I just love self-indulgent projects! Read the summary of the story for a summary of what's going on.
Prologue 1-1
Bruce Wayne, better known as Batman, wasn't sure how things got this bad. What started as a Justice League raid on a large-scale operation spearheaded by Lex Luthor and several villains soon turned into a large-scale war against the forces of Apokalypse. Frankly, he blamed Luthor for messing with technology he knew nothing about. Looking across the battlefield, Batman could see the heavy hitters on Earth's side (both heroes and villains) were preoccupied and the main threat on Apokalypse's side was unmoved, sitting on a makeshift throne.
Darkseid was a threat, far more than anything Batman had ever considered staring down. The man was a literal god in every sense of the word. Only the New Gods of New Genesis could get him to stop. Even though Orion, a New Genesis God and Darkseid's biological son, was on this planet, Darkseid rarely stopped in his conquest. Still, someone needed to step up to him to reinforce that Earth will not be broken so easily.
Standing before the New God, Batman spoke. "It's over Darkseid. Even you can see the futility in constantly invading and losing against us."
Darkseid's eyes glowed in anger. Standing at ten feet tall, the dark gray titan growled.
"I grow weary of your impertinence, mortal." Darkseid intoned standing up from his makeshift throne. "I expected this from the Kryptonian or Orion, but you? You're just a mortal in a cape, what can you do?"
"After you took over Superman and turned him into one of your clockwork soldiers, I had to figure out a way to stop that from ever happening. It took me a while, years in fact, but I found something to put an end to you." At this, Batman pulls out a gun. Several people, including the Clown Prince of Crime gaped. Batman pulled out a gun.
'Is that what I need to do to finally push you to that edge?' The Joker thought as a manic grin grew on his face. 'Oh, Bats, you know how to spark our little game!'
"Is this a jest, mortal? You think you can defeat me with your puny Earth Weapon?" Darkseid was amused. He had seen many foolish things in his conquest to find the Anti-Life Equation, but this was peak foolery.
"This isn't a joke. In this gun there's a bullet made out of a pure Radion. It's poisonous to your kind isn't it." Darkseid eye's widen. How did this mortal find out?! Glancing at Orion who also looked quite petrified, showed him that no one else knew as well. "I don't like guns, Darkseid. I think they are the tools of the coward, the tools of those who refused to better themselves and others. But you… you're different. Your single-minded goal has caused too many people pain, too much suffering. So I'm giving you one last chance. Leave and never return."
"Do you think your bullet is faster than my Omega Beams?" Darkseid asked as his eyes glowed.
"Let's find out."
Batman fired just as Darkseid unleashed his Omega Beams. Darkseid let out a shout of pain as the bullet impacted his chest, piercing through his skin. Meanwhile, Batman just smirked as the Omega Beams connected, his body becoming bones in the matter of seconds.
The battlefield went quiet as not only the combatants went quiet, the world did as the fight was being filmed from afar. In Gotham City, several individuals watched as the bones of the one person they might've loved or hated collapse on the ground, the bat cape and cowl being the last things left of him.
In Bludhaven, a man fell to his knees as he watched his mentor, his father die.
In a hidden fortress located in parts unknown, a woman grieved the lost of a man who gave her a child while her father clenched his throne in anger.
Superman flew down and picked up the bone corpse of his best friend. A myriad of emotions flew through him. Glaring at the wounded Darkseid who was getting helped up by parademons, he went to say something but someone beat him to it.
"You ruined the joke!" Everyone's eyes widened as the Joker tried to stalk towards Darkseid, being held back by Solomon Grundy, his eyes glowing with rage and madness. "You weren't supposed to kill the Bat, I was! I was supposed to make him break his morals, to push him that far!"
"Shut your mouth clown before you join the bat in death." Darkseid growled as he turned to Superman. "I can tell in your eyes, Kryptonian, that you want revenge."
"...Go." came a whisper from the Man of Steel. "Go before I break you."
Darkseid said nothing as a boomtube opened up behind him and his forces left. He gave Superman one last look before leaving. They both knew he'd be back. But for now, Darkseid would concede defeat.
Superman looked down at the corpse of Batman once more. The bravest man he ever knew, gone. A hand rested on his shoulder. Turning he sees a remorseful Lex Luthor.
"Let's.. clean up this mess." He told Superman. "Even I think there's been enough fighting for a while."
Unknown Location, Year 1971
In a room that looked like your everyday average hospital room, a man woke up from what was a very long slumber. As he sat up, a myriad of memories flooded his mind. Memories that were…both of his own? Memories of a life as a human named Bruce Wayne, or Batman, as he was called, and memories of being a devil, a man named Myskia Cimeris. Those memories were frayed and fragmented but the Bruce side of his mind quickly pieced things together.
'I am both Myskia and Bruce, though it would seem that whatever put this body in this state couldn't preserve my memories of Myskia.' he surmised. Wherever he was, Bruce Wayne wasn't the man he would see in the mirror. He would have to play the part he could until he could better understand the situation.
'I have to wonder.. was this the cause of Darkseid's Omega Beams or is something happening or was there some sort of outside force behind all of this.'
His thoughts were interrupted when the door opened and a man who looked barely into his twenties entered the room. With black hair and violet eyes, he also wore a lab coat which hid generic doctor scrubs.
Bruce was about to question who the man was before a voice whispered in his mind, a voice that sounded similar but younger in some ways.
[Bered Sitri, Lord of the Sitri Clan]
"Lord Cimerius, it's good to see you awake after all this time." Bered said with a grin and Bruce could tell he meant it.
"Lord Sitri." Bruce greeted back. For now he'll play the role of Myskia. "How long have I been under? I must admit, there are holes in my memory."
"It's been fifty long years old friend. After that old crow Kokobiel attacked us without provocation, Grigori's leaders stepped in and reigned him in but the damage was done. That attack he launched killed so many and poisoned your brain with light, thus the holes in your memory." Bered explained with a frown. "That said, Azazel has been paying for his subordinate's actions ever since."
"I see…" Bered smiled again. It was good to see his old friend at work again. As the heir to his family, he was always one to think and move several steps ahead of others and that talent only grew when he became the Lord after his father's death in the great war.
"Take your time and relax Mysky, your recovery isn't over just yet and I have to talk to my daughter about the recent policies that the Four Great Satans put in place." Seeing the confused look on Myskia's face, Bered elaborated. "My daughter is Lady Leviathan of the Four Great Satans, and they've put in place a lock down. Only those with Valid contracts may come and go."
Bruce nodded but internally frowned. That would put a damper on things.
Cimerius Mansion, three days later
Bruce sighed in frustration as he leaned back in his office chair. It had been at least two days since he was released to go to his clan's home and on top of reorganizing everything to keep his guise up, knowing that he was nearly forty years in the past really hindered any plans he might've had.
From what he could tell, his human parents were alive and he, meaning Bruce, wasn't born just yet. And as much as he'd want to interfere to make sure that his parents lived, he remembered that report on how time had changed drastically. No.. as much as it pains him to accept it, his parents needed to die because the world needs Batman.
Right now, the best thing he could do was wait and hide his time. Until then, he'd live the next thirty to forty years in actual peace. Other than the paperwork, he really didn't have any responsibilities to speak of, no crime to fight, no mystery to solve, no insane clowns.. he had honestly forgotten how much a good night's rest felt like.
His musings were interrupted as a familiar sight appeared in front of his desk. A golden Anhk appeared and a man dressed on blue and gold wearing a golden helmet appeared before him. Bruce knew him as Doctor Fate.
"I had a feeling that you weren't truly dead, Bruce." Fate said warmly.
"It's good to see you too, Kent. I'm surprised you found me." Bruce replied.
"I just followed your soul to see where it went." Kent td him as he floated cross-legged in front of Bruce. "I must admit, I knew your soul had a unique taint to it but I did not know you were simply a reincarnated Devil."
"I'm finding a lot of things out recently." Bruce wasn't lying about that. "I take it that this isn't a social call."
"No I'm afraid not. While I cannot simply whisk you away back to the future, this revelation has already caused ripples in the timeline. New possibilities afford us new ways to handle crises." Kent said, shaking his head. "No I need you to interfere with the fate of someone in dire need of rescuing. Tell me, what do you know about Nekoshou?"
