A/N: Welcome to my next crossoverin the Vengeance and Punishment series! This one will be slightly different than the others, in that for the first arc/volume, Frank Castle will be the main focus, but then the rest of the Boys will show up towards the end. Also, this is the first story where I pull from the main line of Punisher comics, rather than the MAX series. Don't worry, Frank will retain the same level of brutality like in previous stories.
Anyway, enjoy! Have fun seeing plenty of familiar faces in the first chapter alone!
Gotham
2020
Deep underneath Wayne Tower, in an area called the Batcave, Luke Fox sat in front of the enormous computer screen, overlooking the city. As he listened to the soft screeching of bats, Luke took off his glasses, rubbing his face out of exhaustion. The past several months had taken a toll; shortly after the Flash stopped a villain called Mirror Monarch from taking over the world, his team began dying off in freak accidents. All that remained were the Flash himself and his best friend Cisco Ramon, who decided to lay low after Killer Frost died from a team up with Vought's paid superhero Ice Princess. Most of their time travelling allies known as the Legends were all killed, caught in the blast of a dirty bomb that left their ship in pieces. The only survivor was John Constantine, who lived in an apartment in New York City. After the Green Arrow sacrificed his life to restore the multiverse, Team Arrow was disbanded, with half of them dying to Thanos' snap two years ago. Superman and Supergirl were found murdered with matching spikes of kryptonite running through their hearts just a few days ago, although it was never confirmed that Lex Luthor was involved.
In fact, that was why Luke was in the Batcave this very moment, as he turned around to see a woman wearing a black suit with a red bat symbol and hot pink wig enter the cave via motorcycle. See, she had taken a trip to National City, Supergirl's home, and retrieved one of the kryptonite spikes from the DEO's evidence storage. Nobody knew how exactly they died, just that the bodies were found on top of their headquarters.
"I'm guessing your vacation was all you expected?" Luke asked dryly, while Kate took off her cowl and wig to reveal her short cropped brown hair.
"Not funny." Kane scowled, marching over to the Batcomputer and setting the cowl down. She proceeded to take out a small, pointy tube of crystal, colored a dark green, which was placed underneath a microscope next to the computer.
"Interesting."
Luke frowned, while Kate looked through the microscope.
"What?"
"No fingerprints." Kane sighed, leaning back in the Batcomputer's chair. She sighed loudly, rubbing her temples in frustration.
"Go home, Luke."
"Wait, what?" Fox asked, crossing his arms in confusion.
"I can figure this out on my own." Kate told him in a murmur. "Just go, alright?"
Luke formed his mouth in a grim line, but reluctantly nodded, turning towards the cave's elevator. Kate waited to hear the whirring of the cab go up towards the tower above ground, before she returned to the microscope, scanning every inch. There had to be something there, even if there weren't any prints. A speck of dust. A scrap of clothing. Something-
There. Kate zoomed in further, finding tiny particles of fabric stuck to the kryptonite, colored red and gold. At first, Kane thought of the Flash, for he wore similar colors, but then… he was a hero. He saved Central City more times than she could count. Whatsmore, he'd been a friend of Kara's longer than even her. He wouldn't do something like this. Then who-
Kate's ears perked up, hearing a slight gust of wind, and she turned around, pulling a batarang from her utility belt. Her eyes widened, seeing the source of the wind was a blonde haired man in a blue suit, wrapped in a cape that gave the appearance of the American flag.
"Homelander." Kate growled, raising her batarang. Suddenly, it all made sense. Those fibers on the kryptonite. All those mysterious deaths of her allies. It was all him.
"Kate Kane." the Homelander smirked, stepping forward. "Cousin of Bruce Wayne, secret lesbian superhero. You know, the Seven has a lesbian superhero too. Queen Maeve."
"Get the Hell out of my cave." Kate snarled, throwing her batarang. The projectile zoomed straight towards the supe, harmlessly bouncing off, while Homelander rolled his eyes.
"Oh come on. Did you really think that was going to do anything?" Homelander asked, before firing lasers from his eyes. "I'm the world's greatest superhero. Nothing can hurt me."
The lasers struck Kate in the chest, making her gasp in pain as the beams cut straight through her. She collapsed on the ground, as smoke rose from the gaping hole in her chest, while Homelander casually strolled over to her.
"You killed Superman and his cousin." Kate rasped out, straining to keep her eyes open.
"Quite the detective." Homelander remarked, kneeling next to her.
"Why… are you… doing this?" Kane asked, feeling Homelander's hands touch the sides of her head.
"Shhh… I'm the Homelander." the leader of the Seven grinned. "I can do whatever the fuck I want."
Homelander suddenly applied pressure to Kate's head, and before she could even scream, her skull split in half. Blood gushed out from the gory display, pouring out of every orifice, while Homelander wore a sadistic grin. His work wasn't done however, as he picked up the now fresh corpse and flew out of the Batcave, barely making a sound.
"Twinkle, twinkle, little bat… how I wonder where you're at…"
Beth Kane, better known to the whole of Gotham as Alice, walked aimlessly around the sewers, occasionally skipping while humming the old nursery rhyme.
"Up above the world you fly…"
Alice turned around, seeing the body of her dear friend Jonathan Cartwright, also called Mouse, in the corner. The friend she had poisoned, when he disagreed about her killing Kate.
"Like a tea tray in the sky-"
Beth suddenly heard a gust of wind, and turned around, seeing Homelander hovering a few feet away from her. In his hands was the body of Batwoman- her sister Kate. She didn't have her cowl on, and… was her face smashed together?
"What have you done?" Alice gasped, her eyes widening at the corpse. Homelander simply smirked, setting the body down at Beth's feet.
"Consider this a gesture of good faith." the supe told her. "The Seven won't bother you… as long as you stay in Gotham."
Beth looked between Homelander and Kate's body in shock, which was quickly replaced by anger.
"How dare you." Alice hissed out. "You murdered my sister!"
"Oh really?" Homelander scoffed. "From where I'm standing, you've been wanting to kill her for months. You're welcome."
"I wanted to be the one to do it!" Alice exploded. "You stole that from me, you… you… you Walrus!"
Beth knew she should probably stop talking, for fear of Homelander doing to her what he did to Kate- or worse. But she couldn't help it. She was filled with so much rage that she wasn't thinking clearly. Like the Walrus stealing the Carpenter's oysters, the Homelander took away Alice's chance to kill Batwoman. And like the Walrus, the supe appeared to be a lazy conman, seemingly enticing the masses while hiding his true murderous nature.
For Homelander's part, he frowned at the woman's hysterics, before shrugging.
"I'm in a charitable mood tonight, so I'll leave you with this warning." Homelander sneered. "Stay out of the Seven's, and my own way."
With that, the self proclaimed world's greatest superhero flew back through the tunnel, leaving Alice alone with her sister's corpse. Beth clenched her fists in anger, as she stared at the scarlet bat symbol.
"Twinkle, twinkle, little bat… up until your brain went splat…"
Music: "Zemo" from Captain America Civil War OST
Eight Years Later
Switzerland
In an office at the United States Embassy, Ambassador David Fourel sat at an empty table, looking out through the tall glass windows. As he rubbed his head in boredom, he could hear the clock on the wall in front of him ticking.
Tick… tick… tick…
Fourel groaned, squinting his eyes through his smudged glasses to see the hands on opposite ends. Twelve thirty.
"This was a waste of time." David grumbled, standing up and signaling his bodyguard. "We're leaving."
The bodyguard nodded, and opened the door to the office. At that moment, a man with slicked back hair walked in, wearing a dark blue suit and plain white shirt. Fourel's eyes widened in confusion and surprise, as the man wore a half smirk on his face.
"Sorry for the wait, Ambassador Fourel."
David continued staring in shock, as he opened his mouth, though no words came out.
"Are you alright, Ambassador?" the man asked. "You look like you've seen a ghost."
"You're… you're…" Fourel's eyes widened further. "You're Bruce Wayne."
"That's right." Bruce flashed a smirk.
"I thought you were dead."
"Nope." Bruce shrugged. "Just took a vacation in Bagalia."
"So… you're the Ambassador I was informed about?" Fourel raised an eyebrow.
"See, now you're catching on." Wayne grinned. "But I'm not the person you're going to speak with. That man is coming right about… now."
As soon as Bruce finished speaking, a man with a fur collared black coat walked in, sitting down at the other end of the table. His face sported a rough brown beard, and in his gloved hands was a purple ski mask.
"Are you out of your damn mind?!" Fourel raged, standing up again. "Tricking me to meet with the terrorist Helmut Zemo?! We're done here!"
"That is unfortunate, Ambassador Fourel." Zemo murmured, in a thick Sokovian accent. "I had hoped we could become friends. First, I am no terrorist."
"Tell that to the twelve victims of your bombing in Vienna." Fourel pointed out. "What do you want, Zemo?"
Helmut glared at David, as he leaned in menacingly.
"I am not an old drinking buddy of yours, David." Zemo hissed out. "You will refer to me as Baron Zemo. As for the answer to your question, I am here to discuss business."
"About Bagalia." David groaned. "Who are you trying to fool, Helmut? Between Vought shutting down seven years ago and you taking in all the supes from Arkham Asylum, Smith's Grove, and Iron Heights, just to name a few, it's been clear that you've turned what was once the proud nation of Sokovia into a sanctuary city for criminals and terrorists."
The Baron glared at Fourel, before slowly standing up.
"I had hoped it wouldn't come to this. It's something I do not enjoy." Zemo mumbled, refusing to break eye contact with the ambassador. "After all, we share so many interests. For instance, I too love to go skiing in the French Alps. That is where your family is, correct?"
David stiffened, as he stared at Zemo in mortification. Meanwhile, Bruce wore a shit eating grin.
"I wouldn't worry about them… yet."
Fourel began to breathe heavily out of fear, before clearing his throat.
"What is it you want?"
Zemo smiled, placing the purple mask over his head.
"I want Bagalia to be formerly recognized by the United Nations."
Music: "Karen's Flashback" from Halloween 2018 OST
Haddonfield
Riley Stone pressed the stock of the Winchester repeater rifle, aiming at the mannequin in the distance. Allyson Nelson stood next to her, cleaning a .44 magnum revolver. Riley took a deep breath, slow inhale, slow exhale. Just like how Millie taught her.
Bang.
A bullet tore through the mannequin's chest, where the heart should be.
Bang. Bang.
Two more shots ran out, both hitting the head area and tearing the material apart.
"Good work." Allyson nodded, setting down the revolver behind her. Riley nodded, looking over her shoulder to see Michael Myers and Billy Lenz watching them. Michael, with his pale white face staring blankly, and Billy, with a somber expression marring his yellow visage.
"Billy, are you alright?" Riley asked, stepping forward. Lenz stared down at the ground, as he held out his hand, revealing a newspaper. Stone gingerly took the paper, looking at the front page. The first thing that caught her eye was the image of a man in a black suit and black hair, smirking up at her. What made her raise her eyebrow in surprise was the headline that came with it:
Bruce Wayne to represent Bagalia at the United Nations!
"Wayne?" Riley asked out loud. "I thought he died."
"Not dead… just disappeared." Allyson reminded her. "Funny, he left the same time Batman did…"
Riley frowned, staring at her friend in curiosity.
"Are you saying… Bruce Wayne is Batman?" Riley inquired, tilting her head.
"The thing I learned with Frank and the Boys… is to always dig for the truth." Allyson smirked.
"Like with Stormfront?" Riley asked. Allyson shifted her eyes to the ground, before nodding.
"Yeah. Like with Stormfront."
Riley looked back at the paper, staring intently at the image of Wayne.
"If he is Batman, why is he representing Bagalia?" Riley frowned. "They took in all of Vought's supes, as well as the international criminals."
"So maybe it's not actually him." Allyson guessed. "Maybe a clone?"
"They can make that?" Riley widened her eyes in surprise. She looked over at Michael, who nodded his head.
"Before Vought kidnapped Michael, they played around with the idea of cloning Homelander." Allyson explained. "Thankfully, their experiments all failed."
"So maybe it's a shapeshifter?"
"Doubt it." Allyson muttered. "The only shapeshifters I've found were Doppelganger and Hannibal Bates. One's dead, the other should be locked up."
"So what is he then?" Riley pressed, still staring at Wayne's photo. Allyson formed her mouth in a grim line, as she crossed her arms.
"Eight years ago, Bruce supposedly returned to Gotham, after Batwoman was killed by Homelander." Allyson mumbled. "Maybe it's the same guy."
"Homelander? But I thought she died in a plane crash." Riley protested.
"That was just a cover from Vought." Allyson rolled her eyes. "Same with Superman and Supergirl. Vought manipulated the press into thinking it was Luthor that drove those kryptonite spikes through their hearts, but it was actually Homelander."
"Huh." Riley mumbled, still staring at the paper. Or more importantly, the time it said the UN would hear Wayne speak.
"Hey, he's going to be on in an hour!"
"We can probably see it on C-Span." Allyson announced, picking up the Winchester and heading back inside, with Michael following behind her. Riley and Billy shot each other a curious look, before following them inside.
Music: "Mega City One" from Dredd 2012 OST
Mega City One
2118
Joseph Dredd wrapped his hands in boxing tape, just as his wife, Becca Butcher, handed him his Judge's uniform.
Mega City One. Seven hundred forty million people living in the mega structures of the new world- and the ruins of the old.
Dredd slipped the uniform over himself, and proceeded to shove the reinforced riot armor over the sleek leather jacket, looking down at the golden badge that bore his name.
Only one thing fighting for order in the chaos: Judges.
Joseph placed the black and red trimmed Judge helmet over his head, looking out the visor at his Lawgiver pistol. More importantly, the display screen flashing blue.
DNA Check… ID Okay.
But for the last six years, the city has also been under protection by a superhero… my son.
Dredd looked over his shoulder, seeing his and Becca's son, Ryan, already had his red uniform on with the dark blue cape. Then again, of course he'd be ready first. He was a supe.
"Responders needed in sector 14. Judges Giant and Ekerson calling in a 10-24. Block War at Heavenly Haven in progress." Control suddenly announced on Dredd's comms. "Any Judges, please respond."
"Dredd to Control, on my way." Joseph spoke into his wrist comm, before turning to Ryan.
"You ready?"
"I always am, Uncle Joe." Ryan Butcher smiled. "Race ya?"
Joseph slowly nodded, as he turned to look at his wife.
"Be careful, you two." Becca smiled, kissing Dredd on the cheek. At that, Dredd cracked a small smile.
"Always."
Judge Dredd tore down the mega highway on his Lawmaster, while Ryan flew several feet above him. As Joe revved the cycle's engine, Ryan applied more speed, zooming ahead of him. Joseph fought back the urge to grin, as he pressed down on the gas and chased after his son.
Within minutes, Joseph arrived at the Heavenly Haven Block, seeing that Judges Giant and Ekerson were taking cover behind some debris. A second later, Ryan touched down onto the ground, slightly cracking the pavement from his superhuman strength.
"Beat you." Ryan grinned. Joseph didn't answer, but addressed Giant.
"What's the situation, Giant?"
"We're taking fire from the upper floors." Judge Giant reported. "It looks like they're from Cell B."
"I can fly up there and take care of them." Ryan offered.
"Wait." Joe told him, before activating his wrist comm.
"CITIZENS OF HEAVENLY HAVEN. THIS IS THE LAW." Dredd announced, via the comm's voice amplification. "DISPERSE IMMEDIATELY, OR WE WILL USE LETHAL FORCE. THIS IS YOUR ONLY WARNING."
Instead, all the Judges got were the perps continued to fire on them.
"Well, we tried." Ryan shrugged. Joseph gave him a short nod, and the supe flew up into the air, before crashing through one of the block's windows.
"Giant, Ekerson, with me." Dredd announced, checking his Lawgiver's ammo. "Fan out inside the building. Meet back on the 40th."
"Yes sir!" Giant responded, as he and Ekerson followed Joe into the block. Once inside, the three Judges went their separate ways, quickly shooting down creeps that tried to get the drop on them. Joseph kicked down one door, finding five perps facing the windows.
"Rapid fire."
The Lawgiver made an electronic humming noise, and Joe squeezed the trigger. Bullets rocketed out, peppering the creeps and dropping them like flies, and Joseph moved on to the next room.
After clearing every cell, the three Judges regrouped on the 40th floor as planned, kicking down one of the doors to find that Ryan had taken care of the perps inside. Their weapons were melted, with some of them wrapped around the criminals' arms in makeshift restraints.
"Good work." Joseph nodded at his stepson, before hearing his wrist comm beep.
"Control to Dredd, has the Block War been resolved?"
"Affirmative."
"Head over to Tek-21. Bring Ryan Butcher with you. Chief Judge's orders."
Dredd frowned, as he looked up at Ryan.
"You heard that?"
"Yeah." Ryan arched an eyebrow. "Why me?"
Joe formed his lips into a tight line, as he looked out the windows of Heavenly Haven to see the Grand Hall of Justice in the distance.
"Let's find out."
Dredd and Ryan arrived at Tek-21 an hour later, seeing Chief Judge McGruder waiting outside. After the suicide and mercy killing of Chief Justice Silver during Necropolis, the formerly retired woman was forced to return and take over.
"Glad you could both make it." McGruder said gratefully, as the three of them walked into the block.
"What's this about?" Dredd asked with a stern voice. "And why do you need Ryan?"
"Tek-Div has been working on Project Proteus ever since Necropolis." McGruder explained, as they marched towards the blast doors with the word "Proteus" imprinted on top. "They saw a chance to not only repair the machine, but upgrade its capabilities."
"Such as?" Ryan asked, just as they entered the room to see the time displacement platform get activated. McGruder stopped, and faced the two of them.
"We believe we can transport individuals not only across time, but to other worlds." the bearded woman revealed. "Are you both familiar with the multiverse theory?"
"Yes." Joe said bluntly. "Last year, Annie January was killed by a doppelganger of Frank Castle's friend, Bill Russo, and his creep brother."
"My condolences." the Chief Judge murmured.
"So which Earth do you want to send us to?" Ryan asked, already connecting the dots.
"That's the question, isn't it?" McGruder chuckled, as they all walked forward towards the platform. "The universe we are testing does not have an Earth, however."
"How do you know that?" Ryan asked curiously.
"We were unable to find a system in that universe that matches the vibrational frequency as our world." one of the Tek-Judges, a bald man with a badge reading "Irons", exclaimed, approaching Dredd and Ryan and handing them belts with golden discs.
"From what we've gathered, we've classified the target universe as THX-192110731879."
Ryan frowned for a moment. THX… where has he heard that before?
"Are you ready?" McGruder asked. Dredd looked at the Chief Judge, before putting the belt around his waist.
"Affirmative."
"Good." Irons nodded, and Dredd and Ryan stepped onto the platform "Stand by for activation in 3...2...1…"
Blue energy suddenly crackled around Joseph and Ryan, as the light got brighter, and brighter...
New York
Millie Kessler sat on the couch in her home. Well, her family's home, consisting of herself, her adopted mother Cassandra Anderson-Castle, and her husband Frank Castle, the Punisher. There was her "sister" Riley Stone as well, but after Beth Chase's private war against the family six months ago, she went off with Billy Lenz to live with Allyson and Michael for a while.
As Millie twiddled her thumbs, the front door opened, and in walked Cass in her detective trench coat. Right next to her was Billy Russo, wearing a suit with his hair slicked back and his beard trimmed.
"Have you seen Frank?" Russo asked.
"No." Millie frowned. "Why? What's going on?"
"We haven't heard from him at all today." Cass revealed. "And with what's going on today…"
Millie nodded in agreement. She knew what she meant. The UN was having Bruce Wayne represent the nation of Bagalia, in the hopes it gets officially recognized as a country. After Ultron destroyed what was formerly known as Sokovia, the international terrorist known as Helmut Zemo had spent years rebuilding the country from the ground up. Unfortunately, it became a safe haven for criminals and terrorists around the globe, especially after they took in the supes that Vought was experimenting on.
"Think you can turn the TV on?" Billy asked. Kessler looked up at Russo, and nodded.
"Yeah." Millie murmured, grabbing the remote and pressing the on button.
Gotham
"Miss Stark! Miss Stark! Are you here at the United Nations to protest the motion today?"
Alice paced around in her hideout, staring at the television set every so often. On the screen was Pepper Potts-Stark, having a dozen microphones shoved in her face.
"Do I look like a protestor to you?" Pepper scoffed. "I'm here because like Tony, I always try to keep up with what's new and exciting in global bureaucracy and-"
The cameras suddenly panned to the right, showing the form of Bruce Wayne walking towards them. Alice tilted her head in recognition, squinting to notice a flicker of brown in those eyes, instead of blue.
"Nice to see you again, Tommy…"
Gotham
2020
Alice strolled into Wayne Manor, wearing all black and holding a bottle of whiskey. Upon seeing Tommy Elliot, who wore Bruce Wayne's face, she grinned, swinging her arm holding the bottle around.
"Gotta hand it to ya, Tommy." Alice smirked, much to Tommy's alarm.
"What the Hell are you doing here?" Tommy asked, setting down the newspaper he was holding just moments ago.
"I gave you the face, but you… you nailed the voice." Alice slurred out. "And now, Gotham's most eligible bachelor is playing hide the salami, while I flail aimlessly."
"Well, you can't say I didn't hold up my end of the deal." Tommy told her, reaching into his robe and pulling out a modified pistol firearm.
"I got you the railgun Batwoman confiscated from me months ago. The only thing that can pierce the batsuit." Elliot told her, placing the weapon on the vanity set in the hall. "Once Mini-Fox realizes it's gone, it'll be too late, and I'll be known as Batman."
"Oh, do you want a parade?" Alice asked sarcastically. "Because I had to watch the last living, most powerful being on the planet drop off my sister's body with her skull cracked open!"
"Oh, so that's what that is? Are you in mourning?" Tommy asked mockingly, indicating her black dress. "I thought you wanted her dead-"
"I wanted to kill her myself!" Alice shouted.
"Then why didn't you just shoot her when she wasn't wearing the suit?" Tommy pointed out. "You had every opportunity to kill her then."
"I wasn't going to shoot her." Alice scolded. "I was going to have you get the railgun, so then I would make sure Commander Kane got it. He would kill Batwoman, and then when he lifted her mask, with sinking horror, he would realize that he murdered his own daughter!"
"Hey Bruce-"
Alice looked up at the stairs, seeing a woman with curly brown hair in a bathrobe.
"There's no steam coming out of the shower."
Alice rolled her eyes, pulling out a knife and chucking it at the woman, embedding the blade in her neck.
"What the fuck did you do that for?" Tommy shouted. "She has a friend upstairs, you want her to call the cops?"
"No reason at all." Alice mumbled, ignoring Elliot's question. "Reason doesn't matter. See, I was tethered to reason once. Precise, calculated. And all it got me was sharing a flat with Bruce Lame."
"What twisted planet would I live with you, a woman who wanted her father to kill her sister?" Tommy asked.
"My planet, because you are still Tommy Elliot." Alice sneered, pointing an accusatory finger at him. "I say one word-"
"And what?" Tommy raised an eyebrow. "You made me Bruce Wayne. I'm the richest man in Gotham. I can do whatever the fuck I want, they'll never believe you."
Alice suddenly widened her eyes, realizing he was right. Worse, he was beginning to sound like Homelander. The power with wearing Bruce's face was going to his head.
"Now get the Hell out." Tommy ordered.
"Or what?" Alice challenged, pulling out another butterfly knife and flipping it around until the blade stuck out. Tommy glared at her, before walking back upstairs, leaving Alice in the hallway to continue drinking.
New York
Present Day
"Hello, Bruce." Pepper said begrudgingly, shaking Wayne's hand. "It's good to see you again."
"Likewise, Pepper." Bruce grinned. "Shame about Tony."
Pepper's eyes narrowed, as she leaned in to speak softer.
"I don't know who you are, and I don't know what you're trying to accomplish here." Stark whispered. "But whatever it is, I will stomp all over it and you."
"Always the champion of freedom until it produces something you don't like, eh Pepper?" Bruce asked smugly. "Just like Tony, you'll go back to being the warmonger when it's convenient for you. Perhaps you should pay attention today, Miss Stark. You might learn something."
Wayne walked off, entering the hearing room and standing next to the UN podium, where Senator Stan Ori was waiting.
"Thank you all for coming." Ori declared. "If you could all take your seats, we are ready to begin today's session. For our opening remarks, I'd like to cede the floor to our distinguished representative from Bagalia."
"Thank you so much, Senator." Bruce smiled widely, as he took the podium. "And thank you, delegates, of the United Nations. It is an honor to speak here before you."
Music: "Main Theme" from Punisher Season 1 OST
In another part of the UN embassy, a man in a black leather jacket knelt on a catwalk, staring down at Wayne speaking.
Bruce Wayne. Rich boy prick from Gotham, went missing thirteen years ago. Guess we know where he's been… at least that's what they think.
The man unzipped his jacket, revealing a heavy set of riot armor underneath, with a plain white skull spray painted on the front.
Nah, this ain't Wayne. My time with the Boys taught me to always look for the truth. Whoever this prick is, it's not Bruce Wayne. He used to be Gotham's protector, no way would he throw in with a sanctuary country for criminals and terrorists.
Frank Castle picked up his sniper rifle, resting it on the catwalk's railing, and stared down the sights.
"One batch, two batch…" Frank murmured, slipping his finger in the trigger well. "Penny and dime."
"We stand today on the verge of greatness." Bruce announced to everyone in attendance. "But this greatness comes within us all. I represent a man who has acknowledged his past crimes, but is asking forgiveness on behalf of his nation. A nation that is doing the same, which finds itself in the potential of second chances.
"The greatness also comes from a group, assembled to police the world, finding forgiveness in their hearts. I was able to see this beautiful nation change, and so can you. So today, I wholeheartedly ask you to recognize the nation of Bagalia. We already have the support of Canada, North Korea, Libya, and Coryana, among others.
"For too long have Bagalia's citizens lived in the shadows. Belittled, hunted by the rest of the world. Experimented on by Vought International, before we took them in. But nothing good comes from the shadows. It's time to bring us into the light, to bring a new dawn of acceptance and forgiveness to the world. Your votes today are small acts, but you all have the power to decide if they are acts of forgiveness. They have the potential to change the world.
"Thank you for your time-"
BANG!
A bullet penetrated Wayne right in his forehead, blowing out the back of his head and splattering his blood and brains across the walls behind him.
"No!" Pepper gasped, rushing forward and holding Bruce's body.
"Evacuate the building!" one of the UN's security guards shouted. "We have an active shooter on the scene-"
"No!" Pepper suddenly yelled, looking up at the guard. "Lock this place down!"
"But Miss Stark, people have already escaped-"
"Lock it down now!"
Alice grinned, as the television displayed an image of Frank Castle, wearing his riot armor with the white skull.
"If you're just now joining us, the NYPD has released the following footage of a man wanted in connection with the shooting. The man seen is thought to be the known vigilante Frank Castle, often referred to as the Punisher."
Alice smiled wider, as a plan began to form in her mind.
"Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall. Humpty Dumpty had a great fall…"
"The representative of Bagalia, Bruce Wayne, who had been missing for thirteen years, was killed in the incident. This came when the general assembly was preparing to vote on recognizing the nation of Bagalia and its leader, Baron Zemo. A vote that many believe will unlikely go forward."
"Good." Allyson rolled her eyes, turning off the tv. "Frank did everyone a favor."
"What do you mean?" Riley asked, while Michael and Billy stared at her in curiosity.
"Bagalia is filled with criminals and terrorists." Nelson explained. "Then they took all the supes that had committed crimes here. Teenage Kix, the rest of the Young Americans… they should be locked up in the Raft, not vacationing on the other side of the world."
"No arguing there." Riley shrugged. "But do you think they'll go after him? I mean, the rest of the world probably thinks that he just murdered Bruce Wayne in front of the United Nations."
"Yeah, good point." Allyson murmured, as she took out her phone to make a call.
"Frank Castle was once a decorated Marine, but lost his wife and children to an accident caused by former Seven member A-Train. Following the loss of his family, Castle joined an ex-CIA team known as the Boys, waging a private war against the Seven that culminated in the defeat of Homelander in the White House."
Cass, Millie, and Billy all stared at the television, their mouths hanging open in a mixture of shock and horror. Frank's been known to take great risks to do what he believed was right; Hell, he tossed Vera Konstantin out a window of Thunderbolts Tower. But this…
Millie suddenly felt her phone ring, and after seeing Allyson Nelson's name flash on the screen, she quickly answered.
"Allyson, how are you-"
"Have you seen the news?" Allyson asked gruffly. Millie looked over to the television, still seeing her father figure's image on the screen.
"Yeah. Yeah, I've seen it."
"Do you know where Frank is now?"
"No." Millie murmured. "He hasn't come back yet."
"Okay, just... just be careful, okay, Mill?"
"Sure Ally." Millie told her best friend, before disconnecting the line. Meanwhile, Billy and Cass continued staring at the television.
"Jesus, Frank…" Cass gasped, reaching up to cover her mouth. "What have you done?"
Bagalia
In his office, Baron Zemo sat at his desk, staring grimly at the television showing footage of the attack on the UN embassy.
"A manhunt for Castle is underway. He is armed and extremely dangerous-"
Zemo turned off his tv, folding his hands over the desk. Behind his violet mask, his lips curled into a smile. Everything was going to plan.
"Excellent work, Castle." Helmut smirked slyly. "I cannot wait to meet you."
A/N: I guess there's a couple things I gotta clear up.
First, Batwoman's death was originally hinted at in the prologue of the first story. I just added in the bit where Alice sees Homelander as one of the characters from Alice in Wonderland.
Speaking of, Alice will be a major character in this story, even after the aforementioned first arc. She's the only character I really like on the show, but even she has flaws due to the writing. So, I'm planning on fixing some of that.
Even though I had this chapter feature all the members of the Boys, I'm mainly focusing on Frank, Alice, and one other character for the next few chapters. Allyson and Michael will still show up, but they won't actually meet up with Frank until around the end. Riley, Millie, Billy Lenz, and Cassandra Anderson-Castle won't show up really until the end either, because I'm not sure what I'd have them do. The first arc is mainly based on the Punisher's most recent comic, so I'm kinda tunnelling on the writing. Oh, and Judge Dredd, Becca, and Ryan Butcher will barely show up. The reason for that is because the events of my other story, The Law and the Way, are happening in conjunction with this. The scenes of Mega City One will be featured during both stories, but not when the characters are in a galaxy far far away.
Lastly, Zemo's motives are very different than the comic. I'm not going to spoil it just yet, but let's just say they're more inline with who his character is from the MCU.
Until next time. Take care.