"So now Cadmus has kidnapped Bruce." Superman says-as the JLU sits around the table.
"If only I had gotten there sooner." Terry says-slamming his fist on the table.
"It's not your fault." Superman says consoling, "We'll get Bruce back." he says-as an alarm goes off. "Something's going on, right outside?" he says-as explosions are seen all around the.
"Attention! This is Gotham PD Commisioner Barbara Gordon. We have you surrounded!" she yells into the megaphone-trying to gain the attention of the man dressed in a black and red cloak-firing fireballs at Metro Tower.
"What is it about us that attracts the costumed psychos?" Batman says-flying into the battle-spearing the masked man into a nearby police car.
"Azrael?" Barbara mutters to himself. "It...can't be..." she adds-as Terry and the man exchange blows. "Batman! That's Azrael...be careful!"
"Who?" he says-before recieving an energy blast-sending him into a nearby wall.
"You should know me well...Terry." he says-using the symbiotic nature of his costume to pull his mask back.
"No...Bruce?"
"In the flesh." He says-firing another shot of energy-sending Batman rocketing into a police van. He walks toward him-as Kai ro drops a slab of energy in front of him. "Pest." he mutters-firing a beam of yellow energy at Kai-ro, sending him plummeting to Earth.
"Azrael. Stop!" Superman says-standing tall.
"Clark. How fitting...this is something I've always wanted to do..." he says-firing a series of fireballs at him-before running toward him and driving him through a wall. He stands over him-grabbing him by the neck. "There's something I've wanted to do since we first met Clark...and that's choke the life out of you!" he says-lifting Superman up-and extracting a blade from his arm.
"No! Don't!" Barbara yells-as Azrael fires a small energy shot at Superman-sending him back into the rubble. Azrael turns around and chuckles as Barbara reluctantly begins to fire her gun. She begins running at him-as Azrael impales her with his blade.
"NOO!" Batman yells-as Barbara falls to the ground.
"No. What...Barbara?" he says-unmasking and crouching down. "What have I done?" he says again-as Batman flies at him.
"MURDERER!" Terry yells-driving Azrael into the wall. He delivers blow after blow. "I'll kill you! I'll kill you!" he yells.
"You'll do no such thing child!" Azrael says-slicing the Batsuit open with his blade-causing Batman to short circuit. He chuckles as he fires a concentrated energy blast-sending Batman flying back. "Let it be known citizens of Gotham and Metropolis. These cities now belong to me. The blood of these martyrs will beckon the dawning of a new age. I am Azrael...your Angel of Death...your Savior!" he exclaims-before firing a flurry of fireballs in every which way-and flying away into the sky. A crowd huddles around Barbara's body-as Batman, Superman and Green Lantern struggle to their feet.
"The scene in Metropolis is one of grief today, as Gotham City Police Commisioner Barbara Gordon was killed in the line of duty-by the mysterious murderer only known as Azrael. Whether or not this is the same Azrael-Jean Paul Valley-that terrorized Gotham City over 40 years ago remains to be seen. Former head of Project Cadmus-the group responsible for the first Azrael, Amanda Waller was unavailable for comment. In other news, Gotham PD is swearing in their new Commisioner, Richard Grayson today. The former Bludhaven police officer was hand selected by Gordon to be her heir so to speak."
"Hopefully, Brainiac will have the batsuit online sooner than later Terry." Superman says as the remnants of the Justice League Unlimited wander the Batcave. "It's been weeks, and Azrael has destroys more and more of Gotham each day!" he says-getting up from the Bat computer and looking at the old costumes. "I have to go see Waller." he says-taking Bruce's prototype suit. "I'll be back." he says-before heading up the stairs.
"Godspeed Terry." Superman says.
Amanda Waller sits-staring at a computer screen. A cold rush fills the room.
"I know you're there Terry." She says-as he steps out from the shadows. "This isn't the first time a Batman has come knocking on my door." she adds.
"How do you know my name?"
"All will be revealed in time..."
"How do I stop Azrael?" he says-this time with emotion.
"You can't."
"What?"
"You can't seperate Bruce from the symbiote. The bonding is too deep. He bonded with the symbiote before being submerged in the Lazarus Pit." she says. "You can temporarially split them up with a HEAVY sonic blast, but it won't last long."
"So there's no way I can stop his reign of terror?"
"There is...you'd have to kill him." she says reluctantly.
"What?"
"I didn't intend for this to happen Terry. Bruce wasn't supposed to turn out this way, but some how the symbiote reached the deepest, darkest corners of Bruce's mind. The angst, the pain, the hatred-were all amplified by the symbiote."
"So there's no alternative." he says solomnly.
"Unfortuantly no." she says-as Terry grabs her by the throat.
"I swear to God, if Bruce dies in vain, so help me I will personally make sure you do more than rot away in Stonegate or Arkham." he says-letting her go.
"So much like him, if only you knew..." she stops-as Batman is gone. "...how a like you are."
"So there's no alternative?" Superman inquires.
"No." Terry says-holding his head. "Nothing." he adds-as everyone stares at each other-a look of horror is etched on their faces.
"Then it has to be done."
"My ring cannot detect any other possible option either Kal El." Kai-ro adds.
"Terry. Kai-ro and myself aren't powerful enough to stop Bruce. Only you are."
"What?" Terry responds. "How the hell do you figure that?" he asks.
"Terry...you have to open your mind to the darkest reaches of your heart. You have to accept the suit again."
"No way. No fucking way!"
"Terry, listen to me. You nearly killed me with that suit. The symbiote analyzes your opponents weakness-and exploits it. If anyone has a hope of ending this nightmare, it's you Terry." he adds, as Terry reluctantly agree's. "We'll be with you though." he adds-showing Terry a pair of gauntlets. "We need you to divert Azrael away from the people. The park district should be empty around that time, if it's not. We'll clear it out. These gauntlets emit a high frequency sonic beam-more powerful than any sonic canon ever seen before." he says. "We'll both have one, and you'll have a pair of sonic batarangs. Use them wisely Terry." he says-as Kai-ro pushes a pair of buttons-and a green tube emerges from the center of the table. Inside it is the symbiote awaits. "Get Azrael to the Gotham Park, and stun him with the batarang, we'll do the rest." he says-as Terry reluctantly accepts the symbiote again.
Carnage rings forth across Neo Gotham-as Azrael destroys a small section of the downtown metro with blasts of energy. Metropolis SCU have failed in their attempts to nutrealize the threat-and very little stands in Azrael's path towards the destruction of Neo Gotham.
"Enough of this Azrael!" Batman cries-as he lands a few yard behind the terror.
"Just like your mentor, you don't learn." He says-firing a ring of fire at him. Terry jumps through it and lands on his feet.
"Funny, coming from my mentor." He quips. "I'm more powerful now than you could ever be Bruce." he says-as he allows the Symbiote to take over his body, returning himself to the black and white costume.
"Oh no." a member of the Metro-Gotham SCU says-as he looks on in horror.
"We...are...REBORN!" Terry says-firing a pair of exploding batarangs at Azrael.
"Another symbiote?" he responds-unimpressed.
"Not another. The original." Bat-venom responds-firing another pair of batarangs at his foe-sending him back a few feet. Azrael goes to fire an energy blast-by Bat-venom fires a crygenic batarang at him-destroying his gauntler blasters.
"You insolent fool!" he exclaims-unsheathing his blade. "This battle ends now. Your blood-will be in vain!" he adds-sprinting toward Bat-Venom, who uses the symbiote to create a pair of blades on his arms-blocking the attacks by Azrael.
"A copy. Nothing more. Nothing less." he says-throwing Azrael to the ground.
"A copy? Just like the child behind your mask." Azrael rebutt-again sprinting toward Bat-Venom. He turns around-and delivers a roundhouse kick-sending Azrael back a few feet. The two come to blows-as Bat-Venom lifts Azrael up onto his shoulder-and then drops him-driving a knee into his face at the same time. He delivers another kick to the face-sending Azrael back a few more feet. He grabs Azrael-and flies up into the sky-before throwing him into a nearby building. Azrael is slow to his feet-as Batman flies in and spears him through the walls of the building-and out the other side, into the parks district.
"We're waiting." Superman says over Terry's commlink, momentarially phasing out the symbiotes impressions.
"Gotcha." he says-as he throws Azrael to the pond below. Landing on the grass-he survey's the area as Azrael slowly gets to his feet. He chuckles-and fires a pair of exploding batarangs at the stone and metal bridge over the pond-causing it to shatter and collapse on Azrael. "Any minute now guys." he says over his comm link.
"You have to stun him with the sonic first Terry." Kai-ro says emphatically.
"Right." he says-as Azrael crawls out of the wreckage.
"Well trained child." he says. "But still no match for me!" he adds-throwing a large piece of concrete at him. Terry flies up-and dodges the concrete slab-and throws the sonic batarang at him, but Azrael shatters it with his blade. "Nice try." he says as Batman lands. He chuckles as Azrael sprints toward himself-and the two return to blows. He grabs Terry by the throat-and flies into the sky. "Ungrateful child." he mutters, "I took you in from the street, gave you a purpose, an identity...and you failed me every step of the way!" he says-extracting his blade.
"But...I...haven't...failed...Gotham..." he chokes out-before hitting Azrael with the last sonic batarang-causing a sonic explosion, and Azrael plummets back to the ground. A field of sonic energy circles Azrael-as the symbiote begins to tear away. "Now guys!" Terry says coughing, as Green Lantern and Superman come from hiding-and fire the sonic gauntlets at Azrael, finally seperating Bruce from the symbiote enough.
"Now Terry." Kai-ro says.
"There's...no other option." Superman cries-holding on for dear life as Terry walks toward Bruce.
"Say something Bruce. Anything. Give me a reason not to do this..." Terry pleads.
"Stop looking for him Terry." Bruce says. "Bruce Wayne is already dead. " He adds-as a solomn tone enters Terry's voice-and he allows the symbiote to take over him once more.
"We...will finish...the job!" Bat-venom cries-before stabbing Bruce Wayne in the chest with a symbiotic blade, allowing Bruce to fall flat on the ground as Kai-ro scoops up the symbiote with his ring.
"It's done Terry. It's done." He says-as Superman fires a sonic at Bat-venom, seperating Terry from the symbiote once more as Kai-ro scoops up his symbiote as well. Gotham SCU arrives to the scene-as EMT's lift Bruce Wayne into the ambulance-as Batman slowly gets up.
"I feel like I was hit with a truck..." he says-holding his head.
"Just the sonics." Superman says with a smile, as Kai-ro takes the symbiotes back to Metro Tower.
"So it's all done."
"Yes. The Nightmare is over..." Superman says-putting his arm on Terry's shoulder.
"Exciting revelations were revealed earlier today, as Gotham City mourned the loss of its favorite son, Bruce Wayne." a news reporter says. "Funeral services were held outside Wayne Manor, Moments after Dick Grayson said the Eulogy, he gave the stand to former Daily Planet reporter Clark Kent, who had this to say about the illustrious Mr. Wayne."
"Bruce Wayne was a friend to everyone, more so than people knew. For years, Bruce put his life on the line every night- defended Gotham City from psychopaths, crime bosses, and everything else in between as the Dark Knight himself, the original Batman." Clark Kent said infront of a startled congregation-as the current Batman showed up.
"And that is why, the Justice League is commisioning a statue to be built in Gotham Park, celebrating the life, and dedication that Mr. Wayne showed for all of Gotham City." he says, as Dick Grayson takes the stand once more.
"To a fallen friend, a fallen father, and a fallen hero. Gotham City will never quite be the same." he adds, as Batman takes the stand once more.
"Which is why I, even in Bruce's wake, promise to uphold every principle he ever established as Batman." Terry says,
"Because it was under his direction, and even the late Commisioner Gordon would agree-Gotham City needs a Batman, yesterday, tomorrow...and beyond." Dick Grayson adds-shaking Batman's hand. The small crowd cheers as a photos are snapped of Police Commisioner Dick Grayson, shaking hands with the Tomorrow Knight.
THE END.