A Rose By Any Other Name
A figure in the darkness and mist seated high above the ground said in a strange disguised voice." Make him suffer. But make sure he knows it is me."
Suddenly rising from the mist of the darkness, the Laughing Shadow stood in the darkness." Yes my lord. All Hail." He turned and departed, heading directly for the Warehouse District of Metropolis.
Standing in front of the warehouse district, he whistled a sharp painful tone. Suddenly, from the woodwork, dozens of Shadow Soldiers swarmed. The tall, toned, angry leader waved his hand and the soldiers immediately began dashing towards the city while three unmasked soldiers stood.
The first one walked forward, "Master, I am The Furious Shadow. He sent me to strong. His arms the size of a cinder block, with legs like trunks. "I will find him and bring his body to you." He left heading for the Industrial District.
The second one jumped forward, "Master, I am the Shifty Shadow. He sent me to steal away his freedom and bring him to you." He was small and thin. He dashed away towards the Neon District.
Finally, the third Soldier stepped forward, "I am the Deceptive Shadow. Master, He sent me to lie to him and bring him to you under my trap." He was average in everything. His face, calm and kind, but his eyes burned with a hate unlike to anyone. He simply walked towards the suburbs and put on his mask.
The Laughing Shadow walked into a dark green and bright red warehouse. He began to examine everything and then began his work. Days later the Laughing Shadow was still working when, there was shouting outside.
He walked to the door and was presented Superman and Batman in a full body straight jacket, while Superman was wearing a straight jacket lined with Kryptonite needles and dust.
"Batman…" the Laughing Shadow said calmly. "You are a hard man to reach." The Deceptive Shadow stood there untouched while the rest of the elite soldiers were broken, bleeding or unconscious in a ditch somewhere.
The soldiers dragged them both to a cell where Batman was hung up by his limbs over a fire pit. The flame, burning bright was scorching his flesh.
"Now it is time for your punishment for what you've done."
The Dark Knight looked at him confused, "What have I done?"
"Crimes you have committed are not to be something you are proud of and want publicized!"
"What is this? Some kind of cult?" Suddenly a shock passed through Batman's body and he screamed in pain of the inhuman amount of electric passed through his body.
"We are simply a better version of you. We are just not afraid to do what is necessary."
"You are just trying to make the fact that you murder, just!"
"Because it is!"
"No its not!" Again, hundreds of volts of electric passed through the Caped Crusader's flesh and bone.
Suddenly the gentle cries of an infant sounded loudly, and Batman perked up and saw. His child in the arms of the Laughing Shadow. "Your crimes begin with deceit. For everyday you lived under the mantle of the bat ten volts of electricity."
The guard's eyes widened, "Master. That will kill him. No human can withstand that."
"Oh trust me. He will. Otherwise his son dies." The villain looked at him and revealed a knife behind his back. "So lets see, fifteen years as the Batman?" he began mumbling, "Ah! Fifty four thousand, seven hundred and fifty volts for ten minutes please."
The guard obeyed his superior and sent the unbearable electricity into the Hero.
The time passed extremely slow as Batman's horrific screams echoed through the warehouse as the volts continued to flow from the barbed wire, that they tied him up with, into his bare flesh and through his body into the left arm and that barbed wire lasso and the heat from the fire below scorched his flesh. Superman, rendered useless began coughing blood as the Kryptonite needles began impaling him slowly.
"And…time!" Batman stared at the villain angrily as the electricity stopped. "Next is your crime of cowardice and fear. For every time you have committed this crime one thousand volts of electricity will pass through you for one minute.
"What do you consider cowardice and fear?" Batman said in his usual, tough hardened voice.
"You fleeing from the scene every time the police came or your foe had the upper hand. You should have faced them with courage, and died if that is what was needed." His voice was harsh as if he was angry with him. "One hour should do." He turned and walked into the side room. He laid the child down, in a purple and green blanket and turned back. He returned sat and watched as Batman struggled, smiling at his success.