85 - Clean up

The battlefield was a maelstrom of chaos as the Manhunters descended into a frenzy after the first Guardian fell.

Like a swarm of enraged bees, they attacked with unrelenting ferocity, their numbers overwhelming, their tactics evolving with each passing moment. Kinetic rounds, disintegration beams, shockwaves, and flames—all manners of destruction were unleashed upon the heroes. The Manhunters adapted swiftly, changing their strategies, even resorting to suicide bombing in desperate attempts to break through.

But the heroes of Earth, despite their exhaustion, stood firm. Muscles ached, bones creaked, but they refused to falter. Green Lantern's shields deflected the suicidal onslaughts, while Superman and Martian Manhunter tore through the robotic horde—one with sheer strength, the other with telekinetic precision. On the ground, Flash and Wonder Woman moved like lightning, cutting down the Manhunters that swarmed around them, while Batman methodically eliminated any threats capable of regenerating.

Their teamwork was impeccable, each move synchronized, each attack complementing the others. The heroes fought as one, a seamless unit, their cohesion the key to holding back the tide of Manhunters. Yet, even as they battled, their eyes were drawn to the clash of titans on the horizon.

The red and white titan moved with astonishing speed, methodically dispatching the remaining Guardians with a brutal efficiency. The Justice League watched as the titan tore through its colossal foes, using even the corpses of fallen Guardians as weapons. The final standoff was swift and decisive; the titan struck preemptively, obliterating the last Guardian before it could make its move. Then, with a final act of dominance, the titan ripped the Guardian's head from its body.

This act of defiance seemed to trigger the Manhunter swarm. Enraged by the loss of their titanic leaders, they turned their fury upon the titan, directing all their remaining firepower at him. Overcharged guns fired in unison, and Way Big flinched as a barrage of energy beams struck him like a million stinging ants.

"Ow ow ow ow," he muttered, the irritation clear as he swatted at the swarm. His massive hands managed to crush many of the tiny attackers, but their numbers seemed endless. Frustration mounting, he continued swatting at the persistent swarm even as he carefully placed the Guardian's head near Batman.

Just then, the Omnitrix on his chest began to beep, signaling his imminent time-out. In an instant, Way Big was engulfed in golden light, his colossal form shrinking rapidly until only a human remained. 

With their target vanishing from their sensors, the manhunters returned their aggression towards the Heroes. Meanwhile, Nion walked out from behind the Guardians decapitated head. Batman's gaze shifted to Nion, now standing beside the head. His eyes were full of questions, but Nion remained unfazed.

"Get to work," Nion said, tapping the Guardian's head. With a swift motion, space itself seemed to fracture and swallow him, leaving Batman and the Justice League to deal with the aftermath.

Nion reappeared in the control tower, overlooking the planet Boit in the distance. The entire planet, Mars, a massive hyperspace aircraft, had its cannons primed, ready to fire at any moment. But for now, the threat had been neutralized, and the planet remained on standby.

As Nion observed the cleanup operation, he turned to another screen displaying a carefully edited recap of the battle. The footage showed the Justice League's struggle against the Manhunters, capturing moments of vulnerability before showcasing their eventual triumph. It was all orchestrated to present the League in a favorable light, ensuring their heroism was not just seen but celebrated.

"How are things going?" Nion asked, his voice calm as he addressed Zai.

"The League is being received well by the civilians," Zai reported. "Though there are still some reservations, the overall sentiment is positive."

"Good," Nion replied. "Send in the cleanup crew. Let's put this mechanical planet to use." 

Nion turned to a wall lined with an array of weapons, each meticulously arranged, from the classic to the cutting-edge. His eyes scanned the selection before he methodically removed a pair of Ion pistols, an SMG, and a shotgun powered by an atomic heart. As he equipped himself, the overcoat he wore began to shift, tightening into a more compact, tactical form while maintaining its distinctive style. The new weapons were sheathed and ready, but they were merely supplementary to his true power.

With a focused thought, Nion summoned the Spear of Destiny. The weapon materialized in his grasp, its black and white shaft cold and solid in his hands. The spear held a power that was unmatched, capable of channeling the entire spectrum of emotions. He swung it forward with practiced ease, slicing open a tear in the fabric of space itself.

Stepping through the rift, Nion bypassed the need for traditional travel, using the torn space to propel himself across the universe. In mere moments, he found himself in a distant star system within a forgotten galaxy, where a green star burned with an unusual intensity. Orbiting this star was a singular planet, its surface covered in blue and green, exuding an aura of habitability.

But the planet did not interest him. Nion's gaze remained fixed on the abnormal sun, the source of his mission.

"You can't be here," a voice resonated from the planet.

Nion turned to see the planet's surface now bathed in green light, with the emblem of the Green Lantern Corps floating above it. Mogo, the sentient planet and a member of the Green Lanterns, had awakened.

"Sorry, but I need what's inside the sun," Nion replied, his tone matter-of-fact as he pointed towards the glowing star.

"I cannot allow you to retrieve the object," Mogo's voice boomed, carrying the weight of the entire Green Lantern Corps. "Guardian—"

"Try me," Nion interrupted, his voice laced with challenge as he raised the Spear of Destiny towards Mogo.

The tension between them was palpable, the spear in Nion's hand radiating a power far beyond Mogo's green ring. For a brief moment, it felt as if they were locked in a silent standoff, the universe itself holding its breath.

Then, Mogo acted, unleashing a massive blast of green energy from its surface, a beam that could easily obliterate planets. The force of the attack was immense, but Nion remained still, his spear held firmly in front of him. As the beam approached, the spear sliced through it effortlessly, dividing the energy in two. The beam passed harmlessly around Nion, leaving him unharmed, his cape fluttering in the aftermath.

The blast dissipated, and Mogo, undeterred, observed Nion with a cautious gaze. The sentient planet had witnessed countless battles, but this one was different. 

"Peace out," Nion said with a smirk before launching himself toward the star at blinding speed, the Spear of Destiny cutting through the void as he flew straight for his target.

Mogo's surface ignited with a fierce, emerald glow as it unleashed a torrent of energy towards Zion, but Zion was prepared. With agility that belied his size and power, he weaved through the laser barrage at incredible speed, each movement precise and calculated. Mogo, desperate to halt his advance, constructed vast, intricate walls and veins of energy, barriers meant to trap and crush any intruder.

But Zion's response was swift and decisive. A mere swing of the Spear of Destiny cleaved through Mogo's constructs as though they were paper. The combined power of the spectrum within the spear was unmatched, rendering Mogo's defenses futile. Each strike of the spear shattered the green energy with ease, as Zion carved a path towards his goal.

Nothing could stop him from his goal.

Zion reached the edge of the green sun without hesitation, and with a powerful thrust, he plunged into its fiery depths. The intense heat and blinding light of the star would have incinerated most beings, but Zion's visor protected his vision, while his indomitable will kept him focused.

He descended deeper into the sun, the layers of plasma and searing energy swirling around him like a living entity. As he delved further, the heat became unbearable to any lesser being, but Zion remained unaffected, driven by the singular purpose of his mission. He pushed onward, deeper and deeper, until he broke through into a molten sea of boiling lava at the sun's core.

The atmosphere around him was suffocating, the air thick with the energy of the green sun. Zion's senses were bombarded by the overwhelming concentration of mana, the sheer volume of power in this place enough to stagger even the strongest of minds. The lava roiled and churned, a violent sea of energy, each wave pulsing with unimaginable force.

Zion paused, letting his senses adjust to the intense environment. The mana here was unlike anything he had ever encountered—vast, ancient, and impossibly dense. It was as if the very essence of the sun had been infused with the power of the universe itself.

He closed his eyes, focusing on the task at hand. Amidst the chaotic energy, he began to sift through the layers of mana, searching for the specific concentration that would lead him to his true objective. The spear in his hand thrummed with power, resonating with the energies around him, guiding him deeper into the heart of the sun.

Zion knew that somewhere within this molten sea lay the Star Heart, the object he had come so far to retrieve. And he would not leave without it.

As Zion plunged deeper into the star's core, the Omnitrix flashed, transforming him into an Anodite, a being of pure mana energy. His senses expanded exponentially, the mana around him instantly absorbed into his essence. His flaming purple hair blazed even brighter, fed by the infinite power of the sun's mana, a force so immense it could make even the strongest celestial beings bow in submission.

The star was saturated with mana, almost overwhelming in its intensity, but the Star Heart remained elusive. The mana was everywhere, making it difficult to pinpoint the orb of cosmic power he sought. Undeterred, Zion pressed forward, delving into the very heart of the sun, where gravity was so strong that escape was nearly impossible. There, at the center of this immense gravitational well, he found the Star Heart, an orb pulsating with untamed cosmic energy, trapped in its fiery prison.

Zion reached out and seized the Star Heart, its power thrumming through him as he hovered within the core, not fully departing from its grip. He could feel the orb's sentience, a powerful will that had endured countless millennia of imprisonment.

"Oi, stop hiding and come out," Zion commanded, his purple mana extending like tendrils, asserting his will over the chaotic energy around him. His influence permeated the area, but he could sense resistance from the Star Heart. It was strong, but he was stronger.

Suddenly, a will responded through the mana, "What is it that you desire?"

"Star Heart," Zion replied, his voice firm, "Come with me."

"Reason."

Zion grinned, speaking with blunt honesty, "Got a kid to adopt and I need mana to open an easy Magic portal to deliver the adoption papers. Things will be easier with you in my hands."

There was a pause, the Star Heart processing his words. 

"If you come with me," Zion continued, his tone persuasive, "We could literally go on an adventure across the universe. It's better than being stuck here, don't you think?"

Another silence followed, the Star Heart contemplating his offer. Sensing hesitation, Zion sighed and summoned the Life Entity, a short, white guardian with immense power. She materialized next to him, her presence calming yet powerful.

"Can you persuade her?" Zion asked, a hint of frustration in his voice.

"Isn't that your job? I agreed to help in dire situations, not in gaining more power," she replied, her tone slightly amused.

Zion shook his head, slightly exasperated. "Just help me here. I need to deliver adoption papers to a devil."

The Life Entity regarded him for a moment before connecting her consciousness with the sentience of the Star Heart. The two powerful beings communicated in silence for what felt like an eternity, but was only moments.

Finally, the Life Entity spoke. "She will help."

Zion watched as the Mana around his condense into the star heart. Its orb like structure melting away and revealing itself. A spiky, crystalline object floated above, glowing with a brilliant green light. The Star Heart was like a crystalline spiked star, pulsing with energy. As it emerged, it began to morph, taking on a female form similar to Zion's Anodite shape, but with a green hue. The star now floated in her chest like a heart.

"I will help," she declared. "But I desire freedom."

Zion nodded, extending his hand towards the star. The Star Heart hovered above his palm for a moment before he directed it into the hilt of the Spear of Destiny. The star shrunk as it was confined and locked within the spear, joining two other unstoppable forces already housed within.

With the Spear of Destiny now augmented, Zion could feel its immense power, a convergence of cosmic energies that transcended space and time. Also the anger permeating from the star heat. Its years of imprison had made it bitter and resentful.

He would deal with it later.

"It's time for a Hell Dive," Zion muttered, beginning to spin the spear at incredible speeds.

He chanted the ancient incantations, drawing on the raw power of the Star Heart. The spear pulsed with energy, the power radiating from it warping reality itself. With a final, decisive slash, Zion tore open a rift, a gateway to the very depths of Hell. The portal yawned open before him, its edges crackling with dark energy.

"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me,"

Without hesitation, Zion leaped into the abyss.