"Let me get this straight, Mr....?"
"Kent. Clark Kent. We met back during an interview, shortly after your armored suit was stolen."
"Ah yes of course. Let me get this straight then," replied Lex, folding his hands in front of him as he peered up at Clark from his desk. "You want me to loan you a rather expensive piece of merchandise that only I and a few select members of my staff are even aware that I have. Ignoring how you found out about it, you want me to loan it to you, with little more than your word that it'll be returned."
"Would you rather let the aliens move in on your turf and take over everything?" asked Clark, wincing slightly at the word 'alien.' Lex used to refer to him by that term all the time. Still, whatever it took to get what he needed.
"You're saying you..." and here he paused, eyeing Clark up and down with a skeptical glance. "... can stop them all with a chunk of rock?"
"You and I both know that's no ordinary rock," replied Clark.
"And you still haven't told me how you know all of this," Lex countered.
"Alright no, I can't guarantee all of them. But I know two at least I can bring down with my bare hands... if you give me what I need."
"It is a rare substance..."
"... and it'll be worthless to you if the attackers kill you."
Lex frowned darkly at that. But it did make him think, and that was what Clark had been counting on. For a long moment, neither spoke. Lex Luthor was thinking. Weighing his options. And, likely, thinking how best he could come out on top. Maybe he could use this attack to drive away the aliens and make himself look like a hero.
"Very well, Mr. Kent. You make a compelling argument. I will loan you what you need. However, I somehow doubt I need to give you an idea of what'll happen if it isn't returned," replied Lex with a smirk. A dangerous smirk. Clark could well imagine. If he went to such lengths to slay Superman he could easily take out Clark Kent if he felt maligned.
"Alright," said Clark. "Now... where is the Kryptonite?"
Wally and Shayera's trip to Gotham took less time than they'd expected. People weren't traveling towards Gotham. As they watched, they saw more and more people heading on the metro in the opposite direction. And like Central City, they couldn't help but wonder why.
Until they reached Gotham, and found out.
It was a war zone. There was a thick cover of clouds up in the sky, and the city below seemed shrouded in darkness like the night. And as any resident of Gotham could tell you, night time was not the most safe time to be out in Gotham city. But this, this was insane. Criminals were running loose everywhere, and no where did Wally or Shayera see a single policeman. Plenty of villains though, including a number they'd tangled with in their time as members of the League.
Clayface could be spotted, a great mountain of living, breathing mud, tackling an armored car and ripping out the back doors, taking the money inside and hiding it inside of his own disgusting body. Two-Face and some of his thugs were shooting up the streets. And further down the street they spotted a great obstruction in the road that couldn't have been natural. Vines generally didn't grow that big.
Shayera growled, grabbed the pipe that she'd kept with her since Central City, and moved as if to try and stop some of the criminals, but Wally restrained her... barely. She was still pretty tough, even for a human. "What're you doing?" she demanded angrily.
"Come on we can't handle those guys!" he said. "Look at 'em, they're not playing around!" he added, pointing down the street where Poison Ivy was having her thorned vines climb a building, crushing it to rubble. Behind her, resting on one of the vines was the red, black and white visage of Harley Quinn. Not a good sign. Still, at least Wally didn't see the Joker anywhere. Last person they needed to see right now.
"Our best bet is to find Bats and get our powers back," he said. "THEN kick butt."
"I hope you're right," she grumbled. "'cause you realize if people get hurt in the meantime it'll be our fault."
"We can't do anything..." he started to argue back, but stopped a he spotted trouble. No, not trouble. Trouble. It deserved a capital T.
One particular masked psycho, with a weight-lifters body and a mask that Wally didn't identify, had just picked up a frickin' car over his head and was preparing to toss it at a helpless couple who were lying flat on the ground. They were going to be crushed.
"I take it back," he grumbled, grabbing the bent pipe out of Shayera's hands before she could protest. Normally Wally would've rushed forward and moved the couple of out of the way, but without his speed at best he'd get crushed with them, and at worse he wouldn't make it in time.
Time to improvise.
He tossed the pipe right at the guy's masked head, smacking him soundly between the eyes. Any ordinary man would've crumpled after a blow like that. But this giant didn't even blink, he just glared darkly, turning his attention from the bystanders to Wally. They scrambled away to safety.
"Oh you're going to regret messin' with Bane, amigo," grunted the black-masked man, hurling the car at Wally. He dodged aside... barely. Then he grimaced, clutching his sides. His ribs still hadn't completely healed. They hurt like hell. He hoped he hadn't jostled them too much.
"Poor little man, can't even stand and fight," grinned Bane, reaching down and grabbing a fistful of Wally's shirt, hauling him up and right into his face. "Pity, I could've used a challenge. So boring," he grumbled, drawing his fist back. Wally's eyes widened. If he was on the receiving end of that...
Fortunately, he didn't have to find out. Shayera howled her war cry and lashed out with a piece of twisted metal that had once been part of the car. She sliced clear through the pipes that Wally had previously not noticed, connecting from Bane's arms to his neck to a small container on his back. As soon as Shayera sliced them off they sprayed a thick green goop everywhere and Bane howled in pain. Wally kicked him hard in the chest for good measure, and Bane released him, clutching at his body in agony. As Shayera and Wally watched, it started to shrink, his muscles atrophying until he was a feeble, sickly looking fellow in an overly-large black mask.
"Wow," said Wally, clutching his aching sides still as he looked at Shayera in amazement. "How did you know that was his weak point?"
"The Thanagarian Council ordered me to investigate Earth thoroughly," she replied grimly. "The League's weaknesses weren't the only ones I researched. This fellow here I recognized as Bane, from Batman's files. Tough enough, but he's fed his strength by that pack on his back and those tubes. Cut those, he's feeble as a kitten."
"I still say my point stands," he argued. "We should find Bats."
"Works for me," she agreed, tossing the chunk of iron aside. Supporting Wally, Shayera led the way towards the edge of Gotham city and Wayne manor where hopefully answers lay.
It felt like hours later that John regained consciousness.
And he immediately wished he hadn't.
All around was destruction, was devastation, was death. The entire building had been blown to bits or torn to pieces by the works of Sinestro and Star Sapphire. And scattered and tossed all around the room were the dead bodies of his co-workers. His friends, even if they weren't as he remembered them. Human, but still people he knew, people he'd worked with. Kilowog and Kyle and...
... oh god. Not her too.
John grimaced, lifting up a heavy beam and pushing it aside with all of his strength to peer down at the crushed form beneath. As if the blasted straight through her stomach hadn't been enough.
Katma Tui lay dead on the ground, her eyes closed, her body limp.
He fell to his knees beside her and almost broke into tears. He may've ended their relationship a long time ago, but he still had feelings for Kat. And no one should have to die like this. Cut down by psychotic super villains without even being given a chance to fight back. At least with a ring Kat might've stood a chance, even if it had been two on one. Kat had certainly survived worse odds before... with a power ring.
But there were no power rings, he reminded himself.
No Green Lanterns.
No Heroes.
Grimly, John picked up Kat's dead body in his arms. He wasn't in sure what to do with it, only knew that he couldn't leave it here. The elevator was fried, and the stairs would take forever, especially lugging her body down in his arms. But he took her anyway, and stubbornly refused to shed any tears.
Not yet, at least.
"So what exactly do you think Superman is planning?" asked Diana, as Bruce drove back towards Gotham in his car. He'd been remarkably silent the whole time, and it was starting to get on her nerves.
"Something very stupid," remarked Bruce.
"But surely he has some sort of plan. Do you know what it is?"
"I have an idea."
"And...?" she asked when he didn't elaborate.
"Better you don't know," he replied, not facing her, staring at the street as he swerved in and out of lanes, already pushing well past the speed limit.
It took them only about half an hour to reach Gotham, but it seemed an eternity. And when they arrived, needless to say it wasn't a pleasant sight. The rioting had only escalated since it had begun, and more of Batman's foes were running around celebrating and causing general chaos. Bruce frowned darkly. Again, that nagging sense of déjà vu. He could almost feel he knew something. Something on the tip of his tongue, but whenever he focused on it, it eluded him.
It was starting to irritate him.
So was the whole situation. Their powers were gone, their lives were mix-matched, but villains were running around everywhere causing utter destruction and chaos. It didn't make sense. Forget point B. Things were jumping from point A all the way down to Z without meeting any of the other letters. Batman's detective skills were useless if nothing made sense. It was insane.
But right now he couldn't focus on that. He had to focus on something he could do. For now, he had to focus on J'onn.
Maybe, slim though the hope may be, J'onn had some answers.
Bruce parked the limo outside of Arkham asylum. Storm clouds brewed overhead, threatening rain but never giving way to downpour. Thunder crackled ominously, and again Bruce was reminded of why he rarely visit Arkham. It shivered his skin.
Diana slipped out of the car behind him, looking at him as if asking permission to come along. He nodded, and the two of them proceeded into the fortress. It was in the reception area they first noticed something wrong. The guards were knocked unconscious, lying on the floor. And a lot of the doors had been broken down. Lots of them. A quick glance, based on his past knowledge of Arkham's inhabitants, told Batman a good number of his most lethal enemies were out in Gotham stirring up trouble. He hurried, jogging down the empty corridor and past empty cells, trying to find the new ones. J'onn would still be here, he hoped.
Finally, he found a cell with the name he was looking for. John Jones.
He knocked against it, peering into the slit. "J'onn!" he shouted. "J'onn, can you hear me?!"
"Batman?" came a weak, hesitant voice.
"Not exactly," replied Bruce with a grimace. "But look, we're here to get you out. Wait there," he said, turning to Diana. "You too. I'll grab the keys."
J'onn dare not hope. His friends... Batman and Wonder Woman. Diana was helping support him as Bruce helped remove the hated white jacket strapped to his body. A white shirt was underneath, and they purloined the guard's shoes to fit awkwardly over his feet. But none of it mattered. He was free. He would gladly have walked barefoot on the surface of Mercury for such freedom.
He was still weak from the early injection. Sedative, he realized dimly.
"Everything is going to be fine," reassured Diana, sitting with J'onn in the back of the limo. Bruce was needed up front to drive, but she was doing her best to put him up to date on the situation.
"You sound very certain of that. Though I am grateful for your rescue from that... place..." shivered J'onn. "... we are still no closer to unraveling this mystery."
"No. But at least we found you. And you still remember everything, right?"
"I do."
"That's one answer then," replied Bruce, not taking his eyes off the road. "We still exist. Batman and Wonder Woman and the Martian Manhunter. We're real."
"But we're not. We are but we aren't. A mystery," said J'onn.
"A puzzle," added Diana. "It makes no sense."
"A puzzle we've just added another piece to," replied Bruce. "Maybe when we find the others we'll have more pieces, and have a better idea of the picture."
"We can only hope," remarked J'onn, in a somber voice that suggested such a thing was very far from his mind indeed.
Suddenly the car swerved hard, and J'onn and Diana with no warning were sent to the floor, not having buckled up prior. Diana grimaced as she bumped her head rather hard, lifting her head up to give Bruce an earful about his reckless driving habits. But she stopped as she saw what was just beyond the dashboard, barely an inch or so in front of the car. Two people. Man and a woman, cringing as if they were about to be hit. Bruce had stopped so as not to hit them.
"Well well, fancy meeting you guys here," remarked Wally West. He jacked a thumb over his shoulder. "Going our way?"
Bruce didn't even crack a smile. He clicked the door control, unlocking them. "Get in."
Author's Notes:
Clark's meeting with Lex? For Kryptonite no less? Is the man mad? Or does he have some sort of crafty plan up his cape? Clever readers probably already figured it out, but I'll leave the rest of you in suspense. The incident with the power suit they're referring to is of course from 'Last Son of Krypton.' And just as I've brought a few of Superman's old foes out to play, so have I done with Batman's. Harley's finally abandoned her psychiatrist act to go play nutso and super villain sidekick. Bane's appearance was inspired by 'Mystery of the Batwoman,' as is his slightly latin accent (I don't recall him having it back in the Batman series, but I like it). And now all but Superman and GL are back together, and the League is starting to become organized. Does that mean the stories over? Fat chance!
Ray1: Well you did hit upon one element of the story I was hoping to keep secret until later. Its just one guy behind all of this. Doubtlessly you'll be able to figure out who now though.
Anonymous but Impressed: Actually I never saw the Superman series while it was on TV (I keep my interests to myself), but downloaded the episodes afterwards. And I never bothered to learn anything about Mr. (however you spell it, you know who I mean) or Bizarro. They never struck me as particularly interesting. So 'fraid its not him.
Anon.. for Now: I just hope I'm not rushing through it, repeating myself, or losing vital character insight/development. Harleen Quinzel, you say? I could've sworn it was Harley Quinn. Ah well, its my story I'll call her whatever I please. 'Specially since she's done with her "secret identity" now.
DoubleL27: That was interesting, wasn't it? Poor Bruce and Diana. Or should I say lucky? Heh. Glad you're enjoying the plot, I hope you like the surprise twist at the very end. Its quite a different plot than 'Nullification' was.
Todd fan: Oh come on, he was opening himself up to that when he bought the damn thing. Oh yeah, gotta love the speedsters. That's why they take the brunt of the jokes so often. I shall indeed keep up the good work. Oh hey, I think some of the JL writers stole your idea involving Seren. They're making a JLU episode where, and I quote "Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and Green Lantern are transformed into 8-year-olds". You should sue!
Momentum: The plot mostly no, what I'm worried about is the villain mastermind. This is why I have been hesitant to do a real story focused on Dark Seid, owed to his "death" in 'Twilight.' But I'm pretty sure I have a way to move through continuity with little to no trouble.
Tomboy13: The Flash has certainly grown on me since I first saw the twit rushing to fight aliens and getting himself into trouble. I would never do anything… well… nothing too horrible, at least… too him. Soon no, but just like in my Evo stories, expect plenty of butt-kicking to go around.
Angelic Temptress: Oh believe me I haven't even started yet. There is a method to my madness. Oh by the way the story called. Said it eloped with 'Nullification.' Sorry. Strange takeover of Arkham with a certain maniac who revels in insanity? Well… I'm not saying yes, I'm not saying no… but I'm especially not saying no.
Kaliann: Leaguers unite! Glad I've caught your interest, hope you stay through to the end of my first JL story. Keep up the reviews.
Knight's Shadow: Its what I leave these review responses for. Plus like any good superhero I enjoy witty banter. Keep reviewin', I'll keep postin'. Deal?
Dreamcatcher89: Oh come on, Kat's not that bad. And she sure does look nice in a bronze bikini. Actually no, no Justice Lords in this particular story. Perhaps later, but I am honestly not sure what happened to them after 'A Better World.' Were they sent back to their universe? Imprisoned here? Sent into the Phantom Zone? Your guess is as good as mine.
Cantoris: Of course he is, but kudos for figuring it out. Some people still haven't. Now then, if you want a real challenge, answer me this. How come the Leaguer's done have their powers? Trickier, ne? Good luck. Don't worry, if you don't figure it out someone will soon, before the story's finished.