“Superman: Dark Days”*
An original story from Caligula
* all characters involved are property of DC comics and their respective creators
-The Rain is beating down, on Wayne Manor. It seems quiet and serene on the outside, but inside a storm is brewing far more powerful than the rain outside.-
-inside the Batcave, in front of a wall of monitors stands a large overly muscular man, the man is in torn red and blue garb, his head appears freshly shaved, a thickly stitched scar runs bold around the circumference of his head, he appears emotional-
MAN: (almost in tears at what he is seeing on the monitors) “Bruce… why… everything I’ve known is a lie”
-we see that the monitors show Kal-El being cultivated in some kind of machine-
MAN: “this will… NOT STAND!!!”
-he lets out a loud terrifying cry, as he puts his clenched fist through the bulk of monitors-
ELECTRONIC VOICE - “Monitors, 4, 5, 6, 8,9,11 and 13 are malfunctioning master Wayne”
MAN: “YOU WILL ALL PAY BRUCE!!!, ALL OF YOU DAMN IT!”
-a large metallic door spirals open in the Batcave, A man stand’s in the light of the open door way, a broad, bold figure of a man, with a menacing face, although you can see the sympathy upon his blue eyes. He is clad in a knitted black turtle neck sweater, and black dress pants, the man is Billionaire Bruce Wayne, owner and heir to Wayne enterprises, he is Gotham’s caped crusader, the Dark Knight, he is the Batman.-
BRUCE - (stepping down, the steps toward our emotional friend) “Clark… just relax old friend”
MAN - “I’m not Clark, Bruce. And I’m damn sure no friend of yours”
BRUCE - “Then who are you Clark?”
MAN - “don’t you mean what am I, and you already know the answer Bruce, I think it is me who should be asking questions here”
BRUCE - “Then ask, Clark”
MAN - “Stop calling me that!”
BRUCE - “Then what should I call you?”
MAN - “YOUR ENEMY!”
-the disgruntled man outbursts, and throws a steel crate at one of the walls, shattering it as though it were merely wood.-
BRUCE - “operation protocol, SIX-NINTEY-FOUR!”
-a light blue, electricity surge around, the angry man Bruce refers to as Clark, the man drops to one knee submissively-
MAN - “ugh… WHAT DID YOU DO!!!”
BRUCE - “ensuring the safety of, Myself, Gotham, Metropolis and any others you are intent on harming Clark”
MAN - “What about me, Bruce?”
BRUCE - “Can you keep a civil mind about you Clark?”
MAN - “What does is matter, Bruce. You obviously have the power to terminate my existence at will, So just do it”
BRUCE - “I do not kill Clark, you know this”
MAN - “You already have Bruce, you may not have killed me physically, but you have stripped my heart and soul of any life”
BRUCE - “I don’t know what to say, Clark, other than I’m sorry”
MAN - “no your not, not yet you aren’t”
-the man rises from the kneeling position to a standing position-
MAN - “you and every one you care about, are going to die Bruce”
BRUCE - “Clark, you know I won’t let it come to that”
MAN - “Protocol 694 over ride”
ELECTRONIC VOICE - “all systems powers transferred to Kal-El”
-Batman looks absolutely stunned-
MAN - “You are going to die Bruce, but first you are going to set back helplessly as I murder those you love”
-the Man takes off in flight as fast as the light itself, and bursts through the roof of the Batcave-
-Wayne falls to his hands and knees upon the cold steel floor sobbing-
BRUCE - “Forgive Me”
-elsewhere, in Gotham. A lovely red head, wearing glasses sits in her wheel chair reading the Gotham Gazette. The Woman is Barbara Gordon AKA Oracle, Batman’s information and tech specialist- she reaches for her cup that is steaming, and half filled with hot delicious coffee, with ample cream and sugar just as she prefers- When she hears the door to her living room slam open- and a voice panicked and uneasy, the voice is her father’s Commissioner Gordon.
GORDON - “BARBARA!!! BARBARA!!!”
ORACLE - “in the study father”
-the good Commissioner, a loving father rushes into her study, panicked and frantic- He rushes up holding her frantically, he holds her tight, the way in which he hasn’t her since a child, or even when the Joker crippled her-
GORDON - “thank god! You are alive” he says brushing her hair back “We have to get you out of Gotham now!”
ORACLE - “why daddy?”
GORDON - “Clark knows…”
-this statement causes her to drop her coffee, the sweetened brown liquid stretches ominously across the hard wood floor, of the humble Barbara’s floor-
-she looks, frightened but, stable- and looks longingly into her father’s eyes seeking the protection and security only a father can give-
GORDON - “Bruce says that he believes Superman, is coming for you me, and the others, we need to leave now”
ORACLE - “what about the failsafe?”
GORDON - “Bruce says that Clark, found a way to over ride the trigger”
ORACLE - “what’s he going to do to us?”
GORDON- “I don’t know, but whatever he chooses to do, we all deserve it… some of us more than others…”
-he speaks this last line looking into, a picture of Bruce Wayne, sitting upon his daughters desk-
ORACLE - “then I say we, accept our fates. And wait for his judgment”
GORDON - “if that is what you wish then we shall await our Judge together”
-the father and daughter embrace each other-
-At the JLA’s headquarters- Wonder Woman and Flash stand looking out across the ocean from the view of the big panoramic windows-
FLASH - “Diana, I wish J’onn were still alive…”
WONDER WOMAN - “Fear not Barry”
FLASH - “It’s not fear I feel Diana…”
WONDER WOMAN - “Call it what you will you are a coward, when Clark comes I will Kill him”
FLASH - “It’s called empathy Diana… I feel for him, to have you life stripped from you, I can only Imagine the Hate he must feel, not just for Bruce but for all of us… We knew yet we stood by and allowed this to charade to continue, and you know yourself, you don’t have it in you to kill a friend”
WONDER WOMAN - “That’s where you are wrong Barry… Dead Wrong”**
**Next Issue: the Confrontation**
(please give me any feedback you have, and any ideas as to where you might like to see this story go, or should I just scrap this project all together?)
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