Avenging Justice 3:

To Infinity and Anti-Life

Part XXIV

Sector 0000, Oa

The Guardians were in shock. One of their own, a traitor! Wearing pure black, and sporting a black ring, their sister now aided the undead horde. Their loyal Green Lanterns were scattered across the various sectors, with only a small few returning back to Oa. Too few, and with that the mental calculations were certain, not enough.

Worse were the ships flashing into existence around their sectors. Refugees from countless worlds. Too many for their scattered forces to adequately handle, and with the bigger threat on the horizon, a mild concern. Still a concern they didn't need right now, and one they would need to quickly deal with. There were enough issues to handle, without adding potential refugees, or possible infiltrators. Especially as some of the refugees were talking about a Mad Titan and Darkseid.

Thankfully, their brother Ganthet had returned. However, he came with more heresy, having started his own Lantern Corps, the Blue. They would have to deal with him after this current crisis. It wouldn't due to have their ranks divided, again. Scar's betrayal was bad enough, and there was morale to think of. It might even be time to invest more resources into the Alpha Lantern project. Taking the best of their two experiments and merging them.

More incoming signatures, and the Guardians huffed. They were Blue Lanterns, and Star Sapphires. However, the next set were unknown, and massive. Starting with a dozen, they quickly multiplied, doubling in size till they matched the full Green Lantern Corps, when fully assembled. The energy reading is what gave them pause, wrath. Someone had tapped into the power of rage and wrath, a power that was volatile in the meekest terms.

Anger, Wrath, Rage, this power had been left behind because of its volatility. Users ended up either going insane or being consumed by the power, leaving empty husks. The Guardians had seen this in their wisdom, but it seems someone else had tapped into its power, to their folly. At least it should have been, and if Oa had been at full strength, the Green Lanterns not scattered, they would have overcome. The power of will to overcome was grand, and would defeat the burning desire of rage, even if there would be casualties.

Just as they started to think of orders for their Lanterns, a huge red figure appeared as a hologram in front of them. He was huge, bulky and familiar to the Guardians. If they hadn't such great control of their emotions, the fear response might have spiked again. Not that they would ever admit to that, as they had "purged" their emotions eons ago, in an effort to be models for the Green Lanterns. Calm logic to overcome chaotic emotions, and it was how they had led the Green Lanterns.

"Guardians, I am Atrocitus," the angry being spat out. "You are responsible for much, and the check has come due. Time to pay for your crimes."

Earth, California, Coast City

Rhodey was enjoying the sights. California had some amazing ones, especially this close to the Pacific Ocean. The architecture was something to admire, bringing out inspiration in him. A little bit of San Francisco, and a little bit of Los Angeles, with a very small dose of San Diego thrown in for good measure. From the beach you could see high rises, as well as a road leading to more affluent homes on the cliffside. It would be perfect.

They were looking for a new place for Avengers to train, and to train those who wished to be Avengers. It was a new idea Tony had after talking with Steve, and actually listening this time. He was worried about untrained special people making a mess, or hurting innocents. Which was a valid concern, as some of the new heroes popping up hadn't learned the hard lessons the Avengers had. Even as the world governments kept pushing for more control over them.

To Rhodey it made sense. He was an Airman, loyal to the government of the United States. With his War Machine suit he did missions that normal forces couldn't. They normally were against forces that Iron Man or Captain America would normally fight, but sometimes he was sent in to do a quick strike or as a show of force. This was much to Tony's chagrin, as he didn't want his suits being used by any military.

After Whiplash and with the creation of the Crimson Dynamo, Tony had reluctantly relented, but also hadn't created another for the military. He explained that the suit was for Rhodey to use, but only him. A compromise, but one the United States was willing to let be, for now. Unknown to Rhodey, Justin Hammer was already creating a suit of his own. They weren't good or viable, but he was pouring the government's money into it at a staggering rate.

"Colonel Rhodes," a flat, almost robotic voice said. "I'm glad I found you. I believe I am in need of your assistance."

Rhodey turned to see the Cyborg Superman, "I don't believe we've met."

"Thanks to recent events, my memories aren't what they used to be," the cyborg said.

Rhodey nodded, "I can imagine dying and coming back will do that to you. What can I help you out with?"

"I am told that you have a suit like Iron Man, he is currently preoccupied, and I need assistance of someone with heavy firepower," the Cyborg Superman said. "I'm still weak from my battle with Doomsday, and the people putting innocents in danger, they are using advanced weaponry."

Rhodey wasn't a fool, "Short of two things, I don't know of anything that could hurt you, even in a weakened state."

"I understand," the Cyborg Superman said. "However, my fight with Brainiac drained me more than the media knows. I must ask with aid, till I can replenish that strength."

This made sense, so Rhodey smiled, "Let's get my suit and get to kicking ass."

Minutes later War Machine was blast through the air above Coast City. Cyborg Superman behind him, they were both flying towards the mountainous area beyond the city limits. Rhodey had been filled in on the details. Intergang was using weapons powered by magic rocks from Kahndaq, to make weapons that could hurt even Superman. Of course Tony would like a sample, because he didn't like the term, "Magic Rocks."

"We're five minutes out," War Machine said. "We should be coming in low under their RADAR, or whatever they are using to scan the air."

The other man was quiet, War Machine thought he might be doing his own scans. It did take some getting used to, as he found out in his first forays in the suit. He could only imagine what it was like when the suit was literally half of you. Still, something nagged him in the back of his mind, but he just couldn't put his finger on it.

"Hey, I'm not reading any signs nearby," War Machine called back. "I'm running them, and even trying to integrate into overhead satellites. I'm not picking anything up, even though something is jamming me."

They Cyborg smiled, "That is because I have need of something you have."

Faster than War Machine could react, a metal fist tore into his armor. The other hand, covered in flesh, crushed his minigun weapon. On instinct he pulsed out an energy attack from his chest, and was rewarded with a grunt by the cyborg. Then came the blazing light from his attacker, and Rhodey was blinded. He felt the metal of the suit heat, and the suit's countermeasures tried to dissipate the temperature increase, to no avail.

"What the hell are you doing?" War Machine cried out as another punch sent him crashing through the ground, bouncing around.

Rhodey felt things pop that he was certain shouldn't, and his whole being lit up in pain. On his HUD, the armor was letting him know it was severely damaged. His power levels were good, but most of his weapons were offline. His flight was currently being worked on, which meant he'd have short hops, and no continuous flight till they were repaired. Worse, he was still being jammed. He couldn't signal to Tony or anyone else he was in trouble, or warn them about the Cyborg.

The Cyborg landed behind Rhodey, and he turned just in time to take a punch at a glance. It sent him spiraling around, crashing across the landscape again. Even as he attempted to right himself, using his boots' repulsors, he found another fist waiting on him. He tried to block it, and that only seemed to amuse the Cyborg. He felt his arm twist in a way that was not natural, followed by some of the worst pain he'd ever experienced. Quickly the suit pulsated with calming, healing harmonics.

"You pitiful heroes," the Cyborg growled. "You think if you fight hard enough, hold the line long enough, that a savior will come from the sky for you. Let me tell you something, it's bullshit. There is nobody here to save you. You live as long as I find you useful, and for now you are."

Rhodey managed to say, even as he felt his grip on consciousness slipping, "They will come for you, all of them."

"By the time they get through fighting each other, there won't be any left," the Cyborg grinned. "Thanks to you, I have the first part of the puzzle. Now hush!"

Rhodey felt the kick and the impact with a nearby mountain. His vision went dark, and his final thought before unconsciousness took him, was he wished he could've gotten a message out to Tony. The man was arrogant, a little too sure of himself, and too brilliant for his own good. He was though a good man at heart, and one that believed you could make the world better. His idea was through technology, Rhodey through service. Together they were a powerful team, and he really hoped he got to see his friend again.

Earth, New York, New York City, Avengers Tower

"Tony! Tony come in!" Rhodey's voice was full of terror.

Tony Stark had been sleeping, but then Friday had alerted him to the incoming message. Quickly his fatigue slipped away as he saw the grainy video. His friend was calling out to him, and he was here. The Iron Man suit was already powering up, and he'd be blasting off once Friday had located Rhodey's beacon or triangulated his last known position.

"One of the pretenders, he's gone mad!" Rhodey's voice was in pain now.

A massive metal hammer smashed into what Tony could see. The video cleared and it was the armored Superman, the one the media had been labeling, "The Man of Steel." He came crashing down upon Rhodey, and again that hammer smashed down on Tony's friend. Rage boiled over inside him, seeing what looked like an unprovoked attack on his friend.

"Friday, locate this Man of Steel," Tony said, every syllable bursting with almost uncontrolled anger.

"He appears to be in Bludhaven, sir," Friday's response came.

Tony turned, "Than that is where we are going."