Chapter 21: The thing that I would do different if I had the time
The explosion was devastating, never had the city of New York got hurt so bad, the subway was stopped with thousands of people stranded inside, the lead pipes that run the water supply were damaged and millions of gallons were poured onto the street, the people were trapped inside 50 stories buildings because they could reach the stairs… without back up electricity due to electromagnetic blast, New York was officially a War Zone… it took 10 years to destroy Beirut due to Civil War, it took Superman a merely 5 second blow.
New York, Ground Zero
Superman was heavily injured, his right arm was numb, his face was full of little cuts and bruises that tried to heal themselves…he looked directly at the sun with no comfort…it would be long before the damage can be heal… his legs were shaky at first but a couple of moments later he would be walking with his normal confidence….he looked at the spot were Doomsday presumably drooped and with anger and his eyes he flew to that point…too fast for human eyes… too fast for him to think. He could sense a tingling in his back reminding him something was very off.
He looked at the freak who was unconscious and whose flesh was oozing with crystals of carbon due to the massive heat blast he taken a moment ago… he punched the creature underneath the mouth and pulled back dislocating the jaw line, a very violent move but a necessary one….you can't kill the Doomsday the same way twice; he grabbed the monster arm with disgust and fly trying to reach the atmosphere in time….he needed solar winds to pull this living carnage entity and for that it has to be on a precise moment… he could feel it in his gut…it's like the sun was taking to him…I bet Batman doesn't know that, but maybe he does…he seems to even predict the future…the thought left a weary image of a man being defeated by never submitted, just a man, someone he would never be. The sensation of discomfort kept bugging him.
He went into the stratosphere and launch the monster into oblivion…he took a time to catch his breath, and it hit him like a thunderbolt….he left his friends behind.
Gotham City, Sylvia's apartment
Helena was showing early signs of pregnancy…she took control of the Martian Manhunter's Oreo cookies and got to sleep…that's what she did most of trip….he had to get her to safety and get back to his friends who were presumably fighting in new York…but he must take her to safety first.
They got to the apartment and Sylvia without any explanation lead her to the main bedroom…it's like she knew that Helena was pregnant, earthlings can be so complicated….and female earthling were even worst, he never tried to get inside Sylvia's head out of respect and fear…yes fear, that he might find something terrible about her that would shattered the image of benign compassion she had shown with him.
When Helena went to bed… Sylvia made some coffee and brought more Oreo cookies, she really like having him home… he looked at his cup for a while, and then took a tasty sip, he looked at her and started to talk:
-Sylvia… first of all thanks to you, she really need a place to stay.
-Don't worry she is your friend and she needs to rest, she is having a baby boy- she responded with certainty.
-How do you know? - Martian Manhunter was really impressed.
-Long before you met me, when I was really young… I had a miscarriage- Sylvia explained without emotion.
-I'm sorry- Martian Manhunter responded with sincerity and then felt the sting of his memories coming back, the life he lost, the path of loneliness that followed after that, the earth… the league, his friends…
-I was a young nurse in Vietnam and the soldiers were being attacked, I was five months pregnant and while evacuating four soldiers died trying to take out of the hospital…suddenly a grenade felt close to the helicopter… I felt the baby kicked with passion, the explosion didn't affect me of the helicopter at that time…but I knew something bad had happened… as soon as I got back we did many test that showed that the baby had simply die…I never told anyone, not even my husband…who loved me even if I didn't bear him any children.- Sylvia's word were full of sadness, words or resignation.
-Can I show you something? - The Martian was overwhelmed by her revelation… he gently took her hand and walked towards the room…they sat next to Helena who was sleeping and he gently put his hand on her belly and with the other touch Sylvia's forehead…. She instantly was overwhelmed with excitement, she could feel the little baby inside of the girl, the melancholy was driven away by a sense of responsibility… but then the connection was lost and Helena was looking at them with eager eyes.
-What's wrong? - Helena screamed at the Martian Manhunter, fearing for her child wellbeing.
-I…I –The Martian Manhunter was trying to rationalize what he had just felt, he was speechless.
- Honey, what is it? - Sylvia's was more gentle and put a hand on his shoulder…he was cold.
-The green lantern… I mean John….is dying- he said with sadness and despair.
A wrecked building, Ground Zero
The dust hasn't settled down and the office floor remained broken… the pieces of conked out glass and melted steel had taking the place of this once respectable law firm…in the corner office a silhouette moved slowly….he was groaning, it was a man…. Or looked humanoid, it was the Batman.
-Stand up- He told himself…the pain was so excruciating that even the slightest movement increase it ten fold.
-Why do we fall? So we can learn to pick us up again! - He could hear his father's word inside his head, he knew he was jus compensating…. But he had to try, all of his training, all the guilt of his troubled soul had prepare him for this moment… he had to… he rolled around…. And got to a bottle of Vicodin in one of this pocket, he cleaned up his glove and took only one pill….anything more and he would be completely useless… he had to work through the pain.
He stared at the ledge of the building; he was at least 30 floors high…. He was lucky, he didn't believe in luck, he didn't believe in God… events in the past our had put more doubts about the "benevolent maker" and yet he had no explanation for what he just saw…. The Aftermath of a nuclear explosion in downtown New York.
Ground Level, Ground Zero.
-Flash! Get your raggedy ass over here! - Q screamed at the scarlet speedster… he looked at his friend John, he was looking very pale and his pulse was getting weaker… he couldn't do much… so he slapped him trying to get his attention.
-What? - John moaned and tried to grab Q's neck… he missed.
-Some other time Shaft- Q response was ironic; he could not move the bar out without crippling him, but maybe that was the only choice.
-Do I really look like Samuel L. Jackson? - John asked with a incongruous smile….his teeth were tainted with bright red blood, arterial blood… not good.
Flash appeared out of nowhere (like he usually does) -Guys I've been looking all over for you- Flash was overwhelmed with information he didn't have time to share.
-I need your help- Q's tone was full with authority, he didn't want to sound scare…
-What do you need? - The Flash was looking at the wound of his teammate, he felt bad and yet blessed that he had no knowledge whatsoever in medicine.
-You have to do a Sonogram with your hand- Q responded quickly.
- What? – The flash had heard the word in the medical dramas that followed American Idol but he never paid attention.
-I need you to move your hand quickly and tried to feel if there is a leak inside John's body- Q's patience was running thin.
-Do you think is going to work? - John's voice was getting barely audible because of the blood.
-What should I know? Remember that I am crazy- Q's was feeling desperate… he feared the worst…if the rod is imbedded in his lungs an arterial blood is pouring out…even if they get to the hemorrhage in time, the sepsis alone might killed him because the venal flow is going the other way.
Flash concentrated and in a circular motion and a couple of second later he was able to pin point the leak…it was small but definitely arterial, he could stop crying…even without any medical knowledge he knew he was dying.
John quickly figure out… he knew that he was going to die in a couple of minutes, all the thing he could have done different given the chance…but he was a warrior and he should go down fighting…. –Take this out of me- John screamed at Q.
-I know we had our differences…- Q's was trying to buy time, he didn't think he could pull it out without killing him.
-Semper Fidelis- John looked at Q's faceless mask.
-"Always Faithful"- Q replied, he knew what it meant…. He was a marine and he wants to go out as one… he knew now it was not to push the rod out…it was to push it in…
-Flash get out of here, look for survivors- John's voice was powerful again.
Flash quickly understood and left without hesitation, he is going to have a lot of bad memories he didn't need this one. He knew that they would become nightmares.
-In another time…- John started talking.
-In another place…- Q's responded while gripping the rod.
A bright green light flashed at them…. So powerful they could feel it's power even with their eyes close… It was a miracle of sorts…
"It was Hal Jordan, the first green lantern"
End of Chapter, please review.