Disclaimer: I don't own Marvel or DC
This chapter introduces an alternate world and another player in the main story. Italics is Cade's point of view, whilst the bold text portions are Onyx's.
The Redeemer
Chapter 2: Death and awakening
I know what its like to die, I want to die, I deserve to die after all. I deserve to die because I'm Cade Hunter, the man who nearly destroyed the world.
He slowly opened his eyes, blinking as he regained his bearings. The ceiling above him was beige and the bed beneath him had green sheets. It was a small bed, cheap but comfortable enough and a male teenagers if the mark on the sheet was anything to go by. He slowly climbed out of the bed, surveying his surroundings.
But I'm still a creature of habit, instead of wrapping the sheets around my throat I'm thinking of my surroundings. I haven't survived for so long by trusting others, by not surveying my surroundings and planning. Paranoia can work miracles when assassins or government agents are hunting you. No matter how good of a fighter you are even a mugger can kill you if you don't see his knife coming.
He checked his body for any markings; the black suit he wore was intact save for the tear on the right shoulder. Someone had stuck a needle into that shoulder, a sedative to help him sleep perhaps? He didn't make the time to ponder the question as he slowly walked towards the door. As he opened it he listened out for footsteps, voices and the clicking of weapons. The place was homely but that didn't mean the occupants were defenceless. His eyes quickly scanned the bedside table, looking at the photos and the ornaments. The boy, judging from the photo he was with his parents in had a fondness for animals. There was a monkey statue on the table, a poster of a tiger on the wall and a hideous looking raven toy on the desk. His window also had a view of the pens outside.
Pens for animals, how sad is it that I think I should be in there with them? If you know me then you'd know I'm right. I'm worse than an animal, they are guided by nature, monsters are guided by choice. Why am I a monster? Because I made bad choices, because I chose to let anger and violence guide me, because I abused the responsibility that came with my powers.
He moved into the living room and began getting an idea of how small the house was. It had possibly five rooms, that had no recent decorations added so all of the wall paper was old fashioned. He took a moment to sniff at the air, taking in both the atmosphere of the land and the stench of the house.
'Monkey droppings,' he noted, smelling a stench he recalled from days at the zoo.
Whoever owned the house wasn't too worried about maintaining a good smell, or the boy's father never caught him bringing animals into the house.
The boy probably goes against his parents anyway. They at least seem like good people, if the kid's picture is enough to go on. I got one family photo and it was probably the only smile I had with my parents. They were Christians, took me to church sometimes and prayed and all that. But it was all bull shit, they were criminals and abusive parents too. Dad was muscle for a crime boss and a drunk one too, he always came home looking to hit something, guess who ended up meeting the brunt of it? Why am I even telling you that? I don't deserve sympathy.
He cautiously walked to the front door, opening it to get a view of his new surroundings. The ground outside was dry and it was warm, extremely warm.
'Africa maybe, or perhaps Arabia?' he wondered, looking at the pens that contained Oryx and Wildebeests.
"You're up!"
His eyes darted to the bench at the side of the house. The teenager sat there, looking at him with ignorant awe. He had a natural tan to his skin, had brown hair and green eyes. The boy was probably fourteen, just a few years older than his family photo and wore American clothes.
"Mum said you had dehydration, she was worried she'd have to call a hospital," his accent was American too.
So innocent, more like ignorant. I can tell what he's thinking from the look he's given me. 'He must be a hero with a costume like that'. Some people think this is a costume but its more for my modesty. Normal clothes get wrecked when I go to full power and really generate energy. But wait you wear a suit and you have powers, what are you then? Well what else would I be. I watch his eyes lower to the floor for a moment and I cant help seeing a bad memory.
I'm no telepath but for the longest time I've been able to see the sins others have committed. Well blame yourself enough for something and in your soul and to my eyes it becomes a sin. This boy, Garfield Logan is his name feels responsible for the death of his dad. That's why every other photo except for the family one is dusty. He'll go out of his way to clean the only image he has of his dad because he blames himself for his death. If only he had spoken up when he saw suspicious characters hanging around the boat, they never would have gone on it. In his eyes his silence killed his dad, not the explosion. He's haunted by the thought that he wasn't strong enough to save him. Me, I would have been strong enough. Except while he wanted to save his dad I wanted to and did kill mine.
"She wanted to check whether you had any injuries, she ogled at your chest for a bit before she said that other than a few bruises you were fine," Garfield said.
If only you knew kid, if only you knew!
"Thank you, I have to go," he said.
"Wait, my mum's over by the barn, she's going through surgery right now. Listen I know you might have a super important mission to get to, but I think it would mean a lot to her if she could at least talk to you before you left. My names Garfield, Garfield Logan, my mum runs this reserve, when we were on our way back from rescuing an Oryx we found you in a crater," the boy explained.
"Listen kid you're better off leaving me be," the man said.
"Garfield!"
Garfield smiled as a brown haired woman rushed towards the house. She pulled her surgical mask away from her mouth and sighed in relief at the sight of the stranger.
Not too smart, to leave her son to look after a stranger. Neglect is a crime, but one she's not guilty of. She has the look of a hard working woman. I learnt to know the hard working ones from watching my mother. She wasn't a hard worker, she was a con woman and a whore too. Garfield's mother is good, the way she hugs her child is nothing like how mom used to hold me.
"I'm Marie Logan, I'm an American citizen but I'm here with the blessing of the Quracian president. My son and I found you after…"
"I told him that part mum," Garfield said.
Marie Logan shook her head, ruffling Gar's hair.
"I don't leave people in need of help, but there's nothing of any real value here, no money or anything like that," she explained.
She doesn't know whether she can trust me. Then again what reason does she have to trust me? I'm starting to remember now. One minute I'm in Washington fighting a big black…Swamp Thing I suppose you could call it, the next I'm crashing into a desert. I just laid there waiting for dehydration to take over, or for the vultures to peck at me. Unconsciousness came first and then Marie found me.
"Why did you help me?" he asked.
"Because your kind are sought after by quite few governments, I wasn't going to wait around to find out if Bialya was interested in you," Marie explained.
Bialya? That's not the first time she said that. Is that where I am? I've never heard of Bialya and I've been to most places in the world, even obscure places like Madripoor.
"Are we in Bialya?"
"Technically we're between the border of Bialya and Qurac, that's near Saudi Arabia, on Earth if you don't know," Marie said.
"I know this is Earth and I guessed we were somewhere in the east. I'm not an alien, I'm human like you!"
"Really? That suit you're wearing looks a lot like what Superman in metropolis wears," Garfield said.
Superman? Metropolis? What the hell is going on?
"What year is it?"
"2014," Garfield said.
So I'm not in the future. Could I be in hell? I'm being punished with a trick to make me think I'm alive. If this was hell the demons would have struck by now and I'm definitely not going to heaven. How could I when I have the blood of hundreds on me?
"What's your name?" Marie asked.
"Cade Hunter, I'm an American like you," he said.
"Brooklyn born and raised right?"
"How could you tell?" Cade asked.
"Very subtle instances of the accent. Listen I came from Brooklyn too, I know how hard it was growing up in the city, how hard it is especially living in the city now. But America's practically the only place your kind can live without people trying to turn you in to a mad scientists lab experiment," Marie explained.
"What do you mean by that?
No Cade don't be an idiot, don't ask her questions. Don't get involved, just leave her and her son alone and find a hole to crawl into and die.
"You hear things, about meta-humans going missing, adults, groups and individuals, even children. Meta-humans are like the new arms race and all the alien tech too left behind by the Apokolips invasion."
I'm lost again, might as well go and find that hole to crawl into.
"Listen, you don't strike me as a bad person and you seem confused so…go to the barn over there, there's a room you can stay in there. Once I'm finished with the Quracian delegate I can tell you everything I know, just please try to stay out of sight," Marie explained.
Why Cade, why couldn't you just die like you were supposed to?
He and I have both experienced death, or at least a form of it anyway. I have been alive whenever Sven Reilly has lost control of his powers. I am his darkness made flesh and every time he has suppressed his evil I have ceased to exist. For while I am Sven Reilly I am also my own individual, with my own desires, my own will. That will and individuality has grown stronger since my separation from Sven Reilly. I can feel a sense of irony over the Earth I am unleashing my wrath upon. Their greatest heroes are versions of the Justice League, but their origins are more in line with the Avengers.
Metropolis was the home of Earth's greatest heroes. The Justicars had existed since eight years ago. Diana Prince, referred to as the Wonder had been seeking out her half brother Ares, the god of war. In his attempt to create a conflict that would devastate the planet, Ares tried to manipulate the countries of Qurac and Bialya into going to war. To meet that end he had employed Kobra and Madame Cat and angered the scientist Solomon Kane into turning into his monstrous persona, Grundy. Diana however wasn't alone in her pursuit of the villain. Circumstances and fate led her to Ray Palmer, the size altering scientist and adventurer Atom and his girlfriend Jean Loring, AKA Atomica and the team was later joined by the mysterious armoured bodyguard of Gotham Industrialist Bruce Wayne, the Batman. The four teamed up and were later joined by Grundy in defeating Ares. But their adventures didn't end there. They saved the city from aliens, time travellers and even from the very gods Diana drew her powers from.
She stood on the balcony of the Justice mansion; looking at the city she called her home. In the years that the Justicars had existed they had also expanded their ranks. They were joined by the White Witch Zatanna, the fastest man alive the Flash. A.R.G.U.S. added its own agents Green Arrow and Black Canary and the team had even been joined by a robot whom had previously tried to destroy them, but Tornado was just as precious to the team as anyone member. But the very first recruit of the team leant against a tree, reading his paper. Joe Higgins was the first American super hero, the patriotic hero known as the Shield. He quickly rose to lead the team for a time. But that role had ultimately gone to Bruce Wayne, financer of the Justices.
Diana smiled as she felt the arms of the billionaire wrap across the armour on her waist. She span on her heels and wrapped her arms around Bruce's neck. He was not just the financer or leader of the team he was the Batman too. A year into the team's existence Bruce revealed his identity to his teammates. Through every conflict the bond and trust the team formed grew stronger. Bruce and Diana became the respective best man and maid of honour at Ray and Jean's funeral. Even Zatanna fell in love with Tornado, despite him being an android. Though Flash and Green Arrow clashed at first they became close friends and Bruce and Joe eventually became the closest of friends. Diana and Bruce however fell in love. She gripped the back of his neck and pulled him into a passionate kiss.
"I've been thinking of another recruitment drive," Bruce said as their lips separated.
"Really, who did you have in mind?" Diana asked, pushing her lover into her bedroom.
Joe shook his head as the two lovers retreated to their room.
"I don't get that," he said.
"People didn't have sex in your era Higgins?" Flash asked, appearing in front of the Shield.
"Oh trust me we did a lot of that, we just weren't vocal about it. We didn't make out and touched each other up when our friends were watching," Shield explained.
"Well it's a new era Higgins, learn to live in it," Flash ran a hand through his blonde hair and narrowed his eyes in disgust as Zatanna was kissing Tornado again.
"I once made the mistake of falling in love, when you're at war the only way to fall in love is with blind and reckless abandon. I don't want to see them make the same mistake, they're my best friends Eobard," Joe explained.
"I know, but they're truly happy together, I may not be the most pleasant person on the planet but I almost envy them for it," Eobard Allen sighed before he put on his goggles and ran away.
Diana placed her helmet/crown onto her desk and removed her cloak. Bruce took off his jacket and kissed Diana's neck, ignoring his blue and grey armour on the wall.
"Bruce, would you love me no matter what?" Diana asked.
"I should be asking that question, you're the one who cant age remember?"
"But what if that wasn't always the case?"
Bruce widened his eyes slightly as Diana turned to face him. She took his hand in hers and kissed it.
"I was born on Olympus, raised and trained on Olympus…and I aged until I achieved…"
"This beauty that you have now?" Bruce asked.
"Yes, that was my childhood, I want to spend adulthood and I want to grow old on Earth, with you. Zeus will be able to take away my eternal youth, will you love me no matter how old I get Bruce?" Diana asked.
"Always," Bruce smiled.
But again this world has differences. Two founders find love and open the door for tragedy. I am guided by my nature, as a being composed of pure darkness and evil will I am forced by nature and choice as well for there is nothing more evil than a man willing to commit atrocity for atrocities sake. But whilst Joker would pave a road of blood, I will create suffering.
Onyx crashed into Metropolis. But he did not appear as the armoured being Joker and Mar-Vell followed. He was taller, his back was hunched and his face had expanded, forming the jaws of a metallic black dragon. Black wings extended from his back and his hands and feet had changed into claws and talons respectively. A spiked tail stretched out behind him. He opened his mouth, firing a blast that swept over the Daily Planet. The top floors of the building and the other buildings around it slid off of the main building, crashing into the streets below. The globe of the Daily Planet rolled across the streets, stopping by Onyx.
This world has never truly known the hardship that mine faced. They do not yet know of struggle and failure.
Onyx roared, shattering the glass around him. The particles floated around him like a tornado as he fired blast after blast, triggering fires in buildings and shaking the very ground with each footstep. The shockwaves of his rage could be felt from Bruce's mansion.
"Sir," his loyal butler Alfred bashed against his door.
Diana began putting on her armour as Bruce prepared the bat suit for combat.
"I know Alfred, Justicars, its time to balance the scales," Bruce declared.
His armour wrapped across his body, followed by his helmet. The white eyes of the helmet glowed as Bruce looked towards the window. Tornado flew away from the mansion, carrying the White Witch as one would a bride. Eobard rushed on ahead, using his goggles to give Black Canary and Green Arrow a feed of the battle. They looked at Onyx's beast mode as he bashed away at the ruins of the Daily Planet.
"He appears to be a senseless beast," Flash said, zooming past Onyx.
Onyx narrowed his eyes as he turned, facing the direction Flash had gone down. Tornado and White Witch flew over the buildings he had set alight.
"HSIUGNITXE SEMALF!" Zatanna's hands glowed as her spell took effect, extinguishing some of the flames.
Tornado created funnels of wind, redirecting the fires and debris straight towards Onyx. The flames and twisters consumed the armoured dragon. Flash stopped, looking through the fires and straight towards Onyx. He widened his eyes and ran as fast as he could through the streets. A red beam ripped through the smoke, sweeping through the foundations of buildings, chasing after Flash. The speedster widened his eyes as his body fell to the floor. His legs ran a few more inches before they too fell, followed by the six buildings the beams had also hit. One building fell into another, creating a domino effect. White Witch and even Tornado looked at the destruction in horror. Jean put her head to Ray's chest, unable to look through the camera of Flash's glasses, which offered a good view of the speedster's legs and the buildings toppling around him. Unable to move, the supposedly fastest man alive was buried amongst the thousands of people whom had died in Onyx's attack.
"I'm going to need more arrows," Oli muttered.
The Logan's barn has a good number of things I can use to kill myself. You'll probably start some bull shit about how if I really wanted to die nothing would have stopped me. But I'm not one of those selfish people; I want to die in a way that no one will remember. I'll just be some random body found in the river. Marie has a kid, I don't want to traumatise him by hanging myself off of the beam, and likewise I don't want to traumatise some kid at a train station by jumping into an oncoming. I want to die, but I want it to be the right way.
Cade sat in the barn as Marie asked him to. He sat looking at some of the dangerous items Marie had. Farming equipment, ropes and barbed wire for fences. They could all be turned into a lethal weapon, and they didn't even require the training and talent he had. He was a fighter, but really anyone with the right will could be a killer. Marie could have left him to die and in his eyes she would have been right to. He looked at his hands and they shook, not because he was a monster with a will to kill, but because he was a monster who had to die.
Why am I alive, why do I have a second chance when there are so many others who deserve it more. Why? Why of all the people in the world did it have to be me and not her? Not them? Sven's wife and child, Laura, the dozens of students killed at Xavier's and the dozens more that have because of the conflict we super humans have created.
"Thinking about your mission?"
Cade widened his eyes slightly at Garfield's sudden appearance. The boy was holding a basket with fruit and bread on it.
"Mom said you should eat too, but she didn't have time to cook, we just have snacks I'm afraid," he said as he placed the basket by Cade's foot.
"You shouldn't be in here with a stranger," Cade said.
"You're not a stranger if you tell me your name, even your code name would do," Garfield grinned. "You seemed pretty confused about where you where. So I gathered all of my articles about the Justice League!"
"The what?" Cade raised his eyebrows in confusion.
"The Justice League, they're like the greatest heroes on Earth. Here let me show you…"
He pulled a book out of his shirt and placed it on Cade's lap. It was a scrapbook, filled with newspaper clippings and photos. With mild interest Cade looked at the blurred pictures of people who were no doubt moving at super speed. His interest gradually grew as he saw pictures of costumed people he had never seen before.
During my great hunt I faced many of the major super humans and even some of the obscure ones. These people, they aren't like any of the super heroes I've seen before.
He turned to a page showing seven costumed individuals in front of the white house with the president. Beginning from the left was a brown haired man in a black and green uniform, with white gloves and a green domino mask. Next to him stood a man with a similar build to Cade, he no doubt had extensive strength and conditioning training but that didn't really make him intimidating, it was the grey suit he wore. It was like a form of armour, with a utility belt, black boots and gloves with some kind of blades on them. A caped cowl with sharp ears, white lenses and a black bat symbol on his chest completed his look.
I've seen super heroes like this guy before but for some reason I'm tempted to believe they're copying him.
The others seemed much friendlier. A dark haired man and woman stood quite closer together. The man wore a blue suit with a red belt and a deep red cape on the shoulders. His eyes were a deep blue colour and the Cade recognised how people compared his suit to the blue eyes man's. The blue eyed mans suit however had a red and gold shield on the chest, it formed the unmistakable shape of an S. In contrast the woman seemed to be wearing less. Not that she was skanky, the look worked for her, she was beautiful and had the build of a fighting woman. Her suit seemed to be a mix between a one piece and a chest plate, it exposed her shoulders and wrapped around her chest and hips. It consisted of a red and silver armour, the silver areas formed an eagle but had the subtle shape of the letter W as well. She wore a pair of blue boots and pants with American styled stars on them. Silver bands were wrapped around her wrists, with smaller silver rings on her arms and a silver choker around her neck. Her look was completed by a silver Tiara/head guard with a red star on the forehead.
The woman must have some kind of enhanced strength or at least invulnerable skin. Cause only an idiot would expose their legs like that. I'll never get how women going into combat dress like that. There's confidence in the attractive qualities of your body and there's stupidity.
He stopped looking at the woman and turned to the final three members. A man in a red suit, friction proof judging from the design, with yellow boots, lightning bolts on the side of his cowl and a white circle with a lightning bolt on his chest. Then there was the Cyborg, it wasn't really a nick name Cade had picked but a fact. The man was a cyborg, white robotic parts had replaced his body including a red eye. Finally there was the man who had a similar build to the man in the blue suit, except his hair was shorter, his suit was red with gold bands and a gold lightning bolt on his chest and he wore a white cloak with a hood attached.
"Green Lantern, Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Cyborg and Shazam, together they are the Justice League," Garfield smiled, showing Cade a book.
The book featured the team fighting some kind of starfish monster. It was titled: 'Gods among men' and the author was a man named David Graves. Cade looked at the back picture, as well as showing a picture of the League side by side it showed a picture of the author. David Graves was a thin, dark haired man and had a content smile on his face. It seemed cliché that he was holding a mug with 'worlds greatest dad' written on it.
Fun fact, when you create something you are putting your soul into it. Its not just a saying, for people like me we can feel the emotions that have gone into that object. David Graves felt the greatest sense of hope, but as I run my fingers across his picture I feel only sorrow now.
"What happened to him?" Cade asked.
"David Graves…well he got cancer or something, everybody thought he was dead for a while but then he suddenly reappeared. He kidnapped Steve Trevor, the League's government liason and when Wonder Woman was looking for him she suddenly got into a fight with the other League members. It was strange, I watched it all happen on my phone when I don't even have the internet out here. Anyway the League found Trevor, it was Graves who took him. But because of the fight and Graves anti-league campaign the whole world has started to distrust the league. Green Lantern left the team because of that distrust, everything's falling apart," Garfield lowered his head.
"You sound like you're sorry for them," Cade said.
"I am, I mean why wont the world trust them, they're proven themselves time and time again, they stopped an alien invasion that would have destroyed the world hasn't that been enough to earn respect? But at the same time, why were they fighting amongst themselves? Why were they putting people at risk like that?"
Cade looked at Garfield, despite the boy's naiveté and sense of humour he was actually very intelligent. Few people asked those sort of questions. Cade was one of those people and through his own experiences with super heroes he had come to a conclusion
"Super heroes are stupid!"
Garfield looked at Cade in shock.
I've seen it time and time again. The Avengers and the X-men fighting amongst themselves and one another. I had this idea, I suppose a paranoia you could say that one day the differences between those teams would get so wide they would fight one another and the whole world would suffer because of it. I kept asking myself, if they were such great heroes why couldn't they get over themselves and work together? Why did have to disagree and come to blows all the time? People like them with responsibilities and power don't get to have normal lives…they may want to but they cant, because if they argue, if they don't cooperate with one another, if they don't do the right thing every time then people can die. That's why I fought them, to force them to change, to force them to be the heroes the world needed to be.
Cade gripped his head, still keeping a hold of the book. He saw a dying man in a prison and a woman placing a typewriter at his desk.
"I want you to write a book for me, Mr Graves. I was thinking it'd be titled 'how to destroy the Justice League,' but you're the writer. Finish the book for me and I'll take care of the rest."
He dropped the book and grit his teeth together in anger.
Then there are those people. The people who talk shit and can never understand the kind of lives super humans live. We're the ones with the powers, we're the ones who decide to sacrifice. Those people complain and try to find ways of keeping the heroes down, of turning them into what they think is 'ideal versions', they use terms like 'a more diverse team,' a 'more politically correct or nicer'. But at least those people are trying to change things for the better. Then you've got your politicians, your opportunists. They try to further an agenda, they try to take power for themselves by creating shackles called 'legislation'.
"Are you okay?" Garfield asked.
"No I'm not," Cade growled.
"Oh I'm sorry," Garfield backed away slightly.
"Don't feel bad kid, I wasn't all right before I met you and your mother. You're right you know, they shouldn't be fighting, for a kid your remarkably well informed," Cade explained.
"I've been following the League's exploits for years, they're the coolest but like you said they can be the stupidest sometimes," Garfield rubbed the back of his head and chuckled.
"This is an animal shelter right, what's the situation with Qurac and Bialya?" Cade asked.
"Well you see Qurac has a democratic government, it was kind of like the Iraq issue a few years ago, there was a tyrant, Americans bought him down, except people accepted the new Quracian leader because at the end of the day people just wanted peace, he kept the economy going and kept western influence to a minimum," Garfield explained.
Well-informed, keeps in touch with the times. This kids going to be a great man one day.
"Then there is Bialya, led by a dictator called Queen Bee."
"Queen Bee? What is that like a nick name?" Cade asked.
"No its actually her real name," Garfield laughed as Cade's eyebrow twitched.
"Seriously? Does she have burns across her face that she hides with a suit of armour?"
"No, she's actually one of my…um…"
"I was a teenager too once kid," Cade smirked slightly.
Garfield blushed as he laughed.
So she's an attractive alternative to Dr Doom. What are you doing Cade? Don't get involved, don't find out about the problems in this world. Stop yourself from caring.
"Queen Bee has started saying that Qurac was originally part of Bialya and thus belongs to her. Mom tries to hide it but she's afraid a war is going to start," the boy sighed.
"What about you?" Cade asked.
"I don't want to leave the Quracians to war, or turn away from the Bialyan's suffering but…"
"You need to keep yourself safe too," Cade said.
"Yeah," Garfield sighed.
"Your quests are arriving, you'd better go see them with your mom."
Garfield listened out and heard the sound of cars driving through the gates. The Quracian delegate was arriving.
"Anyway, make yourself as comfortable as you can and enjoy your snacks. I hope I managed to put things in perspective for you," he said as he walked to the door.
'Oh you have,' Cade thought as he picked up the loaf of bread in the basket.
He and I both have the same origins. I was born from the darkness within the heart of Sven Reilly and he was born from the darkness that lies inside all sentient beings. His eyes see all the evil within us and imagine seeing that since you were a small boy. Every man your mother slept with behind your father's back, every body your father disposed of for the Kingpin. Then there is the abuse, the barrage of insults and fists thrown by people seeking to prove their superiority. They had a child simply to feel authority over something. Cade Hunter lived with that suffering every day and it only added to his anger and outrage. Eventually he got tired of all the crime around him. His will and hatred for the world gave birth to great power, an energy formed from the spirit.
Onyx let out a roar that shook the ground around him. Shield and Arrow flew around Onyx in their hover bikes, firing bullets and arrows into his hide. He swung his tail around, dragging it through the buildings around him, and striking Diana in the chest. She flipped in midair, pointing her sword at the dragon beast.
"Disgusting creature, I will have justice for the Flash," she said.
Such pathetic drivel, these heroes focus too much on looking superior. Where is the strongest of them, where is Superman, does he even exist in this world. By killing this league will I inspire him to rise up? It matters not; I can always find another to test my skills against. Cade became Deathblade, he became the rival of Sven Reilly's Aeon. I remember their battles for I lived them too. In every fight they pushed one another to their limits, the limits of their strength and their will. This battle, its just a distraction.
Batman fired blasts from his gauntlets, hitting Onyx's back. White Witch hit the dragon with blasts of ice and light energy. Tornado then hit him with a twister, throwing him into a building.
"Bruce, I've been scanning the creature's body, I haven't been able to get any readings from him, its like the creature is dark," Atom explained.
He grew to giant size and grabbed Onyz, throwing him across the street.
"Maybe we're not taking the right kind of readings," Atomica said. "I'm going in for an internal scan," she dived towards Onyx , flying into his mouth.
"What have you found Jean?" Ray asked.
He widened his eyes as Jean's screams echoed through the radio.
"JEAN!" he yelled.
Onyx swung his tail, striking Ray in the cheek. The giant crashed into the building beside him, tearing his mask and the emblem on his chest. Onyx turned, shrinking into his humanoid form, holding Jean in his hand.
"Atomica," Batman gasped.
Let the seeds of further tragedy be laid. In the prime Earth One universe Jean Loring killed her best friend to get Ray back into her life. Now she will suffer from that insanity. I can awaken the darkness that lurks in all human hearts. If they hide it, I can bring it to the surface.
Jean screamed as dark energy began to course into her body. Onyx dropped the woman and rushed towards Batman. He punched him across the face, denting his helmet. Then he kicked him in the side, throwing him across the road. An explosive arrow slammed into Onyx's back, causing him to stumble forward. He turned around, looking at Arrow. The man had multiple quivers strapped to his body.
"I found more arrows," Oli glared at Onyx before knocking an Arrow back.
Black Canary jumped onto Onyx's back, firing the sonic device on her gauntlet. The sound wave did nothing to effect Onyx. He grabbed her hair and threw her into Tornado's arms. Arrow rushed forward, firing one arrow after another at Onyx. The armoured warrior dodged each one, firing his optic blast. Arrow jumped up and released the string on his bow. Five arrows landed around Onyx. Electricity passed to each arrow, engulfing Onyx in a quantum field. Dark energy erupted from Onyx's armour, reducing the arrows to dust. He prepared to fire a blast, only for Shield to tackle him from behind. Diana then flew down and swung her sword at Onyx. He caught the blade on his arm and backhanded the Amazon, then redirected White Witch's hex blast into Shield.
Though they are not nearly the heroes that Earth's Justice League or my Earth's Avengers have become one can not deny their bravery. This Bruce Wayne is more like Tony Stark, still motivated by tragedy but not a fighter. This Oli Queen is also like Clint Barton, a man motivated by his dedication to his team. Lets see if he can die like Barton as well.
Oli jumped over Onyx, sending an arrow flying into his back. Onyx snapped the arrow and fired his optic blast. The red beam hit Oli in the back, burning his quiver. Tornado and Canary widened their eyes as Oli spat out some blood. He turned to Onyx, pulling out an explosive arrow from his thigh.
"Not like this," he whispered.
The archer suddenly lunged at Onyx, stabbing the arrow through his helmet.
"LIKE THIS!" he yelled.
The explosion consumed both Onyx and Oli.
Such heroism, but still wasted!
A blast ripped through the smoke, disintegrating Tornado's body. Canary looked up at Onyx in terror as he walked out of the smoke. Dark energy leaked out of the hole in his helmet and that was the extent of the damage Oli had done. Onyx redirected his attention to Shield and Batman. He ran at the two men, throwing his fists forward. Shield dodged and countered with his own punches. Onyx brushed them off easily and also deflected Batman's energy blasts. He kicked Shield in the gut and then grabbed Batman's wrists. Bruce grit his teeth together, firing his blasters point blank into Onyx's face. In response, Onyx squeezed his wrists, crushing his gauntlets. Batman slammed his head into Onyx's, but the faceplate of his helmet cracked. Onyx grabbed Batman by his neck and lifted him off of the floor.
"NO!" Diana yelled, punching Onyx in the face.
The force of her punch threw Onyx away from Bruce. Diana unleashed her rage on Onyx, punching and slashing at him with her sword. She removed her lasso from her waist and wrapped it around Onyx's neck.
How many truths has this lasso uncovered…hundreds I see. Unknowingly storing the depravities of the hundreds she had touched this lasso with. Lets see what happens when those depravities are used against her.
Onyx grabbed a hold of the lasso, passing his dark energy through the string. The gold lasso changed to a pitch-black colour and burned at Diana's hands. She clutched her head as the dark matter spread across her arms.
I see now Diana, Zeus gave you an ultimatum didn't he? Either your child lives as an Olympian or as a mortal. You chose mortality to be with the man you love, the father of your child. By admitting your love for him, you have made him vulnerable, by casting yourself into battle you have only endangered your son.
Diana widened her eyes.
Yes Diana, your son, imagine the life you could have had with them both.
"DIANA!" Bruce yelled as Onyx pierced his hand through Diana's chest.
This will break them, or they will rise again as the Avengers of my world did. Either way, tragedy and suffering is assured.
Onyx's form faded as Diana fell to the floor. Bruce crawled to his lovers side, clutching her body tightly. His scream echoed through the streets.
Where am I?
Cade groaned as he got off the floor. Wood and debris slid off of his back. He looked at his surroundings in shock. The Logans's house was in ruins, dead animals were set out on the ground, along with Quracian men, possibly bodyguards for the MP. Cade looked at the ground and saw the bread roll he tried to choke himself on. Someone had struck his back and put him in the recovery position.
"I see you are awake!"
His eyes began to glow a deep red colour. A lifetime of sin and killing had flashed before his eyes. He saw atrocities the likes of which had only been performed by truly evil men and a body count that could only be matched by the forces of nature. In a way the man stood behind Cade was a force of a nature. Cade clutched his sides and turned to the stranger. Whilst Cade was unconscious due to his own failed suicide attempt, soldiers in jeeps had driven through the reserve, killing the Quracian bodyguards. A few of the dead had been left behind, they had patches on their uniforms, Cade knew the emblems and patterns of the flags of every country. He didn't recognise the flags on the uniforms of the men who had attacked him.
"How unfortunate that you weren't awake, perhaps this conflict would have lasted longer," the sinner behind him said.
Cade ignored him, not needing to look to see who he was. The man was Ares, god of War, but not the Ares Cade knew. Whilst the Ares of Cade's home universe was a thug, whom dressed the part of a thug too, this Ares looked the part. The god of war was a seemingly faceless being; the shadow of his Grecian helmet hid all but his glowing red eyes. He wore pieces of black/blue armour across his body and a black cloak hung off of his shoulders.
"Queen Bee craves Qurac, to make her enemy vulnerable he will have him pay a fortune for the safe return of his daughter, and to keep America in line she hoped to use a famous animal rights activist and a botanist, but plans can sometimes fail," Ares explained, crossing his arms as Cade walked through the bodies.
He looked towards on body in particular and widened his eyes. The woman he had met barely an hour ago was lying on her side. Her body wasn't moving an inch and Cade couldn't sense any life within her.
Marie? No, what about Garfield? Don't tell me the Bialyan's took him. Why? Why did she die? She must have fought back, no Marie, why did you fight back?
His eyes shifted to the colour of gold as he saw the mother shield her son from the attackers. In the ensuing struggle one of the men shot her in the chest.
"MUM!" Garfield had yelled.
Cade put his hands to his eyes, energy poured through the gaps of his fingers like a mist. He ignored the smiling face of the god of war and shook his head, gritting his teeth together.
Those bastards! That bitch Queen Bee. They want more than they have the right to have, no matter who gets hurt, no matter who DIES!
"RAAAAAARGH!" Cade raised his head to the sky and roared.
Its like I'm experiencing the sins of mankind again. This moment of pure furious anger charges my abilities, enabling me to see the sins of people from thousands of miles away. I see rapists, murderers, thieves, tyrants and the worst of what humanity has to offer.
"AAAAAGH! AAAAGH!" energy engulfed his body, shaping into black and red armour, metallic wings stretched from his back and swords appeared on his hips.
The first time I used my energy manipulation abilites I killed everyone in the fighting ring I was in. I felt awful before, I still feel awful, because I turned my back because I was too focused on killing myself to see that people were dying around me. Now Garfield Logan has to grow up without his mother.
"RAAAAARGH!" the helmet that formed around his head amplified his voice, turning it into a demonic echo. Spikes and horns slid out of the back of the helmet and the red portions of his armour let out an intense glow.
Well I'll do whatever it takes to put it right. I'll make sure Garfield is safe, and then to hell with Qurac and Bialya, to hell with the rest of this world. I'll save one life to equal my own and then…then I can find that hole to crawl into. But for now, I need to find Bialya and Queen Bee. Ares wants to watch me fight and Queen Bee wants a war, I'll oblige them both!
Next Chapter 3: Suicide attack
Hope everyone enjoyed the chapter. Next time we're introduced to the Suicide Squad and Queen Bee as Cade cuts loose and unleashes his anger on the Bialyan military.
Ares will show up again in the future, though he'll probably be more of a witness , an opportunist as opposed to a mastermind. Onyx has left the Justicar's Earth alone (I based the Justicars on the Avengers, might introduce an Earth with an Avengers roster like the Justice League at some point :) but his hunger for the suffering of others hasn't been sated just yet. next chapter will focus on the Earth Cade is stuck on.