Post by redsycorax on Jul 20, 2022 1:19:36 GMT
The Justice Alliance has had many newcomers to its ranks in recent months, often from wartorn and devastated alternate Earths. What happens if one of the newcomers old enemies also survived?
++
JAA SEABASE:
"What do you mean, she's gone?!"
"Steady, Willie. I know how much she means to you, but we can't panic over this." Superman said, laying a hand on his adopted son Captain Thunder's shoulder.
"You don't know, Dad. Evelyn told me about what she'd been through on Earth-3, the killing of her lover Jack Napier, the Jokester and their daughter Duella, Harlequin. All at the hands of their murderous, corrupt Crime Syndicate of America. I love her. If this is the Crime Syndicate, somehow resurrected, we need to prepare for this."
"In order to do that, if you're right, and I'm not saying you're not, we need to prepare. Fortunately, from what Three-Face told us, there are no equivalents to either you or Bella on that hellworld of theirs."
"That's not it, Dad. When I was Atticus Morbida's captive, I wondered if I'd ever make it out alive. Especially in that mad surrealist alternate universe he'd pitched me into. And from what Evelyn told me, the Syndicate are uninhibited, mass murderers. I know we have moral limits and an ethical compass. They don't. Look at Evie's artificial arm. Their Superwoman did that- she ripped off Evie's real arm and she would have bled to death if it hadn't been for surgical assistance from Earth-3's Alexander Luthor. What if th-they..."
Kara took her adopted son's hand: "Easy, Willie. We know what the Syndicate are like. We'll rescue Evelyn and bring her home. I promise. And if the Syndicate have harmed her, they will pay."
EARTH-3: ALTERNATE FUTURE:
"Owlman. I might have guessed. You've definitely seen better days. My, my. What happened?" Evelyn Dent- Three-Face- looked around the broken furniture and discoloured, threadbare Flying Fortress of the Crime Syndicate of America.
Thomas Wayne glared malignantly at her: "You're in no position to be defiant, Dent. Did you really think you were safe from us? Did you really think retreating and pretending we didn't exist was the best solution? Yes, you did, because you're weak and vulnerable. Look at you, you pitiful demented tattedemalion. Fragmented amongst three selves and yet reveling in your brokenness."
Three Face rolled her eyes: "Says a highly probable psychopath. What happened, Tommy? Did big bad Ultraman and Superwoman turn on you and throw you out of the Syndicate? No, on second thoughts, they'd know better than to turn their backs on you and vica versa. So who killed who first?"
"Do you really care, Dent?"
"It's logical, really, Tommy. Once you ran out of heroes to gut, you either turned on yourselves or preyed more intensively on the rank and file. And our Earth was always living on borrowed time. Political corruption, rampant environmental degradation, repeated use of nuclear, bacteriological and chemical weapons on any threat to your regime, whether real or imagined. I just hope more people escaped from the charnel house while there was still time. So you're the last man standing, then?"
"Yes. Diana attacked the remnants of resistance on Paradox Island and they ended up destroying her with a suicide nuclear device. As for Kent, I tricked him into an anti-kryptonite catalytic reaction that transformed all of his addictive fix on Earth into green iron. Unfortunately, it meant he laid waste to the entire planet. If he couldn't have it, no-one else could. When Quick and Power Ring saw the way things were going, they abandoned ship and fled elsewhere in the multiverse."
"I would say that's a new low even for you, Tommy. Except that would be a false premise. I'm surprised you're still carrying out your vendetta against me. Why not flee what you've done to your world and avoid facing the consequences?"
"Because I can't, damn you! I'm dying, Dent. This is an exoskeleton. Even if I could manage to get off Earth, I'd die before I reached the nearest star."
"So you thought you'd look me up and abduct me? Oh, Tommy. I'm touched. Really, I am. Because you're the last one left of your hellspawn and when you perish, so does the Crime Syndicate. And apart from database entries, there won't even be anyone left here to remember you existed."
"What a shame you won't be here to gloat, then, Dent... Now. Would you like to join your pitiful man and child?" And from his side, Owlman extended a whirring, bloodcovered blade.
EARTH-500:
"We've locked in on her. Rao. Who or what is that? It looks like Bruce..." Superwoman shuddered.
"From what the Batman and Nightwing of Earth-One told us, his name is Owlman. He's an alternate version of Bruce's insane brother Thomas Wayne Jr. He's a highly functioning psychopath." Superman replied as their transmatter visualiser located Evelyn Dent and her signal device.
"J'Onn, can you send a telepathic message to Three Face? Tell her the cavalry's about to arrive."
"What happened there? That red sky, that sterile crimson, bloody landscape. No vegetation. Ruined houses. Rotting flesh and skeletons. It's like an Hieronymous Bosch painting come to life.." Helena (Robin) Wayne exclaimed.
"So they turned on each other?" Superman asked.
"I can receive no other psionic impressions except for those of Evelyn and Thomas Wayne. They are the only living beings anywhere on that Earth. Apparently, Kalel, once they had run out of adversaries, they turned on each other like a maddened, rabid wolf pack."
"One question, J'Onn. Are Earth-3's usual quantum entanglements still operative? Will any Alliance member who travels there face defeat from Owlman?"
"No, William. I am not registering that phenomenon anymore."
"Good. Come on, everyone. It's time that we brought the fight back to that monstrous freak..."
EARTH-3: ALTERNATE FUTURE:
Evelyn realised that something was happening as she found her bonds loosening. Instinctively, she realised that it must be Superman or Superwoman's heat vision.
"They can't help you, Evelyn. There is a reason that you came back here. You see, we belong together."
"Dream on, Tommy. You're pathologically insane and doomed."
"What a shame. Your inane ripostes end here..." Owlman snarled as he elevated Evelyn and extended one of his razorsharp Owlclaws to end her existence. Except that didn't happen. At that moment, J'Onn J'Onnz reached forward and crushed the extensor hand and its threat and bent his head forward...
And with that, Three-Face was surrounded with memories of her recent life. In particular, one Captain Thunder, Willie Fawcett:
"You belong here, right here. With me. Never doubt it." And there were moments of intimacy. Their first kiss. Their first dates. Bringing down Batman and Robin's enemies in a brighter, more hopeful Gotham. High-fiving Helena/Robin over a job well done. And then, once again, more than anything else, Willie. Captain Thunder. How safe they felt in each other's arms. How his mouth felt when they kissed. His soft brown eyes. And with those memories, and with that strength, Three-Face broke free and started to run. Staggering to his feet, Owlman screeched in anger and rage and then his eyes fell upon the gravitational/electromagnetic derangement device, an ultimate weapon he'd devised in case Ultraman had somehow eluded his kryptonite transmutation trap. Yes, it would probably kill him, but at least he'd take that interfering woman with him. She wouldn't survive this if he had anything to do with it!
And from the sky, boulder sized rocks began to fall. And at that point, Captain Thunder blazed forth, punching aside the rocks that threatened the woman he loved more than anything else in the multiverse. As Owlman's psychosis grew, and as Earth-3's infrastructure began to collapse, it was joined by fragments of building and the remains of humans and animals. And then, Captain Thunder grasped hold of Three-Face's hand and the Justice Alliance fell back to the sanctuary of their own Earth as around Owlman, the basic framework of his charnel house world began to metastasise and disintegrate around him. He let out one last desolate, banshee scream of impotent rage, defiance and bewilderment as Earth-3 erupted into primordial fire and ash. But long before then, the Justice Alliance was safe on their own Earth.
EPILOGUE: EARTH-500:
"Evelyn. Evelyn. It's okay. I've got you. I love you."
"Willie, I thought I'd lost you."
"Never. It's over. You belong here. Never doubt that. And he'll never be able to do anything to you again. He destroyed himself."
"Thank you, Willie. For being you. Never mind the Captain Thunder powers and routine, the real you, the decent, compassionate and heroic William Fawcett. The man I love."
And to the cheers of their comrades, Captain Thunder and Three-Face embraced, and this time, it was the aftermath of proof that determination and love can triumph over nihilism, self-immolation and self-consuming brutality and the victory was particularly resonant.
EPILOGUE: EARTH-3: ALTERNATE FUTURE:
Behind them, cut off from the rest of the Multiverse, the shattered incandescent fragments of Earth-3, in one of its grimmer alternate futures, ground against each other as the epitome of multiversal evil's own cankered heart reached out and tore that world to oblivion. But then, that grim scenario was only one possible one of many that might have encompassed that particular alternate Earth amidst the quantum flux. None of which are particularly pleasant or enlightening, for that is the way of that world. But at least in this version of possible future events, a woman's life had been saved because her comrades loved her and because one good and decent man particularly cared for her enough to reach out to her.
[NB: I decided to post this one in the Elseworlds thread because part of it is set in what might be construed as an Earth-3 Elseworld/alternate future.- Redsycorax]
THE END [1.35 PM, JULY 25, 2022]
++
JAA SEABASE:
"What do you mean, she's gone?!"
"Steady, Willie. I know how much she means to you, but we can't panic over this." Superman said, laying a hand on his adopted son Captain Thunder's shoulder.
"You don't know, Dad. Evelyn told me about what she'd been through on Earth-3, the killing of her lover Jack Napier, the Jokester and their daughter Duella, Harlequin. All at the hands of their murderous, corrupt Crime Syndicate of America. I love her. If this is the Crime Syndicate, somehow resurrected, we need to prepare for this."
"In order to do that, if you're right, and I'm not saying you're not, we need to prepare. Fortunately, from what Three-Face told us, there are no equivalents to either you or Bella on that hellworld of theirs."
"That's not it, Dad. When I was Atticus Morbida's captive, I wondered if I'd ever make it out alive. Especially in that mad surrealist alternate universe he'd pitched me into. And from what Evelyn told me, the Syndicate are uninhibited, mass murderers. I know we have moral limits and an ethical compass. They don't. Look at Evie's artificial arm. Their Superwoman did that- she ripped off Evie's real arm and she would have bled to death if it hadn't been for surgical assistance from Earth-3's Alexander Luthor. What if th-they..."
Kara took her adopted son's hand: "Easy, Willie. We know what the Syndicate are like. We'll rescue Evelyn and bring her home. I promise. And if the Syndicate have harmed her, they will pay."
EARTH-3: ALTERNATE FUTURE:
"Owlman. I might have guessed. You've definitely seen better days. My, my. What happened?" Evelyn Dent- Three-Face- looked around the broken furniture and discoloured, threadbare Flying Fortress of the Crime Syndicate of America.
Thomas Wayne glared malignantly at her: "You're in no position to be defiant, Dent. Did you really think you were safe from us? Did you really think retreating and pretending we didn't exist was the best solution? Yes, you did, because you're weak and vulnerable. Look at you, you pitiful demented tattedemalion. Fragmented amongst three selves and yet reveling in your brokenness."
Three Face rolled her eyes: "Says a highly probable psychopath. What happened, Tommy? Did big bad Ultraman and Superwoman turn on you and throw you out of the Syndicate? No, on second thoughts, they'd know better than to turn their backs on you and vica versa. So who killed who first?"
"Do you really care, Dent?"
"It's logical, really, Tommy. Once you ran out of heroes to gut, you either turned on yourselves or preyed more intensively on the rank and file. And our Earth was always living on borrowed time. Political corruption, rampant environmental degradation, repeated use of nuclear, bacteriological and chemical weapons on any threat to your regime, whether real or imagined. I just hope more people escaped from the charnel house while there was still time. So you're the last man standing, then?"
"Yes. Diana attacked the remnants of resistance on Paradox Island and they ended up destroying her with a suicide nuclear device. As for Kent, I tricked him into an anti-kryptonite catalytic reaction that transformed all of his addictive fix on Earth into green iron. Unfortunately, it meant he laid waste to the entire planet. If he couldn't have it, no-one else could. When Quick and Power Ring saw the way things were going, they abandoned ship and fled elsewhere in the multiverse."
"I would say that's a new low even for you, Tommy. Except that would be a false premise. I'm surprised you're still carrying out your vendetta against me. Why not flee what you've done to your world and avoid facing the consequences?"
"Because I can't, damn you! I'm dying, Dent. This is an exoskeleton. Even if I could manage to get off Earth, I'd die before I reached the nearest star."
"So you thought you'd look me up and abduct me? Oh, Tommy. I'm touched. Really, I am. Because you're the last one left of your hellspawn and when you perish, so does the Crime Syndicate. And apart from database entries, there won't even be anyone left here to remember you existed."
"What a shame you won't be here to gloat, then, Dent... Now. Would you like to join your pitiful man and child?" And from his side, Owlman extended a whirring, bloodcovered blade.
EARTH-500:
"We've locked in on her. Rao. Who or what is that? It looks like Bruce..." Superwoman shuddered.
"From what the Batman and Nightwing of Earth-One told us, his name is Owlman. He's an alternate version of Bruce's insane brother Thomas Wayne Jr. He's a highly functioning psychopath." Superman replied as their transmatter visualiser located Evelyn Dent and her signal device.
"J'Onn, can you send a telepathic message to Three Face? Tell her the cavalry's about to arrive."
"What happened there? That red sky, that sterile crimson, bloody landscape. No vegetation. Ruined houses. Rotting flesh and skeletons. It's like an Hieronymous Bosch painting come to life.." Helena (Robin) Wayne exclaimed.
"So they turned on each other?" Superman asked.
"I can receive no other psionic impressions except for those of Evelyn and Thomas Wayne. They are the only living beings anywhere on that Earth. Apparently, Kalel, once they had run out of adversaries, they turned on each other like a maddened, rabid wolf pack."
"One question, J'Onn. Are Earth-3's usual quantum entanglements still operative? Will any Alliance member who travels there face defeat from Owlman?"
"No, William. I am not registering that phenomenon anymore."
"Good. Come on, everyone. It's time that we brought the fight back to that monstrous freak..."
EARTH-3: ALTERNATE FUTURE:
Evelyn realised that something was happening as she found her bonds loosening. Instinctively, she realised that it must be Superman or Superwoman's heat vision.
"They can't help you, Evelyn. There is a reason that you came back here. You see, we belong together."
"Dream on, Tommy. You're pathologically insane and doomed."
"What a shame. Your inane ripostes end here..." Owlman snarled as he elevated Evelyn and extended one of his razorsharp Owlclaws to end her existence. Except that didn't happen. At that moment, J'Onn J'Onnz reached forward and crushed the extensor hand and its threat and bent his head forward...
And with that, Three-Face was surrounded with memories of her recent life. In particular, one Captain Thunder, Willie Fawcett:
"You belong here, right here. With me. Never doubt it." And there were moments of intimacy. Their first kiss. Their first dates. Bringing down Batman and Robin's enemies in a brighter, more hopeful Gotham. High-fiving Helena/Robin over a job well done. And then, once again, more than anything else, Willie. Captain Thunder. How safe they felt in each other's arms. How his mouth felt when they kissed. His soft brown eyes. And with those memories, and with that strength, Three-Face broke free and started to run. Staggering to his feet, Owlman screeched in anger and rage and then his eyes fell upon the gravitational/electromagnetic derangement device, an ultimate weapon he'd devised in case Ultraman had somehow eluded his kryptonite transmutation trap. Yes, it would probably kill him, but at least he'd take that interfering woman with him. She wouldn't survive this if he had anything to do with it!
And from the sky, boulder sized rocks began to fall. And at that point, Captain Thunder blazed forth, punching aside the rocks that threatened the woman he loved more than anything else in the multiverse. As Owlman's psychosis grew, and as Earth-3's infrastructure began to collapse, it was joined by fragments of building and the remains of humans and animals. And then, Captain Thunder grasped hold of Three-Face's hand and the Justice Alliance fell back to the sanctuary of their own Earth as around Owlman, the basic framework of his charnel house world began to metastasise and disintegrate around him. He let out one last desolate, banshee scream of impotent rage, defiance and bewilderment as Earth-3 erupted into primordial fire and ash. But long before then, the Justice Alliance was safe on their own Earth.
EPILOGUE: EARTH-500:
"Evelyn. Evelyn. It's okay. I've got you. I love you."
"Willie, I thought I'd lost you."
"Never. It's over. You belong here. Never doubt that. And he'll never be able to do anything to you again. He destroyed himself."
"Thank you, Willie. For being you. Never mind the Captain Thunder powers and routine, the real you, the decent, compassionate and heroic William Fawcett. The man I love."
And to the cheers of their comrades, Captain Thunder and Three-Face embraced, and this time, it was the aftermath of proof that determination and love can triumph over nihilism, self-immolation and self-consuming brutality and the victory was particularly resonant.
EPILOGUE: EARTH-3: ALTERNATE FUTURE:
Behind them, cut off from the rest of the Multiverse, the shattered incandescent fragments of Earth-3, in one of its grimmer alternate futures, ground against each other as the epitome of multiversal evil's own cankered heart reached out and tore that world to oblivion. But then, that grim scenario was only one possible one of many that might have encompassed that particular alternate Earth amidst the quantum flux. None of which are particularly pleasant or enlightening, for that is the way of that world. But at least in this version of possible future events, a woman's life had been saved because her comrades loved her and because one good and decent man particularly cared for her enough to reach out to her.
[NB: I decided to post this one in the Elseworlds thread because part of it is set in what might be construed as an Earth-3 Elseworld/alternate future.- Redsycorax]
THE END [1.35 PM, JULY 25, 2022]