As far as I'm tracking, with this chapter this story is now officially the longest story on the Justice League Archive. Thanks for sticking out for nearly 500K words.
Kasnia-Many Years Ago
SMACK!
"Rggh!" Vandal growled as he woke up to the feel of something cutting his flesh. He opened his eyes to find he was in a dimly lit dungeon. He could still feel the restraints on his arms and legs. Similar to the ones he had placed on Wonder Woman a few days ago.
"Wake up dearest, I need you to sign the divorce papers," taunted a heavily accented voice. Vandal frowned.
In the distance was his soon to be ex-wife, Queen Audrey of Kasnia, smirking triumphantly while one of her soldiers stood by, holding a whip.
"I must say you weren't kidding about you being immortal darling," Audrey mocked. "For days you have been 'interrogated' by Olaf and you don't even have a scratch on you. And that's an accomplishment considering Olaf was trained by the Kremlin before Kasnia broke free from the Soviet Union."
"What do you want Brat?" Vandal snapped.
SMACK!
"Nnggh!" Vandal groaned involuntarily.
"You dare speak to me like that?" Audrey hissed. "I'm still Queen of Kasnia!"
"And I'm still Consort," Vandal corrected. "We're not divorced yet."
Audrey glared at him. Vandal just grinned evilly at her.
"What do you want sweetheart?" Vandal mocked.
Audrey frowned and then looked at her torturer.
"Leave us," she commanded.
Olaf bowed and exited the room, leaving Queen Audrey with her husband. For awhile the soon to be divorced couple stared at each other, both waiting for the other to flinch. However the silence was too unnerving for Audrey. After about five minutes she finally began to speak again.
"Why?" she asked in a different voice. Vandal could sense weakness. He smiled wickedly. She wasn't as tough as she thought she was.
"Why?" Audrey demanded again. Vandal could tell she was trying to mask the hurt in her voice.
"Why what?" Vandal asked with a mocking voice.
Audrey's eyes flushed with anger and pain.
"Why did you do this?" she asked. "My father may never be able to walk again, my country has lost its prestige, my people are starving because of your insane plot, and my palace is in ruins! Why did you do all this?"
"Isn't it obvious? I wanted power and saw an opportunity. Your country and family were a means to an end."
"What kind of man are you?"
Savage laughed.
"I don't believe it," he chuckled.
"What?"
"You already figured out what kind of man I am long ago; that's not why you're here right now. You're really here because you actually had feelings for me! I don't believe it!"
Vandal began laughing wickedly.
"I only intended to charm you and your father. I never intended to get you to actually fall in love with me."
"I didn't love you!" Audrey snapped back.
"Then why are you here child?"
"I…I…" Audrey choked before she found her strength again. "I didn't love you and I thank heaven for that. However, I was willing to eventually learn how to love you. When you told me my father had a stroke and opened your arms to me, I thought that you were someone I could eventually learn to love. Grow old together and trust by my side…"
"And now you're here, asking how I could've pretended to love you. Don't sell yourself short, you're Highness. I've seduced and bedded many women before you."
"I'm not just some whore for you!" Audrey cried and turned around.
"No that would be your father," Vandal taunted. "He sold out his entire country for the Space Mission."
Audrey stiffened at the slight towards her father. Vandal gave a victory smile. He had won. The little girl was no match for him. She came in thinking she had the upper hand. She should've known better; she was playing with fire. Finally Audrey moved again and began to stomp to the restrained Savage. He showed no fear or expectation and just continued to grin. There was nothing she could do to him.
"At least he's still a man," Audrey taunted. "Not like you, you vile brute!"
"I prefer Savage actually," Vandal remarked.
"You're nothing but a monster," Audrey corrected. "You hurt others not just for your own goals but for your own amusement. You care not for the people you hurt and the ones that love them."
Vandal snorted.
"Love?" Vandal laughed. "Love doesn't exist. I've been around since the dawn of evolution and I can promise you, it's not real. It's just an abstract concept that poets came up with to mask the real truth. Those so-called feelings of love are just strong feelings of desire or sentimental attachment. They think we're better than animals because if we can love, that makes us above them."
Savage then leaned forward.
"But the real secret is we're still animals. Sure we may've refined ourselves, came up with some customs and courtesies, but it doesn't change the fact that at our core, our primary motivation is survival."
Audrey looked at Vandal with a condescending glare.
"You know, at first I would envy your ability but now I don't. In fact, I feel sorry for you because of it."
Vandal laughed.
"What's wrong with immortality? I've seen men literally go mad in their search for it."
"But what good is living forever when you're alone?" Audrey pointed out with a smirk. "No matter how many riches you obtain or countries you conquer, it doesn't change the fact you're alone. And you always will be. No one will ever love you."
"Was that supposed to hurt my feelings?" Vandal taunted. "Believe me, I've heard worse."
Audrey glared and stormed out of the room. In a few seconds Olaf reentered it while flexing his muscles and holding that whip.
"Love," Vandal repeated with amusement. "Such childhood delusions."
SMACK!
This time Vandal didn't even bother flinching in pain.
"You want to know a secret Olaf?" Vandal taunted as the cut began to heal.
Olaf continued to stare at Vandal with cold eyes. Vandal smiled wickedly.
"These things are quite easy to escape when you're willing to break your wrists and fingers."
Gotham City-2059
"What did you do?" Bruce demanded.
"Calm down, Mr. Wayne," Vandal remarked and began to walk closer to him. He noticed the bullet wound on Bruce's shoulder.
"That's a superficial wound. Something tells me that was a self-inflicted shot," Vandal noted sharply.
"What did you do?" Bruce asked again, this time at a slower pace and with much more menace in his voice.
"You think this New World Order was my handiwork?" Vandal asked with a little insult in his voice. "I'm sorry but I've been preoccupied by other pressing matters."
Vandal then pointed to the eyepatch covering his eye.
"Now let me get you out of those chains so we can treat this wound and get you in a more comfortable environment…"
WHAM!
"Nrgh!" Savage cried in pain as he covered the nose Bruce had just head butted. Bruce meanwhile began to twist his shoulders and in a manner of seconds was free from the chains.
"You think I couldn't escape this terrible knot on my own? I'm insulted."
Bruce then walked over to the kneeling Vandal.
Vandal lunged at him but Bruce avoided it and grabbed the arm with the scythe sticking out.
SNAP!
Bruce twisted the arm behind Vandal's back.
"ARGH!" Vandal groaned in pain.
"You're getting old Vandal," Bruce muttered dryly. "Something tells me if I were to dislocate this you would be out a lot longer than usual."
"You don't understand!"
"What did you do to her?"
"What?"
"Andrea!"
Before Vandal could say anything the door slammed open.
"Back away from him!" a young voice commanded. Bruce looked to see Terry had entered the room pointing a futuristic gun at him.
"Stand down Terry! I got this under control!" Vandal barked.
"Sure you do," Terry muttered sarcastically before looking at Bruce. "Let him go or so help me God I'll shoot you."
"Don't shoot him!" Vandal protested.
"Terry you don't know who you are dealing with," Bruce warned. "This man is dangerous. Whatever he has told you it's a lie. He's a monster."
"Says the guy who just threatened to rip his arm off. And how do you know my name?" Terry demanded suspiciously.
Bruce paused; he didn't know how to explain that. Terry took a step closer.
"Terry…" Vandal warned.
"Maxine's dead because of you!" Terry snapped, ignoring Vandal while eying Bruce. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't just shoot you."
Bruce just glared at Terry. He showed no fear.
"Go ahead then," Bruce threatened.
"Stop! Both of you!" Vandal complained. "Terry, don't shoot him! He's Batman!"
"Why do you keep calling him Batman?" Terry demanded. "Both Batmen died fifty years ago."
Bruce did a double take at that.
"What do you mean 'Batmen?'" Bruce asked in confusion. That was all Vandal needed.
Vandal took advantage of the distraction and kicked Bruce in the leg.
"Nrggh!" Bruce groaned in pain. Before he could do anything, Vandal broke free and kicked him down. Bruce found the scythe pointed at his throat.
"I know you're confused Wayne. The same can be said for Terry. I'll be happy to explain everything to both of you if you just cooperate. I don't see you as my enemy this time."
Bruce gave a disbelieving glare.
"You don't have to trust me, but give me one hour to explain everything," Vandal offered.
Bruce continued to stare daggers at his old enemy. Nonetheless his curiosity was winning out. According to Terry, he had been dead for fifty years and this wasn't his Gotham anymore. Was this future or perhaps another universe?
"Fine," Bruce muttered. "One hour."
Vandal Savage then looked at Terry.
"We shall meet in the morgue so we can treat his wound. I think your brother and Lobo should be there as well," Vandal commanded.
Terry nodded.
"I trust you know the way," Terry muttered with sarcasm as Vandal saw himself out. He then looked at Bruce with suspicion.
"You shouldn't trust him," Bruce warned.
"Says the stranger I've never met and got one of my own people killed," Terry retorted.
Bruce didn't show any reaction and just continued to give his cold stare. Terry then looked ahead.
"Do you need me to lead you?"
"I know this place down to the foundations," Bruce replied bitterly. "I don't need your instructions."
"Good," Terry muttered as Bruce began to walk away. Terry however wasn't done.
"Give me a good reason to trust you over him," Terry encouraged with a sneer.
Bruce frowned.
"Whatever he told you it's a lie. That has been his whole life; lies and murder. He hurts and manipulates people for himself."
Gotham City-2009
"Vandal. Vandal Barbare," he said with a sleek smile.
"What kind of name is Barbare?" the red haired woman asked without even looking at him. She continued to walk ahead.
"It's French," Vandal quickly explained.
"Yes I know it's French," the woman snapped. "Now if you excuse me, Mr. Barbare, I need to go."
Vandal frowned. She was really stubborn. It took all his will to keep the charming smile that had seduced thousands of women.
"Well that's not fair," Vandal complained, hiding his frustrated anger. "Aren't you going to tell me your name?"
The woman finally stopped. She turned to glare at the man who was unfazed by her icy blue eyes.
"Delaney."
"Is that a first or last name?" Vandal pried in a fake flirtatious tone.
"Ms. Delaney," she muttered and continued to walk.
Vandal stood flustered, rubbing his beard. He was destined to be ruler of this world and this woman was getting in his way. He wanted answers.
"Well, Ms. Delaney." Vandal called after her. "I would like it if you would go out to dinner with me."
The woman stopped in her tracks and turned around.
"And what would give you that idea?"
"Because I'm handsome, charming, a gentleman," Vandal claimed as he walked closer to her.
"Keep telling yourself that."
Vandal gave a sinister grin as he leaned in closer to Ms. Delaney.
"But mostly because if you don't, I'll tell the whole world Batman's real identity!" Vandal screamed in his head but he kept his temper down. He had to tread carefully.
"Just one dinner," Vandal pleaded. "After that, I'll leave you alone, let you walk away."
"Let me?" Ms. Delaney snorted.
"Please, just one dinner. That's all I ask."
"Well you seem like a nice guy, Mr. Barbare, but I have to be going. Leave me alone," she warned.
Vandal gave an exaggerated sigh. Time to play his next hand.
"I guess I'll just have to eat by myself then. We can't all be Bruce Wayne when it comes to women," Vandal called after her.
She nearly stumbled. Vandal had a triumphant gleam in his eye. The woman turned around with a shocked look.
"What did you just say?" she demanded.
"You heard me," Vandal shot back.
The woman began to threateningly take a few steps forward.
"Who are you?" she demanded in a voice that wasn't indifferent and aloof anymore. It was a voice of pure hate and anger.
"One dinner; that's all I want," Vandal promised as he lifted up one finger. "Then I'll leave you alone."
"Perhaps I should just take care of you now," she threatened.
"Is that supposed to scare me?" Vandal taunted back.
The woman glared at him.
"I give you my word. Come to dinner with me and I promise not only will I leave you alone, but certain secrets of your 'missing' friend, Bruce Wayne, will remain hidden."
Her eyes widened at the mentioned of Bruce Wayne. Vandal watched as she continued to eye him with suspicion and anger. He could see the internal struggle in her eyes.
"Fine," she conceded. "One dinner and you better leave me alone or I promise you'll regret ever talking to me."
"Meet at the Palace at eight," Vandal replied, not even phased by her threat.
Gotham City-2059
"I could go get Howard to help you," Terry offered as Bruce began to pull the bullet out of his shoulder and treat the wound on his own.
"I'm fine," Bruce assured. They had managed to find some better clothes for him to wear.
"Where are the others?" Vandal asked.
"They're on their way," Terry assured.
"Why is Lobo-AARRRGHH!"
Bruce collapsed to his feet and began to spasm. His whole body felt like it was on fire again but this time he could've sworn he was sweating blood. His vision turned red as he began to shake. His mouth felt suddenly dry and hot, as if he was dehydrated.
"What the fuck?!" Terry cried in shock as he rushed over to the collapsed Bruce. Vandal did nothing but watched Bruce's fit with mild curiosity.
"Yo man, you okay?" Terry asked in a panicked voice as Bruce stopped moving and seemingly passed out.
Bruce's eyes jolted open.
"I'm fine…" he cried weakly.
"It's the Omega Energy isn't it?" Vandal noted.
"What do you know?" Bruce demanded.
"Not much, just theories," Vandal noted. "Darkseid's notorious for using Omega Energy. He must've used a large amount to send you that far back in time. Every time it builds up, your body has to jump to diffuse the energy. Occasionally your body will probably start to experience mild attacks and spasms, except now they are getting worse and more frequent aren't they?"
Bruce glared at Vandal.
"Now you probably only have a couple of jumps left in you, which is why it's in your interest to listen to what I have to say."
"What the hell are you talking about?" Terry asked, still confused greatly.
"You have thirty minutes left," Bruce replied coolly.
"Yo Terry! We're here!" a booming voice called. Everyone looked to see stomping in loudly was none other than Lobo. The Czarnian's red eyes widened at the sight of Bruce sitting on the floor.
"Who the hell invited ya? And why ya on the floor?"
"Where's Matt?" Terry demanded.
"He's outside," Lobo remarked. "He didn't want to come so I tied him up and dragged him…"
"What is wrong with you?" Terry cried.
"I'm just kiddin' Kid, sheesh. He's just bein' all pissy 'bout what happened to Max! I mean ya kinda did cockblock him…"
Terry bowed his head in guilt and frowned slightly.
"I'll go get him," he whispered. Bruce noticed there was less confidence in his voice than earlier. As Terry left Lobo noticed Vandal was there.
"And who the hell are ya?" Lobo demanded.
"I'm many things," Vandal commented dryly. "But you probably know me mostly as the Bat."
"What?" Bruce asked in disbelief.
"Ya're the Bat? Ya look a little old bud," Lobo noted.
"I'm older than you think, much older," Vandal noted.
"Why do you call yourself the Bat?" Bruce demanded suspiciously. "Another false lie you've built yourself off of?"
"I'm sorry, does that offend you?" Vandal asked although he didn't sound sorry.
Bruce didn't say anything and gave Vandal a look of disgust.
"No matter what you think," Bruce warned. "You'll always be that monster that has caused countless deaths. I don't care if you think you've changed. You never have and never will. Lying is all you do."
Gotham City-2009
"Would you like to sample the wine Sir?" the waiter asked.
"Not right now," Vandal replied in a bored voice before looking up.
"Excuse me Mr. Barbare," another waiter asked. "Your guest has arrived."
"Excellent," Vandal replied in a slightly aloof tone and set down his menu only to be completely caught off guard.
It seemed the woman decided to make this dinner a memorable one. She was in a sparkling blue dress that showed off her attractive frame. When he had encountered her on the streets of Gotham, she had hidden herself mostly in baggy clothes. The dress was backless and Vandal could see she had nearly flawless skin. Her red hair was done up high instead of flowing wild like what Vandal had saw earlier today. But most striking of all were her piercing blue eyes which seemed to stand out more now that she seemed to have put on a little bit of makeup. He already knew she had a strikingly beautiful face when he first met her but now it radiated ten times more when she wasn't sulking behind her baggy clothes. If he was a younger man, Vandal would've been stunned and speechless for the rest of the evening. But he wasn't and he saw through her scheme instantly. She was trying to get him off his feet using her beauty. An old fashioned tactic that had been around since women had discovered their feminine wiles. But Vandal had been around long enough to recognize that trick right away. He would have control for the rest of this night and not give her the upper hand. Still though, she was more beautiful than most of the females he had encountered lately.
"Darling, I'm so glad you could make it," Vandal said in a drawn out voice and got out of his seat and took her hand. She responded with a coy and flirtatious smile.
"Dear it's been ages since we've got together," she replied as Vandal dramatically kissed her hand. Vandal fought the urge to break character. She thought she could play along? She was in for a surprise.
"I know it is most regrettable, but now we are together again," Vandal replied with a condescending voice. He then looked at the waiter.
"Give us the special," he ordered.
The waiter nodded and left leaving Vandal with the woman. Her fake smile immediately dropped to a frown.
"I hope you don't plan to spend too much. I'm not that hungry," she warned.
Vandal just continued to grin.
"Money's never been a problem for me. Besides even if I didn't have it, I would take what I want anyways."
She glared at him showing she wasn't threatened by him. For awhile she didn't say anything and continued to stare back at Vandal. Vandal chose to ignore it and continued to plaster the wicked grin on his face. For awhile the two sat and stare at each other, both waiting for their opponent to make a move. The restaurant meanwhile had a band that was playing slow romantic melodies, a sharp contrast to the icy tense nature at the table. It was as if Vandal and his date were in another world. Finally after the waiter had served them their food and wine she finally spoke.
"What do you want?" Ms. Delaney demanded.
"I'm sorry?" Vandal asked, pretending he wasn't paying attention and instead watching the few couples on the dance floor.
"Don't patronize me. What do you want from me?"
"Must we be so formal?" Vandal replied, acting like he was insulted.
"Tell me what you want from me or I'll leave right now."
"Very well, if you insist," Vandal conceded as he leaned in. "There's no point of hiding behind false faces. We both know the identity of our mutual friend."
"I don't know…"
"Don't lie to me," Vandal warned. "You know who I'm talking about or otherwise you wouldn't have come here."
She shot him a death glare at the threat but regained her composure.
"Fine," she responded coldly. "What about him? He's dead."
"Let's just say I've had some unfinished business with him," Vandal said vaguely. "I don't necessarily need him alive I just need…"
"Information. Oh I see," Ms. Delaney interrupted with a slight chuckle. "Because he was a part of the Justice League, you want me to tell you what I knew about him in hopes you might find something you can use against the League."
"Believe what you want," Vandal encouraged. He didn't feel he needed to share that he knew Batman was still alive, just lost in time.
"Well I don't feel the need to tell you anything," Ms. Delaney said confidently with a smirk. She then took a sip of wine.
"I hope you're paying for wasting my time," she muttered.
"We had a deal," Vandal scoffed, a little annoyed by her stubbornness.
"The deal was I go to dinner with you," she corrected.
Vandal smirked.
"That may be, but don't think less of me. I still have the trump card."
Vandal then leaned back in his chair with his hands folded behind his head.
"I know you don't want to be found. The only way I was able to convince you to stay tonight was using your loyalty to our mutual friend's secret. Judging by your behavior and attitude, I would say you're a mercenary. Never living in the same place, doing what you can to get by. The only thing you have to hold onto is loyalty to an estranged friend to make you feel like you aren't a bad person. Now I want to see how far that loyalty stands. If you don't give me the information about your dead friend, then I'll turn you over to the authorities."
"I'm calling your bluff," Ms. Delaney shot with a small smile. "You don't want the authorities around here as much as I do."
"And what makes you so sure of that?"
"Because I know who you really are, Mr. Savage," she explained.
Vandal's arrogant grin turned into a grimace while his eyes showed mild surprise.
"You honestly couldn't think of a better name?" she mocked with satisfaction. She was now in control.
"Before you even told you your name I thought you looked familiar. When you said your name was Vandal Barbare it only took me an hour after our meeting to remember who you really are. I know French after all and did remember your face being plastered over the news during that Kasnian Satellite Crisis."
She then took another sip of her wine and a had gleeful triumphant look in her eye. Vandal's face was glaring at her. She was a stubborn woman.
"Your ego was your own downfall," she gloated. "And don't try to convince me you're not worried about getting caught by the authorities. Otherwise you wouldn't have made an attempt of using an alias."
For awhile Vandal continued to glare at her. His brown eyes attempting to bore holes into her ice cold stare. Meanwhile her face was in a permanent grin. She was now the one smiling. Vandal then began to laugh.
"Fine, let the police catch me. I don't care. I can't be killed or imprisoned for long."
"Yes I've heard rumors of your superpower but I'll believe it when I see it…"
CLANK!
Vandal had violently pulled his knife off his plate. She didn't even react at all but stared at her opponent with half curiosity. Bringing his other hand up, Vandal dug the knife deep into it without wincing and quickly pulled it away, showing the cut he made. The cut automatically began to heal itself instantly while he looked back at his date with a triumphant smile.
"Was that supposed to impress me?" she responded.
This time Vandal chuckled. Never had he met any woman as defiant as she was, especially when he showed her his power.
"You should be afraid," he warned. "I've been around since the Dawn of Man. I know how to play Survival of the Fittest well. I get what I want and no prison can hold me forever."
"Even then, don't you think the Justice League would be very interested in why you are so keen to learn Batman's secrets? Whatever plan you had will probably be stopped by them or the new Batman in Gotham."
Vandal didn't say anything and elected to give a cold poker face. She was smart and knew how to play the game. He couldn't afford the Justice League investigating why he wanted to know so much about Batman or how he figured out who Batman really was.
"Well it looks like I've won," Ms. Delaney proclaimed triumphantly.
"Not quite," Vandal warned. "More that we reached an impasse. Sooner or later one of us will find the dominant advantage and emerge the victor."
"Well," she challenged as she placed her hands together in her lap. "I'm waiting."
Vandal gave a bemused grin when in the background he realized the band was playing another song. An amusing idea began to sink in his head.
"Dance with me," Vandal challenged.
"What?"
Vandal grinned at her reaction. He finally had caught her off guard.
"That's the final challenge," Vandal explained. "You dance with me and if you perform better than myself, I'll leave you alone."
"Why would you want to dance?" she asked, still puzzled.
"Let's just say despite as my name says, I've had over the years grown fond of some things. Besides, seeing that we both like a challenge…"
She looked at him with distrust.
"I'm a man of my word," Vandal promised.
"Your past history says otherwise."
"Well let's just say I'm serious this time. After all, neither of us has the advantage," Vandal reminded.
She bit her lip before looking at him again.
"How do we determine the winner?" she asked.
Vandal beckoned a waiter to walk over.
"Yes Sir?" the waiter asked politely.
"My friend and I are debating which of us is better at dancing. We'd like you to be the judge."
"Sir I must serve other…"
Vandal produced a few hundred dollar bills.
"I'll have the band play a new song," the waiter answered doing a complete reversal as he walked off.
Vandal then looked at her and offered his hand.
"May I have this dance?"
Ms. Delaney looked at his hand with disgust as if it was a snake.
"If I win, you have to promise me you will leave me alone and let Batman stay buried. Leave him alone and let the rest of the world move on."
"I promise," Vandal assured even though he knew he was neglecting to tell her Batman wasn't dead. Even if he lost which he doubted, he would find another way to get more information about the Dark Knight. He just knew it would be better to distract her from going to the authorities. Even with her on the run from the law she might cut a deal for turning him in. He just wanted to dance to taunt her, let her know no matter what she believed he would always have the upper hand. This dance was just a symbolic demonstration.
"Fine," Ms. Delaney said reluctantly and took his hand.
Vandal forcibly clenched it and pulled her up rather violently.
"I'll lead," he commanded.
"That's what you think," she shot back.
Vandal led her to the floor which was almost empty, barring a few couples. Meanwhile the band had already started to play a song dominated by a strong string melody. Vandal put his hand behind her back while taking the other.
"Let's begin," he encouraged.
Gotham City-2059
"What's takin' them so long?" Lobo complained.
Bruce didn't say anything and eyed Savage suspiciously. Even though Savage promised good intentions he knew better. Bruce had seen this monster in action. The former Dark Knight was about to say something when the group finally heard voices outside the morgue.
"Fine, but only because you say the Bat's here!" a young voice complained. The door opened and Terry entered while being followed by a young man in his early twenties. Bruce noticed the young man had brown eyes. Brown eyes that looked so familiar that it was as if Bruce was looking at a face he saw not too long ago. Bruce was looking into the eyes of a man who died trying to do the right thing and protect his family. Something was nagging at Bruce; those couldn't be his father's eyes on the young boy's face.
"What are you doing out?" the young man asked.
"Because I said so, Matt," Vandal explained. The young man turned in surprise to find Vandal standing behind him.
"Who are you?"
"He's the Bat," Lobo explained. "Or so he claims. I thought he be taller or somethin'."
"Enough, you said you needed to talk," Terry interrupted, looking at Savage. "Start talking."
Vandal sighed and took a seat with difficulty. That old age must've been affecting Vandal a lot more than he cared to show. Bruce began to wonder if the radiation had finally run out.
Savage folded his hands and bowed his head.
"I don't know where to start," he said with a sigh.
"You can start by telling me what happened," Bruce demanded. "What happened to Gotham?"
"Ain't it obvious bud? It's destroyed," Lobo muttered darkly.
"What happened?" Bruce demanded.
Vandal took a deep breath before speaking.
"About fifty years ago, not long after the world had thought you perished, certain people managed to get a hold of the ultimate weapon. They destroyed the world with it. Not completely, but just enough to dismantle every world government while they divided what was left amongst themselves."
"How did Darkseid do this?" Bruce demanded. "The League would've stopped him."
"Oh you're sadly mistaken Bruce. Darkseid disappeared the same day as you. He's been gone for a long time," Vandal explained.
"Then who did this?" Bruce demanded. "And how were you involved?"
"I didn't do anythin'!" Lobo complained, thinking Bruce meant him.
"Shut up Lobo!" Terry snapped. Matt meanwhile was standing in the corner crossing his arms while watching the scene unfold before him.
Vandal had begun laughing again.
"You still don't trust me," he said with amusement. "But the irony is that it isn't my fault; this is your fault."
"Enough lies, Vandal," Bruce warned. "In case you've forgotten I've been jumping through time. I've done nothing."
"That's not what Sector 1 has to say."
"Who?"
"Whatta been doin'? Sleepin' for fifty years dude? Get with the times."
Vandal looked at Terry.
"There's a TV still in the cabinet below right?"
"Yea but we can't get any signal. Only play a few movies that we scavenged. Surprise the damn thing still works."
Vandal produced from his cloak a small DVD.
"What's that?" Terry asked.
"It's a copy of Sector 1's first broadcast to the world on the Apocalypse '09. Managed to come across a copy when I was scavenging around here forty years ago."
Terry understood and walked to a cabinet that was on ground level. He opened it up and with a small grunt of discomfort pulled out an old TV that had a DVD player attached to it.
"Why didn't anyone tell me we had a TV?" Lobo complained.
The rest ignored Lobo while Terry sat it down. He then plugged the TV into the wall.
"Hope it's worth it," Terry muttered. "That generator we installed can only produce so much power at a time."
Meanwhile Vandal had walked over to the TV to slide the DVD in.
"This shall explain it better than me," Vandal assured as the video started.
Bruce watched as the screen fizzled before the picture became clear. Immediately Bruce recognized the ugly evil face grinning back at him. A pale face he had almost forgotten due to what had happened to him. The Face of Madness.
"Tonight we are here to offer a better suited entertainment for you. For those who don't know me, I'm the Joker and here are my associates: Bane, Scarecrow, Riddler, and Two-Face. Most of you outside of Gotham have probably only heard stories of us. Well, here we are in the flesh and on your TV! Six months ago, you all made a terrible mistake. You thought you were safe when Darkseid died. You went back to your homes thinking everything was alright…" the Joker taunted in the video. That wasn't disturbing Bruce though. It was what was behind the Joker.
"No!" Bruce shouted.
Trapped behind what looked like an energy wall, Bruce saw the faces of the remaining founders. Superman looked weak and helpless. A look Bruce always wished he would never see. Meanwhile Diana looked angry. Her lovely face in pure hatred and frustration as she and the rest of the League were trapped inside the energy prison. There were other members as well. He caught sight of Zatanna and Mister Terrific. They were trapped and looked helpless as well. But when he noticed something in the corner of the energy cage behind the Joker, his posture stiffened. He realized there was a figure that was draped in a Bat costume that J'onn and Wally were treating.
"Who is that?" Bruce demanded even though he knew the answer. He turned to look at Vandal who was giving a pensive look tainted with slight amusement.
"Who is that?" Bruce demanded again.
"You should know. That was your own prodigal son," Vandal retorted. "He bravely tried to take up the mantle only to fail. Even in death you found a way to hurt him."
"Don't blame this on me! I've done nothing!"
"We thought about doing what Ra's planned to do. Just hold the world hostage and hope it would yield and we realized, it would be so boring. Plus it would give you a chance to create a plan to stop us. So we decided to make it a little more entertaining. In this hat we have on pieces of paper major cities across the world. The first three we draw will get some lovely nukes sent to them free of charge!"
"Turn it off," Bruce demanded. "I've seen enough."
He then turned away. The Joker's taunting laughter could still be heard on the screen.
"I said turn it off!" Bruce shouted.
"Alright, sheesh," Lobo muttered and punched the TV.
CRUNCH!
"Lobo!" Terry complained.
"Do you see what you've done?" Vandal asked Bruce. "The Joker said it himself. With you gone, there was no one to challenge them and keep them at bay. You spurned them into doing this."
"I was dead at the time," Bruce remarked coldly. "What happened?"
"Joker and the other Sector Leaders got a hold of a government satellite called Brother Eye. It was a high tech defense system from the U.S. Government that was equipped with an energy laser and the ability to launch nukes from anywhere by hacking the systems. The Sector Leaders used it to scorch the world and reduce the population to what it was before. We're all that's left," Terry explained.
"How did they get a hold of a satellite?" Bruce demanded.
"The Justice League was in joint operation with the project. They worked together with the U.S. Government. Once the Sector Leaders took out the League and the Watchtower, it wasn't hard for them to take over Brother Eye," Vandal explained.
"You're lying," Bruce threatened. "The Justice League would never agree to sponsor a deadly satellite that could destroy the world if it fell into the wrong hands. Especially after what happened with CADMUS."
"You were gone a long time, Bruce," Vandal countered. "And besides, being a part time member, do you think you really knew them?"
"I knew enough," Bruce replied coldly.
"Well then they changed their stance after Darkseid invaded," Vandal pointed out. "In fact I wouldn't be surprised if they were motivated to sponsor a satellite designed to protect the Earth because of your untimely death…"
"Quit trying to shift the blame to make me feel guilty," Bruce interrupted. "It still won't help you."
"I'm not done yet," Vandal hissed venomously. "Lastly, how do you think your rogues took control of the Watchtower? How do you think they were able to incapacitate the League? You're not a stupid man; you know how they did it."
"How?" Lobo asked.
"Why don't you tell them Bruce?" Vandal taunted.
Bruce folded his arms and gave a death glare.
"No? Well I'll do it then. They used your own countermeasures with the help of Ra's Al Ghul. He knew about them and used it to his advantage. Unfortunately Ra's recruited your rogues and didn't expect them to successfully double cross him in the eleventh hour. But the point is, it was all your protocols and contingency plans that brought down the League, trapping them either in the Metro or Watchtower where they could all get killed in one swift act."
"I took proper precautions to make sure they would never be used by the wrong hands," Bruce replied. "Nice try Vandal."
"Really?" Vandal asked. "Are you a hundred percent certain that there was no way that your enemies could've gain access to your contingencies?"
Bruce didn't say anything; he was putting on his best poker face. But inside his head he had realized there was something his enemies might've exploited. Something he hadn't finished updating yet. Bruce thought of the Duplicate. It knew almost everything Bruce did about the countermeasures and overriding the Watchtower and Metro. But that was impossible. How did Ra's and the rest know about it? Only he and Alfred knew about the Duplicate and Bruce never finished repairing it. Did Alfred and the Batclan turn on the Duplicate after he had disappeared? But Alfred would never have done that. Alfred wouldn't turn something untested on.
"So you see Bruce, it's really your fault this happened. If you didn't have to play hero and get killed by Darkseid, maybe we wouldn't be here right now."
"Watch it Vandal," Bruce warned.
Vandal began laughing.
"You must appreciate the irony. It wasn't Vandal Savage that brought the world to its knees despite the various attempts I've made. It was the lonely Gotham Savior Batman…"
BAM!
Vandal fell backwards to the ground. Bruce stood by coldly, not even wincing from the impact that his fist had made with Vandal's chin.
"Hey!" Terry cried.
Vandal quickly began to scramble to his feet. They could see blood pouring from his lip. He didn't seem to care though. He was grinning triumphantly.
"I knew I'd get you to lose control eventually," Vandal replied. "You're not the stone cold fox you try to pretend to be."
"Wait!" Matt cried, speaking up for the first time. Everyone had forgotten he was there. The younger McGinnis brother was looking at Bruce with much shock and confusion. His mouth was hung open.
"You're-you're Batman?" he asked, stuttering a little bit.
"I'm callin' Bull!" Lobo shouted. "I was on the Justice League and knew the real Batman! Ya ain't him Pal!"
"You were fired from the Justice League. In fact we didn't even ask for your help. You tried to invite yourself," Bruce reminded.
"Okay that's Batman," Lobo agreed and sat back down.
"So it's true?" Matt asked. "Are you Batman?"
Terry meanwhile was looking at Bruce with a dirty glare. Vandal was wiping the blood from his face with an amused expression.
"Are you Batman?" Matt demanded for the third time.
Bruce sighed.
"I was Batman," Bruce admitted. "Not anymore."
"Wait a minute! This don't make any sense! Batman died!" Lobo complained.
However no one was paying attention to the Czarnian. Matt was looking at Terry with anger.
"You knew and didn't tell me?" Matt asked angrily.
"I didn't think it was relevant at the time."
"Relevant? Of course it's relevant!"
"What are you talking about?" Bruce asked, still confused.
Matt looked back at Bruce.
"You're our father!" Matt cried.
"Holy shit I didn't see that comin'!" Lobo commented.
Gotham City-2009
Vandal's eyes opened up. He found he was still in the hotel room. The thick curtains were drawn shut, but based on the sound of traffic, it was probably just past six. Vandal groaned and rolled over on the bed only to find the person who slept next to him last night was gone. Immediately Vandal sat up to find that she wasn't in the bed. He sighed sadly. Last night was probably one of the most interesting nights of his life to say the least. He went in thinking he could dominate her into telling him information about Batman and it ended up with both of them in bed together. Vandal wasn't sure how it happened. He intended to be always in control. But somehow during that dance he coerced her into doing, control was lost.
He had bedded many women in his life. Helen of Troy, Anne Boleyn, Queen Catherine of Russia, and Marilyn Monroe to name a few. Yet in all his life, he never felt anything like he felt last night. Of course he had felt lust before. He was a man after all. It wasn't hard to let those primal instincts take control when he encountered a fair woman. But what he felt last night wasn't instinct. It wasn't lust. He felt something completely different during that dance. For the first time in his life, he felt something that he never felt with someone else before. He felt a connection with her.
Vandal shook his head.
"You're being ridiculous," he muttered to himself. "You let a pretty girl get in your head."
Sighing with frustration that he had shown weakness, Vandal got up and walked out of the bed only to find a note laying on his nightstand. He quickly picked it up and realized it was in a woman's handwriting. It was just a simple note but its message was blunt and spoke volumes.
I won.
You remember the deal, leave Batman and me alone.
Vandal growled. He didn't intend to let her beat him like that. She was just a temptress. She used her beauty to distract him last night during their dance. He just was getting sloppy and had let his guard down. Besides, she probably wouldn't have been able to provide any useful information to him. Last night was a waste of his time. There would be other ways to find the information he needed. Realizing he needed to use the bathroom, Vandal began to walk to it when he turned the light on. The first thing he noticed was his date last night was in such a hurry to get out she had left a lot of things in the bathroom, including the purse she brought to dinner. Vandal chuckled. He knew she wouldn't come back for it. He picked it up and examined it. It was a relatively small purse. Only big enough to maybe hold some makeup and a few other small items.
Out of bored curiosity, he opened up the purse. He saw inside that there was something gold shining in the artificial light. Curiously, he pulled out the gold object to discover it was a locket. The same heart shaped locket she was wearing yesterday. Vandal frowned angrily without knowing why. It always baffled him why women were so sentimental to jewelry. Deciding he had nothing else to lose, he opened it to discover a picture was in the frame. His eyes widened in recognition at the sight. There she was, except a lot younger and happier when the photo was taken. But it wasn't the female in the picture that had caught Vandal's interest. It was the face of the male in the picture who had her arms around him. The face of the man who Vandal kept fighting across time. The face of Batman.
"NRRRGH!" Vandal gave a frustrated grunt and threw the locket against the bathroom wall.
BAM!
The locket hit the wall and fell down, still relatively unharmed. Vandal ignored it and knocked over the rest of the objects on the sink.
CRASH!
The sight of the photo made him angry. She knew Batman intimately well. He had a chance to get more information out of her only to let that opportunity slip through his grasp. Vandal placed both his hands on the sink and began to breathe heavily. Why did he lose his temper like that though? Of course that wasn't the first time for him to resort to that primal anger, but over a little locket? It didn't make sense. He stared at his reflection in the mirror. Something was off. He was looking at a totally different person.
"What's happening to me?" he demanded.
Andrea sighed as she sat in the airport. Her flight was leaving in an hour. It couldn't come soon enough. She wanted to get out of here and escape Gotham for good. She already promised herself she would never take a job that involved her coming back to this city. This city of broken memories and painful heartache was dead to her. But what was frustrating her even more was her actions last night. She had done something she hadn't done a long time ago. She had let herself fall into the arms of a man. Something she hadn't done since Bruce. Andrea shook her head. She just slept with Vandal just so he would keep Bruce's secret. He promised he would if she won the dance which she did. But then why did she have to sleep with him last night? She won the wager and if Vandal was a man of his word he would have no choice but to keep the secret. Sighing Andrea closed her eyes. She had just lost control. That was the answer. Vandal had cornered her and made her feel vulnerable by bringing up Bruce. That was the reason. It was his fault. He had tricked her; manipulated her.
Unconsciously she reached for the locket around her neck only to find it gone. Her heart rate picked up in terror. Where was it? Frantically she began to search through her small luggage. She had to have it. What did she do with it? As if on cue, memories of last night played out. She had taken it off and placed it in her purse when she and Vandal went back to his hotel last night after dinner. Why did she even go to someone else's room and sleep with them she'll never know. A part of her wanted to go back to the hotel room and get her locket but she knew it wasn't worth the risk. She needed to leave Gotham and leave now. Leaving behind Vandal and all the painful memories she had of this place. She sighed as a tear fell down her face. It was foolish of her to get so worked up over a lost trinket, but she couldn't help herself. That locket symbolized her previous life. It reminded her of the happiness she once had. Now like her happiness, the locket was gone, forever.
"Are you alright?" a voice asked.
Andrea looked up in shock to see Vandal was staring at her with a look of concern.
"What are you doing here?" she hissed.
"Good morning to you too," Vandal replied sarcastically and took a seat next to her uninvited.
"We had a deal!" she warned. "Leave me alone! I won!"
"I am leaving you alone," Vandal assured. "I'm just returning something to you."
"What?"
Vandal reached in his pocket and pulled out something shiny. Andrea's eyes widened in shocked recognition. It was her locket. The locket of her and Bruce. He had returned it to her. Vandal seemed to grin triumphantly at her reaction to the locket.
"Figured you'd miss this," he mused and dangled it between them. Andrea frowned at his amused expression and snatched it away from him.
"Thank you very much. Now leave me alone," she ordered.
Vandal was a little stunned by the coldness in her remark.
"That's it?" he asked.
"What do you mean?" Andrea asked.
"I spend my whole morning figuring out what airport you're in, buy myself a ticket so they'll allow me on the terminal, return your precious jewelry to you and all I get is a half-hearted thank you? And they call me Savage."
Andrea gave a defeated sigh.
"What do you want? I'm not talking about him."
"That's not what I'm here for," Vandal replied. Andrea noticed he seemed a little uncertain this time. He no longer was wearing the arrogant smile he always wore.
"Then what?"
Now it was Vandal's turn to look uncomfortable. He opened his mouth to speak but shut it while fidgeting uncomfortably in his seat. Meanwhile Andrea kept giving him a questioning look with her piercing eyes.
"I don't have all day," she warned.
"Fine," Vandal snapped with annoyance. "I'll put it clear. I've bedded over thousands of women in my lifetime. Sometimes it was out of lust, other times it was out of boredom. Often though it was a means to an end."
"You sure know how to make a girl feel good about herself," Andrea replied bitterly.
"No that's not what I meant!"
"If you're talking about last night," Andrea warned. "Don't. It was a mistake."
"Funny," Vandal retorted. "I don't recall you complaining at all last night."
Andrea folded her arms angrily.
"I just let myself lose control. I've been alone for awhile and my emotions took over. Just like you said, it was just desire and lust."
"Do you really believe that?" Vandal asked.
Andrea didn't answer that. Vandal took this as a signal to keep speaking.
"I've been many things in my long life. But the one thing that has been consistent in my life is I only had to care for myself. I've been married a couple of times even had a few children but most was out of pressure from society or another means to an end."
"What are you trying to say?"
"Don't act oblivious!" Vandal hissed. "We connected last night. And you know that!"
"What?"
Vandal turned the other way, his face frowning.
"I've never in my life met someone, who…connected with me like that. Someone who made me actually care about them."
"Don't…" Andrea warned.
"You think I'm happy about this?" Vandal said with hurt in his voice. "I've been spending all morning trying to get you out of my head but I can't!"
"Please don't," Andrea begged. "Just leave me alone."
Vandal sighed.
"Alright look, last chance. We've spent our whole lives alone, wandering in the wilderness. We've only had to take care of ourselves. What if for once, we take a chance and share that life with someone else?"
Andrea looked the other way. A tear was forming down her face.
"You don't want to be with me," she warned. "I'll hurt you. I'm not a good person."
"And you think I am?" Vandal replied with a half chuckle. "Please, I've probably committed more crimes than you tenfold."
"Sins aren't measured by quantity," she replied.
"What, you think just because we both aren't these so-called heroes that we can't be allowed to share our lives with other people?"
"Don't you dare try to compare me to yourself. I'm nothing like you."
"Oh you're just like me. You've been living in the real world, doing what you can to survive. You've been wandering through the darkness searching for something. To me I've always tried to find power. But now, after twenty-five thousand years, maybe I've been looking at the wrong place."
Andrea looked at him unsure. Vandal reached out and grabbed her hand and Andrea noticed for the first time his whole guard was let down. Instead of the arrogant face or savage scowl he usually had, she saw what looked like a man who had lost everything. A man who was a lost soul trying to find meaning in the chaos.
"Let's start over," he pleaded. "Maybe we can help each other find something that we've been looking for."
Vandal then stood up and offered his hand.
"Let's just change our flights to something completely random. Get out of here and start somewhere new."
Andrea looked at his hand still unsure.
"Where?" she asked.
"I don't know, wherever the road take us. We deserve to be happy with someone and not be miserable alone."
Andrea mulled it over. She knew she couldn't trust this man. She barely knew him other than his reputation. Yet at the same time what he had said was ringing true. With Bruce now dead, she had no one to keep her grounded. There was no one left in this world who would understand her. Except Vandal. As sad as it was, he was the only person on Earth who she could probably trust.
"Fine," she said and took his hand, even though she knew she was taking a big risk. "What do you have in mind?"
"First I need to know your real name. Ms. Delaney's too formal."
"Andrea. Andrea Beaumont."
Gotham City-2059
"What?" Bruce asked, confused at the bombshell that was delivered.
"You're our father!" Matt cried again.
"I heard that," Bruce snapped. "What do you mean?"
"This isn't the first time you've seen Terry," Vandal pointed out.
"What's that got to do with anything?"
"Yea, how the hell did ya know Terry?" Lobo demanded.
"I've glimpsed at an alternate future before. He was there," Bruce quickly explained.
"Wait, an alternate future?" Terry asked with hope in his voice. "You've seen a future different than this and we still existed?"
"The timestream was corrupted at the time," Bruce shot down. "That future was just a possible future where the world was crumbling into shreds. That future has been erased."
"You make it sound like this 'future' is better than what you saw. I doubt that," Terry replied sarcastically.
"Terry why the hell didn't you say anything?" Matt demanded. "You know very well that Batman's our father!"
"Will someone please explain to me what happened?" Bruce demanded. "I've been gone for fifty years! How could I be your father?"
"You're not our father," Terry snapped bitterly. "Warren McGinnis was."
"Don't talk to him like that!" Matt yelled.
"There aren't any little Lobo's runnin' 'round that I need to know 'bout?" Lobo asked.
"SILENCE!" Vandal shouted in frustration. That got everyone, including Lobo to stop talking and look at the old man.
Vandal gave a frustrated sigh before looking at Bruce.
"You aren't a stupid man Bruce. You know there are other ways to pass down genetics," he reminded.
"Then tell me," Bruce demanded.
Vandal looked at Terry.
"I guess he'll explain it better than I can."
Bruce turned around to look at Terry who glared at the former Batman and gave a sigh.
"We were based off your DNA," Terry explained darkly. "Our parents, Warren and Mary McGinnis, were survivors of the Apocalypse of '09. They lived in a bunker with a few government officials who survived Brother Eye's attack. One of them was Amanda Waller."
"I hate that bitch!" Lobo swore and spat on the ground.
"I know of Amanda Waller," Bruce explained. "What does she have to do with this?"
"Apparently you made a big enough impression on her that she decided to snag some of your DNA in hope that in the future she could bring more Batmen into existence. Well after our folks got old enough to get married and start having children, they volunteered to have your DNA injected into my father so your genes would be passed down to us instead of his. My brother and I were supposed to be the new Batmen to lead humanity back to greatness and overthrow the Sector Leaders. Save America and whatnot."
"Where is Waller now?" Bruce demanded. He was really angry at that. Did that woman have no shame? Violating him by using his DNA like that.
"She's dead," Terry replied coldly. "Just like everyone in the Bunker. My brother and I are the only survivors. Our parents were killed that day too. You want to talk about that some more?"
Bruce's cold glare flinched at that response as his stiff mouth softened a bit.
"No…" he replied weakly and turned around to look at Lobo.
"And how did you end up here?"
"Got stuck in traffic court," Lobo muttered. "Would be off this rock if I knew where my Hog was."
"Shut up Lobo," Vandal interrupted. He then looked at the rest.
"As much as I hate to interrupt this family reunion, there is work to be done."
"Work?" Bruce asked.
"Yes. As you can see, we need your help. I have a plan to fix this and save the world. This plan involves time travel. Not only can we stop the Sector Leaders but we can change the past. To save the future we must change the past."
"Wait hold on, if you change the past what about us?" Matt asked.
Terry didn't say anything to that and kept his distrustful stare at Bruce.
"Seriously?" Matt asked. "If we change time who knows what will happen…"
"Quiet Matt," Terry warned.
Vandal then looked at Bruce.
"We have a chance now with your arrival to fix history. We can change our own fate into a better one."
"What makes ya so sure it'll be better?" Lobo snorted.
"Anything is better than this current timeline," Vandal snapped.
"What does this have to do with me?" Bruce asked. "Last time I checked, Darkseid's gift makes me move forward not backward."
Vandal then looked at Terry.
"Terry and his Bat Knights have discovered an old S.T.A.R. Labs base that has one of their time machines. If we can get it working we can send someone back in the past to change it."
"And you need me because you want to send me back into the past after I disappeared because that's the best chance of saving the future without radically damaging the timestream."
"Wait why can't one of us go back?" Matt asked.
"It's always riskier going back before your time," Terry reminded. "Remember what Maxine…"
Terry stopped talking mid sentence when he realized he had brought up Maxine unintentionally. Matt's eyes flushed at anger towards his brother. Vandal meanwhile was continuing to explain.
"And Lobo and I can't go back because human time travel capability hasn't advance to the point to allow a human being to occupy the same time they already lived in."
"Why didn't ya just send a message or somethin'?" Lobo asked.
"Too risky. We won't know if our past selves will get it. It's better to send a live body to it. Besides there are some things we need to activate the time machine and I didn't want to go down that route until the right time."
Vandal then looked at Bruce.
"Now that Batman has returned to Gotham, it is time for us to take our revenge against the Sector Leaders and save this world…"
"HAHAHAHAHA!" Bruce began laughing darkly, completely catching Vandal off guard. Meanwhile it was disturbing for the others, even Lobo, to hear Bruce laugh. It wasn't a humorous laugh. It was almost a wicked and cynical laugh. A laugh of mad hopelessness.
"What's so funny?" Vandal demanded.
"You expect me to join you now? That once again I'll put on the cowl and keep fighting the good fight?"
"That's what some of us have been doing the past decade while you've been gone," Terry muttered bitterly.
"It's even more amusing to think I'd trust you out of all people Vandal. We both know what you really are. You've probably killed more people or ruined lives than the Sector Leaders have."
Bruce then looked at the rest.
"Whatever false ideals he has promoted it's a lie. He's just as his name suggests; a Savage."
Vandal sighed.
"Is this true?" Terry asked. "What have you done?"
Vandal shook his head.
"I know I look only slightly old, but I'm much older than any of you could imagine," Vandal began. "I've been around since the Dawn of Man…"
"So yar a caveman?" Lobo asked.
"How's that possible?" Matt demanded.
"I had an interaction with a strange meteorite. The radiation gave me special abilities. One included fast healing. I was virtually immortal and couldn't be killed from any wound or age at all. That was until about forty years ago. The Sector Leaders found a way to stunt my gift. I'm still not exactly completely mortal. My body still heals at a faster rate, just not as fast as it used to. I now age half the rate of an average human and can't regrow major tissue loss or limbs…"
Savage then pointed to his eyepatch.
"But that doesn't matter now. What matters is that I have a plan to save us all, and you'll help me Batman."
"What makes you think I would trust you?"
"You don't have a choice. I know you don't have any reason to trust me and I respect that. I just want to swear to you, I've changed now. I've finally understood the consequences of my greed and lust for power. I've been trying to do whatever time I have left on this world to make up for it. I know it can't make up for thousands of lives I've ruined, but it's a start."
Bruce laughed again; this one was much hoarser and dryer.
"What's so funny?" Lobo demanded.
"He always thinks it's about him," Bruce explained. "No matter what happens it's always about him. He may fool himself and the rest of you into thinking he's the selfless fighter taking up the good cause, but he's lying. He only serves himself. But that's not what I find so funny."
"Then what?" Terry asked. He was losing respect for this so-called Batman more and more by the minute.
"That he automatically assumes I'll jump on board and help you all. He assumes once again I'll come riding to the rescue after suffering much beating and heartache to save the day. That's what you expect me to do, don't you?"
Vandal was looking at Bruce as if he was looking at a complete stranger.
"I know I would be asking a lot for you Batman…"
"Stop calling me that," Bruce snapped. "I'm no longer Batman. Batman died fifty years ago. I'm just Bruce Wayne."
"I thought you said Batman never gave up!" Terry scowled, looking at Vandal who still was taken aback by Bruce's surprising apathy.
"What happened to you?" Vandal asked with worry. "You never back down from a fight. You always…"
"Get back up to fight the next day," Bruce finished. "Well those days are done for me. No more. I've had enough of it."
"You're just going to leave us?" Matt asked; the hurt in his voice was obvious.
"This isn't my fight," Bruce replied coldly. "Not anymore. Gotham's a completely different city. The world's moved on. All my family and friends are dead. There isn't anything left for me."
"You can't just walk away," Vandal threatened.
"Try me," Bruce retorted back. "You can fight your own little war and pat yourself on the back. I'll have no part of it. I'm done. I've lost too many people to fight another war."
"From the way I see it, you've hadn't contributed anything to our cause," Terry muttered cynically. "You think you're the only one who's lost someone? Get in line."
"I don't know why ya such a little bitch 'bout it," Lobo muttered. "If ya go back in time, ya'll be with all ya geeks and friends and what not and ya can bail me out."
Bruce looked around at all the occupants in the room angrily.
"To all of you it's so simple. I just go back in time and fix it and this will be erased and we'll be living happier lives. That's what you want me to do, right? You think you'll get your happy ending by changing time?"
"Not all of us," Terry warned. "Some of us might not even exist anymore but we're willing to risk that for the greater good."
"The greater good?" Bruce replied with sarcasm. "Do you know what the greater good even means? I've spent my entire pathetic life fighting in the name of the greater good! I sacrificed everything in my life to try to help others and what has it gotten me? A never ending battle of foes and villains to fight. An endless pile of bodies and blood I've had to wade through. As soon as I take down one foe, another one appears and it goes on and on!"
Bruce then looked around at Vandal.
"I've been jumping through time and space, still trying to fight the good fight. You know how many innocent people, good friends, and allies I've seen killed in front of me in hopes of the greater good? You of all people should know how many have died around me for the greater good."
"I'll have to answer for my sins but…"
"But nothing. You don't get it," Bruce interrupted. "I'm done. I'm done playing the fool who keeps fighting the monster or villain in a never ending battle. It's over for me; it's time I do something for myself."
Bruce then took one look around the room.
"Good luck in your war. Find someone else to be your Savior."
And before anyone could say anything Bruce turned around and exited the room.
Gotham City-2014
"I found some food!" Vandal called as he went inside the basement of the abandoned grocery store they were hiding in.
Andrea dropped the book she was reading and walked over to him.
"I managed to find some fruit this time," Vandal said with a smile as he pulled out a pear. Andrea's eyes widened in delight.
"Where did you get that?" she asked.
"Some of the Sectors already have managed to get crops growing in their territory. They just sent a big shipment for the Joker. Managed to snag one off a supply train."
At the mention of Joker, Vandal noticed Andrea's face grimaced.
He sighed.
"Andrea…"
"What?" she asked.
"What is it?" Vandal prodded. "Every time I mention the Joker you have that look on your face."
"You know my history with the Joker. He took everything from me," Andrea snapped. "There's nothing more."
"I'm not buying it," Vandal warned. "If there's one thing I've been skilled at, it's lying. I've had twenty-five thousand years to practice it to the point I know when someone else is trying to. What is it?"
"I don't want to talk about it," she warned.
Vandal frowned angrily.
"I would think after all this time we've spent together you would trust me," Vandal muttered angrily. "Do you even care for me?"
"Of course I do," Andrea assured.
"Then why don't you ever say it?"
"Say what?"
"Never mind," Vandal dismissed. "I'm just being a fool right now."
Vandal then walked up and pulled Andrea in an embrace.
"What's wrong?" Vandal prodded again.
Andrea sighed before sniffing a little. Vandal noticed a tear rolling down her cheek.
"This is all my fault…"
"What?" Vandal asked.
"This is all my fault," Andrea said again. "Without Joker, none of this would've happened."
"Ra's would've taken over the world then," Vandal remarked. "I've met him before. Trust me, he's not that much different from the Joker despite trying to sweep his methods under the rug of good intentions."
"You don't understand," Andrea said shaking her head. "The Joker would be dead right now if it wasn't for me."
"What are you talking about?"
"Remember how I said the last time I saw Bruce I was chasing after the mobsters who killed my father and Joker was the last one? I didn't tell you that I had caught the Joker and had a chance to kill him. There was no escape for him and I could've ended him."
"What?"
"I had a gun pointed at him! He was cornered!" Andrea cried and broke away to turn away. "I could've killed him!"
"Then why didn't you?" Vandal snapped angrily. Even though Ra's would've probably taken Joker's place, some things would've been different.
"You don't understand," Andrea dismissed. "No one ever will."
"You've killed a lot of people! But for some reason you couldn't kill the Joker? The one man who deserves death above all else?"
"It's not that simple…"
"It is simple! We've both killed people to survive before! Why should Joker be any different!"
"You make it sound like all the blood on our hands is justified!" Andrea shouted back. "You keep using the excuse that we aren't saints; well maybe I don't want to be a killer either anymore! I regret everything I've done! If I could, I'd take it all back! Not killing the Joker is the only thing I don't regret."
"You don't regret letting him go after everything that has happened?"
"I don't regret it because if I killed him, I would've lost myself completely!" Andrea shouted back. "When Bruce saw what I was prepared to do, I realized not only was I dead to him but I was gone forever! I was on the edge of the abyss!"
Andrea then bit her lip in frustration.
"And I still killed people afterwards. But only to survive. I always kept the thought that because I let the Joker live even though I wanted to kill him, I hadn't completely fallen into the darkness. I had hope that because I spared the Joker, maybe eventually Bruce would forgive me."
"It's always about Bruce isn't it?" Vandal snapped. "It's like I've never existed!"
"I never even knew you back then! And it wasn't like that!" she shouted. "I already knew my relationship with Bruce was over the minute he found out what I've done. I destroyed his happiness not once but twice. When I had the Joker cornered there, I knew at the time, no matter what satisfaction I would get for blowing his brains out and sending him to Hell, it wouldn't placate the feelings of guilt I had! I couldn't disappoint Bruce a third time; he deserved better."
"So let me get this straight," Vandal complained. "You could've killed the Joker, Batman's mortal enemy and stopped all this madness. Only you didn't and you don't regret it out of some misplaced loyalty to a man who never understood you."
"I told you it wasn't that simple…"
Vandal interrupted her with a sarcastic chuckle.
"The best part about this is even though you didn't kill the Joker because of Bruce, I bet you right now if he found out what the Joker had done to the world, he would've killed the Joker himself."
"No he wouldn't," Andrea snapped. "You never knew him. How can you be sure?"
Vandal was about to reply that he knew Bruce a lot more than she thought but caught himself. He wasn't keen on telling her the secret he kept from her. He didn't want her knowing that her former lover was still alive. Vandal looked at Andrea with disappointment.
"Don't try to delude yourself that you can be saved by doing one good deed. It won't make up for a lifetime of sin."
"The morality of actions are based on the idea that they are the right thing to do, not because they are supposed to save you," Andrea shot back.
"You can fool yourself all you like Andrea," Vandal warned as he turned around and began to walk away. "You're just like me. You don't care about morality, only survival."
"You make it sound like you can't change either."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Vandal turned around angrily. Andrea wasn't intimidated.
"You know what I mean," she countered.
Vandal took another step.
"I've been the same man I've been for twenty-five thousand years. I'm a survivor. I only look after myself and that's it. Some people call me a savage for that, I see myself as the pinnacle of evolution. Morality is just a crutch, delaying evolution. Look at what happened to mankind? Their attempts at morality led them to ruin like this. But sooner or later, Joker and his allies will fall and I'll still be here. Not because of my healing ability but because I do what I can to survive."
"So you only look after yourself? Then what am I to you?"
Vandal didn't respond to that and instead his eyes widened. He realized he had let his temper take control again.
"I didn't…"
"I see," Andrea muttered darkly. "I'm just some whore to satisfy the needs of the flesh."
"No Andrea…"
"No I understand," Andrea interrupted. "I'm going to bed early, don't wait up for me."
Before Vandal could say anything, Andrea stomped away, leaving Vandal standing by himself, shaking his head sadly.
Gotham City-2009
Bruce walked through the ruins of the GCPD, not even bothering to slow his pace down at all. Even though it was a lot different now that it was partially destroyed and turned into a rebel base, Bruce still was able to navigate through it without second thought. As he went by, more members of the Bat Knights would look at him and mutter to each other. Bruce ignored them though. They were strangers to him chasing after an idiotic dream. He had no attachment or obligation to them. When Bruce came upon what used to be the door of the underground parking lot, he pushed it opened to find outside it was partially underground, buried in the ruined streets. Undeterred he walked towards where he thought he saw some light and kept going until he started going upwards. He soon found himself climbing on top of the destroyed street. In a few seconds he had reached the surface. He then paused to look around at Gotham or what was left of it.
He really felt like he was in a nightmare. All the buildings were half-demolished or rebuilt crudely. Somehow Bruce wasn't surprised by this; Joker would've gotten a kick out of designing the city crudely in his own image. Meanwhile the city was covered in a perpetual fog that gave an overwhelming dirty feel. Gotham always had a dark Gothic quality to it, but this was different. This gave off a feeling of death. Like the city itself had turned into one giant graveyard. Except nothing was properly buried; the dead were left to rot to the elements. Bruce looked up in the sky. Even though Gotham could get hazy at night sometimes, once in a while the stars could be seen peaking through. Not this time though. The sky was heavily polluted, casting a dark shadow that Bruce wasn't even sure if it was day or not. He truly was in a different city right now.
"Do you now see what has happened?" a voice asked.
Bruce turned around and saw behind him stood the man he had hated so much.
"What do you want Vandal?" Bruce sneered.
"I've come to try to talk to you one last time. We really need…"
"No," Bruce cut him off coldly. "Find someone else, I'm done."
"How can you be so heartless like this? After everything, you give up now? Your own children…"
"I have no children," Bruce shot back. "You heard Terry, I'm not their father. My real children died fifty years ago. Along with everyone else I know."
"But you can save them…"
"Save them?" Bruce replied. "How? Do you think even if we succeed going back in time and stopping this, it'll just end? Even if I change the future, another villain will pop up, threaten everything we hold dear and the cycle continues, it never ends."
"I used to think things never end," Vandal pointed out. "Now being mortal, I realize everything ends only once."
"Nothing ever ends," Bruce muttered back. "The fight never ends. Anyone who thinks they can make a difference is fooling themselves, just like me."
"I know you've been through a lot and feel…"
"No, you don't know how I feel!" Bruce snapped angrily. "You've never had to make the sacrifice! You've never had people die for you!"
Vandal didn't say anything and continued to stare at Bruce.
"What would your parents say about this then? How do you think they would react when they learned that you gave up on everyone?"
Bruce's eyes widened before turning into dangerous slits.
"How dare you," Bruce threatened menacingly. "You have no idea what you're talking about."
"Oh I do, Bruce, I do," Vandal remarked and yanked the golden locket hanging around his neck.
He then tossed it to Bruce who caught it. Bruce opened it to find staring back at him was a younger version of himself and Andrea smiling happily.
"Andrea told me everything, Bruce. We found each other not long before the world was destroyed. She and I tried to help each other since we were both lost souls that needed to find something. We were together for ten years. She told me everything about you."
Vandal then took a step closer and Bruce saw the old man was showing pain in his face.
"She told me how everything you did was in the name of your parents. You needed to make their deaths matter so that's why you kept fighting. You made a vow by their grave, and now you're going to break that vow because you're tired?"
Bruce angrily lunged towards Vandal and grabbed him by the shoulders. Vandal showed surprise at the sudden aggression but didn't fight back at all.
"You have no right to bring them up!" Bruce snapped. "You want to know the truth? My parents didn't die because of some random mugging; they died because I let them!"
Vandal looked confused by that. Bruce had calmed down a bit and had let the man go before turning around and taking a deep sigh.
"My previous jump, I ended up right in Gotham around the time they died. I learned the truth about their deaths. An old mobster hired a mugger to intimidate my father. The mugger wasn't even supposed to kill them, but he did anyways. They didn't need to die but they did."
Bruce then began to shake slightly.
"I've spent my whole life trying to make my parents' legacy matter. I thought if I could prevent someone else from getting murdered like them, I would honor their memory. Now I know the truth; they died because of me."
"It's not your…"
"I was pretending to be a detective at the time they died! My partner and I convinced my father to go against the mob! We put a target on his back when he just wanted to be left alone! But worst of all, I still could've stopped the murder and I didn't! Why? Because I had to protect the timestream, all for the 'greater good.'"
Bruce then took a step towards Vandal angrily.
"I learned the truth. Batman was born because two innocent people were abandoned to die! My whole life has been based on a lie! My family's dead because I sacrificed them to the greater good. And now look what it has gotten me!"
Bruce then beckoned to the ruined city around him.
"Nothing! The whole world is destroyed and my parents died for nothing! Everyone else I know is dead as well!"
"I know you're angry Bruce," Vandal responded in a calmer voice than Bruce's. "But I know you. You fight for others because that's what you are. You are Batman…"
"Not anymore," Bruce retorted and turned around. He was about to walk away when he remembered the locket in his hand.
"What happened to Andrea?" Bruce demanded suspiciously.
"What?"
"Andrea. What happened to her?"
Vandal didn't say anything and for a second Bruce thought he was going to have to force an answer out of him. But finally Vandal bowed his head sadly as he let out a whisper.
"She's gone."
"What?" Bruce asked. He couldn't hear Vandal.
"She's gone. It's been fifty years, what do you expect?" Vandal asked with bitterness in his voice.
"Did you kill her?"
Vandal didn't say anything and looked at Bruce. Bruce turned around and angrily stomped away.
Gotham City-2019
The Phantasm limped along the street. She was losing so much blood she could hardly stay awake. She needed to reach her home. Vandal would be there. He could help. He always did.
"Yugghh…" she groaned and collapsed to the ground. She didn't have much time, she had to hurry. Her breathing was rattled. The mask was suffocating her. Rapidly she pried the metal mask off her face. She coughed and tried to breathe in more air as her vision got murky.
"Vandal!" she cried in desperation before she blacked out.
Andrea's eyes shot open. She bolted up and realized she was sitting on a bed. She quickly looked to see there was an empty IV bag next to her, stained with blood. She sighed with relief. She knew what had happened. Vandal must've heard her cries outside their hideout and rushed her in. She looked down to find her wound completely gone. Her skin flawless as always. Having an immortal's blood transfused into her was the best medical treatment she ever received. Sighing with relief, she got out of bed and almost lost her balance.
She always felt a little groggy whenever Vandal transfused some of his special blood into her. It wasn't the first time it happened. Vandal wanted to keep her eternally youthful like him so once a month he would inject some of his blood into her to stop her from aging. Unfortunately that didn't make her invincible like him and would require him to inject more of his blood whenever she was mortally wounded. It was the first time in a while though since she had been seriously injured. Walking outside of her room, she stepped out to find Vandal was hunched over, washing some tools at the sink.
"Vandal?" Andrea spoke to announce she was awake.
Vandal immediately turned around to find her standing there. Andrea was expecting him to show signs of relief but instead she was facing a look of anger.
"What happened?" Vandal demanded.
"What?" Andrea asked, put off by his angry tone.
"What happened?" Vandal demanded a second time. "How did you get hurt?"
"I was getting food for us!" Andrea snapped. "They got lucky and caught me!"
"You never get caught," Vandal snapped, seeing right through her lie. "You can sneak by even me with my heightened senses. What happened?"
Andrea frowned. There was no way around it. Vandal was too good at sniffing out lies.
"Fine. There was an incident," she explained vaguely.
"What incident?" Vandal asked, snarling at her lack of cooperation.
"Some of Joker's goons had captured a little boy. I distracted them so he could escape. One of them was wearing those new battle suits and shot me…"
"What?" Vandal asked angrily.
"It's alright, look!" she shouted lifting up the gown to show she was completely unharmed. "Not a scratch!"
"My gift to you is no good if you die before you get to me!" Vandal snapped.
"Fine I'll make sure not to die next time!" she snapped.
"That's not what I'm talking about! You broke the rules!"
"Your rules!" Andrea corrected.
"Considering I'm the one who's been keeping us alive, my rules are your rules!" he snapped. "You interfered knowing full well you aren't supposed to!"
"He was a child Vandal!"
"Thousands of children die every day because of the Sector Leaders! What makes this one special?"
"It doesn't matter, he was still a child! He didn't deserve to die!"
"There's no room for morality in these times Andrea," Vandal warned. "Do you realize what you could've done? You might've alerted Joker or his cronies to where we've been hiding. My gift doesn't create an indestructible shield around us. They can still catch us."
"So we sit by while everyone else dies?"
"It's what we've been doing our whole lives. Why change now?"
Andrea looked at Vandal with disgust. Tears were forming in her eyes.
"You're wrong," she whispered.
"What?"
"You said we only understood each other. You're wrong. Not even you understand me."
"What are you talking about?"
"My whole life has been a lifetime of sin! Has it ever crossed your black heart that sometimes I rather die doing one good deed instead of staying alive while living with a lot of guilt and regret?"
Vandal looked at her unsure.
"I stayed with you because I thought we could help each other. But I was wrong. You're right, you are a monster. You're a selfish brute who only cares about himself. You don't have a heart!"
Andrea then stood tall and defiant.
"You're nothing more than a bitter man who's incapable of compassion. I was so wrong about you…"
"Andrea…"
"Save it Vandal. You're not the man I thought you could be…"
"You're not perfect either!" Vandal snapped back angrily.
"No, but at least I express remorse for my actions and am still capable of showing care to someone else. I'm willing to change. You aren't. All you care about is yourself and that will never change."
Vandal took a step forward menacingly. Andrea saw something different in his eyes. A manic look of animal anger.
"I knew you never cared about me! It's all an act!"
"What?"
"You just wanted to be with me because I'm immortal!" Vandal said angrily. "You knew I could protect you!"
CLANK!
Vandal then violently threw the tools he was cleaning against the wall.
"Hahaha," Vandal laughed madly. "It looks like the master of deception and lies got fooled himself! It was all an act wasn't it?"
"What?" Andrea asked.
"You always loved him isn't it? You always loved Bruce!"
"Bruce has nothing to do with this! You're selfish greed is blinding you to the truth"
"You just used me! I should've known!" Vandal interrupted.
"You really are insane!" Andrea shot back. "And I feel sorry for you!"
"You should feel sorry for yourself!" Vandal screamed back. "I want you out of here!"
"What?"
"GET OUT!" Vandal shouted. "NOW!"
Andrea was a little taken aback by his sudden aggression but then her face frowned as her eyes turned murderous.
"Gladly!" she shouted back. "The way I see it, I might as well stay with the Joker! You're just as bad as him!"
"I've survived being the same man for thousands of years," Vandal replied. "I don't need to change."
Andrea had tears forming in her eyes.
"If it's any consolation, I did actually care for you, but your own selfishness has blinded that from you. I now see what you really are. You're nothing more than an animal. You aren't a man."
Andrea then turned around to walk away but looked over her shoulder.
"I'll be gone before you know it, but remember one thing. One day whether it's a thousand years from now or next month, your gift's not going to last. And when you find yourself cornered and broken, ready to die, you're going to realize how alone you really are."
"Get out!" Vandal shouted again, although with less authority in his voice.
Vandal sat down staring at the bed he and Andrea used to share. She was long gone. She had quickly packed the few belongings she had and walked out a few hours ago. Vandal didn't even noticed her walk out. She truly was a master of stealth. Vandal didn't care though. She had been a thorn in his side. She was making him weak. Love was weaknesses. No he didn't love her. She seduced him and he fell for it.
"You're going to realize how alone you really are."
Andrea's last threat echoed in his mind again. Vandal grimaced slightly. He always was alone. People died around him for thousands of years. He was used to it. But why did he feel like there was a hole in his heart this time? He felt a large part of him was missing something. He hadn't felt this way, in frankly forever. Never had someone being gone from his life affect him so much. She had seduced him hard. That evil siren had messed with his mind and emotions. It was all a trick. And to think he used to say he loved her. As if on cue, a memory played back of him facing an angry blonde woman who was forced to grow up and mature early because of his actions.
"No one will ever love you."
"ARRRGH!" Vandal shouted and he kicked the bed over.
BAM!
"NNRRGGHH!" he screamed as he picked up the make shift lamp and threw it against the wall.
CRASH!
He wasn't done yet. He ran outside back to the main area. He then picked up an iron pole from the ruins of his hideout and began to smash everything in sight.
BAM!
SMACK!
CRASH!
CRUNCH!
For hours he went around, completely destroying his hideout. He didn't care if some of the things he destroyed were valuable possessions that made his life more comfortable. He didn't care that he might be making enough noise to attract other people outside. He didn't care. Andrea was gone.
Gotham City-2059
"Terry!" Dana called as she walked up to him. Her eyes were showing a mixture of worry, curiosity, and grief.
"Terry, you alright?" she asked as she reached him.
"Honestly, I could be better," Terry responded. "But we don't got time, I need you to do something."
"What's going on? Who was that man that just stormed out of here? And who was that old man that went chasing after him?"
"Later Dana," Terry warned. "Right now I need you to evacuate this place."
"What?"
"We're going on a dangerous mission. The Bat and a few of us. We have a chance to finally stop this."
"What?"
"I need you to lead the evacuation of everyone not involved in the mission. Make sure to take Lois with you as well. There's a chance we might fail and Sector 1 might retaliate."
"He's never found us before."
"Yes but we've never gone on a mission like this. If we fail, they might finally figure out where we've been hiding and come back here."
"But what about Maxine?"
Terry sighed.
"We'll bury her later. Right now though I need you to take everyone to the Last Haven."
Terry then began to drop the serious look in his face and Dana saw a less confident, nervous Terry.
"Goodbye Dana," he said sadly. This might be the last time he saw her. He resisted the urge to hold her in his arms and never let go again.
"Terry wait," Dana called as he turned around. Terry looked back over and Dana had a conflicted look on her face.
"I-uh, be careful…" she warned.
Terry turned around and walked away. Something in his gut was nagging at him. He was getting the feeling he would never see her again. He was walking along the hallways of the abandoned GCPD when he saw his brother leaning against the wall.
"What is it Matt?"
"What are you doing?" Matt asked suspiciously.
"We, are going on a mission Matt. Our last mission."
"You're going to try to go to the time machine yourself and try to find a way to change the past, aren't you? You heard the Bat talk about the risks."
"Matt, it's the only option we have."
"That's how it always is for you. There's only one choice," Matt replied bitterly.
"Matt please…"
"And you know what happens if the future changes; we probably won't exist anymore."
"Matt please!" Terry snapped angrily. "I'm well aware of that! That's why I was so determined to be aggressive on our attacks. I thought if we could bring down Sector 1, we wouldn't need to go back in time and change the past."
"And look how well that worked out, Max is dead!"
Terry grimaced at the remark.
"I know how you feel…"
"You don't know how I feel Terry!" Matt snapped. "You never did. You were too busy being the Savior Boy."
"I didn't ask for this."
"I'm tired of excuses. Batman's right."
"What?"
"We're fools. We keep fighting an endless battle and have to make sacrifices with diminishing returns. Maxine died and we got nothing! Now you want to risk erasing us from existence for a possible future that you don't know will even be better than this one? Batman's right. There's no point in making sacrifices when nothing changes. I'm done."
Matt then pushed Terry aside.
"Where are you going?" Terry asked.
"I'm going with the only real family I have left!" Matt shot back and walked away.
Terry almost fell back from the insult. It was as if Matt had shot him in the stomach. By the time he recovered Matt was gone, probably forever. Bowing his head in grief, Terry felt tears fall down his face. He promised his dad to take care of his brother. He was told family was everything. Now he lost it all. The only thing he could do to protect Matt was succeed in this mission. It was the only way now. Nonexistence was better than a life like this.
"He'll be back," a voice spoke.
Terry looked up and saw Vandal staring at him with his one eye.
"Where did you come from?"
"I went outside to try to convince Batman to stay. Was on my way back when I saw your brother stomping away. They'll both be back."
"Why?" Terry asked with cynical disbelief. "How can you be so sure?"
"Because we need them," Vandal replied. "Now what's this I hear about you putting together one last mission?"
"I know you wanted to send Batman back in time but clearly he doesn't care about helping. I'm going to send myself or some type of message back in time through that machine. It's the only option we have left."
"As much as I appreciate your dedication," Vandal remarked. "I'd advise against doing that right now."
"I don't care!" Terry snapped. "I'm taking control of our destiny. I'm not going to wait around for some savior to do the job."
"That's not what I'm talking about. To get the time machine working, you need a rare element to power it. If this was fifty years ago, we probably would be able to rely on the power reserves but they've long been depleted due to years of inaction. We need to jump start it ourselves."
"What?"
"There's an element know as tridium. A very powerful metal filled with so much energy per gram. You'd need about a pound of it to power the time machine. And right now, there's only one place I know in the world that has that amount."
"What?"
"There's an old S.T.A.R. Labs base in Bludhaven that should have it. Unfortunately I haven't been able to unlock the doors until recently."
"What do you mean?"
"All that stuff you sent me that included the blue prints of the time machine had the codes to enter the S.T.A.R. Labs base in Bludhaven. With Batman here, it's now time for us to start the beginning of the end."
"That's another thing I want to talk about," Terry butted in. "What do we call you now? Do you still want to be called the Bat or Vandal?"
Vandal paused for a second before answering.
"I think the time is now for me to come out of hiding. Therefore I think it's appropriate to be called by my old name," Vandal said as he put on his mask.
"Deathstroke."
Gotham City-2019
Vandal cut through the destroyed alleyways. He went on a foraging mission to find food. Of course due to his ability he didn't have to necessarily be as afraid but still, he preferred not getting captured and relied on stealth. He never went back the same way to his hideout twice in one week. Never good to leave a pattern or trail for someone to follow. He was about halfway there when he heard a disturbance.
"Go fuck yourself!" a female voice shouted. A female voice that sounded familiar.
"You are in violation of Sector 1's registration rules!" another voice called out.
"Registration? Like there's a government still around!"
"Take them!" the voice ordered.
"Leave them alone, they're just children!"
Vandal paused. That voice sounded so familiar. Could it be? Did she come back? Quickly Vandal ran towards the source of the voice. Had Andrea returned? He was in such a hurry he wasn't even thinking what he would do when he saw her again. He turned around the building and stopped in his tracks. Four of Joker's lackeys in their crude battle suits had surrounded a small group of refugees. Immediately Vandal's heart sank when he realized that Andrea was not among them. Instead the source of the voice that was similar to Andrea's was a middle aged woman with black hair and strikingly violet eyes. Even though she was showing age, she still had some beauty to her. She had a couple of children and teenagers behind her whom she was protecting.
"You'll have to get through me!" she shouted.
"You're a fool," the leader taunted.
Vandal sighed, turned around and walked away. This wasn't the first time he watched survivors get captured or killed by Joker's servants. He usually just would ignore it and remind himself that it was them or him. It was that simple. He began to walk away when he heard the woman scream in pain.
"ARRRGH!" she screamed.
"We aren't going to let you die yet," the leader explained. "We're going to have some fun!"
"Lois!" one of the children cried.
"Stay back Tommy!" Lois warned. "It's going to be alri-agghhhh!"
She screamed again as the battlesuit thugs shocked her.
Vandal closed his eyes at the sound. He remembered why Andrea left. She had risked her life for a child, just like how this woman had tried to protect the children she now watched over.
"Somebody help!" one of the children cried.
"Where's Superman Lois?" another complained. "You said he always comes!"
The leader laughed at that remark.
"There is no Superman anymore. Tell them Lois."
"Go to-AAAIIIIY" she screamed again as they tortured her.
The leader gave a sadistic laugh.
"There's only us now…."
CRASH!
"ARRGGH!" one of the thugs in the battlesuit collapsed in pain as a metal rod stuck out from the other side. Electricity began to shoot everywhere around him. The three remaining thugs turned around to find standing in the middle of the street was an angry looking man with a wild look in his eyes.
"You want some fun?" Vandal shouted. "Come get me!"
"Idiot," the leader remarked and pointed his right arm of the battle suit at Vandal.
BANG!
A bullet shot out and hit Vandal in the chest. He fell back down.
"No!" Lois gasped.
"Let that be a learning lesson for the children," the leader spoke. "There are no heroes…"
"Nope, just me," a voice spoke defiantly. In shock the thugs turned around to see Savage getting up to his feet smiling.
"You want to try that again?" he teased before charging at them angrily.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
They shot bullets at the charging man and although it did slow him down, ti didn't phase him,. He kept coming at them like a charging rhino. He then went to the next thug closest to him.
CRUNCH!
Using his strength, Vandal stabbed the pole into the battlesuit like he did to the previous one. The thug in the suit screamed in pain as he crumbled to the ground with electricity zapping everywhere.
"Nrrghh!" one of the thugs cried as he lunged and aimed a punch at Vandal's face.
BAM!
Vandal fell backwards, feeling a little dizzy. He looked over to see that Lois and the children had taken advantage of his distraction and ran away. Smiling he got up to his feet.
"Why won't you die?" the other thug cried and lunged at him. Vandal ducked and slid under the suit, pulling out a knife. The thing about these crude battlesuits, they had a soft underbelly and a few wires that if cut, would shut it down. Vandal easily jammed his knife in that spot.
CLICK!
ZAP!
"Argggh!" the thug cried as his suit shut down and he collapsed to the ground. That left one standing, the leader.
"ARGGH!" the leader cried and unleashed a series of rapid punches with his crude battle suit at Vandal's face.
BAM! BAM! WHACK!
Even with the force of something three times the strength of man, Vandal barely flinched and took the blows while only letting a few groans of pain escape him. The leader stopped and backed away, expecting Savage to collapse but instead the man was staring at the leader with a wicked gleam in his eyes. All the bruises and cuts on Vandal's face began to heal instantly as his nose snapped back into place.
"What are you?" the leader cried in shock.
"I'm Vandal Savage!" he roared angrily and charged at the leader. He was going for the kill…
ZAP!
"ARRGH!" Vandal cried as a shot of electricity coursed through his body. His nerves were on fire and forced him onto his knees. He tried to struggle but he couldn't move his body. Meanwhile the electricity was going through his brain, forcing him to lose focus. The leader smiled as Vandal writhed in pain. Behind Vandal emerged another thug who had shot the electrical net at Savage. In a few more seconds Savage had collapsed to the ground. Not even his healing ability could stop him from the electrical overload.
The leader walked over to the body of Vandal Savage while the other thug came over as well.
"What do we do with him? He's hard to kill," the thug complained.
"Take him to Joker," the leader commanded. "He'll decide what to do with him."
Unnoticed to the two remaining thugs, in the distance they were being watched by a few sets of eyes. Lois and the children she was protecting gave a sad sigh as their unexpected savior was picked up and taken prisoner.
"What are we going to do Lois?" one child asked. "We got to save him!"
Lois closed her eyes as a tear escaped.
"There's nothing we can do now for him. He got captured trying to help us escape. The best way to honor that is not waste that sacrifice."
Gotham City-2059
"What do you mean an anomaly?" Sector 5 asked on the screen. All the remaining Sector Leaders were having a television conference.
"What you think it means," Sector 1 said coldly. "My men reported that something that looked like a wormhole appeared when they were ambushed by a pitiful Bat Knights attack."
"I warned you about being soft to them," growled the Judge of Sector 2. "You need to attack them head on!"
Sector 1's dead eyes slowly looked over at the screen showing the Judge's two faces.
"The Bat Knights are just gnats," Sector 1 explained. "Just occasionally call pest control and they don't cause much trouble."
"What about Sector 4?" Sector 5 pointed out.
"Crane was an idiot," Sector 1 reminded. "He got himself killed because he couldn't control the Bodach. His death left that power vacuum allowing those Bat Knights there to take control. They aren't a threat though. With the Cat long dead, they don't have the organizational capabilities. Plus there's enough factions leftover from Crane's regime to stir up enough fighting in Sector 4."
Sector 1 then looked at the lower screen.
"Sector 6, I want a larger shipment of your technology this time. I feel like I'll have a lot of bodies which I can convert to slaves by the end of the week."
"Don't change the subject Sector 1!" Sector 5 complained. "What is this anomaly you speak of?"
"I wasn't there, so I can't answer your riddle," Sector 1 explained coolly. "All I know is the Bat Knights might've gotten a hold of themselves a new weapon from New Genesis. I'll be sure Apokolips gives us a few upgrades with the next shipment."
"I still want to talk about the lack of effort you seem to be putting in destroying the Bat Knights in your Sector," the Judge complained. "These cells may be decentralized but we know the main headquarters is in your Sector, probably even Gotham!"
"Are you questioning how I do things in my Sector?" Sector 1 asked, with a thinly veil threat in his voice. "Do I need to keep my Eye on you?"
All the Sector Leaders uncomfortably flinched at that threat.
"Remember you fools, you only have power because of me. I control Brother Eye and be glad I generously allowed you to have your own worlds to rule over. And don't question my capabilities in handling these rebels. If I recall, my Sector was the last one to have them.
Sector 1 then scrolled down the list he was looking at.
"We'll discuss which faction we should support to take control of Sector 3 tomorrow. We want to be sure to pick a real winner. Sector 1 out."
Sector 1 killed the feed and all the screens went blank. He then stood up and stretched. It had been a frustrating day. Not much got done and just a lot of headache.
"Sector 1?" a timid voice asked.
Sector 1 turned around to find his consort standing there, looking at him nervously.
"Will you come to bed with me tonight?" she asked hopefully.
"Not tonight Harleen," he said as he got up and walked past her as if she didn't even exist. "I want to sleep alone tonight."
Sector 1 saw he was standing in a strange mist. The background was fiery orange yet the mist looked like it was blood red. In the background he could hear the faint calls of those crying in pain. A long time ago he would've laughed at the sound but instead he just smiled slightly. He knew what was happening. He was having one of those dreams again.
"Hello my friend," a voice called.
Sector 1 turned around to find himself staring at a large bearded man with handsome dark eyes and an evil grin. The giant man was carrying a helmet under his arms.
"Well if it isn't my imaginary friend," Sector 1 replied sarcastically. "It's been awhile."
Hades smirked and rubbed his chin in interest.
"You've changed quite a lot. I remember you used to be a lot more spontaneous and laughed a lot more."
"Let's just say I've grown up and learned to appreciate the value of having a dry wit over laughing at cheap slapstick thrills. Irony is sometimes more humorous than a joke."
"As much as I would like to debate about the various types of humor, I have a message for you," Hades warned.
"A message?" Sector 1 replied in bored interest. "What now? Last time you spoke to me ten years ago you told me to not attack the Bat Knights' base in Gotham when I figured out where it was. As pitiful as they are, they are becoming quite the nuisance. I have half in mind to just have Brother Eye squash what remains of that old GCPD."
"You make it sound like I've never acted in your interests," Hades replied, acting as if his feelings were hurt. "Haven't I always looked out for you? Didn't I warn you about what Ra's al Ghul would do?"
"Yes and yet you never bothered to explain why you helped me," sector 1 pointed out sharply. "First rule in politics, no one ever does something without a string attached."
Hades laughed.
"So true. Let's just say I'm invested what happens in your Sectors and how it relates to my plot fo revenge against one individual. Don't concern yourself with my affairs. Besides, I have a gift for you."
"A gift?" Sector 1 asked.
"Yes. You know that anomaly your men saw wasn't a new weapon. It was a reaction due to someone traveling form the past."
"What?" Sector 1 asked. "Like time travel?"
"Exactly," Hades remarked. "A hero from your time has accidentally come to the future."
"So what?" Sector 1 asked. "I killed Superman and all the rest. Why should one displaced hero out of time concern me?"
"Because even as we speak, the Bat Knights of Gotham with their leader are planning to use that time machine in that S.T.A.R. Labs base you discovered in Gotham."
"There's a time machine behind those doors we can't open?" Sector 1 asked, suddenly interested in the conversation.
"Oh now you're interested. A few minutes ago, you looked bored."
"Tell me," Sector 1 threatened.
Hades sighed.
"Very well. Yes there is a time machine in that S.T.A.R. Labs base you control and the Bat Knights are aware of it. Even as we speak they are on their way to a S.T.A.R. Labs in Bludhaven to take a rare element to power the time machine in hopes of changing the past. As you can see, neither of us want that."
Sector 1 paused.
"Well that can be arranged. I'll send a squadron to ambush them and crush them. Once I figure out where that particular base in Bludhaven is."
"You shouldn't be concerning yourself with that though," Hades warned. "You should be concerning yourself with the new arrival I mentioned."
"Who is it then?" Sector 1 demanded. "My patience grows thin. Who is this new hero?"
Hades smiled and walked to Sector 1 before leaning in for a whisper.
"The only man you ever feared," Hades whispered venomously.
Sector 1 let out a small chuckle.
"I don't fear anyone," he shot back.
"That's a lie," Hades countered. "There's one man you always were afraid of. You didn't fear that he could harm or kill you, but rather you feared he would outlive you. You always feared his legacy would outdo yours."
Sector 1's eyes widened in shock as understanding reached him but he quickly put on a frown again and looked at the god of death.
"You're lying. He's dead," Sector 1 shot back.
"Believe what you want, I don't care. I'm the god of death so I should know who's alive and not. I've got other matters to attend to now. I have a date tonight," Hades replied while giving a knowing smile.
"Where is he then?" Sector 1 asked. "Where is the person you claim to be Batman?"
Hades smiled as he slowly faded away.
"He's like a lost dog right now. He'll go to the one place he feels secure and safe."
"What?" Sector 1 shouted as Hades disappeared.
"Tell me!" Sector 1 shouted in frustration as his eyes shot open. He turned around and realized that he was back in his bed again. The dream message was over.
"Harleen!" he called loudly. "Get in here! We have work to do!"
Gotham City-2019
Vandal groaned as something rancid was flowing through his sinuses. He almost vomited right there. The fumes were really strong. His eyes shot open and he found something sickly green glowing back at him. He was staring at what looked like a green liquid that was boiling in front of him. It didn't take Vandal long to realize what he was staring at; a Lazarus Pit. He made to move but discovered his arms and legs were restrained to what looked like a wooden board. Meanwhile a chain was wrapped around his torso.
"Nrrggh…" Vandal groaned as he tried to fight through. It was no use. Even if he was willing to break off or lose a few limbs, the chains were tied up too well. There was no way he could escape in one move.
"Glad for you to join us Mr. Savage," an obnoxious high pitched voice called. "I'm a big fan of your work!"
Savage looked down to find himself glaring back at evil eyes on a white face that was plastered in a grin.
"Joker…" Vandal muttered in mild annoyance.
"So you do know me!" the Joker squealed clasping his hands in delight. "I'm honored!"
"What do you want?" Vandal asked. He wanted to stall and see if he could find a way out.
"Well honestly, many things from you. For example, I've been keeping tabs on you when you showed up in Gotham with the Beaumont Babe…"
Vandal's eyes widened in surprise.
Joker got a kick out of that.
"Hahaha, yes. I knew you two were shacking it up in my own city. I didn't do anything about it though because mainly at the moment you two didn't interest me. Speaking of Beaumont, where is she by the way? Did she walk out on you? Or did you kill her? Believe me, I've been tempted to whack off Harley a couple of times…"
"Leave her out of this!" Vandal snapped.
"Oooh, it seems I hit a sore spot. Can it be? Has the once great Vandal Savage been tamed by the beauty? Don't get me wrong, she's quite a looker and I always had a soft spot for her. I could understand why you kept giving her some of your magical blood to keep her alive."
"What do you want for me?!" Vandal snapped angrily. He didn't like it when he was talking about Andrea.
"Now there's the Savage I know and love!" Joker cried gleefully. "There's the animal! I have to admit, I worship you. I mean you're probably one of the few individuals to have killed more people than me."
"If you want me to autograph a knife or something, I'd be more than happy to if you let me go," Vandal replied sarcastically.
Surprisingly Joker's face turned into a frown.
"Only I make the jokes around here," the Joker warned. "But that's not why I finally am interested in you. I'm curious to why after ten years of not doing anything you all of a sudden decided to interfere and attack my own men? Did Andrea put you up to this?"
"She had nothing to do with this. I acted alone."
"But why the change of heart?" Joker asked with disappointment in his voice. "Why after millennia of killing people you finally decide to play the nice guy? Why?"
Vandal didn't say anything and continued to stare at the Joker. He had been asking the same thing himself.
The Joker laughed.
"I know! She had you whipped! It's so funny and sad that I don't know whether to laugh or feel pity for you. The once great Savage has been reduced to a whining weakling. I guess it makes me feel bad about killing you."
"If you're trying to talk me to death, that's a new method someone's tried to kill me with," Vandal shot back darkly.
The Joker's grin widened to levels Vandal didn't even think possible.
"No, I don't plan to talk to you to death. Rather I plan to do something unique," the Joker explained. "I take it you know what's in front of you?"
"A Lazarus Pit," Vandal replied, not scared at all. "Never needed one."
The Joker took a step closer to Vandal.
"We're in the Gotham sewers right now. I plan to use this Pit for emergencies. I used one a few years back so I don't need to bathe in this one yet."
The Joker then reached behind the wooden board as if he was searching from something.
"Did you know the Lazarus Pit gives life to the weak and dead, but takes it away from the fully healthy? Considering your superpower, how do you think the Pit's going to react to you?"
Vandal's eyes widened in shock.
"Oh you didn't know the Pits do that?" the Joker taunted. "Is this the first time you've felt fear for your life?"
"Joker. Maybe we can work something out..."
"Too late!" Joker interrupted and pulled a lever behind the wooden board.
"ARRGH!" Vandal screamed as the restraints let go and he slid into the Pit, with the chains wrapped around him.
"NNNNNRRRRRGGGGHH!" Vandal cried the second he fell into the liquid. His body began to burn everywhere. He tried to focus but found himself blacking out. He could feel the chains around him being dissolved.
"HHMMMMMM!" he screamed as more of the hot liquid fell down his throat. After everything, to die like this. To get killed by a cockroach like the Joker. In desperation Vandal tried to swim to the surface but his body was still burning and stinging all over. He was losing consciousness. He saw Andrea's face staring back at him. She would be the last thing he would ever see…
SPLASH!
"ARRRGH!" Vandal cried as he emerged from the Pit. His body still ached in pain but he was alive. He began to take deep breaths again, breathing rapidly and trying to get as much air as possible. He was alive. His heart was still beating, albeit very rapidly. But he was alive. Joker's plan had failed. He turned around and angrily glared at the Joker. The Joker had a look of mild disappointment.
"Hmm, you're supposed to be dead," he muttered.
"Nrrggh!" Vandal grunted, his animal instincts taking control as he charged out of the pool.
BANG!
"ARRGH!" Vandal cried and clutched his arm. One of Joker's henchmen had shot him there. Not a serious wound but enough to cause pain. Vandal felt the blood trickle out. He glared at the Joker as he waited for the wound to heal…
Except it didn't.
Vandal looked back at the wound when he realized he still felt pain. The bullet wound was still there as more blood oozed out.
WHAM!
"ARGH!" Vandal cried as another henchmen kicked him in the face. Quickly two more came and grabbed him by the arms. Vandal was feeling pain from the wounds. Usually it would go away after the wound healed but they weren't healing this time. He still could feel it. He wasn't used to pain lasting this long after smaller wounds.
"It seems your superpower's last act was to stop the Pit from killing you," Joker mused. "I wonder if I throw you in again would you lose your life this time."
The Joker then looked up in the air dramatically to show he was mulling it over.
"Nah, I think I'm going to enjoy destroying your body more."
The Joker produced a knife out of his hand.
"Say goodbye to your right eye!" he taunted as he plunged the knife into Vandal's eye.
Bruce stumbled along what remained of his once beloved city. Luckily he didn't come across too many sentries of those robotic suited men on his way. He was able to avoid them and hide as they passed by. Despite being destroyed, he still knew every place he could hide. However he was finding himself more fatigue and tired than usual. He felt like he was going to pass out. He was nearing the outskirts of the city when he felt it again.
"ARRRGH!" he groaned as he fell down. It was happening again. His body was on fire as his nerves tingled, causing him to spasm all over the place. More blood was coming from his nose and he was sure he also coughed some of it up. However as usual, as quick as it happened, it was gone. Feeling nauseous, he tried to get to his feet when he found someone blocking his path and staring down at him. It was a woman with wings and violent red hair.
"Shayera?" Bruce gasped in shock and almost lost his balance in his attempt to get up.
"They called me a traitor," Shayera taunted. "Look what you're doing now. You're betraying everything you stood for."
Bruce glared and immediately got to his feet. This was just a hallucination. That last attack he had was muddling his brain. He quickly sidestepped Shayera and walked away. This was all in his head. However his troubles were far from over because in the distance there was someone in a scarlet suit waiting for him. It was the Flash. Again Bruce decided to look forward and ignore the Flash as he walked pass.
"We looked up to you; all of us did! You were an inspiration to us! Even to Terry and the rest! And now you're just going to walk away?"
"I never looked to inspire people anyways," Bruce muttered darkly and kept walking. He could see Green Lantern was standing ahead, waiting for him.
"We came to the future once together to save it; what's different about this time?" Green Lantern demanded.
"There's no point in trying to change the future when it'll just lead to a bad one anyways," Bruce remarked coldly. He could see J'onn was next.
"My whole family was killed in front of me. My whole race is gone. And yet I still find a purpose in fighting for humanity."
"And I'm sorry we wasted your time," Bruce muttered angrily, not bothering to look directly at the Martian. For awhile there didn't seem to be anyone flanking him and he gave a sigh of relief. Thank God it was over. He walked a couple of yards when he heard a voice behind him.
"We used to protect this city together, didn't we?"
Bruce turned around and saw to his surprise was Gordon standing there. What remained of the Gotham City skyline was behind him.
"It's even funnier considering we were partners before there was even a Batman," Gordon noted dryly. "And now you're going to let it all go to waste?"
Bruce closed his eyes in guilt.
"I'm sorry Jim…" he began as he opened his eyes but only found that Gordon was gone. Sighing he turned around only to find Dick staring at him while his own arms were crossed.
"You never give up, Old Man. What changed?" Dick demanded. Bruce realized Dick was in the Batman costume without the cowl.
"I saw how pointless the job was," Bruce replied bitterly. "I'm sorry I forced you in this life."
"I'm not," Dick retorted. "In fact, even though I got killed on the job I have no regrets. You know why? Because I couldn't live with myself if I stood by and let people die. I'm glad I wore the mantle last. At least Batman died while there was someone still man enough to keep fighting under the cowl."
Bruce scowled and turned away. His subconscious was playing tricks on him.
"You died to save me," a voice called. Bruce turned and saw Superman staring at him sadly.
"You sacrificed yourself to save me. You can save us again. Why don't you?"
"I didn't save you," Bruce snapped as tears fell through his eyes. "I delayed the inevitable. You got killed anyways."
"Just because someone eventually will die, does that mean it's not the right thing to save them?"
Bruce turned around and tried to escape the torment he was in. His mind was trying to mess with him. He needed to get out. Unfortunately he sensed a presence behind him. A female presence. Of course she would be the last one.
"Nothing you can say will change my mind Diana," he muttered darkly. "I'm not doing it anymore."
"You loved me, didn't you?" the spectre of Diana asked. Bruce didn't bother to turn around. He probably couldn't keep it together if he looked at her. Even if she wasn't real.
"You did love me. You just refused to admit it. Just like how you refused to be happy. You're not angry because Batman robbed you of a happy life and you didn't get anything out of it. You're angry because deep down, you know you robbed yourself of a happy life and think it's too late to change it."
"I'm done Diana," Bruce warned, still not bothering to look back. "I don't have the fight in me anymore."
"You're right, you aren't Batman anymore," Diana called out. "The real Batman I knew never once made it about himself over others."
Bruce angrily turned around to find Diana was gone. It was then he heard a noise in front of him. A real noise. Alarmed, he turned around ready to react to find himself looking at a familiar face.
"Who are you talking to?" Matt asked curiously.
"What are you doing here?"
"I asked you a question first," Matt protested and crossed his arms. "Who were you talking to?"
"I was just hallucinating. None of your business," Bruce growled. "How did you find me?"
"Well I've lived here for over ten years. I know this city like the back of my hand. Besides, you were talking kind of loud. Good thing we're at the outskirts otherwise the Klunkers would've heard you."
"Klunkers?" Bruce asked.
"It's what we call these battlesuit goons. They really aren't human anymore. Sector 6's mind control technology pretty much erases their minds to be just high functioning computers."
"Why aren't you with your brother?" Bruce asked.
"Because I agree with you," Matt explained. "Too many people have died because Terry and the others keep trying to play the hero. Terry's next scheme just seems to be a load of bull. Besides, you're our father. I wanted to get to know you some more."
"I'm not your father…"
"DNA says otherwise. Like it or not we're related by blood."
Bruce growled at him. He wanted to physically force Matt away but at the same time, he felt like he needed some company. It seemed to be stopping the hallucinations.
"Where are you going?" Matt asked curiously.
"I'm going home," Bruce replied darkly before turning around and walking away. "Keep up if you can."
Gotham City-2019
Vandal couldn't see. Not because he was permanently blind in one eye, but because he had a blindfold on. He knew they had gone across the bay though. He could hear and smell the polluted water earlier. They had been moving on land for some time though.
"Ahh, it's so good to be home!" Joker said as he took a deep breath of air. "Although it looks like it might rain tonight."
The blindfold was taken off of Vandal and he realized they were on Arkham Island. Or what was left of it. The Gothic sinister looking mental hospital was half demolished and never reconstructed. Even Vandal never dared to enter there. Who knows what laid hidden in that forgotten building that had been cursed since the first stones were set.
"This place has a lot of memories to me and I'm not talking about the times I spent locked up or the times I escaped," the Joker explained.
He then walked ahead of Vandal and Vandal noticed he was wearing what looked like a safari outfit complete with a hat.
"But more importantly, this is the sight where the last Police Commissioner of Gotham along with what remained of the Batclan were killed!" the Joker said gleefully.
"After we crashed the Watchtower into Gotham. I came back to this place to find dear Jervis had tortured the poor souls into complete insanity with his technology. It was hard to tell who had killed themselves or had been killed by one of their friends during a fit of madness. Only Batgirl remained."
The Joker then turned to look at Savage.
"You know what she said to me when I approached her so I could put her out of her misery?"
Vandal didn't say anything and glared at him.
"She said 'Why?'" the Joker explained before erupting into a fit of giggles.
"She couldn't believe someone could do something like this. I was surprised she hadn't complete lost her sanity after Jervis's torture drove her own friends and family to murder and madness. She still didn't get it."
Vandal still didn't say anything.
"But you get it don't you Vandal? You understand."
"Understand what?" Vandal asked hoarsely. This was the first time in a while he spoke.
"That we are just animals still. Fighting to survive in this chaotic world. Morality is a joke! A roadblock! We like to think there's a point to all this struggle so we come up with our own moral codes and creeds. The real Batman did and look where it got him! He got killed by an alien tyrant to save the world, only for it to fall into my grasps six months later! That's what Batgirl and the others don't understand. That their whole search for meaning in life has been a gigantic farce!"
The Joker then patted Vandal on the cheek.
"But you always understood that Vandal. You've been around since the beginning. You've seen what morality really is. Nothing more than an illusion."
"Why did you bring me here?" Vandal demanded.
"No respect," Joker muttered angrily before smacking Vandal across the face.
SMACK!
Vandal didn't even react or moan in pain but continued to give Joker the death glare.
"I've grown bored with torturing you. You may be mortal now but your body still heals at a faster rate than most humans, except of course for major wounds," the Joker said while pointing at Vandal's empty eye socket.
"So now I've decided to model the ultimate game, after both of us. The two greatest killers on the planet! The two men who've realized really how sad and pathetic people's attempts have been to stop them from killing each other."
The Joker then stepped forward.
"This will be the ultimate hunt. Joker, the master of Brother Eye will hunt the Most Dangerous Game; Vandal Savage himself."
"What?"
"I mean most people say you're not even human but just a highly evolved animal!" the Joker explained. "I intend to therefore become the ultimate hunter and catch the Great Beast as my prize."
"You're insane," Vandal muttered.
"It's not like you've never hunted men before, am I right Vandal?"
Vandal's silence confirmed the answer. Joker grinned.
"Don't start trying to act like the rest of the world now and say you're different. You're just like me, except I'm much better looking of course."
"I won't play your game…ARRGH!" Vandal screamed as one of Joker's thugs shocked him with a cattle prod.
"You won't have a choice," Joker warned. "I'll give you a five minute head start. Here are the rules. Neither of us are allowed to leave until one emerges carrying the dead body of the other. Or head if the body weighs too much."
The Joker then looked at the thugs he had behind him.
"They will all be outside the reservation to ensure neither of us will escape. Finally here's the last caveat. Since you're injured and have no weapons, I promise I won't use any guns. A knife, crossbow, and crowbar should be enough to do the job."
"I won't play your game…"
"You will Vandal, you will," the Joker remarked. "You'll embrace that animal nature inside you one last time. You'll show what humanity really is."
The Joker then leaned in and whispered.
"Because if you win and kill me, my men will let you go. I know the one thing you've always fought for was survival."
Joker then looked at his men.
"Keep zapping him until he agrees to go inside. Once he does, start the countdown. This will be the Hunt of the Century!"
Gotham City-2059
"Is everybody ready?" Terry asked. They were outside the alleged S.T.A.R. Labs base of Bludhaven. Terry had with him a small team consisting of Lobo, Nelson and two others. Deathstroke was there himself as well.
"Let me put in the codes," Deathstroke warned as he began to type it in.
"Lobo you go first," Terry ordered.
"Why do I always go first?" Lobo complained.
"Because I've seen you literally have a building collapse on you and still survive."
"It's not fair bein' awesome all the time…" Lobo muttered angrily and stepped up front.
BEEP!
Hissss!
CREAK!
The old doors began to slide open. Lobo stepped inside.
"Really stinks in 'ere!" he complained. "I like it!"
"Can you see anything?" Terry asked.
"The lights should be coming on soon," Deathstroke warned.
"What do you think is in here?" Nelson asked Terry as they all began to step inside the base. The lights began to flicker on revealing a dead body ina lab coat next to Nelson.
"Shit!" Nelson cried.
"Calm down Nelson," Terry warned, undisturbed by the sight of a dead body. He was used to seeing them.
"We're only here for the tridium. Once we grab it, we must go."
Terry however wasn't paying attention to Deathstroke and was looking at Nelson as the lights flickered on.
"Who knows what's down here? Weird experiments, some new battle suits or…"
"MY BIKE!" Lobo cried loudly.
"Lobo shut up!" one of the Bat Knights warned.
"What?" Terry asked in confusion and saw what Lobo said was true. Sitting in the center of the base on a pedestal was what looked like a giant motorcycle that came from space. It had a giant skull on the front and what looked like a ridiculous grappling hook hanging onto the side. Terry also noticed it seemed to be slightly taking apart as if someone had been fiddling around with it.
"What have they done with ya?" Lobo cried as he began to run up to his precious Hog.
The Bat Knights and Deathstroke watched in amazement as the grizzled bounty hunter alien jumped onto the pedestal and began to caress the bike while tears fell down his eyes.
"It's okay baby, I'm here. Lobo won't let them hurt ya…"
"Lobo are you crying?" Nelson asked.
"Am not!" Lobo denied.
"Wish he get this sentimental when one of us got hurt," Nelson muttered bitterly.
"At least one of us is happy," Terry remarked, slightly amused by the scene.
"I'll put ya back together baby!" Lobo cried. "Don't worry!"
"The rest of you spread out!" Vandal ordered. He had taken off his mask. "We need to find the tridium!"
Gotham City-2019
Lois looked both ways before crossing the deserted street. She had managed to find a haven for her refugees inside the ruins of the GCPD. Hopefully it would provide some security and stability for them because they would need it. She designated one of the older children to supervise the rest while she went out looking for food. Due to the fact most of Sector 1 was in despair, Gotham seemed the only place in Sector 1 that would have some semblance of civilization. And crossing the borders into other Sectors was out of the question. So Lois had to make a decision and try to make a life with her children in Gotham. She currently was walking towards where she saw a few of the Joker's thugs camping the other night behind what used to be the Gotham Bank. Hopefully she could find some scraps. She was walking through an alleyway when she heard a rustling. Lois immediately jumped in shock and turned around.
"Who's there?" she demanded, trying to not show fear even though she had no way to protect herself.
"It's okay," a female voice not unlike hers called out. "I'm a friend."
Out of the shadows stood a woman with fiery red hair and piercing blue eyes. Lois noticed she was carrying a bag over her shoulder and was strikingly beautiful. She looked about a decade younger than Lois.
"Do you need some food?" the stranger asked.
"Not really me," Lois admitted. "But the children I take care of could sure use some."
The woman opened the bag and pulled out a smaller bag.
"It's not much but it should feed them for the day," the woman explained.
Lois's violet eyes lit up.
"Thank you," she said as tears fell through her eyes. At least there was still some compassion in this world.
"How can I repay you?" Lois asked.
"I'm looking for someone," the woman explained.
"Who?" Lois asked in curiosity.
The woman sighed.
"I know this sounds crazy but have you ever seen a man who cannot be killed and heals from any wound?"
Lois's eyes bulged.
"You mean Vandal Savage?" Lois asked.
"You know him?"
"Yes," Lois explained. "I mean I remember seeing him on TV threatening the world years ago. But we saw him a few months ago. The children I take care of, we were cornered by some of Joker's goons. And then he came to our rescue."
"He what?" the woman asked in shock.
"He rescued us. He fought them off so we could escape. I knew who he was after I saw him healing instantly from his wounds."
The woman was looking at Lois with disbelief.
"Vandal Savage went out of his way to help you?"
"Yea I know, I didn't see it coming either," Lois admitted.
"Where is he now?" the woman demanded.
"Why do you care?" Lois asked suspiciously.
The woman paused before looking guilty.
"Because…I owe him," she explained.
"Owe him what?"
"Look I know this sounds insane but I met him not too long before the Apocalypse of '09. I was lost, trying to find meaning in my life and he was there for me. I know what man he was and what he's done, but he still was there for me. With my life a mess and the world going to hell, it was nice having someone you could count on…"
"I understand," Lois replied sympathetically.
"And then I walked out on him not too long ago. I reasoned he was still a monster and I didn't want him to taint me anymore as I tried to make my life better. But then I realized something. He's the reason why I wanted to change and be a better person. He saved me from falling into despair and now it's my turn to save his soul. I can't give up on him now and will prove him wrong. He can be saved as well. He's not a monster."
The woman then looked at Lois with determination.
"That is why I want to find him. Where is he?"
"I'm sorry…" Lois whispered.
"What?" the woman asked.
"He's gone," Lois explained.
"Gone?" Andrea asked in shock. "What do you mean?"
"They overpowered him. Even with his ability they were able to capture him. There was nothing I could do, I'm so sorry. I had to protect the children…"
The woman placed a comforting hand on Lois's shoulder.
"You did nothing wrong. Take me to where I can find some of Joker's thugs."
"That's him!" Lois cried, pointing ahead. She had led Andrea to a typical hideout where most of the Joker's goons would take a break at. The one leader who Vandal attacked was there with a few others. None of them had their battlesuits on because they were on a break and would complain how uncomfortable they were.
"That one?" Andrea asked with disbelief.
"That's the leader of the ones that took him!" Lois assured. "I remember that ugly face."
Lois then looked at Andrea with uncertainty.
"What are you going to do?"
Andrea opened her bag and pulled out what looked like a thick gray cloak and iron skull like mask. Lois also noticed a scythe looking glove as well.
"Wait here," she whispered and in a matter of seconds she had put on the cloak and costume. Before Lois could say anything, a thick cloud of smoke engulfed both of them. Lois choked on it and coughed and by the time it cleared away Andrea was gone.
"Now that's some disappearing act," Lois muttered sarcastically. She then looked over to watch the leader and the four goons he was with.
"You hear something?" one of the goons asked nervously.
"You're just imagining things," the leader assured. "Nothing here but rats."
"What's with this fog?" another asked, noticing the gray smoke that was coming out of nowhere.
WHACK!
"Arrgh!" one cried as something behind him dragged him into the fog.
Immediately the thugs all stood up.
"Tom?" one asked nervously as a figure seemed to emerge from the fog.
"Not Tom," the figure whispered in a hoarse voice as it stepped into the moonlight. "Only death."
What happened next was a bit confusing from Lois's point of view. The shadowy figure then disappeared in the smoke as many of the goons panicked. As the smoke grew thicker and the sound of fighting was heard, by the time it cleared away, the leader was on his back with a scythe like weapon pointed on his neck.
"Oh God!" the leader complained. "I surrender!"
"Where is Vandal Savage?" the Phantasm demanded. "Tell me or I'll slit your throat…"
WHAM!
In shock the Phantasm turned around to find one thug who tried to sneak up on her lying unconscious with Lois holding a wooden board over her shoulder.
"I gotcha back girlfriend," Lois assured.
"What?" the leader asked, surprised his attacker was a female.
"Where's Savage?" the Phantasm demanded and put a little pressure on his throat so it would draw a little blood.
"Alright! Alright!" the leader begged. "He's at the old Arkham Island right now. Joker took him there! Said something about a hunt!"
"What do you mean? Explain!"
"Joker found a way to make him mortal now!" the leader shouted. "Now he's just like the rest of us!"
The leader finally put on a defiant, taunting smile.
"Let's see how tough he is without his gift!"
WHAM!
The Phantasm knocked out the leader and looked at Lois. She took off the mask.
"I need to get to Arkham now," Andrea commanded.
"They have motor boats!" Lois explained. "They often lead them unguarded because they can't go far! I can take you!"
The two women quickly began to run.
"Were you going to actually kill him?" Lois asked nervously.
"I was bluffing," Andrea responded. "I'm too old to be killing people now."
Lois helped Andrea get in the boat. Luckily they managed to find one with plenty of fuel and no sentries around the area.
"This should get you to the island," Lois explained, checking the fuel level. "And just enough to make it back."
"Thank you," Andrea replied. "Why are you doing this?"
"What?" Lois asked.
"You've been more than just helpful to me. Why? Why risk your life to help me?"
Lois sighed.
"Do you love him?" Lois asked.
"What?" Andrea stumbled, completely caught off guard by the question.
"Do you love him?" Lois asked again.
"I-uh…" Andrea paused.
Finally she bowed her head in defeat.
"I do love him! He thinks I never told him that because I didn't love him, but it's really because I was afraid to love again. Afraid I would hurt myself. But I can't help it. Despite everything that he's done, I know he's a good man underneath it all and is worth saving. That's why I love him."
"That's why I'm helping you," Lois explained. "I, like you, was in love with someone who I then walked out on. He was being an idiot and hurting me and I couldn't handle it. Now I see that I should've stayed with him, for better or worse. Love means being there for your soul mate even when they are at their worst because that's when they need you the most. It's too late for me but not for you. Go and save him! Do it for me!"
Andrea sniffed as a few tears fell down her eyes. She then embraced Lois tightly.
"Thank you," Andrea whispered.
"Go save him; and tell him that you love him."
Andrea broke the embrace.
"I must get back to the children," Lois said regretfully. "Good luck."
Gotham City-2059
"Keep looking!" Vandal snapped. He and the rest of the Bat Knights were trying to find the tridium. Terry meanwhile was helping Lobo put his bike back together.
"That should do it," Lobo commented. "Let's hear her purr again."
Lobo flipped the ignition switch and the bike lit up.
VRRRRROOOOOOOM!
The bike hummed and sputtered. It then glided over to Lobo and nudged the alien, as if recognizing its master.
"She remembers me!" Lobo cried happily. "Woo-hoo!"
Lobo then hopped on the bike.
"Come on girl, let's get off this rock!"
"So that's it then?" Terry asked with slight resentment in his voice.
"What?" Lobo responded in confusion.
"You leaving?"
Immediately Lobo's delightful face turned into a slight frown.
"Well ya see…"
Terry shook his head.
"It's alright Lobo. We had a deal. You found your bike now you can leave."
Terry turned around to try to help the others look for the tridium.
"Terry wait," Lobo called. Terry looked back and saw that Lobo looked clearly uncomfortable. Almost as if he was passing a kidney stone.
"Look pal, I don't usually say this to anyone, but ya Geeks weren't actually that half bad."
"From you I take it as a compliment," Terry shot back.
"Don't ya tell anyone I said that or I'll frag ya!" Lobo warned even though he was grinning. He then offered his hand.
"Good luck savin' the world Kid!"
Terry shook his hand.
"You're not going to stick around, see if we can get the time machine working?"
"Can't kid. Gotta go into the sky and be free; that's what I do. But if ya plan somehow works, can ya send a note and make sure they bail me out of jail? I think I paid my dues."
Terry nodded.
"Will do. Take care of yourself Lobo. I guess that's what you're best at isn't it?"
"That's right," Lobo grinned before revving up his bike.
VRRRRROOOOOOOOOM!
"SO LONG GEEKS!" Lobo cried and sped off out of the door. His Hog still echoing madly.
"Is he insane?" one of the Bat Knights complained. "That noise will attract them!"
"Doesn't matter," Vandal spoke. "We found the tridium."
Terry and the other three Bat Knights turned around to see Vandal pointing at a glass container that contained a strange golden looking rock.
"We have to be careful, Nelson give me a hand," Vandal ordered.
Terry then looked at the other two Bat Knights.
"Go outside and provide security. We'll be out in two minutes."
The Bat Knights nodded and quickly exited the building. Terry looked and noticed the body that had startled Nelson earlier. Now that he was actually looking at the body he realized something was off about it. Terry quickly walked over to the body and noticed there was a name stitched on the lab coat.
Dr. Emil Hamilton.
Emil? Wasn't that his middle name? It was then Terry noticed the skeleton was holding what looked like a tape recorder. Terry didn't even know those were still around. Cautiously he pried the tape recorder out of the skeleton's grasp. He examined it and realized it had been played all the way through. Terry quickly let the recorder rewind a bit before playing to listen to the recording.
"This is Dr. Hamilton…" a voice wheezed weakly. "Before I go on, whoever gets this message, please tell my children I love them."
Terry closed his eyes in sympathy.
"I've done it. I've finally reached the base in Bludhaven. Although at a great cost. I'm the only survivor of my team. The rest have been killed and I've been shot. I don't know how much time I have left but I'll be brief."
Terry was listening to the tape with interest, not paying attention to his surroundings.
"We built Brother Eye to protect the world, not destroy it. We are Frankenstein right now. Our own monsters haunting us. We were fools. We didn't think of a fool proof failsafe. Now it's in enemy hands. But I've figured out a way to destroy it."
Terry's eyebrows rose in interest.
"Brother Eye is invisible and can't be tracked. However it has one weakness. Brother Eye was made of technology from different alien crafts. Specifically one that powers the laser. When the laser's turn on, Brother Eye can be tracked. At first I didn't know how to track it but I figured it out. The answer is so simple and was here this whole time. Not only do we have the technology that can track Brother Eye when the laser is activated but we can destroy it as well with the same piece of technology although at a great price."
Terry began to look around. There was a weapon that could destroy Brother Eye in this base right now?
"I'm running out of time. But the technology is…GGGGSSSSSSKKKK!"
The tape had gone dead. Frantically Terry kept hitting play in hopes it would start again.
"What is it?" Terry demanded. "Tell me!"
The tape recorder still remained dead. Terry was about to swear and throw the tape recorder against the wall when he heard a disturbance outside.
ZAP!
ZAP!
"Arggh!"
Terry sprang to his feet. They had been there too long.
"What the hell is that?" Nelson asked and started running to Terry carrying his weapon.
"They've found us!" Terry said with alarm. He then looked at Nelson. "You go over there to provide cover fire while I…"
ZAP!
"ARRGH!" Nelson cried as he felt back from the blast that had shot him in the heart.
"NO!" Terry cried as his comrade in arms lied dead on the ground.
"Halt in the name of Sector 1" a human robotic voice ordered. Terry looked up to see two Klunkers had entered the base, pointing their weapons at him. In a panic Terry turned around expecting Vandal to do something only to his shock to find there was no sign of the man, or the tridium he had been collecting.
Gotham City-2019
Vandal kept running through the ruins. He could hear the Joker's taunting laughter. If he could only find a place to ambush the clown. But he was at a disadvantage. He had no weapons and Joker was stacked. Not to mention the Joker knew the abandoned asylum way more than Vandal did. Vandal was relying on his old primal instincts. His smelling and hearing was allowing him to be a few steps ahead of the Joker. But that wasn't his only problem. He was feeling very tired. The Joker had kept him prisoner and had barely fed him, let alone, allow him to exercise. Vandal felt very weak and sick. If it wasn't for the primal instinct to survive, he wouldn't be able to probably move anymore. He was losing the will to live.
WHACK!
An arrow whizzed by Vandal's head and embedded in the wall, shaking violently.
"Damn it! I missed!" Joker complained.
Vandal ran.
"Don't worry! I got plenty of more!" the Joker called out as Vandal ran. He was running through the maze of destruction he wasn't paying attention to the fact that he was walking on a weak floorboard.
CRASH!
"ARRGH!" he cried as the floor gave way and he fell through onto the next floor.
SLAM!
"Ungggh…" Vandal groaned. He felt like he was losing conscious. His world was leaving. He was pretty sure he sprang an ankle.
"This is who you really are," a female voice taunted.
Vandal looked over and saw Andrea was looking at him with disgust.
"Andrea!" Vandal cried weakly.
"You're just an animal begging to be put down!"
"No!" Vandal protested.
"I can't believe I thought you were a man," she said without pity.
"Please don't go!"
"I was right. You'd one day find yourself weak and realize how alone you really are!" she taunted as she began to fade away.
"Andrea!" Vandal called as he reached out to her. But she had disappeared. It was too late.
"Andrea!" Vandal called again and got to his feet. But it was no use. She was gone, and he was alone, just like she predicted.
"No…" Vandal weakly cried and collapsed to his knees. The will to survive evaporating by the minute as his grief took control and his body shut down from the fatigue, dehydration, and pain. She was gone. There was no point of living.
Andrea watched from the distance as the sentries patrolled the outside. She counted at least ten of them. Subconsciously she clutched the locket she still had hanging on her neck. She could feel it and it gave her comfort.
"Hahahaha!" she could hear the Joker's faint laughter echoing inside. She needed to hurry. But first she needed to take out the guards.
"I'm coming Vandal," she promised and kissed the locket. She then put on the mask and began to produce her smoke.
"Where the hell did this fog come from?" one of the sentries asked as he didn't notice the Phantasm sneaking behind him.
CRUNCH!
The Joker kicked open the door and looked around, ready to shoot his crossbow. He found his target. There was Vandal Savage, on his knees, hunched over. He didn't seem to even notice Joker had barged in. Gleefully Joker put his finger on the trigger of the crossbow. As if on cue, Vandal finally looked over and noticed the Joker and the clown hesitated for a second, waiting to see how Vandal would react. To his surprise though Vandal looked away again, keeping his back still towards the Joker, as if inviting the clown to shoot him. The Joker took that as a sign of disrespect and angrily pulled the trigger, letting the arrow fly.
WHACK!
"ARRRGH!" Vandal gave an inhuman growl as the arrow embedded in his shoulder. Joker dropped the crossbow as he ran up to his prey. The clown then pulled out the crowbar.
WHACK!
He smacked the former immortal as he weakly tried to get up.
"I have to say I'm disappointed!" Joker complained as he whacked Vandal again.
BAM!
Vandal fell backward into a door and stumbled outside into an open area in the middle of the facility.
"Fight back!" Joker complained and waited for Vandal to get up. The man weakly got to his feet after a few stumbles. Joker lost his patience and charged at him.
WHAM!
"ARRGH!" Vandal groaned and fell even more backwards. It had begun to rain violently outside. A large thunderstorm was echoing in the background. Neither cared though. Joker stood tall, holding his crowbar while Vandal cowered like a whipped dog.
"I came here to fight the Great Savage!"
Angrily Vandal tried to get up and lunge but Joker beat him back.
"You're not even putting up a fight!" Joker called as Vandal struggled to get to his feet. Vandal began to slowly back away.
WHAM!
"This is a big let down," Joker muttered. He swung the crowbar again. Vandal pitifully tried to block it.
WHACK!
"Argh!" Vandal cried.
POW!
Joker kicked him forward, opening the door to the Arkham auditorium and sending Vandal tumbling down the steps.
"What's the matter Vandal? You want to die? You want me to put you out of your misery?"
Vandal groaned and tried to get up but couldn't.
Joker looked at him with disgust and threw away the crowbar.
"There's not much sport in this," the Joker complained. "I guess your still hung up over Andrea."
At the mention of her name, Vandal's eyes widened. Joker gave a satisfied grin. He then pulled a knife.
"That's it! She neutered you pal! Hahaha! I don't believe it. Beauty killed the Beast!"
Joker then began to twirl the knife in his hands as he began to step towards a barely conscious Vandal.
"I guess when I'm done with you, I'll have to make sure to make her pay for ruining my fun. Who knows, maybe I'll have some fun with her. She's still got the looks and I always wanted to have her to myself for a few hours…"
As the Joker mentioned harming Andrea, something instinctive began to overtake Vandal. He felt a primal obsessiveness mixed with raw fury and pain. His body suddenly felt alive again. He felt a spark inside him; something he hadn't felt in a long time.
"Bye-bye Savage!" Joker taunted as he brought the knife down.
"ARRRGGH!" Vandal growled and with sudden speed that surprised the Joker he sprang to his feet and grabbed the Joker's wrist.
"Yiaaah!" Joker cried as Savage gripped it tightly, forcing the clown to drop the knife.
"You should've known better!" Savage taunted. "You never corner a wounded animal. That's when they're the most dangerous!"
"Niiyaah!" Joker tried to kick Savage but Savage easily manhandled the clown. He then threw his body further down the stairs.
"Ahh!" Joker groaned in pain and in desperation tried to scramble to his feet. But it was too late. Savage was too quick and angry and was already on top of the clown.
"You want to meet the real me?" Vandal cried. "Well here I am!"
The man then put his two large hands around the Joker's throat and began to strangle him.
"GGGkkkkkkk!" the Joker cried and gasped for air as Vandal strangled him.
"I'm doing what Batman should've done a long time ago!" Savage cried wickedly. "Send you to hell!"
Andrea could hear the sounds of fighting and yelling in the distance. She hurried along the asylum. She had only been there once when she was a child and could barely remember the layout. She was completely relying on her gut feelings to navigate through the Gothic and hazy maze. She quickly hurried along what looked like an open area when she heard someone crying in pain. It sounded like the Joker. She quickly ran to the auditorium and went inside. She almost tripped down the steps but managed to regain her balance when she saw the scene before her. Sitting on top of the Joker who was squirming was her own beloved Vandal. She could see he was injured and had an arrow sticking out of him. But he was still alive.
But that's not what was alarming her. She looked and saw that Vandal was slowly strangling the Joker to death. He was killing him. As much as a large part of her was enjoying the mad clown get what he deserved, she couldn't help herself. She made to call at Vandal to stop but couldn't find her voice at the moment. She just stood by in horror as the man she loved was proving her wrong and showing he couldn't be saved.
Vandal unaware that someone was behind him kept strangling the Joker, making sure to make it as slow and painful as possible.
"Gg-gg…" Joker tried to speak.
"What's that Joker?" Vandal taunted with the savage look in his eyes. "Any last words."
Vandal loosened his grip enough so Joker could get in a few gasps of air and speak.
"Go ahead and do it…" Joker coughed out while still trying to smile. "Go try to do what Andrea couldn't…"
Vandal glared angrily at the Joker for mentioning Andrea's name again but the glare soon began to soften. Vandal couldn't help it but his mind kept replaying images of Andrea calling him a monster. He felt his hands shaking and loosening around the Joker's neck. What was he doing? He needed to kill this clown. It was the only way he could survive. He deserved it anyways! But would Andrea have wanted him to do it? Vandal's face now looked confused and unsure. The Joker's grin widened at his indecisiveness.
"What are you waiting for? Do it!"
Vandal closed his eyes and grimaced slightly. He so badly wanted to snap the clown's neck right now. A few seconds and it would be over. He'd done it before to countless of other people who didn't deserve it. Why should the Joker be different? But in his heart he couldn't do it. He already lost Andrea once, he couldn't lose her again. Reluctantly Vandal let go and stood up.
"Hahaha…" the Joker cackled and weakly tried to get to his feet. "How disappointing…"
WHAM!
"Arrrggh!" Joker cried and clutched his nose that Vandal had just punched.
"Leave me alone," Vandal warned menacingly. "Or next time it'll be your skull I shatter…"
"Vandal!" a voice called out after him. A familiar voice. Alarmed, Vandal turned around to find staring back at him was the woman he thought long gone. Andrea was at the top of the auditorium steps. She had her Phantasm costume on minus the mask. Her blue eyes were soaked with tears as she had a sad, but nonetheless joyful smile on her face.
"Andrea!" Vandal cried happily, forgetting everything around him and began running up the steps. He still couldn't believe the sight before him. It might be another hallucination but he didn't care. Andrea began to run down as well and the two met each other halfway. Both hesitated and stared at each other unsure. She was still crying.
"You're hurt," she said with worry, noticing the arrow sticking out of his shoulder.
"I'm alright," Vandal assured.
Andrea just looked at him happily.
"You did it," she exclaimed.
"Did what?"
"Prove to me you can be a good man!" she cried as the two fell into each others arms. Immediately both pulled each other tightly and sobbed into the other's shoulders. They were together again, this time forever. Neither one wanted to leave the other again.
"You came back for me…" Vandal cried out, still in confusion. No one had ever done anything like that for him before.
"Of course I did. We promised to never leave each other, remember?"
Vandal laughed happily at the remark. He was in heaven and for the first time in his long life, completely at peace. He didn't want this moment to end. Unfortunately though, he hadn't been paying attention to what was happening behind his back. Unnoticed to him the Joker had angrily gotten to his feet and was pulling something out of his coat.
Andrea didn't notice it either at first because she was too busy crying with joy into Vandal's shoulder. But when she shifted her head slightly and her vision cleared a little, she caught just in time the sight of the Joker pointing something silver at Vandal's back while his finger pulled the trigger.
"Vandal look out!" Andrea cried as she pushed him aside.
BANG!
Vandal was halfway to the ground when he heard the bullet. Immediately his situational awareness kicked in again. He had forgotten about the Joker. The minute he hit the ground he angrily looked up to see the Joker standing there pointing a gun that was smoking. The mad clown lied, he did have a gun with him after all. Vandal should've known better. The clown would still have a gun hidden somewhere up his sleeve. Vandal glared back angrily at the Joker who was giving him an angry glare as well instead of the usual taunting smile.
"I warned you!" Vandal growled and got ready to charge at the Joker again.
"Vandal…" a voice called weakly.
In horror Vandal turned around to find Andrea was standing there looking down at her chest. A red spot was growing; blood was pouring out of her body.
"NO!" Vandal cried as she began to collapse forward; he caught her just before she hit the ground. She began to choke as blood poured out of her mouth.
"Stay with me!" Vandal ordered. Neither noticed that the Joker took advantage of the distraction and began to flee.
"V-vandal…" she cried deliriously. She was already turning pale and losing consciousness.
"Shhh," Vandal hushed her as tears began to fall down his face. "It's alright! I'll save you! We'll use a Lazarus Pit!"
Vandal knew it wouldn't work on her. His blood cells had been put into her body too often. Even though she never had his healing gift, she still had his blood flowing through her veins, rendering the Pit moot.
"It's alright Vandal…" Andrea assured.
"Please don't leave me…" Vandal begged.
Andrea reached for her neck and Vandal saw she was ripping the locket off of. He watched unsure as she placed it in one of his hands.
"I-I came back because I believe you could be saved…" Andrea choked out through her last breaths. "Don't prove me wr-wrong…"
"Andrea!" Vandal cried.
"I-I lo…."
But she never got to finish her sentence. She had used up what was left of her life. Instead she had stopped as her eyes went blank and her head collapsed back.
"No!" Vandal cried between tears. "Please come back!"
Andrea's body remained lifeless. Blood was still pouring out of it, drenching Vandal's hands as he cradled her body.
Sobbing Vandal tried to stand up carrying her. He managed to walk a few feet before stumbling, holding her lifeless body in his arms. He felt a surge of anger growing inside him. A buried rage that went beyond his primal rage. He looked up to the ceiling of the auditorium and could see through the ceiling windows the storm was still going on outside with lightning flashing.
"AAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH HHHHHHHHH!" he screamed loudly that it echoed across the whole asylum and bay.
"You were the one who told her where Vandal was," Joker responded coldly, glaring at the sniveling thug at his feet.
"I'm sorry Joker, she threatened to kill me…"
"You mean what I'm going to do right now?" the Joker asked as he pointed the gun at the thug.
"Joker wait!"
BANG!
The thug's brains spilled everywhere. The Joker didn't even flinch. He was angry. He thought he would've found what happened to Andrea and Savage funny. He didn't. He was more angry that both dared to try to prove him wrong and be happy together. Or the fact that neither seemed to give them the respect he deserved by trying to kill him. He would show the world what happened when people didn't take him seriously like he did before.
"Mistah J?" Harley asked nervously. "Are you alright?"
SMACK!
"Yiah!" Harley cried covering her face that the Joker had just whacked with his gun.
"Don't call me that anymore. And I'm no longer Joker," he warned. "I'm now Sector 1."
"What?"
"I want to call Jervis," Sector 1 commanded. "I want him to make some changes to this mind control technology. I can't have my people being afraid of death! They should know their utmost priority is loyalty to me. They need to be taught how to respect me!"
Gotham City-2059
"So that leaves Sector 5 which the Riddler guy runs. He's the one that makes the Klunkers…" Matt explained. He was updating Bruce on current events when Bruce finally stopped. Matt looked up and gasped. They had arrived to where Bruce was walking to; Wayne Manor, or what was left of it. Half the Manor was completely destroyed while the other half was covered in graffiti and other acts of vandalism. However it still stood impressively as a sign of an old relic still weathering through the times.
"I forgot you were rich," Matt muttered dumbfounded.
Bruce didn't say anything and kept walking forward.
"Hey wait up!" Matt complained.
Bruce walked through the front door of the Manor which was torn down. He would've figured that Joker and his lackeys would ransack the house after they destroyed the world. He could see various insults related to Batman on the walls. Meanwhile many random objects were lying on the ground, indicating the place had been looted or used as a shelter before. Bruce sighed sadly and began to walk around.
"Why did you come back here?" Matt asked nervously. The place was given him the chills. It seemed haunted.
Bruce didn't say anything and paused, looking at a large portrait that was at the center above the fireplace. It was the portrait of his parents or what was left it. Most of it was torn although the faces of Thomas and Martha Wayne were still visible. Bruce wasn't quite sure what if it was because of the current atmosphere in the room but they didn't look happy this time. It looked like they were almost looking down at him with shame.
"Is-is that them?" Matt asked. "My grand-er your parents?"
Matt couldn't help noticing that the man in the portrait had his own eyes while the woman had Terry's. Bruce didn't say anything and turned around as he walked to what looked like a hole in the wall. Matt quickly followed Bruce and realized where they were going. They were going to the Batcave. As the two went through the hole, Matt could smell the awful stench of mildew and hear water dripping. He thought he could hear the faint screeching of bats that had long been living in the cave undisturbed. As he and Bruce silently descended the steps, ambient lights began to turn on, illuminating the cave.
"Holy shit," Matt exclaimed in shock.
The Batcave was in complete ruins. It looked like the villains had completely ransacked it and destroyed every piece of equipment that was in it. Random tools and collections were tossed on the floor, discarded. Matt saw what looked like a bunch of rocks in a pile indicating there was a cave in. There was also randomly a giant penny and robotic dinosaur lying on the floor. But what stood out the most was the destroyed giant super computer in the center of the cave. A single arrow was embedded in the cracked monitor with a banner that read "HA-HA-HA!" attached to it.
Bruce walked up to it and just stared at it. Matt meanwhile was looking around when something glowing caught his eye. Lying on the floor was a green glowing rock that laid discarded as if the villains couldn't find any use of it. Curiously, Matt picked up the rock. It glowed in the dark brightly. Almost a beacon of hope in the darkness.
"What's this green glowing rock?" Matt asked curiously.
"Kryptonite," Bruce muttered coldly, not even turning around.
Matt did a double take.
"Kryptonite?" he asked. He remembered a conversation he had with Maxine and Lobo not too long ago.
"Why do you care?" Bruce asked. "Superman's dead."
"No reason," Matt said as he quickly pocketed the rock. As much as he wanted nothing to do with the Bat Knights, he felt they could use this to their advantage. It's what Maxine would've done.
"Why do you have kryptonite?" Matt asked curiously.
Bruce didn't answer and closed his eyes as he grimaced.
He remembered everything. All the good and the bad. His time in Gotham, Metropolis, and in space. His time with the Batclan, Superman, and the League. They had all died because they believed in something. And now it was just him. The lone survivor to bury the bodies.
"You are never alone," a voice echoed in his memories.
Bruce sighed. He came back here because he half hoped Alfred would be there still despite everything that happened. Alfred was always there no matter what. But there was no sign of Alfred. He, like the rest were long gone. Along with his parents. His mind flashed back to that painful memory as he watched his younger self be drenched in their blood while he stood aside and did nothing. He let them get slaughtered for the greater good. And what did he get?
BANG!
A shot ran out, startling Bruce. In horror he turned around to find Matt had fell down to his knees while clutching his chest and gasping in pain.
"No!" Bruce cried.
Behind Matt stood a face he wished he could forget. He was staring at a pale face that instead of plastered with a wicked grin was forced into a slight, sardonic smile. The green hair was now slicked back and the usual wild looking eyes were cold and stiff, piercing through the half amused glare. But the face was the same. The face of evil.
"This is usually the part in the story where the reader gasps," Sector 1 replied dryly.
Up next, as things look grim in the future, Bruce needs to remember there will always be those willing to help when asked, and that there is nothing stronger than a mother's love for her daughter.
