"Sir," Bruce Banner worriedly shouted to Nick Fury, "I think we may have a problem!"
"What now," Fury seethed, as he walked up next to the brilliant scientist. He had been spending nearly the entire day trying to coordinate the resistance to the alien attacks, but he was stretched thin. He did posses what amounted to 500 agents under S.H.E.I.L.D., but he could barely protect the White House with that small number of troops. Thus, he had to leave the main fighting to the army, who possessed nearly no real weaponry capable of harming the parasitic technology. He could not deal with another of Banner's whining sessions right now.
"I have just picked up another unidentified flying object," Banner said, all the while shaking, "and this one is really big."
Snapper Carr was once again on air. Already he had been twice attacked by the Martians, and now the network was no longer allowing him to go out on the field. Apparently they did not want to risk their star reporter on something like this. Instead, now all he had to do was sit and gain reports from the outside and report them by television. Suddenly, a blast erupted in his ear, and he began to listen to what the message had to say.
"This just in," he said quickly, "another object has been confirmed on its way towards Earth. They predict that it will be roughly five times the size of the other landers. Senator J. Allen Carter had this to say."
The screen flashed to Senator Carter, "In the face of this new development, we are calling on the public to remain calm."
Crack
Ironically, a window in front of the TV that was broadcasting this was smashed open, showing how calm the people really were. Two men were robbing stores, stealing anything they could get their hands on.
"I always wanted one of these," a large blond man said as he took out a small TV.
"But what if we get caught?" a younger man asked fearfully as he looked around for police.
"What difference does it make," the original man said, "the world is coming to an end anyway!"
It was this scene that Wonder Woman and the remains of her contingent were staring at from a rooftop. While ordinarily they would have stopped this robbery, they were too sobered by the loss of Batman and pure carnage of the city below to do any thing about it. People were making graffiti, tearing apart cars, and pushing down people who were in the way for their own escape from death.
"What has happened to the world," Cap said soberly, "I thought I had seen the end of this after the invasion of Germany."
"I wonder if mother was right," Diana said out loud, "They act like un-tamed savages."
"Do not judge them too harshly," J'onn warned, "They act out of fear. My people behaved the same when the Parasites first invaded our world those many years ago."
Suddenly Spidey noticed two rather muscular men trying to move a giant piece of rubble. Their tough exterior betrayed them however, when one of the men shouted out to the rampaging crowd, "Will someone help us, there are kids trapped under here!"
"Will this do," GL said as he used his ring to lift the rubble away from the kids. The two bikers snatched the kids up and ran behind cover.
"Thanks man!" one of the adults said as he carried a young girl to another more stable building. GL flew towards the other heroes, with both Flash and Iron Man close behind him. The three soon were standing directly next to their compatriots.
"Sorry we're late," Jon said, "we had to help some civilians."
"Why did you call us here?" Iron Man asked.
"Superman has been captured," Diana said while pointing at the large factory in the middle of the city, "He is trapped somewhere inside there with Hawkgirl."
"And what about Bats," Flash asked. Cap turned his head downward.
"He acted like a true hero," the symbol of freedom said, "to the very end."
"Wait," Flash blanked, "The Bat is gone."
Wonder Woman nodded sadly. "He was a true warrior. I feel truly sorry for misjudging him."
GL walked up to the rim of the building. "This is not good," he fumed, "We have not only lost Superman, but with Batman dead, we have no de facto leader." He turned to Cap. "Listen sir, I know you are in retirement, but I'm afraid that we are going to have to draft you one last time."
"Don't worry, I have a plan."
"No respect," Spider-man sighed, as he and Flash were standing out in the middle of the cleared rubble around the factory. Flash could not help but nod his head.
"Don't worry," Cap called from a hiding spot where he and the others were staying, "My plan needs you guys to live, so just distract them long enough so we can make an opening!"
"That's easy for you to say!" Spider-man shouted angrily back, only for him to here the creaking of a walker's limb, and forced to run away.
"Can't believe we are doing this again," Iron man sighed.
"We need to rescue those guys," Cap argued, only for him to look back and see the Martian meditating, "you okay."
"We need to hurry," The Martian said frantically, "The Imperial is coming."
"The what?"
"The Imperial," J'onn explained, "the supreme intelligence that leads these creatures."
"Let's move!" Cap shouted, as he and the others charged across the field as the two decoys continued to be shot at.
"This is so not good!" Spider-man shouted, as he continued to swing in and out of the walkers. He finally managed to land a solid kick on one of them, which sent in hurtling into the other. Flash had also managed to beat his walker by making it shoot a bomb, which blew it off the face of the Earth. The both followed the others, who were just entering the hole that Hawkgirl had blow open earlier for her team's own entry to the factory.
"Which way did the go?" Cap asked.
"This way!" J'onn shouted, as he led the heroes down a corridor that had previously made by the others. The long path seemed devoid of soldiers. In fact, during the entire rush across the halls, they could not find any trace whatsoever of the invaders. Suddenly, they came across a corridor where they heard tow invaders talking.
"Wait here," J'onn said, transforming into an invader, and running up to the others. He pointed down the hall, leading them to the hiding heroes. As they pointed their weapons at the heroes, J'onn smashed his arms into their chests, causing them to fall the ground in pain.
"Come," the Martian ordered.
"Is it just me," Spidey cracked, "Or did I have a weird Alien movie moment. Anyone, anyone?"
The heroes had continued on their mission for several more minutes, again going through along sector of no invaders being present. As they walked along a high causeway, J'onn paused for a moment.
"We are close now," he said, before pointing at a large and curving inner wall, "They are behind there."
"Stand back," GL said, beginning to cut away the wall with his ring functioning as a knife.
"We haven't much time left," the Martian commented, as he felt the Earth rumble, "The Imperial has arrived in the mother ship."
Suddenly, the wall collapsed to reveal all three captured heroes hanging upside down in weird cocoons. "Great Hera!" Diana shouted, before running to the captured Meta-humans. J'onn hung back for a second, noticing something odd about the situation. Suddenly, the three opened pure red eyes, and the wall that they had broken open closed in a mille-second.
"It's a trap!" GL shouted, as gas began to fill the room. It would not be long before they all were knocked out in the same manner as their allies. The three imposters came down from their holds, and transformed back to their original appearance.
In a main hub, all the heroes were caught in what appeared to be some weird sticky trap. Superman was sitting next to J'onn, who was still unconscious along with the others. After a few more seconds of prodding, J'onn woke up, and looked around.
"You shouldn't have risked your lives for us," Superman said calmly.
"Would you have done any different for m?" J'onn asked rhetorically, as the others also began to wake. Suddenly, the all turned up ward to see one very proud invader standing above them. Even though he had no face, he still appeared to be very smug.
"Earth's mightiest heroes," the parasite said mockingly, before transforming into the far more familiar face, "welcome."
"Senator Carter," Captain America realized, before growling at the man, "I should have known that Carter's record and his policy didn't match up!"
"Unfortunately," the creature said, "the real Carter never returned from Mars."
"And you used me to do your dirty work, weakening Earth's defenses!" Superman roared.
"You were so eager to cooperate," Carter said, before sneering at the hero, "Thanks to you, the humans were completely defenseless against us."
"It is not over yet," Superman growled.
"Wrong again," Carter laughed, as the Mother-ship let a small ship leave. Then the ship docked in the factory, and opened up itself.
"All hail the imperial," Carter shouted, as a giant black and purple blob emerged from ship. It floated as it approached its troops.
"J'onn Jones," the tentacled monster muttered, "It has been a long time." It used its tentacles to escalate the Martian up to the platform, and then two invaders speared J'onn with electric blades, causing the green man to fall to the ground in pain. He lost his more human form when he fell, and was barely able to bring himself to his knee.
"Much better," the thing laughed, "you have defied us for centuries."
"And I will not bow to any of your kind," J'onn said as he stood up again.
"Then it is time to finish what was begun so long ago," the Imperial said, "elimination of the last Martian."
The thing sent its tentacles forward, ensnaring J'onn. Suddenly, the tentacles began to grow under his skin, and creep through his body. The pain was excruciating, his screams echoing through the halls of the factory. Then the creature pulled J'onn inside his body, where his power was even greater.
"Let go of him you filthy…" Superman muttered as he attempted to break the sticky trap.
"Why do you continue to fight?" the Imperial asked, "You have lost, accept it."
"Have I," J'onn asked with a smirk developing on his face.
"You are hiding something," the Imperial noticed, sending his tentacle closer to J'onn's brain, "what is it? There is something deep with in the recesses of your mind! Is this another of your Martian tricks?"
"Do I sense fear?" J'onn asked, before returning to his human form and shouting, "NOW!"
BOOM!
From a giant explosion on the other side of the room, in fact where the core for the factory was located, stood Batman. He was standing right next to a hole in the red goo protecting the core.
"Batman?" Spiderman asked.
"It can't be," Diana said in shock.
"I hid him so he could not be detected," J'onn said, as Batman placed a small blue device in the core, causing the entire system to change from red to blue.
"What have you done!" Carter asked in fright.
"I reversed the ion charge," Batman said smugly, before zipping away as they tried to blow the core away.
"The core is shielded," Carter explained to the leader, "We can't stop the process."
The process was apparently that the factory instead sent up a great blue light into the air, causing the clouds to begin to melt away. Thus, for the first time in days, the city of New York got a glimpse of mister sun. As the sun began to shine in through the opening that had been used to let the ship in, the invaders screamed and attempted to run from it. One unlucky invader tripped, and was soon nothing more than an ugly puddle of goo. The Imperial himself began to boil, when suddenly, J'onn burst through the outer lining of the creature's membrane.
"NO!" the monster screamed as it was pulled father and farther away from the protective shade.
"You live underground and shun the light," J'onn asked, "why? Does it burn your pale putrid skin?"
As the Imperial continued to convulse, Batman swooped down next to Diana, and began to burn away the sticky trap. "Ultra violet radiation," Batman explained, "the invaders come from the depths of space, they have no power against the sun's radiation."
Of course, the Sun had a far different affect on Superman. After hours of being nothing more than an ordinary man, he regained his powers. He used his laser vision to cut open his own cuff, and flew into the sky.
"Destroy them!" The Imperial screamed, as the invaders began to fire lasers at the heroes. Diana carefully used her free hand to block a laser that nearly hit Batman. Super man smiled as he flew over to the parasites, and using his great strength, he lifted up the floor, using it to block the lasers so the others could get freed. He then turned his head, and freed Spider-man from his prison.
"Alright!" the kid shouted, before slinging a web over and entrapping the alien that was impersonating Carter, "you look a little pale, would you like a tan?" Peter then pulled with all his might, and threw Carter into the middle of the sun's rays, causing the phony Senator to bake.
The heroes were all again soon freed, and as the most began an assault on the remaining invaders, Thor flew above the factory, and glared at the Mother-ship. "It is time to end this!" he shouted, gathering millions upon millions of watts of electricity into his hammer. He then aimed his hammer at the ship, and sent all the energy he had built up into the ship, causing the massive UFO to explode in a fiery explosion.
The others were taking the time to make larger opening in the roof, catching the surviving parasites in the suns rays. The creatures stood no chance, as the radiation proceeded to burn at their skin. The Imperial finally escaped J'onn's grip, and fled to the ship, hoping to escape certain doom. However, the ship was caught by Diana's Lasso, allowing her to throw the ship literally into the factory.
"We need to get out of here," Flash noted, seeing the factory appeared to be about to explode.
"Not without them!" Superman shouted, pointing at a group of captured New Yorkers. In less than thirty seconds, all of the people were saved and the heroes had completely evacuated the factory. Five seconds after that, the factory collapsed in on itself.
"This is Snapper Carr," the man of the same name said as he waked among the rubble of the destroyed factory, "In the aftermath of the Metropolis Meltdown, the heroes led by Superman and Captain America have managed to wipe out the few remaining pockets of resistance, nearly annihilating the invader threat for good."
"Despite this stunning victory," Snapper said as he walked up to the general who had originally criticized Superman's plan, "Some still say that we must prepare in case something similar ever happens again."
"We got lucky this time," the general said coolly, "What will we do if some new invasion occurs."
Batman shut off his computer, he thought about what the general said for a moment, before he smiled widely.
Approximately three months later, a giant space platform orbited Earth. It was far larger than any current space vehicle on Earth. It was over one thousand feet long, more than enough room for over fifty people to live in.
"Incredible," Superman said as he stared out the window, "Do your stockholders know about this?"
"A line-item," Batman smirked, "I'm like Congress, and I can hide anything I want in my budget. More importantly, this Watchtower will serve as an early warning system against any threat."
"Not to mention it has a smoothie machine," Flash said as he and Wonder Woman emerged from the kitchen, drinks in hand.
"These are good," Diana admitted, "Maybe man's world isn't so bad after all."
"Impressive instillation," GL commented as he Thor, Hawkgirl, and Iron Man floated down from an upper level, "But what does it have to do with us?"
All the heroes turned to Superman and Batman. Bruce calmly let Clark begin to talk. "I once thought I could protect the whole world by myself. I was wrong," he then turned to the planet below, "working together we managed to save the world from a threat far greater than anyone of us. And I believe that if we stay together, we would be a force truly to be reckoned with."
"What," Iron masked, "a group of Super Friends?"
"More like a Justice League," Superman said.
"Ah," Flash admitted, "Kind of corny, but I like it. Count me in."
"Me too," GL said, soon followed by Hawkgirl.
"Now I'm part of a group of superheroes," Tony said, "at least it won't be boring."
"May the gods of Asgard help whoever tries to stand in our way," Thor shouted as he walked into the huddle.
"Mother may not approve," Diana admitted as she put her hand into the group, "but I think this might be fun."
The seven heroes in the huddle all turned their attention to Batman, who was standing outside the group. He turned around and began to head back to the elevator, "I'm not really a people person," he admitted, "But if you never need any help, you know where to call."
"And I too will join," J'onn said as he flew down from a small upper module, "my family would have wanted me to continue to fight for justice."
"So what's our first mission?" Flash asked, "We might want to start working as a team. Wait a minute," Flash looked around, "where is Cap? Or Spidey?"
"That is our first mission."
"This is the case of Captain America v. S.H.E.I.L.D.," the SC judge said as he banged his gavel on a desk, gaining the attention of everyone in the room, "the defendant has refused to give up his weapon and costume, which the plaintiff claims is that it is government property."
"This is stupid!" Captain Fury shouted, "That suit and shield were made by the US government for use by S.H.I.E.L.D., he must return it!"
"You gave it to me and said it was mine," Cap shouted back, "last time I checked, someone can't just take back s something they gave away without the law fully expressing it. That is what is called stealing."
"Order!" the justice shouted. The two sat back down, though they continued to glare at each other, "Now, Mr. Rodgers, do you have a lawyer?"
"Um," Cap blanked, remembering he had none. Fury smirked; there was no way that Cap was going to get a good enough lawyer to win this trial.
"I am his lawyer," a man said as he walked into the room, "My name is Matthew Murdoch, I was hired by the Wayne Corporation to help Mr. Rogers."
"They can't do that!" Fury shouted again, only to be silenced by the glare of the justice. This was not going to be the cake walk that he envisioned. Murdoch was a legendary lawyer. There was even a chance that they might lose this case, but the Supreme Court would never actually try to restrict the power of the government and its agencies, or would it. Cap stared at Murdoch, noticing that he was blind. As Cap continued to stare, the lawyer wacked him with a cane, snapping him out of his stupor.
"Why would the Wayne Corporation send you to help me?" Cap asked the lawyer, who smiled.
"Let's just say a bat sent me to help you," Murdoch whispered, "oh yeah, next time we meet, I will probably be in red tights."
"Peter," an old woman said as she sat across a table from her beloved nephew Peter, "you must go to college; your uncle would have wanted you to."
"I know Aunt May," Peter sighed, "but no school in New York City will give me a scholarship, I wouldn't be able to take care of you if I moved away!"
Ding Dong!
"Oh," May said as she heard the door bell ring, "I wonder who that could be?" The old woman calmly walked up to the door, unlocked the several new latches that her nephew had attached to it after her husband's death, and opened it.
POP!
Two men were standing at the door, and the older one having pulled out a small party popper. The two were standing on the front door step. Peter, hearing the pop rushed over to the door to see the men, only to gasp.
"Bruce Wayne?" he asked.
"Congratulations Peter," the Bruce said, "You have been selected as the first recipient of my brand new Wayne Science Scholarship. With that, you will have a free ride to Gotham University of Science and Technology."
"Um, thank you sir," Peter stuttered, "but I am afraid I can't come."
"Well Why?" Wayne asked curiously.
"I need to take care of my Aunt," Peter responded, "my uncle died. I can't just leave her here."
"No," Wayne then smiled, "hey Alfred, didn't we say that the scholarship would cover any expenses?"
"Why yes we did sir," Alfred smiled at his young ward. He could tell where this was going.
"Well then," Bruce put his hand on Peter's shoulder, "I don't wee why we can't just pay for her to live in a condo in Gotham while you go to college."
"Really," Parker said with shock, "You really mean that."
"Kid," Bruce smiled, while quietly slipping something in Peter's hand, "I do."
"Oh Peter," Aunt May said, as she ran up the stairs, "I will go start packing."
"But what about the house!" Peter shouted after his aunt.
"Don't worry," Wayne said, "this place will also be covered."
"Why sould you do this for me?" Peter asked. Bruce Wayne just rubbed his chin, before Alfred gave answered the boy's question.
"Let's just say that a bat needed a spider to join his club."
AN: Yes! The first story arc is done. Yes, Daredevil and the Hulk will both make appearances later in the story. Also, the X-Men have already been around for a while prior to the events of this story so expect them to make an appearance soon. And yes, Batman is purely awesome. Don't expect us to be going to Oa next time. We need to focus on Peter in Gotham, Wonder Woman in Man's world, and Batman trying to keep them both from messing everything up. That means expect a marvel villain to make a major appearance next chapter, and I dare you to guess them.