Hey… sorry it took so long for this one, the season was hectic.
On a personal note, I'd like to curse the writers of the Titan books. Research was a pain and I still don't know if it's right or not. If anyone notes an inconsistency, you can reach me at Again, corrections will take time.
To The Laughing Man… I know. I tried to find a book on rope fighting and came up short. If I make revisions, I'll definitely try to fit that one in.
On to the story.
Post battle fields are curious. Action is now still. The surrounding damage is estimated in fear. The ones who can move do slowly and without the direction they had before. This battle ended abruptly with betrayal. He sits on his throne of rubble looking at the fallen. There's a tight perimeter kept by Metro P.D.. They're only keeping the innocents away. It's possible a special task force will be deployed, but the signal would have to have been broad cast. After the JLA showed up, H.I.V.E. activated a disruption field around Metropolis. TV signals, phone lines, radio waves; they're all being blocked. The JSA don't know there's a problem. The news reporters can't report the news because they either can't get the broadcast signal out or they just haven't heard about it yet. Even the police can't call dispatch until the field is shut down.
Any minute now, H.I.V.E. troopers will begin to gather up the fallen. Each of them has specially designed containment devices. Nightwing told them that he wasn't responsible for containment, but they said their scientist could easily figure that our on their own. They were very well prepared for this coup.
For now, Nightwing sits on the rubble looking at the fallen. In the fight he forced himself to be Nightwing instead of Dick Grayson. Now that he is too tired and in too much pain for any such effort, Dick Grayson must now look at his handiwork. He sees his friend's sister lying face down. He sees his best friend lying on the street. He sees his father.
A loud moan fills the city as the first of the ships begins to descend. The wind picks up and the dust flies. The circular ships are wide enough to fill the two way street. Its yellow and black thick metallic plating contrasts with the gray buildings, and the bright blue sky. Along the sides are four wings; two pointing up and two pointing down. The front panel shows thick black glass preventing any visibility into the ship. The back of each ship striped with black and yellow bars stopping and a flat black doorway into the ship. The people scramble and run out of the way. Some of the citizens recognize the ships from a long time ago, while others are just frightened because of the fact aircraft are flying in the city. Seven ships descend upon the streets of Metropolis. Many more stay high in the air circling the city.
One ship descends in front of Nightwing facing away. Nightwing's black hair flies wildly in the wind. The doors in the back of the ships begin to open before the ships land. Out of the ships come units of faceless troops. Each individual dresses in the same yellow and black thick armored uniform. Each member has in their possession a single handed laser-like weapon on their holster and a double handed rifle strapped along their backs. Their helmets have a thick black tinted Plexiglas shield in front of the faces. No individual can be identified for their rank or ability. Yet each member does a specific job. A few soldiers from each craft descend into the sewer systems and utility tunnels. Each soldier descends equidistant from the next. A couple of solders exit the ships with casket-like boxes and move closer to the fallen heroes.
A surrounding police officer witnesses the scene and jumps into action. The young officer runs pulls his police issue Smith and Luthor sidearm and points it at the nearest H.I.V.E. member. The closest soldier to the officer pulls his sidearm. As he points it at the police officer a two foot Escrima stick hit's the officer across the temple. The officer falls to the ground. The soldier turns to face an approaching Nightwing his eyes displaying frustration and anger. He stops in front of the soldier.
They look at each other for three seconds before the soldier, expressionless, turns first to continue his work on his "coffin". Nightwing looks over at the fallen officer. He walks over to him and bends down to check on him. He looks disorientated and is having trouble focusing. The officer looks up toward Nightwing.
"Relax. They won't harm anyone if you promise to keep your distance." The officer looks around wide-eyed. "I hit you at the temporal lobe and caused the blood vessels to swell. You'll be okay in a couple of hours and have a headache in the morning." Standing up, he sees another pair of police officers approaching. He puts up his hands calling out. "Wait. If you attack, they'll open fire and cause civilian casualties."
"Are we supposed to believe you?" they ask.
"It's common sense."
"Are we just supposed to let them just take away--"
"You can't stop them now. When they leave you can call for the JSA or the Titans. For now, you'll only get innocents hurt if you attack."
The police officers look at each other and pull out their side arms. "You know this has happened before. Concentrate on making sure everyone is safe first." The H.I.V.E troopers behind him keep their eyes on the officers. They put their guns back in their holsters. The
Nightwing turns around to see the unconscious body of John Stewart brought up from the depths of the sewers. He is grabbed by two soldiers and is laid in the coffin. Three soldiers come up from the depth of the sewers. One approaches Nightwing and says, "His ring is missing."
Nightwing's eyes widen. "Then go back down there and look for it. You don't want to leave the most powerful weapon in the universe floating down the sewers."
They all look at each other. Two soldiers descend back into the sewers. Another two pick up the closed casket with John Stewart in it and go back to the ship. The final turns toward Nightwing. "Where are your arm utility kits?"
Nightwing rolls up his sleeves. The solder then says, "Open them."
One by one, Nightwing opens each one revealing small gadgetry or empty slots. Below the street, a bellowing explosion is heard. Nightwing and the soldier look down. Nightwing looks back at the other soldier. "Sorry, I forgot about those bombs I left down there."
One soldier climbs out of the sewers dragging another unconscious H.I.V.E. member. The soldier talking to Nightwing and the conscious one that came up from the sewer look at each other and pause. The one closest to Nightwing looks toward the clad hero. "What do you suggest?"
"Well, you're on a time limit here. Unless you want to further chance more vigilantes showing up, I suggest you bring him now and came back later. Look through the sewer filtration system and work your way back."
The one on the crouching over his comrade responds, "Without his ring, he's useless. We should kill him."
Nightwing darts back at that comment, "You don't know that. And that's not a choice you can take back."
The soldiers look back at each other. Three seconds pass. The other one looks back at Nightwing, "You know he'll kill her if you're lying to us?" Nightwing's eyes glare violently at the soldier that is talking to him. "Very well. Come with us."
Nightwing looks back at the surrounding crowd. He then walks toward the nearest ship.
There is no greater vision of evil and innocence than a witness to this sight.
The deranged figure supports a baby in his right arm. He sits in a throne like chair of claws and bones. His head holds a weight of a dead animal's skull. His arms clad in red and blue with a white cloak covering his torso. His pure white skin and deep red eyes are in deep contrast to the child. A creaking, malicious voice voices his thoughts with; "Who are you? Are you my sister? Cousin? Niece? Daughter?"
He strokes her long ebony hair with his left hand as if he were combing it. "My sister's not my wife yet. But my father's daughter is your mother's sister. What does that make you?" he smiles. He looks into those deep green eyes of the baby seeing light emanate from them. He wonders briefly what that light might taste like.
"Do you know my father? He's very far away right now, but he'll be here soon. My mother promised me he'd come. She wouldn't lie to me. I'll kill her if she did."
He gets up with the baby in hand and walks across the room to a stone alter accented with bones of a very large creature. The room is filled inexplicable blood covered ridges and bumps. There are green lights emanating from nearby three foot stone pedestals with archaic symbols on them. He lay the baby on the stone alter sitting up. He looks directly at the child.
"I met my father face to face recently. I'd always known him, but to actually see him… well… I'll make sure you see him someday too. It's the only way you can really know him." The baby's attention is distracted by a hanging bone to her left. She reaches out to grab it, but the teenager grabs her hand and tries to get her attention.
"When I met him, I asked him how I can free him. If I free him, I can be with my wife. He said he'd answer me if I gave him my soul. I didn't have one, but mother did. All my mothers did."
The disturbed boy grabbed the bone that got the girl's attention and waved it in front of her. "He told me about you. He told me that you were asleep somewhere. He said he was a part of your mommy a long time ago. Your mommy and daddy almost got married, but my daddy stopped them. He changed your mommy. She had to run off by herself. She needed her 'people' to help her. They cleansed her and she ended up forgetting a lot of what happened during that time. "
The contrast in orange and white skins is illuminated by the surrounding green flames on the alter. "It's a shame. She probably didn't even know you existed in the world. Her people never told her for fear of a royal conspiracy on her planet. You were put to rest and sent away."
He stands straight up and holds the baby's arms up high. He laughs and lets go of her hands watching her tip back laying down on the altar. "I failed the last time I tried to bring my father here. He told me I needed the most powerful beings in the world to be my family. If they can protect me, I can do whatever I want. Only then can I hold the world in my hand. With my last mother's soul, I asked my father how to get them. He tricked me. He told me to pay someone." The boy laughs at the last sentence. He wraps his arms on either side of the child, bringing his face closer her face, his enlarged incisors glistening in the light.
"Well, I looked for the best. I had a country full of money and could pay the best. I could pay an army. I found one. A whole army of people giving all of themselves to one leader. I took control of that army. But, they've tried to take on the League before and failed worse than my other mothers. Then I found this man named Slade. He could beat the league, but I didn't have enough on him to attempt to take on the League. Then I saw a particular flaw in his record. Your daddy beat him many times. Whereas Slade was able to best entire teams of heroes, your daddy has always found some way to strive to win. And there was something on him that I might have been able to get…" He extends index finger with its two inch long nail. He taps the baby's nose and says, "…you."
He trails his finger down the chin of the baby. It brushes across her neck and stops at her belly. "Getting you was difficult, but very possible. Maybe not for me, but your mother…"
"BLOOD!"
The boy looks toward a black vine covered open archway. The darkness beyond it is a path continues on until it is completely consumed by darkness. The voice of Nightwing echoes through the chamber. The boy picks up the child and holds her in his arms. He cradles her with his right arm and stands up straight. He steps in front of the alter toward the archway. He places his left hand on her chest, the nails brushing the underside of her chin.
In the darkness of the hallway, figures move around quickly. All the figures stop momentarily. Then, for a moment, there is quick movement followed by the distant sound of footsteps echoing across a floor.
"BLOOD!"
A blue shade begins to walk into the green light. The boy in the chamber waves his hands and the lights in the chamber grow dimmer. The darkness in the hallway becomes more visible. Along the floor is a thick stone bridge shaped like bones over a pool of bones, the collapsed bodies of three H.I.V.E. troopers.
"BLOOD!"
Nightwing steps into the green lit room with two H.I.V.E. troopers behind him, guns in hand. Nightwing sees Brother Blood, the fourteenth heir to the Church of Blood. He sees Blood's hand is placed on his daughter close to her neck.
"I did what you asked Blood. Now give her to me." Brother Blood just looked back at Nightwing as if he was nothing. "I said give me my daughter."
"Are you ordering me? ME?"
Nightwing, in frustration steps forward. Baron Blood widens his eyes and black vines along the archway push out rapidly extend to reach him. They grab his ankle first, the thorns digging into the skin causing blood. Nightwing reaches for the vine, but another one grabs his arm. And another. Nightwing is tangled in a web of vines reaching out for him.
"I tell you what to do. No one tells me what to do. You're mine. Your daughter is mine."
Nightwing looks back at the self proclaimed imperial monarch and his daughter is still out of his reach. "Let g--"
A vine covers his face over one of his eyes and down his neck and another across his mouth. Nightwing can only see the baron with his left eye and hear his whining spoiled voice.
"You're disobedient and need to be hurt." With his left hand, Blood dug his finger into the child's arm causing the slightest hint of blood. Nightwing used all his might to get up on his two feet. The vines begin to dig deeper into his appendages. He can feel the blood drip down and be soaked by his costume and feels his left arm begin to go numb. Baron Blood smiles at his pain. Nightwing continues to push forward. The vine across his face begins to tear at his mask. He struggles to loosen the vines a little. With that little give he creates, he takes another step forward. The vines get tighter and cause more blood. Blood's smile slowly begins to fade. He looks at Nightwing's lens. Beyond that, he feels like he can see Nightwing's eye. He sees his face.
Through the vines and blood, Blood sees something he can't understand… whether it's some kind of strength or determination the effect is the same on Blood. Blood is afraid.
Blood looks up at the two troopers at the doorway. They look at each other for a second. They pull out their side arms and point them at Nightwing. Their blasts expand and engulf him in electricity. The pain is intense. Dick only bites deeper into the vine and pushes forward another step. The pain causes an increase in adrenalin and pushes the pain back despite the blood dripping from his ear. He still takes another step. Blood takes a step back into the alter. The blasts loosen the vines. He falls to his knees from the pain, but moves a whole two feet closer. He reaches out with his arm and grabs the Last Supper Cloak. One of the troopers reaches around his back and grabs his rifle.
"NO! Don't kill him. I want to break my toys first."
The soldier turns the gun around and uses the butt to strike across the head of Nightwing. And again. And again.
Then Nightwing lay there and Blood is furious. He kicks away Nightwing's gripping hand. Blood puts the baby on the alter, her wail filling the chamber. "Shut up! I SAID SHUT UP!"
"What should we do sir?"
"Cut the vines and bound him up tight."
"Then what?"
Blood marches violently around the alter. He looks around for an answer. He takes a deep breath. Five seconds later a thought crosses his mind.
"Why did Judas kill himself? He was ashamed show his face to the other apostles."
A smile breaks across his face. "Make sure his mouth is bound tight. I don't want him to be able to say a word. Hang him upside down in the cells.
The soldiers hesitate. One of them speaks up, "You want us to put him with the other hero's? Isn't that a little--
"NO! You will do as I say. Do as I SAY! Judas will be displayed to the saints like a butchered pig."
I'm sorry I missed you VeltaIO, I thought I included you the last time.
Well, I'm trying this... if it works, thank you everyone. I also changed the batons to Escrima sticks. Thank you for reminding me and thank you Mr.Mrs.? Patterson. I'll try tofind more time online to make the proper corrections to the grammar.