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Invasion of the Gods

John Stewart was a soldier.

Born to the crime-riddled streets of Detroit, Michigan, from an early age fighting was all he had ever known. His mother worked hard to support him and his sister, and without a father to protect them, he put it upon himself to take up that burden. But the violence didn't stop. The fighting never stopped. He worked hard day in and day out to keep his family safe from the gangs and murderers that plagued their streets. Even those who he would have turned to for help, who swore to protect innocents like them, were either unwilling or unable to help them in their time of need. This hardship took its toll on the poor child, but it did instill in him one ideal that would forever embed itself into his heart….

Justice.

To stand for those who could not stand for themselves. To fight for those who were powerless. To become the shield and beacon of light for those whose darkness threatened to overtake them. He would become that shield, that beacon. It led him to fight back against the tide of corruption in his neighborhood, and led him to fight for his country in the United States Marine Corps, where he quickly became a dangerous and feared marksman among his enemies.

But that all came to a change after he was discharged for standing up against a superior officer for what he believed in during the Anarky crisis in Gotham City. This injustice did not sit well with the young soldier, but he was forced to swallow the bitter pill as it boiled his blood. He tried to find other ways to improve the world around him through studying architecture and design. For a time he was willing to put the fighting behind him and lead a life of peace.

But peace is a luxury a soldier can ill afford, and the universe had other plans for him.

Chosen by the Oa to bear the Lantern's Ring was more than he could have ever wanted. A power that he did not take lightly, he used this tool and his new abilities well, quickly becoming a revered and respected white knight among the Lantern Corps.

But now, the Corps was all but decimated, and the Guardians destroyed. And Oa was burning. Burning from Hellfire. And standing before him, grasping his throat tightly as he struggled in vain to free himself, was a monster more fearsome than even the most devilish of Satan's armies: the God of Darkness, the demon himself.

Darkseid.

"You have fought well, Green Lantern," Darkseid said, his grip tightening. "But your Masters are destroyed, and your armies vanquished. But I am not without mercy. You must only speak my name and bow to me, and I will grant you a warrior's death."

John gasped for air as Darkseid's grip was loosened, dropping him to the floor. He looked at his ring, which was cracked and broken on his finger. It would no longer be able to protect him, to fight for him. He was simply a man now, facing the might of a god.

But he was a soldier.

If he was going to die, it would be on his feet.

He struggled to his feet, staring defiantly into the eyes of his oppressor. "In….brightest day…in blackest night," he choked, his voice straining after being strangled. "No evil…shall escape my sight…."

John was thrown sideways as Darksied's clenched fist collided with his face, sending him crashing into the rubble beside them. He knew this attack was not at full power, otherwise, he would be dead. Darkseid was toying with him. Once again, he struggled to his feet, spitting blood onto the floor as he coughed violently. He could feel that his lung had collapsed, and he had several broken ribs.

"For those….who worship…evil's might…" he said, struggling as he began to black out. "Beware…my power….Green Lantern's Light!"

Darkseid simply laughed as John continued to stand obstinate against him. "Very well, warrior," he said. "If you simply complied, your death would have been quick and painless. But now, I have something else planned for you." He reached out and grabbed John by the throat once again, holding a remote-like device, pressing the button on the top of it. There was a loud explosion beside them as a tear formed in the fabric of space and time, opening like a window. John looked in horror as he saw the planet on the other side of that window.

Earth.

"For too long your Masters have defied me," said Darkseid. "Keeping me from taking what is rightfully mine. The Anti-Life equation is on your homeworld. I am certain of it. And now, as punishment for your impudence, you will watch helplessly as I level your home. Once I find what I am looking for, only then will I bring your pitiful planet to its final destiny."

He dropped John to the floor, who gagged and coughed as Darkseid simply walked past him towards the Boom Tube before them. He had to contact the Justice League. He had to warn them of what was coming. He began to crawl towards his broken ring. Upon reaching it, he saw the cloaked figure of Darksied's aide and Chief of Torture, Dasaad, stood over him. He simply bent down and handed the ring to John.

"Call your comrades, Green Lantern," Dasaad said, grinning maliciously. "Warn them of our coming, but it will do you no good. Nothing can stop the Great Darkseid. Your planet is doomed."

Desaad stood and followed his master towards the portal. Several more Boom Tubes opened up around the planet as hordes of parademons piled out of them like a swarm of locusts. "Green Lantern to Watchtower," he croaked into the broken ring. He wasn't sure if his signal was getting out, but he had to try. "Green Lantern to Watchtower!"

"Green Lantern, this….the W–tchtower. Please boo—...-ignal and repeat." The ring spoke as a broken communication came through.

"This is John Stewart of the Green Lantern Corps, trying to contact the Watchtower!" He shouted into the ring.

"John, this is Superman, we read you loud and clear," the ring replied. "What is happening?"

"We have an Omega-level emergency," said John. "The line has been broken. They are heading for Earth space now!"

"Who? Who is coming?"

"Apokolips," said John, before finally succumbing to his injuries and fading into unconsciousness.

The Watchtower was in utter pandemonium as an alarm blasted through the halls. Heroes and technicians were scrambling to their stations as ships left the hangar bay. Izuku, All Might and Togata struggled to keep up with Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, and Martian Man Hunter as they made their way out of the medical bay.

"What's going on?" Said Izuku.

"We don't have a lot of time," said Superman. "They'll likely be here any second."

"We need to scramble for support," said Batman. "Get the word out to all agencies across the globe, it's all hands on deck. J'onn, get these kids out of here and somewhere safe."

"Batman, what's happening?!" Izuku said. To the average layman, Batman looked as stoic as ever. But he knew Bruce on a better level than most people. The look in his eyes conveyed a concern that he had never seen before, and it unnerved the young hero-in-training.

"We don't have time to explain," said Batman. "Go with J'onn, he'll–"

"No way," said Izuku. "If something's going down, we want to help."

"Out of the question," Said Batman immediately. "It's too dangerous."

"Too dangerous?" Said Izuku incredulously. After all that he had been through with the Hero Killer, The League of Villains, All For One, the Joker, and most recently, the Hassaikai, did Bruce not have faith in him by now? "Batman, we can help, just–"

"No!" Batman snapped, turning to the Martian Manhunter. "J'onn, get them out of here."

"It's too late for that, Batman," came a voice from their comm links, one that Izuku didn't recognize. "You'd better get up to the command deck. Right now."

Izuku and Togata expressed a concerned look at each other as they followed the heroes to the command deck. Once there, they saw a man standing at one of the computer consoles, clad completely in what looked like a suit made of metal, with a large flowing red cape and Superman's insignia on his chest. Izuku immediately recognized him as John Henry Irons, codename "Steel", one of the heroes that took Superman's place after he was presumed dead.

"What's going on?" Said Batman once they reached the command deck.

"Look for yourself," said Steel, pressing a few buttons. Immediately the blast shields covering the viewports of the command deck parted, and the posse of heroes were met with a sight that took their collective breath away. Several holes in space seemed to have opened up around them, and there were thousands - even millions - of creatures spilling out of each of them. This horde of monsters was unlike anything Izuku had ever seen. It was as if the very heavens were invoking a plague of locusts upon them.

"Can we get to the surface?" Asked Superman.

"Our transporter is experiencing interference," said Steel. "Something seems to be blocking transmission. And the Parademons are moving to intercept our ships."

"Why didn't they just use the Boom Tubes to transport directly to the planet?" asked Wonder Woman.

"Probably to isolate us from the planet," said Batman. "Can we get communications out?"

"Still working on that," said Steel. "Should only be a few minutes."

"We don't have a few minutes," said Superman. "I'll buy you some time." In the blink of an eye, Superman was already out of the room, heading towards the docking bay. A few seconds later, they saw a small blue and red figure appearing out in space, which began to engage the creatures while in the vacuum itself. Togata and Izuku watched the sight in amazement. Although Izuku followed heroes all his life, this was the first time he had ever seen Superman in combat in person, and it was a fascinating sight to see.

"The teleporter is online!" Said Steel, shaking them out of their thoughts.

"Send us down, now!" Said Batman.

Before Izuku could protest, a bright glow surrounded them as the Watchtower disappeared, replaced with grass and trees. He looked about and saw that they were back on the UA campus, with All Might, Togata and Batman standing next to him. Batman turned and began walking away, placing his finger to his ear and speaking into his comlink.

"Batman to watchtower," he said into his comm. "I'm heading to the Warehouse and engage the enemy once I am airborne."

"No, wait!" Said Izuku. "We can help."

"Out of the question," said Batman immediately, turning to Izuku. "You have no idea what you're up against."

"Then enlighten us!" Said Togata. "What's happening? What are those creatures, and what's Apokolips?"

Batman paused. Every second they stood here may be a second too late to save them, but he knew how stubborn Izuku and his friend could be. And if he didn't let them in on what was happening, they would probably do something that would get them killed. He had to level with them, but he had to do it fast.

"Apokolips is a planet beyond our Solar System," said Batman. "Imagine the worst hell in your worst fears in the deepest, darkest of your nightmares. It is a place where darkness and evil reign supreme, unchecked and unchallenged. The air is thick with smoke and the rotting stench of death and decay, and the only sound is that of the misery and suffering of its people. The one who rules over them is the worst of tyrants this universe has ever seen: The Dark New God Darkseid. Those creatures…" he gestured to the sky above them. "Are Parademons, his footsoldiers. They are here to wipe the planet clean of all life, until the planet becomes like that of Apokolips."

Izuku felt his heart drop into his feet. It was common knowledge that there was other life in the universe, ever since they discovered the Martian race, and he assumed that just as there are peaceful and benevolent creatures, there must also be hostile ones as well. But he never expected something as horrifying as this. He exchanged looks with Togata, who looked just as stunned.

"But…what is he here for?" Togata asked.

"The anti-life equation," said Batman. "Those who know it will have the power to dominate the minds of all sentient creatures in the universe, eliminating choice and free will. With it, he will have ultimate power in the universe, and will be unstoppable. He believes that it's here, and will stop at nothing to obtain it." He turned once again and began walking away. "You two are in over your heads. You can't help this time."

"Batman…" said Izuku, causing his mentor to stop once again. "We may not be able to help fight Darksied. But we can't just sit here and do nothing. Please, there has to be something we can do?"

Batman considered the two young heroes for a moment. "All Right," he said. "You can help us here."

"How?" Asked Togata.

"Get in touch with the Arrow," Batman explained. "Have him rally every hero agency he can. There are going to be casualties. Lots of casualties. Rally your classmates. Those with hero licenses will need to help mitigate any loss of life that we can. We can't rule out the possibility that the League of Villains and other criminals will capitalize on the chaos, and we can't let that happen. For any students who are not licensed, have them stay on the school grounds. They should be safe here. But you are not to engage any Parademons unless you have no other choice."

He crouched down, coming face to face with the two boys. "I warn you," he said. "These creatures are unlike anything you have ever faced. Unlike even the Nomu. They're worse. Much worse. If you do engage them, do not hesitate, and show no mercy. Put. Them. Down."

"You…you mean kill them?" Izuku said, shocked. He had never heard his mentor speak about taking a life before.

"These are monsters, Midoriya," said Batman. "They are mindless killing machines who will stop at nothing to destroy everything in their wake. So yes, you must kill them. Do you understand?"

Izuku nodded. Batman then turned to All Might. "Keep them safe, Toshinori," he said. "Gather the teachers. Make sure they know what's happening."

"You have my word," said All Might. Batman then tossed a set of keys to All Might, who looked at them curiously.

"I made some modifications to your car," said Batman. "In an emergency, press the red button on the key fob."

"You modified Hercules?!" Said All Might, horrified.

"Nothing noticeable," said Batman. "Just trust me. Now go!"

The three heroes nodded and began to head into the school grounds. Izuku looked back at his mentor and saw him press a few buttons on his wrist computer before running down the path. A few seconds later, the batwing flew overhead and Batman grappled to it, and flew away.

Izuku was scared. More scared than he had ever been in his life. This was more than just a villain attack. They were repelling a full-fledged alien invasion. He had no idea what he should do, but he knew he had to get to his friends, first and foremost, and make sure they were safe.

"Why are we back here, Luthor?" Said Shigaraki impatiently. "What is going on?"

Shigaraki and the League members were standing once again in Luthor's office, the one they were transported to during his master's battle with All Might. Luthor ignored him, only staring out the large window behind his desk. After a few minutes, Shigaraki heard the sound of an explosion and joined Luthor at the window. He was shocked to see a swarm of creatures he had never seen before enter the Earth's atmosphere. They looked similar to his Nomu, but heavily armored and carrying weapons.

"It's begun," said Luthor, smiling and checking his watch. "And right on time. Your master will be pleased."

"What is going on, Luthor?" Said Dabi. "What are those things?"

"Patience, Dabi," said Luthor. "All in good time. This is only the first stage of the plan. With the heroes preoccupied by the invasion, we will use this opportunity to our advantage. But first, we need to prepare your leader." He added, turning to Shigaraki.

"Prepare me?" Asked Shigaraki. "Prepare me for what?"

"Are we ready doctor?" Said Luthor, looking past Shigaraki, towards the door of his office. Shigaraki and the League turned to see a bald, mustached man with large, goggle-like glasses entering the room. Behind him was what looked to be a large Albino gorilla with an enlarged head, as well as a slender woman in a black dress with long, purple hair.

"Everything is ready, Luthor," said the mustached man. "The question is…is he ready?" He pointed to Shigaraki.

"He's ready," said Luthor. "Now that the first stage is complete, we will now let the transformation begin."

"Transformation?" Asked Shigaraki.

"You're going to fulfill your destiny," said Luthor, placing a hand on Shigaraki's shoulder. "You're going to take your master's place, and do what you were born to do: destroy All Might and any and all those who oppose you."

Shigaraki was led down the stairs into what looked to be a state of the art laboratory. Inside it were several Nomu and other creatures that he did not recognize. In the middle of the room was a large surgical bed, and the gorilla and the mustached doctor began to go to work.

"This process will be grueling," said the gorilla. "You may not survive it."

"He'll survive, Humanite," said Luthor. "Of that I have no doubt."

Shigaraki stared at the table before him, his breathing becoming shallow. The time had finally come. He was going to inherit his master's power. He was going to become the master.

It was time to face his destiny.

Author's notes: hello, everyone! Sorry its been so long since the last update. I'm in the process of moving so it's been hectic. In regards to this chapter, I have had a lot of feedback regarding the story starting to get too close to the cannon, so I wanted to do something different. We're deviating from the Liberation Army arc and instead heading in a different direction. I hope you enjoy where this goes, because it is going to get messy. Very messy. But I hope, in the end, you'll enjoy it.

Thank you for reading!