Notice: All characters are owned by DC Comics. This is an original story based off those characters and storylines.
Chapter 2: A Bad Day
*Space, just outside of Earth's orbit. Solar System*
Kyle Raynar, a member of the Green Lantern Corps, flew at a steady speed as he approached his home world of Earth.
He smiled as the small blue dot came into his view, the continents becoming visible as he drew closer, he was finally back, after a year away on a deep-space mission, one hundred light years away from Earth to put an end to an intergalactic war, another among many wars and evils he had stopped over the years.
His friends would be there, Hal, Guy, Jessica, he looked forward to seeing Carol, and maybe even John would be there.
In his haste to get home, as well as the desire to surprise everyone, Kyle had neglected to let anyone know he had left the sector – Guardians or fellow Lanterns - or that he was on his way home.
When Kyle had finally achieved the ceasefire and eventual peace deal as he was tasked with for the Guardians, he did not even wait, he needed to see another human, breath in the air, and see the people he cared for once again after witnessing such a horrific war.
He drew even closer, the sun being the main source of light as he passed it by.
A giddy smile came across his features as he blasted through, leaving a trail of green energy as he did.
One year ago, Kyle Raynar had met a beautiful girl at a train station back home in LA. Bright green eyes, a perfect smile, and she liked the same bad TV shows that he did.
At his stop, she had given him her phone number. He planned on calling her the next day as he said he would, instead, he had been selected for a mission.
Now, with his leave-time, he planned on calling her as soon as he got home.
But that would never happen.
Since he had entered the system, Rayner felt the bizarre sensation that someone or something was following him. Maybe it was the agitation to finally be home again that had led him to become lax in his awareness, perhaps these stalkers had learned to cloak themselves too well that his ring did not pick up their signature until it was too late.
Or maybe, just a bad call on a bad day.
Yellow ropes of energy slapped onto and caught both his hands, knocking him off balance. They had attacked him from behind, Kyle immediately, tried to turn over, to get a view on his attackers, but he was one Green Lantern against what looked to be at least four.
Without using his eyesight, he shot a blast of green energy that audibly managed to knock one back one, judging by the grunt of pain.
As he tried harder, but it was all too much, forced to remain immobile as his attacker came into his view.
Thaal Sinestro, and his self-named Yellow Lantern Corps.
The Korugaran was there, in all his self-confidence, smirking with his arms crossed, villainous moustache and with the symbol of his corps on his chest.
"Ah, Kyle Raynar. It has been long-time."
The defiant Green Lantern managed to break out of one of the yellow Lantern binds and smashed his adversary across his smug pink face, a bit of drawing blood.
It was all he managed to get out though, as the Sinestro Corpsman immediately regained their focus and restrained him once more with the three others, holding him in an X shape.
He grunted, "What the hell do you want, Sinestro? Last I heard, you and your clown brigade were in-hiding."
Raynar did not like the smile that came from the man but did his best to hide it.
"Not hiding, Raynar." He spoke, "Observing, watching. You have been gone a long time. Things have changed on your world. Your heroes are not as they once were, they have begun to see the truth as I once did."
Kyle refused to buy that. It was a lie, a trick meant to confuse him, nothing more. No way Superman, Wonder Woman and Batman would go bad.
"You really expect me to buy that?"
Sinestro shrugged, "Believe what you will. It makes no difference. I look to Earth and see allies in a war soon to come."
"See." Kyle mocked, sure he knew the traitor to the Green Lantern Corps could not be trusted, "I look at you, and I just see the effort you put into your appearance. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate it, man, I really, really do. The Mustache, the hair, its always immaculate. I'm kinda jealous."
The Green Lantern chuckled, "I mean you stop being evil for an hour a day, just to get a bit of personal, pink-headed manscaping time?"
Sinestro was not amused.
And now, he seemed… far more unforgiving than usual. The Korugaran said nothing as he floated closer to Kyle until the two could look directly in each other's eyes.
Sinestro smiled a sick, sadistic smirk. Kyle's heart began to thump, unnerved for perhaps the first time.
No allies, and nobody was here to help him.
The Yellow Lantern leader titled his head slightly, "Are you afraid of me, Green Lantern?"
Realisation came too late as to the seriousness of this situation.
"Ring!" He cried, "Broadcast to-"
He never finished his emergency call, Sinestro had carefully taken his ring finger into his hand and snipped off behind the digit. Past its defences and barriers.
The pain made him cry out first, but then with his finger and the ring gone, he no longer had any access to his powers. His will now immaterial.
His green suit disappeared within seconds, and all that was left was himself in shorts and a shirt.
Sinestro held him close as the light faded.
"Look at me, Rayner." Sinestro took a moment, taking in and relishing in the delicious suffering of his adversary, "There is a war coming, and you won't get to see it."
He carelessly flung the dying corps of Kyle Rayner away as he continued to speak to his gathered Legion of Yellow Lanterns from across the Galaxy, the human-born artist and third reserve Lantern of Sector 2814 died, deprived of oxygen in space, as multiple members of the Sinestro Corps began to use him for target practice, ripping him to pieces in the process.
"Now, let us see this Earth for ourselves." He smiled as he listened as the last dying gasps emitted from Rayner, or what was now left of him, body parts floating into the endless dark of space.
The Tyrant of Korugar turned to face his fellow Lanterns. A crazed grin glued to his features:
"I very much look forward to meeting the killer of Hal Jordan."
*Ferris Aircraft Facility. Coast City, California. USA*
14th October 2013
13:44 PM
Mercy completed her one-thousandth sit-up inside the hanger owned by the Ferris Air company, clothed in a white sleeveless shirt, dark jogging pants and sneakers, it was a place that had become a home to her in the last half a year: now more permeant with the Bat's heavy surveillance that had reached Coast City. It was half the sit ups of what she would normally do, but her mind was not on her physique, it was on her host, whom she had began to care deeply for – just as she had for her boyfriend, Hal, the man who against all reason has protected her, when few would or should have.
She still remembered him: short brown hair, handsome, and tall, which contradicted his sometimes goofy and wisecracking personality.
But he was good, a man who this world did not deserve: what shitty world was it that she should continue to live after a lifetime of unforgivable sins, whilst one of the best men in the world died at the hands of a man he once thought of as a friend?
She roundhouse kicked a nearby crate against a wall at the thought of the Batman; not for herself, but for what he had done to Hal and Carol.
She walked deeper into the hanger until she reached the very end; destroyed crates, aircraft parts, and supply equipment lay about, as well as burned holes that lay across the surface, high and low.
This of course, had not been her doing.
Carol Ferris stood there, silent and still as a statue. The dark-haired woman had not been the same as she had been since the man, she loved was taken from her.
Two weeks earlier
They had both awaited news all day and night, hoping, wishing, praying that they would hear from Green Lantern, that having answered Superman's call, it would not be long until Batman and his followers were stopped in their tracks, ready to face justice.
When a flying figure emitting green energy flew towards the Ferris Hanger, Mercy and Carol both ran outside to meet Hal, hopeful of the news of Batman's defeat.
It was not to be though.
Instead of Hal's domino mask and snarky remarks, it had been another: Guy Gardener, the other Lantern of Earth, and a friend of Hal's.
Like Hal, Gardener was a reputed loudmouth who tended to enjoy his station, and the responsibility that came with it (according to Carol before this, it could make him somewhat insufferable)
But this time, there were no smiles, no witty comebacks to be heard.
The Lantern dropped down, a look of horror and defeat on his face, as if he had seen the end of the world, like life had lost any meaning.
Not even Mercy's own presence here as a fugitive seemed to snap him out of it, his attention focused only on his friend's significant other.
"Carol…" he muttered, not even looking her in the eye.
"Guy." Carol spoke, panic in her voice, "where is Hal?"
Tears ran down the man's face, "He… he's…"
Now
The two had cried and huddled together in the night following the announcement of Jordan's death. A man who had come into both their lives and changed it for the better in different ways, particularly Mercy.
Mercy had caught Carol as she collapsed to the floor in sorrow, having screamed and at Guy to leave, and never show his face in her family's airfield again.
But Guy was not the only thing that had travelled to the Ferris facility that night…
"Hey." She spoke to Carol, as casual as possible, trying to sound light-hearted, "I never ran a company myself, besides occasionally stepping in for Lex, but I'm pretty sure this equipment you're practising on costs a ton of money."
"I'll pay for it." The defiant Ferris woman spoke, "My dad always said you gotta be willing to go all the way to make sure something works – if it means breaking shit, so be it."
Mercy folded her arms, "It always seemed to work with Hal… I suppose you now know it works the same way for you. Any reason you're practising so hard? from what I understand, you already have experience when it comes to these emotion rings, and I thought pink was your colour?"
In a snap, Carol turned around and lifted a nearby engine that was in the midst of repairs from the plane, the green energy in the shape of a giant hand.
"Because." She placed it down, the green ring that had once been her significant other's that marked the being as an enforcer for the Guardian's will, on her finger, glowing like emerald fire.
In the aftermath of Hal Jordan, the ring needed a new bearer, one with willpower, courage, and the ability to overcome fear like no other could.
Most of the world's population lived in fear of the Regime, most would flee rather than ever risk the wrath of Batman.
Not Carol Ferris, and she had been chosen to become a new Green Lantern of Sector 2814.
Her ring glowed as she brought it to her face. A fire in her eyes that looked to never burn out.
"When I meet Batman, I don't plan on exchanging peace lilies, I plan on winning, and making sure he meets justice." She smirked slightly, "But you are right, pink is my preferred colour, but green will do for now. Call me Green Sapphire."
*Medical centre, Justice League Watchtower*
18:32 AM GMT, 15th October 2013
Some called him Batman, others now referred to him solely as Bruce Wayne, the name he was given by his parents. Many reasoned that without his identity, there was no more reason to go by the moniker.
Without the aura of his secret identity, he was merely a man, was the usual point.
They were wrong of course, the persona was Bruce Wayne, Batman was the real thing. It had always been his true self, waiting to arise.
Let them call him as they liked, it made no matter, not anymore, so long as all of them obeyed his rule, that was what mattered to him.
Batman sat in the same seat that he had made his own for the last two weeks, going on three now – armoured cowl in both hands.
There was silence across the med bay besides the beeps of the machines monitoring vital signs.
He had spoken to few, besides the doctors, occasionally asking a question, and Ra's Al Ghul, who had been sent to deal with some business planet-side.
Damian, his son, and current Robin, Helena Bertinelli, the Huntress, and Selina Kyle, Catwoman were still as unmoving as the day they had been caught in the Prometheus strike to save their lives from Miss Martian.
The doctors that had been hired to operate were some of the very best that money could buy, and had been assigned to ensure they pulled through no matter what.
Despite doing the best they could, and the trio's conditions not changing, Bruce had hardly left them for the last couple of weeks.
His sleep schedule was beginning to unravel from spending so much time here in space: he would wake up, spend hours sitting by the bedside, hoping that day would be the one for them to awaken, to come around and speak to him.
To be alive, to be safe.
Then in those rare hours – where he slept – then the nightmares came, he had too many to chose from now.
His parent's death was still a harbinger of restlessness, finding Jason's dead body in the snow too, but they now had to contend with the image of Gotham as it died screaming in atomic fire, dear Alfred's grandfatherly face with a bullet through the head. His beloved, Talia and their unborn daughter, the screams of M'gann as she burned, Shazam… Hal's face being turned to a blood mush, all of this by his own hand.
It was on the fourth day that he had gone to Zatanna, practically begging her for some sort of spell that would allow him to have at least one dreamless sleep.
She could only apologise, look at him with sadness and tell him no, she could make him sleep, but not suppress the nightmares.
Bruce knew himself to be a man of insurmountable will, so like every other tragedy, he swallowed it, and tried his best to move on. Using it as a fuel.
Looking at each of the sleeping faces, although he had many regrets, he knew he only did what had to be done.
The world was safer because of him and the League. It was indisputable, no longer could criminals, big or small, operate so openly anymore, and before long, they would not operate at all.
"Bruce?"
He turned to see Barbara, wheeling herself over to his side. Batman only nodded.
"Oracle, how's the world looking?"
The redhead shock her head with a sigh, "Power Girl and Guy helped save people in a terrorist attack in Bangladesh, Hawkman and Captain Atom led a group of Arkham troops to take down Shade in Slovakia. Other than that, we still have no sign of Superman or the others."
Batman frowned but said nothing in response.
"All this rebellion is doing is causing unneeded chaos. Clark and Diana can't see that."
"I have to ask…" she paused, "When we catch them, what are you going to do with them?"
Batman stared at her in slight confusion, "As we do with all lawbreakers: they'll all serve time in prison. I don't want them in there forever, I want them all to be reformed eventually and join our side."
"But after Shazam, M'gann and Hal, do you really think they'll ever surrender peacefully now?"
"What happened was tragic, I never wished that on any of them. But Superman is responsible for leading them all down that path. He needs to accept that."
Now Barbara frowned, still the room was silent, besides the still monitored vitals.
"That doesn't answer the question. They died at our hands; it pushed the Flash onto their side. Independent heroes and vigilantes have stopped cooperating with us and we're four people down."
"Martian Manhunter still supports us." Bruce said with confidence. The Green Martian was in mourning, currently on Mars to oversee M'gann's burial and to comfort his sister's family in their grief.
There had been no contact since his departure, and no word on when he would return to active service.
"Are you sure? We haven't heard from him since the Fortress… you did what you had to do, to save Damian, Helena and Selina… but that was still his niece, Bruce." She paused, closing her eyes, "We all know what it means to lose someone, and now we've inflicted it on more people."
Batman only looked forward, starting blankly at the white wall, haunted by his actions regardless of his words, "I had no choice."
Barbara's frown now turned into a glare, "And what happens when you meet them again? Will you have no choice then?"
"If you have something to say, Oracle, just say it." There was a coldness in his voice, the likes of which the former Batgirl had not seen before.
For perhaps the first time in her life, she felt slightly intimidated by Batman. Regardless, she chose to continue:
"There's been too much death, Bruce… if… if more people like Clark, Diana, Ollie and Roy have to die to make this ideal of ours a reality, I don't know if I can continue to support it. I want your word that we'll avoid killing anymore heroes." She paused, "Bruce… I need to know we're still doing the right thing."
Batman stood up, tall, muscular and intimidating in his armour…. And took the young woman's hand in his, as gentle as if he were holding a small child's.
"We only kill when we have to now, Barbara… but you're right, if killing every one of our friends is needed to create this new world, its not ever going to be worth it. I swear to you, we will do everything possible to take the rebels out without any lethal force… no more mistakes like with Hal, M'gann or Billy. And when we win, nobody will ever have to suffer ever again."
Barbara mustered a smile, "Thanks, its just what I wanted to hear."
Tears began to stream down her face which she failed to hide.
Bruce picked up that there was something else:
"It's not just them, is it? Tim, and Stephanie."
She nodded, "Stephanie was like a sister… and Tim, Bruce, I- I think it was my fault, that he did what he did-"
As she spoke, Bruce could only mutter "no", as he got down to a knee and embraced his protégée and surrogate daughter,
"- If – if I had just been kinder, more considerate. I thought only of myself and the mission, I never gave him the time of day… I loved him, and I pushed him away. I loved them both- "
"It was nothing that you did, Barbara. Tim and Stephanie were victims. And all that matters now is to stop the man responsible."
MEANWHILE…
*Central City, Missouri. United States*
18:51 AM EST. 16th October 2013
Captain Cold tried to bring up his Freeze gun for a desperate last shot but missed by seconds and inches as Nightwing once more kicked him in the face, full-frontal, knocking the leader of the Rogues out.
All four of the Central City Rogues in fact, were now captured and being prepped for transport.
With the Flash now imprisoned for aiding and abetting the rebels, it meant that his city needed to be watched over, and within a day – thanks to Cyborg's intel – had found their hideout.
Arkham men soon arrived, and took all four into vans, to be processed and then interned at the supermax prison, where they would never see the light of day again.
Weather Wizard, sat between Golden Glider and Heat Wave, however, did not seem to realise that this was not business as usual as it was with the Flash.
"Go ahead, douchebags. Put us in whatever prison you want, we'll get out of it like we always have and always will."
His tone was so smug and confident, Dick almost felt bad for him, so unaware of just where he was going…
Starfire on the other hand was less forgiving.
She sped up and grabbed the suited villain, her eyes glowing a dangerous green.
"Try it and you'll get to learn what real fire feels like." Her hands heating up with two starbolts as a warning.
That shut him up. Even more so that everyone knew her to be dead serious with the threat.
Soon the van, under heavily armed troop and drone escort began to make its way out of the city.
The two watched over the city on a rooftop as sunset began to take shape.
Nightwing and Starfire kissed in front of the city, unabashed, unclouded in their love for each other, sure as anything in the world, of how their new mission was a righteous cause.
Starfire stopped, a smirk on her face, "That was some good work there, Grayson… think maybe you deserve a reward."
Dick loved the glint in her eyes, and the possibilities it left open…
"Sure." He said, playing along, smirking, "we talking ice cream, a new movie… we can go get a Happy Meal?"
Star began to make shapes on Nightwing's hard, armoured chest with her finger, "Hmmm, I was thinking something a little more-"
"You two look happy."
Kori and Dick snapped, looking towards the other side of the building.
The sunset making it difficult to see his face. But they could tell him to be a relatively young man, very well built, and jeans and boots.
"Who are you!?" Starfire immediately demanded to know, angry that she and her lover had been interrupted.
Dick managed to catch the first glimpse and he went as stiff as stone.
"Kori…" he whispered.
The figure stepped forward, it was someone they knew for certain, not only someone they knew, but a man they once thought of as a friend.
"Superboy… Connor." Dick stated, "What are you doing here"?"
Superboy ignored him. By now, Star had also seen his face, and unlike Dick, got into a fighting stance.
He did not look in the mood for a talk, in fact, Kon-El looked positively murderous. Eyes red with rage and hate, fists clenched, and a slight hunch to his walk.
"Me and M'gann were happy once, you know." He gritted his teeth, "Until your father, murdered her… now, he's gonna pay."
"Connor." Starfire put out a hand up, "Please, what happened was an accid-"
"SHUT UP!"
Dick did not see the punch that knocked Starfire off the current building, and through the next five, going through office spaces, walls, and then landing hard upon her back making contact against a metal pole of a construction site.
Nightwing wasted no time in going to grab a super strength pill from his pouch and going ingesting it, which would give him a fighting chance until reinforcements arrived.
But he was too late.
It meant nothing as Connor's super-speed brought the two face-to-face, Superboy snapping Nightwing's hand with the pill like a twig.
The former Boy Wonder letting out a scream that could be heard across the state.
"You were her friend, Dick!" Kon El screamed as Nightwing was on his knees, "You let him kill her! How could you do it!"
With his other hand, he gripped Nightwing by the throat, bringing him within inches of the rage-filled face of Connor, "I should end you. End you all right now… but I only want one of you."
Ten Minutes Later…
*Monitor Womb Centre, Justice League Watchtower*
Batman, Barbara, Black Canary, Kid Flash, Captain Atom and Guy Gardener all stood aghast at the live feed on the main screen within the room.
The later three had just gotten back from their missions, just in time for this to reach them.
News helicopters and phone live Stramers managed to get clear coverage of what had just landed in the centre of Washington DC, outside of the Hall of Justice.
Connor Kent, or Superboy, had returned after a mysterious hiatus, but wherever he had been had become the last thing on anyone's mind.
All that mattered was that he was angry, and out for the head of Batman.
He had crashed outside the Hall, furious, with Dick Grayon, bloodied and terrified hoisted by his neck.
The reporters did not need to tell them what he wanted; Batman already put it together: revenge of Miss Martian.
"BATMAN!" Kon El screamed, eyes crimson, "FACE ME YOU BASTARD, COME OUT AND DIE! OR I'LL TEAR THE HEAD OFF YOUR FAVOURITE ROBIN IN FRONT OF THE ENTIRE WORLD!"
Nobody had time to say anything before Batman was immediately running out to the hanger where the Batwing was.
"Batman!" yelled Canary, "You can't go alone. He'll kill you!"
"If I don't, Dick dies!" he responded not stopping.
"Let us come with you!" Captain Atom exclaimed, almost begging his leader.
Batman shock his head, still walking away, "If he see's you, Dick's life will be at risk. I can't allow that…this is something I must do myself."