It was just before six in the evening when I found the note. A little after seven, the world ended.
....
Well, not literally but it sure felt like it at the time.
Later they said it was a 7.6 earthquake, and the epicentre was actually ten miles inland. If you aren't super familiar with the Richter Scale, like the PH scale, each number up is ten times greater than the one before. Energetically, a 7.0 quake is 2 petajoules (peta- is a quadrillion) or equivalent to a W88 nuclear warhead (47.5 Hiroshima events). 7.6 makes for 15.886 petajoules, for the equivalent of 3.5 megatons of TNT or 235 Hiroshimas.
They felt this one as far away as New York and DC. Ten miles from the center it was like the fist of an angry God come to both smash Gotham flat and shake it apart, at the same time.
In movies, there'd be small tremors leading up to the big one. Someone's tea would ripple and vibrate dramatically. Not so here, our first warning was this groaning from hell as the walls started grinding against each other, about half a second before the ground jumped up and down and sideways. None of us could remain standing, the windows shattered, the bookcases (those that weren't part of a wall) fell over and for some reason, the fire sprinklers went off.
At least it was over quick.
First things first, checking myself, Freddie and Vinny for injuries. Looks like we're all okay. Next up, take stock. The office is wrecked, and we'd just finished decorating too. I think after an earthquake we're supposed to calmly evacuate into the street, no elevator and avoid anything that looks like it might fall over, but if I was the sort of person who let rules and impersonal authorities rules my life before Gotham (and I honestly can't remember) I'm certainly not after twenty years in this loony bin. I head for the roof instead, I want a better view of my city than the windows provide.
Up top, it's bad. Every third or fourth building I can see is scattered across the street in pieces ranging from individual bricks to the size of a small truck. Can't see many intact windows either, and the first moans of grief and misery are rising up through the air. I'd been mentally bracing myself since I realized what the note probably meant, but nothing, not comics nor pictures nor video can really prepare you for the sight of your home in ruins. In the distance, South towards downtown, the glow of electric lights masking the stars is slowly being replaced by the glow of fire.
If this had happened when I first came to Gotham, I might have spent the next ten, maybe fifteen, minutes gaping at the destruction like an idiot. But this town is a great place for grinding out your weaknesses, teaching you to deal with the unexpected. Arkham is full of people who never hesitate to become violent and if you can't keep up, can't adapt, you just die. Plus, I've never been sure if it's me or him, but my reflexive reaction to shock generally puts James in the driver's seat, and he's never been shy about deciding and acting as he sees fit, with only a moment's contemplation.
The note had said "Get Baum" and I think I now understood why, and increasingly, where the note may have come from. While half my mind started spinning over, planning for the near future, my hands fished out a most beloved children's classic. I'd only done this once before, promised myself never to again, but these are extreme circumstances, and I'll live. A few seconds reading to set the scene, and I pulled out a shiny gold skullcap, double-checked the instructions written inside, then solemnly placed it on my head like a crown, spread my arms and called out the dread incantation.
"Eppe, peppe, kakke!
Hillo, hollo, hello!
Zizzy, zuzzy, zik!"
All at once, everything darkened. The streetlights, the fires, even the bright full moon dimmed to almost nothing. I heard the flutter of a million million wings all around me and felt, not saw but felt something moving, stirring. Just out the corner of my eye but it was everywhere and at right angles to all things and what even- I froze as I somehow sensed an eye larger than the sun crack sleepily open. I couldn't see it at all, but I felt the heavy weight of it's regard and I couldn't move. Couldn't breathe. Couldn't think. Like a mouse in front of a cat. A small child in a dark room, praying if he's totally still and quiet the monster will go away. After a month or a moment, the pressure eased and I suddenly knew it had dismissed me. Just another speck, atop a slightly larger speck, circling an oddly bright speck. Not interesting. Not yet. Whatever it was, it yawned with the force to snuff a million stars, and went back to bed.
When the light returned to normal, I was not alone.
Aside from Freddie and Vinny, who had followed me up at some point, there were hundreds of winged primates. All over the roof, the vent, hovering in the air and a few on adjacent rooftops. Maybe six hundred? I'm bad at estimating large numbers.
Before me stood a larger one, in a fine embroidered vest and a crown. The King of Flying Monkeys regarded me, and I flinched back at being the center of it's attention, at feeling eyes on me and oh why-
"What are your wishes?"
I took a deep breath, then another two to collect myself. One step at a time. Got to keep that forward momentum.
"Fly out through the city, find anyone in immediate danger and help them out of it. Bring any unattended children..." I thought a moment. Were the schools still standing? Were they safe? No way to tell yet. "...here. To this street corner outside this building. Then find me and report on the state of the city. I'll be moving around a lot, so keep an eye out." I thought another second, was there anything else helpful I could trust them to do? Couldn't think of any, lives might hang on moments right now, and if I needed to give them further orders, they'd continue to obey the wearer of the Golden Cap. "Now, go! Fly, my pretties, fly! Ee hehehe heh!"
The resulting laugh sounded a lot more hysterical than I'd meant. While they scattered to the winds, I slapped myself on both cheeks. What is wrong with me? You'd think, being both a sorcerer who walks by moonlight paths other men fear by day and a feared crime boss who's killed enough people to populate a small town I couldn't be so rattled by a little momentary darkness. But I was. Oh Lord, I was. Rattled to my very bones.
Even James wasn't snarking at my wobbly knees, that's how you really know something is wrong. In fact, you alright in there, James?
Well enough. Let us never do that again.
I nodded. "Let's." Which made Freddie and Vinny throw me an odd look.
Forward momentum.
"Let's get on a move on boys, it's shaping up to be a long night. Vinny, with that family of yours you're the closest any of us come to being good with kids. Can you wait at the corner and watch over any of them that come in? We'll send you some food and one of those collapsible garages, maybe some more help when he get the chance. Freddie, you're with me. The streets are a mess and we've got to get the fire department out finding people and controlling that blaze. So let's book it to Fire HQ."
Freddie nodded, then pulled out a little pistol and shot the pavement, six stories below. The he picked me up with one arm, took a running start and jumped us over the wide avenue to the next rooftop. And the next. The third roof collapses under our weight, of course.
Nothing is ever easy.
=====================================================================
Avoiding roofs it took us a bit longer to reach the fire department. Not too much longer, as Freddie had lots cars, metal fixtures and the odd bullet to Push us off of. Within ten minutes we arrived, just in time for the first of what I assume will be many aftershocks. I go ass over teakettle again while this time Freddie manages to take a wide stance and stay upright. I'm betting he used pewter to do that, the cheater. And two houses nearby give up the goat and surrender to the embrace of gravity. Hope there was no one inside.
Mostly, I'm mad at myself for not thinking to time the shocks precisely. In a little bit, that information will be priceless. Alright, it's 7:11 now, and I'll glance at my watch when the next shock hits. Best I can do in field conditions.
To my surprise, despite the late hour, the state of the streets, and that the quake only just happened, the place is packed full of firefighters, most of whom are working frantically with shovels and over hand tools to clear debris out of the path of a pair of fire engines idling in the street. There's even one of those baby Bobcat bulldozers.
Incidentally, only a ladder truck is a fire truck. If it's a pumper, it's an engine. Firefighters can get pretty annoyed at people confusing the two, apparently.
Being as we arrived with the shocks, we were noticed pretty quickly. I climbed up to my feet and tried to gather what was left of my dignity, even as a bunch of people broke off from the group and ran to check the collapsed homes.
Pretty sure I head somebody mutter something unflattering about the mayor turning up, but I don't care and don't have the time to deal with it anyways. If I'm going to change anybody's minds it's going to be through actions.
There's a guy walking over, little portly, lots of gray in his hair, and I assume he's important so we head over to meet him halfway.
"Listen," he opens "I'm sure you want a status report, but this is not the time. We can't even get our equipment into place, and if you have nay idea what's going on, you know a lot more than me."
"Well, that part's easy, a bloody big earthquake just knocked us on our collective asses. As for the rest, Captain...." The rank was a guess, but an educated one.
"Renault."
"Captain Renault. We're not here to demand the impossible or bug you for updates. We're here to get this department moving towards the problem. As to how we're going to do that, hmm..."
J.M. Barrie had been the other name for the note. And here's a perfect occasion, so I wandered off towards the nearest engine. My version is an anthology, so it took me a bit longer than usual to find the right spot, while Captain Renault was clearly confused and increasingly offended that I was ignoring him. And here we go.
"All it takes is faith and trust," I pulled out a handful of sparkling gold powder, and cast it over the big red truck before moving on to the next "and... just a... pinch of pixie dust." I threw a new handful out over the men, several of whom tried to duck, dodge or flinch away. I blew a bit that had clung to my hand into Captain Renault's face, making him sneeze. Freddie took his with a lot more grace, and sprinkled a bit over my own head. Tonight, we would desperately need the mobility.
"Think happy thoughts, oh Captain my Captain. Like so." I pictured Vinny's little niece giggling on the ceiling and with a slight push flew up and up and, with a completely unnecessary backflip motion, whoops, almost lost the Cap there, landed neatly on the station roof. "Load up and move out!" I called down. "Oh, but before you go..." I flew back down to conversational range "let me hit you up with the good stuff. Won't take a moment."
I pulled out Stargate Atlantis: Rising and the Second Book of Swords.
"Now, you seem like a responsible person. This-" I held up what looked rather like an iphone in a translucent blue crystal case "-is a lifesigns detector. If you're near some rubble and see a little dot? There's someone still alive under there." I gave it to him and got back to the important business of reading. After a moment I thrust a Sword into his arms. "This on the other hand, is a Sword. It can cut through stone, asphalt, brick and concrete like a knife through hot butter. Use it to help dig people out faster. I'm trusting you with these magic items, and I'll come back for them when everything isn't falling apart."
I floated up, which reminded me "One last thing. The flight spell is only going to last a day or so, so let's make the most of it. Probably best if you ground everyone after noon tomorrow though. Be a shame to have someone lose flight five hundred feet in the air."
Freddie and I hung back long enough to see that everyone was on their way, flying fire engines, their lights still flashing moving off through the air faster than they could on the ground.
What a surreal night this was becoming, and it's not even eight.
====================================================================
In Gotham, there are forty three large fire department buildings, and a hundred thirty eight small one and two engine firehouses. Freddie and I worked our way through them, and soon flying fire trucks and ambulances crisscrossed the sky.
We were almost done when the King of the Monkeys caught up with us in midair.
"Master. The city is a shambles. Many buildings have fallen," Well shucks, I could have told him that "and many thousands lie slain. A hundred, perhaps more. The roads and the strange elevated track are nonfunctional, and much of the land is scarred by fire. The fire is extinguished, through no agency of ours. The Flying Monkeys have removed over one hundred thousand people from immediate danger, and continue to do so. We have brought some two hundred children to the designated street junction and remanded them to the care of a Mr. Vincent Gambini. Also, several maggots have emerged to feast on the decaying flesh of the city. Do you wish us to deal with the situation, master."
I must be tired, it took a moment to process that one. Looters were waaay down my list of priorities and I didn't want to deal with issues relating to the Monkeys getting confused about who was stealing, or using excessive force, or getting hurt or who knows what else might go wrong?
"No, just continue removing people from danger for the moment. I'll find one of your subjects if my orders change." Off he flew, seeming somehow disappointed,
"We forgot about Vinny." Freddie spoke up.
"Right, let's hit this last stop, then head back. We can stop at that Methodist church on Keaton, they host a Boy Scout troop and I know they have camping gear in their basement. Get the kids out of this cold without worrying about a building falling on them." I nodded to myself. "Yes, we'll do that. I want to see if we have any emergency plans at the office, should have done that before. Maybe see if there's an easy will to kill the water, gas and power so more disasters aren't made. Then we'll try the GCPD, see what help they need to be effective."
Freddie barked out a humorless laugh.
"What?"
"Just never thought we'd ever be going there under our own power, to help them even. Funny little world."
"Yeah." I looked out over the city where possibly a couple million people were homeless, or trapped, or hurt or dead. "Isn't it just?"
====================================================================
====================================================================
The Sword of Siege struck a hammer's blow
With a crash, and a smash, and a tumbled wall.
Stonecutter laid a castle low
With a groan and a roar and a tower's fall.