Justice Lords Limitless Act 2
EndWar
Thoth akhronos: The Timeless Chronicler
-Six months later-
"Kimber Stephanie Lee"
The girl stood and walked across the stage to receive her diploma eagerly. This was the moment she had waited for and studied for her entire school career. She was graduating. Gold cords over one shoulder and tassel flopping in the corner of her eye, she happily shook hands with the school principal and then received her diploma. Finally out of this place! She looked out into the audience and saw familiar faces cheering her.
"I did it, Mama!" She called out. Next to her mother was her father wearing a proud face. As she turned to leave the stage and make way for the next graduate, she faltered. In the audience Bruce Wayne was clapping. For the past few months Wayne, as Batman, had been training her to become a lethal vigilante. He made it explicitly clear that not only was the training impersonal, but it was coming from the best of the best. During breaks in training he would share his stories of the years he spent globe-trotting. She loved them. Finally recovered from the surprise of seeing her mentor, she waved to him. He didn't wave back, just a nod and a smile. She didn't expect a wave back anyway.
As she stepped off the platform and sat down, special music started playing as her boyfriend was called up, "Mawk Michaelson!"
The teen rode onto the stage in his wheel chair, a few weeks earlier he had been allowed to leave the hospital. Through all the tests and surgeries, he had recovered and even managed to finish school. The graduation committee had already held a special section for Mawk and his heroic recovery and dedication, but people stood and clapped for the boy all the same as he got his diploma.
Bruce watched from the back of the gymnasium as child after child approached the stage. He wasn't particularly interested in them. He already was pushing it coming out to this event. He had left a Wayne Enterprises board meeting early to attend, but he wasn't just here to support Kimber; there was another promising child graduating today.
"Curtis Walker." the announcer called out snapping Bruce to reality.
Cheers raved the seats. Around his neck there was only one item. No laurel , no lei, no cords. Just a medal from the Chief of Police.
The next name was called and Bruce looked at the program. "Two names left." He left. he had an appointment to keep.
Kimber looked back over the seats, but Bruce Wayne was gone. Somehow she had expected that.
Ten minutes later, Bruce pulled in to the driveway to a simple apartment complex. He walked up two flights of stairs and then knocked on the door labeled '207b.'
"Who is it?"
"Take one guess, princess." Bruce replied with his sweet baritone voive.
"Brucie!" The door swung open and Diana Price enveloped him in a bear hug. "What are you doing here?"
Bruce laughed, "You know that it was part of the deal that I had to check on you every week for your first six months free."
Diana sighed and smiled, "I had hoped you would visit for more than just that," she winked at him, "You do enjoy this, don't you?"
Bruce couldn't contain his smile. He did enjoy his visits with Diana. There was no doubt a...thing between them during their short tenure as the Justice League and then the Justice Lords. But he, as Batman, had never revealed his secret identity. Not to any of the members and he planned to keep it that way. As tempting as it was for Bruce Wayne to continue the relationship where Batman left off, he knew it was best to stay away from the young Amazon. "Yes I do, but you know the real reason I am here."
Diana sighed, "Fine. Let's get the evaluation over with. This is the last one, right?"
"Yes."
"Then maybe we could have some fun later?" he voice was hopeful and low.
"Don't push your luck," Bruce teased back.
Finally a moment to myself. Kimber stepped out of the house. She had wrestled with herself the night before about whether to go out tonight or not. She knew her parents would want to celebrate her achievement. However, she wanted to celebrate, not with cake but with her fist against a meth abuser's sternum. It was those moments she lived for now.
"Are you having a good time?"
She turned suddenly and saw Curtis in jogging gear reclining on the fence. "What are you doing her?"
"Jogging. What's it look like?" He casually replied.
"But shouldn't you be celebrating with your dad or something or friends?"
Curtis' face twisted, "He's working now and everyone else is hangin' with their folks so I'm just taking advantage of the quiet night."
"Oh... So... What are you going to do now that grad is over?"
Curtis stood off of the fence, "I got a job with WayneTech for the summer," He said, "If all goes well, they may keep me through the year. I was accepted to Gotham University on a scholarship for an essay I wrote."
"Are you gonna go?"
"I might. What about your plans?"
Kimber unconsciously smiled, "I'm starting at the community college to get Gen Ed out of the way. Hoping to figure out what I want to do by then. As for extracurriculars... I'll be busy. Trust me."
"Kimber! C'mon!" It was Kimber's mother, "We want to get a picture of you with your cousin!"
"Looks like they want you back." Curtis started to walk back to the sidewalk.
"Yeah..." She turned to the door, "Coming, Mama! Hey, Curt, if you wanna celebrate with us you-" but by time she turned back to her friend, he was already dhalf way down the street, "can..." She went inside.
Batman climbed up the sheer side of the cave for the seventh time that night. Once at the top, he checked the stop watch, "Seven seconds." That was three seconds faster than his previous run, but two seconds slower than his all-time best. "Must do better." he muttered.
"I thought you did quite well,"
Batman turned to face his interdimensional twin, "What are you doing here."
"I'm here to congratulate you." He responded, "On finding yourself and your will."
Batman reached forward and picked up the doll that had been on the cart for so many months. "Here," he said gruffly. "Take it back. I don't need this."
"Fair enough." The other Batman took the doll in one hand.
"To be honest, I expected you sooner."
"We had some... problems within the league."
"What kind of problems?"
"Let's just say Superman took a rather surprising and... lengthly leave-of-abscence."
"Fair enough."
The alternate Batman turned to leave. "So I noticed you have started working with a partner again."
"Yes."
There was a brief pause and then before he left, the other Batman added, "Try not to get this one pissed at you as well."
A man was hanging by his limbs from a wall. He wasn't sure how long he had been there, but he knew that it was too long. His hands and legs were completely encased in specialized metal spheres that hindered so much.
"It wont be long now," he growled.
"Lights out!" A gravelly voice shouted over the intercom.
All through Blackgate the lights in the cells were shutting off with loud sounding 'chucks.' In one cell a man sat, Lotus-style. It was going to happen soon.
A fellow prisoner strolled by, pushing a case full of books. "You want anythin'?" He asked wearily.
The sitter nodded and said with a deep voice, "Give me War and Peace."
The cart-pusher was surprised that the man knew what was in the cart but handed the book to him. He heard the book open, "You gonna strain to read in the dark?"
No response.
The prisoner pushed his cart on.
The sitter smiled as he watched the other man leave. Out of the book fell a package; a small box. The prisoner opened it up already knowing what was inside: a rock and a ring, which he slipped on his finger. Then he spoke.
He recited the oath he had written when he had been incarcerated; "From Olympus high to Tartarus floor..."
His body, still in the Lotus position, slowly started to rise off the ground.
"ALL treachery MUST be answered for!" His voice rose as he continued.
"Shut up, man!" Shouted another prisoner.
But the man did not silence his mouth, "My power returned seven fold more!"
An orchid color hue began to emit from his body and fill his cell and spill into the hallways. Guards rushed to his cell.
"THOSE WHO RISE AGAINST ME SHALL BE!..."
The guards, surprised at the harsh light from the cell, were barely able to aim at the man still sitting with his head down in the center of the cell. "Put 'em up, Stewart!" Shouted one guard.
John Stewart simply raised his head slowly, with an eerie smile, and finished his oath with a gentle yet threatening whisper; "Nevermore."
A/N: So this is the start to Act 2! Already two enemies have been revealed and you get a sense of where the characters are at this time (I hope).
Brief summary of what has transpired since we last left the heroes in Act 1...
1. Batman and Batgirl are an official team
2. Graduation from HS
3. Diana has been released from the containment center
That's about it :P Please read and review :D It means a lot.
Oh, John Stewart's new oath is made by me, so if you want to use it in a story, drop me a PM. I didn't want him to use the original GL oath because he doesn't want to fight for justice right away (not that he isn't a GL anymore, he still is. He was never removed in A Better World.). I gave him a new oath because after doing some research I discovered that the GL oath that is the most common is not the standard one, just the most famous. There are other Lanterns that have different oaths, so I made my own for Stewart. Also how come he can still use his power ring? Simple. He was stripped of his power by that beam and rendered human in A Better World. But he was already human, thus all he would have had to do to gain power again is recharge the ring :P Loophole! I always wondered why that never came up... Oh well.
Also I want to note a few more things about the Lanterns in general. In this story only three of the Lantern Corps colors are the same as in the comic books: Yellow/Fear, Green/Willpower, and Blue/Hope. All the others are subject to what I want them to be. (Though I may only reference the once or twice). Second thing is that the power ring that John has now is Sinestro's ring which was a prototype from Qward. (When Sinestro came to earth after the Justice Lord's took over,, John killed him and took his ring as a trophy). Sinestro's ring was based on mood so it was yellow when he used it because he fed off of fear, while John's is orchid because it is feeding off of a different feeling; the need for vengeance against a certain Dark Knight.