The New Ultimate DC RPG

[Batman]

An evening of chaos had been enough to deal with, but now, literal piles of corpses had been laid to waste all across the wedding's floor. And the attacker responsible for their senseless murders had only needed a few seconds to pull it off. Whoever he was and whatever stake he had in committing a small massacre on Sal Maroni's guests didn't even matter at the moment. Simply stopping the madness that he had unleashed had suddenly become Batman's number one priority.

Leaping directly at the man calling himself "Bane", The Dark Knight somersaulted over one of the downed tables and slammed the heels of both his boots into the behemoth's chest. But instead of being knocked onto the ground ground, his opponent had barely even staggered. Producing a few more batarangs into his palm as he landed, Batman slipped them between each of his fingers and sliced away at Bane's abdomen, hoping to bring about even a semblance of suffering to the towering man that stood before him. But no reaction, not even one of mere amusement, came about. It was as if the monster was incapable of feeling anything - be it remorse for his victims, or physical pain.

He growled, stabbing into Bane's forearms and thrusting his knee hard into the chest. Several people had just died, and Batman already felt like he could have prevented it if he had acted faster. All of his frustrations were about to be taken out on the man responsible.

"I don't know where the hell you came from, but you just gave me a reason to hurt you."

"No one else dies tonight!"

 

[Spike_x1]

"Of that, I'm afraid you are mistaken." In a single fluid motion, I snap my elbow outward and catch Batman in the chin as his knee to my chest probably bruises one of my ribs. Thankfully, I learned a technique long ago on how to lock away the troublesome sensation of pain from a cellmate in Peña Duro during my young teenage years. The sore rib will not even be noticed.

Continuing my arm's motion, I grab the weapon that Wayne had plunged into my forearm and yank it out.

"I had honestly expected more from you during our first meeting, Batman." Suddenly, I notice that a soft rain has begun and the crowd has slowly died down, both literally and metaphorically, from the large population it was mere minutes ago. The police will be here soon, en masse.

I've been frequently told that I'm surprisingly fast and agile, considering my size, so I'm not surprised at the look of shock on my foe's face when I leap into a flying kick that takes him off guard.

My kick sends him to the floor, but Wayne is more than skilled enough to roll with it and absorb the brunt of the impact. "I want you to know that this is not my ideal circumstance for our confrontation, Batman." Cracking my knuckles and lowering myself into a fighting stance, I watch for any sudden movements. "Men such as you and I should have a far grander setting for a meeting like this."

 

[Batman]

My kick sends him to the floor, but Wayne is more than skilled enough to roll with it and absorb the brunt of the impact. "I want you to know that this is not my ideal circumstance for our confrontation, Batman." Cracking my knuckles and lowering myself into a fighting stance, I watch for any sudden movements.

Rising slowly from the floor, even though his chest still heaves with pressure from his enemy's kick, Batman takes a silent look at his enemy. His tone conveys absolute confidence, and his words even trifle the line of arrogance. He's evidently achieved alot more than the murders he's committed tonight. But if his earlier claims of attacking Maroni's cartels before are true, how could he have escaped Batman's notice for this long? Could he have been operating in Gotham for months? Years? Tonight's display of vicious atrocity would also seem to suggest that he's received previous training. He wasn't just a skilled marksman - Bane was fast, focused, and incredibly precise. Not unlike The Dark Knight 's own methods, with one clear exception made for lethality. For once, it seemed like he was facing an opponent that was on the same level as he was. Maybe even more advanced than he realized. Who the hell am I dealing with?

"Men such as you and I should have a far grander setting for a meeting like this."

Reaching into the back of his belt, Batman noticed that Bane was already charging, as if anticipating the move would come. The vigilante hadn't even touched the weapon he was going for before he found himself in the grip of the behemoth, tackled backward in such a speed that the world around both men was rendered into nothing but a blur. All he could see with clarity was the reflection in the lenses of Bane's mask, which told him of the immediate danger - he and Bane were both heading for the edge, where an already weak looking barricade wasn't likely to keep them back.

Bracing himself for impact, Batman closed his eyes as Bane sent them both into flight, smashing through the barricade with ease and diving directly into the skyline of Gotham City. As Batman's limbs flailed and Bane's grip tightened, the vigilante's fingers finally reached the weapon that he originally sought - The Batclaw, his grapnel launcher. Grabbing Bane by the back of his costume, he violently sliced the protrusions jetting out of his gauntlets into Bane's skin, forcing his enemy to release him.

"My sentiments..."

With a twist, Batman forced Bane beneath him and fired the grapnel at a nearby gargoyle, arching into a swing by the time that the line went taut. Even though he was incredibly heavy to lift, Batman managed to hold on just a few seconds longer before finally letting go, sending his enemy directly into a water tower on a nearby rooftop. As Bane fell from it's side and onto the ground, quick to pick himself up, Batman landed on his feet infront of him. His fists clenched and in contrast, he was now the one readied with a proper fighting stance.

"...exactly."

 

[Saved]

(BATGIRL)​

"This isn't a discussion, Barbara."
And with that, he was gone. Disappeared into the very night that had bred both of them.

****​

From the personal Diary of Barbara Gordon:

August 26

It’s true when people say this city is ungrateful. No one says “thank you” for the hard work you do – even if you put your life on the line to save theirs, the story remains the same. I used to think that there were some people out there who were different – people like me who appreciate and admonish the servitude, but now I realize how naïve I was to believe that.

I finally met him - him- the silent guardian and protector of Gotham; the man who saved my life and inspired me to fight back against crime and evil. I thought, of all people, he’d be the one to understand – that he’d be the one to appreciate someone else taking up the good fight against injustice. But now I understand that I was foolish to think that as well. It appears this city’s ‘dark knight’ is just another citizen trying to control the system, and place it under his command.

As I finish the last sentence, I close my diary and let out a heavy sigh. "Nearly two months ago," I tell myself, my voice nearly quivering. "And it still hits me just as hard now as it did then." I place the diary back on the dresser next to the cell phone the Red Hood gave me. "Heh," I laugh weakly as I think about the crimson hero. "At least someone believes in me."

Casually, I step toward my window - gazing out the dirt stained glass to the glow of the city lights only blocks away. "I've come so far," I whisper, seeming not to realize I'm speaking aloud. "I'm sorry I let you down, Jimmy, sorry I trusted everyone else to be the hero and save the day. But that's why I became Batgirl - not for fun, not for myself. I did it for every one - all the people out there who expect a hero, like I did. For all the people who haven't yet found the courage within themselves to stand up for what's right."

My head raises high and my face tightens as a sense of determination overtakes me. "Gotham's heroes aren't just people - they're symbols - something for people to believe in, to be inspired by. Things are already starting to change. So much has happened over the last year ..." I pause, staring blindly through the darkness of the night as I become lost within my own thoughts once again.

"I can only imagine what's next to come."

​

 

[Spike_x1]

"My sentiments..."

With a twist, Batman forced Bane beneath him and fired the grapnel at a nearby gargoyle, arching into a swing by the time that the line went taut. Even though he was incredibly heavy to lift, Batman managed to hold on just a few seconds longer before finally letting go, sending his enemy directly into a water tower on a nearby rooftop. As Bane fell from it's side and onto the ground, quick to pick himself up, Batman landed on his feet infront of him. His fists clenched and in contrast, he was now the one readied with a proper fighting stance.

"...exactly."

"Now this is closer to what I was hoping for! Provoking these crueler instincts of yours has made this all the better!"

My first strike is a feint that Wayne easily sees through, letting my fist glance off of his shoulder. I need to be mindful of his cape, as I believe that the pointed tips of it are weighted with the intent to be used as a disorienting weapon. My next offensive attack comes when I instantly drop to the ground and attempt to sweep the legs out from beneath Batman, but he manages to avoid it by backflipping out of my range.

This may not be such a disappointment after all, I muse as a smile creeps across my face under my mask and my opponent makes his counterattack.

"Do you recognize my movements yet?" Lunging forward, my fingers are tempered steel as they strike at Batman's temple. Any self-respecting modern warrior would have his head protected, but I can still feel the ceramic plate in his cowl crack under the pressure. "Mastering the Whispering Hand technique has taken me years of study, but I believe it was worth the effort." I follow it up with a simple elbow strike to the Dark Knight's chest, which he skillfully deflects and then braces himself for any forthcoming attacks. "The Keysi Fighting Method is more pedestrian, but is still suitable for close-quarters combat. Wouldn't you agree?"

As if in response, Wayne's own fist strikes my head in a flash, which I believe splits my eyebrow beneath my mask. Momentarily disoriented, my chin suddenly explodes in a pain that comes too quickly for me to outright ignore.

Instinctively, a wild hammer strike knocks Batman away from me, but it wasn't focused enough to harm him. "Tell me," I say, giving myself the moment I need to regain my composure, "how safe do you believe Salvatore Maroni is at this moment? Or have I skyrocketed to the top of your list of priorities, ahead of the crimelord's safety? Do you suppose he's dead yet?"

 

[Eddie Brock]

SELINA KYLE

Batman and I make brief eye contact. I hesitate. In the middle of all this chaos, he's not going to confront me. I duck underneath a table and continue in my pursuit of Maroni. I pass a little girl, huddled behind a wall, crying. I know the feeling. Her life will never be the same after this day.

"Little girl?" My voice is drowned out by the gunfire. I crawl towards her, but someone beats me to it and scoops her up. The little girl hugs her daddy as he carries her to safety. I feel a tinge of relief - not just because she's safe, but also because with every second Maroni comes closer to escaping.

Just then, the rooftop is ambushed by a masked assailant and his crew. The new arrival draws the attention of the crowd, including Batman, which gives me a chance to stand up straight. I catch a glimpse of someone racing towards the exit, and I know instantly who it is.

Maroni.

I chase after the coward, paying no attention to the madness which has erupted on the rooftop behind me. My mind is focused on one goal, and one goal alone. I drop my shoulder into the exit door as bullets whiz by.

I can hear Maroni's hurried footsteps echoing throughout the stairwell. For all his talk about family, he has no qualms abandoning them to save himself. A real man would've stayed on the roof and confronted his attackers. I have to catch him. If he escapes tonight, he'll hole himself up somewhere where he knows he'll be safe. I can't take that risk.

I leap over the handrail, dropping down a floor. I tuck into a roll on impact to save my ankles. I hear a spooked gasp from Maroni, who must've heard me. He isn't far now.

Maroni bursts through a door another floor down, racing out into the hallway. I ran as fast as I can after him, the gun feeling like a dead weight in my hand. Maroni turns a corner at the far end of the hallway, barking out, "Behind me! Behind me!"

Just then, two of his goons pop out from around the corner, immediately opening fire. I duck behind a housekeeping cart. My heartbeat races. Nothing will stand in my way. Not when I'm so close. I glance up, spotting a fire sprinkler protruding from the ceiling. I shoot at it once, causing the sprinkler to break and water to come rushing out. In turn, the entire system goes off, drenching Maroni's henchmen.

I charge down the hallway, firing two shots right into the kneecaps of Maroni's men. As they fall, I kick away their guns and keep running. Unfortunately, though, Maroni is nowhere to be seen. He could have gone anywhere. I lost him.
​

 

[Eddie Brock]

SUPERGIRL

After explaining to my extremely worried parents what had happened to me, we crammed into the car and were on our way. We spent a good part of the first half hour talking about Matrix and the things she showed me, the things about my first "home." My parents asked me how I felt about it, but I didn't really have an answer. That could have been my life, but instead I'm here. No point in thinking about "what if," really.

Still, it made me all the more determined to find Superman.

As we drove on, I watched the cornfields pass by and thought about the life I was leaving behind here. I suddenly felt very tired, so I put in my iPod headphones and closed my eyes. The music grew quieter and quieter until I drifted away.

***

After staying in a hotel overnight, we ate breakfast and jumped into the car to complete the second leg of the journey. Much like the day before, I drifted in and out of consciousness. I spent my waking hours thinking about what I was going to do in Metropolis, and my dreams were filled with vivid images of Superman and I, as well as our shared home planet.

"Linda?"

I open my eyes.

"We're here, honey. Look."

As the Metropolis skyline looms before us, I smile. In many ways, though I've never been here before, it feels like I'm coming home.

​

 

[Byrd Man]

​

Back in my car. Watching the door to the Ritz halfway down the block. Watching Maroni rush out and jump into his sports car. Speed off down the street. Start my car and hit the siren, going the opposite direction.

Gotta outrun him. Gotta beat him there.

Police cars speed by. Cruisers, SWAT van stopping at the front door. SWAT spills out and rushes in. Chopper thumping up in the air. GCPD calling in a full-fledged invasion on my order.

Sleight of hand. The mob, Batman, and the other cops are watching the Ritz while the real action is halfway across town.

Maroni's office. He's making his escape, tossing up a hail mary with no time left on the clock. Eddie Nygma enroute to pick off the pass.​

 

[Batman]

Instinctively, a wild hammer strike knocks Batman away from me, but it wasn't focused enough to harm him. "Tell me," I say, giving myself the moment I need to regain my composure, "how safe do you believe Salvatore Maroni is at this moment? Or have I skyrocketed to the top of your list of priorities, ahead of the crimelord's safety? Do you suppose he's dead yet?"

The Dark Knight falls silent, faced with this glimpse back into a greater reality. The tone of Bane's voice almost purposely mocks him, as if it were his intention to lead Batman away from Maroni the entire time. He would have been less bothered by the fact if such a strategy hadn't proven to be successful - they were now several blocks away from The Ritz, where Bane's hired guns had still remained stationed. At any moment, they could pick Maroni off from the crowd and do what the Falcone family had already attempted tonight. And every moment that Batman could prevent it was one he was wasting by engaging this lunatic. Son of a...

Leaping at his foe, he drives down with what seems to be the appropriate maneuver for an axe kick. But as Bane prepares to deflect it, Batman retracts the leg and kicks off of his opponent's shoulder, leveraging himself into a somersault that climaxes into a glide. Firing his grapnel launcher back towards The Ritz, Batman begins to ascend his way into the Gotham skies. Tapping the side of his cowl to signal Alfred, the vigilante peers over his shoulder as he drifts farther away from the rooftop - where oddly enough, Bane has disappeared.

"Sir?"

"Can't talk now. Just give me a status!"

"Going off of the security feed, I can safely say that most of the survivors have made it out of the building. It seems Inspector Nygma's men have proven rather useful in evacuation. Though I believe Mr. Nygma himself left rather abruptly beforehand, as did Mr. Maroni."

Though relieved that Maroni and the other guests were swiftly evacuated, Batman can't help but wonder to himself why exactly Nygma left the wedding early. He didn't seem like the type to scare easily, even under these extreme circumstances, and he certainly wasn't working from an ulterior motive. What was his move? But before he could dwell on it further, Batman realized that a large shadow was blanketing over him mid-swing. Eyes widened, he realized it a second too late. Bane!

And sure enough, over 250 pounds of muscle came crashing down onto The Dark Knight, snapping his reinforced grapnel cable in half and sending both men crashing down into the Gotham Steelworks, the structure just across from the Ritz. Stopping himself from a fall off of a high girder, Batman managed to pull his upper torso up just in time to be grabbed, by the cape, and hoisted up by his neck. Struggling and gasping for air against the choke, Batman spun and slammed a heel kick into Bane's thigh, forcing his release. Spreading his cape behind him, he managed to glide out and land on the girder just below where Bane still stood.

His voice hoarse, he glared up at his enemy with at least some sense of triumph. No matter how short lived it would be.

"Maroni and the others are safe. They've made it out alive,"

"Your plan failed you. Now, it's just you and me."

 

[Byrd Man]

​

Darkness all around me. Dark inside Maroni's office. Managed to beat him here. Police sirens help get through traffic.

Door creaks open, walks in. Light clicks on. The Boss himself.

"Don't move."

Sitting behind Sal's desk, silenced gun in my hand pointed right at him. Look of terror on Maroni's face. Probably **** his pants.

"Nygma, what... you were at... how in the ****?!"

"You can thank Batman and the Falcones. I slipped out during the chaos. Already knew where you were going, I've had this office bugged for two years. I know you were going out of the country after the wedding. All you had to do was pick up some extra cash from your office and you were off to that private jet headed towards Taiwan. I took a risk by letting you make it out of the wedding, but you didn't disappoint, you greedy ****sucker."

"So, what? You're gonna kill me? Is that it?"

"Maybe. Maybe not. I haven't decided yet."

Maroni looks at me, dead silent. You could drop a pin in the room. He has the nerve to say it, of course he does.

"J-... Just let me go. You do that, and I'll call off my hit on you. I promise you and that b****-..."

Seeing red at the last part. "Her name is Selina, you son of a *****. Selina Kyle! She's more than just a *****. She was cop who was able to pull the wool over your eyes and lead you around by your dick."

"Alright, alright... just take it easy, Eddie! I'm sorry!"

"It's Edward. My father called me Eddie."

"Alright. Okay. Edward. Like I said, you just let me go right now, and I'm done with you and her. Please... you don't have to do this."

"I know I don't...but I want to. Remember the last time we were in this office, Sal? When you tried to kill me? It's still a wonder that I got out alive, but I've learned how to survive in my thirty-seven years on this Earth. I can work my way out of a tight jam. Question is... can you?"

"Jesus, what do you want from me? Money? I got a duffel bag in the safe that's got five million in it! The combination is 34-"

"34 left, 25 right, 5 left. I know the damn combination. If I wanted your dirt money, I would have taken it by now."

Tears flow down Sal's cheeks. Knees starting to buckle. Pathetic, really.

"Y- you can't kill me. You can't! The cops, they-... they'll do forensics on your gun. They can match the bullets to your service piece."

"This isn't my service weapon. I bought this off one of your drug dealing ****'s on 5th. That's the sad part of it, Sal... you've got this town so wired that your own ****'s coming back to kill you."

Stand up behind the desk, keeping my gun on Maroni. "You want me to spare you? Why? You're a cockroach, and you make a living off the misery of others. Everyone you've ever met is worse off for having known you."

"Please... God, please... I-I treated you like a son..."

"What was that? Speak up, please."

"I said I always treated you like a son!"

Pausing, sizing him up. Then start laughing hard in his wrinkled old face.

"Hahahaha! That's great! I never asked for you to be my goddamn father! I'm sorry, but you ****ed your kids up and they're both dead. Why would I wanna be one of them?!"

Suddenly gets his pair back. That's it, Maroni. That's the side of you I wanted to see tonight.

"Shut your goddamn mouth when you talk about my kids."

Walk over to Sal, poking him in the stomach with the the silencer. "It's true. They're both dead, and everyone in town knows how Pino died. Holiday shot him in the heart with a crossbow. But I know something that you don't, Sal. I know how your other son died."

Tears turn into waterfalls down Sal's face now.

"Back last year, right after Thanksgiving, Umberto tried to rape that '*****' Selina. She shot him twice. I saw it. She killed him."

"No... No, no, no..."

"What's more, I helped her get rid of the body. I took Umberto's corpse to Slaughter Swamp and I chopped him up into about six different parts. Selina and I made a pact to never talk about what we did and we sealed it with a kiss... actually, even more than that. I ****ed your girlfriend three times in one night."

"Umberto... Pino... m-my boys..."

"Stand up!"

Maroni stands up. Legs shaking, tears and snot covering his face.

"Look at you. Sal 'The Boss' Maroni. You look like a goddamn baby. You're so desperate to live, you'll lie to me just to make it out here alive. No way you're gonna to let me live after what I just told you."

Closing in on Maroni, he shuffles back and back until his back's to the window.

"Please, please, I promise... just let me go! For God's sake, Nygma!"

Shake my head and sigh. "You know what? Fine. Maybe it's because I feel sorry for you, but I'm not gonna kill you."

Tears stop.

"W-what? Really?"

"I'll just let gravity do it for me."

Shove Sal as hard as I can. Window breaks behind him and he falls. Fifteen stories down to the hard pavement.



Splat.



Looking out the window to the ground below. Bloody mess on the sidewalk used to be Sal The Boss.

He tried to kill me. He failed, horribly. I don't fail, never have never will.

"In the end, Edward Nygma survives."

Holster the gun, turn out the lights and walk out.

Night's not done yet.

One more stop to make.

 

[Andy C.]

Lex Luthor

"Ladies and gentlemen," I say to begin my press release, "to say that we live in uncertain times would be one of history's greatest understatements. It is natural for the masses, in times of great danger and great desperation, to look upwards for leadership. To seek the counsel and guidance and protection of those who have greater power and capability. Throughout history, royalty and religion and dictatorships have all taken full advantage of humanity's need to look to the sky."

A few reporters raise their hands in question, but I gesture for them to quiet down. This is my time to speak.

Deep within my lab, the Blue Core is being brought online, the power of Doctor Osterman spreading through the grid of Metropolis. His power will be needed to keep the city safe in the days to come.

"In the wake of the recent invasion, we find ourselves looking to those who would fancy themselves our protectors, these 'heroes' who wield power that could bring armies to their knees, operating well outside the boundaries of the law, dispatching violent 'justice' based on their own personal interpretations of what is right and wrong. Though he has doubtless saved many lives, I assert that Superman is every bit a threat to the well-being of the world as the 'villains' he fights."

There's a murmur after I say that; they believe it is controversial and needlessly provocative. That is only because they haven't seen Superman and what he represents.

Elsewhere, The Comedian is tracking down and dispatching the last sad remnants of Doctor Manhattan's old colleagues. Just a few short steps behind, Deathstroke stalks him in turn.

"I ask you, how many times must Superman and his kind fight our battles for us? How many problems are we willing to let them solve before we choose to solve them for ourselves? And more importantly, with a union of such incredibly powerful beings becoming apparent after the recent attack, who will hold them accountable for when they overstep their bounds? To whom do these 'heroes' answer?"

Towards the front, I see Lois Lane glare at me, and inwardly I grin. There is something satisfying in playfully antagonizing such an idealist as her. The fact that she is positively gorgeous doesn't hurt, either.

Deep beneath the LexCorp Tower, the assembly plant cranks out a new upgraded line of my patented Lexoskel-5000 battle-suits. The Society will need superior firepower in the critical adjustment period.

"I'll tell you: they will answer to me."

At my sides, I see Miss Zuell and Mister Majestic grin, an air of smugness to them--Zuell because she willingly became loyal to me, and Majestic because I programmed it into him. Their presence does carry some weight to my remark, the fact that I have some genuine muscle to throw around.

In the heart of the Tower, the L-Soft AI is running at full capacity, constantly bypassing override programs and outfoxing cyber-security operators. It is currently in the process of assuming control of four very large defense mainframes, after all.

"I am issuing a formal challenge to Superman, to face me here, for all the world to see, and justify himself. Thus far, the people of the city and the world at large have been lenient, allowing him to undermine our laws and stunt our development, all in the name of our 'protection.' I believe it is time one of us finally demands that he actually looks us in the eye and tells us who he thinks he is."

Scattered across the world, my fellow members of the Society leave their homes and places of work, escorted to a network of underground bunkers, in which we have gathered and hidden the great treasures of art and history that deserve saving. Man will have to remind itself of what it is capable of creating, and the Society will be there to mold civilization into a proper shape.

"I will be waiting for his arrival at noon sharp, in the center of Centennial Park. If any of Superman's allies wish to attend, they are more than welcome. If there is enough man to match the super in his name, then I expect to see him there. Thank you, that is all."

High above the Earth, the Lunar Watchtower awaits my arrival. It will be the perfect vantage point to view the paradigm shift that is coming. After all, something as momentous as this deserves a good seat from which to watch.

As the mob of reporters try to approach me, they are herded back by LexCorp security. As I step into my private elevator, I turn for a moment, and point to one among the crowd.

"Excuse me, Miss Lane," I call out to the reporter from the Daily Planet. "You can come through. Consider it an exclusive."
​

 

[Spike_x1]

"Sir?"

"Can't talk now. Just give me a status!"

"Going off of the security feed, I can safely say that most of the survivors have made it out of the building. It seems Inspector Nygma's men have proven rather useful in evacuation. Though I believe Mr. Nygma himself left rather abruptly beforehand, as did Mr. Maroni."

Though relieved that Maroni and the other guests were swiftly evacuated, Batman can't help but wonder to himself why exactly Nygma left the wedding early. He didn't seem like the type to scare easily, even under these extreme circumstances, and he certainly wasn't working from an ulterior motive. What was his move? But before he could dwell on it further, Batman realized that a large shadow was blanketing over him mid-swing. Eyes widened, he realized it a second too late. Bane!

And sure enough, over 250 pounds of muscle came crashing down onto The Dark Knight, snapping his reinforced grapnel cable in half and sending both men crashing down into the Gotham Steelworks, the structure just across from the Ritz. Stopping himself from a fall off of a high girder, Batman managed to pull his upper torso up just in time to be grabbed, by the cape, and hoisted up by his neck. Struggling and gasping for air against the choke, Batman spun and slammed a heel kick into Bane's thigh, forcing his release. Spreading his cape behind him, he managed to glide out and land on the girder just below where Bane still stood.

His voice hoarse, he glared up at his enemy with at least some sense of triumph. No matter how short lived it would be.

"Maroni and the others are safe. They've made it out alive,"

"Your plan failed you. Now, it's just you and me."

"Indeed it is." Jumping down to the Batman's level, one story below my last position, we stare each other down. He believes us to be on equal footing here.

With the streets below singing to us, I find myself at peace for the first time since arriving in Gotham City. It almost saddens me to think that I won't have the same sense of satisfaction when I rule this empire after Wayne is dead. "I can't say that I'm not disappointed that Maroni survives, but the evening still progresses satisfactorily, no?" I can't believe my priorities earlier were so very wrong. This is where I belong, not hunting the cowardly embarrassment of Salvatore Maroni. "I saw you speaking to your resource over your radio link moments ago." My theory is that the voice on the other end of the channel is either Wayne's friend, Alfred Jarvis, or a confidante within the Gotham City Police Department. Neither option makes a difference. "Do you think they feel the same?"

As Batman sidesteps my flying kick, I land and quickly pivot. As soon as I'm facing him again, Wayne's boot comes hammering toward my face, but I already have his ankle in my grip before he can even land the blow. "As you said, we're alone here, Batman." The pause passes almost imperceptibly, but I can sense his mind going over my words nevertheless. "Why do you suppose that is? I did have my people all over this site earlier, didn't I?" I can feel it in his body language that that was the moment when he figured it out.

I have the entire Gotham Steelworks carefully wired with explosives. Thirty seconds after I prime the detonator and press the button on my belt, the construction site will implode, collapsing in on itself in a lethal mess of falling metal and concrete that will kill anyone inside.

I hit the switch twenty seconds ago.

"A great man once told me to be mindful of my surroundings. I'd advise you to do the same in the future."

Batman's other foot lashes out and connects squarely with my jaw and allows him his freedom from my grasp, but it will be short lived. Now in a rush to take his leave of the construction site as fast as possible, Wayne throws out another line to swing to an adjacent rooftop, away from the commotion of the would-be wedding, and away from the imminent death of the Steelworks.

With the sound of helicopters approaching fast, I swing into the rainy night sky as well, following Batman with my own grappling rope. We hit the rooftop with two soft thumps, absorbing our landings in the same way.

Behind us, explosions ring out and the roar of steel grinding together as the massive structure succumbs to gravity drowns out the sound of the remnants of gunfire at the Ritz and the coming helicopters. "Do my methods seem... familiar yet, my friend?"

 

[Batman]

With the sound of helicopters approaching fast, I swing into the rainy night sky as well, following Batman with my own grappling rope. We hit the rooftop with two soft thumps, absorbing our landings in the same way.

Behind us, explosions ring out and the roar of steel grinding together as the massive structure succumbs to gravity drowns out the sound of the remnants of gunfire at the Ritz and the coming helicopters. "Do my methods seem... familiar yet, my friend?"

"Let me make one thing perfectly clear..."

Up until this moment, The Dark Knight had maintained a fair amount of restraint in his techniques against this lunatic. Even with Bane's imposing size, his evident strength, and uncanny agility, nothing had indicated so far that the brute could not be taken out through simple battle strategy. Raw skill was still no substitute for keen intellect and focused senses, a fact of which Batman had been foolishly confident in to bring about a quick resolution to the battle. But for underestimating his opponent, all that he had to show for such strategy was a rising bodycount perpetrated by a madman whose ultimate goals were still unclear. The death toll was hard to discern from the destruction of the Steelworks, but he was undoubtedly sure that to Bane, it was of no concern or consequence. He simply wished to inflict suffering upon the people of Gotham.

And for that, Batman was going to put him into traction.

"You and I are not friends."

Being the first to charge, Batman dove directly beneath Bane's outstretched legs and immediately spun upon standing, already grasping a cable line from his belt as he faced his enemy's back. Tossing the line around the brute's neck, the vigilante wrapped the cable around his tightened fist and pulled hard, letting the padding of his armor hoist most of the weight he was about to handle. Shifting his body weight backwards, he managed to pull off a feat of strength that pushed him to the absolute limit, dragging Bane by the neck and launching him into the air.

With a powerful swing that nearly snapped his own arms in two, Batman tugged on the cable with all of his might and brought Bane down hard, onto the concrete edge of the rooftop - causing it to spider beneath the excessive force. But even though his enemy struggled to regain himself, Batman could tell that his particularly brutal attack hadn't been enough to maintain any lasting damage. Bane had only began to choke on the cable by the time that he managed to reach up and rip it out from beneath his jaw, effortlessly tossing it aside and pushing himself to stand. Batman's fists clenched together in anguish, still feeling the pressure of that drastic maneuver. What the hell does it take?

Bane simply chuckled to himself, amused by the display of outrage. The brute had clearly touched a nerve within his opponent's mind, a fact of which had not escaped Batman's self-critical thoughts. He was using everything against him to wear him down, and despite the vigilante's disciplined training, it was working far better than either of them could have predicted. Between that and the other obvious clues that he himself had freely given Batman for the entire fight, Bane's master was more than evident than ever.

"Your lack of subtlety hasn't gone unnoticed. I already realized that you were trained by the terrorist Ra's Al Ghul."

He sneered, at having to even mention the name. To him, the man was still simply Henri Ducard. Batman just wasn't sure if that was the name that Bane had come to know him by.

"Is that what all of this was about? Are you just one of his pawns, following instructions?"

 

[Spike_x1]

"I follow no orders but my own. A lifetime ago, I was something else, but now I believe only in myself."

A sharp right cross of mine is deftly avoided by Batman, which is met in return by knifehand strike coming from him and aimed at my larynx. I step back to dodge to blow and lash out with a kick.

"Bane is my religion now. I am my own God."

Although we appear to be evenly matched in terms of skill, Wayne is smaller and more nimble than I am, but my greater strength balances the odds. Perhaps I should have let him die in the construction site. With both of us moving in a flurry of punches and kicks, we're eventually forced to take several steps back and allow ourselves some breathing room.

"You hear the approaching police, yes? Should we involve them in our conflict tonight? No doubt they'll fill us both with bullets, but I can assure you that we won't die alone and that I will take as many of them down to Hell with me as I can."

"No, our fight is meant to continue another day, Batman." I can hear the rushing footsteps of the officers running up to meet us on this rooftop, and the choppers quickly closing in. "Know that when it does, you will beg for mercy and scream my name."

"That is when we will finally know which of us rules the night!"

With that, I leap up and somersault over the parapet of the roof and back down into the chaotic concrete jungle, diving past a helicopter and then letting loose my grapple line to make my exit.

 

[Byrd Man]

​

Driving down the street away from Maroni's office. Cops won't be there for another few minutes. Dispatch and main force still dealing with the cluster-**** at the Ritz. Fire department was probably called to the Ritz, too. Pushing things more and more in my favor. Reach my destination and park.

Leaning back in my car seat. My gloved hands shaking. Take a swig off my flask. Booze burns going down my throat, feel good. Bad thoughts dancing in my head. Sal's dead body, me in a prison jumpsuit going to death row.

No.

I won't let that happen. This makes sure it won't happen. He has it coming, almost as much as Sal.

Hands stop shaking. The booze warms my belly, gives me strength.

Pop the trunk and get out. Four beer bottles resting in a crate filled with gas, rags stuck in them. Molotov cocktails. A ski-mask laying next to the cocktails. Grab the mask, slide it on. Grab the crate and creep towards the house.

Get within throwing distance, pull out my lighter and set a cocktail off. Aim for a window and toss.

KSSSH!

Side of the house goes up in flames. Move to another window, light and throw.

KSSSH!

Flames lick the side of the house. Screams start to come out of the windows. Toss cocktail three through the front door and cocktail four at the backdoor.

Nobody's getting out alive.

Burning flesh fills my nostrils. Grab the crate and run for the car. Close the trunk and jump in the driver's seat. Take a deep breath and cast one last look at the house going up in flames.

Harvey Dent's house. Harvey Dent's screams.

He had it coming. Gave him fair warning. He wanted to burn me.

Now he's getting burned.

The smell gets worse, turns my stomach. Screams grow louder, I dry heave. Shake my head, start up the car and speed off.

.....What in God's name did I just do?

Go two blocks down, park the car and jump out. Yank off my mask, hands on my kees. Vomiting on the sidewalk. Nothing but booze comes out. Disgusted at my actions, disgusted at myself. Stumble back to the car and get in.

Stare at myself long and hard in the mirror.

What have I become?

 

[Eddie Brock]

SELINA KYLE

I stand in the cold, my face illuminated by the flashing red and blue lights of the police cars. A small crowd has gathered around the crime scene, but I pay them no attention. My focus is solely on the body laying in the middle of the sidewalk, covered only by a tarp.

Sal Maroni.

I didn't think to come here until I was too late. By the time I arrived at Maroni's office, the police had already cordoned off the sidewalk. My eyes roll upwards to the broken window. Someone knew Maroni would be here. They got to him before I could.

My disappointment in my own failure is tempered - if only slightly - by the reality of Maroni's death. Though I was not the one to cause it, he's dead all the same. And with Maroni gone, there's no price left on my head. I'm not forced to live in the shadows anymore.

One of Maroni's men is trying to force his way past the police barricade. Two officers stand in his way, blocking Maroni's body. The man turns, disgusted, and catches my eye. I see the faintest hint of recognition in his. I turn and leave before he can realize why I look so familiar.
​

 

[Spike_x1]

"Ladies and gentlemen," I say to begin my press release, "to say that we live in uncertain times would be one of history's greatest understatements. It is natural for the masses, in times of great danger and great desperation, to look upwards for leadership. To seek the counsel and guidance and protection of those who have greater power and capability. Throughout history, royalty and religion and dictatorships have all taken full advantage of humanity's need to look to the sky."

A few reporters raise their hands in question, but I gesture for them to quiet down. This is my time to speak.

Deep within my lab, the Blue Core is being brought online, the power of Doctor Osterman spreading through the grid of Metropolis. His power will be needed to keep the city safe in the days to come.

"In the wake of the recent invasion, we find ourselves looking to those who would fancy themselves our protectors, these 'heroes' who wield power that could bring armies to their knees, operating well outside the boundaries of the law, dispatching violent 'justice' based on their own personal interpretations of what is right and wrong. Though he has doubtless saved many lives, I assert that Superman is every bit a threat to the well-being of the world as the 'villains' he fights."

There's a murmur after I say that; they believe it is controversial and needlessly provocative. That is only because they haven't seen Superman and what he represents.

Elsewhere, The Comedian is tracking down and dispatching the last sad remnants of Doctor Manhattan's old colleagues. Just a few short steps behind, Deathstroke stalks him in turn.

"I ask you, how many times must Superman and his kind fight our battles for us? How many problems are we willing to let them solve before we choose to solve them for ourselves? And more importantly, with a union of such incredibly powerful beings becoming apparent after the recent attack, who will hold them accountable for when they overstep their bounds? To whom do these 'heroes' answer?"

Towards the front, I see Lois Lane glare at me, and inwardly I grin. There is something satisfying in playfully antagonizing such an idealist as her. The fact that she is positively gorgeous doesn't hurt, either.

Deep beneath the LexCorp Tower, the assembly plant cranks out a new upgraded line of my patented Lexoskel-5000 battle-suits. The Society will need superior firepower in the critical adjustment period.

"I'll tell you: they will answer to me."

At my sides, I see Miss Zuell and Mister Majestic grin, an air of smugness to them--Zuell because she willingly became loyal to me, and Majestic because I programmed it into him. Their presence does carry some weight to my remark, the fact that I have some genuine muscle to throw around.

In the heart of the Tower, the L-Soft AI is running at full capacity, constantly bypassing override programs and outfoxing cyber-security operators. It is currently in the process of assuming control of four very large defense mainframes, after all.

"I am issuing a formal challenge to Superman, to face me here, for all the world to see, and justify himself. Thus far, the people of the city and the world at large have been lenient, allowing him to undermine our laws and stunt our development, all in the name of our 'protection.' I believe it is time one of us finally demands that he actually looks us in the eye and tells us who he thinks he is."

Scattered across the world, my fellow members of the Society leave their homes and places of work, escorted to a network of underground bunkers, in which we have gathered and hidden the great treasures of art and history that deserve saving. Man will have to remind itself of what it is capable of creating, and the Society will be there to mold civilization into a proper shape.

"I will be waiting for his arrival at noon sharp, in the center of Centennial Park. If any of Superman's allies wish to attend, they are more than welcome. If there is enough man to match the super in his name, then I expect to see him there. Thank you, that is all."

High above the Earth, the Lunar Watchtower awaits my arrival. It will be the perfect vantage point to view the paradigm shift that is coming. After all, something as momentous as this deserves a good seat from which to watch.

As the mob of reporters try to approach me, they are herded back by LexCorp security. As I step into my private elevator, I turn for a moment, and point to one among the crowd.

"Excuse me, Miss Lane," I call out to the reporter from the Daily Planet. "You can come through. Consider it an exclusive."

Could Lex Luthor be right?

Who do we hold ourselves accountable to? Floating high above Metropolis, I had the solitude needed to think. I was so certain that the formation of the Justice League was a good thing, but a sizable portion of the world seems to be reacting with fear, and I couldn't say that I blamed them. We are an unchecked force that outclasses any nuclear arsenal on the planet, but how exactly could the world's authorities keep us in check? They can't operate under the presumption that any of us could be safely captured if one of us crosses a line, and I have lingering doubts of my own that Stryker's Island Penitentiary is fully capable of housing some of the supervillains I've fought, and I'm sure that I could find a way out of the prison if pressed to do so.

Is this the right thing to do?

In Chicago, I could hear a bank robbery in progress. In Toronto, I caught wind of a high speed chase between police and a fleeing murder suspect. In Hub City, there was a school shooting. And in Los Angeles was an apartment complex on fire.

The never ending battle rages on.

"No, Luthor. You're wrong. Humanity isn't being held back by myself or the League, and we couldn't stop your progress even if we tried."

In moments, I helped the police stop the robbery in Chicago, scooping a man and a woman out of the way of a criminal's gunfire at the last second and disabling the robbers' weapons.

"The Justice League is accountable to the people of the world. If we cross a line, we will surrender because it's the right thing to do."

The chase in Toronto was brought to an end as I flew under the escaping vehicle and lifted it into the sky before the murderer inside could harm anyone else on or off the road. The arresting officers shook my hand and asked for an autograph for their kids.

"I fight for humanity, not to hold them back, but to help when lives are in danger; to give people a chance for a better future, where their lives would otherwise be threatened by some maniac with a grudge to settle."

Thankfully, no lives were lost during the school shooting in Hub after I vaporized the shootists' bullets in mid air and make sure that the crying and fearful students were safely reunited with their loved ones.

"There are horrible things in this world, Luthor, beyond your petty vendetta against me. And until we have a world where Superman isn't needed, humanity is better off with me than without me. That may be arrogant to say, but I'm not going to stand aside while lives are in danger and I'm capable of doing something about it when no one else can."

The fire in Los Angeles was quickly extinguished and I rushed several people to the local hospital's burn unit as quickly as possible. It didn't take long to locate the arsonist by tracking the kerosene fumes to a nearby motel room, and kept him there until the police arrived.

"In spite of the flaws, I believe in humanity, and I always will. I can only hope that someday, you will believe in me."

Standing here in a grassy clearing in Centennial Park and having said my piece, I look at Luthor. With any luck, something I've said might finally get through to him. Trying to skim the crowd of reporters gathered around us, I can't seem to find Lois anywhere. This doesn't seem like the kind of newsworthy event she'd miss for the world.

 

[Andy C.]

Lex Luthor

[EDIT: removing the bits with Supes zooming off, because he wasn't actually doing that. And I'm an idiot]


"How very Messianic of you," I say, a venomous bile rising up in me as I stare him down. The way he heavy-handedly tries to justify himself, it is a slap across the collective face of humanity. "Although I wonder exactly how you can claim to 'believe' in humanity while stunting our progress, creating complacency and dependency by keeping us from learning the hard way."

I doubt he's even listening, just waiting for me to finish so he can go on "fighting the good fight" that we lowly mortals need to be fighting. Still, this speech is not for him--after all, in a few short minutes, he won't even be alive to reflect upon it.

"Tell me, why would you solve a problem yourself if someone else would come along and solve it for you? Indeed, why would anyone bother trying to make improvements or prevent disaster when they have a legion of colorfully-garbed demigods watching over them? Why become a police officer when a 'hero' who can shrug off bullets is already fighting crime? Why become a firefighter when a 'hero' who can snuff out a wildfire by breathing on it is already out there? Why bother to reach and strain and scrape and curse and suffer and fail and try again, when there is an entire community of beings who can do all the hard work for you, with no effort? Why, in a word, even try to be human, when the super-human walks among us?"

There are murmurs in the crowd of reporters, many grumblings that I am waxing philosophical while ignoring the very real problems the world faces. They have no idea just how many of those problems I am about to make go away.

"If humanity is going to take its place in the stars, it should be because we brought ourselves there, not because some indestructible idealist brought them down to us. While you may go on about how you usurp our potential because it's for our own good, and how you'll hang up your tights when the world no longer needs you, by your words and your actions you directly shape the world so that that day will never come. By not allowing the few eggs to be broken, the proverbial omelet never gets made. Complacency breeds apathy, apathy breeds dependency, and dependency breeds bondage. You claim to be humanity's savior, but at the end of the day....you're just another alien invader."

At that, I could swear I see Superman flinch. Maybe his armor does have a few chinks in it after all.

"You may put on the face of the everyman, extolling the kinds of values you'd expect from someone raised in a barn, but you are not one of us, and you never can be. What's worse is that you try to be like us, you try to think like us, to feel like us, and for someone who wields the kind of power you do, your emotions may be more dangerous to the world than the Hydrogen Bomb. Especially since, as you said, you'll only turn yourself in if you 'cross a line.' But how exactly does a feeling, emotional, irrational being know when said lines are crossed? What exactly can humanity do in the hands of a potentially angry and vengeful god? There isn't a man alive who wouldn't tear the world apart to save someone he loved. The difference, Superman, is that you actually can."

As I speak, I see many of the reporters begin to shrink away in the sight of Superman. The thought of someone who could lift a mountain, who could be anywhere on the planet in the blink of an eye, and who can't be killed (as far as they know), suddenly having a change of heart or a particularly bad day, is enough to put a healthy amount of fear in them.

"And so we come to the point of it: in the hands of any man--or in your case, a creature impersonating a man--power corrupts. And you wield more power than any other being that has ever walked on this planet. You call my opposition to your sudden and frightening rise to power and influence a 'petty vendetta,' but the truth couldn't be further from it: this is altruism at its most basic. I am trying to save the world, Superman....from you."

I look at him and wonder if my words, the words of a puny mortal human, have any weight to them in his ears. Just looking at him makes me seethe. No one should have that kind of power.

No one but me.

"Oh, and before we adjourn, I would just like to say one more thing," I say, my deadly frown turning into a mocking grin as I pull a hand-held controller from my pocket. "This planet only has enough room for one leader."

With that, I press a button on my controller, activating the long-range teleporter, and within an instant, we are no longer in the center of Centennial Park, surrounded by awed reporters.

Instead, we are in the grand hall of the Lunar Watchtower, built of the Sea of Tranquility--on the landing site of the Apollo 11, once the crowning achievement of mankind--ourselves standing beside a black conference table, one of the high-backed chairs seating a bound and gagged Lois Lane.

"Now that the public posturing is over," I say, gesturing for him to sit down, "let's have a real talk."
​

 

[Batman]

"No, our fight is meant to continue another day, Batman." I can hear the rushing footsteps of the officers running up to meet us on this rooftop, and the choppers quickly closing in. "Know that when it does, you will beg for mercy and scream my name. That is when we will finally know which of us rules the night!"

With that, I leap up and somersault over the parapet of the roof and back down into the chaotic concrete jungle, diving past a helicopter and then letting loose my grapple line to make my exit.

Can't let him get away!

Even with the approaching helicopters, Batman had been too lost in his determination to subdue Bane to even consider leaving the area. But a blinding flash of light that had panned across the rooftop from one of the GCPD's spotter drones had provided the killer with all of the distraction necessary to escape, becoming little more than a plummeting shadow in the distance. Angrily, Batman vaulted towards the edge of the building and reached for another grapnel, hoping to catch up to his enemy and resume the struggle - Whether it was a lost cause or not, Bane had simply killed far too many innocent people tonight to warrant such an easy escape. But by the time he reached the point for a jump, the helicopter finally ascended infront of him - the searchlight focused directly on The Dark Knight.

Needless to say, it wasn't a welcome scenario.

"BATMAN! PUT YOUR HANDS IN THE AIR AND SURRENDER!"

Finding no interest in the proposition, the vigilante spun and quickly dived toward the other end of the roof. But by the time he had made it, a small battalion of police officers had already burst through the access door and drawn their weapons, effectively surrounding him in his place. Yet even with multiple barrels locked in his direction and a seemingly impossible escape, all he could think about was the faint chance that he could still catch up to Bane. Practically dead to rights, and he still wanted to make the lunatic pay for the suffering he had caused.

The lead officers stepped forward as Batman remained stilled, careful not to make any movements that would cause them to open fire. He was sure that he had the armor to withstand some of the bullets, but certainly not all of them. And definitely not at such a close range.

"Drop your weapons and put your hands behind your back!"

Raising his hands into the air, he locked eyes with a Lieutenant that was coming closer, eager to make the arrest that Commissioner Gordon had worked so hard to bring to reality. Unguarded to the advance, Batman simply narrowed his eyes.

"I wouldn't."

The Lieutenant paused, slightly intimidated. But he eventually came forward anyway, reaching out with clear intent for the cowl. The second that his fingers touched the kevlar, however, the mistake was immediately realized. Batman's suit suddenly came to life as a thick mist sprayed forth from the seams of his armor, coating him head to toe with smoke as the officers stepped back in shock. The Lieutenant tripped backwards in a clear frenzy to get away, fearful that the mist was only the first phase of something more. "HE'S ATTACKING! FIRE! FIRE!"

Bullets ricocheted off of the concrete as Batman dodged his way into a roll, slipping past the officers just in time to finally make his way off of the roof. By the time that the Lieutenant would commence a ceasefire and the officers would make their way to the edge, to try and catch a glimpse of their fleeting target, The Dark Knight was already gone - completely disappeared without a trace.

As was the man called Bane.

 

[Spike_x1]

Batman is at last aware of my existence and that I am a threat to him and Gotham City. He also knows I carry on the legacy of Ra's Al Ghul, but why am I causing this carnage, and to what extent my goals lie, are for me to know and for Wayne to find out.

Discreetly making my way to a secluded alley, I take to the shadows just as a police cruiser drives by with sirens blazing. This area of the city is in chaos at the moment, and the violence of tonight will only breed more bloodshed before the city's population regains their senses. Reaching into a compartment on my belt, I pull out a small radio receiver tuned to the police band and switch it on.

--epeat: Maroni, Salvatore, D.O.A.. Cause of death: defenestration. No suspects at this time.--

Splendid. Even though the coward escaped my sights, he couldn't cheat death for long. Someone took it upon themselves to do the noble deed that I was too occupied to accomplish myself. Unlike the killing of Bruce Wayne, Maroni's death was not something that I needed to do personally. His murder being on the hands of someone else makes no difference to me and suits my purposes all the same.

I will send word to my people to raid Maroni's operations and grind them to a halt until I give my approval. It will be a messy ordeal with many more deaths to come, but I have the necessary manpower and organization to overcome any opposition that Sal Maroni's now-leaderless forces can muster up. By the end of the week, I will own all that was once his.

Gotham City has finally become an empire suitable for me. I have molded it into what will become the perfect dominion for Bane, the Man-God of this world.

Ra's Al Ghul, the Demon, once said that because I grew to manhood in the worst prison on Earth, I came to hate it as it hated me. Peña Duro, "The Hard Stone;" to master that hole meant that you had to break it before it could break you, which I did, but it didn't matter. Even though I have been free from its walls for years, I will always be a prisoner. I merely choose to make the best of it.

The world is my prison now, and I will rule it or die.

 

[Spike_x1]

"Oh, and before we adjourn, I would just like to say one more thing," I say, my deadly frown turning into a mocking grin as I pull a hand-held controller from my pocket. "This planet only has enough room for one leader."

With that, I press a button on my controller, activating the long-range teleporter, and within an instant, we are no longer in the center of Centennial Park, surrounded by awed reporters.

Instead, we are in the grand hall of the Lunar Watchtower, built of the Sea of Tranquility--on the landing site of the Apollo 11, once the crowning achievement of mankind--ourselves standing beside a black conference table, one of the high-backed chairs seating a bound and gagged Lois Lane.

"Now that the public posturing is over," I say, gesturing for him to sit down, "let's have a real talk."

"Lois?"

We're on the moon! How-? "What is this, Luthor?" Words fail me as I try to wrap my head around what kind of sick and twisted logic had to have driven Lex to this point. He has to be even more unhinged than I ever could have imagined!

At a glance, Lois' bindings are sliced cleanly away with heat vision, and she reaches to pull the gag out of her mouth and gasp for more air.

With barely restrained rage, I'm suddenly in Luthor's face and staring down this pathetic little man. I can literally see the madness that he calls genius as the neurons fire away in his brain. They're like tiny fireworks. It's all so very fragile. Lightning couldn't strike faster than the speed that my hand shoots out and grabs him by the throat. "What the hell is going on here?"

 

[Andy C.]

​

"Lois?"

We're on the moon! How-? "What is this, Luthor?" Words fail me as I try to wrap my head around what kind of sick and twisted logic had to have driven Lex to this point. He has to be even more unhinged than I ever could have imagined!

At a glance, Lois' bindings are sliced cleanly away with heat vision, and she reaches to pull the gag out of her mouth and gasp for more air.

With barely restrained rage, I'm suddenly in Luthor's face and staring down this pathetic little man. I can literally see the madness that he calls genius as the neurons fire away in his brain. They're like tiny fireworks. It's all so very fragile. Lightning couldn't strike faster than the speed that my hand shoots out and grabs him by the throat. "What the hell is going on here?"

"*Hrk!* Careful....windpipe...." I gurgle as he throttles me. Finally, he loosens his grip.

"*Cough* That's better," I say, rubbing my throat when he lets me go. "Now, to answer your question, what's going on here, Superman, is the apotheosis of my genius, and of my destiny. What's going on here is nothing short of the complete and total restructuring of human civilization."

I stare death at the alien, knowing full well he could do very much the same to me, quite literally. All of that power, and none of the vision to use it properly. It's very nearly a shame.

"All that talk of humanity achieving its own greatness? Complete drivel," I say, dropping the 'altruistic humanist' act now that there are no cameras to see it. "I've spent my life amidst the slack-jawed knuckle-draggers that pollute this planet by their presence. They will never achieve anything if left to their own devices. They have grown so comfortable in preserving their tawdry and meaningless lives that they have lost the ability to create something more. That is where the Society comes in: to force greatness upon them, to create the perfect civilization out of the ruins of the old. I was put on this Earth to change it forever. I am the creature of destiny, Superman...not you."

My blood runs hot as I stare Superman down; in all honesty, it's a struggle to keep from simply unleashing my weapon on him right now. But that would not do. He needs to know why he dies today.

"Today I see it all come to fruition: the implementation of the Manhattan Project, its true purpose unfolded before all the world. This is the culmination of three years of work. Three years of setbacks, three years of revisions. Three years of you undermining me, humiliating me, three years of you GETTING IN MY WAY! But now? It's all coming together."

I turn my gaze away from Superman, and instead stare out to the beautiful blue planet below, knowing it has no idea what's about to hit it.

"Some years ago, the nigh-omnipotent Doctor Manhattan left Earth, presumably to find a greater purpose in the universe. Working with his old colleague Adrian Veidt, I summoned him back to Earth....then subdued him, wiped his memory, and turned him into the power source of my operation, the 'Blue' that now is tapped into the power grid of virtually every city on Earth. When I say go, Doctor Manhattan will cut off his power supply, and every major city in the world will go dark."

I continue, like a magician taking just enough time to soak in applause before moving to his next trick.

"In the darkness and the confusion of a global blackout, no one will be able to detect the origin of the next part of the transitional phase, but it will come from LexCorp Towers. Specifically, my L-Soft AI, which currently is tapping into the defense grids of the United States, China, Russia, and the European Union. Like a potter putting clay to a kiln, or a blacksmith turning iron into steel, the Earth must be reshaped in fire. And it will be, when I let loose with the majority of the world's nuclear arsenal."

Seeing her reflection in the window, I see Lois Lane go white as a ghost.

"You're going to do what?! But millions of innocent people will die!"

"Billions," I correct her, before looking over my shoulder back to Superman with a wry grin. "Once again, the press underestimates me."

I wink, and in so doing activate the small digital camera in my contact lens HUD, capturing the absolutely priceless look on Superman's face. I think I'm going to have that blown up and framed on my penthouse wall.

"Once the petty and useless institutions of nations, religion, and race have been swept away, the Society will emerge to rebuild civilization from the ashes. I have powerful allies below on the surface--Morgan Edge, Kobra, the Great Ten of China, Ra's al Ghul, and many others--who will be crucial in establishing the new order. With the Blue as the only remaining source of energy--particularly after I bomb the remaining oil rigs and nuclear plants--the surviving populace will have no choice but to accept our new way of living. In time, they will thank me for it. In fact, they will love me, worship me, for it."

I look down on the Earth below, and the six billion ungrateful and unworthy inhabitants that deserve to be looked down upon.

"I will make heaven out of hell itself, once you and your kind are removed from the equation. To put it quite succinctly, this is the beginning of a brand new world....and the end of this one."

 

[Spike_x1]

"*Hrk!* Careful....windpipe...." I gurgle as he throttles me. Finally, he loosens his grip.

"*Cough* That's better," I say, rubbing my throat when he lets me go. "Now, to answer your question, what's going on here, Superman, is the apotheosis of my genius, and of my destiny. What's going on here is nothing short of the complete and total restructuring of human civilization."

I stare death at the alien, knowing full well he could do very much the same to me, quite literally. All of that power, and none of the vision to use it properly. It's very nearly a shame.

"All that talk of humanity achieving its own greatness? Complete drivel," I say, dropping the 'altruistic humanist' act now that there are no cameras to see it. "I've spent my life amidst the slack-jawed knuckle-draggers that pollute this planet by their presence. They will never achieve anything if left to their own devices. They have grown so comfortable in preserving their tawdry and meaningless lives that they have lost the ability to create something more. That is where the Society comes in: to force greatness upon them, to create the perfect civilization out of the ruins of the old. I was put on this Earth to change it forever. I am the creature of destiny, Superman...not you."

My blood runs hot as I stare Superman down; in all honesty, it's a struggle to keep from simply unleashing my weapon on him right now. But that would not do. He needs to know why he dies today.

"Today I see it all come to fruition: the implementation of the Manhattan Project, its true purpose unfolded before all the world. This is the culmination of three years of work. Three years of setbacks, three years of revisions. Three years of you undermining me, humiliating me, three years of you GETTING IN MY WAY! But now? It's all coming together."

I turn my gaze away from Superman, and instead stare out to the beautiful blue planet below, knowing it has no idea what's about to hit it.

"Some years ago, the nigh-omnipotent Doctor Manhattan left Earth, presumably to find a greater purpose in the universe. Working with his old colleague Adrian Veidt, I summoned him back to Earth....then subdued him, wiped his memory, and turned him into the power source of my operation, the 'Blue' that now is tapped into the power grid of virtually every city on Earth. When I say go, Doctor Manhattan will cut off his power supply, and every major city in the world will go dark."

I continue, like a magician taking just enough time to soak in applause before moving to his next trick.

"In the darkness and the confusion of a global blackout, no one will be able to detect the origin of the next part of the transitional phase, but it will come from LexCorp Towers. Specifically, my L-Soft AI, which currently is tapping into the defense grids of the United States, China, Russia, and the European Union. Like a potter putting clay to a kiln, or a blacksmith turning iron into steel, the Earth must be reshaped in fire. And it will be, when I let loose with the majority of the world's nuclear arsenal."

Seeing her reflection in the window, I see Lois Lane go white as a ghost.

"You're going to do what?! But millions of innocent people will die!"

"Billions," I correct her, before looking over my shoulder back to Superman with a wry grin. "Once again, the press underestimates me."

I wink, and in so doing activate the small digital camera in my contact lens HUD, capturing the absolutely priceless look on Superman's face. I think I'm going to have that blown up and framed on my penthouse wall.

He is completely out of his mind.

With all of my power and all of the things I'm capable of doing, I can't stop his plans. Not from here anyway. I can't breach the walls of this station without killing Lois and Luthor, and I don't know how to operate his teleportation technology on this short notice.

"Once the petty and useless institutions of nations, religion, and race have been swept away, the Society will emerge to rebuild civilization from the ashes. I have powerful allies below on the surface--Morgan Edge, Kobra, the Great Ten of China, Ra's al Ghul, and many others--who will be crucial in establishing the new order. With the Blue as the only remaining source of energy--particularly after I bomb the remaining oil rigs and nuclear plants--the surviving populace will have no choice but to accept our new way of living. In time, they will thank me for it. In fact, they will love me, worship me, for it."

I look down on the Earth below, and the six billion ungrateful and unworthy inhabitants that deserve to be looked down upon.

"I will make heaven out of hell itself, once you and your kind are removed from the equation. To put it quite succinctly, this is the beginning of a brand new world....and the end of this one."

I could pulverize diamonds with the force of my teeth grinding in anger. "I'm going to stop you." Getting right in his face again now. It would be so easy to end his madness right here. "I know that you don't think I can; that you've thought of all possible contingencies, but you're no more infallible than I am."

The safeties of this facility have to be set up so that a breach in one room will be sealed off from the other rooms. Even Luthor isn't so insane as to overlook those basic precautions. All I have to do is leave Lex and Lois in the conference room here, and make my exit from another room in the station. I don't like the idea of leaving Lois with him, but I don't have much of a choice right now, and he's obviously keeping her alive for some reason, even if it is just to mock me.

I look at Lois and see the horror in her eyes at what this monster is about to unleash. It will be all right, I try to tell her as I start towards the door of the conference room.

 

[Andy C.]

I could pulverize diamonds with the force of my teeth grinding in anger. "I'm going to stop you." Getting right in his face again now. It would be so easy to end his madness right here. "I know that you don't think I can; that you've thought of all possible contingencies, but you're no more infallible than I am."

The safeties of this facility have to be set up so that a breach in one room will be sealed off from the other rooms. Even Luthor isn't so insane as to overlook those basic precautions. All I have to do is leave Lex and Lois in the conference room here, and make my exit from another room in the station. I don't like the idea of leaving Lois with him, but I don't have much of a choice right now, and he's obviously keeping her alive for some reason, even if it is just to mock me.

I look at Lois and see the horror in her eyes at what this monster is about to unleash. It will be all right, I try to tell her as I begin walking towards the door of the conference room.

"And where exactly do you think you're going?" I call out as Superman turns to leave. "I'm not having you miss out on this."

A security door slams down in front of the main door, made of six-inch-thick solid titanium. Considering Superman's power, it might as well be tissue paper. Still, it provides a nice effect, as well as a necessary split-second of hesitation as he gauges it, enough time for me to produce some real stopping power.

In the center of the conference table, a small compartment opens, and rising up is a small sliver of Mineral K-49, its green glow cast over the room. It's not the entire sample, but enough to be sure to do the trick. A shaped jewel of the radioactive isotope, mounted on a ring.

I slip the ring on my finger and make my way towards Superman, watching as the alien freezes in his tracks.

"Why don't you just have a seat, and spend your final moments watching it all fall into place?"

 

[Spike_x1]

"I... what are you..."

My skin feels like it's on fire! What in God's name is happening? My legs suddenly turn to jelly and collapse underneath of me, forcing me to lean on the conference table for support. My hands still leave large cracked indentations in the table, but the jagged splinters stab into my palms. My invulnerability is gone and my strength is crippled out of my control! I'm not even strong enough to keep myself upright anymore.

With my entire body going haywire and my veins feeling like they're lined with gravel, I finally slump to the floor in a mass of pain as every nerve ending is on fire.

"Lois..." I manage to wheeze out in between strained breaths, unable to even focus my eyes on her any more. "Run..."

This isn't the end. The Justice League will fight. Humanity will fight!

The never ending battle will rage on, Luthor.