3 New York 2008 and aftermath
In New York, in 2008, Tony was still there, even after a year with no answers, searching for a hint, a clue for humanity's biggest question.
For three years, the portal had not shown any change, not a movement, no color change, no nothing.
One would expect him to go broke as he did not see to anything regarding his company or even his life, but with people admiring his relentless will to seek answers, Stark company stocks were unprecedentedly high.
But not everyone was having the time of their lives like Obadiah Stane, the man who got richer as the thorn in his way was not looking into matters of Stark Industries.
Tony, even with the help of Jarvis did not get enough of something substantial out of the year-long solitude he had subjected himself to.
"Come on my blue babe, give me something."
On the roof of a glassed room, which was initially an urban apartment for the common folk, was Stark, looking into all sorts of data, hoping to get something unusual out of it.
"Sir Miss Pepper is coming into the Lab"
"Not now Jarvis, I think I am getting onto something here."
"Sir Miss Potts has entered the lab"
"Jarvis-"
"Thought your doctor suggested not doing an all-nighter"
"It's not an all-nighter if you-"
"When did he last sleep?"
"6 days ago Miss Potts," Jarvis replied to the inquiry.
"Hey, that's against A.I.-creator privilege," Tony complained as he flipped sheets of paper in his hands.
"This is getting out of hand. Tony, you need rest. "
"Don't we all?" Tony replied as he gave the least attention to his secretary, prioritizing his work over anything.
"The board needs you for things, things only the head of the company has access to." She changed into a formal tone.
"Hum-hum"
"They need you to demonstrate something to retain the US weapon contract Stark Industries has held for half a century."
"Hum-hum"
"And I am getting married to Jupiter, we already had a kid and we named it the Sun."
"Hum-H- What?"
"Tony you need rest, it would only hinder your progress in this path you have taken."
Tony looked into her eyes, and finally admitting defeat, closed down the makeshift file of his.
"Fine. Close down the systems except for the sensory ones, we are treating a break, Jarvis."
"Already done sir." They got out of the building where Happy was ready with a cheeseburger for Tony, who had not eaten for days, indulged deep in his sea of research.
"What would you show off to the army then?"
"Hmm... Jarvis, pull out something from the 2004 no, 2003 batch. something with a big boom."
"Might I suggest the 2003 Jericho missile sir?"
"Yes, when is the event?"
"A week, Afganistan."
"Well a nice vacation could do wonders, and after all this." he looked at the blue portal-pond thingy "It's what I need."
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Inside the Blue portal was darkness, nothingness. For outside, the earth, three years have gone by, but for the inside, three Apokolips years have gone by, meaning 141 earth years have gone by, while Bruce Wayne and Steppenwolf were subjected to solitude in the dark nothingness.
A mind-breaking torture for most.
And it was showing its effects on the Themascaria (OC) servant of the new god Darkseid, as Steppenwolf had broken down many times during the time interval.
Batman on the other side, was in a coma for the majority of it, as his wounds and injuries healed due to the intervention of the cosmic environment.
The result?
Steppenwolf now had more powers to boot, on one side the injuries he was subjected to due to Omega beams were not healing at all, on the other he was given more strength and stamina, the boon of cosmic intervention while his stay here.
But his mind was in shatters, not remembering many things, except his loyalty for Darkseid, or the large master he remember serving a century ago, now not even remembering his name or face.
Batman was not spared from these boons, just instead of getting overpowered powers, like that of mind or super strength, he was healed, and left without his mind in tatters, unlike his foe on the opposite side of the black area.
The healing had its own perks, bestowing a very minor strength, stamina, and healing factor to boot. Nothing inhumane, just the best a human could have achieved.
Bruce looked younger, his bones strengthened, backbone, which was broken by bane, was now more like the original, without the continuous pain.
He had gone from a 38-year-old man, who looked like he was in his 50, to a 189-year-old man, looking like he was in his early thirties.
He had just woken up from this long coma, to find himself in this black area when a blue light engulfed him as a whole, as so it did to Darkseid's servant.
The next moment, they both were falling.
Actually one of them was.
Bruce fell toward earth, where he easily noticed the usual sight of bustling New York, the third most populous city after Metropolis and Gotham.
While Steppenwolf was ejected out of the earth's atmosphere, being thrown at a speed slightly lower than that of light, in the depth of space.
Bruce, had a slight smile, invisible to the naked eye, as he fell,- no glided over the skies of New York, looking into the deep blue portal he came from, which was getting smaller every second, until it disappeared from the face of the earth.
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/From the universe where Batman just defeated Darkseid./
On earth, there was US president, Amanda-"the Wall"-Waller was making a speech about the sacrifice the Justice League had just made, for humanity and for their country.
The last stand was recorded by the last living hero and now the leader of the Justice League, Cyborg, which was played to the common people, titling the last of the BAT.
It had a trillion views in just a month, being repeatedly played by people from around the earth.
While all the heroes had sacrificed themselves and were not being forgotten, Batman was immortalized the most as he was effectively the one with the most contribution to the win.
-News flash- Gotham City now had a 250 feet tall statue of Batman, made of bronze and painted black in his remembrance. -News flash-
-News flash- Nobody knew who he was under the mask, but nobody needed to know as it did not matter who he was, it mattered what his deeds were. -by a citizen from Gotham City -News flash-
-News flash- On the other side, Billainoire, Philanthropist Bruce Wayne's name has been added to the casualties in the long war. His will, which was changed just a month before his death has come into the eyes of the people, most thanking him for his generosities. -News flash-
-News flash- All of Bruce Wayne's shares and investments in the international market are to be passed to his housekeeper and butler, Alfred Pennyworth, while his personal assets, which are but not limited to jewelry, car collections, villas, art paintings, lands, etc. would be used in charity, helping the not so fortunate of his brothers, sisters, as he said for his fellow humans, to avail cheap but efficient healthcare, orphanages for his children, homes for the homeless and skill workshops for the youth. -News flash-
-News flash- In his words, he mentioned "Alfred will see to it, he has yet to disappoint me" Effectively making once his housekeeper, Alfred Pennyworth, the richest man in the world, with a personal fortune of 300 billion dollars and company shares worth more than a trillion dollars. Experts have said that there could be foul play with Bruce changing his will days before his death, and not parting anything with his legal son Damian Wayne, but no comments have been made from young master Wayne. -News flash-
-News flash- More on Sunday night special, president candidate Amanda Waller is set to continue her term due to an emergency declared in the state. Her opposition, Donald Trump, a candidate favored by Bruce Wayne has made statements regarding this.
"The war is over, we need someone that could stabilize the country, not someone who could presumably dive into another war while people starve and soldiers die.".
It has to be noted that Bruce Wayne had heavily invested in Donald Trump's campaign in the previous presidential elections and rumors of the same were on the rise this year. -News flash-
-News flash- On another note, the legitimate suit and accessories of the vigilante Red Hood were found on Gotham streets, with the note "Red Hood is now dead" They were sold on eBay for a whole three million dollars after which the hobo who sold them was found dead on the same street with all his ID and money stolen. Crime is rising unprecedently in Gotham, Metropolis, and their vicinity cities. -News flash-
-News flash- A Batman copy was found betting thugs in Gotham, this was the third this week after the confirmed Death of Gotham's Dark Knight. Some sources say this copycat was responsible for the death of the vigilante Red Hood -News flash-
-News flash- CNN EXCLUSIVE! Commissioner Gordan had joined us in a press conference where he spoke but two words!
/Playing video/
On the stage was Commissioner Gordan of GCPD, with at least fifty mikes before him, asking for a statement, anything about Batman, as he was said to be in frequent contact with the Bat.
Everyone expected Old Man Gordon to say some sad words, in Batman's remembrance, some update about the major vigilante death of Red Hood, some expecting him to inform the general populace about the steps GCPD would be taking for the rise in crime in Gotham, but No, Gordan had but two words to speak and everyone had goosebumps.
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"He's Back"
