Welcome back to Age of Miracles! Last time, Deadpool, Booster Gold, and Spider Ham started their mission to track down the Misfits of Evil and attempt to figure out what happened with Nuclear Man, by seeing if the rest were affected. And it really started going poorly very early, so a lot of help was needed. So while this is going on, what's happening on Nok? Well, that's what we're about to find out...
(Our story resumes in the jungles of Nok, where Indigo-1 shows Dragnarok and his team: Captain America, Gwen Stacy, Sub-Zero, Ant Man, Aqualad, Kyle Rayner, Simon Baz, Jessica Cruz, Za'Mag'Nu, Toxicus Abiete, Star Lord, Rocket, Groot, Drax, and Mantis; to their destination, the place where the Indigo Central Power Battery is contained)
Indigo-1: We have arrived.
Star Lord: (Seeing their destination) It's just a tree.
Dragnarok: It's not just a tree, Quill. At least, not on the inside.
Za'Mag'Nu: Dragnarok is correct. The Central Power Battery is hidden within this tree.
Dragnarok: In other words, this is where we stand our ground. Here's the plan. The Lanterns and I will protect the Battery within, the rest of you set up traps and defenses out here.
Rocket: Way ahead of you, bud. Started laying traps the second we hit the ground.
Dragnarok: Good. Start laying a ground front on the exterior of this tree. If I know Eternal's forces like I think I do, Avarice and her crew won't be far behind us. Toxicus, Steve, and Sub-Zero are running point.
Toxicus Abiete: Copy that.
Dragnarok: Alright, get set up out here, we'll set defenses within.
(With that, Indigo-1, Za'Mag'Nu, Kyle Rayner, Simon Baz, Jessica Cruz, and Dragnarok enter the tree, while the rest of the team scatters to put up traps, as we transition to the interior of the tree, where we see the Battery in question in it's fullest, a massive stone lantern with an indigo light emanating from the center)
Dragnarok: So this is it. The source of the entire Indigo Tribe's powers.
Za'Mag'Nu: Beautiful, isn't it?
Indigo-1: The beauty of the light of compassion aside, we have to set up defenses.
Dragnarok: No need to worry, Indigo-1. We are the defenses. We're not likely to be dealing with Avarice if she comes along, more likely Eternal sent someone else with her.
Za'Mag'Nu: You speculated Jinmen was that person, if I'm not mistaken.
Dragnarok: He's the most likely, given he was involved in the capture of Oa. But then again, he is a Black Lantern, he may be securing his own Battery. So I'm honestly unsure. (Looking back out towards his team) Let's just hope the others can keep them contained.
(And just as Dragnarok looks back out, we transition back to the rest of the team, discussing the plan)
Captain America: Okay everyone, what have we got?
Ant-Man: (Holding up a shrink disk) Couple of shrink disks, point up. Should shrink anything that steps on it.
Captain America: Nice work, Scott.
Drax: Add to that Rocket's classic jungle traps, we should be fine.
Sub-Zero: We shall see once the enemy arrives.
(And just as Sub-Zero says that, a jump point opens up in the sky above them revealing the Imperial Damnation has arrived)
Gwen Stacy: Looks like we're about to find out!
(As the space galleon moves towards the ground, we see Avarice, Frenzy, and the Arsonist among the crew of the Imperial Damnation.)
Avarice: Hit the beach, men! Seize the target and kill anyone who stands in the way!
(Just like that, Avarice's crew leaps from the ship, fully revealing themselves as robots)
Captain America: (Seeing the charging army of robots, then holding his shield in front of him) HOLD THE LINE!
(And just like that, the battle begins. What parts of Avarice's crew survive the apparently explosive traps Rocket left in the forest enter the clearing where the Central Power Battery is, several stepping on shrink disk spikes and shrinking out of existence while others get hit by classing swinging logs or falling into spike pits. The ones that don't meet Captain America's shield, Sub-Zero's cryomancy, Groot's extending limbs, Toxicus Abiete's vines, Ant Man throwing more shrinking disks at them, Aqualad's water blades, Drax's daggers, Star Lord's gun, and Gwen Stacy's webs. While fighting them off, Mantis attempts to use her empathic powers on one of them, causing the supposed robot to fall asleep on command)
Mantis: (Completely surprised) Okay, that should not have worked!
Star-Lord: (Seeing what happened) Is this some "The Black Hole" nonsense?! Tell me those aren't some people who've had an ice pick go through their brains!
(Just as Star-Lord asks his question, Avarice herself charges the field, and almost slashes his arm off)
Avarice: Ye honestly think I fried the brains of some deck swabbies to fortify me crew? You're mad! They be Manhunters and Phalanx recruited by Eternal once I got me ship back.
Star-Lord: Good thing this isn't some "The Black Hole" nonsense. That movie freaked me out!
(Now having entered the fray, Avarice starts slashing at the team with a plasma cutlass before getting pelted in the back of the head with Captain America's shield)
Captain America: (Catching his shield) So you're that gaudy thing's captain?
Avarice: Ye dare call me ship gaudy!? I'll cut your hide for that, boy!
Captain America: Then let's settle this, Captain to Captain.
(And just like that, Captain America clashes with Avarice, but while all of this is going on, Rocket has snuck off back towards the Benatar, while Frenzy and the Arsonist bring out the Imperial Damnation. But within seconds, Rocket returns piloting the Benatar, sniping Manhunters and Phalanx as Avarice continues to fight Captain America as the Imperial Damnation starts to fight it again. As this happens, Captain America sees an opportunity)
Captain America: (To Sub-Zero) Kuai Liang, are you seeing what I'm seeing?
Sub-Zero: (Recognizing what Captain America is seeing) I see exactly what you're planning, Captain.
Captain America: Rocket?
Rocket: Way ahead of you, Cap!
(With that we see what Rocket is doing, hacking the Imperial Damnation's jump system. As Rocket get's control of the jump system, Captain America slams Avarice over the head with his shield before punching her straight off the ground, allowing Sub-Zero and Gwen Stacy to freeze and web her to the bow of her own ship, acting like a figure-head of some sort, minus one arm that isn't frozen)
Avarice: Ye little bastards! Let me down from here before I...
(Before she can even finish, Gwen Stacy webs her mouth shut)
Gwen Stacy: And that's enough out of you!
Frenzy: (Seeing what they're up to) Abandon ship!
Arsonist: You don't have to tell me twice!
(With that, Frenzy and the Arsonist leap off the Imperial Damnation, as Avarice rips the webbing off her mouth)
Avarice: GET BACK HERE YE COWARDS!
Rocket: Let's see, which shore are you going to wash up on? (Scrolls through planets on the jump system) Here we go. The Nova Corps are looking for you, so let's send you straight to Xandar!
(With his destination chosen, Rocket activates the Imperial Damnation's jump system, sending Avarice straight through the jump points outside the safety of her ship, pretty much atomizing her by the time the ship makes it to Xandar)
Mantis: Did he just send her to Xandar? That's one million jumps from here!
Captain America: I don't honestly get this jump system. Is that bad?
Mantis: The most a living being has ever survived is 700!
Rocket: She was marked for death anyways. I did the Nova Corps a favor.
Captain America: Yikes, your cynical.
Rocket: More like fatalistic humor than cynicism.
(Before Captain America can respond, the Arsonist attempts to torch him, but Captain America blocks the flames with his shield)
Arsonist: Well here's some fatalistic humor for you. I'm going to roast you alive, and laugh the whole way!
(As Arsonist tries to toast Captain America again, Sub-Zero steps in the way and neutralizes it with cryomancy.)
Sub-Zero: You are a poor impression of Scorpion.
Arsonist: I'M BETTER THAN SCORPION!
Sub-Zero: You are clearly insane.
(As the Arsonist battles Sub-Zero, Frenzy arrives and starts battling the rest of the group, and despite all efforts, Frenzy manages to break through, with Captain America, Toxicus Abiete, and Gwen Stacy on his tail, radioing to Dragnarok to warn him)
Captain America: Dragnarok, Avarice is taken care of, but Frenzy is heading right for you. Toxicus, Gwen and I are in pursuit. Kuai Liang and the others have the Arsonist covered
(With that, we transition to inside the tree, where Dragnarok is picking up this communication)
Dragnarok: Copy that, Steve. We're ready for him. (Hangs up) Frenzy and the Arsonist are the only ones Eternal sends? I would've at least expected one of the Spawns to show up. But either way, get ready.
(And just as Dragnarok tells his team to get ready, the entrance flies open as Frenzy breaks into the chamber.)
Frenzy: No amount of preparedness can save you from me!
Dragnarok: We'll see about that, Frenzy.
(As soon as Dragnarok says anything, Frenzy leaps into action, tackling Dragnarok to the ground. But being stronger, Dragnarok throws Frenzy off allowing the Lanterns to attack, Indigo-1 and Za'Mag'Nu with their staffs followed by the Green Lanterns with constructs left up to your imagination, just as Captain America, Toxicus Abiete, and Gwen Stacy arrive and enter the battle as well, slinging shields, webs and vines everywhere as Frenzy perseveres through it all, eventually knocking out Za'Mag'Nu and Indigo-1 before literally ripping the Central Power Battery out of the ground before sprinting out of there at top speed)
Frenzy: Eight down, one to go!
Dragnarok: After him!
(So the chase commences, eventually returning to Sub-Zero and company battling the Arsonist.)
Frenzy: (Seeing the Arsonist, then into some sort of communicator in his ear) I've got the battery, let's get out of here!
(Just as Frenzy speaks into his communicator, a portal opens which the Arsonist immediately runs through, but before Frenzy can, he's intercepted by beams of blue and violet light as Saint Walker and Star Sapphire, alias Carol Ferris, arrive on the scene, led by Hal Jordan and John Stewart)
Star Sapphire: That's far enough, Frenzy!
Saint Walker: You must answer for your crimes.
(Realizing he's not getting out of this, Frenzy puts the Indigo Central Power Battery down and kicks it through the portal, which closes soon afterwards, leaving Frenzy alone amidst the group of heroes out to get him)
Hal Jordan: (Holding Frenzy aloft with a construct) Alright freaky, where are the Central Power Batteries you've stolen?
Frenzy: (Appearing to bite down on something) Somewhere you'll never find them, Lantern.
(Having seen Frenzy's biting motion, Dragnarok realizes something is up and flies up to where Frenzy is being held and examines him)
Dragnarok: What the heck did you just bite down on?
Frenzy: (As his muscles start twtiching) What do you expect? Something to make sure you never find your treasures again. Something you created.
Dragnarok: (Seeing a subtle green glow to Frenzy) EVERYBODY GET BACK!
(Heeding Dragnarok's warning, the entire group dives out of the way, as Frenzy appears to collapse in on himself amidst cries of pain)
Frenzy: (Amidst cries of pain) Hail Darkblood!
(With his last cry, Frenzy collapses into what looks like a meaningless pile of glowing matter before dissecting on the subatomic level.)
Ant Man: What the heck? Did he just go between the molecules?!
Dragnarok: No. He just committed suicide.
Gwen Stacy: With what?! There was nothing there!
Dragnarok: It was essentially a super suicide pill. As in the same super pills the Regime's soldiers used before the Injustice Wars. In the early days of the wars, Darkblood got a hold of the recipe and made a lethal item out of them. The high concentration of whatever the hell is in there would cause any normal person to die instantly, but Frenzy being made of Aether primarily must've caused him to expend that energy when taking the tablet. All the generals of the Empire were equipped with them. Eternal must've found a few left over and given them to his forces.
John Stewart: So we've essentially lost all hope of finding those Central Power Batteries again?
Dragnarok: I wouldn't be too sure about that John. When Frenzy grabbed the battery, he said there was one left to go.
Hal Jordan: But they've got the batteries of all 7 Corps!
Za'Mag'Nu: Adding the Black Lantern Central Power Battery that Jinmen could provide makes eight.
Kyle Rayner: (Putting it together) But that could only mean... They're after the White Power Battery as well!
Dragnarok: Exactly what I was afraid of.
Kyle Rayner: Even then, we have an advantage. I'm the only one who knows where it is.
Dragnarok: Since Eternal's got the Miracle Machine, he probably made a way to find it. So we haven't a moment to waste. Everybody back to the Benetar. We've got to get after that Battery. (To Kyle Rayner) Kyle, where are we heading?
(With that we transition to what looks like a Ferris Aircraft facility, before zooming out to a very familiar city)
Kyle Rayner: Somewhere I'd never forget after Blackest Night. Beneath Coast City.
(As we look out from Coast City, we see Malphas, Sorceress, and Scourge have already arrived, prepared to tear the city apart to find that Battery, as our tale ends for today)
Well that was a lot. So, Frenzy and the Arsonist got the Indigo Central Power Battery, but at the cost of Frenzy's life. I know that may have seemed sudden, but I do plan to kill off more than a few characters as the story goes on. Frenzy just had the misfortune of being first. As to why the White Lantern Battery is hidden beneath Coast City, more on that later. Next time, we return to Deadpool and company. So what are they up to? Tune in next time to find out! Same time... same channel!