Infinity Crisis: The Inhumans
Disclaimer: "Where'd she learn that rubbish?!"
Chapter 8: Climax and Aftermath
The Soul Stone
Dave Dawson and Naomi Nakamura walked on the beach. The American surfer and Japanese superheroine/history teacher didn't have much else to do on it than just talk.
"It's really neat, meeting someone from another universe." The surfer chuckled.
"Same here." Naomi agreed, a smile on her face. "I mean, I know the Squadron Supreme had met heroes from another universe in the past, but for me, it's a new experience."
"So, you got any family back home in your universe?" Dave asked.
"Yes, I have a husband and a son back on my Earth." Naomi nodded. "I hope they're alright."
"I don't have either of those." Dave said. "I did have a girlfriend. Audrey Garland. She and I broke up a couple years ago."
"My apologies."
"Yeah, our lives just were going in different directions." Dave said. "She was a veterinary technician." He smiled fondly. "She helped fix up Lockjaw when we first met him."
"Lockjaw?" Naomi blinked in confusion. She then remembered who he was referencing. "Ah yes, I remember now. "The Inhuman Royal Family's pet dog, right?"
Dave nodded. "Right. I accidentally hit him with my car. Audrey was able to fix him up." He then sighed. "She was attending a veterinary conference in San Diego when the Dusting hit. I haven't seen her here, so maybe she wasn't Dusted." He thought out loud hopefully.
"There are lots of people here in this place. Just because you did not see her here, does not mean that she was not Dusted." Naomi advised sagely. "She just might be somewhere else in this Soul World."
"Maybe." Dave nodded. He then blinked at the Japanese woman. "Soul World?"
"An apt description of this place." She shrugged. The two then heard some conversation. "What on Terra?" The two then looked at each other. "Maybe we shouldn't pry."
Dave's ears then picked up some odd words. What language is that? The surfer frowned. He headed towards the trees he heard the talking from.
"David, you really shouldn't-!" Naomi said as she followed the surfer. The two made their way through the trees, and saw quite a sight.
"Even if we could capture this 'Starman' you're talking about, how would we get his DNA?" Yon-Rogg asked.
"Starman? That super-dude in Houston?"A blinking David whispered. Naomi looked at him in confusion for a moment.
Starman? Must be a hero from his world. The kunoichi deduced. Reminds me of Solus of the Golden Agency. She claimed to be powered by the stars, too.
"What could that blue chick and that weird-clad dude want with Starman?" Dave wondered.
"That's the problem." Minn-Erva frowned. Neither she nor Yon-Rogg were aware of their being watched. "I've observed the Starman, and he appears to be very durable." The two quietly moved away. They looked at each other in confusion when they got to a safe distance.
"I take it this Starman is a hero from your world?" Naomi deduced.
"Yup." Dave nodded. "I wonder what that was all about?"
"My instincts tell me that their plans for this 'Starman' are dire." Naomi said. "If he's here, we have to find him and warn him."
"Yeah, but this place is huge." Dave reminded. "You said so yourself. There are lots of people here. Where would we even start to...look..." He noticed his hands start to crumble to dust. "Oh no..." Naomi noticed she was doing the same thing. "What's happening?"
"I think...we're going home..." Naomi said, before the two completely crumbled.
Honolulu
Dave blinked as he found himself back in Honolulu.
"What the hell?" He mumbled. The surfer heard a clicking and whining noise. He turned and saw a Kree soldier pointing his rifle at him.
"Explain yourself, human!" The Kree soldier snarled. A fist made of green energy hit the soldier and slammed the blue alien into a wall. Tana Moon floated down.
"You!" She snapped. "Get to safety!"
What?! Dave thought, but then shook his head. The surfer was not a stupid man. If a woman in a superhero costume told you to get to somewhere safe, the smart thing to do is obey.
The Inhuman Royal Family fought valiantly against the Kree, and it seemed the Dusting being undone gave them a much-needed second wind.
"Eat tornado, you curs!" Crystal yelled as she summoned a small, but powerful column of air. The tornado slammed into some Kree soldiers, and sent them painfully flying. She dodged a Kree slashing at her with a sword. The elemental manipulator summoned some rocks to cover her fist and then nailed the soldier with a punch in the mouth. She saw Karnak take down three Kree soldiers easily with precise strikes and kicks. "Good to have you back, cousin!"
The Inhuman martial artist gave Crystal a rare sight: a smile. "As they say here, 'it is good to be back'." He downed another soldier with a kick.
KIINS Starvak
"HRRRA!" Att-Lah swung his vibro-blade downwards.
Clang!
The blade made contact with Joey's sword. The blow, thanks to Att-Lah's superior Kree strength, managed to knock the author down to one knee. Joey grunted and pushed back against the alien captain. Att-Lah chopped at Joey. But he managed to roll out of the way and get to his feet. The two continued to trade slashes and blows.
"Didn't expect a human to be this good, huh?" Joey taunted, knocking aside the vibro-blade with his sword.
"Indeed." Att-Lah smirked. "I admit, it is refreshing. None of my crew appreciate the art of sword combat." He slashed at Joey again. The author managed to dodge this and tried to stab at him, only to be blocked by the Kree captain. "I think I will actually regret having to kill you."
"You blue jagoffs really thought that you could just come here and raise hell and expect us Earthlings to just let you do it?" Joey scowled.
"I did not come to your little world to 'raise hell'." Att-Lah retorted as he slashed at Joey. "I was here on a mission. Half of my crew got turned to dust, and I want to know why!"
"Then why come here?!" Joey exclaimed, trying to parry the Kree man's blows. "The Dusting didn't start here!"
"Because of Maximus." Att-Lah retorted. "It was through him we discovered that our failed experiments on Earth somehow survived."
"The Inhumans." Joey realized.
"That is what your people call them." Att-Lah confirmed. "And I was given a new mission. To get rid of them."
Joey's jaw tightened and eyes narrowed in fury. "I'm going to cut your head off."
"You are welcome to try." Att-Lah said. Meanwhile, in the engine room, the brawl between the Boltagon brothers continued on.
"I can finally match you, brother!" Maximus cackled as he hit said brother with some Power Prism-enhanced punches. "It is thrilling to be able to finally use physical force against you!"
Black Bolt angrily caught one of his fists. "A shame you don't know how to use it!" He smashed Maximus with a kick to the gut and an uppercut. It sent the mad Inhuman sailing across the room. He flew towards his mad brother when...
SMASH!
A strange golden blur raced through the room, passing right between the Boltagon brothers and then blasting its way through the opposing wall. Both Black Bolt and Maximus blinked at the hole it created for a moment. The perfectly circular hole. Through the hole, the two could see that whatever made it had managed to go all the way to the outside of the ship.
"What in the name of the genetic code was tha-!" Maximus started.
WHAM!
Black Bolt nailed his mad brother with a right cross, sending him flying into the ship's engine core. The core then exploded.
KABOOM!
Maximus screamed as the explosion seemingly consumed him. Black Bolt noticed the Power Prism be blasted off the mad dark-haired Inhuman's hand. The King of the Inhumans tried to grab the gem, but it flew away through the hole in the ship.
Blast it! The Inhuman king thought in frustration. He looked around at the engine room. The king noticed the explosions erupting. This ship is about to meet its end. He flew his way out. A bit of sadness crossed his face. Maximus...your madness brought you only death. If you could only have seen the horrors your idea of rule would have created. I will not rule Earth...but I will help protect it.
Up on the bridge...
"AGH!" Joey yelped as the ship shook, causing him to fall over. He then found the vibro-blade at his neck. Att-Lah gave Joey a neutral look.
"You fought well." The white-haired alien man complimented. "You are a man of honor, human. For that, I shall grant you a quick and painless death. I only wish your name."
"Joseph Tallarico." Joey glared defiantly at the man. "Master Sergeant. United States Army."
"Jo-Seph..." Att-Lah repeated, as if he was trying to make sure he pronounced it right. "I shall remember you." He raised his sword, only to pause when he heard a growl. "What?" He turned his head, and saw a certain angry big brown Inhuman dog leaping at him.
WHAM!
Lockjaw tackled Att-Lah, sending the Kree man flying into a wall. The captain grunted as he hit the ground.
"Thanks for the rescue, buddy!" Joey whooped as he got back up to his feet and scratched behind one of the big dog's ears. Lockjaw barked happily and licked Joey's face. The two saw Att-Lah get back up to his feet and pick up his vibro-blade. "If it's any consolation Mr. Blueberry, Lockjaw here was acting on his own." Joey smirked, and Lockjaw growled. The ship then shook and the lights went red. Alarm klaxons started blaring. "Yeah, if Star Trek taught me anything, that's not good." Att-Lah ran to a console and looked at the readout on the screen. His face turned grim.
"All hands, abandon ship! All hands, abandon ship!" He called out.
"What's going on?!" Joey asked.
"The engine room has been destroyed." Att-Lah frowned. "This ship is about to explode."
Joey and Lockjaw looked at each other. The dark-haired man's eyes widened.
"Yeah, we gotta get out of here." Joey said. Lockjaw nodded and held out his paw. He noticed that Att-Lah was staring at the viewscreen as the image fluxed and went to static. "For God's sake, man! Take Lockjaw's paw! We gotta get out of here!" Joey exclaimed. Att-Lah just grimly looked around at his ship. He took in the sounds of the klaxons and the red lights. The sparking of the consoles.
"Tell me, Jo-Seph." Att-Lah said. "Are your people aware of the tradition of the captain going down with the ship?"
"Uh, yeah." Joey blinked. "The Navy have that thing going for them."
Att-Lah quietly took a seat in his chair. "I am the captain of this vessel. It is my duty to go down with it." He took off his scabbard containing his vibro-blade and tossed it to Joey. The confused author caught it. "You are a man of honor, Jo-Seph." Att-Lah told him. "I have no children to pass my sword to. I know it will be in good hands with you." He turned back to the viewscreen and just stared ahead. Lockjaw whimpered at the author.
"It's no good, buddy. He's staying. Let's get out of here." The dark-haired man told the Inhuman dog. He put his hand on Lockjaw's paw, and the two vanished. The two appeared in a park, and they watched Att-Lah's ship explode. "Damn." Joey muttered. They then watched Tana Moon dispatch the other vessels with her ring.
Honolulu
Pastor Roberts stood in front of his church, watching the Green Lantern attack the ships. A frown formed on his face.
You think things like this wouldn't be a thing anymore. Not since World War II. Roberts scowled. When I was a boy, I heard about the adventures of the Liberty Legion protecting the country and the Invaders taking it to the Nazis. But then those aliens showed up back in 2012, and the Avengers stopped them. You know, I always did wonder why those aliens, what were they called? The Chickeni? Why did they come to Earth? What was here they wanted? Did the Inhumans summon them? Were they in allegiance? I mean, the Inhumans supposedly were in contact with aliens, would make sense...
"Pastor Roberts!" A voice called out. The man turned and saw his assistant peeking out the door. "You should come inside! It's dangerous out here!"
"Uh, yes." Roberts nodded in agreement. He started to walk inside when...
THUNK!
Something embedded itself into the ground right near Roberts' feet.
What in the name of... He pulled the object out of the ground. It was the Power Prism. He looked at the gem. Huh. Beautiful gem...
"Pastor!" The assistant said.
"Right, right." Pastor Roberts nodded, trying to hide his distractedness from his voice. He tucked the Prism into his pocket.
Kapiolani Park, some time later.
The surviving Kree soldiers were gathered around in the park. A mixture of the Attilanian Army and Honolulu PD were keeping them at gunpoint.
"So, your majesty. What do we do with these Kree?" Mayor Harold Hee asked Black Bolt.
"Attilan has facilities. We'll take them off your hands." Black Bolt assured.
Hee nodded. "I hope so. I don't think these blue guys can be contained in regular cells."
"Kree are naturally more physically powerful and durable than regular humans, so your assumption is a wise one, Mr. Mayor." Medusa agreed. The Korean-American mayor eyed Tana Moon fishing rubble out of the ocean.
"So, what's her deal?" He asked, pointing at the woman. "Friend of yours."
"Sort of. She calls herself the Green Lantern." Medusa explained with a smile.
"So, she's a superhero? Like those Avengers?"
"Evidently." Medusa nodded.
"Huh." Hee noted. "Been a while since Honoulu had a superhero..." He smiled nostalgically. "I remember the days of the Blue Beetle protecting this city. I wonder what happened to him..." Meanwhile, the rest of the Royal Family and their human allies were commiserating.
"What is that you have there, Joey?" Louise asked, noting Joey's scabbard.
"A sword." Joey said. "The captain of that Kree fleet gave it to me. Wanted to go kablooey with it." He noticed Ozel looking towards Attilan. "Missing your home, saladhead?"
"...a little." Ozel answered.
"You are perfectly welcome to come back to Attilan with us after this." Auran reminded. "You had been paredoned for aiding Maximus, remember?"
Ozel shook her head. "I'm...I'm good, thank you."
"You weren't exiled like Maximus was." Gorgon reminded. "You chose to leave."
"I did." Ozel nodded. "I did because I felt after what I had done, I wasn't worthy of staying in Attilan. But now, there's another reason I want to stay in Hawaii." She smiled. "I think I may have found a purpose here. A purpose of my own."
Kona-Lor noticed Joey holding the scabbard. "Hey! You! Human!"
"Hey there, Blue." Joey greeted mockingly. Lockjaw growled at her.
"You have Att-Lah's sword." Kona-Lor scowled at Joey. "How did you get it?"
"The guy gave it to me. Wanted to stay on the ship." Joey said. Kona-Lor opened her mouth to yell something at him, but then quickly closed it and thought about the author's words.
"That...that does sound like him." The Kree woman admitted.
"Okay, that should be the last of it." Tana said as she placed some rubble in a clear spot in Attilan.
"Correct." Tana's ring confirmed. She flew back down towards Kapiolani Park. "We should scan for any indication of the Power Prism." The ring suggested as she landed.
"Okay. Do that." Tana ordered with a nod. A small green satellite dish construct appeared from Tana's ring as she landed. The construct twirled around.
"I do not detect the Power Prism." The ring announced.
"Of course. It can never be that easy." The talk show host grumbled.
"Sadly, I doubt the Prism could be destroyed that easily." Black Bolt looked at his hand. "I doubt even I could crush it." Also, what was that strange golden blur? The Inhuman powerhouse racked his brain. He didn't know of any Inhumans who had that power. But then again, there were a lot of people in Attilan. Even he couldn't possibly know every single inhabitant's Terrigen-given gifts...
"It's probably not being used right now." Louise suggested.
"If it's not active, we have no choice to keep an eye out for it." Medusa frowned.
"At least Maximus is no longer a problem." Gorgon said.
Triton nodded grimly. "I can't help but think that this is only the beginning for us. That bigger threats are coming."
"If there are, we can handle it." Gorgon smirked, punching his palm. Triton rolled his eyes.
"I gotta agree with Gorgon here." Tana smirked, jerking her thumb at him. "I mean, we just foiled an alien invasion. What could be bigger than that?"
"I wonder what caused the whole Dusting thing, though?" Louise frowned, rubbing her chin. She noticed Crystal talking on a phone. "Are you alright, Crystal?"
"Yup." She smiled. "Dave's calling. He's doing okay. He said he met this woman from another universe in the Soul Stone."
Pastor Roberts's church, the next day
The gray-haired Tenneseean sat in his office, holding a certain gem in his hand.
It certainly is a beautiful-looking gem. The preacher thought as he turned the Power Prism over. I wonder where this thing came from... He looked up when he heard the sound or someone knocking on his office's door. He put the Power Prism in his jacket pocket.
"Come in." He commanded. The door opened, revealing an assistant of his standing at the door.
"Pastor Roberts?" The assistant said. "We're ready for you."
The preacher smiled and held up his sermon for his TV show this week. "I am just about ready myself. I'm going to need a minute, if it can be spared."
"Of course, sir." The assistant said, then they closed the door. Pastor Roberts organized his notes and found his thoughts wandering.
I have a funny feeling about this little gem... He resisted the urge to pull the gem out of his pocket and stare at it. I've always believed that things happen for a reason. And I get the feeling I've been given a divine opportunity here. Everyone hails those unnatural Inhumans as heroes now thanks to that madman. But I'm not convinced. They are far from heroes. They are monsters. Plain and simple. Just because people say they're heroes does not mean they are. I get the feeling that this was some divine grace. That maybe I was chosen to stand against those monsters... He got up and left the office. Funnily enough, he could have sworn he felt...something whispering in his head...
Honolulu, a couple days later
Tana Moon laid back on her home's living room couch. She glanced at the green ring on her finger.
"I guess I am stuck with you, huh?" She asked.
"Yes." The ring answered. "You did well, Lantern Moon. Especially since you have no formal training as a Corpsman."
"I guess so." Tana shrugged. "I admit, I am curious about this 'Oa' and 'Green Lantern Corps' you mentioned. Could you tell me more about them?"
"Affirmative." The ring answered.
Joey happily typed on his computer. He was in his home, working on a new idea he had gotten. The battle with Maximus had lit some new fires of inspiration in the man. He smiled in amusement. Before he rescued Black Bolt from a bunch of angry cops (not that he really needed it, a bunch of batons weren't exactly going to hurt a man who was potentially as strong and durable as the Hulk), the dark-haired man was dealing with a case of writer's block...and admittedly, a bit of burnout. When he helped Black Bolt and the rest of his family retake their rightful throne, it seemed to be the very thing that not only shattered his writer's block, but also helped recharge his batteries.
Count on the Inhumans to always get me ideas. He thought."And that's the proposal done." Joey said to himself as he picked up a cup of tea that was sitting next to his computer. "I hope the publisher likes this." He took a sip of his tea. Ahhh, that's the good stuff. Never did get the hang of coffee. He looked over his proposal. It spoke of an idea for a new series of books. An alien conqueror sets his sights on Earth, and a hidden family of superbeings was their only hope.
Hope they like it. I think it'll sell a few copies. Joey looked in amusement at an object mounted on his wall. Resting on a pair of hooks was the scabbard and handle of Att-Lah's vibro-blade. "Heh." He smirked. Can't say I'll miss the bastard.
A tongue stuck out as a certain green-haired young woman pushed some purple cloth through a sewing machine. When she finished, she held up her finished project: A purple costume. She beamed in pride when she looked it over. She focused on an emblem on the suit: A yellow lightning bolt slashing across a white circle.
Iris was really neat. Ozel thought as she tried the costume on. She fixed the cowl, which had a blonde wig attached to it to help hide her green hair. After all, her hair was her most identifiable feature. She then put on a pair of yellow gloves and boots. Finally, she added a yellow belt. Man, if Iris could see this...what would she think? Maybe she'd think I'd look cool. She looked at herself in a full-length mirror. Yeah, I look like a superhero. Maybe the Avengers will let me join them. She smiled. For the last year, I struggled to find a purpose for myself. A reason to exist. I didn't want to play the role Attilan had given me. I wanted to find my own destiny. Find my own purpose. Something that was totally me. And now... She grinned. I think I may have done that here. The Dusting helped me find a purpose. She looked out the window. She noticed the bigger buildings of downtown Honolulu. This city took me in when I exiled myself. Gave me a home. Only right to repay it by using my powers to help protect it. I was told that back in the 1980s and 1990s, a man known as Blue Beetle helped protect this city. I wonder what happened to him. Maybe Louise can look into it. She walked over to the window.
My name is Ozel Ozlazur. Ozel thought as she opened up the window and climbed out of the house. I am the Fastest Woman Alive. She zipped out into the city. I am...The Fabulous Flash!
Houston, Texas
Minn-Erva looked at herself in the mirror of her apartment.
I hope that Yon-Rogg was able to tell the rest of the Kree that I am alive...and reasonably well. The blue woman sighed. Stuck on this damn mudball of a planet. Haven't even taken manned craft beyond its own singular satellite. And it's only by a quirk of cosmic luck that both the Kree and the Skrulls are both obsessed with this world. She sighed. Well, another day of pretending to be human. She picked up a brush and started brushing her hair.
She found herself thinking back on the time she first saw an Earth film called The 'Burbs about six or seven years after she was first marooned on Earth. Film was not unknown to the scientist/sniper as, well, the Kree have a film industry. But ever since then, the woman always had a bit of a fear of the suburbs. A shudder went down her spine.
Another reason to punch Vers, or Carol, or Captain Marvel or whatever the hell she is calling herself these days right in the mouth. She thought as she walked into her living room. She picked up the remote and turned on the TV. She watched the news report on the undoing of what became known as "The Dusting". I wish I had an idea of what caused this phenomenon. Would make a good weapon for the Kree. Especially against those damned Skrulls. Green bastards, never knowing their place... A knock was heard at the door.
"Coming!" The Kree woman called out. She quickly grabbed her watch and put it on, then activated the holographic disguise. She walked towards the door and opened it. "Yes?"
"Pizza for Miss Edelman." The pizza deliverer said.
"Thank you." The disguised Kree woman took the pizza and paid for it. She closed the door and walked back inside. She opened the box and looked at the food. Well, this planet may be a backwoods hellhole, but at least this pizza makes things a little more tolerable...
The Honolulu Mental Institute
The Honolulu Mental Institute was a place of healing. It was a place where people who had various mental issues could get the help they needed.
One such man was Ebenezer Laughton. This man was indeed afflicted with mental issues, but he was more dangerous than most. Laughton had gotten some infamy as a serial killer known as "The Scarecrow" thanks to a costume he wore for the purpose of scaring his victims before he killed them. His skills in lockpicking, acrobatics, and his being a contortionist allowed him to stalk his victims. He had managed to claim several lives in Hawaii before he was stopped with the help of a reporter named Tana Moon. She and the Honolulu PD set a trap for him, which led to Laughton being captured and incarcerated at the Institute. Until the Dusting hit. When it spread to Hawaii, he was one of the people claimed.
A wave of orange-colored energy washed over the cell. Black dust appeared and started swirling around in the cell. The dust coalesced into and transformed into a seated brunet brown-eyed man. He was wearing a white uniform, and his arms were restrained by a matching straitjacket.
"The hell?!" Laughton exclaimed. "How did-?!" He then felt something. He got to his feet and noticed his clothes started to be consumed by what looked like yellow fire. "Wha-?!" The golden flames seemed to consume him...until they vanished, leaving him in a new costume. It was reminiscent of the costumes he wore as the Scarecrow. The costume was basically a loose black jumpsuit with yellow gloves and boots that had been decorated with straw. His head and face was covered by a yellow hood and a straw hat. On his chest was a strange emblem composed of white likes in a black circle that was bordered by a yellow starburst.
Ebenezer Laughton looked down at his hands. He noticed his hands were glowing with yellow-colored energy. Under his hood, a grin formed on his face.
"Yes..." He said. "The power of fear..." From the yellow flames emerged a hard light construct of a pitchfork. The madman eagerly took it. "The world will burn with my power...the power of the Scarecrow!"
Oa, Universe-51
In a chamber surrounded by screens and consoles, a Green Lantern was hard at work. This Green Lantern would look very odd to a human. He had pinkish-orange skin and a head shaped like a diamond with fleshy spikes on the sides. He was a thin spindly creature, humanoid in shape. He had four arms and his hands had three fingers and a thumb each.
For years, Salaak Saltron of Slyggia served as a Green Lantern. He was now one of the senior administrators of the Green Lantern Corps.
"You summoned us, Salaak?" A feminine voice piped up. The Slyggian turned his head and saw three other Corpsmen. One was a tall towering broad-shouldered being with a head resembling a mix of bulldog and pig. The second was a young woman with golden-yellow skin, hair, and eyes. Her pointed ears helped give her an elven appearance. The third was a slimmer being with purple skin and gray hair.
"Ah. Kilowog, Rrab, Groton. Good to see you here. Especially you, Groton."
"You found my ring?" Galick Groton asked. After the Dusting was undone, the Corps found Groton having been returned to his homeworld unharmed...and missing his ring.
"Indeed, I have." Salaak confirmed.
"So, where's it at?" Arisia Rrab asked.
"On Earth." He answered.
"Salaak, have you been drinking?" Kilowog asked. "If it was on Earth, we'd have found it already. Jordan would have found it."
"It is indeed on Earth." A figured stepped out of the shadows. A figure in a blue suit, cape, and fedora that seemed to keep his white-glowing eyes in darkness.
"What in the name of..." Groton blinked in confusion. Kilowog and Arisia looked at each other, and the new figure.
"Ah, I know who this poozer is." Kilowog said.
"Me, too." Arisia nodded. "Jordan told us about him. He's known on Earth as the Phantom Stranger."
"A pleasure." The Stranger smiled at the Lanterns.
"This...being told us what happened to Groton's ring." Salaak explained. He pointed at the Phantom Stranger. "He stole it and sent it to another universe."
"He stole a Green Lantern ring?!" Groton's jaw dropped. "I thought that was impossible!"
"Ah, right. You don't know about the Phantom Poozer." Kilowog realized.
"According to Jordan, the Phantom Stranger is as omnipotent as he is mysterious." Arisia explained. "He can seemingly do anything."
"Not exactly." The Phantom Stranger pointed out. "I can only act in small ways to help others. And my taking that ring to another universe was one of those small ways."
"So, where is my old ring now?" Groton asked.
"It currently is being used by a resident of that Earth's Hawaii." The Stranger explained. "That Earth needed a Green Lantern there."
"Ooh, Hawaii!" Arisia's eyes lit up. "Hal told us about that place! I always wanted to go there!"
"Let me guess, we have to retrieve it." Kilowog noted. He eyed the Stranger. "Ya know, ya committed a serious offense, poozer. Stealing a Lantern ring is a big deal."
"I would point out that the security features of the ring would make that considerably difficult, but considering this...Phantom Stranger's supposed omnipotence, I'd just be wasting my time." Groton added.
The Phantom Stranger smiled. "I assure you, the reasons were noble. The ring is in the hands of a woman as courageous as she is good."
"The Stranger is going to take you to that world so you can meet her." Salaak said.
"Uh..." Groton nervously raised a finger. "Are the Guardians aware of this?"
"The Guardians have allowed this excursion." Salaak nodded. "They are aware of many things, after all."
"Visiting another universe..." Groton rubbed his chin in fascination. "I have to admit, as a scientist, I am excited!"
"I hope this other Earth's Hawaii is just as beautiful as our universe's." Arisia said. "Well, at least as beautiful as Hal said it is."
"It is, Arisia Rrab." The Phantom Stranger smiled. "I think you will be amazed."
"We'll need to be discreet." Kilowog agreed.
"I can whip up some holographic disguises so we can move among the Earthmen unnoticed." Groton offered.
"Can it be done quickly?" Salaak asked. Groton nodded. "Very well. Get on it, Lantern Groton." The scientist nodded and left the room. Arisia looked over at Kilowog.
"Never imagined something like this would happen, huh?" The blonde Lantern grinned.
Kilowog chuckled. "Sort of. But I expected it to be because of Jordan."
The Smithsonian Institute, Earth-199999, three days later (Author's Note: This scene is set two days before the events of Batguy01's Into the Multiverse You Go!)
Two people were looking at one of the exhibits in said museum. One was a tall thin man with spiky brown hair. He wore a blue pinstripe suit with a brown trenchcoat over it, a red tie, and matching Converse. The other was a brunette teenager. She wore a black leather jacket, blue jeans, white hi-top sneakers, and a red t-shirt with a white spider design on it.
"Huh." Jessica Riley noted. "The Invaders. Just like on my Earth." She noted the exhibit. The centerpiece of it was a display of wax dummies on a wall. The exhibit showed the Howling Commandoes in action poses. And just above them were five more wax dummies. In the center was Steve Rogers, in his WWII-era Captain America uniform. At his sides were two other men. One was a blond man in a red uniform with a yellow belt, yellow gloves, and boots. His costume had a yellow collar, and depicted a chest emblem of a stylized yellow "T" with a flame over it. The other was a man who appeared to be of Mesoamerican heritage with short slicked back black hair. He wore green shorts. He also had a golden collar, vambraces, and bangles in a Mesoamerican theme. His nose and pointed ears had jade decorations. At his ankles were a pair of white bird-like wings. Besides them were two other wax dummies. One was a blonde woman in a solid yellow costume with a red mask who looked to be in her late teens, and red boots and gloves. The final one was a man in a predominantly blue outfit, his face covered by a blue balaclava. He had on a utility belt (including holsters for a gun and dagger), and the flap on his uniform's chest showed the British Union Flag. His costume was completed by blue boots and gloves.
"Captain America. Namor. The first Human Torch. Spitfire. And the second Union Jack."
The man looked at the five figures. "This timeline's been altered as well. The exhibit isn't supposed to look like this."
"We also saw that exhibit on the Liberty Legion. I take it they weren't supposed to be a thing on this Earth as well." Jessica noted.
"No, they were not." The Tenth Doctor frowned. "I think our porcine-hooded friend is behind this."
"I'm amazed the Rocketeer is an actual person on this Earth." Jessica chuckled. "I mean, back home, he was a comic book character that was made into a movie."
"I saw a copy of the DVD of it for sale in a store here." The Doctor noted. "Evidently on this Earth, it's a biopic."
"There's something I don't get about this, though." Jessica said. "If she wanted to alter this timeline, why make it like this? Why retcon in the Invaders and the Liberty Legion? If she had malevolent plans for the multiverse, why not make it so that this Earth never had any superheroes?"
"This is indeed the question, Jessica." The Doctor rubbed his chin in thought.
"Loving the exhibit, huh?" The two turned around and saw a stunning Latina woman smiling at them. She wore a brown bomber jacket, blue jeans, cowboy boots, and a black t-shirt.
"Indeed." The Doctor said. "You could say I...have a fascination with the heroes of this era."
"I don't blame you. My great-grandfather met the Invaders once. During his Liberty Legion days." The Latina woman said. "My apologies, I didn't introduce myself. My name is Catalina Secord-Salazar." She held out a hand.
"Jessica Riley." Jessica shook Catalina's hand. She jerked her thumb at the Doctor. "And this is my uncle Dr. Ben Riley."
"Oh, you're a doctor, huh?" Catalina said. "What're you a doctor of?"
"History." The Doctor said.
"Neat." Catalina responded.
"You said that your great-grandfather met the Invaders?" Jessica inquired.
"Mm-hmm." Catalina nodded. "Cliff Secord. The original Rocketeer."
"That's so cool!" Jessica grinned. "I saw him among the Legion members."
"Back home in LA, there's a really nice exhibit on the Rocketeer lineage at the Griffith Observatory." Catalina explained. "He had a hell of a career. Retired in '48." Unknown to Catalina, Cliff Secord's actual final adventure as the first Rocketeer occurred in 1959. After joining a group of adventurers that would become known as the "Avengers of 1959" to take down the organization known as ICON, Secord would truly hang up the rocket pack for good.
"We'll have to see it sometime, Uncle Ben." Jessica said to the Doctor.
"Indeed." The Doctor agreed. "It was nice to meet you, Miss Salazar."
"Same here." She smiled. She looked at her watch. "I have to get going. I have business to take care of. Have a great day!" The woman walked away. Jessica and the Tenth Doctor watched her do so.
"She was nice." Jessica noted.
"Indeed." The Doctor noted. He glanced at the exhibit showing the Invaders and the Howling Commandos again. "We should get going. We have another place to visit."
"Which is?"
"Central City. On Earth-51."
"Earth-51?"
The Doctor nodded. "Yes. There's a woman there I want to meet. She's a popular science fiction author. Her name is Nora Allen."
First of all, I have to apologize for the long time for this chapter to be made. I was held up by a lot of things. As a way of making it up, I wanted to make it extra-long, but that also ended up eating time, too. Irony is a real pain.
Who was the golden blur that the Boltagon Brothers saw, you'll have to keep an eye on the Pighead's stories to learn that. ^_-
Ebenezer Laughton, Marvel's Scarecrow, first appeared in Tales of Suspense #51 (March 1964) by Stan Lee and Don Heck. I thought it would be neat to set him up as a villain for the Tana Moon Green Lantern, considering his obsession with causing fear. And thanks to the Dusting, he's now a living power battery for the yellow energy of fear the Sinestro Corps uses. So, yeah. He's now Tana's Sinestro.
Salaak first appeared in Green Lantern #149 (February 1982) by Marv Wolfman and Joe Staton. I gave him his surname.
The scene with the Tenth Doctor and Jessica Riley was a prelude to Batguy01's Into the Multiverse You Go!
Thanks for reading this, everyone! I hope you enjoyed this first foray of mine into the Infinity Crisis multiverse.