War World…

“This is all the fault of your Justice League, you realize…”

Thanos, the Mad Titan smirked as he watched yet another gigantic piece of mysterious machinery appear from the very ether and slowly float into place as directed.  Whether they were being manufactured from the very molecules of the air or simply transported from the gargantuan ship beyond he neither knew nor cared.  That it was being done was enough, and sooner, faster than expected.  All the better.

“How so dark one?”

Thanos glanced back at the trio of ancients gathered at his back.  Old men, wise men allegedly, and yet they did not have a true clue as to how the universe worked.  They were battered and bruised from their battles against the creatures from the Chaos Wall, yet somehow managing to strive on.  The old wizard- Shazam- stared wide-eyed at the vastness of the planet-ship of the Great Devourer, stroking his long, grizzled beard, watching as the ship slowly spun into place yet millions of miles distant.  Beside him stood Izaya, the Highfather, once ruler of the world New Genesis in this plane.  He was the closest resemblance to Thanos’ own father, in prestige and power if not in face, and so like Mentor in deed.  Forever waiting, seeking the peaceable route until the last, he simply watched the Devourer in his task, saying naught but all-seeing.  Did he know?  Certainly Ganthet did not.  Eldest of the three, yet easily the most naïve.  Even a dimension away Thanos had heard tales of the travesty that was once the Green Lantern Corp here in this dimension.

“Well,” Thanos began, returning his own attention to Galactus even as he answered the diminutive Oan.  “One must suppose they were trying to do the right thing, or at least thought that they were.  Their ilk is like that of course- fight first, think later."  He could see the Devourer, brother to Death herself here, she whom the Titan worshipped and loved as he guided the huge piece of machinery into place, just a minute part of the even greater whole.  It was almost finished, or so it appeared to the dark one, but then who might truly glean the true measure of one of the Trinity.  He had to simply wait with the others, bide his time.

“They apparently bulled their way through Time and Space, to the very End of All in the hope of saving your Earth’s greatest champion.  He had been kidnapped by a being known as the Time Tripper?”

“Trapper,” Izaya corrected and Thanos chuckled.

“Whatever.  The name in turn was a façade, a masque for the eld being’s true name and identity.“

“Destiny,” Shazam gasped, wincing as energy flared about the machine being assembled overhead.  “One of the Endless.”

“Yes,” Thanos nodded.  “Those who were and are and ever will be.  We have the like.  Regardless, your League went to maddened Destiny’s Keep at the End of Time and a battle raged for the fate of Superman.  In the end the JLA won, though not without help, and a bit of Divine Intervention.”

“We know the story, Titan,” Izaya said, his voice edged with impatience.  “We know the prophecies.  The world as a whole is born at a touch, a flash of the magnificent Fire, runs its course, then fades at Death’s final touch only to begin anew.”

“Of course,” Thanos agreed, “But that Ending, like the Beginning- and some say that point is indeed one and the same- was never meant for Man to behold.  Yet in your continuum there seems to be a never-ending supply of witnesses.  Your League, a blind magus, your World Mage, and Kronus at the least.  Worse, the very champion of the Speed Force was there, as was one of your progeny-“

“I don’t see-“ Ganthet began, but Thanos cut him off.

“No, you do not.  Your Lantern was the one that led the return.  His lifeline to the past opened the floodgates for Crisis.  Your League ripped through time and space, rending destiny and dimension with their mad plunge, thinking nothing of the consequences of their actions.  Their Cosmic Treadmill tore through those barriers set when the multiverse last tried to heal itself, barriers that were never meant to be breached.  The Speed Force flooded the Time Stream in the wake like water spewing through a ruptured, cracked pipe.  All of that energy then funneled directly through to your present conveniently following the ‘bread crumbs’ left by your Green Lantern, Kyle Rayner.  And with that energy came beings of course; the Mad Child, the Avatar of the Speed Force, Lords of Chaos gone insane…

“Of course your world- precarious as it is- was unable to contain what befell, and like a steaming, covered pot, that energy finally exploded through the neighboring dimensions when it could no longer be contained.  Despite your secondary champion’s debatably ‘best efforts’ in stopping Nabu, the Chaos driven energies burst through the Anti-Matter Realm that you call Qward and we name the Negative Zone next.  It threatened the very Wall, and you fools let it!”

“There was nothing to be done,” Shazam said with a sharp tug of his beard.

“You could have slain your League in the beginning.  Let Destiny have his dementia, his moment of grand delusion and stop the League from saving their friend.  Any of you have the power.”

“They are champions.  They fight for the good of all.“

“Others would rise to take their place.  The Multiverse is full of martyrs and fodder.“

“Regardless,” Izaya said trying to direct the discussion back on track.  “The damage was done.  The negative energies of the Anti-Matter Realm threaten to sweep the cosmos clean again, born on the Speed Force and the rushing river of Time.  How is this giant- Galactus- going to stop that from happening?”

“Galactus is perhaps the oldest being in the Multiverse.  He is the last of a great race that existed before the last upheaval.  He is from that time beyond-“

“Impossible!” Ganthet snapped.  “At the last Ending, nothing remained but Chaos, and That Which Is.  It was HIS will-”

“I will not debate theology or the origins of ALL with you, Oan.  I know what happened as was told me by SHE that I love.  Galactus is the sole survivor of what was before; older than my own universes’ Elders, older than your Endless, older even than Death and Infinity, his siblings in my realm as they were reincarnated.  He is one of the Trinity.  His purpose overall is to judge worlds and races and let them prove their worth in the grand scheme of things.  Those that he finds wanting are destroyed, the worlds sucked clean of the very life force that contains them.  Many civilizations have fallen to his insatiable hunger, his driving cravings that lead him on his quest and duty.  In truth, I only know of two worlds that have stymied his will and proven worthy in all his ages, time and again.  There has been debate recently that he is simply a victim of addiction, but I am of the belief that he does serve a greater purpose.

“It is said however, that once his appetite is appeased, that ‘God’ will close up shop and start again.”  Thanos chuckled.

“Then your plan…“

“My plan will save us all.  You see, I do not believe in God.

"Just in myself…”

Nefaria The World's Greatest Superheroes.....

Vs

avengerslogo

Part Five:

End Game!

JLA #34-
November, Year 3

 by Curt Fernlund
Plot by Chris Munn and Curt Fernlund

 

Active Roster: JLA




AquaMan
LOST


Atom
LOST

Batman


Black Canary

Firestorm

Flash



Green Lantern

Martian Manhunter



Red Tornado
LOST


Superman

Wonder Woman		 plas

Plastic Man
zatanna

Zatanna




Active Roster: Avengers

Beast


Beast
 Black Panther

Black
Panther
 Cap

Captain
America
 Hawkeye


Hawkeye		 Iron Man

Iron Man
 Quicksilver

Quicksilver

Scarlet Witch


Scarlet Witch
 Thor


Thor		 Warbird


Warbird		 Wasp


Wasp




The Aerie
Mt. Annapurna
Nepal:

Hawkeye woke, his eyes blinking wildly, trying to wash the blinding light from his mind’s eye.  Spots danced through his sight, hazing his view of the surroundings and by force of habit he tried to raise his fists, knuckle his eyes clear.  He quickly found he could not move.

He was strapped down to a table, a gurney by the look and feel of it and in some kind of makeshift medical facility.  He could see people moving about, flickering shadows at first that slowly came into focus if he winced just so.  They were dressed in yellow radiation suits, all busy and bustling about the room, which was cast in a dull red that Hawkeye figured must be emergency lighting.  Too, he could hear the low drone of an alarm that fairly eliminated any hope of him hearing anything else.

He flexed, testing the canvas straps that held him to the table but his arms, legs, neck and midsection were all held secure.  There were leads attached to his bare arms, another at his chest and two more on either temple of his bare scalp.  Whoever had strapped him down had pulled back his mask- not that that really mattered.

Clint Barton glanced to his right and saw the Silver Surfer, surprisingly.  He vaguely recalled that he had seen the Surfer before, when he and Doctor Midas and Oubliette had appeared here on what he assumed to be the Earth of the JLA.  There had been others- scientists he imagined, or techies at least, but then something had happened to Midas, and the Exterminatrix had shocked him into a dull daze with that damn whip of hers, and then all hell had broken loose-

Hawkeye jumped as he felt the soft touch of leather on his arm.  He looked back from the Surfer and saw a beautiful woman standing over him.  She looked Asian- sort of- with long brown hair and tilted almond eyes, but she seemed more Western than Eastern, sort of like ‘Tasha oddly.  She was saying something- he could see her lips moving.

She twisted her mouth, almost pouting as she raised her hands and thought for a moment.  Her hands and fingers flashed as she ‘signed’ but Hawkeye continued to stare dumbly.  He had never taken the time to learn Sign beyond a few words, relying instead probably too much on his hearing aid.  He knew a bit, but he did not think that ‘I love you’ would go over very well.

He saw the woman sigh and frown, placing her hands on her hips in annoyance.  Barton tried to shrug, but she simply walked off and spoke with one of the techies who in turn scrambled off and out of the room, returning just a minute later.  He handed her something and went about his business as the woman returned with a tiny device in her hand.  She was doing something with it, twisting dials or pushing buttons maybe, then suddenly leaned in and jammed the thing into his ear canal.  He winced with the sudden pain, and there was a tingling sensation that swiftly passed as the young woman stood back to watch-

“CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW!”

“Gah!” Hawkeye shouted as her voice boomed through his ear, far too loudly.  He could hear everything suddenly; all the activity in the room, the footfalls, the talking, the blare of the alarm-

“TOO LOUD!” he shouted, quickly regretting it.  The woman smirked cruelly and leaned in again.  He felt the leather of her glove brush his cheek as she tapped on the device in his ear-

“HOW IS That?  BETter yet?  Tell me.”

“There,” Clint Barton gasped as the noise dwindled.  It was still loud- louder than his hearing aid had been, but oddly clearer and he found with a bit of concentration that he could weed out the unnecessary background noise.

“Who are you?” the woman asked when she saw that he was finally settled and back at ease.  Barton looked her in the eyes-

“Who are you?”

Hawkeye saw the woman sigh again and shake her head.  One of the techies ran up and showed her something on a computer pad.  She nodded and as he ran off again she turned back-

“My name is Talia.  I am the daughter of Ra’s Al Ghul, he whose dwelling you now reside within.”

“Hawkeye,” Barton said, wondering just how much he should give away.  The woman was obviously ‘in the know’, at least to a point, and the Med Lab he was in was high-tech, but did she need to know the whole story?  What part did she and her father the Ghoul play in all this?

Fuck it…

“I’m an Avenger.  I come from another Earth in another dimension.”  The woman smiled then, nodding-

“We assumed as much.  A hero then?”

“Yeah, you could say that.  What’s-“

“Who is the man in the golden armor?” she asked, cutting him off.  “Who is the woman with the whip?”

“That would be Doctor Midas and his daughter Oubliette, the Exterminatrix.”

“What are their goals?”

“Goals?” Barton asked, confused.  “Midas wants power and immortality.  He wants to rule the world, and his daughter pretty much wants what he does.  They’re both a little psycho.”

“He seems to wield power well enough.  He devastated the laboratory where you all appeared.”

“Midas is a nut,” Hawkeye began.  “He wants to be a Marvel, to have powers like… well… powers of cosmic proportion.  He’s richer than Trump an’ buys up every little bit a’ tech he can get his hands on- like his armor.  He wants to live forever an’ his girl helps him as she can.  It’s a little… weird.  He got hold a’ somethin’ that apparently worked for him finally-“

“The metal cylinder,” Talia said, nodding in understanding.

“Yeah.  It belonged to a creep outta the Neg Zone, name of Annihilus.  I dunno how he got it ta work, but I guess he did somehow.”

“Nor do I, but he now controls the Anti-Matter energy of Qward- what I assume is our interpretation of your ‘Neg Zone’.  He has apparently achieved one of his goals and is even now ravaging his way through this complex.  My father’s followers are trying to stop him, but they fall before his might.  You can stop him?”

Hawkeye laughed.  “Cosmic villains are a bit outta my league, Sweetie.  Hell, I’ll try, but you’d be better off wakin’ up the Surfer.”

“Surfer?” Talia asked looking confused again.

“The Silver Surfer,” Hawkeye said, looking to his right at Norrin Radd’s unconscious form.  “He’s about as Cosmic as they come.”

Hawkeye saw the woman sag a bit as she leaned in and started to undo the canvas straps holding him to the gurney.  “If I understand you correctly, the ‘Silver Surfer’ is drained beyond any ability to help.  My father… Your Surfer will be unconscious for some time.  You, I’m afraid, are our best hope.”

Hawkeye had to laugh as he sat up on the gurney, flexing his muscles.  “I got news for you darlin’.  Without my bow and a quiver of special arrows I ain’t gonna do squat against Midas if he has anything like real power.  Last I saw I had two arrows in my quiver; an EMP and a… Armor Piercing arrow.  I doubt those are gonna do much against Doc Midas now.”

“Yet still, you will try,” Talia said, producing his bow and an ebon quiver full of black-fletched shafts.  “My father has employed archers before.  These are simple I know, but-“

“Hey, lady,” Hawkeye grinned as he swung his feet to the floor, taking his bow and the quiver in hand, “Knowin’s half the battle…”


There had been pain.

He remembered the sensation vividly, burning, searing pain as he fell and fell.  It had felt as if every atom, every molecule of his very being had been set to white hot flame, individually burning endlessly, over and over as he tumbled through the void.  It was a pain, which he had known before, when his body had first been touched by those ionic forces employed originally by the late Heinrich Zemo- Baron Zemo!

His scientists had modified Zemo’s initial apparatus, all the better to further his own goals; his quest for power and immortality.  The ionic bombardment had transferred the powers of his then lackeys, the so-called Lethal Legion of the Whirlwind, Power Man and the Living Laser, magnifying those powers a thousandfold.  For a time he had been the most powerful man on the face of the planet.

And of course the Avengers had defeated him.  They, and a helpless aging hero that had shown him the truth.

Life was fleeting.

There had been battles since, defeats, but that sentiment had remained.  Ever-gnawing at his soul and being, he would need to defeat Time itself if he was to win.  But the powers had begun to fade, his own body oft rebelling, fighting against the ionic energy that laced every fiber of his being.

There had been pain, and the world exploded.  He had thought that he was done when Annihilus had ruptured the Mandroid armor that Midas had given him to survive the rigors of the Negative Zone.  Done when that realm’s ruler had hurled him flailing into the dreaded Exploding Atmosphere.  There had been pain and his eyes watered in the rising glare, watching as bits of flotsam disintegrated about him, negative matter meeting positive energy.  The sound was deafening, but his own screams had overwhelmed his hearing, rattling him to the very core.

He had burned as the Mandroid armor erupted, his skin sizzling and smoldering as his body was purged of the metal shell.  He had passed through Reed Richards’ Zone of Distortion, the first step towards survival in negative space, and the armor had been altered, transformed by that unique journey, as had the shuttle and the inhabitants itself.  He was anti-matter now, somehow, he knew.  He did not understand the science of it, but he knew enough that he was going to die.

There had been pain, but oddly, Death did not come for him.  He had felt the burn, the clashing of negative and positive energies.  Too, he had felt the ionic energy of his own being mingling, fanning the flames.  He could not think, could not even breathe, but he could scream in agony as his body fell through the sky trailing fire.  The world swam and swirled far below, a myriad of colors and design swelling within his sight.  His skin snapped and sizzled, popping as he fell into and through the atmosphere, the frigid air now searing his charred red flesh.

Still he fell, and still he screamed.  His mind spun as his body flailed trapped now by gravity.  He could not fly, but he knew he could die.  Life was fleeting after all.

There had been pain on impact, but not from smashing into the mountainside.  The pain had come from the cold as his tender pink flesh crackled, fire and ice meeting.  Steam rose from the crater, and a rumbling like thunder as an avalanche of snow fell away racing to lower lands.  Ancient rock lay split and cracked from where he had fallen, the stone face etched away and blasted clean.

Slowly he stood.  His legs were weak, like jelly, and it took time for his senses and muscles to return to his control.  It was cold, frigid but he did not seem to mind.  He did not feel it now.  The air was crisp, clear and thin, but he did not breathe.  He could see for miles, leagues from his vantage, the wash of crimson still raging through one of those strange slashes that had appeared in the sky.  Lightning, sharp and ebon crackled, cutting to the horizon.  True thunder rolled, shaking even the mighty range of mountains on which he stood.  Nothing had changed.

Everything had changed.  Count Nefaria raised his hands, staring at the fading burn, watching as old scars disappeared, the lines of age fading away.  He flexed, curled his hands into fists, feeling the power coursing through his veins, the strength in his arms.  He could see the spark and crackle of the ionic energy dancing at his whim, the flare sparkling with his desire.

Nefaria cast his gaze out across the land.  The vast majesty of the Himalayas rose about him, jagged peaks stabbing for the stars while lush, snow laden valleys stretched out below.  The storm continued to rage overhead, waves of negative energy erasing the sky as dark bolts slashed in cacophony with echoing thunderous roar.  It was fitting somehow, a grand tribute to his return-

No!  His rebirth…

Count Nefaria smiled.  He had come home…


The WatchTower
The Monitor Womb
Earth’s Moon:

“You see,” J’onn J’onzz said pointing at the hovering displays.  “There, and there.  The energy flares are strikingly different, yet familiar.”

The Martian Manhunter’s face seemed even grimmer than usual as he swiveled the suspensor chair about.  His visage was cast in an odd mix of shadow bathed in the eerie flickering glow of the dozens of two and three-dimensional displays, which floated about him in an ever-shifting dance of sound and light.

Princess Diana of Thymscira gazed up at her old friend and frowned to see the obvious concern etched in the lines and contours of his face.  He wore a grim mask, but she could see the traces, she knew him well enough, the slightest tinge bordering on fear.  Truly the situation was grave, but the Justice League of America had faced worse in their day.  What had he seen that she could not?

“Ionic energy…”

Wonder Woman glanced to her side and saw the man in the crimson and golden armor staring up at the display with equal concern.  He had his helmet withdrawn, and his handsome face was creased with worry, his dark brows knitted and his dazzling eyes sparkling in the queer light.  He held up his gauntleted arm, a small panel opened on his armored wrist and she saw his gaze shift-

“I’ve encountered it often enough, and employed it myself on occasion.  An incredible power source if you can contain it, and a deadly one if misused.  One of our own Avengers is a being of pure ionic energy contained in the shape and memory of the man he once was,” the Iron Man said, the light emitting from the diodes imbedded in his wrist display flickering wildly.  “These readings are off the scale though.  Whatever’s causing that spike is brimming with power, and if left unchecked-“

“It could scorch the Earth…”

Diana could hear true fear now in the voice of her friend.  She saw him sag in the floating chair, almost as though defeated.

“J’onn?”

“I too have encountered this ‘ionic’ energy before,” J’onzz said with a heavy sigh.  He stared at the display, watching as the energy flared above the Himalayas, a strange chorus to the far more dominant storm raging over the mountains.  “The great Plague of Fire that swept the world of my birth was laced with this energy.  It had been an ever present but harmless background radiation, which we employed in utilitarian tasks, lighting and such, minor power supplies.  H’ronmeer forever changed that.”

“What happened?” the Iron Man asked, unknowing.

“The plague destroyed Mars, its culture and civilization, its population.  J’onn was one of the sole survivors through haphazard chance.  He is the last of his race.”  Diana stared at the Golden Avenger, seeing that he understood well enough and would not push, opening old wounds.  She wished that there was more time and pleasanter circumstance where they all might simply relax and share stories of their all-too similar histories.  She could see that Stark was bursting with questions, as was she, but there was just no time.

“We are lucky to even be viewing these events, given their location,” J’onzz continued, changing the subject.  His voice had grown cold and hard, and Diana could tell that he was trying to steel himself against old memories.

“It’s the Himalayas isn’t it?” the Iron Man asked.  “Your Earth’s version at any rate.  I see K2 in the distance.  Why-“

“The area in question is within the domain of Ra’s Al Ghul,” J’onzz answered the unspoken question, and continued as though reading Stark’s mind for the next.  “He is a madman of his own sort.  A man of great resources, which he most often employs towards his goal of world unity and utopia.  Unfortunately his version of paradise on Earth most generally includes the culling of those masses that he deems unworthy.  He has been defeated many times, most usually by the Batman.

“Unfortunately, though we know he holds base there within the world’s highest peaks, his resources stymie our best efforts to divine his machinations.  He is quite intelligent, and surrounds himself with an army of followers; mostly those that share his cause but too mercenaries of various endeavor that he employs to further his ends.  His retreat has forever been cloaked to our scanners, even our base powers of enhanced perception, Superman and myself.  The Batman has been within of course, and has marked it, but-“

“He’s somehow outside your jurisdiction I take it.”  Anthony Stark shrugged and smiled, shaking his head.  “I’ve seen the like, and if we ever get through all this and we have the time I’ll tell you a few stories about a man called Doom.”

“I look forward to it,” J’onzz said forcing a slight smile himself.  “I think-“

“J’onn!”

Everyone froze at the sudden shock of static that cut through the air, the shrill voice laced with excitement.  “Something’s happening in the Hall!” Ralph Dibny shouted over the intercom.  “I think they’re coming finally.  They’re coming home!”

J’onn J’onzz concentrated, and Diana knew that he was merely shifting his attention.  When he had first called to them all, his Psychic cry echoing, shrieking through all of their minds he had said that he had made contact.  He had been scanning the world for any others that might have crossed over, both through the use of the Monitor Womb as well as his own telepathic powers.  He had ‘shouted’ that he had sensed them finally, later saying that he had received a garbled flicker of thought from Zatanna.  They were attempting to return.

He had also sensed the Avenger, Hawkeye.  J’onn had said that the archer was here already, but the flash of essence had been fleeting, severed by a psychic scream that had overwhelmed the Martian Manhunter.  One word- a name…

Nefaria!

Iron Man had explained who Nefaria was- at least on his world- as they had all raced to J’onn’s side in the Monitor Womb.  J’onzz then explained all he knew to them, sending Ralph and Sue Dibny to the Hall of Justice to await any sign of the others so that J’onn could more easily go about other tasks.

There were heroes all about the world still fighting for humanity and Earth.  Heroes that had to know that help was here, and hopefully more on the way.  The Martian Manhunter had made contact quickly with as many as he could, either mentally or through the WatchTower’s communications array-

In New York City the Titans battled the strange alien creatures that had sporadically poured through the various Rifts about the planet- at least according to Nightwing.  They were vile, horrid creatures, seemingly endless in number though thankfully not overwhelming as they appeared singularly or in packs.  They were black-shelled, their skin almost an exoskeleton of sort with elongated heads and tails, savage teeth and razor-sharp claws.  Iron Man had said that they resembled an alien race his friends had encountered- the Brood- along with a different race of demons.  To Diana they reminded her of a creature that Kyle Rayner and Connor Hawke- the Green Arrow had fought some time ago.  Regardless, the Titans were worn and frazzled, but they continued to fight, as did the Justice Society-

The ranks of that fabled team were spread thin and scattered across the globe.  Jay Garrick and Max Mercury battled creatures in Keystone and Central City alongside Superboy.  Sentinel fought in Gotham in the absence of the Batman, doing what he could to stay the crimson storms, the wash of negative energy that threatened to sweep the globe.  Both Jack Knight and his father fought valiantly in Opal City, Ted Knight, the original Starman leading his son and that city’s heroes ever forward.  So too fought the rest; Sand- the one time ward and partner of Wesley Dodds saving lives in Washington, Nuklon- Atom Smasher now- doing the same in San Francisco, Jade in New Jersey, and more.

The team of Young Justice too, was doing their part, working from their headquarters, once the cave where the JLA operated.  Impulse, Robin, the Star-Spangled Kid and even the newer members like Arrowette were doing all that they could against seemingly overwhelming odds.  And there were reports of others as well-

There was a new Spectre apparently, and a new Doom Patrol of sorts, somehow intertwined, battling separately in Russia…

The team of Booster Gold and Blue Beetle, along with the likes of Supergirl and the Guardian were doing what they could to safeguard Metropolis…

The Marvels were protecting Fawcett City where a large Rift had opened for some reason…

Oracle was coordinating the efforts too.  She was using her vast network to keep the heroes in some type of contact, deploying help where needed, withdrawing others from areas that were deemed safe- at least for the moment.  It was amazing…

And all apparently futile.

A massive Rift had opened above Siberia, near the River Lena.  The resulting storm of anti-matter had swept across the land and simply erased everything in its path before dispersing.  The vegetation, the land forms, the people- all were gone.  Oddly, Diana recalled that that was the same area where they had first encountered the Russian super team Red Square and the ‘angel’ Zauriel.  Was there some connection?

There had been other occurrences too however; in Africa, Australia, Europe and the United States as well.  In South America where the Sand Superman, the alien from Quarrm had repaired a dam had met a similar fate.  Was there a pattern?  There was no time to think though-

“We must go,” the Martian Manhunter said as he vacated the suspensor chair and floated down towards the floor.  She watched as his body faded, becoming immaterial and vanished through the floor.  She heard Iron Man’s gasp.

“Are you all right?” she asked, seeing that he was suddenly pale.  He turned to her and forced a smile-

“Fine, princess,” he said as he lifted his helmet back into place.  “Just, when he does that it reminds me of an old friend.  Shall we?”

The Iron Man bowed slightly that she should take the lead and together they rushed through the WatchTower towards the Hall of Justice and destiny…

The Aerie
Mt. Annapurna
Nepal:

Ra’s Al Ghul sighed…

He watched stoically as another squad of devoted followers fell before the might of this ‘Doctor Midas’.  Already the floor was littered with the dead, bodies burnt and twisted, cut down before the onslaught of the strange energies wielded by the alien.  There were dozens, fallen for the cause, and Midas seemed none the worse for wear for all the bloodshed.  It was a pity really.

The Detective’s Failsafe Protocols had thus far proved ineffective.  The EMP that had been designed to stop John Henry Irons- Steel- had failed to stop the megalomaniac.  The man, Midas was far more than a simple man in powered armor.  The Pulse had shut down the armor for a heartbeat, but Midas had simply shrugged and continued his assault.  Too, that which the detective had designed against Firestorm proved useless.  The ‘Dirty Nuke’ had washed the immediate area in radiation, but had failed to slow down the man in the golden armor at all.  Whatever the Batman had planned against the Nuclear Man had proven ineffective against this new threat.

The processed ‘Red’ Kryptonite would be useless, as would the fail-safe’s devised to counter the Lantern and the Amazon, the Martian and the Atlantean.  He doubted too that liquid nitrogen would affect the man, Midas.  Perhaps the bullet meant for the Flash, or maybe lead-

“Father?”

Ra’s Al Ghul turned to see his daughter, Talia, standing at his side.  Behind her was the other one, the bowman clad in purple, his eyes wide and staring as Midas waved his hand and killed another score of men and women in a fiery blast.  He had his bow and a quiver of arrows that looked to have been left behind once by Merlin of the League of Assassins.  He had yet to prove that he could actually use the shafts, but they would surely see soon enough.

“Daughter.  Report!”

“The silver man- the Silver Surfer is still unconscious,” Talia began, glancing back at the bowman.  Ra’s Al Ghul nodded in understanding, that she had learned things from the archer.  “Emergency power has been restored to 37% of the complex, mainly in the upper levels.  The screening defenses are still under repair however.”

The Demon’s Head frowned.  That particular news was not necessarily good.  Granted the walls of the Aerie had been constructed and treated to keep out certain prying eyes, but the Null Screens were effective against far more.  Those yet remaining of the JLA were not the most innovative or intelligent, yet one had to assume that even the likes of Booster Gold and the Elongated Man had been schooled in proper procedure.  Too, Dibny was not the Batman, but he was a detective in his own right and had been known to properly connect various dots on occasion.  It would not be long, no doubt, before they would receive unwelcome visitors at the Aerie.

“I have received reports from the outer markers as well,” his daughter continued.  They all winced as light flared beyond and screams ripped down the tunnel.  After a moment Talia went on, “There are reports that another has fallen from the sky-“

“That Rift is proving-“

“No father,” she interrupted and Ra’s Al Ghul cocked an eyebrow in surprise.  Talia bowed her head ever so slightly in apology.  “Not from the Rift, but simply from the sky.  An older man by all accounts, yet in splendid form, and blazing energy.  Initial scans read the output as Ionic, though slightly altered.”

“The anti-matter?” Talia nodded and Ra’s Al Ghul sighed.  “I assume he is at the Babel Tower.”  At his daughter’s nod Ra’s Al Ghul turned towards the battle and strode down the hallway.  There was no hesitation in his step, no fear in his stride as he followed the path of carnage and destruction left in the wake of the man called Midas.  Scorched and scarred bodies littered the floor, some little more than ashes stirred by his passing.  The stench was sickening and he could hear the archer’s gagging as he jogged after along with Talia-

“Who are you bowman?” Al Ghul asked as he stepped over the bodies of his fallen followers.  They would all be mourned, but later, having given their all for the cause.

“Name’s Hawkeye,” the bowman said, hurrying along.  Ra’s Al Ghul could hear him breathing hard, no doubt still weak from his earlier encounter with Midas.  “You’re-“

“I am your host at the moment, archer, but obviously we have no time for decorum.  I assume you can use that bow with some expertise?”

“Yeah, but against Midas now?”  He could sense the bowman’s shrug of doubt.  Ra’s Al Ghul paused at a fork in the corridor, listening to the raging battle, watching the flare of light coming from around the corner.  He could feel the tingle of power dancing in the air.

“Look, I got an EMP arrow and an Adamantium armor-piercer,” the archer continued, wincing slightly as though regretting something, he and Talia hugging the wall at the Demon Head’s side.  “From what I’ve seen, the EMP isn’t gonna do squat.  Midas is way beyond the need for armor, near as I can figure.  It looks to me like he somehow sucked out the Surfer’s Cosmic Power, and back where I come from the Silver Surfer was in the Top Ten power wise.  My AP might slow him down, but it definitely ain’t gonna stop him.”

Ra’s Al Ghul considered the archer for a moment, looking him up and down.  He seemed no different than any of the other so-called heroes, the Metas of this world.  He was brash and confident, not unlike Queen before his death, with no real powers to speak of, yet he did not shy away from the danger.  A warrior at least, but a hero?  That had yet to be proven.

Ra’s Al Ghul slipped a hand into his cloak and withdrew the small metallic cylinder, which Doctor Midas in his arrogance had casually cast away.  He held the object up, his thumb rubbing the obvious nozzle-like device affixed to one end.  Its power had been spent, presumably connected now with the madman in the golden armor that was destroying his dreams and his life’s work.  Ra’s Al Ghul glanced at the archer again and afforded the man the slightest smile-

“You will stop him,” the Demon’s Head said as he handed the rod to Hawkeye.  “Or you shall die in the effort…”


The Edge of Infinity…

SANARE!

Silver fire flashed from the withering hands of Doctor Arcane even as he dropped to his knees in exhaustion.  His sight had decayed to the point that he could barely see the target, just a massive yellow blur off in the distance.  He winced as he saw the impact however, tears running down his face from the glare.  He heard another scream.

“Like hittin’ the broad side of a barn, eh?  Can’t bloody miss if you wanted to.”

Arcane looked up, breathing hard and trying to focus on the wavering image standing at his side.  The man was tall and thin, blonde and surrounded in a haze of blue, swirling smoke, but of course it was the accent that gave him away.

“Constantine…” he croaked, his voice grating as phlegm and mucous rose in his throat.  He spat.  “Are we… winning?”

“Well,” Constantine said raking a hand back through his hair, “we’re not losin’.  There’s somethin’ in that I suppose.  You okay, son?”

Arcane sagged, feeling the weight of years forcing down his shoulders.  He had been burning his magic for how long he did not know.  He had aged though.  His hair had thinned and grayed, his body stooped and aching, his vision almost gone.  He was burnt, exhausted.  He needed to rest and recover, to heal, but would it matter?

He glanced about the wide flat rock from which they had made their stand.  The best, greatest wizards and sorcerers, magi of three dimensions at least.  Spinning there at the edge of space on a bit of debris tossed from the wreckage they had gathered, hoping to save all that was.

The man with the disk lay just a few feet away.  Doctor Occult- was that his name?  His chest had been opened by one of the creatures that had suddenly appeared, slashing and ripping.  Steam rose from the cavity, his long coat drenched in blood.  His eyes stared up and away into the black void of space, unblinking…

A few yards beyond stood Mysterium, straddling the prone form of the Witch, Arcanna from the Squadron Supreme.  She had fallen, giving her all to protect the lot from a wave of anti-matter that had burst through the wall.  Her shields had barely been enough, the queer radiations washing over them all, staggering them, but in the end she had prevailed.  Mysterium had stepped to protect her then as she fell to the dirt, her mystical fire extinguished.  Arcane could see her chest rising and falling- barely.  She still lived, but for how long?

Beyond Mysterium stood Strange.  Both men were directing their energies at the Wall, their hands encompassed in blazing balls of mystical fire.  They appeared staggered and weakened, sweat ran down Strange’s face, but neither man was willing to admit defeat.  Both were injured, bleeding from the assault of the Wall’s Spawn that had suddenly, simply started appearing, adding to the catastrophe-

Light spewed from the Wall, a deep rumbling resonating as the aftershocks of ancient stone shattering swept through the void.  There was movement, a great shifting and cracking as Arcane heard the shouts of the Magi, Strange and Mysterium redoubling their efforts.

“Bloody ‘ell…”

Arcane saw Constantine run forward, but what he did was unclear, as he did not seem to call forth his mystical flame.  The rumbling ceased however, and the shifting form of a giant trapped within the eons old barrier settled in to sleep once again.

And still Chaos poured forth…

The roiling, crackling storm of anti-matter flowed through the breach in the Wall where one of the Promethium Giants had once been held.  It was a gaping wound, comically shaped in the form of a man as though ripped from a Warner Brother’s cartoon.  Arcane had no idea as to what- or who- had been trapped there, but he was gone now and whatever was beyond was racing to escape through the gap.

Arcane hunched forward feeling the bile rise in his throat.  He vomited as a wave of exhaustion washed over him again, forcing him to his hands and knees.  There was nothing left as he gasped for breath.  He was done, and all their efforts had been pointless-

“Think not of failure, Eric Arcane.  The final victory was never for we meager souls to decide.  Ours is but to stay the onslaught of change, and in this, we succeed.”

Arcane looked up at the tall man dressed in black.  He had not seen the Stranger lift a finger throughout the fight, and his tuxedo and cloak were as dark and spotless as when he had first arrived.  His eyes glowed as he watched the magical bolts striking the hole in the Wall, his face emotionless and cast in shadow.

“Easy for you to say… Stranger,” Arcane hacked and coughed, trying to get the words out as he struggled to his feet.  He stared at the eruption there, far away in space where magic and anti-matter clashed.  “Occult’s dead, and Arcanna may as well be.  I can see that Strange and Mysterium are getting tired too.  I’m done, an’ Constantine…”

“John Constantine does what is needed in his own way.”

“Yeah, well, whatever that is… it don’t seem ta’ be enough.  One solid eruption and we’re gone.  How many of those Giants are free already?”

“Five…”

“Five…” Arcane sighed, pulling a cigarette from his coat pocket, using a last flicker of his magic to light it.  He swayed on his feet; breathing in the smoke, realizing it was all in his Astral Form and simply for show.  “How many more before we’re done?  How many more will die?”

“No more, Arcane,” the Stranger said.  “My Faith wavered once, never again.”

Arcane followed where the Phantom Stranger pointed and saw a shimmering in the void.  It was a blur at first and he knuckled his eyes to see, then gasped, wishing that he had not.

The thing was huge and white like chalk, swathed in green.  It was the biggest being that he had ever seen before, dwarfed only by the Wall itself as he strode across the black.  His face was grim, and his eyes were dark, little skulls blazing in the shadows of his verdant hood.  He reached out his hand and covered the hole in the Wall.  He screamed…

“Good God…”

“Not God, Eric Arcane, but HIS right hand and avenger.  Behold the Spectre and more…”

The Stranger gestured and Arcane saw another form.  It was like a shadow moving along the Wall, shaped like a man and black as pitch in the night.  It moved to another hole and enveloped it, stopping the flow of the storm.

And there were others…

Along with the Spectre and the Nth Man, there also appeared the In-Betweener and a being composed of starlight, Lord Order and Master Chaos, a mage of huge proportions and ebon tresses, and a man of gold dressed in browns and orange- a robot…

And more, there were beings of light, wispy and gossamer wielding swords blazing with fire.  There were men in armor, old and new and powerful directing warriors in legion.  There was a woman-

Arcane gasped to see the face.  It was vast and so far away, so huge that he had not noticed it before, encompassing all.  Its form was the void and stars, dust shading its grim visage as the heavens swirled about, he reaching forward…

“Eternity…”

“And more…”

Arcane glanced at the tall shadowy man.  He saw the flicker of a smile as he cast his gaze askance-

“There are many who might call me ally.  Fewer that would call me friend, but there are those that I know and are known to me, and it is those that to which I shall ever remain…

“A stranger…”

And Eric Arcane just had to laugh…


The WatchTower
The Hall of Justice
Earth’s Moon:

He could feel the magic coursing about him, tingling.  It made him nervous- not afraid, but he knew that the mystical energies that were swirling about could just as easily slay him as get him home.  And those energies were massively powerful, far greater than he had ever experienced when facing the likes of past villains.  And no wonder-

“!keeS”

He could hear Zatanna, her screams as she directed her magicks, trying to lock on, to find some link or anchor to their home dimension.  She had sensed J’onn J’onzz before, back on the Avengers’ Earth, but the contact had been fleeting and brief.  Still, Thor had said that that would be enough.

He had powered the device without hesitation, whirling that awesome stone mallet overhead to gather his own energies.  For the briefest instant he had created a storm right there in Avengers’ Mansion, right there in the Science Lab.  The room had crackled with power for a heartbeat, more, and the Man of Steel had felt the mystical power flood the chamber before the Asgardian- the God had directed that power through the Trans-Dimensional device that Iron Man had created years before and opened the portal.

Kyle had created his construct then, using the emerald energies of his own awesome weapon to build a machine that would somehow contain the power and redistribute it.  If Green Lantern was right it would allow Thor’s efforts to linger, anchoring them to the Avengers’ dimension as well as expand those energies to more easily transport the entire group- Thor included.  So far it seemed to be working, because just like that the world had changed-

“Can you feel it?” Clark Kent heard the frantic shouts of Wally West and turned.  The Flash was just a scarlet blur beside him, a wavering image that seemed to stretch on for miles.  Lightning sparked and snapped within his form-

“The Speed Force!” West continued.  “I can feel it again, but… it’s… in pain.  Damaged!”

There was a flash of silver and Wally was gone.  He could see Bruce in the distance, just a great dark shadow of a huge bat, unmoving save for a restless flutter.  He could see the Scarlet Witch, her arms extended overhead, light dancing from her fingertips as a flicker of silver swirled about her- the other speedster, Quicksilver.

Plastic Man had grown to envelop those that needed protection; Firestorm still trapped in his form of Ronnie Raymond, Dinah and the Panther, the Wasp.  And there stood Captain America, the colors of his uniform blurring, his shield sparkling as he stared ever forward, ready…

He saw images flickering on the fringe, the edge of sight.  Memories almost, twisted reflections of a shattered mirror vanishing as quickly as they came…

A boy- himself- flying into the heart of a storm, dying…

Himself, older and crying, holding the limp, shattered body of Matrix- Kara…

Clark Kent standing in mourning over twin black coffins…

He saw Diana…

And it was simply over as the world faded into view about him.  Superman recognized the familiar surroundings of the Hall of Justice in the WatchTower immediately.  The furnishings had been cleared to accommodate, but the walls, the very room itself was a known and welcome sight.

He saw J’onn not so far away even as Diana rushed forward with tear-filled eyes to embrace him.  He hugged her back enjoying the familiarity and the reassurance of home-

“Thank the Gods, Kal,” Diana whispered, knowing he would hear.  “I- we were so worried.”  She looked up at him, her eyes huge and watery as she smiled.  “Welcome home.”

Kal-El smiled, whispering something in return as he glanced about the room.  He saw Iron Man and Captain America conferring to one side, shaking hands like old friends would.  He watched as Plastic Man unfurled his form allowing the others to stagger forth just a bit disoriented from the wild ride.  He had to smile as Plas dropped to his knees and stretched his lips to kiss the floor, happy to be home again.

Wally seemed suddenly whole again, and fit.  Superman knew that the Speed Force was still disrupted, but back in their home dimension he had to be closer to the source once more and thus stronger.  So too was Kyle, his ring flaring green with energy, though Clark knew that he would need to recharge his ring to reaffirm his link to the Green Flame of Oa-

“It’s so… structured.”  The Man of Steel glanced aside to see Zatanna standing with the Scarlet Witch.  Zatanna seemed refreshed suddenly as well, and the Witch had a look of almost awe on her face as she stared at something that only the two of them could see.  The speedster, Quicksilver stood close by as well, ever-ready to protect his sister apparently.  He was looking at his hands however, his own expression somewhere between awe and curiosity-

“This is what it’s like for you all of the time?” he asked turning towards the Flash.  Wally grinned and nodded.  “It’s… fantastic…”

Clark turned as a hand fell on his shoulder.  He saw J’onn J’onzz flash a quick smile before his face turned grim once again-

“Would that we had time to rejoice, my friend, or simply relax.  The crisis however has yet to pass.”  The Martian Manhunter nodded towards the view port and Clark gasped-

The Earth was almost full, huge in the black velveteen backdrop of space.  It was a sight he usually enjoyed, and in quieter times he would often simply stare for hours, watching the slow rotation, the swirl of clouds blanketing land and sea.  Now however the sight sent a shiver of fear and almost panic racing along his spine.  The clouds were pink, swirling red and enveloping most of his adopted planet.  He could see lightning flashing sporadically as the storms surged and churned.  The Rifts still littered the view, great gaping tears in the very fabric of reality.  He saw the worst, a swell over Asia that was spiraling like a hurricane, the eye flaring with a strange radiance over the Himalayas-

“Ra’s Al Ghul.”

All conversation stopped as the Batman spoke, though his voice was barely above a whisper.  The Dark Knight stood before the port, watching the storms and had apparently deduced the center of the worst before them all.  Clark knew that his friend was right, knew that the Demon’s Head was based there.  Was he the true cause of all of this?

“The Rift’s been there for days,” Ralph Dibny said as he stretched his head- nose twitching madly- up beside the other detective.  “The weird energies just spiked not too long ago-“

“Weird energies?” the Beast asked, bounding towards the window and pointing at the source in question.  “Looks ionic to me- like Simon on a bad hair day.”

“Close Beast,” the Iron Man said as the others all gathered around the port.  “But it’s not Wonderman.”

“Nefaria,” Captain America said knowingly even as Iron Man nodded in confirmation.

“But far stronger than he’s ever been.  The readings of his power are off the scale.”

“It matters not,” Thor said as he stepped to the group.  He looked tired, but he still stood tall, ready to continue the fight.  “I know not who this ‘Ghoul’ may be, but if Nefaria dost be involved then he shall face the wrath of Thor and our twain legions assembled!  He shall pay, this I vow!”

No one said anything to dispute Thor’s statement.  They all knew what had to be done, but-

“Has there been any word from Clint?” the Wasp asked as she flitted above the heads of the others.  Superman could hear the catch in her voice, the worry for her friend-

“If you mean Hawkeye, I sensed him,” J’onn said.  “Briefly but…“

“He’s apparently there,” Iron Man continued, pointing at the swirling nexus of energy.  “Right in the middle of it.”

“And Midas?” Cap asked, but Iron Man shrugged.

“I assume he’s there too, with his daughter.”  Cap nodded, his gaze drifting over the gathered heroes.  They were twenty all told including the boy who had apparently regained his ability to transform into Firestorm again along with the stretching man that he had yet to meet.  Seeing the display of power however, he wondered if they would be enough.

“We need to share information people, all the way around.  We need to organize, but I need to know who this Ra’s Al Ghul is, and you of the League need to learn about Nefaria and Midas.  Far too much lies on our success and we can’t afford to go into battle blind.  And we need to hurry.  I assume there are other heroes down there fighting in your absence?”

J’onn J’onzz nodded and Clark had to smile.  Of course there were others.

“Good,” Cap continued, and if any had any problem or doubt with his ability to take command of the situation they did not voice it.  “We’ll have to hope that they all can hold out for a little longer.  I have a rough idea of what to do, but it will involve our total cooperation.”

“Just tell us what you need, Cap,” Superman said, deferring his own leadership to the other without reservation.  “Lead us.  We’ll follow-“

“To the very Gates of Hades if need be!” Thor shouted-

“JLAvengers Assemble!”

All eyes glanced up to see the inflated head of Plastic Man hovering over them, a red Bat Cowl with a wide ‘A’ imprinted over his huge goggles, tiny wings flapping on the side of his head.  His wide grin slowly faded as he saw everyone staring at him-

“What?” he said, his head shriveling suddenly like a balloon losing air…

“Someone had ta say it…”


The Aerie
Mt. Annapurna
Nepal:

POWER!

It was incredible.  In his wildest dreams he had never known it could be like this.  It was delicious, awesome.  Better than money, or a good strong piss.  Better than sex…

Doctor Midas laughed as he held the man at arm’s length, watching as his life drained away.  He was struggling, kicking and screaming as Midas plucked his molecules away like feathers from a chicken.  There were little pieces missing from the queer little man, the agent of the complex with the strange demonic insignia.  He didn’t know what it signified, and frankly he did not give a rat’s ass.  Whatever it was- what it stood for and meant, it was done.  Dust in the wind…

“Please…”

The agent squirmed at arm’s length, pleading as Midas cosmically pulled a bit of matter from his thigh.  The man screamed, feeling the pain, but Doctor Midas simply squeezed his hand and cut him off, choking the shrill voice in mid-cry.  He relished the little human’s agony, but his whining was a bit detracting from his moment of glory.

And he WAS a god now, so he could savor his ascension any way he damn well pleased.  Midas chuckled-

The man dissolved, sifting through his gold-clad fingers like sand through the hour glass-

“So are the days of our-“

“Daddy?”

“What?  WHAT?”

Midas turned to face his daughter.  Oubliette the Exterminatrix looked damn fine decked out in her leathers and heels, her whip dangling at her side.  She looked hot- sweating actually, her red hair matted down and clinging seductively to her golden skin.  Breasts heaving, licking her lips…

“Someone’s coming.”

Doctor Midas blinked, chasing away his urges as he stared down the dimly lit corridor, watching the shadows play on the cold stone walls.  He could hear the steady stride, the clack of heels on the floor.  He could smell fear, sense the very change in the air as someone drew closer with determination and hatred.  Is this what it was like all the time?  Is this Godhood?

An old man rounded the corner.  He was tall and thin but in good shape, Midas could tell.  He could see the muscles beneath the billowing shirt, the tight jodhpurs.  This was not a flunky, not an agent or red shirt.  The man had the look of intelligence about him, the look of knowledge like Richards and Doom- like he had seen it all before.  Midas remembered the man, vaguely, from before.  He had been on the other side of the safety glass when he had first appeared.

The man stopped just a few feet away, planting his feet and striking a pose with his hands behind his back.  There was no fear in him- that was still around the corner.  Midas sensed anger, and annoyance.

“You will leave my home,” the man said.  His steely gray eyes swept the scene, lingering briefly on the dead littering the hallway, noting Oubliette in the background before focusing on Midas.

“What if I don’t want to leave?” Midas scoffed, chortling.  “What if I like it here?”

“You slay my followers,” the old man sighed, “destroy my house.  You shatter untold dreams.  Leave or die.”

“You’re pretty brave for a norm.  You have no powers.  There’s something odd, granted, but…“

“Daddy!”

Midas turned to see a beautiful Asian looking woman attacking Oubliette.  Where had she come from?

He watched, eyes wide as the attacker chopped at his daughter’s wrist even as the Exterminatrix drew back to strike with her whip.  Oubliette moaned as her hand spasmed, the whip clattering to the floor.  She backed away, but the other woman was upon her looking tight in her little uniform.  Midas licked his lips-

The woman kicked high and wide, her heel slamming into his daughter’s cheek.  That would leave a mark for sure.  Oubliette staggered back, teetering on her heels and blocked the next spinning kick rather well, jabbing out with a quick thrust that caught the woman in the kidney as she regained her footing.

Oubliette dove, her weight and momentum hitting the woman full and off balance and they both tumbled to the ground, kicking and punching.  Oubliette grabbed a handful of brown hair and yanked, but the other woman did not cry out, instead ramming her palm into his daughter’s chin.  Midas winced at the impact.

They tumbled, rolling across the floor as Midas watched on.  He did love a good cat-fight, but-

Midas turned at the sound of the whistle-

“Hawkeye.  My old friend…”

Midas stared at the archer and knew where the fear was coming from.  It was rolling off of the archer with every bead of sweat, every drop of perspiration.  Still, the marksman stood his ground, an arrow notched and pointing, muscles rippling as he held the bow’s line in check.  It was a simple arrow, a simple pointed head designed to kill.  Midas laughed.

“You have got to be kidding me, Barton,” Midas said with a chuckle.  He noted that the old man had stepped to one side to give Hawkeye a clear shot, not that it mattered.  Midas planted his fists on his hips and laughed.  “Take your shot, bitch.  Do your worst!“

“Hey Midas,” Hawkeye grinned, and Doctor Midas saw the archer’s fingers twitch, the arrow shooting forward.  The Avenger was already moving, reaching back to his quiver for another arrow as the first flew.  “Eat shaft!”

Midas felt the prick.  There was no pain really, but still he was surprised, gasping slightly as he looked down to see the wooden shaft sticking out of his golden armor.  It vibrated, but beyond that…

Midas grasped the shaft and pulled it free, tossing it aside.  He looked back to the archer.

“What the fuck was that supposed to..."

He saw the other arrow flying his way.  It was wooden, black feathers for fletching, but this one had a strange cylinder attached to the head.  It was long and metallic, and looked vaguely familiar.  It rammed into the hole in his chestplate, the rent in his armor.

“What?”

Midas screamed as light flared.  Too late he realized what the cylinder was, and what it was doing.  He tried to move, to grab at the arrow but the armor was suddenly far too heavy.  He felt weak, drained and worse with each passing second.  He was losing it- losing power!

The fucking archer had beaten him again…

It just wasn’t fair.

He had had it-

Had it all…


Mt. Annapurna
Nepal:

Never-ending, the power flowed forth burning all.  His eyes blazed and there was no depletion.  The energy just kept coming and coming.  Ancient stone crumbled in his grasp.

Steam rose in the wake, wherever he happened to glance.  He could hear the screams, the cries of agony from those that he slew, vanishing in a wisp of smoke, ashes blowing on the wind.

He was supreme!

Nefaria laughed as he raged, loosing the beams of energy from his eyes and decimating the ranks of his opposers.  Little men all, of less consequence they fell like wheat before the scythe.  Were there none to oppose him?  None to give him the slightest pause on this pitiful reflection of his Earth?

Not that he was complaining.  An uncontested conquest would be most welcome after so many defeats on his own world.  What if he were the only… Marvel here?  What if he were supreme?  Well, he was, obviously, but to achieve victory without a struggle-

Nefaria spied another group struggling their way up the icy slopes.  They were well equipped he noted, and skilled.  And determined as they climbed, trying to reach the great silver tower that would soon become a tombstone for them all, a monument for that first clash when Nefaria fell to Earth.  Perhaps he should spare just a few for his future use…

No.  Lackeys were always aplenty.  There would be more.  Nefaria laughed, squinting just so and let the fire rage forth-

IMPACT!

He was falling, spiraling through the air uncontrolled.  Panic filled his breast as the last dregs of useless breath left his altered body.  The world spun blue and gray and white as he started his rapid plummet to the snowy slopes-

“I can fly…”

Count Nefaria stopped his descent, righting himself as he tried to regain composure.  There was no pain, yet he had felt the impact- sensed it really, now he thought.  A strange sensation indeed.  What had hit him though, with enough force that it might register?  A meteor?  Nefaria licked his lips, remembering the Vision…

He saw them then, hovering above but not so far away.  He recognized some- they had followed him.  The damnable Avengers; Ms Marvel- no- Warbird, and Iron man, Thor, but there were others as well, others he did not know.  There was a woman scantily clad and draped in the flag of the United States.  There was a man whose head seemed to be aflame.  A boy in green and black, his hand glowing green as well.  An alien obviously- again green- with a flowing blue cloak.  A man dressed in red and blue, a huge ‘S’ shield on his chest.  It was he that had struck the blow.

Who were these fools?

“Nefaria!” Thor bellowed.  He hung there in the sky, twirling his damnable hammer overhead.  Nefaria could see the storm clouds rolling in, the flash of lightning on the horizon.  The Asgardian’s own storm was struggling for dominance against the red clouds and black lightning of the Negative Zone, but he seemed unconcerned.  “Captain America did demand we give thee one chance to surrender!  Do so now, cur, or face our unfettered wrath!”

The man was insane.  Count Nefaria blinked, watching as the ‘heroes’ flitted about, jockeying for position in the sky above.  Did they not know who he was?  He would let them know.

“Braggart!” Nefaria shouted as he called forth the power boiling within his form.  It was a song- a crescendo of glory shouting for release.  “Insipid dolt!  You face Nefaria!  You know nothing of wrath!”

Count Nefaria laughed as he watched the Thunder God writhe in the blazing onslaught of his eye beams.  The radiation burned the Asgardian’s skin, stripped away his raiment.  It made him scream!

Once upon a time Nefaria thought that Thor had held the secret to immortality.  Now…

“Burn, Asgardian…

“Burn!”

And the battle was joined…


Wally West charged up the steep slopes of Mt. Annapurna, his fleet form little more than a wisp of scarlet trailing lightning behind.  He would hear the clap of thunder eventually, if he was still near enough, but he hoped not to be.  He hoped to be far away…

He held the two men- one under each arm as he dashed back down the slope.  He could feel the friction burning into the rock behind him, a melting trail that spewed steam in his wake.  He could see flashes of light overhead as the battle raged, but he ignored it.  He had his job- his duty.  Captain America had told him to save lives, and for some reason he just did not want to disappoint the man in charge.

“Two more…“

He heard the high-pitched buzz, saw the flash of quicksilver as his fellow speedster dashed past heading back up the mountain.  The Avenger had adapted to the Speed Force, erratic as it was- and was thriving on the boost.

It had been hell on Quicksilver’s world.  Everything had been so slow and methodical.  He was dying just trying to move, and every step had hurt.  How the other speedster had managed in that ‘molasses’ was beyond Wally West’s ability to understand.  But now, back in touch with the Speed Force- even damaged- it was like… Like…

He could not express it.

“Two more!” he shouted as he passed Quicksilver on the slope again.  It had been seconds- less than seconds…

Dozens saved.  Dozens more to go…

“He’s strong…”

Batman stared up the slope, watching as the battle raged in the skies over the Himalayas.  The Black Canary was right.  The alien had flashed some form of Heat Vision at Thor and they had heard his cries even here more than a mile away.  The being had taken a ramming blow from the Man of Steel yet seemed barely fazed.  Almost annoyed.

“Count Nefaria is perhaps one of the Avengers’ strongest foes,” Captain America confirmed.  “One of the first times we fought him in a ‘powered’ state it took a full compliment of some of our strongest members to bring him down.  Now, his power levels seem almost incomprehensible compared to then.”

“Any foe can be beaten,” the Batman countered as he moved along the slight trail leading up to Ra’s Al Ghul’s Aerie.  The battle above was out of his league, and most likely the league of his companions.  There was concern of course, but they had their own job to do.  And if the likes of Superman and Thor could not stop Nefaria, they could at least keep him occupied while the real work was done.  Count Nefaria was not the problem.  It was Ra’s.

Captain America had compiled a good strategy he had to admit.  Let the heavy hitters deal with the threat of Nefaria, keep him busy while cooler heads made the way into Al Ghul’s stronghold to find Midas and the Avengers’ archer, and to deal with the true threat.  Meanwhile, Zatanna and the Scarlet Witch would be plying their trade, using their strange sciences- magic- to try to stem the spread of the Rifts and storms of anti-matter.  Too, while the Flash and Quicksilver used their great speed to play clean up, the Beast, Plastic Man and Iron Man would link up and investigate the strange tower that Ra’s Al Ghul had built.

There was little doubt in the Batman’s mind that that tower had been constructed by Ra’s Al Ghul and was the true key to the current crisis.  The solution was simple of course.  Find Ra’s and get answers.  Shut it down-

The Beast and Plastic Man have reached the base of the tower, Captain.  Iron Man is en route to join them, though he dislikes leaving the main battle.

“Good J’onn,” the Captain responded to the mental message.  He had taken one idea from the JLA, using their resident telepath to keep him ‘linked’ to all the teams throughout the assault.  He had mentioned in the quick strategy meeting that they had tried something similar with one of their own members once, but it had not worked out well.  “Iron Man will do his part.  Don’t worry.  Keep me appraised.”

They all flinched as a loud boom shook the deep snow about them.  Batman quickly surveyed the upper mountain, watching for avalanche while the others scanned the sky for the source.

“Jesus…”

The others followed where the Black Canary pointed to see Warbird’s body spiraling towards the horizon.  Nefaria was streaking skyward trailing radiation like a comet as both Thor and Superman swooped down to meet him.  The entire mountain seemed to shake when they three finally clashed.

“There!”

The Batman pointed up the slope to a clearing and a huge set of metallic doors clearly disguised with a white primer of paint.  The doors were open partially, billows of smoke roiling out and drifting skyward on the wind.  Too, the Agents of the Demon’s Head were pouring through the opening, both in and out in an almost frenzied state.  Batman could hear the dim and distant echo of weapons being discharged within.

“We need to clear the path,” he said, but even as he got the words out he saw Captain America’s shield spin past, the Black Panther and the Canary running forward in pursuit.  Something flitted by on the opposite side- the Wasp he assumed as he hurried forward then as well.  He almost smiled- almost.  He was not used to being last…


“It’s an incredible construct,” Iron Man said as he swept lower within range of the hearing of Plastic Man and the Beast.  “I’d love to talk to the man that imagined this.”

“Yeah, well,” Plas said stretching his neck so that his head was level with the Golden Avenger.  “Maybe after we bring it crashing down you an’ him can look at the blue prints over a cup a’ latee’.  Right now this thing’s about to destroy my home, so let’s focus, hunh?”

“I am focused,” Iron Man replied just a bit coolly.  “However it’s drawing in the anti-energy from the Negative Zone, that’s not why it was originally constructed.  I see definite bits of technology similar to the Encephala tech that was used both by the Grim Reaper and Ultron.”

“What’s an Ultron?” Plastic Man asked, his goggles huge as he watched the Beast climbing the side of the tower apparently uncaring of the energy pouring from the huge, light-bulb looking thing at the top.

“Big, nasty robot,” McCoy answered as he heaved on a panel bolted in the side of the tower.  He peered within once he tossed the metal plate away.  “Hell-bent on obliterating humanity in favor of a more mechanically inclined population.  His Encephala Ray shut down certain portions of the brain, putting the recipient in a death-like coma.  Speaking from first hand experience, let us hope that this tower was not constructed for a similar purpose.”

“I doubt it,” Iron Man said, spiraling down from another circuit about the tower.  He came to a stop near the Beast, hovering as he flashed a bright beam of light from his chestplate within the panel that Hank McCoy had opened.  “From what Diana and J’onn told me about this ‘Ra’s Al Ghul’, simply putting the world in a coma seems a bit blunt for him.  More likely the original intent was something a bit subtler.”  Iron Man looked at Plastic Man for confirmation, but the hero simply stared a goggle with his mouth wide and flapping-

“Wonder Woman lets you call her Diana?” he shrieked.  “I’ve known her for months, and she doesn’t let ME call her Diana.”  Iron Man shrugged as best he could and returned his attention to the machine.

“It’s a moot point really,” Iron Man continued ignoring Plastic Man’s sullen mumbling.  “They’ve taken the original broadcast tech and inverted it somehow, adding an array of power receptors and a load of dampers to channel the anti-matter into some battery device hidden somewhere I imagine.  Still, even the adaptations and modifications are state of the art for something that was cobbled on after the fact.  It’s reminiscent of some of the things I’ve seen that Doom had put together.  In fact, it reminds me of the schematics of Doom’s Cosmic Power Transferal Pack, which he used when he originally stole the powers of the Silver Surfer years ago.  Reed showed me the design once over…”

“Oh my stars and garters…” The Beast’s head suddenly popped up and out of the panel and both Iron Man and Plastic Man saw the look of shock and understanding on his face.

“What?” the two heroes said in unison.

“Didn’t Thor say something about the Silver Surfer disappearing into a Rift when this whole thing started?”

“Good Lord… you’re right.”

“What’s a Silver Surfer?” Plas asked, his legs molding into a surfboard while his costume shifted to red Bermuda shorts.

“Ex-Herald of Galactus,” the Beast offered, “big-time space guy.”

“And what’s a Galactus?” Plastic Man asked morphing his body into a red facsimile of Robbie the Robot.

“He eats planets.”

“Sorry I asked.”

“Cap?” Iron Man said, hoping to focus on the mental link provided by the Martian Manhunter.  He heard Captain America’s response, but he seemed preoccupied.  Never the less, Iron Man pressed on-

“Cap.  We may have another problem…”

“The Surfer…”

Wanda Maximoff-Magnus licked her lips as she stared skyward.  The storms still churned.  Lightning still cut the sky and Chaos seemed to swell from the Rift.  It was so strange.

She could see it so clearly- the Chaos.  It was exact, precise and beautiful, like crystal from Tiffany’s, as though sculpted and molded for perfection.  And she could feel it.  It almost seemed to call to her, a rich, deep voice echoing-

“Wanda?”

The Scarlet Witch gasped, almost yelping, jumping to hear the voice in her ear, the hand on her shoulder.  Suddenly she felt the cold again, shivering.

“Zatanna.”

“Are you all right?” Zatanna asked, smiling but concern on her face.  How she was not freezing to death Wanda had no idea, dressed in her magician’s stage costume of fishnet stockings and tuxedo jacket.  At least she had put on some boots.  “You seemed distant for a moment…”

“I’m fine,” Wanda said with a grim smile.  “You heard?”

“Cap’s message?  The Silver Surfer?  Yes.  It sounds bad.”

“It could be,” Wanda said with a sigh, wincing as she saw Superman take a smashing blow to his handsome face, swiftly plummeting to crash into the side of another mountain miles away.  After a moment she heard the crack of the blow, then the rumble of the impact after that.  The boy, Firestorm and Green Lantern were quickly positioning to take the Man of Steel’s spot in the assault against Nefaria, and she saw a crimson blur that must be the Flash racing towards where the Superman struck earth.  She wondered where Pietro was.

“If only I could get a better ‘grip’ on your Chaos Magic.  Perhaps I could use my Hex Powers to alter Nefaria’s composition somehow.  Cut him off at the source of his powers.”  Wanda bit her lip, watching as the boy, Kyle tried to contain Count Nefaria in a green ‘safe’.  Nefaria burst free easily, sending the Lantern spinning away.  “Your Chaos seems so… ordered.  It’s unintelligible, but there’s a bizarre structure to it all, regardless.  I can’t fathom it.”

“It’s an Age of Order,” Zatanna offered, her own gaze following Wanda’s as Wonder Woman flew in closer to renew the attack.  She saw both Superman and Thor streaking back again as well, though Warbird had yet to recover.  Firestorm was doing something, but as always reality warped about him in a nuclear glow making it hard for her special ‘sight’ to discern.  She did not see J’onn.

“Chaos is submissive to Order’s laws.  There is a balance,” Zatanna explained, her eyes focused on Firestorm as an idea started to form.  “Chaos is amongst us as always, but… It’s… incomprehensible…

“We’re going about this all wrong, I think,” Zatanna said, stepping forward and raising her hand to shield her eyes against the snow glare.

“Oh?”

“Shhh… I think I have an idea… J’onn?”

War World…

“When shall he start?” Shazam asked as he strained to see the shadowy form of Galactus against the glare of conflicting energies rippling from the Rift.  It seemed to the ancient wizard that the being from that other realm simply floated before the hole in space as though basking in the summer sun.  He glanced at his three comrades; Izaya the once Highfather of New Genesis, and Ganthet, last of the once famed and fabled Guardians of the Universe.  They, like he, were almost awestruck at the sheer magnitude of their plan, or rather, the plan of the fourth in their impromptu quartet.

Thanos-

There was a twinkle in his eye, a spark as the Mad Titan turned from the spectacle to grin at his trio of allies.  “He already has,” Thanos rumbled, his voice low and rough.

“Many are the mysteries of Galactus, but this I know, HIS is the will and the way, the final voice and decision.  It is HE that has the final say, and the final word.”  Thanos gestured towards the heavens again.  Galactus had not moved.  “Whether we witness history in the making or the end of all we shall know rests on HIS ability now.  HIS fate.”

“I do not like this, Titan,” Ganthet said with a frown.  “The fate of all reality should not rest in the hands of one unknown being no matter how powerful they might be.”

“Tell that to Hal Jordan, Guardian…” Thanos chuckled coldly.  “Oh.  That’s right.  You can’t.  Well ask Rama Kushna then, or Rao, or even whomever it is that your Spectre serves these days.”

“Do you really wish to debate theology with the likes of us Titan, especially at a time like this when we all are quite possibly mere moments from meeting our respective maker?” Izaya said stepping forward.

Thanos smiled and shrugged, returning his gaze to the Rift.  “I suppose not.  We’ll save that for a time in the future- if there is a time, when we are all, old and… gray.  I do wish to point out however, though I said the ultimate decision lies with Galactus, I never said that he would not have assistance.”

And Thanos simply disappeared.

The three old men looked from one to another in momentary confusion, then one by one all turned towards the skies again.  They could see the Devourer still, unmoving, floating like a child in the womb.  Too, suddenly, they saw another…

I AM PREPARED, TITAN.

Thanos stared up at the glory of Galactus.  The Devourer of World’s eyes seemed glazed as his skin burned before the onslaught of radiation and anti-matter rippling from the giant tear, so alien to his very being- and to that of Thanos as well.  Even with the preparations that he had taken himself he could feel the burn at his back.  The strange combination of negative energy combined with this dimension’s Time Stream and Speed Force run amok, the pure essence of Chaos unbound all intermingling to create a conflagration that might wipe out existence as a whole.  If left unchecked, but then, that was the very purpose of their being there.

Thanos’ gaze quickly scanned the alien apparatus, which Galactus had donned.  It was a strange web work, a lattice lacing and inter-lacing again, criss-crossing the entirety of the Devourer’s more familiar armor of purple and blue with strands of white.  It was something created years before by the Earthman Reed Richards when the human had actually saved the giant from Death herself, earning the ire of the universe in the process.  Thanos had suggested modifications of course, which Galactus easily implemented, linking all to the workings of his Planet Ship in the preparation of ‘feeding’.  Now, with his armor ready and his machinery in place there was but one final step-

“As am I, Galen…”

Thanos ignored the Devourer’s gaze as he produced a small gem from his own armor.  It was one of a set, one of the two that he currently possessed, and the one Infinity Gem that was his by right- The Reality Stone.  He held the gem high and out that the Devourer might see it as well, their eyes meeting as both focused on the sparkling stone as it shifted in color with its surroundings.  Galactus almost seemed to shrug as he looked away and Thanos smiled at the conceit.

I EXPECTED AS MUCH.  I AM A BEING OF ABSOLUTES, AND ONLY THE UNKNOWN MAY CHANGE THAT.

“If the results are positive, Devourer, does the path to success matter?  We have the opportunity to save reality and sate your great hunger all in one fell swoop.  How shallow are we not to at least try?”

I AM ONE IN THE GREAT CYCLE, TITAN.  THE END SHALL COME FOR US ALL, EVENTUALLY.  OFTEN I CRAVE ITS ARRIVAL AS I CRAVE SUSTENANCE.  ONE OUTCOME IS MUCH THE SAME TO ONE SUCH AS I.

“Oh, but for the grace of God, eh?  Pity I want to go on living or I would leave you to your fate.”  Thanos floated forward easily, flowing through the aeyther and storm to confront the Devourer, face to gigantic face.  “I could you know,” he said as he held forth the Infinity Gem, “but I have seen the Other Side as have you- and not.  Eternal peace is not for the likes of us."

Galactus said nothing as the Mad Titan reached out and placed the Reality Gem into the cradle within the helmet at the Devourer’s brow.  Thanos drifted back, watching in satisfaction as the latticework, exo-skeleton slowly started to glow.  Brighter, ever brighter as the Devourer of Worlds slowly began to shift and squirm.  Thanos could only imagine the strange sensations that were coursing through the body of the being more than twenty billion years old.  He who came before…

It had been a gamble, the idea to convert the strange energies seeping from the Rifts into something, which the Great Devourer could consume.  It had been Thanos’ idea to use the Reality Stone to simply do it, but of course Adam Warlock- ever the voice of reason- had pointed out the errors in his plan.  Granted the Stone could do the job, but as Galactus himself had pointed out, HE was unique in the cosmos.  HIS was a specific purpose, and to tamper with the Grand Design was to tempt the ultimate fate.  However, when the Way is seemingly endless and the Will is weary…

It was the very thought of Galactus that reminded the Titan of the mechanism constructed by Reed Richards.  A brilliant piece of work- for a human- and a simple matter to adapt that to in turn adapt to the unique energies that the Infinity Gem would soon commence pouring into the very being of Galactus.

An inspired plan, a marvelous theory that might satisfy all.  But would it work?  Thanos had no idea actually, and in truth he only cared a fraction of a wit.  There were plans within schemes within plots of course, and as always the Mad Titan was far and away beyond any other in his thinking.  ‘Outside the box’, as they say, or perhaps more accurately-

Outside the cube…

The Aerie
Mt. Annapurna
Nepal:

“I can smell their fear.”

The Black Panther paused, motioning for the others to do the same as another group of agents of the Demon’s Head charged past, running for the upper levels and freedom.  The panic on their faces, in their eyes was evident.  Something up ahead was sending these and many more before them fleeing for their very lives.

“Let them go,” the Batman said edged back against the wall and watching them stream past.  It was pointless to fight them.  They would just be a delaying tactic.  “It’s Ra’s we want.”

Captain America nodded his agreement, stepping back into the main corridor when it was clear, the others following in step.  He glanced at the Black Canary standing at his side as they were bringing up the rear.  She seemed almost impatient to continue, eager in a way.  He wondered why.

“The way’s clear.”

The Batman glanced up at the tiny voice almost lost in the din of battle echoing through the halls.  He saw the Wasp flitting overhead, zipping in close enough to be heard.

“There’s definitely something big happening up ahead,” she continued, lighting on the Dark Knight’s shoulder, deferring to his expertise in the surroundings rather than Cap’s own strategic savvy.  “I saw Hawkeye.  He’s okay, and Midas and his daughter too, though the Doctor was flat on his back with an arrow in his chest.  The man you described was there too- Ra’s Al Ghul- and some other woman fighting Oubliette, and about a score of agents still on their feet.  There’s a lot of dead too.  It’s like a slaughterhouse.”

“Ra’s has no problem sacrificing his followers to achieve his goals,” Batman said grimly, motioning for the Panther to take the point again, swiftly falling into step.  He could hear Cap and the Canary guarding the rear, rather, the Canary guarding the Captain as his attention was divided, directing the other teams.  It had taken some time to get him to ‘think’ his directions rather than speak them, knowing that J’onn J’onzz would ‘hear’ regardless.  Not that it mattered if the group inside were discovered.  Resistance within the Aerie had been minimal, and the assembled team incredibly adept at working in unison, quick, quiet and efficient.

“I don’t think it was your Ra’s that did the killing,” the Wasp countered, taking a short respite on the Batman’s shoulder, clinging to his cowl.  “I think it was Midas.  I…“

The Batman raised his hand for silence as he glanced into a room off to one side.  It was a Lab he knew, but for what purpose was beyond his ability to determine.  He could see the remains of the heavily shielded partition, the reinforced room beyond, but the rest of the area had been blasted clean.  There were shadowy images etched and burned into the walls where machinery had once stood, and people as well.  He could smell the devastation, a rotting odor like burned ozone and sulfur.

“You feel it too,” the Panther said as he silently eased into the room.  “The tingling, like static electricity, and the smell.”

“It seems familiar,” the Batman agreed, “but I don’t…“

“Ohmigod!”

Both men turned at the sound of Janet Van Dyne’s outburst.  They saw the tiny Avenger hovering in the space of the shattered window, her hands covering her mouth in shock for her cry.  Easing forward they saw the reason.

“The Silver Surfer…” the Panther said as he leaped through the window’s frame easily avoiding the jagged remains of the safety glass.  He landed noiselessly, crouching next to the unconscious form of the former Herald of Galactus, touching a hand gently to the man’s shining throat.  “Alive, though faint.  It’s hard to tell, but…“

“Bring him then!”

The Batman turned and stalked from the room not even considering that his order would be questioned.  He passed the Captain and Canary in the doorway, noting the Star-spangled Avenger’s slightest nod, though he seemed lost in thought, no doubt relaying the information through J’onn’s mind link to the others.

Fine!

If the Beast were correct, then finding the Surfer meant that they were getting closer to the root of all this, and finally the end.  The Batman had no doubt that Ra’s Al Ghul was that ultimate root, no matter Midas and Annihilus and Nefaria.  It was Ra’s somehow, implementing one of his schemes to cull humanity and recreate the world in his image, according to his focused and limited delusions.  There was no calculating the damage he had done, but there was a cost to be certain-

And he would pay…


“Magnificent!”

Wonder Woman stared unbelieving as the Count Nefaria simply smiled, shrugging away, ignoring her mightiest blows.  She was breathing hard, her breasts heaving and her body aching and the man hardly seemed winded though he had suffered assaults from some of the most powerful heroes that she had ever encountered.  Thor seemed power unbridled with his mystical hammer, and Superman was, well, Superman.  And Nefaria seemed totally unfazed-

He vanished then, and just as suddenly she felt the burn of his radical energies at her throat, grasping her already injured arm.  She winced as he squeezed ever so slightly and pain shot up her arm and through her body.  He was so fast-

“You are truly worthy of my glory.  The ultimate woman for me, the ultimate man,” he whispered, his voice crackling in her ear.  She could hear her hair sizzling with his proximity, her skin feeling afire.  “Come.  Be my queen and I shall end this quickly.”

“You-“ she gasped, the heat stealing her voice, burning her throat.  “You’re insane…“

“They say that about every man with vision,” he said, laughing, “at least in the beginning.  Napoleon… Einstein… Edison… Hitler- Well, he was.  Bad example, but you get the general idea I’m sure.  I however, unlike those men of the past, have the power to make my dreams reality.”  He pulled her closer, his lips scorching her throat.

“Join me…”

“Never!” Diana screamed, struggling against his iron grip to no avail.  Finally though Nefaria shifted her about, changing his grip to easily encompass her throat and hold her at arm’s length.

“Then die, bitch!”

Diana, Princess of Thymscira and the Wonder Woman felt his grip tighten on her throat, cutting off her air.  She could hear her skin starting to sizzle, to burn, and she could not get her breath.  Spots appeared as she struggled, kicking out at empty air uselessly, her strength and determination waning, dwindling…

She gasped as air flooded her lungs suddenly.  She could feel the frigid air racing past as she fell, easing her pain and discomfort, cooling her burned skin.  She flailed as she fell, as consciousness and clarity returned.  She slowed, concentrating, catching the wind until flight returned with thought, soaring up again to see Kal-El locked in combat with the dazzling monster that was Nefaria.

The two men were trading blows, Nefaria looking as though he actually felt some of them.  Superman however felt more, but he fought on as the true hero that he was.  He was bleeding and bruised, and Diana knew that he was hurting.  The energies that were the core of Nefaria’s power were laced with so many things that could kill them all.  Magic to stymie both Thor and Superman and she as well.  There were radiations flowing through his form, whether Kryptonite or not she did not know, but solar for certain and no doubt of the red end of the spectrum, anathema to the Man of Steel.  The ionic energies to thwart J’onn, and somehow Kyle as well.  And it was Nefaria’s very sentience that stopped Firestorm from being effective-

Perhaps not…

“J’onn?  What-“ Diana looked up at the Martian Manhunter, the Green Lantern hovering near to defend their ace in the hole, he that was connecting everyone mentally.

Zatanna has an idea, but it will involve a unified assault to get Nefaria to press his powers to their utmost.  I must analyze his make up thoroughly in order to guide Firestorm in his efforts-

“Me?” Firestorm said, swooping close to Wonder Woman.  “I can’t do anything to him.  He’s a person, despite his energy form.  My powers don’t work that way-“

“Not if I’ve figured Wanda’s powers correctly, Ronnie,” Zatanna said, her voice an echo in everyone’s head.  “She effects probability with her Mutant Hexes.  Couple that with her Chaos Magic, and a little direction from me, and I think you’re the trump we need to defeat that maniac.”

It shall take a combined effort from all of us to succeed, including the trio at the tower as well as the speedsters, but it is our best chance thus far.  For the sake of all, we must try.  But of course the final decision remains yours, Ronald.  You will be the key element.

“I can’t,” Firestorm said.  “I can’t affect life, no matter the form.”

“You will, Firestorm,” the Scarlet Witch said in his head, in all their minds.  “A little faith…”


Superman felt blood again as Nefaria’s fist smashed across his face.  His head snapped about with the force of the blow and he heard another tooth crack.  The world swam for a moment, and Nefaria struck again-

He was falling.  Dazed, he tried to remain conscious, though it would be so easy to surrender.  Nefaria was incredibly strong, and it was only the fact that he seemed to be toying with them that they had survived so long.  The man was arrogant to be sure, and that would be his downfall if only they could press that fact and use it to their advantage.

Focusing he slowed his descent, blinking as he saw something streak past.  He tried to focus, to make the world stop spinning and saw Warbird rejoining the fight.

Energy flared from her hands, a devastating blast that hit Nefaria squarely in the chest.  It drove him back a bit, but he otherwise seemed unaffected, laughing as he braced against her attack-

“Is that your best, woman?  Go back to the kitchen where you belong!”  Nefaria laughed as Warbird cursed, taking the obvious bait.  She rocketed forward-

“Son of a bitch!” she shouted and Superman winced.  Not that he could blame her.  She slammed into Nefaria, but he held his ground, energy flaring about him again.  He simply batted her away.

Superman watched as the Avenger tumbled off, finally righting herself in flight, waiting.  Lightning flashed, striking Nefaria and Kal-El saw Thor flying forward again.

The Thunder God was burned and battered, his uniform in shreds as he whirled his hammer wildly.  Even from half a mile away Clark could hear his grunt as he hurled the mystical mallet, lightning crackling, thunder booming in its wake as it streaked towards its target…

Nefaria caught it.  Just like that he simply put up his hands and stopped the hammer’s momentum dead.  Oddly however, Superman saw the villain wince as he tried to hold the weapon, his arm sagging as he strained.  Finally he was forced to release his grip as the ‘weight’ of the hammer started to drag him down.

Cursing Nefaria turned towards the Lord of Storms, his eyes blazing-

“Burn!”

Thor screamed as fire erupted about him.  His skin lighted ablaze, the last of his armor swept away in a cleansing conflagration that made his skin peel and boil.  His long, golden hair burned off in the fire, his body writhing as he started to fall.  Nefaria’s gaze followed the god all the way to the ground, steam rising in great clouds as the Asgardian hit the side of the mountain and started the long tumble down the slope…

And suddenly the hammer was there…

And Superman reached out, snatching M’Jolnir from its arc, saving it from its plummet to the ground…

Clark Kent gasped as he felt the sudden surge of power that flowed through his body.  He had never imagined, never dreamed just how powerful the God of Thunder had truly been.  He felt the tingle of magic, but it was good.  It seemed to enhance him somehow, making the pain a distant memory.  He had never…

Never…

Clark…

Superman shot skyward.  He saw the glow of Green Lantern’s ring as Kyle attacked again, Nefaria laughing and shrugging off his best efforts.  Maybe it was the yellow coursing through Nefaria’s form.  Maybe Nefaria’s will was stronger.  Maybe Kyle was hesitant after what had happened before with the Squadron Supreme, or simply tired, running out of energy.  It just did not matter.  He kept trying, fighting to the last.  Could Superman- could any of them do any less?

“Arrgh!”

Finally, reaction…

Nefaria grunted as the Man of Steel struck, all of his might pushing behind the hammer.  He had not struck such a blow, let loose with all his strength since he had fought Doomsday.  There was always that tiny bit of conscience holding him back, but now, hammer in hand, that was clear.  Nefaria had to go down, whatever the means.  There was no more holding back-

“Up, up and away!” he shouted, swinging M’Jolnir out before him as he flew after Nefaria.  It seemed appropriate…


“You’re looking for a series of Mother Boards, two hundred at least lined up in a circuitry array that-“

“Un-Hunh…”

“Little squares that are full of processing chips and wires that-“

“Un-hunh…”

“Plas, listen-“

“Call me Snake…”

Plastic Man chuckled as he wormed his way deeper into the inner workings of the tower.  It was all Greek to him, as he had tried to explain before he ‘volunteered’ to save the world.  He had been born in the early part of the Twentieth Century, and his high-tech worries had ended with colored television and the Frigidaire, but Iron Man and the Beast had either not been listening or else they had more faith in him to get the job done than he had in himself.  He was starting to wonder.

He had no idea just what he was looking at, or looking for, for that matter.  A long row of data cards maybe, that he was supposed to rearrange to reconfigure the tower’s output somehow.  He had no idea.  He really needed to catch up with the rest of the world.  It was annoying.  He was not stupid, just ignorant, and it was his own fault.  Before he joined the League he had never needed to know this stuff.  Bag the villain, pop off a joke or two and he was done.  Now they expected him to think?  That was Batman’s job-

But they were depending on him, and damned if he was going to fail…

“Okay,” he said as he gathered enough mass to reform his head and speak.  “I’m in an area with a whole lotta little 3x5’s lined up and blinking like a Christmas tree…”

“That’s probably it,” Iron Man said through J’onn’s mental link.  “Each of those cards represents a faction of the human brain- if I’ve read this monstrosity right.  We need to rearrange the cards so that it broadcasts a gathering signal rather than a repellant.  The subliminal orders to the brain of the world populace will then yada yada yada…”

Plas sighed and started pulling the individual cards from their respective slots.  He had no idea what he was doing, but the general rule was to ‘fuck up’ the villain’s machine, foil his plans and then laugh about it later, preferably over a beer and porterhouse.  Seemed a good rule of thumb that applied-

“Great Scott!”

“What?” Plas asked to hear the Beast’s exclamation.  “What’d I do?”

“The tower just started to flare like a lighthouse, shooting energy back into the Rift.”

“Oops… My bad…”

“No, Snake-“

Plas chuckled.  “Eel.  My name’s Eel.  You don’t see too many movies do ya shell head?”

“No, Eel.  No I don’t.  But keep doing what you’re doing.  And pay attention.  Put card 34 into slot 27.  Card 18 into slot 91…”

Plastic Man listened and did as he was told.  He had no idea, not a clue, but he knew that it had to be done.  And he was the best Plastic Man for the job…


Ra’s Al Ghul planted a boot on Midas’ chest as he grasped the arrow’s shaft and gave a mighty tug.  With some effort the arrow slid free.  Remarkably the broad head was free of blood, the cylinder affixed to the wooden shaft still crackling with energy leaking from the nozzle tip.  Ra’s Al Ghul glanced down as Midas moaned, smiling.  The fool would live, apparently, at least for the moment.  At least until-

Ra’s Al Ghul turned at the sound of screams.  His daughter straddled the other woman there on the far end of the hallway, the red-headed daughter of Midas.  A fitting end as Talia hammered blows down on the other- her counterpart in a twisted way.  An open palm thrust slamming across the cheek.  A simple right cross against the nose.  A driving left that bounced the back of the woman’s head against the floor.

The woman, the Exterminatrix sagged into unconsciousness as Talia sagged herself with exhaustion.  Her long, brown hair hung damply, matted to her face with sweat as she glanced askew.  She smiled ever-so-slightly with her triumph, and Ra’s nodded his approval-

“Okay…”

Ra’s turned again at the sound of the voice.  It was the archer of course.  The hero…

“Just drop the rod, man and walk away.”  Hawkeye had a simple shaft notched and aimed at the heart of the Demon’s Head.  Ra’s al Ghul smiled, his gaze scrutinizing his foe.  The archer was sweating as well, tired.  His muscles were straining to hold the bow taut and steady and Ra’s could see the slightest quiver in his stance.  “We can end this without a fight.”

“I agree, archer,” Ra’s said as he gripped the Cosmic Control Rod and pulled it free of the shaft.  The archer had done his job, downing the idiot Midas, and Ra’s Al Ghul could feel the swell of power boiling within the cylinder, burning his fingers.  Such power… Marvelous…

“We can end this now.”  Ra’s raised the Nega Rod, pointing the nozzle at the archer even as Hawkeye loosed the shaft.  A lesser man might have died, but then Hawkeye was not Green Arrow- he was not Oliver Queen, and Ra’s Al Ghul was not a lesser man.  Ra’s saw the archer shift his aim, and by the same token he shifted his stance.  Ra’s Al Ghul was enhanced- not a Meta, mind, but far and removed from the sheep.  The Lazarus Pits had made him the best that he could be, easily the equal of the closest, best man- the Detective.  More than a match for the marksman-

Ra’s Al Ghul snatched the arrow from its path, right out of the air.

The second arrow drove into his shoulder, striking bone.

Ra’s Al Ghul cursed as the tingle shot down his arm.  His hand spasmed, going numb as he lost his grasp on the Nega Rod, the metal cylinder bouncing, clattering across the warm stone of the floor.  He glared at the archer, and the buffoon just grinned, another arrow notched-

“Don’t be stupid,” Hawkeye said, licking his lips.  “It’s over.  End it.”

“I am never stupid, archer.  Do not insult me,” Ra’s said as he rubbed his arm.  The shot had been clean, the bleeding minimal.  He had not meant to injure but subdue.  He was not Queen.

Ra’s smiled as his daughter slammed the butt of the Exterminatrix’s whip into the back of the archer’s head, electricity dancing about his body.  Hawkeye’s eyes rolled up as the bow and arrow fell from his grip, and he fell to the floor.  Talia slammed her boot’s heel into the archer’s temple as she stepped over his prone body, then gasped-

“Ra’s!”

Again Ra’s Al Ghul turned, knowing and recognizing the sound of the raised voice.  He knew it all too well.  He had heard the voice and the tone attached too many times in his recent past.  He smiled with satisfaction-

“Detective…”

The Batman stood there as always, looking menacing and macabre all in one.  His body was hunched slightly, his cloak hanging as he blended with the shadows, the white slits of his eyes gleaming, dazzling.  Truly superb…

There were others behind him, as they should be.  There was a man draped in the American flag, a patriot of sorts standing tall and proud and holding a shield emblazoned with a star.  Another man swathed entirely in black, hunkering like a great jungle cat.  There was the Black Canary; beautiful and deadly.  And something… small, flitting about just out of sight.  The JLA, and more, friends of the archer.

“A pleasure as always,” Ra’s said, bowing slightly.  The rod was in reach, but the detective was fast and the others unknown, perhaps faster.  He straightened and saw then that they had gathered the silver man, left him sprawled in the darkness beyond.

“It’s over, Ra’s,” the Batman said with certainty.  “Surrender.”

“Surrender?” Ra’s said with a sweeping gesture.  “For what?  I’ve done nothing.”

Ra’s smiled to see the Detective grimace, but it was the man with the shield that spoke up with arrogance-

“Treason… Kidnapping… Intent to commit mayhem…”

Ra’s laughed.  “That’s absurd.  I do not know you, or from whence you come, but there are rules here as the Detective knows all too well.  I am beyond his reach, and yours, sir.  You in fact are trespassing, but if you leave now-“

“Not likely!” the Black Canary shouted as she leapt forward.  Ra’s barely turned aside as she shot past, but her flying kick struck Talia unawares and as he turned about he saw his daughter hit the floor.  The Black Canary landed gracefully, spinning- magnificent-

The blow hit hard, staggering him.  Ra’s stumbled, unprepared, slamming and slumping against the wall holding his still numb arm.

“Honor be damned,” the black man said.  “You will stand down.”

The man draped in the flag scooped up the rod.  A woman appeared at the side of the archer, cradling his head and trying to revive him.

“It’s over Ra’s.  Beyond you,” the Batman said.  “Cut your losses and live to fight another day.  My allies do not hold to my code.”

Ra’s Al Ghul stared at the Detective, locking eyes with the only man in the entire world that he considered even close to being an equal.  He was bluffing… maybe… but…

“Take the rod.”  Ra’s stepped away from the wall, stood sure and proud.  “Control of these events has slipped from my grasp.  There are too many variables, too many contingencies to account for.  There will be other opportunities.  I defer…”

Ra’s bowed again, smiling as the Detective grimaced.  He had won in a way.  Not ultimately, but that would come eventually.  He still had the Protocols after all, and the Babel Towers.  Too there was the Ruby of Revival.

His time would come…


“Just relax, Ronnie,” Wanda said as she squinted, trying to eye the energies flowing about her, to sort them out.  “There’ll be no pain.”

“Easy for you to say.  You’re not on the receiving end.”  Wanda, the Scarlet Witch afforded him a quick smile.

Firestorm glanced skyward as the sky flared green.  He saw Kyle hovering there, standing in mid-air and directing the blazing energies of his ring at the Nefaria.  There was a green cannon firing green energy, and though Nefaria staggered, he laughed.  It was nothing to him.

Warbird’s hands blasted fire…

Wonder Woman’s broken lasso looped about his throat…

Superman slammed Thor’s hammer upside his head…

Count Nefaria shrugged it all away.  And he just kept laughing.

Firestorm turned towards the tower just a ways up slope and saw the Beast and Plastic Man helping the Iron Man attach leads from his amazing armor to the construct.  Without a thought Iron Man had opened up his armor and started to scavenge bits and pieces, hooking up to the tower’s circuitry.  There were wires trailing from his chestplate and the power pods open at his hips.  His wrists were spewing circuits and gears, the inner mechanisms glowing as he stared at the open panel before him.  He was standing barefoot in the snow on the frozen stone, his red boots little more than piles of metal now, taken apart for their circuitry.

Firestorm turned back to the witch, hearing her moan.  Zee was behind her, her fingers at the other woman’s temples as she leaned in close and whispered sweet something’s into her ear.  Ronnie did not understand the few words he caught, and those he quickly forgot- magic.  It was the same as every time that he worked with Zatanna.  Still he stared.  It was a scene, as both women were heaving with the effort of what they were about, thrusting and striking dramatic pose.  Zatanna was gorgeous of course and the Witch...

Focus, Ronald…

Firestorm licked his lips and glanced at the Martian Manhunter.  J’onn smiled thinly, then went back to his own work.  He was sweating, trying to sort through his many visions, the sight of a Martian able to see far beyond the spectrum of a human, and even that of the Nuclear Man.  Ronnie could see a lot, but without Martin Stein- the other whom had once shared the persona of Firestorm- Ronald Raymond could not understand.  He was not a scientist, not brilliant by any stretch of the imagination.  He was just a young man- a kid with a shitload of power.  J’onn J’onzz would have to sift through the information, the molecular make-up of Nefaria to see best how to counter the energies flooding the man and shut him down after relaying that info to Ronnie.  Hopefully whatever Zee and Wanda were doing would allow the Nuclear Man to affect the sentience that was Nefaria.

Hopefully Ronnie would survive the encounter too.  That would be nice…

“I’m… I’m ready,” the Scarlet Witch gasped as Zatanna stepped away, nodding.  Both women turned and gave him that look that women get when they know something you don’t, and Ronnie felt it shrivel just a bit as he swallowed.

“What?”

“There will be pain, Ronnie,” Wanda said as she raised her arms high overhead.  He watched as she touched her thumbs together and the world seemed to shift for just a moment.  Light went dark, and gravity flew out the window.  He felt something churn within the bowels of his stomach as acid washed up his throat.  He gagged-

“I lied,” the Witch said, her hands disappearing in a wash of the purest white light that he had ever seen.  “Sorry…”

And the world fell away…


“It won’t work.”

The Black Panther glanced up to see the woman, Talia standing near.  He was crouching next to the unconscious form of Norrin Radd, the Silver Surfer with the Nega Rod in hand.  He had hoped that restoring the surfer’s Cosmic Powers to him would revive the ex-herald, yet the woman seemed contrary.

“Explain,” he said.

“Say nothing, daughter.”  Ra’s Al Ghul stood without concern, watching intently.  “Let these heroes fend for themselves.  Offer no aid.”

“You don’t seem to understand that if we don’t stop this somehow, we all die,” Captain America said as he stood.  Beside him Hawkeye sat up, the Wasp easing his effort and holding him steady.  “You, me, everyone everywhere will die.  It’s a crisis of cosmic proportions that will eventually wipe away everything in existence.”  Ra’s Al Ghul shrugged.

“Perhaps it is destiny.  Fate- time to start anew.”

“You cling to life just a bit more than that, Ra’s,” Batman said as he stepped beside the daughter of the Demon.  She looked to him and T’Challa could see the look of love pass between them.  “What do you mean Talia?”

The woman paused; swallowing hard as she glanced at her father then quickly looked away, blushing.  “The silver man’s power is not in the rod, but in the tower.  The construct was converted to redirect the negative energy and the Surfer’s power was such that we could determine those that might be effected.  His ‘Power Cosmic’ was utilized to convert the anti-matter wave we were hoping to spread, to redefine its base attributes into something we might manipulate, thus culling the trash from the face of the Earth.”

“Genocide,” Batman said turning to the father.  “Killing the weak and ignorant, all that did not fit in your vision of Utopia.”

“You would be spared, Detective,” Ra’s said with a wicked grin.  “Most of your allies would ‘make the cut’ as well.  The world would be a better place.”

“With you in charge,” the Black Canary added, spitting in disgust.  “People like you make me sick-“

“Your sickness would be short lived woman.  Your shortsighted vision would be…“

“Enough!” T’Challa said, standing.  He turned to Captain America, holding out the Nega Rod.  “What do we do with this then?  How do we recharge the Surfer?”

“It’s all connected,” the Wasp said as she flew close to the Panther.  “Don’t you see?  We need to trade the anti-matter in the Rod for the Cosmic Power in the tower, then get that back into the Surfer.  Once the Power Cosmic is out of the tower it’ll be able to redirect Nefaria’s energies back into the Zone.  It’ll drain him…”

“Like... the Super Skrull,” Hawkeye added, understanding, shaking his head.  “His power's broadcast from some space station... at least according to Reed Richards.  Nefaria’s the same.  He’s sucking up the energies of that tower... being shot from the Negative Zone.”

“We need to get the Surfer to the tower then,” Cap said, but Talia shook her head.

“No.  If he is truly a being of cosmic proportion then the power will find its way home.  Stop Nefaria…”

“Easier said than done,” the Panther countered.

“No,” Cap said as he stared off into the shadows.  “Steps are being taken.”


Nefaria turned, snapping his head back into position as the Man of Steel battered him to no ill effect.  His blows hurt- Thor’s damnable hammer caused him some pain, but he could deal with that.  The alien was strong, but no where near powerful enough, even with the hammer.  Nefaria smiled-

His backhand sent Superman spiraling away.  The Man of Steel was tiring and weak, far too weak to effect the grandeur that was Nefaria.  There were none amongst their legion to give him pause.

He saw the boy fly forward, the Green Lantern with a blazing fist of verdant energy-

“You go down now, asshole!”

A shimmering of green and the boy seemed to ‘bulk’ up, his mass increasing as a field of green flame enveloped him.  He looked like the Hulk in an odd way, ready to smash.  Time to end this.  It had been entertaining getting some modicum of revenge and satisfaction against his past oppressors, but there were worlds to conquer-

Nefaria stepped forward, feeling the Speed Force take hold.  The power of the Whirlwind within multiplied a thousandfold and he was before the Lantern- in a flash.  He reached out as the boy’s eyes widened in shock.  Nefaria grabbed his arm, ignoring the burning emerald fire and placed his other hand on the boy’s chest.

Nefaria pulled…

The boy’s screams were music to his ears as Count Nefaria ripped the boy’s arm away at the socket, his force field as nothing.  Blood gushed from the wound, the child’s eyes rolling up as shock swiftly set in.  His mouth flapped, trying to speak, to scream.  His concentration and will broken, the Green Lantern began to fall.  Nefaria laughed as his eyes blazed, following-

“Burn…”

Kyle Rayner vanished in a white hot flash, his body disintegrating without a thought.  Nefaria smiled, still holding the severed arm of the last of the once-fabled and apparently overrated Green Lantern Corp.  He ripped the ring from the dead flesh and cast the useless arm away…

Tightening his fist, he crushed the ring.  He casually brushed the debris from his hands as he then turned to face the others, all staring at him in horror and awe.  He smiled-

“Next…”

To be Continued...


Next Issue: SHOCK FOLLOWS SHOCK in the FINAL, FATAL Finale to the Greatest Crossover in Fanfic history!  Head on over to M2K in one short week for the final chapter that we just had to call…

GODHOOD’S END!

One to go people…

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Story © 2005 Curt Fernlund and Chris Munn and may not be reproduced without permission.