They had traveled over the country at superspeed. Flash had kept up with J'onn quite easily. Once they had reached the outer limits of Gotham, he was certain the speedster knew who they were going to meet.

"Hey, J'onn, we're going into Gotham. Don't you think Bats might get annoyed by this?"

Or perhaps not.

"We are almost there," the Martian assured his comrade. Rapidly, they entered the city's Bowery and from there located a building with a street level entrance that led underground. The two men soon entered a well-lit bunker, though there wasn't much in accommodations.

"This is getting super-secret spy levels of espionage, J'onn," Flash said once they had finally arrived. "You wanna tell me who we're meeting and why we're doing it in Bats' backyard?"

"You haven't told him, have you?"

Flash let out a high-pitched squeal before whipping around, spotting Batman standing off to one side, not even hidden in the shadows. "Why do you keep doing that?!" the red-clad man shouted. There was no how question as the League had simply given up trying to figure out how a man of ordinary means—though admittingly extraordinary in his own right—could sneak up on some of the most sense-heightened people in the world.

"Flash," J'onn said gently, hoping to relieve his young friend of his quickened heart rate and anxiety. "Batman is who we've come to meet."

"I gathered," the young man replied as he began to slow his respirations, though he kept a hand clutching his chest where his heart would be. "The why is what I'm trying to figure out."

"The only reason J'onn would have brought you here is because you're beginning to have your doubts about the League," Batman said.

"Well, I guess you could call them that." Flash raised a hand to scratch the back of his head, a nervous tic. "Wait, you've noticed GL—"

"Has been changing behaviorally and his actions have gotten out of hand?"

"I guess you have then. Have you heard what he's done lately?"

He had. J'onn had made certain to keep the Dark Knight informed. It was what prompted this meeting. However, Batman merely stayed silent, allowing the red-clad man to tell him.

"We were at Gotham State earlier—I'm certain you know of that by now. The Pantheon was trying to hold their crazy ritual thing again and we sent in a small team to deal with them."

J'onn tilted his head to look at Flash. He hadn't been aware of that part, the formation of a small team. Batman didn't so much as twitch from this news. Flash continued, "We managed to take them down, fortunately, so there's some good news. However, when I went to check on everyone, I saw GL about to kill Shade."

This time Batman did react, his hands tightening into fists, and his eyes narrowing slightly. "You saw this?" he questioned.

"Yeah, as plain as I'm looking at you." Flash actually sounded certain, not the depressed version he had been at the Grand Canyon. It seemed their trip to Gotham had only solidified his resolve. "I managed to get Shade out of there and into police custody before I went back to the Watchtower."

Batman tore his eyes away from Flash and looked to J'onn. "Things are starting to accelerate faster than we thought."

"Unfortunately," the Martian agreed.

The speedster was looking between the two men, going back and forth over and over. "You two don't seem too surprised." A thought seemed to occur to him. "Were you expecting something like this to happen?"

"Eventually," Batman admitted, "but not this soon."

"Alright, what the hell is going on?" Flash suddenly asked, his voice louder and his tone indicating he was finished being lost. "Why are you two being all cloak-and-dagger? Why were you expecting GL to try and kill someone?"

I believe it is time Flash was told, J'onn told Batman through their telepathic link. He didn't feel any initial resistance, so he knew the dark-clad hero wasn't opposed to the idea. In fact, he did detect a hint of resignation.

Perhaps so, Batman responded to him before he spoke out loud, "What we're about to tell you is going to sound outlandish and perhaps a touch fantastical."

"Hey, I've fought a talking gorilla. Fantastical I can handle," Flash was quick to point out.

"Do you remember what happened at the White House?"

Flash paused for a moment before he nodded, his arms crossing over his chest. "Yeah, I do. It's kind of hard to forget when someone points a railgun in your face."

Batman nodded, seeming to be reluctant before he said, "What if I were to tell you I wasn't supposed to be there?"

The speedster stared at him, not comprehending the question. "Not supposed to be there?" he repeated slowly. "As in you were supposed to be somewhere else?"

"Something like that."

"I'm not following."

"Let's go back further then. You recall the Canidite bomb that went off in Erie?"

"Well, yeah. That was the one where you went…" the young man trailed. "Wait, wait, you went undercover then. That's what you told us all."

"Originally, I was killed in the bombing," Batman told him.

Flash was silent for a moment. "But if you were killed, then…" he trailed off as his eyes widened. "You wouldn't have been there to stop Vandal Savage from shooting me. Oh shit, you mean I was supposed to die there?"

"Yes," J'onn said gently. "You were."

"But...but...you were there," Flash insisted as he looked right at Batman. "You did stop Savage and we're all here and—"

Batman held up a hand, stopping the red-clad man. "The reason I was there was that I wasn't killed in Erie. Instead, I was sent twenty years into the future. I returned in time to stop Savage from killing you."

Realization was starting to sink in the Flash's mind. "The future, okay; okay, the future. Doesn't make sense how, but okay. What...what did you see there?"

The dark-clad man steeled himself, rolling his shoulders back to stand up straighter. "I encountered a Justice League that had taken over the world and was willing to kill anyone that stood up to it."

One could hear a pin drop, it was so silent in the bunker. Flash actually seemed to stagger back from this news. "That's...crazy. Incredible. Unbelievable." He trailed off before he realized something. "If that was the case, why didn't you tell us when you got back? Why are you only telling me this now?"

"A couple reasons: one, my actions at the White House should have prevented that future from happening, at least then."

"You still could have told us then," Flash pressed.

Batman wasn't perturbed by the interruption. "Two, there wasn't a need to tell the League about it if it wasn't going to happen. If there were ever signs the League was going to become despots, I would be ready to stop it."

"You? Stop it? How—" Flash actually stopped himself. "Oh right, your countermeasures. I guess that makes sense." He then looked at J'onn. "So how does J'onn know?"

"Because I told him."

"Why him and not me? Or the both of us?"

Batman gave the speedster a look. "You have a difficult time not spreading gossip, much less something like this."

Flash looked annoyed by this. "I guess that's true. But still, I do think you should have told the rest of us."

"Everyone currently in this room wasn't a part of that League," Batman said. "Each one of us was dead at the time I arrived, or at least assumed so. The rest of the League are the ones that went rogue. If I told everyone what I went through, if there was ever a time they decided to become the Regime, as they called themselves, they would be looking at me as an obstacle that needed to be removed."

"Alright, this is a lot to take in." Flash began pacing back and forth, his hands behind his back. He then came to an abrupt stop. "So the three of us weren't a part of this evil League thing. Why? And what caused them to go bad?"

"Because of you," Batman said simply. "Your death at the White House was the catalyst that caused the League to become more proactive, which eventually led to them taking over the world."

Flash stared at him. "That's...heavy. But you stopped that right?"

"Look at what's happening now. Lantern has become more aggressive; in fact, he was just advocating for a more proactive stance concerning the Legion of Doom. And now he's actually attempted to enact what he was wanting to do."

Flash swallowed deeply. "So this future is starting to happen?"

"So it would seem."

He was quiet again. "But you told J'onn about this, but not me. Did you not trust me, or something?"

"I felt that if such a situation was to happen, that you would make the right choice," Batman replied. "I didn't want to burden you with this if it never came to pass. Already you're demonstrating that the faith I have in you was well-placed."

For the first time that evening, a small smile appeared on Flash's face. "You know, that's the nicest thing I've ever heard you say to me."

"It's well-deserved."

Flash sighed, his head tilting back so that he stared up at the ceiling. "Okay, so it looks like this evil future is starting to happen. We're the only three that can do something about it." He looked back down at the two men. "So what's the plan?"

"We meet the others," Batman responded.

As if on cue, a light began to glow on the wall next to them. J'onn immediately recognized the symbol of an ankh, one that stood from the ceiling to the floor against the wall. Without preamble, Batman took a step into it, fading into the light. J'onn and Flash followed after him and the bunker vanished.

Appearing before them was a room of ancient design. The masonry appeared ancient, with a long, stone table at its center. There were a number of costume individuals there, ones that J'onn recognized as members of the vigilante community of Gotham. They were staring at the three men as they appeared out of thin air, the ankh vanishing behind them.

"Have a seat, gentlemen, we're just about ready to start," Batman instructed.


The tension on the Watchtower was something you could feel and Superman was not exempt. Try as he might, trying to get John's recent actions to blow over was taking more time than he had hoped. Before, in the right timeline, a simple word was all that was needed.

That wouldn't work here, in this corrupted timeline, not when it was still so delicate. It was frustrating.

Seeing so many faces, many unfamiliar, they tended to blend together after awhile, except for an exempt few. Batman had been in the space station for enough time that the Kryptonian noticed his absence. When was the last time he had seen that man, he wondered.

The only answer he could come up with that satisfied him was too long. Bruce could not be allowed to be off on his own; who knew what he would be up to? However, keeping track of a man like that had always been difficult. Yes, there were places he could check, but most of them were on Earth, and he was needed up here for the time being.

Once enough time had passed, that was when he began to notice a few other faces missing. He had to take headcounts, to make sure he knew how many there were up on the Watchtower, and he was noticing how that number was going down. It was one or two here and there, but after a while, it added up. Right now, he hadn't seen J'onn lately, and if the Martian didn't appear soon enough, then there would be some alarm.

He didn't like this, not at all. The timing was too close. If he didn't know any better, he'd say...no, he did know better. This could not all be coincidence. Batman had to be involved somehow.

This meant he had to do a different kind of damage control. To do that, he had to find Diana. He was going to need everyone he could get to weather this storm, but the members of the core seven—no, six—were who had priority. Diana, Flash, and J'onn needed to be brought on board, and since two right now were MIA, by process of elimination that only left the former.

Superman found the Amazon on the Observation Deck, looking down at the beautiful planet they both called home. It had been...a long time since he had seen this view, and so instead of going straight to business, the Kryptonian took his place beside the dark-haired woman and gazed at Earth in all of its splendor.

This was what he was fighting for; what they all were fighting for. To protect and safeguard this one little planet in the endless expanse that was the universe. To have such loyal companions beside him, who understood this and were willing to make every sacrifice they needed…

"I never get tired of this," he finally spoke.

Diana looked at him from the corner of her eye, watching him, but not responding. Not yet.

"Look at it, " Superman continued. "From here, it looks so peaceful. You would never think that anything horrible was happening down there. Many horrible things. Yet...I can't help but see how so much good can come from this one planet. It's something to protect, to look after."

"I understand," Diana agreed, her eyes returning to the sight before the two heroes.

A short answer? He was used to such...in good time. This wasn't the Diana he knew, remembered from a time that right now did not exist. His confidant, his greatest ally, she was not here, not today. This Diana, the one that would become her, did exist in the here and now, and he needed to remember that that was who he was speaking with now.

"What do you think about what's happened?" the Man of Steel, and humanity's greatest savior, asked.

Diana took a moment before she answered. The wait was close to being agonizing. "I am afraid for our friend. The conflict with the Legion of Doom has brought John to his breaking point. How much longer until someone else reaches that point? It scares me and I don't know what to do about it."

Now that was heartwarming. She still cared about them. That hadn't changed, even with the reversal of time.

"The only thing we can do is to put an end to the Legion's threat," he stated. "Maybe this is what they are trying to accomplish: to break the League down. To destroy it. If they do, then what? What happens to Earth? What happens when something beyond its power to defend itself comes? Without the League to protect it, it won't last long, if at all."

"We would need to find the Legion first. So far, they have been able to cover their tracks. Until we do, we're at their mercy, and they get to decide when and where we fight next," By this time, the Amazon had crossed her arms, one of her hands gripping her bicep tightly. "I don't like it. I don't like having to play by their rules, helpless until we get lucky."

There. Right there. That sounded so much like his Diana. The dark-haired beauty had never been one to like ceding power over to someone else. Nothing was more corruptive than uncertainty.

However, he needed to be smart and careful about this. One wrong word and he could end up pushing her away. Some guidance was needed here.

"The answer we need is already obvious. We need to change the rules," Superman pointed out as he crossed his own arms, his gaze still on Earth. "If we keep playing by the Legion's rules, we're only going to keep losing."

"But which rules would we break by doing that?" That question was pointed and she was facing him now.

"Not the important ones. Just the ones like holding back. We need to cause enough harm to limit what they can do and leave it at that. It's hard to run with a broken leg. At the least the leg will heal, and they will have their day in court, but holding back from that? That's giving them what they want." This was a bit of a struggle, wasn't it? Oh, he would have wanted to push for the more permanent solution, but Diana wasn't at that point yet.

But she would be.

"That makes sense." Diana returned to looking at Earth once more. "It makes too much sense, but then I think about what that looks like. John made a very good example, both with Girder and now with Shade. It doesn't take much effort for people like us. Just a little more force and we could really hurt people. I know I have left imprints of my own hands in metal when I'm particularly stressed, or not paying attention. What would that kind of force do to flesh? Bone? Organs?"

"It's like living in a world of cardboard sometimes, isn't it?" This was a topic he could relate to, even before Flash had been murdered. "For the longest time, I felt alone with that feeling. Then….then we all came together, all seven of us. I got to know people who knew the same difficulties. By then we were all able to hide it, but we understood one another. We understood the challenges we faced, no matter what forms they took.

"And now we find ourselves with another challenge. However this goes, I hope that we can stand united, Diana. As long as we stand side by side, I know we'll be able to win, no matter how long it takes. Can I count on you for that?"

Diana shook her head, black-colored locks of hair swishing through the air. "You don't need to ask that question, Superman. I'm always at your side as long as you're on mine."

Was it strange how he found the use of his name, and not Clark, strange? In private moments like these, she would refer to him as...as...this was making his head hurt. How did she normally refer to him again? Was it by Clark? Kal-El? It was definitely not Superman, he knew this.

Focus, ignore the pain. For all intents and purposes, Diana had signaled that she was on his side. That was what was important.

He was going to need everyone's strength and Diana's was invaluable. He was going to be ready for what came next, no matter what it was.


It was a bathroom.

Not some secret lair, or a fortress, or even a bunker, but a dingy bathroom in a park, covered in graffiti and ill-maintained.

This was the secret location that had been told to Black Canary. This was the place where she had led him. The moment they entered the men's restroom, her nose immediately scrunched up from the smell. Green Arrow did the same for that matter too, but that was only because this place smelled worse than your average men's restroom.

"Alright, I give, you're punking me," Arrow said as he gazed at the dirty, grimy restroom. There were a couple urinals hanging from a wall next to a single stall. Considering the door was wide open, he was willing to say this place was empty. There was a single, solitary sink, and the soap dispenser looked as if it needed to be refilled a long time ago.

"I wish I was," Canary muttered as she stared at the urinals.

"If this is the entrance to some place secret and allegedly safe, then they couldn't have picked a better place," the archer admitted. "No sane person would ever choose this place. Maybe there's a secret door somewhere."

"I'm more than happy to let you try and find it," the blonde woman said as she crossed her arms over her abdomen. "I, for one, am not touching anything."

That was perhaps the smart option and Ollie found himself wondering how he volunteered himself for inspection duty. With a sign, he walked over to the open stall, peeking in long enough to realize there was no way in hell he was going in there. The source of the strong smell in here was apparent now, considering someone had utterly demolished the toilet with the messiest load imaginable.

"Who's all for leaving?" he asked. "Everyone? Good. Let's get—"

There was a glow, cutting him off. Following it, the blond man found it at the door, growing brighter as it took shape. It was very much like a cross, except its top formed a loop rather than the straight point it usually made. It covered the entire door, just shining.

"I'm guessing that's our invite," Ollie said as he reached for an arrow, drawing his bow as well. Whatever this was, he wanted to make certain he was ready.

Pretty Bird was of the same mindset as she went into a defensive stance. Slowly, she approached the glowing symbol, reaching out to it once she reached it. Her hand actually sank into the symbol, which she pulled back out, studying her hand. "It tingles," she reported, staring at her hand intently. "Maybe we're supposed to go through?"

"Ladies first," Arrow offered.

Canary shot him a look before she stepped into the light, disappearing into it. The Emerald Archer took a deep breath and released it before he followed her lead. The light consumed him, almost blinding him, though oddly enough it was rather gentle on his eyes. He never had to shield them for a moment even as all he could see was white.

And then he was somewhere completely different.

A tower stood in front of him, doorless, reaching high into a swirling vortex unlike anything he had ever seen. He was standing on what looked like a crumbling piece of ground, bits and pieces painstakingly drifting away. It was like it would take an eternity to reach a foot.

Suddenly, the glowing symbol that led them here vanished, leaving the two stranded. Arrow had spun around when he noticed this, staring out into the swirling void. "Well, Pretty Bird, we're not in Kansas anymore."

"Forgive me if I'm not comforted by that," Canary said as she stared up at the tower. "I'm guessing we're supposed to enter this thing, but I'm not seeing a door. Should we...walk around it?"

"Do you have anything else better to do?"

Before they could actually begin their little walk, another light formed at the base of the tower. It started as a pinprick, but then it began to swirl, growing bigger until it was a large circle. Perhaps a hole, or a portal was a better description. This time Ollie could see through it and he saw what looked like the ruins of some ancient building.

"So, do we go in?" the green archer asked.

"I am. You can stay out here if you want," Canary replied.

"No, I think I'll go in. Seems inviting."

The two of them stepped through the portal, entering the ruin. Just like before, the portal closed behind them and they were now trapped in a new place, though this one thankfully had walls, a ceiling, and a floor, even if the place belonged in Ancient Egypt, or something.

"Canary! Arrow! Glad you could make it!"

The blond pair snapped their heads to one side and Arrow was willing to admit he saw a sight for sore eyes. There was a nearby staircase, for whatever reason, and walking down it was a dark-haired woman wearing a top hat and fishnet stockings. Though he loved the combo, if this person had come in a pink bunny costume, he would have been happy to see them.

"Zatanna?" Canary called back, a sense of relief present in her voice. "What are you doing here?"

"Letting you two in," the Mistress of Magic replied as she reached the bottom of the stairs. "This isn't the easiest of places to get to after all."

"I can see that." Canary looked around the place. "Mind telling us where we're at?"

"A special place outside of time and space," Zatanna told her. She then waved her hand, gesturing to them to follow her. "Let's not keep the others waiting. All the questions you have will be answered when we get there."

The blond pair shared a look with each other. Others? Uneasily, Ollie placed his arrow back into his quiver, but he held onto his bow, just in case. While he didn't doubt he was safe with Zatanna Zatara, this place was just too strange for his tastes.

Still, he followed the dark-haired woman through a maze of hallways, chambers, and even this one incredible room that looked as if it belonged in a M.C. Escher drawing, stairs leading everywhere, sometimes even upside down to levels that were physically impossible.

And then they were in a short corridor, one that led to a large wooden door. Without hesitation, Zatanna walked right up to it and pushed it open. On the other side was a room with a long stone table. There were people Ollie immediately recognized, such as the other Birds of Prey and even Nightwing.

He also noticed Batman, J'onn J'onzz, and the Flash on the other side of the room.

"Everyone is here," the Dark Knight said as he gestured to the table towards the three newcomers. "Have a seat. We have a lot to discuss."

"We went all this way for a meeting?" Ollie questioned incredulously.

"What did you think we were here for?" Zatanna asked him innocently.

He...didn't have a good response for that. "Point taken," he replied before he followed Black Canary to two empty chairs, thankfully ones that weren't made of stone, but something that had been purchased at Office Depot.

"Thank you everyone for coming," Batman greeted then, standing at the head of the table, his fellow Justice League members on either side of him, also standing. "Some of you are aware of what has transpired within the League."

"Wouldn't know anything about that," Huntress groused, looking as if she were pouting in her seat, arms crossed over her chest, a sullen look on her masked face.

Batman ignored her snarky remark. "Then for the rest, allow me to fill you in. There has been an escalation of aggression by the Justice League in regards to the Legion of Doom."

Nightwing raised a hand up. "For those of us who don't know, who's the Legion of Doom?"

There were a couple of incredulous looks shot the young man's way, though Ollie was wondering how the youth had missed everything that was going on. Was that new city of his that time consuming? Batman, again, didn't seem to mind the interruption. "A group of the League's worst enemies banded together to take down the Justice League, with varying levels of success."

"Oh, thanks for the info."

"In response, a couple of League members have grown more aggressive in their tactics," Bats continued.

"Define 'aggressive'," Manhunter interjected.

"Green Lantern used a drill construct on a man named Girder, specifically using it on the man's head. He's currently in a coma on the Watchtower."

"And last night he attempted to try and kill the Shade," Flash added, then looked right at Nightwing. "He's one of the Legion guys, tried to become a god in Gotham not too long ago."

Nightwing nodded his understanding, even as him and the rest of their merry group looked shocked by the announcement.

Ollie then cleared his throat, calling attention to himself. "Superman and the rest of the founding members of the League called a big meeting about that last part. It was very much like a press conference with the usual promises of doing better and getting to the bottom of the incident."

"So mind telling us why you gathered all of us to this very weird place?" Huntress asked.

"Because each and every one of you is someone I have worked with and can trust," Batman told her, then looked out at the rest of the gathered ensemble. "I fear the worst with the escalation occurring within the League."

Trust? While Ollie would have been flattered with such a proclamation, something about this seemed off to him. Yeah, every single person here had worked with Batman at some point in time, though one could say it wasn't the most enjoyable experience. Bats had a habit of taking control of things, running them the way he saw fit. While that got results, and good ones at that, it had a tendency to rub people the wrong way.

Not to mention his manipulative nature.

"So what are you wanting us to do? Be some kind of counter team for the Justice League?" Arrow then asked.

"Only if the situation calls for it." There were more startled looks at that admission. "What the Justice League is beginning to advocate for is a more proactive stance regarding their vigilance. If some members had it their way, they'd hunt down the Legion of Doom and put a permanent stop to their members."

"I'm not seeing much of a problem with that," Manhunter said. "You're talking about some really bad people here. All they do is cause pain and suffering. Who's to say they don't deserve that kind of penalty?"

"Because it won't just stop with them," Batman replied evenly. "Once they've dealt with the Legion, it wouldn't be much of a stretch for the League to go into military and political hotspots, tear down dictators and murderous warlords. And when those are through, the attention will turn to drug cartels and gangs, organized crime. All of this will eventually come to our streets, where even the smallest of offenses is treated as a 1st degree felony. Imagine a world where there is peace—but no freedom."

"You're talking about the League taking over the world," Nightwing surmised. "I gotta say, that sounds a little far-fetched. I see the logic, but I don't think I could see someone like Superman go that far."

Batman shared a look with J'onn and the Flash, then one with Zatanna all the way on the opposite side of the table. It was like they all knew something the rest of them didn't and that was starting to annoy Ollie.

"THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT MAY COME TO PASS."

The booming voice caused the heroes and vigilantes to jump in their seats. That weird symbol appeared again, this time on the wall opposite of Ollie, giving him a good look at it. A man emerged from it, dressed in blue and gold, a helmet covering his head. The symbol vanished behind him as this new guy gazed at the gathering of colorfully-dressed people.

"And all of you have a chance to ensure it does not happen," he finished.

"Everyone, meet Dr. Fate," Batman introduced. "The guardian of the Tower of Fate, which you are seated in."

Oh, so that's what this place was. Good to know. Still, that was quite an entrance. Arrow had to admit all of them could take notes on it.

The Dark Knight pressed his hands onto the table, leaning over it. "What is coming will change our future—all of us. We need to be ready, or something dark and twisted will happen. I'm willing to do whatever it takes to make sure it doesn't happen. If any of you feel as if this is too much, you are free to go. I only ask that you remain out of the incoming conflict."

There were shared looks amongst the group, but it was telling that no one stood up to leave.


This had been building for some time. While Metropolis may be known for getting as close to the shining city on the hill as any other place had, it still had criminal elements that it had in common with other cities. Gangs were a good example.

Perhaps the two biggest were Intergang and the 100. Those two had been at each others' throats for years. Then along came the Blue Angel and everything changed.

At least on the surface. Lone wolves aside, gangs were still alive and well and they tended to keep a low profile. However, these were people who could only control themselves for so long.

Many tended to align themselves with one of the big two and so took up fighting in their names periodically. You couldn't be too loud about it, but it was possible. But then, sometimes things had to get loud.

Like today. The Red Devils had had enough of the West Street Marauders, or Westies for short. The Devils themselves weren't the only ones with a beef with those fucking Westies. The Charlies from one of those little Asia sections of the cities were pissed off at their West Street rivals The Westies, though, had some backup from their buddies in the coastal areas of Metropolis, goons who liked to call themselves the Potholes for some...reason.

And it wasn't just them. The Zigzags. The Chicano Mafia. Aryan 311. 59th Street Ghetto Boyz. Skullerz. South Side Dope Fiends. Each taking one side, Intergang or the 100. Each with axes to grind and clear targets for their aggression.

Normally, no matter how much they hated the other side, tempers were kept in check with a random flare up here and there. However, if help was literally a scream away, then trying to really ream one of the guys whose guts you hated was a pipe dream. Superman would come from wherever he came from and guns didn't work on him. You were done and that was it.

See, though, there was something that these gangs had figured out recently. Thanks to some clowns calling themselves the Legion of Doom, Superman wasn't in Metropolis. He was handling some bigger fish.

That was when the talking began. Then the shit talking followed. Sides started being drawn. Then the Red Devils decided they were going to do something about the Westies. A Devil might have slipped the tidbit to another gang, though by now it was unclear which one was told. A domino effect occurred as that information passed from person to person, gang to gang, and the expectation that some blood was going to spill became too much.

The Red Devils had a rep, you know? There were expectations that came from that, the least of which was that none of them were pussies. Anyone who said differently was going to get capped.

In fact, getting some sweet toys from the 100 was going to really make this sweet. Some heavy duty firepower was going to mow down anybody that got in their way. Much of the day was spent psyching each other up, then, when in a fever pitch, they got in their cars and started heading for West Street. The other gangs on their side got the word out and the rest joined the road trip.

The Westies, for their part, weren't going to let this mob attack them on their home turf and were on the move themselves. The gangs on their side were already gnashing their teeth for a fight.

The sides met in the middle, tires skidding to a stop and blocking off streets. Gang members in their respective colors poured out, catcalling and threatening the other side, whoever they may happen to be. Weapons were held up, the barrels of guns aimed dead ahead, light flashed off the blades of knives, and so many other instruments of violence were held up, ready to cause harm.

The trash talking started it first. Words meant to cut only angered. Spit came next. Everyone was loud, everyone was ready for a fight.

Predictably, when someone goes looking for a fight, they find one.

In retrospect, no one was able to say what exactly it was that started it all off. Had someone fired a shot in the air? At another gang? Did someone start charging in first? Was there some random little thing that just happened that set it all off?

The answers to any of these questions was meaningless. No one would ever be able to say what got it all started, but those still alive definitely would know how it ended.