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DCU: Blacklist
- Thread starter Samael61
- Start date
Mad_Smile2607
Making the rounds.
- Joined
- Mar 30, 2022
- Messages
- 32
- Likes received
- 320
Good chapter, Bit of a fix though, Father Boxes are Darkseids. They Corrupt everyone who makes contact with it to Only serve Darkseids Will. Mother boxes belong to the New Gods, Good guys and all that jazz.
Chapter 71 - Battle of Fools
New
Samael61
Not too sore, are you?
- Joined
- Apr 6, 2025
- Messages
- 482
- Likes received
- 26,945
Hello there,
If you enjoy my stories, you can read up to 15 chapters in advance per story on my Patreon page / patreon.com/Samael61.
To the attention of the readers who enjoy reading an intelligent main character like Miles will definitely like my original story, Arrival : Ruptures. Comments, likes and reviews are appreciated. Here are the links for : AO3, Spacebattles, Royal Road and Webnovel.
—
Metropolis
Miles watched the line in front of the hospital, sipping his ice tea.
It was long.
He had to suddenly accelerate the plan. The timer on the Mother Box had moved down to four bars in two days. It must have sent a signal to Apokolips. Since he had no reason to wait, the cash for blood event had to be carried out now.
"How much are you paying for this again?" she asked, rolling the glass in her hand.
He smirked. "Claire, please. I could spend billions, and it would be worth making Space Satan fight Transdimensional Satan."
Sure, neither would die, but the battle would leave both sides weakened. His favorite state of their existence.
"They won't know what hit them," Baraka said with a grin that reached his eyes.
"That they won't. I only wish I could watch the confrontation."
"Oh, for the love of..." Claire muttered, turning her head around, ducking behind the chair. Miles glanced at her and then scanned the crowd, finding the source of her discomfort. Her parents were in the line. The couple thankfully didn't see her.
Neither had the kid waiting with them.
"Hey, is that your brother?" Baraka asked, pointing at the kid behind the couple, who had the same hair and eye color as Claire. She peeked out of her cover, eyes narrowing.
"He is," Miles said.
Claire rolled her eyes. "You looked them up?"
Of course he had. She didn't know why she even bothered to ask.
"I wanted to be informed if they ever managed to contact you."
"Not going to happen," she said, ducking behind the chair.
"I know."
"What about the kid?" she asked.
"He doesn't have a metapower. Just your ordinary high school senior teen." Claire was sent to Metropolis Center for Paranormal Studies at thirteen. Her parents had their son the same year, months after she was admitted.
Now at twenty-three, she had a ten-year-old little brother.
"Did they tell him about me?" she asked, glancing at the kid frowning behind the line.
"He actually tried to look for you, but there is only so much he could have done," he said. The kid had called the center, only to be told there was no Claire Selton. He had also gone to the police, but no one took him seriously.
"Do you want me to meet him?" she asked.
"Claire, it's your life. I just gave you the information; what you do with it is your business."
"What do you think then?"
"That the kid had nothing to do with the stupidity of your parents."
"I'll think about it."
—
With the promise of cash, it took no time at all for the hospital to reach its target amount. Naturally, there were too many people hiding their afflictions. The blood taken from them had to be disposed of.
"Please sign here," the chief physician said, holding out the necessary form. He signed it, taking possession of the biohazardous material. Claire and Baraka pushed the sealed container away, taking it to the truck.
Dressed in full-body protective gear.
He handed the document back, following along. The badge of MedAdvance Waste Disposal was clear on his shoulders, right in the view of the cameras. They took the backdoor. The truck was likewise fitted with the logo of the shell company.
His partners in crime loaded the container. He twisted the key, smiled, and drove away.
—
Halfway into the reported location of the disposal facility, the truck stopped. The three of them switched the plates, removed the logos, and drove once again. For the purpose of the ritual, he had found a location far away from the city. An abandoned farm with no humans in a wide radius, there would be no disruption to their work.
The ride would take a couple of hours. Teleporting the container to the lab and then to the farm while splitting the weight beneath the teleport limit was not worth the trouble.
"What got you looking so distracted?" he asked. Claire kept glancing out of the window while fumbling with her phone.
"My brother. What was his name?" she asked.
"Clay."
She gave him a dry look, blinking. Miles shrugged. "Don't look at me like that. I didn't name him."
"What's his number?" she asked. Her parents had given her a phone at that age. It was possible they gave him one too.
"Here," Miles said, holding his phone out with the number.
Claire recorded the number but didn't call. She kept watching the trees they were passing by, turning the phone in her hand. He didn't comment at first.
"Call him or don't. Either is better than agonizing over it."
She pressed the call button. "To hell with it."
"Hey, who is this?"
"Claire, your sister."
"What?!"
"Yeah, yeah, stop shouting. Also, don't tell those two anything, or I am hanging up."
"Okay, okay, I won't. Can we talk face to face?"
"I am working now. Maybe later."
"Working? What do you do?"
"I am a bodyguard."
"Guess you can't tell me more?"
"No. How is school?"
"Good," the kid said.
The conversation itself mostly consisted of generic questions. She didn't know how to speak to a brother whose existence she just learned today. The awkwardness was to be expected.
"Listen, kid, I got work to do. I'll call you later, maybe," Claire said as the truck came to a stop. Raven was already inside with the Mother Box.
Miles opened the doors, letting Claire and Baraka pull the cryo container out. The three of them pushed it up the small slope.
"Hey," Raven said, standing at the entrance with the Mother Box.
"Hey. We got you all the blood you need."
"Bring it in. I have everything else ready," she said, walking back inside. They followed while Miles calculated the timer, which only had one bar remaining now.
He didn't have as much time as he had thought. Rather than wait, he wanted to be rid of the Mother Box immediately.
The inside of the barn stank of mold.
Raven had already drawn an intricate pentagram with chalk. There were five candle clusters on each end and the Mother Box in the middle. They opened the container, exposing the packs of disease-carrying blood.
"I'll handle everything. You guys just stay back," Raven said. She took a meditative pose, and the barn darkened. She began to mutter in low tones in a language that scratched his ears. The shadows on the edge of his vision began to dance.
Five blood packs flew out, each one standing over a candle. The packs peeled away, leaving the red globes to float. They touched the flames, turning them crimson. The pentagram on the ground flashed red. The vibrant flames shot out of the candles, creating an exact copy of the cursed sigil.
The remaining blood packs flew out of the container, each one being drained quickly. The blood disappeared into the unholy pentagram, making it glow brighter with each drop.
Once all the blood was gone, the pentagram coalesced into a maelstrom, slowly descending on the Mother Box.
—
Apokolips
"What is happening to the Mother Box?"
"Unknown. The humans could be meddling with it."
"No more delays, DeSaad. Open the portals now. I want the Kryptonian's head," Darkseid growled, his eyes flashing an ominous red.
He nodded, pressing several keys and sending the signal. Several portals flashed into existence in front of the Parademons. Darkseid flew ahead without a delay, grinning as he imagined finding Earth on the other side.
—
He came out of the portal, ready to declare his victory.
Only he stood above a plane of endless red and lava.
"What is this trickery?" He sought lifeforms to determine his current location.
One appeared, definitely not a human. "Who are you to intrude on my realm, worm?"
"I am Darkseid. Where is Earth?"
"Ah," Trigon's eyes shone. "One of the new gods. My daughter has sent me quite the gift."
Darkseid responded by firing twin crimson beams that struck the entity. Rather than screaming in agony, the being laughed. "Good, show me what you can do, little godling."
They slammed into each other in the middle, while the Parademon Army battled the Demonic Legions of Hell.
—
Metropolis
The maelstrom dissipated into nothing, leaving a metallic taste in the air. The flames went out, and the white chalk pentagram turned dark, breaking into pieces that were carried away by the unnatural wind.
The Mother Box was gone, just as he had seen the last bar on the timer fade away.
"Well done, everyone. Let's eat out today," he said, gesturing to the door. "Claire, if you would be so kind." He pointed at the barn once they were outside.
She nodded, releasing two streams inside, burning everything away, including the truck since they had no need for it anymore. As soon as she was done, the teleporter took them back.
It was an extremely productive day.
—
Beckett Residence
"Zalika, get dressed. We are going out to eat," Miles called out, taking his coat off.
"Zalika?" he called out again, getting no response.
There was a commotion upstairs, making them suspicious. He tilted his head up, activating his watch in case there was an intruder. He walked up, quiet as a mouse, and all three stopped before her door.
Zalika burst out, face red, a boy behind her.
Miles sighed, sending the nanobots covering his arm back into the watch. There was a sharp intake of breath from Baraka. He stomped towards the blonde boy, but Miles put a hand on his shoulder, stopping him.
"Zalika, you didn't tell me you were going to have a friend," he said, giving the boy a once over. Neither seemed to have dressed in a hurry. He trusted Zalika enough to be responsible. The boy, from his stance, seemed to shy for it anyway.
"Sorry. This is Michael," she squeaked out.
"Sir," the young man said, holding out his hand with a gulp.
He shook the hand with a smile that did not reach his eyes. "Next time, just tell us, alright?"
"Anyway, we were getting ready to eat out. Would you like to join us, Michael?" he said. It would be best if they got to know the kid.
He was about to shake his head, but Zalika nudged him with her foot. "Yes sir, thank you."
"Just call me Miles. Sir makes me feel old."
—
"I can't believe this," Baraka said with a guttural tone, glaring at Michael, who was standing on the other end of the lawn. It was a futile effort to evade Baraka.
"That she would have a boyfriend?" he asked. He never had siblings, but Baraka's reaction wasn't something extraordinary.
He crossed his arms, glancing at the house. "That we would find him in her room like this."
Miles chuckled. "You mean to tell me you would refuse if a girl invited you to her room?"
He rubbed his eyes. "Yes, no, I don't know."
"Baraka, your sister is smart. You can either trust that she knows what she is doing or not," he said. While he wanted to be informed of if someone was coming over, he trusted Zalika enough to let a boyfriend come over.
He would be doing a background check, of course.
"You also will have a girlfriend someday. Would you really want her brother or family to look like they want to kill you?"
"Fine. I won't do anything," he said, glaring at Michael one last time.
Their wait was over as the girls came out. Zalika glanced at her brother and then at Michael. Seeing he was fine, she dragged them both to the limo. Baraka took the wheel, while everyone else sat at the back.
"How did you two meet?" he asked Michael, who had calmed down enough to sit comfortably.
"On the internet. We were playing an online game," he said, his green eyes glancing at Zalika.
"And decided to meet today?" He wanted to know if they were meeting in secret for some reason.
"I wanted to take her to lunch, but she said she had to study."
"I trust Zalika. However, I would like to be informed next time." He was not her father, but he certainly wanted to make sure she was safe.
"I was going to call you, but your job was urgent."
"Zalika, you can always call me unless I specifically say not to."
—
Michael was a junior in Greenwood High School, a computer nerd, and a bit shy. He did a background check during the ride, seeing nothing out of the ordinary. Zalika could easily find more than him, but he wanted to see it himself.
He took them to a fancy burger restaurant.
Rather than the mass-produced, frozen, preservative-laced food sold by the chain restaurants, everything was fresh and chemical-free for the most part. Once Baraka stopped glaring daggers after a kick to his shin, the lunch was pleasant.
As all good things, it had to come to an abrupt end for him.
"Hey," he said, putting the phone between his shoulder and ear, wiping his hands.
"We need you to come in. We have a visitor with urgent news."
"I'll be there."
"Claire, I have to go. You can drop Michael off when he wants to leave. Otherwise, take the rest of the day off."
"Got it."
—
Watchtower
He walked into the meeting room, seeing all the members together. He was worried their visitor would be the Justice Lord Martian Manhunter.
It was Orion.
"May we begin now?" the red-haired, biological second son of Darkseid said, his lips twitching.
"Go ahead," Superman said while Miles took a seat.
"Darkseid is planning to assault your world. Two days ago, we detected the signal of a Mother Box on Earth. It was short and disappeared almost instantly. While many think it was nothing, I do not believe so."
The room tensed at Orion's revelation. All the League members straightened up, waiting for more. All except one.
"Miles?" Batman asked, seeing him smile.
He took his hat off, combing a hand through his hair. "He is right, Darkseid did send a Mother Box. I was going to come up after my lunch was over."
"You found the Mother Box? Where is it?" Orion demanded, getting in his face as the fury coursing through his veins showed itself.
Miles raised an eyebrow, and their guest slowly sat down. "I sent it to Trigon's realm. I figured he and Darkseid could weaken each other for us."
"Trigon?" Superman leaped to his feet first, eyes widening. "Are you sure it's safe?" The fight with Trigon's avatar was still fresh in his mind.
He gave a lopsided grin, leaning back on his chair. "Absolutely. I wager they are busy trying to murder each other while their armies dwindle."
"The Devil?" Orion burst out laughing, holding his belly. "This, this is great news." He knew the horrific stories of Trigon's might. More than a worthy opponent to his birth father, this unintended war would leave Apokolips in no state to continue its conquests for a long while.
Kudos to Icy Hot for the Space and Interdimensional Satan quote.
—
In the next chapter:
"Miles, was it?" Orion asked, all smiles and butterflies.
"Yes."
He brought his arm across his chest, giving a short but deliberate bow. "You have my thanks. Darkseid rarely gets what he deserves. Your news will make a lot of people happy."
Miles gave an equal bow. "Believe me, it was my pleasure."
Curious about the next chapter? Please consider supporting me on Patreon.
If you enjoy my stories, you can read up to 15 chapters in advance per story on my Patreon page / patreon.com/Samael61.
To the attention of the readers who enjoy reading an intelligent main character like Miles will definitely like my original story, Arrival : Ruptures. Comments, likes and reviews are appreciated. Here are the links for : AO3, Spacebattles, Royal Road and Webnovel.
—
Metropolis
Miles watched the line in front of the hospital, sipping his ice tea.
It was long.
He had to suddenly accelerate the plan. The timer on the Mother Box had moved down to four bars in two days. It must have sent a signal to Apokolips. Since he had no reason to wait, the cash for blood event had to be carried out now.
"How much are you paying for this again?" she asked, rolling the glass in her hand.
He smirked. "Claire, please. I could spend billions, and it would be worth making Space Satan fight Transdimensional Satan."
Sure, neither would die, but the battle would leave both sides weakened. His favorite state of their existence.
"They won't know what hit them," Baraka said with a grin that reached his eyes.
"That they won't. I only wish I could watch the confrontation."
"Oh, for the love of..." Claire muttered, turning her head around, ducking behind the chair. Miles glanced at her and then scanned the crowd, finding the source of her discomfort. Her parents were in the line. The couple thankfully didn't see her.
Neither had the kid waiting with them.
"Hey, is that your brother?" Baraka asked, pointing at the kid behind the couple, who had the same hair and eye color as Claire. She peeked out of her cover, eyes narrowing.
"He is," Miles said.
Claire rolled her eyes. "You looked them up?"
Of course he had. She didn't know why she even bothered to ask.
"I wanted to be informed if they ever managed to contact you."
"Not going to happen," she said, ducking behind the chair.
"I know."
"What about the kid?" she asked.
"He doesn't have a metapower. Just your ordinary high school senior teen." Claire was sent to Metropolis Center for Paranormal Studies at thirteen. Her parents had their son the same year, months after she was admitted.
Now at twenty-three, she had a ten-year-old little brother.
"Did they tell him about me?" she asked, glancing at the kid frowning behind the line.
"He actually tried to look for you, but there is only so much he could have done," he said. The kid had called the center, only to be told there was no Claire Selton. He had also gone to the police, but no one took him seriously.
"Do you want me to meet him?" she asked.
"Claire, it's your life. I just gave you the information; what you do with it is your business."
"What do you think then?"
"That the kid had nothing to do with the stupidity of your parents."
"I'll think about it."
—
With the promise of cash, it took no time at all for the hospital to reach its target amount. Naturally, there were too many people hiding their afflictions. The blood taken from them had to be disposed of.
"Please sign here," the chief physician said, holding out the necessary form. He signed it, taking possession of the biohazardous material. Claire and Baraka pushed the sealed container away, taking it to the truck.
Dressed in full-body protective gear.
He handed the document back, following along. The badge of MedAdvance Waste Disposal was clear on his shoulders, right in the view of the cameras. They took the backdoor. The truck was likewise fitted with the logo of the shell company.
His partners in crime loaded the container. He twisted the key, smiled, and drove away.
—
Halfway into the reported location of the disposal facility, the truck stopped. The three of them switched the plates, removed the logos, and drove once again. For the purpose of the ritual, he had found a location far away from the city. An abandoned farm with no humans in a wide radius, there would be no disruption to their work.
The ride would take a couple of hours. Teleporting the container to the lab and then to the farm while splitting the weight beneath the teleport limit was not worth the trouble.
"What got you looking so distracted?" he asked. Claire kept glancing out of the window while fumbling with her phone.
"My brother. What was his name?" she asked.
"Clay."
She gave him a dry look, blinking. Miles shrugged. "Don't look at me like that. I didn't name him."
"What's his number?" she asked. Her parents had given her a phone at that age. It was possible they gave him one too.
"Here," Miles said, holding his phone out with the number.
Claire recorded the number but didn't call. She kept watching the trees they were passing by, turning the phone in her hand. He didn't comment at first.
"Call him or don't. Either is better than agonizing over it."
She pressed the call button. "To hell with it."
"Hey, who is this?"
"Claire, your sister."
"What?!"
"Yeah, yeah, stop shouting. Also, don't tell those two anything, or I am hanging up."
"Okay, okay, I won't. Can we talk face to face?"
"I am working now. Maybe later."
"Working? What do you do?"
"I am a bodyguard."
"Guess you can't tell me more?"
"No. How is school?"
"Good," the kid said.
The conversation itself mostly consisted of generic questions. She didn't know how to speak to a brother whose existence she just learned today. The awkwardness was to be expected.
"Listen, kid, I got work to do. I'll call you later, maybe," Claire said as the truck came to a stop. Raven was already inside with the Mother Box.
Miles opened the doors, letting Claire and Baraka pull the cryo container out. The three of them pushed it up the small slope.
"Hey," Raven said, standing at the entrance with the Mother Box.
"Hey. We got you all the blood you need."
"Bring it in. I have everything else ready," she said, walking back inside. They followed while Miles calculated the timer, which only had one bar remaining now.
He didn't have as much time as he had thought. Rather than wait, he wanted to be rid of the Mother Box immediately.
The inside of the barn stank of mold.
Raven had already drawn an intricate pentagram with chalk. There were five candle clusters on each end and the Mother Box in the middle. They opened the container, exposing the packs of disease-carrying blood.
"I'll handle everything. You guys just stay back," Raven said. She took a meditative pose, and the barn darkened. She began to mutter in low tones in a language that scratched his ears. The shadows on the edge of his vision began to dance.
Five blood packs flew out, each one standing over a candle. The packs peeled away, leaving the red globes to float. They touched the flames, turning them crimson. The pentagram on the ground flashed red. The vibrant flames shot out of the candles, creating an exact copy of the cursed sigil.
The remaining blood packs flew out of the container, each one being drained quickly. The blood disappeared into the unholy pentagram, making it glow brighter with each drop.
Once all the blood was gone, the pentagram coalesced into a maelstrom, slowly descending on the Mother Box.
—
Apokolips
"What is happening to the Mother Box?"
"Unknown. The humans could be meddling with it."
"No more delays, DeSaad. Open the portals now. I want the Kryptonian's head," Darkseid growled, his eyes flashing an ominous red.
He nodded, pressing several keys and sending the signal. Several portals flashed into existence in front of the Parademons. Darkseid flew ahead without a delay, grinning as he imagined finding Earth on the other side.
—
He came out of the portal, ready to declare his victory.
Only he stood above a plane of endless red and lava.
"What is this trickery?" He sought lifeforms to determine his current location.
One appeared, definitely not a human. "Who are you to intrude on my realm, worm?"
"I am Darkseid. Where is Earth?"
"Ah," Trigon's eyes shone. "One of the new gods. My daughter has sent me quite the gift."
Darkseid responded by firing twin crimson beams that struck the entity. Rather than screaming in agony, the being laughed. "Good, show me what you can do, little godling."
They slammed into each other in the middle, while the Parademon Army battled the Demonic Legions of Hell.
—
Metropolis
The maelstrom dissipated into nothing, leaving a metallic taste in the air. The flames went out, and the white chalk pentagram turned dark, breaking into pieces that were carried away by the unnatural wind.
The Mother Box was gone, just as he had seen the last bar on the timer fade away.
"Well done, everyone. Let's eat out today," he said, gesturing to the door. "Claire, if you would be so kind." He pointed at the barn once they were outside.
She nodded, releasing two streams inside, burning everything away, including the truck since they had no need for it anymore. As soon as she was done, the teleporter took them back.
It was an extremely productive day.
—
Beckett Residence
"Zalika, get dressed. We are going out to eat," Miles called out, taking his coat off.
"Zalika?" he called out again, getting no response.
There was a commotion upstairs, making them suspicious. He tilted his head up, activating his watch in case there was an intruder. He walked up, quiet as a mouse, and all three stopped before her door.
Zalika burst out, face red, a boy behind her.
Miles sighed, sending the nanobots covering his arm back into the watch. There was a sharp intake of breath from Baraka. He stomped towards the blonde boy, but Miles put a hand on his shoulder, stopping him.
"Zalika, you didn't tell me you were going to have a friend," he said, giving the boy a once over. Neither seemed to have dressed in a hurry. He trusted Zalika enough to be responsible. The boy, from his stance, seemed to shy for it anyway.
"Sorry. This is Michael," she squeaked out.
"Sir," the young man said, holding out his hand with a gulp.
He shook the hand with a smile that did not reach his eyes. "Next time, just tell us, alright?"
"Anyway, we were getting ready to eat out. Would you like to join us, Michael?" he said. It would be best if they got to know the kid.
He was about to shake his head, but Zalika nudged him with her foot. "Yes sir, thank you."
"Just call me Miles. Sir makes me feel old."
—
"I can't believe this," Baraka said with a guttural tone, glaring at Michael, who was standing on the other end of the lawn. It was a futile effort to evade Baraka.
"That she would have a boyfriend?" he asked. He never had siblings, but Baraka's reaction wasn't something extraordinary.
He crossed his arms, glancing at the house. "That we would find him in her room like this."
Miles chuckled. "You mean to tell me you would refuse if a girl invited you to her room?"
He rubbed his eyes. "Yes, no, I don't know."
"Baraka, your sister is smart. You can either trust that she knows what she is doing or not," he said. While he wanted to be informed of if someone was coming over, he trusted Zalika enough to let a boyfriend come over.
He would be doing a background check, of course.
"You also will have a girlfriend someday. Would you really want her brother or family to look like they want to kill you?"
"Fine. I won't do anything," he said, glaring at Michael one last time.
Their wait was over as the girls came out. Zalika glanced at her brother and then at Michael. Seeing he was fine, she dragged them both to the limo. Baraka took the wheel, while everyone else sat at the back.
"How did you two meet?" he asked Michael, who had calmed down enough to sit comfortably.
"On the internet. We were playing an online game," he said, his green eyes glancing at Zalika.
"And decided to meet today?" He wanted to know if they were meeting in secret for some reason.
"I wanted to take her to lunch, but she said she had to study."
"I trust Zalika. However, I would like to be informed next time." He was not her father, but he certainly wanted to make sure she was safe.
"I was going to call you, but your job was urgent."
"Zalika, you can always call me unless I specifically say not to."
—
Michael was a junior in Greenwood High School, a computer nerd, and a bit shy. He did a background check during the ride, seeing nothing out of the ordinary. Zalika could easily find more than him, but he wanted to see it himself.
He took them to a fancy burger restaurant.
Rather than the mass-produced, frozen, preservative-laced food sold by the chain restaurants, everything was fresh and chemical-free for the most part. Once Baraka stopped glaring daggers after a kick to his shin, the lunch was pleasant.
As all good things, it had to come to an abrupt end for him.
"Hey," he said, putting the phone between his shoulder and ear, wiping his hands.
"We need you to come in. We have a visitor with urgent news."
"I'll be there."
"Claire, I have to go. You can drop Michael off when he wants to leave. Otherwise, take the rest of the day off."
"Got it."
—
Watchtower
He walked into the meeting room, seeing all the members together. He was worried their visitor would be the Justice Lord Martian Manhunter.
It was Orion.
"May we begin now?" the red-haired, biological second son of Darkseid said, his lips twitching.
"Go ahead," Superman said while Miles took a seat.
"Darkseid is planning to assault your world. Two days ago, we detected the signal of a Mother Box on Earth. It was short and disappeared almost instantly. While many think it was nothing, I do not believe so."
The room tensed at Orion's revelation. All the League members straightened up, waiting for more. All except one.
"Miles?" Batman asked, seeing him smile.
He took his hat off, combing a hand through his hair. "He is right, Darkseid did send a Mother Box. I was going to come up after my lunch was over."
"You found the Mother Box? Where is it?" Orion demanded, getting in his face as the fury coursing through his veins showed itself.
Miles raised an eyebrow, and their guest slowly sat down. "I sent it to Trigon's realm. I figured he and Darkseid could weaken each other for us."
"Trigon?" Superman leaped to his feet first, eyes widening. "Are you sure it's safe?" The fight with Trigon's avatar was still fresh in his mind.
He gave a lopsided grin, leaning back on his chair. "Absolutely. I wager they are busy trying to murder each other while their armies dwindle."
"The Devil?" Orion burst out laughing, holding his belly. "This, this is great news." He knew the horrific stories of Trigon's might. More than a worthy opponent to his birth father, this unintended war would leave Apokolips in no state to continue its conquests for a long while.
Kudos to Icy Hot for the Space and Interdimensional Satan quote.
—
In the next chapter:
"Miles, was it?" Orion asked, all smiles and butterflies.
"Yes."
He brought his arm across his chest, giving a short but deliberate bow. "You have my thanks. Darkseid rarely gets what he deserves. Your news will make a lot of people happy."
Miles gave an equal bow. "Believe me, it was my pleasure."
Curious about the next chapter? Please consider supporting me on Patreon.
Spearow
Respect the bird
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A question, this story, what dc continuities are present? i know that its the young justice one because its listed, but there is also the justice league and elements from the animated batman and superman series, what else is present? Just curious about it.
Also, i would really like to see the fight of trigon and darkside, the justice league dark conclusion never showed the end result and that universe was deleted by the end of the tomorrow verse
Also, i would really like to see the fight of trigon and darkside, the justice league dark conclusion never showed the end result and that universe was deleted by the end of the tomorrow verse
FTR2017
Legendary Tentacle Lurker
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I figure this was after Darkseid brainwashed Superman into thinking he was his son, 'cause Cadmus? That was made in response to seeing such a nightmare turn to reality.
That aside, I can share Orion's mirth at having the two Great Evils fighting one another, 'tis a win for all but them!
That aside, I can share Orion's mirth at having the two Great Evils fighting one another, 'tis a win for all but them!
MetalGearDull
Getting sticky.
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Thank for the chapter!
Chapter 72 - What Could Have Been
New
Samael61
Not too sore, are you?
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Hello there,
If you enjoy my stories, you can read up to 15 chapters in advance per story on my Patreon page / patreon.com/Samael61.
To the attention of the readers who enjoy reading an intelligent main character like Miles will definitely like my original story, Arrival : Ruptures. Comments, likes and reviews are appreciated. Here are the links for : AO3, Spacebattles, Royal Road and Webnovel.
—
Watchtower
"Miles, was it?" Orion asked, all smiles and butterflies.
"Yes."
He brought his arm across his chest, giving a short but deliberate bow. "You have my thanks. Darkseid rarely gets what he deserves. Your news will make a lot of people happy."
Miles gave an equal bow. "Believe me, it was my pleasure."
"Then I shall not worry you all any longer," he said, offering small words of farewell and departing to his home to inform the Highfather.
All eyes snapped on him as soon as Orion left. "You sent Darkseid to fight Trigon and didn't tell us?" Wonder Woman asked, smiling, her tone light but not accusatory.
He quickly uploaded the images and relevant intelligence on the case, presenting them as holograms. "One of my contacts informed me that there were humanoid creatures seen in several parts of Metropolis, coming out of the sewers. I had nothing better to do and decided to investigate. I found a Parademon carrying a Mother Box, most likely sent here when Darkseid was here."
Two images appeared, one depicting the destroyed Parademon and the other, the Mother Box.
"The timer on it showed at least two weeks more, but Mother Boxes are alive. It must have sent a signal, which accelerated the timeline. Rather than waste time, I sent it to Trigon's dimension as soon as I could."
"And as I said, I was going to come after my lunch was over since the danger was gone."
Flash reached across the table, holding his fist out. "Well, good riddance. Let those two tear each other up, maybe even kill if we are lucky."
He bumped it. "The battle is unlikely to end in a decisive victory for either side, but their armies will be spent. At the least, Darkseid can't afford to invade anywhere for a while."
"Any other dangers we should be aware of?" Batman asked.
He nodded, bringing out a file. "Actually, I recently met an acquaintance, one from an alternate universe. She gave me a list of the perils her Justice League fought, at least the ones that took place before her Earth was destroyed."
"Most of it already happened, but there is quite an interesting event she mentioned, one that has roots in our universe."
"Which is?"
"Icthultu and the old ones."
Shayera turned to him sharply. "Hawkgirl?" Green Lantern asked, seeing her narrowed eyes.
She put her forehead on her palms, glancing at the file. "Thanagarians used to worship Icthultu once. It gave us agriculture, science, philosophy, and many other boons."
"What did it cost?" Batman asked. He doubted it would be because Icthultu was simply benevolent.
"The souls of our people. We stopped worshipping it once they learned the price, but they still exist."
"How do we prevent this?"
"We kill Icthultu, just as they did," Superman said, putting the papers back on the table.
Flash clapped his hands. "Alright, problem solved. Now, did you say her Earth was destroyed? How?"
His leg was bouncing up and down, and his cheerful mood wasn't there, contrary to his words.
"Anti-Monitor. It is an entity with an instinctual desire to destroy all life and positive matter, leaving only the antimatter universe in existence," he explained. He really should get around to uploading the Blacklist to the computer.
"How do we stop him?" Red Tornado asked. The multiverse was getting increasingly dangerous and ever so close to them.
Miles steepled his fingers, thumbs tapping together in thought. "Provided he comes into our universe? Good question."
"You don't have a plan?" Manhunter asked. While it was an enormous responsibility, Miles was their best bet to be ready for an incursion.
"I do. It's just that I need your very best to keep it a secret. If it gets out, all of existence will be in trouble." Mind control, mind reading, spies, and even a loose mouth could risk exposing that he knew the Anti-Life Equation. It would bring just about everyone in the know after him.
Hence, it was best to make sure the League did not ask.
Superman's eyes swept over everyone, asking for silent permission. He turned to Miles, tilting his head down slowly. "Then don't say anything. Let's not risk it."
"Are you all certain?"
"I trust you," the boy scout smiled.
Shayera rose from her chair, restless. "If we are done, I need to return to Thanagar and bring back everything we have on Icthultu."
Superman followed along to chase his own leads. "I'll contact Dr. Fate."
"This friend of yours, was she a hero?" Batman asked.
"She was. I am sure you can understand that she simply doesn't have the heart for it these days."
"Alright, thanks."
The events from Karen's dimension had proceeded differently in several parts. Some of the show events had taken place, but the rest were different. The mess with Icthultu was the last one in her list, preceded by Despero.
Nothing about the Justice Lords.
Still, he had a small army of androids ready to tackle them.
—
Beckett Residence
He returned home to a frosty atmosphere. Baraka and Zalika were sitting apart, occasionally stealing glances.
"Zalika, you aren't a child, and I am not some hard ass who will ground you for having a boyfriend. Next time you want to have someone over, just tell us," he said to her, irritated by the atmosphere before turning to Baraka.
"Baraka, your sister did make a mistake, but you are making a mountain out of a molehill. I understand you are angry because your brotherly instincts say so. Do yourself a favor and stop."
The siblings shared a glance but didn't say anything.
"Was I clear enough?" he asked.
"Yeah," they said at the same time.
"Claire, was there any problem with our guest?"
"Nope. Dropped him home without an issue. The kid's parents are squeaky clean too."
"Good. I have some work to do in my room. You can order whatever you want."
—
His work included finally writing his knowledge down. Darkseid, Trigon, Anti-Monitor, and the myriad of villains, both on Earth and extraterrestrial in origin, would be recorded and loaded to the League's computer. Weaknesses, behavioral patterns, aims, and everything else that could be used against them.
Sensitive knowledge was omitted since the Watchtower wasn't exactly impenetrable. Also, not everyone needed to know the existence of the Anti-Life Equation or other, less dangerous weapons.
Darkseid's status as a multiversal being was included, if only because he considered killing him. Darkseid wasn't always what he was; there was a point in his life, a short one, where he could be killed, ridding the existence of the god of evil forever.
A dangerous proposition.
Such a fundamental change would have repercussions. The Spectre wouldn't let it go unpunished. He would have to somehow reach an accord, preventing the entity from acting.
Or he would have to come up with an alternative. Rather than kill his multiversal concept, he could just take the avatar out, somehow. That part was fair game, he was certain, but the how remained.
The aftermath of killing the remaining enemies was at least less of a hassle.
—
Watchtower
His three-day work marathon had come to an end. Everything was reviewed and ready to upload to the league's database.
Just in time to see two Martian Manhunters in the station.
"J'onn, you didn't tell me you had a twin brother," he quipped, knowing the time had come.
"I do not. This is me from an alternate reality. He requests our League's assistance."
"With what?"
"The dimensions are collapsing on one another. Our dimension seems to be at the center of it."
"If you can give a bit more detail, I may be able to figure out if there is anything out there responsible for it. We already met one interdimensional refugee whose universe faced destruction. If it's what I fear, your whole universe faces destruction," he said with a grim tone.
"Anti-Monitor?" Superman asked after a second of delay.
"Possibly. In which case this portal could potentially give him a window to our universe."
"We can't just abandon them," Wonder Woman said, looking away. It certainly was quite the dilemma they faced.
"Honestly, the choice is yours. There is nothing certain yet, and I might be wrong."
"But if you are not, our universe could be in danger as well."
"We should go. If nothing else, we can at least get firsthand experience against the Anti-Monitor. Otherwise, we can handle it," Batman said. It was the best chance they had at seeing what could be done against the entity.
If it was the enemy this time.
"Agreed," Hawkgirl said, walking through the portal. One by one, they left, with Batman as the last.
He laid a hand on the Caped Crusader's shoulder, eyes narrowed, whispering. "Careful, something is wrong."
Batman nodded and walked through the portal, as did the rest of the League. Miles gathered his hands at his back, pressing a button. Once the portal closed, he stood alone in the station.
While he waited, he uploaded the list to the computer and sat down to watch the Earth from the window.
—
The portal opened two hours later, the sound of a sudden air displacement announcing it. He turned around, seeing Superman, Wonder Woman, Hawkgirl, Manhunter and Green Lantern, all in different clothing.
"You must be Miles," Superman said. He was identical to the boy scout, yet his voice carried an edge that the good counterpart lacked.
"Any reason you are here without my teammates?" he asked. His calm demeanor unnerved the Justice Lords.
Hawkgirl stepped forward. "They are fine. We are here to ensure the safety of this planet, just as we did back in ours."
He chuckled, low and humorless. "You have one chance to return them, leave, and never come back. Otherwise, I will send you four back in stretchers."
"You and what army?" Wonder Woman challenged.
Miles snapped his fingers. Amazo, Claire, and Baraka, along with his small army of androids, decloaked, standing before the Justice Lords. "This army."
"Amazo?!" Superman flinched, taking a step back. They were the ones who said everything was proceeding exactly the same. Which meant Amazo mopped the floor with them once upon a time.
"You will not be warned again. Return the Justice League members alive and well and leave this dimension," the android said, his eyes glowing a baleful red.
Superman glared at them all, fists clenching.
"You don't know the things that will happen, the danger this Earth will face."
"Such as?"
"Luthor, he becomes the president and almost starts a nuclear war."
Miles blinked once and burst out laughing, his loud voice echoing in the chamber. He began to slap his hand on the table, stumping Amazo and the Justice Lords.
"You imbeciles let Luthor become the president? My goodness, you are dumber than Solomon Grundy himself. At least he has an excuse; what's with being undead and all. But you? Your stupidity honestly impresses me," he said, rising from his chair to clap enthusiastically.
Superman glared at him. "You think it won't happen here?"
"Of course I won't let Lex Luthor become the next president. Unlike you, I have this wondrous ability," he said, wiggling his fingers.
"What is it?" Wonder Woman asked. Did this member of the League, one who did not exist in their reality, have prophetic abilities?
"Common sense. I would suggest you use it as well, but I think that ship has already sailed past."
He shook his head.
"At any rate, I will not warn you again. Bring the Justice League back now."
There was a tense standoff. The air became thick with aggression. He waited for their answer.
It came with fists and weapons. Wonder Woman attacked Amazo, while Greenn Lantern, Manhunter and Hawkgirl attacked Claire, Baraka, and the androids.
Superman went straight for him, wrapping a hand around his throat, eyes glowing. Miles raised an eyebrow despite the pressure on his windpipe, knowing it wouldn't take any effort on the Kryptonian's part to break his neck.
He had come prepared, though.
There was a scream, not loud, but it still stopped the battle before it could destroy the station. Superman went to his knees, growling like a wounded animal, while Miles held a dart gun in his hand. The Kryptonian pulled the dart out of his chest, seeing the tip glow with an eerie green color.
"I would say you have thirty minutes before the kryptonite I just injected kills you," he said, waving the gun.
"You are bluffing. We saw your league; they don't kill," Wonder Woman scoffed, disengaging from Amazo.
Miles shot Superman again, causing him to scream out again. "Fifteen minutes now."
"If you were going to kill him, why give us time?" Manhunter asked, trying to read his mind to no avail once more.
He pulled the trigger again. "Around seven minutes."
"Gods, stop, stop," Wonder Woman screamed, seeing he was actually serious.
"Lantern has seven minutes to bring my comrades back. In return, I'll give him something to clear the kryptonite in his system. I would hurry if I were you," he said, nudging the groaning Kryptonian with his feet.
"Go," Wonder Woman ordered, lowering her arms, unflinching before the androids.
Green Lantern left through the portal without looking back.
"You are not a hero, are you?" Diana accused, looking at Superman's groaning form.
He shrugged, taking his seat again. "I am a hero. I just don't take anyone's shit."
Three minutes of tense silence, only interrupted by Justice Lord Superman's groans, Green Lantern returned with his teammates, except for one member.
"Your Hawkgirl is in the hospital; we can't move her right now."
"Then you are going to have to surrender," he said, pointing the gun down.
Wonder Woman's eyes narrowed. "That was not our agreement."
"That was before I learned you put one of my teammates in the hospital. Now, unless you want to carry him to a morgue, surrender."
All four knelt, hands behind their heads. Green Lantern took the ring from his counterpart , Diana lassoed hers, Batman took the mace and Manhunter knocked his evil variant out.
He turned to the evil Superman on the ground. He was groaning, barely whispering, pale as a ghost and sweating bullets. He pulled out another dart gun, shooting him three times, sending nanobots into his body to clear the kryptonite.
"Where did you get the kryptonite?" he asked, glancing at the gun.
He held it out by the handle. "Stole it from Luthor. You know how big of a fan of yours he is."
Superman took the weapon, hanging it on his belt with a grimace. He would have to dispose of it later.
His fascist counterpart was quick to recover. "What? What happened?"
"You messed with the wrong people," the good Superman said, punching his counterpart out.
"That felt good," he said, rubbing his knuckles.
"How did they get you?" Miles asked as the counterparts were secured. He dismissed the android army, sending them out of the base.
"The portal led to a room where they electrocuted us to unconsciousness," Lantern said, rolling his shoulders. He itched to get payback.
"Where did you get the androids?" Wonder Woman asked. She was grateful for the quick rescue but also curious about where the small army had come from.
"Morrow. I managed to convert him to the side of the good."
There were raised eyebrows. Morrow's name was known well, and it wasn't just through the android members of the League. His villainous deeds were numerous. Hearing he was on their side was actually good news.
"This isn't over yet. We should go to their side, rescue Hawkgirl, and put an end to their regime," Superman said, looking at the open portal.
"I can send the androids with you. I am sure the numbers would be helpful." The Justice Lords still had control over their world. The androids would alleviate the burden.
"We'll take them," Batman said, walking through the portal.
—
In the next chapter:
Green Lantern came out of the portal, carrying an unconscious Hawkgirl. His face was blank, but under his costume, the tensed muscles were visible.
"Which one of you did this?" he asked. He didn't scream or raise his voice. Still, the even tone gave them the chills.
His counterpart turned to him. "It was me. She tried to…."
John ignored the rest of what he had to say. He handed Shayera to Amazo and walked to his counterpart. The thunderous look on his face said more than words could. He swung his fist, nailing the counterpart in his eye.
Curious about the next chapter? Please consider supporting me on Patreon.
If you enjoy my stories, you can read up to 15 chapters in advance per story on my Patreon page / patreon.com/Samael61.
To the attention of the readers who enjoy reading an intelligent main character like Miles will definitely like my original story, Arrival : Ruptures. Comments, likes and reviews are appreciated. Here are the links for : AO3, Spacebattles, Royal Road and Webnovel.
—
Watchtower
"Miles, was it?" Orion asked, all smiles and butterflies.
"Yes."
He brought his arm across his chest, giving a short but deliberate bow. "You have my thanks. Darkseid rarely gets what he deserves. Your news will make a lot of people happy."
Miles gave an equal bow. "Believe me, it was my pleasure."
"Then I shall not worry you all any longer," he said, offering small words of farewell and departing to his home to inform the Highfather.
All eyes snapped on him as soon as Orion left. "You sent Darkseid to fight Trigon and didn't tell us?" Wonder Woman asked, smiling, her tone light but not accusatory.
He quickly uploaded the images and relevant intelligence on the case, presenting them as holograms. "One of my contacts informed me that there were humanoid creatures seen in several parts of Metropolis, coming out of the sewers. I had nothing better to do and decided to investigate. I found a Parademon carrying a Mother Box, most likely sent here when Darkseid was here."
Two images appeared, one depicting the destroyed Parademon and the other, the Mother Box.
"The timer on it showed at least two weeks more, but Mother Boxes are alive. It must have sent a signal, which accelerated the timeline. Rather than waste time, I sent it to Trigon's dimension as soon as I could."
"And as I said, I was going to come after my lunch was over since the danger was gone."
Flash reached across the table, holding his fist out. "Well, good riddance. Let those two tear each other up, maybe even kill if we are lucky."
He bumped it. "The battle is unlikely to end in a decisive victory for either side, but their armies will be spent. At the least, Darkseid can't afford to invade anywhere for a while."
"Any other dangers we should be aware of?" Batman asked.
He nodded, bringing out a file. "Actually, I recently met an acquaintance, one from an alternate universe. She gave me a list of the perils her Justice League fought, at least the ones that took place before her Earth was destroyed."
"Most of it already happened, but there is quite an interesting event she mentioned, one that has roots in our universe."
"Which is?"
"Icthultu and the old ones."
Shayera turned to him sharply. "Hawkgirl?" Green Lantern asked, seeing her narrowed eyes.
She put her forehead on her palms, glancing at the file. "Thanagarians used to worship Icthultu once. It gave us agriculture, science, philosophy, and many other boons."
"What did it cost?" Batman asked. He doubted it would be because Icthultu was simply benevolent.
"The souls of our people. We stopped worshipping it once they learned the price, but they still exist."
"How do we prevent this?"
"We kill Icthultu, just as they did," Superman said, putting the papers back on the table.
Flash clapped his hands. "Alright, problem solved. Now, did you say her Earth was destroyed? How?"
His leg was bouncing up and down, and his cheerful mood wasn't there, contrary to his words.
"Anti-Monitor. It is an entity with an instinctual desire to destroy all life and positive matter, leaving only the antimatter universe in existence," he explained. He really should get around to uploading the Blacklist to the computer.
"How do we stop him?" Red Tornado asked. The multiverse was getting increasingly dangerous and ever so close to them.
Miles steepled his fingers, thumbs tapping together in thought. "Provided he comes into our universe? Good question."
"You don't have a plan?" Manhunter asked. While it was an enormous responsibility, Miles was their best bet to be ready for an incursion.
"I do. It's just that I need your very best to keep it a secret. If it gets out, all of existence will be in trouble." Mind control, mind reading, spies, and even a loose mouth could risk exposing that he knew the Anti-Life Equation. It would bring just about everyone in the know after him.
Hence, it was best to make sure the League did not ask.
Superman's eyes swept over everyone, asking for silent permission. He turned to Miles, tilting his head down slowly. "Then don't say anything. Let's not risk it."
"Are you all certain?"
"I trust you," the boy scout smiled.
Shayera rose from her chair, restless. "If we are done, I need to return to Thanagar and bring back everything we have on Icthultu."
Superman followed along to chase his own leads. "I'll contact Dr. Fate."
"This friend of yours, was she a hero?" Batman asked.
"She was. I am sure you can understand that she simply doesn't have the heart for it these days."
"Alright, thanks."
The events from Karen's dimension had proceeded differently in several parts. Some of the show events had taken place, but the rest were different. The mess with Icthultu was the last one in her list, preceded by Despero.
Nothing about the Justice Lords.
Still, he had a small army of androids ready to tackle them.
—
Beckett Residence
He returned home to a frosty atmosphere. Baraka and Zalika were sitting apart, occasionally stealing glances.
"Zalika, you aren't a child, and I am not some hard ass who will ground you for having a boyfriend. Next time you want to have someone over, just tell us," he said to her, irritated by the atmosphere before turning to Baraka.
"Baraka, your sister did make a mistake, but you are making a mountain out of a molehill. I understand you are angry because your brotherly instincts say so. Do yourself a favor and stop."
The siblings shared a glance but didn't say anything.
"Was I clear enough?" he asked.
"Yeah," they said at the same time.
"Claire, was there any problem with our guest?"
"Nope. Dropped him home without an issue. The kid's parents are squeaky clean too."
"Good. I have some work to do in my room. You can order whatever you want."
—
His work included finally writing his knowledge down. Darkseid, Trigon, Anti-Monitor, and the myriad of villains, both on Earth and extraterrestrial in origin, would be recorded and loaded to the League's computer. Weaknesses, behavioral patterns, aims, and everything else that could be used against them.
Sensitive knowledge was omitted since the Watchtower wasn't exactly impenetrable. Also, not everyone needed to know the existence of the Anti-Life Equation or other, less dangerous weapons.
Darkseid's status as a multiversal being was included, if only because he considered killing him. Darkseid wasn't always what he was; there was a point in his life, a short one, where he could be killed, ridding the existence of the god of evil forever.
A dangerous proposition.
Such a fundamental change would have repercussions. The Spectre wouldn't let it go unpunished. He would have to somehow reach an accord, preventing the entity from acting.
Or he would have to come up with an alternative. Rather than kill his multiversal concept, he could just take the avatar out, somehow. That part was fair game, he was certain, but the how remained.
The aftermath of killing the remaining enemies was at least less of a hassle.
—
Watchtower
His three-day work marathon had come to an end. Everything was reviewed and ready to upload to the league's database.
Just in time to see two Martian Manhunters in the station.
"J'onn, you didn't tell me you had a twin brother," he quipped, knowing the time had come.
"I do not. This is me from an alternate reality. He requests our League's assistance."
"With what?"
"The dimensions are collapsing on one another. Our dimension seems to be at the center of it."
"If you can give a bit more detail, I may be able to figure out if there is anything out there responsible for it. We already met one interdimensional refugee whose universe faced destruction. If it's what I fear, your whole universe faces destruction," he said with a grim tone.
"Anti-Monitor?" Superman asked after a second of delay.
"Possibly. In which case this portal could potentially give him a window to our universe."
"We can't just abandon them," Wonder Woman said, looking away. It certainly was quite the dilemma they faced.
"Honestly, the choice is yours. There is nothing certain yet, and I might be wrong."
"But if you are not, our universe could be in danger as well."
"We should go. If nothing else, we can at least get firsthand experience against the Anti-Monitor. Otherwise, we can handle it," Batman said. It was the best chance they had at seeing what could be done against the entity.
If it was the enemy this time.
"Agreed," Hawkgirl said, walking through the portal. One by one, they left, with Batman as the last.
He laid a hand on the Caped Crusader's shoulder, eyes narrowed, whispering. "Careful, something is wrong."
Batman nodded and walked through the portal, as did the rest of the League. Miles gathered his hands at his back, pressing a button. Once the portal closed, he stood alone in the station.
While he waited, he uploaded the list to the computer and sat down to watch the Earth from the window.
—
The portal opened two hours later, the sound of a sudden air displacement announcing it. He turned around, seeing Superman, Wonder Woman, Hawkgirl, Manhunter and Green Lantern, all in different clothing.
"You must be Miles," Superman said. He was identical to the boy scout, yet his voice carried an edge that the good counterpart lacked.
"Any reason you are here without my teammates?" he asked. His calm demeanor unnerved the Justice Lords.
Hawkgirl stepped forward. "They are fine. We are here to ensure the safety of this planet, just as we did back in ours."
He chuckled, low and humorless. "You have one chance to return them, leave, and never come back. Otherwise, I will send you four back in stretchers."
"You and what army?" Wonder Woman challenged.
Miles snapped his fingers. Amazo, Claire, and Baraka, along with his small army of androids, decloaked, standing before the Justice Lords. "This army."
"Amazo?!" Superman flinched, taking a step back. They were the ones who said everything was proceeding exactly the same. Which meant Amazo mopped the floor with them once upon a time.
"You will not be warned again. Return the Justice League members alive and well and leave this dimension," the android said, his eyes glowing a baleful red.
Superman glared at them all, fists clenching.
"You don't know the things that will happen, the danger this Earth will face."
"Such as?"
"Luthor, he becomes the president and almost starts a nuclear war."
Miles blinked once and burst out laughing, his loud voice echoing in the chamber. He began to slap his hand on the table, stumping Amazo and the Justice Lords.
"You imbeciles let Luthor become the president? My goodness, you are dumber than Solomon Grundy himself. At least he has an excuse; what's with being undead and all. But you? Your stupidity honestly impresses me," he said, rising from his chair to clap enthusiastically.
Superman glared at him. "You think it won't happen here?"
"Of course I won't let Lex Luthor become the next president. Unlike you, I have this wondrous ability," he said, wiggling his fingers.
"What is it?" Wonder Woman asked. Did this member of the League, one who did not exist in their reality, have prophetic abilities?
"Common sense. I would suggest you use it as well, but I think that ship has already sailed past."
He shook his head.
"At any rate, I will not warn you again. Bring the Justice League back now."
There was a tense standoff. The air became thick with aggression. He waited for their answer.
It came with fists and weapons. Wonder Woman attacked Amazo, while Greenn Lantern, Manhunter and Hawkgirl attacked Claire, Baraka, and the androids.
Superman went straight for him, wrapping a hand around his throat, eyes glowing. Miles raised an eyebrow despite the pressure on his windpipe, knowing it wouldn't take any effort on the Kryptonian's part to break his neck.
He had come prepared, though.
There was a scream, not loud, but it still stopped the battle before it could destroy the station. Superman went to his knees, growling like a wounded animal, while Miles held a dart gun in his hand. The Kryptonian pulled the dart out of his chest, seeing the tip glow with an eerie green color.
"I would say you have thirty minutes before the kryptonite I just injected kills you," he said, waving the gun.
"You are bluffing. We saw your league; they don't kill," Wonder Woman scoffed, disengaging from Amazo.
Miles shot Superman again, causing him to scream out again. "Fifteen minutes now."
"If you were going to kill him, why give us time?" Manhunter asked, trying to read his mind to no avail once more.
He pulled the trigger again. "Around seven minutes."
"Gods, stop, stop," Wonder Woman screamed, seeing he was actually serious.
"Lantern has seven minutes to bring my comrades back. In return, I'll give him something to clear the kryptonite in his system. I would hurry if I were you," he said, nudging the groaning Kryptonian with his feet.
"Go," Wonder Woman ordered, lowering her arms, unflinching before the androids.
Green Lantern left through the portal without looking back.
"You are not a hero, are you?" Diana accused, looking at Superman's groaning form.
He shrugged, taking his seat again. "I am a hero. I just don't take anyone's shit."
Three minutes of tense silence, only interrupted by Justice Lord Superman's groans, Green Lantern returned with his teammates, except for one member.
"Your Hawkgirl is in the hospital; we can't move her right now."
"Then you are going to have to surrender," he said, pointing the gun down.
Wonder Woman's eyes narrowed. "That was not our agreement."
"That was before I learned you put one of my teammates in the hospital. Now, unless you want to carry him to a morgue, surrender."
All four knelt, hands behind their heads. Green Lantern took the ring from his counterpart , Diana lassoed hers, Batman took the mace and Manhunter knocked his evil variant out.
He turned to the evil Superman on the ground. He was groaning, barely whispering, pale as a ghost and sweating bullets. He pulled out another dart gun, shooting him three times, sending nanobots into his body to clear the kryptonite.
"Where did you get the kryptonite?" he asked, glancing at the gun.
He held it out by the handle. "Stole it from Luthor. You know how big of a fan of yours he is."
Superman took the weapon, hanging it on his belt with a grimace. He would have to dispose of it later.
His fascist counterpart was quick to recover. "What? What happened?"
"You messed with the wrong people," the good Superman said, punching his counterpart out.
"That felt good," he said, rubbing his knuckles.
"How did they get you?" Miles asked as the counterparts were secured. He dismissed the android army, sending them out of the base.
"The portal led to a room where they electrocuted us to unconsciousness," Lantern said, rolling his shoulders. He itched to get payback.
"Where did you get the androids?" Wonder Woman asked. She was grateful for the quick rescue but also curious about where the small army had come from.
"Morrow. I managed to convert him to the side of the good."
There were raised eyebrows. Morrow's name was known well, and it wasn't just through the android members of the League. His villainous deeds were numerous. Hearing he was on their side was actually good news.
"This isn't over yet. We should go to their side, rescue Hawkgirl, and put an end to their regime," Superman said, looking at the open portal.
"I can send the androids with you. I am sure the numbers would be helpful." The Justice Lords still had control over their world. The androids would alleviate the burden.
"We'll take them," Batman said, walking through the portal.
—
In the next chapter:
Green Lantern came out of the portal, carrying an unconscious Hawkgirl. His face was blank, but under his costume, the tensed muscles were visible.
"Which one of you did this?" he asked. He didn't scream or raise his voice. Still, the even tone gave them the chills.
His counterpart turned to him. "It was me. She tried to…."
John ignored the rest of what he had to say. He handed Shayera to Amazo and walked to his counterpart. The thunderous look on his face said more than words could. He swung his fist, nailing the counterpart in his eye.
Curious about the next chapter? Please consider supporting me on Patreon.
G1 Convoy
Versed in the lewd.
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TFTC.
Really good chapter. Hopefully we can get a decent side chapter focusing on the battle between Darkseid and Trigon and it's aftermath.
Really good chapter. Hopefully we can get a decent side chapter focusing on the battle between Darkseid and Trigon and it's aftermath.
I think that this was an oversight and that, unless he was extraordinarily gifted, his age would put him firmly in the elementary schooler age range.
FTR2017
Legendary Tentacle Lurker
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On one hand, Miles better have a shrink at hand who won't go batshit crazy when dealing with Batman's library worth of issues, so that Wonder Woman can get the bat-dick she craves.
On the other hand, lmao, Miles styled on these scrub lords, truly Morrow's recruitment is one of his crown achievements, second only to using Orange Lantern to get rid of the Gordanians!
On the other hand, lmao, Miles styled on these scrub lords, truly Morrow's recruitment is one of his crown achievements, second only to using Orange Lantern to get rid of the Gordanians!
Lillie Jones
Connoisseur.
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thanks for the chapter
MasterDarkElf
Well worn.
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Nice chapter. Looking forward to more.
ChickenZero
I trust you know where the happy button is?
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TFTC.
Your characterizations of both Superman and the Flash were off though.
RamiroGalletti
Know what you're doing yet?
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damn, made lex luthor and vandal savage look like chumps in 3 minutes outnumbered 6 to one.
protagonist meta-knowloege aside, having the stone to shot superman while he chokes you still takes bravado.
protagonist meta-knowloege aside, having the stone to shot superman while he chokes you still takes bravado.
Chapter 73 - Liberation
New
Samael61
Not too sore, are you?
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Hello there,
If you enjoy my stories, you can read up to 15 chapters in advance per story on my Patreon page / patreon.com/Samael61.
To the attention of the readers who enjoy reading an intelligent main character like Miles will definitely like my original story, Arrival : Ruptures. Comments, likes and reviews are appreciated. Here are the links for : AO3, Spacebattles, Royal Road and Webnovel.
—
Earth-2
Gotham
The Justice League crossed into the alternate dimension once again, this time prepared. The androids followed in a line, spreading out to cover the Batcave.
The remaining Justice Lords, the Martian Manhunter and Batman, had gathered all the robotic replicas of Superman to stop the League. They were naturally aware of what had happened, and two groups were locked in a tense standoff.
"If you are as smart as our Batman, then you must know you can't win," Superman said, eyeing the robots.
The Justice Lord Batman narrowed his eyes. "You also should know we won't go down without a fight."
"So be it."
Batman and Manhunter faced their counterparts while the rest of the League and the androids clashed with the Superman replicas.
Except for Green Lantern, who left to find Hawkgirl.
—
The Dark Knight knew they would be evenly matched. Same training and mindset, though the latter was only up to a certain point. They knew each other's next move: when to punch, kick, or dodge.
It was a chess game without an end.
"Wonder Woman, switch," he said, throwing down smoke bombs to disengage. He had no reason to fight this protracted battle, not when there was a path to victory.
Diana heard his call. She slammed the lassoed robot another time and leaped for Justice Lord Batman. Batman took her place, pulling out two electroshock knuckles.
The Amazon princess didn't have a glaring weakness like the remaining League members did. As good as a fighter Batman was, she had centuries of experience and the body of a demigod.
Without time to prepare, he could not hope to win.
It still wasn't an easy fight by any means.
Batman ducked, letting the punch sail over his head. Wonder Woman followed with it, twisting her body. She put her hand on the ground and spun, aiming a kick at his ribs. He twisted his body as well, but the kick grazed his back, sending him spinning out of control.
—
Martians fought to no avail.
Good thing his purpose wasn't to win but to stall.
The androids had proven to be superior to Superman's replicas. With the rest of the League, they would all be defeated soon.
His counterpart would see reason and surrender.
—
Flash nabbed a robotic arm halfway through the small army. His knuckles felt the strain of punching through the tin cans. He swung the arm, transferring all the kinetic energy into the next robot's head.
It broke into metal shards the size of his pinky, circuitry, and grease. He grabbed the now-defunct robot by the arm, spinning around with it like a deadly flail.
Superman was less graceful. He barreled through the robots, breaking the metal shells apart. His fists were quickly covered in black grease, but he didn't stop. One of them got the jump on him, wrapping its arms around his neck. Before he could snap them off, Batman threw a batarang. It wasn't sharp enough to cut, but his aim was superb.
It pierced the skin, stuck between two plates, and exploded.
Superman was unharmed, but the robot's internal mechanisms were destroyed. It fell, smoking from all the orifices.
He nodded, firing his thermal beams to neutralize a robot flying at Batman.
The red android siblings were working in tandem with their lesser brothers to mop up the replicas. Their teamwork was superior, and they had superior numbers. The replicas didn't stand a chance.
—
John flew over the city, tracking Hawkgirl. There weren't many places they could send her to. Since they were imprisoned, she too would be held somewhere secure.
Somewhere like Arkham.
The thought that she might be imprisoned among the sick bastards of Gotham's worst made his stomach churn.
He had been to Gotham a few times. Seeing this version with clean streets, the sunny, bright sky, and no slums made it difficult to believe it was the same city. It was a massive improvement, but he didn't think the price of being ruled by a fascist justice league was worth it.
He landed on Arkham's gate, looking around to make sure it was the correct place. There were no guards, no walls, no barbed wire, not a single security measure. He wouldn't even know it was Arkham if it wasn't for the sign.
He flew in, tensing as he saw the faces inside, especially the clerk.
The Clown Prince of Crime.
"Ah, Green Lantern. How may I help?" Joker asked, his voice lacking the disturbing, mad edge it always carried.
"Hawkgirl. I need to see her," he said, glaring at the madman. Whatever the Justice Lords had done to him and the remaining criminals, they all seemed docile.
"Of course." Joker turned around, walking to the door at the back. He pressed several buttons, turning back to them.
"One little thing. Today's password?"
John blinked. He visualized an arm, wrapping it around the Joker, sending him to the side. He sent thin tendrils, piercing through the walls. He ripped the door out and walked inside, ignoring the blaring alarms.
He froze at the sight of her.
She was secured to the bed by her wrists, unresponsive. His jaw ached with how hard he gnashed his teeth. His hand unconsciously rose to touch her cheek, feeling her warmth. He released the straps and took her, leaving the asylum.
Whoever did this was going to pay.
—
Earth-1
Watchtower
"There is something I don't understand. Why didn't we have a version of you in our dimension?" Superman asked Miles.
All five were tied up and disarmed. They had mental inhibitors stopping them from moving unless allowed. Amazo, along with several more androids, stood as guards over them.
He raised an eyebrow. He was only entertaining their request to speak out of curiosity. "I am flattered you think so highly of me that I would know the reason for it."
"You must at least have an idea."
"Maybe I don't exist in your dimension. Maybe we are not the same person. Maybe he didn't think you would make good partners."
"You said Luthor wouldn't become the president. How are you so sure?" Wonder Woman asked. They too did not think he would ever reach so high.
"That is my little secret."
Manhunter raised his head. He has been silent so far. "You were prepared for us."
"Your dimension is collapsing, and the first thing you do is open an interdimensional portal to call for help while having no idea about the source and sending the one member whose mind our Manhunter wouldn't be able to read to another dimension. Tell me that doesn't sound suspicious to you."
"It does when you say it like that." Lantern admitted. Rather than creating an elaborate excuse, they relied on the urgency of the situation to draw the League to their dimension.
"That's it then. The League breaks our control, and we are sent to prison for life."
Superman's summary was correct, if a bit too optimistic. After being under their yoke for years, the world governments would do more than just imprison them. This also had the potential to turn into a witch hunt for all metahumans, aliens, and otherwise enhanced people.
After all, if the Justice Lords went all fascist, who's to say the rest would not?
"I am not omniscient. The government might just execute you. Or you might escape and take control. Once we do our best and you are back in your dimension, it's no longer our problem." There was enough trouble in this dimension already. He did not want to deal with the problems of another.
Green Lantern came out of the portal, carrying an unconscious Hawkgirl. His face was blank, but under his costume, the tensed muscles were visible.
"Which one of you did this?" he asked. He didn't scream or raise his voice. Still, the even tone gave them the chills.
His counterpart turned to him. "It was me. She tried to…."
John ignored the rest of what he had to say. He handed Shayera to Amazo and walked to his counterpart. The thunderous look on his face said more than words could. He swung his fist, nailing the counterpart in his eye.
He grabbed him by the throat, fists coming down repeatedly. The first one drew blood from the nose; a cracking sound came with the second, and John Stewart showed no signs of stopping.
Miles landed a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it.
He got up and left without a word.
"Thanagarians," the beaten Green Lantern hacked, "they are going to invade Earth."
Claire chuckled at that as Miles explained. "That situation has been resolved. They won the war against the Gordonians, and Hawkgirl already told the League the truth."
"How? Did the League join the war or something?" Superman asked. After Shayera had returned, they knew that the Thanagrians had lost.
It wasn't even close.
"Gordonians had the brilliant idea to steal a power ring from Larfleeze. He proceeded to destroy their empire for it," he said, relaxing his face muscles so the jig wouldn't be up.
"Larfleeze?" they asked.
Since he was created after the cartoon shows ended, right around 2008, Larfleeze technically didn't exist yet. As it was a well-kept secret, the Justice Lords had no reason to know him.
"The sole member of the Orange Lantern Corps, something the Guardians went into great lengths to keep a secret."
"I believe this is enough chit-chat. I have work to do," he said. He had received reports of suspicious individuals trying to sabotage the construction in Crime Alley in Gotham.
—
Earth-2
Gotham
Manhunter looked at his counterpart, assuming his humanoid form once again. "You have lost. This does not have to go any further."
"Perhaps, or perhaps not," he said, still ready to continue.
He closed his eyes. His counterpart only had the Justice Lords. He wouldn't stop fighting until he was rendered physically unable to.
J'onn would do the same.
"In my dimension, there are Martians, alive far beneath where our most secure sanctuaries were," he revealed. If he had another option, his counterpart would fold.
His eyes widened. "What?" That couldn't possibly be true. All the sanctuaries were destroyed.
Unless they were kept extremely hidden.
"It is possible for it to be true in this dimension as well. Our niece, M'gann, and her parents are alive as well," J'onn said, relaxing his mental barriers.
"Look into my mind. You know I am not lying."
His counterpart did so. Images of M'gann, of all the other living Martians, flashed in his mind. "I…I must go." He took off, flying to his ship and then to Mars.
"Was it a good idea to tell him that?" Superman asked, dusting his hands. With all the robots gone, it was time.
He watched him go. "Our people, if they are alive here, will not let him get away with his actions." If not, he would fight his counterpart once more.
"What do we do now? The government is under their control, and we can't stay here long enough for elections," Flash said. Simply defeating the Justice Lords wouldn't solve the problem. Not when they had supporters.
Batman approached the computer, an exact replica of his. "We let the people know the Justice Lords are defeated and they are free. The rest is up to them."
If the Lords had total control, then they were controlling the media as well. They had to have a clear picture of the situation to proceed.
—
The situation wasn't as dire as they expected it to be. There was a sitting president, who, along with the population, was being led along with promises of an eventual election. The League, along with their prisoners, contacted him and the rest of the world's governments.
Seeing two of every hero had them suspicious that the Lords were fishing for dissidents. Seeing Flash, alive and well, convinced them otherwise. They still wanted proof he wasn't a robot.
He provided it by cutting a small wound on his palm.
They were quick to take the Justice Lords into custody. Immediately, the draconian restrictions on media and freedom of speech were lifted. The streets were flooded with the civilians.
Not all for the good.
A sizable part of the planetary population was happy with the rule of the Justice Lords. They had brought order and peace to the world. They eliminated hunger, poverty, and homelessness. There were more than enough people happy with how things were.
Regardless of the cost.
The Justice League was taken back. While they didn't expect the transition to be smooth, the idea that so many would defend the Lords was shocking. Regardless, they returned home.
—
Earth-1
Watchtower
"Aren't you all a sorry sight? What happened?" The League, for all that they had won, were down in spirits.
Superman shook his head. "Nothing. We just didn't expect the Justice Lords to be defended by so many."
"If half of their accomplishments are true, then it is natural." He, unlike his compatriots, expected this kind of response.
"They turned their world to a utopia at the cost of all civil liberties," he continued as all eyes turned to him. "But here is the crux of the matter: civil liberties don't mean much to the hungry, the poor, the homeless, or the destitute. There is a hierarchy of needs. Filling their stomachs, having a home, and being safe are the first tier. Unless they are fulfilled, civil liberties aren't important to those people."
Superman hung his head down, Flash looked away, and everyone else was in a different world, thinking.
"But it shouldn't have come at that cost," the boy scout said.
"You are right," he said, rising from his seat. He stopped at the door, back turned to them. "I wonder, what does that say about our world? We have the resources to create a utopia but not the unified will to see it through. And as long as the majority are kept complacent, then change will be slow to come."
—
Metropolis
Beckett Residence
A welcome guest opened the door. "Hey, where have you been? These two wouldn't say anything."
He looked inside, seeing Claire and Baraka sit around the table. Several boxes of takeout sat there, unopened.
He took her hand, kissing her knuckles. "A fascist version of the Justice League came to take over our world and implement their rule. We were dealing with them."
"What?!" she hissed, pulling him inside. "Why didn't you call me?"
His lips curled upwards, an easy smirk gracing his lips. "What for? They didn't even get to walk out of the Hall of Justice."
"Yeah. We bagged them at the entrance. He even shot the evil boy scout with kryptonite," Baraka said. Karen turned sharply to him and then back at Miles, who felt the need to clarify.
"That I stole from Luthor."
Karen sighed, rubbing her temples as she took her seat. "Why don't you start from the beginning?"
Zalika came from the kitchen with Raven, carrying glasses and a bottle of soda.
"How about we eat first? The Watchtower doesn't exactly have an open buffet." Now that the crisis was averted, he was starving.
—
In the next chapter:
"You shot a version of my cousin with enough kryptonite to kill him in seven minutes," Karen said, putting down her empty noodle box to reach for water.
Miles smirked. That part was actually fun. "He was a despot with a fetish for lobotomizing people, and I value the current state of my brain."
Her smile matched his. "Not bad." Letting a Kryptonian with less than good intentions get that close, only to shoot him with kryptonite, required guts.
Curious about the next chapter? Please consider supporting me on Patreon.
If you enjoy my stories, you can read up to 15 chapters in advance per story on my Patreon page / patreon.com/Samael61.
To the attention of the readers who enjoy reading an intelligent main character like Miles will definitely like my original story, Arrival : Ruptures. Comments, likes and reviews are appreciated. Here are the links for : AO3, Spacebattles, Royal Road and Webnovel.
—
Earth-2
Gotham
The Justice League crossed into the alternate dimension once again, this time prepared. The androids followed in a line, spreading out to cover the Batcave.
The remaining Justice Lords, the Martian Manhunter and Batman, had gathered all the robotic replicas of Superman to stop the League. They were naturally aware of what had happened, and two groups were locked in a tense standoff.
"If you are as smart as our Batman, then you must know you can't win," Superman said, eyeing the robots.
The Justice Lord Batman narrowed his eyes. "You also should know we won't go down without a fight."
"So be it."
Batman and Manhunter faced their counterparts while the rest of the League and the androids clashed with the Superman replicas.
Except for Green Lantern, who left to find Hawkgirl.
—
The Dark Knight knew they would be evenly matched. Same training and mindset, though the latter was only up to a certain point. They knew each other's next move: when to punch, kick, or dodge.
It was a chess game without an end.
"Wonder Woman, switch," he said, throwing down smoke bombs to disengage. He had no reason to fight this protracted battle, not when there was a path to victory.
Diana heard his call. She slammed the lassoed robot another time and leaped for Justice Lord Batman. Batman took her place, pulling out two electroshock knuckles.
The Amazon princess didn't have a glaring weakness like the remaining League members did. As good as a fighter Batman was, she had centuries of experience and the body of a demigod.
Without time to prepare, he could not hope to win.
It still wasn't an easy fight by any means.
Batman ducked, letting the punch sail over his head. Wonder Woman followed with it, twisting her body. She put her hand on the ground and spun, aiming a kick at his ribs. He twisted his body as well, but the kick grazed his back, sending him spinning out of control.
—
Martians fought to no avail.
Good thing his purpose wasn't to win but to stall.
The androids had proven to be superior to Superman's replicas. With the rest of the League, they would all be defeated soon.
His counterpart would see reason and surrender.
—
Flash nabbed a robotic arm halfway through the small army. His knuckles felt the strain of punching through the tin cans. He swung the arm, transferring all the kinetic energy into the next robot's head.
It broke into metal shards the size of his pinky, circuitry, and grease. He grabbed the now-defunct robot by the arm, spinning around with it like a deadly flail.
Superman was less graceful. He barreled through the robots, breaking the metal shells apart. His fists were quickly covered in black grease, but he didn't stop. One of them got the jump on him, wrapping its arms around his neck. Before he could snap them off, Batman threw a batarang. It wasn't sharp enough to cut, but his aim was superb.
It pierced the skin, stuck between two plates, and exploded.
Superman was unharmed, but the robot's internal mechanisms were destroyed. It fell, smoking from all the orifices.
He nodded, firing his thermal beams to neutralize a robot flying at Batman.
The red android siblings were working in tandem with their lesser brothers to mop up the replicas. Their teamwork was superior, and they had superior numbers. The replicas didn't stand a chance.
—
John flew over the city, tracking Hawkgirl. There weren't many places they could send her to. Since they were imprisoned, she too would be held somewhere secure.
Somewhere like Arkham.
The thought that she might be imprisoned among the sick bastards of Gotham's worst made his stomach churn.
He had been to Gotham a few times. Seeing this version with clean streets, the sunny, bright sky, and no slums made it difficult to believe it was the same city. It was a massive improvement, but he didn't think the price of being ruled by a fascist justice league was worth it.
He landed on Arkham's gate, looking around to make sure it was the correct place. There were no guards, no walls, no barbed wire, not a single security measure. He wouldn't even know it was Arkham if it wasn't for the sign.
He flew in, tensing as he saw the faces inside, especially the clerk.
The Clown Prince of Crime.
"Ah, Green Lantern. How may I help?" Joker asked, his voice lacking the disturbing, mad edge it always carried.
"Hawkgirl. I need to see her," he said, glaring at the madman. Whatever the Justice Lords had done to him and the remaining criminals, they all seemed docile.
"Of course." Joker turned around, walking to the door at the back. He pressed several buttons, turning back to them.
"One little thing. Today's password?"
John blinked. He visualized an arm, wrapping it around the Joker, sending him to the side. He sent thin tendrils, piercing through the walls. He ripped the door out and walked inside, ignoring the blaring alarms.
He froze at the sight of her.
She was secured to the bed by her wrists, unresponsive. His jaw ached with how hard he gnashed his teeth. His hand unconsciously rose to touch her cheek, feeling her warmth. He released the straps and took her, leaving the asylum.
Whoever did this was going to pay.
—
Earth-1
Watchtower
"There is something I don't understand. Why didn't we have a version of you in our dimension?" Superman asked Miles.
All five were tied up and disarmed. They had mental inhibitors stopping them from moving unless allowed. Amazo, along with several more androids, stood as guards over them.
He raised an eyebrow. He was only entertaining their request to speak out of curiosity. "I am flattered you think so highly of me that I would know the reason for it."
"You must at least have an idea."
"Maybe I don't exist in your dimension. Maybe we are not the same person. Maybe he didn't think you would make good partners."
"You said Luthor wouldn't become the president. How are you so sure?" Wonder Woman asked. They too did not think he would ever reach so high.
"That is my little secret."
Manhunter raised his head. He has been silent so far. "You were prepared for us."
"Your dimension is collapsing, and the first thing you do is open an interdimensional portal to call for help while having no idea about the source and sending the one member whose mind our Manhunter wouldn't be able to read to another dimension. Tell me that doesn't sound suspicious to you."
"It does when you say it like that." Lantern admitted. Rather than creating an elaborate excuse, they relied on the urgency of the situation to draw the League to their dimension.
"That's it then. The League breaks our control, and we are sent to prison for life."
Superman's summary was correct, if a bit too optimistic. After being under their yoke for years, the world governments would do more than just imprison them. This also had the potential to turn into a witch hunt for all metahumans, aliens, and otherwise enhanced people.
After all, if the Justice Lords went all fascist, who's to say the rest would not?
"I am not omniscient. The government might just execute you. Or you might escape and take control. Once we do our best and you are back in your dimension, it's no longer our problem." There was enough trouble in this dimension already. He did not want to deal with the problems of another.
Green Lantern came out of the portal, carrying an unconscious Hawkgirl. His face was blank, but under his costume, the tensed muscles were visible.
"Which one of you did this?" he asked. He didn't scream or raise his voice. Still, the even tone gave them the chills.
His counterpart turned to him. "It was me. She tried to…."
John ignored the rest of what he had to say. He handed Shayera to Amazo and walked to his counterpart. The thunderous look on his face said more than words could. He swung his fist, nailing the counterpart in his eye.
He grabbed him by the throat, fists coming down repeatedly. The first one drew blood from the nose; a cracking sound came with the second, and John Stewart showed no signs of stopping.
Miles landed a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it.
He got up and left without a word.
"Thanagarians," the beaten Green Lantern hacked, "they are going to invade Earth."
Claire chuckled at that as Miles explained. "That situation has been resolved. They won the war against the Gordonians, and Hawkgirl already told the League the truth."
"How? Did the League join the war or something?" Superman asked. After Shayera had returned, they knew that the Thanagrians had lost.
It wasn't even close.
"Gordonians had the brilliant idea to steal a power ring from Larfleeze. He proceeded to destroy their empire for it," he said, relaxing his face muscles so the jig wouldn't be up.
"Larfleeze?" they asked.
Since he was created after the cartoon shows ended, right around 2008, Larfleeze technically didn't exist yet. As it was a well-kept secret, the Justice Lords had no reason to know him.
"The sole member of the Orange Lantern Corps, something the Guardians went into great lengths to keep a secret."
"I believe this is enough chit-chat. I have work to do," he said. He had received reports of suspicious individuals trying to sabotage the construction in Crime Alley in Gotham.
—
Earth-2
Gotham
Manhunter looked at his counterpart, assuming his humanoid form once again. "You have lost. This does not have to go any further."
"Perhaps, or perhaps not," he said, still ready to continue.
He closed his eyes. His counterpart only had the Justice Lords. He wouldn't stop fighting until he was rendered physically unable to.
J'onn would do the same.
"In my dimension, there are Martians, alive far beneath where our most secure sanctuaries were," he revealed. If he had another option, his counterpart would fold.
His eyes widened. "What?" That couldn't possibly be true. All the sanctuaries were destroyed.
Unless they were kept extremely hidden.
"It is possible for it to be true in this dimension as well. Our niece, M'gann, and her parents are alive as well," J'onn said, relaxing his mental barriers.
"Look into my mind. You know I am not lying."
His counterpart did so. Images of M'gann, of all the other living Martians, flashed in his mind. "I…I must go." He took off, flying to his ship and then to Mars.
"Was it a good idea to tell him that?" Superman asked, dusting his hands. With all the robots gone, it was time.
He watched him go. "Our people, if they are alive here, will not let him get away with his actions." If not, he would fight his counterpart once more.
"What do we do now? The government is under their control, and we can't stay here long enough for elections," Flash said. Simply defeating the Justice Lords wouldn't solve the problem. Not when they had supporters.
Batman approached the computer, an exact replica of his. "We let the people know the Justice Lords are defeated and they are free. The rest is up to them."
If the Lords had total control, then they were controlling the media as well. They had to have a clear picture of the situation to proceed.
—
The situation wasn't as dire as they expected it to be. There was a sitting president, who, along with the population, was being led along with promises of an eventual election. The League, along with their prisoners, contacted him and the rest of the world's governments.
Seeing two of every hero had them suspicious that the Lords were fishing for dissidents. Seeing Flash, alive and well, convinced them otherwise. They still wanted proof he wasn't a robot.
He provided it by cutting a small wound on his palm.
They were quick to take the Justice Lords into custody. Immediately, the draconian restrictions on media and freedom of speech were lifted. The streets were flooded with the civilians.
Not all for the good.
A sizable part of the planetary population was happy with the rule of the Justice Lords. They had brought order and peace to the world. They eliminated hunger, poverty, and homelessness. There were more than enough people happy with how things were.
Regardless of the cost.
The Justice League was taken back. While they didn't expect the transition to be smooth, the idea that so many would defend the Lords was shocking. Regardless, they returned home.
—
Earth-1
Watchtower
"Aren't you all a sorry sight? What happened?" The League, for all that they had won, were down in spirits.
Superman shook his head. "Nothing. We just didn't expect the Justice Lords to be defended by so many."
"If half of their accomplishments are true, then it is natural." He, unlike his compatriots, expected this kind of response.
"They turned their world to a utopia at the cost of all civil liberties," he continued as all eyes turned to him. "But here is the crux of the matter: civil liberties don't mean much to the hungry, the poor, the homeless, or the destitute. There is a hierarchy of needs. Filling their stomachs, having a home, and being safe are the first tier. Unless they are fulfilled, civil liberties aren't important to those people."
Superman hung his head down, Flash looked away, and everyone else was in a different world, thinking.
"But it shouldn't have come at that cost," the boy scout said.
"You are right," he said, rising from his seat. He stopped at the door, back turned to them. "I wonder, what does that say about our world? We have the resources to create a utopia but not the unified will to see it through. And as long as the majority are kept complacent, then change will be slow to come."
—
Metropolis
Beckett Residence
A welcome guest opened the door. "Hey, where have you been? These two wouldn't say anything."
He looked inside, seeing Claire and Baraka sit around the table. Several boxes of takeout sat there, unopened.
He took her hand, kissing her knuckles. "A fascist version of the Justice League came to take over our world and implement their rule. We were dealing with them."
"What?!" she hissed, pulling him inside. "Why didn't you call me?"
His lips curled upwards, an easy smirk gracing his lips. "What for? They didn't even get to walk out of the Hall of Justice."
"Yeah. We bagged them at the entrance. He even shot the evil boy scout with kryptonite," Baraka said. Karen turned sharply to him and then back at Miles, who felt the need to clarify.
"That I stole from Luthor."
Karen sighed, rubbing her temples as she took her seat. "Why don't you start from the beginning?"
Zalika came from the kitchen with Raven, carrying glasses and a bottle of soda.
"How about we eat first? The Watchtower doesn't exactly have an open buffet." Now that the crisis was averted, he was starving.
—
In the next chapter:
"You shot a version of my cousin with enough kryptonite to kill him in seven minutes," Karen said, putting down her empty noodle box to reach for water.
Miles smirked. That part was actually fun. "He was a despot with a fetish for lobotomizing people, and I value the current state of my brain."
Her smile matched his. "Not bad." Letting a Kryptonian with less than good intentions get that close, only to shoot him with kryptonite, required guts.
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Lillie Jones
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Absolute Cinema
10/10
10/10
FTR2017
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What surprises me more is that somehow the psychopathic civilians--such as those who reach high positions of authority, CEO's, etc.--didn't get lobotomized or managed to hide their wickedness from said tyrant lords.
Of course, liberties are only good and proper so long as you're not on the street, starving. There's good reason bloody rebellions trigger when a certain balance shifts and everything goes to hell in a hand-basket at the earliest opportunity.
Of course, liberties are only good and proper so long as you're not on the street, starving. There's good reason bloody rebellions trigger when a certain balance shifts and everything goes to hell in a hand-basket at the earliest opportunity.
FateFan110
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Honestly, I think I would prefer living under the Justice Lords as they seem to be the most 'good' out all the evil version of the JL.
FTR2017
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Same. At least if you're going to go 'this thing sucks', at least back it up in such a way that they will at least put some mind into it instead of locking you up.
The guy jaywalking getting arrested though? Now that's just petty!
G1 Convoy
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TFTC.
All good points, but I think the biggest argument in the Justice Lords' favor that we saw in the original show was that they actually tackled the revolving door that is Arkham Asylum by implementing a solution that actually worked and ensured the criminals incarcerated there stayed inside its walls. I'm almost positive that this alone got them massive support in Tri-state area, as nobody in the vicinity of Gotham had to worry about Joker, Riddler, Ivy, etc. escaping, going on a rampage/killing spree, and then getting arrested, only to get sent on a vacation to Arkham, due to an insanity defense.Same. At least if you're going to go 'this thing sucks', at least back it up in such a way that they will at least put some mind into it instead of locking you up.
The guy jaywalking getting arrested though? Now that's just petty!