Avenging Justice 3:
To Infinity and Anti-Life
Part IV
Earth, Kahndaq, Kahndaqi Border
Hovering like a god come from the mount, a man who owed his powers to ancient gods. Dressed in black and gold, a golden thunderbolt ran down his chest. Slicked back hair, and elven ears added to his otherworldly appearance. Floating above a prone and scared teen boy, lightning buzzing around his hands just added to the image of a vengeful deity.
Across from him, overmatched soldiers in black tactical gear, watched over by a brunette woman in a formfitting jumpsuit. On her hips, two high caliber pistols, again, useless. However, they did give her a modicum of confidence. She knew the being over the teen, and was well aware of what he could do. It was just really nice to have something on her side, even if it was a false sense of power. That particular thought was pushed down.
"Adam, let the boy go," Maria Hill put as much confidence into her voice. "You have your artifacts back."
The floating man changed where he was looking and the power washed over her. Being around special beings for so long, she'd gotten used to dealing with those who could level a town or town. Not Black Adam, he was on par with destroying nations, possibly even worlds. All the information they had dug up on him painted him as a power mad being, mistakenly given way more power than he deserved. However, history being what it is, there are many in history guilty of the same thing.
"This is Kahndaq, and he has broken our laws," Black Adam explained in a clearly exasperated, angry tone. "Thieves are punished harshly as are any other crimes. As such my people live in the safest part of the world."
Maria Hill rubbed her temples, Fury was out dealing with his two Skrull friends. He had made it very clear that Xavier and Stranger were interested in this kid. Apparently, he'd gained pure magic as a mutation. It was how he'd managed to break into Black Adam's palace, steal what he did and get back out. However, considering the man about to maim or murder him, underestimated how his target. If only they'd gotten here a day earlier, but they too were trying to infiltrate a country ruled by a megalomaniac with powers.
"I'm sure he's very sorry, now. However, we have people that can help him, keep him out of trouble," Maria explained. "He has potential, and only went down this…"
Black Adam let lightning rush into his prone victim, making the teen boy cry out in pain. The whole time he never removed his gaze from Maria Hill. Even as her first instinct was to rush forward, she held back. Because Black Adam had another bolt of lighting ready, and aimed right at her people. Instead she called her people back, hoping to tamper their more selfless natures, for the next few minutes. Adam stopped and the teen was sobbing on the ground.
"Do you feel better now?" she asked.
Black Adam responded, "Actually, yes. Leave now, you and your organization aren't welcome here."
Inside Maria's earpiece, came the news that a beat up old white truck was racing their way. She sent the coded message to stop it. The response sent an ice cold spike to jab into her spine, it was coming from the Kahndaqi side. She tried, unsuccessfully, to find the coming vehicle, to prevent tipping off Black Adam. Instead, his head swiveled right at the coming white truck. The lightning around him becoming more fierce.
The white truck rocketed up, and came to a screeching and sliding stop. From the cab a woman leapt out and marched right up to Black Adam. Her countenance lacked any fright, instead there was an indomitable spirit to her. Despite the electricity, the powerful body, and the stern glare, she marched right up to Black Adam and shoved a finger into where his chest would have been, if he'd been standing. Instead it sort of hit him near the top of his abdomen.
"Get off of him, and let me check on him," she barked. "Did you even stop to ask why he stole from you?"
Black Adam found himself moving back, all the while his temper rose, "And how would you know what he did?"
"Because I tried to talk him out of it, of course!" the woman shot back. "I told him that stealing from you would only bring ruin. Told him to go home, but apparently that didn't stick."
He leaned down to her, actually landing, "You make my point for me."
"He had misguided reasons, I'm not sure you'd understand," she explained as she examined the teen boy. "I take you've not caught up on Aladdin or Robin Hood since you're return?"
Black Adam sent a bolt of lightning at the nearby rock, "If they wish to challenge me, then they will fall. These are my people."
"That is a no then. Yes, these are your people, and for the most part they are safe," she shot back. "You are the most dangerous thing for them, and they fear you."
He leaned down to face her, "They are safe because they do, because others are. Which is why I can't allow thieves to go unpunished."
"You could inspire them, like Superman," the woman helped the teen up. "With this boy's power, it would be a waste to maim or kill him. Let these people take him, they could make something better."
Adam turned and growled, "You see what that got Superman, he's gone."
"I didn't see you fighting for him," the woman countered. "You were too busy going after that Shazam person."
Black Adam turned to face her, and found himself stopping. There was that look, the look from her. Years rushed back, thousands of years to when Kahndaq first needed a champion. The beautiful, most perfect woman dead in his arms. His child beside her, killed by invaders, and the day he took the powers from the Wizard Mamaragan to be his champion. She looked just like her, and yet just different enough. Even her voice reminded him of her. For just a moment he was no longer Black Adam, but just a man who'd lost everything.
He finally found his voice, "He was a threat. A creation of that wizard, after he learned I'd made the power mine."
"Real power is being able to do something, but not. The scales have been balanced, and your people have seen you hunt this boy down," she explained. "Let these outsiders take him, the result is the same. One that has broken your laws is gone, and I'm sure never to return."
Adam found himself captivated, and her words did make sense. He pulled his power back and looked between her and the teen boy. He then walked towards her, while signaling to the S.H.I.E.L.D agents to retrieve the boy. He gazed into her eyes, and saw something familiar. They pulled the boy back, and he didn't care. What he saw was compassion, love and an indomitable spirit. Despite the passage of time, he recognized someone just like her. He had thought it impossible, and it had taken thousands of years, but here was another like her.
"You remind me of someone I once knew," Adam said. "What is your name?"
She gave him a half smile, "High praise, I'm sure. I'm, Adrianna Tomaz."
Hel
Hela looked over her kingdom, and her prison. The All Father had banished her here, and though she ruled undisputed, she couldn't leave. She'd tried, and there was that time when occultists had tried to control her. She still hated their black uniforms, and she had a few of them here. Most of the deities that covered punishments for the deceased, were okay with letting her have them. The pleasure she derived in punishing them was second only to her need for revenge against Odin.
Darkness whirled around her, this time not her powers. No, this was an entity of what she reigned over. It had helped her refine her powers since being sent here. Enough that when Odin sent his Valkyries to keep her in check, she wiped them all out. Still, her prison held. So, all Odin had to do, was watch it, and she was imprisoned here. However, the locks were weakening, she could sense his hold diminishing. Her jailer was getting old.
She felt the darkness around her speak to her, and she commanded it to bring her what it had. She looked at the black ring, felt the power she controlled fueling it. Hela looked at the dark cloud as if expecting an explanation. Instead, she was shown several images all at once. Each brought a sadistic smile to her face.
The first was Thor, fallen, broken, his mighty hammer broken into tiny shards all around him. How she detested Odin's son. Though there was that one time he'd come begging for the Lady Sif, and her heart had softened. That was a long time ago now, and she detested him now as another agent keeping her imprisoned here.
The second was an image of an army of undead sweeping over Midgard, turning the living world into a dead one. Through this she could move beyond her prison, take it as her own, and finally escape for good. This she liked very much, especially as the last image came up, and she had to keep herself from shouting immediately.
The last image was the death of the Asgardians themselves. Odin by Fenris, The Midgard Serpent crushing Mjolnir, and dousing Thor with venom as it finally fell. She realized this was the preceding scene to the first image. As the image panned around, Asgard itself was destroyed as Ragnarök played out.
The dark cloud could sense her eagerness, and knew its partner was ready. It couldn't get to where it needed to go, but she could. Its revenge would be complete, as it would use one of those beings that had imprisoned it, to bring about the others' demise. The cloud bounced as it thought of the Guardians of Oa being torn apart, and Nekron knew it was pleased.
A black puff ushered Hela into another land of the dead. There a small blue figure toiled, being punished for eternity for its hubris and failure. No matter what he did, no matter the challenge presented, Krona would always fail. However, before one should feel bad for him, there is the knowledge that there was a reason for such a punishment.
His curiosity was to be commended. Till he let go any form of boundary. Things unspeakable, and all to increase his knowledge at any cost. That had earned him the ire of his brothers, but then had come the crime that had pushed him to their enemy. The death of Sector 666.
To show his brothers the error in their reliance on the manhunters, he reprogrammed them. As a result of this, they went on a killing spree, and as far as he knew, killing 99.99999999999 of the sector. His brothers had created their Corps, come after him and he escaped through a tear in space. However, he eventually ended up here, but he couldn't remember why or how.
A new presence intruded on his punishment. He recognized her immediately. He'd even sent a few of her people to her through the years. In her hand was something dark and small, an unkind smile across her face. She didn't have to speak, he understood what she was offering. It was an escape, a way out of this constant punishment. He'd take it, there was no doubt about that. Even if it meant being her servant, because soon he'd find a way out of this too, and then maybe he'd do some testing on her.
He took the ring from her, placed it on his finger and instantly he heard a dread voice. The voice he and his brothers thought long gone, banished beyond any way back. It was both disconcerting and welcoming, because if this thing could return, so could he. He had all the time to do it too, because he found himself being thrust out of the realm of the dead. He blinked once and found himself in the vacuum of space. Nearby a dead world circled a black hole, slowly pulled in per reach revolution. In a few years it would be completely gone. Another year or two and piece of it would start being pulled into the black hole. It was the perfect place to begin, this is where it would all start.
"Krona, exiled Guardian, hated by your brothers, you are my first Lantern," Nekron's voice vibrated through him. "Find Black Hand, and build me an army, destroy all life. Do not rest, do not stop, snuff the light of life from the universe and bring back the Darkness!"