legionmissions | WHERE ANGELS FEAR TO TREAD

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WHERE ANGELS FEAR TO TREAD - Mod Plot [The Aftermath]

Who| Closed to the Spectre, Galactus, etc.
What| This is something like a "cutscene" of the Spectre-Galactus fight and what follows
Where| Near an uninhabited planet, in a star system near Braal's
When| After all the teams complete their objectives.
Warnings/Notes|

The sun cannon's blast had gone off without a hitch, damaging Galactus' ship and buying the other teams some time, but what followed was an unmitigated disaster. The Legionnaires had hoped they could defend the cannon long enough for at least two blasts, but a single beam of the power cosmic had destroyed the sun cannon and injured most of alpha team.

Then, after the blast, Brainiac 5 had disappeared. Just like that. In a splash of sudden empty space. As if Galactus had looked at him from across Braal's star system and willed him away. Jazmin didn't know if he was even alive.

In any case, after that initial blast, it was up to them. The new Legionnaires. They were the only hope Braal had -- and they hadn't disappointed. As soon as she got the word that Galactus was moving away to an uninhabited world, and that the Spectre had been freed and was gunning for him, Kid Quantum called in a threshold request to the planet where it was all about to go down.

Someone had to go and see what happened. And most of the teams had injured Legionnaires. She figured she could hold out just long enough to see before having to go to Legion World's Medbay. She brought some Legion observation drones with her, so that the whole team could see the final result of their actions.

In this, she wasn't so much a player as a camera-person, documenting what was about to happen so everyone could see. She had no power to affect the outcome of what was about to happen. No one did.

All she could do was hope it would work -- and also hope desperately that she'd find out that Brainy had simply been displaced rather than killed.

"Please work please work please work please work please work please work please work," she muttered to herself as her Kwai guide thresholded her in.

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Speeding through the spaceways, the Surfer circled the small planet beneath him, as if judging it one final time before making his decision. He raised both of his hands and swung them above his head, emitting a burst of power that seared the sky above him.

The signal for Galactus.

The spherical transport ship, still repairing itself, responded. The Devourer's course altered, veering away from Braal. Galactus cared not from where he fed, simply that he did. He stood, pulling himself from the transforming remains of his vessel before walking through the vacuum of space towards the planet. "Galactus is pleased, Herald. This offering shall nourish me well."

He gestured, and as if growing from the aether itself, his planetary siphons began to form. "Now leave me. And let this new universe see what it means for Galactus to feed!"

"No!" Echoing through space, a furious voice interceded. A column of green smoke appeared and two huge hands parted the pillar, revealing the underpinnings of reality itself for the heartbeat that it took the Spectre to enter the physical plane. Pale as death, wearing nothing more than a green cloak hood, he stood equal to Galactus, pointing a pale finger imperiously at the Devourer.

"Let them see Galactus starve! I defy you, World Eater! God defies you! The Presence will ill tolerate such an abomination in His domain!"

There was an eternity of silence before Galactus turned to face his new foe. For the first time, emotion showed on his face. Irritation.

"Though I be not of this universe, Galactus serves a far greater purpose than your own. Do not trifle with affairs above your station, lest you incur my wrath!"

The Spectre's answer was a harsh bark of laughter, fueled more by rage and indignation than mirth.

"My station begins where innocent blood is spilled. And so many have died by your hands that even you would drown! Whatever pillar of reality you support in your diseased homeland, I will not tolerate your actions here. Leave, or know what wrath truly means!"

Galactus watched him impassively for a moment more, then turned his back and gestured at his siphons, directing them towards the planet again. With a roar of rage at being so defied, the Spectre unleashed a torrent of putrid green energies from his eyes and mouth, catching the Devourer full on.

Galactus rocked. Nothing more. He turned, snarling, and raised both hands.

"You dare defy Galactus?! Galactus is supreme! Mine is the will and the way! Mine is the Power Cosmic! Parasite, you will burn!"

Power surged from his palms, burning away at the universe as twin flares of energy struck the Spectre full in the chest.

Around the pair, existence itself crackled. The Spectre, his agonized screams echoing worlds away, slowly pushed through the furious streams, sweeping his hands up to knock Galactus' hands to the side. One of the stray beams went wild, lost to space, while the other opened a molten canyon, visible from space, in the hapless planet beneath them.

The Spectre pressed his advantage, lunging forward to headbutt Galactus. Galactus staggered, going to one knee, then glared up at his foe. Twin beams of energy lanced from his eyes, only to be met by another green burst from the ghost. They stood there, at a stalemate, until each of them swung their fists at once. As each connected, space rippled around them. For a brief second, the shattered remnants of an armada could be seen. As the fabric of reality rippled again, an army of heroes stood, fighting them both.

And then everything normalized, leaving the pair alone, screaming hate at one another as energy started to build up to critical mass. Yellow and green, the Power Cosmic and the power of the Spectre force, merged in an ugly lightshow that seared the eyes, too bright for anyone to watch. Some unfortunates would try, and would later be discovered as little more than pillars of salt.

Suddenly, a great flash, and the energy began to rapidly spill out, threatening to engulf all watchers. Before it could touch a single ship, however, it halted, then rapidly began to retract and dim. Standing revealed, the Spectre continued to gather the energy into his palm, condensing all of the force of an exploding star into an infinitesimally small area before tossing it into his mouth and swallowing. Behind them the planet floated, a chunk of it gone, with nothing but glowing edges to hint at what had happened. At his feet floated Galactus, unconscious, with the Surfer hovering nearby, simularly unconscious.

The Spectre stared down at his defeated foe, strain evident on his face. Black ichor oozed from his face, but he paid it no heed. He extended his hand, and another form coalesced into being. Stardust, stolen from her containment units.

"Now, return to whatever diseased plane you call 'home', Devourer."

Power streamed from his fingers, wrapping around the trio like a cage, before growing to an incandescent brilliance. Green smoke spiralled, engulfing them, and when it faded, nothing remained.

The Spectre stood in grim judgement for a long moment before glancing off to his left.

"Reveal yourself, observer. The Spectre is in no mood for games." There was a moment of silence. "I am not part of your game. I am the Spirit of Vengeance, God's Wrath, and you!"

He turned, flaring his cloak out.

"Will!"

He thrust his hand forward, grasping at nothing.

"OBEY!"

With a violent gesture, he pulled. Like shattering glass, time fractured, and he pulled a purple-cloaked figure from behind the veil it had been hiding behind, slamming it against the dying planet with enough force to shatter it. As he let go, the figure readjusted its robes and stood, bowing its head respectively before standing straight.

The Time Trapper, revealed.

Edited 2016-06-01 02:08 (UTC)

My observance of events is none of your concern, Spectre. Go forth into the universe and serve your master.

He gestured to Jazmin and the surviving Legion drones around her.

It is the Legion I must have words with.

The Spectre glared at the newcomer for a long moment before, apparently, deciding that his point was made. With a swirl of his cape, he vanished in a spiral of green smoke. When it faded, the only sign that Galactus or the Spectre had ever been there was the shattered wreck of the planet they'd fought over.

"Time Trapper," Jazmin said, narrowing her eyes. "We should've guessed that you were wrapped up in all this."

It all made sense now. People being pulled from different timelines, the new Legionnaires sometimes getting tossed into alternate universes. There were a few beings in their universe with the power to do it, but the Time Trapper was the one that made the most sense.

The only question was why.

You're wondering why. Naturally. Before I explain, let me restore your missing teammate to his proper location. That Coluan curiosity of his will likely remain most unsatisfied if he can't ask questions himself.

The Time Trapper snapped its fingers and Brainiac 5 suddenly appeared next to Jazmin.

Galactus teleported him to a remote world in the Second Galaxy, to prevent him from repairing the sun cannon. Why he kept him alive is a mystery -- perhaps curiosity. Even Galactus may have taken interest in this world's technology.

Every news drone in the area suddenly spontaneously rusted and disintegrated, aged thousands of years in mere seconds. Only the Legion's observation drones remained. That meant that only Jazmin, Brainy, and the Legionnaires watching through the comms could see this conversation.

Brainy quickly recovered from his sudden teleportation (the second in less than a half hour) and from the relieved hug Jazmin gave him.

"Time Trapper," he hissed, his eyes narrowing. "Why am I not surprised you're involved in all this? This situation has your signature stamped all over it. Only you would meddle this much with time and space."

He clenched his fists at his sides.

"Galactus. Was his presence in our universe your responsibility?"

The answer was simple.

Yes.

"Why? Entire worlds could've died. The Legion barely managed to save Braal in time and we had to let a dangerous force like the Spectre loose to do it."

To make the Legion ready. That's why I've done everything that I've done.

The Time Trapper gestured with his hands and an image of the rift on Phelolu was visible, shimmering the way it shimmered when it was open.

I'm the one who brought the new Legionnaires to this universe. I'm the one who gave them powers or altered their powers. I bathed them in the light of the artifact known as the Hero Dial-- The image shifted, showing a strange artifact --and dredged countless timelines, trying to find the perfect potential powers for them.

The Time Trapper clenched his hand and the illusions snuffed out.

They needed to be altered. The powerless needed power and some of those with great power needed to be...humbled. Forced to cooperate with and depend on others. Only in cooperating in such a way, does the Legion have a chance against what's to come.

"For what's to come?" Brainy asked slowly. "Are you trying to prepare us for some manner of threat to time and space? Like you've done to the Legion before?"

Edited 2016-06-01 02:41 (UTC)

It calls Itself Chronoblivion. It is a being that was born in the earliest cosmic fires of the newborn multiverse: a sentient universe that exists only to feed. It has devoured innumerable timelines, growing larger and more powerful with each one that it consumes. As it destroys worlds, it wraps itself in an armor made of the broken fragments of universes.

The Time Trapper drew itself up to its full, hulking height.

It has latched onto this universe, Legionnaires. And once It does this, it cannot be undone -- Its form is so hulking It cannot even remove itself. It intends to feed on this universe and when it does, it will finally be powerful enough to feed on them all.

"Feed on them all?" said Jazmin, her eyes wide. "You're saying that if It destroys our universe, It will destroy all of them. Every universe. Everywhere."

This universe is where all life must make its last stand. If Chronoblivion isn't stopped here, all of existence will end. And all that will be left is Chronoblivion's bloated form, occupying the space where universes once thrived.

The Time Trapper gestured to the broken planet.

That's why I brought Galactus. A test. Like Galactus, Chronoblivion is a Devourer that can never be sated. Chronoblivion also has Its own heralds, beings from the worlds It's devoured that It bends to his will. Like the Silver Surfer and Stardust, they serve him with deadly obedience. And like the parasite Harrow, that created chaos on the worlds Galactus attempted to consume, they are no longer truly living: the shadow that life casts.

The Time Trapper gestured again and apocalyptic visions appeared all around, worlds brought low by Chronoblivion's heralds. Worlds that were eventually consumed by their master.

Its heralds have overseen the downfall of countless worlds, weakened them and their defenses to make their destruction inevitable. The recent incident on Naltor, for instance, was not an accident.

The visions of the apocalypse faded.

Everything I've done and everything I do is to prepare you. The powers. Threats like Galactus. The mayfly dimensions I've tossed you into. Either you will become strong enough to face Chronoblivion and Its heralds or you will die. If it's the latter, fortunately there are many universes to pull many new Legionnaires from.

"You can't just risk their lives like this!" Brainy cried out. "The Legionnaires you're pulling from other worlds are not -- not disposable cannon fodder. They've acquitted themselves admirably, but you can't just rip them out of their lives and throw them against an apocalyptic threat!"

I can. And I will.

"What about the missing Legionnaires?" Jazmin pointed out. "Can't you just find them instead? And bring them back? They all understand the risks, they volunteered for this. If we have the full team back, that should be enough. No one else would have to risk their lives."

"Do you know where they are?" Brainy asked. "You're powerful enough to have access to such knowledge."

A pause.

"Did you have a part in them going missing?" His voice trembled. "Are they alive?"

I had no part in their disappearance but whether they live or not -- that is not my place to say.

"Or you're just refusing to say," Jazmin snarled.

What I will say is this: prepare yourselves.

He seemed to be looking right into the drones, at the Legionnaires on the other side.

For a brief moment, they saw the vision of some monstrous thing, an ephemeral flashing image of a worm-like being made of stars, curled up in the twisted, broken remnants of worlds.

Heed my warning: the end comes. This universe is where all life must make its last stand. Stop Chronoblivion here or all of time and space ends.

With that, the Time Trapper's purple cloak flared around him and he disappeared.

Brainy and Jazmin were left floating there, wide-eyed, near a broken world.

Brainy turned to look at his team-mate.

"...No pressure."

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WHERE ANGELS FEAR TO TREAD - Mod Plot [The Aftermath]

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