Villain War, Part Two

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Villain War
Issue #2: “Mercy”
Written by Griffen Stapp
Cover by Sylvain Swimer
Edited by Mark Bowers

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Metropolis…

The cascade of raindrops trickled down amongst the city, showering the gloomy skies with darkness and despair. The city of Metropolis was scattered, with many wandering the sidewalks as masses of cars and mourners filled the streets. The crackle of lighting shone over the graveyard setting amongst the town square of Metropolis. A hard wood casket lay hollowed out, with nothing but a large purple suit once worn by Lex Luthor and a cracked picture of his cracked smile. His self portrait shined across the city, showing the once prominent figure that bestrode the world.

The streets were lined with figures in black, mourning the monumental man that once stood amongst the living. TV cameras filled the streets, broadcasting the memorial that was literally being shown all around the world. Another streak of lightning broke the shadowed sky, bringing light to the heightened podium at the base of the entrance to the Daily Planet.

Speakers attached to the high ends of the building and throughout the city played a quiet but peaceful melody. The soft melody filled the air with hope for the bleak future, touching the hearts of the listeners below. The song, “First Love”, played; the gentle tone of the man who once led the world and was always there.

A once towering building, the Planet’s globe was now gloomy and desolate, never to display the knowledge of the world on a day like this. The buildings through Metropolis, often sparkling and glittering with the aspects of new life, remained tainted on this cloudy desolate-of-a-sky day. They broadened the darkness, as the etching of a desolate primer on an even sky painting. The gusts of wind delved amongst the leaves. The kicked up dirt fluttered amongst the slouched footsteps.

Across the sky a small plane flew in the air streaking a banner of pride and presidency, in view of Luthor’s patriotic life. The bodies in the blackened shadows below swayed like the lost souls of the underworld. With nothing more than the ability to look on, the citizens grasped the reality that had fallen before them. The rush of the downpour filled the streets to match the flow of the dire river Styx.

A grim reaper of stunning black and silver cloth, with white-lined streaks, meandered through the observers. The figure strolled amongst the people, who grasped as if to reach out at their lost hopes. A hush fell over the crowd in tune with the figure’s splash of footsteps. The rippled trail of water parted as she reached the podium. The mayor and other prominent political figures stood to watch the memorial. The broadcast projected the figure, covered in her silver-and-white-lined cloak.

The cloak fluttered in the dreary winds and hollowed drops of rain. Leaves brushed the figure’s black-gloved hands. The short beep of a microphone turning on blazed the airwaves. The whispers of words died as the figure began to speak to them and all the world.

“Standing here in the soft dark night…. breathing the cool refreshing air…. feeling the reprieve from the summer’s heat…. feeling at one with the world around me…. feeling alive and glad to be so… thankful for all the good things I have…like you…”

The mourners looked to the figure whose speech caught their attention as well as filling the air around them. “Lex Luthor… a name that defines the definitive of a nation at times. For today we celebrate and mourn… the man … the former President of the United States. He stood at the height of the world when we needed him and now he’s become…a legend…a legacy..”

Lois Lane stood in black attire and a stunning black veil. She stood quietly next to Jimmy Olsen, also of the Daily Planet. Both dressed in stunning black, his suit a morbid reflection of the crowd’s emotions. “Why has this thing been so blown out of proportion?” Jimmy asked. His camera dangled from his hands, swaying with the wind’s lowly breeze.

Lois looked at Jimmy and shook her head. “To most of the world he was considered a hero… I mean he was the President of the United States.”

“Luthor was a man among men… who envisioned the world as a place for all of us to be who we are… not who we make others to be. He was a visionary who will forever be in our minds as well as our hearts…Especially mine…”

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Justice League Moon Base…

The Justice League moon base flashed a brilliant edifice from the far reaches of space. Inside the grand building a vast number of superheroes roamed through the halls. Tears dripped from the stunning female figure by one of the transporters. Her sparkling tiara radiated her beauty across the room. Wonder Woman’s bracelets caught the glare of another Justice Leaguer draped in black.

His black cowl and cape overshadowed his dark personality. He drifted through the heroes, passing a brand new, but inspiring, statue of Donna Troy. Batman shook his head. “Diana I’m so…. so sorry…”

His cape fluttered around Wonder Woman, and he consoled her in his arms. Her words cried out across the room, “She just came back to us!!!”

“Diana…” Bruce Wayne’s words drifted off as he wrapped the rest of his cape around her.

Guy Gardner weaved his way through the crowds of heroes, bumping against a fluttering red cape. Gardner, dressed in his Green Lantern uniform, wove back and forth, a brown bottle of hard liquor shifting casually in his hand. “Where the ‘ell is Kyle?” Gardner mumbled.

Superman turned with his baby blue eyes. “I understand this is all hard on us but…”

“…Don’t drink to make you feel better?” Gardner stared Clark Kent in the eyes. The giant ‘S’ on his chest flashed a superior stand over Gardner. “Yeah, yeah, I know. We each grieve in our own way. I’m going to go find Kyle! Bye, Superboy!”

A small ‘S’ symbol flashed across Superman’s forehead with a green light. The projection radiated from his ring with a coarse emerald glow. “Kyle?” Gardner shouted, wandering off through the base.

Gardner made his way through a crowd of heroes, bumping into the Flash and Green Arrow along the way. Oliver Queen stared down at Wally. “Yeah, most of it was a blur, it happened so fast!”

Wally shrugged in his flashy red costume. Yellow bolts along his suit reflected the light off of him as he walked around. “So, Donna died … again?”

Oliver sighed heavily. “Yeah, she did. And she had only been back with us for a short while.”

“Everyone else seems to have survived…except of course…”

“Yeah, Solomon Grundy died…. Again…”

Gardner butted in. “Yeah, and Luthor and Joker went up like the fourth of July! Good riddance, I say!” Gardner took another swig of the bottle in his hand and meandered past the two.

“How are the two reacting to their deaths?” Wally asked.

Wonder Woman stepped between the two, with a tear still rolling down her eye. “Neither of them believe it, but the world seems to think those two are gone.”

“Maybe we're better off?” Hawkman exclaimed.

“SMACK!” The loud smack sounded from the side of Hawkman’s face. The Atom in his small blue and red suit, stood on his shoulder. “You know you deserved that,” Ray Palmer said.

Kyle sat at the meeting table in the back corner of the base. He sat staring out into the vast panorama of outer space on that side of the moon. Alone in his chair he stared idly into the stars. Guy took a seat next to Kyle and patted his back gently.

Kyle just continued his empty gaze outside. “The world’s a dark place…”

Guy smirked. “With two less evils in this world, it appears the world is going to be getting a bit lighter…”

“…Lighter…darker… it all seems the same lately…”

“…Is this because of Donna dying to save you?” Guy asked smugly.

“She died sav-”

“…No! She died being the hero she was, ‘til the very end. That’s who she was and who she’ll always be.”

Kyle smiled briefly. “Yeah, she was quite a girl, wasn’t she?”

“One hell of a broad!” Guy said, patting Kyle on the back.

“By the way, Guy, what the heck is that?” Kyle pointed with a green finger of energy at the bottle in Guy’s hand.

Guy raised his eyebrow. “Some wicked liquor stolen from some of the finest Dominators in the Universe.” Guy took a swing and passed it to Kyle. “Give it a chug!”

Kyle took the bottle and raised it to the stars outside. “To Donna! Now she‘s one with the stars…”

Guy raised his arm, wielding a green lantern glow of a bottle. “…To Donna!”

Kyle took a swig and spit the fluid in his mouth out instantly. “AHH!! That stuff tastes awful!! It tastes like motor oil and piss!!”

Guy stared at him with one eye, swishing the liquor in the bottle back and forth. He took another swig staring at a disgusted Kyle. “Eh, never said the Dominators had good taste.”

Kyle shrugged and reached for the bottle. He leaned back and raised the bottle. “To the Dominators, ha ha!” He took a giant gulp of the bottle with a giant smile.

Outside the moon base, stood two men staring into space. Batman’s black cape fluttered in the listless atmosphere with little taste for air. Next to him stood Superman, in all his glory, a mere sway of his red cape behind him. Their gaze shifted to the outer stars, a twinkle upon the darkened spaces beyond.

“You think they’re actually both dead?” Superman gave a swift glance toward Batman.

“I think if they are, we might be better off not worrying about them,” Batman said as his cape twirled around on his side. The embedded crater they stood upon, on the moon, remained an empty shell in the middle of the land.

Superman shook his head in turn for his response. “Bruce you shouldn’t say things like…”

“…What I mean is… I don’t believe either of them are dead…”

“….But there were witnesses…”

“…Who didn’t see them die…”

“….No one saw anything but a giant explosion…”

“…There should still be something left of them!” Bruce shouted.

“…But there isn’t!!” Superman shouted back at him.

“…With no evidence with those two It doesn’t mean their dead!!”

“…Then we should say the same about DONNA!”

Bruce breathed a heavy sigh from under his cowl. He shook his head in disbelief, “Sorry… you have to understand with how many deaths they’ve had… You can’t really believe it until you see the body…”

“…And even then…” Clark sighed heavily and looked out to the stars. “We’re all just looking to the stars…”

Inside, in the dinning area, Alan Scott, the original Green Lantern, sat alongside Wildcat. The two Justice Society of America members quietly stared out at stars. “You know the older we get the more young pass before our eyes…” Alan spoke subtly.

Ted Grant, Wildcat, coughed. “Alan… How many times have we gone a round with Death?”

“How many times have we died?”

“More times than lives I’ve got…”

Hawkman stepped quietly around the table. “I’d give up all my reincarnations to have this young generation alive instead of us…Undying legends…” Hawkman stood bulky with large wings spread on his back and a large mace by his side.

Wildcat smiled. “You know I’ve never read the book ‘the Legends of Hawkman’, ha ha!”

“Yeah, well better then the legend of Wildcat. You ever seen a cat clean himself for three hundred plus pages? Hahah!”

“It’s worse if you speed read it!” the Flash, Jay Garrick, said, appearing in a blur. Everyone stared at one another and then eyed the outside. The stars twinkled from the darkened night air. “Sigh.. We’ll always remember her…She‘s got her own star now,” Jay said.

Everyone eyed one another again, and then let out a heavy sigh. “We’ll miss you Donna…” Hawkman said.

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Keystone City…

A shadowy figure stood at the edge of the empty pier. The rain pattered down upon his head as he cast a depressing gaze out to the ocean. A look of remorse cascaded across the die hard ripples of reflection. One droplet rattled down his eye, the beckoning of a lost but resilient tear. The drop splashed upon the cracked cement, lost again to the world below.

His green outfit was weighed down with the harrowing rain from above, the green gear was attached to the side of his costume, and a yellow band covered his eyes to conceal his identity. A solid cast wand hung from out of his hand, teetering toward the ocean front. A surge of lightning fluttered from the wand’s edgy tip.

A small puddle gathered at his feet. Drops of rain pitter pattered the outskirts of the puddle, catching his gaze. A shimmering reflection shifted in and out of the puddle.

“Where the ‘ell you been?” came a gruff Scottish voice from below Weather Wizard.

“Here…” came his solemn but quiet response. “What do you want?” he asked, slowly turning his gaze below.

“Ya bloomin’ git!” Ya late for the funeral!” Mirror Master shouted from his facial image in the puddle.

Weather Wizard sighed deeply, taking a step forward into the puddle, disappearing into its shimmering gaze. Drops of rain continued to downpour and cause ripples against the puddle, splashing into the ocean at the side.

“Took me some time but found ‘em a perfect resting spot!” Mirror Master explained. His orange and green flashy outfit made his emerald mask stand out. His greenish tool belt held his reflective mirror gun at his side. Master of the Mirror World, with every reflective surface at his will, earned him his well-deserved title.

A callous shriek filled the air as the two walked through a vile swamp ground. The skies lingered with a deep crimson tint that didn’t settle well with the two .

A stark path of stones led to a massive gathering ahead, a besieged graveyard with a puff of smoke in the far background. “Where did you find this hell hole?” Weather Wizard asked.

Mirror Master smirked. “It was either this or a pocket mirror dimension that resembled the ‘It’s a Small World’ ride at Disneyland…”

“…You know… this ain’t so bad anymore,” mused Weather Wizard. The two walked amongst the graveyard pathway, heading toward a large gathering ahead. Near the back end a tiny fire remained kindled behind the looming crowd.

Thousands upon thousands of costumed villains stood around a grave site; an empty grave with a tombstone at its top. A small stand in back stood shadowed by a figure looming above it. All eyes remained cast upon him, to which the scene resembled the makings of a fan-boy convention, without the zesty atmosphere.

The figure atop the stand bellowed to the circus ring below. “That rat bastard tried to kill me!” the figure above shouted. “But none the less he defined a true villain, and we shall miss him greatly.”

“He redefined the word Injustice!” the figure said. A blue and white hood covered his head, embracing a chilly set of blue costumed eye wear. The icy figure had a freeze gun on his yellow belt.

“Hell, he formed how many Injustice Societies?” Captain Cold bellowed. “What makes a true villain… you may ask. Will we ever be the same without him?” He glared out at the numerous figures scattered about, listening to every word of his benevolent sermon.

“Some of us loved the guy, others of us stayed the heck out of his way when he was pissed. Heck, half of us were even used by him at one time or another.”

Knockout, covered in green apocalypse wear, shook her head in disbelief at Luthor‘s death. “That’s just the sorta guy he was.”

“McCulloch,” Weather Wizard whispered. “You don’t suppose it’s bad having all of us here like this, do you?”

Mirror Master laughed. “Nah, we’ll be fine as long as everyone leaves without saying a word.”

“Word,” spoke a short curly haired man who tapped his leg and spoke with a gruff voice. His hair was out of control, and his facial expression usually resembled a panic. “Heh, kinda makes you wonder who’s causing any havoc while we’re all here,” Dr. Psycho said.

His crazed face squinted at the graveyard all around him. “Its not like there’s anything left of him to mourn. The only things we found past that explosion was an acid-squirting rose and Luthor’s arm... at least most of it. Who’s to say he isn’t walking around here amongst us… Just armless?”

“How’s that for a party favor,” Weather Wizard muttered.

A short disgusting-looking figure caused Weather Wizard to hold his breath. The smell alone turned his nose, as he eyed the disgusting trash-covered old and white-haired turtle creature. The Turtle spoke as quickly as he could, “Wh…o’s… to …say…. I…f….he …. Is ev..e.n….de…a….?”

“The old man’s right. Same thing could be said of the bloody Joker!” Mirror Master whispered back.

“Well that guy was a true flipping psycho if I ever met one. I’m glad the bastard’s gone,” Dr. Psycho muttered.

“It…tak…e..s….o..ne…to…k…no..w…on…e,” the Turtle breathed out.

Weather Wizard patted his head. “Ha ha, the old man made a joke.”

Across the way from them, amongst another group of villains, came a whisper of words. “All in all, who really died?” came the reluctant words from a woman with an orange tattoo descending across her left eye.

“Tigress,” Icicle said. He stood a glaring frozen popsicle, with a simple blue and white outfit to match his light blue skin. “Grundy’s gone…”

“He’ll be back,” came the Wizard’s response. He stood cloaked in an elaborate magician’s outfit, covered by a black and gray cloak. A shining gem hung around his neck, a memento that marked his powers.

“He always comes back… Whether the guy likes it or not…”

“…Solomon Grundy born on a Monday…” Tigress whispered into his ear.

“..Well, least we got a couple days before we go looking for him,” Icicle commented with a smirk. “Then again we searched, and with everyone looking… the Joker is pretty much dead..”

“I hope the bastard burns in hell!” growled Tigress.

“I hope he made it there,” Wizard commented.

“You and me both.” Tigress mimed cutting her throat.

“Now with Luthor dead…” Icicle started.

Tigress cut him off. “Supposedly… but he would have resurfaced by now.”

“Maybe,” Wizard grunted.

“Troia died,” Icicle said.

“She’ll be back… She always is.”

“Kind of makes you wonder who will lead us through this?” Tigress’s voice was a little bit louder than a whisper.

“Maybe we should all gang up against the heroes?” Icicle suggested.

“How about we stay out of the spotlight for a while?” Tigress said.

“Maybe you puny humans should all just roll over and play dead!” came a shout from a giant gorilla in back. Everyone turned their heads to see a slobbering Gorilla Grodd standing there.

Captain Cold turned his head, “and.. Blah blah blah?” His words sounded like gibberish compared to Grodd’s outburst.

“Stop me if you’ve heard this one before,” came a gruff strong voice from across Grodd. His small cigar puffed off a little smoke, as he stood there in his red marksman outfit, bullseye and all. “What do you want, you damn dirty ape?” Deadshot shouted.

“Ha ha, you can smell him from here!” came a reply of childish laughter from a short toy-like midget.

Toyman continued to laugh hysterically at Grodd, who slammed his giant fist down. “We should seek revenge for this!” Grodd bellowed.

“Because they did something stupid and got themselves killed?” Dr. Psycho asked. “You try and hunt them down and they will do the same to you, Grodd.”

“Why, Grodd, are you looking to lead us into Planet of the Apes? Ha ha!” Toyman laughed displaying a miniature Statue of Liberty toppled over in his tiny palms.

A large fist pushed Toyman out of the way. A large figure grinned with two large fangs, an abomination of the world with large red glaring eyes. “The General is with you all the way, Grodd!”

A mustache-twirling magician stood between the General and Grodd. Abra Kadabra twirled his magic wand, “You know you two look surprising alike.”

Poison Ivy, covered in a green and gloomy outfit, burst out laughing. Harley Quinn laughed hysterically alongside while Pamela gave a few words: “I’d say they both look and smell just like apes! Ha ha…”

Captain Cold turned his attention toward the argument. “Listen, you two. Can we just finish this…”

“I say we form a new Injustice Society!” Dr. Light shouted appearing in a burst of light.

“If you’re on it, I want nothing to do with it!” a short red costumed figure spoke. Flames radiated from his costume, while two flame buster guns flashed from both his hands. Firebug stared, draped in his bug costume, at Dr. Light head on.

Dr. Light scratched his goatee and chuckled. “Why’s that?”

“Because you’re @#$&%*^ Nuts!!” Firebug responded. The crowd by him burst out laughing.

Dr. Light turned a bright white color and stared at him with an evil grin. “Apparently you’ve never seen the Light before…”

“Riddle me this…” the green question-marked figure spoke. “Why are we here?” The Riddler sighed as he adjusted his question-mark-riddled tie.

“To give our last passing respects to Luthor!” Cold shouted from his podium.

“To get you a costume change.” Phobia glared at the Riddler. The Riddler sneered at the beautiful female with the green riveted-up collar and dark green and black empress dress. She simply chuckled and pointed, crinkling her black face imprints as she spoke. “I can’t believe you’re still in the business of telling cheap riddles. And what’s funny is you think you can lead us.”

He raised his question mark cane, ready to strike down Phobia. “I can’t believe you’re still a filthy whore!”

“Ha ha! I got a riddle! How far can the Riddler shove his cane up Phobia’s…” the Toyman blurted out, before being cut off by a giant robotic figure.

“…Shouldn’t we be figuring out who’s to blame for all this?” Mister Atom asked.

“I blame society!” Phobia burst out.

“I blame you!” Riddler said walking toward Phobia.

Gorilla Grodd smacked Mister Atom aside, crashing him into pieces. “I blame the Justice League!”

A giant wall of fire burst up around Grodd. “And I blame Madonna but it doesn’t help with anything!” came a fire-packing figure. Heatwave stared out at Grodd, his flame gun aimed directly at him. “I say we elect a leader to help us through this.”

“I…wa….nt…to…” The Turtle took his time speaking.

“I don’t have time to listen to this old fart!” Mirror Master said, stepping in. “I say Captain Cold should…”

“…Hey this isn’t a rogues-only party!” Dr. Light bantered.

A black cloaked figure with a black bow and arrow hung on his back stepped next to Dr. Light. “If anyone’s gotta lead us, it should be against you vicious Rogues!”

“Now, now, Merlin…” Captain Cold intervened. “…I think this would go a lot smoother if we..”

“So now you want to lead us, cretin!!” Grodd shouted. He barreled into Merlin, pushing him aside.

“Listen Grodd, I don’t want to lead…” Captain Cold explained.

“…So you’re not going to lead us?!” Firebug shouted. “Abandoning us are you?” Firebug blasted.

Mister Atom stepped in the way. “Hey I work alone anyhow! I have no qualms to being…”

“What about us?” Poison Ivy cooed. “Just because you guys think you would be perfect villains to step in…”

“…Villains?!” the Riddler said from on his side. Phobia had tackled him and used some of her powers to create illusions for him. “Ah!” Riddler cried out.

Toyman took a quick sail over everyone’s head, “Don’t you think this is exactly what they want us to do?”

Merlin shot an arrow past Toyman. “Why should I listen to a flying toy?”

Toyman narrowed his view as he flew past the arrow that passed by him. “I bet a flying toy couldn’t blow a hole through your…”

A large black guy, covered with a black coat with a skull t-shirt on, stepped beside Captain Cold. “Enough about holes,” Bolt gestured. “Why hasn’t anyone brought up the question about the missing Dr. Poison?” Bolt asked.

A giant mallet flew past Bolt’s head. “And what about us Gotham villains!!” Harley Quinn burst through the air tackling Bolt. “Now who’s laughing?!” she shouted while dog piling him.

“You need to keep these Gotham girls on a leash,” Captain Boomerang said. His flashy blue and white tie matched his young persona, with a leather jacket, loaded with boomerangs.

“b…e…th….e…” the Turtle continued.

“Us Gotham girls could take you!” Poison Ivy shouted, sending a rose at Captain Boomerang.

“Told ya they’re all nuts!” Abra Kadabra shouted.

Captain Cold held his hands up in the air, as arguments continued to stir all around. “This is bad for business, can’t we all just..”

“…Get along!” came the incessant laugher from the Trickster. This second Trickster was young and wore a yellow costume, wild to match his personality. He dumped a giant can of liquid on the General.

The General snarled and smashed a number of graves, while knocking Heatwave over in the process. Heatwave regained his balance and laughed. “Hahah… greased, fake dog vomit!!”

Toyman laughed while soaring past him, in pursuit of Merlin. “Now you and Grodd do smell alike!!!”

Villains were clashing everywhere, with the once sacred ground becoming nothing more than a war zone. Mirror Master stepped next to Captain Cold. “We better stop this before it gets out of hand.”

Captain Cold shook his head, and looked rather pissed. He leaned down as Firebug’s body went sailing over his head in a burst of light.

“le…ad…er…” the Turtle continued.

Axel Walker, the young Trickster, bounced off Grodd’s head. “Smell you later.”

“FREEZE!!” Captain Cold shouted.

A giant wall of ice burst up all over the place. A sheet of ice separated Grodd and the Trickster. Another formed around Dr. Light, and more popped up all over. Captain Cold held his gun out, aimed at anyone that moved. “We should be mourning Luthor’s loss, not fighting. No more arguments! Everyone pay their respects…then leave… now!”

“Why should we listen to you, Cold?” Knockout asked.

Mirror Master raised a hand-held mirror up, flashing a bright light at everyone around him. “Because if you all don’t leave now, this mirror dimension will swallow you up. You have about three minutes to scatter before it becomes nothing more than a shattered looking glass. Now leave Wonderland...”

“Fine human..” came the blustered response from Grodd as he and the others stormed off.

“This isn’t what we should be reduced to…” Captain Cold spoke.

A tiny voice spoke in Cold’s ear, “I’m sorry to hear things went sour, Cold… Touching words really.”

“Noah…” said Captain Cold, replying to Calculator via a concealed mouth piece. “I have a bad feeling about all this…”

A number of villains disappeared into portals and other ways. The crowds began clearing out, while passing the small bits of destruction that lay all around.

Weather Wizard patted Mirror Master on his shoulder. “So we’d be fine just as long everyone shut up, huh?”

Mirror Master smiled, staring at the small fire that was still lit in back. “Yeah, well I hope everything works out.”

Weather Wizard grabbed the Turtle’s arm. “Come along old man, time to go.”

The Turtle tugged back at Weather Wizard, “I d…on…t…wan…”

Mirror Master strode toward Captain Cold. “Should I put it out?”

“Nah, let it burn,” Captain Cold replied.

Weather Wizard turned. “Let what?”

Mirror Master smirked. “The fire in back.”

“Oh… speaking of which, did you guys have a memorial for the Joker?”

Mirror Master laughed. “Yeah, we lit a ..”

Captain Cold spoke up. “…Memorial for him to represent what he truly was.”

Weather Wizard sniffed the air. “You lit a candle?”

Mirror Master grinned. “No, guess again…”

The Turtle stepped in. “…Ba…g…of…sh…”

Weather Wizard turned to eye the bag on fire near the back end, “Ha ha ha ha!”

Captain Cold smiled. “Burning like the giant bag of crap he was! Hahah!!”

Weather Wizard shook his head. “Who knew he’d have more use in his death than when he was alive?”

The group of villains walked toward a white mirror doorway, to escape the tragic but torn up wastelands behind them.

[Admin]

Back in Metropolis…

The shallow silence filtered through the ceremony, matching the silent waving of a banner of Luthor above. The figure in the silver cloak, cascaded off the stage with a delicate walk. The crowd eyed the new memorial statue: a replicated gold statue of Luthor himself. It stood alongside the giant statue of Superman, for his once believed death. The broad shouldered figure stood with a cherished smile that sent a chill down everyone’s spine.

“We all will miss him..” came the shrill words from the cloaked stranger as they meandered through the crowd. The crowd scattered in a melodramatic tone, most saddened and grief-stricken from the memorial.

Jimmy Olsen snapped a couple shots of the figure as it slowly disappeared. “Wow, that was extremely emotional. Kind of makes you feel sorry for Luthor. I mean he did save the world numerous times…”

“His technology alone saved countless lives…” a saddened family said as they passed Lois.

Lois frowned. “He may have saved the world countless times but it doesn’t make up for the numerous people he’s killed and evil deeds he’s committed in his time.”

The cloaked figure walked past Perry who stood out in his faded black suit. He turned his head and eyed the figure walking away. “Wow, he’s good…” he muttered.

“…Yeah,” Jimmy stepped in his way, “she managed to make Luthor look like one of the greatest guys…”

Lois stood in disbelief and stared at the figure. “Is it a man or woman though?”

“Does it matter?” Perry asked.

“I think it would matter...” Lois asked, while raising an eyebrow.

“…For a funeral... that's the last question we'd ask at this time...” Perry asked, awfully confused.

Lois turned and stared out into the mourning shuffling crowd. The silver-cloaked figure weaved its way throughout the crowd, drifting further away. “Never mind Perry… never mind,” Lois Lane muttered as she lost sight of the figure.

The figure drifted onward through the crowd, disappearing amongst the shadows. The figure felt exactly how they moved that day… slow, lost, drifting without a purpose or course. Lost in the wind, fading amongst the star-set. It was as if the whole world had been pulled out from underneath her. I’m empty… without him.

Another tear streaked down her eye, and a red flash of hair fluttered from underneath the cloak. Her nails fluttered past her cloak as she strode through the gloom. She stopped far off, on the edge of the train tracks. She looked out at the hazy and stormy horizon as an old couple sat at the bench near the tracks, awaiting the train.

The cloak blew past her hair, revealing her beautiful gaze. She shook her hair softly in the wind. Her red hair glistened with the tug of the shrouded breeze. “I can’t anymore... sorry…” she whispered alongside the train tracks.

This is the end, isn’t it? A puddle of tears strewed below, matching her sorrow drip for drop. He’s gone. “He’s gone…” the words slipped out of her mouth.

A drip of water ran down her lip, adapting a crimson tint as it trailed down her body. Her lips curled up into a subtle grin. Her red hair flowered over her valiant eyes. She eyed the train tracks in front of her. End of the line…

She clasped a rock she picked up from the ground. Holding it tightly she clenched her hands to let the tears slide down her face. I never meant for any of this to happen. How could he do this to me..? You realize I had nothing to do with this…? She watched the tiny burst of light from the corner of her eye grow more and more steady.

You’ll never know the last inner moments of my turmoil. I’m glad. I wouldn’t want you to scream the way I do. She dropped the rock and noticed it had turned red, covered with blood. Her blood.

It’s only fitting, that I die bleeding in the midst of strangers, no one to ask questions only to contemplate why. I’ve bled worse before, almost died before. But now…will they accept me.

She heard the whistle and climbed onto the tracks. People began to stop and stare.

“Lady, you know there is a train coming!” came the old man.

“I know….”

“Well then get off the tracks!” the old woman shouted.

Mercy turned toward the woman and smiled. “I’m a magician,” she stated simply. “Watch as I disappear.”

With that she spread her arms and threw back her head and felt only the briefest moments of discomfort as the train slammed into her with a burst of light and rained bits and pieces everywhere.

[Admin]

To Be Continued!