Death of the Old World II

-Neo-

I didn't know at first if it had something to do with me. If in the same way I caused the attack of T. O. Morrow, I had also pissed off or inadvertently helped the rise to power of that void god.

Now, I know. I know it has to do with me. The Atlantians aren't many. They do not have the possibility to simply attack everywhere and all at once. So wherever they chose to attack, I knew it would be significant. 

Bludhaven is nothing that special to humanity. So when I saw monsters rise from the sea and people in armor along with them on my now ravaged city, I knew that this was about me. I don't want to be the protagonist anymore.

The others arrived quickly though, that was my luck.

Energy weapons meant that I couldn't just tank the damage indefinitely. Their monsters were magical protected, even superman had a hard time dealing with them. That was what first made me scared.

Regardless, we didn't give up. We weren't going to get pushed back.

"Cyborg, boom in the Amazons, now!"

We too have a fucking army. 

"On it…"

Without cyborg, it would have been hell trying to even the playing field with such a difference in numbers and with so terrifyingly competent countermeasures. I didn't know who the fuck this Meirleius was but if he was in the comics or games or whatever else, he's got to have been written like an actually smart wizard.

He knew to take precautions for his weakened spell. The explosions in Bludhaven? They had also managed to reach a dozen safe houses across the world. Flash had to go take a look, leaving us without one of our most valuable allies.

It all went downhill from there.

When Flash tried to approach a suspicious machine or artifact, a force field trapped him in all directions. A whole continent from us.

"Uh, guys, I might need a bit of help here!"

Zatana and John were already on it. They easily teleported to his location, but they didn't leave without someone to take their place.

Vines were destroying the footing of the Altanteans, Swamp thing had made is way to the battlefield. The problem was that the magic guns the Atlanteans were using genuinely vaporized what wasn't strong enough to resist. That's far more powerful than I remembered.

Swamp thing had to leave us to our own devices early on though…

Wonder woman was fighting near the ruined buildings of Bludhaven alongside her sisters, they were absolutely brutal. Their arrows were showering on the enemy with near perfect accuracy, they closed ranged fighter's fought in groups of four, defending each other's backs and looking badass while cutting down Atlanteans. Aquaman had taken control of half the kaijus causing us trouble, making it much easier to deal with those oversized shrimps. Shazam was weaving left and right, bombarding Zeus's lightning like nothing on the enemy.

The Titans joined the battle alongside us. Raven was a powerhouse, as expected. So was Starfire, a sight to behold. Blue Beetle felt like a bio version if Cyborg by the way he fought, but his energy blasts quickly adapted to the shieldings of the Atlanteans. There was a Robin fighting on the ground, Damian the little bitch. Doesn't matter. Eventually he'll become a decent guy. I think.

Beast boy is often looked down upon. But his powers should be considered among the most dangerous. Theories I've had on him would make that guy one of the heroes with the greatest potential. As a giant squid, he had no trouble grabbing soldiers and throwing them away.

I was using my ability to lift groups of Atlantians in the air and throw them back further into the ocean, Batman was doing the same in his space bat suit. Someone, I presumed Nightwing, was driving the Batwing and raining lead on them.

Silver Angel was also there. She fought alongside the Amazons.

When the heavy vehicles finally showed up, they were devastatingly powerful, but Flash and Superman quickly took care of them, minimizing our losses. The Batwing had been shot but luckily, Nightwing had escaped seemingly unscathed.

Suddenly, a green beam of light pushed back one of the Kaijus trying to move further inland. An armored man flew from above nearby me. Bulkier than cyborg, his head was Iconic in its baldness.

"I thought you might need some help." Said Luthor with a smirk on his face.

"Hm. I feared you would be too cowardly for war, Luthor."

"Ha. Not at all. Last time, I simply wasn't ready. Prepare yourselves because your League will soon have a ninth member."

Green Lantern flew besides us, repelling the monsters with various manners of constructs. 

"Wait… Lex Luthor? The big rich corporate guy?! What the hell are you doing here?"

"Helping, obviously. Don't worry. This armor's technology is advanced in its own right."

I bet it is.

"You'll send me the alloys you used, right?" I asked half jokingly.

"Only if you agree to share how you made the triad."

"Urgh. Nerd talk, I'm out of here…"

All in all. It would have been glorious. It would have been if not for what followed.

From an inverted whirlpool, waters rising into the air to nearly touch the skies, Darkness rose. He held in his hand the helmet of Fate. His very presence was overwhelming.

Lantern was many things. Arrogante was one aspect of him which we'll never be able to forget.

"Guys… I guess we have our big bad of the day."

The old wizard seemed unbothered, his red eyes gave him a possessed look. It was clear. He wasn't in control anymore.

"Stand back everyone, don't do anything reckless." Even Superman was worried. What the fuck do we do when Superman is scared?!

"I don't know who this is but he's scaring the hell out of me…" Shazam said. That was a little less surprising though.

Wonder Woman held her grip on her shield sword. "... By the gods." She simply whispered.

The old wizard turned his gaze towards us and smirked.

"Fools. All of you. Not even as atoms when faced with my power. Bow and I shall spare your souls from this existence. Serve me well and you shall be rewarded. Oppose me and you will know suffering."

"Who are you? Who do you serve!?" I demanded.

"Ah. The failed one. You are as disappointed as he said you would be. Minuscule in the face of Meirleius the black!"

Who names these guys?

"From what Pantheon? What is his name?" I insisted. This was getting on my nerves…

"Know that I am sent by the Savior. The only god worthy of praise, the only god willing to spare you from this painful existence. The god of Eternal and Perfect rest."

"A God of death!" Spat Batman. "Is that what you call salvation?!"

And the wizard laughed. It was crooked and evil. Good luck trying to sound convincing now.

"Death is a false salvation. But you will know soon. Despair. You will beg for salvation when you know this truth like we do!"

Classical cult leader bullshit.

"Enough with this chitter chatter." Green Lantern said. 

"Lantern, don't!" Batman was too late.

Hal was strong and confident. Powerful and resourceful.

He was a fool.

He charged forward, encased of a armor of pure will power. Nothing would stop him. That's what I think he thought.

A scream echoes through the night sky, unspeakable agony as its melody. Right in front of us, his eyes were ripped out of his skull. And he fell to the floor like a corpse. Not one could move. If not for one of the drones, it would have been over for him.

Superman charged forward, faster than my sensors could detect. Another scream. Another horror. A simple green blade pierced his side. He fell to the floor like a corpse and Wonder Woman caught him.

She looked at the wizard, anger filled her voice. "You monster!"

Thunder crackled, Shazam struck as hard as he could. Yet the mage simply faded into nothingness. It was already too late. His hands fell off and his tongue fell from his mouth.

"Aargh!"

"Speak the names of your sponsors now, if you can."

I was speechless. Paralyzed. Terrified. What the hell? Who the fuck is this monster?

One of the Kaijus controlled by Arthur Bit down hard on the mother fucker, only to explode into a million pieces. There was a sound in the air. Another scream. I looked at Arthur down on the streets, crying in agony. Ocean Master had plunged the trident within his right leg.

"Half surfacer, half failure." He hissed and looked up towards us. "Move no closer lest I slay the bastard on the spot! His afterlife shall not be as pleasant as you think. Only through submission can you let him save you."

Even that guy, Orm, Worm or whatever his name was had been indoctrinated into that void cult. Enough for him to forgo his pride? Surely he didn't join willingly.

At this point, I didn't know what to do. 

Unluckily, someone still could.

Raven rose from the battle below, chanting her one and only incantation. A pure black blast burst forth towards Meirleius. And he smirked.

With a single hand, he swept it away, with only minor burns to show for it.

"Daughter of Trigon. I pity you. Fear no longer for even your father is nothing in face of my god."

He charged a huge blast in his hands and threw it at her, it would have connected but Cyborg was faster.

Boom Tubes really became his signature thing. Right before it was too late, the beam reappeared right above the dark wizard, Crushing him out of the sky and into the ground.

"...Thanks for the save…" Raven thanked him. 

She saw her death, it was still drawn on her face, the terror.

"No problem, kid."

I didn't waste a second. All the power that the armor could reasonably muster was used to tear out of the ground whole buildings. I sent them crashing on him and leaving behind a huge crater. Several Altanteans had been frozen solid by the blast. The heavenly retribution is a cold and cool weapon. It had to be freezing.

"... Man. What happened to no collateral?" Cyborg asked.

"Already too late for all the coastal cities on earth."

"Good. You won't mind what I'm about to do then." Luthor surprised me.

"What are you–"

A huge red laser came down on the still moving wizard. It was glorious. 

I was relieved. I couldn't really pee my pants in this nearly cyborg like body but I would have long ago by now in other circumstances.

"Actuator, right the fuck now!"

The heavenly retribution once is a desperate measure. Ten of them? I don't know what to call it. We had to send them all, but I refused to take the risk.

"Now you're just trying to show off." Luthor said.

"OWY HI'!" (holy shit.) To my surprise, Shazam was much more resistant to pain than I thought. "I we wi? Uw i, iou o o a bi'hh" (Did we win? Suck it you son of a bitch.)

"Shazam, you're alright?" Cyborg asked, surprised.

"'ih ih ohing, al." (This is nothing, pal) he said, with tears in his eyes.

"Wonder Woman, send Superman to Central city S. T. A. R labs." Batman said. "He's not done yet."

Of course he wasn't. Wounded, burnt and half frozen, disfigured, Meirleius still rose into the air, furious.

"So this is the extent of your power? You couldn't even kill me after trying with all your might."

But suddenly, a sort of pain overtook him. He screamed in agony.

"No… Master?! Forgive me… I did not measure my own… Your own power, plea–"

He screamed, bloated and shifted, something was very wrong.

"Lord Meirleius!?" Ocean master screamed. In that moment of weakness, he removed to trident from Arthur's throat, Flash came in a blur and with an uppercut, sent the prince of Atlantis flying into a wall. He quickly helped Arthur to his feet before running off with him, to put him in safety.

The wizard blew up in a gore fest uncharacteristic of this world. I'm glad I couldn't throw up. Shazam sure did.

It was needlessly violent. Malicious in intent. And all of that for what? I wondered. My questions answer was somehow worse than a man blowing up.

Shields appeared around us. It was Raven. From the floating corpse of the dead wizard, something came out. A single entry, humanoid. Lanky and crooked, darkness followed in its step like a robe. Something felt wrong. I was perturbed to the very core of my being. It's smile was hollow and grotesque as it raised its head to look at me. Its right arm was black as night, a red eye, horns... It resembled a dragon. His skin was segmented in dark gray, purple and pale white. He felt out of place.

Some kind of Japanese character was written on his forehead, he wore and earing too. What the fuck is an edgelord this hard for animes doing in DC?

... I don't count, by the way, I am not an edgelord!

"Ha. Puny, the whole lot of you. But you especially." He laughed. "Look at you in that shell of brittle matter like some kind of vulgar Mortal. You are surrounded by aliens, gods and the peak of what humanity has to offer. Even that thing on your back will never make you worthy."

He even speaks like one!

His movements were crooked, odd and unnerving.

"Who are you?" I asked him.

It couldn't be so easy though.

"It would ruin the surprise. But know that this is all your fault. All the suffering your dear 'friends' had and will have to go through is your doing and yours alone. I know you well. But you do not know me."

I was getting pissed. This had gone on for long enough.

"I don't even care anymore. Your malice has lead to the deaths of hundreds. You say you bring salvation yet you bomb civilians?!"

He shrugged. "A small sacrifice in the grand scheme of things. But don't worry. I'll bring suffering to them even in the afterlife. Until they finally accept my perfect peace."

"You would dare trespass in the realms of the gods?" Wonder Woman asked. "What manner of Hubris possesses you?"

He raised his right hand to the sky and I flinched. But he wasn't preparing an attack or anything of the sort.

"Masks are a fascinating thing. They allow one to change their identities and the way they perceive themselves and even, the world around them."

I looked up. There was nothing to be seen in the night sky.

"What are you talking about?"

"Majora."

… Majora?

The word sent a shiver down my spine. He knows. He fucking knows. Who?! Who the fuck would even know?! Zelda doesn't even exist in this universe! I'm screwed, THIS RANDO KNOWS ABOUT ME, I'm dead, I am–

"THIS IS THE END GAME!" He announced. I felt the shadows grow darker. "The Terminal round. In seven days, the moon will crash upon the earth, putting in motion an…" He chuckled. "XK Class end of the world scenario. There is only one way to stop it, by killing me."

As he began to fade away in a portal, he kept on talking. 

"Any means necessary are at your disposal. No matter what weapons you can come up with, I'll allow them in this… game. And Bring and army. We are legion... When you fail, because you will. You will know who I am. And you will know who this failure of a god is…"

The armies of Atlantis retreated into the seas, the Kaijus diving back from the depths they came from.

And there I was. I could feel their gazes upon me.

Wonder Woman approached from my side. And she asked a question that never scared me so much until tonight. The irony. The fucking Irony…

"Who… Are you?"