Legacy Part I
"The End"
Written by Artemis, Story idea by WonderWoman
Summary: The death of the Justice League by Darkseid leaves a world in ruins. This summary sucks intentionally. ;) Batman/Wonder Woman, ANGST!!!!, romance, action/adventure.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything, especially all these DC characters. So nyah-nyah!
A/N: I'm juggling three storylines here, which will all come together eventually. Please bear with me. Special thanks to Wondy for her help in capturing Harley's voice.
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Part I, Chapter III**********************************************************
"Master Clark!"
Tim stepped out of the way just in time, as a certain nine year-old came tearing around the corner, with an Englishman only a few steps behind him. He couldn't help chuckling, which earned him a glare from Alfred.
"And what is so amusing Master Tim?"
Tim had been telling Alfred for years to stop calling him "Master" anything. Alfred was a father to them, well more so to young Clark Thomas Wayne, perhaps an uncle to Tim. Nevertheless, the former butler insisted on the formality, claiming the last bastions of civilization must be maintained despite their surroundings.
"Hey Alfred, the kid's just," Tim shrugged and chuckled, "'spreading his wings.'"
Alfred raised an eyebrow in response to Tim's poor pun. "You had to show him he could fly, didn't you?"
"What did he do this time?" grinned Tim.
"He found the pantry and the stash of sweets you insist we carry. There are no longer any adequate hiding places."
Tim, only in his twenties, but feeling like he was fifty, watched Clark climb the cave walls. Both he and Alfred gave up worrying about him the child actually harming himself—not that either one could actually get him down from that stalagmite anyway.
Alfred abruptly cleared his throat. "Well, I should be going, before it gets dark. We are running dangerously low on supplies."
"Let me go."
"Absolutely not Master Tim" was the curt response as Alfred removed the dishtowel from his shoulder and slipped on his coat. Despite the meager circumstances, he still carried himself and looked every bit the English gentleman. Placing his driving cap firmly onto his head, he stepped into the Batmobile.
A thud alerted them that Clark had rejoined them on solid ground. "Alfred-Alfred-Alfred!"
"I'm sorry, Master Clark. We have discussed this before. You know I cannot—"
"Maybe you should," Tim offered with a shrug.
"That," he pointed behind him, "Is no place for a child."
"But he's a tough little guy. Shame for a nine year old to be stuck in a cave his whole life."
Alfred looked at the child tugging on his hand. Tim recognized that fatherly glance, the same as the first time Alfred had laid eyes on young Clark. He knew Alfred was taking in his pale features, all the more shocking against his black hair. Tim often worried about that himself. This was no way for a child to grow up.
"Very well then, Master Clark." But before Clark could run to the other side and hop in, Alfred held the child's shoulders gently and spoke firmly, "I must make clear, however, that you are to remain by my side the entire time."
Clark nodded with a huge grin, not bothering to mask his enthusiasm. Tim was at once wistful for such youthful exuberance. After watching the Batmobile speed away, Tim settled down at the Batcomputer, continuing where he left off. He was going through all of Bruce's files, updating the information: maps, directories, statistics were constantly changing. The world's population was only a third of what it once was. However, Darkseid's original plan was to wipe out every person on Earth.
Tim knew whom to thank for the number actually remaining so high.
A flashing light at the bottom of the monitor alerted him to an intruder. This person was trying to get in the same way he and Clark entered all those years ago. Tim rose to his feet and to get there quicker, he used Barbara's old wheelchair. He never used it when the others were around. Alfred probably knew he used it in privacy, but thankfully never mentioned it. His stealth was betrayed by the squeak of the wheels.
"Wait. Don't hurt me. I am a friend."
A man in a red and yellow mask and green cape stepped from the shadows.
"How did you get in?"
The costumed man held out a small device. "Your locks were simple."
"Who are you?" Tim's voice was cold as he pushed himself off the chair.
"I was known as Mr. Miracle, but please call me Scott. I need to find Batman."
Tim snorted as he sat back down, "Why?"
"I can get help to fight Darkseid, but I need Batman's help with the technology."
"How do you know Batman?"
"I am from New Genesis, which neighbors Darkseid's Apokolips. Years ago, the first time Darkseid came to your world, my wife Barda and I helped Superman and we became friends. He spoke highly of the Dark Knight and I eventually got to meet him."
"So why aren't you looking for Superman?" Tim asked dryly.
Mr. Miracle raised an eyebrow, but never let his impatience enter his voice. "Superman has been sent to another dimension. If Batman will help me build a device, we can retrieve him and defeat Darkseid."
"Ambitious plan," Tim's voice was sarcastic, "But Superman was killed by Darkseid nearly ten years ago."
Scott shook his head, "Are you really so ignorant of your enemies? Superman wasn't killed. He was sent into another dimension by Darkseid's Omega Beam."
Tim's eyes widened. "Oh. Well, then that is a pretty good plan . . . except Batman really is dead."
"Oh."
"Yep."
"Then why did I trace his genetic imprint here?"
"That would be his son."
"Oh. . . OH."
"Yeah, that was our reaction too."
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Batman savored the satisfying crunch of armor beneath his fist. Parademons were stupid creatures that he could destroy without remorse. They were countless in numbers, which also made these fights guilt-free. Strange to see them in Gotham. Over the last quarter century, once Darkseid moved his palace west, the overlord had seemingly given up on his city. True, much of it was in ruins, but it was also home to the most concentrated pocket of humans. From what Batman learned from Tim and Alfred, Gothamites were always a tough crowd. These urban dwellers survived the most psychotic villains ever known, as well as an earthquake leaving their home declared a "No Man's Land." As such, no one who considered Gotham City home would allow a self-aggrandizing alien to just waltz in. The idea almost brought a smile to the young man's face. Almost.
He slammed his fist into another demon's face and easily kicked away another. Deciding he had played with these moronic creatures long enough, he stepped back and removed a batarang from his belt. He pressed a button and flung it out to the heap. Turning to walk away, he missed the explosion. His attention was distracted.
"Heya Junyah!"
He simply growled.
She pouted and put her hands on her hips, "Doncha wanna know why I called ya?"
"Because you were being chased by Parademons?" was the dry response as he started to walk away.
"Hey! Even yeh pops was never this rude!"
He stopped, and without looking at her, replied coldly, "Harley, you sick psychopath, don't you ever speak about my father."
With that he did turn and glowering high above her, added, "Ever."
Harley Quinn gulped, which was hard to see under the smeared and dingy face paint she still used. The years had not been kind. She still dressed as a jester, but the costume was tattered and discolored. Her brittle hair stuck out under her hat, the bells long gone. Her body aged as well, and she now stood slightly hunched over. But her voice, according to Tim, was just as annoying as ever. She had stumbled upon a communicator once and kept it. Tim wished Batman would just take the damn thing from her. Batman honestly didn't care, because she actually refrained from abusing it. When she did call, it was often for something like this. Batman, never knowing her during her hey day as a criminal, pitied her and felt responsible for her, as he did everyone still in Gotham. He also thought she must be lonely.
His hand went to his belt for food.
"No-no-no!" She waved her hands, "Not this time! I have a present for ya!"
His hand remained where it was. Strange, that was how their meetings usually ended. He got to beat something up and she asked for something to eat. He stared at her, waiting and strangely intrigued, as she ran into the trees and soon emerged.
"Lookee what I found!" She was dragging a man wearing a big helmet, who for some reason, wasn't putting up much of a fight. He looked like he might have been one of Darkseid's men, but the way this one was drooling on himself, as well as the glazed look in his eyes—something was wrong with this one. Strange that Darkseid would keep him around.
"The demons were afta him, but I saved 'im!" Harley squealed, pleased with herself. She threw her arms around him and kissed him on the cheek. "Ain't he a cutie?"
Batman continued to stare at her, waiting for her to reach her point, if she had one. She grabbed the stranger's hand and thrust it towards Batman. He glanced at the green ring and back at her, his expression never changing.
Harley rolled her eyes, "Don't they tell ya nuttin'? That's," her voice fell to whisper as she looked around dramatically, "the Green Lantern's ring!"
Batman didn't need long to ponder this, as he grabbed the man and headed for the Batmobile. Realizing the man was heavier than he appeared, he glanced back. Harley had thrown herself on the poor imbecile's back and was hitching a ride.
"Findahs keepahs!"
The strange phrase got his attention and he stopped. "What?"
"I found 'im and I'm keepin' 'im! Ya wanna take 'im, gotta take me too." With that, she wrapped her arms and legs around the poor man more tightly. She planted a kiss on his dirty helmet.
"My new Puddin'!" The stranger just grinned stupidly and
swayed a little.
Batman stood there a moment, clenching and unclenching his jaw. Decision made, he groaned and jerked his
head in the direction of the Batmobile and started walking.
"Follow Junyah, Puddin'!"
Still grinning dumbly, the man nodded and started following Batman as Harley beamed with pride.
Batman was working on an explanation to Tim and Scott.
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Diana pushed through the last of Parademons that surrounded Darkseid. She had left a fairly sizable pile behind her. Each snap and crunch under her fist gave her a satisfaction she had not felt in battle in a long time.
Darkseid watched her approach and sneered. She saw his eyes glow and was easily prepared as she threw up her bracelets and deflected his Omega Beam.
"Impossible!" He tried again, but in that moment, she managed to get close enough to land a hard right hook. His head barely moved, although it did make him miscalculate his own shot and he accidentally sent some Parademons to another dimension.
Diana wasn't done with just one punch. She continued swinging, fist after fist connecting with Darkseid's head. Eventually he just grabbed her and threw her across the room. He shook his head a few times to rid himself of the grogginess and started towards her. Diana was already on her feet however and swung her lasso, wrapping the indestructible coil around him, pinning his arms in place. She started running and swung the lasso as hard as she could, sending Darkseid into a wall. Before he could get up, Diana was behind him, wrapping more of the lasso around his neck. She started to pull.
"Thought you didn't kill." Diana allowed him to say that much before she wrapped another loop around his neck and pulled tighter.
"I don't have that same moral dilemma as Superman and Batman anymore," she hissed into his ear, "Perhaps you should have killed me instead."
Darkseid managed to grab her foot and threw her off balance. "Perhaps I just might," he growled. But Diana still held her lasso and yanked him to the ground as she fell. Hovering above him and being careful to stay out of his line of sight, she gathered the slack in the lasso, pulling it taut and strangling him more. He turned his head, in time to see a red boot and everything went black momentarily.
He soon opened his eyes and immediately realized that although the lasso remained at his neck, she was no longer attempting to cut off his airway. He observed Steppenwolf standing a few yards before them, holding the Martian. J'onn was limp and his head downward.
"Let him go."
Steppenwolf smirked, "You first."
Darkseid felt a yank and deduced her response. He glanced at Steppenwolf and grinned. His favorite bounty hunter gave a small nod and grinned.
Diana yanked on the lasso again. "Let J'onn go." No sooner had the words left her lips did Darkseid jerk his head back. She fell back and clutched her stomach. Darkseid hit J'onn with a blast from his eyes, forcing her to watch her friend disintegrate.
"NO! J'ONN!" She dragged Darkseid to her feet and wrapped another loop around his neck. "You miscalculated foolish man. Now I will kill you."
"Really?" He turned to her, but she shoved his head forward. "I can't bring him back if you kill me."
"Fine, bring him back."
"You have to release him first, lady," Steppenwolf offered, sliding closer.
"Step back." She tugged the noose a little tighter. Darkseid tried to chuckle, but it was more of a chortle, as the lasso was really getting tight.
"Just let the boss go and he'll bring back your friend."
Diana was about to order him back again, when a metal lash clamped around her and sent an electric shock through her body. She fell to the ground, writhing in pain. Staring down at her were the Female Furies.
"Please let me kill her! Please Darkseid! Please!" Mad Harriet was jumping up and down with excitement.
Stompa frowned, "It's my turn. She's already on the ground."
Artemis raised her bow as her cyberhounds pawed the ground. "I say we give her a running start. I haven't hunted anything all day."
Darkseid ignored them and yanked the lasso from his neck. His hands fell to his sides at what he saw next.
"Kalibak?. . .What has been done to you?" He stepped down. "Someone explain this!"
"The Martian did it, sir."
"Well he's of no use to me now. Kill him."
Steppenwolf cleared his throat. "Well, sir, that thought already crossed my mind, but he's armed."
"What?"
"He has the Lantern's ring. And his mind ain't exactly stable right now . . . so . . . well." Steppenwolf shrugged.
"Get me Desaad."
"Uh, he's dead sir."
"WHAT?"
"Martian again."
"Then I will handle this myself," Darkseid was about to shoot Kalibak with an Omega Beam when he realized what was on his son's head. "How did he get Orion's helmet? Now he's protected from me."
Steppenwolf glared at the Furies and all the other Furies glared at Lashina. Darkseid blasted her into another dimension.
A throat cleared behind him. Darkseid turned. Free of Lashina's grip, Diana was pushing herself to her feet, all the while glancing wearily at the Female Furies.
"I have a proposition."
"This should be amusing."
Darkseid glared at Steppenwolf, then looked back at the Amazon, for whom he had to admit, although never out loud, a grudging modicum of respect. Few people ever got close enough to nearly kill him—unfortunate she was so . . . good. "Go on."
"You need an heir. I want my friends back."
"Friends?"
"J'onn and Superman. Bring them back and stop killing the people of this world," she spat the next part, "and I will give you an heir."
"You would . . . with me?" The seven foot tall alien leered wolfishly.
Diana could not bring herself to respond directly without getting nauseous so she just raised her chin stubbornly and stated instead. "My friends first."
Yawning, he glanced at the Furies.
"Kill her?" Mad Harriet raised her claws.
"No, just toss her in the stockade for now."
Diana surreptitiously reached for her lasso, but Darkseid snatched it away, "Tsk-tsk." He looked back at the Female Furies, "Get her out of my sight."
Turning back to Kalibak, he looked at him carefully then to Steppenwolf. His disdain was obvious in his growl.
"How did an imbecile become the most powerful man in the universe?"
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