Marvel/DC: Shards of Destiny #8 Written by Jim "WarlorTVor"
Seals and Jeff "Anomaly" Olson, Edited by Jim Seals |
Shards of Destiny
Return to the War of Yesteryear: Part One - Catalyst
***For previous chapters, go to the Marvel/DC Cosmic Crossovers Archive***
The war was not going well for the Allied forces.
Hitler’s forces were gain strength and the upper hand quickly, over the combined might of Great Britain and French. And they knew without a doubt that if America didn’t join in the war effort in a matter outside of merely supplying the Allies with supplies and weapons that Hitler would surely win this war. And the question on everyone’s mind was simply: When will America become involved in the War? When will it make a stand against the oppression of Germany and its mighty allies?
The date: Sunday, December 7, 1941, rapidly approaching eight o’clock, less than one hour before the fateful event that’ll send the Untied States of America into the war. The place: Pearl Harbor, an unsteady calm was over the small naval base.
The flash of golden light went by so quickly that none took notice of it. And as quickly as it came the flash of light was no more. The alleyway grew dark as two figures stood; the cold breeze of a slightly chilled winter was over them.
"Where are we?" Captain America asked, wry on stepping out of the alleyway.
"No," Batman answered. "The question is not where are we, Captain, but rather: When are we?" The dark knight looked around the bricked alleyway, studding his surroundings carefully. The morning sun beamed upon them. And Batman slightly jumped upon hearing the honking of a car horn, as it slowly made its way through the traffic. A small newspaper flew by his feet, Batman crouched down slightly and picked it up. His thin white eyes widened in horror upon reading the date on the paper’s top right hand corner: December Seventh Nineteen-Forty-One, The Pearl Harbor News. He gasped.
Upon hearing the sudden intake of air, Captain America swirled around to face his counterpart. "What’s wrong?" He extend his crimson red gloved-hand for the newspaper and without protest Batman passed it over and could clearly understand what had clearly caught his attention. "The Pearl Harbor Attack will soon take place."
And as if one cue the alarms blared to life. Captain America and Batman bolted out of the alleyway, just in time to see the Japanese attacker plans materialize from the thick layer of clouds that had blanketed the small Naval base. Mayhem and pandemonium took possession of the streets, terror was everywhere, as the drama unfolded in the skies above, the Japanese plans started to release its bombs upon the Naval base.
"We have to do something!" Captain America said out of pure passion, starting toward the naval base, only to be stopped by the hand of Batman rested firmly upon his shoulder. He looked at the Dark Knight quizzically.
"We cannot," Batman said, firmly. "For any action we take will jeopardize the flow of time in your universe, Captain."
"Batman, but isn’t that what we are talking about?"
Batman’s eye brow-raised feeling his interest piqued by the Captain’s passionate outburst. His arms crossed over his chest.
"We are in a quest that’ll change the course of not only mine universe, Batman, but yours as well. And if we do succeed in our mission and capture Baron Zemo his absence in this timeline will have grave repercussions on the pre-destined ‘flow of time.’ And I will not stand idly by and allow the deaths of innocences take place. They deserve better than this!"
The Dark Knight thought about this for a moment or two, then nodded his head. "Let us go! We have lives to save," he declared, firmly, following in-suit behind the living legend.
The scene was a dark one. The sirens blared to life, and fire roared from the skies over head.
The bombs were still descending claiming battleship after battleship, several men had jumped over board in the hope to swim to shore, but where nearly drifting there screaming for their buddies to get off and join them in the icy cold depths.
Without thinking of his own well being, Captain America ran down one of the docking ports and plunged himself into the water. "Hold on, Sailor!" he called forth, his shield gleaming under the morning’s golden light. "I’m on my way!"
Batman quickly made his way to an area where the bomb had missed the massive naval vessel and had collided with a civilian accounting house. He leaped over the fire wreckage, his long dark cape soaring around him.
He searched through the thickness of smoke that bellowed from the doors opening. He search for any survivors of the blast. There the out lined of a terrified woman started to wander through the darkness and the fires. "Stay where you are, ma’am!" Batman called in charging forth. As he approached her position; she was carrying a small scrabbling child in her arms, roughly a few months ago. "Stay there!"
Batman called out, lunging forth, soon with lightening like speed, he covered the young woman with his cape, and burning pieces of debris tore away from the damaged roof and collided with his extended cape. "Let’s go!" he ordered heading toward the entranceway. The woman was frantic and was screaming wildly, uttering words that not even with Batman's sensitive hearing could make out.
Soon they were out and into the cold air, safely away from the collapsing building but see was still screaming. He grabbed her softly, yet firmly by the arms. "Shh," he hushed, "what is it, ma’am? What’s wrong?"
Tear were flowing from her wide blue eyes, dirt and smudge covered her once pleasant triangular face, she was coughing violently. But she did say something, her tone was harsh and scratchy, "My son . . . he’s still in there . . . he’s up-stairs somewhere! Oh, please someone! Save my baby!"
Batman tossed a look behind his shoulder, then back into the woman’s terrified gaze, the child within her hands crying intensified. He moved her toward a group of firemen that were working on another building next door. "Sir, take care of this young woman," he commanded to a fireman who was scrabbling to attach a fire hose to the nearest hydrant. "I’ll get your son, what’s his name?"
"Kris . . . His name is Kris . . ."
Batman nodded. "I’ll get him. Trust me!" And with that he darted toward the flaming three-story house.
"Got you, Son!" Captain America said picking up, yet another lost sailor from the burning wreckage of the mighty battleship, the U.S.S. California. He spitted out a lung full of salt water, as he made his way back to shore. Just then a massive bomb dropped from the dark heavens above fell, hitting only mere meters from their position. The sudden explosion sent the two men swirling around in choppy waters.
Darkness.
Light.
Darkness.
The world swirled around the sailor’s eyes as he was being tossed and turned in the uneasy choppy waters of the harbor. His vision cleared for a second, but in that brief second he saw the bodies of his fellow brethren entombed forever in a watery grave known as the Arizona. Others, who had jumped ship in the hope to escape certain death, were slowly drifting down toward the darkness, their hands clawing for the light. For life.
The young sailor screamed in horror, fighting against all his might against his would-be savior: Captain America. "Do not struggle!" Cap barked trying to keep his orientation, in the choppy seas. "Do not - -" is all he got out, until the sailor’s elbow make connection to Captain America’s throat, he gasped, clutching onto his neck, struggling to take in air. He lost his grip of the frightened man and watched helplessly as he started to drift farther and farther away.
Overhead, a Japanese fighter plane took notice of the drifting soldiers that were condescend in the area, it swooped in, machine-guns a blazing. Bullets hit the water sending water jetting upward, but soon, as the plane soared in closer, hitting helpless men, striking them dead in the water.
Captain America shouted a warning out to some of the other shipwrecked sailors, but his words did not carry through the chaos, soon the water was covered in blood. Cap made his way toward the one that escaped him before reaching toward him, but the man was in shock, he was terrified watching the warplane descend upon him. The bullets tore through his chest and upper torso area, reaping through him as if he wasn’t even there. He bobbed there in the waters lifeless.
"No!" Captain America shouted, and noticed that he was within the enemy’s sights. Out of sheer reflex, he brought up his red, white and blue shield from the water and covered himself, the bullets harmlessly bounced off the impenetrable metal.
The Japanese pilot screamed in rage, and he circled around to make another pass. But this time he was greeted by the weapons of the California a gunner stood there, tears of hatred and rage streaming from his eyes, his once nice white uniform was covered in blood, the blood of his best friend. "Die, Jap bastards! To the devil with all of you!" he cried out in sheer rage. The plane exploded, and Cap found that he had to scramble for shore or the airplane would take him under in its wake!
Batman bolted through the flaming wreckage, and swiftly climbed upward on the burning staircase. "Kris! Kris! Where are you?" he called out, searching his surroundings. His eyes were watering; the smoke was covering and blurring his vision greatly. What a time to leave your gas mask in the mansion, Bruce, Batman snapped himself inwardly, running to every room, screeching for the lost child. "Kris!"
Then he heard the cracking of the floorboards behind him; he swirled around to a small leg quickly bolt into a small room. He leaped through air, just before burning wreckage from the roof collided with the floor that he was standing on. He darted toward the room where the young boy had entered, kicking open the door a massive cloud of dark, thick black smoke greeted him.
He coughed. Trying to see through the thick layer of smoke before him. "Kris! Are you in here?" he bellowed, intaking a massive lung full of unholy smoke. Then a mere glimpse he saw the young boy – who could be no older than six or seven – enter the "safe" confines of under his bed. Batman drops to the floor and slowly makes his way over to the young man’s aid.
"Get away! Get away! Get away!" The kid screamed, clutching onto a blue blanket, tears streaming down from his eyes.
"It is all right," Batman calmed the boy down to a point where he could speak with him.
"You are not a fireman!" he dark haired, wide eye boy said. "I was told never to talk to strangers. And mister you are strange as they come. How come you wear a mask, Mister? Are you some kind of bad guy?"
Twenty questions? Batman thought, rolling his eyes slightly. "I’m wearing this mask because I’m a hero and I’m here to rescue you. Your mother told me to get you so here I am." Batman could see that the mask was troubling the young man and that he more than likely wouldn’t trust him unless he could see his savior’s face, so he did the only thing he could do. He quickly removed his cowl, revealing the handsome visage of Bruce Wayne; a smile played on his thin lips. He stretched out his arms to the young boy and said, "Let’s get you out of here and back to your mother, Kris."
The boy smiled. And throw himself into Batman’s muscular arms. They darted out of the room and headed toward the stairs only to find that there was no way down them, debris and flaming pieces of wood blocked their path. "Damn," he grunted, pressing Kris’ head firmly on his shoulder.
"Is something wrong, Mister?" the little boy asked.
"No," Batman lied. "We’re just going for a little ride that’s all!" Batman raced for the second staircase that led to the third floor above. He made it just in time to watch the second floor explode in flames.
"My God!" the mother screamed she was in a panic, the explosion from the second floor of the small accounting office that she and her husband had turned into a temporary home. The explosion sent glass and flaming wreckage descending upon them. "My baby! My baby! Oh God!" she screamed collapsing on her knees.
Batman saw that they were in an attic of some kind and that the flames were eating the already thin floor. Across the way stood a massive stain-glass window. "Hang on!" he ordered running for all his might toward the window. He stopped for nothing and pressed Kris even more firmly upon him, wrapping both arms around the little boy.
He jumped, shattered through the window and started to descend earthward.
He flipped in mid-air and landed on his feet in a crouching position on the wet ground. He started to cough harshly, his vision blurring.
"Kris!" the mother screamed.
Batman released his grip on the boy and with a pat on his back said, "There you go, Kris!"
The young boy ran over to his mother, arms outstretched they embraced in a warm hug. Tears streaming down both their eyes and the young babe in her arms started to laugh joyfully. "Thank you, oh thank you!" the mother exasperated. Batman arose to his feet still reeling from all the smoke that he had inhaled.
"Mister," Kris promoted tearing away from his mother’s arms, "what’s your name?"
"Batman," he said and vanished into the smoke, mask in placed.
Captain America quickly scrambled out of the way of the descending Japanese airplane, but didn’t make it. The plane collided with the water’s surface, and in its massive wake sucked the living legend into the harbor. Captain America tried his damnedest to stay aloft. To no avail. Darkness greeted him in the cold icy depths of the sea.
He lost consciousness, the back of his head colliding with the exterior of the plane.
That’s when from out of no where a dark gloved hand plucked him from the sea. Cap gasped, the air reliving him. His eyes snapped wide open. He found himself being held up by Batman, who was standing on the deck of one of the rescue ships that were roaming through the death of the harbor.
"Batman! Where - -? How long - -?" he was confused. His vision slowly returning, his breathing slowly came under control. "Is it over?" Captain America asked.
"It is."
"My God," Captain America stood up one the deck of the small rocking rescue boat, only to see the death and devastation that had descended upon the once peaceful Pearl Harbor.
Over the radio in the small cramped command quarters it said, "Early yesterday morning, Japanese forces attacked – without provocation – the United States Naval base in Pearl Harbor killing over a thousand men and reports are still coming in of the dead even as I speak to you. Earlier today President Roosevelt declared war on both Japan and her allies. We have officially entered the war, on the side of the Ally Forces. A call to all men is being cried out. A call to arms! We must make sure that this out rage does not go unpunished, we must - - -"
"And so it begins anew . . . again," Captain America said grimly, staring at the death all around him.To Be Continued . . .
Thank you for reading this chapter of Marvel/DC: Shards of Destiny! The story continues in Shards of Destiny #9! Visit the Marvel/DC Cosmic Crossovers Archive for previous editions. Now, be sure to send us feedback below or by e-mailing cpufeedback@yahoo.com