The Return

 

Chapter 3

 

By

Brian

 

 

 

Nar-Ur was furious.  His teeth ground together in frustration as he soared across the Atlantic towards the east cost of the old United States.  He had just been forced out of Latveria by a terran.  And not an enhanced terran, either.  A normal, everyman had backed him up, intimidated him!  How dare he?  And on top of all that, the man had given him a message to convey to Luthor that Nar knew he wouldn’t like.  It wasn’t that he was scared of the President, far from it.  But Luthor was working on an antidote to the Kryptonite radiation that plagued his race.

 

Despite the control over his powers and emotions that had been built into him by Thanos, Nar still had to release his emotions every once in a while.  Seeing that damned Zal-El had stirred his blood to the boiling point.  He and Superman would get to tangle soon enough, so he could hold that back. But for now, he had to find something to destroy.

 

His course altered slightly to account for the curvature of the Earth; he noticed a lone man flying low and fast over the waters.  Low enough to avoid any still operating radar and staying well away from the pirate fleets that roamed the oceans.

 

With a feral grin, Nar rapidly altered his course so he would plow into this meta. The man never seemed to notice.

 

“This will be quick, but satisfying.” Nar thought as he broke Mach 4 and slammed into the meta.  For a split second, the sky glowed as if a nuclear weapon had just detonated due to the kinetic energy of the impact. Nar was surprised as both men plunged into the waters and both rose to the surface and back into the air, facing on another.

 

Needless to say, Simon Williams, a.k.a. Wonderman, was a bit pissed. Here he was, minding his own business and suddenly attacked. What a day.

 

“Alright jerk-off, what the Hell is your problem?”  He demanded.

 

Nar only grinned wider.  This was no ordinary meta.  He was able to take that hit and recover quickly. This would be a satisfying fight, but he was still no match for a Kryptonian. “I am your doom, Earthling.  On your knees now, and I will show you a quick death.”

 

“Up yours!”  Simon held up a finger of defiance before gesturing him forward. “Want some, get some!”

Nar needed no other provocation. He charged the larger terran with the intent of splattering him. Blind rage drove Nar-Ur forward, unable to see that his advantage was already lost. Apparently this man was faster than he let on, because instead of a dead-on collision, Nar was slammed to the side with a powerful punch.

 

Simon was already in a bad mood.  He had a tight schedule and didn’t need the interruption. As Nar began to recover, Simon swung again, this time snapping his head up and back. Another punch in the solar plexus knocked the breath out of the Kryptonian and doubled him over.  A measured backhand spun him around and was followed up by a left cross that sent the man into the water.

 

“Idiot.” Simon thought. “Never pick a fight you don’t know you can win.”  He was several miles away when a stray thought struck him.

 

“Wait just a second. I know that accent!” Simon spun around and dove back into the water. He searched around for the man but not seeing him, simply dove deeper. He was almost over Atlantis anyway, and Walter was expecting him. “A Kryptonian…I wish I’d known. I would have finished the job and broke his damned neck.”

 

Now not only was Nar enraged, he had just been embarrassed again!  He made his way back to the surface and rapidly flew to the coast. He had underestimated two opponents today and wasn’t about to do it a third time.  With a quick nod to himself, he decided not to tell anyone that he had just been beaten. It was bad enough he was defeated politically by Kara and Rogue on Rokyn, killed by Superman in an alternate dimension, and killed by those adolescent girls in yet another, but to be bested by a mere terran was too much.

 

“Soon enough,” he thought. “Soon enough I will be undefeatable and my enemies will bow before me. The house of Ur shall reign supreme!”

 

 

OTHERVERSE

 

The days passed quickly for Peter’s entourage in Latveria. He, Sherri and Bruce talked long hours over the proposed treaties and trade agreements, and as expected, they were ratified. Bruce had also invited the new King of Britain, Arthur, and he and his Knights had made an appearance yesterday. The three world leaders had the equivalent of a state dinner and introductions of all went smoothly.

 

On the morning of the fourth day, Peter had assembled Sherri, Rachel, Kitty, and Zal before the Batman to say goodbye. It was then that he received a most valuable surprise.

 

Bruce had approached with a company of Doombots at his heels. Instinctively, Zal had fallen into a defensive stance, but was wary enough not to broadcast his posture. Bruce on the other hand had noticed and allowed himself a smile. He and Zal had sparred twice over the past few days and both had enjoyed the workout immensely. But Zal was not the focus of this presentation.

 

“Peter, before you go, I have another gift.” Bruce said as the world leaders shook hands. “I am sending this detachment of Doombots to New Independence. They will follow your strict orders but have an over-riding mission to protect the city.”

 

Peter eyed the Doombots warily. “I don’t understand. Why?” 

 

“Despite the treaties, the supplies, munitions, and equipment that we are sending,” Bruce responded quickly. “it will still take time to implement them, train people to use them, and so forth.  Knowing Luthor, he may take advantage of the opportunity to invade. This is simply a deterrent to help prevent that.”

 

“Thanks, Bruce. That means a lot. If there is anything that I can do…”

 

Anticipating Peter’s words, Bruce answered quickly. “I thought you would never ask. How about an exchange of ambassadors?”

 

“Ambassadors?”

 

Bruce held up a hand and a large, blue-furred mutant stepped into view. “This is Hank McCoy, one of my most trusted operatives. He is highly intelligent and knows my stance on most things. Until I get a satellite into orbit over the U.S. for communications, he can act as a liaison between us.”

 

“We are really not prepared for such…” Once again, Peter’s words were cut off by Bruce. He had apparently anticipated this as well.

 

“How about a pair of volunteers?  They can act as temps until you can appoint someone permanently.”

 

Instead of responding, Pete raised an eyebrow in amusement. Now he began to understand Bruce’s intentions. He turned to Sherri and gave her a questioning look. He knew that she and Bruce had been spending their nights in the gardens talking.

 

“I am sure I can find a couple of volunteers…somewhere.”  He didn’t quite drawl.

 

“I would like to volunteer for that duty, your Majesty.” Sherri instantly offered, blushing.

 

“As would I,” Rachel piped in. Her motivations were different than Sherri’s, but more than enough to hold her to Latveria.

 

“Colonel…” Peter began, unsure of how to address this. “Can your deputy handle the duties until your return?”

 

“Your Majesty, if the need arises, I can return almost instantaneously. I can teleport you know.” Sherri stated with a bit of innocence in her voice, the blush already fading.

 

“Very well, Colonel.”

 

After a few more words between all had been exchanged, Superman and Ariel had picked up the King of the S.U.S.A. and begun the slow journey back across the Atlantic with the Doombots and Dr. McCoy on their heels. The two members of Alpha Flight and the Lord of Latveria waved them off.

 

“Now then…would you two ladies care to join me in the War Room?  I have the invasion of the rest of Europe to contend with.”

 

“No you don’t.” Sherri said plainly.

 

“Excuse me?” Bruce said with great surprise.

 

Sherri crossed her arms and cocked her head to the side.

 

“Are you going to abandon your guests before?” she demanded.

 

Bruce grinned. It had been a long time since anyone had talked to him in such a manner. In fact it had been his fiancée Selena Kyle that had brought some of his senses back to him years ago. Bruce had always had a thing for strong women in costume.

 

“Of course not, Colonel,” he offered his arm, smiling. Sherri graciously took it and began walking inside, almost forgetting that Rachel was there.

 

“You coming?”

 

Rachel nodded and fell into step behind the pair. She had sensed Bruce’s thoughts and had been scanning Sherri for some time. The innocent gesture of their arms joining as they walked back inside did not go unnoticed either. “Well, it’s about time Sherri found someone to latch onto,” she thought. “After Buddy, she really deserves a good man.” Picking up her step, she crossed the threshold of the mansion just before the great doors closed.

 

OTHERVERSE

 

Three weeks later…

 

Despite the announcement that Lex Luthor had presented the previous week, Sherri could not help but return to Latveria again. Preparations were constantly going on all over the S.U.S.A., Alpha Flight training as hard as they could, and Peter and Superman were doing everything they could to stockpile supplies and foodstuffs for the coming conflict.

But Sherri knew why she came back. In her long years, she had experienced events that nobody else on the planet ever could. She had been a police chief of Kansas City, Missouri, been kidnapped into another dimension, met and befriended Kara and Rogue, and became an operative for them. She joined Buddy Raines’ team and had come to know Buddy intimately.  Later, she had become the commandant of their prison, and then a full brigade commander of the military forces in New Independence.

 

The transfer to the prison and her initial promotion, she had always felt, was merely a way for Buddy to assuage a guilty conscience as he cast her aside in favor of the Queen of the Amazons.  Yet neither they, nor she, had foreseen her transformation into a meta of unsurpassed magical power (due to the departure of Ian Patrick). She co-founded the world’s only group of justice-seeking metas, took it upon herself to guide the path of a new Superman, and now became an ambassador to Latveria so she could be close to the Batman.

 

But, truthfully, she returned because Bruce had asked her too.

 

Every night since her arrival here, she had been asked to join him for a nightcap, or a stroll in the gardens, or soaring above the clouds, or simply curling up in front of a roaring fire. More than once had his words captivated her, almost pushing her to intimate actions before her more serious side kicked in and began telling her to hold back.

 

As she landed at the edge of the barrier shield surrounding Latveria and other surrounding regions. For a moment, Sherri pondered where Bruce had gotten a power supply large enough to keep the thing going 24/7 but pushed the thought aside and concentrated on her task.

 

Her eyes glowing golden for a moment, she methodically wove the visual portion of her spell while chanting the ancient rite. When her eyes faded to their normal color, a hole had appeared through the shield. As quickly as she could, Fate dove through it, only to see it close behind her. She allowed herself to float above the ground as she made her way to Doomstadt.

 

She was barely minutes into her journey when she detected their approach. Fate slowed and waited for them to close. When they finally broke into her field of vision, Sherri was shocked. Legions of Battle Drones supported by a dozen Doombots were coming straight for her, weapons blazing.

 

“Whoa! Wait a second! I am a friend of…” Sherri’s last words never left her mouth. Instead she had to rapidly raise her defense for fear of being obliterated by the deadly onslaught of phase-rifles and repulsors. Despite the protection her mystical shield provided, it did nothing to anchor her to one place while in the air and she was promptly blasted to the ground.

 

Groaning, Sherri rose to her feet and dusted herself off. Thanks to her spells, her uniform could not actually get dirty or damaged, but a life-time’s habits died hard. She glanced up just in time to see a Doombot attempt to backhand her. With a blow that would have devastated a main battle tank, it slammed into her shield, only to deflect away harmlessly.

 

“Ok…I’ve had enough.” Sherri finally said to her assailants. With but a thought, she held up a hand and exerted her willpower to shape the spell. Instantly the robotic guards ceased functioning and fell over.

 

With a quick nod of approval, Sherri took to the air leaving them behind. “A woman’s touch…that’s all any situation ever needs.”

 

Arriving at the castle, Sherri allowed her uniform to vanish, only to be replaced with much more casual attire. She was just about to reach for the handles of the great doors when they swung open to reveal an elderly gentleman.

 

“Alfred, it’s good to see you again!”

 

“And you, my Lady. Master Bruce is waiting for you in his private den.”

 

As the aged butler led the sorceress through the halls, Sherri could not help noticing an eerie quiet. There wasn’t the usual hustle and bustle of the castle…in fact the only people she saw were Wanda Williams and the four teenagers that had delivered the invitation to New Independence.

 

Finally arriving at the den, Sherri was shown in by Alfred, who promptly left, leaving the two alone.

 

“Hi, Sherri. How are you?” Bruce asked with unusual softness in his voice.

 

“Pretty good, except for the fact that one of your security forces just tried to kill me.”

 

“My apologies.”  He answered remorsefully.  “An unforgivable oversight on my part.  I have already reprogrammed them to allow you to come and go as you please.”

 

“Well, thank you Bruce.”  She answered with just a tinge of sarcasm.

 

After he served drinks, Bruce lit a fire and settled comfortably on the oversized sofa facing it, Sherri right next to him.  Alfred brought a light lunch to them as they chatted about anything but politics or matters of importance. After a few hours, both were beginning to relax more when the conversation turned to old flames.

 

“Ah, no, no, no…I asked first Bruce.”

 

Refraining from an argument, Bruce started. “Well, in my life so far there have really only been two women.”

 

“Who were they?”

 

“I was getting there,” Bruce said with a bit of mock annoyance. Sherri couldn’t help but giggle. “The first was a high-spirited adventurer that I met on the streets of Gotham. She had this habit of doing what I called ‘thrill crimes’. She wasn’t malicious, just misguided.”

 

Bruce paused for a moment to take another sip of his cognac. “Well, one night I unmasked her and found her to be quite beautiful as well. She was of course embarrassed and begged me to help her turn over a new leaf.”

 

“Who was she?”

 

“Did you ever hear of Catwoman?”

 

Sherri nodded. “Vaguely. A jewel thief from what I remember.”

 

“Well, I guess. Her real name was Selina Kyle. I eventually revealed myself to her and took her in, just as I did Dick Grayson. We got to really know each other and we finally decided to get married. Everyone was happy for us, especially Super…Kal-El. He had gotten engaged himself months earlier and teased me a bit about ‘settling down’.

 

A pleasant shock came over Sherri as she listened to Bruce talk about Kal-El as being so kind, friendly. She too remembered a time when he was good and just, but later events seemed to overshadow his better times. “So what happened?”

 

“To tell you the truth, it was quite ironic. I’ve fought superhumans, villains and heroes alike, as Selina did by my side. I had seen her disable a dozen armed attackers without a scratch.”

 

Sherri expected him to continue, but he rose instead and poured himself another glass. His silence worried her.  She reached out slightly with her magical senses and felt the pain emanate from him, although outwardly he seemed fine. “Bruce…if it’s too painful…”

 

He shook his head but she could still see the tension about him. “It’s okay. Just been a long time since I thought about her.”

 

“I understand.”

 

“She had taken the Mercedes to the store to get ingredients for her fabulous Stroganoff.  She had planned to surprise me when I returned from the office. She was exiting the grocers when she was shot from behind by a stray bullet from a drive-by. No meta, no honor, or glory…not some big plot against her or me…just a damned mistake.”

 

The tears in Sherri’s eyes spoke for her even before she responded. “I’m sorry.”

 

“That night I went and tracked down the shooter. Looking back at those actions, I don’t know why I did it. Dick had always told me that one of my greatest strengths was my stance on crime. Stop it, but always preserve life. Even a punk deserved a second chance.”

 

“What did you do?”

 

“I killed him. Revenge was the only thing I could think of. He was the first…and after that I changed. Some say I lost my humanity that night, and even Kal-El wouldn’t speak to me for a month. And of course that punk wasn’t the last. But times had begun to change and it seems that I was able to roll with the punch and came out stronger.”

 

“Is that all life is to you? Getting stronger?” Sherri queried.

 

Bruce turned to her, trying to understand the reason for the question. “No…not at all. Strength is nothing without the courage to use it. Selina told me once that the measure of a man is what he accomplished, and whom he made happy.”

 

Sherri grinned at that last part. “So who was the other woman?”

 

“Ah. Do you remember Batgirl, my protégé?”

 

“Yeah…she eventually joined Alpha Flight.”

 

“She was the daughter of the Gotham City Police Commissioner. Her name was Barbara Gordon.”

 

“She was a bit young was she not?”

 

“For me, yes. But you asked about the women in my life.”

 

Sherri shrugged. “Yes I did.”

 

“I trained her, helped her, guided her. I didn’t want to see her tainted by the same pain that had driven me to this life. Plus she and Dick had a thing on the side.”

 

“Was it serious?”

 

Now it was Bruce’s turn to shrug. “I really don’t know. I’m not an empath.”

 

“Funny. So what eventually happened to her?”

 

“Luthor. When Pietro Maximoff defected to his side and turned over his information to him, things went downhill for Alpha Flight.”

 

“So Kitty has told me.”

 

“Katherine was lucky. I personally know of three attempts on her life alone, but that really isn’t the point. Barbara went back home to her father’s house to hide. When Luthor found out her identity, he sent a strike team in and slaughtered their entire family.”

 

Sherri visibly shuddered at the thought. “She was that special?”

 

“Almost like a daughter.”  A long silence hung in the air as many heartbeats passed.  “But enough about me.  Let’s talk about you.”

 

Sherri’s head cocked at the sudden pace and direction of the conversation. Her gaze went to the ceiling for a moment then back down to his awaiting eyes. “Believe it or not, only one.”

“One?”

 

Sherri did not answer right away.

 

“You and Buddy…” Bruce prompted, leaving the sentence and the question open, surprising her with his knowledge.  But then, being a monarch himself, it stood to reason that he would make it his business to learn about his fellow monarchs in the world.  And though he had come to power only after that strange ripple, he would have learned of Buddy Raines…and those he had been close to.  It had not been a national secret, after all.

“Buddy and I were never meant to be.”  Sherri sighed, finally.  “Even if we had not split up before he disappeared, he would still be gone.”

 

She shrugged.

 

“Since then I guess you could say I have been waiting for someone to come along who could appreciate me for me.”

 

“Seen anyone like that?”

 

“Perhaps.”  She teased with a fire in her eyes.

 

“And who might that mmmm…” Bruce’s words were silenced when Sherri’s lips touched his gently. The kiss lingered as neither of them desired its end. When it finally did end, they were content to hold hands and enjoy the radiance crackling fire before them.

 

Sherry finally broke the silence.  “Even I couldn’t miss all the signs, Bruce.  Not that I wanted to.  And not that Rachel would let me.”  She chuckled.

 

Bruce pulled back and gazed at her with a little apprehension. “Solitare. I should have guessed.”

 

Sherri couldn’t help but smile. “Yes. She picks up strong emotions easily. And she said you were drowning out other people.”

 

“Well, she was right. I have always had this thing for strong women in uniform.”

 

With but a thought, Sherri’s clothes changed back to her yellow and blue skin-tight suit. The Helm however did not appear and remained in the shape of a ring on her left hand. “Like this?”

 

At his smile, Sherri slid over him and resumed their slow, intimate kiss. They stayed that way for long moments.  Slowly, they ended the kiss, but did not end their embrace.  With gentle grin, Bruce picked up the thread of the conversation.

 

 

“Oh, I like it alright. But do you know what I like more?”

 

“What’s that?”

 

“The chance to win the heart that beats behind it.” Bruce suggested seductively.

 

With a gleam in her eye, Sherri embraced this man who had treated her like royalty. Now, she knew, he would treat her like a queen.

 

Outside the door to the den, Rachel opened her eyes and turned to her companion, breaking her eavesdropping on Bruce and Sherri’s thoughts.  Without a word, she broke into a grin and nodded.  Alfred Pennyworth gestured her away from the door.  Not before both were well away from the door, did they dare to speak.

 

“It’s about time!!,” she said.

 

“I agree. I have not seen Master Bruce happier.”

 

Rachel hooked her arm around the older man and led him to the kitchen. “Alfred…how about we start a dating service? We could make millions!  And this world would certainly be better for our little enterprise.”

 

“Perhaps. Our success rate is 100%. Perhaps we can find you a suitable person to fit your ‘feisty’ personality.”

 

“Hey! That’s not fair!”

 

Alfred only smiled and began preparing dinner, knowing his Master and future mistress would be hungry again soon.

 

 

OTHERVERSE

 

 

Bruce Wayne sat in the central command chair of the War Room pondering the territories and victories that his troops had been piling up. To someone who wasn’t used to the room, it might look like one of the sets for Star Trek.  Sherri stood at his side sipping a mug of coffee, a delicacy rarely available in New Independence. She reminded herself to get a few live beans and have Amanda Parker grow some.

 

But today, it appeared that nobody would be attempting to leave Latveria or Europe for that matter.  Despite the sweep that the Latavian marines and Doombots had been performing almost constantly for the past 2 months, there were still pockets of resistance in areas throughout Europe.

 

Bruce’s plan had been relatively simple.  Send in the Marines, backed up by the indomitable Doombots, and sweep away major pockets of resistance.  Often, they had been welcomed with open arms by those trying to reassemble their communities.  When the Latverians brought technicians, plumbers and the engineering capability to get power, water and other basic services up and going, even some of the more hard-core warlords took a step back and realized they were opposing the thing that they, too, were fighting for…peace.

 

But as an increasing number of tyrants and would-be dictators led small but heavily armed forces into well-defended positions, Bruce was constantly challenged to decide to either hold up his advance or send in battle drones to try and win by attrition. Most of the time it was the latter.

 

Bruce scratched his two-day stubble as he was briefed by Frank Castle, his supreme commander in the field.  Few casualties were being reported, and the advanced weaponry supplied to certain squads was for the most part, taking care of metas.

 

Sherri could not help but smile as she saw Bruce’s slight mannerisms that belied his satisfaction of the situation.  Being a man of few words most of the time, he usually gave his underlings short responses or nods. It was rare for him to have a full conversation.  She drove her musings from her thoughts as she listened in on this one.

 

“…that’s correct. They have launched an aerial attack bent on bombarding your castle.  We have taken out much of the squadron, but a few slipped by. By my calculations, they should be there any moment.”  Castle said over the direct-link communicator.

 

Bruce glanced over at one of the technicians manning what seemed to be a radar screen waiting for an indication. “Confirmed.  They are 26 miles out and closing.”  He noted the trails on the screen.  “Frank, I have the welcome mat out and ready. We have them taken care of.” Absentmindedly, Bruce reached out and took Sherri by the hand. “And as for Herninski, is she all right?”

 

Castles’ voice again rang true. “That’s affirmative, sir. She says the injuries that meta did cause would heal, although she said her position was getting a bit ‘dicey’.  She and Joshua have requested some backup, but they seem to be dug in hard.”

 

Bruce stood and walked over to a large tactical map showing the greater portion of the Old World, reaching from southern Libya to the middle region to the Scandinavian Peninsula. It also reached from the Azores to a hundred miles past Moscow. It was lit up in green in areas where his forces or workers were located and varying shades of red to indicate different levels of hostility.  Noting that his fleet commander, Joshua, was currently assaulting the naval forces holding the Straits of Gibraltar, his answer was quick.

 

“Frank, the straits are absolutely vital. Since the Israelis blew up the Suez, it has been the only way in or out of the Med.  What do we have to spare on your end?”

 

Bruce knew it would be a few moments before Castle could get back to him, and, to his surprise, Sherri broke the silence.

 

“Darling…do you want me to go and help take care of it?” Sherri asked understanding that he was concerned about the lives of his troops and sailors.

 

“Oh, don’t worry about it, Sherri.  We’ve got it taken care of.”  He gestured her over to the tactical map and pointed to an area outside of Madrid that was deep red, indicating heavy resistance.  Sherri knew that to be one of the places that opposing forces had fallen back to, but continued fighting, not caring in the least about unification.  “Watch.”

 

Turning to one of the communications officers present, Bruce nodded. The technician instantly flipped a switch and motioned back to the Lord of Latveria. “Wolf Den to Wolf three…do you copy?”

 

A long silence hung in the air as the crackling of static and feedback was filtered out by the operator. “Roger, Wolf Den” came the response.  The accent was Slavic in nature, perhaps Russian but Sherri couldn’t quite tell.

 

“Are negotiations going well?”

 

“That’s a negative Wolf Den.  These idiots don’t seem to get the message.  They continue to use our people for target practice.”

 

“Do you have an A.M.A.S. team ready to mop up?”

 

“Fully charged and trigger happy, Wolf Den.  Their words.”

 

Bruce turned to Sherri and they smiled broadly at the joke. But not wasting much time, he got back into the conversation. “Okay Wolf three. Thunderbolt is on the way.”

 

“Thunderbolt?” Sherri asked, almost whispering.

 

Bruce sat back down in the command chair as he pondered an answer. “Let’s call it a little toy that Doom left for us to play with.” Turning the chair around, he locked his gaze to Hank Pym, who was furiously typing at a huge console. They watched as he stopped and put a pair of goggles on and grabbed two joysticks. A moment later he finally spoke.”

 

“I’m ready, my Lord.”

 

“You have a target?”

 

Pym simply smiled. “I could tell you what brand of cigar their leader is smoking if you wish. Or perhaps the fact that his pistol is a Berreta 9mm. Or maybe…”

 

“Hank…I get the point.”

 

“Right. Locked on target.”

 

“Kill ‘em.”

 

Sherri looked confused as she turned back to her lover. Seeing her predicament, Bruce explained. “Did you know that above and beyond anyone else, Doom was a most protective leader when it came to his people?”

 

“I could guess.”

 

“He had twelve of these little babies ready to go if he needed, although we could only get one operational. “It’s a satellite that employs a high-energy photon stream, designed to scrub clean any country that decided to invade Latveria.”

 

“What do they do? And could you kill Luthor?”

 

“Luthor…” The word left a nasty taste on Bruce’s tongue.  “No. There are far too many innocents in the line of fire, and all it takes is lead shielding to protect him. And Luthor is bound to have taken that precaution.”

 

“So what does it do?”

 

“Everyone in a certain radius is given a lethal dose of radiation poisoning almost instantly. Akin to a clean, non-destructive nuclear weapon.” Bruce said nonchalantly.

 

Sherri’s brow furrowed slightly. “They won’t work with you, so you kill them?”

 

“Sherri, what do you think a bullet does?”

 

“I wasn’t questioning you, Darling. Just admiring your efficiency at waging war.” Sherri explained and took another sip of her coffee.  Her admiration for this man was growing; he kept reminding her of another man who seemed very similar, though she couldn’t quite recall whom.  “Do you think you will be able to unite all of Europe?”

 

Bruce steepled his fingers and nodded. “This area will always have problems that will have to be dealt with, but yes. I can unite Europe. All we need to do now is to wait for the Queen to checkmate the opponent. The endgame is already scripted.”

 

OTHERVERSE

 

 

Eight weeks later…

 

Bruce sat alone in his office. His lover had returned home, back to North America to await an expected invasion of New Independence by Luthor’s forces.

 

But in the meantime, they had spent many happy nights together and had seen the final unification of Europe under his banner.  It had taken weeks to ferret out all of the insurgents, rogue metas, and warlords that had been hiding amongst the people of the European Federation.

 

Although he had originally set his actions into creating a republic, there had been a few changes.  For the most part he had succeeded in getting people to elect a representative for each area to form a senate, and as their first act, they had appointed him the lifetime Lord of Europe, head of the Senate and spokesman for the government: a hereditary title to be handed down generation upon generation as long as the government persisted.

 

Bruce Wayne knew that this was in gratitude to him for pushing out those that had oppressed Europe for so long, and beginning to bring back a lifestyle that seemed only like a dream to most.  He had only begun a quest for peace, not a lifetime of managing assets, people, and politics. After all, he was a warrior, not a baby-kisser.

 

He chuckled to himself at that last thought.  Once he had been an aristocrat, a member of high-society, but upon the fall of America, had lost much of his wealth and political power. It wasn’t like he didn’t have choice, far from it.

 

“But why quit now?” he whispered to himself. “You have succeeded beyond hope, Bruce. You’ve begun to use that power to make peoples lives better…why quit now?”

 

He sat there in silence as he pondered that question. It was a knock on the door that broke him from his thoughts.

 

“Come in.”

 

The door opened and Wanda Williams entered. The redhead did seem to light up a room when she was in one, but now she had seemed a bit depressed. “Bruce…it’s begun.”

 

No other words were needed. He knew what they meant.  “Where?”

 

“Ft. Raines. Luthor began the assault half an hour ago.”

 

“Have Castle begin to mobilize. I want to be on the way by this time tomorrow. I’ll follow you in a moment.”

 

“Yes, my Lord.”  Wanda began closing the door but stopped just long enough to glance back at him. “She’ll be all right.  My Lord, if you feel that she is in too much danger, why don’t you send Samaritan to watch her next time she comes?”

 

“Not a bad idea, Wanda. I think I may do that.”  Bruce ushered her on.  “Go…go tell them I’m coming.”

 

Closing the door, she left Bruce to his thoughts. “Why quit now?” he whispered. “Screw that. You started this life to help others, so let’s go do it.”  Quickly standing, Bruce grabbed his jacket and headed out, determined to defend his homeland. He raced down the hallway and through the security checkpoints, then down the stairs to the War Room.

 

When he got there, the entire room was in chaos. He stopped to see several of his force Commanders arguing, others at the communications station barking orders to troops.  A quick glance at the tactical map showed Bruce that it wasn’t set to North America, but at Europe with areas of red growing by the moment.

 

“What the hell is going on here?”

 

The room went quiet at the commanding presence of the Lord of Europe. When Frank Castle broke the silence, Bruce went to the console that he was manning.

 

“My Lord, it appears that we, too, are being invaded.”

 

“Luthor?! How?!”

 

“No, sir. These seem to be space-borne dropships.  They are landing at strategic locations throughout the continent.”

 

Bruce looked hard at the sensor readings crossing the screen.  Hundreds…no thousands of these ships were landing.  And it wasn’t just Latveria.  Briton and the peaceful region of northern Scandinavia, among others were also targeted.

 

“Damn.  And we needed to help Peter out.  He will have a hard time holding back an all-out invasion.”

 

In a whisper, Frank Castle addressed his Lord.  “Bruce…that’s my homeland, as well.  But right now, we have another nation to protect. We can’t afford to send anyone overseas at the moment.  We have to let Parker do what he can.”

 

Bruce laid a hand on his Supreme Commander’s shoulder. “I know.”  Looking out over the room, he realized that they were awaiting his orders. “Belay my last command. Deploy your regiments and wipe out whatever this force is. And may god have mercy on their souls.”

 

To be continued…

 

 

 

 

-- Story written and copyrighted (C) 2004 by Jake and Brian

-- and may not be reprinted without permission. 

-- Otherverse and Multiverse, as depicted in the Continuum Worlds,

-- are original creations of Dylan Clearbrook

-- Alterverse and The Inheritors and their associated universes, as depicted in the Continuum Worlds,

-- are the original creations of Eldric

-- The Realm and Shadowverse, as depicted in the Continuum Worlds,

-- are original creations of John P. and Jason G respectively.

-- Some characters in Continuum Worlds stories are original

-- creations of Dylan Clearbrook, Michael Liebhart,

-- Jake H., Jason Froikin, Eldric, Jason G, or Andrew Shields and may not

-- be used without express permission of the respective author

-- Supergirl, Lar Gand and other DC characters are property of D.C. Comics

-- Rogue, Jennifer Walters and other Marvel characters are property of Marvel Comics