Chapter Text
Chapter 1
In the beginning, there was only one...a single black infinitude. Then the infinitude found release, and finally, the darkness broke, filling it with life. With the Multiverse. Every existence multiplied by possibility, and spread out before space and time in infinite measure. Civilizations rose and fell, and rose again to cross realities grasping expanse. Life, a precious gift persevering in the face of every obstacle, until finally, the age of heroes was born.
Chaos, the constant enemy of life, kept at bay by champions from across the Multiverse.
Joining forces to fight on behalf of all creation, they found each other just in time. Because now, the entire Multiverse is about to come under attack.
Earth – 89; Gotham City
In Gotham City, a man sat quietly on a bench reading the Gotham Gazette with the headline of the day: Batman captures Joker. Suddenly the sky suddenly turned red. Taken aback, Alexander Knox saw the ominous red sky, and saw Batman's signal above the city buildings.
There is a malevolent force at work, one driven by a singular goal…
"I hope you're watching, big guy!"exclaimed the frightened old man.
Earth – 9; San Francisco
…The destruction of all there is…
In the city of San Francisco, the young team of the Titans observed with fear the sky turned mysteriously red, before being engulfed by a gigantic wave of energy.
Earth – X;
On Earth once ruled by the Nazis, Ray Terrill flew through the red sky before being swept away by a gigantic wave of energy.
…I have planned. There are those who say I have schemed…
Earth – 66; Gotham city
…But the time for preparation has passed. The Crisis is now upon us all…
Dick Grayson, once known in his youth as Robin, was walking his dog down the street and enjoying a nice day, when the sky suddenly turned red. The old man stared at the stunned sky before screaming in horror:
"Holy crimson skies of death!"
Earth of the Avengers; New York, Greenwich Village
A stately mansion adorned Bleecker Street in New York's Greenwich Village. To unsuspecting passers-by, this was an old Victorian building. But to a few, it was known by its actual name: the Sanctum Sanctorum, home to the Master of the Mystic Arts: Doctor Stephen Strange.
As he meditated in a room, the sky turned red. Strange jumped up from his chair and looked outside from the window. His companion Wong came running up to him.
"What's happening?" Wong demanded.
Very calmly, Stephen Strange continued to observe the reddish skies before retorting:
"A Crisis is coming…"
Wakanda
T'Challa, the Wakandan king, was training with the performance of his new Black Panther suit. He used the abilities that his outfit gave him. When suddenly, the sky turned red. The king ceased his training, and ran to the balcony of his palace. He could see all of Wakanda plunged into a red sky. The townspeople were starting to panic.
Startled, T'Challa stared at the sky not knowing what to do. Then his sister ran to him, her eyes scared.
"The sky has turned red!" she said.
"I can see that, Shuri," Black Panther replied, dumbfounded. "What is it?"
"I've no idea, brother! This is the first time that I see this!"
Then Okoye, head of the Wakandan army and responsible for security and intelligence, rushed to join her king.
"Kumkani, the sky is red and the inhabitants are afraid! What do we do?"
But T'Challa watched his country plunged into unprecedented terror, not knowing what to do. Then he remembered the Monitor's visit a year ago.
"The Crisis!"
Barton Farm
Since the Monitor's visit, Clint Barton had been training archery to be prepared for battle, the day the mysterious Crisis would arrive. As he had just fired an arrow right on the bull's-eye, the sky turned red above his head.
The archer looked up at the sky, stunned and horrified.
His wife Laura ran up to him.
"Clint, what's going on? Do you see the sky?"
"I see that, honey." Clint whispered calmly, despite great fear.
"What's that?'
"This is the Crisis!"
Queens
The young Spider-Man had just dropped off some bank robbers at a police station, when the sky turned red above his head.
Spider-Man looked at the sky. The white eyes of his mask widened in amazement.
"Holy shit! What the heck is that? This is Thanos, again? What the f..."
AVENGERS
CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS
Chapter Text
Chapter 2
Earth – 38; National City
An excited man held up a sign saying, Prepare to meet thy Doom! The End of the World is Nigh!and yelled at passers-by:
"The end of the world is licking at our heels! Soon, thou shall be not but dust, twisting and writhing in the dead of space! Not even Supergirl will save you from…"
He broke off seeing an incredible show! A dragon that flew across the dark city sky and spat out jets of flame, nearly injuring several people. As he fired a trail of fire in the direction of the protester, a sudden blur of blue and red came like a missile in front of him. After blocking the fire, the blur was revealed to be none other than National City's protector, Girl of Steel, Supergirl.
She looked at the man with a raised eyebrow.
"Guess Supergirl was able to save you. Now, go! Run!"
Immediately the man left his sign and ran away. While Supergirl turned to the creature, knowing that she was just a pet belonging to a young alien, living in her city.
"Hey, Spike! Remember me?"
The dragon then looked at Supergirl as they approached her, while the Kryptonian spoke to her like a dog.
"Ilana's worried about you," she continued to the creature. "She knows you're afraid of something, - but she just wants you to come home. Come here."
The dragon Spike growled slightly before moving closer to the Girl of Steel, allowing her to flip the switch on her collar. Immediately he shrank to the modest form of a large lizard. Bending down, Supergirl picked up the lizard and noticed that it seemed to be shaking with fear. It wasn't the only one who was terrified. Lots of animals in National City kept freaking out all over the place. No one could understand what was going on. Is this a sign of impending disaster? Could it be that the man with the sign was right, and the end of the world was nigh?
"What's got you so spooked, buddy?" Supergirl wondered, holding the animal in her hands.
It was then that a great shaking arose, shaking the ground where the Kryptonian was standing, reinforcing Kara's belief that impending doom was happening.
Quickly, she joined the DEO agency, handed the lizard to an agent, and left to join her sister, Director Alex Danvers.
"Every pet in National City is having a nervous breakdown."Supergirl explained to her sister. "This feels bigger than Leviathan."
"The USGS didn't register an early warning," Alex replied, as distraught as she was. "It took everyone completely by surprise."
Alex was doing everything to stay calm when an earthquake shook the building so hard that the lights exploded in a shower of sparks.
The Coluan Brainy joined them, usually calm even in a major crisis, was as agitated as the two women.
"And by everyone, she speaks literally," he added, looking at his tablet in his hand. "She does mean everyone because this earthquake is quite, literally, worldwide."
He brought up the world's current problem on one of the screens in the DEO checkpoint. The shown image of Earth was covered with red warning signs. The whole world was the victim of earthquakes.
And Alex continued on with more bad news.
"But the seismic activity wasn't coming from within the planet, it's coming from without!"
Supergirl shook her head in confused disbelief.
"That's…"
"Extra-normal?"Brainy suggested.
"I was gonna say impossible, but okay." the Girl of Steel replied, with a shrug, trying to stay as calm as possible.
"Yes, yes, a fair descriptor." Brainy cried in a stupefied but serious state. "As would be, uh "unfeasible, unthinkable, absurd, outlandish." But however you choose to describe this event, one thing is absolutely certain… We have…"
"A major Crisis on our hands," interrupted J'onn J'onzz, right behind them.
Supergirl, Alex and Brainy turned to him. Judging by his face, he had some revelations for his friends.
Soon after, the Green Martian told them about his recent encounter with Monitor Mar Novu, and what he had just learned.
"The Monitor freed Mal?" Kara wondered, in shock. "I didn't even know he was of this universe."
"Yes, I thought he was The Flash, Thor and Green Arrow's problem." Brainy added in confusion.
"He's of every universe. And he's everyone's problem." J'onn replied decisively. "Last year he tested Kara, Thor and Earth – 1's Heroes with Dr. Deegan and the Book of Destiny. This year he's testing me, to make sure I'm ready for this."
"And what exactly is this?"questioned Alex fearfully.
"Another reality wave?" Supergirl asked in the same tone of voice, as it was obvious she faced a threat beyond her.
The last time a cataclysm knocked on her, it was the mighty Mad Titan Thanos who wanted to wipe out half the universe with the Infinity Stones. But she knew the Stones were no longer a threat, so it was something else threatening them.
"Not exactly," Brainy said, doing something with his console before pointing the big screen at the wall.
The screen showed a large orange shape approaching Earth.
He continued:
"Whatever is it, it is hurtling through space at an impossible speed." he continued. "I calculate it will reach the edge of the universe in exactly 5. 3 hours, at which point, it will boomerang back. Once it intersects again with our solar system, the results will be, in a word, (he paused before turning to Kara and saying in a voice full of fear)… Cataclysmic!"
All shivered in fear, as the shaking continued. Then J'onn dared to ask the question they dreaded:
"Exactly when will it reach us?"
Brainy replied confidently:
"There are too many variables to calculate precisely, but I will say this. If this wave isn't stopped by tomorrow night there will be no more us. No more future. No more anything."
And the shaking picked up again, causing the lights to go out and showering sparks.
The four of them were amazed for a moment, then Alex tried to regain her composure:
"Are there any inhabited planets in its trajectory?"
"Just one," the Coluan replied, pointing to the monitor.
There on the monitor there was a small asteroid in the path of the wave. It was small, but to Kara it meant everything.
"Argo City!" Alex exclaimed in horror, knowing what this world meant to her sister.
"Oh my God!" J'onn added, equally horrified. "Superman's there with Lois, and…"
"My mom." Supergirl finished in dread.
"Can we warn them?" asked older sister Danvers.
"Argo's Harun-El sure makes communications difficult but I will try," he promised, sitting down at the computer to work.
"How much time do they have?"asked Supergirl her friend, hoping for good news.
"Not enough," Brainy replied in a whisper of dread.
The Girl of Steel was sadly disappointed. Her eyes were fixed on the tiny asteroid that contained what was left of her home world. There was her cousin, Lois Lane and her mother. She couldn't bring herself to lose them. The memory of people disappearing into dust after Thanos' finger snap came back to her. Was she going to relive the same apocalyptic memory?
"We must to warn them, Brainy!"she said sadly.
"I try!" replied the Coluan.
Argo City
It was a beautiful day in the last town of Krypton. It was here that Superman and Lois Lane had settled in with their newborn son, Jonathan Kent-Lane.
"Superman, champion of Earth, who faced off with Doomsday, apprehended General Zod, and went toe-to-toe with dozens of Lex Luthor's death traps, has finally met his match!"Lois mocked with amusement and speaking, as if commenting on a journalistic scoop.
Clark was busy changing his son's diapers, and he was doing pretty well… until his wife couldn't help but tease him.
"A dirty diaper," finished the young woman with a smirk. "What do you think? Front page news?"
"Uh, I mean, I think it's a little lowbrow for Lois Lane ," Clark replied as he finished dressing his son.
"Lowbrow?" replied Lois, almost offended. "If only the citizens of Earth could see Kal-El struggling with spit up."
Superman tried to defend himself, knowing that his wife would add sarcasm.
"Need I remind you, Miss Lane, uh, I have no powers here."
"Oh, don't you be blaming this on the red sun, honey." said his wife again.
Finally, Clark had finally managed to dress his son and wrap him in an adorable red baby blanket.
"Hey, buddy?" he said, making the baby laugh.
Lois applauds with a sarcastic expression of "Yay, Daddy did it!"
"Yeah, kinda," he said, approaching her.
The couple looked at their infant tenderly.
"Jonathan really has your eyes, huh?" remarked Lois, stroking his little hand.
"I'll take it so long he has your everything else." Clark replied. As long as he looks like him for everything else.
Then something happened to her that had been going through her mind for a while.
"You know, when I used to picture us together, we were always living on Earth, and we had two kids."
Lois made a slight face before answering sadly.
"Well, I hate to break it to you, Kansas, but prognostication is not one of your superpowers."
Clark chuckled before being interrupted by the communicator's chime. Lois activated it and a holographic image of Supergirl appeared near their window.
"Kal… Lois… Arg…"
Neither of them noticed the anguish in the hologram's voice.
"Kara?" exclaimed Lois, delighted to see her step-cousin. "In pants?"
Kara tried to say something but the image blurred, as did the communication. Lois tried to adjust the communication to get a clean transmission.
"How did she manage to break through Argo's shield interference?" Clark wondered in confusion.
"Not well apparently." his wife remarked, finally managing to get a better picture of the hologram.
Finally, the connection was stable, and Supergirl delivered the message to them:
"Kal, Lois. Argo is in danger. You need to get out now…"
But the connection died just as the sky turned red over Argo City. Lois and Clark looked up at the red sky, worried about their son.
So they left their homes in current, they saw a crowd of citizens in panic. Clark would give anything to have his powers to come to help them and save his wife and son. They turned to see Kara's mom, Alura leaving her house in an even panic.
"Alura!" he called out.
In the hearing, Alura ran towards the couple.
"Kal, Lois. Thank Rao."Superman's aunt exclaimed when she hugged Lois.
"What's happening?" his nephew asked her.
Alura's expression was grave as she answered in an equally grave voice.
"A massive wave of energy is moving through space. It's killing everything in its path."
"How long do we have?" asked Lois as the people around them ran in panic.
"Minutes." She told them before motioning for them to follow her. "Quickly! With me!"
They led them to a small hanger, with a small one-person pod.
"We must set a course for Earth. Hopefully, they'll have enough time to stop this wave before it hits!" Alura said, even though she feared for her daughter.
"Where are the rest?" asked Clark while as a feeling of Deja-vu hit him.
The planet began to tremble dangerously.
Alura shook her head, although she too had the same feeling as her nephew.
"There are no others. Only this one."
Moments later, Jonathan was unconsciously sleeping in the small spaceship as his parents looked at him for the last time and their hearts broke. For the first time in his life, Clark finally knew what his father had felt when he sent his only son back to save him.
"We'll always be with you, Jonathan."
He subconsciously mirrored Jor-El's words as Lois spoke the same way as Lara stroking her tiny hands, tears in her eyes.
"We will never leave you. Even in the face of our deaths." she whispered through her tears.
"We love you," Superman said as the ship closed and was propelled into space, just as the wave destroyed Argo, the last city of Krypton.
As Jonathan's ship continued on its way through space, as if nothing had happened.
Earth – 38; National City
Through the DEO monitor, Supergirl can only watch, in sorrowful horror, what was left of Krypton, her people and her family consumed by the wave. After his passage, there was nothing left of Argo at all. As if the asteroid never existed.
"They're gone!" Kara whispered through her sobs as Alex and J'onn came over to comfort her.
"And we're next," Brainy added with anguish.
Elsewhere in the universe
On a platform surrounded by stars, the Asgardian and God of Thunder Thor had witnessed the destruction of Argo City. Mar Novu, the Monitor, had revealed to him the last world images of his friend Kara being swept away by the wave of energy.
Horrified and distraught, the Asgardian stared open-mouthed at the empty spot that now lay in space.
"Oh My God! Argo City!"
His companions, the raccoon Rocket and the talking tree Groot had also had their eyes on the disaster that had just unfolded.
"Oh no," the raccoon lamented, completely scared.
Groot remained silent in horror, while Novu remained solemn. Thor turned to him.
"What happened?"
"The Crisis has begun! Argo City is just the beginning! This is the fate that awaits the entire Multiverse!" the Monitor explained, still calm.
Rocket then looked at the cosmic being in dread.
"You mean that this creepy wave will also kill us? We're all going to die? How do we stop that?!"
"I am Groot…" whispered the tree, just as anguished as his companion.
"This is the threat hanging over us, over the entire Multiverse! We must act!" Novu continued.
"Wait…" intervened Thor still shocked by what he had just seen. "Kara had family there… are they all dead? Her mother? Her cousin? And Lois?"
A dazzling light burst onto the platform again and the silhouette of a woman clad in blue appeared near the Asgardian.
Thor remained on his guard seeing the woman in front of him.
"Who are you?"
"I'm Harbinger," the woman replied in a powerful voice. "I'm working with the Monitor. I was able to save a few people on Argo."
Immediately Clark, dressed in Superman and Lois appeared on the platform. With a deep sense of relief, Thor came over to hug his friends.
"Kal… Lois… Thank God, you're alive! I saw what happened to Argo! I was afraid of losing you!"
He had been afraid of having to tell Kara the death of all that was left of Krypton, including her cousin and step-cousin.
Superman smiled sadly and hugged him back.
"Nice to see you again, Thor!"
Then the asgardian then hugged Superman's young wife.
"Lois! I am glad you're safe!"
"Thanks Thor," replied the young woman still in shock at what had happened.
Then he noticed that someone was missing.
"What about your baby? Where is he?"
Superman and Lois looked at each other sadly, then the Kryptonian replied:
"We put Jonathan in a ship, and we made him leave Argo before it was destroyed by the wave of energy."
"But we don't know where he is in space," added Lois, with anguish.
Thor put a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"He's alive, and that's the most important!"
"Indeed, because the hour is serious! We have to go to Earth – 38!" Mar Novu announced.
"And why?" Thor said, looking suspiciously at the Monitor. He still didn't trust him.
"Because that's where the first battle will begin! It's time to bring everyone else together!"
"Who this, everyone?" Rocket asked, confused.
"I am Groot?" Groot whispered, worried and confused.
Notes:
Thank you for reading and reviewing.
In the next chapter, there will be more characters from the MCU that
Chapter 3
Notes:
Hello everyone, there is a new chapter! With more of Marvel's heroes!
Good reading!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Chapter 3
Earth – 1; Lian yu
On the island of Lian Yu in the China Sea, Oliver Queen stood in front of the graves of Robert Queen, Yao Fei and Shado, deep in thought. He thought back to everything he had experienced on this island. He had learned painful revelations about his own family. He had been forced to kill in order to survive. With all of his horrible years, he had become Green Arrow. At first he thought he was righting his father's sings, and then later, he ended up becoming Star City's protector. And even the protector of the universe. He remembered when Barry and Kara had come to join him in his city to tell him about Thanos, the Mad Titan who wanted to destroy half the universe. And he had achieved his goal. He had wiped out half of the entire Multiverse, wiping out those close to him, except for his brother-in-arms John Diggle. After his failure, Oliver had taken refuge on Lian Yu, fearing to succumb to his murderous urges. Then five years later, Kara had returned to bring him hope and together they had undone what Thanos had done in the Multiverse. They had saved everyone, but at what cost? Tony Stark and Natasha Romanoff had both sacrificed themselves to save the universe. And lo and behold today, Oliver found himself facing a new threat unlike anything he had ever overcome. And he had to consider that he was probably going to die in this new Crisis.
But despite this, Oliver had seen the positive: he had been able to have a glimpse of the future of his children, when his daughter Mia had disembarked in his bunker, with William and Connor. Unfortunately, this happiness was marred by the sadness to learn of her death in the future, thus missing the life of his daughter, who had had to learn to fight, to fend for herself. Oliver blamed himself for not being able to be there for Mia.
While he was lost in thought, Mia joined her.
"Hey."
"Hey," Oliver replied, smiling.
"Um, William said I might find you here." she said as her father joined her.
"Figured you'd be the first one on the boat." the archer pointed out. (He caught sight of his daughter's lost gaze.) "You okay?"
"My whole life I heard nothing but stories about you," she explained with emotion. "You know, this legendary Green Arrow and his team. And Mom would also tell me that you went to another Earth to fight a Mad Titan of space alongside the superheroes called the Avengers. I should have been proud of you, because you were a hero, and All I could see is that that is the reason that you weren't with me, and it's it's kind of hard to let that go…"
She was so upset that she couldn't finish her sentence. And her father looked at her with the same sadness.
"I never meant to cause you any pain." Oliver replied with emotion. "Your mom and me just wanted to protect you."
"I know," agreed Mia, still sad. "I, uh I understand that now."
Oliver seemed delighted to realize that his daughter understood the sacrifice he had been forced to make. He looked again at the graves of his father and the people he had known, answering:
"For a very long time, I have hated this place. Just I'd think about all the people that it took from me. It would just It would just make me so angry."
"But you're not now?" asked his daughter softly.
"I'm still a little bit angry." Oliver replied.
Mia chuckled then her father spoke again:
"It turned me into someone else, somebody better than the person I was before. So despite my feelings There are no stories about the Green Arrow to tell if I don't make my way to Lian Yu, and I'm also not standing at this moment, looking at my daughter."
A few tears flowed under Mia's eyes, as she smiled tenderly at her father.
"Thank you for letting me be a part of your story, even if it was only for a little while."
Oliver smirked sadly at his daughter, upset that he couldn't watch his daughter grow up.
"Mia, something tells me you're gonna create your own stories." he answered softly.
And he took his daughter in his arms, hugging her tenderly. After a warm hug, Mia looked at her father, sad and confused as to what to do next.
"So what now?" she asked.
"We need to get back home," Oliver replied. "And just be prepared for whatever's coming next."
"Okay," Mia agreed.
Suddenly, several claps of thunder roared in the sky, only to then turn completely red. Everything they could see of the heavens was red.
Then he had a strong light that dazzled the eyes of the archer and his daughter. Then the whitish halo ceased, and they saw Lyla Michaels. But she was very different from the one they knew. Lyla was now wearing a bluish outfit. She looked like a character from a science fiction novel.
"Lyla?" Oliver asked questioningly.
"Not anymore," replied the woman in blue. "I'm now a Harbinger of things to come."
"And that's…" Mia whispered knowing what the red sky meant.
"Yes. The Crisis has begun," Harbinger replied worryingly.
Earth – 1; Central City
As the sky was visible across the city, a red and yellow blur raced through the streets in super-speed. It was Barry Allen, aka Flash, who roamed his city in super-speed while trying to contact his team at Star Labs.
"Cisco, what have you got? Is this an isolated event? Is it everywhere?"
He stopped his run when he realized he got no response from his teammates. He only got a spurious communication.
"Cisco? Iris?"
Suddenly there was a great flash of light, dazzling him a little. Then Lyla's figure appeared in front of him. But it wasn't the Lyla the speedster knew about. She was dressed in a strange outfit in blue.
"Lyla?" he wondered.
"I'm Harbinger now," the woman disguised in blue said in a neutral voice. "I'm working with the Monitor."
At the mention of the being of the stars, Flash was stunned. A few months earlier, the Monitor had visited him, telling him that he was supposed to die during the Crisis. He observed Lyla determinedly.
"He sent you to get me? Because the Crisis is here?"
"That is correct," Harbinger agreed with a slight nod.
Resigning himself to face what he expected, Flash turned to the woman with great determination.
"I'm ready!"
Earth – 1; Gotham city
Turning our attention to local news, a series of robberies by the Wonderland Gang continues with seemingly no end in sight…
Two large armored vehicles were stopped. In one of them, a group of men wearing rabbit masks came out. A few carried semi-automatic rifles and others were littered with big bags filled with cash.
As they left the robbed van, a thud on the roof of the vehicle was heard. The rabbit men looked up and saw Gotham's protector Batwoman. The one that scared the city's criminals.
"Where is Alice?" she roared, in a voice full of power.
The rabbit men pointed their guns and fired at the bat woman, but she sneaked up and down, dodging the bullets, and took down the gang robbers one by one. No matter how much they shot her, none matched Batwoman.
Finally, there was only one still standing, and trying to escape. Batwoman drew her batclaw which grabbed the thug's shoulder and threw him into a parked car, smashing the window and sending the man to the ground.
Batwoman approached the incapacitated and nailed thief, then put her foot on the man's stomach, addressing him in a loud voice:
"I said, "Where is Alice?""
The thug with the rabbit mask gave in to his fear.
"Okay okay, I'll tell you. There's an old sugar factory."
"Where is it?" Batwoman questioned, pressing her foot into the thug's stomach.
It was then that a flash appeared out of nowhere, and the silhouette of a woman in blue outfit was facing the bat woman. Puzzled, she looked at the newcomer, wondering what was going on.
"Batwoman, the multiverse is in great danger. You are needed."
But Batwoman had other personal problems to resolve.
"I'll deal with, whatever your crazy is, in a minute." She retorted, determined to get her information on the location of Alice, the leader of the Wonderland Gang.
But the woman in blue shook her head.
"There is no more time!"
Before the bat could reply, it was swept away by a powerful lightning bolt.
Earth – 1; Star City
In a bar, Sara Lance and Ray Palmer were quietly sitting in front of their beers, awaiting the outcome of the quiz night. If they won, they would be entitled to a free tour. The last question was for Janis Joplin's last song. Sara was sure of their answer, Mercedes Benz. But to their surprise, the answer was Little Robot Man. Ray tilted his head, empty-handed, while Sara was dismayed.
"Uh, no, that's wrong. But "Mercedes Benz" was Janis Joplin's last song. I'm gonna tell that trivia host."
Then her partner Ray called out to her feeling like a child caught in the act.
"Sara? So, you remember last year at Woodstock when I was supposed to steal a lock of Janis Joplin's hair without her noticing?"
"Yeah?" replied the young Lance, knowing that her friend was going to confess to her a mistake he had made.
"Uh, she noticed." Ray replied, bracing for his captain's wrath. "Then she called me…"
"Little Robot Man," Sara concludes, understanding their defeat. "Well, congratulations, you change history and lost us trivia night."
"Sorry," answered the sheepish man.
Then a lightning flashed out of nowhere, and Lyla's blue figure appeared on a table. The other patrons left the bar, distraught, while Sara and Ray looked at her in amazement.
"Lyla? What's with the suit?" exclaimed the Captain of the Waverider in amazement.
Earth of the Avengers; Wakanda
In the kingdom of Wakanda under the red sky, King T'Challa was still trying to figure out where that strange red sky and its thundering lightning came from. At the bottom of his palace, people were starting to panic. Soon he would be faced with a panic. It had to be avoided. He turned to Okoye.
"We must calm everyone!" he ordered. "Alert Dora Milaje and the Border Tribe. Until we find out what it is, all residents should stay in their homes without exceptions."
The Wakandan warrior nodded and set off on her mission. Then Black Panther joined his sister who was hunched over her digital tablet.
"Shuri, were you able to discover anything in all of this?"
But the younger sister looked at her brother, totally panicked.
"From what our satellites can tell us, this is a wave of energy flowing through space. An extremely powerful wave of energy. No one had seen this before! This red sky, brother, it's not just Wakanda, it's the whole world that is affected! On all news channels, regardless of the country, it's the same thing! This red sky is everywhere! This wave of energy, whatever it is, is beyond my knowledge. I have no idea what that can be! And if this thing gets into our atmosphere, I doubt our technology can repel this! If that enters our planet, we risk disappearing! I don't know how to fight this thing, whatever it is!"
Despite his sister's anguish, T'Challa remained calm, meditating in his thoughts.
"What are you thinking?" Shuri said noticing the king's behavior.
"Do you remember the Monitor's visit last year?" Black Panther told her. "He warned us that a Crisis was coming. I think it's here…"
At those words, Shuri's eyes widened in amazement.
"What are we going to do?"
But before T'Challa could respond, a powerful flash of lightning flashed, and a woman in blue appeared right in front of them. Black Panther extended his claws and eyed the woman with a threatening gaze, while Shuri stood still in amazement.
"Who are you and what are you doing in Wakanda?" asked the Wakandan king with a loud voice.
"I'm Harbinger," the woman replied. "I'm working with the Monitor. He's the one who sent me for you. And also you, Shuri!"
"Me… me too?" murmured the young sister, dazed.
"The Crisis has begun," Harbinger said. "There's no more time."
And a dazzling light carried Black Panther and his sister.
Earth of the Avengers; Barton Farm
Clint Barton and his wife stood close to each other, watching the eerie red sky and its lightning bolts that kept roaring. Laura was distressed, while her husband was calm, even though he wondered what was going on.
Then a dazzling light appeared out of nowhere, and a woman wearing a blue outfit appeared right in front of the couple.
Clint drew his bow and aimed at the woman.
"Who are you?"
"Clint Barton, I'm Harbinger," the new woman explained. "I'm working with the Monitor. He sends me for you!"
At the mention of the Monitor, the archer lowered his bow, and was calm.
"Has the Crisis he told me about begun?"
"Correct," Harbinger agreed.
Laura took her husband's hand, as if he was about to go to war.
"Clint, please…"
Then her husband reassured her by caressing her shoulders.
"It's okay, honey, we talked about it before, remember? We both knew that day would come," Clint said calmly.
"But I don't want to lose you!" Laura cried, panicked. "The Avengers aren't like they used to be. Tony Stark, Nat, and Steve…"
"It's gonna be okay, Laura, it's gonna be okay," Clint reassured her, still calm. "I promise I will come back and I will not lose you and the kids like six years ago!"
His wife nodded, but still anxiously. Then Clint, determined to have to fight what he expected, took a few steps towards Harbinger.
"I'm ready!" he declared with determination.
Harbinger nodded, and the two of them disappeared in a dazzling new light.
Earth of the Avengers; Queens
Spider-Man hovered around the houses in his neighborhood, and landed in an inconspicuous alley where his loved ones were: his best friend Ned Leeds and his girlfriend Michelle Jones aka MJ. His two friends approached him anxiously.
"Peter, do you know what's going on?" MJ exclaimed, stunned.
"What's that fucking red sky?" Ned added, completely bewildered by the strange event.
Peter pulled the Spider-Man mask down from his suit, revealing his worried face to those close to him.
"I've no idea!" he replied. "This red sky is everywhere in the world! I spoke to Happy, he told me this stuff is all over the planet! Everyone is hit by this thing!"
"Holy shit, it's like with Thanos!" Ned panicked. "We're all gonna die! We're all gonna die! Peter, you gotta do something, man! Save us! I don't want to dust yet and reappear five years later!"
Peter took his friend by the shoulders.
"Ned, Ned, I need you to calm down, buddy! Calm down! I'm as freaked out as you are, but this is no time to be hysterical."
"It's the perfect time to be hysterical, Peter!" MJ added as distraught as her friend. "We need a plan! Do you have one?"
Before the young man could respond, a powerful light shot out right behind them, and a strange woman in blue attire appeared to them.
"Peter Parker! The Multiverse is in great danger, you are needed!
Dazed, the young Avenger looked at the woman, while Ned and MJ were speechless in amazement.
"Listen, lady…"
"There's no time!" retorted the woman. "We have to go now!"
And Peter disappeared with the woman under a whitish light that enveloped them, leaving Ned and MJ dazed with anguish.
"It's the end of days!" Ned declared in panic. "We're all gonna die!"
Earth – 38; National City
"Panic is rising out there," Alex told all the DEO agents. "I want every available agent in the field until we get a handle on whatever this thing is."
She turned to her sister, who was in mourning for the disappearance of Argo City. She put a hand on her shoulder in comfort.
Supergirl nodded determinedly. Despite her sadness, she had to stay focused on the present moment. Her Earth would risk suffering the same fate as Argo. She had to overcome her grief in order to be objective.
Finally, Kara, Alex, and J'onn headed with a few agents to help people, when a blinding flash of light erupted in the center of the DEO. Then a woman in a blue suit appeared right in front of them.
Instantly, weapons were pointed at her, but the woman remained neutral.
"Hands where we can see them now!" Alex ordered, pointing her gun at the mysterious woman.
"Did you do this? Did you destroy Argo?" Supergirl asked threateningly.
But before anyone could attack, there was another burst of light closer to Alex and Supergirl. And the God of Thunder Thor appeared before the two women, along with Rocket and Groot, who had clung to the Asgardian's red cloak.
At the sight of Thor, Alex urged her agents to lower their weapons, while Supergirl looked stunned.
"Thor?" the Kryptonian exclaimed.
"Kara, I'm sorry for Argo!" said the Asgardian warrior gently. (He pointed to the woman in blue.) "This woman is on our side! She's Harbinger! She's working with the Monitor! The Crisis, the one he told us about last year, has just begun. This is it. Argo City is just the beginning!"
Stunned, Supergirl noticed the two Guardians of the Galaxy who had accompanied Thor.
"Rocket? Groot?"
The raccoon waved a little.
"Hey Kryptonian! (Turning to his tree friend.) Groot, did you see that? The Kryptonian in pants now!"
"I am Groot," replied Groot, looking at the Girl of Steel.
And there was a new burst of light behind Harbinger. Then nine people were standing in front of the entire DEO.
With amazement, Supergirl recognized Black Panther, her sister Shuri, Clint Barton and Peter Parker aka Spider-Man from Avengers Earth. Next, she spotted Batwoman, Oliver Queen, and a blonde girl she didn't know. And to her relief, she discovered her cousin Superman and her step-cousin Lois Lane.
The two sisters looked at the newcomers in surprise, as did J'onn and Brainy.
"Oh, my God, you're okay!" Kara exclaimed running to join Lois's arms.
"Thanks to her." replied her step-cousin, pointing to Harbinger. "She appeared at the last second and brought us to Thor, and then here."
Then, the Girl of Steel came to hug her cousin who in turn explained:
"We sent Jonathan off in an escape pod!"
Then, Supergirl asked the question she dreaded with anguish.
"And my mother?"
But Superman shook his head in shock.
"I am so sorry!"
Supergirl looked upset again. Argo City had disappeared with her mother. Alex gazed sadly at her sister, then Thor put his hand on his friend's shoulder.
T'Challa and Shuri, who were in the background, stared at the DEO environment in amazement.
"Where are we, brother?" Shuri exclaimed, shocked.
Even Clint and Peter looked around, their eyes widening.
"What's that?" Spider-Man said fearfully. "Where are we? Where's Queens? Where are Ned and MJ? Who are everyone? (And he saw the Earth – 1's archer.) Oliver?"
The protector of Star City gave him a friendly nod.
"Hey Peter! (Turning to the archer Avenger) Hello Clint!"
"Hey Queen!" replied the archer of the Avengers. (Then he saw the blonde girl with Oliver.) "Hey kiddo!"
"Where are we?" repeated Peter. "What the fuck happened?"
"For once, I agree with the kid," Clint replied. "What are we doing here?"
Rocket turned to Harbinger.
"Okay, pretty blue lady, what if you tell us what we're doing here?" he asked.
Batwoman had approached Supergirl and Thor.
"Kara? Thor? Where are we? And what just happened?"
Before either could respond, Harbinger spoke up, addressing all the Heroes of the Earths who had appeared.
"You're on Earth-38. There was…"
Then Batwoman punched her interrupting her, much to everyone's surprise.
"I like this one," Clint commented admiringly, looking at the woman in the bat.
"That rabbit was about to talk." she exclaimed, furious at being pushed off a trail to find Alice.
"She's talking to rabbits," Brainy commented quietly to J'onn.
"Uh Groot, So she is the woman disguised as a bat that Thor told us about," Rocket replied, looking at the woman from Gotham City smirk. "And she talks to rabbits?! I prefer her to the Kryptonian."
"I am Groot," Groot retorted, expressing his disagreement.
Thor turned to her, in a calming tone.
"Batwoman, right now, a cataclysm is coming. No one in the whole universe has been confronted with this before! All worlds are in danger! And if we want to save them all, we have to work together!"
"It's okay," Supergirl added. "'Cause we're all on the same side."
"Are we?" Batwoman retorted, turning back to the Asgardian and the Kryptonian. "'Cause I don't know them."
"But you know us, Thor and me!" the Kryptonian replied with an embarrassed smile. "And if you were brought here with all these other heroes, it's probably because we need you. I trust everyone in this room with my life. Including you!"
After a moment of reflection, Batwoman removed her bat mask featuring a pink wig, revealing her true face.
"Well, I guess you should all just call me Kate!" she said to all the heroes around her.
T'Challa nodded at her in greeting.
"I knew it!" said Thor with a smile.
"We haven't met yet," Clint said to the newcomer. "I'm Clint."
"Hey," replied Kate uninteresting.
"Hey Kate," Spider-Man added, delighted with this meeting. "I'm Spider-Man! Nice to meet you!"
Kate just nodded at him.
"Yeah, yeah, that makes a lot of sense," Oliver muttered in a low voice.
And the blonde girl accompanying Green Arrow raised her hand as if to introduce herself.
"Uh, I'm Mia, I'm Oliver's daughter!"
Everyone looked at her, frowning.
"I never knew he had a daughter!" J'onn wondered.
"Really?" Peter wondered, dumbfounded.
"Oliver Queen has a daughter?" Clint exclaimed stunned, looking at the girl with wide eyes. "Well then… that's news to me!"
"Don't worry, he gets that a lot." Mia replied sarcastically.
Oliver gave all the heroes an embarrassed smile, while Alex turned to Harbinger again.
"Okay, you. Start talking."
"Yes, I agree," T'Challa agreed. "It's time to find out why we're here and what we are up against!"
So the director of the DEO invited the woman in blue and all the other heroes to follow her into an agency meeting room. With an awkward gesture, Peter raised his hand to Mia.
"Hey, I'm Peter!"
"Hey," Oliver's daughter replied uninterestedly, ignoring his hand.
Then, Clint walked over to Oliver, talking to him in a low voice.
"The last time we met, you told me about your son William, but you don't have never referred to your daughter," he explained.
"The last time we met, she didn't exist yet," Oliver replied. "My current daughter's still a baby who is a few months old. The Mia here is from the future. From 2040."
Clint looked stunned.
"Do you have a daughter from the future? Twenty years later? (And he chuckled.) And you who said my Earth was weird…"
The Heroes of Three Earths sat in the DEO briefing room, listening to Harbinger tell them about the situation. On the screen behind her was a picture of the solar system with an approaching wave of energy.
"There's a wave of antimatter sweeping across this universe...destroying everything in its path." she informed the group of heroes.
Oliver, who was seated next to his daughter, Kate, Clint and Brainny, spoke in turn:
"I've seen the antimatter wave in action. It wiped all of Earth-2 right out of existence." he revealed ominously, as he recalled his trip to Earth – 2 now destroyed where her mother was alive and married to Malcolm Merlyn, where Tommy was alive and the Dark Archer and where Thea died of a drug overdose.
It wasn't a pleasant trip, but he had accomplished what the Monitor ordered him to do.
At the mention of the destruction of Earth - 2, a feeling of dread ran through all the heroes gathered around the briefing room table. Rocket swallows in horror.
"I am Groot," the tree whispered in a small voice trembling with anguish.
Harbinger continued:
"I've brought you all to Earth – 38 because this is where the Monitor wants you to make your stand. This universe is the tipping point. If we don't stop the antimatter wave here, it will continue to the next universe, and the next and the next… until it has obliterated not only every Earth, but everything… across all reality."
"A wave of antimatter?" exclaimed Peter shocked at the idea of the wave of energy destroying his Earth, wiping out his friends and his aunt.
"The wave of antimatter will destroy all the Earths including ours!"Shuri realized in a voice shaking with fear.
"Exactly," Harbinger replied.
"Damn it!"exclaimed Clint anguished for his Earth and his family.
"All right. So we are going to need a bigger team." Oliver said, looking at Harbinger. "Where's Barry? Where are the Legends?"
"Doing reconnaissance."replied the woman in blue. "I'm headed to check on them now."
And at his words, she turned and disappeared in a great burst of light.
"I...still don't like her." Kate said simply.
"I am Groot," Groot added, sharing her point of view.
"Groot, not now!" Rocket said, shocked at the current situation.
Alex got up from her chair.
"Well, Brainy's algorithm will help forecast exactly how much time we have until the antimatter wave hits."she said, trying to bring some optimism to the group.
"This Crisis is much more serious than I imagined," Thor said anxiously.
"Thank you all for being here." Supergirl said to the heroes. "I know we can beat this together."
Everyone got up to leave the room, when Lois and Superman had turned to Kara.
"About Jonathan we set a course for Earth in his pod, but we don't know where it landed." Lois said with concern.
"Or even if it landed." added Superman in anguish, looking at his cousin.
Shuri, who had heard them, turned to them.
"I can help you retrace his trajectory," she said, taking out her tablet. "With the technology of our Earth's Wakanda, I may be able to locate your son's pod. I promise to find him for you. A Kryptonian pod shouldn't be difficult to locate."
Relieved, Lois took the hand of Black Panther's sister.
"Thank you," she said.
But at that moment, the Earth shook even harder than before. Taken aback, the heroes ran out of the briefing room at the bridge to see the outside.
Outside the DEO building, a strange tower had suddenly risen from the ground to join the buildings of National City.
"What's that?" Peter exclaimed, dumbfounded.
"I am Groot!" added the tree speaking worriedly.
"This is a new problem," Oliver said simply.
"We really needed that on top of everything else!" Clint added, his eyes fixed on the tower.
"I can handle it," Supergirl replied, about to fly off towards the tower.
Then a new burst of light burst under the bridge, and Harbinger reappeared with The Flash, Sara Lance aka White Canary and Ray Palmer in his Atom suit.
"Wait, the tower isn't a threat." Flash warned, seeing his teammates about to go into battle.
"How do you know?"Oliver asked his friend.
"It's a Quantum Tower, apparently." Atom replied.
Then the sky turned blue again, much to everyone's surprise.
"Look guys, the red sky is gone!" exclaimed Peter surprised. "'Cause of this Quantum Tower?"
"Yes, and it's the only thing that can save the people of this world," Harbinger said, stepping forward.
Notes:
Thank you for reading and reviewing!
I plan to introduce more Marvel heroes! I had thought about putting Wanda Maximoff in there, but seeing the trailer for WandaVision, I'm not sure I want to make her in this story. Especially since apparently the plot of this miniseries will have an impact on the Doctor Strange 2 and Spider-Man 3 movies. Not sure if I want to put Wanda in my story.
Chapter 4
Notes:
Hey, everyone! Finally, we start a new year! I hope it will be better than the last! And here is a new chapter!
Good reading !
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Chapter 4
Earth – 38; National City
At the DEO command center, the heroes of the three Earths could see blueprints of the Quantum Tower that had appeared in National City. Harbinger then explained to them:
"At the dawn of time, the Monitor placed Quantum Towers on key Earths as a last line of defence. The red skies are dissipating, which means it's working."
"So, as long as this Tower is there, we're fine?" Rocket assumed, who was standing on a table for height.
"Exactly," replied the woman in blue.
"From this design," Brainy added, "It looks like the tower is capable of generating a quantum flux field, which can, theoretically…"
"…Reverse the exogenic state of the anti-matter wave, thereby dissipating the anti-matter energy. " continued Ray, Shuri and Peter who all three had their eyes focused on the screen representing the Tower.
The Coluan seemed impressed with Atom, the sister of Black Panther and Spider-Man.
"Yes, finally people who speak my language."
Ray then turned to Kate, who was standing right next to him.
"Love your suit," he said to Batwoman. "If you want, I can probably give it an upgrade…"
He tried to grab the young woman's hand, but she grabbed his hand firmly.
"Depends on how attached you are to your hand," she growled.
"Pretty attached!" Ray grimaced.
Clint raised his eyebrows in amusement as Oliver focused on the situation:
"So the Tower can stop this Earth from being destroyed?"
"If you can protect it," Harbinger replied.
"Protect it from what?"Supergirl wondered.
"From the Anti-Monitor," Thor retorted with a thoughtful look.
At that name, Rocket and Groot swallowed in anguish, while the others were confused.
"The Anti-What?" exclaimed Peter, taken aback.
"The Anti-Monitor," Harbinger repeated. "He commands forces greater than any army. When the tower stops the wave, they will come to thwart any effort to save this planet and its people."
"An army, then," Clint retorted. "Deja Vu with Thanos!"
"Holy shit!" exclaimed Peter.
While listening to Lyla, Shuri consulted her tablet, then then she came over to Superman and Lois.
"Hey, I have good news for you," she told them. "I tracked down your son's pod. I found it."
Lois took her husband's hand, feeling relieved.
"Where is he?" Superman asked worried about his son.
Shuri looked at her tablet again while speaking:
"His pod landed on Earth, but not here. Not on this Earth. (Looking at her device, she looked puzzled.) It's weird, it looks like it walked through a temporal wormhole in space. Because its coordinates indicate Star City, Earth – 16 in 2046."
Ray and Sara shared a same look. They remembering something.
"We've been there before," Atom pointed out to his captain. "Apparently, we didn't just travel to the future."
"Yeah, we traveled to a parallel Earth in the future." Sara replied, remembering one of their missions leading them into a potential future.
Superman turned to leave in a determined stride.
"I'm going after him." he said, wanting to make sure his son was okay.
But Oliver and Thor got in his way.
"Clark, you can't," the archer said.
"He's right, Kal, we need you here," the God of Thunder added with gentle firmness.
Superman had to make an effort to stay calm so as not to get angry.
"Those are words I'm not used to hearing and my son needs me.…"
"I'm a parent and I get it." Oliver replied.
"I'm sorry, but you can't go," Thor added. "We need you here. You saw what happened at Argo. This Earth needs you to protect it. When that tower gets attacked, you have to be here to protect it."
"I'll go," Lois said with determination.
"Lois…" exclaimed Superman still worried, not wanting to lose his wife too.
"And I'll go with her," Shuri added reassuringly. "I've nothing to do here, so as far as I'm useful. I know exactly where your son is. I could find him."
"You won't have to worry, Superman," says T'Challa in joining them. "I have faith in my sister. You can trust her. She'll know what to do."
Then it was Sara who joined them.
"I'll back them up." she said. "I know the terrain."
"I'm coming too," Brainy added. "I happen to be excellent with children."
Lois joined her husband, and spoke to him tenderly with determination.
"Don't worry, I'll get him. I love you."
Shuri joined her brother. She took him in her arms.
"Be safe," T'Challa told her softly.
"You too, brother. I don't want to lose you," Shuri told him anxiously.
Before joining Lois and Shuri, Sara had turned to Oliver speaking to her with amusement:
"You know, Oliver I've seen playboy Oliver, vigilante Oliver, but I never thought I would see parent Oliver."
Kind regards, the Earth – 1's archer answered her with a smile:
"It's weird, right?"
"So weird," Sara exclaimed with a beaming smile. "But it looks good on you!"
"Uh, J'onn, I thought Director Danvers was with you." ask the Coluan as he walked near the Green Martian.
"She was," J'onn replied. "But she went to call the president to co-ordinate the evacuation, in case the Quantum Tower fails."
"She is smart, that is exactly what I was about to suggest, but has she contemplated the number of ships one would require for such an exodus?"
The two aliens had just stopped near the stairs, while J'onn replied:
"Brainy, every alien refugee on this planet came here on a ship. I intend to ask them for their help."
"Do you really think they will?" Brainy asked with a skeptical raised eyebrow. "After how the government treated them last year?"
"I have faith that everybody will do the right thing." J'onn agreed, nodding. "Humans and aliens alike."
Brainy took a small bunch of keys from his pocket.
"Well, in any event this should help."
And he threw the keys that the Martian hastened to catch on the fly.
Brainy had a sudden thought, and turned to Shuri who was getting ready with Sara and Lois.
"Uh… Sister of Black Panther, I just located where Jonathan's pod is!"
"Yeah… me too, can we just go?" Shuri replied with an amused chuckle.
"Robo-Einstein, if you're coming then move your ass." said Sara at him.
Brainy groaned, then answered in his neutral voice:
"My name is Brainiac 5!"
After her call to the President, Alex worked hard on a computer, then she was joined by J'onn J'onzz.
"The president is in." she announced. "He's speaking with other world leaders. We'll co-ordinate the effort from National City. The raccoon just contacted the Guardians of the Galaxy. They'll help as best they can. But J'onn even if we did manage to get enough ships for everyone, we can't just fly off Earth. I mean, space itself is being erased."
"Earth – 1 is the last stop on the anti-matter trajectory." specified the Martian. "We can try and get everybody there."
It was a good plan. Unfortunately to cross the Multiverse you need an interdimensional extrapolator. And to lead a population of an entire planet there, a tiny object would not be used to save everyone. They needed a large portal.
"The transmatter portal?" J'onn offered.
But Alex remained pessimistic.
"Who could build one big enough? I mean, not even Brainy has…"
"Lena," answered the Martian. "She built an enormous one for the Daxamites. I'm sure she could build one twice as big."
"No," Alex objected. "That's too big of a risk. I mean, after Myriad, after everything she can't be trusted."
Unfortunately, she knew J'onn was right. Only Lena Luthor could build a portal huge enough to save everyone on Earth – 38.
"What other choice do we have?" J'onn asked with a look leaving no other suggestion.
Supergirl went to join her cousin on the DEO balcony watching the city below. As she approached, he said without turning around:
"I'm sorry about your mom. I couldn't save her."
But the Girl of Steel remained calm and objective.
"You had no powers on Argo. There was nothing you could do."
"I feel like a fool," Superman said without looking at her. "I thought I could give up the cape and just have everything I ever wanted. And now, Argo is gone, this Earth is in danger, Lois and Jonathan are out in the universe, where I can't protect them. And part of me can't help thinking that I deserve this for thinking that I could have so much. That anyone could."
Sadly, Supergirl nodded sympathetically.
"I get it. I've been thinking that a lot, too, lately. How I can never do my mistakes outweigh all the good I've ever done. But it's not true. It can't be. And we're going to save them. When Thanos dusted half the universe, we were able to undo what he did. We were able to save everyone. But I also lost two friends. Nat and Tony. Two heroes who sacrificed themselves to save us. I hope we won't have to sacrifice heroes. But I still believe that there is still hope. For Lois, Jonathan, Argo and the people of this Earth. We can save them all."
"Then we shall have it," a voice said behind them.
The two Kryptonians turned to see Thor standing a few feet away from them.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt you, but I heard what you were saying. I can… come back later."
"You can stay, Thor," Kara said gently.
Then the asgardian joined the balcony with the two heroes. He explained to them:
"Since I lost Asgard, I have been trying to protect the universe as best I can. Formerly, I dreamed of war, and of reign... but today, I am no longer that person. After Thanos, I am looking for a new purpose and to be who I am, not what is expected of me. It's you, Kara, who taught me that one can shape its own way. And you were right. We were able to save the universe, and we will do it again if we have to. We will save everyone, including Argo City. Kara, before I met you, I had never heard of Krypton. And when I see you and Kal-El, I see Krypton in you two. And you, Kal, you told Lois about your planet. You told everyone including me what Krypton stood for. Krypton isn't just a place, it's a spirit, it evokes hope, sacrifice and justice. This is what you inspired me to Kara, and what motivates me to go beyond my mistakes and my failures. Because it's by making mistakes that we learn. The burden of every hero. We have a fight. And we will fight together."
Superman looked at Thor enthusiastically.
"I now know what my cousin sees in you, Thor."
"I'm glad you're here," Supergirl told him with a smile. "Because you give me the hope of continuing to believe that anything is possible. You are worthy of an Avenger."
At these words, Thor drew his hammer and spun it like a top. Supergirl looked stunned at the sight of the gun.
"That is…"
"Mjolnir, yeah," Thor replied. "The Monitor brought it back from the past, and even modified it, as I get it. My hammer will be our guide. Although I haven't figured out what he was talking about yet."
He handed his hammer to Kara, and to her surprise, the Girl of Steel held the weapon as easily as she would hold a feather.
"I'm still worthy!"
"I have no trust in Mar Novu," the Asgardian replied. "But if he made Mjolnir come back, I'm happy!"
Supergirl smiles, flattered, while still holding Thor's hammer in her hand.
"You wanted to see me?" ask Mia entering one of the equipment rooms of DEO to find her father waiting for her.
On the table next to him was a large box.
"I did." said Oliver, looking at his daughter. "I have something for you."
He patted her proudly on the box.
Mia smiled and almost started to bounce in excitement.
"What is it?" she asked, trying to hide her excitement out of her voice.
"Only one way to find out." he told her, nodding in the direction of the box.
Hesitantly, Mia opened the box and gasped as she looked inside.
It was a dark suit with dark green shoulders and upper arms. Inside the lid was a bow with an assortment of arrows.
Mia looked at the costume in shock.
"Okay, please tell me you're planning on wearing this." she said to her father in an almost pleading tone.
Oliver replied, embarrassed.
"I don't think that that one would fit me. There should always be at least one Green Arrow." he tells her proudly.
Mia swallowed nervously.
"Dad, I can't." she told him, doubting her dignity.
"You know, Mia, the Monitor has taken a lot from me. But I will always be grateful for the time he has given me with you." said the Earth – 1's archer proudly.
"If you're not gonna wear this, no one should." replied Mia stubbornly.
But Oliver was relentless.
"You earned it." he said to her with finality.
With pride, he looked at his daughter's costume, then turned to Mia again.
"Just try it on, okay? I gotta find Barry."
Then he walked away, while Mia continued to observe the suit. At first hesitant, then she observed him with admiration and pride. But she didn't feel like Green Arrow yet. Could she become?
She heard footsteps behind him. Looking up, she saw Clint come into the room. Archer Avenger gasped in surprise.
"I'm sorry, I thought I was alone," he said embarrassed. "This place is big. It reminds me of SHIELD. What is your name again?"
"Mia," replied the archer.
"Mia, right," the archer nodded with a smile. "My name is Clint Barton."
"I know who you are," replied the young girl. "My mom told me about you. You are the archer of the Avengers."
Clint chuckled in amusement, before retorting:
"Was. Today, I retired to stay with my family. I'm here because the Monitor told me I had a part to play in this whole apocalypse mess. I thought I had seen it all with Thanos, but this… this Crisis is beyond me! (Her gaze fell on the large box Oliver had left for his daughter.) What's in there?"
"My dad gave me this suit, so I could take his place as the Green Arrow," Mia replied, looking at the contents of the box. "I don't know if I deserve it. My dad is a hero, he is the one who should wear it."
Clint looked at Mia's suit in awe before turning his gaze to the archer.
"Kiddo, do you know how to shoot an arrow?"
Mia nodded.
"All my life I have been trained to learn how to fight. I can bow and fight. I am very good."
"If there's one thing I'm sure, it's that if your dad gives you this suit, it's because he has faith in you," Clint said proudly. "Your dad, as I have met him, never does things by coicidences without a good reason. If he thinks you can do it as Green Arrow, then he's right to give you this suit. I think you should try it."
Mia smiled, then looked at Clint excitedly.
"Thank you Mr. Barton!"
Clint chuckled in amusement before retorting:
"Mia, we're heroes. You don't have to be formal, call me Clint. You say you can shoot an arrow? I would like to make you meet my daughter Lila. I'm sure you could teach her some lessons."
Mia squeezed Clint's hand proudly.
"The fastest man alive shows up late to the Crisis we've been expecting for years. It's not the best look, Barry." Oliver screeched as he and Barry stood outside the DEO building to talk.
"Lyla had us doing some recon on the Quantum Towers." Barry replied. "But listen, do you remember the newspaper article I showed you in the time vault? Red skies and a "Crisis"?"
Oliver nodded, he remembered it well, but didn't understand where the supersonic was going.
"Yep?"
"Ok, well, the Monitor confirmed the papers and in this Crisis, I'm supposed to die."
"No," Oliver objected suspiciously.
He couldn't accept the death of Flash.
Barry was confused by Oliver's distrust.
"No?" asked he.
"We need to talk. Now!" he yelled angrily and looking around.
Barry looked around trying to figure out who Oliver was talking to.
"Who are you talking to?" asked Flash, confused.
"Hey, right now!" the archer yelled again.
Suddenly with a flash of light, Oliver is transported to the Monitor's realm.
"We are past the time for discussion, Oliver." retorted Mar Novu in an imposing voice.
But the archer seemed furious.
"You and I had an agreement. I die, Barry and Kara live!" he chuckled as if it was obvious.
The Monitor nodded.
"Yes. To keep the cosmic balance."
Oliver shook his head, confused.
"So, why are you telling Barry that he has to die?"
"I spared your friends' lives so they could save the world last year."
Oliver sighed as he realized that everything he had done thinking he was saving two of the most important people in his life for nothing.
The Monitor continued, bluntly.
"This is a very different threat."
Oliver growled at the omnipresent being.
"You need to stop playing games with me. You tell me why the Anti-Monitor is doing this. And then tell me how I'm going to prevent it."
But Mar Novu still continued with his usual neutral gaze.
"Not knowing what you're fighting for means you will prepare for every possibility. Because this threat brings with it the annihilation of all life in all realities. Do you now comprehend the scope of the danger we now face?"
Oliver continued to watch the Monitor angrily.
Notes:
Thank you for reading and reviewing.
Chapter 5
Notes:
Hi everyone, we continue the story with a new chapter. I learned that Green Arrow and the Canaries has canceled, much to my big disappointment.
I hope you enjoy this chapter, good reading.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Chapter 5
Earth – 38; National City
Like everyone else in National City, Lena Luthor had been shocked at the sight of the red sky, before it suddenly disappeared, and a Tower, appearing out of nowhere, stood near the L-Corp building.
As she stared out the window in amazement, she was visited by Alex. As the DEO's director entered the building, slight shaking shook the building. Once the tremors stopped, Lena spoke up:
"Are you here to arrest me during the apocalypse, or to try and kill me because you weren't successful the other day?"
Given the current circumstances, Alex was shocked at the disdain in Lena's voice.
"I wasn't trying to hurt you, Lena," she replied. "I was trying to stop you from using Myriad."
"Right. Is that why you had a Claymore satellite aimed at me?" Lena said, sitting down at her desk. "And I didn't use Myriad, that was Eve Tessmacher."
Alex had to make an effort to stay calm.
"You and I both know that that isn't true." she retorted.
Then further shocks shook the office in the L-Corp building.
"The reason the sky is red, and the planet feels like it's falling apart is because it is." Alex continued. "There is an anti-matter wave that is tearing through the universe right now, and it will destroy Earth if Kara and the other heroes don't stop it. Now, I am working with J'onn to hedge our bets and mount an evacuation, but in order to do that we need your help. Look, I am sorry that I lied to you. And not just me, and not just Kara it was all of us. J'onn and Brainy and Nia… "
Lena remained neutral before answering sarcastically:
"You know, you actually had me believe that you hated Supergirl."
With remorse, Alex remembered when J'onn had erased her memories with Supergirl to protect her, and she had been hostile to her own sister.
"I wasn't pretending about that." Alex admitted. "And that is a long story. Listen, I I know that you feel burned by us. And that there is nothing that I can say in this moment that is going to change that. But if you could please just put your feelings aside, J'onn and I really, really, need your help."
Lena got up from her chair and walked over to Alex.
"I don't want your apology, Alex. 'Cause you will never again have my friendship or my trust. I have learned my lesson from all of you. But if the world is at stake, then of course, I'll help. It is hubris of you to think that I wouldn't, but then, you've made it perfectly clear how little you've thought of me these last few years, so what do you need me to do?"
Close to the Quantum Tower, Rocket and Groot both walked, looking around, ready to act in case of attacks. But the two Guardians of the Galaxy were nervous.
"I am Groot," the tree muttered in anguish.
"Yup, I'm scared too," Rocket nodded. "I thought we were done with overpowered guys like Ronan and Thanos… But this… This anti-matter and now the Anti-Monitor! I promise you, Groot, we're together on this time! If we lose, we'll lose together! With Quill, Drax, Nebula, the chick with the antenna, even Thor! We are a family and we will fight together."
Groot took his hand and looked at his friend determinedly.
"I am Groot."
Quickly, they were joined by the troop of heroes. Rocket could see Flash, Thor, Supergirl, Superman, Batwoman, Black Panther, Spider-Man, and Atom join the Quantum Tower.
"Whatever is inside there, it's working." Ray commented. "The anti-matter wave has stopped and it's slowly dissipating."
"So we have to protect this Tower if we want this Earth to survive," Thor replied, looking at the gigantic Tower.
"Do you really think we can stop a wave of anti-matter?" Rocket asked, his eyes fixed on the Tower in front of him.
"There is no more red sky, it's okay," Spider-Man replied confidently.
"Not for long," Batwoman added. "How do we protect that thing from an enemy we know nothing about, but we know is coming?"
"We head inside stake out strategic positions." said Green Arrow who joined them, followed by Mia in her new archer's outfit, as well as Clint Barton. "If we're fortified, we control the battle."
"That's a nice plan," Clint agreed.
"I agree," replied Black Panther.
An earthquake stirred the ground.
"Earthquake that magnitude could overwhelm the entire coast," Atom explained.
"The Supers and Thor need to go protect the Tower, while we take care with the enemy on the ground," Clint explained.
"Yes, I agree," agreed Batwoman. (She addressed the two Kryptonians and the Asgardian.) "Go. Help contain the damage."
"Go! We got this." Mia added.
"Good luck Supers!"Spider-Man said.
"Then we've no time to lose!" Thor said, waving his hammer and ax before flying up to the sky.
Then Supergirl and Superman joined him by taking off in their turns, while Flash left in super-speed.
Oliver turned to the heroes who remained.
"Let's go inside and dig in."
"You sound like Cap!" Clint said happily remembering his Avengers missions with Captain America. "Just like old times!"
And the heroes made their way to the Tower.
"I am Groot," Groot announced happily as he stepped into the Tower.
'Yeah Groot, we got this! You wont imitating the green archer!" Rocket muttered, rolling his eyes.
"I am Groot," retorted the tree with a smirk.
"Oh boy!" exclaimed the annoyed raccoon.
Earth – 16; Star City 2046
As they had just exited the elevator to enter Arrow's bunker, Sara noticed how run down the place was. Nature seemed to have reclaimed its rights, and the place seemed abandoned.
"You've gotta be kidding me." Sara replied, looking around.
Lois turned to Shuri and Brainy.
"Are you sure my son's pod landed here?"
"The pod is not here, but your son is somewhere in this place," replied Shuri, who had her tablet in hand and was looking around.
"Three billion, eight hundred and twenty seven million to one. Uh but the pod didn't land here." Brainy retorted.
"That's what I said." Shuri replied, looking at the Coluan with a disapproving look. (Turning to Lois and Sara.) "Using the technology of my Earth's Wakanda, this is where I tracked him. I'm sure he's not far."
"But I can't speculate as to why Oliver Queen would kidnap a baby." Brainy continued, thinking. "Sister of Black Panther, do you have a theory?"
"I am Shuri," replied the wakandan woman with an annoyed look. "And maybe Oliver Queen didn't kidnap a baby, but only put him to safety."
"Very good theory," Sara agreed. "He probably thought he was rescuing him. I mean, Star City is no place for a child."
"Star City of this Earth is not a place for a child," Shuri added, looking at the facility around her.
Lois spoke:
"Well, I'll thank him when I have Jonathan back. In the meantime, we should split up…"
She was interrupted when a pair of arrows popped up out of nowhere and imprisoned the bound Brainy.
"This is unnecessary." He retorted before falling back, immobilized like a statue.
New arrows appeared and Shuri was struck in turn. She was tied up there and thrown to the ground.
As Lois came to help the Coluan and Black Panther's sister, White Canary enlarged her staff and a figure descended a few meters from Sara, who recognized with amazement Oliver Queen in amazement. But that was another Oliver Queen than the one she knew.
"Oliver?"
The archer attacked the young woman, but she dodged him.
"Oliver?"
Her assailant didn't seem to hear her and attacked Sara with his bow.
Immobilized to the ground, Shuri hastened to use a Wakanda tool that she hid in her tunic to cut her ties. As Lois tried to free Brainy, she heard wails that were familiar to her.
"Jonathan?"
Immediately she ran over to her crying baby, while Brainy wriggled all over the place, immobilized on the ground.
Shuri, finally freed, joined him to undo his bonds, while watching Sara fight the archer.
After a while, Sara managed to get her assailant to the ground. The archer raised his head, looking intently at White Canary, then gasped as he removed his hood. It was Oliver Queen's face but older. He looked at Sara, eyes wide in amazement, as if he had just seen a ghost.
"What? No. No, it's not possible. You're dead. You you went down with the Gambit." he exclaimed, looking at the young woman in front of him in shocking disbelief.
"But I came back," Sara replied. "Remember? I found you in Lian Yu."
Oliver closed his eyes, as if he didn't want to believe what he was seeing, but opening them Sara was still there.
Shuri came to meet them, walking slowly. But the archer drew his bow and aimed at the Wakandan woman, who raised her arms in the air in surrender.
Sara intervened to prevent him from attacking the young woman.
"It's okay, Mr. Queen, we have not come to fight you, we are not your enemies," Shuri replied gently.
Oliver lowered his bow, looking at both Shuri and Sara in confusion mingled with amazement.
"I must be losing my mind." Oliver exclaimed stunned.
"No, Ollie, you're not," Sara replied, smiling softly. "Hey. You're not. It's just a long story. The longest."
Then the baby's crying started again. The three of them turned to see Lois cradling her son tenderly against her.
"We have not come to attack you, Mr. Queen," Shuri clarified. "We just came to bring this baby back to his parents."
"Thank you Oliver," Lois said smiling at the archer and holding her baby against her. "Thank you for helping my baby."
Shuri smiled at the archer upon seeing Jonathan in his mother's arms.
Earth – 38; National City
The group of heroes stepped into the rubble from which the Tower had emerged. Green Arrow, Clint and Mia had deployed their bows and were ready for any threats. Behind them, Atom, Batwoman, Spider-Man and Black Panther stepped forward cautiously.
"So, what is this? The proverbial calm before the storm?" Mia asked, keeping her eyes peeled around.
"Something like that," Green Arrow replied, nodding.
"Too bad this Tower doesn't have a security," Clint said, looking around.
"I have a bad feeling about this." retorted Spider-Man, ready for any threats.
"We have to stay focused on protecting the Tower," Black Panther said.
Green Arrow whispered to his daughter:
"Remember, Mia, whatever happens find your mother. Tell her how much I love her."
Mia nodded, while Clint turned to her.
"Mia, whatever happens to me, tell my wife and kids that I love them," he whispered.
"I hope I don't have to," the archer replied nervously.
"Hey, guys," Spider-Man said. "Sorry to interrupt your tearful promises, but something coming up. And a big lot."
Then the heroes then saw outside the windows, a whole multitude of shadow forms that floated in the air like ghosts.
"Okay," Mia swallowed nervously. "When Lyla said an army, I thought she meant an army."
"She did," Green Arrow replied, staying focused on the enemy. "It's just that we've never faced one like this before."
The three archers brandished their bows, ready to shoot arrows at the shadow army. T'Challa closed his Black Panther helmet and extended his claws.
"Holy crap!" Spider-Man exclaimed. "Dementors! Is Harry Potter here on this Earth? Because we would really need a very, very big Patronus!"
A few feet from them, Rocket and Groot walked through the rubble, their eyes peeled around, and saw an army of demons arrive to their encounters. The raccoon brandishes his blaster straight in front of him.
"Groot, we've company!"he exclaimed. (He screamed at the retreating army of shadows.) "Come and get some, space ghosts! Come on, get some!"
Groot clenched his fists with a fierce look and stretched out his great arms.
"I am Groot!"
Notes:
Thank you for reading and reviewing!
Chapter 6
Notes:
Hello everyone, we are now in the battle phase on Earth – 38. Hope you enjoy this chapter.
Good reading!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Chapter 6
Earth – 38; National City
The battle began. Shadow Demons appeared from the windows and came to attack the heroes, who stood in a circle. Oliver, Mia, and Clint shot arrows at them all over the place. Batwoman hurled her batarangs at those who approached her.
Black Panther was running at full speed. He kicked back a Shadow Demon, then leaped over a mound of rubble. Another Demon attempted to intercept him, but Black Panther slalomed between his enemies who all attempted to bring him down. The Wakandan king punched the ground which released all the kinetic energy absorbed by his armor. Immediately, the Shadow Demons collapsed. Then a few new Demons floated around him. Black Panther stretched out his claws and fired projectiles at his enemies, annihilating them.
"Thank you Shuri," he said.
Spider-Man hovered above the heroes with his webs and fired several spider web projectiles, neutralizing the Shadow Demons.
"Expecto Patronum!" the young hero yelled, firing his projectiles at his enemies.
Atom, who was on the ground with the heroes, fired several lasers at the Demons.
""One army." She said, "One army."It's more like ten!" he exclaimed, shooting his enemies.
Still focused, Mia shot several arrows around her, destroying the Shadow Demons. Close to her was Clint who did the same.
Mia had just done an excellent archery on a dark creature.
"Very nice!" Green Arrow complimented her, shooting an arrow at a demon.
As she continued to fight, Mia smiled.
"Learned from the best!"
But their conversation was interrupted when a whole multitude of Shadow Demons appeared out of nowhere and rushed towards them.
"Take cover!" Green Arrow shouted at his allies. "Spider-Man, get down and take cover!"
Instantly, the heroes ran and leaped over the rubble for protection. Soon they were separated with Oliver, Mia, Clint, Spider-Man and Black Panther on one side and Ray and Batwoman on the other.
"They're trying to breach the Tower." Mia said, watching the Demons approach.
"Well, we can't let that happen!" Oliver said, shooting several arrows from the rubble where they had taken refuge.
Clint shot several arrows at his enemies, while Black Panther pulled his claws at the Demons. Spider-Man stood nearby, feeling helpless. His webs were not very effective against Shadow Demons.
"There's too many of them! We would need a big Patronus," he said.
"Focus, Peter, we aren't in Harry Potter!" grumbled Green Arrow, shooting several arrows.
"The kid makes a good point, Queen, there's too many!"Clint added.
As they stayed safe in the rubble, Batwoman turned to Ray.
"I'll take that upgrade now." she said, reminding Ray of his offer earlier.
Atom turned to her, hesitating.
"Oh, uh, if I can have one of those without losing an appendage." he asked politely.
"Mmm-hmm." the batwoman replied, handing him one of her batarangs.
As he held Batwoman's weapon, Ray couldn't help but squeeze his inventive side out of him.
"Oh, so cool! Incredibly balanced. Carbon fiber?"
"Your friend talks a lot." Mia exclaimed to her father.
"He sound like my sister," Black Panther added.
"He reminds me of Tony!" Clint added.
"Yeah, you get used to it." Green Arrow replied, shrugging his shoulders. "Hey, Ray, focus!"
"Focusing." Atom replied, working the Batarang on his glove. "Now, if we can just charge your Batarang with my compressed light energy…"
"Incoming!" Batwoman exclaimed, snatching the gun from her and leaping over the rubble barrier.
She threw down her weapon, sending the Batarang through three Demons at once. Then the gun returned to Batwoman's hand, who smirked at Ray.
"Not bad!"
Green Arrow had leapt out of the rubble barrier and again fired several arrows destroying the Demons. His daughter and Clint joined him, while shooting several arrows at their enemies.
Then a Shadow Demon took Oliver by surprise, slamming him to the ground, causing him to lose his bow. As the dark creature rushed towards the defenseless Green Arrow, Mia aimed her bow at her.
"DAD!"
And she fired an arrow that destroyed the shadow.
Oliver nodded at his daughter in gratitude, while Mia smiled proudly before spotting another Demon rushing towards Clint, who had just been thrown to the ground.
Mia then changed course and reached the archer of the Avengers.
"CLINT, GET DOWN!"
Clint lowered his head to the ground, as Mia fired an arrow that passed right over the archer and hit his target, destroying the Demon.
The archer stood up, smiling gratefully at Mia. He turned to Green Arrow.
"Hey, Queen, I like your daughter," he said to his friend.
Mia handed them their bows, then peered outside, where a whole army of Shadow Demons hovered in front of the Tower.
"You were right, there's too many of them!" exclaimed Green Arrow.
"How can we stop an army like that?" Spider-Man said, joining them.
It was then that Supergirl, Thor and Superman landed very close to them. Then Flash burst out of nowhere at super speed.
"You want some help?" suggested the speedster.
Then it was Rocket and Groot who ran up to them. The raccoon was shooting the Demons with his blaster, and Groot stretched out his arms to stab multiple creatures at once.
"Can we help you, guys?" Rocket said proudly showing his gun.
"I am Groot!" Groot muttered, proud of himself.
"There's no need for panic. Supergirl and Superman are working hard to save this planet. Soon, alien ships will begin circling the globe, picking people up and taking you to safety." spoke the voice Nia Nal alias Dreamer, one friends of Kara, on a building as the ships disembarked to evacuate the gathered civilians.
The Benatar, the famous Guardians of the Galaxy starship, guided alien ships on trajectories in space, far from the wave of anti-matter.
Peter Quill, aka Star-Lord, was on the ground, guiding people to the pods. He was joined by Dreamer.
"Are you Star-Lord?" she asked.
"I am and are you Dreamer? Supergirl's friend?" asked the Guardian of the Galaxy.
"What's the situation?" asked the hero girl in blue.
"Well, we're making progress. Rocket warned me about the anti-matter wave. But we need a better idea. Space is being swallowed up by this fucking wave!"
"Alex and Lena are working on a portal that could bring everyone to Earth – 1," Dreamer replied.
"I hope this portal will appear soon," Quill replied anxiously. "Because according to Rocket, the wave will soon consume this planet. And we have billions of people to evacuate."
"I just hope J'onn can get enough ships. That's why Brainy left J'onn his keys."
"Keys to what?"
A hum came to answer his question. A beautifully smooth white ship, which was much larger than all the other ships put together. It was the ship of the Legion of Superheroes. Stunned, Star-Lord gazed at the gigantic ship above his head.
"My ship looks so tiny compared to that!" he exclaimed, amazed.
"It's the Legion ship," Dreamer replied.
An earthquake shook everyone, knocking people over. Quill and Dreamer tried to stand.
"Right on time, J'onn," Dreamer said into her headset. "Are you ready to get this evacuation underway?"
"Start getting people into groups and I'll start beaming them up." J'onn said at the controls of the Legion ship. "Let's just hope Alex and Lena get that portal on in time so we have somewhere to go."
"All right," Quill replied. (Addressing the large crowd gathered around him.) "Okay, people, let's get into to the ship! Go ahead! This way!"
Then he and Dreamer led the people to the large ship.
From the sky, the Guardians of the Galaxy, piloting the Benatar, had their eyes fixed on the Legion ship.
"This ship is so big!" Mantis exclaimed.
"When the time comes, I'll take it!" Drax said lustfully. "That will be my ship!"
"Hey," Nebula said angrily. "I remind you that there is a wave of anti-matter that will soon destroy this planet. We must hurry to save these people and get us far away from here!"
At L-Corp, Alex and Lena worked hard. Lena was focused in front of her computer screen developing the portal that could save the inhabitants of Earth – 38 from destruction.
"The Quantum Tower is keeping the wave at bay. Supergirl is…" said Alex before being interrupted by an earthquake.
She continued:
"…fighting really hard to protect it, but we've got to get this portal up and running."
Lena groaned in panic in frustration.
"I'm trying! But the transmatter portal works by synthesizing polyelectronic anions. And if I don't get the energy levels right when I interface with the breach device, then the ships will disintegrate when they fly right through it."
Alex sighed miserably.
"Right. That is not a good option."
Lena shook her head as she continued to work.
"No." she said in an equally simple tone.
Then Alex had a thought.
"Have you thought about using an inverse variable to help calculate the differential?" she suggested helpfully.
Lena finally looked up from her work to look at Alex as if she should have thought about it sooner.
"Galleon's theory." added the DEO director.
Lena nodded as she was hopeful.
"That's smart. An inverse beta-decay to figure constituent quark, that could work."
Both women gasped as the earth shook again, causing Lena to fall only for Alex to catch up with her.
"Thanks." Lena said gratefully before returning to her work.
"Yeah, um, just keep working." Alex replied.
Earth – 16; Star City 2046
"I never thought I'd see you again." said Oliver from Earth – 16 to Sara.
"One of the benefits of parallel Earths." White Canary explained.
Oliver frowned in incomprehension.
"Parallel Earths?" He looked thoughtful for a moment before speaking again. "It would appear that your reality is a little stranger than mine."
"You really have no idea?" Sara asked, noticing this Oliver's confusion.
The archer shook his head sadly, it almost looked like he had lost a loved one.
"All my life… I just wanted to… to apologize for bringing you on that boat. But you aren't even you."
Deeply saddened, Sara walked towards him with great gentleness.
"Ollie, if your me was anything like I was, then getting on the Gambit with you was her choice. And in my world, that trip it set off a whole series of events that neither you or I could've ever dreamed of. You became a hero, a husband, a father."
Oliver had tears in his eyes as he listened to his friend tell him about the man he was on another Earth. Sara continued gently:
"And I'm flying through time happier than I've ever been. And none of that would've ever happened if I didn't get on that boat with you. (She put her hand on the archer's shoulder.) It was destiny."
Finally, Oliver of Earth – 16 seemed to be filled with hope for a better world, and a better future for him.
Then Brainy and Shuri joined them.
"I'm sorry to break up what I'm sure must be the strangest reunion in the history of the world…" said Brainy.
"…But if we don't leave now, our extrapolator might not have enough power for us to return home." Shuri finished.
"All right," Sara replied.
"Wait, what's an extrapolator?" Oliver asked, confused.
"It's a device that allows us to travel between several parallel Earths," explained Black Panther's sister. "It's very complex, but for a simple definition, this is it! Sara, we have to go now."
"Yeah, yeah," White Canary replied, before looking at Oliver again. "You're a good man on every Earth."
She gave him a kiss on the face, and stroked his face. And she joined Shuri, Brainy and Lois who were holding Jonathan in her arms. And the group left Earth – 16.
Earth – 38; National City
The heroes of the Three Earths continued to fight the Shadow Demons. Thor had thrown Mjolnir straight in front of him, immediately the hammer flew, passed through all the Demons in its path, causing them to disappear before returning to the hand of the Asgardian. Flash rushed in at super speed, and made the last Demons disappear.
"Is that it?" he exclaimed, surprised.
"Like that was easy?" Supergirl asked incredulously.
"It doesn't, there's still a job to do." Thor retorted.
"Thor's right, they're on the roof." Atom replied, looking at the sensors in his suit.
Then the Tower burst with a sudden surge of electricity. The sky turned red again over National City.
The wave of anti-matter was approaching dangerously close to Earth.
"Look, the sky is red again!"Spider-Man exclaimed in an anguished voice. "It means that the Tower is dead!"
"It must have lost some of its power," Black Panther said. "There must be a way to recharge it!"
"What's happening out there?"Alex's voice said to their communicators. "The skies are red again, the anti-matter wave's moving, and the portal isn't open yet!"
"And others Dementors are coming!" Spider-Man added, gazing outside.
Several dark creatures were flying. Few millions.
"These Shadow Demons are thousands, even more," Mia added.
"I am Groot," Groot muttered, his eyes wide at the sight of the large number of Demons.
"I couldn't kill them all with my gun," Rocket pointed out in fear. "Thor? The Supers?"
"Oh God!" Clint exclaimed in horror.
Oliver turned to the two Kryptonians and the God of Thunder.
"Kara, Clark, Thor, get to the roof! Get the tower operational again. We'll stay behind and hold them off!"
Immediately, Supergirl and Superman flew away. Thor waved his ax and hammer and flew away, joining the two cousins.
All three flew to reach the top of the Tower. A few panels surrounded the roof of the Quantum Tower. Thor used Mjolnir and Stormbreaker to summon lightning to stay in the sky.
"Are those solar panels?" Supergirl asked.
"Looks close enough," Superman replied. "We won't be able to power it definitely."
"We just need to buy more time." explained the Girl of Steel. "We might lose the planet, but we can still save the people."
"Kara, Kal, I have an idea," Thor said, his body bulging with lightning. "Use your heat visions on me! On my hammer and my ax! If we combine our powers, we could power the Tower long enough to save everyone on Earth."
"What a wonderful idea, Thor! Let's do that!" Kara exclaimed.
Then Superman fired his heat vision at Thor's ax, while Supergirl shot her heat vision on Mjolnir. Thor drew lightning from the sky, knocked Stormbreaker and Mjolnir together, and, with the heat visions of the two Super Cousins, produced a powerful blast of electricity which he aimed at the panels of the Quantum Tower.
Back at L-Corp, Lena was still working on the portal with Alex's help.
"You almost got it?" the DEO director asked, wanting to save as many people as possible quickly.
"Almost done, I think." Lena replied hopefully.
On her computer, she could see the systems turn on.
"Yes, systems are a go." the Luthor woman announced. "Calculating destination destination set. (She turned to Alex with a proud smile.) Smart call with Galleon's theory."
Alex replied shyly:
"Oh, lucky guess. But you're the real genius here, so…"
"Don't mistake us working together for friendship." replied Lena smirk. "I told you before, Kara and you showed me who you were and I accept that. Now, let's go help people get on these ships."
In the sky, Supergirl, Superman, and Thor combined their powers to power the Quantum Tower. Supergirl drew her heat vision on Mjolnir, as Superman drew his power on Stormbreaker. Thor, his body and his whole face bulging with lightning, threw an immense lightning on the panels of the Tower. Eyes crackling with lightning, Thor let out a long roar and used his two weapons with his powers and those of the Kryptonians on the Tower.
"Come… on…" he roared between his teeth. "Come on!"
Suddenly, Superman stopped, losing his strength. Supergirl struggled to stay strong and continued to shoot her heat vision on Thor's two weapons. Then finally gave in and fell into the void.
Thor stopped his thunderbolt and flew off to catch up with the Girl of Steel before she crashed to the ground.
Flash joined them in super speed. Then Atom and Superman.
"That was too close for comfort." said the speedster.
"Always gotta one-up me, huh?" added Superman.
"She's great," Thor retorted, smiling at his friend.
"Thanks Thor," Supergirl replied. (Turning to the Tower.) "Did it work?"
Atom looked at the sensors on his suit.
"You did it. The tower is working again and the portal is open."
At his words, the sky turned blue again.
Ray continued:
"Uh, but the ships better be fast. Your charge didn't actually stop the wave, it just slowed it down. According to Brainy's algorithm, we have 14 minutes before it makes contact with Earth."
"Well, then we better make every minute count," Supergirl said.
"Let's use this limited time to save all this people," Thor added.
Then, they were joined by Rocket, Groot, Black Panther, Green Arrow, Mia, Clint, Batwoman and Spider-Man.
"We've got your back." Black Panther said, walking towards them.
"We need to keep those shadow demons at bay until every last ship gets through," Green Arrow added, walking towards them.
Then turning around, all the heroes saw a swarm of Shadow Demons, flying like a swarm of bees, heading towards them.
"Tallyho!" Spider-Man whispered.
"Here we go, ghosts of space!" Rocket roared, brandishing his blaster.
As the heroes fought to save them, ordinary citizens panicked as Alex, Lena, Dreamer, Kelly, and Star-Lord tried to get as many people as possible onto the ships.
"All right, get to the ships!" Dreamer said, guiding civilians to a space craft. "Keep your eyes open for debris, people!"
"Keep it orderly, people. Come on." Lena yelled to make herself heard.
Kelly noticed that a woman had panicked and a young man was trying to pick her up, but a piece of concrete had broken in the shake and fell towards them. They would have been run over if Kelly hadn't run forward, crouched down on top of them and raised her arm above her head. As the stone came closer, the young woman revealed a shield capable of protecting civilians from the debris.
Once saved, the couple fled as Kelly stared at Alex who was watching her.
She smiles at him.
"James left it for me." she said with a smirk, which Alex shared.
On the roof, the thirteen heroes battled an endless swarm of Shadow Demons. Arrows were fired, coming from Green Arrow, Mia and Clint. Thor whirled his two weapons and used them to destroy as many Demons as possible. Flash was speeding through, passing several creatures in the process. Batwoman used her fists and batarangs on Demons. Spider-Man used his fists and cobwebs to repel the enemy. Black Panther ran like a wild animal and attacked demons with his powerful claws. Rocket was shooting the Demons with his blaster. Groot made his arms grow into branches and pierced several dark creatures. Atom fired several lasers at the enemy. Supergirl and Superman used their heat visions on the Shadow Demons.
In the midst of the battle, Supergirl found herself fighting alongside Thor. She eliminated a group of Demons with a hammer throw. At the same time, Thor hurled the Stormbreaker at other opponents. The two heroes then reached out and collected their weapons.
Thor inherited Mjolnir, while Supergirl recovered the Stormbreaker.
"No, no, Kara, give me that," Thor demanded, slightly offended. "You have the little one." *
With a roll of her eyes, Supergirl tossed Stormbreaker at her, and retrieved Mjölnir.
The enemy was easy to repel. But more Demons fell and more rushed forth.
"I've the feeling that the more we kill, the more they multiply," Spider-Man commented.
Suddenly Mar Novu appeared on the rooftop battlefield.
"The battle is lost! We must retreat and save our resources for battles yet to come."
"No!" Thor yelled in rage, using his ax to destroy a Demon. "We have to save everyone! We have to! All of these people must be evacuated."
But the Monitor ignored the Asgardian and waved his fingers.
As Batwoman fought with her weapons, she gone into an interdimensional breach. Then it was Atom's turn.
"What are you doing?" Thor exclaimed stunned and furious. "Stop, don't do that! DON'T DO THAT!"
Then it was the two Kryptonians who disappeared. Next, Rocket and Groot. And also Spider-Man and Black Panther in their turn, under the horrified gaze of Thor, who screamed at the cosmic being:
"STOP! DON'T DO THAT! NO! NO! DON'T DO…"
And a breach swept him away.
The Monitor turned to Oliver, Mia, Clint and Flash. Mar Novu gestured with his fingers, immediately Hawkeye and Mia disappeared in their turn.
A Demon jostled the Earth – 1's archer. Flash wanted to help him.
"Oliver! Oli..."
But he in turn disappeared into a breach.
Only Green Arrow remained, facing the army of Shadow Demons.
"Oliver! It's time!" said Mar Novu.
Green Arrow then turned to him.
"Has the planet been evacuated yet?"
"Not entirely." replied the Monitor.
Oliver shook and said in an imposing voice:
"Then it's not time!"
He shot an arrow that neutralized Mar Novu, immobilizing him. Taking advantage of his respite, Green Arrow resumed combat with the Shadow Demons, now alone.
He fought alone on a battlefield with his bow and arrows. But alas, the Demons, too numerous, jostled him and threw him into the debris. Oliver ends up losing his arrows, leaving his bow as a weapon.
He saw the cloud of Shadow Demons rushing towards him. Resigned to his fate, Oliver let go of his bow, and ran towards the enemy with a howl of rage, like a fierce warrior.
As the ships made their way to the portal, the sky turned red again. On board the Benatar, Quill had taken control of the ship. Nebula came to the cockpit screaming:
"Quill! We have to leave this planet right now! It's too late! If we don't go to the transmatter portal, the wave of anti-matter will consume us! We have to get out of here, now!"
"I am," Star-Lord replied, activating the ship's controls.
The Benatar went through the portal, as did the last ship. The Quantum Tower collapsed.
And the wave of anti-matter came and took everything in its path.
And the Earth – 38 disappeared…
Notes:
Thank you for reading and reviewing!
* A small reference to Avengers Endgame.Thanks to DarkerEvening of Fanfiction.net for this idea!
Chapter 7
Notes:
Hey everyone. Sorry, I'm late, I was distracted by the first two episodes of the WandaVision series! I loved watching it knowing that the plot of this series will impact future Doctor Strange and Spider-Man films. I share you this new chapter! Good reading !
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Chapter 7
Earth – 1; Star City
After a fierce battle, all the heroes had found themselves, despite themselves, in Star City. Specifically in Arrow's bunker, from what Flash could recognize.
The Monitor had appeared in the same spot, setting Oliver down, dying on a table covered with a sheet. Flash, Mia, Spider-Man and Clint were the first to join him. Then came Supergirl, Thor, Superman, and Black Panther. All could see in horror the bloody face of the archer. He seemed barely conscious and was struggling to stay awake.
"Oliver!" Barry exclaimed, horrified.
Spider-Man removed his mask, revealing the face of Peter Parker, upset.
"Oliver, you okay? How do you feel? he asked, shocked to see the hurt face of the one he considered a hero.
Thor looked at Oliver, horrified, unable to utter a word.
Mar Novu said with a sad look:
"He fought to his last breath. Knowing every moment was another life saved."
"Saved?" Supergirl asked, panting in horror.
"Your universe is no more," the Monitor continued. "Of 7.53 billion, 3 billion souls made it to Earth – 1 on the armada of ships. I calculate 1 billion souls survived due to his noble sacrifice."
With tears in her eyes, Mia looked at Mar Novu, before turning her attention to her dying father.
Clint was as horrified as he was stunned.
"Sacrifice?" he stammered before looking at the dying archer again. "Oliver! Oliver! You have to fight again…"
Shaking his head, he observed the cosmic being again.
"He can't die! He can't! The Crisis isn't over! We need him! Really, you can't save him?
Even Peter looked at the Monitor with a pleading look. Desperate, this moment reminded him of Tony Stark's death. Would he still see a friend die?
Mar Novu looked at the heroes with a sorry look.
"I can't. I'm sorry."
A feeling of hopelessness invades Spider-Man. It was as if he couldn't breathe anymore. Oliver Queen was really going to die?
Thor stared at the Monitor in rage.
"You can't save him? Why did you bring us here? Why did you get us leave Earth – 38? Why did you do it?"
"I had to do," the Monitor replied simply. "The survival of the Multiverse depends on all of you. You had to get out!"
The Asgardian squeezed his hand tightly on his ax as if he wanted to use it to strike Mar Novu.
"This is your fault!" said Thor with fury. "If you hadn't get us go, we could have saved everyone and Oliver wouldn't be here dying! It's your fault!"
"Thor, calm down," Superman told him calmly.
Peter looked at the dying archer with tears in his eyes, unable to accept another loss in his life.
There was a flash of golden light. The heroes of Earth from the Avengers looked at him in confusion, while the others could see the face of Harrison Wells in a dark green outfit. Flash knew it could only be Nash Wells.
"Nash?" he exclaimed, intrigued by the new Harrison Wells lookalike outfit.
But the latter shook his head.
"Once upon a time, not anymore. Now, I'm simply a man serving his penance." he told them simply.
"What are you talking about?" T'Challa asked, confused.
"Penance for what?" Superman added.
"I freed the Anti-Monitor from his confinement only to… become a… Pariah. Sentenced to bear witness to his actions." Nash continued, or rather Pariah, with a calm, guilty and worrying look.
Before either of the heroes could say a word, an interdimensional breach appeared in the bunker. Then Sara, Lois, Shuri and Brainy emerged from it. Relieved, Superman saw his wife holding her sleeping son in her arms. They came to meet, as Shuri joined her brother T'Challa with a look of anguish.
"Brother!" she exclaimed, shocked. "You're safe!"
The Wakandan king took his sister in his arms, speaking to her calmly.
"It's okay, Shuri, I'm fine."
Stunned, the young Wakandan woman showed him her tablet.
"The Earth – 38 is gone," she explained. "The wave of anti-matter completely consumed it. And nothing remains at all. It's as if it never existed! (She noticed Supergirl was watching them. She turned to her.) I'm so sorry!"
Supergirl was devastated by the loss of her Earth, her home. Then returned her attention to Oliver. Sara joined them, saddened by seeing the state of Green Arrow.
"Oliver?"
"It's okay, Sara." Oliver said, moaning weakly. "This is my destiny!"
"No, Oliver," Peter sobbed, his eyes teary. "It's not gonna end this way! I need you! We need you!"
Despite his agony, Oliver struggled to look at the young Avenger.
"You fought well again, Spider-Man… Tony Stark would have been proud of you… You don't need anyone… to be an Avenger or a hero… you are…"
"Oliver," Flash said at his friend's bedside.
"Barry? You, my friend, are the very best of us. I gave it all up for you and Kara. "
Supergirl brought tears to her eyes at the words, as Barry looked confused.
"What-what do you mean?" he exclaimed.
"I need the two of you to be the ones to save us." Oliver replied weakly.
Barry and Kara looked at each other, stunned at the idea that Green Arrow had placed all his hopes in them. Thor observed the two heroes, then returned his gaze to Oliver, shaking his head unwilling to lose another friend.
Oliver tried to stay awake.
"Clint?"
"Oliver," the Avengers archer whispered, putting his hand gently on the dying hero's shoulder.
"Take care of your family," Oliver told him."You're a good man, Clint! Be one Nat saw in you!"
Clint nodded, tears in his eyes.
"Mia?" Oliver said again.
"Dad," his daughter replied, tears in her eyes as she took her hand.
"Don't forget to find your mother..."
"OK," Mia agreed, crying.
"Find William," Oliver continued, struggling to stay awake. "Tell him how much I love him. I love you, Mia. You keep me in your heart, OK?"
"Dad," Mia whispered distraught, tears in her eyes.
And Oliver Queen died under the shocked gaze of our heroes. Sara looked away. Barry, Kara, and Thor seemed motionless in sadness, unable to say a word. Peter collapsed in tears. Shuri held her brother's hand, distraught at the sight of Green Arrow's lifeless body.
"It was not supposed to be like this."continued the Monitor, his gaze lost. "This is not his ending that I foresaw."
Everyone looked at him, dumbfounded. Thor gazed at Mar Novu with a look of rage.
"Things are turning out differently than expected." Pariah added in a deep, worrying voice. "But one thing is certain. Everything we know, everything there is, and everything there ever was… is doomed."
A feeling of stupor mixed with horror and anguish passed through the group of heroes. Shuri hugged T'Challa. Then, without a word, Barry, Mia, and Thor stared at Oliver's lifeless body again.
Mia finally sobbed and Clint hugged her, crying too. Peter joined them, took the shoulder of Green Arrow's daughter and sobbed in turn. They had lost a hero. And all their worlds were doomed…
Notes:
Thank you for reading and reviewing
Hope I did a good job of showing the sadness of all the heroes, including those in the MCU. Even Spider-Man will be greatly affected by Green Arrow's death in the next few chapters.
Chapter 8
Notes:
Hello, here is a new chapter. I started the second part of the crossover.
Good reading.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Chapter 8
Earth of the Avengers; Wakanda
In Wakanda, the sky was still red, calm had returned. But it was a brief respite. Since Pariah's forecast, T'Challa and Shuri had returned to Wakanda from their Earth, in order to evacuate their people. The Wakanda Royal Guard was organizing civilians and preparing them to bring them into a new destination: Earth – 1.
"Do you think this is the right solution?" asked Okoye, puzzled as she saw the crowd of people gathered.
"According to the Monitor, Earth – 1 is the Earth farthest from the path of the anti-matter wave," Shuri explained. "If we want to save our people, this is the only way."
"We are witnessing the end of Wakanda," the black warrior declared solemnly.
T'Challa joined them with a determined look.
"No, this isn't the end of Wakanda. Our Earth may be doomed, but that won't be the end of our history. As long as our people live, Wakanda will continue to exist, no matter what Earth we are in. Wakanda is not a place, it's us. And as long as we live in this Crisis, Wakanda will have a future, no matter what. (Speaking to Okoye.) Gather all the civilians, so the portals can lead them to Earth – 1. We evacuate the whole town. Once that is done, we will send our jets flying over the whole world and we will come to help all the other inhabitants of the Earth to evacuate."
"Brother, do you know that it's impossible to evacuate an entire planet?"Shuri pointed out nervously.
"I know that," replied the King Wakandan. "But we have to save as many people as we can. We still don't know when the wave will reach our Earth, so we must act without further delay."
"Kumkani," Okoye greeted before leaving for the job.
Then T'Challa turned to his sister.
"The Monitor asked me to send you to Earth – 1. Apparently, your presence is required with the heroes of this Earth. To be able to help stop the Crisis."
Stunned, Shuri shook her head.
"I can't go," she told him. "Our people need me! I cannot abandon you…"
Black Panther put his hands on his sister's shoulders.
"You won't! I can handle the evacuation of our home, your presence is unnecessary. You must help where you are useful. Go to Earth – 1 and help others stop this Crisis. By doing this, you will help our people on this Earth. I trust you, Shuri. (He gave her an extrapolator.) Go! Help our people on Earth – 1."
Still apprehensive, Shuri picked up the device, looking at her brother in concern.
"We'll meet again, Shuri. Once our people are safe, I'll come back to you," T'Challa reassured his sister with hope.
Earth – 1; Central City
At Star Labs, Kara, Kate and Sara were having drinks while mourning the loss of Oliver Queen. In front of them stood the Guardians of the Galaxy, Star-Lord, Drax, Mantis, Nebula, Rocket and Groot who drank in memory of the fallen hero. They had saved the inhabitants of a parallel Earth, but at a heavy price to pay.
As Groot wanted to drink, Rocket snatched his glass from his hand.
"No, too young for you," the raccoon replied. "Do as I say, I said no!"
"I am Groot," the young tree muttered angrily.
"Language!"
Ignoring the Guardians of the Galaxy, Sara helped herself to a drink.
"Never thought we'd be pouring one out for Oliver."
"We're not gonna wait for Barry?" Kara asked.
"I don't think he's ready to say good-bye." Kate replied.
The Guardians of the Galaxy raised their glasses to toast.
"To Oliver Queen!" Star-Lord declared before taking a sip.
There was a silence, then Sara spoke again:
"So anybody want to say some words for Oliver?"
"He sacrificed himself for me and Barry. Shouldn't have done that." Kara said, lowering her head with a guilty look.
"His sacrifice saved a billion more people." Sara pointed out. "Let's not call that a mistake. Look. Oliver died the way he lived, a hero."
And at her words, she took a sip from her glass.
Kate remained silent, staring at the two women, then the Guardians of the Galaxy in front of her, and spoke in turn:
"Not to rush a tender moment, but I think the Multiverse is ending soonish, so No."
Immediately, Rocket joined the three women, and came to stand on their table.
"The Batwoman is right. We must find a way to stop this anti-matter from destroying the Multiverse!"
Sara raised her eyebrows.
"And I guess you have a plan, furball?"
"Don't call me furball, Miss Cap Legend!" the raccoon exclaimed in a fit of rage.
Not wanting the situation to escalate, Kara intervened.
"What if we could undo what happened? We managed to get billions of people to safety. There has to be a way we can undo this. Oliver, my mom, Argo, Earth ugh all those Earths, all those people who vanished. There has to be a way we can get them back… We were able to bring everyone back when Thanos snapped his fingers. With or without Infinity Stones, we can undo what happened!"
"At least one who is optimistic!" Rocket said with an encouraging look at Kara.
"And how can we bring back entire worlds without Infinity Stones?" Quill asked, rising from the table to join the three women.
"Or we focus on stopping it from happening to every other universe." suggested Sara not very optimistic.
There was a great burst of light and Lyla aka Harbiner appeared behind the groups.
"Oh, hey," Sara said. "Welcome to the joy zone…"
Rocket and Quill groaned lightly at this, but Sara resumed as if nothing had happened:
"Where's Dig?"
"At home with JJ," Harbinger replied. "He still doesn't know about Oliver."
"Lyla, you…" said the young Lance, shocked.
"I know. I just I need to figure out," answered the woman in blue. "how to tell him."
Then loud voices burst into the room. Sara recognized Ray's in it.
"You can't just hijack the Waverider. Our crew is still on there…"
Ray Palmer had just arrived with Mar Novu by his side.
"If there is any chance at surviving the Crisis, we need its technology." the cosmic being replied.
"Hoo. Yeah. I kind of promised our crew they'd never have to do another crossover." Sara replied, embarrassed.
Rocket looked stunned.
"Wait a minute! Really? The Multiverse will soon gone and your teammates won't even lift a finger to help us? And they say that we are the worst heroes that exist?"
And he laughed, which annoyed Sara.
"Shut up, furball!" she replied.
But Rocket laughed even more.
"I can't even imagine another superhero team as worse than them!"
Groot looked amused, but Quill, seeing that Sara was furious, wanted to calm the rodent.
"Rocket, stop it, you're not helping!"
Kate looked at the heroes troop, frowning.
"Seriously, are you really the Guardians of the Galaxy?"
"Yes, it's really amazing!" Nebula muttered disdainfully from her corner, as if this conflict didn't involve her.
"It's better than being called the Legends of Tomorrow!" said Rocket again, laughing.
"I am Groot," replied the young tree proudly.
"Groot, don't overdo it," Quill retorted. (Then he addressed the raccoon.) "Rocket, I remind you that I'm the captain. You are just a backpack!"
"I thought it the captain was the little rodent," Kate retorted surprised.
"And you call me a rodent, Batwoman?" Rocket replied.
"Honestly, guys, how did you manage to stay alive all this time?" Kate exclaimed stunned.
"It's a very good question," replied Nebula.
"With the dance-off to save the universe," Drax replied.
"The dance-off?" replied the hero woman of Gotham, more and more confused.
"Enough, please!" Star-Lord grew angry. (Then he turned to Harbinger and the Monitor.) "If you want a ship, I can make ours available to you."
"No, we need the Waverider," Mar Novu retorted.
"Why the ship of these Legends idiots?" Rocket exclaimed.
Sara was about to reply sternly, when Lyla spoke up.
"We need the Ray's lab. Yours doesn't. And we have an entire multiverse of Waveriders at our disposal."
"So, pretty blue lady, where are we…" said Rocket.
But Harbinger was gone before he could finish his sentence.
"…going? All right," the raccoon stammered.
Earth – 74
Harbinger appeared inside a rather rusty Waverider vessel that looked like it hadn't been used for a long time. As she walked, she fell on some beer bottles and the command center immediately lit up.
"Is anyone here?"
"Welcome aboard. My name is Leonard," answered an interactive voice."An interactive, artificial consciousness programmed to operate this vessel's critical systems."
"I know who you are." Lyla said.
Leonard's voice was identical to that of Leonard Snart, aka Captain Cold, a former criminal turned Legend who had sacrificed himself to save his teammates.
"Always pleased to meet a fan," the voice said. "But you're trespassing. Any preference on how you'd like to die?"
Then, it was then that a man appeared behind Harbinger. A man appearing to be a Mick Rory's doppelganger. The man immediately threatened her with his gun.
"What he's saying…" said the man, growling. "… is flame…"(He drew his flaming gun.) "Or frost!" (With his other hand he pulled out an ice rifle.)
"I thought the Legends of Earth – 74 all retired." Harbinger pointed out, in a neutral tone.
"We did," Mick replied. "Well, some. One died. No one was using the ship, so I took it. It's my ship."
"Why are you here?" Harbinger asked.
"I like the quiet."
"He's trying to be a writer." Leonard said.
"Shut up," Mick grumbled.
"Of romance novels," Leonard continued, as if he hadn't been interrupted."Well, you can see how that's going."
"It's going fine, you piece of…"
" You're basically living out of your car. "
"Listen, snowflake…"
Harbinger hastened to cut off the argument between this strange novelist and artificial intelligence:
"Boys… Come with me, Mick Rory, and I promise you'll have plenty of beer to drink and stories to tell. The Multiverse needs saving, and its heroes need a ship."
Mick thought for a moment before answering:
"You had me at beer."
Earth – 1
Later, the Earth – 74's Waverider joined Earth – 1. Now the heroes have discovered the new time ship. Even the Guardians of the Galaxy did their inspection on board. Quill stared at the ship, frowning.
"What a piece of junk," he whispered at last, unable to hide his disgust. "It looks like an old plane taken out of a landfill!"
"Hey, Flash Gordon," Mick said haughtily. "Keep your thoughts for you!"
"Can this thing travel in space?" Rocket exclaimed as he gazed into the interior of the ship.
"It's a timeship, the rodent! And it's very fast!" Mick said again.
"Just great!" replied the raccoon.
"I am Groot," said the tree with an enthusiastic smile.
"I love this ship, too," Drax replied.
Later, all were gathered in front of Harbinger and the Monitor. Barry, Thor and Shuri had just joined them.
There were the Guardians of the Galaxy Barry, Thor, Lois, Clark, Shuri, Kara, Thor, Kate, Mick and Ray, listening to Mar Novu speaking to them:
"You have all lost a great hero…"
"No kidding!" Thor grumbled, glaring at the cosmic being.
"The wrong hero," Barry added, furious too.
But the Monitor continued, as if he hadn't been interrupted:
"You have suffered a horrible loss, but you have every reason not to lose hope, eight, in fact. Across space and time…"
He was interrupted when baby Jonathan started to cry in Lois' arms. Immediately, very embarrassed, she passed the baby to Clark, who took him in his arms.
"Are you kidding me?" Nebula growled, rolling her eyes. "Who had the idea of bringing a baby on board?"
Mar Novu spoke again:
"Across space and time exist 8 heroes, beings of the purest will who can ultimately…"
He was again interrupted by Jonathan's tears, which started again. Embarrassed, Clark passed his son to Shuri, who hastened to cuddle him. But alas, the baby didn't calm down. Embarrassed, Black Panther's sister passed the child to Kara.
Nebula rolled her eyes again, annoyed, as Rocket turned to his companions.
"He reminds me of Groot when he was a tiny little baby tree! He too cried all the time! He was even too cute!"
Groot glared at his friend, while Jonathan seemed to have calmed down in Kara's arms.
Mar Novu then continued:
"Beings of the purest will who can ultimately…"
But was interrupted again, when Jonathan resumed his tears in Kara's arms.
"It's not working," replied the Girl of Steel in a low voice, embarrassed.
She wanted to pass the baby to Thor, but the Asgardian looked at her, annoyed.
"Sorry Kara, but I don't do babies," he said with an embarrassed smile. "I am a warrior! I don't know about babies!"
"Maybe he's hungry?" Mantis suggested to Lois.
Kara wanted to pass it on to Kate, but she didn't move to comfort a crying baby.
"Nope," she said categorically.
Finally, not knowing what else to do, Kara gave Jonathan Mick Rory. And to everyone's surprise, the baby stopped crying and looked at Mick with a small smile. Moved, Mick looked at the baby, cradling him tenderly in his arms and walking away from the group.
The Monitor took the opportunity to pick up where he left off:
"Beings of the purest will, who can ultimately defeat the Anti-Monitor. And help save the Multiverse. They are known as Paragons."
"Paragons?" Barry exclaimed, stunned.
Thor looked intrigued and spoke up:
"You told me I was the Keeper of those Paragons?"
"Indeed," replied Mar Novu. "Thor, Son of Odin, you are the Keeper of the Eight Paragons."
"First, the Avengers, now Paragons!" Quill exclaimed. "I'm glad Yondu get me out of Earth."
"And you're just dropping this on us now?" Barry growled.
"I only learned of their existence recently after consulting the Book of Destiny." replied the Monitor.
"The Book of Destiny? The same one Deegan used to rewrite reality?" Thor exclaimed in amazement.
"How?" Flash wondered. "We destroyed it last year."
Then Mar Novu waved his hands, and immediately, a Book appeared out of nowhere, floating right in front of him. For those who recognized it, it was indeed the Book of Destiny, which was just a simple holographic projection.
At the sight of the Book, Lyla's gaze blurred. She shook her head, as if she had a headache or heard voices.
"After Oliver's early demise, I went back into the time stream and retrieved it intact." replied the Monitor, opening the pages of the Book. "It is now safely stored in this ship's library."
Then, the cosmic being made the image of the Book disappear.
"So it's what, Plan B?" Barry exclaimed, still unhappy with the current situation. "That's comforting."
"It's a Book that will help us find these… Paragons to save the Multiverse?" Quill exclaimed, dumbfounded.
"Anyone else wishing they'd done that shot?," Kate said with a sigh.
While Kara had an idea.
"Uh, but wait. If the book can rewrite destiny, can it bring back Earth – 38 or any of the other Earths?" she asked.
Carefully, Thor looked at the Monitor, wondering whether the Book could revive Earths.
"Trying to re-create an entire world would surely drive one to madness." said Mar Novu in a neutral tone.
"What about my dad?" suggested Mia, who had just entered the command center. "Could it bring him back?"
"I wish it could," replied Mar Novu. "While Oliver Queen was to die in this Crisis, this is not how I saw events unfold, but as the Anti-Monitor gets stronger, I grow weaker. We must find all eight Paragons."
"And how do we find them?" asked Rocket. "How about, like, a hint?"
Quill sighed in frustration at the sight of the raccoon, addressing the Monitor as if he were the Captain of the Guardians of the Galaxy.
"I have four," Mar Novu replied. "Kara Zor-El. (Immediately all eyes turned to the Girl of Steel.) Despite all you have endured, you are the Paragon of Hope."
"The Kryptonian is a Paragon?" the raccoon said looking at Kara. "It's a start!"
Thor looked at the Girl of Steel in admiration.
But Supergirl didn't seem very enthusiastic.
"Well, you might want to double-check your omnipotence because I'm not feeling that hopeful right now."
"Sara Lance is the Paragon of Destiny," the Monitor continued.
"No kidding, Miss Cap Legend," Rocket muttered, rolling his eyes. "I feel comforted, right now!"
"Enough, Rocket!" Quill said, exasperated.
Ray gave an enthusiastic admiring sigh:
"Oh. Well, that makes sense. Captain of time travel and all that."
"And for the others," said Shuri. "Who are the other Paragons?"
"I have only descriptions for the other two paragons." replied Mar Novu. "One is of a second Kryptonian, who is said to have suffered a greater loss than most mortal men could endure. Today, he stands as the Paragon of Truth."
"Just great, another Kryptonian!" Rocket said in a bad mood. "Now there are three!"
"I am Groot," the tree muttered.
"I'll find him," Clark replied.
"I'll go with you," added Lois to her husband.
"So three," Star-Lord said. "What about the fourth?"
"The Paragon of Courage is known only as the Bat of the future," replied the Monitor.
"A Bat?" Mantis exclaimed, stunned. "You mean that ugly black thing with big wings?"
"Seriously, where do you get these names and pseudonames anyway?" Kate replied.
"Very good question," Thor replied, looking at the Monitor with a frown. "Where did you get all this from?"
"I enlisted the assistance of Felicity Smoak," continued Mar Novu. "Who earned the wisdom of a second book."
"What Book?" asked the God of Thunder.
"The Tome of the Guardians. It revealed the names of Thor, Ms. Zor-El and Ms. Lance, as well as the other two."
"Bummed out Kryptonian and future Bat?" Lois wondered.
"And this future Bat, where can we find it?" Quill asked.
"Earth – 99 exists in a future time," said Mar Novu. "Where Bruce Wayne has dedicated himself, body and soul, to fighting crime."
Ray remained thoughtful at these words, then realized aloud:
"I'm sorry. Go back. Bruce Wayne is the Dark Knight?"
"Bruce Wayne is Batman!" exclaimed Thor jovially. "I also knew it!"
"If we could all keep that to ourselves, that'd be great." Kate retorted categorically to the two men.
"The path to find him will lead you to the Paragon of Courage." said Mar Novu.
"Okay," Kate replied with a smile before addressing the others. "Who wants to meet Batman?"
Notes:
Thank you for reading and reviewing.
Thanks to jetblack1979 of Fanfiction.net for giving me a fun idea with Guardians of the Galaxy.
I hope I have put enough humor in this chapter.
Chapter 9
Notes:
Hey everyone. There's a new chapter.
Good reading!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Chapter 9
Earth – 1; Waverider
On one of the Waverider's screens, Kara observed the planets of the Multiverse. She first saw Argo disappear, leaving no trace, and then Earth – 38 being destroyed by the wave of anti-matter.
Sighing sadly and helplessly, Kara took off her glasses and looked at where her Earth was.
She felt hopeless and helpless. Her dismay reminded her of the heroes' horrific defeat when they failed to stop Thanos. Despite their best efforts, they couldn't stop the Mad Titan from using the Infinity Stones, and half the worlds were gone. Five years later, they had been able to reverse what had happened. Kara wanted to believe that this might still be possible for the Multiverse.
While she was lost in thought, Thor came to see her. He seemed to hesitate to come join her. Then with determination, he decided to come and see her. He put his hammer down, right next to the screen.
"Kara, I wanted to see how you were doing, but… that would be a stupid question!"
The Girl of Steel did not move her eyes from the screen which showed an empty space.
Thor came over to her, with a compassionate look.
"I'm so sorry!" he told her softly. "For Argo, for your Earth, for Oliver… I wanted to prevent that from happening! But apparently this Crisis was inevitable! From what Novu says, but I have no trust in him! (Seeing that Kara still wasn't reacting, he sighed in despair.) I'm sorry. I'm not good at pep talk. I'm used to using a weapon and fighting like a warrior. Encouragement isn't my thing. I'm supposed to be the Keeper of the Paragons. I'm trying to figure out what my exact role is… but what I want to tell you, Kara, is that I believe in you! And right now, I know exactly how you feel. You were there for me when I lost Asgard! And after Thanos, you taught me to believe in myself again. You gave me hope! And I would do as much for you. I'm not Oliver, or Cap, Stark, or even Nat, but I want to be there for you, like you have for me. If you need me to leave you alone, I will respect your choice."
Finally, Kara looked up at him. She was touched by the kindness of her friend.
"Stay, Thor. Thank you. Right now, I don't feel very hopeful."
The Asgardian put his hand on his friend's shoulder.
"You will! And I want to believe that we can still do something to save the Multiverse! And we will do it together! Like I did with the Avengers in the old days."
Kara smiled, then heard a male voice that was very familiar to her and that she thought she would never hear again:
"An entire universe wiped from existence distilled down to a computer graphic."
Kara turned… to see the Monitor with Lex Luthor, with his smirk on his face, alive, in the flesh. He continued sneering:
"Got to say… missing that wow factor."
Watching in horror and hatred, Kara whispered to her former enemy:
"Lena killed you!"
Lex just chuckled.
"Yeah. Only for a little while!"
And he winked at her.
Thor frowned at the bald man in front of him. He had never seen him, but judging by Kara's horrified face, he realized he wasn't an ally.
"Kara, who is this?" he asked, looking at the new man.
"Lex Luthor," the Girl of Steel whispered to her friend, in a low voice, not looking away from her enemy. "A snake who tried to kill me. My cousin and I! Last time I checked, he was supposed to be dead, killed by his sister Lena."
"Surprise!" Lex said, curtsying.
Completely angry, Kara made her eyes light up with her heat vision with the firm intention of cremating her former dead foe, but before she could act, the Monitor came to stand right in front of her, preventing her from attacking bald man.
" Everyone has a part to play, even Lex Luthor. "
Kara looked at Mar Novu, completely incredulous of Lex's presence and then understood:
"You did this? You brought that poisonous snake back?"
Lex smirked at the sentence, while Novu replied:
" His destiny was unfulfilled. Lex Luthor still has an important role to play. "
"So you can revive him, but you can't bring back Oliver?" Kara said angrily.
"I restored Luthor long before the Crisis caused my power to wane." the Monitor replied in a neutral voice.
Learning that Novu had revived a dangerous enemy of the Kryptonians, Thor eyed the two men with rage and contempt. He was furious with the cosmic being for Oliver's death, but also for the return of that Lex Luthor was the final straw.
"Are there any more surprises that you're holding up your sleeve? Like one of us who dies and a bastard who comes back to life?" roared the God of Thunder at the Monitor.
But he ignored Thor, completely unmoved.
Kara growled in rage and hatred as she eyed the two men.
"And what about those innocent lives on Earth – 38? Did they not have destinies to fulfill? I'm sorry, but I can't trust a man who thinks Lex Luthor is an ally." she declared angrily.
Then she left the room, leaving Thor to stare at Lex with a look of fury. Kate arrived at this time.
The bald man noticed Thor and eyed him, observing his armor and Asgardian cloak.
"And who are you?" he asked him. "Are you a Superman from another Earth? A new Kryptonian?"
Despite himself, Thor smirked and came to stand right in front of Lex as if he wanted to be ruthless.
"I'm not from Krypton," he replied. "I come from a universe you can't even imagine! I am Thor, Son of Odin, once Prince of Asgard, and also God of Thunder."
Lex raised his eyebrows, not surprised.
"So… Thor, as in the God of Thunder from Norse mythology?" he exclaimed.
"Exactly like that!" Thor replied with a smirk. "I am a God so your kryptonite doesn't affect me!"
Not at all scared, Lex turned away from Thor and saw Mjolnir posed near the screens of the Waverider.
"And I guess this is yours?" he asked, pointing to the magic hammer.
"My hammer Mjolnir," Thor replied jubilantly. "A dangerous weapon that could kill you!"
Lex watched the contours of the hammer, frowning.
"A very interesting weapon," he whispered.
He put his hand on the handle of the hammer and began to pull to lift it. But no matter how much Lex pulled Mjolnir, the hammer didn't budge from its position. After some effort, he gave up to Thor's great pleasure.
The Thunder God raised his hand, and Mjolnir leapt into the air and found himself in Thor's hand, as Lex watched in surprise.
"You have to be worthy to be able to lift it," he explained. "And you are not!"
But Lex wasn't impressed, just shrugging his shoulders.
"I don't need a hammer to be stronger than Kryptonians! I am!'
Amused, Thor whirled Mjolnir in the air. He threw it straight at Lex, who had to turn his head not to be hit. Then the hammer came back to Thor's hand like a magnet.
"Be careful, Lex Luthor," Thor said threateningly. "If you go near Kara or her cousin, no matter what Novu says, that happens to them, happens to you! Try something against my friends, I promise I'll finish the job your sister started! And I'll make sure you can't bring back to life!"
And he left the room, twirling his hammer in the air.
Kate took the opportunity to join Lex.
"All I got from that is that if you die again the Monitor can't bring you back." she said smirk. "And that Thor will swing his hammer in your face!"
"And you are?" Lex asked the Gotham woman.
"New, and unfriendly," Kate replied, touching the bald man's chin lightly with her finger.
And she walked away. Lex then turned to see Groot sitting there watching him curiously.
"I am Groot!" he said in a small voice.
"I am Lex Luthor," said the bald man. "This is amazing, I'm talking to a tree that can speak!"
"I am Groot," Groot muttered.
"I think I understood your name!" he growled.
"I am Groot!"
"Um, would you be a talking tree with very little brain?"
Then came Quill who planted himself in front of the bald man.
"In fact, he can only say that, "I am Groot,"" he explained. "Once we get to know him, we come to understand what he is saying. And I think Groot just said that he finds you very ugly without your hair!"
"And you are?" Lex asked dubiously.
"Peter Quill, also Star-Lord!"
Lex smirked, as if he found the name stupid.
"Star-Lord? Are you a Flash Gordon reboot? That feels kind of derivative!" he sneered.
Vexed, Quill walked away.
"I get it why the Supers don't like you!" he mumbled under his breath. "You really are a dick! And without hair!"
Kate Kane and Thor joined Kara who had stepped aside from the others in the galley of the ship, which was filled with junk food and beers lying around.
"Lex Luthor kind of a dick, huh?" said the Gotham woman.
Kara looked at them before sighing.
"When I think of all those people on my Earth that we wanted to save but couldn't," she stammered in disappointment. "It just feels unfair!"
"I'm so sorry, Kara," Thor said. "I swear I wish I had done more for your Earth. I have suffered a lot of losses in last years. You don't deserve that!"
"Look. A day ago, I didn't think my life could get any worse," Kate explained, sharing the Girl of Steel's disappointment. "My sister murdered my stepmom and framed my dad for it."
"That's dark, even for Gotham," Kara exclaimed.
Compassionately, Thor looked at Kate.
"I'm very sorry for you, Kate," the Asgardian said gently. "Family is very complicated. I know that. I had a brother. A foster brother whom I have always considered my family, but he was complicated. He could be good and bad too. Manipulator, mischievous… but whatever man he was, he was my brother, and I loved him, despite his faults. When my father died, I found out that I had a sister, who turned out to be the Goddess of Death. She came to my kingdom, stabbed me in the eye and I was forced to kill her, because she threatened to kill my people. So I know exactly what it's like to have a complicated family."
Kate looked at Thor sympathetically.
"I'm sorry to hear that," she said. "You said you had a brother. What has happened to him?"
"He's passed away," Thor said sadly. "Thanos killed him. I was helpless. I couldn't help him. He strangled him in front of me."
"My condolences then," Kate said. "You fought for your people. Like me, I'm fighting for a chance to make it right, and this fourth Paragon… my cousin Bruce on another Earth… (Kate raised her eyebrows, having difficulty accepting the parallel Earths doppelgangers.) …Finding him might help me get that chance."
"Only if you believe the Monitor." Kara pointed out.
"Honestly, I don't trust him," Thor said sharply. "Nevertheless, the Paragons seem to be the way to save the Multiverse. What other choice do we have?"
"What kind of talk is that from the Paragon of Hope and the Keeper?" Kate exclaimed.
Kate pulled out an interdimensional extrapolator.
"Let's go save the universe." She declared.
Thor stood up and looked at the two women.
"Actually, both go!" he told them. "You don't need me to go with you. I'm going to stay and watch on Luthor and Novu. I want to make sure they don't give us any problems."
"Here we go," said Kara, joining Kate.
Lyla stumbled through the halls of the Waverider as she experienced strange migraines. The voices had resumed in her head. For the woman, it was as if millions of lives were screaming in her head.
Thor, passing by, saw her and joined her.
"Hey, you okay?" he asked her.
"I hear voices in my head!" Lyla moaned. "It is as if I am feeling the destruction of all the Earths. And I hear voices coming from the Book of Destiny… it's…"
Suddenly she stopped abruptly, as if the voices had ceased.
"Thor, we need to head to the library. Right now!"
Together, the two ran over to the ship's library, and saw Lex Luthor holding the Book of Destiny in his hand. Immediately Thor brandished his right hammer in front of the bald man, while Harbinger looked threatening.
"You're not supposed to have that!" she retorted vehemently.
"And man was never meant to fly, but here we are…" Lex replied with a smirk, not letting go of the Book.
Thor whirled his hammer, preparing it to shoot it like an arrow and growled in a threatening voice:
"Luthor, put this Book down now! I'm not asking again!"
Lex ignored the asgardian and opened the Book, activating his power. At the same time, he opened an interdimensional breach with an extrapolator.
"Good-bye, Superman, all of you…" he whispered with a nasty smile.
"NO!" Thor yelled, throwing his hammer straight in front of him.
But Lex disappeared into the breach before Mjolnir could reach him.
The portal closed, leaving Thor and Lyla alone in the library.
Horrified, Thor looked at the young woman.
'We have to find him, right now!" he declared.
"Lex Luthor has the Book of Destiny." said Mar Novu, who had just appeared in the room.
And much to Thor's anger, the cosmic being didn't seem worried about the turn of events.
"He's going to use it to kill Supermen." Lyla added.
"He's going to kill every Superman in the Multiverse, including the Paragon of Truth," Thor replied. "If he kills them all, we will be doomed, and nothing more can be done for the Multiverse! (Before the Monitor's neutral gaze, Thor seemed to understand.) That's what you wanted! You wanted Luthor to use this book to kill Superman! What'd you do? I was right not to trust you!"
"As I said, everyone has a part to play." the Monitor said.
"I'm off to find Luthor and pray Allfathers that he hasn't already killed all the Supermen in the Multiverse," Thor replied with a growl of rage.
Barry hugged Iris in his arms. He was overwhelmed by the loss of Oliver. The presence of his wife comforted him.
"I'm glad you're here." he said to Iris.
"Me too."
Then the couple looked at each other.
"From what you told me, the Monitor was wrong about Oliver, so I don't know, Barry." Iris remarked to her husband. "Maybe he's wrong about you, too. Maybe you're not supposed to die."
"Listen," said Barry. "Oliver told me about how he brought Sara and his sister back to life using something called a Lazarus Pit."
Barry was convinced he could bring Oliver back, but Iris seemed skeptical.
"That sounds too good to be true."
"Well, it I mean, it is." Barry replied. "It turns out Thea destroyed all the Pits on this Earth, but there are more Earths to choose from."
"I know that you want Oliver back more than anything, but this is…"
"He can't be dead, not him," retorted the agitated speedster. "We are a lot. A lot of l heroes, including a God and the Guardians of the Galaxy. We must be able to do something!"
"Okay," replied Iris. "Funny enough, the Monitor gave me a mission of my own. To find our hopeless Kryptonian Paragon."
Barry looked surprised, then looked amused.
"Did you ever think this would be our life?" he said smiling.
"I will take whatever life with you I can get." said Iris, putting her hand on his shoulder.
And they shared a kiss.
Mia was standing in front of the Waverider's computer. She touched the touchscreen scrolling through the Earths of the Multiverse. She was joined there by Clint Barton.
"Mia?"
The young archer looked up to see the old Avenger.
"Clint, weren't you supposed to be on your Earth?"
After Oliver's death, Clint had returned to Avengers Earth and hadn't given any news since.
"Yeah, I came back for you," said the archer. "I left to get my wife and my kids to safety. They are on this Earth. In this city… Star City in a house protected by… an agency called… Argus… yup, a funny name… Multiverse, Parallel Earths… I didn't think it would be so weird…"
"Shouldn't you be with your family?" Mia pointed out to him.
"My family's safe, I don't have to worry," Clint replied. "I wanted to be there for you. Your dad saved my life the first time I met him. I was going through a dark way, and it was your dad who helped me find my way back. He was my friend, although I didn't know him much. He'll always be a friend to me. And so, to return the favor, I want to be there for you!"
Mia was touched by the man's gesture.
"Thank you."
Then she resumed her research on the Earths, which aroused the archer's curiosity.
"What are you doing?"
"I intend to bring my dad back from the dead," explained the young girl. "There is what is called the Lazarus Pits. Water that is able of prolonging life, regenerating it, and even raising people from the dead."
Clint looked stunned.
"Seriously? Can a thing really do that?"
"I'll bring my dad back, Clint! Barry's with me!"
Before the archer could add a word, Sara came over to them.
"So I miss one group chat," she said. "And now there's Paragons, and I'm supposed to be one of them."
"Yep," Mia answered without looking up from her screen. "And Barry and I are gonna use a Lazarus Pit to bring my dad back."
Clint turned to the young woman.
"Is there really such a thing?" he exclaimed, dumbfounded that the resurrection is possible.
Sara looked shocked.
"That really exists, yep," she replied. "And I am living proof of that. I was killed. And then my sister brought me back to life by putting me in the water of the Lazarus Pit. But… (She turned to Green Arrow's daughter.) Mia, it's not that simple. The Lazarus Pit isn't some magical mud bath where you get your soul and a cup of cucumber water at the end. You lose your humanity. This is what happened to me when I was resurrected."
Clint turned pale in fear, but Mia remained determined.
"Nyssa told me everything I need to know about Lazarus Pits," she said.
The Avengers archer turned to her.
"Are you sure you want to do that? I want to see your dad again too. But… the real Green Arrow, and not some soulless zombie…"
"That's not gonna happen!" Mia said abruptly.
"Can you get Oliver Queen back?" said a voice behind them.
Clint, Sara and Mia turned to see Peter Parker at the entrance to the Waverider's hall. The young man was in civilian clothes. He had gone after Oliver died. He seemed to have lived through a year of misery. His features were drawn, as if he hadn't slept.
"Can you get him back?" he asked in a determined voice.
"Yeah, I will," Mia said.
"Good, so I'm coming with you," Peter replied, joining Green Arrow's daughter. "We need Green Arrow."
Sara and Clint looked at each other facing the determination of the two youngsters, wanting to bring a dead man back to life. Then they decided to follow them.
Earth – 99; Gotham City
Kara and Kate had just arrived on Earth – 99, right in front of what appeared to be Wayne Manor. Lots of vegetation invaded the place.
"So the Paragon of Courage is apparently afraid of yardwork." Kara commented.
"Better let me do the talking." Kate said.
The two women made their way to the front door. Kate knocked on the door. Then it was a man who opened the door for them. Kate recognized him as Luke Fox. But he was a very different Luke than the one she knew. He wasn't wearing glasses, and was wearing an unbuttoned shirt where the young woman could see large abdominal muscles.
"Wow. That's a really impressive six-pack." Kate exclaimed, looking at the large torso of the one who looked like her friend.
Completely indifferent, Luke asked:
"Do I know you?"
Kara and Kate shared a look, before the young woman from Gotham replied:
"No, but I know you. Well, a different like, a less this version of you. I… I'm Kate Kane. I'm Bruce's cousin."
"Yeah, no," Luke muttered, shutting the door sharply.
"Earth – 1 villain?"Kara asked.
"Only friend actually." Kate corrected, disappointed to meet an unfriendly version of the one she knew.
She knocked on the door again, but received no answer. A moment passed, but Luke didn't reappear.
Kara volunteered to smash the door, which she did immediately with her super strength with a kick. They came across a long hallway and could see Luke threatening them with a gun.
"You need to leave. Now." he roared through his teeth.
Kara planted herself in front of Kate, wanting to protect her, when a big, husky male voice was heard:
"Don't be so rude, Luke."
Then footsteps echoed, followed by metallic clicks.
"You'll have to forgive him." resumed the voice. "We're not used to having guests."
Kara and Kate saw to their amazement an old man in an exoskeleton walking down the stairs. When he saw the two women, he was disturbed by their appearances.
"Kate?" exclaimed the stunned old man.
"Bruce?" Kate exclaimed, stunned and shocked.
Notes:
Thank you for reading and reviewing.
I was very disappointed with Bruce's treatment in the crossover. That's why I want to change that a bit. Not making Bruce the Paragon, but at least having a better ending than the one he got.
Chapter 10
Notes:
Hi everyone, here I am with a new chapter. We are progressing in my story.
Good reading.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Chapter 10
Earth – 99; Gotham city
Luke led Kara to a room in the Mansion, while Kate followed Bruce, who was slowly moving with his exoskeleton, while watching her Kryptonian friend leave with Luke.
"Where is Luke taking Kara?"
"The library. Just thought we'd get to know each other again." Bruce replied, leading the young woman to a large living room which had not been cleaned for a while.
"You know, the Bruce I knew wore a different kind of suit." Kate said, looking at the metal paraphernalia on the old man's body.
"A lifetime of injuries." Bruce replied simply before looking at the young woman with a frown. "But you've aged well...for a dead girl."
"I died?" the young woman exclaimed, shocked.
"Years ago," replied the old man.
"Oh. But I've never been a ghost before." Kate replied amusedly.
"Hmm. Plenty of ghosts in this place…" said the man with the exoskeleton. "But you're not one of them. Clayface is a puddle of mud. And last time I checked, Jane Doe was locked up in Arkham. So who the hell are you?"
Kate realized then that Bruce did not see her as his cousin, but as a stranger wearing her face. Impassive, she turned to him, very calmly.
"Can you, uh, can you sit in that thing? Cause we're gonna need you for this."
Earth – 75; Metropolis
Lois and Clark walked through the streets of Metropolis in search of the Superman who could be the Paragon of Truth. As they walked along the street, they were accosted by Thor, who was restless.
"Kal, Lois!"
"What is it, Thor?" Clark asked, puzzled.
"Iris shouldn't join us?" Lois added.
"She will," replied the worried Asgardian. "But we have a problem. Lex Luthor is alive. The Monitor brought him back to life!"
"What?" Clark exclaimed, dumbfounded.
"Are you kidding?" added his horrified wife.
"He's back," Thor said. "But the worst part is that he has the Book of Destiny and is moving from Earth to Earth, killing off Supermen in the Multiverse."
"If one of them's the Kryptonian Paragon…" Clark said thoughtfully.
"It's game over," Lois finished. "We need to find this Earth's Superman before Lex jumps here and offs him."
"We have to," agreed the Thunder God.
The three of them started walking down the street, when they came across a giant screen showing television news showing Lois Lane crying over the body of an inert Superman. His red cape was hung on a pole like a flag. The headline read: Lex Luthor kills Man of Steel… disappears into thin air…
"I think it's a little late for that." Clark said, shocked at the sight of the screen.
"No," Thor exclaimed mortified. "We must stop Lex before he kills another Superman!"
"He killed him," Lois explained. "And breached out!"
"And he'll go after the Paragon who could help us in the Crisis," Thor roared through his teeth. "I hate Lex Luthor."
Earth – 1; Waverider
Sara had summoned John Constantine to help them locate an Earth that would contain an intact Lazarus pits. In the ship's library, once Mia told him what she wanted from him, the occult detective watched the young archer intently. Barry, Clint and Peter eyed the man apprehensively and pulled out two cigarettes.
"You sure you want to do this? A Lazarus pit's nasty business."
"We're sure," Mia replied with folded arms.
"Who are you again?" asked Clint dubiously.
"John Constantine," said the man in the trench coat. "Master of the dark arts. (He looked at the archer with a questioning gaze.) You're not Oliver Queen from another Earth? No, you don't wear green, therefore, you aren't Green Arrow. (He looked at Peter Parker.) And what is a kid like you doing on this ship? Shouldn't you be in high school?"
Peter just replied sharply:
"Can you help us, yes or no? We really need Oliver! If you are a wizard, you must have noticed that we're in Crisis right now."
But Constantine contented himself with laughing amusedly:
"Such anger, young Skywalker! (He chuckled.) Your anger will get nowhere, kid, from my experience!"
"We don't have a lot of time," Barry replied wearily. "So could you please take your smoke break later, maybe just do the spell?"
The man in the trench coat smiles speedster as he shows him his cigarettes.
"Simmer down, speedy. This is the spell."
He lit his lighter and passed the flame over his cigarettes. Then he separated his two lit cigarette ends and recited an incantation and made appear mystical discs representing several planets.
"It's all in the wrist," he replied with a happy look.
All looked at the images of the planets paraded by Constantine.
"What the hell is that?" Clint asked, surprised.
"Some kind of map of the Multiverse?" Peter added, also surprised.
"Sort of. Parallel Earths spread out by vibrational frequency." explained the man in the trench coat. (Then he seemed agitated.) "We are well and truly bolloxed. So many Earths already gone, and more vanishing as we speak."
He continued an incantation then he unveiled a new solar system represented mystically.
"I give you the needle in the celestial haystack, an Earth with a functioning Lazarus Pit."
"That's it, you found it?" Peter asked hopefully.
"Fast and efficient, Skywalker!" Constantine replied triumphantly.
"Well, now what?" questioned Mia, struggling to hide her impatience.
Constantine removed the mystical records and spoke to Green Arrow's daughter:
"Ah. Perhaps a thank you and a little well-earned awe for a magical job well done, eh?"
"How about I thank you when you bring my dad back?" Mia replied emphatically.
"So we just have to go to this Earth, find this pit… this… thing called Lazarus and put Oliver in it," explained Peter, having difficulty accepting the concept of immortality and resurrection.
But the young man was determined to help Mia revive her father. Spider-Man needed Green Arrow. He had lost Iron-Man, he didn't want to lose another mentor, another hero.
"You are as strange as Doctor Strange," Peter Parker replied to the man in the trench coat.
"Who the hell is that, Doctor Strange?" Constantine asked, frowning.
"We don't have time for this," Barry replied. "Peter, Mia, come on!"
The speedster left the library with Mia and Peter. Sara came over to Constantine, to clear some things up with him.
"We can't screw this up, okay? When we bring Oliver back, I need you to promise me you can bring back his soul."
"Yeah. One thing at a time, right, love?" Constantine contented himself with answering.
"You will be able to do that, wizard?" Clint retorted dubiously.
"I need to hear you say it," Sara added.
"I'll do it," Constantine replied. "To the best of my abilities."
Then he walked away, leaving Sara and Clint alone in the library.
"Will he really know how to do it?" The Avengers archer questioned the young Lance again.
"He knew how to do it for me, he'll do it for Oliver," she replied. "As long as we handle to make him come back. Reliving someone by the Lazarus Pit is no picnic, and I know what I mean."
Earth – 167; Smallville
Thor, Iris, Lois and Clark arrived on a new Earth. The Asgardian recognized the place as the Kent Farm in Smallville, very similar to the one on Earth – 38. Arriving at the farm, they saw a man in a red checkered shirt cutting through wood with an ax.
"Is that him?" Iris asked.
Thor watched the farmer chopping the wood thoughtfully.
"He looks like it," he said.
"It's either him or the buff guy on the paper towel rolls." Lois said, looking at the farmer, taken aback.
They moved closer to him. Clark observed, admiringly.
"I can do that with one bare hand."
Earth – 167's Clark noticed the four visitors and stopped working. He had turned to them.
"Hello."
"Hi," all visitors said.
"You are Kal-El, right?" Thor asked, raising his eyebrows.
The new Clark looked surprised for a moment, and looked at the God curiously, noting his Asgardian suit.
"I haven't been called that for a while," he exclaimed. "Can I help you?"
"Uh, yeah, hopefully," replied Iris embarrassed. "Um, so, uh, this universe and an infinite number of others is in the process of blinking out of existence, and there are eight people in all of space and time who can supposedly…"
Wanting to cut Iris short, who seemed to be confused in her explanations, Lois intervened in an abrupt voice:
"Lex Luthor is gonna try to kill you!"
"Lois," replied Iris, exasperated.
"He is," Superman's wife insisted.
"Yeah, sorry to tell you like that, Kal-El," Thor added. "But you're in danger. Lex Luthor crosses all the Earths of the Multiverse to murder all the Supermen, including you. And at the same time, we're looking for a Superman who can help us. But in the meantime, we've to protect you from Lex Luthor."
"Lex?" said Earth – 167's Clark, not at all worried. "I didn't know the President Luthor was in town."
"President Luthor?"Iris exclaimed, stunned.*
"Look. I've faced a lot of these type of things…" Clark said before pausing to notice that the four visitors had just disappeared without a trace.
"Hello, old friend," said a voice behind him.
The Earth – 167's Clark turned to see a bald man there, holding a large open Book, giving him a Machiavellian smile.
"Who are you?"
"Don't you know me, Clark?" the bald man exclaimed with a smirk. "I'm Lex Luthor!"
Notes:
Thank you for reading and reviewing.
*President Luthor, a reference to my old story: War of Destinies.
I've planned a new scene between Thor and Clark from Earth – 167. And I have a good idea when it comes to Bruce from Earth – 99. He won't take the true crossover path.
Chapter 11
Notes:
Hello guys,
Thanks to everyone who bookmarked or followed this story, and even more so to those who sent me a review, it encourages me to write! As always, I hope you like the rest. Thank you so much.
Good reading.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Chapter 11
Earth – 167; Smallville
Lex stood right in front of Clark with the Book of Destiny in his hands, gloating with a smirk, foreseeing the death of a new Superman. But the Clark of Earth – 167 looked at the bald man with little interest. He looked at him as if he had a joke in front of him. He stared at her for a moment, before he said nonchalantly:
"You're not Lex."
But the psychopath did not give way.
"Maybe not the Lex you know. The Multiverse has a way of aligning fates."
"What'd you do with those people?" Clark asked, looking at where his four visitors were.
"Sent them back to their flying tin can in the sky." Lex replied. "Let's hope they learn from this teachable moment. Now I'm here for you, not them."
Then Clark turned to his visitor and eyed him firmly.
"Whoever you are, I'm just a guy working on his farm."
"You will always be my greatest enemy," Lex said. "On any Earth. It's written in the stars. (He showed her the Book of Destiny.) Or I wouldn't know that on this Earth Clark Kent heh heh is Superman."
Not at all scared, Clark of Earth – 167 continued to stare at the bald man with disinterest. Then Lex continued, as if nothing had happened:
"Where I come from, that would be ridiculous. He can't see past his glasses."
With a sigh, Clark threw off his work gloves.
"So what do you want?" he asked.
"To kill you, of course," Lex replied. "And every version of you across the multiverse so that if the, uh, super friends somehow find a way to save existence there won't be a single Superman to stand in my way."
At that moment, an interdimensional portal popped up, and then Thor emerged from it with his hammer and ax, ready to intervene.
"Luthor, get away from him!" he ordered sharply.
But Lex held up the Book which sent a burst of energy propelling the Asgardian away.
"You're too late, God of junk!" the bald man shouted, delighted. "Thor, Son of… uh… anyway, whatever… where was I? Ah yeah, it's time to kill Superman!"
Thor quickly stood up, then ran to join Clark from Earth – 167, to see Lex pulling a small metal box in his black jacket, a fragment of kryptonite.
"NO!" Thor yelled, horrified.
He was going to react, but to his surprise, Clark didn't seem weakened. With a simple gesture, he took the piece of kryptonite from Lex's hand, and threw it away.
Thor and Lex were stunned.
"Kryptonite doesn't affect him," the God of Thunder exclaimed in amazement. "How is that possible?"
"It has no effect on me ever since I gave up my powers." Clark replied to Thor.
"You gave up your powers?!" Lex was angry, and disappointed.
Thor chuckled, amused by the situation. Even the farmer was jovial.
"Can't say I've missed these chats." he said.
But Lex was angry that his enemy had become a mere mortal. He looked like a child whose toy had been confiscated.
"You were basically a God! You could fly! You could see through walls! You had superstrength…"
He broke off when he saw that he had just stepped on a small toy tractor. Thor saw the toy and then understood:
"He has children!"
"You're kidding me?" Lex roared, frustrated.
"That is worth more than any superpower." Clark simply replied with a smile.
Then a female voice was heard:
"Hey, Clark. The girls want to show you what they've made."
Thor supposed it must be Lois Lane on this Earth. Lex looked at Clark angrily, and wanted to raise his arm in the air as if to hit him.
"I think it's time for you to…" Clark said before noticing Lex's gesture.
Thor wanted to act, but Clark was able to react before him, hitting the bald man in the face, pushing him away.
"Still stronger," he replied proudly.
Lex stood up and eyed the farmer with rage and hatred.
"You took all the fun out of it. Enjoy your little slice of mediocrity while you can, Clark. You're all doomed anyway."
He took out his extrapolator, and opened an interdimensional breach. Thor ran to catch up with him, but Lex had already disappeared into another universe.
"Be cursed Lex Luthor! He can run, I will eventually get him!"
Then he turned to Earth – 167's Clark.
"So you gave up your powers to be able to start a family with your Lois."
Clark nodded, smiling.
"I will never regret doing it. I loved flying, being fast and super powerful… but having kids changes everything. I love them, and I wouldn't change that!"
Thor smiled at him and squeezed his hand.
"I'm Thor, Son of Odin, God of Thunder, and also, Keeper of Paragons. I don't know what that means yet… but anyway, I'm very happy for you, Kal… Clark. I would like to stay, but I have a mission to fulfill! I hope we can stop this Crisis before it destroys your Earth… because I was happy to have met you. Goodbye, Clark Kent, and take care of yourself!"
He raised his ax in the air, summoning the Bifrost. He disappeared into a rainbow beam, leaving behind a large circle on the ground.
Stunned, Clark stared at the man who had just disappeared before his eyes.
"Wow, he really is a God!"
He was joined there by his Lois, who walked towards him.
"Hey. Was somebody here, or were you talking to the cows again?" she asked. (Then she noticed the circle left by the Bifrost on the floor, and looked surprised.) "What happened here? Did you have a barbecue?"
"That was Lex Luthor from another Earth." said Clark still surprised by what he had just seen. "Apparently, the Multiverse is ending. I even met a real God who had a hammer and an ax."
Lois looked at him for a moment, then burst into a giggle.
"Ha ha! Smallville, you made a funny. It's taken you about a decade, but you're getting the hang of it. Have you met a god? No kidding! Ha, ha, ha!"
Clark said nothing more about his meeting, then spoke with his wife.
"What'd the girls make?"
"A mess. They can't wait for you to see it."
"That sounds like a job for us," Clark said, taking Lois' hand.
And the young couple walked back to the house, quietly.
Earth – 99; Gotham city
At Wayne Manor, Kate then told the Bruce of Earth – 99 current Crisis, and her assumption that the old man could be the Paragon of Courage. But to her surprise, Bruce didn't seem very enthusiastic.
"Paragon of Courage?"he exclaimed stunned.
Then he sighed sadly.
"I could have been. But not anymore. You're a few years too late," he replied, handing Kate a diary.
The young woman read the front page article of the Gotham Gazette and looked dumbfounded as she read the headlines.
"Death of Batman?" she exclaimed, shocked.
"Like I said," Bruce replied with a sigh. "I've a lifetime of injuries. There was a time when I was Batman and proud to fight crime. At that time, I could have been… that Paragon… But not anymore."
"What happened?"Kate asked.
"Superman and me, we founded the Justice League," Bruce said. "We had a few disputes, however, we had the same goal: to protect the Earth from all threats. And there was this threat that changed everything. The same threat that reduced me… to this!" (He gestured to his exoskeleton.)
"What was that?"
Bruce took a breath and responded with a dark voice.
"Darkseid! A threat from another universe that came to conquer Earth. After we stopped Thanos from annihilating half of the universe with the Avengers, Darkseid came along and wanted to bring tyranny to Earth. Superman and me, we worked together to stop him. But… our pride has led us to disaster. There was a battle. I saw… a great number of heroes fall… I lost… allies and also… my family… I lost Alfred, Barbara, my son Damian, Dick… and even you, Kate… My Kate who thought to succeed like me saving the world… my Kate… I watched her die in battle… After that, Darkseid took Superman to his world, to control his mind, to make him his slave. I was able to free him and stop Darkseid from destroying Earth, But not without a price. Clark Kent ended up sacrificing himself to keep Earth from being destroyed while I… after fighting this monster… had my body broken… Now I'm reduced to walking with… with wires and metal… That day, we lost Superman and Batman forever… Since then, I live alone in this house, surrounded by ghosts with only Luke for company."
Kate was silent, thinking about what she had just heard, as Bruce bowed his head, remembering the losses he had suffered, then turned to the young woman.
"I'm sorry you came here for nothing, Kate. Because I can't be your Paragon. It can't be! I made the choice to save Earth from Darkseid, and that choice cost me more than I wanted it to."
"You're nothing but a life-bruised and depressed hermit, waiting to die in this eleven bedroom, seven bath coffin…" Kate commented. "But I can offer you another way. If the Monitor has sent me to you, it's not without obvious reason. I give you the opportunity to become the hero you were once again. The hero who wanted to protect the Earth. Protect Gotham and the whole universe."
But Bruce shook his head, in denial.
"I'm sorry. But I can't. I can not anymore. This hero's life no longer exists for me! This is my destiny!"
Earth – 1; Waverider
On board the Waverider, Ray Palmer was working hard on building a Paragon detector machine. He was assisted by Shuri and Rocket, who had volunteered to help him. Especially since the Monitor had asked Black Panther's sister to help Atom with the machine.
But they were working hard, because baby Jonathan was crying in Mick's arms as he read his book wide open.
Overwhelmed by the baby's screams, Ray looked up at him.
"Mick, we just we really need to concentrate if we are ever gonna finish this Paragon detector the Monitor asked for." he said gently but exasperatedly.
"Yes, because it's difficult to concentrate with a crying baby," added Shuri.
"Nebula was right," Rocket added. "Who had the idea of bringing a baby aboard the ship?"
Indifferent to others, Mick turned away from them and resumed reading his book:
"Sure." (Then he reads aloud with the baby in his arms.) "Once he awoke her desire, he was hers to explore willingly…"
Ray, Shuri and Rocket looked at each other with disgusted looks as they listened to the novelist's strange reading.
"Is that your…?"Ray asked.
""Caged Passion", my romance novel!" Mick replied proudly.
"What is that? A romance novel?"Shuri exclaimed, stunned. "More like an erotic novel! Mr. Rory, I don't think this kind of reading is appropriate for a kid Jonathan's age. And I don't think his parents appreciate this kind of story on their son."
"Sure, it is," Mick replied. "It's very friendly. Kid loves it. Look at him. Besides, he doesn't cry anymore, so he like this."
"I'm glad Groot isn't here to hear that!"Rocket replied, resuming the detector's work.
"Here we go again," said the novelist, as if he had not been interrupted. "Anyway, "Chapter 19. As he caressed the nape of her back, he struck like a cobra". Heh heh. You like that. So do I. It's my best writing. Anyway."
Rolling his eyes in amazement, Shuri was about to pass out.
"If I had known, I would have stayed in Wakanda with my family," she said. "I'd rather work in my lab on my own, than hear that!"
"Seriously, your Mick really looks like this asshole?" Rocket exclaimed at Ray, surprised.
Earth – 96; Metropolis
Thor, along with Clark, Lois and Iris, had just entered this Earth's Daily Planet newspaper. The Asgardian wore civilian clothes. He scanned the reporters around him.
"I was able to trace Luthor's path to this Earth," he explained. "So this is where he will strike! I hope the Superman of this Earth isn't already dead."
"Let's find him!" said Iris.
"If he's Clark Kent, you can easily find him here at the Daily Planet," Lois explained.
Then Lois suddenly bumped into a tall man wearing glasses and a gray suit.
"Oh, excuse me. So sorry," said the man with the glasses.
Lois stammered out apologies, while the others were stunned. This man was the perfect double of Ray Palmer, but with glasses.
The man looked at Lois curiously.
"You seem so familiar. Have we met before?"
Before Lois could answer, Clark cleared his throat, then the man turned to the other three people.
"Uh, he looks just like Ray Palmer." Iris exclaimed, stunned.
"Who?" the man whispered.
Then he noticed Clark and gave him a friendly smile.
"Nice glasses."
"Oh thanks," said Clark.
Thor turned to him.
"Sorry but, um, do you have a minute?" he asked.
The man noticed Thor and asked him with big round eyes:
"Are you Chris Hemsworth?"
Thor frowned, confused.
"I'm sorry, who?"
"Actor Chris Hemsworth. You look a lot like him! Would you be his twin brother or a double? I wish I could meeting him!"
Thor shook his head.
"I'm sorry, you've the wrong person. I'm not actor! I don't have a twin brother. And I'm not this Chris Hemsworth!"
Clark intervened in turn.
"That's very important. We need to talk to you! Do you have a second?"
"Sure," the man said, smiling. "For a citizen of Metropolis, always. If you wouldn't mind contacting my assistant." (He held out a card.)
"It's about Lex Luthor," Clark added.
Immediately, the reporter stopped smiling and seemed intrigued. Thor took the opportunity to ask him:
"Are you Kal… uh, I mean Clark Kent?"
"Yes, it's me," replied the man. "And who are you?"
Earth – 99; Gotham city
At Wayne Manor, while Kate was with Bruce, Kara was with Luke in the library.
"How did you say you knew Kate?" Luke asked him.
"I didn't." Kara replied, looking around. "We're still sort of Getting to know each other."
She saw there a whole row of shelves made up of books, with a table with a chess set on it.
The Girl of Steel began to X-ray the whole room, only to see lead walls. Then her attention shifted to a shelf with items on it.
"What are those?"
"Mementos From Batman's greatest victories." Luke clarified. "Back in the days when he was the Dark Knight fighting crime."
Kara then saw a large joker card lying on a board on the shelf. Next to it, she saw a large penny coin set on a plinth. Then she saw a ventriloquist puppet displayed as a work of art. Then it was a scarecrow mask, a green hat with a question mark, a large black hat with a monocle and finally, a strange ice pistol.
"Trophies besides mementos," Kara said, looking at the objects.
It was then that she heard hums coming from outside. She walked to the window. She looked at the sky above the city, and saw what looked like a swarm of large birds. But with her Kryptonian eyes, Kara saw that these were not birds, but large winged creatures, with faces of demons, flying in the sky. The creatures were making their way in flight to Wayne Manor.
"What are these creatures?" Kara exclaimed, stunned.
These monsters were unlike the Shadow Demons she had fought on Earth – 38.
Luke saw the monsters from the window and looked horrified.
"Parademons!" he clarified with horror. "Darkseid's minions! They must come for you!"
Earth – 96; Metropolis
At the Daily Planet, Thor and his companions followed the Clark of this Earth who led them to his office as the editor-in-chief of the building.
He had turned to them.
"Look, I appreciate your concern, but this isn't my first go round with Luthor." he assured them confidently. "I can handle him!"
He took off his glasses.
"Except this Lex Luthor isn't the one you know," Thor clarified. "He's got a mighty Book with him."
"And with that, he is able to do anything," added Iris. "He made us vanish right in front of the last Clark."
Lois' attention was drawn to a wall covered with commemorative plaques of several people, including those of Perry White, Jimmy Olsen, Ron Troupe and Lois Lane.
"Why are all these names on your wall?" the young woman asked the Clark of this Earth.
The editor-in-chief lowered his head sadly, and walked over to a newspaper article hanging on the wall. The photo in the article showed the Daily Planet building covered in green gas.
"A...reject from Gotham felt that we didn't cover him enough, so he played what he called a practical joke...and gassed the building."
"All these people died?" Iris said, shocked.
Clark from Earth – 96 nodded sadly.
"My friends, my wife. I lost everyone in one fell swoop."
"Almost as if you've been through more loss that any mortal man could endure." Lois replied.
"You are the Paragon we seek," Thor replied, looking at the new Clark.
"We need you to come back with us." said Iris. "I know this sounds insane, but...you might be the key to saving the Multiverse."
Clark from Earth – 96 smiled again.
"That's actually one of the least insane things I've ever heard."
He disappeared in super speed and reappeared in a suit similar to Superman's. Thor saw a difference in this new costume. The Kryptonian symbol was depicted in red and black.
"We stay and face Luthor." said the new Superman in front of our heroes.
Clark in turn disappeared and reappeared in super-speed as Superman.
"And you won't do it alone," he told her.
Then Thor made lightning appear. Immediately his Asgardian armor covered him, and brandished his hammer and ax.
"I am Thor, son of Odin and God of Thunder, to help you, Kal-El," he announced. "We will face Luthor together."
"We won't let him kill you," Lois added.
It was then that Lex appeared with the Book of Destiny open, in his hand.
"Oh, I changed my plans," he clarified disinterestedly. "You know, I never thought I'd say this, but...I'm sick and tired of killing Supermen."
"Luthor, this madness ends here," Thor thundered, brandishing both weapons straight in front of him, causing lightning to appear.
Lex looked at the God without showing the slightest interest.
"Really, is this Storm-man going to stop me?"
"Lex!" roared Earth – 38's Superman angrily.
"Hello Clark," Lex told him, as if he was saying hello to a friend. "Sorry to have to cut his reunion short, but I have things to do here!"
"You're not going to do anything!" Thor snapped, walking towards him with his body covered in lightning.
"It's too late," replied the bald man with a smirk. "Like I said, I'm no longer looking to kill Superman. It's so much more fun making Superman... kill Superman!"
Thor looked confused and looked at the two Supermen in the same room. The Earth – 96's Superman leaned forward, as if in pain. Then his gaze changed. It was a look of rage. And he looked at his double with contempt.
"I'm going to kill you! He said between his teeth.
"I think we're in trouble," Thor whispered, realizing that Lex had just used the Book of Destiny to influence the Superman of this Earth and subdue him so he could kill the other Superman.
Notes:
Thank you for reading and reviewing.
Honestly, Clark's treatment of Smallville in the crossover didn't disappoint me, unlike Batman from Earth – 99. I thought it made a good ending for him. I am a big fan of the Smallville series. I used to watch this when I was a teenager. And remember that the series told the story of Clark Kent before Superman. It wasn't Superman's story, it was Clark Kent's. Also, I would have found it weird to see Tom Welling come over to help the heroes in a costume, when he always refused to wear Superman's cape. We can see that he was a great hero and today he has retired well, as Steve Rogers did at the end of Avengers Endgame.
Yup, I wanted to improve Bruce Wayne from Earth – 99, making him more worthy, and not some asshole who wants to kill Supergirl.
I hope I managed to put some humor in this chapter.
I plan to put some new MCU's heroes in the next chapter. Heroes we haven't seen before.
See you soon for a next chapter.
Chapter 12
Notes:
Hello everyone, there's a new chapter in my story. Again, I'm making a few changes from the real crossover.
Good reading!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Chapter 12
Earth – 96; Metropolis
In the Daily Planet office, the Paragon Superman had just pushed Earth – 38's Superman against the wall where the commemorative plaques were hung. Thor stepped in, getting in his way, but Superman swung his fist and punched the Asgardian squarely in the jaw. He was no longer himself. He was now bewitched by the Book of Destiny, forced to obey Lex Luthor.
"You don't belong here." he declared with a voice full of rage.
"We're here because we need your help," said Superman of Earth – 38, getting up.
"Kal-El, you're not yourself," Thor told him alarmed. "Luthor controls your mind with the Book of Destiny. You must fight! You are Superman! You have to fight it! And we need your help to save the Multiverse!"
Lex was watching the scene with a sneer, slyly.
"Help?" exclaimed the Paragon, mad with rage. "I couldn't even save my wife, my friends. And I don't care about your universe!"
"Yes, you do," Lois intervened. "You're the Paragon of Truth."
"Listen to her," Thor told her, slowly approaching him. "Use the truth that is in you!"
The Earth – 96's Superman looked at Lex, who nodded at him with a smirk, then returned his gaze to Thor and Superman.
"There's only one truth!" he roared. "I serve Lex Luthor!"
And he grabbed his doppelganger by the shoulders and threw it out the office window, then flew out over Metropolis. Thor, Iris, and Lois rushed to the window, to see the two Supermen flying through the sky, one of whom sought to kill the other.
"Do you think they're going to kill each other?" Iris said with anguish.
"That won't happen!" said Thor waving his hammer.
And he flew out of the Daily Planet and flew skyward towards the Paragon.
Superman of Earth – 96 wanted to attack his double, when Thor brandished his ax creating lightning that stopped the spellbound Kryptonian, and threw him on the roof of a skyscraper. Thor landed right in front of him, wanting to stop him.
"Kal-El, I don't want to hurt you! Luthor has corrupted your mind! You must resist! You cannot be under the orders of a madman! You are Superman, the last Son of Krypton! And you are a superhero! If you don't do it for yourself, do it for everyone you've lost. For your wife and your friends."
At the mention of his loved ones, Superman let out a roar of rage, and crossed his fists, ready to punch his opponent.
"I can't be saved!" he yelled furiously. "And you'll see what it feels like to lose those you love."
"Trust me, I already know that," Thor said wryly. "I too have lost loved ones. I lost all my family, my kingdom, my friends. Good people that I have lost. I know that feeling. But these losses make us stronger. See, you and I are more alike than you think. You are able to overcome your losses, Kal."
But Superman swung his fist and wanted to punch Thor in the face, but the latter barely dodged him, and used his thunderbolt to push him back. He brandished Mjolnir, summoning lightning from the sky, and again struck the Paragon.
"I can help you, Kal. I can help you get Luthor out of your head!" Thor yelled.
"I don't need your help, puny God!" resumed the mad Paragon with rage.
He leapt into the air, used his superblast on Thor, knocking him to the roof floor. Then he used his heat vision on the Asgardian, who used his hammer and ax to repel Superman's heat vision.
The Paragon burned his eyes with heat vision to incinerate Thor, who was shielding himself from it with Mjolnir and Stormbreaker.
"Maybe you're a God! But here, on this Earth, you are nobody! You are nothing!"
As Thor attempted to ward off his assailant's heat vision, the Earth – 38's Superman came flying in and grabbed his double, sending him away from the God of Thunder.
"You have to get Lex Luthor out of your head, Kal," he yelled, flying straight up to his counterpart. "The Multiverse needs you!"
"And what about what I need?" grumbled Earth – 96's Superman, rushing towards his double.
The two Supermen clashed as their punches created a shockwave that shattered the glass of surrounding buildings. Paragon Superman dragged his double up and down as the two embarked on yet another showdown. Superman freed himself, as the Paragon flew high in the air, then returned his gaze to the Daily Planet.
"Let me show you how it feels to lose the ones you love." he said, rushing towards the building.
Thor, who had stood up, saw the Earth – 96's Superman flying straight in the direction of the Daily Planet.
"Iris! Lois! Get out of there!"
At the journal desk, Iris and Lois stepped out of the window, while Lex rejoiced in the fight.
"This should be fun!" he declared with an evil smile.
He didn't notice the interdimensional breach that had opened up behind him, and closed immediately.
The Paragon of Truth flew straight towards the office, as if to attack Iris and Lois, he was rejected by Superman and Thor. Both had moved on top of him, preventing him from entering through the broken window.
Lex looked disgusted. Then a small voice spoke to him:
"Hey chrome dome!"
The bald psychopath froze, wondering who was talking to him. He lowered his head, and to his surprise he saw what looked like a tiny man in a jumpsuit standing on his jacket sleeve.
"Hi there," said the little man.
"What the…?" Lex exclaimed.
Then the man instantly grows up, hitting Lex Luthor, causing him to lose his grip on the Book of Destiny. It was Scott Lang, aka Ant-Man. He smiles at the bald man pinned to the ground.
"Hi dude! I'm Ant-Man."
Stunned, Lex barely had time to figure out what had just happened, when another person grew up next to him, and kicked him in the face stunning him. It was the Wasp, aka Hope Van Dyne.
Ant-Man raised his helmet, revealing Scott's face, and turned to the two women greeting them with a friendly smile.
"Hello ladies! Ant-Man and the Wasp to the rescue!"
Hope lifted the helmet from her jumpsuit and greeted the two women.
"What are you doing here?" Iris exclaimed, stunned.
"A strange and creepy guy with ridges on his head and big muttonchops came to see us, Hope and I, on our Earth," Scott explained. "I didn't understood it all… he talked about a Crisis affecting the whole Multiverse… and he said you needed help on this… this Earth with a Superman who would be a Paragon… but I didn't understood…"
"He told us about that bald guy with that weird book," Hope added, gesturing to the unconscious Lex on the floor, with the Book a few inches from him.
"We have to take the Book of Destiny," Iris exclaimed, alerted.
"The Book of what?" Scott exclaimed, confused.
"We need to open it," added Lois. "Help us!"
Then the four of them got down to open the big Book. Then the pages scrolled, revealing rays of energy.
"What the heck is this weird book?" Scott exclaimed, dumbfounded.
"No time to explain to you," replied Iris. "We need to free Clark from Lex."
"Picture the Clark that we met." Lois added, standing up with the Book in her hands.
"Who is Clark?" Scott asked, more and more confused.
"I thought we had to save Superman?" Hope added as confused as he was.
"Superman is Clark," Iris replied.
Then the two new heroes realized the air combat that was taking place outside the building. Scott and Hope came to the window and saw Thor with two Supermen. All three clashed while flying.
"Oh man, Thor is fighting with two Supermen!" Ant-Man commented, fascinated. "Which of the two is the real Superman?"
"Both are Superman," replied Iris and Lois at the same time.
Suddenly, the two Supermen returned to the office. The Paragon pushed back its counterpart, roaring with a fierce look.
"There's only room in this world for one of us!" he declared to his double.
Slightly frightened, Scott backed up against the wall.
"Uh… I'm not fighting him," he said with a small voice. (Then he looked puzzled.) "Hey, wait, this Superman sounds like familiar to me, like I've seen him before!"
Then the Earth – 96's Superman grabbed his doppelganger by the neck and stashed him against the wall, strangling him.
Iris and Lois, still with the Book of Destiny in their hands, attempted to bring Clark Kent back to his normal state.
"Ladies, whatever you do doesn't seem to be working," Scott replied anxiously as Superman strangled his double.
"Lex must have turned Superman's love into hate," Iris replied.
"Love!" exclaimed Lois, who understood then. (She turned to the Paragon.) "Clark, this isn't you, not the real Clark, the one that Perry White respected and Jimmy Olsen looked up to and Lois loved."
But Earth – 96's Superman turned his head towards the two women in rage.
"You know nothing about me or them!"he exclaimed furiously.
He wanted to attack them with his heat vision, when Thor came over and used his hammer to block the laser beam attack.
"Remember who you really are, Kal!" the Asgardian told him, repelling the attack. "The reason why you became Superman! You have always fought with honor and courage! Think about those you lost! They would have wanted you to remember them to lift you up, not drive you to darkness! That's the one and only truth, Kal-El! And the truth means everything to you! Remember who you really are!"
In his anger, the new Superman seemed lost in thought, then finally gave up on attacking Thor. He inhaled and lowered his head, thinking about what had happened to him.
Scott and Hope, who had stepped back, watched the scene cautiously.
"Its okay? Has he become good again?" dared to ask Ant-Man.
The Earth – 38's Superman came to see his doppelganger.
"You okay?"
"Actually, this is the second time I've gone nuts and fought myself," said the Paragon, sighing.
He came over to shake the Asgardian's hand.
"Thank you Thor!"
Then the Thunder God showed him his hammer.
"The Monitor said my hammer could be carried by Paragons. Take it!"
A little dazed, the Paragon took Thor's hammer… and lifted it easily as if it were very light. He was therefore indeed a Paragon.
Thor smirked, despite himself, although he was hardly used to seeing strangers lifting his hammer.
"I think I just figured out why I'm called the Keeper of the Paragons," he explained.
"Paragons?" Hope said, confused.
"Looks like we missed a lot of things," Scott replied, not understanding what had happened.
Thor turned and noticed the two new heroes.
"Scott Lang, glad to see you again!" he said, smiling.
"Hi Thor!" Ant-Man replied, raising his hand jovially. "It would be nice to fill us in this Crisis. And what are these Paragons? And why are there two Supermen?"
Earth – 18; North Dakota
Constantine was leading Mia, Sara, Clint, Peter and Barry into an underground cave with torches at hand to light them. Then they came to a pool of water.
"Yep. This is the place." Constantine said, stopping walking.
"This famous Lazarus Pits is located in a town of western?" Clint replied, looking around.
"Very dismal," Peter commented stunned. "Is anyone really in this backwater?"
Then the occult detective put his two fingers in the water and licked them.
"That's clean enough." he said, indifferently.
"Don't tell me you just tasted that?" exclaimed Clint in disgust.
Sara and Peter made faces of disgust as they looked at Constantine.
"We'll clear this out!" Mia said, seeing several planks of wood around them. "Peter, can you help me?"
"We'll go get Oliver," Barry said, opening an interdimensional breach.
Then he disappeared with Constantine and the breach closed behind them.
Mia and Peter came to pull the wooden planks away from the pit, while Sara stared at the pool of water, recalling memories. Worried, Clint joined her.
"You okay?" he asked her.
"Yeah," Sara replied. "Just that I don't have good memories with… Lazarus Pits. (She turned to Mia.) Are you sure that you want to do this?"
Mia and Peter had just put down a long plank of wood, before the archer retorted to the Paragon.
"More than anything," she said.
"Okay," Sara agreed. "Your father wouldn't take no for an answer either."
"And he wasn't the only one," Clint replied with an amused smile, thinking of someone he had known on his Earth.
Then Sara started to lift a wooden plank while talking to Mia.
"When I think of all the stupid stuff we got into when we were your age, it's amazing we didn't get arrested more." she said to Green Arrow's daughter.
"Arrested more?" Mia asked intrigued, crossing her arms.
"But you're way smarter than him." Sara answered hastily. "You get that from your mom."
"Wow, the Green Arrow's story is a lot more thrilling than I imagined," Clint laughed, throwing a plank of wood.
"I know a little bit about Oliver's pre-island past," Peter replied, remembering his interactions with the Earth – 1's archer.
"Ladies and gentlemen, seems you have tied your horse to the wrong saloon!"said a hoarse voice behind them. "This mine is off limits."
A tall cowboy had just entered the cave, with a very unfriendly gaze. Sara recognized him as Jonah Hex. But a different Jonah Hex than the one she knew. His face had no scars.
Puzzled, the two Avengers looked at him with frowns.
"Are you a real cowboy?"Peter asked, dazed at the sight of the lonely man.
"Hey look, Clint Eastwood, we don't care of this mine," Clint retorted.
"Uh… he looks more like Josh Brolin*," Peter replied in a low voice, slipping his web throwers on his wrists.
"I don't care who owns it." Mia retorted, crossing her arms. "We need to use this pit."
The cowboy then approached the young archer of Earth – 1.
"Well, I'm a-sure we can come to an arrangement."
With a sadistic smile he put his hand on Mia's cheek, but immediately Clint took his hand and twisted it with a murderous look.
"I wouldn't touch her if I were you!" he shouted at her in a calm voice, but full of threats.
Peter intervened in turn.
"Hey, Brolin! You've got no idea who you're dealing with! Get out of here or else you're not going to like what's going to happen to you!"
Far from being intimidated, Jonah broke free from Clint, and glared at the young man.
"Watch yourself, little boy!"
And he took a knife out of his pocket, which he brandished in front of him. Peter pretended to be terrified.
"Oh no, a knife! I'm scared! You found my weakness!"
Then he threw his cobwebs at Hex's hands, sticking them both together. Then Clint took the opportunity to lift him up and throw him to the ground. Then Sara rushed at him and took his knife from his hand, bringing the blade closer to his face.
"The mine is ours," she declared, bringing the blade of the knife closer to the cowboy's cheek.
"The hell is it?" roared Hex.
"Guess you were gonna get this scar eventually, Hex!" added young Lance, slashing the man's cheek.
Then Clint drew his bow and aimed an arrow at Hex's head.
"Do you want to know what it feels like to have an arrow on your head?" he growled threateningly.
"The mine's yours. The mine's yours." the cowboy moaned with an incision in his face.
"Better!"said Archer Avenger satisfied.
Then Mia punched the man in the face, knocking him out. Clint couldn't help but look at the girl in awe.
"What?" Mia said to the Avenger.
"Nothing, it's just… you remind me of someone I knew," Clint replied with a small smile. "Good woman. I'm sure she would have liked you."
Seeing Mia fight made Clint remember her partner Natasha Romanoff. Like Oliver, she had sacrificed herself to save the universe. He was absent for a moment and recovered.
"Are you still with me to revive my father?" Mia asked her.
"Of course he's my friend, and I miss him," Clint replied.
And Mia had turned to Peter.
"You have super reflexes," she told him with admiration.
"Thank you, that's nice," Peter replied, smiling.
"You're a real Avenger," Mia added.
At that word, Peter's face darkened.
"I don't know if I'm really an Avenger. My life has become complicated these days. It's a long story, but… that's one of the reasons I want to help you bring Oli… uh, your dad back to life."
Finally, Barry and Constantine returned to the mine through a breach, with Oliver's lifeless body with them.
They noticed Jonah Hex unconscious on the ground.
"Did we miss something?" asked Barry.
"Nothing," Sara replied. "Just put him in the water."
Earth – 1; Waverider
Rocket joined his friends the Guardians of the Galaxy at the ship's command center.
"Do we have any news from Thor or Superman on this… Paragon we need to find?" he asked.
"Still nothing," Quill replied. "And on your side, with the Paragons detector?"
"It's on the way," the raccoon replied.
Then he saw Groot with Mick. The man handed his book to the sapling and made a signature on a page of the book. Groot seemed quite happy.
Furious, Rocket came over to them.
"What the hell am I looking at?! Groot, what are you doing? With this stupid guy?"
Innocently, Groot looked at Rocket, while Mick watched him proudly.
"Your tree asked me for a dedication of my romance novel."
"I am Groot," said the tree happily.
"What?" Rocket exclaimed incredulously and furiously.
And Mick signed on the page and handed his book to Groot, all jovial.
"And that's it for my alien tree fan," he said happily.
"I am Groot," Groot replied with a big smile.
"You're welcome… Groot," Mick replied, having guessed what the tree had just said.
Rocket was both horrified and stunned at not believing what he saw in front of him.
"Groot, don't tell me you bought a book from that stupid novelist?"
"I didn't sell him anything," Mick answered innocently. "I was walking around with the baby in my arms, telling my story, and your buddy Groot, who was here, heard me and it interested him! So I gave him a copy of "Caged Passion"! And he even asked me for a dedication!"
Groot nodded in agreement.
"I am Groot."
But Rocket was not at all enthusiastic that his friend could read an erotic book. He shook his head, deeply annoyed.
"No, no, no, no and no! Groot, give me this book right now! I forbid you to read that crap! Give me this book, or I swear if we survive this Crisis, there's no space travel for you for a month!"
He tried to grab the book, but Groot lifted his arm away from Rocket, who had to leap into the air to try to reach him.
"Give me this book! Give me this book! I'm not asking, Groot! Give me this book or you will be punished!"
"I am Groot!" Groot muttered, raising his hand in the air holding his book away from his friend.
After some effort, Rocket gave up jumping, which made Mick happy.
"Well done Groot, don't let that little furball tell you what to do! You are a big tree!"
Immediately, the raccoon turned to him, baring his teeth angrily.
"Don't talk to him! And get out away from him, shitty dirty novelist!"
Mick just shrugged and walked away. He picked up Jonathan from a cradle and walked quietly.
"Go screw yourself, raccoon!"
At the mention of the raccoon, Rocket's rage had increased tenfold.
He leaps like an excited animal, howling in rage.
"I wish the wave of anti-matter will consume you, stupid writer!" he roared at the man who walked away with the baby.
For his part, Quill had seen it all, and had shook his head.
"Groot, I'm warning you, I don't want erotic books in my ship!"
"I am Groot!" Groot snapped at him.
"You don't talk to me like that!" Quill scolded him.
"By the way," Mantis pointed out, opening her eyes wide. "Groot can read? Since when does reading fascinate him?"
"Yes, that's a good question," Drax added.
Even Quill was intrigued that Groot wanted to read. Although he would like the young tree to read something else about cultivation rather than erotic reading.
"In any case, if this book comes on my ship, I'll throw it in the trash," Star-Lord warned uncompromising.
Groot went to his corner, immersed in reading his new book, much to the chagrin of Rocket who began to scream:
"Okay Groot, you asked for it! No space travel for you for two months! Crisis or not Crisis, you're punished!"
But Groot ignored the raccoon and read on happily.
Exasperated, Rocket rubbed his face, on the verge of hysterics.
Earth – 18; North Dakota
Our heroes had settled Oliver's lifeless body on a stretcher, made from wooden planks that lay in the cave. Gently, they gently placed him in the water, and plunged him there.
"That's it, and now?" Peter asked nervous at the concept of the resurrection.
"Now we wait," said Sara, dreading what would happen next.
Notes:
Thank you for reading and reviewing.
I'm so glad I got to add Ant-Man and the Wasp. Since the time, I wished of introducing them to my story, but I didn't know how. Now that they're in the story, I'm planning some funny scenes with Scott on the different Earths.
Thanks to DarkerEvening of Fanfiction.net for suggesting me the idea for Clint and Peter in the cave on Earth – 18. And also thanks for his review which gave me the idea for the funny scene with Rocket, Groot and Mick from another Earth.
* Josh Brolin is a reference to the actor (the one who played Thanos in Avengers Infinity War and Avengers Endgame) who played Jonah Hex in the movie of the same name released in 2010.
Thor's new Mjolnir has been modified by the Monitor so that it can be lifted by Paragons. For Kara and Superman of Earth – 96, it was easy, but for the others, it will be harder and you will understand why.
I hope I managed to put some humor in my story.
See you soon for a new chapter.
Chapter 13
Notes:
Hi everyone! I saw the third episode of WandaVision. I liked it!
And now, here is the conclusion of the story with the Bruce Wayne of Earth – 99.
Good reading!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Chapter 13
Earth – 99; Gotham City
At Wayne Manor, in the library, Kara and Luke had noticed a whole swarm of Parademon flying in the direction of the Manor. The young man had just told the Girl of Steel what happened to Batman on this version of Earth.
"So this Darkseid… wanted to conquer Earth, then my cousin and Batman fought him," Kara said.
"Yup, but then Bruce found himself in this exoskeleton because of this war!" Luke replied.
"Rao…" whispered the shocked Kryptonian.
Suddenly, the library window shattered and a Parademon entered the room with a ferocious roar. Luke ran for a shotgun, while Kara came to confront the creature. She threw her fist in the air and wanted to punch him in the face, when she felt a terrible pain run through her whole body. Moaning in pain, Kara eventually collapsed to the floor, doing everything to stay in shape. In vain. And she knew this pain.
"Kryptonite," she said.
She was too weak to fight. The Parademon pulled out of the green chains that must have been made of kryptonite and walked towards the Girl of Steel.
Then Luke arrived and fired several shots at the creature, pushing it back a bit. He yelled at Kara:
"Run!"
Kara stood up painfully, still wanting to leave the library but only managed to take a few steps out of the room.
Luke used his rifle to take down the creature, which eventually left the library and flew out of the broken window.
He helped Kara up.
"We mustn't stay here! We have to get out of here before other fucking freaks gets there!"
"You defeated Darkseid?" Kara asked, still weakened by the kryptonite.
"We stopped him from destroying Earth," Luke explained. "Your cousin sacrificed himself to thwart his plan. Since then he has held a grudge against the Kryptonians and has sworn revenge on Superman's family! That's why they got kryptonite! They must have spotted your presence here, and now they're coming to kill you for revenge on Superman!"
Outside the Manor House, the Parademon in great numbers were speeding up, flying towards Bruce Wayne's house. They were driven by an elusive vengeance.
Seeing the whole army arriving, after removing Kara from the library, Luke closed the door, making a barricade with a large wooden plank.
"That door's not gonna hold them! Come on, let's get out of here!"
Bruce had taken Kate to see the Batcave. At least, what had been the Batcave. Batman's lair was filled with cobwebs, dust, vegetation… as if the place had been abandoned for years. Kate saw the Batman outfit resting like a mannequin. With a sigh of sadness, old Bruce looked at what had been the Batman's costume.
"See for yourself, I can barely walk, let alone wear that again. I'm sorry, Kate, but it's too late for me. I've already lived my life. I can't be the one you're looking for."
"God, Bruce!" Kate exclaimed. "Think of the worlds that are going to die…"
"In this Multiverse there are hundreds or thousands of heroes who can save it," Bruce pointed out. "And maybe your Paragon is one of them. This world is doomed to disappear no matter what I do. And you can't change that."
Kate shook her head in uncertainty.
"That doesn't make any sense! If there is no Paragon on this Earth, then why would the Monitor send us here?"
Before Bruce could answer him, a wing rustle was heard. The two turned to see Luke and Supergirl enter the Batcave.
"Bruce, Darkseid's minions are here," Luke said. "They invade the Manor."
Kate looked shocked, while Bruce remained calm.
"Darkseid knows Superman's cousin is here," he said quietly. "You must both leave this Earth! (He turned to his cousin's version.) Kate, it's time to leave us!"
But Batwoman kept a determined gaze.
"Let me help you end this threat! The Bruce I knew never backed down from a fight! I wouldn't give up!"
"Kate, you can't stay here, and neither can Kara," Bruce retorted. "These Parademons are multiplying very fast, and Darkseid has been determined to take revenge on Superman since our clash. Nothing will stop him. He wants revenge, and he will. I had foreseen this moment. I knew Darkseid would come here to finish what he started. I cannot defeat him, but I can prevent him from destroying what remains of hope for this Multiverse."
He turned to Supergirl.
"Both of you must leave this Earth as soon as you can!"
Earth – 18; North Dakota
Ever since they had plunged Oliver into Lazarus Pits, Mia, Barry, Peter, Clint, Constantine and Sara had been waiting in front of the pool of water. Nothing had happened yet. Clint stayed by the water, waiting for something to happen. Peter waited nervously, praying for Oliver to come back to life. None of them said a word.
Until Mia broke the silence by standing up with a haunted face.
"It's not working!"
"Just give it some time," Sara said calmly.
"A resurrection can last that long?" Clint replied.
"How can we be sure it worked?" Peter interjected. "There isn't… a spell… a prayer… or some magic trick to make it effective!"
"We aren't in Harry Potter, young Skywalker," Constantine told him with an amused smile. "Don't be impatient, young Luke."
"Guys, Mia's right." Barry said, shaking his head. "This isn't…"
Suddenly, a figure jumped out of the water, and landed. It was Oliver. But not the real Oliver. The archer had a formidable look, having no humanity. He rushed towards Constantine but Barry used his super speed and carried the occult detective away from the mad archer with rage.
Peter stood in his way with a pleading look.
"Oh jeez! Oliver! Oliver! It's us!"
"No Peter, stay away from him! It's not Oliver!" Sara yelled.
Oliver saw the young Spider-Man, and rushed towards him like a rabid animal. Realizing that his friend was no longer himself, Peter used his web shooters and managed to tie the man with his cobwebs. But Oliver let out a long howl of rage, struggled and freed himself from his shackles with the strength of a lion. He resumed his run towards Peter. He made a web appear and flew away from the mad archer.
Clint ran over to him.
"Oliver!"
Immediately, the archer ran to Clint screaming in rage. But Mia stepped in her way, her eyes pained.
"Dad?"
Oliver looked at his daughter for a brief moment and resumed his ferocious animal gaze. He rushed towards her. Clint stepped in to protect her. Before Oliver could do anything, Sara injected a syringe into his neck. Suddenly Oliver collapsed into unconsciousness.
"What? You tranqued him?" Mia pointed out to her.
"I tranqued his body. We have to get his soul back." said Sara, looking at the two archers. "That's isn't Oliver yet."
"Sure, that's not the Oliver I met," Clint said, staring at Oliver's limp body with a fearful gaze.
"And how do you get Oliver's soul back?" Peter asked, stepping down from his web.
"That's why I'm here, Skywalker," Constantine said, joining them with a smile. "I'm going to give him the soul of that brooding Oliver Queen!"
"Don't mess this up," Clint told him.
Earth – 99; Gotham City
"Kate, I watched you die once, and I was helpless," Bruce said. "I couldn't do anything to save you! I couldn't save my Kate, but I can save you and Kara! And you must leave this Earth!"
"You made it clear to me that you weren't fit to fight," Kate pointed out to him as she approached Bruce. "I refuse to go and let you die here."
"Kate, there are too many of them and they have kryptonite. Enough to kill Kara. You cannot stay here. This world is doomed. It's too late! But you can still save what's left of the Multiverse. And for that, you have to stay alive!"
Supergirl joined old Bruce with determination.
"Kate's right," she told him. "I don't want to go and let you die here."
Bruce gave her a compassionate look.
"You're like your cousin, Kara," he said gently. "He and I had a few disagreements, but we were brothers. Every day, I miss him. Kara, Kate, get out of here before it's too late. If you stay, you both die!"
There was a great crash, and Parademons entered the Batcave. Luke attacked them by shooting them with his rifle, but the large number of monsters outweighed him. Then he was attacked by the army of monsters.
"Luke!" Kate yelled, horrified at the sight of her friend's version dying.
She wanted to join him, but Bruce took her arm.
"It's too late, Kate, you can't save him! Follow me!"
A Parademon attacked Supergirl. The Girl of Steel wanted to defend herself, but felt the effects of the kryptonite again. The Parademon roared in her face, then Kate pounced on him, attacking him with her fists. After a fierce struggle, she managed to push the creature back. She pulled out a Batarang and threw it, which hit the Parademon in the face. Bruce then remembered the Kate from his Earth. But he also remembered the tragic end she had had.
"Others are coming. Come on, follow me!"
Supergirl and Kate ended up following the old man who led them into a dark part of the cave. The Parademon followed them roaring.
"I'll hold them back," Bruce said.
"How?" Supergirl asked, wondering what the old man had in mind.
"With that," Bruce said, taking a device out of his pocket.
He activated his little machine and threw it like a bullet at the demons. She lands on the ground. For a while, nothing happened at all. The Parademons resumed their marches towards them. Then, a whole swarm of bats attacked them, braking them in their races.
Despite the number of Parademons, the bats, attracted by the noise of the device, attacked them, like crows on prey.
Bruce looked at his bats with a smirk.
"Bats frighten me. It's time Darkseid shared my dread."
"It won't hold them back for long," Supergirl pointed out.
"I know, that's why, you're going to leave this Earth, right now! I'm not asking you!"
"But you, Bruce, what are you going to do?" cried Kate, distraught.
The old man took out of his pocket what looked like a remote control and said with a neutral look:
"I put explosives around the Batcave, in case my enemies try to take it! I knew that day would come, it was inevitable! Since the night I saw my parents die, I knew how it was going to end for me! I know this is the end! It's gonna end this way! I cannot stop Darkseid, but I can stop him from destroying you both!"
"Are you going to sacrifice yourself?" Batwoman exclaimed, her eyes wide in horror.
"It's my destiny, Kate. It is, there's no other way. (He smiles sadly.) I miss my Kate… you remind me of her a lot."
He pulled something out, and passed it to Kate's hand.
"I want give this to you. I kept it all this time. It's my only memento of my Kate! I couldn't save her, but I can save you!"
Supergirl, understanding Bruce's determination to sacrifice himself, approached him, with a sad expression. She had already seen friends sacrifice themselves to save the universe. Natasha Romanoff. Tony Stark. And now, Oliver Queen. She couldn't take one more sacrifice.
"You don't have to doing this!"
"I have to, Kara! Superman sacrificed himself to save me and to save this world! Now, it's my turn to do it for his cousin from another Earth. The fate of the Multiverse rests with you! You cannot save this world! This is the end! But you can save other Earths that deserve to live! (He looked at Kate with a sad smile.) You're like my Kate! You are as brave as she was!"
A growl echoed through the cave. They looked up to see some Parademon, which had moved away from the bats, and were making their way towards them.
"It's time for you to go! Kara, take Kate and go away! Do it! You can never stop them! You must go! Right now!"
Supergirl nodded and pulled out the extrapolator. She activated it, creating an interdimensional breach. With tearful face, Kate looked at Bruce, while the old man turned to the two women, with a sad smile.
"Whatever happens, never lose hope and courage," he told them reassuringly. "You are worthy of being Paragons for this Multiverse. Go and protect this universe, as we did, Clark and I once! There is always hope… Leave… now…"
"You're a brave man, Bruce Wayne!" Kara said with sorrow. "May Rao be with you!"
Sadly, Supergirl took Kate by the shoulder, but Kate couldn't take her eyes off the man who was her cousin on another Earth.
"Even if you're not the Bruce I knew, I'll never forget you!" Kate said, tears in her eyes.
"Goodbye Kate, goodbye Supergirl!" Bruce Wayne greeted with a sad smile.
Finally, the two heroes women left Earth – 99, not taking their eyes off Bruce. Then the portal closed, leaving the old man at the mercy of his assailants.
Bruce Wayne turned to his enemies, looking at them with a serene and determined gaze. The Parademon seemed furious at the disappearance of their Kryptonian prey. They looked at the old man, uttering ferocious roars.
The old man gave them a look of anger. The Parademons flew straight towards Bruce. He raised his detonator above his head then he said with a mischievous look:
"I am Batman!"
As the monsters flew towards him, he activated the detonator.
Immediately, the entire Batcave exploded, taking Bruce Wayne and the Parademons with it. The dusty Batman costume vanished into the flames. Batman's lair had gone in the explosion.
Notes:
Thank you for reading and reviewing.
And that's it for this chapter. There was no place for humor for this one. There will be in the next chapter. Anyway, I hope I got through with this story with Kevin Conroy's Bruce, rather than the real crossover version.
I wasn't necessarily expecting that same scene, but I would have preferred a better ending for Batman. An end worthy of a hero. I'd rather see a weakened Bruce Wayne who sacrifices himself to save Supergirl, than see an asshole kill Supergirl for no reason. I wanted to rectify that, and I hope you enjoyed it.
Chapter 14
Notes:
Hi everyone! And here is a new chapter which will close part of the crossover. I'm going to do two stories related to Crisis on Infinite Earths. In the meantime, good reading for this chapter.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Chapter 14
Earth – 1; Waverider
All of our heroes were back aboard the Waverider that floated around Earth – 1. After Scott and Hope learned about the Crisis, Earth – 96's Superman got to know Ray Palmer. All could see their physical resemblances. Even the Guardians of the Galaxy were stunned.
"They have a little family resemblance," Drax pointed out.
"I wonder if there wouldn't be a version of me on another Earth," Star-Lord said, thinking about the concept of the Multiverse.
"One Quill is enough," said Rocket. (Looking at the two identical men.) "It's too weird all these doppelgangers from other Earths!"
"I am Groot," Groot muttered approving of his raccoon friend.
"It's really amazing that resemblance," Shuri said with fascination. "The surprises of the Multiverse. This Superman has the same face as Ray Palmer!"
Even Scott and Hope were stunned by the resemblance between Ray and the new Superman.
"I already knew Ray. I knew this Superman was familiar to me," Scott said flabbergasted. (Addressing his partner.) "Do you think there is a version of me on another Earth who is Superman?"
Hope chuckled.
"I can hardly imagine you in Superman," she answered, laughing.
As the two lookalikes looked at each other, Ray allowed himself to ask:
"So, uh, do you have a gluten sensitivity too?"
"No, not that I know of," Superman replied with a friendly smile.
"Congratulations. You're a ringer for a filthy Kryptonian." replied Lex Luthor on a platform surrounded by an invisible barrier. "Your mom must be so proud!"
Since their return, Thor had insisted on locking Lex Luthor up so he wouldn't cause them any more problems. Now, the bald man couldn't do anything against Superman.
Hope turned to him.
"You know, I'm surprised that with all your intellect you still haven't managed to grow your hair back," she replied to the bald man in a scathing voice.
Scott chuckled, while Lex scowled sullenly.
"Wonderful, I was stopped by Giant-Ant and a pathetic mantis," he muttered, annoyed.
"It's Ant-Man and the Wasp, chrome dome!" Scott replied in a harsh voice.
"Go to hell," Lex snapped.
Mick joined the group in the lab, beer in hand, and baby Jonathan in the other.
"Kid was a piece of cake." he said, handing the baby back to Lois.
Then while Lois was walking with her baby in her arms, Rocket took the opportunity to talk with Mick:
"Hey, human! You and I will have scores to settle if we ever survive this Crisis! My mate Groot won't read your horrible dirty stories! And if you dare to turn him against me, you'll wish you'd never been born!"
"Blah-blah-blah…" Mick mumbled indifferently while drinking his beer.
"But you're in a lot of trouble later, Mick Rory," Rocket added with a fierce look.
Then Quill came to calm him down.
"Rocket, take easy! I hate this nut as much as you do, but here we have a big problem that affects the whole universe, so let's put our differences aside, and let's work together!"
"OK Quill!" the raccoon nodded angrily. "But this guy isn't our friend!"
"I like him," Drax said.
"Oh no, not you too, no!" grumbled Rocket.
Lois took Jonathan to meet the Superman from another Earth.
"Here. There's someone I want you to meet."
Then Earth – 96's Superman watched the infant in Lois's arms tenderly.
"Hi there, handsome guy." said the new Kryptonian, stroking the baby's face. "Wow. He looks just like my son Jason."
Quill turned to Thor.
"So we have a Paragon with us?" Star-Lord asked.
"Yes, and it hasn't been easy," Thor commented.
"All that remains is to wait for Supergirl and Batwoman for their Paragon…"
Then the Monitor joined the whole troop.
"Well done. You have succeeded in finding the Paragon of Truth. "
Scott and Hope looked surprised at the sight of Mar Novu.
"This is the guy who came to see us on our Earth," specified the Wasp, looking at the Monitor.
"And his name is Mar Novu? It doesn't sound like a real name," Scott added confused.
Ignoring Ant-Man and the Wasp, Mar Novu turned to Lex.
" Lex Luthor played his role. He led you to him. "
The bald man made a small reference, apparently proud of what he had accomplished. Thor made a face in disgust.
"I still don't trust you! Neither you, nor even Luthor," the Asgardian declared angrily.
"Yeah? How many more people did he hurt to do that?" asked Kara who had just arrived with a distraught Kate. "You think you're a good guy, but you're not!"
"I think he's kind of neat." Lex said admiringly.
"Well, we still only have three," Kara said. "Bruce Wayne wasn't the Paragon of anything, so… (She paused, gazing at Ray's lookalike in admiration.) Whoa, Ray. You are looking jacked."
"No, no, this is your cousin," Clark told his cousin.
"Yes, we have found the Paragon of Courage," Thor told his friend. "And he's a Superman who is Ray Palmer's doppelganger."
Kara then noticed Ray and was stunned when she saw the two identical men.
"And what about me," Thor said amusedly. "On his Earth, I'm an actor by the name of Chris Hemsworth."
"What?" exclaimed the Girl of Steel, eyes wide in amazement.
Even for Ant-Man and Star-Lord.
"Really?" Quill exclaimed before leaving with a giggle.
"No kidding?" Scott added, amused. "If Thor is an actor on Earth of this new Superman, who am I then on this Earth? (Turning to Hope.) Do you think I'm a movie star? Or rock and roll?"
But Hope didn't share her fun, and was frustrated.
"Scott, we have a Major Crisis! This isn't the time!"
"Yeah, sorry," Ant-Man replied, embarrassed.
Kara then noticed the presence of the two new heroes of Earth from the Avengers.
"Scott? Hope?"
The couple greeted the Girl of Steel.
"Hi Kara," Scott said warmly.
Kate, who was still reeling from the traumatic experience with Earth – 99, spoke in turn:
"OK, uh so… Batman was not our Paragon and he died… he sacrificed himself to save us Kara and me…"
"Wait, are there now two Supermen and a Batman?" Scott exclaimed, confused.
But no one paid attention to him.
Thor looked intrigued.
"What happened?"
"It's a long story," Kara replied. "But this trip to Earth – 99 was a failure."
"So back to square one," Quill exclaimed, lowering his head in disappointment.
"Yeah, so we're doomed!" Kate said broodingly.
"We shall see." Mar Novu replied with a strange smile. "I believe the work of Dr. Palmer, Shuri and Rocket is now finished."
"Finished yes, but…" answered Shuri anxiously.
"We don't know if this stuff works yet," Rocket added.
"I've never actually built a Paragon detector before." Ray replied with an embarrassed smile.
"Neither do we," replied Rocket and Shuri at the same time.
"If we can't find the Paragons, we're doomed," Nebula added in a neutral voice.
"That's what I said." Kate replied.
Ray, Shuri and Rocket turned to the machine they had built together.
"Uh okay," Ray announced. "If all goes according to plan, we should find the others. (Addressing everyone.) Everyone might want to take a step back."
Shuri nodded in agreement.
"Yes, we don't know what will happen if we turn this machine on, so stay back."
Then everyone else started to back away. Kate rolled her eyes and took a step back. Mick frowned across the lab with his beer. Then Thor joined Kara aside.
Ray plugged in a cable, while Shuri turned on the machine. The screen indicated Earth, followed by a ship that glittered a reddish color.
Puzzled, Thor, Earth – 96's Superman and Ray stared at the screen.
"And which Earth is that?" asked the new Superman.
"None of them. That's us, this ship." Ray replied.
"Unless I am mistaken," Shuri added. "It looks like the Waverider has Paragons. We have Kara's signal, the new Superman's signal and… a third… we have another Paragon aboard this ship!"
"And who?" Star-Lord exclaimed. "That's not me, or a member of my team?"
"None of us are Paragon, Quill," Nebula retorted with a firm gaze.
"Apparently, there are still a few bugs." Rocket replied, looking at the machine.
"No, your machine works just fine," said Mar Novu, smiling. "We have a new Paragon on board. That light is the Paragon of Courage."
"Well, Bruce's body isn't on the ship, so…" Kate retorted, shaking her head.
"No, but you are," the Monitor replied, looking at Kate.
It was then that all eyes were on Batman's cousin. Mar Novu continued looking at her:
" I said the path to Earth-99 would lead you to the Paragon, and that has come to pass. You are the Bat of the future, Kate Kane. You are the Paragon of Courage. "
Kate then looked at the Monitor, not believing her ears.
"So our Paragon isn't Batman, it's Batwoman?" Rocket said, surprised.
"I am Groot," Groot muttered, intrigued.
Earth – 18; North Dakota
Oliver Queen was inert on the ground. A ritual circle was drawn around him. Right above him, Sara and Mia held both hands, while Barry, Clint, and Peter had stepped aside and Constantine performed the ritual to restore his soul. The speedster and the two Avengers waited anxiously, praying that the ritual would work.
Once Constantine was done… nothing happened. Oliver was still unconscious. The occult detective was confused, and Sara looked at him with wide eyes.
"What?" she exclaimed.
"I don't know," Constantine replied, his gaze defeated. "It's, uh something's wrong. This has, uh this has never happened before. With all the anti-matter in the system, I've lost my magical mojo."
- So, you mean we can't bring back Oliver's soul? exclaimed Peter.
"Exactly, young Luke," replied the detective. "For some unknown reason."
"What shall we do now?" Clint muttered, annoyed.
"Oliver's gonna be a monster forever." Barry said in anguish.
"Yeah," Constantine nodded frustrated.
So it was impossible for them to bring back Oliver's soul. Mia remained motionless next to her father's body. As Peter walked away from the group, putting both hands behind his head, distraught.
"We're doomed!"
As he mumbled in uncertainty, there was a dazzling flash.
"Uh… guys, what the f…?"
And he suddenly disappeared in a whitish halo.
Earth – 1; Waverider
Kate was sitting alone and pondering her journey on Earth – 99. She took out what Bruce had given her before leaving. It was a folded piece of paper, but when she unfolded it, Kate found a photo on it. And what she saw shocked her. It was a photo of herself, smiling and happy in the company of a woman who looked like her sister Beth. But she was a loving sister who beamed with happiness. She was nothing like Alice. As if on Earth – 99, Beth had never become Alice. Did Kate grow up on this Earth with her sister by her side? She would have liked to know the answer. Tears of sadness rolled down her face.
I want give this to you. I kept it all this time. It's my only memento of my Kate! I couldn't save her, but I can save you!
She thought back to the Bruce she had just met and left in a doomed world and that version of Beth she would never know. Had she been happy on Earth – 99 before she died? Was she Batwoman, whether Beth was Alice or not? She would never know her answer, and it upset her terribly.
Then Kara came to see her with a beer in her hand. Then Thor joined the two women. He had learned what had happened on Earth – 99.
Kate rubbed her eyes to hide her tears and frowned at the beer in Kara's hand.
"Do these things even work on you?" she asked.
Thor laughed lightly.
"After we lost to Thanos, I got drunk on beers for five years, and that was awful," he replied regretfully. "So I prefer to abstain."
"It doesn't affect me at all," Kara answered, handing Kate a small bottle. "But you looked like you could use a drinking buddy."
"And we thought after what you've just been through, you wouldn't want to be alone," Thor said kindly.
Kate took the beer, while Kara and the asgardian sat down beside her.
"Thank you. Thor, you told me about your brother. Did you still believe in him, despite what he had done?"
"Yes," Thor agreed. "No matter who he was, even if he wasn't perfect, I never stopped believing in him. He was my brother, and I loved him, despite his faults. I never managed to really understand him, but I had always believed in him."
Kate nodded, drinking her beer.
"Time travelers, aliens, gods," she mumbled. "I've barely even started this whole vigilante thing. How am I a Paragon?"
"I've seen you in action," Kara pointed out. "You saved me, and last year, you saved Oliver and Barry's asses, thank you very much."
"And I remember you freed me from that hallucinogenic gas," Thor added proudly. "You also saved my life. And yet, I am a God. You are brave, Kate Kane."
"Thor's right," agreed the Girl of Steel. "And that is not nothing."
"Accurate," Kate replied, nodding.
"How much you care, how hard you try," Kara said. "Those are the things that make you hero, not powers or time travel, and you may not feel like you have the experience now, but you have the heart. And as Thor said, you are brave."
"That Bruce was brave, once," Kate replied.
"And he sacrificed himself to save you both," Thor replied. "He was a hero. Like Oliver was. Like Stark and Nat. And I think he would have wanted us to continue the fight to save the universe. And we will."
"What if our universe becomes like Earth – 99?" Kate pointed out.
"So, we'll do whatever it takes to make sure that doesn't happen," Thor continued. "Because, we're masters of our destinies."
Kara noticed the photo Kate was holding in her hand.
"Is that what Bruce gave you?"
"Yes," Kate replied sadly. "That's my sister Beth and me. From Earth – 99. I wish I knew her like this."
"Maybe you still can." Kara added kindly.
"Kate, it doesn't matter who your sister really is," Thor explained. "You can't let her destroy what makes you a hero. Batman may be gone, but not his fight to save his city. Batwoman represents the hope for a better life for Gotham. I am convinced that it is true. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise."
The young woman from Gotham looked at Kara and Thor with an encouraging smile.
"Sounds like the Paragon of Hope just got her hope back, and the Keeper is starting to understand his role," she pointed out.
"Hope, help and compassion for all," Kara said, taking another sip of the beer.
Thor suddenly stood up.
"Speaking of me, Kate, I think you should try lifting my hammer," he said as he put Mjolnir on the ground in front of Kate, who was surprised.
"Do you think I'm really worthy of it?"she asked.
"According to the Monitor, Paragons can hold it in their hands. Kal-El of Earth – 96 was able to take it. So you can do it."
Kate put down her beer, stood up and grabbed the handle of the hammer. She tried to lift it with both hands… but nothing happened. The hammer didn't move, despite Kate's best efforts. After a few tries, she gave up.
"No, I can't." she said. "It's like it's glued to the ground."
Thor frowned.
"However, you should be able to wear it… I don't understand…"
Kara stood up in turn.
"I think I know why. It's because she doesn't see herself as worthy, because she doesn't see herself as a Paragon."
Kate frowned at the Girl of Steel.
"You think?"
"Yes," Kara replied, nodding her head. "I remember the first time I held Mjolnir. Thanos was going to kill me with kryptonite. And I saw this hammer, not far from me. I had tried to get it to come to me, but nothing had happened. I wondered if I was really worthy of lifting it. And then I had like visions of my entire existence from Krypton. I have seen my whole life pass before me. I remembered coming to Earth, the fact that I hid my powers until one day I became a Supergirl, and all of my fights. It was… like the hammer wanted to show me why I'd be worthy of holding it, and that's when I realized who I really was, because at that point I was confused by this. that Thanos had put us through. And Mjolnir reminded me of the hero I was before this monster arrived… and that's how that hammer got into my hand. Kate, I'm sure you can do it. You just need to believe in yourself. Be the Paragon of Courage you are meant to be to save the Multiverse."
Thor frowned, Kara had never told him all the details, the day she first held her hammer.
"My father put a charm on it," he explained to Kate. ""Whosoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor." Only worthy people can take it. And during this Crisis, we need worthy people like Paragons."
"But how can it choose me?" Kate wondered. "How can I be worthy enough to take it?"
Thor gave Kate a serious look and replied:
"The hammer does see the good and the worthiness of the user. For a while, I had become unworthy of lifting him. I had been arrogant and selfish. And to punish me, my father stripped me of my powers and then exiled me to Earth to atone for my faults. I had lost my hammer. And during my exile on Earth, I learned a valuable lesson, and that's what gave me back the worthiness I had to lift it. I'm sure you're worthy enough to take it. Kate Kane or Batwoman, our meeting in Gotham was no coincidence. It is destiny that brought us together, I am sure. And I am convinced that you can still be able to take Mjolnir in your hands. Be patient and believe in yourself. I'm sure even Bruce or another Bruce in the Multiverse would tell you the same thing."
Kara smiles at her Asgardian friend.
"You are hopeful, Thor."
He nodded, smiling.
"You put this on me, Kara."
"Hope, yes, I'm going to need it," said the Girl of Steel, confident.
"What for?"Thor questioned, frowning.
"For my Earth."
"But your Earth is gone." Kate reminded her.
"I know," Kara replied. "But maybe I can use the Book of Destiny to bring it back."
"Kara," Thor exclaimed anxiously. "I'm not sure using this Book to bring back a whole Earth is wise."
"The Monitor said that would be really dangerous." Kate told her.
"I agree," agreed the Thunder God. "Kara, although I don't trust Mar Novu, he's not wrong about the Book of Destiny. We are talking about an almighty Book able of rewriting reality. And if you use it to bring a world back, it could have catastrophic consequences. It would be too risky! I'm not saying that we must abandon all the worlds that have disappeared, but there must be another way."
"We used the Infinity Stones to bring back half of the universe," Kara reminded her.
"Yeah, and do you remember what happened to Hulk and Tony?" Thor pointed out apprehensively. "Banner barely survived, but Tony Stark wasn't so lucky. Using these Stones is one thing, but a Book that can change reality is too dangerous, Kara. You could lose your life there. I refuse that you take such a risk."
"I know what he said But what good is being the Paragon of Hope if I don't have any?" Kara retorted, upset.
"Kara, I promise you we'll find a way to save all the Earths," Thor told her gently. "Please, don't do this! Don't use the Book of Destiny, there must be some other way."
Nodding sadly, Kara moved away from her friends, while Thor and Kate watched her go. Kate discreetly took a canister that contained kryptonite from her pocket. A box she had snatched from the Parademon attacking Kara on Earth – 99.
"Thor, we can't let her do this," she said to the God of Thunder.
"I know, I will not lose Kara like I lost my family and my friends," declared the asgardian with determination.
The two looked at each other, trying to stop Supergirl from making a mistake that could cost her her life.
Suddenly, Peter Parker was on Earth – 18 with his new friends, when he had mysteriously disappeared, and had just reappeared aboard the Waverider. He had landed in one of the hallways of the timeship. Stunned and confused, the young man looked around, when the towering figure of the Monitor appeared before him.
"Oh God!"
"Peter Parker!" he said in a neutral voice, looking at the young man. "Like I said before, everyone has a part to play, including you! Now is the time for Spider-Man to fulfill his mission!"
"Why?"exclaimed Peter in awe. "You have the wrong person. I'm not Thor, I'm not a hero, nor an Avenger. I am nothing. I lack the stomach for this Crisis. Find someone else!"
" Only you can do it. The survival of the Multiverse is all up to you, Spider-Man! You are not ready yet, but very soon you will! I brought you here because I have a mission for you! Only you can accomplish it!"
"And why me?" stammered the exasperated young man.
The Monitor smiles before answering:
" Because w ith great power, comes great responsibility ."
Peter looked shocked and looked at the cosmic being with rage.
- How do you know about that?
" I know all about you, Spider-Man, as well as a lot of Spider-Man that exists throughout the Multiverse. But you are the one and only to stop this Crisis. You don't know it yet, but later you will understand why. In the meantime, you are going to make your way to Earth – 962. There is a Superman imprisoned on this Earth who needs your help. You will be helped for this mission, and at the end of your journey, you will find him."
"Find who?"Peter asked, puzzled.
"One of the eight Paragons. Spider-Man must answer the call. Now go, Peter Parker. Serve your higher purpose!"
Notes:
Thank you for reading and reviewing.
And that's it for this chapter. So for Spider-Man's mission, it'll be in another story. I'm planning on getting other Marvel superheroes to interact, who aren't in the MCU. And that's why, to avoid confusion and to make it messy, I'm doing a separate story from my story. You will find this story in the Spider-Man / Supergirl category, whose title will be Responsibility and which Spider-Man will take the lead role and will go to save a Superman on another Earth and will meet Marvel heroes who are not part of Marvel Cinematic Universe. From now on, the MCU's Spider-Man will play a pivotal role until the end of Crisis on Infinite Earths.
So, I'm taking a break from this story, and I'm going to do two stories that will follow up on this chapter, and then I'll resume writing this story.
See you soon in a new story.
Chapter 15
Notes:
And finally, I'm back! And this time, I'm going to finish this story to the end. Glad to be able to get back to writing Avengers Crisis on Infinite Earths.
Recall of recent events: The Monitor had sent the young Avengers' Spider-Man to Earth to deliver a Superman who had been imprisoned and thus discover a new Paragon. He had been helped by Team Supergirl, Ant-Man, the Wasp, as well as other versions of Spider-Men and even the Fantastic Four. Then, after learning that the Avengers' Peter Parker was one of the Paragons, Psycho-Pirate (whom the Anti-Monitor had recruited him to kill the Paragons for) grabbed him and led him to an Earth where the people in power were persecuted. Supergirl, Batwoman, Alex and Kelly had gone to rescue him and got to know the X-Men who helped them save their friends and defeat Psycho-Pirate.
And now we come back to this story. Angered by Psycho-Pirate's failures, the Anti-Monitor decides to use Lyla Michaels to set in motion his new plan to defeat the Paragons.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Chapter 15
Earth – 203; New Gotham
The red sky had spread over the whole Earth. Soon everything was going to disappear. In the pouring rain, Helena Kyle-Wayne aka Huntress, the daughter of Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle, was traveling at inhuman speed over the rooftops of Gotham. She came to the edge of the building, and saw her home, the Clocktower, which would soon be absorbed by the anti-matter wave.
Desperately, she tried to reach her friend and mentor, Barbara Gordon aka Oracle by communication:
"Oracle, it's Huntress. Come in."
"Huntress, the comms are barely functional."said the voice of Oracle by interference.
"Barbara, can you hear me?" distraught and horrified Huntress panicked.
"I need more time…"
"The wave's coming too quickly! You're gonna have to evac right now!"
"I'm sending Alfred the relevant data before the wave hits."
Then the gigantic wave of anti-matter hit the Clock Tower much to Huntress' horror. With tears in her eyes, she could only see the large building disappear through the anti-matter.
"Oracle? Oracle, please answer me."
But it was too late! The building was gone. Then, Huntress ends up evaporating in contact with the murderous wave which destroyed an entire Earth.
Earth – 214; Gotham city
The whole city of Gotham was in chaos. But not in a chaos like what the city had already been through. This time, the situation was very different. The sky had turned red, lightning flashed out of nowhere. All everyone was terrified.
Commissioner Jim Gordon was on the roof of the police station near the Bat-signal. He reached his fellow police officer by walkie-talkie.
"Harvey! What's the situation?"
"Jim, it's getting worse!" Harvey Bullock's panicked voice yelled over communication. "This thing is coming right over Gotham. It's too late… Jim, it's too…"
Then the communication had interference. Jim heard only static noises.
"Harvey! Harvey!"
Then the silhouette of Alfred Pennyworth joined the alarmed policeman.
"Commissioner Gordon!"
"Alfred," Jim said mortified when he saw the butler join him."Tell me we were able to evacuate everyone. Please tell me Lee is okay?"
Since the Crisis started, he hadn't had much contact with his wife. But Alfred was as distraught as he was.
"She couldn't have left," replied the valet in despair. "Many of people needed help. She insisted on helping them."
"Where's Bruce?"
Alfred's dread increased at the mention of one of Gotham's billionaires.
"I've no idea! He asked me to help as many people as possible! But what threatens us is destroying everything! And it's coming right at Gotham!"
A shiver ran through the commissioner's body. He had never been faced with such horror in his entire life.
"Jesus Christ!" he exclaimed.
Then Alfred handed him a phone.
"Your wife gave me this phone to reach you! I think it's time!"
Immediately, Jim picked up the phone and dialed his wife's number. There was a moment and finally, Leslie Thompkins' voice was heard.
"Hello?"
"Lee!" Jim exclaimed with a big sigh of relief. "Thank god, it's good to hear your voice! Where are you?"
He heard the very distressed voice of his wife, who must have been crying:
"I'm in the Narrows! There are a lot of accidents! People panic and go mad by this red sky! I don't know what we can do! I think this is the end! It's gonna end soon!"
"It's gonna be okay, honey! I promise!"replied the commissioner although he was completely distraught and horrified.
At that moment, the wave of anti-matter began to sweep through the buildings of Gotham. Jim and Alfred had their eyes on the phenomenon that was consuming the whole city. They could only watch in dismay.
Knowing the end was here, Jim whispered over the phone:
"I love you, Lee!"
"Love you too, Jim! Good-bye…"said his wife's voice before being cut off.
The buildings of the city were swallowed up by the devastating wave and would come straight to the police station.
Eyes wide with horror and dismay, Alfred gazed at the antimatter, whispering:
"Master Bruce…"
Finally, Jim and Alfred disappeared in the wave of antimatter.
Earth – 1; Waverider
While the timeship was still in orbit around Earth, Supergirl and Kate, dressed in her Batwoman's suit, awaited news of Thor from Avengers' Earth.
"Still no news from Thor?" the Gotham's woman asked.
"Nothing," Supergirl replied.
"The X-Men were able to help their students evacuate?"
"The whole X-Mansion has been evacuated," replied the Girl of Steel, nodding her head. "The young mutants are spread across Central City and Star City. It won't be long before Professor X and the X-Men join us."
It was then that a breach opening appeared, and then Thor appeared with several people behind him. Kara recognized it as the Avengers. Those who were left of them. Bruce Banner aka Professor Hulk. James Rhodey Rhodes in his War Machine suit. Sam Wilson aka Falcon. Winter Soldier Bucky Barnes and finally, Ant-Man and the Wasp.
Supergirl joined her new allies.
"Thor, I'm glad to see you again," she said, hugging her Asgardian friend.
"Me too, Kara." Thor replied. "Our Earth is gone. The anti-matter wave has consumed it. We have saved as many people as we can."
"There are still billions of dead," Rhodey said grimly.
"But we knew evacuating an entire planet was impossible," Bruce replied.
"Nice to see you again, guys, despite the circumstances," Supergirl said sadly. "Hi Bruce!"
"Hi Kara," Professor Hulk said, raising a friendly hand towards her. "Long time no see!"
"Hey Rhodey, it's great to see you," Supergirl added, hugging War Machine.
"Hey Kara!" Iron-Man's friend replied, hugging her back.
She then greeted Scott, Hope, Sam and Bucky. She introduced them to Batwoman.
"This is Kate! She's new!"
The Avengers waved their hands at her, while Kate just nodded.
Then Supergirl noticed that someone was missing from the group of superheroes.
"Wait… Wasn't there someone else in the Avengers? Wanda? Wanda Maximoff? Where's she?"
"I didn't find her when I helped evacuate Earth," Thor commented.
At the mention of the young Sokovian, Rhodes and Sam shared a look of sadness.
"Wanda is… she is…" stammered Sam confused.
"She what?" Kara asked, puzzled.
"She's gone," Professor Hulk replied.
Supergirl and Thor looked stunned.
"What do you mean? What happened to her?" the Asgardian asked, confused.
"We don't know exactly what happened to her," Sam replied, lowering her head solemnly. "After the battle with Thanos, Wanda couldn't live without Vision. It was too hard for her! She couldn't handle! We know she went to a government agency called SWORD to retrieve Vision's body and be able to bury him. But something weird happened… Wanda… disappeared… According to the security cameras, she transformed into a powerful red energy and when that dissipated, Wanda was gone. And Vision's body along with her. It's as if Wanda and Vision are disappear. Since, no one knows where she's."
Rhodey added:
"From what I know, the director of SWORD wanted Vision's remains to create a weapon of destruction. And he was ready to kill anyone who wanted to stop him. It allowed us to arrest him. But as for Wanda… she did something on her and on Vision… and she disappeared, leaving no trace…"
"We called Doctor Strange to locate her," Professor Hulk said in shock. "But even he couldn't find her."
"Anyway, we think she's dead. We think she joined Vision," Rhodey said.
Supergirl looked upset. She remembered Wanda, and that she was attached to Vision, the Avengers' vibranium android. She blamed herself for not going to comfort her after Thanos. And now Wanda was dead?
"Wherever she is, I hope she is happy," Kara said sadly.
"Yes," Sam said sadly.
"R.I.P., Wanda," Scott said.
"Sorry to interrupt you guys," the Wasp said. "But can we get back to the facts? I remind you that many Earths are being disintegrated by the anti-matter and that we still don't know how to stop that!"
"That's why I came here," Professor Hulk said. "I can help Shuri and Ray Palmer determine the origin of the wave."
"Yeah, and where are those X-Men and Fantastic Four you told us about?" Rhodey said.
"They will join us," answered Supergirl.
Later, all the heroes had gathered at the Waverider checkpoint. The Fantastic Four had just gotten to know the Avengers. Moreover, all had been shocked by the resemblance between Johnny Storm the Human Torch and Steve Rogers alias Captain America. His face was identical to that of the American soldier. But only the face, because it was obvious that his personality was very different. Even Sam and Bucky had declared that this man couldn't be Steve with disgusted faces.
Finally, Charles Xavier arrived at the Waverider, followed by Logan alias Wolverine, Scott Summers alias Cyclops and Ororo Munroe alias Storm. They all got to know each other. And the two Supermen and Lois joined the whole troop of heroes.
Finally, much to Shuri's relief, her brother T'Challa joined the Waverider. Immediately, she hastened to take him in her arms.
"Brother, you're here," she said relieved.
"I'm fine, Shuri," T'Challa replied with a reassuring look.
"What about our people? Our mother?"
"Everyone is safe," Black Panther assured her. "All of Wakanda could be evacuated before our Earth was destroyed by anti-matter. Our family is safe. Okoye watches over them in Central City."
All the heroes were gathered in front of the Monitor, which was gazing at Earth from the ship's portholes, then turned back to the Earth's heroes.
"We have only located five of the eight Paragons needed to save the Multiverse." he told the whole troop.
"Is that guy, the Monitor?"Logan asked, taken aback.
"Yup, that's him," Kate replied.
"He's creepy!"Johnny whispered stunned. "Looks like someone from Star Trek."
"Johnny!" Sue scolded him severely.
Then the Guardians of the Galaxy joined the heroes.
"What are we waiting for to find the other Paragons?"Rocket questioned, looking at the Paragon detector Ray and Shuri were working with Professor Hulk on.
"A machine like this isn't that simple," Ray retorted.
"It takes a lot of us to figure out how this thing works," Shuri said.
"Finding champions to save the Multiverse, it's outside my area of expertise," added Bruce Banner.
"No kidding," grumbled Rocket in a bad mood. (Turning to the Monitor.) "Do you have any other hints that would allow us to find the others?"
"The anti-matter wave continues to spread and destroy multiple Earths," said Charles Xavier. "Nothing stops it. Soon it will consume the Earth – 1 and along with us."
"Yeah, it's true," added Reed Richards. "If we don't act quickly, we will all disappear in this wave."
"We are several heroes and we still have no solutions to stop this Crisis?" Peter Parker wondered in his Spider-Man outfit.
At that point, The Flash returned to the Waverider with his entire Team, Caitlin in the form of Killer Frost, Ralph Dibny aka Elongated Man and Cisco Ramon.
"Someone call for backup?" said the Latino, joining the heroes near the Paragons detector.
Relieved, Iris came to join her husband in her arms, while Cisco joined Ray and Shuri.
"Thanks for being here, we need another genius intellect," said Ray.
"That's why I'm here." Cisco replied. (Then he gave an encouraging look to all the heroes from several Earths assembled.) "Welcome to all of the heroes here! (Then he looked at the two Supermen of Earth – 38 and Earth – 96) And that is a super doppelganger, which is super weird."
"And you haven't seen the other Spider-Men's I've met," Peter said, alluding to his adventure on Earth – 962.
A little behind, Ralph took a moment to look at the whole troop of heroes. He had never seen so many worlds put together.
"Holy all-star squadron. Hi, hi, how are ya? Ralph Dibny, Elongated Man. Ready to help kick butt."
"Who's that dude?" Logan muttered, gazing at Elongated Man with little interest.
"Nice to meet you," Charles replied with a smile.
"Ignore him," Killer Frost said, pointing to Ralph. "It's his first crossover."
Barry got his friends back on track.
"Listen, the anti-matter wave is still ripping its way across the Multiverse. We have to get everyone we can to safety."
"By all my calculations, Earth – 1 will be the last to be hit, and it will happen very soon," Reed said.
Then J'onn J'onzz joined the heroes troop.
"I just heard from Alex, Kelly and Brainy on Earth – 1. Everyone we saved from Earth – 38 and other Earths is still accounted for."
"Then we should bring as many people to Earth – 1 as we can – in the time being." added the Earth – 96's Superman.
"Let's get a rescue team together, save who we can across the multiverse. I can use my psychic abilities to stay in connection with the Waverider." continued the Martian.
"And I'll help you," Charles replied, swiveling his chair towards J'onn. "I also happen to have psychic abilities. Two psychics could be beneficial to save the world in the Multiverse."
J'onn smiled gratefully at him.
"With pleasure. I welcome your help, Professor."
Supergirl smiles with joy as she sees her two psychic friends interact.
"And I'll go as well," said Superman of Earth – 96.
"Well, parallel Earth Rory still has Jonathan." Lois added. "So I'll run comms and keep everyone updated."
"Supergirl?" J'onn said, turning to the Girl of Steel.
"I'll stay here." she said. "We have to find a way to get our world back."
As some of the heroes left the control room, Thor shared an anxious gaze with Kate. It was obvious that Supergirl hadn't given up on her plan to use the Book of Destiny to bring Earth – 38 back. It was too dangerous, he had to prevent her.
Black Panther stayed close to Shuri and the Fantastic Four. Logan began to smoke a cigarette. Ray noticed it and pointed out:
"Could you not smoke, please? The Waverider is a non-smoking ship!"
"It's the end of worlds," Wolverine replied as if it was obvious.
"Wolvy, we must all stick together if we are to fight this crisis!" Kate retorted in an imposing voice. "This is no time for smoking!"
"Hey look, your costume might scare your Gotham's criminals, Dracula, but you're not scare me," Wolverine growled, smoking.
"Logan!"said Supergirl angry. "If you want to smoke, go somewhere else!"
Swearing, the mutant with the claws left the control room.
It was then that Ray, Shuri and Professor Hulk looked elated.
"What now?" Rhodey said, noticing the enthusiasm of his friends.
"Hey, I think we did it. I think we fixed it." Ray said.
"We're finally going to be able to locate all the Paragons," added Shuri cheerfully.
"It's about time!" Rocket grumbled.
Star-Lord cleared his throat, causing the raccoon to lower his voice, while Shuri and Bruce Banner glared at him angrily.
Then Cisco came to turn on a computer connected to the Paragon detector. It was first the image of Sara Lance that appeared on the screen, as the Paragon of Destiny. Then came the images of Supergirl (Paragon of Hope), Batwoman (Paragon of Courage), Earth – 96's Superman (Paragon of Truth) and Spider-Man of the Avengers as the Paragon of Responsibility.
"Paragon of Responsibility?"exclaimed a stunned Peter struggling to accept being one of the saviors of the Multiverse. "And are we sure your device is working?"
"100% positive." retorted Professor Hulk.
"Guys, we already know all this," said Kate annoyed.
"Where are the others?" T'Challa asked. "The Paragons?"
"It's buffering," Cisco replied annoyed too. "So maybe a little patience."
Then came the image of J'onn J'onzz in his Martian form as the Paragon of Honor.
"Huh," Supergirl exclaimed sarcastically. "Why am I not surprised?"
Then the following image appeared revealing Flash of Earth – 1, the Paragon of Love.
"That's new!" Barry said stunned.
Iris gave him a look full of tenderness.
And the last image shows a young Asian named Ryan Choi, the Paragon of Humanity.
"Uh, who the hell is that guy?" Ralph asked when he saw the image of the young Paragon of Humanity.
"Dr. Ryan Choi, physics professor at Ivy Town University on our Earth." Cisco informed.
"At least we know he's still alive," Rhodey commented.
"Well, I guess we know our next stop." said Iris, looking at her friends. "Ray? Ralph?"
"Ivy Town. It's my old stomping grounds." Ray replied amused. "Let's go?"
"I'm coming with you," Shuri said with determination. "I'm tired of staying in this ship when our Earth is gone and others are being consumed by this anti-matter! We need this professor!"
Black Panther took her shoulders.
"Hurry back, Shuri," he told her worried about his sister.
"I won't be long, brother."
Behind them, the Monitor said, satisfied with the detector's results:
"With all the Paragons identified, our next priority is determining how to stop the anti-matter wave."
"And I assume you have an idea for us?" Thor snapped at him. "If you have anything to tell us about this wave or the Anti-Monitor, now would be a good time to let us know."
"Unfortunately, I don't know any more than you, Thor Son of Odin," Novu replied in a neutral tone.
But before the God of Thunder could add anything, Leonard from the Waverider's voice echoed throughout the timeship:
"Sorry to interrupt, but Mr. Diggle has arrived."
John Diggle had just arrived aboard the Waverider. He was with Sara Lance and Clint Barton near a bunk where Oliver Queen was still unconscious. The Avenger and the Legend had just revealed to Diggle what had happened to Oliver since the start of the Crisis. They told him about his death, then about their failed attempt to bring him back to life.
"How could you let this happen, Sara? You, of all people?" Diggle exclaimed distraught and furious.
"It's complicated," Sara replied.
"It all happened so fast!" added Clint wanting to calm Oliver's ally.
But Diggle was still very angry.
"It's not complicated. I wasn't there when he needed me."
"Dig, we are working on bringing him back the same way that he brought me back, remember?" Sara assured him.
Diggle was stunned, then finally understood where the young woman meant.
"You're talking about a trip to Purgatory?"
"To bring back his soul," Clint clarified. "Sara told me everything about her resurrection. If you could bring her back, we can bring Oliver Queen back."
But the young woman Lance looked anxious nonetheless.
"And there's… There's something else. Dig, it's Lyla… She's… she's gone missing."
It had been a while since no one had heard from her aboard the Waverider. At the mention of his wife, Diggle was distraught.
"What?"
"Nobody saw her leave. She was there one minute and gone the next!"
"I'm sorry," Clint said sadly, remembering the disappearance of his family after Thanos snapped his fingers.
Diggle looked worried then tried to rationalize himself.
"But she has the ability to teleport, so she…"
"So there are now infinite possibilities for Lyla's location." interrupted Mar Novu, who had just entered the medbay.
Diggle gave the Monitor a look of hatred and walked over to him.
"You. Listen to me. I am not losing Oliver and Lyla. So cut the crap and tell me how the hell do I find my wife?"
"Answer him!" Clint Barton snapped, assuming a threatening posture.
"You heard him." Sara added in a firm voice. "Where she is?"
"Harbinger could very well be with my adversary: The Anti-Monitor." Novu replied. "He hired Roger Hayden to kill the Paragons. Having failed twice, he will now seize her to reach us!"
Sara, Diggle and Clint looked at each other, all three anxious and shocked by the news.
"What are we gonna do?" asked the Avengers' archer.
"I don't know," Novu replied.
All of Team Flash were gathered at the control room with the detector computer displaying the faces of the eight Paragons. Black Panther stood near Flash and Iris. The other Avengers, X-Men, and Fantastic Four had gone to help evacuate other Earths. The Guardians of the Galaxy stood with Supergirl, Thor, and Batwoman.
Diggle and Sara had joined the heroes in front of the Monitor. They had told them about Harbinger's disappearance.
After a moment, Cisco spoke up:
"The Anti-Monitor is that… uh… set in stone, or can we workshop that a little bit?"
"This is why I have been preparing all of you testing and pushing you to your limits."said the Monitor. "I needed your courage, your honor, your strength of will, even the truth of your convictions everything that makes you the greatest heroes on this Earth or any other, because that's what it will take to defeat our opponent."
"Why he's doing this?" T'Challa asked. "What is he trying to achieve by annihilating all Earths?"
"Yup, good question," added Killer Frost. "What exactly does this guy want?"
"To eliminate the multiverse and replace it with another universe." Novu replied.
" One that he can control just like every other megalomaniac." Supergirl said sullenly. "Looks like a remake of Thanos. I don't know which of the two is the worse."
"When will the big bad guys of the Galaxy cease to exist?" Rocket said in annoyance. "There always has to be some nut who thinks he knows the best in the Universe."
"I am Groot," replied Groot worriedly.
"We need to find Harbinger as soon as we can," Star-Lord replied. "If he hold her, we have a big problem."
"I should've foreseen my connection with Harbinger could be perverted to his ends." said the Monitor thoughtfully.
"Should have?" said Diggle grimly. "Just tell us how to get her back."
"I want to find her just as much as the rest of you," Novu said. "But I cannot rewrite what has already been written. I can only attempt to save what remains."
Following these words, Supergirl left the group, under the worried gaze of Thor and Kate, both knowing what was on her mind. She wanted to use the cosmic Book to recreate Earths. Thor was aware that this was a risky attempt.
Kate looked at Thor, who nodded, and the two left to join the Girl of Steel, wanting to reason with her.
Sara made Diggle promise to let her know if she heard from Lyla, while he left to join Clint and Mia to find Oliver's soul in Purgatory.
Cisco's digital tablet started beeping.
"Cisco, maybe you should call Kamilla back?" Frost suggested.
"No, no, no. That wasn't a phone call. I'm triangulating anti-matter wave particles on the Earth that are left."
"What for?" T'Challa said in surprise.
"I'm trying to locate the source of the wave," Cisco replied. "And according to this, it would be hidden somewhere in the subterranean region of our city, Central City and on our Earth."
The King of Wakanda suddenly looked jovial.
"If you find its source in your city, would you be able to neutralize it? If we stop this wave, we can put an end to this Crisis."
"Depending on what we find on the spot," the Latino from Star Labs told him. "But it's worth a try."
"I'll go with you," T'Challa replied, closing his Black Panther helmet from his jumpsuit.
As Cisco was about to leave the Waverider, Mar Novu appeared out of nowhere in front of him.
"Cisco Ramon!"
The latter screamed and froze in place, with a feeling of bewilderment.
"You're not a Paragon, but you do have a purpose," Novu said ignoring the man's torments. "Vibe must live again."
Cisco looked furious at the mention of his meta-human side which he had made disappear by taking the anti-meta remedy so that he could be with his girlfriend Kamilla.
"No! No!"Cisco roared at the cosmic being. "My powers are gone and there's a reason for that!"
"You must answer the call whether you wish to or not." the Monitor said in a loud voice.
"Okay, maybe you didn't hear me under those voluminous mutton chops of yours…"
Ignoring the complaints from the Star Labs scientist, the Monitor waved his hands, immediately a halo of energy surrounded Cisco… and he became Vibe again in his suit he had made for his powers. The Latino was stunned. Was he really back to being Vibe?
"Now go," Novu said,acting like nothing had happened. "Serve your higher purpose."
And he walked away, leaving Cisco dazed in amazement.
Further on, Barry and Iris spent what could be their last romantic moment together. The speedster had convinced his wife that she would join Ray and Shuri to find Ryan Choi to convince him to come join the heroes to stop the Crisis.
"Are you still sure you want me to go?"
Flash nodded.
"Yeah. Go find Ryan Choi and hurry back."
Iris kissed her husband and stroked his face looking at him with love.
Earth – 1; Central city
In the sewers of Central City, Flash, Killer Frost, Vibe, and Black Panther appeared in the depths, through a breach.
Flash disappeared at super speed.
"Where did Barry race off to?" Frost asked when he saw his friend leave.
"Perimeter search make sure this isn't a trap set up by the Anti-Monitor." Vibe replied.
"Better to be vigilant." Black Panther warned them, looking around. "We don't know what's waiting for us here. Be on your guard."
"Nice to have you back, Vibe," Frost told Cisco.
"Let's just get to Nash's work site." Vibe said, leading the group down the sewers.
Finally, they came to a wall where symbols were carved into the marble.
"That's new," said Frost.
"Do you think the source of the anti-matter is behind this wall?" Black Panther asked, looking at the symbols of the obstacle.
"There's only one way to find out, we gotta get in there." Vibe said.
There was a flash of golden light. The three heroes turned to see a figure lurking in the shadows. Black Panther widened his claws.
"Who's there?" Vibe replied in a threatening voice.
Then the King of Wakanda recognized the individual.
"It's your friend Nash, who is now Pariah. I met him when your friend Oliver Queen died. Pariah, what are you doing here?"
The so-called Pariah walked, causing Nash Wells' face to appear in the light.
"I'm here to bear witness." he replied.
"To what?" Vibe wondered.
"Tragedy," Pariah replied.
Notes:
Thank you for reading and reviewing.
Too happy to pick up this story where I left off. And to have added the other Marvel's heroes that I had already done in the other two stories preceding this chapter.
As for Earth – 214, this is the Gotham series universe (2014-2019). I wanted to pay tribute to this series.
For those who have read WandaVision in Injustice: Gods Among Us, you know where Wanda is and why she doesn't appear in this story. All our heroes believe her dead. They have no idea she's in another dimension where there is a Batman and an evil Superman and that in addition, she brought back Vision.
Team Flash works with Black Panther to try to stem the wave of anti-matter, while Thor and Kate worry about Kara.
See you soon, guys!
Chapter 16
Notes:
Hi everyone, I'm so happy to be writing this story again that I fully intend to finish it all the way. Thanks again for everyone who follows me and reviewing. It motivates me to write.
Good reading!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Chapter 16
Earth – 1; Central City
Deep in the city, Black Panther, Vibe, and Frost were stunned by Pariah's presence.
Puzzled, Vibe stared at the green suit that surrounded the man who was Nash Wells.
"Mm-hmm, new name, new suit guess no one's consulting me anymore, huh?" he said with a disapproving tone.
"Wait, what exactly happened?"Frost wondered.
"I searched these tunnels as Nash for Mar Novu to kill him," Pariah explained, lowering his head in regret. "Expose him as a false god, and now I'm being controlled by another god."
"You were tracking the Monitor, but actually, you were tracking the Anti-Monitor without you knowing it," T'Challa concluded. "He used you to set him free."
"That's right," Pariah agreed. "He laid a perfect trail for me to follow, but all along, he was manipulating me so that he could gain a foothold in this universe."
"Why didn't you resist him?" resumed Frost.
"His will was too strong and now I am forced to bear witness as he destroys world after world."
"That's why we're gonna stop him." Vibe retorted.
"Can you tell us how to get in?" asked the King of Wakanda.
But the man in the green suit shook his head.
"No, I'm sorry. My memories as Nash are somehow lost to me as Pariah. (Then he turned to Vibe.) But you can."
"By vibing those memories?" Cisco supposed.
"Yes," Pariah replied.
"That explains why Novu returned your powers, Mr. Ramon, so that you could use Nash's memories that would allow us to access the source of the anti-matter," Black Panther said.
Taking a deep breath to prepare, Cisco put his hand on elder Nash's shoulder. He shivered as a vision flashed through his mind.
He saw Nash smile confidently and observe the symbols on the wall. Without hesitation, he pressed the signs in a specific order. The symbols sparkled with each push of a hand. Then a powerful bright light engulfed the depths of the city.
At the end of the vibe, Cisco collapsed to the ground. Black Panther hastened to help him stand, then Frost came to him in concern.
"What did you see?" she asked.
"A way in." Vibe replied, panting determinedly.
Waverider
In the timeship's lab, Supergirl was chatting with Lex Luthor, still a prisoner on his platform. The Girl of Steel asked him how to use the Book of Destiny to bring back Earth – 38, as well as all other Earths. But to her annoyance, her worst enemy wasn't very cooperative, which didn't surprise her at all. It was Lex Luthor. A psychopath without any logic. Seeing the Multiverse being destroyed by the Anti-Monitor didn't seem to bother him much. See not even at all.
The bald prisoner just laughed sarcastically.
"You think the Book can bring back the destroyed Earths?" he said after the female Kryptonian informed him of her intentions.
Kara gave him a cold look, then Lex burst out laughing, which annoyed Thor and Kate, also present in the lab.
"I understand why Kara and her cousin hate this guy," Thor muttered grumpily to the Gotham woman.
Amusingly, Lex turned to the Asgardian.
"And you, the God of Thunder, don't you have a way to bring everyone back to life with your lightnings?" he sneered smirk.
Thor gave him a mirthless smirk.
"You are the worst human bastard I've ever seen on Earth! I knew a billionaire genius who was much better than you! I find it hard to believe that a man with such a great intellect like you doesn't care about the destruction of all worlds!"
Lex shrugged indifferently.
"I'll settle for the other worlds that will remain. If the Anti-Monitor hasn't destroyed them all already."
"We don't have time for this." Kate growled, lowering the invisible enclosure to Lex's platform.
Immediately, she grabbed the bald man from behind, and slammed him against the wall, twisting his arm behind him, making a strong-arm.
"Tell us how to use the Book or lose an arm your choice!"
"I like her more and more," Thor commented with an amused smile.
But Lex just replied sarcastically:
"Do the strong-arm tactics work in Gotham City?"
In response, Kate twisted his arm, making him moan in pain. Thor took the opportunity to join them, brandishing his ax with an amused smile.
"Do you prefer her way or mine?" he said, flashing lightnings on Stormbreaker. "Choose!"
"The Book channels ancient and endless power." Lex replied, moaning furiously. "It takes immense willpower and focus to make it work."
"But you, you're just a mortal and you used it without that affecting you when you hunted down and killed the Supermen." the Asgardian pointed out to him, frowning.
"What did you focus on?" Kate roared threateningly, twisting Lex's arm.
"His hatred of Superman," Supergirl replied neutrally.
"Got it in one." exclaimed the bald man sarcastically.
Then Kate twisted his arm again. He continued:
"But that was easy for the Book to provide. You try to use it on the scale that you're talking about, and it could drive you mad. Like Deegan."
At these words, Thor stopped staring at Luthor, and looked thoughtful. He vividly remembered Doctor Deegan who had used the Book to reshape reality. He had first swapped the bodies of Barry and Oliver, and then transformed the whole world into a new reality. He remembered the man who looked like Loki. And in the end, after restoring all of reality, Deegan's face was completely distorted. If changing reality could do such damage, then bringing back an entire world, even several, what consequences would that entail?
He remembered the words of the Monitor when Kara had suggested to if she use the Book of Destiny to bring back her Earth:
" Trying to re-create an entire world would surely drive one to madness… "
As he meditated in his thoughts, Kate and Kara had Luthor brought back to his platform, then Supergirl took the Book of Destiny away much to the fear of the God of Thunder.
Apparently, Kate had the same fears as him, as she hurried to join her.
"Kara, there's no telling what kind of ripple effect this could have."
"I'm supposed to be the Paragon of Hope, right?" Supergirl insisted determined. "Maybe this is my role, to bring back my Earth, Argo and all the others…"
But Kate and Thor weren't convinced. The Asgardian worried about his friend. Was she really serious or was it her pain of losing her world that made her react that way?
"Thor, Kate, I have to find a way to fix this." she said as she left the lab.
As Supergirl left the place, Lex couldn't help but chuckle:
"Poor Kryptonians, always so arrogant and convinced of being right about everything! Good luck getting her to change her mind."
"Shut up!" Thor growled, giving the bald man a murderous look.
"See you soon," he said to the two heroes, who both left the Waverider's lab.
Earth – 666; Los Angeles
"So why did we take a detour to another parallel Earth?" Diggle asked, as he, Mia, Clint and Constantine had just arrived in a dark alley in Los Angeles.
"So many Earths are already gone. The pillars of magic are crumbling, leaving me the worse for wear, so I can't get us into Purgatory." Constantine said. "But don't worry, squire. Luckily, I know a guy!"
He knocked on the door of a nightclub. Then, when it opened, a man in a black suit, surrounded by two women in his arms, came to greet them. While discussing with his ladies, his gaze fell on Constantine and had a funny smile.
"Always a pleasure to see you, Lucy." Constantine told him. "It's time."
Puzzled, Clint and Mia exchanged curious glances at the mysterious dark-haired man. While the latter withdrew from his two ladies.
"Excuse me, ladies. Seems like you're not the only ones who want a piece of me. I'll see you later." he said to them gently.
Then he came to greet the man in the trench coat.
"Johnny! I'd like to say it's a pleasure to see you on my Earth outside my club! It's not!"
He looked at Clint and Diggle with a strange smile, then when he found Mia his smile widened even more.
"Hello!"
Clint came to stay next to Oliver's daughter, like a protective sentry, as if he had in front of him a sexual predator.
Ignoring the archer, the brown man came over to Mia.
"Don't believe we've met. Lucifer Morningstar."
"Lucifer Morningstar?"Mia exclaimed, smiling incredulously. "As in…"
"The Devil. Yes, exactly." replied the man with a carnivorous smile.
"You're the Devil? Really?" Clint asked with a mirthless smile mingled with skepticism.
Being an Avenger, Clint had met strange and amazing individuals before, but seeing the Devil as a man who looked like a male model was new.
"Yes, I am, buddy," answered the so-called Lucifer, looking at the archer of the Avengers with little interest. "How do you like me?"
Clint laughed and retorted:
"I imagined you a little bigger, very red with big horns!"
It was Lucifer laughing.
"You're so funny, man! Have we met before?"
"If I had met the Devil dressed in a male model, I'd remember, man," retorted Clint always skeptical.
Lucifer laughed more, then returned his attention to Mia.
"So tell me: what is it you desire?"
Mia's gaze suddenly froze, as if she was hypnotized. Fearing that she was undergoing a mental spell like what he had already undergone several years ago, Clint came over to Mia, wanting to keep her away from the Devil.
"I… I… uh… I desire to get my father back." she whispered without taking her eyes off Lucifer.
"Ooh, Daddy issues. Why didn't you say so?" exclaimed the Devil.
"Look, I don't know if you have an Oliver Queen on your world, but ours has, uh, shuffled off this mortal coil." added Constantine.
Lucifer nodded, muttering:
"A soul retrieval, blah, blah, blah, the worlds are ending. It's all very Biblical, John! Okay, okay! I'm only doing this 'cause I owe you for Maze."
And he turned to Diggle and said:
"You remind me of my brother, by the way tall, dark, annoyed by me."
"You gonna help us or not?" Dig retorted indifferently to the Devil.
Clint interjected in a loud voice:
"Hey look, Lucifer or the Devil, I don't care who you are… We're here because we need your help! And we've got a long way to go, so hurry up..."
"Oh, flirt, dude!" Lucifer snickered in front of the Avengers' archer. "The Devil always sees through on a deal. Take this card."
He handed Constantine a Devil's card.
" You'll have a limited time once inside Purgatory, and once the picture completely fades…"
"Our souls will be decimated, blah, blah, blah…" interrupted Constantine indifferently.
"And trapped in eternity forever." Lucifer said with his smile. "So, I don't recommend it. Consider us even, John Constan-tine."
"It's Constantine," the man in the trench coat corrected with a grim look.
"Is it? I don't care!" Lucifer said, then spoke to the two men. "Always a pleasure doing business with mortals."
And he went back to his disco, closing the door.
"Goddamn! That was really the Devil?" Clint commented. "This dick?"
"He forgot to tell us what to do." Mia replied annoyed.
"Did he, now?" Constantine retorted amused, brandishing the demon card.
The map began to burn, then our four heroes disappeared…
And reappeared on the shores of a strange island, surrounded by tree trunks. Stunned, Clint looked around, while Constantine looked delighted.
"Ah! Welcome to Purgatory!"
"Looks a lot like Lian Yu." Diggle pointed out.
"Lian Yu? Like Oliver's Island?" Clint asked in amazement, his eyes wide. "Is that what your Purgatory looks like, guys?"
"Which is Mandarin for 'purgatory.'" clarified Mia.
"Lovely little coincidence, eh?" Constantine said, walking on the shore.
"Any idea why Dad's soul would choose to come here?"asked the young female archer again.
"Souls choose their prisons." Constantine explained. "This place must be what Oliver thinks about when being trapped for all eternity. It's a funny thing too, considering his memories are probably missing."
"What are you talking about?" asked Diggle.
"The second that Oliver's soul landed here, his memories would've been… how can I put it?… Squeegeed."
"So we'll have to make him remember us." Mia said nervously.
"And we haven't much time." Clint pointed out anxiously.
"Yup, we have to move, right now…" Constantine declared looking at the map. "This card is already beginning to fade. Well, when you work with the devil you never know quite what you're getting."
"No pressure there, right?"Diggle said wryly.
"I have met Gods, aliens, and now the Devil in a suit, and I'm in Purgatory!"Clint exclaimed stunned. "Yeah, right. The end of the world sucks!"
Earth – 1; Central City
After inspecting the perimeter, Flash found Black Panther and his two friends.
"Perimeter's clear." he declared. "There's no sign of any Quantum Tower on Earth – 1. (He noticed elder Nash in his green suit.) What are you doing here, Pariah?"
"Behind this wall his domain."he declared.
"What Mr. Green Jeans is trying to say is once we get inside, we can actually stop the anti-matter wave right at the source." Vibe clarified.
"We will be able to stop this Crisis behind this wall," Black Panther added.
"All right, let's do it." Flash said determined.
Vibe turned to the wall and pressed the symbols in the same order he had seen Nash do in his Vibe. The symbols glowed as he pressed them and on the last, the door opened.
The place our heroes entered seemed like a cross between a laboratory and an enemy's lair. On the other side, there was some sort of huge tower with a beam of energy shooting up to the sky, and in the center of the place was a platform with a conveyor belt with a fuzzy red figure on it.
"Whoa!" Vibe exclaimed, putting his hand on the wall. "This place has some crazy vibrational frequency surging through it."
"What is this?" Black Panther asked, looking around.
"This place is the nexus between the anti-matter universe and your own." explained Pariah, contemplating the great tower with the beam of energy. "Behold, Anti-Matter Cannon this is the source of the wave."
"And what is this on this platform?" asked the King of Wakanda as he watched the red blur twirling on the treadmill.
"Guys, I think this blur is alive." Frost said in surprise.
"Let me check it out." Flash said, getting ready to run at super speed.
"No!" interjected Pariah.
But too late, Flash sped off to the treadmill. In the Flashtime, he could see who the speedster was running at superhuman speed. It was the Flash from Earth – 90 also known as Barry Allen, but it was the lookalike of his father, Henry Allen and Jay Garrick of Earth – 3. The old Flash looked like he was getting tired. while he was running on a treadmill but did not give up running. As he saw young Flash running towards him, old Barry raised his hand to stop him. But it was too late because Earth – 1's Flash crashed into a barrier at full speed and bounced hard against the wall.
"Barry!"exclaimed Frost, joining him.
"Flash, what happened?" Black Panther asked, opening his black helmet.
"It's a force field! I couldn't get through!" Barry gasped in shock. "It's the Flash from Earth – 90! A Flash like me! He's trapped on that treadmill!"
Notes:
Thank you for reading and reviewing.
And that's it for this chapter. And… I've never watched Lucifer, I don't know anything about this series.
Chapter 17
Notes:
Hey everyone, and we continue the story with Team Flash, Black Panther with the Earth – 90's Flash and Pariah!
Good reading!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
C hapter 17
Earth – 1; Central City
Team Flash had discovered that Earth – 90's Flash was trapped on this treadmill, being forced to use his super speed. Barry had met him a year earlier, along with Oliver, Kara and Thor. Then the Monitor sent him somewhere. What had happened to him?
"That's Barry Allen from Earth – 90?" Vibe exclaimed, stunned.
"Why is he forced to run on this treadmill?" asked Black Panther.
"How did he get there?" Frost added, stunned.
Pariah then gave the answer:
"The Monitor sent him away. He wound up in the Netherverse where the Anti-Monitor found him, corralled his speed, used it to build his Anti-Matter Cannon and test-fired it destroying Earth – 2."
Team Flash was in shock at this news.
"Harry's gone?" cried Vibe, horrified that his friend Harrison Wells from Earth – 2 could disappear into anti-matter.
"Jesse!" Killer Frost added, distraught at Harry's daughter being a speedster.
"We need to get Flash out of that treadmill," T'Challa suggested. "If we stop this cannon, we stop the anti-matter."
"Pariah, how do we stop this" Barry asked, shocked.
"The force field that contains this is anti-matter based. As such, anything made of positive matter cannot penetrate it." Pariah said, watching the Flash helplessly running at super-speed.
"Black Panther's right, we have to get the Flash off that treadmill." resumed the Flash of Earth – 1.
He turned to his friend Cisco.
"The Monitor said Vibe had to live that he had a purpose. Maybe this is it."
"Do you think Vibe is the solution to stop this cannon?" T'Challa asked curiously.
"Yes," Barry agreed.
Vibe raised his hands and breached the Flash running across the treadmill and, created a second breach beside them, allowing the old Flash to come out of the treadmill.
Barry Allen of Earth – 90 fell back against the wall as his counterpart ran to join him. Immediately the treadmill stopped moving and the cannon deactivated.
The old Flash caught his breath, completely exhausted, as T'Challa and Barry came to stand beside him.
"It's okay, just breathe. It's over, now." said the King of Wakanda softly.
"No, it's not," whispered the old Flash under his breath.
He turned to his counterpart:
"Thank you for the reprieve. But you gotta put me back on it."
"Why?" T'Challa exclaimed in surprise.
Vibe took off his glasses and stared at the tower in dismay.
"Guys!"
The tower thundered lightning in all directions around the anti-matter cannon.
"What's happening?"Black Panther exclaimed stunned.
"The Anti-Monitor designed that treadmill with a failsafe so that if I ever got off of it, it would erupt, destroying all remaining Earths at once." said the old Flash, standing up.
"How much time do we have?"asked the King of Wakanda distraught.
"A few minutes."
Barry then turned to his allies, and noticed the absence of the Wells accompanying them.
"Pariah? Pariah? Where'd he go? Where'd he go?"
Ivy Town
The red sky was on everyone's mind in Ivy Town. But that didn't stop Dr. Ryan Choi from working in his lab. Even though his wife insisted he come home. He tried to reassure her on the phone.
"Amanda, please. I know the red skies are freaky, Honey, but I'm sure it's just atmospheric…"
"Dr. Ryan Choi?"
The doctor turned and saw his biggest idol Ray Palmer, with a man and two women accompanying him. Ralph Dibny, Iris West-Allen and Shuri.
"Disturbance…" said Ryan looking at his visitors with the phone still in his ear. "Babe, I gotta go."
He cut his phone off, looking at his stunned visitors.
"Wow… is that really you?"
Ralph nodded proudly, thinking he was talking about him. Shuri slowly came over to him.
"Dr. Choi, I…"
But before she could say anything, Ryan completely shocked and ecstatic came over to shake Ray's hand.
"Dr. Ray Palmer? Oh… Gosh. I'm Ryan Choi. It's so wonderful to meet you. Your second paper on subatomic density manipulation was the foundation for my work on miniaturization. "
"Wow, thank you," Ray said, stunned and proud.
Shuri and Ralph rolled their eyes, while Ryan continued to stare at Atom as if he had just met the Messiah.
"Dr. Choi," interjected Iris. "We need you to come with us right now."
"Look, you've seen the red skies outside?" Ralph added. "The world is ending."
"And we need you to save it," Shuri said emphatically.
"Dr. Palmer, who are these people?"Ryan asked, looking at his surroundings with apprehension.
"We are superheroes, and Ryan, we need your help." Ray told him.
But Ryan just laughed, like it was just a joke.
"Sure. Good one."
"Dr. Choi, we're serious," Shuri said in alarm. "This is no joke, we really need you. Otherwise, we will all die! Do you know the theory of the Multiverse? Parallel Earths? I come from one of these Earths. And now, my world's gone. And other Earths are dying as we speak. If we are to end this Crisis, we need your help. Please, Dr..."
Ryan stopped laughing and stared at the Wakandan woman in amazement.
"Seeing is believing, right?" Ralph said.
He stretched his arm out, grabbing a box of tissues and passing it right in front of Ryan, who appeared to be struck by lightning.
"You're… Elongated Man?"
Then the long arm put the handkerchiefs back on a table, and Ralph returned his limb to normal.
"Yes, we're superheroes and I really come from another Earth," Shuri said emphatically. "We need your help."
"I know this sounds cuckoo, pal, but you're what's called a Paragon," Ralph said.
"People who can save the universe," Black Panther's sister added, nodding.
Ryan looked upset, then turned away from the heroes.
"If the world's ending, I need to go home." he said in a small, fearful voice.
He grabbed his jacket and rushed over to the exit of his lab. Ray started to catch up with him.
"Ryan. We really need your help."
Then Shuri ran up to him.
"I know how you feel. I too would like to go home, but I can't. As I told you, my Earth has gone. Destroyed by anti-matter. I no longer have a home. And soon this world will suffer the same fate if you refuse to help us."
"But I'm no hero," said a scared Ryan. "I'm a husband. And if this is the end, I have to be with my wife and kid. I'm sorry."
And he left the lab, much to Shuri's dismay.
"Ryan! Ryan!"
Waverider
Lois stood alone in front of the timeship's control screens. To her dismay, she saw on a screen, the image of the Earth – 73 disintegrate by a cosmic wave. Another world destroyed by anti-matter.
Mar Novu appeared and joined Superman's wife.
"Another Earth is gone."
"There's only seven left in the Multiverse." Lois said in shock. "It's ironic. I'm watching the biggest event in history, the destruction of every Earth, and no one will ever read the story."
"These Earths are not the only worlds destroyed."said the Monitor in a low voice with emotion. "My world died. My family…"
Surprised, Lois looked at the cosmic being, not expecting that he could have had a family. After a silence, she asked him:
"What were they like?"
The Monitor remained thoughtful, then gave a soft smile.
"Mm. So full of life. They were everything to me.(Then he gave a look of regret.) If only I'd cared as much for them as I did my work. (Then he gave Superman's wife an encouraging smile.) I now understand why you are such a good reporter, Miss Lane."
This loving moment was interrupted, as an interdimensional breach opened, and Earth – 76's Superman appeared, followed by Wolverine who both fell to the ground.
Superman slammed his fist to the ground, creating a slight quake in anger. Even the clawed mutant was angry.
"Damn!"Logan roared, closing the claws of his knuckles.
"Clark, Logan," Lois said, joining them.
"We couldn't save them," Superman said, standing up in dismay.
"You wanna take a minute? Looks like you could use a breather, and you too, Logan."
"Thanks, my little lady, but it's not the end of the world that will make me back down," Wolverine said as he walked away from the control room. "The X-Men need me!"
"He's right," Earth-76 Superman added. (He touched his black and red S symbol to his chest.) "Put this on, this crest I made a promise to keep fighting no matter what."
"Hey, why'd you add black to it?"she asked, pointing out the dark sign of her costume.
"Because, Lois, even in the darkest times, hope cuts through. Hope is the light that lifts us out of darkness. I must go back. With Logan."
The mutant returned with an extrapolator.
"Hey! Are you comin' or what, Super-Male?"
"I'm coming, Wolverine," Superman said, joining him.
Then they both disappeared into the breach.
Lois couldn't help but notice that this Superman had the same determination as his own Superman. She smiles with joy.
"Guy never quits no matter what Earth he's from, huh?"
Turning around, she saw that the Monitor was no longer there.
"Now you're just talking to yourself."
Central City
In the Anti-monitor realm, Black Panther and Team Flash stood with Earth – 90's Flash as they all watched the dangerously overloading anti-matter cannon.
"It's getting worse." Cisco yelled, his eyes wide with anguish at the sight of the cannon.
"Put me back on that treadmill."prompted Flash from Earth – 90 to the heroes.
"Whether you're on that or not won't change anything," T'Challa pointed out. "It will be the end of the whole Multiverse if we don't stop this cannon. Too many Earths have already gone. This Crisis ends now!"
"He's right," Barry retorted. "We'll find another way!"
Then a bright light flashed out of nowhere and the silhouette of a man emerged. It was a tall man wearing strange glasses and a bluish jumpsuit with big yellow lightning bolts on it.
The man gasped in shock as he looked around. Obviously he didn't know why he was here.
"Where am I?" he declared.
"Who are you?" Frost asked, eyes wide in surprise.
"Send me back to Freeland, now!"the man ordered sharply with an angry tone.
Then he raised his hand, and let out a great bolt of lightning which narrowly missed our heroes. The two Flashes moved away, avoiding the flash, as Black Panther threw himself to the ground, using his suit to absorb the kinetic energy of the lightning.
"Calm down, Electric Guy!" Killer Frost said threateningly.
"Who are you?" Black Panther said, lowering the black helmet of his suit.
"The name is Black Lightning!"growled the man in a dry voice.
As he wanted to attack again, Black Panther ran towards him, and punched the ground that released all the kinetic energy absorbed by his armor that came to hit Black Lightning who collapsed to the ground.
The man wanted to get up, but Black Panther planted himself just above him, showing him the claws of his armor.
"Stay where you are!" he ordered.
Black Lightning looked at the man from Wakanda, dumbfounded.
"Who are you? Cat-Man? Black Cat?"
"The name is Black Panther!"said the King of Wakanda, brandishing his claws.
Then Pariah appeared out of nowhere and stepped between the two men.
"ENOUGH!"
Then all looked at him in surprise.
"I did not bring you here, Jefferson, to fight!" Wells said looking at Black Lightning. "I brought you here to save lives!"
"Who the hell are you people?" Black Ligtning exclaimed confused and stunned as he stood up.
"I am Pariah. (He turned to Black Panther, the two Flashes, and the other heroes.) This is Jefferson Pierce. On his Earth an educator, a father, and a hero."
Black Panther pulled up his helmet, revealing T'Challa's face.
"Welcome to this Earth," he said to the new hero.
"What do you mean, this Earth?" Black Lightning exclaimed more and more confused.
"There are multiple Earths, Jefferson," Pariah explained. "many Earths like this one. Your Earth Has just been destroyed by a wave of anti-matter."
At these words, the new hero looked shocked and upset.
"So… so… Lynn, my girls? They are…"
"Gone" Pariah replied sadly. "I transported you here to help us save humanity."
Crying out in rage and grief, Black Lightning rushed at Pariah, grabbing him by his green outfit.
"You should've saved my family, not me! Not me! My family! (He burst into tears.) They're… No, no…"
T'Challa joined the man, pulling him away from Pariah.
"Jefferson! Jefferson, listen to me! I don't have kids, but I know how you feel! On my Earth, I am a King. Of a whole country that no longer exists. My Earth has been destroyed like yours. And so, I feel your pain. But soon, all other Earths will be gone forever if we don't act quickly. The wave of anti-matter spreads and destroys everything in its path. This place is its source. And if we are to stop it, we need your help."
"Jefferson," Barry said, distraught. "I'm so sorry. Right now we need your help to stop this anti-matter wave. I can't imagine how you're feeling, but I do know how it feels to lose your family. What would they want you to do right now?"
"Please. All worlds could die." Flash from Earth – 90 added.
"Help us, Jefferson," T'Challa said with a look of sadness. "If you are a hero in your world, you know what to do."
Black Lightning thought about his missing family again, then looked at Pariah with an angry look. After a moment he spoke:
"What do you need from me?"
"That machine behind you is the source of the anti-matter wave." Pariah pointed out, showing him the cannon.
"We have to disable it." Barry added. "But we can't get near it. Can you contain that much energy?"
"I can try to absorb the energy from the cannon with my suit, but that won't be enough to disable it," T'Challa suggested. (Then he looked at Black Lightning.) "Do you think the two of us could harness the energies of this weapon?"
Jefferson used his glasses to scan the barrel. Then he continued:
"Let's find out. "
Then he waved his hands, sending lightning bolts on the barrel. Black Panther used his suit to absorb the weapon's energy, hoping to decrease its power and help Black Lightning.
Waverider
Supergirl was in the timeship's library. Mjolnir was on the table with the Book of Destiny beside it. She looked at it and considered using it to restore worlds. Including hers. As she was about to open the book, a hand grabbed her.
"Don't!"
The Girl of Steel then saw Kate standing next to her with determination.
"You open that Book, and you do not know what will happen. Do you? To all of the Earths you're trying to save?"
"I have to, Kate." Supergirl insisted in a loud voice. "Those people, they need help."
"And we are doing our best to help who we can." Kate reminded her, hoping to convince her to give it up. "That is not the answer."
"Then what am I supposed to do? Just be okay with all those people dying? Ignore all these Earths that are disappearing?"
"No, of course not!" Kate continued. "But if you open this Book, it will destroy you!"
Supergirl didn't want fighting Batwoman, but she was determined to take the Book of Destiny for use. Even if that meant having to fight Kate.
"I have to do this," she said still motivated.
Kate eyed the Kryptonian standing right in front of her.
"Then I have to stop you." said the hero of Gotham.
"You won't be able to," Supergirl pointed out.
The two women looked at each other for a moment, clenching their fists. Then Thor came running to join them.
"Hey! Stop it, both of you!" he exclaimed annoyed. "Worlds are being destroyed as we speak. Let's not fight among ourselves."
He separated the two women, then came to the Girl of Steel.
"Kara, don't do that! Do not use this Book!"he told her with an anxious look. "It's too dangerous and we have no idea what could happen! Even for you!"
"What do you want me to do, Thor?" Supergirl roared through her teeth. "That we abandon all these poor people who are dying?"
"That's not what I'm saying. Look, I hate Lex Luthor like you, and I have no faith in Novu, however, using this Book to bring whole worlds back is way too risky! You could die or condemn us forever! And that if something happens to you, everything we've done to save the Multiverse will have served no purpose. Kara, please…"
"Thor, let me try," Supergirl begged desperately.
"No! I know what you're feeling. I really know. Do you remember how I was when I lost my kingdom? If the Book of Destiny could bring Asgard back, I would definitely do so. But look what happened to Deegan, when he used it to change reality. Can you imagine what would happen if you wanted to use it to re-create many Earths?"
"I have to try, Thor, maybe that's my role!"continued Supergirl wanting to pass.
But Thor stayed in his position, preventing the Kryptonian from reaching the Book.
"I'm sorry, Kara, but I can't let you do that. I have already lost too many loved ones in my life. I lost my parents, my brother, also friends who are no longer there now. Don't make me lose you too, Kara. Remember what I was like after Thanos wiped out half the universe? I was a poor, stupid, failure drunk. If I became a hero again, because you was here to me. You gave me back hope. Supergirl has given me hope so that I can continue to fight for the Good. Stop this madness. I'm sure deep down you know that. I don't want to fight you, but I would if it was to prevent you from making a serious mistake."
"For God's sake, Kara, don't do that!" Kate exclaimed, who was screaming now.
It was then that Supergirl was no longer looking at the Book, but the woman of Gotham. She was stunned. Kate noticed that even Thor, speechless, was staring at her in state of shock.
"What? Why are you looking at me like that?" Kate asked confused and surprised.
"Kate," Thor whispered in shock, raising a finger to her.
Then Batwoman then discovered that Mjolnir was no longer lying on the library's table, but was in her hand. Her jaw dropped, and her eyes widened in amazement. Kate raised Thor's hammer above her, simply, as if it weighed nothing at all. She had lifted it without even realizing it. Without noticing it.
"What… I… I… How…? What the…? How…?" She stammered incredulously that she could now hold Thor's hammer in her hand.
"Now you can hold Mjolnir in your hand," Thor exclaimed smiling.
When she had tried to lift the hammer, she had been unable to move it. It was like trying to lift a truck. And there she could easily hold it with one hand, as if it weighed nothing at all.
Then she began to wave it, and to juggle it between her two hands. The hammer didn't change weight, much to her surprise.
"Oh… My… God!… How can this be?"Kate exclaimed stunned looking at her friends in utter incomprehension.
"You've found your courage, Kate," Supergirl told her, who seemed to have completely forgotten the Book of Destiny. "You're the Paragon of Courage. You are worthy of Mjolnir."
Then, Kate ends up putting the hammer on the cosmic Book, as if to prevent her friend from using it.
"Kara, I wish things were different," she said in a small voice. "I wish I was hopeful like you. I'm not God of Thunder, but one thing I do know is if you take a chance on that Book and it doesn't work and something happens to you, we're all doomed."
"Listen to her, Kara, she's right," Thor said, returning his attention to his Kryptonian friend.
Supergirl eyed her two friends for a moment, then looked at the Book that was blocked by Mjolnir, held by Kate, and ended up leaving the library without saying a word.
Then Kate and Thor stayed in the library, still stunned by what had just happened. They exchanged looks without saying a word. Then Thor took Mjolnir, smiling at Gotham's woman.
"Right, well done Paragon of Courage!"
And he left, leaving Kate still in shock that she had lifted a God's hammer.
Central City
Black Lightning was trying to contain the energy of the anti-matter cannon. Black Panther used his suit to absorb the energy particles from the cannon. Then after a while, he finally collapsed, unable to store any more energy in his Wakanda Panther costume.
And the hero of Freeland was starting to wear out.
"Black Lightning is gonna kill himself if we don't solve this soon." Frost said.
"Then we need more time." Barry said looking at his Earth – 90's counterpart.
And the two Flashes used Flashtime to communicate, freezing those around them and slowing down time. Barry looked at the other Flash and retorted:
"Every second that we waste here another Earth dies. That wave gets closer to my wife."
"I was married once, too," said Earth – 90's Flash. "Tina always said that keeping me running was her purpose in life, so as someone who's been running for 30 years, let me tell you. Sometimes, in order to find your purpose as a hero, you gotta take a couple steps back. Reverse the way you see the situation and see a bigger picture."
Barry considered his counterpart's words and seemed to understand where he was going. The words of The Monitor a few months earlier, suddenly gave it meaning.
"In order for billions to survive this Crisis, the Flash must die…"
He got out of the Flastime and walked back to Cisco and Frost.
"I know how to stop the cannon," he said.
"What?" T'Challa wondered, exhausted from the effort of absorbing the cannon's energy.
"This is what The Monitor meant that day in the Time Vault." Barry continued. "This is what I've been running towards all these years. It's time for Flash to vanish in Crisis."
He was determined to do it. Flash had to die to stop the Crisis.
Notes:
Thank you for reading and reviewing.
I hope I have succeeded the meeting Black Lightning.
Chapter 18
Notes:
Hi everyone, here is a new chapter.
Good reading!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Earth – 1; Central City
Cisco looked at the data from the cannon.
"Reversing the treadmill's directional velocity could make the anti-matter wave recede and funnel back into the speed cannon…"
"Destroying the machine and the wave," concludes Earth – 90's Flash.
"Ending this once and for all." Barry said with confidence and determination.
"We'll all be saved," Black Panther added.
"And freeing me from the Anti-Monitor's control." Pariah said hopefully.
Black Lightning grew weaker as he used his powers against the Anti-Monitor cannon. He said:
"Where's the future? Right here. Whose life is this? Mine. What are you gonna do with it? Live it by any means necessary."
"He's not going to last." T'Challa pointed out, watching the superhero struggle with his powers.
Purgatory
It had been a while since John Diggle, Clint, Mia, and Constantine walked through Lian Yu's forest in search of Oliver Queen. Since their arrival in Purgatory, they had seen no traces of him.
"It's gonna be okay. We're gonna find him." Diggle said, looking around.
"You don't know that," Mia said, not sharing his enthusiasm."Dad's soul could be lost forever."
"Family's everything to Oliver." Dig said."He'll come back to us."
"Anyway, we're too far away to turn back now." Clint added."Let's find him. We have to."
Suddenly, a hooded individual jumped from the trees and attacked our heroes. He kicked Diggle and knocked him to the ground. Clint tried to subdue him, but the attacker dodged his gestures, and knocked him to the ground in seconds. Mia intervened, but quickly found herself on the ground, like her friends. The attacker attacked Constantine, grabbing him by the neck and back, wanting to suffocate him.
"Whoa, Oliver, Oliver! Oliver, wait, man!"Diggle exclaimed, standing up to Constantine.
Clint then recognized Oliver, dressed in a green outfit with a long hood, almost camouflaging his face.
"Oliver! Oliver! We came for you!" he said, slowly approaching him.
"I see you, man, and I'm so sorry that I wasn't there to have your back during Crisis," Diggle said softly. "But I'm here now! I need you to come back to us! You're my brother!"
"Oliver," the Avengers archer insisted with a pleading look. "We need you. The Universe needs Green Arrow. We'll not overcome this Crisis without you. Oliver, come back with us. Together, we can put an end to all this mess!"
As he hugged Constantine, Oliver looked confused and disoriented by his friends' words. Then he ends up releasing his captive. And he looked at his allies with emotion.
"Hey John!"
He came to take Diggle in his arms, then came to greet the archer of the Avengers.
"Hey Clint!"
"It's good to see you again, Queen," Clint said with a smile.
Then Oliver joined his daughter.
"Mia, you came."
"Of course I did." said the young girl, hugging her father, sobs.
Earth – 1; Ivy Town
Ryan Choi gathered his things in his office before heading home, then looked up at his family photo, seeing him with his wife and daughter.
Iris came to see him in his office and saw the family photo.
"They're beautiful." she said. (After a silence, she continued.) "I didn't get to introduce myself earlier, Dr. Choi. I'm Iris West-Allen from Central City."
But Ryan didn't want to make conversation with the woman in front of him.
"Are you a superhero, too?"
"No," Iris replied with a sad smile. "I'm just like you. Look, I know this is a lot to ask and you're right to want to be with your family when things go bad."
Delighted to have met someone who understood him, Ryan then stood in front of Iris and asked her:
"What about you? (He noticed the wedding ring on her finger.) You clearly have someone in your life you care about. Don't you want to die holding them when the world ends?"
"My husband's not like us," said Iris. "He goes out there as a superhero day after day and faces whatever he has to to keep his city safe."
"That's really brave, Iris," Ryan answered moved. "But that's not me. See, I'm nothing like your husband."
"No, no, you're not," insisted Iris. "You're human, and we have a purpose too. We remind superheroes what they're fighting for."
"My wife, Amanda and I, just had a baby six months ago. Simone. I might not get to see her grow up."
"Don't you want to hold her knowing that you had a hand in making the world safer?" Flash's wife said.
Then it was Shuri who walked gently into the office. She looked at the professor before answering him gently:
"Dr. Choi, no one asks you to risk your life for us, or to sacrifice yourself for the world… but to help us make it safe for everyone, and for your family. You would like them to be safe, right? That your daughter can grow up safely?"
Ryan looked at the two women with emotion, not knowing what to say. If he was essential at the end of this Crisis, he could not ignore the call of fate.
"I have to go tell my wife that I would be late for dinner," he said.
Then he walked away from the two women. As Shuri joined Iris.
"Lois informed us that six more Earths are gone with to mine. We only have this Earth left to save."
"At least now we have Ryan." Ralph added, stepping into the office in turn. (Addressing Iris.) "How'd you know what to say to him?"
Iris recalled her last conversation with her husband Flash at the Waverider before heading to Ivy Town.
"Iris…"
"Hey, what is it?"
"What if this is it? What if… stopping the wave is my purpose as a Paragon? I mean, what if it's the sacrifice I have to make?"
Iris was shocked by this news, and replied:
"Well, if this is it, then I don't want you to die without me, Barry. I don't want you to be alone. I'll come with you."
"No. You can't come, Iris. I may be the one with superpowers, but… your intelligence, your resourcefulness, your heart that's your superpower and that's what's gonna help you convince Ryan Choi to be the hero he needs to be."
"Barry, I don't want to live this life without you." Iris insisted sadly. "I don't… I don't want to say goodbye."
Her husband then looked at Iris' wedding ring, then cuddled her hand.
"When I put this ring on your finger, I promised I'd always come running home to you. And if we're apart, for however long, know that wherever I go, I will be running home to you."
Then she kissed him. Like what might be her last kiss with him.
"Are you still sure you want me to go?"
"Yeah. Go find Ryan Choi and hurry back."
"I'll see you soon."
Central City
Barry took a deep breath as he put on his Flash mask and braced himself for what was to follow. The routing of its entire journey. He turned to see Cisco looking at him with emotion. Then he found out that Frost had taken on Caitlin Snow's appearance. His two friends who had followed him since he became Flash. Cisco and Caitlin looked at him sadly.
"I don't wanna say goodbye!" the Star Labs' woman said, suppressing her sobs.
Flash smirked sadly at his two friends who had been with him for years, fighting metas and protecting their city.
"You two were there the first time I opened my eyes as the Flash." declared the speedster of Earth – 1. "I couldn't be the hero I am without you guys."
Then Flash and his two friends came to hug in a strong hug. All three wanted to freeze this moment together, not wanting to separate. Then, as they parted with great reluctance, Flash asked them:
"Tell Joe and Iris I love them."
Caitlin nodded, fighting back tears:
"We will."
T'Challa, who had stayed behind to give the Team privacy, came over to the hero with a solemn look.
"It was an honor, Flash," he told him, raising his hand to him.
And the speedster shook his hand with a nod.
"I was honored to have met other heroes from other Earths," Flash said.
T'Challa nodded.
Suddenly, Flash from Earth – 90 joined his young counterpart, putting his hand on his shoulder.
"Sorry, kid, but this has to happen."
At his words, he put his other hand to Flash of Earth – 1's chest, and the young speedster felt his energy drain from him.
"Barry, what are you doing?" cried Earth – 1's Flash.
"I'm momentarily stealing your speed." the old Flash said with his hand resting on his counterpart's chest. "You play the speedster game long enough, you learn some neat tricks."
"Wait, why are you doing this?"Caitlin cried, her eyes wide in surprise.
"Novu said the Flash must die in Crisis. He never said which one."
Earth – 1's Flash collapsed to the ground, exhausted, as the old Flash of Earth – 90 rose to his feet with new speed.
Black Lightning stopped and got to one knee. The cannon made everyone tremble. Then the old Flash helped Freeland's hero to his feet.
"You're a true hero, Jefferson." he told him. "I can't thank you enough."
Then he turned to Cisco, who was amazed by the initiative of the Flash counterpart.
"Open the breach, I need to get in that force field!"
"No," Cisco whispered, shocked.
"Do you know what you're doing, Barry?" stunned T'Challa.
"I know what to do," the old Flash said firmly. "Cisco, open the breach! Let me do this! Let me save you all!"
Flash of Earth – 1 tried to stand up, but was too weak to intervene.
"Cisco, don't! Cisco, come on!"
But the Latino, still stunned, finally brandished his hand and opened a breach on the treadmill.
"Thank you," said the old Flash gratefully. (Then he turned to his young counterpart.) "Keep riding the lightning, son! I know you'll make us all proud!"
And he ran super-speed through the breach, reappearing on the treadmill, in reverse.
The young Flash could only watch him helplessly.
"Barry!"he exclaimed annoyed. "He's gonna die, Cisco!"
"You made me team leader, and sometimes, the leader has to make the tough choices." his friend exclaimed firmly.
"Flash has made his choice," T'Challa added. "The same choice we made by wanting to fight during this Crisis. And he wants to save us! Save everyone!"
Then the cannon began to shake and become unstable. Soon everything would explode.
"We can't stay here!" Black Lightning declared.
Cisco opened a new breach. Immediately everyone went into the vortex, but Flash stayed where he was.
"Flash, let's go!" T'Challa exclaimed, grabbing the speedster's shoulder.
"I can't go and let him die," the Central City's hero said.
"It was his choice!"T'Challa repeated, screaming. "If you stay here, you will die and he'll have sacrificed himself for nothing! We have to get out of here! NOW!"
Then Flash resigned himself to letting his counterpart run on the treadmill. They all left the anti-matter cannon lair.
As the old Flash ran across the mat, he felt his strength leave him, but held on. He recalled an old memory of many years with his wife.
"I have faith in you, Tina."
"Well, the truth is, I have faith in you, too…" she had replied, smiling.
He opened fully at Speed Force, running faster, and faster than he had ever done in those long years. With his run, his body began to disintegrate from the strain, but he held on, nonetheless. The cannon was overloaded with energy, and the wave of anti-matter crumbled into space. As Flash's body disintegrated into several molecules, the machine eventually exploded.
In space, the wave of anti-matter had ceased to act.
From the Waverider, the Guardians of the Galaxy had seen the wave disintegrate before their eyes. Rocket gazed at the phenomenon with astonished eyes.
"It's gone! Does that mean we won? What's just happened?"
"I've no idea," Quill replied, as stunned and confused as the raccoon.
"I am Groot?" the tree muttered with a copy of Mick Rory's erotic book in his hand.
At the anti-matter cannon, there was nothing but rubble. Around the rubble was a lightning bolt symbol with torn, tattered fragments of red cloth.
He was passed away. That Flash was gone. He had sacrificed himself to save more than one more universe from certain catastrophe.
He died for what he believed in.
And so he was gone… without regret.
Notes:
Thank for reading and reviewing.
Sorry for this short chapter! The next one will be longer!
Chapter 19
Notes:
Hey guys, here is a new chapter. Longer this time!
Good reading!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Chapter 19
Purgatory
While Mia, Clint, and Diggle were delighted to have reunited with Oliver, Constantine came over to remind them of their limited time by showing them the demon map which was almost erased.
"I hate to break up the reunion, but this really is our cue to make like a tree and get Oliver's soul back to his body."
"Let's go, Dad,"Mia said.
Then as everyone was about to leave the forest, a figure came towards them.
"Oliver Queen!"
Everyone remained on their guard when the figure stood out. It was Tony Stark, wearing a simple black sweater, in sports gear. The four men stared at him in amazement. Was this man really Tony Stark? The Avenger who had sacrificed himself to prevent Thanos from destroying the universe?
"Tony?" Oliver cried wide-eyed.
"Tony?" Clint said in turn, shocked.
"Who's this guy?" Mia retorted, confused, never having seen this man.
Shocked and upset, Oliver approached the man who was once Iron-Man.
"Tony, How… how can this be? How can you be here?"
"Are you really Tony Stark? The Tony Stark of the Avengers? Iron-Man?"exclaimed Diggle.
"What the…" Clint whispered, dumbfounded.
"Hello, Clint. I used to be Iron-Man," replied the ghost. " Then I was called to a higher purpose. I have become someone else. Something else. I am a Specter."
"And what do you want from us?" Mia retorted.
"I'm sorry, but your dad can't leave, especially not now," Tony said.
"Why?"Clint cried, still shocked.
Tony turned to the Star City's archer, speaking emphatically.
"Oliver, it's your turn now. Only you can light the spark. It's your destiny."
"What is my destiny?" Oliver asked, still in shock to see one of his old friends again.
"To save everyone. Otherwise, all universes all the people you love will perish. You must come with me. You can stop the Anti-Monitor from destroying everything. But for that, you've to follow me. There is no other way."
Stunned, Mia looked at Diggle and Clint. Then Oliver thought about Tony Stark's words.
"You trust me?" said the old Avenger.
"I do," the archer nodded, knowing how much Iron-Man had inspired him to be better.
Then he turned to his daughter with a sorry look.
"I'm sorry Mia, but I have to." he said in a sad voice.
"Dad no," Mia exclaimed in tears.
"It's gonna be okay." her father replied gently. "You're gonna create your own stories."
Then he put a friendly hand on Diggle.
"It's gonna be okay." he assured him.
And he turned to Clint.
"You're a good man, Clint. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Take care of your family."
The Avengers' archer nodded with sobs.
Then Oliver turned to Tony.
"What now?"
Tony Stark's eyes turned green. At that moment, Mia exclaimed:
"Dad, wait. I love you!"
Then she, Diggle, Clint and Constantine were gone.
Waverider
The quartet of heroes arrived at the timeship, where they were greeted by the two Supermen, Lois, Sara and Peter Parker.
"What happened?" asked Earth – 76's Superman.
"Dad wouldn't come back with us." Mia said, tears in her eyes.
"Did we lose Oliver?" exclaimed Peter in shock.
Sara was distraught, then Diggle joined her with a sad expression.
"I'm sorry, Sara."
Distraught, Sara and Peter left the timeship's command center, while Constantine turned to the two similar Kryptonians.
"The others fare any better?"
"Barry's team stopped the anti-matter wave with one Earth left," answered Earth – 38's Superman.
"I need a drink," Constantine replied, leaving them.
Finally, the Guardians of the Galaxy joined them.
"So the wave of anti-matter is gone? We won?" Quill asked.
"Not yet," replied the Earth – 76's Superman.
"Now we just have to flush out the Anti-Monitor," replied his Earth – 38's counterpart.
"So we need to find this intergalactic bastard quickly," Rocket said. "Does anyone know where is located the pretty blue lady?"
Barry went to join Jefferson Pierce who had isolated himself in the Waverider's office. The hero stared at the books on the shelves, but the speedster knew he was still thinking of his missing family on his Earth.
"I appreciate you helping us, Jefferson," the young hero of Central City said sadly. "I know what you've lost."
Jefferson put a book back on a shelf and walked away grimly.
"My world… I lost the love of my life… my two daughters… Nothing will ever be okay again."
"I know," Barry said with emotion. "That Flash, the Flash from Earth – 90, he looked just like my dad, Henry Allen. He was a resilient man. He spent years in prison for the murder of my mom, a crime one of my enemies committed and framed him for. Through all that, he never lost his light. Times like this, I try and do the same."
Jefferson took into account what Flash was telling him, and answered in turn:
"My father, uh, Alvin Pierce he was a good man, too. Reporter. Spent his life giving a voice to the voiceless. He was murdered when I was 12. But I still carry the lessons he taught me to this day. I passed them along to my girls… (He was about to cry again as he thought about his daughters.) My girls… (Then he held back his sobbing while remaining neutral.) Anyway, I get it. Look. I don't think Henry or Alvin raised any quitters, so we should honor their memory and rage against the dying of the light."
"Dylan Thomas," Barry said, acknowledging the quote.
"Well, all right then, Flash." Jefferson replied, smiling for once.
Then the speedster offered his hand to the new hero.
"It's Barry. Barry Allen."
And the two men shook hands, forging a new friendship.
"Jefferson Pierce."
Thor joined Supergirl who was walking down one of the hallways of the timeship.
"Hey Kara…"
The Kryptonian turned to him.
"Listen… I know you want to save everyone. It's something I've always liked about you," he told her. "You always have hope, even in the most uncertain moments. You are generous, altruistic… I'm just a warrior… and sometimes, I would like to be like you. You're the one who showed me there's always a better way to fix it. And that is what we will do for this Crisis. We'll find a way to bring everyone back. Together. One day, Stark had asked the team how to defeat a great enemy from outer space, and Cap… had replied: «together». Stark had told him that we'd lose. And Steve Rogers retorted, «Then we'll do that together, too». What I'm saying is, we will defeat the Anti-Monitor. We will come out of this Crisis together. With all the Paragons… you… Kate… Barry… Kal… White Canary… Spider-Man… J'onn… Ryan Choi… All of us reunited, we'll defeat the Anti-Monitor."
"Thank you, Thor," Kara answered enthusiastically. "You told me that pep talk weren't your thing... I think you're doing this great."
"Like Kate, I may have found my role as Keeper of the Paragons," the asgardian replied. "But please stay alive, Kara. And don't go play with powerful forces that you don't know. This can have very unfortunate consequences. I know that for a fact."
"Thank you for being by my side," she added. "I don't know if I would still have this strength in me, without you."
"You got this, Supergirl. You are the Paragon of Hope. We were meant to meet. To become better. To become the protectors of all worlds."
Moved by Thor's words, Kara came over to shake her friend's hand. After a moment, the God of Thunder moved away from her.
"I'll check in with the others." he said. "Barry and his team put an end to the anti-matter. But we still don't know where Harbinger and the Anti-Monitor are. Our priority is to find them both."
Supergirl saw Kate walking towards her.
"Go, I'll join you," she said.
Thor left the hallway, as the Gotham woman joined her Kryptonian friend. The two women hadn't spoken from the library anymore.
Kate spoke first:
"Hey, Kara. Listen, I… I get you wanted to bring those people back. As Thor has said, you have the biggest heart of anyone that I've ever met. I just don't want to see you get hurt."
Amused, Supergirl replied:
"You know, I gotta say. For someone who was unsure that they were the Paragon of Courage, took a lot of guts to do what you did. And that's probably what got you to lift Mjolnir in your hand. Like Thor said, you've found your courage."
"Maybe," Kate replied amused.
"If I may ask you… how did you feel when you held Thor's hammer in your hand?"
Kate was thoughtful for a moment, lost in thought. Then she ends up answering:
"I don't know how to describe it… It was an amazing feeling… I'd never felt that in my life… The first time I wanted to lift it,it was like trying to lift a metal beam that would weigh a thousand tons… and when I held it in my hand, without even realizing it, it was… not heavy… It was…"
"Light as a feather?"Kara asked with a smile.
"That's right," Batwoman nodded. "It was fantastic. And although I'm supposed to be a Paragon… I don't feel that this… this hammer was made for someone like me. I'm not Thor. I'm not Asgardian. And I know I'm not Avenger."
"That's funny, that's exactly what I said to myself the first time I lifted it," Supergirl replied, remembering the day she had held up Mjolnir for the first time. "The fact that you can be worthy of this hammer doesn't take away from who you are. I trust you, as do our allies. Thor, Barry, the Avengers, even the X-Men. Everyone who's here."
"I hope there's a way to get everyone back," Kate said. "Like when you and the Avengers brought back half of the universes. And if we are to trust each other, there is one thing you need to know."
She pulled out of her Batwoman armor, a round metallic object. And Kara could see a green trail around the object.
"Kryptonite," she realized in amazement. "Why do you have that?"
"I took it from a Para-demon who was attacking us in the Earth – 99's Batcave. I unwittingly took it so he wouldn't use it against you. And I give it because I've faith in you, Kara."
The Girl of Steel eyed the kryptonite object, then looked up at her Gotham's friend.
"Keep it," she said. "I have the courage that you'll never have to use it."
"Attention. Iris, Ralph, Raymond and Shuri have returned with Dr. Choi."Leonard's voice announced from the Waverider.
Iris, Shuri, and Ralph returned to the Waverider's control room with Dr. Choi. Charles Xavier, Logan and Storm were there. As well as Black Panther, the two Supermen, Thor, Diggle, the Guardians of the Galaxy and the Monitor.
At the sight of his wife, Barry came to take Iris in his arms.
"Iris. I told you I'd come running home to you."
Ryan looked stunned to find that Iris's husband was the super-hero Flash. Shuri ran over to her brother and hugged him.
Iris was happy to find her husband alive. Thus, he hadn't perished as Mar Novu had announced. Then Flash told her the death of the other Barry Allen. From of Earth – 90.
Then came Black Lightning and Pariah.
Barry showed them the hero of Freeland:
"Everyone, this is Jefferson Pierce. We wouldn't have been able to stop the anti-matter wave without him."
"I am Groot," said Groot, smiling at the new hero.
"I am Black Lightning," Jefferson said in amazement.
Stunned, he saw the two Supermen and couldn't believe his eyes.
"Wait, so, so the Superman thing is real? Oh, damn… After all these years. "
Then he saw Professor X in his wheelchair, with his two X-Men. He was even more stunned.
"And you are Charles Xavier?"
"My fame precedes me," Charles replied with an amused smile. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Pierce."
Then Black Lightning looked at Logan in amazement.
"And you are Wolverine? Do you really exist too? I can't believe it!"
The clawed mutant smoked his cigarette, gazing curiously at the new hero.
"You have a doppelganger of me on your Earth, Electric-Dude?"
"On my Earth, you only exist in comics," Jefferson replied. "And you are wearing a yellow spandex."
"Really?" Charles asked, amused, looking at Logan.
"No kidding!" Logan replied sarcastically.
Then Black Lightning turned to Thor, looking at him with even more shock.
"And you are…"
"I am Thor, Son of Odin and God of Thunder," the Asgardian replied proudly with a smile. "One of the Avengers. Welcome, Jefferson Pierce."
Finally, Ralph announced in front of all the heroes:
"And this is your Paragon of Humanity, Ryan Choi scientist, super brain, and ready to help save the universe."
"Welcome Ryan Choi," Thor said jovially. "Your help is welcome."
Feeling tiny in the face of all these heroes around him, Ryan dared to ask in a small voice:
"How do you guys plan on doing that, exactly?"
"Well, Kara decided not to use the Book of Destiny," revealed Superman of Earth – 38.
"It was too risky," added his Earth – 76's counterpart.
Pariah spoke in turn:
"And Harbinger, unlike me, can travel anywhere she wants. So how do we find her?"
"By whatever means necessary." Diggle replied determinedly.
"Now that the wave of anti-matter is over, we need to know where the Anti-Monitor and Harbinger are," said Thor seriously. "We must know the new plans of our enemy. And for that, we need Harbinger."
Iris then added:
"Well, we can start by trying to re-task the Waverider's satellite search grid."
"So, what are we waiting for?" Rocket mumbled in a brooding voice. "The sooner we find them, the better."
"Rocket, stop pretending you're the captain of our team," Quill grumbled grumpily.
As they were about to launch the ship's satellite, a twinkling glow appeared out of nowhere, and Lyla Michaels aka Harbinger appeared in the Waverider's control room. She seemed disoriented. Relieved, John Diggle immediately joined her.
"Lyla!"
"Johnny!" his wife replied, confused and relieved.
Then he hugged her warmly. All the heroes present were surprised by the appearance of the young woman dressed in blue. Even Mar Novu was surprised.
"I'm sorry," Lyla said to her husband. "I tried to get word to you that I was doing recon on Earth – 1, but the deaths of the other Earths is affecting my abilities."
"Where have you been?"Thor asked, frowning.
Lyla turned to the heroes, who were suspicious, then stammered in confusion:
"I… I can't remember…"
As Diggle tried to reassure his wife, on the X-Men side, Charles Xavier tilted his head forward, moaning. He closed his eyes and frowned, as if lost in thought.
"Professor?" Storm asked, worried.
"Charles?" Logan added in turn.
After a moment of reflection, the professor opened his eyes again and announced in an alarmed voice:
"There's something's wrong… I felt a presence… evil… It's not a mutant, it's something else… Something I had never felt… And this cruel and monstrous thing is here…"
"What would that be?"Iris asked anxiously.
"I've no idea," Charles replied nervously.
T'Challa joined Flash, Ralph and Pariah and whispered to them in a worried voice:
"We know the Anti-Monitor got hold of Harbinger. We haven't heard from her in a while. Something must have happened to her. The Anti-Monitor wouldn't have let her go like that, for no reason. Something's wrong."
Flash agreed, responding:
"What if the Anti-Monitor wanted Harbinger back on the ship?"
"He's been controlling her the entire Crisis," Ralph added, seeing where the two men meant.
"And controlling you," said Earth – 76's Superman, looking at Pariah. "Only allowing you to appear when he wants you to see…"
"A great tragedy," Flash and Black Panther said at the same time.
Thor, who had listened to them, seemed to understand.
"If it's not Harbinger who came back, that would mean…"
The speedster turned to Harbinger, who was still with Diggle.
"Lyla?"
Thor, alarmed, began to shout:
"DIGGLE! STAY AWAY FROM HER! THAT'S NOT YOUR WIFE! IT'S NOT HER!"
"Lyla?"whispered John Diggle in confusion.
Lyla gave them a sadistic smirk with eyes that began to glow with a whitish glow. And without warning, she punched Diggle, knocking him to the ground, and hurled him a few feet away from her.
"No!" Flash exclaimed, dumbfounded.
"What?" exclaimed Charles Xavier, amazed and horrified.
Then Harbinger with his sparkling eyes began to speak in a distorted male voice as he looked at everyone gathered in the Waverider's room:
"It is time to end the age of heroes and everything you hold close."
The heroes then realized that they didn't have Lyla Michaels among them, nor Harbinger. It was the Anti-Monitor.
T'Challa straightened his black helmet, and released his claws from his armor. They all stared at their enemy with threatening looks. Diggle, who was still on the ground, looked at his wife with round eyes of confusion.
"Lyla?
"That is no longer your wife, John Diggle." the Monitor replied in a neutral voice. "She has been taken by…"
"The Anti-Monitor," Pariah finished.
"Murderer!" roared the Earth – 76's Superman angrily, rushing at the mighty foe.
But the Anti-Monitor pushed him away with such ease, like throwing back paper. Black Panther, whose armor was bulging with kinetic energy, leapt into the air like a real panther, but the Anti-Monitor easily grabbed him by the neck, and pushed him back against a wall a few feet away from him.
"BROTHER!" Shuri yelled as she ran to join T'Challa who had been thrown to the ground like a doll.
Wolverine popped out his claws and prepared to attack. Black Lightning clenched his fists, muttering:
"This is for my girls!"
Thor brandished Mjolnir and Stormbreaker and made lightning appear, covering his chest and surveying his foe with a murderous gaze.
"All these worlds you destroyed, you're going to die for that!" he roared angrily.
The Guardians of the Galaxy raised their weapons and prepared to shoot him.
But the Anti-Monitor clenched his fist, and all of the heroes groaned in pain, crippling them, preventing them from fighting and all fell to the ground. As Shuri watched over her grounded brother collapsed. Wolverine tried to struggle, stepping forward with his claws outstretched. But the attack of the cosmic being was stronger than him. The clawed mutant ends up collapsing like all the others.
Charles Xavier, in his chair, tried to use his telepathy, but the Anti-Monitor gave him a sadistic grin, and brandished his fist. The professor moaned in pain and was frozen in his chair, as if an invisible force was preventing him from moving. Charles winced in pain and tried to use his telepathy again. In vain. Because it was obvious that his enemy was not affected by psychic faculties.
"Charles Xavier! You are very persistent." the Anti-Monitor sneered with Lyla's smirk. "But your feeble skills psychic are no match for my power! I am a superior being to you! You can't stop me!"
He waved his fingers, and Charles was lifted into the air. Stunned and helpless, the Mutant Professor hovered in the air for a moment moaning in pain, straining to struggle with his telepathic powers. The pain was so strong that Charles finally screamed in pain. But the Anti-Monitor pushed him back against a wall, and the professor collapsed to the floor like a bundle.
"Charles!" Wolverine cried, pinned to the ground, forced to crawl, unable to get up.
Despite the Anti-Monitor attack crippling everyone, Thor fiercely struggled against the attack and eventually stood up moaning. He brandished his two weapons and produced a powerful bolt of lightning on his enemy. But the Anti-Monitor moved his hands, and the lightning was blocked, as if an invisible barrier prevented it from reaching him.
The cosmic being smirked at the Asgardian.
"Thor Son of Odin… Since your little kingdom is no more, you are only a fallen God!"
And he forced Thor to collapse to the ground. The Asgardian tried to get up, growling angrily:
"As long as I live, I'll fight you until you die!"
But the Anti-Monitor gave him a sarcastic look.
"No one can defeat someone like me!"
The Guardians of the Galaxy, paralyzed to the ground like the other heroes, crawled as best they could. Groot made a superhuman effort to raise his arm, causing it to widen like a huge branch of a tree.
"I… am… Groot!" the tree whispered, moaning in pain and waving its long arm like a snake at its enemy.
But the Anti-Monitor pushed back the long tree branch with ease, and pushed Groot back several yards from his teammates.
"Groot!" Rocket cried, paralyzed to the ground, attempting to use his blaster. (He bared his fangs to the cosmic being.) "You'll die for that, you asshole!"
The only ones still standing were Mar Novu and Pariah, seemingly unaffected by their enemy's attack.
"Lyla! You have to fight him, Lyla!"exclaimed Diggle who could only stay on the ground and watch in helplessness and horror.
"The fate of all humanity lies with you now, Pariah."the Monitor said calmly.
"What can I do?" stammered Pariah in despair.
"You will know when the moment arrives." Novu replied, gazing at his enemy with a fierce gaze.
And he drew a beam of orange light from his hands. However, this had no effect as the being much more powerful than him just shrugged with a flash of blue light before bouncing back his own blue beam, which quickly began to dominate Novu.
The Monitor began to falter and knelt to the ground, resigning himself to be defeated by his enemy.
"Pathetic!"the Anti-Monitor scoffed as he attacked to destroy his opponent. "It was foolish to try to stop me, Novu!"
"No, Mobius," Novu said calmly as he knew his end was near. "It was foolish to allow your creation in the first place!"
"Goodbye!" said the Anti-Monitor.
And Mar Novu, the Monitor died. His body collapsed to the ground, as the Anti-Monitor absorbed his power.
Thor had managed to stand up, with Mjolnir and Stormbreaker in his hands, and could only helplessly watch the cosmic being bring down his opponent and take his power away. Shuri managed to help her brother to his feet. Logan put Charles back in his wheelchair.
All the heroes could see the Anti-Monitor waving his hands, wondering what he was going to do now, now that Mar Novu was dead.
His eyes shone even more power.
Towards the window, where the Earth was visible, a new wave of gigantic anti-matter surrounded the planet to the horror of all the heroes raised.
"Dear God!" Storm exclaimed in horror and distress.
"Brother!" Shuri gasped in horror.
"Don't!"Thor whispered in dismay.
And the mighty wave of anti-matter engulfs the whole Earth, leaving no trace. The whole planet disappeared.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"screamed Thor mortified.
The whole Earth had disappeared. The last Earth was gone. Now, all of the occupants of the Waverider were the sole survivors of the Crisis.
"Alert. Earth – 1 is gone." Leonard's voice announced from the ship.
"Oh, dear God, no!"cried Charles Xavier, his eyes bulging with fear.
"Oh man!"Quill exclaimed stunned.
Barry stared at the window in horror.
"We're all that's left!" he whispered, shocked.
"Mother! Our people…" cried Shuri horrified and distraught. "They're all dead! What are we gonna do?"
T'Challa, speechless, was unable to answer, so much the shock of seeing an entire planet disappear made him pale with horror. Rocket joined Thor in despair.
As all the heroes gazed at the empty space where Earth stood, the Anti-Monitor said with a smirk:
"It is done. The Infinite Earths are gone. Soon only the anti-matter universe will remain."
"Warning," said Leonard's voice. "The anti-matter wave will hit the ship in 28 seconds."
At first stunned, Pariah looked determined and gazed at the remaining heroes.
"I know what I must do."
He let out a blast of energy from both hands, and several bolts of energy shot through the entire ship. Thor, with Rocket on him, was struck by the lightning and disappeared. Then, Earth – 76's Superman also disappeared.
"What's happening?" Ryan exclaimed, shocked before disappearing in turn.
Barry tried to reach for his wife's hand.
"Iris!"
But he was swept away by the energy in his turn.
And Pariah directed the lightning throughout the interior of the timeship.
"Everyone to the bridge, now." said Leonard's voice throughout the Waverider.
J'onn, who was in a hallway, heard the call. He wanted to rush to join the others, but disappeared by the energy of Pariah.
Sara and Peter were in the ship's infirmary with Oliver's lifeless body, when they were also swept away by the energy flashes.
Then Kate disappeared in turn. And finally, Supergirl in her turn.
The Anti-Monitor turned to Wells, still with his eyes shining.
"Where did you send them?"
"Somewhere you can't touch 'em." Pariah replied with a smirk.
"Wherever they are, they're gonna fight you!" declared Iris, glaring at the cosmic being.
"And they'll never stop fighting until you lose," Charles added, eyeing the Anti-Monitor with a look of hatred.
"By any means necessary." Black Lightning added.
"To their very last breath!" growled Earth – 38's Superman.
"Your anti-matter universe's going to be very short, you son of the bitch!" Quill growled, casting a murderous glance at the cosmic being.
Even T'Challa had stood up, and like the other heroes, gazed determinedly at the Anti-Monitor, with his sister by his side.
"Enjoy your victory," declared the King of Wakanda. "But it won't be irreversible."
"Go to Hell, asshole!"Wolverine growled, raising his claws in the air.
Then the Anti-Monitor summoned a new wave of anti-matter that engulfed the entire Waverider. Iris watched Superman nod his head with determination, before being gone by the anti-matter. Shuri looked at her brother with great fear, but T'Challa hugged her calmly.
"Wakanda forever," he said in a calm voice.
And the two Wakandans disappeared in the wave. Neutral and serene, Charles watched the wave, before being carried away in his turn.
Then the Guardians of the Galaxy vanished along with the others, as Groot stammered in a small, fearful voice:
"I am Groot…"
And the Waverider ceased to exist.
All Paragons teleported by Pariah found themselves in a dark place. Thor appeared near them, with Rocket, who had clung to his cloak. All were confused and observed their new surroundings. They had landed in a dark place, filled with ruins, like the remains of rubble.
"What the hell just happened?" Kate exclaimed, stunned.
"What the fuck was that?" Peter replied, shocked. "What the hell's happened?"
"Where are we?" Supergirl said as she joined the assembled group of heroes.
"Pariah transported us out of the Waverider to protect us from the Anti-Monitor," Thor said stunned by the latest events. "But I don't know where he took us."
"Awesome, so no one knows where we are." Rocket retorted, stunned.
"I know where we are," Sara replied, dumbfounded, looking around.
She recognized this place perfectly. This was where the Time Masters once stood. Until the Legends team destroyed this place, leading to the death of Leonard Snart.
"This is the Vanishing Point."
"What?"Peter wondered, confused and distraught.
"What does that mean?" Ryan retorted.
"It's a point outside of time and space." explained the young Lance.
"What happened to the Waverider and the others?" J'onn asked, unsure of their new surroundings.
"Can anyone tell us what the fuck happened?" Peter said, still shocked.
The Earth – 76 's Superman joined the other heroes by answering:
"The Anti-Monitor. He used Harbinger to attack us. Pariah must have sent us here knowing that the Anti-Monitor couldn't follow."
"Well, we have to go back!" Barry cried in dread and despair. "We have to go back right now!"
"Yeah, he's right," added Rocket in the same state of mind. "We have to go help others! We have to go back to the Waverider, now!"
"Barry, Rocket, we can't!" J'onn objected forcefully. "They're gone!"
"What?"cried Peter in horror. "Is it just us? Just us?"
Even Rocket was horrified and upset. He realized that they had just lost all of their remaining allies.
"They're gone?" said the raccoon, realizing what had just happened. "That means… No, no, no, no, not again! No, no, no! Groot! Groot! Quill! Drax!"
And he collapsed in tears, realizing the death of his family, the Guardians of the Galaxy. As with Thanos, he was now the only member left. He sobbed, repeating Groot's name over and over.
Even Peter was distraught. He realized that all of his loved ones were gone.
"MJ? Aunt May? Ned? Happy? They're gone…"
Thor gave them a sad look.
"I… I… I'm so sorry…"
"What do we do now?" Peter stammered in a trembling voice.
Before anyone could answer, Earth – 96's Superman began to feel bad. Red energy lights flashed through his body, as if killing him.
"Something's wrong," he cried, moaning weakly.
"Kal! Kal!"cried Supergirl in horror.
Even Thor was horrified by the strange phenomenon that was attacking the Kryptonian.
"Kal! No! Not you too!"
And he collapsed to the ground. Immediately, Supergirl and Thor came running to kneel around him, as the red lights enveloped his body.
"Please. Fix it! Fix it!" he moaned weakly.
"Kal, stay with us, we need you!"screamed Thor in horror.
"What do I do?" Supergirl exclaimed in despair, looking at her friends.
Thor could only shake his head in horror and uncertainty, having no idea what was happening to Superman and not knowing how to fix it.
"No, Kal-El!" he yelled distraught.
"No, no!" Kara yelled as mortified as everyone else.
Superman succumbed to the ground, as the red energy consumed his body.
All Paragons could only watch the end of their great ally. But a surprise occurred. A new body emerged in its place. Supergirl and Thor stood up and… discovered with horror and disgust that Superman's body had been replaced by… Lex Luthor with a book in his hand.
At first stunned, Lex looked around and seemed satisfied to his relief.
"Oh, I am so happy that worked." he said with relief.
Thor eyed the bald man in fury and disgust.
"Lex, what did you do?" asked Supergirl furious at the presence of her enemy.
Standing up with a natural gaze, Lex gazed at the heroes as if they were his new friends:
"Well, I held the Book of Destiny and I saw you eight Paragons due to be stranded at the Vanishing Point, (He pulled out a sheet of paper from his book.) And I thought… destiny could use a little rewrite."
He unfolded his page and revealed it to everyone. On the page were inscribed the symbols of the Paragons with the name of Lex Luthor, marked in felt-tip pen.
"You used the Book to proclaim yourself Paragon of Truth?!"Thor exclaimed outraged with a look of hatred.
"That's right," Lex replied cheerfully.
He tucked his sheet of paper back into his jacket, ignoring the stunned looks of the other heroes with him. Even Rocket and Peter stared at him in amazement. The only ones staring at him furiously were Supergirl and Thor.
Then the bald man continued in a natural tone, as if he were having tea with friends:
"So… what do we do now?"
Quantum Realm
Ant-Man and the Wasp walked through the twists and turns of the microscopic universe, spotting strange creatures. They had proposed to the heroes to use the tiny universe of the Quantum Realm to be able to cross on different Earths in order to save as many people as they can.
It had been several hours. They didn't know if the others had succeeded in neutralizing the wave of anti-matter.
"I think we aren't very far from a close Earth," announced the Wasp. "We can create a way to the Waverider through the Quantum Realm."
"What matters is to save as many people as possible," Ant-Man replied.
"I'll inform the others of our progress."
She tried to call by communications:
"The Wasp to the Waverider, do you read me?"
But she got no answer. Strange.
She repeated the call:
"The Wasp to the Waverider, do you read me? J'onn? Professor Xavier? Do you copy? Do you copy? Hello?"
Even Ant-Man attempted to communicate outside of the Quantum Realm, but got no answers, either.
"Guys? Guys? J'onn? Professor Xavier? Hello?"
Finally, they resigned themselves to giving up. Their calls went unanswered.
"I can't reach the Waverider," Hope announced anxiously.
"The same for me too, I only have interference," Ant-Man replied.
"It's like there's no more Waverider," added the Wasp.
There was a moment of silence. Ant-Man and the Wasp continued to float in the Quantum Realm. Then a concern crossed Scott's mind.
"I don't like it, Hope! I have a bad feeling! That sounds like Thanos! It's not normal for no one to answer us!"
Obviously, Hope had the same concern as him.
"Do you think something happened to the others?"
But before Scott could answer, the Quantum Realm suddenly went dark.
"What the hell's that?" exclaimed Ant-Man dumbfounded.
"I don't know," replied the Wasp.
Then red lightning flashed out of nowhere and destroyed everything in their reach.
"Damn, Scott! We cannot stay here!" the Wasp yelled, horrified as she began to fly.
She grabbed Ant-Man and flew away from the red lightning in the microscopic universe.
"What the hell's happening, Hope?"Ant-Man said as he clung to his partner's arms.
"Anti-matter!"replied the Wasp in an alarmed voice. "It's destroying the Quantum Realm! And with us!"
She flew as far as she could, but the wave approached dangerously towards them.
"Hope, there is nowhere to go! We'll not be able to escape at that!" Ant-Man yelled in a voice of despair.
Then the anti-matter began to surround them, destroying the Quantum Realm. Then the Wasp saw what appeared to be a conduit, where there was light.
"Let's enter this tunnel, it's our only chance!" she declared.
"Where is this gonna lead us?" Scott asked.
"I don't know, but far away from the wave, I hope," Hope said.
The miniature couple walked through the dark tunnel, barely escaping the anti-matter. Scott and Hope saw only darkness. As if someone had turned off the light.
"Do you think we're dead, Hope? Or are we the last humans in the whole universe?" Ant-Man stammered, still clinging to his partner's arms having no visibility around him.
"I don't know," Hope replied, sounding panicked, like him, having no visibility into the tunnel she was going through.
"Do you think we'll find Heaven or Hell at the end of this way?" replied Ant-Man.
"A place where there is no anti-matter, I hope. I don't know, Scott. I've no idea where I'm going. I've no idea what to do… We are lost somewhere in the Quantum Realm which is threatened by anti-matter. We could be the last humans in the whole universe! I'm scared, Scott!"
"Hope, listen to me, please," Ant-Man's voice said wanting to be reassuring. "I'm scared too. But we have to be strong. Until we find out what is going on outside of the Quantum Realm, we must find a way to stay alive. I've faith in you, Hope and I love you."
He heard a sob in the dark, then Hope's trembling voice answered him:
"I love you too, Scott. I hope this dark way will lead us somewhere."
"We'll find out together. Ant-Man and the Wasp! We are a team! And we are together, that's the most important!"
And the two tiny Avengers travelled in pitch darkness, ignoring the end of their way.
Notes:
Thank you for reading and reviewing.
And that's it for this chapter! I hope you liked it.
While Avengers Age of Ultron isn't my favorite movie, I loved the dialogue between Steve and Tony ("How were you guys planning on beating that?" "Together." "We'll lose." "Then we'll do that together, too.")
And our Paragons are now on their own at the Vanishing Point, trying to find a way to end the Crisis for good.
What did you think of Tony Stark's return?
Chapter 20
Notes:
Hey guys,
Sorry to be delayed, I had a problem getting internet.
Here is a new chapter.Good reading!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Chapter 20
Planet Maltus – Ten thousand years ago…
On the planet Maltus, a world of perfect technological achievement, a male scientist Mar Novu observed the lifelong work that would change his existence forever.
Today, he was going to witness the birth of the universe.
He turned to his assistant and wife, Xneen.
"Are we ready?"
"Just about." she replied, manipulating the monitors. "You better suit up."
Mar Novu approached his wife with a smile on his face. He took her in his arms, and kissed her lovingly.
"I love you," he said softly.
"I love you," whispered his wife.
Later, Mar was gone to put on his outfit, while Xneen watched the control monitors.
"Okay. This will be temporal jump trial one. All systems nominal." she said.
In the room below, Mar arrived, dressed in his big gray suit which was imposing on his. He did everything to make himself comfortable, but his outfit was uncomfortable.
"I look ridiculous." he muttered, looking at his arms. "Is this really the height of fashion at the Dawn of Time?"
Xneen reminded him of the need for the combination.
"The suit provides a shield against…"
"The coronal radiation… My body will be… yes, yes, yes. I'm familiar with the jingle," Mar said sarcastically. "But you couldn't have designed something a tad less... bulky?"
"Remind me again, why did I marry you?"Xneen exclaimed with amusement.
"You have a thing for men of towering ambition." Mar joked as he walked over to his machine.
Xneen smiles before resuming his seriousness in the control room.
"Are you seeing this quantum flux cascade?"
But Mar kept his humor.
"I am just a time traveler here, my love. You are the Monitor."
He became serious again, and placed his hand on the device allowing him to access time travel.
"Engaging quantum portal." he warned.
The machine started up and shook the whole installation.
" Field is stabilizing." Xneen announced.
"The portal is engaging." declared her husband, turning around. "Next stop... the Dawn of Time."
An interdimensional breach opened before him. With determination, Mar Novu walked towards the portal, excited to witness the creation of the universe.
After entering the breach, Mar found himself in a green, swirling tunnel of energy.
Stunned, he looked around, before communicating to his wife:
"I am in the temporal zone. (He smiles in wonder.) Oh, I wish you could see this, Xneen… The birthplace of all creation… It's beautiful."
In the monitor room, Xneen smiles at her husband's excitement. But her joy disappeared when she noticed some strange data on the screens. Alarms went off. All the blue readings turned red.
"Mar, I'm getting readings here I don't understand. Your presence has corrupted the zone somehow. It's releasing radiation I've never seen before."
In the Temporal Zone, the greenish tunnel suddenly turned black, much to Mar's horror.
"I think… I think this might be anti-matter." Xneen continued with anguish. "You have to get out of there. Get out of there right now!"
But before Mar could do anything, he was carried away by a powerful bright light, which carried him away. Finally, when he could make out his surroundings, he was amazed to see that he had landed in a rocky and desert area. He tried to communicate with his wife, but the signal was weak.
"Xneen... Xneen, can you hear me? Something went wrong. I do not think this is the Dawn of Time."
"No, it is." answered the voice of his wife whose communication was interfered with. "It just isn't the Dawn of Time of our universe."
"What?"exclaimed Mar stunned.
"You breached the wall between our universe and its opposite." Xneen said.
"An anti-universe?!"
"Your body was suffused with coronal radiation. The suit couldn't contain it." Xneen continued in anguish. "Mar? Mar, can you hear me?"
"I'm sorry, my love," Mar Novu realized sadly. "My towering ambition has doomed us all."
He could only look in horror at his enemy he had unconsciously created: the Anti-Monitor.
The Vanishing Point
In the old quarter of the Time Masters, the Eight Paragons with the God of Thunder and the last Guardian of the Galaxy had made it their new home. Because they had nowhere to go, didn't even know what to do. Somewhere, between some junk rubble, Ryan Choi wrote a letter that no one would read:
Dear Amanda,
So... you're dead along with, well, everyone, everyone who's ever lived in any reality ever, and me, I'm supposed to be a Paragon, one of eight people who are supposed to be the Multiverse's last, best chance. I don't see it. The so-called Keeper of the Paragons, also known as the God of Thunder, does nothing but sulk, blaming himself for having failed, like all of us. The so-called Paragon of Destiny no longer even believes that there will be a tomorrow. The so-called Paragon of Destiny, she doesn't even believe in tomorrow anymore. The Paragon of Courage spends every day working herself to the bone, training for a fight that will never come. The Paragon of Honor just meditates for hours on end. The Paragon of Hope has lost hers… And me, I spend my days trying to repurpose the broken technology of this place to find us a way out. I get help from Rocket who can't stand being called a raccoon. Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you, I met a raccoon who speaks and who travels the galaxy. He's grumpy, but he's also lost his family like us, so he tries to occupy his mind so as not to think about those he has lost. Likewise for Peter Parker, the Paragon of Responsibility… Spider-Man… who too, seeks to find what he can as technology which can help us out of this place… Even if he is convinced that all is lost cause and that what we are doing is useless. Despite their despair, Rocket and Peter are quite sympathetic. And I can't say the same for the Paragon of Truth that has interfered with us. Narcissist, sociopath, evil genius... There are a lot of ways to describe Lex Luthor. But I find douchebag to be the most descriptive. As for Barry Allen, aka the Flash, aka the Paragon of Love, he's just gone. Missing.
Then he continued what he had been doing every day since their arrival at Vanishing Point. Trying to design something that would make them leave this place? But Peter and Rocket had told him over and over again: where to go? The anti-matter had consumed all the Earths. There was nothing left. Everyone was gone. The Anti-Monitor had won. They agreed to help the young scientist only to escape their pain at having lost loved ones.
Ryan was welding on their machine, with Lex, Peter and Rocket assisting him. The raccoon aimed at bits of metal with an open-end wrench. Unfortunately, Ryan let out big sparks of electricity, forcing his three friends to step away from their work.
Which increased Lex Luthor's anger.
"Agh! IDIOT! Why couldn't I be trapped at the Edge of Eternity with someone possessing more than 200 IQ points? Did I end up with a supposedly genius teenager, and a stupid talking mammal?"
In response to this spike, Rocket let out a fierce growl. His hair was on end and he was baring his teeth at Lex.
"Hey, dude," he retorted annoyingly. "Take it easy! You're only a genius on your Earth, Chrome Dome!"
But the bald psychopath just replied with a smirk.
"You know what, the rodent? Because if you're so smart, help the poor neighborhood Spider-Man and the blockhead professor build this damn machine!"
"Just get out away, cue ball!" Rocket said angrily."We won't be bothered by some idiot who doesn't have hair on his head!"
Peter completely ignored Rocket and Lex, just continuing what he was doing with the machine. While Lex finally pulls away from them grumbling.
Rocket couldn't help but grumble back:
"Why did we have to be stuck with this bald douchebagon the Edge of Eternity? I would have preferred the other Superman."
Peter rolled his eyes, mumbling.
"It's all for nothing!"
Among the other Paragons, their moral was at an all-time low. They were all in shock at what they had lost. Supergirl and Sara had no more hope. Thor spent his days in his corner, sulking. Since learning of the Crisis, he had resolved to do everything to prevent another catastrophe that would destroy the universe, but he had failed again, once again. It was even worse than with Thanos. It wasn't half of the universe that was gone. It was the whole universe that was no more. He thought back to his Asgardian people on Earth. To Valkyrie. All must have perished by the wave of anti-matter. Since he was stuck here, only one thing obsessed him: finding the Anti-Monitor and killing him for his actions. Kate spent her entire days training in combat to the point of exhaustion, avoiding her thinking about those she had lost. J'onn J'onzz spent his days meditating, hoping to find an answer. As for Barry… no one knew where he was… he was missing…
Later, Ryan Choi called on the others to join them towards the machine made from scraps of metal showing a platform still under construction.
Thor continued to look sulky. The others weren't as hopeful as he was.
"What, you guys building modern art now?" Sara pointed out when she saw the machine.
"Hey team," Ryan said with an encouraging smile. "We're repurposing leftover Time Masters tech. Mr. Luthor, Peter, Rocket and I think we've retrofitted it into a teleportation device. "
But they had noticed that Peter and Rocket, unlike Ryan, were not at all enthusiastic about the success of their machine. Both shared the same disapproving gaze.
"To teleport us to where exactly?"Kate replied with irony and false joy.
"Kate makes a good point." J'onn agreed resignedly. "There is no... there out there anymore."
"That's exactly what I said," Rocket muttered, speaking more to himself than to the others.
"Yeah, right, there's nothing more to take us to," Thor pointed out. "With Stormbreaker, I attempted to summon the Bifrost. But there was nothing. Without Multiverse, no Bifrost. If the Multiverse doesn't exists anymore, I don't see where we could go that hasn't already been destroyed."
"We're not even sure this device works," Peter replied, rolling his eyes, without the slightest enthusiasm. "Assuming we can even get to London or Saturn, we're not sure how effective this tech thing is."
"And that's what I said too." Rocket said, as unhappy as the young Avenger from Brooklyn.
"Stand down guys," Sara told them trying to calm the teenager and the raccoon. (Then she returned her attention to the machine.) "So… we send somebody to test it."
Thor and the other Paragons looked at each other, then J'onn volunteered to volunteer.
"I'll go."
"No," Supergirl retorted. "We've lost too many good people already. (Then she turned to the bald psychopath.) Thanks for volunteering, Lex."
Immediately he looked at the Girl of Steel with a sullen gaze.
"Well, that's very cold. Is it because I killed your parallel reality cousin?"
Thor was satisfied.
"Supergirl's right. If you are there, it's only because you have interfered with Destiny. You shouldn't be here. If there is anyone who has to volunteer, it would be the one who is most unwanted among us."
"You hurt my feelings, the Lightning God," Lex replied, pretending to be offended. "Since we're in the same shop, I thought we could make friends."
"You're delusional, Luthor," growled the Thunder God with a murderous look. "You and I are not friends. And we'll never be."
Rocket looked satisfied in his turn.
"Thanks, I couldn't have said it better myself. I don't know what's worse between being stuck here forever or having to endure that bald and insufferable dude which only grumble every hour!"
Lex ignored the raccoon and still continued to stare at the Paragons, still brooding.
"Start it up." Supergirl ordered sharply and categorically.
Ryan and Peter managed to turn on their device, while Lex moved to the center of the platform.
The other Paragons hoped their maneuver would bear fruit.
"If this works…" Sara whispered.
"We get out of here," Supergirl said. "We defeat the Anti-Monitor, and we find a way to get all the people we lost back."
"I hope you're right, Kara," Thor replied apprehensively.
As Lex stood in the center of the "teleporter," Ryan controlled the machine's controls. The platform began to shake, then several sparks flew, clearly stopping the machine to the chagrin of all.
Peter rolled his eyes in annoyance, while Rocket pouted in disappointment.
"Too bad, I wish this cue ball was gone. One less problem."
"It's doesn't matter, we knew it wouldn't work!" Peter replied in exasperation, throwing a piece of junk on the ground with a sharp gesture.
"Perhaps it was too much to hope for." J'onn whispered with a disappointed expression.
"Is there some way you can get it to work?" Supergirl snapped.
"It was a longshot to begin with." Lex replied, leaving the machine.
"Hey, even if we could make it work, what difference would that make?"cried Peter in anger and annoyance. "All the Multiverse is gone, replaced by anti-matter… There is nowhere to go… If we're stuck forever, we might as well dig our graves in this place."
"Peter, relax," Supergirl told him softly.
"This is no time to get mad," J'onn added in a heavy voice.
"No, I'm sorry, but I'm a realist," Spider-Man said with a desperate look. "We lost! And there's nothing more to do! Other than staying here forever! We might as well get used to it!"
Rocket shrugged defeatistically.
"I hate to admit it, but I agree with Spidey-Kid. There is no more Waverider. Everyone is gone. There is no more Monitor or Mar Novu. We're stuck here. What do you want us to do? If you Paragons have a solution, I'm all ears."
"Thanks for the pep talk, furball," Sara replied sarcastically.
It was then that the Vanishing Point began to tremble, much to everyone's surprise.
"What now?"cried Peter.
"Did the Anti-Monitor find us?" Rocket exclaimed worriedly, clinging to a metal beam.
Suddenly, a blur of energy appears out of nowhere. Kate grabbed Sara, preventing her from being touched. Then Barry Allen aka Flash appeared above everyone and landed with a crash against a destroyed wall.
The whole team rushed towards him.
"Barry!" Supergirl exclaimed running towards the speedster.
"Barry, are you okay?"Thor said behind her.
Flash had removed his mask, and stayed on the ground, huffing. It looked like he had just swam across an entire ocean. He was confused. Supergirl looked worried, for she had never seen the fastest man alive so exhausted and breathless before. His complexion was very pale and looked confused.
"Where am I? Where am I?" he declared in a weak voice.
"The Vanishing Point," said Supergirl worried about her friend.
"You've been gone for months." Kate added.
"What?" Barry exclaimed stunned and distraught. "What are you talking about? I just left two seconds ago."
"To go where?"Thor questioned in amazement.
"To the Speed Force." Barry stammered, his voice shaking in despair. "I didn't... I couldn't... it was like... It was like running into a mountain at Mach 10. (Then he looked at the others in anguish.) I couldn't... There's no way out of here."
"I think we've all figured this out for a while," Rocket grumbled, rolling his eyes.
Purgatory
Oliver Queen was meditating with Tony Stark. Dressed in a dark toga, his mind was steeped in memories. Memories of his fights since he left Lian Yu to return to his city and defend it. All the arrows he had shot. His fights with his worst enemies. Oliver felt like he was watching the whole film of his life.
Finally, he opened his eyes to see Tony Stark staring at him determinedly.
The two men were seated on the shore of Lian Yu Island in Purgatory, with a campfire near them.
"What did you see?" said the old Avenger.
"Everything," Oliver replied. "I see everything now."
"Then you're ready. "Tony retorted with satisfaction.
"Tony, why would you make me relive all that?"
"Every fight, every punch you've thrown, every kick you've landed, every arrow you've fired, they have all led you here to this moment, to the ultimate fight. It was necessary that you relive all this, if you want to defeat your ultimate enemy."
"Who am I fighting?" Oliver asked.
"Not who. What." Tony replied. "The Anti-Monitor."
The two men got up and walked together.
"The Monitor's adversary. " Oliver asked.
"Not just adversary. A being who stands against all there ever was or will be, the apocalypse itself given life and form and terrible purpose. The Apocalypse as it's presented in the Bible."
"How do I beat him?"
"With help. It's time to get your friends. They were sent to the Vanishing Point. The one and only place the Anti-Monitor can't find them."
The Vanishing Point
"Barry, wait. You look spent." Supergirl remarked to the speedster. "You need to rest."
But Flash ignored Kara and stood up, despite his weak condition.
"No. I'm fine. I have to try again."
He wanted to leave, but Sara joined him in front of him.
"Barry, that's a bad idea, okay? The effort alone could kill you."
"It's better than just staying here." Barry retorted, stepping away from White Canary.
Kate tried to talk him out of it.
"We're not gonna let you kill yourself…"
"Get out of my way!" he cried, pushing Batwoman brutally.
"Barry!" Thor said worried about his friend. "You should rest first! You need it."
"Shut up, Thor! I have to do it!" Barry insisted very pale with determination.
He had just moved away from the others, when Sara returned to the charge.
"We're not letting you go anywhere!"
"So try and stop me!" growled the speedster, forcing on the young Lance.
"In the condition you're in, Barry, it's not gonna be that hard." Sara said firmly.
"Cut it out!" intervened Supergirl. "Whatever's going to happen is not going to include us turning on each other. (Turning her attention back to Barry.) Maybe you're right. Maybe the Speed Force is our last, best hope."
"It is," saida strangely distorted and deep voice.
They all whirled around to see… Oliver Queen in a dark gown, hooded. His gaze was very as pale as a corpse, but the former archer seemed alive and well.
"Oliver Queen?!" Thor whispered, eyes wide in amazement.
"The Speed Force is the key to saving you. It's the key to saving everyone."Oliver said, looking at everyone with determination.
Stunned, Peter looked at the new Oliver in shock.
"Oliver? What the f…"
Notes:
Thanks for reading and reviewing.
I've planned another scene with Tony Stark. Finally, our heroes find Oliver… The Spectre…
Chapter 21
Notes:
Hi everyone, sorry for this unexpected absence. I had an internet problem. And I come back with a very big chapter.
Good reading!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Chapter 21
The Vanishing Point
In utter disbelief the Eight Paragons, Thor and Rocket had their eyes fixed on Oliver who was now wearing a very dark outfit with a very deep weird voice, as if it wasn't human. The Guardians of the Galaxy's raccoon had climbed over a pile of rubble to be the same height as the heroes.
"Oliver…" stammered Sara, shocked.
"Yes and no," Oliver replied simply with his new distorted voice. "It's complicated."
"Nice outfit," complimented an ecstatic Ryan. "Heh, very Sith."
Peter was both shocked and amazed.
"Oliver, is that really you?"
"What's just happening?" Thor exclaimed stunned and incredulous. "How can you be here?"
The former archer replied:
"I am Oliver Queen, but I'm also something more."
"More what?" Barry exclaimed in a stunned whisper.
"Some might call me a ghost, a Spectre that's in tune with the entire Multiverse."
At this declaration, the Paragons had a sense of hope.
"So there's still a Multiverse out there?" Ryan wondered.
"If it still exists, why can't I summon Bifrost?" Thor added puzzled.
"Multiverse's gone," Oliver retorted. "Replaced with its antithesis."
"An anti-matter universe." Supergirl wondered.
"Which we need to prevent from happening." confirmed the former archer. "Right now, the Anti-Monitor is at the Dawn of Time, fighting to make permanent his destruction of worlds."
"Heh, there's still hope to save all those we lost, despite what he did?" asked Rocket anxiously.
"There is always hope," Oliver nodded.
"Then we go there," Kate said. "And we end him."
"Together," Thor added, brandishing both weapons determinedly. "We must overcome him all, whatever it takes. We must beat him before his anti-matter universe remains permanent."
"He's extremely powerful," Oliver reminded them. "All of us together might not be enough."
"How can we defeat a cosmic being?" Peter asked in amazement and disbelief. "He destroyed thousands of worlds. How can we stop him?"
"We need a backup plan." the Spectre said.
"You have our attention." J'onn said.
"A backup plan?" said Rocket ecstatically. "I'm on it. What do we have to do?"
Oliver explained to them:
"Several millennia ago on a planet named Maltus, Mar Novu attempted to travel to the birth of the universe but instead opened a breach to the anti-matter universe."
"So the Monitor gave us the Anti-Monitor." Lex realized thoughtfully.
"Correct. So while some of us fight at the Dawn of Time, others must go to Maltus." the former archer clarified.
"And prevent Novu from freeing his doppelganger?" Supergirl assumed with determination. "I'm in."
"Travel to an alien world? So in." Ryan said, interested.
"The planet where the Monitor came from?" Rocket added jovially. "I'm in, too. If we stop Novu from creating his evil doppelganger, we can save everyone."
"Same," Lex added emphatically.
At these words, Supergirl and the raccoon looked at the psychopath with disapproval.
"Come on. You know you don't want to risk letting me out of your sight for even a millisecond." Lex objected to the Girl of Steel.
"Oh no!" Rocket moaned in exasperation. "Does this idiot really have to come with us?"
"I'm not asking permission, mammal," Lex told the Guardian of the Galaxy.
Barry looked at Oliver apprehensively.
"We can get to both through the Speed Force, but I can't get into the Speed Force right now. It's probably because there's no Multiverse left, but you said you're in tune with the Multiverse. Does that include the Speed Force?"
"What you're asking me is very dangerous, Barry." Oliver replied in a neutral tone.
"But possible," he emphasized the speedster. "You could give me the energy boost I need. Please. We have to do this! Everyone's lives depend on it!"
Thor joined the two men.
"Oliver, you said yourself that Speed Force was the key to saving everyone. So that's how we can reach our two destinations. If we want to achieve both of our goals, we need your help to achieve them."
Oliver placed his finger on Barry's forehead. Immediately, the latter felt an energy run through his whole body.
"I've unlocked your potential, Barry." the Specter said.
"By touching my head?" Flash exclaimed in disbelief and amazement.
"Use this power with caution." Oliver told him softly. (Then he gave a friendly smile like the real Oliver would.) "Do you trust me?"
"Are you Oliver Queen?" Barry asked, still wondering if his real friend was still there.
"Yes," the Spectre assured him, still smiling.
"Then I trust you with every cell of my body." Barry replied categorically.
"Good. Now run, Barry… Run."
Barry turned to his allies. They all nodded with determination. They knew what to do.
"It's your move, speedster," Rocket said optimistically, aware of what he expected.
"It's all up to you, Barry," Thor told him softly with an encouraging and friendly look.
And Flash gone in super-speed, taking all the Paragons, including Thor and Rocket.
Supergirl, Ryan, Lex and Rocket appeared in super speed in the middle of a forest on the planet Maltus. Rocket and Ryan screamed, as they were thrown into the air. Supergirl managed to grab them both, and placed them gently on the ground. Lex lands abruptly under a pile of fallen leaves.
Rocket struggled to his feet, as the Kryptonian helped Ryan to his feet.
"Thanks for landing," said the raccoon.
"Thanks for the kind assist," Lex muttered sarcastically, dusting off his handsome, chic suit.
Rocket looked around. He only saw trees.
"So this is Maltus? That's not exactly how I imagined it."
"Why doesn't this alien forest look more alien?" Ryan added, contemplating the surroundings dubiously.
"Let's focus," Supergirl said, taking the walk. "Mar Novu could be anywhere, and it's not like we can just do an Internet search for him."
"Well, actually, maybe we can," Ryan suggested, indicating a direction. "Look at that, guys!" (Several yards from their positions, tall buildings stood outside the woods.) "Any city that large has to be a bureaucracy."
"And?" Supergirl asked with a shrug.
"How's that working out for us, Smart-Boy?" resumed Rocket skeptically.
"Well, bureaucracies require some form of central data bank to function." Ryan replied, turning to them. "We find that, we find Novu."
Supergirl and Rocket were jovial at this news.
"Not bad, you pal," the raccoon said enthusiastically.
"That's actually not a bad idea." added the Girl of Steel, smiling. "Let's go!"
The three of them turned and were stunned to find that Lex Luthor was no longer with them.
"Seriously, where did cue ball go?" grumbled Rocket again unhappy. "I knew it was a stupid idea to let him come with us!"
And he growled in rage. Supergirl gave him a sympathetic look.
"Yeah, you're right, Rocket," she said frustrated too. "Where did Lex go?"
Flash was rushing forward, through Speed Force, taking with him, the other Paragons. But as he ran, he came face to face with the Anti-Monitor who was brandishing his arms as if to attack him. He did everything to dodge it, then he lost track of his course.
Flash felt a fall into the void, and landed with a crash in a server room. As he stood up, he found that he was no longer wearing his hero outfit, but was dressed in plain civilian clothes. He felt like he had stepped back. As if he had jumped back in time. This room seemed very familiar to him.
To his surprise, he discovered a large trunk labeled: Queen Consolidated.
"Queen Consolidated?"
"Not exactly."
He turned his head to find Oliver Queen, no longer wearing his dark Specter gown, but dressed in a chic suit. He smiles amicably.
"You're in the Speed Force, Barry."
"What happened to you?" Barry asked, stunned and confused. "You're not Spectrey anymore."
Oliver looked at himself and retorted, as if he had become himself again. Then his body began to disappear in smoke.
"Oh… Well, I'm lost… I'm out there somewhere in the Speed Force, too. Right. The Anti-Monitor attacked. We were separated, and I am utilizing various pieces of my essence to keep me, Sara, J'onn, Thor, Peter and Kate together."
Puzzled, Barry looked around recognizing where he was and retorted:
"That's why I'm here. (Turning to Oliver.) This is where we first met."
"There are few things more powerful in the universe than memory and connection." said the former archer. "I am using our memories of our friends and closest allies to keep all of us from falling out of the Speed Force."
"Wait. What happens if they fall out?"
"We'll be consumed by anti-matter. I can buy you time, Barry, but you need to get to each of us."
"I mean, the Speed Force is infinite." Barry objected in distress. "I could never know where to begin to look."
"Remember, Barry, memories and connections." Oliver told him as he disappeared in smoke. "You need to consider our greatest victories, our most crushing defeats, the moments when the bonds between us were forged."
"The bonds were forged." Barry repeated with determination.
"Now do this, Barry." Oliver told him encouragingly. "Because you have to."
And he disappeared immediately, like an eraser erasing a stroke of a pencil.
Then Barry ends up disappearing in super-speed.
When he stopped his run, it was to find himself at the Star Labs checkpoint and wearing his Flash outfit again. Puzzled, he looked around.
"What the…"
Then a male voice caught his attention:
"Um… Hello…"
The voice echoed. Stunned, Flash turned… to see a second Flash who was wearing a jumpsuit much more futuristic than his. The two Flashs stared at each other in confusion and amazement.
"What the hell is this?" said the new Flash disoriented still with a voice that echoed.
"I'm asking myself the same question." said Flash in amazement. "Literally. No, this can't be happening, this… you should... What are you doing here?"
The new Flash was as stunned as its counterpart and replied abruptly:
"Well, I'll answer that when you tell me where "here"...is."
As Flash tried to find a rational explanation, his counterpart continued in a jovial voice:
"Is this cosplay. Oh, do you want a selfie, bro? I'm sorry..."
Obviously, he thought he was talking to an admirer, but Flash was quick to clarify:
"No, no, I'm sorry. We're not… I'm also the Flash."
"You're also the what?" his double asked in confusion.
"The Flash."
"The Flash? The Flash?!" repeated the new speedster, still more confused and disoriented.
"It's complicated," replied the hero of Central City who didn't know what to answer to his double.
Then the new Flash eyed her with interest, then began to touch her outfit.
"I like your outfit. It seems comfy."
"Yours is pretty cool." Flash replied, touching his counterpart's jumpsuit. "Pretty safe."
"It's smooth.Breathable."
Then the two Flashs stopped touching and became serious again. They both shook hands, and both said at the same time.
"I'm Barry Allen."
On behalf of Barry Allen, the new Flash shook its head in disbelief and confusion.
"No! No!"
"What?" Flash asked dazed again.
"What does this mean?! How can this...?" said his doppelganger, completely disoriented.
"This should be impossible now." Flash retorted skeptically.
As far as Barry knew, all of the Parallel Earths had been consumed by anti-matter. Where could this Flash come from? It didn't make sense!
"Should be impossible now?" his counterpart confused.
"You don't know about the...?" Central City's Flash whispered, flabbergasted.
"Oh my God, don't do this to me. I don't know about the what?" the new Flash flew in annoyance. "You okay?"
"Hum..."
Suddenly, the new Flash went up in smoke, whispering in amazement:
"I told Victor this was possible…"
Once alone, Flash remained confused and distraught. Who was this Flash and where did he come from? And why in this replica of Star Labs?
On Maltus, Lex walked through the forest whistling with a natural tune. Then Supergirl came to land right in front of him, with Rocket clinging to her red cape.
The two heroes stared at Lex contemptuously.
"What do you think you're doing?" Supergirl thundered loudly.
"What you should have done the moment fleet feet dropped us off here" Lex retorted like he was talking to an idiot. "Checked out the lay of the land, looked for hidden dangers. We are on an alien world. Any number of chest busters or predators could be lying in wait. Don't you capes ever watch a movie?"
He continued to walk, ignoring the two heroes. Firmly, Supergirl followed him, with Rocket behind her.
"You know what? Whatever it is you're planning, I'm gonna figure it out," the Girl of Steel said, running to get ahead of Lex. "And I'm gonna stop you."
But the psychopath was hardly impressed. He just stared at Supergirl with disinterest.
"I doubt that. In a contest of mind over muscle, mind wins every time, but here. Let me make it easy for you. Ask me what I'm up to.
Supergirl snorted in disbelief, knowing that her enemy was going to make it difficult for her. But Lex continued to insist still with a strange calm.
"Go ahead!"
"All right," Supergirl retorted in annoyance, crossing her arms over her chest. "What are you up to, Lex?"
"Universal domination, of course."
Cursing a curse of rage, Rocket climbed to the top of a rock to level with the bald psychopath and eyed him furiously.
"Hey Luthor, listen to me..."
"I almost forgot this talking animal!" Lex grumbled, rolling his eyes.
"Shut up and listen to me, Chrome-Dome," Rocket said in anger and a threatening tone. "I don't care if you don't like me..."
"No kidding!" Lex shouted indifferent to the raccoon's angry.
But Rocket continued firmly, as if he hadn't been interrupted:
"But we didn't come here to do tourism or for universal domination! We have a mission! We want to save everyone! I lost the only family I ever had! And I intend to get them back! So you're gonna stop showing off and acting like you're the smartest of us all! You'll follow us, without arguing! And you're not going to give me any trouble about it, right?!"
"And if I refuse, what are you gonna do to me?" Lex asked in a calm voice, not feeling threatened at all. "You gonna use your claws, raccoon?"
Rocket immediately drew his blaster and aimed it straight at the psychopath's head in rage.
"I'll do worse than that! I'll fix you hairless face with my gun!"
Lex just sighed wearily and brandished his fists, immediately blasts of energy burst from his wrists and hit Supergirl, pushing her away, and landed on the ground. Stunned, Rocket fired a blaster, but Lex dodged his attack and hit the raccoon with his newfound powers. The Guardian of the Galaxy was hit and thrown into brush.
"Oh, I probably… uh… should have mentioned that I gave myself a few upgrades when I checked the Book of Destiny out of the library." Lex clarified as the two heroes were unconscious in two places in the forest.
Ryan appeared and ran up to him in panic.
"What are you doing?"
"God, I am so tired of answering that question." Lex grumbled.
And he lashed out at Ryan, attacking him with his energy jets and pushing him away from him. He fell to the ground, totally unconscious.
He readjusted his costume and resumed his walk, whistling, as if nothing had happened.
"Moving on."
The last thing Kate remembered was that she was being carried by Flash in the Speed Force, and then… the Anti-Monitor appeared out of nowhere. Everyone had been dispersed. Then Kate had felt herself fall into a great void...
Upon regaining consciousness, she discovered that she was in a hallway leading to a door with the Palmer Technologies logo on it.
Puzzled, she looked around and heard Ray Palmer's recognizable voice echoing:
"Yeah… The Black Canary… She tried to shut me up, but it's not gonna work."
She walked towards the source of the voice. Then she heard Oliver's voice echoing too:
"I didn't kill those people…"
"Yes, I know.Felicity told me." Ray said in disbelief. "An impersonator, right?Heh.Hate when that happens."
She walked down the hall and came to an office, where Ray Palmer, clad in a fancy suit, was behind a desk cabinet, with Oliver standing in front of him.
"Five years on a deserted island." Ray muttered,still skeptical. "Ohh.That kind of thing really changes you, doesn't it? Must have been difficult -if not impossible- to hold on to your sanity all those years, and here you are, pretending you have everything in control."
"Felicity told you the truth," Oliver replied firmly. "And you should trust her judgment."
Obviously, Kate was in a memory of Oliver. At a time when he and Ray weren't yet allies. As she listened to them talk, she seemed thoughtful, as if their discussions concerned her.
"How can I do that?" Ray said in surprise. "Her perception of you is clearly clouded by her emotional attachment. She's not seeing you for what you really are."
"You have no idea what this city is up against." Oliver growled insistently, turning around.
"Actually, I think I do," Ray said. "And I'm gonna stop him."
Turning around, Oliver saw Kate. Frowning, he looked around him, and, puzzled, questioned the young woman:
"Who are you?"
Kate looked confused, not knowing how to explain that she was in the past.
After being transported by Flash into Speed Force, Peter was shocked by the appearance of the Anti-Monitor and was separated from the Paragon group.
As he regained consciousness, he saw with amazement that he had landed in the middle of Times Square in New York. Many people were crossing the street, totally ignoring the young man. Was he back in New York? To his New York? Where was he considered public enemy number one?
Stunned, he looked around, and saw his girlfriend MJ, near a street lamp. Had she come back?
"MJ!"
As he was about to join her running, he stopped his race when he saw a Spider-Man perched on top of the lamppost. It was himself! What did this mean?
Then a giant screen on the Madison Square Garden building caught his attention:
"This is breaking news… We come to you now with revelations about last week's attack in London…"
London?! Stunned, Peter realized he had jumped in the past. He recognized this moment with horror. It was the day his life had turned to horror. The day his secret identity was revealed by his late enemy Quentin Beck.
In horror, Beck's bloodied face loomed over the big screen in Times Square. He spoke in a distraught voice:
"I managed to send the Elemental back into the dimensional rift, but I don't think I'm gonna make it off this bridge alive. Spider-Man attacked me for some reason. He has an army of weaponized drones, Stark technology. He's saying he's the only one who's gonna be the new Iron Man, no one else."
And to Peter's horror, the image showed Beck on the ground, with Spider-Man speaking in EDITH's doctored voice:
"Are you sure you want to commence the drone attack? There will be significant casualties."
Then his own voice retorted in a firm voice:
"Do it! Execute them all!"
"No… Stop… No…" stammered Peter distraught. "Why make me relive this? Don't!"
Then the journalist broadcast the speech of J. Jonah Jameson who hastened to clarify:
"There you have it, folks: conclusive proof that Spider-Man was responsible for the brutal murder of Mysterio! An interdimensional warrior who gave his life to protect our planet, and who will no doubt go down in history as the greatest superhero of all time!"
Hearing Jameson introduce Beck as a great superhero made Peter miserable. Distressed and distraught, he tried to cover his ears.
"Stop it! Please!"
"But that's not all, folks." resumed the recorded image of Jameson. "Here's the real blockbuster. Brace yourselves, you might wanna sit down."
And finally, Beck's face appeared on the screen, much to Peter's horror:
"Spider-Man's real... Spider-Man's real name is... Spider-Man's name is Peter Parker!"
And a gigantic photo of Peter bursts onto the screen above Madison Square Garden.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Peter yelled, distraught. "Stop it! Anti-Monitor, if you're going to kill me, just do it! But don't make me watch this! Come on! KILL ME!"
As he cried out, he realized that everything had stopped. Stunned, he noticed that everyone around him was frozen. New Yorkers stared at the huge screen, completely still like statues. Even the screen showed the photo of Peter Parker. Everyone was frozen. There was no sound. No whisper. Peter would have thought he was in a silent movie.
Shocked, he walked over to MJ who was still like the others, and watching worriedly, the Spider-Man perched on the stationary lamp as well.
"I don't understand… Am I dead? I am in paradise? Or in Hell?"
"Far from it." answered a deep and recognizable voice.
Peter whirled around and saw Oliver in his archer's outfit. He no longer looked like a Specter, and walked quietly towards the young Avenger with a reassuring smile.
"Hello Peter," he said in a very normal voice.
"Oliver?" exclaimed the confused and stunned young man. "What's just happening? I am dead?"
"No, you are not," answered the archer, still smiling. "The Anti-Monitor attacked us and I used my Spectre powers to save you. I brought you here."
Peter looked again at MJ still, then his entourage, completely distraught.
"Why did you make me come here? Why show me this?" he lamented in fury and despair.
"Peter, I'm not trying to torture you," Oliver assured him soothingly. "Absolutely not. I want to help you."
"To what?"
"To become the hero that you are again. The Avenger that you are. The hero Tony and I saw in you."
But Peter was still furious.
"How is showing me what I screwed up gonna help me?"
"You're here, because it's one of your worst memories," Oliver said calmly. "The day you stopped believing in yourself."
The young Avenger then resumed his tone full of despair:
"Oliver, I'm not a hero! Novu screwed up by making me a Paragon! And that… (He showed him the giant screen that displayed his picture.) it's proof that all I can do is fail…"
"You haven't failed, Peter, not at all! You saved your friends. I know that, because I was there. I was by your side, but it was you who defeated Mysterio and saved your friends. And you prevented the deaths of several innocent people. You were able to thwart the plans of a madman who wanted to cause harm to others just to be famous."
"Beck's dead, but he won," Peter said in an angry voice. "He became famous. He ruined my life. Everyone takes him for the greatest superhero of all time, and that I'm the criminal who murdered him."
"But you and I both know that's not true," Oliver objected gently. "You're much better than that, Peter. Don't let a fool destroy your life. You're not a criminal, let alone a murderer. You've to find the strength to fight, to prove to the world that he was lying. You are what Beck never was. A hero. A true hero. You are much more than an Avenger. You are Spider-Man. And Spider-Man must continue to fight for his friends, to fight for justice. You can show the whole world who you really are. A hero who risked so much for others. Look at that."
Peter looked up at the big screen again, and was surprised to see himself fighting the Vulture several years ago. Then he saw himself fighting Thanos on Titan, using his web to slow him down, and finally battle with the Avengers against the entire Mad Titan army.
Then Oliver continued with a smile:
"And that's what really happened in London."
Then the screen showed Spider-Man fighting an army of drones. Confront Beck and fight against a Green Arrow illusion.
"That's the Spider-Man I know. You are worthy to be a Paragon. Because you know how to choose what's right. You never run away from your responsibilities. You take them. You never stop fighting. Now I'll show you something else."
The archer waved his hand, and the screen showed another Spider-Man. This Spider-Man who fought an individual wearing a green jumpsuit, whose nickname would be the Green Goblin. And that same Spider-Man was fighting a man with metal tentacles on his back, then stopping a train.
And Peter then recognized this Spider-Man as being the one from Earth – 962, because he was fighting the Kraven hunter.
And the screen scrolled past other Spider-Mans. To his surprise, Peter recognized the black Spider-Man, Miles Morales, and Spider-Gwen. These two Spider-Men fought crime by hovering from web to web.
"Tell me what you see," Oliver asked him, still smiling.
"They're all Spider-Man in other Earths," Peter replied, not seeing what the archer mean.
"And? Take a good look. There's something else. All of these Spider-Men have something in common. Look at them and tell me what they are, besides being Spider-Man!"
He saw Spider-Man from Earth – 962 stop a train, then save Mary-Jane. He saw Miles Morales fight a tall, bald, obese man in a black suit. Then Spider-Gwen fight several enemies to protect civilians.
"Heroes," Peter whispered. "They are all heroes."
"Exactly," Oliver replied, satisfied. "All of these Spider-Men not only gained similar powers to yours, but they also went through the same ordeals as you. They suffered losses, failures and that made them better. The best of heroes is failure. This is what makes you stronger and better."
Then the screen showed Charles Xavier's face when he spoke to Peter on Earth – TRN414:
"… Just because someone stumbles, loses their way, it doesn't mean they're lost forever… And it's by making mistakes that we learn from ourselves. This is how we improve, how we become an adult. By making mistakes, by learning from them and we mature afterwards..."
Oliver nodded with a smile:
"He was right."
Then the image of Charles resumed:
"…You have to hold on to that hope, Peter, and that is how you will overcome this difficult trial. You mustn't forget that despite your powers, you are above all a human being, and the human is far from perfect. He can tip over, go astray and then become better. We're all confronted with trials, but the true measure of a man is how he chooses to react in the face of those trials. You have proven your worth as an Avenger, as Spider-Man, as a hero, and later as a Paragon. I'm sure that you really are..."
Peter then looked at Oliver who continued to smile at him encouragingly:
"You have to hold on to hope, Peter. If you want to save your friends and prove that you are a good one, you must never give up. Heroes never give up. The real heroes are the ones who have to keep going, no matter what. If you insist on keeping Beck from triumphing, you'll see. People will see Spider-Man's true face and Mysterio's joke. They will see the hero I know. And during this Crisis, you acted with honor and bravery."
And the screen then showed Spider-Man's battles during the Crisis. Peter saw himself fighting the dark demons on Earth – 38. Then fighting Kraven on Earth – 962 with Alex, Dreamer and Kelly by his side. And finally, Earth – TRN414, where Spider-Man fought Magneto and Psycho-Pirate along with Supergirl, Batwoman, Alex, Kelly and the X-Men.
"Everything you accomplished during the Crisis proves you are worthy of being a Paragon," Oliver said cheerfully. "You are a real hero. Everything Mysterio never was. You are one of those who never give up. And all your fights will inspire other heroes in the near future which is up to you. Look."
And the giant screen showed a brand new black Spider-Man that looked very futuristic.
"Who is this? Another Spider-Man?" Peter said curiously.
"Yeah, his name is Miguel O'Hara," Oliver clarified. "And he's a Spider-Man from the future. From the year 2099. And he became a hero taking inspiration from you."
"Seriously?" exclaimed Peter, dumbfounded. "Will my actions have an impact on the future?"
"Yes, if you keep fighting, you can inspire a generation of heroes to take your place in the centuries to come," Oliver said. "This future depends only on you, and on the outcome of this Crisis. The others are counting on you, Peter. They rely on Spider-Man. If you give up, if you have no more hope, then all will be lost. The Anti-Monitor will win and his anti-matter universe will remain permanent forever."
Peter then realized his mistake. He thought his failure would make him weak and useless. But he couldn't think so. Not when the universe was under threat. Spider-Man had to react. He had to.
He turned to Oliver.
"I am Spider-Man, and I must face the Anti-Monitor, if I am to be able to save my friends, and one day inspire heroes like Miguel O'Hara. I hope I don't dishonor the memory of Mr. Stark."
To his surprise, Oliver suppressed a laugh.
"You won't smear Iron-Man's memory. Tony has always had faith in you. And he's proud of you."
"How do you know?" Peter wondered.
Oliver motioned for him to turn around. Peter did so and saw in amazement… Tony Stark in his Iron-Man suit, smiling amiably at him.
"Hi kid! It's been a while!"
The young man's jaw dropped and his eyes widened in disbelief.
"Mr. Stark?"
Tony laughed at the shocked expression on Peter's face.
"We'll say that Robin Hood is the Ghost of Christmas Present and I, the Ghost of Christmas Future. You're an Avenger, kid, and like Oliver said, you have to keep going. Never give up. The Avengers never gave up, even when Thanos wiped out half the universe. We have always remained united. The heroes must persevere and fight for a better world. Don't let a crackpot like Beck pretend what you're not. You are much better than that, Spider-Man."
Stunned and shocked, Peter smiled at the sight of his idol.
"Nice to see you again. Does that mean... that I will see you both again?"
Oliver and Tony exchanged looks, then the archer spoke again:
"We're never far from you, Peter. Never forget who you really are."
Peter looked at MJ frozen again, then returned his attention to the two men who had been his idols.
"I'm ready."
"Parker," Tony said with a smile. "When you've defeated that Anti-Monitor bastard, you'll tell my wife and daughter that I love them 3,000."
"I will," Peter assured him.
"Before you leave us, there is one thing I must do," Oliver said, resting his finger on the young man's forehead.
Peter felt a powerful energy consume his body, and looked stunned when he found he was no longer wearing his civilian clothes. He was now wearing his Spider-Man outfit. The same one he had when he fought Mysterio in London.
"I've always liked that suit," Oliver said jovially, resuming his Spectre's voice.
"I like it too," Tony added.
Peter smiled, delighted at the sight of wearing his self-designed costume and donned his Spider-Man mask. The Avenger Spider-Man, the Paragon of Responsibility was determined to fight the Anti-Monitor.
"I want to limit your involvement in this."
"Why? Because I'm an alien? I also happen to be your biggest weapon!"
"You're an unknown quantity, and this isn't personal."
"Except that's exactly how this feels."
"Kara, when I when I started living this life, I was going up against human threats alone, and I could handle that. Then there were metahumans, and I could handle that. I just discovered that there are multiple Earths, and I was brainwashed aboard an alien spacecraft."
"I'm sure that was unnerving…"
"I don't get unnerved. When I go up against something new, I push back. Right or wrong, it's who I am, and it's what I do, so I am asking you for just a little bit of space so that I can draw a line somewhere so that I can claw back just a small sense of normalcy..."
J'onn had no idea what was going on. After being attacked by the Anti-Monitor, he had just found himself in a huge hangar, with versions of Oliver Queen and younger Supergirl arguing.
He joined them with a determined tone.
"I'm afraid we're well past normal."
Oliver and Supergirl saw him.
"J'onn, what are you doing here?" exclaimed the stunned Girl of Steel.
"That is a very long story." J'onn replied with a look of confusion.
Thor lands with a crash on the shores of a dark island. Stunned and confused, the God of Thunder looked at his surroundings.
"Where am I? Allfathers, help me find my way..."
He brandished Stormbreaker in hopes of summoning the Bifrost, but nothing came. No rainbow light.
Then he ends up going into the forest of this strange island, wondering what he was doing there.
"This island isn't real. I'm in Speed Force," he declared. "I feel the disturbances of this dimension… Why am I here?"
And he heard voices that were familiar to him. He hastened to join, hoping to find his friends there.
He arrived in front of a part of the forest where he recognized Kara chatting with Oliver who looked like a bearded hermit who had been in solitude for a very long time.
Thor understood then that he was in a memory, as the Kara he saw was wearing the Avengers jogging suit, when she had gone to meet him in New Asgard on Earth.
He heard his Kryptonian friend speak:
"… The only way to save your city is to come with me to Avengers Earth, repair what Thanos broke. Even if it's dangerous, we have to, Oliver. Because I lost everything during those five years. I lost my loved ones, my identity, and even my Earth. You can go home. I can't. On my Earth, the air has become toxic to me. Kryptonite was spread throughout the atmosphere. If I go home, I die. I had to flee not to die, and I took refuge for five years on Avengers' Earth. Now, I have nothing. Thanos took everything from me. All. This new chance is our only hope. My hope of returning to a normal life. Because I'm nothing at all without Supergirl. I don't know what to do with my life. What do you want to do? Stay on this island until the end of your days without worrying about others? Do you really think Felicity and William wanted that? Join me, Oliver. Don't do it for yourself or for me, but for your son and your wife. Be realistic, you cannot go on like this. Like me, I cannot continue to wander the Multiverse like a ghost. Your family misses you. I miss mine too. My sister Alex misses me so much..."
And Oliver answered her:
"…You are right. We must act for our Universe."
Thor smiled wistfully, remembering the Avengers' struggle to undo what Thanos had destroyed. His friend Kara who had urged him to keep hope.
He couldn't help but speak out loud:
"The Universe still needs us."
Kara and Oliver looked up and saw the God of Thunder with his two weapons in his hand. The Kryptonian was stunned at the sight of her Asgardian friend.
"Thor, what are you doing here? And… how did you get skinny again? Looks like… (She smiles happily.) Looks like you're back to yourself… you're not even drunk anymore…"
And Thor joined the two heroes.
"It was you, Kara, who made me the hero that I am now. You gave me hope in a time when I no longer had it. You did so much for me. I can't thankyou enough."
Stunned, Kara continued:
"Why are you on Earth – 1? Weren't you supposed to be with the Avengers on to the Quantum Realm's trip?"
Thor burst out laughing, knowing that his friend was suspicious of what was going on.
"Kara, I'm not really here. This is the Speed Force. I must be in one of Oliver's memories."
"The Speed Force? Memories? What are you talking about?" Oliver asked, confused.
On Maltus, Rocket regained consciousness, grumbling. He cursed the Anti-Monitor for taking his family away from him and having a lunatic psychopath like Lex Luthor didn't help his bad mood. He vowed to kill Lex, even if it meant losing one of the Paragons. How could save the universe with a madman like him? Even Nebula was much more bearable than him.
"Officially, I hate Lex Luthor," he mumbled.
Close to him, Ryan had regained consciousness too, and had quickly stood up.
"Supergirl?"
The raccoon joined him, picking up his blaster.
"I'm fine. Thanks for asking."
"Where's Supergirl?" said the scientist.
Then the two joined the Kryptonian who was unconscious on the ground. Rocket came over to gently pat Kara's face, while Ryan checked her body.
"Kryptonian, wake up please, rise and shine," the raccoon said nervously.
Then Supergirl woke up, confused.
"Rocket? Ryan?"
"I think Lex pulled a Luthor on us." Ryan said.
"I hate that bald asshole!" Rocket roared angrily. "I hate him! He was a dick at the Vanishing Point, and here, he only pisses me off even more!"
"So do I," Supergirl said, getting up.
"On the bright side, I haven't been knocked unconscious on an alien planet before." Ryan said.
"It's pretty much the same as being knocked unconscious on Earth." Supergirl retorted, reminding her that she was an alien.
"Hey Kryptonian," said Rocket. "I know we've never had a good relationship, but you and I have a common enemy, Lex Luthor. And I want to beat this bald moron!"
"You'll get your chance, I promise," Supergirl assured him, delighted to be on the same page with Rocket.
She checked Ryan's body with her x-ray vision, and made her way back to civilization. As they walked, Ryan couldn't help but retort:
"This definitely makes me question again why I'm here. I haven't got special powers or, you know, powers. I'm pretty much the dictionary definition of unspecial, and I definitely don't feel like I'm a Paragon of Anything, let alone humanity."
"The most important is not to know that you are a Paragon," explained Rocket while walking. "It's being able to be able to stop this damn Crisis and get our loved ones back."
"Supergirl, Rocket," Ryan said, stopping his walk. "Are you sure you guys got the right guy?"
Supergirl looked at him compassionately and replied:
"You left your family because someone you never even met told you, you were needed. I'd say that makes you pretty special."
Ryan felt more confident.
"I don't know about hope, but you're definitely the Paragon of Pep Talks."
"Yup! She is," Rocket said with a smile.
"Years of practice," Supergirl replied, looking at the scientist and the raccoon. "We need to catch up to Lex."
"He's gonna make a mistake that's gonna ruin our only chance of stopping this Crisis," Rocket retorted. "We have to stop this idiot before he does any more damage."
"Yeah," Supergirl replied.
"How do you know where he's headed?" Ryan wondered.
"Well, before he knocked me out, he said was looking for universal domination. " the Kryptonian explained.
"So Hardly sounds like a newsflash." Ryan replied.
"Not really," added Rocket.
Supergirl added as she walked:
"The universal part is new, and if I know him, he's looking to mess with Novu's experiment, change history to his advantage."
"It would be a disaster," Rocket lamented. "If he finds Novu before us, we're screwed!"
Supergirl stopped her walk and turned to Ryan.
"I'm guessing you haven't flown on an alien planet either."
"I've never flown." replied the scientist uncomfortable.
" No, but it's okay, Dr. Choi." Kara replied. "You don't have to be nervous. It's just up, up, and away. Rocket, you're gonna have to let me transport you."
The raccoon grimaced. He hated being lifted and even more hated having to fly with Supergirl.
"We're in Crisis, so… I can handle it," he replied, climbing over Kara's body.
"Hold on," she said, taking Ryan by his jacket.
And she flew away taking with her, Rocket and Ryan.
Notes:
Thank for reading and reviewing.
That is it for this chapter.
I wanted to thank DarkEvening of Fanfiction.net for giving me the idea for the scene between Oliver and Peter. I put some footage from Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 1 and 2 movies there. Then sequences of Spider-Man Into the Spider-Verse. And add passages from my Responsibility and Revenge of the Mutants stories, showing Spider-Man's fights in both stories.
Thor's scene on Lian Yu comes from my Supergirl Arrow Endgame story, for those who will recognize it.
I hope I succeeded with Rocket expressing his distaste for Lex Luthor.
See you soon for a new chapter.
Chapter 22
Notes:
Hey guys, let's continue with the story in Speed Force.
Small clarification: at the base, I hadn't planned at all to put the Flash of the DCEU. I had been so disappointed with the Justice League Flash of 2017, that I said: I wouldn't put it in my fanfiction. And finally, I really liked the movie Zack Snyder's Justice League. I appreciated the interpretation of Flash in this film much better than I finally decided to put him in my story. Too happy to have seen this film while writing Crisis on Infinite Earths.
Good reading!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Chapter 22
Flash was speeding through Speed Force in search of his allies. He arrived in a version of Central City. It was the day Deegan (in the appearance of a dark Superman) had used the Book of Destiny to transform reality. Superman and Thor who had tried to neutralize him, but to no avail.
Intrigued, not having attended the whole scene, Flash stopped running and watched the fight unfold before his eyes. He searched for Oliver, knowing he had played a part in Deegan's defeat.
"Come on, Oliver. Where are you?"
He watched as Thor using his Stormbreaker ax to repel the Book's attacks.
And Deegan turned, Flash followed his gaze and saw Oliver in his archer's outfit unsheathing a very different arrow.
Deegan tried to intercept it, but the archer was faster shooting his arrow whose tip was blue, which would strike the Book of Destiny.
The mad doctor collapsed to the ground.
"I wasn't here for this." said Flash.
He saw the real Superman catch Lois in his arms.
"Told you you'd catch me." his wife said to him.
The energy of the Book poured into Deegan, transfiguring him to his original form, but completely disfiguring his face.
Delighted, Thor walked towards the Book, completely destroyed. He joined Oliver.
"Great shooting, archer!" he called out to him. "We finally stopped Deegan."
Superman and Lois joined them.
"Thanks for the save," said the Man of Steel.
"With a magic arrow, no less." added his wife.
"It's a gift from the Monitor." Oliver explained.
Then all three saw Flash, staring at him with wide eyes.
"Barry?" Thor exclaimed, frowning.
"Hey," Flash stammered.
"Did you go out shopping for a new costume while you were supposed to be out saving the world?" Lois pointed out, pointing to the speedster's new outfit.
"I also thought he looked a lot different," Thor said.
"Uh, no. No. It's a crazy, long story," Flash stammered uncomfortably. "And you wouldn't believe me if I told you. (He turned hastily to Oliver.) Can I talk to you for a minute? Please."
Puzzled, Thor, Superman and Lois walked away frowning, then Oliver turned to Barry. He too was intrigued by his friend's confusion.
"Are you okay?"
"What I'm about to tell you isn't gonna make any sense," Flash told him cautiously. "But you're not really here right now. You're actually..."
"In the Speed Force," Oliver replied quietly, sounding very thoughtful. (And he looked at the Central City's superhero with a smile.) "I remember. I remember everything."
"Okay, well," answered Flash surprised. "Well, in that case, that arrow from the Monitor, I always felt like there was something you weren't telling me."
To his surprise, Oliver continued to smile in a friendly manner, responding:
"I didn't want to burden you with the choice I made."
"The choice to do what?"Barry exclaimed intrigued.
"You and Kara, Barry, you were fated to die trying to save the world." his friend replied calmly.
At his words, Flash remembered Oliver's last words as he passed away.
"Right before you died, you said you'd given up everything for me and Kara. (He looked stunned when he understood.) You made some kind of Devil's Bargain with the Monitor to save us, didn't you?"
But Oliver continued to smile softly with a natural tone.
"No. It wasn't a Devil's Bargain, Barry, and I'd make it again in a second."
"It cost you your family, Oliver." the distressed speedster pointed out. "It cost you your life."
"Dying's the easy part." the archer replied softly. "The dead are at peace, but the real heroes are the ones who have to keep going. Go find the others."
Still stunned by the voluntary sacrifice of his friend, Flash ends up disappearing in super-speed.
Flash came to another memory, where he found Sara Lance who had passed away. It must have been after her murder orchestrated by Malcolm Merlyn.
He found Sara dead, and he discovered Laurel Lance and John Diggle, looking at him in amazement.
"Oh boy!"
On Maltus, Mar Novu was heading for the machine that would allow him to travel through time to reach the Great Beginning.
"Engaging quantum portal." he said, raising his hand to the machine.
"I wouldn't do that." said a voice behind him.
Puzzled, Novu tried to reach his wife by communication.
"Xneen?"
"No."
Turning around, he found a bald man dressed in black walking towards him, quietly, with dark designs in mind.
"No, obviously." he said, walking towards the future Monitor. "Hi. Lex Luthor. I'm here to make you an offer I won't let you refuse."
"How did you get in here?" Novu growled in amazement as he walked over to his strange visitor. "Our security protocols are…"
"…A joke," Lex interrupted with a smirk. "But the fact that I was able to circumvent them with astonishing ease is exactly why you need to listen to me."
"Xneen?" cried Novu, distraught not to hear from his wife any more.
"Is taking a little nappy time." Lex replied disinterestedly. "Not to worry. (Then he walked over to the time machine.) So you are a scientist. Tell me you're not intrigued by what I have to say, or do you get regular visits from humans with future knowledge?"
Novu was still wary of his visitor, but nevertheless, preferred to listen to him attentively.
"Speak."
Lex revealed to him:
"The experiment you're conducting will not only destroy you but your planet and your wife."
Then Mar Novu glared at him.
"Another ancients zealot. I am so sick…"
But Lex interrupted him as if he was speaking to a fellow scientist.
"Don't know who they are. I'm not even from this universe. What I am from is the future, so I know exactly how your little time-jumping experiment will go wrong, and I am willing to share my future knowledge with you."
"And in return?" Novu retorted, still suspicious.
Lex pretended to think before answering:
"Well, I don't cotton to aliens, but you will soon have certain abilities that I will need in order to deal with some… shall we say… super problems popping up in my world."
"I do not have any abilities." the future Monitor pointed out to him wryly.
"Stick with me, kid." Lex told him softly with a smirk. "So what do you say? Team up? The Brave and the Bald?"
Novu watched the bald man considering his offers.
Flash had just landed in the middle of a moment of silence for Sara, and didn't know how to react to Laurel and Diggle, who didn't know him yet at the time.
"Who are you?"Diggle exclaimed, shocked.
"Hey… Uh…" Flash stammered embarrassed. "This is awkward. Long story short, you guys aren't really you guys, and none of this is really actually happening."
Not understanding a word of what the stranger in red was saying, Laurel stammered:
"What are you talk…?"
She looked threatening as she saw the stranger stand on top of her dead sister.
" Hey! Hey! Don't you touch her! "
"I'm so sorry," Flash said simply, throwing an electric shock of his speed at the late Black Canary.
Sara woke up with a start, much to the surprise of Oliver's two allies.
"It's a miracle." Laurel whispered, dumbfounded.
Shocked, Sara looked at herself, noticing the red stain of blood on her black outfit, and eyed Flash in amazement.
"Barry?"
"Hey," the speedster replied warmly.
"What's happening?"
"It's a long, very weird story. I'll catch you up on the way."
"On the way to where?" Sara asked still in shock from her rude awakening.
"You're not taking her anywhere." Diggle snapped back, though he couldn't understand what was going on in front of him.
"I'm sorry. Like I said, you guys aren't really here." Flash stammered, still embarrassed.
Confused, Sara glanced at her sister and Dig, before being blown away in super-speed by Flash.
J'onn had just explained to the Supergirl and the Oliver in front of him, his whole mission to save the Multiverse and her journey to the Speed Dimension.
"The Speed Force?"Kara whispered, confused.
Even the Oliver was as lost as she was.
"I can only assume." replied the Martian thoughtfully. "We were moving through the Speed Force when we were attacked…"
"Uh, by someone called…" the archer asked, confused.
"The Anti-Monitor," J'onn replied.
"Doesn't even sound like an actual name." Oliver said disdainfully.
"We're all trying to stop him." the Green Martian said, looking at the two heroes. "We're working together. The two of you work together."
J'onn had just realized that he had come to a time when Kara and Oliver had just met. They were getting to know each other and still couldn't trust each other. He said:
"I know you don't trust each other. Right now, I know you don't even like each other, but all that changes. In fact, we all come to depend on each other. We all come to trust each other."
"Why are you telling us this now?"Supergirl asked, confused.
But before he could answer, J'onn got carried away by Flash in super-speed.
Kate had listened to Oliver and Ray, and understood how they had come to trust each other. The two men eyed the woman from Gotham curiously when the latter replied:
"This seems to be a pattern with you. You don't trust people. They don't trust you. Then all of that changes, and the bond between you is stronger than iron."
"I'm sorry. What's your point?"Oliver wondered, very confused by this woman he didn't know at all.
Ignoring the confusion of the two men, Kate continued in a calm voice:
"It's maybe something I can learn from."
Finally, she was gone when Flash arrived to retrieve her.
On the false island of Lian Yu, Thor had just related the entire Anti-Monitor Crisis to the two old versions of Kara and Oliver.
"So in the future we're gonna fight a guy named Anti-Monitor –not even an actual name– to save the whole Multiverse?" Oliver said confused.
"And we're not really here?" Kara added as confused as him. "Then, you're not… my Thor who's supposed to help us find the Infinity Stones?"
Thor smiles, remembering the time he lost hope, until Supergirl gave him something to hope for a better future.
"I'm not, really. But it's okay, I will. I remember when I had no faith in anything. When I considered myself an idiot, unable to save anyone. That Thanos was stronger than me. (Then he turned to Kara with a big smile.) It was you, Kara, who helped me become the hero that I am again. Even when we failed, five years ago, Supergirl has never disappeared. She continued to keep hope. The hope I wish I had. You never let anyone break you. Not even Thanos. You're better than me. Surely that's why Mjolnir deemed you worthy."
"What are you saying?" Kara exclaimed, stunned.
Then Thor was gone, when Flash arrived to carry him away, in super-speed.
Peter Parker wore his Spider-Man outfit again, and was ready to go fight the universe's greatest enemy. He was a hero. A Paragon. His responsibility to face it.
He turned to the archer and the former Iron-Man.
"Thank you."
"Good luck, kid. You'll need it," Tony said, smiling.
"Never give up, Spider-Man," Oliver said with an encouraging look.
"I won't," Peter retorted.
Then the New York neighborhood began to shake. Oliver looked around, still smiling.
"Barry is coming for you. Good luck!"
Spider-Man nodded and got carried away by the speedster in super-speed.
On Maltus, Lex unveiled the disastrous experience Mar Novu would undergo. At least, his own version to fix his situation.
"So basically, you tore a little hole in the space-time continuum, opened a doorway into something called the anti-matter universe."
"Matter and anti-matter cannot coexist." objected Novu.
"Hence a lot of bad stuff happening that we would just as soon not have happen, so I think what we need to do is adjust the ronstrom coefficient." Lex said, observing the time machine.
It was then that the room shook. Then Supergirl arrived demolishing the door, folding it like paper, and eyed her enemy in fury.
"Lex, we need to talk." she declared.
Rocket, who had latched onto the Kryptonian's back, leapt out of her, and landed on the ground, brandishing his blaster at the bald man baring his fangs.
"Hi, Chrome-Dome!" he roared contemptuously. "Like the Kryptonian said, we need to talk. And we're not asking permission!"
Lex eyed the two newcomers with disdain.
Supergirl and Rocket walked over to the two men. Ryan came right up behind them.
"Mar Novu," the Girl of Steel said, pointing angrily at Lex. "Do not trust this man with anything! Give him a knife for his food, and no matter how much he thanks you for the dinner, he'll stab you right in the back with it!"
"Or the front." retorted the bald psychopath slyly. "I'm not choosy."
"Well, I don't have a knife, but I have my gun!" Rocket said, brandishing his gun in the air. "And I'm gonna enjoy making big holes in your fancy suit, you hairless human scum! (Speaking to Mar Novu.) I don't know what that bald nerd told you, but that's all lies. He thinks he's an all-powerful genius, but he's just an egotistical, selfish bastard!"
"Last time, you caught me by surprise." said Supergirl threateningly. "That's not gonna happen again. (Speaking to Ryan Choi.) Get Novu out of here."
Ryan accosted the future Monitor, taking him with him away from the time machine.
"Come with me, sir, please."
With the two men away, Supergirl and Rocket stared down at their worst common enemy, ready to face it.
"Supergirl?" the raccoon asked, raising his gun, as if asking for her permission.
"Go ahead, Rocket, have fun." the Girl of Steel replied without taking her eyes off Lex Luthor.
Immediately, the Guardian of the Galaxy fired his blaster, then Supergirl fired her heat vision.
Ryan and Novu found the monitor room, where Xneen the scientist's wife was inert on the ground, unconscious.
Distraught, Novu ran to join his wife.
"Xneen!"
The room shook, from the fight between Supergirl, Rocket and Lex Luthor. Knowing that he had a role to play, Ryan Choi approached the future Monitor.
"Okay. Listen to me. Whatever you do, you can't open that portal!"
"The hairless one warned me." Novu replied, still leaning over his wife.
"No. This isn't a warning kind of situation." Ryan said. "This is a don't do it at any cost kind of situation."
"It is my life's work." Novu said, looking at Dr. Choi with a serious gaze.
Then Ryan continued with an alarming tone:
"Trillions of other people's lives, an infinite number, will be lost if you go through with it. It's not worth it."
But Mar Novu hardly seemed convinced.
"You just show up here as if by magic and demand belief."
Frightened, Ryan continued:
"The fact I'm here at all should be enough to convince you."
Then Novu eyed the Earth scientist with interest.
"You are a remarkable individual."
"Funny," Ryan retorted wryly. "A new friend of mine just told me I'm special. I didn't believe her until now."
Below them, Supergirl and Rocket were fighting Lex. The bald psychopath used his new powers on his opponents. Rocket bounded around to dodge them, and fired his blaster at his enemy. But Lex was able to repel the shots of the raccoon.
"I fought against Superman! I wouldn't be afraid of a talking raccoon!"
"Bastards like you, I've faced hundreds, human!" Rocket roared fiercely. "It's not enough to have a lot of neurons in your head to be a special guy! You are just a tiny little speck in this universe! You act like you're a real hero, but all you manage to do is be the villain everyone hates! A poor bald guy who is desperately trying to leave his mark on the universe with those filthy little nails! Even if, in the end, he's left with nothing but the scars of his failures."
"You better shut up, you mammal!" Lex retorted, using his power on the alien animal.
Rocket was thrown away, while Supergirl hovered above her enemy. She used her heat vision but Lex was able to dodge it with his new powers.
She eventually landed on the floor, staring at Lex threateningly.
"I wonder, is it a double-cross if I never trusted you in the first place?"
But Lex just chuckled in annoyance.
"Why do you Kryptonians always have to take things so personally?"
"You tried to kill my cousin," Supergirl continued, circling around her enemy. "You tried to kill me, you betrayed Lena, left her with nothing but a ruined name and a broken heart."
She shot her heat vision again, but Lex intercepted it and threw it back at her. Supergirl leaps into the air to dodge it.
"All I did was tell her the truth," Lex roared fiercely. "Something you never had the courage to do! Don't take it personally!"
And he used his powers on her. The Girl of Steel defended herself with her heat vision. The two attacks crossed. As the two attempted to shoot the other down, Rocket stood up, and aimed his gun at Lex.
"I'll kill you, you bald idiot!" roared the raccoon.
Suddenly Ryan ran into the room and stopped them in their fight:
"Hey! Stop trying to kill each other. I got through to Novu."
Rocket smiles in satisfaction.
"Good job, you pal! I like you!"
Supergirl looked at her friend with glee, while Lex gave the scientist a sullen and annoyed look:
"You just ruined a perfectly good bad guy plan, you know that, new guy?"
"Shut up, cue ball!"roared the raccoon, brandishing his blaster at him.
Then, a blur came and took Lex, Rocket and Ryan. Puzzled, Supergirl looked around her, and was taken away too.
Finally, all were gathered. Supergirl, Rocket, Ryan, and Lex reunited with Flash, Thor, J'onn, Sara, Batwoman, and Spider-Man. All were in a rocky and desert place.
"Hello again guys!" Rocket said to the whole troop of heroes. "Where are we?"
"The anti-matter universe." Flash said.
"At the Dawn of Time." added Sara.
"We arrived, and he was already here. The Anti-Monitor." J'onn said, looking at their desert place.
"How?" Thor wondered, stunned. (He turned to Supergirl and Rocket.) "Didn't you guys manage to stop Novu from creating his doppelganger?"
"That's impossible."Ryan objected distraught. "I got through to him. I know I did."
Rocket stammered, moaning:
"So what did we screw up?"
Then a big sinister and powerful voice echoed behind them:
"Some fates are inescapable!"
All the heroes turned around and saw in amazement, the Anti-Monitor standing a few feet away from them, in a titanic position.
"You spoke to one man across countless universes, but within the tapestry of the Multiverse! There will always be one Mar Novu who cannot turn from his towering ambition, and in that inevitability, there is destiny! Welcome to MINE!"
At his words, a whole fleet of Shadow Demons emerged from the ground, and floated around the mighty cosmic being.
Rocket raises his gun again, ready to shoot the great enemy of the universe and his army. While all the other heroes eyed the Anti-Monitor with determined looks, ready to face him.
Notes:
Thank you for reading and reviewing.
In the next chapter, we come to the fight with the Anti-Monitor at the Dawn of Time!
See you soon!
Chapter 23
Notes:
Hello everyone, and we come to the last chapter of this fourth part of the story.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Chapter 23
All the heroes were gathered, and had to unite together in order to defeat their greatest enemy in the Dawn of Time. Thor wields Mjolnir and Stormbreaker. Rocket clenched his teeth in fury at the sight of the Anti-Monitor and his army.
"I've been waiting for this moment for so long," he whispered fiercely. "For my family!"
But before they could act, Oliver in the guise of the Specter materialized behind them, and calling out to them:
"All of you, listen to me… (All the heroes had their eyes fixed on him.) This is why you were selected. (Speaking to Thor.) The Keeper… And the Paragons."
"Yeah. I'm still a little unclear on what all that means." Ryan Choi retorted.
"It means you're powerful enough to hold the line, to buy us the time we need." the Specter said.
"To do what?" Batwoman asked.
" Rebirth the universe ."
"Rebirth the universe? Are you serious?" Rocket exclaimed in amazement.
"What, like, a do-over?" Sara said, shocked.
"How can we do that?" Thor added stunned.
"The Dawn of Time is the only place it can happen. I'll light the spark, you fan the flame." Oliver said.
"Are we really going to recreate a new universe?" Spider-Man said in a shocked voice. "Do we have the power to do that?"
"Yes," Oliver said. "You have it. All of you!"
" And how do we do that?" Lex wondered skeptically.
" You'll know when it's time." the Specter replied simply.
Lex says narcissistically:
"Why do you cosmic types always have to be so obtuse?"
" If I knew, I'd tell you. I don't." Oliver said, ignoring Luthor's sarcasm. (Then he returned his attention to the Paragons.) " All I have is trust."
"So you think we're capable of doing what you're telling us?" Thor said raising an eyebrow in amazement.
"Exactly, you can do it," resumed the new cosmic being. "Do you trust me?"
"With every cell in my body." Flash agreed, nodding.
"So do I," added Spider-Man, nodding in turn. "We are heroes. This is our responsibility to do it. With great power comes great responsibility."
Oliver smiled slightly at the young Avenger. Then he returned his gaze to the other heroes.
"Nice Pep Talk!" Rocket commented in amazement.
Supergirl gave her friend one last look, then turned to face the dark Demon army.
"Let's do this." she declared as she went into battle.
"Let's be done," Thor added, his body bulging with lightning bolts.
And he leaps into the air to face the demons, brandishing his hammer and ax.
The Paragons rushed towards the enemy. Flash disappeared at super speed to take down several demons. Supergirl flew away and used her heat vision to destroy some. Batwoman, Rocket, Sara, J'onn, Spider-Man, Lex and Ryan were fighting on the ground.
The Guardians of the Galaxy raccoon used his blaster to kill several Demons. He attacked them roaring like a raging animal.
"Die! Die, you space ghosts scum! Die! Eat this! This is for Groot! For Quill! For Drax! Mantis and Nebula! I'll kill you to the last, you space monsters!"
Thor whirled in the air and threw his hammer like a javelin, which went down to slay a large number of Demons, before coming back to his hand. Then he threw his ax which did the same. And he launched several jets of lightning which destroyed several Demons.
"I am not a fallen God! I am not the God of Hammers either! I am Thor, Son of Odin, God of Thunder, an Avenger and Keeper of Paragons!"
On the ground, Ryan pushed back a Demon with a simple handshake.
"Die, you creepy shadow things!"
Sara fought several Demons with her sticks.
"Unh! That's for Oliver!"
Lex was using his newfound powers to destroy the Anti-Monitor's abominations.
"Idiots! If anyone's gonna take over the universe, it's gonna be me!"
Spider-Man leapt like a real spider, and went to land behind three Demons. He greeted them as if he were talking to friends:
"Hey guys! What's up?"
And he punctuated his sentences by throwing canvas over his enemies.
"You aren't very talkative, Dementors!"
As Thor flew through the air destroying any Demons he encountered, he watched his allies fight the Demons on the ground. Then he threw down his Mjolnir hammer.
"Hey, you're Paragons! Use my hammer!"
Batwoman, who fought by throwing her batarang, leapt into the air, and grabbed the handle of Thor's hammer. She held it and remained in a position of strength against her enemies. Several Demons rushed towards her. Batwoman ran and threw the hammer at her opponents, annihilating them. She made lightning shoot out with the hammer and came to touch any Demons that approached her. She spun around with the hammer in hand, causing lightning to appear that destroyed any Demons wanting to attack her.
And she turned to Spider-Man.
"Spidey!"
And she threw Mjolnir at the young Avenger, which he immediately grabbed. After a moment of amazement, realizing that he was lifting Thor's magic hammer, Spider-Man returned his attention to his enemies.
"I'm Spider-Man and I hold Thor's hammer in my hand!"
He immediately used it to slay several Demons. And he danced in the air, laughing like a child.
"This is so awesome!"
Then, remembering his other partners, he threw the hammer at his allies.
Sara, fighting a Demon, caught Mjolnir flying, and used it to disintegrate several Demons. Shocked, White Canary stared at the hammer, before rushing forward to destroy other attackers. And she threw Thor's weapon at Flash, who blasted into super speed and caught it on the fly, combining his powers with Mjolnir's over the Shadow Demons. Then he passed it to Ryan, who used it for a while, punching Demons, overjoyed. Then he passed it on to J'onn, who used it in turn. After some Demon fights with Mjolnir, it was time to pass him on to someone else.
"Supergirl?"
He threw the hammer in the air. Lex wanted to grab him, but Supergirl intercepted him, and flew off with Mjolnir.
"Wait, what about me?" exclaimed the annoyed bald psychopath.
"In your dreams," the Girl of Steel scolded hostility, refusing to see her worst enemy with Thor's hammer in hand.
Rocket, who was disintegrating several Demons, gave Lex a triumphant look, ecstatic as he saw the bald man not accessing Mjolnir.
"If you were less dumb, you would have had it!" he declared before resuming his fight with his blaster.
And the Kryptonian flew off to join Thor and the two of them faced the Demons, with their powers and weapons.
On top of a cliff, Oliver watched his friends fight. He knew he was going to have to face the Anti-Monitor in order for the Paragons to revive the universe.
After a while, the very powerful cosmic being joined the Specter speaking to him:
" It is too late. After ten thousand years, I shall be victorious. "
" No, you won't be." Oliver retorted without giving him a glance.
"Such confidence," the Anti-Monitor said with a smirk. "You believe Tony Stark prepared you for this fight?"
" I believe my entire life prepared me for this fight. "
" All life ends. Only death is eternal. Only I am eternal. "
Oliver removed the hood of his dark gown, and declared without looking at his enemy:
" We'll see about that. "
The two leapt into the air, and clashed. And fell to the ground. The two stood up and stared at each other, preparing to face the other.
The battle at the Dawn of Time continued stronger and stronger. The Paragons and their allies had the advantage over their opponents. All the Demons fell like flies to the ground. None were matched to the heroes.
"Is this typical for you guys, saving the world?" Ryan said to J'onn, fending off a demon.
"Yes," the Martian replied, annihilating an enemy of the Anti-Monitor.
"No," Lex said, not ceasing his attacks on the Demons.
Sara added, using her sticks on her enemies:
"My team and I usually mess things up for the better!"
"It's the same with my family and I," Rocket added, firing several blasters at the Demons.
Flash stopped his super-speed run in front of his allies.
"Focus! We're in the fight of our lives here."
The Anti-Monitor fired a large explosion as Oliver conjured up a shield for protection.
Flash used his super-speed to dodge all attacks, and retaliated with his fists. Spider-Man leaped from web to web and used it on the Shadows Demons. Lex unleashed his new powers on the Demons. Supergirl was on the ground, using her heat vision combined with Mjolnir's lightning bolts to slay several Demons. And she sent the hammer back to Thor, who grabbed it and used both weapons on the Anti-Monitor specters. Sara raised her leg in the air, pushing back a Demon, and attacked it with her staffs.
Meanwhile, the Anti-Monitor walked towards Oliver, using his deep breath on him, as the former archer fought for his life. The Anti-Monitor increased the strength of his power to be able to dominate Oliver.
Seeing his friend in trouble, Thor landed on the ground, a few feet from the fight of the two cosmic beings. The Thunder God then tossed Mjolnir into the air and then hit him with Stormbreaker, like a baseball player. The hammer hit the Anti-Monitor right in the head, causing him to lose his focus on Oliver. Disoriented, he saw the hammer return to Thor. The God took the opportunity to clash his two weapons and threw powerful lightning bolts that pushed the Anti-Monitor far away.
"Do you think I look like a fallen God?" Thor snapped at him with rage and contempt.
The Anti-Monitor roared in rage and came to attack Thor with his powers. He unleashed an explosion on the Asgardian. But Thor used Mjolnir and Stormbreaker to protect himself.
Oliver took the opportunity to gain the upper hand over the powerful cosmic being. He held his hands to the body of the Anti-Monitor, stopping all his powers. They both stared at each other. Oliver ends up muttering defiantly:
"You… have failed… this… universe!
And he made a heat vision spring from his eyes towards the cloudless sky of the Dawn of Time. Thor covered his eyes, as Oliver seemed to wipe out the Anti-Monitor.
As Rocket and the Paragons fought the Demons, their opponents went up in smoke. Even the whole fleet above their heads ceased to exist.
All the heroes were stunned.
"We did it?" Ryan exclaimed ecstatically.
"So this is what being a hero feels like. Interesting." Lex echoed proud of himself.
Supergirl and Rocket gave her a disapproving look.
"Where's Oliver?" Flash asked.
"What about Thor?" Spider-Man added in a breathless voice.
"They're both there," Batwoman replied, indicating a bright stream of light at the end of a cliff.
All eyes were on the fight between the old Green Arrow and the Anti-Monitor.
"Oliver!" Sara cried, shocked.
"What the hell is that?" Spider-Man continued.
"What now?" Rocket added as confused as they were. "Hey Paragons, you guys should know what to do!"
"What is that?" J'onn exclaimed stunned.
Flash looked at the phenomenon with his big eyes, answering:
"«I'll light the spark.»"
"«While you fan the flame.»" White Canary added.
Supergirl then turned to Lex Luthor.
"He said you would know what to do."
"I think dying kind of messed with his head." the bald psychopath replied disinterestedly.
"Think, you fool!" Rocket growled. "If you're really a genius, use your neurons in your hairless skull."
"He's right, you're meant to be the genius," Batwoman added.
"A genius who's had the fortitude to read The Book of Destiny and retain his sanity." J'onn recalled.
"I think the jury's still out on that one." Ryan replied, nodding.
Lex then pulled out the page of the Book of Destiny where he had written his name, and explained with a thoughtful look:
"The Book of Destiny. I made myself the Paragon of Truth."
"So maybe the truth would be the answer." Spider-Man suggested.
"Exactly," Lex agreed.
"Being what?" Batwoman asked.
The bald psychopath resumed with determination:
"Use what's left of the Book to fan the flame."
"How do we all use the Book?" Flash intervened, confused.
In full confusion, Supergirl thinks, then ends up finding the answer:
"We focus. (All eyes were on her.) A singular, laser-like focus."
"On what?" Ryan stammered.
"Uh… I don't get anything," Rocket mumbled confused.
"Humanity," Supergirl replied, looking at Ryan Choi. (Addressing Lex.) "Truth." (Speaking to Spider-Man.) "Responsibility." (Speaking to Flash.) "Love." (Addressing Sara.) "Destiny." (Addressing J'onn.) "Honor." (Addressing Batwoman.) "Courage."
And she concludes by talking to herself:
"Hope."
Then all of the Paragons stood in a line, side by side and watched Oliver fight the Anti-Monitor and create a new universe.
Disoriented and confused, Rocket watched both the Paragons and the fight above him.
"So all we have to do is... watch? Uh... okay! I still don't get it!"
Meanwhile, Oliver still clung to the Anti-Monitor using all of his power to defeat it with Thor as a witness. Then a gigantic explosion arose and shook the whole of the Dawn of Time.
"Oh my God!" Supergirl said, shocked.
"Whoa!" cried Rocket, dumbfounded. "So this it? Is it over?"
"Oliver," Flash said anxiously.
Sara turned to him.
"Barry, get us there!"
"And I'm coming with you," Spider-Man said, wanting to find his friend.
Flash took off at super speed, taking Sara and Spider-Man with him.
The three of them appeared next to Thor who was kneeling in front of Oliver's lying body on the ground. The Anti-Monitor was gone. The old Green Arrow lay on the ground, exhausted.
Spider-Man removed his mask, revealing Peter Parker's face, and ran to join the fallen archer.
Barry and Sara joined them. White Canary came over to gently put his hands on Oliver's body, while Flash looked at his dying friend in alarm.
"Oliver?"
"Oliver? You are a cosmic being now," Peter told him sadly. "You can't die again!"
Oliver coughed before looking quietly at the young Avenger.
"Peter… Everything has an end. Even for me… It's my destiny."
Then he turned his head slightly towards Barry, Sara and Thor.
"Hang on, Oliver," the God of Thunder said in shock, not wanting to lose a new friend.
Oliver coughed as he continued, addressing his four friends:
"I… I need both of you to watch over my family…"
"Hey, Ollie," Sara said loudly. "They're gonna be fine, all right? You're gonna be fine."
Then the old archer began to look at the sky which began to shine.
"You did it! You all did… You all did it!"
"Did what?" White Canary exclaimed stunned.
"Just look," Oliver whispered in wonder, still staring above him.
Barry, Sara, Thor and Peter gazed at the sky, and were amazed to see there a strange ball of energy that lit up the dark sky of the Dawn of Time. Everyone was fascinated by this new phenomenon.
"My God!" Thor exclaimed, eyes wide in amazement. "Allfathers..."
"Ollie, we saw," Sara agreed in wonder, returning her gaze to her dying friend. "We saw, but what is it?"
"It's the new universe." Oliver said.
"So we really reborn a new universe?" cried Peter in awe. "We did it?"
" It's kind of small for a universe." the Central City's speedster pointed out.
"Wait for it, Barry," Oliver replied calmly with tears in his eyes, moved. "It's almost time, almost time. There. You did it."
"It's thanks to you," Thor said, smiling sadly.
"Yes, Oliver, you did it," Sara said sadly. "Okay? That's why you got to come back with us, so we need you to hang on, okay?"
"Sara, Thor," said the still emotional archer. "This is just what the Monitor said would happen."
He seemed to faint to the chagrin of the heroes standing near him.
"Oliver! No! I don't want to lose another friend!" Thor moaned sadly.
"The Monitor said I was supposed to die in the Crisis," Oliver said. "Nothing can stop that. Not even you, Thor. You cannot act on Destiny. (He looked at the sky again.) There was an end and there's a beginning. (He turned his head to Barry who was crying.) You remember what I told you?"
"Dying is the easy part." Flash replied in a pained voice.
"The heroes are the ones who have to keep going, no matter what." Peter added, upset.
"You got it, Peter, you finally understood who you really are… never forget that…" Oliver stammered as his condition weakened. "You must never forget that you are a hero."
"I'll never forget it, I promise, Oliver," Peter stammered with tears in his eyes. "Green Arrow will always be a hero for me. And I will carry him with me."
"I'm at peace," Oliver replied, smiling with tears in his eyes. (He looked at Barry.) "So keep going. Don't ever stop. (He looked at his allies who were mourning his future demise.) Keep going! This world… this new world… it needs all of you."
"We'll protect it," Thor assured him in a loud voice despite being upset.
"Yes, we will," Peter added, nodding his head with tears in his eyes.
Then Oliver looked at the sky again, before finally breathing his last. His eyes closed again. So died Oliver Queen. Green Arrow. Specter.
As Barry and Peter mourned the death of their great friend, Sara and Thor had their eyes fixed on the sky.
"Barry! Peter!" Sara said, looking at the sky sparkling with light.
Then the four heroes once again watched their new universe come into being and grow bigger and bigger.
"An end," Barry said dumbfounded.
"And a beginning," said White Canary.
And they looked again at the lifeless body of the ancient archer.
"Thank you, Oliver," Flash whispered.
"Thank you Green Arrow," Peter said, his eyes clouding with tears.
"Oliver Queen. Green Arrow. Good bye, old friend." Thor said in a broken voice.
Then Sara, Peter, and Barry huddled together, all three mourning Oliver's death, while Thor laid both of his weapons on the ground, gazing both at the former archer's remains, and at the sky brilliant that didn't stop growing.
Then everything began to shine sparkling white… and darkness appeared…
The end and the beginning of a new universe…
Notes:
Thank you for reading and reviewing.
Chapter 24
Notes:
Hey everyone. Now we come to the last part of the story. The one where our heroes discover the Earth – Prime. The result of the Crisis on Infinite Earths.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Chapter 24
Where are we?
At the Dawn of Time…
Supergirl had fought with her friends and allies against the Anti-Monitor and his army in the Dawn of Time. Earths had disappeared, including her own. And a new universe was created.
And that was all she remembered.
Kara woke up with a start, waving her arms as if pushing back an invisible enemy. To her surprise, she was standing on her couch in her apartment. Her glasses hung over her face. Had she spent the night on her sofa? What had happened? Had she dreamed of the whole Crisis?
She took off her glasses and pondered the last events she could remember. As she thought, a familiar voice accosted her:
"Well, look who's finally…"
Instinctively, Kara flashed her heat vision, as her sister Alex barely stepped out of the way, making two burned holes in the wall.
"… Awake."Alex finished, slightly shaken.
Realizing that she had almost killed her sister, Kara got up from her couch, apologetically choked:
"Alex. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry…"
Calmly, Alex stopped her dead by speaking to her gently:
"No, no, no, it's okay. It's okay. Are you okay? Did you have a bad dream?"
Stunned and confused, Kara looked at her sister, wondering what she could remember from last recent events. She remembered the battle with the Anti-Monitor vividly. And after? She had ended up at home like that? By magic?
"I don't know. I'm... How did I get here?"
Curious about her little sister's reaction, Alex replied in a very loving way:
"Well, you fell asleep in front of the TV, and you just looked so peaceful, so I didn't have the heart to move you to the bed."
Strangely, Kara had no memory of falling asleep on her couch at all. She vividly remembered the Crisis and her fight with the Anti-Monitor to save the Multiverse.
"The Dawn of Time," she whispered with determination. "Dawn of Time."
Still intrigued by her sister's behavior, Alex continued:
"Is that what you were watching before you nodded off?"
Very anxious, Kara hurriedly walked over to her window and opened the curtains. She could see her city National City, as she had always known it. It was as if the Crisis never happened. Something was wrong.
"This isn't right." she replied surprised. "Well, I mean, it's right, but it's not right because it's right."
"Uh-huh," said Alex, still worried about her sister's condition. (She walked slowly towards her.) "I see the White Martian did a number on you last night."
Kara turned away from her window and looked at her sister, even more confused.
"White Martian? White Martian."
She rushed over to open her computer which displayed a newspaper article exposing Supergirl facing a White Martian. «White Martian Apprehended By Supergirl with Help from the Avengers… Again» The article was very recent, and Kara had no recollection of having fought an alien from Mars.
"It's a good thing the Avengers came to help you," Alex continued, as if nothing had happened. "I really thought that Martian was gonna kill you. I'm very grateful to them."
The Avengers? On her Earth?
Reading the article, Kara discovered that The Avengers had arrived to help her control the White Martian. Including Thor, Sam Wilson, Bucky Barnes and Rhodes aka War Machine. Why didn't Kara remember? And what are the Avengers doing on his Earth? It didn't make any sense!
As she was about to question her sister, Alex spoke again:
"Listen, I gotta run. Kelly and I are trying out a new indoor rowing class in downtown, so are you… you sure you're okay?"
Still shocked and confused by the strangeness of the situation around her, Kara decided not to alarm her sister, not wanting her to look at her in even more confusion.
"I'm fine. I'm fine."
"Okay," Alex replied, nodding, not convinced.
As she was about to leave, Kara called her:
"Alex!"
"Yeah?"
"I love you," said the Kryptonian sincerely, delighted to see her sister again.
"I love you too," her sister replied, frowning.
As Alex left the apartment, Kara got a call on her phone. It was Nia. So her Earth had returned, as well as all her loved ones?
Immediately, she took the communication.
"Nia?"
"Kara," answered the voice of her friend who sounded anxious.
"It's good to hear your voice," Kara said relieved.
"Well, it would be better to see my face. Where are you? The ceremony's about to start!"
"Ceremony?" Kara exclaimed, not remembering that she had to attend an important event.
"They're awarding the Nobel Peace Prize any minute," Nia said nervously. "Don't worry, I saved you a seat, but that lady from the gazette is giving me angry eyes. If you miss this, Andrea's gonna blow a gasket."
In a second, Kara rushed up, fully dressed, and joined Nia at the 2020 Peace Prize Award Ceremony, where a whole host of journalists were already gathered. Kara had no idea who was going to be awarded.
"Good timing," said Nia, grateful to see her friend and colleague arrive.
"Hey," Kara said, sitting down next to her friend. "Uh, I had a really weird dream last night. Could you maybe help me interpret it?"
"What happened?" answered Nia, frowning.
"Oh, uh, the world ended, but, like, all the worlds… All of them."
"That's dramatic!" Nia replied, frowning. "Even for us."
And now I'm proud to introduce the winner of this year's Nobel Peace Prize, Lex Luthor.
On the pedestal, Kara saw, to her horror, her worst enemy Lex Luthor in front of the speaker who presented him with an award. And the whole audience began to applaud with ecstasy. Including Nia who jumped from her seat to applaud Lex. Camera flashes popped out of nowhere. Everyone applauded. Except for Kara, who looked like she had been struck by lightning. She prayed that this was just a bad dream.
"Nia, Nia, am I still dreaming?" she exclaimed in shock, not wanting to budge from her seat.
But to top it off, Nia had her eyes fixed on Lex with glee and wonder and didn't stop clapping. She didn't even notice her friend's confusion.
"I know, right. It is so great when this award goes to someone who actually deserves it."
With shock and anguish, Kara looked at her friend who awe at the Nobel laureate. And she saw that all the reporters were ecstatic at the sight of Lex, and all clapped.
The Girl of Steel watched Lex walk the podium, and saw him wink playfully at her.
Kara didn't understand it at all. Was she on another Earth than hers? Last she checked, Lex Luthor was considered a psychopath lunatic.
Once the crowd had died down and returned to the seats, Lex delivered his speech eloquently:
"We live in dangerous times. Earth is a dangerous place. I suppose that's why people love superheroes so much. The power, the chutzpah of someone who can fly faster than a speeding bullet."
At his words, Kara felt his gaze on her. But the latter remained neutral, staring at him with hostility.
Lex continued his speech with a smile:
"But that's what makes this so special. I don't have any powers. I can't leap tall buildings in a single bound… or even the abilities of a so-called God who can throw lightning bolts and lift a hammer or a magic ax, but I have dedicated my life to fighting on the side of humanity, and to be recognized for that is more than I can put into words, so I will just say I stand with mankind."
And the applause resumed. All the journalists congratulated him by applauding. Kara was the only one not to be happy. What the hell happened? When did Lex Luthor become a man of peace? Kara didn't understand it at all.
After the ceremony, Kara changed into Supergirl and went to meet her sister at the DEO. But to her surprise, even Alex and her agents were in awe of the bald psychopath. The DEO's monitors displayed Lex's speech at the ceremony.
Supergirl turned away from Lex's face in disgust.
"I'm gonna throw up."
"Are you still feeling weird?" Alex wondered, still not understanding her sister's confusion. "We should get you to the med bay. You did not seem okay this morning…"
"Oh, no, no, I'm fine." Supergirl said hastily, trying to make sense of all this weirdness. "I'm just disoriented. The world is…" She turned to her sister with a serious look. "What was Lex doing up there?"
Alex shrugged, simply retorting:
"Well, they keep throwing all these awards at him. He doesn't usually accept them in person, but this one meant a lot to him."
"People think he's a good guy?" Supergirl exclaimed in disbelief.
But to her amazement, Alex didn't share her shock. She always answered with a natural air:
"Kara, we're talking about Lex Luthor! He's the best guy!"
"No, he's not. He's a psychopathic lunatic." the Girl of Steel was angry, hoping that her sister regained her senses.
"What?" Alex said, with big round eyes, as if Kara had gone crazy. "What? No, he's the boss. And he's your number one supporter. I mean, besides Lena. And all the times that they defended you to the president… What has gotten into you?"
Lex Luthor become a Supergirl supporter? This seems like a dream! Or this seems like a nightmare! Why did everyone worship Luthor as a good man when he was quite the opposite? It was unimaginable!
Then Supergirl then remembered a word her sister had said, and prayed that she had misheard her.
"What-wha... wait, did you just say boss?"
But Alex had returned to work, ignoring her sister's calls. Supergirl looked around in shock. Then her gaze fell to the DEO logo at her feet. To her dismay, she noticed that under the agency's initials, it was marked «A LuthorCorp subsidiary».
So the DEO belonged to Lex Luthor? No, she was in a nightmare!
Totally bewildered, Supergirl stared at the DEO logo, stammering in shock:
"Oh, no, no, no, no… Alex, are we…"
"Supergirl?"
The Girl of Steel looked up to see J'onn walking towards her with a compassionate gaze. To her relief, she noticed that the Martian didn't seem to think she was crazy.
"J'onn?"
With compassion, he replied calmly:
"I know you must be confused. I was too, but it happened. It all happened."
He looked at the DEO with the same gaze Kara had when he discovered the strangeness of this world.
"Why are we the only two that remember?" Supergirl continued.
"What are we that they are not?" he reminded her still calm.
"Paragons," she replied, nodding her head. "We helped Oliver restart the universe."
J'onn looked at the DEO logo along with the LuthorCorp logo, continuing:
"And this is the result."
Supergirl looked distraught. Then, to her surprise, she spotted a female DEO officer, who wasn't unknown to her.
"Valkyrie?"
Guardian of Asgard-turned-People's Queen was in the DEO, dressed in an agent's outfit. Was she working at the DEO now?
"Hey Blondie," she said with a smile. "Thank you for allowing me to have this job. And thank Mr. Luthor for me. Working at DEO allows me to better protect the people of Asgard. With all these technologies, I can go wherever I want."
Then she went to shake Supergirl's hand who was speechless.
"Thanks again for getting me this DEO agent job. You'll always be welcome in New Asgard, Supergirl!" Valkyrie exclaimed ignoring the shocked look of the Kryptonian.
And she walked away, leaving a limp Kara, completely shocked. Then she turned to J'onn, who continued with a compassionate look:
"I suspect there will be more such changes that are yet to reveal themselves."
Before Supergirl could ask for more changes, an alarm went off at the DEO. Alex came back to his sister with his usual attitude of director of the agency.
"Well, there's something happening downtown. I'll send a team."
Valkyrie then arrived.
"Would you like me to intervene?"
But Supergirl raised her arm, as if to hold her back.
"No, no, no, I'll do it. I need to punch something."
And she left the DEO, taking off at full speed, under Alex's worried gaze.
"Is she okay?" she asked the Martian.
"Alex, we're gonna have to talk about this new universe," replied J'onn, still calm.
"New universe?" Alex wondered, confused.
In downtown National City, near the pier, a meta-human named Weather Witch was causing chaos with her scepter, which had the ability to control the weather. Beside her stood the dangerous colossal mutant Juggernaut. The two evil freaks were attacking police officers who had gathered behind their patrol vehicles.
"Ha! Ha! Ha! Those stupid humans can't hurt me! I am Juggernaut! They can't lock me up!" he exclaimed as he lifted a police car as if it weighed nothing and threw it like a ball towards the jetty.
"Hey Marko," Weather Witch told him. "Let me have fun, please? I want to have a cop barbecue!"
And she used her scepter to throw lightning bolts that hit the patrol vehicles.
Supergirl came and landed just behind them.
"Hey!"
The two freaks turned and faced the Girl of Steel.
"The pretty cheerleader has come!" roared Juggernaut with a smirk. "I can have some fun!"
Stunned, Kara recognized Magneto's powerful mutant ally in the X-Men's Earth. How had he landed on her Earth?
"Juggernaut?!" Supergirl exclaimed, stunned.
"Hello, bitch!" said the mutant giant.
"Look who came to join the fun!" Weather Witch sneered with an evil smile.
"I'm sorry. Who are you?" the Kryptonian asked, looking at the meta woman.
"Weather Witch," the latter replied, as if Kara was supposed to know her. "You know my new buddy, but you don't know me? Oh, you're breaking my heart! And you are no match for my wrath!"
"I'll crush you, little bitch!" resumed the mutant giant, clenching his fists.
Supergirl pretended to have a headache and replied sarcastically:
"Oh, look, guys… I'm having not so great a day, which is actually your bad luck."
"So be it, bitch!" grumbled Juggernaut, rushing towards the Kryptonian.
Like a raging bull, he rushed at her at full speed, but Supergirl dodged him in super-speed, and punched him in the back, knocking him to the ground, fracturing it. Growling with rage, Juggernaut swung its fist as if to strike her, but the Kryptonian easily grabbed it, and smirked at him.
"You haven't changed since last time," she told him.
And she flew into the air, holding the Scourge by both hands. The mutant moaned in fear when he saw the ground slipping from him. Like a rocket, Supergirl flew skyward, holding Juggernaut by both hands, as if he weighed nothing at all. Then the giant mutant began to howl in fear, under the amused gaze of the Girl of Steel.
"What's wrong, bitch? You don't like heights?"
Juggernaut no longer sneered at all, and howled in fear. His eyes were bulging with terror.
"Please! Please! Put me down, and I promise I won't hurt the cops! I swear! Please, put me back! Put me down! Please, please!"
He began to cry. Supergirl looked at him in amusement. And ends up going back down to the pier. She moved closer to the water, and looked at her enemy, still with amusement.
"It's time for your bath, big dude! Have a good swim!"
And she let him go, causing Juggernaut to fall into the water of the pier. He landed there with a huge splash. And Supergirl came back to Weather Witch, who used her scepter to attack her. But as she twirled her weapon, Flash came in super speed. With a single punch, he sent her waltzing through the air, right at the police.
Delighted, the Central City's speedster looked up at his foe with a smile.
"Sorry, she's one of mine!"
Stunned, Supergirl joined him. First Juggernaut, now Flash on her Earth? What the hell was that?
"Well, what's she doing on my Earth?" she wondered, joining Flash.
"What?" said the speedster, confused.
"Wait, wait, what are you doing on my Earth?" she exclaimed confused. "And what about Juggernaut? What is he doing on my Earth, too? What about the Avengers, too? And Valkyrie who's at the DEO! On my Earth?"
"Your Earth?" Flash wondered, puzzled. "This is my Earth!"
Supergirl was speechless. Her Earth had really disappeared and she was on another, where there was Juggernaut and Flash?
"I thought…"
"I thought…" repeated the speedster, who this time was as confused as she was.
Then the two heroes looked around, aware that something was wrong.
As they searched for a rational explanation, an old man holding a booklet came their way.
"Supergirl, Flash, I just love it when you guys team up. Would you sign this for me please?"
He opened his booklet and handed a pen to Flash, who stammered in amazement:
"Oh, sure, um…"
"Wait, you know both of us?" Supergirl wondered, stunned.
On the open page of the booklet was a photograph where Flash and Supergirl were seen making big, friendly gestures, posing.
Flash was stunned.
"And it's normal to see us together?"
And the old man continued, jovially:
"Well, normally you'd also have Green Arrow and a Legend or two. Then there was the Avengers. And last year, even Batwoman joined in. (Excitedly, he pointed to the page of the large photo of the two heroes.) Make that out to Marv. M-A-R-V. Thank you!"
Immediately, Flash signed on the page.
"Marv, M-A-R-V. You're welcome."
Then it was Thor who appeared from the sky. He came to land right next to Supergirl.
"Thor?" the Kryptonian wondered.
"Hey guys, it's good to see you again," said the Asgardian warmly, jovial. "I looked for you everywhere."
At the sight of the God of Thunder, old man Marv looked even more ecstatic.
"Oh Dear God, Thor! You are here?"
The God looked at the old stranger with a frown.
"And you are?"
"Thor, this is Marv," Supergirl replied. "He's our number one fan."
"I like you too, Thor," Marv said with a smile. "If you turn the page…"
Flash turned the page of the booklet and found a new photo showing Supergirl with Thor. Both of them making big, friendly smiles.
The three heroes looked even more stunned.
"Marv, nice to meet you," Thor said confused. "Although I don’t remember doing that picture."
"Do you know Thor too?" Supergirl wondered.
"With him, you have an excellent chemistry," said Marv happily. "I love it when you guys work together. I like the Avengers, but I like Supergirl and Thor even more. I had a friend of mine named Stan Lee*, who was a big fan of Thor and the Avengers… (He looked sad.)… who is unfortunately no longer of this world. Rest in peace."
Then he resumed in a more jovial tone:
"Thor, Supergirl, Make that out to Marv. M-A-R-V. Please?"
Then they noticed that other passers-by had come to join the jetty to take pictures with their mobile phones of the three heroes.
Supergirl heard people say ecstatically, «Hey look! It's the Flash, with Supergirl and Thor!» «Oh my God I'm loving Thor!» «And Supergirl and Thor are both too cute!»
Completely stunned, Flash returned his attention to the old man:
"Marv, as far as you know, how long have Supergirl, Thor and I and all the rest of us been working… together on… this Earth?"
"Uh… since forever?" Marv replied, still jovial.
At this response, Supergirl, Flash, and Thor were speechless in amazement. None of the three said a word. They even ignored the people who demanded them for pictures.
Finally, Supergirl mumbled a weak: "Uh…?"
Then Thor spoke again with an embarrassed smile:
"Welcome to our new universe…"
"Dance to the Music, dance to the music
Dance to the Music, dance to the music
All we need is a drummer
For people who only need a beat, yeah
I'm gonna add a little guitar
And make it easy to move your feet
I'm gonna add some bottom
So that the dancers just won't hide…
Rocket awoke painfully. He gave a long yawn and forced himself to wake up. He had been awakened by the thunderous music of Peter Quill, aka Star-Lord, who sang as he piloted the Guardians of the Galaxy starship.
"Dance to the Music… dance to the music… All we need is a drummer…"
Rocket regained his senses, and saw that he was in the cockpit of the Benatar, the Guardians of the Galaxy ship. Stunned, he watched Star-Lord sing ecstatically.
"Quill?"
Finally, the captain of the Guardians stopped singing, stopped the music, and looked at the raccoon.
"Hey Rocket! A good sleep? You've been sleeping for hours."
Disoriented, Rocket looked at the space from the cockpit window and continued:
"Where are we?"
"We just passed Xandar," Quill replied, not noticing his teammate's confusion.
But Rocket was still confused.
"And… since when do we fly in space?"
Star-Lord then looked at the raccoon with a frown.
"Are you okay, Rocket? You look weird. You're not as usual. Was it Groot who pissed you off with his video game again?"
"Groot?!" Rocket exclaimed in shock.
He turned and saw his Guardian of the Galaxy friends in their usual seats in the cockpit. There he saw Drax, who was sleeping snoring. Mantis and Nebula. And he saw Groot focused on his video game, sitting in his seat.
"Groot! Groot! Drax! Guys, you came back!"
Immediately, Rocket came to take his friend tree in his arms, moved to find all his family.
"You came back! You came back!"
Puzzled, Groot pulled away from the raccoon's hug and eyed him with a look of confusion.
"I am Groot?"
"Sure I'm happy!" resumed Rocket overjoyed. "I thought I'd never see you again!"
"Rocket, are you sure you're feeling okay?" Mantis asked, dumbfounded.
Quill got up from his seat and went to join his friend.
"You scare me, Rocket! It's not like you to behave like this! What's the matter with you?"
Much to his delight, Rocket noticed the confusion in his friends, and looked puzzled.
"Oh come on! Guys, we stopped the Crisis! We won!"
"What Crisis?" asked Nebula, puzzled.
"What do you mean, what Crisis? Hey guys, come on! The Crisis! The wave of anti-matter! The end of the worlds! The Anti-Monitor!"
"The Anti-what?" Mantis wondered, confused.
Quill began to look at Rocket with a worried look, as if his friend had a serious illness.
"Rocket, are you sure you're okay? What are you talking about?"
"You were gone when the Anti-Monitor disintegrated the Waverider," Rocket said excitedly. "You have been consumed by anti-matter. I was in a real shithole called Vanishing Point with the other superheroes. We stayed there for months. Then I went to a planet called Maltus to stop Mar Novu from creating his duplicate. And then, we were at the Dawn of Time!"
"The Dawn of Time? The Dawn of Time of what? Mar Novu? What is a Mar Novu?" Quill asked, bewildered, not understanding what his friend was saying.
"Mar Novu? The Monitor? What about his evil doppelganger, the Anti-Monitor?" What about a bald moron who thinks he's a genius? Does that really mean nothing to you?"
"The rodent has gone nuts," Nebula muttered in his corner. "That was to be expected!"
"I am Groot?" Groot continued, puzzled.
"Are you kidding me? You don't remember anything?" Rocket grew angry.
His teammates looked at each other with great anxiety, wondering if Rocket wouldn't be ill.
"I have no idea what you're talking about, Rocket," Star-Lord answered stunned. "The Anti-Monitor? A name like that, I wouldn't have forgotten it!"
Then the raccoon remembered the other heroes. What had happened with the Paragons? They had to get back to Earth quickly. If there really was an Earth.
Notes:
Thank you for reading and reviewing.
* RIP Stan Lee
In the next chapter, we'll find out what happened to Ant-Man and the Wasp. Many heroes share the same Earth as the Arrowverse's heroes.
Chapter 25
Notes:
Hello everyone. And now the Earths have merged. I don't know what my stories are yet, now that the timeline has changed. We continue with other changes. Anyways, the Injustice's Earth hasn't disappeared. It still exists.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Chapter 25
"Hope, anything?"
Ant-Man didn't know how long he and the Wasp had escaped the wave of anti-matter in the Quantum Realm. The two lovers had managed to reach a tunnel before it all disappeared. The Wasp was flying while carrying Scott with both arms. But neither of them had visibility into what they were seeing. They were crossing in complete darkness. Neither of them knew what to expect at the end of the dark tunnel.
"I have zero visibility," replied the Wasp, who was panicked.
"This way must lead to somewhere," Ant-Man insisted.
"What if there's nothing? And if it were just the anti-matter that awaits us…"
Suddenly there was a blinding flash.
"Hope, what is it?"
Then familiar voices sounded.
" Hope? Scott? Do you copy? "
Then, Ant-Man and the Wasp landed on a platform. They resumed their normal sizes. In amazement, they recognized the Quantum Tunnel machine.
Then Hank Pym and his wife joined them.
"Thank god, you came back!" the old man said happily.
The two Avengers raised their helmets and saw with amazement and relief Hope's parents who appeared to be alive and well.
"Mom! Dad!"
Immediately, she got up and ran to join her parents and hugged them both, much to their surprises.
"Sweetheart, you okay?" asked Janet, puzzled.
Scott stood up and looked at Hope's family in amazement.
"Hank! Janet! We are glad to see you again! This means that the wave of anti-matter hasn't yet hit Earth – 1!"
Hank pulled away from his daughter and looked at Scott in confusion.
"The wave of anti-matter? Earth – 1?"
Stunned, Hope anxiously joined her father.
"Dad, we have to get out of there quickly, before the anti-matter consumes us… it almost killed us in the Quantum Realm… We have to make contact with the Waverider and the Paragons!"
Very worried, Janet came over to caress her daughter's shoulders.
"Hope! Calm down! Did something happen in the Quantum Realm? What are these Paragons?"
"Why do you want us to contact the Waverider?" Hank added, more and more confused. "Are you talking about the Legends'timeship?"
Astonished, Hope looked at her father with wide eyes.
"Do you know the Legends?"
"Who wouldn't know them?" resumed her father. "They hang out with Green Arrow, Flash, and Supergirl."
Scott and Hope were both very stunned to hear Hank Pym mention the three heroes of two Earths.
"What the hell's happening? We lost contact with you two, we were worried sick!" Janet said anxiously. "Did something attack you there?"
"It's okay," Hank said, wanting to stay calm. "I'm sure it's nothing. They just got married. We need to give them a break."
"Yes, you're right," Janet agreed.
"We got married?!" exclaimed Scott and Hope, dumbfounded.
Janet looked horrified and put her hand on her forehead.
"Oh My God, they forgot their wedding!"
"Surely a time wave of the Quantum Realm that must have affected their memories, a chronoshift, probably," Hank continued distraught. "If they forgot their very recent wedding…"
"Our wedding?"Scott said, anxious and stunned, wondering if he had heard correctly.
Hope was speechless, unable to utter a word. Then Janet came to reassure her daughter.
"It's gonna to be okay, Hope. Don't worry. Stay here with Scott, we'll go get a doctor."
Hank gently put his hands on Ant-Man's shoulders.
"Don't worry, Scott! I will immediately call a doctor. It's gonna to be okay. You're my son-in-law, I won't let you down! Stay here with Hope, and don't move! We're coming back to see you with a doctor. Scott, Hope, are you both staying here?"
"Uh… okay," Scott agreed, in spite of himself nervously.
Hope was too shocked to answer. Taking her silence as a yes, Hank Pym and his wife left the lab in a hurry, very worried about the couple's sanity.
After they left, Hope sat down in a chair, completely dumbfounded. As Scott looked around, with utter incomprehension.
"At least we escaped anti-matter," he said.
"Scott, this is the Twilight Zone!" Hope exclaimed, still surprised.
"Do you think we're on another Earth in the Multiverse?" Scott suggested, panicked.
As he walked through the lab, he eventually found a framed photo, and what he saw confused him even more.
"Hope?"
"What now?" exclaimed the Wasp, wanting no more surprises.
Scott came back to her, with a stunned look and showed her the framed photo. It was a photo of Scott wearing his wedding suit, and Hope was standing next to him in a wedding dress. Both were smiling in the photo.
With shock and incomprehension, Hope looked at the photo then looked at Scott, who gave her a compassionate expression in anguish.
"We really are married!" he said to her.
"You've gotta be kidding me!" Hope continued in anguish.
"I don't need a doctor, I need a drink," Scott said stunned.
"It's another Earth! It must be another Earth!"
No, I'm afraid not.
Both Avengers looked up, surprised to hear a voice coming out of nowhere. Then J'onn J'onzz finally arrives in the laboratory. They immediately joined him with relief.
"J'onn," Hope said. "What the hell is happening?"
"Are we on another Earth that has not been touched by anti-matter?" Scott asked.
J'onn frowned, puzzled at Ant-Man's question, and replied:
"There is no more anti-matter. Where have you been?"
"In the Quantum Realm," Hope replied alarmed. "We were trying to reach several Earths when the anti-matter almost killed us! We narrowly escaped and ended up here! J'onn, what's this?"
"Are we dead?" Scott said, alarmed.
"I need to tell you what happened," said the neutral Martian and urging the two Avengers to remain calm.
Spider-Man hovered from web to web around the buildings of New York. He had regained consciousness in the middle of nowhere. He had no idea how he had ended up there. He had tried to contact his aunt, Happy, Ned and MJ. But their numbers were blocked. Had he returned to his New York before the Crisis? Was everything back to normal?
Not knowing what else to do, Spider-Man leapt over the city skyline, looking for his loved ones.
Then, unexpectedly, an electric net wrapped around him, and fell like a stone on the roof of one of the skyscrapers.
"Damn! What the hell happened?" exclaimed the young Avenger, struggling.
Then the silhouette of a man came towards him. He was a tall, dark-haired man who was very unfriendly and who looked at his captive with contempt. The young hero noticed that the man was wearing an open trenchcoat, including a black t-shirt with the design of a skull.
"This is the end for you, Spider-Man! Or should I say Parker!"
"Who the fuck are you?"
"I'm the Punisher, and you better be cooperative if you don't want me to shoot you in the head!" growled the angry man.
"What do you want from me?" Spider-Man got angry, trying to struggle.
"Everyone says you killed Mysterio, a great superhero who saved us from an alien threat. So, kid, you better tell me why you killed him. If you answer without making a fuss, either I'll hand you over to the police, or I'll kill you! What do you choose, kiddo?"
Spider-Man had just fought against the Anti-Monitor army, only to be threatened by a berserk gun guy.
"What I'm about to tell you is the truth. Quentin Beck was no hero. Mysterio was a joke. I didn't kill anyone. Beck threatened to kill my friends…"
The Punisher drew his gun, nearly hitting Spider-Man in the head.
"No, no, no lies! My patience is wearing thin, boy! Tell me why you killed Beck or if not…"
As he threatened him with a gun, a blowing wind threw him away, then a red blur threw him to the ground, at full speed. Within seconds, the Punisher was tied up and pinned to the ground.
Then Spider-Man saw Supergirl, who tore off this metal net with her super fists. And she helped him up.
"You okay?"she asked him worriedly.
Then Flash, after knocking out the Punisher, came up to them, smiling.
"Hey Spider-Man!"
The latter looked at the two heroes who had just landed to save his life.
"Supergirl? Flash? What are you guys doing on my Earth?"
The two heroes looked at each other, sharing an embarrassed look, then it was Supergirl who answered him:
"Peter. This is our Earth now."
"Our Earth?"
"Peter, do you remember the Dawn of Time? After the Anti-Monitor?" Flash asked him gently.
Spider-Man thinks about it, then ends up responding:
"Yes, I remember Oliver, and the birth of the universe… and… and… (He looked up, having understood.) Wait, you're telling me that… this is our new universe? Didn't we… bring back the Earths like before?"
"When we recreated our universe, all of our worlds merged," Supergirl explained to him with a compassionate look. "Before, we live on several separate Earths. And now… we live on the same Earth. My cousin… me… Flash… And the Avengers… We're all on the same Earth. The reality as we knew it is no longer the same. Only Paragons know what is different. Then you, me, Barry, Kate, Thor, J'onn, Ryan Choi, Sara… and even Lex!"
Spider-Man removed his mask, revealing Peter's face. He was stunned.
"So… there are no more Multiverses? There is… only one universe?" he stammered in amazement.
"Yes," Flash agreed with a sigh. "Kara and I were confused when we found out. For us everything's different, but not for others. For everyone, we've always lived on the same Earth. And now there are a lot of changes."
"Lots of changes," Supergirl said, nodding.
"Holy crap!" exclaimed Peter, dumbfounded.
"Yeah," the sympathetic speedster nodded. "It's a lot to process…"
"Yes, that's a big lot!" The young Avenger replied, shocked and dumbfounded.
J'onn had just finished telling Ant-Man and the Wasp about the latest events of the Crisis. The Vanishing Point. Speed Force. Then, the Dawn of Time, and the creation of the new universe.
Scott and Hope were totally bewildered. After a long alarming silence, Scott spoke:
"So… this new Earth… is ours?"
"Yes," J'onn agreed in a neutral tone.
"The Supers, Flash, all the others, are part of our universe?" Hope said, shocked, just regaining the use of speech. "It's… It's really… creepy! There are no more Multiverse!"
"We've reunited with our friends," J'onn explained. "But things aren't anymore as they were before the Crisis. Nothing is like before. And the only ones who know what's different are the Paragons."
"Hey wait… Hope and I aren't Paragons," Scott pointed out. "So how do we know what is different?"
"The Quantum Realm," Hope replied, still stunned. "We stayed there for a very long time. And I think we must have gone through a time vortex that projected us into this new universe."
"So… Hope and I… are we really married?" Scott exclaimed, his eyes wide in amazement.
"Looks like," replied the Martian with a compassionate look. "I have to go, I have to go find all our allies, and make them understand what happened to our universe."
Then he was gone, leaving Ant-Man and the Wasp alone in shock. After a silence, Scott spoke again:
"When I left the Quantum Realm on my own, it was to find myself in a world that had lost its half, and now… during this Crisis, when we come out, we are in a new universe. With Supergirl, Flash, the Legends… on this new Earth?"
"Scott, I think we're not at the end of our surprises," Hope decreed, still alarmed.
Finally, Hank and Janet returned to the lab with a doctor.
"Scott, Hope, I brought a doctor. He's going to check you out," Hope's father told them gently.
Embarrassed, the two lovers looked at each other, then got up to join them.
"Uh… look, Hank," Scott said hastily. "Sorry that we scared you… But I think Hope and I need a little rest…"
"Yeah Dad." Hope agreed, embarrassed. "Scott's right, I'm very tired. I really need to rest."
But Janet remained adamant.
"There is nothing to discuss. You let the doctor check you. We still don't know what danger there may be in the Quantum Realm."
"You're so right." Scott muttered, rolling his eyes, before Hope nudged him on the shoulder.
"Sorry Scott, I'm sorry, but she insisted on coming to see you," Hank said. "She's really as stubborn as you!"
"Who?" whispered Ant-Man in bewilderment.
Then it was a little girl who arrived in the laboratory running towards Ant-Man.
"Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!"
And she was running over to Scott, giving him a hug. He looked at the little girl in amazement.
"Cassie?"
"Hi Daddy, I'm glad to see you," said the little girl with a beaming smile. "Hey Hope!"
"Hey… Cassie," added Hope, who was as stunned as Ant-Man at the sight of Cassie becoming a little girl again.
The last time they had seen Cassie before the Crisis, she was a teenager. And today, she seemed to have rejuvenated. Scott found his daughter as she was before Thanos destroyed half the universe.
"Cassie… you are… you are… you are younger…" Scott pointed out, confused by his new reality. "My… Peanut…"
"I'm still younger than you, silly!" laughed young Cassie.
"Scott, are you all right?" Hank said worried again at the sight of Ant-Man with his daughter.
After a brief glance at his daughter, Scott lifted his head, feeling like an idiot.
"I think you're right: I don't mind the doctor taking a look at me and giving me a lot of painkillers. And I want morphine. It'll do me good!"
"Same for me," Hope agreed feeling like an exhausted athlete.
Wakanda
In his sister Shuri's lab, T'Challa admired the technical advancements of his new Black Panther suit. As always his sister couldn't help but rave about reciting her technical jargon that had taken to design his new armor.
"You've outdone yourself, Shuri, as always," Black Panther congratulated her.
"Thank you, brother."
Then J'onn joined them.
"Black Panther! Shuri!"
The two Wakandans looked at the Martian in amazement.
"J'onn J'onzz. What are you doing in Wakanda? Did Supergirl send you?" asked the King of Wakanda. "Something's wrong?"
"Not anymore," J'onn replied. "Things are not the way they used to be. Everything changed."
"What do you mean?" Shuri asked, puzzled.
J'onn walked over to T'Challa, raising his hand to his forehead.
"You're going to find out."
And he used his telepathic powers on T'Chala, making him remember the whole Crisis, as well as the reality as it was, before the crossover.
T'Challa saw himself battling Shadow Demons in Supergirl's Earth, then his passage through the anti-matter cannon with both Flash and Black Lightning. For then, when the wave of anti-matter disintegrated the whole Waverider.
Finally, J'onn withdrew his hand. T'Challa was confused by all his old memories. Worried, Shuri joined her brother.
"What did you do to him?"
Without a word, J'onn returned the memories to Black Panther's sister. And like her brother, she remembered the whole Crisis. As well as the end of the Multiverse.
Soon after, T'Challa and his sister looked at the Martian with wide, wide eyes.
"I remember…" Shuri whispered, confused. "I remember the Crisis. The Anti-Monitor. The two Supermen. And the wave of anti-matter…"
After a moment of bewilderment, T'Challa regained his senses and eyed the Martian with a loud voice:
"J'onn, what happened? Are we back? Like after Thanos?"
"Not quite," corrected the Green Martian. "I have to tell you what happened. We brought back the universe, but the world is no longer the way you knew it."
Shuri looked at her brother, then J'onn in dismay.
Westchester, New York
Supergirl and The Flash roamed the country, discovering all the changes in their new Earth. After realizing that the Avengers were part of their universe, the Girl of Steel had the idea of going for a ride to New York. If Juggernaut was on their new Earth, were the X-Men a part of it as well?
Supergirl flew over New York, with Spider-Man, fluttering with her webs. Then they came to a Manor that they both knew so well. The X-Mansion.
The two heroes were shocked.
"Is that…" said Spider-Man, amazed.
"The X-Mansion?" stammered Supergirl. "The Mansion of the X-Men?"
Flash joined them in super-speed.
"Is that where the X-Men live?" he asked.
"There's only one way to find out," Supergirl said.
The three heroes entered the interior of the great Manor. Kara was shocked to realize that everything inside was as she had discovered it when she was in X-Men's Earth during the Crisis.
The three Paragons then saw the mutant students. As soon as they crossed the entrance, all the students gazed at them with ecstasy. Some even waved their smartphones to take pictures.
«Look, it's Supergirl!» «With the Flash from Central City!» «Why are they here?» «Oh My God!» «Supergirl!» «Supergirl!»
A few students followed them. The Paragons gave them friendly looks. Then two young teenage girls joined them. Supergirl recognized them as Dani Moonstar and Rahne Sinclair.
"Supergirl! Flash! Welcome to the X-Mansion!" Dani said jovially, shaking Kara's hand.
"What brings you to our Manor?" Rahne added ecstatically.
Flash waved to them, in a friendly tone. And Supergirl gave them a wide, benevolent smile.
"Hey girls! Dani and… Rahne, as I recall…"
At the mention of their first names, the two girls were even more ecstatic. They looked at each other with "Oh!" of amazement.
"She remembers us! She remembers our first names!" Rahne exclaimed excitedly. "Did you hear her?"
"Oh My God, that's so awesome!" Dani added as confused as her girlfriend.
"Yeah, yeah, girls, I remember you," Supergirl told them calmly, raising her hands. "Could you…"
But Rahne spoke again excitedly:
"Sorry Supergirl, could you ask Thor to come to the Mansion? We would like to take a picture with you two! You are our fans, both of you!"
"Hey, I'm the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man!" Peter proudly announced with a smile.
But neither of the two girls took an interest in him. They had only eyes on the Girl of Steel. Then, they noticed Flash and came to stand next to him.
"Flash, can we take a picture, please?" Rahne asked, still excited, brandishing a smartphone.
"Uh… yes," Flash answered a little embarrassed.
Immediately, the two girls positioned themselves next to Flash and Rahne raised her camera in the air to take the picture. Then they laughed with joy.
"Thanks, thanks," said the two girls.
Finally, Supergirl turned her head… and saw in amazement Scott Summers with Logan and Professor Charles Xavier, moving with his wheelchair, come towards her. All three were delighted.
After the two girls left, Flash and Spider-Man joined Supergirl, and looked stunned at the sight of the X-Men.
"Cyclops! Logan! Professor!" Kara chuckled with eyes of joy.
"Supergirl," Scott replied, just as jovial as the young woman.
"So you too, guys, are part of our universe now?" Flash wondered.
"Yes, my friends. It appears to be true." replied Charles, both surprised and delighted.
"Wait…" remarked Peter. "Do you remember us?"
"Before your arrival, your friend J'onn came to the Mansion," Scott explained, still happy.
Logan seemed to be totally overwhelmed. He felt like someone who had just been hit by a bus.
"Your Martian gave us a hell of a headache!" he wondered, at loose ends. "Before all this mess it was just us… now there's the Avengers… and all of you guys? I'm still having a hard time getting used to it."
"A positive result of this Crisis," resumed Charles, smiling. "Because it seems that in this world, mutants are not persecuted."
"Really?" Supergirl wondered.
"Yes, after your friend Martian left, we looked into what was different about us," Scott said with a smile. "There are a lot less anti-mutants. And the X-Men are officially accepted as superheroes in your gang. Thanks to you, Supergirl!"
"Thanks to me?"
"Yes," Charles replied with a smile. "We can say that the Crisis has had a good effect for all mutants. You pleaded for our cause. In this new world, Supergirl knew how to give hope to mutants and made it possible for humanity to accept us as real people. So I tell you… thank you Supergirl!"
Thus the X-Men were part of their new universe, and suffered no hatred, contempt or intolerance towards humans. Thanks to Supergirl? Immediately, the Girl of Steel understood then why the students of the Mansion were so ecstatic when they saw her inside the Manor.
At least, a positive result of this Crisis.
"I really need a beer!" Logan mumbled half-heartedly. "All these changes in reality are driving me crazy!"
"It's not just you," Flash replied, nodding.
Central city
Two workers were inspecting the depths of the city when they spotted Nash Wells' body lying unconscious on the ground.
"The hell?"
They ran to him, then one of them checked his pulse.
"Call for help. Now!"
As his colleague left for help, the other inspected the empty wall with his flashlight.
Star City
Sara Lance had just regained consciousness in an alley, totally lost. She had no idea how she had ended up there. She remembered the Dawn of Time and then… nothing at all.
With great bewilderment, she walked around her.
"How did I get back here?"
Then her mind was filled with memories. Memories of the Crisis. And of the Dawn of Time. Confused in her memories, she didn't notice a car that nearly crashed into her. Sara was able to avoid it, then ended up grabbing her phone.
She was relieved to hear her friend's voice.
"Ray, where are you?"
Later, she found Ray in a nearby bar, where her friend called out to her:
"Hey, Cap, over here!"
Relieved, Sara hurried to join her friend.
"Ray. Hey, hey!"
And she hugged him, delighted to find him, much to her friend's surprise. Sara had never given him such a warm hug. What was happening?
"Hey, you okay?" Ray said, frowning. "Not that I'm ever one to question a hug."
"What was the last thing that you remember?" the Captain of the Waverider asked hastily.
Ray frowned and replied:
"Uh, portaling to this location on your orders."
He had no idea what his friend was getting at.
Taken aback, Sara added in perplexity:
"You don't… remember coming here for trivia night and being teleported to an alternate Waverider to stop the Multiverse from being destroyed?"
"Wait?" Ray wondered ecstatically. "Was there a crossover? Were we invited? Did we win?"
That's certainly how it looks.
Sara and Ray stared at their surroundings, amazed at this mysterious voice that had just echoed out of nowhere.
"Did you just hear?" Ray said, confused.
Finally, J'onn J'onzz came over to them, eyes glowing red. He communicated with them, telepathically.
It's good to see you're both safe.
"J'onn!" Ray exclaimed, delighted. "That's a neat trick!"
Stunned, Sara looked at her friend and J'onn at the same time, stammering:
"Wait, you know J'onn J'onzz from Supergirl's Earth?"
"Of course I know J'onn." Ray replied nonchalantly. (Then he resumed his look of confusion.) "Wait, go back. Supergirl has her own Earth?"
"Not anymore," J'onn said, shaking his head. (At Sara's startled gaze, he added.) "When we restarted the universe, our worlds combined, and only we Paragons know it was ever any different. We're all on the same Earth now. Supergirl. The Avengers. Black Panther. Even the X-Men. We're all together on one Earth."
Sara looked at the Martian in dismay. So her whole world had just changed. While she was lost in thought, Ray still continued with joviality and confusion:
"Okay, sorry, guy, I'm a little lost here."
With a look of understanding, J'onn came to put his hand on Atom's forehead.
"Here, this'll be faster."
Anxious, Ray let his forehead touch him, and was assailed by memories. From the Crisis. From Earth – 38. From the other Waverider and his doppelganger who looked like Superman.
Ray looked confused by all his memories. He tried to come to his senses, with panic.
"Whoa, there was a multiverse. It all got destroyed. There was a Batman who had sacrificed himself, and there's a me that's a super me?" (He smiles proudly at the thought of his Earth – 96's doppelganger.)
Worried, Sara returned her attention to J'onn, who gently reassured her:
"It'll take him some time to assimilate to this new paradigm. I have been going from city to city restoring the memories of our compatriots as best I can. I found Ant-Man and the Wasp. They still have their memories, for they were somewhere in the Quantum Realm when our new universe was created."
"And what about Oliver?" she asked alarmed.
If the universe had been restored to any degree, Oliver Queen might still be alive again. Unfortunately, J'onn looked serious before responding sadly.
"There's been no sign of him."
No sign of him? Was Oliver still dead?
Sara couldn't bring herself to do so and hurriedly left the bar.
"Hey, where are you going?" Ray asked, distraught.
"To find my friend," said young Lance without looking behind her as she left the bar.
She had reached the Green Arrow bunker in Star City. Once the elevator took her to the Arrow's lair, Sara called her friend apprehensively:
"Oliver? Oliver?"
She looked around, but saw no sign of him. She saw the mannequin where the Green Arrow's suit usually sat. But to her disappointment, there was nothing on it.
Sadly, she looked at the stripped mannequin, when she heard a familiar voice:
"Sara?"
She turned around and found John Diggle, Rene Ramirez and Dinah Drake there. All three looked sad.
Moved, she joined them.
"I need to talk to you guys…"
"We already know. We already know." John interrupted in a sad voice.
Sara noticed that Dinah had tears in her eyes. Dig seemed to be holding them back.
"Martian J'onn came by and gave us a splitting headache." Rene explained upset.
"Sara?" said another voice.
The latter turned and saw Clint Barton join the members of Team Arrow. He seemed to have aged ten years. And like the others, he tried to suppress his tears. Sara looked stunned, then remembered that now the Avengers were part of their world.
"Clint?" she exclaimed, stunned. "Why… why are you here?"
The Avengers archer swallows in sorrow as he responds:
"This morning… I was having lunch with my family when… (He sniffed sadly.) The Supergirl's Martian came to my farm… to me too, he gave me a splitting headache with the memories of the Crisis… He told me everything about the new universe… New Earth… All of us together… I asked him for news of Oliver, and he told me… that he had not returned… So I came straight to this city… This Star City… I can't believe a city like this could exist now… Anyway… Oliver's gone…"
"It all happened, didn't it?" Dinah stammered, tears in her eyes.
"He died twice, Sara." John said, crying this time.
"Yeah," agreed the young Lance.
"I wasn't there both times. Both times I failed him."
"Dig, you...…"
"It's okay… I wasn't there.(He cried even more.) He was my brother!"
"I know," Sara agreed. "Listen to me. Look, we all... we all died, the entire universe, the Multiverse. Now we're back that means, Oliver, he might be back too!"
But John didn't share her optimism and went to cry in a corner of the bunker. Clint lowered his head sadly, weeping.
Rene spoke:
"After the brain dump… We had Felicity run a global search. I mean, nobody's better at finding people, but they've got to be here to be found. "
But Sara refused to accept this. She couldn't believe Oliver was actually gone.
"You don't know. Look, when Oliver died, he became something else. He... he called it the Spectre. Then maybe, Felicity, she just can't find him in that form. Dig, Clint, guys, she just can't find him in this form…"
Neither Rene nor Dinah reacted to this. Then Clint answered her:
"I asked Banner and Rhodey to use whatever means they can to try to find Oliver. I did it after the Martian's departure. Before you got there, they contacted me to tell me they couldn't find him."
But Sara continued to shake her head.
"They can't find him because he's the Spectre…"
"Banner has been contacted Doctor Strange," Clint said as if Sara hadn't said anything. "But I don't think he'll find him… He couldn't find Wanda Maximoff, so Oliver… It's highly unlikely!"
"Sara," John continued, joining the young woman. "Sara, gone is gone. He's gone."
At that moment, a golden circle appeared out of nowhere in Arrow's bunker, and then the silhouette of Stephen Strange, aka Doctor Strange arrived in the Arrowcave with a solemn gaze.
"I'm sorry! I looked everywhere in every nook and cranny of the cosmos! There is no Oliver Queen, no Specter! No signs! It was as if he had ceased to exist when this new world came into being. (He looked at Team Arrow in sorrow.) I'm so sorry. I wish I could have found him. All my condolences."
John then looked at Sara, still with tears in his eyes.
"You see, Sara. Like Clint said, he's gone."
"No, no, no, it can't be!" Sara cried with tears in her eyes. "Not Oliver! Not him! He can't be… He can't…"
And she found herself in Dig's arms. Both mourned the death of Oliver Queen. Clint came to put his hand on young Lance's shoulder, sobbing.
Then it was Rene and Dinah who hugged each other, both with tears in their eyes.
Central City
At Star Labs, Caitlin was busy treating Nash Wells, still unconscious in the lab's medical room.
Then footsteps echoed. J'onn, T'Challa (who was wearing the Black Panther outfit) and Shuri entered the hospital wing. The two Wakandans were still amazed at the appearance of this city in their new universe.
Caitlin noticed her three visitors and joined them.
"J'onn? Black Panther? Shuri? What are you doing here? Is something wrong?"
Shuri raised her eyebrows, incredulous at the puzzlement of the young woman, who seemed to act as if she knew them. Even her brother was still surprised.
J'onn responded, eyeing the unconscious Nash in disgust.
"Not anymore, no thanks to him."
The two Wakandans had their eyes fixed on the inert Wells, both were very angry.
"Do you know why he's like this?"Caitlin wondered, not understanding their resentment towards him.
"After what happened to him, it's surprising that he's still alive," Shuri muttered, looking at Nash lifeless.
"I'll show you," J'onn said, putting his hand on the Star Labs scientist's forehead.
Immediately, memories of the Crisis sprang into Caitlin Snow's mind, remembering it all. After a shock, she now looked at Nash Wells with fury, as for the two Wakandans.
"This is all his fault." she whispered.
"Yes, he's the one who released the Anti-Monitor and caused all this whole Crisis," T'Challa replied in a calm voice, but with great fury.
"He paid dearly for his misjudgment," J'onn continued, still furious.
"But not as much as some others." Shuri replied, gazing up at Nash with furious eyes.
Suddenly Nash regained consciousness screaming.
"What happened?" he stammered dazed in confusion. "Where am I? How did I get here?"
"What happened?" Shuri roared angrily. "What happened? Really? I can tell you what happened, you caused the end of the Multiverse! You have doomed countless Earths! Billions of lives…"
"You nearly damned us all to hell, Nash Wells!" J'onn yelled in rage.
Still confused, Nash just nodded, and got up from his bed.
"Well, that's an introduction, ladies and gentlemen. Who the hell are you and what are you talking about?"
"You need to stay calm. Your system's still recovering." Caitlin suggested coldly.
But Nash just chuckled as if it was all a tasteless joke. He grabbed his satchel.
"You… you need to calm down. I'm not gonna stay here, get lectured by some government suit who…"
"You can't demand anything, Wells!" T'Challa snapped back. "Especially after what you did!"
"What I did? Excuse me, Mister – who has strange technological armor – but I've no idea what you're talking about," he continued with indifference.
As he was about to leave, J'onn grabbed him by the shoulder and used his hand to restore his memory. Immediately Nash remembered having caused the whole Crisis. The release of the Anti-Monitor. Pariah. The end of the worlds. All of them.
After the Martian removed his hand from Nash's forehead, Nash gasped in horror and dismay. He leaned on the bed so as not to collapse. The whole weight of guilt hit him like a missile. This time, he no longer took it lightly. He gasped in horror, stammering:
"God! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"
But neither Caitlin nor T'Challa, Shuri or even J'onn shared the slightest empathy with him. All four stared at him angrily.
"It's too late to be sorry! The damage is done!" T'Challa said calmly, but still with an angry look.
"It's not enough that you're sorry!" Shuri bellowed with rage in her eyes.
"And that will never be enough," J'onn added, not calming his rage. "This is all your fault!"
With difficulty, Nash looked at the four people who glared at him, and spoke in a broken voice:
"It is my fault! (Then he walked over to J'onn and T'Challa.) But you... you solved it. You and the others, you saved the universe. You fixed my mistake. Right?"
He gave a look of despair, wanting to convince himself that his fault had been corrected. But judging by the hostile looks of his interlocutors, he realized that wasn't.
"Not entirely!" resumed the Martian angrily.
"From now on, nothing will ever be the same," T'Challa clarified, approaching Nash with an icy look. "And you're gonna have to live with that guilt for the rest of your life, Nash Wells!"
Star City
At the Green Arrow's bunker, Barry, Supergirl, Thor and Peter arrived in the Arrowcave in ecstasy.
"Whoa! What the f…" exclaimed Peter overjoyed.
"So it really happened!" Thor exclaimed stunned, looking at the bunker.
"It's true." Barry added jovially. "We all live on the same Earth now."
"All the Earths must have merged when we helped Oliver reboot the universe." Thor suggested, stepping into the bunker.
"I can't believe it," Supergirl said ecstatically.
Then they came to see the whole Team of Arrow, with Clint Barton and Doctor Strange who didn't share their enthusiasm.
"What are you guys doing here?" Sara asked them in a sad voice.
"We had to see if it was true." replied Supergirl.
"We're exploring the changes in this new Earth," Thor added cheerfully. "I've lived a long life, and I never thought I would see this with my own eyes! A new universe created like this with all of us together, it's incredible! Even for me! If my father would have seen this…"
"The DEO, CatCo, all of National City is on this Earth now!" said the Girl of Steel excitedly. "The Avengers! The Avengers compound! Wakanda! Black Panther! The X-Men! There are even the Fantastic Four! And Argo's up there."
"It means that we did it," added Peter jovial too.
"Yes," Supergirl said, smiling with joy. "We saved everyone!"
Thor smiled, then noticed the grief of everyone in the bunker. He stopped smiling and asked them with a frown:
"What's wrong?"
"We didn't save everyone," Sara said in a tone that was anything but joy.
Immediately, the new heroes ceased to be jovial.
"What's the matter?" Peter asked, taken aback.
Sara walked away.
Then it was Team Arrow who came to welcome the four heroes who had just arrived.
Rene spoke with a somber look:
"Oliver… He didn't make it."
At this revelation, Barry, Supergirl, Thor, and Peter looked upset.
"Oliver hasn't come back?" cried Peter mortified. "Is he… still dead? I thought…"
"He hasn't come back," Clint objected, shaking his head. "He won't."
"His body, whether astral or physical, cannot be found in the entire cosmos," added Doctor Strange.
Peter collapsed to the ground, sobbing. Even Thor was sad.
"When I came to my senses in this new universe…" he stammered with sorrow. "I... I had hoped he could come back to us… Oliver…"
"Guess we just have to face facts." Dinah added.
"No, that's not… that's…" cried Barry upset.
"Why did he give everyone a new start, but not him?" Supergirl retorted with sadness and disbelief.
"Maybe this was the only way, Kara!" John replied with a sad expression. "Maybe his sacrifice made all of this possible. Him for us."
"Surely," Thor agreed with sorrow. "Before he died, he'd said… that it was his destiny. That he was supposed to die during the Crisis, as the Monitor said would happen. An end and a beginning."
"And that's what happened," Strange explained. "The end of our universe as we have known it, and now… the creation of this new Earth. Our reality isn't the same as before. Everything changed. There was no other way than the sacrifice of Oliver Queen for this new universe to emerge. If I had the power to bring him back, I would have. But I can't bring back a dead man."
Then an alarm interrupted them.
"What is that?" Renee said.
John ran over to the bunker monitors.
"We're being attacked."
"By who?" Supergirl declared.
Peter stopped crying and joined the heroes of Team Arrow, wanting to help. Diggle looked at the monitors and said in disbelief:
"You wouldn't believe it if I told you!"
The city of Star City was under attack by… a 50 foot Beebo plush toy. He walked through the streets of the city. The citizens ran in panic to take refuge for shelter. The police fired at the giant stuffed animal, but their bullets had no effect on the giant Beebo, which continued to advance, causing the city ground to shake like small earthquakes.
"BEEBO HUNGRY!" the plush bellowed, stepping forward and sneering.
Notes:
Thanks for reading and reviewing.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I have planned other changes that will justify Cassie Lang's rejuvenation.
Chapter 26
Notes:
Hey everyone. And we go on with Giant Beebo, and other changes in the timeline.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Chapter 26
"Is that... what I think it is?" Thor exclaimed stunned.
"Holy crap!" Peter exclaimed mortified.
"Is that a… a giant teddy bear talking?" Clint added, bewildered. "I miss the Multiverse already."
"How the hell did Beebo get here?" Sara exclaimed, confused and stunned.
"Isn't the more pressing question why is there a giant Beebo walking down the street?" Rene pointed out.
"Well, this wouldn't be the first time." said young Lance.
"Because it's common to see a city attacked by a giant teddy bear?" Clint said, completely bewildered.
"Uh…" said Sara with confusion. "It's a long story!"
"That's right." Barry replied. "Wally told us about the time you guys used those totems to turn yourselves into a giant Beebo to fight a time demon!"
"I guess it's not a long story." Sara admitted, nodding.
"Could that be what's happening here?" Supergirl wondered, dazed.
"Our universe really looks like the Twilight Zone?" Peter Parker continued with dismay.
"I think I'm gonna have a heart attack!" Clint resumed completely upset. "Demons who turn into evil stuffed animals?"
"Like in Demonic Toys?" Peter suggested, still stunned.
"Excuse me, could we focus on how to destroy this gigantic thing that invades this city?" Strange suggested, shocked by the appearance of the giant Beebo.
"Whatever this thing, we have to take care of it!" Thor declared.
Sara immediately contacted the Legends
"Ava, Nate, you there? I need a twenty on Behrad and his totem."
At the Waverider, Ava Sharpe came to answer her in anguish.
"Sara, are you okay? Ray called us to tell us you were on some special mission."
Beside was Nate Heywood who added:
"But he's a little flimsy with the deets, so what's the haps, Cap?"
Sara didn't know how to explain everything that had just happened during the Crisis, and the changes it had brought to their world. But the most urgent thing was to neutralize the giant Beebo.
"Yeah, we've been busy saving the Multiverse." she stammered.
"You got shanghaied into another crossover, didn't you?" Nate assumed.
Sara watched the other heroes interact with Strange and the two Avengers in the bunker, before confirming:
"Hmm, yeah, kind of."
"Whoa, whoa. Did they kidnap you?" Ava asked, raising an eyebrow.
"This is a classic crossover move. We tell 'em we're too busy, they commit a felony." Nate exclaimed.
"I'm sure it's still a problem with the Avengers!" Ava said, nodding her head.
"Guys, Beebo is rampaging through Star City." Sara said hastily. "Does Behrad have his totem?"
"Beebo?" Ava wondered. "That doesn't make any sense. You would need all six totems to make that happen, and Behrad's definitely still on the ship."
"All right, I gotta go." the young Lance replied, realizing that the presence of the giant Beebo wasn't linked to a totem.
"Wait, do you need help?" Nate offered.
"No, stay in DC. I don't want any more of my people getting roped into this mess."
"Well, here's the thing. One of us is kind of already there." Ava said.
"Who?"
Mick Rory alias Heatwave, also a member of Legends, was in a library for a book signing of his new erotic novel under the name Rebecca Silver. Women lined up to get a signature for her book.
"And who should I make this out to?" the ex-criminal asked, jovially.
"Doris," the woman in front of him replied cheerfully. "I'm such a huge fan, Rebecca. I mean, what should I call you?"
"Rebecca's fine." Mick replied, smiling and signing the first page of the copy of his book. «To Doris. Thanks for the passion, love…»
But a fierce growl echoed outside the bookstore. Mick looked up to see a crowd of people fleeing screaming in terror. And the ground began to shake, creating small earthquakes.
Frowning, Mick walked towards the entrance, and looked horrified when he saw a huge ball of bluish hair that could only be a giant Beebo. He had always hated this stuffed animal.
"Fur ball!" he cried, eyes wide in amazement.
Beebo continued to rampage through the streets, as Supergirl, Atom, Flash, Spider-Man and Thor stood in his way, trying to find a way to stop him.
"Oh, man, I can't believe Nate's gonna miss seeing Beebo." Ray scolded enthusiastically. "He's gonna be so jealous!"
"It's… really a giant stuffed animal?" cried Spider-Man in a shocked voice. "Come on, did we fight Thanos and the Anti-Monitor, and then go face off against a giant teddy bear?"
"What's the plan?" Flash asked, as shocked as the others.
Then, to the heroes' surprise, Atom took out his smartphone and took a picture of himself right in front of the giant stuffed animal.
"Smile, Beebo." he exclaimed ecstatically.
"Really, man?" Spider-Man continued.
"What? Are you…" Supergirl added in amazement.
"Oh, sorry, you guys don't wanna be in it?" Atom said as if nothing had happened. "Oh, bad timing!"
"Hey man, we have a giant teddy bear ravaging a city!" Spider-Man exclaimed. "We should focus on that!"
"Yeah sorry!" Ray stammered.
In Arrow's bunker, the other heroes were still shocked by the appearance of the stuffed monster that kept advancing through the city.
"Is this seriously happening right now?" Diggle exclaimed, dazed.
"It looks like," Strange replied, as amazed as everyone else.
"Well, maybe it's a good thing." Sara replied, nodding.
"Guess we could all use the distraction." Dinah added.
"Right, compartmentalize," agreed Dig. "Focus on the work, good idea."
"As a distraction, I think I would have preferred Godzilla or an army of aliens rather than a giant teddy bear!" Clint retorted, shocked by the appearance of the giant Beebo. (He turned to Sara and Team Arrow.) "Is that really the way it is in your universe, guys? Fighting teddy bear the size of the Statue of Liberty?"
"Sort of," Sara replied awkwardly.
"Oh God, this new universe sucks!"
As the heroes mulled over a way to defeat giant Beebo, a flying device came straight into Star City. Everyone recognized him as the Quinjet of the Avengers. He passed just over Beebo. Then two figures came flying straight over the city. War Machine and Sam Wilson, aka the Falcon who became the new Captain America.
Everyone looked stunned, before remembering that the Avengers were part of their new universe.
"I'm gonna need some time to get used to it," Supergirl said as she saw the two new heroes fly towards them.
"Seriously, a giant teddy bear in a city?" Sam cried, landing on the floor.
"This is new, even for Star City," War Machine said. (Addressing all the heroes.) "Thor. Supergirl. Flash. Atom. Spider-Man."
"Hi guys," Flash said still amazed by the heroes' presence in their new world.
"This is a mess, even for Star City," Sam said.
"Guys," Flash interjected anxiously, feeling tiny in front of the massive plush giant. "Guys, Beebo's still on the warpath. Any suggestions on how we take him down?"
At Arrow's bunker, as all the heroes gathered watched the screen monitors, Sara noticed a black vehicle parked very close to the heroes outside.
"Hey, what is that?"
"That's a utility truck. Why?" said Diggle.
"Are you guys ready to do a tag team trip up?" Sara announced.
"Yeah. What do you have in mind?" Flash said, confused.
"All right, Supergirl, Thor, Atom, War Machine and Wilson, keep him contained. Flash, use those cables to your left. Spider-Man, use your webs to slow it down."
"All right, got it!" said the five heroes, each having a role to play.
Spider-Man leapt up with his webs, and hovered around the giant Beebo, using his spider web to tie up his feet. Supergirl, Atom, Thor, War Machine, and Sam flew around Beebo's head, distracting him with their assets. The Girl of Steel attacked him with her heat vision, Thor used his hammer and ax to throw lightning at him, Atom attacked him with his repulsors, War Machine attacked him with the weapons of his Iron-Man armor, and Sam didn't stop shooting him with his guns.
"BEEBO WANTS CUDDLES!"growled the plush giant.
"Did this thing really just speak?" exclaimed the Falcon, flying around him.
"Focus, Sam," War Machine retorted.
Flash whirled around his feet at super speed, wearing out the cable of the work truck.
"Is this actually happening?" exclaimed Dinah. (Then she turned to Clint.) "Is it?"
"Hey, this is your city, guys! Not mine!" the Avengers' archer exclaimed, raising his arms innocently. "In my world, we have never fought against a giant teddy bear!"
"Is this what all the crossovers are like?" Rene asked.
"Yes and not exactly!" Sara nodded, smiling.
"Thank god, I'm fine," Clint replied, relieved.
"I don't think I'd ever see teddy bears the same way again," Strange retorted, dumbfounded at the sight of the teddy giant.
" I'm never letting my child watch that show again." Diggle said, crossing his arms with a grave expression.
"Fortunately my kids don't play with that!" Clint said, shocked.
Once the giant was tied up, Flash stretched the cable as long as he could.
"Done!"
"All right, now get him moving." Sara said.
It was then that Mick arrived on the battlefield, brandishing his gun straight at the giant creature.
"Die, fur ball!" he roared fiercely.
"Mick?" Sara asked, dumbfounded.
"That blue bastard ruined my book signing!" he growled angrily and fired at Beebo.
As Heatwave pulled at the giant plush, Supergirl, Atom, and Thor joined Flash on the ground. Spider-Man stretched his web as far as he could to slow Beebo.
"I would never see toys like this again for the rest of my life!" he declared, pulling with his web.
Supergirl, Thor, and Atom grabbed the cable behind Flash and started shooting with it. Mick went to join the troop behind the supersonic.
"The bigger they are…" said Flash.
"The harder they," added Supergirl, pulling on the cable.
But as everyone pulled the cable, Beebo kept moving, and the cable only went through him, as if the giant plush was immaterial. Spider-Man pulled his web, which also passed through Beebo's gigantic body.
"Oh man, what the fucking…?" exclaimed the young Avenger.
In the air, War Machine and Sam kept firing at Beebo, but their attacks were ineffective. Stunned, Thor hurled Mjolnir and Stormbreaker straight at the creature who only passed through him without causing him any damage.
"I don't understand," the God of Thunder muttered, dumbfounded.
"What the hell?" Sara wondered, dumbfounded.
"So this thing can't be killed?" Clint replied stunned. "This is great!"
Atom looked at the sensors on his suit and noticed something strange.
"Guys, something's off. I'm not reading any known elements, nothing off the periodic table."
"So this Beebo is intangible? Where can it come from?" Strange asked in Arrow's bunker, thoughtful.
At that moment, Batwoman arrived with her grappling hook, on the roof of a building in Star City.
"I don't think the rules apply to 50-foot talking plush toy." she said, looking up at the towering Beebo.
"Oh, Batwoman is on our Earth too?" Spider-Man exclaimed, delighted. "This is so cool!"
"What were you saying?" asked Supergirl, who had caught sight of her Gotham friend.
Beebo walked right past the building where Batwoman was, who continued to stare at the thing with a look of amazement.
"It's… unnatural."
"Alien?" Sara guessed.
"Hey!" Supergirl said, offended.
"Or magic?" Flash assumed. "Sara, don't you and the Legends deal with that kind of stuff all the time?"
"Magic," Strange nodded, thinking. "That's all it can be! This thing, this… Beebo doesn't really exist! It's a simple magical fabrication!"
"Maybe it's just here to keep us talking." Batwoman said.
"A diversion," Clint agreed.
"Yes, a diversion," replied Sara, having finally understood.
"But for what?" Flash wondered.
"A diversion for what?" Thor added, confused.
"I know what I'd do." Mick replied.
Elsewhere, a Star City bank was being robbed. A bandit wearing a magician's costume grabbed the wads of cash, utterly ecstatic.
"It is finally time for Sargon the Sorcerer to claim his reward!" he exclaimed, holding up his booty ecstatically.
As he raved about his booty, yellow lightning flashed out of nowhere. Then Flash and White Canary stood right in front of him, blocking his way. A golden circle appeared and Strange came straight ahead with a mischievous smile.
"Sargon the Sorcerer?" he exclaimed, laughing. "We don't know each other yet. Doctor Strange. Master of the Mystic Arts. Congratulations for your creation. It was very brilliant, I admit it! Too bad for you, Your sleight of hand wasn't enough to distract us. You didn't know who you were really dealing with!"
"Come on, man, Beebo?" Flash wondered. "Is nothing sacred?"
"You know, it's a smart move." White Canary said, amused too. "Distracting all the fuzz with giant fuzz, but someone should have told you. Beebo, he's off limits."
And at his words, she slammed a punch in the face of the bandit magician who collapsed to the ground.
Strange smirked in amusement at the sight of the wizard falling to the ground.
"For a so-called Sorcerer, you aren't very impressive. I'm almost disappointed!"
Immediately, the giant Beebo collapsed to the ground and turned into a large pile of goo.
"Got him again." Atom said happily.
"Never again," Thor grumbled in disgust.
"Do you think we'll have to… repackage all this?" Sam asked War Machine.
Spider-Man bounces and lands near Supergirl and the other heroes.
"It was nice to be here, Spider-Man!" the Girl of Steel said gently to him.
"I hope this doesn't become a habit," the young Avenger replied.
"Since we're on the same Earth, it might happen again," Supergirl nodded.
"I'm gonna need some time to get used to this new world," Spider-Man sighed.
Supergirl patted him on the shoulder compassionately. Then her gaze fell on someone. A person she thought she would never see again. Thor looked at what was left of Beebo, when he saw what Kara was seeing. And he couldn't believe that I see.
"My God!"
Natasha Romanoff arrived towards the troop of heroes, in her black outfit, with her long red hair… Very much alive, to the amazement of those who considered her dead. Natasha Romanoff aka Black Widow who had died on Vormir to obtain the Soul Stone to reverse what Thanos had destroyed. How could she still be alive?
Even Spider-Man looked stunned.
"What the…?"
"Nat?" Supergirl whispered, shocked.
"Romanoff?" cried Thor, eyes wide in amazement.
Not noticing the shock effect of the heroes, Natasha came up to them, with a big amused smile.
"Seriously, I really missed Beebozilla? It could have been fun! (She addressed all the heroes, who were in shock.) Hey guys!"
Dazed, Supergirl and Thor came towards her, while Spider-Man was frozen in astonishment.
"It's always a pleasure to see you, Supers!" Natasha said, still smiling.
Then to her surprise, Supergirl hugged her in a big hug.
"'Kay. Uh?" the Avenger woman exclaimed very confused. "Good morning to you too, Supergirl!"
Supergirl pulled back from her and looked at her in shock and amazement.
"Nat… are you… are you alive?"
Natasha raised her eyebrows in amusement. She looked like Alex who had looked at Kara like she was crazy earlier today.
"I have been alive since birth," she replied. "What's wrong?"
And then it was Thor who came to hug her, still to her surprise.
"Thanks, this is… very nice," stammered Natasha more and more confused. "Good morning to you too, Thor!"
Then he withdrew, looking at her with the same expression as Kara.
"My God, it's… it's…"
Natasha stopped smiling and looked at the two heroes curiously.
"Why are you looking at me like I'm a ghost? What's wrong with you two?"
Supergirl and Thor looked at each other, both confused and stunned. So in their new universe, Natasha Romanoff was alive in this new timeline.
"How is that possible?" asked Girl of Steel, shocked and dazed.
But Thor looked at her with a look as lost and bewildered as she was.
"I've no idea! In this new timeline, something had to be changed so that she was here…"
"Hey," Natasha called out to them. "I'm always in front of you guys! And now you're freaking me out! Why are you looking at me like I'm a ghost?"
But Supergirl and Thor could only look at her with incomprehension and amazement.
"Black Widow is back? Oh My God!" Spider-Man asked in a low voice.
At Arrow's bunker, Team Arrow was reunited with Ray, Mick and Clint celebrating their new Earth.
Rene opened a bottle of champagne.
"So how normal was that for everyone? And don't say very."
"Oh, well, with this new Earth, just may be." Ray replied as he poured her champagne.
"Well, dear God, I hope not." Diggle added.
"Same," Clint replied as he was being served champagne. "If I pulled out of the Avengers, it wasn't to face teddy bears the size of Godzilla! Gods, robots and aliens… That's enough for me! I still can't believe the Supers and you guys are in the same world now."
Then Rene went to serve Mick who was wary of the bottle.
"What is that?"
"Alcohol." replied Rene.
Finally, the former criminal agreed to allow himself to be served champagne. Immediately, his glass full, he swallowed it.
"Mm. Rory, huh? We had a Rory once on our team." said Rene smiling.
'We did,' Diggle admitted.
The elevator opened and Nash Wells arrived at the bunker. They all looked at him curiously.
"What's this?" said Diggle, frowning.
"Nash Wells, the asshole who caused this whole Crisis," Clint replied, sipping his glass of champagne.
"Was there a memo that went out on how to infiltrate our secret bunker?" Rene suggested, eyeing the newcomer with disdain.
"Why are you here?" Ray asked.
Clint stood up and eyed Wells contemptuously.
"You got a lot of nerve coming in here after what you did!"
Ignoring the archer, Nash came over to Team Arrow brandishing his arm, revealing one of his tech armbands.
"I'm here to warn you." he explained. (He showed them his armband.) "You see this? This gauntlet is primed to detect antimatter of which there has been a massive surge in the Star City area"
"You arrived too late, dude, we took care of it!" Clint muttered, sipping his glass. "You came for nothing, then get the hell out of here before I shoot an arrow at your forehead!"
"Did you really?" Nash said sarcastically. (He unveiled his blinking armband.) "My readings say different. This thing ain't over. As a matter of fact, it's just beginning."
Notes:
Thank you for reading and reviewing
And this is it, as you read it, Black Widow is back, alive and fine. There will be an explanation for her presence and that is related to the fact that Cassie Lang has rejuvenated.
Chapter 27
Notes:
Hello everyone. And thank you again for your reviews, it motivates me to finish this story.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Chapter 27
In National City, Supergirl gazed at her city from the rooftop of the CatCo Worldwide Media building. All these changes… She was confused. She had been researching the history of this new world. Lots of stories about the Avengers, from their first battle in New York with the Chitauri. She had learned that she had become Supergirl under the same circumstances as on her old timeline: by wanting to save her sister from a plane crash, except that in that plane, was also Lena Luthor. And to thank her for saving his sister, Lex Luthor then defended Kara and encouraged her to remain a hero for National City. In this new reality, Supergirl was very good friends with the Luthors. She couldn't accept being Lex's friend. It was inconceivable!
And while learning about the X-Men, Kara had discovered that she had been here to save all the mutants, when a mad scientist Lawrence Trask wanted to create an army of killer robots the Sentinels to control all the mutants on the planet. But these robots would have taken power over the whole world. Supergirl, Green Arrow, Flash and a few Legends had foiled Trask's machiavellian plans and prevented the Sentinels from being built. Since then, Lawrence Trask had been tried for crimes against humanity, and mutants accepted into world thanks to Supergirl who defended them, and Kara Danvers had published a favorable article to all mutants in the world. She understood better the ecstasy of Charles Xavier's students at the sight of Supergirl, their hero who had saved them.
As she pondered in her thoughts, she saw Thor join her in the air. With a worried look, he approached her with compassion.
"I came to see how you were," he said gently. "You left Star City fast. I wanted to hear from you. I know you're not fragile, Kara. But, I think you need to talk to someone about what just happened."
Supergirl snorted with a sarcastic look.
"There's not much to say. We are in a new world. A world that I don't know. I exist here. My life is almost the same, with a few differences. In this new Earth, I became a Supergirl after the Sokovia Accords. And it was Lex and Lena who defended me against the government that wanted to control me. It was thanks to Lex that I became a Supergirl. He and I are very good friends. But now that the only ones who know that everything is different are the Paragons and that this poisonous snake is one, we'll become never friends in the near future."
Thor smiles, despite himself with amusement.
"I know how you feel," he replied. "In this world, I too am friends with Luthor. Apparently he would have helped the Avengers in their battles, whether in New York or Sokovia… Lex has never been far, and he's a close friend of mine. The funny thing is that history as I know it's very different from this version. Luthor and I will never be friends. Not after what he did during the Crisis and even before."
Supergirl smiles at this response.
"Two of us will hate him," she replied warmly.
Thor burst out laughing.
"Believe me, the day Lex Luthor and I become friends will be when my Asgard kingdom comes back to life. And when my parents and my brother rise again."
"Haven't you had any changes in your life, Thor?" Kara asked him worriedly.
The asgardian shook his head, answering:
"Not a lot of changes. In this timeline, my life has unfolded almost as it did before the Crisis. My mother, killed by a Dark Elf. My father. My sister Hela. My Asgardian friends. Loki. Heimdall. They are still dead."
"So there was Thanos in our new universe," concluded Supergirl thoughtfully. "But I can't figure out how Natasha Romanoff can still be alive?"
Thor replied with a smile:
"I spoke to Banner, before joining you. He enlightened me on some events that changed in this timeline. In this side of the story, Thanos did come to Earth to take the Infinity Stones, but in this timeline, he never exterminated half of the universe. He appeared in Wakanda, he killed Vision and took his Stone. He had managed to collect all the Stones, and just as he was about to snap his fingers, we all pounced on him. You, me, Cap, Stark, Maximoff, Green Arrow and even Flash. We weren't divided this time. We were all together on Thanos. We all fought against him, and we managed to take his Gauntlet away from him, preventing him from wiping out half the universe. With his army defeated, and all of us reunited, the Avengers, you, Barry and his team, along with Green Arrow and the Legends, Thanos fled, and had gathered a new army to invade Earth until he recovered his Gauntlet. We hid the Infinity Stones, but Thanos stalked us all until he got them, threatening to kill everyone on Earth. Ant-Man and the Wasp even took part in revealing the Quantum Realm to us. We wanted to use this dimension to camouflage the Stones. But Thanos also used it to gather more volunteers for his army to bring down all of us. With all the devotees he had gathered, he set out to besiege entire cities, such as New York, National City, Star City, and Central City. Even I with my two weapons, we were insufficient to counter him. The only way to destroy him permanently was to use the Infinity Stones. After a year, Stark, having had a family he wanted to protect from this monster, chose to sacrifice himself to save us all. He ended up using the Gauntlet with the Infinity Stones and snapped his fingers. And that's how we defeated Thanos and his whole army who wanted to destroy Earth. Then, since we knew keeping the Stones together in one place was reckless, Captain America volunteered to use the Quantum Realm to separate the Infinity Stones in different places in the past. Until arriving in 1945, where he stayed there."
"So we stopped Thanos from destroying half of the universe," Supergirl concludes. "But despite that, Iron-Man still sacrificed himself, and Steve left to join Peggy Carter. And since Thanos never wiped out half of everyone, we never took a trip to the Quantum Realm to find the Infinity Stones, which is why Nat is still alive. Finally… This Nat… The one I knew, I had spent five years by her side to overcome our defeat and mourn those we had lost. We had become very close. And she sacrificed herself for the Soul Stone because she had nothing to lose. This new Nat isn't the one I knew. Just like this timeline, we haven't experienced any of it. For me, these are just stories. My version of what really happened is when Thanos… (She didn't dare finish the sentence, not wanting to bring back bad memories to her friend.) You know what I mean?"
Thor nodded.
"And you're right," he agreed. "When I see what I am in this universe, I feel like I have taken someone else's place. I don't remember having lived through all of this either. We're the only ones who know what's different. But anyway, this world might not be the one we used to know, but at least we have an Earth, as well as those we love who are still with us. All our loved ones are safe. And even if this Romanoff isn't the one you knew, at least she's alive, and that's most important. Oliver Queen sacrificed himself for this world to come into being. He would have liked us to be happy about it. I think he wanted to rectify our loss to Thanos. And even if we haven't really experienced it, it's better this way!"
Supergirl thought for a moment, pondering what Thor had just told her, and she knew he was right. Even though this world was almost foreign to him, at least her entourage was still there. She still had her sister and J'onn, Nia, Brainy, Lena, Kelly… She should be happy.
"Yes, it's better this way, you're right," she said, nodding her head. "And the fact that Nat's alive in this world, we should be happy."
"And we also have our families with us," Thor said kindly. "Family isn't just people you grew up with, it's people you meet, good people who make you better. You, Kara, you're part of my family. No matter who we are in this world, what will never change is the bond between us. I know I got better because of you, Kara. And that, I'll never forget. Whatever reality we live in."
Supergirl looked at her friend, smiling. She will need some time to come to terms with their new reality, nevertheless, she will continue to do good, as a superhero.
"You too, Thor, you are part of my family. Meeting you was one of the great moments of my life. And I won't forget that either."
Thor gave her a slight smile, and wanted to add something, when a strange hiss sounded. On their guard, Supergirl and Thor gazed into the dark skies of National City and discovered in amazement, a whole fleet of Shadow Demons rushing towards them, like a swarm of bees.
The Girl of Steel leapt into the air and threw it down with her heat vision. Thor sent lightning bolts from his body and hurled his hammer and ax at his enemies, destroying them completely.
Once the whole army had disintegrated, Supergirl looked at Thor in distress.
"They were Shadow Demons!"
"It can't be!" cried Thor in awe. "The Anti-Monitor is gone!"
Then J'onn's voice came in their thoughts.
"Supergirl? Thor? The Shadow Demons are back, and they seem to be targeting the Paragons!"
Horrified, the Girl of Steel gazed at Thor with fear.
"If they target the Paragons, then the others are in danger!"
Thor nodded, taken aback.
"Barry! Sara! Ryan Choi! Kate!"
"And Peter! We have to warn them!" Supergirl declared as she flew out of National City.
Ever since Strange learned that anti-matter still continued to threaten the planet, he had returned to Star City in Arrow's bunker. There he found Nash Wells who detailed to all the heroes gathered around him what he had learned:
"Something's not right."
"That thing still working?" Diggle said, gesturing to the armband in Wells' arm.
"Yeah," Nash replied smirk. "I built it myself. It's infallible."
"Too bad we can't say the same about you." Clint muttered with a dark look.
"So, if you pick up traces of anti-matter…?" Strange asked.
"Then our fight isn't done, is it?" said Diggle.
"No. Or worse, it's starting up all over again." Nash said.
"Oh damn…" exclaimed Clint Barton, shocked.
Elsewhere in Star City, Sara was sitting on a few steps, pondering the latest events and realizing that her whole world had just changed forever. Then Barry slowly walked over to her.
He came and sat down next to her.
"Hey." he asked her softly.
"How'd you find me?" Sara asked, frowning.
"You feel that gust of wind a few seconds ago? That was me. I did a quick search of the whole city for you. When you didn't come back for the post-Beebo celebration, I got a little worried."
Sara nodded, smiling, but lowering her head sadly. She pointed to a tree near them.
"Yeah. See that tree over there? My sister and I, we used to race to the top when we were little. I'd win every time."
She smiled wistfully, which Barry replied with the same smile.
"I used to think it was because I was a better climber, but now I think Laurel let me win 'cause she knew I was a sore loser. A lot has changed since then. I was an assassin. I was dead, now I'm the captain of a friggin' time ship. One thing remains the same. I'm still a sore loser."
"I know it's... it's hard," Barry replied in a friendly manner. "Not having Oliver here with us. But look at what his sacrifice made possible. Our world is... it's different... But at least it's safe."
"He was just the last tether to my old life, you know?" admitted young Lance. "And he was the only person left who knew me when I was just... me. With him gone, my connection to this world, this place, to that tree... It's gone."
"I know what it's like to lose family," Barry said gently. "My mom, my dad, each death felt like there was no moving forward, like life would never be the same."
"Yeah," said the young Lance, understanding what her friend was feeling.
"And I was right it's not the same," he said, nodding. "But... somehow it's okay. Family isn't just the people that you grew up with. It's the people you find, the ones you love, ones that make you crazy... Make you smile."
"When did you get so wise?" Sara asked playfully.
Then they both laughed, while Sara spoke again with a smile.
"The Legends, they are my family. They have been for a while. I guess I just... I always thought there would be at least someone who remembered what I was like before I got on that boat."
Then while Barry was lost in thought… A Shadow Demon appeared out of nowhere and attacked the speedster from behind. Acting quickly, Barry blasted into super-speed to dodge him, and Sara kicked him off, causing him to disappear in smoke.
"I thought we got rid of all those things." she exclaimed, stunned.
The Anti-Monitor was defeated. Why were the Shadow Demons still attacking?
As the two of them were thinking, they heard J'onn's voice speak in their heads.
"Barry, Sara, the Shadow Demons are back. I believe we are being hunted."
The Central City's speedster performed:
"If they're hunting the Paragons, that means..."
"… Ryan," Sara replied still stunned by the appearance of the dark creature.
Ryan Choi was having a pleasant evening. He had found his wife and daughter, both alive. He had just cuddled his baby, when a Shadow Demon appeared out of nowhere and stalked him inside his house. With his little girl in his arms, Ryan ran to take refuge in his baby's room. He tried to barricade the room with his baby's bed. But the Shadow Demon managed to demolish the door, pushing the bed aside. He was going to attack him, but he was floored by Sara who arrived at that moment. Just in time.
"Sara!" Ryan exclaimed, shocked. "What the hell's going on?"
"You have to come with me now!" she said hurriedly.
In New York, Spider-Man attempted to reach his temporary secret hiding place while waiting to find a way to prove his innocence in the Quentin Beck's death. Then, to his surprise, Shadow Demons started chasing him across the sky. The young Avenger fluttered from web to web, trying to throw them away. But the Demons caught up to him with no problem. Spider-Man whirled around and used his webs to strike them down. But eventually he ran out of cobwebs and fell into the void. He tried to catch up with something, but he could only fall into the void, to crash into Manhattan.
It was then that Supergirl rushed into the air, and managed to catch up with the young man.
"Gotcha!" she said, holding Spider-Man in her arms.
Then Thor flew through the air, using both of his weapons to wipe out the dark Demon army. Supergirl flew, taking Peter to the skies.
"Supergirl, what the fuck's going on?" Spider-Man exclaimed in a frightened voice. "I thought we were done with the Crisis!"
"That's what we thought too," she replied, carrying him away from New York. "The Shadow Demons are back and they're hunting the Paragons. That means us."
"Where are you taking me?"
"In a safe place."
Then a spaceship appeared above them. Supergirl looked up, but didn't attack when she recognized it.
"What the hell's that? An alien attack?" Spider-Man wondered.
"No, it's the Guardians of the Galaxy' ship," she replied, seeing her allies in the cockpit.
So they had come back to Earth.
"We came back at the right time!" Rocket declared.
Despite the raccoon's explanations, his Guardian friends were still skeptical of the latest events.
"So there is a guy called the Anti-Monitor who wanted to destroy multiple planets?" stammered Star-Lord dazed and confused.
"What's the Multiverse?" Mantis asked.
"When do we fight?" Drax added.
"I didn't understand what the rodent told us," Nebula replied in her corner, as if she weren't concerned.
In Arrow's bunker, Sara had led Ryan there to safety. The Guardians of the Galaxy had also joined the Team Arrow. At Rocket's request, J'onn J'onzz returned their memories to his friends about the Crisis, so they could better understand the situation.
But Quill was even more confused than before.
"There were so many Earths… One guy called the Monitor and another the Anti-Monitor? And now these things have returned?"
"Yeah," Rocket replied, nodding his head.
Then Sara spoke to all the heroes gathered.
"All right, Barry, J'onn, Thor, Supergirl, and Bat-Lady are gathering the troops. Black Panther has been warned. He'll join us in Star City. With Ant-Man and the Wasp. Those attacks were probably just the first wave. Assassins sent to pick us off in pairs."
"How are the Shadow Demons even still here? Didn't Oliver destroy the guy who controls them?" Dinah asked, puzzled.
"Thor told me Oliver killed him at the Dawn of Time," Clint added. "He should be dead!"
"Well, not according to the surge in anti-matter energy I'm reading." Nash said, brandishing his armband.
"The Anti-Monitor is alive?" Sara wondered.
"With these creatures that hunt Paragons, there's no question about it," Strange confirmed with a serious look.
"But you said Oliver sacrificed himself to create this new world." added Rene stunned.
"Apparently, his sacrifice didn't kill the Anti-Monitor." Ray explained.
"Well, then how do we do that?" Dinah said, raising her arms.
"Come on, guys, there are several of us on the same Earth," Clint pointed out. "There are enough of us to send this freak to hell!"
"Well, let's just throw him into the sun and let the bastard burn!" suggested Mick Rory.
At the sight of the former criminal, Rocket gave him a look of contempt. While Clint gave him a curious look.
"Who are you again?"
Then Nash spoke again with false joy:
"Oh yeah, let's throw him in the sun and cause an anti-matter explosion that obliterates the solar system. You know what, let's not do that."
"Hey, this mess is your fault!" Clint reminded him angrily. "Then I wouldn't be sarcastic if I were you! If you're brilliant, then make your neurons work and find a way to fix your mess!"
Sara nodded, replying:
"At least he's trying to offer up a solution instead of being the cause of the problem."
"That's the solution?" Nash retorted, not being taken down. "Blow up the solar system?"
Then Rocket intervened.
"Guys, guys, guys, guys! Come on, man! We've the biggest bastard in the whole universe who wants to destroy what you just recreated! Fighting like kids isn't the way to find a solution!"
"Yes, he's right, we're all on the same team, okay?" Ray interjected, trying to calm everyone down.
"No, Scrappy and Archer are right." Nash admitted, lowering his head. "It's my fault we're in this mess. We gotta fix it. Gotta fix it."
"It's just a little tricky." Ray admitted ironically.
"Oh really?" Clint muttered, still annoyed.
Then Ray continued, as if he hadn't been interrupted:
"The Anti-Monitor is made of anti-matter, and, like its opposite, it can neither be created nor destroyed. It can only…"
"Change form and move from place to place." Ryan suggested enthusiastically. "So what if we do just that? What if we could set off a chain reaction that will destabilize his form? Compressing his molecules so he's essentially shrinking for eternity."
"Is that kind of reaction even possible?" Nash asked, frowning.
"We have Ant-Man and the Wasp that can shrink and reach a microscopic universe that is invisible to the naked eye," Clint explained. "If they can do it, we can make this son of the bitch smaller!"
"And I can shrink too," Ray added proudly. "A bunch of times."
"So you think you can keep him shrinking indefinitely?" Nash said, still skeptical.
"Essentially, we'd be sending him to the Quantum Realm or to the Atomverse!" Ray Palmer concludes ecstatically.
"I like to call it the Microverse." Ryan replied excitedly.
"Ah, that's better."
"He could get stuck there for, like, ever."
"In theory it could totally work." concluded Ray to the other heroes. "But developing a device in time…"
"I can always ask Lang to bring Hope and Hank Pym," Clint suggested. "He's an expert in that."
"I can do that too," Nash replied. " I just gotta get to Star Labs."
After Wells left, Sara spoke again.
"Look, if this goes down anything like it did on Earth – 38, then things are gonna get messy."
"I am Groot," Groot exclaimed in a fearful whisper at the mention of Supergirl's ancient Earth.
"I suggest that the geniuses go make this weapon that can shrink our enemy while we occupy him here," Strange suggested.
"Good idea," Sara agreed. "Geek team, get on it. Mick, go with 'em, keep 'em safe."
Mick moaned plaintively at the thought of having to play bodyguard, but didn't say anything.
Then Sara said to the others:
"The rest of us, we'll need to hold back this incoming army."
"I love it when it's a fight," Drax growled jovially.
The others left the bunker, each knowing what to do. Sara took a deep breath, then Ryan enthusiastically joined him.
"Hey, this can work, Sara. I know it can."
"That's what we thought back at the Dawn of Time." she said with disappointment. "Here we are back at square one."
"This new Earth isn't square one." Ryan replied, still enthusiastic. "It's what Oliver gave up his life to create. We have to protect it."
Rocket, who had heard them, joined the Paragon of Destiny with a look of determination.
"Hey, Miss Cap Legend, for a so-called Paragon, I find you very defeatist! You didn't create this universe for that the Anti-Monitor could disintegrate it, as soon as it appeared! You know, Lance, you may be a super badass woman, you're still a coward! You sleep with other women without the slightest emotion for them. You don't attach yourself to anyone, because the slightest sign of love only reminds you that you are alone. And your League of killers and Rip Hunter consider you a sacrificial pawn. Actually, you're not even a hero. And apparently you're not trying to become one."
"And what makes you believe that, furball?" Sara scolded in a loud voice.
"If you and your Legends morons were really heroes, where were you when Thanos snapped his fingers in Wakanda and wiped out half the universe? Where were you when, five years later, the Avengers, your friend Queen and the Kryptonian and I had to go to the Quantum Realm to undo what he had done? Last year, where were you when Thor, Queen, The Flash and the Kryptonian battled a mad doctor who wanted to destroy reality? Why didn't you come when your presence could have made a difference? Because you, guys, you're not the Avengers, nor Green Arrow, nor The Flash, nor even the Supers and even less the Batwoman. Just because you and your team are the ones we shouldn't bet like horses! Right now, your new Earth is threatened by the Anti-Monitor. Oliver Queen is no more! Do you really want to make his sacrifice unnecessary? No? So move and fight like the Paragon you are meant to be!"
Sara seemed taken aback, following the raccoon's speech, then finally retorted with pride:
"If we're gonna go down... We go down fighting."
Notes:
Thanks for reading and reviewing!
And that's it for this chapter! I hope you enjoyed it! Hope I provided enough clarification on New Earth (Arrowverse / MCU).
Thanks to jetblack1979 of Fanfiction.net for giving me the idea for Rocket's talk to Sara.
Chapter 28
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Chapter 28
At daybreak, a large army of Shadow Demons invaded Star City. They moved through the air, all gathered together like a flight of crows.
At Arrow's bunker, Dinah stared at the monitors. She could see the arrival of the Anti-Monitor's army.
"All right, listen up. I got a ton of those shadow things descending on Gardner Pier."
Copy, we're en route!
Then she turned to Charles Xavier who had joined her at the bunker.
"I hope we get there!" she says.
"We will. Together," Charles assured her with a look of confidence. "As Supergirl told me: El Mayarah."
In a gigantic wasteland in Star City, a multitude of heroes arrived for the battle of their lives. There was Natasha Romanoff, War Machine, Sam Wilson with Captain America's shield, Bucky Barnes, Doctor Strange, Clint Barton, Ant-Man, the Wasp, Professor Hulk, then Black Panther.
Very close to them, the five X-Men (Wolverine, Cyclops, Jean Gray, Storm and Beast) joined them. Then, Wild Dog, Spartan, Dreamer, Flash, White Canary, Supergirl, Thor, J'onn J'onzz, Alex Danvers, Spider-Man, Batwoman and Superman. And finally, the Guardians of the Galaxy joined the group of heroes, with their weapons raised towards the Shadow Demons. Groot chuckled in apprehension at the sight of the Demon army, but kept a serious head.
"I am Groot."
Rocket patted him on the shoulder.
"We're together on this one, bro!"
Then Groot patted him on the shoulder, nodding.
"We are Groot."*
"That's this guy's army?" Star-Lord asked in amazement. "They are… ghosts?"
"They're creepy!" Ant-Man stammered, pulling the helmet off his suit.
"This is the fight of our life," Professor Hulk said.
"This will be the last time for me" Clint said with a determined nod as he readied his bow and arrows.
Alex noticed that J'onn was wearing a very different Martian outfit. It was darker with big red lines.
"This is new?" Alex asked her friend.
"New world, new look," replied the Martian focused on the Shadow Demons.
"Cut the chatter, they're here." Sara declared.
A swarm of Shadow Demons stood before them, floating in the air a few feet above the ground. All the heroes gathered advanced in a straight line towards the enemy army.
Then the Demons rushed forward to attack them. Finally, the heroes ran into the fight. All fought the Demons. Wolverine used his claws to fend off several Demons. Cyclops used his power to project red eye rays on Demons. Storm used lightning to strike down the Demons in the sky. Thor threw his hammer like a spear at the demons, annihilating them, and used Stormbreaker to slay those on the ground. Clint shot several arrows at the Demons. Natasha, Bucky, Wild Dog, Spartan and Alex used their guns to defend themselves. The two Kryptonian cousins flew through the air, along with War Machine and the Falcon, and slaughtered any Demons they encountered. Spider-Man used his webs to make all the Demons disappear. Star-Lord used his jet-pack to take flight and shot the Demons with his blasters. Groot made his limbs widen into branches of trees that pierced the Shadow Demons. Rocket was shooting the Demons like crazy with his blaster, roaring in rage. Ant-Man and the Wasp confronted the Shadow Demons, unsettling them with their size changes.
Then suddenly, all the Shadow Demons erased in smoke, much to everyone's surprise.
"What?" Rocket wondered, puzzled.
"What the hell?" J'onn added.
"Seriously?" Wolverine exclaimed stunned with his claws sticking out.
"Was that it?" Flash wondered.
"Uh… Guys, that was too easy!" Ant-Man asked in a small, fearful voice.
The Shadow Demons that had just disintegrated into smoke began to form a dark mass, spinning in all directions.
"It's not over yet!" Sara said, her eyes fixed on the phenomenon.
"This is just the beginning!" Black Panther added.
Finally, the form of the Anti-Monitor appeared in front of all the assembled heroes, much to everyone's shock.
"Whoa!" Wolverine exclaimed, amazed.
"That's him?" Star-Lord wondered.
Rocket, who had already seen the cosmic being in his true form, charged his gun straight at him, gritting his teeth.
"The Anti-Monitor!" Strange declared, brandishing his fists, revealing golden orbs.
As all prepared to attack him, the Anti-Monitor spoke in a loud voice:
"Paragons, the universal safeguard meant to thwart me. It is time to meet your end!"
At Star Labs, Ryan, Hank Pym, Ray and Nash Wells were working at full speed to design the anti-matter device. All were agitated.
"We'll need a reinforced core to contain the reaction." Ryan said.
"Titanium?" Ray suggested, immersed in his plans.
"No, that's too heavy." Nash retorted.
"I agree," approved Hank Pym. "We also need to make sure that we don't shrink at the same time as the Anti-Monitor and disappear with him forever. I know what I'm doing."
"With all due respect, Dr. Pym, I made my Atom' suit myself," Ray chided him gently. "I know exactly what I'm doing."
"Right. So, Raymond, hurry up and build this thing that will send this monster to another microscopic universe!" Hank said impatiently. "I should have asked Hope to bring her mother!"
"Steady, gentlemen," Nash said, brandishing a black bottle. "What we need is depleted promethium."
"Star Labs," Dinah warned them from Arrow's bunker. "I've got shadows advancing on your position."
"On it," Killer Frost told her.
She, Mick Rory, and the Fantastic Four's Thing watched the halls of Star Labs.
"It's been a while, Frosty. You look good." Mick said to Frost.
"Thanks. I read your book, Rebecca." she replied.
"Which one?" Mick retorted with amusement. "I'm very prolific!"
"Are you a writer?" asked the Thing.
"What are you? Alien?" Mick wondered with wide eyes at the imposing Fantastic Four's creature.
"No, I come from Earth like you! I'm Ben Grimm!"
"We mustn't come to the same Earth, buddy!"
Before Ben could answer him, a Shadow Demon appeared out of nowhere in the hallway and floated straight towards them to attack them.
The Thing brandishes its massive fists.
"It's clobbering time!"
"Boys, do you wanna take this guy, or should I?" Frost asked.
"Ladies first," Mick replied, brandishing his gun.
"Age before beauty." said the cold Meta woman.
Then a burst of lightning burst out of nowhere and made the Demon disappear. The three of them turned to see Black Lightning standing next to them, smiling.
"Who the hell are you?" Mick growled in surprise.
"Static Shock?" the Thing questioned in confusion.
"No, I'm Black Lightning," answered the new hero still with a smile. "Guy who just saved your ass."
"We had that covered." Killer Frost assured him.
"Sure you did!" Black Lightning replied unconvinced.
Then they heard the arrival of other Shadow Demons.
"Guys, we've company!" Ben clarified, brandishing his fists.
"I stay ready." said the hero of Freeland, still kindly.
The Anti-Monitor stood in front of the heroes, with his imposing figure, while continuing his monologue as he walked, shaking the ground with his steps:
"I am destiny incarnate, inexorable and inescapable! You are nothing! Insects fated to be crushed beneath my heel without a moment's thought! Fighting is useless! Surrender!"
In Arrow's bunker, Charles Xavier attempted to reach the Anti-Monitor by telepathy. But the voice of the cosmic being echoed in his head.
"Give up, Charles Xavier! You cannot defeat me! I'm a being far above what your weak mind can do, insect!"
After some effort, he finally collapsed, moaning in pain in his wheelchair. Dinah came over to him, worried.
"Hey, you alright?"
Charles moaned in pain before answering:
"The Anti-Monitor...… I can not reach his mind… He's so more powerful than me... I cannot help them… I can't… They are alone…"
"They'll be fine," Dinah assured him confidently.
On the battlefield, the heroes stared at their foe with murderous looks without saying a word. Then Sara began to speak in a loud voice:
"Not today. Not ever. Oliver died so that we could continue to fight. He sacrificed everything for this new world, and we will not fail him. We will not fail this world. FOR OLIVER!"
"For Oliver!" Supergirl whispered with determination.
"For Oliver!" Flash said with the same gaze on the enemy.
"For Oliver," Spartan said.
"For Oliver," Rocket added, brandishing his blaster.
"For Oliver," Spider-Man yelled, his voice obscured by his mask.
"For Oliver," Thor roared angrily.
"For Oliver," Clint added threateningly.
Then all the heroes screamed at the same time:
" FOR OLIVER! "
"I AM GROOT!"Groot yelled fiercely.
Immediately, all attacked at the same time. Batwoman sent her Batarang, which the Anti-Monitor managed to push back with a force field. Thor roared and hurled Mjolnir and Stormbreaker along with lightning bolts, but only slammed into the cosmic being's force field. Wolverine rushed forward and attempted to pierce the invisible barrier surrounding the Anti-Monitor with his claws. Drax used his blades on the force field, hoping to reach the cosmic being. The same goes for Black Panther who tried to break through the Anti-Monitor's force barrier with his costume. Clint didn't stop shooting arrows at him, which only bounced at him. Strange used his powers on the Anti-Monitor, attempting to destroy his force field. Jean Gray used her telepathy, while Storm used her lightning to attempt to strike down the Anti-Monitor. The Beast attacked with Wolverine, Drax, and Black Panther, but none succeeded in destroying the force field.
Then came Alex, Spartan, Black Widow, War Machine, the Falcon, Wild Dog who shot him with their weapons. Dreamer used her powers over the cosmic being. Above them, Supergirl and Superman also attacked from the air with their heat visions. Flash ran around him at super speed, but even he couldn't break the energy barrier that surrounded the Anti-Monitor.
The latter knew perfectly well how to repel their attacks. Then he saw Sara who gave him a hostile look. With a growl of rage, he slammed his fist to the ground, hitting him, creating an earthquake that knocked back any heroes that attacked him.
They were all thrown into the air and fell to the ground. Ant-Man was thrown into the air, before shrinking, then the Wasp, who had shrunk, managed to retrieve him.
"Scott, you okay?"
As all tried to rise to fight again, the Anti-Monitor gave them a sinister grin.
"Your poor efforts are useless, heroes! I am a being far beyond your knowledge! You thought Oliver Queen died trying to destroy me, but you were wrong! Because he failed! Just like you, Paragons! You thought you would save your world by creating this new universe! And where did that bring you? To me! You only managed to win yourself a short respite! As I told you, I am destiny! I will wipe you out like insects! And then I will destroy this new world until there is nothing left! "
"It is not up to you to decide our lives!" Black Panther roared, standing up. "We may be insects to you, but we will never stop fighting you! We will fight you to the end!"
"We're gonna blow your head off, you intergalactic dinosaur!" roared Star-Lord angrily.
"This universe doesn't belong to you!" Strange added furiously.
Thor stood right in front of him, brandishing his hammer and ax.
"Superman! Supergirl! As with the Quantum Tower!"
Immediately, Superman shot his heat vision at Thor's ax, while Supergirl shot her heat vision at Mjolnir. Thor drew lightning from the sky, knocked Stormbreaker and Mjolnir together, and, with the heat visions of the two Super Cousins, produced a powerful blast of electricity which he aimed at the Anti-Monitor. But the latter used his protective field to protect himself, with a smirk on his face. He slammed his fist to the ground, creating a shock wave that propelled Thor, Supergirl and Superman away from him.
Groot let out a primitive howl and stabbed his hands into the ground to wrap the Anti-Monitor in root cables, which he easily shattered. And he projected a beam of energy that destroyed all of Groot's limbs, and sent him projecting far away.
"Groot!" Rocket yelled, horrified.
And he cast a fierce animal look at the cosmic being.
"You won't kill my family anymore! I'm gonna tear you to pieces, you son of a bitch!"
And he rushed at him, howling like a rabid animal and firing lasers with his blaster. But the Anti-Monitor dodged the shots. The raccoon leapt into the air and got ready to claw at his enemy's face, but the latter only pushed him away with his arm, sending the little animal away from the heroes. Rocket fell to the ground, unconscious.
Alex, Natasha, War Machine, Bucky, Wild Dog and Spartan shot him with their weapons. But none of them succeeded in causing him any harm. The Anti-Monitor only smirked and created a shock wave that sent them far away.
"Insects!" he growled with a sadistic smile.
Wolverine rushed towards him with his outstretched claws, howling in rage. As he was about to reach his foe, the Anti-Monitor slammed his fist into the adamantium mutant's chest and sent him throwing him several yards away.
Black Panther, whose armor was bulging with kinetic energy, leapt into the air like a real panther, but the Anti-Monitor easily grabbed him by the neck, and pushed him back a few feet away from him.
Doctor Strange came upon him brandishing a golden sword he had summoned and tried to reach the Anti-Monitor, but the latter managed to dodge his movements. He walked over to Doctor Strange and kicked him, but Strange's shield absorbed the damage – the cloak lifted him off the ground.
The still standing X-Men tried to subdue him with their gifts, but the Anti-Monitor only pushed them away like flies with his powers.
Spider-Man came upon him, leaping with his webs, and threw a tuft of spider web to reach the face of the cosmic being. But the powerful opponent protected himself with a force field. He grabbed Spider-Man by the neck and eyed him with a smirk. The young Avenger struggled, screaming, while his enemy eyed him with a sneer:
"Stupid little spider! You might be a Paragon, but you can't defeat me! You are helpless and tiny! I have a power that is beyond you, Peter Parker! Oliver Queen and Tony Stark should have prepared you for your future death instead of encouraging you to be a hero! Because you're gonna die like everyone else in this universe! "
Thor rushed at the Anti-Monitor with his two weapons. He brought Stormbreaker down on him, causing him to lose his grip on Spider-Man. Thor struck again with Mjölnir, but this time the Anti-Monitor blocked the hammer with his bare hand, and replied with a direct which tore Mjolnir away from his owner. Then he grabbed Thor by the neck, lifted him off the ground, and threw him to the ground. Thor overloaded himself with power, summoning lightning bolts that raced through his body. The overload of power was immense, Thor's eyes crackled and he let out a primitive howl as he stood up at full speed. He charged his fist at his enemy, but the latter managed to grab his hand, and twisted it. The Asgardian used his other fist to strike the Anti-Monitor, but his enemy also managed to grab it. Thor groaned in pain, as the Anti-Monitor twisted both of his hands with his evil smirk.
" I told you, Asgardian! You are just a fallen God! I am much more powerful than you! "
And using his foot, he punched Thor in the chest and pushed him away. Even Professor Hulk couldn't reach the cosmic being. No scratches. He was repulsed like all those who had tried to defeat him. Supergirl picked up Mjolnir from the ground. The Falcon arrived roaring with rage.
"Sam! The shield!" Supergirl said, throwing Thor's hammer in the air.
Immediately, Sam Wilson threw Captain America's shield. The two weapons crossed, creating a powerful shock wave that could destabilize anyone. But alas, it had no effect on the Anti-Monitor much to Supergirl's horror.
"May Rao help us!"
Dreamer waved her energy lasso and tried to neutralize the cosmic being, but managed to push her back, without the slightest effort.
Star-Lord with his helmet on his head, howled in incoherent rage, fired his two blasters and flew straight at him. But the Anti-Monitor dodged his attacks and created a shock wave that pushed him back. Nebula wanted to take a chance to take him by surprise. She gritted her teeth and rushed at him with a war cry and anger, then she wanted to bring her blade down on her opponent's head, but the Anti-Monitor dodged her gesture and grabbed her hand and threw her down like a bundle on the ground.
"How dare you? When are you gonna figure it out? I cannot be defeated! None of you can kill me! Your poor efforts are weak! I have just won! I destroyed the Multiverse, I will destroy this new universe! You are just backing away from your end! Soon, all of you, heroes, will cease to exist! "
Then it was Sara, Supergirl and Thor who stared at him with murderous looks. They were joined by Ant-Man and the Wasp.
"You don't get it!" roared the Asgardian furiously. "We'll never stop fighting!"
"Never!" Supergirl added with a hostile look.
"Never!" Sara repeated with the same look.
The Anti-Monitor continued to gloat, then his body began to grow. In seconds, it was the size of a Star City' skyscraper. All the heroes on the ground felt tiny, like insects facing the giant juggernaut. They all had wide eyes in amazement.
His voice roared like thunder:
" THE AGE OF HEROES ENDS NOW! "
"My God!" Thor whispered, shocked and dumbfounded.
"I am Groot!" Groot whispered fearfully, shocked pinned to the ground with two arms missing.
From Arrow's bunker, Dinah and Professor Xavier had their eyes fixed on the battle in the wasteland. Both were stunned and horrified to see the gigantic size of the Anti-Monitor.
"Oh my God!" Charles exclaimed in horror.
He was distraught that there was nothing he could do to help his X-Men and the heroes in the face of the divine powers of the cosmic being.
"Guys, we're gonna need a bigger bomb!" Spartan said, his eyes fixed on the giant towering above them in horror.
"Holy shit!" Spider-Man yelled in horror. "Guys, what do we do?"
"I don't think we can do anything to stop him!" Strange added terrified at the sight of the giant.
After a shock of amazement, Supergirl spoke to anyone who might be able to fly.
"Sky team, with me!"
Immediately she flew into the air. She was joined by Thor and her cousin. J'onn J'onzz returned to his Martian form and flew away. Then it was Star-Lord, War Machine, the Falcon and Storm who flew away and attacked the giant Anti-Monitor.
The gigantic cosmic being tried to catch the heroes flying around him, but with their small sizes, they managed to dodge his movements. Supergirl and Superman confronted him with their heat visions on his face. Thor used his hammer and ax combined with his lightning bolts to strike down the Anti-Monitor's giant face.
As the flying heroes did all they could to fight the Anti-Monitor, Flash joined Sara in super-speed, who asked her allies:
"Ray, how's that shrink bomb coming?"
At Star Labs, Ray, Ryan, and Hank attempted to build their machine, but they were still a long way off.
"Well, we could really use some fast hands!" Ray said.
"We're not done yet!" Hank lamented fiercely.
"Could we ever!" Nash grumbled.
"Barry?" Sara said to the speedster.
Immediately, Flash disappeared in super-speed to reach Star Labs in Central City.
Supergirl flew around the Anti-Monitor who attempted to hit her with jets of flame. The Girl of Steel dodged them, but didn't see the giant's gigantic fist.
"Supergirl, look out!" the Martian Manhunter yelled, pushing her aside, taking the giant's fist head-on.
"J'onn!" Supergirl exclaimed in horror as she saw her Martian friend fall into the void.
From the ground, Ant-Man adjusted his suit to enlarge.
"Ants are small, but are very smart and able to think bigger!"
Then immediately Ant-Man became Giant-Man within seconds and grew to the same gigantic size of the Anti-Monitor who looked at him with little interest.
Ant-Man let out a cry of joy upon seeing his gargantuan new size and stared at the cosmic being, bellowing like thunder:
"COME ON , MAN! IF YOU WANT TO DESTROY THIS NEW EARTH, YOU GOTTA GO THROUGH ME! "
But the Anti-Monitor was hardly impressed and just smiled sadistically.
" LITTLE FOOL! YOU CAN'T STOP MY POWER! "
The cosmic being raised his fist to strike Giant-Man, but the latter ducked his fist as he ducked, and slammed his fist into the Anti-Monitor's jaw, barely unsettling him. And the two giants fought in a hand-to-hand combat.
Taking advantage of his being distracted by a giant Scott Lang, Supergirl, Superman and Thor flew behind the titanic cosmic being to use their powers on him.
At Star Labs, Black Lightning, The Thing, Heatwave, and Killer Frost battled the Shadow Demons.
Mick managed to strike a Demon with his fist, then Black Lightning used his lightning bolts to disintegrate it.
The Thing hit a Demon with its super fist smashing it.
Mick looked at the new hero with interest.
"Where are you from, Sparkles?"
"Don't call me Sparkles," Black Lightning replied abruptly. "I'm from Freeland. Martian came, got in my head, told me y'all were caught up. It's been a weird day."
"Tell me about it, buddy!" Ben Grimm said with a compassionate look.
Then a new Shadow Demon swooped down on them, but Killer Frost annihilated him with his ice cream.
"That's an understatement!" she declared.
Then they saw the flash of speedster in front of them.
The hero of Central City arrived at the lab, joining Ray, Ryan, Hank Pym, and Nash Wells.
"All right, what are we making?" he asked hurriedly, arriving in front of the scientists.
Hank showed him the coins they had collected.
"That's what we are making," he replied, sighing helplessly. "Now, this is what we have to build. And, these pieces are all very volatile."
Using his super-speed, Flash assembled the metal parts and made them into a small metal ball.
"How's this look?" he asked, pointing to the weapon.
"That's very good, Flash! Well done!" Hank congratulated him ecstatically.
Even the other scientists were impressed.
"Whoa!" Ryan said, shocked.
"Love when he does that," said Ray cheerfully.
"That's perfect, actually." Nash replied, nodding. "Okay, so now all we have to do is get it into direct contact with the Anti-Monitor once we've activated it."
"Okay, and to activate it I just press this button?" Flash asked, pointing his finger to one side of the metal ball.
"DON'T!"cried the four scientists, panicked.
"All right, okay, relax, relax!" exclaimed the speedster calmly. (Turning to Atom.) "All right, Ray, you're coming with me!"
"Oh, cool," answered the always jovial scientist.
Flash took off at super speed, taking Ray with him.
During the battle in Star City, Scott Lang aka Giant-Man fought the Anti-Monitor with his fists. Unfortunately, the giant Avenger had no advantage over his opponent. Whatever blows he gave her, the Anti-Monitor managed to dodge them all. With a sadistic smile, he muttered, chuckling:
" YOU ARE TOO WEAK FOR ME! "
And he slammed his fist right into Giant-Man's chest. The latter gave a heavy moan that resounded like thunder.
"Scott!" yelled the distraught Wasp. "You have to shrink fast! You're not gonna make it!"
Then the Anti-Monitor began to punch Giant-Man squarely in the face. He stammered, moaning in pain:
" SORRY GUYS, HE'S TOO STRONG FOR ME! I'M JUST GONNA GO TO SLEEP NOW FOR FIVE MINUTES! I JUST NEED FIVE MINUTES! "
And he collapsed, casting a gigantic shadow over the heroes.
"If he falls, he'll crush us!" Sara yelled, running for cover.
"Scott!" cried Supergirl.
She flew off to try to catch up with Scott's giant body. She managed to grab Giant-Man behind his back. But despite her super strength, she was just a tiny dot. Immediately, Superman and Thor joined her to lean against Giant-Man's back.
The Wasp flew until it reached the giant settings of Ant-Man's suit, and managed to shrink him. Even shrink him too much. Ant-Man vanished, shrinking in the air.
"Scott, where are you? Does anyone see him?" Hope yelled in panic. "He must have become tiny!"
Supergirl used her super vision and saw Ant-Man's miniature body falling into the void. Immediately, she dashed in flight and grabbed the tiny body of the Avenger in the palm of her hand.
"Gotcha!" she said, holding a tiny Scott, no taller than an ant in her hand.
The Wasp joined her.
"Thanks Supergirl! I got him!"
The Girl of Steel gently placed Ant-Man's tiny body in the palm of Hope's hand, and flew off to fight the Anti-Monitor.
The latter burst out laughing which echoed like a thunderous roar. He lifted his foot and went to crush the ground, making the ground shake. Immediately, the heroes ran to escape him.
"Fall back! Fall back, now!" Black Panther yelled as they ran to take refuge away from the gigantic size of their enemy.
Cyclops used his power of optical bursts on the titanic feet but had no effect. He ends up running for his life as well.
"Run! Run!"
As everyone ran to the safety of the Anti-Monitor who tried to step on them, Groot saw in horror his friend Rocket who had been unconscious on the ground since he had been struck by the cosmic being.
Howling in terror, the sapling joined the raccoon. He quickly ran up to him. But his arms hadn't grown back yet, he couldn't carry Rocket.
"I am Groot! I am Groot!" he pleaded with the raccoon, trying to wake him up.
But Rocket was completely out knocked. He remained unconscious.
In horror, he saw the giant Anti-Monitor move towards them. Soon he was going to crush them. Groot did everything to scream, to move the inert body of his friend. But Rocket didn't wake up, much to his dismay.
Helplessly, he could only watch in horror, the giant foot of the cosmic being approaching them and which was going to flatten them both. At that moment, Professor Hulk leaped up and came over to intercept the Anti-Monitor's gigantic foot, using Hulk's force to slow him down.
"Guys, get out of there!" he yelled, struggling with all his super strength against the giant foot.
But Groot still couldn't move Rocket without his two arms that weren't pushing back fast enough.
Then Sara rushed over and grabbed Rocket, carrying him in her arms.
"Come on, Tree! Run!" she yelled, rushing away.
Relieved, Groot ran to join the Paragon of Destiny. The Anti-Monitor managed to throw Professor Hulk like a toy and crush his foot, creating an earthquake.
Rocket regained consciousness in Sara's arms, who ran away from the giant towering over them and trying to crush them.
"What's going on?" murmured he, bewildered, not understanding how he could have found himself in the arms of a woman.
"You'll thank me later, Furball! We must take cover!" Sara yelled, running over and over, with Rocket in her arms.
Clint ran as far as he could from the Anti-Monitor's gigantic feet that threatened to crush them.
"And I said earlier, I would have preferred Godzilla than a giant stuffed animal! I should have kept my mouth shut! Because I miss Beebo!"
Spider-Man was leaping from web to web around the giant cosmic being, hoping to slow him down or stick him in a giant spider's web. But the Anti-Monitor grabbed him like a toy and threw him to the ground. The young Avenger lands heavily on the ground. Alex ran to him. She took off his mask to find that Peter was unconscious.
"Peter! Peter!"
The Anti-Monitor's giant steps shook the ground. With horror, she saw the gigantic titan approaching them. Alex tried to lift Peter, but she couldn't.
"Please, somebody help me!"
Dreamer ran up and came to help Supergirl's sister support Spider-Man. The two women carried young Peter away from the gigantic footsteps that threatened to crush them.
Drax and Mantis were running, screaming in fear.
Hope took refuge in a corner far from the Anti-Monitor. She made Scott enlarge to his normal size. His companion was still unconscious. Worried, she tried to wake him up.
"Scott! Please wake up! Wake up, come on!"
In the sky, Supergirl, Superman and Thor didn't stop attacking the Anti-Monitor using their powers. But despite their powers and even those of Mjolnir and Stormbreaker, they failed to destroy the evil giant.
As Superman attacked with his heat vision, the Anti-Monitor pushed him back with his hand, and with his other hand, grabbed the Man of Steel trapping him inside the palm of his hand.
"No!" Supergirl yelled, horrified.
"Kal-El!" cried Thor mortified.
At Arrow's bunker, Dinah informed the heroes of what she was seeing in the control monitors.
"Shadows are on the move again. Pérez Landing."
On the battlefield, the Shadow Demons appeared out of nowhere, preventing the heroes from escaping.
"Yeah, we know. We're here!" said Sara, who still wore Rocket.
"That's all we needed!" Star-Lord muttered.
"It changes us from the usual alien attacks," Natasha replied, pulling out her weapons.
Sara put Rocket gently in a corner, and went to fight the monsters with her sticks. Alex and Dreamer had to lay unconscious Peter on the ground, and fought the Demons with their weapons. Batwoman attacked them with her Batarangs, while Black Panther pushed them back with the strengths of her suit. Strange used his powers to destroy evil abominations.
Hope, still with Scott unconscious on the ground, saw the Shadow Demons come swooping down on her. With a resolute look, she stood up, closed her Wasp helmet and set off to fight the Demons to protect Scott.
Alex, Natasha, Bucky, Spartan and Wild Dog shot them with their guns. While Clint joined them shooting arrows at the Demons. Then it was the Guardians of the Galaxy who came to protect Rocket and Groot from the dark Demons. Nebula fought them fiercely with his sword, while Star-Lord killed them with his blasters.
Then Flash appeared out of nowhere at super speed and wiped out all the Demons, saving his friends.
"Barry?" Sara exclaimed.
"Bomb's ready," Flash said. "Ray's running it to the sky team."
"We're running out of time here, Ray." Sara warned him via communication. "Hurry!"
"Hurrying!" Atom replied as he flew towards the battlefield in Star City.
All the heroes, Guardians of the Galaxy and the X-Men gathered around to fight the Shadow Demons.
The Anti-Monitor held Superman inside his giant hand. He clenched his fist, wanting to crush the Kryptonian.
Thor rushed through the air, attacking the Anti-Monitor in the face with his lightning bolts. But the giant cosmic being swept away the Thunder God with a flick of his fingers, pushing him away like an insect.
While falling, Thor lost his hammer and ax. Supergirl flew and grabbed Mjolnir, and could only watch her cousin being crushed by the titanic fist of the Anti-Monitor.
Sighing in frustration, Supergirl took a deep breath. It was time to end this fight. She had to be put to an end. Even if she had to die. She had to deliver the final blow. She rushed through the air, brandishing Mjolnir, causing lightning to appear from the cloudy sky. She made her eyes glow red, wanting to combine her heat vision with the power of Thor's hammer. She flew straight into the Anti-Monitor, ready to deliver the final blow.
Then a voice stopped her in her flying race:
"Hope I'm not too late!"
To her amazement, she saw Atom in the air very close to her.
"Ray?"
"Hang on, Superman!" Atom said, using his shrinking beam.
He shrunk the Kryptonian that vanished from the Anti-Monitor's fist. The latter let out a howl of rage that echoed like a thunderclap.
Then Atom loaded the Star Labs bomb. He passed it to the Girl of Steel.
"Throw it like a girl!"
The Kryptonian grabbed the bomb and started aiming at the Anti-Monitor.
"Always!" she said, raising her fist in the air.
And like a baseball player, she threw the bomb right into the Anti-Monitor's chest, which exploded and beamed energy around the giant, shrinking it.
" NO! NOOOOOO! "
Thor, who had just found himself on the ground, watched as his enemy reduced himself. The Anti-Monitor howled in rage, then continued to shrink continuously. And he disappeared into a microscopic universe forever.
Suddenly, all of the Shadow Demons attacking the heroes, Guardians of the Galaxy and the X-Men, went up in smoke. The Wasp fiercely fought Demons, until they vanished into dust before her, much to her surprise.
Before she knew what was going on, she heard a voice calling her:
"Hope?"
She raised her helmet and saw, to her relief, Scott who had just opened his eyes, half conscious.
"Scott, you okay?"
"What's happening?" Scott asked, awakening painfully.
"We won! We won!" Hope replied, smiling with joy.
"Oh, did I miss the party?" Ant-Man replied with a pout.
"No, you didn't miss anything!" Hope assured him, laughing with joy.
All the other heroes looked at each other, glad it was all over. Black Panther straightened his helmet, revealing T'Challa's cheerful face. Peter awoke and was able to share in the joy of having won the battle. Alex and Dreamer helped him up, congratulating him on his courage.
Groot smiled at Rocket, who yelled ecstatically at him:
"Oh, yeah!"
And he laughs with happiness, with relief. Groot felt his arms repulsed. With joy, he was going to embrace his companion.
"We won, Groot," Rocket told him cheerfully.
"We did it? Did we just win?" Star-Lord said, stunned.
In the air, Ray howled in joy as he raised his arms:
"We did it! We did it!"
"Wait, but where's Kal?" Supergirl worried, looking around.
"I'm right here," said a tiny voice that could reach her Kryptonian ears.
With great shock, she saw her miniature cousin struggling to stay in the air.
"Sorry about that, Superman! Here you go!" Ray said as he charged his beam onto the tiny Man of Steel.
And he made him enlarged to his normal size.
Then the two Kryptonians reached the ground, to find Thor who was ecstatic.
"That's it? Is it really over?" he asked her beaming with joy.
As an answer, Supergirl came to hug her friend.
"We finally stopped the Crisis! It's over, Thor!"
With a smile on her face, she returned her hammer to him.
"It's your hammer! It belongs only to you!" she said to him kindly.
"Thank you, Supergirl," Thor replied with a smile.
At Arrow's bunker, Dinah and Charles were relieved at the heroes' victory. They shook hands, cheerful that it was all over.
"They did it!" Dinah exclaimed, with a smile on her face.
"Yes, they did it!" added Charles, laughing with joy.
At Star Labs, Hank came to ask about his daughter.
"Hope? Hope, do you copy me?"
"Copy that, Dad,"answered the happy voice of his daughter. "I'm fine! We are fine! We won! The Anti-Monitor has shrunk and gone to join a microscopic universe forever!"
Mad with happiness, he began to scream with joy:
"They did it!"
Nash, Ryan, Mick, Killer Frost, The Thing, and Black Lightning all screamed with joy as they raised their arms.
After congratulating everyone who had fought bravely on the battlefield, Sara began to gaze up at the sky with a sad smile.
"Thank you, Ollie!"
The battle was over. The Anti-Monitor was gone. The Crisis was over.
Notes:
Thanks for reading and reviewing.
* A reference to the movie Guardians of the Galaxy.
I enjoyed writing this chapter. I added my own version by adding more fights and dialogues. I hope you liked it!
We're getting closer to the end!
Chapter 29
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Chapter 29
On this evening of the victory of the Crisis, the Madame President gave a message to the nation on the events produced. Everyone was staring at the television screen showing the President speaking. At the X-Mansion, professors and students were silent. Everyone was watching the President's speech. Kara watched her at home, along with Thor, Alex, Kate, and Peter. At Star Labs, Barry and Caitlin watched the President's speech on a television screen. In the bunker, Sara watched the presidential speech with all of Team Arrow and all of the Guardians of the Galaxy. Clint watched the President on television at home, along with all of his family. Nate and Ava watched the speech in the Waverider. T'Challa watched the presidential speech in Wakanda, along with Shuri, his mother, and Okoye. In San Francisco, Scott and Hope watched the President's speech with emotion, thinking back to everything that happened in the Crisis.
« My fellow Americans, today our way of life, our world, almost came to an end. An entity known as the Anti-Monitor attacked Earth intent on its destruction. Thankfully, we were saved by Earth's greatest heroes… »
At the Diggles' house, John and Lyla were watching the President's speech on television, with their son on coloring. Then, their daughter Sara joined them tenderly, putting her hands around her father.
"Hey, Sara," said John moved.
"Hey, sweetie." said Lyla, smiling at her daughter.
"Baby, come over here. Your brother wants to play with you." said her father, gesturing to his daughter to leave him.
« … Their unity and strength should be an example for us all. I'm told this assembly was led by Star City's Oliver Queen otherwise known as the Green Arrow. We give thanks to these brave women and men who, with great tenacity, tireless work, and the utmost courage, put their lives on the line for our country, our planet. »
As Superman listened to the President's speech in Heaven, he received a call from his wife.
"Hey, Lois."
"Clark, I need you to get to Metropolis now." she told him abruptly. "It's the boys."
Superman looked stunned when he heard « the boys ». So on this new Earth, he has two kids?
"The boys?"
"Yeah, honey, your sons." replied Lois with a big smile.
Then he resumed his flight to Metropolis.
« While in a hard-fought battle, loss is expected. It never gets any easier, so it is with great sadness that I must inform you that Oliver Queen sacrificed his life for our world's survival. He is known to us as the first of our heroes, and while this is a devastating loss, we can take solace in knowing that he lived as he died, with honor. I ask all of you to join me in a moment of silence to honor him now. »
All remained silent, praying to the memory of Oliver Queen. The hero who had sacrificed his life for this new universe. Heroes, Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, X-Men… All didn't say a word and honored Star City's hero. Team Arrow was in tears. Rocket and Groot huddled together, moved by the speech. Even on the Bartons' farm, Clint had tears in his eyes following the death of Oliver Queen. At Kara's, Peter couldn't help but have tear up his eyes.
« A grateful nation thanks you, Mr. Queen. May you finally find rest in the hereafter. God bless you, and God bless the United States of America. Good night. »
In the end, there was only one, a single black infinitude. Then the infinitude found release. And finally, the Darkness broke, filling it with life… With the Multiverse.
Earth – 2
An Earth defended by a Legion of heroes including Stargirl who defended it with the Starman's Cosmic Staff.
Every existence multiplied by possibility.
Earth – 12
An Earth defended by the Green Lantern Corps.
And spread out before space and time in infinite measure.
Earth – 19
The Swamp Thing's Earth.
Civilizations rose and fell.
Earth – 9
A Earth protected by a young Legion of heroes. The Titans.
And rose again across reality's grasping expanse.
Earth – 21
An Earth defended by the superheroes Robotman, Negative Man, Crazy Jane and Elasti-Girl.
Life, a precious gift, persevering in the face of every obstacle.
Earth – 96
An Earth defended by the only one Kryptonian: Superman with his red and yellow coat of arms of the House of El.
Earth – 962
An Earth where New York City was defended by a protector that everyone admired and saw as an example: Spider-Man. Who was also Peter Parker. Someone who knew how to balance the duty of a superhero and the time to be with his new family, including his wife Mary-Jane.
Earth – V
An Earth that had known heroes like Superman and Batman. They both founded the Justice League to protect their world. Until one day Superman suffered a tragedy that transformed him forever. He had ceased to be a hero and had become a dreadful tyrant who reigned supreme over all the Earth. Until the appearance of other heroes from another dimension, namely another Justice League and two Avengers. Wanda Maximoff and Vision. All had fought alongside Batman and the Insurgency to overthrow the Superman's Regime. Wanda and Vision had found their new home in this new world and were helping Batman make the world a better place before the tyranny of one who was once Earth's greatest hero.
Until, finally, the age of heroes was born.
Earth – Prime
In a condemned building owned by Star Labs, a few heroes were gathered. J'onn J'onzz, Batwoman, White Canary, Supergirl, Thor, Flash, Black Lightning, Wolverine, T'Challa, Spider-Man and Superman.
They paid a final tribute to Oliver Queen who was Green Arrow.
Supergirl took a few steps towards the display case where the Green Archer outfit was displayed, under the American flag.
Moved, she spoke as if she wanted to address Oliver:
"Thanks for saving us, Oliver. The world has hope again. I have hope again. We'll never forget you."
Then she went back to the heroes.
Then it was the turn of Thor who joined the costume of Green Arrow.
"Oliver Queen. I bid you take your place in the halls of Valhalla. Where the brave shall live forever. Nor shall we mourn but rejoice for those that have died the glorious death. I promised you I'd protect this universe. And I will. I'll protect it until my last breath. Just know that I'll never forget you. Rest in peace, Green Arrow. Goodbye old friend."
Then he joined the other heroes.
Spider-Man removed his mask, revealing Peter Parker's face, and walked over to the archer's costume display.
"Oliver. Thank you for giving me hope. I know what I did during this Crisis. But I… we wouldn't be here, if you hadn't been there. Thanks to you, I learned that failure only makes us better. Thanks to you, I became Spider-Man again and you have never ceased to have faith in me. So I promise you that I will never disappoint you. To never betray your memory. You gave me a reason to fight for myself and my loved ones. Because it is my responsibility. With great power comes great responsibility. Thanks, Green Arrow. I'm gonna miss you very much."
Moved, he joined the line of superheroes. And it was Barry's turn who went to join the display.
"Thanks for believing in me even when I didn't. You had this way of bringing out the very best in all of us. I'm gonna miss you too, man."
Then he joined the troop of heroes. Taking a deep breath, Sara walked over to the Green Arrow costume display and spoke in turn.
"I've lost a lot of people that I love. But I never imagined my life without you in it. You were always there for me. And now… Ollie, you changed my fate for the better. Thank you."
Moved, White Canary suppressed her tears and went to join the heroes. After a few moments of silence, Supergirl used her heat vision to light a fire on a plinth depicting the arrow symbol to honor Oliver Queen.
"I never met Oliver, but he must have been a good dude." Black Lightning said with emotion.
"I haven't never met him either," Wolverine said sadly. "He sacrificed himself for us. For this new world. A world where mutants live in harmony with everyone. I speak on behalf of the X-Men and all the mutants on Earth. We are very grateful to Green Arrow. Without him, this world without intolerance and discrimination would never have seen the light of day. So… even though I've never met him, I would like to say… thank you Oliver Queen… for a better world for my fellow mutants. And I regret that he is no longer with us to discover this new universe. For the X-Men, he'll always be a hero."
Barry gave Jefferson Pierce and Logan a friendly smile.
After a silence, the heroes turned and looked around. Jefferson glanced curiously before asking:
"But why'd you choose a condemned building?"
"I wanted to ask that too." T'Challa said, looking around.
"What?" Barry exclaimed, confused. "No, this is not a condemned building. No, listen, this is an old Star Labs Research Facility that nobody uses, and what's even better, no one knows it exists."
"Good for you!" Kate said, raising her fist towards him.
"No, good for us," retorted the speedster.
"For us?" Thor asked, frowning.
Barry continued enthusiastically:
"I figure we could all use this to gather if anything ever happens again."
"It's a great idea, Barry," Superman agreed.
"Yes, that's a wonderful idea," T'Challa nodded enthusiastically. "We don't yet know everything about this new world, nor even the future dangers that await us. We need to prepare for that."
"Thanks Superman, thanks Black Panther," replied Barry, smiling.
"It's a better option than you all dropping by the DEO." J'onn added.
"Why do we even need it?" asked Jefferson. "I mean, how often does the world almost come to an end?"
All the heroes around him looked at each other awkwardly. Then Thor gave him a sympathetic look.
"Unfortunately, that might be every time," he told him. "As Black Panther said, we need to prepare for everything."
"Oh, it's like that?" Jefferson exclaimed in amazement.
"Don't worry, I was the new kid last year." Kate said smiling at Black Lightning.
"In my old version of Midgard, we faced my brother and an army of Chitauris," Thor explained with a smile. "Then there was Ultron… And Thanos with the Infinity Stones… And recently, this Crisis. We have created a new universe. But as in all worlds, there are dangers. Dangers that can destroy us. And since Stark, Cap, Maximoff and Vision… The Avengers aren't like before. We need a new alliance of heroes. And now, that we are gathered on the same Midgard, we should unite together against potential future dangers."
"A League of Heroes," said a cheerful Peter. "This is gonna be awesome! But it would just be us?"
"No, we can recruit more than us," Barry replied, still smiling. "But, hey, listen, I haven't even shown you guys the best part yet. You ready?"
Supergirl gave him a smile of encouragement and excitement, while the other heroes were confused.
Barry then removed the cover revealing a large round table with the symbol of a star in the center.
Everyone was ecstatic at the sight of the round table of new heroes.
"Oh, nice!" Jefferson exclaimed.
"I like it!" Logan nodded with an encouraging smile.
"Me too," Thor agreed cheerfully.
"Me too. Well done, Barry," T'Challa agreed, nodding enthusiastically.
"I know… It has nothing to do with the Avengers." Barry stammered.
"It's okay, Barry, it's okay. Not the Avengers." Thor assured him. "New Earth. New heroes."
Around the table, the chairs featured symbols belonging to the heroes. The S symbols of Supergirl and Superman. The red bat symbol for Batwoman. Lightning for Flash. The bird for White Canary. The Martian symbol for J'onn. The symbol of Black Ligthning. The Panther symbol for Black Panther. The X symbol for Wolverine, as the first X-Man in the new League of Heroes. The Hammer symbol for Thor. The spider symbol for Spider-Man.
"You should have led with that, bro." exclaimed a dumbfounded Jefferson.
"Yeah. Not bad." approved Superman.
"Thanks Flash," T'Challa nodded cheerfully.
"I love it," Supergirl replied, going over to her chair which represented her.
Then Barry even showed a chair with the green arrow symbol for Oliver. A chair that will remain empty forever.
"It's perfect." Sara replied, smiling.
Then all the heroes gathered around the table, each in their respective chairs. They didn't all say a word and looked at each other with a smile. Even Peter was happy. For the first time in a long time, he was having a good time and getting along well with his new heroes. And he was proud to be among them.
Then a noise brought them out of their ecstasy. The sound of broken glass. And cries of monkeys.
All the heroes were amazed. None spoke. Until Sara spoke:
"Sounds like we need to call pest control."
"What was that?" Barry exclaimed, taken aback.
"Do you have monkeys here?" Thor wondered, stunned.
Not long after, Supergirl had taken Peter to National City. More exactly on the outskirts of the city, in an abandoned building.
"Why are we here?" asked the confused young man.
"It's okay," Supergirl said mischievously. "It's a surprise. For you."
She took him inside the building where they saw Alex Danvers who came to greet the two newcomers.
"Hey Peter!"
"Alex? What's happening? What's this place?" stammered Peter puzzled.
"Once a former DEO secret base," Alex explained, looking at the place. "It's been abandoned for years. And here is the place where you can go unnoticed. No one can know that Spider-Man or Peter Parker is there. That's why we chose it for you."
"For me?"
Supergirl answered him kindly.
"Peter, I know about your complicated situation. We know you're wrongly accused of murder. And because of that, you can't be with your loved ones. Recently, we suffered a crisis that disturbed us all, to put it mildly. And we said to each other with Alex and J'onn, after what just happened, that you would need to take some time to rest, to relax. We all need it. Including you. So we brought in people with whom you would like to spend time."
"Who?" Peter asked puzzled.
Supergirl motioned to Alex. The latter invited the young man to follow her. She led him down a long hallway. Then they came to a door where a couple were standing. Two people. A man and a woman. And who were no strangers to Peter. It was his aunt May Parker and Happy Hogan.
Dumbfounded, Peter saw the two adults in shock. Since his secret identity had been revealed, he hadn't had much contact with his family. And since the creation of the new Earth, he hadn't seen anyone around him yet, unwilling to risk their lives.
At the sight of the young man, May burst into tears and went to hug her nephew.
"Aunt May?" stammered the young man, moved. "Happy?"
The head of security of Stark Indutries joined the young man and gave him a benevolent smile.
"Hey kid! It's good to see you again!"
Then Peter came to take Happy in his arms, joyful to find him. And he looked at his aunt, shocked and moved.
"I missed you both!"
"We missed you too!" May told him through her sobs. "We're glad you're okay. We saw what happened in Star City."
"I'm so sorry," Peter told him with tears in his eyes. "For London. For Mysterio."
"It's not your fault, Peter," his aunt reassured him, smiling. "I know you are a good hero. Supergirl and Alex told me about what you did during this Crisis. I am so proud of you."
"I'm proud of you too," Happy replied softly, patting him on the shoulder. "And Tony would have been, too. "
After a glance at the two adults, Peter turned to see Supergirl and Alex who had stepped back to give them privacy.
"Thank you both of you," he said to the two women.
"Don't thank us yet, Spidey," Supergirl told him, still beaming.
"Yeah," Alex agreed. "Because there is another surprise for you waiting for you. People who can't wait to see you."
Peter was excited.
"Who?"
"Happy, please?"
The security chief nodded with a smile, then motioned for Peter to follow him. He opened the door in front of him… And Peter's eyes widened in surprise when he saw Ned Leeds and Michelle Jones aka MJ. His two friends he hadn't seen in ages. He felt like he hadn't seen them for a very long time.
Ned and MJ were both speechless at the sight of Peter. The latter smiles when he sees his friends.
"Ned! MJ! Hey… uh… I'm so glad to see you, guys! You've no idea how much I missed you both!"
Moved, without saying a word, Ned went to take his friend in his arms. Then it was MJ who came to give him a warm hug.
Peter was excited to have his family and friends with him. It was the first time he had seen them since the end of the Crisis. He turned to Supergirl and Alex who smiled back at him.
"We brought them both here," Alex explained. "And no one knows they're there. After what happened to you, you need to be with them, Peter."
"It took us the help of J'onn to get them here discreetly," Supergirl added. "But here you can all rest easy. No one's going to come and cause you problems. I know it's not very legal, but Spidey is our friend, and also a superhero who doesn't deserve to be a fugitive."
Ned and MJ walked over to the two women from National City.
"Thank you Supergirl for allowing us to come here," Ned told her gratefully.
"Yeah, thank you," added MJ moved.
"It's been a while since I've seen you guys," Peter said excitedly. "If you know everything that has happened to me since the beginning of this Crisis."
"And you'll have plenty of time to tell it to us," Happy assured him.
"There's everything you need here," Alex replied. "Food. Even a TV."
"But I'm not going to spend my whole life here?" Peter asked, puzzled.
"No, of course not, Peter," Supergirl replied. "We setted all this up so you could enjoy a long moment of peace and tranquility with your family and loved ones. Right now you need to spend time with them."
"Thank you," Peter repeated, moved. "Very much."
"And I have another surprise for you, Peter," Alex said, taking a piece of paper out of her pocket. "As for your current situation, Nia did some research on Quentin Beck's accomplices. We think they're behind the Beck's video that was sent to the media for you be exposed to the world. Right now, We're working on locating them and getting you cleared of Mysterio's death. And also… Nia did some research in New York, and she found someone who could help you. (She handed him the piece of paper.) These are the contact details of a lawyer who lives in your city. A neighborhood on the West Side of Manhattan in New York City – Hell's Kitchen. This lawyer is called Matt Murdock. And according to Nia, he's a very well-known and respected lawyer. He knows about your current situation and he'd be happy to help you clear your name. I think he is reliable."
"Anyway," Supergirl told him. "You can count on us to clear you. You are Spider-Man. And a superhero. Oliver believed in you. Then we'll do whatever it takes to get you out of this mess. Between superheroes, we help each other."
"Thank you very much," agreed Peter in ecstasy. "Supergirl! Alex! I… I'm so grateful to both of you…"
"You are our friend, Peter," Alex assured him. "We won't let you down. Today, you can enjoy of your loved ones to have fun and relax. Your problem can wait a little longer."
"Don't worry, it'll be all right," the Girl of Steel assured him, smiling.
Peter greeted the two sisters, then turned to his family and friends. For months he had been Spider-Man the wanted fugitive for murder, then Paragon and savior of the universe. Today, he was finally going to be able to be just Peter Parker and enjoy a long time of relaxation in the company of his aunt, Happy, Ned and MJ.
Ecstatic, he joined Ned and began to tell him what he had experienced in the Crisis. May and Happy, joyful to see Peter again, came to join them with emotion. With MJ, he could finally laugh and have fun.
A few days later came Oliver Queen's funeral in Star City.
Earlier, as Team Arrow prepared for a new start, William Clayton, Oliver's son was kidnapped by John Byrne, a former criminal whom Green Arrow had led to prison. Upon hearing the news, Clint Barton immediately went to Star City, wanting to participate in the search and help Oliver's Team find William. He had been surprised and moved to see the future arrival Mia Smoak again through Sara for her father's funeral. As he roamed the city, Clint had been impressed by Mia who had found her kidnapped brother and delivered Byrne to justice. The former Avengers archer congratulated her and told her that her father would have been proud of her.
Finally, on the day of the funeral, there was a large crowd that had come to pay homage to Oliver. Sara and her father Quentin Lance. Laurel Lance of Earth – 2. Nyssa and Talia Al Ghûl, the two daughters of Ra's Al Ghûl. Tommy Merlyn. Thea Queen (Oliver's sister) with her mother Moira and Roy Harper. The whole Team Arrow. Anatoly Knyazev. Lyla Michaels. Even Felicity Smoak had come.
Finally, Barry, Kara, Thor and Peter Parker, all four dressed in black. T'Challa and his sister Shuri. Scott Lang. Happy Hogan. Including all of the Guardians of the Galaxy – Peter Quill, Drax, Nebula, Rocket, Groot and Mantis – wanting to pay homage to the hero who saved the universe. Then it was Professor Banner, Rhodey, Clint Barton and Natasha Romanoff.
All were gathered around the coffin.
Kara came to take Felicity in her arms. Then Thor gave her a sad look.
"I'm so sorry, I wish I could do more," he said to the young woman.
"You all did what you could," Felicity replied through her sobs.
"There is no body down there, no?" Anatoly pointed out, pointing to the coffin.
"No. We buried a casket full of mementos." Tommy Merlyn explained.
"Does anybody want to say a few words?" Sara suggested.
"I'm barely keeping it together as it is." replied Felicity.
"I think that Oliver would have been worried that I'd say something tactless anyway, so…" Tommy said.
"Not me," Barry retorted. "I don't know what to say."
"Yeah. Words seem meaningless." Kara added not knowing what to say either.
Thor shook his head sadly.
"I didn't know him as well as you did. I don't know what to say about him. ISomeone closer should do it."
"I don't know what to say, either," Clint replied sadly. "The only times we had crossed paths was to save the world. Other than that, I didn't know anything about his life. It can't be me."
"Neither do I," Peter Parker objected with grief.
Emotionally, Felicity turned to Diggle.
"Hey. Should be you."
"Okay," agreed John Diggle.
Then he took his wife's hand and that of Oliver's widow, then spoke with emotion:
"The Oliver that I met years ago is not the one that we say good-bye to today. Oliver always told me that in order to save his city, he had to become someone else, he had to become something else. I always thought that meant becoming the Green Arrow, but today, I realized that meant becoming a better man, the best man he knew how to be, and he took all of us with him on that journey. He changed everything. Oliver brought heroes into the world, he inspired heroes, he inspired all of us here. I was his brother, and Oliver Queen was mine. Of course, life will go on. It always does, but how, what twists and turns it will take, I can't say. I don't know what the future holds Except to say to expect the unexpected. Oliver may be gone, but his mission endures. That mission lives on, Oliver lives on in the people he inspired. Some will take that mission to the rest of the world. Maybe even beyond that. Because if the past years has shown us anything It's that this universe is far bigger than any of us could have dared imagine. Even if it is a little less bright without him in it."
A few days later, on the docks of National City, Maria Hill came to find Nick Fury who was who inside his car.
"Have you heard from the Martian?" Fury asked in a neutral tone.
"He confirmed that Barry Allen has assembled a new team of heroes who can protect the world," announced the young woman.
She took out of her briefcase a photograph revealing the eleven heroes in the condemned building of Star Labs around the large round table. It showed it to Nick Fury, who nodded in agreement.
"This is good news," he said after reflection. "New world. New heroes. We can thank Barton that J'onzz gave us back our memories. Bloody hell! I still can't believe our world has changed! Nothing is like before! Do we know if the Anti-Monitor is gone for good?"
"Since Star City, there has been no trace of anti-matter on Earth," Hill assured him.
"What about the Avengers?"
"Romanoff sits with Wilson and Barnes. Barton retired. Wanda Maximoff is still nowhere to be found. She must surely be dead like Oliver Queen. J'onn J'onzz offered to work together. He could be the intermediary link between us and the Paragons."
Fury nodded in agreement.
"The Martian is cooperative, that's good news. Flash and Supergirl don't know us yet. And it has to stay that way at least for a while. Where's the Batwoman?"
"She went back to Gotham City," Maria Hill replied.
"And that electric guy… Jefferson Pierce?"
"He's go back to Freeland."
"Good. What about the vigilantes of Star City?"
"They dispersed. Diggle and his wife moved to Metropolis. Dinah Drake left Star City, but she vanished."
"What about Lex Luthor?" Fury asked with a serious look. "Where is he now?"
"Still in National City, running this agency the DEO," Hill replied. "The Martian said that this man hates the Supers. He had a history with Superman, and last year, before the Crisis wiped it all out, He tried to kill Supergirl. Before all this mess, he was a dangerous psychopath killed by his sister. But the Crisis brought him back to life, and everyone likes him. According to the new records, he would have helped the Avengers in their battles."
"It was the Lex Luthor of this world," Fury pointed out. "Now this is a psychopath who took the place of someone else. If this man hates Kryptonians, we've got a big problem that we'll have to deal with. Otherworldly threats are one thing, but this guy… this Luthor is a big different thing. If we want our heroes to defend this new world for us, this Lex Luthor shouldn't be putting a damper on them. We need to keep an eye on him. Especially since he knows the Supergirl's identity. He could use that to his advantage. If he's a threat to our heroes, he's a threat to this new world."
"That's why you decided to go underground?" Maria Hill asked, puzzled.
"Indeed, our current status will be our coverage. With the means at this Luthor's disposal, I don't want to take the risk of him discovering us and trying to make us disappear. Far we will stay off him, the better."
"You know Nick, it's so weird to think that now I'm an agent again," Hill replied. "I'm now working at the DEO and I have to answer to Supergirl's sister and Luthor."
"Do you have a problem with that?"
"Absolutely not," Hill retorted. "With that, I could be close to Luthor and find out about his schemes. Anyway, you know very well that I'm working to you and just you."
"Alex Danvers must know nothing about you," Fury said. "Not even Supergirl. If we want to protect them from Luthor, going underground is our asset. Now, our world isn't the one we knew anymore, but it has new dangers that we must face. And this Lex Luthor is one of them. A psychopath at the head of an agency that protects the world is a problem."
"Are you really going to disappear? As after the Sokovia Accords?"
"I won't be totally off the grid," Fury assured her. "I'll keep listening in case anything urgent comes up. And the Martian can call me whenever he wants."
He started his car, leaving Maria Hill alone on her new mission.
Space
The Benatar had left Earth and was traveling through space. Thor had returned with them, having a way to communicate with his friends on Earth in case a new threat arose in their new world.
The Guardians of the Galaxy had new planets to explore, following the aftermath of the Crisis. And Quill hoped to find Gamorra. With all these changes of realities or merged worlds, he remained hopeful that he would find a Gamorra who loved him.
As the ship moved through space, Rocket insisted on new worlds to explore, which annoyed Quill.
"Rocket, just because we almost got killed twice doesn't mean you are the captain of this ship. I remind you that I am in control."
"Quill, are you using a big voice on purpose to impress Thor?" Rocket asked smirk.
"You still don't agree between you?" Drax pointed out. "Are you finally going to fight each other?"
"No, guys, no!" Thor intervened gently. "Quinn and I have no reason to fight. We are friends now! And besides… it's good to see you alive again, Asgardians of the Galaxy!"
"We're Guardians of the Galaxy," Quill corrected. "And for the last time, my name is QUILL!"
"That's what I said," answered the asgardian, smiling naturally.
"Why didn't you stay on Earth? Aren't you a celebrity there?"
"It is not me. I am Thor who travels through space with you to explore new planets and see what differences the Crisis has brought to our Galaxy."
"I agree," agreed Rocket.
"By the way, why is Groot silent?" Mantis remarked in a small voice." Since we left Earth, he hasn't said a single word and we can't hear his video game!"
Upon reflection, the Guardians noticed that she was telling the truth. During the entire space travel, neither of them had heard the sound of a video game coming from Groot.
They turned to the sapling which was comfortably settled in its cockpit seat and was reading a book.
"Looks like the tree learned to read." Nebula commented.
"Groot can read now?" Thor wondered, frowning.
"At least it'll change us from his silly game," Quill said cheerfully.
But Rocket frowned. During the Crisis, he remembered Groot's strange passion for the erotic books of a silly novelist. A Mick Rory's doppelganger. He has a bad feeling.
"Groot, what book do you read?" asked the suspicious raccoon.
But the tree remained silent, immersed in its reading. In the face of the silence, Rocket retorted:
"Groot, did you hear what I asked you? I asked you a question. What are you reading?"
"It's okay, Rocket, let go of him," Quill said calmly. "If Groot prefers reading to his silly game, that's good news."
But Rocket was not reassured. He got up from his seat and went to see Groot, who continued to read quietly, ignoring the raccoon's inquiring gaze.
Groot finally looked up.
"I am Groot."
"What are you reading?" Rocket exclaimed stunned. "« An Erotic Space Odyssey » written by Heatwave?"
"Erotic?" Quill exclaimed in surprise, wondering if he had heard correctly.
"What does it say?" Drax exclaimed interested.
"Heatwave?" Rocket wondered with fury and disbelief. "Heatwave as the stupid nickname of that moron… that jerk Mick Rory?! Did he give you one of his books before we left?"
"I am Groot!" Groot replied firmly.
"Did he give you a dirty book?!" Rocket exclaimed in rage. "No, no, no, no! Give me this book right now, Groot! This is not reading for you!"
For once, Quill agreed with Rocket. He joined Groot with a stern tone.
"I don't want erotic books in my ship! Groot, give me this book right now! It'll be confiscated!"
But Groot didn't give in and kept the book against him.
"I am Groot!"
"Groot! Give me this book now!" Rocket said, trying to snatch the book from the young tree's hand.
"Groot, give him your book!" Star-Lord replied severely. "Just do it!"
"I am Groot!" resumed the sapling with a smirk.
"Hey, this is my ship! Remember? And I'm in charge! I don't want erotic books in my ship! Either give this thing to Rocket, or I'll take it from you! You better obey, Groot!"
"Can I have this book?" Drax asked still interested. "I'd really like to read it."
"Shut up, Drax! It's between Groot and me!" roared the furious raccoon. "Don't get involved!"
Quill grabbed Groot's book and could read a sentence from the top of the cover.
" « In space, nobody can hear you moan? » What the hell's that?"
Nebula rolled her eyes in annoyance.
"Why did I have to end up with the biggest idiots in the Galaxy?"
Thor gave her a sympathetic smile. He settled into his seat ignoring the conflict between Quill, Rocket and Groot.
The sapling was struggling with Quill to get his book. But he had a firm hand on the book.
Rocket was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. He screamed in rage throughout the cockpit:
" I HATE MICK RORY! Next time we get back to Terra, I'll tear off his flaming gun and I'll be happy to set him on fire! "
END
Notes:
And here ends this story which was the longest to write of all my stories. I want to thank you all for your support in writing this story. I'm glad I was able to finish it.
Thanks everyone for the support, it means a lot to me. Thanks to jetblack1979 of Fanfiction.net, as well as DarkerEvening of Fanfiction.net, for giving me ideas for this story. All your support has helped me to see my story through to the end.
jetblack1979 confirmed to me that the Earth from the Smallville universe (Earth – 167) was saved confirmed by producer Marc Guggenheim. Having been a Smallville fan, I'm glad to know it.
As you must have noticed in this chapter, I linked it to my other story: WandaVision in Injustice.
Because my new story will be Injustice 2, where we will find Wanda and Vision, but with other characters from the MCU with those from the Arrowverse.
Chapter 30: Post Credits Scene
Notes:
Hi and to get you in the mood, here's a post-credits scene that will serve as an introduction to my next story.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Earth – V; Themyscira
The Paradise Island of the Amazons. But the whole island wasn't a paradise. Because in a part of the place of the Amazon warriors, there was a prisoner locked in the dungeons. Diana, princess of the Amazons, formerly Wonder Woman. A hero. Until the day the criminal Joker deceived Superman into killing his wife and unborn son and destroying Metropolis. Following this terrible tragedy, with the suffering of the Man of Steel, she had helped him to establish the Regime, capable of protecting the world against all forms of violence. But with Batman's persistence, peace was impossible. Everything had changed since the duplicates had arrived. As well as the two Avengers Wanda Maximoff and Vision. They had defeated Superman and overthrown his Regime. Since then, Diana was locked among her family in the dungeons. She had been stripped of her Wonder Woman outfit. She didn't look like an Amazon anymore.
Someone came to see her in her dungeon. To her surprise, Diana discovered her mother, Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons. For the first time since she had been locked up in Themyscira, she saw her mother. What could have made her come to see her?
"Diana?" Hippolyta said in a distressed voice.
"What do you want, Mother?" Diana asked without looking at her. "Come to see if I've learned the error of my ways? I don't know what you expected me to learn from being chained and imprisoned by my sisters and my mother, but it is certainly not the lesson you were hoping for."
Despite her heinous acts, Hippolyta still loved her daughter, and seeing her waste away in her dungeon broke her heart. She knelt down to her with emotion:
"Daughter, you were meant to bring peace to the world."
"And I did. Superman and I did. There would always be peace in this world without these duplicates and these two stupid foreign heroes out of nowhere! We brought peace!"
"A world afraid to step out of line. That is not peace," her mother objected, still sadly.
Hippolyta began to caress her daughter's arms, but Diana, outraged to see her mother rejecting her ideology withdrew from her touch and eyed her with hatred.
"You are pathetic! You are a warrior who refuses to fight. You are a coward, Mother!"
Hippolyta took a step back with sadness.
"Diana, what happened to you? How could you have become like this? Despite what you have done, I still consider you my daughter. I will never stop loving you, but you have chosen a dangerous and dark path that I refuse to follow."
"You are against me because you are too cowardly to react!" roared the former Wonder Woman with hatred. "Men have reigned for too long. They continue to war with each other, to kill innocents. They don't care for the world around them. The world we were created to protect."
Hippolyta ceased to be upset and eyed her daughter severely, scolding her like a child.
"What you and Superman did wasn't protection. It was tyranny. Our role is to protect, not to rule. Sometimes not fighting is still the way to go."
"That of cowards, just like you!" she shouted furiously. "When I get out of this dungeon you locked me in, I'll set Superman free. Together we will kill Batman and revive the Regime. We will subdue the world of Men by force. All resistance will be exterminated and peace can return."
"This is not peace. It's a world of terror," replied her mother, standing up in disgust. "I'm sorry what you've become, Diana. I don't know you anymore. I don't know who you are anymore. I'm sorry to see you like this. It's obvious you can't be reasoned anymore. I'll let you atone for your sins."
And the Queen of the Amazons left the dungeon without giving Diana a single glance. The latter lowered her head with an angry pout.
Then a strange female voice echoed in her prison cell.
"Ah, mommies! It's very complicated! When you want to do rebel, they always have to have the last say in everything."
To her surprise, Diana saw a dark-haired woman dressed in black who had just come out of nowhere inside her dungeon.
The new woman gave him a mischievous smile.
"Hey, sweetie! You look… pathetic… Well, you're in prison, so it makes sense that you're not on your best days."
Taken aback, Diana stared at her intruder in amazement.
"You're not an Amazon. Who are you? How did you get in here?"
The new woman giggled before retorting:
"I know some pretty magic tricks that can get me where I want. I can become totally invisible to your boring mother and your warrior sisters! But enough chatter. I am Agatha Harkness. And I'm here to help you!"
Diana looked suspicious and eyed her contemptuously.
"To what?"
"I could get you out of here without your sisters even realizing it. With a snap of my fingers, I can ship you halfway around the world. Far from Themyscira."
"Are you a witch?" Diana pointed out, still suspicious.
"Not a witch," Agatha said firmly. "I am THE witch! The one who can bring the Scarlet Witch to her knees!"
"Who are you talking about?" Diana asked, frowning.
"The Scarlet Witch. A myth. A legend for some. But she does exist. And she came to this world. Besides, you know her very well. This is the redhead girl who knew how to dominate your Kryptonian boyfriend. The reason your Regime fell. The girl who helped the bat undo what you and Super-Male have built!"
"Maximoff?" the amazed Amazon wondered. "Is that her you're telling me about? So she really is a witch? I'll kill her if you get me out of here!"
Agatha chuckled before replying:
"Poor sweetheart! You have no idea what she is capable of. You will never be able to overcome her. I am the one and only witch who can dominate her. Let me help you escape and I'll make sure little Wanda Maximoff doesn't give you a problem."
"Why are you helping me? What do you have to gain by doing this? Want to help Superman restore his Regime?"
Agatha giggled again as she replied:
"Princess, you're so funny! I don't care about Superman or the bat! Your Regime! I don't care about this war between two super-heroes! I don't care who wins between the Man of Steel and a mere mortal in a Halloween costume! What happens on this Earth is your own business guys, not mine! I want Wanda Maximoff. If you are determined to restore your Regime, Wanda's gonna be a problem for you. With the powers she has, she can control you in seconds. She's so, so, much stronger than your Superman. Only I can control her. I will dominate her and I will seize her power. But don't worry, sweetie, I won't bother you and your Super-Boyfriend. So what do you say about that, Princess? Do we have a deal?"
Diana considered the words of the strange witch she had just met. She wasn't the type to ally with strangers. Nevertheless, she saw there a way out of her dungeon. She wanted to go out to find Superman, overthrow Batman and all his allies, and then reform the Regime that will ensure global security. And this Agatha could help her get her goal.
She ended up looking at the witch with a look of determination.
"Deal."
Agatha smiles, satisfied.
"Good. Trust me, you won't regret it, sweetheart!"
"You get me out of here, and then… where do I land?" Diana asked suspiciously.
"I drop you off at your only ally who isn't imprisoned by the bat. The one who comes from a country called Kahndaq."
"Black Adam? Get me out of here and I'll leave this Maximoff to you! Do whatever you want with her, but leave us reform the Regime and kill Batman."
Smiling triumphantly, the dark witch raised her fingers.
"Your wish is my command, sweetheart!"
And she snapped her fingers, and everything around Diana disappeared.
When she could see again, she was amazed to find that she was no longer in her dark dungeon, but completely outside. More exactly, she was on a sailing boat. From a distance, she could see her island Themyscira. And to her surprise, she found that she was now wearing her Amazon outfit, as if she had become Wonder Woman again. It was all there. Her outfit. Her bracelets. Her shield and her sword.
Finally, she saw Agatha who had just appeared from nowhere.
"Here we go, Princess. I gave you your wish."
"You gave me back my weapons and my outfit?" the stunned Amazon wondered.
"It's my little secret! A magician never reveals his secrets. I freed you. So I'll leave you to your business. I have other things to worry about. Hey, sweetie! See you next time!"
And she suddenly disappeared without the Amazon even realizing it. After a brief silence, Diana found that she wasn't alone. Instinctively, her Amazon side resurfaced in her, and brandished her sword at the intruder, only to discover that it was Black Adam.
"Diana? You are here? So this woman wasn't lying! She really had the power to get you out!"
"I'm free! And I found my weapons!" Diana said, smiling ecstatically.
Shazam's enemy smirked at him with an evil grin.
"Good, Diana, because we have a lot to do together. Once we free Kal-El, the entire world will bow to us again, including Themyscira. Even these two Avengers will bow to the might of the Regime."
So there you have it for that first post-credits scene that will tie in with my next Injustice story with characters from the MCU and Arrowverse. It will be the sequel to WandaVision in Injustice. And I intend to insert a link to the Crisis on Infinite Earths that justifies the fact that Wanda was able to bring Vision back to life.
I'll go back to work this week after several months off. Since November 2020. As soon as I can, I will post the first chapters of my next story.
And in the meantime, here is a second post-credits scene that was brought to me by jetblack1979 of Fanfiction.net .
Post Credits Scene
On a distant hostile and dark planet, a strange monk with a disfigured face came to see his master hidden in the shadows.
"My lord! My lord! It seems that Earth's heroes have managed to defeat the Anti-Monitor" said the disfigured monk.
"Perfect. I expected nothing less from these heroes," added the mysterious figure.
"So now we can attack Earth?" asked the disfigured monk.
"Not right now. We're gonna let the heroes enjoy their ridiculous victory. And when they will persuaded that nothing, and no one can reach them, we'll attack when they will least expect it."
"Oh! Very good strategy, Lord Darkseid," approved the disfigured monk.
"I know. Now leave, Desaad. I need to think," ordered his master sharply.
"Yes my Lord. I'll leave you to your thoughts," replied Desaad.
The so-called Desaad left the room to leave his master to his thoughts.
After a moment of reflection, Darkseid grumbled with a voice that growled like thunder:
"When the heroes of Earth will finally meet me and know my existence, they'll soon find out that compared to me, Thanos and the Anti-Monitor were just little insects!" said the dark lord with a smirk.
Notes:
Thanks to jetblack1979 for this second post-credits scene. While I am developing my Injustice story, I will try to think of a future story involving Darkseid. I am open to suggestions. If you have any stories' ideas please let me know.
See you soon for a new story.