"Step Into My Parlour", said the Spider to The Fly

[jla-villains.livejournal.com]

Everything is proceeding apace.

The introduction of rogue players like Constantine and Dragon are no mere incidents, but all part of the plan weaved by the demonic mastermind who cuuently holds Tim Drake's soul in thrall. And as Lady Shiva, Richard Dragon, and Cassandra Cain pursue his agents from the Old Firm into the dark heart that pulses beneath Gotham, Neron watches from the eyes of his underlings.

The darkest places in the world can cast a shadow so dense it becomes a place unto itself. London, home to the Old Firm, is one such place. Thanks to a recent incident involving that idiotic Papa Midnite, London Below is now common knowledge to the mystical community. But even experienced mystics such as John Constantine do not know that London is hardly the only city that bears a dark counterpart. And as there is a London Below, so too does Gotham City have its Gotham Below.

Only the insane and the souls beyond redemption even catch a glimpse of Gotham Below normally. Populated by the haunting nightmares and twisted dreams of Gotham's festering underbelly, Gotham Below is exponentially more dangerous than its sister in London. Once the heroes have crossed the door, it will close... and only at Neron's word will it open again.

The archfiend pauses to look up at Tim Drake, suspended from a demonic altar. The boy was never Neron's main goal, of course. He is only bait, the lure that will pull in the true targets of Neron's desire.

Either Croup and Vandemar like drag them here battered and broken, or they will somehow overcome the Old Firm and find him. Either outcome suits Neron just fine.

Slouching deeper into his obsidian throne, Neron smiles a sanguine smile.

Moral Majority? You Must Be Joking

[prometheanplans.livejournal.com]

Now here's something you don't see every day - Prometheus in church.

Mind you, this isn't an ordinary church. It's condemned and collapsing, the only kind of church Prometheus could ever tolerate for long. It's one of the five 'nesting grounds' acquired by he and Hush for the use of the Monk's ever-growing cabal. And most famously, the Joker once fell to one of his many deaths from the great bell tower that has now fallen into ruin.

It's been a few months since Prometheus last checked in. Luthor stole his Cosmic Key, sending (read: stranding) him into an alternate dimension as a 'gift' for his help. Bagging the cowls of several of that world's heroes was fun for a while, but in the end unsatisfying. He considers himself reasonably adaptable, but truth be told, even he doesn't know how he got the Key back. Unless Luthor saw fit to return it to him before his defeat.

Hush has called this little meeting. He's got the best information among the three, and apparently the word is that there's a new player in town. One who's already lured the likes of Firefly and Zsasz into his employ. And may be responsible for the death of Poison Ivy, if the more outlandish rumors are true.

Prometheus isn't buying that one. Ivy's about as hard to kill as kudzu. But the introduction of a new player to their little game is quantifiable - Elliot got the word personally from their stool pigeon at the Iceberg Lounge - and better still, entertaining.

As he waits for Hush, Prometheus makes a game of shooting down the few remaining crucifixes in the church with his wrist gauntlet.

Asmodel's Revenge!

[zauriel1971.livejournal.com]

Time has past since the last major presence of Asmodel on earth. Since then, he has been transferred from heaven's holding cells, to hell itself for containment for judgment on the Last Day. Some of his former servants have found out where he is thanks to recent interruptions in hell by earth's heroes...

Traumiel, a bull host like Asmodel, has managed to sneak to where he has heard his master is kept. He feels the heat and smells the stench of death strong in his nostrils. "Zauriel and his pals will pay for what they've done to my master! They thought they could slip through here to find a friend without notice! I heard one of their minds give way to mention the fact that my master had been moved here somewhere to await being judged. Not for long!" he says to himself. He stealthily sneaks to the spot and sees two dragon creatures guarding the former king angel, and former host of the Spectre. "You will soon be free my master!" he says to himself quietly, "You will soon be united with the Spectre! Soon you will rule hell itself from Neron and any other fool enough to face me!"

Pharaoh Magnetism

[eddie-nygma.livejournal.com]

At the Gotham Museum of Egyptology, there's an extra figure stalking the halls after hours. It had taken a bit of fast talking, but the head of security was willing to allow Nygma a one-night clearance to make the rounds with the security guards - thinking, perhaps, the extra publicity would benefit the museum.

In any case, he moves in shadows, admiring exhibits that he might once have stolen, letting his mind ponder the cryptic clues he might've left in their place.