San Fransisco Bay
"You gonna put that out?"
Eel O'Brian sighed before tossing his cigarette over the side of the ship into the ocean. He watched fizz out and float on the dark blue water.
"Sorry boss." Eel muttered. "I forgot about your allergies."
The boss nodded. With his pale grey skin and expensive looking tuxedo it would seem almost strange to think Warren White as having allergies. Yet he did. Sometimes it made Eel laugh... just not in front of the boss' face.
"He's late..." Warren muttered. He glanced at his watch and tapped his foot. "He'd better not have sold out on me!" He yelled making Eel jump.
"He probably just got caught up." Eel said quietly. "You know how hard maintaining all that diving gear can b-"
"Is this yours?"
Eel turned in surprise to see the man known as Devil Ray staring at him from behind his dark helmet. In the man's palm was the cigarette Eel had chucked over earlier.
"Uh... yeah." Eel said as he took the cigarette and placed it in his pocket. "Thanks man." Devil Ray said nothing as he dropped down to the deck and walked towards Warren.
"Do you have my money?" Devil Ray asked coldly. Warren smiled sending a shiver down Eel's spine.
"Depends. Do you have my amulet?" Warren replied. Devil Ray nodded.
"Of course." He echoed as he pulled a rusty medallion from his belt. Warren reached for it only for Devil Ray to pull it back. "Money first." He growled. He aimed his wrist cannon at Warren's chest to emphasize his point. Every single one of Warren's goons aimed their weapons at Devil Ray's helmet.
"I don't like being threatened." Warren said. His smile (if you could call it that) had changed into a frown. Slowly Eel stepped towards the two and handed it over to his boss. "Your helmet don't make you invincible, Ray." Warren pointed out.
"No." Devil Ray said as he slowly handed the amulet over. "However I'm certain I could kill you before they kill me." Eel watched all this with unblinking eyes.
"Damn...." He thought. "Supervillains are idiots."
________________________
The Batcave
"More tea sir?"
Bruce Wayne shook his head slowly as he stared at the Bat Computer's screen. The face of Vicki Vale was in the right corner as she reported on the news. However there were other bits of information all over the screen.
"No thank you Alfred." Bruce said as a Newspaper Front Page popped up on screen. "I'm working."
"THE MAN MADE OF CLAY! FILM MURDERS SKY ROCKET!"
"You're always working sir." Alfred said as he placed the tray next to the Bat Computer's keyboard. Sometimes he worried about Thomas Wayne's son. The way he had pushed himself over the last few years was almost painful to watch... however Alfred had promised the young man to assist him in whatever he wanted. He told himself everyday that he would keep that promise. "Perhaps it's time to take a break for a week? Sit in front of the settee and grow fat like other billionaires do?" Bruce was quiet as he took a sip from his tea.
"I'm not like other billionaires." Bruce muttered.
"That is very true sir. Yet you pretend to be." Alfred placed his hand on Bruce's shoulder. "Honestly sir... the world isn't going to end if you take the week off."
"...just let me finish this case." Bruce said after a moment of silence. He placed the cup of half drunk tea back on the tray.
"I wouldn't have it any other way sir." Alfred said as he picked the tray up and walked up to the mansion.
___________________
The Himalayas
"I know you're here."
Jim Corrigan sighed as he stepped out of the shadows. His walking stick was having trouble on the ice. However it wouldn't really matter if it slipped. He didn't need it. It was just for show.
"What are we doing here Aztar?" Jim asked the green cloaked figure before him. "What kind of vengeance is needed out here? Jack Torrance butchered his family? Are we going to make him freeze to death?"
Aztar said nothing as he stared into the darkness of the cave before them. Jim had never been here in his 80 years of service. He'd never thought he'd be needed... for a moment he thought the two were alone. However he heard the distant echoing of what sounded like.... screams.
"Do you know where we are?" Aztar asked. Jim shook his head. "This is not a mission of vengeance. For whatever reason we have been called here... these souls have already been-"
KRRRRSSSZZZZHHH!!!
"-judged..."
Aztar entered Jim's body as a bright light shot out of the darkness and the wail of tortured souls could be heard.
"We must stop them!"The Spectre yelled from the folds of Jim's mind. "We cannot allow them t-"Jim screamed in pain as a blast of energy struck him in the back and knocked him to the cold, stone floor.
"Ah... Aztar." A voice rang out. "It's been awhile..." From where Jim Corrigan had once been the Spectre now stood.
"Neron."The Spectre said slowly as he hovered into the air. Thousands of souls flying past him into the air. "What is the meaning of this?!"
Neron laughed at nothing in particular. "I was bored." He admitted. "And hell was SO boring! So... I thought I'd try my hand at a little... world domination."
"No. No! I won't let you!"The Spectre's eyes flashed with green anger as a burst of hellfire shot from his hands. Neron laughed as he simply raised his hand and absorbed the fire.
"Hellfire." Neron muttered as he lit a large cigarette before smoking from it. "Against the Lord of Hell. This is why I LOVE you Specty!" Neron flexed his finger. "You're SO loveable now!"
The Spectre winced. "Your fear spells will not affect ME. Lord of Lies!"
"Not you perhaps... but maybe that lovely little pet you've been keeping around."
The Spectre opened his mouth to respond only to collapse in a heap on the floor. He shrank until he was the size of a normal person and as he looked up, Neron could see tears dripping from his cold eyes.
"Please... please don't hurt me..." Jim Corrigan begged.
"Don't worry Corrigan." Neron sighed as he levitated Jim into the air and threw him into the cave wall. Green bonds of magic wrapped around Jim's arms and legs binding him to the wall. "There are 7 Billion other people I can hurt..." Neron levitated into the air as the souls of millions of sinners followed him.
_______________________
This section written by Waezi2. With a few edits.
Belle Reve Penitentiary
"DAMNIT!" Philip Cobb slammed his fist into one of his cell's walls. He yelped in pain as he realized he'd hurt one of his knuckles before sitting down on his bed. "All I wanted was a big score..." He muttered. "And a little respect would have been nice as well..."
"Shut up Signalman!" The voice of Condiment King yelled from the cell next door. "Don't make me come over there and kick your ass!" Signalman sighed as he lowered his head against the wall and started to cry.
BAMF!
"What the hell?" Signalman muttered as he turned around. He almost screamed as he saw Neron staring down at him.
"Hell is right!" Neron said with a grin. "Philip Cobb... Signalman... you desire respect. In fact.... you DEMAND it! Do your peers shun you?"
"Who... who are y-"
"Who I am doesn't matter." Neron growled. "What I offer you DOES. I'm going to give you... exactly what you want."
"Which is...?"
"Power." Neron said as Green Flames started to cover Signalman's body. "Have fun." Neron said as he disappeared in a puff of smoke. Signalman began to laugh as he felt himself becoming more powerful. Slowly he realized he wasn't the only person laughing... and with a flick of his wrist he caused his cell door to explode.
"This... this is going to be fun..." Signalman muttered as he stepped out of his cell door as alarms began to wail. Slowly he glanced around as dozens of his fellow prisoners also stepped from their holding cells and together they began to laugh.
"Let's cause some chaos..." Neron's voice echoed throughout the facility.
To be Continued in issue 1 and... a few tie-ins!
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