Chapter 33: Chaos Rising pt. I

Another day, another mission completed, even when said mission was a highly unsanctioned and frustrating one. And both those frustrating things were on board the bioship, which had Krieg alternating between glaring at one and then the other. Despite everything that had happened, despite betraying them all and joining forces with its accursed kin, the Abominable Intelligence was still functioning. Oh sure, the blasted thing had switched sides in the end and destroyed the so-called Red Volcano, but that only served as further proof of its unstable and duplicitous nature in Krieg's opinion. As far as he was concerned, the accursed machine should have been completely destroyed, not repaired.

And then there was the youngster currently conversing with Robin, dressed in a female version of the foul sorcerer Zatara's costume. That the heretic had a daughter was bad enough, the fact that she too was a filthy witch only made it worse. Worse, she was just as chatty as the rest of his infernal team, which meant he had to endure her endless prattling, like a fly buzzing in his ear with no way of chasing it away. It did not help that the rest of the team were just as eager to talk back to her. Note to self; see about installing a sound-blocking system in my helmet. He could only pray that she be kept far away from the team in the future, or he would not be held accountable for future accidents.

Considering they were just passing over Los Angeles, Krieg would have been more than happy if they had just dropped him off and continued on without him. Not like his presence was required any further, what with the target secured and the enemy neutralized. Alas, orders from the Cave, the entire team was supposed to present themselves to explain themselves. Seemed like the League had finally realized what their youngsters had been up to and was no calling them back for a reprimand. Not a punishment, but a reprimand. Krieg had been on this team long enough to know how insubordination was dealt with here.

"Hey, something's going on down there," Kid Flash suddenly remarked from where he was leaning against the window. Krieg was instantly at a window to see what had caught the mutant's attention. Below them, Los Angeles police forces were engaged in a shoot-out with a band of lunatics.

"Let me out," Krieg ordered without a moment's hesitation, already drawing his shotgun.

"Our current goal was to return back to the Cave and report in evening's events," Red Tornado pointed out, but Krieg ignored it.

"Let me out, now," he repeated, eyes firmly locked in a nervously squirming Miss Martian.

"Calm down, Krieg. We'll be going in, but as a team," Aqualad ordered, right before turning to the rest of the team as a hole opened in the floor. "Kid Flash, disarm the attackers, Superboy, you'll-" and then Krieg was leaping out of the bio ship, uncaring for Aqualad calling out after him. Just before he would have smashed into the pavement, Krieg fired his grapple gun and swung straight into a gunman with enough force to send teeth flying and dislocating the jaw. Then he was among the hostiles, shotgun raised to put a shot into his first target's knee and then another into his second target's balls. Both targets crumbled to the ground, howling in agony.

"DIE!" A gun was swung at Krieg, which he simply sidestepped and allowed to smack straight into another hostile that had tried to sneak up behind him. As he fell over with a broken nose, Krieg rammed his shotgun into his attacker's guts and pulled the trigger. Krieg was already in motion before his attacker had even hit the ground, charging another criminal who was turning a machine gun in his direction. He shoulder-tackled the bastard with enough force to knock the wind right out of him and just kept going until he slammed his target into a car.

Bullets began whizzing by, one ricocheting off his helmet and two hitting his vest, and Krieg instantly leaped over the car for protection, leaving his previous victim to be shredded by the gunfire. Krieg swiftly returned fire, felling two opponents before the rest recovered and concentrated fire. Pinned behind cover, shotgun empty, Krieg offered up a curse upon these criminals' names as he made ready to lob a flashbang at them. But then there were the sounds startled cries, sporadic gunfire and bodies hitting the ground. Peeking over his cover, Krieg found the team in the midst of mopping up the remaining hostiles. With a mild grunt of annoyance, Krieg pocketed his flashbang and stepped forward.

"Krieg, that was highly reckless of you to charge ahead without us," Aqualad reprimanded him as soon as he was within easy reach.

"Considering the mission we just came back from, I highly doubt you are qualified to lecture me about going ahead without support," Krieg spat back. While still looking upon him reproachfully, Aqualad kept his mouth shut.

"Krieg! My, are you a sight for sore eyes!" someone called out, shouldering his way through the throng of police officers and arrested criminals.

"Commissioner Steele," Krieg greeted the newcomer.

"Good timing on your arrival there, we would have lost a hell of a lot more good cops if this firefight had dragged on longer," John congratulated.

"Just doing my duty, commissioner," Krieg dismissed the praise. It made the commissioner let out a small chuckle.

"Aren't we all? I take it these are your friends then?" he asked while gesturing at the assembled team.

"Associates," Krieg stiffly replied. The commissioner quickly picked up on the tension and dropped the subject.

"What were they after anyway?" Krieg wondered as he cast a glance at the building that the criminals had been pilfering. A pharmacy, a fucking pharmacy.

"Yeah, made no sense to me as well," the commissioner commented, correctly guessing Krieg's thoughts even with the mask on. "Anyway, we'll get these creeps packed away and then we can put this behind us," behind him, the criminals were hauled away in police cars, those still able to putting up one hell of a fight. In fact, one of them fought so fiercely against the police that three of them were needed to wrestle him into the car, his shirt getting torn off in the scuffle and exposing his myriad of tattoos. The second he saw those however, Krieg froze up. No, that can't be right. I must have seen wrong…

But before he could recover, the car had already driven away, along with all the other criminals. The commissioner and Aqualad continued to discuss about something, but Krieg did not hear anything about what was discussed, his eyes firmly locked on the road on which the criminals had been driven away on. It was a mistake, it had to be. There is no way that what I saw was real.

"Once again, thank you for your timely assistance. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to head back to headquarters," the commissioner suddenly announced as he began walking away. Krieg was at his side in a heartbeat.

"Where are you taking those criminals?" he demanded to know, to both Aqualad's and the commissioner's confusion.

"Back to the police station, where we'll identify and detain them until transferring them over to prison," he answered, as if that was the most obvious answer.

"I am coming with you," Krieg stated, catching both of them by surprise.

"Uhm, sure thing," the commissioner accepted, giving Krieg an odd look but raising no objections.

"Hold up Krieg, we're supposed to report in to the Cave," Aqualad protested.

"Then go on without me," Krieg replied as he walked after the commissioner.

"Batman won't like this, you know," Aqualad pointed out to him as he seated himself in the commissioner's car.

"He already does not like me, so what difference would it make?" Krieg countered before he slammed the door shut.

"I take you're not on the best of terms with the League then?" the commissioner remarked as he began driving down the road.

"You could say that," Krieg answered absent mindedly, his mind still focused on what he had seen. A trick of the light only, some figment of my imagination.

"Not to sound heartless or anything, but that really doesn't surprise me. You never struck me as League material to begin with anyway. Mind you, that was meant as a compliment in this instance," the commissioner continued. It piqued Krieg's interest.

"Not too fond of the League?" he inquired.

"Don't get me wrong, I truly believe that the League is doing good work in the world, we're lucky to have them watching our backs. But I know from personal experience that you sometimes need to get your hands really dirty for the good of the collective. Like with Professor Pyg," that last comment from the commissioner had Krieg turn his eyes away from the road and towards him.

"Don't worry, I made sure no one else learned of what you did down there. It may have been brutal, but it was necessary as far as I'm concerned," the commissioner explained, receiving a small nod of appreciation from Krieg. There was silence between them for a while longer, until they began drawing closer to the police station.

"What's got you so spooked by the way?" the commissioner inquired as he parked the car and they both got out.

"Hopefully, it is nothing but my paranoia," Krieg answered. Together, they made their way inside, heading towards the interrogation rooms where some of the criminals had been placed. A pure conscience. Yes, that's it, just a completely random likeness, nothing more.

"Has he said anything?" the commissioner inquired as they stood outside the one-way mirror, with the supposed leader of these criminals being secured on the other side, handcuffed to a chair.

"Apart from colorful threats about what he'll do to me and my momma once he gets out? Nada. Gotta hand it to him though, he's got a vivid imagination," the officer on guard grumbled. And yet again, as the two continued to converse, Krieg tuned them out as he stared at the man on the other side of the widow. It can't be, it just can't.

Without realizing it himself, Krieg began making his way towards the door, unnoticed by the two conversing officer. Only once he actually opened the door did they notice what he was up to.

"Krieg?" the commissioner called after him, but was ignored as he slammed the door shut behind him.

"Well, ain't this a surprise? What brings a hero to my little corner of the world?" the criminal sneered mockingly at him. He went completely ignored by Krieg as he grabbed the sole unoccupied chair and strode back to the door. Before anyone could stop him, he jammed it firmly in place to prevent anyone from outside getting in.

"Ooooh, wanting to get a bit intimate here? Never swung that way before, but hey, don't knock it 'til you try it," the criminal taunted as Krieg made his way back towards him. Rather than give a verbal answer, Krieg instead gave him a firm kick to the chest than sent both him and the chair toppling over.

"Fuck! That hurt!" the criminal cried out, right before Krieg placed a boot on his stomach to keep him pinned down, and giving him a clear view of the tattoo on his chest; a strange fusion of the symbols for male and female in a revoltingly pink color. The symbol of Slaanesh.

"Where did you get that mark?" he asked with a jab at the symbol.

"What? You want one as well? Not that easy, I'm afraid, gotta prove yourself worthy of it first," the criminal… no, the heretic answered with a cocky grin. Krieg promptly wiped it off his face as he came down with a knee on his chest with enough force to break a rib and drive the air from his lungs.

"Where did you get that mark?" he repeated more forcefully. Coughing and wheezing, the heretic still managed to give him another shit eating grin.

"And if I don't wanna tell? What then?" he challenged. Krieg gave no verbal answer, instead reaching behind his back and drawing his kukri, brandishing it before the heretic's eyes. He saw the heretic's bravado falter at the sight of naked steel.

"Where did you get that mark?" Krieg repeated yet again. The heretic looked between him and the blade, his courage wavering.

"You wouldn't dare," he stated with as much certainty as he could muster. In response, Krieg grabbed his jaw to keep him still. Then, he plunged the kukri into the heretic's right eye. He screamed and wailed and trashed, but Krieg kept him firmly pinned down as he gouged out the eye. Only once it had been reduced to a ruined mess, and half the heretic's face was stained with his own blood, did Krieg draw it out again.

"Where did you get that mark?" Krieg repeated, his voice louder to be heard over the heretic's screams and the banging noises coming from the door.

"You're fucking insane!" the heretic spat back at him. Krieg wasted no time and grabbed hold of the heretic's right ear, and with three saw-like motions, cut it off with the kukri.

"Where did you get that mark?" Krieg repeated once the heretic's wails had subsided to more tolerable levels.

"I can't tell ya, man! They'll kill me if I do!" the heretic pleaded, his bravado completely gone now. But Krieg was deaf to his pleas as he rammed his fist into the heretic's stomach. Then he did it again, and again, and again, and again until the heretic ended up puking its content all over the floor.

"Where did you get that mark?!" Krieg was close to shouting now as he loomed over the now terrified heretic.

"The Gods will avenge me! They'll see you dead for this!" he cried out. Something snapped in Krieg at that, and he grabbed the heretic by the balls and began squeezing.

"WHERE DID YOU GET THAT MARK?!" he roared at him, his grip tightening until he was certain something was going to pop.

"I can't tell you! I can't tell you!" the heretic screamed, once he found the time away from simply crying and wailing in pain. That did not satisfy Krieg in the slightest, and so he raised his kukri, ready to bring it down on the heretic's genitals.

"WAIT WAIT WAIT! I'LL TALK, I'LL TALK!" the heretic finally caved in, but Krieg did not lower the kukri yet. The heretic quickly got the message. "Studio City Tattoo! I got it at Studio City Tattoo! It's in Studio City, on the Ventura Boulevard!" Krieg stared at the sobbing heretic in silence, gauging the odds of him telling the truth. Then, he brought the kukri down on his genitals, severing them in one clean strike. Barely had the heretic began absolutely howling in pain, before Krieg had flown to his feet and stormed towards the doors. He kicked the chair aside and hurled the door open, completely ignoring the congregation of police officers outside.

"Krieg, what the hell was that?!" the commissioner demanded, but Krieg had no time for him as he shoved everyone aside and ran towards the garage. He heard someone run after him, but he cared not as he powered on. There were people in his path, but he cared not as he tackled them aside. Nothing would slow him, nothing would stop him. There was only one thing that mattered to him now. Bursting into the garage, he found a police officer just returning back in his car. Krieg did not even stop to think as he ran up to the car and threw the driver out of his seat.

"Hey, the fuck you think you're doing?!" the police shouted at him, but was completely ignored as Krieg put the car into reverse and pushed the pedal all the way to the bottom. There was a loud crash as the back end of the car slammed into another parked vehicle, but Krieg did not even notice as he revved up again and took off at full throttle, making a vicious U-turn that had the tires sliding across the concrete. Then he was finally off towards the exit, hitting a pillar along the way with the car door which he had forgotten to close, ripping it off and sending it spinning out of sight. A boom barrier stood in his way, but Krieg drove right through it and raced out into traffic.

A startled driver had to hastily swerve aside and rammed straight into a lamp post, but Krieg cared not for that. Nothing mattered to him any further. Nothing, apart from his target. He cared not that was driving way above the speed limit, forcing other cars off the road with his reckless driving. He cared not that he was wrecking government and private property, even as he took shortcuts across sidewalks and rammed straight through outdoor cafes in his mad dash. All that mattered to him now was reaching his target. Please, by the God Emperor, don't let me be too late.

Leaving the tightly packed buildings of downtown, he smashed straight through he more spacious suburbs of Hollywood Hills. Not even bothering with the snake-like roads, he drove straight through gardens and private estates wherever possible, ignoring the terrified civilians fleeing out of his path of rampage. Someone was shouting at him over the radio, but Krieg did not listen as he powered on, taking blow after blow on the car with no regard for anyone's safety. I must reach it in time, I must.

Then, finally, he was in Studio City, the confiscated police car a smoking wreck that somehow was still functioning. Krieg's eyes were like those of a hawk as he drove down Ventura Boulevard, on the lookout for his target. There it was! Studio City Tattoo! Krieg did not even wait for the car to come to a stop as he simply leaped out of the still speeding car, bouncing along the pavement. Body aching like hell from that beating, Krieg still managed to leap up on his feet and storm towards the building while drawing his shotgun.

He did not bother with the door and instead jumped right through a window. The second his feet hit solid ground amidst panicked screams, Krieg had his shotgun up and ready for action. Movement to the right! Krieg put a rubber bullet in it without even checking the target. Movement to the left! Another bullet down range. Someone was making a break towards the door, but he did not get far before a rubber bullet brought him down. Then, there were no further movements, and Krieg was finally able to properly survey his surroundings. Terrified patrons huddled wherever they could find cover, and two employers were writhing on the floor in pain. A third was out cold at the entrance.

"Who is in charge here?" Krieg snarled out as he emptied his gun and reloaded it. A shaky finger was pointed at the checkout, which looked deserted at the moment. Krieg stormed over and leaped over it to find a woman cowering behind it. She was quickly hauled into the open.

"What are you up to here?" he demanded of her.

"W-We're j-just a tattoo shop, we-" her sentence was halted as Krieg slammed her face into the cash register.

"Don't lie to me! I know about the heresy being conducted here! Now answer me!" he roared in her face, which had her shaking like a leaf in terror.

"I… I don't-" patience long since spent, Krieg pressed the barrel of his shotgun into her knee and pulled the trigger, the newly loaded buckshot blowing it apart.

"Answer me, heretic! WHAT ARE YOU HIDING?!" Krieg demanded before shoving the barrel of his shotgun into her screaming mouth. Here terrified eyes stared into his expressionless mask, and she barely even dared to breathe.

"Do not keep me waiting," he warned her as his finger began squeezing the trigger. No verbal answer came from her, but he quickly noticed that she was no longer staring at him. Rather, she was looking at a carpet just behind the two of them. Krieg promptly withdrew his shotgun and gave her a blow to the head that knocked her out cold, then he stomped over to the carpet and threw it aside. Underneath, he found a trap door, firmly locked. Rather than waste time looking for keys, Krieg emptied the last six shots into the lock, ignoring the panicked screams from around him with each fired shot.

With the lock completely shredded, Krieg threw the door open, revealing a staircase leading downwards into darkness. Quickly reloading his shotgun, he then advanced down, gun raised and ready to put a bullet into the first target that dared to appear before. Deeper and deeper did he go, the darkness growing thick enough that Krieg activated the night vision mode installed into his mask. Featureless walls that led downward in a zigzagging pattern was all he saw, so he pushed onward. Finally, he reached the end of the staircase, and found a long corridor leading straight ahead.

But as he advanced onward, he became aware that he was not alone. Shuffling and pathetic whimpers on both sides of him had him pivoting on the spot, ready to open fire at a moment's notice. That was when he realized that there were no walls on either side, but thick iron bars. And beyond them, a sight that made his stomach turn. Prisoners, some as young as five, huddled together in the darkness, their gaunt and malnourished frames clear to see with no shred of clothing to cover them up. They all looked at him in fear from within their cages, their eyes long since accustomed to the darkness, and scampered away from him like frightened rabbits. Bile gathered in his mouth as he beheld this sick perversion, this heretical violation. Someone would pay for this.

Then, there was another sound, coming from further ahead in the corridor, and Krieg picked up his pace, blood boiling with rage. At the end, he came across a great wooden door, with symbols carved upon it that hurt his eyes when he looked too long at him. Light shone in-between the gaps from the other side, so Krieg turned his night vision off and stood ready. He could now clearly hear the sound from the other side. Moaning, of such intensity that it seemed like someone was experiencing the greatest bliss. Krieg did not hesitate as he raised a boot and kicked the door in before stepping forward with his shotgun raised. Krieg completely froze up at the entrance once he saw what was inside.

A massive circular room, bathed in a low pink light and filled with a mist of such strong narcotics that Krieg became light-headed even with the gasmask for protection. But that was not what had him so speechless, for hanging from the roof were dozens of meat hooks, and dangling from each one were the corpses of skinned children. Wait, not all were corpses, some were still feebly twitching like fishes dragged out of water. Their blood in turn dripped down on the carpet of flesh beneath them, a colossal orgy that in the low light looked like a single mass of writhing and quivering flesh. He saw many of those still moving about in that disgusting pile being branded with the mark of Slaanesh, and those that had no mark lay still as their corpses were further violated in ways that made Krieg want to puke. And at the center of this abomination, rising high above the filthy masses, was a statue carved in the likeness of a Daemonette, frozen in a moment of pure ecstasy.

His grip on the shotgun was so strong that it almost looked like he would break it in two, his body quivering with a need to just kill and kill and kill until there was nothing left. Hatred bubbled to the forefront, even as the vile heretics continued with their vile debauchery, too lost in their narcotics and carnal desires to even notice his presence.

"Emperor protect us," Krieg whispered. Because he knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that this was merely the beginning.


The mood at the Cave was one of anger and horror. No one said a word as Batman brought up photo after photo of what Krieg had found in that underground den. The Leaguers looked on in stoic silence, maintaining an aloof façade even as they all screamed in rage on the inside. The team were huddled together, seeking comfort from each other's presence as horror after horror was displayed before them. The only one not watching was Krieg himself, as he stood alone in a corner and idly fingering his kukri.

"These are only the images of what could be salvaged and identified. No doubt there are countless more disposed of in… very thorough methods," Batman explained.

"How many?" Wonder Woman asked, looking like she was ready to tear the culprits limb from limb.

"Unknown as of yet, but we suspect it is in the hundreds," Batman's admission had everyone casting disgusted looks at the images of the perpetrators. When they had been hauled away, they had still been too intoxicated to even notice what was happening.

"However, we were able to recover some pieces of information before they had time to destroy them. Apparently, this is only one small cell in a much larger cult that spans across the entire west coast," Batman continued to explain.

"How could this have grown so large, and right under our noses to boot?" Superman questioned in disbelief.

"Considering that one of the culprits arrested have been confirmed to be a police officer, we can safely assume that they have friends in high places that have covered their tracks,"

"So what's the next step?" Captain Marvel asked.

"We'll interrogate the criminals we've arrested, identify the other cells, then we move in and shut them down," Batman's simple plan was met with approving nods all around. Except from one place.

"That will not be enough," Krieg spoke up as he pushed his way to the front.

"Krieg," Aqualad tried to call him back, but was ignored as Krieg came to stand before Batman.

"This is not some measly gathering of criminals that you can intimidate and then arrest, this is a Chaos infestation. They worship death and misery, sacrifice innocents to sate the hunger of their uncaring Gods, and happily trade their very souls away for but the fleetest taste of power. There is no reasoning or containing with these heretics, they can only be purged," he explained, defiantly meeting Batman's disapproving frown head-on.

"We don't-" Batman began, but was interrupted by Krieg.

"You are not dealing with criminals any longer, you are dealing with a cancerous disease. For the collective good of all, the infected parts must be cut out and burned. Everyone that was ever in contact with these cults must be killed with all haste, their belongings and residents put to the torch lest their taint spread. Quarantine every neighborhood with Chaos corruption in it and annihilate it. Call in the army if you have to, put entire city blocks to the torch if need be, but we must prevent this taint from spreading further than it already has," Krieg pushed on, doing everything in his power to get through their thick skulls what needed to be done.

"What you're suggesting would kill countless innocents in the process," Aquaman accused, which had Krieg gritting his teeth in frustration. Fools, blind fools the lot of them.

"Better they die pure than live to become corrupted," Krieg countered. Now everyone was looking at him in disbelief, as if he was the one who had gone insane.

"That is not how the Justice League acts, Krieg. We don't kill, no matter how tempting it may be," Batman stated with finality. Krieg felt so tempted to sock him right in the chin about now.

"Damn your rules, and damn your principles. This is not the time for mercies and half actions. If we do not take the necessary steps to destroy this infestation, then it will simply grow stronger until it can no longer be stopped," Krieg tried to hammer into their thick skulls, tried to make them see reason. He should have realized the futility of his actions.

"That's going too far, especially when it can be avoided! There's always a better way!" Captain Marvel butted in, glaring at Krieg in disapproval. That was it, the final straw for Krieg. He could no longer contain himself.

"THERE IS NO OTHER WAY! IF WE DO IT YOUR WAY, THEN WE ARE DOOMING THIS ENTIRE WORLD!" he screamed with such force that everyone save Batman ended up taking a step away in shock. Never before had they seen Krieg erupt in fury like that. But then Batman stepped forward and put a restraining hand on Krieg's shoulder.

"Enough. Our decision is final. We. Don't. Kill," Batman declared, his glare daring Krieg to speak up again. Krieg for his part felt like he had taken a punch to the guts from Superboy. He looked upon each member of the League almost pleadingly behind his mask, hoping against all hope that someone – anyone – would have the foresight to see things his way. All he was met with was varying looks of disgust and pity.

"Madmen, you're all madmen," Krieg stated, as if he had just come to a horrid realization. Which in his opinion, he had. He quickly tore himself free from Batman's grip and stormed over towards the zeta tube.

"Krieg, wait!" Black Canary called after him, but she was too slow as he punched in the coordinates and stepped into the light.

"Recognized. Krieg, B04," and then he was gone, back to Los Angeles. Black Canary made to follow him, but was stopped by a raised hand from Batman.

"Let him go for now. We'll let him cool off for a few hours. Meanwhile, we need to deal with this cult as quickly as possible. Krieg was right about one thing, we can't let it grow any stronger than it already has," he said.

"If I may, I think I know someone who can give us some insight," Captain Atom suddenly spoke up for the first time.

"Who?" Batman asked as he instantly turned all his attention to the Captain.

"A small sect that lives out in the wilderness, I've run into them a few times. They generally prefer to keep to themselves, but they do try to keep themselves updated about other cults or sects to avoid taking in bad blood," he explained. Batman was instantly suspicious. That sounded quite a bit fishy to his paranoid ears. But he trusted Captain Atom, so he would let it slide… for now.

"Very well, we'll head there at once and see if they know anything," Batman announced. What better way to see how trustworthy someone was then by meeting them in person?

"I don't think that's a very good idea. Like I said, they're pretty isolationist by nature, and don't really like strangers dropping by. It's probably best if I go alone, as they know me already," Captain Atom argued. And Batman's suspicions just went up a notch.

"Doesn't sound like the kind of people we should be trusting," he pointed out, to which Captain Atom shrugged.

"Maybe, but what choice do we have?" he asked. Batman stared him down for a few extra moments, letting the silence drag on. In the end, he relented.

"Fine, but at least take Captain Marvel with you for back-up, just in case," Batman ordered. Was it his imagination, or did a look of anger appear on Captain Atom's face at that?

"Of course, that should be sufficient," the Captain acquiesced, no trace of the anger that Batman was no long so sure he had really seen.


Hours later, and the two captains landed outside a decrepit mansion out in the American wilderness.

"This is where the sect hangs out? Looks a bit… rundown," Captain Marvel commented hesitantly as he beheld the rusted gates that were hanging off the walls.

"Appearances can be deceiving," Captain Atom began before he turned to fully face Marvel. "Before we continue, I have to ask something of you,"

"Sure," Marvel answered happily.

"Change to your human form, Billy," Atom ordered, and Marvel suddenly looked like he had choked on something.

"What… Why… How… You-" he haltingly began, before he was silenced by a raised hand from Atom.

"Look, I don't have time for twenty questions here. Yes I know who you really are, Billy Batson. No, I don't care that you're really ten years old. Now please, change back to human," he implored. Marvel was now looking at him in uncertainty, optimism and pragmatism warring within him.

"Look, I don't know if that's a smart thing to-" and suddenly Atom was in front of him, hands clasped on Marvel's shoulders as he looked deeply into his eyes.

"Do you trust me, Billy?" he asked.

"Of course I do!" Marvel instantly answered without hesitation. After all, why should he not trust his friend and colleague?

"Then trust me on this. Change form," Atom repeated his request. Marvel still looked conflicted, unsure of what was most important.

"Okay then," he finally relented as he stepped back from Atom and took a deep breath.

"SHAZAM!" then there was a thunder strike and a flash of lightning, and then Captain Marvel was gone. In his place stood instead a ten year old Billy Batson.

"So what now?" he asked. He had about two seconds to read the look on Captain Atom's eyes before he raised a hand already engulfed in radioactive energy. A second after that, Billy had managed to widen his eyes in horrified realization, and then there was a discharge of energy. When it passed, there was nothing but a smoking stump where Billy's head was supposed to be. The body swayed back and forth for a few moments, still trying to process the fact that it was dead. Then it toppled over, barely making a sound as it hit the grass. Captain Atom took a moment to just look at the corpse of his former friend, the boy's last look of betrayal burned into his mind.

"Nothing personal, kid," he spoke dismissively as he stepped inside the mansion. Inside, Chaos cultists hastily bowed and vacated his path, and he in turn barely paid these vermin any attention. Finally, he reached his destination, and kneeled before his master.

"My lord," he spoke in subservience with his head lowered as Azkillon looked over various reports.

"Aaah, Captain, so wonderful to see you again. I assume you caused the ruckus I heard outside just a short while ago?" Azkillon inquired, back still turned to his servant.

"Yes, my lord. The Justice League has been made aware of our presence. A Slaaneshi cult got too bold and revealed our existence," Captain Atom reported. That caused a reaction as Azkillon halted in his actions, yet he was still not facing the Captain.

"An inevitability at this point, I suppose. Still, I had thought it would be the Khornates who lost patience first. Oh well, no use lamenting over it now, time to cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war," then, Azkillon marched over to a communication set, still ignoring Captain Atom, and sent a single message across the world on every frequency.

"All units; Isstvan V. I repeat, Isstvan V,"


Few were left at the Cave by now, with most of the League leaving to deal with one thing or another. Only Batman, Red Tornado and the team remained, with Batman pouring over data after data and the team standing behind him in silence.

"Shouldn't we do something about Krieg? I mean, he's not exactly the most stable guy around. Who knows what he'll do with the kind of mood he's in now?" Kid Flash suddenly asked.

"We'll worry about him later. For now, we need to focus on this cult," Batman answered.

"I know that. I was just saying that-" then the alarm suddenly went off as Superman's panicked face appeared on a holographic screen.

"Superman to Justice League! I have armed rioters running rampant through the streets here in Metropolis! Thousands of them, and they're killing everything in sight! Request immediate support!" he called with great urgency. In the background, smoke could be seen rising from the buildings and gunfire could be heard.

"Acknowledge, we'll-" Batman began, but was interrupted by another alarm.

"Green Arrow to Justice League! I've got hordes of armed lunatics wrecking everything in sight! Black Canary is already pinned down at the museum, and I'm getting overwhelmed her at the police station! Need back-up, NOW!" in the background, bloodied police officers could be seen dragging wounded people to safety and automatic fire whizzed overhead. Batman did not even have time to answer before another alarm went off.

"Flash to Justice League! Central City is going up in flames here! A whole army appeared out of nowhere and is killing indiscriminately! I need immediate help!" by now, the team had gathered around and watched in horror as emergency calls came in from nearly every League member, all reporting the same thing.

"What the hell's going on?" Artemis asked in disbelief.

"We're under attack, that's what's going on," Kid Flash answered. But there was no bite to his comment, for he was just as shell-shocked as she was.

"Then we need to act now before-" was as far as Aqualad got before the alarm went off again. This time however, it was not League members that popped up on screen, but news reporters.

"This is Vicky Vale reporting live from Gotham, where armed forces have launched a surprise attack and is now causing havoc along the-"

"-beväpnade terrorister har stormat Tre Kronor or har redan-"

"-along with the naval base at Portsmouth, the attackers are-"

"-la police a du mal à-"

"-Die Feuer aus der Berliner Innenstadt sind zu sehen-"

On and on they came, panicked reports of attacks from unknown hostiles with no apparent goal except killing. And the team could only stand there and stare in horror as the reports piled in.

"Jesus Christ, how big is this attacks?" Kid Flash could not help but ask. In response, Robin numbly typed in a few commands on his holographic computer, and new screens of carnage appeared all around them, each with a new name above them: Moscow, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Luleå, Oslo, Edinburgh, Dublin, Helsinki, Paris, Madrid, Quebec, Copenhagen, Mexico City, Rome, Milan, Istanbul, Cairo, Alexandria, Baghdad, Jerusalem, São Paulo, Lima, Buenos Aires, Lagos, Mogadishu, New Delhi, Bombay, Prague, Budapest, Vienna, Bangkok, Seoul, Shanghai. More and more names kept appearing by the second, from one side of the globe to the other.

"Everywhere, they're attacking everywhere," Robin reported in horror, feeling like he could just collapse to his knees in disbelief. Batman was quick to act as he opened up a link to every League member.

"Code Red! This is an emergency situation! We are dealing with a planet-wide assault! All available League members, report to the nearest city and contain the threat!" the second his order had been given, Batman rushed towards the zeta tubes, Red Tornado close behind. The team were not far behind either.

"Stay here," Batman suddenly ordered the team, and they immediately took on looks of absolute outrage.

"What?! You can't seriously expect us to sit this one out!" Robin vehemently protested, with the rest of the team looking like they were but a single step away from insubordination.

"I'm not, I need you for a very important mission," Batman answered, which caused their outrage to evaporate.

"With an attack on a global scale, the League will be spread extremely thin. I need a rapid response force that can quickly provide reinforcements to any point that require it. So stay here, monitor the situation, and then choose your targets carefully," he instructed the team. Steely resolve took place as they realized the importance of their mission. If they failed to provide the right support at the right time, then innocents and League members could potentially die.

"We won't fail you," Aqualad assured him.

"For all our sakes, I hope you're right," Batman replied before vanishing into the zeta tub, Red Tornado joining him a few seconds later.


There was pure chaos aboard the Watchtower as the few League members not already engaged were scrambling to get into the zeta tubes and sent into the fray.

"Zatara! We need more boots on the ground in Europe! That's your spot!" Hawkwoman called from her position at the computer terminal, trying to spread out the League as evenly as possible to cover as much ground as possible.

"Right away!" Zatara answered before he teleported away. Next away was Hal Jordan, with John Steward a few seconds behind them. Hawkwoman could not even remember were exactly she sent them as more calls for help streamed in for every corner of the world.

"Katar! You're next!" she called to her husband, who was by her side with weapons in hand.

"I'm not going without you, Shayera," he protested.

"I promise, I'll be right behind you, I just need to finish up here!" she answered. He looked like he wanted to argue, but a sharp glare from his wife promptly silenced him.

"You better be," he grumbled as he rushed to the zeta tubes. Then, she was alone aboard the Watchtower, frantically trying to send responses to anyone willing to listen.

"Recognized. Captain Atom, 12," the automated voice announced as the zeta tubes powered up. Surprised by this, Hawkwoman abandoned her post and flew over to the tubes.

"Captain, where have you been? The whole world's going to shit, and we need all hands on deck!" she hastily explained, but he did not react to her. Indeed, he did nothing but stare at her with an unreadable expression on his face.

"Captain?" she began hesitantly. Standing so close to the Captain, she did not notice the danger until his fist, encased in radioactive flames, punched straight through her stomach and severed her spine.

"W-Why…" she tried to speak, even as blood flowed out of her mouth. Captain Atom silenced her by placing a hand on her helmet, his superheated hand melting it like butter. She only had time to scream in agony for a few seconds before Captain Atom's power burned away the skin and melted the skull before turning the brain within to ash. As soon as her struggles seized, Captain Atom threw her body aside like unwanted garbage and walked towards the control panels.

"Override, Captain Atom, 12," he ordered as he typed a few commands away.

"Recognized. Access granted…" the automated voice began as the zeta tubes powered up. When the light faded, there was a giant of man standing aboard the Watchtower. "Azkillon, A04,"

"Well done, Captain. You have most definitively earned your place in the new order of things," Azkillon praised as he stepped off the zeta platform and advanced towards the windows.

"I am honored, my lord," Captain Atom thanked, as he fell in line with his master, who seemed to have already forgotten about his existence as he gazed out at the Earth far below him.

"It's been ten thousand years since I last saw Terra from orbit. When we fled to the Eye of Terror, with victory snatched from our fingers, I vowed that I would return one day and finish what we started. This may not be the same Holy Terra, but it will serve as a decent warm-up," Azkillon spoke mostly to himself, as he felt the thousands dying beneath his feet at this very instance.

"Soon, the world will run red with blood,"


Krieg knew something was wrong the second he heard gunfire and explosions. They came from all around from, from every street corner and every city block. Smoke rose from east to west and from north to south, and the police frequency exploded into action as terrified officers reported vicious combat all over the city. For a moment, Krieg was paralyzed. His mission was to stop crime, but where do you go and stop crime when it was literally all around you? Then, a target appeared. Below him, a car had stopped and four gunmen rushed out and stormed a local gun shop. There were screams of terror from within, a few gunshots, and then silence. Krieg leaped off the rooftop and grappled his way down.

"What the-" the first one, standing guard at the door, had enough time to utter before Krieg's fist smashed into his face and he was sent reeling before his head was grabbed and slammed down into Krieg's knee. He was out like a candle, and Krieg swiftly moved on to the rest as he drew his shotgun and put three rubber bullets into the second criminal.

"Fuck, it's him!" the third one cried out as he let loose with an Uzi, emptying its entire magazine without hitting anything as Krieg dived into cover. The second his gun clicked empty, Krieg was up again and put a round right between the eyes. That left only one target left, now where could he be? Oh, he was trying to sneak up on him? No problem, as Krieg sidestepped his aim just before he pulled the trigger on his revolver, then Krieg closed the distance and slammed a fist into his stomach before ripping the gun out of his hand and sweeping the legs out from under him.

"Fuck, that hurt," the criminal moaned, right before Krieg came down with a knee on his chest.

"Talk. What are you up to?" Krieg demanded to know.

"Getting weapons for the uprising, what else?" the criminal asked sardonically.

"Uprising?" Krieg repeated slowly. He did not like where this was going.

"Yeah, the great uprising, as ordained by the True Gods," the criminal answered with fervor in his eyes. Krieg felt his blood grow cold.

"No," he murmured to himself as he tore the man's shirt open, exposing the Eight-Pointed Star branded on his chest.

"You're too late, hero, we've already struck the first blow. Already, our brothers and sisters all over the world are rising up against our oppressors," the heretic bragged as Krieg stared at the symbol on his chest.

"Afraid, are you? You should be. Your time is over, and our time has begun," the cultist continued, and Krieg just stared at the symbol on his chest.

"This is a war anything you've seen before, a war that will wipe this Earth clean of unbelievers and ascend us to Godhood," and still the cultist continued, unaware that Krieg was barely listening to him anymore.

"But I'm feeling generous today. Lay down you weapons, kneel before me like a dog, and maybe I'll just-"

BANG!

One pull of the trigger, and the cultist's brains were splattered all over the floor. Above him, Krieg continued to stare at the chaos symbol, the revolver in his hand still smoking from the discharge.

"Holy shit!" one of the other heretics burst out as he tried to make a run for it. He did not get far as Krieg snapped out of his trance and fired off a single shot that struck the heretic in the head. The third heretic reached for a gun, but Krieg was faster and put two bullets in his chest. Then, there was silence again, and Krieg stood alone. Outside, screams and gunfire continued to echo, but Krieg hardly seemed to notice. I failed. I was meant to protect mankind, and I failed. I allowed this madness to grow right underneath my nose, and never suspected a thing.

But then came anger, and conviction. No, I haven't failed. Not yet. Not while there's a single human left free of corruption that still draws breath. They drew first blood, but I'll drain them of every last drop of blood. Then Krieg looked at the corpse at his feet, lying there as a clear admission of his guilt. He did it, he broke the Justice League's one and only rule. He killed a human being. But as that realization hit him, another came to him just as quickly.

"Fuck the Justice League," he spat out, right before he tore off his ammunition pouches and threw them away. Then he grabbed one of the heretics' duffel bag and set to work. Ammunition, sub-machine guns, grenades, magazines, all were thrown into the duffel bag before it was full. He grabbed any available belt he could find and strapped them on, then he started cramming in guns wherever he had room to spare. Pistols were shoved into his pants, knives were hidden in his boots, Uzis were strapped to his thighs, and revolvers were pocketed in his greatcoat.

Sniper rifles, assault rifles and shotguns were slung over his shoulders, as many as he could be fitted. When there was no more room anywhere on him, he grabbed a gun in each arm and walked towards the exit, a walking armory. But then he paused at the doorway, the last heretic was still alive and he was trying to crawl away. Krieg leisurely walked after the whimpering fool, and gave him a vicious kick that flipped him over on his back.

"Wait, wait! You can't do this! You're a hero, you don't commit murder!" the heretic pleaded like the pathetic lifeform that he was.

"This is not murder," Krieg countered as he raised his gun and aimed it right between his eyes. "This is pest control,"

BANG!