Stardust Shimmer
Nineteen: Miracle Restoring
Hazuki sank to the ground, the vines of the Black Garden fading along with the last of her energy. "This..."
The vines, one by one, began to wilt as the building itself trembled. Thick shadows frayed into wisps again, te heroes of the League stopping their careful assault to see the dome itself begin to break.
Superman stared. "Did we...?"
"Let go!" The entrances of the building were broken, the glass laid in shards around the portals they once guarded, but the oddest sight was seeing Nightwing and Robin being manhandled by a lizard-headed creature out of the building. "Let me back there!" Nightwing was struggling against the creature.
"Guardian Grarl, it's Batman!" Robin was also joining him, though neither could do much against the thick-skinned creature than punch and kick. "Let us back!"
"Growl." the creature itself seemed regretful. "Growl, growl."
"We cannot," a slender woman followed behind the creature. "It is his command."
"Batman doesn't always choose wisely!" Nightwing retorted. "Elma, let us go!"
The building shook once again and Superman was distracted as another bright, blue-white light shot out of the building for the second time today. "That was...?"
"He is amongst the stars now," the one named Elma spoke with a voice full of foreboding.
"I know," A tired Setsuka and Ryuusei, followed by Yusei and Harald, walked out, Harald carrying the unconscious blonde woman on his back. Regina Mackenzie ended up sitting on the ground a moment later, staring vacantly at everything and nothing, her mind and soul... empty. Blank.
Both protégées froze, shocked such that they did not even run when the creature named Grarl let them go.
"We must go," Elma repeated.
"Then go," Setsuka sighed, resting against the professor tiredly. "Nakamura San."
"Missy!" the manservant ran over, a blanket and a cup of steaming drink in hand from who knows where. "Our ride is over here... Professor, bring your son this way, I have more drinks..."
"Setsu-chan! Ryuusei-nii!" A high-pitched voice called behind them.
"Shimotsuki San! Fudo San!" another voice joined them.
Superman was about to stop them both for answers before the two strange people faded from view, leaving only two of the Bat clan there.
A welcome voice broke into his comm-piece. "Batman to all points."
His hear sank at the next news. "I'm transporting a known explosive set to detonate quickly in an indeterminate amount of time. The blast radius is unknown, though I will try to shoot it over the Gotham Bay. It is uncertain if I will survive, let alone any meta. This is necessary to make sure that the thing explodes away from Gotham. Gentlemen, and ladies... it's been an honour."
Click.
Earlier, Setsuka had deliberated the Dark Knight's plan. "That is..."
"That is insane," Ryuusei interrupted Setsuka's more diplomatic reply for his own blunt one. "You want to ride Stardust Dragon out to the Gotham Bay and drop the thing in the middle of the ocean. We don't even know how fast Stardust can go, never mind that Stardust can't remain solid forever! One of us will have to go with you."
"We have to do it," the Dark Knight insisted. "The card, please."
"We don't know if you have the mental strength to make Stardust fly, never mind float," Ryuusei argued. "If you can't do it... you, and the generator, will fall out of the sky."
"Even better incentive not to fail," the vigilante grunted as he took the short, approximately torso-sized generator in an arm. "I'll do it."
Setsuka walked over, snatched the card off Ryuusei's DuelDisk, and handed it over. "It's one-of-a-kind, be sure to return it. I'm sure Seika will pray for you."
"I don't believe in prayers," the Batman tersely replied as he took it, almost twitching at the near-tiredness from his stunt. "Miss Shimotsuki... for what it's worth, I admired your mother."
"Thank you," the girl answered as Batman stepped on the back of the glowing dragon.
"You can do it, Stardust!" Yusei called.
A roar was its answer as sail-like wings immediately beat down and the Bat found himself clinging onto the scales for dear life with the whirring device set to blow and release near-unlimited energy across for who knows how long and the speed was incredibly fast, almost like some super-elevator before the dragon righted itself and shot up like a bullet, stardust scattering in his wake. If he were not so preoccupied with that he was essentially next to a nuclear bomb, albeit cleaner, he might have taken the time to enjoy the experience.
"Batman to all points." He spoke into the replacement earpiece he carried around. "I'm transporting a known explosive set to detonate quickly in an indeterminate amount of time. The blast radius is unknown, though I will try to shoot it over the Gotham Bay. It is uncertain is I will survive, let alone any meta. This is necessary to make sure that the thing explodes away from Gotham."
A deep breath. "Gentlemen, and ladies, it's been an honour."
Click.
There it was, the finality as he flew out on the back of a dragon, an illusion that would shatter and fall... and if the explosion did not kill him, the fall would do the job...
"I'm going to die," he realised once they cleared the top floor and the ruins of his office and he was amongst the dark skies of Gotham, and how had he never realised that so many stars where there? Out here, amongst the stars... maybe that was why Diana's gods turned heroes into the stars, it was something ethereal and peaceful... hope springs from just looking at them.
You're not alone. A whisper of red cloak and darkness and a sword meant to defend.
Not alone. A touch like a butterfly, as gentle as the caress of its wings.
We're here. A promise dripping in the waters of the bay, waiting for him if he fell.
Growl. A watch along the bay-side, to keep away the unwary eyes.
We're here. A pair of eyes in the shadows, waiting and watching.
Here. Bright lights surrounding the Wayne Enterprises building, an eye upon the fine, if sad forms of the two Bat-clan, and Batgirl... Barbara... Superman, Flash, Lantern...
Come, a pair of hands, ghostly and ethereal over his own gauntlets yet so warm as the Guardian Eatos smiled. Time to throw.
He was... unbelievably, inexplicably... going to live.
Above the dark city of Gotham, the Stardust Dragon spread its wings as it began to roar.
Back onto the ground level, the Fudo father and son were being plied drinks and blankets and surrounded by a mob of super-heroes.
"Where's Batman?" Robin demanded from the professor.
"He's flying," Setsuka answered for the adult. "He's taking the Momentum generator to the Gotham Bay. Maybe, if there was help..."
All conversation ceased on the ground level as red wings took flight from round them, wisps of petals sweeping the air as it took off.
Ryuusei was the most surprised of all as he glanced up. "Black... Rose...?"
Around the city of Gotham, Jack and Crow were looking up to see two more dragons take flight.
"Red Demon's Dragon..." Jack whispered.
"Black Feather Dragon!" Crow yelped, less subtle.
Within the city itself, a pair of twins also saw their own dragons take flight, ghostly shades yet so real this night.
"Life Stream Dragon!"
"Ancient Fairy Dragon!"
Bright butterfly wings were the first to reach, a cry like a song as it swept at the device. Next were brown wings, coarse and rough and beautiful as the dragon attacked fiercely with its sword. A fist of fire followed the blade, and then a burst of black feathers, lastly with a spiral of purple-black petals floating in the winds as it spiralled around them.
Time to throw.
Ghostly hands held to his gauntleted hands, lifting the device with their imparted strength of nine spirits as he threw it as far as he could into the empty air. The Batman lifted a hand in silent command, the dragon's slender white neck undulated as it unleashed a burst that connected, releasing a miniature supernova.
Against the backdrop of the Earth, a star shone in the night surrounding the city of Gotham, a star that illuminated the night like the day.
Back on the ground, Superman gasped as he stared up at the bright explosion like the birth of a star over the Bay of Gotham, bright and white and... strangely fitting for one of their most intense members. An unusual end for the Batman...
Behind him, choking sounds can be heard, first from Robin, and then from Nightwing. Black Canary and Wildcat lowered their heads in respect, as did John Stewart, and even Flash remained silent.
"H- How... we always thought he's too stubborn to die..." Nightwing choked. "In the end..."
"He was still mortal," Superman monotonously answered, still in numb shock. "Mortal... and he still flew..."
"He's not dead yet," Seika brightly told Setsuka, beaming. "He'll come out fine."
"How can you say that?" Robin shot back, punching the nearest flat surface which happened to be Nightwing. "He died to save you! He's... he's..."
Seika frowned, squinting at the bright aftershock. "What's that, then?" She pointed up.
All eyes swivelled up to the dying star, the concussion waves a bare ripple, a few windows broken and glass tinkling a symphony to the sight in the skies: A blot in the face of the light; the black silhouette of the Bat's wings outstretched against white, the city's hope rising from the ashes once more.
"This utterly proves my point," one of the younger heroes murmured everyone's thoughts. "The Batman is a phoenix in disguise."
The crackle in his ear from the electrical discharge was the reason he had discarded the comm-piece to the Gotham Bay. Currently, the Batman was more-or-less making his way down to earth with a combination of muttered curses, straying focus and really, really intending to show up Superman first chance he got the only thing motivating him to stay floating determinedly rather than, sa, plummet to a watery grave in the Gotham Bay.
A bit more, Zera's voice murmured. For descent, you need to spread them out wider...
"It's not my fault your wings are unwieldy," Batman growled in answer but focused anyway. The frigging device on his arm was unwieldy and the plastic colours undignified; he was going to be investing in smaller sleeker ones next time. Assuming a next time. And there would be.
Assuming, of course, that the wings currently attached to his makeshift parachute could land him to earth in one piece.
"Interesting," he noted dispassionately, calculating all the possibilities even as turbulence buffeted at his body. "What are the odds...?"
"Batman!" Superman's cry could be heard as the Man of Steel sped over, to glance at the awkward mid-air posture the Dark Knight was currently adopting and pause momentarily. "You know... I thought you could do everything. Except fly."
"Moments, we all have them," the Caped Crusader grunted in answer as a migraine kicked in. "Kal, I have a splitting headache."
Wings about six feet in span faded, collapsed into thin air once more as Superman's strong reassuring grip tightened on his arms.
"You know, the rumours of you being a giant vampire bat is only going to increase after this stunt," Superman chuckled lightly.
"Shut up, Kal. I have no problems pulling the little green rock if it means that you're dying with me."
Down on the ground, the armoured car peeled soundlessly away from the site, every Duellist silent and weary and the Fudo pair just huddled up, asleep. Seika snoozed lightly, her dark head resting on Setsuka, who idly shifted it to a more comfortable spot. "Status report."
"Reginald Mackenzie and Glen Powers are in hospital, following their swift apprehension by Hero Guild, Vetr," Harald shook his head as he spoke quietly. "I have word that the United States government would be taking Dr Lionel Jordan under federal arrest, and having both boys placed in foster care."
"I have begun arrangements with the Japanese government to begin interceding the moment the federal arrest warrant comes in, Missy," Nakamura rumbled lightly. "Both boys will likely end up in the care of the Movement after all of this, though I hold no hopes for Reginald Mackenzie after what happened to the Athena spirit, as he remains in a persistent catatonic state. Glen Powers, now I think we can arrange something for him."
"We'll just have to try," Setsuka answered. "Anything else?"
"The Junior-Singles WRGP is cancelled after that débâcle," Nakamura answered. "We likely have a few days before we go to Dakota City. Hero is in Gotham City, by the way. Do you want him to...?"
"I have her deck," Setsuka held up the purloined cards. "And her extra deck. The DuelDisk is unavoidable, but we have to lock away the Sephylon card quickly and anything that may have come into contact with it. Hero can begin clean-up measures and damage control. If the truth is revealed, equality for Psychic Duellists may not be forthcoming within the decade."
"And about Regina Mackenzie herself...?" Harald enquired. "Her mid would be a breakthrough in the eyes of science."
"She lost to a Dark Game," Setsuka coldly answered. "That is why I can forgive her. Already, there is no worse punishment I can invent that she is not already going through."
"We can only feel sorry for her, I suppose," Harald answered. "Though..."
"Thursday and Laufeyson have cleared out the rats, Missy," Nakamura relayed halfway through. "Hero has already taken care of them, though... what about Mackenzie?"
"Like I said," Setsuka answered. "The Dark Game has completely robbed her of will and sentience. There is nothing worse we can do that she is not already doing to her mind."
One cold eye opened. "Otherwise, why give up on revenge?"
Please review! Stay tuned for the finale: Solemn Wishes! Duel, Acceleration!
As with all good stories, the end must come... yet better for it to end well, than to continue to the inevitable.