FIC: Faith Wayne (23/?)
FIC: Faith Wayne (23/?)
It always filled Kal-El with a considerable pride to walk into the Hall Of Justice and see his fellow heroes stood in its gleaming chamber. To be one with such an august fellowship gave him a sense of kinship, of belonging, something he’d never thought he’d have growing up.
Except today there was a tension and a fear that he’d rarely experienced. “You got the summons then?”
Kal-El turned and smiled at the African-American. “It’s hard to ignore an angelic voice echoing in your head.”
Mr. Terrific winced predictably. “I’m an atheist remember, can we not use the angel word?”
“Then how do you explain that?” Kal-El pointed to the figure swooping in to land on the podium at the hall’s front. Even to a Kryptonian Zauriel was an awe-inspiring sight, perfect Michael Angeloish symmetry encased in a gleaming golden skin finished off with sweeping wings made of pristinely white feathers. And his face was handsome enough to make a blind man weep.
Terrific grimaced. “Let’s just call it an alien race, okay?”
Kal-El chuckled. “In that case, we’ll classify the Spectre later.”
“Greetings friends,” the angel’s melodious voice rang out. “I come to you with a message from the Presence.” Beside him Terrific let out an almighty groan. “He has spoken to me and explained the cause of the current troubles.” Zauriel paused, hands clinging to the podium before him as if holding on for support. “It seems that Lucifer walks amongst humans once more.”
“I’m assuming you don’t mean metaphysically?” Green Arrow’s growl cut through the Hall’s shocked mutterings.
“No,” Zauriel shook his head. “He has taken human form.”
“And how do we find him?” Batman’s intensity radiated from him in waves, ensuring only those most familiar with him, Nightwing and his ilk, were comfortable in his near vicinity.
“Lucifer ever was the master of deception,” Zaruiel shook his head. “He hides amongst us, but who he is I cannot say.”
Kal-El’s brow furrowed. It would make sense that Lucifer hid as a normal rather than a meta, there was after all less than a million of them versus six billion normals, a far greater number. However, to have the resources so far used by the mysterious antagonist suggested he’d possessed someone with a great deal of power.
An industrialist?
A crime-lord?
A politician?
A spymaster?
The possibilities were too numerous to consider at the moment, so he turned his attention back to the angel. “The Bible tales of Lucifer’s casting down hides a far fouler, far darker truth,” Zauriel said. “The Presence created Lucifer first and most powerful in his hosts, his closest aide and most fearsome warrior. And yet, Lucifer grew jealous of the love the Presence held for the mortals and led a rebellion. In righteous fury, the Presence cast Lucifer and his followers from him with such force as to remake the universe itself, Lucifer and the Unheavenly Hosts fell for centuries, through the dimensions until they came to a stop.”
Zauriel’s eyes scanned the hushed gathering before continuing. “In the billions of years since Lucifer was cast down, he and his Unheavenly Hosts have rampaged through the galaxies, decimating system after system, obliterating countless civilisations. To some they are known as ‘The Devouring Storm’, to others ‘The Screaming Demise’, others ‘The Death Of Hope’. Lucifer and his Fallen have searched for the Nexus of the verses, the place through which all dimensions, including Heaven can be reached.” Terrific groaned alongside Superman. “The Presence hid the knowledge of its whereabouts when he cast him and his cohorts out, but somehow Lucifer reached earth and re-discovered it.”
“But the Presence can stop him?” Black Canary queried.
“He could and he would, but of all the beings that populate the cosmos, Lucifer is second only to the Presence in power, such a battle would unmake the system while saving the greater universe,” Zauriel explained. “It is better that we stop him ourselves.”
Superman clenched his fists. This Lucifer sounded-. “And his brethren, are they of a similar strength?” Hawkman rasped.
“No,” Zauriel shook his head. “In the desolation of space, they are only as strong as I. However, they are beasts that feast on the emotions of those they attack. On earth they will be considerably weakened because of you-.”
“Because of us?” queried Wonder Woman.
“Positive emotions and virtues like courage, love, determination, honour will initially weaken them, the love of a mother for a child, the generosity of a charity worker, the courage of a fire-fighter, all these will sap the power from the Fallen,” Zauriel explained. “However as their attacks devastate the world, the negative emotions will take hold, fear, despair, fuelling these monsters to ever greater levels of strength.”
“That explains the attacks on us, the disasters, the prison breaks,” Mr. Terrific commented. “They’re Lucifer’s first moves, to create a global atmosphere whereby his brethren suffer the least possible loss of powers.”
“As well as hopefully taking some of us out of the game,” Green Arrow added.
“Then how are we best to contain them?” Batman demanded. “Do they have any inherent weaknesses that will allow us to imprison them?”
“I speak as a soldier of God,” Zauriel’s eyes zeroed in on the Caped Crusader. “When the Unheavenly Host reach Earth, they cannot be arrested, they are not criminals seeking to rob, rape, or murder, they are monsters that will not stop until you’re dead or they are. This is not a police action, but war!”
“Given the grimness of the situation as outlined by Zauriel, we need a plan.” Superman made his way to the hushed hall’s front and took the angel’s place at the podium. “Hal, I understand the Green Lanterns are massing just outside Earth’s atmosphere?”
Hal nodded. “The Guardians were aware something bad was going to happen, there was a vague prophecy in the Book Of Oa that something was going to happen here around this time. Now I’ve sent the details to the Guardians, they’ll direct the Lanterns to deploy here immediately.”
“Excellent,” Superman nodded. “From what Zauriel says, arresting these beings isn’t an option, just bear that in mind people.” He gritted his teeth. If even a tenth of what the angel said, these Fallen wouldn’t stop, wouldn’t be contained, so there was no other way. “In addition to those of us here, I’ve also contacted the Legion Of Super-Heroes, so they’ll be sending assistance when requested.” Superman took a second to collect his thoughts then continued. “We’ll take a two-pronged approach to this problem. In addition to the Green Lanterns, he nodded to Hal, Guy, and the Crops’ other representatives, “some of us capable of flying outside the atmosphere will accompany the Corps on their patrol. We’ll draw up a rota.” He paused momentarily before continuing. “For the rest of you, I suggest you ready yourselves. Should any of the angels get through us to Earth, it’ll be your responsibility to protect the people. Anyone who can fly but can’t survive outside the atmosphere should act as cavalry, moving from crisis to crisis, anyone else should stay in their city and protect it as best as possible.”
“If I may suggest a third prong?” Superman nodded at Batman’s growl. He’d learn to treasure his friend’s counsel, even if it led him down uncomfortable paths. “We need to find out who Lucifer is before his reinforcements get here. It would be a massive boost if we could take the Fallen’s leader and most powerful warrior off the board before the battle begins.”
“How do you propose to do that?” Hawkman demanded.
Batman kept his eyes on him rather than looking towards their fellow JLAer. “Use Checkmate to scan for alien radiation that might indicate a possession of some sort and have Oracle data mine for a prominent businessman\criminal\ politician whose been acting unusually or moving in unusual circles.”
“Why prominent?” Superman queried, guessing that his friend’s thinking matched his own, but wanting to hear his reasoning.
“Everything that’s happened, the attacks, the mass prison breaks, that takes resources and money, the sort only the head of a considerable-sized organisation with deep pockets can achieve,” Batman explained.
“I agree,” Superman nodded. “Now if anyone has any questions for Zauriel?”
“One,” Captain Marvel spoke up. “If we manage to slay Lucifier, do we slay evil?”
Zauriel smiled sadly and shook his head. “One of Lucifer’s first acts after being cast down was to open Pandora’s Box, ending effectively paradise. Evil exists in every being’s heart and soul if not in their actions.”
* * *
“Oracle,” Batman growled into his intercom as he stalked through the Hall of Justice, disappearing into a quiet corridor to get away from the hushed, barely-contained fear filling the vast chamber. “I need a teleport.”
“And hello to you, Batman,” Commissioner Gordon’s daughter jibed. “How did the meeting go?”
“I’m uploading the video to your network, there’s a priority request from me attached to it,” he replied. “Try and get copies out to anyone else who wasn’t able to attend. Now that teleport?”
“Where to?” Barbara let out a gasp when he replied. “But why?”
Batman explained in a few sentences. “Now, about that teleport?”
“I’ll get on it,” Batman heard the tip tap of typing, “transferring command from Watchtower in 3, 2, 1.”
All at once he was consumed by red light, his skin prickling unpleasantly as his molecules were shifted, dematerialised, and rematerialised in a dark London alley, graffiti adorning worn walls and rubbish rustling across the passageway’s cobbles. Batman threw a line up and started across the busy city’s rooftops, people passing obliviously by beneath him, his journey through the unfamiliar rooftops taking longer than it would through the city of his birth, the city he knew with a lover’s familiarity.
It was mid evening by the time he arrived at his destination, a shadow-shrouded walled-mansion on the outskirts of the great city. He crouched on the roof of a church just across the road and watched, a smile tugging slightly at his lips as he noted the slightly-built silhouettes lurking in the grand old house’s shadows. Doubtless the ancestral manor’s occupant was guarded by Slayers, highly-effective warriors, but if his daughter was anyone to judge by, they relied a little too much on their supernatural abilities and not enough on honing their skills.
Batman launched himself into the dark sky, cape billowing in the wind as he silently plummeted to the ground just inside the walls.
* * *
Giles blinked drowsily as something wakened him. Groaning slightly, he glanced towards the half-opened window, the draught chilling the room. Strange, he could have sworn he -.
His eyes shot fully open as he registered the powerfully-built figure. His mouth opened in a cry for help, even as he rolled off his bed, but the interloper was by his side before he could utter a syllable, gloved hand over his mouth, muffling his cry. “Relax, Mr. Giles, I am here as a friend.”
Giles’ eyes bulged as he belatedly recognised the intruder as the notorious Batman. “H…how? W…why?”
The Caped Crusader sank back into the shadows. “I understand you are in communication with Xander Harris and Faith Le-, Faith Wayne, about researching ‘The Heavenly Schism’?”
“Ah yes,” Giles slowly gathered his thoughts. “I’m afraid our scholarly efforts haven’t been as successful as we might hope-.”
“Events have overtaken us,” Batman interrupted before explaining in a few sentences.
“Good lord,” Giles let out a choked gasp as he struggled to take in the Dark Knight’s words. “Then ‘The Heavenly Schism’ wasn’t just hyperbole!”
The Batman chuckled. “That really depends on what side of the theological debate you come down on.” The crime-fighter shrugged his powerful shoulders. “However that’s unimportant. What I need is your assistance.”
“I’ll endeavour to help you in any way I can,” Giles eagerly replied.
“We’re pulling in every meta, every force we have to deal with this,” the Batman began. “And you’re on the list…”
* * *
Xander scratched at his patch as he peered at the paperwork before him. It was weird how his mutilated eye always seemed to itch more when he doing paperwork. He didn’t know if it was the effort of reading or simply psychosomatic, but it always itched. He blinked when the phone began ringing, gratefully snatching the phone up. “Hello, Xander Harris speaking?”
“Hello Xander,” Xander raised an eyebrow as he recognised the cultured tones, “I’ve just had a rather momentous visit from Gotham City’s most notorious citizen.”
“I hope meeting the Bat didn’t make you make a mess of your tiny whities?” Xander jibed even as he attempted to rifle through the possible reasons for Batman to visit Giles.
“Yes,” Giles huffed, “now isn’t the time of jocularity.”
“There’s always time for winding up tea-drinking librarians,” Xander retorted.
Giles let out a long-suffering sigh. “I blame myself,” the Englishman muttered, “I had to make the phone call in person.”
“Yeah,” Xander nodded. “Be a man, shoulder the responsibility.”
Giles sighed. “As I was saying Batman was in touch, he has requested the Council’s assistance in dealing with this ‘Heavenly Schism’.”
“Oh?” Irritation warred with curiosity. “And what did everyone’s favourite Bat about town have to say to you?” Xander listened in silence as the older Watcher explained and told him what he wanted done. “And this is global?”
“The Batman says so. I’m getting in touch with each office, giving them the same instructions, work in sixes instead of threes, and take as much artillery as you can carry, leave crowd control to the police, your job is to liaise with any metas there are in your area in the hunting down of any Fallen that land in the city.”
“Okay,” Xander nodded, “I’ll pull all the Slayers from active duty, keep them training until this happens.”
“Yes,” Giles agreed, “a wise decision. Bye son.”
“Bye.” The moment he’d ended the call with Giles, Xander dialled the Wayne mansion.
“Wayne Residence, Alfred speaking.”
“Hey, Alfred, it’s Xander, could I speak to Mr. Wayne?”
“Of course, Master Harris.”
A few seconds later and Wayne came on the line. “I’ve been expecting your call.”
“Yeah,” Xander forced away his instinctive trepidation when dealing with the costumed crime-fighter who’d long been a hero of his. “I was kinda surprised to hear my boss has had a visit from Batman. You’d think if the Batman had something to say, he’d get me to pass the message on.”
“The Batman probably thought if he visited your boss in person, it might emphasise this matter’s importance.”
“Yeah,” Xander nodded in understanding, “the suit does that alright.”
* * *
“Hello everyone, sorry for keeping you waiting.” General Zod watched with barely concealed disdain as Luthor walked into their meeting room. To be at this human’s beck and call was humiliation for a Kryptonian of his standing, but if it got him what he wanted…. Zod smiled inwardly, there’d be time for treachery afterwards.
Of course, Zod glanced at his two other companions, Black Adam and Vandal Savage, would doubtless be thinking the same, but neither of them were a General in the Kryptonian military. “I notice Circe isn’t here again,” Zod commented.
Luthor smirked. “Oh, I decided she was an unnecessary part of her plans.”
“And what are our plans, Luthor?” Black Adam demanded, the mystically-empowered human’s arms crossed. “We’ve had the sneak attacks, the prison breakouts, but to what end?”
“Oh,” Luthor smiled. Zod narrowed his eyes as he saw something that human eyes possibly couldn’t see in the billionaire’s aura. “To a most glorious end.” His jaw dropped when scaled, dragonesque wings erupted from the bald man’s back. The man’s skin darkened and rippled, tightening on his face until his features took on an avian appearance. Red flames seem to flicker in the creature’s orbs as its fingers lengthened into talons. The beast’s custom-made suit tore as its body swelled until it stood close to eight feet tall, its shoulders widening, limbs thickening, and chest deepening, its girth and overall bulk doubling.
All this took perhaps a minute, but so shocking was the transformation, that none of them moved until the monster did, grabbing Vandal under his chin and yanking the supposed Immortal’s head off his shoulders, blood spurting everywhere.
This broke the hypnotic spell possessing both Zod and Black Adam. The two of them leapt up as once, charging the now cackling monster. A single backhand, far more powerful than any blow he’d ever endured, flung him through the office window, across a busy road, through another office block, and to a shuddering halt half-way through a train. Zod groaned as he climbed out of the dented train in time to hear Black Adam suffer much the same fate as him and see the mysteriously metamorphosed ‘human’ fly out of the building’s roof, debris falling on the Metropolis streets.
Zod snarled as he looked up into the sky. Somehow he guessed that a being with that creature’s immense physical powers wasn’t fleeing out of fear, rather it was retreating to regroup with others of its ilk, and launch a devastating attack.
“You’ve made an enemy of Zod,” he growled as he angrily back-handed the parked goods train across the tracks. “A grave mistake that you will regret the rest of your very brief existence.”
* * *
“All this waiting crap is for the birds I tell you. I didn’t put this ring on to play some damn sentry. Hell, I want some action.”
John Stewart let Guy’s complaining wash over him, a tactic that he’d found useful when dealing with his bombastic compatriot. His eyes widened when the readout on his ring indicated a swirling vortex several miles across and high, dark energy crackling across its surface as it formed a mile or so in the distance. And then crescent-winged midnight-coloured creatures with hawkish features began spilling out, thousands upon thousands of them. “Okay, poozers!” Kilowog’s booming baritone filled his ears, “form up into your protective cordons and create energy shields. No-one wavers, just let these poozers pound themselves out on our force fields while the Earthers send up their heavy hitters!”
And then a force crashed into their rear like a wrecking ball taking down skittles.