(Back to Razake)
Beneath me, Gotham City sprawled out like a dark, brooding landscape beneath the canvas of the night sky. The city's skyline was a jagged silhouette of towering structures, each one an imposing monolith of steel and glass.
Skyscrapers loomed like sentinels, their sharp, angular designs casting long shadows that stretched into the streets below.
The windows of these towering behemoths remained mostly dark, with only a few scattered points of light, giving the impression that the city had secrets concealed within its depths.
The neon signs and occasional streetlights punctuated the gloom, painting narrow streaks of color across the otherwise monochrome cityscape. These flickering lights revealed glimpses of life below, from the bustling streets to the quiet alleys, where secrets and danger lurked in equal measure.
Gotham's architecture was a mix of modernity and timeless grandeur. Some buildings bore the scars of time, their facades cracked and weather-worn, while others gleamed with sleek, futuristic designs.
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The rush of panic that had surged through me had dissipated and I now wrestled with staying afloat in the sky.
"I'm just having another vivid dream." I had said to myself, assuming that I had somehow fallen asleep in the auditorium.
But that should have been highly unlikely. An insult to my passion for Stan Lee and the much reverence I held for him. How could I fall asleep at a presentation by the king himself?
I hoped that soon I would awaken and definitely punish myself for such a shameful act.
(Punishment) No comics for the next one month.
(Internal struggle) Nooo...Not the comics! Think of something worse!
(Resolve) I'll think of something.
But now, I needed to figure out how to not fall as I staggered mid-air. All this felt so.., realistic. This was more real than the mysterious dream I had had.
But it couldn't be. How even? I chuckled to myself, suppressing a wishful whisper screaming in my chest.
"Pleeeaseee let this be real. Let it be one of those light novels fanfictions where a normal guy gets superpowers in DC or Marvel...Please, please, please!!!"
"I promise to make my story epic if it'll be so."
My wishful thinking aside, I observed my environment keenly as I waited for someone to slap me back to my senses back in the auditorium.
There was a giant figure in the sky. It looked so familiar, like something I had seen many times before.
The two protruding pointy edges. The dark shape in the spotlight. Is it the ba-.
"No.." I was bewildered.
"The Bat Signal!" I exclaimed excitedly, suddenly losing further control of my flight capabilities.
I worked my body awkwardly as I tried to regain back my staggering posture in the sky. It wasn't graceful, fidgeting in the sky and all, but it was better than swirling around.
Flight was harder than I had anticipated. This was getting "real-er" than I had ever experienced.
"Holy shiiii*!! I'm in Gotham." I exclaimed once as I re-stabilized my motion. Kinda."
You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
I was excited because this was the first ever dream I had ever had in Batman's domain. This would be fun, as long as no one would interrupt me this early into the adventure.
"So I must be...Superman?" I wondered to myself, seeing the glimpses of red in my attire, and the cloak I wore.
"Huh? Superman doesn't have all this much hair." I thought aloud massaging my beard and the hair in my head.
My flight also felt weird. My body wasn't floating by itself, but felt like it was being lifted by something from behind me. The cloak.
Ok. I can't be Superman.
Damn! I didn't get to try out the laser eyes!
Who else could I be?
I started examining my attire.
The cloak had elongated red collars around my neck.
Beneath the cloak, I wore a form-fitting blue tunic, which also featured golden accents and symbols. They looked vaguely familiar. Like those in my other dream!
The ensemble was completed by dark pants and matching leather boots, giving me a distinct appearance to any DC character I could think of.
This was getting suspicious.
I noticed an unusual feature that drew my attention – an eye symbol prominently displayed at the center of my neck, just below the elongated collars of my cloak.
This eye symbol was a vivid shade of deep crimson, and it seemed to pulse with a strong energy that seemed to pull me in.
It had a captivating, almost hypnotic quality that made it stand out amidst the intricate golden patterns and symbols on my attire.
A realization began to dawn on me, and I knew which character I was. My wishes were halfway fulfilled. All I needed was this to be more than just a dream.
I was Doctor Strange, wearing the Cloak of Levitation and bearing the Eye of Agamotto. I could do magic! All the things I could ever imagine started to flood my brain.
"Yeeesss! I'm the Sorcerer Supreme, and in DC! This is amaaaazing!!"
Carried away by excitement, I failed to notice the group approaching me from behind from a distance.
"Who are you, and what brings you here?" A feminine voice, startled me. I struggled to turn to look around.
"Easy, easy..." I said out loud, hoping that the Cloak would understand what I wanted to do.
Doctor Strange made it look so easy in the movies, but damn! Guiding the cloak's movement was a chore.
I twisted back and forth, eventually giving up. She came in front of me, her lasso gripped tightly in her right hand. It was Wonder Woman.
"Woooowww..." I let out my awe as boiling blood filled up the vessels in my face, lightening up my emotions.
Her presence before me, radiated an undeniable beauty and strength. Her tall, statuesque figure was accentuated by the golden breastplate that gleamed in the dim light of Gotham's night.
Her dark, flowing hair framed a face that held both wisdom and an air of regal authority. Her striking blue eyes sparkled with glory, and her sculpted features exuded confidence.
The iconic red and gold bustier she wore showcased her toned and powerful physique, while the matching armored gauntlets and boots added to her majestic presence.
The golden lasso seemed to shimmer with a life of its own and she was levitating as much as I was.
My mind raced as I marvelled at the beauty before me, my tongue tied, lost of words. She was more beautiful than she could ever be described.
My heart threatened to tear my chest apart, just to get a glimpse of her gorgeousness.
"I asked you a question." She stated, impatience evident in her voice and face.
Her body started to descend as gravity pulled her back to the ground, but she pushed the air beneath her with a might that enabled her to stay afloat.
But she couldn't stay afloat for much longer.
"I...uh..uh." I started, discomfort growing on me as I saw the graceful Amazon Warrior gaze at me as if reading my innermost thoughts.
"This is er.. Not my best impression." I struggled to form the words.
"Who are you?" Another voice asked from behind, but this time masculine.
I felt a swoosh as his presence neared me, and then, before me was Green Lantern himself. This day was getting better and better.
But was the whole Justice League here? Would I get to see Superman too?
"I am Doctor Strange. Master of the Mystic Arts and Sorcerer Supreme in the Marve-" This time I replied, cutting my reply short, however.
I couldn't go telling everyone that there was another universe with superheroes and everything. (Gotta live my short dream a mysterious one you know.)
"What is your purpose in Gotham?" He followed up with another question.
"I am here to conquer the Justice League and become their leader." I lied. "Watch me as I unleash my legendary mystical magic and defeat all of you."
I started moving my fingers, neither with a particular pattern, nor as intricately as Doctor Strange would, but in my own childish way as if preparing an attack.
I was dreaming, after all. What did I care?
Strangely enough, mystical energy crackled through my fingers and some bright goldish rays began to form in the air.
"Wow.." I marvelled at my ridiculous creation. I could actually do magic!
My blood boiled with excitement, and dopamine flooded my system. Without intending to, the crackling energy formed into a ball-like construct and raced for the Green Lantern.
"Oh!" I gasped.
The ball of crackling energy surged toward Green Lantern, who reacted with a mixture of surprise and readiness. In a flash, he conjured a glowing green energy shield, intercepting the golden projectile with remarkable precision.
The impact created a dazzling display of colors as the two energies clashed, but Green Lantern's emerald shield held firm, dispersing the mystical attack harmlessly.
He quickly assessed the situation and retaliated. I was a villain in his eyes and he had to keep me at bay as he waited for the other preoccupied Justice League members.
Flash, Aquaman and Batman were rounding up the thieves that had tried to escape during the warp. The Flash had also been running around trying to locate the mysterious figure that had materialized out of nowhere.
With determination in his eyes, he generated a focused beam of emerald energy from his power ring. The beam crackled with raw power as he aimed it at me.
Unsure of what to do I stayed still, hoping that the attack would miss me, or maybe be the key to my waking up.
Suddenly, a translucent, shimmering shield materialized around me, seemingly on its own accord. It encased me in a protective barrier, similar in appearance to the energy constructs generated by Green Lantern's power ring.
The mystical shield bore intricate, glowing patterns that pulsed with magical energy. It hummed softly, emanating a sense of power and protection. I found myself encased within it, shielded from the impact of the beam.
Green Lantern's emerald energy collided with the shield, creating a dazzling display of colorful sparks and waves of energy that rippled across the surface. The shield held firm, absorbing the impact without faltering.
Wide-eyed and astonished, I marveled at this unexpected turn of events. It seemed that not only had I taken on the appearance of Doctor Strange, but his magic protected me on its own accord.
Green Lantern ceased his attack, his emerald energy dissipating as he stared at the shield in amazement. "What... what are you?" he exclaimed.
I could only shrug, still enclosed within the protective shield, feeling a mixture of wonder and bewilderment.
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A/N:
I don't know about you, but...I would of course try to fight the whole Justice League first, of course... To demonstrate who's more powerful.
Thank you.
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