SHATTERED WORLDS | DC (2022)

Year 4: Welcome To The Jungle

Batman

The gilded halls of Olympus buzzed with celestial anticipation. An assembly of deities had been called to order by Ares, the tempestuous God of War. Within the pantheon of the ancient gods, Ares often stoked the fires of controversy, but it was rare for him to summon a gathering of this magnitude.

Mighty Hercules, wise Athena, fiery Apollo, Artemis, the mistress of the hunt, and fleet-footed Hermes all answered the call.

Ares addressed his divine kin, "Our influence on the mortal realm, while passive, has always existed. But it is time for us to see what our absence has wrought."

"Why must we be bothered with the affairs of the mortal realm, Ares?" Athena questioned, her voice carrying the authority that came with being the goddess of wisdom.

"The once lively temples dedicated to us are now decaying structures," Ares argued back, his voice simmering with an odd mix of indignation and concern.

The whimsical Hermes chimed in nonchalantly, "But really, Ares, the mortal world has always been rather fickle. And we do have our own pursuits to consider."

"Yes, that may be true," Ares countered, his dark eyes holding an intense spark. "But you must see for yourselves how the mortals have replaced us. They have chosen new idols, new gods."

Reluctantly, the gods descended to Earth, guided by Ares. What they saw unnerved them. Humans revered beings of their own kind, those with exceptional abilities. The temples of Zeus, Hera, and others lay neglected and forgotten.

The reaction from the Olympians was swift and fiery. Apollo, the god of the sun and truth, voiced his anger first. "This...this is a mockery! They forsake us for these pretenders?"

Artemis, ever the quiet observer, added, "The roots of their faith have withered. They no longer remember us."

At this point, Batman stepped out from the shadows, his voice carrying a determination that demanded respect. "You're right. The world has moved on. These new 'gods'...they aren't like you. They've lost sight of what it means to serve, to inspire."

The Olympians turned their gazes to the new speaker, intrigued and surprised. Athena was the first to break the silence. "You speak boldly for a mortal. What do you propose?"

Batman met her gaze unflinchingly. "I propose we remind them. We show them that gods aren't just beings of immense power. They're symbols of ideals, and guides towards a better humanity. You, the true gods, have the chance to remind them."

Hercules, invigorated by Batman's words, laughed heartily. "Ha! Remind them who God really is. I like the sound of that!" His voice boomed with excitement, shaking the very ground beneath them.

As Batman's words echoed among the ancient gods, a realization dawned. Olympus had been silent for too long. It was time for the true gods to return.

Harley/Billy

Months had passed since Billy, now free from the chains of the regime, had ventured into a world rife with uncertainty. Behind the solid steel bars of the prison, he found an unexpected confidant in Harley Quinn. He visited her frequently, each conversation with her a strange therapy session of sorts. While it was Harley who was physically incarcerated, it was Billy who felt emotionally and mentally confined, burdened by the weight of his own guilt and the vast unknown that lay before him.

Harley, despite her colorful and volatile history, was an oddly calming presence for the young man. Their conversations were a mix of shared confessions, her crass humor sprinkled with nuggets of wisdom.

"It's like a big scary roller coaster, ain't it?" Harley once remarked, her voice laced with a hint of nostalgia. "Life after school, I mean. You're strapped in, and there ain't no gettin' off. But hey, don't forget to enjoy the ride!"

Over the weeks, Harley subtly began to nudge him towards a change of perspective, steering him to question Superman and his regime's actions. She had lived through the allure of powerful, charismatic figures like the Joker, and she wanted Billy to see beyond the cape and the emblem.

One day, as they sat opposite each other with the cold iron bars between them, Billy asked a question that had been nagging him. "Harley, why'd you switch sides? I mean, you and Joker... and then Batman... it doesn't add up."

Harley went quiet for a moment, her usually vibrant eyes reflective. "You know, kid," she began, her voice softer than Billy had ever heard, "when things got real bad after Joker... I felt lost, abandoned. I thought no one cared."

"And then, there was Oliver," Harley's lips curved into a sad smile. "Green Arrow. He was kind when he didn't need to be. He helped me when no one else would. He showed me that there was another way, that I wasn't alone. That... that changed everything for me."

The raw emotion in Harley's voice, the way her eyes welled up when she spoke of Oliver, gave Billy a deeper understanding of her journey. It wasn't just an ideological shift; it was an emotional transformation, born from the kindness of a man who had seen past her chaotic exterior to the person she was beneath.

For Billy, their conversations were not just therapy sessions but also lessons in empathy, humanity, and the courage to question authority. Harley's story became an echo in his mind, a reminder that people could change, that it was never too late to choose a different path.

Damian/Alfred

In the dimly lit confines of their habitual cafe, Damian Wayne fidgeted in anticipation. With each tick of the clock, his anxiety burgeoned, his sanity hinged on the sight of a familiar face. His meetings with Alfred had become the heartbeat of his existence, a rhythm that kept him grounded amidst his dissonant reality.

As the bell chimed, signaling Alfred's arrival, Damian's tense shoulders eased marginally. But as they settled into their usual routine of hushed conversation and steaming cups of tea, Alfred noticed a growing unease in Damian. The once confident and fiery youth was now a hollow echo of his former self, his spirit flickering like a wick at the end of its tether."Damian," Alfred began, his voice steady yet laced with concern, "you must tell me what's going on. You can't continue to shoulder this burden alone."

Damian remained silent for a moment, staring into his untouched cup. His mind swirled with a whirlpool of emotions, each one more potent than the last. "I..." he began, his voice barely a whisper, "I feel like... like I'm lost, Alfred. Raven's gone... the team... we're all scattered. I... I feel like it's all my fault."

His confession hung heavily in the air between them, a raw admission of guilt and regret. But the pain in his voice did not stop there. "And Dick," Damian's voice faltered, the mere mention of his late brother's name was like a raw wound, "I... I can't get over it, Alfred. I... I just can't."

The pain in Damian's voice was palpable, a torrent of grief and remorse pouring forth like a dam that had finally given way. His confession echoed in the silence of the cafe, the magnitude of his loss laid bare.

Alfred's heart ached at Damian's words. He reached across the table, placing his weathered hand atop Damian's trembling one. His voice was soft yet firm as he responded, "Damian, you must understand, you are not alone in your pain. We all carry our regrets, our losses. But we must not let them consume us."

His gaze softened as he added, "Remember, it's not the mistakes that define us, Damian, but how we rise from them. And as for Dick, he wouldn't want you to drown in your guilt. He would want you to learn, to grow, to become the hero he knew you could be."

As the words left Alfred's lips, the cafe seemed to close in around them, a cocoon of shared grief and solace. It was a sobering conversation, a reminder of the deep wounds that were yet to heal. As they parted ways that night, Damian was left with a melancholic silence that echoed Alfred's comforting yet solemn words. His path was not an easy one, but at least he didn't have to walk it alone.