War World

Ganthet screamed and dropped to his knees, gasping for breath, clutching at his heart. Izaya and Shazam were at his side immediately, having nothing better to do but wait-

“What?” Izaya said, his hand on Ganthet's shoulder.

“What's happened?” Shazam asked, stroking his long, gray beard in worry.

“Kyle Rayner is dead,” Ganthet wheezed, trying to catch his breath.

Ganthet looked up, his ancient eyes brimming with tears as he looked to his comrades.

“I'm sorry,” the old Wizard said.

“We have lost a great warrior,” Highfather said as well and Ganthet stared, breathing hard and on his knees. He shook his head in despair.

Thanos smiled as little by little…

Bit by bit…

Everything fell into place.

He glanced at Galactus, watching as the energy swirled.

He looked to the Rift…

He looked to Galactus…

The energy swirled, swelling as it flowed to the Devourer. It was working. He was consuming the excess negative energies, fueling his appetite and the Rifts were starting to heal- to close. He would need more energy- forthcoming all too soon so long as the ‘heroes' did their part.

Thanos pulled the cube from thin air, teleporting it through the Gem of Space stolen from the annoying and aggravating Troll. He held it high, watching it sparkle…

Soon…

VS

Chapter Ten:

Godhood's End!

Written by Curt Fernlund
Story by Chris Munn and Curt Fernlund

The Aerie
Mt. Annapurna
Nepal:

Firestorm flew higher, watching as Superman hammered on the threat of Nefaria. The Man of steel was crying, screaming, battering with all his strength-

Kyle was dead…

Warbird was blasting Nefaria with her energies- star powers Ronnie could see clearly now, the radiations of the sun. Nefaria ignored her best, and Superman's too. He was beyond their abilities- even the hammer. He was so strong…

Kyle was dead. Dead and gone…

“Bastard…”

Firestorm raised his arms, pointing his fists at the crackling form of Nefaria. The man was laughing as he slapped Wonder Woman aside without a care. Ronnie saw her head twist abruptly before she tumbled away, slamming into the mountainside. There was a flicker of silver at her side-

Ronald…

Firestorm returned his attention to Nefaria. He could see the strange energies dancing about the man now, and knew them for what they were. He knew how to shut him down.

Do it!

He could understand. He knew what he had to do.

He did it…

They moved through the complex swiftly and silently, each to their own thoughts. There was nothing to say really. Nothing that each of them had not heard before.

Bucky, Oliver, Jason…

The list was endless it seemed. Ever growing, and now the name of Kyle Rayner had been added to it. Possibly the names of Aquaman, the Atom, Red Tornado, Lois Lane, the Kents as well. They just did not know. There was no time. They would mourn later, and bury their dead when- if they could.

The Batman tried to ignore his feelings, pushing them aside for the time being. There was still a job to do, and worrying about Rayner was simply a distraction at the moment that he could not afford. He had the point, Ra's Al Ghul cuffed and in front of him as he led the group up through the maze of corridors again, back towards the surface.

J'onzz had relayed the plan to all of them, as the Captain had in turn relayed their success inside the Aerie. There had been some debate as to what to do next, and in the end the general consensus was to gather, and Iron Man had suggested that both the Rod and the Surfer be brought to the tower. Whether either man or machine would prove integral remained to be seen, but it seemed the logical choice.

There had been the unconscious Midas and his daughter to consider as well. Wake them and move them along, or drag them behind? Leaving them was obviously not a decision. Captain America had the strength to lift Midas in his armored bulk, but to carry it the entire way- even with the help of the others would be a Herculean task. It was the Wasp actually that solved that particular problem.

Using something that she called ‘Pym Particles' she simply shrunk Midas and his daughter to an easily manageable size. She then scooped up the still unconscious villains and dropped them into an empty compartment in Hawkeye's bandoleer, safe and sound at least for the time being. They would not simply regrow at their own discretion should they wake prematurely, but were at the Wasp's mercy to return to their true size. Probably not the most humane solution, but there was no time for niceties.

“There!”

Batman glanced up from his thoughts at the first hint of natural light streaming down the corridor from around the far bend. The Wasp zipped back to the group, scouting ahead with no sign of fear.

“The entrance is just like we found it,” she said, “open and not a guard in sight.”

“Good,” Captain America said as the group gathered closer, heading for the exit. The Panther took the rear, keeping Talia ahead of him and moving with the Black Canary and Hawkeye taking turns flanking. Captain America took the point alongside Batman, both men watching as the Wasp dwindled in the distance ahead, scouting advance. “Don't get too far ahead Jan, just in case. Stay alert everyone, and brace for the shift in light. Shield your eyes against the glare.”

One by one they finally emerged, each in turn stopping dead in their tracks and staring at the scene that met their eyes. The tower of Ra's Al Ghul dominated the mountainside, the strange apparatus at the top glowing hot with a blinding light as energy poured forth shooting back into the Rift cutting into the sky. The dark, pinkish clouds still roiled and churned, black lightning arching across the sky and spiraling up into the massive tear. Thunder rolled on and on.

They saw Nefaria then, still flying; the center of attention as the others still battled him. Even from the distance they could see that the combined might of the Avengers and the Justice League was doing little more than occupying the villain. Superman held Thor's hammer- the Thunderer nowhere to be seen as the Man of Steel battered away at the Count. Energy flared with every mighty blow, and they could see Nefaria stagger only to swiftly recover for the next. Warbird continued to unleash her own star bursts, blasting at the man to no effect as Wonder Woman flew strafing assault, hitting in fly by before circling wide for another pass. Firestorm was near, but beyond the battle. His fists were aglow as he trained his nuclear energies on Nefaria, though to little or no result apparently.

On the ground near the base of the tower they saw the others. The Scarlet Witch and Zatanna were manipulating their magic, though to what effect the Batman could not guess. He could see the blurring images of the two speedsters, Flash and Quicksilver running in unison and creating a gale-force wind, a funnel that twisted upwards towards the main combatants and to the Rift beyond. Iron Man, the Beast and Plastic Man were at the tower as well, the Golden Avenger's armor stripped to the bare minimum, the pieces cobbled into the tower itself, connecting the man directly to the mechanism. There was no sign of the Martian Manhunter- or of Kyle of course…

“Fools.”

The Batman eyed Ra's Al Ghul, watching as the Demon's Head stared skyward, his face a grim mask. Perhaps sensing the Batman's own gaze upon him, Ra's turned.

“You will destroy us all in your attempts to stop that madman. The tower is overloading. It was not built to withstand such a flow of power.”

“Just what was it built for, Ra's?” Batman asked, scrutinizing his old foe. Ra's Al Ghul was one of the most dangerous men alive in his opinion, and he knew whatever the true purpose of the tower it would only benefit the Demon's Head in the end. Still, if Ra's was concerned, perhaps there was a chance. Ra's Al Ghul returned to silence however, unwilling to offer more-

“It was dubbed the ‘Babel Tower', beloved,” Talia answered. Batman saw her father snap his head about, staring daggers at his daughter. Talia frowned, looking away but continued.

“One of several scattered about the globe. They were designed originally to assault the human mind, those parts of the brain in particular that effect the ability to comprehend speech, to read and articulate thought. The plan was to shut down those areas and throw the world into disarray, the resulting chaos culling a large portion of Humanity, the rest surviving to be manipulated by my father in the Utopia that would follow.”

“Incredible,” the Black Panther said as he lowered the still unconscious form of the Silver Surfer to the ground. The Batman saw behind him that the Wasp was restoring Midas and his daughter to normal as well, Hawkeye and the Canary on guard just in case.

“The sheer scope of such a scheme,” the Panther continued, “the magnitude… The death toll simply from accidents would be staggering. The loss of life from unreadable signs and directions, labels on medication, hazardous materials…” the Panther's gaze narrowed, focusing on Ra's Al Ghul.

“And you call Nefaria a madman-“

“We can debate that later, T'Challa,” Cap said as he stepped up to the young woman, Talia. “How do we shut it down?” Talia stared at the Avenger for a moment as though judging the man's worth before she turned to the Batman.

“I fear you cannot-“ she said even as another voice cut her off in turn-

“Nor do we wish to,” J'onn J'onzz said as his form faded into view in their midst. Batman heard Hawkeye and the Wasp gasp, but glancing their way it did not seem a startled reaction, rather one of recognition, or memory. Why-

“Iron Man and the Beast directed Plastic Man in reconfiguring the tower's signaling mechanics to broadcast once again, rather than receive. The various energies, which it gathered, are being sent back into Qward. Apparently that is doing something to heal the fabric of space as I received word from the Elongated Man that the Rifts scattered about the globe are sealing, the resultant storms starting to disperse. Unfortunately Nefaria is situated by the largest Rift remaining and easily accessing even greater power now that it is focusing. He becomes stronger with each passing moment. Our initial plan to alter Firestorm's abilities through the Scarlet Witch's Probability Hexes and magic worked to a point, however Nefaria is far and away beyond Ronald's power in his present form. Nefaria is gathering energy faster than Firestorm can drain it away, and I fear that what he has siphoned off is simply returning in a cycle.”

“Fools, as I said.” Ra's Al Ghul sneered at the gathered heroes, then focused his gaze once again on his daughter. A look passed between them, something like shame crossing over Talia's face as Ra's glared-

“Watch-“

Too late, the Batman cursed, distracted by the events. Ra's Al Ghul kicked out even as Talia spun, lashing out. Batman blocked the kick, but the Demon's Head dashed quickly out of reach as Talia's elbow slammed into the Panther's neck, staggering him. She shoved the Panther aside as she continued her fluid movement, dropping to the ground to sweep her leg at Captain America. The Avenger jumped clear however, already in motion, responding as he hurled his shield at Ra's Al Ghul's legs, knocking him to the ground.

As planned, apparently, as Ra's tumbled, rolling with the blow and over the edge of the cliff…

The Wasp and the Martian Manhunter were over the edge immediately in pursuit, but Batman did not bother. He knew what they would find. Ra's Al Ghul left nothing to chance.

Batman turned back to Talia, locked in Captain America's embrace as the two heroes returned. Empty handed as expected.

“He just vanished,” the Wasp said, J'onzz confirming.

“Teleported perhaps, or some secret entrance back into his base where his mind is shielded from my probes. Given time-“

“He's no longer important, J'onn,” Batman said, staring at Talia. “His plans are ruined. He'll turn up again, eventually, if he has the opportunity. If we can stop that…”

All eyes turned skyward again, just as the world seemed to explode…

War World…

Galactus screamed!

Thanos watched intently as the gigantic body spasmed, glowing brighter as it swelled with energy. It shifted back and forth, positive and negative as the Devourer consumed the fluctuating energies that swirled about him. Or tried to. Thanos was starting to doubt that even the mighty Galactus could contain the unbridled power of a galaxy.

Not that that was ever the true plan, of course.

The Mad Titan afforded a quick glance back to War World and his erstwhile companions still gathered there below. Trusting fools that they were, they all three stared up in awe, uncomprehending as to what was happening before their very eyes. All the better that they remain mute and dumbfounded. He did not need their interference now.

Thanos held forth the cube, watching as Galactus writhed with a fresh wave of anti-matter washing over him. The strange energies dissipated as the Devourer fed, taking in the negative. Thanos saw the Rift shrink minutely every time and knew that the other breaches about the galaxy and especially on this dimension's Earth were closing as the power was redirected here. To the old men below the plan seemed to be working. And it was in a way.

Thanos chuckled, licking his lips in anticipation. He was saving the universe… again…

Mentor would be so proud. So would Izaya.

Now, it was just a matter of time.

Waiting…

Mt. Annapurna
Nepal:

“It's not working!”

Firestorm screamed to no one in particular as he kept going, pouring on the power. He could ‘see' Nefaria's make up, his cellular composition and he was doing his best to alter it even though it was messing up his head to do so. It was weird! His powers just should not work that way, not against something living- and Nefaria was that no matter what the others said.

But it was not working.

His nuclear powers were rearranging Nefaria's base composition. He was converting the ionic energy into other things, less harmful elements but as fast as he converted the man's body seemed to shift and change, sucking in more and more power. Where was it all coming from? And how was the Count containing it all? It was ridiculous!

And he was getting tired. Ronnie Raymond wondered just how long he could keep up the pace. Nefaria did not seem tired in the least, or weakened. If anything he seemed stronger. It was like trying to stop the tide, or a hurricane.

Hell, he could do that. This was worse.

He could hear Nefaria's laughter as he hammered away, pounding on Superman. The Man of Steel was out on his feet so to speak, moving on instinct as he continued to fight back. Firestorm could see the bruises on the man's face, the blood-

God, Superman was bleeding…

He could barely stay aloft it seemed, barely hold the hammer of Thor, but somehow he did. They all did. Warbird, Wonder Woman, all the others on the ground, doing whatever they were doing. They all kept fighting, and Firestorm would do no less.

Firestorm winced to see Nefaria's fist slam down onto Superman, sending the Kryptonian falling. He heard the boom of the impact as he watched Wonder Woman and Warbird streak skyward to take up the direct battle again. Ronnie gasped as Superman hit the snowy slopes far below a moment later, he himself inching skyward to join the fray head on. Maybe he could make a difference up close and personal somehow. Maybe-

No!

Firestorm yelped to hear the Martian Manhunter's cry in his head. He paused, glancing down.

“J'onn?”

Hold position, Ronald. Employ your powers as planned. Help is on the way.

Firestorm looked about, licking his lips as he did as instructed. Where the necessary help was coming from he had no idea, but he had faith in J'onn. He would do what he had to do.

No matter how useless it seemed…

Captain America grimaced, watching as Superman slammed to earth. The mountain seemed to rumble with the impact, or it could have been the thunder it was hard to tell.

“T'Challa?”

The Black Panther crouching at his side scanned the far away spot, watching as plumes of snow billowed, steam drifting on the winds stirred by the speedsters. The Panther was silent for a time, but Steve Rogers knew that T'Challa's sight was far better than his, perhaps better than any of them for a normal view and the Martian had enough to concentrate on-

“He's moving.” Finally the Panther stood. “He's hurt, but alive.” Cap nodded.

“Pietro,” he said, his thoughts relayed by the Martian Manhunter instantly. “Get to him. Get him here. We need to regroup.” Cap glanced skyward.

“Wonder Woman,” he said again. “Join us. Carol,” Directing his thoughts to Warbird, “it's up to you for the moment. Keep him busy. You and Firestorm. Flash keep up your cyclone. Keep the funnel redirecting the energy towards the Rift as best you can. Just a little longer, people-“

Quicksilver appeared within the perimeter, the Man of Steel at his side, the Mutant Speedster supporting the other's weight. Pietro seemed only a bit out of breath, winded from his non-stop movement, but the mere fact that he was still on his feet after so long was astounding. Superman on the other hand looked as though he had been through a ringer. The alien's left eye was swollen shut and his face seemed more bruised than not. He still held Thor's hammer, remarkably, though it dangled at his side, the strap looped about his wrist. Cap recalled that one brief time when he had wielded M'Jolnir. It was an honor afforded to a very select few. Cap watched as the Panther took the Man of Steel, then turned to Quicksilver-

“Any sign of Thor?”

“He's there,” Pietro said, pointing at a mountain in the distance. “Unconscious and far too heavy for me to lift, let alone carry back. He's in a bad way.”

“Go back. Try to wake him,” Cap ordered and Pietro vanished even before he could finish. “We need him,” he said to the empty space where Quicksilver had been standing. He saw Wonder Woman land softly, if not gracefully no so far away. She looked only a little better than the Man of Steel. Oddly it was the Batman that stepped to her side to offer support. Cap saw the woman Talia frown at that, held in check still by the Black Canary.

“Tony?”

‘Beast here, Cap,' Captain America ‘heard' in his head. ‘Shell head's a little busy at the moment trying to keep his armor from going ‘BOOM'. You would not believe the power generating in this tower. It's astronomical. I don't know where it's coming from.'

“I do,” Cap said as he glanced at the unconscious form of the Silver Surfer. It was the only logical explanation, having gathered all the bits and pieces, all the fragments together. “Stand ready, McCoy. Be ready to free Iron Man from his connections.”

‘Will do, chief.'

A flare of light from above and he saw Warbird flailing, struggling to stay aloft. She had done something- Nefaria was shaking his head and rubbing his eyes, but she had hurt herself in the process. Firestorm kept up his assault, but the boy would not last much longer. They had to hurry now.

“Superman?” Cap said not daring to look at the Man of Steel. He knew whatever he asked the man would do or die trying. He was a hero, ready to give his all, and that was what Cap was about to ask of him, of them all-

And himself of course. He could do no less…

Carol Danvers screamed as Nefaria squeezed, crushing her hands.

Her starbursts were done, depleted and useless so she had taken the fight to him again. She had to buy the others time. Cap had needed her to hold the fort, keep Nefaria occupied and she had. She had gotten in a few solid blows before count Nefaria had simply blurred and grabbed her fists in mid-swing. He was just too damn fast.

Tears swelled in her eyes with the pain. Nefaria simply laughed and squeezed all the harder. Her vision started to gray, to dim-

“Let her go!”

She barely heard the boy, Firestorm. He was shouting, his powers exploding over them both and the pain eased just a bit as Nefaria winced. Warbird saw him look up and away, his eyes glowing.

“You annoy me freak,” Nefaria said as his eyes blazed, beams of fire shooting forth and sweeping the sky in Firestorm's wake. “Dieeee!”

She was free suddenly, tumbling through the air. She forced herself to concentrate, to think past the pain and right herself, to fly. A new wave of pain washed over her as blood rushed back into her shattered hands, remarkably pulling her from her daze. She screamed again, but cut her cries short, gritting her teeth as she focused on the pain. She looked skyward, for Nefaria, tears running down her face.

The Superman was back, pounding relentlessly on Nefaria with Thor's mystic hammer in hand. He was actually driving Nefaria back, not giving the villain time to breathe, to think. Hammering mercilessly. She saw Nefaria's eyes blaze again-

And Wonder Woman was there, wielding Captain America's shield. She swooped right in, blocking Nefaria's eye beams with the shield, bouncing them right back at him and it was Nefaria's turn to scream as he was bathed in the heat and radiation of his own assault.

She saw Firestorm again, floating in the background. He was still blasting away with his powers, and more. There was the Martian, his eyes aglow in the dark shadows of his brow. He was doing something, and Carol realized that the telepathic link was gone. This was it-

Nefaria shook his head, swinging wildly as the Man of Steel kept hitting him with the hammer. The Wonder Woman was right there too, at his side deflecting blows, striking with the unbreakable shield. The Martian was fucking with his head while Firestorm continued to leech his power-

Thunder slammed down over them all as freezing rain fell like a sheet from the suddenly dark sky. Warbird strained to hold position as the winds trebled. She strained simply to see, blinking the after image of lightning away, blotting her vision.

She saw him then, hovering there. He was naked, his armor stripped away, his hair burned and his body charred and blistered from Nefaria's assaults. He was flying without the hammer, but she quickly understood. He didn't need a hammer. He was a god.

“Nefaria!” Thor shouted, and Carol Danvers cringed at the anger lacing his voice. “Villain, thy time hast come! Though grim Hela claim my soul this day, that dark mistress shall take thine hand as well and lead thee to the lowest depths of her domain!”

Thor raised his hands and the very air seemed to tremble. Static washed over her, making her hair stand on end. She saw Superman and Wonder Woman squinting into the growing storm, struggling to hold position. Firestorm was gone, and even Nefaria finally seemed put out. He almost looked afraid.

Thor lowered his arms and lightning sprang forth, dropping from the heavens like a jagged wall of light. Thunder slammed into them all like a tidal wave. She thought that she heard Nefaria scream.

But maybe that was herself…

Cap stared up into the storm, squinting against the glare, the sudden rain that chilled to the bone. He saw the occasional glimpse, a shadow in the sky but who or what he could not tell. That battle was beyond him.

He hefted the Nega Rod in his hand, splitting his attention between the rod itself and the Silver Surfer on the ground at his feet. He hoped that he had judged it all correctly. He hoped that he would at the very least revive the Surfer, adding another soldier to the ranks. Even better that the act would drain away at Nefaria's seemingly inexhaustible power source.

Of course he was quite possibly about to kill a man as well, one way or another. But then, if they did not succeed odds were that they would all be dead before too long. Nefaria would not be merciful, should he win.

Cap knelt beside the Surfer. He licked his lips, a final consideration, thinking-

Praying…

“I'm sorry,” he said as he plunged the nozzle of the Nega Rod into Norrin Radd's chest…

War World…

Now!

Thanos saw the surge. He felt the shift as a wash of power came suddenly flooding through the Rift and enveloping Galactus. The giant screamed again as his body writhed. Light bent about him, his form taking on black shadow of anti-matter for a moment and Thanos knew that his opportunity had arrived.

Using the Infinity Gem of Space he willed the cube into the very negativity, that, which had been the Devourer of Worlds and was now his opposite. He winced, watching as the power flared with impact, his construct lost within the elder being. The null that was once the end, now too the beginning.

Alpha and Omega clashed. Darkness and light, chaos and order, whatever it was or would be, there was the spark. It was that thing, which Kronus had sought. It was that sight lost on the blind man, the paradox that confused the World Mage.

It was HER desire he knew now after so long.

It would be his gift to HER…

Mt. Annapurna
Nepal:

Nefaria screamed to feel his soul ripping away.

He felt the winds. He felt the storm, the never-ending rain of blows as they assaulted him over and over, wearing him down. The alien with Thor's hammer. The woman with Captain America's shield. The God of Thunder himself! He could not think, could not respond. Damn, he knew now what the boy was doing.

The power was fading, siphoning away and back into the Negative Zone. Whatever had held it in check was gone, fluttering skyward towards the Rift, caught on the wind churned up by the speedsters. Damn them! Damn them all!

He should have killed them when he had the chance instead of toying with them.

Now. Now it might be too late.

Or he could run. He could run back into the Zone. True, Annihilus was there, but he had enough power remaining to deal with that freak of nature. And somehow he knew that if he could reach the Zone again, he would be safe. They would not dare to follow him there, being only human as they were.

Nefaria screamed again, shooting skyward and lashing out as he flew for the Rift. He felt his arm slam home, brushing aside soft flesh in passing. The Wonder Woman? He did not care, did not stop as he rocketed to safety, oblivious. His eyes blazed clearing his path-

And something slammed against his chest.

Count Nefaria glanced down and saw the Cosmic Control Rod planted squarely in his chest, but that was not what captured his attention. Rather it was the tiny man dressed in shreds of red and blue. He was barely a few inches tall, his arms looped about the rod as he struggled to twist the nozzle. He glanced up with a smile and Nefaria blinked-

“What-“

And one more time the world exploded…

The Negative Zone…

Aquaman winced as he raised his arm trying to shield his eyes from the sudden, dazzling display of light. He hissed, sucking air through gritted teeth as he felt the burn, shifting to shield Lois from the brunt of the explosion. He still heard her cry out from behind.

It had been a desperate, fantastic shot; a throw that few might have made. Maybe Ollie, Bruce of course, any number of villains naturally. Well, perhaps it had been the Atom that had guided his throw more so than his own unerring aim. Palmer would have used his powers to help guide the cylinder on target, adjusting his mass as needed to make certain that the Rod flew true.

Still, the job had been done. The strange energy rod had struck the apparent villain squarely and the Atom had managed to activate it. That they had even come upon the scene, that they had found the proper hole in the number of Rifts that still littered Qward was astounding in itself. Arthur wondered if perhaps some god might be on their side after all.

They had lost all track of time within Qward, and in truth it really seemed as though there were something wrong with the very fabric of reality. Red Tornado had felt the effects first, not so long after they had escaped that first world where they had fought the strange creature called Annihilus alongside the equally bizarre heroes they had encountered there. They had decided to try their ‘luck' and accept their collective fate back within the anti-matter universe, and not so long after that the Tornado had simply shut down.

Even Ray had no explanation for it, save perhaps his extended absence from his true realm. They were none of them sure exactly just what the Red Tornado had become over the years; an android, an Elemental, some queer combination of both? Whatever, he had collapsed after a time and with him had gone their only means of propulsion through Qward.

How long they had drifted they had no idea. They had passed rifts and holes, tears leading somewhere though no place that seemed familiar by the brief, bare glimpses they received…

There had been a world that seemed composed of mechanical doppelgangers of the League. Another that depicted them all as knights and wizards, damsels and kings.

They had witnessed a world where Batman ruled as a vampire. Another where he was old and battling Superman while wearing a massive suit of armor. Ollie was in that one, one-armed and bald.

There was a reality where the seas had overtaken the land, but Arthur was surprised to find his brother ruling there, lording over all like a dictator.

There were many that were simply scenes of devastation; melted buildings or barren deserts, a world of ice and darkness…

Finally they had found ‘this' Rift, drifting closer. They saw a world in the not too distant distance that seemed on the verge of perpetual explosion, but the rock on which they rode avoided that explosive atmosphere and sailed lazily towards the hole and potential survival. They drifted close, straining to see…

There was Superman, but wielding a hammer.

There was Diana but carrying a strange shield resembling the one that Captain America had held in that first reality.

There were others that they did not recognize, all battling some glowing paragon of a man that seemed akin to a god himself the way he was batting his foes about-

“This can't be it,” Arthur had said, shaking his head glumly. “Too many there that I don't recognize.”

“Clark…”

They had looked at Lois then, he and Ray Palmer. She looked tired and weak, still wrapped in the remnants of Wonder Woman's broken lasso. Her eyes were wide and staring as she licked her lips, watching as the Superman beyond attacked the paragon.

“It's Clark… Superman!” She looked up and about, her gaze shifting between Atom and Aquaman. Her voice had been near frantic.

“Lois,” Aquaman had said calmly, sighing as he looked to her, obviously lost after their drifting through Qward. “Look again. There's so many there that we don't recognize. This can't be-“

She was up and on her feet, her fist pounding Arthur Curry's chest. “It's Clark, damn it!” she shouted, tears in her eyes. “You think I don't know my husband?”

Aquaman looked to the Atom, and Ray Palmer in turn looked through the Rift. “If it was Jean…” he said, his lips twisting. He looked to Arthur. “You'd know Mera.”

Aquaman glanced back through the tear again, then looked back to Lois, nodding.

“You're right. But what do we do?”

“We have to help them!” Lois shouted, and Arthur found his hand on her shoulder, holding her back before she simply leapt into the void.

“Agreed,” he said, pulling her back from the edge of the small asteroid that had been their home for so long. “But we cannot just jump blindly into that. Whoever that man is he's easily holding his own against several obviously powerful Metas; Superman and Wonder Woman among them. Much as I am loathe to admit it, I am not in their league power wise, and neither is Ray.”

“But we have to do something. We have to help!” Lois was near hysterical by then. Arthur Curry blamed it on their time of seclusion, their aimless wanderings away from their loved ones. He blamed it on the desolation of their surroundings. He blamed it on her worry over the Kents, still unconscious and hopefully secure within the inert form of the Red Tornado. He looked to Ray hoping for some support and saw the Atom considering the strange metallic cylinder, rolling it in his hand-

“It's this,” Atom said holding the rod up. “I'm sure of it. The Hulk said this was some kind of containment vessel, and it seemed to empower Annihilus somehow. This is the key to that,” he said, gesturing at the scene beyond, on the other side of the Rift. They all looked as if on cue and saw lightning flashing, ripping through the sky and striking the glowing man. He seemed only slightly perturbed.

“We need to affix this to him somehow,” Palmer continued. “Somehow I think this will either drain him of that power he seems to be brimming with, or divert it some way- back into Qward maybe, maybe even back to Annihilus.” The Atom shrugged. “I dunno. I'm just guessing, mind, but it ‘feels' right.”

Aquaman nodded. “I've come to trust the feelings of my teammates, Ray,” he said glancing at Lois Lane-Kent. “All of them. What do you suggest?”

It had been a desperate plan. Aquaman would hurl the rod, the Atom guiding the throw through his mass manipulation, riding the momentum. It would strike the glowing man and Ray would activate the rod, sucking the power away. The glowing man would lose his power and they would win. They would go home.

It had seemed simple enough at the time…

Nefaria cursed, spitting as he felt the power wane.

He stared at the Cosmic Control Rod jutting from his chest, his eyes wide as he watched the ionic energies dancing from the ass end of the nozzle. He tried to reach up, to grasp the metal cylinder and yank it from his chest, but his arms were suddenly all too leaden and solid, his very body weighing him down as weakness washed over his form. He stared...

His eyes sparked and the world faded to red as he focused on the rod. He saw the blaze as he willed the energies from his eyes, the concentrated blast of ionic energy coalescing on the weapon. He screamed in agony even as smoke and steam billowed skyward, the metal of the rod wavering, bending in the intense heat that his eyes were generating, redirecting.

His head spun about, snapping as the alien drove the hammer home. Some form of plasma spat from his lips-

Thor waved his hand, made a fist and lightning swelled, striking, ripping through his body. He staggered-

The woman slammed Captain America's shield, edge against his throat.

They were trying to kill him.

Count Nefaria looked up, shaking his head. He swept his gaze about, burning them all, weak as it was. Still they screamed, writhed at his whim. But he was tiring, his strength was eking away, siphoning into the rod, and beyond. The little man was gone- if he had ever been there at all- but the damage was done.

He felt the wind then, the cyclone flowing up from the ground trying to force him back. More, there was another, the force of a hurricane coming from above. He glanced skyward and saw a man cast in red commanding the winds of the storm. Who was that?

It did not matter. He was too close. He would not be defeated now. Not by the likes of these…

“Help!”

The Superman looked up at the sound of the voice. It was all too familiar. He had heard it so many times over the years. His eyes flashed, his amazing sight scanning the heavens, his X-Ray Vision delving into the Rift-

“Lois…”

He saw her then. His wife, the woman he loved more than life itself as Nefaria cast his burning gaze into the rip in the fabric of space. She was there with Aquaman and the Red Tornado, and Nefaria's own Heat Vision destroyed the asteroid that they were standing on. Arthur and Lois fell back into the real world, the Red Tornado simply hovering there in the void between.

“Lois!”

He caught her. Simply, no fanfare, no outstanding feat, he just caught her and held her close, tight…

“Lois…” he whispered. He ignored the golden cord wrapped about her upper torso. He ignored the fact that she seemed twenty pounds lighter and smelled of sulfur, her skin parched and dry. He simply held her, pulling her close as she in turn wrapped her arms about his neck. Her lips were soft, cracked. Her breath was hot as she buried her face into his neck-

“Clark…”

He did not care. It did not matter.

“Lois…”

Thor reached out as M'Jolnir fell within reach. He grasped the hammer, the mystic Uru metal vibrating at his touch, the power instilled by Odin himself rolling through his form once again.

He smiled briefly. He had been surprised- just a bit- that the Superman had proven worthy, one of those select few worthy to wield the might of M'Jolnir. A true warrior then, a brave and bold soul. One of the world's finest-

‘Thor?'

“I stand ready, Captain. Nefaria falters. What needs be done?”

Carol Danvers tried to focus past the pain. Her hands were shattered, crushed, but she would be damned if that would stay her hand if she was to deliver the final blow.

She called on the star power, the forces from beyond that she had wielded so freely when she had been Binary. It was hard now, the energies often escaped her, but she had enough for one more assault today. She could feel them swelling now, a song in her mind as she tried to focus, to draw the power of the stars to her beck and-

‘Carol…'

“I'm ready, Cap…”

The shield was fantastic. It was light, and so strong. Easily as indestructible as her own lasso. More so apparently.

Diana still grimaced however as she adjusted the straps, angling the disc between her and the form of Nefaria, trying to stay the effects of his energy discharge. She watched, trying to judge, trying to decide when best to strike, and knowing full well that when she did it might be the last-

‘Wonder Woman…'

Diana gasped, hearing the voice in her head.

“I understand…”

It was time…

‘Tony!'

Iron Man glanced up at the strange sensation. He ‘heard' Cap's voice in his head and knew that his leader was sending the final word. They finally had the opportunity, the means to take Nefaria down.

“You heard?” the Beast asked, craning his neck and peering up at him. The open panel in the tower sparked and crackled with the Beast's renovations. Plastic Man's head came snaking out as well, his goggles wide with wonder.

“I heard,” Iron Man answered as he adjusted the circuitry in his gauntlets, watching the read outs scroll past once again. They would probably never be ready, but they were as ready as they were going to be.

“Let's do this,” he said as he sent a surge of power coursing into the tower. He had maybe thirty seconds of energy left, once he purged his power cells- if he was lucky. The back up battery array would burn out quickly, and he would be dead weight soon. Hopefully it would be enough.

“Once more into the breach,” McCoy said as he stuck his head back into the circuitry, racing to adjust the tower's output.

“Here come the Judge…” Plas echoed, his body shriveling and snaking, worming its way back into the tower as well without a care to his own safety.

Stark just had to smile…

Ronald Raymond poured on the power.

He did not know what he was doing- not anymore- but he kept doing it. He could see the power, the ionic energy fluttering skyward, converting at his whim. How… Why… He had no idea.

He felt the surge. Ionic energy converting to something less, something simple and beneficial…

Helium…

Oxygen…

Lead…

It was incredible. Whatever the Scarlet Witch had done had pushed him over the edge. He could effect sentience. He could effect god-

Hell, he WAS God!

‘Firestorm…'

Ronnie Raymond blinked, looking about. It was Captain America, but where?

“Wha-“

‘Listen, Firestorm. Listen to J'onn…'

Ronnie licked his lips, concentrating as a wave of energy seemed to wash over him- over the whole range of mountains. He forced the power forward. He saw Nefaria shift…

“Faster!”

Wally West shouted over the whine of the wind, the continuous rumble of sonic boom as he raced the path he was swiftly burning into the eons old rock of the Himalayas. His course was afire, steam rising and swirling in his path, frozen in the heartbeat that it took to make the circuit once more. Only slightly changed the next, and the next.

He was hot, sweating and tired. His lungs felt ready to burst as he raced ever faster. The Speed Force was stabilizing somehow, he could feel it, feel the song. But it was not quite right yet, still fractured and out of sync. Just a bit.

“Faster!”

He saw the streak of silver blur past, lightning flickering as Quicksilver drew near for less than a microsecond. He was good. Keeping pace. Not as fast of course, but then Wally had been the slower in HIS world. Tit for tat. Yin and yang. It was only right. Only expected.

“Faster!” he shouted again, not knowing if the Mutant Speedster could even hear him in the roar and rumble. He could feel the shift though; the blast as the vortex they created writhed skyward to encompass the power mad maniac that had killed Kyle.

“Kyle…” he whispered. His eyes were watering, from the burn of course, from the pain of the push, the race. His throat hurt.

The wind shifted again and he chanced a glance skyward. The Rift was rippling, and there was something within, a shadowy form casting crimson in the flashes of lightning. The Red Tornado, had to be.

The others were back and Reddy was adding his awesome cyclonic powers to their own, taking their vortex and directing it through Nefaria and then into the Rift. He could hear the whine of conflicting elements, the sizzle of pure power unchecked as Reddy's vortex moved counter to the one they were creating, ripping at the killer, the murderer.

Kyle was dead…

“Faster!”

“He's adapting.”

J'onn J'onzz, the Martian Manhunter looked away, rubbing at his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose, trying to drive the lingering images from his vision.

“Mutating, I don't know. Whatever the Atom did, he was starting to weaken, but he seems to be drawing power again, changing.”

“He's growing as well,” Cap added, passing the borrowed bat-noculars back to the Batman. “And his skin seems to be burning away. He's become a being of pure energy, like our Wonder Man. If he completes his metamorphosis we may not be able to beat him.”

“You're idiots.”

The gathered heroes turned to see Midas, still lying on the ground, his huge metallic head resting in the lap of his daughter.

“You tell ‘em, daddy,” Oubliette said with a smirk, flipping Captain America the finger. He ignored her, directing his attention to Doctor Midas.

“Why are we idiots, Midas?” Cap asked, his slightest movement a signal to Hawkeye to keep the armored villain covered. “Do you have something to contribute?”

Midas shifted slightly as his daughter placed a cigarette into the mouth slit of his helmet, lit it. Midas exhaled with a long sigh, blue smoke drifting on the trailing wind.

“The Nega Rod,” he said, glancing up and at Nefaria again. “It'll redirect his energies- the negative energies. Whatever the little man did with HIS Nega Rod, that's what's fucking his positive energies, throwing him in a state of flux. I can see it through the helmet. The conflict between the two will send half his power back into the Zone, wherever the source of Annihilus' powers originate.”

“There is what appears to be a ‘Nega Rod' imbedded in Nefaria's chest,” J'onn confirmed. Midas nodded.

“Plug your Rod into him too, blow that tower and you'll overload him. While he's still partially human, he's vulnerable. Wait too long and we can all kiss our asses goodbye.”

Cap stared long and hard at Midas, trying his best to read the man, but his golden armor hid much. He turned to the Batman, but the detective simply shrugged.

“Your call, Captain,” Batman said, looking to Talia, but she had nothing to offer. The Panther too was little help.

“It sounds feasible. Midas has nothing to gain.”

Captain America glanced skyward again. He held the fates of so many in his hands. He quite possibly might kill Nefaria if he gave approval. But how many more would die if he did not?

“Tony…”

“Arrgh!”

Nefaria screamed as he felt the burn. His body seemed to boil and swell as he was bathed in a wash of solar radiation. Still, he steeled himself, trying to focus. He saw the alien, the Superman-

Stellar energy ripped through his form, sending him tumbling. Before he could right himself he felt his body shift again, the boy with the flaming hair. He was changing him somehow, altering him, and his energies were flowing towards the rift, caught in the vortex.

He needed to focus. He needed to-

“Gahhh!”

His brain seemed to explode. Sizzling tears swelled from his eyes as his head threatened to burst from the pain. Psychic, he knew the feeling.

Shift again- the boy.

Something slammed into him. Power! He felt power and something solid. His ears were ringing, hard to think, to concentrate.

The Silver Surfer shot past. Where had he come from? And there was a woman riding the back of his board, the blonde. She was screaming-

“Ahhh!'

Lightning ripped through him again, piercing, frying his core. Thor, damn him. Damn him!

They were hitting him en masse, as one. Coordinated somehow, blasting him with a myriad of energies at once. Fools, they could not stop him now. Not now. They were only making him stronger-

A flash of silver as the Surfer passed and Count Nefaria stared down at the sudden pain. There was another rod jutting from his chest. Another! Where…

What…

Now Tony!

LIGHT!

Bright and pure, white as the driven snow. The tower seemed to glare as a beam of white energy raged forth, rushing in a wave that enveloped Nefaria, washed over him and pulled him away. He could feel the sudden pain, as though his body were being stretched to its limits, torn apart and pulled towards infinity.

“No…”

They were watching. All of them just watching as the light cascaded skyward, caught on the winds of the sucking vortex, directed back into the Zone. He could feel his body starting to fade and disperse, to slip away as the power retreated-

“No!”

He was too close. He had come too far. He would not let the power, the divinity slip through his grasp now. Not now! Nefaria concentrated, gritting his teeth, tensing his muscles as he fought to draw the power back. They would not win.

They would not-

NOT…

WHITE

The WatchTower
Earth's Moon
Later…

There was pain. Pain and darkness, though in truth the darkness was paling. Swirling. There were sounds as well, muffled and distant, but if he focused he could make out things that he understood. Things that he recalled.

“Captain?”

Captain America opened his eyes and immediately tensed. The surroundings were vaguely familiar, though he could not recognize them at first. Sterile, metallic walls, the smell of antiseptic and lemon, a bright light glaring overhead.

“Welcome back.”

There was a woman above him. Probably one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen in his long and tired life. She had kinky red hair pulled back into a loose bun and a pleasant smile, sparkling blue eyes contrasting her dusky skin behind wire-rimmed glasses. She flashed a thin beam of light in his eyes.

“How do you feel?”

“I-“ his voice croaked and he had to clear his throat before he could answer. “I'm sore. Burning. Who…”

“My name is Paula,” the woman said returning her slender pen light to the breast pocket of her long white coat. “I'm a friend of Princess Diana. She brought me here to help.” The woman extended a finger and held it before Cap's face. “Follow,” she said as she directed her index finger back and forth in front of his eyes. A doctor then. Cap obeyed.

“Where am I?” he asked as the woman stopped the finger movement and adjusted something overhead. He heard a metallic ‘click' and was suddenly washed in a soft violet light.

“You're on the JLA's WatchTower, in the Sick Bay to be precise.” She reached up after a minute and turned off the light.

“You're fine, Captain,” she said with a smile as she jotted notes onto a paper on a metallic clipboard. “You'll be feeling a sunburn for a few days, but otherwise you're probably the best specimen of manhood that I've had the pleasure to inspect. Thank you.”

“You're welcome,” Cap said as he sat slowly up. His head was spinning a bit, as though he were suffering from too much heat and sun. He glanced about the room as he waited for the lab to stop spinning. The doctor, Paula, had shifted to the adjoining table.

He saw the Batman. The man's skin was red, but otherwise he seemed fine at least as far as Cap could tell. His cape and shirt were missing, though he still wore his cowl, not that it mattered he supposed. But he had thought that they were all among friends. He remembered the early days of the Avengers though, and the secrets they all kept for a time.

When the doctor moved on again, towards the Black Canary and the Panther beyond, Cap smiled at the detective, noting that the man seemed as dizzy as he had moments ago. “You all right?”

“I'll live.” Batman sat up, looking about, feeling his bright red face. “Yourself?”

“I've suffered worse. What happened?”

The man who was Batman smiled grimly. “We won.” His slight smile quickly faded however. “We suffered our losses though. J'onn was here before you woke up. Green Lantern of course. And the Atom is missing.”

“The tiny man.” Batman nodded.

“He gave his all, apparently. Showed us the way. He has the habit of showing up, however. If he's alive, I imagine he shrunk into a microscopic world to escape damage. We'll find him, when he's ready to be found.”

“The others?” Cap asked. He found his shield beside the Med-Lab bed, slipped it onto his back and wincing at the pain from the burn. Batman slipped his shirt over his head, starting to dress.

“No other casualties. We were lucky. Most of us, those at our power level suffered burns, heat stroke or its equivalent from the excessive radiation. Aquaman suffered the worst because of his unique physiology. He'll be in the ‘tank' for a few days at least as he and his group suffered even more. They were apparently stranded in Qward- your Negative Zone- for some time. Longer than we were hopping dimensions. The Time Stream I expect. At any rate, Diana, Wonder Woman called in her experts from her homeland to help us out, help us heal. The damage was more mental I think.”

“We'll heal,” Cap said as he eased off the gurney. He was tired and aching, feeling as though he had gone through a ringer. He hurt, but he would survive.

The Batman stood as well, hissing through clenched teeth at the pain. He looked to Cap, forcing a smile. “You did good. You took an army and directed them- us, in the worst situation. You gained our trust, and trusted us in dire circumstances. I'm impressed, Captain.”

“Steve,” Captain America smiled, extending his hand. “Call me Steve.”

The Batman took the hand without hesitation, shook it, almost whispering, “Bruce…”

Epilogue One:

The Edge of Infinity…

Eric Arcane looked up to the WALL, watching as the Spectre began slowly to fade away. He was the last of the ‘special' people, the extra-special entities that had appeared to help in their direst need. The In-Betweener, Lord Chaos and Master Order, the Nth Man, Aquarius, all of them had left without a word or thank you. Assholes all.

Arcane reached into his coat and produced a pseudo cigarette, lighting it with a slight flare of magic. He drew in the smoke, letting it fill his astral lungs as he stared at the great gaping holes still etched in the Wall. Nothing spewed forth, as they had been sealed somehow, but they were a reminder.

“Well, it's been a thin slice a' heaven, lad.”

Arcane turned, looking at the Constantine. He looked none the worse for wear, his hair more or less in place, his long coat just scorched a bit about the fringes. He had a Silk Cut dangling from his lips, his hand hanging out waiting to be grasped. Arcane sniffed.

“That's it then?” he asked, breathing deep of his cigarette. He had healed a bit, but he was still older than he should have been. His dreads were flecked with gray and his skin was lined and sagging, pale. He was only just a little happy to note that Strange looked worse; weak and feeble, his gray temples just a bit more streaked. His eyes were dark and rimmed with red.

Mysterium had departed, taking Arcanna- what was left of her at any rate- with him, back to whatever reality they had originated from. Occult still lay there steaming, staring into the void.

“Don't be like that, son,” Constantine said, flicking ash from the butt of his cigarette. “We done good here t'day. You ought'a be proud. ‘Appy at least.”

Arcane stared at the WALL, floating there in space at the edge of reality. It had been healed to a point, but there were places where beings had been, now sealed but vacant. Arcane knew that there were five, FIVE creatures out there that someone would have to deal with eventually. “We failed…”

“Not ‘ardly, son,” Constantine said, flicking his butt into the void. “The Wall's still there. Sure a couple bad asses got loose, but that's why God made ‘eroes. The BIG guns'll take care a' that. We're done.”

“Are we, Constantine?”

Strange stepped forward, staring up at the Wall as well. He seemed almost lost as he stared on, longingly. “I can only imagine that we will be called upon again to right this.”

“Yeah, well that's why we get paid the BIG Bucks, Stevie. Suck it up.”

Strange frowned, then looked to Arcane. “Will yourself back…”

Strange vanished, his form fading back into the Astral Plane.

“Bloody ponce,” Constantine spat, lighting another cigarette. He looked to Arcane, grinning that ‘eat shit' grin he had down so well. “Steer clear a' that one, son. You got potential. You don't need ‘im-“

“We all need friends, Constantine.”

John Constantine moaned, shaking his head. “Bloody ‘ell, mate. This is where I came in.” He glanced at the dark man that had stepped up to their fading group and shook his head. He smiled at Arcane.

“Keep yer nose clean, son.”

Eric Arcane watched as the astral form of the man, John Constantine slowly faded away. With his passing he felt the rock that had been their base start to crumble away as well as it headed towards the Wall. It would disintegrate in proximity, eventually, and that would be it. He turned to the dark man who was staring off into space.

“So we won?” he asked, and the man almost smiled.

“In a sense. We have helped stem the tide, Eric Arcane. We suffered true, but life goes on.”

“And the Giants, those that escaped? What can we expect from them?”

“They will do what they need to do.” The man turned, his eyes sweeping the Hedge Mage. “There shall be contest Arcane, ever. This is how we grow. The Maker has his plan.”

“And that's it then?” Arcane spat, flicking his spent butt into the void. He noted that the form of Occult had finally vanished. “So long and thanks for the fish?” The dark man chuckled.

“What do you want, mage? A medal? You live. You will see another day. You have made friends, allies. Would that I might say the same…”

Eric Arcane groaned, trying to will himself away. Constantine was right.

He started to fade but too slow. He still heard it.

“Despite our efforts. Despite the victory we have achieved, I remain alone. As it was and shall always be, forever I shall remain…

A stranger…”

Epilogue Two:

War World…

Thanos smiled.

He stared up at the form of Galactus trapped there floating between dimensions, his eons old body shifting back and forth, positive to negative, black to white. The energy flowed freely about him, the anti-matter of the Negative Zone clashing with the positive reality of this fractured mirror universe. It had worked.

The Devourer of Worlds had been so engrossed with gorging himself, sating his never-ending appetite with the never-ending energy that he had not even realized what was happening. As Thanos had expected, the heroes of the two worlds had done their part at the proper time. They had defeated whatever villain had sprung from the turbulence in the Time Stream and the Speed Force. They had beaten back the Spawn of the Wall. They had dispersed the swelling energies and stemmed the tide of the cosmic storms, which had threatened to wipe out and wash away all of existence. They had averted the Crisis and had managed to seal the rifts.

All but one.

It was that one, which Thanos had coddled, molded and swayed to his favor. That one tear in the fabric of space that he had chosen to make his play, bringing the mighty Galactus into the very heart of the storm and into the midst of the very energy that would be his salvation as well as his downfall. He had watched with a smile, almost giddy as the rift had closed on Galactus, sealing him in a non-existence, hopefully for eternity. Forever feeding yet never filled. He had fooled the doddering ancients of this universe into letting him ‘help' them. He had fooled the Devourer. He had won.

All for HER.

Thanos raised the Cube he had created with the Reality Gem, staring curiously at the strange flickering trapped within the crystalline structure. Just a spark of the Primal Force made whole. A dash of Speed, a stitch of Time, a little bit of Chaos and the clashing power of Is and Is Not. All locked away, in hand, at his beck and call.

It was Life, the beginning, that elusive thing that Kronus had searched for and that Galen had survived. In the palm of his hand, he held the future of reality, not death, not genocide. That was not what SHE wanted.

SHE did not want tribute, countless deaths in HER name, for HER love. They all belonged to HER already. That had been his mistake before. That was what he had never quite grasped. The Anti-Life Equation…

Thanos stared up at Galactus, watching as the giant shivered in ecstasy. He would never hunger again. He glanced back and away, gazing at War World there in the distance and the three old men standing there watching him in turn. Ganthet, Izaya, Shazam; did they know or even suspect? Probably not as they had their own problems to worry about, the mundane and maudlin diversions of their own limited vision.

“Let them enjoy their struggles while they can, my love,” the Mad Deity said to the void. He returned his attention back to the cube in his hands, watching the rage and sparkle of Creation, feeling the warmth burning therein. Thanos smiled as his form shifted, altering. Death held the key. Thanos had been right, Darkseid knew. It had been an effort to wrench the secret from the Titan, but in the end he had been true.

“Genesis. For you…”

Epilogue Three:

The Aerie
Mt. Annapurna
Nepal…

“Two Hundred and thirty six all told. That includes those killed when Nefaria first appeared, as well as Midas as best as we can estimate. There are still several unaccounted for. The injured are remarkably less, oddly.”

“Midas was not merciful, reveling in his newfound power. We were lucky, much as I am loathe to admit to chance.”

Talia shrugged, but did not disagree. The death toll could have been far worse, if not for her beloved, and the League of course, and those others. “There are also the long term effects to consider. There were many simply exposed to the strange radiations being expelled by Midas and Nefaria, not to mention the anti-matter-“

Ra's Al Ghul waved his daughter to silence as he strolled on. Repair crews had long since began repairing and cleansing the Aerie. It would take some time before the station was up and running to full potential, but for the most part his plans were on hold, so he had time. Time to plot and plan, and to consider.

“Should I reestablish Project: Babel?” Talia asked, though she was certain that she already knew the answer. She watched as her father stopped and bent to pluck something from the floor, though she could not see what. It sparkled as though metallic in the dim repair lights strung along the corridor.

“The League will no doubt disable the other towers as soon as they remember. And they will, or at least the Batman or the Martian will. No, Babel is scrapped. I wish to reopen research into the Protocols however. I was not pleased with the final result. We shall find a way to counter all Metas now, for the future, stymie all powers. I do not wish to rely on haphazard chance again. Call up Team ‘Dhal' and establish them here.”

“It will take time, father,” Talia said, not liking the direction that her father now seemed to be thinking. “The labs-“

“We have time, daughter,” Ra's Al Ghul said as he stopped before the shattered windows of one of the many Science Labs within his complex, his home. He stared at the shadowy image etched into the far wall, the silhouette of a man with arms raised in terror. “Remember our recent efforts in Gotham. And perhaps I shall finally afford myself time to look into the Ruby of Revival.” He held up the bit of metal and considered it, and Talia saw it then for what it was; an arrowhead, sleek and indestructible, ever sharp. Hawkeye's Armor Piercer, it had stopped Midas- Adamantium…

“We have nothing but time.”

Talia nodded as her father favored her with a smile and walked on. She knew when she was being dismissed. She knew too that she did not like it.

Epilogue Four:

The WatchTower
Earth's Moon
Later…

“It's truly impressive, I have to admit. We have a Monitor Room of course, but this is beyond anything I could ever envision.” Anthony Stark stared up the long metallic shaft, watching as the myriad of two and three-dimensional displays flickered and blurred, ever changing as they spanned the world. “It's alien holographics of a sort I assume, fed by that multi array antennae you showed me earlier?”

“Yes,” J'onn J'onzz smiled, the anti-grav suspensor chair spinning slightly as he scanned the changing images. The world apparently was moving on, picking up the pieces after yet another Crisis. He wondered just how many had died as the waves of anti-matter washed over the face of the Earth. How many had died as the Spawn creatures had appeared and ravaged all in their path? How many had died in the panics and the riots, the devastation both here and on other worlds. They would probably never know. There were so many areas on the planet now that had simply been wiped clean by the storms; in Africa and Brazil, Siberia, Mexico, so many more. “It's Thanagarian mainly, with a few Martian innovations. The Thanagarians are immersed in anti-grav technology. The same Nth-Metal incorporated into your peripherals was created there, brought to Earth by a Hawkman years ago.”

Stark raised his hands and flexed, watching his rebuilt gauntlets as they flowed about his hands. The armor was light, as J'onzz had added technology from his Mars and Thanagar, someplace called Rann and Tamaran. Strange, unfamiliar names, worlds that did not exist in his own universe as far as he knew- except for Mars of course, a dead world. There was a good chance that the cobbled adaptions would not even work back home. They had seen that the physics of the two worlds were just different enough. Still, if they did, if he could reproduce the Nth-Metal…

“Thank you.”

“The very least,” J'onn J'onzz said, his gaze sifting through the images before him. The world seemed at relative peace, at least for the moment, which was just as well. It was almost time.

The Martian Manhunter shifted the view of one of the images to the Medical Wing, internally. He generally had no reason to review the internal scanners, and he loathed simply scanning mentally, the invasion of privacy, but he was curious as to the state of his fellows, and his guests. It had been over a day since the Crisis had ended, and most had been healed for the most part. Too, friendships had formed.

“Perhaps you might tell me of that man you mentioned before. We appear to have a bit of time left. Doom?”

Tony Stark laughed. “That'll take more than a ‘bit of time' to give Doom credit, but sure…”

J'onn J'onzz listened in wonder as the Iron Man started his recitation. He mused briefly if Stark imagined how similar he sounded to the other as he continued to scan the world's monitors as well as the internal scanners, flexing his mind.

He focused on Thor…

“How is thine arm, Princess?” the Thunderer said as he approached.

“Better,” Diana said, unconsciously flexing her fist. When she had contacted Paula, the Amazon surgeon had first insisted on helping her, then the woman called Warbird who had similar injuries. Crushed hands. Paula had used the Purple Ray to add to both their recoveries, though here on the Moon for some reason the healing factor was not as effective. It eased the pain, and allowed the bones to be reset without a major cast, but there was stiffness yet, a little pain. Diana smiled, looking up at the Thunder God.

His skin was still pink, but his hair had started to regrow already. His body was covered in scars, dressed in a cut away jumpsuit with the JLA Insignia emblazoned over the heart, the sleeves ripped away to allow his movement. Nefaria had burned away the Thunderer's armor, and a good layer of skin, and though Thor was not embarrassed to be walking the station in the nude, the others were a bit intimidated.

“I am gladdened by this. Warbird too seems almost fit. Thine Healing Ray seems miraculous.”

“Not that you needed it,” Wonder Woman said with a smile.

“Did I hear my name?” Carol Danvers said as she approached. Her hands, despite the Healing Ray were swathed in cloth bandage and plastic bracers.

“Only in the best reference,” Diana said, smiling at the blonde haired woman. They were both warriors, and she had seen Warbird give her all to the call of duty. She would have been a proud Amazon.

“I wanted to ask,” Carol said, gesturing at the frayed rope hanging on Wonder Woman's hip. “I saw you use that golden rope, but-“

“It was broken in the Time Stream, the strange forces there apparently too much for it somehow. I'll need to get it repaired, but that task may be involved. It was a gift from a Goddess,” Diana said, looking to Thor's Uru hammer, “not unlike your hammer I assume?”

“A gift from my father, Lord Odin of Asgard,” Thor said as he hefted the hammer. “'Tis enchanted, and a very select few might wield it.”

“So I heard,” Diana said, eyeing the hammer, M'Jolnir. “Superman said it's a truly powerful weapon. And I have to admit too, that Captain America's shield was fantastic.”

“Aye,” Thor smiled, rolling the haft of his hammer in his hands. “There be similar weapons to M'Jolnir made, but in all the Nine Worlds there be nothing to compare to the shield of Captain America.”

“Ain't that the truth,” Warbird said as she gave Diana a curious glance. “You want to hold it don't you?”

Diana actually blushed. “Well, I was hoping…”

Thor knelt and placed the hammer at the feet of Wonder Woman without pause. He looked up as he stood, smiling at Carol. “Please.”

“Good luck,” Warbird said, smirking.

Wonder Woman licked her lips, glancing from one to the other Avenger as they watched her. She looked down at the hammer, wondering why it seemed so hard to just bend down and pick it up. She was sweating.

Finally the Princess Diana of Thymscira crouched and extended her still good left hand. She licked her lips again as she felt the tingle of static wash over her as her fingertips brushed the cold stone. She reached down and gripped the haft, making a fist as she stood- or tried to.

“Unngh!”

She heaved with all of her might, but try as she would, she could lift the haft but the head would not rise off of the floor. She heaved and grunted for a time, then finally surrendered. She heard Thor's bellowing laughter-

“A worthy attempt, Princess,” Thor said, grinning widely. Diana heard Warbird laugh as well, felt her hand on her shoulder.

“Don't let it get you down, Diana,” Carol Danvers chuckled. “We've all tried. Cap's the only other one, and Superman.”

“Methinks it be thine divinity,” Thor said as he scooped up M'Jolnir once again. “Our Pantheons, let alone our origins be too different. Mine followers art Vikings; ravagers and pillagers. Thine be scholars.”

“Well, that's not exactly true. You see…”

Carol Danvers turned away as the two Gods started to discuss theology. Her hands were aching and she wanted to get home. JLA Earth was nice- at least their Moon Base Alpha was, but it was BOR-ing. Time to go, definitely.

She scanned the Hall of Justice, Thor and Wonder Woman starting to drone in the background. She saw Wanda, talking to Zatanna…

“Your gesticulation is fine,” Zatanna said as she held Wanda's hands out lightly, adjusting her outstretched fingers marginally. “I think it has to do with the way the magic operates in your world. It appeared so- thick to me while I was there, blunt maybe, I don't know how to explain it.”

“I understand what you're saying, Zee,” Wanda replied, practicing the gestures, which Zatanna had taught her. “Everything here seems so crystal clear and exact, and not just the magic. The air, the sunlight, the sounds, everything seems so pure. You started to explain it before, an age of Order?”

“Yes. Our universe is full of- well, deities for lack of a better word. Among those are the Lords of Order and Chaos who've been vying for dominance of our reality since Time began. Chaos has ruled many times, in the beginning of course, more recently in the last Ice Age and the Dark Ages. Order has been ascendant since then. Everything, even the Chaos Magic, which you draw power from is very structured, thus clear as crystal- ordered.”

“I see,” the Scarlet Witch said, nodding. “It's so hard to manipulate on my world at times. Not complaining mind, but I've been through hell in my learning process, and it conflicts with my Mutant Hex Powers often enough that it's annoying. My teacher in witchcraft- Agatha Harkness told me once-“

“Uh…”

Both women turned at the hushed, embarrassed voice and saw Firestorm standing nearby. He seemed nervous as he split his gaze between the two women, licking his lips as he edged closer.

“What's up, Ronald?” Zatanna asked, noting his awkwardness and wondering why. Maybe he was just shy around them, maybe not wishing to interrupt their discussion. She smiled, trying to put him at ease but making him blush instead.

“I'm,” he said, hesitating, almost stuttering, “what you did to me. I've lost it. I can't see the… organic structure anymore.”

“It was never meant to be permanent, Firestorm. My Hex Powers effect probability, and my Chaos Magic plays off of that, but it does not last usually. I can for instance alter the numerous outcomes of an incident. Say a building, it's old and in disrepair. There is a chance that it will remain standing. There is also a chance it will collapse. I use my powers to push probability in the direction that I desire. In your case, there was a slight chance that your abilities might affect organic, sentient life. With Zatanna's help and guidance, and the Chaos Magic I was able to shift you in the proper direction. For a time at least, because the physics of your universe righted with our victory; the Time Stream and Speed Force, and apparently the elemental powers that you wield.”

“Yeah, well,” Ronald Raymond said as he rubbed the back of his neck in confusion. “It's just that it's like trying to remember something that you know you know. It's like it's on the tip of my tongue but it just won't come.”

“This too shall pass,” Wanda said with a smile. “Don't worry, Firestorm. You'll be fine.”

Firestorm forced a smile, hoping she was right. Zee smiled too, and oddly that was all the confirmation that he needed. If she was good, he was good. He just wished that he would either remember or forget altogether.

He turned with a thank you, leaving the two mystics to swap spells or whatever they were doing, wishing this was over with. He liked the Avengers, they had turned out to be good people, but he had a life to get back to.

He saw Plas speaking with the Beast and the Dibny's, both Ralph and Eel stretched to a certain extent as they were in the midst of explaining something to Sue and the Beast…

“Plas is obviously the more versatile,” Ralph Dibny said as he stretched about his wife, eliciting a giggle from Sue Dibny as she pushed him away. “The Gingold formula makes me stretchable, but Eel is like liquid almost- or ‘Silly Putty' though we both hate that term. He's much more malleable and can actually change his form to a degree that I can't.”

“That's okay, Sweetie,” Sue Dibny said as she brushed Ralph's cheek, blowing him a kiss. “You stretch in all the right places.”

“Sue!” Ralph said, blushing even as he grinned.

“Well, you are both quite incredible,” The Beast said with a grin. “The resident expert on elasticity in my realm is a happy medium between the two of you I should think. I've seen him pull some amazing stunts, yet his powers seem only limited by his intellect, which is vast.”

“Yeah, well,” Plas interjected, his body shifting to mimic the Beast's with a decidedly red hue. “My power's only limited by my imagination.” Shifting swiftly to a good facsimile of Han Solo in Storm Trooper armor, “and I can imagine quite a bit…”

Henry McCoy laughed, always enjoying a good movie quote. “I wonder though,” he continued, “the strange chemicals that altered Plastic Man. Have you ever investigated the base? Is there a connection to your Gingold, Ralph?”

Ralph Dibny's nose suddenly started to vibrate, to twitch quickly. “Y'know, we never have. I wonder…”

“Well, thank you Henry,” Sue Dibny said, her voice only marginally acidic, dripping with sarcasm. “I've lost him for the foreseeable future. Thank you very much.”

Henry McCoy smiled as the three started comparing notes. He saw Superman and the reporter walking with the Wasp and the Panther…

“I can't begin to thank you, Janet,” Superman said as they all four reentered the Hall of Justice where they were all starting to gather. It felt so good to have Lois back, at his side, on his arm. And his parents-

“I couldn't have done it if not for the Red Tornado,” Janet Van Dyne said with a shrug. “And you and T'Challa of course. My husband- my ex-husband is the scientist, and he invented the Pym Particles. I just used them, after you found the Kents, with Reddy and T'Challa's help. I'm surprised it worked. I know Hank's never tried to enlarge something so small and not originally reduced by his particles.”

“It seemed logical,” the Black Panther added. “There seemed no reason that it should not work, after initially finding the targets. Luckily your Red Tornado knew exactly where they were and directed us.”

“Along with Superman's Microscopic Vision,” Lois Lane added. She was dressed in a station jumpsuit like Thor's, her own clothes soiled and reeking from her time spent in the Negative Zone and that other Earth that she had visited with the others. “I just wish we could find the Atom as easily.”

“Ray tends to escape into the Microcosm when the world gets intense. He's done it before. I have every faith that he's fine, and we'll find him when he wants to be found.” Superman smiled, squeezing Lois' hand and she nodded in understanding. She was so close to this Meta World, living on the fringe but never truly a part of it. It was annoying at times, her reporter's instincts wanting to take over, to batter them all with questions, but she had her husband back and for the moment she could live with that.

“Well, Doctor Paula's given them a clean bill of health. Apparently they were out of the loop from the beginning. I can't imagine they'll even remember what happened when they wake up.” The Wasp strolled on, glancing about the huge room as they finally paused. Almost everyone was there, except the Flash and Quicksilver, Iron Man and the Martian.

“They appear unharmed throughout,” the Black Panther said. “I cannot imagine what you all went through, or why they should have been taken initially, but they will recover well.”

“I agree,” Superman said, scanning the room. It was almost time, time to say goodbye. “I'll take them home after you all leave. Hopefully there'll be no problems.”

“I doubt it-“

Janet Van Dyne looked to Lois Lane and smiled as the two men started talking shop. Hank was the scientist, not her. She knew what to do, but not the how's and why's of why it worked. Lois returned her smile, but shrugged. She was simply happy to be back with her husband. Janet envied that.

She wondered where the others were and finally spied Cap and Hawkeye talking with the Black Canary…

“A Boxing Glove Arrow?”

Hawkeye smirked, slipping the arrow back into the wide green quiver, handing it back to the Canary. She shrugged, setting it aside. She would return it to the trophy room later.

“I don't feel so bad about my Parachute Arrow now. He actually used that?”

“A lot,” Dinah Laurel Lance chuckled, smiling as she remembered happier, simpler times. “Towards the end he started to use simpler arrows, just regular ones. I…“

Captain America put his hand on the Black Canary's shoulder. He understood. He knew loss, but then too so did Hawkeye. Dinah smiled up at him.

“I want to go back with you.”

“What?” Hawkeye sputtered, and Cap was speechless. Where had that come from? He had almost sensed a connection before, but this…

“Dinah… Canary… I don't think-“

“There's nothing for me here,” Dinah Laurel Lance said as she looked between the two men. “The man I loved is dead. I don't really have a life here. Sure, I have a few ideas, but, well, the League's just too big for me. I feel second rate in the shadow of Superman and J'onn, Batman, hell even Plas. I'm a fifth wheel here, but your Avengers seem more open, more diverse.”

“Well,” Cap began, glancing at Hawkeye. “We'd be honored of course, but-“

“Hell, Di, the WCA would love to have you, but believe me, you don't want to chuck your life away.” Clint Barton stepped up and held Dinah at the arms. “You're a helluva fighter, and you'd fit in no doubt about it, but our world ain't for you. There's people here that love you. Believe me, I know. I lost my wife a few years ago, and you're a lot like her. You have friends here that'll see you through that. Let ‘em. Quit the League for awhile if ya have to. Take some time off and get your head together. You'll see. You're more important, an' better than you give yourself credit for. Hell you gave me a run for my money.”

“You beat me in the end,” Dinah said, smiling.

“Yeah, well, I'm Hawkeye.”

Cap watched as Clint talked to Dinah. He seemed to understand what she was about, and he was glad of that. His own personal life had been a joke of late- a dream. The last thing that he needed was another fan, and he was seriously thinking that there was something closer to the Black Canary to that than a simple peer. He let Hawkeye talk her down, glancing about the room. He saw the Batman stepping towards the View Annex…

“Are you all right?” Pietro Maximoff-Magnus asked as he stood beside the Flash. The younger man seemed somber, his cowl down as he stared into space, watching as the Earth spun in the distance. When he spoke, his voice was hoarse, almost a whisper.

“I need to tell Connor.”

Pietro looked at his new friend. He did not know who ‘Connor' was, but he understood. He had lost many friends over the years.

“He'll want to know. Kyle's dead. Gotta tell him.”

“He will appreciate that,” Quicksilver said, not quite knowing what to say to ease his new friend's pain.

“They don't care,” Wally West said as he stared off into space. “No one, they're not even concerned. He wasn't Hal. They don't care-“

“We care, West.”

Pietro jumped at the cold voice that cut the queer silence. It was like crushed glass, or stone rolling through a rock grinder. He turned instantly and saw the Dark Knight standing there in the doorway. He seemed hunched almost, his cloak about him, lost in the shadows.

“We simply mourn in our own way,” the Batman said as he strode up to the View Port alongside the Flash. “We will mourn as a group later. For now, we have to heal and get the Avengers home. For now we all deal with it, as best we can. Kyle was a good man, a hero. He was a good replacement for Jordan. I liked him, and I'm sorry that he's gone.”

“I didn't know him,” Quicksilver said, not quite knowing what to say. “But…”

Wally West smiled.

“I know. He was my friend. Like Barry and Hal, maybe. Me and Kyle,” Flash said with a shrug. “I have to tell Connor, and Donna too-“

“Soon enough, Wally West.”

They all turned as the Martian Manhunter spoke, passing through the ceiling, then phasing just as swiftly through the floor.

“Thor is ready...

They gathered then, there in the Hall of Justice, the meeting room of the Gods there on High Olympus where they watched over us all. There had been times when other gatherings were more numerous. Times it seemed when the entire Meta Community had banded together to avert an Invasion, or a Crisis, some ultimate calamity or war destined to doom the world. It was debatable whether there had ever been a greater assemblage of heroes, however. They were the best of two worlds- the very best. It was all in the point of view, of course.

They had put Ralph and Sue Dibny on Monitor Duty. The Kents were still asleep in the Medical Wing some floors away, and of the heroes officially part of the current JLA present in the WatchTower only Aquaman was absent there at the last. All were patients still and under the tender care of Doctor Paula, the Amazon brought in by Wonder Woman, Princess of Thymscira to help us all heal. She had been miraculous, easing our pains and injuries with her extraordinary skills and machines. The Kents had been blissfully asleep since the very beginning- months it seems at times- since they had been kidnapped by the Time Trapper.

I missed most of that as well, remembering only garbled bits and pieces blurring together and out of sequence. In a way I hope to remember it all some time, as I hate not knowing. It's the reporter thing, something in my blood I suppose. However, a part of me never wants to know the horrors there at the End of Everything, the End of Time. Clark says that he will tell me whenever I'm ready. An edited version of course, and one that he got from J'onn J'onzz as Superman was out of the first half of the fight even longer than I was. It was his being replaced with a doppelganger from yet another dimension that set this whole thing off, just a little over a week ago according to the calendar. The ‘Sand Superman' he was dubbed, a being from Quarrm J'onn had said. He saved us all there in the end, at the End of Time.

I missed most of the latter half as well, being separated from the rest of the League with Aquaman, Atom and the Red Tornado along with the unconscious Kents. We had adventures of our own while the JLA and the Avengers struggled to save the universe. It's all connected somehow, in some strange way. It was there in the anti-matter realm that Aquaman had started to suffer, being burned and dehydrating in the queer environment, then back on Earth just in time for that final, searing explosion. Doctor Paula sentenced him to a few days in the WatchTower's water tank in the depths of the base in a healing solution. He would be watching on monitor, and most of the Avengers had said their good byes and thank yous in person earlier, as did I.

I was standing in the background, along with the Red Tornado. He was as silent and stoic as ever, despite the time we had recently spent together. He had been acting strange since he had reawakened there in Qward, at the edge of the Rift when he had started his mighty winds to create a vortex, adding to the efforts of Flash and Quicksilver. He seemed different somehow, though I never really knew him well enough to say exactly what was different. I stood near, but away, more interested on the upcoming departure.

They gathered and spoke, some smiling, laughing, shaking hands a final time. Some showed their faces there, just before the end. Captain America was handsome and apparently old we had learned, having been ‘created' in World War Two on his Earth by his America. A pity that Alan Scott and Jay Garrick, the rest of the JSA weren't here for this as they probably would have enjoyed some of his war stories. Iron Man was handsome too, removing his golden faceplate to give his share of good bye smiles and kisses, which were truly dazzling I might add. The Black Panther was African I learned, a king of a country on his world. Warbird was beautiful, named Carol, ex-military so we shared a bit. Actually only the Batman stayed in character, or in costume rather though he seemed friendlier than I had ever seen him- or imagined he could be.

No one seemed concerned about the Atom's disappearance. All were confident that he would turn up eventually, though they would look for him I knew. It was the death of the Green Lantern that seemed to hang over what should have been a celebration. No one said anything beyond expressing their sorrow, but I knew that they were all hit hard by it. They had all lost loved ones over the years in one way or another. Death was a reality ever present in the lives they led as Heroes, but of course there was the other thing as well. They did not speak of that either, but I knew too that it was eating away at the back of all their minds.

The Green Lantern had killed a little girl on an alien world. It had been in the heat of battle, and Clark said it had been an accident, that the girl had simply appeared at the wrong time in the middle of a tense situation, but still I knew. It was the one line that they all hoped never to cross. They were heroes, trying to uphold law and order, trying to set an example really, and they did not kill.

But they did. Barry Allen, perhaps the most beloved of the second generation of heroes had killed the man that had killed his wife. There was more to it of course, but the result was the same. Hal Jordan, Earth's second Green Lantern had killed. There was Hawk, the ex Teen Titan. Even Clark…

He had executed three criminals of extraordinary power that had decimated their version of the Earth. That was another piece of the Time Trapper's intricate plot that seemed to span centuries. It's all connected somehow. Another world, destroyed by criminals apparently from some alternate Krypton. They were vile, evil creatures according to Clark, threatening to bring their terror to our Earth. Clark believed them, and in the end crossed that final line. Matrix had been there- Supergirl, and she had told him everything, gotten him involved initially, changed his life inevitably. He never speaks of it, not since he told me that first time, and I never ask even when he wakes screaming at my side in the middle of the night. Or crying…

He did what he had to do. I told him, and I'm sure that whomever he shared the tale with told him the same, but still it eats away at him. I know. I know the man I love.

I did not know the boy- the man that had become Green Lantern, but he had been chosen to take the place of many others before him. He had been a hero, and I did know that whatever the circumstance of the little girl's death, he would have taken it to heart, and to the grave. They all knew that as well, even though they said nothing of it. They would mourn I'm certain, each in their own way, in time.

I watched as they started to separate, the League shifting to the near side of the vast hall to give the Norse Thunder God room. The Avengers gathered around him, not too close as well, probably knowing better than we what was to come. The beautiful shining man- the Silver Surfer stood with them, his powers restored. He was holding the man in the golden armor- Doctor Midas and his daughter in some form of stasis so they could not disrupt the return home.

Energy sparkled and crackled from his awesome hammer- named M'Jolnir I had learned, that reporter thing again- as he swung it round ever faster in an ever-widening arc. The hammer started to glow eventually, and he finally simply stopped the swing of momentum and grabbed the haft, holding it aloft before him. I saw a wavering in the air, like heat rippling on a desert highway in the distance. We all felt a gush of cool wind and saw flickering images of another room fading in and out of sight.

“The construct created by thine fallen comrade hast faded with his passing, or perhaps the destruction of his mighty weapon, the emerald ring. I know not which, yet this I do know; where ‘ere Thor has tread, he doth know the path to return. I sense that thy Time Stream and Speed Force, the very dimensional barriers, which we all fought so valiantly to repair dost try to bar the way, yet they reckon not with the Will of Almighty Odin, and the determination of his chosen son.”

“He's stubborn,” the Beast interjected with a grin, and Thor smiled, nodding.

“Aye. Regardless, ‘tis taxing holding yon portal wide. Time slips away, as must the Avengers. Justice League, it hast been an honor to fight at thine side.”

“The honor was ours, Thor,” Clark said stepping closer. I saw his restored cape fluttering in the wind of the storm that the Thunderer had whipped up. His eye was still swollen shut, but a faded, ugly purple now. Zatanna had used her magic to fix his teeth, thank God. He had been starting to lisp. “I only hope that we can meet again one day, only under less dire circumstance.”

“Something tells me we will.” Captain America looked to the JLA and saluted, a corny gesture to be sure, but somehow when he did it, it just seemed right, fitting.

And that was it. There was a final group smile and wave, a few parting comments as the storm simply swept over them all, enveloping them, obscuring them, and they were gone. We watched as the light and energy faded away, the winds dying to the slight breeze of the air conditioning within the Tower. Silence…

I watched, staying quiet as I was still just a guest there in their most intimate moments as one by one they all just drifted away. The Red Tornado was gone when I looked back. I don't know if he had remained throughout or not. Flash was next, vanishing in a flicker of scarlet. The death of the Green Lantern had hit him hardest of all I thought. They had been friends.

Plastic Man, Zatanna and Firestorm left together, next. Zatanna and Firestorm seemed to be discussing something while Plas walked behind, his eyes focusing on Zatanna's legs, if not a bit higher. I heard J'onn call the Black Canary's name, glancing at the BIG three before they too left and suddenly it was just Clark and I, and Batman and Diana.

There was a moment of silence, oddly awkward between them as I knew they were friends. Diana smiled at me warmly, and I realized that they were hesitant to speak in my presence. Clark put his arm around my shoulder, kissed me lightly on the cheek.

“No more secrets,” he said, looking at Batman. “Lois almost died because of me. She fought in our name according to Aquaman, helped us win.”

“And what?” Batman asked, and I could hear the sarcasm in his voice. “You want to make her a member? Maybe we should call Snapper Carr.”

“I'm serious, Batman. Things have changed dramatically. Life is too short.”

Batman looked to Wonder Woman. Her skin was burned like the rest of us, her arm in a plastic brace to protect her crushed hand, her golden lasso in tatters. She nodded in agreement and with that the Batman finally sighed.

“You're right, Clark,” he said, turning his back to us. He seemed hesitant, and I was about to say that it was not necessary, suspecting what he was about to do, but too quickly he reached up and pulled back his cowl.

I gasped when he turned around. I recognized his face of course, and I had suspected for some time- that reporter thing again. It did make sense.

“Things have changed. I think we all realize that, just as we realize that this is probably the end of the League as we know it.” I gasped again at Bruce Wayne's cryptic statement. The end of the League?

“J'onn may stay on, and probably Firestorm, but I know that Dinah will be leaving, probably permanently. Zatanna will be going with her, though she wasn't officially a part of the latest group. Flash and Plastic Man will be taking extended leave I'm certain. Atom's missing. Kyle's dead. Aquaman has affairs of state that we snatched him from, and who knows the turmoil in Atlantis after his being gone for two weeks after healing. The Red Tornado?” Batman shrugged.

“That leaves us.”

“I'll need to leave for a time,” Diana said, holding up her injured arm. “Too, I need to return to Thymscira, to see to this.” She patted her hip and her frayed lasso hanging from her golden belt. “I may be gone some time.”

I felt Clark stiffen just a bit. “I'll probably do the same.” He looked at me, smiled. “You all know what we were going through before all of this started. There are things in Metropolis that need to be dealt with, that require more of my attention.”

“As in Gotham.” That was all that Bruce offered, but we all knew what we meant. I looked from one to the other, licking my lips, wondering if I should say anything. I was actually sweating.

“But what about the League? The world needs you.”

“Not us,” Batman said as he pulled his cowl on again. Oddly, his body seemed to shift, his stance and bearing, even his voice as though he had just become someone else. In a sense I suppose he had.

“There are other heroes, Lois; the JSA, the Titans, even that new group of Outsiders. And just because we're leaving does not mean there are no others to take our place.”

“You don't mean…” I gasped again and Batman scowled.

“No. Not THEM.”

“J'onn will gather a group if he remains,” Clark assured. “And if not then we will before we leave. The JLA will go on.”

There was another awkward silence, at least until Diana finally hugged Clark and I, long and hard. She kissed Batman, the first time I actually saw him flustered. She tried to speak, but in the end simply smiled before turning and walking away.

I saw Clark's smirk as Batman watched her. Then the frown returned.

“If you need me, Bruce-“

“I won't.” Batman smirked, then he too was gone.

We stayed at the WatchTower for a time as the others drifted away, leaving, one by one. As expected, J'onn was the last, except for us. The Dibnys would return, rejoining, the first to fill the sudden vacuum in the membership. Who else would return was still up in the air. Clark would not, at least for a time. We would take his parents home, and then return to Metropolis and it would all, finally be over.

Still, as I write this knowing that no one will ever read it, probably not in my lifetime at least, I can't help thinking that I was witness to the end of an era. Really, it had not been so long since the JLA had reformed, and now it was over again, at least in another incarnation.

I wondered if the Avengers were going through the same type of thing back on their world. If they actually got home. We assume that they did, but would we ever really know? Would we ever see them again?

Captain America thought so, and oddly I did too. It just felt right.

I suppose ultimately however that as this began, only Time would tell in…

THE END

And now a word from our sponsors…

Finally…

You cannot imagine my relief that this is finally done. Don't get me wrong, it's been a blast! The Avengers has always been my favorite comic since I was in grade school. Hell, the first comic book I remember owning was Avengers #20 or so (I forget without looking) where the Swordsman is pushing Cap off the construction site. To finally get a chance to write the Avengers, and to write the story that pits them against the JLA to boot- a story I waited over 20 years to see in the comics… It doesn't get better than that.

Working with Chris has been great as well. He's a genius and technically the best writer I've seen from an Editor's view. And hopefully soon enough we'll get the chance to work together again. Maybe a sequel? Don't hold your breath, though the set up is there for anyone to pick up the baton.

I want to thank everyone that had a hand in this as well, or even just a finger… Dino Pollard for his input and Headshots. Mike Raz for his advice on the story and Web work. Dave Ingram for input. David Wheatley for posting assistance and the use of M2K. Brent Lambert for allowing us to shunt his own Avengers run back a bit. Gary for running the side issue at his own site. Steve Crosby for continually reminding me that he was excited to read it. And all those folk who got a sneak peak here and there like Derrick Ferguson, Matt Hrubey, Matt Pierce, Mick Edwards… This was indeed a communal effort. Thanks to all!

All that said, I hope you enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed writing this monster. It's been fun...

Curt F: July 29, 2005

First off, I want to say that this story would not have happened if it wasn't for Curt. He took my meager plot ideas and transformed them into one of the best (no hyperbole!) comic – not just fanfiction – stories I've ever read. If I'd had it my way, the credits would involve his name in full capital letters and mine in tiny unreadable print. That's how essential he was to this story.

I think it's safe to say that everyone knows just how big of a fan I am of the mighty Avengers. To me, they are the epitome of super-hero icons, and I relished the opportunity to work on such an epic story involving my favorite heroes. As for the JLA, I admit that I didn't know as much about them when we started, but I quickly learned to like them pretty well as well.

There are a few people who deserve thanks on my end. Mike Rasbury and Matt Pierce, for helping me out during my time of crisis while scripting the battle issue between the two teams. Had it not been for them, those fights wouldn't have been hardly as cool as I hope they turned out. I, too, want to extend thanks to David Wheatley and Brent Lambert for allowing us pretty much full reign with the AVENGERS title at Marvel 2000.

While my editorship role at M2K has been over for a while, this project first began during my term as EiC. It was my last wish that the project still see the light of day after I stepped down from the position, and it feels so damn good to finally see it out there for all to see. It was a lot of hard work (Curt, maybe we should do a DVD-extra style interview for a future cyberback, going over all the crazy ideas that popped into our head during the plotting...Lex Luthor and the Cosmic Cube, baby!), but it was totally worth it.

In closing, I think the following statement sums up this experience fairly well: if I'm to be remembered for anything when it comes to fanfiction, I hope it's this.

Chris Munn – 07/30/05

Story © Curt F
Plot © Chris Munn and Curt F
Editing: Chris Munn