The Crime Syndicate of America: Syndicate's Rule#1

[Spider-Man Beyond]

The Crime Syndicate of Amerika: Syndicate’s Rule #1
Turf Wars

Written and Edited by Daniel Dyer (Spider-Man Beyond)

Amerika is riddled with crime of all kinds. The police through every city allow crime to run rampant, with only a select few trying to bring hope to what little innocents remain in such a Hell of a world.

In Gotham City, a man wore normal street clothes with a red clothe hood to conceal his face. He was called the Red Hood, by those few who knew of his existence. In truth, not many did. The Hood was high on a catwalk in a chemical plant. The plant was a front for a crime lord, the one undisputed kingpin of Gotham City. The Hood sought to plant explosive charges and rid the world of the toxins made in that place.

“Hood,” came a voice from the shadows, “fancy meeting you here.”

The Hood was frozen in place. He came in person? I... I need to get out. And the Hood ran when suddenly a bola tripped up the vigilante.

The shadowy figure emerged from the shadows. The dark man wore black and grey armor that appeared to look like feathers and a helmet that looked like an Owl. In truth, he looked rather ridiculous. Just don’t tell that to Owlman’s face. “Napier, Napier, Napier.”

He knows my name???

Owlman just strolled up to the Hood, a grin on his face. “Didn’t we have this discussion before, Jack?”

The Hood scooted back, against the railing, trying to get as far away from Owlman as possible.

Owlman leaned down, and got right in Jack’s face, removing the hood. “I let you get away before, Jack. I didn’t kill you then. Now...” He lifted Jack to his feet. “...you force my hand.”

Jack responded in a stutter, “Y-you m-m-must be st-stopped.”

Owlman laughed. “HA! And that’s you?!” Owlman’s laughter stopped and he lifted up Napier and then dangled him over the side. “No, Jack, it’ll take more than you to stop me.”

“Your rule in G-Gotham will c-come to an end. C-C-Commissioner Wayne will...”

“HA! That twit?! How he ever became Commissioner is beyond...” Owlam was stopped as he felt his gauntlet heat up. “OW!!!” he yelled, dropping Jack into a vat of chemicals.

“AHHH!!! URGH!!” the would-be vigilante screamed.

“I wasn’t finished playing yet,” Owlman said, not looking away from the chemical bath, “Clark.”

“Thomas,” was the response from above. Floating in the air was a man in blue tights, red boots, a red cape and a yellow shield on his chest with a red “U” in it.

“You brought the wife,” commented Owlman. “How cute.”

Beside the man hovering in the air was a shapely black aired woman, wearing a skin tight black leather one piece, a short black cape with yellow lining and a silver neckless with an “S” on it and a golden lasso on her hip. “Boys.”

“Who told you to interfere?” Owlman asked, hiding back his outrage.

“I do what I please.” Ultraman began to descend to the catwalk. “Besides, we didn’t come to offer ‘assistance’.”

“Never said you did,” Owlman stated, through a flashbomb in Ultraman’s face.

Ultraman’s eyes cleared. “Where’d he go?”

Superwoman, smiling a sexy smile replied, “I don’t know.”

“I can’t hear his heart. My vision isn’t picking him up.”

“Maybe you need a checkup, ‘darling’.”

Ultraman glared at Superwoman and stormed up through the ceiling of the factory, into the night sky.

Superwoman watched her husband storm off, then looked back down to the factory’s floor, seeing Owlman, leaning against a wall, grinning, and beckoning her to him with his finger.

—

[Spider-Man Beyond]

Central City, in a deserted S.T.A.R. Labs. William Magnus was working hard on a special drug compound when and blue of red and gold streaked up to him.

“Any luck, Doc?” asked Johnny Quick, wearing his red spandex with two yellow lightning bolts down the front and a metallic helmet concealing his face.

“A little,” answered Magnus. “We can’t know for certain until we can test it.”

“I have someone in mind who would be perfect.” Johnny grins and races off, but crashed into a big green wall that appeared from thin air.

“Speed freaks,” commented Power Ring,” gets them every time.” Power Ring wore a black costume with big green boots, silver arm bands, and a silver and green visor over his eyes. He wore a green ring on his right hand. Power Ring lifted Quick into the air with a big green hand.

“Harrolds,” said Quick.

“Allen,” Ring shot back.

“What brings you to Central?” asked Johnny as he tried wiggling from the ring construct.

“I met a few of your friends back in Coast City.”

“Friends?”

“Speed freaks.”

“Ohhh, gotcha. Well, not like I can control the junkies,” Quick began vibrating.

“But I can hold you responsible. Wait, what are you doin’?”

“Shattering your will, genius.”

And the ring construct shattered due to the vibrations.

“See ya, bright boy,” Johnny yelled out as he speeded off.

Power Ring flew after him.

—

[Spider-Man Beyond]

Metropolis, Lex Luthor set in his office, working late into the night. He, however, wasn’t working on company business. Lex was looking over files on...

Ultraman. Where did you come from? You wield such power, and you settle for Metropolis? I don’t think so. You won’t stop. Not a chance. You’re a power hungry monster.

The phone rings and Luthor answers.

“We found him, Sir.”

“Luthor replied, “Good, good. Send him to me as soon as possible.”

“There’s been a problem, Mr. Luthor. An accident.”

“Accident?”

“He was injured. Near death. The doctors are working but...”

“...it doesn’t look good,” Luthor finished his employee’s sentence. “Keep me informed.”

Luthor hung up and looked out his window, seeing Ultraman just hovering in the night air.

Surveying your kingdom? Your day will come.

—

[Spider-Man Beyond]

“Come back here,” yelled Power Ring, firing blast after blast at Johnny Quick.

“Doubtful,” quipped Johnny.

The two villains were chasing each other across cities and states. It was a merry chase.

“You’ll learn to keep your freaks outta my city!”

“Catch me in you can.” Just follow the leader, dope.

—

[Spider-Man Beyond]

In a back alley somewhere. Owlman has the super-goddess pressed against a wall, kissing her neck. She has her leg lifted around the crime kingpin.

“Mmm,” Superwoman moans, “if only he could see us now.”

Owlman licked up her neck and kissed her lips. Breaking the kiss, Owlman commented, “The fool doesn’t know what he has,” and he grabbed her rear, pulling her into him.

“Mmm, is the plan set?”

“Yes,” he said going back to kissing her neck. “The others should be on their way.”

Superwoman giggled, “then shall we go to Metropolis?”

“We have a few minutes to kill,” Owlman said, grinning and the two fell to the alley’s floor.

—

[Spider-Man Beyond]

Metropolis, dead ahead, were Johnny Quick’s thoughts. Suddenly Quick slipped on a green slime in his path, crashing into a building, hard.

“Have a nice trip?” asked Jordan Harrolds as he flew to Quick.

Quick tried getting up, but the slime was all over, causing him to stay seated.

A light shined from PR’s ring as he glided over the slime. “Coast City is my, city, Quick. I don’t appreciated your addicts infecting it.”

“Not my fault you can’t control your city.” Quick tried getting up again, but slipped more.

A look of outrage flared across Power Ring’s face and his ring glowed brighter.

“You know,” started Quick, “I may not be able to stand up, but I don’t need to to get away.”

“Huh?”

And before Power Ring could do anything, Quick was sliding for it at super speed.

Ring, not wanting Quick to get away, formed a loop in Quick’s path, circling it into a loop. Around and around Johnny Quick went.

“What goes around...”

“Comes right back at you,” Quick finished, turning up the speed and busted through the ring construct, flying straight at Ring, hitting the emerald crook at super speed. “Putz.” Before Quick zipped away, he made sure Ring was getting back up to follow.

—

[Spider-Man Beyond]

Luthor stood, looking out his window, watching Ultraman as Ultraman watched “his” city.

Something must be done. Something drastic.

Luthor then noticed in the distance, a green glow and a red blur. Odd? What is this?

Before he could find an answer, Luthor saw a missile hit Ultraman square in his chest. The uberman of Earth’s rage was readily apparent.

Both Luthor and Ultraman saw the source of the missile at the same time. Owlman stood in the mouth of an alley with Superwoman unconscious at his feet.

Luthor ran from his office.

—

[Spider-Man Beyond]

Owlman, his armor apparently glowing as he held Superwoman’s lasso and stood confidently as Ultraman flew for him at top speed. Rage was on Ultraman’s face while Owlman just grinned.

Suddenly, Ultraman noticed something wrong with his flight. He was no longer in control of his flight. Ultraman was falling and he crashed to the pavement right in front of Owlman, face down.

Owlman lifted Ultraman’s now bloody and bruised face. “Can we talk?”

Ultraman only grunted.

“How, you ask?” Owlman said while Superwoman got to her feet. “I know how you get your powers. I designed a K-radiation siphoner into my armor.”

Ultraman grunted again.

“Yes, I am a genius.”

You sure are, thinks Luthor as he watched, now on the street.

Ultraman grunts again.

“Why?” Owlman kicked Ultraman in his face. “Because I needed you powerless for this proposition.”

And then Johnny Quick zipped up right beside Owlman.

“Right on time,” the Owl stated and saw Power Ring flying for them.

“Step aside, Owlman,” Power Ring yelled, “this is between me and the speed freak!”

“Calm down, Power Ring,” stated Owlman. “I have an offer.”

“Screw your offer, rich boy! I want him, NOW!”

“And what purpose would that, serve? We are all formidable alone, but together...”

I don’t like where this is going, thought Lex.

Johnny piped up, “He already came to me with his offer. He suggest a... partnership.”

Ultraman, finally getting to his feet. “Y-you...”

Superwoman said, “He made me the offer as well. We have the power to take this world. If we work together it is ours for the taking.”

“What do you say, Power Ring?”

Silence and then he replied, “I’m in.”

“Screw you!” Ultraman managed to get out.

Owlman turned back to Ultraman. “Wasn’t really asking you.” He then looked over at Superwoman. “You’ll go wherever your piece of ass goes.”

Luthor watched as the villains headed off. He heard Owlman tell Superwoman to “Get the trash,” referring to Ultraman.

This is definitely not good...

Continued...