Gotham

"Hey crumpet, some coffee!" Harvey Bullock shouted at Alfred while he had Catman sit before him unmasked, a bloodied nose on display, "Tommy Blake. So, the government finally sent in the Suicide Squad to deal with us." "I never wanted to be on Task Force X, you know that Bullock," the mercenary sneered, "Your Batman and his friends got me thrown in Belle Reve and put Waller over us." Harv just smirked as he immediately sent the scumbag into a holding cell with his comrades, Ragdoll and Black Alice, not bothering to entertain any further conversation. Ragdoll was clutching his head and Alice had been screaming about a migraine for the past half hour. Harvey took a cup of coffee from Alfred. "Here you are, Detective Bullock," the butler replied. "So, uh, what the hell did Gordon's girl and her beau send you here for?" Bullock asked the foreign national pointedly, "To make sure that I can escort the convoys back with Miss Kyle and her protégé to City Hall."

"Fair 'nuff. Do you know what the hell is going on here?" Harvey indicated the fact that now Catman was having a migraine too. "Not the foggiest," Alfred shrugged, "I wouldn't be surprised if their master is killing them. He is supposed to have magic powers of some form." "There's nothing we can do about that?" Bullock asked, actually showing some concern for their captives. "Probably not," a voice said nearby. Selina Kyle was sitting beside Harvey's desk with Kitrina Falcone pouncing atop it, screwing around with some old paperwork. "Hey, I need that," the grizzled detective chastised the teenager. "No, you don't Harvey," Catwoman retorted practically, "This city's in crisis, and you don't need to file any paperwork." "I'll have you know I'm the official police commissioner around here," he said with pride, "Gotta' keep some civility. That's why I booked Blake and his cronies properly like you saw."

"Whatever," the jewel thief rolled her eyes, "I'm out of here. Kitty?" "Coming Selina," the little girl said tailing after her. Harvey then put his head in his hands. "Crumpet, you going with them?" he asked Alfred. "Only after Master Richard contacts me to tell us what safehouse some of the people here can be transferred to," the Englishman reassured him. "Fair enough," the detective shrugged, "I'm off for a smoke. Coming with? These grunts can handle the prisoners." "I could do with some air, I suppose," Alfred admitted. As Harvey and Alfred stepped out for a smoke, things at City Hall were going alright, especially since at Catwoman's request, Bane, Deadshot and Scandal Savage had handed themselves in. Nightwing came out to greet them wearing a black trench coat as Arrowette and Black Bat brought them forward. "I hear from one of our agents in the field you wish to surrender yourselves?" he said, the air of authority being maintained all throughout him. Cissie King-Jones pushed Deadshot forward who was babbling a little to himself. "What's wrong with him, Arrowette?" he asked her,"I don't know. He said something about his head going to explode."

That was when Bane started laughing sarcastically. "Ah, I had a feeling they would try this," he drawled. "What's going on?" Dick asked, wracking his brains for anything Barbara might have told him about Task Force X. Cass Cain gave Bane a hit on the shoulders to get a response. "Answer him!" Black Bat demanded. "Our chips designed to kill us have been activated," Bane chortled, "Did your wife not mention that to you, Grayson? In a few minutes, myself, Mr Lawton and Miss Savage will all be dead." Nightwing reacted immediately. "Get them all in there, quick!" He got on his comms then. "Steph, is Jason showing any signs of a headache?" he asked with urgency. "No, nothing," Batgirl replied, "He just sits there complaining about Batman and wishing he was killing bad guys. Why?" "Because Deadshot has one, Bane and Scandal too," Dick shook his head, "It's like they're having some kind of fit."

Deadshot was laid on a gurney while Leslie looked at him and Bane simply observed. "So, this thing is going to explode?" Dick asked Bane. "Yes," the luchador nodded, "Unless you do as I say." "Wait, you know how to defuse it?" Dick asked, thankful he didn't have to drag Barbara from her work as Oracle to get her help here. "Of course," the old villain boasted, "As soon as I read up on the mechanics of the system, I decided it would be advantageous to have a means of removing it from my ear should the situation demand it." "Your ear?" Dick asked. "Yes," Bane nodded, "At least that's where the charge is." Dick motioned to Cullen Row to hand him a screwdriver and he jammed it into Lawton's ear. The assassin screamed in agony as Dick successfully pulled out some wires and circuitry. "That seemed too easy," he said, almost to himself as Bane looked on.

"Of course, it is. Father Thawne knew I would figure it out. Hence, why he assigned Todd to divide us into two teams. He figured you might like us as a present."

"What's that meant to mean, Bane?"

"It means that our comrades in the GCPD lockup are not out of the woods as we are."

Dick freaked. Handing Cullen the screwdriver and nodding at Bane and Scandal, he rushed up to his wife and father-in-law in the office upstairs. "Get on the phone to Harvey now!" he screamed. "Harvey?" Jim said, defensive at the outburst, "Whatever for?" "He's got three of the Suicide Squad in the lockup," Dick said looking at his wife, who realised exactly what he meant, "He's got to save their lives." Jim immediately dialled Harvey. "Harv? Yeah, it seems you may have three casualties on your hands...explosive ones." Barbara then freaked when she saw Bane enter. "Oh, he shall have more than that Mayor Gordon," the behemoth intoned in that satisfied yet disappointed voice of his, "Our new microchip is designed to create an explosion powerful enough to level a building."

"Harvey, get the—"

Before Jim Gordon could finish, across town, Harvey Bullock and Alfred Pennyworth were flung against the truck before them as the heads of Catman, Ragdoll and Black Alice exploded while they were in captivity. In the moments that followed, several men in black vests and armour approached them with swords and grabbed both. "Commissioner Bullock and Mr Pennyworth. Now this is a joyous surprise," the malevolent and melodious voice of the Demon's Head said to them as he emerged from the smoke, "Mr Grayson will desire the lives of these hostages, as well as all the families you have in this truck." Selina and Kitrina both saw this and immediately began heading for City Hall without saying a word. Somewhere they knew they could defend. With Kate and Bette Kane gone to Hub City with Renee Montoya, Dick would need all hands on deck to fight off the League of Assassins.

Back at City Hall, Jim slammed the phone down in a fury. "What the hell has happened?" he screamed, knowing he knew the answer as well as the other three people in his office. "They are both dead," Bane replied candidly, "And I am sad to say I had a feeling this would happen. Thawne and Kuttler have gone too far with this charade. Lawton, Scandal and I, are willing to offer our services to avenge our friends." "We don't need them," Jim answered, but then Dick held up his hand. "What do you want to help us against?" Nightwing asked his old enemy. "The incoming forces of the League of Assassins come to destroy you all, of course," Bane said, dismayed at the obvious question, "We have no love for Father Thawne, not now he has killed three people we love anyway. We would gladly give our lives to help avenge them against the Demon's Head." Bane outstretched his large hand for Dick to take. "Alright then, Bane," Nightwing reluctantly accepted, "Welcome to the Sons of Batman."

"Excellent. Now together we will break the Demon."

Fawcett City

School was lame for Billy Batson and his sister, Mary. Working weekends was lame. Everything was lame without powers. Now they saw the world tumbling down around them as if nothing had happened. As if Captain and Mary Marvel had meant nothing to the people of their world. The wizard hadn't even deigned to have them pay homage to him for their power to be restored. They had heard tell of so much going on in the world. Of a preacher taking control of the country through miracles. Of how Gotham was falling into eternal chaos. Of how Atlantis and Themyscira were trying to kill them all. Now Billy at sixteen and living alone with his twin sister in their apartment, was always the one who found out about these things first because he regularly bought the papers for his sister. Well that was half-true. Billy wanted to see what was happening to the world in his absence just as much as she did. He wanted a sign of something, or someone, he cared about. He read through this Sunday's edition of the Daily Planet over a cup of coffee while stopped off at a café en route home. He found an article by Clark Kent on metahuman trafficking based on an interview with Black Lightning.

He'd heard rumour abroad that the JSA were with their old friend, Jeff Pierce, and worried about all of them and what they were up to. Especially Courtney. Stargirl and he had been a thing when he was on the JSA. Back before the Spectre killed the wizard, and he had to sit on the Rock of Eternity, giving up his life as a hero for the sake of the universe. He didn't deserve to have his powers taken from him like his sister did. She had even gone to Darkseid of all people for new ones. Hardly a fitting mentor. But then again at least you knew what you were getting with Darkseid. With the wizard, he'd never felt more betrayed. And on and on, he heard his father's ghost in his dreams telling him to find their powers again. And what had Billy done? Left that responsibility to Freddy. Now Freddy was probably dead on the other side of the world with the wizard having caught on to him.

Entering the apartment, Billy saw his sister was just sitting watching TV, different news stations being flicked through constantly. Once she saw her brother return, she didn't even react. Only waited for him to deposit the papers on the table and look through them with his pen like a fine toothcomb. "Daily Planet, Daily Star, Gotham Gazette," he began listing before looking to see his sister's lack of reaction, "Ah, you know what I bought." Mary didn't even blink and just waited for Billy to get on with it while she continued binge-watching 24-hour news. "Work was good last night, yeah," Billy smirked, he'd gone through a growth spurt lately and looked a bit more like he had as Captain Marvel, "I just love being a security guard at sixteen so we can pay for electricity and your stupid papers. Look Mary, you can't stay so obsessed. Nothing says anything about magic, wizards or anything like that except ads for one of the Zatara shows, which are a bit thin on the ground these days." Mary angrily acknowledged her little brother then. "Are you for real? You mean two main magical heroes disappearing isn't a sign of something odd going on."

"I'm saying that anything I've found is not our problem. No sign of Freddy. No sign of Black Adam even."

"We read that the statues disappeared last week."

"Yeah, what thief wouldn't love to take two golden statues of Adam and Isis. And there's been no sign of Osiris either."

"No sign of Sivana too. Coincidence?"

"Yes!"

"They were on Slade Wilson's team together."

"So was the Tattooed Man, do you think he's in cahoots with them too. And no one's heard from Deathstroke. So what, you think they've all kidnapped Freddy?"

"No, don't be so stupid."

"Look who's talking! I'm stupid for criticising your ridiculous thought processes when you went as far as going to Black Adam to get your stupid powers back!"

Mary jumped on her brother and they began slapping each other in a stupid little childish fight. "We had purpose, Billy," she shouted, "We mattered. I just want to have that back." "We can still mean something," her brother tried to reassure her through the struggle, "We can be good people. Last we saw of Freddy he swore he'd get us our powers back. I tried to stop him, but he insisted. It's been months now. Mary, I don't think he's coming back." His twin just rose from their scuffle and started crying. "I love him, Billy," she wept, "I can't help it. I want our powers back, of course. But I want him back too. We need him more than we need our powers. Freddy's always stood by us. I never got to tell him that. And now I never will." Billy then held his sister. "It hasn't been easy for us has it?" he said, feeling sorry for being a jerk, "First our powers, now it looks like Freddy is dead. I love him too. I'll miss him so much."

"I love you guys too," a voice said behind them as a streak of lightning thundered across the sky. Billy and Mary looked up and were stunned. Mary jumped on Freddy and gave him a large, wet kiss. "Well, that's been a while coming," Billy laughed. He then went up and hugged Freddy, reunited at last with his brother. "You got your powers back?" he asked, delightedly. "Yeah," Freddy beamed, holding Mary close too, "I reminded the gods of who I am and made some of them new promises. They're a lot pettier than I thought. The trials they set me before didn't feel like they came from beings so small minded.. Still, I made a few promises I suppose I can't keep. You two may have to make them too, if you choose to take this on."

"Is that aimed at me?" Mary asked angrily, imagining it was a slight at her collaboration with dark forces. "No, of course not," Freddy reassured her honestly, "I've been working with Black Adam to do this, and he claims he does it out of the goodness of his heart. But Dr Sivana and Osiris helped me too, and I promised them aid to…to kill the wizard." Mary and Billy didn't even bat an eyelid. "He's nine thousand years old," Billy said, "And he hurt us because we defied his own petty vanity when he was dead. Screw him." Mary was surprised by her brother's callousness. "He judged us too harshly, Mary," Billy saw the look in her eyes, "He broke us. And I take it we'll need to deal with him quickly if we want to keep these powers." Freddy nodded in response. "Anything else?" Mary asked, wondering was there anything else their compatriot was keeping close to his chest. "We may be recruited," Freddy admitted, a hand behind his head in embarassment, "To fight for Zeus and the Olympians, if we want to keep using these powers. We won't have as much freedom as we once did."

"That is…complicated," Billy remarked, while Mary lost her temper, "No, I'm not letting another god have me beholden to him like that." "Mary, it's the best I could do," Freddy retorted, "And the Olympians don't care about mortals that much." "But what if he sends us against Wonder Woman?" Mary pointed out. "Then…we'll have to weigh up our options," Freddy conceded, "This isn't ideal, Mary, but if we take out the wizard, Zeus might not even be necessary. Please, Mary. I need you both. I need my family. I need Billy and Mary Marvel." Mary paused and then looked in the eyes of the man she loved and after giving him a quick kiss, she just said "Tell us the words, Freddy. We trust you." Freddy smiled and held her and Billy's hands. They all closed their eyes and said the word which always guided them through the darkest of hours.

"SHAZAM!"

Zamaron

Carol Ferris had been spending more and more time as a Star Sapphire since Sinestro attacked Coast City two years ago. She never really liked staying still. That was why she ran an aviation company. Well, her dad had owned it before her but she always had more of a passion for it than he did. And when one of her pilots, Hal Jordan, ended up flying further than anyone else on Earth, Carol had to follow that ambition herself into space. Everyone assumed she loved Hal. And she did, in her own weird way. He was full of himself and not afraid to showboat. It was why everyone called him 'Highball'. But she saw the sensitive side to him in that he constantly tried to fly as hard as he could like he was looking for something not there. Almost as if he was trying to meet his late father, Martin, who died in a plane crash working for hers. Because she saw that in him when others didn't, Carol loved Hal. But loving a man didn't drive her to go into space. She became a Star Sapphire initially out of love for Hal, back when the Zamarons were determined to lead an army of scorned women. But she kept the ring because she believed in the universe and seeing it just like Hal did. No one could really appreciate the Star Sapphires because their origins were in spite of the Green Lanterns. In reality, the Violet Light of Love burned brighter than most. I mean, they even had Wonder Woman as a representative at one point. Not something one could forget.

Carol suddenly got a message on her ring. It was from of all people, Sinestro. Not the most savoury of individuals but undoubtedly an invaluable ally. Carol really didn't know what to think of him being a Green Lantern again. But she knew Sinestro would only contact her with urgent news. "Ferris. This is Sinestro," came the obvious greeting, "Are you on Zamaron?" "No 'How are you, Carol?', then?" she scoffed, "Oh well. Yeah, I'm on Zamaron." "And everything is…alright?" Sinestro asked uncharacteristically. "Yes, why," Carol queried, raising an eyebrow. "I need you to come to Odym right away," came the hasty reply of the Korugaran, "I have already called Larfleeze, Indigo-1 and Gardner and Stewart to join us."

"It must be urgent then."

"Undoubtedly. Especially since if you don't leave right away, you are going to be killed."

"Killed."

"The Indigo Tribe and Red Lantern Corps have both fallen. Tamaraneans attacked the Indigos and I believe the Psions took the Reds."

"What? How—"

An explosion rocked the planet as suddenly Yellow Lanterns appeared in the sky. "Sinestro, have you loosed your dogs on me?" she asked, feeling betrayed, "What the hell!" "Oh no. Ferris, tell me right now," he asked, concern for his ally palpable in every word, "Who is there?" "What?" she asked in disbelief. "Who is leading my Corps?" was the angry yet hasty question thrown back at her. Carol looked decisively into the sky and saw the yellow behemoth at the head of their army. "Mongul," she answered. "He lives again," she could hear Sinestro spitting several sectors away, "Carol, flee. Flee them now." A giant, hulking Yellow Lantern jumped down before Carol. It had grey skin and tusks but was bipedal. It was unmistakably the beast dubbed Arkillo. "Easy there, big fella," Carol said, backing away a little, "No need to get handsy with me. I'm talking to your boss." Arkillo then relaxed himself. "I know. Mongul has seized the corps," the Lantern told her, "I know you know where Sinestro is. Let me come with you." Arkillo then bowed before Carol in an act of obeisance. Sinestro was surprised looking through the ring as well. "Um, cool come with me," she said upon seeing the other Star Sapphires fighting off the Yellow Lanterns whilst a ship with a skull face sucked the Power Battery in with gigantic tentacles. She recognised that ship. Brainiac's.

As Carol and Arkillo fled, Mongul barraged as many Star Sapphires he could with the Yellow Light of Fear. Zamaron began collapsing all around them. The alien elders who had created the species found themselves being beheaded by Yellow Lanterns just as Indigo and Red Lanterns had been by the Tamaraneans and Psions respectively. The fires burned around Zamaron as Mongul felt that love, one of fear's greatest antidotes, was finally being extinguished. Through his alliance with Thawne, Mongul would spread fear throughout the universe, in a five-way government to replace Oa. The Mongul Corps, New Tamaran, the Psions, Thanagar and Earth would rule the universe in the name of fear with Brainiac. Mongul had no desire to work with any of them, but it seemed the best-case scenario for his corps. Especially when they would become the shock troops of Krona when all was said and done.

DEO, Washington DC

Meditation was something Eobard Thawne would never engage in, but Eddie Thawne knew he had to in order to maintain his sanity. Whatever vestige of it was left. Was he Eddie or Eobard now? He had no idea anymore. This rebirth truly made him comprehend his past mistakes. Unmitigated hatred for Barry Allen and the irresponsibility associated with it had ruined him. Driven him to the grave twice. Now he had the wisdom of a higher being. A being he had stolen after he cheated Death with the help of an alien. An alien who looked down on him, almost thinking he was the one in charge. But Thawne had come to embrace being Eddie more than Eobard, because of Eobard's foolishness. Did he believe most of what he said as Eddie? No. He still was primarily self-interested, but he appreciated that these heroes weren't evil. Not to mention he wasn't driven demented and forced to kill random people because of his temper like he did as a young man.

"You really are an idiot," the voice said beside him, a voice he despised and had grown to hate long before they had become these most intimate of companions. He kept his eyes closed as he sat on the desk meditating, trying to ignore the voice whose face he would not acknowledge. The face of the Entity. "You still think you can control me," it mocked, showing a self-confidence that had always irked him even before he cowed the being into submission. "I am controlling you," Eobard said through gritted teeth. "For now," the voice chuckled, "You're getting older every day. You have to do more of this. Use the Cosmic Treadmill more often. You're not as on top of things as you think." "More goading to get me to weaken my hold on you," Thawne smirked and began charging the Negative Speed Force. The voice inside his head screamed in agony. Thawne brought a halt to his torture and inhaled with a bit of glee knowing he had harmed the being. Still, it persisted in its irritation of him.

"You're still like Eobard, aren't you? You're still obsessed with hurting people."

"I never said I wasn't Eobard."

"I'm in your head. You don't see yourself as Eobard anymore. You don't want to be. You're even more stupid than I could have imagined."

"I am not Eobard Thawne! He is…who I was once. Now I am Eddie. Leader of the Church of Rao. Master of all life. None can stand against me. Not even you."

"You're afraid I'll find out about your plans. My other self."

"They are helpless and ignorant of their future as all on this planet are. I keep them alive and in bliss for as long as I can. When they find out their future, my brave new world will already exist."

"Your brave new world? What is that, Eobard? What kind of world would you create?"

"One in which life and death does not matter."

"And yet you have ensured many of your enemies are dead."

"Heroes can't appreciate the world. They are gods and yet they do not use their abilities when everyone worships them. I can use your abilities to make the world a better place. But a truly, content world requires no opposition. The heroes will continue to exist when I am done, but as my own personal guard."

"And what of your ambitions in space?"

"A Gordian knot for the powers that be up there to tie themselves in. Then Earth can begin expanding into the stars."

"With you as their emperor."

"I prefer 'Eternal God-king'."

"Of course, you do, Eobard."

"When I have all the metahumans corralled, I will have my army of slaves to send into the stars and crush any remaining opposition. Construction is well underway in Kansas for the facility Cain and I have been preparing. There we will condition the prisoners to follow only us. They will do my will and swiftly conquer the lands."

"What of Ra's and Hurt?"

"They will live so long as they accept my superiority. They have been loyal."

"But why pit Themyscira and Atlantis against one another?"

"Because they can stop me, that's why. And the people love an enemy. Before we take on the aliens, we need to eliminate anyone capable of fighting me here on Earth. It's all very simple."

"I loathe you. Completely. You know that?"

"How are you even capable of that? Surely one such as yourself is above petty emotion."

"I was human once, as you know."

"I know that all too well. That was what made harnessing you so easy. Still, none can stop me now. I have everything accounted for. Nothing can stand against me."

"Of course, that's true."

"What does that mean?"

"You think I haven't reached out to sow the seeds of your destruction, Eobard? Like I told you. You may think you're in control, but you're not."

"What have you done?" Thawne screamed, opening his eyes and looking at the empty office of Director Bones. Not seeing the voice who mocked him, he began shouting into the void. "I hate you! I hate you!" his screech tore through thin air, "You hear me? You should learn your place! Talk to me, where have you gone?!" Bones and Hurt then entered right away to address the commotion. Bones lit a cigarette and walked over to Thawne. "Father Thawne, I know you desire privacy in any of the offices you choose," the animated skeleton said as bravely yet as calmly as he could, "But you can't just start screaming like this in my office." "Shut up, Bones!" the former Reverse-Flash's red, manic eyes bore into the slits were Bones' should have been, and his underling was cowed, Now, give me that report! How many metahumans have been captured?" Thawne was in his dressing gown with his underpants exposed, having slept in the DEO that night. "Answer me!" he screamed when he wasn't answered forthwith.

"There was a complication. It's in the file. Black Lightning stopped a shipment in Coast City."

Thawne snatched the file from Bones' hand and read through it. The veins in his forehead seemed to burst with rage. "You mean that I lost thirty metahumans in one operation?" he uncharacteristically tossed the file to the ground, "Do you know how many that is? How many soldiers I could have had? I am in charge here. I need my soldiers. I need them!" Thawne then grabbed Bones by the head and smashed his skull repeatedly onto the desk until it was nothing but shards of what it was. "Stupid skeleton," he breathed deeply after that release of energy, "Kept smoking all the fucking time. I hate smoking. Can't control it." Hurt was taken aback a bit and smiled uncomfortably when Thawne looked at him with the mania of a rabid dog. "I'll send someone to clean this up, will I, Eddie?" Hurt asked quiescently. "See that you do, Simon," his ally muttered, seemingly disinterested and exhausted, "See that you do." Hurt backed out of the office as he looked at Eddie groggily giggling at himself in there in his own madness. Taking out his phone, Hurt rang someone he hadn't in a long time. "Talia? I think I'm going to reconsider that offer of yours…"

Odym

Carol Ferris' arrival did not perturb the assembled Lanterns as such but Arkillo accompanying her even disturbed Sinestro, who he bowed before in obeisance. "My lord," the creature said, retaining his genuflection, "When Mongul returned I knew not to trust his usurpation. I followed his dogs to Zamaron so I may locate you with the help of your comrade from the Star Sapphires." "It is alright, Arkillo," Sinestro said, offering his former soldier a hand up, "We will need all the help we can get. Now let us begin, our other guests have arrived." Flying down to see them, were two Green Lanterns, Guy Gardner and John Stewart. "What is this Sinestro?" John demanded, "You said you had information on where Kyle is!" "Rayner has been captured by a villain from your own planet," the greatest Green Lantern coolly informed his younger colleagues. "Hector Hammond?" Guy asked, slightly tongue in cheek. "No, Gardner," Sinestro looked at the sarcastic human with disdain, "Ask the princeling." He indicated Ryand'r who was standing with Lobo and Adam Strange. Carol moved towards Guy and John and said, "This is easily one of the weirdest situations we've been in." "Yep," Guy agreed, "Never mind the dead rising and Hal getting infected by a yellow space bug…Lobo working with Sinestro. This really takes the biscuit." Lobo grinned inanely through a cigar at the red-haired, scowling Lantern and chuckled.

"It is an honour to meet two of the famed Green Lanterns of Earth," Ryand'r said, curtsying to them both and Carol, "Not to mention your famed countrywoman of the Star Sapphires, Carol Ferris, noted for her beauty and bravery throughout the galaxy." Carol blushed a little. It was hard not to find a Tamaranean attractive for anyone, but a charming prince like Ryand'r could make anyone's head turn. "The honour is ours," John said nonchalantly, evidently resisting said charm, "Now what do you want?" "I am Prince Ryand'r of Tamaran," the young man continued, "I am sure you have both made the acquaintance of my sister, Koriand'r in the past." "We've met both your sisters," Guy grumbled, "You're off to a good start by not mentioning the other one." "I am not proud of that kinslaying viper!" Ryand'r shouted at Guy, losing his noble composure, before regaining himself.

"I am sorry, Lantern Gardner," he said, after a brief loss of eye contact, "Komand'r recently murdered our grandmother right in front of me. It would be my privilege to end her life." "You still haven't explained what's happened," John said, changing he subject. "My sister was part of a group with Lobo, Adam Strange and others dedicated to freeing L.E.G.I.O.N. from the control of Starro the Conqueror," Ryan related to the Lanterns, "The R.E.B.E.L.S. were then betrayed by my sister because of her obsession with Koriand'r being the mother of a child with a man from another species after she married Brainiac 2. We saved her, Lobo and others with the help of two time travellers from your world named Rip Hunter and Booster Gold. We…were instrumental in liberating your comrade, Hal Jordan, the greatest of all Lanterns, from Oa. Then we went our separate ways from the time travellers and ended up saving your comrades…"

"Your aid was greatly appreciated," a newly arrived Atrocitus interjected, flying down with Bleez as Dex-Starr excitedly leapt from Lobo's shoulders onto his master's, who scratched his ear before proceeding, "And now Ryut has fallen to the Psions. We cannot relocate to Ysmault since the Psions and their allies have likely already assembled there since their main ally is from that Sector." "All that is left are the Blue and Green Batteries then," Ryand'r said to himself. Sinestro looked down as Ryand'r continued his tale. "We eventually found Merand'r ," he gestured to the older, burlier Tamaranean, "and he brought us to Mi'ran, a colony world led by our grandmother, where my sister met her child, the Hybrid Messiah." "Starfire's a MILF?" Guy asked as Carol punched him in the arm. "Hybrid Messiah?" John raised an eyebrow, "I take it there's no mystery as to who the father is then."

"Yes, Richard Grayson."

"What, Bruce Wayne's adopted kid had a baby with an alien? How is that?" Carol asked in genuine disbelief, showing her ignorance of the superhero community back home. Guy laughed. "Even I know Wayne's Batman, and Grayson's Nightwing, Carol," he said, patting her on the back in a patronising fashion, "Do try and keep up." "I normally just hang out in space or with you Lanterns," she threw his hand aside, "Forgive me if I'm not exactly clued in on all the Justice League gossip." Ryand'r smiled a little. "These humans and their disguises still intrigue me, Miss Ferris," he smiled, "They trust one another far too little on Earth it seems." "I am human," Carol reminded him. "Yes, but far too beautiful to feel the need to disguise yourself," he charmingly returned to the Star Sapphire. Carol blushed a little once more as Guy giggled. Ryan continued his relation of their journey to the Lanterns.

"As to my sister and her child, we proclaimed Koriand'r queen of our people, only for Komand'r to descend on us and slaughter our people. In the process, she, Kyle Rayner, her daughter, as well as Carter Hall, Adam Strange and his family were captured by a man from your world. A man by the name of Eddie Thawne." John clenched his fist. "I heard of this idiot going around bringing people back from the dead," he gritted, "Guy and I have been offworld for a while. Said his name was Thawne, just like the Reverse-Flash. Did he have help?" "Yes, he did," Ryand'r gulped, "Two of my sister's former comrades were there when they took her. Victor Stone and Donna Troy." John was stunned into silence.

"Donna Troy? You're talking bull there, she's probably your sister's dearest friend and I don't think I've met a better human being. It must be mind control or something. Damn."

"You said it," Guy remarked, "Things are worse than we knew." Saint Walker then floated down towards them in an almost angelic fashion. "Fear not, friends. Though he controls their mind, hope springs eternal. All will be well." "Why do you keep saying that?" Guy asked. "Because you always need reminding, my friend," the Astonian smiled. "What's the plan, Sinestro?" John asked. "Simple, Stewart," his counterpart responded, "These creatures are building an army and judging by their recent actions I have no doubt that they aim to take Oa. For what, I do not know. So, we need an army to face them."

"An army? Most of the Corps' have been decimated, Sinestro. There's only us left. We don't have enough to fight three armies and the Yellow Lanterns."

"Well, the answer to that is simple. We recruit new warriors. Like Saint Walker says, we need hope. Hope can be found in our new allies."

Suddenly, Sinestro produced three power rings, one red, one blue and one green. "Ganthet fashioned these for me while we awaited all of your presences," he informed them, "Our allies are going to need additional firepower if they are going to help us take down our enemies." Sinestro then threw the rings in the air and they all surrounded Lobo and the two Tamaraneans.

"LOBO OF CZARNIA. YOU HAVE GREAT RAGE IN YOUR HEART, YOU BELONG TO THE RED LANTERN CORPS."

"MERAND'R OF TAMARAN. YOU HAVE THE ABILITY TO OVERCOME GREAT FEAR. WELCOME TO THE GREEN LANTERN CORPS."

"RYAND'R OF TAMARAN. YOU HAVE THE ABILITY TO INSTILL GREAT HOPE. WELCOME TO THE BLUE LANTERN CORPS."

"Sinestro, what have you done?" John shouted in concern as Atrocitus seemed to smile a little knowing that the maddened Lobo was in his service. "Fear not, Stewart," Sinestro added, "They are all beholden to Ganthet and I. They derive their new powers directly from the entities of their respective corps. There is nothing to fear. As Saint Walker says, all will be well." All didn't feel well, as Lobo sprayed red napalm around them, and Saint Walker announced himself before the rest of the Blue Lantern Corps to assuage any doubts they might have. "The War of Light has found a new enemy, brothers and sisters," he proclaimed, "They strike for Oa in their grand assault to conquer the cosmos. We must head straight for them now. Save our brothers and sisters of the Green Lantern Corps. For our universe must be protected from all threats. Our friends must learn to fear not, for all will be well." Ryand'r then pulled out his own power battery and began charging his ring simultaneously with Saint Walker and the rest of the corps:

"IN FEARFUL DAY, IN RAGING NIGHT, WITH STRONG HEARTS FULL, OUR SOULS IGNITE. WHEN ALL SEEMS LOST IN THE WAR OF LIGHT, LOOK TO THE STARS, FOR HOPE BURNS BRIGHT!"

The Blue Lanterns then all followed Ganthet in unison, except for one solitary corpsman no one seemed to register who remained behind ostensibly to guard the Central Power Battery. In reality, he was just maintaining the illusion for his master, Brainiac to take it with him while they were all talking. Ryand'r and the others flew away blissfully unaware. Now Brainiac had six out of seven of the Central Power Batteries, as well as a Green Power Ring from Kyle Rayner. Now the World-Eater was his to command…

The Phantom Zone

Zod had given Lex Luthor many comforts in the last while since he had saved his son's life. Lex had had artificial teeth installed, his beard shaved and his body washed, as well as nourishment provided for him. Sadly, it wasn't forty cakes but he could have eaten a horse, let alone the gruel made in the Zone. Zod had even offered him hair restoration formula but Lex's reaction to that suggestion had put paid to any hope of that. Now he sat alone on a bed, still feeling empty and missing the Earth. Most of all he had missed his Lois Lane imitation android. He had only come here looking for the power a Black Power Ring could give him, and now he was a prisoner of General Zod. Foolish of him. Lex sighed and decided to go for a walk through the fort. He now had more freedom than usual to Jax-Ur's chagrin, who still wanted to experiment on him.

Lex suddenly saw a familiar face down the corridor. The face of someone who he had known back on Earth. He wasn't human. According to some, he was Superman's brother, but Lex knew better. This black-haired, blue-eyed boy in a red suit with a blue cape was no blood relation to Kal-El. He was a Daxamite named Lar Gand, forced to live in the Phantom Zone so he wouldn't succumb to fatal lead poisoning from his time on Earth. He was known to his friends by the name Kal had given him though. Mon-El. "Hello, Mon," Lex said placing his hand on the former hero's shoulder, "Fancy meeting you in the citadel of Zod?" "Luthor," the young man recoiled, "Zod wants me here so he can have insurance should Kal-El attack. Since he doesn't want to kill his own son, he keeps me around to kill instead." "Rather dark, don't you think?" Lex raised an eyebrow.

"Completely. Why are you here, Lex?"

"I got greedy. Now I'm stuck here."

"I do empathise somewhat. I believe one of your faith systems on Earth holds that desire is key to all suffering. As I languish here in the Zone, I have a strong desire to return to your world. I had started a life in Metropolis. I had found love."

"You want to get back then I take it?"

"More than anything. But I'd rather die than work with you, Luthor."

"Then work with us," Chris Kent said, walking towards them with his lover, Thara Ak-Var, at his side. Mon-El was stunned. "Chris, by Sard, you're better," he rushed in for an embrace, "Oh, this is wonderful." Mon hugged his surrogate nephew tightly. "And Thara?," he embraced the young Kryptonian woman, "This is wonderful. But…how are you both...?" "I was pulled from the point of death," Thara answered, "It was...so strange...still, I'm happier here than with the alternative." The Kryptonian couple held one another's hands tightly, and looked into each other's eyes, before continuing their conversation. "Lex saved my life, Mon," Chris told his uncle, "You owe him a bit of respect. I have a feeling he's going to be necessary to saving our adopted homeworld." "What do you mean?" Mon asked curiously. "The man who brought Thara back is not a noble man," Chris sighed, "Delighted as I am for her return. He is using my father and one of his conditions for their arrangement is that Lex remain a prisoner here.. I think he knows that Superman's greatest enemy being at liberty might upset his plans."

"Superman's greatest enemy, eh?" Lex smirked, "You're all so full of flattery here." "Shut up, butcher!" Thara spat at him and grabbed the mass murderer by the throat, "Just because you might be useful against a greater foe does not mean you will escape justice for my home...my family." "Thara, please," Chris calmly flew to his beloved and took her hands in his, "His time will come...the family we have are in danger now." Lex chuckled through his spluttering, "I'd kill more of your people if I could." "None of us doubt it," Chris spoke with scorn before his girlfriend could react, "Did we not need you alive I'd have killed you myself." Lex kept laughing as he looked into the eyes of Superman's son and saw something in there he'd never seen in those of his nemesis. "I doubt Daddy would approve, "Well, the one here might..."

Chris ignored the jibe. "Are you alright?" Mon asked Thara, who nodded calmly. "Chris is right," she admitted, "Clark, Lois and Kara are in danger from the madman who restored me. If he's afraid of a rabid dog like Luthor, then we throw the dog at him." "I've been called worse things by more beautiful women than you," Lex smugly replied, before receiving a punch to the face which floored him from Chris. "As I was saying," the former Nightwing addressed Mon, pretending nothing had happened, "Thawne is using my father for some plot to destroy the human race. He wants the general to destroy Themyscira…We can't let whatever plans this man has come to fruition. Join us, Mon. Help us get Lex out of here." Mon pursed his lips a little impatiently. "Very well," he shook his nephew's hand, "My life in your hands, Lor-El." Mon and Chris hugged as Thara smiled at them. "I wouldn't keep smiling, girl," Lex mocked her, "If this madman you speak of really can control life and death he might just click his fingers and erase you from existence like that." He snapped his fingers dramatically before Chris calmly replied, "Thara knows the risks. Better we die, than rot away forever. As soon as you've outlived your usefulness, you're going straight to prison," Chris said, placing a reassuring tap on Lex's shoulder. "No matter how much of the general he has in him, the boy scout apple never falls far from the proverbial tree," the megalomaniac muttered.

Mon suddenly clutched his chest as if he were having a heart attack. Thara then rushed to his aid. "Mon? Are you okay?" she asked the Daxamite, "Is it the lead poisoning? Speak to me, Mon." "It's…it's a sort of," he struggled through the agony to explain as Chris joined them, "This place makes you realise when something bad is happening to people you care about." "What do you mean?" Chris asked. "My family…Daxam…they're all dead," Mon said, his eyes staring into space in horror as tears descended slowly, "All of them. Just...gone. As if billions of lives were just snuffed out of existence on nothing more than a whim." The tears came as Thara and his nephew held him tightly for comfort. "Interesting," Lex said to himself, "I think these heroes have finally bitten off more than they can chew."

Brainiac's Skull Ship

Mongul and Komand'r arrived on the bridge of her father-in-law's ship carrying the necessary power batteries in crystallised cubes for him. "Excellent," the genius Coluan acknowledged their delivery coolly from his throne, "Now I have all but the Green Light of Willpower, my weapon will soon be complete. Let us demonstrate our loyalty to Father Thawne's plans by destroying a planet he longed to see gone." That earned a pragmatic frown from Mongul. "Are you sure we should do this with only part of the weapon functioning?" he asked, wondering would such an action destroy the ship. "I did not expect such squeamishness from a mighty scion of Warworld," Brainiac dismissively told the Warzoon, "We have enough power to destroy a single world. Set a course for the Rao star system." His drones obeyed and the ship entered hyperspace. "Now, Komand'r," the elder Vril Dox addressed his daughter-in-law, "I trust you do not wish to be the one I use to prime the weapon?" "You may be as cool and mechanistic as you appear, Brainiac, but even you know better than to subject a queen to such indignity," she responded forthrightly, earning an uncharacteristic smirk from the cyborg, "Besides, against my wishes you already have two perfectly healthy Tamaraneans here." "Of course, you are right, your majesty," he snidely spoke, "One must not waste precious resources. Slade!" Deathstroke's mask appeared on a vid screen before Brainiac. "Yes, Brainiac," the browbeaten soldier of fortune asked his superior. "Bring the princess and her child to the distillation chamber at the centre of the ship," was the functionally spoken command, "They will be necessary for our experiments." "I," Slade hesitated, "Very well."

In their cell, Koriand'r and her daughter Mar'i Grayson held one another ever so tightly. "Mom, I'm scared," the young girl said, anxiety tinging her voice. "Do not be, Starshine," Kory held onto the child as if she didn't have her, "I will never let anything hurt you." "I know but," Mar'i cried, "I don't want to be here anymore. Your sister killed Gramma and everyone else. I don't want to die. I don't want to go to X'hal yet." "And you won't," her mother reassured her in vain, "I promise. I swear that neither you nor I will die in here. We will both get out of here and find your father and you can have a family with him." "What about you, Mom?" the little girl asked, with tears in her eyes, "Why can't you be with him..." "Your father loves another woman more than I," Kory admitted in a matter of fact manner, "I am sorry I should have told you this before." "Will he love her more than me?" the child was visibly upset now. "Of course not," Kory spoke deeply and with care, "Once he knows you are his child, he will love you immensely. I will never forget the day he discovered his brother, Jason, was dead. He felt helpless and blamed himself. It was then I knew I was right to love him, and that if I were to make a family with this man, he would give his all for them." Mar'i cried a little into her mother's chest. "We are getting out of here, Starshine," Starfire pledged, "I swear it by X'hal and on the memory of my grandmother."

Slade then opened the door. "Starfire," he said slowly, "Brainiac wants you both in the distillation chamber." "Distillation?" Starfire was for the first time since their arrival truly frightened for Mari's sake, "No, he—" "I will not let that glorified robot touch a hair on that girl's head," Slade knelt down to them and took his mask off, "I swear on the love I have for my own children." Kory calmed down then and, holding Mar'i's hand, followed Slade down to the core of the ship. The room contained a large hole at the bottom pointing down towards a planet Kory did not recognise, but she knew the sun there was a red dwarf upon seeing it. Whoever lived there could be a species akin to the Kryptonians, in that their genetic makeup would make them godlike in the presence of a yellow star. Kory saw two of Brainiac's drones approach her and grab her away from Mar'i. "Mom!" the girl screamed as Slade held her back. "It's alright," Slade promised the child, "I am sorry. What are you doing with her, Brainiac?" The Coluan scientist descended into the chamber with Mongul and Blackfire by his side. "Demonstrating the power of our alliance against Oa," was the answer Deathstroke received, "Strap her in." "May I have the honour?" Komand'r asked. "I care little for your petty organic squabbles of emotion, but very well," Brainiac acquiesced, "If it makes you content."

Komand'r then violently smacked her sister in the face knocking her to the ground as Brainiac's drones released her. "You see this, Kory?" Blackfire mocked, "I'm going to kill you in front of your child." "Do not be such a reckless fool!" Brainiac shouted impatiently, "That child has a greater purpose!" "Oh, I'm only having a little fun," Blackfire told her host, relish at the prospect of hurting the child tinging her every word, "This planet can be given one more moment of life so I can enjoy myself surely?" Brainiac nodded his head in deference as Mar'i looked up at her aunt who showed disgust on her face. "Ugly little thing, isn't she?," she said, inspecting the chin, "With her mongrel eyes." "She looks like you," Kory commented back, "Except she has a spark of kindness in her eyes you never had, sister." Komand'r turned and dug her nails into the face of her younger sister. "She is not your precious Messiah!" the vengeful queen shrieked, "My child will be! You insulted me by crowning yourself queen! You always had everything from our family and I nothing. You had a child before I did and that child is going to be at the centre of a prophecy." She then prepared a starbolt and aimed it at Mar'i. "Well no more!" Deathstroke took a whip from his belt and lashed it around Komand'r's wrist dragging her to the ground. Brainiac's drones then restrained her.

"The Hybrid Messiah is mine!" Brainiac shouted at Blackfire, "Is that understood? Or do you wish to be incinerated." "I carry your grandchild, Dread Lord Brainiac!" she pleaded. "My clone is so susceptible to the vagaries of flesh," Brainiac spoke, disgust redolent on his face, "You wound me with your reminders of it. Mongul, place her sister in the distillation ray." Mongul then hefted Kory into the centre of the room above the laser and strapped her hands to two ends of it. "What are you going to do to me?" she shouted at her captor, "What is this distillation?" "I'm not distilling your physical form, Princess," Brainiac informed her perfunctorily, "I am distilling your energies as a Tamaranean. Your child is useless to me in that regard since she cannot channel the energy of a star like the rest of your species. But a hybrid is always useful for other purposes." Kory then felt herself being consumed by emotions. "Tamaraneans are such emotional creatures," Brainiac noted, showing his disdain for her kind, "It's a wonder so few of you ever joined all these new Lantern corps. But you can feel your emotions now can't you, Koriand'r! Feel them all surge through you."

Starfire felt her love for her daughter, her brother and her friends on Earth overwhelm her. She felt the hope she had longed for every time she found Tamaraneans had a new homeland. She experienced the rage she had known towards her father for enslaving her and when her friends had died. She knew the compassion Donna Troy and Dick Grayson had shown her above all others when she first came to Earth, which would make her love them both forever. She also knew the greed of desiring those she could not have, the envy she had felt for her grandmother from knowing her child when she didn't, or the repressed envy she had felt for Barbara Gordon and others when they had been with Dick. Then she remembered the fear of being given to the Citadel as only a child and the fear she had felt when Slade held her daughter hostage on Mi'ran. She didn't have the willpower to resist any of this though. Only the faintest spark. All these feelings. They needed to be channelled. Focused. Like a starbolt. Kory just screamed.

And with that scream, Brainiac's new weapon, the World-Eater distilled her emotions and fired them on the planet below. On Daxam, during the minutes Kory's emotions were being distilled, mass riots occurred as all these emotions overwhelmed everyone. All apart from the willpower to resist them. And Kory's starbolt came like a bolt of mercy as it shot through the planet's core ripping it apart and destroying all the distressed and terrified people below. Daxam was no more. Kory wept before passing out as Mongul released her from her straps, and collapsed to the floor. Mar'i rushed to her unconscious mother as Brainiac smirked. "She will live, child," he told the Messiah, "Do not distress yourself. Your mother will be useful for my later conquests. I trust if she expires that Queen Komand'r will provide me with further Tamaraneans. Be gone from me now." He snapped his fingers as Slade took Mar'i and Kory away. The snap caused Mongul and Blackfire to teleport back to their own ships and Brainiac to return to the bridge. "Now, let us set a course…for Oa!"