AN: This is another piece of my Shadows of the Blackest Night story, this is the first issue of the limited series Blackest Night: Golden Girls aka Rusted Gold. And at the end it will get interesting, also before anyone yells at me to delete this story for copying form TIRN33. Shut up and listen, I talked with TIRN33 and got her permission to do this story (and use her OCs). Without further ado let's begin. Oh and these tales take place during Blackest Night: Batman, Blackest Night: The Flash and Blackest Night: Teen Titans.
Disclaimer: I do NOT! Own any of the characters or concepts you see here except for Nexis, Old Max, Kid Vengeance, Albert Howen, Mr. Grim and some others.
Our story begins in Gotham City, during the night. In Wayne Manor we see inside was Alastrina or simply known as Ali. She had stayed in Wayne Manor, even after Alfred. Richard and Damian left. It was her home and it is the place she has been in for years and she has never felt any form of uneasy as she did now. She felt as if something or someone was disturbing the dead and she has never felt that before. She guessed that it was because she was also dead.
"You are not the only one who has been feeling uneasy Ali." She heard and it caused her skin to crawl at that voice. She wrapped her arms around herself.
From the shadows came someone that she hasn't seen in years… it was an old friend Mr. Grim.
"Hello Ali." He greeted
"Haven't seen you in awhile, Grimm." She smiled softly. "Here to claim my soul like you always promised to do?"
He chuckled at that and said "You always know how to lift my spirit, I came here to protect you."
"Protect me?" Ali cocked an eyebrow. "I can assure you Mr. Grim I don't need protection."
"Yes you do, some unknown force is raising the dead and it includes anything that is dead."
She tightened her fists. "That IS? Does that mean…" He didn't answer because she already knew. "And how do you plan on protecting me?"
"By doing the one thing I swore I would never do, giving you life."
She took a step back, if her heart was beating, it would have skipped one. "No" She answered simply. "You can't do that, because if you do…" She looked up." Zeus knows that if you give me life, I would denigrate. My body would catch up with my age within mere seconds."
"Then how do you suppose I help you, Alastrina?"
Ali looked down and sighted, clasping her hands together. "Just don't…don't let me hurt my children."
"I have one more tactic" Mr. Grim then takes out an hour glass with Alastrina's name on it
"If I remove the sands of time from your hourglass and give you life then you wouldn't turn to dust" Mr. Grim explained
"I am afraid that I can't let you do that slave…"
Mr. Grim gets blasted and the hour glass falls to the floor; rather than shattering it disappears in a cloud of smoke.
Ali then saw emerging from the shadows was Joseph Hand and a B lack Lantern Albert Howen. His ring giving off a dark glow and his eyes were a lifeless white and he was looking straight at Ali.
"So you are Alastrina? You escaped our lord for many years, but we came here to change all" Black Lantern Albert Howen said but he had no emotion while saying it or on his face.
"Yes now come quietly, come back to peace. Come back to the darknes-" Joseph Hand could finish because Mr. Grim fired a blast of green fire from a double sided axe which looked both steampunk and gothic in design. Joseph using his staff made a barrier of Black Energy to protect himself and Black Lantern Albert from the fire.
Black Lantern Albert looked at Mr. Grim who was glowing green, red and violet, "Will. Rage. Love."The ominous voice said
"Ali, run." Mr. Grimm ordered his axe ready and pointed at his two enemies.
"But, Grimm-."
"I said RUN!" Mr. Grim yelled and fired other blast at Joseph and the Black Lantern, Joseph's barrier holding
Ali then turned and ran away from the three
"Don't worry Ali we will find you after we deal with this slave" Black Lantern Albert said emotionlessly
Joseph dropped the barrier and said to Albert "Black Lantern get Alastrina, I'll deal with the slave." The Black Lantern nodded and ran off using super speed. Mr. Grim was going to fire at Albert again but he got hit by Joseph's staff "You have me to deal with me Slave!"
"GET OUT OF MY WAY!" Mr. Grim yelled and then he assaulted Joseph his axe clashing with Joseph's staff.
Ali ran down the stairs and ran to the door. She needed to get out, somewhere safe of course. But she couldn't get to her boys. Not if Albert or Joseph caught her and turned her into one of them. She then heard "Ali where are you?"
She panicked and quickly tried to unlock the door, she ran outside as the rain was slamming down on her. Ali tried to think of a place to stay, someone who will hide her.
She knew ONE person, but he was behind bars. Even so, she knew she couldn't get there in time.
She kept running but fell and when she got up she saw Albert standing in front of her his face still emotionless.
"I found you" Black Lantern Albert stated
"Wh-what did you do with Grimm!" She asked frantically.
"He is fighting the holy man, now as for you it's time to return back to peace." Black Lantern Albert emotionlessly responded
"Get away!" Ali cried.
"Why should I? I've just met you" Black Lantern Albert stated as he got closer to her
Ali backed up; fear radiating off of her.
"Please...don't do this...my boys..." She pleaded
"They will be fine, once we return them to darkness. As for you though peace comes now" Black Lantern Albert responded
She closed her eyes; knowing what was coming next.
Meanwhile at Keystone City which is at sun set currently, Katalina (but called Kiwi) Alonso was in Iron Heights prison visiting Hartley Rathaway also known as the Pied Piper who is one of the Rouges that reformed. Now for thoughts of you who are wondering Kiwi was found, adopted and raised by the Rouges. Over time she went through she had different names: The Rouges Daughter, Mirror Missy but she stuck with Mokking Byrd due to her power to copy superpowers.
"Hartley?" Kiwi asked while stepped forward, her hands wrapping around the handle bars. "Hartley? Are you in here?"
"Kiwi?" Hartley whispered as he walked forward.
"Call me Katalina, the guard's thinks I'm a little girl visiting her cousin. I'm wearing disguise." Kiwi whispered as she stuck her hand through the bars. "But, yeah, it's me."
"Katalina," Hartley stepped in the light. Kiwi's eyes widened. Hartley looked so sick…so pale…the bags under his eyes were dark and heavy, his lips were calk white, and he seemed like he'd lost weight…a lot of weight. "Oh, you're wearing a red wig. I remember when your hair was red. So red." He reached out and petted the synthetic hair. To inform you when Kiwi was first adopted she had red hair but it got died blue thanks to Lisa Snart. Hartley looked down to see the long trench coat Kiwi was wearing.
"Katalina, why are you wearing this?" Hartley asked as he tugged on the sleeve of her jacket.
"I'm still wearing my outfit, Hart. I didn't have time to change."
"Oh," He whispered. "H-how've you been?"
"Not good." She shook her head.
Hartley frowned. "I heard about you turning yourself into the same koo-koo house I went to. It was because of me, wasn't it? Because I killed Inertia."
AN: If you have no idea what Hartley is talking about go read Final Crisis: Rouges Revenge. Also Kiwi and Thaddeus did have love, back to the story.
"No, it wasn't you, honey." Kiwi brought her hand up and placed it on his cheek.
"Cold came by, he told me what they did to you." Hartley's voice cracked. "They drugged you. They made you hallucinate about Thad. They made you crazy."
"I'm fine now, Hartley. Bart's alive and so is Barry. They're alive." Kiwi smiled as she ran her thumb across Hartley's cheek.
"Bart's alive?" He whispered. "I didn't know of this."
"He's alive, Hartley." Kiwi's purple eyes glowed. "And well."
"I'm happy." He grabbed her hand that was on her face. "Can you stay with me? Here in the cell. You still have Bart's speed, right? Can't you vibrate through the walls? I don't want to be alone tonight."
Kiwi smiled and replied. "Neither do I." She pressed herself up against the wall and vibrated herself through the bars. Once she was through, Hartley wrapped his arms around her and held her tight.
"Did you visit James today?" He asked as he buried his head in her hair.
"Yes." She whispered as she wrapped her arms around him,
"You know we love you, right? All of us do."
"I know."
"James loves you."
"I know." She hugged him tighter.
Later that day in San Francisco at Titans Tower to be exact Aivilo Vorne aka Poofer was looking up at the statue above her which is that off her brother's. Her eyes watered slightly and a hand was placed on her shoulder. She looked up to see Donna Troy and a smile broke on her face.
"You know, despite his cockiness and asshole personality. He was a good brother." Aivilo said as she looked up at Powerboy's statue. "He was the one who helped me with my powers and helped me off that horrible planet."
"He was a good man." Donna assured. "He didn't deserve to die the way he did."
"At least he went out the way he wanted to go." She bit her lip. "He fought so hard."
"That's why his statue is in this hall. He fought with all his heart."
She took in a deep breath and held back tears. "Zarl's in a better place now." Aivilo nodded.
"That was his real name?" Donna had never known Powerboy personally, so his real name was news to her.
Aivilo nodded. "Zarl Vorne."
"Zarl," Donna nodded. "I see." She patted Aivilo on the shoulder and pecked her cheek. "Get some rest soon, honey."
Aivilo nodded and reached her hand out; touching the statue. "I love you, Zarl."
But in Avernus the Hidden Graveyard of the Rogues another Black Ring went into the grave of someone Kiwi and the Rouges know…
[Target locked]
I was a copy of a man I'll never be
A fake.
A phony.
I was sent from the future to go to the past.
I was to kill Bart Allen.
To prove that Thawnes were better than Allens.
All I wanted to do was kill him.
Until I met her.
She told me otherwise.
She showed me love.
But that didn't stop me.
I murdered her best friend.
And she left me.
She hated me.
But I still loved her.
She still loved me.
And then her family killed me in cold blood.
I can still hear Kiwi's scream.
[Thaddeus Thawne of Earth]
[RISE]
At what could be said at the same time at the San Francisco Cemetery…
[Target locked.]
I was an older brother.
Our parents were dead and I only had her.
I loved her more than anything.
And she left Apokolikps before I did.
She lived a beautiful life on Earth.
And when we reunited, she had cried and was overjoyed.
But our reunion was short lived…
For I was murdered at the hands of Trigon…
[Zarl Vorne of Earth]
[RISE]
AN: Well that raps things up for the first Issue I would like to thank TIRN33 for this, and get ready for Issue 2 of 4 is coming but in the mean time please give me feedback so that I could make the story better. This is Storyteller222 signing off, see you later people!