-Chapter Thirty-Five-
The Apokolips Arrives
Lex looked out on the city of Metropolis, he had received news of the missile. It had hit. He couldn't help but smile at the news. It was done. The plan had worked, he had wiped them out, all of them. The alien had escaped of course but he wouldn't have been any help, they had all been destroyed, besides, that missile was lined with meteor rock or rather, Kryptonite he had come to call it. He would be dead on impact as will his true self, the one he hid behind a squeaky clean mask. He had tried to make the world see it, but they were too, misguided to see it for themselves but they will.
"Is it done?" a voice appeared behind Lex.
"Yes," Lex said stiffly, "they're destroyed."
"Good," said Mercer wrapping her arms around Lex's neck from behind him kissing his cheek, "you've done a good job. My master is pleased with you."
"Thank you," Lex said looking blankly out in the horizon, "Grace."
"Green Arrow, this is Watch Tower do you copy!" Chloe cried down her mike, "Oliver! Do you read me? Bart? Zatanna? Dinah? Victor? Answer me! Someone!"
"Watch Tower this is Flash," Flash's voice echoed from the computer.
"Flash? What's going on? Where is everyone?" Chloe cried, the explosion had knocked out everyone's comlinks. She couldn't read them. Her scanners were being disrupted by the explosion as well, all she could pick up was traces of Kryptonite. Trust Lex to line it with kryptonite.
"I-I don't know," Flash stuttered distraughtly, "I was evacuating the girls. I-I couldn't get to them!"
"You have super speed how could you not get to them?" Chloe spat coldly.
"And leave a hundred girls to fight a army of demons by themselves? Flash snapped, "that ain't what we do, yo."
"I know," Chloe sighed, "I'm sorry Bart. I jus..."
"I know," Flash replied solemnly, "I'm going to get these girls to a safe spot and then I'll get back to the castle see what I can find."
"Okay, keep in contact," Chloe cried urgently as she sat down in her seat resting her head on in her hand as she tried to hold back tears. Please be alive.
"I will," Flash said quickly.
"And Bart," Chloe said anxiously unable to think of the bad, the thing of despair, "good luck."
"You too," Flash said before switching off, leaving Chloe with her thoughts and her despairs.
Beep! Beep! Beep! Chloe looked up at one of her screens. Her satellite was locking in on something. Something big. Her mouth opened and fear filled her viens as she scanned in for it.
"My god," Chloe gasped as her satellite gave her visual revealing a huge star battle fleet flying over the planet.
A loud hum echoed from behind Chloe as lightning sizzled in the air, exploding into a white circling vortex in mid-air. Chloe looked on in horror as marching echoed through the vortex as black shapes marched from the nowhere in which the vortex originated, coming closer and closer towards her as she stood gripped with fear at the monstorous figures coming towards her. They were doomed.
The ship moved slowly over the puny planet that was Earth, how appropriate, a planet named after dirt (I heard that from somewhere can't remember where). A dark shadow loomed over the planet as the ship passed over it. The squad had reported in. It was done. The first phase of the plan was over.
"Their communications expert has been taken care of, my lord," Kanto, a tall man wearing a black suit matching his long flowing hair that reached his shoulders, stated turning to his master, who sat on his throne, hidden in the dark shadows that loomed over the bridge.
"Then, they are blind to an attack," his master replied, his voice was deep and booming sending a shiver down Kanto's spine as his Lord and Master spoke, "have you scrambled the human's satellites."
"We took them out as we came out of the Boom Tubes, my lord," Kanto bowed.
"Then it is time for the invasion," his master snarled with what could be described as cheerfulness for the coming battle. His master stood up towering over his minions yet still hidden in shadow as his voice magnified through the fleet of 50,000, "My soldiers! Prepare your Boom Tubes! The invasion begins now!"
Cries of battle echoed through the star battle fleet as the demonic soldiers of doom prepared for battle. The Apokolips was coming.
Metropolis was quiet, well as quiet as it could be in a big city like this. The news stand owners stood in the cold air rubbing their hands together trying to keep themselves warm as they sold the newspapers to the customers that passed his way. Above him stood the Daily Planet standing high and proud, glistening in the sun bringing hope throughout the skylight.
A cold unnerving feeling filled Ralf the coffee vendor's as he felt the earth shake from beneath him, it was a light tremor and yet it gave him a strange feeling like something bad was about to happen. He looked up as he heard a boom in the sky, silvery white vortexes appearing in the sky scattered and humming softly. Dark shadows moved across the city as huge spacecrafts swept out of the strange vortexes moving slowly over the city circling a massive space ship ominously overshadowing the rest as well as most of the city, placing it into almost complete darkness. The entire city. The entire world was now watching as Hell was descending on Earth
"Perry white you best pour yourself a scotch cos you're gonna need it when you read this year's big story," Lois chimed smugly as she walked into Perry's office, the bullpen being near deserted as every reporter stood looking out of the window, "what's with the solar eclipse?" she asked as she placed the copy of her story down on Perry's desk, her editor stood looking out terrified at the 'eclipse' outside.
"Err... that's no Eclipse," Jimmy gulped as he stood next to Perry in the same open mouthed look that was now imprinted on the entire human race.
"It has to be," Lois chuckled incredulously as she walked to the window, "it's as dark as night out there and its only thr..."
Her eyes widened as she reached the window and her mouth opened as fear gripped her entire body at the mere thought of what she was seeing.
"We were thinking the same thing," Perry breathed as he continued to stare at the ship. "Lois?"
"Yeah."
"Slap me," Perry said unable to look away from the ship hovering over them. Lois lifted her hand upwards as though it were acting by itself smacking Perry across the face whilst still transfixed on the ship. "Thanks," Perry said as he leapt with fright, shaking his head, glaring at the two gawping reporters as his gruff features hardened. "Well what are ya standing around for?" he growled causing Lois and Jimmy to jump in the air with fright turning to Perry as he began his gruff rant for a story, "Your reporters? Stop gawping and find out what's going on? Get me that story? Find out where Superman?" he barked as he ushered them out of his office, "Is that Superman's ship? Is Superman involved? Will he save us? Are they Daleks? Cybermen? Body Snatchers of the Third Kind? Olsen get me pictures of the aliens? Do they have three heads? Find it out! And you lot!" he called over to the reporters stood at the windows, "stop licking the windows and lick your pens for a story! Go!"
The thunder of feet running echoed as every reporter stormed out of the bullpen leaving Perry behind as he slumped by the frame of the door looking around craftily to see if everyone had gone, before pulling out a cigarette from his pocket and lighting it in his mouth. He smiled as he inhaled and exhaled the smoke slumping further into the frame with satisfaction.
"I picked the wrong week to quite sniffing glue," Perry sighed as he grabbed his coat and ran to the elevator the cigarette bouncing against his lips as he ran for the story of the century. A smile on his face as chuckled inwardly at the Airplane joke.
"What is this? What have you been doing to me?" Lex barked at the disembodied voice speaking in his office as Grace/Mercer stood next to him lifting the mental control she had on him.
"You have served your purpose, Lex Luthor," the voice boomed darkly, "for many months, years, my agent has been manipulating you."
"It wasn't so hard, master," Amazing Grace sneered whilst bowing to her master's voice, "he has such evil in his heart. Selfish, greedy evil all willing go with my bidding."
"You've been manipulating me?" Lex snarled glaring furiously at Grace or Mercer or whoever she was.
"All for my master," Mercer spat at Lex venomously.
"Thanks to you Lex Luthor," the voice boomed, "my army of super earth beings is ready..."
"What?" Lex cried.
"They will be activated and added to my forces and you," the voice boomed a white vortex appeared in the room humming as they had done outside not a moment ago, a huge black figure moving toward him. Lex's eyes widened as he saw the creature stepping before him. It was a monster, a tyrannical monster stood over him like... a god, "you will kneel before me."
Superman dropped to the ground fear gripping him as he ran towards the wreckage before, the ruined castle sat destroyed and blown apart hanging limply on the Scottish moors. Angel slammed down next to him. His eyes wide with shock as he stood frozen to the spot for a moment. Awoken by Clark's anguish cries as he threw a piece of debris from the rubble.
"BUFFY!" Clark roared as he picked up boulders throwing them from the rubble digging his way through the wreckage.
"Buffy!" Angel called as he two dug a few feet away from him. "Buffy? Are you here? Bu..."
"Clarrrrrk!" croaked a familiar voice from both their right. Clark spun around to see something moving from the ground.
"Xander!" Clark cried running towards Xander as he lay barely conscious on the ground. "Xander are you okay? Where's Dawn?"
"I'm here," croaked a voice from underneath Xander's arm. Clark moved Xander softly to see a small rag doll held under his protective arms.
"Dawn!" Clark croaked picking Dawn up in his arms lightly, she was unharmed, Xander had protected her from the blast. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Dawn coughed, "just... you know a toy! I'm a toy! And worse I'm a rag doll! I could have been burnt alive!"
"Better than melting," Clark chuckled softly trying to cheer her up.
"Xander's hurt," Dawn snapped irritably turning a sympathetic face towards Xander.
"He'll be fine," Clark said placing him in the recovering position after x-raying him, "he's just concussed. Stay with him."
Dawn nodded as Clark rejoined Angel back to digging through the rubble, they were now joined by Batman who was helping as much as he could.
"Buffy?" Clark cried as he dug through the rubble, flashing his x-ray every now and again to scan the wreckage for anything.
"What are you doing?" Angel snarled as Clark stopped suddenly, "she could be dying in there!"
"I can hear something," Clark snapped glaring back at Angel. He wasn't sure he liked Angel, despite them being on the same side, he didn't agree with his methods.
"Yeah me shouting at you," Angel snapped as he threw a wall from the ground throwing it away.
"Are they heart beats?" Batman asked curiously ignoring Angel.
"What are you talking about?" Angel asked confused.
"Yes, I can hear them," Clark said spinning around as he heard the sound of movement and saw a yellow shimmering bubble expand from within the rubble, rocks being pushed apart as the bubble grew up. Clark's eyes fluttered with hope as he saw someone within the bubble. "It's them."
"They're alive," Angel sighed with relief.
"Oliver!" Clark cried making his way over the rubble as the bubble disappeared around the six people. "You're alive?"
"Just barely," Oliver coughed as he stumbled out of the rubble. "Thanks to Z."
"Always got a few tricks up my sleeves," Zatanna said brightly holding out her hand to Clark looking him over in his tight fitting suit, "Zatanna."
"Superman," Clark replied.
"What I don't get your real name?" Zatanna replied teasingly.
"Where's Buffy?" Angel asked interrupting the Superhero tit for tat.
"Angel!" Willow cried excitedly as she saw Angel stepping forward, "Your..."
Their eyes widened as they saw what Angel was wearing, the costume they could not mistake.
"You!" Giles spat furiously glaring at Angel.
"Giles," Angel said softly holding up his hands.
"YOU!" Xander roared furiously as he lunged at Angel throwing him to the ground before anyone could react or know he was conscious again. They slid across the rubble coming to a stop as Xander pinned Angel down and pummelled him to the ground furiously, "YOU DID THIS? YOU DID? You killed her!"
"Xander stop!" Clark cried pulling Xander off Angel. "Let him go. He's on our side."
"Our side?" Xander snarled looking at Clark furiously.
"What's going on?" Black Canary groaned as she too regained consciousness.
"Angel's Twilight," Willow said softly unable to believe it herself. How? How could he do this? To them? To Buffy?
"You're that evil Superman aren't you?" Xander snarled pushing Clark off of him. "You're working with him aren't you?"
"Xander," Clark said softly.
"Get away from me," Xander said stumbling a little as he felt woozy, "I always knew... you're with him!"
"No, he's not," came a weak voice. It was a familiar, a voice Clark hadn't heard in years. He turned to see a battle torn Victor Stone walking towards him. He was pretty beat up and Clark could only guess why as he saw his red eye flickering weakly, his left arm ripped showing his wiry joints as he carried his torn cybernetic arm with his other good arm. Most of his prosthetic skin was torn and ripped giving him a look of Metallo, a pang of guilt hit Clark at the thought of what he had done to Victor. "His copy is dead. Got blasted with the missile."
"Are you..." Clark began gingerly.
"I'm fine," Cyborg snapped despite grunting with pain, "I'll be able to patch myself up with the right equipment."
"I have some in the plane if you need them," Batman offered curtly, Cyborg nodding to him sitting down on a piece of rubble.
"This still doesn't change anything!" Xander cried, "He's Twilight! He's killed girls."
"I know," Clark growled glaring at Angel who looked away guiltily, "but we need him if we're going to fight what's coming."
"What is coming," Giles demanded at Angel stepping forward demanding answers.
"And what have you do with B?" Faith demanded stepping next to Giles.
Clark turned it was only now through all the chaos that he realised that Buffy wasn't with them. He looked around flashing his x-ray vision and his hearing to try and pick up on her, but she was nowhere to be found it was as he turned to Angel for answers that something tugged on his cape and asked the question that was spinning through his mind.
"Where's Buffy?" Doll Dawn demanded with huff.
Buffy awoke to darkness and confusion. Where was she? The last thing she remembered was the missile heading towards the castle. What had happened? Dawn. Was she safe? Did she make it out? What about the others Xander? Willow? Faith? The Justice League? Had Cyborg beat Kal? Had Twilight captured her?
Questions filled her mind as she got to her feet only to her the jangle of keys as the door of her cell her opened with a clang. A huge towering bulky figure stood at the door. A demon? She thought as it stood there, probably male?
"You are awake Buffy Summers," the 'demon' snarled his voice booming through the cell, Buffy's hairs standing on end by the sound of his voice, "good. You are going to help me find something."
"A new wardrobe," Buffy quipped as she looked over the demons strange clothing, a black leather tunic, black gloves and boots and blue pants, this guy really liked black.
The 'demon' remained silent. He stood there staring at Buffy as she stood observing him curiously expecting him to attack. They usually did. She doubled back a bit as his eyes turned fiery two beam shooting out of his eyes twisting and manoeuvring through the air zapping her entire body. She scream in pain as she felt as if her entire body was on fire. Her knees buckled from the pain and she collapsed to the ground gasping for a breath from the pain she had just experience.
"I am no demon, human," her captor growled with silent anger as stepped into the cell walking towards her slowly. His red eyes glaring at her furiously as she looked up at him. He stepped forward into the light revealing a strong powerful face wrinkled and filled with anger and fury. "I am your new Lord and Master. You may call me. DARKSIED!"