With A Little Help – Prologue and Part 1A – Qbic1

Reading Time:
6 Minutes

prologue

The Justice League was dying and Manhattan was dying with it. Everywhere Batman looked, bodies were piling up as the Earth’s last defenders fell to Darkseid’s waves of Parademons. When the call went out for every person with the strength to stand for the Earth, hundreds of heroes, vigilantes and even villains answered the call.  When he last heard from Jason, Ivy, Harley Quinn, Two-Face, and the Red Hood had held the line in Gotham. They had opened the gates of Arkham Asylum and Blackgate, offering each inmate their weapons if they would stay and fight.  A surprisingly large amount accepted the offer. Selena, always smarter than most, had run.  He wasn’t surprised. He hoped she made it out but doubted it.  He lost contact with Oracle when Gotham exploded. Last information from the satellites showed Gotham a burning husk. Bristol to DC, the shoreline was just … gone.

Curry and Mera were dead as was most of the Atlantean population when DeSaad began the attack by boiling the Atlantic and the North Sea.  Those seaborn who survived to fight had fallen quickly to heat and lasers. Earth’s armies had fought as well, Luthor making sure that the USA was well represented as he made asinine speeches about overcoming all odds of the Alien Invasion he had always warned about, until he too went silent. The Nukes he managed to get into the sky were quickly re-aimed at their own forces.  Most never made it out of the siloes. The heartland had burned and Superman wept. Most of the Northern World was gone or going quickly. Any chance for the human race to survive would come from the Southern Hemisphere, those Darkseid did not enslave.

“Hal!” Flash screamed and Batman turned back to the fight above him.  Just in time to see the Green Lantern loose his hue and fall to the earth in a leather jacket and … ‘was that pajama bottoms and bunny slippers?,’ he thought.  ‘Count on Jordan to make a fashion statement even in death.’ Batman knew he gone, the hit he had taken to the right side of his body had not only blinded his eye, broken several ribs and collarbone, it had left him unable to concentrate. He tugged his cowl off, trying better to see. He knew he was loosing it, which as he hugged Dick’s body to him, he thought was not a bad thing. Nightwing had tried to help when Batman was first singled out by Steppenwolf. Nightwing, Orphan and Robin had stood with their leader, now the dark knight was all that was left.

Batman leaned against a broken wall – not even worthy of attacking – and the parademons went after the Captain Marvel, Superman, Wonder Woman, Mister Miracle, Big Bertha, Zantanna, and Martian Manhunter. Fire, the Manhunter burned at the hands of Bedlam. Superboy suddenly screamed in the distance and his TK cut a large swarth through the descending ships before the young hero was covered in enemies and was gone. From this, Batman knew Red Robin was dead then too. All his children, gone. Duke and Stephanie had been lost in the first wave when the Titans were killed. He stroked Dick’s hair again, thankful his oldest was with him, knowing he was seeing the end.

“Bruce? God, Bruce, can you hear me?” Zantanna had made it to his side somehow.  He must have blinked, Mister Miracle was dead, Captain Marvel was throwing lightning trying to give the others a moment of respite but he could tell from here, Bertha was not getting up. “Bruce? Damn it, look at me.”

“Zee?” Batman whispered. “Still alive?”

“Not for long, I’m afraid.” She responded and lifted her hand from her stomach. He could see the holes in the intestines gushing. Her finger had a glowing green ring on it but it was barely able to hold in the damage.  The light was fading quickly.

“Had wondered where that got to …”

“Yeah, can’t say Hal Jordan never gave me anything,” and she laughed breathlessly. “Don’t think we’re going to win this one, Bats.  I mean, Superman is good but even with Wonder Woman holding off Darkseid, I don’t know how -” A scream in the sky, the lightning stopped and a child fell to shatter on the concrete.

“Who?”

“It’s over.  Marvel is Down. Sups can’t hold it all by himself.”

“That kid … that was the Captain?”

“Thirteen years old.”

“What? And you knew?”

He stroked the head of his beautiful boy, his first son, again. “Who am I to judge?”

“Batman, we can still win.” She jerked his head so she could met his left eye. “This is not over yet.”

“Zee, look around you. Earth is done. Not a single galactic ‘friend’ answered our call.” Batman tilted his head back to watch his friend make Earth’s last stand.  “Except Krypton, they have always given their their best, their all.” He briefly rubbed a hand on the dog who had dragged Dick to him when his son fell.  Surprisingly, he got a small tail wag. He had thought the dog dead.  “Good Boy.”

“Double T protocols.” Zantanna sighs. “I know we all said we would never use them but it ever there was time… I can do it!”

“You can save us?”

“… you, maybe, Clark, Dianna, anyone else alive …. Call Superman, he’ll come for you. Call him now, Bruce, we are out of time.”  Zantanna curled over her stomach and panted heavily.

Superman was hit, Batman saw, a spear of green energy piercing his stomach. He gave his son one more touch, a thank you for all the loyalty and love this young man had provided to him over the years, then pushed him away.  “Clark” he called. He looked for Dianna – dead! – Damn it!  “Clark!”  And he came, bloody, barely covered in his uniform, even his cape was gone, holding Dianna’s sword and lasso, crying, stumbling when he hit the ground, landing on his knees.

“Bruce!”

“Hold on tight,” Zantanna said breathlessly. “Save us all, Guys. Best of luck …” deep breath …”best of life.”

“EMOH OG.”

Light began to swirl, Batman felt Zantanna slide something on his finger as Superman pulled him close.  At the last moment, he grabbed with his left hand.

“EFAS EB.”

The present disappeared in a blinding flash.

“LLEW EVIL!”

And Batman was dead!

**************

Alfred Pennyworth – 79

CHAPTER ONE

Alfred Pennyworth gave the imposing Hall of Justice a sniff of displeasure as he walked towards the entrance.  ‘Disgusting, pretentious thing,’ he thought, ‘the Satellite will be so much more reasonable.’

Wonder Woman came out to meet him.

“Mr. Pennyworth.” Diana said, reaching out to shake his hand and then leading him inside. “It is a pleasure to meet you.”

“Thank you for making an opening for me, Ms. Prince.” Alfred said, wanting to put everything on the table quickly.  This was going to take enough of his time as it was.  He smiled internally. Relatively, of course.

She pulled up,”Excuse me?”

“Oh, would you prefer I call you Wonder Woman while we are here?” Alfred asked.  He smiled at the JLA members taking their seats. “Code Names only while you are in the masks, hmm?” He looked around the table.  “Of course.”

“He knows your name? Your real name?” Barry Allen, the Flash, asked.

“I know many things, Mr. Allen, Flash. Of which, you may learn some today. Please place this in the computer.”

Flash looked at the drive then at Batman. The Dark Knight of Gotham, the most paranoid man he knew, just shrugged. He put the drive in the computer and their screen came up.

“Very good!” Alfred set his briefcase on the table, opened it and pulled out a stylus. He gestured Barry back into his seat while extending the metal pointer. “Now, this may take a while so I would appreciate you holding all questions until the end.”

Hal Jordan leaned over to the Green Arrow and without even whispering said, “Hell, who does this guy think he is?”

One eyebrow went up and Jordan suddenly found his back straighten and chin jut out.  No one had made him have that reaction since basic.

Alfred smiled, “I am your employer, Mr. Jordan, much more so than those little blue demigods. So while I know it is not in your nature, please attempt to pay attention.” He looked around the table “You too, Oliver.  Arthur.”

He smiled, benevolently, at the widening eyes staring at him.  Perfect.

“Let’s Begin,” Alfred said, “Time Travel 101.”