A/N: Ah, finally we are at the final chapter of the first arc! This one is extra long, because it more or less condenses the final five issues of the comic this is based on (Not really, just the final two, while I put in my own stuff). Happy reading!
Music: "She's A Pass" from Dredd 2012 OST
Mega City One
2118
The blinding blue light faded from Dredd's eyes, and he looked around, seeing that he, Becca, and Ryan were back in the Project Proteus lab, with Chief Judge McGruder patiently waiting.
"Welcome back, Dredd." McGruder cracked a smile. "We knew you'd somehow make it."
"Chief Judge." Joseph nodded respectfully, as he held up his Lawgiver. "I'll need a resupply."
"Of course, Dredd." McGruder nodded. "So it was a success?"
"Yes." Ryan nodded, taking off the time displacement belt. "Only problem was, we needed a little extra boost to get home."
"I see." McGruder rubbed her chin, while Tek-Judge Irons retrieved one of the belts. "We'll have to examine it to replicate whatever was modified, then."
"Until then, you mind sending us to New York?" Becca suddenly asked. "While I was there, one of our friends in The Boys tried contacting Joe and I, but the communication was garbled. It's been a week, we need to make sure they're alright."
"We were able to pick up on that." Irons suddenly interjected. "You should be relieved that you've only been gone for a day in our world."
Ryan nodded, not surprised by this revelation, as Irons continued fiddling with the controls. Meanwhile, McGruder handed the three of them replacement belts, as well as giving Dredd a full resupply of Lawgiver rounds, while the other Tek-Judges took the modified ones.
"Okay, sending you back to New York, 2128." Irons announced, while the trio stepped back onto the Project Proteus platform. "Get ready to jump in 3...2...1…"
Ryan closed his eyes, seeing that brilliant blue light envelope him, and he, Dredd, and Becca vanished from the lab, leaving McGruder and the Tek-Judges behind.
Gotham
2028
1400 Hours
Allyson drove her black truck past a faded green sign saying "Welcome to Gotham City!" hanging above the highway, causing her to stifle a laugh. She'd never been there herself, but if what she heard was true, it would make what happens in New York- shit, what happens in Haddonfield- look like peaceful protests by comparison. As she continued her drive, Nelson snuck a look over her shoulder, seeing Michael and Billy riding in the truck bed, while Riley sat in the passenger seat.
"Ever been to Gotham?" Allyson suddenly asked.
"Once, on a field trip." Riley murmured. "Gotta say, it was one Hell of a time. You?"
"No." Allyson shook her head. "I spent most of my life in Haddonfield. It wasn't until I was kidnapped by Vought and forcibly injected with Compound V when I finally saw New York."
Riley stared through the side window, letting out a sad sigh.
"Do you think… if Vought didn't kill your parents, would you have stayed?"
Allyson's eyes hardened, as she kept staring at the road.
"I don't know." Nelson admitted. "The day before Michael… returned to Haddonfield, I was thinking about going to college. Grandmother disagreed, instead suggesting I go to Mexico."
"Mexico? Why?" Riley raised an eyebrow. Allyson chuckled, seeing the city of Gotham through the windshield.
"I think she just wanted me to escape Illinois entirely." Allyson guessed, while activating her earpiece.
"Millie, we made it to Gotham. You got a rendezvous point in mind?"
For several moments, Nelson could hear nothing but silence, until Kessler's voice crackled through her ear.
"Meet us at Wayne Tower. I'm having Mechanic hack into the security to let you into the building without tripping an alarm."
"Got it. See you soon." Allyson grinned, before pressing down on the gas pedal.
New York
"-Reports coming in that the foreign nation of Bagalia has been wiped off the map in a deadly terrorist bombing. It is believed that Frank Castle, currently wanted for the murder of Bruce Wayne at the UN, is responsible for the attack-"
Cassandra shut off the television, groaning in despair. Even though it was a country filled with supes and criminals, Frank wouldn't go that far to blow up the entire place, right?
As Cass mulled over her thoughts, a loud knocking was heard, causing her to look up from the tv and towards the door. Sighing heavily, Castle walked up to the front door, staring through the window. Upon seeing the face of her partner Brett Mahoney, she exhaled in relief, opening the door.
"Brett, are you-"
Bang.
A bullet tore through the side of Mahoney's head, splattering the door frame with his blood and brains. Having no time to scream, Cass twisted her body around, diving back over the couch, using the piece of furniture as a makeshift shield. As she concentrated on a plan to bolt upstairs and retrieve her Lawgiver, two men walked in, wearing normal clothes, but holding pistols. It only took a second of mind reading on the psychic's part to realize they were part of HYDRA-
Cass suddenly felt something solid slam against the back of her head, making her collapse to the floor of the living room. Drokk. While she was focusing on her psychic powers, one of the agents had found her and knocked her down.
Castle lazily looked up, barely seeing the two men looking down at her. Before her vision faded to black completely, she heard one of the agents talk into his earpiece.
"Package secured. Tell Zemo we'll meet him in Gotham…"
Gotham
1430 Hours
Allyson parked the truck in front of Wayne Tower, turning to look at a sleeping Riley. A small smile played on her lips, as she playfully shoved Stone, ensuring to not use her superhuman strength in the process.
"Mmm…" Riley groaned, groggily opening her eyes. "Five more minutes?"
"Come on, you were pretty well alert half an hour ago." Allyson chided. "What happened?"
Riley shrugged, looking out the window to marvel at the skyscraper with the bold "W" on the front.
"Fighting Krueger took a lot out of me." Stone yawned. "Not all of us have Compound V."
"Fair enough." Nelson sighed, opening her door and stepping out, with Riley doing the same. Once Billy and Michael climbed down from the truck bed, the four of them walked up to the front door, with Allyson grabbing the doorknob and yanking hard. The knob popped off with ease, and the door creaked open.
"Nice. You broke the door." Riley groaned.
"Eh, I'm sure Wayne can afford it." Allyson said casually, just as a young man with dark skin and glasses ran down the balcony's stairs, holding a gun in his hand.
"Stop right there!" the man yelled, pointing his gun right at Allyson's heart. Nelson raised an eyebrow, noticing the gun looked different than normal pistols. It certainly looked more advanced, with heated coils protruding from the large barrel.
"Easy." Allyson murmured, as she and Riley slowly raised their hands. "We're invited."
"By who?" the man with glasses demanded, stepping closer.
"Your boss, Wayne." Nelson answered, as she suddenly remembered who the man was standing in front of her. "Aren't you Fox's kid?"
"Yeah, and you have two serial killers with you." Lucius' son pointed at Michael and Billy.
"Former serial killers." Riley corrected. "Michael helped kill Homelander on Chaos Day, and Billy-"
"Doesn't matter, they're still dangerous criminals that belong in a small place like Arkham." the man shook his head. "I don't believe for a second that Bruce would invite them, or you, for that matter."
Allyson glared at Fox, crossing her arms. She wasn't sure if that gun could damage her or Michael, but she wasn't keen on testing it out either. Plus, she didn't want Riley to get caught in the crossfire.
"Jesus Christ." Nelson rolled her eyes, reaching up and activating her earpiece.
"Hey, Mill? We're here, but we've run into Lucius Fox's kid. He doesn't believe we're getting invited."
"Hand your earpiece to him. I'll get Wayne to tell him."
Allyson smirked, pulling out the communication device and tossing it to Fox.
"Your boss wants a word."
Fox caught the earpiece and he placed it in his ear, where he heard Bruce Wayne's voice.
"Luke, let them in. Their friends are coming soon."
"Friends?" Luke frowned.
"The people who rescued me from Bagalia." Wayne explained. "I know you have no reason to think I'm the real Bruce, but I assure you, I am. Baron Zemo and Safiyah Sohail have kept me prisoner in Bagalia for years."
"Yeah, tell me something only Bruce, Alfred, and myself would know." Luke replied. There was a pause and on the other end, until Bruce spoke.
"The password for the bat computer is 91939."
Luke took a deep deep inhale, while looking over at Allyson. With a small sigh, he nodded, even though Bruce wouldn't see it.
"Sorry Bruce. I'll see you soon."
Fox tossed the earpiece back to Nelson, who caught it with her superhuman reflexes.
"Mill, you still there?"
"Sure am, Allyson." Kessler's voice chirped out. "See you in a few hours."
The communications went dead, causing Allyson to look up and smirk at Luke.
"So… you gonna give us a tour?" she asked hopefully.
"Hell no. We're staying in the lobby until they get here." Luke muttered, crossing his arms in defiance. "Just because Bruce vouched for you doesn't mean I'm taking Michael Myers into the Batcave."
Allyson rolled her eyes, as she and Riley went to sat down in the lobby's chairs, patiently waiting for their friends to show up.
0700 Hours Later
Zemo sat just outside of the door to the mayor's office, tapping his finger against his knee impatiently. Across from him, the receptionist hummed some kind of annoying tune, as she neatly stacked papers on her desk.
"How much longer, miss…" Helmut squinted to look at the blonde haired woman's tag. "Tracy?"
"Same as the last four times you asked, Mister Zemo." Tracy said nonchalantly. "Not much longer."
Zemo narrowed his eyes, standing up and glaring at the woman.
"I am a baron. You will show me some respect." Helmut demanded, just as the mayor's office opened, and out stepped a portly man with a bald head and monocle on his left eye.
"Ah, welcome, baron." the man grinned, taking a moment to put a cigar between his teeth. "I trust the staff didn't give you too much trouble?"
"If you call having to wait over an hour no trouble, then yes." Zemo grumbled.
"Well, it was hard to fit you into my schedule, after insisting on being here, I had to scramble my appointments." the man retorted, taking out the cigar and blowing out a puff of black smoke. "So why don't you forgive the little inconvenience I caused you, and I'll forgive you of the massive fucking headache you caused me!"
Helmut continued glaring at the small man, as they both stepped into the office. Zemo raised an eyebrow, seeing a plate full of fish with exposed bones resting on the desk.
"You weren't busy, Cobblepot?"
"Technically, I was." Oswald Cobblepot smirked, letting his cockney accent slip out. "I just like taking long dinners, that's all. Perks of still having power. Oh, sorry to hear about your country. Too soon?"
"Yes. A true tragedy." Zemo took a deep inhale. "Carried out by the Punisher, no less."
Cobblepot let out a hoarse laugh, belching out cigar smoke that made Helmut wrinkle his nose in disgust.
"Come on. We both know that's shite." Oswald chuckled. "We both know you were planning on blowing up that shithole, with all those superpowered wankers in it."
Zemo sighed, taking a moment to stare out the window.
"You are correct." the leader of HYDRA murmured. "I have told you before… superheroes cannot be allowed to exist-"
"-and neither should the supervillains, blah, blah, blah." Oswald interrupted, as he took out a shotglass and began pouring himself a drink. "So if you succeeded, then what the fuck do you need my help for?"
"I thought you'd know by now. When you were just a lowly mob boss, there wasn't a dime that changed hands in this city you didn't know about, Penguin." Helmut scoffed. "When we arrived in Gotham, Miss Sohail found a tracking arrow on the exterior of our jet. The Punisher and his friends have followed me here."
Cobblepot paused for a moment, before smashing the glass onto the desk, causing the liquid to spill out and the shattered pieces to become embedded into his hand.
"That's why you came here." Penguin seethed, ignoring the blood flowing freely from his hand. "You need me to fix your fuck up."
"It's not all of mine." Zemo said defensively. "But remember, Oswald, that you wouldn't be here if not for me. After your stint in Arkham, you wouldn't be mayor if I didn't have HYDRA step in and interfere on your behalf."
Cobblepot shot Helmut a dirty look, as he stood up and looked him in the eye.
"I told you that one day, you would owe me. And today is the day I've come to collect."
Oswald's face turned red with rage, but he held his composure.
"And where is your main slag right now?"
"Don't worry about Miss Sohail." Zemo's lips curled into a grin. "I have my errands to run, she has hers."
Allyson traced one of her fingers along the wooden coffee table next to her, feeling the last few hours had dragged on longer than they should. Michael and Billy stood still as statues, which made Luke look visibly uncomfortable, making smirk in amusement. A quiet sigh was drawn out, causing Allyson to look to her left to see Riley staring down at the floor, gazing into the tile.
"You okay?" Nelson asked, timidly placing her hand on her shoulder. Riley flinched, looking over to her friend with uncertainty.
"I can't stop thinking about what Lori asked us to do." Stone frowned. "How can we possibly bring her husband back?"
Allyson had been wondering that herself, to be honest. After all, Thanos destroyed the Infinity Stones, and Homelander killed him years ago. The only way to reverse what he did would be to… go back in time…
Nelson and Riley suddenly looked up, hearing the sound of helicopter blades. The chopping of metal against wind was above them, and though faint, it was steadily getting louder, closer. Allyson grinned, looking over to Riley as she stood up.
"Come on. They're here."
Took us a little less time than I thought to get to Gotham. Either way, Alice was still suffering from the fear gas, and whatever the fuck it was doing to her.
The moment the chopper touched down on Wayne Tower's landing pad, Frank and Billy grabbed Alice by the arms, dragging her out of the bird and slowly walking towards the roof's entrance, with Hellhound Squad and Bruce right behind them. While leading her into the tower, Billy kept sneaking glances towards Kane, noticing her shirt becoming stained with blood.
"Shit, shit!" Russo cursed, as they carefully pulled her into the entrance and walked towards an elevator on the far side. Once everyone piled in, Frank stared at the button panel, seeing dozens of numbers.
"Which one's to your cave?"
Bruce frowned, raising an eyebrow.
"How do you know that?"
"Doesn't take a genius to figure it out, asshole." Frank growled. "Your cousin's dying. Where the fuck is it?"
"I don't know." Bruce said quickly. "The last time I saw this building, there wasn't a flat roof to land."
Millie rolled her eyes, activating her earpiece.
"Allyson, we're here. Where the Hell is the 'Batcave'?"
Kessler waited for a few moments, until Nelson's voice crackled through her comms.
"Fox said to meet on the thirteenth floor. The entrance is there."
"Thirteenth floor." Millie barked, hitting the button on the panel. In an instant, the elevator began travelling downward, and Billy tried to remain calm, looking at Alice. Her clothes were still being stained with blood from invisible wounds, and her eyes were dipping in and out of consciousness. What the Hell kind of toxin could do that?
The elevator doors finally opened, and Frank, Billy, and Alice were the first to rush out, seeing Allyson, Riley, Billy Lenz, and Michael waiting for them, with a dark skinned man wearing glasses waiting at the side. Bruce walked briskly passed them, approaching a bookshelf with a pearl necklace resting on a bust.
"What happened?" Luke asked, widening his eyes upon seeing Alice bloody chest.
"She was forced to inhale a shit ton of fear gas." Billy called out, while Bruce inspected the bookcase.
"Fear gas?" Allyson's eyes widened, as something in her mind clicked.
"What does that have to do with it?" Luke frowned in confusion. "It only makes you see your worst fears."
"Not anymore." Riley said grimly. "Apparently, HYDRA worked with Freddy Krueger to have the injuries from the hallucination carry over into the real world."
"That explains it." Bruce called over his shoulder, as he picked up the pearls. In a swift move, Wayne shifted the bust a little to the right and turned, opening up the bookcase to reveal another elevator.
"Bring her in."
Frank nodded, and he and Russo dragged Alice into the elevator, with Luke following close behind. Castle looked over towards Millie, seeing Hellhound squad looking at them expectantly.
"You guys stay here, yeah?"
Millie, Riley, and Allyson nodded, and Bruce through a lever, closing the elevator's gate, and the metal box began its descent. As the lights flickered on and off, Frank looked over to Billy, seeing his face gaunt with worry.
"Hey, Bill." Castle reached over, past Alice, and tugged on his best friend's shoulder. "She'll be alright."
Billy looked back at Frank, trying his best to smile, but the Punisher knew he was faking it. It wasn't long until the elevator stopped, revealing a darkened cave, with a computer at the far end. Billy and Frank led Alice into the cavern, while Luke and Bruce ran ahead to prepare a gurney next to the computer.
"Alice!" Billy whisper shouted. "Alice, you're going to be okay, alright?"
Alice numbly nodded, as she was placed on the hospital bed, and Bruce pressed a button on the batcomputer, opening up a secret compartment and pulling out a syringe.
"What is that?" Frank asked, seeing a clear liquid in the syringe.
"Fear toxin antidote." Bruce explained, as he jabbed the needle into Alice's arm. "Adrenaline also works to counteract the toxin, but I was able to synthesize a cure."
Within minutes, Alice's breathing slowed, as her head rolled over to stare at Russo.
"Billy…?" she whimpered, reaching up to touch his face. Her hand never made it, falling back on the gurney, as she closed her eyes in exhaustion.
"Luke, get the first aid." Bruce ordered. Out of the corner of his eye, Frank saw Fox nod, as he ran to another area of the cave. Meanwhile, Billy grasped Alice's hand tightly, closing his eyes in the hopes that she'd make it. Hope that she wasn't beyond saving.
Back on the thirteenth floor, Allyson paced around, waiting for Frank and Billy's return, with Millie speaking to Mallory on her earpiece at the same time. While she was walking, Michael and Billy's gazes followed her, causing Riley to finally approach the supe.
"About what I said earlier…"
"With bringing Lori's husband back." Nelson suddenly interrupted, folding her arms. Her face wore a puzzled expression, as if deep in thought. "I've been thinking… there is a way, but it's risky."
"Time travel, right?" Riley asked, seeing Allyson nod.
"Yeah. But you have to be careful with it." Nelson murmured. "Flash has told us stories about how when he went back in time to save his mother, and he ended up nearly destroying the timeline."
"But then… how come Dredd hasn't screwed with timeline?" Riley frowned. "He's gone back and forth to his time and ours. Why hasn't anything changed?"
"Who says it didn't?" Allyson asked grimly. When Stone's eyes widened, she added, "The timeline could be changing right now, and we wouldn't even know it."
Riley covered her mouth in shock, while Michael and Billy stared in indifference. Once her stunned expression faded away, Stone removed her hand, staring at Allyson in determination.
"So then how are we going to do this?"
"I don't know." Allyson sighed, staring back at the elevator. "But we'll have to ask our speedster buddy the next time we see him."
Music: "Quiet Reflection" from The Punisher Season 1 OST
Alice's eyes fluttered open, looking around to see Bruce, Luke Fox, Frank, and Billy standing over her. Wayne and Russo were the closest, with Billy holding onto her hand.
"What… what happened?" Kane asked meekly, while Billy slowly let go of her hand.
"You were under the influence of the Scarecrow's fear gas." Bruce informed. "According to Frank Castle's friends, HYDRA modified it to have the hallucinations become lethal, with the help of Freddy Krueger."
Alice groaned, starting to sit up, but Billy placed his hand on her shoulder.
"You should rest." Russo told her. "I'd imagine those hallucinations put you through Hell."
"You can say that again." Alice grumbled, resigning to stay on the hospital bed. "Safiyah and Zemo?"
"They're in Gotham." Frank muttered, checking the rounds in his pistol. "Not sure where, but I'll find them."
Castle looked up, staring directly at Wayne, and continued, "I could use your help."
Bruce narrowed his eyes, shaking his head.
"Hell no. I can't…" Bruce paused, looking over to the batsuit in the corner.
"I can't put that back on."
Still not sure what he's so hung up on. He killed some piece of shit who murdered a bunch of innocent people- including children. He probably saved thousands more.
"What? Was it too hard for you?" Frank snarled. "Jesus. Don't know what's worse- your guilt or your antiquated sense of morality."
"No! Goddamit- no." Bruce murmured. "It was too damned easy. All I ever wanted to do was kill him. Every day he walked this Earth, I wanted to subject him to every horrendous torture he dealt out to others, and then, end him. That was my code, I would never kill… until that night."
Bruce took a deep breath, as he looked down at the floor of the cave, hearing the bats screams overhead.
"But if I put on the suit again… if I allowed myself to go down that path… I'd never come back."
Well… shit. Wasn't expecting him to say that.
Frank cleared his throat, before he started speaking again.
"You killed a piece of shit, Wayne. You probably saved thousands of lives by ending his. It was one life."
"It always starts with one." Bruce said grimly. "That's how justification works, Mister Castle. But once you justify it once, you can do it again and again. It becomes easier. Right and wrong blur in your mind."
Dammit. He had a point. I knew better than anyone what I did was a slippery slope. Sometimes, I'd wake up at night wondering: what if I did end up killing civilians one day? Would I be at a point where I'd shrug them off as collateral damage? I'd never really admit it, not even to Cass, but that shit terrified me.
Frank licked his lip, staring at the batcomputer, while everyone around him stared in anticipation. Finally, Castle sighed, stepping back towards the elevator.
"You don't want to compromise what you believe. I get that." Frank murmured. "You think you're gonna be like me if you put that suit on, but you just need a canary."
"A canary." Bruce repeated, furrowing his brow.
"Yeah." Frank nodded. "How you gonna know if you've gone too far if you let your canary die, right?"
Wayne simply nodded, as Castle kept backing up towards the elevator.
"I'm heading back up there- I'm gonna find Zemo, and end this. You do what you gotta do."
Billy nodded toward Frank, but suddenly felt a tug on his shoulder. Confused, Russo looked down, seeing Alice smiling up at him.
"Go with him, Billy." she implored.
"But… you're still hurt-"
"I'll be fine." Alice looked at him in gratitude. "But Frank needs you right now."
Billy looked down at Alice's now stitched up chest, before leaning down and softly kissing her on the lips. Bruce tilted his head, interested at this new development, Luke stood with wide eyes, while Frank let out a small grin.
Guess he's taking my advice. Good job, Bill.
Russo pulled away after a few seconds, looking at Beth's smiling face.
"I love you." Billy murmured, standing up. "In case I won't be able to say it again."
"You will." Alice grinned. "And… I love you too."
Billy flashed his own smile, before turning around and walking towards Frank, joining him in the elevator and lifting the lever. The gate closed around them, and the metal box carried them back up to the thirteenth floor, where Hellhound Squad and The Boys were waiting for them.
New York
Dredd, Becca, and Ryan emerged in a flash of blue light, finding themselves right outside Frank Castle's house. The moment their eyes adjusted, Joseph frowned, seeing a black van parked outside.
"Uncle Joe-" Ryan murmured, using his x-ray vision to see through the house. "Mallory's there- with a bunch of CIA guys."
Joe's eyes widened, breaking out into a sprint towards the door.
"Wait, Joe!" Becca called out, as she and Ryan chased after him. The three burst through the door, seeing Grace Mallory standing next to an overturned couch.
"Good evening, Dredd. Butchers." Mallory said in a neutral tone.
"Mallory, what the drokk are you doing in Castle's house?" Joe demanded. Grace took a deep inhale, as she looked the Judge in the eye.
"Frank Castle is in Gotham City." Mallory revealed. "I tasked him and Billy Russo to rescue Bruce Wayne from Bagalia."
"That country run by HYDRA." Ryan realized. "But why are you here?"
"Because Frank's wife has been kidnapped- by HYDRA." Grace added. "I was hoping you all would show up."
"Wow. We feel so wanted." Becca said sarcastically. "So where in Gotham are they?"
"I just contacted Kessler. She told me they're currently at Wayne Tower." Mallory finished.
"Then that's where I'm headed." Dredd announced, fiddling with his temporal displacement belt.
"I'm coming too." Ryan grinned, adjusting his belt as well. Becca was about to do the same, when Joe put his hand on her shoulder.
"Becks, don't." Joseph shook his head. "I want you to stay out of this one, after what we've just been through. You too Ryan."
"But-" Ryan was about to say, but was interrupted.
"Joseph's right." Becca told her son. "I can't let you get hurt again."
Ryan shot a painful look toward his mother, but reluctantly nodded. Unfortunately, he knew there were still people on this world that could find a way to hurt him. Silently, Butcher watched Dredd, wishing he could go with. Joseph didn't say another word, and after setting the belt to Gotham, he vanished in the same blue light as before.
Millie stood in front of the elevator, watching the gate open up to reveal Frank and Billy striding out as if they didn't just drag a dying criminal down to the cave. Kessler's mouth split into a grin, and she rushed forward, wrapping Castle in a hug.
"It's good to have you back, Frank." Millie whispered. Frank awkwardly patted her on the back, prompting the blonde soldier to unlatch her hands from his body.
"Good to see you too, Mill." Frank's voice mumbled, as he looked up and nodded to the rest of Hellhound Squad and The Boys- the ones that were in the room, at least.
"Wayne's not coming?" William asked in concern.
"He and Fox are making sure Alice won't die on us." Frank muttered, while Russo wore a pained expression. Riley shifted her weight from one foot to the other, folding her arms in puzzlement.
"So… where do we go from here?" she asked. As soon as the words left her lips, the group felt a deep rumbling, several floors below.
"Sounds like we're going to find out." Allyson muttered, exchanging a glance with Michael. The six of them rushed towards the tower's stairwell, rushing down flight after flight, until they came to the balcony of the lobby, seeing a cast of colorful individuals in costumes.
First guy in the front was wearing a bright red and yellow suit with a mask to match. Looked like he belonged on a hotdog. Big Game, I think his name was.
Second asshole wore some kind of fur on his shoulders, with a mask that had pointed ears and sledgehammers for his hands. Ground Hawk, leading his team, the G-Men. Fuck.
Third prick was called Five-Oh, wearing some kind of motorcycle helmet that flashed red and blue. Kinda looked like a dollar store version of Dredd.
Then we got Critter, a freak with hair covering him. Looks like Dogknott's little bastard brother. Next to him was The Divine, hovering off the ground in his blue and purple leotard. With him is some bald bitch named Nubia, who can apparently control weather. Might be related to Nubian Prince, but not sure.
"Hey Castle! Zemo and Penguin send their regards!" Big Game shouted, as HYDRA agents began to enter Wayne Tower. "I gotta score to settle with you, and so does Nubia! You killed her boyfriend in Bagalia!"
Yeah, thought so. Wish I was surprised Cobblepot was involved in all this bullshit.
Frank snuck a glance at his allies, seeing Nelson's lips curl into a smirk, with Riley mirroring her expression. Millie gave him a wink, as she and Hellhound Squad loudly loaded their weapons. Russo gave him a slight nod, and Castle turned back towards the superhero team, gripping his pistols while they were still in the holsters.
"Alright, assholes… let's dance."
Music: "Let Me Live, Let Me Die" by Des Rocs
Big Game and the G-Men charged forward, while Frank pulled out his pistols and fired straight at them, roaring in defiance. Ground Hawk ran full speed at the Punisher, but Michael suddenly jumped over the balcony, tackling the feral supe to the ground. Allyson followed suit, pouncing on Nubia and beginning to punch her face, while Riley and Billy engaged Critter and The Divine. That just left Russo to face Five-Oh, with Millie's squad shooting at the HYDRA agents.
Frank grit his teeth, as Big Game ran straight towards him, ignoring the bullets penetrating his skin and picking up Castle by the throat.
"You son of a bitch!" Game yelled. "You killed my friend!"
"Gonna have to be more specific." Frank retorted, raising his pistol to fire at the man's head. The supe simply reached out, grasping the gun and squeezing, causing the barrel to bend together from the pressure, much to Frank's annoyance.
"Dammit."
Across the lobby, Michael had just ripped off Ground Hawk's arms, proceeding to beat him with his own hammer hands. Nubia fired a bolt of lightning straight at Allyson, but having gone up against Stormfront years ago, she was prepared for it. Nelson pushed on, grabbing Nubia's hands and twisting backwards, snapping her wrists, before grabbing her neck and ripping the head clean off. She looked over to Riley, who had somehow climbed onto Divine's floating form and unloading her gun's magazine into his head, and Billy, who was repeatedly punching Critter until his fist went through the hairy supe's chest. A few feet away from them, Russo was struggling with Five-Oh, and with a smirk, Allyson chucked Nubia's head in their direction, knocking the police supe off Castle's friend. Billy grinned, activating his concealed wrist knife, and drove the blade up under Five-Oh's chin, killing him instantly.
Back on the main floor, the Punisher bashed his ruined gun into Big Game's face, breaking his nose, before kicking him in the groin. Game yelled in pain, dropping Castle, and Frank followed with a vicious headbutt that sent him to the floor.
"Where's Zemo?" Frank growled, pulling out his ka-bar.
"I ain't telling you shit!" Big Game yelled, spitting out a wad of blood.
"That right?" Castle murmured, stabbing the combat knife downward and embedding the blade into the supe's leg.
"Ahh, fuck!" Game screeched. "Okay, okay! He and the Penguin are at the Gotham Royal Hotel!"
Castle thought for a moment, before digging the knife in deeper.
"Where's Safiyah?"
"Who?" Big Game frowned.
"That bitch Zemo showed up with." Frank growled. "Where is she?"
"I don't know, I swear!" Game pleaded. "Zemo only came to Mayor Cobblepot by himself!"
Frank searched the supe's eyes, realizing he was telling the truth, before ripping the ka-bar out and slashing it across his neck, spraying his face with blood.
"Fair enough." Castle murmured, standing up just in time to see dozens of HYDRA agents had surrounded him, as well as his allies.
How nice of them to wait for me. Guess Zemo was secretly hoping we'd all kill each other.
"Drop your fucking weapons!" one of the guards yelled, aiming his rifle directly at Frank's head. When he didn't comply, the agent shifted his aim and fired a round, striking… someone behind Castle. Frank heard Millie screaming, and he whipped his head around, seeing his pseudo daughter clutching her shoulder in pain.
"Next one goes through her skull, Punisher." the agent sneered. "You're choice."
"Hey, easy." Frank suddenly interrupted, carelessly dropping his pistols. No sooner did he do that, the guards at the back stumbled forward, revealing three bald, dark skinned women in red and orange dress garb. In their hands were spears, which they used to fight off the forces of HYDRA.
The three women looked familiar, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. Nevertheless, I was never one to look a gift horse in the mouth.
With HYDRA temporarily distracted, Frank dove for his pistols, scooping the guns up and firing at the first soldier, forming a quarter sized hole in his head. The rest of The Boys sprang into action, with Allyson, Michael, and Lenz tearing the agents limb from looking limb, while Russo and Millie's squad turned the rest into Swiss cheese with their guns. After a minute of bloody massacre, all of the HYDRA soldiers were dead, unable to fight against two enemies. With the threat eliminated, the leader of the three women with spears marched up to Castle, having a serene look on her face.
"Francis Castle. The Dora Milaje has followed your activities since your imprisonment in Bagalia."
That's it, the Dora Milaje. The royal guards of Wakanda. Only seen them once- on the news twelve years ago, when their king got killed in that bombing at the UN…
"Our apologies." the bald woman continued. "We were attempting to extradite you back to the United States, but it appears you were already ahead of us."
"Something like that." Millie smirked, joining Frank's side. "I'm guessing you're after Zemo too?"
"You are correct, Millie Kessler." the woman nodded. "Baron Zemo must be brought to justice for the murder of King T'Chaka, and now that he is no longer protected with in his own country, or by the Many Arms Of Death, now is our chance to assist you."
Frank grimly nodded, as he looked between the three guards.
"You got names?" Castle asked. The woman stared at him pointedly, before speaking.
"I am Okoye. With me are Ayo and Yama."
"Right." Frank muttered, as he began walking outside of Wayne Tower.
"Where is Bruce Wayne?" Okoye suddenly asked.
"Not with us." Castle snapped, before stepping outside to see a flash of blue light. When the luminance faded, a figure stood before him. He wore some type of futuristic riot armor and a helmet, not unlike Frank's own, with a scowl marring his face.
"Joe." Frank greeted the man in the armor.
"Frank." Dredd nodded in turn. "Mallory told us about Anderson."
"What're you talking about?" Frank asked in confusion.
"You didn't know?" Joseph frowned. "She got kidnapped by HYDRA."
Frank ground his teeth together, staring at his boots in anger. Of course. Of fucking course Zemo would do this-
"Where the Hell were you guys?" Frank snarled, lashing out in his rage. Dredd scowled at his friend, folding his arms.
"Let's just say we weren't in Mega City One-"
"Ahem."
Frank looked over his shoulder, seeing the Dora Milaje walking up to them.
"We need to stop Zemo and HYDRA." Okoye declared.
"Yeah." Frank agreed, looking right at Dredd. "You didn't bring Ryan."
"I don't want him- or Becca getting caught in the crossfire." Joe replied. "Not after what they've been through."
Not sure what he means by that, but no time for that. We gotta take out Zemo, and get my wife back.
"If you have a plan, now's the time." Dredd continued, before nodding towards the Dora Milaje. "Might want to keep them hidden. If they got caught attacking anyone on US soil, it'll cause an international incident."
"The Dora Milaje are only seen when we allow it." Okoye said proudly. "However, your friend Dredd is correct. We must be cautious, "
Frank nodded, grimly, remembering that their king was among the vanished.
"Okay. Zemo and his new pal Cobblepot are holed up in the Gotham Royal Hotel." Castle announced. "Since we got the Dora Milaje with us, we can't just bust in through the front."
Okoye stepped forward, holding up a string of black beads. One of them glowed blue, revealing a three dimensional map of the Gotham Royal Hotel.
"At the side of the building is the parking garage." Okoye pointed to a side entrance, several feet from the front doors. "I will lead the Dora Milaje through there. The rest of you go through the front entrance."
"Right." Castle nodded in agreement. "We get in, we kill Zemo, we get out."
"He'll most likely be in the penthouse suite." Millie added, before facing the rest of her squad.
"Thank you guys for everything, but I can't ask you to follow us anymore." Kessler told her friends. "What we're doing, it will definitely put targets on our backs, even if we succeed. I can't put you through that-"
"Mill… shut the fuck up." Alice told her. "We were with you in Bagalia. We're with you for this."
Millie smiled mirthlessly, as Pierce flashed a grin of her own.
"We get dirty, so the world stays clean, right?"
"Yeah." Kessler smirked. "Yeah, that's right."
Huh. Guess Mill took my old squad's saying and used it herself. Every day, I see more of myself in her. Can't tell if that's always a good thing.
Millie looked back to Frank, forming a smirk on her face.
"We all good?"
Frank cast his gaze from Millie and Hellhound Squad, to Russo, to The Boys and Dredd, and finally, to the Dora Milaje.
"Alright. Let's go."
The group began walking in the direction of the Royal Hotel, the direction Dredd told them to go, while trading reassuring glances with each other. Frank himself continued staring forward, as he marched towards the building. After all, that's what soldiers were supposed to do. Stand up, kill the enemy, move on. Still, there was still one question that was burning at the back of his head:
Where the Hell was Safiyah?
Back in the Batcave, Bruce helped Alice up, having patched her wounds, while Luke busied himself on the Batcomputer.
"How are you feeling?" Wayne asked, holding onto his cousin's shoulders.
"Hell of a lot better than in Bagalia." Alice forced out a weak smile. Bruce chuckled, as he stared at the Batsuit in the corner.
"Do you think he's right?"
Alice snapped her gaze back to Bruce, realizing he just spoke.
"Who?"
"Castle." Wayne elaborated. "Do you think he was right about having a 'canary'?"
Alice mulled the thought over in her head, before eventually nodding.
"Yes. I do."
Bruce sighed, still staring at the suit. In Castle's defense, he wasn't wrong. He already knew from his experience of recruiting protegees like Jason Todd, the second Robin, that having a strong moral figure in your life was enough to steer you on the right path. In a way, Bruce himself had become Jason's canary, always being there to stop him from going too far in hurting criminals.
Wayne sucked in a breath, turning towards his cousin.
"Okay. The Batman will return- but he needs a partner."
Alice's eyes widened, realizing Bruce was indicating her.
"Me?" she asked in disbelief. "But… but I'm a criminal, Bruce! I was prepared for you to lock me up in Arkham when this was all over-"
"Beth, anyone can be rehabilitated." Bruce interrupted. "And if I was honest, Arkham hasn't had a good track record in curing their patients."
"But why do you want me as your partner?" Alice persisted. "Isn't keeping me here enough?"
Bruce shook his head, as he lead Alice over to the Batsuit and picked up the cowl. Funny, now that he was this close, his tired eyes noticed it wasn't the same suit he had left…
"Luke?" Wayne frowned in confusion.
"Oh, sorry Bruce." Fox apologized. "I forgot to mention, I made you a new suit years ago for when you'd come back. The outer and inner layares are dipped in a titanium tri-weave mesh, so that it'll harden on impact."
Bruce simply nodded, as he stared into the cowl's eyeholes.
"Alfred once told me that a man's strength doesn't just come from his brawn and intelligence." Wayne revealed. "It also comes from his allies."
Bruce paused for a moment, before continuing.
"I'd like you to carry your sister's mantle as Batwoman."
On the billionaire's cue, Luke pressed a button on the Batcomputer, and a secret compartment next to the Batsuit opened up to reveal another Batsuit, with a red wig and a red bat symbol. Kate Kane's Batwoman armor, repaired as if Homelander never killed the wearer.
"I heard about what happened to her, and I would like to see you carry on her legacy." Wayne continued. "With the right… canary, I know that you'll make Kate proud."
Alice smiled at her cousin's kindness, before suddenly hearing a crash behind them. She and Bruce turned around, seeing a woman in a black robe had knocked Luke unconscious, having slammed his head against the computer.
Music: "Ra's Al Ghul" from Arrow Season 3 OST
"Safiyah." Alice growled, as Bruce surged forward, attacking the woman in a flurry of punches and kicks. Unamused, Safiyah simply dodged the exhausted man's hits, before punching him in the stomach and slamming her forehead against his, knocking him down as well.
"Don't insult me, Mister Wayne." Safiyah sneered. "My husband has bested you on many occasion. Add to that Zemo had tortured you for years, you are but a child to me."
"What are you doing here?" Alice shouted angrily, pulling out her butterfly knife. "Come to kill me yourself? I would've loved to meet Tatiana's replacement."
"If I wanted to kill you, I would have long ago." Sohail reminded Kane. "I merely want to take you home."
Alice laughed at the notion, rolling her eyes.
"I thought I told you I didn't want to be one of your island hippies." Kane mocked. Safiyah pursed her lips, slowly striding towards the injured woman.
"Since Cartwright is dead, there is no one vying for your blood. Let this war die with Jonathan, before you die with him."
Beth scoffed, gripping her knife tighter.
"So much for letting the war end, because it sounds an awful lot like you threatened to kill me." Alice muttered, before pulling her arm back to stab Safiyah. Her arm never made the thrust, as Sohail reached out, grabbing the knife and chucking it away.
"My child, I am not threatening you. I'm trying to save you from the one thing you fear the most: abandonment." Safiyah told her. Alice's eyes widened, realizing that she was right: when she was under the fear gas, her worst fear was being left to rot by Frank and Billy… just like it was with her father and sister.
"There is a storm coming for Gotham, and the only place you will be safe will be on Coryana." Safiyah continued. Alice rolled her eyes, staring off into the cave.
"Even if I did go with you, the last I checked, I burned that entire island to the ground."
"Then you haven't been paying attention." Safiyah smiled. "For the last seven years, Baron Zemo has helped me fully restore the island. Now all I need is to find a single Desert Rose, and I will be able to grow it into thousands."
"And how will you do that?" Alice cocked an eyebrow. "You have Poison Ivy on speed dial?"
"No, but through Zemo's connections, I was able to reach out to her." Sohail smirked. "She was more than happy to help, after I bargained that I would kill the Batman for her."
"Like Hell I'd let that happen." Alice growled, noticing a ritualistic dagger strapped to Safiyah's side. Unfazed, the older woman stepped closer, almost within reaching distance.
"My dear, there is a storm coming." Safiyah said gently. "Once the Punisher and his allies murder Zemo, they will ignite a war with all of Bagalia's allies. No place will offer you sanctuary… except me."
Alice suddenly widened her eyes, as she pretended to cry.
"You… you will?"
"Of course." Safiyah smiled gently, stepping forward. "You're all alone now. You have no one."
"I know." Alice whispered, wrapping Safiyah in a hug… only to snatch her dagger and plunge it into her chest. Alice's eyes hardened, while Sohail looked at her in horrific betrayal.
"Except I'm not alone, you bitch." Kane sneered. "I have Bruce, and Frank, and Billy…"
Safiyah reached up, trying to touch Alice's face, but her arm suddenly sagged, and her body went limp. Kane lowered her body to the ground of the cave, taking a deep breath, and closed her eyes with two fingers.
"Goodbye, Safiyah."
Alice slowly stood up, looking back over her shoulder to see Bruce and Luke getting up. Bruce formed his mouth in a grim line, staring at Sohail's body. As much as he hated to admit it, what Alice did was her choice, and he wasn't going to give up on her just yet. Meanwhile, Kane ran over, helping them both stand, before addressing Wayne.
"We have to stop Zemo."
"And how do you think we'll find him?" Luke asked harshly. "You just killed the only person who might know where he is!"
Alice bit back a retort, knowing he was right. Bruce simply walked over to the Batcomputer, and with a couple of keystrokes, a map of all of Gotham was shown on the screen. After searching through hundreds of thousands of faces, the computer's facial scan picked up a match of Baron Zemo without his purple mask on, lounging in the penthouse of the Gotham Royal Hotel.
"My guess is the Penguin is with him too." Alice snorted. "Come on, let's go help Frank and Billy."
"Wait." Bruce suddenly held up his hand. "If what Safiyah said is true, then we could cause another world war if Castle murders Zemo. Same if we attack him, it'll cause all the countries supporting him to declare war on the US."
"So then what do you propose?" Alice asked. Bruce merely smirked, as he pressed a button that dimmed most of the lights.
"We show the world the truth."
Music: "Heads Will Roll" from The Punisher Season 1 OST
We arrived at the Gotham Royal a half hour later. Would've gone faster if we had transportation, but Millie had Val take off with the chopper. The Dora Milaje split off too once we got closer.
Frank, Billy, The Boys, and Hellhound Squad approached the entrance of the hotel, seeing HYDRA agents standing guard. Unfortunately, members of the GCPD were also there, much to Castle's chagrin.
"What's the plan, Frankie?" Billy asked, while activating his wrist blade.
"Take out HYDRA- kill them all." Frank declared. "The cops… just knock them out."
Everyone else nodded, before the group exploded into action. Frank, Russo, the members of Hellhound Squad, Dredd, and Riley all charged the armada guarding the hotel, their guns ablazing, while Allyson, Michael, and Lenz pounced on the HYDRA agents, tearing them apart, while simultaneously knocking out the police officers with a powerful punch or kick. Frank let loose a guttural roar, shoulder charging into the front doors, and quickly rolled forward to dodge the firing squad that was lined up for him. The rest of his allies followed soon after, shooting with deadly precision at HYDRA, being careful not to hit the GCPD officers. Moments later, an elevator dinged, revealing Okoye and the Dora Milaje, who joined in on the fight, dispatching the guards in mere seconds.
Once the fighting was over, Frank gave Okoye a respectful nod, just before another set of elevators dinged.
"You impress me, Mister Castle. But I still have your wife. Anderson, isn't it?" Zemo's voice asked mockingly over the intercom.
Frank clenched his fists in anger, looking around the lobby, trying to pinpoint a security camera.
"I see what you like about her. She killed one of my agents, and tried to get into my head. A quick backhand dispelled that idea." Zemo chortled. "If you want her, you and Russo will meet me- alone. Anyone else, and she dies."
Another set of elevators dinged, and Frank took a look around the lobby. As in, really looked, to see a balcony above the reception desk. On said balcony were two elevators, with one having its doors opened. Castle grit his teeth in annoyance, as he turned towards his allies.
"Come on Bill." Frank murmured. "Let's go."
"Frank, you can't be fucking serious." Millie blurted out. "You need us."
"Yeah." Frank agreed, but still turned back to the elevator. "You heard what he said though. We gotta go in there, just the two of us."
Dredd reluctantly nodded in agreement, as Frank and Russo walked up the balcony, entering the elevators. Just before the doors closed automatically, Frank left a few final words to his allies.
"You stay here. Take care of each other, yeah?"
In the Batcave, Alice applied lipstick and eyeliner, looking in the mirror and giving herself a wink. Once she added pink blush to her cheeks, Bruce approached her, his hands behind his back.
"Ready?" Wayne asked. Alice flashed a grin, nodding while Luke held up a powerful video camera.
"Let's expose these bastards."
Frank and Billy waited for the elevators to stop, watching the doors open up into the penthouse. The Punisher and Russo stepped inside, seeing Zemo standing in front of the mini bar, holding a gun to Cass' head.
"Cass!" Frank shouted, preparing to run forward. "You good?"
Cassandra slowly looked up, and Castle suddenly noticed blood dribbling from her lip.
I'll be okay, Frank. Just shoot this drokker. Cass told her husband psychically.
"What is with you, Castle?" Zemo asked, pressing the barrel of his gun against Cass' temple. "Can't you see we want the same thing?"
"That right?" Frank scoffed.
"Yes!" Zemo said desperately. "We both want to rid the world of supes and other enhanced beings!"
"Not anymore, asshole." Frank growled. Before he could add anything, Billy stepped forward.
"Why'd you want me here?" Russo asked. "You had Frank's wife to use against him, but why'd you call on me?"
Zemo's eyes widened in amusement, as he turned his gaze towards Billy.
"I was hoping you'd turn to my side." Helmut revealed. "I know about your doppelganger. It wouldn't take long before you ended up like him."
Russo's eyes burned with anger, stepping forward threateningly.
"I will never be like him, you piece of shit." Billy growled. "Never."
Frank gave Russo a worried look, before turning back to the Baron.
"You point that gun away from my wife. I know you won't shoot her." Castle told him.
"You know… you know who I am?" Zemo asked, his voice trembling.
"I know it's easier to have someone do the killing for you, instead of doing it yourself." Castle continued. "Your rep for killing the king of Wakanda, bombing the UN, tearing the Avengers apart, it'll only get you so far. Killing my wife, you'll die badly and slowly, you know that. But you let her go, you might have a chance to live, and we both know it."
Zemo sucked in a breath, before slowly removing the gun from Cass' head. The former Psi-Judge quickly ran to Frank, throwing her arms around his neck and slamming her lips into his. Punisher closed his eyes for a moment, allowing the kiss to continue, before snapping his eyes open, seeing Zemo standing there with his mask in his hands. Castle pulled away from Cass, whispering a "Later" in her ear, before turning back to the Baron.
"You didn't run." Frank noted, seeing Helmut was still holding his pistol.
"The Dora Milaje wishes to arrest me, but you have other ideas." Zemo murmured.
"Yeah." Frank muttered, raising his pistol. As he pointed the gun at the Baron's head, he could see just the faintest of smiles.
"What's so funny?" Castle asked, frowning in confusion.
"Nothing. It's just…" Zemo sighed "I have waited a long time to meet my wife and child again. Now, I am ready."
Frank's brow furrowed, as his finger entered the trigger well.
I felt like a weight was on my shoulders. Is this what Dredd felt when he killed Judge Kraken?
Castle tightened his grip on the pistol, preparing to shoot, when-
"Wait." Zemo called out, making Frank falter. "You'll find Mister Cobblepot waiting for you on the roof."
Frank silently nodding, as he leveled the gun to Zemo's head once more.
Once Batch… Two Batch… Penny And A Dime.
Castle squeezed the trigger, and a bullet struck Helmut's skull, splattering the minibar with his blood. Frank let out a sigh he never knew he had, as he lowered his arm and looked at Cass.
"Go downstairs. The rest of The Boys are waiting."
"But… but what about you?" Cass asked nervously. Frank licked the bottom of his lip, as he looked over to the elevator.
"I'm going after Cobblepot. Finish the fight."
Cass grimly nodded, as she and Frank let go of each other, with the two men towards the mainenance stairs. Anderson-Castle watched, as Frank threw open the door, and he and Billy ran up and out of sight, leaving her alone in the penthouse.
On the roof of the Royal Hotel, the Penguin stood with members of the GCPD, smoking a cigar. Among the officers was Commisioner Forbes, glaring at the mayor.
"Aw, come on, Commish." Oswald smiled. "Today is a good day. You should lighten up!"
"Why's that?" Forbes grumbled. "I didn't sign up to get in bed with HYDRA."
Cobblepot's face suddenly contorted in rage, with his face turning beet red.
"You signed up for whatever the fuck I want you to sign up for!" Penguin bellowed. "It's because of Zemo and HYDRA that the Punisher will soon be dead!"
"And if Zemo ends up dying?" Forbes asked.
"Just as well." Oswald shrugged. "The Punisher kills Zemo, thus triggering World War Three. And we won't be responsible."
The Penguin cackled in delight, as Forbes looked on in horror. Suddenly, the television screens all around the city flickered to life, with Alice's face plastered against a darkened background.
"Hello, said Alice. Should we believe that HYDRA and Baron Zemo can save us from the big bad Punisher?" Alice's voice echoed throughout the screens. Penguin's eyes widened, dropping the cigar off the ledge of the roof.
"That's right, Gotham! Bagalia has been run by our favorite terrorist group HYDRA! But first, a word from our sponsor!" Alice joked, before stepping out of frame. A second later, the face of Bruce Wayne appeared, making both Oswald and Forbes step back in shock.
"Citizens of Gotham. For the last eight years, I have been held captive by Baron Zemo in the foreign nation of Bagalia." Bruce declared. "Earlier today, I was rescued… by Frank Castle and his allies. The man he killed at the United Nations was an imposter, named Thomas Elliot. For the last eight years, Elliot had been wearing my face, while Zemo and HYDRA tortured me."
Alice re entered the view of the camera, draping her arm over Wayne's shoulders.
"Zemo and HYDRA have committed kidnapping and fraud, in the hopes of legitimizing their country- a country that housed killers, rapists, and supervillains." Bruce continued. "I watched myself, when Zemo bombed his own country, and tried to blame Frank Castle. The only thing the Punisher is guilty of is the murder of Tommy Elliot."
To prove his point, an image of Bruce Wayne's bloodwork suddenly appeared, while another appeared with Tommy Elliot's name on them..
"And now back to our regular scheduled programming!" Alice grinned, just before the screens flickered out. As Cobblepot stared across the Gotham skyline, a large crash was heard, causing him to turn around and see the Punisher and Billy Russo burst through the roof's entrance. Oswald gulped in fear, seeing murderous intent in Frank's eyes.
"Now now, wait a bloody minute, Mister Castle." Cobblepot said desperately. "You killed Zemo, right? So it's over."
"Over?" Frank raised an eyebrow. "It's never over, Cobblepot. There's always a bigger fish. Always a bigger target."
"Now look here, Castle." Oswald pleaded. "I know you're a smart man, so why not just call it a day for whacking Zemo?"
"I'm not done." Castle narrowed his eyes, pointing his guns at the Penguin. "You got in bed with Zemo and HYDRA. You're just as guilty as them."
"I'm sorry, Mister Castle… but I can't let you do that." Commisioner Forbes announced, as the GCPD officers turned their guns on the Punisher.
"You fucking kidding me?" Frank spat. "You're willing to protect this piece of shit?"
"The law is the law, Castle." Forbes said grimly. "I can't let you kill the mayor of Gotham. Even if it is a lowlife bastard like Cobblepot. But I'm guessing you killed Zemo, as well as most of HYDRA downstairs. But I won't let you kill the Penguin, as much as he deserves it."
I'd be lying if I didn't feel bad for the commissioner. Cobblepot was the mayor, after all. But, he's guilty of multiple crimes, including murder. Funny how the citizens of Gotham seemingly forgot that the moment Thanos snapped his fingers.
Frank fired three shots. Two hit Penguin in the chest, and one in his forehead. At the same time, the GCPD officers opened fire, shooting the Punisher and Russo in their kevlar vests. Unfortunately, the force of the shots caused both men to stumble and fall over the ledge, much to Forbes' shock.
"Dammit." the commisioner cursed, as he turned to stare at Cobblepot's corpse.
"Fuck!"
Billy felt himself falling down, straight towards the ground. With every second, his body picked up speed, and he closed his eyes, waiting for his inevitable death, when…
Russo suddenly felt himself stop, and his body swung to the left. Billy opened his eyes, seeing that a woman in a black suit and red wig was holding onto him. One hand was around his waist, while the other was holding some type of gun with a strong cord attached.
"It's okay. I got you." the woman in the red wig told him in a distorted voice. Billy looked to his right, seeing a man in a similar costume holding onto Frank. It only took a minute for Russo to realize that it was Bruce Wayne, wearing a new Batsuit, along with a new Batwoman who had saved them from certain death. Billy grinned, as the four of them descended back down to ground level, where The Boys and Hellhound Squad were waiting for them.
Once his feet touched the ground, Billy looked towards his savior, seeing her eyes behind the bat shaped cowl were blue. Maybe it was because he just got shot and fell off the roof of a tower, but Billy had no idea who was standing before him.
"Thanks, Miss…"
The new Batwoman simply put a gloved finger to Billy's lips, splitting her lips into a grin.
"'Well,' thought Alice to herself, 'after such as fall as this, I shall think nothing of tumbling down-stairs!'" Batwoman recited. Billy's eyes widened, realizing who was behind the cowl.
"Alice?" Russo asked in shock. Batwoman nodded, reaching up and taking off her cowl, revealing that the face underneath was indeed Alice Kane. The woman smirked, leaning in and kissing Billy, feeling his hand place itself on the back of her head. Alice closed her eyes, feeling the world around them melt, as if they were the only two there.
Their liplock continued, until Billy suddenly heard a whistling noise behind him. The embrace abruptly ended, with Russo looking over his shoulder to see the one whistling was Millie, wearing a mischievious smile.
"Frankie, your kid's a smartass." Russo smirked. Frank simply chuckled, as he grasped the Batman's hand and shook it.
"Thanks Wayne. I owe you one."
"You rescued me from Bagalia." Bruce reminded him. "Consider us even."
"Fair enough." Frank nodded, before turning towards Dredd and The Boys. "Where's the Dora Milaje?"
"They split after Zemo's death was confirmed." Millie reported. Frank's mouth formed a grim line, as he addressed Joe.
"Didn't get the chance to see it's good to see you, Joe."
"Likewise, Frank." Joseph nodded, casting his gaze to the rest of The Boys. "Same for all of you."
Riley, Millie, and Allyson grinned, while Michael and Billy silently nodded in return.
"I take it you're here for a reason?" Frank asked.
"Yeah. It was to help you." Dredd said bluntly. "Becca heard Allyson trying to contact us, but we were busy at the time."
"So that's it?" Millie cocked an eyebrow. "You guys are just going to go back to Mega City One?"
"Not yet." Joe shook his head. "We're going to stay here for awhile."
"Good." Riley smirked. "Because Allyson and I have been thinking on something, but we'll need your help."
"What do you mean?" Dredd frowned, as Allyson stepped forward, smiling wider.
"We're going to bring everyone back who died during the Snap."
A/N: Yay, the first story arc is finally finished! The next one will be my version of Avengers Endgame, where our heroes finally bring everyone back from Thanos' Snap! The rules of time travel will be more in line with the Arrowverse instead of the MCU, because even when the Loki tv show dropped, I was still confused by a lot of it, especially when Nebula killed her past self.
Alice and Billy's relationship will progress throughout the rest of the story, but the cast of characters will get bigger. I'm still trying to decide on who I should have all go on the time travel mission, but there will be way more than the amount from the actual movie. Some of the heroes, like Flash and Constantine, aren't going to use the same method the rest of The Boys use to go back in time, so they don't have to worry about losing fuel or not enough time displacement belts.
Oh, and because I'm going to follow some parts very closely to the film, expect some characters to die. Meaning, someone's going to bite the dust on Vormir like Black Widow, and someone will die from snapping their fingers like Tony Stark. Just a heads up.
Anyway, watch out for when the first chapter of it drops. In the meantime, I'll be working on my Resident Evil crossover!