DISCLAIMER: DCUO and all characters belong to their respective owners.

The Fourth Foundation

By: Derrick Flax

The sun stood high in the noon autumn sky, letting its' light shine on Gotham City; Particularly the Allen's residence in the East End district of Gotham City. It was a decent looking two story home, it couldn't be flashy unless one wanted their home to get robbed. There were three stone steps that lead to the porch. The porch had a chair, and a black mailbox that was hung next to the glass door, with a blue steel door slightly opened behind it.

"Tyler Christopher Johnson!" A woman threateningly called before she stepped onto the porch; a small box being held in one arm. "Hurry up! You don't want to be late for check-in!" She went down to the green car parked outside the house, and put the boxes in the passenger seat.

"I know, I'm coming Aunt Linda." Tyler called from the tan steps as he carried a green drawstring bag on his back, and several boxes stacked on top of each other in his arms. As he loaded his luggage into the car, he squinted his brown eyes from the sun. He looked in the back seat to see it stacked with duffel bags , boxes, and more bags.

Linda Allen turned to him with a determined, and concerned look; her dark brown wavy hair reached her chin, and framed her face naturally. Standing at a height of 5"3, she is a honest, tough-but-fair woman; Always expecting 100% effort, and truth from everyone. God help the fool dumb enough to lie to her, or even worse get caught not giving their 100%.

She grabbed his shoulder. "Don't let this opportunity go to waste. Only a few people are blessed to get into an academy as prestigious as Wayne Academy for Excellence. Fewer get a full scholarship that pays for everything for the first year."

"I know," Replied the 5"7 nephew. "I won't."

"He'll do right." Said a man who walked toward the two carrying three boxes in one arm.

"Thanks Uncle Mark."

Marcus Allen, a muscular man in his late thirties who stands at an impressive height of 6"2, is a hardworking man, with a deep voice that's nearly impossible for one to not hear. At first glance, he's very intimidating, but to those that are lucky enough to get to know him find out that he is actually laid back when he's not working, loves telling jokes, and love loves to laugh, as well as being an animal lover.

Marcus turned to Tyler and handed him the boxes, before giving him an approving look.

After unloading the boxes, Tyler was pulled into a hug by his aunt.

"You're dad would be so proud, and you know your mom is too." She said before she pulled away and gave him a pat on the shoulders. "Be safe."

Sadness quickly flashed across Tyler's eyes, before he got into the passenger side of the car while Marcus got in the driver's seat. "I know, and I will be."

"Be back in a few." With that Marcus started the car and drove off.

As they rode in silence, Tyler picked up a picture that was on top of one of the boxes and studied it with a smile as he polished the glass with his thumb.

Marcus gave a slight cough;the cough he always gives before he says something important.

Tyler looked up. "Yeah?"

"I know what your Aunt said, and I want you to remember it," Marcus began. "But ,also, this is a new experience for you so.." He trailed off as he made a turn.

"Not to cut you off," Tyler said. "But this isn't gonna turn into the 'Birds and the Bees' talk is it? 'Cuz we already had that talk."

The uncle gave a hearty chuckle and shook his head. "No. I just want to let you know that you don't have to be..." He shook his head disapprovingly at his choice of words. "I'm just saying everything's good with balance."

"I know Uncle." Tyler replied, as he looked out the window. "I just want to do my best so I'll be able to take care of Mom, you and Aunt Lin-" The teen was cut off as Marcus veered left, barely dodging a giant metallic pillar that suddenly crashed in front of them, sending the car to collide with a telephone pole.

"What the hell is goin' on?-" Marcus manage to spit out, before another car slammed into the trunk; sending them spiraling into a nearby building.

Sounds of crashing and people screaming brought Tyler out of his daze. Slowly, he lifted his head from the airbag, and sat back; unaware of the minor injuries to his face. He took two deep breaths before he looked over at the drivers' side.

"Uncle Mark!" Tyler unhooked his seat-belt and ran around to the drivers' side.

"Uncle Mark? Can you hear me?" He looked over Mark, and saw blood on the airbag. "Mark, come on get up!" He placed his fingers on Mark's carotid artery, and to his relief, Mark was still alive.

The uncle soon regained conscious and looked at Tyler. "What happened?" He asked slightly dazed.

"Don't know," Tyler responded, "But we need to get out of here, now!" At that point he helped Mark out of the car.

They continued to hurry away from the car, when suddenly another large pillar came crashing down, a few blocks away. The pillar landed so hard, that it sent tremors rippling through the streets, sending Tyler to fall back a few feet away from Mark.

Mark steadied himself and was heading over to his nephew, before a deafening low pitched hum echoed throughout the city, and a purple light started radiating from the pillars. Mark continued to head over to him, before Tyler signaled him to get away. Suddenly the lights from the pillars produced a wall that connected from pillar to pillar.

Tyler watched in horror as those unlucky souls who were caught between the pillars when the wall erected, either lost body parts, or were completely vaporized. He ran over to the walls and pounded against it when he saw his uncle looking in shock and fear as he was separated from Tyler.

People crowded at the wall, banging on it and yelling for anyone to help. Others either just stood there in shock, or ran off.

"Don't worry! I'll get you out!" Tyler yelled as he continued to bang on the wall, as he looked at the expression on his face.

"Tyler," Mark said as looked behind his nephew. "I'm not the one that's trapped."

The teen looked behind him to see three other walls that reached up to a huge ship that floated about 200 feet above the tallest building.

"No. No! No!" He gripped his head as if doing so would help him fight back tears.

Crap! Darn! Damn it! How the hell did this happen?! How did this-What am I going to do? What's Mom going to do?! Damn it! Oh God what am I-how am I gonna get out?!

He could feel fear and panic spreading through his body like a disease;like a virus!

He took quick shallow breaths as he looked around, bewildered and frantic, and for the first time since that dreadful day ,a year and a half ago, He felt something else... Vulnerable.

He stumbled back until he was pressed against the wall that entrapped him. Then slowly, as if the despair and fear were anchors, slid down almost into a fetus position; trying to protect himself from what unHoly horrors that would soon greet him.

He could faintly hear the people around him screaming,crying and fighting to get out. He could even faintly hear his uncle yelling and an banging on the wall trying to get his attention, as his own thoughts and memories rushed in on him like a tsunami.

Age 6: At the park. "Dad don't let go!" Tyler said as he pedaled cautiously. "Okay Tyger!" His father replied as he slowly steadied the bike. Tyler pedaled until he wasn't as wobbly, and going a little faster. "Good job!" His dad said as he gradually started letting go of the bike. "I'm right behind you, but I'm going to let go now." "What no!" Tyler said will fear. "If you let go I might fall again!" His dad smiled. "You wanna know the secret to riding a bike, always look forward. Pick a spot ahead of you and focus on it until you get there, and once you get to that point focus on another point. As long as you're focusing and looking forward, you'll rarely fall." "B-but what if I fall when you let go?" His father smiled. "Sometimes letting go is the best thing for you."

Age 8: Tyler rubbed his chin with his index finger and thumb as he stared at the chessboard in front of him. His eyes looked over the Ivory King standing strong surrounded by his Rook and three pawns. He placed his finger on his Rook that stood in front of the King and directly in front of the ebony pawn which guarded the Ebony King ,both on the other side of the board. The eight year old picked up the Rook and moved it straight ahead until it took the place of the ebony pawn. "Checkmate!" An elated Tyler said. "It's only Check." His dad said as he picked up the Ebony Queen and moved it diagonally until it stood in front of the Ebony King; taking the Ivory Rook's place. "That's Check." "Ok well I'll just move this...here!" He said as moved his King right and in front one of the ebony pawns;ready to get rid of it. "And that ,Tyger, is Checkmate." His dad said as he stood up. Tyler looked confused. "Huh? But I thought I thought ahead." The young player said as he studied the board and only then saw that his king was cornered. "I don't like this game." He started putting the pieces up. "But you're improving." His father said with optimistism. "Look how long you stayed in this time. Remember what I told you before?" The young Tyler's frown was now gone and replaced with a smile. "Practice makes perfect, and always look forward!" "That's my boy!"

Age 13: As they walked down the sidewalk, covered with fresh snow, Tyler adjusted his coat and looked at his dad who was shivering slightly. "Dad?" He asked. "Hm? What is it?" His father replied, trying his best not stutter. "Why'd you give that man your coat? It's freezing out here." His dad grinned, and made a SuperMan pose. "You think a little snow is enough to make your Ol'man shiver? This snow has nothing on m-m-me!" Tyler looked away embarrassed a little. "Dad what if people see you?" His dad smiled. "Well I'll tell them I'm too tough for this s-snow! And I rather brave the cold for a few blocks and go back to a warm home, than to not have a home at all." Tyler look up at his dad, and back down at his gloves. "Here." He said as he pulled them off and handed them to his dad. "How interesting! Now do I put these on my head or on my ears?" His father said as put the glove loosely on his ear. "Wow feels warmer already!" Tyler laughed. "Dad stop. People might see you or snow'll get in the gloves!"

Age 15: The dull overcast sky hovered above the Allen's residence as rain fell hard and fast on the trees,cars and all of outside. It's heavy drops hit the window incessantly ,as if trying to break in. " did you hear me?" His mom said, her eyes filling up with tears. "I, um." She looked away trying to fight back the tears. Tyler looked behind her and saw his Uncle holding Aunt Linda as she sobbed quietly on his shoulder. "No." He whispered to himself. "Your father was -Your Dad was mur..It was those... Jokerz..." She struggled to find the right words as the tears rolled down her face, and he knew that she didn't need to say anymore. "No. No it's not true. It's not true! It's just a bad dream!" He repeated hoping that if he said it enough it would be so. His mom wrapped her arms around him so tightly almost refusing to let go and sobbed. He told me he would be ok! He told me he would be back to finish our game! His fingers clenched his mother's shirt as he buried his head in her shoulders and just let his disappointment, vulnerability, hurt, fear, and everything else manifest itself in through the tears and sobbing. "I'll make em pay. I'll make em all pay!"

Having come back to reality, Tyler took his head out of his hands and turned back to face his Uncle. "Tell my mom and Aunt Linda I -"

"Look, it's the Justice League!" Someone exclaimed.

Tyler looked up to see several members of the Justice League start attacking the force field that has entrap him, along with a bunch of other unlucky people.

He watched as his uncle and the rest of the people cheered as the heroes and even villains like the Joker and Lex Luthor came and attacked the wall.

"Uncle Mark." He said as he placed a hand on the barrier and took a breath. "They're not gonna break through. I can tell you that."

Marcus furrowed his eyebrow in confusion. "What are you talking bout. They're here! Hell even the Man of Steel himself is here! They'll get you out in no time-"

"You're not listening!" The teen said as punched the wall. "I thought about this! There is no way they're breaking through from the outside! Don't you think that whatever trapped me along with the rest of us here did this on purpose? Don't you think they-It-would've known about the Justice League? Whatever did this knew what it was doing, and knew who it was up against."

Marcus looked at him with concern. "What're you going to do?"

The teen's were now filled with something the uncle only saw when Tyler was out on the field leading his team to a potential victory. It was an unquenchable fire, one that refused to be put out.

"I have a plan." Tyler said as he started off. "But I'm not dying here. Not yet!"

Suddenly a high pitched tone rang throughout the city, and the people inside the barriers started collapsing or gripping their heads.

Tyler tried to block out the painful tone as he looked around for something to fight with. He stumbled across a rusty pipe and just picked it up when there was even more of a commotion.

Frantic screams could be heard as people began running in all directions. He stopped one guy that ran into him.

"What's going on?!" He asked.

"I don't know anymore! People are disappearing and others are just combusting! Like they're just being- POOF- on fire man! I swear I saw freakin spikes coming out off a ladies back!" With that said the man sprinted off.

He held on the pipe and started formulating a plan when suddenly a pain radiated through his entire body, as if every cell were being ripped from him one by one.

He screamed as he fell to the ground. He looked at his hand in front of him and saw the skin getting more transparent until he could the veins and arteries, muscle tendons, and even bone, before that too was no more. He screamed and screamed even when he couldn't hear anymore. He screamed until he wasn't able to anymore, but that wasn't the worse part. The worse was when he felt his spine literally being stripped apart.

God! Not like this! I'm not dying like this!

He repeated this until everything went black.