I Control Fiction In DC: 1, Delete

Happy New Year Guys. Took a break to celebrate the new year with my family.

Probably should have said something before I actually did it. Didn't have a lot of free time. NVM.

Anyway, this is a new idea I have been working on. Technically, it's supposed to be a rewrite of my first fic, I'm Energy In DC to address the vast Majority of Mistakes I made at the beginning.

However, After expending a lot of brain cells and ultimately coming to the decision that It was too hard to rewrite from the beginning without making too many changes, I decided to just pick a few things from the first and remodel it in a new way.

The updates for the previous two will still be put on the agenda.

Either way, tell me what you think of this.

Enjoy, and Happy New Year Once Again.

......

<< This is Lois Lane from the daily planet, LIVE with Breaking News: The city is under attack by a creature of unknown origin. The battle, currently raging near Metropolis square has left significant destruction in its wake— >>

The wheels of the bus hummed a monotonous tune as it rolled down the cracked highway. Inside, Liam Cruz leaned against the window, his cheek resting on his knuckles. The scenery outside was uninspiring—rows of half-built houses, stretches of dry grass, and the occasional gas station that looked like it hadn’t been updated since the 80s.

'…. Sigh! Just another day in Delaware'.

He sighed, pulling his notepad closer and tapping his pen against it. His handwriting filled the page, weaving the lyrics to a song he’d been working hard on .......

— I do the same thing I told you that I never would — I told you I’d change, even when I knew I never could…"

…. Working hard on to remember for days.

He paused, frowning at the words. They weren’t quite right yet. The melody played in his head, accompanied by the faint beat of music blasting through his headphones.

The bus rocked slightly as it hit a bump, jarring him from his thoughts.

Liam glanced down at his bag, stuffed with items he’d picked up during his trip—comic books, a vintage guitar pick, rare sheet music, and a pristine vinyl of Songs of Innocence and Experience.

The detour had been worth it, though he wasn’t looking forward to explaining to Mr. Carmichael why he was late getting back from Happy Harbor.

It was his first real weekend off in months, and quite contrary to his expectations, a chance to leave the cramped, solitary prison isolating him from the rest of the world that was his studio/game room/rented room in the middle-aged man's apartment was actually not such a bad idea.

Turns out under certain circumstances, interacting with the rest of the world wasn't so troublesome.

How relaxing.

He would keep that knowledge to himself, however. Else Carmichael would never let him set foot in the house for another day if he found out.

'Honestly ..... That man's unrelenting persistence should be the eight-world wonders'.

Liam thought sullenly.

Eight months.

“.... You're still here?”

“.. Listen to me kid, having no friends isn't healthy”.

“Seriously? Don't you ever go out?”

“I've seen introverts. But you … Are a whole new species”.

“I should call Lillian. Star Labs need to dissect you”.

“You really need to get a girlfriend”.

“It's been four months already. This isn't living kid”.

“.... Lily … Yeah, it's me … you have any friends with kids his age?”

One day, every day for eight straight months. The man didn't stop pressuring him to step out of the confines of his haven to “Interact with reality” as he always put it.

Even a “Wooden Block” like him as Lily referred to as couldn't take it anymore.

It wouldn't hurt to indulge in the things he enjoyed. After all, it had been two years since his arrival and he had barely seen the outside world.

The other stuff was merely souvenirs. The comic books however? That could not be missed. Instead of heading straight home, he'd taken a bus out to a neighboring city, spent hours rummaging through secondhand shops, and now he was finally on his way back.

It had been a long ride, though. Almost five hours on the road, with nothing but static-filled radio and his own music to keep him company. He preferred it that way. The other passengers seemed nice enough—families heading back from trips, tired workers—but Liam wasn’t one for small talk.

He lived in his world, one that felt distant from everyone else’s.

The bus radio crackled faintly in the background, the muffled voice of a news anchor breaking through.

“..... The Government has not identified with this creature and is rumored to have left members of the Justice League wounded or near dead at Carlin Heights......”

'Yep…. Just another day in Delaware'.

Liam didn’t notice. His headphones drowned out the noise as he scribbled down another line:

— Know that I can’t find nobody else as good as you …

The rhythmic hum blending with the muffled music pouring into his ears. His head bobbed lightly to the beat as his pen scratched across a notepad. Lyrics flowed from his mind, lines connecting like threads weaving a tapestry of his next hit.

A slight smile tugged at the corner of his lips. The song was shaping up nicely. For those who knew, this was blatant plagiarism, but who would?

Well, Justin Bieber didn't exist in this world.

It didn't matter. It's not like it's the first time he's done this anyway.

The boy wasn't the only one who remained completely oblivious to the news over the radio.

The bus had few passengers. And aside from the old bus driver who also had earphones on and seemed to be drowning away his life sorrows in the joy of lively tunes, the others were either half asleep or completely engrossed in their mobile devices.

Unfortunately, nothing lasts forever.

Upon approaching the next destination, the half shattered welcome sign to Carlin Heights immediate alerted the old bus driver that something was wrong.

As the bus rolled into the town, the air felt… different. Liam glanced up, pulling his headphones down around his neck.

The slight smile that appeared on his face faded.

He was here, home. However ….

His town, usually quiet and unassuming, looked like it had been gutted by a monster. Smoke plumed from shattered buildings. Streets were torn apart like paper and police cars were lying all over the place.

It was chaos, the kind he had only ever seen on TV.

“... Hey! What the hell? …"

“Did something happen here?”

Liam straightened in his seat, gripping the edge of the window as the bus slowed to a crawl. The driver muttered something under his breath, his hands tight on the wheel as he navigated past an overturned delivery truck.

The other passengers began to stir, heads popping up over the seats as murmurs rippled through the bus.

“Looks like a war zone…" someone whispered.

“Yeah. Last time I saw something like this was in Metropolis where Superman was battling a metal man”.

“No kidding,” Liam muttered, his indifferent gaze fixed on the scene outside.

Carlin Heights was a small, uneventful town. Things like this didn’t happen here.

The bus rolled to a stop at the corner of Fourth and Main, the usual drop-off point for the neighborhood. The driver hesitated before opening the doors, glancing nervously at the destruction.

“You folks sure you wanna get off here?” he asked, his voice gruff but concerned.

No one answered.

The whole place screamed something bad had happened. None of them lived in Carlin Heights anyway.

Except one of course.

Liam slung his bag over his shoulder and stepped off the bus.

“... Huh?” The driver was stunned. “H-Hey kid … I don't think that's such a good idea. The whole place looks like it's had a metahuman attack. You should ….”.

“Thanks, but I'll manage”.

“Huh?” The driver who was caught off was stunned.

“Hey kid … Kid!”

The air was thick with smoke and the acrid scent of burning metal. Shards of glass crunched under his boots as he made his way down the street, his eyes darting to the ruins of familiar landmarks.

His home wasn’t far—just a few blocks down—but the sight of the destruction made the distance feel longer.

No one was on the streets. All the buildings were closed. It looked like a ghost town.

With every passing second, the frown on his face grew deeper.

'What the hell …'.

At that moment, a dark shadow flashed over him. Following which, a figure garbed in black fell from the sky.

Liam took a step back.

The figure dropped from above, landing with practiced precision a few feet in front of him. The dark cape settled like wings, the emblem on the chest unmistakable.

“Batman?” Liam blurted out, his voice surprised and his eyebrows narrowing.

The Justice League were iconic figures on TV. Famous all over the world to the point where everyone recognized them.

He was no exception.

That landing was. ... Kinda cool. As for the one who pulled it off ... Liam could recognize him. Both from this life and the last.

The Caped Crusader's silhouette was imposing even in his battered state. His suit was torn, a deep gash visible along his ribs, blood dripping down his side and running from his nose. He turned sharply toward Liam, his voice as grave as ever.

“You need to leave,” Batman said, his tone curt but calm.

“Leave? I live here!” Liam countered, his eyes darting around the ruins. “What's going on? Why is the whole town like this?”

Batman exhaled while holding on arm with the other. Applying force on the shoulder …

Crack! The crunching sound of a dislocated bone being put into place resounded. Aside from a slight wince, The Dark Knight hardly reacted as he questioned without turning to face the kid before him.

 “You didn’t hear the news?”

Liam shook his head.

“I should have figured”. Batman replied.

“Minutes ago, this town was attacked by a creature of unknown origin,” Batman began, his words clipped as he scanned the surroundings. “It’s in Metropolis now—The damage here is collateral from its rampage….”.

“Wait,” Liam muttered, piecing things together. “You're saying that thing was just here? And you couldn't stop it?”

“Exactly”. Batman nodded, not minding the second half of the sentence and glancing toward the eastern horizon. “To avoid further casualties, civilians in this town and others nearby are being evacuated. The battle between it and Superman will cause more destruction, and you don't wanna be here if it comes this way. You need to go. Now.”

The words barely registered.

Because in front of Liam was a much more surprising scene. In the distance was a bald man with green skin, alongside a creature that was half man, half cyborg.

Both were unconscious, being held up by a Caucasian male with short dark hair wearing a green and black skin-tight uniform, a green face mask and a lantern symbol on his chest.

Martian ManHunter, Cyborg, and Green Lantern.

They didn't look alright in the slightest, all battered up similar to Batman. Cyborg lost an arm, a robotic eye and half the metal on his chest.

Green Lantern's clothes were bloody torn. The ManHunter was full of bruises with an arm that bent in ways bone shouldn't. These guys … They were core members of the Justice League with ManHunter and Green Lantern being in the upper half of their power levels.

And yet .. they looked thrashed.

Liam now fully understood the weight of Batman's answer to his question.

— “... And you couldn't stop it?” —

- “No” -

He didn't mean himself at all …

“Lantern. The others?” Batman said seeing them appear.

Hal Jordan, the green Lantern placed the bodies of both men he carried at the side against a wall.

“Not good”. He uttered with a frown. “Flash, Hawkman, Aquaman, all unconscious. They aren't dead, luckily, but they're out”.

…. He meant half the League.

“... Where's Wonder Woman?” Hal looked around and asked, failing to see the Amazon. “Gone”. Batman replied. “She went to Metropolis to stop the creature. However, Superman's dealing with it alone now. We can assume she's out as well”.

“Sigh! Great. Another day in Metropolis”.

“True. But be that as it may, we can't let Superman deal with this alone. I need you to transport us over. We'll drop the kid off somewhere safe on the way”.

Batman replied, his face expression.

However…. Hal raised an eyebrow. “Huh? What kid?”

His words stunned Bruce. The Caped Crusader turned around and ….

“...”. Bruce's eyebrows narrowed. No one was there.

“Hey, Batman. Are you ok?”

“... Yes”.

“Oh! Then what are …".

“It doesn't matter anymore”. His expression was fleeting. Barely there before returning to normal. “Right now, we need to move”.

Meanwhile, several blocks away …

A figure appeared out of thin air in the middle of the street. The moment he did, his face sank.

A house came into view. His house, but …

The roof was caved in, one side of the structure completely obliterated. Smoke curled from the wreckage, and debris was scattered across the yard.

“... The one time I'm not home. Why am I not surprised?”

He eyebrows furrowed. 'Well, I can only hope Mr. Carmichael isn't home. If not, well, he might need to go to therapy after'.

The inside was worse. The kitchen was unrecognizable.

There was a big hole in the ceiling, and a big hole on the other side of the wall. It was man shaped, or at least it vaguely looked that way.

Whatever caused it though wasn't a man.

The furniture had been reduced to splinters. Liam waded through the debris, arrived in the living room.

“Mr. Carmichael?” There was no response.

He spread his senses. It seemed no one was home. Well, almost no one.

At that moment, his gaze lowered, and his eyes landed on the limp form sprawled in the yard.

The sight made his face darken.

“No…"

Liam’s legs moved on their own, closing the distance between him and the figure. His chest tightened as he knelt beside the body of his dog, Max. The old golden retriever lay motionless, his fur matted with dust and soot.

Bone chilling coldness appeared in his eyes for the first time in a long time. His face quickly reverting to the indifference he always carried.

He reached out his hand, gently brushing the fur on Max’s head. “Hey, buddy…" His voice was barely a whisper.

After stroking the fur of the dead animal for a few seconds, the boy stopped and released a long sigh.

“Alice …. Wake up”.

It happened then.

Something turned on the electricity and lights in the living room came on on their own.

The LED TV, one of the few things that wasn't damaged lit up quickly.

[Activation Code Required]

A sweet, feminine voice called out from all directions.

"AMARI".

His reply was met with the faint outline of a glowing figure materialized beside the wrecked house. It flickered like a glitching hologram before resolving into a humanoid shape. A young woman stood there, her translucent form flickering with a faint red hue.

[Welcome back, Liam. I trust your trip was enjoyable]

“Alice”. He said, his voice cold. “What happened here”.

[Searching]. Was her reply. Two seconds later.

[It seems a monster of unknown origins has appeared on Earth. Carlin Heights destruction was a result of it being in its path. According to media reports, central reporter Lois Lane from The Daily Planet has named this monster … “Doomsday”]

“..”. Liam fell silent for a moment. “Oh! So that's what caused this”.

Earlier, he was surprised how the Justice League had been defeated by a single individual.

Even in DC Comics where high-powered villains were as numerous and resilient as weeds, one that could take on the earlier lineup of Leaguers and leave them in such a mess wasn't usual.

At least, he hadn't heard of one in his two years of stay in this universe.

Now, the answer was clear. Doomsday, the ultimate weapon of destruction. Their defeat wasn't unjustified.

'… If that's the case. It means Superman is currently getting his ass handed to him. In every version he fights doomsday, he always dies miserably'.

He thought as he swept his gaze around the house. Then …

“Delete”.

He had barely spoken, a drastic change appeared in the house. The space around seemed to distort for a split second.

It returned to normal the next second. However, the whole place had undergone massive changes.

The hole in the ceiling and on the wall was gone. The destroyed furniture, kitchen and many other things returned before the state they were when he last saw them.

The dust and rubble disappeared as if it never existed. In less than a second, the badly destroyed house was as good as new.

As if Doomsday's destruction never happened.

Liam didn't care. His eyes were fixed on the body of the dog in his arms.

A second passed, then another .... Finally, the motionless body stirred and let out a soft whine.

“... There you are boy". He uttered, his voice obviously softer than before.

Woof! Woof!

Max barked, sensing his presence, moved closer and began licking his face.

'… Good as new'. He thought while stroking its fur. At the same time …

Liam: “Alice, where's Doomsday?”

Alice: [Tracking two oversized creatures trading punches across the city. Do you want me to recommend an evacuation route?]

“Not funny Alice”. Liam uttered without looking at her.

[Analyzing] she replied. The TV flickered to life, displaying fragmented images of a massive creature tearing through Metropolis. Superman was there, fighting with everything he had, but it was clear he was losing.

Liam frowned. “Fix the image.”

[I’m afraid that’s not possible. Both subjects are moving too fast for precise tracking]

He sighed “Fine then. I'll do it myself”.

Saying this, he placed the dog on the floor, rubbed its head and spoke.

“Alright Max, be a good dog and sit here. I'll be back from Metropolis with your favorite Lams in less than a minute".

Then, he stood up and walked towards the door.

“Sigh. Just another day in Delaware'”.

He said as the door was opened.

'Delete'.

Then, he disappeared.

Meanwhile, Metropolis ….