Post by redsycorax on Sept 27, 2023 1:45:28 GMT
On Earth-500, some things happen to different people, at different times, compared to other alternate Earths. Thus, at the end of this story, a loving relationship ends forever. But...
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GANGLAND PRAESIDIUM:
Although one might not think it, supervillains have lives of their own, fall in and out of love, and experience heartache and joy, like the rest of us. Thus it was with Ralph Dibny, Earth-500's villainous Elasti-Man of the Injustice League, and his fiancee, Susan Dearborn. And thus, at an undisclosed context deep in criminal territory in an unidentified major American city, the two of them were throwing a pre-marital party and were engaged in a very intimate slow dance. Other members of the supervillain community were milling around, dressed in unaccustomed, almost unnatural non-utilitarian finery as they conversed, argued, reactivated latent relationships with still others or tried to avoid those they had outstanding rivalries with. But the core of attention was Susan Dearborn, millionaire bad girl and her criminal paramour, Ralph Dibny.
"Typical. None of the other ILA membership seem to be around."
"Don't worry about those losers. We invited them, it was their decision not to show up."
"Mmm. I am so looking forward to next week, Ms. Dearborn. Or should I say Mrs. Dibny?"
"I'm just glad that we're finally going to do this, darling. And that we're finally leaving them behind us. You're too good for them anyhow."
"Sweetheart, you're biased."
"Hey, Susie! Congratulations, amiga!" Ralph and Sue were assailed from an adjacent couple. Sue's face broke into a broad smile:
"On the other hand, I am happy to see you, Lisa! And this must be Roscoe."
Roscoe Dillon (The Top) waved to them: "How'd you do it, man? I keep asking this lady to tie the knot but she keeps winking and sidling away."
"Well, she is an elite supervillain. Captain Cold, no less. It's an honour to meet you. Susie's told me so much about you."
"Flatterer. And in response to your observation, Ralph, seeing Susie this beautiful might just change my mind."
But someone was watching, someone hostile, unrelenting and without human empathy or companionship of his own. And he was awaiting his time to move. There was a flash of red hair as he passed a blade to another, who nodded. And then the two parted...
PRAESIDIUM BALLROOM:
"Have to visit a certain little room, Sue. You okay? You look peaky."
"Probably just the excitement. I'm swaying a little, I think I need to sit down."
"I'll be back in a minute."
And then, Ralph Dibny stepped into an alcove and prepared to relieve himself. As if in sympathy with the turmoil that was about to unfold, thunder crashed and lightning surged. And then, in a minute, everything changed forever. From the shadows, a figure stepped up to Ralph Dibny and ran a razor across his throat. If he'd taken his gingold that morning, his flesh would have been able to contort against the sudden intrusion, but he'd forgotten as he prepared for their party. And in the darkness of the deserted ablutions block, a skull-faced figure laughed derisively:
"So who's a loser now, Dibny? A word of advice, not that you're going to be able to listen to me now that you're down below... the Injustice League does not tolerate defectors. So long, stretch." And with that, Furnace faded from the surroundings. It was several minutes before a now thoroughly disoriented Sue Dearborn realised Ralph hadn't come back as yet. She asked Roscoe to check whether Ralph was okay. And at the same time as Roscoe found Ralph's body in the lavatory, his throat bleeding into the concrete, Sue collapsed. Minutes later, an ambulance pulled into the Praesidium carpark.
CRIME HOSPITAL:
"That's one we owe you, Matt. Thanks. For everything you do for us."
"Don't mention it, Lisa. Look, you don't have to do this."
"I'm Susie Dearborn's best friend. I owe it to her." And as Matt Thorne, the "Crime Doctor", left the foyer to tend to his other patients, Roscoe Dillon came back with a paper cup of orange juice, which Lisa Sharif accepted gratefully.
"Are you okay, honey?" Roscoe asked.
"No, darling, I'm not. I hate this. Susie doesn't deserve this, nor did poor Ralph. They should have been starting their lives together by now, and..."
"Do you think it was him?"
"Who else could it be, Roscoe? He was quitting the Injustice League and striking out on his own. Okay, this may be circumstantial reasoning, but there might have been a reason that none of his old cronies were around on Thursday. At the time, Susie thought it was pique and envy that one of them had got themselves together enough to have a stable relationship and even a marriage. What if... what if one of them did it? Sweet Allah. We've got enough problems with the white hat brigade and now one of our own does something like this?"
Roscoe shook his head: "Not us, sweetheart. Rogues don't do this. We have a code."
"Evidently the Injustice League don't. Or they're too frightened of Olsen. Or they're too messed up inside themselves. Which is no excuse whatsoever. For a while, we thought Susie would join him, but thank goodness she pulled through. Which means I have to break the news."
"I'll be there for you, honey."
"I know, darling. You always are. But Susie...okay. I have to do this."
"Hey, Susie girl!"
"What's going on, Lisa? Why won't Mattie let me see Ralph? Hey, what gives? Why are you crying?"
"This is so hard for me. Look, Susie, amiga, I wish before heaven and earth that I had some better news, but..."
"Ralph's injured? I don't remember very much. There was a moment in the ambulance when I heard one of the paras...saying... this one's borderline, but... they'll... they'll pull through. And the other one. The other one was. Dead. Lisa, tell me it's not true. Tell me Ralph's here, somewhere in another hospital room."
"Oh, sweetheart. No. It is true, no matter how much I wish it wasn't. You two loved each other so much. It's not fair, it's not right and I hate telling you this. Ralph is dead, Susie. Roscoe found him in the toilet, he'd had his throat slashed."
"Who, Lisa? Who did this?"
"I've had a long time to think about this. Matt Thorne told me there was some radiation ablation damage to Ralph's neck."
"Furnace. But why? He didn't hate Ralph... Olsen. You mean James Olsen ordered this? As an example to his other genetic slaves?"
"We think so, Susie."
"Lisa... thank you. For having the decency and guts to tell me and be there for me."
"Hey, it's okay. You listened to me while I spilled my heart out after I lost Lonny. I've never forgotten that, Susie. I'll help you through this. I swear I will."
"I know it. But...I take it you've been talking to the other Rogues about this?"
"You want to hunt Olsen down and gut the filthy piece of ordure?"
"Will you help me?"
"Susie, he was your main man. He was a friend. I wanted to see you settled and happy. You don't have to ask. But..."
"But, I don't have the training and the equipment. Yet. I need a cover name."
"Terminator? Damage? Razor? Deathstroke?"
"Damn, that's good. Because as far as Mr James Olsen is concerned, I will be his death stroke."
As Lisa Sherif said goodbye to her old friend, she didn't say it out loud, but something had taken over Sue Dearborn. There was ice in her blue eyes now and her demeanour chilled even the formidable Captain Cold to the bone. She wondered to herself- when Susie Dearborn... Deathstroke, now... met James Olsen face to face, one of them would not walk away. Then she resolved that it would be her friend Susie who would. She swore it. She would be there for her, no matter what.
THE END [4.13 PM, SEPTEMBER 27, 2023]
+++
GANGLAND PRAESIDIUM:
Although one might not think it, supervillains have lives of their own, fall in and out of love, and experience heartache and joy, like the rest of us. Thus it was with Ralph Dibny, Earth-500's villainous Elasti-Man of the Injustice League, and his fiancee, Susan Dearborn. And thus, at an undisclosed context deep in criminal territory in an unidentified major American city, the two of them were throwing a pre-marital party and were engaged in a very intimate slow dance. Other members of the supervillain community were milling around, dressed in unaccustomed, almost unnatural non-utilitarian finery as they conversed, argued, reactivated latent relationships with still others or tried to avoid those they had outstanding rivalries with. But the core of attention was Susan Dearborn, millionaire bad girl and her criminal paramour, Ralph Dibny.
"Typical. None of the other ILA membership seem to be around."
"Don't worry about those losers. We invited them, it was their decision not to show up."
"Mmm. I am so looking forward to next week, Ms. Dearborn. Or should I say Mrs. Dibny?"
"I'm just glad that we're finally going to do this, darling. And that we're finally leaving them behind us. You're too good for them anyhow."
"Sweetheart, you're biased."
"Hey, Susie! Congratulations, amiga!" Ralph and Sue were assailed from an adjacent couple. Sue's face broke into a broad smile:
"On the other hand, I am happy to see you, Lisa! And this must be Roscoe."
Roscoe Dillon (The Top) waved to them: "How'd you do it, man? I keep asking this lady to tie the knot but she keeps winking and sidling away."
"Well, she is an elite supervillain. Captain Cold, no less. It's an honour to meet you. Susie's told me so much about you."
"Flatterer. And in response to your observation, Ralph, seeing Susie this beautiful might just change my mind."
But someone was watching, someone hostile, unrelenting and without human empathy or companionship of his own. And he was awaiting his time to move. There was a flash of red hair as he passed a blade to another, who nodded. And then the two parted...
PRAESIDIUM BALLROOM:
"Have to visit a certain little room, Sue. You okay? You look peaky."
"Probably just the excitement. I'm swaying a little, I think I need to sit down."
"I'll be back in a minute."
And then, Ralph Dibny stepped into an alcove and prepared to relieve himself. As if in sympathy with the turmoil that was about to unfold, thunder crashed and lightning surged. And then, in a minute, everything changed forever. From the shadows, a figure stepped up to Ralph Dibny and ran a razor across his throat. If he'd taken his gingold that morning, his flesh would have been able to contort against the sudden intrusion, but he'd forgotten as he prepared for their party. And in the darkness of the deserted ablutions block, a skull-faced figure laughed derisively:
"So who's a loser now, Dibny? A word of advice, not that you're going to be able to listen to me now that you're down below... the Injustice League does not tolerate defectors. So long, stretch." And with that, Furnace faded from the surroundings. It was several minutes before a now thoroughly disoriented Sue Dearborn realised Ralph hadn't come back as yet. She asked Roscoe to check whether Ralph was okay. And at the same time as Roscoe found Ralph's body in the lavatory, his throat bleeding into the concrete, Sue collapsed. Minutes later, an ambulance pulled into the Praesidium carpark.
CRIME HOSPITAL:
"That's one we owe you, Matt. Thanks. For everything you do for us."
"Don't mention it, Lisa. Look, you don't have to do this."
"I'm Susie Dearborn's best friend. I owe it to her." And as Matt Thorne, the "Crime Doctor", left the foyer to tend to his other patients, Roscoe Dillon came back with a paper cup of orange juice, which Lisa Sharif accepted gratefully.
"Are you okay, honey?" Roscoe asked.
"No, darling, I'm not. I hate this. Susie doesn't deserve this, nor did poor Ralph. They should have been starting their lives together by now, and..."
"Do you think it was him?"
"Who else could it be, Roscoe? He was quitting the Injustice League and striking out on his own. Okay, this may be circumstantial reasoning, but there might have been a reason that none of his old cronies were around on Thursday. At the time, Susie thought it was pique and envy that one of them had got themselves together enough to have a stable relationship and even a marriage. What if... what if one of them did it? Sweet Allah. We've got enough problems with the white hat brigade and now one of our own does something like this?"
Roscoe shook his head: "Not us, sweetheart. Rogues don't do this. We have a code."
"Evidently the Injustice League don't. Or they're too frightened of Olsen. Or they're too messed up inside themselves. Which is no excuse whatsoever. For a while, we thought Susie would join him, but thank goodness she pulled through. Which means I have to break the news."
"I'll be there for you, honey."
"I know, darling. You always are. But Susie...okay. I have to do this."
"Hey, Susie girl!"
"What's going on, Lisa? Why won't Mattie let me see Ralph? Hey, what gives? Why are you crying?"
"This is so hard for me. Look, Susie, amiga, I wish before heaven and earth that I had some better news, but..."
"Ralph's injured? I don't remember very much. There was a moment in the ambulance when I heard one of the paras...saying... this one's borderline, but... they'll... they'll pull through. And the other one. The other one was. Dead. Lisa, tell me it's not true. Tell me Ralph's here, somewhere in another hospital room."
"Oh, sweetheart. No. It is true, no matter how much I wish it wasn't. You two loved each other so much. It's not fair, it's not right and I hate telling you this. Ralph is dead, Susie. Roscoe found him in the toilet, he'd had his throat slashed."
"Who, Lisa? Who did this?"
"I've had a long time to think about this. Matt Thorne told me there was some radiation ablation damage to Ralph's neck."
"Furnace. But why? He didn't hate Ralph... Olsen. You mean James Olsen ordered this? As an example to his other genetic slaves?"
"We think so, Susie."
"Lisa... thank you. For having the decency and guts to tell me and be there for me."
"Hey, it's okay. You listened to me while I spilled my heart out after I lost Lonny. I've never forgotten that, Susie. I'll help you through this. I swear I will."
"I know it. But...I take it you've been talking to the other Rogues about this?"
"You want to hunt Olsen down and gut the filthy piece of ordure?"
"Will you help me?"
"Susie, he was your main man. He was a friend. I wanted to see you settled and happy. You don't have to ask. But..."
"But, I don't have the training and the equipment. Yet. I need a cover name."
"Terminator? Damage? Razor? Deathstroke?"
"Damn, that's good. Because as far as Mr James Olsen is concerned, I will be his death stroke."
As Lisa Sherif said goodbye to her old friend, she didn't say it out loud, but something had taken over Sue Dearborn. There was ice in her blue eyes now and her demeanour chilled even the formidable Captain Cold to the bone. She wondered to herself- when Susie Dearborn... Deathstroke, now... met James Olsen face to face, one of them would not walk away. Then she resolved that it would be her friend Susie who would. She swore it. She would be there for her, no matter what.
THE END [4.13 PM, SEPTEMBER 27, 2023]