TW: I would like to mention that there is a slur towards the mentally ill here from you know who. Fortunately, she gets what's coming to her in this chapter.
Also, I would like to apologize, to any readers from Scotland. I used an English-to-Scottish text generator. If that was not accurate whatsoever. We are sorry will change if necessary.
At the Royal Hotel, the Boys changed into their regular clothing. Mother's Milk sat on the bed and talked to the others.
"Frenchie was right behind me." He said. "I left before, I don't know where he went. But I also saw Two-Face and this giant zombie, I have no idea who that was. They were coming from our world, I saw their portal. These guys have a way in and out, we need that."
Kimiko tried to speak with them. She spoke in her regular sign language, scared and desperate, they didn't need to speak sign to understand what she wanted.
"We'll find Frenchie." Hughie comforted her.
"Worst case scenario he was caught." Butcher said as he opened the computer and put it on the table. "So we're gonna listen to what's happening and find out what is happening there."
Butcher turned it on. They could hear Penguin's voice from the end of the bug, he was yelling, and MM recognized the twins' voice.
"That lunatic ruined my bar!" Penguin said. "There were some real losses, do you have any idea how expensive insurance is in Gotham? I'm asking you, Earth-Seven encroachers, are you aware of the high price of insurance in Gotham?"
They quickly realized what had happened. Solomon Grundy broke through the wall and tackled Starlight from behind. Gas bombs were thrown inside the room, Deathstroke entered from the window, the gas didn't seem to bother him. Mercenaries wearing bird-themed gas masks entered the room and attacked the Boys. Hughie, Mother's Milk, and Butcher were disoriented as the men held their guns against their heads.
"You have an honorable friend, he didn't say a word." Deathstroke said but then showed the keys to Frenchie's room. "But we found other clues."
The Boys were all down because of the gas, except Annie, still held down by Grundy and Kimiko who stood before Deathstroke, who looked at her with familiarity as he drew his sword.
"Katana?" Deathstroke asked and hit her with his sword. Kimiko held the blade and threw it away. "You're not Tatsu Yamashiro." He remarked with surprise.
Kimiko attempted to attack Deathstroke but he jumped out of the way. One of the mercenaries tried to stab her. She ripped off his arm and gas mask, used the beak to stab another mercenary in the throat, and threw his body at Deathstroke, who ducked under the corpse. When Kimiko raced again after Deathstroke, he managed to throw her out of the window. Deathstroke touched his earpiece and watched Kimiko running down the street.
"Deathstroke to the nest. We got Starlight and almost all of the others but the other female was also a meta. She escaped and killed two of Penguin's men."
In Sandusky, The Rogues looted one of the churches owned by the Church of the Collective. All the security was down and Captain Cold and Heat Wave threw their artifacts and jewelry in mirrors, and the objects entered the mirrors like in a pool.
"The Justice League is in their satellite," Cold said. "Which means they only have their own heroes now, who apparently are a bunch of losers."
Golden Glider threw a goblet made of gold in a mirror.
"Why have we never robbed this place's version in our world?" She asked.
"You really wanted to fuck with Hollywood?"
A-Train and the Deep went to the Church of the Collective and found The Rogues looting the place.
"Alright so let me do the heavy lifting, and I'll tell the Justice League how you helped." A-Train told the Deep.
"Why do you have to do the heavy lifting?" The Deep asked indignantly.
"Because we're nowhere near the water." A-Train told him smugly. "I saw these guys, they look like pussies."
"You only want to fight these guys because they're that Flash guy's enemies." The Deep argued.
A-Train's confident smile turned into an angry glare.
"Tell you what? If we run into any of your lordships' enemies I'll let you do the heavy lifting, fish fucker." A-Train said, poking him in one of his gills. The Deep held his side before punching A-Train in the stomach.
"Fuck you! I'm taking them on by myself!" The Deep said.
"Ay, Snart! Looks lik' they're fightin' amongst themselves!" A man with a strong Scottish accent called out.
A-Train and the Deep looked to find a man wearing a strange orange and green costume: The Mirror Master. Stepping out of the door was Captain Cold. Both A-Train and the Deep took one good laugh and began to chuckle. However, this did little to anger the Captain.
"Your A-Train right? The fastest man alive here?" Captain Cold asked pointing his gun at the two.
A-Train stopped laughing.
"Yeah." He said, still smiling.
"Flash would have gotten here before we finished robbing this little cult of yours. Hell if I'm being honest he would have gotten here just in time." Captain Cold said smirking.
A-Train's anger flared as he rushed towards Captain Cold. However, for some strange reason, A-Train's speed faltered halfway as he felt cold. He was covered in ice.
"W…W…W…hat?" A-Train sputtered out.
"Cold isn't it, my cold gun. It's not like any ice ray you've seen in a sci-fi flick. It creates a cold wall, that freezes anything it's pointed out. With the Flash it just makes him easier to see, but with you. Well, I'd hope you're more durable than most people." Captain Cold said his gaze turned to the Deep.
"You wanna go fish boy?" Captain Cold said.
"Yeah no, I'm good." The Deep said.
"Smart lad." Mirror Master said.
Next came the Golden Glider.
"We've got just about everything Leo." She said.
"Good." Cold said smiling warmly at his sister.
"I'm just going to go if that's alright with you." Deep said.
"Sure have fun." Cold told him sarcastically.
"Wait, I think I know this guy." Glider said.
"You do?" The Deep said proudly.
"No one wanna hear your 'Gossip Girl' takes." Cold told his sister
"You're talking about Chance? I really want to meet this guy…" The Deep started approaching and Heat Wave pointed his weapon at him. "... I'm leaving, bye."
"Not that guy. He's the rapist Aquaman knockoff I read about!" Glider angrily said.
The adjective she brought up instantly drew the attention of the Rogues as their looks of apathy towards the Deep turned into hostility. The Deep instantly blanched.
"Look, I'm sorry about that. I've been trying to better myself with the help of the Church, so that one day I can join the Justice League." The Deep said.
"The Justice League is never going to accept you, shithead. We think you're a sicko, what makes you think they won't?" Cold replied. "Weather Wizard, get out here!" He called out into the house.
Weather Wizard stepped out of the bathroom looking mildly concerned about something.
"Yeah?" Wizard asked.
"See that guy over there?" Cold asked.
"Yeah?" He questioned once more.
"Hit him with a lightning bolt." Cold ordered him.
Weather Wizard looked at the Deep, uselessly running away. He pointed his wand at the Deep and he was struck by lightning. The Deep fell to the ground, convulsing.
"Wait was that the nymphomaniacal Aquaman?" Weather Wizard asked.
"Yep." Captain Cold replied.
Suddenly he felt the temperature behind them all rise. He turned around and saw that there appeared to be a fire inside the house.
"Goddamnit, Mick…" Cold muttered in annoyance.
Stepping out of the growing flames was Heatwave marveling at the flames as though he were walking through an art gallery.
"I'm sorry… I just couldn't help myself." He muttered in awe.
"We got everything out 'n' a' body in th' hoose is in the mirror dimension. Ah say we get out of here. Let the idiots deal with it. Ah'll free th' hostages after we leave this dump." Mirror Master said.
"Fine, we're going back to Keystone." Captain Cold replied.
"Wait!" Glider said as she walked towards the Deep. She glided into the air before might she stomped on his crotch before heading back to the others. The Rogues collectively winced as they heard the crunching sound.
"I'm good now." Glider replied.
Butcher woke up, and as his vision cleared he saw the others slowly come to. They apparently used smelling salts to wake him up, as he noted the burning sensation in his nostrils. They were all tied to chairs. Annie was chained to the wall, her hands pointing at her head. However, in front of him, he saw another group of people. He recognized Penguin and Two-Face. Cobblepot was smoking a cigar while Two-Face had his coin out. The man with the black skull mask was definitely Black Mask. There was another man, his skin was pale white, and he had no nose, ears, or lips to speak of. His teeth looked sharp not unlike that of a shark. He was wearing a flashy white suit. Finally, there was a man wearing a black and white luchador mask with red lenses. He was the most physically imposing of the group being the tallest of the group and most muscular. His arms were folded across his chest. On his arm, Butcher saw that there was some sort of mechanism that was attached to a tube in the back of his head.
"Glad to see you're awake, Mr. Butcher." Penguin said taking the cigar out of his mouth
"Where's Frenchie?" Butcher asked.
"He's alive, so long as you all cooperate with us." Penguin replied.
"Show me him." Butcher said.
Penguin sighed.
"Bring him in." Penguin said.
The door opened and Frenchie was dragged into the room by the Penguin's men. He was handcuffed, but barring a black eye, he seemed to be alright.
"I'm sorry, I had the hotel key in my pocket." Frenchie apologized.
"It's not your fault." Mother's Milk told him.
"Where's Kimiko?" He asked looking worried.
"She escaped the hotel." Hughie said.
"Alright what is it?" Butcher asked.
"Why did you plant this in one of my meeting rooms?" Penguin said showing the bug in his gloved hand.
"Compound V, we both know you're all taking it from Vought." Butcher said.
"If you wanted that you could have done the sensible thing and purchased it. Instead of drugging one of my patrons, would have saved you the pain." Penguin commented.
Butcher scowled.
"You knew who I was the whole time didn't you?" Butcher asked.
"Why yes, I did. I saw the news your faces were on it. My comment regarding the Joker's bomb. He used the same ones last year for an April fool's day prank." Penguin said.
"Her face is all over New York. Something for a tv show called citizen "Starlight"." Two-Face said pointing at Annie.
"I happen to have some connections in show business, maybe I can help you get a role." Great White Shark leered.
Annie glared at the crimelord.
"Oh don't look at me like that sweetheart." Shark taunted her.
"From what I heard Warren, their fish guy made a similar proposition to her. Apparently, he left a bad taste in her mouth." Black Mask joked.
Warren let out an amused chuckle. Hughie tried to angrily free himself.
"Go fuck yourself." Annie defiantly told them.
"Really try and free yourself. Those chains are used to restrain Grundy in Arkham. Quite frankly I've seen anorexics with more muscle than you." Black Mask told her.
Annie angrily tried to break her restraints.
"Look we didn't mean to cause havoc at your club. We just wanna go home." Mother's Milk said.
"Speak for yourself." Butcher told him.
"I am." Mother's Milk replied glaring at Butcher.
"You know Oswald, I'm sorry if it sounds like I'm being impatient, but I think this interrogation of yours needs some results fast." Black Mask said.
He took Penguin's cigar from his hand and immediately put the burning end against the back of Frenchie's neck. The sudden burn elicited a yell of pain from Frenchie.
"You mother fucker!" Mother's Milk angrily yelled out.
Black Mask proceeded to backhand MM.
"You really want to try me, tough guy, because I guarantee you I'll cut out parts of him and make you eat him." Mask threatened as he kept the cigar dangerously close to MM's eye.
"Roman enough!" Penguin spoke up.
"You don't give me orders, bird." Black Mask said.
"My establishment, my rules. Feel free to carry out your methods of inquisition on your territory, not mine." Penguin said.
"For all, we know they're lying." Black Mask said.
"I have to agree with Black Mask on this. For all, we know they're probably being used by the Bat as human breadcrumbs." Great White Shark said.
"We're not with Batman! Why do you think we broke MM out of jail?" Annie said.
"Maybe because he let you all escape?" Black Mask said.
"If they were targeted by Batman, we would not be having this inquisition." Bane spoke up still sitting on his chair.
The rest of the crime lords stopped and stared at Bane.
"Oh, what are you some kind of expert on the Bat?" Butcher scoffed.
"Yes, I am Mister Butcher. In fact, I know why you wish to remain here." Bane said. "I read all about you, a crusading widow trying to avenge his beloved from the cruel would-be Gods that took her away from you. You know that the Justice League is likely going to succeed where you have failed oh so many times. So you wish to remain in this city and challenge the only one you think that your band of fools can defeat." Bane said as he got up from the chair.
He looked to be close to seven feet as he loomed over Butcher.
"You cannot defeat the bat. I have fought him many times. I won our first encounter and broke him. He managed to piece himself together, but the fact remains. You do not have the stones of accomplishing such a feat. He will catch you, and you will end up as another resident of Arkham. Blackgate if you are lucky." Bane said.
He turned to Black Mask who seemed to pause.
"I agree with Cobblepot, I have much grander ways to spend my time. I will not have it wasted on your petty whims." Bane said.
"Harvey?" Black Mask asked.
Two-Face flipped his coin. It landed on the good half.
"You all stick to Oswald's approach." Two-Face said getting up from his chair. "Now if you'd excuse me, I've got another withdrawal to make on their world." He added.
"Wait! If you're going back to our world. You can take us with you." Mother's Milk said.
Two-Face looked at the group before flipping his coin. This time it landed on the bad half.
"No." He replied as he walked out the door.
Homelander stared at the tv screen in front of him. Another monster similar to the one that attacked him at Planet Vought was here wreaking havoc in the city. He could feel his chest starting to burn just by looking at the report
"Hey!" Stormfront said trying to get him out of whatever trance.
"I'm not going." Homelander told her.
"Superman, Wonder Woman, and Maeve are heading over there. You need to get there." She told him.
"I… can't." Homelander said.
"Do you want them to upstage you, Ryan's probably watching this right now. You need to redeem yourself after that incident with the clown." She said.
Upon hearing this, Homelander swallowed the lump he felt in his throat and walked off.
"What about you?" He asked.
"I've heard one of their invaders is about to steal a stockpile of Compound V at the warehouse dock. One of our people gave us a tip-off after learning a colleague was bribed by the perp. Apparently, he is one of Batman's, some schizo basketcase called Two-Face. They used to be friends." Stormfront said.
Remembering Batman's talk with him Homelander only had this to say a sadistic smile on his face.
"Make it hurt."
Superman and Wonder Woman flew side-by-side with one another. Presently, he was holding Queen Maeve as per her request. He didn't seem to find any reason to question her demand. There were multiple buildings on fire.
"I'll put the fires out." Superman said.
"There are firefighters they should be able to take care of it." Maeve told him.
"Civilians are our number one priority." Superman told her.
"I'll handle the monster." Wonder Woman told him.
Superman gently lowered himself and Maeve to the ground.
"Superman!" The fire chief said. "We're having difficulty putting out these fires from that thing."
"That's why I'm here, chief." Superman replied as he got into the air. "Don't worry I'll put these out in a jiffy." He said.
He inhaled and with one mighty exhale blew out the fires encompassing the city block like they were a birthday candle.
The crowd looked on in awe as he extinguished the flames. That was when Superman heard screams from a nearby skyscraper. He looked and saw a nearby skyscraper. Using his x-ray vision he saw that its support beams were burning up. Immediately, he flew over to the building and used his arctic breath. Freezing and reinforcing the sides of the building with ice. Superman flew inside the building and saved all of those still trapped in the building. All without a single loss of life.
Homelander came flying. He used his x-ray vision to search for the best group of people to save in front of the cameras, but then he saw Superman's arctic breath. He saw the ice being formed on the building.
"I can't do that." Homelander murmured to himself.
Homelander saw many powers he didn't have throughout his life, but Superman was different. Superman could do everything Homelander did, but better. Now there was something Superman could do but Homelander couldn't, making him not just weaker but crippled, missing something his Earth-One counterpart could do. Homelander forgot to save anyone, he just stood motionless in the sky. Superman flew passing by him.
"What was that power?" Homelander asked. His voice was serious but hiding bitterness.
"Freeze breath." Superman explained. "It's not much of a consistent power across my versions of the multiverse. People from my world often forget I even have this power."
Superman left. Homelander stood there closing his fists, diminished, emasculated. He continued himself, Superman could hear his heartbeats. He couldn't give him that.
"Thank you. I don't think we would have the time to stop that from falling." The fire chief responded sounding astonished.
"Nonsense, the lives you and your men saved are more than enough. Don't be too hard on yourself." Superman told the chief.
"What about the support beams?" Maeve asked still bewildered.
"The ice should hold for long enough. Green Lantern is an architect too, he's more than capable enough of fixing any structural damage." Superman replied.
Wonder Woman was busy dealing with the monster as she flew it into the air alongside her while stabbing it in the stomach. The beast roared in pain. As they landed, the beast grabbed Diana holding her in its clutches. Using all her strength, Wonder Woman broke free and wrapped her lasso around its hands. The monster swung its tail and knocked Diana back into the air. Maeve threw a car at the creature barely getting its attention. It kicked Maeve into the side of a building. The debris nearly crushed a pair of civilians, fortunately, they were saved by Superman. The creature breathed out fire aimed at Maeve, only for Wonder Woman to save her. She used her shield to block the flames. Superman used his freeze breath to freeze the monster's head. Wonder Woman saw her chance and threw her shield at the monster's head. It turned into smoke as it died.
"Are you alright?" Superman asked.
"Yeah, I'm good." Maeve said holding her ribs up in the air she saw Homelander observe from above.
A crowd of people began to cheer them. She trembled when she thought that Homelanders' eyes turned red for a brief moment. He flew away from the crowd dejected.
"I want to be like you, when I grow up." She heard a little girl say to Wonder Woman.
"Thank you, but try to make your own path in life." Diana said smiling.
Maeve felt like something stabbed her in the heart.
"We're all here to help, no thanks necessary." Superman said.
"What about her?" A man in the crowd yelled out pointing to Maeve.
"Only thing she did was get her ass kicked!" He said.
Maeve walked away from them.
Superman and Wonder Woman angrily gazed at the man.
"How dare you? She risked her life, and that is how you repay her?" Diana questioned him.
"What did I say?" The man asked his scorn turned to one of confusion.
Superman took notice of this, the man's heartbeat at the moment seemed to indicate he was confused. However, that turned to fear as he noticed the looks of anger from the crowd.
"Touch this." Diana told him holding out her lasso.
He grabbed the lasso growing uncomfortable.
"Do you remember what you just said earlier?" She asked.
"No why?" He asked.
"It's all good, he was not of his own mind." Diana told the crowd.
"Her lasso makes you tell the truth." Superman said.
This did little to ease the worries of the crowd.
"Telepath?" Superman asked.
"I don't know, it is possible. Although, considering the monster, I'm thinking enchantment. Faust is locked up, but that does little to narrow down suspects." Wonder Woman told him.
They both flew up into the sky. Unaware the perpetrator was below them on another rooftop: Donna Milton. She changed into her natural form. Her brown hair turned purple, and her green dress turned into her purple sorceress attire complete with a crown. She let out a sinister smile looking down at a downtrodden Maeve, who had rejected the offer back to Vought tower.
"The seeds of self-doubt have been planted and thoroughly watered." She said.
Stormfront crashed through the roof of the warehouse. The gangsters began to shoot at her despite the countless bullets bouncing off her skin. She smugly smiled at them before unleashing a small plasma burst knocking them all away. It was there on the balcony she saw their leader. Two-Face, and his appearance lived up to that moniker. The left side of his face was completely normal whereas the right was horribly burned. The left side of his head had well-groomed brown hair while the right was completely white and unkempt. His suit was black with a white tie on his left side and white on the right with the tie being black.
"Oh I'm sorry were you trying to pay for a plastic surgeon." Stormfront mocked him.
"Grundy!" Two Face ordered.
Upon hearing that, a heavy set of footsteps started to come out of the shadows.
"Solomon Grundy born on a Monday." A deep monstrous voice said.
"Christened on Tuesday." As he got closer.
Stormfront managed to get a better look at what was coming out of the shadows. It looked large somewhere around nine feet. Maybe nine and a half.
"Married on Wednesday."
It was then that Grundy stepped out of the shadows. His clothing looked like an old suit with tears on it. White hair that matched his white skin. He looked undead though his scent practically confirmed it. His figure could be described as hulking.
"Well isn't he spe…" She was cut off when Grundy punched her. She was knocked through the warehouse onto the docks. Grundy jumped into the air and landed right in front of her. He grabbed Stormfront by the head and lifted her off the ground.
"Took ill on Thursday." Grundy said as he slammed her face into the ground. More blood started to pour out of her nose.
Grundy lifted her off the ground again, but this time she was ready. She fired plasma bolts into the face of the zombie. Grundy moaned from pain as he let her go, Stormfront punched Grundy straight in the gut and uppercut his jaw. Grundy was dazed and took a couple of steps back. Grundy roared in anger as he charged, Stormfront punched Grundy once more in the stomach. Only this time he seemed unphased as Stormfront felt pain in her arm. Grundy swatted her this time; she crashed into one of the support beams for the dock's crane denting it. She painfully got off the ground. She could taste the blood in her mouth as she spat it out. Two of her teeth had fallen out as well.
"Grew worse on Friday!" Stormfront turned around and saw Grundy holding a steel cargo container. Her eyes widened in horror. He smashed it down onto her so many times it created a crater in the street.
"Died on Saturday." Grundy said, throwing away the container. He stood over the downed supe, she was bleeding from the nose and mouth. Not to mention she had multiple cuts on her face, bruises were likely going to happen. Grundy turned her over as he grabbed both sides of her head. She could have broken bones in her ribs, arms, and legs.
"Buried on Sunday." Grundy said as he started to crush her head with his hands like a vice.
The pain immediately woke her up as Grundy started to crush her head.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Stormfront let out a truly blood curdling scream. She scratched at Grundy's hands, but she was to weak. Her legs wildly kicked around in the air.
She screamed so loud that people from the next few blocks could hear. More blood started to pour out from her head. Her eyes felt the worst, but she could not even close them despite her best efforts.
"Grundy not yet! I need to flip the coin first." Two-Face told the monster. The former DA walked up to her with some of his gang following behind him.
"This is my operation, remember that!" He admonished the creature.
Grundy relented as he released his hold on Stormfront.
"Hold her up." He ordered the monster.
Grundy obliged, bringing her up to Two-Face. He held out his coin in front of her.
"You live." Two Face said showing the unscarred side of the coin. "You die." He turned it over showcasing the scarred side.
He flipped the coin as Stormfront watched on helplessly. She managed to choke out simple gasps of fear.
"P...p...please…" She managed to spit out.
Uttering those words to someone like him made her hate herself at this junction. More than she felt towards him.
He caught the coin in his hand and turned it over to the other one.
He looked at the coin without showing it to her.
"You're one lucky lady." Two Face told her before pocketing his coin. "Let her go." He added.
Grundy dropped Stormfront onto the ground.
"Uh, boss you do know what you're doing, right?" One of his henchmen said. "That's one of the Seven, you kill her instant cred." He added.
"Hey newbie, I'd keep quiet if I were you." Another one of his gang members just said.
"I'm just saying why don't you just ignore the coin and have him crush her head as a grape? Are you even listening to yourselves?" He asked.
Before he could react, Two-Face pistol-whipped him in the face, breaking his nose.
"AAAAAH! AAAAAH! FUCK! Why'd you do that?!" He called out.
Two-Face grabbed him by the collar and punched him in the gut. He brought the henchman up to him.
"I don't care what universe you just moved from. There's one rule here, disrespect the coin you disrespect me! Unless you want to test your luck, too!" Two-Face told him before pushing him to the ground.
"N-n-no sir…" The henchman said as he got off the floor. He was holding his nose.
"Good, let's go! We got what we came for." Two-Face said as he walked away from Stormfront.
Grundy followed him.
"Is this the end of Solomon Grundy?" Grundy muttered as he walked away.
Stormfront could only lay there bleeding on the ground coughing up blood.
