This DCverse is Maddening

‘Why am I doing this?!’

Albert thought, the tears streaming down his face hidden completely behind the heavy downfall. The cries of expletives from the hopping blonde intermixed with the roars of a feral beast that needed to be put down, hammered throughout his entire body. Vibrating his bones and only further aiding his heart to meeting an untimely end.

He ran low to the ground as Darnell shot a variety of carefully aimed slugs that slammed home into those sickly green scales, lighting up the creature just enough to get a few indistinguishable details for just a few nanoseconds before shadows swooped in to lay claim to the beast once more.

His boots splashed heavily in his frantic sprint, cold water creeping its way inside to moisten cloth covering that squished uncomfortably with every step. It was like he was running through an ankle deep slime in the middle of winter.

Rain continued to pelt down on his frame, soaking its way deeper past the bloodied jacket, past the thin shirt and finally through the skin. Clenching tightly around the teen’s bones, wanting to drag him down into the sweet embrace of dreamland.

The strewn bodies silent and dead eyed stare acted like enough motivation to beat back the clawing feeling. To fight back the flood of exhaustion that felt as though it was only being blocked by the simplest of barriers, beginning to crack at the seems.

‘Why is it taking so long?!’

He’s never truly considers tens of feet to be anything but a simple jaunt, something that his mind glanced over and threw out as unimportant. But who would’ve guess that running at full tilt while being both shot at and with two superhumans fight blow for blow would be this intense?

Lungs burning, heart pumping, he ran. Ran with all his might and all his underdeveloped muscles. Ran to the point where a knife of agony was stabbed into his side. Ran until those clawing hands of exhaustion gripped ever tighter on his mind. Ran until inky blackness called to him, creatures of his own making reaching out to drag the youth back. Sprinted with as much oxygen he could funnel through the thick air, all just to cross a little over thirty feet of broken asphalt.

After what felt like hours, months or even years; he nearly wanted to collapse into a nearby puddle and past out with a relieved expression, as his goal was finally just with a mere couple of feet away.

Like a dying light, he took in the woman in his exhausted state. The darkness in the corner of his vision making her seem like some sort of Earthen goddess of old. Someone who would’ve inspired the source of all gods and myths. Long crimson stuck like glue to her side, a face full of both soft and sharp features that came together to make an incredibly beautiful face. Bright red lips curled in amusement, eyes clenched shut as though to scorn him from completing the beautiful picture that was before him.

In one blink, his tired mind and body were ready to begin to worship this perfect rendition of a goddess in the next, everything was stripped away brutally with a fine blade. Ivy had seen better days. Her red hair that once seem so timeless and divine looked in complete disarray. Being both frizzy and covered in both cement powder and rocks. The nymph’s jade green skin didn’t seem anywhere as vibrant as before, more pale and less healthy looking as before.

The woman’s coat had always seemed a bit worn in, not exactly shiny as the new models but he knew how she loved the thing. It was laying open on her body, having a series of claw marks and tears across the surface. Blood soaked in the seems, nearly gluing the rips close all by themselves. If only it wasn’t raining so heavily.

The remaining parts of her faded white t-shirt clung to her body, showing a sight that would’ve had most people being foaming at the at the mouth. But the visibly healing skin kind of ruined the image, he swallowed a spike of bile that threaten to crawl out of his throat as the wounds closed.

As Albert leaned heavily against the wall, huff and puffing all the way, he took in those scrunched eyebrows and her pale lips pierce into an image of deep concentration. She didn’t even seem to register that he was even there, fingers still splayed out to weeds that slowly broke through the cracked side ways. Bit by bit.

Such a display was pathetic beyond a matter of a doubt in comparison to the Poison Ivy in his memories. The woman he remembered could conjure up building size plants that would consider Killer Croc a mere snack, flora that could spread out pheromones so powerful that they could even control an entire city. A power backed by The Green itself, an end to all humans on planet Earth. The personification of nature’s fury.

She’s not suppose to be like...this.

Not some low level Metahuman that struggles with pulling weeds out of the sidewalk, not someone who looked so concentrated on such a small thing.

“What are you doing here?”

Her hoarse voice spoke up over the roaring downpour and at first, Albert didn’t even register to it. Breathing was growing to be an even tougher challenge than before, like he was trying to breathe through a straw. A very, very thin straw. The type used to sip at pipping hot coffee.

She sounded tired and fed up with everything. Like she was just as close as collapsing as he was. But despite that, Ivy kneeled resolutely on the ground. Small shoulders tensed and slender fingers hovering just a few inches off the ground.

‘I’m here to help.’

The youth wanted to say be even he knew how ridiculous that sounded and also he got the feeling the red head wouldn’t care too much for such empty words. She had been blunt and to the point ever since he met her, so he decided to provide her with the same treatment.

“Collecting information” He did try to speak her language, Psychology whispered secrets in his ears. She was, in heart, a scientist. And he figured that by speaking in this way will help her look at the situation more an observer’s point of view. “What are your findings?”

A single jade green eye peaked out behind long lashes at him for a long moment. Assessing him. Albert got the feeling she wasn’t entirely fooled by his attempt, must be yet another perk of being around that monstrous psychologist at all times.

“Something’s wrong with Waylon.” Ivy said finally which made him breathe out in relief as that predator gaze that held the weight of this ancient world retreated back to just behind those jade eyelids.

“What do you mean Doctor?”

If he was going to play his role as imaginary assistant to help her bounce ideas off, then he was going to pretend to the best of his abilities. Even taking a single step back and to the side, to give off the feeling of observing her work like an eager intern.

“Waylon Jones,” Doctor Isley started,” Has a few distinguishing features. Well over six feet, heavily muscled and skin that are more akin to scales over every inch of his body. This is caused by a rare genetic disorder call atavism. Usually it only manifests in humans as something small like color blindness or even a tail. But Mr. Jones here is an anomaly, proving that humans did in fact hail from some ancestor of reptiles at some point in the past.”

“He’s known for being an enforcer in Gotham.” She continued after a pause of silence, as though she was giving him time to write all this down somewhere,” But after a recent stint, he’s been locked up in Blackgate for well over a few months.”

“Then Doctor,” Albert hedged,” How what are you theories on...this.”

“A sudden mutation,” The doctor said immediately,” Maybe he experienced some sort of stress that triggered this transformation. Which severely increased not only his strength but also his already impressive durability to slashing and piercing. And any internal injuries I might’ve been able to inflict on him must’ve healed by now if we take in account his previous recovery rate. Whatever happened to him, it rendered my prepare pheromones null and void. Of which should’ve been enough to knock him out for at least half an hour.”

“What are your plans Doctor?”

“It’s not ideal,” She hesitated slightly,” I’m preparing a base for another new pheromone, taking account of his...recent changes. Resistances and size.”

“What do you need Doctor?”

“Blood.” She bluntly said,” It will take too long for me to come up with a formula just through trail and error. If not blood, then scales.”

“Will saliva do?” Despite not wanting to, his mind couldn’t help but stray back to the near army of corpses just a street over with obvious bite marks. If Dr. Isley needed some DNA samples then that should be good enough. But internally, he honestly hopes she declined his suggestion.

“That won’t do.” She shook her head,” Any samples like that are already contaminated. They’ve been sitting out too long and the rain has most likely washed away anything useful. I need blood. Just a single drop will do. I have covered this entire street under my influence. The moment he bleeds, it’ll all be over.”

‘Why aren’t you conjuring car size plants to wrap him up like a burrito?’

Albert desperately wanted to ask but held his tongue, she probably had her own reasons and honestly he probably wasn’t suppose to know about those lurking monsters quite yet. He would have to check later but exposing his knowledge here would only bring about suspicion and possibly even get him killed.

“Then Doctor,” The teen stepped out of the ally, heart beating a mile a minute,” I will try my best to provide aid.”

***********************************************************************************

Despite his somewhat heroic words, Albert still had no intention of getting any closer to the chaotic melee going on further down the street than absolutely needed. His mind spun through an inventory of anything useful that could be of help.

Only to come up short. Excessively so.

The only weapons he had on him were a simple knife that had snatched away from a potential mugger and small caliber handgun that he honestly didn’t much stock in.

If even Darnell’s massive slugs were just bouncing off the mutated Waylon’s hide, then what the hell was his pea shooter suppose to do?

‘Annoy him?’ He mused as the youth ducked behind a nearby car as it shook under the lizard’s heavy foot steps. The spot he chose to make his own was well outside the line of Darnell’s fire but also close enough to Ivy’s position just in case the fight moved unexpectedly in his direction for her to forcibly yank him out of the danger. ‘If she even can..’

‘Enough of that.’ He slapped both his cheeks to psyche him up,’ My gun holds a total of six bullets and I have enough bullets to fully reload about...seven times?’

If there was one thing he dreaded more, it was combat in Call of Cthulhu. The system did only have you be normal everyday humans dropped into impossible situations. And it showed. With Investigator's incredibly small health pool and a severe lack of any real way to outright avoid damage. Other than taking cover like he was now.

So far, since coming to this world, everything he’s done has had something that aligns closely with the system. From skills he used to the talent he abuses so heavily. Everything had fallen in line. But this would be the first time he would be in actual combat, at least as an active participant and not just some bystander as some bad ass escort did all the work for him.

‘I kinda miss Willow now…’

Albert had run many of sessions where entire were wiped because they had entered combat unexpectedly. A series of bad rolls and suddenly, everyone was dead. All the work they put into their characters just disappeared like a cloud of smoke, harvested like wheat under the uncaring sickle of chance.

He was incredibly reticent to even take aim at the blurring melee. Sure, he shot at that woman and even clipped her ear. But that wasn’t a real fight. She didn’t even have the chance to fire back before crumpling in on herself in pain.

This was different this time. He could feel it. Like he was at another crossroads here and now.

Letting out a heavy breathe, Albert took out the only reasonable weapon in his limited arsenal. It’s small size belied it’s substantial weight. A pinkish stock that dug somewhat uncomfortably in his palm, the cold metal feeling warm in contrast to his numb fingers. He took in the cylinder, slamming it to the side. Immediately spotting the area of bright copper ends, counting twice; the teen slammed it back in place.

He slid the backpack off to the side and fished out his box of bullets, throwing out a silent thanks to the gruff gunsmith that forced the box onto him.

Gripping the gun in both hands, he sunk in on himself. He took in the cold puddle that drenched his pants, clothes that were completely soaked through. How his feet squished viciously with every twitch. Heart beating a mile a minute, thrashing about for an escape. Sweat, colder than the rain itself, dripped down his temple. The chilly presence of death licking the side of his face, a wanton void ready to accept him once more with open arms.

‘I am afraid.’

He felt like a broken record when saying such a thing again but that was just what he was. Afraid. He was no courageous hero, nor some maverick that got off to the idea of throwing themselves into danger. He was, currently, just a kid. A gangly teenager that looked like he would need to eat a few more meals a day just to catch up to his peers.

‘I am afraid.’

There was very little he could do in the short run to fix his deficiencies, less of just going around snatching up powerful items to prop up his rise. There were plenty of opportunities he could snatch that would aid him greatly, but there was just a single problem.

He was nothing special.

In ‘real’ life, if some random schmuck comes across something of great power the likely hood of them actually surviving was incredibly low. And even if they did survive intial contact, there was no way they would come out the same. Heavily mind controlled or just outright possessed seemed like the most likely result.

‘I am afraid.’

All he had was a seemingly hostile system inspired by a table top game where actually surviving was the primary goal. A game that punished the player for being too inquisitive. A game where there are clear limits that players can only hope to escape from and never truly defeat.

‘I am afraid.’

It wasn’t fair.

None it was.

Sure, he might’ve taken his own life. But was all that time in the void not punishment enough? Were those short bouts of lucidness not horrendous enough? Especially with the knowledge that he would inevitably fall back into that thick mire of madness all over again?

Did he not suffer enough all ready?

Now here he was hiding behind a car as Harley fights a mutated Waylon, cold rain soaking deep into his body. It was like he could feel the sickness forming, a thick sap that dripped down his throat.

He was afraid. But he was angry.

Angry at his slow system, angry at this city, angry at Batman for not coming and doing his goddamned job and angry at this messed up world that just seem to worship the ground heroes walk upon, But most all, he was angry at himself.

Angry at himself for being so foolish as to follow behind the blonde like a lost puppy. Hated how helpless he felt even against the lowliest of thugs. Despised how desperate he was to make allies that he would throw himself into danger when it was smarter to just hide in the shelter.

Disgusted with the fact that he needed to hug the thigh of mass murderers just to survive.

Even above that, he was angry that he hadn’t started shooting. There was a massive clump of muscle and destruction just few tens of feet away who could most likely take all the punishment he could dish out with room to spare.

“I am afraid.”

Albert said aloud, his words manifested in a puff of warm fog before him. Like a puppet master, they acted as triggers to pull at his strings. Rising fully to his feet, he allowed Fire Arms (Handgun) to whisper those sickly secrets. Allowed those mental fingers prod at his sloppy stance, to spread his feet shoulders length apart, to strengthen his core in readiness. It was like having an instructor in a way. A very, touchy feely one. The type that honestly made you feel a bit uncomfortable afterwards. But much worse. He could practically feel it’s invisible breathe breathing heavily down his neck, hands interlocking with his own as it move his arm.

It gripped at his lungs, pumping them manually to relegate his own frantic pace into a steady rhythm. Inhaling once, he closed his eyes. Visualizing his bullet hitting home, slamming in deep into flesh, shattering bones, perforate organs and hopefully unleash the dam that back Waylon’s precious life essence.

Exhaling, he allowed the his expanded lungs to decompress and snapping his brown orbs open wide; his fingers twitched once. Unleashing the might of humankind on the remnants of a bygone era where reptilians reigned supreme.

Welcome to the future, theses monkeys aren’t hiding in trees any longer.

(A/N: Okay. I know a lot of people will not be happy with how I dealt with Poison Ivy not just wrapping Killer Croc in vines. And honestly, even the excuse I have cooked up for that being the case doesn’t feel entirely solid. Ivy is a strange character. Before Metahumans became such a wide term in DC, she was a middling villain, a seductress for Batman to fall in love with to go along with his wide menagerie of beautiful female villains. Catwoman and Talia Al Ghoul just to name a few. But when the verse got massive, her powers only grew as the roster of Metahumans grew. Originally, she was only plant themed villain and used pheromones to do a lot of her bidding. Maybe this got turned into controlling plants later on, I really don’t know how. But then, out of nowhere it was exposed that she was connected to some primordial force. The Green. Granting her a wide variety of very, VERY, powerful abilities she didn’t originally have. So yeah, Poison Ivy is a strangely powerful character to show up this early on in the story. I do have an explanation as to why she isn’t just going all Earth Mother on Killer Croc, that has some mixture of truth and my own logic behind it. Now on Albert being so scared, fear isn’t really something you just get over. It’s nothing like those movies or TV shows were the MC has an epiphany and just stop being afraid of something. Well that’s enough explaining myself for, I hope you liked the chapter! I will see guys next week!)