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Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters here that belong to Watchmen Or Forgotten Realms that I put into this story except for my own OCs. Neither do I own any of the character in any of the crossovers I do. I'm just using them in this fanfiction and I have no money so don't bother suing me. You'll just lose money instead of gaining any. And remember to leave a review!
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Drizzt never thought that he would ever return to Menzoberranzan on his own free will. He discovered the the humans have attack and force the Illithid to flee their home. They also encountered the Deep Gnomes who he had befriended years ago. The humans have entered an alliance with them, in exchange for supplies they would show the humans around the underground. He stopped them walking around the city, being able to see the city of their enemy without being a slave to do so. He wonders if he'll run into any of the gnomes he gotten to know while he lived with them.
Drizzt who's strange eyes allowed him to see in the light unlike his fellow kins, is unaffected by the lights that now lit the underground city. Many of the people who call Menzoberranzan home now stumbled in the lighted city. For those who use to live on the surface before becoming slaves their eyes still needed time to adjust the light. Up above the city is a small sun that lit up the underground city. The human army now patrolled the streets some on foot and others in those strange carts that move on their own, called jeeps. They kept the peace and tried to stop as much as they could the former slaves of the drows from taking their revenge. From what he has learned the members of the noble houses have been taken to the other world. Which caused some problems as with all the nobles gone there's no one in a leadership role now besides the humans. For the drows have a strict divide between nobles, and the working class, and it is prohibited for someone to move upwards from the working class. The only way he knows if the SPider Goddess favors someone, it does happens but only rarely.
Which is why he was called in, as he's the last noble of Menzoberranzan. The leaders of the humans decided after Manhattan told them how the dorws are, had all the nobles and priestesses be taken to their world so that the leadership will be cut off from the head. And with the lost of their goddess has also caused the lower classes to lose any hope that they would be able to beat the strange humans, as their god transformed theirs into a mortal.
"With all the leadership gone, there's no one left to lead the drows. We can't trust any of the old guard, which comes down to you. You might be from a fallen house but you are still the only noble born left. We hope that by getting rid of both the goddess and the leaders that the remaining drows can be made into something other than an evil race as many see them as," Ozymandias explains as he walks with Drizzt.
"Yes that's how my people are but they won't listen to me. I'm just a male and females are the ones who rule here," Drizzt answers walking while watching Ozymandias closely. From the way that he moves and kept his senses open, told him much about him. And the way he talks shows that he has great wisdom and know how to use it.
"Yes but you would know of the nobles who would be willingly work with us," Ozymandias said.
"There isn't any of them who you can trust. The only house that, I know who might would be the 7th house. Matron Mother Miz'ri Mizzrym largely keep out of trouble and free to concentrate on commerce. She'll be the only one who be willing to work with you people if the offer is good," Drizzt said.
"A business woman, that should make things easier. I'm a business man myself and, I should be able to cut her a deal," Ozymandias said.
"You need to be careful she has been alive for hundreds of years," Drizzt said.
"True but with the lost of their goddess the drows who were her followers won't be as unagreeable as they would be if she was still a goddess. I'm sure the peace negotiations will go well," Ozymandias said.
"What are you people after?" Drizzt ask.
"To make sure that something like this won't happen again. We're also going to setup a base here on this world, in exchange for valuable minerals we will bring order and a better standard of life to the races here," Ozymandias said.
"Are you people really sure you'll be able to do it?" Drizzt ask as many have tried and many have failed.
"We do have a god on our side that all you have to do is ask for help instead of praying and hoping that he or she will answer," Ozymandias pointed out.
"Yes you do," Drizzt said as the spider goddess only answers when she wants to while Manhattan you can just ask without having to make any offering.
"You must understand that the only thing holding back the war hawks of our world from having their way is the fact that Manhattan is here. If not well let's say that things would be much worse for everyone. He told our leaders that if he and his fellow heroes take charge of the invasion force things will turn out just fine. We still have to follow the rank and file orders but we can make our own judgements. I see many great things for the races of this world, but some things will have to change like your people to make things better," Ozymandias explains.
"Easier said then done," Drizzt said.
"Any family you like to see?" Ozymandias ask.
"Not likely. After my mother's failure in capturing me, all of Menzoberranzan rose up against House Do'Urden. There isn't likely anyone left," Drizzt explains.
"Well there is one person we can ask," Ozymandias said as he led Drizzt into the Spider Temple, Arach-Tinilith that has been converted into a HQ.
Inside is brightly lit, the lights coming from those strange machines that have been place on the ceiling. Humans are all moving around still remodeling the temple to suit their needs. There are also some nonhumans walking around too, some helping in the building. From what he has learned the former slaves have been freed but what to do with them remains unanswered. Some of them have been freed to return to their homes on the surface or other parts of the underdark. There's plans on relocating some of the former slaves to the dwarf stronghold, the humans there are already setting up a camp near the mountain.
They entered a room that has been turn into an office and Drizzt was surprise to see a male drow in there. Jarlaxle the leader of the mercenary company Bregan D'aerthe and one of the most powerful and influential males in the matriarchal city of spiders. He still wore his odd taste in clothes and the wide-brimmed purple hat with its long and flamboyant diatryma feather.
"Ah Drizzt this is surprising," Jarlaxle said in a calm voice.
"Jarlaxle, you're still around?" Drizzt ask remembering the few times he seen him around.
"Mr. Jarlaxle and his group are currently helping us in maintaining order in the city," Ozymandias explains.
"It's better then being against them. You should have seen it when they invaded, we didn't stood a chance. Since Manhattan simply took away our magic and took everyone's weapons away," Jarlaxle said having watched the slaughter from his group's base.
In truth he was at a lost in how to maintain his status in the city now that the spider goddess is gone and with her the power of the old order went with her. He has managed to stay out of the prisons the humans had set up by giving himself up and his mercenaries to give up as well. Ozymandias who seems to be a leader of the humans of the other world had talk the army general in allowing him as his band to remain free and help in maintaining order. As he had pointed out that Manhattan would easily take care of them if they got out of line. Like all other races the drows know how powerful a god or goddess on your side is. And the little fact that they let slip out, Manhattan being able to be in the past, present, and future all at once. He's at a lost in trying to outwit someone who already knows what he's going to say and do before he even thinks about doing anything.
'What do you make of their fighting strength?' Drizzt ask in the drow hand sign.
'They took the city in less then a day and turn the spider queen mortal. We never stood a chance,' Jarlaxle hand signed.
'I noticed two humans dress very differently from the others like Ozymandias,' Drizzt hand signed.
'Nite-Owl and the Comedian, like Ozymandias isn't part of the human army. They're heroes of their world as Manhattan are. They fight crime and keep their city safe. But from what, I have heard from the human soldiers after, Manhattan showed up most of the crime lords who use to dress like them just gave up,' Jarlaxle hand signed.
"Well the costume villains simply gave up on major crime and stuck to small time stuff. From robbing banks or for you people buildings where money lenders do their business, to money scams to keep off the sight of Manhattan," Ozymandias spoke up surprising the two drows.
"How did you learn our hand signs?" Jarlaxle ask.
"The hand signs you use isn't that different from what people who are deaf use to talk. I just have to put the pieces together from the things, I couldn't understand. It isn't that hard to figure out," Ozymandias explains.
"You're a quick learner," Drizzt said sensing there's more to him.
"It's something that, I do. Jarlaxle of his clan who are the surviving members?" Ozymandias ask.
"His brother Dinin and his sister Vierna. Both of which are being held in the prison camps the last time, I saw them," Jarlaxle said.
"They're still alive?" Drizzt ask as he had wondered what happen to his clan.
"Then it's a trip to my world then. Jarlaxle you might as well come along and see my world with your own eyes," Ozymandias said to the two.
"Might as well," Jarlaxle said wondering what kind of world it is.
"Oh yes this will help you," Ozymandias said opening a desk and pulling something strange, it looks like an eyepiece for those who have bad eyesight but there's two lens and attached to something that isn't metal or wood.
"Since you drows with the exception of Drizzt don't like bright lights this should help you," Ozymandias said tossing Jarlaxle the sunglasses.
"This will help?" Jarlaxle ask as he places them over his eyes gasping how to put them on. To his surprise the brightly lit room suddenly darken.
"They're called sunglasses, they tint the sight of the wearer in bright lights," Ozymandias said as he leds the way to the portal room.
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In the portal room -
After the invasion, Manhattan had setup portals for the army to use, ranging from massive ones to smaller ones. Manhattan left the portals open by placing them in the center of a circle gateway. It can be shut off or sealed from a control box on both sides of the portals but the one on Earth can shut down the portal for the other side. (1)
Drizzt and Jarlaxle walk pass the soldiers guarding the gateway. Jarlaxle had heard about the other world from word of mouth, while Drizzt only just learned of it. Both wondered what kind of world these humans come from. Jarlaxle has seen the things that the raids have brought with them and after the invasion more of the strange machines. Those war machines they use made just about everything useless to fight them. He could see magic users holding their own against them as long as Manhattan doesn't take away their magic. But he has seen magic users simply overwhelmed by too many arrows or bolts coming at them at once. A single soldier is able to fire many of those bullets at a single target. He's not sure how long a magic user magical shield would be able to hold up to that.
Stepping through the gate both drows suddenly found themselves in a desert. The bright sun hung over head burning what's underneath it. The place they found themselves in is in the middle of a army base, setup in the middle of Death Valley to keep it secured and out of sight of the public. It's also where they're keeping the high value prisoners. With the understanding that the drows hate sunlight, putting them in a prison in the middle of a desert would keep them from escaping.
A roar caught their attention as on a back of a large machine a train, is Shimmergloom the shadow dragon. He's held down by metal chains and bonds attached to the long platform of the train. Around on the two train carts are two anti-tank machine guns both pointed at him. And on the platform with him are a dozen of so soldiers armed with high powered tazers. The roar was the result of the soldiers using the tazers to stop him from breaking his bonds.
"Mr. Veidt the supplies you have requested are ready to be ship," a woman in a female business suit said as she walks up to Ozymandias. She is his assistant Marla who is running things while he's in the other world.
"Good," Veidt said.
"I thought your name is Ozymandias?" Drizzt ask.
"That's what, I call myself when, I'm in costume. When, I'm not, I run my business," Veidt explains before turning to Marla. "The supplies are to be ship in the hour and, I want the workers to have the trade centers open. The mark cargo will be given out for free to the former slaves. There's also the cargo for the Svirfneblin, I want to be delivered to their village. Make sure it gets to them. It be nice to have some friendly faces over there."
"It will be done," Marla said taking her leave.
"Cargo?" Jarlaxle ask.
"Food, clothing, the basic needs," Ozymandias explains. "Right now the former slaves are dependent on the supplies given to them and from the storehouses of the drow city. Once we get everything setup we'll be able to get them to be independent from needing us to supply them. As for the other cargo tools, fabrics, seeds, and other goods for the dwarves to have as a sign of good fate. While the others will be for the trade shops for the settlement being built on the side of the dwarf mountain. With the kind of goods that this world can easily mass produce once word gets out traders and merchants will be flocking to the new settlement."
"And let me guess you're going to be the one who's going to be supplying the goods," Jarlaxle said seeing how much money there is to be made.
"My company is supplying the goods and handling the ground construction works just above the cost. Other companies really don't care about the future as long as they make money. I on the other hand always plan for the long term. All of this help will be good for business later," Ozymandias explains. "But enough of that we need to find Drizzt's siblings." (2)
The two drows followed Ozymandias to a large building that is a warehouse, the building itself is under heavy guard. There's another building just like it but is separated by a chain link fence, that also surrounds both buildings. The two drows noticed the signs hanging on the fence with what looks like lightning bolts on it. There's another building on the other side of the base that houses the young children of the clans. There are also watch towers with armed guards on them.
Passing through the gates and into a door on the side of the building that lead to stairs. Climbing to the top the two drows from themselves on a catwalk overlooking the ground floor of the building, they saw down below are male drows all dress in orange jumpsuits that would make them strange out even in the dark. The drows have been place in two different warehouses that have been made into makeshift prisons, one for the males and others for females. The section Drizzt and Jarlaxle are standing over is the mess hall where the drows are being given food.
"If he's not in here, then he must be in one of the other cell blocks,"
Ozymandias said to Drizzt.
Drizzt scanned the room along with Jarlaxle looking for Dinin. They spotted him as the drows have all grouped together in their clans, and for the houseless ones like Dinin have grouped together as well. They pointed out him to Ozymandias who motions for the guards to bring him to the interrogation rooms.
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In the interrogation room -
Dinin found himself seated in a small room, that's cut in half by a window. He has no idea how long he's been in this prison, he like all the other members of the noble class have been brought to the other world. Chained together they were march through the portals that the humans used and were brought to this burning desert. Many of the drows who had never left the city screamed as the bright sunlight hit them. The light burned them and they stumbled about as they were separated from the females and place into this building. The strange lights place on the ceilings are always kept on so they have no darkness to hid in. The soldiers guarding them from the catwalks are all armed with those strange weapons. He seen those weapons being able to punch through even plate armor.
The door on the other side of the glass open and to his surprise his brother, Drizzt came into the room.
"Hello Dinin you're looking well," he greeted him.
"What are you doing here? Are you working for the humans?" Dinin asked.
"Yes after they took care of the dragon that took the stronghold of my dwarf friend's clan. When my group got there they already had the entire mountain under their control and Manhattan had bound the dragon," Drizzt explains.
"The rumor of Yvonnel Baenre holding the soul of a dwarf king proved true. I watch as Gandalug Battlehammr rip her head off after that blue god freed him. These humans with their weapons and god on their side are more powerful then anything we drow or anyone else on our world had ever faced," Dinin said.
"With all the great houses clan members having been taken to this world, has left a void back in our world. The humans are looking for someone of the old guard who is willing to work with them," Drizzt said.
"And since you're a member of a fallen house they're looking at you," Dinin said getting it.
"Yes and also another great house if they're willing to make a deal," Drizzt said.
"Work with the humans?" Dinin ask.
"We have been taught at birth that we're better then any other race. But if that's true then why did Menzoberranzan fall? And Lolth by being turn mortal by Manhattan showed that there's going to be no help from her. I hope that with her gone, what she made our race into can end," Drizzt said.
"Are the humans going to kill all of us if we don't?" Dinin ask.
"If they don't the other races will," Drizzt said.
"Just give in and change our way of life," Dinin said shaking his head.
"Yes and you and our sister Vierna can be apart of it," Drizzt said.
"You mean us working under you," Dinin said.
"It's either that or be kept in here till they decide what to do with you," Drizzt pointed out.
"So all, I have to do is say, I'll work with you and, I'll be let out. What is there to keep me from backstabbing you?" Dinin ask.
"Manhattan this world's god is able to exist in the past, present, and future, all at once. He already knows what you're going to do before you do it. So if you're planning on betraying me and attack the humans, Manhattan already knows," Drizzt answers to his shock brother.
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In the Women's Prison -
Vierna found herself lead out of her cell and place in a integration room. The humans seem to be aware how strong a drow is and have those strange lights on all the time, weakening them. Not they needed to as that god who made their goddess mortal took away their magic. She and the other females found themselves lock in a prison, they didn't torture them, but the confined them all together, nobles of small and great houses all housed together. She knows that the shock of seeing their goddess turn mortal would soon fade and old scores would be settled. But then again with their goddess mortal there's no point in trying to gain her favor as she just like them now. She wasn't kept with them, the last she saw of her she was being drag away by soldiers to another part of the base.
To her surprise she saw her brother Drizzt come into the room. She would have leap at him but she remembers where she is and what would happen to her. She is also has cuffs on her arms and legs. She can still fight but unless she gets the drop on Drizzt she won't pose that much of a challenge to him in the state she is in now.
"Hello sister," Drizzt greeted her.
"What is it? Just get to the point," Vierna said to him with venom in her voice.
"I'm here to offer you a chance to get out of here. You'll work under me along with our brother Dinin who has already agreed," Drizzt explained.
Vierna gave out a bitter laugh before glaring at him. "No."
"I see. Then farwell sister. If you change your mind just ask one of the guards to get in touch with me," Drizzt said leaving the room seeing that as she is now she won't agree to anything.
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Elsewhere -
In one of the office rooms of the base, Ozymandias sat at a desk looking over the shipping logs on a computer. He felt the hairs on his neck raise up and Manhattan appeared. With Manhattan no longer believing that what he sees can never be changed and that he can change the future he sees. His power is no longer limited as he now thinks with how far his powers can go now. (3)
"Manhattan how are things on the other side?" Ozymandias ask knowing that he is in both places at once.
"Doing well," Manhattan answers.
"Will the other gods will cause problems?" Ozymandias ask.
"That's for them to choose. The demons are going to be trouble," Manhattan said.
"Will you be able to stop them?" Ozymandias ask.
"No they won't be," Manhattan said before disappearing.
"Must be unpleasant when the gods and demons of the other world find out that we only have one god and he's more powerful than any of them," Ozymandias said to himself as he went back to work on making sure all the cargo are being ship to the right places. (4)
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Author's Notes -
1 – Manhattan made stargates big and small that can be controled like in the show. And for those who are wondering the common tongue of the Forgotten Realms is english which is why everyone can understand each other. And that Manhattan learning magic simply casted a translation spell for anyone passing through the gate. As translators can only do so much when there's much needed to be done.
2 - Few people in the business world are willing to wait for long term and rather just make the fast buck.
3 - Manhattan's only weakness is that he believed that the future he saw and what he did in it can never be changed. Now that he doesn't there is no limit to his power.
4 - The gods and demons of the Forgotten Realms while powerful. Are not as powerful as Manhattan is. As he only has to think about what he wants to happen for it to happen. And he already knows what's going to happen so there's no surprising him.
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