Chapter 1: A Perfect World
“Have you ever wondered if there is such a thing as a perfect world? No war, no conflict, no crime, misery, pollution, or hunger? Where the inhabitants live in peace, in harmony? Countless people throughout history, myself included, have wondered if such a world could exist. Fewer have actually tried to make our present world a perfect one. It has been my life's mission to try to forge perfection out of imperfection.”
“Thus far, my labors have been in vain.”
“We are a product of imperfection, and as such, we have actively damaged our own world. The goal of my organization, the League of Assassins, has been to repair this damage, or contain it, by eliminating the elements in humanity that have made our world as it is. A regrettable necessity, but many others do not see it this way. Again and again, my efforts to cull the populace of an overcrowded and increasingly damaged world have been thwarted by those with more short-term objectives.”
“Recently, however, I have come to a realization. Perhaps, instead of trying to repair my own world, I should take those who will listen and find another world free from humanity's corruption? Previously, I would have never abandoned my mission, but as time marches on, our planet's lifespan wears thin. Time is running out.”
“I know that inter-dimensional travel is possible. It has happened before. The problem is finding a world undamaged by human interference. So much of the Omniverse, it seems, is human-centered. However, after much research, I have narrowed down my search to one particular universe which my greatest scientists have assured me has never before been visited or inhabited by human beings.”
“Perhaps here the next stage in human history can begin, one where man lives by the world's rules instead of the other way around. The League has prepared a machine capable of transporting myself, my daughter Talia, and my followers to this new realm. The rest of Earth can do what it will. I can only hope they will come to their senses and do what is necessary before it is too late, but time may have already run out. Whatever the case, we step into the unknown tonight.”
-Excerpt from the writings of Ra's al Ghul
Gotham City. A hub of industry and culture on the East Coast of the United States, home to both the fantastically wealthy and the desperately poor. Few other cities in the US had so checkered a history. On the surface, it appears to be a model of modern architecture, home to the arts and sciences, the HQ of world-famous corporations like Wayne Enterprises.
But there was another side to this city. Barely concealed beneath the surface lay such places as Crime Alley, Slaughter Swamp, Blackgate Penitentiary, and the infamous Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane. Crime, corruption, and insanity were rarely far behind whenever the subject of Gotham rose in public circles.
Ivanov had heard many of the stories of Gotham's ugly side, of “super-criminals” who routinely preyed upon the populace of Gotham. Not much frightened an international mercenary like Ivanov, but he was pleased to know he was only staying in Gotham for a few days, and in an out-of-the-way location. He could handle the usual rebels, terrorists, and warlords that his line of work usually put him up against, but you never knew what to expect from some of the crazies locked behind the walls of Arkham.
Ivanov's current job was simple: guard this hidden complex under the Gotham River until his employers said his task was finished. Not a difficult task, and a rather boring one as far as Ivanov was concerned. There were some rumors that his employers were linked to some kind of doomsday cult, but Ivanov still bore the scars that came with asking too many questions in this business. As long as he got paid, that was all that mattered.
Making his rounds, Ivanov noticed something amiss in the darkness. Usually, another mercenary would be nearby, but the complex was oddly quiet. Curious, Ivanov strode over into his partner's usual patrol route. There was no sign of anyone else around. Ivanov considered radioing his superiors to tell them about this curiosity, but figured his partner was on a smoke break or something. Nevertheless, Ivanov gripped his assault rifle a little tighter.
Turning a corner, Ivanov was alerted by a loud thud echoing through the halls. Now on high alert, Ivanov moved to the noise's source, and was startled to see his missing partner laying on the ground. His guns were missing, and it looked like he had been in a fight with someone, judging by all the bruises on his face. Ivanov retrieved his radio and held it up to his mouth. “This is Ivanov to Overlord! We have an intruder in Sector 15! Overlord, do you copy?”
Static was the only response from Ivanov's radio.
“Overlord, please respond!”
Again, nothing.
Ivanov decided to try another approach. “Savimbi, are you in the area?”
Silence.
Ivanov was beginning to panic. “Raleigh?”
Silence.
“MacCarter?!”
Silence.
“Anyone?!!”
Silence. Ivanov was on his own.
The hardened mercenary was now in the grip of terror. He scanned the darkness for anything out of the ordinary. Without warning, Ivanov heard something small slicing through the air behind him. Instinctively, he ducked, hearing something metallic strike the wall in front of him. Trying to suppress his fear, Ivanov crept forward to the wall, rifle at the ready. Kneeling down, he picked up the object that had been launched at him. It was a small piece of metal with sharp edges. Turning it over in his hands, Ivanov noticed something odd about the metal object.
It was shaped like the silhouette of a bat.
Before Ivanov knew what was happening, something hard struck him from behind, knocking him senseless. Someone turned him over, and as Ivanov slipped into unconsciousness, he saw something that filled him with dread. Someone was standing over him, tall and black. A cape fell behind the man, and two large points stood on either side of the man's head.
“I know you...” Ivanov whispered, “I've heard of you...you're...you're...”
“Batman.” The figure finished.
Batman stood over the fallen mercenary. Placing a finger on the side of his head, he monitored the complex for radio traffic. Nothing. That was the last of them. Touching a different part of his cowl, the Dark Knight of Gotham tuned into his own personal radio frequency.
“Oracle, this is Batman. I just took out the last of the League's hired guns. Are you still monitoring the energy readings down here?”
A young female voice rang out in Batman's earpiece. “Like a hawk, Bruce. They're still climbing, but we have some time left before they reach critical status. You're doing good.”
“Has there been any progress in deciphering what exactly the energy is?”
“Nothing so far,” Oracle reported. “My best guess is that it's some kind of cosmic energy, but until I get word back from the JLA, there's no telling what that stuff is or what will happen once it reaches its peak.”
“Then I'll just have to ask Ra's al Ghul in person,” Batman intoned.
“Bruce,” a second voice came in over the Dark Knight's radio, this one young and male, “you sure you don't want Dick or I down there with you?”
Bruce frowned. He had expected another conversation like this. “I'm sure, Tim. Until Barbara or I find out what this energy is, I'm not risking anyone else down here.”
A humorless laugh rang in the ear-set. “Besides yourself, right? What if Ra's isn't in a talking mood? What if he's got all of his ninjas in there with him? What if he's got Talia?”
For a moment, Batman closed his eyes, thinking of Ra's al Ghul's beautiful but cold daughter. He had been forcing himself not to consider the possibility that she was caught up in whatever her father's latest plot was. “I can handle whatever they throw at me, Tim. For now, stay on alert. You'll be the first to know if I need backup.”
For a while, there was silence. “Alright, Bruce. Stay safe.”
“I always do.”
With his cowl's infrared vision on, Batman was hardly surprised by the legion of al Ghul's ninjas waiting for him in the large chamber ahead. What did surprise him was that, as he moved inside, they made no attempt to attack him. Ra's was obviously waiting for him.
That was usually a very bad sign.
“Ah, detective...” a voice rang out through the chamber. The crowd of ninjas parted, leaving a line in their numbers to reveal their master. A man in a green and yellow robe strode towards Batman, his face, while appearing young at first, obviously lined with age. His short brown hair was streaked with white at the temples, he had a short goatee, and a Middle Eastern scimitar rested in a scabbard at his waist. “So good of you to join us this evening.”
“Ra's al Ghul. You can skip the pleasantries.”
The ancient mystic raised an eyebrow. “So, you don't know why I've called my followers together tonight? I would expect more sentiment for our last meeting.”
“If that's supposed to be some sort of threat, you're losing your touch, Ra's,” Batman said, cracking his knuckles. Some of the ninjas began to step forward before al Ghul waved them away.
“Threat? Not at all. I wish this meeting to be on civil terms. I can see you don't want to waste any time, so I'll be frank. I'm leaving this world.”
“What do you mean, Ra's?”
“He means exactly what he said, beloved,” a third voice rang out in the crowd. Batman turned to see a young woman enter the chamber from behind him, clad in a simple brown shirt and pants, matching her long brown hair that concealed much of her face. “The League of Assassins' crusade is at an end. We are leaving for greener pastures.”
“So that's it, Talia? No more mass murder schemes? No plagues or terrorist attacks? Your father has been on a mission to 'cleanse the earth' for the better part of a thousand years. You'll forgive me if I don't take his word that he's just going to up and leave.”
“If you do not believe my words, detective,” Ra's began, before sharply clapping his hands twice. At once, the League ninjas spread out further, a large gap opening in the floor between their immortal leader and his persistent foe. A gigantic machine rose out of the gap, shaped like a massive gateway. The air inside the gate was distorted, waves pulsing along its surface as if over water. It looked to be a portal of some sort. “Believe your own eyes.”
Instantly, Batman's cowl leapt to life, scanning the portal. Something was wrong here...
“These past few months, I have been using the League's resources to search the cosmos for other worlds, one free of humanity's greed and corruption. I found one to my liking, and tonight, the League's enlightened members, including myself and Talia, will be leaving. You will never have to fight us again.”
“Bruce?” Oracle's voice came in over his headset. “I don't know what you're doing down there, but according to my readings, you're standing directly in front of whatever's giving off that energy. What's the situation down there?”
Talia strode up and placed her hands on Batman's shoulders. “We don't have to go alone, though. My father has been kind enough to extend this offer to you as well. You have always said you don't agree with the League's violent ways. Well, come with us, and you will never have to harm anyone ever again. This is a world without violence. Without killing. Without hatred or pain. It's the world you've been fighting for.”
“Bruce, come in! That energy is growing! If it continues at this rate, it's going to encompass all of Gotham! You need to shut that thing down, now!”
“Come with us, Bruce. Come with me.”
“Bruce! Shut it down!”
Batman's hand rose to meet Talia's. “If you are telling the truth...than I wish you well. But running away from the problems that already exist here, on this world, goes against everything I have ever believed in. And right now, whether you realize it or not...” His hand left, moving swiftly to a device in his utility belt. “You're endangering my city.”
Before anyone could react, Batman lifted a trigger from his belt, pressing it. At once, multiple loud explosions sounded from above, heralding an avalanche of debris raining down on the ninjas. Batman sprinted forward towards the portal, lifting plastic explosives from his belt as he did so, just like those he had planted on the floor of the room above when he had detected the heat signatures of the League as he had entered the complex. As he started planting the explosives, however, he heard someone running towards him.
“You fool!” Ra's shouted, unsheathing his scimitar. “Don't touch that thing!” As he ran, he failed to notice the waves on the surface of the portal start to pulse at increasing speed. Batman planted the last explosive before he turned to see waves pouring into the open air.
“RA'S, LOOK OUT!”
The center of the portal began to glow white hot, a whiteness that began to grow, spilling from the portal until it encompassed the entire chamber, the entire complex, the entire city.
At last, the whiteness disappeared, taking with it a city of thousands, wiped off the face of the earth.
