Avenging Justice 3:

To Infinity and Anti-Life

Part XXXII

Sector 99, Deep Space

A few hours later, Gamora rested lazily in her seat. Drax moved around the ship, looking out every view port. Meanwhile Rocket was demeaning Peter's repair skills. Even from where she sat, Gamora could hear Peter's vigorous rebuttal. However, things were getting done and the ship was nearly patched up enough to continue on.

They'd need real repairs at a safe harbor, which at this point, might be hard to come by. Not that they had much choice, someone had to be told about these things. Somebody had to have the power to destroy these things, at the very least stop them. As a daughter of Thanos, she was used to pushing down fear and overcoming it. However, she couldn't shake the feeling that this was very bad.

"I am Groot!" Groot called and Gamora launched herself towards the medbay.

The Asgardian they had picked up was up and swinging at the giant tree creature. Seeing Gamora, the man turned to face them both. There was a wildness in his eyes, he was fighting on instinct. What worried Gamora the most though, the lightning coursing around his bare fists. This was one of the Asgardians with a power.

"Easy there," Gamora said. She was looking for the stun baton they kept nearby. It was always good to have something to incapacitate an unruly patient. She was sure it would work on a weakened Asgardian, even one of their nobles.

Behind her, she heard a rifle click as Rocket took up position on Groot. Peter had his dual pistols trained on the Asgardian, and Drax charged. The Asgardian connected his fist with Drax, stopping the big man. Then he tossed Drax at the others. Groot caught him, but Peter took position between Rocket and the Asgardian.

"Where is Thanos?" the man growled. "What tortures does he want me to endure now?"

Gamora switched her weapon to a reverse hand grip, "We are no friends to Thanos."

"Yeah, we're the Guardians of the Galaxy," Peter said, his chest swelling.

The man relaxed, "The outlaws turned adventurers, I've heard of you. I am Thor Odinson. Now I need you to take me Nidavellir."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, we don't take orders from you buddy," Rocket said.

Peter nodded, "Sorry, we have our own mission. We can drop you off at the nearest inhabited planet."

"You know not what you say," Thor said. "You need to follow me now, or all is lost."

Rocket laughed as the huge Asgardian squared up against Peter, "Ya know, Quill, I like this guy. We should go along."

"No, this is my ship, I call the shots," Peter said. "We work as a team, and right now we need to find some power to stand up to those zombie things."

Thor looked around, "Hela should be dead, Surtur took out Asgard."

Quill deflated, "Asgard is down? What about the others?"

"You mean the other forces in the universe," Thor said. "Thanos attacked my people, The Green Lanterns are oddly silent and the Nova Corps have disappeared."

Groot walked up to the Thor, "I am Groot."

"I am," Thor answered, lightning again filling his form. "I am still left. I will have my vengeance."

The Milano was rocked as orange light filled it, forcing the conversation to be continued, later. Quill made his way to the controls, while the others prepared to fight. What he saw both awed him and confused him. A giant orange crab like claw was holding them in place, a horde of orange figures floated just outside the cockpit canopy. Well, this was new.

"You belong to us," the voices said, converging in an alien from which the orange light originated.

Peter prepared for another fight, "I need a vacation.."

Larfleeze looked upon his new prize, but was surprised as Red, Green and Pink flecks appeared in the system. Immediately his power recognized Rage, Will and Love, and his own immediately wanted them, as Avaraice was never satisfied. He and his Horde moved off to meet the newcomers. His thoughts turned to how much he would enjoy his new things, his shiny new things. They would belong to him, only to him, nobody else.

"You seem to make enemies everywhere you go," Atrocitus growled at Ganthet. "Maybe that would be a cue that you are wrong in your approach."

Ganthet smiled, "You may be right about that. I hope one day you won't see us all as enemies, but you have earned your rage."

"Once these Black Lanterns are dealt with, I will finish my mission and destroy everything you Guardians built," Atrocitus said. "However, there are those of your Lanterns that have promise. They may be left unscathed, if they allow my judgment to be cast upon you 'Guardians.'"

Ganthet shook his head, "You know they won't, and by the time this is all done, you may not feel the same way. However, I do admit to you, the Manhunters were a mistake. We tried to stop them, but only did after your sector was destroyed.

This will bring you small comfort, but this is what caused me to think we Guardians needed to be better. That is why we created the Green Lanterns, to field our power, but with a living being's understanding. For the most part, they have been successful, and I believe they will be there long after we Guardians are gone."

"Yes, they will," Atrocitus agreed. "Your Greed monster is near enough"

Ganthet shrugged, "To be fair, we didn't create him. We tried to put a lid on him, and then pacified him with control of his sector."

Atrocitus laughed, "We see how well that worked."

"Indeed," Ganthet nodded and then flew off to face the orange horde.

"You have come to surrender, and bring more pretties!" Larfleeze cackled. "I will take them all."

Ganthet let the Blue Light of Hope coalesce around him, dropping the Green Light of Will, "No, but I needed to heal you enough to let you see reason."

Quick as lightning, Ganthet sent out a blue beam that hit Larfleeze. His orange constructs came at Ganthet. This is when the Red Lanterns, Star Sapphires and Green Lanterns engaged. The battle was fierce and light filled the emptiness of space. The grip on the Milano was released and it jumped away, their destiny lay elsewhere.

"Larfleeze, remember who you were before Avarice took hold of you," Ganthet said, his Blue Light undoing the years of damage by the Orange Light. "You had family, friends, loved ones, remember them!"

Larfleeze for the briefest of moments, had a torrent of emotions return to him and just for the briefest of moments, wasn't Agent Orange. The being that was stopped fighting and the horde disappeared, the Orange Light swirling about him and investing him again before he looked back up with greedy eyes at the Guardian. Behind the orange glow in his eyes, Larfleeze did feel, but was trapped once more.

"That was a neat trick, I must have it!" Larfleeze demanded.

Ganthet shook his head, "I got a better trade for you. Knowledge none others have, but one."

"Not shiny!" Larfleeze's response was quick.

Ganthet laughed, "Oh it is shiny." He held out his hand and in it was a titanium shard, that pulsed with power. "This came from a world where they used to capture stars into huge crystals. However, what they captured in this was a full timeline. A whole universe, and the only one of two."

"Give me!" Larfleeze demanded.

Ganthet held it back, "We'll trade. This was given by someone at great cost, so the trade must be the same. You want it, we want access to the Orange Light."

"Mine, all mine!" Larfleeze said.

Then he looked at the crystal, and thoughts entered his head. What secrets did that thing hold? The people who crafted this, their technology was beyond even the Guardians, beyond what he knew from the Orange Light. Secrets, juicy secrets, all his, nobody else's. What could be inside, did it matter, he wanted it. He wanted it all, everything known and unknown. Then there was the gleaming shard, glinting in the light of the stars. He must know its secrets, must obtain it!

"A tiny portion is nothing, give me!" Larfleeze lunged.

Ganthet held back, "We need access."

As if on cue, two orange rings appeared in front of him . He secured them with blue light as he let the shard float over to Larfleeze. The being eagerly grabbed the shard, stroked it lovingly and looked around like someone was going to take it from him. None moved toward him or it, and Ganthet once again thanked the Green Lantern of 1148. It was from his sector this treasure had been found, and Ganthet could just guess at to what it cost to acquire it.

"Now, Larfleeze, part of the deal is teaching our agent how to use it," Ganthet said. "And we need you to come with us, what's about to happen will take us all. As it stands, there is another shard, with more treasures inside waiting."

Larfleeze looked up, "Another?!"

"Yes, different, also so rare to be legend, and it has more in it," Ganthet said. "All yours, but you need to come with us."

Larfleeze flew off, "Let's go, let's go."

Ganthet wasn't sure if he should be relieved or worried, but his thoughts turned to Lantern Jordan. He had been sent on an impossible mission as well, and he had to have hope that all would be fine. He wasn't just going to ask his nemesis, but an old colleague on the opposite side, to fight alongside him. Knowing Sinestro, Hal Jordan was going to have a long fight ahead of him. Then this hinged Lantern McCallister being right. That combining the Lights would combat the coming Darkness, and not be the destruction of them all.