Siege of Gotham

[Cazzik]

GOTHAM CITY - THE BATCAVE

Ethan Stark lay on his back waiting for the stars to subside. Though he had landed on a mat the wind had still been knocked out of him. The broody voice of his sparring partner came from his right, "You aren't going to get much practice on the floor, Stark."

Ethan sighed, "I know, I know. I'm just giving you a chance to catch your breath. Seems like you need it. That last one didn't even hurt."

The voice of Donna, Stark's state of the art artificial assistant echoed from his watch, "Your pain index spiked severely, Mr. Stark. It would seem that, it did in fact, hurt."

Henry Wayne threw a towel around his neck and reached his hand down and helped Ethan to his feet, "You are getting better. But don't lose your armor anytime soon, okay?"

Before Ethan could answer, the sparring session between the unarmed Batman and Iron Man was interrupted by Oracle, the Batman's answer to Donna, "Full analysis of the coin has been completed."

Ethan Stark had not originally planned on a sparring match when he came to Gotham City. He was here on business....hero business. Recently he had discovered a vault in Stark Tower, hidden within the confines of his father's old lab. It held a myriad of trinkets, some he recognized and others he didn't. This particular trinket was shaped like a coin, about the size of a fifty cent piece. Stark was unable to find any record in his database or by searching other accessible databases. What he did know was this, despite being solid gold the coin seemed, thus far, impervious to harm. The coin also seemed to attract electricity at a high level. Oh yeah...and it started glowing when he removed it from the vault.

He wasn't 100% certain, but the coin seemed to be bypassing science altogether and dabbling in the more mystical side of things. It was at this point that Iron Man decided to get a second opinion. Ethan stood behind Henry as the Batman brought up the report. Unfortunately, it possessed nothing new. Solid gold, somehow was acting as an electrical conductor, and so far seemed un-phased by physical harm. Stark frowned, "Looks like we need to find a Doctor....Strange or Fate. Pretty sure either would do."

Wayne continued to stare at the report, "And do you know where we can find either of those?"

"Currently....no," Stark shrugged admittedly, "But considering some of the other items sitting in the same vault we really need to know what this is. Dad locked it away for a reason."

**********

ELSEWHERE IN GOTHAM CITY - GOTHAM UNIVERSITY
DORM ROOM OF HARPER REED AND CHARLOTTE CAMERON

Harper Reed sat on the cream colored couch drinking her tea and staring intently at her laptop screen. Her roommate, Charlotte Cameron, was curled up in the chair next to her, reading one of her text books. Harper continued to glance up at the window, waiting for the sun to fully set. Then it was time to make an excuse and bail out to go patrolling. She loved it, even though Nightwing had seemingly ditched her to head off to sunny National City....where his ex lived. Harper's brow furrowed but she said nothing and shook the feeling off. She definitely needed to get out and get some exercise and maybe punch something.

Not to mention she would get to meet Iron Man if he was still there. Robin had texted her earlier and told her about the visit and the ensuing sparring match. She had so wanted to see that. She felt a slight smile pull at the corner of her mouth over the thought of an unarmed Iron Man attempting to spar with the Batman. Probably was a pretty one sided fight. Her smile left as quickly as it had arrived. Something outside had caught her eye. Harper set her laptop down on the table next to her and approached the window. Something was off, she could feel it. Charlotte looked up from her book, "What's wrong?"

Before Harper could respond she turned, completely on instinct, and tackled her friend to the floor. Glass exploded inward as black clad warriors flooded in through the opening, brandishing blades of all kinds. Harper's eyes widened.....the League of Assassins was standing in her dorm room.

**********

THEMYSCIRA - PALACE OF QUEEN SOPHIA

"You're sure?" Questioned Sophia, Queen of the Amazons. Her warriors stood before her, five of them. The lead nodded her head, "We are. The signal was strong. The gods have sensed an awakening. Something powerful has been unleashed in the world of men."

Sophia stood and walked over to the fire to warm herself, "And the gods couldn't have been a little more insightful with their message? No other information was given?"

The warrior shook her head, "No, my queen. Nothing further is known....at least by us."

"And which of the gods sent this message to us, sister?" Sophia's voice was biting, "It was obviously not the Skyfather as he is no more. His brothers have not been heard from in an age. So who? Hermes the great trickster? Or perhaps Ares himself, rising to make war once again."

The Amazon warrior, clearly uncomfortable at this point, responded, "I am uncertain, Queen Sophia. All I know is it was a divine message from Olympus."

Sophia nodded, "Apologies, sister. I did not mean to question you or your service to our people. Thank you for the information and notify me immediately if there is another message."

The group of warriors nodded in unison and left the palace. Sophia turned to one of her guards, "Bring me Princess Elena."

**********

BACK IN THE BATCAVE

An alarm blared throughout the cave and Henry turned back to his massive computer terminal. Ethan frowned, "What the hell is that alarm for?"

Wayne's eyes narrowed, "Perimeter breach." He pulled up video of the surrounding estate and the pair watched as several dark clothed individuals moved quickly across the property towards Wayne Manor.

[Mir]

Gotham University (Home of the...Who can remember at a time like this)
Dorm Room of Harper Reed and Charlotte Cameron (Strict No Shady People Allowed Rule - Currently being violated)

“What the hell is going on?” Charlotte asked, her eyes wide as she scrambled backwards on the floor. Glass was all around her and she was pushing into it (ouch), adrenaline making her ignore the cuts on palms and arms (super ouch).

“How the hell should I know?” Harper said. All thoughts of going on patrol had fled. After all, why did she need to do that when apparently a fight had come to her? “Get back.” She said.

“I don’t think the self defense class we took is going to help.” Charlotte hissed.

Harper dropped into a ready stance, cursing the fact that she had undersold what training she had during said self defense class. Charlotte had insisted they go to it (because Gotham is so super safe you know?) and Harper had been bored out of her mind. “Just get back.”

She leapt into action, letting the flow of the fight dictate her movements. She moved throughout the room in a way Charlotte had never seen her do before. As Harper’s foot placed against the wall and she spun off, connecting with the side of one of these ninja’s heads, Charlotte had two thoughts run through her head (almost three).

The first was that they had definitely not covered that in her class. Had Harper taken the advanced course? (She better not have, Charlotte hadn’t gotten an invite).

The second was that she felt really glad Harper was wearing Doc Martens because that would have really hurt her foot (almost as much as the bleeding from her palms was starting to hurt).

Whatever third thought she was going to have left her brain as a black clad…person ran up towards her and she screamed (Scream Queen quality). Backpedaling further and getting up off the ground, she ran into their kitchen, looking for something, anything (Knife, skillet, dishtowel, soap dispenser, cheese grater). She had finished doing the dishes before she had sat down to read, letting everything dry on their dishcloth. There were an assorted series of odds and ends of a kitchen there, from when Charlotte had made chili earlier in the day. (Secret recipe, it’s in the cumin).

She turned back around and narrowly missed a dagger slicing through the air.

“What in the actual fu-” Charlotte said, blindly grabbing ahold of something from the counter and swinging it. She really hoped it was the kitchen knife.

It was not.

The mug did not have the reach of a knife. She looked down at it and then up at the person, who stared quizzically before starting towards her. Charlotte threw the mug and the ninja (she guessed) brought his arm (again another guess towards sex, this person is completely covered) up and the mug (priceless. Fall Semester Art 203’s Final Project) shattered against his arm.

She turned back to the stove and grabbed the large pot that had the chili and turned back.

“Don’t you make me doing this.” She said.

The shadowy ninja man charged forward in the small kitchen and she cried (on the inside) as she threw the contents of the pot at the guy.

He skidded backwards and fell to the ground. She turned back, dropping the pot and grabbed the cast iron skillet (from when she’d browned the beef. Also, finally!) and turned back around, conking him on the head.

Charlotte ran into the other room (gingerly but she had an obligation to her roommate and good friend), and watched as Harper dropkicked the second to last ninja (girl? This one has a ponytail). The ninja girl (assumption, again), fell through their coffee table.

(What a find. 60 bucks at a second hand store. Much sadness).

“Charlie, you good?” Harper asked.

Her eyes were off the prize as the last ninja (definitely a guy unless a girl on roids) kicked Harper square in the chest, knocking her back.

Charlotte threw the cast iron skillet as hard as she could.

It connected with the knee.

That had to hurt.

Harper ran forward and jumped, bringing her knee into the black clad man’s head.

That had to hurt more. (maybe. It’s not a contest though).

Charlie was panting, hands on her knees.

“We got to get out of here.”

“Like move? Yeah that could work.” Charlie said. “I think one of the other dorms, Hollyoaks has an opening, maybe?”

(It didn’t.)

Harper grabbed Charlie’s arm and shoved her out of the door, grabbing a yellow backpack on the floor as they left.

[Nichalus]

The elevator doors slide open with a quiet chime, revealing a tastefully dressed woman in a sharp business suit and jacket, her appearance a striking contrast to the ruggedness of the Batcave. Her heels click softly on the stone floor, the sound almost drowned by the wailing alarm klaxons reverberating through the vast, shadowed chamber.

She moves with an air of effortless grace, her stride smooth, confident, and deliberate. Her tailored jacket is a soft charcoal gray, perfectly fitted over a blouse of ivory silk, exuding professionalism and control. Strawberry blonde hair is swept back in a sleek style, and her eyes are sharp, focused, unfazed by the blaring alarms and the shadows that seem to move in the cave's far reaches.

Without breaking her stride, she surveys the high-tech equipment surrounding her—the Cave's computer's massive screens displaying streams of data, the rows of vehicles in various stages of readiness, and the suits lined up like sentinels. Though the Batcave is vast and imposing, her presence feels like it was always meant to be there. pausing in the center of the cave, commanding the space with her presence. Though the Batcave is vast and imposing, her presence feels like it was always meant to be there.

"Mr. Wayne," she says, her voice steady and composed, echoing in the cavernous space, "As I am sure that I don't need to tell you, but a small contingent of malefactors are approaching the Manor and the Cave."

Henry’s gaze is focused, but she meets it without hesitation, clearly unfazed. This conversation is important, and she is here for a reason. "Yes, I am very aware."

As she pauses in the center of the Batcave, her sharp gaze shifts slightly, landing on another figure—Ethan Stark, the brilliant tech tycoon and Iron Man, standing near one of the Batcave’s many high-tech consoles. His presence, though unexpected, doesn’t seem to surprise her. Clad in a signature workout suit, Stark has an air of ease and confidence, his sharp eyes gleaming with curiosity beneath his trademark charm.

The woman arches a brow ever so slightly, acknowledging him with a glance, before returning her attention to Henry. There’s a subtle tension in the air, though her composure never falters.

“Stark,” she says, her voice calm, with just a hint of knowing. "I suppose you're here for the some reason."

Ethan smirks, his arms crossed casually. “Well, I couldn't resist. You know me—always curious about what the Bat’s up to, training and promptly getting my ass kicked by the Batman. Or should I say… Mr. Wayne?” His eyes flick from her to Henry, the tension thickening as the two men exchange a silent look.

She turns back to Henry. "Seems like you've been keeping interesting company."

Henry’s lips curl into a half-smirk as he steps over to one of the glass cases containing a Batsuit. Without missing a beat, he punches in a quick code on the panel beside it. The case hisses open, revealing the sleek, armored suit inside.

With practiced ease, Henry strips down, his movements precise and efficient, revealing the battle-hardened body beneath the tailored clothes. Stark, always one for commentary, raises an eyebrow but remains silent, watching the transformation with a knowing grin.

Piece by piece, Henry begins donning the Batsuit. The armor clinks as it locks into place over his frame, transforming him from the man who stands before them into the iconic figure that strikes fear into the hearts of criminals. His motions are mechanical, perfected through countless repetitions, as if the weight of the suit is an extension of his own skin.

Once fully suited, Henry turns, his cape settling in a ripple of dark fabric. The Bat emblem gleams on his chest under the cave’s low light. His presence is undeniable, a looming shadow of both mystery and justice.

Ethan Stark, leaning against one of the cave’s consoles, chuckles lightly, his eyes gleaming with both admiration and amusement. "You never did like to waste time, huh?"

Henry’s eyes, now barely visible behind the dark cowl, shift to Stark, the half-smirk disappearing, replaced by a grim line. "I don’t have time to waste," he replies, his voice now deeper, more commanding.

Batman’s gaze shifts from the woman to Ethan Stark, his expression serious beneath the cowl. After a brief moment of silence, he speaks with that deep, commanding voice.

"Stark, this is Claire Elisabeth Pennyworth."

Evan raises an eyebrow, his smirk fading slightly as he looks at Claire with renewed interest. "Pennyworth?" he echoes, recognizing the significance of the name.

Claire, standing tall, gives Stark a polite nod, her composure unshaken. There’s an unmistakable air of confidence about her, the same kind of steady grace that has long been associated with the Pennyworth family. Stark’s curiosity deepens, but Claire remains as calm and measured as ever, as if this introduction was just another step in a much larger plan.

Ethan tilts his head, a glint of intrigue in his eyes. "Interesting. And here I thought I knew all the important players."

[Nichalus]

Batman turns away from Claire and strides toward the main computer, his cape sweeping behind him in a familiar arc. Claire follows silently, her eyes focused on the massive screen ahead. Batman begins typing rapidly, executing a series of commands that flood the screen with data, surveillance feeds, and tactical information.

Without turning around, his voice cuts through the tension. "Stark, suit up."

Ethan, standing a few feet away, smirks at the command. "Finally," he mutters under his breath. With a tap on his wrist device, his Iron Man suit begins assembling around him with a familiar hum, the red and gold plates locking into place with mechanical precision. In moments, Ethan is fully suited, his arc reactor glowing brilliantly in his chest, the mask lowering over his face.

As Batman continues inputting data, a holographic map of Gotham City lights up the computer’s massive screen. Claire observes the scene with silent attentiveness, understanding the gravity of the situation. The room hums with tension as both men prepare for what’s to come.

"Time's running out," Batman murmurs, his eyes focused on the strategic details unfolding on the screen.

Batman’s hands slow as they hover over the keyboard, his finger poised above the execute key. The glow of the Batcomputer reflects in his eyes, casting long shadows across his face, but for the briefest of moments, he hesitates. His finger lingers just above the button, as if some inner battle is raging, a part of him unwilling to finalize what he knows must be done.

The weight of his decision is palpable, hanging heavy in the air. For a man who always acts decisively, this fleeting hesitation is telling. Perhaps it’s the enormity of the mission before them, or the lives that hang in the balance—whatever the reason, something holds him back.

Claire watches him closely, her keen eyes catching the subtle pause, though she says nothing. Stark, suited up as Iron Man, glances at the hesitation but remains silent as well, knowing that the Dark Knight’s decisions are never taken lightly.

Then, with a slow breath, Batman’s expression hardens. His jaw clenches, and the weight of the hesitation vanishes. He presses the key, the screen flashing as the system processes his command.

The Batcave hums with the sounds of machinery coming to life, the Batmobile activating, weapons systems aligning. The plan is in motion, and there’s no turning back now.

Just as the final command is entered, the Batcave's speakers crackle to life with the calm, synthetic voice of D.O.N.N.A., Batman's new AI system.

--State Final Authorization Code, Mr. Wayne-- D.O.N.N.A. intones, her voice precise and clear and very familiar to Stark.

Ethan Stark, caught off guard, spins around to face the source of the voice. His helmet retracts, revealing a wide-eyed expression, both surprised and amused. "What the F—?" he starts, a grin spreading across his face as he quickly processes the situation.

Batman, his fingers still resting on the console, doesn’t bother to turn around. The barest hint of a smirk pulls at the corner of his mouth. "You're not the only one who knows how to hack a system, Stark."

Stark’s grin only grows wider, a low chuckle escaping him. "Oh, I see how it is now," he says, shaking his head. "You've got yourself a shiny little AI too, which was mine, huh? Nice touch."

Without missing a beat, Batman straightens up, his expression returning to its usual stoic resolve. He leans slightly toward the mic embedded in the console and speaks with his signature calm authority.

"Authorization code: Omega-Bravo-741."

D.O.N.N.A. responds immediately, --Final Authorization Code accepted. Operation sequence initiated.--

The Batcave’s systems hum to life, screens lighting up with mission parameters, weapon systems aligning, and tactical drones powering up. Both Batman and Stark know that from this moment forward, everything is set into motion. Claire remains silent, observing the exchange with her usual calm demeanor, though the slightest glint in her eyes suggests she wasn’t surprised by Batman's resourcefulness.

Batman, without breaking stride, reaches into his utility belt and pulls out the ancient-looking coin. The metal glints under the Batcave’s lights, its surface etched with strange, cryptic symbols. With a sharp flick of his wrist, he flips the coin toward Stark who catches it in midair, his suit's enhanced reflexes kicking in effortlessly.

“Take this to a safe place,” Batman says, his voice low and commanding. “It cannot be allowed to fall into the hands of the Legion of Shadows.”

Ethan’s amusement fades, replaced by a more serious expression as he realizes the weight of what’s just been handed to him. He glances at Batman, noting the intensity in his eyes. "Legion of Shadows, huh?" Stark mutters, gripping the coin tightly. “Sounds like we’re playing for some high stakes.”

Batman nods, his gaze unyielding. "You have no idea. If they get their hands on that, everything changes. And not for the better."

Stark gives a quick, confident nod as his Iron Man helmet snaps back into place. “You know me, I always keep the good stuff out of the wrong hands.” He turns towards the exit of the cave's long cavernous entryway, preparing to leave.

"Watch your back, Stark," Batman adds, his voice carrying the weight of years of experience. "The Legion won't be far behind you."

"Let 'em try," Stark replies, his voice crackling through the Iron Man suit's speakers. With a final glance at Batman and Claire, he jets off into the night sky, the coin safely in his grasp.

[Nichalus]

Batman turns his gaze to Claire, who stands motionless and composed, her expression as stoic as ever despite the gravity of what’s to come. She knows exactly what lies ahead, but her calm remains unshaken. As if on cue, the Batmobile silently glides up behind her, the cockpit sliding open with a quiet hiss.

Without missing a beat, Claire deftly leaps into the driver’s seat with a fluid motion, making the notoriously difficult task look effortless. She grips the steering wheel, her sharp eyes scanning the dashboard for a moment before turning back to Batman.

He can't help but quip, his tone deadpan but with the faintest hint of humor. "No detours through the McDonald's drive-thru, Claire."

Claire smirks slightly, the only crack in her otherwise cool demeanor. She raises an eyebrow, then delivers her response with the same dry wit she’s known for.

"Not unless you want a Bat-Burger with extra justice on the side," she replies smoothly, not missing a beat.

Batman shakes his head, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly in amusement. It’s typical Claire—always ready with a one-liner, no matter the situation. The Batmobile’s engine roars to life, and in an instant, she’s gone, the car vanishing into the tunnels of the Batcave with a roar.

For a moment, Batman stands there, watching her disappear into the distance. Then his focus sharpens once more, turning back to the screens. The mission ahead is critical, but at least he can count on Claire to get the job done—without stopping for a drive-thru snack.

Batman’s eyes narrow as he watches the monitors tracking the Batmobile’s progress through the tunnels. The high-resolution feed shows the sleek vehicle tearing through the dimly lit passages, its engine roaring with a ferocity that echoes through the Batcave.

Suddenly, movement catches his eye—several Legion of Shadows soldiers lurking within the tunnels, their silhouettes barely visible as they attempt to ambush Claire. But before they can make their move, the Batmobile reacts with precision, veering slightly as its automated defense systems engage.

In an instant, the car plows through the soldiers with ruthless efficiency. One soldier is flung aside by the Batmobile’s reinforced frame, while another is taken down by a stun blast from its side-mounted cannons. A third attempts to dive out of the way but is swiftly incapacitated by a well-timed tire trap that deploys from the Batmobile’s undercarriage.

Claire, cool as ever, navigates through the chaos without hesitation, her hands steady on the wheel. She doesn't even need to break stride, the Batmobile handling the threat effortlessly. Batman watches it all unfold on the screens, his expression remaining unreadable, though he’s clearly impressed by her skill and the Batmobile's flawless performance.

“Typical Claire,” he mutters to himself, half-smirking.

As the last of the Legion soldiers are dispatched, the Batmobile accelerates into the darkness of the tunnel, pushing forward toward its next objective. The screens go quiet, and Batman turns away, knowing that at least for now, Claire’s path is clear. But the real fight is just beginning.

Suddenly, the atmosphere in the Batcave shifts as a swarm of Legion Assassins pours into the space from multiple directions. From the tunnel Claire just sped through, a fresh wave of attackers emerges, while above, several dozen assassins descend swiftly on rappelling lines from the cavern ceiling. Their approach is coordinated, their movements precise.

As they slide down the lines, some of the assassins arm themselves with bows, nocking arrows in quick succession. Their aim is deadly, arrows cutting through the air with a high-pitched whistle, each one aimed directly at Batman.

Without hesitation, Batman pivots, his cape snapping open in a wide arc as he raises it in defense. The arrows that come too close are deflected by the reinforced armor hidden within the cape’s fabric. With a flick of his wrist, he sends the projectiles spiraling away, their sharp tips bouncing harmlessly off the cave floor or embedding in the nearby rock walls.

More arrows come, but Batman is already moving, his reflexes as sharp as ever. He darts between the incoming fire, his movements a blur of shadow and precision. The assassins are skilled, but Batman is always one step ahead, calculating their trajectory with cold efficiency. The more precise shots are deflected effortlessly, his cape acting as both shield and weapon, shrouding him in a swirling cloud of darkness.

In one fluid motion, he flings a handful of batarangs into the air. The projectiles cut through the rappelling lines, sending several assassins crashing to the ground, while others are forced to abandon their descent or land awkwardly, momentarily disoriented. The bow-wielding assassins falter as their cover is compromised, allowing Batman the opening he needs.

“Nice try,” he mutters under his breath as he prepares for the next wave, his eyes scanning the room, assessing the battle.

More assassins close in, weapons drawn, but Batman stands ready—his cape billowing around him like a dark storm. The fight is only beginning.

As the second wave of Legion assassins enters the Batcave, moving like shadows through cracks in the walls, Batman remains motionless, standing in the very center of the vast cavern. His cape hangs still, and his face is calm, knowing that this moment is exactly what he’s been waiting for. The assassins, moving slowly and cautiously, have no idea what is coming.

Batman’s eyes flick upward toward a specific hidden camera, and with a precise blink, he sends the final command to the Batcave’s defense systems. His stance remains rigid, unmoving, as the assassins close in—too late.

In milliseconds, protective lenses slide over the eye slots in Batman’s cowl. Then, the entire Batcave explodes in light. Hundreds of ultra-powerful lamps, positioned in every corner and hidden crevice, ignite all at once, bathing the entire cave in a blinding, searing white light. The usually dim and shadow-filled sanctuary becomes a world of brilliance, leaving no inch of space unilluminated.

The Legion assassins, trained to operate in darkness and shadows, are caught completely off-guard. They raise their arms to shield their eyes, but the intensity is overwhelming. Their formation crumbles as they stagger, some falling to their knees, disoriented and blinded. The cave is silent except for their confused movements.

When the light finally fades after several agonizing moments, and their eyes struggle to adjust, they look back to the center of the cave—the spot where Batman stood.

He’s gone.

The assassins panic. Some exchange confused glances, while others instinctively spread out, weapons ready. But the emptiness where Batman stood is part of a larger plan. They are right where he wants them.

Suddenly, the roar of powerful jet engines fills the cave as the Batplane comes to life. From its hangar built into the side of the cave, the sleek, black aircraft emerges, its engine flaring bright as it soars into the vast space. Batman, now inside, maneuvers the plane with precision, heading toward the cave's exit. The assassins look up, their hearts sinking as they realize what is coming.

Inside the cockpit, Batman's face is set in grim determination. His eyes flick to the rear camera, watching the confused assassins as they scramble below. His fingers hover over a final command.

"Execute ‘Out of Time,’" he says, his voice cold.

--Out of Time... Execute,-- D.O.N.N.A., the Batcave's advanced AI system, repeats, her voice echoing through the cavern.

--Goodbye...assholes-- she adds, just as every exit and door to the Batcave slams shut with a thunderous clang. The walls vibrate as massive steel barriers lock into place, sealing the assassins inside.

Without a second to react, every piece of equipment in the cave, every trap, every hidden explosive, is activated. The cave erupts in a symphony of destruction. Explosions ripple through the walls, sending shrapnel and debris flying in every direction. Weapons caches, munitions stores, and tech stations detonate in a perfectly orchestrated sequence of deadly force. The once-imposing Legion assassins are thrown into chaos as the Batcave itself collapses around them, their fate sealed.

Above ground, the carnage isn't confined to the cave.

Wayne Manor, historic and imposing, filled with yet more Legion assassins infiltrating the home, also erupts in flames. A massive explosion tears through the mansion, sending debris and fire high into the night sky. The shockwave ripples across the Gotham landscape as the manor, like the Batcave, is consumed in a fireball of fury, the remains of its iconic structure shattered in a cataclysmic burst.

The Batplane rockets out of the cave’s exit, clearing the destruction just in time. As Batman flies into the dark Gotham night, he looks down at the chaos left behind, his expression hard, knowing that the Legion of Shadows has been dealt a devastating blow. But his war is far from over.

The Batcave is gone, Wayne Manor lies in ruins, but Batman remains. As always, he's prepared for what comes next.

[Mir]

“What the hell is going on?” Charlie asked, which she felt was a very reasonable question. I mean, honestly.

“How the hell should I know?” Harper replied and her friend eyed her as she reached out and repeatedly pressed the close door button on the elevator. “What?”

“Either you took the advanced self defense class or there’s something you’re not telling me.” Please tell me it’s not some elaborate ruse by your ex-boyfriend to get back at you. Chris was a total loser

Harper stared straight in front of herself, reminding Charlie of a dog that knew it was in trouble and was trying to hide in plain sight. “Out with it.” She said.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Harper said (liar) as the elevator dinged and the doors opened. “Come on, let’s get out of here.”

“Ninjas attack us, just us, and you know nothing about it?” Charlie protested as she was dragged from the elevator.

They were in the lobby and out the front door in moments. Harper’s eyes were moving back and forth as if she was looking for someone or something. “You okay with riding on my motorcycle?”

“With the way you drive?” She goes way beyond doing fifty-five in the fifty-four.

Harper shot her a look now and Charlie shrugged. Harper led them towards the parking garage attached to the dorm, which her motorcycle was. Her regular motorcycle, it was not decked out with enhancements that would make this easier, but the modifications it did have would allow her to get them out of there. She wasn’t sure what the next step was after that, but Henry had taught her one step at a time. Maybe when Charlie wasn’t looking she would contact the rest of the gang to figure out what was going on.

She was rather surprised that she had not been contacted yet, but at the same time if they were dealing with their own attacks similar to this, it made a lot of sense.

Harper’s thoughts were rudely intruded as a van came spinning into the parking garage as they reached the second floor, where her bike was. It did not look friendly, if a van could have looks. Well, it wasn’t the van, it was more the three ninjas hanging off the sides of it.


“That doesn’t look friendly.”

“No shit, Charles.” Harper said, dragging Charlotte behind some junior’s sedan. She brought both her hands up and sent them running through her hair as she closed her eyes and weighed their options.

Remember your training.

On balance, she knew what needed to be done.

“Okay, I have a confession.” Harper said, eyes still closed, but digging through the yellow backpack.

“You went to an advanced self defense class.”

“No.” Harper said, pulling a batarang out of the backpack. “But there’s something I’m not telling you.” She spun upwards and threw the batarang at the oncoming van.

She came back down as an explosion rocked the parking garage. Charlie’s eyes were wide.

“Harper Guinevere Reed.” Yeah, yeah use the full name. Make her feel guilty as fuuuuuuuck.

Harper winced. “I need you to get real cool about some real shit, real fast.”

[Cazzik]

Stark didn't even slow down when the explosion registered with his systems. He knew Wayne had a contingency and that he was okay. Iron Man had a role to play and so did the Batman and right now his role was to keep this coin away from the League of Shadows. Ethan opened up a com channel to Stark Tower, "Mercedes! You need to lock down the tower. Now! Tell Morgan to suit up just in case. You might have company."

Misty Knight's voice echoed through his helmet, "On it. What's going on?"

Iron Man continued his flight path and stopped suddenly as he saw a boy on a rooftop, enemies attempting to follow Stark now closing in around him, "Not sure but if anyone looking like a ninja tries to get in shoot first and ask questions later. I think they're after something I brought with me to Gotham but you never know."

Mercedes Knight confirmed the information and vanished from the line. Stark, now hovering, fired several repulsor blasts at the enemies swarming the nearby roof. His eyes narrowed in the mask, "Armor, activate A.I. number 12." It took only a brief second to replace D.O.N.N.A. with another system, one that he had much more history with. He smiled as she spoke.

<Hello, Stark. It appears we are under attack. Have you thought about fighting back by chance?>

Ethan let out an audible laugh, "Friday, I missed you." Before he soared down to rescue the boy he noticed something odd....the ninjas were running right past him and he didn't seem at all phased by their presence. The boy just stared up at Iron Man from the roof, his ruffled black hair slightly visible beneath his red hoodie. The kid then raised his hand to the air and before Iron Man realized what he was doing he pulled the trigger of the gun, sending a brilliant flare into the sky above them. Later on, Stark would remember that moment as the moment when all hell broke loose.

An explosion from behind vibrated the city. Iron Man whirled around to see the nearest bridge collapsing into the bay. More explosions quickly followed; bridge after bridge erupting in flame before being swallowed by the dark water beneath. This wasn't just an attack on Batman....this was a full fledged assault on Gotham City. Something massive was at play. "All right, Friday. We're done screwing around. We need eyes in the sky right now. Activate Big Brother."

Iron Man then moved quickly away from the rooftops where their enemies seemed to be gathering in an attempt to get to him. As he flew multiple marble sized drones were released from his armor, shooting away from him at incredible speeds. Using his suit he was coordinating their locations, blanketing the city so they could see everything and what he saw was incredible from a coordination standpoint. He was witnessing an army of ninjas invading the city and multiple high tech submarines just below the watery surface. They were heavily armed, many of which were near the bridges that had been taken out. "Friday, sync up Big Brother data with D.O.N.N.A and send pertinent information to all first responders in Gotham City and the surrounding area."

<Data synchronization is complete. Information has been sent.>

Iron Man's armor accessed Batman's communications, attempting to reach all members of Henry's team, "This is Iron Man. If you're getting this than you need to know it's not just a few Ninjas. There is a literal army invading Gotham City, including naval support and one really creepy ass kid that may or may not be orchestrating this whole thing."

There was a loud screeching sound and Stark whipped around to see three man sized, reptilian creatures flying straight for him, smoke and flames licking the air as it poured from their open jaws. Iron Man continued speaking, "And dragons....they also have dragons."

[Cazzik]

An aerial battle like Gotham had never seen was taking place just above the city scape. Iron Man was dodging inferno blasts and razor sharp teeth and claws all while returning fire. Below them the silent army of ninjas continued their task, Stark's drones tracking movements and sending data to Friday and Donna. None of the Bats had responded to Iron Man's hails. He was beginning to think they hadn't made it.

The first of the dragons shrieked as repulsor energy hit it multiple times, sending it crashing into one of the adjacent buildings. Wings broken, it still tried to climb out of the rubble. Ethan circled around and released another barrage of repulsor fire making sure the reptile didn't get back up a second time. Ethan launched himself higher, barely missing a clawed assault from the other two. Targeting scanners locked on the second beast and an array of clustered missiles erupted from Iron Man's shoulders, detonating on contact and making sure the winged enemy was no longer able to harm anyone. As the final dragon gained on him he "hit the breaks" and flipped over the top of the creature, gripping it by the head and allowing a wrist mounted laser to detach the neck from the shoulders.

He watched the final creature fall from the sky before scanning the city below. It wasn't just ninjas anymore. Soldiers in black armor with red accents were emerging from the bay, firing high powered rifles at the first responders showing up. "Friday, send drone data to S.H.I.E.L.D. and Vanguard. We need backup now."

Ethan opened another channel to Batman, "If any of you are still out there I'm calling in the cavalry. I know it's your city but none of you have answered and trust me, we need the help."

Before he could continue he watched as three of the submersibles broke the surface, each launching a missile that quickly honed in on him, "Well....shit." Iron Man turned and soared upward, allowing the missiles to fall in line behind him. Gritting his teeth he accelerated downward, weaving in and out of skyscrapers, slowing the speed of the projectiles. He slowed just enough to bring the missiles in close before accelerating again and diving directly into the bay. The weapons followed and detonated underneath one of the submersibles just as Iron Man erupted from the water on the other side.

The grin that spread across his face was short lived as a massively powerful energy blast sent him spiraling through the nearest skyscraper. Iron Man hit the ground hard, bouncing several times before coming to a halt, "Friday, what the hell was that?!"

As she answered, Ethan watched as an armored assailant with giant red eyes landed in front of him.

<That appears to be Black Manta. I would suggest you get off your butt and start firing back.>

[Mir]

“This is the single most ridiculous thing I’ve ever seen.” Charlie said. It really was.

“It’s really not. You grew up in Minnesota, literally anything you saw when you stepped outside of the homestead farm was the most ridiculous thing you’ve ever seen.” It really wasn't.

“I didn’t grow up on a farm and you know that. I mean, why does this need to be this tight and just…Everyone can see everything, Harper.”

Charlie was staring, gawking was probably the better term at Harper, who was now no longer dressed in her lounging around the dorm clothes but rather in a tight fitting suit that Charlie had seen on the news in blurry pictures and videos. “You really are Batgirl.”

“It’s wicked cool, am I right?” Batgirl waved her hands and did a little shimmy.

There was something nice about her best friend and roommate finally knowing about this.

“Wicked dangerous! You could have brought these death ninjas to my door any time before this and I would have had no warning.” How dare you Harper Guinevere Reed

Batgirl rolled her eyes. “It’s not that serious.”

“It is to me, lady,” Charlie said. “Now, what’s the plan because who knows what’s going on with these death ninjas.”

“Right. To business.”

Batgirl tapped the side of her mask, plugging herself back into the network. She was connected with the rest of the team.

She heard the end of Iron Man’s message, that no one had answered and he was calling in the cavalry. She tapped a few more times on the side of the mask.

“This is Batgirl.” She said. “I’m here.” She immediately started receiving an upload of information. Images and videos started flying across her lens, giving her an in-depth glimpse at what was happening around Gotham City. Her jaw dropped.

“What is it?” Charlie asked. Please don't say it's worse than death ninjas. That's already terrible, RIP my chili.

“It is…not good.” Batgirl said and started walking towards her motorcycle. “Those ninjas are not here for me. They’re here for all of us. There’s a massive attack on the city. Charlotte, I don’t know if I can keep you safe, bud. I don’t know exactly what’s going on and I need to get to the bottom of this. The rest of the team needs my help.”

Charlotte nodded. “That’s fine with me, I should be fine. But I can’t go back to the dorm, obviously.”

Batgirl grabbed her helmet and tossed it to Charlie. “Right. I know where we can stash you. Get on, let’s get out of here.”

I see this going swimmingly.

[Mir]

Charlotte and Batgirl moved through the city with a swiftness that Charlie hadn’t anticipated. Gotham City was always buzzing and packed with people. The traffic was a thing to deal with. That being said, she hadn’t been surprised the streets had been packed with people and cars all trying to evacuate. But everyone seemed to give her and Harper a clear road, seemingly knowing they needed the Batman team to figure things out if people were going to survive. They arrived at a tall highrise building.

“Where are we going?”

“Up.”

“Are you sure that’s going to be safe?” Charlie asked, pulling her helmet off in the underground garage. She tucked hair behind her ears and looked over at Harper. She was still trying to process the fact that her best friend and roommate was, in fact, a costumed vigilante. She had been trying to figure out how she had missed this, considering she knew her schedule so well.

“Safer than staying in the dorm. Where we’re going it’s a fortress,” Batgirl said.

The elevator was large enough for them and the motorcycle. As they rode up, Batgirl was trying to figure out who was on the communications network. She knew Nightwing was out of town. That left Robin and Batman himself. Robin could have been busy, but the idea that Henry wasn’t on the communications system, she didn’t know what to think.

She sent a message to Iron Man to see if he knew what Henry’s status was. The fact that he was patched into the network had to indicate he had been in communication with Henry.

Unfortunately, she didn’t have time to be worried. After all, she knew if she got worried it would show and Charlie would get worried. That needed to be avoided. The doors opened to the penthouse. What she found was…surprising to say the least.

Then again with the way the day was going, there wasn’t that much that was going to surprise her.

She saw a slew of the death ninjas on the ground, beat up and unconscious. A young man was dragging them, sliding them into a corner where a containment field was set up.

“Robin.”

He turned and looked over at her. “Batgirl,” He said. “My communications set up got dinged in the fight. I’m sorry. I thought I should get these guys locked up and then figure out what was going on with it.”

“No, that’s fine,” She said. “I’ll help.”

“Robin?” Charlotte asked. She cocked her head to the side. “Wait a damn minute, that’s Jesse.”

Robin looked around and then realized she was pointing at him. “Oh.” He floundered. “Uh, hey Charlie.”

She glared at him. “You too?”

“Uh…yeah.”

Batgirl looked between them. She remembered, belatedly, that Jesse had a tendency to try to flirt with Charlotte and she didn’t appreciate it that much. “Right. Jesse slash Robin, Charlie’s here.”

“No, shit.”

Charlie looked around. “Does this place belong to Henry Wayne?” She asked and then her eyes narrowed. “Is Henry Batman?”

“Um,” Robin said and looked at Batgirl. He held his hands up and went back to dragging the last of the death ninjas into the containment field.

“No.”

“We’re standing in a penthouse apartment owned by Henry Wayne. You are Batgirl. He,” Charlie said pointing at Robin again, “is Robin. Henry Wayne just happens to let you guys crash at one of his places?”

“Well, when you put it that way…”

“You’re rich! Why do you even have a roommate? Harper, get over here right now.”

Batgirl removed her cowl and walked over to her friend. “Look, I wanted a regular college experience okay? You’re an awesome friend, why wouldn’t I want to live with you?”

“Because your creepy teenager friend would be able to meet college aged women.”

Harper laughed. “He is a little weird, but he’s like my little brother.” She looked over her shoulder at Robin who was now working on his communications device. “He’s saved my life before.” She looked back at Charlie. “I should have told you, Charles.”

“We can’t fix that now.” Charlie shot Jesse a look. “I’ll be fine here. That containment thing should hold those guys right?” She asked.

“It should.”

Robin walked over, fitting his mask back on his face. “I think I have it working.” He looked over at Batgirl. “We should get out of here. There’s people that need us.”

She nodded. “You’re right. I don’t know what’s going on with Henry, but I’m sure he’d want us out there.” Harper fit the cowl back on her face. “There’s food in the fridge, Charles. I’ll be back,” Batgirl said.

==-==

Batgirl and Robin were on their matching motorcycles, moving through the city. They had already rescued a few people stuck in a building that had come under fire from the onslaught on the city. Now they were on to the next, using the city wide network to find people that needed help. The problem was that they were only putting temporary bandages on a larger problem.

They desperately needed Henry to get into the fight so they could figure out who was causing this in the first place. Finding and cutting the head off the snake was a big issue.

Speeding around a corner, they saw up ahead a few APCs and soldiers moving through the streets, shooting at people.

“They’re definitely not GCPD SWAT,” Robin said over the comms system.

She nodded and they slid to a halt.

The soldiers noticed them and as they opened fire on the two Bat Family members, Robin and Batgirl ran forward, working in tandem. Smoke grenades and shock grenades started flying from their utility belts as well as Batarangs. They swung through the air, landing flying kicks. The two got into the fight, taking down the soldiers, some of whom tried to use hand to hand combat to stop them.

Batgirl used the same spin off kick she had employed in the dorm fight, hitting a vicious kick on one of the soldiers. She grabbed his gun and started firing as she spun on the ground. She wasn’t shooting to kill, but maiming, that was fine with her.

Robin meanwhile was using his staff and knocking out soldiers left right and center. They were doing a really good job, in her mind, before a really tall guy came out of nowhere, planting a fist directly into her chest. She flew backwards, landing on the ground. Looking up, she couldn’t make out exactly who it was but she could tell the guy was not a baseline human.

He advanced towards her as the soldiers took this time to back away, leaving with their APCs. He, Robin and her remained.

He had some kind of device in his palm and it started glowing as he walked towards her, as if it was charging up. He didn’t get a chance to use it though as Robin came into view, tackling the man to the ground. Robin was shrugged off and the two settled into a fight as Batgirl scrambled to her feet. She surged towards them and he started fighting both of them at the same time.

Batgirl didn’t consider herself the greatest martial artist on earth. Neither did Robin, she knew that. But whoever this was, he was making them look like amateurs. She dodged underneath a punch and scored a hit, planting a fist in the man’s midsection. This allowed Robin the opportunity to land a hit as well. They maneuvered him close to one side of the street.

Robin started running towards the front of a building as Batgirl ran towards the man who was now crouched. Leaping off the side, he sailed towards the man as Batgirl jumped herself. They linked hands and spun in the air, Robin using his weight and momentum to spin her into a dropkick that flung the man backwards.

“Who the hell are you?” She asked.

“Who aren’t I?” He replied, lifting the gauntlet covered hand. A beam of energy shot out, lancing her in the chest.

She dropped to the ground, coughing.

Robin ran forward and suddenly claws appeared from the man’s left hand. He swiped at Robin who was forced to backpedal. Claws appeared from the other hand and this fight had turned even more deadly. She struggled to rise as smoke wafted upwards from her chest plate. Forced to watch, she saw Robin engage the man.

Blood sprayed as the man sliced through Robin’s stomach area. Robin tried to fight back but the wounds were too grave. The man grabbed Robin and spun him around in a headlock so that Robin and the man were facing Batgirl.

Her eyes widened as she saw the smile on the man’s face. The gauntlet was charging up again.

She got to her feet and was dropped again by a blast from whatever energy emitter was on his palm. Tears sprung in her eyes as she watched Robin struggle, his hands on the forearm that was choking him. The man pressed the gauntlet against the side of Robin’s head.

The beam shot through the side of his head and out the other side.

He dropped the young man as a vacant look appeared on Robin’s face.

He was dead.

The man stepped forward and reached into his pocket. He dropped a few coins in front of Batgirl’s head.

“To pay for his admission to the afterlife.” Then a few more. “For you to pay admission to yours.”

He kicked her in the side of her head and everything went black.

[Cazzik]

Iron Man stood up and brushed the rubble off himself. He stared directly at his new enemy, the notorious mercenary and pirate; Black Manta, "Listen, Big Head. I don't know what all of this is about but I'm getting a little tired of blasting your subpar troops into oblivion without an explanation. So....talk."

Friday cut through Ethan's communication systems, <His armor is more sophisticated than it looks. He has concealed weaponry, including vibranium blades.>

Ethan didn't respond but made note of the scans as Manta finally spoke, "Hand over the coin, Stark. We know you have it."

Iron Man stood his ground, "THE coin? You know I'm rich, right? I have a lot of coins. You'll need to be more specific."

Behind the pirate several of his armored troops took up defensive positions, rifles raised. Iron Man turned slightly as more movement to his right was detected; ninjas. In front of them was the boy he had seen earlier, though he was older than Ethan initially thought, "Do as he says, Stark."

"Creepy rooftop kid. Thanks for joining us. Sounds like you two are friends. So, what's your deal anyway?" Iron Man quipped.

The man in the red hoodie outstretched his arms and raised his face to the sky. What appeared to be a black hole opened up in his stomach, a swirling ebony mass. More shocking were the five raptor-like creatures that climbed out of it. Ethan watched the horror show unfold in front of him, "That's.....gross."

As his enemies charged him Ethan released another round of marble sized drones which began blinding everyone with intense, targeted strobe lights. In the midst of the chaos one of the tiny drones attached itself to the coin and flew off in Batgirl's direction, utilizing her comm signal to track her, "Batgirl, I'm sending a coin your way. Not sure what it does but it's what they seem to be after. They think I've still got it. I'll hold them off. You get it out of here."

The armored hero turned and ignited his thrusters, launching himself forward and bringing his fist to bear directly on the monster man's face. His jaw cracked and he fell to the ground, unconscious. Iron Man smiled to himself. At least he wouldn't be birthing anymore creepy critters for awhile. He blasted two of the raptor-esque creatures, before launching rockets at the other three. He barely missed being hit by Manta's energy blast again. He turned and prepped to retaliate but watched as Manta's troops raised their rifles to the sky and started firing. Unfortunately for them, they were slow on the draw and several of them were gunned down.

Black Manta also turned his attention to the sky just in time to see 30+ highly trained S.H.I.E.L.D agents wearing falcon flight packs descend from the clouds, "Iron Man, this is Falcon Corps Commander Lee Dreslin. We're responding to your mayday."

Ethan nodded, "Glad to have you here, Commander! Tell Director Rogers thanks for me."

Ethan took that moment to fire rapid repulsor blasts at Manta, hitting him in quick succession and throwing him into a pile of rubble. The mercenary growled and climbed to his feet only to be sent spiraling again after a barrage of rockets hit their mark, "Looks like it's just you and me again, Bug Eyes. Let's dance."

[Cazzik]

"Just you and me, huh?" Black Manta motioned toward the bay, "You sure about that?"

Iron Man could hear the smile spread across the mercenary's face beneath his helmet. Stark watched as a massive creature erupted from the dark water. A mouth full of hundreds of glistening, bladed teeth closed around two members of the Falcon Corps. They were gone before anyone could react. Colossal tentacles broke the surface of the ocean next, shooting out and grabbing several other members of the elite aerial unit. Iron Man was, unfortunately, privy to the screams echoing over comms, "All units, climb higher! Gain altitude and get out of reach of those tentacles! Regroup over inland!"

Commander Dreslin's voice was stressed, understandably so. They had showed up and valiantly started laying waste to Black Manta's soldiers only to be countered by a kraken. Iron Man frowned, what exactly was this coin that they were after? Why hadn't they come for it when it was locked up? Maybe the vault dampened an energy signature it was giving off? Something trackable? He didn't know but he would certainly need to find out. What he did need to do right now was help the flying SHIELD agents before they were all eaten alive.

He fired a flurry of rockets at Manta as a distraction and took to the air. He soared across Gotham, preparing to engage the beast when he was hit hard on the right side. Iron Man crashed into the side of a building but didn't go down, turning to counter he was hit again. Two brutal blows to his armor and then a massive hit on the downswing by what appeared to be a trident. Stark hit the ground. Hard. His HUD screen was glitching and his head ached from the impact.

<Systems are critical. Preparing emergency maintenance procedures.>

Stark could still hear more screaming over the comm channel. The kraken was ripping through the Falcons. Where the hell was everyone else? Was SHIELD sending anymore backup? Was the US Military on the way? Was there no one out there still monitoring old Avengers or Justice League channels? He was rapidly discovering a flaw in national security right now. He climbed to his feet and raised his head to see a dark haired man floating above him, being held in the air by small wings on his ankle. He wore black armor and carried a golden trident. Stark gritted his teeth. They had met before, "Prince Namor of Talokan. So, we have you to thank for this shindig, huh?"

"You will address me as King Namor, Stark. I am the ruler of Atlantis now, Lord of all the seas. Your superior in every way."

"I think that's up for debate. What the hell are you all doing here? What's this coin your after? What does it do?" Iron Man demanded.

"What it does is none of your concern. You will hand it over. It is required payment for an unpaid debt."

Iron Man's eyes narrowed beneath the mask, "An unpaid debt to who?"

Before an answer was given a blood curdling screech shook the entire city. Stark watched as the kraken was pushed backwards. He could see two women, one with an axe, repeatedly pummeling the creature. Falcon Corps members were soaring back down and firing at will. Liberty Force, Vanguard's premier super team, had finally shown up, "Looks like your little calamari might be in trouble, your majesty."

"Oh, he's not alone, Stark. You should worry about yourself."

Iron Man barely missed another optic blast from Manta, but wasn't quick enough to dodge Namor who leveled him yet again. He was going to need a new plan, and quick.

"Bats.....I don't know where you are or if you're even alive. But now would be a good time to show up. In case you hadn't noticed, there is a giant octopus with teeth invading your bay. Just an fyi."

[Mir]

Copper.

She tasted copper. Batgirl’s eyes fluttered and she came to, lurching upwards. She worked her tongue around her mouth and kept tasting copper. As she tried to get up, her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she had to sit back down. Fumbling with the belt at her waist, she pulled out a small vial of amberish liquid. Grateful that someone had had the foresight to make the vials out of shatterproof glass, she flipped the top off the vial, revealing a tiny needle. Batgirl reached down onto her thigh and unscrewed a small circle, before stabbing herself with the vial and pressing on the button on the end.

She felt a rush as the liquid did its work.

Someone at Wayne Enterprises, some genius, who she wanted to take on a spa date, had come up with the cocktail. Epinephrine. Dopamine. There were some other things in there, some things not readily available to the public. Batman had commissioned the research and every member of the team had it on them. She vaguely remembered, through the pounding of her heartbeat in her head, she had been against keeping it on her person.

Batman had insisted.

He had been right.

Jesus Christ, this felt amazing.

She was on her feet and before she knew it, she was running and then falling.

Her first thought was maybe the medicine cocktail took some getting used to. Looking down, she realized that was not the case. Batgirl had tripped over something.

Not something. Someone.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

She was looking at Robin’s vacant stare, and his eyes were boring into her soul it seemed. Her eyes widened and tears sprang forth as she hyperventilated, one of the unfortunate byproducts of the drugs.

I’m so sorry, Jesse. I’m so sorry. I’msosorry I’msosorrsososorrysorrysorry.

She tore her eyes away. She had to. She was audibly gasping, her chest heaving.

The vomit tore its way up her throat, she had to get it out.

Batgirl puked.

And then again. Until she was dry heaving, there was nothing left in her stomach. She scraped the back of her hand across her mouth. She struggled to her feet now, but she had legs under her. The medicine was working. The drugs were working, that was what mattered. She looked down at her other hand and realized she had it in a fist. There were two coins in there.

It came flooding back but she didn’t have time for that, as her comms equipment chirped angrily at her.

“Batgirl, I’m sending a coin your way. Not sure what it does but it’s what they seem to be after. They still think I’ve got it. I’ll hold them off. You get it out of here.”

As if one cue, a tiny marble sized drone zipped around the corner and dropped a round coin into her other palm. She stared at her hands. She had choices.

Find the person who had killed Robin and gave her the coins.

Get this other coin to safety.

She knew what she was supposed to do but she didn’t want to do it.

Then she heard Batman’s voice. Not through her comms equipment, but as if it was coming from her very soul.

The mission comes first.

She turned and started running. She had to get the coin to safety.

==-==-==

Elsewhere in Gotham, the sky crackled. If the night sky wasn’t already darkened by the lack of the sun, it seemingly got darker. Lightning and thunder erupted from the night sky, striking buildings as well as members of the Falcon Corps. A man emerged, seemingly from the sky itself, from the darkness covering Gotham.

He wore a black suit with a black cape. Embossed on the chest, glowing, he bore a lightning bolt.

“Son of a bitch.” Iron Man said as Namor’s face spread into a slow grin. “You bastards got a genie? I want a genie.”

“He isn’t a genie, Stark.”

“Sure looks like one.”

The floating man shot forward, almost at a blur. Either he wasn’t going as fast as he could or he was going just slow enough so that Iron Man’s sensors could slow him down. As the man flew, he turned his head and stared straight at Stark.

Oh, so he was definitely going slow enough so I could see him. Showboat.

Ethan was distracted enough that he needed the suit’s auto defense systems to block an attack from Namor. “Wait, so who is that guy? Is he the loan shark you owe the coin to?”

“I do not owe sharks, I control sharks.”

“That’s…gotta brush up on your english. Maybe once we get you locked up by the Hague.”

“I am a king, the walking embodiment of a sovereign nation.”

“Attacking another sovereign nation, Namor. I don’t think that’s very convention worthy behavior. I can get you tickets to SXSW but the Geneva Convention’s going to be tough.”

“IMPERIUS-”

Iron Man hit the charging Namor with a repulsor blast.

“Yeah, yeah, I know.”

==-==-==

Batgirl was back in the penthouse of the high rise building and the drugs were still kicking, thank God. She moved through the penthouse and reached one of the rooms where more medicines were held. She crashed against the floor, struggling to open the cabinets and containers. She needed….She needed…

“What the hell!”

She turned, and gave a bloody smile to Charlie. “Sup, girl,” She said. “You see the aspirin anywhere?”

Charlie grabbed her as she fell again. “Oh my God, are you alright?”

“...M’be fine.”

Batgirl pointed at a few of the containers in the medical bay. “Those. Green. Blue. Maybe two greens.”

Charlotte grabbed the containers and found vials of liquid. She looked back and saw Harper pointing at something on her thigh. She pulled two of the green vials and one of the blues and came over to her friend.

“You’re batshit insane you know that?”

“Batshit. Fuck that is funny,” Batgirl managed and pointed at her thigh.

Charlie took the tops of the vials and despite her trepidations, injected them where Harper had indicated.

Batgirl fell backwards, breathing heavily. “Oh thank you so much.”

“What’s going on?”

“It’s a God damn bloodbath out there, but we gotta get out of here.”

She reached into her belt and produced a small coin that looked super old and super grimy. “We have to get this out of here. I’m not sure where to go but we need to go now.”

Charlie took the coin from Harper and flipped it over in her hands. She could have sworn it was familiar for some reason. Something about it, but she couldn’t tell-

There was a cracking sound. The two girls got into the main area of the penthouse and outside, floating up high in the air was a man wearing a black suit, with a black cape billowing behind him. There was a glowing yellow lightning bolt on his chest.

“Who the hell is that?” Charlie asked.

“I have no idea, but I’ll bet every good grade you’ve gotten that he wants that coin.” Batgirl said and shoved Charlie behind her.

“You can’t fight him.”

“I don’t have a choice.”

His face held a dispassionate look as he raised his hand. Lightning shot out of his hand, tearing into the building. The lights flickered throughout the penthouse and went out, as bulbs exploded. From the outside, parts of the building started to just burn away.

“I want that coin.”

The voice was thunderous, and it appeared to be everywhere in the room with them.

“I do not want to kill you but I will.”

As if instinctually, Charlie’s grip on the coin tightened.

Then a few things happened.

Six people flew through the air, towards the floating man. They were colorful and quite decked out. He moved fractionally it seemed and out of the way. One of them he caught. The one he caught seemed to be some guy with a bow and arrow. He had a hood. The floating man had him by the ankle and he spun, faster than their eyes could track, before launching the man straight towards the windows.

Batgirl threw herself down, dragging Charlie with her. Charlie was turning and falling and she could see, would always see in her dreams and her nightmares, the look of horror on the hooded man’s face as he flew overhead. Unable to stop his fall. Unable to stop the inevitable.

The man collided with the wall. There was a sick crunch as bones crumpled. Blood shot out. Charlie stared at the wall, her eyes wider than they’d ever been in her life as bones fell to the ground. Her biology class came rushing back to her.

206 bones in the human body.

There were maybe seven on the ground.

The force had been enough to pulverize the bones.

The floating man advanced through the convenient hole in the glass.

Some of the now five people landed in the room. A woman with two pistols started firing.

What the fuck is that going to do to this guy? Charlie’s brain screamed.

The woman looked at Harper. “Batgirl, get out of here.”

Batgirl didn’t need a more formal invitation. She grabbed Charlie’s hand and they started running. Harper was fumbling with a keypad on a door and Charlie turned, splaying against the wall in case the man came towards them.

But he turned, his look of dispassion turning slightly angry. “You are making this more difficult than it needs to be.”

“You’re not getting that coin,” A black woman said. She wore a red suit with a similar lightning bolt on it.

“The Wizard’s champion?” He asked, and his face finally broke from the look of well nothingness to a look of confusion. He slammed his hand, crackling with lightning and now a red glow onto her chest.

Charlie watched as the woman’s skin went from black to pure white to translucent and transparent. Charlie could see the woman’s bones as she was electrified by the lightning and the red…glow.

“No…you are not. You garb yourself in the attire, but you are not the champion.”

The black woman fell to the ground, smoke wafting from her dead body.

“C’mon.” Harper was grabbing at her, but Charlie was frozen in place. Fear had grabbed her and she wasn’t sure how to break free of the spell.

The woman in white was next. She surged forward. He cocked his fist back and punched. Charlie wasn’t sure if it was full strength. She just knew it was effective.

The man’s fist exploded through the woman’s face. He turned, fist still inside the woman’s head. He and Charlie locked eyes.

Harper dragged her out of the door.

==-==-==

“You’re going to pay for that.”

The man’s attention was pulled to a woman dressed as some kind of viking who raised an axe and brought it crashing down on his arm. He flexed and the axe contacted his arm. The woman’s eyes conveyed her disbelief. He twisted and released, using the dead woman’s body to throw the viking away.

A man in red, dressed as if he was some kind of bird, ran at him, screaming his head off.

The man in black caught the man around the midsection and went upwards. The remaining two watched as he turned the man horizontal and pulled from each end. The human body, maybe even empowered through some means, was not designed to withstand such a force pulling from opposing sides. The red birded man split into two pieces.

The soldier started firing again and the viking woman leapt off the ground but a wave of lightning emanated from the floating man’s body.

”Enough.”

They hit the ground, unconscious.

[Cazzik]

Iron Man watched in horror on his HUD as the floating mystery man tore through the ranks of Liberty Force. He could hear them scream, gurgling on their own blood as the life vanished from their eyes. The man had wiped out the Falcon Corps as well. Their bodies littered the ground around him, making a disgusting path of carnage that the kraken was currently gobbling up. Ethan felt a nearly overwhelming sense of dread wash over him. The sea monster had nothing to stop it from decimating Gotham, the lightning man was coming for Batgirl and the coin, and Iron Man himself was getting his metal ass kicked.

He snapped out of it as he felt the impact from Namor’s trident yet again. Ethan could taste blood in his mouth as Friday screamed at him to take evasive action. More blood as Manta’s swords cut through his armor, finding flesh. Systems were critical. His armor was going to fail. Another blow from Manta sent him flying through the air, directly in the path of Namor, who gripped him in mid air and slammed him to the ground. It was at this moment that Ethan noticed incoming Stark tech via his HUD.

<I took the liberty of sending you a replacement suit as well as activating Block Party Protocol.>

Ethan smiled. Friday was literally a life saver. He shook off the beating and fired one last round of rockets at the Sub-Mariner to force some space between the two. He then re-routed all available power to his chest weapon and took aim at Black Manta, “You like lasers, Jack Sparrow?! Give this one a try!”

A full powered uni-beam blast hit the mercenary directly, not just sending him into a building but massively damaging his armor and rendering him unconscious. Namor ripped the helmet from Iron Man and thrust his trident at his throat, “You are beaten, Stark. You have drained your armor and left yourself exposed.” The Sub-Mariner grinned down at him, “Any final words?”

Ethan spat out blood and smiled back at him, “Yeah. Welcome to the block party, bitch.”

Namor’s eyebrows raised in confusion as multiple human shaped Stark robots landed all around the Atlantean and tore him away from Iron Man. The Iron Legion had arrived and they were more than enough to keep Namor busy while Ethan regrouped. He climbed to his feet and watched as the Legion continued to pummel the enemy. Setting down directly behind him was his replacement suit sent by Friday; the War Machine armor.

Stark released himself from the damaged armor and stepped into the War Machine. As he suited up he sent the old armor hurdling at the Sub-Mariner, allowing it to latch onto him while the Iron Legion held him down. Upon his signal Iron Man and his robots lifted off and flew out of range just as Ethan smiled, “Boom.”

The old armor self-destructed, grossly injuring Namor and sending him crawling back to the sea to escape, “Nice job, Friday! Target the giant sea critter and push it back to the bay if you can. I’ll figure something out to halt it permanently but I need to get to Batgirl.”

A familiar voice crackled over his comm system, “We’ve got that figured out, Ethan. Sorry it took us so long to get here.”

Stark’s smile couldn’t get any bigger if he tried, “David Banner?! That’s some impeccable timing, Doctor! Friday will direct the Legion to provide direct support to you. Please give that giant squid a gamma beatdown it will never forget.”

Banner’s voice crackled through again, “You got it, my friend. Go do what you need to do. We got this.”

Iron Man watched as Dr. David Banner jumped from the Quinjet and transformed in midair into the green tank known to the world as the Incredible Hulk. He turned and flew directly for Harper, “Batgirl, I’m coming! Hold on!”

[Mir]

Charlie’s arms were tight around Batgirl’s waist as they were on yet another motorcycle, moving through the streets of Gotham. She was doing her best to try to balance the fear shooting through her with the knowledge that Harper’s ribs weren’t doing the best right now. But that was hard. Much more difficult than it had been for that…that guy whoever the hell he was, to kill all those people.

“Who the fuck was that guy?” She asked.

“Your guess is as good as mine.”

“Harper, where are we going?”

“I don’t know.” Batgirl was continually checking her sideview mirrors. It was a refrain pounding in her head. “I know we have to get away from here. You’ve got the coin?” She asked.

“Yeah.”

Charlie shoved her hand into her pocket and squeezed the coin tightly. She had no idea what was going on, and she had no idea what this coin was and why these people wanted it. All she knew was the coin was important and there were people after it. On top of that, if they got it, something bad was going to happen. Maybe not specifically to Gotham. However, these people didn’t strike her as having good plans for everyone. Additionally, whatever this coin did, she was sure it would help whatever those plans were.

She sighed as they weaved through traffic. Her life had completely changed since she had come to Gotham on that train. Fawcett City was a large city but dwarfed in comparison to Gotham. She hadn’t known a lot about the world. But here? She had met Harper, and was getting all these experiences. Charlotte didn’t regret getting on that train from Fawcett to Gotham.

On that train…

She pulled the coin out and stared at it. Finally, she realized why the coin was familiar. She had seen this seal before.

In the Gotham City Metro Train Station.

“Harper, get to the train station.”

“No train is going to move faster than angry guy in black.”

The Floating Man as he was in Charlie’s mind.

“The coin is from the train station,” She said. “We can figure out what’s going on over there.”

“Are you sure?”

Charlie thought about it for a second. “No, but it’s something.”

Batgirl nodded and made a sharp left turn, forcing Charlie to squeeze the coin.

==-==-==

They got to the train station with luckily no issues. Which was nice, considering their recent events. Additionally, what was nice was that the station was abandoned. People were hunkered down, sheltering in place. Charlie held up the coin and pointed at the medallion seal embedded into the floor of the lobby. Batgirl nodded.

“But everything is digital tickets these days. Maybe paper tickets. Where would we find something that is related to the coin?”

She looked around as Charlie posed the question and nodded towards a sign. The historical museum section of the train station. “There’s bound to be something there.”

They headed towards that section as the lights flickered in the station. There was the tell tale sign that shocks of some sort had happened to Gotham. Parts of the ceiling had fallen and things were in disarray. They got into the historical museum section and started searching.

“Here.”

Batgirl came over to where Charlie was and saw a collection of four old turnstiles up against a wall. They were the original turnstiles from their respective eras of train transportation in Gotham. “Charles, you’re a genius.” She said, grabbing her friend and pulling her in for a hug. “What now?”

“Now?”

They turned at the sound of a voice. “Now, you give me the coin.”

Charlie’s skin started crawling at the voice. She went pale, paler than normal. In a different setting, Harper would have scored points with a pale joke. Charlie would have punched her. They would have good naturedly tussled. This was not a different setting.

The floating man hovered in the air, near them. Lightning, electricity, something was sparking off of him, interfering with the lights. “I am tired of this, girl.” He held his hand out to Charlie. “You cannot win this fight.”

“Why do you want this?”

“Why do you protect it?” He asked, turning his head to the side. He paused and considered. “Charlotte Cameron.”

“He knows my name.”

He looked down at his hand and she could tell he was getting more impatient as if that was possible.

“I don’t know who you are, but you’re hurting people to get this. Whatever it is, it shouldn’t be in the hands of someone who hurts people.”

His mouth thinned. “Hand it over or I will break every bone in your body.”

When she and Harper stood resolute, he made a move as if he was going to dive forward, but all the lights went out. The only light was from the glow of the lightning bolt on his chest.

The lights came back on and a man stood in front of Harper and Charlie. He was crouched and rose to his full height. Charlotte was a strong five-seven” and Harper a towering five-eleven. But this man at his full height cleared six feet easily.

“Get out of my city,” Batman said. He looked imperceptibly past the floating man and nodded.

“Yeah, what he said.”

The floating man turned as Iron Man appeared, landing a hit square on the floating man’s jaw.

Batman wore some kind of knuckle dusters, as he and Iron Man engaged the man. Batgirl joined in as well. The three were able to crowd the floating man who, despite being able to move at blinding fast speeds, was getting contained by in essence two humans and a machine suit.

Charlie let herself hope. Hope against hope.

Then she and the man locked eyes. Eyes weren’t really accurate. His eyes were basically orbs of lightning at this point.

“Give…me….that coin!” He roared and shoved everyone off of him.

She panicked and turned, inserting the coin into one of the turnstiles.

The four turnstiles started spinning.

“What did you do!?” He surged forward and reached out to grab her as the bricks of the wall clinked and moved, shifting and rearranging. A gap opened in the wall and a purplish red light emanated from the wall. It grabbed everyone in the room and sucked them into the wall itself.

==-==-==

They found themselves in a huge cavernous area. There were ornate decorations throughout and the room had several offshoots, tunnels that lead elsewhere. Charlie picked herself up off the ground, dusting herself off. She wasn’t sure where they were, but, looking over at the floating man, she could see he was knocked out.

Floating man was no longer floating. So…things were looking up.

She ran over and kicked him, hard, in the stomach. Just to be on the safe side.

Where were they?

She saw the others were knocked out as well and she didn’t want to be alone if floating man came to before the rest of them. She went to Harper first and shook her, trying to rouse her.

“Get up, get up,” She begged.

“She is unconscious.”

Oh not another new friend.

Charlie turned to see an old black man, holding a staff and wearing robes walking towards her. Old was putting it mildly, the man looked as though he was ancient. Truth be told, ancient was putting it mildly, the man looked as though he had witnessed the birth of the universe. The robes were old, threadbare. They were red and burnished gold. But what caught her eye was the staff. It appeared to be made of driftwood. The top of the staff had a roughly hewn gemstone in it. Purple, the gemstone glowed.

“Who are you?” She asked.

“Who are you?” He asked.

“I’m Charlotte. Charlotte Cameron.”

“Charlotte Cameron, how did you get here?” He asked.

“It’s a really long story, but the gist of it is: ninjas attacked us, we ran, there’s a lot of fighting going on and there’s this coin and-”

“What coin?” He asked, interrupting her.

“Uh, this old coin that had the Gotham train station seal on it. I…I may…” She shrugged, trying to be nonchalant. “I may have put the coin in a turnstile and now we’re here?”

“We?”

She turned and pointed before lurching back around as he dropped into a fighting stance, lowering the staff as the gemstone in the staff throbbed.

“You brought him, of all people, here?”

“Where is here? Who is he? What is going on?” She asked, almost screaming it. “He’s trying to kill me.”

“He is Adam. Black Adam,” The man said, slowly advancing towards the unconscious no longer floating, floating man. “He has been trying to get in here for years. You just let him in.”

“Well, I didn’t know that Black Dumbledore.”

He gave her a confused look.

“You look like a wizard and you’re black.”

“I am not a wizard,” He stated. “I am the Wizard.[/i]

She stared at him and he looked a little crestfallen. “You don’t know who I am? Or where you currently stand?”

“Am I supposed to? It’s been a really long day, man.”

“I am the protector, the guardian, the watcher.” He gestured behind him. “You stand, mortal, in the Rock of Eternity.”

[Mir]

Whatever reaction he had been hoping for, the Wizard didn’t get it. Charlotte simply stared at him. “Okay, what’s the Rock of Eternity?” She asked.

He paused, either in disbelief or annoyance. She wasn’t sure which, but she was glad that that’s what was happening versus Floating Man trying to kill her. “The Rock of Eternity is the center of the universe,” He said. “It is outside of space and time. The Rock of Eternity holds unmatched powers in magic and mysticism. I am its protector and the guardian of magic. I am the most powerful wizard this reality has ever seen.”

Charlie swallowed, nodding. If this conversation had taken place yesterday, she would have laughed it off. She would have been convinced whoever was talking to her needed mental help and tried to get them to a therapist. But that was yesterday and today was today.

With everything she had seen today, she was willing to believe anything.

“Okay.”

He raised an eyebrow as he turned towards her. “Okay? I tell you something of such magnitude and you simply say ‘okay’?”

“What do you want me to say?” She asked.

“He wants you to show respect.”

They both turned and saw that floating man, Black Adam the wizard had called him, groggily getting to his hands and knees. She’d been worried he would be the first to get up. After all, Batman and Batgirl only had their suits to protect them and Iron Man’s suit was strong but…this guy was a tank.

“Adam, you were forbidden to enter the Rock of Eternity.”

Black Adam smiled a toothy grin as he stared at the ground, before his glare turned to the two of them. “Rules are meant to be broken, old man.” He eyed the other three, still unconscious. “Good, they’re still out of it. This should be quick.”

She stared at him. “Maybe you should do something, magic man.”

“I am unable to face Black Adam directly.”

Her eyes widened as her palms got sweaty. “You’re the most powerful wizard this reality has ever seen.”

“Yes, but I am bound by spells and rules that I cannot transgress,” The Wizard replied. “I am forbidden to do battle with him.”

“Well, that’s not really that good, now is it?” She asked, more rhetorically than anything.

Black Adam smiled. “The plan was to get the coin and enter the Rock of Eternity. I was unfortunately going to be forced to allow Doom access.” He was fully on his feet now. “However, Charlotte Cameron, your actions have allowed me to enter the Rock of Eternity. I could not use the token to enter this space,” He said, looking up and around the cavern. “But, I did not directly use the token to access the Rock. Now, with myself here, and Doom having not yet arrived, everything in the Rock of Eternity is mine to claim.”

“Magic has its loopholes,” The Wizard murmured. The Wizard’s eyes cast about the Rock of Eternity. He took in the antiquities, the artifacts. He saw the statues of previous champions. He knew of the knowledge in the Rock of Eternity and everything that could be used by Black Adam. His eyes came to rest on the statue of Billy Batson.

“And there’s no loophole that says you can’t hit him?”

Adam addressed Charlie’s concerns before the Wizard could. “If he strikes me, he forfeits his position as guardian of the Rock.” Black Adam reached up and brushed dirt from black suit he wore. “It is tantamount to signing not only his death warrant but also the death warrant for the entire world. The entire universe.”

He took a step forward when a hand shot out and grabbed his back foot.

He looked down to see Batman on the ground, with a death grip on Black Adam’s ankle. The man smiled at Batman. “Your family did well, Batman, you should be proud of them. I hope that pride keeps you warm in the afterlife.” He looked over at the Wizard. “Now, Wizard, I will avenge what you did to my father.” He started crackling with lightning as he rose from the ground, forcing himself free of Batman who started to rise.

“Doom will not take the Rock. I shall. My strength grows the longer I am in the Rock.”

He closed his eyes and when he opened them, they were orbs of lightning once more. “My armies will be here from Kahndaq. You will not be able to stop them, Wizard. For you will be dead by then. You have nothing,” Adam stated. “I have everything.”

“Magic has its loopholes,” The Wizard said. “You have forgotten a very important loophole, Adam. I do not have nothing.”

Adam’s smile couldn’t possibly grow any larger. “Pray tell, old man. What do you have?”

The Wizard held his staff in both hands, raising it and slamming the end into the ground. “I…have a champion!” He yelled.

There was a crack of blinding light.

==-==-==

Charlie was suddenly thrust into a void of nothingness. She was floating, swimming around and she couldn’t see anything, just pitch black.

“Say my name.”

The voice echoed everywhere, loud, booming. She twisted and turned trying to find the origin of the sound.

“Say my name.”

“I don’t know your name.” She looked around, still trying to find the source of the voice. She recognized it as the Wizard’s voice. “What happens if I say the name?”

“You will become my champion. I have frozen time within the Rock, but I cannot hold the freeze for long. You must say my name, you must become my champion.”

The Wizard’s face appeared in front of her. Giant, as though he was the Wizard of Oz or Zordon from those Power Ranger shows she had watched when she was younger.

“I do not give you this lightly. You will be judged to see whether you are pure of heart and deserving of the powers. But it is the only way to try to stop Adam.”

She thought about it. She was going to die if she didn’t do this. Not only her, but Harper, and Batman and Iron Man. If they couldn’t stop Adam, then he was going to get the Rock of Eternity and if he did that, then he could hurt people even more than he had already.

Her mind didn’t even need to be made up. Images of her life flashed before them, her past and present. She saw herself as a child, in her family home. She saw her parents. Her family. Fawcett City. Growing up. The pain. Things she had told Harper about in secrecy. Things even still she hadn’t. Things she had kept to herself. The memories were shooting past a mile a second and her eyes welled up with tears.

She was being forced to relive it all, relive everything. She saw the belt being raised and come cracking down. She saw the door to her room being opened, as her father came in. She saw her mother’s tears. Charlie watched it all, from her perspective, from their perspective. Shoved into the ground during the winter by bullies. Tormented by people around her.

Her heart broke and fell. Not because of what she had experienced. It was almost as though she was outside of her body, and she was witnessing it all as if it was the life story of a stranger. But she felt it all inside of her. This was the judging.

She could have chosen to be like Adam. She could have chosen to hurt people to protect herself from ever being hurt again. That hadn’t been her way.

This was her way.

She was resolute. “What’s your name?”

“You know it already, child.”

She did. Almost on an instinctual level. She was from Fawcett City. She knew his name, even if she hadn’t known that the Red and Gold Man of Fawcett City and the Wizard were connected.

==-==-==

“SHAZAM!”

The lightning bolt slammed into her.

Her clothes burned off, her wounds healed. She looked down at her hands and watched as a suit of red and gold appeared out of nowhere, wrapping itself around her. Charlotte looked to her shoulders as clasps settled and a white cape unfurled itself. A gold lightning bolt appeared on her chest.

“No.” Adam was livid. “No. No.”

Charlotte’s eyes glowed and lightning crackled from them, just as they had from his earlier.

Shazam was reborn.

[Mir]

Charlie cracked Black Adam across the jaw with her fist. Then her eyes widened as she realized what she’d done. She looked down at her hand and then over at Harper, who was coming back to the conscious world. Her friend’s eyes widened as they locked with hers.

“What…” Batgirl said, convinced she was hallucinating. “Did you change your clothes?”

Charlie looked down at the scale like armor that now covered her. “Oh shit, I did.”

“The skirt is definitely cute.” Batgirl said, rising to her feet. She was helped up to her feet by Iron Man and the now four individuals circled Black Adam. “So you’re like lightning guy now?”

Charlie shrugged, giving her friend a comical but bewildered look.

“Charlotte Cameron is now the Champion of the Rock of Eternity.”

“Whoa, there’s an old timer here.”

“Enough.” Batman’s word was maybe more for Charlie and Harper than it was for Black Adam. “You’re finished.”

Adam looked at the four of them and then over Charlie’s shoulder at the Wizard. “I’m never finished.”

“Your hubris will undo you this day,” The Wizard stated and Adam scoffed at him.

“Look in a mirror, old man.”

He threw a punch towards Charlie but she…she moved out of the way. Whereas when she had been trying to dodge the ninjas and the Floating Man before, she had been lucky and had been tagged, now it…it seemed effortless. As though she was faster than everyone, than everything. She didn’t have time to try to figure out how or why. She threw another punch, sending him stumbling back.

“Open the portal,” She said to the Wizard.

He complied.

Iron Man hit a Unibeam blast that sent Adam spiraling through the portal and back into Gotham. Batman, Batgirl and Iron Man went through the portal, but Charlie turned back. “I’ll be able to get back here, right?” She asked. “To give you all this back?” She asked, gesturing at the clothing she was wearing.

The Wizard stared at her, as if he was staring into her soul. “You will always be able to return to the Rock of Eternity when you wish, child, but you are the Champion now.”

She nodded slowly, still unsure of how all of this worked. “Good deal, I guess? Also, I’m twenty, I’m not really a child.”

“I’m tens of thousands of years old.”

She cocked her head to the side. “We gotta get you moisturizing Wiz, I would have put you at hundreds of thousands. Anything else I should know about this Black Adam guy?”

The Wizard shook his head. “At this point, no.”

She ran through the portal.

Alone, the Wizard grimaced. “ ‘Wiz’. It is always children who receive the power. At least Batson was funnier.”

==-==-==

Charlie emerged from the portal and found herself, not in the underbelly of the Gotham City Metro Train Station but on the streets of the City itself. She saw more chaos unfolding around her. She crouched and jumped, not really sure of what was going to happen. However, she had a few ideas. She knew the man in red and gold from Fawcett City. Everyone did. Billy Batson, Shazam. Now that was her. She didn’t have the time for all of that to register in her mind, in her heart. At the moment, there were more pressing matters.

But one thing that was nice about being from Fawcett City and knowing who Shazam was, was that she had some idea of what she could do.

She could fly.

In the sky, Iron Man dueled with Black Adam. There was a fish looking fellow in the waters of Gotham Bay and he was commanding legions of fellow fish…fellows. There was also a…

Her mouth opened.

“What in the Pirates of the Caribbean is going on around here?”

Iron Man hovered near her. He handed her a small circular object. “You may need this. It’s a communication device.”

“I can hear all of you,” She said, handing it back. “I can hear your heartbeat in there.”

“Oh, that’s uh, that’s cool, I guess.”

“Is that a kraken?”

“Well, it’s certainly not just a calamari.”

She reached out as warning klaxons fired in Iron Man’s suit. Her forearm stopped Black Adam’s punch. “Deal with the kraken.”

Iron Man headed down there to help a green giant she recognized as belonging to a gamma family of individuals.

She turned her attention to Adam. “You don’t have to keep doing this.”

He sneered. “You think, because you received the Wizard’s blessing but five minutes ago that you can tell me what to do?”

“I’m not telling you what to do,” Charlie said. “I’m only telling you what I observe. You said armies from Kahndaq. You’re not going to get prosecuted for this, at least not by a US court. You can just leave and ignore the Hague like every other terrorist warlord does.”

His eyes flared. “Terrorist warlord?” He asked, incredulous. “I am a king.” He threw a punch that connected this time, sending her flying backwards through the sky. “You are a child with a power greater than gods, you don’t deserve it.”

“I don’t know if ‘deserve’ factors in here, bud, but we really gotta sort out your different complexes.”

The two locked into a battle up in the sky.

==-==-==

Batman and Batgirl were headed to the harbor. What was left of the Falcon Corps and the Iron Legion needed assistance trying to stem the tide against Namor’s forces. Batman pressed a few buttons on his belt as they did and in the distance behind them, two motorcycles from different Wayne controlled garages appeared, hurtling towards them on remote control.

“Where’s Robin?”

She almost tripped and fell.

“He….Someone killed him Henry.”

Batman kept running, never breaking stride. “We’ll remember him later. Mission first.”

The motorcycles arrived and she planted a hand on the ground, flipping and twirling through the air. Magnetic locks attached to her wrists kicked in, pulling her back towards the bike’s handlebars. Meanwhile, Batman simply jumped, unfurling the cape and using it as drag to bring him back over his own bike. His method was neater and used less energy. Hers was a bit more stylish but was more because she didn’t trust herself to not overshoot the bike.

They came around a corner and saw the harbor. The piers were filled with Atlantean soldiers trying to invade the City with the Iron Legion and the Falcon Corps keeping them at bay.

“In my City,” Batman said, his voice so razor sharp, it could have single-handedly struck down every Atlantean. He revved the engine and they entered the fray.

Overhead, the Kraken reared back and released one of its tentacles, throwing what it had been clutching. Which just so happened to be the Hulk.

Hulk crashed through a skyscraper.

Batman and Batgirl leapt off the motorcycles, starting their battle. Batman had his eyes set on Namor, who was almost finished healing himself in the salty waters of Gotham Bay. Hulk shook off the fall and jumped. He had the Kraken. That left the soldiers for Batgirl and for Iron Man who landed next to her. They went back to back as they fought.

“How’s Charlie doing?”

“Who’s Charlie?”

“My friend, how is she?”

Iron Man didn’t get a chance to answer. There was a hush as the skies opened up. Three lightning bolts descended, slamming into Batman, Batgirl and Iron Man.

Batgirl felt as though her adrenaline was spiking. Her heart was pounding in her chest.

<All systems fully charged at over 743%.>

The barrels on the War Machine armor spun and it wasn’t bullets that sprayed outwards. It was an endless supply of…lightning looking tracer rounds.

[Cazzik]

"Well......hot damn!" Iron Man grinned liked a child on Christmas morning. The sound of his gatling gun spitting out white hot thunder was a new kind of addiction he had not known existed. He lifted off the ground, hovering just above Batgirl and laying waste to the soldiers that were attempting to surround them.

Batgirl, too, seemed to have been gifted some new abilities. She motioned towards the bay, “Stark! Looks like your buddy is gearing up for round two.”
Iron Man turned his attention to the Sub-Mariner, climbing out of the water and regrouping for another assault. Stark turned back to Batgirl and she smiled, “Pretty sure I’ve got this. Go say hello.”

Without a word Iron Man flew up and away from the area, ramping up his speed before arcing back towards his enemy and diving straight at him. Namor looked up, enraged that Stark was not only still breathing but was still in the fight as well. Iron Man’s grin was big enough that he was surprised no one could see it on the outside of his faceplate, “Hey Nemo! Look what I found!”

The gatling gun rolled to life, firing tracers with incredible accuracy. Namor took the pummeling and blocked many shots with his trident before Iron Man hit the brakes and let loose a barrage of what used to be missiles…..before the upgrade. Now, the War Machine suit was firing full blown exploding thunderbolts that slammed into the Atlantean King, nearly killing him.

Ethan watched as the sea lord, bruised and bloodied, was carried back to the ocean by his troops. He would survive but he was done for the remainder of this battle. Stark took aim at the kraken next, “Hulk, get out of the way! I’m going to slay a sea monster!”

Pure mystical lightning erupted from Iron Man’s chest, a uni-beam blast like the world had never seen before. The kraken screamed in pain as the white light punched a hole straight through it, so hot that it cauterized the wound as it was created. The beast’s eyes rolled back into its head and it sunk beneath the waves. Stark set down on the crumbled infrastructure that had once been the Gotham docks just as Hulk landed next to him, “Hulk not need help! Hulk crushing water monster!”

Iron Man looked at the jade giant, “I know, big guy. I couldn’t help myself. Forgive me?”

He seemed to pout for a minute before responding, “Metal man buy Hulk buffalo wings.”

“You know those give Banner indigestion.” The gamma irradiated creature glared at Iron Man, “But that’s not the point! I overstepped and now I owe you some buffalo wings. You got it. As soon as all of this is over.”

Hulk nodded in agreement, “Who we smash next?”

“Good question. Let’s find out,” Iron Man turned back to the rest of the city, “Team Bats, where do you need the big guy and me?”

[Mir]

Charlie was not having the best of times dealing with this idiot. She was doing her best, but at the same time, she was pretty brand new to all of this. Adam had a point when he’d said she’d gotten the powers five minutes ago. While she didn’t know how long he had had them, he’d probably had them for a lot longer than she had had hers. He was well versed in knowing how to use them and she’d been hit by multiple lightning bolts at this point. Frankly, it was pissing her off. This unfortunately created a bit of a feedback loop as she got more and more reckless with how she was trying to take him down. Meanwhile, Adam was being systematic, almost to the point that she felt she was on a table being dissected.

She was on the defensive repeatedly, trying to cover up. One of the problems was the speed with which he could fight. She too could fight at that speed, maybe even faster, but his anticipation was better due to his experience.

To say she was getting her ass handed to her was being polite.

She braced as she withstood another barrage of Adam’s fists. The ground cracked beneath her feet from the force dissipating downwards. Grabbing him, she threw him upwards to create some distance, then leapt up, uppercutting him higher off the ground.

“You need to trust yourself.”

She heard the voice. She recognized it as Batman’s.

“He’s too strong.”

“No, he’s not. You got the powers from the Wizard for a reason. You have to trust yourself.”

Evading a punch, she threw a counter of her own. “Is the green guy available to help out?”

“No,” Batman replied. “We’re counting on you. My city is counting on you.”

The two continued to fight, slowly Charlie gaining the upper hand. She and Black Adam kept cracking at each other, the air around them crackling with electricity. From a distance, Iron Man in the War Machine armor hit Black Adam with a round of his supercharged lightning bolts, depleting the final bits of the empowerment she had given him.

Black Adam, not expecting this, took the brunt of it as though it had come from Charlie. He tumbled downwards and she put the exclamation point on it, driving her fist into his stomach.

He got to his feet as Batman came around the corner of the street, landing a knuckle duster assisted punch to Black Adam’s jaw. Batman and Charlie started working in concert. Later, she would think about how strange it was that these two people, who had never worked together in such a fashion, seemed to mind meld. She would give the credit to Batman since her knowledge of fighting was limited to seeing a little bit of MMA on the tv and turning her head away and a defense class she and Harper had taken.

Batman was absolutely the glue holding this team together, but even with the brass knuckles, there was only so much he could hit Adam with.

“Neither of you lack the conviction to take me down,” Adam said, a grin slowly forming on his face. “A little girl and a mortal man. What hope do you have against the might of Kahndaq?”

“More than you’d think,” Batman replied, swinging his fast. As he did, Charlie hit the dusters with the same empowerment she’d used before and now the playing field was equal.

The two threw hits on Black Adam that forced him to cover up.

Batman looked at her. “Trust yourself…Shazam.”

She reached out and grabbed Black Adam by the cape, launching upwards and starting to spin. Faster and faster until they were a blur that couldn’t be seen. Finally, she released, quite literally throwing Black Adam out of Gotham and out into the ocean.

Slowly, she floated back down to the ground, as Harper joined Batman on the ground.

“I think…I think we won,” Batgirl said.