End Strategy
(Part 1)
New York City,
June 17, 08:09 EST
Holly groaned and rolled over, feeling the cool air wash over her body. There was a certain absence in the bed which she quickly recognized was Sam. She sighed and laid in the bed for a little while longer before rolling out and walking into the bathroom. She took a quick hot shower and threw on a robe before walking into the kitchen.
Sam was sitting at the table reading the newspaper. He had a steaming cup of coffee in his hand which he drank without seeming to notice the temperature.
"Happy Birthday." Holly said, kissing him on the cheek before pouring herself a cup of coffee. She took a sip of the bitter drink and sat down.
"I've made the front page." Sam said, turning the New York Times over and showing Holly the headline.
TRAGEDY STRIKES GRANTS (AGAIN)
Below that was a long, lengthy story on the tragedy of the Grants, from Sam's father's murder to his mother's recent death at the fall of Grant Tower and now, the only heir was gone.
"So who gets the money?" Holly asked.
"Me." Sam said, taking another sip of his coffee. "As soon as I'm miraculously saved from kidnapping by Luthor Corp employees."
"You've thought of everything, haven't you?" Holly asked.
"He has." A new voice said. Holly whirled to see Barbara Gordon standing in the living room. "Sorry, I knocked, but you didn't answer. I was afraid something really had happened to you."
"I'm fine, Babs." Sam said, setting the newspaper down.
"How many people are in on this?!" Holly exclaimed.
"No more." Sam replied. "She's my best friend, I wasn't going to let her think I was dead."
"Unlike Dick." Barbara said bitterly.
The three sat in silence for a minute before Barbara walked over and set a box on the table. "I've been so busy lately, it totally slipped my mind until last minute. Sorry."
Sam pulled the golden watch out and looked at it. "Thanks, Babs. Don't fret."
The red-haired girl grinned and nodded. "Well, I'm sorry to rush out, but I've got to be at the police station in ten minutes."
"Ah, well good luck then." Sam said.
Barbara grinned and left, closing the door firmly behind her.
"That was nice." Holly said, locking the door and returning.
"Yeah," Sam replied, opening a drawer in the kitchen and taking off his watch to replace it with the new one. There were a dozen watches in the drawer. Sam closed it firmly back. "At least this year it's not blue."
The Watchtower
June 17, 10:09 EST
Batman pulled up the footage again. Revenge grabbed Holly by the neck and snapped it. She fell to the ground dead. "Pause."
Batman stared at the screen. Flash came up behind him. "So, figure out who or what he killed?"
"No."
"Any ideas?"
"Cloned you and did it because it felt good?"
"You actually said that with a straight face. I'm impressed."
"Shut up."
Batman walked over to the zeta-tubes and they hummed to life.
Mount Justice
June 17, 10:15 EST
"Recognized: Batman, 02."
"Blue Beetle, report to mission room immediately."
Batman walked in and pulled up the necessary files. Beetle walked in.
"You're friends with Red Revenge, correct?" Batman asked.
"Well, more like acquaintances." Beetle started, but Batman cut him off."
"Good enough. Revenge claims he is faking his death to make the Light egotistical so we can cut him down. I don't believe it. I need you to track him."
"Alright…" Jaimie said.
"Now."
New York City
June 17, 11:58 EST
Sam sighed and leaned back in his chair, watching as his casket was slowly lowered into the ground.
"We're going to leave the funeral services for Samuel Grant for a moment to bring you news of a police chase in downtown New York. The mysterious vigilante from Gotham Batgirl and Spoiler seem to be on top of things, but the men are considered armed and dangerous."
Holly walked in the door and sighed. She started tugging off her heels as she walked up to Sam. "So? How did I do?"
"You should've taken acting." Sam said.
Holly slapped the back of his head.
"Ow! I meant you were good and should've made a career out of it!"
"Oh, sorry."
Holly walked into the bedroom and started taking off her green dress covered with a black coat. "You know, we still have to wait on Rose before we can start the plan. I'd like to give you my birthday present."
"Love to." Sam said. "But Rose called after you left. She's teleporting in as soon as we get to the base."
"Do you ever stop working?" Holly asked, stepping out of the bedroom with a shirt and jeans on.
"It'll all be over soon, babe." Sam said, standing up and wrapping his arms around her waist. "Promise."
Holly grinned and tossed her arms around his neck. "I suppose we're using the teleporter?"
"Yep. Dead men don't walk."
Rose stumbled off of the still vibrating pad and coughed, grabbing a bag before puking into it. "I hate that." She breathed out.
"I'm working on it." Sam said.
"Alright, let's get this over with." Rose said. "The sooner the better."
"Right," Sam said, standing up and pulling up a holographic map. He zoomed in to the nation of Quebec. Then the capital. A single, run-down, abandoned plastic factory was his final destination.
"Alright. Coastal town, so we can escape into the water if necessary." Sam said. "The building itself is unstable and due for destruction in a week. The base beneath it, according to Rose, is huge. It goes on for miles, just like the former Soviet one in Russia."
"God, I hated that." Holly said.
Rose smiled slightly as Sam continued talking. "Holly is now a part of the Light, so she has been summoned to this meeting. That's how we got the location. When we attack, you have to go all out in case we fail." Sam said, directing his gaze towards Holly. She nodded and folded her arms over her chest.
"Rose goes in first and sets down the bombs and smoke. As soon as she needs backup, I come in. My appearance will throw them off and maybe, just maybe we can get away with this."
"Question." Rose said, tossing up her hand. "How are you going to hack the computers while waiting for me to call in backup?"
"This little device." Sam said, holding up a blue and black oval shape. "Thanks to Blue Beetle."
"You're devious." Rose said with an evil grin on her face.
"That's what I get for hanging out with you."
"So what if reinforcements or good guys come?" Holly asked.
Sam frowned. It was the one aspect he hadn't thought of. "Let's hope it doesn't happen and we can pull this off."
"That's not very reassuring." Rose said, placing her hands on her hips.
"What are the odds Blue Beetle or Nightwing are going to come busting in?"
At that moment the door opened and Jaimie walked in. "You said no one was in here!" he exclaimed.
Ravager leaped and tackled him as his armor folded over his body. A plasma cannon appeared on his arm and he swatted the snow-haired girl away. Revenge was on top of him, shoving a collar over his armor and slamming a staff into the male's chest. The armor appeared to melt away as Beetle yelled in pain. Holly stabbed the teen with a needle and he passed out.
"Alright, now we need to go." Holly said.
"We know the plan, we have the game in our hands." Sam said.
"Time for the endgame." Rose finished. "Time for checkmate."
"Let's go."
Rose walked over to the transporter and disappeared. Holly pressed a button and her green-black armored outfit appeared. Sam merely picked up his mask and looked at it, pondering what he was really doing. He finally slid it over his head to join the rest of his outfit.
"Let's roll."
TO BE CONTINUED!
(Part 1)
New York City,
June 17, 08:09 EST
Holly groaned and rolled over, feeling the cool air wash over her body. There was a certain absence in the bed which she quickly recognized was Sam. She sighed and laid in the bed for a little while longer before rolling out and walking into the bathroom. She took a quick hot shower and threw on a robe before walking into the kitchen.
Sam was sitting at the table reading the newspaper. He had a steaming cup of coffee in his hand which he drank without seeming to notice the temperature.
"Happy Birthday." Holly said, kissing him on the cheek before pouring herself a cup of coffee. She took a sip of the bitter drink and sat down.
"I've made the front page." Sam said, turning the New York Times over and showing Holly the headline.
TRAGEDY STRIKES GRANTS (AGAIN)
Below that was a long, lengthy story on the tragedy of the Grants, from Sam's father's murder to his mother's recent death at the fall of Grant Tower and now, the only heir was gone.
"So who gets the money?" Holly asked.
"Me." Sam said, taking another sip of his coffee. "As soon as I'm miraculously saved from kidnapping by Luthor Corp employees."
"You've thought of everything, haven't you?" Holly asked.
"He has." A new voice said. Holly whirled to see Barbara Gordon standing in the living room. "Sorry, I knocked, but you didn't answer. I was afraid something really had happened to you."
"I'm fine, Babs." Sam said, setting the newspaper down.
"How many people are in on this?!" Holly exclaimed.
"No more." Sam replied. "She's my best friend, I wasn't going to let her think I was dead."
"Unlike Dick." Barbara said bitterly.
The three sat in silence for a minute before Barbara walked over and set a box on the table. "I've been so busy lately, it totally slipped my mind until last minute. Sorry."
Sam pulled the golden watch out and looked at it. "Thanks, Babs. Don't fret."
The red-haired girl grinned and nodded. "Well, I'm sorry to rush out, but I've got to be at the police station in ten minutes."
"Ah, well good luck then." Sam said.
Barbara grinned and left, closing the door firmly behind her.
"That was nice." Holly said, locking the door and returning.
"Yeah," Sam replied, opening a drawer in the kitchen and taking off his watch to replace it with the new one. There were a dozen watches in the drawer. Sam closed it firmly back. "At least this year it's not blue."
The Watchtower
June 17, 10:09 EST
Batman pulled up the footage again. Revenge grabbed Holly by the neck and snapped it. She fell to the ground dead. "Pause."
Batman stared at the screen. Flash came up behind him. "So, figure out who or what he killed?"
"No."
"Any ideas?"
"Cloned you and did it because it felt good?"
"You actually said that with a straight face. I'm impressed."
"Shut up."
Batman walked over to the zeta-tubes and they hummed to life.
Mount Justice
June 17, 10:15 EST
"Recognized: Batman, 02."
"Blue Beetle, report to mission room immediately."
Batman walked in and pulled up the necessary files. Beetle walked in.
"You're friends with Red Revenge, correct?" Batman asked.
"Well, more like acquaintances." Beetle started, but Batman cut him off."
"Good enough. Revenge claims he is faking his death to make the Light egotistical so we can cut him down. I don't believe it. I need you to track him."
"Alright…" Jaimie said.
"Now."
New York City
June 17, 11:58 EST
Sam sighed and leaned back in his chair, watching as his casket was slowly lowered into the ground.
"We're going to leave the funeral services for Samuel Grant for a moment to bring you news of a police chase in downtown New York. The mysterious vigilante from Gotham Batgirl and Spoiler seem to be on top of things, but the men are considered armed and dangerous."
Holly walked in the door and sighed. She started tugging off her heels as she walked up to Sam. "So? How did I do?"
"You should've taken acting." Sam said.
Holly slapped the back of his head.
"Ow! I meant you were good and should've made a career out of it!"
"Oh, sorry."
Holly walked into the bedroom and started taking off her green dress covered with a black coat. "You know, we still have to wait on Rose before we can start the plan. I'd like to give you my birthday present."
"Love to." Sam said. "But Rose called after you left. She's teleporting in as soon as we get to the base."
"Do you ever stop working?" Holly asked, stepping out of the bedroom with a shirt and jeans on.
"It'll all be over soon, babe." Sam said, standing up and wrapping his arms around her waist. "Promise."
Holly grinned and tossed her arms around his neck. "I suppose we're using the teleporter?"
"Yep. Dead men don't walk."
Rose stumbled off of the still vibrating pad and coughed, grabbing a bag before puking into it. "I hate that." She breathed out.
"I'm working on it." Sam said.
"Alright, let's get this over with." Rose said. "The sooner the better."
"Right," Sam said, standing up and pulling up a holographic map. He zoomed in to the nation of Quebec. Then the capital. A single, run-down, abandoned plastic factory was his final destination.
"Alright. Coastal town, so we can escape into the water if necessary." Sam said. "The building itself is unstable and due for destruction in a week. The base beneath it, according to Rose, is huge. It goes on for miles, just like the former Soviet one in Russia."
"God, I hated that." Holly said.
Rose smiled slightly as Sam continued talking. "Holly is now a part of the Light, so she has been summoned to this meeting. That's how we got the location. When we attack, you have to go all out in case we fail." Sam said, directing his gaze towards Holly. She nodded and folded her arms over her chest.
"Rose goes in first and sets down the bombs and smoke. As soon as she needs backup, I come in. My appearance will throw them off and maybe, just maybe we can get away with this."
"Question." Rose said, tossing up her hand. "How are you going to hack the computers while waiting for me to call in backup?"
"This little device." Sam said, holding up a blue and black oval shape. "Thanks to Blue Beetle."
"You're devious." Rose said with an evil grin on her face.
"That's what I get for hanging out with you."
"So what if reinforcements or good guys come?" Holly asked.
Sam frowned. It was the one aspect he hadn't thought of. "Let's hope it doesn't happen and we can pull this off."
"That's not very reassuring." Rose said, placing her hands on her hips.
"What are the odds Blue Beetle or Nightwing are going to come busting in?"
At that moment the door opened and Jaimie walked in. "You said no one was in here!" he exclaimed.
Ravager leaped and tackled him as his armor folded over his body. A plasma cannon appeared on his arm and he swatted the snow-haired girl away. Revenge was on top of him, shoving a collar over his armor and slamming a staff into the male's chest. The armor appeared to melt away as Beetle yelled in pain. Holly stabbed the teen with a needle and he passed out.
"Alright, now we need to go." Holly said.
"We know the plan, we have the game in our hands." Sam said.
"Time for the endgame." Rose finished. "Time for checkmate."
"Let's go."
Rose walked over to the transporter and disappeared. Holly pressed a button and her green-black armored outfit appeared. Sam merely picked up his mask and looked at it, pondering what he was really doing. He finally slid it over his head to join the rest of his outfit.
"Let's roll."
TO BE CONTINUED!
