The First was many things. Evil, prideful, cunning, totally amoral. But even he would give credit where credit was due. Thor's godly essence blast HURT. It was probably the single best attack anyone had gotten off on him since he had risen. He grunted in anger and fell to his knees on the ground, smoldering from the blast. Growling he stood again, only to be crushed into the ground by a giant robot that became a giant metal T-Rex in the blink of an eye.
"Excuse me Grimlock!" Grimlock said as he landed then flipped forward becoming his robot form and running down the street.
The First hissed and pondered, "Where is he going in such a hurry?"
When Vegeta's enormous Ki bolt struck him and shattered the pavement to dust and causing several skyscrapers around him to collapse, he got his answer. The First was now reasonably angry. That's when Atom Smasher, who had grown to around one hundred feet, brought his foot down on the First. He smirked under his mask.
"I do believe we got him on the ropes." Atom Smasher said.
In the next instant, he was thrown nearly a thousand feet into the air and came crashing back down into another part of the city.
"Hardly." The First said extremely annoyed.
"Speed blitz!" Thor yelled loudly.
Black Adam led the pack with Namor and Power Girl right behind him. They struck the First with all the force that they could muster. Blows that could tear apart ocean liners in single shots met the skull, chest, and stomach of the demon. The First scowled.
"I…" he said as he laid Namor low with a powerful blow to the head.
"Am…" the First growled as a headbutt sent Power Girl flying.
"SICK OF THIS!" the First finished as he bathed Black Adam in beams of red light, making even the great warrior fall to his knees. A crack of his tail sent Adam to the ground groaning in pain. The First reached down and prepared to snap the neck of Black Adam.
"Forsooth demon! Perhaps thou would bestow the gift of battle on the Lion of Olympus!" Hercules shouted as he charged. The First merely raised his hand and fired an immense blast of energy that struck Hercules and burned him horribly.
"No. I would not lower myself to such a thing. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm trying to kill someone here." the First sighed.
"THOOOM"The First gazed up again and sighed as a new opponent fell from the sky. A seven foot green titan roared only a few feet away. On his back was a man clad all in black that somewhat resembled Batman, but only superficially. The green giant roared and beat its chest.
"Go get him Big Green." The Midnighter said, leaping off the beast's back.
"Stupid demon man thinks he's strongest one there is! He's wrong! HULK IS STRONGEST ONE THERE IS! HULK SMASH STUPID DEMON MAN!" the Hulk said charging.
High above the city, the rest of the attack force was tending to the Justice League.
"Doctor, see what you can do with those Oan bands." The Engineer ordered.
"On it Angie." The Doctor said before laughing, "Green solid light sculptures. What the hell were the Guardians of the Universe thinking?"
"Shut it Doctor and do as you're told!" the Engineer shouted back to him. The Engineer turned her head and went back to observing Superman.
"Superman? Are you alright?" the Engineer asked, her formerly harsh voice now soft with a good bedside manner.
Superman stifled a laugh, "Never been better."
"We're going to get all of you out of here." The Engineer said, looking at his wounds.
"Tend to J'onn. He's the most wounded." Superman said, cocking his head to J'onn's form.
"Alright, Apollo get over here and help Superman out." The Engineer said as she flew over towards J'onn.
Apollo flew up to Superman and started firing beams of energy from his eyes at the Man of Steel. Beams of solar radiation.
"Just hang on." Apollo said, "I'll have you juiced back up in no time."
"How have you stayed so powerful with the sun blocked off?" Superman asked, feeling a little stronger already.
"Our base, the Carrier, is powered by a baby universe. All I have to do is take a few miniature stars from it and I'm charged up." Apollo explained.
"Where's Jack?" Superman asked about the team's leader, Jack Hawksmoore.
"On the Carrier. Swift is watching him. He went catatonic the moment that these things shot up through the cities." Apollo said in reference to the spires.
"Apollo!" the Engineer shouted, as she looked up from J'onn wide-eyed.
"What is it Angie?" Apollo asked.
"J'onn's alive! And he has a plan! He told me through mental uplink." The Engineer explained.
"What's the plan?" Apollo asked.
"He's going to take the mental blocks out of the two most potentially powerful metahumans on earth." The Engineer replied.
"He'd do that for me?" the Doctor said, freeing Wonder Woman from her bonds.
"SHUT UP DOCTOR! But Apollo, get back to the Carrier. We're going to need Winter for this." The Engineer explained.
Apollo looked at Superman and instantly understood.
"I'm on it. Door." Apollo said as a door in the interdimensional Bleed opened and he flew for the Carrier.
The Midnighter flinched when the Hulk went down to one knee. The First was strong. He was beating the Hulk into the ground. Midnighter flinched again when the First's fist became a spiked club and drew blood from the Green Goliath. The Hulk grunted in pain. Even though Midnighter was tending to Hercules, putting him into a Door and thus into the Carrier's infirmary, he knew the Hulk was in trouble. Midnighter knew what had to be done.
"Oh come on Hulk! Don't let that sissy beat you up! He's a pushover and he's kicking your ass! You're nothing Hulk! Nothing!" Midnighter yelled as the First swung down at the Hulk again.
The First's hand was stopped in mid-swing. The Hulk stood, growling and snarling loudly.
"No. No. No! NO! HULK IS STRONGEST ONE THERE IS! THE MADDER HULK GET THE STRONGER HULK GET!" the Hulk roared as it headbutted the First and actually backed the demon up. A powerful right hook and the First was sent flying. Grimlock saw the First coming and instantly transformed to his T-Rex form and struck the First was his tail, sending him back to the Hulk's grasp. The Hulk howled in rage and slammed both fists down into the First, sending him a few hundred feet underground.
Thor and Vegeta both landed next to Midnighter as Black Adam, Namor and Power Girl began to recover.
"How doth the battle go friend Midnighter?" Thor asked.
"Looks like the Hulk has him on the run." Midnighter replied.
"You actually believe that big oaf could defeat it?" Vegeta asked.
"Not a chance in hell. I said it looks like." Midnighter replied.
The ground beneath the Hulk exploded upwards putting him on his back. The First rose, extremely, pissed. It looked to the Hulk with an angry sneer.
"I've had just about enough of your tantrum." The First said perfectly calm, "And don't think I can't hear you from behind!"
The First turned and blasted Grimlock, melting some of the huge Dinobot's metal hide. Grimlock fell with a roar. The Hulk's eyes showed incredible rage.
"You hurt Hulk's friend! For that HULK SMASH!" the Hulk said leaping at the First before being batted away by a powerful shot from the First's tail, sending him into to the rest of his attack force.
"Hulk smashed." The First growled, "Now what have we here. A rag-tag band of outcasts attempting to defeat me?"
"Not attempting villain. We will defeat you!" Thor said, raising Mjolnir high.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. You still haven't learned humility. I swear Thor, Odin just was not firm enough with you." The First replied, popping its neck, "But I will be. It will be my pleasure to give all of you arrogant little animals some humility."
"Well then monster, have at thee." Thor replied, his eyes narrowed.
It was all a blur after that. Vegeta raced forth: ahead of the pack. The First sidestepped his flying tackle and turned to attack him from behind. But Vegeta likewise had turned and with a confident sneer fired several small Ki bolts at the demon. The First merely let the blasts hit him as he strode after Vegeta.
With a roar, the Hulk was on the First's back putting him in a headlock that could turn boulders to dust. The First's tail rose into the air behind the Hulk and wrapped around his neck. As expected the Hulk released his grip to attack the tail. That's exactly when the First snapped his tail to life batting away Black Adam with the Hulk. Power Girl met a similar fate when she tried to attack. The First then released the Hulk and threw him into Thor. But he had missed Namor.
"IMPERIOUS REX!" Namor said, flying into battle as fast as he could with murder in his eyes.
The First smiled and charged Namor at the same time. Both foes hit one another at the same moment and both kept going past the other after striking. Namor turned to the First with a sneer.
"If that was the best that you had then you are…. truly…. weaker…than we…thought…" Namor said looking down at his chest, which was clawed open and bleeding heavily. The First merely licked his claws as Namor fell.
"Fastball special Adam." Midnighter said.
"What say you?" Black Adam asked.
"Nevermind. I'll do it myself." Midnighter sighed as he catapulted himself over Black Adam and next to the First. The First looked at him oddly as he ran to Namor and opened a Door.
"So you're the field medic I take it?" the First sneered.
"Yeah. Fuck you too by the way." Midnighter said as he raced to Grimlock to help him.
The First raised his claw and energy fired at Midnighter. It was interrupted by a blast from Vegeta. The Saiyen was floating high above the city streets, what was left of them, smirking.
"So you're this great evil eh? I see nothing to make me consider you such a threat." Vegeta laughed.
"No? Then how about this?" the First said with a smirk as a tendril of darkness shot down from the atmosphere and wrapped about Vegeta.
Vegeta roared and blasted at it, but it just absorbed his Ki bolts. He slammed his fists into it to no effect. He couldn't seem to break the tendril's grasp.
"Vegeta!" Black Adam said launching himself into the air to help his friend.
"Now now Adam. You shouldn't even be out of bed with that tumor in your head." The First said as its eyes lit. Black Adam cried out in pain as he held his hands to his head and fell from the sky. Luckily Midnighter was there.
"Door at the following coordinates…" Midnighter said through Radio-Telepathy. A door opened beneath the falling Black Adam.
Vegeta was being pulled higher and higher into the sky. A large hand rose up and gripped the tendril. Atom Smasher was up and around.
"Don't worry man. I got…you…" Atom Smasher said as the tendril wrapped about his arm too. The giant was pulled into the sky as well, "Damn it why does this always happen to me?"
"Be quiet whelp. I have one last trick up my sleeve before I let this demon claim me." Vegeta said sticking his hand out, palm flat, "BIG…. BANG…. ATTACK!"
The gigantic blast rained down on the city. Midnighter looked up and charted the trajectory with his computer-like mind. His eyes widened.
"This isn't going to be pretty."
"Interesting." The First looked into the sky, "He seems to be a bit off."
The immense blast was heading right for Thor, who was airborne in an instant. Thor flew to the blast and his hammer Mjolnir began to glow.
"Nay villain, Vegeta is right on target. His blast was sent to myself for a specific reason! Mine hammer can absorb certain types of energy……….and return them ONE THOUSAND FOLD!" Thor roared as he absorbed the Big Bang Attack.
"In other words…Methinks thou be screwed." Midnighter said as he leapt into a door.
The First looked back to Thor and only saw bright, burning light heading towards him. He smiled.
"Now we're having fun."
Sunnydale"THOR IS WHERE?!" Anya asked loudly.
"Well, first things first. OW!" Xander said holding his ears, "And he's in L.A."
"Blondie decided to take on the First eh?" Spike said eating some Pringles with Buffy in his lap.
"Yeah. Hate to say it but I think the Fabio of the Fjords is going to get his butt kicked." Buffy replied.
"The Thunder god always goes into battle no matter how outmatched he is. Admirable, but stupid." Thanos smirked, remembering trouncing Thor before himself.
"HEY! That's my god you're talking about!" Anya yelled.
"You worship Thor?" Giles asked.
"I'd do more than worship him." Faith said licking her lips and then looking at Anya's evil glare and remembering how powerful she had become in the last few days, "But you know, your god and all."
"Yes. He's my god. I was Norse before I became a demon you know!" Anya explained, "I have to go there."
"Whoa whoa. An…. screech to a complete stop here. We need you here. Pretty soon Willow's going to put Buffy and the others under. We need some power here to protect them." Xander stated.
"You have Doctor Strange!" Anya said pointing at the Sorcerer Supreme.
"Well okay, so we do. But I don't want you running off to get killed." Xander said putting a hand to her cheek.
"Xander…that's so sweet." Anya said melting, "But I'm still going!"
"Son of a…Anya! Come on!" Xander said.
Anya looked at him, "Xander, remember when you told me about sacrifice? Well I think I have to go and help. It just feels like what I have to do in my heart. It feels right."
"That is so not fair using my own words against me. Besides that was meant for you when you had to become a demon again." Xander stated, getting a death glare from Anya, and sighing "But you always have to do what you feel is right. If I didn't then Buffy would be dead right now and Sunnydale would be Vampapalooza…. more so."
Anya hugged Xander hard, "Don't worry. I'll be back. I promise."
Xander hugged her back and smiled, "I know you will An. I love you."
"Love you more." Anya said.
"No love you more." Xander smirked.
"No. I love YOU more." Anya said with a shove.
"But you see, I love YOU…"
"NOBODY LOVES ANYONE HERE!" Giles said, slightly annoyed.
Anya frowned, "See if I bring you back anything. And Xander…. do the thing from that movie."
"Huh?" Xander said.
"The movie Xander. The one with all the death and hardship. Do that thing." Anya said pouting.
"Oh…. sure." Xander said before grabbing Anya and dipping her nearly down to the ground and kissing her long and hard.
"Okay. Thanks snugglebunny." Anya said as she waved and teleported out.
Xander looked at the others, "So we watched Gone With The Wind. That doesn't make me less a man okay?"
"Okay, but snugglebunny?" Faith said smirking.
"Yeah I haven't heard anything that sappy since Harmony used to call Spike Blondie Bea…" Buffy said before having Spike cover her mouth.
"I think it's probably time we got down to business." Doctor Strange said as Adam Warlock entered the room.
"Indeed it is. If all the Slayers and Potentials could lie down while the rest of you go outside on guard, I would be grateful." Warlock ordered.
The majority of the Scoobies shuffled outside, with Buffy and Spike sharing a lingering kiss. Spike kissed her forehead and then walked outside with the others, slightly afraid that this is the last time he'd ever see his Slayer alive. Buffy thought the same thing and turned to join Faith and all the Potential Slayers.
"All right then. Let's get this show on the road." She said crossing her arms.