Our Darkest Hour
Disclaimer: All familiar characters belong to Marvel or DC. I own Farrah/Persiana, Leon/Crisis, and Eve Willows.
Chapter 2: Death Lives!
Eric Williams was the Grim Reaper. A villain that had his right hand replaced with a scythe, the former member of organized crime had a profound hatred for his brother Simon, the hero known as Wonder Man. Reaper had even gone through with an insane plan to resurrect his brother through some magical and scientific process, but, it ultimately cost him his life. Only through the magic of his former lover Nekra was he able to return from the dead, albeit as malevolent spirit that easily withstood against some of the Avengers. Now forever undead, Reaper would try to haunt the man known as Wonder Man forever.
And, with what he discovered, he may have just been able to do that.
Reaper had heard a calling. As he materialized in this new, unfamiliar living world, he felt himself getting stronger. The air was different, and the darkness could be felt all around him. Eric surmised that something was happening; that the chaos was a result of an imbalance between life and death as he understood it. Eric asked out loud,
"What is happening?"
Then, he heard what he thought were flies buzzing about. In actuality, the were not flies, and, as the undead villain turned, he saw what it was.
Rings. Black rings.
He had seen something like this, these black rings that brought back the Invisible Woman. (1) He thought of a way to harness their power and, as he touched one, a disembodied voice said,
"You have the touch of undeath, but are not familiar."
The voice was feminine, but haunting. It was coming from Eric's mind, but Eric could not understand how that was possible. As an undead being, his mind could not be contacted by telepaths. How was this possible?
Eric nodded,
"Yes, I do."
The black ring he touched began to glow and, in a moment, dark light emanated from it. When the flash was over, there, before the Reaper, stood a creature. The creature looked much like the Guardians of the Universe, only this one was bald, and decaying. A peculiar symbol was on its chest and seemed to be carrying a book of some kind. The voice was feminine, but seemingly decayed as it spoke,
"The book does not know of you. Who are you?"
Eric explained,
"I am the Grim Reaper, and I want to harness the power of these rings."
The creature nodded,
"I see. I am Scar, Guardian of the Black Lantern Corps."
Reaper seemed to understand,
"I see. You are the one that can control these things."
Scar shook her head,
"No, I cannot. I can only use their power if I have a conduit of sorts to do so."
Reaper was a little confused, but, nonetheless, said,
"I want this power, the power of the undead."
Scar looked emotionlessly at the former leader of the Lethal Legion,
"Then, you shall have it. Put the ring on your finger. You will know what to do next."
Reaper went to touch the ring again. This time, the ring seemed to latch on and, in moments, bound to him. Eric felt the power coursing through his undead body. It was cold, and dark, and, as Eric's eyes rolled into the back of his head, he felt it. True undeath. It was unlike anything he had ever experienced before. Nekra's magic could never hope to be this powerful ever. It was intoxicating.
He felt himself change. His skin was becoming grayer and more dissolved, where his bones began to be seen. He took a more skeletal appearance, and his scythe was changed into something truly horrific. It dropped from the stub it was on as a knew right hand grew in its place. The scythe itself grew longer, until it took two hands to hold it. As Reaper held it tightly, the scythe glowed with a black hue, the metal becoming a jet black sheen, like polished jet.
Eric then opened his eyes, having returned to a somewhat, more normal position, if one could call it that. He was clearly more skeletal then before, but, despite his decrepit appearance, he did feel considerably more powerful than he first thought. He began speaking in the same, hollow, undead voice like Scar had spoken to him,
"Yes. I see now. I know now the power of undeath."
Scar continued,
"And there is more. You have the power to bring about others that have died, and add their numbers to yours."
Eric replied,
"Yes. I see it. I know what I must do."
And, quick as a flash, he was gone.
The newly powered Grim Reaper then appeared in a grave yard as he said,
"Yes, I sense it. I sense them all."
He raised his scythe and seemed to be cutting the air as he bellowed,
"RISE!"
A portal appeared, and little black lights began to funnel out into the world of the living. These lights were being created by the black rings that flew through the air. Some went into the depths and darkness of space, while others disappeared from the horizon. Those that remained, however, seeped deep into the ground, yet not leaving any trace of their existence.
Dark clouds milled about, covering the sky. A sickening, black rain began to take shape, and, in the process, hands started crawling out of the graves. Heroes like the Martian Manhunter, Hawk, and Firestorm were now only twisted perversions of their once living forms. Now, they seemed to be undead husks, zombies of their former selves.
And heroes were not alone. Villains like the Barbara Minerva, the Cheetah, as well as Eve Willows, no longer in her feline guise, but simply as her own human self, appeared. Cheshire and Giganta rose from the grave, as did the members of Axis America.
And, with Grim Reaper leading them, despite their different paths in life and their manner of death, there was only one thing these wretched, twisted abominations cared for…the destruction of all life, starting with the lives of the heroes…
Next Chapter:
On a far off planet, John Stewart and Fatality are drawn into the conflict as they head back to Earth. Stay tuned, fellow readers!
This happened in Black and White