Infinity Crisis

By Michael Weyer

Just imagine the credits have started rolling until….

Earth-1, Freland

The young man sighed as he exited his home with a bag in hand. "Turn to dust, come back and I still have to do chores," he muttered under his breath. It was bad enough he had just been in the hospital with that weird collapse the other day out of nowhere. Now, he had to handle garbage duty. Of course, his parents were too busy happy about being reunited to care too much and he had to admit, it was good to be back.

He was moving to the garbage can when he heard the roar of engines. He looked up to see a car racing at him from the alleyway. He didn't know if the driver was drunk or running from something and it didn't matter. What did was instinct taking over him. He leapt upward, somersaulting over the car as it smashed the garbage cans. He found himself hanging onto the wall of the apartment complex, his hands sticking to the wall with ease.

He watched the car race off before it hit him what he'd just done. He lifted one dark-skinned hand, staring at it as if he'd never seen it before, trying to understand what had happened.

"Whoa," whispered Miles Morales.

Earth-19999, Location Classified

Thaddeus Ross calmly paced back and forth as he spoke. Even though he was in a suit, it carried like a uniform, especially with his attitude. "I respect the President. If not the man, then the office. I respect his word. But I love my country more. And I know he's doing the wrong thing. Oh, I get it. Hell, I was dust myself, I'm happy to the Avengers getting me back like that. But now…now they're bigger than they were before. Which means they're going to cause bigger problems. Bigger disasters. Bigger chance of lives lost."

He stopped before the figure in front of him. "We need…a deterrent. I don't want to use it but that's what a deterrent is for. Something to stop them if we need to. A team of heroes…Our kind of heroes." He leaned in. "That teams needs a leader. Someone who's proven himself able to take it to them before. Someone dedicated. Someone tough. I think…that's you. What do you say?'

Inside the plastic cell, Helmut Zemo looked up to Ross…and slowly nodded.

"Welcome to Project Thunderbolts."

Earth-51, Belle Reeve Prison

The high heels clicked on the hallway floor as the woman in a professional suit marched forward. Behind her, a man was looking over a datapad in his hands. "No fingerprints. No DNA match. It's like this woman doesn't exist."

"Yet she killed three cops and an entire bar of bikers," the woman said in a hard tone. "Pretty good work for a ghost."

"It took three taser shots to bring her down." The man looked to the woman. "I'd set up a psych evalv but from what I can tell, this gal makes Quinn look normal."

"Just what I can use." The woman stopped in front of a cell, gazing at the red-haired woman inside. "Got a name?" she spoke up.

The woman looked at her as if bored while playing with the homemade shiv in her hands. "I like Sin."

"Sin…." The heavyset black woman nodded to her. "Seems fitting. My name is Amanda Waller. I'm here to talk to you about Task Force X."

Earth-38, National City

The doors of the elevator dinged as Lillian Luthor carefully stepped out into the main office. She took a moment to see the woman in a professional suit facing the city, sipping at a glass of wine. "Lena," she spoke up. "No hug? No shocked look at my arrival?"

"The DEO contacted me as soon as they learned you escaped," Lena said. There was something about her tone that seemed colder than usual but Lillian brushed it aside. "There was enough chaos in the wake of the…vanishings that it was easy for you to get out."

Lillian nodded. "It was." She looked Lena over. "I am…happy to see you recovered. I was hurt when I heard you were among those gone."

"Were you now?"

"Lena, we have had our…issues but really, I didn't come here to argue old times."

"Old times." Lena let out a short laugh. "What a lovely choice of words." She turned, her eyes on Lillian and something…was wrong. There was a coldness in those eyes that hadn't been there before but also a confidence that didn't strike Lillian as the Lena she knew. "I've been thinking on those myself." She slowly circled the desk. "When I came back…it took a bit for it to come back to me. The memories, my life. I understand it's commonplace but in my case…It was different?"

"Oh? How so?" While outwardly calm, Lillian couldn't get rid of a feeling within her that something was off about her daughter.

"It made me realize my past…my true past." Lena put her glass down, her eyes glaring at Lillian. "And made me realize it was time to get back to it."

Lillian licked her lips as Lena came in. "Lena, are you feeling all right?"

"I haven't felt this good in a very, very long time. For the first time in ages…" She held up a hand and a cloud of pink fire suddenly erupted from it. "I feel like myself."

Lillian's eyes widened, her control gone in shock. "What…how are you doing that? Is that some mutation experiment?"

Lena scoffed. "Oh, of course. It has to be science for you. You had no idea, none whatsoever about the power I had. Then again, neither did I." Her face clouded. "I thought having the Luthor name would be a boon but didn't realize how far I would go into the cover…How I'd forget myself so much, actually attempt to aid others rather than myself." The glow flew about, now a dark ball of energy in her grasp. "But it's time I return to my true status."

Lillian swallowed hard as she felt a rush of fear at where this was going. "Lena…" Lillian began.

"That is not my name!" With that, Lena reached over and placed his fingers between Lillian's eyes. Lillian gasped as she was suddenly flooded with images…

There was no adoption. Lex grew up an only child. There was never another Luthor about. Lex's company was bought out by his board after his imprisonment.

Lillian shrieked as she pulled back. She stumbled against a table, staring in horror at…at…

At a woman who hadn't existed before a year ago. A woman who somehow made her believe she did, that she was a daughter. Not just her but the world itself.

"That's right," Lena said as she saw the understanding in Lillian's eyes. "It wasn't enough for me to merely flee my Earth. No, I had to be sure I was hidden away carefully. To use my magics to craft my new identity. The perfect disguise. And to be perfect, it had to work on me. To make me forget who I truly am."

Lillian swallowed deeply, her face racked in pure terror. "Who…are you?" she choked out.

"Lena" had a smile of utter wicked glee on her face. "I am Morgan Le Fay. And I'm going to get what belongs to me."

Lillian looked to her then pushed back, sprinting toward the door.

She almost made it.

The Phantom Zone

Forms were brief in this bizarre dimension. There was a chill even though he supposedly couldn't feel it. It looked like nothing but fog about, the odd shapes but otherwise formless void. Sitting on a large boulder, Thanos brooded about the situation, trying to understand how it had come to this. He'd had victory, utter victory, his quest finally fulfilled. And somehow, it had all gone wrong. Somehow, he'd lost it all.

Now here he was. Stuck in a dimension without time, without form. To muse on his failure as the universe went along its merry path to utter destruction. To forever nurse his hate of the self-proclaimed "heroes" who destroyed the golden age he could have brought about. All alone.

"You had good intentions. You should have known it would fail."

Spinning, Thanos saw a pair of figures before him. Both were of large size but the mists and shadows made it hard to see them fully. "I felt the same," one said in a strong voice. "I saw my own world headed for destruction. I too did what was needed, to save what I could. I was opposed and defeated, exiled here…And my world is now nothing but dust and rocks."

Thanos was silent as the man looked him over. "This place exists beyond the universes you know. It is an area where many from different realities can converge. I discovered this when I was sent here for a second time. And where I met…him."

The second figure spoke up, his voice low but a power to it. "We shared an enemy in common. A bit different to each of us but the same name and damnable background. We realized then there was a bond we could use. To find a way to escape."

"And how is that working out?" Thanos couldn't help but ask in a dry tone.

"Difficult," the first man admitted. "But not impossible. Not for us…especially with you on our side."

Thanos snorted. "The last person who offered me help did not have my best intentions in mind. In fact, that's a major reason I am here."

"We know. We can see the various realities from here but are barred from taking part in them." The first figure leaned in. "Let us be clear. I am a man used to being in command. So is my colleague. And so are you. We are leaders, not followers. We each want power in our own ways and to be utterly blunt, I don't trust either of you."

"However," the second figure continued. "On our own, none of us have the ability to escape this hell. Only by joining together do we have a chance. Afterward…we may go our own ways."

"Or," the second man spoke up. "We can aid each other. Each of us can get our own universe. And each of us can get exactly what we truly want."

Thanos mused on their words. But he knew his choice. His options were limited but with these strangers…there was a chance. He slowly rose up onto the boulder. "Well, then…since we are to be working together, might I know the names of my allies?"

The tall man stepped forward, pulling off his cloak. He wore a dark uniform that looked military, a symbol on the left side of his chest. His hair was slicked back and dark and his eyes flared. "I am General Zod," he announced with obvious pride.

Thanos nodded then turned to the other figure. "And you…"

His voice froze in his throat as the figure stepped fully into the light. He was a huge man, built like a tank in a dark blue uniform marked with a strange symbol. His skin was grey and resembled rock, his face craggy with a strangely designed helmet covering most of his scalp. His eyes glowed brightly with red fire but what struck Thanos was the sheer radiance the man set off. For the first time in his entire life, the Titan felt utter and pure fear briefly clutch at him as this…being…was nothing but sheer and undeniable evil.

He spoke in a voice that boomed like thunder. "Darkseid."

Thus, in the cauldron of a shared hatred, the most unholy of alliances was forged.

And there we go.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed and favorited this. Again, special thanks to Marcus S. Lazarus for a TV Tropes page on this too. It was fun as hell and glad you all enjoyed it.

As for a sequel? Well, one never knows but I'll admit some ideas abounding so we'll see how it works. Thanks, hope you enjoyed.