Batman Beyond: Goddess of the Earth
Batman Beyond characters are trademark of DC, Warner Bros. They include Batman, Bruce Wayne, Terry McGinniss, Poison Ivy and others. I don't own them but then, you can already figure that out. There are and will be characters that I have created specifically for my story so like all fanfic authors, I would like to know if you have any plans to use them.
LEVEL 00
Somewhere in the Amazon Forest, within the borders of Brazil.
55% of the original Amazon rainforest has been destroyed. A combination of industrial advancement, illegal logging, pollution and conflicts has reduced much of the precious forest. It's a very precious commodity man should have made more attempts to take care of. All the politicking and bickering amounted to nothing. They have disappointed her. They have angered her.
Anger. That was all Ramon Fernandez Ruel could sense from the woman he is guiding through the jungle. She would make a comment or mutter about something. Usually it was about the logging, the deforestation and the disappearances of endangered species. Her expressions was of like a mother whose child had died. He could not imagine anyone who could have such great anger.
We are near the research camp you have been looking for, Ma'ame, he told her. He couldn't bear his curiosity any longer, Umm, you don't look like you're a part of their group.
I am not, she replied as she takes off her khaki shirt and pants, revealing a skintight green costume with leaf design as the motif for her torso. Finally, she takes off her safari type hat and lets her long, dark red hair fall, showing her beautiful face. I'm here to help us get back on track.
Ramon stands with mouth agape. He is enraptured by her and he falls to his knees. He is sixty years old and has seen his share of beauties over his lifetime and while she is American, she really shouldn't be any different from any woman. He can't understand why he is feeling what he is feeling now.
This can't be right, he thought.
As if able to read his mind she assures him, Fear not, Ramon, you will be rewarded for your service and loyalty to me.
***
The research camp is actually a small prefab installation. A small patch of land was cleared and the box-like building airdropped into a bald spot in the forest. A two-story building measuring 8 meters x 10 meters, it serves as a laboratory and sleeping quarters for the six scientists studying the Amazon and its many inhabitant species.
Dr. Miles Abugado yawns as he takes another look at the specimens they collected during the day. He is looking very much forward to seeing his family after his term is over. He's been staying in the prefab for nearly a year. Thoughts of home and family are interrupted by what seemed like an earthquake, however.
All six scientists scurried about in the prefab laboratory; all wondering what in the world was going on. One of them tried to head out the entrance to see what was going on but was instead knocked out by a huge object making its way through.
When the shaking stopped and the dust starting to settle, the scientists huddled together. They are being surrounded by the same object that blocked the entrance. The very object surrounding them, it turns out, were giant vines that were quickly overrunning the lab room. The vines were knocking over all their equipments, computers and specimens all over. Dr. Abugado can't help but feel that all their work has been wasted.
And in the entrance, finally making her appearance is the red-haired woman in the green suit and a local guide.
Who are you?! Are you responsible for this? Do you have any idea how many years of research you have destroyed? Abugado blames her, You have the world to answer to for this!!
She throws some kind of plant pod at him and it suddenly grows into a tangle of leaves and vines, engulfing the poor doctor and binding him.
The world will soon thank me, Doctor!!! she retorted. And then she laughs hysterically.
Dr. Abugado can't help but wonder if she's not just another lunatic out to make a name for herself.
***
Three men were walking through one of Gotham City's more seedier neighborhoods. Desperate times call for desperate survival. Thanks to the Batman, higher profile crimes were no longer becoming profitable. They used to be hired muscle but the Bat had long since put their leader away in prison. They know the Bat doesn't see any difference whether it's big time or small time crime. Still, they hope to get away with whatever loot they could get and those super high-definition TV sets on display at Wang's Multiware appliance store look like they could sell for a couple of thousand.
The biggest man gets his two buddies together to formulate a plan.
We gots to get those stuff. We really could use the money.
No kidding. What took you so long to realize that? said the second weasely man.
Ah, pleaze don't attack me with your sarcasm. We gots to find a way to get those TV sets. If we
Ow, c'mon!!! It's just a store window! We're not robbin' a bank or break into some super duper maximum security place! argued Carper, the smallest of the three, who picks up a brick and throws it into the store's display window.
Carper, don't do it!!!
The brick hits the windows but instead of the glass breaking, a bright flash came as it bounced off.
WWWWWWWWWWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!
Oh, crap! You never wait for what I'se got to say, don't you? That ain't just glass, it's a standard feature in small store security these days. It's a special fiberglass material that sets off the alarm when you hit it! Big Man tells off Carper.
Damn! Now you tell me. Let's just blow it away!
All three grab their guns and start blasting at the store window. What a piece of brick couldn't do, bullets and laser blasts did the job.
Didn't your mothers tell you not to play with guns? a voice bellowed from above.
The three were surprised to see the Batman soaring in the air and swooping towards them. Big Man might be tougher to deal with so he'll knock him off a while and go for the other two, Batman thought. He sped toward Big Man and rammed him in the midsection. Big Man fell to the ground, a bit dazed but not unconscious. He'll have to get back to him a bit later.
Batman notices some soreness on his arm. Big Man seems to be made of sterner stuff.
What's with you guys? Bionics? Cybernetics? Boy, you guys must be really getting desperate trying to steal low class shop!
Weasely One wants to get this over with and so he shoots his gun everywhere without really aiming. He frantically tries to spot where Batman is. He was just by the streetlight, he thought, or was he by the trash can? He just hit Big Man, he was in front of us! How could he disappear?!
Oh, are you looking for a bullseye? Cuz we're like a couple of neighborhoods away from the nearest gun club. Thought you'd like to know.
The only bullseye I need is that stupid picture on your chest!!! Weasely One screamed and aims for Batman's chest. The Bat was too fast and pushes his gun away and lands one solid fist on his solar plexus. That was all it took and Weasely One is down for the count.
Carper saw what happened and knows he is severely outmatched. He makes a run for it. A batarang circles around his legs and a twine attached to it has bound his feet. He falls to the ground, his jaw making first contact with the pavement. That was all it took.
Ah, this job is getting too easy, said Batman.
Terry! Watch out! You still haven't taken care of the first one!!! a voice screamed into his ear.
A strong blow knocks across his back which throws him about fifteen feet away into the middle of the street. He tries to get up but finds himself shaking. He sees Big Man charging toward him.
I hate cyborgs, he muttered.
A big fist pounds on his face and a right uppercut sends him through the air. Trying to get some leverage, Batman opens up his wings again and charges towards Big Man who, by now, knows what he's trying to do again and uses his momentum against him by evading his charge, then grabbing him and pushing in the direction of the store next door Wang's.
Batman crashes through the window of the clothing store and a whole lot of mess gets made. The siren also wailed in this store. He gets up as soon as he can before Big Man can grab him again.
You know, you really ought to consider joining Robo-Wrestling. You'd really like it there. Lots of big mean guys ready to take someone else's head off. I know there's this someone just like you. He
I was in Robo-Wrestling! You put my manager out of business! You busted my manager for illegal enhancements! Now I'm outta the job! Big Man screamed.
Batman barely avoided the next fist that was going to his head. The wall cracked all over from that one single punch. He tries to get some distance to get some leverage and figure a way to stop Big Man from doing more damage.
Oh, yeah. I think I remember that one.
Don't taunt me you little bastard! I ain't as dumb as I look. I'm going to break every bone in your body! You come down here!!!
A pile of clothes drops on Big Man and some smoke bombs blow up. Batman seizes the advantage by continuously hitting him again and again and again. It was almost beginning to become an exercise in futility. Big Man won't go down.
C'mon! Give in. Dammit. Give in! Batman curses.
Realizing the futility of combating Big Man by hand-to-hand, he retreats back through the haze of smoke. Big Man, slowly recovering his senses, sees Batman standing in a corner. He smiles thinking he's finally getting some payback for the frustrations.
Now you're gonna get it!!! he screams.
He passes through Batman, too late to realize it was only a hologram and crashes through the wall into the next store. While Big Man is disoriented and in a kneeling position, Batman grabs him from behind and tries to work around his big neck, seemingly searching for something.
Suddenly, Big Man freezes, his eyes go wide and finally convulses. He's down.
Now, I remember this one too. A built-in failsafe in every Robo-Wrestler in case you guys go berserk, Batman tells his defeated foe.
The police sirens are blaring. The arrival of Gotham Police too late to do any action but to arrest the perpetrators. Batman has already left. One sergeant curses at their late timing and how Batman has made them look bad again.
In the background, one of the television sets is still functional. The Gotham News Channel is on. A computer generated image of a woman newscaster reading the news:
with the Justice League Unlimited heading of to Mars to intercept a strange giant Starfish like creature calling itself Starro. More details on this coming up.
In international news, what appears to be a giant plant pod covering a very large area of the Amazon forest has sprung up overnight. Covering nearly two hundred meters in diameter, its origin is still undetermined at this time. Brazilian and Peruvian Armed Forces are mobilized to combat this perceived threat but are held back by gigantic vines surrounding the plant pod. US Embassy have offered military advisors to assist the local military on actions to undertake. So far, no word on what those actions are or what they will be. A terrorist group calling itself Poison Ivy has claimed responsibility