Crisis on Infinite Earths: Prologue
(Author's Note: We're doing Crisis on Infinite Earths. We are just happening to make a few changes. For one, Oliver and Laurel are together. They have been for years by the time of this thing. Also, there won't be a Batwoman. There will be a Bat, but not this one. )
Oliver Queen, Laurel Lance-Queen, John Diggle, and Mia Lance-Queen all stand on the shores of Lian Yu together. They had battled as a family to hold off Edward Fyers and his ghost army one last time, and now they waited to see what would come next. They had fought against everything that they could have, and suffered more than anyone should have been expected to. The last time they were here together, they saw Felicity Smoak die on the shores of Lian Yu and tonight was no different in terms of pain. Roy Harper had lost his arm, and nearly his life, but had shown nobility about it while waiting in an ARGUS cell for the black-budget agency's doctors to help.
And then, they saw it. The skies turned an unholy shade of red and they knew. This was the crisis the Monitor had told them about in Elseworlds, the one that Laurel and Oliver had sworn to fight until they could not draw breath. This was the reason Mia had been brought back to them, they realized. Such a crisis would require everyone that they knew to help save the world. Glancing at John Diggle, Oliver Queen grabbed his compound bow, a 60-arrow quiver that had been made by Cisco Ramon, and prepared to head into battle. Sure, at his core, he was just an archer, and a world-class martial artist. If he had been thinking rationally, he would have known there was nothing he could have done. But just like Laurel, he could have not lived with himself if he didn't try. John Diggle, for his part, pulled on the Green Lantern ring he had received after the events of Elseworlds and uttered his oath. "In brightest day, in blackest night,
No evil shall escape my sight.
Let those who worship evil's might
Beware my power-Green Lantern's light."
At that moment, Lyla Michaels returned to them. She looked different, though. Gone was the self-assured former government agent. In her place, was someone new. "Lyla?" John Diggle asked. And as soon as a quizzical eyebrow was raised, the Green Arrow knew. "No, John, it's not her. It's Harbinger. It's time."
And so their battle begun. The Green Arrow, the Green Lantern, the Black Canary, and Blackstar all stood together against a force they couldn't properly understand. But all throughout the Multiverse, the heroes who would help were being drawn to them.
In Central City, the Flash had just defeated Bloodwork when he saw the red skies and knew. This was the thing he was fated to fight, and lose to. But, and this he knew was the true cost of heroism, Barry Allen was going to fight until he couldn't. So, when a breach opened, he ran through it. He knew his wife Patty Spivot-Allen and his adopted sister-in-law Jesse Wells-West, the speedsters known as Cobalt Blue and Jesse Quick respectively, could keep his world safe. So could Cisco Ramon-Snow and Caitlin Snow. The multiverse needed the Flash, so off he would have to go.
Meanwhile, in Gotham City, Damian Wayne and Dick Grayson were trying to stop a human trafficking ring. Ever since Batman had died while fighting Bane in the Indonesian jungles, Damian and Dick had decided to work together as the new Batman and the new Robin to live by their father's example. And, minus the occasional squabble, it had gone swimmingly. But at that exact moment, a shining white light opened up and out stood a woman in a blue-and-white jumpsuit. "Damian Wayne, and Dick Grayson, the multiverse requires your assistance. It is time." Before they could even answer, they were sucked into the breach as Damian Wayne drew his sword and Dick Grayson unsheathed his electrified tonfas.
As this was happening, Sara Lance and Nyssa Lance-Raatko were having a very nice night at a local jazz club enjoying irresponsibly expensive brandy and talking about their plans for the future. It had been a weird three years since that whole Dominators invasion, but there was one good thing. She had seen Nyssa in her dream world, and knew being in her life was what she had always wanted. So, she went and took it. She arrived at Nyssa's home and swore her life to hers, and demanded Nyssa join her on the waverider. After a blood oath, because that's just how their love worked, they had spent 3 years battling together and being "sexy assassins" as Sara called them to numerous eye rolls from her long-suffering wife. But as they sipped their brandy, and listened to someone attempt to sing Diana Krall standards and fail miserably, they suddenly saw a white light shine in the middle of the club. Quickly, Sara grabbed for her daggers and Nyssa grabbed a collapsible recurve bow from inside her purse.
"Sara Lance and Nyssa Lance-Raatko, the multiverse is in need of saving. It requires your assistance to save it." Before they could make a move, or object, they were pulled into that white light.
Meanwhile on Earth-38….
Supergirl had been having a rough time. J'onn J'onzz had just now told her the Monitor, a being she had only seen once during that whole alternate-life business Barry and Oliver had been dealing with last year, was the man responsible for dropping Malefic in their lives. Add to that Lena Luthor deciding she was going to bend their friendship as far as she could, and she was having a rough time.
So, when the Flash, Black Canary, Green Arrow, and two people she didn't know showed up in the lobby of the DEO, she did the only thing she could do. She prepared herself to fight. Whatever had brought all these heroes to this earth, it was serious. And then she saw the red skies, and she knew.
This was the Crisis that they had been talking about.