For a moment Godfrey looked like he was going to enter into another rant but another voice appeared. A loud, booming commanding one. One filled with dread and hopelessness.
"Perhaps I shall turn Mars into a prison planet. A dead planet to house those that feel to think and choose. No matter all will be one soon." The image of Darkseid had appeared before them. A giant of a hologram stood over his army.
'Pity, Martian, you would have been a fine addition to my army, the last Martian for the last army. I offered you freedom, freedom from choice, freedom from thought, freedom from chaos. Very well, you have made your last decision and have chosen oblivion. Martian, you and your comrades are the last of the resistance. I spread across eons, galaxy, and dimension, all is Darkseid," He held two images of Earths in his hands and crushed them.
"I am the center. The Omega. Now face ruin."
The still army became active. The Justifiers ready their weapons. Mechanical agents shot flames upward. Black Lanterns dove in.
Darkseid's words cut deep, for it was his voice I heard in the minds of his army. I have looked in the face of extinction before, having lost everything... I surprise myself, remembering the deaths of my wife and daughter, when I just left them back at our home here on Earth. Curious...
Wally moves, his speed displaying why he's called the Flash as he takes the head off of one of Darkseid's Black Lanterns. The dead have risen and are serving the Lord of Apokalips. Could this be why I recall the deaths of my family, yet remember a life on Earth with them by my side? I shake my head, dispelling these distracting thoughts.
I will get to the bottom of that later.
I fly headlong into the midst of the undead Lanterns, extending my arms twenty feet out at my sides, giving them the girth and density of tree trunks and covering them with razor sharp spines before I whip them about, smashing and dismembering the Black Lanterns in my path.
"Zombies work in our favor. No need to hold back." I call out to the Flash as I narrowly dodge a gout of flame.
More fire comes my way, and I feel my cells quiver with the familiar fear. The memories of my wife and daughter succumbing to H'ronmeer's Curse fill my thoughts again, how the grim task of cremating them fell to me. Fire is the bane of all martians, but it also served to be a particularly personal demon for myself, and Darkseid seems to know this, using the flame to punish me directly.
Again, I have faced extinction before, and as long as I risk my life to defend the helpless, I will continue to do so. I grit my teeth and concentrate, holding back my fear and keeping my molecules together as I bob and weave in midair, narrowly missing the horrid flame that terrifies me so, as I continue to take the battle to the unliving horde, fighting as visciously as I can possibly muster.
Here I am, staring at Arthur Junior in the flesh. That's not possible. And I realize that Hagen and Triton have altered the past 35 years to their liking but you cannot have Aquaman's son without Aquaman being here as well; plus he called Mera mom. But...he said she looked so young? Something doesn't add up here.
Arthur Junior died when he was barely 5 years old.
"...Y-You're Aquaman. And she...Kym...is Aquawoman? No no. The last time I saw Kym, she was in diapers. Granted this reality isn't what it is supposed to be there is no way you two can be who you say you are."
"Don't know what sea urchin venom you've been drinking, bud, but the Prince of Atlantis doesn't lie. My sister and I were returning from Devil's Deep, and saw the attack on our home."
"Although..."
Kym takes a look at the city before them, and seconds later Arthur Jr. does the same.
"It does look..."
"...different. Where's the statue commemorating Uncle Garth?"
"What? Why would there be a statue commemorating--"
Arthur Jr. swims up to me, and takes a good look at my face and is in shock. He looks at me as though he hasn't seen me in years. Why the heck would there be a statue of me in Atlantis? Well...in their supposed Atlantis.
"Uncle Garth. This...can't be. You're supposed to be dead."
"...Dead?!"
"I wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for you. My dad told me the tale a thousand times. One of his old foes, the Black Manta, lead you guys into a trap with me as bait; I was barely 5 years old. I don't remember a thing really but the villainous Black Manta forced you two to duel each other, making my dad choose who will die and who will live: you or me. But halfway during the fight my dad couldn't take it anymore and refused to continue the battle."
"Then you sacrificed yourself by grabbing the trident, acting like you were going to deliver him the killing blow, but then instead turning it around and drove it into your chest. I...owe you my life, Uncle Garth."
He hugs me, and I'm speechless. How can such a timeline exist. Orin doesn't exist here. Nothing at all from our old life exists in this present timeline of Atlantis. But what Arthur Jr. described did in fact happen...except for the ending.
"But of course."
All eyes go towards the Dweller of the Deep as he seems to be the only one understanding the situation.
"The very fabric of Space and Reality is everchanging. The affects of Darkseid's stretch far beyond Atlantis. It means that this is not the first place he has struck."
"The very universe is at peril. All of them are. Worlds are merging and disappearing. Realities are become tangled together while others are torn apart. This young man and woman before us is indeed Aquaman and Aquawoman...on their Earth. I suspect that such unexpected phenomenons will continue to occur until either Darkseid's forces are driven back to the Hell wence they came or life as we know it becomes nothing but a black void: Anti-Life."
"The Manhunter's got a point. Alright, speedsters. Let's clear a path through the zombies to Darkseid so the airborne can deal with the parademons!"
I hit the pavement at top speed and rip through all the walking dead. Their bodies explode as I tear right through them, but reform quickly. It doesn't take long before I realize I'm not doing that much good.
"Ok, let's try something a little different."
I stand my ground and let my arms do the work, whipping up a windstorm that send the zombies flying. Although some continue to push their way closer to me. And some start moving around me.
"Oh, not good." They start marching around my wind tunnels. "Very not good."
They get closer, they're hands reaching out, and their words buzzing in my ears-
Another pair of windstorms blast the closing zombies away.
"Thanks...Reddy?!"
"Hello Jay." The Red Tornado lands behind me, clearing out the stragglers I'm missing.
"Nice timing. Been a while."
"Indeed it has, Jay. Shall we continue to clean the streets?"
A small group of Parademons, spotting the Tempest and the others, come roaring towards their direction. Having to cut the small chat, Garth acts by freezing the legs of two of the Parademons, and then creating two small whirpools around their frozen legs to make them collide headfirst into each other knocking them out cold. The Dweller casts a spell that makes one Parademon drown, protecting the exposed Mera who remains in shock of what she has just learned; she watches her apparent son and daughter go to work.
Aquaman and Aquawoman, of their Earth that is, make quite the team. With perfect reaction time, Kym becomes one with the water and appears invisible and Arthur takes a more barbaric approach and uppercuts the Parademon. As the creature from Apokolips goes flying through the water Kym grabs hold of him, and shifts her water structured body to that of a sea snake, constricting on the Parademon's body until its bones and tranchea berak. Garth shouts out to the Sibiling Duo.
"Artie, Kym, we need to make way into the city. We need to confront Hagen, and we have the key to saving the day here over my shoulder. This is your...uncle I guess though from this warped reality. He's the key to fixing this."
Artie nods to Kym, and she goes into the fray; her water body taking a new form once again. Her older brother quickly watches her back and they lead the way. It's quite the sight for Garth and the others really, and it makes Mera proud. Artie and Kym clearing the way, Mera leads them to where she escaped; a pile of rocks below the cliff edge of a nearby mountain that are to look like they are the result of a natural seaquake.
"You see this? This is actually an exit of a secret passageway. One day I was ordered to retrieve something for Triton and I came across an open door. The room...I remembered something peculiar from a memory I didn't realize I had. The entrance to the passageway was a mirror in the wall. From here, the outside, all I have to do..."
Moving her arms about, she manipulates the water around the group so that no more water will rush in or out, and with her free hand she uses the water within the hardwater bubble to sink into the crevices around the rock. Seconds later the rock is lifted and stonemade steps are visible. One by one each person enters the passageway and when Mera is the last she makes sure to secure the way in.
"The room this passageway leads to is not very far from the throne room at all."
As I listen to the other warriors shout out orders to one another, the heroes take charge - beginning their assault on what seems to be an impossible fight. The dead seem to be back to life, while the living are mental slaves to the one known only as Darkseid. Even worse, hoards of this ruthless warrior's army descend upon us from the skies - closing us in from all angles, making escape unattainable. But these men and women, these Earthlings, they don't back down - they don't give up, no matter how dire the situation.
"You heard them!" I shout, jumping into the air and taking flight. "Titans, take them down!"
Flying fast, I throw a punch, knocking a few of the creatures backward into their comrades. As I cut my way through their ranks, I notice how quickly they recover - as if all my strength isn't enough to render them unconscious. The trail I leave in my wake begins to close, and soon, I am surrounded by the snarling beasts. Their skin is like rock, their breath like death - a pungent odor of rotting flesh and burning coal. "Kill!" They grumble, all of them acting as a high mind. "KILL THE GIRL!"
One grabs my arm, another my leg. Hands grapple my appendages and dig into me, trying to pull me apart as they cackle and snicker with heinous smiles. "You stupid girl," one says, spitting on my face as he wraps his hand around my neck. "All fall before Darkseid!"
Engaging my telepathy, I look into his mind - his thoughts fill my head, the images he thinks resonating in my head. "No..." I mutter, closing my eyes tightly as I disconnect the link between us. "Such... such horrid thoughts," I marvel, surprised any creature could think so malevolently. "All the fear ... the anger ... the hate-"
"Die, little girl! We will rip you apart!"
"FOR APOKOLIPS!"
"FOR DARKSEID!"
As I feel my body being ripped apart, I deceide that the time for diplomacy has ended. These beings will not falter by words or persuation, nor will they go down with a single punch. I must do what I've feared to do since I came to this planet - I must use my true potential.
"I'd like to apologize a head of time," I begin, opening my eyes wide - allowing them to glaze over with a red glow. "But I'm in no way SORRY!" With a fiersome light, beams shoot from my eyes - burning bright like stars. I thrash violently, looking back and forth as I cut down line after line of the filthy drones. Their cries of agony fill the air as their skin begins to simmer from the heat, melting away their uniforms and gadgets adorning their bodies.
Soon, the group backs off from me - flying backward and forming an empty perimeter around me. I shut my eyes and end my assault, letting my pupils cool down as I recouperate for only a second. "By the way," I say, smiling lightly as I cause my form to become intangible. "I could've done this the whole time."
Rushing forward, I move through them - passing through their bodies as I make my way through the crowd once again. At random burtst I become tangible, letting my body become whole to throw a punch or a kick only to shift back into the form of a spectre. One by one they fall back, confused and angered as they swat and fire upon my untouchable form.
"Now," I begin, stopping in the midst of the immense army. I become whole once more, holding my arms outward from my torso. Shifting my shape, I allow them to extend - becoming like long serpents. I increase the mass of my fists and begin to spin, swatting the demons away and casting them down into the risen dead below. "I think is a sufficient distraction," I tell myself, continuing to lay waste the apokoliptan beasts. "I can only hope I keep these freaks busy enough for the real heroes to take care of Darkseid."
"The dead?" Black Hand floated over the group of heroes. A black robed individual hovered next to him.
"Yes, Lord Mokkari has fashioned the bodies of the deceased to serve as drones in our army and perhaps for some other uses but many that you fight today are fallen mortals. Your comrades have given in and accepted the equation. Now, you shall perish for your decision. I must take leave and head for the stars. I will snuff out the Green Light of will once and for all but my master gives you a final gift."
Black Hand pulls the robe off. Black wings spread out. The monster takes out a sword that ignites in black flame. It dives and smashes into the street below leaving a crater. The angel Zauriel lets out a cry.
"Not fallen...dragged...dragged through the mud and filth. Stepped on, ruined, and now here to deliver your punishments for your sins. You are all guilty of freedom, thought, and choice. You shall be judge. Anti-Life justifies."
Black Hand lets out a laugh as he flies toward the sky. The angel heads for the heroes, raining black flame at them.
The League had just assembled to discuss the crisis when a mob of the brainwashed and the undead rounded the corner and spotted us just standing there. We charged head first into danger, and while the mighty protectors of the earth, with their fantastic powers and state of the art weapons, fought valiantly against the hordes of death, I was tackled by a zombie.
This is what happens when I hang out with Batman.
It was strong, and smelled like hell's anus, and it was very much intent on killing me. It, like all the others, was wearing a black power ring, but unlike the others, it wasn't bothering to use it on me. Not that I can blame it for conserving energy, it was doing a perfectly fine job of beating me to death without it. He had me pinned down, and it took all the strength I had just to keep it from taking a bight out of my neck. I couldn't reach my gun, or my grappler, the thing would have torn me to shreds in the time it would have taken to pull them out and unload into it. But I could thrust my hand into my pants pocket.
And the ring handled the rest.
Red line shone from my body and burned the dead thing to ash. My blood felt like it was on fire, and I felt every thing that had ever made me angry in my entire life all at once. The idea of taking it out on some flying corpses appealed to me.
I shot up like a rocket. My first time flying, but I wasn't all that interested in control or maneuverability at the time, just aim. I flew headfirst into a zombie and came out the other side, the red force field surrounding my body dripping with black liquid.
No one responds to my questions since they're all far too busy dealing with the Black Lanterns. I swear, it's like they're numbers are somehow still growing.
I blast another of the creatures in the chest while driving my leg into the face of one behind him. A flash of yellow below turns out to save me from a surprise attack as a yellow lantern slams into another one of the black lanterns. I see another black lantern erupt into flame as a red lantern drills through it's body.
And then the damn thing reforms.
"Well...that can't be good." I launch forward and blast the pieces apart again. It buys us some time, but it's body starts reforming around the rings again.
"Now that's an ideOOFF!!!" I'm hit from behind, a pair of arms wrapped around my waist, another pair bind my arms, and a tail curls around my neck.
"Join us!"
"Like hell!" I steal a trick from Alan's book and a green boxing glove loops around and punches the thing's head right off.
I grows back.
"All is one in Da-"
SHRED
Green blades slice and dice the dark lantern to ribbons. "Are you injured?"
I turn to face my new best friend. "No. I'm-" I push the beaked lantern to the side and blow another one of the undead beasties apart. "-just fine. Thanks for the assist."
"Thank you." He extends his hand. "This is the proper earth custom?"
I give it a quick shake. "Familiar with Earth, are you?"
He takes off for a mass of green lights and I follow. "I've spent a lot of time with Hal Jordan. Do you know him?"
"Sure do." We strike at a trio of black lanterns on a fast hit and run sweep.
"So which one died?"
"Died?"
"Who did you have to replace? Jordan, Stewart, Gardner, or Rayner?"
"Ah. Gardner." We each grab a black lantern in a giant hand and clap them together. It's kind of fun wielding this thing when you don't have to worry about killing the bad guys.
"I'm not really surprised."
"But he didn't die. He was kicked out. Joined the Sapphire Corps."
"...ha...hahahahahahahaha..."
"Yeah, that was our reaction too." We chain up a black lantern and rip it in half. I don't know if this guy is a telepath or not, but it's like we've been a team for years. "The name's Ted. Ted Grant."
Despite what I said to the big alien on Oa just before knocking him out to prove my point, ten minutes in this battle has taught me one thing:
I'm not really a Green Lantern.
Honestly, I don't know how Alan, Jordan, or the others handle it. Having to keep your eye on everything going on around you is old hat for me. But doing it while keeping up my concentration on my constructs, flying around at jet fighter speeds in the dizzying darkness of space, and avoiding being killed by enemies and certain 'friendlies' while doing so...maybe I was a little to eager to get off of Oa and help out.
If it wasn't for Tomar-Tu, I don't think I'd have lasted half this long.
"On your right!"
"On your left!"
Two more Black Lanterns get vaporized. But by the time we've left them behind us to take on more, they've started reforming. Still, while I might not be a good Lantern, I am a keen observer of how opponents fight.
The yellow corps are all about the fear factor. From what I can tell, they're just as good at constructs as the GL's, but it's all about fear and intimidation. I've seen constructs do things that'll probably give me nightmares. Unfortunately, the Black Lanterns don't seem phased by the monstrosities being created at all.
The reds...well...they're all brute force with no style. Charge in, burn and tear, charge out for the next kill. The one thing going for them? They're as tireless as the Black Lanterns, and almost as hard to kill. Unfortunately, the Black Lanterns don't seem phased by the sheer rage burning them.
And we Green Lanterns? Yeah, we've got will power, that's for sure. We're giving it to the Black Lanterns, and working together as a team as much as possible. Unfortunately, the Black Lanterns don't seem phased by team work or will power at all.
So, to say we're not making any progress would still be an understatement.
"Tomar! We can't keep this up forever. We have to figure out a better way to fight them."
"Any suggestions would be most welcome."
"Well, they've got to have a weakness, right?"
"Who says they do?"
"Every bad guy has a weakness. It's a rule of the universe. We just need to find what theirs is."
"Again, if you've got any suggestions..."
"One of my best friends is a scientist. So I say we go at this scientifically." I girder up my focus and blast one of the Black Lanterns to dust.
"That's scientific?"
"No. But waiting around to see what happens is. Can you cover me?"
"Sure. Just don't take to long."
With Tomar watching my back. I wait as the Black Lantern's ring floats in space before reforming it's owner's body.
"Now that's interesting."
"Got something?"
"Maybe." I blast the Lantern again. Turning it to dust again. And the ring reforms it again. Starting with the ring-bearing hand.
"You son of *****!"
"What?!"
"Not you. These things. We're fighting them all wrong. It's not the Lanterns. It's the rings!"
"I don't under-"
"The rings, Tomar. Destroy their rings!"
Tomar looks surprised for a second, and then a what I assume is a smile crosses his face. "All green lanterns, focus your attacks on the black rings."
Tomar and I shoot out into the middle of the fight again with renewed spirits. We start blasting ring after ring. And every time we blast a ring off a black lanterns finger, it screams in silent pain, and disintegrates...and then reforms.
"It's not working."
"Sure it is. We just need to pour it on. Cover me." I lash out at another Black Lantern, trapping it's ring in a bubble. The Black Lantern beats at the bubble encasing it's hand while I blast it with energy from the bubble's walls.
"Come on...come on..." Suddenly, the Black Lantern's other arm shoots out across the distance, wrapping around my throat like a testicle. Even through my forcefield, I can feel the pressure on my neck.
"Come on and die, damn you!"
Power levels 37.2%
Well that's not good.
Power levels 43.5%
Well that's...good?
Power levels 82.1%
Huh?
Power levels 123.1%
That' doesn't even make sense.
Power levels 188%
The Black Lanterns screams in the silence of space again as it's ring finally breaks, and then explodes into dust. The Lantern's body quickly follows.
"The dead?" Black Hand floated over the group of heroes. A black robed individual hovered next to him.
"Yes, Lord Mokkari has fashioned the bodies of the deceased to serve as drones in our army and perhaps for some other uses but many that you fight today are fallen mortals. Your comrades have given in and accepted the equation. Now, you shall perish for your decision. I must take leave and head for the stars. I will snuff out the Green Light of will once and for all but my master gives you a final gift."
Black Hand pulls the robe off. Black wings spread out. The monster takes out a sword that ignites in black flame. It dives and smashes into the street below leaving a crater. The angel Zauriel lets out a cry.
"Not fallen...dragged...dragged through the mud and filth. Stepped on, ruined, and now here to deliver your punishments for your sins. You are all guilty of freedom, thought, and choice. You shall be judge. Anti-Life justifies."
Black Hand lets out a laugh as he flies toward the sky. The angel heads for the heroes, raining black flame at them.
I speed through the fiery constructs. Beating aside Black Lanterns and Anti-Life drones, I look up at the fallen angel just as a red fireballs crashes into him
Red line shone from my body and burned the dead thing to ash. My blood felt like it was on fire, and I felt every thing that had ever made me angry in my entire life all at once. The idea of taking it out on some flying corpses appealed to me.
I shot up like a rocket. My first time flying, but I wasn't all that interested in control or maneuverability at the time, just aim. I flew headfirst into a zombie and came out the other side, the red force field surrounding my body dripping with black liquid.
Panic and chaos ensues. The fight begins to get out of control. The League, JSA, and Titans take on Darkseid's drones and lackies. I go for the heart of the proble,
Leaping to the air, using my cape to glide, I come down on top of Black Hand and place a bomb on his back. I jump down just as the explosion rocks Hand and sends the slave to Apokolips up in smoke.
"My god..." I muttered, shocked at what this menace is creating. But I can't afford to let it get to me. I can't let my willpower falter. No matter how... disturbing it may be.
"You think I'm afraid of him? I'm the Torchbearer!" I called back, as I shifted my griffin construct into my own life sized hero. One that swiftly kicked the Hal construct in his face. "This ends NOW, Joker!"
The Joker wasn't laughing anymore. With a furious lunge, he blasted right through the Batman construct and grabbed onto Kyle's throat, sending him flying through the wall of the building behind them.
"How dare you invoke his image? You are not worthy of him! You're not good enough to lace his boots! Nobody disrespects The Batman!"
A gunshot sends a bullet buzzing near his head, the boy dodging two more before he manages to come within striking distance. This one sounds like a slaughtered pig as he goes down in a maimed, bloody heap. The white faceplate on Damian's costume splattered with wet blood as he casually steps away and looks over at Jason.
"Tt. Saving all the fun for me?" the child asked caustically, as he gazed out at the remaining goons and Killer Moth.
Jason Todd- 'Sculpting' -------------------------
As Damian makes his smart alec remark, Killer Moth comes at me thinking he is actually going to lay the sad excuse of an attack he calls a punch. Instead of doing your formal way of trying to block and counter, I welcome the hit to the helmet, and actually come towards him delivering a knee press which hurts him a lot more than he hurt me. Afterwards, I swat him away like the bug he is with a roundhouse kick and he goes back a few feet. I see a one of the goons coming at me from the side, I turn to the kid.
"Don't give me lip, boy!"
A duck, easily dodging one of the idiots with his knife and using the swinging motion to come back around and elbow him in the head and throw him to the ground. He tries to reach for his gun but I step on his fingers, making sure to break at least one of his knuckles in the process and slap kick him across the face with the toe tip of my boot.
"I just wanted to see how you'd enter and engage yourself in a situation where you clearly know your enemy is outclassed and outmatched in every possible way. To see if you'd bring any mercy to him just because compared to you he is a mouse. But you've got claws, kid; you pass with flying colors. You did me proud and didn't hold back. See, Bruce would not have done what you did. He never understood that it doesn't matter how big or small the rat you are after is, you keep your claws sharpened..."
I kneel down, pulling out my kris dagger. The punk pisses in his pants and I simply chuckle under my helmet. One clean and slow cut across the throat is all it takes for the floor to be running red with his blood.
"...and you give him what he deserves."
Killer Moth gets up finally, and like the schmuck he is he thinks I cannot hear him readying his cocoon gun. Honestly. This couldn't be anymore perfect than it is.
"Calling me a rat? A RAT?! I'M NOT A F**KIN' RAT! I'M KILLER F**KIN' MO--"
I turn, throwing my kris dagger as I duck and he is about to fire his gun. My blade enters the large barrel of the cocoon gun as he does in fact pull the trigger, and the gun blows up. As the smoke begins to drift away and out through the bank windows, I laugh as I'm able to see the sight before me.
Killer Moth. 100% covered in his own sticky threads that he loves to use to entrap victims. As I said before, it was going to be the end of him. Can't revel in this present sight for too long. The police sirens are starting to get pretty loud and pretty close. It's time to head out of here.
Moth? He's comin' with us.
I walk over to Damian, and extend out my hand.
"Time to get out of here, kid. Wait for me at the loft."
I take out a small blow torch from within my jacket and light it up. I slowly start to walk over to Killer Moth, my smile hidden beneath my red helmet.
The Joker wasn't laughing anymore. With a furious lunge, he blasted right through the Batman construct and grabbed onto Kyle's throat, sending him flying through the wall of the building behind them.
"How dare you invoke his image? You are not worthy of him! You're not good enough to lace his boots! Nobody disrespects The Batman!"
"I...*gasp* think someone has... *gasp* a little mancrush..." I managed to utter between gasps for air as the Joker continued to crush my windpipe.
C'mon, Rayner. You can't go out like this...
Pointing my ring at the Joker's chest as he was distracted with choking the life out of me, I straight up blasted him with a burst of willpower fueled plasma. The Joker went crashing through the wall we came in earlier, creating another large hole as he landed back into the street.
Following him to where he landed, I rushed back outside and noticed the Orange Lantern still chasing after Dinah, who was wearing a blue ring.
Man, it's like there's a ring in every color of the freaking rainbow now! Where the hell are they all coming from?
My train of thought was soon interrupted by the sound of Joker slowly coming to.
Killer Moth. 100% covered in his own sticky threads that he loves to use to entrap victims. As I said before, it was going to be the end of him. Can't revel in this present sight for too long. The police sirens are starting to get pretty loud and pretty close. It's time to head out of here.
Moth? He's comin' with us.
I walk over to Damian, and extend out my hand.
"Time to get out of here, kid. Wait for me at the loft."
I take out a small blow torch from within my jacket and light it up. I slowly start to walk over to Killer Moth, my smile hidden beneath my red helmet.
Silently the son of the Bat watches the former Robin collect Killer Moth and depart, leaving the young Wayne alone with the collection of bodies. Some dead. Some dying. Some, the victims of Damian's attacks, merely unconscious. Maimed, but they would live. Which was more than the boy could say for the man who'd had his throat cut by Todd. Damian had seen men killed before. His whole life as a matter of fact. Damian had learned to commit murder since the time he'd learned how to walk. After all, he had been raised by the League of Assassins, not the Boy Scouts of America. Murder was the family business.
So why hadn't Damian killed anyone tonight? He'd even gone out of his way to try and shield some of them from being killed by Jason. Was it because of his father's - no, not father... because of Bruce's words?
Or maybe it was just the fact that Damian didn't feel compelled to kill. There was only one man that the boy wanted dead. And his name was Wayne. Bruce Wayne.
Then Damian would do what Bruce hadn't had the balls to, and claim the title of the Demon's Head for himself. No more of mother's schemes. If she got in the way...
The boy slipped out the window which he had broken through earlier, vanishing into the night as he backtracked the route to Todd's loft. He could have taken this opportunity to break free, but he hardly saw a point in escaping at this junction. Where would he go? He couldn't take on the League until he'd removed the Batman. And there wasn't any point in returning to Wayne Manor.
It wasn't his home anyway. He was the real son. Wayne Manor was the last bastion of the fake, people like Tim Drake and Richard Grayson.
And Jason Todd.
Todd was, to his credit, a little more interesting than Dick or Tim were. Judging by the hoarse nature of Killer Moth's screams, Damian would have guessed that the man had screamed his own throat raw. Jason's use of the blow torch was hardly inventive, though it was extremely sadistic. When the man set aside the torch for a set of electrician's pliers, that was when things got a touch more inventive.
The cigar cutter on the fingers though? Cheap theatrics.
Torture wasn't anything that could get under the young boy's skin. Torture, like a sword or any other tool, was an implement that had its use among the League. The only piece that Damian was missing was the purpose or what information Todd felt that Killer Moth possessed which necessitated such extremes. The extremes, themselves, hardly mattered much to the boy. Damian already anticipated that Todd planned on murdering Killer Moth when this was through.
Which didn't mean that Damian didn't appreciate the situation as an opportunity for reflection. Jason Todd was the polar opposite of the Batman. He spoke about justice, but his methods had more in common with the League than with any sort of vigilantism. Even as Killer Moth was tortured, Damian merely viewed it as a detached window into arguments over the finer points of morality.
Jason had his own. The Batman had his own.
And Damian?
Damian couldn't but feel that his moral code was out to lunch.
Thankfully, a noise overhead brought the child out of his brooding. What wasn't nearly as welcome was the sudden shattering of the roof as a black-clad figure crashed into the Loft. One wielding a glowing black ring of a somewhat similar design to something Damian had seen just the other day...
"First yellow, now black?" the boy quipped, though it was a rhetorical question. He didn't care about the answer. All he cared about was a repeat performance of his encounter with the yellow ring bearer.
This time, however, when his knife stuck the monster, the blade gave only a dull thud. It was like striking a corpse. And the creature seemed none the worse for wear.
"I...*gasp* think someone has... *gasp* a little mancrush..." I managed to utter between gasps for air as the Joker continued to crush my windpipe.
C'mon, Rayner. You can't go out like this...
Pointing my ring at the Joker's chest as he was distracted with choking the life out of me, I straight up blasted him with a burst of willpower fueled plasma. The Joker went crashing through the wall we came in earlier, creating another large hole as he landed back into the street.
Following him to where he landed, I rushed back outside and noticed the Orange Lantern still chasing after Dinah, who was wearing a blue ring.
Man, it's like there's a ring in every color of the freaking rainbow now! Where the hell are they all coming from?
My train of thought was soon interrupted by the sound of Joker slowly coming to.
While Dinah was busy evading Larfleeze, The Joker formed a wormhole behind her, then shoved the two of them and himself through it. All three vanished.
My head feels like it's been cranked in a vice. I look around, and see empty bottles all over. And then it all comes rushing back to me. Everything. And I wish I was back in that hole I'd crawled into. Carol's gone, I don't know where. I have a foggy recollection of her changing into her Star Sapphire outfit and shooting into the skies, so I'd imagine she's in deep space. Far away from here.
Far away from me.
I'm hungover, and feel like hell screwed sideways. But the sound of chaos on the streets outside shakes me to my senses. Staggering to the window, I look outside.
"No..."
An invasion. My city is under attack from alien forces. And I slept through it.
"No!"
This isn't happening again. I will not let Coast City fall again because of my negligence. Carol, Martin... I need to push it all to the back of my mind, I have to. Coast City is depending on me. That's what a Green Lantern is about, right? Finding the will, overcoming fear. After what I've been through, what else is there to be afraid of? I grab my power battery and, with a voice like gravel, I utter the oath...
"In brightest day, in blackest night,
No evil shall escape my sight,
Let those who worship evil's might,
Beware my power...."
"Green Lantern's light!"
<POWER LEVELS 100%>
I blast out onto the streets, forming constructs of giant green chainsaws that cut a swathe through the Parademons trawling through the street. Darkseid's behind this, then. I scan the area, taking in threats both familiar and unfamiliar. And then I spot an old enemy, someone I thought I'd seen the last of.
"Black Hand."
Batman has just attacked him, sent him crashing to the ground. I swoop down towards him, pinning Black Hand down to the ground with a giant hand construct. He looks up at me, grinning like he's pleased to see me. He looks different, like something died inside of him. But that doesn't matter. What matters is he's here, what he's trying to destroy.
"Your city?" Black Hand laughed. The green knight finally showed. The moment he was waiting for. The Guardian's pride and joy had appeared and now the servant would deliver his head to his master.
A black light rope laced with shards wrapped around Jordan's neck. A Black Lantern behind him pulled and tossed him into a nearby building. The angel lets out a howl and leaps at the Question. Black Hand lets an explosion of black spikes in all directions. Black Lantern flies up and hovers inside the hole Green Lantern had created. Parademons crept alongside the building. Their red eyes pierced through the glass growling at the Lantern. Black Lanterns joined him at his side.
"Your city? You have lost Jordan. The one time when it actually matters that you beat me you have utterly failed. This is not some petty theft, Jordan. I am something more, I am the design for the new mortal, a servant for a higher order. This is not your city, Jordan. This is not your world, Jordan. This is not even your dimension. This is Darkseid's. Now, give in or face oblivion."
"Your city?" Black Hand laughed. The green knight finally showed. The moment he was waiting for. The Guardian's pride and joy had appeared and now the servant would deliver his head to his master.
A black light rope laced with shards wrapped around Jordan's neck. A Black Lantern behind him pulled and tossed him into a nearby building. The angel lets out a howl and leaps at the Question. Black Hand lets an explosion of black spikes in all directions. Black Lantern flies up and hovers inside the hole Green Lantern had created. Parademons crept alongside the building. Their red eyes pierced through the glass growling at the Lantern. Black Lanterns joined him at his side.
"Your city? You have lost Jordan. The one time when it actually matters that you beat me you have utterly failed. This is not some petty theft, Jordan. I am something more, I am the design for the new mortal, a servant for a higher order. This is not your city, Jordan. This is not your world, Jordan. This is not even your dimension. This is Darkseid's. Now, give in or face oblivion."
I'm surrounded: by Black Hand, Parademons, and these creatures wearing black rings. I'm outnumbered. Maybe I do face oblivion. But I won't accept the alternative.
"After all these years.... you still don't know me at all."
I form a construct of a giant snow shovel, scooping up Black Hand and his cronies before launching skyward. I fly out of the hole in the building after them, bombarding them with energy blasts as I catch up.
These Black Lanterns are damn near invincible. There's not much that'll keep them down. It may be time for me to stop fighting them and for us Flashes put our plan in taking care of the source of the problem to work.
I slowed to a stop near Uncle Barry and Jay.
"We need to leave the Lanterns to Hal and our friends while we find Darkseid. Pulling him into the Speed Force might put an end to this..."
Billions of atoms fusing and splitting, bursting with cataclysmic amounts of energy.
The heat is unbearable, to say nothing of the utter crushing gravity that pounds me into the floor and keeps me from moving an inch. The pain had blasted my mind into a state of near delirium, my sanity just barely returning to myself before I realize just how much it hurts.
This must be what hell is like.
As it is, I'm at the heart of the sun. Trillions of degrees of heat as billions of years' worth of nuclear fire pour into me, the gravity of mass greater a million Earths crushing down on me. Like Jimmy said, I may be the only one in the universe capable of surviving this. And even then, it's one of the most excruciating experiences of my life.
Finally, after what could be minutes or hours or days, the roof slides shut. The heat dissipates quickly, the gravity returns to Earth-normal, and I start to move again.
After a few minutes, Jimmy steps into the room, looking a little older actually. Not by much, but maybe a year or so.
"Superman?" He asks, like he's trying to remind me of who I am. "Are you....y'know, there? Are you okay?"
"I....I think so, I...." I try to stand up, and nearly crash right through the ceiling when I push against the floor.
"Whoah, you're gonna have to get used to that," Jimmy says with a nervous laugh. "We're guessing your time in the sun has increased your strength and speed and your....well, everything else, by a pretty hefty number. Something like ten to the power of 36. I'd say you're about a fifth of the way there."
"What?! Jim, I'm not sure I can even survive another dunking like that."
I zoom in on the cellular structure in my hand, and I can see the damage that's been done. I've absorbed so much solar energy, it's causing my cells to burst. The matter in my body is breaking down, slowly--I'd still have maybe a year or so before the degeneration becomes fatal.
Still, I feel.....incredible, better than I've ever felt.
"You're going to need to rest a little before you go back under," Jimmy says with a matter-of-factness that shows he's actually been studying this. "The Ascension is going to multiply your powers to a level that won't be possible in the regular world for at least a million years. And frankly, we don't have that long."
"Why, Jimmy? What's going on out there? Mxyzptlk said someone was re-writing the laws of the universe, but who--"
"Darkseid."
".......ah."
Really, that's all that needs to be said. He is cruelty and greed and despotism at its most basic form. Evil in every sense of the word.
And according to Mxyzptlk, I have to kill him.
"I need to get back to Earth, now," I say, about to shove Jimmy out of the way before I realize doing so could break half the bones in his body. "I've fought Darkseid before, and beaten him. With the power this 'Ascension' experiment has given me, I know I can beat him again."
"Two problems with that, Superman," Jimmy cautions me. "First, he's not even on Earth, yet. The Crisis won't happen for a long, long time....relativistically speaking. See, when Mxy brought you back to our universe, he brought you back in time, too. Like I said, the power that we're looking for takes a long time to cultivate, and in the present, we just didn't have enough of it. So, in a sense, we're cheating."
"Cheating?"
"We've brought all of the Supermen from across the Multiverse to the heart of the Sun, and have been exposing you to pure, unleaded sunlight for a really long time. You've spent most of it in a catatonic state, with us giving you an occasional jolt to spend about a nanosecond of consciousness in order to keep for your mind from going completely. The only reason I'm still alive to see it is because I've been taking the fast route--time travel and such."
"It only feels like it's been a couple of minutes....how long was I charging up?"
"Ballpark estimate? Something along the lines of.....about ten thousand years."
I can barely wrap my mind around the idea of it. Ten thousand years at the heart of the sun?! And according to Jimmy, I'm not even at the halfway point?!
"You can't....you can't be serious, right?"
"Serious as a heart attack, Superman," Jimmy says. "This is Darkseid we're talking about here. When you've fought him in the past, you've fought projections of him, avatars, extensions of his will. Now you're going up against Darkseid himself, and the entire span of existence is going to need you to win. You're going to have to fight the very essence of the God of All Evil, and the Ascension is here to make sure it comes out right."
"And the other Supermen from the other universes?"
"They get the same treatment, then funnel all of their power into you. The combined power of every Superman from every universe, charging for fifty thousand years in the heart of the sun, all focused on one point: you. This is what the Ascension is for: we're not just going to make you more powerful, Superman. We're going to turn you into a god."
Jimmy's look doesn't falter in the slightest. When I left Earth, he was still just a goofy kid who couldn't help but get in over his head in trouble. Now, he's got the look of a man with purpose, as if on a mission from a greater power. It's strange, seeing him suddenly grown up and I've missed out on it.
"Take a breather and get some water. You go back under in ten minutes."
For me, it feels as if only a few hours have passed. Hours of unbelievable pain at first, as the incinerating heat and pulverizing gravity of the sun bore down upon me, but by the time the fifth and final session had completed, it was little more than a mild discomfort.
Just a few hours in my mind.
Fifty thousand years in reality.
"I can see......I can see everything."
The doors to the transparent Fortress close, and now I can finally make out every detail of the place. I can see the electrical fields holding the atomic structure together, I can see the swarms of tachyons that swim through this place like schools of fish, remnants from the Fortress's journey back in time.
When the Multiverse's worth of Jimmy Olsens enters the room, I can literally see the blood pulsing through their veins, the brainwave patterns that dance inside of their skulls....I can even see the life-force energy that inhabits their body, and how they all connect into one, since they are after all just different iterations of the same person.
I can see my own life-energy too, flowing out of me, stretching out for what must be millions of miles through the sun to the other Supermen from other universes, and I can feel their energy mix with mine.
"Great Scott," I say to myself as I take in the wonder of how I can see now. Subatomic particles, quarks, iotas, even the component energy on the quantum scale where matter exists only in theory.....I can literally see space and time.....
.....and the damage that is being done to it.
Darkseid's intrusion into reality is far more than just enslaving minds or a fleet of conquering spaceships. He is re-writing the fundamental laws of existence. Cause and effect no longer coincide. The course of history is being ripped open and pulled inside out. The pages of destiny have been torn out and scribbled over, all in Darkseid's unmistakable scrawl. I can practically hear him laughing at the heart of this subversion.
"The Anti-Life Equation," I recognize its imprint; even now, it's starting to take a hold of the Jimmys in the room, lurking in the backs of their heads. "It's spread across the universe. Even if I defeat Darkseid, even if I kill him, it's already embedded into the fabric of reality. It will keep going, won't it?"
"Only if there isn't an antidote to the poison," my world's Jimmy says. "Fortunately, that's another thing we've been working on. Well, another thing that he's been working on. Or, working off, I guess?"
"Excuse me?"
"See, it turns out that there's one mind in the entire universe that's immune to the effects of Anti-Life. A mind and an existence so utterly complex and impenetrable that not even the greatest weapon of Darkseid himself can really get into his head. And while you've been powering up to take on the big bad guy, he's been set to work on the ultimate counter to this invasion: proving the Anti-Life Equation wrong......or right, in his mind."
"Then can you take me to him?"
"Naturally. That's your next stop. We had to stash him in a quantum tesseract structure to keep him hidden--he didn't get the same kind of upgrade as you, so Darkseid could still just blast him with his Omega Beams. Still, he should be about ready to go."
Jimmy reaches into his pocket and pulls out a Rubik's Cube.
"Just solve it and in you go."
I look at it with a grin, then begin lining up the colors on each sides.
Thirteen moves later, and I find myself in a vast cavernous structure, not too different from one of my older variations of the Fortress of Solitude. Of course, the geometry is all wrong, though, and gravity doesn't seem to work quite the way it's supposed to, and--
I'm surrounded: by Black Hand, Parademons, and these creatures wearing black rings. I'm outnumbered. Maybe I do face oblivion. But I won't accept the alternative.
"After all these years.... you still don't know me at all."
I form a construct of a giant snow shovel, scooping up Black Hand and his cronies before launching skyward. I fly out of the hole in the building after them, bombarding them with energy blasts as I catch up.
Black Hand steadies himself. He creates a shield, deflecting the energy blast. The other Black Lanterns do the same. He fires a volley of scythes at Green Lantern.
"And you fail to realize that you've lost. Always the prideful one, Jordan, you can not see that you have already lost. Anti-Life flows through veins of the universe. I started it, I started the ruin of the universe."
A giant flash of black and Black Hand is in the center of a construct of a mammoth Darkseid. He grabs Jordan and brings him up to him. He begins to squeeze. Black Hand slams a fist into the ground at the others.
Despite what I said to the big alien on Oa just before knocking him out to prove my point, ten minutes in this battle has taught me one thing:
I'm not really a Green Lantern.
Honestly, I don't know how Alan, Jordan, or the others handle it. Having to keep your eye on everything going on around you is old hat for me. But doing it while keeping up my concentration on my constructs, flying around at jet fighter speeds in the dizzying darkness of space, and avoiding being killed by enemies and certain 'friendlies' while doing so...maybe I was a little to eager to get off of Oa and help out.
If it wasn't for Tomar-Tu, I don't think I'd have lasted half this long.
"On your right!"
"On your left!"
Two more Black Lanterns get vaporized. But by the time we've left them behind us to take on more, they've started reforming. Still, while I might not be a good Lantern, I am a keen observer of how opponents fight.
The yellow corps are all about the fear factor. From what I can tell, they're just as good at constructs as the GL's, but it's all about fear and intimidation. I've seen constructs do things that'll probably give me nightmares. Unfortunately, the Black Lanterns don't seem phased by the monstrosities being created at all.
The reds...well...they're all brute force with no style. Charge in, burn and tear, charge out for the next kill. The one thing going for them? They're as tireless as the Black Lanterns, and almost as hard to kill. Unfortunately, the Black Lanterns don't seem phased by the sheer rage burning them.
And we Green Lanterns? Yeah, we've got will power, that's for sure. We're giving it to the Black Lanterns, and working together as a team as much as possible. Unfortunately, the Black Lanterns don't seem phased by team work or will power at all.
So, to say we're not making any progress would still be an understatement.
"Tomar! We can't keep this up forever. We have to figure out a better way to fight them."
"Any suggestions would be most welcome."
"Well, they've got to have a weakness, right?"
"Who says they do?"
"Every bad guy has a weakness. It's a rule of the universe. We just need to find what theirs is."
"Again, if you've got any suggestions..."
"One of my best friends is a scientist. So I say we go at this scientifically." I girder up my focus and blast one of the Black Lanterns to dust.
"That's scientific?"
"No. But waiting around to see what happens is. Can you cover me?"
"Sure. Just don't take to long."
With Tomar watching my back. I wait as the Black Lantern's ring floats in space before reforming it's owner's body.
"Now that's interesting."
"Got something?"
"Maybe." I blast the Lantern again. Turning it to dust again. And the ring reforms it again. Starting with the ring-bearing hand.
"You son of *****!"
"What?!"
"Not you. These things. We're fighting them all wrong. It's not the Lanterns. It's the rings!"
"I don't under-"
"The rings, Tomar. Destroy their rings!"
Tomar looks surprised for a second, and then a what I assume is a smile crosses his face. "All green lanterns, focus your attacks on the black rings."
Tomar and I shoot out into the middle of the fight again with renewed spirits. We start blasting ring after ring. And every time we blast a ring off a black lanterns finger, it screams in silent pain, and disintegrates...and then reforms.
"It's not working."
"Sure it is. We just need to pour it on. Cover me." I lash out at another Black Lantern, trapping it's ring in a bubble. The Black Lantern beats at the bubble encasing it's hand while I blast it with energy from the bubble's walls.
"Come on...come on..." Suddenly, the Black Lantern's other arm shoots out across the distance, wrapping around my throat like a testicle. Even through my forcefield, I can feel the pressure on my neck.
"Come on and die, damn you!"
Power levels 37.2%
Well that's not good.
Power levels 43.5%
Well that's...good?
Power levels 82.1%
Huh?
Power levels 123.1%
That' doesn't even make sense.
Power levels 188%
The Black Lanterns screams in the silence of space again as it's ring finally breaks, and then explodes into dust. The Lantern's body quickly follows.
"Forgive me if I startled you, Green Lantern. My name is Saint Walker. I am a Blue Lantern."
"Yeah, well, I figured that much out for myself. I also know there isn't a ring color I can trust except green."
"I understand why you feel that way. The side of the emotional spectrum you've experienced thus far is likely to give you a negative attitude to us all."
"Emotional spectrum?"
"I would like to talk more with you, but I fear this isn't the time." Walker points behind me just before a huge, and I do mean huge, fanged beast in black tries to rip a chunk out of my chest. Walker blasts the creature, sending it flying backwards into a mass of other black lanterns. A swarm of reds dive into the mess to take advantage of their confusion.
"Nice shot."
"Thank you, Green Lantern. I have to give credit to you, though."
"How's that?" I try getting imaginative and create a giant lawnmower to cut some of these black lanterns down to size.
"My ring is most effective in the presence of a green lantern. Otherwise, it only provides basic life support."
"Well that seems like a crap deal. What good's a ring if you can't use it?"
"It is the nature of my ring. It's power is useless without the will to wield it."
"What's your's run on, anyway?"
Walker blasts another lantern. "Hope."
That catches me off guard. I look at the growing mass of darkness, and the diminishing numbers of lights of all colors. "I'd say we can use all that we can get."
These Black Lanterns are damn near invincible. There's not much that'll keep them down. It may be time for me to stop fighting them and for us Flashes put our plan in taking care of the source of the problem to work.
I slowed to a stop near Uncle Barry and Jay.
"We need to leave the Lanterns to Hal and our friends while we find Darkseid. Pulling him into the Speed Force might put an end to this..."
Wally leads the way with Jay and I flanking him as we race through the city. The massive form of Darkseid appears before us. The three of us hit the Apokaliptan despot at super-speeds.
"Remembertoliftwithyourlegsandnotyourback,guys!"
We pick Darkseid up and race him across the Earth, picking up speed until everything turns into that same dull gray blur that accompanies near-lightspeed travel.
A giant flash of black and Black Hand is in the center of a construct of a mammoth Darkseid. He grabs Jordan and brings him up to him. He begins to squeeze. Black Hand slams a fist into the ground at the others.
I roll on the ground to avoid the construct. The Flashes disappear with a sonic boom. Jordan's in trouble, being squeezed by Hand. Pulling out a sonic batarang, I toss it at Black Hand's construct. The batarang strikes the figure of Darkseid and the construct disappears as the gadget's sonic waves ripple outwards. Jordan falls to the ground and catches himself at the last moment, hovering to a stop next to me.
"Welcome to the fight," I say with a curt nod in his direction. Pulling out another batarang, I toss it at the closest Parademon and take the creature out.
Nobody but Kara hears the somewhat nervous whisper her cousin's clone responds with, but she just smiles at him, trying to let him know that there is nothing here to fear. They're heroes, and they WILL come out on top.
As the fight rages on, the forces of evil seem to have the upper hand if only in shear numbers. The more they beat back, the more come to swarm the heroes.
"Zombies work in our favor. No need to hold back."
And with that news, Kara unloads on the Black Lantern's nearest her. Doing as much to make sure they don't get back up as she possibly can. But soon her attention is taken by Black Hand.
"The dead? Yes, Lord Mokkari has fashioned the bodies of the deceased to serve as drones in our army and perhaps for some other uses but many that you fight today are fallen mortals. Your comrades have given in and accepted the equation. Now, you shall perish for your decision. I must take leave and head for the stars. I will snuff out the Green Light of will once and for all but my master gives you a final gift."
He unrobes the blackrobed individual near him to reveal what seems to be the angel, Zauriel corrupted by the anti-life.
"Not fallen...dragged...dragged through the mud and filth. Stepped on, ruined, and now here to deliver your punishments for your sins. You are all guilty of freedom, thought, and choice. You shall be judge. Anti-Life justifies."
As the angel flies at the heroes, pouring burning black flame on them, Kara does her best to take the brunt of the assault. The fire burns, but less so than it would have her first time in the world, as she realizes that Rao and the other gods that had sent her had imbued her with more of a resistance to magic than she had had previously.
"I will handle this perversion. I believe this to be part of why I was sent back."
With that, her own wings erupt from her back, a bright orange and yellow to contrast the shear blackness of Zauriel's. She flies straight at the angel, firing off a blast of her heat vision as she gets in close.
"Zombies?" Zach gulps. "Like, George A. Romero, shoot 'em in the head, brains-chomping zombies?"
I take to the skies to meet the horde of Black Lanterns, undead drones, and all other manner of evil forces. Even for someone like me, it's intimidating. Still, like the others, I take small solitude in the fact that for once I don't have to pull my punches. To tell the truth, I've always wondered what it would be like to completely unleash. Then, I remind myself of the Luthor blood in my veins, and I remember why I can't.
At least, until today.
I fire powerful blasts of heat vision, taking care not to hit my fellow heroes and allies. The Black Lanterns explode like fireworks on the Fourth of July, but their numbers never seem to diminish. I once heard that there are more people alive today than have ever died, but when you're face-to-face with an army of the undead, you find yourself questioning that little bit of trivia.
"Auugh!"
I'd recognize that voice anywhere.
"Cassie?"
I take aim for the Black Lantern on the left, feeling that burning sensation in the back of my retina that lets me know I'm about to unleash a devastating blast. Sure enough, the head of the deformed creature is obliterated, and Cassie is able to wriggle free of the other Black Lantern. With a powerful spinning kick, Cassie dents the creature's helmet, turning his head into something resembling a squashed pumpkin.
"Thanks for the save," Cassie says in a tone that doesn't reflect the fact that we haven't seen each other in months - not since she took an indefinite leave from the Titans, and from me. She rubs her arms where the Lanterns were holding her. I resist the urge to reach out and embrace her.
"What are you doing here?" I ask, still somewhat dumbfounded.
Cassie shrugs, finally making eye contact. It lasts only a second before she diverts her attention back to the battle around us. "What? Am I supposed to sit around while the world goes to Hell?"
A Black Lantern grabs me from behind. I reach back and grab hold of the creature's hair. In one quick movement, I wrench myself free of the Lantern's grasp. Cassie winds up and delivers a crushing haymaker that sends the Lantern tumbling through the air. We always did make a good team like that.
"So...what does this mean?"
Cassie eyes me strangely. "It doesn't mean anything, Kon. I'm still not ready to come back to the Titans, and I'm certainly not ready for us." She pauses, gathering herself, and adds more softly, "I still need time."
I nod understandingly. So maybe she's not ready to be a Titan, and so maybe we're still not going to go back to being us, but she's here now. With the world on the brink of destruction and with each of us staring at our own demise, she's standing at my side. And ultimately, that's all that really matters.
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