Injustice: Fortress Assault

[Ghost Spike]

This business is full of snakes, I should know because I’ve often been one. The thing is, I’ve been one in plain sight, one where my intentions, my goals where always there for people to see. I’ve never manoeuvred behind the scenes, I’ve never played the political game, I’ve never tried to push someone out of a spot and steal it for myself, but you can be damned sure that it happens, almost everywhere….and sometimes, those friends you think have your back? They were never your friends in the first place.

Shark infested waters….

I’ve had more than one “friend” try and take a championship from me in the past because they thought I was an easy target, because they thought that as a “friend” I owed them some kind of championship match, because we were buddies, because that’s what friends do….what kinda bullshit is that? Yeah...I’m looking at you “AJ Phoenix” ….Rob did the same to me a few years ago, right here in IWF...it’s happened time and time again, so when Kyle walked into my locker room with my Man of Steel Championship?

I saw the writing on the wall….

I wasn’t going to fall for it again

~~~~~~~~~~

“He was supposed to be my friend”

It was a scene the likes of which the world never thought they would ever see, two of the so-called “trinity” coming to blows, the world's greatest super heroes fighting amongst themselves. Two men who were like brothers fighting each other. Batman, and Superman, throwing down like nobody else ever could. It was the question that people always pondered, but nobody ever dared asked, ‘could Batman beat Superman?’

One thing is for sure, Batman had surely been planning for it. The events leading up to this fist fight had seen Batman fighting against Supermans new regime at every turn, trying to prevent this new order, trying to undermine him wherever he could, and in response, Spike Kane had revealed Batman’s identity to the world, first trying to use the emergency broadcast system he’d addressed the world, flanked by the remaining members of the Justice League, but he was cut off - presumably by Batman himself or more likely his aide, Oracle - Batgirl, Pandora Freeman, cut the feed before he could announce it….that was when Robin, the son of Batman who had joined Superman had told given them the idea….why not use the watchtowers satellite and Gillbergs powers to simply put those four words on every screen in the world? So they did…

“BATMAN IS KYLE BRADDOCK”

Every cell phone, every TV screen, every computer monitor, every advertising board, every single thing that Johnny’s signal could reach showed those words, and in response Batman had launched a preemptive attack. He was trying to find the one weapon that could hurt Superman, and he knew it would be in the one place that Spike would deem safe enough, the fortress of solitude.

“So we’re gonna break into his house to steal the one weapon that can kill him?”

Green Arrow was one of the few heroes that Batman trusted for this mission, but now wasn’t the time for sarcasm, Steve had a way of saying this that got under Batman’s skin, but he just nodded his head. They had one shot, and it was up to Batman, Green Arrow, and Black Canary, with Batman’s last ditch teleportation device sending them right there.

“It’s just around the corner…”

After a few minutes of walking they found the entrance, something Spike had shared with Batman - which he still felt was an act of betrayal, but trying times called for dreastic measures. As Batman reached for the hidden nook the doors slid open, and standing there in the middle of the hall, staring at them with shock, was the last person they would have expected….almost like a clone….

“Superboy?”

Warren Kane….

“No!”

It was almost a whimper that left Batmans mouth, he didn’t expect this. If Spike was hiding him here, he’d be keeping one eye on this place, and with his emotions being so torn up by grief the way they were, he would think they were here for Warren…..it was too late, before they could even react, Superman was already here. With a thunderous crash Superman slammed into Batman and the fight began.

“He was supposed to be my friend.”

Green Arrow let loose an explosive tipped arrow that shattered a huge glacier of ice, that fell down between Batman and Superman. It separated Batman and Black Canary from Superman and Green Arrow. Batman began to pull Canary back to the telporter, as Green Arrow pulled another arrow and fired it at Superman, who deflected it, right at Warren. His eyes grew wide with shock as it penetrated his shoulder, it was only then he realised the tip was laced with kryptonite.

“Aww come on!”

Green Arrow shook his head, he never meant for that to happen, but Superman didn’t care, he rolled to the floor, reached for the weapon they’d came for, attached it to his arrow and fired it out of the fortress before Superman grabbed him by the throat and slammed him into the floor, before he roared with rage and began to punch, and punch, and punch, and punch, before Warren came over and placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Dad…..please….stop…”

Back over with Batman and Canary, Batman stood on the teleporter, programming it to take them back, he reached a hand out for her, but she stood defiantly.

“He’s coming Kyle, he has to.”

“Mandi….he think’s we’re after his son….”

Just then the arrow landed at her feet, with the little weapon attached to it, and a tiny little note that simply read ‘I love you pretty bird’ fighting through her tears, she shoved it into Batmans arms, as he shoved it into his arms and he activated the teleporter.

“He was supposed to be my friend.”

~~~~~~~~~

They say that you won’t be cleared to fight Kyle, that it’s my fault….of all things. Ironic, isn’t it. That your little bitch accuses me of dodging you, from defending my title against the “bigger” challenger, subtly throwing Andrew Jacobsen under the bus, trying to play down how much of a challenge he actually is and play up how much of a challenge you are….funny, that’s such a “Falcon” move isn’t it? You see, I understand how much of a challenge Andrew was, I don’t downplay that, I accept that as far as my reign as the Man of Steel Champion goes? He’s been my toughest challenge…..but you? You send that little whore out to do your dirty work for you because of this stupid bullshit you have going where you….

You have yet another stupid vow…

You ain’t talking til you win the big one!

Well, I hate to break it to you old timer, but you won’t be talking ever again.

You came to me Kyle, keep that in mind….you came to me like a wolf in sheeps clothing, while I was grieving the loss of my son…..which I am still not over, which I am still not able to completely deal with, but you came to me with the fake notions of well wishes….but in your hands was my championship….what the fuck did you expect? You claim to know me, you claim to be my friend, you claim to give a shit….yet not once has an apology left your lips. Not once has a single word of regret come from you or your whore of babylon, not once has any single word of sorrow come from your camp Kyle…..you can lie, and tell me that it was never about this championship, but that is all it will ever be….lies….

If you take away man’s son you’ve truly given him nothing left to lose.

Except, I do have this…

[Spike reaches off camera and pulls the Man of Steel Championship onto the screen, holding it up for the world to see, before dropping it onto the matt.]

Tell me to my face, right now….that it isn’t about this, and I’ll call you a lying piece of shit, because the first thing she did was bring attention to it. She wanted it, she said you were the stronger challenger and that’s why I “bailed” she said you were the rightful champion, she said you were better than Andrew…..so don’t even pretend that it wasn’t, that it never was, because all it ever boils down to Kyle, is how full of shit you are, how full of shit you always were, and how full of shit you’ll always be! You come out here, and you preach about this, and that and about how you’re so much better than everyone else...but deep down in your core? You’re just a snake….just like me…

But you’re worse.

Because you can’t admit it.

You pretend that you’re so fucking holier than thou, but you’re just a scumbag.

Yeah, I’ll show up in IWF and make a big deal about how I have this vow of silence until I came win the big one, that will surely get me the big push that I don’t actually deserve but y’know, it’s my way of “earning” it without actually earning it, right! Yeah...because I’m the master fucking manipulator! ….fuck you Kyle. While you’ve been making this bullshit up, the rest of us have been here, week after week, show after show, working our god damned asses off. This championship I hold? It used to be worth something, then it was dragged through the gutter, tossed around and treated like shit….I wanted to make it worth something again, and I planned on doing exactly that….but you’re little bitch without a leash wants to come and mouth off at me, during a time where I’m quite happy to openly admit I’m not exactly the most table I’ve ever been?

She’s lucky I didn’t smack her fucking face off….

She’s lucky it was you that I hit…

So fuck the rules Kyle.

Fuck you’re stupid vow of silence.

Fuck whether you’re able to compete or not.

We are going to have ourselves a match…...but it won’t be for my belt, no siree…

We’re gonna have ourselves one for the ages Kyle….

WELCOME TO THE FUCKING THUNDERDOME BITCH!

[With that Spike kicks the camera stand, stretching his arms out as it falls backwards the camera slowly falls and it shows the ring set up in a dark, dank and empty arena]