Dateline: 3786 AD
The lone, crimson-clad figure stood atop the tallest building in Metropolis, looking out over the skyline. He observed the Utopian architecture of the Superman Museum, in contrast with the retro 90's look of the Daily Planet building. The city at night comforted him, took his mind off his research at Science Tech U.
Suddenly, a burst of energy threw him back from the lip of the roof. As he regained his senses, a man appeared before him. He looked old and grey, and was bathed in a golden aura. His features looked vaguely familiar, and the red-clad figure became aware of a sensation much like when he looked at the holo-files of his ancestors. The old man cleared his throat, and made no introduction before launching into a speech.
"You recognise me. You should. We are one and the same."
"We're what?" the other cried, spittle collecting about his trimmed goatee, but the old man had barely paused. "I am a holographic representation of you at one hundred twenty. If you are seeing this, then I must've passed on as my medi-monitor said I would." He paused again. "I am--- was--- will be--- exiled to the year One Billion BC. I have come to make sure your future changes."
The red-clad man's eyes narrowed. "How do I know you're who---"
"You were born in 3764 on the New Hawkworld colony. You currently work at Science Tech. You're a history buff. You've spent the last two months waking up nights with an inspired idea for a time machine."
The recipient blinked. A coincidence in recording? Or could the hologram hear his questions? Either way, maybe this wasn't an elaborate prank call.
"In six months, you will finalise your research, and create a machine known as the chrono-cube. You will become known as the Time Lord, and you will use your invention for crime across the timestream." The hologram seemed to turn almost feral. "But you will be foiled every single time by a Twentieth century boyscout known by the egotistical moniker "Superman." The last word was spat.
The hologram regained some composture. "You know that historic files on the Twentieth century are sketchy at best. Over the years, though, I have observed events and acquired records, and I have determined the point in history where the infidel Superman was at his weakest." He smiled. "All you need to know, I have buried here in the past. Listen carefully..."
The crimson-clad figure, now outfitted in full spelunking equipment, grappled down further along the inside of a fissure. After reaching the fifteen foot mark, he felt with his toe, and brushed a narrow ledge. After testing it's strength, he lowered himself onto it, and ignited the luminous bar across his chest. In moments, as instructed, he'd located the alcove in the rock wall. He reached in, and felt something like cold steel. Closing his hands around it, he pulled it into the light.
A hermetically sealed case.
At his touch, the case hissed open. The man reached in, and hefted an overstuffed, dog-eared manila folder. Rifling through it, he marvelled at the information. "It has been noted that the Superman is at his weakest after having made a transition between genetic forms (most evident in the seven month period after the return from energy manifestation, 1998)" he read from one page, then leafed to another. "Superman's most notorious enemy, the monster Doomsday, was most audacious when he first appeared on Earth (1993). His subsequent resurrections in 2006 and 3444 would be disappointing as far as---" he stopped reading, and turned his attention back to the case. Within, he found a small cube interlaced with circuitry. Hefting it, he was suddenly aware of a great power in his hands. And his eyes flashed with greed.
Dateline: 1993 AD
Over the years, the city of Metropolis had seen fire and flood, earthquake and hurricane. But never had it seen the level of destruction this one monster had brought.
And as far as Superman was concerned, it ended here.
The battered and bleeding Man of Steel squared off with the strong-armed creature known as Doomsday in the square outside the Daily Planet building. The clearing was bordered by hordes of reporters and bystanders, and the general sense in the air was that the two super-powered aliens were about to take their cross-country brawl to the mat once more. Superman himself was reeling, mentally horrified at the sight of blood flowing freely from his body, but Doomsday, lined with bony spikes as he was, was relentless, and nowhere near finished.
The monster, seeing through the bones in his eye sockets as though caged, bowed his head and readied for the bout to come. Somewhere beneath his primal instincts, some semblance of intelligence had registered that the pesky blue man was on his last legs, having been drained by the use of his heat vision.
Sure enough, the blue man launched forward and hurtled toward Doomsday at full speed.
Suddenly, he stopped, and hung immobile in the air, eyes locked straight ahead. Doomsday gave a nervous growl. The blue man had stopped dead. None of the bystanders even twitched, and the news helicopters overhead were suspended there, their rotors stopped.
The red-clad figure known as the Time Lord strode into the square, admiring his work. "I don't believe it," he murmured to himself. "I didn't think I could get here in the first place, but this cube thing actually stopped time!" Doomsday gave a questioning sort of guttural noise. The Time Lord turned to face him. "You?" he exclaimed. "You're Superman's greatest enemy?" He stared deep into the creature's eyes. "You probably don't even appreciate what's happening here, do you? Your significance?" He sighed. "Well, mindless lackeys are the best kind. Come on."
He turned away. Doomsday gave something akin to a shrug. The red man had stopped the pesky blue man. Worthy friend, for the moment. He followed.
Around a corner, the Time Lord waved a small instrument in the air, and a glowing portal encompassed them both.
"Hold on..."
Dateline: INFINITY
The man known as Waverider stared out into the red hued mists, and marvelled at his life. He never would've thought it would come to this. He'd always wanted to make a difference, as a policeman, or a postal worker, but on a cosmic level?
Yet here he stood, atop the highest tower in Vanishing Point. Vanishing Point, the realm outside time. Vanishing Point, pinnacle of the timestream. Vanishing Point, access to any and all points in history. Vanishing Point, the home of the Linear Men, the unseen hand snatching the universe back from the brink of death at least twice a week. Waverider, the mist glinting off his golden metallic skin, enjoyed the current respite. He sat there, watched the air move by.
His revere was interrupted by a sudden noise behind him. He whirled. His compatriot Liri Lee had burst onto the balcony.
And she looked very anxious.
In answer to his unasked question, she thrust a portable chrono-monitor into his hands.
Waverider looked it over. "Oh, boy." he crowed. "This is very bad." He looked into Liri Lee's eyes. "We have to fix this! Now!"
"We can't!" she cried. "We're bound by honour code not to tamper with history!"
"True," Waverider conceded, "but I know who can."
Dateline: 1998 AD
Batman sat alone in thought, as he often did at Justice League meetings. As Superman moved from issue to issue with the rest of the league, he turned his attention to the small porthole set in the side of the JLA's moon-based headquarters, the Watchtower, and watched the Earth drift by. As beautiful as it was, Batman could see only crime and corruption, and evil. He mentally sighed, and turned his attention back to the other heroes gathered about him. To Superman's right sat Wonder Woman, looking none the worse for wear after her near-death experience. Next to her sat the amicable trio of Flash, Green Lantern, and Green Arrow. All heroes in their own right, yet all still in the shadows of their predecessors. On the opposite side of the table sat Zauriel, the upstart fallen angel, a tragedy in the making, and the green-skinned Martian Manhunter, taking everything in. Farther along the table sat Steel. A man who's dedication to Superman actually brought out the courage to stand in the line of fire when necessary. And finally, Aquaman, a man alone no matter how many surrounded him.
Superman stood, setting the standard for the rest. "Well, if that's everything, I have an appointment to keep in Metropolis. Meeting adjourned." Within seconds, his super-speed had taken him to the JLA transporter room, and he was headed earthward. Flash was next to leave the table. "Hey, Kyle, race ya home!" he called over his shoulder, and began to speed up he reached the exit. Suddenly, something threw him backward into the table.
The leaguers were on their feet in an instant, staring down the exit.
The doorway filled with a magnificent yellow glow. Out of which stepped Waverider.
The Linear Man had finished drawing out his diagram, which he passed to the baffled Aquaman. He looked to Wonder Woman for comprehension.
"Do you see what I'm saying? Someone's tampered with a defining historic event, and the shockwaves are changing time! Everything you know up to 1996 has been undermined and re-written already! You have to go back there and rectify things!"
Wonder Woman leaned forward, steepled her fingers. "Why us?"
Waverider stopped his ranting. "Would ya believe this is the only time period in which the JLA is inactive?"
"Good enough for me," the Amazon responded, and vaulted out of her chair. "Zauriel, Lantern, Arthur, with me. The rest of you watch things here. Steel, try to get to Superman."
Waverider thumbed at the air, and a portal opened, similar to the one which had harkened his arrival.
In a flash, the four leaguers and the Linear Man had disappeared from this time.
Dateline: 1996 AD
Waverider released the leaguers atop a nondescript skyscraper between the Daily Planet and LexCorp Tower of Metropolis.
Aquaman took to the lip of the building, and surveyed the city. "Looks fine to me. What's the problem here? Too much concrete?"
Waverider smirked. "The time shockwaves haven't quite reached this era yet. Wait..." He turned and watched a green glow appear over the horizon. At the last second, he threw his linear aura about the others to protect them.
The green glow passed. What it left behind was rubble.
The city seemed decimated. The only building still standing was the Daily Planet. A thin metallic tube ran from each dilapidated structure in a vast array of piping that fed some sort of information directly to the Planet building.
Green Lantern flew a rapid circle around the city block, arriving back to breath, "Completely deserted." Aquaman folded his arms. "What could've happened that things would come to this?"
"Easy," Waverider said. "Superman didn't die." Suddenly, Wonder Woman cried, "Down there!" and swan-dived into the air.
She landed gently, and approached a ragged-looking old woman, who seemed almost shell-shocked.
"Excuse me..." the Amazon called.
The woman turned, and her hand went to her mouth. "You're alive!" "Apparently," Wonder Woman responded. "What's your name?" the other leagues were in earshot now. "Alice. Alice White. Oh God, we thought you were all dead! We thought he'd killed you! Now you can save us---"
Wonder Woman interjected, "From who?"
"From... him!" She pointed a quivering finger skyward.
Sailing above the city was a man in black leotard, dotted with very regal-looking silver stripes, followed by at least a dozen Utopian-looking robots. Despite the outfit, the man was very obviously Superman.
"Hoo boy," breathed Zauriel. "Maybe you should fill us in, Waverider?"
The Linear Man looked over each of the leaguers. "Someone pulled Doomsday out of the timeline just before he would've killed Superman. Our records show that coming that close to death unbalanced Big Blue. He decided to do everything in his power to protect Metropolis. If that meant controlling the city--- So he brought in the Eradicator to establish a very Kryptonian, almost Nazi-ish regime. A place for everything and everything in it's place to an extreme."
"That's right!" Alice broke in, "That's just what happened! The city's under curfew twelve hours a day. And if anyone has a malicious thought, it's fed straight to the nerve centre." She pointed from the maze of pipes to the Daily Planet. "You have to help!"
"Wow," Green Lantern muttered, "can anyone say 'Big Brother'?"
Aquaman watched Superman's retreating form, and his eyes grew hard. "There's only one course of action left to us, then."
He exchanged a knowing look with Zauriel, who nodded.
"What?" asked Green Lantern. "What am I missing?"
Aquaman sighed. "We have to kill Superman." Before the Lantern could object, Aquaman had turned to Waverider. "Can you get us back to when Doomsday disappeared? Maybe we can stop---"
"I'm afraid not. A temporal aura was left in the wake of whoever broke into the timestream, to cover their tracks from people like me. Very smart."
"All right, then. We'll have to find a point before 1993, and kill him ourselves."
Wonder Woman grabbed his arm. "Arthur, you're not serious...? What if the resurrection was pure fluke?"
"Look around you, Diana," he returned. "Do the people of Metropolis deserve this?" His voice softened. "I'm very serious. Let's go."
Dateline: 1998 AD
The vigilante known as Green Arrow purposely stalked through the corridors, his mouth set in a frown very similar to the one his father, the first Green Arrow, had always worn.
He'd paced every inch of the Justice League's moon-based Watchtower, without managing to quench his frustration.
Suddenly, the Flash was beside him. "What's up, Speedy?" he crowed. "Somebody die?"
Green Arrow forced a smile. 'Nah. It's just... Well, where does Wonder Woman get off taking half the team back in time? What about the rest of us? I mean, what does Green Lantern have that I don't?"
Flash shrugged. "Um... acne? Seriously, pal, somebody has ta watch things here. And let's face it, you're not exactly a heavyweight around here. What with the... trick arrows... ahem... and all."
Green Arrow sighed. "I guess. But you ever get sick of just sitting around waiting for stuff to happen?"
Flash sprinted up the wall and across the ceiling, dropping down behind his emerald-garbed friend. "One thing you oughta learn, GA. Life around here is never dull." A tremor ran through the Watchtower, shaking it to it's foundation.
Green Arrow froze. "What was---"
But Flash was already moving, zeroing in on the source of the quake. In moments, he'd arrived in the conference room, and his jaw dropped.
There, in the middle of the room, stood--- 'stood' being the operative word, since his feet left inch-deep impressions in the titanium floor--- Doomsday. Flash's eyes were wide, but he still managed the presence of mind to jab at the wall-mounted intercom panel. "Bats? You, uh, you... better get up here. You're not gonna believe this."
In the monitor room, a level below, Batman vaguely responded to the call. "Steel," he addressed the gleaming figure seated at a nearby console, "we better get up there."
"Roger," Steel retorted, and pushed to his feet. "What do you think's up?"
"I wouldn't worry about it," Batman tossed over his shoulder as he moved into the corridor. "Wally probably just found some new way to vibrate. Not riveting stuff."
Green Arrow's eyes narrowed beneath his mask as he approached the conference room entrance. He'd heard Flash's loudspeaker message, and now he could hear the distinctive sounds of a high-octane scuffle from within.
Carefully, laboriously, he drew his bow, and inched closer to the door. Suddenly, in a burst of scarlet, the Flash bounded into the hall and slammed into the far wall. "Wally!" the Arrow yelled, and, an instant too late, realised he shouldn't have turned his back on the conference room.
A vice-like hand seized him about the neck, and his vision flecked red.
Batman heard a muted scream from Green Arrow even before he rounded the corner and came face to face with Doomsday. The monster loomed over the battered heroes' bodies, his bulky frame almost filling the entire corridor's breadth.
From the opposite end of the hallway, Steel rocketed at the creature, sledge hammer thrust out before him, crying, "You're dead!" Doomsday, despite his bulk, whirled in a flurry of movement that would've done Flash proud. He snatched the hammer, and spun it with surprising precision, slamming it into the small of the armoured man's back, driving him to the floor. Batman watched as the monster raised his foot to crush the valiant Steel, and decided to play spectator no longer.
The Dark Knight sprang into action, and was soon coiled about the monster's neck. His mind was consumed with thoughts of the other heroes, and how to buy them time.
Finally, Doomsday managed twist so as to wrap his massive hands about the vigilante's head, and lift him into the air. Batman's body went slack, the Kevlar threads in his cowl actually cracking and unravelling. With his last ounce of strength, Batman managed to reach a finger into the belt compartment which controlled his suit defences.
Instantly, one hundred volts of pure electricity coursed through his carefully insulated suit, and through Doomsday's hands into his body.
The creature winced, eased his grip just enough for Batman to drop to the floor and scramble away.
As he rounded the corner and started into a full run, Batman caught sight of Doomsday following suit. Good, he thought. Now we're getting somewhere. Where exactly, he didn't know.
Flash, his body's systems decidedly speedier than the others, was the first to regain consciousness. He lay there, unmoving, barely breathing. He was reminded of what he'd seen in Jurassic Park, about staying absolutely still so the T-Rex will pass you by.
But Flash was not a patient man, and, finally, he risked a glance around. Once he'd ascertained that there were no great, hulking, brown-skinned mammoths about, he sat up, and surveyed the others.
Green Arrow, spread-eagled, was considerably bashed up, his nose obviously broken. Further down the hall lay Steel, the indentation in his back leaving much to the imagination.
"What in the Seven Hells happened here?"
The Martian Manhunter stood at the mouth of the hallway, looking panicked.
"J'Onn, your timing is impeccable," Flash muttered. "I was wondering where you'd gotten to."
The Manhunter stooped, and hoisted Flash to his feet. "Where's Batman?"
"He's not with you?" Flash shot back, alarmed.
"Evidently."
"We've gotta find him. Come on. He's in series---"
"What happened?" "I'll explain on the way. Come on!"
Once the two heroes had disappeared from sight, the Time Lord stepped from the shadows. "I see now why Doomsday has earned the acclaim he has as a force to be reckoned with, however bestial," he said as he looked over the men sprawled at his feet. He noticed Green Arrow was coming around, and stooped to address him.
"Wake up, boy. You've served as a worthy trial run for my primal puppet, and I commend you. Now, which way to the laggard Superman?"
The Arrow was just aware enough to direct a spout of saliva into the Time Lord's eye. Then he faded back into unconsciousness.
Fuming, the villain rose, and savagely kicked Steel from his path. "On another day I'd have your head, boy," he murmured, "but I have bigger fish to grill." He stalked away.
Batman stopped short, and lingered until he was sure Doomsday was still after him. Then he darted into the nearest room. It was the cargo airlock they used when the transporters were down, which opened out onto the frigid lunar surface. An idea formed in his nimble mind.
Basking in the hunt, Doomsday barrelled into the airlock. He focused on the pesky cloaked man, not noticing the titanium-laced doors whirr shut behind him.
Batman was now garbed in a simple astronautical helmet, with an oxygen tank slung across his back. He stood as idly as possible, yet slowly reached for a nearby keypad.
Doomsday advanced a half-step, and Batman's hand lashed out, keying in a complicated set of commands. The outer doors began to cycle open, and as the air rushed away, the tug of vacuum replaced it, lifting Doomsday off his feet and hurling him toward the door.
Batman's feet rose from beneath him, and he flailed for a handhold, finding one in the keypad he'd just used. He was concentrating on working all his strength into his steel-taught grip.
Soundlessly, like a swamp thing emerging from an old horror flick, Doomsday appeared behind Batman. His feet scored the floor, but he kept his position despite the vacuum through sheer strength.
Doomsday swung, and his fist connected solidly with Batman's rib cage.
The Dark Knight lost his grip, and flew out into the open, bouncing against the dusty surface. His oxygen mouthpiece dislodged, and in mere moments, his oxygen-starved body had succumbed to coma.
Flash motioned for Green Arrow to hold still, and returned to carefully dressing Steel's wounds. The archer muttered an answer, and tightened his grip on the bandage swaddling his nose. "Listen, Fwash, as soon ab we're done hered, I goanna check the securidy monitors."
Flash smirked at the nasal tones in the young man's voice. "What for?"
He released the bandage. "I remember some other guy showing up after Doomsday booked. I wanna get an ID."
The Martian Manhunter burst through the door of the infirmary, a nonresponsive Batman folded in his arms.
"Flash!" he cried, "Get the respirator set up! Now! And get a cardiac unit down here!"
"Wait a minute," Green Arrow interjected. "Where's Doomsday?"
Dateline: 1986
The man known to the world as Superman stepped away from the podium, and followed the solemn procession which carried the coffin of Barry Allen, Earth's latest saviour.
Superman shook his head. Days ago, he'd conferred with Allen on how to go about stopping the Crisis on Infinite Earths. Allen had sped to the rescue, and died for the planet. The Man of Steel sighed. The Earth would have to do without a great hero. He lifted into the sky, and headed out of Central City, toward Metropolis.
He was making a low pass over a farmer's field, when a strange humming filled his ears. A miniature green-hued fighter jet whizzed past. He followed with his eyes, curiosity running wild. Something slammed into his side, and he hurtled downward.
Green Lantern touched down beside him. "Hey... Um... Sorry, man, but... You kinda hafta die..."
"I've heard enough." Superman righted himself. "There's been enough death."
Green Lantern shrugged. "Yeah, you'd think so, but..."
From out of nowhere bounded Aquaman, plowing into Superman's ribs. Superman lifted his attacker up by the neck, and flipped him into a half-gainer.
"Kal." The voice was clear, sharp, and no-nonsense. Superman couldn't help but turn.
There stood Wonder Woman, backed by Zauriel and Waverider.
"Listen to me, Kal-El," she continued. "The future of Metropolis rests with you. I know you wouldn't hesitate to martyr yourself---"
Superman's eyes flashed. "Diana, I don't know what these people have done to you, but if you want to kill me---" he launched skyward, "---you'll have to catch me!"
Wonder Woman motioned to Green Lantern, and they both took off. Superman had reached the ionosphere, when he glanced downward and noticed Wonder Woman coming up fast. He stopped dead, and unleashed a burst of heat vision. Wonder Woman cried out, and began to fall earthward. Green Lantern snatched the Amazon from her plummet. "This isn't working," he said. "I know," she breathed. "Let him go. Let's, uh.. Let's set down with the others." They dropped into the field, where Aquaman and Waverider were conferring. "This isn't working, Arthur," she started. "Besides, I... I don't know if I could bring myself to kill him." Aquaman looked skyward, frustrated. "Well. It's out of our hands now. All we can do is hope they come up with something back home."
Dateline: 1998 AD He remembered only bits and pieces of it. A spasm of pain in his side, the death-knell passing through his lips in the form of exhaled breath. Then, the loss of oxygen. Sweet, saving, merciful oxygen. Slowly and steadily disappearing, clouding his mind, siphoning his energy--- His eyes flickered, and made a desperate attempt to focus. He could make out only a strong source of light directly overhead, probably florescent. His breathing reached his ears, unnaturally hollow and mechanical. He must be in...
The infirmary. Flash ricocheted between the hospital beds of Steel and Batman, stopping only once he noticed Batman stirring. "J'Onn! Over here." The Martian Manhunter approached, looking reminiscent of a grim reaper enshrouded in his cape, jade-hued as he was. "I think Batman's coming to."
"It matters very little," the Manhunter replied. "He will be out of commission for a few hours at least. We should devote our attention to locating and containing the monster Doomsday."
"Agreed." Flash sped toward the doorway. Over his shoulder, he called, "Arrow, watch these two, will you?" Green Arrow stood there, in the midst of the cluttered infirmary, nursing his broken nose. "Sure," he murmured. "Why not? Just let me check my schedule. Y'know, make sure I'm not busy..."
The Martian Manhunter soared barely a meter off the Watchtower corridor floor, weaving haphazardly through the building's maze of passageways. His Martian vision scanned every wall, literally leaving no stone unturned. Suddenly, the Flash was pacing him. "J'Onn, I think maybe we have a problem."
The Manhunter ground to a halt. His compatriot didn't use the term 'problem' lightly. "What?" "I reconned the transporter room. It's been used." He swallowed, involuntarily creating a dramatic effect. "Doomsday's escaped. He's on Earth."
The infirmary was a place of coalescing shadow and light, creating mental images of slowly approaching terror. Green Arrow shook his head to clear it. The shallow breathing of Batman was slowly degrading his presence of mind. He decided he needed to occupy himself.
He crossed the room, and dropped down before a computer console. His fingers drummed a set of commands out on the keypad, calling up the last half hour of security video from outside the conference room. He sat back and let events play out.
Suddenly, he shot bolt upright. "Freeze frame! Rewind!"
The monitor cycled backward for a moment, then showed a scene familiar to the young man. He saw his own battered body, spread-eagled across from the unmoving form of Steel. Doomsday had ambled out of view after Batman.
Then a red-cloaked figure appeared as if from nowhere, lingered over the fallen heroes for a second, and began to retreat.
"Freeze!" Green Arrow cried. "Okay, cross-reference current image with Watchtower databases." "Computing," a strangely genderless monotone responded. "Figures identified as A)Green Arrow-Connor Hawke, B)Steel-John Henry Irons, C)Time Lord-alias unknown---"
"Bring up file 'C.' The vigilante scanned the screen. "Great. A time-travelling super villain. At least that explains Doomsday."
"Very good! Your sleuthing attributes impress me!"
Green Arrow whirled one hundred eighty degrees as he did so dropping to one knee and drawing back his bow. There stood the Time Lord, feet spread, arms crossed. "Now," he started, "I asked you before, and I'll ask again: Where is Superman?"
The emerald-clad man pursed his lips, and let an arrow fly. Time Lord flashed a smile, and raised a small cube, which loosed a stream of energy.
The energy beam engulfed the arrow in mid-flight, and, before their eyes, the plastic-laced trunk actually rotted, even as the steel arrowhead rusted away. In mere seconds, the arrow had disintegrated entirely.
Green Arrow's jaw dropped.
The Time Lord next aimed the chrono-cube at Steel, and with a smug smile said, "Now. Tell me where Superman is, or watch your friends rot away!"
The vigilante's eyes narrowed as he sat down.
Flash manipulated the transporter controls with as much delicacy as he could muster at super-speed. "Okay, J'Onn, I got it," he said to the alien beside him. "Doomsday... Aw, crap! Doomsday used the preset co-ordinates that Superman used when he ducked oughta here."
The Manhunter mounted the pad with little more than a grunt, signifying that Flash join him. In seconds, they'd materialised beneath the jade transporting glow.
Flash instantly identified his surroundings as Metropolis's Centennial Park. "So," he queried, "where d'you think a six hundred pound monster could get to?"
There was a rustling in the bushes behind him, and a young man catapulted through the air overhead.
Doomsday emerged from the underbrush at full speed, obviously confrontational. Using the jagged bony protrusion fixed to his elbow, he batted the Manhunter across the face.
Before the creature's startled eyes, the Manhunter's face actually collapsed under the pressure. But the shape-shifting properties of his skin took hold, reforming it.
Flash leapt to his team-mate's defence, pummelling Doomsday at up to one hundred times a second, but the monster shrugged it off, and after a few minutes he simply seized the speedster by the neck, and pitched him away. Doomsday shouldered his way past the heroes toward the Superman tomb which occupied the central clearing.
The Martian Manhunter rose to his feet. "He seems to be forming an objective. Centering on Superman."
Flash nodded in agreement. "We can't go through this again. So how do we stop him?"
"Let me give it a shot."
Superman dropped to the ground, his face set in an expression both grim and determined.
Flash shrugged. "Sure... if you think you're up to it."
"I won't ask again, dog!"
Green Arrow readjusted his jaw. "Good."
The Time Lord inched his chrono-cube closer to Steel.
"All right! All right!" the Arrow raised his hands in compliance. "I'll---"
The console chirped for attention. "Alert! Threat Class-1 detected."
Green Arrow took his eyes from the villain. "Locate."
"Eastern Metropolis."
"Identify."
"Alien known as Doomsday."
The Time Lord broke into an inhumane grin. "So. Perhaps I don't have need of your friends after all." He twisted his index finger along the surface of the chrono-cube.
"Let me help you with that," a familiar voice said.
And Aquaman landed a solid punch on the Time Lord's chin. Wonder Woman lead Green Lantern, Zauriel, and Waverider into the room. "Was that really necessary, Arthur?"
Aquaman tossed her a lopsided smile. "What's 'necessary' got to do with it?"
"Welcome back, guys." Green Arrow clasped Aquaman's hand. "I owe you one. So... Uh, whadda you want to do with him?" He crooked a thumb at the felled villain.
"I dunno. Lynch 'im up?"
Waverider stepped between them. "I'll handle things from here. The Linear Men have chronometric shielding in our holding cells. Besides, I have to find out how to break the bubble keeping us out of 1993." "Fine. So we better get down to Earth fast," the Arrow announced.
"Because...?"
Superman wrapped Doomsday in a Full Nelson, driving him to his knees. But the monster flexed his shoulders, flipping the Man of Steel across his massive back.
Flash helped Superman to his feet while the Martian Manhunter stepped into the ring. "Fate is made of second chances..."
"Not now, Wally." Superman slowly approached the combatants, looking for an opening. "I... I don't know if I can..."
"'Course you can." Flash leapt past, shoulder-checking the creature, to no avail. "Let me give you a hand." Green Lantern dropped onto Doomsday, decked out in emerald body armour. Next, Aquaman and Zauriel coiled about the alien's legs, which were vaguely reminiscent of tree stumps, while Wonder Woman delivered a snap kick to his chin.
After a few minutes of savage scuffling, the leaguers powered Doomsday to the ground, and yet it took all their strength to keep him pinned. Superman took a long look at his tomb, before his eyes ignited, and he prepared his deathblow. "Wait!" Waverider was hovering over the scene now. "Superman, wait! For God's sake!" Superman hesitated, his fist wavering. Waverider continued. "We have to set things right. Bring him back."
"But... I can win."
Wonder Woman looked to the Man of Steel. "He's right, Kal."
Dateline: 1993 AD
The square outside the Daily Planet was desolate, strewn with debris. Bordered with unmoving civilians, their faces frozen in fear. In the midst of things, suspended in mid air, hung Superman, bracing for impact. A yellow glow filled the time-frozen landscape, dropping the eight heroes, the Linear Man, and a heavily sedated Doomsday into the clearing.
Superman thumbed a syringe, titanium made, loaded with stimulant, and stared at the fallen monster. "Are you sure? I could... save so many people... stop so many deaths..."
Wonder Woman laid a reassuring hand on his caped shoulder. "Trust me, Kal-El. Let history take it's course."
Superman jabbed the alien, stepped back. Then he walked away, listening in horror as his 1993 counterpart was pummelled to death.
END