Alternatives

Author’s Note: This probably won't interest a lot of people. Sorry.

Okay, Ladies, Gentlemen, and others, let's start with a question.

Have you ever read a story that after it was over, you couldn’t let it go?

That the ending just didn’t feel like it was right?

Well, when that happens to me, I make my own ending.

Thus, this little story.

First, I will give a bit of a backstory.

The story in question takes place in the world of DC comics. A few years ago they did a sort of “what if” series of stories based on major comic events called “Tales from the Dark Multiverse”, where they tried to see just how dark they could take things. This particular story is based on one of the more famous stories written there.

The original story was called “The Judas Contract” and involved a group of young superheroes called the Teen Titans.

A villain named Deathstroke was hired to get info on the team, so he arranged for a mole to be planted - a young woman named Terra. She gathered information on the Titans, who were eventually captured, but when she discovered Deathstroke was going to toss her aside, she unleashed her full power, freeing the Titans, but dying herself in the process.

It was a tragedy, but then DC decided to make it even worse.

They introduced the concept of a “dark multiverse” and retold some classic tales but with darker outcomes.

And they did this with the Judas Contract.

In the dark multiverse version, Terra stole the formula that allowed Deathstroke to be at his full potential, killed Deathstroke and the Titans as well as many other heroes, and took over the world, presenting her death as actually being the better outcome.

And I couldn't get the story out of my mind.

So I hope nobody minds if I present my own idea of what could have happened next . . .

It starts with Terra sitting on her throne, resting between the times when she would terrorize what was left of the populace.

Then she sensed something moving in her throne room.

“You might as well come out.” She said, ”You can't sneak up on someone who can feel your footsteps through the rock”

“I wanted you to know I had come for you.” Said a man dressed in black.

He stepped out of the shadows, and Terra stated, “Batman. I thought you were dead.”

“And yet I stand here, and I am going to take you out.” Batman replied.

“You are just a man, you can't even touch me, much less take me out.” Terra shouted.

Batman didn’t respond, but simply vanished.

Tarra turned the room red with volcanic fire, chasing all the shadows away, but couldn't see her foe.

A voice seemed to come from everywhere, saying “You killed millions, including Superman and the Titans. Now you must face justice.”

Then, suddenly, Batman was right in front of her, but he no longer looked like a man in a costume. He now seemed to be a pale figure in a green cloak, who said to her, “Justice. Or maybe Vengeance"

For the first time, Terra was afraid. She stammered “You ... you can't kill me. I am the only thing holding this planet together”

“There are many forms of death,” the ghostly figure, known on Earth as the Spector said, and put one hand through Terra’s skull.

Moments later the Batman stepped out from the ghostly form, and said, “thank you, Spector, but what did you do to her?”

“I took her mind. Her body will live, and sustain this world, but she will never hurt anyone ever again.” The Spector said.

“Good enough for me.” Batman replied, and began to fade away, as he had only been a ghost . . .

End.