the try to steal the TV, thinking no one is left to stop them.

Suddenly, the sound of tires screeching alerts them. The two men look up, paranoid and scared. They stay alert, standing in one place as they listen. "Rob, I-"

"Shh!" He says, quieting his accomplice. The sound of broken glass and weak cries of pain can be heard. The two men know something is happening, their problem is, they aren't sure of what. "****, man we gotta move."

"What is it?"

"Drop the TV! NOW! Grab whatever you can and shove it in your pockets. We gettin' out of here!"

The two men release the TV, breaking it in a crash as it hits the ground. As the yells from the distance of men continue, sweat begins to soak the thieves' clothes. They run about the store, shoving batteries and wires into their pockets. They quickly rush to the front of the store, heading for the open broken door.

Suddenly, a body drops down in front of them. The body is unconscious, his eyes swollen and black. Blood runs from his nose like a river, and he groans a terrible sound. The two men stare at him, their panic growing as they try to think clearly.

"Oh, dammit, man! He's here!"

"Who?" The younger one exclaims in fright.

"Who else, ya dolt! We're in Gotham!" He says, his brow dripping heavy drops of sweat. "The Batman's here."

"Sorry to dissapoint," a female's voice says from behind. The men turn to see the Ravager leaning up against a showcase of phones. Her swords are firmly placed in her sheaths mounted on her back. Her costume is torn and bloody, the stains from her previous battles like warning signs on a poison frog. "Batman's not here. You've got to deal with me."

"Heh...heh..." The one laughs, a sense of relief coming across him. "It's a chick." He scoffs. "A friggin girl!"

"Yeah!" The other joins in, following the calmness of his friend. "And she looks like she's fourteen! Ha! Ha!"

Rose stares at the two men as they laugh, their scoffing relieving the tension of the fear that built up inside them. Their laughs grow as they stare at her, their minds thanking fate that it is only a female teenager in their path. Rose frowns at the men, her patience wearing thin.

"Outta the way, princess." The man says, drawing a gun from his pocket. "You ain't gonna stop us."

"You don't have a clue who I am, do you?" Rose asks in a low tone.

"No," the man says, switching the saftey off his weapon. "But I know the female heroes in Gotham. And let me tell ya," he smiles, the smell of whiskey on his breath blunt and disgusting. "They don't last very long. So get outta here before I add you to the list, huh?"

Rose simply smiles at the man, shaking her head slowly in disbelief at his arrogence. "Wow," she starts, looking up. "I can't believe you are this ****ing stupid." Her smile suddenly fades as she stares at the man, looking at him through her mask.

"Watch it, girly!" The man yells, his temper changing quickly to an angry rage.

"Watch what? You?" Rose jeers. "I've been more scared of thoughts then you."

"You want a bullet in your chest, *****?" He snarls.

"Had one." She says bluntly. "No, that's not true. I've had several."

"DO YOU KNOW WHO YOU'RE DEALING WITH?"

Rose grins. "Do you?"

"That's it! You're dead!" Just as the man pulls his finger, Rose immediately moves to dodge. Her precognition warned her of the shot seconds before, giving her plenty of time to dodge. As the bullet flies past her head, she runs toward the man, moving with unrelenting speed.

In less than a second, she is on him. Quickly, she thrusts her fist into the man's stomach, hitting his solar plexus and flattening his diaphram. He coughs in pain, the air being literally knocked from his body. He drops the gun as his body goes limp, his lungs gasping for air as his midsection tries to recover. Rose lifts her elbow up and drives it into his trachea, causing him to spit out a cough, his body choking on air.

He falls to the ground, almost instantly blacking out. In three seconds he passes out from lack of oxygen, his body temporarily unable to breath. Rose rises slowly, standing in front of the other man casually. He stares at her in shock, unbelieving in what he just saw.

"No..way..." He mutters. "No way..."

"Don't believe it?" She asks in a gentle voice. "Here, I'll show you it again!"

Rose lifts her leg in a swift kick, sending her foot into the man's stomach. She hits the muscle wall of his torso, causing the muscles to spasm in a shockwave throughout his body. The wave moves to all his extremeties, affecting all the tissues and organs. Instantly they stall, causing him to black out as well. Unconscious, he falls down to the ground, landing on top of the other man's body.

"Wow," she says dissapointed. "That was really easy." She leans down to one of them and feels his pulse, checking to see if his body has continued to function from her powerful blow. "You still alive?" She asks them, knowing they are unable to hear. "Really tried to pull my punches there."

 

[Saved]

I stand inside an empty apartment in Gotham. The building is broken, damaged. Almost every window in this place is shattered, litering the ground inside with sharp pieces of glass. I hear a battle rage in the distance. The Dark Alliance. The scum I once fought against.

Villains and heroes, two opposing forces always fighting for control on one side. The villains are mad men, their cause selfish and deadly. But, even though it is the heroes who are supposidly just and righteous, they have another side. A side that makes them weak, stupid, and unfair.

Justice is balance. When I was Harvey Dent, I knew this. It's an eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth. Life for a life. But now, everyone has become soft. No one believes in true justice anymore. If they did, I'd have been killed long ago. No, now their is a new ideal strangeling our world. Grace.

Grace is amnesty, giving love in the face of evil. Giving second chances. I've had second chances. Many... But now I realize, second chances...they aren't fair. They aren't just. And now the system I once fought for, the system I now fight against, it's flawed. It's corrupt.

Why did I help Gordon? Did I do it because I wanted to? Did I even have to flip my coin to find out the answer? No, I don't know. Am I truly evil? Am I the villain? What if I want to change? What if I don't want to play this game anymore?

I stare at the coin in my hand, looking at both sides of it. The dark, and the light. The clean, and the scarred. I want to be something more than what I am. I want to be on neither side. I want to be what stands between.

I flip the coin, sending it high into the air. As it flips through the dusty air, I stare at it, thinking to myself what the answer will be. Suddenly, the television set in the room flickers. It makes loud snowy noises as it struggles to come on. Finally, it clicks, the antenna's adjusting to a station.

"For those of you just joining us," the man in a suit starts, his face pale and saddened. "We...we have very shocking news. The Batman...is dead." Dead? No... Can't be. Imposter. Has to be fake."Folks, this is not...not a fake. This isn't a hoax. The Batman is truly dead. We talked with many eyewitnesses who were there for either the begining or the end. Batman, our dark knight, is dead."

"Dead?" I growl in confusion. Suddenly, the coin falls, and I quickly snatch it from the air. I hold it inside my close fist, taking a moment to understand what I have just heard.

The hero. The symbol of Gotham. My nemesis, my rival...my old friend...dead. Is this fair? Is this just? No. It was random, uncalculated. It was unpredicted. What were his crimes? What were his sins? Were they worthy of this fate? "Is this death fair?!" I yell out to myself.

I open my hand and slap the coin on the palm of my other hand. I wait for a moment, taking in a deep breath before I reveal the answer. As my hand slips away, I see the truth. Heads. Clean. Yes.

I used to stand for something. As Harvey Dent, I was more than a man. I was a symbol to these people. I put away these criminals, theives, killers. I fought the good fight as best I could. But I soon realized, my system was flawed.

How can a man who murdered dozens be prosecuted, found guilty, sent to prison, and be released in less than a decade. How was that justice? How was that fair? When I was burned I learned the truth. I knew justice must be served through my terms. But, unfortunately, I became distracted. I became what I fought for so long to destroy. Now, I see my system is flawed again. How can I be just if I steal and kill the same as them?

"The Batman was my nemesis." I say in a dark voice, my breaths quick and painful. "But he was a hero. A good man." I close my eyes and grab the coin in between my fingers. "But he was flawed." I sigh as I flip the coin, continuing to flick it back up into the air each time I catch it. "This city is flawed. This city is broken. If justice is balance, if that is what's fair, then by loosing a hero, the scale is uneven." I catch the coin and hold it in my hand, waiting before flicking it back up into the air. "I am a villain. A piece making the scale tip to one side. In order for things to be fair, I must take his place. I must do good, deliver justice to this corrupt city."

"It's only fair." The coin flips into the air, and I watch it carefully as it spins. I see its clean side and its scarred side together, both in one image. Just like me. Darkness, and light. Evil, and good. I am that being. I am the scale. I am two beings in one body. "I am justice's new face."

"Rest in peace, Batman." I say with a stinging bitterness. ""This city didn't deserve you."I frown, thinking back to everything that's happened, and everything that will. "I guess that was the point."

 

[Catman_prb]

"Wow," she says dissapointed. "That was really easy." She leans down to one of them and feels his pulse, checking to see if his body has continued to function from her powerful blow. "You still alive?" She asks them, knowing they are unable to hear. "Really tried to pull my punches there."

Tim landed stealthily next to Rose, who was looking down at the men she had just disabled.

"They alive?" he asked casually. Rose shrugged and he chuckled slightly.

Laughing at a potential murder? Ooh, you've changed.
They aren't dead. Rose checked their pulse.
Huh. I guess you trust her a lot then.
With my life.
You're a idiot.

"I saw some that way," he said, gesturing in the other direction "Just leave some for me next time,"

 

[Keyser Soze]

I'm not sure where Commissioner Gordon is, but someone at Gotham Central has turned on the bat-signal, a cry for help that will never be answered.

"He ain't comin', Jim."

Detective Harvey Bullock had made his way up to the rooftop of the GCPD building with a degree of trepidation. Commissioner Gordon had asked to be left alone, then headed straight up here to the roof as soon as he'd arrived. He'd turned the signal on, even though he knew nobody would answer it.

Gordon made no response to Bullock. He just maintained his position by the signal, looking up into the Gotham night sky, as if expecting his old friend to emerge from the shadows.

"Batman is dead. You need to turn off that signal, and come down and..."

"I know he's dead Bullock!"

Gordon spun round to face Bullock, spitting out the words with surprising ferocity.

"This signal isn't for us. It's for them..."

Gordon swept his hand over the edge of the roof, gesturing at the city below.

"...the people of Gotham. Batman was always more than just a man. He was a symbol. Criminals see his mark in the sky, and they feel fear. And the good people of Gotham City...they feel hope. And if there's one thing this city needs right now, it's as much hope as it can get its hands on. And, if nothing else, this...this is a tribute..."

Gordon turned away from Bullock, looking up into the night-sky once more. Once he had composed himself, he spoke with fresh restraint.

"The signal stays on until I say so. It's the least we can do for him, after all he's done for us. In the meantime, get our people on the streets. There'll be looting. There'll be violence. The Joker killed one of our officers and escaped custody...again. We need to clean up this mess. And now we have to do it on our own."

Offering merely an indistinguishable grumble in response, Bullock headed back down the stairway into the GCPD Building, leaving Gordon alone once more. Sighing to himself, Gordon spoke in a barely audible whisper.

"I'm so sorry, Bruce..."

 

[twylight]

Dinah walked out of the room with Gypsy only to be stopped by Mia and Bart.

"We heard..." Mia trailed off. Her eyes were watery but she other wise showed only signs of shock and not sorrow. No..Dinah thought, that would come later. Dinah gave her a hug. "It's going to be okay."She turned to Gypsy, "Did Zinda or-"

"I'll take you." Dinah looked at Bart. It was the first thing he'd said to her, and by Mia's look, it was the first thing he'd said in a much longer time than the last 12 hours. Dinah looked at him and paused any doubts. His eyes....they looked like Berry's. Steady and set.

She nodded and in a second she was in his arms and the world was a red blur around her. Moments later she found herself in front of the Clocktower. Less than a minute later Gypsy stood next to her, followed by Mia. A loud 'BOOM' caused them to glance over to the south.

Mia looked at Dinah. "Umm...."

"I have no idea." She said before throwing the door open and rushing up the stairs, Gypsy close behind her. Tapping in the security code the door swooshed open revealing Babs at her desk, her head in her hand as she monitored the comm's.

Dinah choked back a tear when she saw the Batgirl held loosely in Bab's other hand, craddled in her lap. Zinda looked up from her position over Babs.

"Hey, ya'll."

Babs looked up then and Dinah smiled weakly, making her way to her friend and putting her hand on her shoulder.

"Anything we can do to help?" She could name off a few things in her head, but right now, with so much that had happened, there wasn't much to say. Mourning would come later.

"No, the JLA seems to have it pretty much under control, unless you want to get down there..."

Dinah eyed the screens and shook he head, pulling up a chair next to Babs. "No. We'll sit tight till they need us." She watched the fight going on via the screens. Normally she'd be down there but...she looked away as Mia and Bart entered the room. So much had changed.

 

[trustyside-kick]

Doomsday/Brainiac swings at Aquaman, the blow clipping the ducking hero on the shoulder and sending him skipping across the ground.

"You", Doomsday/Brainiac sneers through gritted teeth as Black Adam connects with a punch to the monster's face.

Recovering almost instantly, Doomsday/Brainiac reaches out with his free hand and grasps the Khandaqi ruler by the face.

"You should have fled when you had the chance", states the monster as it slams Black Adam face-first into the concrete.

"It is an error you will soon regret", bellows Doomsday/Brainiac as he raises the trident above his head. In one swift motion, the monster brings the weapon downward, stabbing the monarch through his right shoulder and breaking through his chest.
To his credit, Black Adam does not scream. He grits his teeth and does his best to remain stoic as the trident's points dig deep into the concrete underneath him.

The behemoth's attack only temporarily puts Orin out of the battle. But as he recovers and gets ready to lash out at Doomsday/Brainiac once more, he notices Black Adam's most unpleasant situation, and runs over to him.

"This is going to hurt...but."

Black Adam doesn't scream. He did not scream as Doomsday/Brainiac struck him with the trident, and he does not scream now. Orin delicately tries to pull the trident out, and when it appears he is too slow about it, Black Adam tugs with one swift and clean pull.

"GAHHH!!"

"You should sit this out for a moment, just enough time for me to at least--"

"That will not be needed...my Gods will protect me and my body will heal. The battle is not done."

The former Champion of Shazam flies back into battle, with a deteremined look on his face. Orin picks up Poseidon's trident from the concrete, when he receives a message via his JLA communicator.

"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...

Without a moment's hesitation, Orin's mind locks onto that of Booster Gold's to pinpoint a location of where he is. When he spots him, he starts to head their direction of the battlefield. He finds Booster Gold, effortlessly calling out for help to different members of the JLA, as well as Jay Garrick laying by Sinestro's side. The ringslinger does not look well, and Booster finally calms down as Orin reaches them.

"He's losing blood...fast."

As Orin looks over at Jay Garrick, he is shocked. The attack on Doomsday/Brainiac should've left him with bruises...scars...something. Unless...and that is when Orin looks back over at Sinestro. Orin has always been uneasy with Sinestro turning sides. The reformed villain as a hero never truly felt comfortable with Orin. But now, as he sees that the former villain had sacrified, for the life of Jay Garrick...Orin sees the hero within him.

"Step back, Jay."

Orin kneels down, placing Poseidon's trident to his side on the floor. He leans over to Sinestro, and places his healing hand upon his chest.

"This will only take a minute. You will find no pain in this, Sinestro. You've felt enough of that today. Now, just relax as you bathe in the soothing waters of the Secret Sea."

Orin's mystical hand starts to glow, and the healing begins.

 

[twylight]

I slide the car as close to the fight as I can. Gee-whiz, this is fun!...not. I roll my eyes. Why was I doing this again? Oh right..I'm bored, I'm mad at my 'colleagues' for leaving me out in the cold, I'm frustrated with one 'Oracle' for keeping me on a tight leash....OH..and it's entirely improbable I'd be helping the good guys. It works out.

Hopping out I make my way down the street, dodging the various looting. Batboy and a Slade's daughter were around the corner taking some out. Goodness only knew where the rest of the heroes were. a light in the sky catches the corner of my eye. The Bat symbol.
I'd heard about it, and never seen it, but the magnitude of it's meaning was almost breathtaking. Except, he was dead now, it was a hollow promise to the city of Gotham.

I slide onto a car hood and watch the fight, tucking my legs under me, carefully building some probabilities in my mind. It wasn't easy, I couldn't hardly sense any inherent improbabilities in this..hybrid. I took a pair of dice from my pocket, ten sides, and rolled them around my hand as I built a probability. I'd learned long ago to pinpoint probabilities in people, it was like a towel wrapped around them, the improbabilities were the holes, it was simple to find one, and exploit it. Sometimes it was anything from them having them slip on a wet sidewalk, sometimes it was an improbable recovery from heart disease. There was another aspect as well, around those people, besides their own improbabilities, there were probabilities in items, situations. Those could be manipulated if need be and indirectly effect the person I was targeting.

I never knew if it was luck or my own doing that caused them to work. Most people thought it was in the die. It was magic, and who really understood that? This time...it would take all my power to do anything. I slit my eyes and focus, ignoring the mayhem around me.

 

[Watchman]

"What? Are you out of your mind?!" Prometheus snickered

"You need to lighten up a bit, Lois. It's the end of the world. And to answer your question no I am not serious."

"Then what do you want with me?"

"Well this all started as a half baked scheme to get Clark...."

"Wait, what the hell did you just say?!" She interupted him.

"Hmmm? Oh Clark are you worried about him? Or Bruce? You should be really worried about him. Computers show her." The room lit up with the sights of what is happening at Gotham at the moment. One screen showed off ground zero of the Doomsday battle. Another screen showed the Sun Eater.

"The Batman is dead."

"No..." she said under her breath.

"Yes, Bruce Wayne is dead."

"How do you know all this." He laughs.

"Well the plan was simple. Sure Joker's and Brainiac's plan was to hit the heroes as hard they can this left me with some free time to do some digging. You can find wonderous information on Oracle's or even their own computers."

"So what are you going to do with it. Sell it to the highest bidder? Go after them in public?" He laughs again.

"No, who do you think I am? Some petty thug? No, I plan. And what I'm planning is going to be big."

"What?"

"A full-on, no bull**** twilight of the gods."

 

[wiegeabo]

Without a moment's hesitation, Orin's mind locks onto that of Booster Gold's to pinpoint a location of where he is. When he spots him, he starts to head their direction of the battlefield. He finds Booster Gold, effortlessly calling out for help to different members of the JLA, as well as Jay Garrick laying by Sinestro's side. The ringslinger does not look well, and Booster finally calms down as Orin reaches them.

"He's losing blood...fast."

As Orin looks over at Jay Garrick, he is shocked. The attack on Doomsday/Brainiac should've left him with bruises...scars...something. Unless...and that is when Orin looks back over at Sinestro. Orin has always been uneasy with Sinestro turning sides. The reformed villain as a hero never truly felt comfortable with Orin. But now, as he sees that the former villain had sacrified, for the life of Jay Garrick...Orin sees the hero within him.

"Step back, Jay."

Orin kneels down, placing Poseidon's trident to his side on the floor. He leans over to Sinestro, and places his healing hand upon his chest.

"This will only take a minute. You will find no pain in this, Sinestro. You've felt enough of that today. Now, just relax as you bathe in the soothing waters of the Secret Sea."

Orin's mystical hand starts to glow, and the healing begins.

I sit up and get my bearings. I've got to admit, I feel much much better. Of course, in the condition I was just in, I really couldn't have felt much worse. "Thanks-" I start to say. But I see that Arthur is busy making sure Sinestro also survives, and I decide not to disturb him.

I make my way up to my knees, then stand, feeling joints pop back into place. The sound of battle below me makes my heart drop. I almost sacrificed myself for nothing, but, really, what did I expect. It was a crazy plan, a shot in the dark.

I look around at us on this roof. Broken and battered, but still trying to press on. But...I have no idea what we can do. It's starting to feel so...hopeless. We need something to turn the...

I don't even think about what I'm doing. It's another crazy idea. Another plan with no hope of success. But I think it's safe to assume we've crossed the line of what sane and not a long time ago. And as long as I'm breathing, I'm not going to stop. So faster than anyone can comprehend I take off, grab Arthur's trident, and make a dash to the street below.

I can't really describe it...but the moment my hands wrap around the weapon I feel...feel...strange? No. No, I feel powerful. Like I can do anything. And by the time I've run down the side of the building and hit the street I damn near feel invincible, and a smile crosses my face for the first time in a long while. I'm going to make this bastard pay!

As Brainiac shrugs off the Manhunter's latest attack, he's surprised as his abdomen is suddenly flayed open. "This is for Batman!"

I'm only a red blur as I plant my foot, stopping my momentum, and launching myself back at the monster. A deep slice opens in the creature's back. "...for Speedy!"

His arm is nearly severed. "...for Kara!"

He grabs his throat as the trident cuts into it neatly. "...for Bart!"

I leap into the air, landing on Brainiac's shoulders from behind. "And this is for the whole damn world!!!" I drive the trident down into his eyes, blinding him as I push as hard as I can into his head. Suddenly a blast of megical energy like I've never felt explodes from the tip of the trident, blowing my away in a flash of blinding light and deafening sound.

Only one thought crosses my mind as I slam into the building behind me...

I hope I killed the bastard.