#starcplotdrop

[starcityhq]

THE NEW AGE —

After a thorough sweep of the city from the bomb squad, the threat in Star City was considered neutralized as no further explosives were detected within. The parties responsible were not apprehended by police and remain at large, considered highly dangerous.

Through the combined efforts of emergency crews, police, and the city’s remaining vigilantes, Star City’s citizens were seen safely back to their homes. Clean up crews were called in to handle the confetti that littered the street, and efforts to repair the damaged bridge began immediately. Area hospitals and clinics remain open to assist. Twenty-seven deaths linked to the bombing of Liberty Bridge have been reported, along with dozens of other injuries. Mayor Dent has issued a special thank you to neighboring cities who sheltered and treated evacuees before the threat was deemed contained, hailing it as an example of what cooperation and compassion can accomplish.

News of the destruction at NOVA headquarters came in slowly. While many celebrated the agency’s exit from the city, the mere scale of devastation and loss of life was met with horror.

From Star City to Gotham, the announcement of Bruce Wayne’s death weighed heavily on those who supported and admired the billionaire-turned-vigilante. Though official funeral arrangements remained private and limited to family and close friends, vigils popped up around the world as people mourned his death. For a while, those who grieved eclipsed the voices of those who cheered.

Shortly following the detonation of explosives in Star City, California, and on the grounds of the National Oversight and Validation Association’s headquarters, Congress convened a closed-door session to discuss matters of national security. Transcripts from that meeting will not be made available to the public. After several hours of deliberation, legislation was delivered to the President’s desk that would cut the agency colloquially known as NOVA, effective immediately. A press conference was held at the White House following the passage of that legislation. The President, flanked by his advisors, announced that he had signed it into law. The National Oversight and Validation Association was officially abolished.

Within twenty-four hours of the US President’s announcement, the United Nations began new rounds of debate concerning the future of the Superhero Relocation Program, otherwise known as the SRP. Years had passed since the international body last considered the program’s status, but in light of recent events and the years-long tension and violence, member-nations needed a new way forward.

A special session of the UN’s Security Council was held, and its sitting members returned to the General Assembly with a recommendation: Repeal the Superhero Relocation Program. A recorded vote was initiated at the behest of the UN Secretary General, and the press release issued following the session showed 151 member states in favor of the program’s dissolution, 36 opposed, and 6 abstaining from the vote. With a majority of its members in agreement, the United Nations chose to repeal the Superhero Relocation Program and place management of vigilante activity back into the hands of individual nations.

Federal, state, and local governments in the United States are currently in discussion about how best to proceed following the abolishment of the SRP and NOVA.

In Star City, Mayor Harvey Dent has called for unity, stating that it is time for citizens to join together to grieve losses and build a brighter future.

NOTE: And that concludes our event! You are now free to start new threads! Thank you to everyone who participated, and we hope that you have  enjoyed yourselves as much as we have! The group discord threads will be edited and posted on the main now that the event is over. If you have any questions, please contact the main and we would be happy to clarify! 

GOODBYE NOVA, and good riddance!

[starcgazette]

[riddlesreformed-blog]

With a Smile || Self Para

Personally affects: @connorxhawke​, @aceofknaves Mentions of: @ofparanoia, @ofintellectualpenguins, @aceofknaves Trigger Warnings: Murder, gore, mutilation

The Joker was a fine choice to imitate, such a chaotic man who sometimes killed for no reason. He knew he only did it when it was funny. What ever that meant, but the man’s humour was so skewed it was impossible to understand. That was why he was the perfect man to imitate. He was a known, active villain who probably wouldn’t mind too much if Ed sent him a special apology for using his method later. Of course, he would write in it that Joker was a brilliant and superior villain to many. Maybe he’d put a joke in there, and offer to do him a favour. Whatever he had to do to stay on that man’s good side. Right now, he couldn’t afford a feud with The Joker. 

Penguin carried out his kills like an execution. He didn’t have much of a signature to copy and right now was under the radar so he couldn’t use him. Of course, he couldn’t go to Jon for help. Asking for some fear toxin. Mostly because of their past... he felt this pit of remorse when he was around the Scarecrow. Ed couldn’t begin to describe how much he missed him. Right now, he doubted the man would have helped him. 

The unknown man who sent him the letter, likely didn’t condone help anyway. The first thing Ed did after he gagged and brought the woman to an abandoned theme park on the other side of town was place her in the house of mirrors. To silence her muffled, and desperate cries. Ed knelt down in front of her. “My deepest apologies, Mrs. Hawke.” He said, in a soothing tone to her before swiftly slitting her throat. Wearing a poncho for the mess as he figured a little blood would get on himself. 

The woman’s information had been given to him by the mysterious stranger and he- dressed in something one of Joker’s henchman might wear- dropped by her house and kidnapped her with ease. Bringing her to the abandoned theme park. The place she would be found dead, if anyone found her at all. 

“Oh, dear...” He whispered to himself, nose scrunching up with distaste. “Well. Let’s get to work.” Edward said before he took off the woman’s gag and set it aside. He would get rid of it and the rain poncho later. He started carving into the woman’s mouth to create a slit-smile on her face. Mimicking the way the Joker might do it. Wiping some blood onto his gloved hand, he then dotted her nose with it. 

“This is missing some spunk.” He told himself before he started stabbing her body multiple times with the blade. He removed the letter Joker wrote him while he was at Arkham from his pocket and stared intently at the handwriting. Paying careful attention to it. He couldn’t mess this up. Taking some more of her blood onto his gloved hand, he got ready to start finger painting something classic on the mirrors surrounding her. Aiming to make this whole place red with her blood. 

Mimicking Joker’s handwriting to the tee, as Ed was extremely good at forgery- he wrote the most obvious thing to write. Covering every mirror that dawned her reflection. 

HAHA HA HAHA HA HAHA.

‘Scribbled’ in a hectic fashion. He also had references on his phone from previous Joker killings to help him make it seem incredibly like his. The job took an astonishing amount of time, painting each mirror with blood but other all the scene screamed Joker. Not Riddler. 

He had an other whelming desire to leave some kind of clue- which was why there was an even number of HAs on each mirror. Letting his OCD get the better of him there. It wasn’t something an average person would notice all though. 

Ed then took something subtle of her’s from her corpse. A receipt lifted from her pocket. Smudging some of the blood on it, he then placed it in a small plastic bag and put it in his bag. He would be placing this item in the locker for the mysterious man who made him do this. Edward then took the knife and put that in another plastic bag to dispose of. He put the gag in the back to dispose as well.

His hands beginning to shake. He took some deep breaths to try and calm himself. Finally taking it all in. He hadn’t killed anyone in a very long time.

Ed spent a little longer there, cleaning up any tracks that would indicate he was there. Occasionally getting caught up by his own reflection in the bloodied mirrors. He looked like a mess, dressed like Joker’s henchman and even wore larger shoes then his actual size. Shaking and breathing deep. He looked... so crazy. There was no denying it now. Edward Nygma wasn’t sane and he had never been.

He was a villain.

[kristencoded-blog]

You thought you could run away to Star City and hide? I know exactly who you are, Isabella. You might have escaped Indian Hill, but I know plenty of people who would love to take a look under the hood of a clone.

When Isabella saw the note, pinned to her front door, she assumed it was from Edward. It was odd, for him to leave her a letter rather than simply texting her, but he must have had a good reason. Maybe he didn’t want to risk discussing their plan via text? That would make sense, to avoid risking someone seeing it. Maybe he was checking to see how her conversation with Jessica was going?

There was something very romantic about the fact that they might have to revert to letter writing to discuss their plan, at least until she had moved in. It was reminiscent of their game. So, when she pulled the letter from the door, and unfolded it, she was immediately disappointed. It took her two seconds to realise that this wasn’t from Edward. In fact, she knew who it was from.

It wasn’t a surprise. Given how apparently prolific this anonymous writer was, she’d figured it was only a matter of time before they targeted her. Though she’d told Jubilee this was a cruel joke, and she honestly believed it was, her heart raced when she read the typed words. They were threatening her? How dare they?

Whoever had got hold of her information must have done so from Donovan or Howard. That much was obvious. Only a few people knew about Indian Hill. 5, Donovan, Howard, and Harley. And, given that Donovan and Howard had already been targeted by this person, it made sense that they had been the ones to let slip that she was from Indian Hill. This was their fault. Someone must have heard it from them, and decided to play a game.

Her money was on Howard. She didn’t know him very well, but he clearly didn’t have much of a filter. She’d seen that when she’d first met him. He must have let slip that they were from Indian Hill, perhaps to a supposedly trusted person, and that person had taken that information and was deciding to mess with their lives.

There was no way to tell who had written the letter, because it was typed. The paper it was printed on was standard – thin, ordinary, printer paper. It could have come from anywhere. It was written in a typically villainous tone, just like the message that Jubilee had received. The writer had used a singular personal pronoun, implying that they were working alone.

“Oh my,” she murmured to herself, rereading it slowly, now that the initial panic had worn off. “You’re a busy bee, aren’t you?” She despised their word choice. Under the hood of a clone. As if she was a car, to be taken apart and examined. Her joints tingled slightly.

She walked inside, and closed the door behind her, reading the letter again. It hadn’t come with conditions. They hadn’t demanded anything of her, the way they had of Jubilee and Howard. That only further proved her point – that this was an experiment, or a game, to them. They just wanted to test Jubilee and Howard, to see if they would comply with the demands.

Isabella was almost insulted that they hadn’t told her to do anything. Did they not think she was capable? Did they think she wouldn’t do what they asked? Of course, she wouldn’t have, if they had asked her to do something. But the fact that they hadn’t even bothered seemed like an insult. All they had done was inform her that they knew who she was, and that she was a clone, and that they ‘knew people’. It was almost comical.

The threat was vague enough not to cause any fear. The letter-writer would pay for threatening her, eventually. But it was more out of principle than genuine concern or terror. How dare they threaten her with exposure? When she had done such a good job of severing herself from Kristen’s life?

As much as she didn’t want to admit it, Howard had probably been right when he’d said there were other shadowy scientific organisations who would want to capture them. But if this anonymous author was the same person who had pettily demanded that Howard flee the city, and that Jubilee break up with her boyfriend, then Isabella doubted their legitimacy. They didn’t know any big evil scientific co-operations. They were a hoaxer, and nothing more. This was the written equivalent of a schoolchild saying “I’ll tell the teacher!”

If they wanted to expose her, they would have done it. If their goal was to panic her, to scare her into doing something stupid, then Isabella was two steps ahead of them. She wasn’t scared of some anonymous writer, throwing their weight around. She was more angry at Howard, or Donovan, for being the source of the leaked information. And she would deal with that accordingly. Later. For now, she had to finish packing.

[redwiiinged]

[ SENT TO TIM’S BUNKER ] You thought you could keep this place under wraps, didn’t you? Then again, your security has always been juvenile, to say the least. I’ve sent a worm into your system, and not only is it slowly siphoning out your information, but it’s also permanently wiping your hard drive. Come and get it.

[starcityhq]

THIS IS IT —

Bruce Banner and Tim Drake knew they couldn’t ignore the alarming level of gamma radiation permeating the city since NOVA’s departure. Their concerns were brought to Bruce Wayne and Steve Rogers, along with detailed reports and explanations. However, no one could ignore the greatest possible threat presented to them: a nuclear bomb. 

Things moved quickly after that. A small team was assembled to infiltrate NOVA’s Headquarters for information, but to also be prepared for a confrontation. No one knew how much time they had. The situation was dire. This time, however, they wouldn’t make the same mistake twice. Scott Summers stayed behind with a group of mutants - mutants prepared and equipped to shield the city in case of nuclear disaster. A second group remained in Star City man comms and funnel information between parties. Throughout it all, the public remained unaware of the underlying crisis.

But not for long.

As the mission is underway, citizens are enjoying what they believe to be a nice, normal day. The air is cool and crisp, but the sun is shining. It’s a beautiful day for a little chaos. 

At least, that’s what Joker thinks. And after so much buildup, he’s ready to unleash his little plan on the world. In the dead of night the day before, he had sent his men out to rig up a giant screen concealed within a billboard which looked like it was advertising for a new play going up called “The Main Event.” Identical boards were positioned carefully throughout the high trafficked areas in the city.

Joker straightens his tie as he prepares to help Star City greet the day with a gripping drama he has created all by himself. There are so many ways this could have gone awry. If Superman had come after him that day after the park with Lucy. If Anton Satan has taken his warning a little more seriously. If Rick Flagg had caught him during the Kryptonite heist shrouded by the chaos of the riots after the NOVA explosion. He would have to thank all of his supporting actors: Scarecrow, Kite-Man, Harley, of course, and even Money Shot—Payload—for their contributions, but it would be Joker reaping the benefits.

3...2...1… Showtime.

A gloved finger flicked a switch on his control board and Joker kicked back to wait as his goons lured Superman to his location. The billboards all over the city were suddenly graced with his face.

“What a beautiful morning to you, Star City,” an all too familiar voice echoes from every television set in the city. All the places the broadcast avenues he had jacked would have reached. Television sets, streaming, and of course, the electronic billboards in the streets all feature his pearly whites and the sinister grin that accompanies them.

“Since it’s been so long since you and I have had a proper show, I figured you had to be missing me terribly. All this chaos and not even a little bit of fun to cut the ugly? It’s a crime worse than any that I could commit. We all need a little laughter once and a while or I’ve found that we have the tendency to… just explode.”

“Things have certainly been in a whirlwind since we last spoke, haven’t they? Barely any time to laugh at all. Those heroes all need to unwind once and awhile, just like us, but it must just feel soooo out of control. So… how about we do a little favor to one of the guys that puts in so many hard hours for us doing big big favors? Ladies and gentleman, for your viewing pleasure, I’ve set up a little game for none other than the Man of Steel himself to give him back all the control he needs.”

“I’ve come to learn,” he said, more for the benefit of the onlookers than Superman, who could also hear him speaking now, “that Superman is really more of a family man than any of us could ever have guessed. But which is more important? Family or fellowship? After all, you all look to Supes, don’t you? Would he choose the needs of the many or the needs of the favored? Strap a bomb to a man’s family or under a man’s city, and then the choices really get tough. Maybe control’s not all it’s cracked up to be.”

And with that, Joker has taken control of the bomb.

This event will have teams in different locations. If you would like to be added to a team or if you would like to be switched to a different team, please message an admin and let us know!

TEAM A:

MEMBERS: Bruce Wayne, Steve Rogers, Diana Prince, Barry Allen, Oliver Queen, Erik Lehnsherr, Wanda Maximoff, Anna Raven, Jihl Nabel, Bucky Barnes, Dick Grayson, Clint Barton, Natasha Romanoff, & Tommy Shepherd.

LOCATION: NOVA’s new Headquarters, 500 miles outside of Star City.

OBJECTIVE: Infiltrate NOVA for information on the location of a possible nuclear weapon. Use force if necessary.

TEAM B:

MEMBERS: Jason Todd, Tim Drake, Damian Wayne, Barbara Gordon, Cassandra Cain, Stephanie Brown, Roy Harper, Donna Troy, & Airen Ravencroft.

LOCATION: Wayne Manor.

OBJECTIVE: Provide ground support and gather information for Team A. 

TEAM C: 

MEMBERS: Scott Summers, Bobby Drake x 2, Julian Keller, Gabby Kinney, Nathan Summers, Emma Frost, & Quentin Quire.

LOCATION: District X.

OBJECTIVE: Prepare for the worst case scenario should the bomb go off.

Any character not on a team is free to react to the bomb threat however you’d like! Remember that Star City is an island. There is a single bridge and a ferry, but with the ensuing panic, no one is getting anywhere any time soon. Feel free to have your character stuck in traffic, on the ferry, ect., or message the main if you’d like ideas on how to participate! There are plenty of heroes and villains still in the city to help out/wreck more havoc!

NOTE: You are welcome to complete threads (group or otherwise) on discord or on the dash!

And with that, our event has begun! It will run JANUARY 31ST, 6:30PM EST to FEBRUARY 14TH, 6:30PM EST. Please make sure you are tracking and using the “STARCRADIOACTIVE” and “STARCEVENT” tags for event posts and are answering open starters in addition to posting your own! Please do not start non-event threads during this time without permission from the admins. As always, admins reserve the right to accept character applications at any time during the event rather than just during the typically scheduled two days a week. Keep an eye out for plot drops!

[starcgazette]

[spccdisms-blog]

[Attached is evidence of Tommy acting outside of the ban. ] Fast enough to get into trouble, but not fast enough to get away. I think it should be your new motto, Tommy. Don’t worry, you’re not in trouble—yet. But be careful, Speed. You just might end up there soon. Just listen to my instructions, and you’ll be just fine. Wait for my next note.

maybe tommy was supposed to act like everything had just entered CRISIS MODE but he wasn’t going to freak over a note. granted the pictures --- he wasn’t sure how someone had managed to catch him the the speeds he had been going, but they did, and they were damn good shots. yanking open a drawer besides his bed, tommy tossed the note and the pictures inside before slamming it shut.

 “ --- great. ”

[livingcomputer]

Midnighter, you’ve been a naughty boy, haven’t you? Don’t you worry about a thing—I’m not coming after you any time soon. However, dear little Apollo, Andrew, whatever you call him—he might not be so lucky.

There was a lot of things you could do to piss off Lucus, look at him wrong, ignore him, or even breath wrong. He’ll punch you in the throat and walk away. The fact of the matter Lucus is a very angry person. It wasn’t hard to tick him off. It was no surprise when he got the letter and had finished reading it he was pissed. But this was a different kind of pissed.

This pissed was a fury so poisonous and destructive he’d do everything it took to protect the people he loved. That was a very short list currently, Squish, Andrew, and candy the dog. But still. He only had so many things to keep and love. Without theses things, he’s got nothing. And a man who’s got nothing to lose is a very dangerous man.

Setting the paper down he clenches his hand in a tight fist. Striking down onto the paper, the table underneath it cracks under the force, leaving a huge dent on the marble table. His finger bones slightly break from the force of his punch. But it’ll heal in a couple hours. Drips of blood splatter on the note. Lucus’ expression closed and furious.

It didn’t matter how much of a joke the letter was, it was a threat to his HUSBAND. Something he will treat seriously as if there was a knife at Andrew’s throat right now. He’s dealt with too many maniacs in his time to treat any threats so idly. Grabbing a towel he wipes his bleeding knuckles, ready to kill. It was what he was trained to do. Time to put it to good use.

Before he could set out he had to make sure his Husband was safe, walking back to the bedroom he peeks in, some of his muscles relaxing seeing the tuffs of golden hair poking out from under the blanket.

“I won’t let them touch you. I fucking swear it.”

[oficarusisms]

Boring, boring boring. You and your little boyfriend are sticking too close to the status quo. I already told him that he needs to upset the order—or I’ll do it for you. Who cares about the paradox?

warren crumbled up the paper and tore it, discarding the pieces into the trash before scott could discover them. “ upset the order --- ” the angel mocked, “ i really hate this time travel deal. ”

[starcityhq]

WHAT: The whole city is watching the following live feed of Joker and Superman. As the choice is put to Clark, he hesitates, and Joker shows Clark just how serious he is.

WHO: Superman & Joker

WHEN: January 31st, 2021

SUPERMAN: It had been nearly a year and a half since he'd left Metropolis behind and relocated to Star City, simultaneously shedding his acceptance and cooperation with the hero ban in order to wear the cape again. He'd made that first appearance in a big way, but after years of Superman being off the map, acceptance of his return wasn't granted automatically. Long weeks had passed before he got even a trickle of what he'd once known in Metropolis - people calling out to him, asking him for help because they knew that he would come. It built from there. For every cry for help he answered, for every appearance he made doing his own work or the League's, more came. Now he was back to listening constantly and sometimes having to make the choice of what he could respond to and what had to go to someone else.

So it wasn't strange when a sharp, panicked voice cut through the noise just the night after Lois, Kara, and the others had left the city. If anything, he welcomed the distraction. Without them around, he had nothing to focus on but work. Within seconds, he'd gone out the window of his apartment in a streak of blue and red. The voice, a young woman by the sound of it, seemed to be retreating out of the city. The closer he got, the further it seemed, and soon he'd left Star City behind altogether. Some kind of kidnapping. That had to be it. As long as he could still hear her, he could reach her.

On he went until most signs of civilization had dropped away on either side of him. There was still a road, the voice, and power lines, though. It turned out that he was following all three. When he finally reached what seemed to be the place he was searching for, it led him to a warehouse situated by itself. Trucks were parked outside, though he couldn't see anyone moving among them, and a glance through what walls he could see through yielded nearly nothing.

"Help me, Superman!"

He broke the lock on a loading dock door in order to get inside and continue his pursuit.

JOKER: It was all in place. Today, the curtain rose and the show would go on and Joker was elated. He'd get his little peanut back, he would teach Superjerk a lesson and deal with Batman's continual distraction all in one fell swoop. It was time, after the puppet show, to do something that really put him back on the map. After all, he was tired of NOVA stealing the regard and attention that was rightfully his. Plus, he was beginning to think that people underestimated him and he wasn't having it. Why should he? He'd simply make them all see what a mistake that was.

Luring out Superman was a simple task. These noble types were always trying to save someone. And so Joker had given him someone to save. Of course, there would be no one in the warehouse but he and Superman. He and Clark Kent.

The moment he breached the dock, Joker sat at the control panel. Flicking a switch, he brought the live broadcast that was currently playing all over the city away from his prerecorded message and onto the man himself. Another button on his controls and the room that Clark was in, a holding room between the dock and the main building that had been specially rigged for this purpose--he needed to give Chuckie boy a raise--sealed both doors and clicked shut.

"My my, here he is. The man of the hour. You got that cue without me even having to prompt you." Another button and a clear hissing began as a thick green aerosol suddenly filled the room. "And now we can get one with the show, can't we?" Leaning forward to speak into the mic, Joker grinned with a sinister edge as he asked, "Tell me, Superman... what do you fear?" If only Scary were here to play along. He'd have to do him justice.

SUPERMAN: The young woman's voice fell silent as he actually reached the building. He was still scanning the walls, already working through where to search first, when the doors closed audibly behind him. Clark turned, brows furrowed. Getting out of that would be easy enough, but that wasn't the concern. Someone was watching him. Power plant or no, he'd detected no sensors on the door, and the place wasn't sophisticated enough for that.

The voice that answered him just moments later made him set his jaw. "Joker. What-" There was no time to finish the thought. As the gas poured into the room, Clark immediately began to cough. The sensation was nearly instant, and part of it was familiar enough by then that he recognized it. Nothing made him feel the way Kryptonite did, and the realization was like having ice water in his veins. It worked through his body quickly enough to have him doubling over in mere moments. The question went unanswered, though his head was swimming.

JOKER: No response. Not fun. Well, he would show Joker what he feared. The gas would act quickly on him. Now, to start to escalate. The door in front of him opened and he gave a bright grin. “Aaaaand showtime.”

“How will you ever get out, Superman? I guess the only way is forward.”

SUPERMAN: One of the most profound effects of Kryptonite was how heavy it made him feel. The sheer exertion moving his own body was like dragging himself through thick tar. Everything seemed like it was in slow motion, and it was all painfully exhausting.

It didn’t take him long to realize that there was more to it this time. As soon the shadows danced at the edges of the doorway, his mind was already playing tricks on him. Whispers of voices, all familiar, filled his head as he took those first few steps toward the door.

This is all your fault, Clark. It was Lois, Jon, his parents, Kara, Bruce, Diana...so many...all variations on a theme. You did this. He’d just stepped through the door when he spoke aloud, seemingly unaware that he was responding to people not there. “I didn’t mean it!”

JOKER: "Oh dear oh dear," Joker answered. "I'm sure you didn't. Not at all." Joker flipped another switch, grinning as he did so. The lights dropped out into complete blackness before the strobing began--bright, white and oppressive. All the things he needed to watch Clark Kent writhe. "But sometimes good intentions come up short."

In front of Clark, another door opened as Joker watched intently, ensuring that his feeds captured it all.

SUPERMAN: Clark lifted one arm to try to shield his eyes from the light, which had him quickly pressed against one of the walls. It left spots in his eyes, furthering the disorientation that already had him reeling, and the voices grew louder still. He alternated between muttering what sounded like pleas and practically shouting, “I thought it was the right thing! I thought-“ and so it went, until one of the doorways and the pulsing shadows grew and twisted until it looked like a body on the ground. He didn’t recognize it right away.

His Ma’s voice came to him again, disappointed and deafeningly loud in his ears. “You were supposed to help these people, Clark, and all you did was abandon them. You abandoned all of them.”

Another staggering step forward, past the shadow that wasn’t a shadow, finally let him see its face. Lois. Clark stumbled backward, falling the rest of the way through the door.

JOKER: And with Clark in place, Joker couldn't help but laugh over the intercom system as he watched the infallible 'Man of Steel' crumble into a crying little boy. And it had been all too easy. It had just taken a little watching. A little knowing and scheming. Not difficult at all, really. And now they'd see just what the Joker could put on. Funny, he had thought he'd been showing them all along, but apparently they had needed a refresher. So here he was.

When the lights came up, there was a simple set up. Large screen on the far end of the room, and two podiums evenly spaced apart featuring big red buttons. Option A and Option B. Either was sure to make a splash.

"Now that we're all warmed up and our mind is playing fuzzy tricks, how about we play a game, Superman? Whaddya say?" Leaning into the mic, his voice dropped into something dangerous. "Give you a hint: the only answer is yes."

SUPERMAN: Once he’d managed to tear his gaze from the shadowy figure of Lois on the ground, he squinted toward the podiums. He felt sick, like his very bones hurt. It took tremendous effort to pick himself up from the floor and more effort still to try to focus and figure out what was happening. He couldn’t, really.

Clark shook his head and closed his eyes, not wanting to see anything there. It all kept distracting him. Even with his eyes closed, though, there were still voices. “No...games.”

JOKER: "Ahhh, see it wasn't really a choice," Joker said before his grin turned mean. "That's so irritating, isn't it? When someone takes your choices away? When they decide for you?" He watched Clark through the screen he had set up before finally reaching the crux. "I, unlike some people, am a compassionate man. I know how hard it is to be told no even if the thing I want is natural as, say, a father and his daughter. So here's what I'll do for you, buddy. I'm gonna give you a big choice. So pay attention."

"Behind door number one is obvious. Superman is a man of the people, isn't he? So of course we should show him what he loves." Click click and the screen displayed the gathering of people standing in the center of Star City with their faces fixed on the large screen he had erected earlier that day to do the largest part of the broadcast. Every smaller screen connected to the cable he'd hijacked would also be showing his performance, but this one was the most substantial. "Here's Star City, Superman. Would you do anything you could to save it?"

SUPERMAN: As the screen turned on and he saw the small crowd, Clark shot a panicked look back over his shoulder, but the body he’d seen before was gone. Lois wasn’t there. Tricks...just tricks...He shook his head, trying again to force himself to focus, but he could only manage it for seconds at a time. In those few seconds, Joker’s words settled in. Lucy...Lucy, Lucy, this was about Lucy...

He walked sluggishly toward the screen like he meant to reach up and touch it. You were supposed to help these people, Clark. “...Always.”

JOKER: “Yes yes, always. Always the hero, aren’t you Superman?” Superman had a different modus operandi than Batman, and Joker was far more accustomed to the less emotional and more stoic responses he received from Bruce. With Clark, it was all new experience. Still, improv was one of the highest forms of comedy, wasn’t it? He learned on the fly.

“But a choice’s not much of a choice with only one option, right? You see, you have door number one, but what could be behind door number two?“

With that, the screen in front of Superman changed, and before the audience’s very eyes, an image of Harley came up. But not just Harley, because that wouldn’t be much of a reveal, would it? After all, Harley was always with Joker. “I’ve come to learn,” he said, more for the benefit of the onlookers than Clark Kent, “that Superman is really more of a family man than any of us could ever have guessed. So yes, he’ll save the city, but always? I guess we’ll see, because here we have my lovely Harley Quinn with Gazette journalist, Lois Lane, known attachée of Superman himself. Then we have Supergirl. And since this is a family affair we couldn’t leave out the kids. Lois Lane’s son, Jon, and Supergirl’s own little bundle of joy, joining us for her first appearance. As you can see, Harley’s strapped them up with high grade explosives. The button for Choice B will set them off. And Choice A? Choice A will set off a little present delivered by Joker’s hands from NOVA’s hearts: a nuclear bomb that’s been planted right under the city. You can only save one, Superman. The family you have left or the city that depends on you. Choose neither and they both blow.”

He paused, long and dramatic for effect, before leaning into whisper: “So... what’s it gonna be?”

SUPERMAN: Clark had only just really focused his eyes on the screen and the faces of the citizens when it changed. Joker’s words didn’t matter, they didn’t even really fully sink in. As Lois, Jon, Kara, and Eva came into view, he moved forward with heavy, sluggish steps and reached up toward the screen as though it might disappear like a mirage.

The Kryptonite was still in full effect, and whatever else had been in that had his heart and mind already racing. Clark looked back to the open doorway again. The flickering lights made him wince, and the sickening fear and dread he felt quickly conjured up new images with them. Lois, again, with lifeless eyes, holding onto Jon whose face he couldn’t see. A blonde figure with its back to him that could only be Kara was similarly motionless. The darkness that should have been only shadow was blood instead, rapidly spreading across the floor until it was nearly touching his feet.

He left his spot in front of the screen and stumbled back toward the bodies that weren’t really there to kneel by them. His hands caught only air when he reached for them and he pressed the heels of his hands against his eyes. He’d made so many promises. Protect the city. Protect his family. He’d sworn to Kara not two days before that no one would hurt her, Eva, or any of them. He’d sent them all out of the city to prevent it, even. Sent them to...this. To Joker and Harley.

“You’re not getting away with this,” he said after what felt like ages of kneeling there on the floor, fighting for a brief hold on his own mind again. He glanced around the room for a second door, anything that might lead him somewhere else. If he could just...get back to the city...

JOKER: Joker watched, utterly rapt, as Superman pawed at nothing and--dear God, was he crying? These emotional types. He shook his head, but the words spoken only made him bark out a laugh. "Ha! Oh Supes... I already have gotten away with it. And I think you're aware of it, too. Now, are you going to choose in a timely fashion... or should I start a countdown?"

SUPERMAN: Clark set his jaw, refusing to let himself look at the ground again. Nothing there. Nothing there. But the feed on the screen had been real. His family needed him. The city needed him. “I’m not playing your game, Joker.”

And so he kept telling himself as he moved away from the podiums and the horrible visual of Harley with the people he cared about most. When he found no new door, he threw himself against the wall instead. Again, and again he did it until he felt the ache of it run all down his arms and legs. The Kryptonite had left him weak enough that he couldn’t do more than that. He slammed a fist against it, pointlessly, and clenched his eyes closed again. So many people depending on him. If he stalled...if he stalled, maybe someone would figure it out.

JOKER: "Oh that's a shame. No one likes a spoilsport, Supes. But I'm a man who does love a good twist." The screen split into two, one side showing the city where people looked fearfully to the billboard or incited panic through panic themselves. The other showed Superman's family. Between them, a counter began, starting generously from 100 and counting down.

He seemed a bit too cognitive for Joker's liking. He hadn't been able to test the doses, after all. Fortunately, he had planned for that too.

The door on the far end of the room opened for the space of about two seconds, hidden by Superman beating against the wall. A telltale hiss was the only precedent to another dose of the gas.

"Now that you're good and doped up yet again, Superman, I think we'll try this again," the Joker said, leaning forward. The suspense was killing him. "Either you make a choice for me, or that timer gets to zero and both the city and your beloved Superbrats go Ka-Boom. Even the sweet little baby."

SUPERMAN: Clark looked only briefly at the screen again, long enough to see his son's face and Eva's. He didn't need to look at Lois. He knew the expression she wore. Determined. Probably angry. There was nothing in the world she hated more than feeling helpless, was there? But she wouldn't be able to get them out of this. Joker wasn't the type to hesitate, and if Harley was far gone enough to put even Eva in that room with them, then she was no solace. They'd kept her daughter safe, even if it had been apart from her, and this was the response.

The number started to count down and the first few seconds ticked horribly by before the gas deployed a second time. It was so much worse than the first one. The effect of the Kryptonite was crippling, but that was nothing compared to where his mind went. As Joker spoke, it was like the words willed those things into reality. Clark could hear the explosions and the screams, the dust from fallen buildings that weren't really there was choking. He could hear people calling for him, just like the voice that he'd followed to the power plant. Superman, save us!

But even those desperate cries were nothing to what he saw when he looked at the side of the screen again where his family waited. It was an unspeakable thing, the vision that he had. His heart was beating so loudly in his ears that the sound of it eclipsed everything else, and several precious seconds ticked by as he stood paralyzed by the things that he was seeing that weren't really there. They weren't there, but they would be. They would be if he didn't do something.

JOKER: The longer Superman stalled, the more exciting it caught. "The fear gas makes it hard to think, doesn't it Supes?" he asked gleefully. "But you're strong, aren't you? You'll have to push through it." His Harley girl had. Helped him gauge the dose, too. If she could do it, Superman could do it.

"You're losing time, pal. One or the other. Or both, if you're willing to go for maximum carnage. Never took you for the type but there's surprises everywhere, aren't there?"

SUPERMAN: On the other side of the split screen, he could see people moving away. Running? Running, waiting to be saved...If he didn’t, how many people would die? Clark closed his eyes against the screen, the room, Joker’s disembodied voice, and all he was greeted with was the sound of screaming again. The air felt like it was burning around him, and something (no, someone) clutched at his ankle in a desperate, panicked way.

When he opened his eyes again it was to the red glare of the timer, down to a minute. Eva was crying on the other half of the screen, her tiny face scrunched up and afraid. He could feel bile rise in his throat with a sickening burn. If he let them die- No sooner had it entered his mind than he saw it again, as horrifying as before. Lois said his name before the explosives were triggered, and it rang in his ears. Harley clapped her hands next to them, shrieking with glee.

The room came back into focus again and he found himself clutching the sides of the screen.

JOKER: "Tick tock, tick tock," Joker cut in at Clark's little meltdown. "This is all very touching, Superman, but I don't think you realize how serious I am. How about a little demonstration?"

He had anticipated, after all, that this might happen. That the Man of Steel may be paralyzed by his own fear and what Scary liked to call the Trolley Problem. Joker had thought of that and now he had a way to sweeten the pot. Or sour it. It was all the same to the clown, who simply wanted a bit of fun. Well, Harley would get her fireworks. He had rigged some for this twist, should he need it. "Everybody loves a good plot twist," he said before hitting a button on the control panel which would signal his boys to hit an even larger button within Star City.

Said button was attached to a detonator and that detonator was rigged to a number of fireworks and charges that were connected right to Liberty Bridge. "Watch the birdie, Superman," he said with a laugh as he slammed another button to abruptly change the screen from Star City and Superman's family to the bridge, where hundreds if not thousands of people were currently trying to get out. Silly silly. Didn't they know that Fate had a funny--frankly hilarious way--of getting what she wanted?

"Boom."

[starcgazette]

[ofgeniusism]

You’re having a good time flying around in that Iron Man suit, I’m sure, but don’t you know that’s illegal? Naughty. No matter—being the good samaritan I am, I made sure to send photos and video evidence of you in the Iron Man suit in this city to the District Attorney’s office. How well do you think a rich boy like you will do in prison?

Tony stark was not a man who cowers or runs from a fight. When someone threatens him, the first thing he thinks of is how he can win and get out of it. He was never the type to handle laying low ever.

He’s called out a terrorist and gave him the address to his home. He’s fought tooth and nail out of a fucking war gang’s little operation. Threatening to out him? Please. This is fucking nothing. He’s dealt with worse and can handle worse. Tapping his finger’s on his work desk he wonder’s who got those shots, someone smart. He’s not sure anyone he knows who’s got that kind of power.

Interesting. He’s ready to play, hope whoever it is can handle fighting against Tony fucking stark.

[connorxhawke]

Green Arrow. Didn’t you know that there was already one of you running around here? Be more original. Of course, you never called yourself Green Arrow—it was always Connor. Well, you should have known better, Mr. Hawke. Your mother’s life could depend on it.