Welcome back to Age of Miracles. Last time, Za'Mag'Nu received word that the Indigo Tribe's Central Power Battery was under threat, and called upon Dragnarok to defend it. Meanwhile, Eternal outlined the plan for recovering the last of the Power Batteries. But as these plans were put into motion, something happened to the Misfits of Evil, as Nuclear Man suddenly went mad, trying to find and kill Superman to prove he's not a mockery of him. After sorting him out, Dragnarok left Deadpool, Spider Ham, and Booster Gold to figure out what the heck happened. So how is this going to go? Read on to discover...
(Our story resumes in the Watchtower hangar, where Dragnarok stands with Za'Mag'Nu, Kyle Rayner, Simon Baz, and Jessica Cruz, waiting for their transport to arrive, with Za'Mag'Nu being rather notably impatient.)
Za'Mag'Nu: Did Gamora give any indication of when this transport would be here?
Dragnarok: This is just classic Quill. He's always late.
(As Dragnarok makes his comment, Sub-Zero enters the hangar, with Gwen Stacy, Ant Man, Captain America, Aqualad, and a strange humanoid tree-like creature)
Dragnarok: (Seeing the tree-man) Toxicus. Didn't expect to see you on this mission.
Toxicus Abiete: Wherever The Green is under threat, that is where I am needed. And Nok is one of the few worlds where civilization coexists with the Parliament of Trees.
Za'Mag'Nu: He's not wrong. The Indigo Tribe and the people of Nok as a whole have lived in a sort of harmony with the Parliament out in the Forbidden Jungles.
Toxicus Abiete: And anywhere that bastard Luthor Jr tries to go, The Green is under threat.
Dragnarok: Have you been spending a lot of time with Swamp Thing? Because you're starting to talk like him.
Toxicus Abiete: Fair enough. But can you blame me? He's really trying to help me come to terms with what happened to me in that swamp.
Dragnarok: Fair enough. I guess suffering fatal chemical burns and being dumped in a swamp would be something old Dr. Holland would have something to say there. Minus the chemical part.
Toxicus Abiete: That's where Pamela came in.
Ant Man: Whoa, since when were you and Poison Ivy on a first name basis?
Toxicus Abiete: We dated in high school, and started rekindling our relationship after I got my powers. Until we both realized she was still in love with Harley. (Clenching a fist) If I find her, I'm going to break her for breaking Pamela's heart by joining Evilness Corp.
Gwen Stacy: Frankly, I would be punching Joker if I were you. He's the one who convinced her to join up with him.
Toxicus Abiete: (Thinking about it) Good point. Totally forgot about him.
Dragnarok: We'll get a chance at them eventually. It's only a matter of time before Luthor Jr sends them. But this isn't Luthor Jr. It's Eternal.
Aqualad: So he and the Spawns have broken away from that bastard after all?
Dragnarok: Not entirely, but most of the actions they've taken in the last year are them on their own plan. A plan we know nothing about.
Captain America: Knowing they've got the entire Infinity Gauntlet, the Miracle Machine, and who knows what else, it can't be good.
Dragnarok: Agreed. (Hearing a ship arriving) Ah, that's them now.
(And just like that, the hangar door opens, allowing the Benatar to land, allowing Star Lord, Rocket, Groot, Drax, and Mantis to exit the ship)
Star Lord: Hear you guys need a lift.
Dragnarok: Quill. Good to see you.
Sub-Zero: You're late.
Star Lord: Yeah, sorry about that. Trying to find a route around quantum asteroid fields so we don't wreck this like the Milano.
Drax: Considering you were hungover, it was even harder.
Star Lord: (Looking at Drax) You weren't supposed to tell them that!
Dragnarok: But thank you for saying something, Drax. Rocket?
Rocket: Sure. So long as we're not making 700 jumps again.
Mantis: Nok is only about 13 jumps from where Ego was. So from around Earth that's about... 22, unless we take the scenic route, which is 27.
Ant Man: How the heck do you know that?!
Mantis: I've taken up learning navigation.
Dragnarok: Nice. (Seeing the size of the group) Hope we can all fit into the ship.
Groot: (With an annoyed air) I am Groot.
Toxicus Abiete: Relax. Scott here can shrink to make room if he needs to.
Rocket: Wait, you can understand Groot?
Toxicus Abiete: He's a Floracolossus. I can communicate with all plant life, arboroforms are no exception.
Rocket: Whoa. That is... impressive.
Dragnarok: Interspecies communication skills aside, we need to get moving.
Za'Mag'Nu: Agreed. We must make haste.
(Without any hesitation, the team boards the Benatar and they take off from the Watchtower, and start making jumps towards Nok, and as they begin, we see inside the ship, and surprisingly everyone can fit pretty well, even without Ant Man shrinking)
Toxicus Abiete: See Groot? I told you we'd be fine.
Groot: (With relief) I am Groot.
Rocket: We should be at Nok in about an hour, since this ship doesn't quite have the speed the Milano did.
Star Lord: Which gives us plenty of time to figure out what we're up against here.
Dragnarok: That's the problem, Quill. We have absolutely no idea who Eternal sent on this mission.
Za'Mag'Nu: Though if I had to guess, Jinmen is likely to be involved.
Mantis: It seems like you and this Jinmen have some history. May I?
Za'Mag'Nu: May you what?
Drax: Mantis is an empath. She wants to read your emotions to figure out what is going on.
Mantis: Of course I wouldn't if you objected.
Za'Mag'Nu: No, no, go ahead. I have no objections.
(With that, Mantis places her hand on Za'Mag'Nu's shoulder, as her antennae start to light up)
Mantis: (Gasps in complete shock) I am... there are no words. I am so sorry for your loss.
Dragnarok: Loss?
Za'Mag'Nu: (Sighs) Jinmen... killed my family while he was still alive, before I killed him. That's why I joined the Indigo Tribe. But after the Battery was destroyed the first time, Indigo-1 and I were the only ones to rejoin the Tribe willingly, finally feeling the compassion we had lacked our entire life.
Star Lord: Whoa. How does that even work?!
Kyle Rayner: Indigo directly parallels Orange on the Emotional Spectrum. The two lights are rather... parasitic... compared to the rest.
Simon Baz: Abin Sur tried using the Indigo Tribe as a means to reform criminals across the galaxy, letting the light of compassion show them that which they lacked. Or so I've heard.
Za'Mag'Nu: You're entirely correct. And it worked for Indigo-1 and I at the very least. No idea about the rest though.
Dragnarok: That... seems a little extreme.
Jessica Cruz: It really is.
Toxicus Abiete: (To Dragnarok) Surprisingly, the Indigo Tribe of my world almost came after you during the Injustice Wars for your actions with the Empire. Seeing Dragnarok instead of Darkblood, they changed their minds.
Dragnarok: They did? (Remembering something) So those Indigo lights weren't a nightmare. Good to know.
(As Dragnarok reminisces on this moment, he sees a jump point open in front of the Benatar, which catches everybody off guard, especially from what emerges: a ship looking like a cross between the RLS Legacy from Treasure Planet and the Queen Anne's Revenge, manned by a crew of some sort of golem-like robots. But aboard this ship stand a few notable figures: specifically Frenzy, the Arsonist, and someone who looks like a female Larfleeze dressed like a mixture of Jack Sparrow and Davy Jones)
?: Avast ye scurvy dogs! There be our target! Prepare to engage!
Frenzy: Don't forget, Avarice, we need one of them alive.
Avarice: Ye think I've forgotten what we're after? (Grabbing Frenzy by the throat) And it's CAPTAIN Avarice to ye. And I don't take kindly to some bilge rat deck swabbie taking the helm. Leave the ship to her captain. (To her crew) Prepare the ion cannons, fire on that trawler and capture the dragon alive! Leave the rest to Davy Jones' Vacuum.
Star Lord: What the heck am I looking at here?
Dragnarok: It's the Imperial Damnation, Avarice's ship.
Rocket: And who exactly is Avarice?!
Dragnarok: A space pirate who... served under Darkblood during the Injustice Wars. Eternal must've released her from the Phantom Zone. Makes sense, she's the only one with space-faring capabilities.
(With that, the Imperial Damnation reveals it's massive set of ion cannons, aimed straight at the Benatar)
Dragnarok: Rocket, can we get that jump system up a little quicker?
Rocket: With what I cobbled together?! Good luck with that! We're going to have to fire on them.
Kyle Rayner: Are you kidding me?! That's like pitting a fishing boat against a freaking battleship!
Captain America: We've faced worse odds than this.
Dragnarok: Fair enough, Cap. (To the rest of the room) Alright team, we need to hold off the Imperial Damnation until we can get the jump system back online and get to Nok. How long do we have, Rocket?
Rocket: To get the system cooled? About 20 minutes. To get to Nok from there, add about 10 minutes. With about 35 seconds to get started.
Dragnarok: So let's get moving! Battle stations!
(With that, the entire group readies themselves on the Benatar's defenses. And from there, the battle begins. The Imperial Damnation fires their ion cannons at the Benatar, which manages to dodge each blast before firing back on the Imperial Damnation, barely denting the hull.)
Avarice: (Laughing) Do they really think that pitiful grapeshot can pierce my hull?! HA! Full power men! Blow them into the next galaxy!
(As the battle continues to rage, we get a look inside the Benatar, where the jump system is finally operational)
Rocket: Jump system ready to go!
Dragnarok: Then let's get out of here!
Rocket: Hold on. (Redirects the Benatar towards the Imperial Damnation) This is something I've always wanted to try!
Gwen Stacy: (Realizes what he's about to do) You're going to turn us into an RKKV?!
Star Lord: What the heck is that supposed to mean?!
Jessica Cruz: It's an acronym, short for Relativistic Kinetic Kill Vehicle.
Rocket: In other words, we're going to hit the jump point right into that eyesore they call a ship.
Drax: Does everyone have their wills written? Because this is likely going to kill us.
Ant Man: We are doomed.
Dragnarok: (As Rocket engages the jump program) EVERYBODY HOLD ON TO SOMETHING!
(With the team bracing for impact, Rocket activates the jump system, maneuvering towards the Imperial Damnation, the Benatar itself preparing to enter the jump, catching the eye of Avarice)
Arsonist: Are they seriously going to do that?
Avarice: Shiver me timbers, they are! BRACE FOR IMPACT!
(And just as Avarice and her crew brace for impact, the Benatar enters the jump, just missing the hull of the Imperial Damnation.)
Frenzy: (Finally breaking the awkward silence) Are we dead?
Avarice: (Seeing they're just gone) That limey bastard. They tricked us! Nobody makes a fool out of Captain Avarice and lives to tell about it! Get that jump system back up, and get us to Nok!
(With that, the Imperial Damnation turns itself back towards its original destination and takes the jump system after the Benatar. As the giant galleon disappears through space, we transition to the surface of Nok, where the Benatar exits the jump point and lands on the surface of the planet, somewhere in the Forbidden Jungles. As the team disembarks, we can hear Rocket already complaining about something)
Rocket: I just missed the hull! Taking out that ship with a jump would have been awesome, and I missed it by a millisecond!
Dragnarok: At least this way you'll live to tell the tale.
Rocket: Good point.
Dragnarok: (To Za'Mag'Nu) Does Indigo-1 know we're here?
Za'Mag'Nu: (Holding up her staff) I'm informing her as we speak.
(Just as Za'Mag'Nu makes that statement, a swarm of indigo lights swarm the group, revealing Indigo-1 and a small platoon of her corps members, who start speaking to Za'Mag'Nu)
Star Lord: What are they saying?
Dragnarok: No idea. I don't speak Nokian.
Indigo-1: (Turning her attention to Dragnarok) Welcome to our humble world, Dragnarok, and company. It is an honor to host heroes of such renown
Dragnarok: The honor is ours, Indigo-1.
Indigo-1: Za'Mag'Nu has told us much of you. But there is little time for pleasantries. We must make haste.
Dragnarok: Agreed. I have a feeling that Eternal's forces aren't very far behind us.
(Indigo-1 just nods in agreement, as the group cloaks the Benatar before heading into the Forbidden Jungles as our tale ends for today.)
And that wraps up today. So today was a lot of lore building on newer characters of Yami's. Notably Za'Mag'Nu and Jinmen. Their interactions in the original story left me thinking there had to be some personal connection there. And knowing how the Indigo Tribe recruits, this seemed to work. As well, we finally meet Avarice, one of Darkblood's original generals that Yami has listed out. Hope everything I made out here works, Yami. I can always change it around as needed. So, will the Indigo Tribe's Central Power Battery remain secure? And what about Booster Gold and company? Tune in next time to find out! Same time... same channel!