Chapter 13
Chapter 13
Earth – 99; Gotham City
At Wayne Manor, in the library, Kara and Luke had noticed a whole swarm of Parademon flying in the direction of the Manor. The young man had just told the Girl of Steel what happened to Batman on this version of Earth.
"So this Darkseid… wanted to conquer Earth, then my cousin and Batman fought him," Kara said.
"Yup, but then Bruce found himself in this exoskeleton because of this war!" Luke replied.
"Rao…" whispered the shocked Kryptonian.
Suddenly, the library window shattered and a Parademon entered the room with a ferocious roar. Luke ran for a shotgun, while Kara came to confront the creature. She threw her fist in the air and wanted to punch him in the face, when she felt a terrible pain run through her whole body. Moaning in pain, Kara eventually collapsed to the floor, doing everything to stay in shape. In vain. And she knew this pain.
"Kryptonite," she said.
She was too weak to fight. The Parademon pulled out of the green chains that must have been made of kryptonite and walked towards the Girl of Steel.
Then Luke arrived and fired several shots at the creature, pushing it back a bit. He yelled at Kara:
"Run!"
Kara stood up painfully, still wanting to leave the library but only managed to take a few steps out of the room.
Luke used his rifle to take down the creature, which eventually left the library and flew out of the broken window.
He helped Kara up.
"We mustn't stay here! We have to get out of here before other fucking freaks gets there!"
"You defeated Darkseid?" Kara asked, still weakened by the kryptonite.
"We stopped him from destroying Earth," Luke explained. "Your cousin sacrificed himself to thwart his plan. Since then he has held a grudge against the Kryptonians and has sworn revenge on Superman's family! That's why they got kryptonite! They must have spotted your presence here, and now they're coming to kill you for revenge on Superman!"
Outside the Manor House, the Parademon in great numbers were speeding up, flying towards Bruce Wayne's house. They were driven by an elusive vengeance.
Seeing the whole army arriving, after removing Kara from the library, Luke closed the door, making a barricade with a large wooden plank.
"That door's not gonna hold them! Come on, let's get out of here!"
Bruce had taken Kate to see the Batcave. At least, what had been the Batcave. Batman's lair was filled with cobwebs, dust, vegetation… as if the place had been abandoned for years. Kate saw the Batman outfit resting like a mannequin. With a sigh of sadness, old Bruce looked at what had been the Batman's costume.
"See for yourself, I can barely walk, let alone wear that again. I'm sorry, Kate, but it's too late for me. I've already lived my life. I can't be the one you're looking for."
"God, Bruce!" Kate exclaimed. "Think of the worlds that are going to die…"
"In this Multiverse there are hundreds or thousands of heroes who can save it," Bruce pointed out. "And maybe your Paragon is one of them. This world is doomed to disappear no matter what I do. And you can't change that."
Kate shook her head in uncertainty.
"That doesn't make any sense! If there is no Paragon on this Earth, then why would the Monitor send us here?"
Before Bruce could answer him, a wing rustle was heard. The two turned to see Luke and Supergirl enter the Batcave.
"Bruce, Darkseid's minions are here," Luke said. "They invade the Manor."
Kate looked shocked, while Bruce remained calm.
"Darkseid knows Superman's cousin is here," he said quietly. "You must both leave this Earth! (He turned to his cousin's version.) Kate, it's time to leave us!"
But Batwoman kept a determined gaze.
"Let me help you end this threat! The Bruce I knew never backed down from a fight! I wouldn't give up!"
"Kate, you can't stay here, and neither can Kara," Bruce retorted. "These Parademons are multiplying very fast, and Darkseid has been determined to take revenge on Superman since our clash. Nothing will stop him. He wants revenge, and he will. I had foreseen this moment. I knew Darkseid would come here to finish what he started. I cannot defeat him, but I can prevent him from destroying what remains of hope for this Multiverse."
He turned to Supergirl.
"Both of you must leave this Earth as soon as you can!"
Earth – 18; North Dakota
Ever since they had plunged Oliver into Lazarus Pits, Mia, Barry, Peter, Clint, Constantine and Sara had been waiting in front of the pool of water. Nothing had happened yet. Clint stayed by the water, waiting for something to happen. Peter waited nervously, praying for Oliver to come back to life. None of them said a word.
Until Mia broke the silence by standing up with a haunted face.
"It's not working!"
"Just give it some time," Sara said calmly.
"A resurrection can last that long?" Clint replied.
"How can we be sure it worked?" Peter interjected. "There isn't… a spell… a prayer… or some magic trick to make it effective!"
"We aren't in Harry Potter, young Skywalker," Constantine told him with an amused smile. "Don't be impatient, young Luke."
"Guys, Mia's right." Barry said, shaking his head. "This isn't…"
Suddenly, a figure jumped out of the water, and landed. It was Oliver. But not the real Oliver. The archer had a formidable look, having no humanity. He rushed towards Constantine but Barry used his super speed and carried the occult detective away from the mad archer with rage.
Peter stood in his way with a pleading look.
"Oh jeez! Oliver! Oliver! It's us!"
"No Peter, stay away from him! It's not Oliver!" Sara yelled.
Oliver saw the young Spider-Man, and rushed towards him like a rabid animal. Realizing that his friend was no longer himself, Peter used his web shooters and managed to tie the man with his cobwebs. But Oliver let out a long howl of rage, struggled and freed himself from his shackles with the strength of a lion. He resumed his run towards Peter. He made a web appear and flew away from the mad archer.
Clint ran over to him.
"Oliver!"
Immediately, the archer ran to Clint screaming in rage. But Mia stepped in her way, her eyes pained.
"Dad?"
Oliver looked at his daughter for a brief moment and resumed his ferocious animal gaze. He rushed towards her. Clint stepped in to protect her. Before Oliver could do anything, Sara injected a syringe into his neck. Suddenly Oliver collapsed into unconsciousness.
"What? You tranqued him?" Mia pointed out to her.
"I tranqued his body. We have to get his soul back." said Sara, looking at the two archers. "That's isn't Oliver yet."
"Sure, that's not the Oliver I met," Clint said, staring at Oliver's limp body with a fearful gaze.
"And how do you get Oliver's soul back?" Peter asked, stepping down from his web.
"That's why I'm here, Skywalker," Constantine said, joining them with a smile. "I'm going to give him the soul of that brooding Oliver Queen!"
"Don't mess this up," Clint told him.
Earth – 99; Gotham City
"Kate, I watched you die once, and I was helpless," Bruce said. "I couldn't do anything to save you! I couldn't save my Kate, but I can save you and Kara! And you must leave this Earth!"
"You made it clear to me that you weren't fit to fight," Kate pointed out to him as she approached Bruce. "I refuse to go and let you die here."
"Kate, there are too many of them and they have kryptonite. Enough to kill Kara. You cannot stay here. This world is doomed. It's too late! But you can still save what's left of the Multiverse. And for that, you have to stay alive!"
Supergirl joined old Bruce with determination.
"Kate's right," she told him. "I don't want to go and let you die here."
Bruce gave her a compassionate look.
"You're like your cousin, Kara," he said gently. "He and I had a few disagreements, but we were brothers. Every day, I miss him. Kara, Kate, get out of here before it's too late. If you stay, you both die!"
There was a great crash, and Parademons entered the Batcave. Luke attacked them by shooting them with his rifle, but the large number of monsters outweighed him. Then he was attacked by the army of monsters.
"Luke!" Kate yelled, horrified at the sight of her friend's version dying.
She wanted to join him, but Bruce took her arm.
"It's too late, Kate, you can't save him! Follow me!"
A Parademon attacked Supergirl. The Girl of Steel wanted to defend herself, but felt the effects of the kryptonite again. The Parademon roared in her face, then Kate pounced on him, attacking him with her fists. After a fierce struggle, she managed to push the creature back. She pulled out a Batarang and threw it, which hit the Parademon in the face. Bruce then remembered the Kate from his Earth. But he also remembered the tragic end she had had.
"Others are coming. Come on, follow me!"
Supergirl and Kate ended up following the old man who led them into a dark part of the cave. The Parademon followed them roaring.
"I'll hold them back," Bruce said.
"How?" Supergirl asked, wondering what the old man had in mind.
"With that," Bruce said, taking a device out of his pocket.
He activated his little machine and threw it like a bullet at the demons. She lands on the ground. For a while, nothing happened at all. The Parademons resumed their marches towards them. Then, a whole swarm of bats attacked them, braking them in their races.
Despite the number of Parademons, the bats, attracted by the noise of the device, attacked them, like crows on prey.
Bruce looked at his bats with a smirk.
"Bats frighten me. It's time Darkseid shared my dread."
"It won't hold them back for long," Supergirl pointed out.
"I know, that's why, you're going to leave this Earth, right now! I'm not asking you!"
"But you, Bruce, what are you going to do?" cried Kate, distraught.
The old man took out of his pocket what looked like a remote control and said with a neutral look:
"I put explosives around the Batcave, in case my enemies try to take it! I knew that day would come, it was inevitable! Since the night I saw my parents die, I knew how it was going to end for me! I know this is the end! It's gonna end this way! I cannot stop Darkseid, but I can stop him from destroying you both!"
"Are you going to sacrifice yourself?" Batwoman exclaimed, her eyes wide in horror.
"It's my destiny, Kate. It is, there's no other way. (He smiles sadly.) I miss my Kate… you remind me of her a lot."
He pulled something out, and passed it to Kate's hand.
"I want give this to you. I kept it all this time. It's my only memento of my Kate! I couldn't save her, but I can save you!"
Supergirl, understanding Bruce's determination to sacrifice himself, approached him, with a sad expression. She had already seen friends sacrifice themselves to save the universe. Natasha Romanoff. Tony Stark. And now, Oliver Queen. She couldn't take one more sacrifice.
"You don't have to doing this!"
"I have to, Kara! Superman sacrificed himself to save me and to save this world! Now, it's my turn to do it for his cousin from another Earth. The fate of the Multiverse rests with you! You cannot save this world! This is the end! But you can save other Earths that deserve to live! (He looked at Kate with a sad smile.) You're like my Kate! You are as brave as she was!"
A growl echoed through the cave. They looked up to see some Parademon, which had moved away from the bats, and were making their way towards them.
"It's time for you to go! Kara, take Kate and go away! Do it! You can never stop them! You must go! Right now!"
Supergirl nodded and pulled out the extrapolator. She activated it, creating an interdimensional breach. With tearful face, Kate looked at Bruce, while the old man turned to the two women, with a sad smile.
"Whatever happens, never lose hope and courage," he told them reassuringly. "You are worthy of being Paragons for this Multiverse. Go and protect this universe, as we did, Clark and I once! There is always hope… Leave… now…"
"You're a brave man, Bruce Wayne!" Kara said with sorrow. "May Rao be with you!"
Sadly, Supergirl took Kate by the shoulder, but Kate couldn't take her eyes off the man who was her cousin on another Earth.
"Even if you're not the Bruce I knew, I'll never forget you!" Kate said, tears in her eyes.
"Goodbye Kate, goodbye Supergirl!" Bruce Wayne greeted with a sad smile.
Finally, the two heroes women left Earth – 99, not taking their eyes off Bruce. Then the portal closed, leaving the old man at the mercy of his assailants.
Bruce Wayne turned to his enemies, looking at them with a serene and determined gaze. The Parademon seemed furious at the disappearance of their Kryptonian prey. They looked at the old man, uttering ferocious roars.
The old man gave them a look of anger. The Parademons flew straight towards Bruce. He raised his detonator above his head then he said with a mischievous look:
"I am Batman!"
As the monsters flew towards him, he activated the detonator.
Immediately, the entire Batcave exploded, taking Bruce Wayne and the Parademons with it. The dusty Batman costume vanished into the flames. Batman's lair had gone in the explosion.