The New Ultimate DC RPG

[Saved]

"Yeah! I'm fine!"

WHAM!

My one attacker catches me flush on the jaw with his fist and I slam up against my car.

"How can you punch so hard with a bullet hole in your shoulder for God's sake?!"

"Shut up!"

The wounded crook crabs me by my lapel and yanks me forward, laying into my stomach with a few punches. I struggle against his grip and finally find his weak spot, sticking my finger into his bullet wound.

"Yaaa!" He screams out in pain, collapsing to his knees. I keep digging into his wound until he's down on his knees and weeping.

"Yeah," I shout over to Hood. "I'm good. I take it these guys didn't follow us on their own accord, they were hired. I found this guys soft spot, wanna take a crack at finding out what he knows?"

Jason nods as he walks toward the thug, standing directly in front of him. "Alright," he begins, cracking his knuckles in an intimidating fashion. "Oksana Russovich - what do you know?" The man spits, sending a wad of saliva onto the mask of the Red Hood.
"I tell nothing."
"Let's try something else," he starts, grabbing the man by the shoulder with one hand and shoving his finger into the open wound with the other. "Who do you work for?" He grunts, pulling up violently on the warm and enflamed tissue. The man lets out a blood curdling cry, unable to keep his composure as Jason fiddles with the man's tendons deep within the flesh of his arm.

"Nayfeld," he stammers, trying to catch his breath. "Nayfeld."
"He's just a lackey!" Jason shouts, pushing in deeper, up to his third knuckle. "Who's your boss?" The man screams again, biting down on his tongue to find relief.
"I swear, it's Nayfeld!" He says with heavy breaths. "Cheechen does not know anything about this - he's doing it by himself."

"By himself," Jason mutters, stepping back from the man and turning his gaze to the Question. "You think Nayfeld's planning a coup?"

 

[Byrd Man]

"Nayfeld," he stammers, trying to catch his breath. "Nayfeld."
"He's just a lackey!" Jason shouts, pushing in deeper, up to his third knuckle. "Who's your boss?" The man screams again, biting down on his tongue to find relief.
"I swear, it's Nayfeld!" He says with heavy breaths. "Cheechen does not know anything about this - he's doing it by himself."

"By himself," Jason mutters, stepping back from the man and turning his gaze to the Question. "You think Nayfeld's planning a coup?"

I close my eyes and breath deeply, recalling Nayfield's file and all the facts and figures copped from the GCPD.

"No. He has a partner. Nayfield, after the fall of the Soviet Union, worked for the Red Mafiya in the Baltic, smuggling weapons, drugs, cars, and pretty much anything that could fetch a handsome price. Sometimes women were among those things smuggled, always against their will. The lack of a ransom note makes sense now. Nayfield didn't kidnap the girl to get money from her father, he's selling her into sexual slavery. Freaks from as far as the Middle East will pay out the nose for a white eight-year-old girl with blond hair."

I push Hood out the way and pull out my gun. I jab the barrel of the gun into the wound, causing the thug to convulse in pain.

"Where's the girl! Who is Nayfield selling her to?!"

"105 Avalon," he mutters weakly. "C-c-cobblepot."

His eyes roll into the back of his head and he passes out from the pain. I put my gun up and turn to Hood.

"You heard the man, 105 Avalon. Who else would be involved by that scumbag Cobblepot."

 

[Saved]

"Where's the girl! Who is Nayfield selling her to?!"

"105 Avalon," he mutters weakly. "C-c-cobblepot."

His eyes roll into the back of his head and he passes out from the pain. I put my gun up and turn to Hood.

"You heard the man, 105 Avalon. Who else would be involved by that scumbag Cobblepot."

"Cobblepot," Jason says with a hiss, nearly choking on the man's name. "A few months ago I caught him selling to kids. I warned him if I ever saw his face again things would be ... unpleasant."

Jason takes a moment to gain his composure, stifiling his rage at the thought of facing the bloated kingpin once more. After a few minutes, he lets out a heavy sigh and turns toward the Question's vehicle. "Come on," he goads the hero. "I don't want this fury to go to waste."

 

[Byrd Man]

Jason takes a moment to gain his composure, stifiling his rage at the thought of facing the bloated kingpin once more. After a few minutes, he lets out a heavy sigh and turns toward the Question's vehicle. "Come on," he goads the hero. "I don't want this fury to go to waste."

"Let's do it."

The car starts up with a roar and squeals tires as I slam it into gear. Within a few seconds, the GTO is back up pushing past 80 and the sights of Gotham are passing by in a blur.

"So you've had a run in with this guy and his soldiers? That's good. I'm kinda on new ground here with this guy, so it's good to know one of us isn't going into this thing blind."

With one hand holding on to the steering wheel, I reach into the backseat and grab hold of another weapon. A sawed-off 12-gauge pump.

"Don't worry," I assure Hood as I lay the pump on my lap. "This baby carries bean-bag rounds."

Just then, the CD player kicks on Phil Collins, In the Air Tonight. Talk about your perfect songs at the right goddamn time.

The song is winding down when I pull up to 105 Avalon. As expected, it's a typically cliche warehouse that looks bleak and foreboding.

"Just once I'd like to bust in on some bad guy's in a well lit convention center that's easy to navigate through."

Taking the shotgun from my lap, I exit the car and pump a round into the breech. "Let's go save a little girl."

 

[Mr. Majestic]

Like a shooting star, the child barreled through the air to the place where he had first felt the darkness that lived in space, the seat among the stars where the Martian Manhunter had shown them the Sta'rro existed. In the far distance, he could make out the two forms that remained in combat with the creature. Arms stretched out in front of him, the boy extended himself out like a cosmic bullet as he accelerated faster and faster toward the creature.

The boy struck the creature in one of its extremities, a tendril that had been moving to strike the Manhunter. Its flesh gave until the force of the impact and, as he erupted on the other side, the youth rotated around to face his opponent. The way in which it now writhed, retracting the tendril back, was evidence of the beast's silent scream in pain.

The blood now floating in amorphous orbs around him was a testament to the fact that he was not Superman. He was Superboy. And it appeared that he had just drawn first blood.

Almost immediately, the globules of blood were drawn back to beast as the wound closed before the child's eyes. But though the evidence of his attack was gone, the victory he'd sought had been won. This creature could be made to feel pain. Excellent.

Before the sun set on the Earth, the son of Zod would show this creature more of it.

Majestic stop his assault on Sta’rro as he sees blood coming from the creature. As Majestic looks for the one reasonable his eyes stumble on a kid, not just any kid but the Kryptonian boy he saw earlier speaking to Superman in Krypton’s native language.

<What are you doing out here?> Majestic asks while Sta’rro is temporally distracted by the pain the young Kryptonian inflected.

Even though the boy may have Superman’s powers he is still a child. Majestic wouldn’t be able to protect this Superboy and the Martian and keep the pressure on Sta’rro.

 

[Andy C.]

In my time serving in the Army, I have been to some very undesirable places. None, however, were quite as undesirable as the stomach of a twenty-story monster, which is where I find myself now.

All around me is dark, wet, and claustrophobic. Digestive slimes sting every inch of my body, and what little air I can breathe is foul beyond measure. As I push against the muscles that try and force me down the throat to its stomach, or what I assume must be the stomach--alien anatomy may be different from those of Earth. I hope I can find a weak spot in this creature--to die here would be slow, painful, and humiliating.

I gather the strength of a dozen pantheons around me, and channel it into my fists. There is a loud, wet SMACK as I punch against the inside of the monster's throat, tissue ripping and tearing. I take in as deep a breath as I can, then force my way into the hole I had created.

Moving through the tangles of sinew and muscle is a cross between climbing and swimming, my hands wrenching connective tissue apart as I go, looking for a way out that will also wound the creature. I would prefer not to kill such an astonishing beast, but if we do not stop it, it may be necessary--unrestrained, it may very well kill thousands.

Finally, I come to a hard wall--a plate of the creature's armored hide. I attempt first to simply bash through it, but to no avail. Squirming around inside the colossal beast, I find a seam in between two plates.

I straighten my hand into a chopping edge, then slice at the skin between the armored plates. Eventually, it gives way, a rush of blood pouring out into the city streets.

Wriggling my other hand in as well, I pry the two plates apart, and rip a large gaping gash down the creature's side. It shrieks in agony as I burst free, covered head to toe in the monster's blood, saliva, and digestive slime.

Touching down on the street, I turn and see the monster lurch over to the side, careening headlong into a building.

"Batman," I call out. "I've created a weak point along the beast's left side. Exploit that if at all possible. I may need a minute to vomit."

 

[Andy C.]

Lex Luthor
​

There's more to this arrangement than he's letting on. There has to be.

"Deal."

Right now, however, there's a world at stake. Whatever ulterior motives Luthor has for a later date, I'll deal with them as they come.

I smile, satisfied with myself. A summit wherein Superman and his new allies can all be gathered in one place, at one time. The perfect place to unleash the heart of the Blue, and enact the final stages of the Manhattan Project. If only I were certain I had a weapon that could work against him.

"Oh!" I suddenly exclaim as if I'd just remembered something. "There is one other favor I'd like to ask of you, if it's not too much....would it at all be possible to get a DNA sample from you?"

Superman immediately tenses up. This is very dangerous territory into which we venture, but now that I know he has no choice but to play my game, it's time I made a major play.

"Nothing particularly intrusive, I promise. A blood sample would understandably be out of the question, especially since I don't believe there is a needle on the planet that could prick you. However, a few flakes of skin, some strands of hair, perhaps? Even a bit of saliva would do."

His glare does not falter in the slightest, staring me down with those piercing blue eyes.....eyes that could turn me into smoke and ash if he so wanted.

"Understand, I'm a man of science above and beyond all other things, and you, Superman, may very well be the most physically advanced organism on the planet. Imagine the diseases I could cure, the disabilities I could make a thing of the past, the sheer amount of good that I could do if I unlock the secrets to such an incredible genome."

The building rumbles, even with its built-in seismic compensators working in overtime. The HUD displaying news footage across my contact lens shows the Wonder Woman fighting an enormous monster not far from my towers.

"The situation is getting more desperate, Superman, and you're going to need to make a choice very quickly. Now, how about you and I save the world together?"

 

[Bounce]

<What are you doing out here?> Majestic asks while Sta&#8217;rro is temporally distracted by the pain the young Kryptonian inflected.

The question drew the child's attention over to the enigmatic figure who somewhat resembled Superman. The boy hadn't had opportunity to observe the man enough to have formed an opinion of him yet, but the fact that he apparently resided on the planet Earth didn't speak very highly for him. The green-skinned Manhunter had shown himself to be a being of respectable power, but were they both just more in a string of n'er-do-wells who found something worth fighting for in a worthless race? <"What others are unwilling to,"> the youth answered finally, his small form easily maneuvering out of the way of a tendril that lashed out toward him.

Sta'rro might as well have been trying to swat a gnat for the differences in their sizes.

Pulling back his arm, the boy went on the offensive like a killer bee swarming a target. He didn't have the power that Superman did, but his size and speed contributed to a flurry of blows that were like the attack of a thousand paper cuts. He wasn't doing much in the way of damage; however, he was getting the creature's attention. A blast of energy from one of the tendrils struck the child in the side, sending him spinning off into space but the young Superboy was back in arm's reach of the creature the next second.

He dodged a second blast before a third caught him in the back, the swipe of a tendril batting him half way to Mars.

Physical bodies were amazing things. He could taste his blood, feel the pain, and sense the muscles of his body burn with exhaustion. And it was in these moments that Lor-Zod knew that he was alive. Not a wraith, not a vague existance upon the Phantom Zone, but tangible proof of life. He was not afraid. He was invigorated. Against the backdrop of a yellow sun, the child was eveloped in a warm energy that burned away any fears or hesitation. To live. To die, the evidence of having lived. To be.

He wouldn't ask for it. He wouldn't beg for it. He would take it.

Suddenly, Lor felt as though he understood a little more about the man that his father was. Propelling himself back into the middle of the fray, the Superboy drew the creature's blood a second time as he launched a renewed offensive.

 

[MST3K 4ever]

Lex Luthor
​

I smile, satisfied with myself. A summit wherein Superman and his new allies can all be gathered in one place, at one time. The perfect place to unleash the heart of the Blue, and enact the final stages of the Manhattan Project. If only I were certain I had a weapon that could work against him.

"Oh!" I suddenly exclaim as if I'd just remembered something. "There is one other favor I'd like to ask of you, if it's not too much....would it at all be possible to get a DNA sample from you?"

Superman immediately tenses up. This is very dangerous territory into which we venture, but now that I know he has no choice but to play my game, it's time I made a major play.

"Nothing particularly intrusive, I promise. A blood sample would understandably be out of the question, especially since I don't believe there is a needle on the planet that could prick you. However, a few flakes of skin, some strands of hair, perhaps? Even a bit of saliva would do."

His glare does not falter in the slightest, staring me down with those piercing blue eyes.....eyes that could turn me into smoke and ash if he so wanted.

"Understand, I'm a man of science above and beyond all other things, and you, Superman, may very well be the most physically advanced organism on the planet. Imagine the diseases I could cure, the disabilities I could make a thing of the past, the sheer amount of good that I could do if I unlock the secrets to such an incredible genome."

The building rumbles, even with its built-in seismic compensators working in overtime. The HUD displaying news footage across my contact lens shows the Wonder Woman fighting an enormous monster not far from my towers.

"The situation is getting more desperate, Superman, and you're going to need to make a choice very quickly. Now, how about you and I save the world together?"

Doris watches the one on one unfold from the control room.

She smirks as she hears Lex's request for a DNA sample.

Now let's see how far the Boy Scout is willing to go?

She then glances at the graphics and scanners keyed in on Superman.

Oh he is not liking this at all, but then again if you dance with the devil don't be surprised when you see the bill.

 

[MST3K 4ever]

The Atom begins to twitch violently almost going to convulsions.

She finally settles down for a moment as Mac hurries over to her and says, "Atom?"

She replies, "I've got to get to Star'ro and fast. I can already feel a psychonic bond developing. The voice in my head is getting louder and louder and..."

The Atom passes out.

She then opens her eyes and sees herself standing in a meadow on a bright sunny day as Rhiannon Palmer.

Okay this is getting interesting.

Rhiannon then hears a voice say, "Hello Rhiannon."

She turns quickly. It is a voice she recognizes. "Mom!?!?"

Her mother replies, "Well not really I am Star'ro I chose a form that you would find more comforting. I have read your mind. It is most interesting. You have a unique ability and you are quite intelligent. I could use someone of your talents."

Rhiannon says, "Never! I've seen what you are and what you do. I thrive on control of a species and their self-destruction."

Star'ro replies, "Oh come now Rhiannon. All species have very base desires and wants the strongest of them are able to overcome these desires and form a newer stronger society after I have dealt with them."

Rhainnon asks, "And what about those that don't survive?"

Star'ro says, "Then they were not meant to be."

Rhainnon replies, "I don't see it that way! These societies deserve the chance to work these desires out in their own ways without you!"

Star'ro turns away for a moment and then turns back. He says, "I will make a deal with you. Become my servant help acclimate others to my cause and I will not only show worlds and civilzations that you cannot begin to imagine, but I will also spare your planet."

Rhiannon closes her eyes and replies, "Deal."

Star'ro says, "Very well I assure you that you have made a wise choice for your future. When you awake you will gather an Oxygen tank and I will then encase you in a bubble so you may pass through the atomsphere and join me."

Rhiannon replies, "Remember this planet is to be spared."

Star'ro says, "Of course it will be spared."

The Atom opens her eyes. She is in a trance as she floats to her Oxygen tank.

Mac asks, "Atom? What are you doing? Are you all-right?"

The Atom turns to Mac and shoves him out of the way. She puts on her Oxygen Tank and is then encased in a red orb which floats through the ceiling and through the atmosphere.

She sees the other heroes fighting in space.

Star'ro says to her, "Pathetic and futile. I sense your feelings for them, soon they won't matter. All that matters is our cause."

The Atom replies very zombie like, "Yes Star'ro."

 

[J'adore]

.LESLIE WILLIS.

As Bette and Leslie are pulled out the car, they exchange looks of anxiety and worry. There arms are instantly clamped with a round silver bracelet type object, a soft red aura glows around it. A tight sack is pulled over Vicki's head, blocking her view. She's left in the car, the doors bolted and the windows covered. Her hands have been chained together as well as her ankles.

"Don't panic Ladies, those things just prevent you from using your powers, nothing painful..."

A seductive blond female walks out from the darkness of the underground parking zone. She wears a leather jacket, sharp pants and spike heeled boots. Her hair is swept to her right shouler and a gun is firmly held in her hand. With a nice touch of a silencer. The two large, bulky men beside her appear to be Japenese, no weapon visible. "The name's Valentina Vostok, I work close with Waller. The men beside you will kindly escort you,"

Leslie and Bette stay dead silent, their facial expressions now flat. The two large japense men holding them begin to walk, dragging the Checkmate agents with them.

They walk relucantly, the men following Valentina all the way down the parking zone, until they finally stop. A large, bottled, steel door stands in their way.

Scanning the eyes of all five of them, the door un-bolts automatically, slowly sliding to the left. Valentina wastes no time and dashes straight through in to the following room. The guards pace behind her, dragging Leslie and Bette behind them.

As Valentina enters the room she instantly drops her gun, her mouth hanging open in awe. The guards find bullets in their chests in seconds, blood exploding out onto the arms of Bette and Leslie.

Amanda Waller stands with her hands high in the air, a cloaked figure pointing a large gun to the back of her head. Dead Checkmate agents are sprawled across the floor, including Jessica Midnight. Leslie squints her eyes, wondering if Midnight's really dead or alive. Bette's head turns sharply as she raises her arms, looking over to Leslie.

Her arms remain by her side and Leslie holds on to a straight face. A dark skinned man groans on the floor, clutching a knife wound in his stomach. Leslie was eager to help him, she titled her head slightly, examining his blood stained jacket. It read 'Terrific'. How many times will I have to keep coming back to Checkmate in one night?

***

Struggling to breath under the sack, Vicki desperately grasps for the end of the sack with her chained hands. Her ears quickly pick up a muffled sound. It sounds like a car door opening, accompanined by the sound of metal falling the floor, releasing a loud echo. Screeches of a tyre and a loud buzzing alarm is all swallowed in by Vicki. She feels someone slide up next to her, a male build. A strong one to say the least.

Within a few seconds, Vicki could once again breath normally and her hands and ankles were broke free from the chains. She crawled to the edge of her seat, rubbing her head. The female called out from the front driving seat. Vicki rubbed her eyes as she saw that they were back in the dark streets of Metropolis.

"Vicki Vale, I'm Manhunter. I don't believe we've had the pleasure of meeting before..."
​

 

[Spike_x1]

I smile, satisfied with myself. A summit wherein Superman and his new allies can all be gathered in one place, at one time. The perfect place to unleash the heart of the Blue, and enact the final stages of the Manhattan Project. If only I were certain I had a weapon that could work against him.

"Oh!" I suddenly exclaim as if I'd just remembered something. "There is one other favor I'd like to ask of you, if it's not too much....would it at all be possible to get a DNA sample from you?"

Superman immediately tenses up. This is very dangerous territory into which we venture, but now that I know he has no choice but to play my game, it's time I made a major play.

"Nothing particularly intrusive, I promise. A blood sample would understandably be out of the question, especially since I don't believe there is a needle on the planet that could prick you. However, a few flakes of skin, some strands of hair, perhaps? Even a bit of saliva would do."

His glare does not falter in the slightest, staring me down with those piercing blue eyes.....eyes that could turn me into smoke and ash if he so wanted.

"Understand, I'm a man of science above and beyond all other things, and you, Superman, may very well be the most physically advanced organism on the planet. Imagine the diseases I could cure, the disabilities I could make a thing of the past, the sheer amount of good that I could do if I unlock the secrets to such an incredible genome."

The building rumbles, even with its built-in seismic compensators working in overtime. The HUD displaying news footage across my contact lens shows the Wonder Woman fighting an enormous monster not far from my towers.

"The situation is getting more desperate, Superman, and you're going to need to make a choice very quickly. Now, how about you and I save the world together?"

"If it will help gain your cooperation..." I reach up to my head and pull a single strand of hair out. "Here." I don't have time to wait for one of his assistants or whatever to come and properly bag and tag this genetic sample, so I merely put the tiny strand in Luthor's hand.

"Let's say we get in touch with STAR Labs now and get that frequency operational."

 

[Mr. Majestic]

Jim who is now the persona of Majestic watches in astonishment as the young Superboy causes a great deal of harm to Sta’rro. With every passing second Jim’s instincts speaks to him telling him to protect the child to make sure no serious damage comes to him but the more he observes the little Kryptonian the more he notices the boy can hold his own.

Now the same thing wouldn’t have been said if Majestic was himself. For if he was Majestrate the future Warlord of Khera, he would have believed that this child who fights in front of him showing courage and honorable characteristics would be one of the only ones on the planet Earth he would see fit to be in his presents. But thanks to Lex Luthor muddling in Majestrate’s mind the human personality Jim McArest that the prince of Khera thought he had done away with in the past has return but not without a price.

Unlike Kryptonians and Daxamites Majestic doesn’t gain his powers from the rays of the yellow sun. Instead Kherubims are born with their abilities and their limitations are affected by their confidence and willpower. By Majestic now having the mind of a human it has put a decrease on his powers leaving him at half percent of his true potential. For when he was Majestrate he believed there was nothing he couldn’t do and the word limitations wasn’t in his dictionary. Now that the Jim personality has resurfaced he is only a shadow of his former self.

No more a man on the side line Majestic joins in on the fight with Superboy delivering a combo of punches with a blast of heat vision to fallow aimed at the center of Stra’rro. If they plan on winning this battle it will take everyone working as a unit to do so.

 

[Saved]

(BATGIRL)​

Descending from my leap, I land onto the rooftop adjacent. I let my legs give and tuck into a roll, dispersing my weight across the surface with ease. By the next rotation, I reposition myself - pushing off from my legs and rising to my feet. I walk to the edge of the building and stalk the streets below, searching for crime.

"Nothing?" I question, surprised at how dull tonight has turned out to be. Well, dull besides meeting that boy earlier. Redbird, I think he told me was his name. I wonder if he goes to school with me ... I wonder if I'd recognize him on the street ... or if he'd recognize me.

Letting out a sigh, I roll my shoulder to pull the tight spandex of my suit away from my skin. "So humid..." I complain, trying to divert my attention by looking at the time on my cellphone. "One AM!?" I exclaim in shock. "It's only been an hour?" Amazing ... one hour's time has gone so slow it seems almost as if it's been a month.

"HEY! LET GO!" A voice says, breaching the silence. As I peer over the ledge, I see two women fending off an attacker cloaked in a black ski mask. The man fights with one of them for her purse, pulling hard as he tries to rip it away.

"Get off her!" The second one yells, hitting the man on his back.

Standing erect, I reach for the batarang at my belt and eye up the grounds below as I prepare to make my move. "Finally," I say in excitement as a grin comes over my face. "Some action."

Jumping off the ledge, I become airborne - falling through the air toward the streets beneath. My cape flows elegantly behind me, giving my figure a much larger appearance. Midway through my fall, my stomach rises within me - giving me the sensation like that on a roller coaster after a drop. As usual, I ignore the feeling - forgetting I even have it as I focus on my goal.

My fingers slide down the batarang in my hand, holding it by the wingtip between my first two fingers and thumb. In a strange blend of precision and instinct, I eye up the thug and throw the weapon, not leaving even a millisecond to second guess myself. With a whirling swish, the black crescent zips through the air - becoming near invisible as it passes in and out of the shadows.

I look away as I prep my body to hit the ground, loosening the joints in my legs while tightening my upper body. With great force I hit the sidewalk, landing on my toes first, then leaning forward and lessening the blow with my palms. As my cape falls about me with a rippling rush of wind, I hear the attacker yell out in pain, followed by the sound of his body hitting the floor.

"What the-" he begins, only to be cut off by the women as they murmer in gasps, looking about for the origin of the object.

Raising my head fast, I expand my vision - looking for the batarang as it prepares to return. Hearing the familiar hiss the device makes as it cuts through the air, I hold out my arm and catch it, just barely, in the center of my hand. I'm still not used to catching this thing, and it shows - my hand throbs in pain as the tendons seem to reverberate from the hit. I feel the cool metal against my skin, and I realize the batarang has cut through my glove - slicing me with it's thin edge. "Ow..." I say under my breath, alerting the two women in front of me.

"What's that?" One shouts, locking her eyes onto me. I raise my head and slowly move to stand, the cape covering my body like a veil of darkness. As one of the girls stares at my head, she sees the horns of my helmet, and covers her mouth in awe.

"Jean, it's - it's..."
"I know, it's-" I smirk slightly, proud to know my reputation has spread. "A vampire!"
"RUN!"

The girls take off, running down the street as fast as they can, screaming in fear at the top of their lungs. I let out a sigh of dispair, realizing I'm not as well known as I had thought. "I thought everyone was into vampires," I inquire.

Suddenly, the mugger begins to stir. I approach him slowly, taking caution as I close in. He lifts his head and stares at me groggily. "Oh crap..." he grumbles, throwing himself to his feet awkwardly. "It's friggin' Batman!" As the man attempts to run, I rush him - kicking my leg forward and hitting him just below the spine - sending him back to the ground.

I look at the man with a curious glance as he groans in pain. "Batman?" I question with attitude. "Seriously, dude, how hard did I hit you?"

I shrug, unsure of how I could be confused for a man who's about a foot taller and 100 pounds heavier than me. As I shake my head I reach to my belt for the hand ties as I attempt to subdue the criminal. "It's Batgirl, by the way," I tell him, pulling his arms behind him and slipping the tie over his wrists. "Feel free to spread awareness when you get to lockup."

"B-Bat...girl?" He asks, almost mumbling. "... That's s-stupid." Great - everbody's a critic.

"Look, I didn't exactly give the name to myself, alright? I was going for batwoman, but the media wasn't having that..."

"Ha ha ... that's, heh, that's still stupid." He mocks, snickering on the ground. Without warning, he forces his head back - trying to his my face with the crown of his skull. Reacting fast, I move out of the way, allowing him to miss me completely. Quickly, I grab his collar and force him backward - forcing him to the sidewalk's rough surface once more.

"It may be stupid," I say, pausing to take a breath. "But I'm still better than you. My advice? Don't try that again, slick."

The sound of sirens suddenly pierces the air, killing the quiet atmosphere of the block. "Looks like your friends called for help," I tell him with a grin. "Tell the officers I said, 'hi'."

Without missing a beat, I run off down the street and make my exit. As I duck into an alley, I hear the police car pull up - just in time.

 

[J'adore]

.LESLIE WILLIS.

"Valentina, how nice of you to bring along your little friends," Another blonde female caught the eye of Leslie. She held a gun in her hand, pressed tight against Amanda Waller's head. Valetina didn't answer, she just stood silent, not a muscle flinching.

"King, Nemesis, grab the girls...I'll deal with Miss Vostok,"

Two large men marched over to Leslie and Bette, grabbing their arms and lifting them an inch of the ground. They were carried and placed down behind the female.

She didn't wait for Bette, or anyone else for that matter. It only took a quick glance towards the direction of Jessica, which pushed her buttons. And so, with two elbows in the stomach, one fist up in the jaw, a kick round the shins and foot between the groin, Leslie was free from the large male. "Oi, Vostok, get your a** down!"

Ducking without any hesitation, Leslie blasted her arms forward, consecutive electrical blasts sending their way towards the head of the armed female. Bette struggled to break free, with the male holding her drawing more attention, after Leslie's previous escape. The man who Leslie had just injured picked himself up again, swinging a punch.

She ducked and kicked the male right in the stomach, swiping the gun out of his pouch. "If you're some so called 'King', then here are your crowl jewels!"

A leg flew up between his legs faster than anyone could have expected. He groaned in pain, collapsing back onto the lifeless body of a Checkmate agent.

BANG, BANG BANG

The loud gunfire and the scream of Bette made Leslie feel dizzy. She didn't dare to turn round, just earing the chaos erupt was enough for her. "You're powers don't work around me, dear. I'm Cameron Chase, the world's first metahuman hunter,"
​

 

[Eddie Brock]

SUPERGIRL

Summer in Keystone.

Maybe my last summer in Keystone, actually. It's weird. I've spent practically my whole life here, yet it's never really felt like home. Like a lot of my classmates - former classmates now, I guess - I'm looking forward to moving on to bigger and better things. And somehow, I feel like my true destiny awaits in Metropolis...

Anyway, I still have a few more months before any of that. And the Girl of Steel is now the Girl of Paper-or-Plastic. Ugh. Part-time jobs suck, but I need the money. And while working as a cashier may not compare to saving lives, at least it gives me something to do during the day that isn't potentially life-threatening.

Truth be told, I've been doing the whole "superheroine" thing less and less these days. I feel bad, but I just haven't had a lot of time for it. When I'm not working, I'm doing something that somehow involves getting ready for school. Besides, half the time I show up and the Flash has already beaten me to it. Maybe he is the Fastest Man Alive.

Plopping down on my bed after a particularly stressful day of work, I close my eyes and picture life in Metropolis. Flying high above those skyscrapers, cape fluttering in the wind, Superman out there somewhere...

Upon logging into Facebook, I find an interesting little surprise.

1 NEW FRIEND REQUEST.

CHLOE SULLIVAN

hey! so i guess we're going to be roommates next year! looking forward to meeting you!

Roommates, huh?
​

 

[Saved]

"Let's do it."

The car starts up with a roar and squeals tires as I slam it into gear. Within a few seconds, the GTO is back up pushing past 80 and the sights of Gotham are passing by in a blur.

"So you've had a run in with this guy and his soldiers? That's good. I'm kinda on new ground here with this guy, so it's good to know one of us isn't going into this thing blind."

With one hand holding on to the steering wheel, I reach into the backseat and grab hold of another weapon. A sawed-off 12-gauge pump.

"Don't worry," I assure Hood as I lay the pump on my lap. "This baby carries bean-bag rounds."

Just then, the CD player kicks on Phil Collins, In the Air Tonight. Talk about your perfect songs at the right goddamn time.

The song is winding down when I pull up to 105 Avalon. As expected, it's a typically cliche warehouse that looks bleak and foreboding.

"Just once I'd like to bust in on some bad guy's in a well lit convention center that's easy to navigate through."

Taking the shotgun from my lap, I exit the car and pump a round into the breech. "Let's go save a little girl."

Jason nods as he closes the car door softly. As the two heroes approach the warehouse, Jason takes note of the area - surveying the land carefully.

"Wait," he whispers, grabbing Question by the shoulder. "This place is probably crawling with henchmen. If we alert any of them, it could put Oksana in danger." He turns away, looking to the warehouse again. "I've got an idea - I'll take the roof, you take the backdoor. If we play this right, we'll box Rayfeld and his lackeys in - and hopefully elliminate any surprises as well."

 

[Byrd Man]

"Wait," he whispers, grabbing Question by the shoulder. "This place is probably crawling with henchmen. If we alert any of them, it could put Oksana in danger." He turns away, looking to the warehouse again. "I've got an idea - I'll take the roof, you take the backdoor. If we play this right, we'll box Rayfeld and his lackeys in - and hopefully elliminate any surprises as well."

"That sounds like a plan to me."

Gripping my shotgun, I sneak around the warehouse and slip in through a side door. I point the shotgun forward and navigate through the dark building, singing under my breath.

"Well I remember, I remember don't worry worry. How could I ever forget, it's the first time, the last time we ever met met met met met. But I know the reason why you keep your silence up up up up. No you don't fool me. The hurt doesn't show, but the pain still grows. It's not stranger to you and me. Dun nun nun nun nun nunnan! I can feel coming in the air tonight night night night. Oh lord!"

"Hands up!" A sharp voice calls out. I stop cold and squint through the darkness. A man with a sub-machine gun is in front of me with the barrel of his gun leveled at my chest.

"Drop the gun or I'll waste you."

I sigh and toss the shotgun to the ground.

"Anything else?"

I pull my .45 out the shoulder holster and lay it down next to the shotgun.

"That all?"

Shaking my head, I pull out a snubnose .38 from the holster in my right sock...and the brass knuckles hidden in my left sock...and the taser in my left jacket pocket....and the pepper spray in my other jacket pocket...and the switchblade in my pants pocket....and the collapsible nightstick in my left pants pocket...and the nunchucks in my waistband. All told, nine weapons clattered in a pile at my feet.

"Jesus," the assailant says.

"Second amendment rights, buddy. It's America, love it or leave it."

"Anything else?"

Letting out a long sigh, I pull off my fedora, revealing a stun grenade sitting on the top of my head.

"Here you go!"

Pulling the pin, I toss the grenade at the gunman's feet.

The flashbang goes off, blinding and deafening him...and me in the process.

"Ahh!"

My scream seems to echo from far away as I stumble towards the gunman. I feel my fist slap against metal. Apparently, I've knocked his gun out of his hands. Swinging wildly, I land a solid blow somewhere on the man's head and drop him down to the ground like a ton of bricks.

Blind, deaf, and hatless, I stumble through the darkness of the warehouse oblivious to my surroundings.

 

[Batman]

Wriggling my other hand in as well, I pry the two plates apart, and rip a large gaping gash down the creature's side. It shrieks in agony as I burst free, covered head to toe in the monster's blood, saliva, and digestive slime.

Touching down on the street, I turn and see the monster lurch over to the side, careening headlong into a building.

"Batman," I call out. "I've created a weak point along the beast's left side. Exploit that if at all possible. I may need a minute to vomit."

With the assurance of his ally's safety, not to mention her surprising amount of durability, Batman felt a sense of liberation as the creature doubled over in the agony from the infliction of Wonder Woman's attack. But while it's cries of torment were quakening enough to shatter the windows of buildings surrounding them, still making it a legitimate threat, the creature had unknowingly placed itself in a position primed for an even more devastating assault. And with Wonder Woman recovering, The Dark Knight realized that in order to stop the beast's rampage once and for all, they'd need to improvise an attack on a scale greater than themselves. A challenge, but it was one that he was prepared to embark upon.

Leaping onto the top of a nearby car, he reached into the back of his belt and produced several pieces of the same weapon, culminating into a recently developed Waynetech prototype. Snapping the pieces into place, Batman lifted it with careful aim at the creature's hide, revealing the weapon's final shape to be similar to that of a military-grade assault rifle. But once it began firing, the gun produced a far cry from a round of bullets - rather, a series of electrical charges began to riddle the creature's spine.

"Oracle,", He began, with urgency.

"Divert all power to charges. Concentrate all satellite defenses towards output."

Be Advised,

Established Uplink Will Be Compromised.

I Will Be Unable To Assist You Further.

Knowing that it'd take several weeks to repair the damage to his systems, Batman reluctantly put aside his indifference and continued the process manually, shutting down his own connection with the Waynetech satellite to allow a faster transferrence over to the charges. As The Oracle's systems began to fade from his cowl's readout screen, Batman gave it one final command.

"Just do it."

In seconds, the charges were active. And as Wonder Woman looked up to meet Batman's gaze of the creature, an extraordinarily bright light engulfed the area, causing them both to immediately avert their eyes. Vast amounts of electricity shot out of the charges one by one, each hitting Star'ro's beast with a more powerful blast than the next. The creature writhed back and forth in it's place and uttered a loud, blood curdling scream, as it's skin began to visibly crack from within. Unbeknownst to Wonder Woman at the moment, Batman had indeed taken her advice and exploited the opening in it's side. Because now, in an attack joined with the electrocution from the outside, it's blood had boiled and it's muscles had crackled, giving way into fire. The creature was burning from the inside.

Flames burst forth from it's damaged organs as electricity scarred it's stomach, working around the entire body until the beast couldn't even fight it anymore. Just as the charges drained the remainder of the Waynetech satellite's reserve power, the beast fell limp and finally died, entirely charred to oblivion with it's chest cavity bursting open, beginning to smoke. Metropolis was now home to a behemoth's corpse, left in wake to the evidence of it's destruction to part of the city itself.

But beneath the scene, two unlikely champions stood victorious. Star'ro had lost a battle in a war that was slowly ending before it had even really began. In a valiant effort to preserve hundreds of lives, Batman and Wonder Woman had done part of the work - now, the rest was up to the others. For the first time tonight, the invasion seemed to be an obstacle that the assembled group could actually manage to overcome.

Looking over to his ally as she wiped the creature's blood clean from her face, The Dark Knight remained silent, weighing out his next . But his curiosity was piqued as she looked back, giving him a look that he had only recieved once before - from, what he thought, was a different woman entirely. It only took him moments to realize that this wasn't the case, and that the piercing blue eyes that had only escaped his notice due to her bright and colorful uniform belonged to a ghost from Bruce Wayne's past. He paused with the revealation, unable to contain his surprise before his better instincts could prevent it.

"...Diana?"

 

[MST3K 4ever]

The Atom passes through St'arro's skin and is soon facing a pulsating blueish orb.

St'arro says, "Welcome Atom you are about to fulfill your destiny. You will now become a part of me and together we shall reap a harvest unlke anything the universe has seen."

The Atom almost in a daze but slowly coming out of it says, "Remember you said the Earth would be sparred."

St'arro replies, "Oh but of course it will be I still have long term-plans for it.."

The Atom now out of her zombie like state replies, "What do you mean?"

St'arro states, "I said I would spare the planet I made no such statement concerning the people. I find it will make a most excellent breeding ground for our off-spring."

The Atom now discovers she is paralyzed. She says, "St'arro what are you doing to me? Breeding ground? Off-Spring? What do you...mean?"

The Atom's eyes grow in horror as she slowly realizes what is about to happen.

I have a very sick feeling about this.

St'arro replies, "You Atom have a much higher purpose for me. By merging with me I will now posses certain qualities of yours within your DNA specifically your shrinking abilities. You will be the genesis of a new breed of spore. They will be our children. You are about to become a mother. I know it is hard to undertand but in time you will. My current spores are so obvious but imagine spores that are microscopic so that there are no traces of infection until it's too late."

The Atom struggles but finds she still can't move.

St'arro almost annoyed says, "Give up young fool. There is nothing you can do. Soon our children will erase all traces of your former pathetic race."

The Atom says, "It doesn't matter in a few moments...."

St'arro interupts, "Oh yes that pathetic sonic weapon you came up with. Since you and I are merging that means I will also be incorperating your brain waves and patterns thus nulifying any effect that your weapon may have upon me. Now enough of this petty resistence Atom it's time to join."

The orb Atom is encased in slowly begins to draw nearer and nearer to St'arro.

 

[Andy C.]

Lex Luthor
​

"If it will help gain your cooperation..." I reach up to my head and pull a single strand of hair out. "Here." I don't have time to wait for one of his assistants or whatever to come and properly bag and tag this genetic sample, so I merely put the tiny strand in Luthor's hand.

"Let's say we get in touch with STAR Labs now and get that frequency operational."

"Yes...let's do that," I say, barely focused on anything but the strand of hair I've been handed. The genetic information Superman has just given me may open gateways to limitless possibilities. The things I could do with a sample of the Man of Tomorrow's DNA.....

But, of course, there is an invading cosmic horror to contend with first.

I activate the primary command console on my desk, tapping into the LexCorp satellite system.

"Uplinking with the Titan satellite now," I say, letting Superman know most of what I'm doing. No need to let him know I'm also automatically prepping my private laboratory for a full spectral analysis of the hair follicle. "Receiving the frequency from STAR Labs....and voila. We now have a fully-functioning sonic cannon capable of reducing the Sta'rro spawn to jelly."

I make a few adjustments to the amperage of the signal, boosting its strength by at least three times what STAR Labs were able to manage.

"And for the coup de grace, I'm currently charging up the mass-accelerator rail cannon on the Lunar Watchtower--I trust that you can keep its existence a secret, Superman," I say with a grin, just short of giving him a wink. Even if he did go to the authorities about the Watchtower, its active camouflage generator made it impossible to locate without physically being on the moon's surface. "If the frequency doesn't stop Sta'rro, then perhaps a stake of solid tungsten the size of the Empire State Building plunging through his eye at a third of Lightspeed might do it."

 

[Spike_x1]

I'm far from comfortable with allowing Luthor to kill the creature if the frequency can't put a stop to it, but I have to admit that I'm fresh out of alternative solutions.

Operating on the theory that the frequency will do its job, however, I'm running through various plans on what to actually do with the massive alien once its invasion is stopped. I still haven't gotten my Phantom Zone projector up and running at the Fortress yet, and I highly doubt that any facility on Earth would be capable of holding such a large and potentially dangerous specimen. I guess I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.

"Superman?! Superman, are you there?"

I can see one of STAR Lab's scientists appear in a video window on one of the monitors with an uplink to STAR. He looks very panicked and worried about something. "I'm here, Doctor. What's wrong?"

"It's the Atom, Superman! She... she... was kidnapped by Sta'rro! Some sort of bubble formed around her and she just started soaring through the air towards it! I don't know what--"

"I'll get her back."

Just as I step back out onto the balcony and am about to take to the air, I look back at Luthor over my shoulder.

"I don't have to tell you to do what needs to be done if I can't rescue the Atom." A quick glance at the onscreen specs for Luthor's rail cannon makes my blood run cold. "In the mean time, I'd turn that frequency on right about now."

 

[Catman_prb]

J'onn J'onnz opened his eyes. He was floating rather peacefully, though away from the gigantic body of Sta'rro. He blinked slowly, trying to clear his head of the sleep that occupied it. His green skin had turned pale as the oxygen stores his body so desperately needed started to be depleted. He could see half-sized figures fighting the thrashing creature valiantly, and he tried to move towards them, but his arm wouldn't move.

He noticed a bubble moving rapidly up from the Earth's atmosphere. It moved past him, and he could see an unconscious Atom within. He frowned as the bubble moved towards the creature and was absorbed into the creature's thick skin. He shook his head, trying to spur his body into movement. He growled, a feral sound that no one could hear in the vacuum of space, tapping into some deepset animal nature that even he had not known existed.

He moved as fast as lightening towards the behemoth, past the struggling heroes, around the flailing tentacles, through the unfortunate parasites that lay in his path, and finally he came to the beast. He hammered his fists on impossibly hard scales. He summoned up the last vestiges of his psychic strength.

-STA'RRO! YOUR SOUL IS MINE-

J'onn, his eyes burning red, continued to beat at the flesh of the creature, grabbing it, rending it, attempting to reach the hero inside.

 

[Catman_prb]

Twenty minutes later, headlights flash on my car. Jim Gordon chewing gun, sour look on his face. Get out the car, reaching for my cigs.

"Good evening, sir. Sorry about calling you up at this hour. Cigarette?"

Hold out the pack, Gordon remains silent.

"Maybe it's best if we get down to why I called you out here. I've got some heat on me right now, an IA guy who thinks his **** don't stink. He's so far up my ass that I can taste his aftershave everytime I burp. What's worse, he's not working with the GCPD in this investigation into my career. No, he's working with the DA and I need leverage on him...who better to help me with that than James Gordon, the commish himself."

"This is what you called me out here for at this ****ing time? I thought Maroni had tried to kill you again," Gordon grumbled, taking a cigarette and smoking it. Sarah would rip his balls off if she knew, but smoking was one of the few vices he couldn't get over. He paused, mulling over what his newest lieutenant had said.

"Jesus, Nygma, I thought you'd be a decent dirty cop, not some wet behind the ear recruit. Who is this guy, and what's he got on you? I can't help you if I don't know how far up to your neck you're in this ****,"

 

[Byrd Man]

"This is what you called me out here for at this ****ing time? I thought Maroni had tried to kill you again," Gordon grumbled, taking a cigarette and smoking it. Sarah would rip his balls off if she knew, but smoking was one of the few vices he couldn't get over. He paused, mulling over what his newest lieutenant had said.

"Jesus, Nygma, I thought you'd be a decent dirty cop, not some wet behind the ear recruit. Who is this guy, and what's he got on you? I can't help you if I don't know how far up to your neck you're in this ****,"

"Get something straight, I am not a dirty cop. You're the mother****er I pulled out of the **** on that Holiday thing. These mother****ers are jamming me up because they need a lamb to sacrifice and I'm int. Look, **** it. I don't need your help. I'll call up Bullock and Driver and convince this mother****er Bock to drop his case against me the hard way."