Night, as always, brings with it an all enveloping darkness that breeds fear and folklore. To stave off this brooding element man has concocted many methods, chief among them is the artificial glow emitted by his great cities. Sometimes it is not enough.
On this particular night it is possible to peer through the night's inky blackness and to make out the immediate surroundings thanks to the eerie glow of smoldering fires littered among the rubble of a once proud city. Any pedestrian fortunate enough to have survived the maelstrom can make out the neighborhoods and streets they used to frequent by these flickering flames, yet they'd also be haunted by the silent, tomblike nature of their surroundings. Among the charred ruins are numerous military vehicles, their mangled wreckages strewn about like a frustrated child's plaything. A tank weighing hundreds of tons lays crushed flat. It is as if the heavens above took exception to its existence and tried to drive this instrument of death to hell.
The eyes of every survivor are focused towards the shore of the ruined coastal community and the source of the disaster. A large shadow illuminated by the smoldering embers behind it lumbers slowly back into the waters from whence it came, all the while being observed by a ship far in the distance.
Onboard the vessel the Captain speaks under his breath, "A city! I still can't believe we would sacrifice a city! How could it come to this? Are we so desperate… or mad?"
"It's almost at the appropriate depth sir," one of the ship's subordinates comments without taking his eyes of the underwater sonar gauges he's in charge of.
The Captain nods in understanding as he removes the binoculars from his eyes, "Tell the divers to get clear. They have four minutes to reach the shelter, we can't delay any further." He turns towards a pretty girl staring helplessly at the display screens before her. He tries to smile reassuringly, "Don't fret. I'm certain he'll be fine. He's with some of my best men, and his diving skills are superb."
She tries to smile back, but cannot. Her voice quivers slightly as she says, "I understand and appreciate what you say, but he is my life," she turns away, "it's my task to worry for him."
Beneath the waves, just off the coast of the demolished city, several divers swim frantically to an underwater bomb shelter nestled in the coastal bedrock. One of their numbers lags slightly behind the others as he dares to pause and peer through the murky depths at their handiwork left behind. On the ocean floor is a bizarrely shaped and complex device, its myriad of tubes exiting and entering the central chamber too many times to count. Once activated it will unleash a force upon the Earth that has never been witnessed. And above the device is a gigantic shadow of a creature slowly descending the oceanic depths, its massive frame gorged on the city above. The silent observer can make out large spines along the back of the creature and a long, powerful tail that would propel it at amazing speeds underwater. Only now it is satiated and must digest its meal before moving on…
The diver then notes something even more frightening. The device should be blinking with the dim glow of three marker lights, but now he only counts two. He frowns as he feels the tug of a friend upon his arm and a crackle of sound through his radio receiver, "Kobayashi, this is no time to stop and admire the view! We only have minutes!"
Kobayashi jerks his arm free and begins swimming away, racing back towards the device and the ever encroaching behemoth of a monster, "You're right, my friend, we only have minutes, but we also only have one shot! Tell Mitsumi I'm sorry!"
The other diver is about to chase after Kobayashi, but then he notes the number of lights on the device and pauses. There's nothing he can do to help with this task. Solemnly he whispers, "Good luck, my friend," before continuing his swim to safety.
Kobayashi works at a feverish pace to correct the malfunction in his device. It would not have activated remotely now, someone would have had to stay and begin the sequence manually. He looks up at the creature; its eighty meters is almost on top of him, making an already eerie environment grow absolutely terrifying. To strengthen his resolve his mind wanders back to the myriad of images shown to him during his recruitment into the project, of lives and property lost and mangled, some charred beyond recognition. He thinks of Mitsumi, and how she may now live a life without fear, though she may spend a portion mourning him.
He looks up and depresses the button to start the sequence. The device begins to glow…
Onboard the ship all eyes stare out at the spot where the creature entered the ocean. They have only just heard of Kobayashi's sacrifice. Mitsumi runs to the railing of the ship in a blind panic, almost as if she's about the join her love in his final moments, only to be sent back by a brilliant flash of light and a force unlike any she'd ever felt before. The entire ship lilts as crackling energy ripples through its superstructure. Just as rapidly as it started, it stops, and where ocean once existed at the site of the creature's descent now only a vacant hole sits, though not for long. Water cascades into the remarkable void, filling it rapidly. All onboard watch in silent awe at the miraculous feat, save one, who screams her lost love's name…
And so it begins…
…
Trained to the near Nth degree of human perfection his mind can recall most anything with an exceptional clarity. It's why every time he closes his eyes and attempts to rest that the image of his parents, slain before his eyes, rears itself. It is a constant reminder of his roots, and the core of his being. It is why what is happening now is so disconcerting. Why does his mind now consistantly harken back to another time, years after that murderous night, when he could afford a smile now and again?
It was after a particularly absurd case where they had thwarted yet another alien invasion. His deductive skills were able to discern that the alien hive had been hidden deep within the bowls of an orbiting meteor. Superman managed to bring the vessel down to earth in the mid-western USA, and it was there that the alien horde made a last stand against the Justice League. It was a short, one-sided affair, and what strikes him more than anything is how jovially they handled the crisis. Afterwards the Justice League even offered to repair the alien ship and send the captured invaders on their way, to which the invaders happily acquiesced. The ties of diplomatic relation were created that day between them that currently still exist between their two worlds. What a strange time to live in…
And yet it isn't that incident that bothers him, but what occurred shortly after…
"Wake up Batman," a youthful voice whispers in his ear. The caped crusader instantly gives his cowled head a shake and returns his focus to the present. Both he and Robin are suspended upside-down over a vat of rancid chemicals, their capes billowing below them, their furls becoming singed by the fumes. He looks about and quickly realizes that he and Robin are bound back-to-back, a single rope keeping them tied together, and that they are suspended by a single cord bound around their ankles.
"This is ridiculous," Robin comments, "I thought death-traps were passé!"
"Shut up!" another voices yells out. Batman focuses on a position just beyond the vat and sees the source of their predicament. Sitting casually on a chair and brandishing a well polished assault rifle is a man with large, horn-rimmed glasses, frazzled hair, wearing an unkempt green blazer and pants. The fact their opponent painted his skin to match the clothes was a bit disconcerting.
"This won't work, Promethium," Batman calls out.
"Oh, of course it will work!" Promethium grins. His teeth are also green. "I've got your utility belts right here, see," he mocks while gesturing to the nearby belts on the ground, "and I've got this gun trained on you both. I'm going to make sure you fall in that vat, Batman. I'd prefer it if you were alive so I could watch you and the brat squirm, but if you push me too far!" Promethium cocks the gun.
Robin snickers, "I can't believe we were caught by a Lanthanoid."
Promethium frowns, "Shut-up brat!"
"Hey Batman, twist around will you? I've got a question to ask our genius here," Robin smirks. Batman and Robin then twist their bodies.
"What are you doing?" Promethium asks, slightly perplexed.
The twisting motion generated by the Dynamic Duo is a means to mask their true intention, and soon the rope also begins to sway. As their bodies spin Robin replies to Promethium's request, "I'm just trying to see your face so I can ask you a simple question sport. Did you know that Promethium is a radioactive substance?
"Yes! Of course! What kind of stupid question is that?"
Robin grins, "And are you radioactive?"
Promethium goes silent in reply.
"Not really living up to your name, are you? Heh."
"That's it! I wanted to see you both suffer, but now I'm just going to watch you bleed!" Promethium screams as he raises up rifle.
At that selfsame moment Batman exhales deeply, collapsing his chest cavity to cause the bonds to slacken. This gives Robin just enough space to slip through, only leaving his ankle bound boots behind. The momentum of their twisting/swaying motion carries the Boy Wonder beyond the vat and to a safe, though barefooted landing. Instinctively Promethium turns his attention towards his escaped captive and he fires a short burst of bullets at Robin, who narrowly avoids the barrage.
Batman, now able to move with some freedom with Robin freed, discards his bonds. He then bends his body upward and grabs hold of the cord tied around his ankles. With one arm for support, he uses his free arm to dislodge one of Robin's boots, unfortunately causing its mate to plummet to the vat below. With unerring aim Batman tosses the salvaged boot at Promethium, jarring the rifle out of the startled man's hands. Robin then uses the opening to deliver a flying kick at his opponent. A loud crack is heard and Promethium falls to the ground unconscious. Robin retrieves his boot and turns in time to see Batman swing himself to safety.
"You couldn't save both of my shoes?" Robin asks as he holds up his lonely boot.
Batman looks down into the vat and then back to a slightly peeved Robin, "I'll get you a new one."
"That's not the point," Robin frowns, "how am I supposed to go out there and face Gotham's best AND worst with only one shoe? I'll be a laughing stock! What's in that tub anyway? Maybe I can still salvage it. A little dousing with the hose, it could still be good…"
"The vat's full of Promethium, Robin," Batman interrupts.
Robin sighs and tosses his remaining shoe into the vat. Turning he spies Batman peering inquisitively at their fallen opponent. To Robin this seems like an unremarkable case, though the finish was closer than he would have like. Why could Batman still be interested in the green tinged mad man?
To Robin's amazement Batman sighs and he scarcely makes out the word "Omen" before the Gotham City Police Department enters the scene.
…
