Justice League: Genesis (Act 1 Complete)

[Archon Thorne]

What defines a hero? Is it someone that goes out of their own way to ensure the well being of others? Or perhaps someone that believes that all are equal? Someone who would sacrifice life and limb to protect the innocent and uphold the even stranger concept of justice? Is it a being from another world with the strength to bend steel, a demi-goddess capable of deflecting bullets with her bracers, or a caped crusader fighting a one man war against corruption? It did not matter,

None of that mattered to Mongul. To the tyrant of Warworld, the idea of heroism was a idiotic endeavor. Wasted on those unworthy of true power. In this existence, it was survival of the fittest that determined who was worthy of survival. There was no place for individuals that wasted their talents to defend those lesser than themselves. To Mongul, the term hero was just another form of foolishness. To Mongul, anyone that he deemed lesser than himself, was nothing worthy of note, and he had long gone without seeing other beings as anything more than insects, or in some cases 'tools' that could better be used to further his own goals.

The time was coming. Soon he tread upon the bones of all those that dared to stand in his path of conquest. Those so called “heroes” such as Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, and Green Lantern that had the gall to oppose him, and much to his shame rebuff him. Mongul of course, to prideful to admit that he had been beaten. But now he would return, and shatter their world. Slaughter their loved ones, and enslave those that they had fought so valiantly to defend. Now was the most opportune moment.

There had come word, through manners privy only to himself, that the Justice League, for that was what they had decided to call their alliance, had been all but shattered. Distraught with distrust and unease, weary of so many years of fighting, they all but disbanded. The Kryptonian now gone for whatever reason, and the Amazon having taken her own path to deal with other concerns that were beyond the ken of foolish mortals, the caped crusader was kept busy with his ever increasing war on crime, and of course the Green Lantern Corps, had been absent for so many years, drawn away to deal with other matters of importance such as their own conflict with other bearers of light and beyond.

And now, Mongul would heap upon riches and victory much deserved. From orbit over one of Saturn's moons, Warworld engaged it's thrusters, breaking away from the gravitational pull of the massive gas giant, the planet sized space station would make it's way towards the Planet Earth, ending one rich harvest to make ready for the next. And for Mongul, inevitable conquest.  

[Dr John Henry Irons]

Beneath Steelworks, the echoes of of metal hitting metal could be heard. Sparks from the hot steel lit the dark room and in the glimpses of light that shined, John could be seen, hard at work. Every strike of his hammer sounded like rolling thunder and came down with enough force to shake the ground beneath him. But despite the heat and the tedious and tiresome work, John found some sort of peace work metal, and it had been a while since he could actually find a shred of it. The League was in shambles, many of the people he called friend and ally had either gone their separate ways or flat out disappeared. John hadn't been aboard the Watchtower in so long he doubt he had clearance amymore. He didn't care if he did anyways. After the events that transpired before the League disbanded, he didn't care to be up their. And with Superman taking a hiatus in the Sun and Metropolis left virtually defenseless, John couldn't afford to care. Criminals were taking advantage of Superman's absence to make serious moves for power and control in the city. And Metropolis PD could barely contain the rising plague of violence and death. So John put on his armor and took the skies, doing everything in his power to protect the individuals who looked up to those same skies hoping, wishing and praying for a savior. But John was not Superman, not in the slightest. He wasn't strong enough to catch planes out of the sky. He wasn't powerful enough to put out a building fire in a single breath. He wasn't fast enough to stop multiple robberies in the blink of an eye. He was no Superman. But despite the short coming, John pressed onward. Because even if he wasn't all those thing, he was smart, he was clever and above all he was motivated. Motivated to do good, not because he had to, but because he wanted to. Even if it meant going toe to toe with the likes of Bizzaro, Parasite and even Solomon Grundy, he did what it took. But now, he was starting to feel the pressure. And he didn't know if he could hold out any longer.

John placed the piece of glowing hot metal in the vat of water steam quickly rose up. After a few minutes John took it out and held it up. Removing his goggles, John admired his work, which was the Metal "S" that he normally wore upon his chest. He dropped his hammer and proceeded to walk in the next room, were stood in the middle on a small platform, hooked up to cables leading to multiple consoles and monitors, was his Steel Armor. John walked over to the armored and attached the "S" to the chest plate then took a seat at the monitor in front of it. John pressed a few keys and the screens booted up as line after line of complex coding and equations raced across the screen. John was running the usual diagnostics, making sure the armor was running at peak efficiency. John stretched his arms above his head and rubbed the back of his neck. Tiredness was starting to set in as he was approaching 72hrs of no sleep. But in a time where the people needed him, how could he expect to sleep. John turned and looked at his armor. Despite fixing it up the best way he could, even the tough metal was starting to show signs of fatigue and tiredness as well. From the top of helmet to his boots, was a battle scars, burn marks and bullet dents that showed how much effort he was putting into this. How much he was welling to sacrifice for it. "....all of this work, in the end, has to mean something right?" John said to himself, "All the blood, sweat and tears, all the sacrifice, it has to equate to some positive outcome." John touched the "S" and let out a sigh, "So why does it feel like I'm fighting a battle that can't be won?" John pulled out his cellphone and turned it on to check the time, and on his lock screen was a picture of him and his wife Cecilia. If there was a soul in all creation that John would give his life for, it was her, the only person to give him stability amidst the chaos. He shook his head, put his phone back in his pocket and sat back down at his console, "No time for that kind of pity talk, gotta' stay focused. Gotta' keep pushing." John continued to go through his data, determined to still make an difference, no matter what it took him.  

[The Emerald Arrow]

It was a quiet night in Star City; the criminal element was currently a bit… quiet. He couldn’t quite really complain though; a quiet night meant less work, less danger. While a small adrenaline rush may have been desired in the base parts of his brain, he knew the dangers of suddenly having to take on someone like Merlyn or Count Vertigo. While neither really seemed to be present here in the states, it wouldn’t stop them from occasionally rearing their ugly heads. In the dull absence of activity down below, Oliver’s mind began to wonder. First, the dwindling economy meant he had to shut down one of his branch offices, which meant layoffs and pension packages for some. Sure, he made money on the deal, but many more would lose so much of their own. He pondered the ways to recover such assets, but he was but one billionaire, and even charity could stretch so far. It was all partly reminiscent of why he had resisted joining the Justice League. Looking down from on high, often the little man got lost undertow. That was why he was doing all this in the first place, for those who couldn’t stand up for themselves, right? That had to be i--

An alarming siren broke his concentration as he turned towards the disturbance. Save Right, a minor convenience store, had one of the store alarms begin to blare as a trio of men wearing hoods burst out the back fire escape. Each was running, one carrying a bag, the others with sidearms. In the hustle and bustle, adrenaline pumped through their veins. Their panic and their fear kept them from hearing the whizzing of an arrow sailing through the air. Only after the first was clotheslined did they stop, and only after did another arrow explode into a bola to knock a second guy down did the third stop. “While I might dress up like Robin Hood, I don’t condone petty thievery,” Ollie said with a smirk.

His arm reached back to knock another arrow to the string, as the sound of the bow tensing up gave an audible warning. Here in Star City, the noise was almost as feared as racking a shotgun, as many knew the Arrow didn’t miss. “Now, if you drop the sack and throw your hands up, I might not have to beat you up before handing you over to the cops.”

The robber looked to his friends, who were still recovering from the initial hit, and instantly threw his hands up. His left hand opened wide, letting the back drop to the ground. It all might have been a pretty easy slip, but he tried his luck to reach for the pistol in the shoulder holster. The sound of a whistling arrow followed the twang of a bowstring, before a loud ‘pamf’ exploded the head into a boxing glove, hitting square. As the trio groaned on the ground, Ollie shook his head. “Be thankful I didn’t shove a shaft through a more tender part of your anatomy. Next time, try a surprise attack when the other guy isn’t ready,” he smirked, as he got ready to deliver tonight’s catch to the SCPD.  

[Nocturnal Vigilante]

12:06A.M.

What happens when one of the world's most prominent super teams disbands? There are no regular check ins, no meetings for the members with a higher status. The tension that rose, the conflict that split them apart, he knew it all too well. What good the League had done even he knew should be recognized. They were apart of great things, saving not only earth, but several planets after countless times. A negative attitude had led him to believe that eventually they would fall apart, and not in a "walk into the sunset" kind of ending. It was only a matter of time and even he didn't expect it to last as long as it did.

Alas, despite a less than active Justice League to keep the majority of the world safe, each and every hero was left to their own separate cities, areas, countries, even planets. Gotham wouldn't halt all crime when heroes would part ways, it only strengthened the criminals to their core. The Batman wasn't the urban legend everyone was telling stories about. They knew him as the man who stood alongside the powerful amazon from Themyscira and the powerful, righteous Kryptonian from another planet. Nowadays, he wasn't up against giant alien airships or gods wanting to conquer the planet. He was back to the everyday scum that plagued his city, Gotham City and all who inhabit it.

Loud bangs erupted from within the top floor of a high rise building. It was one of Bruce Wayne's standard business offices, making jobs available for several Gothamites. Exactly across from the building was a crouched Batman, zooming in with a pair of binoculars staring at the scene. The men inside were firing aimlessly, clearly unprofessional and most likely had no idea what they were doing. That would be their downfall if he didn't step in now. With one leap from the rooftop, the cape flourished in the night sky, expanding to each end until it couldn't stretch out anymore. The cape was light, better for maneuverability and he was much faster in the air. He came crashing through the windows, rolling past the line of fire and shrouding himself in the shadows at the back of the room floor. Smoke had filled the air between the two conflicting sides. They had witnessed the windows break, a dark black figure emerge and then gone in an instant. He could see the fear in their eyes.

"What the hell was that?!"

"Don't play stupid! That was one of you!"

"No! It was some type of creat-".

The third armed individual was cut short by a firm grip on his face, bringing him down to the ground. Batman craned his neck, looking up at the others on this side of the room. Tables, chairs, machinery..all things they've used for a blockade on each side. Three men, all wearing employee badges. Two women, their clothes unrecognizable by any faction here in Gotham. Tight leather, their hair both at shoulder length with thick jet black glasses over their eyes. I'll look into that when I'm done. In the brief seconds he had to analyze the situation, he rose back up to the remaining few on this side. Two quick punches to the man on his six, followed by a swift kick to the torso knocked him off his feet and smacking into the wall behind them. Batman took a hold of his cape, bringing it up to the women's faces, taking to a swift turn around before coming in for the next attack. They dropped their weapons, putting their hands over their heads. He took hold of them slamming the two of them together. The women slumped beside each other, out cold and out of the situation.

"What the hell was that? You know what, forget it! I'm out of here." The man would say on the way out, followed by his cohorts and even the feuding side. Behind the cowl, he'd raise an eyebrow.
"I didn't expect to come back to this kind of cowardice." His fingers pressed against the side of his cowl, communicating with the Batcave and more importantly, Alfred.
"It seems the distress call may have been a setup, sir." His friend would say firmly over the communication link. He'd kneel down to look at the room, to get a better view of it as a whole. "No bullet holes. That explains why everyone was still in one piece."

"This is starting to sound like a setup with every bit of information you're uncovering." Batman crouched down, patting down one of the women. "Standard cellular device, loaded firearms. I doubt they're properly registered." A few steps forward led him to the window he broke through. Most likely the other group had fled by now, wherever that was. He knew he'd see them, or hopefully their employer soon. "Gordon, have any available police come for a pick up. Tell them to head to the top floor of the Wayne Financing building." He was patched into the GCPD communications by Alfred back at the Batcave as he would tie the man and women to anything sturdy. The next time they wake up, it'll be behind bars.

1:27A.M.

Back at the Batcave, Bruce sat in front of the Batcomputer. It's bright blue light illuminated a section of the dark, shrouded grey and black cave. "Master Bruce, I just got off the phone with the GCPD. They went up and down the building and located a few items that were tampered with. Mostly financial records and employee information." Alfred laid the written information down in front of Bruce as he compiled what he saw onto the Batcomputer's drive. "Now I'm really curious, who were they gathering information on specifically." His fingers tapped away at the keyboard as the report began to fill with writing. "That's not all, sir. The man you left with the police was employed at the Wayne Financials building. The two other women in question are connected to a crime lord that sprang up in Gotham not too long ago. They've made several hits all over the city on anyone who gets to close to their endeavors. Police brutality, civilians, journalist, and now seemingly a worker here at the building." His hands found themselves placed against one another taking in all the information. I should have been aware of all current activity taking place in my city. Whoever this is should have been brought to justice months ago. "Does this crime lord have a name?" The chair swiveled as he turned to look up at Alfred. "Of course, sir, although one those women are not willing to tell at this moment.."

Bruce sat back in the chair, looking down at the detached cowl that sat on the table. "At least it isn't fire breathing demons, sir." This got a grin from Bruce, he preferred it this way. The simple crime in Gotham that didn't require back-up from a man who could lift mountains. Things were back to the way he remembered it. "Whoever this is, they won't be in business long."  

[Gotham Marauder]

Nocturnal Vigilante

A private jet lands on the tarmac at Gotham International Airport in the middle of the night. The jet taxis to a nearby hanger and comes to a complete stop. Engines whine down and the side hatch opens, exposing the staircase. A hooded figure steps to the jet door. He looks around then fixes his gaze towards the night sky as the light of the moon shined down. "Umm, Mr. Fox? We have your bag unpacked from the jet and your vehicle is waiting for you near the hanger. Whenever your ready." said a valet that was waiting at the bottom of the steps. The man was Lucas Fox, son of Lucias Fox but better known as Batwing. Luke pulled back his hood and gave a nod and a chuckle, "Sorry, it's been awhile since I stood underneath Gotham skies. Kind of spaced out. But thanks for everything, I appreciate it." Luke stepped off the jet, reached into his back pocket. He pulled out a twenty and proceeded to hand it to the valet who accepted it and handed Luke his large dufflebag. It was true what he said, it been a while since he was in Gotham. Ever since he took the mantle of Batwing and became a global agent for the Batman, he had been on nearly every continent at least twice in the last few months. Luke didn't mind it though. Hell, it was one of the reasons he accepted Batman's offer in the first place. But with wind that the Justice League is no more, Luke felt it was time to come home and help out the best he could. Luke walked towards the car that he rented out through the valet service, a black Audi R8, popped the trunk and placed the duffle inside. The car shook from the added the weight, "Theirs got to be a easier way to haul this suit from place to place," Luke said underneath his breath, "Need to look into that when I get the time." Luke closed the trunk and hopped in the driver seat, "If your gonna' ride, why not in style?" he smiled and cranked the car then sped off into the Gotham night.

As Luke drove through the streets of Gotham, he could see that much hadn't changed. Sidewalks brimming with life with death around every corner. The alley ways cluttered with the forgotten and the lost. Despite all the negative, it was home. And it was home it was willing to fight to keep safe. After all, that's the main reason he wanted to be part of the Batman's crusade against crime. All the wealth in the world wouldn't stop crime from happening. It wouldn't protect the innocent. But what could the son of one of Gotham's top executive do? Get his hands dirty. Take action where it needed to be and never back down form the fight. And above all, take down anyone would wishes harm and death on the people of Gotham.

Luke drove for a while, leaving out the busy city and heading towards the harbor. Luke knew that being an independent agent meant operating out of his own setup. That's why he had majority of his equipment shipped to a safe house used by other members of Batman Inc. But he really did this to avoid any potential run in's with his father. Despite operating as Batwing for months, his father still had no idea his son was an agent of the Batman. And he preferred that it stayed that way, for now. Arriving at the docks, Luke got out the car, took his duffle out the drunk and proceeded to walk towards a large row of shipping containers. Luke walked for a few minutes before stopping and pulling out his cellphone. Shinning the light of his phone against the side of the containers, Luke walked slowly, "Where is it? I know its around here somewher....there it is!" said Luke as he stood in front of a grayish blue container. He looked around at first then approached the large metal doors. He held his hand on the door near the handle. And with a quick hum from a hidden scanner, a light voice spoke, "Welcome Batwing." Then a small door opened and Luke proceeded inside. There was nothing much to the inside, in fact, it was nigh empty with the exception of a small panel with a keyboard and screen in the middle of the room, a lone light illuminating above it. Luke walked up and input a command. Suddenly, the floor of the container began to shake then lower beneath the ground. When it came to a stop, Luke was in a large room filled with his gear and equipment. In the far off corner was his Batcycle, facing towards an exit that led back to the surface. To his left was a work bench with four computer monitors lined in a row, all showing numerous feeds about the status of Gotham. To his right was a small cot and desk but Luke knew that wouldn't get much use. Luke unpacked his duffle, placing his armor on the mannequin near the work bench. He checked his supplies. He had enough batarangs, grappling hooks, and everything else he needed to get this job done, "Well, I'm done unpacking. Only thing left to do is to contact the Boss." Lucas moved to this computer input a few commands, then proceeded to get in contact with the Batcave.  

[Dr Amanda Blake Waller]

She finally had the world in the palm of her hands. She finally accomplished what no other villain, person or anyone else for that matter could do. She had finally beaten the Justice League. She had finally gained control of the one team that no one could defeat. The mighty Justice League had finally been defeated, however, Not by a fight. There were defeated by the United States Government! With Congress passing the Meta-Human Registration Act All costume adventurers, vigilante's and so called Super-heroes had one of two choices! Work for the U.S Government, Or give up their masks and disguises and retire. Some did retire, others did not. The Mighty Justice League was now a Government sanctioned team. Which Amanda Waller controlled and was the Government liaison. So far working for the government was not a problem for some of the heroes, others however..quit the team or went into retirement. No one was aware the location of the Kryptonian. He quit when Lex Luthor was drafted to join the team. Considering how Luthor saved the world during the last incident or crisis if you would call it. Public opinion soared for Luthor. He was the savior of mankind. Even though Luthor actually took advantage of a situation when it presented itself. Still, Lex Luthor could do no wrong. What about some of the others? The Batman was still around and a thorn in Waller's side. Although Amanda respected him greatly, She still hated the fact that no matter what she did.The Batman would always defy her. He was currently in Gotham doing what he does best. The Amazon had reportedly returned to her own people. For now The Trinity was disbanded. As for the other heroes? Some of them remained in the League and worked for the Government. The Martian Manhunter was one who did, and he reported directly to Amanda Waller as well as a few others.even The Batman still worked with The League, only he refused to follow any orders from Waller. That was another problem that needed to be dealt with, but there was always time to. The Green Lantern Corps had not been seen on the planet Earth or anywhere in the nearby sector. All that was around were those Red ones who had anger issues. As for a certain Green Lantern/Mystic that Waller hated the most. No one knew where he was. After that business with the Necronomicon and the invasion of the Alien Elder Gods, It was said that he fled the dimension with his family and that evil book to protect it. However, there were rumors of a young girl dressed in green who displayed similar powers working over seas playing hero dress-up over there. Amanda Waller kept tabs on other former vigilante's who stayed under the radar. Ones know as The Flash, or Green Arrow and even The Titans(Or what remained or them) Yes all was wonderful in Amanda's world, or so she thought. As she looked over the montior's all around her thoughts were interrupted by a voice

Excuse me Ma'am, but long range scanners have picked up some activity near the Planet Saturn. We can't detect what it is exactly but it's moving too fast and direct to be a mere asteroid or any other space debris. It is not answering any hailing frequencies for communication. What do you suggest we do?

Amanda leaned forward in her chair and grimaced. as she replied "Contact the Martian and put our planet wide defenses on alert. I am very sure Lex Luthor is already aware of this, as nothing goes unnoticed by Lex Luthor...still contact Mr. Luthor and inform him and tell him that The League needs to be on standby. This may be an invasion or a friendly visit. either way We must be prepared. Oh, and keep this out of the news media, we do not want the public to panic. I will inform the President myself of this development. That is all!"  

[Archon Thorne]

Hurtling through the vast expanse of space, Warworld was more of a planet in it's own right, rather than a battle installation. Although that much should have been obvious given it's rather simple. It was a massive beast of metal, it's insides interlaced with miles upon miles of machinery that helped to bring about it's continued functionality. At it's core was a series of several nuclear reactors that helped to power the entire planetoid, filling it with the vast amounts of energy needed to traverse operate it's hundreds of systems. However, the true beauty of Warworld, at least in Mongul's eyes, was the vast array of weaponry housed within. Ion cannons, particle beams, and plasmic torpedoes were but a few such weapons put to use by Warworld, either in defense or more to his preference, offense.

Yes, Warworld was a creation of magnificent wonder, and many were the interstellar nations and empires that had fallen to her fury. For those who inhabited Warworld, it had always been a subject of debate on how Mongul had gone about obtaining such a weapon. For surely the lord who had gone about ravaging his own planet would not have the capability or the fund to create such a wonder. Regardless of it's origins, it would forever be associated with the lord of Debstam. And his ever expanding Infinite Imperium.

Jettisoned itself through the great tracts of space, moving at hundreds of thousands of miles by the hour. The speed by which it moved betrayed it's massive bulk, but such was the power of it's engines that it did not matter. Smaller asteroids and meteorites were pushed aside by the artificial planet's hull. The ore from those meteors were collected from the hanger by drones, that scavenged the precious metals that would of course be needed to fuel the planet. For such a machine, required vast amounts of resources to maintain itself. There was an occasional quake across Warworld when a particular asteroid proved to large.

Mongul felt no such trembles from atop his podium. His ears were drowned out by the thunder of the crowd's applause at the sight of what went on within the arena below him. Two fairly large groups of gladiators fought at one another, using what crude weapons had been provided to them. Each group was the last of their respective species, thanks to Mongul himself. They fought for glory, for honor, for survival, but more to the point they fought because Mongul had given them no choice. The death of one side meant the death of their species, and only served to remind the spectators the power that Mongul held was absolute.

A drone hovered close to him, a serving tray held within it's many hands. He took a pro-offered drink, swirling the liquid within to further mix it.” Lord Commander, we are receiving another hail request from Earth. Would you have us ignore this one just like the others? “The drone chimed, it's lone optical unit lighting up with every word spoken. It hovered close to him,awaiting his word.

“Not precisely 627. There is no words to be bartered with these primitives. However, I suppose a message must be delivered. Dispatch a Frequency Code Crimson. I would have myself heard on every broadcast through out the planet....”He brought the cup close to his lips,downing half of it's content with much satisfaction. More was soon to follow.

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(Part One of Two, next to follow after 2-3 post.Connected announcement soon to follow.

Formidable Batwing

Nocturnal Vigilante

Dr Amanda Blake Waller

The Emerald Arrow

Dr John Henry Irons

LexCorp CEO

Superman Son of Krypton

 

[Archon Thorne]

Across the length and width of the planet Earth, orbiting satellites were hijacked by an unknown frequency. This frequency sent a broadcast to televisions and computers all through out the globe. And then he appeared. A giant of a man, obviously alien of some kind as by his hard yellow skin. He sat upon a silver throne, arms resting over his laps. He had a brutal yet regal majesty to him.He was silent for but a moment, his eyes fierce, as though he was glarimg at all of those watching the screens. And then he spoke.“People of Earth. I am Mongul, Tyrant of Debstam, Lord Commander of the Imperium Infinite, Master of Warworld. Many have been the planets to fall before me. Millions are the lives I have taken. Know that your world is next. You have only your so called 'saviors' to thank for what it is to come. Their continues insults towards myself and my authority are what has led to your coming fate. But they are no longer there to protect you. Superman and his league have abandoned all of you. Your Justice League is no more. And now, your world will pay for their mistakes. Know that this is not an invasion. What is coming is your absolute destruction.With that, all of the televisions returned to their original broadcast, leaving all of the people of Earth to wonder at what was going to happen. Who Mongul was. And what hell was coming their way.  

[Domina Mortem]

The TV had been turned onto a classical music channel as the music was playing throughout nearly the entire building; echoing down the long halls and through the doorways. Domina Mortem sat at her desk writing furiously on into a note book and switching between it with a parchment that she was drawing on. Making notes and ideas for construction on one of her mad creations. The would be terror had long since stopped parading herself around trying to prove her worth, and had taken to going about her business in private once more.
While also having the duties of Stormwatch on her plate, she couldn't afford to stay far from earth or the Eye of the Storm. Part of her felt like it wasn't called that anymore but it was what she knew it as.

Just as she started to hum to the music it had suddenly gone silent. Her writings ceased and her head started to slowly look up. Hearing a voice addressing the people of earth made her turn around in her swivel chair and look at the tv across the room. "Jerk just interrupted my music." She frowned before leaning back in her seat to listen to what this being had to say. By the time he finished speaking and her music returned to drown the building it had left her in thought. A finger tapping to the arm of the chair as she stared at the tv. Technically this could fall into her jurisdiction; it was a threat to earth after all.
Her red and black eyes shifted to look at her scythe on the wall. The idea of such a fight made a shiver run down her spine; it could be a good fight after all. Than again if she held back and let both sides go at it for awhile she'd benefit from the spoils too. "I think I'll wait to see how this one plays out." She thought aloud before grabbing her remote and switched to the news. It was only a matter of time till there were announcement from the president and so on now.  

[World Greatest Detective]

There were billions of sounds making its way into a familiar ear that rested in space. The sound of flowers blossoming in the early morning sunrise, the sound of birds chirping and racing through the clear skies, the sound of babies being born and crying out for the first time, the sound of children playing outside, the sound of parents correcting, the sound of parents crying, the sound of people drawing breath, the sound of people dripping sweat, the sound of heart pacing, the sound of lungs functioning, the sound of feet walking and running and chasing, the sound of busy streets full of hollering people, cars honking, brakes screeching, and conversations unfolding. The sound of heart breaking and tears falling, the sound of yelling and screaming, the sound of weather changing and the sound of thunders rolling. The sound of winds blowing and the sound of things falling. The sound of guns being loaded and the sounds of triggers being pulled. BAM BAM! The sound of life being taken, the sound of anger boiling and revenge spreading. The sound of televisions buzzing and the sound of a threat rising. The body of the kryptonian, the last son of Krypton, the symbol of Hope, the Man of Steel, and the one they call Superman, hovered with his arms away from his body, his torn cape being blown to the side by the powerful energy that was projected from the sun. It has been almost a whole year that the great hero has been away from public eyes. It has been almost a year that the caped hero has saved a soul. He has let innocent lives be taken away, he has heard their last breath being drawn and their last tear hitting the pavement. He has let all that happen for almost a year. But suddenly, a voice... stood out from all the billions and trillions of sound and noises that entered his ear. The sound of a Tyrannt, a Criminal, a Murderer, a powerful being that hasn't been seen or heard of in this galaxy. A being that Superman have not heard of in years, a being that the Kryptonian only thought were just tales and myth-like stories amongst the stars. A being that dares rise up against the people of Earth.



Superman heard the roaring engines of its ship on its way towards Earth, and he knew... It was time.

 

[The Emerald Arrow]

The flashing of red lights signaled the arrival of police on the scene; while Ollie could have potentially waited on them, he knew as well as others that crime is not so forgiving. It comes, and it goes, and he needed to be there at the next site, if at all possible. Normally he could just sit around and wait for something on the police scanners or possibly bump into another petty crook.

But just as he was about to zip away on an arrow a nearby television store flickered onto well... a displeasing face surely.

“People of Earth. I am Mongul, Tyrant of Debstam, Lord Commander of the Imperium Infinite, Master of Warworld. Many have been the planets to fall before me. Millions are the lives I have taken. Know that your world is next. You have only your so called 'saviors' to thank for what it is to come. Their continues insults towards myself and my authority are what has led to your coming fate. But they are no longer there to protect you. Superman and his league have abandoned all of you. Your Justice League is no more. And now, your world will pay for their mistakes. Know that this is not an invasion. What is coming is your absolute destruction."

"Well doesn't he just seem like a delight?" Oliver noted. He then took out a grappling hook arrow from his quiver and fired it up at a nearby building.

---Sometime later, Queen would be at his base of operations looking over the broadcast again. He wondered if this would bring back...nah... likely not.  

[LexCorp CEO]

Location: LexCorp Tower, Metropolis.



'May you live in interesting times' An old Chinese curse to some. A blessing to others. In this day and age everyone lived in interesting times. Little known to most people that most recently, a temporal incursion occurred, bringing in an organization from a parallel universe. A parallel Earth. An invasion. An invasion lead by individuals with special abilities that rivaled the Justice League of this Earth.hey were simply known as the Crime Syndicate. A perverse, corrupt, and every since of the way evil Justice League. Everything that the League stood for, the Crime Syndicate stood for the opposite. At this time few know the how, or the why the Syndicate invaded Earth. That information was only available to individuals in certain select circles in the now how.

Their first, was the Justice League themselves. Earth's first, last, and best defense. They were infiltrated from the inside out. They were also the first to fall to the Crime Syndicate. The remaining members that survived the initial invasion by the Syndicate went into hiding. The Syndicate also attempted to recruit those who were labeled unsavory, or did wrong in the eyes of the government, the law, or the Justice League themselves. They were given an ultimatum...you were either with them, or against them. Many flocked to the ranks to the Crime Syndicate attempting to form their own Secret Society out of the lot of them.

What the Crime Syndicate didn't expect, was resistance. Not from the Justice League, but those who they thought would share their views, and this Earth. They didn't expect opposition. And it came from the most notorious individuals from all around, a rag tag group that consisted of the likes of Black Adam of Kahndaq former champion of Shazam, the infamous mercenary for hire Deathstroke the Terminator, the Scourge of the Seven Seas Black Manta, and lead by one of the most influential men in the world today Lex Luthor.

Luthor with aid from his team and others was able to defeat the Crime Syndicate, save the members of the Justice League, and save the Earth itself. Luthor's team by now had gone their separate ways. Luthor advocated for pardons by the United States Government for some of the crimes his team members committed prior to the invasion of Earth. Which was granted though his connections inside the government, and Amanda Waller herself. Luthor's popularity right now in the public eye was at an all time high. The press and the public revered him greatly on the same level as Superman, or Batman.



In Metropolis there was celebrations in the streets particularly outside of LexCorp Tower. Which leads us to presently....

The crowds outside of LexCorp Tower grew in the thousands. Due to fans of Lex Luthor's actions, and the press that had gathered outside the tower itself. Luthor had been busy dealing with the clean up due to the temporal invasion by the Crime Syndicate himself, and handling the legal actions of his teammates that assisted him. Today, instead of flying in an expensive LexCorp private jet or helicopter, or even a nice car, Luthor walked the streets and was hosting a press conference outside the steps of LexCorp Tower. He had very little time to speak with them so far since the invasion or incursion.

You could see the dust, the nicks, the marks, the scrapes, on Luthor's armor as he made his way up the steps, as people mobbed him. There was minimal security around Luthor himself. No podium or stage at LexCorp. No pomp and circumstance done on Luthor's behalf. All of this was done by the people. Luthor could her the intangible voices calling out from him from the crown as he reached the last steps of LexCorp Tower. "Mr. Luthor!?" "Mr. Luthor!?" "Mr. Luthor!?" "Mr. Luthor!?" "Mr. Luthor, where has the Justice League gone?" "Mr. Luthor what are you intentions towards the Justice League?" "Mr. Luthor, what has happened to Superman? Batman? Wonder Woman." Then Luthor cried out to the crowd "Please please, ladies and gentlemen. I'd like to answer all your questions but in an orderly fashion."

Then the lights and the TV cameras from the press became affixed on him. Then the questions came:




While answering questions from the press, a electronic voice chimed out to him "Incoming transmission..." Suddenly he stopped and the crowd began to be become confused at his abruptness. He shouted out loud to the crowd and the press "Pardon me ladies and gentlemen, but I have pressing matters at hand! Believe me I would love to stay and answer your questions. Another time perhaps?" Then you could still hear the insistent questions of "Mr. Luthor?!" from the crowd as Luthor himself made his way into LexCorp Tower. "Welcome Mr. Luthor!" as one of the LexCorp receptionists greeted him with a smile as he walked near by the main desk in the lobby of LexCorp Tower. Before taking the elevator to his private lab. His eyes turned towards the TV screens in the lobby that were broadcasting news reports around the world from all the major news outlets. Then suddenly they all came to a stop and were interrupted by a strange and alien individual Luthor was unfamiliar with, and was broadcasted on all the major news channels.

Archon Thorne

Across the length and width of the planet Earth, orbiting satellites were hijacked by an unknown frequency. This frequency sent a broadcast to televisions and computers all through out the globe. And then he appeared. A giant of a man, obviously alien of some kind as by his hard yellow skin. He sat upon a silver throne, arms resting over his laps. He had a brutal yet regal majesty to him.He was silent for but a moment, his eyes fierce, as though he was glarimg at all of those watching the screens. And then he spoke.“People of Earth. I am Mongul, Tyrant of Debstam, Lord Commander of the Imperium Infinite, Master of Warworld. Many have been the planets to fall before me. Millions are the lives I have taken. Know that your world is next. You have only your so called 'saviors' to thank for what it is to come. Their continues insults towards myself and my authority are what has led to your coming fate. But they are no longer there to protect you. Superman and his league have abandoned all of you. Your Justice League is no more. And now, your world will pay for their mistakes. Know that this is not an invasion. What is coming is your absolute destruction.With that, all of the televisions returned to their original broadcast, leaving all of the people of Earth to wonder at what was going to happen. Who Mongul was. And what hell was coming their way.

"Oh good this again. Like we didn't go through something like this already weeks ago" He stated as he watched the television screens. The LexCorp employees had the look of shock and disbelief on their faces due to sudden appearance of this alien menace. A security guard walked up and approached Luthor and asked him "Mr. Luthor sir...what do we do now?" Luthor then turned to him and said in a stern manner,"Lockdown the building. No one gets in, or out. Calmly get the employees to the safe shelters. Have around the clock security patrols, level 5, maximum security at all times. I'm going to deal with our little alien problem." He said walking away from the security guard to a nearby elevator that was reserved for Luthor himself. He briskly walked inside the elevator car, and pressed one of the buttons that would take him down into his private labs. Then the electronic voice from his armor rang out again "Incoming transmission!" "From who?" he replied back "Amanda Waller" "Patch me through to Waller immediately. Luthor to Waller. I need a sitrep on this...what was his name...this Mongul. Got anything on him? Because I've never heard of him until a few minutes ago." he stated while the elevator was descending down.

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Formidable Batwing

Nocturnal Vigilante

Dr Amanda Blake Waller

The Emerald Arrow

Dr John Henry Irons

LexCorp CEO

Superman Son of Krypton

 

[Dr John Henry Irons]

Archon Thorne

John was continuing making his modifications to his armor when suddenly all his monitors flickered and then began to display a message from an individual he knew all too well. John slowly rose to his feet and listened with intend to what Mongul had to say. And as the maniac finished his banter and the monitors returned back to normal, John found himself angry yet fearful, his jaw locked and his fist clenched so tight he felt like he could turn coal into diamond, "Damnit....of all the times....damnit!! said John as he rushed over to the console and began typing as quickly as he could. He checked to see the scale of which the transmission was broadcast. Following relays of orbiting satellites, it was just as thought, "Worldwide transmission. But an interference of that scale would mean..... John paused for a moment then moved to another console and began typing. John knew that in order for Mongul to hack the world's communication network, he would need serious hardware. The only place that tyrant would have access to such tech would his mobile moon-sized base Warworld. Now the question was, how far away was it. John tried to use what little surveillance satellites he had access to to pinpoint Warworld's location but leaving the League to go underground left his resource limited. Hacking into the government was the last thing he wanted to do and trying to remote access the League mainframe was just as dangerous, "Don't have many options here. But I need to know how close he is." John let out a sigh of disappointment. And as he stood in silence, the words that Mongul said began to echo in his head. John then looked up at his screen, "Screw it. If that lunatic is on his way, I don't have time to go through proper channels." John decided to gain access to the government secure network using his old government credentials, after doctoring a few things first. He quickly gained access to the Government long range sensory array that was put in place to help aid the Earth in its defense. And with a few more strokes of the keyboard, he had access and was able to know the supposed position of Mongul's Warworld, "...passed the rings of Saturn some time ago. And given the calculated trajectory and plotted course it may take.....we don't have long. Damnit...." John let out another sigh then looked at his armor, "Well....looks like I have a world to help defend.... John finished the last bit of the data upgrades and, after disconnecting the cables, doned his Armor. He booted up his systems and after a quick check to make sure everything was functional, he left from his basement armory to the ground floor of Steelworks. He looked up at the skylight, opened it, and flew off into the sky and towards downtown Metropolis.  

[Nocturnal Vigilante]

Quote:

Formidable Batwing

1:59A.M.

Bruce beating at the wing chun dummy was the only sound in the cave, unless you were trying to listen for the cry of the bat up top. He had shed his suit for something a little more comfortable to train in. The patrol night was more or less a success. It opened up a new case to capture and put this new crime boss behind bars. Whoever he was, it wasn't long till he figured it out. He planned to head for Wayne Financials, along with the police department later that night do some interrogating of his own if Gordon and his men couldn't get the women to talk. Left..right, down, duck, left, right, block, right. He played out this actions in his head as he went through with them, to analyze himself, how he moved and how fast. If there was a chance for him to improve the right way, he took it.

"Sir, I believe someone is trying to make contact with the Batcave, Mr. Fox is it?"

"Alfred, you know Lucius he's not just a random employee."

"I meant his son, actually. Luke Fox. The one you trusted to work with you as Batwing."

He hadn't heard from him in awhile, although he kept tabs. Bruce put his arms down to his side as he walked over to the Bat-Computer, picking up a towel to wipe the sweat off from his forehead as he went. With a few taps on the keyboard, he brought up the active call connection between himself and Luke. "It's good to see you, Luke. If you're back in the city, there's something I'd like to bring you up to speed on." Bruce brought up another window filled with the writing he compiled from the information Alfred brought him. In an attempt to send the files over to Luke, Bruce found it troubling noticing the screen freeze over. Completely un-responsive, "What the.."

“People of Earth. I am Mongul, Tyrant of Debstam, Lord Commander of the Imperium Infinite, Master of Warworld. Many have been the planets to fall before me. Millions are the lives I have taken. Know that your world is next. You have only your so called 'saviors' to thank for what it is to come. Their continues insults towards myself and my authority are what has led to your coming fate. But they are no longer there to protect you. Superman and his league have abandoned all of you. Your Justice League is no more. And now, your world will pay for their mistakes. Know that this is not an invasion. What is coming is your absolute destruction."

In the middle of his speech, he tried to regain communications on the other end with Luke to no avail. Bruce's fist slammed against the surface. "Mongul.." He remained calm, he knew not to worry in times of what should be stress inducing. His mind raced to any available heroes there would be to combat the tyrant once more. This would be tough to avoid without him. He frowned, remembering the day, the day it all crashed and burned. He was up somewhere in space waiting for something, charging even. No doubt he heard this from way up there.

"The night isn't over after all?"

"When is it ever?" He was over at the display cases responding as he took individual pieces of his suit. From boots to cowl, the solid black armor wrapped itself comfortably around his body.
"I need to contact the others," He listed them off in his head, although there were very few he trusted enough to gather with again.

"And what of the pending issue here in Gotham, sir?"
Bruce hesitated as he made way for the Batwing. He was diving right back into what he wanted to get out of. That's the thing, the bad guys don't threaten just one city, continent, or country. It's always the world. They can never just settle. He hopped inside the Batwing's cockpit, the roaring sound of the start up as it ascended higher and higher into the cave, angling it right for the exit.

"What exactly is the plan, sir?" The Batwing shot off through the hole in the side of the mountain. "Prepare."