Among Gods

Chapters

Prologue
Issue 1, Chapter 1
Issue 1, Chapter 2
Issue 1, Chapter 3
Issue 1, Chapter 4
Issue 1, Chapter 5
Issue 1, Chapter 6
Issue 1, Chapter 7
Issue 1, Chapter 8
Issue 1, Chapter 9

Prologue

It was supposed to be just another job for master criminal-for-hire Rudy Jones AKA the Parasite: break into a S.T.A.R. Labs facility in downtown Metropolis, swipe some alien technology, and get out. He had no idea what the tech was meant for, but if the payment from his employer meant anything, it must have been pretty important. Regardless, Rudy was not a man who cared for pointless details like that. When it came to stealing highly advanced technology like what gave him his powers of energy absorption, he never bothered to ask. Stuff like that tended to go over his head anyway.

Rudy smirked as he approached the large lead vault door. He put his hands on his hips and scoffed briefly at the feeble attempt to keep him away from his prize. Over the years, his powers had mutated to the point where the energy he absorbed no longer became temporary. His strength had multiplied a hundredfold after his countless run-ins with Superman. This meant that doors like this one were no longer an issue with him. He gripped down on the stainless steel portal and let out a grunt of effort, heaving the massive door away to the side like it was nothing. The metal screeched and groaned against itself as it was rolled past its seals, rolling off and falling down in heavy THUD as it hit the floor. He stepped over what was left of the vault door and entered inside. Much to his relief, the contents within the containment vault was left intact.

The device stood atop a metal pedestal, coated in a cold steel not unlike other devices he attempted to steal from S.T.A.R. Labs. However, the device itself looked almost alien in design. The shape of the thing seemed to resemble some kind of crown that encompassed the entire head when worn. Three round circles decorated the front of the crown, arranged in a downward cleft. The rounded symbols flashed rhythmically in an eerie green, almost inviting Parasite to it. Rudy shook his head and snapped out of his momentary stupor, swiping the helm and placing it under his arm. He then made a quick turn and started to make a break for it. The alarm triggered as soon as he broke into this place and knowing his luck that was not a good sign.

Parasite skidded to a stop in front of the giant wall he busted open to enter the facility. Two men blocked his exit to freedom. One was coated in a type of silver coloring, wearing red gloves and blue boots lined in black and the symbol of an exploding star emblazoned on his chest. He was hovering a few inches off the ground, arms crossed and glaring daggers at the Metahuman thief. The other was spry, sporting a green sleeveless tunic with a matching domino mask over his eyes and a hood pulled up, covering his face. He also sported a quiver full of arrows slung across his back with one already notched in his matching green bow, aimed squarely at Rudy. The two heroes that stood before him were none other than Captain Atom and Green Arrow of the Justice League, respectively. Both were established heroes in their own right, but as part of the League, that could only mean trouble for poor Rudy Jones.

“You’re getting sloppy, Parasite,” Captain Atom proclaimed. “You’re lucky we were in the area when you triggered that alarm. Even Superman could have seen you coming a mile away.”

Parasite only smirked as he clenched his fist, holding the helmet close under his arm. The ruby-coated super criminal cocked an eyebrow and scoffed at the two heroes. “Look who’s talking, chrome dome,” he taunted. “What’s the matter? Is Big Blue too busy rescuing a kitty from a tree to send his best?”

Green Arrow pulled his arrow back and prepared to open fire. He returned the smirk as he prepared to let the arrow loose. “Nope,” the archer retorted. “He just thinks you’re small stuff compared to the other criminals he has to deal with.”

Parasite growled at Arrow’s quick response. He prepared to leap and strike at the grinning emerald archer, only to see the arrow launch from his bow and ping against the helmet cradled under his arm. The silver helm left Rudy’s grasp and landed on the floor. Rudy stepped back to see the helm roll to a stop beside a desk only for his cheek to meet the red, glowing, gloved fist of Captain Atom. Parasite reeled backwards from the blow, spinning around and stopping to glare at the hero that dared to throw that punch. Parasite leaped at Captain Atom, arms stretched forth and glowing white hot in preparation to absorb the atomic energies stored within the nuclear superhero, only to be stopped mere inches from the Captain’s body and get flung backwards into the air by a boxing glove-tipped rounded arrowhead. Parasite landed square on his back with a dull thud, wincing as he rubbed his forehead. He glanced up at the two heroes, now towering over him. He stared up at them with a defeated look in his white pupils. Rudy took a second to go over his options, and decided it would be best to surrender now. He knew he would probably get sent back to Stryker’s Island sooner or later. He guessed it was better than being sent in a body cast. If there was one thing Rudy Jones learned in his entire career as a super criminal, it was to know when to hold the cards and when to fold. This was one of those times.

Rudy slouched his shoulders in defeat and sighed, grumbling to himself. There was always next time and there was always a new job to take. Soon, he would break out again and take on another job of equal or even higher pay to anyone willing to take his services. This would not be the last time he tried to steal under the noses of gods.

Sunset Shimmer nearly stumbled as she galloped down the long hallway. She could hear the echoed shouting of the guards hot on her tail. The glimmer of her prize bounced and jostled around her saddle bag. Finally, after months of meticulous planning, she finally got her hooves on the one thing she so desired!

She knew this was no easy task. Nopony in their right mind would attempt to break into the Crystal Palace and steal the crown of Princess Twilight Sparkle, the Element of Magic itself! However, Sunset was not like most ponies in Equestria. She was gifted, a talented unicorn in the ways of magic, and raised under the tutelage of Princess Celestia herself! If there was anypony who truly deserved to be crowned as royalty, it was her! This was meant to be her birthright and she wasn’t going to let some bookworm take that away from her!

The fiery-maned unicorn nearly skidded to a stop when the lavender alicorn in question blinked into existence in a ball of pink light. Twilight glared at Sunset, determined to stop the thief in her tracks right then and there. Sunset acted quickly, however, and slid straight under the mare’s legs. She got up quickly into a gallop, charging through a door straight ahead. She skidded to a stop at the sight of a great mirror-- the mirror. Its reflective surface glistened and seemed to glow in a strange and inviting hum. Sunset took one step forward, almost enamored by its glory.

The sound of pursuing hooves snapped her out of her stupor. She glanced up at the mirror once more, a mischievous smirk on her lips. She had found it! In short time, her goal would be within reach!

She reached back into her saddlebag, pulling out a strange and advanced device with her teeth. It was a small remote trigger, colored in a dull metallic gray, a gift from one of her associates on the other side. The name briefly eluded her before she realized it was called a Boom Tube Box. She just hoped her contacts were prepared for her arrival.

Her ears flicked as the hooves became louder. Now was not the time to gloat. She had to escape now! She set the remote device down in front of the mirror and activated the trigger. She then took a deep breath before her face returned to that evil grin. Soon… soon...

Twilight and her friends slid to a stop, the lavender alicorn eager to stop the thief before she could escape. Sunset gave the bookish pony a smug smirk and a thunderous BOOM echoed behind her. The mirror vibrated and shook violently, the rippling silver sheen glowing an intense and blinding light. While her pursuers were blinded, Sunset tossed the saddlebag, and its stolen contents, through the glowing portal. “Sorry it has to be this way, Princess.” She taunted. Sunset then followed the bag, leaping into the mirror after it!

Twilight simply stood there, shocked and worried about what had just occurred. That pony just stole the Element of Magic, one of the Elements of Harmony, and escaped to Faust knows where! Her mind raced at the thought! She never expected this! She never wanted this to happen!

She wasn’t prepared for this. She wasn't prepared for any of this.

Among Gods
A Nobleverse Tale
By Grave Mind

Author's Note

Hey guys! Long time no see! As promised on my blog, this is my newest fic, Among Gods! I've been working really hard on this story and I'm very proud of it so far!

Now, this is still a work-in-progress. I highly encourage you all to give me your feedback on this, as it'll improve this fic immensely. I'll try to update a bit more frequently, but I have my own obligations with college and that'll probably make things difficult.

Anyway! Enjoy the fic! I'm having a blast working on it! Don't forget to leave a comment telling me what you all think!

Grave

Issue 1, Chapter 1

Issue 1: Tower of Babel

Chapter 1

Lex Luthor scrunched his face in irritation and started to tap his foot in impatience. He checked his watch for what seemed like the third time over the course of the last twenty minutes. She was late. This was definitely not proving her case if what she said was true.

“Be patient, Mr. Luthor,” his escort said. “She’ll be here.” Lex held back a shiver at his voice. He could feel the mercenary’s eyes cut through the air beneath that skull facemask of his. It made him look like Death if it was garbed in green and armed to the teeth in guns and knives.

Lex sighed in aggravation as they stood before the still-inactive portal pad. “She better,” the bald businessman said, his deep voice seeping with frustration. “I had to jump through a lot of hoops to give you what you need.”

The masked mercenary crossed his arms and leaned against one of the consoles. “As I’m aware,” he said. “But she’ll be here. Just be patient.”

Lex couldn’t help but roll his eyes at that. “I had a very important business meeting today, I’ll have you know,” he said, adjusting his tie a bit around his neck. “I was supposed to unveil my latest LexoSkel suit before you and your lackeys threw me into that van.”

“They’re not my lackeys,” the mercenary corrected. Now it was his turn to feel aggravated. “Sunset just told me to drag them along so we can bring you here safely.”

Lex cocked an eyebrow at that. A taunting smirk appeared on his face as he eyed the masked gunman. “Oh? So you’re a babysitter now?” He quipped. “And here I thought you were a highly trained soldier of fortune, mister…” His voice trailed off as he already forgot his kidnapper’s name.

“Grave Shot,” the mercenary finished with even more irritation in his voice. “And no, ‘babysitter’ is not in my job description, so don’t get any funny ideas. Sunset had to do this job herself. Snips and Snails would only get in the way.”

Lex scoffed at that. “I think they’d get in the way regardless,” he said before he let out a soft sigh of boredom. “As a matter of fact… if you were working for me, I’d make sure you wouldn’t be bogged down by such… incompetent henchmen.”

Grave had enough at that. In one swift motion, he took out one of his pistols, aiming it at the executive’s yammering hairless head. “For one of Metropolis’ most notorious Suits, you sure do like to talk a lot,” he said as his voice dropped an octave in a menacing fashion. His hand gripped the pistol tightly, aiming it square between Lex’s eyes. “Now, I suggest you shut it or I’ll put a bullet in that bald head of yours.”

Lex lifted his hands slowly and defensively. That smug smirk remained on his face, seemingly unfazed by Grave’s threat. He admired his tenacity. A glare like that was the stuff of nightmares. “Just trying to pass the time, Grave,” Luthor explained simply as he placed his hands back in his pockets. “No need to get trigger happy.”

Grave growled and lowered the handgun. He placed it back in its holster at his hips slowly, his menacing glare locked onto the sly snake of a businessman. “You’re lucky we need you alive, Baldy,” he said, his voice harsh and low. “I’d have iced you a long time ago if Sunset didn’t bring me on board for this job.”

Lex chuckled lowly in response. “I’m that notorious now, am I?” He asked sarcastically. “And here I thought my recent philanthropic acts earned me some respect in the public eye.”

It was Grave’s turn to chuckle now. “I’m afraid you’ve earned the ire of more than just Superman, Mr. Luthor,” he said as he crossed his arms again. “I don’t need a contract to know the kinds of people who are gunning for you, Baldy… and I’m not talking about the ones that are more powerful than a locomotive and wear spandex either.”

Lex adjusted his tie again, his eyes locked onto the portal once more. “I’m sure I’ve made a few more enemies aside from the Justice League, Grave,” he said before looking at the mercenary again with a slightly crazed look in his eyes. “It means I’m doing my job right.”

Grave raised his finger and began to make a retort before being interrupted by a thunderous BOOM and a flash of bright light from the pad beside them. The silhouette of a lone, cloaked woman emerged from the light. This caught the attention of the two men as the woman stepped off the pad. As the bright light from the Boom Tube faded, the woman pulled the hood of her long, purple coat back and revealed herself to the two.

Lex smirked as Sunset Shimmer had finally arrived. “Well, speak of the devil,” he said. He approached her in a confident and unwavering stride and leaned down in a bow at the shorter woman. “You must be Sunset Shimmer. A pleasure to finally meet you in person.”

Sunset glared at Lex and his smug demeanor. She remained silent as she reached into the bag clinging at her waist and handed him the remote device. The red-haired fiend then walked over to Grave Shot, who quickly tensed up and stood briskly at attention. Lex simply stood there, the remote in his hand before he begrudgingly put it in his suit pocket. Being that he was the most important person in this room, he expected to be treated with a little more respect than this.

Grave Shot remained perfectly still, his back straight as Sunset approached him. If there was one thing he came to know these past few years since she hired him, it was to follow her orders by the letter. She may have been small, but she definitely meant business. When a young adult girl like her has the power to turn anyone who stands in her way into toads, you let the fact that she’s really a pony from a magical fairy tale land slide. The fine folks at that Cadmus facility learned that the hard way. Luckily for Grave, he was a fast learner when he helped her escape. Since then, Grave has become a valuable ally for Sunset, especially when it came to getting Snips and Snails back in line. Being with those two bumbling idiots when they went after Lex, the silent mercenary sympathized with her. He didn’t express such views openly, however. As long as he got the job done, that was all that mattered. She would make sure to deal with them.

Sunset appeared to look Grave over for a bit before clearing her throat to speak. The short woman looked him dead in the eyes of his skull mask as she spoke. “A fine job retrieving the target, mercenary,” she said. “Now, leave us. You are dismissed. I shall give you your next orders when I am through.”

Grave nodded and said nothing else. He turned on his heel and left the two in the teleporter chamber, the door sliding closed as he left. The only two left in the room were Sunset and Luthor.

“You must have a lot of power to have someone like him wrapped around your little finger,” Lex quipped, adjusting his tie as he approached Sunset. “Though I suggest you tighten your grip on his leash. People like him tend to go off the rails when they’re that trigger happy.”

“Grave Shot is a needed ally for my plans, Mr. Luthor,” the red-haired woman stated. “I suggest you respect his talents.”

Lex merely chuckled and smirked smugly. “I meant no offense, Ms. Shimmer,” he said. “Anyway, I assume there was a reason why you had your… fine men retrieve me on such short notice? I hope the provisions I have given you are… adequate.”

“You’ve done well in funding our cause, Mr. Luthor,” Sunset answered. “However, now is the time we must move to our next phase.”

“Next phase?” Lex echoed. He cocked an eyebrow in intrigue, a sign that told her to continue.

Sunset nodded and started to make her way through the door. She waved nonchalantly for him to follow. He obliged and remained silent, letting the girl continue their discussion.

“With the Element of Magic in my possession, I will require more of your resources,” she began as they went down the darkened hallway. “I trust this will not be too much trouble?”

Lex shook his head and smirked. “No, it will not,” he replied smugly. “If you need a research team to analyze the… erm, ‘Element’, I can send some of my top scientists to you.”

“That won’t be necessary,” Sunset said. “Our next phase will require some… rule-breaking. Grave Shot is hardly a team player and… well, I’m sure you’ve already met Snips and Snails.”

“Indeed I have,” Lex commented with a hint of disgust in his voice. “I can have my lawyers release Parasite from Stryker’s Island as soon as possible.”

It was Sunset’s turn to cock an eyebrow now. She stopped as they reached a balcony overlooking the facility’s main grounds. She spun around and looked at Luthor with a slightly displeased look in her eyes. “I take it Parasite failed in acquiring the device?”

Lex raised his hands nonchalantly and merely chuckled with a knowing smile on his face. “A minor setback, my dear,” he reassured. “Nothing you need to worry yourself about.”

Sunset clenched her fist in anger. She grit her teeth as her eyes began to glow an intense white while her fist was slowly engulfed in a menacing red aura. Lex simply stood there, unnerved as her anger rose… then fell. Her eyes returned to their regular teal hue. She glared at him, seething through gritted teeth before easing her posture a bit.

“It better be,” Sunset said, her voice filled with bubbling rage. “Otherwise, it’ll be more than a minor setback for you. I’ll make sure of it.”

Lex’s face contorted to a slightly menacing grin as he watched her huff off and leave him. Since meeting her and Grave Shot nearly two years ago, he had agreed to secretly fund and support her group in exchange for their services. After all, they made a good first impression. Any enemy of Superman’s was a friend to him. And the promise of unimaginable wealth and power from worlds beyond was simply too good to ignore for the CEO. The only problem he had was that Sunset was extremely secretive about her plans, only requesting what she needed without much of a reason. Being the man that he was, he gave her what she needed with no questions asked. The Boom Tube in this case came from his longtime friend and rival Vandal Savage. He made a mental note to thank Mr. Savage for the favor. The two may have been rivals, but it paid to know someone with connections to Apokolips and access to the planet’s Boom Tube technology.

Lex Luthor had been called many things in his lifetime. He may be corrupt, egotistical, insane, and a downright evil bastard to the public, but he certainly wasn’t stupid. He knew Sunset had something big in mind… and he would make sure that he got to it first.

Author's Note

Hey guys! Sorry for being so late! I've been busy with college and I wanted to put this first Chapter out there before going back to the grind! I hope you liked this chapter and feel free to tell me what you think! I hope you stick around! Things are starting to kick up with this!

Grave

Issue 1, Chapter 2

Issue 1: Tower of Babel

Chapter 2

Twilight was still in a state of shock when her friends arrived. They were too late. They were all too late. The Element of Magic was gone, taken right under their noses.

Twilight snapped out of her stupor when she felt a gentle hoof on her back. She looked to its owner, Rarity, with a saddened look on her face. The white unicorn was concerned for her friend. “Twilight, darling,” Rarity asked in her typical posh voice. “Are you going to be all right?”

Twilight nodded at her and gave a slight smile. “Y-yeah,” she responded, her voice still a bit shaky from what had transpired. “I think so. Thanks, Rarity.”

“Think nothing of it, darling,” the fashion mare said. “We’ll get to the bottom of this and find the ruffian that took your crown!”

Twilight giggled slightly in response. Ever since her coronation, Twilight could not even as much as step into the Carousel Boutique anymore without Rarity immediately dropping what she was doing to share design ideas for gowns and dresses for the newly crowned Alicorn Princess. While she was happy that she still had her friends following her coronation, Rarity stood out to Twilight. The unicorn was eager and more than happy to assist the bookish mare in adjusting in the shift to royal life. She was glad to have her as a friend and trusted confidant, just like the others.

The brief moment of generosity ended as the door opened again. More royal guards filed into the room, making way for their escorts to enter. To any other pony, the serious and grim looks that Princesses Celestia, Luna, and Cadence gave would have been the stuff of nightmares. However, Twilight and her friends knew those looks. Celestia’s in particular showed true urgency. The bookish alicorn knew that look. This was not like that time when Ponyville fell under siege to a swarm of Parasprites or when she accidentally caused a mass riot with a Want-It-Need-It spell. This was a Discord or Sombra-level catastrophe. Somepony managed to break into the Crystal Palace and steal one of the Elements of Harmony. This was a serious situation.

“We saw what happened,” Celestia said upon arriving to the scene. “Is everypony all right?”

Twilight and her friends nodded. Spike gave a yawn and stretched his small arms. “Besides being up so late at night,” the young dragon quipped. “I think we’ll be fine.”

The dragon’s retort earned rolls of eyes from everypony in the room. Celestia ignored this and approached Twilight, her look of serious emergency giving way to motherly concern. “What about you? Did she hurt you?” She asked, her voice a hushed and soothing tone.

Twilight looked up at her mother figure, meeting those soft and caring eyes. She shook her head and let out a soft sigh as she looked away for a brief moment. She could see her brother, Shining Armor, look over the mirror with another guard. He was a yellow-coated pegasus with a blue mane and tail. Twilight recognized him as the guard that declared her arrival earlier today. The lavender alicorn met Celestia’s gaze again. “I’ll… I’ll be fine,” she answered, her voice considerably calmer now. “Who was that pony? What could she possibly want with my crown? Is there any way we can--”

Celestia stopped her faithful student’s barrage of increasingly erratic questions there. “That pony… was Sunset Shimmer,” she responded, her voice suddenly growing cold as she recounted how she came to know the thief. “Before I took you as my faithful student, I had once mentored her. She had potential, but she started to show increasing interests in Dark Magic and the existence of other worlds. I tried to warn her about the path she was treading, but it was no use. Before I could cast her out, however, she had disappeared. Why she would suddenly return from her exile now is a mystery to me.”

“Is there any way we can um… follow her?” Fluttershy asked meekly before hiding her face in her mane. She definitely found all this incredibly disturbing.

“Yeah! This pony stole Twilight’s crown! She can’t get away with that!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed. The rainbow-maned pegasus hovered above the floor briefly as she gave a few quick jabs at the air. She then felt somepony tug on her tail, bringing the eager and loyal pony literally back to ground level. She turned to see that it was Applejack, who looked like she was ready to throw her own two bits into the ordeal.

“Now hold on fer a second, Rainbow Dash,” The apple pony spoke up. “Ah might agree with ya ‘bout givin’ this pony a proper buckin’ in the flank, but Fluttershy’s got a point. How in the hay are we s’posed ta follow her? Fer all we know, she’s either halfway ta Appleloosa or across the stars bah now thanks ta that portal she jumped inta!”

“Uh, guys?” Shining Armor called out suddenly as the mirror began to act… oddly.

His call unfortunately fell on deaf ears as the ponies continued to argue about the matter at hoof. “Where she ran off to doesn’t matter, AJ,” Dash told her friend. “What matters is that we’ll find her and get Twilight’s crown back! We always make it out in the end! We always do!”

“Guys!” The stallion called again, his voice raised this time.

This apparently got everypony’s attention. They all raised their heads to Shining and his pegasus guard.

“Um… is this mirror supposed to glow green like this?” The pegasus, Flash Sentry, asked.

None of the ponies seemed to respond, their eyes transfixed on the mirror as it began to shake and glow an intensely eerie green. The room began to darken and soon, the glowing mirror became the only source of light.

Twilight squinted her eyes at the blinding majesty of the mirror. She swore she could make something out on the reflective surface. A pair of green eyes and a face shrouded in some kind of hood…

The ground beneath the ponies began to quake, causing some of the guards to trip and fall. Flash Sentry blushed a bit as he bumped into Twilight. “Heh… we really need to stop bumping into each other like this.” He quipped.

Twilight blushed in response before her gaze returned to the mirror. The floor stopped shaking and the glow around the mirror seemed to dim slightly. The aura around the mirror was pulsing slightly, still in that haunting green color.

A figure began to form in the reflective glass. It did not resemble a pony. It was large and bipedal. However, it looked as it had an ethereal or spectral form to it, with its long green cloak and hood only half-concealing its ashen white face and glowing eyes.

“Ponies of Equestria,” the being spoke from the mirror. His voice was a slow, haunting drawl, commanding the attention of everypony in the room. “I… am known as the Spectre. I have traveled far across the Multiverse to deliver a message… to send a warning. A being from your world threatens to open a door that must remained closed. If this gateway is opened, she will release unimaginable evils from across the cosmos. No universe will be safe from the horrors that she will unleash. You must stop her. If you are to succeed, you must send your best, your most loyal, and your purest of heart over to our world through this mirror. But take heed! This will not be a simple task. If you believe in what is right and just, you must act now! I fear she may already be preparing for the next stage in her plans! I must leave now. My spectral form cannot last for long in this dimensional plain. Farewell…”

The silhouetted figure faded away, the image in the mirror replaced by the reflections of Twilight and her friends. The ponies all exchanged glances with each other, confused as to who this… Spectre was and what he just told them. Fluttershy peeked her head out of her mane. Her face was concealed in her pink locks the entire time the Spectre gave his message. She found him to be quite scary. “Um… is it over? Just who was that… scary person?”

Twilight let out a breath she just realized she had held this entire time. “I don’t know, Fluttershy,” she said, her voice hushed in deep thought as she looked deep into the still-glowing mirror. “At least we know where Sunset could’ve gone.”

Twilight’s train of thought was interrupted as she saw Celestia’s form enter the reflective frame of the mirror. The princess’s expression was grim and cold and urgent. She knew this person, trusted him and his word. She approached Twilight, standing at her side as the two stared into the mirror together. “Twilight,” she said. “You need to go. Only you and your friends can stop Sunset Shimmer and retrieve the Element of Magic.”

Twilight’s face grew pale at that. She turned her head and looked up at Celestia, her ears flopped downward in fear. “Wh-what? But… why me? I’m not…”

“Yeah,” Rainbow Dash exclaimed as she jumped into the air again. “What if this Spectre guy is just tryin’ to lure us into a trap? For all we know, Sunset wants us to follow her so she can get her hooves on the other Elements!”

“Because he is not lying,” Luna spoke up as she approached the mirror. “The Spectre is an entity who seeks justice and fairness. There is truth in his words.”

Cadence approached Twilight now, a warm and loving smile on her face. “There is no reason to doubt the Spectre’s words, Twilight,” she told her. “His world needs you… it needs all of you!”

“That is why we have chosen you for this task,” Celestia spoke again, a warm and confident smile on her lips as she looked at the six ponies. “This is your chance to show that the magic of friendship can exist anywhere, even in a world like the Spectre’s. No other ponies could show these people that than you all.”

Twilight looked to her friends for support. They all showed brave and eager faces for this task. Even Fluttershy changed her meager posture and straightened up to support her! The lavender alicorn could not help but smile at them. She was glad she had them as friends, even after all that has happened since her coronation.

Twilight returned her gaze to Celestia and her fellow alicorns. Her face now reflected her friends’ expressions of support and camaraderie. She was ready. They all were. Despite the growing sense of fear in her stomach, she took comfort in knowing she would not have to do this alone. Her friends, the chosen bearers of the Elements of Harmony, would join her in this mission. To Twilight, this was all that mattered.

“We accept,” she responded.

“We promise won’t fail ya,” Applejack added.

“Yeah! Sunset won’t know what hit her when we show up!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed as she punched at the air with her front hooves.

“While I do not share Rainbow Dash’s enthusiasm, I concur! That thief will not get away with this crime!” Rarity retorted.

Everypony then turned to Fluttershy, who took notice of this and let out a soft squeak. A gentle blush formed on the shy mare’s cheeks as she hid in her mane again. “Um… I don’t know if I’m… up to this. I mean… I’m sorry… but who will take care of my animals when I’m gone? Angel gets rather cranky if somepony isn’t there to feed and care for him…”

“Come on, Fluttershy,” Pinkie Pie spoke up as she bounced up and down excitedly around the shy pony. “It’ll be fun, fun, fun! It’s not like we’re going to a walled-off super prison where all of the worst bullies go! We’ll get to explore a new world and teach everyone about the magic of friendship! Ooh! Do you think they’ll like partes? I hope they like parties! I’m so nervous-cited right now!”

The chosen ponies all giggled at their pink friend’s hyperactive behavior. Fluttershy slowly eased her face out of the pink cocoon that was her mane and gave a small and relieved smile. The pegasus looked to Twilight and nodded. She was going with them.

Twilight returned the smile and turned to the three Princesses. She opened her mouth to speak, but she suddenly felt a clawed hand tug at her mane gently. Twilight looked down to her side to see Spike at her front leg, his face that of serious concern over his sister-figure. “Um… Twilight,” the baby dragon asked. “Are you sure about this? I mean… what if you don’t come back?”

Twilight let out a soft sigh at Spike’s concerns. The little dragon had a good point. Tonight’s events showed that Twilight was a target now. While Equestria was a peaceful land for the most part, ponies like Sunset reminded her of the type of forces that would go so far to threaten its safety.

She raised her head to Celestia, who appeared to be looking over the two intently. Twilight opened her mouth to ask, but Celestia raised a hoof at her. She didn’t need to say anything else. A warm smile crossed on her mentor’s lips and she nodded gently. “I feel you will need all the help you can get for this task, Twilight,” she said before she turned her attention to the rest of the group. “We are counting on you. All of you. For the sake of our world… all worlds, stop Sunset Shimmer and save Equestria.”

Twilight looked to her friends. They all showed varying degrees of bravery and determination once more. Spike joined them as well. They all seemed ready to take on anything that was thrown at them. She then returned her gaze to Celestia. “We won’t fail you,” she told her mentor. “We’ll put a stop to Sunset Shimmer once and for all!”

Celestia gave them all a gentle and caring smile. “Then we wish you all good luck in your journey,” she told them. “Now, be on your way… and remember! No matter what happens in this new world, the magic of friendship will always be with you.”

The six ponies all nodded and Spike did the same. The chosen seven then began to approach the mirror. Its green aura began to pulsate more and more as Twilight walked up the small steps. She placed a hoof gently on its reflective surface. Her purple hoof broke the glimmering sheen. It sank into the ornate piece like a pool of deep water. She turned to her friends one more time, unsure if they were all truly ready for this. They all nodded once and Twilight returned her attention to the mirror.

She gulped and closed her eyes. With a deep breath, she took the plunge. She jumped into the awaiting portal. Her eyes remained glued shut. She didn’t open them to see if the others had followed, but a nearby hoof seemed to reassure her that she was not in this alone. No… it wasn’t a hoof. It felt like a hand grasping at her foreleg. At first she thought it was Spike, but it seemed too big for it to belong to the baby dragon. She dared not open her eyes to find out, otherwise she’d fear the risk of losing her lunch as she was sucked down this interdimensional vacuum.

Images began to flash in the alicorn’s mind. They showed strange beings dressed in costumes of various colors and sizes and styles. Some looked like robots, others were garbed in decorative alien attire, and some even wore capes! Some of them even had peculiar symbols adorned on these costumes. As the world around her started to become hotter, three of these symbols flashed in her mind. One was of what appeared to be a shielded ‘S.’ The second was the silhouette of a giant, black bat. The third was of a stylized ‘W’ lined with stars. After these peculiar shapes, a fourth suddenly appeared behind them. Twilight strained to make out its shape as it looked as if it swallowed or engulfed the three other symbols. She could make out two glowing red eyes… then another pair above them. Using the light from the shape’s pupils, Twilight could make the shape of… some kind of bird. A raven, to be exact. She could feel something tug at her chest when her mind registered the silhouetted form. The raven seemed to grow larger and larger! It… it was almost as if…

Her eyes shot open and she let out loud scream of horror! She was no longer with her friends! She was falling into a blackened void of twinkling stars… directly into the silhouetted shape of the four-eyed raven.

This was the last thing Twilight would see before everything went black. When she came to… her entire world would be different.

She was not in Equestria anymore. None of them were.

Author's Note

Hey guys! So how about that Season 4 premiere, eh? Pretty awesome, right? Anyway, here's the next chapter as promised on my blog! Sorry for being so late! I've been busy with college lately, so I hope this lengthy chapter made up for it!

It should be interesting to note that a lot of the stuff with the Spectre came to me as I was writing this chapter! I needed a way to get our heroes to where they needed to go without it being lifted from Equestria Girls. Having the Spectre make a cameo for this purpose seemed to fit right in! In any case, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Next time, worlds collide! Heroes meet! Destruction rains... and outsiders rise to the call!

Issue 1, Chapter 3

Issue 1: Tower of Babel

Chapter 3

“I’ve forgotten how much I hate flying,” Green Arrow muttered, swallowing a lump in his throat as the Javelin shuttle ascended through the clouds. The ship lurched upwards and the emerald archer felt his stomach drop. He turned to Captain Atom, giving him a sneer to look away from the blackening void of the cockpit window. “Someone really oughta install some kind of barf bag system so I don’t lose my lunch every time we rocket into space.”

The nuclear captain smirked and chuckled at that, guiding the ship through the layer of clouds. The vast blue sky opened before them, granting them access to the stars and heavens above the planet. “Well, make sure you share that with Batman in your next diagnostic report,” he retorted. “I’m sure he’ll take your consideration into account... like that time you suggested they install cup holders for instance!”

Green Arrow scoffed at the remark and seemed to shudder visibly. He remembered that account all too well. That was the last time he asked Batman for any favors. He crossed his arms and rolled his eyes. “I’m just sayin’, Cap,” he remarked. “We have a floating fortress high above the Earth and no one’s thought about the little things! If we’re going to be like gods, we might as well live like ‘em!”

Captain Atom just shook his head and smirked again. He knew about Green Arrow’s fear of flying and quite frankly, it was no big surprise to him. Ollie had a reputation in the Justice League as a bit of a wiseass, even more than the original Blue Beetle and Booster Gold. While Green Arrow’s antics were never on par with those two jokesters, he was considered a valued member of the team even if his constant stream of one-liners got old after a while.

“You know we’re not exactly gods, Ollie,” the nuclear superhero remarked as he typed a few commands into the console beside him. “It wouldn’t be like us if we suddenly started muscling our might everywhere.”

Arrow scoffed at that, shaking his head. “Oh, c’mon, Nathan,” he said. “You’re starting to sound like Superman! You sure you weren’t a boy scout when you were a kid?”

The atomic captain chuckled again as he started the process of hailing the Watchtower. The massive space satellite was within sight, floating above the Earth like a massive floating fortress of hardened steel. “Never even earned my first merit badge,” he shot back before he returned to the honest truth of the matter. “I’m just saying, Ollie. Great power requires greater responsibility. It’s up to folks like us to set an example for everyone.”

Green Arrow shrugged and left it at that, crossing his arms and leaning back into the co-pilot’s seat. Captain Atom had a point. To have this much power and not use it wisely would spell disaster for everything the Justice League of America stood for, especially since their ranks have expanded so much in recent years. It wasn’t just the “big” heroes like Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman anymore. Now they had reserve servicemen and even affiliate teams such as the Titans and the JLA’s International division. Things had surely come a long way since the old Justice Society days, that was for sure. This wasn’t just a group anymore. It was a police force. A global force dedicated to protecting humanity. They represented the inherent good in all of mankind. It only made sense for them to behave as such. They were heroes, not gods.

The archer’s train of thought was interrupted when the Javelin’s comms system beeped to life. Atom had been busy hailing the Watchtower for permission to land in his brief moment of thought. “This is Javelin-L84 QI requesting permission to land, come in Watchtower, over?” Captain Atom spoke as the shuttle began to slow towards to the giant orbiting tower of metal.

Green Arrow rolled his eyes silently as he rested back in the co-pilot’s seat. He let Atom go about letting J’onn give them permission to land. He was sure he had a lot of explaining to do to Dinah back home. He made sure to mentally prepare himself for that.

“This is Watchtower Command,” the deep voice of the Martian Manhunter said over the comms. His green, alien-esque visage came to life on the monitor between the two. “Welcome back. Superman is waiting for you in the hangar bay.”

“Copy that, J’onn,” Captain Atom acknowledged as he started the landing procedures. The winged shuttle began to slow as the giant, orbiting fortress of steel grew larger and larger as they approached it. The hangar doors slowly slid open in front of them as the Javelin was slowly guided inside. The ship landed into the metal floor with a dull thud. They had arrived.

Green Arrow exchanged a glance at his chrome-coated compatriot as they got up and made their way to the loading bay. “Wonder why Superman wants to meet us personally for this?” The archer muttered.

Captain Atom just shrugged as he grabbed the glass casing that contained the crowned alien device. It was the same one Parasite had attempted to steal from the S.T.A.R. Labs facility in Metropolis. “Beats me, Ollie,” he said. “But it’s gotta be important.” The three dots that made up the downward cleft shape along the front of the helmet were glowing a soft green as he did so. It had been doing that ever since Professor Hamilton gave it to them for safe keeping, but they had elected to ignore it and let Ray Palmer and his own science team worry about it.

The archer just shrugged again as the loading ramp slowly descended. Like J’onn had informed them, Superman was waiting for them. The shielded, red ‘S’ insignia displayed proudly on his blue costume. His red cape billowed behind him a bit as the Javelin’s pressurization gasses blew in a softening hissssssss. He had a warm and knowing smile on his face as the two approached him.

“Glad you two made it back in one piece,” the Man of Steel greeted. “How’d it go?”

“Had a tangle with Parasite,” Green Arrow quipped in his typical fashion. “But we bought you a souvenir!” He nodded to Captain Atom, who held the item in question delicately with both hands.

Superman looked over to the casing just to make sure. He could see the inner workings of the device with his X-ray vision. Everything seemed fine on his end, but he needed to make sure it was safe. Green Arrow and Captain Atom exchanged another glance with each other. Was this thing really that dangerous?

“What do you think, Ray?” Superman asked to seemingly no one in particular. “You sure this is what you need?”

“I’d say so!” A new voice said in the Kryptonian’s ear. A tiny spec then jumped off Superman’s shoulder before it enlarged into the costumed form of Ray Palmer, better known as the size-altering supergenius, the Atom. The scientist took the glass casing that protected the crown-shaped device and he looked its contents over thoroughly. He then looked to Superman with a smile on his face. “This is exactly what I need! I’ll have my team take a closer look at it, Superman. Don’t you worry!”

“Just make sure that it doesn’t get into contact with any of the Watchtower’s systems,” Superman warned the eager scientist. “We can’t have Brainiac’s systems running around.”

The emerald archer and the nuclear captain both shared a worried glance with each other. If Brainiac was involved, it was no wonder they were being so safe about this.

Ray simply gave Superman a slight smirk. “I’ll make sure the intelligence is purged before I do anything else, Superman,” he then nodded at the two heroes that brought the helm to them. “Thanks for doing this, guys. With the upgrades we’re giving to the Watchtower, I didn’t have time to ask Hamilton and S.T.A.R. Labs if I can take this off their hands. Hopefully now, our work will go by much quicker!”

Captain Atom chuckled at Palmer’s enthusiasm. “We’re happy we can help, Dr. Palmer,” he said. “You need anything else, you know how to contact us.”

Ray seemed to just brush the two off as he ogled the helmet. He quickly shook himself out of his stupor and flushed a bit beneath his mask. “Uh… yeah,” he said, now aware of his geek out moment. “I will. Thanks again, guys. Anyway, I’m gonna bring this over to the Tech Wing. I’ll let you guys know what I find!”

The three nodded as they watched the Atom walk off to the lift, the helmet secured in its casing. Green Arrow and Captain Atom then returned their attention to Superman. They had some questions.

“Okay, as much as I love seeing Ray geek out over stuff like that,” the emerald archer quipped. “Why did we need to retrieve a piece of Brainiac tech for him and his team of eggheads?”

Superman merely shook his head before he smiled at the two. He might as well tell them now. “Ray’s been working on a new teleportation system for us,” he explained. “It’ll allow us to instantly deploy League members anywhere on Earth. That helmet actually works in conjunction with the system he’s developing for it. He needs to purge the Brainiac intelligence from it to make it safe for testing.”

Captain Atom seemed to nod in approval as he crossed his arms. “So that explains why you’ve been so busy here in the Watchtower? Because you’ve been helping Ray and his boys? You sure you know what you’re doing, Superman?” He asked.

Superman nodded again and placed a reassuring hand on the chrome captain’s shoulder. “I’ve taken every precaution, Nathan,” he told him. “I know how dangerous Brainiac can be. As soon as Ray's testing is complete, I’ll have J’onn do a total reboot and diagnostic on the Watchtower. Trust me on this.”

Green Arrow scoffed at the boy scout’s remark. “Tell that to us when our bodies aren’t inside out or fused together, Supes,” he quipped. He then winced as his stomach growled softly, a sign that he was hungry. “Anyway, I’m gonna grab me some lunch. Hopefully, Wally hasn’t had the chance to dig into today’s special. You know how he is.”

The other two heroes shared a laugh at the emerald archer’s joke as he left the hangar. Captain Atom took his leave soon after, stating that he had to see Cyborg in the reactor core chamber to see how it was holding up. Superman nodded as the nuclear captain flew himself out of the hangar.

Clark was now alone in the hangar bay. He looked up at the Javelin shuttle and let out a heavy sigh. Who was he kidding? Of course he didn’t know what he was doing! This was Brainiac they were talking about! A sentient Kryptonian AI with the goal of assimilating and destroying all data in the universe. He had taken every precaution to prevent Brainiac from ever manifesting and taking control of Watchtower. Hopefully, those precautions would pay off soon.

What made it all worse was that he knew it too… and Clark didn’t need super hearing to know he was listening in the entire time. Not that it mattered anyway. He couldn’t pick him up at all during the entire conversation.

“You’re getting good, Bruce,” the Man of Steel complemented his seemingly invisible compatriot. “Even with my super hearing, I couldn’t pick you up.”

“When you spend as much time as I have with this team, you tend to learn a few things,” Batman said, his dark silhouette now at Superman’s side. “I hope you realize the potential danger in this plan of yours, Clark. Warping through the Phantom Zone is not the safest method of teleportation.”

“I know what I’m doing, Bruce. I trust Ray and his team to get the job done.”

“It’s not Dr. Palmer I’m worried about, Clark,” Batman said. “You know as much as anyone how much of a threat Brainiac can be. You’re playing with fire here, Clark. I hope you know this.”

Superman sighed and closed his eyes at that. A long pause lingered before he opened his mouth to speak. “Look, Bruce I know--”

The booming voice of J’onn J’onnz cut off Superman’s retort. “All hands be advised,” his voice echoed across the hangar. “There has been a security breach in the Central Hub! Be on the lookout for seven unidentified costumed intruders! First response teams are ordered to bring the targets in for further questioning! I repeat! All hands be advised! There has been a security breach in the Central Hub!”

Superman exchanged a concerned glance with Batman. Batman remained silent, his eyes slanted a bit into a slight glare. It was his way of saying they would finish this talk later. For now, they had a situation to take care of.

Superman took off into the air with Batman running after him. “J’onn, it’s Superman,” Clark said into his earpiece. “Batman and I are heading to the Central Hub now. What’s your status?”

“I am fine,” the Martian Manhunter responded, his voice slightly shaky. “Guy has been injured. He is being transported to the Medical Wing as we speak.”

“What about the intruders?” Batman asked. “Where are they heading?”

“They were last seen dispersing after Gardner frightened one of them. I am currently tracking their movements. They seem… confused or afraid of us.”

“Send that information to the response team,” Superman ordered. “We don’t want this to become more complicated than it already is.”

“Already done,” J’onn replied and paused for a brief second. “Nightwing just called. He and the Titans are currently in pursuit of the intruders. They will call if they require further assistance.”

“Got it. Keep us posted,” Superman said before he turned off his earpiece. He looked to Batman as they headed down the corridor to the Monitor Womb. “You think this is about the Brainiac helmet?”

“I doubt it,” Batman responded. “Would you feel intimidated by Guy Gardner?”

Superman rolled his eyes at that. Batman had a point. This wasn’t some organized attack. Whatever the case was, Superman was going to make sure he got some answers.

Author's Note

Hey guys! As promised on my blog earlier today, here's the next chapter of Among Gods! If you've read the latest entry on my profile, I mentioned I'd try to make updating more regularly (once every other week or so, if I remember correctly). Anyway, I hope you've been enjoying the fic so far! Don't forget to leave a comment! I always take part in your discussions! Things are starting to get interesting! In the next chapter, worlds collide and our heroes don't exactly get well on the right foot. What will happen to our intrepid heroes in this brave, new world? Find out next time!

Issue 1, Chapter 4

Issue 1: Tower of Babel

Chapter 4

Earlier…

John Stewart couldn’t help but roll his eyes as he watched a trainwreck in the making. Well, maybe trainwreck was the wrong way to describe it. There was never a dull moment in the Watchtower. Watching a fellow Green Lantern utterly fail at some last-minute flirting with Fire before he left for reassignment was way worse than any intergalactic disaster John had seen, figuratively speaking. Who else but Guy Gardner would attempt such a feat?

“Never did like the guy,” he muttered to himself as he continued to watch the spectacle from the deck above. John’s fellow Lantern had now resorted to flexing his arms in front of the poor woman. Ironically, she seemed to be enjoying the muscle-bound red-head’s macho and showy attempts to display his affection, what with her hearty giggling and wry grins. John just chuckled softly and shook his head. “Still… can’t say I won’t miss him, though.”

“Indeed,” J’onn J'onzz said as he floated down beside him. “Guy Gardner is a valuable ally… but only to such an extent. Even I have to admit, your patience for the man is admirable. How can you tolerate a man with such… chivalrous arrogance?”

John merely chuckled at the martian’s observation. “You should ask Hal that very same question, J’onn,” he told him. “He’s had to put up with him longer than me or Kyle.”

J’onn nodded and proceeded to watch the events unravel with him. John had a point. When Hal Jordan became a member of the Green Lantern Honor Guard, the Guardians chose Guy Gardner as the new Green Lantern of Sector-2814. While this did free Hal of his JLA duties, it certainly complicated things. However, the two quickly came to a mutual agreement and on the Guardians’ behalf, Hal and Guy both became reserve members for the Green Lantern Corps. With Kyle Rayner taking Hal’s place as a fully-fledged Honor Guard, this left John Stewart as the currently active Green Lantern of his Sector as well as a member of the JLA. Today, Guy would be leaving to join the Justice League’s International division back on Earth. Guy’s JLA duties would naturally be handed back to Hal, much to the relief of the League. Hal was one of the original founding members of the League, so it would be great to have him back on the team.

John’s train of thought, which was on a similar track to J’onn’s, was interrupted when he heard the martian’s communicator beep. He remained silent as J’onn took the call. “Yes? Martian Manhunter speaking,” J’onn spoke into his earpiece. A gentle smile crossed the alien’s lips as a voice could be heard muffling into the alien’s ear. “Ah, Nightwing! It is good to hear from you again. I trust all is well with the Titans?”

John smirked and shook his head as J’onn took the call. The Lantern did not need telepathy to know what this was about. Cyborg had been tasked with giving the Watchtower some much-needed upgrades, including with the Power Core and defense systems. Like Guy, this was Victor Stone’s last day before he would go off and rejoin the Titans. Vic was a good kid, John admitted. A smart cookie with a good head on his shoulders. The Titans were a good fit for him. John would have to make sure he put in a good word for Vic. The JLA could certainly use a man of his talents in the field.

John zoned out briefly as J’onn continued to chat with Nightwing on the other end. He watched Guy and Fire on the deck below. At this point, Guy had poured it on a bit too much and earned a much-needed slap from the Brazilian heroine. John shook his head again. “Shouldn’t have said that, Guy…” he muttered.

“Excellent,” J’onn said into his earpiece. “I shall inform Victor that you are waiting for him in the hangar bay. I am sure he will be glad see you all again. Martian Manhunter, out.”

John took a moment to give the Martian a wry smirk and chuckle. “Sounds like you’ve been busy around here,” he observed. “Want me to go tell Cyborg for you?”

The Martian looked to his Lantern compatriot and returned a relieved smile. “That would be most appreciated,” he said. “Thank you.”

A calming green aura began to glow around John as his ring charged to life. He shifted his body weight off the railing as he started to levitate off the ground. “I’ll be back,” he told him. “I think he should be finishing up over at the Power Core--”

His words were cut short when a bright flash of pink appeared in his peripheral vision, down on the deck below where Guy and the rest were. An explosion came with the burst of light, which could only mean trouble. John quickly spun around to get a better look at the cause. Seven costumed figures just appeared out of nowhere and had piled up on top of Guy. John’s ring began to glow in intensity as his look of shock turned to a serious glare.

J’onn saw the whole thing as well and remained silent. Both of them did as they watched, ready to strike should the need arise…

John raised his eyebrows and the two immediately shielded their eyes. A massive pillar of green light shot into the air, freeing Guy from the bottom of the pile. The hot-headed Lantern as well as these potential intruders scurried to their feet. Guy himself looked particularly upset and appeared he was ready to strike. John grit his teeth when he saw Guy’s ring glow in a bright, emerald intensity. Don’t be stupid Guy. We don’t know what we’re dealing with… Stewart thought to himself.

It was too late.

It all happened so quickly. The immediate second Guy charged at one of the frightened girls, John dove down to the deck below while J’onn prepared to call in an intruder alert. Before John could restrain Guy from doing any more damage, however, a winged warrior garbed in cyan with a helmet lined in streaks of rainbow, met Guy’s charge head on… and delivered a mighty cross to his face. The blow sent Guy careening into a wall that dented upon impact.

Guy went down in one punch. What followed was all hell breaking loose.

“All hands be advised,” J’onn’s voice boomed over the sound of klaxons and alarms. “There has been a security breach in the Central Hub! Be on the lookout for seven unidentified costumed intruders! First response teams are ordered to bring the targets in for further questioning! I repeat! All hands be advised! There has been a security breach in the Central Hub!”

Twilight opened her eyes slowly, resting atop the pile with Spike on her back. “Ugh… what happened?” She heard Spike groan, rubbing his forehead slowly with a gloved hand as he came to. He turned silent, eyes wide in shock at the faces he saw. One looked female and coated in a brilliant, emerald fire and was looking directly at them in surprise. Two more stood on the deck above, looking equally alien in nature and just as surprised. One had dark skin and bore an outfit of green and black with a matching emerald aura coating his body. The other seemed to be the most alien of all, with his green skin and blue cape. Spike was instantly reminded of his Power Ponies comics. Only this time, this was real. One wrong move and who knew what would happen to them!

Twilight heard Spike start to stammer as he poked her shoulder to get her attention. “Uh… Twilight?” He called meekly, staring down the faces that seemed poised to strike at any time.

Twilight stirred herself into consciousness and winced, her head throbbing in pain. “Ugh… what is it, Spike?” She asked tiredly as she rubbed her forehead with her hand.

Wait… hand?

She screamed upon the discovery and tumbled off the pile, rolling into a sitting position. A deep purple cloak adorned to her back flipped over her head in the process. Slowly coming back to her senses, Twilight flipped the cape back behind her to get a better look at this new form.

Her whole body had changed. Her lavender coat was replaced with a soft gray skin. She no longer had hooves, but were replaced by two, five-digited appendages. Two small pixie shoes hid her feet while a set of single-rivet gloves covered her hands. Beneath her purple cloak, she wore a matching garment that clung to her skin snugly. It was lined in soft pinks and blues and blacks in a decorative, almost majestic pattern. The whole outfit made her look like some kind of mage or empath. It reminded her of how magi dressed in the times of Starswirl the Bearded and Clover the Clever.

The rest of her friends looked equally as absurd. Spike still looked like his young self, but his clothing made him resemble an archer. With his purple outfit lined in green, his matching hood that covered his head, and his trusty bow and quiver of arrows across his back, Spike looked like a modern-day Robin Hood.

Rarity’s look was far from elegant, especially by the fashion mare’s standards. White thigh-high boots lined in purple concealed her stocking-covered legs. Her matching white top was covered by a black leather coat. Twilight would hesitate to call the look “trashy” or “revealing,” however. Her outfit made it seem like it was made more for function and not form.

Applejack rested below Rarity, sandwiched against Pinkie. A tight tan suit clung to her form, red running down her sides. Her arms remained bare save for a pair of silver bracelets on her wrists. A golden lasso also rested at her side, hanging from her hip.

Pinkie was dressed in some kind of skintight running suit. A set of elaborate pink lines traced along her white ensemble, dividing her costume vertically at her chest. The thick, arrow lines that went along her body seemed to point to the mask covering her face. The pink mask went over her poofy hair, covering her eyes while keeping her lower face revealed.

Rainbow Dash looked like some kind of winged warrior from the ages of Equestrian myth. A pair of large, hawk-like wings were tucked in on her back. Her skin was bronze tan and she wore an elaborate combat suit, split down the middle in a winged lightning pattern of black and cyan. Enveloping her head was a majestic blue helmet, shaped to resemble the head of an eagle. Streaks of lightning dotted the top of this feathered helm, colored in a rainbow pattern resembling her cutie mark. A rather menacing-looking mace rested on her hip, the weapon weapon sparking an electric blue as she awoke.

Lastly, poor Fluttershy rested at the bottom of the pile, squirming and wriggling to try and get free. Out of all of them, her look was the most bizarre. Her wings were now gone, replaced by a long, cat-like tail just above her backside. Her skin was now a bright and vibrant green while her hair remained that soft and gentle pink. A cream-colored spandex suit clung tightly to her frame, lined in purple and filled in black like an athletic tracksuit.

Fluttershy groaned tiredly as she came to, like all the others. “Ugh… what… happened?” She asked groggily. She felt something squirm underneath her and she blinked. She also swore she could hear muffled shouting under her as well. The shy one raised a suspicious eyebrow and looked down, wondering what could possibly be making such noise.

“Mfff! Mfffff!” The muffled voice yelled angrily.

Fluttershy immediately blushed a red crimson and stammered, worried that he might have crushed the poor soul that rested under her and her friends. “O-oh, I’m so, so, so sorry! I hope we didn’t hurt--”

“I said… GET OFF!”

Fluttershy and her friends were then immediately blasted by a massive pillar of green light. The energy burst sent them all flying up into the air. Twilight braced herself and shielded her eyes from the immense brightness of the emerald energy. When the light finally dissipated, Twilight was relieved to see her friends all scurry to their feet. Thank Celestia, they weren’t hurt.

However, Fluttershy struggled to get up. She managed to roll onto her back and sit up, but she was wheezing and gasping for air. She appeared to be having a panic attack. Rainbow saw this and was immediately at her side. “Fluttershy!” She called out, landing beside her. She turned her head and glared menacingly at the man who blasted all of them. “What did you do to her?” She hissed through grit teeth.

The man simply scoffed and smirked at her. He crossed his arms and cocked a sly eyebrow. “Oh, I just used my ring to push you guys off’a me,” he responded smugly. “She’ll be fine! Don’t worry!”

Dash stood up slowly, keeping her eyes trained on the man. She clenched her fists in anger, ready to wipe that smug grin off his face. “Don’t worry? You could’ve seriously hurt somepony!”

Guy merely glared back at her. “Then it serves her right to mess with a Green Lantern,” he scoffed. “Now, why don’t the rest of you surrender now before this gets more messy?”

That was all Dash needed to hear to set her off. No way was she going to give herself up to this… arrogant jackass! "You think we’re just gonna back down after what you just did?” She challenged. “I’ll shove that ring so far down your--”

Guy smirked at her again. His ring began to glow as a green aura enveloped around him. “Yeah, I’d like to see you try, sister! Gimme your best-- OOMF!”

Guy never saw the punch coming. As soon as the blow connected to his smug face, the Green Lantern careened off to the far wall, slamming against it in a hard, metal THUD! One punch from Dash was all it took to shut him up.

It was also all it took to send the entire Watchtower on Intruder Alert.

Twilight had little time to react. As soon as the alarms started blaring and klaxons going off, she saw her friends scatter and retreat. Realizing how hopelessly outnumbered she was, she scrambled to run off as well. She spun and started to run when a green bubble enveloped her. She turned her head to see another man, dressed in a similar fashion to the one Dash had knocked out, aiming his ring hand to hold the construct in place.

“Not so fast, kid,” John Stewart said as he descended from the deck above. “You and your friends aren’t going anywhere!”

Twilight’s eyes darted everywhere inside her green prison. There was no way out! She needed to find her friends! But the flashing lights, the blaring sounds! It was all too much! She shut her eyes to try and block out the noise, but it wouldn’t go away! She fell to her knees and covered her ears, screaming in agony as a large silhouette of a four-eyed alicorn enveloped her, shrouding her in its deep purple wings. The silhouette swallowed Twilight whole and she vanished without a trace!

John jumped back a bit, losing control of the construct in the process. He turned in the air and looked up at J’onn, who was already making the call for a medical team for Guy. He flew over to his fellow Lantern, who was already being consoled over by Fire. “That escalated quickly,” John muttered as he began looking Guy over for serious injuries.

“Indeed,” Fire said. “We need to stop them before someone else gets seriously hurt!”

John nodded at that while he used his ring to scan for wounds on his fallen comrade. Fortunately, Guy wasn’t beat up too bad. He was just knocked out. John shook his head disappointingly. Guy can certainly talk the talk, but he definitely couldn't walk the walk. The man had a serious glass jaw. He couldn’t take a punch to save his life. “He’ll be fine,” John finally said. “But we should still take him to the Medical Wing just in case. J’onn, any word on the response teams?”

“Nightwing just offered support to bring the intruders in,” J’onn said as he phased from the upper deck down to join them. “He and the rest of the Titans will search the Watchtower. In the meantime, you and I should head back up to the Security Deck. Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman will be there shortly. We’ll fill them in when we meet them.”

“Got it,” John acknowledged and his ring coated him in an emerald aura. He levitated off the ground and spun to Fire. “Stay with Guy until the medical team arrives. Knowing him, he’ll probably have a few bones to pick with the Thangarian that knocked him out when he comes to. Last thing we need is Guy wanting another round.”

Fire nodded and flashed a smile to the Green Lantern. “Will do.” She acknowledged.

John turned back to the Martian. “Let’s go.” He told him and they both flew up several decks upward and out of sight.

As the two made their ascent, J’onn could sense that his friend and teammate was feeling troubled. He looked at John and immediately, he knew why. “Relax, Stewart,” he told the Green Lantern. “Guy isn’t exactly the type for negotiation. You know this better than anyone.”

He heard John sigh mentally as he admitted to the Martian’s impromptu psyche reading. “I know, J’onn,” he said as the two landed on the Security Deck of the Watchtower. “Sometimes, I think that damn mouth of his is gonna get him in serious trouble. It could even get him killed.”

The Martian empath nodded solemnly at that. “I understand,” he agreed. “Though I will say, you have come farther in your anger management than he has.” He added with a slight smirk.

John looked at his Martian friend with a raised eyebrow and mirrored smirk. “Smartass,” he thought to himself as the door slid open, allowing them to enter.

“I heard that,” a familiar voice echoed in the Lantern’s mind.

John winced from the sudden mind probe and shook his head, smiling a bit as the two entered. There was never a dull moment around here in the Watchtower, even when the whole space station wasn’t on high alert.

Author's Note

Howdy folks! As promised yesterday on my blog, here's the next chapter of Among Gods! Long time no see, eh? Well, I'm sorry to keep you folks waiting. I've been busy with college work, so I haven't had much time to work on this. Hopefully, by the end of this semester in May, things will get back into full swing. I know you guys are loving this as much as I am. I wanna see this to the end as much as you do, trust me. But sometimes, these things happen.

In any case, feel free to leave a comment with your feedback! I love talking to you all about this. Next time, when there's trouble, you know who to call! "Titans! Go!"

Grave

Issue 1, Chapter 5

Issue 1: Tower of Babel

Chapter 5

Nightwing hopped out of the T-Ship and landed on the cold metal floor of the Watchtower Hangar Bay. The rest of the Titans soon followed. Starfire flew upwards into the air before she gracefully floated back down. The orange Tamaranian beauty’s long, firey-red hair flowed at her back as she wore the most pleasing and excited smile. Beast Boy wasn’t too far behind, peeking out from his seat. The green hero’s eyes widened in awe and disbelief. “Whoa…Wally was right,” he muttered in amazement. He climbed out in a manner similar to a monkey, clambering out and landing on all fours. “I can’t believe we’re actually here! This place beats Titans Tower by a mile!”

Nightwing smirked as Starfire giggled at Beast Boy’s excitement. “I must agree with Beast Boy, Nightwing,” the Tamaranian said. “The Watchtower is most definitely a wonder to behold! I am curious how such a fortification was even funded, however…”

It was Nightwing’s turn to chuckle now. “It’s a trade secret, Kori,” he explained simply as he ran a hand through his hair. “The JLA just happen to have the right people supporting them.”

“Yet they won’t tell us who,” Superboy said as he finally hopped out of the ship as well. The young Kryptonian clone wore an uneasy expression as dark as his black shirt, the red Superman ‘S’ shield displayed boldly on the front. “Doesn’t it bother you how secretive these people are, even to us? It’s like we’re being purposefully kept in the dark or something.”

Nightwing blinked a bit at Superboy’s outburst. He had been unsure about coming here ever since J’onn gave them the go-ahead to come on up and take Cyborg back home. “Whoa, take it easy, Conner,” he told his friend, walking up to him and raising his hands up slowly. “We’re just excited to finally see this place for ourselves, especially since it’s still undergoing renovation.”

“I’m just being honest, Dick,” Conner explained. “Don’t you find it odd that the League is keeping this place in so much secrecy, even to its affiliates?”

“Superboy’s got a point,” Raven concurred monotonically as she hovered down to join them. “Why would the Justice League still keep the Watchtower such a closely-guarded secret despite greatly expanding their ranks?”

“See? I’m not the only one who thinks this is fishy. We’re recognized as official affiliates to the League and yet we’re still treated like we’re outsiders! It's like we're still kids! This doesn’t make any sense!”

Dick let out a sigh and looked at his concerned colleague and friend. As much as he hated to admit it, Conner had a point. Even Bruce never told him about the Watchtower until he set out on his own. For the longest time, he believed the Hall of Justice back on Earth was the real headquarters for the JLA. It wasn’t until he founded the original Teen Titans with Aqualad, Speedy, and Kid Flash that they learned the truth. Even now, it was hard to believe a facility like this was kept such a closely guarded secret. But since the League had been expanding so much recently, the former Robin believed the Watchtower wasn’t going to be much of a secret for long.

“We’ll have time for that later,” Nightwing finally said, a smile on his face again as he looked at his team. “In the meantime, Cyborg’s waiting for us. I’m sure he’s--”

Alarms went off suddenly, cutting off what Nightwing was going to say next. “All hands be advised,” The voice of J’onn J’onnz declared over the blaring klaxons and warnings. “There has been a security breach in the Central Hub! Be on the lookout for seven unidentified costumed intruders! First response teams are ordered to bring the targets in for further questioning! I repeat! All hands be advised! There has been a security breach in the Central Hub!”

“It appears we are not the only ones visiting the Watchtower today,” Starfire observed. “Should we offer our assistance?”

“Well duh! Why shouldn’t we?” Beast Boy exclaimed, a wide and toothy grin on his face. “It’ll be way better than a boring tour! Let’s do it!”

“I might not share Beast Boy’s enthusiasm on this,” Raven added. “But we should help regardless. Cyborg’s work could be at stake.”

All eyes then turned to Superboy, who appeared to have a disgruntled scowl on his face. He didn’t want to be here for too long. Despite this, he gave a stern nod of acknowledgement to his team. He was on board.

Nightwing smiled as the rest of his team seemed to come to a unanimous agreement with their alien ally. With no further objections, Nightwing pressed his finger to the comm unit in his ear. “J’onn? It’s Nightwing. What can we do to help?”

Twilight stumbled out from the darkness and into the giant room. She caught herself as she hit the cold metal floor and got up slowly. Her head spun and she panted heavily. She turned her head just to see shadowy remnants of the wisp twist away into the air. She turned back and looked down, her eyes transfixed on her gloved hands. Each finger twitched and flicked. Her eyes were wide in amazement as she mentally commanded each digit into a closed fist and opened them again into a palm. Small purple sparks danced between her fingers as she uncurled them. Fascinating, she thought. This world appeared to have magic of its own.

She lifted her head and looked up again. A large glass view port towered above her. The bookish princess approached the display, her jaw agape. Stars dotted the blackened void of space while a giant spherical planet slowly rotated below it all. A brilliant golden sun shone brightly in the distance and gave light to the blue planet below. It reminded Twilight of Celestia’s sun. The glowing orb of light slowly peeked over the horizon and cast its radiant rays on the planet below. She remained transfixed on the majestic sight, unaware that she was not alone.

“You’re not supposed to be here,” a haunting voice echoed. “Unauthorized access to the Watchtower is strictly prohibited. Surrender yourself now and you will not be harmed.”

A bird cloaked in dark black manifested itself behind Twilight. The voice alone was enough to make her shiver, but this creature of the blackened abyss almost made her tremble. Despite this, Twilight spun around on her heel and backed up defensively, her back against the view port.

“I won’t say it again,” Raven said as she emerged from the avian-shaped silhouette. “ Don’t make this harder than it already is.”

Twilight took a step back as the hooded empath warned her. “W-wait,” she responded, her hands raised defensively. “I… I can explain…”

Twilight would feel a cold hand grab her wrist. She could see the pale girl’s authoritative demeanor behind her neutral face. “You’ll have plenty of time to explain once you turn yourself in. Your friends are being rounded up as we speak--”

Twilight gasped as soon as Raven grabbed her wrist. Her eyes widened. There was a twinkle in her pupils and her world began to spin out of control. Her mind was assaulted with various images that seemed to come one after the other-- the defeat of Nightmare Moon, returning Discord to stone, and her transformation into an alicorn. Between all of this, Twilight saw memories that weren’t even her own. She saw a giant, horned demon, glaring down at a destroyed city with a menacing four-eyed gaze. That vision was swiftly swallowed by the blackened shadow of a giant bird, a raven. A green inferno then coated the bird, lighting it in an eerie emerald blaze. The burning bird stretched its wings outward, seemingly unaware that it was even on fire.

Everything suddenly went black shortly after. Twilight heard a voice cut through the darkness. It echoed in a haunting and raspy tone. She recognized the voice. It was the voice from the mirror!

“Awaken, Twilight Raven," the Spectre commanded. “The magic of our universe is now yours to command. Now go, save your friends before it is too late!”

"M-my friends?" Were they in danger right now? Where were they? If the Spectre was right, then she needed to do something! The world returned to Twilight in a bright flash of purple. Raven was launched backwards by the force of the explosion, not expecting such a blast of magic to force her back. Fortunately, she caught herself before she made impact with the far wall. She now hovered a few feet off the ground, her eyes like daggers as the two stared each other down.

“Stay… away… from... my… friends!” Twilight said slowly, her palms glowing an intense purple as she stared up at this blue-hooded mage.

Raven simply scowled at her and gently floated back down. Her own hands were now shrouded by darkened black aura as her eyes began to glow an eerie white. She was out of control. She had to be stopped. “If you won't surrender peacefully, then you leave me no choice. You just sealed your fate.”

Author's Note

Hey guys! Sorry for the sudden hiatus! Life was in the way so I couldn't get this chapter out when I wanted it to. Fortunately, I've cleared things up, so hopefully things are going to get back on track. I'll try to post on a more regular basis, I promise!

Now, this chapter was rather troublesome for me. Part of the reason why it took so long was just me struggling with the last bit between Twilight and Raven. I can do a misunderstanding fight like everyone else, but given the nature of these two characters in particular, it was easier said than done. I'm not exactly satisfied with how it turned out, but I'll leave that for you to decide.

Anyway! Next time on Among Gods, fighting accelerates, potentials are unlocked, and understandings are reached! What else is next for our intrepid group of ponies (and dragon)? Find out next time in Among Gods!

Grave

Issue 1, Chapter 6

Issue 1: Tower of Babel

Chapter 6

“Weeeee!” Pinkie cheered and giggled as she raced down the metal tunnel at lightning fast speed. A trail of pink lightning trailed behind her, which sparked as it traveled up in a stream of sparkling streaks.

She soon skidded to a stop and looked on in sheer awe as soon as she reached the end of the tunnel and into a large room. Tall pillars of light dotted the place, connected by long walkways and platforms that seemed to stack and cross over all across each other in nearly infinite ways. “Wooooooow…” Pinkie muttered. “Pretty liiiiiiiights!”

Pinkie was so busy gawking over the mountainous structures that she didn’t notice a streak of scarlet stop right behind her. “You like it? This is the power grid for the Watchtower’s Power Core! Cyborg built it for us! Also, you’re trespassing! I’m gonna have to turn you in!”

Pinkie nearly jumped out of her skin as the Scarlet Speedster snuck up on her! She stumbled back and hit the railing. The hyperactive pink speedster tripped and flipped over the railing, but a scarlet hand quickly reached down and grabbed her. “Gotcha!” He grunted. Before Pinkie could even blink, the costumed man yanked her back up! The speedy hero took a moment to congratulate himself for reacting so quickly. “All in a days work for yours truly, the Flash, the Fastest Man Alive! No need to thank me!” He boasted proudly. “You okay?”

Pinkie was left still and motionless, her eyes glazed over as she was hoisted back up. Flash tilted his head and cocked an eyebrow under his mask. He waved his hand in front of her slowly, but frowned when he saw it didn’t do any good. “Uh… hello?” He asked, snapping his fingers in front of her face. “Anybody home?” He waved his hand in front of her face as well, but it did nothing to bring the poor girl out of her stupor. Flash let out a sigh of defeat as he looked at her dumbfounded expression in utter confusion. This was getting weird.

It would only get weirder still. Pinkie’s mind was assaulted with images that came and went at a million miles an hour. Her vision was blinded with bolts of lightning and streaks of red and gold. Her senses were greeted by images of an older man standing at the end of a bridge, looking over an expansive city. He dressed similarly to her, only wearing a winged helmet and a red shirt with a large bolt of lightning striking down the center. Other similarly-dressed costumed speedsters joined his side. One looked almost identical to the man who saved her life just moments ago. The second was younger than the other two, garbed in yellow. The two adults exchanged a brief glance with the young runner before he blazed across the bridge, leaving a streak of gold in his wake! “Wow,” Pinkie thought out loud. “He’s faster than Dashie!”

Pinkie watched in amazement as the young teenager raced across the long bridge to the city. His body began to grow and morph before her eyes! By the time the young man reached the city limits, he had become a fully-grown adult. His costume was no longer the gold ensemble from before either. Instead, the man’s costume was the exact red costume the second speedster had at the bridge. A torch had been passed, a legacy had been upheld.

“Wow,” Pinkie exclaimed again. “So… the boy at the end of the bridge grew up and inherited the super-cool outfit that the others had! That is… ten times super-cool! At least 100 percent super-cooler!”

The scene exploded into a fiery green inferno and Pinkie found herself staring up at the hauntingly hooded gaze of the Spectre. She stood at the end of the same bridge, where she witnessed the continuation of a long-running history. She gazed up at the otherworldly spirit with a chipper smile and her typically happy demeanor. Even when she stared at such a force in the face, she still saw a need to giggle at the ghostie. “Ooooh! Hi there, Mister Spectre! It’s so good to see you! Did you see that boy run across the bridge! He was really fast! He was all like, ‘NYOOOOOOM!’ and I was all like, ‘Wow! Look at him go! He’s faster than Dashie!’ And then when he turned into a grown-up when he reached the end of the bridge, I was all like--”

A sudden crack of lightning and a boom of thunder quickly silenced her. The sky began to darken to a threatening green behind the Spectre, who stood like the powerful ethereal titan he was. Bolts of lightning exploded around Pinkie, which caused her jump and squeal in surprise, and swiftly made her remain silent.

“Awaken, Pinkie Quick,” The Spectre declared. “The power of the Speed Force is now yours to command. No go. Save your friends before it is too late!”

Then, with a final bolt of lightning, Pinkie returned to the waking world. Her once dilated-pupils reformed beneath her mask. Everything around her felt… slower now, slower than before! But her brain moved as if it was locked into hyperspeed! It was as if she just gulped down ten full bags of sugar! She never felt a rush like this since, well, ever! The only time Pinkie could recall reaching anything remotely like this sugar rush was when she accidentally coated a batch of cookies with too much sugar! She felt as if nothing could slow her down that day, even though everyone in Ponyville tried. Despite this, Pinkie could only watch as this scarlet-costumed hero brought up his hand again, snapping his fingers in front of her face again in agonizing slow motion.

“Hey,” Flash said again. “You okay? You blanked on me for a sec!” He scrunched his face and rubbed his chin. He then reached out to place a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “You need help,” he told her. “Why don’t we get you back to the others? Your friends are being rounded up as we speak. I’m sure they’ll be fine. We’re not here to hurt you.”

Pinkie’s mind spun and the world became a blur. This crimson-clad runner in front of her became muddied and distorted in her eyes. Why was everything so slow now? Even at her highest of sugar rushes, the world never seemed this… slow! For the first time in her life, Pinkie felt scared. Everything around her was moving at a snail’s pace except her. What was happening to her? And what was that the Spectre said? Her friends were in danger? She needed to do something! She needed to find them! She needed to get out of here! She needed to find a way to return everything to normal, and fast!

In a crackle and a flash of pink lightning, Pinkie disappeared in a blur of speed. Flash tripped and stumbled forward as his hand grasped at the air. He quickly regained his footing as he looked on in surprise, watching this trail of pink speed off across the multiple levels of walkways across the power cores of the Watchtower’s power grid. “Whoa,” Wally muttered to himself. She was almost as fast as Barry! “This might take a while.”

Lightning swirled and crackled around Wally before he zoomed off after her. Whatever was going on, she was clearly not trying to sabotage the Watchtower. Not on purpose, at least. Regardless, she needed to be stopped before someone got seriously hurt.

Raven moved quickly to the side to avoid an incoming energy blast from Twilight. It erupted harmlessly behind her in a cloud of glittering purple sparks. Something about this didn’t seem right to the hooded empath. That attack was too weak to kill or even incapacitate. She must be deliberately trying her best to hold back.

“Listen to me,” Raven said as she avoided another blast. “Whatever is going on, you need to calm down. There’s no reason for us to fight.”

Twilight didn’t want to fight either. But here she was, alone in a situation that had quickly spiraled out of control. Her friends were probably alone as well, maybe worse off than she was, maybe even in danger. Her fearful glance turned into a glare of determination. She didn’t have time for this. She needed to get out of here.

“Get away from me,” Twilight told Raven. “I must find my friends!”

Twilight turned on her heel and jumped up to take off into the air. Raven took off after her in pursuit, determined to put an end to this once and for all. She fired a beam of black energy from her hand, which shot upward and wrapped itself around Twilight’s ankle. Raven yanked down hard, pulling Twilight back down to earth.

Twilight hit the ground hard. She recovered quickly and rolled over onto her back. She sent out another flurry of energy bolts at Raven, but Raven lazily dodged each one, moving from side to side to avoid the blasts. Each dodge closed the gap between them. Raven narrowed her eyes as a stray blast whizzed over her head. She could tell she was getting to her, but it wasn’t going to be enough. She needed to end this now before someone got hurt.

“Enough!” Raven commanded, leaping up higher in the air above Twilight. “Azarath Metrion Zinthos!”

A bird of the darkest black was summoned at Raven’s command, manifesting itself from the very cloak that shrouded her. The large bird eyed Twilight for a second before it spread its wings and let out a shrill, deafening cry. The bird then dove at Twilight, enveloping her in pitch black darkness.

Raven struggled to keep her magic construct under control as it draped its wings around Twilight. Such power should be enough to keep the girl contained until she wore herself out. But that was only a best guess. The spellbinding empath would not anticipate what would happen next, however…

As she struggled to maintain her construct in this physical plain, Raven could hear muffled shouting come from within the blackened feathers of the bird. It sounded like… a chant. A familiar one. One she had just uttered to summon the very bird to contain this intruder.

“Azarath Metrion Zinthos!”

The bird exploded in a massive pillar of purple light. The surge of energy shot upwards, traveling several feet and hitting the tall ceiling above them. Raven braced herself as the force of the explosion made her tumble through the air. She slammed into the view port window behind her with a hard THUD! Raven slid down the hardened glass and winced from the impact. When the world stopped ringing, she found herself facing an exhausted Twilight, physically and mentally exerted from the energy she had just unleashed.

Raven managed to get back on her feet and winced a bit. She gripped at her side under her cloak and limped her way over to the downed intruder. This girl was Azarathean, like her. She was strong too, but clearly lacked in proper experience or control. Raven couldn’t help but feel she was holding back. She didn’t want to hurt anyone. Still, Raven had to call this in. Perhaps the League will get some answers when the rest were turned in for questioning.

“This is Raven,” she relayed into her earpiece as she winced again. “My target is down. Requesting assistance for pickup.”

“Copy that, Raven,” J’onn said from the other line. “The others are still rounding up the rest of the intruders. Is everything all right on your end? You sound injured.”

Raven winced once more and glanced down at Twilight. “N-no,” she said. “I’m fine. Just get here soon.”

J’onn acknowledged her request. “Very well. We’re sending a team to your location now. Martian Manhunter out.”

Raven took another look at Twilight. “What brought you here…?” she muttered to herself. She didn’t know why she was suddenly so curious about this other Azarathean, but something told Raven that she needed to trust her.

Something about this isn't right, she thought. As far as Raven knew, she thought she was the only Azarathean on Earth. What about the other intruders? They all looked similar to other heroes as well. What was the meaning of all this? Who sent them? What was their purpose? Hopefully, they would get some answers once the rest of the intruders were brought in for questioning.

Author's Note

Hey guys! Long time no see! Sorry to keep you all waiting for so long. I've been distracted lately and I've had some trouble finding motivation. But I still want to see this through, don't get me wrong! I still love working on this whenever I can! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Make sure you leave a comment and tell me what you think. I'm not sure when the next chapter will be up, but I assure you, it won't take a year! It's good to be back!

Grave

Issue 1, Chapter 7

Issue 1: Tower of Babel

Chapter 7

It all happened so quickly. All Spike remembered was Rainbow Dash punching that man in green and then everyone freaking the heck out. Spike managed to get away with Rarity and Fluttershy, but only barely. Now, the young dragon-turned-archer was begging for Rarity to stop running for just one second. Fluttershy, meanwhile, was nowhere to be seen, lost in this lush garden of greenery amidst the cold metal and glass.

“Rarity,” Spike shouted, running as fast as his spindly little legs could go. “Wait! Can you slow down for a sec? I think we lost… I don’t know where...”

“I’m sorry Spike,” Rarity huffed as she slowed to a stop. She leaned against a heavy tree to her side, not even questioning how she was able to run for this long in high heels. As soon as she took a moment to catch her breath, she finally realized they were short one… whatever they were now. “Um… Spike? Where’s Fluttershy?”

“That’s… what I was about to say, Rarity,” Spike panted, literally falling onto his back from exhaustion. He then cocked an eyebrow as he heard a peculiar sound, coming from somewhere close by. “Wait. Do you hear that?” Spike asked as he quickly scrambled back to his feet.

Rarity perked up as she heard it too, now standing upright from the tree. It was soft, but it didn’t sound like it came from somewhere far away. It sounded like it was right next to them, hidden away somewhere. The sound was like a mewling kitten crying out for its mother. Choked, silent sobbing. Rarity moved slowly, moving a nearby bush aside to find…

Fluttershy, balled up on the ground next to a fountain, with various small fauna around her. Some of these creatures clearly resembled wildlife found in Equestria, namely small rodents and mammals such squirrels, rabbits, and birds. Others looked like creatures that wouldn’t feel out-of-place in the Everfree Forest. Spike himself couldn’t help but stare at a peculiar deer-like creature. Its reptilian scales glimmered in the artificial sunlight above them and it kicked one of its extra pairs of legs. It glanced up at Spike and Rarity and blinked with its multiple spider-like eyes. Another peculiar creature nestled up next to Fluttershy’s crying form, one that almost resembled her pet bunny, Angel, albeit with dragonfly-like wings protruding from its back and a long, rat-like tail. Despite all of these alien creatures guarding the frightened girl, they all seemed rather harmless.

Rarity called out to her softly, taking a tentative step towards her. “Fluttershy? Is… is that you?”

Fluttershy seemed to tighten up more into her ball at just the sound of her voice. “I want to go home,” she demanded, her voice cracking from her sobs. “This world is full of mean jerks like that man with the ring! They’re all no better than Iron Will! I hate it here!”

Rarity’s heart sank at her friend’s words. Spike went about his business and stood guard, not wanting to get involved while the two had their heart-to-heart. He took out his bow and placed an arrow into it. He expected to fumble with pulling the arrow out of his quiver, but he was surprised at how natural the motion came to him, even knowing where to place and pull back on the bow. Spike never fancied himself a practitioner of archery before, but now it seemed as if he had been doing this all his young life. He shrugged that thought aside as he covered where they found Fluttershy. He doubted any real threats would come their way, but it was better than hiding from whatever was hunting them in this artificial jungle. He took a moment to contemplate the irony of their situation while Rarity went about comforting Fluttershy.

“Fluttershy… darling,” Rarity said quietly, taking another tentative step forward her frightened friend. She got down on her knees and placed a comforting hand on the sobbing girl’s shoulder. “As much as I would wish for us to leave this dreadful place, I'm afraid we can’t go home just yet. I wish there were another way for me to say that but… we need you, dear. We need you to be brave. Not like those… assertive brutes we had the displeasure of meeting earlier. If you can be brave… then we can be brave with you.”

Fluttershy breathed slowly and started to calm down. Rarity was right. They couldn’t just turn and run. They still had a job to do. If Sunset Shimmer was allowed to run rampant in this world, then they would be dooming both this universe and Equestria. She uncurled a bit and looked at Rarity, who only smiled warmly and moved the hair out of the shy girl’s face, revealing her pristine emerald skin.

“It will be all right, darling,” Rarity whispered softly. “Now, I think it’s about time we leave this place at once. This humidity is not good for my complexion.”

Spike narrowed his eyes as he heard movement come from the observation deck above them. Heavy footsteps, muffled shouting… and laser fire? Spike pulled back the arrow in his bow a bit. The noises started to grow louder and louder and louder, until…

Two bodies were sent flying through the glass, landing and skidding to a stop right in front of Spike and the others, kicking up dirt and dust in the process. This disturbance caused all the animals comforting Fluttershy to scatter and fly away. “I don’t think we’ll be leaving just yet…” he muttered out loud. When the dust settled, Applejack and Rainbow Dash came to.

“Ugh…” Rainbow Dash blinked. “What hit me?”

“Grr… heck if Ah know, sugarcube,” AJ answered, feeling groggy as the ringing in her ears eventually stopped. She blinked as well and spotted Spike and the others. “Spike? Is that you?”

Spike smirked awkwardly and so did they. Rarity was immediately at Spike’s side and pulled the two into a big hug. “Oh, I’m so glad you two are all right!” Rarity squeed. “What on earth happened to you? You look you were in a horrible accident!”

“It’s… good ta’ see you too, Rarity,” Applejack grunted and soon wriggled her way out of Rarity’s generous embrace. “Ah wish we had time to explain here, y’all, but we gotta get outta here, quick-like!”

“Yeah,” Rainbow Dash said. “Those costumed guys chasing us will be here any minute if…”

“It’s not a matter of ‘if,’” a youthful adult voice echoed. “It’s a matter of ‘when.’”

They all looked up and saw a group of five now standing above them, overlooking them from the shattered glass. The group consisted of a man that looked as if it was part robot or cyborg, with one of his hands morphed in the shape of an arm-mounted gun. An alien girl with orange skin and fiery red hair in a revealing purple outfit hovered in the air beside him, her hands glowing a brilliant green just like her eyes. A young boy with green skin and hair with a swinging monkey tail flipped and landed with the group, bearing a fanged grin. There was also a young man in nothing more than a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt, with a proud, red ‘S’ shield insignia displayed on the front. He eyed AJ and Dash menacingly, his pupils literally burning with rage. Their leader stood in the center, wearing a black costume with a blue bird-like symbol displayed proudly on his chest, his eyes covered with a black domino mask and a sly smirk on his face.

“You guys have caused enough of a mess already,” Nightwing said as he twirled one of his escrima sticks. “You’re only gonna make it worse for yourselves if you all keep refusing to come with us.”

“Nightwing is right,” Starfire agreed, now hovering beside her friend. “Prolonging this battle will only result in more damage to the Watchtower than necessary… and to yourselves.”

“Yeah! I didn’t build half this place just so it could get destroyed!” Cyborg added, aiming his arm-cannon at the group below.

“Calm down, Cyborg,” Beast Boy told him with a smirk before he looked down at the group as well. “Besides, we said this’ll be quick! Right, guys?”

“Will you all just shut up already?” Superboy growled in frustration, his eyes glowing red with rage. “Let’s get this over with!”

“I couldn’t have said it better myself, Superboy,” Nightwing said before he looked back down and pointed his escrima stick at the intruders below them. “Last chance, guys. Don’t drag this out.”

Spike, Rarity, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash prepared themselves. Rarity took hold of her whip and snapped it ready in her hands. Rainbow Dash raised her mace, which sparked with life as it surged with electricity. Applejack raised her fists and stood her ground. Spike kept his aim and stayed low, poised to let his arrow fly at any moment. Fluttershy, however, was not with them. It seemed as though she retreated somewhere deeper in the garden. Rarity noticed this and glared at Nightwing and the rest of the Titans. They would pay for scaring her off like that again. She would make sure of that.

Nightwing’s face turned serious as he saw them all stand their ground, a sign of defiance. They were not about to go down without a fight. Well, if it was a fight they wanted, it was a fight they’d get. Nightwing inhaled once. Then, he gave the command.

“TITANS, GO!”

Author's Note

Hey guys! Told you I'd be back soon! This chapter actually took longer than I expected, but I like how it turned out. I'm actually working on the next chapter right now, so hopefully the wait won't be too long. Next time; Ponies v Titans, new awakenings, and more!

See ya next time!

Grave

Issue 1, Chapter 8

Issue 1: Tower of Babel

Chapter 8

The Titans all attacked in unison, leaping down into the fray together. Rarity, AJ, Spike, and Dash stood their ground, ready to meet these costumed enforcers head-on. Of course, none of this would have happened if Rainbow Dash just kept her cool and not KO’d a Green Lantern with a single punch, but it was too late to go back now. What started as a simple misunderstanding now spiraled out of control. It was up to them to set it all straight, and if that meant resorting to violence, then so be it.

Rainbow Dash jumped high into the air, brandishing her mace like a mighty hammer. She swung and it connected with Starfire, who was sent flying upward from the blow. The end of Dash’s mace began to sparkle and crack as bolts of electricity jumped all around it. Starfire managed to catch herself in the air and quickly moved to return fire, tossing green bolts of energy at her winged opponent. Rainbow Dash defended herself, using her mace to deflect the barrage. Each bolt bounced off the metal weapon, going in random directions before dissipating harmlessly in the air.

As Dash was busy deflecting Starfire’s bolts, the Tamaranian Titan quickly flew down toward her, dropping down to try and disarm her of her mace. She grabbed it and attempted to wrestle it out of Rainbow Dash’s grip. But Dash wasn’t going to let go, the two locked in a desperate grapple in the air as the battle waged below.

While the two wrestled in the air above, Applejack jumped out of the way to avoid an incoming downward punch from Superboy. The punch left a rounded dent on the metal floor.

"Yo! Watch it, Superboy!” Cyborg shouted from across the room. “I just finished reinforcing the Watchtower’s floor plan!”

Superboy grumbled in frustrated acknowledgement. As he recovered from missing the punch, AJ counterattacked by landing a powerful kick right into his solar plexus. The kick sent Superboy flying across the room and he tumbled as he landed. “Tell that to the girl who hits as hard as I can…” he muttered before he got back on his feet and leaped back into the fray.

Over on the far side of the chamber, Nightwing was trading blows with Rarity and Spike. He blocked a high twirling kick by Rarity and prepared to follow it up, but his counterattack was stopped short by Spike. Nightwing quickly spun around to deflect incoming arrow from the young archer by swiping them away with his twin escrima sticks.

“Rarity!” Spike shouted as he readied another set of arrows. “Get down!”

Spike let loose another barrage of arrows, one after the other in rapid succession as Rarity ducked down to avoid getting shot. Nightwing jumped forward and twirled in the air, avoiding every arrow with all the grace and poise of a professional circus acrobat. Spike began to back up slowly, firing more and more arrows desperately to no avail. Nightwing kept jumping and twirling as he approached Spike, still avoiding the arrows in the process.

Spike was losing it. He was starting to panic. His aim was starting to sway. He couldn’t get a bead on this guy! He just wouldn’t stay still to get a good shot! Nightwing smirked. He knew this. When he made his next jump, just barely brushing against another arrow as it whizzed past him, he threw one of his escrima sticks at Spike. Spike had no time to react as the electrified stick flew through the air and found its mark, connecting with his forehead. The stick sent a painful jolt of electricity through his body when it made contact, causing Spike to let out a cry of pain as his head was thrown back, his body following shortly after.

Rarity gasped audibly, seeing it all happen as if it was in slow motion. “Spike…” she stifled back a sob of his name. “N-no…”

Then, everything suddenly stopped for Rarity. Everything except the chirping calls of canaries. The chirping grew louder and louder, almost as if it came from all around her. Her breath was short. She covered her ears to try and drown them out, but it was no use. They kept chirping and crying and calling. She cried out something inaudible, her own voice drowned out by the canaries. Suddenly, it all stopped. Rarity then heard the familiar voice of the Spectre call out to her.

“Awaken, Black Rarity. The cry of the canary is now yours. Quickly, use it to save your friend, Arrowspike.”

The world returned to Rarity and she stared at Nightwing, who was now standing over Spike. In reality, he was reaching down to retrieve his escrima stick. To Rarity, however, it was as if he was taking the moment to gloat at his apparent victory. She narrowed her eyes at the man and took a brave step forward. “Get away from him!” She demanded, her voice drowned out by all the fighting around her.

Nightwing seemed to ignore her, turning Spike’s head over to make sure he didn’t hit the boy too hard. Something suddenly wrapped around his midsection and pulled him away from the unconscious Spike. He twisted and spun along the floor, but managed to retain his footing. Rarity had used her whip to pull Nightwing to her, his back facing her. She leaned up so that her face was now inches away from his ear.

“Pardon me, darling,” she said. “But it’s rude to ignore a lady. I believe my words were... “

The shrill cry that came from Rarity was incomprehensible. It came out in a massive blast of sound that shook the very floor at their feet and even disturbed the animals residing in the nearby trees. Nightwing yelled out in pain and covered his ears. He tried to stumble out of the way to avoid the source of the sonic disturbance, but only met Rarity’s swift kick to his side instead. He skidded across the floor and stopped against a tree, grunting as he struggled to retain consciousness. His ears rang, his vision blurred, and he felt a sharp twinge of pain from one of his ribs.

As Nightwing struggled to get back to his feet, Rarity approached him and glared down at the Titans’ leader menacingly. She took out her whip and cracked it near his face. “Maybe that will teach you not to mess with my Spikey-wikey."

Nightwing only smiled and barely uttered a chuckle. He was about to return a rather quippy response, but something stopped him from doing so. The floor beneath him quaked once. Then twice, in rapid succession. Rarity noticed it too and looked ahead, squinting as she stared deeper into the greenery. Leaves were rustling. Birds and other creatures fluttered away and retreated from the disturbance, cowering in fear from something deeper within the artificial forest. Then another THUDshook the ground, this time enough for the fighting to cease entirely as both sides looked out to the artificial garden. Something was coming. Something big.

Cyborg was the first to notice something was amiss when it happened. Someone was missing in action. “Uh… guys? Where’s Beast--”

Cyborg got the answer to his question before he could even finish it. A hulking, green gorilla came out of the forest, flying backwards from the dense greenery. It landed next to Cyborg before it morphed back quickly into the smaller, lankier, more humanoid form of Beast Boy. As Cyborg moved to help his friend back up, a loud and monstrous roar erupted deep within the forest.

A massive, fanged dragon suddenly barreled its way out of the trees, its scales a light green and its underbelly a familiar shade of cream. It barged into the fray with a look of pure rage and anger. It let out another bellowing roar that forced all of the attention on it. No one cared about fighting each other anymore.

Nightwing winced as he stumbled back to his feet and looked at Rarity. “Uh… so,” he said to the Black Canary lookalike with forced smirk. “Truce?”

Rarity was too busy standing with her jaw agape to even register Nightwing’s proposal for a moment. She shook herself out of it and nodded at him. “Y-yes… that sounds… rather nice, thank you.” She responded, sharing the same sheepish grin.

Spike was beginning to come to as well, the roaring dragon shaking him out of unconsciousness. “Mmm… what happened?” He groaned, somehow finding the strength to sit up as he blinked his blurry vision away. When it came back, he found himself staring straight on at the towering reptilian behemoth. He screamed as he scrambled back to his feet, immediately drawing out his bow and moving to Rarity’s side.

“Um… Rarity,” Spike asked, his voice trembling. “What… what the heck is that?”

“I… don’t know, darling,” she replied, just as confused as he was. “I… I think that’s Fluttershy!”

Nightwing scoffed at that, taking out his escrima sticks and running them against each other. Tiny sparks of blue electricity ran across the black stun rods. “Beast Shy is more like it,” he said. “I don’t think your friend is too happy with us right now."

“Pfft. That’s an understatement.” Spike commented flatly.

The three began to back away slowly as the beast focused its attention elsewhere. It could almost sense the fear and tension it caused. It was almost afraid as they were. In a frenzied panic, Spike took out an arrow from his quiver, but it stumbled in his hand before he could get it to his bow. The projectile bounced off the metal floor, echoing across the tense chamber. The dragon sensed this and quickly turned its head to look down at the retreating heroes.

Spike gulped audibly as the monster that was once their friend stared them down. “... oh boy.”

The dragon howled again, its maw wide open as it got on all fours and stomped the ground angrily. The group shielded themselves from the sheer blast of the roar. Nightwing was about to give the command to run, but something apparently already got the message. A pair of faint streaks came rushing in, picking up the three and setting them down with the others. Pinkie and the Flash had just come in and saved Nightwing, Spike, and Rarity, the group now consolidated together.

“Hey guys,” Flash greeted with a smirk as he skidded to a stop. “What’d we miss?”

Nightwing chuckled. “Glad you could join us, Flash,” he said. He noticed Pinkie and raised an eyebrow at her. “Friend of yours?”

Pinkie rushed over to Nightwing and shook his hand rather vigorously. “You bet your patootie, mister! Call me Pinkie Quick! You must be Nightwing! I see you already met my friends! Oh boy! This is so exciting! I always like meeting new friends and my friends like it too! Ooh! I should throw a new-superfriends-party!” Her voice was going at a million miles an hour at this point, even faster than usual for Rarity, Spike, and the others.

Flash placed his hand on the pink-haired speedster’s shoulder, silently telling her to stop for now. There was a time and a place for everything, and this wasn’t it. She quietly obliged, but couldn’t stop herself from bouncing up and down excitedly. The Scarlet Speedster rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. “Heh… sorry. She gets like that,” he explained to Nightwing. “It’s a long story, but she told me what’s up. You guys need a hand?”

The dragon roared in rage again, stomping its massive feet as its prey managed to escape. Smoke began to billow and pool out of its mouth as it stared the united heroes down. They turned to face the beast stood their ground, staring right back at it.

“Uh… never mind. That answers my question.” Flash said quickly, getting into a running stance. Pinkie quickly did the same, only jogging in place instead.

The others readied themselves as well. Cyborg’s arm morphed into his signature sonic cannon. Beast Boy morphed back into the hulking gorilla from before and pounded his chest. Starfire hovered above them, her hands began to glow a piercing and brilliant green. Rainbow Dash stayed right next to her, wielding her mace in front of her as it crackled with electricity. Applejack crossed her forearms together, the golden bracers on her wrists glimmering with intensity as she brought her arms down into a fighting stance. Superboy was right beside her, his eyes glowing red hot as he stared down the monster. Rarity cracked her whip and Spike readied another arrow, this time with a new sense of bravery and resolve. Finally, front and center of the united groups was Nightwing, who smirked as he tossed one of his escrima sticks up high into the air and caught it, pointing it at the monster. With two simple words, he gave the command...

“TITANS, GO!”

The two groups charged forward together, with Nightwing, Rainbow Dash, and Starfire leading the charge before Pinkie and the Flash moved on ahead. Beast Boy leaped forward at the dragon, landing on one of its front legs and crawling all over its body to pound away at its scales and otherwise be a nuisance to it. Cyborg raised his arm cannon and fired a few pot shots at it while Starfire and Rainbow Dash took the air to keep it distracted. Starfire tossed a flurry of starbolts at the dragon’s face while Rainbow channeled lightning with her mace, which bounced off it and into the dragon’s large, bat-like wings.

Superboy and Applejack charged up to the beast and leapt high into the air, delivering a massive punch square into the dragon’s jaw. The dragon stumbled back and quickly regained its footing. It glared at the two smaller powerhouses and roared again, this time letting out a ferocious blast of fire from its mouth.The two managed to dodge out of the way, but the stream of fire now separated them. The fire quickly dissipated as Superboy simply blew the wall of flames out with his super breath. Superboy then got an idea.

“Hey!” He shouted to Applejack. “Put up your bracers!”

“Say that again, sugarcube!” She said, narrowly avoiding a stomp from the dragon.

“Just do it!” He said, his eyes glowing red like before.

“Gah! Okay! Okay! Ya don’t have ta get all angry eyes on me again!”

Applejack obliged and raised her bracers up, crossing her forearms together. A blast of heat vision came from Superboy’s eyes, the twin lasers finding their mark square in the center of AJ’s gold bracers, the beams reflecting straight up to the ceiling. AJ immediately got what Superboy was trying to say earlier and slowly guided the newly-focused beam with her bracelets. The lasers hit the dragon’s soft underbelly, causing it to screech in pain. It recoiled back and moved one of its forelegs to protect itself, shaking Beast Boy off in the process. He caught himself in the air by morphing into a hawk, and then landing back on the ground into a gigantic wooly mammoth. While it paled in comparison to the size of the dragon, it was still enough to pose a serious threat to the beast. Beast Boy charged forward, ramming straight into the creature’s underbelly, trumpeting and grunting as he tried to shove the monster back.

Spike let loose a series of quick explosive arrows as he stood back with Cyborg, helping him try to keep the monster distracted from the others trying to bring it down. Nightwing and Rarity ran ahead, trying to get closer to the dragon. “I don’t suppose you can try telling your friend to calm down before she wrecks the Watchtower?” Nightwing asked Rarity, sliding under an incoming swipe from one of the dragon’s clawed feet.

Rarity grunted as she did the same, leaping over it instead as they managed to get behind it, its tail thrashing wildly against the thick trees. “I would love to, darling, but it’s kind of hard when she suddenly feels attacked and scared like she is now!”

Nightwing scowled and rolled under a horizontal swipe of the dragon’s tail. “Hey, I was only doing my job! We had strict orders to bring you in! If you and your friends didn’t run off after attacking that Green Lantern, we wouldn’t be doing this right now!”

Rarity huffed and ran up a tree to avoid another tail thrashing, flipping around and landing back on her feet. “Can we please stop arguing about this already!? Just help me get onto her back! I have an idea!”

“Alright! Alright! Just get a running start! I’ll let you know when you have a free shot!”

Rarity nodded and stood back so she could wait for her opportunity. Nightwing, meanwhile, dodged another incoming tail swipe as he quickly formulated a plan. They weren’t going to get anywhere close with that tail thrashing around. They needed a diversion, something to keep the appendage still long enough so Rarity could use it to climb up the beast.

“Flash! I need you to run a distraction!” He ordered.

“On it, boss! Let’s go, Pinkie!”

Pinkie gave a salute with two fingers and zoomed off in a pink streak, Flash racing beside her in red. The streaks traveled in parallel with each other, agitating the dragon as it stomped its front legs furiously. The two speedsters dodged through its stomping with ease, Pinkie even taking a brief moment to stop and taunt the dragon by jogging in place.

“C’mon, Fluttershy! Don’t you recognize us?” She zoomed back to dodge an incoming claw swipe from her left. “We don’t want to hurt you!”

“I don’t think your friend is going to listen to reason when she’s like this!” Flash quickly said as he ran past Pinkie.

Pinkie just shrugged. “Eh, it was worth a shot.” She said before catching up to Flash in the blink of an eye.

“Whatever you two have in mind back there, guys, you better do it now!” Flash shouted to Nightwing, the dragon’s tail now no longer thrashing around like an angry serpent.

“On it, Flash,” Nightwing said, looking back to Rarity, who nodded at him. He nodded back and readied himself to boost her up the back of the beast.

“Only have one shot at this…” Rarity muttered as she got into a running start. She bolted into a sprint towards Nightwing, jumping up into his hands as the former Robin hoisted her up and over his back. Rarity launched herself from Nightwing’s boost, using it to jump up to his shoulders. She then reached down and quickly pulled out Nightwing’s escrima sticks, which were currently resting behind his shoulders. Before Nightwing could even register what she took, Rarity leaped up high to continue her journey onto the beast’s back.

“Pardon me, I need to borrow these!” She said quickly, her voice trailing off as she spun in mid-air.

He spun around, just now noticing he was missing his signature weapons. “H-hey! Those are… mine,” he stopped himself and smirked, shaking his head with his hands on his hips. “Well I’ll be…”

Rarity spun and flipped in the air, now in possession of Nightwing’s stun sticks. She managed to stick the landing, the sticks firmly in her hands. She stumbled a bit as the dragon swiped and stomped its front feet in a vain attempt to catch the speedsters distracting it. She maintained her footing as she kept herself low, moving carefully along the ridges of the dragon’s back. She eventually found herself at the very top of the beast’s back, now on its neck.

“I’m really sorry about this, darling.” She said as the electric batons crackled to life in her hands. Spinning them around, she quickly jammed them into the dragon’s neck, the electric charge intensifying as it penetrated its hardened scales and hitting its nerve center.

The dragon reeled back onto its hind legs and let out a shrill roar of pain as it felt the sudden electric shock. Its soft underbelly was now exposed to the other heroes, left vulnerable for them to subdue the beast.

They weren’t about to let this opportunity go to waste. AJ and Superboy charged ahead, punching the massive underbelly hard in the gut. The dragon stumbled backwards as a result, but still kept its footing. Starfire and Cyborg soon followed it up, the Tamaranian firing a stream of starbolt energy from her hands while Cyborg likewise fired stream of energy from his arm cannon. The two beams burned and seared the dragon’s underbelly as they traveled up together. Spike then let loose a series of explosive arrows, which flew up and went off in the monster’s face. It stumbled again and raised its front feet in a fruitless attempt to shield itself. The final blow came from Rainbow Dash, who flew straight up the beast’s exposed underbelly to meet it square in the eyes. She glared angrily at this monster that she happened to call a friend.

“I'm sorry about this,” she said, her mace crackling to life. “This is for your own good.”

With a mighty heave and yell, she clocked the dragon square in the jaw with her mace. The blow was strong enough to lift the dragon off its hind legs. The blow also sent Rarity flying off the dragon’s back. She cried for help as she fell, but her descent came to a sudden, and thankfully soft, stop. She opened her eyes to find she was caught in a spinning vortex of red and pink streaks. Flash and Pinkie were running around Rarity, using their energy to create an upward force of wind strong enough to catch her before she had even hit the ground. She came down daintily and the two speedsters stopped in front of her. She exchanged a relieved smile with them and watched as the dragon landed heavily on its side with a loud THUD! It keeled over in pain, but it wasn’t about to get up any time soon, rendered unconscious by the combined efforts of the Titans and their new allies.

“BOO-YAH!” Cyborg shouted as Rainbow Dash pumped her fist into the air.

“Yeah! That was awesome!” She cheered.

The two teams took the moment to revel in their victory, with Pinkie going to join them and jumping up and down excitedly. Rarity, however, was about to join them when she felt someone lightly tap her on the shoulder.

“Ahem,” Nightwing cleared his throat. Rarity blushed and quickly spun around to see his grinning face. “Those were some pretty crazy moves you did there.”

Rarity chuckled bashfully. “Heh… yes, I guess they were,” she said. She raised her eyebrows, just now remember she still had Nightwing’s escrima sticks. “Um… I believe these are yours.” She said, offering them back to him. Nightwing smiled and took them, placing them once more on his back. She watched as Nightwing then craned his neck to look at the defeated dragon. At first, Rarity raised an eyebrow at him, but turned around to see what he was looking at. Fluttershy was reverting back into her normal humanoid form, the monstrous reptilian shrinking and morphing back to their meek, shy friend. Nightwing went over to investigate her body, Rarity trailing behind him. Despite the damage she just took as a dragon, Fluttershy looked mostly unharmed. Though she was still unconscious.

“All the visible injuries she sustained when she was transformed are gone now.” Nightwing observed.

Rarity looked at him, confused. “Will she be all right?”

Nightwing chuckled. “Aside from nursing a headache even I don’t want to think about? Yeah, I think she’ll be fine,” he said. He looked back at their teams, still reveling in their victory.

“Come on,” he told her with a warm and inviting smile, not at all like the cold glare he gave her and the others just moments before. “Now that we’re done fighting each other, perhaps all our teams should talk.”

Author's Note

Oh, it feels so good to be back! Hey guys! As promised in my most recent blog, here it is, the next exciting chapter of Among Gods! It's probably the longest one yet, too! The original Google Doc this was imported from was 12 whole pages! I'm actually really proud of how this one turned out, but I dunno. What do you guys think? :ajsmug:

Anyway! Thanks again for being patient with me, guys. Again, I'm so incredibly sorry I went dark so suddenly and for so long. Normally, my hiatuses don't last this long. But that's what happens when your house floods and you need to renovate and rebuild everything, I guess. :ajbemused:

Also, I've been messing around with different formatting for the chapters. I figured that Fimfic now allows readers to format chapters however they want, I'd go with a simpler paragraph formatting that works with it. I've also been working on re-editing previous chapters, but nothing too big. Just some slight changes to better explain what's going on so far. These edits will come sporadically, but they usually won't be too major unless I say otherwise. So feel free to tell me what you think about these changes!

Hope you guys enjoyed reading up to this point! Next time, as alliances start to forge, a new threat reveals itself and turns everything on its head!

Grave

Issue 1, Chapter 9

Issue 1: Tower of Babel

Chapter 9

Wonder Woman put her hands on her hips as she looked over the live security footage, standing with her fellow League founders, Batman and Superman. The three stood behind Martian Manhunter and Green Lantern John Stewart, who sat in front of the wall of security monitors. Nightwing and the Titans just finished securing the rest of the intruders in the Watchtower’s Habitat Center. They actually had trouble with one of them, an animal shape-shifter, it looked like. She turned into a giant dragon and went into a blind rage against anyone standing in her way, including her allies. Luckily, the Titans managed to subdue her, but not without the assistance of the others. Diana smirked. She was impressed. They really seemed to work well together. They managed to hold their own against impossible odds not once, but twice. First against the League’s response team and then managing to put aside their differences to subdue their rampaging friend with minimal damage to the Watchtower. Perhaps there was more to these new arrivals.

Her eyes went over to another nearby monitor, watching the shape-shifter in question get carted off to the infirmary in the Medical Wing on a stretcher. Glancing over to another set of monitors showed the others were in the Waiting Room. They appeared distraught over the condition of their friend. A look of sympathy crossed Diana’s face as she crossed her arms. She watched the winged one begin to walk around impatiently. The others tried to talk her down, but she seemed to ignore their pleas, only continuing to pace around the room.

A final monitor held Batman’s attention. It was of a small interrogation room, mostly sparse save for the table and its occupant sitting in front of it. It was the first intruder Raven had secured. Batman’s eyes narrowed at the screen. The nervous girl had awoken not too long ago, and was shifting around in her seat awkwardly. She couldn’t do much now that she was bound by her hands. She also had a metal collar on her neck, designed to prevent her from using her powers. According to the report Raven had left them, this one in particular knew Azarathean spells and incantations, but she herself didn’t look Azarathean. So whoever she was and wherever she came from, she happened to have knowledge of the magical arts of Raven’s home dimension.

The others raised similar questions for the Dark Knight Detective. The shapeshifter in the infirmary could morph into any animal like Beast Boy. One seemed to possess immense strength and wore reflective bracelets like Wonder Woman. Another was a young archer, who wielded an expansive arsenal of trick arrows like Green Arrow’s sidekick, Speedy. There was the woman who could unleash piercing sonic cries like Black Canary, but was also good with a whip like Catwoman. Then there was the girl who looked Thanagarian, like Hawkgirl. She even came with a mace of Nth metal that could channel and conduct electricity.

The only one who didn’t surprise Batman at first was the speedster, the one with the pink hair over her mask. But her sudden appearance seemed to surprise even Wally. While West was certainly less… focused than his predecessor, his uncle Barry Allen, Wally would have known if there was a new speedster tapping into the Speed Force. Any speedster would have known. That is, unless they were on some kind of drug that gave users super speed like Velocity 9. But judging by how long it has been since the intruders were apprehended, Batman would have suspected any effects from the speed-altering drug would have left the pink one’s system by now. So far, however, that wasn’t the case. Looking at the security feed of the Waiting Room, she was still maintaining a bouncy and hyperactive attitude. She wasn’t even showing any other symptoms or side effects, like fidgeting, stammering, or random bouts of immense fatigue.

Whoever these people were, they seemed to possess abilities similar to key members of the Justice League and their affiliates, right down to the likenesses in their outfits.

“Do you think we showed too much force?” Wonder Woman asked, expressing her own concerns over these newcomers. “They don’t appear to be hostile. They look quite the opposite, actually...”

John Stewart scoffed. “Tell that to Guy…” he muttered. Switching camera feeds for a moment showed that Guy was still in a separate infirmary, hospitalized from the punch he took from the Thanagarian look-a-like. He was going to have a bone to pick once he got up.

“Gardner’s taken worse. He’ll be fine,” Batman dismissed, reaching over to switch the feed back to show the Waiting Room again. “We have have something else to worry about. Who are these people? Where did they come from? Why are they here?”

Batman’s line of questions seemed to linger in the room for a brief moment. It didn’t take long for Superman to break the silence. “Whatever the case, it doesn’t look like they’re in the mood to talk,” the Man of Steel observed, looking over to the monitor with the hooded mage in the interrogation room. “Mostof them aren’t, anyway.”

Batman narrowed his eyes at the security footage in question. “I’ll get her to talk,” he said, then headed for the doorway out of the security room. He spun around to add one final request. “Wonder Woman, gather the others and have them ready for questioning."

Diana nodded and Batman turned to leave. The door slid open, and Green Lantern Hal Jordan stood on the other side. He stepped out of the way as Batman made his way out. He didn’t even bat an eye to the masked Lantern. Diana, however, was more courteous on her way out, giving him a warm smile and a nod in greeting. Hal smiled back at her and met the others inside the monitor room.

“Hey guys. Sorry I’m late,” Hal greeted. “I heard about Gardner. What’s up?”

“Batman is on his way to question one of the intruders the Titans captured for us,” Martian Manhunter filled in. “The others are in the Medical Wing. Wonder Woman has gone to have them transferred for further questioning once their friend has recovered.”

Hal nodded. “Okay. What about Guy? Is he doing okay?”

John Stewart smirked and showed the footage of Guy recovering to his fellow Lantern. “See for yourself,” he said. “He look okay to you?”

Hal leaned in closer to look at the footage and smirked too, failing to suppress a chuckle. “Yeah, he’ll be fine,” he concluded. “Wish I could’ve been there, though. I’d have taken pictures.”

John laughed. They won’t let Guy live this one down, that was for sure.

The ringing in Twilight’s head had thankfully stopped when she awoke from consciousness not too long ago. Now, she found herself in some sort of interrogation cell. It was cramped and dimly lit, She was bound by her wrists and stared blankly at the black two-way mirror in front of her. Her reflection showed she didn’t take too much damage from the fight she had with that one witch girl. What did she call herself again? Raven, was it? How did she know that? She didn’t remember them exchanging names. The only things they exchanged were fists and magic attacks.

She winced and felt her head flare up again in pain as she struggled to figure that part out. Was this how everyone in this universe treated outsiders? If so, Sunset could keep that big crown thingy for all she cared! She had much bigger responsibilities back in Equestria! She could still rule as a princess without the Element of Magic, right?

No. She shook that thought aside. What was she thinking? The fate of Equestria rested on her shoulders! If Sunset Shimmer wasn’t stopped now, it could mean the end of everything!

The distinct hisssssss of the door sliding open snapped her out of her mental spiral. Even with the light above her, she could barely make out the outline of the shadowy figure as it entered the cold metal box that was the interrogation room. She could make out the long, pointed ears atop the figure’s head, along with its white eyes that lacked any pupils. The figure also appeared to be shrouded in a long, black cloak. Twilight let out an audible gulp and struggled to put on her bravest face as the door slid shut behind the figure. Then, the figure spoke.

“If you’re worried about your friends, don’t be. They’ll be all right. We’re taking good care of them,” it said as it approached her slowly, its voice in a low, gravelly tone. “But if you want to see them anytime soon, you’ll have to cooperate and start giving me some answers.”

Twilight blinked as a bead of sweat trickled down her temple. She stared up at this figure as it approached her, the light revealing more of its form. She watched as the shadows gave way to show a tall, imposing man clad in dark garb that made him look like a bat. Long, pointed ears adorned a black cowl, his back trailed by matching long cape. Emblazoned on a gray chest was a large, black bat symbol. The only color that wasn’t black, or at the very least dark gray, was a metal belt at his waist, coated in a dull yellow, with many pouches lining it. Twilight did her best not to chuckle. Rarity would probably throw a fit if she saw such a garish ensemble.

The eyes, as Twilight quickly discovered upon returning to them, did not in fact lack pupils. The light reflected off of them to show blue irises containing black pupils. The mask was simply covering his eyes via some sort of reflective lens technology. The mask didn’t cover his entire face, however, as the lower half exposed the only resemblance of a human face in the entire ensemble, a chiseled jaw and chin with strong cheekbones… and a pair of lips curled into a menacing scowl.

“I know you don’t feel like answering me,” he spoke again, his low tones holding only the slightest hint of remorse and caring. “But you and your friends appeared out of nowhere, attacked one of us, and then quickly scattered across our station. This is the only way we can figure out if we can trust you. So tell me… are you willing to cooperate?”

Twilight looked at the masked man again. Despite his threatening stature and appearance, the tone he used made it seem like she could trust him. For a moment, and only for a moment, Twilight started to think that maybe things got off on the wrong foot. Maybe things can still work out. She just needed to answer whatever questions this bat-man asked as honestly and truthfully as possible, just as Applejack would. Still, she struggled to give only the slightest nod.

“O-okay,” she stammered softly, clearing her throat to speak up as she sat up more in her chair. “What do you want to know?”

Batman eased his scrutinizing glare and crossed his arms.

“You can start by telling me your name.”

Author's Note

Hey guys! This is... kind of awkward, but... I'm back! Well... kind of. This chapter was going to be longer originally, but I wasn't really happy with how it just kept going without much stuff going on. After some time away (that took... waaaaaaaay longer than I needed, to be honest), I decided it would be best if I just split this chapter into two parts. This means Chapter 10 already has a good head start. Considering how long I've been gone, I could definitely use the advantage.

To make a long story short, I guess I just... didn't feel like writing anymore. Well... not really. The moment I get sick of writing is the day I die. I guess what I'm trying to say is I needed some time off from just writing to get some perspective on what I want to do, especially when it comes to writing fan fiction.

So yeah! I guess this means I'm back... again. For the 50th time or so. God, this is awkward. But it still feels good! You guys still out there? Let me know. I know I've been away for too long, but it would be nice to see there are folks still interested in reading this.

Gr4ve