C500 Spider-Man (Patreon)
Content
Hearing the call echoing through both Robin and Batgirls earpiece’s, Peter froze for a moment and listened intently. The voice on the other end was unmistakable, the voice of Batman.
"This is a priority call to all Justice League members. I need as many of you as we can spare in Metropolis. Lois Lane is missing," Batman's gruff voice declared.
A second voice crackled over the radio, questioning the urgency, "You want the whole Justice League on a missing person case?"
Peter's eyes widened as he realized the gravity of the situation. Batman's response confirmed his suspicions, "Yes. We believe she was taken by the Joker."
Instantly, Peter was struck by the reality of his current location. He was in the Injustice Universe, a dark and twisted world where the Joker tricks Superman into killing Lois Lane alongside their unborn child, which happens to also trigger a bomb in Metropolis at the same exact time, sending Superman down a path of tyranny and slaughter.
Turning back to Robin and Batgirl, who were still dazed from the earlier encounter, Peter moved swiftly and snatched their earpiece comm devices.
“Hey!/Give that back!” They attempted to fight back and complain, but Peter didn't waste any time. With precise strikes, he incapacitated them, leaving the unconscious sidekicks in the middle of the street, where they would hopefully wake up soon, or else the police might find them alongside Penguins dead body.
Completely ignoring his groceries, Peter opened a shimmering portal back to their temporary hideout and called out, “Tony! Let’s go! We’re heading out!”
Tony, who had been eager to explore Gotham City, rocketed out of their ship in his Iron Man suit and flew straight through the portal, landing at Peter's side. He couldn't help but notice the downed sidekicks and the bullet-riddled corpse of the Penguin a few meters away.
"I thought you said I'd be the one to get into trouble?" Tony quirked a brow at Peter. "And where are the supplies?"
Peter simply pointed at the bullet-riddled groceries, and Tony raised an eyebrow in response.
Before Tony could inquire further, Peter pulled out his phone and connected to the local internet. He swiftly located Metropolis on the map and stashed his phone away, all while opening another portal to a tall high-rise building in the sunny, futuristic city of Metropolis.
Peter strolled through the portal, and Tony followed, bewildered by the sudden change in scenery.
"Peter, I thought we were going to explore Gotham," Tony began, but Peter interrupted with a question.
"Do you recall the last DC movie we watched together?" Peter inquired.
Tony took a moment to recollect before replying, "The Injustice movie."
As the words left his lips, realization washed over Tony. He surveyed the cityscape and spotted three figures flying in the distance, along with a red streak zipping through the streets below.
Tony couldn't help but ask the question that was gnawing at him, "Is Lois dead yet?"
Peter replied, "No, she's just been taken by the Joker."
Tony nodded and activated his suit's scanning systems, “Jarvis locate the nearest explosive signatures.”
Jarvis promptly responded with a confirmation, "On it, sir."
As Tony's suit scanned the city, he picked up a high-level chemical reading emanating from the clock tower at the center of the city. He relayed the information to Peter, "I found Joker's bomb. It's in the clock tower."
Peter smirked and said, "Good. You take care of the bomb. I'll handle the damsel in distress before Superman goes rogue." He said as he tossed over Batgirls earpiece. “That links up with the Justice League. I have Robins as well. I haven’t made our presence known yet, so only talk when you’ve disarmed the bomb.”
Tony begrudgingly accepted the lesser of the two tasks, knowing that disabling the bomb was crucial to preventing a catastrophe. With a burst of repulser powered speed, he shot off toward the clock tower.
While Tony takes care of the potentially catastrophic bomb, Peter made a swift decision. Shrouding himself in the vibrant and ethereal flames of the Phoenix Force, he launched himself into the sky, his destination the waters surrounding Metropolis.
Casting a quick spell as he descended, Peter scanned the waters below and located a hidden submarine, lurking beneath the waves just off the coast of Metropolis. Not wasting a single second, he donned his spider suit, knowing he'd need its filtration enchantment to protect himself from the Kryptonite laced Scarecrow toxin that was no doubt inside the sub, meant for Superman upon his arrival.
Opening a portal into the submarine, Peter stepped inside, finding the interior engulfed in a thick green gas. The malicious toxin had already been released, but his suit's enchantment kept him safe from its effects.
As soon as the portal closed behind him, Peter could hear it, the eerie and unhinged laughter that could only belong to the Joker. It echoed through the confined space of the submarine, a haunting symphony of madness.
Following the deranged laughter like a beacon, Peter ventured further into the sub and stumbled upon a chilling scene. Joker and Harley Quinn were both standing over a groggy Lois Lane.
A closer look revealed that Lois had a long, stitched cut on her chest. The Joker had linked her heartbeat to the bomb, which is meant to kill thousands of metropolis citizens upon her death.
Joker raised a dubious eyebrow at Peter's entrance, quipping, "Well, you're not Superman…"
Peter nodded, his tone dripping with condescension. "You're quite astute, aren't you?"
Harley couldn't contain herself and rushed at Peter, her oversized hammer at the ready. She screamed, "No one makes fun of my puddin'!"
But before Harley could grasp what was happening, Peter flickered out of view and reappeared behind her in an instant. With a backhanded slap, he sent her hurtling into the unforgiving metal wall of the submarine at breakneck speed.
As Harley collided with the wall, falling unconscious upon impact, Joker stood behind Peter, a revolver aimed squarely at the back of his head. He was ready to fire, ready to blow his brains out.
But Peter, using his speed alone, vanished yet again. He materialized at Joker's side, reaching out and crushing the guns barrel with his hand into a twisted, deformed hunk of metal.
“Aww, that was my favorite piece! I killed Carmine Falcone and Two Face with that… It had so much history…” Joker whined, tossed the ruined weapon aside, and produced a small spray bottle filled with an unknown, sinister liquid. “Let’s try this instead!” He brandished it menacingly, poised to unleash its unknown horrors.
However, Peter moved with superhuman agility and snatched the bottle from Joker's grasp, turning the tables on the clown prince of crime. He sprayed Joker right in the face with his own malicious substance.
Instantly, Joker's maniacal laughter turned to blood-curdling screams as the acid-like liquid seared his face, causing excruciating pain. “Aaaahhhhh!” The deranged villain's face burned and distorted under the corrosive assault.
Tossing the spray bottle aside and leaving Joker to his anguished cries, which eerily merged with his psychotic laughter, Peter collected Lois and opened a golden portal back to the building where he and Tony had parted.
Gently placing Lois on the ground, he turned back to the portal and shot two quick webs, which pulled the unconscious Harley and the still-screaming Joker through.
With everyone out of the submarine, Peter closed the portal and knelt beside Lois, who looked up at him through groggy eyes, seeing him as a nightmarish figure due to the Scarecrow toxin she had inhaled while inside the sub. “No! No! Get away from me!” She cried out in terror, begging for the illusion to disappear.
Casting a quick spell, Peter discerned a device wrapped around her heart, which Joker had no doubt attached. Working his mystical expertise, he delicately opened her stitches and removed the device, erasing any trace of the cut. In an instant, Lois was restored to perfect health, without a scar to be found, and the remnants of the Scarecrow toxin that filled the submarine were flushed out of her system.
Lois finally gazed at Peter, seeing him for who he truly was and not some monstrous apparition. “Huh? Where am I?” She also noticed both Harley, unconscious a few feet away, and the wailing Joker, clutching his deformed face.
As Peter finished, Tony's voice resonated over the Justice League radio, “Spidey, I defused Joker’s bomb.”
Instantly, confusion filled the airwaves as Batman and the others struggled to identify the unfamiliar voice on the line, not to mention the fact that they hadn't even known about the bomb threat.
Following Tony's announcement, Peter reported, "Good work, I'm back at the building where we split up. I've captured Joker, Harley, and retrieved Lois Lane."
Immediately, Superman's voice, filled with relief, flooded the radio waves. “Where is she?! Is she safe?!”
Peter didn't bother responding, and instead, he gently removed Robin's earpiece and handed it to Lois. Groggily, Lois put it on and heard Superman's voice, “Hello?! Answer me! Is Lois alright?! Hello?!”
“I’m fine Clark… I just feel a bit woozy…” As she conversed with her lover, who was infinitely relieved to hear her voice, Peter's attention shifted to Tony, who had landed beside him, his eyes locked on the infamous Joker, the embodiment of comic book villainy.
“It’s really him…” Tony muttered in awe.
Even Peter couldn't deny a sense of excitement at encountering the Joker, though it didn't quite match Tony's level of fanboying.
As time passed, the Justice League was able to find where they were. The Flash, with his signature red suit and lightning bolt insignia, streaked up the side of the building and a appeared before them. Green Lantern, a figure clad in a green and black costume, flew over head. Wonder Woman, the Amazonian princess with her lasso and sword, descended gracefully from the sky.
And the last to arrive, Superman, rushed to his pregnant lovers side, pulling her into his arms. “You’re alright…” He muttered in relief.
The mood was generally celebratory, with everyone relieved that Lois was found safe and sound. However, Batman, with his piercing gaze, remained skeptical, silently scrutinizing Peter and Tony, trying to figure out where these unknown heroes came from.
As Batman focused on them, Tony couldn't help but experience a sense of awe and fanboy excitement. He stood before the iconic Batman, a legendary character he had admired since he was a child. ‘It’s him! It’s really him!’
Peter couldn’t help but shake his head as he watched his best friend vibrate in excitement, like a child on Christmas morning. ‘Is this how I felt when I first became Spider-Man and met everyone?’
Tired of waiting, Batman steps forward menacingly. “Who are you…?”
A/N: 1810 words :)