(Owned by DC, originally & brilliantly started by @dngn4774 who sadly had to withdraw from this project :( I've changed some things and will start/continue this "flagship" of CORRUPTED using their vision)
**
From the Journal of Jay Slade Quinn aka Deranger:
To whomever it may concern,
If your reading this odds are I’m probably dead, captured, or in a position that’s worse than both of the previous possibilities. If I have failed you, please know that the fight must not end with me and that this unfortunate burden has been passed down to you. You may be afraid of what lies ahead--deep down I was too when I started out--but if you have ever loved or cared for anyone in this world you must not allow the League to continue its reign. Below this introduction are the chronicles of the Arkham Resistance from its earliest conquests to this very moment. Use whatever lessons you can harvest from this journal and make those bastards pay! Good luck and remember…Silence is golden.
**
If the rumours of this rebel were true, then her value to us would outweigh any of the obvious risks. We tracked her location down to Keystone City, not that she made it difficult for them to find her. She went by the alias of Escrima and by the looks of things she had no problem making her defiance known. Unfortunately, she wasn’t the first hero to stand against them; many have tried to voice their dissent with the League and nearly all have been silenced. It was only a matter of time before the Martian, or worse, would have to make an example of her and I couldn’t let that happen.
**
I walked through the empty streets following the trail of bloody feathers and scrap Nth metal on the pavement. In a usual city, I would have had to dodge T-sphere patrols and avoid the Hawkmen raids on the rooftops, but this wasn’t a typical city. And the League was going to have to kill her to quell down this insurgency. Luckily, I knew the most likely place that she would stay.
The Flash Museum was the only pinnacle of heroism left in this warzone, so I casually walked towards it. I already knew that I was being watched but I didn’t care. Besides the small peeks coming out of neighboring windows, there were about five civilians aiming sniper rifles at me. Based how they were gripping the rifles, I knew that I could kill them all with one arm tied behind my back. As I approached the steps to the Museum I noticed a collection of nearly two dozen severed Hawkmen heads, each was impaled on separate spikes at the entrance of the base.
“THAT’S FAR ENOUGH!”
I looked around to see a group of teenagers emerging from hiding positions. The leader, a boy of no more than sixteen moved down the steps and surrounded me. “Now drop your weapons and rub your eyes!” The boy demanded.
I looked around the group of teens before I replied. “Um…no thanks. If it’s okay with you I’m just going to keep moving until I talk with your boss.”
“NO! I’m not okay with that!” His voice screeched as he levelled a revolver at my forehead, the others raising their rifles. “No one meets the boss until we’re sure they can be trusted”
“Really?” Just kill him!…Where’d that come from? I shake my head and tap my temple.
The teen barked “You’re outgunned and you aren’t passing us until you do what I say! Now drop the weapons and rub your eyes or will add your head with the rest of the Hawks.”
I sighed before I asked “What’s your name?”
“What?”
“Your. Name.” I clarified, slowly and deliberately like speaking to a dog.
“Tony” he eyes my suspiciously
“Well Tony, do you wanna hear a joke?”
He starts to protest, but I launch into it “Okay, here goes nothing, five kids walk up to a stranger and try to disarm him. The stranger tells them, that they’re wasting his time and should let him pass. Then some smart aleck tells him that he should do what they say, since they have more guns than him. Guess what happens next?”
Tony pulled the hammer back on his revolver “The stranger gets his head blown off!”
I smiled, “Usually, that would be the case; BUT what good are weapons against...” I stop and point to the sky “Superman!”
For a brief moment, they all look, it’s not my best joke but I just need them to take their eyes off of me for a split second. I knock Tony’s hands up and break his nose. I then flip Tony into another boy before kicking the next boy’s face in. I step into the girl behind me and donkey kick her out of the fight. My knee smashed into the last teen’s ribcage sending him painfully to the floor. I haul Tony to his feet by his lower jaw.
“What’s wrong Tony, didn’t you like my joke?” I look at him “Honestly, you should NEVER joke about Superman but I felt you kids needed a lesson in slapstick, which is a lost art these days. My pop always used to tell me that I’ve been blessed with a very unique sense of humour,” Tony exhaled rapidly through my fingers as I hauled him behind me “We’ve already wasted enough time here; let’s meet your boss.”
After years of damages, the Flash Museum was barely identifiable with the hero it was once named after. Most of the former attractions were either destroyed or moved to the Capital. The remaining displays were reduced to rubble and whatever little space was left was used to quarter the Keystone rebels.
I heard dozens voices whispering as I was marched in with Tony in tow. I could tell that they were almost at their breaking point. Most of the people in this group were the elderly parents or orphaned children of deceased rebels. This was common for most of the long term rebellions, mainly because the Hawkmen were trained to target the men first, a tactic instilled in them by Wonder Woman.
I pull Tony in front of me “I don’t actually know where I’m going, so I’m going to let go. You take me to…” Tony pointed to the second floor “Thanks, now I’m going to let you go. But if you sass me or take a swing, I will shove your foot down your throat and pull it out your butt. Capish?”
Tony hesistated; pondering the physics of my threat, before nodding rapidly. I let go.
“She’s upstairs”
I motion Tony to lead and follow him up the stairs. Two elderly men holding weapons far bigger than nessecary guard a door at the end of the second floor. Tony waves at them and they step aside…idiots! The door opens and Tony shoves me in the back and slams the door behind me, clever boy.
Standing in front of me is a man in a red body suit with a glowing white atomic symbol on his chest. I recognise him by the Cosmic Converter Belt strapped around his waist. He was Nuklon, the son of Stargirl and Atom Smasher. Nuklon became a legend when he single handedly took down two hundred Hawks in one night. He use to fight alongside my parents back when my father first started the resistance.
I instinctively duck, dive and roll drawing my uzi as the golden baton nearly takes my head off. From behind me steps a woman with dark hair; red & silver armour and wore a red opened-face mask. She also held what looked to be a golden baton in one hand and a golden rod in the other. The girl I’ve come to recruit, Escrima.
“You have three seconds before I turn you to paste” she growls as her weapons hum with power.
“This is Deranger.” said Nuklon “It’s good to see you again Quinn.”
“You know this guy?” snaps Escrima
“It’s felt like ages since Star City.” I say as I relax and holster my weapon “Nice to see you Nuklon”
Escrima began to fidget with impatience. Her eyes darted up and down me and she furrowed her brow. “Deranger? I thought you’d be more…extraordinary. So is it true that you’re a nutjob?”
“Beth!” Nuklon yelled in embarrassment.
“What?” She replied, shrugging her arms.
I laughed before I answered her. “Well the day is still young, give me some time and I might impress you. Besides with times like they are now, don’t we all have to be a little insane to go against the League?”
Nuklon smiled under his mask a few seconds before returning to a blank expression. “Sorry about your parents. I heard the news a couple of months ago. They were both great fighters. You should be proud of them.”
“I am, but that’s all ancient history now. I done with grieving, now it’s time for revenge.”
“Thattaboy!” Nuklon said “So what brings you here?”
“It’s a long story but the shorter version is this, I came to recruit Escrima, but seeing you here my offer will also extend to you. We’ve hacked transmissions that report that the Manhunter is on your case.”
Nuklon nodded and sighed. “I see. How much time do we have?”
“Anytime honestly” I reply “As you well know Nuk, you can only kill so many Hawks before the big guns get aimed your way”
“What do you suggest?” asked Escrima
**
Escrima looked at me “Running?”
“Yup” I smiled “Or stay and die. Personally I like running over death…hmmm running over death, that’s funny”
“You’re insane” muttered Escrima
“I came to get you because you’re actually doing something useful against the League” I said as I loaded up my bike “Seeing Nuklon here, I wish he’d come along, but a bait and switch only works if…”
Escrima glared at me “So sacrificing people?”
“We all live on borrowed time, Beth” I looked her straight in the eye “By being as effective as you were, YOU killed these people! So either mount up or $#%@ off!”
Escrima looked at me, tears welling in her eyes “Where are we going?”
**
We rode out of Keystone as a cloud of the Vanguard headed in. The Vanguards are winged bastards that make the standard Hawkmen officers look like crippled girls. They were the finest breed amongst the Hawkman, each was genetically altered to be stronger, faster, more durable, and less empathetic than their standard clones; called Vanguards because they no longer have any sense of self-preservation, making them mentally incapable of retreating. Whenever a Vanguard is given an attack order it either kills or dies until it is given a different order. This is why they are generally used on the front lines of invasions or as the bodyguards of Superman’s allies.
They also carried in several Sandmen, elite SHADE agents. SHADE agents are shapeshifting bastards but Sandmen are utter bastards! Each Sandman was given advanced training by Starfire, equipped with high tech armour from Cyborg, decked out in an array of gadgets from various Batman villains…I felt sorry for Keystone, but Nuklon was going to give them one hell of scare and give me time.
**
Tony looked up at the sky as the Hawks headed towards their position at the Museum. He fished a cigarette out of his pocket and then patted himself down for his lighter.
Fsssh
A hand held out a light, Tony lent in “Thanks”
Tony inhaled and then nearly choked, HE was standing in front of himself. Before Tony could react, his doppelganger stabbed him through the throat. The new Tony picked up the cigarette and then quietly spoke into his wrist in Tony’s voice “Infiltration complete proceed with phase two.”
SHADE Headquarters
Superman appeared on the intercom in the Martian Manhunter’s office. “What’s the status of Keystone City?”
“The disturbance in Keystone has been quelled, nearly half of the rebels were neutralized and I’m expecting my agents to capture the rest.”
“Only half?” Superman said in a disappointed tone through the mystical helmet “And this Escrima?”
“They’ve escaped, for now.” J’onn replied in a resentfully tone. “We believe that there were several complications involving the Deranger.”
“And you allowed them to escape!?” Superman’s eyes glared through the openings of his helmet. “Your capacity for failure astounds me J’onn! First, the Brain, now this! If you are unable to subdue our enemies, perhaps I need to utilize other members of the League to pick up the slack. Perhaps Cyborg or Z...”
“That won’t be necessary.” The Martian assured the man of steel.
“Don’t fail me again J’onn. You may have a history with the League but you’re running out of second chances. This discussion is over!” static appeared on the screen
J’onn turned on his intercom to speak to his assistant. “Send in Director Neville and Deputy Director Tomlin.”
The doors to his office opened and in strode two well in very expensive suits, and stood completely straight and still as halted in the centre of the room. Martian Manhunter calmly walked in front of the men before phasing his fist through Neville’s forehead. He unphased his arm and yanked his bloody hand through the skull of the late Director.
“Congratulations Tomlin, you are now the new Director of Project: Sandman. Hopefully you will serve me better than your predecessor did. You are dismissed!”
**
We hid near the outskirts of Keystone City, listening to the sound of the battle…the massacre. Nuklon grew to some two hundred feet tall but all that did was make a bigger target.
“You should look away” I suggested as a familiar bronze streak headed across the sky.
“No” said Escrima, her eyes full of tears. The sound was sickening as Starfire flew through Nuklon’s head like a bullet. His massive body wobbled and then flattened the Flash Mueseum.
“I am going to kill that bitch!” stated Escrima, her fingers turning white as she gripped her weapons.
“All in good time.” I said as I placed a hand on her shoulder “First things first, you’re going to tell me all about yourself, and I mean everything”
**
@dngn4774@joshmightbe@wildvine@pyrogram@blackreaper@bronze_surfer@falconpuuunch@comiccrazeraze
Meanwhile in the rebels new hideout. 
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