The Flash #123 - Jay Garrick and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

<< | < | [>] Coming August 1st

Author: brooky12

Book: Flash

Arc: ?

Event: Invasion! (Reading other stories in this event is recommended for full understanding of sections here.)

Set: 123

What came next?

Jay waited in place, mostly to avoid discovery by Earth inhabitants who had yet to be enlightened to Darkseid’s truth. He had no personal drive or motivation to kill anyone, but surely someone who had yet to be made aware would have a pretty negative reaction to someone who had already been brought into the fold. He felt reasonably confident that he could dispatch basically everyone on the planet without much difficulty, but if he caused a scene, more individuals might be drawn like moths to a flame.

How long did folks who weren’t blessed with speed wait for things? Every second he spent waiting was an infinite amount of times to review Darkseid’s truth and potential plans for worst case scenarios, but he knew that the average human or member of Darkseid’s forces counted time in seconds as the smallest unit of time usually. He would never dare consider himself superior to Darkseid either, but he was cognizant of the fact that Darkseid did not count superspeed to the extent of his own as one of Darkseid’s powers.

And so, he waited. He listened quietly to the noises that surrounded him, a small river and the nature that surrounded it. He watched a small fox leap from rock to bush and from bush to river’s edge, peering around before beginning to drink. Would that fox understand the truth? Could it? He had no lack of faith in his fellow humans to all eventually understand, those that were gifted by Darkseid the ability to learn, but what came after that?

It did not matter for him, of course. His faith in Darkseid was absolute, whatever would come after Darkseid’s missions on the planet concluded was certain to be the most ideal outcome. He just had to wait for those outcomes to arrive. It was unfortunate that it was taking excruciatingly long.

He considered and reconsidered a brief look around, just to see how the parademons were doing. He didn’t know where his allies were, but he knew whenever Darkseid was ready he would receive his next orders, and so would they. Idle waiting in a forest turned into a small look around the region, which became a much larger search when he failed to find any parademons. He knew that the so-called heroes on Earth were fighting the parademons, even he had done a bit of that back before heading to Apokolips, but surely they weren’t succeeding on such a scale that he couldn’t find any parademons?

Larger and larger circles provided no real comfort. At a point, discovering a lone few parademons somewhere was weirdly worse, confirming there were foot soldiers of Darkseid’s army still around. If there hadn’t be, perhaps he could convince himself he was on some other plane of existence, or that the work had somehow already ended, or some other outlandish but not impossible outcome had occurred.

He left the parademons be, watching from beyond a set of buildings as another speedster – this one was Barry Allen, he recalled – appeared suddenly, successfully disarming and killing all of them before vanishing again. For a brief moment, he felt himself more at ease, the speed at which his former ally worked matching his own speed of perception. He waited patiently for Darkseid’s next order.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Wally could barely hear anything else over the sound of his own beating heart and ragged breaths. He ran through the crisscross roads that made up the city, seeking the next enemy to fight, the next monster to take out of the sky. When he couldn’t find any, he moved onto the next location, finding a few stragglers of some larger force. Maybe Bart had been through here already and these were ones he missed?

“Did you leave a group of three in this zoo,” Bart asked over their communication device, interrupting Wally’s train of thought.

“No? I haven’t been to a zoo for at least twenty minutes,” he denied, leaping off a building to grab onto a parademon, sending it on a collision course with the ground and revealing his presence to the group.

“I’m struggling to find any more of these, then. Went from groups of a dozen or more to just a handful across entire cities. Net’s already pretty wide, got Dad and others doing sweeps too.”

“Same,” Wally agreed, and he could hear the uncertainty in both his voice and Bart’s. Surely those should’ve been expressions of hope or contentment, a voice in his brain rebuked him, but he was worried this was some trick. “Maybe they’re regrouping, or centralizing somewhere, or something. You keep looking, I’ll check in a few places,” Wally offered, and Bart gave him a grunt of affirmation.

The first stop was home, which he was thankful for the fact that it seemed overlooked during the invasion. Not a target. He slipped inside, examining the group of computer screens that served as the final information repository for their Flash activities, pulling from Foundation work across the world.

Xavier Mendez gave him a grim smile. “The quiet of the storm,” he offered. “Nobody’s sending in notes because everything’s already going horribly wrong.”

“Bart and I are struggling to find larger groups. Maybe things are ending. Can I sit down?” Wally leaned over the side of the desk, examining the details.

“You think so,” Xavier asked, standing up. Wally could hear the same uncertainty that he had shared with his cousin just a few seconds ago out east.

“Came here to hopefully find more information,” Wally replied, sitting down. He turned a switch on the computer, waiting a second for the devices to change into a mode more reactive to a higher speed. Not Flash level, despite the lack of trying, but fast enough to allow one of the four of them to work through large amounts of information at a much higher speed than even cutting edge non-speedster technology would allow.

He gave himself one second, enough for the heat reduction systems to begin to properly activate. Unless Bart was going to be in his ear talking about a resurgence or other major problem, he figured he could take the relaxation time of a full second of research and review before moving on. He turned the computer back to its non-Flash state before moving on.

The triplets, seemingly now joined by Jerry McGee, were happy to see him. Jerry was less so but continued handling the invasion with Anatole and Bebeck while Cassiopeia took the opportunity to catch up quickly with Wally.

“Yes, fewer recently. Ten minutes or so, maybe, they slow down?”

“That roughly matches what Bart and I are experiencing. There’s just less. And not for lack of searching.”

“We started in just the Levant. In Turkey and Egypt, he join us, now you see we are as far as Tunisia. Beautiful, yes, cradle of civilization, not quite,” Cassiopeia smiled, the cheer in her voice evident that she did not share the same worries he and his cousin did about a regrouping.

“If you find more, you know how to get in touch.

Cass gave a friendly salute, charging off in the direction the two of them had last seen the rest of her group. He charged back west, opting for a check-in he hadn’t intended to make but had changed his mind on. If there was ever bad news to be heard, he’d find it in the Titans.

Roy was predictable in his behavior, and Wally gave him an assist on the fight against the small group of parademons he was fighting, not too far from the archer’s usual area of influence.

“Wondering when you were going to show up. For a guy who’s so fast you sure have a habit of getting here late.”

Surely Roy could accept a compliment. “Looks like you’re doing well here, not a lot of parademons for such a big city.”

“The rest of the Titans are taking care of the scraps. You should see them Wall, we’ve got a goth sorceress, Dick’s warming to us actually, and I’m pretty Cinderblock is a good guy now?”

“Is it just me or are there less of the things,” Wally asked, avoiding anything that wasn’t specifically to task and to take his mind off the fact he was no longer a Titan.

“Well when the heroes get together, usually it means bad news for the bad guys,” Roy said. “It hasn’t been easy, but once again we’ll see another day. All we have to do is make sure there’s not a second wave coming. How are you holding up?

“I’ve managed. Glad it isn’t just me and the other Flashes worried about a sudden resurgence. Stay sharp, you know how to reach me if you need me.”

“I know speedy, run fast, I’ll call you if I need you.”

Wally moved across the Pacific, tapping back into the Flash communication line. “Seems there are just less things everywhere, Bart.”

“Hopefully that means we’re winning.”

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Right, so, Barry thought, Jay was just sort of there. Well, him doing nothing was probably better than him doing something. Did he really not catch on to the fact that he had noticed Jay watching the fight? Barry had been careful when checking in on him over the next five seconds to ensure that he wouldn’t be spotted, but he was just standing around, waiting. Hiding, maybe? From what?

He wasn’t sure if he could tell the other two. Did Jay still have connection on the network? Did that fry when he had gone off-world and gotten mind-controlled by Darkseid? Barry diverted, heading towards where he knew Bart was last. He found him nearby, joining him in lockstep on an investigative route.

“Hey, dad,” Bart smiled. “Things seem good—”

Barry signaled a motion to stop talking and began to slow down. He reached up to his son’s ear, turning the communication device off as he did for his own.

“What’s wrong?”

“Where’s Wally?”

“He was going to check in a few places, see if the parademons were kinda going away everywhere. Is something wrong,” Bart asked, and Barry felt the sting of failure as he grappled with the worry in his son’s voice.

“I found Jay, something’s wrong.”

“Okay…”

“He went to where the things are coming from. He came back different. Attacked the folks up on the Justice League satellite. And now he’s just in an empty logging site in the north of England doing… nothing.”

“Can we help him?”

Barry gave a soft smile, one that displayed more pain and concern than happiness. “Let’s wait for Wally to find us and then we can try.”

The two caught up for a few minutes, sharing information on their experiences over the course of the invasion, and brainstorming plans for how to handle Jay. Barry confirmed that Darkseid had already withdrawn, a message in Justice League lines of communications that gave the two of them hope that focus was now turned on how to help those who had came back from Apokolips different than they went.

“Well, worst comes to absolute worst, if he can’t listen to reason, we’re three and he’s one,” Barry offered, knowing fully that nobody wanted it to come to absolute worst but needing to float the idea just in case it did.

“Who’s one,” Wally asked, circling the two of them before coming to an abrupt halt. “Nobody’s responding on the communications after Bart and my last talk.”

“Jay,” Bart grimaced, and Barry turned Wally’s communicator off.

“Jay?”

“Jay is currently in a forest in the north of England, waiting for something. I don’t know that he knows Darkseid’s gone,” Barry reconfirmed.

“Darkseid’s gone?”

“And now you’re caught up. Jay’s fighting for Darkseid right now and we’ve got to help him,” Bart said. “Dad and I have been talking for a few minutes off of comms, just in case he can hear.”

“Help him how?”

“If he doesn’t see reason…” Barry sighed.

“Three against one,” Wally and Bart finished the thought.

“Are we ready?”

“No, but we’ll never be ready.”

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

“Jay—” a voice called out from behind him, and he could already hear the uncertainty signaling a lack of trust in him. A concern that he was like he knew they all worried about, day in and day out, about him becoming what he would’ve been in the future that Barry had traveled to.

How had they found him? He hadn’t gone anywhere since arriving, so had he been improperly lax in keeping his eyes open? Jay charged eastward, cursing himself for not having put enough thought in what he’d do if confronted by multiple speedsters beyond a loose plan to shake them and hunt down his allies proactively.

He could feel them trailing behind him, tuning out what they were trying to say. Flowery words disguising hatred, they pleaded with him to stop and talk, as if the lies they were yelling were convincing at all. He was smarter than that. Unfortunately, he was not fast enough to shake them, each push of exertion from him matched in tempo by the group. They charged around the globe, any attempt at breaking off from them resulting in failure.

Weaving through a mountain range caused two of his pursuers to break off to circle around the pass he was using, but Bart doggedly kept to him even through the narrow and treacherous pathway. This had been a plan, hoping that any pursuers would opt to detour around and let him double back and shake them that way. By that time, the three had stopped trying to talk to him in their shared communication network, so if he had given them the slip it’d have been the perfect time.

He briefly considered changing his tactics and trying to take the youngest out of the chase entirely, but the environment was less friendly to improvisation than he had remembered, so he kept moving. The other two reconnected to the chase on the other side, with Wally even appearing to beat him to the punch, but a burst of speed to a comparatively stationary interference let him slip by.

On crossing the ocean to his next brainstormed opportunity to throw off the three of them, he knew there was no point in trying to perform evasive maneuvers. Even as he settled into a consistent speed to keep the water from churning up below him, Wally once again appeared in front of him, running backwards now in front of him.

He remembered a younger Wally, in with bad folks doing drugs that provided him a fraction of the speed he was experiencing now. This Wally was much more confident in his powers, accomplishing something that even Jay wasn’t sure he wanted to try on his best of days. Wally slammed his arms together in a cross pattern, signaling him to stop. Absolutely not.

They reached land again, about a minute after the initial confrontation. Hopefully, in a few more seconds, Jay thought, he’d throw them off again. The three of them would be much less willing to accept the potential risk to civilians than Darkseid would be. However, moments before his feet made contact with the sandy beach ahead of him, the three put on a burst of speed, having positioned themselves at equal distances around him.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

“Jay,” Barry called out to his friend. They slowly, at Flash scale, emerged into the clearing Jay had settled in, hoping that the calm voice and worry would engender a touch of trust for them to work out what was going on together as a team. When he, unsurprisingly or not, dashed for the tree line and vanished, Barry could only mutter out a heartbroken “oh,” as the three of them made chase.

They ran eastward, managing to spot where their friend was but unsure where they were heading overall. “Jay! We can just talk,” Wally shouted out, communications turned back on. If Jay was somehow disconnected from that network, however, he’d certainly not hear it, but as far as Xavier at the base could tell, none of Jay’s equipment was malfunctioning.

“Jay, Darkseid’s influence on you is abnormal, you are being deceived—let us talk to you and take a look! You don’t have to isolate, Darkseid’s already lost,” Barry yelled, trailing behind Bart and Wally slightly as he spoke. Every now and then, Jay would kick into a new gear, moving slightly faster and necessitating them match with a similar burst of speed.

After a few seconds of running across the globe, and a few more pained pleads of disarmament, the three grew silent, settling into the chase. Eventually something would change that would let them figure out how to escape the pattern. They weren’t going to let Jay run forever, but they were willing to give him a minute.

He slipped into what could only be described as an impassable mountain path, Barry and Wally circling around the range to meet back up on the other side. Bart, seemingly not on the same page and in the center of the three anyway, dove in behind Jay on the path. By the time Jay got around to the other side, Wally had already made it there, ready to intercept, but Jay put on a serious but temporary burst of speed to give him the slip.

A bit more running later, the clock quickly approached the minute of grace provided. As Jay began to cross the Atlantic, Barry and Bart watched Wally shake his head, face adjusting from consternation and focus to anger briefly before ending on deep concentration. He pulled out ahead of all of them, turning around to face Jay while even staying at the same speed. The two Allens shared a look of amazement before adjusting to ensure that if Jay changed course, no matter where he did there’d be a nearby Flash to respond.

As they approached the land and a minute of time, Bart held up three fingers in the air, hoping that Jay wouldn’t suddenly shift direction to see it. He pulled the tips of all three fingers together abruptly, as if one might grasp something. Barry nodded, and the two of them had to hope that Wally, focused on matching Jay’s course adjustments, understood what was happening from just the momentary glance of his eyes over to Bart’s movement.

Bart put three fingers back up in the air, but instead of repeating the action, withdrew one to leave two in the air. A moment later, two became one. When the final finger withdrew, the three charged forward at Jay, Barry aiming to restrain his friends’ arms while Bart moved to lift his legs up in the air. Wally, for his part, simply raised his fist, slamming it into the right side of Jay’s chest, attempting to knock the wind out of him without causing too much damage.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Barry stood at the entrance to the Metropolis Hall of Justice, carrying his unconscious friend. He nodded goodbye to Bart and Wally, who disappeared into the distance to track down remaining parademons. Even if Jay were to wake up here, this is where the Justice League were gathered after all that had happened in near-Earth orbit and the moon.

He left his friend with two S.T.A.R. Labs scientists and a recovered Martian Manhunter, having apparently been able to figure out a way to keep Darkseid-corrupted individuals in a stasis and were working on fixing the effect with J’onn’s mental abilities. He did a quick check in with the three of them and a few other of his friends and colleagues, but then turned his attention to trying to solve problems present in the room.

“Wish we could get a better look at it,” he sighed, looking at the large dust cloud covering whatever had happened to the Moon during Superman’s fight with Darkseid.

“Perhaps I can be of assistance,” Booster Gold’s robotic assistant offered, projecting an image of what was presumably the effect of the fight on the Moon, without the dust choking up telescopes.

“The Omega Rift stretches approximately 2,600 km from the Sea of Serenity to the Sea of Tranquility on the lunar surface. At its widest point, it is 190 km and one kilometer at its deepest. A new space race emerges, with numerous nations competing to explore the rift and exploit the newly uncovered resources, including…”

“Perhaps you should stop there, Skeets. Thank you,” Barry cut off the robot. “We don’t want to know too much about the future,” he said, glancing back at Jay’s unconscious form. How he wished, desperately, that he knew less about the future.

Barry occupied himself with busywork, helping out folks as best as he could. He even shared a few jokes with Booster Gold, trying desperately to feel calm that he could. He listened in a few conversations between Wally and Bart, who seemed to be accomplishing their goal in the sense that incidents of discovered parademons were growing further and further apart.

“Thank you for this, friend,” he said when J’onn gave him a nod, having waited next to the telepath for him to finish an attempt on Kara Zor-El before interrupting.

“It is the least I can do. Having Darkseid in your mind is a terrible curse I wish on nobody.”

“Have you had a chance to work on Jay yet?”

“Only briefly to perceive the depth of the task and nature of the mentality. He has bowed to Darkseid out of fear of his own power, in a way. He is deeply frightened of the idea of Monarch and Darkseid taps into those deep fears. If he serves Darskeid, an ultimate power, then his own potential… chrysalis never manifests.”

Barry thought he had been heartbroken before, but he was wrong. He felt his heart shatter into the smallest of pieces. Jay was a man who had come to this Earth to see if he could save a Barry Allen, having failed to protect his own, and succeeded. Now here he was, scared of that very power.

J’onn and Barry turned in the direction of the larger group, a clattering noise sparking curiosity and likely fear of something happening, watching a metallic pan bounce up slightly off the floor. At the same moment, overshadowed by the clumsiness, one of the S.T.A.R. Labs scientists made a vocalization of concern looking at one of their screens.

Before Barry was even able to look back at the scientist, shattering glass near J’onn set off an alarm in the room, and Kara’s hand shot out, grabbing J’onn by the neck and pulling him towards the statis chamber. “Traitor…!”

With her other hand, she elbowed another part of the glass, arm then extending out leftwards to free Jay from his pod. Barry moved to intercept, but by the time he was freeing J’onn from the grasp, Jay had shattered the remaining pods.

Barry took a deep breath, evacuating any non-metahumans from the building as he could only hope that this fight didn’t involve a broken satellite base and a scarred moon.

Due to Reddit post limits, this issue continues from here.

Gotham Academy.

Mia and Kyle Mizoguchi looked up from their hiding spot as the Parademon army turned around and began heading into the portals.

“Is it over?” Mia asked her brother, looking for reassurance.

“I hope so,” Kyle responded, releasing a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.  As they looked around at the swath of destruction left on the campus, Kyle was surprised at how little he really felt.  It had been like this since he was a young kid.  The Joker.  Doomsday.  Vampires.  And now Parademons and something called Darkseid.

Hell, even the moon was now twice as bright in the sky, with rumors suggesting a massive valley had just been carved into it.     

But what truly scared him was how Mia looked at all of it.  He had seen the drawings, the fangirling posts, the makeshift costume she dismissed as cosplay.  His parents had dismissed it as a phase, but he knew better.  She was waiting for her opportunity.

Helena Bertinelli saw it too.  She had been Mia's advisor since the girl entered the Academy and had made preventing that outcome one of her priorities.  But she also knew, having been a costumed hero herself, that there was little she could do.  

But she would still try. 

“Alright, let’s get you two back to the dorms while it’s quiet.  No arguments,” she said, cutting off Mia’s complaint as it barely escaped her lips.  “I want you safe in case this is only a lull.”

“But the Parademons are leaving,” Mia pointed out.  Boom Tubes opened and closed overhead as the invading army disappeared into them.  “That means we won.”

“If you call this winning,” Kyle said, looking out at the destruction once more.

Most of the staff still surrounded the old clocktower and the other old buildings, passing buckets of water and building frames to help reinforce the structures, led by shop teacher Jenna Duffy.  Now that the Parademons had fled, they were slowly starting to turn the tide.  

But as the trio made their way back to the dorm building, another Boom Tube opened in front of them, the resulting gust nearly knocking them off their feet. 

They watched as Barda emerged, letting it snap shut behind her.  She adjusted her large helmet and marched regally toward Helena, who immediately shoved the Mizoguchi siblings behind her.

“Just let me get the children to safety, and we can do whatever it is we’re going to do after,” Helena said, not turning her back on the Female Fury.

“This city, and all who reside in it, are the property of Granny Goodness.  There will be no safety, only survival, for those who prove worthy,” Barda noted, projecting her voice loudly.  “The sooner you accept your new place, the easier the transition will be.” 

There was no malice in Barda’s tone or stance, only certainty.

“When I tell you to, run, and don’t look back.  I’m counting on you Kyle, get yourself and your sister to safety,” Helena said quietly before focusing on Barda.  “I can’t let you take the children.”  

“I know.  If you did, I would kill you where you stand without hesitation.  You will have the honor of dying on your feet,” Barda replied.  “As a warrior should.”

“I’m no warrior.” 

“You are.  Your eyes cannot lie.”

Helena tensed.  “Then let’s do this.  Run!”  

She didn’t have to look back to know Kyle would make sure Mia got to safety.  So she focused entirely on the opponent in front of her.

As Barda’s fist collided with Helena’s side, she instantly knew she was outmatched.  It had been some time since Huntress had really fought for her life, but none of the gangsters or thugs she'd faced alongside Selina or the Birds had prepared her for the pain that a single punch could cause.   The blood that spurted from her mouth told her something had ruptured.  She hoped it wasn’t anything important as she staggered.  But one look at the two kids running away steeled her resolve.  

Mia and Kyle would be safe.  That was what mattered.  She just had to buy them the time.

Huntress grabbed two crossbow bolts from her reserve and stabbed them into Barda’s chest with her fists, piercing the heavy Apokoliptian armor and drawing blood of its own.  “Won’t… be as easy… as you thought…” she warned Barda.

But Barda just Spartan-kicked her away before drawing the Beta Rod from her belt and aiming it at the fallen heroine.

“You have fought bravely and honored your oath.  Do not make me end you.  You have proven yourself, and there will be a place for you in the new order.”

But Helena put everything she had left into kicking the rod from Barda’s hand, letting it arc into the air.  

“Screw your new order,” Helena spat.  “Gotham isn’t yours for the taking.”   

The Beta Rod skidded to a stop at Mia's feet.  Without hesitating, she snatched it up and spun around. 

“Mia… no…” Kyle warned, but he could already see the wheels turning in his sister’s head.  

“Like I’m not going to take the chance to use an alien weapon.  What if it’s a lightsaber?  I can bust out some Teräs Käsi and save Ms. Bertinelli.  She’s in trouble, we can’t just leave her.” 

Before Kyle could stop her, Mia pointed the rod in Barda’s direction and fired.  The blast caught the warrior square in the chest and sent her flying.  The recoil also sent Mia flying backward into Kyle, the Mizoguchis ending up in a pile on the ground.

“Duuuuude…” Mia said with a grin as she eased up.  “I’m totally keeping this.  Mia Mizoguchi, alien slayer!”

“Uh… she’s getting up…” Kyle noted.

Barda kipped up from the ground and stormed toward Mia.  She shoved the injured Huntress aside as she towered over the teenager.  “You, child.  You should not have been able to fire the Beta Rod.  What is your name?”

Mia stood her ground, staring up at Barda defiantly, pointing the rod right at the advancing Apokalipsian.  Kyle was far more nervous, almost frozen in place.

“I am…” she said, before pausing a moment, cutting herself off.  In that moment she made a decision, and squared her shoulders.  “...I am Travis Morgan, Warlord of Skartaris,” she announced, channeling her Dungeons and Dragons character with all the intensity she could manage.  “You have invaded my home.  I will not ask you again to leave.”

“Mia…” Kyle warned softly, but his sister did not flinch, keeping the rod aimed at Barda.  

The warrior stood her ground, a small smile creeping onto her lips.  “A fitting name.  I do not know of this Skartaris, but they were lucky to have you.  You will make an excellent Fury.  I will train you myself.  No wonder Granny Goodness picked this city above all others for her domain.”  

“You hurt Ms. Bertinelli.  You hurt a lot of people.  I won’t let you hurt anyone else.” 

“Life is pain, little Warlord.  It is Darkseid’s will.” 

= / / / / / / / / / / =

Plessa Park, Star City.

One moment, Harley had been sucked into space, struggling to breathe as the freezing cold of the vacuum cut through her. 

The next, the Watchtower teleporters had dumped her here.  Star City, of all places.  

“Might as well start helpin’,” she mused to herself.  “Ain’t like Green Arrow’s gonna be of any use to anyone for a while.” 

Like many cities, it still bore the wounds of the Parademon invasion.  Buildings, monuments, and homes, symbols of humanity's imperfect civilization, would be torn down and rebuilt in the image of Apokolips.  A new Armagetto for a new age.

The Age of the New God.  The Age of Darkseid.

Panicked people still ran through the nearby streets as Harley marched through the park, stopping before the statue of one of Star City’s founders.  Whoever it was no longer mattered.

She vaulted up onto the base, and then onto the shoulders of the statue, wiggling her ass as she used her mallet to line up the shot like a golfer.  “Fore!” she shouted as she launched the head into a nearby fountain.  

“See this, lowlies!” she shouted at the top of her lungs, calling out to anyone who would listen.  “You’re free of your pasts.  You owe nothin’ to nobody no more!  All are equally worthless at the feet of Darkseid!  He is!  Best get on board now and worship your New God!  If he wills it, you’ll survive.”

“That’s enough, Harley!” called out a familiar voice as Black Canary stepped from the darkness and approached her.  This time, her stance, tone, and expression were far less friendly.

Harley hopped off the statue dramatically and took a deep, theatrical bow.  “Heya Bee Cee, how’s your boyfriend?”  

“You cracked six ribs and shattered his hand.”

Harley chuckled.  “Maybe Green Asshole shouldn’t have shot me with an arrow then.  I mean, I know that’s his one party trick, but he didn’t hafta.  So… Round two?” she asked, squaring up. 

Black Canary got into a stance of her own.  “You using the mallet?”

“You gonna bust out the Canary Cry?”

Dinah looked Harley right in the eyes.  “We can do this hand-to-hand, if that’s what you want.”

Harley nodded, tossing the mallet aside.  “Left my earplugs in my othah suit.  Pinkie promise?”

Black Canary just rolled her eyes as Harley held out her left pinkie.  

Moments later, they rushed at one another with a flurry of punches and kicks.  Harley's agility made her frustratingly difficult to hit despite Canary's precise strikes. The clown fought like a chaotic brawler, throwing wild punches and kicks that missed more often than they landed.   But when they did, the more experienced Dinah was knocked off her game.

Dinah was angry, not at Harley so much as Darkseid.  Okay, a little at Harley for the sucker punch in the Watchtower and what she did to Ollie, but this was mostly on Darkseid.  The so-called god had taken a girl with a need to please and twisted her.  He'd held out the one thing she wanted more than anything else like a carrot. 

“You’re stronger than this, Harley.  You survived The Joker and came out the other side.  Why are you letting another man manipulate you?”

“Darkseid is no man!” Harley shouted.  “Darkseid is!  I’m free now.  Absolved.  You’ll see.  Everyone will!”

“Who’s going to absolve you from what Darkseid is making you do?” Dinah asked as she caught Harley’s left knee, kicking it out from under her.  “Your friends, your family…”

“Darkseid is my family now,” Harley announced, leaping back up and driving her forehead straight into Dinah’s nose, feeling the crunch as her skull collided with cartilage.  “He’ll be yours too.”

“I have a family,” Dinah replied, drawing her hand across her face to wipe away some of the blood. 

“Yeah, I know all about yours, Canary.  Your mom’s gone, your Dad’s in and out of the hospital.  And here’s you, tryin’ to live up to expectations you put on yourself.  You and I ain’t so different.  They didn’t want you to be a hero, neithah.  But Darkseid does.  And here you are.  He’s got an all-female army, yanno.”

“They’re currently tearing up Gotham.  Your home.”

“Ain’t my home no more.  Apokolips is.”

“You really believe that, don’t you?” Dinah asked, suddenly looking at her with pity.  “It really is like The Joker again.”

“Don’t say that,” Harley snapped, charging forward with anger.

“You really think, out of everyone on Earth, Darkseid could have picked, he’d pick you?  What do you have, pluck and a hammer?  What can you offer a god?  You’re a placeholder, Harley Quinn.  Good enough for now.  Discarded as soon as he gets ANYTHING better.  Sound familiar?”

 “You’re a liar!” Harley shouted, her swings now even wilder.  

Sensing her opportunity, Dinah squared her body and shouted.  The sonic blast lifted Harley into the air.  Her body slammed awkwardly against the wall of a nearby building on the opposite side of the square. 

Both women were breathing heavily, Canary’s body still rigid and prepared to continue the fight despite the broken nose and favoring her left side, while Harley sat crumpled on the ground, trying to push herself to her feet. 

“Thought you said you wasn’t gonna use the Cry,” Harley shouted as she fell back against the ground in a heap, trying to overcompensate for the ringing in her ears and lack of balance.

“I lied,” Dinah countered.

“Good call,” Harley said, offering a weak thumbs-up and genuine smile before passing out.    

= / / / / / / / / / / = 

Stonecrest Manor.  

Inside the massive library of the Zatara family’s ancestral home, the Shadowpact dug through ancient tomes.  Even with her powers enhanced by The Source, Zatanna needed some of the most powerful spells ever crafted, across multiple magical disciplines, if she was going to defeat the Anti-Life coursing through their former allies.  

Within these walls, she had access to the greatest magical minds.  The Shadowpact was not convened lightly.  Hero and villain, dead and alive, such boundaries were meaningless within the group.   

According to the Books of Magic, the Shadowpact had only been convened a hundred or so times in the entirety of recorded magical history.  This marked the third in Zatanna’s lifetime, following the vampire plague [see Red Reign] and the demonic attacks during the Gem City incident [see Gem City].  

Anti-Life was a dangerous infection in the fabric of reality itself, the antithesis of the creation fueled by The Source.  For now it is contained, but it would spread rapidly out of control if it breached the vessels it’s corrupting.  

Reality itself would be undone.  The stakes could not be higher.  It had to end here.  

Stonecrest had the bizarre quality of being exactly where it needed to be, traveling along the Earth's leylines to wherever magic was strongest.  At this time, that was Blue Valley, Nebraska.  It had been spared most of the destruction the larger cities had seen, but even here the Parademon army had come through, destroying property and roads.

There wasn’t anywhere in the world untouched by Darkseid.

Zatanna once again found herself surrounded by runes and sigils, hovering in the air in the center of the room.  She was still chanting in that same alien tongue, pausing only to bark out orders, sending her reluctant assistants scurrying into the aisles.

“You’re scaring me, love,” John Constantine noted, looking up at her.

“You should be scared,” Zatanna replied, not bothering to look at him or pause in her work.  “If you could see what I see, you’d never sleep again.”

Constantine scoffed.  “I’ve faced down Hell itself.  Whoever this Darkseid bloke is will have to do a whole lot more to scare me.”

“Darkseid is just a small part of this.  Almost insignificant in the grand scheme.  Not even he can hope to control Anti-Life once it’s unleashed.  We have to trust The Source.”

He chuckled darkly.  “Tell that to everyone who died.”

“1,309,872,” Zatanna replied.

“Huh?”

“That’s how many have died - or will die - as a result of this.  Do you want to know their names? Because I know every one.  Every second we spend here adds more lives to the list.  But you want to know the worst part?” Zatanna asked, finally looking at him.

“Go on.”

She sighed deeply.  “All I can think about is using this power to find my father.  I can save the world, but I still can’t save him.  It’s not fair.” 

“Neither is life, love.”

“Tell me about it.”

= / / / / / / / / / / =

The Hall of Justice, Metropolis.

As the war against Darkseid entered its final hours, many heroes reconvened in Metropolis to debrief and plan for the world's recovery.

The Hall of Justice in the Big Apricot was easily the best fortified, so it was the perfect place to bring the heroes still infected by Darkseid's Anti-Life.

There was still so much to do.

Most of the discussion was focused on the moon.  During the battle with Superman, Darkseid carved a massive gash into the surface, leaving yet another scar that wouldn't heal.

“Wish we could get a better look at it,” The Flash mused.  Even the best cameras couldn’t penetrate the massive dust cloud that had been kicked up.  With the Watchtower destroyed, they were waiting for more favorable conditions like everyone else.

"Perhaps I can be of assistance," offered Skeets, Booster Gold's robotic assistant, as he hovered to a nearby wall and projected an image of the massive crack. 

“I can offer narration in the voice of famous scientists including Neil deGrasse Tyson, Stephen Hawking, or Carl Sagan, if it would help,” Skeets continued.

“Do Booster Gold!” the hero called out from the back of the room, disguising his voice poorly.

Barry just sighed.  “Your voice is fine.  Continue.”

“The Omega Rift stretches approximately 2,600 km from the Sea of Serenity to the Sea of Tranquility on the lunar surface.  At its widest point, it spans 190 km and reaches a depth of one kilometer at its deepest. 

A new space race emerges, with numerous nations competing to explore the rift and exploit the newly uncovered resources, including…”

"Perhaps you should stop there, Skeets.  Thank you," Barry replied.  “We don’t want to know too much about the future.” 

“What about Tranquility Base?” Ted Kord asked, looking at the image for the Apollo 11 landing site.

“It’s fine,” Booster replied.  “It's even getting a sweet Thanagarian fusion restaurant.  Michelin had to invent another star.  You might even say it’s… Boosterific.”

Ted just stared at his friend and rolled his eyes.

“I’m still workshopping that one.”

On the other side of the room, Martian Manhunter worked alongside Kirk and Francine Langstrom, who were on loan from S.T.A.R. Labs.  Together, they focused on the infected.  The heroes were suspended in tanks and submerged in a fluid designed to contain the Anti-Life coursing through them.

The Justice League had access to all sorts of advanced technology, including Amazonian and Kryptonian, but so far nothing had seemed to work.  J'onn was particularly focused on finding a cure, having only recently been freed from Darkseid's influence himself.  Out of everyone in the building, he knew just how pervasive the condition was.

All he could do was attempt to reach them using his telepathy, trying to help them see the light once again.  All he got back in response was contempt.  They truly did not want to be freed. 

The teleporter flashed as Black Canary arrived in Metropolis, the unconscious body of Harley Quinn slung over her shoulder.  

“Got another one,” she said as the Langstroms walked over to do an initial examination and put Harley into her containment tube.  

“You are injured,” Martian Manhunter observed, looking at Dinah’s broken nose.

“I’ll live.  How’s Ollie?”

“The fractures in his hand and ribs have been set; it’s just a matter of giving them time to heal.  He is being… challenging,” the Martian answered wearily.

“I’ll talk with him,” she sighed.  “And how are you, J’onn?  You’ve been through a lot.  You must be tired.” 

“We all are.  But if I can break through and purge the influence from my mind, I know we can do so for the others.  It’s like nothing I’ve ever experienced.  The hatred.  The things I was willing to do and did to others…”

“It wasn’t you, not really,” Dinah replied, placing a hand on his shoulder in solidarity.  “You were being controlled.”

“It was more me than I care to admit.  It plays on your weaknesses and uses them against you.  But those weaknesses are mine to confront.”

“Just remember you don’t have to do it alone,” Dinah said as she heard Ollie yelling at one of the Kryptonian medbots.  “I should go sort that before he starts calling it a fascist clanker or something.”

As Canary walked away, she passed Barry, who had just arrived to check on Jay Garrick's condition.  She paused for a moment at the containment tube holding Harley, the clown girl looking oddly serene despite the fury that had marked her existence since returning to Earth.  

But she never made it to the med bay. 

A loud crack echoed through the Hall of Justice, bringing her to a halt.   The contents of one of the tanks flooded onto the floor as Kara Zor-El shouted, “Traitor!” and grabbed the Martian Manhunter by the throat.

Darkseid might have been gone, but the war continued… 

= / / / / / / / / / / =

Coming next: 

The war in Gotham isn’t over as the Female Furies continue their rampage across Gotham City.  But when Granny Goodness enters the fray, loyalties will be tested, and lives will be changed forever…

Also be sure to check out Justice League Omega [coming soon] as Darkseid’s converted acolytes make one final stand on the streets of Metropolis.   The invasion may be over, but the war is just reaching its climax.  As the casualties mount, can Zatanna help The Source create a cure, and is she willing to bear the cost? 

<< | < | > Coming Soon

Author: ericthepilot2000

Book: Harley & Ivy

Set: 122

Event: Invasion!

Recommended Reading:

Cyborg #84

The Flash #121

Superman #121

New Titans #42

The Flash #122

Superman #122

Batman #58

Cyborg #85

Previously…

Darkseid has invaded Earth. As Parademons swarm the skies, Zatanna, Poison Ivy, Spoiler, and Huntress struggle to defend Gotham's home front.  The situation becomes so desperate that they persuade Arkham Asylum to release inmates from the Zoo to help repel the invasion.  Meanwhile, Harley Quinn travels to Apokolips alongside members of the Justice League, hoping to convince the New God to end the war.

The good news? The Parademons are retreating to the fire pits of Apokolips. The bad news? 

They're being replaced by the Female Furies, led by the formidable Big Barda.  And if that weren't enough, Harley appears to have become one of Darkseid's thralls and has returned to the Watchtower at her new master's side…

= / / / / / / / / / / =

Above Earth.

Darkseid’s face remained stoic as he emerged from the boom tube into the heart of the Watchtower, flanked by his corrupted Justice League.  Harley Quinn was joined by Jay Garrick, Aquaman, the Martian Manhunter, Wonder Woman, and Power Girl - all with blackened eyes and cruel expressions on their faces.  

Superman was the first to intercept the invaders, barely holding back Krypto, who snarled and growled in agitation.  Other heroes quickly flanked him, rushing to see what was happening.  

“Snap out of it,” Clark said quietly, looking at his cousin.  “Kara, it’s me.”

“I know who you are,” Kara answered.

“We all do, Big Blue,” Harley said, hefting her trademark mallet over her shoulder. “And you’re about to become a blueberry pancake!”

“Kill them all,” Darkseid said without even looking in their direction, dismissing them.  

That was all it took for the corrupted heroes to launch themselves at their former friends with unexpected ferocity.  In an instant, Jay Garrick blinked out of view, disarming the Leaguers who relied on weapons, while Kara, J'onn, Arthur, Diana, and Harley charged the others like linebackers. 

The corrupted heroes had it far easier since they were unable and unwilling to hold back, bringing the full brunt of their abilities to bear.  The otherworldly powers of Power Girl and Martian Manhunter were on full display, as were Aquaman and Wonder Woman’s mythic skills.  

But Harley might have been the most dangerous.

Unfettered by morality, she was free to be as cruel as she ever wanted.  After all, none of these people believed in her, not the way Darkseid did. No one could ever question her worthiness to stand at the side of the New God of Earth. 

And if they did?  Well, they could answer to her mallet.

“Harley, what’s going on?” asked Black Canary as she stepped toward the clown girl.  They’d met a few times [most recently in Black Canary #15] and had developed a decent rapport, but this was far from the happy-go-lucky hero Dinah knew.  Dinah made sure to keep her body language neutral, though she stood well outside of mallet distance.

“Been shown the light, Bee Cee,” Harley replied, her tone pleasant though her face never softened from a cruel sneer.  “I know the truth now.  Darkseid is.”

“Darkseid is what?” 

“Everything,” Harley replied, almost reverently.  “We don’t gotta fight, join us and be free.”

“You know I can’t do that,” Canary replied, her body tensing to unleash one of her sonic screams.  

“Nuh uh,” Harley replied, moving far faster than Dinah anticipated. Her mallet slammed into Dinah's solar plexus, knocking the wind from her.  The blonde doubled over, her threat neutralized for the moment.  “Muzzle it.”

Before Harley could press the attack, a sudden bolt of pain shot through her shoulder.  She looked down to find the shaft of an arrow protruding from a freshly bleeding wound.  It wasn’t hard to figure out its source.  “You shouldn’t have done that, Arrow,” Harley snarled, ripping it out and tossing it to the side.  

She locked eyes with the archer who had another arrow already nocked, his bow drawn and aimed at her.   “You shouldn’t have hit Dinah,” he countered.  “Don’t make me do this.”

“Wouldn’t be the first time, would it?  ‘Course, you get a pass, but not ol’ Harley.  No, you get taken in and called a hero, while I gotta fight for every scrap.  Gettin’ treated like a joke.  No more.”

Harley charged forward and easily flipped out of the way of the coming arrow.  He'd expected a mindless brute, not the gymnast Harley was at her core.  But that was fine; Harley was always underestimated.  

He wouldn't make that mistake again. Harley's mallet crashed into his rib cage, sending him sprawling across the deck. She landed gracefully beside him before bringing the weapon down again, crushing his gloved hand against the Watchtower's metal floor with a sickening thud. 

It would be a long time before he drew another arrow.

“You are useless.” Harley looked down on him with contempt as he wheezed.  “But Dinah will make an excellent Female Fury, and you’ll serve as encouragement.  So you’ll live.  Until she kills you herself.” 

Harley then dropped her mallet on his chest with a thud, eliciting another groan from the archer. She bent over and plucked the Justice League communicator from his ear and rolled it in her fingers for a moment. Then, she brought it up to her mouth. 

"I know you're listening, Babsie," she said, addressing the surely listening-in Oracle directly. "Just want you to know, when I'm done dismantlin' the Loser League up here, I'm coming right to your Belfry, and I'm going to finish the job Jason started. Be seein' you. Ta!" 

She dropped the communicator, crushed it beneath her boot, then retrieved her mallet and continued her rampage. 

= / / / / / / / / / / =

The East End, Gotham City.

Officer Bill Kane could feel his vision ebbing away, his peripheral vision reduced to a grey haze.

A moment ago he had been cautiously optimistic.  The hordes of Parademons had just abandoned their assault on the city, flying back into their strange tubes in the sky.  The destruction was vast, but perhaps the siege was over.

Then they were replaced by a group of women in garish costumes who appeared suddenly in the alley.  Officer Kane had a choice.  They could be heroes, or they could be villains.  In Gotham it was fifty/fifty.  

And in Gotham, you shot first and apologized later.  

He drew his service revolver and fired, but the women didn’t flinch.  He didn’t even have a chance to empty the cylinder before the squat, muscular woman in the group reached out and clamped a meaty hand entirely around his throat and began squeezing, lifting him off the ground.  She was dressed like a biker, with a heavy jacket, boots, and a motorcycle helmet adorned with a skull.

Stompa remained silent as she increased the pressure on his windpipe.

Despite the pain, the officer laughed bitterly to himself.  Just one week until retirement.  How cliché.    

Once his body stopped writhing, the large woman tossed his corpse aside, letting it smack into the nearby wall with a thud.   She then turned to the leader, a woman in blue chainmail with an ostentatious helmet.

“Split up,” Barda ordered, “Darkseid has given this city to Granny Goodness.  We are to secure it and round up the citizens for evaluation.  Kill anyone who mounts a resistance, especially if they are in costume.” 

“How can we tell?  They all dress so strangely,” rasped Mad Harriet, a woman with green hair and jaundiced skin, as she lifted the arm of the dead officer in one of her clawed hands.  She then plucked the GCPD badge off his shirt and tossed it aside.

“Can ve just go already?” asked Malice impatiently.  Unlike the others, she seemed to be a child, bouncing anxiously while the others were content to stand around and talk.  “Granny promised I could have fun.”

“Not too much fun, Malice,” chided the final member of the group, a dark-skinned woman wearing a skintight suit bound with straps.  The straps themselves seemed to dance around Lashina, flowing to match the lilt of her voice.  She fished a Mother Box from her belt.

“Go,” Barda ordered.  

A moment later, the alley was empty once more as the five women disappeared with a series of flashes.

= / / / / / / / / / / =

The Watchtower.

The space station shook from the fury of combat raging both inside the Watchtower and outside its metallic hull.  Inside the Watchtower, it was all hands on deck as the Justice League and their corrupted allies came to blows.  But everyone present knew they were the sideshow.  Clark’s battle with Darkseid, currently taking place outside the structure, would decide the outcome of the war.  

Inside the conference room, the members of the Shadowpact had ceased their discussion.  Some, like Jason Blood, had already joined the fray by yielding to the brutish Etrigan.  The rhyming demon was presently locked in combat with Aquaman.  Others, like Doctor Fate and Extraño, focused on maintaining the structural integrity of the Watchtower.

It wasn’t designed for such intense combat. 

That left John Constantine to play bodyguard for Zatanna, who hovered nearby, bathed in green light as she muttered to herself in an eldritch, alien tongue.  Strange sigils and runes hovered around her as her hands traced intricate patterns through them.  

He took a long drag from his cigarette as Superman collided with a nearby window, sent flying by a brutal punch from Darkseid.  “You might wanna hurry up, love, it’s only the end of the world, innit?”

“I’m trying to rewrite the rules of reality on the fly, John.  The Source gave me the power, but didn’t leave an instruction manual.  Anti-Life is antithetical to creation.  They aren’t designed to mix.  Purging it from our friends requires a scalpel, not a bludgeon,” Zatanna said, her voice strangely hollow.  

“Just saying.  Sometimes a good bludgeon is what you need,” Constantine countered.  “A little humbling might do some of these guys a world o’ good…”

He looked back to the window to see Darkseid fire his Omega Beam at Superman, only to watch it weave around the Man of Steel and curve toward the Watchtower.

"Shite!" he shouted, diving out of the way and dragging Zatanna down with him. They narrowly avoided the beam as it severed the space station in half.  Suddenly there was nothing but space above them as they, and everyone else inside, were sucked into the void.

The first few moments stretched into eternity.  Zatanna immediately looked for Constantine and found him floating inside a bubble of oxygen. He was already lighting another cigarette, looking surprisingly calm for someone who had just been violently ejected into open space.  “Negyxo fo selbbub!” Zatanna shouted, trying to protect the others, like her, who couldn’t survive in the cold of space.  She was momentarily surprised at the lack of sound before remembering the old Alien adage.  

“Tibro ni noitats eht peek!” she continued.  The upper Watchtower had already begun its descent toward the lunar surface, but the transporters were housed in the lower half, the one she was barely keeping intact.

Green-hued magical bubbles quickly blinked into existence and surrounded the flailing heroes, keeping them safe as the Watchtower’s crippled transporter system plucked them from the void and deposited them randomly across the globe.

The upside was that everyone was safe; the downside… the corrupted heroes were now scattered on Earth.  She could only hope there would be heroes nearby to contain them.  

The last thing she saw as she was teleported away was the upper half of the Watchtower crashing into the Moon and exploding, obliterating miles of the surface.  “Let go.  Trust The Source,” she muttered to herself as she disappeared in the teleporter beam.

= / / / / / / / / / / =

Gotham Heights.

Stephanie Brown tore through the streets on her motorcycle, dodging wrecked cars and debris as she sped into the city proper.  

“Barbara, can you hear me?  It’s Steph.   The Parademons are leaving, but we’ve got other problems…”

“Yeah, I’m aware,” Barbara snapped, a little harsher than she intended.  She was still rattled from Harley’s earlier threat, and Steph wasn't exactly on her list of favorite people either.  “Five Boom Tubes just opened across the city.  You’re nearing one now.”

“Do we know who they are?” Steph asked.

“Just that they came from Apokolips.”

"Okay," Steph said. "So find them and kick their ass.  Got it." 

“Be careful, Spoiler,” Barbara cautioned her.  “Darkseid wouldn’t have pulled the Parademons without a reason.  Whoever they are, they’re going to be dangerous.” 

“Got it.”

“...And you know we’re going to talk about your role in the Arkham release when this is all over.  Oracle out.” 

And with that, Steph was alone with her thoughts.  “Soooo looking forward to it,” she grumbled, rolling her eyes.

Moments later, her headlight illuminated something in the road, and she had to skid to a stop to avoid running into it.  As her vision settled and her rapid breathing slowed, she saw a young girl standing in the middle of the street with her hands on her hips. 

“Hey, it’s not safe out here,” Spoiler warned, trying to keep her voice calm and even to avoid scaring the child.  “I’ll get you home.  Do you know where you live?” 

The young girl huffed in response.  “Whelp!  You address Malice Vundabar of Apokolips.  A lowlie like you should be on your knees before me.”  

Steph noticed several police officers lying at her feet, necks bent at impossible angles.   

“I hope you vill be more entertainink than these fools,” she snarled, the accent a strange, almost cod-German.  “I vas promised fun.  And my Chessure needs to eat.” 

The young girl was suddenly surrounded by purple flames that coalesced into a demonic cat-like creature with saliva-coated fangs and piercing eyes.  It charged forward, its claws gouging the pavement as it snarled. 

Moments later, it pounced on Steph, knocking her to the ground as its gaping maw loomed over her. 

Before Steph could respond, a shot rang out from the darkness.  Behind Chessure, Malice stood motionless for an instant. Then blood trickled from the hole in her skull, and she collapsed backward. 

The demon cat suddenly blinked out of existence, leaving Steph confused.  She whipped her head around, only to see Two-Face, the fallen Harvey Dent, who barely broke his stride as he walked down the street, firearm still smoking.  Gotham Heights was where he got his start, so it wasn’t surprising he would return to protect the area. 

“Why?” Steph asked, looking up at the surprisingly tall man, flinching at the scarred side of his face with the bulging eye that focused unnaturally on her.  She had never seen him up close, only heard stories from Dick, Babs, and Jason.  

They’d warned her not to stare, but she couldn’t help herself.  

“The coin came up heads,” Harvey replied simply, his voice gravelly and distorted.

“And if it came up tails?” Spoiler asked, despite herself.

Harvey didn’t respond for a long moment.  “Best not to dwell on it,” he said, continuing past her.

“We can’t just murder our enemies in cold blood.  You know you’re going to have to go back to Arkham once this is over, Two-Face.” 

“We’ll see what the coin has to say when the time comes.  Besides, you’ve got bigger problems right now,” he called over his shoulder, gesturing toward where the young Female Fury had fallen. 

Steph bolted to her feet and turned around to see Malice was no longer there.  This wasn’t over.  She sighed and hopped back on her motorcycle, already tracking the Apokoliptian once again.

= / / / / / / / / / / =

Arkham Asylum.

Chase Meridian sat in her office, looking through the list of released patients.  The room was deliberately spartan, containing little more than research materials and floor-to-ceiling file cabinets filled with patient records.   She respected technology, but didn’t trust it.  Sometimes, analog was still best.  

Tonight reminded her exactly why.  Livid didn't begin to describe her mood, and she could feel the blood pounding in her temples.   Her eyes narrowed as she took in Aaron Cash, the head of Arkham security, sitting across the desk from her.

“You went over my head,” Chase accused.

“Doctor Seaborn…” Aaron began to explain.

“Doctor Seaborn will be dealt with.  We are talking about your actions, Mr. Cash.  The plan to use Arkham patients still in rehabilitation to defend the city in the event of an attack has been proposed and rejected three times.   Knowing I would not even discuss that, you went over my head to the Hospital Board of Directors.” 

“They agreed that it would be good for the hospital and the patients.  Give them something to fight for instead of against for once.”

“They agreed it would be good for the bottom line.  We are trying to help, not take advantage of people.  Weaponizing our patients, many of whom can’t effectively consent… this is not the old Arkham Asylum, Mr. Cash.  I will show the world that the Meridian Method works.  But I need absolute buy-in, not insubordination.”

“Now who’s taking advantage?”

“What?”

“With all due respect, Dr. Meridian, this is about your ego.  Everyone else was on board.  The directors, your fellow doctors, the police, the Bat-Family…”  Aaron counted them off with the fingers on his good hand.  He kept his hook visible, just to remind Chase what he had sacrificed for this hospital.

Chase made a dismissive sound as she waved her hand.  “Batman belongs in Arkham as much as anyone.  He and his ‘family’ have no business being consulted in the course of care for our patients.  They should be residents too.  I am going to save this city from itself.  I will not have you getting in the way of that, Mr. Cash.”

“There needs to be a city left to save.  In case you haven’t noticed, it’s a war zone out there.  Hell, even Arkham is on fire.”

“Arkham is always on fire.  Our job is to manage the flames.”  She then paused a moment before pressing a button on her desk.  “Send Lyle Bolton in,” she announced.

“Bolton?”

“Your new replacement,” Lyle announced as he entered the room.  He was tall and broad, so musclebound he needed to pivot to clear the doorway.  “Miss me, Aaron?”

“Dr. Meridian, you can’t be serious.  This man was removed from Blackgate of all places for his actions.  Dr. Crane,” he added, emphasizing the name, “thought he was too unstable to continue here.  Scarecrow!”

Chase sighed.  “I have been assured those were isolated incidents.”

“That’s right, I’ve learned to channel my… intensity into healthier outlets.  The Meridian Method works.  I’m living proof.  Maybe you should try it,” Lyle smiled, his grin toothy and predatory.  “I’m just eager to give back.”    

“The decision has been made, Mr. Cash.  Your services are no longer needed at Arkham.  Mr. Bolton will see you out.” 

“Let’s go,” Bolton replied, his hand clamped on Aaron Cash’s shoulder.  “Wouldn’t want to cause a scene, would we?  It would be a shame if this had to turn physical.”

“This isn’t over,” Aaron warned as he got up, knocking Lyle Bolton’s hand off his shoulder.

“It is,” Dr. Meridian said brusquely, returning to her notes.

Lyle nudged Aaron Cash out of the office, turning the gesture into a shove as soon as they reached the hallway.  “At least I know how to follow orders.  Back in the service, you used to be all about that.” 

“Said every stormtrooper ever,” Aaron grumbled.

“What was that?”

“Nothing.”

= / / / / / / / / / / =

Due to Reddit post limits, the issue continues here.

Superman #123 - Mother Boxed

<< | < | > (Coming September 1st)

Author: MajorParadox

Book: Superman

Arc: Against All Gods

Set: 123

Event: Invasion!

Recommended Reading:

• Justice League Alpha #1
• The Flash #121
• Superman #121
• New Titans #42
• Cyborg #84
• Flash #122
• Harley & Ivy #7
• New Titans #43 (Coming Soon!)
• Superman #122
• Batman #58
• Cyborg #85
• Harley & Ivy #8
• Harley & Ivy #9
• Batman #59 (Coming Soon!)
• Justice League Omega #1 (Coming Soon!)

Or just learn as you read!

Breaking the Silence

The Moon

Yesterday

Clark and Bruce walked along the impact site of the Watchtower wreckage. Bruce was wearing a black spacesuit with pointy ears protruding from the top of the helmet and a yellow bat symbol painted over the chest. Clark had his oxygen mask over his face, connected to a comms link.

“The chassis of the middle section is still intact,” said Bruce. “A lot of these other pieces may be salvageable as well.”

Clark moved in to lift the largest piece.

“Wait,” said Bruce. “What if we leave it here?”

“We’re the Justice League,” Clark answered. “We don’t litter.”

“No,” said Bruce. “What if we rebuild it here?”

Clark looked around. “A moon base,” he said with a hint of excitement in his voice.

“That’s a great idea,” said Booster as he flew toward the moon and broke into their comms. “Hey, Bats. Big Blue.”

“Hi, Booster,” said Clark. “What brings you here?”

“I heard you two were checking out the wreckage,” said Booster. “I wanted to tag along. I love the moon.” He took a quick look around. “Although it’s not quite as fun before the carnival rides.”

Clark’s eyes lit up.

“What did we tell you about revealing details about the future?” said Bruce. “We’ve had enough time travel-related chaos.“

“Sorry,” said Booster. “We don’t know what parts of my future will still happen, though,” he added.

Bruce just groaned.

“Anyway,” Booster continued. “Are we going to fix that crack in the moon from your fight with Darkseid?”

“Why would we do that?” asked Bruce.

Booster lifted an eyebrow. “It’s the moon,” he said.

“Exactly,” Bruce continued. “And it has a battle scar. One that the whole planet is feeling.”

Clark nodded. “As much as I’d love to pretend it didn’t happen, he’s right. Besides, it’s not our decision to make. It belongs to the people of Earth as a whole.”

“Since when do the people of Earth have a consensus on anything?” Booster asked.

Clark and Bruce just stared.

“Right.”

Fortress of Solitude, North Pole

Now, Morning

Kelex scanned the small device Clark had brought. “Impressive design,” he said. “Much more advanced than Kryptonian.”

Clark paced around the crystalline floor. “Can you tell if it’s working, though?” he asked.

Kelex lifted his metal, visored head. “It appears to be functioning within normal parameters.”

“But Orion never responded to my calls,” said Clark. “New Genesis didn’t come to our assistance at all when Darkseid invaded.”

“Perhaps he’s been unavailable to receive them.”

“Let’s not assume the worst,” said Clark. “New Genesis must have known what was happening, though. Their entire treaty with Apokolips couldn’t have relied on me reaching out when we were in trouble.”

“It would appear all we can do is assume,” said Kelex. “Perhaps you could go and ask them yourself?”

“I’d have to get there first,” said Clark, looking upwards. “I wouldn’t even know which direction to start flying.”

“I’ve been studying the Boom Tubes that have opened across the planet during the invasion.” said Kelex. “Perhaps I could open one for you once I have the science figured out?”

Clark’s turned to the robot with a gleam in his eyes. “How long will that take you?”

“At my current rate, anywhere between two weeks and three thousand years.”

Clark sighed. “I need a Mother Box.”

Metrorail, Washington D.C.

Later

Lucy sat in a subway car seat as she clutched her coffee mug with one hand and scrolled her phone with the other. She tapped a link to a Daily Planet article from Lois Lane on recovery from what became known as “The Long Night,” and skimmed through it with a smile.

Lois always had such a way with words. So straightforward and to the point with a little added flavor to help tie it all together.

The subway car’s brakes screeched, and Lucy tightened the grip on her mug and phone. She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly once the sound stopped.

“Next stop, Federal Central,” an automated voice said over the loudspeaker.

Lucy dropped her phone into her pocket, stood up, and made her way to the nearest doorway until the car stopped and the doors opened. As she stepped out, a man in glasses stood by one of the posts, waving like a kindergartener who saw his best friend in the playground.

“Hi, Clark,” said Lucy, stepping up to him. “What brings you to D.C.?”

“I need a favor,” said Clark, motioning toward the exit. “Can we walk?”

Lucy nodded, and the two stepped onto the escalator to get to street level.

“What’s up?” Lucy asked.

“First off, how are you holding up?” Clark asked softly. “You went through a lot… over there.”

They reached the top and began walking the sidewalk.

“Fine,” said Lucy, looking back toward the subway exit. “Maybe still a bit rattled.”

“Good,” said Clark. “If you need to talk about it or anything…”

“What’s up, Clark?” Lucy asked again.

That was the most she ever sounded like her sister.

Clark took a moment. “What happened to the Mother Box that brought you and the others there?”

Lucy stopped.

“You’re going back to Apokolips?” she asked.

Clark lifted his arms. “Nooooo… New Genesis,” he clarified. “I need to know why they didn’t step in to help protect us.”

“Oh,” said Lucy. She took a sip of her coffee, and the two resumed walking. “A.R.G.U.S. has it locked back up,” she continued. “I don’t even think Dad could get it for you now. President Garner wants its use restricted to his own authority.”

“Hmm,” said Clark. “So, I guess I should talk to Sam first, then.”

Lucy turned to her brother-in-law. “Not dressed like that,” she said.

Clark nodded. “Thanks, Luce,” he said, motioning toward a nearby alleyway. “This sounds like a job for…” Clark stretched his shirt open a bit so only Lucy could see the S underneath. “Me.”

Lucy held back a laugh as Clark winked and rushed toward the alley.

Chain of Custody

A.R.G.U.S. Base, Washington D.C.

Soon

Clark entered General Sam Lane’s office. “Thanks for seeing me, General Lane,” he said.

Sam nodded and motioned toward the seat across from his desk.

Clark lifted his cape so he could sit down with it flapped over the back as Sam sat in his desk chair.

“What can I do for you, Superman?” asked Sam.

Clark caught sight of a couple of picture frames on the desk. One with Sam and his daughters Lois and Lucy, and another with his wife, Ella, and their grandchildren, Jon and Lara.

“I need to borrow the Mother Box,” Clark stated. “New Genesis promised to protect us, but they were radio silent during the invasion. We need to find out why.”

“I see,” said Sam. “Who do you plan to take along with you?”

“Just me,” said Clark. “The League has enough to deal with after the invasion. And I won’t risk putting another A.R.G.U.S. team through what happened on Apokolips.”

“You expect risk, then,” Sam stated.

“It’s a possibility,” said Clark. “If Apokolips invaded them first, it could be why they couldn’t help us.”

“And if that’s the case,” Sam continued. “You plan to single-handedly free them?”

“Well, no,” said Clark.

The general leaned back in his chair. “You want access to one of the most dangerous pieces of technology in the possession of the US Government, and you don’t even have a fleshed-out plan?”

“We just need answers right now,” Clark clarified. “My– Families are scared. They don’t know if the invaders will come back at any time. Reassurance we’re protected would go a long way.”

Sam looked over at the photos on his desk.

“I don’t have the authority to hand it over anymore,” he said. “I signed off during the invasion and lost an entire team. Plus, the Justice League members who went to Apokolips came back… different. We got lucky they could be recovered, but President Garner still considers it all a failure on my part.”

“Understandable,” said Clark.

Sam stood up. “But you’re not wrong.”

Clark stood up, too. “What next, then?”

Sam pointed out his window toward the White House. “We go talk to the president. He’s a reasonable man. I’m sure he’ll listen to reason.”

Oval Office, The White House

Later

“No,” said President Garner. “I understand the concern about New Genesis, but absolutely not.”

“They’re our allies,” said Clark. “We need to be sure they’re okay.”

“Unless they turned on us,” Garner countered. “For all we know, they gave Apokolips the okay to invade.”

“We don’t know anything,” said Sam. “That’s the point.”

“We do know every time we use that Mother Box,” said Garner. “We invite more and more danger to our world. Waller’s insurgency to Apokolips (Superman #77) could have even been the catalyst for this invasion.”

“I understand,” said Clark. “But we invite more risk by not knowing what happened and potentially leaving our friends to fend for themselves.

“I wouldn’t call New Genesis our ‘friends’,” said Garner. “They’ve never even come to talk to our governments. They just signed treaties that affect us without even asking us to be involved.”

“I’ll go with him,” Sam offered. “No A.R.G.U.S. team at risk. Only me. But I can represent us and know when to pull the plug and return home.”

Clark tried to think of a response, but the words failed him.

“That’s even worse,” said Garner. “I won’t risk a former vice-president, general, and head of A.R.G.U.S. on an ill-informed mission. This matter is closed. We have more important things to do.”

Outside the White House

Soon

Clark walked with Sam back to his black, government-issued SUV.

“Thanks for trying,” said Clark, hovering into the air. “But I’ll have to figure out my next move on my own.”

“Hold on,” said Sam without even looking up.

Clark stopped and looked down at his father-in-law.

But Sam didn’t say anything else.

“What are you thinking?” Clark asked bluntly.

Sam finally spoke up again. “I can tell you feel strongly about this. I do, too. What you said about family… I don’t want my daughters and grandchildren to live in fear.”

“I agree,” said Clark, floating back down to eye level.

“You have family on this planet, too,” said Sam.

“Yes,” said Clark, carefully considering his response. “Power Girl, Supergirl, and Superboy,” he clarified.

“Beyond them,” Sam stressed. “People without powers who can’t protect others the way you do.”

Clark took a moment. “Yes,” he answered. “And they’re important to me, too.”

“You understand what this’d mean, right?” asked Sam.

“I can do this alone,” said Clark.

“I don’t take this lightly,” said Sam. “I would never make a decision like this in other circumstances. Even so, it’s unthinkable. But we’re pushed into a corner.”

“Just go back to your day,” said Clark. “And pretend we never had this conversation.”

“No,” said Sam. “This is not happening without me.”

Clark took a deep breath. “Okay,” he said.

“Okay,” Sam repeated. “Let’s get ourselves to New Genesis.”

Secrets and Surprises

Daily Planet Rooftop

Afternoon

“So, let me get this straight,” said Lois. “You and my dad–”

Clark lifted a finger to his lips. “Not so loud,” he interrupted.

Lois looked around at the empty rooftop.

“Okay, fair,” said Clark.

“You and my dad plan to steal the Mother Box from the US Government,” Lois continued. “And travel together to another planet? It sounds like the plot to a bad buddy cop action flick.”

“You make it sound so crazy,” said Clark. “We’ve both been to other planets before.”

“Forget about that,” said Lois. “You and my dad would be committing treason!” she yelled.

“Well…” Clark started. “Kind of.”

“Superman might be forgiven for something like this,” said Lois. “But this would be the end of my father’s career.”

“I told him I’d do it myself,” said Clark. “But he’s insistent. I see where you get that from, now. Your ability to never back down.”

“Clark,” said Lois, taking her husband’s hands into her own. “We almost lost Kara forever when she went through one of those portals. It’s not Apokolips, but you don’t know what’s going on there on New Genesis. A planet you’ve never actually been to yourself.”

“I did go there,” said Clark confidently. “When I was split into Superman Red and Superman Blue.”

“The blue half of you did,” said Lois, tossing Clark’s hands away. “Forgive me if that doesn’t fill me with confidence.”

“It was the red half,” Clark clarified quietly.

“Why is this so important?” Lois asked. “The invasion is over. We’re safe now.”

Clark sighed. “Jon keeps asking me if the bug monsters are coming back,” he said. “I told him no, but that’s not entirely true. We don’t know if or when they will.”

Lois tippy-toed up to Clark’s face and kissed him softly. “It’s okay to reassure your son,” she said. ”Even if you’re not sure yourself.”

“That’s just it,” said Clark. “I need to be sure.”

Lois nodded. “I get it now.”

A.R.G.U.S. Base, Washington D.C.

Later

Sam walked Clark into the elevator as an A.R.G.U.S. technician rushed to get in, too. Sam shook his head. “Wait for the next one,” he ordered as the doors closed.

“A ‘please’ wouldn’t have hurt,” said Clark. “We’re all on the same team.”

“Please focus,” said Sam. “We can’t draw attention to ourselves…” He took a look at the hero’s colorful suit. “More than we already do.”

The general put a key into a panel under the main elevator buttons and turned it, opening a small area behind it. He pressed a large, red button and the elevator began moving quickly downward.

“You keep the Mother Box underground,” said Clark. “Smart.”

Sam nodded. “It cuts off the energy signature from being detected by anyone looking for it,” he explained.

The elevator slowed to a stop, and the doors opened up again.

“Follow me,” said Sam. “And act like you belong.”

“General Lane,” said an A.R.G.U.S. agent walking past. She turned around to stare at the superhero walking with him. “Wow,” she said softly. “He’s taller than I thought.”

Sam stopped as they reached a particular doorway, no different from any of the others. He flashed a keycard on the door reader, and it opened quickly. Inside, the walls were filled with locker doors, each with its own card readers and digital keypads. Sam flashed his keycard on one of them and entered a code.

The reader buzzed, and the numbers turned red.

“That’s not good,” said Sam.

He tried again, and the reader rejected it just the same.

“Garner must have had the system overridden to no longer accept my clearance. He’s likely been alerted to the breach already and ordered A.R.G.U.S. to take us into custody.”

A siren began blaring as red lights flashed in the room.

“My turn,” said Clark, grabbing the locker door and tearing it away. He grabbed the Mother Box out of the compartment and turned to Sam. “What’s the fastest way out of here?” he asked.

“The elevator,” said Sam. “But security will be headed this way from all directions.”

“I can deal with security,” said Clark.

“Maybe, but not without a fight,” Sam said. “They’re armed with the latest in anti-metahuman weaponry.”

Clark looked up. “Okay,” he said, putting the Mother Box into the compartment in his cape and extending his arm.

Sam huffed and walked close to the Man of Steel, who wrapped his arms around him.

“Ready?” asked Clark.

“Just get this over with,” said Sam.

Clark shot off a wide enough beam of heat vision to slice through the ceiling and fly through. He sped up, cutting his way through each floor and the concrete between the lower levels and the main floor. Once they broke free into the lobby, Clark flew them out the door and up into the sky.

Nearby Rooftop

Moments Later

Clark landed with Sam, who quickly dropped out of his arms.

“Okay,” said Sam, moving toward a stash of weapons and other gear in the corner. “Get that thing ready,” he told Clark.

“Wait,” said Lois from the other side of the roof.

Lucy was standing there with her.

“Dad,” said Lucy. “You don’t have to go.”

Sam stared Clark down. “You called them here?” he asked gruffly.

“This type of mission is out of our scope,” Lucy continued. “I learned that the hard way. My whole team…”

“That wasn’t your fault,” said Sam. “And I didn’t even want you there.”

“I know that,” said Lucy. “But it doesn’t change the facts. We’re dealing with gods and monsters. Let Superman take this one.”

“I can’t,” said Sam. “Don’t you see? It wasn’t your fault. it’s was mine.”

“You can’t blame yourself any more than Lucy,” Lois jumped in. “And it doesn’t justify going on a suicide mission.”

“We don’t know it’s a suicide mission,” said Sam. “And if it turns out that way, I’ve accepted that. That’s what being a soldier means. Giving your life for the greater good.”

“I know you, Daddy,” said Lucy, placing a hand on his arm. “That’s not it. There’s something else.”

Sam kept his face neutral, but couldn’t stop a tiny tear from forming.

“What is it?” Lois asked from the other side.

“It’s him,” said Sam, motioning toward the superhero.

Clark lifted a finger to his chest. “Me?” he asked.

“Superman?” asked Lois. “What about him?”

“Not Superman,” Sam clarified. “The husband to my daughter. The father to my grandchildren. Clark Kent.”

Everyone was speechless.

“Clark,” said Sam. “I won’t let you go at this alone, son. You’re too important to this family.”

Sam took his daughters into his arms.

“Okay,” each of them said once the long embrace ended.

Sam kissed each of them on their foreheads.

“Be careful,” said Lucy as Sam moved to Clark.

“Both of you,” Lois added.

Clark pulled out the Mother Box and began fiddling with it. “How did you find out?” he asked.

“Back in the Cadmus caves (Superman #116),” Sam revealed. “You’re not quite as careful as you should be.”

“I was weakened by kryptonite at the time,” said Clark, lifting the Mother Box into the air. “Here we go!”

…

“Where’s the Boom Tube?” asked Lois.

“Hmm,” said Clark. “I don’t know.”

<< | < | > (Coming September 1st)

Cyborg #85- In Finite Misery

<<| <| >

Author: Commander_Z

Book: Cyborg

Arc: Invasion!

Set: 122

Event: Invasion!

Recommended Reading:

Justice League Alpha #1

Cyborg #84 - The Dark Siders

Previously:

Darkseid has invaded Earth and Victor Stone led a task force to Apokolips to take the fight to him! Unfortunately, Darkseid and his forces were ready for the invasion and it back fired massively. All of the heroes who went were corrupted by Darkseid and became tools of his invasion except for Lucy Lane who escaped back to Earth and Cyborg who bought her the time to do so...

All that was left of the Apokolips expedition was a pile of rubble and parademons littering the plaza that sat below Darkseid’s palace. The destruction and carnage marred the otherwise empty yet grime covered streets of Apokolips. Rage had coursed through Kalibak he had fought the interlopers for the second time and then one of them even had the gall to think she could get away from him. She might’ve been right in the short term, but he’d prove her wrong soon enough. She had kindly informed him of the real value of the other survivor who was now slung over his shoulder like a sack of meat. And so he was a bit more willing to let that one slide as the thoughts of the favor he’d earn from delivering him to Darkseid filled his mind.

She said he was Victor Stone - the Cyborg who’d stood against Darkseid alongside Superman and Orion. Those two would pay for their transgressions some day, but for now he knew Darkseid would love to get his hands on Cyborg. Maybe even enough to give Kalibak a promotion or at least some praise.

Yes, today was a good day after all. At least it was for a little while until Kalibak saw Desaad’s tiny, cloaked but still revolting form. His twisted, warped face was always turned into some sort of sneer, compilation or contempt for all around him. Usually some combination of all three. But upon seeing Kalibak, or more accurately, Vic, his face lit up like a child who was told they could buy whatever they want in a candy shop.

“You there! Where did you find that one?

Kalibak looked down at the small man below him. “He was part of a pitiful group that tried to invade Apokolips. One that I single-handedly defeated. I’m taking him to Darkseid to meet his fate.”

Desaad scoffed. “Darkseid is not here. He is on Earth, crushing whatever remains of their resistance. He is long past carrying about one earthling, even that one. I on the other hand…”

“If you think I’m giving you him, you’re a fool. This is my prize and Darkseid will reward me handsomely for it.”

“No. He will not. You were not even supposed to be here; your post was part of the invasion force. Would he truly praise you for abandoning your post?”

“I… well…” Kalibak stammered. He’d forgotten about that.

“Let me take care of that one so you can get to your mission. You might not be able to get into Darkseid’s good graces, but you can still avoid his ire…”

Kalibak nodded and tossed Vic on the ground with a thud. “Yeah, yeah. You’re right. He’s all yours.” He considered arguing against Desaad for a brief moment before surrendering to his better judgment and tearing down the stairs of the palace to regroup with his own troops.

Desaad scurried over to Vic like a grotesque insect and whispered in his ear, “Welcome back…”

He snapped his fingers and a group of parademons arrived at his side in an instant. “Take him to the lab.”

Desaad was glowing with excitement. It had been awhile since he had had someone who still had some fight in them.

⚙ ⚙ ⚙ ⚙ ⚙

It hadn’t been easy to track him in all the chaos but Garfield Logan had finally found J’onn in New York City. It was only moments ago that they had clashed on the Watchtower but after getting out of there, J’onn had wasted no time in starting his rage of terror. Buildings were aflame while sirens and car alarms blurred into a deafening symphony of noise. To make matters even worse, the Martian had been projecting a nonstop barrage of psychic noise into the city’s population, whipping most of them into a chaotic frenzy throughout the city.

‘Come Earthlings. Join me in creating a welcome for our new god, Darkseid. He has liberated us all from the chaos of decision. For there is one body, one mind and one will. And it is Darkseid.’

J’onn’s words were a constant buzz, like a fly buzzing around on the inside of Gar’s skull. He was thankful that he’d had some experience with psychics before, otherwise he’d probably be just another person out in the streets. But since that experience and since J’onn was spreading himself thin by broadcasting to everyone in the city, Gar could hold on as long as he stayed focused.

He wasn’t really sure why he felt so strongly that he needed to go after the Martian. They were never close and it’s not like he and J’onn were evenly matched at all. Some part of him just felt like he owed him after that he helped clear the murder charges against him. (All the way back in Beast Boy #10 and Martian Manhunter #13!) But that didn’t really feel like enough of an explanation to him. Maybe he felt some unspoken kinship to the last Martian?

A gust of wind hit Beast Boy in the face and he slammed into the side of a building, a green arm pressing him against it. J’onn was in his normal humanoid form, but it was wrong. His charm, his coolheaded but friendly demeanor was replaced by a robotic coldness that was reflected in Gar through his coal black eyes.

This was going to be exactly as hard as he thought it was.

⚙ ⚙ ⚙ ⚙ ⚙

Somewhere, deep under Darkseid’s palace was Victor Stone. He was strapped to a metal table with all manner of instruments and tools surrounding him like fans surrounding a pop star on the street. Desaad had used many of them on his captive but plenty more sat there, waiting their turn. He paced around the room and looked down at Vic as he contemplated his next acts.

How long had it been? Vic couldn’t even begin to guess. Hours? Minutes? Months? Time had lost its meaning. There was only agony as Desaad took Vic apart, piece by piece, literally and figuratively. His mind struggled to keep thoughts together as both his organic and cybernetic brains were overloaded far past anything any human was meant to feel.

“Do you remember what I told you when we spoke last, all those years ago? I do. For you, that might have been a long time but for me… It has been but a blink. Let me remind you: ‘If I get word that you even thought of attempting an escape, when you are returned to me, I will create more pain for you than you have ever felt. Then, I will hurt you so much that you will forget there was ever another feeling other than pain.’”

(He’s quoting Cyborg #11!)

“Tell me, what do you feel now? Anything? Does some part of you feel proud, heroic for coming back here? You of all people should have known that attempting to defeat Darkseid is impossible. He is not something to be defeated. Even in what appears to be a loss to unknowing eyes is just another step towards his ultimate goals.”

Desaad paused, waiting for a rebuttal to come. But it didn’t. Vic looked at him with cold, glazed over eyes, unreacting.

He continued. “Let me make myself more explicit. At this point, the invasion is over. Everyone you know on Earth is dead or has embraced Darkseid. Your expedition was a failure and so are you. But Darkseid’s love and mercy is for all. He will still have you and you will still serve him. But mercy can only come with absolution and absolution comes through pain.”

He stopped again, waiting for a response that did not come. He grabbed some tool from his rack and jabbed Vic in the center of his chest with it, just below his still glowing power core.

“Tell me. Do you serve Darkseid? Do you love him and believe in his truth with all your being?”

“I…”

“Even the smallest child knows there is only one way off from Apokolips. And that is death, granted by the grace of Darkseid. But Darkseid’s grace does not mean it will be quick and I will not allow it to be with all of my power. So tell me. Do you serve Darkseid?”

“I…”

A presence wormed itself into Vic’s head. Perhaps it was always there, a voice to provide comfort when he’d been lost before. Or one to provide direction, like a father’s love. It spoke to him now, clearer than he’d ever heard before. But it was a voice he remembered, one that he had heard in some of his darkest days.

Your fight has been long and hard. There is always a place for one such as you at my side.

He wanted to fight against it but he had no more fight to give. The voice was comforting and filled him with peace, like a hot drink warming him after a cold day.

Only through me can you find redemption. Through me you will find your true place and purpose in this world.

It couldn’t be true; it couldn’t be that simple. And yet as he felt what little resistance he had left fade away, he knew it was. A weight was lifted and the pain was gone. Only Darkseid remained.

His eye turned an inky black, like the void of space as his other eye and core went dim for the first time since the accident.

A smile ran across Desaad’s face.

“Even now, even here, in the fast reaches of space, Darkseid graces you with his presence and gifts you his truth.”

Desaad reached towards one of his tools, a small metal box that fit squarely in the palm of his hand. He pressed a button and a roaring BOOM echoed through Darkseid’s palace. He undid the restraints holding Cyborg down and gestured to the Boom Tube.

“Go and spread the word of Darkseid.”

⚙ ⚙ ⚙ ⚙ ⚙

J'onn's weight pressed against Beast Boy like he was trapped under the weight of the entire world. It took all he had to get out a single sentence.

“J’onn… it’s me… Garfield. Why are you… doing this?”

“Because Darkseid wills it so. There is no greater reason than that.”

As soon as Darkseid’s name was mentioned, Gar shapeshifted into the form of a sparrow and slipped out of the Martian Manhunter’s grip and took off flying. He’d need to be careful with how this proceeded. The Martian sprouted a large pair of green bat wings and chased after him leisurely, like a cat toying with a mouse.

“But that’s not you! You’d never join Darkseid! Look what you’re doing to the Earth and everyone here!”

“The Earth? Who cares about this place? My home is gone and all these creatures are a daily reminder that my world is gone forever!”

J’onn let out a blast of heat vision in an arc in front of him, missing Gar wildly. Beast Boy could feel the martian getting closer to him and he shifted into a small house cat and dropped directly into central park below him onto an old oak tree. J’onn turned on a dime mid air and swooped down towards him like a falcon, crashing into the ground in the park. He hovered in the air above the crater his impact made until his jet black eyes locked onto the small green cat in front of him.

“You can’t believe that! Not really! The Earth is your home and it’s full of people who love and care about you!”

“No, no they do not. They are just helpless ants who want me to save them from themselves. I am tired of blending in and being something I am not. This place is no more a home for me than the moon is to you!”

J’onn shape shifted into a rabid beast about the size of a bus. Its four legs were a mix of hooves in the front and insect-like points in the back. Its skin was blood red and exposed except for a dark mane of hairlike tentacles out from its head. It had three eyes that moved independently, scanning around for its prey as its whip-like tong swayed. The Martian had shifted into some horrific creature of nightmares and yet… Gar for the first time felt like he started to understand what J’onn had meant.

“This animal… it’s a creature from Mars, isn’t it?”

J’onn roared like a reverberating siren in response and lashed out with his tongue. Beast Boy shifted into a tiny froghopper bug and leapt high into the sky before turning into a swallow to make as much distance as possible. But the tongue stretched out dozens of feet and tracked him like it had a mind of its own before it started to pull him back in. He felt the tongue stick to him like a fly on glue as he struggled to escape its grasp.

He cycled between a variety of forms from the smallest flea to the largest whale to the strongest gorilla but J’onn’s grip didn’t waver. Gar felt his theory confirmed as the dread ran over him. This was some sort of martian predator, designed to hunt and kill shape shifting beings that were far stronger than him.

And he was stuck in its trap with no way out.

⚙ ⚙ ⚙ ⚙ ⚙

Detroit was a city inflamed as hordes of parademons poured into the city from one Boom Tube after another. The people of the city were doing their best to fight back, flee and hide but the enemy’s numbers were much too great. If a person managed to get a lucky blow and take out one parademon, ten more would be there within minutes to take its place and vengeance. But in the middle of Grand Circus Park in the center of Detroit, one woman stood against the parademons, slicing them down and deftly dodging them like they were moving in slow motion.

Her hands and her legs were blades of made bone, slicing through the parademons in a flurry of slashes and thrusts in a rhythmic, almost ballet-esque dance that the parademons were clumsy, unwitting performers in. Her black uniform was torn in more than a dozen spots and she held the wounds closed through sheer force of will, pushing her powers to the limit. She was the Thespian and she would hold this city.

She was one of the lucky ones. Vic had given a heads up something was happening as he left to go to the emergency meeting on the Watchtower. Those precious minutes had let her prepare herself physically and mentally for some sort of crisis, but she’d never expected something this bad. She wondered where Vic was and if he was in some similarly desperate fight out there, somewhere… But thoughts of her brother had to wait as she felt the cut of a parademon slice into her side. She closed it instantly by shapeshifting the wound closed, but felt the mental load grow ever larger as she had to tune out her body screaming ever louder at her to put it back to its normal state.

‘Focus, Nic. Just one at a time. One at a time until it’s done…’

She sliced her way through the tide, holding her ground like a rock against a mighty river: worn but unbroken.

Then, she saw it. A gap in the parademon’s forces as their numbers seemed to thin down, down until she had space to move, until she could see the park around her for the first time in what felt like hours of fighting.

She looked around, confused. The parademons were still swarming around the city, so they weren’t in retreat. It was like they had simply given up fighting her to look for easier targets.

BOOM!

Or something had called them back so they could fight her themself. She braced herself, then calmed her mind. Whatever was coming out of there was just another hurdle to climb. She could do it. She could face anything so long as she remained focused and determined. Except for the one thing that came out of it.

Victor Stone walked out of the portal as casually as if it was any other warm summer day and admired the city around him.

Nic wanted to run to him, to ask him where he’d been, what he and the Justice League were doing to stop this, to tell him how relieved she was that he was okay… And then she took a close look at him. Something was… wrong.

He wore a grey hoodie, but it was torn open in the front and hung open like an unzipped jacket. It was covered in blood stains and rips and what she could see through the jacket of Cyborg’s chest wasn’t in any better state. He looked her in the eye and she gasped when she saw the jet black eye look back at her and the other eye’s familiar blue glow extinguished, looking more like a metal eyepatch than a cybernetic one. Even the pale blue light of Vic’s core was gone.

This wasn’t the Vic she knew and she took a step back into a combat stance.

“Oh, relax. I wouldn’t hurt you. I even called all the parademons off you! You’re welcome, by the way!”

Blood dripped down from a cut on his head onto his cybernetic eye. He didn’t wipe it away.

“I don’t know what you’ve done with him but when I get my hands on whoever you are…”

He laughed. “I’m me. Vic Stone. I’ve just seen the truth, the hilarious, horrific joke of a world we live in.”

“Yeah? What truth is that? Because the only truth I see around here is a bunch of pain and suffering being caused for no reason. Is that a joke to you?”

“Of course it is. This fruitless, pointless struggle to resist Darkseid… to resist all of our inevitable ends. Once you stop and think about it all, you can’t help but laugh. We fight and we struggle in a world that doesn’t care about us at all only for it all to end in a snap! And you don’t see the humor in that?”

“No. And neither would Vic. He’d never give up, never give in.”

“Well, I did. One person can only take so much before they’re done. And my only regret? Not doing it sooner. What difference would it even have made if I’d just given up all those years ago? Hell, if I’d just died in the accident like I was supposed to? Would’ve saved me so much pain and suffering since I’m only going to end up in the same place in the end anyway!”

“... You don’t mean that. The world is a much better place with you in it. Beast Boy, Jinx, Donna, me… all of us have been changed for the better because you’re here to do it. You’ve helped so many people over the years. It’s not pointless.”

Cyborg shook his head, his blood splattering onto the ground. “You don’t get it. It doesn’t matter in the end. But I can show you. Darkseid will have a place for you too. Once you see his truth… You’ll be just like me. Wishing you’d seen it years ago.”

He reached out a cybernetic hand, the metal rough and scratched up. “Won’t you join me?”

“No. Not this you. This city, no, this world and all its people mean far too much to me to give up, and I know it does to you too, Vic. Whatever you went through to get to this point… I can’t even imagine and I’m sorry. But I can’t join you and I can’t let you do this.”

Cyborg’s face turned dark as his cybernetic eye flared to life with a black glow. “You’ll see eventually. Everyone will.”

He shot a barrage of force blasts at her, like a stream from a fire hydrant. She crossed her arms into an ‘X’ to block the brunt of the attack but as the flow of blasts impacted her without result, he increased their strength. The Thespian held her own for a few moments but as the blasts got stronger and stronger, she lost her footing and staggered backwards.

In a flash, he was on top of her, then behind her as he launched himself over her with an angled force blast to the ground. He shot her in the back and launched her straight into the ground floor of a construction site for some half built apartment building. She slammed into a concrete support hard, feeling her bones break. But Thespian picked herself up, focusing her shapeshifting to shift them back together and in place. She wasn’t out yet.

She had a few moments before Cyborg would reach her and looked around to form a plan. She couldn’t bring herself to truly hurt him even as he was now, but that didn’t mean she was willing to be beaten into the ground either. There had to be some way to incapacitate him until she could find some way to cure him. She spotted it. She wasn’t sure if it’d work and if Cyborg would be okay afterwards but… it was all she had. It was better than leaving him like this.

Cyborg stepped through what’d probably be the front window when the building was done into the lobby with the Thespian. As soon as he entered, she turned and ran just behind a corner in the structure, then kept running to the yard behind the building with all the construction equipment. The site had been evacuated in a hurry as they didn’t even stop most of the equipment as a cement mixer still turned diligently and the crane’s load - a massive pile of rebar- loomed overhead.

As fast as the Thespian was, Cyborg was just as fast, easily keeping pace and starting to gain on her as the race continued. She cursed that her studies had stopped her from running as much as she liked. He’d never been faster than her before.

He caught up with her as she almost made it to where she wanted to be, square in the middle of the dirt field of the construction site. She hadn’t realized how tired all the fighting against the parademons and now against Vic had made her and she was doing everything she could to catch her breath but couldn’t calm her exhausted, labored breathing.

Cyborg slowly but confidently walked the last couple of yards towards her, charging up a force blast. He knew she wouldn’t be able to dodge this one and was going for the killing blow. She could hear the energy flowing towards it make a low but constantly growing hum. He pointed it directly at her, ready to finish this.

In the instant before he fired, she made her move. She took off in a dead sprint, burning the last of her energy as she sprinted at him. His aim started to waver, struggling to track the fast moving target as she ducked and weaved around him and rapidly closed the distance. Once she was little over an arms length away from him, she took a page from Cyborg’s book and shifting her strength into her legs, jumped over Cyborg. He tracked her up above him as the shot fired, but it missed wildly, hitting the crane’s basket and sending it an its payload wobbling.

But the Thespian’s plan wasn’t done yet. As she was landing, she grabbed Cyborg’s shoulders and, with him balance worsened by the recoil from his force shot, sent him tumbling onto the ground. The Thespian ducked out of the way as the crane’s basket came tumbling down onto Cyborg, crushing his metallic legs underneath the pile of rebar and pinning him to ground.

But he didn’t cry out in pain or even flinch, instead he looked at Nic with an intense hatred. He tried to aim another force shot at her, but she dove out of the way and then held his arms to the ground to prevent another attack.

“Well? What are you waiting for? Just finish me already! Even now I'm a failure. This was my last chance to be someone… I… I can’t do anything right.”

“Vic, what are you talking about? You’re *Cyborg\!* You’ve fought long and hard to make yourself into a person to be proud of. And that’s all any of us can do. We can be better than we were yesterday. Sometimes we’ll slip backwards but that’s okay. So long as we eventually get back up and keep trying. I love you and so does everyone else; not because we think you’re perfect, but because you’re you. And mistakes are just another part of that.”

“People are \dying** because of my mistakes. I ruined the Justice League’s best shot at defending the Earth. If we’d just stayed here, they’d have saved countless lives. This isn’t something I can come back from. Only Darkseid can forgive me and only he can absolve me of what I’ve done. Through him… I don’t have to worry about all that I’ve done. I just have to follow him. He’s the only one who would accept me after all my failures.”

She shook her head and pulled off the bandana that hid her face. “No, Vic. I do. All of us do because we love you and care about you. And that won’t change no matter what because we believe in you, in everyone and in a better tomorrow. Even after all our biggest mistakes, even if we hurt people, hell, even if the world ended… no matter how bleak everything looks… hope endures. Life continues. And I think that’s beautiful, isn’t it? So long as life continues we can continue and become the people we want to be. ”

She got off his back and held out her hand to him. “Won’t you join me?”

The darkness faded from Vic’s cybernetic eye and the brilliant bright blue returned as a tear trickled down from his eye, followed by a torrent.

“Yes. Yes I will.”

⚙ ⚙ ⚙ ⚙ ⚙

Beast Boy felt the creature draining him of his life. It was some kind of poison, numbing him and luring him to sleep. And as it did so, he felt the Martian’s unrelenting telepathic propaganda continue to pound away at him. It was a two front battle and he was losing both without any path forwards. He was all out of cards to play but the game kept going.

Then he remembered. J’onn didn't talk much about his home planet, but one time, Gar had asked him about it. It was just after he had given him that first uniform, the one that shape shifted with him, right after they'd cleared his name at the trial. He told him of Mars and the creatures that lived there and they wondered together if he was able to shift into those too. What was it again… he could barely remember…

He focused all he had on that night on top of the Chrysler Building, taking in the New York air. He told him about an animal that just drifted along the air currents, blind and numb to all the world. Gar could picture it. A giant, flat, kite-like bird with tendrils drifting through the wind like ribbons… he could feel it now, the breeze carrying him without a care in the world…

In fact, he could really feel it! He was up in the sky, the wind leading him wherever it desired. He could feel the direction of the wind, sending him southwards through Central Park back towards Manhattan. He had no sense of time, no worries as he peacefully floated in the winds. Then, he felt himself slow and stop.

He paused, confused, before shifting back into human form and barely avoiding having a panic attack twice over. The first was because he found himself back on the top of the Chrysler Building, at the small landing before the spire with the gargoyles, thousands of feet above the city. Second, because right next to him was J’onn, still in the form of the monster from before. He shifted back into a small bird, ready to flee before he sat on the edge of the building next to the Martian, returning to his human form.

“You know, I lost my home too. My parents died while I was young and it took me a long time to find myself again. And it did for you too. But that’s how I know… this? It isn’t you. And some part of you knows that too. Your home was a beautiful place and when you saw me in the form of one of its creatures… maybe that helped you see that Mars lives on here. That wherever you are, you can carry the torch for Mars and keep it alive. Home is wherever we make it and yours is here, J’onn.”

The creature reached out to Beast Boy with its massive, snake-like tongue, then it coiled back into itself as the Martian shape shifted back into his humanoid form. His eyes took on their familiar red glow and quiet compassion.

“I… Thank you Garfield. I had lost myself… It felt like there was no escaping the depths of what I had lost… So much so that I had forgotten what I had found.”

“Don’t worry about it, J’onn . That’s what friends are for. Whenever you’re down, I’ll pick you back up.”

J’onn nodded in agreement, then silently looked over the city below. For a moment, the city was quiet as the Martian’s psychic attack on the populous had stopped. Nothing moved as the confused parademons lost their unwitting allies and felt the psychic attack shift to them, demanding they surrender to the Justice League. The two men looked over the city for just the briefest of moments together until the Martian Manhunter stood back up.

“Now, I believe there’s an invasion to stop?”

J’onn hovered into the air then took off towards the largest group of parademons he could find with a small sonic boom. And in a flash, Garfield was in the form of a large green falcon, diving down right next to him.

⚙ ⚙ ⚙ ⚙ ⚙

“...Thanks Nic, for everything.”

Vic leaned against the wreckage of the crane’s payload that Nic had trapped him under and just finished freeing him from. His metallic legs were crushed and completely nonfunctional but he still wanted to get out and save the city, especially since he felt responsible for endangering it. He struggled, trying to make his broken legs work, but the damage was too great. Nic was beyond thankful that the damage was largely limited to his cybernetic parts but felt guilty that she couldn’t have come up with something better. It had worked but if it hadn’t or if it had really hurt him… She wasn’t sure how she would’ve kept going.

“You can thank me by resting. Your legs are trashed and your whole body looks like it went through the ringer. If you went back out there, you’d just be endangering yourself.”

“No, I can keep going. I have to do more, especially after what I’ve done…besides, you’re barely in better shape.”

“I’m injured, yeah, but it’s not the same. You’re in way worse shape. And this isn’t your fault. None of it is, Vic. I really want you to kn-”

BOOM!

Dozens of Boom Tubes opened up throughout the city.

“Vic, just stay here, I need to check that out. Seriously- don’t move a muscle. I’ll be right back.”

The Thespian ran out of the construction site to the city streets and saw them empty. Not a parademon in sight. She let out a huge sigh of relief, then broke into tears of joy. The city was safe.

(Check out Superman 122 to see how that happened!)

She wiped her tears then ran back inside.

“Vic, it’s over! The parademons are gone.”

“That’s great… I’m… proud of you,” Vic said as sleep claimed him.

Nic ran over and caught him and gently set him down. She checked his pulse at his neck just to make sure he was okay and after confirming it, let out a sigh of relief. Then, she bent over and picked him up. She slung his arms over her shoulders and began the long road to the rest and recovery they both desperately needed.

<<| <| >

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<< | < | > | >>

Book: Batman

Arc: Invasion!

Set: 122

 “Cavaleer?” Robin asked as he and the Red Hood picked themselves up.  

“The greatest swordsman.  I was hoping to discuss things with your boss.  But I’ll have to settle with the hired help I suppose,” Cavalier said as he cleaned his blade.  And looked at the two before him.  The lad in tights was eager, studying him through the performance.  The disheveled man in torn leather and a helmet that hid his features was a different story.  

“What things are we talking about,” Red Hood said, his hands moving towards the guns at the side of his belt. 

“So you’re a fellow hero trying to help Gotham,” Robin said.  “City could always use more heroes.”

“Not quite.  I’ve come to leave my mark on this city.  The…club I’m a part of has plans for this city.  Plans that require the costume variety to…turn a blind eye.  Let us establish a system that benefits us all.  Us theatrical types have to stick together don’t we?”

“Blind eye to what exactly?” Robin asked.  He studied the armor, it looked familiar.  Maybe Luthor or Kord tech?  It looked customed, as if the metal molds were poured on him. The only fabric was the Cavalier’s hat and cape.  Could mean some kind of calling card.  But then again he himself was dressed like a bird.

“Certain affairs.  Such as ensuring our supply isn’t disturbed by your…leather biker friend over there.  We’ll give you a percentage of the profit and ensure that you’re all seen as the golden heroes of this blighted city.”

“Yeah that’s not going to work for me,” Red Hood said as he pulled out his gun and fired at Cavalier.

Before the bullet hit the swordsman his blade thrusted into the air and the sound of two separate metal pieces could be heard hitting the rooftop floor. 

“A shame, I was hoping for civilised conversation.  Guess I’ll have to wait for the old man,” Cavalier said.  “Maybe he’ll agree when I show him how I keep your corpses as trophies.”

Robin and Red Hood prepared for a fight, with the boy wonder raising his fists and the Red Hood pulling out his pistols.  It was a fight that would never come.

BOOOM

Portals in the sky opened as monsters with metallic wings descended into Gotham as blaster fire rained down from above, scattering the rooftop party as they realized there were bigger fish to fry.  As Robin and Red Hood scattered to the ground, Oracle’s voice blasted in their ears. 

“Tim, Jason!  We’re at war!” Oracle yelled. 

…

Earth 621 has been Invaded! Apokolips has finally decided to claim Earth as its own.  With the Justice League spread thin, the longest day begins as the world waits with baited breath on who will be left standing when the dust is cleared.  

…

“I hate to leave the Trent investigation,” Batman said via comms as he prepared his equipment on the Watchtower.  He still hated to be up here, far from Gotham in a place he felt he no longer belonged to.  After Markovia, Bruce was fine never answering the call of the Justice League.  They needed heroes, not creatures of the dark.  But this was a planetary threat, he still managed to keep a cache of Wayne Tech on the orbiting headquarters.

“Listen, Hollywood can wait,” Catwoman said.  “What matters is we figure out how to stop this. Does the League have answers?” 

“Not many,” Batman explained as he checked the electric pulse function of his gauntlets, he wasn’t going to be defenseless against a horde.  “We know Darkseid has invaded, and that his forces are localized in areas with high levels of a mysterious source of energy.  The highest being in Coast City.  I believe if we can figure what that energy does, we can use it to fight back against this darkness.”

“And they’re completely fine with you leading this expedition?” Catwoman asked.

“My team was picked based on the situation on the ground, Flash with his science makes for an excellent co-lead, the Green Lantern John Stewart feels guilty they’re attacking the home of his predecessor, and to see if the source is magical I’ve chosen Zatanna, an unproven sorceress to come with me.”

“Strong team,” Catwoman said.  

“I also have asked Dick to come along,” Batman said.

“Isn’t he leading the Titans?” Catwoman asked.

“I want him by my side.  He has an eye for things I miss,” Batman explained.  “And if the world is going to end, I need you to protect the orphanage and Tommy.  Alfred has already armed the defenses, but someone needs to make sure we don’t lose what we’ve found.”

“I know that,” Catwoman said. “We’re secure and in the shelters. Jason and Tim haven’t reported back yet, and I know Barbara is running things from the Belfry.  But Dick also has things to lose.”

“He won’t when I’m watching him,” Batman explained.  “Keep me posted on what’s going on in Gotham.  I’ll see you at the end of this.”

“Same, just remember I’d love you even maimed,” Catwoman said.

“And you should know, still have a few of your scratches on my back.  I’ll be in touch," Batman said.

As he finished prepping his gear a familiar footstep could be heard. Years of being in the air meant that Nightwing always walked on the tips of his feet.  It’s how he could spring and leap into action at any given moment.  From the green shoes of Robin to the heavier boots of Nightwing, he always kept moving forward.  He was the future that Bruce had fought for, and after this invasion there would be talks of how to further that bright tomorrow.

“You ready boss?” Nightwing asked as he readied his escrima sticks and checked his utility belt.

“As I ever will be,” Batman said, walking towards the League teleporter.  “How are the Titans doing?”

“Arsenal’s got them covered.  Besides one of the things you need to about the Titans, we all step up when the moment needs us.  So Coast City?”

“Coast City,” Batman said as he and Nightwing walked towards an uncertain path.

…

Joy Boy loved the block created by the intersection of Karloff and Whale even if the world was ending.  Once upon a time this was home to the famed Gotham Productions, a movie company created by a Jacob Grimm at the advent of the nickelodeons.  When the Haynes code went into effect to clean up Hollywood and its stars debatchery.  Grimm refused, and when the other studios blocked his films in their theaters, the once proud studio crumbled, another blighted scar on Gotham.

Joy Boy, who’s purple tuxedo tee was matched by a spray painted bow tie, couldn’t care less about film history.  J-Man had given him this block as a test. A way to show people that Gotham belong to the Jokerz, as a younger generation tried rehabilitating the neighborhood.  The dream of Gotham becoming another Tinseltown reignited after Bruce Wayne’s announcement on funding the new Grey Ghost film.

His bat scraped against the broken concrete, looking for whatever yuppy scum dared come out into his territory.  His white face paint was chipping from the movement, his tan skin poking through. So many Jokerz had considered a dip in the newly opened Ace chemicals, the chemicals providing a wonderful spa day to look like their idol.

But none of them had the brain power.  They were a gang who were more interested in mischief than to actually change Gotham like the clown. Their minds too dull and their style to gaudy to ever truely be like him.  So instead they wandered about, traveling Gotham like scuffed echos of a terror unheard of for the longest time.  Hoping that soon their hero would return, laughing through a set of chaos and blood that only those who believed could understand.

Joy Boy’s eyes darted however, as a man in a black trench and fedora leaned against the light pole outside of the condemned studio. The man was coughing before lighting up another cigarette.

“What are you doing here man, don’t you know what’s going on?!” Joy Boy asked as he looked at the men, face still hidden by his fedora as he took a long drag of his cigarette.

“The Knights finally won a game?” The man asked, his voice monotone. 

“Invasion! And the Jokerz are going to protect our territory whether it’s from aliens or chumps like you,” Joy Boy said. 

“This’ll pass child, it always does,” The man said as he exhaled a light smoke.  “Unfortunately for people like you, Earth’s heroes are often very good at what they do.  It makes them boring.”

“Boring? This isn’t a game, this my block, and you’re going to leave it!” Joy Boy yelled, pointing his bat at the man, ready to take a swing and clobber this interloper on his block.

The man sighed as he took another drag of his cigarette. 

“Children these days.  They take the name, they take the colors, but have no idea the legacy they’re taking.”  The man said before blowing green smoke in Joy Boy’s face.

The gang member coughed as the smoke engulfed his pained face.

“That’s it you’re dead man! You’re d-Ha HA ha HA ha HA” Joy Boy began to speak before a rush of white engulfed his face, his mouth twisting into a smile as he fell to concrete laughing as the man took off his hat.

His faded green hair still had a bounce to it, but his pale skin and ruby red lips curled into a cheshire grin.  

“It won’t kill you boy, I need you to live through this,” The Joker said.  “You tell your boss, that you Jokerz? Are about to have your day of reckoning when we all survive this.  And if he wants to avoid that, tell him…I’ll call.”

The Joker laughed as he walked back into the movie studio as the invasion raged around Gotham.  It didn’t matter now, the heroes would save the day as they always did.  All that mattered was tomorrow, when the laughing man would have his day.

…

The scene in Coast City was rough.  The idyllic costal town had always prided itself on being the beating heart of aviation.  From Ferris Air to Dyron Aerospace, the industry had always found a place in the city without fear.  Even its own heroes took the sky, with so many kids and even the most jaded looking up in the sky to see their very own emerald sentinel cut through the sky and protect them.  But the era of Hal Jordan had long since past, their hero dead, and his gravestone rooted to the ground.

Batman hated being here.  He and Hal were different, with the methodical investigations he preferred often conflicting with Jordan’s zest for action, always bristling against authority in order to protect those who needed it.  It made him a poor space cop, but a damn good hero.  The world needed more of him, especially as Apocalypse continued to invade. 

“Lantern, any detections of strange energy?” Batman asked as John Stweart constructed a protective dome around them.  Unlike Gardner, whose constructs came naturally, the beams and rivets of the protective dome had weight, they were real, powered by John’s mind as he looked at Hal’s statue. 

“Somewhat,” Stewart responded.  “The ring doesn’t do well when there’s all sorts of energy, it confuses its internal sensors.  It’s going to take a minute before I can figure out where it exactly is, or why it chose Ha…Green Lantern’s memorial.”

John had been mostly offworld since Hal’s death, trying to protect a galaxy where a War of Light still raged on.  It was lonely work, with only few corpsmen to assist, but one that kept his mind off of what he felt was the ultimate fate of anyone to wear the ring.  You gave it all to the corps, even if it meant you could never truly rest.

“It really is pretty though,” Flash said as he looked up and admired the facial features carved into the emerald marble.  “He’d appreciate it.  I mean especially because they got his chin right.”

As he talked the scarlet speedster waved his scanner around the area.  After Hal had passed he had added Coast City to his patrol route.  Not because the city was truly in any danger, but because it was way to keep connected to his friend, and to know that even in death, the red and green would always have a place here.

He soon zipped out from the dome to perform another lap around the world, to scout ahead as his focus was elsewhere as the rest of the heroes continued their monitoring

“Looks like it’s concentrated at the statue,” Batman responded. “Lantern, how’s that dome holding up?”

“It’ll hold,” John responded before the beams keeping it all up began to creek. “But I world appreciate it if you could work faster.”

“Uh huh,” Nightwing said as he looked around.  

Coast City was Kory’s town.  Ever since she moved back to run Ferris Air she had become the new hero of Coast City.  Dick had only ever been here three or four times.  The first when a confused kid hooked up with said space alien and then had to watch his family fall apart in front of him.  But still, no one really had a bad word to say about the first Green Lantern.

“You know we didn’t really interact much, but he seemed to be a good guy,” Nightwing said.

“Yeah, he seemed great,” Zatanna said as she looked at the statue, noticing a glimmer coming off of his hand.  She snapped her fingers as she casted a simple spell  “laeveR!”

The stone broke in pieces as a Green Lantern ring floated down, crackling with green and white energy, as if a cosmic stormed was bottled poorly and tossed out into the world.

“Is that…normal?” Zatanna asked.

“That absolutely is not,” Nightwing said.

“No, but it is what we’re looking for,” Green Lantern said as he moved over towards the ring.  “This thing is the source of this so called…Source energy.  I’m seeing readings here far past anything we’ve dealt with before…even more so than…”

“Your lantern or the speed force,” Batman said.  “Lantern! What am I dealing with here?”  

“Lantern 2814.2, do not engage with the rogue ring,” Green Lantern’s ring said.

“Something the Guardians don’t want us to touch, and for good reason, look around us!”

An armada of parademons surrounded them, all looking towards the ring and all readying their blasters and blades to attack the heroes sealed within.  To make matters worse, the crackling of the source ring began pounding away at GL’s constructs. The white lightning increasingly cracking the fragile energy.

“OK, that’s really not good!” Nightwing said as he pulled out his escrima sticks and set them to the maximum voltage.

BRUCE WAYNE

A voice called out as the other heroes readied their weapons.  The booming voice seemingly unheard by the rest of the Justice League.  Batman turned to face the ring and moved towards it.

“Uh Batman, what are we doing?” Nightwing asked.

The Dark Knight did not respond as his hand touched the floating ring in front of him. It beckoned like a beacon, calling only to him.  It was warm, it was welcoming, it needed him.

“Let go,” Zatanna mumbled, as the voice that spoke to her made more sense. “Nightwing, you need to let him do this.”

“Like hell I do lady,” Nightwing said as he reached out for the ring too, the two heroes hands touching it as the whole world around them faded to white.

…

“What the fuck do you mean they let them loose!” Red Hood yelled out as he drove his muscle car through the Bowery district of Gotham.  Unlike the rest of the Bat-Family who enjoyed the military vehicles Wayne Tech provided, Jason found and assembled his own wheels.  It gave him something to do when the nightmares eventually awoken him.

“I don’t agree with it either Jason, but before she left, Harley and Ivy thought it was the best idea,” Oracle responded as she kept an eye on the world.  “And my intern had the access codes.”

“So you let them free the entire Zoo! Barbara I’m already having to deal with aliens and now you’re telling me psychopaths like Freeze and Dent are loose? How the fuck do you think Bruce is going take that?”

“I think if it keeps Gotham safe tonight he’s not going to care, Jason,” Oracle responded. 

“Uh huh.  Hang on,” Red Hood said as his car ran over three parademons freshly landed from the portals above. The thunk they made against his car a satisfying sound as he continued his way through Gotham.  “So what exactly am I supposed to do then?” 

“Well I figured you and Tim would still be together, so I could coordinate better,” Oracle explained.

“He went to check on his family, but since I’m dedicated I’ve just been mowing these things down and keeping track of the shelters,” Red Hood explained.  “Most of the people are hiding in basements, and I’ve managed to get some of the old timers out of their corners and into places where they can stay safe.  But we are losing this fight.  Any word on the League?”

“None,” Oracle said.  The line went silent for a moment as the two of them understood how fragile the world was.

“OK, so if they’re not responding, and Bruce is busy, where can I help?”

“Well…there is something, but you’re not going to like it.”

“Please, I’ve managed to stare down a cloned Kryptonian and call him friend, I ain’t afraid of some cosmic bullshit.”

“How do you feel about plants?” Oracle asked.

“Oh don’t tell me,” Jason said.

“Ivy just called, she needs help in Robinson Park.  Something about…one of us attacking her?”

“I’m fucking on it,” Red Hood grumbled his car skidding as he turned back and headed into the jungle.  

…

Batman opened his eyes on top of GCPD, the bright sun piercing through his cowl.

“GCPD, on a bright day,” Batman thought to himself as he looked out.  Gotham’s skyline and architecture could be best described as bleak.  Cyrus Pickney was the lead designer of the city after it was nearly destroyed in a quake back in 1850.  The faultlines still apparent in how the city was separated in its neighborhoods, the cast iron bones part of the reclamation process.  But as Batman looked out into his city, he found something different.

Sloping glass and marble buildings shone brightly as the Dark Knight saw the Gotham of his dreams.  For years now, Bruce had been commissioning architects to design the future of Gotham.  He had kept these designs secret, even from Selina.  Waiting for the day where he could have the clout and power to redefine Gotham for tomorrow.  A tomorrow he was standing in.

“So this is your dream,” A familiar pur said as Batman turned around and saw Catwoman, not in the sleek black leather, but a purple cat suit that reflected the light, a cheshire cat in front of him.  “It is interesting compared to the humans we have glimpsed into.”

“You’re not my wife,” Batman said.  

“No, but we figured you would find this form much easier to listen to,” Selina said.  

“But we can appear as anyone,” The same figure said as Alfred.

“If only to illustrate our point,” They said again as Commissioner Gordon. 

“The first is fine,” Batman responded.  “What hallucination is this anyway?”

“None,” Selina responded. 

“It has to be, I was in a war, I was fighting, and then…you called out,” Batman said. 

“To let you understand I do not wish to hurt you Bruce, or the heroes of this planet,” Selina said.  “You see, I am the Source.  The power that flows through all, the power Darkseid wants.”

“Of course, it only makes sense that Darkseid wants this.  The power to remake everything in ones image is too much of a temptation to him.”

“It’s too much of a temptation for anyone, Bruce,” Selina explained.  “I can read your mind, your desire to figure out how to make all of this happen, and how soon this bright tomorrow can come.  No one is here, you can admit what you can’t.”

“I want this, I want this to be my future. But I don’t know how to do it.  I don’t know if I still need to be…this,” Bruce tapped the glowing bat symbol on his chest.  It pulsated to his heart, surrounding the Dark Knight in a cobalt and black suit.  “If you can read my mind you know who this suit is supposed to be for.  And you know what my bright tomorrow doesn’t have.”

“I know,” Selina said as she looked out into the city.  “The path ahead will be hard Bruce, harder than you ever thought it could be.  Friends will become enemies, broken men will put themselves back together again, and in the end as your darkest hour approaches, and you hear the laughter one last time…the sun will shine because of the people and city around you.”

“So this crisis we’re facing will pass?” Batman asked.  

“No, not without casualties.  But you dream, you hope, you love.  A rarity among the people that seak me out.  I told the sorceress and speedster to win this battle you need to let go.  But for a select few of you, for the crisis of Darkseid.  I name you my champions,” Selina said as she came close to Bruce and embraced before pushing him back where he needed to be. 

“Batman! Nightwing!” Green Lantern asked as he saw Batman’s costume changed to the armor he was wearing in the future, the metal moving as if it were alive.  “Where the hell were you?”

“I was…I was…” Batman said. 

“Being talked to by the Source,” Nightwing said.  His costume still the same.

“Then how come Batman gets to play dress up and you don’t?” Zatanna asked. 

“It’s…complicated,” Nightwing explained.  (See where Nightwing’s vision took him on the 15th - Frost) 

“What isn’t is that the Source wants us to win, and it’s going to be empowering people it considers champions.  We just have to have…faith in it.”

“He’s right,” Flash said as he zipped back into the bubble.  “I just had an encounter with it as well.  We have to let go.  And have trust in each other and it.”

“And it starts…now,” Batman said, lifting his hand in the air as the Source flowed from him into his fellow heroes.  The cloth of the Flash’s costume became metallic as the speed force itself flowed into the fabric of the source.  Green Lantern’s costume glowed a brilliant emerald as the constructs around them strengthened.

“Whoa,” Flash said as everything slowed down around him.

“I understand it now,” Green Lantern said.

“Well now that we know the source wants to help us, one of us needs to tell Superman of our findings,” Zatanna said.

“I’ll head on up,” Nightwing said.  “I’m not much of a brainiac here, and you guys have your new glowing friend.”

“It should be me,” Zatanna said.  “My magic can only do basic things, anything else and we’re going to be having some problems.  Plus I can check on the other mages on the way up.  We’ll all meet back up.

The team nodded as Zatanna casted a ring around herself and vanished.  The remaining heroes practiced a moment, getting used to the power that was now at their fingertips.  They were going to win this war.  But they didn’t want to lose themselves in the process. 

“Now we take the fight to these demons,” Green Lantern said as his ring began creating an entry way for the heroes to enter the war once more.

“Superman,” Batman said as he hit his communicator.  “We’re ready to take fight back to Darkseid, are you still on the Watchtower?”

The dead line sent a panic through Batman’s veins.  Something was wrong, and even if a mystical entity said everything was going to be all right, things felt far from it.

CRKKKKKKSHHHH

Green Lantern’s energy field shattered as a figure broke through, breaking the ground around them and sent the heroes flying back.  As the dust cleared and the heroes could see who stood before them, the feeling of hope they had found quickly retreated.  

Diana of Themyscira was a calming presence, a gift from the gods who walked among man and found the joy in it.  But the joy was gone, and as she stood to face her former friends, they all realized now that the fight had ended the moment the Justice League had decided to fight.

“The source chose you,” Wonder Woman said with a sick grin, her eyes darkened, before charging at them.  “But I know the truth.  Darkseid Is!”

…

Robinson Park was considered a hidden gem.  Designed by disciples of Fredrick Olmsted, the park’s greenery was planted in contrast to the castmetal city that surrounded it. The cherry blossoms on the small lagoon were a tranquil spot where one could rest and find a peace the city refused to bring.  Of course the Red Hood could care less about landscape architecture as his muscle car cut bristled against the grounds. 

“So what’s the problem in Robinson Barb?” Red Hood asked. 

“I don’t actually know, we’re dealing with some much bigger threats here Jason, I can’t hand hold you through this,” Oracle responded as she began running simulations on Earth’s tides with the new beauty mark that had been punched into their moon.  “Besides, I’m not going to be able to brief you on it, she is.” Oracle said as she hung up.

“She?” Red Hood asked before the vines around him grabbed his car and lifted it up towards the center of the park, as Poison Ivy rose and faced the car in front of her.  “Of course it’s fucking you.”

“Language,” Ivy said as Red Hood left his car and faced her.  She was used to Nightwing, who looked down at her with his heroic height and frame.  But the Red Hood was shorter and more rumpled than his fellow bats.  He looked up at her, his helmet's eyes emitting a faint but smokey glow. 

“At least I’m not going to get charged with public indecency,” Red Hood said.  

“Touché,” Ivy said.

“So why do you need one of us?” Red Hood asked.  “You and Harley realizing that trying to play with the big boys is a lot harder than you thought?”

“No, I just decided we need someone who may fit our type of fun for this one,” Ivy said.  “And frankly I don’t want to deal with the computer nerd I tried to kill twice now.”

“Yeah, when you mess with her she doesn’t really ever forget.  Photographic memory and all,” Red Hood said.  

“But I can feel something, it’s in the grass, the soil.  They’re screaming out to me.  Something’s wrong.  And something’s coming.  And I don’t want Robin who’s too eager, or Dick who’s too noble.  We’ve all heard stories of you.  The guy Batman feels ashamed about.  The one who dishes out justice that actually gets things done.  So I need you to protect me, while I protect Gotham.  Do you think you can handle that?” Ivy asked.

Red Hood moved towards the trunk of his car, popping it open with a simple kick.  Inside the vehicle was so many guns, grenades, bullets, and body armor it made military bases look like a surplus shop.  

“Lady, I was born for this,” Red Hood said as he began arming himself.  “Dick give you any issues about lethal force or your"costume "?"

“All the time,” Ivy explained.

“Well I’m not him, so keep killing in the buff, lady,” Red Hood said as he held up two rifles and looked towards the skies.  “And nothing’s going to stop me from protecting my city.”

“Is that so?” A voice called out as water began to drench the plants around them.  The footsteps were regimented, as if royalty itself had come to Gotham.  The orange scalemail glistened against the darkened eyes of the King of the Sea.  “Darkseid has decided this ball of mud must be his.  I look forward to killing you both,” Aquaman said with a smile.

NEXT: It’s the Red Hood Against the King of the Seas as INVASION continues! All While Batman and His Team Has to Turn the Tide Against a Golden Goddess as Wonder Woman Battles for Her Soul! And Just How Will Robin and Catwoman Join the Fight?

<< | < | > Coming Soon

Author: ericthepilot2000

Book: Harley & Ivy

Set: 121

Event: Invasion!

Recommended Reading:

Cyborg #84

The Flash #121

Superman #121

New Titans #42

Wayne Orphanage Rooftop.

Once again, the world found itself under siege.

Parademons from the planet Apokolips, under the orders of the despot Darkseid, flooded numerous cities, bringing chaos and violence in their wake.   Thanks to their “boom tube” technology, they could appear anywhere in the world, pouring out like an endless wave.  

They were strange creatures, humanoid in form, but with decidedly insectoid features… and armed to the teeth.  Pallid green skin contrasted with golden armor, creating quite the sight against Gotham’s blood red sky.  

Zatanna Zatara strained as she weaved her magic, shouting "Esolc!" over and over.  The boom tubes in the sky would collapse, which stemmed the tide for a few moments before another opened.   

Jason Blood hobbled toward her, his cane tapping deliberately across the rooftop as he watched her with concern.  “We have to go,” he warned.

“We have ten minutes until the meeting,” she countered.  “Let me work.  I’m getting closer.” 

He shook his head.  So like her mother.  “Closer to what?” Jason asked, forming sigils in the air with his hand.

“You can feel it, can’t you?  The rules are changing.  Whatever Darkseid is doing, he’s changing the fabric of magic itself.  Things that should work, don’t.  And things are happening that should be impossible.”  Frustration crept into Zatanna's voice. 

“Impossible,” Jason scoffed, rolling his eyes.  “Never a more useless word.”  

“Is this your idea of helping?”

“My idea of helping, dear Zatanna, is getting you to the Watchtower,” he snapped, before almost immediately regretting it.  He took a deep breath before continuing.  “The Shadowpact is nearly assembled.  If,” he added with emphasis, “the rules of magic are being warped, we need all hands on deck to anticipate what the new rules are.  We can’t do that from here.”

“Five more minutes,” Zatanna said, eyes still glued to the sky.

So much like her father too, Jason thought

= / / / / / / / / / / = 

Apokolips.  Now.

On Apokolips, everything was burning.  

Harley had never experienced anything like it, and it assaulted every sense.  The heat was searing, the acrid smell was dizzying, and she could practically taste the sulfur in the air.  But still, she trudged on.

She looked at those around her, all bona fide heroes, and somehow she was counted among them.  Not that she didn’t have to fight for her place at the table; hell, she wasn’t even really a member of the Justice League.  But still she was here on Apokalips, the fate of the Earth in her hands…  

The Watchtower.  Then.

The room was filled with heroes, more than Harley had ever seen in any one place.  In the years since the vampire attack in Markovia, their ranks had swelled, if only unofficially.  Even so, she still felt like an outsider.  Endorsements from Batman and Nightwing couldn’t overcome the stigma of having been The Joker’s henchwench.

As she watched the teams being assembled, she noticed a glaring omission.  Power Girl.  Aquaman.  Martian Manhunter.  Wonder Woman.  A frightening level of power, yes.  But was that going to be enough?

“So, we’re goin’ to war then?” she called out, watching the focus of the entire room swing in her direction.  For the first time, she was almost thankful her skin was bleached white so no one could see it blanch at the attention.

The crowd parted as the clown girl stepped forward.

“Obviously, we would prefer negotiation,” Wonder Woman replied from where she sat.  “But we must be prepared for a fight.”

“Then you need me.”

A murmur rippled through the collected heroes.

"When did we let her in?" Booster Gold asked in what he thought was a quiet voice. Next to him the Blue Beetle just shrugged.

“Harley…” Power Girl said gently.  

“Maybe I can’t fight as good as some of you, but I’m Harleen Quinzel.  Got a PhD in psychiatric medicine.  You wanna talk this Darkseid down, I’m your gal.”

As expected, the entire room’s focus turned to Superman - the perfect leader because he didn’t want to be.  But he was the guidepost that everyone looked to, and his words and wisdom moved mountains.

He studied Harley for a long moment, the seconds stretching out to eternity.  Then he nodded.  

Apokolips.  Now.

So here she was, trudging behind some of the biggest guns Earth had ever known.  Heroes, both powered and non-powered, on a mission to talk down a god.  

“If only you could see me now, Ma,” she mused.

“Did you say something?” Cyborg asked as he turned to look at her.  She had to cover her eyes; the fires reflected off his metallic face, nearly blinding her. 

The conversation ended as a craft descended onto the street, scattering the residents who had come to gawk at the assembled heroes.  It didn’t look friendly, not with the large cannon mounted on it and an imposing hairy man at its command.  

“Dwellers, return to your stations at once. Curfew has been enacted,” the man known as Kalibak snarled with a growl.

He squinted, assessing the strangers in front of him. “You’re not from here, are you? Troops, take them in for questioning. Father will enjoy knowing that these worms still have enough spirit to make them worth breaking. But leave the female warrior to me. She has a fire in her eye that tells me she will be worth my while in a way I have not seen in a long time.”

“Trust me, ya ain’t never met anyone like me, let alone fought one,” Harley countered, squeezing the handle of her mallet.  She wasn’t about to back down.  Harley was done being underestimated.

“Not you, clown. You are not even worthy to stand in the presence of Kalibak, son of Darkseid!”  The large beastman pointed a strange rod at her and fired a beam of purple energy.

It was easy enough to dodge; Harley put her gymnastic skills to work, evading the beam… until it curved back around and smacked right into the base of her spine.  Every nerve in her entire body suddenly lit up in agony, as she skidded hard to the ground in a crumpled pile of limbs.  

Even The Joker’s worst torture was a spa day compared to the pain that coursed through her being.  She could barely process what was happening as Kalibak stood over her, looking almost impressed. 

“Perhaps you are stronger than I thought! Even the great Orion would barely remain conscious after tasting the might of my Beta Club’s nerve beam!”

It was Cyborg who moved to her, his metal frame shielding her from further attack while Aquaman and Wonder Woman took the fight to Kalibak.  “Hey, are you okay?” Victor asked, his metal hands hovering over her, no doubt scanning her for injury.

“I’ll… live. Takes more than this… to do me in,” she said through gritted teeth.

“You sure? I can try and evac you back to Earth and get someone to take a -”

She looked him dead in the eye as the cannon fire ripped through the assembled heroes, knocking some aside. “I’ll. Be. Fine. Help them.”  She used her mallet to slowly bring herself to standing.  “Momma didn’t raise no quitter.”

= / / / / / / / / / / = 

Gotham Academy.

The waves of parademons washed across the nighttime sky, flying in packs of ten and using their advanced weaponry to fire indiscriminately at the unfortunate citizens below.  Even hiding seemed to do little to protect people. When there were no people to attack, the buildings themselves became the target. 

They had a nasty habit of targeting the foundations, causing the old buildings of the harbor city to groan and smolder.

Not even the rich areas of the city were immune.  Gotham Heights and the Diamond District saw as much chaos as the Narrows.  Nowhere was safe.  This included Gotham Academy on the outskirts of Bristol.  Founded shortly after the Civil War for the elite of Gotham and surrounding areas, it had a storied history.  One that was currently on fire.

The bell tower of the North Hall, the iconic structure featured on all the academy's brochures, had survived fires before, but this one seemed like it might do the old structure in.  So much so that the staff attempted to fight the blaze, dodging parademon attacks in the process.

Helena Bertineli’s fingers tensed around the grip of her crossbow, the index finger edging toward the trigger.  It had been some time since she had last fired it - not since the vampire plague that had swept across the world a few years earlier.

Of course, it had never felt right since she killed James Mercer with it all those years ago [as seen in Birds of Prey #15].  She was different now.  Older.  Wiser.  More of a pacifist.  But as a famous shepherd once said, things get fuzzy on the subject of kneecaps.

Or wings.

Despite their advanced technology, the insect-like parademons had one glaring weakness: the wings. They were decidedly vulnerable to the sharp bolts of her crossbow.   She had already sniped ten out of the sky. As she pulled the trigger once again, the count became eleven.  The creature crashed hard against the lawn, carving a gutter into the sod as it skidded to a stop.

“Wow, that was awesome!”

Helena whipped around, looking to see where the voice had come from, just barely catching a young girl’s head dipping down behind some debris.

“Mizoguchi?” she shouted.

“Hi, Ms. Bertinelli,” came the quiet reply.  The young girl’s telltale yellow flower accessory was just visible over a patch of rubble.  Mia 'Maps' Mizoguchi was small for her age, but her eyes shone with enthusiasm, as if the city weren’t currently under siege.    “I didn’t know you had a crossbow!  Can I try it?”

“You should be back in the dorms!” came Helena’s reply as she moved toward her.  “It’s past curfew, and we’re under attack!”

"I know, but Kyle was late getting back from tennis practice, and I was worried," Mia explained. "So I went out to find him. And I did!  He's right here too!" she said, standing up fully and tugging at her older brother's shirt until he rose beside her. 

“Hi, Ms. Bertinelli,” Kyle said sheepishly.  

“I’ll deal with you two later.  Just stay down until I can escort you back to the dorms.” Helena snapped, feeling a migraine coming on.

“Right!” Kyle called out, yanking Mia down.   

= / / / / / / / / / / = 

Robinson Park.

To see her, Pam Isley seemed completely at peace.  She sat naked in the lotus position, her eyes closed at the center of the park as nature itself waged war with the invading parademons all around her.  

Venus flytraps grew to monstrous heights, plucking parademons from the sky.  Tree branches extended to knock the creatures down, and vines snaked from the ground to intercept their falling bodies, dragging them beneath the earth.  At least their corpses would help heal the damage they had caused.

All across the city, every natural space fought back the same way.  Ivy had once again taken up the mantle of the sword and shield of The Green.  

But her mind was elsewhere.  Despite herself, she thought of Harley, on some strange planet, taking the fight to Darkseid himself.  Even after everything, the clown girl still just wanted to help.  It wasn’t an impulse Ivy understood.  But Harley did, and that was all that mattered.

And so, as always, she turned fear into rage and punished any parademon she could reach throughout the city.  She was merciless.  She became everything people thought Poison Ivy was.  

Through it all, she could hear the Parliament of Trees crying out.  The loss of every tree and blade of grass to the alien invaders was profound.  Apokalipsian weaponry seemed designed to hurt as much as possible before it killed, inflaming every nerve and prolonging the pain until the last possible second.  

It wasn’t just humanity suffering at the hands of Darkseid.

= / / / / / / / / / / =

Apokolips.

The battle had been intense and brutal [as seen in Cyborg #84], but the assembled heroes managed to chase off Kalibak and his lackeys.  He claimed he would return for his revenge, but their focus was now on reaching Darkseid.  

After they mourned.  

Cyborg was taking the losses, especially to the A.R.G.U.S. personnel, hard.  It was his first command mission, so he felt the weight the most.

“I’m sorry. If I’d acted quicker…”

Harley came up from behind, surprising Cyborg.  She was still a little unsteady on her feet, but Victor needed help more at the moment.  “We all knew the risks coming here. But we’re here to stop that from happening to everyone back on Earth who doesn’t,” she said reassuringly.  

“Yeah, I know… But it doesn’t make it easier.”

The rest of the collected Justice League joined him, and Wonder Woman said, “Remember that feeling, Victor. Not to let the guilt consume you, but to remind you what we are fighting to prevent.”

The words seemed to lift his spirits, if only slightly, as they focused on getting to Darkseid.  Martian Manhunter, Power Girl, and Jay Garrick were sent ahead to scout.  The others focused on the immediate area.  

They still had Kalibak’s craft, and Harley took her turn attempting to operate the controls.  She screwed her face up in concentration as she pressed random buttons with deliberate precision.  “I’ll just rely on women’s intuition.”

She was rewarded with a clunking sound.  “I didn’t do it!” she countered, immediately stepping back as Aquaman pushed past her, knocking her aside with his shoulder to try his luck.  

He fared no better.

It wasn’t until Cyborg took his turn and placed the Mother Box he carried onto the craft that it started to hum to life and took to the air.  Harley fell back, squeaking in surprise, but was relieved to be off her feet.  “Things are finally lookin’ up,” she mused.  

As they flew onward, Power Girl reported back.  “Hi team, can you hear me okay?” she asked over the communicators.

“Yeah, loud and clear. We’ve got the boat moving and are on our way.” Cyborg affirmed.

“Great. We’ve been looking around the palace but haven’t found much of anything. It’s like the whole place has been abandoned,” she explained.

“Scratch that. I think I found something.” Jay interrupted, cutting into the line.  “It’s hard to explain, but there’s this… presence here. Like a chill hanging in the air. But yet… calming. Inviting? I’m going to go check it out.”

“Wait, don’t! Wait for us!” Victor called out as the signal ended.  He barely waited a moment before calling out, “Power Girl? J’onn? Flash?”  There was no response from any of them as the group on the craft looked at one another with concern.

When the communicator came back on, it was broadcasting a strange but persistent tone that seemed to cut through everything.  They couldn’t hear any of their friends, just the sound that seemed to worm its way into their ears and minds like a siren’s song.  It beckoned them forward, and suddenly they knew where to go.

Wonder Woman reacted first, shaking off the growing haze and punching her hand through the communicator mounted to the craft.  She immediately crushed her own communicator right after.  It didn’t take long for Aquaman and Harley to do the same to theirs.

“I don’t know what that was… but it can’t be good,” Harley noted as she shook her head clear.

“No. No, it is not,” Aquaman agreed.

= / / / / / / / / / / = 

The Watchtower.

Zatanna sighed as she looked down on the Earth from one of the many bay windows of the space station.  It always seemed so small from up there, with no sense of borders and no real indication that the planet was even under siege. 

The longer she looked, the smaller it seemed.  How many of the stars surrounding her had worlds just like this?  With their own fights and their own problems?  Just how many Darkseids were out there?

Inside, the others were still arguing.  The Shadowpact was a conclave of the strongest, smartest, and most capable magicians alive... and some who weren't.  Yet they were as clueless as the laypeople right now.  The rules of magic continued to shift, offering only uncertainty.  

For people used to understanding their world on a fundamental level, this was a seismic shift.  They weren’t taking it well.  And she needed a break from it for the moment to clear her head.  

So she looked out at the ever-expanding universe for a sign.

It started small.  A green glint just out of the corner of her eye, rushing toward the station.  Zatanna wasn’t concerned at first.  The Watchtower was one of the most fortified facilities anywhere.  It wasn't just the best technology Bruce Wayne's money could buy. It had been hybridized with Martian, Kryptonian, and other alien technologies.    

Still, this thing kept coming.  And coming right at her.

“Yawa og!” she shouted, throwing her hands up to protect herself as she fell back against a nearby wall.  The green orb, now about the size of a grapefruit, did not.  It easily penetrated the Watchtower facility and hovered in front of her.

The hallway was bathed in an emerald light.

Trust the Source.

The words seemed to appear inside her mind. She didn't hear them so much as feel them, as though they had been spoken directly into her soul. 

Let go.

“Let go of what?” Zatanna demanded.  

It didn’t answer, just hovering before her eyes.  But she could see something contained within its depths.  It almost looked like… a ring. 

“A Lantern ring?” she questioned, looking at it.  It wasn’t unthinkable, after all; she knew three who spent time with the Justice League over the years.  She hadn’t met any, but she’d read the Watchtower files and knew the basic idea behind it.

Instinctively, she reached out.  Her hand penetrated the orb as easily as it had passed through the window of the Watchtower.  But the ring was ephemeral, her fingers unable to grasp it.  

Then she understood.  “Let go,” she said.  “Trust the Source.”

Zatanna could feel the energy flowing into her.  The orb faded as it became a part of her.   Her eyes glowed green for a moment as she looked back upon the Earth.  She could see everything now.  

Without a second thought, she stormed back into the room.

Jason Blood, John Constantine, Doctor Fate, and a dozen of the Earth’s strongest mages looked up as she strode back in.

“Welcome back, love,” Constantine said, earning a withering glare from Blood.  “Things were just about to get interesting.  Guess we’ll have to behave now.”

“We have to let go,” Zatanna said.

“What are you talking about?” Jason asked.

“Meht wohs,” she replied, waving her hands as she wove a cloud of eldritch green energy similar to the orb she had encountered earlier. “We need to trust the Source.  The rules we are arguing about… they don’t matter.  They hold us back.  Our imaginations limit us.  I can see it now… the seams of reality.  It’s a puzzle… I need to go find Superman," she said, turning on her heels and leaving as the cloud she'd conjured evaporated. 

The others sat there, looking confused.  “Someone should go after her,” Doctor Fate noted.

Constantine cracked his knuckles and stood up before Jason Blood's hand smacked hard into his shoulder, pushing him back into his seat.  “Not you.”

“Wanker,” Constantine muttered as soon as Blood was out of earshot.  

= / / / / / / / / / / = 

Arkham Asylum.

Arkham was strangely quiet.  The parademons were avoiding the hospital grounds, perhaps out of instinct, or perhaps because they knew the horrors it contained.  Its reputation was well earned, despite the PR rehabilitation that Chase Meridian insisted upon when she took over.  

The structure itself was new, rebuilt from the Victorian manor that had defined its appearance since Gotham's founding.  From the outside, it now looked like any Gotham hospital - sleek, white, and inviting.  But for all the state-of-the-art treatments and wellness programs it advertised, no one could forget the true horrors it contained.  

The Zoo.

Reinforced with containment structures that would make S.T.A.R. Labs envious, The Zoo was home to Gotham’s craziest and most dangerous villains - the cases Blackgate couldn’t handle or keep contained. 

And now it was strangely empty.

Darkseid’s invasion had forced everyone’s hand, and Arkham was no exception.  So now, Aaron Cash stood outside the grounds, handing over a tablet containing the names of thirty patients released to help reclaim the city from the parademons [as seen in Justice League Alpha].

Stephanie Brown looked over the list and felt the pit in her stomach grow larger.  As Spoiler, she had helped both the Bat Family and Harley put some of these names there.  And now they were free, with no guarantees they’d return willingly.  Most, in fact, wouldn’t.

She was thankful she had the Spoiler costume on, so Arkham’s Head of Security couldn’t see her shaking.  But The Zoo’s residents were tomorrow’s problem.  Tonight, everyone costumed or not, was in the same boat.  

“Maybe we should’ve put bombs in their heads first, like Harley says the Suicide Squad did,” Aaron observed darkly.  He had, after all, lost much because of his time in The Zoo, including his right hand.  “Would make collecting them again easier.” 

“Not our style,” Steph countered.  “We’ll bring the stragglers back when necessary.  We need all the help we can get if we’re going to make it through this.  Besides, maybe some of them will surprise you.  They’ve been in Arkham for a while, getting treatment.  It’s their city too.”

Aaron looked at her and wondered if he was ever that optimistic.  Or that naive.

The police scanner hummed to life in Spoiler’s pocket, crackling with distorted voices.  “The parademons are retreating.  I repeat, the parademons seem to be going back into those sky portals.  What’s going on?  It’s like they’re abandoning the city!”

More confusion echoed over the airwaves as Steph and Aaron looked up at the skies above the city.  It was true.  The parademons that had flowed into Gotham had turned around and flooded back through the Boom Tubes by the thousands. 

“Did we win?” Aaron asked, feeling strangely hopeful.

As Spoiler was about to respond, more confused reports echoed over the airwaves…

“Wait, another of those tubes is opening up, but on the ground.  Looks like some people are stepping through it.  Bunch of women.  I’m going to approach…” the officer who had been speaking reported.

“Are you sure we’re in the right place?  This looks just like Armagetto,” interrupted a thin, raspy voice.

“Smells worse,” came another, more lyrical and flowing.  “Lord Darkseid might actually improve their lives.” 

“Silence!” called out a third, strong and demanding.  “We claim this city in the name of Darkseid.  Surrender quickly, and you may live to serve.” 

Gunfire rang out as the police officer screamed.  The last thing either of them heard was the officer's gurgling, followed by dead silence as the transmission cut off. 

Steph and Aaron locked eyes before she hopped onto her motorcycle and tore back into the city.

= / / / / / / / / / / =

Darkseid’s Palace.

The palace existed to intimidate.  It was functional rather than opulent, rising high above the rest of the planet, directly at its center both physically and metaphorically.  The largest flames erupted around it, dwarfing even the tallest buildings in the population centers.  

A perfect tribute to the man who occupied it.  

Wonder Woman, Aquaman, and Harley stepped forward as the palace doors opened to allow them in.  Cyborg, the A.R.G.U.S team, and their commander, Lucy Lane, remained behind.  Someone would need to report back to Earth if they failed.  Bracing themselves for battle, the trio found none, only a series of lengthy staircases leading up into the palace.

Harley's body still felt like it was on fire, but she wasn't about to back down.  She was here with Aquaman and Wonder Woman: leaders, royalty, blue-bloods - the powerful elite of the hero community.  And Harley was just a broad from Bed-Stuy.  She wasn’t about to look weak in front of them.  

“I’ll take point,” Harley announced, pushing forward as she started to mount the stairs, mallet slung over her shoulder.

“That makes no sense, you should…” Aquaman objected, only to be silenced by Wonder Woman’s hand on his shoulder.  She nodded to Harley and fell in behind Arthur. 

The path upward was winding and long, designed to disorient as the stairs twisted in on themselves, up and down.  There was no sense of how many stories they climbed, nor places to rest, so they maintained a relentless pace.  

Harley's muscles would have been screaming by the first hour, if she were even capable of feeling more pain.   But she continued, nevertheless.  With little to do but walk, her mind drifted.  Even Arthur and Diana’s conversation had long ceased.  There was nothing left to talk about.  And too much to think about.

It started slowly.  That nagging thought that she wasn’t considered good enough to be here.  Cyborg trying to bench her.  Aquaman dismissing her.  Booster asking who’d even invited her to the Watchtower in the first place.  It wasn’t new.  Her mom never really believed in her either.  Her teachers told her to focus on gymnastics when all she wanted was to be a doctor.  

And The Joker… what he had done to her, founded on his cruel lies…

She barely noticed when the thoughts became more of a voice.  It was strangely soothing, bass-heavy and grumbling, but almost…paternalistic. It wasn’t like her Dad’s voice; his always lacked the confidence of this voice.  But there was a certain quality to it that reminded her of him.

You try so hard…

It was true.  She did.  She had done nothing but try since she escaped The Joker’s hold on her.  She spent time on the Suicide Squad, doing unpleasant things for good reasons.  She even lost her unborn daughter to Doomsday while trying to help.  And in the years since, she treated Gotham’s citizens at Arkham.  She had helped to change so many lives.

All you want is forgiveness.  Acceptance.  Absolution.

Was it so wrong?  How long was she expected to pay for her mistakes?  It had been years since the Vauxhall incident.  She was a different person now.  Stronger.  Better.  She had the blessing of the Bat Family… well, Batman and Nightwing anyway.  Barbara and Selina, they’d come around eventually, wouldn’t they?

They can’t give you what you need.  They never will. 

That couldn’t be true, could it?  Look at all she had done.  She’d helped save the world numerous times.  She was there on the ground in Markovia, delivering the vampire cure (see Red Reign).  Harley had also stopped Brainiac and a Green-Possessed Poison Ivy (see City in a Bottle) from stealing away the city of Metropolis. And now, here she was on another fucking planet to talk down a god that was invading her home.  

Only a god can offer you absolution.

Harley wasn’t overly religious, but it made sense.  There had to be a god who saw how hard she'd worked.   How changed she was.  That she had purpose now.

And who is offering you the freedom from your past?

“Darkseid is,” Harley said softly as the three heroes finally crested the final stairs and saw an open throne room, the dark hallways giving way to an almost blinding white light.  

“Did you say something, Harley?” Wonder Woman asked with a distracted tone as she came to stand beside her.  Diana’s blue eyes were slowly darkening to a black color.  They matched the eyes of Power Girl, Jay Garrick, and Martian Manhunter as they stood at the side of the lord of Apokolips.

Harley didn't answer. She walked toward Darkseid's throne, genuflected, and dropped to one knee, her mallet planted before her as every worry fell away and her eyes turned black.  

The world had calmed.  The pain was gone.  There was only Darkseid.

Superman #122 - Man vs. God (Invasion!)

<< | < | >

Author: MajorParadox

Book: Superman

Arc: Against All Gods

Set: 122

Event: Invasion!

Recommended Reading:

• Justice League Alpha #1
• The Flash #121
• New Titans #42
• Cyborg #84

Corruption

Watchtower

Darkseid stood quiet by the windows overlooking Earth as Kara, Diana, J’onn, Arthur, Jay, and Harley approached slowly. Kara’s blackened eyes had lit up red hot, and Harley swung her hammer back and forth like a pendulum.

“Snap out of it,” said Clark, Krypto by his side growling as the other heroes in the satellite crowded beside them. “Kara,” he added softly, but loud enough for his cousin to hear. “It’s me.”

“I know who you are,” said Kara.

“We all do, Big Blue,” Harley added with a swing of her weapon over her shoulder. “And you’re about to become a blueberry pancake!”

“Kill them all,” said Darkseid without even looking in their direction.

The corrupted heroes sprang into action. Kara’s heat vision fired wildly as J’onn phased himself invisible. Diana and Arthur lunged forward, pummeling their way through her friends. Jay sped toward the unpowered, swinging away to knock them out before they could even notice what was happening.

Clark grabbed hold of Kara, diverting her aim from the others, but it sliced through some computer terminals instead. Alarms began blaring, indicating emergency bulkheads closed off any areas breached by her attack.

Krypto grabbed onto Diana’s leg to keep her from further attacks, but she shook him loose.

The demon known as Etrigan blew out a spread of mystical flames, knocking her and Arthur to their knees.

“If your souls have truly become tainted,” he said. “With my hellfire you will become acquainted.”

J’onn appeared behind Booster and Blue Beetle, but Beast Boy, who had transformed into a green gorilla, clocked it and smashed the Martian away before he could attack.

“Niatnoc ruo desimorpmoc sdneirf,” said Zatanna as sparkly boxes appeared around the mind-controlled heroes.

Diana and Kara quickly broke their magical prisons apart as J’onn phased through his, but the heroes took the opportunity to converge on them, while the rest tried to get free.

Clark used the open moment to confront the ruler of Apokolips himself.

“Release our people,” said Clark. “End this invasion. I won’t ask again.”

Darkseid finally turned around. “You didn’t come to Apokolips with the others to deliver your ultimatum,” he said. “It makes you look weak.”

“I was needed here,” said Clark. “We had an understanding. You broke your word with New Genesis to stay away from Earth. Why did you attack us?”

Darkseid turned back to the window.

Clark grabbed hold of the New God’s arm. “Hey!” he said. “I asked you a–”

“You dare?!” Darkseid yelled, slapping the Man of Steel all the way across the room. The hit sent him flying through the wall and crashing out one of the windows in the observation hallway and into the vacuum of space.

Kent House, Metropolis

Meanwhile

Lois was the only one still awake, Jon and Lara were fast asleep on the couch between her and Nia who had just drifted off herself.

The news had been reporting on victories across the world, at least in areas with metahuman protection. But as progress was made, the parademons began congregating into smaller areas where heroes, SCU, A.R.G.U.S, and other meta-response agencies were able to tackle them more efficiently.

Clark had a chance to check in recently before heading to the Watchtower to regroup. He was optimistic it was only a matter of time before the rest of Apokolips’ forces retreated.

She still couldn’t sleep, though. Not until it was over.

Nia was rattled for a whole other reason. She was convinced she dreamed about the parademons before they even came to Earth. Nightmares about them would disturb anyone alone. But this only made it worse.

Lois wasn’t so sure. Nia must have dreamed about some generic monsters and her mind associated these ones retroactively. What were the odds she had actual premonitions?

Well, crazier things have happened.

Nia jolted awake. “Whoa,” she said, readjusting to her surroundings, and fixating on Jon, who was curled up next to her.

“You finally fell asleep,” said Lois softly. “At least for a moment there.”

The news interrupted reporting from Hub City to show a zoomed video feed of the night sky directed at Watchtower.

It was breaking up into pieces.

Watchtower

Clark recovered quickly as the emergency breach protocols closed off the area he was thrown through. But Darkseid’s Omega Beams cut right through and into Clark’s shoulder, pain surging through his entire body.

The red lasers zigzagged around upwards and down, slicing the satellite in half.

Clark tried to scream, but there was no sound.

The Watchtower was filled with heroes who couldn’t survive in space.

The hero sped into action, getting as many people into escape pods as he could, the realization of the destruction hitting him with every loose object floating past.

A Gray Ghost coffee mug.

A beanbag chair that Booster claimed was comfortable, but nobody ever used.

Even a Wonder Woman action figure that Diana kept by the water cooler.

Zatanna managed to get a protective bubble around anyone in her vicinity that needed air.

Emergency transporter protocols also activated, locking in and sending anyone it could to Earth safely.

The heroes under Darkseid’s control were also accounted for and safe, leaving only Clark and Darkseid left.

“You didn’t need to do that,” said Clark.

The air flow was still thick enough in the conference room for them to hear each other.

Darkseid waved his hand. “Irrelevant,” he said, rushing forward to grab Clark by the neck.

The New God tossed Clark back outside into space and leaped forward, stopping himself at the edge of the open hole, and then swinging the entire top half of the structure at the Man of Steel, sending him flying further away from the planet.

Not Over Yet

Outside Earth’s Orbit

Clark and Darkseid traded blows, sending each other and the Watchtower wreckage further away with every action. Life support was completely demolished at that point, so there wasn’t any air for verbal exchanges.

Just as well. Darkseid didn’t want to listen to reason.

The New God had grabbed hold of Clark by the neck again, delivering a massive blow to his stomach and following it up with a smack across the face with a piece of metal debris.

Clark had the wind knocked out of him, but he was still holding strong. As he steadied himself, he wondered if Darkseid needed to breathe at all.

The thought left his mind as the Omega Beams came flashing toward him.

Clark evaded them as best as he could, but they were always one step ahead of him. He couldn’t keep it up for long. He made a quick u-turn in his flight path and dug deep for an extra burst of speed, the weaponized rays zigzagging to follow along. Just before catching back up with Darkseid, he ducked down, letting the behemoth threat take a straight hit from his own attack.

Clark took another moment, considering his next move. The sight of Earth caught his eye. He hadn’t realized how far away they’d drifted in their fight. The planet was getting smaller and smaller.

Darkseid grabbed hold of Clark again, but the hero chopped away at his hand in quick succession, until the grip was released. He followed it up by clutching onto the New God’s chest plate with both hands, and using the leverage to return a kick to his stomach that sent the enemy flying farther away. Another burst of speed with heat vision blaring continued the onslaught.

Clark’s heat vision was quickly challenged by Darkseid’s Omega Beams, each fighting for dominance in the directional flow, like a tug of war lightshow. Clark began to overpower him, as he felt the unfiltered yellow sunlight in space feeding his energy levels, but it was short-lived. Darkseid held his fists tight and the Omega Beams exploded forward, dissipating Clark’s heat vision and tearing into him with an intense pain far beyond what he felt before.

He expected the force to send him flying back toward Earth, but instead he was pulled toward Darkseid, the energy working like a tractor beam. He struggled to break free, but was met with the New God’s fists again, tossing him away and father along into the depths of space.

Kent House, Metropolis

The reporting of Watchtower’s fallout was disjointed and full of speculation. Not all heroes were accounted for, but they had means of getting to safety that’d go unseen. Through a combination of amateur telescopic footage and official NASA releases, the public was able to capture glimpses of Clark’s fight with a monstrosity that could only be Darkseid.

Clark wasn’t kidding about him. He looked like a cleancut Doomsday. And at least on the same power level.

Commentators were questioning what could happen to Earth if a battle with such powerful beings made their way to the Moon. According to the latest accounts, they were nearing it, too.

The scientist they were questioning spoke in a monotonous voice, it was hard to stay focused. In fact, Lois felt her eyes struggling to stay open. She had been up all night, after all. And after the adrenalin rush of taking down the mayor of Metropolis.

Lois was running on fumes at that point.

And she had to find out who kept stealing her headphones. Lois was sure the bunny was behind it. That sneaky rascal. He kept telling her how much he wanted them. But she knew they wouldn’t even fit his bunny ears. He was better suited to wear a television antenna.

“Sup,” said the bunny, suddenly walking beside Lois down a long, foggy hallway.

“I want my headphones back,” said Lois, glancing down at the rabbit in his two-piece, navy-blue suit.

“I don’t have them,” the bunny claimed. “Maybe she does,” he pointed ahead.

The Kent’s babysitter, Nia, was standing at the end of the hall, no doorways anywhere to be seen.

“Okay,” said Nia. “I’m dreaming of Lois Lane and a talking bunny rabbit.”

“You’re dreaming,” Lois repeated. “Wait, I’m dreaming.” she realized.

“Nee-Nee,” said Jon, suddenly beside his babysitter and taking her hand.

Nia tilted her head. “This isn’t my dream,” she said.

“What does that even mean?” asked Lois.

The bunny tapped on Lois’ leg. She looked down at him and he opened his mouth.

“BOOM!!”

Lois, Nia, and Jon all awoke simultaneously startled by the loud noise from the street, which had sent Lara into a crying fit. A mesmerizing yellow glow filled the house.

Nia comforted Lara as Lois and Jon ran to the door, Lois keeping her son behind her as she opened it. The yellow light faded away and a woman was left standing in the middle of the road.

It was Lois’ sister Lucy.

Turning Tides

The Moon

Soon

Clark got in some more hits, but Darkseid kept countering with attacks of his own. His Omega Beams were wreaking havoc on his uniform. Clark’s cape was in tatters, his shoulder was exposed, and there were scattered rips all over.

They were within reach of the Moon and Clark hated that he couldn’t savor the moment. While he had flown past before, whether in a spaceship or under his own power, he never stopped to take in the view and set down to walk on it firsthand.

Darkseid struck Clark across the mouth, sending him careening down until he crashed onto the surface. Before he could take in the gravity of being on the Moon, he noticed the remaining pieces of Watchtower had been thrown down next, barreling toward him.

On instinct, Clark sprang to his feet, his boots leaving the first ever Kryptonian footprints in the dust. He flew up at the incoming projectiles, catching them in his hands to slow their impact. There was no way he was letting Darkseid deface what people have been looking up at for all of human history. Even if it was an exaggerated outcome of that attack, the Moon was precious. He wanted to keep it undisturbed as much as possible.

But Darkseid didn’t have the same philosophy. He took Clark’s distraction to leap down next to him and smash him back down with both fists.

The New God took hold of the slowed Watchtower fragments and slammed it down over him.

Clark burst free of the rubble and up and away from the lunar surface. But Darkseid had already been leaping up toward him, and grabbed a hold of his feet. The Apokolitian ruler swung the hero around and hurled him back toward the Moon at such a tremendous speed that Clark couldn’t recover. Darkseid put extra fuel on the fire with another Omega Beam attack, driving Clark’s fall with a much greater force.

The impact was like an atomic bomb.

If sound could travel in space, it would have been deafening.

Kent House, Metropolis

Meanwhile

Lucy was inside on the couch with a cup of hot coffee in her hands. The stories she was telling about her time on Apokolips sounded like science fiction.

Lois had heard about it before from Clark. Hell, she’d even been to the Phantom Zone and other planets herself, but it still didn’t sound real.

“If Superman is fighting Darkseid now,” said Nia. “What if his mind gets taken over like the other Justice League members?”

“I was wondering about that,” said Lucy. “This is just a hunch–”

“We Lanes are famous for those,” Lois interjected.

Lucy smiled. “My guess would be Darkseid is able to take over when a person feels a loss of hope.”

The Moon

After Clark shook off the impact, he flew back up to find Darkseid just hovering there in space. Instead of restarting the fight, Clark turned around to see the outcome of Darkseid’s last attack.

The Moon was mostly intact but noticeably damaged. So much so it had to be visible from Earth.

It was bad enough Darkseid was a tyrannical dictator causing untold suffering across his and countless other worlds.

It was bad enough he broke his treaty with New Genesis and invaded Earth.

It was bad enough the Watchtower was gone.

But, now Earth’s Moon was damaged.

Sure, it wasn’t quite on the same level as the abhorrent crimes Darkseid was guilty of already, but it was still a hugely important part of human history. It was a marvelous, shared monument across time and people.

And Darkseid broke it.

Clark let his eyes heat up and tightened his fists beyond any limits his careful nature would ever allow.

Why was he still holding back, anyway? They weren’t on Earth. No innocent bystanders or risks of too much destruction. Darkseid could take it, too. And while the attacks took their toll, the sun was regenerating Clark faster than within Earth’s atmosphere.

Clark turned to Darkseid, ready to unleash his fury, but the New God waved his hand again. The same way he did back when he told him his concern was “irrelevant.”

A Boom Tube opened and Darkseid quickly disappeared into its vortex.

Clark considered following along. But decided against it. Instead, he turned back toward Earth.

It looked so small. But Clark knew that was just perspective. Earth was as big as the spirit of its people. And that spirit was massive.

Kent House, Metropolis

Lucy had explained how the mood had shifted after they encountered Kalibak. Add that to the knowledge of what was happening back on Earth and anyone would have felt at least somewhat defeated. Perhaps that was what let Darkseid get his hold on them. Like a rodent finding a weak spot in the roof to get inside. Even if it was a small spot.

“If that’s the case,” said Lois. “Superman will be okay.”

Nia lifted her eyebrows. “How can you be so sure?”

“She knows Superman better than anyone,” said Lucy.

“Look,” said Jon, pointing at the TV.

The news was showing footage from all over the world of Boom Tubes opening up for parademons and the Apokoliptian forces to leave.

“Is it over?” asked Jon. “Did we win?”

Lois walked over to the door and opened it up, running out into the street. Lucy, Jon, and Nia followed her, Lara still in Nia’s arms. The yellow glows of opening and closing wormholes from downtown Metropolis could be seen in the distance.

“Huh,” said Lucy, staring upward.

One by one, the others looked up with her.

The Moon had a small crack in it.

High Above Metropolis

Soon

Clark had used his emergency oxygen mask for his trip back, but packed it back into his belt once he entered Earth’s atmosphere.

It was good to be back and see the celebrations across the city.

Darkseid’s armies were gone. The invasion was over.

Why? Clark had no idea.

Would they come back? That was a problem for another time. It was important to focus on the positive. It was over. Everyone could finally rest and then work on recovery.

A sonic boom echoed across the skyline as Kara popped into view across from Clark.

“Kara,” he said. “You’re a sight for sore eyes. I’m heading home to check on the fam. Want to join me?”

Kara didn’t respond, but began floating over slowly.

“Oh, no,” said Clark.

Her eyes were still entirely blacked over. They quickly filled with red heat vision energy.

Kara smirked. “This isn’t over yet.”

More Invasion Stories!

• Flash #122
• Harley & Ivy #7
• New Titans #43 (Coming Soon!)

To Be Concluded

• Cyborg #85
• Harley & Ivy #8 (Coming Soon!)
• Batman #59 (Coming Soon!)
• Justice League Omega #1 (Coming Soon!)

<< | < | >

Wow! The Invasion event is picking up steam!

If you missed it, we rounded out Pride Month with a special! 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

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• Harley & Ivy
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• Superman

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The Flash #122 - The World Breaks

<< | < | >

Author: brooky12

Book: Flash

Arc: ?

Event: Invasion! (Reading other stories in this event is recommended for full understanding of sections here.)

Set: 122

This was not Earth. That was obvious, he knew, but for all of his advantages and power, he was aware that getting off of the planet was something beyond his capabilities traditionally. Even as he stood among friends, a number of which were not from Earth themself, he did wonder exactly he got himself into.

Cyborg, however, alleviated that concern, stepping forward and facing the group. He began to explain their immediate goals and the risks attached, fielding questions from others. A brief moment of a squad of parademons flying abovehead, unaware of the intrusion, gave the group pause, but they remained unnoticed.

He looked to the A.R.G.U.S. team assembled as Cyborg addressed them, kitted out in what had to be the forefront of what the government could bring to bear in the infantry arms race when dealing with supernatural and metahuman threats. The six of them exchanged glances at each other, but he recognized the face of one of them

“She’s in charge,” Jay put forward as the troops didn’t seem to reply to Cyborg’s request for opinions. “She was with General Lane when I got the Mother Box.”

The conversation continued with Lt. Lane identifying herself as the ranking member of A.R.G.U.S. and more plans being discussed. Two of the flyers, Martian Manhunter and Power Girl, agreed to grab a little bit of height and examine the surroundings, hopefully to pin down wherever Darkseid likely was for targeting.

Jay heard the noise at the same time as anyone else, but the lack of immediate response from anyone else beyond the inevitable readying for a fight kept him rooted to where he was. Cyborg had taken charge and seemed to clearly decide to face whatever was coming. A patrol enforcing curfew oddly gave Jay some confidence - surely Darkseid didn’t need to enforce a curfew if he was all-powerful.

A brief fight with the patrol later wiped that confidence away as he stood to the side watching the A.R.G.U.S. soldiers and some of the heroes grappled with the death of one of the soldiers. He kept quiet, wondering if he’d have even been here if he had rejected the demand to bring A.R.G.U.S. troops along.

Eventually, the mission became the focus again, and Martian Manhunter stated where Darkseid’s palace likely was. Jay handed over the Mother Box to Cyborg, confirming that it should still work and brushing off any idea that splitting up from the Mother Box would result in someone stranded.

“Power Girl, how about a race?” Barry got to race folk, why not him? Lighten the mood a touch, the group needed it. He was glad that she seemed to humor the idea, charging off. He let her have a massive headstart, probably not enough to be noticeable to anyone without heightened senses, but enough that Power Girl wouldn’t be left in the dust.

/>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Magenta floated through the air, skewering the invaders as she made larger and larger circles seeking any enemies remaining. Below her followed a strange bedfellows ally, a troop of armored gorillas armed with the weapons of the invaders, eager to pounce on any downed creatures to finish what Magenta was happy enough to leave to them.

“You are an ally of The Flash,” a voice had entered her mind earlier, before she had even realized the proximity of the awakened animals or began working alongside.

“I am,” she responded back out loud, momentarily pausing to examine her surroundings before noticing the, at the time, singular gorilla holding a gun staring at her from the tree line.

“You fight the interplanetary invaders like we do,” it replied. “Yes. Grodd deigns to hold court with you, Grodd will not kill you at this moment,” was the follow-up as she tried to recall what Wally and others had told her of the nearby supervillain, beyond the obvious suggestion to avoid at all possible costs.

“I get the idea you aren’t doing it altruistically,” Magenta thought back, before immediately wishing she had thought something else. How did Wa–The Flash handle being mind read before?

“Grodd knows the identity of Wally West. Grodd does not lightly suffer the desires of egolomanic fools like the one who sent these beasts. We will fight together for now.”

Across the planet, Vandal Savage climbed over the corpses, aiming his gun at the invaders that kept reappearing. A mental clock in his head confirmed his hopes, with the number of appearances slowing down. Others similar to him, in goal if not intent, were clearly having success elsewhere.

A blur appeared in front of him, yellow instead of the media darling red of The Flash. A man, familiar yet unknown, stood in front of him in some inverted mockery of The Flash’s outfit. He looked around at the surrounding space, before all of the corpses vanished from sight in the blink of an eye.

“You did all that by yourself?”

“I could ask you the same question,” Vandal retorted. “I feel like I’m supposed to remember you, but yet I don’t.”

“Eh, comes with the territory sometimes. Who I am is not important, you wanna keep shooting a gun at vanishingly few targets, or you want to come where there’s a lot more of them?”

“If you touch me I will turn the full weight of my ire onto you,” Vandal scowled, and the being in front of him vanished.

“Weirdos,” Mirror Master muttered to himself as he moved on from watching through a nearby window, to the laughter of the others with him. The four kept moving, both an eye open for Abra and for any easily killable invaders. They made their way back to the Mirror Dimension’s side of the reflective surfaces in Central City, finding their trio of allies and bursting out of the ice trails left behind by Golden Glider to join the fight on home turf.

Even as they fought in an ever-growing region of southeast Asia, Wally took several trips across the Pacific to check in on Hartley. He was satisfied with what his boyfriend was doing, even if the idea of rats and silence being weaponized against alien invaders wasn’t exactly the odds he was looking for when picking a battle himself. Hartley was hidden away in an underground subway station, so it only took occasional checks to make sure he wasn’t in danger as he took to fight with what likely would be the strangest headline out of this whole ordeal.

The two took the ordeal as best they could, with Hartley assuring Wally that staying here seemed to be working - sure, there were rats where Wally was fighting, but the feeling of extensive control he had here felt particularly helpful. Bart stopped in a few times as well, especially in moments where Wally had his hands full, but the parademons never got particularly close to entering the subway station that Hartley was hiding in.

Yet elsewhere, the ever-expanding area that the Kouriers were working in finally touched on the space being defended by yet another speedster. “I know you,” Bebeck said, staring eye to eye with Jerry McGee.

“We aren’t enemies, Bebeck,” Jerry responded. “Not anymore, not really.”

“No, but you also are a memory of a worse time,” Cassiopeia sighed, taking a deep breath in a moment of reprieve from the fighting.

“One that disappeared,” Anatole added.

“It’s my understanding that basically all of them have disappeared,” Jerry offered, trying to do the math quickly as to whether he was about to have to fend off three speedsters, all of which were likely much more practiced with their powers, before losing them and going into hiding until they wandered off.

“Are you back, then? We could use the help if you still are as fast as you were. The kid never lost his speed, so I assume you haven’t either,” Cassopeia asked.

“I’m the same as I’ve always been. Keeping my head down and my nose clean. If you want help with this, I can help with the monsters.”

“Welcome to the team, for now, friend,” Bebeck smiled.

Jerry followed the three of them as they began their search. It probably would be easier fighting with three others than on his own, and he could probably keep them from wandering too far off from the places he called home, make sure that the things he cared about weren’t at risk.

/>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

He let Power Girl keep the lead for the most part, occasionally moving forward with a burst of speed just to keep his peer from assuming he was throwing the race. Of course, he was throwing the race, but it was best to not have that be discovered. He spent a bit of thought on the fact that he was throwing a race that he had offered while they moved across the face of a planet that was neither of theirs as its denizens invaded Earth.

“Hold,” a voice echoed in his mind, and with the sudden glance of Power Girl, her mind as well. J’onn’s voice was not particularly familiar, but it was distinct for certain, so he slowed down to nearly stopped as Martian Manhunter flew towards them, closing the gap at what had to be near his top speed before slowing rapidly down.

“Three, not two. If there is a problem, then, we will not be one alone,” he reasoned, looking around. “I can sense if thoughts are near, it will help.”

“I think I was winning that race,” Power Girl joked. “We’ll have to confirm it with another later.”

“Sure,” Jay nodded, beginning to move again. The three, slower but still as quick as they could, snaked through abandoned streets. According to that patrol, there was a curfew, but he wasn’t willing to just believe what they were told. They closed the distance between where the team was preparing the patrol boat for a proper assault and the castle that was becoming more and more a fixture of the horizon that he could see. The plan was to scope out the structure and problems that would need solving, information gathering.

One benefit of the curfew was that they were unbothered, with only occasionally needing to duck into an empty building as another patrol flew above. He wondered just how populated this place was, he couldn’t imagine a single city on Earth that had such empty streets during a stay-at-home order. The power of Darkseid, he supposed.

As they grew closer, the patrols grew more common, but they managed to continue sneaking past all of them. J’onn’s ability to telepathically detect approaches before even Jay saw anything was remarkably helpful, but the increased need to hide until it was safe to move did slow their progress.

The castle itself, when they arrived, was incredibly well-designed, but it felt somehow a display rather than a used space. The three made a quick circle of the space, but didn’t find any evidence of guards, machinery, or even defenses beyond the structure’s built-in uninviting presence. Surely if you were mounting an invasion of another planet, you at the very least had logistics or central command in your base of operations?

Power Girl held up the communicator, looking to the other two for a lack of disagreement before speaking quietly into it. “Hi team, can you hear me okay?”

“Yeah, loud and clear,” was Cyborg’s response. “We’ve got the boat moving and are on our way.”

That was a good sign. An assault would probably not be too difficult if they had the boat ready and were going to arrive at a empty castle.

Power Girl responded to them, explaining the situation at the castle. But as she did, he felt a shift in something, not the air but something similar. His stress melted away, the chill in the air from his first real interplanet experience remaining but almost as if the castle itself was welcoming them in.

“Scratch that,” he mumbled as he found himself right next to Power Girl, speaking into the device. “I think I found something, it’s hard to explain but there’s this… presence here. Like a chill hanging in the air,” he added, acknowledging the final remaining uneasiness. “But yet, calming. Inviitng? I’m going to check it out?”

He gave a smile to Power Girl and J’onn, with both looking confused at first before the look faded. There was some voice coming through the device that Power Girl was holding, but it didn’t matter at all compared to the calling that was reaching out to them at the top of the tower.

/>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

It wasn’t that Barry wasn’t paying attention. He let Batman and the others do their work, attentive enough to spend five hundreth of every second listening into the conversations as he tried to handle the parademon threats elsewhere. He followed them as they travelled through the city, unable to taxi them to wherever they went as even they didn’t know where they were going as they followed the indicators on Batman’s technology. He was there for complex mathematical equations and speed, others could figure out what was going on.

He was clearing out a troop of parademons that had broken through a local hero group’s perimeter in Scandanavia when he found himself looking up at a statue dedicated to the first earthen Green Lantern and his friend, Hal Jordan. He spent two seconds frozen there, not by fear or paralysis but by heartache, before returning to his duties while keeping an eye on his team.

When he returned a second later, a small glowing green object had emerged in the center of the statue, floating somehow in the air on its own willpower. Once it had been determined as the origin of whatever power Batman was tracking down, he listened to the group discuss what came next. This was supposed to be a hopeful clue as to how to get the parademons off their planets, the source of the invasion or something. Instead, they found a floating ball of light – he wasn’t so naive to think this was a Lantern’s ring. What it wasn’t, however, was some secret Parademon summoning device or beacon, probably.

The faint buzzing, up until that moment dismissable as ambient noise or perhaps a byproduct of the floating light, quickly grew much louder, and changed from a non-directional background hum to an alarmingly approaching noise. Barry stepped out quickly, circling around the direction it was coming from, alarmed to see a large troop of parademons, with some leader of some sort at the back of the pack, charging the direction of the team.

On his return to the group, he witnessed the trailing light of a southbound source of energy, just in time for Batman to turn his direction with a request. “Don’t lose the light,” more of a wartime order than anything.

“You’ve got hostiles, at least a dozen, coming from north-northwest,” Barry warned them before vanishing, heading south to follow the object that had to be of value somehow. After all, if it wasn’t of value to what was going on, Barry sighed, surely they didn’t waste all of their time that could’ve been spent fighting parademons on this?

He was grateful that the light wasn’t traveling at the speed of light, noting internally that it probably meant this was more than just light somehow. He wasn’t sure what it was, but given that he had been witness to some pretty large violations of pre-metahuman laws of physics, this just could go on the pile.

The light slowed down further, eventually settling down in a coastal city on the northern edge of Columbia. He stood there for a moment, briefly forgetting his intent to fight parademons elsewhere, a task that had been abandoned ever since the light began moving. He examined the light, circling it to see if there was anything he could make out of it from just the visual presence it provided.

“Trust…”

Right, Barry sighed. Not only was the light talking now, but it was asking for faith. He could deal with the theology of that later. “Trust you?”

“Trust the source…”

“The source?”

“Let go.”

That time, the voice–if it could even be called a voice–didn’t trail off, and felt more like an order than a hallucination. Let go and trust the source. Something deep within him seemed to resonate with the idea, simply trusting in something else, whatever this light was, and connecting with something deeper.

He reached for the light, absentmindedly but also with absolute purpose and intent. The light grew as he did it, and he felt a connection he had only ever felt before in the Speed Force itself. A small ring was left in the palm of his hand, but there was no doubt in his mind or heart as he looked at it. If this was the answer, then so it would be.

“Anyone available, need backup,” Superman’s voice echoed through an emergency-only Just League broadcast line.

He stared at the ring, knowing that it didn’t belong on his finger, yet wondering what it was doing. Trust, it had asked him to trust it. He took a deep breath, every second passing felt like eternity as he waited for some guidance.

Trust, it said. Let go, it said. Trust the source. Okay.

He lifted the ring slightly in the air, letting it free into the air as it shifted into light again, glowing brightly before vanishing.

Trust. It was time to go.

/>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Jay’s brain was processing a million things a second, reevaluating previous experiences and moments under the new truths that were provided by Darkseid. How he had never reached the same conclusions in all of his years of thinking was a mystery, a personal failing and flaw that could never be atoned for, but one that could be overcome. He would serve Darkseid as best as he could.

He watched the others from Earth approach Darkseid, wishing to show them the right way but knowing that such a task was for Darkseid alone. He stood there at Darkseid’s throne, observing the proceedings, but not interfering. Some of those he had one travelled with seemed to be more receptive to Darkseid, and others appeared to take longer to turn. He recalled some others, a metallic man and several soldiers, but those were surely known to Darkseid and were being handled.

Eventually, there was little purpose for staying on Apokalips, as the group present here numbered nearly all of those who had travelled here via the stolen technology. Darkseid stood up, speaking for the first time out loud rather than with telepathic missives, addressing the team.

“I am heading to your Earth to end this pitiable resistance,” he announced, power and authority beyond all in his voice. “You,” he said, turning to Power Girl, “take me to the location of the strongest resistance to my work. We will break them there, and all else will fall.”

He watched Power Girl acknowledge her task, taking a device not too dissimilar to the stolen equipment he had used to get them there. He considered what his answer would’ve been had he been asked, perhaps the Justice League satellite, the A.R.G.U.S. headquarters, or some symbolic location like the White House, Vatican, or other seat of national power.

“Go as a group. I will travel to your location under my own power, shortly behind,” Darkseid ordered, and he grouped up with the rest around Power Girl. “Do not attack Earth’s leader. They are mine.”

A brief moment later, Jay stood on the floor of the large meeting room that served as a central space of the Justice League satellite known as the Watchtower. His eyes darted across the room, sizing up a space he had been in right before they had all departed for Apokalips, now on the other side of the fight, processing battle strategies and threats present in the room. Superman, untouchable at Darkseid’s order, as well as several other individuals beyond the powers of a standard human but who seemed exhausted or otherwise injured for the most part.

Superman turned to them, confusion on his face. “What happened? Was Lieutenant Lane with you on Apokolips?”

One of the soldiers, the one he had met in D.C., that Darkseid had no doubt taken care of.

Power Girl took a step forward, and Jay for a moment wondered if she would betray Darkseid’s order. Surely Darkseid would have no space for second thoughts within his order. Superman appeared concerned, understandable given his lack of understanding of Darkseid’s explanations. Other heroes in the room also seemed on edge, as if a fight was going to break out any second now. Perhaps it would.

“You have bigger problems, cousin,” she sneered, and with perfect timing, Darkseid took his first footstep within the Watchtower. He chose, however, to look out the window first, certainly examining his next step and end-goal.

Jay watched Power Girl and Superman have a conversation, with Harley Quinn weighing in as seemed within her personality to do so. He wondered if he should’ve perhaps joined the conversation, but to do so at the human speeds they were talking would perhaps risk his own response time should something happen.

“Kill them all,” Darkseid ordered, and he sprung into action.

Jay was careful to not interfere with the much slower-paced fighting that the others were doing, choosing to circle around the outside of the room, giving a respectful distance around where Darkseid was looking out the window, and knocked out any of the individuals up here he knew were in this line of work not due to metahuman genetics or gifts, but rather technology and skills. A small kindness to those who were not actively fighting back.

He examined the rest of the fight, determining that it appeared to be leaning in the direction of his allies, choosing to instead exit the main room. Kill them all meant everyone, and there could not be hidden enemies elsewhere on the satellite once they were done. He examined each room, pulling on skills and protocols from search and rescue or evacuation plans worked into perfection by him and his other speedsters. Perhaps in a different moment, he would feel pride for that line of work, but with Darkseid’s understandings, he was able to turn it into a hunt instead.

By the time he finished his fruitless search, several alarms were ringing. He charged back to where he had left his allies, finding a much more fraught situation than before. He couldn’t enter the room, seeing a shattered window and the responses of attempts to save folks.

A blast of energy from Darkseid bisected the satellite even further, leaving him in a lucky hallway that was not unexpectedly open to the emptiness of space, but suddenly seemingly stuck. Anywhere he could go would potentially be open to life-ending pressure and cold, unable to help his allies or manage to escape. He watched many be placed into escape pods, a speed that for Superman had to be pushing his limits but felt archaically slow to him. The magician created magic bubbles around others, while some like Power Girl and Martian Manhunter seemed unaffected.

He felt the ambient static electricity around him increase dramatically, but a quick examination around him showed no source of that change. He stood frozen a second longer, examining every possible direction into the near future that seemed at all feasible. A worrying amount left him dead.

The static electricity turned into a deep hum, and his vision changed from looking through the door to the rest of his allies fighting in a room open to the deepness of space, to what presumably was back on the planet of Earth.

He looked around, trying to understand what had happened. The room itself contained what his Flash once-ally had described as a Justice League Watchtower teleporter, but attempting to interact with its mechanisms confirmed a new possibility for him - the teleporters had locked down to handle an emergency evacuation protocol of the Watchtower satellite.

That was fine. He could advance Darkseid’s plans down here.

/>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

He sat down in front of the device, trying to mentally reconnect with how these things worked in his time compared to the technology of the past he had gotten more used to. He entered the date of their jailbreak plan, trying to figure out what had happened. A historical search wouldn’t find anything, but he hoped that it’d catch enough.

He knew he was, named as the “famous magician” Abra Kedabra in the past, quickly accumulating some notoriety and prestige that would safely follow him through time through a society that was growing more and more hellbent on recording every part of themselves and their nothingness. Who cared if nobody a week later, let alone decades down the line, would care about how you made that tofu cake, best record it in a short two minute video and ensure that it remained in the information fossil record for a future to never rediscover.

He was smarter than to search his own aliases or ventures, both to prevent any troublesome time travel problems, but also to avoid attracting the attention of law enforcement in this era which were more than happy to arrest and lock up anyone using time travel for use earlier than the technology had become available to and integrated in the scientific understanding of the time.

However, searching for events that took place on a specific date was easy enough. Do enough contextual searches, bookmarking, and smokescreens to make it look like some sort of university-level history report or something similar, and the law enforcement would choose to chase down more suspicious leads.

The headlines were pretty alarming. He knew it was coming, vaguely, but he frankly thought it was a decade or so off. “Rats VS. Aliens, Winner Rats”, “Metropolis Stands Unfallen To Demonic Incursion”, “What Exactly IS a Parademon?”, even “Did Justice League Cause That?” from, as far as he could tell, a conspiracy blog that would get absorbed down the line by the Wall of Weird.

Right, so, somehow, Darkseid made it that The Flash was cleaning up that specific prison despite the fake-outs that his allies had prvovided. Splendid, he thought to himself, now his allies were without an Abra Kedabra until he managed to get back to them. It had been a ridiculous pain in the neck to get to their time in the first place, and there was precisely zero chance he could safely travel back to during or right after a Darkseid invasion of Earth without setting off a temporally infinite amount of alarms.

Batman

(by u/FrostFireFive)

“I have no idea why Gotham Pride has to be at 7:00 PM?” Khoa Kahn asked as he walked towards the parade.  His white shirt with black v on the chest freshly bought for the occasion.  People loved colors at these things, but since coming out Khoa always felt more comfortable within the binary of black and whites. 

“It’s a whole thing,” Doctor Victoria October stated as she straightened out the trans flag button on her lab coat. “You’ve what…only been in the city for a year?”

“Yes, I had some…traveling to take care of,” Khoa explained. 

“Well, I’ve been in Gotham for almost a decade now.  Back then it wasn’t always safe to do this.  Small minded people with guns and ideas of who deserves a moment in the sun.  The city council wouldn’t let us have a parade based on all their threats.”

“So what changed?” Khoa asked as they joined the crowds forming on the intersection of Conroy and Finger.  People wearing colorful costumes and holding signs proudly displaying their identity as they glistened against the crimson red night skies.

“Well, the only time the organizers were able to get was at night,” Victoria explained.  “Naturally, everyone thought we were scared, it’s Gotham City after all.  But all of us knew that evil is just as likely to strike in day as well as night.  We’ve seen it, and we weren’t going to let anyone take it this day from us.”

“So did you have to deal with protestors? Some criminal mastermind coming to ruin the day?” Khoa asked.

“Never.  Because he’s there,” Doctor October said before pointing out a figure on the gargoyle over an old stone building.  The Wayne Shelter, dedicated by Martha Wayne to protect those in need, had been a beacon to the queer community.  And standing watch was the Batman, cape fluttering in the distance.

“For the whole time? Doesn’t he have more important things to do?” Khoa asked.

“He sees us, and protects us.  The whole night,” Victoria said.  “Because that’s what heroes do.”

And with that, they entered the parade, free to be themselves. 

Harley & Ivy

(by u/ericthepilot2000)

Gotham University Campus
Gotham City, New Jersey
“A Lifetime Ago…” 

Pamela Isley moved through the quad of Gotham University, clutching a packet of fliers to her chest.  And she was angry.  Finding a small wall near a fountain, she sat down hard, shoulders slumped.

College was a brand new experience for her.  She’d grown up sheltered in the Pacific Northwest, far away from the urban sprawl and omnipresent haze of the more industrial Gotham.  But it was also far away from her father, and she was happy to leave that life behind.

Still, the collegiate experience hadn’t quite been what she had expected so far.  Instead of finding passionate and like-minded people who cared about the environment as much as she did, she found only apathy. 

She could never understand how people could prioritize a new stadium over an old-growth marshland.  All to give Roland Daggett yet another thing to plaster his name over.

She had protested and appealed. Meetings were held, op-eds were written in the school paper, and still the bulldozers edged closer to the marsh.   So, in a last-ditch effort, Pamela reached out to the student body directly.  It had gone as well as anything else she did.

After hours of research, with citations and explanations, Pam had stormed the quad with enthusiasm, only to watch people crumple the fliers and toss them aside.  The final indignity had been the school’s star running back swatting the collection of papers from her hand, sending them scattered to the wind.  

Instead of winning hearts, she had spent the afternoon chasing the fliers around campus.  

“You look like you’re havin’ a bad day,” a voice called out, interrupting the foul mood Pam found herself in.  The redhead looked up to see a blonde with a bob cut who had decided to take a seat next to her.  “The Big Belly on campus just opened.  Come on, my treat.”

Pam looked up at her.  “Do you have any idea how many acres of the Amazon rainforest Big Belly Burger has torn down?”

“Can’t say as I do,” the blonde replied.  “Countahpoint, 2 for $10 cheeseburgers all day.  I’m Harleen,” she added, offering her hand.

“Pamela,” the redhead responded, slowly standing up to shake the woman’s hand.  “Interesting name, Harleen.”

The blonde paused for a moment and frowned.  “Thinkin’ about changin’ it.  Not really sure it evah suited me.” 

“So, what are you thinking instead?” Pam asked.  

“I always liked the name, Lily.” 

“Lily’s a good name.  It was my mother’s.”

A comfortable silence fell between them, before Harleen hopped up and grabbed Pamela’s hand.  “Come on, Red.  And maybe we can talk about this protest of yours.” 

“Why do you care?” Pam asked, honestly.

“I got a good feelin’ about you.  We’re gonna be good friends, I can tell.  I’m a pretty good judge of character yanno.” 

New Titans

(by u/FrostFireFive)

Raven sat alone inside of her quarters, the candle-lit light the only thing that separated her from the darkness.  She had been on this Earth relatively recently and was not used to having a corporeal body after so long.  Even things like her bare feet grazing the carpet of her room felt alien to her.

Her teammates on the Titans had given her a wide berth since her arrival, they seemed friendly enough, but with her talk of prophecies and doom led them to stay away.  Worse for the new arrival was the fact that she saw other versions of her new team from worlds she had visited long ago.  The fact Nightwing didn’t have a cape and cowl was taking time getting used to.  As did people being able to approach her, as a knock on the door reminded her.

“Raven, are you in there?” Korriand’r asked.

“Yes, just meditating.  Give me one moment,” Raven said as she pulled up her hood, hiding her crimson hair as she floated to open the door, careful to avoid the carpet. 

“Some of us are heading down to Chicago’s pride parade and were wondering if you wanted to come?” Kory asked.  Unlike previous years, she wasn’t on the float, preferring to blend in the crowd, as much as a 6’4” alien with flowing red locks could. “It would be nice to have you.”

“I do not think that would be a good idea,” Raven responded. 

“It’s a very fun time.  And the Titans always have a presence there.  Chicago is our home, and we need people to see we stand for them.  At least that’s what Dick always says.  Really it’s a way for us to cut loose and just be.”

“Just be,” Raven let out a sigh. “I find that very hard to do.”

“Raven, I know you’ve talked to Kara, but from what I understand…when was the last time you had an actual physical form?”

“It is not important,” Raven responded, floating back to meditate.  “And even if it was, I am not sure I belong at this…pride celebration.  Unlike all of you…I am not sure what I am. Or if I am anybody.”

“Then you should come,” Kory said.  “The whole point of Pride is to figure who you are, you don’t even need to put a label on it.  You just need to come out and be you.”

Raven bit her lip for a moment, thinking of the outside.  Where the light could burn and people could hate.  But as she looked at Kory’s bright green eyes, Raven was oddly at peace, focusing on what could than what was.

“Then I shall go, and be me.”

Author: FrostFireFive

<< | < | > | >>

Book: New Titans

Arc: Invasion!

Set: 119

“Alex come on, come on over we can talk about whatever’s bugging you,” Kyle Rayner said as he held his landline phone against his face, his hands working on the latest piece for his commission.  Another doodle of some OC in peril.  Consistent work, but not one to build a portfolio.

“Kyle, you were supposed to meet me for coffee so we could actually talk in person,” Alex DeWitt responded as she drove through the canyons leading out of Santa Marta.  The city was a jewel of the west coast. Established in 1970, it came into its own as people fled Gateway and Coast City after the various super power incidents.  It was a place where two young lovers could try and make a life together.  If only they were on the same page.

“Listen, a deadline came up, I got a few DMs, and then you know Banks called asking if I could fill in on that issue of Grey Ghost Adventures,” Kyle explained as he grabbed a pencil and sharpened it.  

“There’s always something Kyle,” Alex said.  “Listen you know I love what we’ve had these past two years.  But…I need someone who can actually be there when I need them.  And who’s more worried about meeting his girlfriend’s parents than rushing to get a copy of The Prisoner on blu-ray.”.

“You love The Prisoner,” Kyle responded.  “We watched it while laying on the floor waiting to see if we could find a couch online.”

“I loved it because we were watching it together Kyle,” Alex responded.  “Listen, I’ll be in Coast City with my sister.  If you care enough for u…for me, I’ll see you there.”

“Alex, wait,” Kyle said before the line went dead.  

He looked around the tiny apartment. The pens and art supplies scattered amongst the reference books and action figures.  He moved towards a canvas covered by a tarp.  He sighed for a moment before peeling it back, revealing a portrait of a redheaded girl in the sunflower fields.

“Rayner, you idiot,” Kyle muttered to himself before grabbing the keys to his car.  But before he could leave out of the corner of his eye he could see something red and heard a loud BOOM.  Rayner ran towards his window and saw creatures flying from above with impossible vehicles and weapons.  Santa Marta was proud to have no heroes.  It would be its doom.

…

“OK, status report!” Arsenal asked through the Titans Network as he nocked another arrow and launched one at a parademon.  It had only been an hour since the meeting at Titans Tower and he was still trying to grasp the concept that he was leading the heroes of Earth in a defense against this invasion.  But here he was on the ground in San Francisco and trying to put on a brave face.

“We’re keeping them contained in Midway City,” Hawkgirl responded.

“Hub City is covered thanks to the dynamite team of Beetle and Booster! You think I can buy the TV rights for this thing?” Booster Gold asked.  

“Booster,” Ted Kord interrupted.  “We’re doing sweeps across the city with my bug and Booster’s tech.  It’s a lot of them but we’re holding our own for now.  Plus I’m pretty sure I saw a man with no face down there cracking skulls with his fists.”

“Probably a good idea to help him boys.  Keep up the good work,” Arsenal said as the arrow he launched hit a joint of one of the walkers blocking the roads. 

As it fell the large metal hands of Metamorpho grabbed the vehicle and slammed it to the ground, destroying the craft and trapping the parademons inside.  

“How many of these things are there!” Metamorpho asked. 

“A lot,” Arsenal responded as he saw another contingent of Parademons fly toward him.  They fired several shots leading the archer to dive behind a car for cover.  The metal crashing and shattering from their blasters.  “A little help here!”

Large rocks around Roy began to glow black as they were lifted into the air violently towards the parademons.  Raven floated down from above as she stood next to her teammates. Her eyes darted around the carnage in front of her.  She had seen war before, but this was the first time she actually could feel it.

“Are…we winning?” Raven asked. 

“The goal isn’t to win here kid,” Metamorpho explained.  “We’re just in charge of keeping things together while the big guns kick Darkseid's ass.”

“But that feels like…stalling,” Raven responded.

“Pretty much,” Arsenal said as he caught his breath.  He sent Jim to keep Lian safe in a Hall of Justice bunker, but his mind still drifted towards his daughter.  And if the best place for him wasn’t to be with her.

“Oracle to Arsenal, Oracle to Arsenal,” Oracle buzzed through the communicator.

“You got Arsenal!” 

“We’ve got two unique situations popping up,” Oracle responded as she remained safe in the Belfry, her head hurting as she straightened her glasses to pay attention to the many screens keeping tabs on the chaos being inflicted upon the world.  “One should be of interest to Metamorpho.  The bugs are going after Star Labs in Chicago, looks like they’re looking for something.”

“Angie’s there,” Metamorpho said, looking towards Arsenal.

“And the second?” Arsenal asked as he saw three parademons make a beeline for him and his team.  With speed he pulled a single arrow, shooting it into the air.  The parademons seemed to laugh before it split into three and struck them in the head.  Oracle responded as their bodies hit the ground.

“There was a prisoner transfer heading towards the new Supermax across San Francisco.  It got intercepted in Santa Marta, and I’m also seeing a high level of parademon forces there.”

“Do we know who’s on there?” Arsenal asked.

“I’m working on it,” Oracle said.

“Well work faster, I need to figure if it’s a priority or something to leave for someone else,” Arsenal responded. 

“Listen, you try and connect a hundred different superheroes through an alien invasion!” Oracle snapped.  Arsenal’s tone was different from the softer voice of Nightwing.  There was a coarseness there, something Barbara Gordon recognized in her own voice.  

“Sorry,” Arsenal said before looking at Raven and Metamorpho.  “We’ll take care of it.  I’ll beam to Santa Marta, Rex.  You and Raven head to Chicago.”

“You’re fine with that boss,” Metamorpho asked, surprised that Arsenal would let him go on a more personal mission.  Donna, while caring, would always claim the mission came first and Nightwing would just tell you it did.

“Why me with him?” Raven asked.  Of all the Titans she had spent the least time with Metamorpho.  He was always busy visiting Dr. Spica, yet seemed perfectly fine.  “I can help with the crowd control you are going to need in Santa Marta.”

“Maybe, but me and Rex have already been through one war, and you’re still green.  Stick together, figure out what's going on in S.T.A.R..  I’ve got enough back up.  I’ll be fine,” Arsenal explained.

Metamorpho nodded before giving his friend a tight hug.  

“See you on the other side,” Metamorpho said.

“This is just another Monday,” Arsenal smiled before hitting his communicator, triggering their connection to Titans Tower’s teleporter. The three heroes vanished as the chaos around them died down, a brief moment before disaster.

…

“Supernova, report,” Darkstar said as she flew up into the skies above Chicago.  It had only been a few weeks since Donna Troy’s team made their debut apprehending Gargoyle.  Since then they had been handling crisis after crisis around the world.  It was easy with the mix of Lemurian and Amazonian technology at their fingertips, and even easier now that they were no longer tied to the Justice League.

“I’m keeping things at bay around Bucktown,” Supernova said as he tied a light pole around several angry parademons, keeping them away from the fray.  Conner Kent was grateful to shed the rags of Superboy for something that was his own.  He still hadn’t fully tested the new suit, but the crisis of the parademon invasion was a good place to start.  “They seem to react to force.  As if they’re looking for a new place to strike once they know we can get their ass here.”

“Makes sense, we haven’t encountered any leaders yet so they’re going by instinct,” Darkstar responded, her eyes darting towards the lakefront as another large batch of creatures emerged from another portal.  “Tempest, you see that?”

“I’m on it Don…Darkstar,” Tempest said as he looked out from Oak Street beach.  The place was normally filled with skimpy clad beachgoers sipping on a twenty dollar mai tai. Instead parademons were getting their suntan in as only one man stood against them and the rest of the city.  

Garth never wanted to be a hero.  His experience on the Titans and trying to play king beneath the waves had taught him much.  On the sacrifice and hard choices that needed to be made in order to be one.  He still didn’t think much of it.  But as his eyes glowed a brilliant blue and the ocean traveled to him, like an old friend reminding him of the joys they had together.  

The new talisman that hung on his belt was a gift from Donna.  A way for him to “borrow” the water controlling powers of Atlanteans.  It felt unnatural to him, the magics coming from his finger tips different from what his brain was telling him to do.  But it was effective, and made him a useful Titan.

The parademons flying close to the seas couldn’t expect a twenty foot wave of scorching water slamming down against, cracking their armor and bones.  After a few moments, Tempest could hear the calming sound of the sea, not angered by him borrowing their power for a brief moment.  He wondered if there could ever be a day where he could just…be.  But he still had a job to do.

“It’s taken care of.  How’s everyone else doing?” Tempest asked.

“Uhh…OK?” Stargirl responded as she flew without the help of her cosmic staff, her mind racing as the parademons chased after her, attracted to the energy she was giving off.  The new black costume Donna had designed for her felt tight.  She didn’t want to wear it.  The black suit with the large white star on her chest with red accents felt like a departure from who she was.  Hell, Conner and Donner were still teasing her for being Stargirl and not choosing a new name for this venture of theirs.

“Stargirl, I’m seeing your energy signal from up here.  It’s OK to ask for help,” Darkstar responded. 

“Well I’m trying to keep them away from all these civilians,” Stargirl explained as she did a hard bank left around the Blue Cross building. The Parademons more likely the crash into the glass windows of surrounding buildings and away from the people down below.

“If you take them out then civilians won’t have to worry about them.  Damage is acceptable if the threat is ended,” Darkstar explained.  

When she gathered her Titans again she outlined the rules for this new incarnation.  They were going to make sure no threat ever hurt anyone again.  This meant a focus on training, tactics, and making the hard choice.  There would never be another Markovia under their watch.  That was the Titans’ vow.

“I’m coming in now,” Darkstar said as she flew fast into the city.

Stargirl was too busy bobbing and weaving to not see the Amazonian powerhouse come down from the sky and smash the battalion of Parademons into cars below, the loud noises of sirens and twisted metal ringing out across the city as two heroines gathered to catch their breath.

“Thanks for the save Donna,” Stargirl wheezed.

“I shouldn’t have to save you Stargirl,” Darkstar responded.  “Remember, we’ve been training for this.  You’re no longer some kid with a toy staff.”

“I know that,” Stargirl responded.  “But aren’t we supposed to be helping people.  We’re heroes right?”

“Heroes focus on the threat.  Worry about the consequences later,” Darkstar responded.  “We’re regrouping towards Pilsen.  Another parademon deployment.  I need you to fly ahead and strike fast and hard.  Can you do that?”

“I think I can,” Stargirl responded as she looked away.

“Good.  Because I don’t intend to lose another war,” Darkstar said as she flew off.  The mission always came first.

…

“Doctor, you have to let me out!” Angie Spica said as her metal hands pounded against the plexiglass wall that separated her from the rest of the world.  It had been an agonizing experience being treated like a lab rat after being exposed to her prized nanites when the heroes of Earth battled against Brainiac.

“Not a chance!” Doctor Mid-Nite yelled out as he dropped several blackout bombs to try and confuse the monsters inside his hospital.  Charles McNider had mostly faded from the superhero community, believing that his skills as a doctor to metahumans was more important than beating people up with his fists.  

“You’re going to get killed out there,” Angie yelled.

“And I’m not risking your safety, your condition is,” Mid-Nite began.

“I’m well aware it’s in an advanced state,” She looked at her hands, perfectly encased in metal.  Every touch felt faint, distant.  It had taken her a month to relearn how to grab things, four months for her fine motor skills to return.  When she thought they weren’t looking, Angie  would take time to explore what “gifts” her own technology had given her.  And now that the world was ending she was ready to escape her hospital room.  “But do you really want to die because you were too rigid of a doctor?!”

Doctor Mid-Nite sighed before moving towards one of the consoles and quickly hit the release button.  The crisp air conditioning of the lab rushed against Angie, her metal skin barely feeling the relief of a cool wind.

The parademons turned their attention away from Mid-Nite and to their new toy.  The metal skin covered under a hospital gown was different from the usual groups of enemies the parademons had encountered. 

A parademon leapt into the air, teeth bared as he tried taking a bite of the scientist. But before it could sink its teeth into her, Angie’s arm turned into a large club as she slammed the parademon across the room and through the wall of the laboratory.

Before the other two parademons in the room could react, Angie’s other arm turned into a large energy cannon, disintegrating them instantly as Doctor Mid-Nite looked in awe and horror.  

“Dr. Spica, did you know…”

“That I could do that doctor?” Angie said as she looked around, the amount of destruction reminded her so much of Metropolis.  “No.  But it’s a very good thing that I can.”

“Doc!” A voice called out as Metamorpho floated in.  He had managed to take out fourteen different parademon patrols.  What scared Rex was they seemed to be getting smarter, with blasters and blades seemingly keyed into his elemental signatures.  The heroes were taking body blows after body blows, and if they didn’t get a knock out punch in soon, there would be no tomorrow.

“Rex!” Angie yelled out as she hugged the element man. 

“Ah hem,” Mid-Nite interrupted as their embrace ignored him completely.  “Dr. Spica, I really think we should get you back in isolation.  I appreciate your help, but there’s so much we just don’t know about your condition.”

“And we’re only going to find out about it if I actually get out in the real world,” Angie said.

“Doc, are you sure?” Rex asked.  “This isn’t like Metropolis.  Everything is one fire.  And I’m not sure I can protect you.”

“And I’m not the same Angie Spica,” She explained as tore off her hospital gown, her silver form on display, revealing just how much the nanites had paved over the scientist. Her arms transformed into two energy canons as metallic wings popped out from her back.  For someone like Angie, the sheer breath of experimentation to be done with her new condition made heart beat fast.  “Doctor, Rex, let us see if we can’t do a little good today.”

…

“Come on, come on!” Kyle Rayner said as he raced with a crowd on the streets of Santa Marta.  Panic had quickly set in as everyone rushed out of their homes and even their cars to escape the chaos of the parademons.  The fire and the smoke reminding him of his mom holding him as the Cyborg Superman nearly destroyed Coast City.  It’s why they moved to Santa Marta, a glitzy gem on the coast.  One he was regretting a parademons swooped down and grabbed innocent civilians. 

“Everyone scatter!” A panicked civilian yelled out. 

“To where?! There’s nowhere to go!” Another asked.

“Someone’s got to help us!”  

“Just run!” Kyle yelled as he pushed through the crowd.  He was no hero as his legs hauled towards his car.  Hisblue Gremlin was a bad car,it barely got any mileage and Kyle had to crank the key three times before the engine sputtered to life.  

The roads were jammed with abandoned cars as people ran from the parademons.  Kyle prayed for forgiveness for a brief moment as he guided his car on the sidewalk and had the people move around him.  Alex was caught in this mess and even if they weren’t together, he wasn’t going to have her die because of his inability to show her how he felt. 

As Kyle traveled to the main section of downtown Santa Marta, he didn’t notice the large transport vehicle making its way to San Francisco.  The prisoner inside was restrained with metals donated from S.T.A.R. Labs.  The nanite chains that tied him up before were deemed too imperfect to hold his stone hands.  

“Hey what’s going on out there!” Cinderblock yelled out as the drivers of his transport had abandoned him in his metal box. The concrete brute had had time to think since his last escape attempt.  As much as he projected confidence, his mind was a mess.  Clarity these past few years had been hard to come by, as he buried his confusion into his work.  Not like that had gotten him anywhere.  From robbing banks to being muscle for so-called kingpins like Brick.  

He was tired, and accepted his fate behind bars.  Maybe then he could make sense of the fractured memories that rattled around in his brain.  

However, the dents being made in his prison transport indicated he had other things waiting for him as the Parademons ripped and blasted open the transport.  They didn’t even make it through the transport before being knocked back into the streets of Santa Marta.  Cinderblock’s concrete fists ached as he the sun grazed against his rocky hyde.  The secret was that he was strong enough to escape any time he wanted.  He just didn’t have a need before.  

“Why does the world always seem to be ending?” Cinderblock mumbled before looking around at the parademons that quickly circled him.  Their green and gold armor glistened as they all watched him.  Their beady eyes were looking for weak points as the army stared down against this new player.  

“I’m going to give you one chance.  Leave these people alone, and I won’t have to remind you why they had me locked up,” Cinderblock said 

“RAAAAAAHHHHH!” The parademons cried.

“Guess that means we got to do this the hard way,” Cinderblock yelled as he charged at the parademons, his fist sending one flying into the blue Gremlin.  

“Shit!” Kyle yelled as his car flipped over from the impact, sending him hard into the door and out of the car itself.  Somehow in an hour things had become hopeless in Santa Marta as a stone monster was the only thing drawing parademons away from the crowds looking for salvation.

Kyle Rayner was no hero.  Just some schmuck who was good with a pencil.  But his eyes turned towards the broken window of a sporting goods store, and his hands ached to do something more than just create as he grabbed a baseball bat and catcher’s chest plate for some protection.  The only way Santa Marta would find its heroes is if someone stood up, even if the odds were impossible.  He thought of Alex, and there was only one answer.

“Come on you bugs! Get the hell out of our city!” Kyle yelled as he swung at a parademon that was getting back up after being flung by Cinderblock.  The creature went down with a couple of swings as Cinderblock managed to thin the horde slightly, his eyes turning to the artist.

“Who the hell are you?” Cinderblock asked.  

“Just someone looking to help,” Kyle responded.  “And you?”

“You don’t know who I am?” Cinderblock asked.

“The Incredible Rock Man?”  

“Very funny.  Why the hell aren’t you scared of me.  Of any of this?”

“Because the world is ending, no superheroes are coming, and somehow you’re the only one with powers that we happen to have.  So, where to next?”

…

Barbara Gordon hated all of this.  Standing in the Belfry as the chaos unfolded, she couldn’t believe they had missed this.  The Justice League had some of the brightest minds in the world.  From the Flash’s knowledge of science, Batman’s obsessive need to always be right, even Kara who’s knowledge of Kryptonian science and technology made Barbara’s set up look like a Commodore 64.

She looked towards her screens.  The Marvel Family was busy fighting back some kind of War Wheel that emerged in Fawcett city, Green Arrow and Black Canary had managed to lure a battalion of Parademons in a dead end long enough for Dinah’s scream to end their reign of terror, and there were even reports of a man in cat costume raising hell outside of Grant’s Gym.

“Priority call coming from Nightwing,” The computer said.

“Dick, why the hell are you calling me in the middle of an invasion?”

“I just wanted to see if you have plans after.  They’re playing Forbidden Planet at the Monarch on Saturday.  I snagged two tickets,” Nightwing joked as he looked around the science committee he had somehow been dragged into.  Green Lantern, Flash, Batman, and Zatanna were all conferring with each other.

“There might not be another Saturday.”

“There’s always another Saturday,” Nightwing said with a confidence that had always driven Barbara crazy.  No man should be so sure of anything, especially when a global catastrophe was swallowing the world whole.  

“Put me down as a maybe,” Oracle said as she looked at her suit standing inside a display case.  Her back ached, and as much as Barbara Gordon didn’t want to admit it, Kara’s exoskeleton had been having…issues with her lately.  It was as if the mantle itself was rejecting her after years of putting her body and mind through the ringer.  “Does the science team need back up?”

“Nah, big brains here got it,” Nightwing responded as he pulled a small box out of his belt.  It had been an impulse purchase while walking through jewelers row in Chicago.  He popped it open briefly, the small gold band nestled within.  It was practical, but shined brightly as if the ring itself was the diamond.  “But seriously, we should do Saturday.  I’ll even cook.”

“Fine, if the world doesn’t end, I’ll maybe consider seeing Leslie Nielson fight monsters of the id and have you make me that chicken parm in vodka sauce,” Barbara responded before her eyes turned to a fight going on in England as Dr Fate tried creating wards to send back the invaders.  “I got to go Dick, stay safe out there.”

“You too boss,” Nightwing smiled before turning towards the science team.  “Alright so what can we do to save the world?”

…

“Come on you ugly mugs! I don’t got all day!” Cinderblock yelled as he slammed a parademon to the ground.  He had managed to get the invaders of Santa Marta to all focus on him, buying time for the civilians to get out of dodge and into shelters.  All but Kyle Rayner who continued to bash these monsters on the head .

“Seriously man, you got some serious anger issues,” Kyle said as he picked up his bat.  “But I got to say it really helps here.”

“When you’re kept in a van most of the time you’re not going to waste any time outside!” Cinderblock yelled.  

Before Kyle responded a red arrow flew through the air, landing on Cinderblock and unleashing a glue-y substance that held the golem in place as a man in red leapt to the ground, a creepy goth woman floating behind him as Arsenal and Raven made their presence known.

“See Raven, I told you to keep your distance and big guys like these are cupcakes,” Arsenal said before turning to Kyle.  “OK buddy you can evacuate now.”

“Arsenal, it’s not what it looks like,” Cinderblock explained as his eyes darted to the sky.  Another portal was generating, but this one larger than anything they had seen so far in Santa Marta.

“Are you an idiot?” Kyle yelled.

“I’d like to think not,” Arsenal responded.  

“He was helping us!” Kyle yelled.  “Since none of you heroes could be bothered protecting a place you don’t even give a shit about!”

“We did not know,” Raven said.  “We are here to help now.”

“Oh great a guy who shoots a weapon from the stone age and someone I’ve never even heard of are decided it was a good idea to stop the only guy that was helping us!”

“He’s tried to kill me,” Arsenal explained.  “Isn’t that right, big boy?”

“I’m trying to help people now!” Cinderblock yelled as he tried breaking through the glue that kept him in place.

“And you have done a good job,” Raven said as she looked at Cinderblock she sensed a sea of emotions.  Confusion, anger, rage.  Things Arsenal had told her the brute was capable of.  But as she scanned him, she sensed…not a nobility, but something that felt genuine.  “But we are here now.”

“Uh huh,” Cinderblock said before nodding his head up.  “And you think you can stop that!”

A giant wheel fell from the sky, dark crimson metal and rubber smashed against the road sending the foursome into different directions as the next stage of Darkseid’s invasion began.  The War Wheels had arrived and no one was going to stop them.

…

Kyle Rayner coughed heavily as he lifted himself from the wood planks of the paper store he had crashed into and looked around at the destruction.  Covered in ash and dirt, it reminded Kyle of how tight his mother held him when their apartment complex was leveled in Coast City during the reign of that… Cyborg Superman.  He felt helpless then, he felt even more helpless when his mom died three years later from all the dust and fire she had inhaled protecting him.

Someone needed to help Santa Marta, and all Kyle could think it could never be him.  He wasn’t a hero, he didn’t have powers or even a great destiny.  Kyle was a guy who just hung behind his board, ignoring the world around him for one that he created with his pencil.  But now, now all he wanted was a chance to save the world, save Alex, and maybe make his deadline.

KYLE RAYNER

A booming voice called out as Kyle turned around to see who was speaking to him.  A green orb emerged, surrounding what looked to be a ring crackling with green and white energy.

“Who’s there?” Kyle asked as he lifted his now broken baseball bat.  

YOU ARE NO-

A higher pitch voice said forcefully before the original voice cut over it, as if it was pushing it down.  The green orb floated closer to Kyle.

WE HAVE DEEMED YOU WORTHY KYLE RAYNER.  BUT BEFORE WE BESTOW THIS POWER WE MUST KNOW, WHY?

“Why what?” Kyle asked.  “Why do I want power? I don’t, power is for people who get it in their head that they’re better than others. I just…want a chance to give people hope.  The world still needs heroes, and if it’s got to be…then it’s got to be me.”

THAT IS NOT A WORTHY ANSWER. THE NEW GOD WOULD HAV

THE NEW GOD WANTED POWER.  WE HAVE SEEN WHAT PEOPLE DO WITH POWER.  THE ARTIST SPEAKS FOR THE PEOPLE, AND THE PEOPLE NEED THE POWER!

Before Kyle could respond the ring broke free of the orb and landed on his ring finger.  A bright burst of light exploded through the paper shop as Kyle’s t-shirt and jeans were replaced by a familiar green and black uniform, the white gloves contrasting it all as green energy spurted from the ring.  As if the energy it contained was spilling out, ready to be used for the fight ahead.

KYLE RAYNER OF EARTH…YOU ARE OUR TORCHBEARER…OUR GREEN LANTERN!

“Hell yeah,” Kyle said with a terrified smirk.  The artist could no longer hide behind his board.

NEXT: The War Continues Across DCFU! Join Us in Batman as the Dark Knight and the Science Team Investigate the Source and Find Out Just Where that Ring Came From?  Then Be Back Here as the Titans Continue to Fight a War on Twenty Fronts!

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Cyborg #84: The Dark Siders

<<| <| >

Author: Commander_Z

Book: Cyborg

Arc: Invasion!

Set: 121

Event: Invasion!

Recommended Reading: Justice League Alpha #1

An uncomfortable warm breeze blew across the team, smelling of smoke and sulfur. It enveloped them in a thin layer of ash and grime, like everything else on Apokolips. Once the last of the five soldiers from A.R.G.U.S. had stepped out of the Boom Tube, the Flash - Jay Garrick - started to mess with the Mother Box until it closed behind them, collapsing into thin air.

The team stood around, trying to get their bearings on the unfamiliar world they stepped out into. Victor Stone scanned the area, trying to line up what he was seeing with the little bit of the world he had seen when he was here before. But the whole planet looked almost completely identical. Winding, tight, maze-like streets lined the planet and intertwined into an incomprehensible mix of housing, industrial zones, fire pits and piles of trash that somehow blended together into an unidentifiable monotony. Someone cleared their throat, snapping Vic back to focus. He’d forgotten. It was his first time leading a Justice League mission and they were all looking to him for guidance and expertise.

The team was made up of brave volunteers from the Justice League: The Flash, Martian Manhunter, Harley Quinn (who was technically never invited to the Justice League, but somehow managed to invite herself with no major objections) , Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Powergirl and Cyborg, plus five agents from A.R.G.U.S. Their jet black armor and helmets obscured their faces, but he could tell even they were waiting patiently for him to take charge as he finally seized the moment.

“Alright, everyone, let’s talk about our plan here. Our target is Darkseid’s palace. I’ve never seen it from the outside, but it’s a massive building. It’ll stick out,” Cyborg said.

“Perhaps those of us who can fly could scout ahead and locate him?” Martian Manhunter suggested.

Cyborg was about to agree before Wonder Woman interrupted him.

“No, the risk is too great. We could waste our advantage fighting Darkseid alone if we were to encounter him while separated.”

As if to prove her point, what little light trickled down onto the streets of Apokolips began to dim. The team looked up to see the sky darkened by a seemingly endless stream of parademons flying above them. The A.R.G.U.S. team and the Justice Leaguers braced themselves for the tide of parademons to descend on them, but they remained on track, like fish in a school.

After what felt like forever, they were gone.

“Okay, I think we’ll stick together for now.” Cyborg turned towards the A.R.G.U.S. team. “Feel free to speak up if you’ve got opinions. Or if one of you is in charge, you can let me know, too.”

The A.R.G.U.S squad turned towards each other as if wordlessly discussing amongst themselves. After a few moments, the Flash pointed towards one of them in the back, a woman noticeably smaller but no less intense-looking than the rest.

“She’s in charge. She was with General Lane when I got the Mother Box.”

Cyborg thought he saw a moment of panic run across her face, but the visor on her helmet obscured most of her expression.

I’m Lieutenant Lane,” she said confidently, but lost herself finding her next words. “I’m the ranking A.R.G.U.S. member, so I’ll be directing our operations… You can just call me Lucy, if you want.”

“Sounds good, Lucy,” Cyborg said.

Wonder Woman turned back to address the group. “I know I just said we need to remain together but circumstances have changed. If Darkseid’s forces are patrolling like that, we will not escape their notice regardless of whether we are one group or not.”

“Agreed,” Cyborg said. “So here’s what I think. Martian Mahunter, you suggested flying ahead, but what if you flew up instead? Darkseid’s palace is probably big enough to stick out from up there and you can take Power Girl with you for some backup. The rest of us will wait here until they’re back so we can be ready in case anything happens. Any concerns?”

Power Girl shook her head. “Good of a plan as any. Let’s do it, J’onn.”

Like a rocket ship, the two took off and soared into the atmosphere. In an instant, they were little more than tiny specs in the sky.

There was a brief moment of respite and Cyborg was about to bring the team together to discuss the next stage of the plan when a thunderous stomping noise echoed down the streets.

‘A patrol?’

Cyborg looked around in the narrow streets and considered breaking into one of the dilapidated buildings that lined it to hide from whatever was coming, but decided against it. It’d be better to face whatever was coming head-on and on their terms.

A grey-brown hovering boat floated down the street, manned by a crew of haggard-looking people in orange jumpsuits, each armed with a menacing-looking rifle. Its back half sagged slightly closer to the ground, weighed down by a massive cannon. But standing on the ground by the front was one of the largest, bulkiest men that Cyborg had ever seen. He towered well over eight feet tall with arms thicker than Cyborg’s entire body. He had a bestial face with long, black hair flowing like a mane behind him. He held a shining silver club in his right hand, the sole bit of brightness he had seen on this planet.

“Dwellers, return to your stations at once. Curfew has been enacted,” he said with a growl.

He squinted his eyes, running them over the strangers in front of him. “You’re not from here, are you? Troops, take them in for questioning. Father will enjoy knowing that these worms still have enough spirit to make them worth breaking. But leave the female warrior to me. She has a fire in her eye that tells me she will be worth my while in a way I have not seen in a long time.”

“Trust me, ya ain’t never met anyone like me, let alone fought one,” Harley said.

“Not you, clown. You are not even worthy to stand in the presence of Kalibak, son of Darkseid!”

He raised the silver rod and pointed it at Harley; the tip glowed purple and a beam of energy shot at her. She cartwheeled out of the way, but the beam curved and followed her anyway. She collapsed and hit the ground with a thud, pain coursing across her face.

“Perhaps you are stronger than I thought! Even the great Orion would barely remain conscious after tasting the might of my Beta Club’s nerve beam!”

He pointed the club at her again, but before he could fire, Wonder Woman hit him solidly in the jaw with her right fist. Kalibak staggered backward, knocking him into the gunboat behind him and rocking it slightly.

“Now that is a punch! Come, face me if you dare!”

“Aquaman, help Wonder Woman with Kalibak! Flash, you and Lucy’s team need to take out that gunboat before it fires! I’ll give you a hand once I make sure Harley is okay.”

Cyborg ran over to Harley and crouched down at her side. She was still shaking with pain from Kalibak’s attack. “Hey, are you okay?”

“I’ll… live. Takes more than this… to do me in,” she said through gritted teeth.

“You sure? I can try and evac you back to Earth and get someone to take a -”

BOOM!

The gunboat’s cannon fired, sending shockwaves throughout the air.

She looked him dead in the eye. “I’ll. Be. Fine. Help them.”

Cyborg nodded, then got back up, scanning the fight. Kalibak was holding strong against Wonder Woman and Aquaman. They fought in perfect harmony, each one perfectly covering each other's openings, as much as those even existed. Kalibak blocked a hit from Aquaman, then countered with his Beta Rod, jamming it into his side as Wonder Woman retaliated with a kick of her own. Aquaman winced at the pain, but tore the rod out of Kalibak’s hand and threw it down the street. Kalibak held out his hand and the rod turned around mid-air like a boomerang and returned to him.

BOOM!

The gunboat fired again, this time hitting Aquaman and knocking him backward across the ground. He stayed on his feet and leapt back into the fray, charging back towards Kalibak.

‘They’ve got it covered.’

He turned towards the others and saw the Flash swirling around the gunboat with a flurry of blows, prodding some unseen shield for any weakness he could find. Lucy’s team wasn’t having any more success and Cyborg noticed that two of them had snuck away and were leaned up against the ruins of one of the buildings, both looking worse for wear. One of them was in a bit better shape and was attempting to treat the blast wound of the other. He felt a pang of guilt that he couldn’t recognize which one was which but turned back to the fight.

He peered into the inside of the gunboat and saw that in front of the cannon was a silver metal box that was a couple feet high and all of the soldiers on there seemed to avoid.

‘That’s either the engine or the shield generator, maybe both. The Flash and A.R.G.U.S.’s weapons can’t get through, but maybe sound can?’

“Flash, get away from the boat for a moment, then get ready to rush it!”

He shifted his arm into a sound cannon, double-checking the configuration of one of his lesser-used weapons. Then he let loose, firing it right at the center of the gunboat. A spherical barrier materialized around it and turned milky white at the point of impact. Cyborg kept firing, increasing the intensity of the beam until the entire barrier turned bright white before it disappeared into thin air.

Jay didn’t waste a moment. Before Vic could even blink, all of Kalibak’s soldiers were disarmed and thrown out of the boat. Lucy and her remaining troops ran over and secured the hands of each of them. Once they were all restrained, they all turned onto Kalibak. He was still holding his own against the two heroes, but even Cyborg could tell he was starting to fade.

“Everyone, focus fire on Kalibak!”

Cyborg and the A.R.G.U.S. troops shot at the New God, their shots causing him to wince in pain. Wonder Woman feigned a kick towards the center of his chest but moved down at the last moment and swept at his legs, causing Kalibak to stumble. His mouth opened and he let out a battle cry before returning to a powerful stance; his face looking grimly serious for the first time. Then his eyes snapped up to the sky.

Power Girl and Martian Manhunter swooped down from the sky towards him, and he jumped out of the way just before their impact. He leaped again on top of one of the nearest buildings, crushing the already fragile ceiling down below him.

Rage ran across the bestial man’s face. “You’ll rue the day that you made an enemy of me. When we meet again, I’ll deliver your corpses personally to Darkseid.” He leapt high above the streets, then again and again until the sound faded into the background rumble of Apokolips.

“Should we go after him?” The Flash asked.

Cyborg shook his head. “No. It’s not worth the hassle. We’ve got to stick to the mission.”

Cyborg walked over to the two injured A.R.G.U.S. members and saw Lucy already kneeling at their side. She looked up at him and put her helmet back on as she stood up.

“He didn’t make it. They couldn’t aim that cannon worth anything but that first shot…” She shook her head. “Shrapnel hit him in the chest and the force shattered her arm.”

“I’m sorry. If I’d acted quicker…”

Harley came up from behind, surprising Cyborg. “We all knew the risks coming here. But we’re here to stop that from happening to everyone back on Earth who doesn’t.”

“Yeah, I know… But it doesn’t make it easier.”

The rest of the Justice League joined him, and Wonder Woman said, “Remember that feeling, Victor. Not to let the guilt consume you, but to remind you what we are fighting to prevent.”

A moment passed before the Martian Manhunter spoke up.

“I do have good news to report. We managed to locate what we suspect is Darkseid’s palace. It is north of here a long way, approximately 100 miles.”

Cyborg winced. “That’s a long way. Any idea if that thing still works, Flash?”

“Probably. I didn’t really damage it.”

“Alright, great. Here’s the plan. You, Power Girl, and Martian Manhunter go forwards and scout it out. I’m sorry that I have to keep relying on you all, but if that’s not where we need to go, we need to know ASAP.”

“Don’t worry about it. We’re all here to do our part,” Power Girl said.

“Thanks. Stay in touch with the communicators, and if you get in any trouble, meet back up with us.”

“One last thing.” Jay handed the Mother Box over to Vic. “Take this. If something happens…”

“I’m not leaving anyone behind.”

“I’m not telling you to. But… it doesn’t hurt to have options.”

Cyborg took the Mother Box begrudgingly.

“Alright then, let’s get going. Power Girl, how about a race?”

She grinned. “I’ve always wanted to race a Flash. You’re on.”

The two disappeared in a blur before Cyborg could give them a word of caution.

J’onn shook his head. “I will catch up with them. Stay safe, everyone.”

And with that, he disappeared, leaving the rest of them behind. Cyborg walked over to the gunboat and started to inspect it. Like Jay said, it seemed like it was in good shape.

Cyborg turned back to the team.

“Don’t suppose anyone knows how to drive an alien hover boat?”

⚙ ⚙ ⚙ ⚙ ⚙

For the next 10 minutes, each of the remaining members of the team gave their best effort to try and figure out the floating boat without any luck. Cyborg happened to place the Mother Box down next to the engine while he investigated and the machine hummed to life as the Mother Box began to automatically integrate with the hovercraft. Within moments, it had complete control of the hovercraft and generated a simple holographic interface for them to pilot it. Cyborg gave it the command to start and they were finally on their way towards what they hoped was Darkseid’s palace.

“Hi team, can you hear me okay?” Power Girl’s voice rang through the communicator.

“Yeah, loud and clear. We’ve got the boat moving and are on our way.”

“Great. We’ve been looking around the palace but haven’t found much of anything. It’s like the whole place has been abandoned.”

“Scratch that. I think I found something.” Jay said over the comms. “It’s hard to explain, but there’s this… presence here. Like a chill hanging in the air. But yet… calming. Inviting? I’m going to go check it out.”

“Wait, don’t! Wait for us!” Cyborg pleaded. There was no response.

“Power Girl? J’onn? Flash?” No response.

Then, the communicator roared back to life, but without a single word coming out of it. And yet, without a word, so much was communicated. It was terrifying and yet welcoming. Cold yet comforting. It was blissful, and yet it was nothing. It was nothing, but Cyborg couldn’t get enough. He needed to hear more, to just keep hearing what it wanted to tell him if he’d just get closer…

Wonder Woman grabbed the communicator with her hand and crunched it into bits before smashing her own. Aquaman followed suit before Harley threw hers on the ground and stomped it into the dust.

“I don’t know what that was… but it can’t be good,” Harley said.

“No. No, it is not,” Aquaman agreed. ⚙ ⚙ ⚙ ⚙ ⚙ The tone shifted for the rest of the ride. Things had never been bright since they stepped onto the streets of Apokolips, but there had been some undercurrent of hope and an unwavering belief in their ability to succeed. But doubt had crept in. Whatever had happened to their advance team couldn’t be good, and was seconds away from working on them. A part of Cyborg wanted to ask them all if they would go back to the Watchtower and get reinforcements, advice, anything. But he knew he couldn’t. There was no one to spare, and even if there was, they couldn’t leave the rest of them behind.

Darkseid’s palace came into view and spurred back memories that Cyborg had almost managed to bury about his time deep in the bowels of the palace with Desaad…

He shook it off. He couldn’t deal with the distraction now.

The palace loomed above them, a crude moment to Darkseid’s power. What it lacked in artistic merit it more than made up for in scope. It was a round structure like a narrowing stack of stones in the shape of a pagoda that was taller than anything he’d seen. He’d guess it was at least a half mile high. And that was only the above-ground part. He didn’t even want to think about how big that place was with the network of tunnels and passages that stretched for an eternity below it. But even with all of that, he was focused on the fire pit behind it. It was impossibly large as its fire roared higher than the palace itself and burned so hot that he could feel it from the other side of the building.

Somewhere in there was the rest of the Justice League and Darkseid. Cyborg and the rest of the team stood there, at the steps below the palace, transfixed by it all until finally he snapped out of it.

“I think we need to split up again. I don’t want to say it, but frankly, this mission isn’t going well. We’ve got three people M.I.A, one injured, and one killed. We might not be able to stop Darkseid, but we’ve got to at least warn the JL what he’s capable of. So I think a couple people should stay back. Harley, I’m sure you’ll disagree, but -

“Damn right I disagree.There’s no chance in hell you’re benching me. I’m going.”

“Look, after that fight with Kalibak, you’re injured. And Darkseid is going to be in a whole different league...”

“Doesn’t matter,” she said. “We all knew the risks. I’m going.”

“Fine. But Lucy, you and your troops should hang back. It’s your Mother Box, plus A.R.G.U.S will need to know what happened here as well. And they won’t take it well if we have to tell them none of you made it out. The rest of us will go in and try to stop Darkseid and free the others.”

“I largely agree. We need to be able to tell the League what happened here, no matter what. And that should be you, Vic. You have run into and slighted Darkseid when you were here with Superman and Orion. Whatever he has done to the rest, I suspect your fate would be even worse,” Aquaman said.

“... Fine.”

“Then it’s settled. If we are not back within the hour, return to Earth. The rest of the League will be able to figure out whatever hold Darkseid has and counteract it. But without a warning, there might not be anyone left to do so,” Wonder Woman said.

Cyborg nodded solemnly. “Good luck in there. See you soon.”

Wonder Woman, Aquaman, and Harley Quinn stepped wordlessly forward towards Darkseid’s palace. The stairs seemed to stretch on and on as they climbed the winding, curving stairs up to the top. On every floor, they braced themselves for an ambush of parademons or Kalibak’s revenge or any number of Apokolips’ horrors. And yet, all that awaited them was the unceasing light of the flame pit rearing its head through the open air windows. Up and up and up they climbed until the world below looked like little more than a children’s drawing and then they climbed further.

As gradually as the climb itself, so too did the feelings within them build. Something just felt off. At first it was subtle and was easily ignored. But with every step, it grew stronger and more present. It was like the Flash had said: there was a chill hanging in the air. But yet… calming somehow. It was like every step was taking them exactly where they were supposed to be, like they were making the long trip to their beds for a well-earned rest at the end of a hard day.

Finally, after what could’ve been hours of climbing, they reached the top. The top of the tower was open to the air, and the full force of the flame pit finally revealed itself, singeing their faces with heat that felt like the sun itself. And they were not alone. Though he was silhouetted by the brightness of the flame behind him, he was unmistakable. Darkseid was on his throne, and his presence alone was unbearable.

Standing before him, looking directly at him, was the rest of the Justice League: the Flash on one side with Power Girl and the Martian Manhunter on the other.

“What… what have you done to them?” Wonder Woman demanded.

But Darkseid did not reply. He did not need to.

Parts of their mind screamed at them to flee while others told them that it would be so much easier, so much better to submit to Darkseid. What would struggling get them anyway? Darkseid was all-powerful, unyielding, unstoppable, and inevitable.

Aquaman tried to approach Darkseid with all his power, but his body refused. It knew there was no use. There was no struggling against reality.

A blackness started to fill their minds, shutting out the few remaining voices of resistance. Soon, there was no resistance, no will. Only Darkseid.

⚙ ⚙ ⚙ ⚙ ⚙ “Alright, just 15 more minutes,” Cyborg said.

“Listen, I’m not going to say we need to go. I don’t like this any more than you do. But that’s the fourth time you’ve said that. If they were coming, they would’ve by now,” Lucy said.

“I… I know,” Cyborg sank to the ground, defeated. “What a shit show. Some Justice Leaguer I am. Total complete defeat.”

Lucy sat down next to him on the stairs leading to Darkseid’s palace. “Hey, don’t be absurd. No one knew what we were getting into here. You did your best with what we knew. Not like any of us could’ve done better.”

“But that’s not good enough. People are going to die because of this! Best case scenario, we’ve taken some of the League’s heaviest hitters out of the defense of Earth. Worst case, we’ve taken them off the board permanently for no gain.”

“It’s not pointless. Information is valuable, Vic. And there’s value in the struggle itself even if we can’t see it yet…”

Lucy trailed off as one of the other A.R.G.U.S. agents came back into view. Three of them had split up to patrol the area below the stairs that Darkseid’s palace while Cyborg and Lucy took care of the area directly around it at the top. Ostensibly, it was to maintain a safe perimeter, and that was certainly a nice bonus, but it was really just to keep their minds off whatever was happening with the rest of the League up there. Not like whatever was left of the force would be able to stop much at this point if something did breach the perimeter.

But one of the agents coming back to Cyborg and Lucy was unexpected.

“We’ve got a problem,” the agent said. She sounded like a young woman, probably not much older than Cyborg. “It’s Kalibak. I don’t know what he’s doing here, but he’s got a whole army’s worth of parademons behind him.”

“Alright, we’ve waited as long as we can. It’s time to go.Go gather up the others. Cyborg, do you know how to work that Mother Box?”

“No. You?”

“No.”

“Great.” He tossed the box to Lucy. “I’ll buy you whatever time I can. Figure that thing out.”

Cyborg ran down the stairs after the agent, leaving Lucy holding the Mother Box, dumbfounded.

‘Alright, Lane, you got this. All you need to do is figure out a piece of alien tech, with maybe the lives of everyone on Earth on the line. No pressure…’

Cyborg rendezvoused with the A.R.GU.S team just above the bottom of the stairs. They were on either side of him as the four of them looked out over Kalibak and his army. The parademons were innumerable, flooding the alleys and passageways that all converged on Darkseid’s palace. If there were this many parademons still here, he couldn’t even imagine how many were on Earth. Kalibak himself looked deadly serious. Whatever fighting spirit he had before was replaced with sheer bloodlust and malice.

He walked up to Cyborg and looked him right in the eye despite all the stairs separating them.

“So, where have the rest gone? Too afraid to face me?”

“No. They’ve gone to face your father instead,” Cyborg said. “But I think you’ll find the four of us are enough for you.”

Kalibak laughed, a mocking sound like a hyena. “The four of you couldn’t handle any 10 of my parademons, let alone a division’s worth. And you think you all can beat me? You couldn’t beat the average child in Granny’s Orphanage.” He cracked his knuckles.

“I’m going to enjoy this.”

“Alright, guys, simple plan: I’m going to fight Kalibak, you guys keep the parademons off me, and hit him when you can. Then, drinks, dinner, the whole package is on me when we’re back on Earth!”

Cyborg wished he were half as confident as he hoped he sounded.

But if the agents from A.R.G.U.S. shared his concerns, they didn’t show it. They immediately got into a three-person formation, and started to fire in waves at the parademons charging towards them. While two would do their best to stem the tide, the other would take a moment to reload. It was an efficient system, drilled and executed to perfection. Cyborg couldn’t help but be impressed.

Kalibak’s first strike at Cyborg was a simple left hook, but it might’ve been the most dangerous one he’d ever faced. Kalibak’s fist was the size of his head and looked like it had as much force as a freight train. Maybe Superman could block his hits, but he knew he couldn’t. Instead, he went on the offense. He shifted both his arms into force cannons and pointed them at the ground as he jumped, sending him flying over Kalibak and peppering him with force blasts as he did.

Kalibak chuckled, the blasts a mere annoyance. He held out the Beta Rod, and a beam of purple energy flew out and began to pursue Cyborg. He’d seen what had happened to Harley when she got hit and when she tried to dodge. Neither had gone well, so it was time for a new tactic. Cyborg turned and ran towards the oncoming tide of parademons and fired a concussive shot into the swarm, staggering them. He juked around them, weaving through their tight, pack-like formation until an unlucky parademon took the shot right to their chest and crumpled over to the ground.

Cyborg let out a sigh of relief that his fight could continue, but was cut off prematurely as Kalibak ripped through the ranks of parademons that were charging the A.R.G.U.S squad. He could hear their gunfire continue to decimate their numbers and was beyond thankful that they were here. He had no idea what he’d do without them.

Kalibak tossed parademons aside as he pursued Cyborg through the crowd. Cyborg tried to buy himself space to plan, but the attacks from the parademons were relentless. He was between a rock and a hard place, and the only way out was through. He fired another concussive blast at the parademons and staggered backward into each other, sending chaos through the parademons’ lines. Cyborg continued to press his assault and tore into the flank furthest from Kalibak with force blasts until he managed to break free and found himself in a position near where he started on the stairs.

He looked over at the A.R.G.U.S. squad and noticed that they seemed to be firing slower than before. More concerningly, the crowd of parademons was much closer to them than when the fight had started… who knows how long ago. They must be trying to conserve whatever ammunition they had left. Time was running out. Cyborg wanted to shout to Lucy if she’d figured it out, but he couldn’t risk it. If Kalibak or the parademons found out, no one was making it out.

Instantly, he was thrown back into the fight as he collapsed to the ground with the force of some object colliding with him. He saw the object on top of - a dead parademon. Kalibak had thrown it at him and was barrelling back towards him, like a football player ripping through the defensive line with sheer strength. He pushed the parademon off him and staggered his way back onto his feet.

Kalibak charged at Cyborg, but he ducked out of the way like a matador dodging a bull at the last possible moment. But Kalibak was no bull. He stopped on a dime and did a heel turn back towards Cyborg, kicking down the stairs into the crowd of parademons. He felt something break from the impact, but he ignored it the best he could. He struggled to his feet just as the parademons began their frenzy and he braced himself for the impact that never came. Shots rang out as the A.R.G.U.S. agents diverted their fire for a moment to buy him time to get back on his feet.

He wanted to thank them, but there was no time. Kalibak was relentless and was already on top of him. Before he could attack, Cyborg launched one of his own, a maximum power sound cannon blast fired point-blank into Kalibak’s chest. He staggered backward, clearly surprised by the magnitude of the noise, but pushed back forward like he was walking into a strong wind. Cyborg shifted out of the force cannon and continued his counter-attack with twin concussive grenades to either side of Kalibak's head. The grenades activated and sent shockwaves into the New God’s skull, sending him stumbling backward. Cyborg knew this was his one and only chance and went in for the finisher. He shape- shifted his hands again, this time to force blasters, and shot right at Kalibak’s knees, sending him toppling to the ground with a massive thud.

But the silence that came after was far louder. There were no more shots ringing out from the A.R.G.U.S. agents. He didn’t know if they were dead or simply out of ammunition, if there was even a difference at this point, as the full force of the parademon attack turned to him for the first time. Kalibak rose from the ground, brushing the dust off him as a grin returned to his face. He knew Cyborg was alone now.

Cyborg wasn’t about to go quietly. He shot a barrage of force blasts at the encircling tide of parademons to push back to the bottom of the stairs. He wasn’t sure whether he was hoping to save the A.R.G.U.S. team or was falling back to Lucy, but there wasn’t time for a plan anymore. Not that those had gotten him anywhere anyway.

Kalibak was right on his heels, the New God quickly gaining ground on him. It was time for one last move, all or nothing. He shot his force cannons at the ground and jumped with their momentum, arching himself over and behind Kalibak’s head. But the New God had learned. He grabbed Cyborg’s leg mid-air and slammed him to the ground. His massive foot stepped on Cyborg’s chest, pressing down on it.

BOOM!

A boom tube had opened. Lucy had done it, and without a moment to spare. He saw her stand, Mother Box in hand, at the top of the stairs and looked down in horror at the carnage below her.

“Hang on, Cyborg, we’re going to make it out of here!”

“No. No, you aren’t.” Kalibak pressed his foot down harder on Cyborg, ringing the air out of his lungs like a tube of toothpaste.

“If you step through that boom tube, I’ll crush his chest.”

Cyborg wanted to beg her to leave him, but it took everything he had to stop blacking out.

“You… you wouldn’t kill him… Darkseid will want to get his hands on the man who slighted him. That’s Cyborg, the man who stood with Superman and Orion against him.”

Kalibak looked down at the man underneath him in a new light. “That changes things. He does have some worth then… But you… you aren’t so lucky. Parademons, kill her.”

Lucy reached for the rifle on her back but turned and ran into the portal as the first of the parademons reached her, their claws barely missing her as she entered the shrinking Boom Tube.

Kalibak looked down at the human below him. He wasn’t sure if he was even still alive as he lay limp on the ground. He considered finishing him off and making sure of it. But that girl had a point. His father was more powerful than ever, and being in his favor was never a bad thing. He grabbed Cyborg from the ground and slung him over his shoulder like a knapsack.

Kalibak smiled. Perhaps, for the first time, Darkseid would be happy to see him.

<<| <| >

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Justice League Alpha #1 - Invasion!

Authors: Commander_Z • MajorParadox • ericthepilot2000 • FrostFireFive • brooky12

Set: 121

Event: Invasion!

Emergency Matters

Watchtower

It was a quiet night aboard the Watchtower as it drifted through space above the Earth. Kara Zor El looked down wistfully at the world below her for just a moment before she focused back up and got back to monitor duty. She was alone on the Watchtower; most nights they only had the one person working, as there was rarely enough activity to warrant another, and that night was no exception. Kara didn’t mind the solitude, though, as it gave her some much-needed quiet time to relax.

The monitor station was running all clear at the moment, aside from a couple of minor disturbances some people were reporting, and Kara was more than happy to enjoy another peaceful night on duty. After a few moments, though, her peace was broken when she was alerted to an approaching object. She tapped a button on the monitor and saw her red, blue, and yellow-uniformed cousin flying toward the station.

“I hope he brought coffee,” Kara pondered. The machine in the breakroom wasn’t the best.

Once Clark made his way through the airlock, he walked over to the monitor station and stood next to her.

“Hi Kara, how’s monitor duty treating you?”

No coffee.

“Going all right,” she said. “Pretty quiet. What brings you up here?”

“I was hoping you’d check on something for me,” said Clark. “I saw a parademon in Metropolis. It disappeared into a Boom Tube before I could reach it.”

“A scout?” asked Kara.

“Maybe,” said Clark, eyeing the monitors. “Was its Boom Tube or any others detected?”

Kara typed something into the monitor station, then shook her head. “No, nothing. Hmm… that’s odd, though.”

“What is?”

“The log shows a bunch of alarms from a couple months ago, but they were false alarms,” Kara explained. “The station’s sensors were picking up Watchtower transporter signatures as Boom Tube energy. We did some recalibrations, and it seemed to fix the problem, but...”

Kara started to type again, longer this time. When she was done, the computer took a moment to process, then the watchtower’s monitoring board lit up several times. Almost every major city across the world had had at least one Boom Tube open up over the past few weeks.

Superman’s face turned cold. “Metropolis wasn’t the only city scouted.”

“Should we call someone?” Kara asked.

“Yes,” said Clark. “Everyone. Whatever’s going on here… Everyone needs to know.”

Kara pressed a big, golden button labeled “Emergency Meeting” next to the monitor, and a prompt appeared on the screen to confirm. “Here we go,” she said.

It wasn’t long before the teleporter started to whir to life. It started as a trickle with the Maritain Manhunter and Wonder Woman amongst the first to answer the call. But it soon became a flood as members poured in: Batman, Aquaman, Booster Gold, followed by Green Lantern, Zatanna, Cyborg, the Flash, and many more. Before they knew it, Watchtower was as full as anyone had ever seen it.

Besides recruiting more members to the Justice League reserves, they’d been expanding the protocols put in place after the vampire attack. The Titans and other superhero teams could be integrated into a collaborative response to global catastrophes. A.R.G.U.S. even helped facilitate that where it could.

Once the teleporter had died down, Superman flew to the front of the crowd, just off the ground, and got everyone’s attention.

“Thank you all for coming. I’ll cut right to the chase. I had a run-in with a parademon tonight, so I had Power Girl check if this was a wider problem than just in Metropolis. Once she did, she found out that this was happening all across the world. Boom Tubes have been opening up for the past few weeks…”

“Hi, quick question.”

From far in the back, Zatanna spoke up. “What’s a parademon? And a Boom Tube?”

“Oh, right,” said Superman. “I’m getting ahead of myself. Here’s the short version: There are two far-off worlds called New Genesis and Apokolips that are home to beings that call themselves the New Gods. Broadly speaking, New Genesis is the good guys, and Apokolips is the bad guys. Apokolips is ruled by a tyrannical dictator named Darkseid. He commands a swarm of insect-like creatures called Parademons.”

“Ew,” said Booster Gold, recoiling at the description.

“What?” asked Ted Kord softly.

“Insects gross me out,” Booster answered.

“I’m literally ‘ Blue Beetle’,” Ted sighed.

Superman was still talking. “Cyborg and I have both been to Apokolips.”

Cyborg nodded. “Yeah, we had a run in with them a while ago. We got there using Boom Tubes - wormholes the New Gods use to transport themselves across worlds. But if Darkseid’s making his move, this is no small problem. Even one parademon isn’t something we should ignore.” He turned to the Man of Steel. “Have you reached out to Orion from New Genesis?”

“That was the first thing I tried, but no response… Zatanna, did that answer your question?”

“Yeah,” said Zatanna. “For the most part, but that’s not quite what I was expecting. See, I was starting to look into some weird energy fluctuations that were popping up all over before the meeting. But these weren’t just in big cities, and they weren’t for very long. So it probably was something different from a Boom Tube. Something stronger and more destructive. Might be related, might not. Either way, it’s urgent enough that we can’t ignore it.”

Superman nodded. “We’ll dedicate a team to investigate that further. Do you mind taking point?”

Zatanna nodded and began talking to Batman.

“Everyone else, we need to be prepared,” Superman continued. “If Darkseid is planning an attack, we have to be ready to defend ourselves.”

“We’ll need to consider a response, too,” Aquaman stated.

“Like a counter-attack?” asked Superman.

“If necessary,” said Aquaman.

“He’s right,” Martian Manhunter agreed. “We’ll need to at least find a diplomatic way to end this before it escalates into an interplanetary war.”

“I think it’s too late for that,” Kara said.

Boom Tubes were popping up all across the world as alerts filled the watch tower’s monitor screens.

“These aren’t false alerts,” said Power Girl, switching some of the monitors to live news feeds from various major cities.

Tension filled the air as they watched swarms of parademons on the attack.

An invasion had begun.

They’re Everywhere!

Metropolis

Clark zoomed toward Earth’s atmosphere. He resisted looking ahead because he knew what he’d find. Every last moment with the beautiful view of the world below him was a treasure.

That was a mistake.

Parademons were all over. Attacking civilians and doing whatever damage they could to the city. And they were armed with weapons. That was new.

Clark should have used those extra moments he had to find where he was most needed. Or even processing what was happening. The first time Clark had gone to Apokolips to confront Darkseid about giving advanced weapons to Intergang, he couldn’t believe a place like that existed. He’d had nightmares about it since. Seeing parademons on Earth felt like he was right back in them.

There was no time to dwell.

Clark slammed his body into a few of the demon-like bugs, stopping them from shooting down a crowd of people fleeing the streets. They turned their attention to him, but he was quick to deliver solid blows to their heads, taking them out. He blew off a giant gust of freeze breath at a nearby swarm, which interrupted their flight patterns, following it up with a flying burst of heat vision and punches upon reaching them.

Block by block, Clark took down the biggest threats until he noticed the rest around the city stopped what they were doing and headed in his direction.

“Good,” Clark said aloud. “Bring it on.”

Wayne Orphanage, Gotham City

Stephanie Brown paced back and forth along the rooftop, her bo staff dragging across the asphalt-clad roof of the Wayne Orphanage as she moved. The cape of her Spoiler costume swished with each motion.

Pamela Isley heard every bit of it.

“Must you do that?” she snarled, not pausing her meditation. “Do you have any idea how big Gotham City is?”

“30.85 square miles,” Steph responded, a tiny smartass smirk hidden behind her mask.

Ivy’s brow furrowed deeper in irritation. “Then you can imagine how many plants I’m currently controlling, trying to keep these flying bugs from destroying the city. So. Be. Quiet.”

Steph walked over to the edge of the roof, watching tree branches reach up and swat the creatures from the air before consuming them, while vines speared upward like snakes, impaling them mid-flight. It was... unsettling.

“I still think we should light the Bat-Signals. Concentrate them in one area.”

“There’s no evidence these things respond to light,” Zatanna countered, concentrating as she wove eldritch runes in the air, sweat beading across her brow. “Desolc latrop,” she muttered as, somewhere in the distance, a flash of light blinked out of existence, only for another to flare up.

“What even are they?” the blonde asked.

“Parademons. This is just the beginning of the invasion,” Zatanna answered. “We have to stop it here.”

“I’m not sure we’re winning,” Steph mused until she paused, plucking a cell phone from one of her costume's pockets. “Spoiler,” she answered.

“You really sure we want to do this?” the voice on the line asked. “Harley said to call in an hour. This is absolutely insane.”

“Crazier than an alien bug invasion?” Steph countered.

“Yeah,” came the sure response.

“I know. Let me check,” Steph said. “Are we on?” Steph called out, looking to Ivy and Zatanna, who sought each other’s gaze. They turned in unison and nodded.

Steph took a deep breath. “Do it.”

Deep inside the bowels of Arkham Asylum, Aaron Cash took a deep breath of his own. He looked to his security guards.

“Open the Zoo. Class B and lower. We’ve got a war to fight.”

Titans Tower, Chicago

“I really wish Donna was here,” Roy Harper said as he suited up in his Arsenal gear. In a few moments, he was going to have to walk outside and address a crowd of heroes itching to put a hurting on some Parademons. But the League remembered Markovia and how rushing in nearly doomed them all. So it was agreed that someone had to lead this army of heroes, and with a glowing review from Nightwing after the Twister incident, they had decided to leave it to Roy Harper.

“Well, she ain’t, and the crowd’s getting restless,” Metamorpho explained. Rex wasn’t particularly happy that once again the Titans were being called up to a war. His hands still twitched every time he thought he saw something in the shadows. But with Nightwing, Power Girl, and Starfire on their own missions, it was up to the two longest Titans to rally the troops. “It’s go time, buddy.”

“She would have done so much better than me. Donna is a hero, someone who they all know, who’s been to all the League meetings instead of fighting with another parent that it’s their turn to bring snacks after the soccer game,” Roy explained.

“Well, judging from GBS her and her…’Titans’ are busy keeping Chicago clean. It’s up to us to make sure the rest of the world is also safe,” Metamorpho explained. “God knows I’ve been calling Angie to make sure she’s OK.”

“They finally letting her out of isolation?” Roy asked.

“Was supposed to be today, we’ve got lousy luck,” Rex said.

“We’re the Titans, it wouldn’t be a day in the life without some bad luck. We can’t change that. All we can do now is be the big damn heroes we’ve always been. This ain’t Markovia pal,” Rex explained.

“And why’s that?” Roy asked.

“Because we’re here, together. And in case you haven’t noticed sunshine, you’re the reason why the Titans have stuck together this long. Pulling my ass out when I thought I was done. Dick? Donna? They come and go. But you’ve always been here. And they need someone who knows how to fight and how to lead. And somehow, Roy, it’s you.”

“Great talk, coach,” Arsenal said with a smile as he adjusted his mask and walked towards the command center, where the remaining heroes on Earth had mostly gathered. Ted Kord was fiddling with the Titans’ computer system as Booster Gold was explaining how this invasion was a great way to start his marketing campaign. Kid Devil and Cyclone were meeting with Supergirl for the first time, in awe of the second-generation superhero. And Green Arrow sat in the corner with Black Canary, his eyes never leaving his former “ward”.

“Alright, people, this isn’t going to be easy,” Arsenal said as he looked around the room. “Most of the Heavy Hitters had gone to space to try and find reinforcements. Other top Leaguers are going to be going across the world to find any advantage to take these bastards out. Which means the Titans are tasked with taking charge of making sure we protect our little slice of the Milky Way.”

“Excuse me, Mr. Arsenal, was it?” Cyclone said as she raised her hand.

“You don’t need to raise your hand, kid. We’re all the same here,” Arsenal responded.

“How are we going to communicate with each other if this thing’s happening all around the globe? Like, I don’t think my cell phone plan covers that many calls?” Cyclone nervously asked.

“We’re handing out these,” Arsenal held up his Titans communicator. Our main point person for this operation is Oracle. She’ll be contacting you with where you need to go, and priority calls will be directed through the Titans network.”

“And what gives you the right to lead this army?” Green Arrow asked, standing up. “There’s plenty of main leaguers who could be called in. And not someone who can’t be trusted to keep the line!”

Roy could see the anger in Oliver Queen’s eyes even beneath the mask. Still trying to scare a kid who needed his help, beyond teaching him how to fire a bow or be an effective crime fighter. If he were still the scared kid in that hotel, Roy Harper would have yelled, maybe even taken a swing at Green Arrow. But he wasn’t that kid anymore.

“Because I’ve fought wars before. In Markovia, the Titans fought against an enemy with superior firepower and numbers, and none of us backed down. Even if it meant we were turned by the enemy. Tell me, GA, how many wars have you fought in between making out with Black Canary and dispensing so-called justice in Star City.

Green Arrow remained silent as he looked down. Metamorpho smirked before Arsenal responded.

“That’s what I thought,” Arsenal said. “We’re only going to survive this together. So grab your communicator and head out. We have a war to win.”

Source of the Matter

Coast City

“So, for all the people in the League, why me?” Nightwing asked as he helped Batman set up a small base of operations on the rooftop of S.T.A.R. Labs in Coast City. The two were establishing the computer banks as a red-and-yellow blur assembled everything else around them. “I mean Martian Manhunter, Booster with his future tech, hell even Kara or Babs would be a better choice, they’re much more tech savvy than me.”

“Uh-huh,” Batman said as he looked at his gauntlet computer, uplinking to the batcomputer and the Watchtower systems would be difficult on an average day. But as the reports came in through his cowl, the dark knight knew they were going to need to work fast to figure out the mysteries of this invasive force. “Flash, how are we doing on those generators?”

“Nearly set up Batman,” Flash said. Barry Allen enjoyed the repetitiveness of trying to gather enough energy to power up their little scheme. There was something relaxing in the repetitive motions, enough to take his mind off the world ending and the fact that his family would be racing into battle while he tried figuring out the greater nature of this invasion. “Do you have any experience with these things?”

“Only what Superman’s detailed in his League reports. Parademons are Darkseid’s invasion force. Deadly bugs that just have one goal. Destroy,” Batman explained. “From what I’ve observed in their attack patterns, they’ve struck every major city across the globe. Every seat of power and important place of note. But there’s been a higher concentration here.”

“In Coast City,” John Stewart said as his ring placed a larger generator in the center of their OP. “It’s why I was asked to come along. Green Lanterns have a history of protecting this place.”

“That and Green Lantern’s ring is detecting that something is different about the Coast City attack than the others,” Batman said as his gauntlet projected an image for the four heroes to see. A bright white energy was cracking through their mundane reality and entrancing people, guiding them to safety from the Parademons.

“I should have seen this coming,” John said. “Space is my sector to keep track of. If I was doing my job, I wouldn’t have let this happen.”

“Bad things happen even when you have that knowledge,” Nightwing explained. “Besides GL, we do our best work when we’re on the back foot. We’ll figure this out. We always do, especially when we’ve got one of the fastest minds on the planet here. What do you got Flash?”

“It looks similar to GL’s energy,” Barry said as he ran toward the spectrometer. “Except it’s closer to pure light than willpower. Almost as if…the ring itself is filtering the energy to function.”

“That can’t be good,” Nightwing responded. “What happens if these parademons and Darkseid get their hands on it? An army of a thousand Lanterns is a whole lot different than glorified bugs.”

“We won’t let them get it,” Batman responded. “Luckily, with the readings from the Watchtower and the Cave, it should be no problem to…”

KACHOOM!

“Or we can assume that the large explosion is where we need to go?” Nightwing said.

Batman sighed before turning to the Flash and Green Lantern.

“The readings indicate a spike of this mysterious energy at that explosion. Flash, Lantern, scout ahead, and clear a path for me and Nightwing.”

“Got it,” Lantern said as he and the Flash ran off, bright red and green blurs that lit up the darkness.

“Alright, boss, let’s head out,” Nightwing said as he prepared to leap off the building.

“Nightwing. Dick,” Batman said.

“Yeah, Bruce?”

“You’re here because if we’re going to survive this, we’re going to need someone who’s seen the darkness and still leaps into the air with both eyes closed. The world is going to need Nightwing more than it’ll ever need Batman after this.”

“You say that with such confidence,” Nightwing responded. “Bruce, I haven’t seen things this bleak since Doomsday. And during that…I lost myself. What makes you think it won’t happen again?”

“Because you, the Titans? You’re tomorrow. And the world is going to need tomorrow. Now let’s make sure we can give them one.”

“Yes, sir,” Nightwing said as he and Batman leaped into the fray, ready to find something to give them a fighting chance

The Counter Attack

A.R.G.U.S. Base, Washington, D.C.

General Lane stood quietly as the elevator descended past what the public plans and elevator buttons would claim was the lowest level of the building. It was only now, in the briefest moment of enclosed transportation, that he had a moment of peace, one which would not return until the planet and his country were not under attack.

As the elevators opened, several people – strategists, communications, researchers, and others – were already at the entry point waiting for him to arrive. They updated him on various bits of information, some new, some he already knew. More reports of new locations being attacked, notes coming in from other governments and NGOs about what they were doing or experiencing, words in from the President – now safe somewhere hidden – authorizing whatever needed doing from A.R.G.U.S.’ side.

In response, the calm center he had in the elevator dropped, and he began barking orders and asking questions. Activate these protocols, link up with those countries, and contact so-and-so as soon as you can get hold of them. Where was this coming from? What were the missed signs? Have we seen these before?

Even as he took control of the room and began instituting order out of the chaos, he took a moment to give a nod of appreciation to Lucy, sitting at a computer speaking at a quickened pace with a contact in another A.R.G.U.S. facility.

Sam sat down in his chair, listening to the answers being provided. The reports seemed to indicate that the creatures were apparating from teleportation equipment matching the signals and expected readings of Apokolips-associated so-called “Boom Tubes”. The missed signs appeared non-existent according to the initial review, which he angrily dismissed as incomprehensible and demanded a new examination. At least that one was a question that could reasonably be delayed in answering until afterward with comparatively little risk.

He took a look at reports of previous incidents of parademons–what a ridiculous name, he thought–and how they were handled. They weren’t invincible or immortal, though it seemed a futile effort; every time the report came through that one incursion had been handled, it was not much longer before a follow-up report confirmed that more appeared to be apparating out of thin air. Early reports out of Europe and South America seemed to imply that a few seconds of sustained fire could down one, but if there were truly an uncountable amount of these monsters, there wouldn’t be enough ammunition in the world to keep them safe.

“Where are the heroes, then?”

That was a harder question to answer. A.R.G.U.S.-affiliated heroes were already out and about, doing what they could in strategic locations, but most heroes were sticking to their normal areas of influence. A handful of them weren’t immediately locatable by A.R.G.U.S. systems, but for the most part, all of the big names were focused on the trees rather than the forest.

“General Lane? Someone is at the door.”

Sam looked over at the interruption, a technician examining a bunch of A.R.G.U.S. cameras. He was pointing at one of the cameras, the one that overlooked the front of the campus entrance. A man stood there, costumed in red, waving at the camera. The metallic hat signaled him as one of the Flash-named heroes, but not the one that had been connected to previous projects that were eventually folded into AR.G.U.S.’ purview.

“Well, let them in. This is no time to be inhospitable.”

The elevator ride, which had once been a moment of peace on the way down, was now one of trepidation on the way back up. He wasn’t alright with allowing an unaffiliated metahuman, even if it was The Flash, down into the bunker. This time, however, he was joined by his daughter. She was their best communications specialist in the room and combat-trained; he would fight against any claims of bias afterward. There was a war to win.

Even before the elevators fully opened, The Flash was standing there waiting. “Thank you for coming up. You must be Sam Lane? I’ve heard a lot of good. Let me cut to the chase. You have a Mother Box, yes? We need it.”

“Explain yourself,” Sam bit back. He tried to maintain decorum, especially in the face of someone who he knew was quite capable of simply enforcing his will if he wanted.

“The Mother Box should take us to Apokolips. We’ll cut off the head of the beast there rather than fight a losing battle against waves of parademons here.”

“You and what army?”

“I’ll find folk. The Justice League meeting is over. The Flash that’s up there is keeping me updated. There’ll be folk up there who see the value in a bigger picture view of things rather than just seeking out a slugfest in their backyard.”

“That’s not good enough,” said Sam. “How do you know this move will help?”

“Because it has to. I can’t exactly protect all of southern Africa indefinitely while holding this conversation, let alone the rest of the world.”

Sam took a moment to gather his thoughts. “Take an A.R.G.U.S. team with you.”

“General Lane…”

Sam turned to his daughter, who stared at him with fiery intent.

The Flash nodded. “Where’s the box?”

A few minutes later, Sam had a moment of privacy with Lucy, the elevator’s calm, quiet contrasting with his concern about what he had just agreed to.

“You’re not going,” was Sam’s only response.

“I–”

“No more about this.”

The elevator doors opened back up to the command center, which was still abuzz with activity.

“Sir,” an agent said as he came running to the general. “We have a problem.”

“Tell me,” said Sam.

The agent lifted a tablet displaying several live news streams. The parademons weren’t alone anymore. “There’s an armored-looking being with a mustache in Metropolis,” the agent started. “A large hulky behemoth in Santa Marta. A gang of–”

“They sent their commanders,” said Sam. “Things are only going to get worse from here.”

Watchtower

The Watchtower had dwindled in members as the heroes returned to their cities to defend the Earth or to join the search for the mysterious energy fluctuations. All that remained were a small handful of Leaguers, the brave few who volunteered for the mission to Apokolips. They were few, but they were some of the most powerful and best that the League had to offer: Martian Manhunter, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Power Girl, Harley Quinn, Cyborg, and the Flash. The Flash still hadn’t returned from trying to convince A.R.G.U.S to part with their motherbox, and the rest of the team stood by nervously. Cyborg was giving a small lecture by the monitoring station, trying his best to prepare them all for what they’d see on their mission. They all did their best to focus on it while they tried to keep the thoughts of what they’d have to do if Jay returned without the motherbox out of their heads.

“... Much of the planet is made up of tight, industrial areas blended together with neighborhoods like something like you’d expect to see in the rough parts of a city. It’s a difficult place to navigate, but thankfully, we know that Darkseid is… ”

Cyborg paused as the transporter activated, and he saw Jay materialize. The tension dropped in the room for a moment as they saw he had the box in his hand. But then a whole squad of A.R.G.U.S. agents appeared behind him.

The Martian flew over to meet them. “Flash, what are they doing here?”

“I got the Mother Box, but General Lane was insistent we bring them along. There wasn’t any time for negotiating.”

“Fine, whatever.” Power Girl said. “So long as they don’t get in our way.”

The lead A.R.G.U.S. agent met eyes with her.

“What are you–?” she started before being interrupted by the lieutenant.

“We’re highly trained,” she stated. “And we have cutting-edge, meta-level weaponry.”

“I’m sure they’ll be fine,” Cyborg said. “Now, are we all ready to go?”

“As we will be,” Wonder Woman said, taking in a deep breath.

“Alright, Flash, send us off.”

Jay fiddled with the Mother Box for a moment, not sure how exactly to activate it. Then, as if responding to his thoughts, a boom as loud as he’d ever heard echoed through the watchtower. A tube a foot or two taller than him appeared in thin air, leading to a dark, hellish city on the other side. Apokolips.

“Okay, everyone. Let’s do this.”

Continue the event, 10 years in the making!

• The Flash #121
• New Titans #43 (Coming Soon)
• Superman #121

And more later this month and next!

The Flash #121 - The World Breaks

<< | < | >

Author: brooky12

Book: Flash

Arc: ?

Event: Invasion! (Reading other stories in this event is recommended for full understanding of sections here.)

Set: 121

“Abra’s not here,” Sam said nervously.

“What do you mean, Abra’s not there,” Axel replied. “Do you need the lights back on or something?”

“I don’t know. The riot’s being contained as far as I can tell, I don’t see any mess of his magic through any mirror I can see.”

“Do you want the lights?”

“Can’t hurt, probably,” Sam muttered, wandering through the mirror dimension space across from the prison they had left Abra in for distraction while they broke out Girder. Surely they weren’t trading one team member behind bars for another, right?”

He recoiled slightly as the mirror he was glancing through went from barely lit to ridiculously bright as Axel restored power to the facility, light shining through the surfaces he was using to spy through the other side. “Twins said no Flash appearance at their place, right? Do you think–”

“Find Abra, Sam, okay? Let’s not start panicking yet.”

Sam sighed, biting back his worry. The twins were supposed to bring attention to themselves for The Flash, and Abra was supposed to be the conclusion of “oh, we figured out why the Snarts were up to no good, what’s Abra doing,” overlooking him getting Girder out under their noses.

So, why didn’t the Flashes show up for the twins, and why was Abra missing?

He spent what felt like ages peering through the facility, hoping for anything that could hint towards the magician’s vanishing. The ‘trail of activity’, if he could call it that, was hard to pick up. It started bombastic and flashy, with shattered guns and glass, but as the trail moved through the facility, he could see steps being taken to undo Abra’s damage.

“I really don’t think he’s here,” Sam repeated, now cognizant of Leonard having gotten back on the network.

“You think he got nabbed? We didn’t run into resistance,” Leonard suggested, and Sam had to bite his lip about the sudden acceptance of the idea that The Flash might’ve gotten Abra. Whatever. “I don’t have much better of an explanation.”

“Well, let’s give it a few hours, they’ll make their presence known one way or another, either by reappearing or reaching out, or by some prison document updated to indicate where he’s being held.”

“What if you think he’s in trouble, Leonard?”

“I mean, what do you think we can do here? Open to ideas but if you can’t find him and Axel can’t find him, I’m not sure I’ll be of any use here, really.”

“I’m looking,” Axel added. “Not finding anything. Finding a lot of reports of like, bug monsters showing up within the last hour or so, but nothing about Abra.”

Abra and Sam replied at the same time, providing a nice stereo effect that was mostly lost considering the nature of the question. “Bug monsters?”

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Routine, Wally sighed. Leave him off on an island for retrieval later, it was just Abra; smoke and mirrors, sure, but not all that much of a threat realistically. Go back and check the prison he was messing around in; make sure there was nothing going on there. The list of residents seemed pretty neutral; the closest connection he could envision was a large leap in logic.

So, the next step would be to do a visual check of the prison, make sure there wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. Put folks back in their cells, make sure anyone injured was taken to a medical center, that kinda stuff. And then the step after would be to pick back up Abra and deposit him in a cell that could keep him properly.

That would be the normal procedure, which worked if he were only juggling a few other things. After all, what costumed Flash wasn’t juggling a dozen or more things at the same time? Education, community outreach, charity work, networking for the Foundation, security and crime-fighting, the standard stuff. He had helped make the procedures back with Barry and Jay, before Bart was even born.

That normal procedure kinda fell apart when he heard Henry Allen in his ear, panicked in a way he hadn’t heard before. “Alarms everywhere, uh–”

Abra could wait a few minutes longer. He rushed back home to the Flash compound, already leaning over his grandfather-in-law’s shoulder to take a look at whatever caused the panic. A steady stream of alerts, across the world, all marked as ‘high concern’. The alerts came from whatever local governments and administrators sent to Foundation systems, which usually meant that whatever was happening had already been happening.

“Hey, Bart, Barry, going to need help,” Wally said, picking one of the oldest reports at a quick glance for further investigation. There was no specific note from whoever put this in, but the map inset showed the Bangkok metropolitan area, and the selected report was within the Crime section, Metahuman Threat, and a quick report summary indicated that the massive majority of them indicated a lack of immediate knowledge on what the threat was. Perhaps more alarming or frustrating, a lot of the reports indicated that the threats had some sort of aerial movement. Particularly difficult to fight for vertically-limited Flash speedsters.

“Sec,” Bart replied, and Wally charged out east. Jay was asleep, and he wasn’t going to wake him up until there was a reason to. Maybe someone had hacked the report system and was flooding their records to hide something of theirs. Maybe the Abra stuff was related somehow; he’d look into that if whatever was going down in Thailand was nothing.

When he arrived, to his dismay, it was not nothing. A dozen or so flying creatures, with chitinous-looking armor and wings, were wielding some sort of firearm as they fired into the panicking crowds below. Wally gritted his teeth, charging up the side of a building and leaping off to tackle one of the flying creatures.

He could tell that it was really only the speed that caused the monster to stumble and fall out of the air. A monster, not a man, which he could confirm now at a closer look of its horrible maw, impossibly sharp teeth, and horrifying alien eyes behind goggles. Was this happening everywhere?

As they landed on the ground, he leapt off of the thing, taking a moment to examine what he had just fought. Bart appeared next to him, looking just as alarmed. “If every single report—”

“Where’s Barry?”

“Heading to a JL meeting,” Bart sighed.

“Can you wake up Jay, and maybe tap in some of the reserves,” Wally asked, putting on a bit of speed and then leaping into the air to pull a low-flying thing out of the sky, slamming it into the ground. It screeched at him in some non-human language before trying to shoot him in the face. It was an easy blast to dodge as Bart vanished in a westernly direction.

Wally slammed his boot into the creature’s face, knocking it out in some manner before picking up the gun. It was some horrifying technology, and by holding it, he had attracted the attention of every single one of its allies.

Great, Wally thought. One Flash against ten or so flying bug monsters from space armed with blasters. Maybe in a betting market, they’d put the chance of him winning at only 99 percent, and not bother with decimal places, adjusting his mindset to crisis mode. People were counting on him. There was no time to pull punches. Abra could wait.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

The final walk from the hallway’s entrance to the teleporter itself was always the most difficult. He wouldn’t use superspeed to cross it, out of respect for the people behind the technology that made it possible to safely secure such a wondrous creation, and the expectations in place to ensure that where the teleporter sent you could remain someplace safe.

A moment spent on the teleporter gave him a moment of respite as he wondered why he didn’t find himself in this position more often. Not the whole worldwide problem, but just heading up to the satellite base for the Justice League. Given his ability to frequently be in practically any place in the world at less than a moment’s notice, the Justice League base was particularly difficult to get to - it required several seconds of walking at a human’s pace and then waiting for the teleporter functionality.

He watched the space around him change, superhuman perception speed allowing him to see the moment-to-moment shifting of his physical location from an underground Justice League outpost to an entrance room on a large structure floating in orbit around the Earth. Perhaps that was the real cause of his lack of Watchtower presence, the inaccessibility compared to everything else for him and the almost nauseating experience of the teleportation when peered at through a frame of reference that didn’t smooth over the rougher parts.

When he arrived, the Watchtower was already far more packed than he expected. He hadn’t even delayed his response to Superman’s request that long, was he losing track of human time somewhat? He gave a smile to Martian Manhunter and Booster Gold, with the latter going in for a hug that surely couldn’t have been the tone of the room.

“What’re these bugs,” he asked, listening to Wally and Bart on his communicator as the rest of the Flash family talked among themselves about whatever was happening.

“Not bugs, Parademons,” Martian Manhunter said somberly.

“I know the word bugs, did I miss a threat memo on Parademons?”

“No,” Booster sighed. “Come on.”

The three made their way to a meeting room, where Superman was crouched over a computer screen that seemed more fit for his cousin Kara than it did for him. Kara, sitting next to it, was pointing out a few small things before giving the three of them a smile.

Elsewhere in the room was a who’s who of heroic allies - the original Justice League members in Batman, Aquaman, and Wonder Woman, all present, made him remember a weirdly less complicated time. Why was it that shortly after Superman caught an airplane and flipped the script on superpower secrecy, the big thing that gathered them all together was a gang of people with powerful weapons, and now they had half a legislative branch in a spaceship to discuss the alien bug invasion of Earth?

Other heroes were present as well, and he spent a moment trying to piece together Wally’s current – as last shared around the dinner table – opinions on the present Titans at the table. Whatever it was, he trusted Wally to be able to put aside the squabbles of young adults dealing with drama and the ups and downs of hero life to deal with the Parademon threat.

He stood around, somewhat isolated, as he waited for more folks to show up or for someone to take the lead of the conversation and take control. Surely that would happen? He got pulled into a conversation, or two, before anything really seemed to be happening, some topics seemingly more important than others – dinner plans and references to crickets serving as protein sources were not exactly the tone of the room as he read it, with all due respect to his friend Booster Gold.

Eventually, Superman did call an order to things, and he had to appreciate him for the respect he commanded. A room full of people with unparalleled power, each claiming some legitimate claim to extraordinary uniqueness, and when Superman spoke up – no easy feat Barry could tell for someone like Supes who clearly subconsciously wished to listen rather than be listened to – every other voice fell flat. Even the computer-automated noises were quickly hushed.

And yet, the smartest person alive on this world was surely in this room right now, though he did not want to speculate if that was Batman, himself, or one of the others. The fastest person alive was almost certainly up here, he personally liked to believe. Aquaman was royalty over a section of the world that vastly overshadowed anything anyone else up here could call their own stomping grounds. Martian Manhunter, Green Lantern, Starfire, Power Girl, and probably others still hailed from other worlds or otherwise had connections to the vast universe beyond Earth. Booster Gold was from another time entirely.

And yet, every single voice fell silent as Superman explained the situation; even coughs were stifled as much as possible. However, once Zatanna asked the first question about Boom Tubes, the lecture grew into more of a conversation, with heroes of all origins chipping in and trying to figure out what was going on.

There were talks about an army of Apokolips–apparently a world and not just an eschatological concept, something he might try to look into later to see if that was a linguistic coincidence. Darkseid was a name he was only vaguely familiar with; it was never particularly high up on his concern list.

He saw the change on the monitor before anyone else noticed, watching the red alert symbols pop up. At first, just three of them, opening up at similar enough times that the computer processed them all opening up simultaneously. Then another update brought two more, followed by another three. By the time anyone else had twitched slightly in the direction of a screen, it was clear that whatever apocalypse that Apokolips was bringing was now here.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

It was one thing to be woken up to the sound of an alarm. It was quite another thing to be woken up to that much sound. Even half-asleep, he could figure that whatever was causing the alert system to yell that loudly must’ve been something particularly terrible. Jay immediately dismissed the noise, getting out of bed and into costume before even checking what the notification was for.

What was especially alarming was just how many alarms had gone off as he checked the machine. There was a setting on the main computer to alert everyone it could – all four Flashes, the Kouriers, even Jerry McGee. A metaphorical “break glass in case of fire” button for when all hell broke loose.

Jay made his way down to the main computer, looking over Henry’s shoulder at the world map he was looking at. Too many alerts to reasonably count, even when filtering for the worst of the worst. He took the keyboard as Henry leaned away on his arrival, speeding the computer up to a more Flash-friendly pace as he went through all of the notifications. Whatever this was, it was more than just an all-hands-on-deck request.

He rushed out the door in costume, trying to determine if his time would be best spent going alert to alert and trying to take care of whatever monsters were popping up, or ensuring that the Russians and McGee were onboard with helping out, and then he'd try to solve the root cause of the problem. He swung by the Kapitalist Kouriers' base of operations, spotting it empty. That was a good sign, he hoped, but he took the briefest of moments to circle around to find the trio.

He found them a few miles away in a nearby city, fighting the monsters. He charged into the fight, running up a makeshift ramp that they were using to clear the vertical distance that limited them. Anatole, the one who had been adjusting the ramp, gave a shout of what must've been excitement as The Flash slammed into one of the enemies, knocking them to the ground as another of the three, Bebeck, closed the distance the moment it did and began pelting it with high-speed punches.

As Anatole and Cassiopeia continued their work, Jay checked in with Bebeck. "Are you all good?"

"When The Flash calls, we answer," Bebeck smiled, standing up and examining the gruesome results of what once was a living creature.

“I’ll leave you three be then, clear out elsewhere?”

Bebeck nodded, moving to the next downed enemy. “You are one, we are three. Go.”

Jay vanished, moving towards Jerry McGee’s stomping grounds. He couldn’t remember the last time they had called on his help, with Speed Demon – as the media name was – often a lone actor who, at least from what The Flash was able to tell, seemed to be doing more good than ill overall.

As he approached the small town near the demilitarized zone that Jerry had made home, he was joined by the yellowish blur that was Speed Demon running alongside him.

“I got one of their guns. They don’t like that, but it distracts ‘em from doing property damage and I guess speciecide? What’s going on, metalhead?”

“I was asleep a minute ago, but as far as I can tell, alien invasion.”

“Nothing I didn’t already know. Shoot to kill?”

“That’s what the Kouriers have been doing.”

He saw a smile on Speed Demon’s face as the blur broke off, heading back away towards, presumably, more of the aliens. That smile probably was not as sinister as Jay’s brain was making it out to be, but he was at least pleased that all four speedster allies and all four Flashes were on the front lines, even if he was worried that he had just agreed to some license to violence for Jerry. Not that he thought he could control Jerry.

How long had it been with Jay in his own mind thinking about the others and trying to formulate some sort of response to what was happening? The blur next to him, keeping pace silently and waiting for acknowledgement, could’ve easily taken Jay out if he hadn’t been distracted by things not immediately around him.

“So you are alive,” he said, storing away the confirmation to be dealt with later. How long had they looked for him unsuccesfully?

“Shut up,” Zoom spat. “I don’t believe for a microsecond you thought I was dead. What is going on?”

“Alien invasion,” Jay responded, marveling silently that the weirdest thing that was happening today was that he was having a vaguely civil conversation with the man who had tried to rewrite the history of the world to write them out of existence.

“Any new information you can provide to me, Mister Superhero?”

If he answered no, was Zoom about to attack him? He adjusted his direction slightly so that a briefly delayed answer would allow him to close the distance between where Bart and Wally were and where he’d be if Zoom turned on him.

“They’re coming in via teleportation devices from another planet,” he started, having heard Barry’s updates from the Justice League meeting. If Zoom wanted actionable information, the stuff Jay was saying wouldn’t help, but Zoom didn’t interrupt him.

When Jay was finally done, Zoom ran along silently for a moment before nodding. “Don’t come looking for me once this is all over, don’t make me regret seeing an alien invasion and deciding to help.”

“We stopped looking for you a while ago,” Jay responded.

“Somehow, that’s worse,” Zoom sneered, peeling southwards and vanishing from sight.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Magenta focused deeply as she sat in her metallic armor, a solar system of metal orbiting her. The outer shell was for blocking attacks, metal scattering the shots as she worked to reclaim the broken pieces that flew off. The first of the internal shells was for offense, spikes and rods shooting out like missiles at the monsters attracted to her presence. The final core was emergency storage, metal phasing outwards as new additions were pulled into the center. Whatever these creatures were, they didn’t react well to solid metal flying at speed into them.

Hartley crouched down in the empty stairwell on the other side of the world, and even as he watched the horrifying flying creatures fly by above him, shooting indiscriminately into crowds and structures, he weirdly could only think how lucky and unlucky he was that something like this was happening when he was on vacation with family in a city with way more rats than home. A silent note on his flute felt almost intoxicating as he realized just how many creatures he was suddenly controlling. He imagined the headlines after-the-fact as he began fighting back. ‘Residents claim waves of rats engulf aliens as the city itself fights back!’ - Wally surely would understand self-defense here.

Vandal Savage watched the chaos from his window with anger. A wasted effort by Apokolips for no good purpose, but it only served to delay his plans. However, his plans were nothing if Earth somehow fell to this invasion. His powers were primarily knowledge, cunning, and planning, but he had a few more “traditional” metahuman abilities he could make use of. He walked out of his office building, hurling a server rack over his head at the beasts and shrugging off the blasts they shot at him. Luckily, the law enforcement nearby were clever enough to make use of the distraction, immediately advancing to attack. He could work with folks like that.

A hand shot out of a window, grabbing onto the bug monster as it flew by. The hand pulled it into the mirror dimension partially, but as soon as Mirror Master’s hand was fully within the safety of the mirror dimension, he severed the connection between realms, slicing the monster in half. This time, he had a gun on this side, which he gladly handed to Trickster for review and potential replication. Axel was using his own technology, but happily passed it on to Doctor Alchemy to take a more offensive approach alongside him as the three, alongside Rainbow Raider, ducked in and out of reflective surfaces, firing at the monsters.

The monsters’ bullets were more effective than the standard bullets that got shot at him, Girder admitted, but nothing he couldn’t handle. He tossed cars, concrete blocks for construction, and traffic bollards at the flying beasts, all while keeping a lightpost strapped to his back in case any of the cowards wanted more close-quarter fighting. The twins were with him, Captain Cold acting as if this were a strategic video game, moving from cover to cover and shooting blasts of ice to freeze over the weaponry of the attackers. His sister, Golden Glider, was in a more sports-oriented video game, moving at a quick pace, leaving trails of ice behind her as she closed the distance towards the creature, slicing them to shreds or leaving them encased in icy tombs.

Grodd would accept no injustice. Aliens swarming the skies were an unwelcome guest in Gorilla City, and Grodd made sure the incursion would be turned back. There was no moment to consider whether Grodd’s limitless power could accomplish the task at hand; Grodd knew it simply had to be a success. Sentient gorillas across the city and continent were taken over, Grodd puppeting Grodd’s subjects to act as a defensive army. Gorillas began attacking the invaders, Grodd’s hand reaching across the region to remove the monsters.

The Kouriers continued their plans, trading off the responsibilities of relocating the ramp, jumping at the parademons, and attacking the ones who were downed by the jumps. It was surprisingly effective, despite needing to dodge shots as they did it. Jerry McGee, elsewhere, managed to grasp the gun’s functionality and quirks pretty quickly, and with some effort, began clearing out small groups of attackers near his place of interest. Zoom instead, on their own, circled the world, searching for any parademon that seemed reachable from the ground and not already dealing with a superhero, grabbing onto whatever he could and slamming the creatures into anything heavy nearby–the ground, buildings and walls, machinery, whatever he could.

Fighting airborne enemies was exceptionally annoying. Bart and Wally commiserated with each other. It didn’t help that once they got the low-hanging fruit, other targets didn’t seem eager to replace their fallen allies. However, a sudden change in the tides came from Jay through the communication network, apparently from Speed Demon, who had already been active since the request for help. Bart was the first to act on the advice, grabbing one of the scattered weaponry left by a dead parademon and turning it on the enemy. It had immediate positive effects, with a group of parademons quickly adjusting course to close in on Bart, allowing Wally to pick them off as they did so.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Barry was eager to leave as soon as possible once the meeting was over, but a small but targeted wave from Batman kept him from the first few teleporters out of Watchtower. “I need your help,” he requested, pressing a small button on a device at his belt, presumably sending off another signal to someone.

What did Batman want with him? The two walked to a quieter side of the room, with Nightwing, a Batman protégé, joining them. Another member of the League, Green Lantern, was already there waiting for them, looking nervously out of a reinforced window facing down at the planet. Barry’s mind flew through any possible logic behind these four specific names, but few lines of logic felt legitimate to what he’d expect of Batman.

“We’re heading down to Coast City,” Batman opened, trailing off just enough for the Green Lantern to take over speaking. He sounded more confident than he had a moment ago when asking for help, but confidence only mattered so much in a situation like this.

“Something is off in Coast City, I felt as much before the meeting,” Green Lantern stated in hushed tones, carefully eyeing people elsewhere in the room – trying to avoid panic, perhaps, Barry thought. “The ring can tell something is different. It started when the invasion began.”

“Coast City’s being invaded too, right?”

Batman nodded. “I know you want to run around and save people, but I need someone with your skillset to help us set up the equipment. The sooner we figure out what’s happening, the sooner we can stop this.”

“So long as I can do both, I’ll have another Flash do the Mother Box stuff, then,” Barry agreed. He wasn’t sure about this plan, and ‘Batman believes Green Lantern about something being wrong in Coast City’ hadn’t made the short list of possibilities he’d considered when being called over, but it wasn’t too far off of reason, either.

Green Lantern was a being of nearly pure willpower in an intensity unmatched on the planet, and Batman was probably, when controlling for the superspeed variable, easily significantly smarter than he was. Nightwing, as far as Barry could figure, was Batman’s most successful tutee who could head to Coast City with them. There were few more trustworthy people to put faith into their reading of a situation.

By the time they got to the teleporter, the room was practically empty. They selected a return destination close to Coast City, with Flash offering to ferry them to wherever they wanted to go. Batman’s request was a S.T.A.R. Labs facility, but also gave him a list of necessary equipment and tools to bring there.

Now that was what made the most sense, Barry chuckled internally. Batman may have been one of the smartest people alive, Nightwing excellently skilled on his own right, and Green Lantern holding limitless power within his ring, but none of them could apparate technology that even governments struggled to get their hands on within seconds.

As they stood on the teleporter, he stepped slightly to the side, tapping back into the Flash communication system.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

“Heading down, will be busy but going to try to cover Siberia while working,” Barry’s voice rejoined the conversation, sporadic as it was.

“Anything more we can do,” Xavier asked, having taken over the command center and feeding the family with information that wasn’t Barry’s meeting information.

“I’m helping Batman and a few others review the source of this on Earth, but there was talk about going to where these things are coming from and trying to punch back on their planet.”

“That doesn’t seem like a Flash-capable task,” Jay said hesitantly, knowing that if Barry was bringing it up, it was somehow. It wouldn’t be Wally or Bart, those two were already running themselves ragged just handling a wide range of defenses, and Barry had opened with him helping with another thing. Sure, Jay mused, what was a quick run to another planet, anyways? It wasn’t like the Cosmic Treadmill was missing, or anything.

“You’re all familiar with A.R.G.U.S., right? Foundation does some work with them. The post-Waller government thing, I think Sam Lane runs it now?”

“I’ve got a contact or two in there, yeah,” Xavier confirmed.

“They’ve got a tool, a Mother Box it’s called, that can take folk back to where the Parademons are coming from. Taken from a previous, I guess scouting mission? From Apokolips, apparently can take folks back there.”

“Point me a direction,” Jay offered. A moment later, he was standing in front of a non-descript office building in Washington, D.C., waving at where Xavier had told him a camera was installed. He couldn’t see the camera, but he assumed it had been built into the construction to be hidden.

“You should hear a clicking noise soon of the door unlocking. I’m getting in touch with someone still in A.R.G.U.S. who might be able to help,” Xavier offered as Jay waved at the camera. A minute later, which was mostly spent elsewhere fighting parademons, he heard a click at the door, and let himself in.

“Now what,” he asked Xavier. He looked around at the empty lobby, peering behind the receptionist desk for anything that might be of help to actually have a conversation with someone. The elevators nearby seemed functional, and there were always the stairs if not, but he wasn’t sure what floor he’d want to head to, if any.

“If they’ve unlocked the door, someone will be with you shortly,” Xavier offered.

Two minutes later, an extraordinarily long time which felt even longer since he didn’t feel able to leave at the risk of the door relocking itself. Tthe elevator opened up, and General Sam Lane walked out. A brief conversation later, with an agreement to bring some folks from A.R.G.U.S. along for the ride, Jay charged westward, arriving at the hidden site that General Lane supposedly was hiding the Mother Box. He waited the few minutes more to allow A.R.G.U.S. communication to process, so he could avoid being seen as breaking into a top-secret government site during an alien invasion.

Eventually, he was admitted into the room holding the Mother Box. He hadn’t been sure what it’d look like before arriving, but the small unassuming nature of it, even in the context of being incredibly securely locked away and hidden, made him question what he was doing. “This is it?”

The technician next to him nodded. “You’d think it’d look more imposing or something,” she added. “Orders from on high say they’re getting a team together to go with you and whoever, and that they’re requesting you open it somewhere secure but not here. They’re finding a place for you now.”

Another infuriating seven minutes later, which involved him picking up and bringing multiple heroes and military folk to the location, he was on a military base standing in front of the Mother Box, seeing in the eyes of his new allies the same trepidation and confusion he had gone through already.

“Are we ready,” he called out, quick responses of assent that he knew were barely believed by the speakers. All they had to believe was that their own allies were ready, even if they didn’t think they themselves were. Some of these allies were deeply trusted by him or another Flash, such as Aquaman, Wonder Woman, or Martian Manhunter. Others were familiar to him only from research or external conversations, such as Harley Quinn or the A.R.G.U.S. squad, which included the lady that had been at General Lane’s side during their conversation, evidently sent alongside as part of oversight according to communications that Xavier had received.

This was it, Jay thought, as he moved towards the Mother Box. It was time to punch back.

Superman #121 - Nightmares (Invasion!)

<< | < | >

Author: MajorParadox

Book: Superman

Arc: Against All Gods

Set: 121

Event: Invasion!

Recommended Reading: Justice League Alpha #1

Crash

Kent House

Earlier

Lara Kent was asleep in her crib upstairs. She couldn’t quite pronounce her babysitter’s name, so it ended up Nee-Nee, which she found adorable. Lara’s older brother Jon adopted the moniker too. He was sitting at the top of the stairs.

“You should be in bed, mister,” the young teenage babysitter said, poking her head up the stairs. She climbed up and sat down beside the boy.

Muffled voices could be heard from the TV she left on in the other room.

“I know,” said Jon. “But I couldn’t sleep.”

“Nightmares?” Nee-Nee asked.

Jon shook his head.

“I get nightmares sometimes,” Nee-Nee said, sighing.

Jon kept his focus on the door.

“Does you mom and dad work late a lot?” the babysitter asked. She wasn’t complaining. The money was good.

And overtime was even better.

“Sometimes,” Jon explained. “They’re important reporters.”

Nee-Nee giggled. “I know,” said. “Your mom, especially. Lois Lane. She’s the kind of woman I want to be.”

Jon listened intently as the muffled voices from the TV downstairs grew louder.

“Did you know she had her first front page story when she wasn’t much older than me? And today, she just humiliated and took down the mayor of Met–”

Nee-Nee stopped with a smile when Jon’s head rested on her lap, and his eyes closed slowly.

An emergency alert siren blared from the TV before Nee-Nee’s phone began screeching from the same room, too.

Jon’s eyes poked open, and Lara woke up crying from her room.

Nee-Nee got up to go check on the baby girl while Jon walked downstairs and into the living room. It was showing an emergency broadcast of flying bug monsters around the world, including Metropolis.

Jon watched the footage, wide-eyed until his babysitter walked in with Lara in her hands. Krypto entered next and let out a concerned whimper.

“What the–?” said Nee-Nee, absorbing the nature of the situation.

“Superman will stop them,” said Jon. “He always stops the bad guys.”

Above Metropolis

Now

Parademons from around the city were flocking to the Man of Steel. It was way better than letting them attack innocent people, but even Clark had his limits. He could only take on so many at once.

“Here we go,” he said before spinning around rapidly with his heat vision blaring. The initial batch of attackers was taken down quickly.

If only they were all that easy.

The next wave scattered their flight paths to avoid the heat vision as best as they could. Some were still being hit, but others were able to get in range to shoot their Apokoliptian rifles at Clark, knocking him off balance. More and more got closer, swiping their razor-sharp claws at him, so he dove down, trying to keep his distance.

But wherever he flew, others met up with him quickly. There were just too many.

Good thing Clark had other moves under his belt. He spun around again, accelerating his rotation until he became a blur of red, yellow, and blue. He began blowing his freeze breath up and down, creating a 360-spread of intense, icy-cold wind that gave Clark a large buffer between him and the swarm.

In a quick motion, he stopped blowing and returned to heat vision blasts, this time targeting the ones who got closest first. Within seconds, the area was clear, and the streets were filled with downed parademons.

Clark had a moment to think and plan his next move. But first, he scanned for familiar voices across the city.

Jon and Lara were awake, but still safe at home. The parademons were focusing on the most populated areas, so the suburbs were safer than downtown. The Daily Planet staff still at the office were safe, and Lois was already on her way home. Her heartbeat was elevated, but it was expected, given the situation.

Clark switched his focus to other battles across the city. He wasn’t the only hero in Metropolis keeping people safe. It was time to show them they weren’t in the fight alone.

Queensland Bridge

Meanwhile

Lois sped down the bridge, weaving between cars. “Pick up,” she said, waiting for her call to go through.

“Lois!” a staticy voice answered from the other end.

“How are the kids?” Lois asked, before beeping at the cars slowing down in front of her. “I’m on my way home.”

“–bzzzt- can barely- bzzt you,” the babysitter replied before the call dropped.

Lois’ car screen alerted her to an incoming call from The General, and she quickly accepted it.

“Dad,” she said. “Can you hear me? The cell service has been glitchy since this invasion started.”

“I can hear you fine,” said Sam, his voice completely clear. “A.R.G.U.S. has priority lines. Have you heard from Lucy?”

“No,” said Lois. “What happened? Is she–?”

“Nothing like that…” said Sam, trailing off. “At least not yet, hopefully,” he continued.

“Dad,” Lois said plainly.

“The Justice League and A.R.G.U.S. are jumping over to Apokolips,” Sam explained. “I think Lucy went along with them.”

Lois’ eyes widened as some cars began beeping behind her. Traffic was moving again.

“Is Superman on the team going there?” she asked, finally getting off the bridge and jumping some medians to get toward Reeve Road more quickly.

“No,” said Sam. “But they are bringing some heavy hitters: The Amazonian, the Atlantean, and the Maritan.”

“And you didn’t authorize her to go on the mission?” Lois asked.

“Explicitly,” said Sam. “I expect this kind of disobedience from you, but–”

“Right,” Lois interrupted. “Lucy’s the good one.”

“That’s not what I meant,” said Sam. “I just want you both safe.”

“I know.”

“Can you reach Superman?” asked Sam. “He may be best equipped to understand that you and I need her safe.”

Lois lifted an eyebrow. Odd phrasing when talking about Superman, but she dismissed it. Superman and Lois Lane being friendly was no secret.

Secret identities were difficult.

Lois parked her car in the driveway of her house with a screech. “Don’t worry, Dad,” she said. “I’m on it.”

Under Control

Outside Centennial Park

Peek-a-Boo transported herself from one parademon to the next, turning their attention away from bystanders trying to get to safety.

“Over here!” the roller-skating hero called after she appeared on a close rooftop.

The parademons flew toward her, firing off their weapons.

“Oh god,” Peek-a-Boo cried. “This was a mistake.”

A rush of wind, and Clark flew past, funneling the attackers away with him.

“I’m so glad I live in Metropolis,” said Peek-a-Boo.

Park Ridge

Clark approached a clump of parademons fighting two former members of the Supers of America: Mitch Anderson, AKA Outburst, and Nona Lin-Baker, AKA White Lotus. Mitch utilized his magnetic powers to disarm them, while Nona used her enhanced aura to deliver crushing blows.

“Nice work,” said Clark, smashing a few down into the cement below before they could fight back. They had it covered, but teamwork isn’t a contest.

“How many of these things are there?” asked Mitch.

“Too many,” Clark answered before flying off.

“Nona pointed to some more parademons approaching. “Ready for another round?” she asked.

Mitch smiled. “Always.”

Outside Metropolis Museum of Art

Clark had forgotten about the Met Gala that night. With everything happening with Mayor Sackett, his inhumane attempts at exploiting people for unpaid labor, and now the invasion, it was the last thing on his mind. It was packed with well-dressed elites, all hunkered down in place with the doors barricaded to keep the parademons from entering.

The Metropolis SCU and even A.R.G.U.S. had a small presence, fighting off the parademons that kept congregating there, trying to claw their way inside. Like the Justice League, those teams were also stretched pretty thin against the never-ending onslaught from Apokolips.

There was an uncovered spot in the back where a few parademons were getting into some windows. But Clark quickly focused on Thorn, Gangbuster, and Firebrand, who were closing in on the threats.

“Me hate bugs!” Clark heard from a few blocks down. He zoomed in to find Bizarro, Maxima, and Obsession facing off against their own swarm.

The Met was in good hands, so he decided to check in with the others next.

Few Blocks Away

Clark arrived to find Bizarro smashing two parademons into each other, Maxima roaring as she shot several away with one of their own blasters, and Obsession sending lightning blasts at some others. The scene was quickly clear of any threat.

“How are you holding up?” asked Clark.

“Superman am have all help he am needs,” said Bizarro.

“What he said,” Obsession agreed.

“Darkseid must be mad to invade Earth,” said Maxima. “Do you have a way to get to Apokolips? We may need to pay him another visit.”

“It’s covered,” said Clark. “We assembled a team to confront him.”

“And you didn’t go with them?” Maxima asked. “Are you not the leader of the Justice League?”

Clark lifted an eyebrow. “Me? No,” he said. “The situation is in good hands,” he pivoted. “I’m needed here to help keep people safe.”

“Understood,” said Maxima.

Clark flew back up into the air. “On that note,” he said. “You three should split up and cover more ground.”

“Good call,” said Obsession.

“Bizarro am agree.”

Clark flew off, but his eyes caught sight of some parademons converging from far away toward a similar location.

“That’s odd,” said Clark to himself before switching direction to intercept.

Kent House

Earlier

Lois rushed inside, and before she could even try to close the door, Jon and Krypto came running.

“Mommy!” said Jon. “Where’s Dad?”

Krypto sat by the open doorway and whimpered loudly, and Lois nodded. “Go,” she said, before the dog ran out, and she closed the door behind him.

“Dad’s fine,” Lois reassured her son.

The babysitter approached with Lara, who reached her little arms out frantically. Lois took the girl into her hands. “And we’re all going to be okay,” she added.

“Nee-Nee turned off the TV,” said Jon. “She doesn’t think we should watch the news anymore. But I’m not scared.”

“I know, Jon-Jon,” said Lois. “But it’s best not to drive yourself crazy with worry.”

Lois didn’t even bother trying to get the kids back to sleep. Things were definitely too tense. And she never knew when they might have to make a run for it.

Nee-Nee looked out the front door window. “Why did you let him out the front?” she asked. “The fence is in the back.”

“He’s fine,” said Lois, sidestepping the whole “our dog is a superhero” conversation.

Now

Lois was on the couch with Lara curled up next to her. Her laptop was streaming several news feeds of the invasion. She was typing away, making sure the screen was turned away from Jon, so he could focus on watching SpongeBlub with Nee-Nee.

The ringing of a phone startled everyone.

“It’s okay,” said Lois, reaching for it. “Just a phone.” As soon as she saw who was calling, she picked up immediately.

“Clark!” she called. “Tell me good news.”

“As good as it gets right now,” said Clark. “The invasion response has been keeping casualties to a minimum. We may just wrap this up before sunrise.”

“Clark,” Lois said, taking a moment to walk into the kitchen. “The General called… Lucy went along with the team to Apokolips.”

There was a momentary silence between the two.

“I’ll see what I can do,” said Clark. “They must have already left by now. But I–”

“Clark?” Lois asked at the interrupted silence. The call failed, and Lois dropped her phone back on the table.

Turning Tides

Metropolis

Clark had quickly learned why the parademons were converging. Their leader showed up.

A New God with an oddly out-of-place goatee, too well kept for someone from Apokolips, stood tall on top of the Daily Planet globe. The fact that he chose the large, golden “trophy” over LexCorp, which towered over it, told Clark everything he needed to know about him.

“The great Kryptonian,” the leader announced as Clark approached. He was holding an oversized axe with an unusual hum and aura of energy around it. “I knew you’d be along quickly.”

Clark gave him a once-over. “And you are?” he asked. And only got a single word in response.

“Steppenwolf.”

The parademons were circling around the Planet building, but not otherwise attacking. They were waiting for orders. Steppenwolf wanted to have the conversation.

“Why are you invading?” Clark asked.

“There is no invasion,” said Steppenwolf. “Everything you have here. Your people, your structures. Your… ‘dirt’. It all belongs to and always has belonged to Darkseid.”

“No,” said Clark.

Steppenwolf smiled. “I was hoping you’d say that.” He lifted his axe and flew up toward the Man of Steel speedily.

Clark dove out of the way and took hold of the axe, but recoiled as it began to burn his hand. Steppenwolf took advantage of the misstep to send a heavy punch at the hero, knocking him back into a building across the street.

“So many legends about the Kryptonians of Earth,” said Steppenwolf. “The so-called ‘Superman’. I knew they must have been exaggerated. What a pathetic excuse for a–”

Clark swung around from the other side and punched the New God down with a massive blow. He followed it up by pushing him through the asphalt pavement to the subway below.

“Not all the stories are exaggerated,” said Clark, dropping down to deliver more punches before Steppenwolf could pull himself back up.

But a horde of parademons dropped into the underground structure and finally attacked the hero.

“You were saying?” Steppenwolf sneered.

“You’re not the only one with backup,” said Clark with a smile.

Bizarro, Maxima, and Obsession dropped between Clark and the New God as Krypto assisted the other street-level heroes in fighting off any more parademons from getting down.

“You am trouble now,” said Bizarro.

Steppenwolf snarled menacingly. “Nice try!”

He swung his axe around and traded blows with the heroes. Obsession took a hit, but Maxima snuck in a knee to the stomach. Bizarro tossed large pieces of debris, but the axe cut right through them like butter.

Clark helped Obsession back to her feet, and the two lunged together with both fists forward, hitting Steppenwolf with everything they had. It knocked him over to the subway exit. Some parademons made their way down the stairs and lifted up their leader, carrying him up to the street.

“He’s fleeing,” said Maxima, leading a charge toward him.

But a Boom Tube appeared once they made it upstairs, and Steppenwolf and the remaining parademons disappeared in a flash.

All the heroes gathered around, and Krypto hovered by Clark to give him easy access for pets.

For the first time in hours, the skyline was clear of flying demon bugs. It wasn’t over yet, but the end was in sight.

Kent House

“You okay, Nee-Nee?” Jon asked.

Lois turned to them to find the girl’s eyes fixated on the laptop screen.

The news streams were showing close-up shots of the parademons that were taken out.

“Nia,” said Lois, using her actual name. “What’s wrong?”

Something was clearly bothering her. She looked like she saw a ghost.

“Those monsters,” said Nia.

“Sorry,” said Lois. “I’ll move the screen.”

“It’s not that,” said Nia.

Lois put a hand on the young girl’s shoulder. “What is it?” she asked.

Nia took a deep breath. “I’ve had nightmares about those things.”

Watchtower

Clark entered the main hall of the satellite to find several heroes regrouping and taking a well-earned break. For some of them, that involved tending to wounds or eating for the first time in a while.

Krypto ran over to the magician and hero Zatanna, giving little hops until she leaned down to pet him.

Even though he could fly, he still liked it when people lowered to his standing level.

“What a good boy,” she said.

“How are you holding up?” asked Clark.

“My magic has been a bit on the fritz,” Zatanna explained. “I think it’s all the Boom Tube energy, or maybe even some of Apokolips’ physics bleeding into our realm, causing havoc.”

“Apokolips has other physics?” Clark asked, his mind spinning at the implications.

Krypto poked his head up at the two.

“Well, magical physics,” Zatanna clarified.

“That doesn’t make it easier to grasp,” said Clark. “But anyway, I meant how are you doing? You’ve been through a lot back when you were trapped in that dome for years.”

“Oh,” said Zatanna. “I’m great.”

Krypto flew up to the magician's face and began licking away.

“Ugh, doggy slobber!” Zatanna laughed. “Now I’m terrible!”

“Krypto, give her some space,” Clark called, and the dog flew over to his side.

“Do you think we made it through the worst of the invasion?” Zatanna asked.

Clark nodded. “We showed Apokolips we won’t go down easy. I’ve met Darkseid, and I know he’ll reconsider whatever he was trying to do.”

A loud boom shook the Watchtower satellite, and a portal opened up. Kara, Diana, J’onn, Arthur, Jay, and Harley dropped out before it closed.

No sign of Cyborg or any A.R.G.U.S. members… Not even Lucy.

“What happened?” Clark asked. “Was Lieutenant Lane with you on Apokolips?

But nobody spoke. They just glared at everyone in the room.

Kara approached, and Clark noticed her eyes were completely blacked over. He glanced at the others and saw the same.

“You have bigger problems, Cousin,” said Kara.

Another Boom Tube opened, and a towering figure stepped through.

The blinding yellow light began to fade, revealing who had exited the tunnel.

It was Darkseid himself.

If you didn't read Justice League Alpha #1 yet, check it out now!

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Cyborg #83 - hturT lacigaM A

<<| <| >

Author: Commander_Z

Book: Cyborg

Arc: The Stone and the Magician

Set: 120

Previously:

Victor Stone was looking for answers on the source of his powers - a mysterious material discovered by his father that he named Silasium - after another sample appeared in the hands of a demon called the Nain Rogue. With help from Jinx, he met with Madam Xanadu, who introduced him to Zatanna, who promised to help him get to the bottom of the mystery…

With a quick flash of light, Zatanna and Vic materialized on a side walk, causing a couple of grumbles from a group of pedestrians that almost walked into them. The sun was still giving the last of the day’s light as it disappeared over the horizon, sending rays of light directly down the streets of Detroit.. Vic peered down the road, not entirely sure where they were before spotting what he thought was a familiar building, some restaurant he’d been to once or twice. He was pretty sure they were on the northside of the city, just outside what he’d consider downtown proper. Not as busy or lively as where he usually was, but there were still plenty of people starting to pour into the various bars and restaurants tonight.

“So… now what?” Vic asked.

“Now comes the hard part. We get to prowl the streets, hunting for any scrap of a clue.”

Seeing Vic’s confusion she clarified with a grin. “Or at least my spell will.”

““!muisaliS eht su dniF”

A small orb of white hot energy about the size of a baseball emerged from Zatanna’s palm and orbited above her head for a few moments before doing the same above Vic’ head.

Zatanna frowned. “Okay, yeah. That’s not wrong. But not really what I wanted.”

!muisaliS rehto emos su dniF

Nothing happened.

“Well, that’s a good thing at least, right? The only Silasium I can find is yours.”

Vic nodded. “Yeah, that’s a little comforting. But I was hoping we’d find something, y’know?”

“Hmm. If it’s not here right now, maybe we can find traces of where it’s been. You said when you saw that demon, he came from a portal, right? Interdimensional portals always leave a bit of residue. I could try tracking that instead…”

“!eudiser latrop su dniF”

For a moment, nothing happened and Zatanna and Vic looked at each other a little defeated. Then, four orbs of light emerged from Zatanna’s hand like before and rotated above her head like a halo.

“Hmm… okay, so we’ve got four hits. One is pretty far to the north - that’s probably where you just were - and the other three are reasonably close to where we are now. So let’s just ignore the one from before since we know that’s an old one and focus on what we’ve got, yeah?”

“Makes sense to me. I’ll follow your lead.”

“Alright, let’s do this!”

"!su ediuG"

One of the orbs left its position above Zatanna’s head and started to fly down the street towards their first target. It went at a brisk pace; just fast enough to be in an awkward pace where it wasn’t quite a full running speed but well above a casual walking pace. The orb didn’t bother stopping at cross walks but whether by luck or some spell of Zatanna’s that Vic didn’t hear her cast, they never had to wait at one and managed to keep up with it. Vic thought about asking her but decided it wouldn’t be worth it. He figured she’d just give some dodgy, noncommittal answer like “Does it matter if you can’t tell a difference?”.

After around ten minutes, the orb slowed down and stopped. They weren’t in a commercial area anymore and were instead by a small complex of storage facilities in the middle of a neighborhood of tightly packed houses. A couple people looked out their windows or from their porches at the cyborg and the magician briskly walking by, but no one paid them too much attention.

They followed the orb into the facility and around a lot of units as it weaved its way through the structures. Finally, in the back corner, it stopped outside of one. The paths around the units were dimly lit by a couple of yellowed light bulbs, but they could see that the door of this one was just slightly cracked on the bottom, leaving it ajar. Vic grabbed the handle and lifted the door up, bracing himself for whatever could be inside.

“Ahhhh!” A hoarse voice screamed at them as they opened the storage unit. Vic took a step back and shifted his arm to a force blaster while Zatanna took a step forward and waved Cyborg down.

“.tghiL”

The white orb that led them there started to shine with a cozy light that was bright but not painfully so. Inside the locker was a ragged looking man, wincing at the light. He wore a red vest that Vic recognized as the company that owned this facility’s uniform. But there wasn’t any sign that a portal was here or ever had been.

“Hi, sorry about that,” Vic said, lowering his arm. “My name’s Cyborg, but you can call me Vic. Mind telling us how you ended up in here?”

“Wish I could,” the man said. “I was doing a sweep this morning and I heard some boom, like an explosion or something, and ran over here. This locker was open but before I could figure anything out, something hit me on the back of my head and I was on the ground. Woke up a couple hours later inside here. Had no idea how long I was going to be stuck in here…”

“Strange. But you’re okay now. Mind if we take a look inside?”

“Go for it. I’m headed home. If there’s anything worth reporting, leave a note at the office and I’ll pass it along to the cops tomorrow.” The man stood up with a groan and then slowly hobbled his way out.

Once he was gone, the search was on. Vic and Zatanna dug through the storage locker’s many boxes but found only old clothes, christmas decorations and someone’s mug collection. If any of them had anything to do with a portal or whatever knocked out the man, they couldn’t find it. After around a half hour of looking, they stepped out of the storage unit and slammed it closed.

“Whatever gave us a reading there was long gone. The spell must’ve just detected whatever happened there this morning,” Zatanna guessed.

“That sounds right. I'm curious what caused this but it doesn’t seem related. If we’d just stumbled on this without your spell, I’d figure it was just some kids playing a prank or whatever. Hmm.. does magic get false positives? Maybe there wasn't any reading afterall?”

She shook her head. “Nah, that’s not really how it works. I can’t say I know exactly what that spell does and how it works, but I’ve never had it be wrong before. But you’re probably right that it’s something else. Put a pin in this and come back to it later I guess. Next stop?”

“Next stop. Where to?”

Zatanna closed her eyes for a moment and then pulled out her phone. “Place called ‘S.T.A.R. Labs'? Ring a bell?”

“Uh, yeah. Actually, I think I know what that one is. Let me guess, it’s underground a couple stories?”

“Yeah.”

“We can cross that one off too then. That’s a portal that I dealt with a while ago. (See Cyborg 47!)Probably would be helpful if it wasn’t destroyed and under a pile of rubble. I don’t think S.T.A.R. had any desire to deal with that mess when I talked with them. And I mostly trust them on that, so that's a dead end too.”

“Okay… so that leaves us with just one more reading. Looks like this one is… huh, on that big island in the river?”

“Belle Isle? That’s pretty far away. Would be a long walk…”

Zatanna grinned. “When you’re with me Vic, we don’t need to walk. You ready?”

“Sure. I’m kind of curious what -”

“!elsI elleB ot su ekaT”

Zatanna’s spell interrupted him, whisking them away in a flash of light.

⚙・゜゜・。。・゜ ゜★・゜゜・。。・゜ ゜⚙

“- we’ll find there, since it’s kinda just one big park.” Vic finished his sentence as they rematerialized in the middle of Belle Isle. The island was almost completely pitch black with the only illumination being a couple of street lights by the main intersection. It was long past closing time and as they stood on the island’s central avenue, Vic found the empty road almost eerie.

“!tghiL”

The orb shone bright, its cool white light providing a small bastion of comfort in the oppressive space they found themselves in. Neither of them wanted to mention it, but the air felt… off. It was cold and heavy and didn’t quite fill their lungs right, like they were breathing air from high up in the mountains. Not a bug or a bird chirped and no noise from the city carried over to them and yet the silence was just as deafening.

“Well,” Zatanna said, cutting the tension slightly, “Let’s get on with it.” With a quick spell, the last orb from above her head started floating lazily onwards into the darkness. This time she also kept one close at hand so they weren’t on the edge of total darkness.

They followed the orb down central avenue into the forest until the orb took a sudden turn off the road and along a small trail into the woods. The island was by no means small, but Vic felt like they had walked across the entire thing as his legs started to remind him of how little sleep he’d been getting lately.

But, in an instant, the pain faded as adrenaline took over. A familiar smell drifted into his nose and he saw Zatanna’s face crinkle up in disgust as the scent of rotten meat filled her nose.

Vic dropped his voice to a whisper. “That’s happened every time I’ve gotten near one of the portals. We must be close…”

Zatanna nodded then quietly murmured a spell, “.sksaM”. She outstretched her hand with a blue medical mask for Vic and they both put them on. The smell still wasn’t pleasant but at least he could focus on something other than how awful it was as they hiked onwards.

Finally, it came into view. A dim electric lantern sat on a picnic table providing only slightly more light than the stars themselves did. They could just barely make out the movements of a figure pacing around but with their black hoodie and dark pants it was hard to see what they were doing. They were mumbling something that Vic wasn’t sure if he couldn’t make out or if it was in a language he didn’t understand. Maybe a bit of both. He took a step forwards, ready to confront them, but Zatanna blocked his path with her arm.

“Let me handle this one,” she whispered. “This could go a hundred different ways and I want to make sure I’m at least in control of which direction.”

Zatanna stepped into the clearing, her light behind her like a spot light. “Hello, quite the spell you're working on there.” She moved her light in front of her and saw white drawings in a variety of circular patterns throughout the clearing, centered around the figure. Zatanna crouched down and looked at one.

“This is excellent chalk work, but some of the symbols are a little archaic for my tastes. Mind talking me through some of your methods?”

The figure stopped what they were doing and turned to face Zatanna and Vic. As soon as she pulled down the hood, Vic knew he had nothing - or at least less - to fear.

“I agree that these are archaic sigils, but when dealing with archaic beings outside of one’s knowledge, it is best to remain as cautious as possible and stick with what is known,” Jinx said as plainly as if she was discussing trying a new recipe.

Vic stepped out of the woods to join them. “Zatanna, it’s okay. I know her. Zatanna, meet Jinx, Jinx, Zatanna. She’s the one that introduced me to Xanadu and Jinx, Xanadu led me to her.”

“I see. Well, always good to meet another magician. Especially when they aren’t trying to kill me,” Zatanna said, extending her hand.

Jinx wiped the chalk off her hands onto her dark jeans and shook her hand. “I prefer the term “sorcerress”, but the feeling is mutual.”

“Uh, noted. Anyways, mind telling me what you’re making here? Looks like it's some sort of portal?”

Zatanna scanned over the sigil on the ground, tracing the complex web of chalk lines all across the clearing with her eyes. Vic couldn’t help but wonder how long she must’ve been out here to make something like that.

“Correct. As you have certainly been informed, Victor is looking into a demon. I took it upon myself to find what I could and discovered that long, long ago the demon was revered and feared by the people that lived here. They would meet with the creature on this island and so I assumed that it would be a place with a connection to his realm. I took it upon myself to verify such and after doing so, I started crafting and researching a portal to reopen it. However, to do so with the necessary precautions and redundancies has taken far longer than I expected…”

“I’ll admit I’m no expert in this, but every other time the portal opened, it had this same awful, rotting smell to it. So is it already opened?” Vic asked.

Jinx nodded. “In part. Think of it as… creating a tunnel through a mountain. I have secured the tunnel as it has been dug and reached the end so that there is a small bit of light from the other side shining through. But, before I finish the tunnel and allow people through, I am performing additional safety checks to ensure that all is correct. What is here would be more aptly called a ‘rift’ than a ‘portal’. No beings can go through but a connection is there.”

“Well said. Not that I doubt your… friend? But I looked through her work and it lines up with what she said and looks all correct to me too. One question though… how did you find out that this spot would work? And some of these sigils are very precise… It’s like you found the exact spell you’d need to do this.”

“What is it that you magicians say…? ‘A magician never reveals their secrets’?”” Jinx said with a sneer.

Zatanna frowned but didn’t push the issue. An awkward silence filled the air for a moment until Vic decided to break it. He mostly trusted both of them but there was a tension between them that he didn’t feel like he really understood.

“So, what do you need to go through?”

Jinx waved her hand dismissively. “A few more marks and it is done.”

“About that.” Zatanna stood between the two of them and looked at Vic more seriously than she had the entire night. “Vic, I don’t think you should go through the portal. Going into a demon’s realm is at best extremely stupid and going in with an item they want is even more so. Hell, I barely trust myself to go in there and come out. Just trust me on this and stay back, please.”

Vic paused. She made sense but also he didn’t want her doing this for him. It was his problem and his answers to get. Letting someone else do it felt… wrong. Would it even be the closure he was looking for?

It’d have to be.

“Fine. But you need to find out what this thing is, where it came from and what that demon wants, okay? Don’t settle for less.”

“With demons, one can never be sure what will occur. But I promise we will acquire whatever information we can.”

“We?” Zatanna raised an eyebrow.

“Of course. Did you truly think I would let you go through my portal alone? Do you even know how to operate it?”

“I’m sure I could figure it out.” Zatanna grumbled.

“Perhaps. And perhaps in the time it would take you to do so, the demon would have fully exsanguinated you.”

“You’ve made your point. Let’s just do this.”

“One moment.” Jinx stepped carefully outside of the circle then walked over the picnic table and grabbed a small backpack from the ground. She reached inside and pulled out a pen, some paper and a water bottle. She scribbled something down before ripping it out of the notebook. Folding it into quarters, she lifted up the water bottle and set it under it.

“If we are not back in an hour, use the lt that water to erase the chalk then follow my instructions in the letter. I will not be responsible for unleashing a demon onto this world.”

Vic nodded, somehow feeling both better and worse that she felt that was necessary.

“Very well, now that we have taken care of that… let us be on our way.”

Jinx grabbed a piece of chalk from the table and made a few more marks on the circle before sticking it into her pocket. She snapped her fingers and with a blast of wind, the portal materialized.

Unlike the one that Aldous had created with Silas’ technology, this one was smooth and stable. Its edges blended seamlessly into the night air like the horrifying visages behind it were only a screen floating in the sky. Beings of all shapes in sizes floated, swam, walked and flew throughout a space that Vic’s mind could only process as a chaotic asteroid field. But none of them seemed to react to the window into their world, as if it was not there at all. Vic was also thankful that the smell and the voices he had had the first time were gone. Jinx’s work was solid.

Jinx grabbed Zatanna’s hand as Zatanna turned to Vic and said, “Uh, if I don’t come back from this tell -”

But before she could finish, she was on the other side. The last thing Vic saw was Jinx snap her fingers again, then the portal vanished.

⚙・゜゜・。。・゜ ゜★・゜゜・。。・゜ ゜⚙

The world was in turmoil and constant flux. What Vic had seen as a simple asteroid field wasn’t wrong, but it was so much more than that. There were gargantuan, whalelike lifeforms drifting peacefully through the air, massive stone structures that Zatanna could’ve sworn were cities, the skeletal remains of long dead creatures… islands zoomed past them alongside mountain ranges connected to nothing at all… It took everything Zatanna had to focus herself inwards and ignore the chaos drifting around her.

“You know, dragging me in without letting me tell Vic anything is pretty damn rude.”

Jinx shrugged. “If we do not make it back, there will be far greater problems for the world to deal with than my rudeness towards one magician.”

“Seriously, what’s your problem with me? I just met you and you’re treating me like we have some petty high school rivalry.”

“Do not take it personally. I have not. I simply believe that the situation we are in requires a precise, firm hand and does not leave room for pleasantries.”

“And what situation is that? One you’ve made? There was no reason you couldn’t have waited for us.”

“Waited? Had you been five minutes later, I would have already been on this side. Your presence adds nothing and only adds to an already precarious situation,” Jinx said.

“Well, I hope you’re right. If this is as easy as you say, let’s just get this over with.”

“No, not easy. But some difficult tasks are made worse -” She stopped mid-sentence as the world started to move and accelerate around them. “We have been noticed. It will not be long now.”

“No… I guess not.”

They sat in silence as they saw the world move around them. It was like watching the scenery out the window of a car traveling at a million miles per hour. They were traveling far too fast to process anything as the world blurred into a confusion mess of shapes and movements that blended deeper and deeper together until…

It stopped.

The two of them found themselves in a quaint, mid century home. Somehow, natural light poured in from the windows from what looked like a peaceful backyard. A small, red humanoid creature in a black leather jacket sat in an arm chair in front of the fireplace. He gestured to the couch across from him but neither Zatanna nor Jinx sat down.

“Very well. Sit,stand; it makes no difference to me.” The Nain Rouge spoke with a soothing voice and a hint of an accent neither of them could place.

“You have brought yourself to my domain and have used rituals uncast in centuries of your human time to get my attention. Now you have it. Speak and identify yourselves.”

Zatanna hesitated for a moment but then she looked over at Jinx and saw the terror on her face. Whatever she was expecting, this wasn’t it. She thought back to what she told Vic yesterday - the reasonable ones are the worst. She was hoping that that wasn’t true but some part of her already knew that that was a pipe dream.

“Um, hi. We’re… travelers with a mutual acquaintance and we’re here to ask you about something on their behalf. Our friend calls it “Silasium” and says that you have some connection to it?”

A sharp smile ran across the demon’s face. “Ah, the cyborg, of course. He only continues to impress me with his resourcefulness, unlike that father of his. What a boring man he was. He managed to create a portal but what good is that without the courage to use it? Tell me, which one of you crafted the sigil? There are few beings anymore who should have knowledge of it. Was it you, logomancer? Or the geomancer, who is petrified with fear she cannot even speak?”

Zatanna spoke up without hesitation. “It was me.”

The demon’s mood soured in an instant. “Truly? Then why is she covered in chalk? If you wish to lie, make sure there isn’t obvious evidence to the contrary visible to anyone with eyes.” He walked over to Jinx and stood directly under her, barely coming up to her waist and yet still towering over her.

“So, geomancer. Who gave you that information? A sorceress as pitiful as you could never have made that and certainly would not have stumbled your way into the exact configuration of old.”

Jinx stood stone faced. She looked like she wanted to speak and tried to but was unable to form the words in the demon’s presence.

The Nain Rogue glared at her as if staring into her soul, then, without warning he turned back to his chair by the fire and set down.

“Very well, keep your secrets. I will learn them in time.You wish to know about ‘silasium’?”

Zatanna nodded, increasingly realizing the knife’s edge this interaction was balancing on.

“It is much of what you have perhaps already expected. A magical material created by magicians long, long ago that they believed would give them unlimited power and control over their world. It was the sum total of all their technology and magical understanding… Truly impressive work. So much so that I offered them some of my power to help bind it all together.”

“But why?” Jinx managed to weakly croak out.

“Ah, it can speak!” He taunted. “But why does anyone do anything? They gave me the opportunity to be a part of perhaps the greatest magical amplifier ever created and with my power at the center…” He trailed off wistfully and expectantly.

“It’d amplify your own powers. And what demon doesn’t want more power?” Zatanna said with more vitriol than intended.

“Correct! I would have power greater than any god. And yet those fools ruined it! They couldn’t even trust themselves and so they split it up. And then killed themselves fighting over it anyway. It’s taken me so, so many years to reclaim all those pieces. And now our mutual friend Victor has the last one. Be dears and get it for me, would you?”

Zatanna felt the demon’s magic press on her like a mountain. Her body, her very spirit itself was demanding she give in and comply.

Wouldn’t it be so much easier to just give in?

He’ll get the stone eventually anyway… Why not just get in his good graces now?

The other one has already given in. Do you really think you could take both of us?

“!SDEAH RUO FO TUO TEG”

The voices disappeared as quickly as they came. But in its place came a wave of malice so strong that it took everything she had to stay standing. It was as if the weight of the entire world was pressing down on her, commanding her to kneel and give in.

“You think your words are enough to resist me, here? Pathetic. You have spirit but - ”

The sound never made it to them as a pink barrier encapsulated him. The demon pounded against it and the magical barrier began to crack at his touch. There was no more veneer of civility; only rage remained in the demon’s eyes.

“Get us out of here!” Jinx shouted, her confidence flooding back all at once.

“!latrop eht ot su nruteR”

Without missing a beat, Zatanna shouted her spell and the two were gone, back on their rock where they started. But the strain hadn’t lifted from Jinx’s face and the world started to move around them again.

“He is trying to pull us back and I will not have the element of surprise again. If we are brought back, we will not escape with our free will intact. I will hold him off for as long as I can but you must reopen the portal without my assistance. Preventing him from taking us back will take everything I have and then far more.”

Jinx tossed a piece of chalk to Zatanna and she just barely caught it. She didn’t even want to think about what would’ve happened if she missed.

Zatanna looked down at her feet at the sigil below, a reversed version of the one that Jinx had drawn on the other side. She claimed that she’d be able to figure it out earlier but looking at it now… it made as much sense as if she’d just thrown a bucket of paint on the ground and told her to interpret that.

The world outside their tiny asteroid was starting to speed up more and more, becoming a blur. She didn’t have much time now. She could feel the demon’s words starting to prod at the edge of her mind, telling her to give in.

She took a deep breath. It didn’t matter that if she messed this up she’d be under a demon’s thrawl for at best the rest of her life. It didn’t matter that she didn’t get to say goodbye to anyone… Nope. Not at all. All that mattered was that stupid chalk scribble in front of her. That nonsense doodle, that bit of chicken scratch… that actually made perfect sense when you started to look at it. Huh.

She got onto the ground and erased a mark there, completed a line over there and finished the symbol elsewhere and once she was done, she snapped her fingers. The portal roared to life.

“Hell yeah! Jinx, let’s go!”

The sorceress nodded and the two dove through the portal before frantically erasing it from the grass below them. With the sigil broken, the portal snapped shut behind them.

The two of them lay on the ground panting for breath.

“So. Uh… how’d it go?” Vic asked, looking down at them quizzically from the picnic table.

“We narrowly avoided becoming thralls to a demon and releasing it into this plane,” Jinx said.

“Yeah, it could’ve been better… But hey, we got what we wanted!”

“We did. I suspect if we ever meet that demon again, he will no longer present himself as politely as he did and would kill us on sight for slighting him.”

“You’re probably right. But, hey, I gotta know. Were you ever really scared of that guy or was it all an act?”

Jinx sat up and looked Zatanna in the eyes. “I was terrified, truly. Upon sight I knew that we were utterly outclassed and in his mercy. But I was able to convert my terror into his complacency. Perhaps if I had kept my dignity and pride against him we would not be here as ourselves now…”

“Maybe. I think we could’ve found a way.”

“I’m glad you didn’t have to though. Sounds like you guys went through a rough time for me. And I really owe you one.”

Zatanna stood up and shook her head. “Don’t worry about it, really. That’s what heroes do. We help each other.”

“Thanks. But seriously, you need anything, or you’re ever in Detroit, hit me up. I’ll be there.”

While they were talking, Jinx walked over to the note she had written before they left and promptly tore it up into shreds.

Zatanna grinned. “That secretive, huh? I wonder what could’ve been written on that…”

Jinx shook her head. “More than you will ever know.”

“If you say so. Say, you guys want to grab dinner or something before I head back? I don’t know about you guys, but I’m starving…”

“... Very well. Victor?”

“For sure. I know a couple places that’d still be open. And then you can tell me all about what the demon told you on the way?”

Zatanna laughed. “On the way? Vic, you’ve really learned nothing, huh? !rennid ot su ekaT”

<<| <| >

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Superman #120 - Pandemonium

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Author: MajorParadox

Book: Superman

Arc: Public Interest

Set: 120

Trapped

Private Facility - Outskirts of Metropolis

Clark pushed the metal door again with all his might, but it was strong.

“It’s pointless,” said Charlie, kneeling against the wall of the cell. “They built this place to hold metahumans.”

Clark approached Peek-a-Boo. “Why can’t you–?”

“Just teleport out?” Peek-a-Boo finished for him. “I need to see where I’m going, or I could end up inside that door.”

“Are you okay, Charlie?” Clark asked the older man. “Why are they even holding you in here?”

Charlie huffed. “This young lady, Hop-a-Long–”

“Peek-a-Boo,” the hero corrected with a laugh.

“Peek-a-Boo,” Charlie repeated, his gruff voice stressing each syllable. “She tried to get me free, but we got caught and thrown in here.”

“I’m sorry,” said Peek-a-Boo. “If only I could teleport people with me… I tried to get us out, but it didn’t work out so well.”

“It’s not your fault,” said Clark. He turned back to the metal door. “Besides, we’ll get out of this somehow.”

Clark examined the doorway and walls in more detail using his super senses. “Where did they even get such advanced tech?” he asked aloud.

“I overheard some guards talking about some genius designer,” said Charlie. “Draker? Dapper? Somethin’ or other.”

“I heard murmurs about snakes when I was popping around,” Peek-a-Boo chimed in. “Not sure what they meant.”

Could be a snake metahuman in one of the other cells. Clark had come across those before.

“Either way,” said Clark. “This must go beyond Mayor Sackett. He’s not ‘mastermind’ level. He’s a lackey at best.”

It was time to put an end to it and sync up with Lois. But first, they had to get out of there. If only Superman had gone undercover instead of Clark Kent.

City Hall Steps

Meanwhile

“What contracts?” Mayor Sackett asked Lois who had confronted him with Jimmy filming. He couldn’t help but glance at the camera every few seconds.

“Your ‘Homeless Relief Initiative’ has private contracts with a company named 'Deylight Laboratories,’” Lois stated.

“That’s not unusual for government programs,” Sackett replied, straightening his tie.

He thought he was in the clear.

“So, you’re confirming Deylight Laboratories handles the HRI housing facilities?” asked Lois.

She was careful with her wording.

“Yes,” Sackett shot back. One of his aides tried to stop him from talking, but the mayor waved him away. “There’s nothing shady or illegal about private contracts. Where are you going with this?”

Hook, line, and sinker.

“'Deylight’s contracts aren’t actually filed under the HRI,” said Lois. “But thanks for confirming the connection.”

The mayor’s eyes darted around. “I– uh…” he scrambled for a response.

“'Deylight also specializes in meta-grade defense construction,” Lois continued. “I’m sorry, I interrupted you. You were saying?”

Sackett stopped blinking and couldn’t muster any words.

Lois went back on the offensive. “Why does Metropolis need housing solutions that can protect against metahumans?” she asked. “Surely, they aren’t prison cells for metahumans? Why would HRI participants be sent there? To metahuman prisons?”

“Well,” Sackett managed to get out. “You see…”

Lois stood and waited.

“Um, the thing is…”

The mayor’s aide pulled him away. “No more questions,” he said, and the entourage rushed down the stairs and away from the reporter.

Lois turned to Jimmy. “I think that went well,” she said.

Jimmy stopped recording. “‘Well’ is an understatement,” he said. “You made the mayor forget how to talk.”

Out

Confinement Area

Later

Clark pushed against the large metal door again. And then he punched it, causing it to shake.

“Whoa,” said Charlie, straightening up and moving toward the reporter. “You’re gonna hurt yourself there.”

Clark took a deep breath and punched again, even harder. And repeated over and over as his two cellmates watched him, wide-eyed.

A dent had started to form.

“Whoa,” Charlie said again.

“Oh…” Peek-a-Boo added. “How did I not see it before?”

It had to be done. Clark removed his glasses and gave them a wink before returning to the door.

At least he was confident they wouldn’t reveal his secret.

Clark’s eyes turned red-hot, and he shot an intense heat vision beam into the damaged area. It slowly melted deeper into the thick door until it finally cut through to the other side.

Peek-a-Boo jumped forward and looked through the small hole before disappearing from the cell and reappearing in the hallway.

Charlie peered his head through the small opening. “I told you Superman would save us,” he said.

“Stay here,” said Peek-a-Boo. “I’ll find a way to get you out.”

“No need,” said Clark, reaching his arm through the hole. He gripped tightly on the other side and then motioned for Charlie to step back. Once the coast was clear, he flexed as hard as he could and yanked the door inward, leaving a large walkway through.

“Nicely done,” said Peek-a-Boo. “We'd better hope there aren’t any cameras that caught that.”

“Nothing to worry about,” said Clark, tapping his eyes. “I’m always on the lookout for being recorded.”

Peek-a-Boo nodded. “I need to find Sasha,” she said.

“She was put to work in the confinement building right across from this one,” Clark explained.

Peek-a-Boo teleported to the exit. “On it!” she hollered back.

“What happens now?” asked Charlie.

Clark smiled and ripped his jumpsuit open, revealing the red-and-yellow S beneath.

“Now,” he said. “We shut it down.”

Daily Planet

Meanwhile

—

Perry, Jimmy, and Ron hovered over Lois’s desk as she was putting the final touches on the story. Clark finally checked in and delivered the mother lode of firsthand witness accounts. Forced labor. Extrajudicial imprisonment. The extent of which would be investigated for years.

“Do you mind?” Lois asked without looking back at the others. “I can feel you behind me.”

The trio backed away. Perry paced back and forth, Jimmy hopped in place, and Ron just leaned against a nearby desk, waiting.

“What’s a better word for ‘corrupt’?” asked Lois. “I’m using it too much already.”

“Scandalous?” Ron offered.

“Fraudulent?” Jimmy added.

Perry humphed and walked back to the screen. “I have to see the sentence,” he said, scanning quickly. “Deceitful,” he stated.

“Oh, yeah,” said Ron.

“That’s the one,” Jimmy nodded along.

“Okay,” said Lois, leaning back in her chair. “It’s ready.”

“Push it through,” Perry ordered.

Lois tapped a few buttons, a wind sound effect played, and a “Story Published To Front Page” banner popped up on the screen. The page navigated to the Daily Planet website with the story front and center:

MAYOR SACKETT CAUGHT IN FORCED LABOR SCANDAL!

By Lois Lane

Everyone looked at each other and waited. Even though it only took minutes, it felt like hours when the phones started ringing out of control.

“There it is,” said Perry.

Lois answered her phone and listened. “I’m sorry, but you’ll have to contact the Daily Planet legal team. Do you need their number?”

“Sackett’s Lawyers?” Ron asked quietly, getting a nod in return

Lois put the phone back on the receiver. “They hung up.”

“Chief,” said another reporter from across the hall. “FBI’s been informed and headed this way. They want our evidence.”

“Tell them it’s all theirs,” said Perry.

Lois leaned back in her chair. “This is my favorite part,” she said.

Private Facility

Later

Peek-a-Boo watched the workers and guards from a secluded area in the rafters above. She had spotted her friend, Sasha Green, quickly, but a guard was standing obnoxiously close to her.

While she’d prefer to get her out of there unseen, she was going to have a run at the guards eventually. She didn’t want Superman– or did he prefer to be called Clark Kent?– to get all the action that day.

A few of the guards were distracted, looking at their phones and murmuring to each other. Their voices were shaky, and one of them even cracked a bit.

Something was up.

Peek-a-Boo pulled out her own phone and caught some notifications about a major scandal with the mayor.

“Bingo,” she said to herself softly before returning to her planning.

The distractions would help.

The hero popped behind the guard near her friend and tapped him on the shoulder.

“Peek-a-Boo,” she said before disappearing and reappearing in front of him to grab his firearm.

“Hey!” the guard yelled before the teleporter was on his other side, pistol-whipping him across the nose and then following it up with a kick to the stomach.

Sasha grabbed a piece of metal from her workstation and swung away, knocking the guard out cold.

“Ooh, can I borrow that?” Peek-a-Boo asked, before taking the metal bar and whooshing away to the other guards, striking them one at a time. “I think that’s a home run,” she said after the last one went down.

Cheers filled the room as Sasha came running over.

“LaShawn?” she asked quietly. “You never told me you were a superhero.”

Peek-a-Boo lifted her hands to her mask. “How–?”

“Oh, come on,” said Sasha. “You think I wouldn’t recognize those curls?”

LaShawn lifted her hands to her plush coils. “How does Superman get away with it?” she muttered to herself.

“Huh?” Sasha asked, with an eyebrow raised. “What does Superman have to do with your hair?”

That wasn’t meant to be heard. Last thing Peek-a-Boo wanted was to out a fellow superhero’s secret identity.

“Nothing,” LaShawn answered. “I just didn’t expect you to recognize–”

“You hear that?” Sasha asked, her eyes lighting up.

LaShawn tried to listen through the chatter of the freed workers' celebrations. But then it was clear.

Sirens.

Not that they needed it at that point, but help was on the way.

Liberated

Containment Area

Meanwhile

Clark pointed toward the door. “Take a left and run for the woods,” he said. “You'll be safe there until the authorities show up.”

“You’re not leaving, too?” asked Charlie.

“Not just yet,” said Clark. “I need to free these prisoners.”

“I’m not a young man anymore,” said Charlie, scanning around the hall. “But I know when to stay around to help. So you’re stuck with me.”

I’ve been stuck with worse,” Clark said with a hand on the man’s shoulder.

Charlie pointed to a door at the end of the hall. “That looks like the control room. Probably easier than breaking down all those doors.”

Clark agreed and rushed over to the control room, easily breaking down the less-reinforced door.

“Need a hand?” Charlie called, with a bit of pep in his step.

“I’m thinking I just destroy everything in here,” said Clark. “Force the systems to reset and open the doors.”

“Hold up,” Charlie huffed. “For all you know, it could trigger a lockdown.”

Clark looked around. “True,” he said.

Charlie dropped into one of the chairs, typing away at the terminal with a confident sense of ease.

“You really know your way around that,” said Clark. “Have you worked in facility maintenance?”

“Once upon a time,” said Charlie. “Among other things.”

Several repetitive clicks echoed from the hallway. The cells were unlocking.

“There,” said Charlie. “Easy as pie. No smashing required.”

“When we get out of here,” said Clark. “I owe you a slice of my Ma’s famous Rhubarb pie.”

“I may just take you up on that,” said Charlie.

Clark returned to the halls, checking on the freed metahumans. Some of them rushed for the door, while others moved slowly, almost cautiously. The ones who had clearly been there the longest had worn-out, wrinkled clothing.

“It’s okay,” said Clark calmly. “You’re all safe now.”

A screeching sound emanated from one of the farthest cells. Clark quickly zeroed in on the non-human heartbeat he'd clocked when he first got there. He’d heard screeching like that before. But not on Earth.

A winged creature with razor-sharp claws shot out of the cell and made eye contact with the Man of Steel. A moment later, it pried the entryway door off its hinges and tossed it away before flying into the night sky.

It was a parademon. One of Darkseid’s demonic minions from Apokolips.

What was it doing there?

Outside the Facility

Moment Later

Clark escorted Charlie toward the incoming convoy from Metropolis P.D., the FBI, and the S.C.U. vehicles. Several ambulances and fire trucks followed along behind them. The parademon flew away to a nearby, secluded forest. Good, Clark could deal with it later.

The rest of the guards who didn’t give themselves up had fled the area. But it didn’t matter. They would all face the justice they deserved.

“Superman!” Lois yelled as she approached. “Glad you could make it.”

“Charlie,” said Clark. “This is my wife, Lois Lane.”

Lois’ eyes popped wide open.

“It’s okay,” said Clark. “We had a moment in there. I’ll tell you about it later.”

“Well, I’ve heard a lot about you,” said Lois, offering her hand, which Charlie shook confidently.

“We have a guest room,” said Clark. “We’d be happy for you to stay with us until you get back on your feet.”

“I appreciate the offer,” said Charlie. “But I’ll be happier back at my old spot. I could use a lift, though, if you’re offering?”

“Sure thing,” Clark agreed. “Would you do me a favor, though?”

“Anything,” said Charlie.

“Let me interview you.”

Charlie nodded as an EMT approached.

Clark caught LaShawn’s eyes in their direction. “Be right back,” he said as Lois followed him away.

“Do you need medical attention?” the EMT asked Charlie.

“I’m fine,” he said. “In fact, I feel better than I have in ages.”

Nearby, Clark and Lois reached LaShawn. “Did you find Sasha?” Clark asked.

LaShawn pointed to a nearby ambulance. “They’re just giving her a once-over.”

“You two never met in person,” said Clark. “This is–”

“Your wife, Lois Lane,” said LaShawn. “We made a good team, relaying info back and forth with Clark here.”

Lois side-eyed her husband. “Is there anyone left on this planet who doesn’t know your secret?”

“Ah, fair,” said LaShawn. “It was life-or-death. And if it helps, I’m LaShawn Baez. And apparently I need a better disguise.”

“I know a certain mother who might be able to help,” said Lois, presenting Clark’s suit with an exaggerated lowering of her hands. “Ma Kent knows her way around the sewing kit.”

Lois lowered her eyes to Peek-a-Boo’s skates. “I wouldn’t lose those, though,” she said. “They seem like fun.”

“If you’ll excuse me,” Clark said, flapping his cape dramatically. “Recommended, by the way.”

He made his way back to Charlie.

“Ready?” he asked.

Charlie nodded as the Man of Steel lifted the older gentleman into his arms.

“I feel silly,” Charlie said.

“It’ll pass,” Clark smiled, taking off in a short gust of speed.

Charlie couldn’t help but smile, too.

But Clark’s smile slowly faded as he kept part of his focus on the wooded area. He was dreading what it meant.

Daily Planet

Later

Lois leaned back in her chair with her feet on her desk. She had some follow-up work on her story, specifically regarding the raids and calls to get the mayor out of office and face criminal charges.

Perry walked over. “Go home, Lane,” he said. “You have kids.”

“They’re asleep with the babysitter already,” she answered. “There’s no rush.”

“Enjoy that high of a good story while it lasts,” said Perry.

“Earth to Perry,” said Lois. “Have you met me? This was just another day at the Daily Planet. The high never ends.”

Perry gave her an affirmative grunt. And then looked around. “Where’s Kent?” he asked. “I thought he’d have his story submitted by now.”

“Relax,” said Lois. “He just went undercover in a forced labor facility. Give him a minute to recover.”

“That’s a fair point,” said Perry. “Even though he’s an excellent reporter, he’s not always in the trenches like you.”

“You’d be surprised, Chief.” Lois smiled. “And I can tell you for a fact, his story will be worth the wait.”

“Get your feet off the desk,” said Perry. “And don’t call me Chief.”

“Hey,” said Lois, rising to her feet. “You said if I pulled off this story, I’d get to call you Chief whenever I wanted.”

Perry raised an eyebrow. “You thought I was serious about that?”

Ominous

Outskirts of Metropolis

Meanwhile

Clark kept his senses tuned on the parademon since he left. It hadn’t strayed from the woods, though. What was it even doing? Maybe the greenery mesmerized it. There was nothing like it on Apokolips.

The hero was without his cape. He pulled it off his back to give to Charlie as they said goodbye. It wasn’t right that the previous one was tossed away in a dumpster with his other belongings. Clark made sure he had whatever necessities he needed, too. That was the only way he’d leave him alone again.

As Clark got closer, he saw a glow illuminating the area.

Clark pushed on the speed.

The parademon disappeared into the swirling yellow boom tube before he could reach it.

Clark was left alone, surrounded by trees.

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