Welcome back to Age of Miracles! Last time, Lex Luthor re-emerged, and at Eternal's provocation, accepted a challenge against his own son to take back control of Lexcorp, with Eternal setting them loose on Beach City, in Steven Universe's world. Meanwhile, the Crystal Gems sent a distress call to Purple Diamond and Purple Pearl, who naturally got Dragnarok involved. So how is this going to go? Read on to discover...
(Our story resumes in the Watchtower's teleporter bay, where Purple Diamond, Belial Aether, and Dragnarok are standing by while Purple Pearl appears to be fiddling with the coordinates)
Purple Diamond: (Knowing what Purple Pearl is doing) Are we good?
Purple Pearl: (Finishing what she's doing) Ready to go, My Diamond. We should be able to get to the Crystal Temple easily.
Belial Aether: And it can handle large groups?
Purple Pearl: Never underestimate Gem tech, Mr. Belial.
Dragnarok: I'll take your word for it, Purple Pearl. Now all we need is for the rest of the group to arrive and we'll be on our way.
(And just as he says that, a group of heroes arrives in the bay: Robin, Cyborg, Starfire, Raven, Beast Boy, Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo, Raphael, Nightwing, Red Hood, and Batgirl)
Dragnarok: (Seeing Robin) Tim, good to see you could make it.
Robin: Sorry we're a bit late, I was hesitant to bring Raven.
Dragnarok: No worries, the version you were worried about is dead.
Raven: Well that's a relief.
Robin: Hope you don't mind that we grabbed a few other friends.
Dragnarok: I couldn't break up the trinity of Robins if I wanted to. (To Red Hood) Good to see you again, Jason.
Red Hood: Good to finally meet the real you. (To Nightwing and Batgirl) Blaze would not stop going on about this guy during the War.
Nightwing: From what I've seen of him so far, she has quite a point.
Batgirl: I'll second that.
Red Hood: I need to see for myself, despite glowing endorsements.
Dragnarok: Perfectly reasonable. Knowing how bad Darkblood was, I would need to be assured he was gone as well.
Raphael: Look, as much as I love this reunion, we really don't have time for it. There's tail to kick and we need to lace up our boots.
Dragnarok: Agreed, Raph. (To Purple Pearl) We ready to go?
Purple Pearl: (Rejoining them on the teleporter) Coordinates are locked. We're on the way.
Dragnarok: Hope Steven and company can hold out long enough for us to arrive.
Purple Diamond: They won't have to hold out long.
(And just like that, the entire group joins Dragnarok and company on the teleporter and are soon surrounded by a column of white light before vanishing. But as they do, we transition to just outside Beach City, where Eternal stands observing the contest of the family Luthor from a distance, evidenced by giant piles of black smoke emerging from the horizon, small explosions ricocheting debris towards the Crystal Temple every few minutes. Soon the devilish jester is no longer alone, as Reverse Flash, Android Infinity, Mr. Negative, and Kilgrave join him.)
Kilgrave: So, this is your big plan? Watch two teams of super-freaks tear this world apart?
Eternal: No no, Mr. Kilgrave. This is only a small part of what we need to do. But it's incredibly important. So long as that fool Luthor is on our side, everything is as it needs to be.
Mr. Negative: Why do we even need him? We are powerful enough to find the objects required.
Eternal: Not exactly Mr. Li. The ritual requires Five Great Evils to complete. Luthor Jr is the fifth, and if he leaves our alliance, then it won't work. So for now I humor the brat and his industrialist schemes. He'll become important later on.
(Just as the discussion ends, a shadow appears behind the group, which Eternal recognizes immediately)
Eternal: For now though, it looks like our infiltrator has returned.
(As Eternal turns around, we see the figure he is referring to: some sort of admittedly handsome demonic being, an Incubus, clearly bearing similarities to Regime Raven, yet definitely no servant of Trigon. A fusion of Raven and Jason Blood with elements of Etrigan would be a fitting illustration, adding a violet silk scarf, black leather pants, a Constantine style trenchcoat, and dragon like wings, carrying a black stone structure with a triangular point at either end)
Eternal: Adonis. I see you've recovered the Obelisk, without being seen by the Gems I hope.
Adonis Donnaiolo: (A bit annoyed) I've recovered your rock, at great risk. The only one who could have seen me was Wilson Fisk.
Eternal: Excellent. (Takes the Obelisk from him) Now, there isn't a moment to waste. Prepare yourself to go back in. We must have the Crystal Heart and Rose Quartz's Sword before this contest can even be remotely finished.
Adonis Donnaiolo: (Now angered) I think of the order you need a review. I take orders from the Empire's peak, not from you.
(Annoyed at the Incubus' inclination, Eternal straight up rushes Adonis, grabs him by the neck, and pins him against a wall)
Eternal: Until the Master is restored, I AM the peak of the Empire. And as such, you will retrieve whatever I request. Unless of course you want to ensure the Master is lost forever. Because lest we forget, without the Master, you would still be a scared little Incubus left to wander the streets of the City of Dis after your parents were slaughtered in Trigon's last attempt to conquer Hell before dying alongside Mxyzptlk. The Master made you into the demon you are today, and made me to bring him back. Defying me, thus, is defying him.
Adonis Donnaiolo: (Thinking about it as Eternal lets him go) I despise you, Exitium, let that be known. But... you're the only way I know of that I won't be alone.
Eternal: Just as it should be. (Realizes what time it is) Get yourself ready for your next infiltration. I have to go check on the brat's contestants. (To Reverse Flash, Mr. Negative, and Kilgrave) Keep an eye out. I have a feeling those meddlers will be showing up any minute now to stop the contest of Luthors.
(With that, Eternal vanishes in a flash of purple light, with Reverse Flash and his team settling in to observe the horizon from afar, as Adonis gets up from his earlier attack. But just as he does, he sees a flash of light heading towards the Crystal Temple, no doubt Dragnarok and company warping in.)
Adonis Donnaiolo: (Seeing this light, then quietly) Unless my eyes are deceived by some spell, that was the one who saved me from ruin in Hell. (With steely determination) Eternal thinks memory is all it takes to rule me. Well we shall see, beast, we shall soon see...
(With his plan in action, Adonis leaves, seemingly to prepare for his next infiltration as we transition to the Crystal Temple proper, where Steven Universe, Connie, Garnet, Amethyst, Pearl, Lapis, and Peridot keeping an eye on the Luthors' machinations via Peridot's drones)
Pearl: These machines are getting more destructive by the second! At this rate, they'll hit the city proper in a few minutes!
Garnet: We've got to hold out until backup arrives, else we're never going to get them out of here!
(Just as Garnet can even say those words, the main Warp Pad can be heard activating, and within minutes of such, Dragnarok and his team arrive.)
Purple Diamond: Ask and ye shall receive, Garnet.
Steven Universe: Purple Diamond's back! And he brought friends!
Purple Diamond: (High-Fiving Steven Universe) Good to see you again, kid.
Steven Universe: (Seeing Dragnarok) You must be Dragnarok.
Dragnarok: You'd be correct. So you're this Steven Purple Diamond has told us so much
Steven Universe: You guys talk about us?
Dragnarok: Heck yeah! Especially after your reformation of the Diamond Authority. Now that was awesome.
Belial Aether: As awesome as that was, we really need to get to the point.
Steven Universe: Serious and straight to the point it is.
Peridot: (Pulling up the feeds from her drones) Approximately half of an hour ago, two massive constructs landed, plugged themselves into the ground somehow, and since then have started pumping smoke into the air, and based on geographical readings, they've started pulling resources from the ground.
Dragnarok: That's definitely Luthor Jr's modus operandi. What I'm still trying to figure out is where this Obelisk comes in.
Lapis: We're still trying to figure that out too. Mostly because since we started observation of these devices, no one operating them has moved.
Belial Aether: Do we know who's operating these things?
Garnet: We've only gotten a clear shot of the team operating the first one to land. Still working on the second one.
Peridot: Here's what we've got in the interim.
(With that, Peridot pulls up a series of 12 photos, revealing 12 distinct individuals)
Dragnarok: Okay I'm seeing Kotal Kahn, Kingpin, Deathstroke, Vulture, Harley Quinn, Girder, Two Face, Riddler, Mr. Freeze, Magneto, Killer Frost, and... wait, is that Lex Luthor?
Belial Aether: That's him alright. But he looks kind of... different. His suit specifically.
Dragnarok: And I'm thinking we'll be able to use that to our advantage.
Amethyst: How exactly is that supposed to work?
Dragnarok: It'll make sense in a minute. (Looking to the whole room) Alright, we're going to need to split up into three teams. One to confront each of the machine teams, and the third to stay back here and keep an eye out for whatever stole the Obelisk. Purple Diamond and the TMNT will lead the home team. The Titans and Belial will confront the unknown machine team. And I'll take the Crystal Gems and Gotham Knights to confront Luthor
Connie: Sounds like a plan.
Dragnarok: Then it's settled. We head out forth...
(But before Dragnarok can even finish that sentence, the sound of something breaking can be heard, catching everyone's attention)
Steven Universe: Sounds like it came from the house!
Dragnarok: Then let's see who's decided to pay us a visit.
(With that, the Crystal Gems spawn their weapons if they have any, hence Lapis just spawns water wings, as the group rushes into the Beach House to find the intruder, a very familiar Incubus)
Dragnarok: (Recognizing the figure) Adonis?!
Adonis Donnaiolo: My eyes were not deceived in fact! (Realizes it) That means father's allies we've attacked!
Dragnarok: Everybody hold your ground. I've got this.
Red Hood: And trust the literal demon won't try to kill us?! Nice try, dude. Not happening!
(As soon as he says that, Red Hood starts shooting at Adonis, but the swift demon dodge his bullets at every attempt. Unfortunately for him, Peridot uses her metal manipulation to steer the bullets back into his path, managing to hit him in the leg)
Purple Diamond: You've gotten better at that!
Peridot: All this peace has given me plenty of time to practice. Now let's take this clod down!
Adonis Donnaiolo: You think this will stop me, foolish girl?! Then allow me to your hopes unfurl!
(With that, Adonis breathes a stream of fire at Peridot, which Lapis quickly puts out by pulling water straight from the kitchen faucet into the path of the flames, putting them out)
Lapis: Nice try.
Adonis Donnaiolo: You fools know not what you do! Please, let me get my message through!
Peridot: What do you think we are? Clods? We're not going to fall for that trick! Let's take this outside.
Dragnarok: Peridot, Lapis, hold back! Let me talk to him!
(But before Dragnarok can say anything, Lapis whisks Adonis out of the building with a stream of water bouncing of Steven Universe's shield, just as the two start a deadly dance, a Fusion Dance, which is never completed, as Dragnarok pries them apart angrily)
Dragnarok: ENOUGH!
Lapis: Dragnarok, what are you doing?!
Dragnarok: Like I said twice now, trying to talk to him.
Red Hood: And what good is talk going to do?
Dragnarok: You may not know this, Jason, but Adonis wasn't as loyal to Darkblood as he appears.
Red Hood: What on earth are you talking about?
Dragnarok: Do you by chance remember someone continuously revealing Empire troop routes during the Injustice Wars?
Red Hood: (Putting it together) Wait, that was him?
Adonis Donnaiolo: You knew?
Dragnarok: I did. Darkblood didn't.
Adonis Donnaiolo: But... how?
Dragnarok: When Darkblood slept, I was able to glimpse the real world. And in one of those moments, I overheard you talking about it. That information stayed locked in my mind all these years.
Adonis Donnaiolo: Then, with all confessions being the same, you likely know exactly why I came.
Dragnarok: You're the one who stole the Obelisk aren't you?
Adonis Donnaiolo: Begrudgingly I will attest. That fool Eternal knows the rest.
Dragnarok: He's here?!
Adonis Donnaiolo: Observing a contest of the Luthor clan. But it's merely a cover for his real plan.
Dragnarok: I should have suspected as much.
Adonis Donnaiolo: He has one of his targets, but I know the rest. Put my loyalty to you, if you wish, to the test.
Nightwing: Can somebody translate the Etrigan speak?
Dragnarok: To put it simply, he's defecting to our side.
Red Hood: You'll forgive me for not being fully ready to trust him.
Adonis Donnaiolo: I realize our past has been rough, and gaining your trust will be tough. But please, give me a chance to my errors correct. (To Steven Universe) These sacred treasures with my life I will protect.
Steven Universe: If it helps, I trust him.
Dragnarok: I say we give him a chance.
Purple Diamond: Steven's judgement's been pretty on point so far, so I'm in too.
Dragnarok: Any objections?
(Despite Red Hood's initial protestations, he doesn't object. He just holsters his guns with body language indicating a willingness to try, but still not fully trusting Adonis)
Dragnarok: No? Then it's settled. Welcome to the HRL, Adonis Donnaiolo.
Adons Donnaiolo: For this mercy I am forever in your debt. This is a decision you won't regret.
Dragnarok: Just make sure Eternal doesn't get whatever he's looking for next. (To Purple Diamond) Looks like you've got an extra team member.
Purple Diamond: Welcome aboard, Rookie.
Dragnarok: Now then, let's get to the mission, before Beach City turns into a ruin.
(And with that, the team splits up and heads off towards their respective missions as our tale ends for today)
And that seems like a good spot to wrap up for now. So, Adonis has defected from Eternal's front, and is now fighting on Dragnarok's side. For those wondering, Adonis is one of Darkblood's other generals from the Injustice Wars, but per Yami really just saw Darkblood as a father rather than an emperor, and really only followed him because he made him feel like he wasn't alone. But Yami also said he saw Dragnarok in the same light. So I hope everything I did here works, Yami! Anyways, what's going to happen when Eternal discovers he's been betrayed? Tune in next time to find out! Same time... same channel!