The "World of Heroes" DC RPG Season VIII

[J'adore]

The faint image of Arthur Brown, appeared before Stephanie. His figure was almost ghost like. He had a warming smile on his face. In fact, there was not even one scar on his face. His ghostly figure soon formed solid, the hard creases on his forehead showed, accompanied by the wrinkles on his aged hands. His hair was grayed and he had watery eyes.

"S-stephanie, come with me. Come with your old Pa. We could have just like the old times." A cracked mirror appeared behind the aged Arthur. Slowly moving herself away from Arthur, Stephanie touched her smooth face, looking into the broken mirror.

"How old am I? Where am I?"

"Stephanie, your husband will be waiting. Come on, take my hand..."

Arthur turned to Stephanie, reaching out his hand. Before she could take it, she saw a bright white light shine before her. Covering her face and squinting her eyes, she looked down, to see herself in a purple type 'Alice' dress. The white light engulfed Arthur and soon everything around her.

"Steph? Steph, wake up,"

She kept perfectly still, hearing Tim's voice. She was floating in the space of nothing. Just vague faces of her father, her mother and everyone she loved, span past her. Like a fast roller coaster ride.

"GET ME OUT OF HERE!"

"Off with her head!" An image of a female-type Mad Hatter visualized before her eyes. The female-type Mad Hatter wore a dress, encrusted in diamond red hearts. "I should of known it was you,"

Cracking a smirk, the female-type Mad Hatter pointed it's right arm straight, a long cane with a sharp heart-like weapon appearing at the end. "You're just a pack of cards,"

Stephanie chuckled. All the faces around her stopped spinning, but instead vanished. The white void she was in, soon stated to fade, glimpses of Tim's face became more clear. The female-type Mad Hatter let out a loud shriek.

"THIS IS MY MIND!" The faces began to be sucked into what looked like a black hole. They were soon accompanied with the female-type Mad Hatter.

"You're just a back of cards..."

***

"Steph? Steph, wake up,"

"Tim! Tim, I'm so glad to see you!" Stephanie grabbed Tim and pulled him into a hug. She was back in her Spoiler costume, but her mask had vanished.

Slowly getting up from the help of Tim, Stephanie looked around. Tweedledee and Tweedledum were unconscious on the floor, as well as Mad Harriet, who also had a bloody nose. "Mad Hatter,"

​

 

[Catman_prb]

"Steph? Steph, wake up,"

"Tim! Tim, I'm so glad to see you!" Stephanie grabbed Tim and pulled him into a hug. She was back in her Spoiler costume, but her mask had vanished.​

Slowly getting up from the help of Tim, Stephanie looked around. Tweedledee and Tweedledum were unconscious on the floor, as well as Mad Harriet, who also had a bloody nose. "Mad Hatter,"​

"Hey," he said, trying not to look so relieved "He's cuffed. The police will be here any minutes,"

"I think he injected us with some kind of hallucinogenic neurotoxin," Tim said "Or something like that. There shouldn't be any lasting consequences,"

"I think that's it for now. We should probably head on back," he said, giving her as kind a smile as was possible with a pounding headache.

 

[J'adore]

"Hey," he said, trying not to look so relieved "He's cuffed. The police will be here any minutes,"

"I think he injected us with some kind of hallucinogenic neurotoxin," Tim said "Or something like that. There shouldn't be any lasting consequences,"

"I think that's it for now. We should probably head on back," he said, giving her as kind a smile as was possible with a pounding headache.

Smiling, Stephanie brushed back a strand of hair from her face to behind her ear. "Before you went off to find out where that light was coming from, I contacted Rose. I think you should know that she didn't believe me, when I explained to her how you'd been gone for more than 10 minutes. Which of course, is unusual for a master crime-fighter like yourself,"

Dropping a slight hint of flirting, Stephanie continued to smile gently.

"So what did you see, Mr Drake?" Stephanie questioned, whilst the two head for the door, stepping over the body of Mad Harriet along the way.

 

[Byrd Man]

​

Another night and I'm still no closer to solving the murder of "Gassy Mike" Alfredo. Add to that the fact that who or whatever murdered the Spectre is still at large. The lanterns are gone from Earth, but the clean-up from their fight is still on-going. At present, I'm stalking through the downtown office building, shadowing my target as he goes about his business. The man closes the door in his office and props his legs on the desk. When the lights come on, I appear in front of the desk. He jumps up into the air in fright.

"Jesus!"

Edward Nigma. Better known as the Riddler. In my absence, he became legitimate and established himself as a Private Investigator. His parole officer stopped calling after awhile, but I haven't had a chance to check in with the former Arkham inmate.

"You may have fooled everyone else, but you won't fool me."

"I'm on the straight and narrow, I promise," Nigma attempts to cajole.

"Leopards don't change their spots."

"This one has."

"A man walks into a bar, what does he say?"

Nigma's face twitches and a look of annoyance comes on his face.

"He says 'ouch.' He did walk into a bar, afterall. Don't waste my time with such childish questions."

I slam my palm into the desk with a loud crack.

"I've been watching you the past two days. You have a leak inside the GCPD."

"The GCPD has more leaks than the Iraqi Navy. What does that have to do with me?"

"You keep briding cops, then you'll be working cases from a wheelchair."

Riddler gulps loudly and pulls on his necktie. I pull my cap around me and turn to leave.

"Stay clean, Nigma."

"Question: What is it that you can catch, but never throw?"

"A cold," I answer as I melt back into the shadows I came from.​

 

[J'adore]

​

This is not normal, Selina. Selina Kyle aka Catwoman, soared through the heavy night sky of Gotham City, returning from a joyful night of petty theft. Well, petty, as in, just two or three necklaces - of course, replaced by plastic replicas. She had booked an appointment for a job LexCorp. Keeping the fact Superman's worst enemy runs the whole company, Selina still wanted to keep out of all the drama and just be a simple woman who worked as a secretary.

"Wow, out of all the jobs I could possibly have, I still manage to end up entangled in the crime/crime-fighting scene with LexCorp."

Catwoman began mutter to herself. She then took one last swing before landing on her Apartment block building roof. With a safe and graceful landing, Catwoman lifted up her goggles and mask, letting out a big sigh of stress. Clutching the necklaces with a loose grip. Biting her lip, Catwoman crept over to the roof door, cutting the lock open once again and walking down the metal stairs. Having a whole night by herself, Selina certainly had time to reflect on how she would present herself in the interview.

After a long, hot shower, Selina dressed herself in two towels. One beige one wrapped around her hair, accompanied by one white one wrapped around her body. She sat down carefully, whilst holding a ginger furry cat in her arms. She picked up a framed picture of her and Batman, smirking. She moved the ginger cat to one side of her bed and looked closer at the picture. Thoughts just span around in her head. "A son. How very un-classy, Batman."

---

Selina Kyle was early for her appointment, in fact, there was a Japanese woman just arriving for the interview before Selina's. Selina quickly analyzed everything around herself. The dull walls, the overwhelming amount of blonde, voluptuous women in pantsuits, all armed with a gun under their pants. Strapped around their thighs. Amazonian.

"Selina Kyle. You're quite early,"

Selina had tied her jet black hair up into a high ponytail. She wore a black blouse, with a frill type fabric covering the buttons along her chest. She wore a tight, short, black pencil skirt that covered the bottom of her blouse. Wearing no tights, Selina had managed to get away with wearing seductive black sharp heeled stilettos. She smirked when she saw Mercy Graves step out of the dull, brown, interview room, door.

"Is that a problem, Mercy?"

"It's Ms Graves to you, Kyle,"

"Right. Well, I'm not going to take up that offer, instead I'm just going to call you Mercy, since it annoys you,"

"Ladies, please. Let's stop the fighting. I'm sure Contessa Erica wouldn't be pleased if she saw this,"

This superhero/villain free day just keeps getting better. Selina pursued her lips, she immediately gave sharp daggers towards the view of Mercy.

"Don't tell me. You are here for an interview?"

"Hah, I could say the same to you, Catwoman," Lana Lang, business woman. She spoke her words so fluent and perfect, her pronunciation quite precise.

"Ms Lang is here for a different type of interview,"

Lex Luthor? Isn't he dead? So then, who is this 'Contessa'?
Selina sat back in her chair, watching as Lana precisely placed herself on the chair next to Selina. "Hope will be down shortly to collect you, Ms Lang,"

"So the ginger gets to be called Ms Lang, when the Catwomanhas to be called 'Kyle'?"

"Please, don't get your ball of string in a tangle, Kitty-Kat. I'm sure you'll do great as a secretary, after all, that's the only thing your brain capacity can handle,"

"Pshh. Try being Catwoman for however many years." Catwoman hissed under her breath. She quickly analyzed every detail of Lana Lang. She quickly found where Lana's weapons were located.

Taking one lunge with her right arm, Selina swiped the two deadly sharp chopsticks out of her hair. Mercy and Selina watched as Lana's dark orange hair fell down to below her shoulders. "Nice. I use to use blades like these, except, they weren't shaped into chopsticks,"

"Every woman has to be armed, I mean, especially in my position," Lana hissed, snatching the razor sharp chopsticks and twirling them within her hair. Mercy chuckled and slowly opened the door that she stood in front.

"Nice try Selina. But it looks like your time with Contessa is dawning upon you,"

The Japanese woman who had entered before Selina left the room, in what seemed like a displeased expression.

"Well, you're up! Break a leg Selina, because if you don't, I will for you," Mercy winked at Selina.

Selina stood up and slowly walked into interview room, ready to face 'Contessa Erica'.

"Bye ladies. Don't go thinkin I wont see you two again, will you? I'll be here on Monday, ready to start my work. So, until then, it's Goodbye,"
​

 

[Keyser Soze]

The Vega System
Okaara

"They lied to me. They stole from me..."

Larfleeze was distraught. Hal Jordan! He woud remember that name forever, it would be burned into his mind. Hal Jordan had promised to return his stolen ring to him, and instead he'd given it to The Guardians! Those dirty little thieves! They'd tried to use it to siphon away his power, but he'd stopped them. He'd cut off the connection. But that didn't change the fact they'd tried to break their bargain with him! He would make them pay! Oh, he would make them pay...

"Ahem..."

"Who dares trespass in my sanctuary!?"

Whoever it was had teleported right in. Their ring did not have the restrictions placed upon those of the Green Lantern Corps. And no, this was no Green Lantern. A strange being with white skin, green hair and a YELLOW RING ("I WANT", Larfleeze thought) approached Larfleeze.

"My name is The Joker. I have much to give you, Larfleeze..."

"Your ring! Your yellow ring! I WANT! MINE MINE MINE!"

Larfleeze made a snatch at The Joker, a collection of his ghoulish Orange Lanterns forming a circle around them. But with a smooth sleight of hand, The Joker produced another yellow ring, and handed it to Larfleeze.

"Ta-da. Now you have one of your own."

"Want yours too!"

"I have another present."

With another flick of the wrist, The Joker produced a green ring - secured from a dead Green Lantern, and reprogrammed at Qward to prevent it finding another host. He handed this to Larfleeze too.

"And there are more. Rings of red and blue and violet and indigo too. You can have them all."

"How, pasty white-face? Tell me how!"

The Joker grinned at his new friend.

"Simple. Come with me..."

 

[Watchman]

S.T.A.R. Labs- New York City Division

"Hello...Jan? Yeah, its me. I won't be home for dinner....again." Most of the labs' lights have been turned off. There is a single scientist lit by the only light coming from the glow of a computer. In one hand his cellphone, the other a bottle of whiskey.

"Yes, I'm working on the project. Don't you dare start. The thing is what puts food in our mouths, shoes in your closet, and the amazing ability to max out my god damn credit cards faster than a speeding bullet." Shouting came from the other end. In the shadows a man in a purple robe smiles and cackles.

"Don't you rise your damn voice. I made a breakthrough. My first breakthrough since that Superfreak made me a laughing stock. The advance A.I. system in the world and the boy scout sets the project back months. 'Self-consciousness? Dangerous to have that hooked up to any major network? What the hell kind of screw up comic book world does he think he lived in?"

"Yes, I realize I was trapped in 2-D space and that Captain Marvel and his talking tiger came and rescued us....shut up! It was only that one time. Since I found a way life, one that could make a choice. I decided that I had to take it away."

"Life meet Anti-Life." Desaad places one arm on his shoulder and whispered in his ear.

"Push the button."

"Honey, I have to go." He throws the bottle of whiskey against the wall and drops the phone.

"Hank? Hank?! I've been cheating on you with Steve! I want a divorce!"

"I am Darkseid, destroyer of worlds." He hits the enter button and places a gun underneath his chin. Desaad gives him a slight nudge at the moment Hank fires. The bullets misses anything fatal. Hank falls to the ground.

"That looks quite painful. You've had helped usher in the age of a New Apokolips, Hank, be thankful for last few hours of your excruciating servitude" The computer screen had changed from a series of equations to pitch black with a crimson omega symbol.
*******
Good Morning, Milwaukee

"Good morning and welcome back. If your just joining us coming up will be Cynthia Nunn and her tap dancing cats."

"It's the cats' pajamas, Diane."

"That it is Tom but first is Healthy Cooking with everybody's favorite Weatherman....."

"Diane? Are you alright?"

She sat their frozen. Her fake medicated smile slowly disappears. In her head she hears a thousands dark voices yelling from a black hole. In front of friends and family she draws the Omega symbol across her face. Her co-anchor sees hundreds of alternate universe vanish just like that. He instantly goes catatonic. Thousands of people around the world fall to similar fates.
******
The Future

"There, right there, that nanosecond." Brainiac wonders why the timelines inadvertently switches. He seems to be the only one to notice that he goes from teenager to adult. From youth movement to superhero.

"Time has lost two seconds. I remember that we met Superboy and then I remember we used him as an inspiration. Interesting, if annoying."
******
Gotham City,

A red hooded individual is left to his own machinations. Individuals are left to make the city rot. The Gods mock it.

******
Coast City,

Jusitifers march through the streets. The sounds of boots clicking filled the air as televisions, radio, MP3s all play the new God's tune. The soldiers stop as the hit a flying platform. A boom tube opens up and their master steps out.

"A new age dawns upon us. One carved in my image. Let the Equation filled this world's veins. Universes crumble in my name and this will be the linchpin of the multiverse all rule under my hand," he makes a fist and so do the others.

"With a billion fists I will crush your rebellion. With a billion eyes nothing will escape my sight. Through the eons, the universes, and the heavens not a single voice of hope will ring out. No light shall be raise. All that was and will ever be, will be Darkseid."

 

[Optikal]

"What the hell do you want me to do about it?!"

Traffic zoomed by as Huntress lay low across her motorcycle, pushing the machine for all it was worth to keep up with the high spec sports car ahead of her.

<There's no one else, Helena. Just me and you. Come on, Dinah needs our help!>

RATATATATATATATATATA!!

Gunfire exploded from the car, lighting up the road as Huntress swerved evasively. She zipped in between a school bus and a tanker, leaving only millimetres to spare.

"What about Zinda?"

<In Europe on business>

"Look, Oracle... Babs. I'm kinda busy here".

The car dropped from the interstate into the heart of the city, weaving in and out erratically in an attempt to lose the dogged pursuer.

<Maybe I can help with that?>

Huntress looked on as red lights turned to green, blocking oncoming traffic from other directions and clearing the run for her to hit the throttle.

"Thanks. Let me apprehend these guys and then we'll talk".

<Helena, you're coming up on the south river bridge, I'm raising it, but looking at the speeds those perps are reaching, I think they're going to go for it!>

"Let me worry about them" Huntress growled, lining up her wrist mounted crossbow. Pushing the bike for all it was worth, Huntress lined up a shot, evaded another burst of gunfire, readjusted and let the bolt fly.

The rear tyre of the car exploded, the driver lost control and the car flipped into the air. It rolled three times, sending shrapnel and debris in every direction before screeching to a stop on its roof.

Without hesitation, Huntress skidded to a halt, dragged her crossbow from her back and advanced. Two of the men lay in the wreckage, unmoving. The third however, had crawled out and raised his rifle towards her.

Huntress dived for cover as his finger squeezed the trigger. The man dropped the gun seconds later as a bolt plunged into his shoulder, pinning him to the wrecked vehicle.

Huntress leapt to her feet and adjusted the earpiece sat in her right ear.

<Nice work. What was so important about those guys anyway?>

Helena looked across at the bleeding trapped criminal with cold malice in her eyes. "They were running a child slavery racket. I'm in the middle of taking it down".

There was silence on the line for a few moments. Finally, Oracle broke it.

<Helena. About Dinah. She was working on something similar. I lost contact with her six hours ago. She was undercover>

"Undercover doing what?"

<Slavery. Sex Slavery. A Russian group we've been building a case up on>

Helena sighed and rubbed her eyes, moving back to where her bike had been hastily dumped. "Okay. Fill me in".
​

 

[J'adore]

BEING HUMAN : 0

"You've got something of mine,"

Sandra Wu-San stood perfectly still, in her defense position.

"I have nothing of yours, " Tatsu Yamashiro coughed out a small chuckle, her position more peaceful-like.

In the right hand of Tatsu, was Sandra's most prized goal. A Samurai sword that had caused great wars between ancient Kung-Fu masters. The war took place between the Kung-Fu grandmasters of China and Japan.

Arching an eyebrow, Sandra smirked at Tatsu. "I think it would be wise for you to know, that you're future only lasts a few minutes from now,"

"Here's a question for you, why aren't we speaking in our native languages?"

"The taste of Japanese burns on my tongue,"

"Oh, burn,"

With one swift movement, Tatsu spiraled into the air, twirling the long Samurai Sword above her. She flicked herself forward, landing straight behind Sandra. Within a few seconds, the sword span down from the sky above, landing perfectly into Tatsu's open hand.

"You may be some crazy Chinese grandmaster at ancient Kung-Fu, but I am the grandmaster at the wielding of Samurai Swords,"

Without muttering a single word, Sandra raised her right leg up to 90 degrees and shot round faster than a propeller. The tip of her foot slammed hard into the nose of Tatsu. Blood sprayed out of Tatsu's nose within seconds, the blood flying to the floor below. Sandra watched as Tatsu clutched her broken nose, whilst lying on the floor in shock.

"Tricky one you are. It seems you ain't giving up that sword,"

---

"Thank you for seeing, Contessa Erica. It's a great pleasure..."

Selina's thoughts trailed off, as she could hear Mercy Graves herself speak onto her cell, but speaking not in English, but in Mandarin.
​

 

[Andy C.]

Cataclysmic. That's the only word I can think of that describes the impact from General Zod's fist as the madman attacks. The noise is absolutely deafening, a thunderous BOOM that rolls for over a solid minute, like an atomic bomb or a meteor strike. The shockwave obliterates everything in its path for miles and miles in all directions, disappearing over the horizon with no sign of stopping. The utter destruction would be heartbreaking if it wasn't so likely that virtually everyone else on this world was already dead.

I, however, barely feel a thing. At the last possible split-second, I put the battered red-white-and-blue shield between myself and Zod's fist, and the shield's incredible alloy composition is able to absorb virtually all of the energy impacting into it.

"So you've armed yourself, Kal-El," Zod spits out. "That shield was of particular annoyance to me, as was that hammer. But don't think that they'll be your salvation."

"Trust me, Zod," I say as I rear back the hammer, "I'm my own salvation. These are just going to speed things up."

With that, I swing the hammer into his face, a blinding bolt of lightning and roaring clap of thunder following as the magical weapon connects. I drive him straight down into the crumbling earth below, then follow with another crushing blow, and another and another, the thunderclaps booming louder and louder as I bash Zod into the dirt.

"I told you that I would stop you," I say as I bring the hammer down again. "I told you that I would make you pay for all the innocent people you've killed. I told you that I would end this fight now, to stop the destruction of the multiverses."

"Then do it," Zod hisses between bloodied teeth. "Kill me again, Kal-El."

I bring the magical hammer up, raised for a blow that, if I put my strength into it, will almost assuredly kill him.

"DO IT!"

I look him dead in the eyes, and see the desperation there. He wants to die again, to die with all of his hatred justified.

"No."

I drop the hammer at my feet.

"I'll stop you. But I won't kill you."

"Then I will!"

*BLAM!*

Zod's head bursts like an over-ripe melon, a shard of deadly green rock slamming straight through it, and I immediately feel my strength leaving me, that horrible familiar sickness washing over me. Kryptonite.

"Superman, right? You would not believe the bounty on your head, pal. And I'm here to collect."

 

[Keyser Soze]

Sector 3599
An Unknown Planet

I'm standing here, watching the fires burn. The screams didn't last long, little more than a second, and that's just the ones that had time to scream. It was quick. It was merciful. I tell myself that, but I still hear them. I still hear the screams....

"What do you fear, Lantern?"

I look at the fires, think of all the dead infants. I think of Martin...

"WHAT DO YOU FEAR?"

I snap back into consciousness, and Kryb is on top of me, hideous features curled into what might be considered a grin within her species. I... I must have passed out, overwhelmed by Kryb's yellow energy. The power of fear. Of course, I... it was some kind of nightmare, she made me see my worst fears, brought to life! There's nothing more horrifying to me than the thought of killing my own son, so that's why that is what came to mind. It felt so real!

But something really will happen to Martin if I don't stop Kryb, and soon.

"No! You can't have my son!"

Glowing bright green with sheer force of will, I power out of Kryb's death-grip, and form the construct of a giant cage.

"What you've done to these children is unforgivable. If a hair on my son's head is harmed.... you'll pay."

Leaving Kryb in the cage, I search amongst the pods. Where is he? There's so many.

And then I see him. I hesitate momentarily, remembering the agonising fate that awaited the children seperated from their pods in my nightmare. But that was just a nightmare. I rip the pod apart, and take Martin out.

There's a horrible moment where I wait to see what will happen. But then he opens his eyes, as if awakening from a deep sleep, he looks up and... and he recognises me! He recognises his father! I start to cry, tears of joy running down my face.

"It's okay, Martin. Daddy's here."

With my son cradled in my arms, I fly back to Earth. Carol is waiting at home. When she sees I'm back, and that I have Martin with me, safe and sound, oh, she's so happy. She runs to us, wraps us both in her arms. And for what feels like hours, we stand there, enveloped together. A family.

Then, looking at me with love and gratitude in her eyes, Carol takes Martin from out of my arms and into hers, rocking him gently as she takes him to bed. Everything is going to be okay.

Martin is safe. He sleeps peacefully, in his own bed. The years go by, and I'm there for him. I take him to school on his first day. I'm there at his graduation from Harvard. He gets a great job where he has happy, and he meets a nice girl. Martin Jordan has a full and happy life, because I was able to save him.

Then the daydream ends, and I'm stil standing here, on this damned planet in Sector 3599, watching scores of babies burn to ash. This is the closest thing to a funeral they'll likely get. I close my eyes, and pray for their souls. And mine too, while I'm at it. I'm interrupted by my ring broadcasting a communicator message.

"Green Lantern? Flash here. Did you get to the bottom of...well, you know, that thing with the baby?"

I hold my ring up to my mouth, and my hand trembles. For a long time, I stand there, silent, unable to formulate words. How can I tell him? How can I tell Barry what I've done?

"I'll be home soon, Barry."

I end the message abruptly, feeling like my voice was in danger of cracking. The fires are starting to burn out now. Time to go. But even as I take flight, I can still hear it.

I can still hear the screaming.

 

[wiegeabo]

While Barry and Wally are taking care of Central, Ted and the team help me out with Keystone. It's a big job, but it doesn't take us long to clean up the worst of it, repair some of the damage. But there's nothing we can do for the lives lost. There never is.

I stop running at the top of one of Keystone's taller buildings. In the distance I can see the shapes of Karen and Courtney flying through the air. I'm sure Michael and the other groundpounders are still on the streets, doing what they can.

"How you holding up, old timer?"

"Tough talk from someone wearing the most powerful weapon in the universe."

Ted looks at his fist. "Yeah. Not really my style. I like to feel their bones crunch without a forcefield getting in the way."

"Gotta say, though. It seems to come in handy."

"That it does. So, we just about done here?"

"I think so. Why don't you go find Michael, have him call everyo-"

Ted Grant of Earth

"What the heck?"

You are hereby ordered to Oa for immediate training

"You've got to be kidding me."

Further delay will not be tolerated

Suddenly, Grant finds himself floating up into the air. "Ted?"

"I ain't doin' it!"

Ted floats up higher and higher. "Call G-no, wait. That won't work. "Call John. Or Kyle. Or Hal. Heck, where's Alan when you need him?"

Pretty soon, though, Ted's out of earshot. I activate my communicator. "Michael, it's Jay. We've got an issue."

***

"How many times do we have to go through this? I don't want to go to Oa!" I shout at my ring as the sky turns dark and I find myself in space.

Willpower override overridden

"You can do that?!"

The ring doesn't reply. Instead, all it says is

Opening hyperspace window

"Whatzitz-space?"

Suddenly, space seems to twist and warp, and everything gets really colorful. "I think I'm gonna puke."

I spin inside and everything gets really weird....

 

[Harlekin]

Jason Bard couldn’t count the amount of Purple Hearts that were hanging on the wall. In fact, the entire room was filled with army decorations and a couple of ‘souvenirs’ as well. Janie Breck, a lovely woman dressed in a breezy summer dress, handed the private investigator a cup of coffee. Sitting across from Bard was Sergeant Malcolm Breck, a broad shouldered man, still in uniform, but with the top button of his shirt undone.

“Thanks, Janie,” Bard said, taking a sip. “It’s been a while, Sarge.”
Breck thanked his wife, who leaned over to peck him on the cheek before leaving the room. The army officer turned to Bard. “It has been long.”
The private investigator took a look around the room. “You’ve kept busy.”
Breck smirked. “You could say that.”
“And still a Sergeant.”
They made eye contact, Breck’s smile hadn’t faded. “In title.”
“Right.”
“So, you saw Mike?” Breck asked, changing the subject.
Bard nodded. “Messy business, I’m afraid to say.”
“We hadn’t heard any different.”
“When’s the last time you saw him?”
“The yearly unit reunion. That was the only time any of us ever saw him.”
“He wasn’t the ‘let’s keep in touch’ type?”
“To be honest, Jason, he was kind of like you.”
It was Bard’s turn to smile. “It has nothing to do with you or the guys.”
“But?”
“I barely did a tour before getting hit.” Bard massaged his right knee as he spoke.
“Just a couple of weeks, as I recall.”
“Six weeks, to be exact.”
“I’ve seen a lot of men get their fill in just six hours. Especially in those first few days.”
Besides the decorations, there were a couple of framed news articles hanging on the walls. One of them was dated April 10, 2003 and showed a smiling Malcolm Breck in full combat outfit. In the background, circling above an encampment’s walls was black smoke.
“Alfredo was a part of your unit the first time you went into the desert?” Bard took out a notebook now.
“That’s right.”
“And he got along well with everyone?”
“He fit in well.”
“Anybody he didn’t like, or the other way around?”
Breck shook his head. “You had your arguments, but you didn’t hold grudges. Not when your life depended on it.”
“How was he as a soldier?”
“Did his job as he was told to do in the field.”
“And outside of it?”
Breck shrugged. “Mike had a knack for getting things.”
Bard sat back, smiling.

 

[Catman_prb]

Smiling, Stephanie brushed back a strand of hair from her face to behind her ear. "Before you went off to find out where that light was coming from, I contacted Rose. I think you should know that she didn't believe me, when I explained to her how you'd been gone for more than 10 minutes. Which of course, is unusual for a master crime-fighter like yourself,"

Dropping a slight hint of flirting, Stephanie continued to smile gently.

"So what did you see, Mr Drake?" Stephanie questioned, whilst the two head for the door, stepping over the body of Mad Harriet along the way.

I roll my eyes slightly as Stephanie tattles on Rose. There are times when it feels more like he's teaching a class of five year olds than fighting crime. He held the door open for her, blinking in the bright sunlight.

"Oh I don't know," he said, a smile playing across his lips "Nothing too worrying,"

 

[J'adore]

I roll my eyes slightly as Stephanie tattles on Rose. There are times when it feels more like he's teaching a class of five year olds than fighting crime. He held the door open for her, blinking in the bright sunlight.

"Oh I don't know," he said, a smile playing across his lips "Nothing too worrying,"

"Hah, really? Nothing about Rose, then?" She teased.

She lifted her hood up, letting the shade cover her pupils from the sudden bright light of the sun. "Oh and that reminds me,"

Stephanie smiled, still eager to meet her life long idols. "You promised me a trip to the Teen Titans,"

 

[J'adore]

BEING HUMAN: 01

"How very nice to meet you, Ms Kyle. I've read your CV, quite...interesting. Leaving out the part of being Catwoman was highly unwise."

Quickly sweating, Selina put on a nervous smile. "Does everyone here know about that?"

Contessa Erica nodded, she shuffled a few papers and slid them to the left of her, placing them next to her open laptop. After a minor chat with Selina, Contessa got down to the basics.

"Listen, Kyle, I would hate to think you're playing dumb. I mean, everyone here knows about the whole, 'Lex Luthour', thing, so there's nothing to hide about your knowledge of the company. You may or may not know but I now run this business and I think having Catwoman as a secretary would make me a laughing stock,"

"Look, Contessa, I purposely applied for a small and basic job as I want to get away from all of this superhero nonsense, please, if you could just let me have the job,"

With a regretful sigh, Contessa Erica pulled over her laptop and began typing away. Her eyes quickly looked up over at Mercy for a second, then went back down to her keyboard. "What are you trying to say Selina? That you want a job that isn't payed well, a job in which even that ditsy ex-girlfriend of Superman gets to walk all over you. I'm offering you the chance to be my Personal Assistant,"

"Excuse me? No means to offend Contessa, but isn't that my job?" Mercy stormed over to Contessa Erica's desk. Selina smirked whilst bowing her head down slightly.

"Go deal with Lana and Hope, I'll talk to you later,"

"Oh Mercy dear, there's no need to panic. Listen, Contessa, all I'm trying to say is...Well...I'm no longer Catwoman. I'm Selina Kyle, the new Selina Kyle, the Selina Kyle who now works for LexCorp as the secretary,"

Contessa cracked a small smirk, watching Mercy leave the room, slamming the door behind her. "Well, if you wanna answer to Ms Lang, then you've got the job,"

Selina's eyes widened with shock, her jaw slightly dropped.

 

[Blacklight]

"Well, let's get to it, Jay."

I speed off through Central City, reparing park benches, replacing light bulbs, putting out fires, and even picking garbage up from the streets. I haven't really had a chance to slow down since I came out of the Speed Force, and it looks like I'll have to wait awhile longer before I can get down to the mystery of my return.

Suddenly, something comes to mind. I stop in the middle of fixing a car's flat tire and activate my commlink.

"Green Lantern? Flash here. Did you get to the bottom of...well, you know, that thing with the baby?" I ask Hal cryptically.

Following my Uncle Barry's lead, I helped alongside him with the Central City cleanup, that was until I noticed Barry come to a halt, him becoming frozen in place in comparison to the speed I was going at. So I caught up with him and too came to a stop.

"What's going on, Uncle Barry? Is everything okay?"

 

[Byrd Man]

"I'll be home soon, Barry."

Hal goes offline in a hurry. Something's up on his end of things. I'm not sure what. Whatever it is, I'm sure I'll find out.

Following my Uncle Barry's lead, I helped alongside him with the Central City cleanup, that was until I noticed Barry come to a halt, him becoming frozen in place in comparison to the speed I was going at. So I caught up with him and too came to a stop.

"What's going on, Uncle Barry? Is everything okay?"

"Everything's alright. Just remember it's 'Flash' in public. Even if you think nobody's around. C'mon, let's see what we can do around the city."

Wally follows behind me as we tear through Central and Keystone City. I come to a stop in front of an electronics store. On the bank of TVs at the window, horrible images dance on screen.

Coast City,

Jusitifers march through the streets. The sounds of boots clicking filled the air as televisions, radio, MP3s all play the new God's tune. The soldiers stop as the hit a flying platform. A boom tube opens up and their master steps out.

"A new age dawns upon us. One carved in my image. Let the Equation filled this world's veins. Universes crumble in my name and this will be the linchpin of the multiverse all rule under my hand," he makes a fist and so do the others.

"With a billion fists I will crush your rebellion. With a billion eyes nothing will escape my sight. Through the eons, the universes, and the heavens not a single voice of hope will ring out. No light shall be raise. All that was and will ever be, will be Darkseid."

Darkseid.

A lot of things may have changed since I was gone, but he hasn't. I turn to Wally. "As much as Central and Keystone need us right now, it looks like Coast City could use our help. Especially with all the Green Lanterns off-planet. Come on, let's go to Coast City."

I take off, Wally racing behind me in my wake.

"I'll race you."

 

[Blacklight]

Wally follows behind me as we tear through Central and Keystone City. I come to a stop in front of an electronics store. On the bank of TVs at the window, horrible images dance on screen.

Darkseid.

A lot of things may have changed since I was gone, but he hasn't. I turn to Wally. "As much as Central and Keystone need us right now, it looks like Coast City could use our help. Especially with all the Green Lanterns off-planet. Come on, let's go to Coast City."

I take off, Wally racing behind me in my wake.

"I'll race you."

Darkseid's at it again. Looks like not even death can stop him from spreading his terror throughout the galaxy... But I have a feeling the Justice League can stop him. We've done it before. Even when the odds are stacked in his favor. And now that my Uncle Barry's back... there's no way we can lose.

"You're on, Unc-- I mean, Flash..."

 

[Watchman]

All across the world the dark ones had that there churches. citadels, labs, nightmare factories constructed. Built with technology beyond anything on this world they sole purpose is to follow their master. To the construct of destroyers of the world. If a metahuman breathed they would be able to track them, gut them, and enslave their past, present, and future.

Deep within in Coast City is Mokkari's newest Nightmare Factory. An unholy palace with the sole purpose of the perversion of all things knowledge. One of his zealots beckons for him.

"What is it?" He stands over one of his servants who slaves over a monitor.

"An unusual power source has just made it's way from one half of the country to here in the manner of under a second."

"Impossible. On screen." Two red blurs shoot across the screen knocking over Justifers just by running near them.

"Of course. It looks like the first form of resistance has arrive. The Bedlam League of Amerika still needs prepping but I still have a few surprises for them. When will they arrive?"

"Now."
******
The two Flashes' run is suddenly stop as the ground gives away as an explosion separates the two. The two fly and seem to be on the outskirts of Coast City. A vacant gas station comes to life. Red eyes appear before them and people holding all sorts of weapons approach them.

"Die for Darkseid."

"Join the Equation and die for Darkseid." The tip of a spear appears in the air above them. It rips the space creating a hole a large figure stands above them.

"Flash. Your super speed allows you to outrun most opponents but you can not hide from me."

"I am Devilance, the greatest hunter on all of New Apokolips."

 

[Byrd Man]

Jason Bard quietly walks up the steps towards his apartment door. Rubbing his neck and closing the door behind him, Bard hesitates as he feels something is amiss in his house.

"Bard," I say as I step out of the shadows. "What did Alfredo's sergeant have to offer?"
​

 

[Byrd Man]

The two Flashes' run is suddenly stop as the ground gives away as an explosion separates the two. The two fly and seem to be on the outskirts of Coast City. A vacant gas station comes to life. Red eyes appear before them and people holding all sorts of weapons approach them.

"Die for Darkseid."

"Join the Equation and die for Darkseid." The tip of a spear appears in the air above them. It rips the space creating a hole a large figure stands above them.

"Flash. Your super speed allows you to outrun most opponents but you can not hide from me."

"I am Devilance, the greatest hunter on all of New Apokolips."

Wally and I split up, out-running the hunter as we streak across Coast City.

"Gotanyideas?" I ask as I whiz by him at superspeed.

 

[Andy C.]

When you've done as much as I've done, seen as much as I've seen, there are very few things left that genuinely surprise you, that catch you completely off-guard.

The situation I find myself in right now would be one of those very few things.

Only a minute ago, I was in the middle of the fight of my life, going toe to toe with General Zod, a psychotic Kryptonian who was hell-bent on destroying me and everything I've ever stood for....and that was before I had to make the impossible decision of ending his life some time ago, before he came back and pulled me into the Source Wall and out of the Multiverse itself, before our intrusion into other strata of existence started pulling the very makeup of reality apart.

Now, Zod lies before me, his skull splintered into pieces and his blood splattered and sprayed all around. Even embedded into the ground, the Kryptonite bullet that killed him saps my strength, boils my blood, and blurs my senses. Standing over us is a man in a red and black costume armed to the teeth, acting as nonchalant about killing a being who had ripped entire universes apart as he would if he had just ordered a sandwich.

"Anyway, I guess this is a pretty big deal, right? You and me, face to face, mano-a-mano? People are going to eat this crap right up, I tell ya."

"You....you killed him..." I say between ragged gasps, the sickly green shard causing waves of nausea to roll over me.

"Well, duh, it's kind of what I was hired to do. My employer, y'see, said there two big problems that he needed fixing and that I'd be paid ridiculously to fix 'em. The first problem being that you're here in the first place, and the second problem being that Mr. 'Kneel Before yadda yadda' there was up and breathing and that he shouldn't be. So my employer gave me a couple of glowing green bullets and said 'shoot him with this' and I said 'okay' because none of the other stuff I'd shot him with had worked, so--"

"Who....who are you?"

"You don't know?! Come on, my face has been freaking everywhere lately! You had to have seen it at some point!" He strikes a few poses like they're going to jog my memory. "...fine, be that way. I'm Deadpool. Mercenary, assassin, all-around psychotic killer, and beloved idol of fat sweaty fanboys who think that the ability to poke at the fourth wall somehow passes for clever writing."

"What are you talking about?"

"...never mind. Anyway, like I said, my employer put a bounty on your head so big that I can probably buy my own solar system with it, as long as I bring you in alive, and your friend there less-than-alive. The second part I think I've accomplished pretty handily. The first part all depends on how many holes you want in you before you surrender."

I've been shot with Kryptonite before and lived. I've been strapped to a Kryptonite chair and had an atom bomb dropped on me and lived. On the other hand, I have no idea what else this guy might be packing. Have to move quickly.

"If you know me, Deadpool," I say, before lunging forward with my still-failing strength and grab his gun. He fires another K-bullet which grazes my arm and hurts like the devil, but whizzes off into the distance to where the radiation poisoning only hurts for a second. "Then you'll know....*nngh!*....that I don't surrender. Especially not to killers with guns."

I grip him by the collar and lift him into the air.

"You're not going to throw me into the sun, are you? The other guy did that to me once, and it really sucked."

"No, I'm not...what? You've already been....never mind. No, I'm not going to kill you. I want to know who your employer is."

"Look up in the sky, Blue," he says, pointing at the still-growing rifts in the air. "All those big gaping rips in the multiverses, all those hole connecting one reality to another? It's not a what that's causing them, it's a who. Someone's been going to pretty extreme lengths to find you and using up one hell of a lot of power to do it. And when that didn't work, he hired me, heh."

"Who is it? Brainiac? Highfather? The Guardians?"

"Who, who, and who? Naw, it's some guy with a--"

Before he can finish his sentence, Deadpool's head explodes like a balloon being stuck with a pin.

I turn away and shield my face from the inevitable spray of blood and bone and brain, I'm instead covered with.....confetti?

Deadpool's headless body flops over limply, still spewing out multicolored bits of paper and glitter instead of gore.

What in Heaven's name could have possibly.....


.....oh. Right. Of course.

"If you think killing two people in front of me is your idea of a joke, then I'm going to have to tell you, I'm not amused."

"Oh, lighten up. He'll be fine. I did say I'd pay him ridiculously for bringing you here, and you've gotta admit, that was pretty ridiculous, wasn't it?"

"But enough screwing around, Superman. It's time to get you home."

 

[Keyser Soze]

Sector 2814
Earth
Coast City

I'm back in Coast City, even though it's probably the last place in the universe I want to be. But I need to do it. I need to tell Carol.

"No Lantern escapes the Alpha Lanterns!"

I suddenly find myself wrapped in glowing green chains. No, not now...

"You were supposed to remain under my supervision, Lantern Jordan," sneered Boodikka with cold, robotic contempt, "Yet you fly away to other planets when the notion takes you, even when your own homeworld is under threat? What are you up to, Jordan? What nasty little secret are you hiding this time?"

 

[Blacklight]

Wally and I split up, out-running the hunter as we streak across Coast City.

"Gotanyideas?" I ask as I whiz by him at superspeed.

"Justone." I said as I started to veer off.

"SplitupHecan'tcatchusboth!" I said as I made a U-turn and whizzed past the Apokoliptian hunter.