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The Redeemers

Chapter 23: Demon's fall

Virgil slowly opened his eyes, his vision was slightly blurred and his memory was obscure. He last remembered being at his place, cutting a class he already knew enough about. The rooftop of the school would've offered him a solace away from the bore of the class room, so that he could perfect his parkour techniques. Why was he in the classroom then if he normally cut classes? His vision came into focus and he widened his eyes at what he saw. The classroom was a wreck, and the students, some people he considered friends were lying dead around him. Virgil got up off of the floor, gasping in horror at the blood that had stained his uniform. He ran his hands through the gaps of his uniform, checking himself for injuries. But much to his shock he didn't have even a single scratch. Yet, the teacher, the assistant and every last student in the class was dead.

"What happened?" he asked.

"What happened?"

"What happened?"

"WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED!"

Afterwards the X-men found me, Emma Frost told me that a powerful mutant had pursued me, seeking my mutation. The X-men, with their tracking device Cerebra were able to identify me as a newly awakened mutant. Part of me rejected it, hated it even but I didn't know why. I've never known why I despise that part of myself. I went to the institute, learnt how to control my powers and made friends. We survived Xorn's betrayal, we survived Danger's awakening, we fought the Blob and the Brotherhood but then something happened that changed everything, that ruined everything.

"No more mutants!"

Suddenly, we didn't have our powers anymore. Every member of my training squad, excluding my best friend Noah had lost their abilities. I thought that would be the end of it, the end of my self hatred, the end of me dying my hair or avoiding looking in the mirror. But it didn't end, it got worse, Frost made a speech, said the time of mutants was over. I didn't believe a time of mutants had ever existed in the first place, or should. Time, the moment, the world it belongs to everyone, not one person, not one people but everyone. When the bus we were on blew up I got impaled and bled to death. Yet I was brought back and I craved my powers, craved power, then that helmet went on my head, the helmet of Muramasa's apprentice. The hatred I felt for everything became Muramasa's tool to kill people, the Great Lakes Avengers, anyone who tried to get in his way. I tried to kill my own brother. After that I went back to hating my abilities, so much that my X-Gene disappeared again.

"Perhaps the formula that was used to restore you gene has a limit, in that case maybe we should tell Sofia," Hindsight Lad said.

"It doesn't matter, she won't lose her abilities," Virgil said as he got off the lab gurney.

Chase Stein and Hindsight Lad, the brains of the team looked at him in confusion as he walked away. Iron Lad shook his head in dismay.

"A man who denies the power he has, isn't a man who can lead the most powerful people on the planet," he said.

I know why I came back, it as part of a sick game, a manipulators plans to kill my brother. Except he lives on in a new world, a brave new world, one that's better now because of his presence. But me, it feels like our world is getting because I was the one who stayed. Stark creates weapons to destroy entire planets, Richards creates life boats to save those deemed 'important', Strange makes deals with demons to gain more power, Iron Lad slips further into the mindset of Kang the Conqueror and the X-men isolate themselves to fight a war that's no longer valid, in preparation of someone they call a messiah simply because she was born at the right time. Me, either I came back at the wrong time, or I came back at the right time to start being a hero.

"I really appreciate you getting me off that island pal, seriously everyone there seemed to be wearing bee keeping equipment," Kid Flash explained. "But come on just tell us, who are you!"

"Virgil Wallace, son of biologist Heinrich Wallace," Tony Stark/Night Thrasher said.

"On my Earth he's a more prominent scientist than his father, and he goes by the name Virgil Hawkins," Firestar said.

"I've never heard of him," Starwoman said.

"That makes two of us," Zero nodded.

"He's the bearer of the spirit of heroism, Aeon," Gwen said.

"DONT CALL ME THAT!" Virgil yelled.

Why did I react that way? Because I'm afraid of the future, or at least what the future predicts.

Time seemed to slow for Virgil as he looked at the lances and weapons created by Damian Wayne. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, reaching into his mind for everything he remembered learning at the Xavier institute, reaching into his heart for that part of himself that he hated and he reached into his spirit for that small amount of determination he had gained from the people around him, from the heroes he worshipped as a child, from the man who taught him how to fight and be as good as he could, and from the brother who taught him what heroism truly meant. His eyes opened, revealing the subtle glow in them. Damian released the weapons, sending them flying towards Virgil's comrades.

Virgil released a strong yell as a glowing halo shined behind him. Silver lances, swords and shields appeared around Virgil, intercepting the constructs created by Damian, easily shattering them. He grit his teeth together as the fabric of the suit around his arms was torn apart, revealing crimson armoured gauntlets underneath with grey highlights and yellow lines glowing across them, the gauntlets had blades attached to the elbows that stretched past the shoulders. Virgil gripped his sides as he stumbled forward, his hair changed to a silver colour and two portals appeared beside him. He reached his hands into the portals and pulled out two long handled swords. Then he linked the handles together to form a staff.

Damian and the others looked at Virgil in shock before he rushed forward. The demon's head created a barrier, that shook when Virgil slammed his staff into it. He jumped back, avoiding two lances Damian summoned. The lances were quickly destroyed by the blades that circled around Virgil. The blades then separated, taking out any construct Damian formed as he and Virgil engaged in close range combat. Damian summoned two cutlasses and swung them at Virgil. The young man blocked each strike and countered with a thrust. Damian dodged the blade, but Virgil struck the side of his head with the staff and aimed a kick at his legs. The former Batman of his world widened his eyes as the kick actually caused him to topple. In one swift movement, Virgil pulled his arm back and then swung it forward, driving his fist into Damian's belly. The force of the punch threw Damian back, sending him sliding across the ice until he slammed into several crystals.

"Incredible," Batman muttered.

"He's actually winning," Moira said.

"It shouldn't be a surprise, Virgil received some training from our world's best martial artist Wolverine, he got even more detailed training at the hands of a ruthless bastard and his fighting style was perfected by another hero called Aeon," Patrick explained.

Virgil ran towards Damian, dodging each beam the man fired. Damian created a gun battery and fired a flurry of blasts at Virgil. But the young man span his staff between his fingers, deflecting each blast. He knelt and slid across the floor, swinging the blade of his staff into Damian's barrier. Much Damian's shock, the blade cut a mark into his barrier. He again created his two cutlasses and slashed at Virgil, cutting his cheek. Virgil deflected both strikes and slammed his head into Damian's. Kid Flash followed Virgil's every move, though nowhere near his speed level, his new friend possessed a reaction time and agility he had only seen from Dick Grayson. Virgil easily swatted aside Damian's blade, pushing him back. Damian swung the blades, but once again Virgil deflected the strike and pushed him back.

"His speed hasn't increased at all, neither has his strength, that armour on his hands had increased his density and his reaction time is faster than it was before. The weapons though are new, I thought he didn't have a metagene," Wally explained.

"He has his Earth's equivalent an X-Gene," Batman said.

"The ability to create constructs of pure light or dark energy, usually a type of blade," Patrick added.

"But I've seen that halo effect and armour before, it's from someone whose connected to the spirit realm, the Aeon of my Earth even had Virgil's fighting style, it seems to be a constant throughout the multiverse," Gwen explained.

Damian aimed a kick at Virgil's face, Virgil however grabbed his leg and then threw him into the air. The Yellow Lantern let out a yell as he fired a yellow blast from his chest. Virgil held out his staff, opening the edge of the blade. Electricity surged through the blade before a blue blast flew out of the staff, slamming into the yellow beam.

"WHAT ARE YOU ALL WAITING FOR!" Virgil yelled.

The members of Virgil's team awoke and looked towards the battle. They realised he was giving them an opportunity to attack. Zero turned his arms into cannons and fired a blast of the Nova force. Kid Flash span his arms around, created two vortexes. Vance charged his shield with telekinetic energy and then threw it. Starwoman fired a blast from her staff and Supergirl unleashed her anger through her heat vision. Stark removed his gloves, revealing his old Iron man gauntlets underneath. He opened the palms of his hands, firing two repulsor blasts into the yellow beam. The beam attacks pushed the yellow blast straight back into Damian, throwing him into the ceiling. He dropped to the floor, his yellow barrier fading as he struggled to stand up.

"Impossible, I was trained from birth, this was my right, my destiny, I am the grandson of the demon, the son of the bat," Damian ranted, stumbling across the ground.

"There's only one legacy you lived up to Damian, and it wasn't mine," Bruce said before flinging his fist forward.

Once again, the true Batman knocked his son to the ground, and out of the fight. The armour across Virgil's arms shattered and his hair changed to a brown colour.

"Wait a minute, I thought he had black hair," Kid Flash said.

"His hair, in both its powered and normal state, it looks like Sieg's, they truly are brothers," Patrick said, his voice drifting in wonder.

"The world, save the world," Virgil whispered before he fell to his knees. "Save them all," his vision began to blur and his world turned black.

Who is the greater hero, the one who is willing to do whatever it takes? Or the one who will never compromise, even in the face of Armageddon? And even then, can heroism truly endure, can it survive, can it actually overcome any odds?

Earth 0

The battle had shifted in ways the League of assassins never thought would be possible. Trevor and Grifter had survived the explosive arrow Merlyn had fired and he was soon reminded of the disadvantage his projectile weapons had. He could make out the figures of Trevor and Grifter in the smoke and fired his arrows. The two projectiles struck flesh and for a moment Merlyn thought he had killed the two soldiers. But much to his shock they emerged from the smoke carrying their human shields, two league ninjas. Both men threw their shields aside and drew their pistols. Merlyn immediately dived for cover as they began firing at him. He looked towards the slave pens and saw that A.R.G.U.S. soldiers had already begun to breach the doors. The soldiers were already walking out carrying ninjas in cuffs or prisoners in need of medical attention.

"It had to end sometime," Merlyn said, noting both his defeat and the defeat of Ra's Al Ghul.

Merlyn threw his bow over his shoulder and raised his hands. But despite this, Ra's Al Ghul himself had yet to be truly defeated. Though his wrist was already damaged, he still fought on. In some ways it reminded Cade of himself, in others it reminded him of other fanatics he had fought. The still cold body of Sara Lance waited, waited for the victor to be decided. Cade rushed forward, locking his scythes with his enemy's swords. The blades dragged together and the two men slammed their heads into one another. Ra's Al Ghul widened his eyes as his opponent followed through with the assault, head butting him again. Images flashed before Cade's eyes of his first battle with Sven, how he relentlessly assaulted him, head butting him many times without falling. A head butt could be effective if the right spot on the head was used and the right spot on the opponent's own head was hit. Cade slammed his forehead into Ra's Al Ghul's nose, breaking it for the first time in a hundred years.

The daughters of Ra's Al Ghul however had seemingly dominated their respective battles. Nyssa had Batgirl at her mercy, with Cupid fighting through a squad of league ninjas. Talia also was easily holding her own against both Batwoman and Hawkfire. Both agents of the bat were not willing to back down from the fight, for they were soldiers, and they had been taught by their teacher to never give up. Kate had been taught to be determined through the hardships she faced, to be strong and firm through any adversity. Bette had been taught to push herself beyond her limits, to seek constant self improvement. Defeating Talia Al Ghul was the adversity and the stage to self improvement. Kate was the first to strike, kicking Talia across the face. Bette then moved behind Talia, dodging her kicks and then pushing her into her cousin's fists. Batwoman grabbed Talia's arms with her grapple claw, pulling them forward as Hawkfire tripped her up. Kate set her heel on Talia's neck, looking down firmly at the woman.

"It's over Talia, stand down," Batwoman said firmly.

Despite the situation, Talia smirked as she looked up at Batwoman.

"It's never over for the league of assassins, it'll never end so long as our family lives on," Talia said.

Batwoman kicked Talia onto her front and put a set of cuffs on her wrists. Despite her statement, the league of assassins was just an organisation, and the Al Ghul family were still mortal. So mortal even Nyssa made mistakes, like turning her back to an enemy she hadn't confirmed dead. Another mistake she had made was assuming Batgirl was out of the fight. Approaching her with her knife ready, Nyssa prepared to kill the agent of the bat. Cupid ran onto the nearby balcony, taking out her last arrow and knocking it back. She fired the arrow, sending it flying towards Nyssa's head.

"Rudimentary skill," Nyssa said as she easily caught the arrow.

"And easily distracted," Batgirl said.

She shot a wire into Nyssa's neck, shocking her with enough electricity to knock her out. Cupid pouted as she turned away, it was clear she wouldn't be able to meet Green Arrow later.

Earth 7119

There would come a time, a day remembered forever when the Avengers couldn't save the Earth. The people inside the arcs waited for a launch that would never happen. They waited for heroes to save them, and some waited for what they knew to be the inevitable end. In those moments, men of good and bad character gained a new appreciation for the world they lived in. Tony Stark, Erik Lensherr, Marc Spector, Felicia Hardy, Justine Hammer, these were all people whom had been watched the great incursion, the other Earth heading towards theirs. It was in that moment that they changed, realising the mistakes they had made in their lives and how important it was to protect their world. And saved their world was, not by an Avenger, or even by a hero of the other Earth but a different Earth entirely. They didn't see who it was, but they all felt what happened when they were saved. A light enveloped the planet and for a moment the people thought that they were facing their end. But then, the light faded and the people of the planet regarded their survival with confusion. Marc looked up at the sky and widened his eyes in shock, planets he had never seen before were in a space that wasn't pitch black, it could only be described as similar to the light of a sunset. The hatches of the arc opened and the people of Earth walked out into their old planet in a new universe.

Protection from potential tyrants came in the form of Erik and a group of mutants he called 'X-men' in honour of his friend Charles Xavier. A month went by and street crime was reduced due to the presence of a mysterious figure people called Dare Knight, some believed he was Daredevil, Marc Spector however knew better. Food and energy came from a non profit organisation formed by Stark, Hardy and Hammer. It quickly became apparent to people across the world that the weather shifted to suit them, polar icecaps didn't melt and the growth rate of plants increased. The wreckage of the Hellbat and the helicarriers remained though, and days after the settlement of the new universe it became the meeting ground of the first beings to arrive in the paradise zone.

Erik and his X-men watched as alien ships landed in the city. A humanoid race exited the ships, seemingly no different from them. The dark haired man leading the landing party looked towards Erik and immediately both men could see that the other was a fighter. They approached one another, Erik uncertain of whether communication was possible between them.

"Welcome to the paradise dimension, what circumstance led you here?" the man asked.

Erik and his X-men widened their eyes in shock.

"It's this place, no matter what language you speak you're able to understand each other and even breath in one another's atmosphere. I am General Zod of Krypton, my friend Jor-El created this dimension to save our planet from its destruction," the Kryptonian explained.

"Another Earth believe it or not was going to collide with ours," Erik said.

"I see, then it is fortunate that you escaped, I suppose all there is left to do is, welcome you," Zod raised his hand and smiled.

The two men, both formerly men of war now stood as men of peace and marked a partnership that would ensure the protection of their new universe.

Earth 9117

Supergirl couldn't smile as she landed in Metropolis, were heroes old and new had gathered. As soon as she had used the Paradise zone projector, it crumbled to pieces. It confirmed the suspicion that a method for stopping an Incursion could only be used once. Her cousin's sacrificed had saved the Earth, but for how long was a mystery. Then there was the possibility of it happening on her Earth. A day had passed and the team was able to recover on Earth 9117, assisting the heroes in their transition. Eventually though the team had to leave, there were certain things they couldn't interfere with, such as what government would be bought in now that Damian was behind bars.

"Are you sure?" Batman asked Moira.

"We are certain, it's time we went back to how things were before, it's not perfect and there will be hard times but we have new friends to see us along the way," Moira explained, looking to Iron Patriot.

Supergirl widened her eyes at the symbol on Patriot's chest, it was her cousin's shield.

"I was ready to give up on hope Kara, your friend Virgil and your cousin showed me what hope could accomplish again," Steve said.

"We speak for our entire world when we say thank you," Lex said.

"Just make sure you don't do anything to jeopardise your world again," Batman said.

"And with that, I think it's time we left," Wally sighed as he activated his portal device.

"When Virgil wakes up, tell him we are grateful," Moira said.

The team walked through the portal and back into their base. Much to the shock of the younger members of the team however, the base was much bigger than it was before. There were more consoles and monitors set up, a holographic map of another Earth had been set up at the centre of the base. But what disturbed the heroes more was that there were A.I.M troopers and Hand ninjas working at the consoles. The man stood at the holographic map turned to the heroes, revealing A.I.M. director Forson.

"Ah, welcome home team," he said.

The sacrifices I make, they have to be mine, not any one else's. But I can't do this alone, I'll need help from whatever source is willing.

Earth 0

The league of assassins was on its last legs. But still there were those who kept fighting, until they saw the futility of carrying on. Arsenal and Cheshire tackled one another through a window and landed in front of numerous A.R.G.U.S. troops. Cheshire pushed her lips against Roy's, causing him to widen his eyes in shock. She pulled away from the kiss and smirked, raising her hands over her head.

"I always end up on top handsome," she said, winking at him before her hands were cuffed together.

It became apparent to even Saiko that he wouldn't be victorious this day. After leaving Rose to recover he ran through the corridors of the castle, cutting down any soldier that tried to get in his way. There were still tunnels that could be used to escape the castle, tunnels typically used when the league of assassins had to flee and rebuild. But Ra's was a victim to his curiosity and his need for a challenge and an heir. Saiko knew that the man couldn't resist the opportunity to fight a worthy opponent. He wasn't about to give everything for the man who gave him nothing.

"It's over," Bane said, emerging from the corner.

His mask was partly torn and his shirt had been ripped apart. Some kind of grey substance had also dried on his arms.

"What happened to you?" Saiko asked.

"The Batman and the Arrow, they thought they could trap me, but they underestimated the power of the venom, the league of assassins is finished," Bane said as he pulled on a torch.

A door opened, revealing a set of stairs, leading to a tunnel that would take the pair of assassins away from the mountain.

"We are finally free of Ra's and his spoilt family," Saiko said.

"Yes, free to kill our own way, and to settle our own scores," Bane said.

"I have a score to settle, but my target has disappeared."

"Dick Grayson will be yours soon Saiko, and you will be able to claim revenge on both him and the court that abandoned you," Bane explained.

"How do you know this?" Saiko asked.

"I have a reliable source of information, I know exactly who the Bat and his Robins are, and together, along with a few new friends we will break them both!"

Ra's Al Ghul may have trained them, but he did not lead them and that was how he wanted it. He wanted his assassins to be masterminds in their own right. Not only so that they could effectively take out their targets, but so they could avenge him if he ever fell. He hoped his death would come soon, but as he fought Cade he began to see that the man was only formerly a killer. He saw a man who had once defined his life by bloodshed, yet walked a path away from that violent part of his life. Ra's Al Ghul saw in Cade Hunter a redeemer. The Redeemer punched him across the face multiple times, using his chains to block the strikes of his swords. Cade wrapped the chains of his scythes across Al Ghul's swords. He released a small amount of his energy, shattering the blades to pieces.

'He could never replace me,' Ra's thought as Cade began wrapping the chains across his body.

'He enforces justice his own way, he is vengeance and protection, of both lives and ones morality, just like the detective, they could never replace me!'

Cade yelled as he threw his scythes, and Ra's tied up with them. The blades stuck into the ceiling, leaving Ra's hanging off of his shoulders. He looked down at Cade and smirked as he unzipped Sara's body bag.

"You think you have attained a victory today?" Ra's asked.

"I know about the other realities, so don't bother going on a rant about how I've only taken out a set of pawns, because that's what you are to Red Skull or whoever's in charge of this multiversal network," Cade explained.

"Yes, I became a pawn in a much grander game, but what are you young man?" Ra's asked.

"I am not Waller's Pawn, not even the league's, I live my life on my own set of principles, by my own will. I'm not a piece on the board or even a player. I'm the man who will break the board and end the game," Cade said as he placed Sara inside the pool.

Ra's laughed as the pit began to boil, its magic already beginning to regenerate the victim placed inside it.

"Very well Redeemer, good luck in this path you follow, I'm looking forward to seeing what you will do next," the head of the demon continued to laugh as Trevor and the A.R.G.U.S. soldiers entered the chamber, and shockingly witnessed the resurrection of the Black Canary.

Onyx looked at the fall of the league of assassins, Azrael's unimpressive victory over the Hook. It didn't even register to him, it didn't disrupt his plans for that Earth one bit. But he still acknowledged the threat Cade represented, it was ironic that his old rival's purity would once again face him. In a way Onyx yearned to fight Cade again. But still he had his plans, plans that would allow him to attain his purpose as the embodiment of evil. He got off of his throne and walked down a flight of stairs, coming towards a group of people, all of whom were different versions of people he ordinarily wouldn't have been able to rally or manipulate.

"They actually stopped an Incursion, HA!" a version of the Joker said, he was a head within a jaw, connected to a Hulking body that balanced on a unicycle.

"And Ra's Al Ghul failed, he may talk," said a version of the Hulk, but his skin was blue and he wore a belt with an X-shaped buckle on it.

"Let him talk, he doesn't know enough to threaten us," a version of Two-face balanced his coin on his index finger, he wore a red and black version of a Batman suit.

"Except what happens next? People are opposing us, even watching other Incursions and working on ways to stop them," said a version of Iron man, known as the Iron Maniac.

Onyx stepped away from the four counterparts and looked at the other members of his outer world squads. From an Age of Apocalypse came the Blob and his black legion, a group of genetically fused monsters, whilst Lord Mar-Vell provided him with his Revengers. The Blue Hulk Hank McCoy would lead the Starman of Earth-48, the Gaslight Catwoman, a vampiric Bruce Wayne known as the Nightmare Batman, and a symbiote infused Spider-man and his lover the Black Cat, to Earth 16, where they would dispose of a man who had taken it upon himself to monitor their missions into other worlds and even ran a prison with potential additions to the army. Atomic Joker would lead the Earth 16 Red Volcano, the Scarab swarm of Earth 26, an Ultron infused with the Technarch virus and a Vision whom had been part of Weapon X (reality hoppers) would go to an Earth composed of zombified versions of the Avengers, to keep them from entering the game. Iron Maniac would take Whizzer, Red Hood, Blackfire, Weapon X's the Spider, Red Scarab, the Mr Fixit Hulk and America Chavez to an Earth where the League of the world had recently become aware of the other realities. Dent would lead Magik, Blockbuster, Breakdance (Earth 3's version of Vibe), Reaper, a Ronan from a world where he had been killed by the Guardians and the Ray of Earth 10, to Earth 610, where the organisation called A.R.M.O.R. was already beginning to compose methods to prevent the Incursions.

"Next, we Retaliate," Onyx said as he created a holographic image of another Earth.

That Earth, and Earth where a version of him was actually leading the world's heroes, would be the Legions, the Revengers and his next indented target.

Next Chapter 24: Retaliation

Victory has gone to the Redeemers for now, but Onyx has plans for a counterattack. Next time Onyx's minions wage war on the Marvel Zombie universe, they return to Earth 16 to face the potential threat in the Winter Soldier of Earth Prime Noah Cross (an OC provided by G. ), raid Earth 610 (the Earth featured in Exile037's Spider-man stories).

Onyx's attention also turns to a DC world, the world of my story Planet of the Bravest, whilst he personally leads the charge against the world of the first Marvel story I ever wrote, the Marvel Universe.