Disclaimer: Before we get started, I want to say right now that I DO NOT buy into the idea of Captain America being a double agent for HYDRA. I don't buy it and I think there's more to the story than that. It won't change anything in this crossover and I DO NOT plan on adapting it into the story. So, don't ask.
I own nothing of Marvel or DC Comics.
Chapter III
The Watchtower, designed by the R&D Department of Wayne Enterprises, was the orbital headquarters of the Justice League. It had proven a valuable asset for the Justice League, allowing them combat threats both Earthborn such as Lex Luthor and interstellar foes like Brainiac. Yet for all the good they'd done, the Watchtower seemed to also, according to some opinionated naysayers like Lex Luthor, represent the League's generally nonexistent arrogance. There would always be those who believed firmly that one day, the Justice League would use the Watchtower as a means of hostile takeover of the Earth. It was up to the Justice League to prove those naysayers wrong.
In the primary operations area of the Watchtower, Victor Stone, AKA Cyborg, was hard at work in trying to narrow down a strange anomaly in space. The issue that made for such strangely was the erratic way the anomaly was reacting. When Superman first took notice of it, he recognized the patterns were indicative of a mother box. They were pretty much the favorite tools of Darkseid, the ruler of Apokolips and one of the League's most dangerous enemies. Superman left the Watchtower to consult Batman, leaving Cyborg to try to track the anomaly. Diana Prince, better known as Wonder Woman, approached Cyborg as he worked the systems but so far made little to no headway in pinpointing the anomaly.
"Any luck with the anomaly, Victor?" Diana asked.
"Not so much as a whisper. I've been trying to narrow the anomaly down without much success. Superman might say otherwise, but I don't think Apokolips is the anomaly's point of origin." Victor stated.
"What makes you say that?"
"It's too erratic, popping up and various around the globe and in space. I wouldn't be surprised if it popped up in the Watchtower right in front of us."
"Maybe someone found a way to harness the mother box technology. Lex Luthor would be a prime suspect, as would Brainiac or Professor Zoom." Diana surmised a few suggestions.
"I wouldn't put it passed Luthor, but Brainiac doesn't normally use teleportation and Zoom would more likely use the Speed Force like Flash. Nah, this is coming from someplace else. Speaking of, where's Clark?"
"He's on his way back from Gotham, minus Bruce as always." Diana said with her arms folded over her… assets, which Cyborg tried not to notice.
"Maybe the Batmobile lost a wheel, and the Joker got away." Victor joked somewhat weakly.
Diana just leered at him much like Batman would've done. "Not funny, Victor." she chastised.
"What? It was just a joke." Cyborg claimed.
"Let's just try to figure the mystery behind this anomaly. Superman should be back any time now." Diana stated, and Cyborg continued to monitor the anomaly.
Barry Allen was the Fastest Man Alive. That wasn't a clever byline in a newspaper or a giant promotional poster in the middle of Central City It wasn't a self-made moniker either. It was an absolute fact; Barry Allen really was the Fastest Man Alive. As a member of the Justice League, the Flash was an instrumental asset to the protection of the world. In addition, he was considered the glue that had held the League together for so long. If Batman was the brain, Superman was the muscle and Wonder Woman was the compassion, Flash was the conscious. He was the League's heart and soul, always ready to fight and throw in a joke or two. Right at that moment, Flash was running for his life from a glowing green beam of light… and winning the race.
"C'mon, Hal. I thought you could be more creative than a swirling green line." Barry said as he ran along the floor and the walls and the floor again.
Hal Jordan, better known as Green Lantern, replied to Flash, "Keep running, Barry. I'll think of something sooner or later."
Flash stopped for a split second and replied, "Probably later!" Then he took of running again.
With a wry grin on his face, Hal continued to send beams of swirling green light after Barry. As the first human to ever be inducted into the Green Lantern Corps, Hal Jordan had the propensity to get creative with his constructs through sheer willpower. That was what fueled a Green Lantern's power ring, and Hal had plenty of willpower to spare. He wasn't going to catch Flash with just a series of green beams, so he started getting creative. He constructed a set of walls positioned in Flash's path, each one set in front and opposite of each other.
Flash started running between the walls as they appeared, some even appearing lower than the one that preceded it. Flash was able to hop over the walls, duck under levitated walls that were in midair and was well on his way toward the opposite end of the training area where an actual wall stood in his way. Like clockwork, he ran up the wall and along the side of it, weaving in between more of Lantern's constructs as they appear. Green Lantern wasn't done yet and formed more walls to impede Flash's momentum. He managed to briefly catch Flash out of nowhere and trip him up, sending Flash to the floor. Flash was already back up in seconds and managed to get behind Green Lantern. In one swift move, Flash flipped Green Lantern onto his back and stood over him smiling.
"Too slow, Hal." Barry said and offered a hand.
Hal took the gesture as Barry helped him up. "I wouldn't get too confident if I were you."
"Oh really…" Barry said just as a force of shadowy power suddenly thrust him backward, hitting the wall hard.
The force didn't come from Green Lantern. It came from the young woman in the midnight blue leotard and cloak. Rachel Roth, known better as Raven, was a member of the Teen Titans and thus not a member of the League. She'd agreed to accompany Cyborg, himself a part-time Titan while also a full League member, at his request. His reasons were that he wanted a familiar face from his younger years. Raven agreed in turn since she saw Cyborg as a big brother to whom she could turn. The rest of the League was happy to have the young, empathic telepath. Maybe not Flash since Raven had him pinned against the wall using a force of dark magic. Raven stood across the room, her face partly concealed under a hood.
"That's cheating." Flash claimed.
"One has to able to mind their surroundings, Flash. As quick as you can run, you can still miss the smallest details." Raven explained before releasing Flash.
"Says the girl with a four-eyed demon for a father." Flash retorted.
"Nobody's perfect, Flash." Raven said with a shrug before walking away.
"Looks like she got the last word in, buddy." Hal said.
"Yeah. I think she takes after Arthur." Barry said. "Who'd of thought we'd basically have someone direct as Aquaman."
"I'd compare Raven more to Batman than Aquaman; same dark presence and… choice of attire and all that." Hal stated, and he made Barry shudder in his red speed suit.
Superman returned to the Watchtower and entered through the airlock. From there, he walked through the halls on his way toward the operations area where Cyborg and Wonder Woman were still working. At the first glance as he entered, Superman knew that his two teammates had yet to pin down the anomaly. It was so erratic to almost be acting on its own. Mother boxes were operated by hand, so it should've been impossible for one to become self-sufficient. Then again, Superman didn't pass up the notion that Darkseid found a way to make a self-sufficient mother box. All the more reason to suspect an invasion was imminent.
"What's the word on that anomaly, Cyborg?" Superman asked.
"The word is there is no word. I've tried every idea I came up with and I still can't pinpoint the anomaly; it moves too fast." Cyborg stated.
Wonder Woman stood next to Superman and said, "I'm guessing Bruce isn't coming up any time soon."
"You guess right. He said he was busy with a smuggling operation in Gotham. I can't say I'm surprised, though." Superman explained.
"Too bad. I was rather hoping to catch up with him myself," Wonder Woman exclaimed with a smirk. "Speaking of which, how Lois?"
"Still as intrepid as ever. I had to rescue her from a group of thugs working for Luthor. Lex still managed to talk his way out of trouble." Superman explained.
"We'll get him eventually, Clark." Wonder Woman said just as the systems started going off.
"Whoa, okay I think I got it now. I managed to pinpoint the anomaly's trajectory. Wait a minute… I think it's opening in two separate places." Cyborg said.
"Where is it, Cyborg?" Superman asked.
"One about to open in Gotham and the other one's opening… right here in this room." Cyborg confirmed.
Superman and Wonder Woman exchanged looks with each other just as Cyborg was proven correct. Within a matter of moments, a portal opened in the fabric of time and space right in front of the three Leaguers and they readied themselves for the inevitable. If it was Darkseid, they were ready to fight him and send him back to Apokolips. So it was to their surprise when the figure that was approaching from within the portal looked absolutely nothing like Darkseid. It was a man in a green tunic, a cape and a hood, with metallic limbs and face. The man in the green hood approached the three heroes with an air about him that spoke volumes of a high self-opinion and arrogance.
The man in the hood stopped just outside the threshold of the portal that was still active behind him and studied the three individuals. He saw a muscular man in a blue body suit and red cape and boot, a human/robot hybrid and a tall, statuesque woman in a somewhat revealing outfit. He had contempt for each one of them as Superman approached him.
"Who are you," the Man of Steel asked, receiving no answer from the man in the hood. "I asked you a question."
Cyborg deployed his arm cannon and pointed it straight at the man in the hood. "I don't think he's interested in talking, Superman."
"Superman?! A cliché moniker for a poor fool in a cape," The man in the hood claimed and took a step forward. "Tell me; is that moniker supposed to threaten me?"
Wonder Woman wrapped the Lasso of Truth around the man in the hood. "It should threaten you, now tell us if whether or not Darkseid sent you here and why."
The man in the hood didn't provide an answer, instead grabbing hold of the Lasso and pulling hard. Wonder Woman was pulled forward with enough force to leave her feet, and the man in the hood back-headed her across the operations area. Wonder Woman sailed into the wall and left a huge depression where she hit, causing the Watchtower to shudder from the impact. Seeing Wonder Woman down, Superman flew forward and rammed into the man in the hood, pinning him against the opposite wall.
The man in the hood pressed a command into his gauntlet and Superman felt a massive surge of electricity course through his body. Breaking free, the man in the hood started punching Superman in the face and chest. Superman was surprised by the amount of strength behind the punches, and the assault culminated with a Judo-style throw of Superman across the room. Cyborg was in disbelief but focused on engaging the man in the hood. He fired a few shots from his cannon, but they hit some sort of force field instead the man in the hood. He returned fired and hit Cyborg hard, sending him to the floor.
"None shall dare place their hands upon Victor Von Doom." he declared before Wonder Woman pinned back against the wall.
"If you don't mind, I'll keep trying." Wonder Woman said and punched this, Victor Von Doom, repeatedly in the metal face. She laid into him several times with each punch stronger than the last.
Then Doom stopped the next punch dead with one open hand and said to Wonder Woman, "You are a strong one, my dear, but I AM DOOM!"
Doctor Doom drove his own metal face into Wonder Woman's before throwing her forward into Cyborg's arms. The two fell over each other from the momentum while Superman recovered and shot his heat vision at Doom. Doom managed to block the attack with one hand only before returning fire in an energy blast. Superman managed to take the blast and fired back with his heat vision, but Doom erected his force field to deflect the blast before firing back with a sustained attack.
Before Doom knew what had happened next, a red streak speeding suddenly surprised him. That same blur sped by again numerous times, each time striking Doom in the face and disrupting his attack. But Dom was able to catch on the patterns of the red blur and thrust his arms forward and to the side. He caught the attacker by the throat, looking with contempt at the suit before tossing Flash to the side. As soon as he did, Doom was caught in the grip of a green, claw-like apparatus.
Green Lantern held the intruder still while Flash recovered and started striking Doom again, but Doom was able to break free with sheer force and punch Flash back. He fired at the airborne Green Lantern, who willed a shield into existence. Then he abandoned his attack and leapt into the air, snatching Green Lantern by the ankle and throwing him down to the floor. Doom stood over the fallen heroes but failed to notice his own shadow seemingly rising up from the floor behind him. He did feel a present and turned around to see a giant black bird spreading its wings against him.
Raven appeared beneath the black bird and stalked toward Doom, who appeared completely nonplussed by the darkness that was spreading around him. He approached her, prompting Raven to unleash the force onto him. The black force slammed against Doom's force field without penetrating it. Raven increased her attack, slamming the force harder and faster onto Doom to next to no avail and failing to realize that Doom was already upon her. He grabbed her by the throat and pulled her hood back to gaze her grayish skin and bluish hair, narrowing his eyes in slight befuddlement… and ample amusement.
"Children! This new universe has its own so-called heroes, and they send children to stand against the might of Doom. Pathetic."
"Azarath Metrion Zinthos." Raven chanted, and the full force of her powers was unleashed.
Doctor Doom was sent flying back into the wall, crashing into some machinery. He noted the brief appearance of four glowing, blood red eyes upon the girl's face. "That was quiet the display of magic, child."
Raven unleashed more of her power straight at Doctor Doom, shouting, "You haven't seen half of what I can do."
Doctor Doom simply held out his hand and the force spread away, nearly sacking the League as they moved clear. "I've seen plenty, and trust me when inform you that I know a thing or two about magic."
Raven wasn't amused, but she was getting angry and the Justice League knew full well what happened when Raven got angry. Spreading her arms out caused the black bird's wings to spread to enormous lengths. Then she thrust her arms forward, compelling the wings to engulf Doctor Doom. Doom took a defensive stance and brought his force field to bear against the sheer force of the dark magic. He seemed to disappear within the blackness and saw those same four blood red eyes staring directly at him. He even heard a mighty bellow that seemed akin to a beast.
But he was hardly terrified of the sight and spread his own arms out, and the force field expanded to engulf the black bird. Raven was shocked and couldn't hold on to the force and it dissipated into nothing, bringing them back to the Watchtower. Before Raven had a chance to react, Doctor Doom blasted her backward and sent her flying, but Flash was able to catch before she hit the floor. Doctor Doom stalked toward Flash and Raven before Superman flew into him and pinned him to a wall. Superman pummeled Doom with hard punches to the metal mask before Doom blasted Superman backward across the area and then he blasted Cyborg, Green Lantern and Wonder Woman.
"Enough; this nonsense is beneath me. You are all beneath me. I have come to this universe to conquer it and no so-called superheroes will stand in the way of Victor Von Doom."
Before Doctor Doom was expecting anything, something came flying out of the portal and hit Doom directly in the face. The Justice League, and Superman in particular, managed to get a glimpse of the object. It had the similarities akin to a hammer, but much longer and somehow flying through the air. It came back around and hit Doom in the back of his hood, finally taking him down. It then returned toward the portal and into the waiting hand of a tall man garbed in silver and blue with a red cape and long blonde hair underneath of a silver feathered helmet.
Doctor Doom rose up from the floor and eyed the tall man as he stormed forward. Taking Doom by the seams of his tunic, the man lifted him up from the floor and held him high, but Doom was hardly terrified. Watching from the sidelines, Wonder Woman was quick to make note of the design of the tall man's garb. She was able to determine the similarities it seemed to share with Norse Mythos, and the hammer and feathered helmet was enough to determine the identity of the man; Thor.
Thor hoisted Doom higher and snarled, "What have you done with her, Doom? Where is Black Widow?"
"You're asking me, Thunder God? You are the one who so foolishly thrust us all into the portal. Perhaps she is lost between dimensions, never to be found again. You only have yourself to blame."
"I blame you, and in Widow's honor, I shall avenge her." Thor said and prepared to hammer Doom.
Before Thor could deliver on his promise, he and Doom were thrust back toward the far end of the area by a beam of green energy. Green Lantern said, "You know, now I'm a little tired of all this crap."
"Yeah, I'm definitely agreeing with you on that." Flash added.
Thor pulled himself up as Superman approached him by levitating off the floor. "We're all tired of this, now it's time to get answers. Who are you and where do you come from?"
Instead of providing an answer, Thor swung Mjornir in a backhanded motion and sent Superman flying all the way back the way he came. "That is who I am. Now I demand that someone tell the whereabouts of my fellow Avenger. Otherwise, you will taste the wrath of Mjornir."
Flash and Green Lantern were stunned by the power they witnessed, and Flash said, "Hal?"
"Yeah, Barry…"
"You go first!"
A long time ago, Carmine Falcone owned most of the muscle in Gotham City as well as had some corrupt officers in the GCPD. It wasn't long after that when Roman Sionis, known in the criminal underworld as Black Mask, started moving in on Falcone's turf. They'd been at war for control of Gotham for years, and neither managed to get a definitive edge over the other. That all changed when the Batman appeared one night and put everyone on notice; he was coming for them. Just like that, Black Mask and Falcone had common ground for the first time, hence their appearance at Port Adams.
Black Mask arranged for the illegal shipment of arms into Gotham, with a small bit of help from custom's officers he likely paid off. Falcone arrived shortly after with a group of his best men, but Black Mask wasn't stupid and brought up his own guys. Neither one of them was aware that Batman was watching the deal go down. He noticed a few snipers atop the cranes beforehand and promptly took them down before taking a perched position atop a container tethered to a cable.
"I'm putting down a lot of cash for these guns, Sionis. They'd better be worth every penny." Falcone said in gruff tone.
Black Mask stepped forward with a saunter that spoke volume of arrogance. "Really, Carmine? You really gonna doubt my contributions to you. This is all military-grade hardware and ammunition straight out of Venezuela, with a few perks for Santa Prisca to go along with it. You gonna pay up or keep arguing with me?"
"You'll excuse if I got my doubts. The Bat got involved last time when I tried trading with Cobblepot, and I don't want to make that mistake twice." Falcone said.
"Why do you think we're having this meeting, huh? I wanna take down the Bat as badly as you do, unlike a certain clown who repeatedly lets him live. Now, we gonna do this deal or not?" Black Mask bellowed.
Falcone motioned one of his men forward and pushing a large crate along the ground, while the rest of Falcone's men had their guns out. Black Mask and his crew were equally as cautious. From his perch just several yards away, Batman used the high-tech optical sensors in his cowl to zoom in on the deal. He already had his attack planned out, every vulnerability of every thug scouted. Black Mask was going to be the biggest challenge but nothing Batman hadn't dealt with before. Then something happened that the Dark Knight didn't expect.
As the deal was taking place, a flash of light and gust of energy burst forth, sending the participants scattering. A breach in space and time opened and a woman fell out of it. She dropped hard to the ground with a thud right in front of the gathered gangs while, from his perch, Batman gritted his teeth at this strange development. He zoomed further to get a better look at the woman, noting the forming bodysuit with its glowing blue beams coursing along the waist and limbs and the long, red long covering her face.
Black Widow started to recover slowly just as the portal behind her closed shut. She managed to get a brief glimpse but was too late to react. Then she turned back toward the gangs, with Black Mask and Falcone at the front line to face her. Widow darted her eyes around to get full accounting of her odds. She didn't hate her odd given her extensive training, but that wasn't much comfort considering she was outnumbered. Still, she managed a wry smile.
"Well, this is awkward."
Author's Note: Well, that brings chapter three to a close and the first, almost, full line-up for the Justice League. Yes, Aquaman will be a member of the League and will appear at some point later on.
Also, I've been dabbling with which other DC character would be feature among the main cast. It went from Raven to Hawkgirl to Vixen but I ultimately went with Raven. She's technically not a League member but that can change.
Transformers g1's-Prime gave me the idea of sending the three Marvel characters to different areas. Thor and Doom ended up on the Watchtower, while Black Widow landed in Gotham. It should prove interesting with Batman there as well.
Be sure to review and I'll be back soon. Peace out.