Bruce sat silently at his computer in the cave deep below his mansion. His leather looking hands ontop of his walking cane, the keyboard and console covered in dust and the machine itself is offline. Below him, his vehicles stand quietly side by side each with a tarp covering them. A few feet from his seat is his suit room where his tools, weapons, and suits are neatly put away, waiting to be used once again. Tim comes beside him with a newspaper in his hands, marking the return of 'heroes' or 'vigilantes' into the public scene.
"Bruce, today's paper, another story on Stark's adventures, Gotham's rise in crime is on page two," Tim lays the newspaper on the console for Bruce to see the headline and image on the page. He glances with just his eyes before raising himself to his feet and slowly walks with his cane to look down at his pod and car.
"I'm not in the fight anymore," Bruce kept his back to Tim.
"No, but it seems that you have been coming down here more and more since he and others started to show up. Considering a comeback tour?" Tim steps next to Bruce.
Bruce sets his heavy eyes at Tim, wrinkles increasing as he glares at him, "You think that's what I'm up to?"
Tim gave him a smirk, "Not exactly. While no one said it back then, we all thought that it was becoming more of a addiction for you. To go out night after night, beat up some thugs, stopping crime yourself instead of letting someone else deal with it."
Bruce turns to walk away with Tim following behind him, "When I started it, I didn't have the intention of doing it until I died, just enough for things to change for the better. And things finally did," Bruce came to the door of the suit room, "Things are changing again Tim, the work I and the others put in is being erased like etchings in the sand of a beach."
"You can't be serious? In your current condition? Not even if you called Stark to build you a suit to fight in, you wouldn't last very long. You have arthritis hands, your knees have no cartilage, and your heart won't keep up. The government will come after you, now with the Dundes Act in place they will have a full arsenal ready for you. You might as well let Iron Man and company take the work load."
Bruce and Tim went down the stairs to the ground floor to reach a support column, and a small plastic black box attached to it, "This city already has a hero." Bruce opens the box and a keypad illuminates in light blue. He enters 1-0-4-8 on the keypad. Above the box, part of the large column slid open to reveal a can sized container made of glass that carried a glowing green liquid.
"What is that?" Tim asked.
"Lazarus. A souvenir from my last encounter with Ra's Al Ghul."
"And you brought some home because?"
Bruce took the container out to hold in his hand then looked to Tim.
"Do you know the risks that come with taking that stuff? If he couldn't stop it from screwing with your head, then nobody can. Besides how are you going to pass in public?"
"The public will not see Bruce Wayne," Bruce makes his way back up to the computer, pulls a drawer open and opens a plastic container that holds a clean syringe, "The public will only see Batman."
Professor Xavier waited outside the doors of his school for gifted youngsters with Scott and Aurora at his sides as a car pulls up to them with the driver hidden in a heavy coat and hat.
"Why are we bothering with this professor?" Scott whispers.
"Our kind depends on it. Now even though we've been on opposite sides for nearly thirty years, it is times like these that we can cooperate to work towards a common goal."
The figure steps out of the car and takes off his hat to show his vibrate white hair, "Good afternoon Charles."
Charles smiles back, "Good to see you Eric, please come in."
"Thank you, old friend." Eric looks to Scott and Aurora who acknowledge him but stay silent and with straight faces, "Where are the others?"
"Each has gone on their own paths, Eric. Scott and Aurora chose to stay with me here, to look after the place. Logan occasionally visits. This is very much their home as it is mine."
"Hmm." Eric followed them inside through the heavy front doors.
"Tell me Eric, why have you come to me after so many years of silence?" The four step into the living room where Eric sits across from Charles, Scott, and Aurora.
"I come to you now because I need your help."
Scott and Aurora exchange looks, but Charles keeps his eyes on Eric, "Our help?" Aurora asks.
"Yes. Those that were with me have left and made themselves comfortable with the new lives they've been given. Even those who wish to have their abilities back are accepting their new human lives with unanswered questions that have been plaguing me since we lost everything that made us who we are."
"And how exactly can we help if we are just like everybody else now?" Charles set his chin on his hand.
"Because I know you care Charles, you care to know what has happened to us. You also happen to have resources that I lack." Eric looked to his shoes.
"You think it's wrong that we don't have our powers?" asked Scott.
Eric glanced back up to Scott, "I think so yes. We were born with them, they are a part of us, and to have them be taken away by some outside force without our consent? How can you be happy with that?"
"Well for one it has given me my vision back." Scott took off his red sunglasses and opened his eyes for Eric to see.
"A small gift at the cost of millions of lives." Eric said.
"No, that is part of the package. I didn't trade their powers for this chance," Scott stands from his seat and looks down at Eric, "Now that we are on the equal playing field with humanity we don't have the likes of you threatening them, or the world."
"Scott!" Charles turned to his former pupil, "Please, sit down."
"I know you and I don't see eye to eye," Eric stands up to meet Scott, "And if you want to punish others just to punish me, then you have much to learn in terms of what is justice."
"It's a sacrifice I'm willing to make as I'm sure others would if they knew what kind of person you really are."
"Scott, Eric, please. Eric you were saying?" Charles asked.
Eric keeps his eyes on Scott as he returns to his seat, as does Scott. "As I was saying, I need your help. I've gone on a journey that has taken me across the world, and I've finally figured out what happened to us."
"And what is that?" asked Charles.
"We're under Gene Repression."
"Gene Repression?" questioned Aurora.
"Yes, that is what the government calls the process and program. It's taken me many years to put it all together. Slowly they built them across the world, in silence. If they were public about this it would cause a fire storm no doubt."
"It certainly would, what you're talking about here is sterilization of sorts, and if that is the case then we should investigate it." said Charles.
"I've done all the investigating you need. Here," Eric pulls out a large and thick yellow envelope from inside his coat and hands it to Charles who opens it with Scott and and Aurora looking on.
"You did all this?" asked Scott.
"I had time on my side." Eric let out a grin.
"Now you will allow me the time to look over it with my colleagues here, Eric."
"Slow and steady as always Charles. Fine, I'll give you the time you need to look over what I've found. Rest assured I know you will see what I saw."
"In the meantime make yourself at home here, Eric. Scott, Aurora come with me to my study." Charles leads the way to his study with Aurora and Scott behind him.
The fires rage and consume everything on the ground as if it were gasoline. Katar Hol dragged himself to fall over a ledge as he bled from his wounds and mouth, avoiding the fires. His wings bruised and bloodied, unable to lift him off the ground. He raises his head to look into the sky and watches as his fellow soldiers fall as rain drops during a heavy storm. Katar Hol raised himself to his feet with his mace firmly in his hands when he heard the bloodcurdling scream from behind.
Standing before a large bush of orange smoke and fire was his enemy, his body and face hiding in shadow. A giant and imposing figure, his silhouette unmistakeable. In one hand he held a limp body by the head, in the other, the wings that were suppose to be on that body.
"Darkseid!" Kotor shouted as he raised his weapon.
The figure stepped forward revealing his burning red eyes and rock like skin with a disturbing smile, "Katar Hol, what will it take for you to give up your fight against me? I am a god."
"And just like gods, you can be destroyed when everyone sees you bleed." Katar Hol lunges at Darkseid with his mace ready to slam against him, but Darkseid grabs it as it is swung at him. Darkseid smirks then punches Katar in the chest, sending him across the field, tumbling and rolling in the dirt.
"You've lost Katar Hol, why not admit it? Thanagar is mine."
Katar raises his head to meet Darkseid eye to eye.
"No? Fine, I shall take you back to Apokolips and have you tortured for my pleasure until I hear those words from your lips." Darkseid reaches for a small device, a mother box, on his waist belt, but Katar knocks it out with his mace, jumps after it, pressing numerous buttons, and suddenly a boom tube appears before Katar. He allows himself to fall through it and it closes after him, leaving Darkseid alone on the Thanagarian surface.
"How are we today Bruce?" Tim asked as he came in with a food tray loaded with cut up fruit, a stack of pancakes, and a glass of orange juice.
Bruce had his back to the door, hiding his face and body under the bed sheets, "Feels like I ran a marathon without training first."
"I was half expecting to see you up before morning, I thought that Lazarus was to take effect soon?" Tim set the food down at the small table next to the balcony sliding door. "Come on, rise and shine as they say-holy crap!" Tim pulled the sheets away from Bruce and was shocked to see that old familiar body replaced with a younger looking one that had less wrinkles, healthy looking skin, a fuller body, and even the return of black hair with some roots still left gray behind his ears.
"Bruce!" Tim shouted.
Bruce groaned and raised himself out of bed to see himself in the mirror, "Hmm, impressive."
"Impressive? Just impressive? You've gained back two decades of life back!"
Bruce looked to Tim, "You forget that this is nothing compared to the things that I've seen in my years before you came along." Bruce reached for his cane but stopped short of grabbing it and began to walk towards his breakfast.
"Old habits die hard as they say," Tim said with a smile.
"Let's prepare some tests that we can run on my body, I want to see just how much I got back from the Lazarus." Bruce sat down and began to eat his breakfast.
"Anything else?"
"That's it for now," Bruce chewed his food slowly as Tim left the bedroom. As he ate, he looked out the sliding windows that lead to the balcony. In the distance he could just make out Gotham in the dense smog.
Hehehehehe.
Bruce looked at the bedroom door. It was closed. It was just his mind playing games.
That's the sacrifice. Even taking in Lazarus in the way I did, the side effects are still there. Must watch out for it.
The cool night air was tantalizing for Jonathan as he stepped out of the movie theater with Lacy. He took in a deep breath of air, raising his head up to look at the starry sky.
"You always do that Jonathan," Lacy smiled at him as she wrapped her arm around his waist. He returned her smile.
"Do what?"
"Always take a deep breath of air with your nose after we step out of a movie theater." She held him tight with her arm.
"Well it's because I feel as though I can actually breath without having the smell of candy and popcorn stuffed into my nose."
"I rather like that smell, it's the main reason I like to go to the movies." Lacy pushed her black hair to the side to see Jonathan's face again.
"Oh really? What about the movies themselves? Do you not care about them then?"
"That matters too, but even when the movie isn't so-" A flash of light came over the plaza, interrupting Jonathan and Lucy's conversation. He looked up and saw a white sphere shine bright, almost blinding him, then it vanished immediately with a loud thunder clap. From where it was a small figure was searing through the sky. People around could be heard gasping at what they were seeing.
"Jon?" Lucy was holding his hand tight.
He turned to her and caressed her face, "Please, let me go. I'll be right back."
"Jon, be careful, everyone will be watching," Lucy let go of his hand.
"I'll be careful. I promise." Jonathan. He nodded to her and took off running after the falling figure.
The figure had landed on a rooftop on one of the nearby shops in the plaza. That would be enough time for Jonathan to investigate and leave before authorities arrived. He scanned his surroundings, everyone was running in one direction, their eyes fixated on the rooftop where the body fell. Good, no one will notice him vanishing into the dark and through the wall. Just like that he ran through the wall and came out through the roof and ceiling in his Martian attire with his bare green chest, and flowing blue cape. No one could see him still as he was out of phase or 'invisible' to everyone when he used this ability. Quickly he flew over to the figure.
When Jon arrived on the rooftop he knew what he was seeing, "I recognize you, you're a Thanagarian!" he said to the injured alien, whose face was hidden beneath the gold helmet.
The Thanagarian turned over to look at Jonathan as he was cradled by him, "Of course you do Jon," Katar said in a beaten voice.
"Katar! What has happened to you?"
Katar grabbed Jonathan by the arm, "Darkseid," he whispered before passing out with a final gasp of air.
TO BE CONTINUED...