Justice League: Insurgency (IC)

[LuckycoolHawk9]

Nathan Stone

There was a difference between thinking about hurting someone who had harmed you and actually encountering them. The difference became very evident when Superman actually arrived. As much as he wanted to hurt him, he would be the first to admit that he was terrified of him. Even after uncovering his eyes ( having listened to Eon's advice so he wouldn't be blinded), he just stood there. And then he remembered that he thrived on that. Fear now. So much fear. He needed to get some way to make him invisible and he rushed over to Astral, grabbing his hand to absorb some of his power. He wasn't sure how his powers worked, but being light felt like a better thing than being dead. It was noticeable to Astral that he was breathing heavily. Not now, not now. You're not a little kid, you can do this. Just breathe. Pretend you are fine, even when you're not.

 

[LuckycoolHawk9]

Gideon Star/ Astral

The very first thing that crossed his mind was that he regretted not punching Scarecrow more and now they were here. It seemed that as much as he talked big, Nathan Stone was a bit of a coward in regards to Superman. He had immediately recognized that look. It didn't help when he grabbed his hand. Wanting to be invisible was something he understood. Looked like Parasite's apprentice wasn't as powerful as he appeared to be. Astral considered his options. Inferno was already dealing with Scarecrow, Lobo probably would attack Supes, he had a feeling one of his allies might want to deal with Diana. He didn't know much about the girl who was there, he doubted that she was weak, that just left Hal and Sinestro. he watched Eon to see who he would attack and prepared to throw a light dagger he made at the other.

 

[Michale CS]

"Sorry, baby... I'm gonna miss ya. But I'll make another." Lobo said as he slapped the slapped the back of his bike, activating the thrusters on it capable of escape velocity backed up by his Orange Lantern ring powers, directly at Sinestro. Lobo knew other than Scarecrow, who was being dealt with, the Yellow Lantern was the only one he knew about with reaction speeds slow enough to be caught off guard by the attack. An instant later, Sinestro and the bike were on their way to orbit. "That's for your wannabe mustache." He knew all he was doing was temporarily removing Sinestro from the fight, but that was fine.

"Hey blue boy! If you are all here then home base is gonna be easy pickins eh?" The Czarnian created an energy construct bike and blasted out of there, directly toward the capital. That's how to hit Supes where it hurts. Take his shit. "Imma take alll your shit now, show 'em who the main man is."

Lobo also knew he wouldn't get far before he was intercepted by Superman. That was the plan. Plus it would keep Bats from complaining that he was ruining his shit.

 

[Chris_Reaper]

The slimy and wiry minion dressed in a purple robe with a hood obscuring his face stood with various controls blinking and gauges running. Several holographic monitors surround the immense Gothic like chamber.

"The feeds seem to be coming in quite nicely, aye Dessad?"

"Indeed, mighty one..." says Dessad.

"My compliments to you Attrocitus. It seems your Lanterns are making quite the effective intel agents." says the monstrous ruler of Apokolips as his immense throne swivels to one side, revealing the demonic face of none other than Darkseid.

"I'm almost offended that you expected anything less..." says an equally terrifying figure who emerges from the shadows, his eyes glowing bright red "A deal is a deal after all." says Attrocitus, his jagged teeth glistening against the napalm spit trickling out of his mouth.

"Yes, it seems this alliance between your Red Lanterns Corps. and Apokolips is working out to both our mutual benefit."

"However it seems that the preliminary part of your plan to dispose of the Kryptonian isn't going to well. I've always said that Lobo was a low life bottom feeder, however now it seems that I can add coward to the list. Just look how he runs from the battlefield."

"Hold your tongue Attrocitus, as no one questions my plans. Don't let Lobo's tactics fool you, he is merely making an attempt to lure Kal-El to a more suitable ambush spot. However that's neither here nor there as I never intended for him to best Superman in the first place. I hired him as a pretext to test his true strength for the real mission I plan for him to embark on."

"Which is?" asks Attrocitus.

"All shall be revealed in due time my dear Attrocitus. You and your Lanterns simply keep playing your part as a most excellent supplement to my Paradaemon legions." says Darkseid, his eyes narrowing with supreme confidence.

"As I said before...a deal is a deal. So long as you deliver on your end. I fully expect the full obliteration of the Yellow Lanterns, as well as Sinestro's head on a platter...and who knows, perhaps a full contingent of new recruits to the ranks of the Red Lanterns." says Attrocitus, as his ring glowing bright red.

Darkseid lets out a blood chilling chuckle "All in due time my blood angered friend, all in due time."

 

[Ur Degaton]

Eon would be lying if he said he wasn't intimidated by Superman's foreboding and dangerous glare. It had been so long since he had seen eyes that were so full of rage. And sorrow...

Eon looked over to Batman and the other insurgents, making note of their battle ready stances. He knew everyone was scared, in all honesty he was scared too. They were not ready to fight these gods among them. He sure as hell wasn't, not without time to prepare at least.

Putting his hand on his wrist computer, Eon silently pushed in some random coordinates, preparing to use everything in his arsenal to buy the others time to escape. Unfortunately, his technology was not powerful enough to meaningfully harm them, it would require a lot of firepower to do any real damage. If what he heard about the tyrant was true, then his tech meant nothing to the fallen hero and he would probably floor the group in seconds. Unless someone had a plan, they were screwed.

 

[Chris_Reaper]

Scarecrow easily deflected Inferno's attack by simply putting up an energy bubble around himself as he laughed "You might want to work on your intimidation skills little boy. You'll soon learn that the Scarecrow is the giver of fear, never the recipient." he says as he floats over to Superman's side.

Before anyone else can react, Lobo sends his space cycle crashing into Sinestro and sending him hurtling into the sky. Lobo than throws a few taunts at Superman before flying off, trying to get the Man Of Steel to follow. But Superman doesn't take the bait, he calmly speaks into his earpiece "Red Tornado, I'm sending you on an intercept vector. Take along Shazaam and Dr. Light, your target is Lobo. He's headed straight for the Hall Of Justice, you are to stop him by any means necessary, do you copy? Cyborg will provide telemetry...I want him dealt with, do you understand me?"

"Roger that Superman, my intercept team is en route..."

Meanwhile Batman runs over to Darrian "Listen to me when I give you the signal, knock them all back with everything you've got!" he says in a hushed voice.

"You've gotta plan"? asks Darrian apprehensively.

"I hope so..." says Batman as he turns to face Superman and his retrieval team.

Superman floats closer inside the bunker "Listen up good Bruce. I'm giving you one chance and once chance only to surrender and tell me what you did with my father."

"Than what Clark? You ship us all back to the Hall Of Justice and execute us all for treason against the new order? Or better yet, you try to re patriot us and get us to go along with your insane dictatorship. After two years of fighting, when are you gonna get the clue? We stand for the people's right to free will! Like Patrick Henry once said...give me liberty or give me death!"

"Look around you Bruce, you've nowhere left to run. What's it gonna take for you to finally read the handwriting on the wall? For God's sake it's over!" yells Wonder Woman.

"You know what they say Diana, not till the fat lady sings...Lantern now!!!" yells Batman.

Without hesitation, Darrian fires off a wall of emerald energy that violently knocks Superman and the rest of the retrieval team back several hundred yards until all of them are clear of the bunker entrance. Batman than presses a small control in one of his gauntlets that results in a much thicker and sturdier blast door to slam down from above and once again seal the bunker from the outside. The door is protected by a pulsating energy grid that can repel all but the most powerful of attackers.

Batman than whirls around to again face the remaining Insurgents and Villains "Alright that's a ultra tempered Titanium and Indestructicine alloy blast door reinforced with a pyro and electrical field sub grid, capable of withstanding a fifty megaton nuclear explosion...but even that isn't gonna hold them for long. So here's what we're gonna do. Everyone file on through the sub cavern system of this bunker and meet up in the war room. It's lead shielded, so it'll buy us some time. Eon, I'll need to hook up to the GPS circuits in your suit, we're gonna teleport outta here. Let's move!"

As everyone begins to move outward, Darrian looks down at his ring and sees it blinking "Power status report."

"Energy levels are down to thirty percent." the ring's A.I. responds.

"Dammit..." he says as he balls up his fist. The Green Lantern than looks over to the blast doors as violent banging can be heard from outside. He knows that it won't be to long before Superman and the others burst their way in. It's than that a desperate plan begins to form in his head.

Batman looks over and notices the Lantern languishing behind. He runs back to Darrian "What the hell are you waiting for, let's go!"

Darrian breathes hard "It's gonna be a no go Bats. In order for you to teleport that many people away, it's gonna take you at least thirty minutes to configure the spacial coordinates with the GPS circuits in Eon's suit. We simply don't have that much time." Darrian says as the walls begin to crackle and crumble from Superman's assault on the door from the outside.

"What are you getting at?" asks Batman.

"This is what's gonna to happen. I'm gonna draft some of our heavier hitters. Myself, Grundy, Keres and Ra's fire boy. We'll hold em' off as long we can and try to buy you as much time as possible." he says as he begins to walk the other direction.

Batman grabs his arm "I can't let you do that!"

"Keep up the fight Bruce, you hear me. Tactical retreat and live to fight another day."

"Your one of the few people left that I trust to fight by my side. I need you!"

"...and the resistance needs you! Your the heart of this Insurgency Bruce, your the pointy eared guy that everyone looks to. Your their hope and it's not hard to see why. Always remember, it's because of you that I even have this ring today. Your a damn good soldier Wayne and you have to continue to lead the fight. Now do what I said and get the hell outta here. As for me, I've gotta job to do."

After a few moments Batman calls after him "Darrian...good luck! It was a hell of an honor!" his voice starting to crack.

Darrian turns back and smiles "No Bats, the honor was all mine." He continues to walk on and casually passes Alfred "You take care of yourself Alfred, and always keep master Bruce in line, ya hear?"

"I will sir...and god speed to you." says Alfred.

"Ok, Keres, Grundy, Ra's fire lad or whatever your name is. You people ready to be heroes? Everyone else follow Bats down to war room!" says Darrian almost jokingly as the relentless pounding from outside continues.

"Grundy always ready to fight!"

"That's what I like to hear Grund. By the way sorry about that whole blasting you across the room thing...sometimes I don't know my own strength ya know."

Grundy simply responds with an angry growl...

Darrian looks over to Keres "How about you Miss Demigod, you ready throw in for the land of the free?"

 

[Michale CS]

When Superman didn't show up, it disappointed Lobo. Then suddenly Red Tornado showed up.

"Move it tin man. I've crushed beer cans tougher than you." An instant later, he was joined by Doctor Light and Shazam.

"What you think you three squashed together makes one Superman? Why don't we test that out..."

"Now, Light." Tornado commands and Doctor Light sent out a targeted blast of light meant to blind Lobo.

Instead, a second later, it was Shazam who was clutching his head and unable to see. Lobo had made a construct that looked like a periscope.

"Dumbass. Your name is Doctor Light and you think I couldn't guess how you were going to fight me?" He said this while ignoring attacks from Red Tornado that were doing next to nothing versus a Lobo with armor made from his own greed.

Shazam said, "I can still hear and I'm going to take you down!" He threw a punch so hard it would have knocked even Superman for a loop.

He didn't expect the punch to end in a disgusting crunch sound. He didn't see that Lobo had grabbed Light and put him in the way of the blow.

"Ooh good one. Try again!" The Czarnian taunted.

"No, Shazam wait-" Tornado started, his words cut off by a haymaker thrown by the teenage godling.

"Shoulda listened to him, kid." Lobo grinned, now holding Tornado's severed head as Billy's sight cleared. "Good job. Two punches, two dead. But not really. You can rebuild this one. Alas, poor Yorick, I knew him, Horatio."

Tossing the head over his shoulder, he looked squarely at Shazam. "You may not be Supes, but you're murderin like him. You got yourself quite a role model."

"What? No! I didn't mean to kill them just you!" Shazam slammed Lobo in the chest, knocking him back and deforming his entire chest cavity, which quickly reformed.

"Good one! That one could crush that metal dude with the red eye. The one who likely just watched you accidentally frag two of your own guys. Wonder what he's going to think?" He continued taunting.

When Shazam came at him next time, Lobo made a construct that redirected him just slightly, sending him into the side of a hotel. "That'll open up some vacancies! Random civilian slaughter! You sure you don't want to be a bounty hunter? You're already practicing killing people you don't know."

"Shut up! I'm nothing like him! I... I'm supposed to be protecting people..." For all his power, Billy Batson was still a teenager.

"Sure! You protected them from living underneath a bastich by having them live under a pile of rubble! I think a few are still alive. Welp, I gotta go and you gotta stop me, so I guess they're dying!" Lobo got back on his bike.

"It wasn't supposed to be like this! It was supposed to be better!" He started to steak towards the building to save them "Urk!" he was cut off as an orange chain appeared in front of him, with Lobo on his back, choking him.

"I know how you work, kid. You want to save those people? I'll do it. You have my word. If you know me at all you know the Main Man always keeps his word. All you have to do is say just one word of your own..." He released the grip just slightly so he could breathe.

"I won't do it!" Shazam coughed out.

"Fine by me. We'll just sit here wrasslin while they die. You can hear em, right? You got super hearing?"

Billy gasped. "You promise?"

"I already gave my word. I don't break it."

"Shazam!" Billy returned to being a kid, then Lobo casually knocked him out, but not before he showed Batson that he kept his word by saving the people in the hotel

"Well that was a workout." He got back on his bike and started heading out...

Then a Boom Tube opened in front of him while going full speed.

"Sunova-" was all he had time to say before going wherever it was that Darkseid was sending him.

@Chris_Reaper

 

[Gands]

Inferno

The plasma being moves over next to the Lantern.

With the weird multiple voices speaking as one.

"Death to the Kryptonian and his cronies "

This is in English of course. Then this in some ancient Mezo American language...

"Or we burn down the world around him. "

 

[Gands]

Keres

Alexandra returned from the realm of Hades finding the new wall in the chamber & hearing the pounding on it from outside. She returned early enough to hear Green Lantern's speech and also walked over beside him.

" I am here with you "

When the new wall comes crashing down though, she would disappear with the Helm of Darkness.

 

[LuckycoolHawk9]

Astral/ Gideon

He took a deep breath and he wasn't sure if this was a smart plan. Yes, they still had Parasite, Vandal Savage and Ra's Al Ghul amongst the villains, but this seemed like a dangerous plan. It would only be half of the original team. Splitting up never sat with the meta-human. Yes, he did agree that it was important that Batman escaped, but leaving only two members not fighting, it seemed dangerous. He had been so focused on himself and following orders that he hadn't noticed Parasite's pet project wasn't here. Well, that certainly couldn't be a good thing. Hopefully, the others noticed him but he didn't seem too powerful, so he wasn't worried for now. He took a deep breath. " I don't like any of this, but we got to work with what we have."

 

[LuckycoolHawk9]

Nathan Stone

Nathan could only hear the thumping of his own heart, despite the fact that he should have been invisible from absorbing the powers. He tried to pick himself up, but he was too numb to feel anything coming from the room. Had the room gotten colder or was it just because He was here? He wasn't sure, but he knew that he was no condition to fight, but neither was he in any condition to fight. He was terrified, terrified of being captured, of being recognized, of dying by his hand. All of those things and none of those things, all at the same time. God, oh god, why did he think he could beat him?Stupid, stupid. He tried to breath, but failed miserably, not having much control over anything. The room was spinning....he felt so.... not there. God, he was so fucked. He doesn't know what was happening, but he knew that he couldn't focus.... couldn't. Maybe, maybe.... everything would be okay.

 

[Chris_Reaper]

Darkseid steps ominously through the Boom Tube and looks down at Lobo, his putrid red eyes belching forth flame "Well done Lobo, you've proven yourself a capable operative and therefore have been deemed worthy of my beckoning. Now come, your true mission awaits..." says the tyrannical despot as he fires his Omega Beams and teleports Lobo out of sight. He than grins and steps back through the Boom Tube.

Moments later, Lobo appears within the throne room of Darkseid, his hair singed from the effects of the Omega Beams. Attrocitus scowls as he narrows his horrifying gaze "Ridiculous bounty hunting scum." he says under his breath.

At that moment Darkseid's Boom Tube opens and in steps the Lord Of Apokolips "Lobo, you of course know Attrocitus, leader of the Red Lanterns."

Attrocitus grits his razor sharp fangs "Trust me, we've met."

Darkseid emits an evil chuckle "Yes well onto business than shall we? Lobo up until this point, all this has been a test to gauge your strength and resourcefulness. Thankfully you have not disappointed me. When I release you from Apokolips, you will find your way to the Pantheon Underworld where you will encounter the Land Of The Unliving. Once there you will secure an audience with the avatar of Death itself...a being known as Nekron. Once you have done this, you will obtain a Black Power Ring. Exactly how you get it I will leave up to your discretion. I don't care how you do it, just get it done. You will bring the Ring back to me once the task is completed."

"One doesn't just waltz into The Land Of The Unliving and steal a Black Lantern Ring, Darkseid. Nekron is a force of nature". says Attrocitus.

Darkseid slowly looks over to the monstrous Red Lantern, his eyes glowing with malice "So am I..."

This causes Attrocitus to slightly back down.

Darkseid looks back over to Lobo "You have your orders Lobo, I trust you will not fail me. The combination of your natural Czarnian abilities and your Orange Power Ring should make you a formidable opponent, even to the likes of Nekron."

"Speaking of which Czarnian, just how did you secure that ring from Larfleeze? He's by all means a short sighted filth hoarder, but he's no fool." says Attrocitus.

@Michale CS

 

[Michale CS]

"You shoulda told me off the bat what my... Ahhh I get it. You didn't want me to let on to the Bastiches what I was really up to. I knew you were playing a deeper game, greyboy." Lobo chuckled and wagged a finger at Darkseid, probably one of the only beings capable of calling the New God any sort of pet name and surviving.

"Trust me, we've met."

"Yeah, I kicked his cat. Fun times." He laughed a little.

"Speaking of which Czarnian, just how did you secure that ring from Larfleeze? He's by all means a short sighted filth hoarder, but he's no fool." says Attrocitus.

"I ate his fraggin finger and tossed him into a sun. And took a very important shit a while later." He waggled that finger at the Red Lantern.

Leave it to Lobo to put his Lantern ring on his middle finger.

 

[Ur Degaton]

Eon walked over to a table and set his arm down. After a few moments it opened up to reveal the circuitry within."You better know what you're doing dark knight," He said as he let the man reconfigure his tech.

 

[Chris_Reaper]

Darrian, Keres, Grundy and Inferno stood in stony silence as the relentless pounding from the outside continued. Each knew that it would only be a matter of moments before Superman's forces broke through. Darrian clenches his fists as small plumes of debris fell from the bunker ceiling as Superman pounded his way through the blast doors.

"Steady as she goes people. If anyone has any last words they'd like to voice, speak up now or forever hold their peace."

"Grundy will crush Superman, since Superman always want to crush Grundy!"

"Here's hoping Grundster, here's hoping."

With one last slam, the door finally gives way with nothing left to stand between the Retrieval team and the Insurgents.

"Subtlety was never your strong point was it Kent?"

"Don't be a fool Semer-Khan. If you have any sense left at all, you'd know you can't fight us. As the last of the Green Lanterns, do the Guardians some justice and let the corps. memory go out with some dignity!" says Hal Jordan.

"Just curious Jordan but are you familiar with the phrase, Go fuck yourself?"

Hal narrows his eyes and floats closer...

"Let's see just how smug you are when I personally go over there and shove that yellow ring straight up your ass."

"Grundy tired of talking...Grundy crush!!!" yells the undead marauder as he leaps into the air, violently tackling Superman and igniting the battle.

"Couldn'tna said it better myself..." says Darrian as he flies towards Hal and delivers a series of devastating punches that catches the Yellow Lantern completely off guard "Your nothing but a dishonorable traitor, Jordan! A liar, a coward and worst of all a murderer! You were never worthy to call yourself a Green Lantern!" says Darrian as he blasts Hal with a tidal wave of emerald energy that knocks him several yards further into the atmosphere.

Hal recovers quickly as he forms a dragon like creature of yellow energy, as the construct belches yellow fire at Darrian "You dare call me a traitor! What about you, you turned your back on your own planet!"

Darrian blocks the constructs fire with an emerald energy bubble around himself and retaliates with a green energy construct of a mythical Griffin, which fires off green lasers from it's eyes and attacks Hal's dragon "I've turned my back on my planet? Whose the one whose murdered millions of people in the name of justice?! Who!!!" he screams as the construct Griffin ramps up it's attack.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Meanwhile back inside the bunker, everyone else has convened in the war room and Batman gets to work on trying to configure the teleportation coordinates in Eon's suit.

"You better know what you're doing dark knight..."

"We'll find out soon enough. Either we end up somewhere a safe distance away, or all of our molecules will be scattered across eleven different dimensions of spacetime." says Batman as he hooks in an odd looking device to the various circuitry configurations in Eon's arm "Here goes nothing."

"Detective, I..."

"Just shut up Ra's! I'm trying to work." Batman says as he cuts him off.

At the far end of the room Parasite takes notice of the severe anxiety attack that has seemingly taken over his protege "Stone what the hell is the matter with you! Get a hold of yourself or I'll personally toss you to Superman myself!"

 

[Gands]

Inferno


The plasma being moved immediately to Scarecrow. Literally right up next to him. This might take a moment or two, but he put two arms of plasma up onto the yellow force barrier. Instead of direct fire plasma blasts, Inferno was going to slowly raise the temperature inside the bubble. A couple of degrees or so every minute.

As Dr. Crane started to feel the heat, the bright but rookie ring wearer was trying various energy forms to rid himself of this fiery pest. Inferno didn't speak this time. His goal was to drain Crane of the battery energy of his ring, with this battle of futility.

 

[Gands]

Keres

As the walls of their little fortress came crumbling down, Keres readied herself, activating the helm of her father, going invisible. She moved quickly. Her adversaries were still close together. Dianna herself was looking about, with her compatriots otherwise occupied. The room was full of noise, a cacophony of the noises of combat and personal rancor.

She moved towards Dianna, her goal only having to touch the other woman, her cousin. Even as she did so, Wonder Woman's sword flicked out in her general direction, a superficial wound on her left leg. There... her opponent was grabbed.

As was planned, they moved from Earth to Hades, the Palace of her father. There was a great plaza, around it were seated Nine goddesses. Athena, Persephone, Tianhou of China, The Morrigan, Frigga of the Norse, Kali of India, Amaterasu of Japan, Isis of Egypt, and Ishtar. There are others present, far deeper into the shadows, Hades himself at his Throne at the back of the room. Nyx herself is in the opposite side of the room, watching, standing .

As one, the nine make an announcement.

"Dianna of Themyscira, you have been brought here by our order. You have failed your mandate, to bring peace and love to the hearts of mankind, to protect humankind and their world. Instead, you follow your heart, your love for the Kryptonian has blinded you to his madness. "

"I demand trial by combat, as is my right by the ancient ways. "

"Keres will represent us as our champion "

Nyx then comes forth and waives the two women to the center of the plaza.

"Combat will take place here, between the two of you until one submits or is killed. "

Both women nod their agreement.

" Let the combat begin" Nyx then disappears back to the far end of the room.

The two women, both children of gods begin their combat. In the timeless realm of Hades they fight. Hours pass with little result. To say they are well matched is very much an understatement. Their equipment and their bodies are largely equal. A day passes, perhaps more. Neither can tell at this point.

Perhaps, because this realm is where she was conceived, her mother and father both present that gives Keres the tiniest of an edge. None of the beings present interfere. Finally Dianna is struck by a glancing blow to the side of her head. This is enough after more than a day of intense combat between the two. Dianna falls, consciousness fleeing her body.

The body of Wonder Woman is taken her gear stripped from her by attendants of the nine. Keres is brought to the center of the plaza now.

"Dianna, daughter of Zeus will be taken and tended to. She will be needed as will the Amazons and the Atlanteans of the sea. You will return Keres and continue your struggle to bring the Kryptonian to his senses or end his reign of terror. "

Keres is greeted briefly by each of the Nine, one by one. All of them give their blessings to their champion as she is returned to the world. They all realize how dire is the situation of mankind.

An hour or so has passed since she left with Wonder Woman. She is again invisible.

 

[Michale CS]

There once were cities on this world. Now there are mere husks of buildings.There once were graveyards for their dead. Now, they lie empty. Shambling figures that once were people amble about aimlessly. The sky is dim, though it is midday as the funk of putrefaction pervades everything and making its own weather patterns.

"What a dump." Lobo complained as he rolled up and down the streets looking for his prize.

​

The being appeared from nowhere, and looked at the Czarnian. "Whoever or whatever sent you here will regret it."

"Yeah, maybe. But I think you would have a lot in common. Anyway, just here for some jewelry. So, we can do it the easy way..."

​

"...or the fun way." he finished, cracking his knuckles.

"Oaf! No one threatens Nekron!" He lifted one hand and a horde of undead turned on Lobo from everywhere.

"No threatening? Frag your life must be boring!" Lobo laughed, laying into the undead, until he was finally buried under a pile of them. After awhile, the movement stopped from under the pile, and then...

​

"Kinda disappointin' I always thought being swarmed by zombies would... hurt more." Lobo dusted himself off.

"Impudent fool! Fine, I'll deal with you myself..." Nekron himself dove in, striking a blow that seemed to splatter Lobo pretty handily.

"Now you done made me mad..." Lobo had reformed from a pool of his own blood, picking up the ring and putting it back on his middle finger.


Several hours later...

"Enough! You have wasted too much of my time! Who sent you, and more importantly, how can I get them to send you back?" To be fair, neither Nekron nor Lobo, especially with his power ring, looked like they were weakening at all.

"I thought you'd never ask! You know the guy. Tall, brooding, handsome red eyes like me. Likes to stand with his arms behind his back."

"Darkseid."

"The one and only."

"What does he want with a Black Lantern Ring?"

"I dunno. Why doncha ask him yerself?"

"He'd only lie."

"True enough. So, you gonna give it to me or not?"

"I am, but only if I get a portion of the Anti-Life Equation from him."

"Auntiefraggin what? Whatever. I know since you're the boss of the Black Lanterns if I take a ring and you don't want me to have it, you can just zip it back to you like nothin. So gimme the ring, and if Darkseid welshes on your agreement, yoink it back from him. Better yet, hire me to make sure he delivers."

"What good is physical wealth to one such as Nekron? Fine..." The master of the Black Lanterns reached into a pile of debris and brought out a hunk of silver rock.

"The frag is that?"

"Silver Kryptonite. You can sell it to those opposing Superman for quite a sum I'd think."

"Silver, what the frag does that do to him?"

"It induces hallucinations in Kryptonians."

"Hell I wasn't expecting you to take the bait. I'll take it." He pocketed the rock and held out his hand for the ring.

"Betray me and you-"

"Save it. I'm officially hired to make sure Darkseid holds up his end of the bargain. I keep my word."

"See that you do."

Lobo whistled as soon as he had the ring, summoning one of his back-up bikes. He punched a few buttons on it and grunted, "I got it. Tube me back."

After entering the Boom Tube that appeared, he was back at the throne room of Darkseid. He explained the deal to the despot. "Ball's in your court now, big guy. You promised me substantial rewards if I did your errands for ya, so pay up. Unless you're gonna double down and hire me again. I'm willing to let it ride if you are..."

 

[LuckycoolHawk9]

Gideon Star/Astral

" I hate to interrupt your wonderful mentoring, Parasite, but that is no more Nathan than the reflection of a moon in a water. That's just a projection from borrowing my powers, it took me a few years to figure out the difference between the two, but if you were concerned, you would know that in his panic, your apprentice didn't move from the other room. " As if to prove his point, he would place his hand through the other Nathan in the room. " It will disappear once he wakes up, but on that note, hey, you're going to get your wish, he's the same room as everyone else fighting, I would give him fifty fifty odds of survival quite honestly."

 

[LuckycoolHawk9]

Nathan Stone/ Siphon

Nathan felt a pain in his chest as he thought he was okay. He knew that he was not okay, but he didn't know what to do. He couldn't just stay in the war zone. It didn't matter if Superman remembered him not, he was as good as a prisoner. But on the other hand, he wasn't sure if he could make it. He felt like he was being smothered and the man wasn't even in the room. He also noticed the powers of the person he had absorbed had this thing where they seemed to be unstable the more he panicked. He knew that he was fucked and he just tried to focus on anything, just about anything, maybe Wonder Woman taken had helped, but he wasn't sure if the others could hold the rest of them off.