The "World of Heroes" DC RPG Season VIII

[J'adore]

"Uhm yeah, sure," Tim said, silently cursing himself.

He was almost certainly sure that Batman would not be impressed with being lumbered with a new sidekick. He would have to tred carefully.

"But let's get back for now. We'll sort out what happens next at a later date," Tim said, backing away slightly.

"Oh of course, back to miss lovely Rose," Steph's sarcasm was very strong. But in her tone was a slight hint of jealousy.

She walked side by side with Tim, until they started swinging from building to building, in the night skies of Gotham. Stephanie kept a few paces behind Tim, shouting over at him when she wanted to talk.

"Is Damien still at the cave with Rose anyway?" She called over the loud wind.

 

[Karem-Knight]

Batcave

Stopping my motorcycle I leap off of it and walk around the cave with the formula in my hand.

"Bruce!?? Alfred? Tim?......." I sigh at the next name I shout out kind of hoping he won't be here, though I could use him. "....Damien?" I walk around the empty cave, not surprising since it's just gone over 11 and mostly everyone would be on patrol. Sitting down I then hear footsteps coming from the Grandfather Clock entrance as I see Alfred coming down.

"Any problems currently, Master Richard?"

"Alfie, um I need a favour to ask."

"Hm, and what would that be?"

"Well I had an encounter with Hella this woman that I fought a few times in Bludhaven, she's working with Two-Face and she used this strange chemical to sedate me. Since I'm not too great at chemistry I was hoping you could take a look and since where it comes from?"

"Well I may not be as good with these formulas like Master Bruce and Master Timothy are but I'll gladly help you sir."


Handing over the bullet with the chemical inside Alfred gets busy analysing the compounds whilst I use the computer to find traces of it to see weather or not Bruce or anyone else has had a run in with the chemical. After a while under the microscope Alfie comes back with a book on formulas and notes on what managed to knock me out.

"Master Richard, I've researched the chemical and it appears to be more or less ten years old. It has a similar formula to valium but with much more harmful chemicals intended for killing, luckily these wore off so that might be why the sedative only worked for the ten minutes you were un conciousness."

"Huh, sounds like Hella managed to overlay it; she didn't really intend on killing me. Her target was Johnny Witts and his goons, now the rest of the Dent's old network seem to be on the run."

I type in the compound formula Alfie's written down to me as I search through the Bat Computers' history, I manage to overcome a documented file inside. Bruce encountered it once when fighting Professor Milo- the original part seemed much more deadly. Looking on Bruce's file of Milo I manage to find the selected hideout around the time he used it on Bruce, just by the south part of Gotham.

"I've got to go, I think I've managed to find a lead on where Dent and Hella are hiding out. Take care Alfie."

"Do be careful Master Dick."

"Don't worry, I will!" I give him a smile as I rush to the motorcycle and rush into the city.

Ten Miniutes later

Speeding down the location I add to the bike's map as I get to Barbara on the phone. "Oracle, I think I've finally found the location of Dent and Hella, I'm heading there now."

"Wait! Don't you want any help!? Hella almost killed you just a few hours ago!!"

"Yeah, almost!"

Doing my bad-ass action hero one liner, I come to a halt on the bike when I find the building. An old rusty den just two miles away from Gotham, I come running out as I kick the door down as it breaks in a matter of moments to find no one inside except for one man tied to a chair screaming in pain.

"No...please...please, Dent!....I can't....can't take anymore!!"

"Calm down! I'm not Dent, who are you and where are Two-Face and Hella!?"

"I....I don't know....they left....said something about Nightwing....are you Nightwing!?"

"Yeah." As I walk closer to him I see he's tied to the chair and there are various cuts and bruises over his body and face, the only thing inside are a few of Milo's old notes and a bloodied baseball bat. I pick it up and see that Dent inscribed it.

Like old times...Boy Wonder!!

Cute, Dent.

"Okay so what happened exactly?"

"Well first....the chick shot down Johnny Witts and his old gang...then Dent brought me here....cause I used to work for him......outside of Gotham to make sure everything was safe round these areas......he called to meet me here then wiped out all of guys and then...beat me to a pulp......said he was gonna kill me but said I got "lucky"...."

"He's still dependent on that coin.......somehow you're the only one of his old gang that he hasn't killed."

"Yeah.....but...now, he's thinking of....going after....after Senator Henry.....said the guy took bribes for him....and...stuff......."

"Yeah, always thought there was something wrong with that guy."

I look all around the room of the warehouse when I notice writing on the floor, looking like lipstick.

Just cause I've got rules, doesn't mean she does. So I'm not guilty.

Looking at the man strapped to the chair I notice something behind him, looking like an explosive.

"WAIT! DON'T...."

A massive explosion hits us, killing him as I deflect some of the impact and land on my back. Shaking my head around I see the guy that Two-Face kidnapped dismembered and bloodied, punching the ground in anger I look back at how many times Dent has doped me....like a real Two-Face. Taking into account what I just heard I get into my com-link instantly and start to talk to Babs.

"Oracle, we've got a grade A Emergency. Apparently Two-Face is trying to kill Senator Henry!!"

Gotham Clocktower

After telling Babs of Dent's new plan I instantly got round here as soon as I could to find out more information on Senator Henry, I remember he was Mayor of Bludhaven for sometime before I came onto the scene of course and way before Blockbuster had a grip on the city as well, still chances of a completely just and good politician in Bludhaven are slim to none. Bandaging some of my wounds, I wait for Barbara to track down the locations of Henry and the last time he was seen around Gotham or any of the other parts in the country.

"Uh oh, this doesn't look to good..." she tells me as I take off my domino mask and walk over to her. "What happened? Anything bad?"

"Not bad as of right now, but by going to what we heard from Dent's former henchman, now currently deceased- it could turn very bad indeed."

She points to an article in the paper of Senator Henry apparently expected to attend a rebuilding of Bludhaven this coming Friday afternoon.

"Says here that there'll be a huge crowd of former Bludhavn residents and property developers planning on helping rebuild the sites that were destroyed by The Joker a couple of years ago."

"Knowing Dent, he's guaranteed to show up and make a speech about justice and retribution."

"It gets worse...." she changes the browser giving me more information on Henry's rumoured connections and associates during his early tenure as a politician, including various known crime lords and one name I know all too well.

"The Maroni Crime Family..." As much as I have a history with them, so does Dent as we all know Sal Maroni was the one whom infamously threw acid into Dent's face turning him into the man he is today.

"But I don't understand, surely Dent must have known that Henry was involved with Maroni years ago..."

"Well as much as Two-Face's aims never make complete sense one theory I've concluded is that the bloodthirsty side of Two-Face and the justice seeking side of Harvey Dent came together in forming his criminal organization, only to slowly wipe them out. Of course judging by Dent's psychiatric record he has a history of one piece of information or event makes his famous 180 degree personality complex that's been roaming around since his days as Two-Face."

"Hmm....well, looks like on Friday I won't be watching the soccer."

As I turn around taking off parts of my costume, Barbara walks over to me eagerly. "Dick, please. Don't go at this alone; at least bring in some help for this."

"Barbara, you know I have complete trust in Tim, Helena, Cassie and all the others; but this time I'd rather go at it alone. When it's between me and Dent, it goes beyond standard villain plots as cliché as it is to say this....it's personal."

Outskirts of Bludhaven

Two-Face came inside to his current hide-out as several mercenaries dressed in black and white greeted their current boss as he walked into the hallways with his new declared "queen of justice" the fellow defaced Hella.

"Gentlemen its' nice to see you this fine evening, I do trust you know the preparations for tomorrow night?"

They all grunted and agreed. "Excellent, your payment will arrive after the success on this mission as I like to call it and an associate of mine will send the money to your various Swiss bank accounts......on the other hand, we may encounter a problem........I trust you all know the rodent and bird problem of Gotham City, I assume? But if you see any sign of the Bat or his kids coming at us while we get the Senator don't hesitate to shoot them down.....but leave one of them to me......."

Two-Face starred at a baseball bat on the floor as he inspected it.

"Nightwing is mine!!"

​

 

[Watchman]

"My muscles tightened," I say in a far away voice as I relive the scene. "Every nerve in my body burned as I pushed myself faster than even I had been. I had to keep going, I had to go faster and faster. Suddenly,a crackle of energy ran down my spin and just like that, my flesh, muscles, and bones all became pure energy. I remember that day very well."

With a wave of his hand their surroundings explode in a white light. They are surrounded by nothing but white.

"Yes, it would be written in the Book of Oa and through out the cosmos as the First Crisis of Man. A Crisis of Infinite Earths." He presses the space around them. With each touch a small Earth appeared. Another wave scattered the Earths.

"Unbeknown to mortals before the entropic invasion of the Anti-Monitor there have been more than one Earth. Your Earth was one of many. I believe in another time that you have traveled to other Earths. This is one you met the first Flash, Jay Garrick."

"But in the battle with the Decreator the heroes were triumph but with only a pariah victory. Infinite earths," he reached out his hands and grabbed the Earths, bringing them together, "infinite became one." There was a flash of green. It was Hal Jordan clad in his infamous armor. He was recreating the universe.

"The Second Crisis of Man. The Thing of All Fear had come to possess one of your kind. Hal Jordan would fail in his quest but when create something new." He crushed the image of Hal and his doings into a tiny cube. He stretched it apart where it formed multiple lines. "He created Hypertime. These events, tough, did not go unnoticed." A fiery world appeared before.

"Darkseid and the Gods of the Hellworld Apokolips have conspired and plotted. The coveted the cornerstone Earth. Your Earth. Before Darkseid could continue with his plans New Genesis interfered. It was a war that broke through all of time and space. In the end both sides suffered supreme causalities but it was Darkseid would prevailed. Mortally wounded by his dying son Orion Darkseid had one last plan. Initiate the third crisis of man, the prophecy of the Blackest Night. Chased out of Apokolips by the Guardians who hoped to put to an the threat of Darkseid permanently, the Dark One had stumbled onto paradise."

"In an epic struggle beyond the Source Wall, the Last Son of Krypton faced one of his greatest enemies and recreated the Multiverse. Alexander Luthor, savior of the first Crisis had developed a machine to explore the multiverse. Hoping to use that machine Darkseid invaded paradise. Fended off by Superboy Prime and Superman of Earth 2 Darkseid and his minions were destroyed. Both of the heroes are missing. Survivors of the the attack. The one known as Mokkari had retrieve Alexander Luthor and taken him back to Earth with boom tube technology. Darkseid's soul was not destroyed and squirmed back to Earth. It was determine to finish what it had started. His struggle and travel had wreck the very foundations of the universe. It is broken and continues to die with each second. The tyrant has gone quite mad. The journey has twisted his mind. He seeks to drag everything in, creating one. In his own image. Willing to destroy everything. He has grown more dangerous and deadly."

"On Earth the poison of Darkseid spreaded. It effected consciousnesses. Powerful leaders were corrupted and started to build a new empire for Darkseid. Oolong Island now housed the beast. Agents like Prometheus had gathered followers and the Black Hand was used as an anchor for Darkseid's power. Now he has risen, time and space is broken and now you must come together to stop Darkseid. The Anti-Life Equation is changing the very fabric of reality. You must stop its spread." Green circuit like lines grew across Metron's face. He slumped in his chair.

"Barry Allen....you have been brought back to help to fight the forces that wish to take the universes for themselves. My time is short. Darkseid must be expelled from this universe. Find...the New Gods..the Fifth World is coming and they will be reborn. The Legion...the heroes of the multiverse must come together...Apokolips must be stopppp.... I have been poisoned. Darkseid poison me with a thought disease. They know we're here. He comes can the Flashes out run Deathhhh...." A blade passes through the chair and impales Metron.

 

[J'adore]

Hearing the fain sound of sirens, Selina quickly snarled, firing a kick at Katana. Katana blocked the kick with her arm, slamming Selina back against the wall, her arm over Selina's neck, slowly strangling her. Selina kicked Katana off and chuckled.

"Since when did you get so good at all the Jackie Chan *****?"

Katana snarled, holding her samurai sword perfectly in place. "Where do you think I've been for a year? Intense training. You don't think I knew this day was coming?"

Katana kept a raged face whilst looking into the eyes of Selina, who continued to smirk. "Really? Didn't notice...Oh and isn't that a bit strange? You knew you were going to encounter me on this exact day?"

"No, you foolish cat. I must protect the ancient sword, that Lady Shiva herself is after. I had to go under intense training to defend myself from her,"

Selina's eyes widened slightly, her mouth forming into an 'O' shape. "So that's why you're after Brucey? Well, why didn't you just say so? I'll be glad to take you to him..."

Katana raised her eyebrows, pursuing her mouth. "A wh*re like you doesn't come with no price,"

Selina rolled her eyes, quickly slamming her foot into Katana's stomach, flipping her out of the alleyway. "You may be some female Bruce Lee, but I'm light on my feet dear. But for now, enjoy being framed,"

Catwoman shot her grapple hook up into the building above, soaring into the air, merging into the darkness of the night sky. Katana growled, twirling her sword around her fingers. She slid the Samurai Sword into the holder, which was strapped to her back. She quickly scanned the area, picking up a damp wet coat from the floor. She then slid on a white mask, to cover most of her face. She had no time for jail.

"Freeze where you are, lady!" Officer Josie MacDonald jumped out of her car, a gun pointing in the direction of Katana.

Katana ran down the alleyway, leaping into the air and swinging a rope up into the high skies, following the direction Selina had disappeared off in to.

"Boys, see if you can follow her!" Josie ordered, storming back into her car.

--

Ripping off her cat-like mask, Selina sighed in disappointment. You're not a criminal anymore.

Selina's disapproving thoughts were soon interrupted, by the loud crash of her window exploding. Selina darted round, snarling at the sight of a dagger plunged into the cupboard that held her Catwoman costume. "I thought I lost you,"

Selina ran over to her chest of drawers, searching under her underwear. She quickly pulled out her snub nose revolver. Expecting Katana, Selina gasped at the sight of a different Asian woman.

"Shiva!"

​

 

[Andy C.]

Standing in the ruins of an alien Earth in an entirely separate Multiverse, two headless corpses lay in front of me. One is Zod, the madman who wished to tear all of reality apart just for his petty revenge against me. The other is Deadpool, a lunatic killer who had murdered Zod with a Kryptonite bullet.

Hovering between the two, as pleased as punch, is the cosmic imp Mr. Mxyzptlk.

"Well? Aren't you gonna say thanks?" he says impatiently.

"Thanks for what?"

"For dematerializing the Kryptonite bullet, Super-Dupe! Notice that you're suddenly not sick and dying anymore?"

"Not dying, maybe, but I'm still feeling sick. All that damage you've done to time and space...all these people who've been killed...."

"Oh, stop being so dramatic and look at who you're talking to."

Mxyzptlk cracks his knuckles, then holds out his hands like an old Revival minister.

"BE HEAAAYULLLED!" He exclaims, laying on a thick Southern accent.

Nothing happens, and Mxyzptlk seems puzzled.

"Oh yeah, that's right. Different dimensional membrane patterns and such. Gotta take a different approach. Front and center, Supes!"

He floats over to me, and puts his hands on the temples of my forehead.

"This might feel a little weird. Heh."

He grits his teeth and scrunches his eyes closed, grunting like he's about to pop a blood vessel.

Suddenly, my mind is filled with images, all the places I've traveled since heading beyond the Source Wall. My fight with the Hulk. Fending off a thousand misguided Jedi Knights. Going toe to toe with the warrior Goku. Every universe, every dimension, every pocket of reality where I've been...

...then Mxy opens his eyes, and the ruined world around us is suddenly as good as new. All of the superheroes whose skeletons had littered the city are up and about, all of the devastated buildings are whole and gleaming. The blackened sky is now bright and blue again.

"I didn't know you were powerful enough to fix all of this," I say, a little amazed at the little man in the bowler hat.

"Funny thing is, I'm not. Even your average god wouldn't be able to reverse the effects you and Zod did across Creation. So instead I focused just on you. I transferred your physical influence on these worlds into a temporal one instead. So instead of trashing everything with one big fistfight after another, you left a footprint on each of those realities, inspiring each one to bear a little bit of a resemblance to you. Wonder why so many of the universes you came to had other superheroes?"

"But those heroes existed on those worlds before I even got there."

"Heh, it's funny how you mortal types think that's how time works."

He smiles, contented with himself, all damage undone....except for Zod himself, who's still dead on the ground before us.

"So did he have to die again? You couldn't have kept him alive? I might have been able to help him, to--"

"First off, maybe you could've helped him, but probably not--that guy wasn't just twisted, he was completely sprained. Secondly, yeah, he had to stay dead--your home universe is about to go through enough trauma without him up and running around too. And thirdly, this whole thing had to happen, in order to get you ready."

"Ready for what?"

Mxyzptlk's normally playful smile fades away, and he gives me a somber look.

"For the war that decides the fate of reality itself. This was just the warm-up, Blue. The real thing is already going down, and you have to have the right frame of mind to really grasp what's at stake. You think punching out a psychotic Kryptonian is bad? By the end of this, Superman.....you're going to have to kill a god."

"In case you haven't noticed, Mxy, I don't kill people."

"Didn't say you'll want to, didn't say you'll choose to. I said you'll have to. Now let's get going. KLTPZXYM!!!"

With that, we vanish into a puff of cosmic smoke, taking the headless body of Zod with us, tumbling through time and space towards the universe I call home.

 

[Byrd Man]

"Barry Allen....you have been brought back to help to fight the forces that wish to take the universes for themselves. My time is short. Darkseid must be expelled from this universe. Find...the New Gods..the Fifth World is coming and they will be reborn. The Legion...the heroes of the multiverse must come together...Apokolips must be stopppp.... I have been poisoned. Darkseid poison me with a thought disease. They know we're here. He comes can the Flashes out run Deathhhh...." A blade passes through the chair and impales Metron.

"Run, Wally!" I shout as I take off away from Metron's muderer. The two of us take off, breaking through the sound barrier at least a dozen times over as we run away from the one Metron called death.

"I am death, Barry Allen!" He shouts as he speeds after us. "I've held you in my clutches once already, but not even you can out run the Black Racer twice!"

 

[Harlekin]

"The man inside this apartment building should know who our killer is. Ricky Chen was muscled out of his number running business by Alfredo last year. Word on the street is he was in business with the man Alfredo cut up."

Jason Bard stepped out of the Batmobile, letting his hand run along the door as he closed it. “This… is quite a ride. You ever let Robin ride in this?”
The Dark Knight didn’t respond and so the private investigator looked up to the apartment building the vigilante had pointed out. “He must not have put up much of a fight if he’s still allowed in town.”
Bard let his eyes scan the building and the neighbourhood. He looked at his watch before turning to Batman. “Meet you there in… three?”
The dark-clad hero nodded and stepped back into the shadows, disappearing right before Bard’s eyes.
“I have got to learn how to do that.”

Bard walked up to the front door of the building, which seemed to be coming off its hinges. The PI shrugged, making his way inside. What he found didn’t inspire any desire to relocate. The stairs were crooked, there was a man passed out to the side of it and… was that moss? Bard shook his head as he went upstairs, to apartment 4B.

He rapped his cane on the door three times.

“Who… who is it?”

A man, dressed in shorts and a wifebeater stepped up to the peephole. He squinted to look through it, and what he saw was Jason Bard smiling. He didn’t see much of anything after that as his head was pushed into the door.

Meanwhile, Bard whistled a tune. The door was unlocked.

“Come in.” The Batman was holding a barely unconscious Ricky Chen by his shirt and was dragging him into the living room. The vigilante threw him onto the couch. Bard grabbed a chair, turned it around and sat down opposite of the two-bit thug.

“We need to talk, Ricky.”

 

[Byrd Man]

Jason Bard stepped out of the Batmobile, letting his hand run along the door as he closed it. “This… is quite a ride. You ever let Robin ride in this?”
The Dark Knight didn’t respond and so the private investigator looked up to the apartment building the vigilante had pointed out. “He must not have put up much of a fight if he’s still allowed in town.”
Bard let his eyes scan the building and the neighbourhood. He looked at his watch before turning to Batman. “Meet you there in… three?”
The dark-clad hero nodded and stepped back into the shadows, disappearing right before Bard’s eyes.
“I have got to learn how to do that.”

Bard walked up to the front door of the building, which seemed to be coming off its hinges. The PI shrugged, making his way inside. What he found didn’t inspire any desire to relocate. The stairs were crooked, there was a man passed out to the side of it and… was that moss? Bard shook his head as he went upstairs, to apartment 4B.

He rapped his cane on the door three times.

“Who… who is it?”

A man, dressed in shorts and a wifebeater stepped up to the peephole. He squinted to look through it, and what he saw was Jason Bard smiling. He didn’t see much of anything after that as his head was pushed into the door.

Meanwhile, Bard whistled a tune. The door was unlocked.

“Come in.” The Batman was holding a barely unconscious Ricky Chen by his shirt and was dragging him into the living room. The vigilante threw him onto the couch. Bard grabbed a chair, turned it around and sat down opposite of the two-bit thug.

“We need to talk, Ricky.”

"Who killed Michaelangelo Alfredo?"

Chen stutters and looks frantically at Bard, then at me.

"I....don't kn-ack!"

I grab Chen by his undershirt and yank him across the room and into the bathroom, dunking Chen's head into the fish tank sitting in the living room.

"Please, don't make my repeat myself again. If there's one thing I can't stand, it's repeating myself."

Pulling Chen's wet head from the tank, I push him back on to the sofa.

"Answer my question."

 

[Blacklight]

"Run, Wally!" I shout as I take off away from Metron's muderer. The two of us take off, breaking through the sound barrier at least a dozen times over as we run away from the one Metron called death.

"I am death, Barry Allen!" He shouts as he speeds after us. "I've held you in my clutches once already, but not even you can out run the Black Racer twice!"

"Watchus!" I shouted back as we kept circling the earth over and over, hoping to put some distance between the personification of death.

 

[Harlekin]

"Answer my question."

Ricky Chen was sweating bullets. He was probably cursing under his breath. Why hadn’t he left town? Now, he had the Batman in his apartment, along with a to-nosy-for-his-own-good P.I. by the name of Jason Bard. Now, he was looking for ways out of his own apartment. Bard watched patiently as Ricky’s eyes flitted about the room.

“There’s a back window, but I wouldn’t give you much chance,” he finally said and the detective nodded to the Batman. “So let’s see if we can answer his question.”
Ricky’s eyes focussed on the Dark Knight, but he listened intently to Bard’s words.
“About a year ago, Sal Valestra makes the trip down-state. Muscles himself into a lot of businesses. He’s got two lieutenants that do the dirty work for him. Michaelangelo Alfredo was one of them. You probably knew him as ‘Gassy Mike’. So he approaches you, tells you about the new hierarchy. Close enough?”
Ricky nodded carefully, his attention turning to Bard.
“You think about his offer. Of course, the man you’re working for is none too pleased. Gassy Mike cuts him up. We need to know who that was, Ricky. You need to help us.”
“He’ll kill me.”
“If you’re lucky,” Bard conceded. “But have you considered the alternative?”
Ricky’s eyes shifted to the grimacing Bat.
“Denetto. Johnny Denetto.”
Bard looked to Batman.
“They call him Johnny Stitches now.”

 

[Byrd Man]

​

Ricky Chen was sweating bullets. He was probably cursing under his breath. Why hadn’t he left town? Now, he had the Batman in his apartment, along with a to-nosy-for-his-own-good P.I. by the name of Jason Bard. Now, he was looking for ways out of his own apartment. Bard watched patiently as Ricky’s eyes flitted about the room.

“There’s a back window, but I wouldn’t give you much chance,” he finally said and the detective nodded to the Batman. “So let’s see if we can answer his question.”
Ricky’s eyes focussed on the Dark Knight, but he listened intently to Bard’s words.
“About a year ago, Sal Valestra makes the trip down-state. Muscles himself into a lot of businesses. He’s got two lieutenants that do the dirty work for him. Michaelangelo Alfredo was one of them. You probably knew him as ‘Gassy Mike’. So he approaches you, tells you about the new hierarchy. Close enough?”
Ricky nodded carefully, his attention turning to Bard.
“You think about his offer. Of course, the man you’re working for is none too pleased. Gassy Mike cuts him up. We need to know who that was, Ricky. You need to help us.”
“He’ll kill me.”
“If you’re lucky,” Bard conceded. “But have you considered the alternative?”
Ricky’s eyes shifted to the grimacing Bat.
“Denetto. Johnny Denetto.”
Bard looked to Batman.
“They call him Johnny Stitches now.”

"Where can we find Denetto?"

Chen hesitates. I loom over him, cracking knuckles as I stare.

"In Chinatown. He's holed up at Uncle Charlie's Super China #1. It's a restaurant that sells opium and H on the side."

"Let's go, Bard."

While the private detective turns to leave out the front door, I elect to go out the window.

"Stay out of trouble, Ricky." With that warning, I leap out the window and into the night.

 

[Bounce]

The child stirred, his face rubbing against the pillow as he shifting among the sheets. He wasn't quite conscious, just enough for his mind to register that he was in bed. From that, Damian assumed the he was in his room in Wayne Manor. Rolling over without ever really opening his eyes, the boy curled up on his side and went back to sleep...

...with a gasp, Damian shot up out of the bed, sheets furling onto the floor as the boy sat ramrod straight. Sweat ran down his face, sending a chill up his spine as he looked around. Still waking to consciousness, the child blinked as he looked around the unfamiliar surroundings and tried to process everything that had happened. Shaking his head, Damian willed the fog to lift from his mind, but to little avail. His head still hurt and it was everything Damian could do to keep the room from spinning. Swatting the black bangs from out of his eyes, the boy squinted over at the window. The sky outside was colored orange, but seemed to be darkening rather than growing light. It was past sunset then, which meant he'd slept through the daylight hours.

That was assuming he'd only been out of it for a single day.

Given the circumstances, the first priority on Damian's mind was to make certain that he wasn't dead. And, indeed, he did appear to be in one piece. Sitting on the bed in his boxer shorts, the boy looked over and found his League outfit folded on the dresser across from the bed. There were no restraints either, as Damian's arms and legs were completely free. This meant that Damian was free to take care of the second priority, which was becoming increasingly urgent.

Coming out of the bedroom, Damian found himself in a rather open apartment. The back of a dark-haired man he recognized to be Jason Todd toward him, stooped over a work bench. The Robin tunic that Damian had taken from out of Todd's memorial case was thrown over the back of a chair near the man. As tempting as it was to consider attacking the man's exposed back, Damian knew he had a more pressing matter to attend to. Stepping just out of the doorway, legs crossed and dancing just slightly, the boy announced his presence with a single word. "Bathroom?"

Wordlessly, Todd extended a hand and finger in the direction of a room at the end of a short hall, which Damian quickly dove into. Emerging a moment later, the boy silently slipped back into the bedroom to don his black and gray outfit once again. Tugging on the boots, the raven-haired preteen emerged dressed from the bedroom and paused to regard Jason's exposed back a second time.

Damian was not stupid however. Their earlier battle had shown that, clearly, Damian was not a match for Jason Todd on equal footing. And there appeared no immediate advantage which the child could try to leverage against the man, probably why Todd was so comfortable allowing Damian to wander free... rather like Damian's father seemed to treat him. Nose in the air, the self-styled Prince of Gotham made his way to the kitchenette and explored the contents of the refrigerator. Milk that had expired a month ago and half a bottle of beer.

"Tt," the youth uttered with a click of his tongue, shutting the fridge as he looked over at Todd. It was a look like a cobra gave a mongoose, sizing him up completely. The boy was completely quiet for a long, uncomfortable minute as he seemed to weigh and measure what it was that he wanted to do with the current situation. "So are we going to go back to killing each other... or can we order pizza?" Damian inquired finally.

Obviously he intended to kill Jason Todd at the earliest opportunity, but he was hungry. And besides, it was pizza. Pizza was its own justification.
​

 

[trustyside-kick]

"Tt," the youth uttered with a click of his tongue, shutting the fridge as he looked over at Todd. It was a look like a cobra gave a mongoose, sizing him up completely. The boy was completely quiet for a long, uncomfortable minute as he seemed to weigh and measure what it was that he wanted to do with the current situation. "So are we going to go back to killing each other... or can we order pizza?" Damian inquired finally.

Obviously he intended to kill Jason Todd at the earliest opportunity, but he was hungry. And besides, it was pizza. Pizza was its own justification.
​

Jason Todd- 'Sculpting'
-------------------------
I put down the pencil, sigh, and look back over the kid. He's been awake for only a short while and already I'm annoyed. How the heck Bruce put up with not just 1, but three of us one after the other is beyond me.

"It's 10:32 in the morning and you want to order a pizza."

Should've just ended the punk's life last night.

Then again...gotta think about the goal. After all it's always about the end result. Yea, I could've killed the kid in cold blood to hurt Bruce. But what I have in mind...will make him want to kill himself. That's where the Joker went wrong all those years ago. He thought he did the worst thing in the world to Bruce by killing me. That was one of his great achievements; he said so himself when he laid just a few cells away from me in Arkham over a year ago.

"Tell you what, if you can shut up for about 15 minutes while I finish this up I will get some kolaches. In the mean time...go play with some knives or something or whatever you're into. I've got a stash of all kinds of goodies in one of those sheds. Just stay the hell away from my kris knife, and you can go nuts all you want."

But there are much worse things that he could've done if he wanted to truly get under Bruce's skin and hurt him. Things I'm am more than happy to see come to fruition. Just finished designing the mask.

The inspiration for the design came from newspaper I read that printed a few months before I came back to life about 2 years ago. Some nut ran around Gotham causing all kind of crimes going by the name Red X. I took Red Hood and made it my own...

...figured my new side-kick should do something similar.

 

[trustyside-kick]

OOC: Previously...

The Oblivion Bar

I haven't been to the Oblivion Bar many times. And every time I have come, it's come for the same reason: aid. Almost every mystic here comes here and hangs out for completely other reasons. Normal reasons. It's a place where they can fully belong and act 'normal' in their terms without having to worry about outsider humans seeing them. It's a bar but really...

It's more like a sanctuary for magic-folk.

The second I step in, all eyes fall on me although they don't make it obvious. But I know for sure because the spell placed upon me by Atlan that protects me from being affected by Hagen's spell is in place. To put it rather blunt they know that I not only don't belong in this realm...

I don't belong ANYWHERE.

But no one approaches me, and no one tries to get in my face. Not in the Oblivion Bar. It's probably the only bar in all the realms combined that never has bar fights. Because otherwise, you gotta answer to Jim Rook. And you don't ever want to have to answer to Jim Rook; owner of the bar. Not like I'm here to look for trouble anyway. A group of heroes are known for hanging around these parts. If I want an ounce of a chance in fixing things in Atlantis and somehow getting Orin back, I'm gonna need help.

I stop as I reach the table. It's funny when you live a life I've and still the sight of a chimpanzee smoking a cigarette throws you off.

"Detective Chimp, I presume?"

"Funny that you know me but neither me nor anyone in here seems to know you."

"Oh we've actually already met...and at the same time we haven't. It's complicated."

 

[EnterTheSandman]

There are a bunch of dimensions people call limbo. This particular one had a political debate of sorts going on more intense than any government on the planet earth.

The ones glowing in lime incandescence and looked like the sistine chapel ceiling are called the lords of order. The ones that look like a continual movement of grey fog are the lords of chaos. Apparently something happened on earth that left both their power bases unbelievably shaken....

And they wanna put a guy over 80 years old albeit with a 25 year old body into a middle of it again...

'Hector Hall is no longer within our sphere of influence. The magical Forces of the universe are wild and chaotic.

'Influences on these forces have shifted from us.'

'The helm of Nabu has been sent through the mortal realm. Many are gifted but you are the most experienced.

'Kent Nelson must become Doctor Fate once more.'

"What about Inza?"

'Our power on the earthly plane is not what it once was. For now, we can only send you.."

"With all do respect to the powers that be, but as the youngsters say...screw you. If you can't bring her back to life in the physical world, place her spirit within the amulet. You've done it before. aand you advise, if you influence me even indirectly, the deals off.."

" And 5 minutes later guys, I'm at my blown up tower in Salem which I reconstructed and zapped myself here. If the Lords of Order are convinced to agree with me, Doctor Fate is needed. Jay, Ted I hope one of you guys listen to your messages.."

Doctor fate disconnected his psychic cell call as he vanished into the walls of the J.S.A. HQ

 

[Bounce]

​

"...go play with some knives or something or whatever you're into. I've got a stash of all kinds of goodies in one of those sheds. Just stay the hell away from my kris knife, and you can go nuts all you want."

Damian bristled, infuriated, at the dismissal. Standing there silently the boy spent a minute calculating the situation and alternatives in his mind. He wanted to attack Todd, right now more than before, but it would be a strategically unsound endeavor to do so. One thing that an assassin did not do was pick a fight he wasn't certain he could cheat and win. And, in the case of Jason Todd, Damian knew that he couldn't win.

How was it possible for the man to be that good? Timothy Drake wasn't that good, not from what Damian had seen. Perhaps Dick Grayson, the oldest and most experienced of Batman's proteges, might be that good... but it seemed uncanny that Jason Todd boasted as much physical prowess as he did. Fighting him had felt like...

...like what he imagined fighting Batman would be like.

Damian opted for the assassin's road, silently disengaging and allowing his presence to fade into the background around them. Todd hadn't killed him. And Damian didn't appear to be a prisoner for the time being either, which meant that the man either wanted him for something or else wanted something from him. That meant Damian had some power... provided he could figure out just what exactly Todd was thinking.

The child idly wondered whether his father had even noticed that he was missing from the mansion. No, the Batman probably wouldn't. If anyone, Alfred would be the one to note the child wasn't in the mansion. And probably the only one to care as well. On the other side of the family, mother was probably too engaged in plotting to kill father to care about what happened to Damian, though the child liked to think that his plight might wind up as a footnote on some servant's report. That was the story of his life. Batman would be too wrapped up in whatever the crime of the century was at the moment. That was the reason Damian hated Dick, Jason, and Tim. Because they'd each spent time with his father and, more to the point, his father had invested time in each of them.

Which was more than Damian felt true in his case.

All things being equal, the very first weapon that the child went after was the aforementioned do not touch kris knife. A beautiful and elegant asymmetrical dagger. But the thin, wavy curve of the blade tended to become weak over time... breakages and repairs were common over the lifetime of a fighting kris. More so when breaking the blade was the goal, as was the case.

Jason Todd had the opportunity to kill him, but hadn't. Damian couldn't attack Todd directly, but that just meant that Damian had to be creative in coming up with ways to attack the man indirectly. And explore the limits of Todd's patience. So breaking the knife was necessary for several reasons. All of them rather petty, but... it wasn't like Damian had anything better to do. And if Damian could figure out how to fight Todd, then he'd have some insight with might help him to strike out at his father. Damian had a lot ways to garner attention from his parents, but he'd learned that none was quite as effective as a kick to the head.

Pulling out a set of kukri knives, the child absently juggled the curved daggers in the air as he wandered about to explore his surroundings. While he waited for Todd to stumble across the broken kris and come kill him - or not, it would be one or the other and Damian could get over being not dead - he figured that he should probably try and get his bearings so he knew just where in Gotham he was.

 

[The Question]

The TV was non stop news coverage of the invasion, although it wasn't so much of an invasion as an intergalactic drive by shooting. I'd turned on the dinky little television I had in that basement to get caught up on what I'd been missing, as I had been preoccupied.

"That's enough of current events," I muttered to myself as I switched off the set.

I turned my attention back to my latest project, still gagged and bound to a chair ten feet away where I'd left him.

I knelt down in front of him and said "Hi."

He made some random, muffled sounds. I removed the gag.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?"

"What the **** is wrong with you, man?"

"Oh, please, language."

I stood up and began pacing around him in a circle to make him nervous. Well, more nervous.

"What's up with your face, man?" he asked.

"Well, let's just say there's a reason I no longer support laser eye surgery. But enough of that. I'm asking the questions here."

"What kind of..."

"Tell me everything you know about the Church of Crime."

"Oh. No. No way."

"Do you really think you're in a position to negotiate?"

"What the hell are you doing? You saw the TV! It's the freaking end of the world out there!"

"The Justice League are taking care of that. Somebody needs to take care of this. An invasion of alien's with Aladin's lamp wrapped around their finger, that's dangerous. But a cult that teaches evil to be the correct and proper outlook on life, that's a much more long term concern. So talk."

"I'm not talking. Nothing you can do to make me talk."

I gestured to the large rack of power tools on the far wall.

"Are you sure about that?" I said.

He stared nervously at the wall, but kept quiet. I picked up the gag and shoved it back into his mouth.

"I'll tell you what," I said. "I've got some errands to run, so I'll leave you here and let you think things over, how's that sound."

He made a whimpering noise through the gag.

"Great," I said.

I headed for the door.

"Be seeing you," I said as I shut off the lights.

I made my way out onto the streets of Gotham. There wasn't anything else I could do with my prisoner at the moment, and it was long past time for me to lend a helping hand in the wake of what happened. I'm fairly useless in an apocalypse, but the cleanup I'm good at.

I worked my way through the streets, bandaging wounds, performing CPR, helping to pull people out of burning or collapsed buildings, working with EMTs and other volunteers to hand out food and blankets to people who'd lost their homes. Gave my hat, coat, and jacket to a woman and her two kids. I have a dozen or so of all three at home. I got questions about my face, and gave the usual snarky responses: "I cut myself shaving," "Didn't use enough sun block," "Went a little overboard with the pimple cream," etc.

I spent the longest amount of time on one particular building that had collapsed completely. We dug out a dozen or so survivors, but as we moved through the wreckage most of the volunteers got to thinking that there couldn't be any more left alive. Myself and a few others, we'd heard a million stories about people surviving in collapsed buildings for up to two weeks after the disaster, and even if there wasn't anyone left alive they deserved a proper burial, so we kept going.

A little bit away from the rest of my party, I heard a tapping noise from underneath a pile of rubble.

"Can you hear me?" I shouted. "Hold on, I'm coming to get you!"

I started pulling away at the rocks and wooden beams. Whoever it was, he or she didn't seem to be buried too deep. I was surprised we'd missed them with the first sweep.

After I'd cleared away a large pile of the junk, I was able to make out the torso, and I saw that it was one of the aliens. One of the "red" lanterns. It was dead. But the tapping noise never stopped.

Curious (naturally), I kept digging. Eventually, I dislodged the rubble covering what I guess was the thing's hand, and a speck of red light shot up into the air. It was a ring. The alien's power ring. It hovered there a foot in front of my face. And then it talked to me.

"Charles Victor Szazs of Space Sector 2814," it said. "You have great rage in your heart."

"Oh boy."

 

[Green Lantern]

I watch as Kara grabs the beast by the arm, ripping his appendage backward with a horrid 'crunch'. As the creature lets out a blood curdling scream, the yellow constructs suddenly fade into nothing - vanishing before our eyes. As the monster falls toward the ocean, I instinctively fly after him. Maneuvering tactfully, I swoop under him and grab him in my arms, catching him before he has the chance to plunge into the depths. A thick brown liquid oozes from his wound as a gurgling choke comes from his mouth.

"Wow..." Zach says, converging in the air with the others. "Little violent, don't you think?" He asks Kara, his guard up.
"His arm will regrow," M'gann says, telepathically reading the creatures thoughts. "In time."

"Good," I say, grabbing him by what I can only guess is his shoulders. "Now, tell us - Who are you? WHY are you here?" ​

"I tell you NOTHING!" He spits, sending a bubbling blue slime on my face.​

"Fine, I'll ask again -" I start, staring directly into his eyes. I activate my heat vision and my eyes glow red, turing into bright pits of blood red fire. "Then we'll find out how long it takes to regrow your HEAD." I'm bluffing, of course, but he doesn't know that.

"OKAY!" He stammers, choking on his own spit. "Sinestro...Sinestro..." I look away from the creature in shock, surprised by the name he sputters from his mouth.
"Sinestro?" I say, unsure I heard him right. "Isn't he, like... a cosmic enemy of the Lantern Corp?"

"He WAS a friend. An ally."

Kara could only think of the man she had fought along side during the Dark Alliance attacks and during the Unity invasion.

"Control and power through fear. The champions of fear shall rule the universe!"

​

"Apparently that has changed. Tell me why. I SAID TALK."

Kara's eyes start to go red and the bug can feel the air around his head heat.

"Control and power through fear. The champions of fear shall rule the universe!"

As he says those last words he spits a green muck in Kara's face. It tingles a little, and she can tell if she were not Kryptonian, it would have melted her face.

"That was a mistake. Because I too am a champion bug. I am the champion of Rao. And this planet is under HIS protection."

With that she punched the insect creature in the mandible and watched as it cracked in two. The insect was unconscious as the Titans flew to the ground.

"Kon, I'd love to catch up, but there is someone I need to see. Can you handle this from here? Thanks."

Without waiting for his response, Kara was gone. As she flew over the Sierra Nevadas and the Rockies, she experienced the freedom and serenity of flying once more. She hadn't realized how much she had missed it while she was gone. She turned south to follow the Mississippi River run its course down to the twin cities of Keystone and Central. She hovered near Jay's house, apprehensive about what to do. Finally she took a deep breath, and knocked on the second story window that lead to Bart's room.

"Stupid freaking kids. I'm going to throw those goddamn rocks back at them if they keep this up."

Kara's superhearing could pick up Bart's muttering while he walked to the window to yell at those 'kids'. As he opened the curtains to the window he saw himself staring at a familiar sight, a Super shield on a decidedly female frame. He stared slack jawed for a minute.

"Mr. Allen, first I am no 'kid.' Second, my eyes are up here. Third, are you just going to stand there, or are you going to kiss me?"

Kara smiled as Bart closed his mouth, and appeared to try to talk, but no sounds would come out. "But... but... Kara?"

"Just as bright as ever I see."

Rather than wait for him, she hovered down far enough that she could kiss him. The kiss lasted nearly a minute before Bart broke away.

"Kara, inside. Secret identities!"

Cringing at her impulsiveness and stupidity, Kara flew through the open window and plopped herself on Bart's bed.

"Miss me much Allen?"




​

 

[trustyside-kick]

Mercy Reef, Atlantis
In a cove several miles away

"It is not right it is not right. What is right, though? Should up be down and down be up? No no, none of this is right. I must find him. Find this Orin I must. Only the return of the Once and Future King will set things right. But I must seek out companions to aid me on my journey. Yes."

The Dweller of the Deep readies a spell to further help him see a glimpse of the near future.

"Waters of Atlantis, aid me. I seek those who can help me find this Forgotten King."


The Oblivion Bar

"So you mean to tell us that you are somewhat the Prince of Atlantis and that your King, this...Aquaman has been erased from not just Atlantean History but History itself and that the past 40 years did not pass as Fate originally intended? That this Hagen and God of the Sea Triton with the help of Aquaman's half-brother the Ocean Master--whom also does not ring a bell--casted a spell to alter reality and time? Have I just about summed up in 2 sentences what you spewed out to us in, well...far too many words fairly well?"

As Detective Chimp finishes I look to his teammates; the other members of the Shadowpact. The moment someone no one recognized took a seat to speak to him more than enough people made note and made way to our booth. The monkey just looks at me, facial expression unmoved since the start of our conversation. The look on Blue Devil's face matches that if Nightshades as they each share an eyebrow being raised and somewhat having some disbelief. Enchantress and Ragman pretty much look like they are about to burst out laughing.

And here I was hoping that such a thing wouldn't come across as farfetched given we are sitting in a bar that is in fact in a pocket dimension which can be accessed from pretty much any major city via the proper magical portal across the world.

"Uh...yea, pretty much."

Should give them some credit, only takes about 5 seconds for Ragman and Enchantress to start laughing with the rest of the crew tagging along. That is, everyone except for the chimp of course.

"This...is a real, serious, and very severe situation for me and my people, I hope you will--"

"Woah woah woah, guy. They aren't laughing at your misfortune."

"It's just, well...what comes across as a bizarre episode of the Twilight Zone to you comes across to us as well, another egotistical warlock trying to warp things to their desire. Easy peasy switcherooney."

"...Really?"

Blue Devil gives me a re-assuring wink and a smile, and Nightshade takes a sit next to me and puts her hand around my shoulder. Ragman takes a sip of his drink and hands it to the one of the staff walking by with a tray to take it away. I take another glance at the monkey though. He's...not as easily convinced as the rest that this is an 'easy peasy switcherooney' as Ragman put it.


Mercy Reef, Atlantis
In a cove several miles away

A layer of water takes shape and bends the light around it, showing an image before the Dweller. The waters are dark, and the figure floating within the image is hard to see.

"This...is to be my comrade on my long journey? But what is this I see now? No, a companion he could not possibly be. For hidden away in the darkness, a darkness which matches the depths of Devil's Deep, I...can see into his soul. There is already another who seeks to find this Orin. Assassin? Could this...creature be an Agent of Evil who does the bidding of those who wrongfully sit atop the throne of Atlantis?"

The image the magical water mirror showed him was of a young man clad in red and black wardrobe with a black tatoo on the right side of his face. The image shown to the Dweller of the Deep...

...is Garth.

 

[trustyside-kick]

All things being equal, the very first weapon that the child went after was the aforementioned do not touch kris knife. A beautiful and elegant asymmetrical dagger. But the thin, wavy curve of the blade tended to become weak over time... breakages and repairs were common over the lifetime of a fighting kris. More so when breaking the blade was the goal, as was the case.

Jason Todd had the opportunity to kill him, but hadn't. Damian couldn't attack Todd directly, but that just meant that Damian had to be creative in coming up with ways to attack the man indirectly. And explore the limits of Todd's patience. So breaking the knife was necessary for several reasons. All of them rather petty, but... it wasn't like Damian had anything better to do. And if Damian could figure out how to fight Todd, then he'd have some insight with might help him to strike out at his father. Damian had a lot ways to garner attention from his parents, but he'd learned that none was quite as effective as a kick to the head.

Pulling out a set of kukri knives, the child absently juggled the curved daggers in the air as he wandered about to explore his surroundings. While he waited for Todd to stumble across the broken kris and come kill him - or not, it would be one or the other and Damian could get over being not dead - he figured that he should probably try and get his bearings so he knew just where in Gotham he was.

Jason Todd- 'Sculpting'
-------------------------
"Next time you think about breaking one of my kris knives, remind yourself what it cost you."

Yes, I said knives and not knife. I've got several but it doesn't change the fact that him breaking even one of them did not get my steamed. And then came the punishment. Well...after I back handed him of course. I walk over to the shed with my sketch finished of the design I was working on and what do I find but his butt sitting on the ground with pieces of my kris knife scattered like confetti. But then came the punishment. Okay...I might've roughed him around a little bit more.

But now Damian finds himself tied to a chair while I test my remaining kris knives like throwing daggers. All the while eating the kolaches I promised him if he behaved.

"I'm going to be straight forward with you, kid."

I throw a knife, it flies just barely past his right cheek.

"The world is a messed up place. You've got scoundrels of every level and playing field walking around untouched and unnoticed. And there are even those who pass to and fro from the rotating door of an asylum several miles from here. Good ol' Gotham City; I wouldn't have her be any other way."

This time I pretend to not look, and throw another knife that cuts at his legs, slicing the rope more than the little cut it gave him, freeing one of his legs.

"So...you gotta be quick on your feet, and you gotta not fear Death. Two things you probably figured you have mastered by now. But don't fool yourself, kid. I was a lot like you once..."

I cut the act, though he doesn't know it yet, and start to walk up to him. As I am behind him, and get close to his ear so I know he can hear me and would have trouble ignoring me if he was.

"And I ended up dead. Now. Bruce's teachings? Utter ****. He's too damn soft. Sure, he probably wanted to take it in baby steps and gradually teach to the point where we might've actually had a chance to truly defend ourselves from the scum of the Earth, but...all it cost him was blood on his hands. All because he wanted to keep blood off of ours. Now, I can tell from how I ran into you that...this whole shabang...it's in your blood. Your motives may differ, no...definitely differ than Bruce's. But you want to deliver your own brand of justice. And I...humbly applaud you kid."

I cut the rope keeping his hands bound, and pull his arms free. I come around him, digging the kris knife into the arm rest of the chair as he gets up and continue to leave my back freely open to him to attack. Stopping, I simply tilt my head and crack my neck.

"I tried to think of a way of saying this that didn't sound lame. It appears there isn't really a way around it. So, what do you say, Damian?"

Turning around, I see he has his eyes set on that kris knife but he has yet to grasp for it.

"Wanna be my side-kick?"

 

[EnterTheSandman]

The Oblivion Bar



Blue Devil gives me a re-assuring wink and a smile, and Nightshade takes a sit next to me and puts her hand around my shoulder. Ragman takes a sip of his drink and hands it to the one of the staff walking by with a tray to take it away. I take another glance at the monkey though. He's...not as easily convinced as the rest that this is an 'easy peasy switcherooney' as Ragman put it.




J.S.A. Headquarters

'As long as I have been alive..and thats been a while, I have yet not to be surprised.' Looking at the museum they put together, some pieces that used to be mine and the team photos of the youngsters taking up our mantles.'

"God I feel old. Well Ted, Jay since you are not here, I'll go check on some of my mystical contacts." With a few words uttered of ancient Babylonian, Egyptian and Atlantean



The Oblivion Bar

As soon as I enter the door, it begins. I hear the whispers ...'Its Fate'....'that doesn't look like the Hall kid'....'the Lords of Order are trying to establish themselves again', and my favorite 'they brought HIM back.' In this kind of place I don't dare take the helmet off so I utter a spell to reshape it to look like my old helmet that left my mouth uncovered. The full helm is great for banishing demons but stinks for drinking a coffee which I order. I ease into a seat at the bar as I am given a berth of an empty seat on each side. I keep a locator spell going in the room incase I see someone I may know.

You always run into something again in the magick world, either good or ill.

 

[wiegeabo]

"Listen up, poozers! Something big is going down, and the Guardians want the Corps out there. Apparently there's some big brawl building up involving other Lantern Corps. I just got back from a fight on Earth, and now these other Corps have got something cooking again. Me? I wanna be out there where I belong, giving those pretenders what they deserve. But the Guardians want me here, training you rookies, getting you ready to join the others."

"If some other world is going through what Earth just got through, then I'm more than ready to get out there right now and help."

Kilowag steps in front of me and stares me down. "You say somethin', rookie?"

"I ain't no rookie, Sarge. I've been fightin' on Earth with the JSA for decades."

"Have you now? And just how long have you had that ring?"

"Since the Lantern attack on Earth."

"That long, huh?" he says, sarcasm dripping from his words.

"Those bastards did a lot of damage to my home. I'm not about to stand outta the way and let them do it to someone else if I can help it."

"I like the attitude, rook, but ya ain't got the expertise to deal with-"

"I'm. Not. A. Rookie."

We stare each other down. "You aint, eh? Let's see somethin' then." Kilowag takes a step back and gets into a fighting stance.

I take up a stance of my own. "Yeah, lets."

***

"AHHHHHHHGGGHH!!!" Mr. Terrific grabs his head in pain, and his T-spheres crash to the ground.

"Michael!" Karen's by his side a moment before I am.

"I'm...I'm alright. Something...something overloaded the T-spheres. Some kind of...weird signal. Felt like it was frying my brain for a second."

"Weird signal?"

"Something about fear...despair...death...? The spheres filtered some of it out."

"Sounds charming."

"What does it mean?" Courtney asks.

"I'm not sure. And I'm not sure I want to find out. You all get Michael back to Gotham. Maybe he can use the Brownstone computers to figure it out."

"What about you, Jay?"

"I'll stay around here. There's still plenty of work to do. And I'm going to try find the other Flashes."


***

THUD

The crowd roars in sympathetic pain and then the cheer that always follows a good fight.

I step over Kilowag's body and address the other Lanterns. "The big guy was right, you all need to stay here and train. But me, I'm going to help the others."

I look up into the sky and snap my body straight. Nothing happens. The crowd of Lanterns looks at me and each other in confusion. "Um...ring?"

Awaiting instruction

"Let's go help the other Lanterns, you know...in space."

Affirmative

Suddenly I'm in the air, rocketing towards the vacuum of space. Not quite the impressive departure I was looking for. Here's hoping I'm didn't just look before I leaped.

 

[Harlekin]

"Stay out of trouble, Ricky." With that warning, I leap out the window and into the night.

Gotham City’s Chinatown.

“It’s an odd place for an Italian to hide,” Jason Bard said as he looked up at the restaurant. ‘Uncle Charlie’s Super China #1’ was written in big, flashy letters on the front window and over the door. A sign hanging from it read ‘closed’. The door knob was sculpted in the form of a dragon’s head. Bard tested it, but the door wouldn’t budge.

“You like Chinese food?” he asked, turning to his partner. The Batman didn’t respond, his eyes scanning the building. Bard followed his eyes to a second story window, which was shuttered. Through small cracks in the blinds, the two investigators could see light shining through.
“So how do you want to play this? He’ll have muscle.”

At that moment, Bard could’ve sworn he saw the Batman smile.

 

[Byrd Man]

​

“So how do you want to play this? He’ll have muscle.”

At that moment, Bard could’ve sworn he saw the Batman smile.

"I'm counting on it."

I kick the locked door, knocking it off its hinges. The door crashes to the ground with a heavy thud. Bard and I step through the door and into the tacky restaurant. Gilded dragons and plastic red beads as far as the eye can see.

The shuffle of feet upstairs let's Bard and I know reinforcments are on the way. Four armed men run down the stairs. To the left, two kitchen works come out the swinging doors, cutlery in their hands.

"I take the four on the right, you take the two on the left."

Throwing my cape up, I leap into the air and distract the armed men. Their handguns go off and the bullets avoid my body, passing through my cape instead. I come down in the middle of them, attacking from all sides with my arms and legs. One of the men, a man with at least four inches and fifty pounds on me, whimpers in fear. I come close to smiling as I slam him through a table.

I only hope Bard is having as much fun as I am.

 

[Byrd Man]

EDIT: Double Post. **** THE HYPE!