Disclaimer: One year later, I'm still working on this epic crossover and it's still far from over.
Like always, I don't own the rights to any Marvel or DC characters. But I do own these ten digits on my hands.
Chapter XXI
Batman used his explosion gel to blast an exit out of the citadel to the outside, and Captain America led the Avengers out of the breach. The Avengers immediately caught sight of the ongoing battle while also catching a glimpse of the Hulk barreling into tanks and Captain Marvel blasting foes from above. The Justice League joined the Avengers outside as Batman and Iron Man stood beside Captain America. Batman glanced at Captain America before taking a step back, as if allowing the super soldier to take the lead.
"What's the play, Cap?" Iron Man asked.
Considering his options, Cap turned to Batman and asked, "Batman, how long do you think Superman can last against Darkseid?"
"Even at full strength, Superman would have his hands full against Darkseid. Your Doctor Doom would exasperate the situation."
"And with Thor already messed up in the head, that's just going to make things worse." Hawkeye commented.
"The Hulk could probably tip the scales, but that would leave Captain Marvel and the rest outnumbered." Black Widow implied.
"Then our priority is clear; tip the scales in our favor," Captain America concluded as he looked to Iron Man. "Stark, you take Vision, Lantern and Raven and provide air support. Widow, I need you, Hawkeye and Cyborg to commandeer one of those tank things."
"Who about you, Cap?" Widow asked.
"Batman and I will rendezvous with Wonder Woman and help pacify any stragglers." Cap stated.
"And if some of those stragglers happen to be Parademon?" Batman asked.
Cap looked at Batman and replied, "We'll pacify them, too."
Batman simply said, "Fair enough."
With their marching orders confirmed, the Avengers and the Justice League leapt into the battle. Iron Man took off into the sky with Vision, Green Lantern and Raven following close behind him. Cyborg grabbed hold of Black Widow and Hawkeye, activated a set of thrusters on his back and took off. Captain America and Batman looked at each other, each one wanting to make absolutely certain that the other could keep up. Then Captain America held his shield out front and rushed into the battle with Batman following behind him.
Wonder Woman and Aquaman continued to fight off a seemingly endless stream of enemies while the Flash ran in every conceivable direction that he could run. Across from them, the Hulk laid waste to a flock of Parademons as they approached and Captain Marvel blasted them from above. But it wasn't long before the armies of Apokolips eventually overran them, which Parademons and various soldiers piling on them. Captain Marvel tried to blast the swarms away but a squadron of Parademons quickly closed in on her with two grabbing her.
Those same two Parademons were suddenly blasted off of her by the timely arrival of Iron Man. Green Lantern flew into the fray, forged a giant green baseball bat and knocked the Parademons away. The other Parademons attempted to attack before an ethereal blackbird conjured by Raven appeared and consumed them. Another squadron of Parademons approached, but Vision was flying up behind them. He altered his density and dive bombed into one of the beasts, sending it plummeting to the ground below.
The other Parademons tried to attack Vision before Green Lantern trapped them in a cage and Iron Man fired off a rocket, destroying the cage and the Parademons. Captain Marvel flew down to the battlefield and landed beside Wonder Woman and Aquaman, blasting any soldiers that happened to come near them. Iron Man remained airborne with Lantern, Raven and Vision and provided air support.
Captain Marvel called out to Iron Man, "What the hell took you so long?"
"Oh you know, Carol. The usual…" Iron Man replied.
Wonder Woman cut Iron Man off, asking, "Can we perhaps focus on the hordes of enemies come at us?"
Aquaman slashed at a soldier with his trident and added, "Yes, please. I believe our efforts would be better served to slay Darkseid's armies."
"Suit yourself, your Highnesses." Iron Man said before he fired a repulsar blast at a random soldier.
At the same time, Cyborg carried Black Widow and Hawkeye over a hover tank that was approaching the battle. He dropped the two on the hull with a thud, which the two pilots inside of the tank could hear. They initially paid no heed to the thud until the hatch was suddenly opened. Black Widow dropped into the cockpit and drew the attention of the pilots.
"Hey, boys!" she said with a mocking wink and a smirk. Then she immediately took them out with his stingers coupled with a string of strikes.
Cyborg dropped into the cockpit and moved to the controls while Hawkeye entered soon afterward. Hawkeye asked, "You do know how to fly this thing, right?"
Cyborg's fingers separated into smaller components linked together by wiring. "My body is composed of the same technology that powers the Mother Boxes, so I should be able to interface with the controls."
"Huh, it'll be like that one scene from Return Of The Jedi, where Chewbacca and those little Ewoks jack that chicken walker thing. I like that part." Hawkeye commented.
"So both our Earths got Return Of The Jedi? I guess that's something." Cyborg commented in return.
"Are you two seriously talking about Star Wars?" Widow incredulously asking.
"Just because you've never seen Star Wars, Nat…" Hawkeye quipped.
"Forget it, Clint. Cyborg, what can we do?"
"I'll take control of the hover tank's motor functions. Widow, you get to handle the targeting systems." Cyborg said.
Black Widow looked at the controls, and they were as alien to her as a typical science fiction alien. "That… shouldn't be a problem." she exasperated.
"I can simplify the targeting system to make it more accessible." Cyborg stated, and Widow quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
"Uh hello… what about me? What do I get to do?" Hawkeye asked.
Black Widow looked at Hawkeye and said, "You get to shoot the big gun."
Hawkeye's eyes lit up as he said, "Sweet!"
"Got it! I'll drive, Widow aims and Hawkeye shoots." Cyborg proclaimed.
With Cyborg handling the motor controls, the hover tank began a slow, sharp turn to its left. The turn was a little bit too sharp and caused the left turret to scrape against the ground. The turn sent the three occupants tumbling over each other. Cyborg was able to get the tank level while Black Widow and Hawkeye returned to their post. Widow gave Cyborg a stern glare while Hawkeye shook off the cobwebs.
"I thought you knew how to fly this thing." Hawkeye snapped.
"I said I could interface with the controls. I never a damn thing about knowing how to fly." Cyborg clarified.
"If we die, I'm going to kick your big metal ass." Hawkeye claimed.
"Let's not die, Clint." Widow said.
Cyborg managed to regain of the hover tank and reset it to a level flight path, just as another hover tank was approaching. "We got company, and I don't think they're here to play nice. Widow, tell me you got a lock."
Black Widow looked at the targeting system, inwardly thankful that Cyborg used his tech to simplify it for her. "Target locked." she declared.
Hawkeye grabbed hold of the handles, fingers on the duel triggers. He pulled down on said triggers. The hover tank made a not so subtle humming sound coupled with a trembling sensation just as the enemy tank toward their tank. For a spilt second, the trio thought they were done. Then the cannons fired a volley of energy straight at the enemy tank, catching it on the side and sending fragments airborne. Hawkeye immediately fired another volley, and this one caught the enemy tank clear across the hull. A fireball erupted from the hull and more fragments went flying.
In response to the chaotic display of fireworks, Cyborg instantly and proudly shouted, "BOOYAH!"
Likewise, Hawkeye practically giggled with glee and said out loud, "Whoa! I am so getting me one of these tanks."
Widow thought to herself, Oh God, I'm trapped in a tin can with two idiots. Kill me now.
Hawkeye smirked as Cyborg piloted the hover tank onward. Another enemy tank approached from the left side. Black Widow swung the turret toward the enemy tank and continued onto they locked on to it. Hawkeye pulled the triggers and this time landed a direct hit on the enemy tank's hull, literally sheering it in half. The tank appeared to be split down the middle and dropped to the ground in a ball of fire, taking several unlucky soldiers and Parademons with it.
Elsewhere on the battlefield, Captain America charged forward against a squad of soldiers. He held his shield out and bashed into the first soldier foolish enough to stand in his way, and then he landed a hard right cross on the next unlucky soldier. He leapt over the heads of two more soldiers, dropped in between them and landed a string of hard punches and straight kicks while defending against ranged strikes with his shield. Captain America tossed the shield in retaliation, and the shield struck a trio of soldiers and a Parademon. The Parademon didn't go down but it did turn toward the Captain, shrieking as it swooped forward.
Captain America dropped down, and Batman suddenly appeared behind him tossing a set of Baterangs. The Baterangs stuck to the Parademon and explored into a shower of sparks. Batman vaulted over Captain America's back and shot the stunned beast with his grapple gun. He reeled himself forward straight at the Parademon and landed the hardest straight kick he could manage before catapulting away. Cap shield was right there next to Batman, so he kicked it up and took a defensive stance against the beast. The Parademon lunged forward and slashed at the shield, and Batman was barely pushed back an inch after each strike.
As the Parademon continued its attack, Captain America moved in for the next hit and he landed a huge punch to the beast's jaw. It was so hard that teeth flew from its mouth. Sensing an opening, Batman tossed the shield into the air. Cap leapt high into the air and caught the shield before bringing his feet down onto the face of the Parademon. With the Parademon down, Cap finished it off with a shield strike to the face. Cap looked back and immediately ducked under a Baterang that Batman threw in his direction, looking back to notice a soldier going down after being struck in head by the Baterang.
Batman walked up to Captain America as if nothing happened, and Cap sternly said, "Next time, warn me."
"You're welcome." Batman replied.
The brief interaction didn't last long as a new swarm of soldiers made a beeline for Batman and Captain America. The two heroes prepared for the next fight when the Flash suddenly bolted into the fray. The Flash zipped in between the soldiers and struck them down with lightning quick punches. From the Flash's point of view, the soldiers didn't appear to feel the hits as they came. But once the Flash reunited with Batman and Cap, the soldiers all dropped to the ground in piles. Cap appeared impressed by the Flash's efforts. On the other hand, Batman was very far from impressed.
"Hey guys. I'm not interrupting anything, am I?" he asked.
Before an answer could be spoken, a duo of ground tanks approach the three heroes and locked their turrets down on them. One of the tanks fired, but a green dome-like shield appeared to deflect the blast. Batman looked up and saw Green Lantern willing the shield up, but there was also a hover tank coming up behind him. Green Lantern looked back to see the tank, but it was to his surprise that Iron Man and Captain Marvel swooped in and landed an onslaught of energy blasts and rockets. The tank listed and dropped close to the ground, and the Hulk arrived to rip the machine apart.
Several Parademons made a their move but Raven and Vision brought them down with their powers, while Wonder Woman and Aquaman fought off the last remain soldiers before regrouping with the others. There was one more hover tank that was coming and the Hulk roared his displeasure, but another tank blasted it to bits. All the heroes looked puzzlingly at the rogue tank before its top hatch opened, and Hawkeye emerged from inside.
"Hey Stark, if we can find some schematics, you think you could build one of these things?" Hawkeye asked.
Black Widow pushed out of the hatch and said, "Why you would actually want one of these damn tanks is beyond me, Clint."
"Save it, you two. Thor is still up there with Darkseid and Doom, and Superman can't fight them on his own. We have to get up there now." Captain America said.
"Any suggestions?" Aquaman asked.
Cap looked at Batman and said to him, "It's your universe, so that makes it your call."
"Going up floor by floor will take too long, and Darkseid will like have countermeasures in place to prevent teleportation from either Cyborg's Boom Tube or Raven's magic." Batman reasoned.
"So, we'll use the direct approach." Wonder Woman said.
"What exactly is the direct approach?" Hawkeye asked.
Batman looked toward the top of the citadel and replied, "We go straight up. Those who can fly, fly. Those who can't, climb onto the tank's hull."
"Or hitch a ride with the Hulk." Iron Man said.
The Flash looked at the Hulk, who returned a grumbling gaze to the Scarlet Speedster. "Um, no thanks. I can run up the side of the citadel."
Doctor Doom unleashed a rapid-fire assault on Superman, using his one hand to keep the Man of Steel pinned to the wall and the other to pummel him. Darkseid watched with barely a hint of amusement, while Thor struggled against himself to act despite Darkseid's influence. Doctor Doom pressed his assault with varying attacks; straight punches and backhand strikes and even a head butt. He landed a brutal punches to the red S emblem on Superman's chest, dropping the Kryptonian to his knees.
"You're wondering how I've been able to subdue you so easily." Doctor Doom claimed.
"The thought hardly crossed my mind." Superman stated.
"From what I learned in short tenure in this universe, you are quite vulnerable to the effects of magic. In my universe, I've mastered the art of mysticism and infused it into my armor," Doom then picked Superman up and pinned him to the wall again. "In all honesty, I am very disappointed with what you've offered me so far."
"That is enough, Doom," Darkseid suddenly said. But Doom merely looked at Darkseid for a moment before continuing his attack, and Darkseid angrily replied, "I said that is enough."
This time, Doctor Doom snapped his head back and shouted, "I am not one of your brainwashed playthings for you to command at a whim, Darkseid. I am Victor Von Doom and I shall do as I please."
Darkseid snapped up from his throne and bellowed, "Do not presume to think yourself beyond my wrath, Von Doom. I have allow you to survive on Apokolips thus far at my leisure, but now my patience with you wears is at a critical low."
"You presume too much if you believe me to be concerned about your wrath," Doom said as he turned back to Superman. "As for you, Superman, at least I have the stomach to do what Darkseid will not."
Doctor Doom went to land a hard punch to Superman's face, only for his arm and fist to suddenly be stopped dead. Superman had Doom's wrist, and Doom's eyes darted between the sight of his stopped attack and Superman's face. Superman began to push back, inching Doom's fist further and further back. Doom pushed back but Superman was gaining ground while floating away from the wall. He had had Doctor Doom suddenly back away even as Doom continued to fight back. All the while, Darkseid sat back in his throne with his hand clasped and a smirk on his face. In the recesses of his trapped psyche, Thor was smiling at the sudden turn of events.
"Do you know why Darkseid could never finish me off after all the times he's tried?" Superman asked.
Doom daringly said, "Enlighten me."
Superman's eyes began to glow bright red as he stated, "It's because he's always made the mistake of underestimating me… and so did you."
Superman cut loose with his heat vision and pushed Doctor Doom a few feet away from him. Doom managed to hold his ground upon planting his feet down while Superman started pushing forward. Superman kept his heat vision sustained as he took step after step, while Doctor Doom blocked the beam with his gauntlets even as he felt the searing heat on the skin beneath. Then Doctor Doom began to push forward against Superman, and all the while, Darkseid watched with increasing interest. Superman and Doctor Doom pushed closer and closer to each other until the heat vision canceled out in a flash of red energy. Then Superman saw his opening.
Superman landed a heavy shot that rocked Doctor Doom and pushed him back a step. Another heavy punch came that pushed Doom back further and Superman pressed his assaulted with punch after punch. Doctor Doom managed to retaliate and land a hard punch of his own that rocked Superman, proving his own mettle despite being a mere human who though himself to be a god. Doctor Doom continued to strike back with a series of hard strikes like any experienced fighter, but Superman was able to push back. After landing another round of strikes, Superman gain the advantage he needed and grabbed hold of Doom's tunic.
He took to the air with Doom in his grasp and landed a massive punch right to Doom's mask. The blow sent Doom flying backward and right through the wall above the throne room, with the momentum carrying him across the landscape and out sight. Superman remained in the air for a short time to collect himself before Darkseid's Omega Beam suddenly struck him. Superman was sent crashing back down on the floor of the throne room across from Darkseid, who was now stalking toward him. Behind him, Thor was still struggling against himself, trying to break free of the influence Darkseid had on him.
"I suppose I shouldn't be surprised at the outcome. Doctor Doom has proven his arrogance in ways that not even Lex Luthor could've displayed," Darkseid stated as he blasted Superman again. "If there was anything to learn from this day, it's this; 'never send a mere mortal to a New God's job.'"
Just as Darkseid was set to finish Superman, he was suddenly struck from behind was bolt of lightning. He looked back and saw Thor in a fighting stance with Mjolnir pointed straight at him. The look on Thor's face told the story of an angry Asgardian warrior with brutal revenge in mind. Darkseid appeared unafraid, while Superman managed to at least crack a small smile at the turn of events. Thor spun Mjolnir around and prepared to launch straight toward Darkseid. He did just that, hammer straight ahead with every intention to pound Darkseid in submission. Then an unseen force quickly jolted him, but that was from within his own psyche. Darkseid still had control of Thor and forced him to drop and slide across the floor.
Instantly, Superman's smirk vanished as Darkseid stood over Thor and said to him, "You impress me, Thor. Very few have shown the strength of character to overcome my influence. It's a pity that your efforts to break free will ultimately be in vain."
Superman watched Thor grab his head and writhe in agony before he noticed that Darkseid had his attention away from him. Seizing the chance, Superman blasted Darkseid with his heat vision and momentarily dazed the New God. Darkseid staggered from the heat vision blast and Superman instantly pounced, landing a hard right cross to his foe rocky jaw. Darkseid was staggered further and Superman pressed on with a heavy barrage of punches. Every blow pushed Darkseid back further before Superman landed a giant punch. Darkseid was sent flying and crashed into his own throne.
Thor was still struggling against the dark influence Darkseid had over him as Superman approached him. Standing over Thor, Superman said, "Listen to me, Thor; I've been a victim of Darkseid's influence. I know what it's like to be trapped in your own mind. You have to fight it."
"I… I'm trying…" Thor managed to mutter out.
Superman knelt beside Thor and put a hand on his shoulder. "Try harder! Keep fighting. You can beat the influence."
"No, Kal-El. He cannot," Darkseid claimed as he stood up with his hands behind his back and sauntered forward, as if the previous beating from Superman never happened. "As you once did before, Thor now belongs to Darkseid."
Superman was an inch removed from Thor and it was without warning, Thor swung his hammer directly into Superman's face. Superman instantly went crashing through the ceiling and further into the sky. He then began a straight plummet back toward the landscape of Apokolips where, down below, the Avengers and the Justice League were making an attempt to get to the citadel's apex. Superman then crashed down into the ground and left a crater on impact.
Almost immediately, the heroes of both group began making a U-turn to regroup with Superman. But their attempt was interrupted by a giant thunderclap above. At the apex of the citadel, Thor emerged from the breach with Mjolnir spinning above him. A huge, dark cloud formed above him and more rumbles of thunder boomed out across the sky. Lightning bolts streaked across the sky, as if the world was coming to its swift and unpleasant end. As far as the Avengers and the Justice League were concerned, the end of the world was upon them.
Author's Note: I think it's safe to assume that things are about to turn sideways not that the brainwashed Thor has entered the fray. The Avengers and Justice League are in for a fight.
And, don't think that Doctor Doom is out of the said fight just yet.
By the way, the hover tank hijacking bit was inspired by a similar scene from Captain America: The First Avenger. Another bit was inspire by a scene from Season 1 of Supergirl.
Of course, Cyborg proudly utters his famous catchphrase. The fans have been serviced.
Let me know what you think and I'll be back soon. BOOYAH!