[23rd December 2010]
[The Cauldron, Gotham City, New Jersey, United States of America]
It was fucking cold he thought to himself as took a long, well deserved, drag off the cigarette and let the smoke fill his senses with some brief warmth before expelling it again. Snow and ice crunched under his heel as he strode toward the scene of the crime with Montoya at his heels, and one of the local precinct smucks; supposedly not crooked...fucking hard to believe of twelve that he found blowing smoke into her face as he strode up to her "So Tiegal, what ya got that's draggin' me and Montoya out inta this damned snow and fog? Bad enough theres them creepy fuckin' clouds over Gotham without waste Major Crimes Unit's precious time ya know?"
She stared him down contemptuously before turning her back and guiding them towards the crime scene around the corner...he like that, she had a spine "Detective Bollock, Detective Montoya, looks we got one of your messes to clean up here"
Detective Harvey Bullock grinned as it came into sight "Well Montoya, looks like Christmas 'as come a day or so early now don't it?"
Taking one last drag on the near spent cigarette, he breathed out and flicked the stub away from the crime scene "If it isn't our old friend Victor Zsasz...first Freeze bites it in prison, then the marines shoot that fuckin' clown, and now this...this one of the good years. One of the good'ons. Now, what we think? Bat snap long last, or we get another of these costumed nuts runnin' about...and who I need to send the bottle whiskey too course"
A glare, Montoya too of course, but he ignored it and only listened to the response as he studied the badly bruised and bloodied corpse, head chopped off and rested beside it "We got a witness, Zsasz captured her and had started to cut her up...then nobody saved her, and he wasn't taken to Noonan's bar and beaten to death, had his head chopped off and then dumped here. Oh, and nobody saw nothing either, from the girl to the barman, to the bar full of drunks"
He frowned glancing at her "Forensics? An' how we know this story?"
Tiegal grunted "Haven't tested yet, but that lot...unlikely we'll find anything. It's a pigsty...and deaths and gunfights every few weeks...anndddd never, conveniently enough, a drop of the right blood or fingerprints when ya need them. As to the story..."
She jerked her thumb at a figure of an old woman sitting on some steps a distance away swatting at one of the patrol officers while cursing he guessed "...when asked if she saw a man look like our deceased, she saw'em go into Noonan's. Once she figured out we weren't looking to arrest someone, not from here, looking like him and that he was dead...well, suddenly saw nothing and bouts of senility"
"Noonan's ain't that..."
"Yeah, former hitman runs the place and a load of, certainly-not hitmen and other criminals, drink there. Hell, few people even keep claiming the barman Baytor is a bleedin' demon of all things. Considerin' some of the crap been happening around here lately from mind controlling starfish, to Monaghan claiming he's a bloody priest with healing hands, sightings of this monster-man with guns for hands, and now this it's been a damned strange month"
Harvey sighed, it was going to be long night it seemed "Right, so let's go interview the Not Witnesses, and inspect the Not Scene of the Murder, and see what the Commish wants to do next..."
--
[23rd December 2010]
[Camp Bastion, Quraci-Bialyan Border]
Major-General Duncan Wall stood outside in the night air, the twinkling stars illuminating the dark desert sands only faintly over the glare and noise of Camp Bastion. The rumble of engines, shouts of last moment equipment checks caused by equally last minute logistical snafus, and soon they too would be in motion. Eyes tracked the brief flicking flares in the darkness above; moving fast, and then gone, into invisibility and the Bialyan airspace beyond. International cooperation at work if he was correct in his assumption the flight, but then it was time to return inside the large tent-tarp/attached command vehicle he found, passing by the saluting guards and the technicians all around.
"Status"
"First wave of aircraft are launching..." his aide de camp informed as he returned, not looking up from large glowing map display as Duncan came to over to join him, resting hands on the warm metal frame "...but the Russian contingent have sent their special unit ahead to strike the Guards base here. Sighting of Jack O'Lantern near Alegab, and the aim is to recruit him if viable, or not to contain or neutralise him to prevent interference with our operations"
"What about the Iranians? Confirmation?"
"Confirmation a few moments ago that they'll restrict operations to their assigned engagement zone, and agreed upon the full implementation of mission parameters set out by the Security Council"
Duncan sighed, the whole situation had dragged on far too long over who got to do what where, and what the rules of engagement were in this Bialyan mess. But it had to be dealt with whatever units were either on hand, or available to be shipped here, like his own 1st Armoured, before the destruction spread to the entire region while all the alien visitors watched. With it being apparent prior to even the Starro Invasion that Bialya's former Queen had been getting alien tech from somewhere, and the chaos of the country after the nuking of their capital by those mysterious aliens many in the world's militaries now felt, the entire nation needed to be locked down.
"The Chinese?"
"28th Division confirms report ready to deploy, all units assigned to forward operations report readiness"
'Should be glad the Bialyans have blasted themselves to bits already' he mused studying the display and the first days operational objectives. Even now the various factions of the civil war were busily destroying each other, with a number of mercenaries or assassins in the mix; remnant forces of the League of Shadows had been clearly identified the last few weeks and were the first be struck in the next hour alongside the Guard formations.
It had been impossible to keep them out once the world started hunting them, and the 'Renewal' faction of former Queen Bee loyalists only too happy to accept such aid according to sources from LexCorp facilities in nation. Or least they had been prior to their evacuation as the fighting grew ever more intensive. Bad enough to attract the attention of the Justice League, even if it was 'just' the junior affiliates, but some of the tech found alongside the copious amounts of Kobra-Venom destroyed by the Rocket Red Brigade had left little choice but start moving now. Time was running out to allow chaos like this to persist on Earth...
--
[23rd December 2010]
[Train, Moving Eastward, Illinois, United States of America]
Time was running out she could admit as she sipped elegantly from the wine glass and stared imperiously at the equally cold eyed savage. Ah, it had been such a long time since her paths had crossed those of this particular immortal, but necessity created allies where they must she mused placing the glass down as her escorts waited patiently behind her as did those of the ancient caveman. Neutral ground ironically meant a private train shared by her brethren and those of these savage servants of the man for a time between stops, she smiled politely at them.
"Ah Vandal, it is a pleasure to see you as ever, even if fate has treated you harshly of late it seems"
An equally polite smile in return; such a natural predator this one she found, almost as much as one her kind "As times have perhaps been less than ideal for you and your people of late? It seems winds are charging, and not in the favour of your desires"
'Of course sees to the heart of the matter' she thought cocking her head ever so slightly to the side and giving the ancient a curious look "Oh, I had taken note of such unfortunate events of late that have harmed the cycle of nature. Though one must admit not all has been negative, power flows again and soon the wariness of mankind, as ever, will wane"
"Perhaps, but the hunt has begun for all who do not wish to live in this twisted world the fools who attempt to rule humanity it seems. They have great protectors now, and magic flows once again through the world as foes, yours as well as mine, grow ever stronger at our expense"
"Ah yes, one could not have failed to hear of the demise of the Demons Head, and your...feud...with that young upstart Luthor" she replied eying the powerfully built and unformed human standing behind the ancient one's right side, the symbol so hated by the cattle of these lands proudly displayed in black-white-red upon his broad chest. Then the masked dwarf man at his left, less than useful against one as her but she noted to let her weaker kin within range of the mind-mage "...and one seems to have gathered new friends...or old one perhaps?"
"New as well as Old my dear Mary, why we have known each other many, many, years...and our interests do align in dealing in regards dealing with the current...problems...presented to us"
"Do they now?"
"Oh, one could not fail to notice the growth of your armies once again Mighty Queen of Blood after many years of inactivity. One knows you are aware that...these self-proclaimed protectors of humanity must be dealt with before the tide brings naught but destruction to both our goals"
"Ah, one can see...how we would have certain interests that coincide" she answered after a moment's pause and making a decision "...and I would assume you have come with a proposal friend Vandal?"
"Nothing greatly ambitious as yet Mary dear, merely to deal blows to our immediate foes and grow...our numbers" he replied still smiling "...just to help each other deal with certain minor issues. It seems the Order of Van Helsings are aware of your renewed strength...why, it would be rather a surprise for them if my good friends Albrecht, and the good Doctor, here were to appear one sunny day and deal with their US bases of operation"
Mary Seward tapped her finger off the table in thought a moment "Acceptable, and in exchange?"
"Oh, an old friend's poor daughter is being held at a rather well hidden and secure LexCorp facility. Tormented even by that awful youngster Luthor...why if young Talia were to be freed, well while the League are battered, what remains...what wealth and knowledge remains would aid us much in our...alliance would they not?"
--
[23rd December 2010]
[Beneath the ruins and sands of Kutha, Bialya]
Desperate fools did desperate foolish things he found, the power flowing into him as he laughed despite the pain and weakness. For a moment, one deliciously amusing moment, they fools believed they had summoned a slave, a powerful servant, to save them from their fate. But that past quickly as the leader of the fools, some vermin who'd risen through the ranks by connections rather than strength, demanded he obey. Demanded he obey...it was, so amusing that he had to laugh as the sheer amusement defeated the boiling rage within him at been spoken to so.
Ripping the fool who called himself a Colonel's head off as he strode out of the attempt at a binding circle...even more amusing to use slave labour for such...as the manacled woman laughed, twisted and insane laughter. One of his, after all these centuries in these lands; well it was his temple...and the magic was flowing once again. Fading now, but enough for a brief moment of power from the blood sacrifices offered in his name to summon him. Why, how could he now show these wretches exactly what they had summoned?
Crackcrackcrackcrackcrackcrackcrack
Automatic gunfire, not much and nowhere near enough to defeat he as he was for a time, echoed out in the barely lit darkness of his temple. It hurt, but only a little and for a moment, as his rotted flesh healed and arms extended upwards along with wings. Fire, ingiting the darkness of the underground as uniformed men and women became, at least briefly, living torches as he struck with flame and claws amongst the confused and doomed fools.
Then...there was silence, save for desperate and deranged muttering from the broken and manacled girl scrapping and bowing, bloody face rising and falling to and from the sand and dirt choked floor "Mighty Nergal, come again, Mighty Nergal Lord of All, Might Nergal come again, Mighty Nergal..."
--