"We're not working with those fire-breathing monsters. We were attacked as well, just like you. Green Lantern said they were alien and as a... Kryptonian, you would have an idea what they were as well."
"I've never seen a creature like that before."
"But he had one of these?"
"I thought it blew up with him."
"What blew up with what?" a new voice asks.
"Flash! It's good to see you. How have you been?" Hal asks. He had met Barry Allen, AKA the Flash, a while ago and enjoyed his company.
"Sup, GL. Not bad. What about you?"
"Good. Thanks for asking."
"Hah, like always. So, are you guys still fighting? I saw it on the news and thought I'd come by."
"Nah, I think we're done here."
"Clean up?"
"Way ahea-"
*ZOOOOOOM*
"Oh no, you don't."
Flash zooms around the area, starting to carry debris and putting it away to clean up a bit. That's a running gag between Hal and Barry, to see who could do things faster. The Flash was faster, at least before, and if he truly went off using the Speed Force, it would still be hard for Hal to keep up, but things were different now. A fight between them would be unclear, as Hal could manipulate his own speed through his will, but with the entirety of the Speed Force on his side, Flash has the concept of motion in his favor.
[Everyone clear the area!]
Choppers arrive and light up the area.
"Great. Just what the Flash needs. More bad press. Thanks, Lantern."
"This isn't my fault."
"I'm not a vigilante. I don't want to get lumped into this."
"This time, there is a bit more at stake here, Flash."
"What could possibly-"
"The military. That means Lex Luthor won't be far behind." Superman says.
"Not a fan of Lex Luthor either?" Batman asks.
"No."
"Come on." Batman says and drops down into the sewers.
"Why should I come with you?"
"Because you're like us."
"No one's like me."
"That's not what the rest of the world thinks, Superman."
.
The four reach the abandoned Daily Planet printing press, where they hide for now and look at the Father Box.
"So what is this thing?" the Flash asks.
"This is a Father Box. Basically, a rather bad version of a Mother Box from a place called Apokolips. To say it simply, it is a very, very powerful and advanced computer in the form of this box, capable of opening Boom-Tubes to connect Earth to Apokolips."
"Did the aliens who made your ring tell you that? Do they know anything else?" Flash asks.
"No. The thing is... I'm no longer an official Green Lantern."
"What? Why not? What happened?"
"I was kicked out."
"What's a Green Lantern?" Superman asks.
"The Green Lantern Corps is an intergalactic police force dedicated to protecting sentient life in every form, established thousands of years ago by the Guardians. Officers are chosen for their ability to overcome great fear and given a power ring fueled by the strength of their willpower, considered the mightiest weapon in the universe."
"Why were you kicked out then?" Superman asks.
"Because it's a bit more complicated than that. The Guardians aren't saints as one might believe."
"So, you are kicked out, but they still let you keep the ring? Doesn't sound so bad." Flash says.
"This is not the same ring as before. I made this one myself." Hal says and looks at Batman, who was listening closely.
"Let's keep focused here. If it is indeed a computer that opens a portal, then we must be prepared." Batman gets them back on track.
*PING*
"I think it has already started," Hal says and feels the growing energy levels from the Father Box.
"What started?" Batman asks, but Hal doesn't answer.
Hal places his ring on the Father Box. He no longer truly needs a ring, as it is merely a physical manifestation of his willpower; however, he wears it to throw others off. He uses all of his willpower and starts to scan the Father Box down to its deepest detail and function. He reviews all of it and has all the new information committed to memory.
*PING PING*
"It is activated and will open up a Boom-Tube any second now," Hal tells the others.
Batman moves back a bit and prepares for a fight while Superman and the Flash do the same. Hal focuses on what he wants to do and waits for the correct moment. He opens his left hand and wills for something to appear there. A small Bomb Squig appears with several powerful bombs strapped to his body and inside its mouth.
*PING PING PING*
*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM*
Massive amounts of energy rush out as the Boom-Tube opens, and several of Apokolis' denizens rush out. Hal is ready, however, and all of the energy doesn't reach the others, being drawn into him instead. He throws the Bomb Squig through the portal and has it grow larger as it passes through. Then, he envelops the Boom-Tube with his power. He grabs a hold of it and starts to close it through his willpower. Batman, Superman, and the Flash are all fighting the Parademons and make close work of them.
Massive amounts of energy clash with the Boom-Tube and force it to close from the outside.
*BOOOOOOM*
From the other side, a loud explosion is heard, right at the moment when Hal manages to close the portal. He looks around and sees that a lot of them managed to get through, and since this wasn't the only one, there will be many more.
"Impressive, GL. But I get radio broadcasts in my earpiece, and this isn't an isolated incident. This is happening across the world, guys. And everyone thinks it has something to do with us." the Flash tells the others.
"We need to get to the other places as fast as possible," Batman says.
"I don't think that will be necessary," Flash says and looks at Lantern.
"You're right, I can do that, but some are still left here. From what I can see, they are grabbing civilians." Lanterns say as they see the Parademons who already passed though, grab people and then fly off.
"Where are they taking them all?" Superman asks.
"It doesn't matter; let's deal with those who are here and those who have arrived in different locations. Superman, if you would deal with those in the sky, carrying people, that would be nice." Lantern says and starts to create constructs to fight off the new arrivals.
"FOR DARKSEID!" they scream and try to rush towards them. However, a new arrival gets into the mix.
"Creatures of evil... BACK TO HADES!!" Wonder Woman has arrived.
The Amazon uses her lasso of truth to grab some and swing it against the others, killing them, while she swings her sword around using her other hand. Lantern creates thousands of spikes from the ground and impales them, killing them on the spot and reducing their numbers. The few remaining Parademons fly into the sky and assemble there, flying in a circle.
"Greetings, warriors. I followed these things from your capital city." Wonder Woman says.
"The Parademons are circling the water! You see that? What are they doing?" the Flash asks.
*PING*
"So it's time," Lantern says and looks at the scene.
"Time for what?" Batman asks.
*PING*
"Time for him to arrive."
"Him? Who?"
*PING*
*KRAKOOOOOOOOMMMM*
A massive pillar of energy erupts from the centre of the sea outside the harbour, and out of the ocean, a monstrous spaceship or watercraft rises.
"What is that?" Flash asks.
"I was hoping you could tell me that." Another voice is heard, and from the water, another man appears. "They were in the water too. So who's in charge here? I vote me."
"Who are you?" Superman asks.
"They call him Aquaman." Batman answers for the newest arrival.
"Aquaman? It seems all our names are a bit literal, aren't they?" Lantern says with a smile. But the smile disappears right after and he looks at Wonder Woman who has been looking at him for a while now.
"Can I be of service to you?"
"No, warrior... I was just looking. That was impressive how you managed to defeat those denizens."
"Well... thank you. You are also incredibly powerful. Truly an impeccable warrior yourself, I can tell." Hal says.
"If we could refocus," Batman says.
"I found this creature in the ocean. It set off some kind of device that tore open a hole in the water. Dozens of these creatures flew out. You've obviously gathered together to fight them." Aquaman says.
"I guess we... kinda did?" Flash says, unsure.
"But I don't see a leader," Aquaman says.
"Then you're not looking at me," Batman says, making Hal chuckle.
"I've got some experience with leadership. I'm the rightful heir to the throne of Atlantis. I'm their King." Aquaman says.
"You mean, you might be their king in the future, should you take the throne." Hal finishes.
Aquaman looks at Hal with narrowed eyes.
"How would you know that? Who are you?"
"The name's Hal Jordan. I am... well, I was the Green Lantern for this sector. Now, I'm just a glowing lantern flying around and stuff." Hal says, shrugging his shoulders.
"Do not jest about this. You are a true hero and a strong warrior with a heart of gold. Do not sell yourself short, Hal." Wonder Woman says with conviction.
"I... thank you. Say, do we know each other? I thought you hadn't been here in the new world for long." Hal asks, confused, how she would know him and why she would 'defend' him. Hal knew his strength the best and naturally was only making a joke.
"We... I... we do not. But I can tell the nature of a man when I see him."
"Is that so? Anyway, Aquaman, you may be a king in the future, but I believe Batman has the best tactical mind among us. If anyone, he should lead." Hal says.
"Lantern, if you would," Batman says, pointing at the large horde of Parademons who are flying towards them from the giant object that just rose from the ocean.
Hal, who created large barriers when the object rose from the ocean to hold off the water masses, uses these constructs to change the shape and transform them into swords. They shoot forward by the thousands and pierce the approaching creatures one by one. At the same time, large sharks shoot from the water and eat the remaining ones, killing them in the process and showing the others what Aquaman is capable of.
Hal continues to use his power and starts to cover the surroundings with his energy. The cyan colour spreads similarly to how it did during his fight against Sinestro, but it spreads far faster and without ever stopping. Batman, who is throwing his Batarangs and fighting against the Parademons, suddenly stops and realises that his armour is covered with cyan energy. Armour appears on top of his suit and covers him. He looks at Hal, who is concentrating on what he wants to accomplish.
But Batman isn't the only one. The Flash and even Wonder Woman receive armour. Superman and Aquaman don't, as they are not comfortable with Hal just yet. Wonder Woman is for some reason, and while that is interesting and confusing, Hal has no time to focus on it right now. He feels that danger is arriving. He has created several automatic warning frequencies that tell him that something will happen, and he has given himself something akin to Spider Sense to warn him of danger before it happens.
*RATATATATATA*
Suddenly, they are attacked by dozens of choppers from the army flying towards them. Their weapons bounce off of the armour he created for Batman and Flash, although Flash and Wonder Woman wouldn't have needed it. Knowing that this is a useless endeavour, Hal focuses on his power but is suddenly alerted to another danger approaching, this one far, far more serious than the last.
"We need to get those men out of the helicopters, somewhere safe." Wonder Woman says to Hal, and he nods.
"I will take care of it, but I believe another threat is approaching. The orchestrator of this incident." Hal says.
"What are you talking about, Lantern?" Batman asks.
*BOOOM*
Another Boom-Tube opens up and from it, a young man appears, with parts of his body being made of silver armour. Hal appears next to the young man and holds him, stopping him from falling down. His light helps him recover somewhat and lifts his spirit. The young man sees an image of his father and mother, remembering the feeling he had when they were still together and caring for him.
*Gasp*
"Wha... what was that?"
"Who are you, young man? Are you alright?" Wonder Woman asks.
"No, I... they go from world to world... he's ... coming," the young man says.
*BOOOOOOOOOOOO---OOOOOOOMMM*
The biggest Boom-Tube yet opens up, and from it, a giant figure appears. Hal's danger sense goes haywire, and he pushes his will to new heights; he never had to before.
[Picture]
The giant raises his hands and sends a powerful wave of energy through the area, causing massive damage and earthquakes all around, almost levelling all of Metropolis in one go.
*WROOOOOKKKBOOOOOOOOMM*
...
Darkseid has arrived.
___________________________________________
Hope you enjoy.