26
Due to a technical glitch I published Chapter 7 back on Tuesday and it didn;t actually post until yesterday. Be advised, it's actually a double chapter and dozens of vital plot threads and interpersonal events occurred. I can't stress enough how much reading Chapter 7 before this chapter will clear up a lot of things that would otherwise be a mystery.
Superman and Barda had difficulty blending in on Rimbor. Even transiting across the mega-continents to reach the largest port city proved difficult. Barda easily escaped notice but Kal-El's bright attire and Kryptonian glyph drew unwanted attention. Even after over a decade of living in Metropolis and visiting new worlds, Clark Kent still felt like he'd just fallen off the bus from Smallville. It was an attitude that irritated the hell out of Barda.
And suddenly she spotted a flyer advertising the evening show of Mr. Miracle as hosted by Funky Flashman. Barda memorized the address, "Scott?"
And Barda Free ditched Superman to find her husband. He saw the holographic projection and knew why she'd left. He even applauded her decision. Their relationship had never been about love, just sex.
But leaving him during a mission would complicate things. Until he felt a blaster emitter in his back and Gorax addressed him, "Long way from Earth, Kryptonian."
"I take it Draaga sent you," Superman ventured.
"He did," Gorax agreed, "He feels he owes you something."
"A debt?" Superman could deal with it.
"A death," Gorax sneered.
"The show isn't until five hours from now!" Funky Flashman yelled as he opened the stage door.
Barda's fist knocked him ten feet back and loosened three teeth, "Where is he?"
"Who? Scott?" Funky tried to play it cool.
"Barda! Don't!" Scott Free enjoined her.
"What does he have over you?" Barda wanted to know.
"Funky has information Highfather needs to survive the upcoming Crisis," Mr. Miracle explained as he swept the taller Barda into his arms and tiptoed to kiss her.
"What information?" Barda was delirious from Scott's long missed kiss.
"How the destruction of New Genesis will happen," Scott answered, "Darkseid has an alliance with the Anti-Monitor. New Genesis will be destroyed but there is a way to save the New Gods."
"How?" Barda was leery of any news coming from her husband's abductor.
"If the Anti Monitor can be defeated in the Matter Universe, the Antimatter Universe will be replenished. And Highfather can lead us to Anti Earth to colonize it," Scott explained.
"And what about Qward?" Barda had to wonder.
"Both Qward and Oa will have to be sacrificed and the Center of both Universes cleared to remake everything that is, will be, and was," Scott explained.
"Dammit Scott! You sound like Metron," Barda snapped.
"Well, we still have time," Scott grinned, "But not much."
"Definitely Metron," Barda muttered.
Power Girl singlehandedly shattered the Dark Circle's hold on Winath. While she addressed the population through HoloNet networks, rebel forces arrived to defend the world against invasion. Thousands of Winathan volunteers took arms to defend their precious soil. The yoke was broken and it seemed it would stay that way. So Karen Starr relayed an information request to Shadow Lad, who in turn patched her in to Vril Dox and the LEGION. And the answers began to get really strange.
Karen, yes; Power Girl had so immersed herself into her newly crafted secret identity that she thought of herself as Karen Starr. Galatea Hamilton's life had been one disastrous pain or tragedy after another. Emil Hamilton had secretly nurtured her when all CADMUS wanted was a living weapon to kill Superman and Kara In-Ze during the latter's tenure as Supergirl.
Blackhawk had understood all too well. He'd helped her forge the particulars of the legal entity she would later transform into. And then even he'd been torn from her. It didn't take her super senses to realize the trauma Mary Bromfield, because she had also reverted to her legal name, underwent any time Blackhawk was mentioned or one of her many photos of her husband were seen.
Mary had taken an unexpected journey through the bowels of Hell. And afterwards, she was not unlike a skittish fawn in Karen's presence, particularly if Blackhawk was reminisced about. Karen had forced Mary to confront her ghosts but the younger woman wouldn't ever speak about what, or whom, she'd seen in Hell.
Power Girl knew about victims. Hers were always with her in some fashion. Lord Superman being the most spectacular of them all. Blackhawk had hundreds, maybe even thousands, more deaths on his conscience. If the Christian faith were even remotely true, Blackhawk and Karen had learned there was one outlet to the redemption of a soul. And Blackhawk had refused to embrace Him. Karen wasn't quite as stubborn. But if Jesus could forgive her, why couldn't she forgive herself?
But God's message was more than forgiveness of her sinning against Him, an act so vile that a special word had been coined for it, but also to give her peace. A peace that would quell her guilt. It would launch her to carry the love that would have so consumed her and taken her out to the people of the world. All because God had so loved the world, Jesus Christ, God's own Son and yet God Himself as united as one, had first loved her and her thanks and gratitude would compel her to not only love those near and also complete strangers as she would have them love her, but even as God so loved them. With a sacrificial and devoted love of a parent. If the birth parents were even remotely "human" to begin with. Otherwise, as in Karen's case, that love was perfectly expressed by a perfect God.
And so it was that Power Girl began to hear from Dox what covert mission he'd dispatched Matrix on. Karen knew from her studies that the Apostle Paul frequently wrote about a Christians' total freedom in Christ. But also that God had made laws and rules to govern the scope of human behaviors. But at that moment, Power Girl didn't care about rules. She knew she still had a few more murders in the name of justice to execute. Perhaps even starting with Vril Dox.
"Halt!" A Galtran Tarkosian Dark Circle soldier ordered Wonder Woman and Killer Frost.
Artemis merely looked bored. Killer Frost decided to let the Amazon handle it and not find out what color blood would be on her hands otherwise. Louise Lincoln's life had just gotten stranger since she met and fell in love with Dorcas Leigh. When Godiva died, Killer Frost was there to pledge to her that she would forge a new life and a new path.
Of course, she'd never dreamt that new life would be part of the Justice League. And to complicate matters, she'd made an amazing connection with Ace of Blades even after Ace had screwed Sir Justin's brains out. She may have been bisexual rather than a lesbian like Killer Frost but the sexual magnetism between them could've arced lightning.
And now Killer Frost didn't have a clue where Ace of Blades or where her Fourth Reich compatriots even were. And she had no idea what a second encounter with Ace of Blades would bring. But she desperately wanted to find out. After all, bad girls had to stick together.
Speaking of that, Artemis was engaged in a aggressive argument with the local constable on patrol. He'd called it in and she had her damn bow in her hand, "Artemis, maybe scaling things back is prudent."
"This coming from Killer Frost?" Artemis was scornful.
"We aren't here to fight a war," Killer Frost advised her.
"What do you call a revolution?" Artemis grated.
"They're supposed to fight," Killer Frost pointed at the milling crowd.
"Then let's inspire them to," Artemis' eagerness was rewarded with the arrival of tanks and troop carriers.
"Oh hell," Killer Frost distanced herself to get a better vantage point for the impending combat.
"Standby to be arrested, heretics!" an amplified voice decried from the rear of the echelon.
"No," Artemis growled. She drew back an imaginary bowstring. But as she pulled a glimmering strand of energy became a string. Then she released it and a huge bolt of the same energy flew forth only to decimate the Dark Circle's frontal position.
Voices could be heard yelling to fall back. Killer Frost approached her, "Why am I even here?"
"To complain, it seems," Artemis was dismissive.
"They won't stay terrified for long. They'll gather numbers and liquid courage and attack," Killer Frost predicted.
"That is why you are here," Artemis relented.
Power Ring studied air traffic around a floating citadel. Imskans were beginning to notice her. As were Dark Circle conscripts. Fortunately a Ring of Volthoom didn't need to recharge from a power battery. The ambient fear exuding from the population did that well enough. Jessica was startled as a green power ring descended and tried to communicate.
Jess was angered as the power ring attempted to destroy hers. And there wasn't even a frackin' Green Lantern attached. The rings went into a cataclysmic showdown without her even participating. But when the advantage went to the Green Lantern ring, Jessica would feel her life expiring. So she mounted an intervention.
Using her own tremendous will, she knew she had it because she got out of bed despite wanting curl up and hide for forever, and she'd finally gotten her own ring to shut the hell up. That was a hallelujah moment in and of itself. Aiding the vestige of Volthoom resident in her ring, she contained the irksome power ring.
"Look, I don't know why you're here to kill me and frankly I don't care. Just back up off me and go away," Jessica delivered her ultimatum.
The ring was ricocheting off of her construct and unleashing one power blast after another in a seamless sequence. Jess had had enough, "Fine!"
She destroyed the ring and hers began to snicker, "Do. Not. Go. There. You so totally owe me now."
She could have sworn it whimpered.
Cascade delivered the Sovereigns to the spatial coordinates Network had gleaned from a Dark Circle conscript's mind. Fortunately, she'd been a local as well as a scofflaw. The arrival point had been a smuggling drop point before the authorities enslaved or executed the smugglers and dealers and shut the terrestrial side of the businesses down.
"Taryn, can you pinpoint the strongest mind with your range?" Cascade asked.
Cruiser led the protests from the others.
"Rhian, you know once I lock onto a specific individual I'll start ghosting them," Network was incredibly uneasy.
"But let me worry about that," Network tried but failed to show bravado. Or at least, she wanted to be certain and was anything but.
Indigo took Cascade aside, "Rhian, this always ends in disaster. We've come to learn Taryn is a collective consciousness. Her core personality is imprinted on her mind but all of her intelligence, knowledge, and skills come from mind taps into others. And when Taryn focuses on a single person, she becomes that person with just a vestige of her own self. And we have no idea of who to expect."
"And we are blind here!" Cascade hissed between clenched teeth, "All we know is that this Dark Circle cult has conquered nearly half of this galaxy and possibly others. And whoever is behind it visited our Earths and unleashed the Rapture. I want, no, I need to know who they are and why they did it."
"There's a third. You don't hide it well," Indigo warned her.
"How do we turn it on its creators?" Cascade finally finished her thought aloud after carrying the secret for months.
"There is a fourth but it seems it's long forgotten," Indigo advised her.
"I don't pretend to be perfect," Cascade admitted.
"The 'how' of it all," Indigo stated.
Cascade's cheeks burned with shame, "Of course. I'd forgotten now that we're so close to the truth. Or at least closer than ever before."
"Cascade!" Cruiser interrupted, "Network has found a mind."
"How is she doing?" Indigo asked.
"He's a real piece of garbage, whoever he is," Cruiser warned them both, "Network hasn't been this out of sorts since she tapped into Lobo."
"Ged offa me, ya bastichs!" Network roared.
"This should be fun," Indigo sighed.
Finale had drawn her sword, "She had better not realize she's still a telepath. I won't have this scum in my mind."
Rebel ships spread across key sectors to cut the periphery of the Dark Circle off from the core systems and from Papal Center itself. And in doing so, the true architects of the resistance came to light. The Justice League and the Sovereign Seven had merely torched the gasoline so carefully poured across every world. Uprisings with no chance of succeeding rose up anyway to threaten the Clergy and force them to keep loyalist troops nearby. These efforts cut the Dark Circle's available response in half.
The rebel fleet's first conquest had been a carrier. With the fighter bays still full, the power projection capabilities were only augmented by the frigate, destroyer, and cruiser attached as screening units. Otherwise the largest vessels taken by force were three pocket battleship and dozens of battlecruisers. Hundreds of heavy cruisers were in rebel hands as well as thousands of cruisers, light cruisers, and the aforementioned frigates and destroyers.
Carriers were only matched by Dreadnoughts in terms of displacement. But carriers shared their offensive capabilities albeit in different terms. They hosted a hundred fighter craft, a dozen minelayers, a dozen more mine destroyers, six stealth piercing perimeter scouts. They also carried three satellite launching platforms, three sensor relays, and three comm relays.
The Dark Circle had three of this ship type. It was little wonder the Papal Father had never announced, even for propaganda purposes, that the incipient rebellion had captures just such a warship months before the revolution began in earnest. But then, announcements deriving from the Papal Father and Holy Mother always seemed to edit the truth right out of their proclamations.
The carrier entered Winath's home system. Dozens of warships, led by a heavy cruiser took up patrols in the inner and outer system as well as screening units beyond to warn of impending threats. But Power Girl was escorted to the carrier itself. There she found it under the command of a Faithful defector. Apparently she'd seen through the Clergy's lies even before the LEGION boarded the ship. Manned by sailors who'd thrown off the chains of oppression and mind control, the three divisional armies who awaited deployment were being manipulated rather given a choice to choose sides.
That brainchild came from Vril Dox, the founder and leader of the interstellar LEGION. He was a Coluan like Brainiac 5 in Kara's experience. And like Qwerl Dox in the future, Vril bore the triple interconnected circles on his forehead the same as emblazoned on Brainiac's metal chassis. Vril had even taken the code-name Brainiac 2.
The other LEGIONNAIRES picked up on Power Girl's agitation upon coming aboard and closed ranks, by and large, around Vril. A large crystalline female from Dryad seemed to be the first rank muscle. Karen wondered how many fragments Strata wanted to end up as.
Phase was an unknown even to herself. But she demonstrated an ability to dimensionally shift between material states. Stealth seemed well named. She was invisible to electronic eyes and when so desired, organic ones as well. Both Stealth and Phase were near-human. Phase was actually human, Karen's X-Ray vision revealed.
Telepath was the last of his kind, his people slaughtered by the Dark Circle because of their obvious abilities. Layla was admittedly human but parasites had infected her brain and granted her the ability to channel one ultra power at a time. With a full range of powers mimicking Majestic's own, Layla and Telepath presented the greatest, obvious threats. Marij'n Bok was indistinguishable from human
Marij'n derived from the world of Cairn. It had been a thriving civilization until a collected armada wiped all life from that world and transformed it into a galactic graveyard. Marij'n's husband, Garryn Bok, died at the hands of the Clergy. An impressive feat for someone rivaling a Daxamite or Kandorian power-wise. The incident polarized Marij'n. Vril saw her natural leadership abilities and also had a desire to restrain her from preemptively attacking the Dark Circle before his rebel network was prepared to mobilize.
Wildstar derived from Starhaven. Unknown benefactors a thousand years before had transported Native American tribes wholesale from North, Central, and South America. Grafting DNA into these Amerinds, they developed wings like the Thanagarians. But a thousand years later, Wildstar was born with deformed wings and they were surgically removed.
Wildstar served a menial role within her people and slowly aged into an elderly woman. But the tribes had one paramount task for Wildstar. Like the rest of her people, she could survive in the vacuum of space. But she was singularly gifted with the ability to track even a pinhead across vast reaches, through stars systems, onto planets, and through nebulas. Even neutron stars couldn't baffle her.
Vril came to Starhaven to recruit their famed tracker. But she was an old woman nearing death. Undeterred, he took to his secret labs on Colu and infused her with anti-energy. A thousand years later, Drake Burroughs would also receive the same and be transformed into Wildfire and fall in love with the Amerind Dawnstar, who would manifest Wildstar's tracking skill. But Wildstar was an early fusion of those two Legion of Superheroes luminaries.
Vril immediately had to contain Wildstar in a specialized containment suit. Unlike Wildfire's later generation containment suit, Wildstar's was not specifically designed for energy release, only containment. But she was finally able to generate anti-energy wings and fly under her own power. And identical to Wildfire's last generation suit before transferring himself into the ERG model, Wildstar had humanized facial features and a nimbus of flaming hair. And not unlike the future Wildfire, Wildstar was virtually immortal.
Power Girl knew the LEGION was leading the fight against the Dark Circle. But what was intended to follow it? Like Lex and Lena Luthor, Vril Dox was a 12th Level intellect. But was he ambitious? Or was a completely amoral in the pursuit of knowledge. Was this uprising merely a theoretical exercise?
It was only interviewing Vril and the LEGION that she learned the native governments of all the human settlements, Colu, Rimbor, Zuun, Durla and the like were all committed to an ideal labelled the United Planets. Democratically elected leaders would appoint representatives to a council comprised of two citizens from each represented world. The UP President would be voted for in two fashions, a direct election by the citizenry and an electoral choice by the planetary governments. A candidate would have to achieve a sixty percent majority in each election to win. If after three successive contests no one leader was selected, parliamentary rules would engage and a president would be chosen by the basis of a simple majority of votes within the UP Council.
Ostensibly it sounded nice. But Power Girl had been created by a rogue government plot to destroy any and all alien life on Earth and to enslave or terminate all meta-humans. So her trust only went so far.
Kalea was met in the air by a descending Ultraman. She didn't know it was possible for someone to have an even more primitive fighting style than her father, but Kal-L managed it. While he relied on sheer savagery and brute strength that could shatter moons, Kalea feigned favoring her left arm. Ultraman's animalistic instincts noted this and he pressed the attack onto her left side.
Her organic arm was stronger than Ultraman. Her organics were weaker than a pureblood Kryptonian within the Prime Universe but her strength wasn't quite diminished because of her Almeracian blood. Ultraman wasn't from the Prime Universe at all. So her cybernetic limbs equaled his strength, much to the Techno Organic Union's delight and her own chagrin.
Ultraman reeled and ended up spitting out blood and teeth. Wiping his mouth, he wore a bestial grin, "Good. Now I won't have to pretend to feel bad."
His onslaught was beyond anything Kalea had ever faced before. Unlike him, her right arm and both legs were slower than her natural arm. Ultraman was complete and whole. And he wanted nothing more than to beat her to death. His every intention was to make her eventual death as painfully degrading as possible. Throughout Kal-L's life, his only spark of imagination was how to draw out a death so that the victim would endure the maximum amount of suffering for as long as they could survive.
Kalea fell from the sky and created an impact crater where she landed. She was so beleaguered she didn't even know where she was at. Ultraman relentlessly followed her. She threw a right cross, seeing as how that was her primary hand. He caught her arm by the wrist and applied an insane amount of pressure. Her arm didn't buckle but it suffered catastrophic internal damage. His eyes began to glow and for the very first time in her life, Kalea resigned herself to her death.
But she heard electromagnetic discharges and Ultraman released her arm as he lurched forward with his back arched. Spinning he let a window shattering roar loose. More discharges followed and Kalea saw traces of green glowing within his arteries and veins. And finally, her head cleared enough to realize she was mere blocks away from the palace.
"Princess? Are you alright?" the sergeant-at-arms in charge of the detail that had rescued her asked.
"No, but I'll live to resume fighting," Kalea tried to downplay the true extent of her injuries.
"The palace is secure and troops are mobilizing into the streets and buildings to deal with the threats," the sergeant reported.
"What about Maxima?" Kalea asked.
"Leading a contingent against the largest clusters of enemy occupants," the sergeant proudly boasted.
"What about him?" the sergeant pointed at Ultraman with his rifle.
"We don't require prisoners," Kalea said coldly.
"Understood," he placed three kryptonite bullets in Ultraman's forehead. "Princess, my med sensors indicate you're suffering from massive internal injuries."
"Funny, it feels that way too," Kalea murmured.
"I insist you report to the med center. I can take you," the sergeant amused Kalea.
"Sergeant, if I live through this, I promise you can personally carry me to a biobed and deposit me in it," Kalea vowed.
"I'd heard you were still a tremendous pain in the ass," the sergeant complained.
"You should know, Chek Oric," Kalea launched herself back into the air. But she was traveling at half her customary speed.
Kara In-Ze was from Argo rather than Krypton. Genetic variations between Argo and her birth world of Krypton meant Kara was less physically robust than Kal-El. But Ultraman, being from Earth-3, was also weaker than Superman but on par with Kara. But Ultragirl was a Kryptonian and not an Argoan. So Kara had no advantage over her foe other than her white power ring.
Ultragirl tired of toying with Kara and her eyes began their distinctive glow. Kara erected a shield construct and Ultragirl screamed. Kara risked making the shield less opaque, and therefore marginally weaker, to see what distressed Ultragirl. And when she saw, she was horrified.
Ultragirl's heat vision had reflected back upon her own eyes. And they'd burned away the eyeballs themselves. Heat vision was still being generated through the optic nerves. Ultragirl through her pain and panic, seemed unable to stop the process. And she was thrashing about and burning her own flesh. The smell gagged Kara.
And then Kalea came up, back to back with Ultragirl, and reached over her head to grasp Ultragirl's forehead. Slamming the back of Kara Zor-L's neck against her shoulder, Kara was sickened to her the crack of Ultragirl's neck snapping.
"That wasn't necessary!" Kara snapped.
"Tell me that when this is your world it's happening to," Kalea said diffidently.
"You're hurt," Kara's ring was pulsing warnings.
"Very badly," Kalea admitted, "But there's little rest for the wicked when she's defending against an invasion of supermen."
"I can't heal you. At least not entirely. But I can relieve the worst of it," Kara offered.
"Anything would be an improvement. Even 'take two and call me' pills," Kalea ruefully confessed.
After Kara bathed Kalea in the Light of Life, Kalea was visibly improved, "Now for this."
Kalea used her organic eye to utilize its heat vision to weld her useless hand closed into a fist.
"I've never seen you hurt," Kara admitted.
"You aren't around very often," Kalea replied stiffly.
"Something is going on here and it isn't your injuries," Kara deduced.
"I was rescued from Ultraman by a sergeant of the guard," Kalea shared.
"So he did his duty," Kara was dismissive.
"I used to sleep with him between the ages of nine and twelve," Kalea rudely reminded Kara of the rapid aging Almeracians underwent until the end of puberty.
"Why is this bad?" Kara had to ask.
"He still cares for me," Kalea told her.
"So?" Kara was baffled by Kalea's disappointment.
"Commoners, and particularly royal bodyguards, face execution for sexual relations with a noble. Particularly the royal heir," Kalea anticipated the next question, "And there's no statute of limitations."
"Um…" Kara was having trouble processing this.
"He quite literally screwed me to his death if anyone ever learns," Kalea explained, "Is that Earth-speak enough for you?"
"Wow. And I thought Krypton and Argo were complicated enough," Kara decided, "How did you ever leave Argo, by the way?"
"To shorten the story, I caught a ride with a dead man," Kalea was searching for the next target.
"Marcus?" Kara guessed judging by the remorse in Kalea's voice.
"Yes," Kalea sounded devastated, "They need us in the next megalopolis."
"Seeing as how I'm your doctor, I guess I should come with you," Kara offered.
"You could decide to stay," Kalea stated, "But then I'd just drag you by your hair."
Kara doubted Kalea-El was joking.
Carol was frightened by Laira Omoto's ferocity. Her attack was hardly worthy of a Green Lantern. And Carol knew the GL Corps had been as decimated as every other. The only one seemingly reduced to nothing was the Red Lanterns. But a red ring approached Laira. Her green ring left her and flew off into space and the red ring transformed her uniform into that of a Red Lantern. Something a Star Sapphire could deal with. The Light of Love could kill a Harbinger of Rage. So Laira fled when Carol pressed the attack with an intent to kill Laira.
Carol didn't know what had transformed Laira. But it happened well before the red ring claimed her. Under ideal circumstances, Carol would pursue the nascent Red Lantern but things were far from idealized.
Kyle Rayner recuperated from Laira's decisively savage attack. If he hadn't sensed the approach of the red ring he would've been forced to take drastic measures. He'd hope the ring would jolt Laira back to her senses. As she'd attacked Carol he knew differently.
Spread across the equator, Race, Miss Bloss, and Miri Raim each battled dozens of Kandorians. Numbers were against them, so they rallied above the skies of Almerac's Imperial Capitol. And in doing so were reunited with Carol and Kyle. It did the Star Sapphires good to see the Sapphire Queen with her Sapphire Consort. Despite everything, it made the world seem right again.
Carol had neutralized Laira without killing her. Hopefully the rage monster inside of her would have died by then. If not, the Light of Love would subdue her yet again.
Guy and Bekka were within sight of each other. Bekka primarily used her sword to hack Kandorians to pieces. Her ring provided convenient shields and far ranging weapons. Guy found his enthusiasm for instilling fear waning. But even as his ring abandoned him, a Green Lantern power ring chose him.
"Awl right, ya losers. Prepare ta get yer asses handed ta ya," and Guy, whom the guardians once praised as having an indomitable will, was back in his element.
"Gardner! What are you doing?" Bekka asked between skewering Kandorians.
"Bustin' heads an' takin' names, Sweetheart. Want me ta take yers down too?" Guy happily replied.
Bekka hated herself for being tempted. The man was such a cretin. But she had a weakness for loud mouthed, useless louts.
Maxima repelled the invaders from the summer palace. The Royal Guard secured the building and every Counselor within it. Then Maxima took to the streets and fought door to door. The size of her escort dwindled as she left pairs of guards behind each conquest. But she vowed she'd proceed alone if it spared the life of one more citizen or subject. The Nobles were already engaged in defending their own territories. Her only distraction was receiving a fragmentary report of Kalea's injuries and refusal to be treated. Maxima knew if she were to die today it would be because of her daughter's hard headedness. She had to have gotten that from her father.
A miasma of colors opened a wormhole that brough a Daxamite invasion fleet. The fleet only consisted of intersystem patrol craft. But as Saint Walker floated them before the rays of the yellow sun, Yrra Cyvil and Munk transported the Daxamite security forces and volunteers over to join them. Experience had proven it wouldn't take much time before the cells of every Daxamite body would be saturated. And then further experience had proven, while the population was under Darkseid's direct control, that every citizen would be as powerful as Superman. Unlike the Argoan-class Kandorians.
Ol Vir arrived on Thanagar to confront Saturn Queen. Eve Aries recognized her fellow time traveler. But she wasn't pleased by it.
As he crashed through the wall, he came to an abrupt halt and just floated in the air. Saturn Queen stood arms akimbo, "Imagine this. Another refugee from the Legion of Super Villains. And don't imagine my lack of surprise to find you fashioning a Darkseid cult on your planet."
She relished Ol Vir's frustration as he found he couldn't speak. Even his thought were telepathically isolated, "You were a boring dullard in our time and you certainly retain your oafish manners. These people love me but even adoration tires at constant renovations to an ivory tower."
Ol Vir surprised her by infinitesimally trembling. She adopted a glacial smile, "It seems your will to survive has broadened somewhat. Not enough to keep you from scraping before an alien that claims to be a god just because he conquered Apokolips. Tell me, what has the omnipotent Darkseid accomplished since then? He can't even conquer the neighboring planet."
Tears began to stream from Ol Vir's eyes. Born both of sorrow and impotent frustration. Saturn Queen was delighted beyond measure. She frequently felt the same. Every single day she had to resist the impulse to return to Earth and settle into insignificant Tessa Richardson's life and be with her imbecilic husband, Sir Justin. The rational side of Eve wanted to respond by slitting her own throat. Tessa was nothing without her and Eve was everything without Tessa.
"I'll give you a choice, a rather generous one, I think," Saturn Queen offered, "You can either fly into the sun or vibrate yourself until your useless innards liquefy themselves. You won't appreciate my alternative half as much if you refuse to choose."
Ol Vir couldn't speak but he made his choice known nonetheless. Liberated but still controlled he flew out the hole in the wall he had created and arced into the heavens. Crossing the void of space, he plunged into the local star. Saturn Queen congratulated herself on her ingenuity.
"Farewell, Ol Vir. I'm so pleased I never knew you," she toasted the hole left behind.
Insect Queen returned to the Hall of Justice. The guard's checked her in but she was relieved that John was the center of attention. As well as a tank-like alien. Her frequent disappearances would raise suspicions. Like who could the Lana Lang of Earth-2 possibly know on this world?
Fortunately, or perhaps not so much, Stuart Mosely had purchased and renovated a diner to identically resembled the "Eats" on their world. And it was the safest place she and Stu could meet with Marian Drews. But Lana knew from experience that Clark Kent would unravel any secret she kept from him.
The Lana of Earth-Prime was a fashion designer and her parents were farmers. Lana's own father had been an archeologist and her mother an entomologist based out of Smallville. Clark had been her closest friend and confidant. Until he became Lord Superman.
Lana's father had provided the insect amulet that made her Insect Queen. But, even secretly from Marian and Stu, Mercy Graves had activated Lana's recessive gen factor. The results had been spectacular and cost LexCorp a facility. Lana hadn't been able to train on Earth-2 because of the volatile nature of her newfound powers.
But she'd been an engineer at Mercy Corp before the experiment. So she was able to devise both a containment suit for personal use and an entire training facility for learning control. And then the unthinkable had happened. Darkseid offered the Justice Lords their lost powers back in exchange for being his vassals. And equally desperate to reclaim what glory they deemed they had lost, they agreed to his terms. And caused Lord Batman to lead a resistance network against them. And Mercy enlisted the aid of the Justice League from the Prime Universe.
Under Galatea's leadership, the Justice Lord's were defeated…rather permanently this time. But life did not receive a happy ending. A universe encompassing wave of antimatter swept through the cosmos, consuming everything in its path. Batman sent collective squads to differing portions of Earth Prime. Even Lana, Stu, and Marian were unaware of who else had transited the dimensional barrier. They only knew the mission that had been given them to save life across the universes.
Their weekly meeting was becoming more colorful, "The internet papers have sighting of a 'brightly garbed acrobat with the words HaHa! Emblazoned on his (presumably male) torso. Something you want to share, Stu?" Lana was cross.
"Nope," Stu exuded innocence.
"And the Gotham Herald is reporting conflict between the Jokerz, Emperor Penguin, and new player called 'Hellequin'. Care to deny anything?" Lana turned her ire onto Marian.
"Nope. Our Bruce Wayne wanted me to connect the ranks of villainy. This is how you get it done," Marian was blasé about it.
"It must be hard knowing the Joker is already dead," Lana ventured.
"My Joker was a vegetable before he died. No one actually knows if he's dead here. I think he would've busted up this idiotic Jokerz gang. And I don't believe Harley Quinn is dead and would stay in hiding if he were still alive," Marian ticked off her fingers.
"Jeezuz Marian, you sound like a conspiracy nut," Lana complained.
"I. Knew. The. Joker. I knew how he thought and how he operated. And how he booted the oh-so clingy Dr. Quinzel out onto the curb for good when he met me. I'm the woman he dreamt of. I'm the Hellequin. Not a lame ass Harley Quinn," Marian grated.
The King began a rendition of Love me Tender. Marian tried to glare but failed, "Damn. He's just getting better. Is he really…?"
"Do you really want to know?" Stu was amused.
"Let's just say it's a strange new universe," Lana deflected the line of questioning.
"Then let's just say I need to improv some strange new methods," Marian retorted, "And don't give me any 'what would Batman do' bullshit. We know what he would do. Our entire Earth knew what he was capable of."
"I've got the Justice League under observation. They've received warnings about what's coming but are irritatingly self-deluded," Lana admitted.
"Like you noted before, I have Cobblepot's successor pitted against the Jokerz. But Deula Dent is getting help. They both are," Marian warned, "As best as I can tell, the power brokers in the criminal world are: Luthor, Max Lord, and Black Canary."
She saw everyone's surprise, "Where have you two been hiding? Black Canary is the new Ra's al Ghul. She married Nyssa Raatko and Nyssa is the true power behind the throne."
"And Talia?" Stu wondered.
"Is not who or what she appears to be," Marian was feeling cryptic.
"What about the Brain Emperor or Intergang or even the Syndicate Underground?" Lana asked.
"Posers," Marian was dismissive, "Pretentious ones, I'll give you, but posers still the same. There are two entities that might prove useful. Maybe three."
"And?" Lana felt impatient.
"Libra's Secret Society of Super Villains especially now that Major Disaster is co-chair. The Titans or the Brotherhood of Dada," Marian reported.
"The Teen Titans?" Stu was confused.
"There's no Teen in Titan," Marian wanted to punch him despite it being utterly useless, "Deathstroke put this merry band of mercenaries together. Lord Emp and Majestros of the Kherabim hired them to win their ancient war."
"How did that work?" Lana was curious.
"There aren't any Daemonites left on Earth," Marian stated, "And word from Khera is that the war out there ended millennia ago. Earth was the last battleground."
"And how do you know any of this?" Lana wanted to know.
"People like to talk to me," Marian confessed. Usually while she was pulling their entrails out.
"What's a 'Dada'?" Stu had to ask.
"They're a surrealistic band of entities that want nothing more than to warp reality and bend it into their various notions of 'normal'," Marian explained, "They were brought together for this common goal by Mr. Nobody. Sometimes called the Narrator because he's broken the Fourth Wall."
"Isn't that just a literary device?" Lana inquired.
"You'd have to ask Mr. Nobody," Marian evaded the question, "The Brotherhood is inherently dangerous because they're twisted in knots and completely unreliable as well as unpredictable."
"Define knotty," Stu requested.
"Mr. Nobody once pretzeled a guy because he put mustard and not cheese on a pretzel," Marian deadpanned.
"Any newcomers?" Lana looked queasy.
"The Brotherhood of Evil has regrouped with new members. The label being loosely applied because it seems the Brain and Monsieur Mallah survived certain destruction and have blackmailed Gemini into rejoining as well."
"Oo-kay," Stu was still thinking about the Brotherhood of Dada.
"Anyone else worth noting?" Lana was impatient again.
"The Brotherhood of Evil Intent," Marian mentioned despite believing it was a mistake to do so. She got the expected eye roll in reply, "Each member was briefly a rising star in the criminal world. But they each fell on hard times and have banded together to recapture faded glory."
"Did anyone actually turn them down?" Lana dryly inquired.
"The Enchantress," Marian told her, "But she actually considered it first."
"The Enchantress is a power player," Lana protested, "Why would she even stoop to consider this idiocy?"
"Her time with the Suicide Squad was seen as a period of slumming," Marian detailed, "But both June and Enchantress agreed to try a new path other than super villain or government killer."
"Like what?" Stu rejoined the conversation.
"Her ambition is to become Earth's Sorceress Supreme. But since she has a magic addiction and turns evil when she gets a fix, she'll settle for moving up from reservist to full-fledged member of the Dark Justice," Marian shared.
"And you know this how?" Lana was incredulous.
"She told me," Marian was lightly defensive, "Over dinner and drinks."
"Did you two…?" Lana was surprised.
"A lady, even when she isn't one, doesn't kiss and tell, even if they didn't," Marian retorted.
And Lana finally began to fully realize she didn't know Marian at all. But Stu's utter lack of astonishment told her he at least had a firmer grasp on the situation. He just looked happy she'd enjoyed…whatever it had been. And was probably cheering for a second encounter.
Hal stormed out of Hall of Justice to the taxi he'd called for. He'd collected his meager belongings from his room inside. Kilowog seemed to be embracing the opportunity to be the Justice League's new Chief of Technology. No one had said goodbye to Hal or seen him off.
He was headed to London and the Ferris estate outside of it. If he'd lost his power ring she certainly had to have lost the star sapphire. So she'd grovel at his feet for him to stay with her there. And he could resume his old life and fly really fast planes. He had no clue "a" Carol Ferris was in residence in the form of Remoni-Notra. And she'd be delighted to have him as her first human sex toy.
The Freedom Fighters had broken free of ARGUS control. They weren't even affiliated with the US government anymore. Uncle Sam advised President McKay that he and his were pledged to defend the US Constitution and that for which it stood. Incidentally, it meant they were on her side in this struggle.
McKay sent them to Seattle and arranged a meeting at Liberty Station with Gen. Latham, Dir. Cormaugh, and Maj. Lane. Still, even with ARGUS confiscated teleportation tech, it took the Freedom Fighter four hours to arrive. Nightshade barred their way.
"Eve, we're on the same side," Phantom Lady promised.
"I'll believe it when I see proper documentation, Stormy," Nightshade countered.
"Ya'll are gonna be might wearisome `bout this, aren't ya?" Uncle Sam realized.
"Damn Skippy," Nightshade made her own promise.
"It's all right," Lucy Lane approached from within MLJ HQ.
"You're sure, Luce?" Nightshade felt protective.
"My father wouldn't send assassins with marginal loyalties," Lucy told her.
"Yore surely know yer Pa," Uncle Sam doffed his top hat flourished with a bow, "We all feel sorely vexed that we didn' come ta yer aid when ya needed us."
"It's okay, Sam," Lucy reassured them all, "At least we know where you all really stand now."
LexCorp had downsized its vast holdings in Chicago even before Mercy Graves took control. But she systematized the priorities behind each sale. Many of the employees that would have otherwise been let go she contractually arranged to have their positions kept within the new owners' umbrellas. The effect was two-fold. The former LexCorp workers were still loyal to the brand and the corporations acquiring LexCorp properties and employees learned to value what they'd gained.
Lena learned the why behind it all. Lex was the powerbroker behind each shell corporation and multinational supposedly taking advantage of LexCorp's profit losses. But unlike Luthor, who had an unwavering rancor towards Mercy, Lena recognized that Mercy had rebuilt the company, strengthened it, enlarged and diversified its portfolio of products and services, and tripled the annual profits from before Luthor was incarcerated. Not once, but three times.
Lex Luthor was an inventive 12th Level intellect. But Lena was a genius at both invention and especially at business. She was able to set ego aside and see that her brother, although formidable at destabilizing and later acquiring rivals, was a horrible CEO.
But the Chicago campus had been neglected as of late. Lena was so focused on the Everyman and Team Luthor Projects she hadn't immersed herself in the minutia of daily worldwide operations. LuthorCorp Chicago wasn't a vital part of the business anymore but it had access to every other branch. And so it was Marian Drews had left Eats to board a commercial flight from NYC to O'Hare.
A distinct advantage to being on a strange Earth was that no one knew the Hellequin but her time with the Justice League Antarctica and aiding the Justice League Unlimited against the JLAxis and the Fourth Reich had made Neo Joker visible. But that alias was hardly Marian's first. Before she'd replaced the Joker, she'd been his lover as Hellequin.
Harley Quinn had essentially tried to reason with the Joker's amorous desires. He'd wanted to cure him and settle down as a family. And she'd finally realized that the Joker wasn't insane. The Joker was insanity.
Under special dispensation, Lord Batman had Harleen Quinzel's credentials and medical licenses restored. And she'd probably died as the antimatter wave swept through her comforting those around her telling them everything would be okay.
Hellequin knew better. What had happened to other universes was coming at long last to the Prime Universe. Its vibrational position as center of the Multiverse would insulate it for some time. And the waves always began outside the targeted universe and took months to annihilate all matter, all life, all energy. All of existence.
Hellequin used her forged access to patch into LuthorCorp's surveillance files on the JLU. She began with the Founders. Superman and the Flash were still active members but both were missing. Hawkgirl, or Shayera Hol as she preferred, was pregnant and permanently standing down. Informants reported that John Stewart was no longer a Green Lantern. Batman was isolated inside Gotham City and wouldn't allow access to any JLer. And Diana, the former Wonder Woman, was sequestered on Themiscyra with no plans to ever leave again. The Amazons' embassies in NYC and San Francisco had briefed the press that Diana had ascended to the throne. But no mention was ever made of Hippolyla or why'd she had abdicated.
But unofficially, Amazon watchers had spotted Hippolyla returning to the JSA Brownstone and in her original Wonder Woman armor replete with her customary weapons. A press conference had been called by the Amazons, currently underway, to announce the arrival of a new Wonder Woman. A former priestess named Nubia was replacing Artemis as the choice to represent the Amazons' values. But rumors swirled that Diana was incensed that Artemis was carrying on an affair with Steve Trevor. In her mind, after her experiences, Diana felt all men were useless disappointments and completely valueless. And Artemis' romance belied that position.
Fortunately for the Martian Manhunter, J'onn Jonnz hadn't survived to see these times. Indications were that M'gann M'orzz wasn't a Green Martian at all. All in all, a curious deception. She wondered if J'onn had ever suspected.
Hellequin copied all the files and video footage replete with LuthorCorp emails and memos regarding the data. She noted that power was actively being used in a sublevel office. Which was an odd place to find an office and it wasn't on the architectural plans or security schematics. Other than being connected to the central power grid, the room didn't exist.
It was off mission but Hellequin decided to investigate.
The room was open despite the mystery shrouding it. Inside Lex Luthor stared over his desk with his fingers steepled, "Congratulations, Ms. Drews. I'm a hard man to find."
"Doesn't seem so," Hellequin was unnerved he knew her name.
"True, but I also wanted to meet you. Your body vibrates at a frequency indicating you're from Earth-2," Luthor wouldn't be baited, "And the Marian Drews who lives in Gotham City is your physical twin. Except she's also an embezzling stockbroker with black hair and a profound lack of tattoos. But now I see the hair differential is chemical."
"And you obviously haven't looked hard enough for tats," Hellequin retorted.
"You're intelligent. Perhaps even a genius to rival Harley Quinn. Dr. Quinzel was addled but her mind was vastly superior to that of her amore," Luthor was assessing her reactions.
"How did you identify me?" Hellequin.
"Perhaps not as intelligent as I'd hoped," Luthor was vaguely disappointed, "Your tattoos Ms. Drews. Even when you attempt to cover your body there is little you do about your face."
"You scanned my facial tats through grease paint?" Hellequin was impressed.
"I'm Lex Luthor," he thought it was obvious.
"So? You've body scanned me to detect body art," Hellequin began to enjoy herself, "Does it cover everything? Do I shave or am I hirsute?"
"Does it even matter?" He was bored.
"It does to some. Cunning linguists in particular," Hellequin teased him.
"Very droll," Luthor was hardly amused.
"Now that I found you, what happens next?" Hellequin inquired.
"Now you impress me or your undertaker will answer your pubic hair question," Luthor advised her..
"At midnight a large stock option purchase will be delivered to LuthorCorp via your British investment subsidiary. Don't worry I was discreet. No one will learn the firm is owned by you leveraging stocks to downplay the values of competitors," Hellequin told him, "Bruce Wayne owns forty percent of Wayne-Powers. Derek Powers also owns forty percent but has the Board and the outstanding shareholders at his beck and call to fetch and carry what he pleases. Thirteen percent of the outstanding twenty is now yours."
"So you can pressure the company into giving LuthorCorp a seat at Gotham's table. And finally reach some accords involving joint ventures," Hellequin stated.
"That's the what. Give me the why," Luthor insisted.
"All I want is some consideration regarding future enterprises and latitude regarding those I scheme up on my own," Hellequin answered.
"Finally, the how," Luthor was quite curious.
"I find evisceration to be an excellent negotiating tool. Holding someone's intestines sends a message. And a few squeezes and tugs breaks anyone's will," Hellequin revealed.
"I…see," Luthor learned he'd vastly underestimated her, "I have an opportunity for you at this moment."
"Do tell," Hellequin was eager to get her portion of the plan underway.
"I have a potential thorn in Gotham," Luthor shared, "A woman called Knightfall. I require an understanding and a few concessions."
"A challenge," Hellequin was pleased, "Good."
A meeting took place in Noonan's Bar in Central City. With the Flash missing and the elder Flash spending most of his time in NYC, Leonard Snart had begun rebuilding the shattered Rogues and most of the potential recruits were younger replacement for their infamous namesakes. Pied Piper, Trickster, Heat Wave, Citizen Kadabra, and Rainbow Raider had all discovered or acquired the means to take up the legacies they wished continue. Weather Witch and Music Meister weren't just new to the game they were also women. But the most antagonistic interviewees were a couple calling themselves Mirror Master and the Top.
The difference between the originals and the newcomers was Mirror Master could merge with any reflective surface and use it as a portal. The Top was actually related to Roscoe Skinner. But where he swirled to generate winds and centrifugal force, Rosa could induce vertigo in anyone looking into her eyes.
"Forget it!" Lisa Snart raged, "You won't dishonor Roscoe, you brainless slut. You won't pretend to be him."
And why would I want to, Leez?" Rosa sneered, "Roscoe was a failure. And so are you, Golden Glider."
"You bitch!" Lisa was off of her stool with the bartender yelling at her to stop.
The Top struck. Lisa swirled around and collapsed only to vomit on herself. Rosa gloated.
"I've wanted to do that for years," but she froze.
Music Meister was singing in an unrestrained contralto, "Everybody buy a round and make love not war."
She stopped singing and the post hypnotic suggestion held. Music Meister was fluent in dozens of musical styles. And different measures and tempos achieved different results. But in the end, every result was the same. She controlled her listener. And she could keep control over several hours depending on how effectively her victim resisted. Of course, a good pair of ear plugs would stop her cold.
"What the hell?" Rosa was breaking the minute-long spell, "What did you do, little girl?"
"Don't you like music?" she snickered.
Top applied her power…and nothing happened. She tried again and just got a migraine for her effort. Music Meister ordered a refill which was happily supplied despite her being five years away from the legal drinking age. But she wouldn't tell.
Max Lord alerted the Justice League Task Force they were being called into action. Despite his relative youth, Threshold was assigned as leader. Bliss was the official distraction. The Changers, the remaining Terror Titans, the Red Shadows, Soyuz, and Camorouge, Anya Volkova, and Divine prepared to exit the dropship over Liberty Station. It seemed the United Nations was going to war against the MLJ.
In a surprise move from the Russian Federation, their official response team had been dispatched to collect rogue elements. Specifically, rogue Russian elements. Black Eagle led the team. Vostok X was fission experiment gone horribly wrong and only kept alive by a containment suit designed by Valentina Vostok. Val, herself, was Russia's Firestorm. Lady Flash was the team speedster. Red Star was the second agent to receive the gen activation protocols of the Red Star Program. And Negative Man had inherited the anomalous negative energy being that had fused with Larry Trainer seventy years ago. When Larry died, the negative spirit chose another. This time in Russia.
Amanda Waller was summoned to the Secretary of Defense's office in the Pentagon. Inside she found the SecDef already dead and Sam Lane making calls. Waller was irked. Not by the Secretary's death but that Lane had done so blatantly.
"It was a heart attack," Lane grunted.
"Yes, the blood stains and bullet holes in chest definitely attest to that," Waller sneered.
"You could be next unless you make this disappear," Lane openly threatened her.
"Samuel, I have the entire US Intelligence community at my back. You can't even get a majority of the Joint Chiefs to take a call much less grant you facetime," Waller was unimpressed, "I thought you were smarter than this."
"Most of the Justice League has vanished," Lane had paid informants and most also worked for Luthor, "We strike now."
"What do you need?" Waller sighed.
"Agent Liberty's kill code," Lane said with lethal certainty. Which would leave Olivia McKay helpless before Lane's meta-human forces.
"Det. Spivot, a word please?" Capt. Joe West didn't request.
"Captain?" Patty was instantly uneasy.
"Now you know I adopted Iris over my family's objections because she's white. I took Barry Allen in after he was thrust into the foster system. And everyone knows that Barry and Iris fell in love and married."
"Why are you telling me this?" Patty asked.
"Backstory, Det. Spivot," Joe replied, "My son Wally joined our family after Barry and Iris became engaged. And then Iris was reunited with her runaway nephew the other Wally. Another Wally West. But no one realizes Iris and the other Wally were already from the West family, racial differences notwithstanding."
"Is this the multiverse theory?" Patty asked.
"This is the Multiverse theory, Patty," Joe confirmed it, "Iris is from an alternate universe. Wally was sent here to be with her and become the Flash. Or a Flash. Now you put the pieces together that Barry and Wally both disappeared from Forensics when the age appropriate Flashes vanished."
Patty was definitely uneasy as Joe resumed his end of the conversation, "Jay Garrick has been helping us out from Keystone City during immense emergencies. Hell, the whole JSA has. But we have boots on the ground. A speedster without introduction or confirmed sightings,"
Joe's gaze hardened on Patty, "The beat cops and detectives are calling her Hot Pursuit because she runs criminals down chasing police band radio traffic. How is that so, Det. Spivot?"
"Everyone who is anyone in Central City has a police band receiver," Patty tried to dismiss the implications that weren't quite accusations…yet.
"Lt. Thawne heads up the Meta-Human Task Force you begged, begged I remind you, to join. Eddie says you have an uncanny habit of disappearing when the unit rolls out and reappearing at the crime scene always in need of a ride back to the station. And Eddie reports that you have near eye witness statements to make in your report despite seemingly being off the scene. Would you finally care to comment?" Joe had steel in his voice. And then he softened, "Patty, I had Barry living under my roof. You thought I didn't already know he was the Flash? Or that Wally was next after he'd been Kid Flash? Or even that my, my son, was exposed to dark matter by Harrision Wells and sneaks out to be a new Kid Flash? You can talk to me."
"Could you rephrase the question?" Patty squirmed.
"Are or aren't you? I can't get anymore specific than that under departmental regulations," Joe hated to admit.
"I am," Patty took the plunge.
"Then I can finally say, 'good work and please keep it up'," Joe sighed in relief, "I know you and Wally had a…thing a while back. If you see him, let him now his place in forensics or the Central City Police has been terminated in absentia. And that you were the one who ratted him out."
Patty's cheeks burned. Joe was hardly amused. It didn't matter that Commissioner Singh had already deduced the same and filed for an investigation by Internal Affairs.
"Sir…I…" Patty verbally fumbled.
"Save it, Detective," Joe was adamant now, "That's a conversation to have with the Flash."
"Which one?" Patty sought clarification.
"The only one that matters to Central City," Joe decided.
The various pieces of the entity know as Harbinger refused into Lyla Michaels. She'd been doing damage assessment sorties for months. Traveling between universes to see which were gone, which were dying, and what was left. The news got grimmer every time she went forth and returned.
The Monitor, a human elevated to being a Lord of Order many centuries ago, awaited her tally, "Lyla? Is it as grave as I thought?"
The Monitor had a singular ability to create anything he conceived. And he conceived of the birth of an antimatter being at the very dan of the Multiverse and Antimatter Universe both. Fortunately for him, one polar opposing universe was better than hundreds. It took time for the Anti Monitor to gather his strength and manipulate the antimatter so that the annihilation between matter and antimatter created a null void. But where a matter universe had ceased to exist, the Antimatter Universe thinned itself to fill the void.
And the simplistic version of the process was that when the Anti Monitor began destroying matter, his universe was far more vibrant and energetic. He'd begun two years ago. It took him weeks to unleash the next antimatter wave at the next universe. Now it took him months of preparation to repeat the process. And the Anti Monitor was due a repeat performance any day now. Punctuality was nearly a fault with him.
"How many are left, Lyla? How many?" the Monitor was growing desperate.
"Earth-5, Earth-10, Earth-15, Earth-19, Earth-23, Earth-27, Earth-32, Earth-39, Earth-40, Earth-46, and Earth 48 still exist with Earth Prime," Lyla unhappily told him.
"Earths dominated by the Time Trapper's Superboy, the Hitler Brigade who should be known as the Freedom Fighters. A universe where the Dark Knight returned, another ruled by Maxwell Lord. Earths dominated by Vandal Savage and Supreme. A miserable, unholy Earth known as Kingdom Come. Worlds conquered by the Amazons and the League of Shadows. And finally another mockery of a just world governed by the Injustice Gods," Monitor sounded as weary as he felt, "Every key Earth situated to buffer Earth Prime has already been destroyed."
"Then it's hopeless?" Lyla was crestfallen.
"My original plan has failed before it was implemented," Monitor explained, "But there is still hope. One last, vainglorious, futile hope. And we must pray he doesn't deduce our intentions before we need him."
"Where is he?" Lyla asked, eager to learn more.
"He now resides on Earth Prime," Monitor shared, "But for now, he is mystery. Even to you."
Lyla wondered if he suspected the truth.