Up on the roof of the New York Stock Exchange, the rain-slicked marble pediment towered high above the street, framed by six massive Corinthian columns overlooking Broad Street.
Below, the military lockdown had completely collapsed.
Armored S.H.I.E.L.D. troop carriers sat inert, their high-tech engines fried by the inverted EMP grid. Searchlights flashed aimlessly into the foggy night sky, but down on the pavement, two hundred thousand citizens were dancing in the pouring rain. Cell phones held aloft glowed like a sea of flickering stars, flashing green verification screens: $0.00 BALANCE DUE.
WHOOSH-CLICK!
The heavy bronze roof access hatch burst open.
Jack stepped out onto the wide stone balustrade, stepping right up to the carved marble pediment. His royal-purple velvet coat was soaked through, his white face powder streaked with violet lightning trails, but his eyes burned with an terrifying, triumphant glow.
Beside him, Natasha stepped into the spotlight, her black combat suit gleaming under the flashing camera drones, a rare, breathtaking laugh escaping her lips as she took in the roaring sea of humanity below. Felicia leaped onto the carved stone ledge, holding a massive stack of cancelled paper bonds and tossing them into the wind, letting the million-dollar papers rain down over the crowd like ticker-tape confetti!
[JOKER'S ANARCHY DOMAIN ACTIVATED]
Radius: 100 Meters
Effect: Gravitational & Acoustic Amplification Engaged!
As Jack raised his brass microphone to his lips, [Joker's Anarchy Domain] grabbed his voice, amplifying it so every spoken word resonated through the very cobblestones of Lower Manhattan without a single loudspeaker array.
"GOOD EVENING, NEW YORK!" Jack’s raspy voice boomed across the Financial District, echoing off the glass skyscrapers like thunder.
The two-hundred-thousand-strong crowd went absolutely berserk! Cheers, air horns, and wild applause erupted across Wall Street, drowning out the distant whir of S.H.I.E.L.D. helicopter blades hovering uselessly in the storm clouds above.
"THE BANK IS CLOSED!" Jack shrieked into the night, spreading his arms wide to the pouring rain as his crimson scar-smile gleamed under the press lights. "THE DEBTS ARE WIPED! THE LEDGERS ARE BURNED! AND FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY... YOU ALL OWN THIS CITY! HAHAHAHA!"
Down on the street level, Captain America stood beside his disabled tactical cruiser, looking up at the three silhouettes framed against the lit pediment of the Exchange. Beside him, Tony Stark’s Nanotech Gauntlet fizzled as he watched the crowd hoist homemade joker signs into the air, completely ignoring the armored S.H.I.E.L.D. units.
Steve slowly lowered his shield, letting out a long, heavy sigh into the cold rain. "We lost the street, Tony. They aren't just fighting us anymore... they've won the people."
Tony stared up at Jack, his jaw tight, his eyes reflecting the purple glow of 65.0% Synchronization humming off the roof. "No, Steve. They didn't just win the people... they turned the whole city into their kingdom."
Up on the ledge, Jack pulled Natasha into his arms, dipping her back over the seventy-foot drop as the crowd roared in approval. Natasha wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her lips to his in a passionate, wild kiss that was broadcast across every surviving giant LED screen in Times Square.
Jack threw his head back against the pouring rain, his maniacal, raspy cackle echoing into the storm clouds, ringing out over the glittering, victorious lights of New York City.
Current Status:
Synchronization Level: 65.0% (Domain Mastery Active)
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