Infinite Justice: Beyond (Marvel,DC,DBZ X/Over, IC, Open)

[New Neros]

-snip

After the rapid and nearly unprovoked assault, the cyborg remained idle, simply reverting to a normal standing position as he watched the Saiyan fly. He remained there, silent, yet watching as the Prince righted himself and powered up, preparing for a counter-assault. With Okarot charging directly at Paras, he still refused to move, intent on taking the brunt of the attack to establish who was the more durable combatant. Okarot disappeared suddenly, though, the cyborg's eyes widening as he acquired new information on the warrior's battle speed, but felt the downward connection of a kick right at his upper arm and shoulder.

An attack that would blow the surface of a planet away, kicking up air and dust all around, a visible shock-wave radiating from the impact across the planet's already-ruined surface. It was stand to reason that the cyborg was blown away by the sheer impact and force of the strike, but to the shock of the Saiyan, and perhaps the cyborg Saiyan as well, he remained there, his heels dug heavily into the ground to withstand the strike. Despite that feat, it was clear though - Okarot shattered the metal rods and support structures in Paras' arm, a perfect ninety-degree angle forming just after the impact, and the piece now hanging limply to the side.

The sounds of electric sparks and grinding gears sounded, the cyborg walking some distance from the site of the impact - a massive trench stretching for miles on the landscape denoting exactly where Okarot attacked, and it's aftermath. Deep brown and red dripped from the cyborg's arm, the skin having been seared away to reveal it's entirely metallic shape. He dropped to his knees, clutching the arm, the pain unbearable to grasp, a silent scream taking the Saiyan's mouth. He clenched his teeth and eyes shut, a mental purge of the pain underway, and a slight utterance coming from under his breath. "Upgrade..." He said quietly, his teeth never parting as he said it, a sudden snapping noise jerking his shoulder upward.

In the calm created from the vicious attack, Paras opened the palm of his left hand - the one that was uninjured from the bout - and revealed a large circular component, radiating with energy. "To think I needed to fire a Ki blast at all..." He said to himself, before violently whipping around and facing his palm towards Okarot. "Nothing can save you from me. I will wipe out the Saiyan race, starting with you." He said menacingly to Okarot, painfully unaware of who this being was or the fate that befell his race...or even that he was a Saiyan himself. Still, he fired his massive blast with ground-shaking force, yelling, "Incinerate!" As he did so.

[New Neros]

-snip

The single beam struggle allowed Paras to throw more and more energy output to test the very limits of Okarot's durability in this form. A distinctive drive to acquire battle data, but also, a certain instinctive urge to find out just how powerful one's opponent really is. Still, the deflection hardly phased Paras, as his intense speed allowed him to be right upon the pure-blood Saiyan Prince right as he launched the heat have elsewhere - ignoring the collateral damage to the planet and focusing entirely on his opponent. Paras moved faster than his beam attack, slamming his metal fist directly at the man's side, drilling into the insanely powered Saiyan's ribs.

A delicate, twisting crunch was heard, but it's origin was surprisingly from the cyborg's own hand, that sound overpowering both the thump of the attack and whether Okarot broke some ribs or not.. The speed and power granted by the upgrade did not account for the limits of his manufacturing metals and their tension limits, which he himself had to physically upgrade at a later time. Perhaps it was a blessing in disguise, however, as the fist shattered, but embedded pieces at the point of impact like daggers, and at that speed, they would rip through steel with ease.

Paras shot backward with great speed as soon as he registered the loss of his hand, his eyes wide and looking at the mangled bit with a confused look. "Damn it..." He said to himself quietly, snapping his head back up to look at Okarot. In the meantime, though, he concentrated on his hand, reaching deep and trying to "pull out" another one, something, or else he'll be fighting with a nub. Small sparks and wires dangled from Paras' wrist, but surprisingly, his Ki cannons were still operational. He powered up a small ball in one hand and simply left his damaged one glowing, preparing to re-enter the fray with Okarot.

[New Neros]

-snip

The cataclysm that wrecked the planet's surface threw the cyborg's technical sensors into a tailspin, the wild fluctuations turning everything on it's head, Paras was paralyzed as his eyes scanned and scanned the Saiyan as his power output increased exponentially, it's effects on the environment truly brutal and leaving the cybernetic warrior in a state of awe. The world was completely desolated, the shock waves throwing all of the biosphere, and even the very atmosphere blowing away into the cosmos as Okarot unleashed the current apex of the Saiyan transformation saga, the fated Super Saiyan 3.

Paras made no waste, though, knowing he was immediately outclassed by this warrior. "Upgrade." He said, launching forward at the long, golden haired warrior while juking side to side randomly, his two ki spheres tightly held by his fists. No matter what at this point, though, Paras was sure Okarot had no experience in this form, the transformation appearing to have taken some extreme, ear-drum bursting effort to accomplish. Still blitzing, the cyborg slammed one charged fist into Okarot, and followed it up with a second - his hand surprisingly staying intact by virtue of the energy sphere, while the other from his nub exploded on contact.

From there, Paras threw himself backwards, sliding on the ball of his heel in order to keep an eye on Okarot and gain even more battle data. His eyes lit up with a stream of information, though, the reality of the power of SSJ3 pouring in to his feedback system. His eyes widened even further, but his teeth grit down hard. He didn't feel the fear of this, no, he felt a pang of almost jealousy that he couldn't get such power readily, especially with such a body as un-durable as the metal one he was given. He didn't expect to think of something so quickly out of the containment pod, but really, he didn't expect to meet a Super Saiyan, much less a third ascended state, immediately, either.

[New Neros]

"Fun kicking your ass?" Val said, a fist connecting with her face and throwing her off, her legs being swept from under her immediately after. At that point, training and instinct kicked it, her hands shooting out and grabbing onto Ashy's thin, skin-tight workout clothes to pull the girl down as Val fell - all happening in a split second, the Vokornian on top of Val, but Val delivering a kick to the abdomen as it all happening during the fall, rearing back, and delivering another kick to get the girl off of the dominant position. "You betcha."

Val jumped back up and made some distance between herself and Ashy, her eyes still narrow and watching every move, intent to not lose focus.

Mir was watching it all unfold, nodding after each successful combo or strike Ashy or Val would land, impressed at the feminine form and how much power it could produce. Perhaps it was his own upbringing that saw women as the weaker sex, but steadily, he was proven wrong in just this one bout. Though he had power and some skills on his side, Mir knew he was outclassed in technique and pure skill by both of the ladies as they fought, resolving to get better as well. "What was the point of training constantly if a skilled throw can put you firmly on your ass?" He wondered, his eyes trailing to Ashy as his mind subconsciously ogling her firm, toned body in the skimpy clothes.

"Hm. I didn't notice. You punch like a human." Ash joked. Ash once again felt pain, though she didn't let that stop her. She did seem to be hurt, though she wasn't tired. She could taste a little bit of blood from a previous punch to the face. She licked her lips, clearing the blood dripping from her nose. Then she attacked. She went for a right handed punch to the stomach, and then followed it up by moving to another side and unleashing a punishing kick. And then she hopped back, not wanting to stay for the brutal counter attack. In fact, she wanted to see if she could counter her next moves.

"Kidding aside. You fight well Valerie." She commented with a smile. "I should honestly thank you for challenging me. I had forgotten how fun it was to brawl like this..." She commented.

For once, Val seemed to be a bit offended at being called a human. However, she realized all too late that it broke her concentration. She doubled over just seconds before impact, but took the full force of the first strike on her stomach. Quaking as Ashy's strike landed, Val was launched to the side by the follow-up kick, sending her smashing against the cage as she grit her teeth and eyes to manage the pain effectively. Val tore her eyes open in preparation for more follow-ups, but found that Ashy had backed off. Needless to say, the Mad Goddess was just ever-so slightly pissed.

Val rushed into Ashy's personal space and striking zone quickly, dodging a blow and delivering one, which only managed to stumble Ashy. But the girl followed up with an upward knee, thrown in an attempt to hit Ashy's face or chest, but falling just short of either. However, the true purpose of that knee wasn't to make impact, but to get Val into a position to execute a beautiful harai goshi throw, or simply a sweeping hip throw. Val locked her arms behind Ashy's head and yanked, pushing Ashy's center of gravity onto herself, and them simply slammed the other girl on the mat, Val on top, and instinctively raining punches on Ashy's face.

She managed to get a few in before being thrown off by Ashy, who expertly turned and gave her back to Val to protect her face and did a push-up like motion - throwing Val off and stumbling onto the mat. She shot up quickly, breathing heavily, searing pain in her stomach and kidney region, but impressed at her opponent's skill. "Yeah..." She said in between a few breaths, holding her hands lazily, "You fight...pretty good." She finished, bracing for another assault by the Vokornian.

[New Neros]

-Snip

The brutal punishment that Ashy unleashed into Val felt like a punishment for being so worn out so quickly in their bawl, the flurry of punches, kicks, jabs, and strikes hitting deep and forceful impact each time they landed. She doubled over from the gut punches, only to be smacked in the face and sent rearing to the side. She was tired, worn out, out of breath from that last throw, but a second wind brewed in her lungs. She eyed her opponent carefully, looking for the right moment to go back on the offensive, just one shot, Val reckoned, in order to win the fight by knockout. Val saw her opportunity and seized it, stepping forward into a single straight punch - pouring her all into that one final blow.

Just as Val's padded knuckles smashed into Ashy's face, she felt a similar, burning hot sensation spread across her left cheek. Val's head was thrown to the side, the hot feeling turning into a red, warm feeling that faded her vision into a soft pink color, following a quick jolt of white light, revealing only a black canopy with colorful shapes to her eyes. It was only for a moment, but Val sprang open her eyes once more, her view of the side of the mat, staring directly at the bottom of Ashy's feet. "...Wyah?" She asked, a large muscular hand grabbing her shoulder, lifting that arm and putting it across her torso.

She tried to move but just felt so tired, so Val watched the beefy back of Mir as he tended to Ashy, who seemed to fair just as well. Her head bobbed about, Ashy's eyes failing to affix themselves on a particular thing, until she too snapped back to life. Val weakly pushed up on one of her arms, the joint shaking at the elbow as her nervous system slowly came back to life. "Aufersan." She said, forming a word in her head that didn't transfer to her lips all too well. "Ah.." She sounded out, trying to regain her speech.

"Relax, Val. You both got quite the haymakers to the face."

"Aht washn't ah heihmayker..." Val said, throwing her body into a sitting position, her upper torso leaning lazily over her legs and hips. "Aht wash ah sta-straht pawnch..." She shook her head a bit, trying to clean off the fuzzy bits on her mind, surprisingly fixing her voice in the process. "Straight punch!" She said with clarity, nodding her head at the accomplishment. Val looked over to Ashy, the girl also fairly awake. "You fought good. Real good. I wouldn't mind...training with you, sometime." Val said, raising her knees up and resting her head on them, "Just...not right now." She joked, Mir gently laying an icepack on Val's head, walking over and kneeling down to Ashy, presenting her with one as well.

"I'll be honest, it was quite the fight." Mir whispered to Ashy, but loud enough for Val to hear as well. "You looked pretty awesome." He said with a sweet, genuine smile.

[New Neros]

The Darkstar Crisis
Countdown to the Ragnarok War

Maxwell Morningstar stood next to the middle-aged man as they both overlooked a lush, vibrant world free of mankind's putrid touch, the land green and the rivers a calming, crystalline blue. The older gentleman looked upon it with longing eyes, while Maxwell looked from the planet to the man and back again, wondering what ancient wonders this man, Fatherstar, had seen in his days upon this this world. "Starhaven." Father said calmly, Max staring deep at the planet's surface. "She's our home. A home like Madworld." He said, almost teary eyed, Max understanding the meaning.

"You're not from Starhaven?" Max asked, feeling like he should comfort the man or something.

"No, no," Fatherstar began, "Our kind was once lost among the cosmos. We found each other, and banded together. Our home is when we're with one another." He gave a reluctant smile, though, the smirk diverting the tears from flowing naturally. "Of course, that's the history after the Secret Wars. The way we remember it is much, much different. We came into existence on Battleworld - we were the protectors and executors of justice in the Madlands. Our Baron was a crazed lunatic, who searched endlessly for one man in particular, one who God-Doom said died when the Multiverse ended."

Max nodded, listening intently to the story. "But that man - you - came back after eight years. In that time, Maxwell, we formulated a contingency plan to take him down - his obsession with you bordered on the insane, and practically ran the Madlands into the ground on his constant searches and mobilizations on a the smallest hint of your whereabouts. The Star Clan was made to serve the will of Doom, not Darkstar."

"Tell me then," Max began, interrupting Fatherstar, "Who is Darkstar? What does he want with me?"

Fatherstar turned to Mad Max, his face dauntless and stern, uncompromising in sincerity and honesty, "Maxwell, during the Last Incursion, you traveled to the Ultimate Universe and destroyed their Life Raft. It was bold, regrettable, but you did what thought was best given the circumstances to ensure your own universe survived. In that explosion, there was but one man who survived. There's no easy way to say this, Maxwell, but that lone survivor was that universes' version of you. You killed his family, his loved ones, and everyone he loves and protected, and Doom could not bring them back on Battleworld. He abandoned the name Morningstar entirely, and now goes by the name Darkstar." It was sobering for Max to take in, that he was the entire cause of this problem.

"...I'm sorry." Max said, looking down at his feet, narrowing his eyes at his shortsightedness during the final days of the Multiverse.

"I know. We know, but Darkstar doesn't, and really wouldn't care. He's busy searching the new multiverse for you in particular, and destroys whatever universe he searches. We don't know where he is, but we do know that he's coming, and that we want to save this universe in particular. To us, your own sins are irrelevant, compared to Darkstar's at least, stemming from Battleworld and this new crisis. Our multiverse is too young to survive this new threat, this...Darkstar Crisis, and the only man capable of stopping Darkstar is Morningstar."

[New Neros]

The Darkstar Crisis
Death of Earth-197

He stood with a fleet at the ready - the combined might of several galaxies' worth of space empires set aflame behind him. The only world left to torch of any worth lay bare before him - Earth. Darkstar's boots tapped lightly against his knee as he watched the pale blue marble float against the dark void of space, his relaxed demeanor devoid of any sort of sentimental attachment - as if this were not his first time. At his side was his lovely aid, Rose, who leaned against Darkstar's shoulder with her hand. Maxwell reached up and grabbed onto it with his own hand, a faint smile growing on his face.

"Max, there appears to be some resistance among the populace of Earth." Rose informed him, a stoic look on her face as she reported whatever she was told.

"Please, Rose, call me Darkstar." He corrected her, the girl nodding with a sweet smile.

"Darkstar, the heroes and villains of this Earth are coming to challenge your fleet. And they bring a friend."

"Oh? What being could they muster in time to pose a threat to my armada?" Darkstar quizzed, stopping his foot from rapping against the other, swinging it back down and setting it on the floor. A look of concern grew on his face, but with a gentle nod, he rolled his neck up and down. "They convinced the World Eater to defend their world? To defend the likes of Morningstar? Perhaps he is among them. They all will die by association. Nul shall take care of them." He said calmly, relaxing back in his chair and setting his chin on one of his fists, waving the other hand limply to give an order, "Send him out. Ensure he kills Galactus."

---

Earth's greatest heroes took to the skies and into space to defend their homeworld from an unknown threat. Their only notice was the amount of fleeing alien refugees who came to this world in order to find a safe haven from the wrath of Darkstar. Those aliens made up large parts of the forces to confront the alien fleet, but the greatest minds of Earth had already calculated their untimely demise. Though none remembered the Secret Wars or the events leading up to it, they still didn't have enough time to weather the storm in a Life Raft - construction on one would take days at the fastest possible speed. So, Reed Richards called in the big guns.

A sleek, purple helmed being took center stage between the approaching fleet and Earth - the other heroes buzzing around him like a swarm of bees compared to his giant form. It was Galactus, Devourer of Worlds, and he stood to save this universe or face starvation at the hands of Darkstar as well. Whispers among the superheroes pondered whether Galactus was on their side or not, but his exclamation calmed their fears, only somewhat, thought. "I am power incarnate! To Galactus, nothing is impossible! The salvation of this world is not beyond my grasp!"

The fleet stopped their advancement at the call of Galactus, the square eyes of the Devourer casting a harsh glare on the vessels - those clearly not the true power of this fleet, because the Shi'ar, Kree, and Skrulls would have easily dispatched this rudimentary force. It is a show, a parlor trick, nothing more, and Galactus could see through that with his Cosmic Awareness, but what he could not see, though, was what was behind such power. And for Galactus to not see it, only meant that it came from beyond this universe. Galactus trained his eyes forward in front of the fleet - a small humanoid appearing before them some distance away. "You dare challenge the might of Galactus?" He asked quietly, attempting to uncover the depth of this lone warrior's power.

Upon further investigation, Galactus saw that this warrior wielded the heraldry of one of the Houses of Krypton - and behind him, the numerous ships of the Darkstar Fleet. "Turn from this battle, Young Kryptonian, you have lost before it had began." Galactus roared, his watchful eyes registering a liquid-like movement flailing around him like a physical aura of darkness, and it seemed to bleed from his arm and suit down to one of his arms, casting it into a blade of pure, unadulterated blackness. It was not possible, Galactus reasoned, that one with such power could come across an object of even greater power.

"No." The man replied firmly, his eyes glowing a deep, passionate red.

"Then know death." Galactus said, lifting his right hand, armed with a blast of the Power Cosmic, and unleashing it's full fury against the Kryptonian. The heroes watched in awe as it engulfed the man and took several ships down with it, the power clearly able to eradicate an entire planet's worth of mass, dropping the jaws of several heroes in the process. Galactus held a firm look, but tilted his head downwards to obscure his eyes in the shadows. The heroes were ready to rejoice, but Galactus held his hand up still. "Do not celebrate, for this is no victory. Behold, the man still stands." Sure enough, the Kryptonian remained almost indifferent to the blast. He began to float forward lazily, a tight frown on his face.

The superheroes charged forward as an entire group - unprompted, simply the kind of people they were. The ones who head straight into the danger if it means any sort of life is at stake. Members of the Justice League and the Avengers made up this initial group, and their spearhead as none other than Kal-El of Krypton, Superman. His fist was extended and ready to collide with the evil Kryptonian's face at a velocity approaching light speed, but the enemy simply moved the side at the last possible minute, allowing Superman's arm to slide across his shoulder. Clark didn't see it in time, but he felt it instantly. The stinging hot sensation of his nigh-invulnerable body being stabbed deep - how deep, he didn't yet know, but he quickly felt the vision fading from his eyes. He looked down, seeing his last sight, which was the black arm-blade of the evil Kryptonian buried deep into his chest.

The servant of Darkstar ripped it out at an angle, spraying Superman's compatriots with their friend's blood, causing them all to screech into a halt from pure shock. The red blood dripped from the blade as the last son of Krypton's body floated aimlessly backward - the man having stabbed him and sliced upwards through Kal's ribcage and out through his shoulder. His eyes were glassed over, a scream sounding in the crowd. "There you have it, folks." The man said ominously, "I am Nul Tyranis. Man of Steel? Meet the Butcher of Gods, wielder of All-Black the Necrosword."

The scream was the sound of Wonder Woman watching her romantic love interest be disemboweled before her eyes, and the eyes of her team. Tears began to stream down her cheeks, blasting towards Nul with even faster speeds than Superman man, her swords at the ready and her deadly aim sweeping at Nul's head and torso. The God Butcher stepped back and avoided the two slices entirely, Diana lunging forward with the intent to drive her twin swords into Nul's body. He let this attack through his defenses, and found the blades stabbing into a plate of darkness. Wonder Woman didn't seem to care one bit - her eyes, full of hatred and fury, trained upon the stoic face of Nul. She yanked her blades free from the black plate, finding them tainted in a dark sludge.

Tossing them aside, Diana swung her fist at Nul, colliding with his face and sending a visible shockwave across the vacuum. Nul's neck twisted against the force, but he remained where he was, Wonder Woman's eyes suddenly growing wide. She too glanced down, the same blade that pierced Superman stabbing into her liver ever so slowly. Her mouth opened as well, but she clenched her teeth at the last second. She grabbed onto the God Butcher's arm and clamped down tight, rearing her fist back to deliver a series of blows to his face. Figuring the blade was taken care of, she found the flaw in her plan immediately as thousands of spears, swords, pikes, and the like forming in the cosmic vacuum - impaling and slicing her comrades in a vicious, sharpened meat grinder, to her abject horror. Nul formed one last blade from his off hand, Wonder Woman throwing her last strike to his face - fighting to the very end.

Nul sliced at a diagonal degree, severing Wonder Woman's arm above the elbow and going straight across her neck. A seam of blood formed at the wound, the Amazon's eyes glossing over instantly, her head peeling off of the rest of her body and floating aimlessly in space. Nul stayed motionless as the entirety of the heroes of Earth were wiped out in but a few moments, his greatest target standing before him - dwarfing him immensely. Galactus drew in insane, solar system destroying levels of the Power Cosmic into the palm of both of his outstretched hands, Nul Tyranis rushing forward to avoid the blast. The Kryptonian slammed into the World Eater's chest with incredible force and power - throwing himself and Galactus down through space and hurling towards Earth itself.

"I cannot...fire this blast...so close to Earth..."Galactus moaned, grabbing at his chest to snatch up the God Butcher, but found him deeply embedded into his own armor. The cosmic giant slammed against a continent on Earth like a flaming meteor. The connection points in Galactus' armor erupted with black tendrils, the center of Galactus' chest forming a nucleus for the tentacles - Nul's entire arm piercing deep into the Devourer's body up to the shoulder. Nul's eyes flashed red, zapping Galactus' from the chest up into his exposed face - the giant reeling with pain and flailing his arms around. "You fool! MY body...you're killing...my body!" He yelled, attempting to teleport away from the Earth, but finding his arms pinned back down on the ground. "My armor...you've taken control of it..."

Galactus relaxed for a moment, staring deep at the enraged face of Nul Tyranis, the God Butcher, and reasoned that what happens next would at least save the rest of the universe from Darkstar, at the cost of Earth. "Reed Richards, I am sorry. I am inevitable. I am... Destiny. For I am that which has always been, since this Universe was birthed from the ashes of the last. I am the hunger that dooms worlds. I am he who is beyond such frail concepts as good and evil. I am Galactus."

"...And I am no more."

With those choice words, and explosion rocketed across the Earth's surface and radiated outward across the endless cosmos in a blast wave of unrivaled size and strength since the Big Bang itself. It would consume half of the universe - the half already demolished by Darkstar and his unstoppable fleet. The remains of that universe would live on as a tattered, broken remnant of once was. Life would start anew on some fated world lost in the cosmic sea of stars and planets, still innumerable even though half of them were gone at this point. The very fleet of Darkstar and the agent of his will, Nul Tyranis, seemed to vanished from existence along with Galactus. But, those small lights of life grew dim in a single instant as well - the other half of the universe to survive the Galactus obliteration perimeter extinguished in that blast's anti-thesis, in a quiet whimper.

In the space between universes, the former home of the Monitors, the Darkstar Fleet arrived. They survived the blastwave entirely, and with Nul Tyranis with them. Joining his master on the bridge of his flagship, the God Butcher walked with a normal gait, almost unphased that he literally killed Galactus and took half of the universe with him, nor that he managed to survive such an explosion. Darkstar smiled as his companion walked in. "Ah, Nul, excellent work. I really saved you at the last moment, no?" Nul nodded in affirmation, Darkstar's smile growing wider. "Good, good. A little rest, recuperation, and we'll be back on the hunt. But make no mistake - Morningstar will die by my hands, you are but my tool to accomplish such an action. Understand?"

"Yes, God of Death, Darkstar."

[New Neros]

As the two attacks slammed into Okarot, he was shrouded by the ensuing explosion, an explosion which only shortened the already doomed planet's lifespan. But, as the smoke cleared, it became quickly apparent that Okarot was not going to be taken down so easily. Despite his armor being torn up and damaged, he was still well intact. The Saiyan smiled at his android adversary, "So, you think you can defeat a pure blooded Saiyan?", he said, with a laugh, "You're simply scrap metal that needs to be melted down and destroyed. And, I've got an attack that will do just the trick."

Suddenly, Okarot stuck out his hands, connecting the bottoms of his palms, as a small bright orange ball of energy appeared in his hands. It began to grow larger, it's energy increasing exponentially, and causing the planet to shake even more than it did when the transformation occurred. In a matter of nearly no time, the attack had gained enough energy to match or even surpass a supernova. Every fiber of Okarot's being focused on maintaining his energy, and not letting it destroy him, causing incredible strain.

Okarot all of a sudden yelled out at the top of his lungs, "HYPERNOVA CANNON!", and an immense beam fired from his hands, over half a kilometer tall and wide. The beam could easily wipe out most of the solar system if concentrated into explosive energy, but, it was not an explosive attack. This attack was meant to simply vaporize everything it came across.

Paras stood in his combat stance, ready to face whatever challenge Okarot decided to throw his way. Despite the minimal success and valiant loss of his arm, Paras still felt the need to either turn the battle in his favor or end it as quickly as possible. He crouched lower as Okarot formed another attack, but widened his eyes as the readings of power flooded his sensory nodes. Like a loaded spring, Paras shot out to the side as the Hypernova Cannon fired, knowing the Saiyan wouldn't see beyond the blast for some time - just enough to form a plan.

"Upgrade." He said, the sound of it driven out by the roar of the attack - the very heat sucking away whatever atmosphere remained on the planet in a massive, kilometer-wide hole as the surrounding landscape warped and melted from the energy output. Paras understood his parameters and limits, but his opponents were far different from what he was programmed to do. He had to rely on his own biological experience and power in addition to his machinery, upgrading himself once more. "Upgrade!" He glanced down, locking eyes with his arm's nub, and found a set of wires and parts shooting out from it and forming a rudimentary, makeshift skeletal hand, wires wrapping themselves around it until it resembled an actual component of his body. A few more seconds, and it was like his hand was never destroyed - down to it's original powers and abilities.

As the dust kicked up by the Hypernova Cannon began to settle, Paras activated one of his major attack protocols, his arm transforming into a cannon and glowing brightly, his eyes shining the same color, and blasting an impossibly fast spiral of concentrated ki at Okarot's body - but it was merely a distraction. Paras was faster than his attack, and managed to blitz on ahead of it and slam into Okarot's body, sending both the pure blood and the cyborg Saiyans into the rock wall behind them - Paras raining down fists the entire time - each one landing with intense impact and force - breaking Paras' other hand and reforming it, only to be smashed instantly apart once more.

[New Neros]

The Darkstar Crisis
Starhaven

"And you are?"

The question seemed rather loaded to Mad Max, who glanced awkwardly at Fatherstar for a moment, then back to the woman who poised the question. "Erm, I'm Maxwell Morningstar." He said plainly, "God-King of- "

"Ah, Morningstar, yes, we've heard of you. Follow me." The woman said, turning around and quickly walking down the metallic hallway. Max and Fatherstar had come to Starhaven's surface after their discussion above it, "I'm Motherstar." The girl quickly informed Max, turning back around and looking at him with fierce, commanding eyes. Her supple figure and pinkish hair gave off an initial look of carefree attitudes, but her voice and the manner Motherstar carried herself seemed to imply a more serious, no-nonsense demeanor. "I'm sure Fatherstar has briefed you somewhat on what our mission is."

"I'll be honest," Maxwell said, "It's still a bit shocking and confusion to me."

"You killed your fiance in an alternate universe, and now that version of you is out to kill you." Motherstar said bluntly, "And will destroy every universe separating you two in order to do it. It's not that hard to understand." Maxwell began to follow Motherstar out of the small metallic base of the Star Clan and into the wooded, natural environment outside. He still had many questions to ask, and apparently, not a lot of time. "It's a major crisis and we're the only ones left to stop his rampage."

"Wait, but what about the Monitors? They govern all inter-universal travel. How is this Darkstar able to hop from universe to universe without triggering their warnings and sending out their Eternal Guardians?" Max asked, genuinely surprised this sort of threat hasn't been taken of by larger forces.

"If only it were so easy, Morningstar." Motherstar sneered, "Darkstar began this crisis by destroying the home of the Monitors, taking them and their Guardians with it. Tragic, but foreseen."

"My God...And you expect me to fair any better?"

"In your current state, no. But we have been hard at work crafting and perfecting a training regimen and system to bring you up to speed with Darkstar and his abilities, as well as craft you into a being capable of defeating him in detail." Motherstar said, "We've been developing this idea for decades now."

"Decades?!" Max shouted, "Impossible." He further declared.

"Oh it's very possible. We have a prophecy, passed down through the Star Clan for generations, foretelling of the great cataclysm to befall all realities as Darkstar approaches - it even mentions him by name. A warrior of incredible will and power will rise to duel him across a universe, and will bring a morning's light to his darkness. Thus, Morningstar. He will redeem the universe, save it from damnation and destruction, he is the Celestial Messiah." Motherstar said matter-of-factly, Max chuckling under his breath. "Something funny?"

"Oh yeah..." Max said, "Morningstar is a surname, not some great tie in to a prophecy. It comes from my dad and his dad, all the way back to John Morningstar and even further beyond. Any one of them could be the great savior you desire - your fated Celestial Messiah." He said flatly, calling their superstitions out in the open, Motherstar turning to face him with a sour look.

"Did any of them sell their soul to Entropy like you did?" She asked, Max's face turning into a tight frown. "As if we wouldn't know about that...Yeah." She spat, "Besides, you fit all too well into it. Darkstar is you, a different version of you, sure, but he was Maxwell Morningstar until he became Darkstar." She glanced down at her gauntlet, a bright light flashing, Motherstar sighing loudly. "We're running late - you have other members to meet."

"Right..." Max said, following her and Fatherstar, "Tell me, then, are those your actual names? Fatherstar and Motherstar?"

"We used to have names, but they fell out of favor long ago. Those are our names now." Fatherstar said, sticking close and alongside Maxwell, "For ease, we'll most likely all you Morningstar."

"Original, I'm genuinely surprised." Max sarcastically replied, going with the two clansmen to a small gathering of other people - ones he correctly assumed to be named some variation of star. They chatted and talked among themselves, some approaching Maxwell and talking to him as well. "Nice to meet you all," He said, "But can you repeat your names for me one more time?"

"Wildstar." One would say, "Polestar." Another would claim, "Star Rider", "Strangestar", and "Seeing Star" three would say back to back, followed by "Red Star" and "Star Conqueror". Max nodded as each name was processed and tied to a face - the God-King actually growing interested in their Clan and the entire prophecy they're fighting. He rubbed his chin slightly, the beginnings of a five o'clock shadow forming on his face.

"Excellent...I'm Max, but you lot would probably know me better as Morningstar." He said casually, "And I suppose that I'm here to train in order to fight Darkstar?" A hush fell over the gathered members as they all stared at Max, causing him some discomfort initially. "Er...Was it something I said?" He asked, looking for support from Fatherstar or Motherstar. Fatherstar grasped his shoulder and leaned into his ear to explain his misstep.

"To them, Darkstar's name is taboo. We call him the Dark One."

"Oh come on...Dark is still in that name, and everyone has Star in theirs. It's bound to happen." Max hissed back.

"We've managed to get by." Fatherstar moved away from Max, nodding slightly. "It's time for you to meet the Star Child."

[New Neros]

The Darkstar Crisis
The Celestial Messiah and the Star Child

He was young, impossibly so, but with a name like Star Child, Max didn't quite know what to expect to begin with. He sat with his legs crossed and glowing with an ambient, natural light flowing from him that even Max's energy detection couldn't read accurately. It was so other worldly and alien that it simply confused his senses, humbled him even, and made the Mad God curious as to who this being was. The Star Child had soft black hair and deep, crystal-like blue eyes with a band of freckles dotted across the ridge of his nose and arcing across his cheeks. Max casually glanced to both sides of himself, noticing that he was now alone in the child's presence. Max didn't feel threatened, but he did feel a sense of obligation and respect for the young man. He walked forward, looking around the natural scenery as he laid his eyes to rest on the Star Child. "A long way you've came to see me - but let me ask, is it a child that you see?" Star Child asked, Max shivering as a cold air washed over him.

The words sounded different when Max said them, as if an echo preceded them. "No," He said, "I see an aspect of energy in the shape of a child. An old being attempting to look young once more." The respond elicited a smile from the Star Child, but Max continued. "But...an old being wanting to pass on it's knowledge and experiences through this vessel. As if the child was paper and ink and your true self is the artist - but I cannot see your true self." Max admitted, lowering his head to accept the humility, "I can only see your physical imprint on this world."

"I see." The Star Child said, "That is because you are seeing but my shadow in three dimensions. Just a cube casts a two dimensional shadow, my true self exists in a fourth dimensional state. I am but a, as you lower energy beings call, tesseract. It's not my hubris or arrogance, or your own limits, that makes me say that you cannot comprehend my true form, but an understanding of physics. Of which, I know you have much knowledge of, Morningstar." The Star Child explained, offering Max an outstretched hand. "I am to teach you all that I know - that is my purpose. This may surprise you, but you are going to re-learn martial arts from me. Despite my young appearance, I am but the greatest combat expert and teacher in this universe, and dimension."

Mad Max smiled, nodding as he did so, thinking to make a quip at the instance. "I mean no disrespect, but I thought Batman was the greatest combat expert to exist in our universe?" Max said, the Star Child not missing a beat in responding to him.

"Who do you think taught him to fight?"

---

The two beings entered a chamber not too much unlike the one Max had erected in his previous stewardship in the Kingdom of Ur - but this seemed like a perfected version. An area where time and space had no material value other than things to be watched from afar as distant observers, where one could train indefinitely and allow time to go around them as they pleased. "It's a place in between our dimensions." The Star Child explained, "You managed to recreate an imperfect version with the Hyperbolic Time Chamber and it's derivatives, but this is the natural state. Here, time in the third dimension grinds to a halt - and can be speed up at will. It is my place of solitude and comfort, a reminder of home."

Max looked out across the endless white expanse of the area, it's undefined limits playing with his mind a bit, but he was adjusting well enough. "You physically shall not age either, Morningstar." The Star Child explained, "Your muscles will remember their experiences, but the catastrophic breakdown of cellular tissue is nonexistent. You will grow stronger, remember things in here, but physically, will be at your same age." The Star Child walked to the side of Max, their size difference apparent, and looked up to the Mad God. "We can begin whenever you're ready."

Mad Max nodded, "I'm ready. Please, bring Val, Mir, and Otto to Starhaven in the meantime. We all need to get stronger if we're facing Darkstar." Max said, tightening his fists, "And we definitely need to if he decides to bring friends." The Star Child smiled at the thought, realizing that this was indeed the Morningstar the legends spoke of, and perhaps the only chance at saving this universe and the multiverse as a whole.

"War rages elsewhere, on other planes of existence, Morningstar, but we will be fighting the real conflict." Star Child explained, "Let us begin."

[New Neros]

-snip

As the cyborg flew into the new dimensional state, Paras rolled and dashed away from Okarot, breathing steadily harder as his cyber-mind fed him a steady stream of information on his new plane of existence. The gravity played hell on his parts, but he grinded his teeth and yelled "Upgrade!", a green light enveloping him briefly and revitalizing his body and reforming his injured parts to the last detail. Paras tightened his fists and turned his entire body to face Okarot as he spoke. "Your all?" Paras repeated, watching the weary Saiyan elite break apart into multiple colored cubes, scanning the immediate area for a possible opening.

At the very last second before the hit connected, Paras jumped back with surprising speed and timing, his energy sensors detecting where the portal that Okarot was emerging from originated through the bunkai teleport. Using that same speed, Paras launched his fist forward and slammed it against Okarot's jawline as it emerged from the teleportation sneak attack, his hand once more breaking apart, but the solid impact sent shock waves across their infinite surroundings. Paras didn't stop there - as his hand disintegrated and fell apart, he unleashed a powerful ki blast from the remains of his nub - powerful enough to launch the cyborg back from the attack and away from Okarot.

He skid on the ankles to slow his momentum and locked his eyes on Okarot, the smoke and dust kicked up from the Incineration Blast clouded Paras' vision for the time being, but he switched his optics to see past the obstructions. A slight gasp escaped his mouth, one that wasn't made of surprise, but more like a..."Oh shit..." He said under his breath, the powerful, bulky form of Okarot standing in the same exact place he emerged from. "Is this it, then?" Paras asked.

"The true power of the Saiyans?"

[New Neros]

World War III
Earth-Beyond 19

It's a world not unlike our own, but it is fundamentally different in what paths our heroes, and even villains, have taken. In truth, it is from Maxwell Morrningstar that this universe diverged into it's own separate reality, as the Mad King of Ur never took Victor von Doom up on his offer to assassinate Eon, and thus, the Time War never occurred. Max remained as King of Ur, and the international governing body of the United Nations was bearing down on his nation to open to inspectors to find evidence of stolen material in an effort to re-create a Super Soldier Program, alongside accusations of the weaponization of superhumans in his nation's military apparatus. The Mad King refuses to back down, and so, several nations are resorting to more traditional means to force compliance and alignment with their agenda. This is a tragedy of loss, grief, and madness, driven by the senseless violence executed against countries by other countries, man against man, in which, many shall perish without absolution. It is a cycle of conflict, and one man intends to end it once and for all.

For the sake of convenience, I'm having post-Emerald Crusade retcons remain in effect. Max is normal sized, Val is a big boob'd, black haired hot head of sorts. Mir and Otto are not present.

7 Days Until WWIII

The affairs of the Kingdom never bored it's diligent leader, Good King Morningstar, who haplessly graced the masses in a stylish version of his armored exterior, his face on full display as he entered a fanning crowd of civilians in the middle of a closed off street corner. The clamored to get a look, a soft touch, and simply be in his presence. Without bodyguards or powers to aid him, he was at the mercy of his people. "Easy, easy, now." He said sweetly, patting the head of a small child, whose eyes looked up in wonder and surprise - Max returning the look with a king smile. "What does our nation mean to you?" Max asked the crowd, their responses varying from person to person, the King nodding along as he listened intently to their explanations and reasoning.

"All are good answers, exceptional even, but I will tell you what Ur means to me." He proclaimed, walking briskly down the street - the crowd following him and growing larger as he paced the asphalt. "Our nation is it's people - from near and far, from all walks of life. People who come to find a deeper meaning to the world and be free of the horrid oppression of the globe. Under my hand and the Executive Council, all people of Ur are free in every sense of the word. We provide protection, and you, my citizens, provide only yourself. I dream of a world where the principles of Ur can reach all other nations and people. I need not power, money, or land, I simply wish for mankind to do better for itself, and I will not stop until my actions create a common good for all men, women, and children."

"As I speak," Max explained, "Other nations conspire to breach our principles and force us into submission of the global elite, but I stand firm in resistance to their clawing hands. They demand tribute, and I slap away their outstretched palms. Ur will lead the world to a hopeful and bright tomorrow, and they are afraid of that fact. Their old regime is crumbling, and the era of peace is upon us soon." He continued, the crowd of people numbering close to the thousands as Maxwell stood on top of a random car - the people all watching, clapping, and cheering at the correct intervals. "And none of this is possible without you all. I am not Ur, I am not her sole representative, I am but her leader and guidance, Ur is the people, and together, we are strong!"

The assembled masses roared with patriotic fervor, flags of the nation being waved at the impromptu rally, Maxwell waving and smiling towards the crowd, his eyes scanning along their edges and against the windows and doors of the shops and buildings around him. He mentally noted, "Gotcha." As he felt the energy presence of roughly five men hiding within the building - two trained on the windows and one at the door as they merely observed Mad Max in his natural environment. They wore no insignia, but by their look and feel, he could reason them as American Special Operations. Which branch didn't particularly matter, but what did was their presence. He would keep a watch on them, as they were doing to himself.

Max excused himself from the rally as a parade and celebration took hold over the people, meeting up with his trusted advisor and companion, not to mention fiance, Val Valentine. She came up, and the two exchanged a brief kiss, followed by Val whispering in his ear. Max nodded once, sliding his eyes across the back of the building. "Five of them, United States, I believe. They want in to my palace somehow, but can't figure it out." He smirked a bit, the challenge amusing him, "Or assassination. That's always a gambit they're willing to take."

"Don't talk like that!" Val spat quickly, stomping one of her feet and creating a small tremor, Max balancing himself quickly. The comment really steamed her, apparently, Max looking at her with a confused look - such a joke would have gained a giggle or smile, not an outburst. "I just..." Val said, trying to explain herself, motioning in circles with her hands, "It's just a stressful time, alright?" She finally said, "You should joke about that kind of stuff, anyways. It's morbid." Max stepped forward as Val buried her red face in a clipboard, planting a small kiss on her forehead.

"Relax...I'm not going anywhere for a long, long time." He said with a childish, goofy grin - Val returning it and bonking him on the side of the head.

"Good...Because who else is going to be my sugar daddy?" She teased, Max laughing and caught by surprise.

"I'm sure Richards or Stark could use another maid." Max teased back, Val narrowing her eyes and biting her bottom lip aggressively.

"You watch yourself, Morningstar! You might be out of a maid and a housewife if you keep that attitude up!" Val sarcastically implied, Max raising his hands up defensively. The two sighed with open mouthed smiles, embracing one another. They tore themselves apart, and began their walk back to Max's Palace of Infinite Serenity through a series of secret passages and tunnels throughout Ur - understandably losing the SpecOps team in the process of their escape. The two lovebirds relaxed peacefully on a couch, Max stripped from his armor and wearing lounge wear while Val wore a simple shirt and shorts, her head resting on Max's chest as the two watched the evening news.

Suddenly, Val's eyes grew wide and alert, Max looking down to see why she tensed up so suddenly. The girl jumped up from the couch and ran down the hall, the pitter patter and slide of her feet indicating that she ran to the bathroom. Max rose from his seat and tilted his ear towards the restroom, the sounds of dry heaves and vomit quite apparent as he got closer. "Val?" He called out, the girl's response muffled and then filled with the sounds of ejection splashing against the water. "Val..." He said, coming up on the door as it hung slightly open, Maxwell gently pushing it open and gazing upon his fiance's teary eyed, pale face.

She then puked once more, Max unflinching as he watched the spectacle. Val seemed to begin crying at some point in the middle of her splash session, Max's heart sinking deep into his stomach as he began to assess the situation and read the signs. Val leaned away from the porcelain and bumped her head against the wall lightly, Max sliding down the wall and sitting right beside her. He leaned her head against his shoulder, and then leaned his own head on hers. "Talk to me, Val." He said softly, uncharacteristic of the Mad King, the sound like a mere man scared to the very pit of his stomach.

Val sniffed a bit, making her words out through the hiccups, "M-Max, I-I think I'm...I'm pregnant."

[New Neros]

World War III
Earth-Beyond: 19

The Day Before WWIII

Commander Lear was hard-pressed to enter the palace threshold, but all doubt seemed to fade as he watched his team enter without a second thought, or at least, they seemed to. Within the concrete and steel of the Palace of Infinite Serenity, a small squad of five Special Operations Group (SOG) from the Central Intelligence Agency of the United States felt the weight of their month-long mission to the Kingdom of Ur coming to a close as they navigated the tunnel and catacombs of the new city, partially impressed at the Mad King's attempts at diversion from infiltrators, but coming up on the exact location they needed to be at. Whether it was careful planning or good luck was beyond the point - Task Force 34 stumbled into the hidden weapons cache of the Kingdom of Ur.

The Task Force began to take evidence photos and recordings of their findings, not knowing that their movements where being recorded and tracked. However, at the moment, they were not being watched - Mad King Morningstar wasn't at his castle home currently, but visiting a few shops and personal villas with his fiance, an important note for the CIA Operatives in order to get in and get out as quickly as possible. Commander Lear stopped at a single nuclear warhead and placed his hand on the cold metal plate that separated him from the violent nuclear energy held within, and calmly spoke to his teammates. "We're making history here, boys. The world will be a safer place if the rest of the world can see what King Morningstar is hiding."

"Commander, what about the serum?" One of the operatives asked, stealthily taking a snapshot of the rows of ready-to-deploy nuclear silos.

"To be honest, this is a much, much greater find. For America." Lear said, "The serum is a stolen military secret, and it can be used to create superhumans. But can those people reduce a city to ashes? These nukes here put everyone in the world on our side." He further explained, "Ur will be hit with trade sanctions and embargoes until it collapses, after which, task forces and inspectors can come in and grab the information we need on the serum. Maybe Morningstar improved it a bit." He said with a sly smile, "Either way, pack it up, we can't stay long. The Mad King is due back any moment now." Lear ordered, grabbing his light bagpack and stopping by a sturdy metallic desk, looking down at what laid on it's surface. It was a small black box, Commander Lear picking it up and inspecting it to figure out what it was. It held a small button, Lear reaching to press it to see what it does.

"Commander!" A distressed teammate hissed, Lear pocketing the device and whipping around.

"What?!" He whisper-shouted back, his subordinate pale as a ghost and wide-eyed.

"The tunnel we came from..." The soldier explained, "It's gone." Lear looked at him confused, turning his head to side and looking at his subordinate at the corners of his eyes before pushing past him abruptly. He jogged over to where two other members stood, shaking their heads and wondering exactly how their exit was compromised so quickly. Lear squatted down and looked at the concrete wall - the entire thing blank and without so much as a mark to prove an access point was ever there. He tapped on the bricks, feeling each one, finding them to be just as real as the next. Those tapped quickly turned into repeated punches as Lear unleashed anger.

"Damn it...DAMN IT!" He snarled, looking back at Task Force 34 with wild eyes and shaking teeth, "Someone knows we're here." He said calmly despite his rage, his eyes widening to an absurd degree. "We have to move and find an exit." He ordered, looking around the facility. The only access points to the room were two doors with metal stairs leading to them and extensive catwalks allowing one to lean on the railing and oversee the weapon's production. Naturally, they were the first to be checked. Lear tapped his head against one as he pushed and pulled, jiggling it a bit. "Locked." He informed his team, unknowing that a silent alarm was triggered by the motions. Lear hissed at a subordinate who was checking the wall they came from, "We might just blow the concrete and make a dash for it. We can get picked up by the Atlantic Fleet within twenty minutes if we -"

"It's solid rock behind it, Commander." The specialist said coldly, the team remaining calm under pressure. "What do we do?"

Lear crinkled his nose and tilted his head to the side, biting the inside of his mouth as he thought of his proper routes of escape. He got down on his knees and unrolled a makeshift map of the interior of the palace underground to begin a brainstorming session with his compatriots. "These doors have to lead to a control facility. Maybe we can subdue the maintenance personnel and trigger an evacuation protocol - surely they have one - and we escape with the rest of the crowd." Lear explained, looking at his team as they looked onto him for guidance. "Sound good?"

A distant, faint clapping snapped the five men to attention, drawing their weapons instantly and training it on the source with brutal accuracy only experience and extensive training could give, a bright light illuminating a single man on the catwalk above them, his face hidden by a helmet, and the armor clearly the signature style of Maxwell Morningstar. "A brilliant plan," He commented, "Until you were caught. Now, we have several options at hand, gentlemen. An international incident where my Kingdom discovers it has been infiltrated by American special forces to the shock of absolutely no one by capturing you..." He said, offering one up-turned hand.

"Or," Maxwell offered, "You simply surrender what information you have and walk away with your lives, going back to your families and loved ones. Tell your superiors all you want, with no evidence, it makes for little more than an accusation. An ignorable accusation." Maxwell placed both hands on the railings and tightened them down, staring at Commander Lear in particular as the leader of the Task Force, "So what's it gonna be, Commander?" A beam of sweat rolled down Lear's forehead onto his side as he clenched his teeth together, considering his options, and forcing open a new one. His finger slipped onto his trigger and held the tension lightly, his subordinates doing the same, a stare down of epic proportions underway as Lear gave the order.

"Fire."

The air exploded as several cracks ignited from the rifles of Task Force 34 - a series of ten bullets firing their way towards the Mad King's center mass and breaking the sound barrier as they did so. In an absurdly faster amount of time, the bullets ground to a halt a mere few inches from Maxwell's body armor - several hovering right above his chest, and one in particular suspended right between where his eyes would be. The would-be fatal wound, Maxwell reaching up and grabbing it between his fingers and plucking it out of the air to the horror of the Task Force below. "It seems like you've forged your own path, Commander. So be it." Maxwell said, turning it attention to the small squad, but a rapidly increasing ticking from his feet drawing his attention.

Maxwell had only laid eyes on it when it exploded - a small, high explosive grenade that was quietly tossed at his feet among the rifle fire erupted and blew a hole in the concrete wall behind Max - the Mad King himself being launched further through the lead-lining in the wall and forming an access point to the hallway where the upstairs door lead to. Max was embedded in the wall at the end of that passage, tearing himself out and landing on his hands and knees. He shook his head and looked up - just in time to see the last of the Task Force flying to another passage connecting that one in particular. Max steadily rose to his feet and ran the opposite way - knowing the palace's innards and shortcuts better than anyone else - his hand softly glowing with energy as he manipulated his surroundings - affecting the Task Force's path as he activated hidden mechanisms and moved walls to guide their path, Morningstar ending up at a large hole in the solid ground - it's purpose to provide geothermal energy when a generator is installed, but now laying bare and open to the steamy depths below.

Maxwell floated over the hole in a series of steps, as if he were walking on solid ground with his energy absorption and further manipulation, timing it just right as he set foot on the other side with the members of Task Force 34 emerging from the doors right in front of him. "Nice of you to join me, gentlemen. Any more tricks you have up your sleeves?" He asked, a wall of steam erupting from behind Max, engulfing him with ample amounts of energy, "I'm open to receive them."

"Just one. It's not in my sleeve, Morningstar." Commander Lear said, stepping closer to the Mad King and digging through his pants, "It's in my pocket." He said, revealing the small black box and training his thumb right on the button. He wasn't entirely sure what it did, but from what Lear could gather, it was an explosive trigger of somesort and if it was powerful enough to set off a nuclear warhead, it was powerful enough to take out Maxwell Morningstar. The Mad King's face grew grim and stern - the man grabbing his helmet and removing it swiftly.

"Commander, I don't think you know what you're holding there." Max said, walking closer to the man.

"No!" Lear said, tightening his hand, Maxwell stopping, "It looks like the tables have turned, wouldn't you say, King Morningstar? You let me and my team go without any hassle and that'll be the end of it. Whatever happens afterwards is on your shoulders." Lear said with a shaky voice, moving closer to Maxwell. "Well?!" He demanded, "What's it gonna be?!"

"I can't let you do that." Maxwell admitted, his eyes narrowed at Lear whose look was soured to begin with. Maxwell made his move and grabbed at the hand Lear held the device in, the two instantly struggling as Max broke the man's wrist and yanked his arm closer to his body. Maxwell only had enough time to hear the soft beep in utter shock before Lear's head crashed into his nose and face with incredible force, sending the Mad King tumbling back, knocked out cold, and actually falling into the geothermic hole in the ground. Lear breathed heavily and screamed at his broken wrist, the beeps growing in frequency.

"Commander, what the hell is that?" One of his teammates asked, Lear simply picking himself up and running the way they came. Thoughts filled the Commander's head as to what he just did and why he felt the survival instinct to flee - a moment of clarity bringing him to remember he had one fail-safe to turn to if things became grim. Lear began to walk slowly and glanced behind him - his team nowhere to be found. He crashed his back on one of the hallway walls and slide down it into a sitting position, holding his limp wrist lightly.

A single tear rolled down his eye as he mouthed, "I'm sorry." To his comrades, pressing deeply and holding down the middle of his belt buckle for a second - the beeps from that small device becoming so rapid it was like a single, long noise. Lear saw a white flash followed by a blue one, and he was suddenly hundreds of miles away from the Kingdom of Ur and aboard the USS George H.W. Bush, flagship of the Carrier Strike Group Two of the United States Navy. No one was there to greet him, but a small porthole provided him a brief sight of where he had came from. He glanced out of the window against the cloudy twilight sky, only to find his jaw drop and his heart do the same - a mushroom cloud of impossibly large proportions filling the sky where the island of Ur should have been. The sea churned and chopped as the resonating shock-waves passed over the strike group - Lear missing the massive initial one.

And just like that, the Kingdom of Ur was no more.

[New Neros]

-snip

Paras crouched down like a loaded spring as Okarot charged his attack, his visuals quickly making out the power readings from them and determining them all to be low level, blockable, and such. The Saiyan Cyborg opted to use the barrage attempt to close the gap between himself and Okarot and hopefully unleash his last, fight-ending attack here and now. As soon as the Saiyan elite unleashed his assault, Paras sprung forward and began to slap the attacks out of his way as he charged Okarot - knowing his Super Saiyan 3 transformation was nearing it's absolute limit with Okarot "letting loose" when he could barely hold it outside of the Time Chamber.

But Paras soon came to one and made the slapping motion to toss it out of the way, but his eyes focused on it just too late as the energy attack arced onto his hand, and then engulfing his entire arm in an electric shock of unimaginable caliber. The pulse worked much the same as a regular person would and caused Paras' synthetic muscles to contract against his own will, launching the cyborg backwards at great speed and power, slamming into the side of a mountain some miles away. Paras saw a blue screen with alien writing flash before him, and then darkness - which itself was suddenly replaced by a green bar that quickly raced across the screen. "System reboot failed - Biological back-up initializing." A voice said in Paras' head, the man's eyelids sliding back and revealing his yellow pupils, the side of his face burnt away by the electrical discharge and showing his metal plating below.

The real Paras awoke from years of slumber following his ill-fated mission before the fall of Planet Vegeta, and his first sight was a golden haired Saiyan rushing towards him. He hardly knew anything other than to fight and fight to win, so his technical abilities were almost lost on him, had it not been for his cybermind subtly influencing his primal flight or fight instinct. Paras clutched his hand together in a tight fight, raising it up to the charging, elite warrior. A memory flashed before his eyes briefly, before being taken back to the fight by a warning from his cybernetics. "Power supply low - Draining quickly. Caution is advised."

"What the fuck is caution?" Paras muttered to himself, clenching his teeth and he reared his head and chest back - his fist launching off of his wrist like a hyper-relativistic missile, the Saiyan cyborg screaming, "ROCKET PUUUNCH!" on instinct, his power systems draining from that last and final attack - his biological components slipping back into unconsciousness, the stress of awaking after so long already taking it's toll. Whether he lived or died in this fight, Paras reckoned he would deal with it when h awoke - either in this life or the next.

[New Neros]

World War III
The Day of Rage

Some wounds you just can't see.

What greeted the Mad King as he emerged from the geothermic hole he had been knocked down was a personal hell. Swathes of radiation and complete obliteration was what he first found - ground zero of the bomb - but what all was beyond it was far worse. Nothing. Absolutely nothing save for ash the burnt remains of buildings blown over by the shock wave and scorched at the atomic level by the blast. A breeze passed over him and scattered the ashes at his feet - Max's eyes growing wide as he realized that these remnants were not plant material or burned wood, but the powdered bones of his citizens.

Ur was no more, and it's entire existence was wiped out in but a flash of light. Over fifty megatons of force ravaged the island - sending a tsunami of unparalleled force crashing against Europe and the Eastern Coast of America. But Max had no time to think of them - he only thought of his own people, how much pain they suffered before dying in but a split second. For each soul, he mourned, but it was one he knew was now gone - together with one he would now never meet. The Mad King with no Kingdom slammed his knees on the ground where his palace once stood, digging his gloved heads into the powder and gasping repeatably - feeling the biological signature of the very bones he grasped. A voice croaked from his throat as he moved his head forward a bit - holding back the vomit he wanted to spew. His mind was pure static, Max couldn't focus, droplets of rain beginning to pelt the battered landscape.

Max let out a soft cry, a whimper, his hands shaking uncontrollably and letting the hand full of dust drop back down to the ground, lifting that hand and putting it over his mouth to stifle the noise. The rain mixed with the salty liquid in his eyes, Max closing them tightly and slamming both of his fists in the ashes, bringing his head with it. He bellowed and moaned, his chest heaving up and down as he hiccuped his cries and brutally, shamelessly wept as the loss began to wash over him wave after wave. He breathed uneasily through his nose and mouth, snot now mixing with his tears as his mouth quivered, another cry escaping from his lungs as he lost control once more, kneeling down over the ashes of his loved on. "V...V-Val..." He managed, descending into an uncontrollable sob as he spoke her name. He was with her just a few hours ago, her smile brightening his day as they shopped for baby clothes together. Gone, in an instant.

The distant blades of a helicopter were lost to Max over the howling wind and his own grief - he was lost, his mind without track and now just spitting out whatever it could to keep him occupied, but each time, the man returned to his cries. He had lost his father, and now he's lost Val, and life just didn't seem to be worth living. He clutched his chest, thinking of sending a surge of energy to his heart and end his pain once and for all. Maybe, in a small corner of his mind, he thought he could be with Val again. But a different set of thoughts began to poison his head - ones that pushed him into the role of revenge. What happened to Ur and to Val is nothing short of a global catastrophe, and it's one Max sought to prevent at all costs. He lowered his hand from his chest and placed it on the ground, his eyes narrowing and bearing his teeth as an aura of hatred poured over him. Max slowly stood up from his knees, clutching his hands and letting out a guttural, vocal cord shredding scream as he slowly lifted his hands into the air - the ground around him instantly cracking and flooding the landscape with steam - Max's waves of energy radiating uncontrollably as he didn't even bother to absorb them back. He just needed to fucking scream and didn't let anything get in his way. Little did he know, hovering slightly above him was a news helicopter from the New York Times reporting on the nuclear event.

"We are still searching for answers, Tom! If you're just tuning in, a suspected nuclear explosion has just rocked the North Atlantic and caused a tidal wave that has drenched New York Harbor and the flooded several coastal areas on the Eastern seaboard. The footage is hard to believe, view discretion is advised! We are looking at the remains of an entire city blown away by an explosion just hours ago." A reporter yelled to her crew, "Is this is act of war by another country or a freak accident of the suspected nuclear program of the Kingdom of Ur? Where is King Morningstar, the so-called 'Mad King' of Ur?" She posed, letting the footage speak for itself while the reporter raised the questions of the viewers. "Wait a minute, Tom, I think we've spotted moment among the wreckage." She said in a frantic tone, the clouds of dust and smoke suddenly being blown away by a flash of pulsating orange light. "Wait! Wait! It looks like....like a person standing in the destruction zone!" She called out, "Go in closer..." She whispered, still on air, the camera zooming in and the helicopter moving closer as well.

The figure suddenly shifted his entire body and faced the news cameras, a bright spotlight illuminating him and his stained, dirty, armored body - a face wild like a rabid animal. His eyes glowed brightly and outshone his face, the news crew unable to get a single word out as that light broke free from his eyes and tore into their helicopter - sending it crashing down to the scorched earth below on live television. The camera feed was still rolling, surprisingly, just as surprising that it survived the violent crash. Moving around a bit, shaky and fading in and out of focus, a disoriented voice spoke, unlike the reporter or anyone on the helicopter. "What hath man wrought?..." The voice behind the camera asked, "Man has created war, suffering, oppression. One man will cripple another for sport. Bring me your corrupt, your inept, your worthless men who do knowing but sire foreign wars and line their pockets all the while."

The man managed to find a stable stand for the camera, setting it down and bringing himself entirely into view - King of Ur, Maxwell Morningstar taking center stage as he raised one of his palms to the sky in a beckoning motion. His voice shook a bit as he reeled from his intense grief and sadness, but an honest intent in his words struck audiences globally, "My thirst for blood will be quenched from the veins of those who did this to my Kingdom." Max said, moving aside and showing a total and complete wasteland. "Nothing will stop me - I am coming. Make peace with this world, any hero, villain, nation, or person that is in my way is dead. Absolutely dead. Today, the world will suffer my rage."

"I will destroy the world and rebuild it in my image - so says Mad Max."

[New Neros]

World War III
The Watchtower
Home of the Justice League

While it may be up for debate on who is Earth's mightiest heroes between the JLA and the Avengers, the League seems to have a better public relations team and widespread appeal while every other crackpot senator clamors for the shutdown of the Avengers Initiative. Floating carelessly above their pale blue marble, the Justice League watches the events of the world with a cautious, non-interfering eye unless it enters the realm of superhumans. Though, one must wonder why they've turned a blind eye to Sierra Leone, which starting from three hours ago, has gone entirely quiet on the electrical grid of Africa and the internet. "Cyborg, what's it look like on the ground?" Batman asked, the machine-man giving a display for the gathered team members.

"It's...It's not a pretty sight." Victor Stone said, zooming in on the surface of a major village in the African nation - which itself was burned to an absolute crisp, and all of it's inhabitants terribly slaughtered even prior to the fires that burned them. "It's like this across the country side and in all major cities. Something is sweeping through and laying waste to every single thing in it's path." Cyborg further said, flashing more real-time images and video feeds. The League seemed rather shocked to say the least, Superman rising and putting his hands on the Leagues' round table.

"Who's responsible? AIM?" Kal-El demanded, grinding his teeth. "I won't stand by and watch these civilians slaughtered, Vic!"

"Shazam is en-route." Batman said nonchalantly, "Vic and I tracked the path of destruction, and whatever it is, it's reaching an apex."

Superman ground his teeth furiously at Batman and Cyborg, "How long have you two known about this?"

"Forty minutes." Batman replied, Cyborg nodding in agreement.

"How many have already died?"

"We're looking at a death toll in the five to six million range." Cyborg interjected, growing grim, "Almost total loss for the country." Wonder Woman, Flash, Aquaman, Green Lantern, and Superman sat there dumbfounded at the impossibly large number - the staggering loss of life almost too great to comprehend at this point. They all looked at one another for support in what to do, all eyes eventually reaching Superman for guidance.

"I want to know when these things happen." Superman demanded, "Tell Shazam I'll be planet side in a few minutes - form a statement and some humanitarian plan for Sierra Leone to recover from this tragedy. This crime will not stand, I will make sure of it." Superman said, turning and walking away from the table and leaving the League to their own devices as Kal-El's deep seeded anger began to manifest. "We're supposed to prevent these types of things, damnit!" He yelled out, punching a wall in frustration, and leaving the room on that note.

---

The Ashes of Sierra Leone
The Day of Rage

The capital of the African country was in absolute and total ruins, Freetown nothing but a blistering orange streak against the sky at this point, a single figure standing atop a literal mountain of bodies piled in the cities' center. It was clear to any observer that it was the Mad King of Ur, Maxwell Morningstar, standing on that mound and clutching the neck of a random man, if any observer were alive to witness such an atrocity. Max looked uncaringly into the man's dead eyes, his neck snapped and hanging limply backwards. "Didn't have much to say as the last of your nation, huh?" He asked, tossing the corpse off the mountain of thousands and letting him join the rotting mass towards the bottom. Max turned his head at the appearance of one last defender of Sierra Leone - in truth, feeling his energy long before he even arrived.

"Your reign of terror stops here." The barrel-chested, lightning-emblem'd superhero declared - a magical aura surrounding him and allowing Max to easily identify who he was. "You're a monster, and you'll pay for what you've done to these people." Shazam said, rushing forward and throwing a straight punch at Mad Max as he stood on his trophy pile, the Mad King moving at the last second and remaining close to Shazam's forearm. Shazam looked confused at the slight dodge, but realized his mistake as Max slammed the arch of his foot deep against Shazam's ribs, sending the man flying into a nearby building.

"You're outclassed, Shazam. Not only that, but you're late as well. I have no use for this pitiful nation - I've gotten what I came for." Max said to Shazam, hopping down from the pile of bodies and walking closer to where the man had been flung. "It only took the deaths of everyone to accomplish, though." He informed Shazam politely, the magical superhuman shooting out of the building like a lightning bolt and slamming fist-first into Max's chest - the Mad King remaining perfectly still after the immense blow.

"What...what are you?!" Shazam pleaded, throwing more blows into Max's body, each one hitting with the strength of a freight train and then some, the loud clacks not even phasing Morningstar as he handled the abuse without concern. "Are you..." Shazam asked, rearing back and putting everything he had into one straight punch, "Even human!?" He yelled, throwing his fist forward - the Mad King catching it almost effortlessly in the palm of his hand, the force and air disruption blowing away buildings behind the duo.

"Human, you ask?" Max said, tightening down on Shazam's hand, several cracks being heard as the knuckles broke like twigs, "Yes, I'm only a human. Shocking, isn't it? That one man could do so much to his fellow man? Tell me, Shazam, how do you think I felt when I saw my kingdom wiped away by the politicking of but a few men? Seeing that those men could not only take my nation, but my bride to be and my unborn son." Shazam slammed down on one knee as Max bore down the pressure on his hand, "You don't know loss like I know loss...Billy."

Shazam's eyes widened as he realized that Max knew his real name, but knew exactly what to do in order to free his hand. He'd serve as a conductor and zap Max with enough lightning to fry him, so Billy Batson thought, smirking wildly at the plan, and shouting "SHAZAM!" at the top of his lungs, a powerful bolt of magical lightning slamming into him and going through his arm into Max - who tightened his muscles to brace for the surge of energy. Now a child, Billy prepared to transform right back, but a large hand caught his entire face.

"Say good bye, Billy." Max said softly, "The League watched your entire fight and never came to your rescue. In fact, they watched me tear through Sierra Leone and send you to your death. Thank Cyborg and Batman for planning your death, I was but their instrument." Max lifted Billy Batson high in the air, the young boy struggling and throwing his legs out and trying to pry Max's hand off on his face and mouth. "Not only that, but look." He said, grabbing a small black device from Billy's clothes. "A camera, how neat." He turned to put himself and Billy in the shot, "Now, your friends can watch you die." Max said, tightening his grip quickly, the child's head exploding like a watermelon and spraying blood and gray matter everywhere from the pressure.

Max dropped the crushed skull at his feet, Billy's lifeless body crumbling on the floor as he did so. "I will destroy this world and rebuild it in my image, Justice League. You stood idly by as I extracted revenge on the conspirators to sabotage Ur's secret weapon's arsenal. They thought they were safe from me by fleeing America and hiding in some desolate shit hole in Africa. Now, I know who exactly is on my side." Max said plainly, "Only myself." The small body camera dropped the ground, giving the League a final view of Mad Max as he rose into the sky, and in a short flash, completely disappeared.

[New Neros]

-snip

"System reboot failed...Assuming biological parameters." A small robotic, feminine voice said in Paras' head as his eyes went from pitch black to a bright blue - lines of alien coding and letters flashing past him in rapid succession until a bright light formed from the endless code. The white light took up his entire vision, and was only broken by the sight of an angel in front of the cyborg Saiyan. His mind struggled to comprehend such beauty after the fight - Paras reasoning that he might have died. He smiled at the android, not knowing who she was and why she was there, but he let her know what he thought about her. "You're...alluring." He said, using his mind's thesaurus to find a smarter word for 'pretty'.

Paras rose up on his own accord, sitting down and looking at the mess he had made of himself. Well, he wasn't quite sure what all had happened - the last thing Paras remembered was a planetary explosion after he conquered a planet for Freiza. After that, he was in the midst of a battle and just punched the other Saiyan, and now, he was in the presence of a foxy lady. "I...I'm Paras, nice to meet you. You look so very...charming." He said smoothly, smirking a bit, hoping his good looks didn't get wiped out when the PTO made him into a killer cyborg. "Grah..." He moaned, placing a hand on his head as it throbbed in pain, "It feels like a million tiny shocks in my brain!"

[New Neros]

World War III
The Day of Rage

News outlets and media reported on events that happened too fast for the government's of the world to react upon. Even the Justice League was rapidly outpaced and over-encumbered with the mission of tracking every possible place Mad Max could be at. What shocked them and indeed the world was that, despite the fact that Max couldn't be found, he wasn't particularly hiding. He was striking randomly across the globe and simply bringing absolute devastation and bloodshed wherever he went. Any local heroes in the area would be slaughtered and left on display as a symbol of the Mad King's wrath and sheer power. He was simply disappear from the crime scene with no visible trace, but the scope of his attacks led many to name conflict World War 3, as Max not only fought and killed heroes and villains alike, but tore through nations with no signs of fatigue.

Many heroes, news groups, villains, and think tanks intended to guess Max's next move or location, and sadly, it was the Teen Titans who proved to be the ones to correctly guess that he would strike Australia. It was based on a wild assumption, a total guess, but the young heroes knew that they were right and wrong at the same time when the Mad King appeared, slamming down in the outback like a fallen meteor. They were right that Max would come, but they were wrong to try and stop him. The team was composed of Wonder Girl, Bunker, Beast Boy, and Raven - yet led by Red Robin - and they held firm and ready as Mad Max climbed out of the crater he made from his entrance.

"Mad Max..." Red Robin called out in a serious tone, "Funny you should show up in Australia of all places." The quip made no dent in Max's stoic and almost annoyed appearance and demeanor. It was as if the team was simply an inconvenience in his day-to-day routine than a perceivable threat. Red Robin noticed that the joke didn't do much, but continued on. "You're to surrender, Maxwell, so that you can face the punishment for your war crimes and crimes against humanity."

"War crimes?" Max asked, his deep tone unremarkable yet poignant as well, "The actions of a single man denote a war in progress, you'd think many would simply just...stay out of my way."

"That's where you're wrong, Max." Red Robin said, his team tensing up and readying themselves, "There will always be heroes to stop people like you." Red Robin said furiously, "You're nothing but a traitor to your own kind, a mass murdering psychopath, and a kingdomless king. Titans, Go!" Red Robin yelled, his team jumping forward and all coming at Mad Max at once, the Mad King narrowing his eyes at the words of Tim Drake, allowing Wonder Girl to slam her fist into his abdomen, which shocked the girl entirely, as Max didn't even budge, as if Cassandra was normal and struck a brick wall.

Unflinching, Max was suddenly engulfed in a flurry of green fur as Beast Boy attacked him as a panther - Mad Max managing to grab the young hero's form around the neck and apply steady pressure, Beast Boy unleashing a vicious series of claw attacks that slashed around Max's body and dug deep, blood drawing forth and causing Max to slam the feline hard against the outback sands, dazing the animal and causing it to revert back into a humanoid form. Suddenly, a massive block of purple energy slammed into Max and drove him far from Wonder Girl and Beast Boy, but it only went a few meters back before dissipating entirely into Max's open palm. "I suppose morals are off, then." Max said, "You've taken your best shots, and none have so much as scratched me." He said, the wounds inflicted by Beast Boy's claws sealing and healing instantly. "Truth be told, there were no morals in this fight to begin with."

The Teen Titan Bunker charged at Max with an assortment of purple-colored energy constructs, slamming them all into him with hopeless disregard for Red Robin's order to pull back and away - the blocks of energy simply disappearing before they even collided with Max as he absorbed their entire essence. Still, dust and sand was thrown into the air and obscured sight of Max. Bunker lowered himself to the ground and looked all around himself, taking a glance back at his team, whose eyes grew wide and terrified. Bunker turned to look back - laying eyes on the charging fist of Mad Max as it made landfall against his chest at hypersonic speeds. He didn't get time to comprehend what happened, hear the sound, or even feel the force of the impact as it launched Bunker's body several miles away. He died on impact - the ruthless Mad King refusing to hold back. "You all had a hand in starting this war." He said calmly, tightening his fist as Bunker's teammates felt the collective shock of watching one of their own die.

"You want a war?! I've got your war right here!" Wonder Girl screamed after Bunkers death, delivering a vicious uppercut to Max's jawline as she rushed him, Max launching up in the air. Cassandra followed and began to use Max's chest like a speedbag, tears in her face, not seeing that Max was dodging her blows with almost minimal effort.

"You're a kitten..." Max said, catching Wonder Girl off guard slight, "Threatening war with a LION!" Max screamed. He then blitzed forward and threw his fist with such speed and velocity that it didn't cause Wonder Girl to fly like Bunker did, no, she was far more durable and sturdy than him - it was something far worse. But it meant nothing to the power behind Mad Max's punch, "I will show you WAR!" He said finally, driving his fist straight through Wonder Girl's chest and abdomen, spraying her blood and guts all out on the other side. Max retracted his punch in the most sickening sound possible, Wonder Girl instantly dropping to the ground below. Raven screamed, Beast Boy and Red Robin watching the entire scene play out and were even further shocked and disturbed at the sight.

Mad Max suddenly looked off to one direction, a dusty breeze rattling his form. He then turned back to the remaining members of the Teen Titans and spoke to them from high above them - his fist still dripping red with Wonder Girl's blood. "My business here is done. I've gotten what I need, and you three are lucky that my attention is drawn elsewhere. Worry not, your deaths will come soon enough, but for now, the haunting images of your fallen comrades will serve as a reminder that I am coming, and I will not hold back." He said calmly, "And nothing and no one will ever save you." With that, Max flew away from the scene, leaving the three remaining members of the Teen Titans to sink down and wallow in their grief, Max leaving them in an emotional state almost worse than death.

But, a specific energy signature was detected by Mad Max in the North Pole, and that was where his next target was. The strongest hero on Earth, the sole symbol for hope and justice that humanity had left as Mad Max ripped the carpet out from under them threw the world into a chaotic tailspin of war, famine, and disease. What the Teen Titans didn't know was that prior to Max's arrival in the outback, he had laid waste to Sydney and most of Australia's eastern coastline. As more heroes and nations fell, more and more were rising to the challenge to put a stop to one man who wages a horrific, global war.

[New Neros]

The Darkstar Crisis
Crisis Ends Now

The Mad God emerged from the Time Chamber a new man, enlightened beyond his years and full of vibrant and radiant energy. He had mastered his powers and allowed them to become a part of him, not just an additional component to his arsenal. Max and his energy absorption and manipulation were one in the same, and he knew it all too well. What stood before Maxwell, though, was the greatest opposition to saving the Beyond Universe - an alliance of several of the cosmos' most powerful members who have put aside their differences and agendas for one purpose: Stopping Maxwell Morningstar.

They didn't know what Max knew - to them, Max was going to attack the Nexus of All Realities and absorb it's multiverses. They planned for this day, when for the sake of universes everywhere, Max had to be stopped and put down. In truth, he was going to the Nexus to remove our universe from it so that Darkstar couldn't find it from the Monitor's interuniversal headquarters, but as far as appearances go, he looked like he was ready to take on an entire universes' worth of beings in one go. Before he could set off to the Nexus, though, he met with his inner circle - Mir, Val, and Otto - in order to discuss their allegiances and what must be done to stop Darkstar's reign of destruction across the multiverse.

"By the All-Mother, he's killing everything." Otto noted, probes feeding back information on universes where Darkstar had recently struck, leaving nothing but absolute destruction in every scene - sometimes, leaving nothing at all but a shifting mass of anti-energy to accelerate the death of that universe. "What...what are we to do, Max?" Otto asked, turning to his esteemed leader as he looked back at his Asgardian ally.

"There's not much to do but close the Nexus." Max replied, "Without a connection, the universe will be cut off and Darkstar will be unable to find us. Ever."

"Well, let's get going, then. I -" Mir began, but was interrupted by Mad Max.

"The only problem is..." Max said, "Several factions have spontaneously emerged to prevent me from reaching the Nexus. Even the Celestial Host stands firm in their resolve." Max said casually, as if he wasn't opposed by not one team, but several teams of the most powerful, cosmic, and invincible beings the Beyond Universe had to offer. Val stared longingly at Max, narrowing her eyes as her lips soured and pressed together, growing indignant.

"Then let's take 'em on." She said, gaining the shocked faces of Mir, Otto, and Max collectively. "C'mon, what do we have to lose at this point? If you don't, Darkstar comes and kills the universe. If you do, you stand a chance at beating them. Max, you feel up to par with fighting a man that's ripping apart every universe he shows up in, but fear the Celestials?" She asked honestly, Max turning his head and averting her gaze.

"Perhaps it's a primal fear, Val." He responded, "But you're entirely right. We've got next to nothing to lose and everything to gain." Max sighed, shaking his head and putting his face in his hands. "If you're all willing to go that far for me and this universe, then, well, I know I made the right choice in picking my friends." He admitted, "And I will make sure we all come home at the end of this Crisis, and I'm grateful to have all three of you at my sides."

"No place I'd rather be." Mir said, standing up and standing at Max's right side, Otto standing from his chair and placing a firm, grasping hand on Max's left shoulder. Their eyes turned to Val, who also silently removed herself from the chair and walked over to the pity party, coming from behind and placing both of her arms around the God-King's neck in a sweet, passionate way. Max smiled, fighting back tears of joy as they welled up in his eyes, knowing who his friends were and the support he'd get from them in the coming days.

"Thank you...All of you..." He whimpered, fighting back a yelp and emotional outburst. "Let's get going."

[New Neros]

-LIsa x Paras

Madworld

Paras rolled his head lazily to the side, fighting against the pain receptors throughout his body as he struggled to turn them off mentally, but finding himself unable to do so. Though, the view wasn't so bad - his yellow eyes rested upon the vixen that saved him from the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, but the entire experience was still all so foreign to him. Paras didn't know what he was anymore, and as he looked at his broken body, he didn't see the flesh, blood, and bones of a Saiyan, but the wires and metal of a machine. He recognized the parts as highly advanced Planetary Trade Organization cybernetics and robotics, but he wasn't a brainy smart, he was a warrior built and bred for combat. "Lisa..." He said smoothly, repeating the angel's name, grabbing at her attention.

"So this...this is Madworld?" He asked, rolling his head away from the android and looking out the window to a view of a city - it looked rather high tech yet humble at the same time. Lisa had previously implied that she had no clue what this place was - but that she felt the energy of someone she knew could help Paras and fix his body. The man Lisa called the Mad King. "Max..." Paras said, "Is Max going to fix me?" A look of concern grew on his face, wondering where this instinctive fear was coming from. Perhaps this hard, metal body was turning him soft. "Fix...whatever I've become?"

He rolled his head back over to Lisa, his damaged body crackling as wires touched together accidently, causing Paras to tighten up from the immense amount of pain that surged through him. He breathed heavily and roughly - his artificial lungs nearly collapsed from the fight and the speeds in which he was operating at. The room they were both cooped up in was located in Max's palace, but the Mad King himself was absent, the two would have to accept aid from Morningstar's servants and automatons instead. "Lisa...When they fix me," He asked, eyes scared and alone, "Can you stay with me for just a little bit longer?" Paras pleaded, closing his eyes and resting for a moment, waiting for the android to respond.

[New Neros]

Van Zant

"You're scum." The woman spat with venom, absolute hatred and sheer displeasure at ever having known the man that sat lazily next to her on the bench in her words and tone. "You're nothing and you never will be anything, Van. You just...you just need to grow the fuck up." The girl continued, laying it on heavy, the muscled man smiling awkwardly and turning his head side to side, almost in disbelief. "Oh what?! You upset that I'm making a scene?!" The girl further demanded, "You brought me all the way out here to tell me to hit the bricks. I thought we had something, Van. A connection!" She said, angry tears falling from her eyes, but she gathered her things together, slamming them in her purse and abruptly standing up from the zoo's bench. "I hope I never see you again." She sobbed, beginning her walk away from the park bench.

Van replied quickly, though, "Nice to know you, Mandy."

"Burn in hell, scumbag." The girl - Mandy - said furiously, turning back to give Van Zant an outstretched middle finger. The young man exhaled deeply, lowering his head back and letting his face soak up the sun's rays as he thought about all he did today. He and Mandy just weren't working out, and he ended it before it got either of them in too deep or hurt anymore than what it should have. Though, Van was partly amused at her choice of words, but partly upset as well. He dwelt on the things she said, wondering just how much was true. A small voice in the back of his mind called out for him to chase Mandy down, and tell her he made a mistake. Van ignored it altogether as he narrowed his eyebrows, his eyes themselves closed as his face was bombarded by the sun's warmth.

"Grahh..." He said to himself, "Just...gotta have a look around, I don't know." Van continued with his personal dialogue, raising himself from his bench and stretching out his lean, muscular body. It suddenly occurred to him that virtually no one was at the Jump City Zoo anymore - maybe scared off by his break up? Regardless, Van stuck his hands to his sides and began to walk toward the reptile exhibit. Van Zant was a simple man, and the perfect way to keep his interest was to sleep for fourteen hours a day have an impressive set a scales - because the young hero managed to stay in the reptile exhibit for nearly an hour. He watched a Burmese Python sleep on between the branches of a tree longingly, wondering if he should go sleep sometime. "My day off and I decide to go to the Zoo." He noted sourly. But he began to perk up, looking around cautiously, noticing that he was truly alone with the reptiles. Not even a handler or staff member in sight - something was wrong.

Van used his powers in the most subtle and at times ingenious of ways - since his tactile telekinetic manipulation shield extended to anything he was in contact with it, the floor can serve as a locator for others in contact with the ground. Not only that, but even the slightest vibrations in the air that was unknown to any human at such distances could be heard as the air vibrated on his personal force field, giving the illusion of super hearing. Despite that, all he heard was gurgling and squishy sounds, like someone was mixing a giant bowl of jell-o in the zoo, and few if any people at all left in the area, those that were happened to be near the jell-o sounding source. Van needed to investigate, and flung the doors of the reptile exhibit open and flooded the exit with glorious sunlight.

"Well...that explains the sounds." Van noted, confronted with a giant slime monster several feet tall and on the other side of the zoo. Slowly, he could make out other people talking near the monster, but he didn't focus in on the chatter just yet - he lifted himself off of the ground and fly at a moderate pace to where the slime beast was, getting a good view of her path of destruction and absorption from that height. "Even the elephants?! You monster..." Van said harshly, narrowing his eyes and setting his face on serious mode. He appeared in front of the slime girl as she hovered precariously close to the blue whale enclosure.

Rather than attack or belittle the poor thing, Van noticed that the beast wasn't too much of an amorphous blob at all, but more feminine in appearance and shape. Huh. He re-thought his plan, instead of going in and punching all wild, he needed to take a page from the Hero Handbook and try to most underutilized step in it: Ask Questions. So, he cleared his throat and spoke up, "Excuse me," Van yelled softly, "Hey, excuse me!" He repeated, "What're you doing?" He finally asked, holding his hands up to appear less threatening, actually wanting to talk to the girl before rocking her world as Paragon, Hero Extraordinaire.

[New Neros]

-Xyr

"I...you, what?" Van said, confused at the response he got, but figured it was the most normal thing for a giant slime monster at least. Before he could figure out that much, though, he was slapped by one her slimy appendages and flung a block or so from the Zoo, slamming into the side of a building and leaving a sizable chunk of concrete missing from where he impacted - shattering every plane of glass on that side as well. Van Zant peeled away from the building and smacked headfirst into the concrete sidewalk below, gently moving his arms up in a push-up like position, picking his head up and looking forward. "I guess she packs a punch...More than I expected, really." He said to himself, jumping to his feet and looking around as a crowd developed around him. "And I'm talking to myself in front of strangers...Great." Van further commented, but began to think internally.

"Slime Girl said she was hungry...and smacked me away as she was trying to eat a fuckin' whale. Not good, not good at all. Maybe those other heroes can hold her at bay, but what's so special about whales? She seems to have eaten every other animal in the zoo, but stays away from humans." Van Zant thought to himself, floating from his small impact crater on the sidewalk and into the sky, above the building he had slammed into previously, looking at the giant slime creature from a sizable distance away. The fact that the city hadn't evacuated this area shocked and bothered Zant, but he had other things to think about. "It's hungry, and it eats organic stuff..." He thought, "But blue whales are the biggest damn things in...the...world..." He thought, trailing off as his eyes moved past the Zoo and down some ways into the Jump City Arboreal Reserve a few blocks from the Zoo and just outside of city limits.

"Except for Redwoods and Sequoias, apparently." Zant noted, blasted away from his spot and back in the middle of the action at the Zoo. He came back just in time to see a small kid thrown from the slime girl's body, some dragon-hybrid looking thing roaring with incredible proficiency, and another girl with blue skin erecting a barrier up around the monster. Van stopped himself, taking in the situation and looking at the creature's panic - quickly realizing and remembering that it spoke to him, and it sounded very much like a girl as well. "Hey!" He yelled, trying to get the attention of some of the people and maybe the Slime Girl as well, but yelling even louder.

"HEY!" He called out, "Stop trying to upset her - she's just hungry, dammit." Van Zant called out, "Slime Girl! Why eat those whales...when you can have an entire forest for yourself?" Van further said, pointing towards the treeline in the distance for a forestry reserve outside of Jump City city limits, a small ways away from the Zoo. "I can take you there, but only if you put back all the other little critters where they're supposed to go."

[New Neros]

"I...you, what?" Van said, confused at the response he got, but figured it was the most normal thing for a giant slime monster at least. Before he could figure out that much, though, he was slapped by one her slimy appendages and flung a block or so from the Zoo, slamming into the side of a building and leaving a sizable chunk of concrete missing from where he impacted - shattering every plane of glass on that side as well. Van Zant peeled away from the building and smacked headfirst into the concrete sidewalk below, gently moving his arms up in a push-up like position, picking his head up and looking forward. "I guess she packs a punch...More than I expected, really." He said to himself, jumping to his feet and looking around as a crowd developed around him. "And I'm talking to myself in front of strangers...Great." Van further commented, but began to think internally.

"Slime Girl said she was hungry...and smacked me away as she was trying to eat a fuckin' whale. Not good, not good at all. Maybe those other heroes can hold her at bay, but what's so special about whales? She seems to have eaten every other animal in the zoo, but stays away from humans." Van Zant thought to himself, floating from his small impact crater on the sidewalk and into the sky, above the building he had slammed into previously, looking at the giant slime creature from a sizable distance away. The fact that the city hadn't evacuated this area shocked and bothered Zant, but he had other things to think about. "It's hungry, and it eats organic stuff..." He thought, "But blue whales are the biggest damn things in...the...world..." He thought, trailing off as his eyes moved past the Zoo and down some ways into the Jump City Arboreal Reserve a few blocks from the Zoo and just outside of city limits.

"Except for Redwoods and Sequoias, apparently." Zant noted, blasted away from his spot and back in the middle of the action at the Zoo. He came back just in time to see a small kid thrown from the slime girl's body, some dragon-hybrid looking thing roaring with incredible proficiency, and another girl with blue skin erecting a barrier up around the monster. Van stopped himself, taking in the situation and looking at the creature's panic - quickly realizing and remembering that it spoke to him, and it sounded very much like a girl as well. "Hey!" He yelled, trying to get the attention of some of the people and maybe the Slime Girl as well, but yelling even louder.

"HEY!" He called out, "Stop trying to upset her - she's just hungry, dammit." Van Zant called out, "Slime Girl! Why eat those whales...when you can have an entire forest for yourself?" Van further said, pointing towards the treeline in the distance for a forestry reserve outside of Jump City city limits, a small ways away from the Zoo. "I can take you there, but only if you put back all the other little critters where they're supposed to go."

When he spoke, Xyri suddenly stopped. She looked around, finding Van quite quickly with her eyes. She frowned at first, wondering if this was some sort of trick. But then she walked towards the human. Then she looked to the side. "You promise you won't hurt me anymore?" She asked Van. She supposed that it made sense. She wanted the meal but she didn't want to upset humans. She actually cared about their feelings to an extent. She looked around. "Fine." She muttered. She knelt down, her face towards the ground as she inhaled and focused on letting go.

Out came the mass, tumbling from her maw as she regurgitated slime that used to be animals. Elephants, lions and several humans tumbled from her mouth. She gagged slightly, now merely nine feet tall she collapsed onto her face after regurgitating so much mass, like she had too much tequila and vodka and now she was emptying the content of her nonexistant stomach. She then let out a monstrous burb.

"Ugh... I hate it when I have to do that."

Van breathed a tentative sigh of relief, watching Xyri gag and throw up the biomass she had consumed in the form of animals, and sadly, some people as well. Probably ones she accidently stepped on in her quest to find tasty snacks - Zant didn't care right now as he was more hyped about beating a gigantic slime monster with his words instead of his fists. That's how he usually won his fights, and gloated afterwards, but this time, he felt the need to show Xyri some support and set himself down beside her gelatinous body, kneeling over her as he lightly patted her upper back.

He moved his hand away and shook it off, trying to dry his hand of the residue. "That didn't look too fun..." He said in a kind voice, "But! There's a lot more things to eat in this city. I can take you over to those woods and let you eat some trees and squirrels...Or maybe I can take you down to St. Johns for a double meat cheeseburger?" Van said with a smile, taking a quick glance at her humanoid form and confirming that she indeed looked feminine. "What about the rest of you?" He said to the other gathered heroes, "Maybe we can all go and get something to eat together."

"Or are we all 'rogues who work alone'?" He added, a slight chuckle in his voice. "Regardless, let's get some introductions out of the way before something else happens. First thing's first, I'm Paragon." He said, giving them his heroic name rather than his real name right off the bat - he had learned a thing or two about keeping his name off the radar. "I hit hard and I hit fast, I can take a punch and give it right back. Pleasure to meet you. All of you." He said warmly, motioning to the gathered people, all who had showed up to fight the vicious slime monster.

[New Neros]

Darkstar Crisis
Prelude: Battle of the Nexus

Max and Val snuggled against one another in their warm afterglow, the session allowing them to vent their frustrations and strengthen their bond - the stress of training and the mental anguish of what they'll be facing on their journey to the Nexus of All Realities. Max folded his arms behind his head and stared into the white, texture-less ceiling, a slight smile on his lips, Val cradled against his massive, chiseled chest and resting her eyes. "Val..." Max said, the dark haired woman crooking her head up at the man but keeping her eyes closed, the man planting a kiss on the top of her head. "Promise me you'll be safe, no matter what, okay?"

Val smiled, "I need to tell you that, Mr. Big Shot." She hugged closer to Max, taking in his warmth, and literally bringing the man closer to her with her emotional enhanced powers. "They're out to kill you, Max, and I won't let them." Val said defiantly, her eyes open wide and spaced out as she stared into Max's skin on his side. "Why won't they listen to us..." She pleaded, grabbing the blankets and sheets with vigor, angry at the universe for believing her fiance to be a power-hungry lunatic.

Max looked on away from Val, looking towards a wall. "They don't believe because they can't see what we've seen. They don't believe in what I've had to become to save our multiverse, Val. I'm no monster, I am but a man, a man who believed himself to be a God." He said with a chuckle, rustling under the covers and managing to throw his feet out from the warm covers and swinging them over the side of the bed. "A man who became a King, and King who became a God. Such deadly hubris I had, enough to get me killed." He said solemnly, a light feminine touch gracing his shoulder.

"Enough to save everyone else, whether they like it or not." Val said quietly, Max bowing his head and staring at his feet and the floor. "The Celestial Messiah..." She said, repeating what the Star Clan had said of Max, "The Chosen One." She continued, "Mad God." Val kept on, wrapping her arms around Max's neck and pressing her naked warmth into his back, cooing his ear at this point. "God-King...To me, you'll always be Max. Not Mad Max, but the Max who keeps me warm at night. The Max that saved Mir's life, the Max that beat Maelstrom Claus, the Max that protects the Chaos Emeralds. The Max I love." The Celestial Messiah reached his hand back and grasped onto Val's, holding both of them as they wrapped around his neck.

"Sometimes...Sometimes I miss my mom." Max admitted, Val listening intently. "She passed shortly after my dad, and always cheered me up when I felt down. I didn't treat her right, but she always treated me right. Made sure I had something to read or think about. Made me feel loved, Val. Before I knew you, I thought no one could ever love me like she did, but I was wrong." Several rows of tears began to stream down Max's face, dropping onto the floor as his lip quivered, the man biting it quickly to prevent a whimper. "Th-thank you, Val. For everything you've ever done for me." Val rested her head against Max's muscular back, listening to his breaths and heartbeat as he let his emotions spill forward.

Her empathetic powers began to surge as Max spilled his guts, but Val held it at bay, and gave her gratitude. "You've done so much more, darling. For me, for Mir, for Madworld, and even Earth. Even for Alex and Victor, even that one Saiyan back on Namek. You have a big heart, and you accuse yourself of being arrogant, but Max, you forget the things you do and why you do them. You're a hero, and that's all you ever wanted to be. Max, you're your own worst critic, just...don't be so hard on yourself, okay?"

Maxwell nodded, soaking in Val's words and swallowing hard as he realized that she was right - and he remembered an old quote his mom would always tell him. "Before my mom passed away, she had a saying. She said it was passed down through her family for generations, before they came to America from the old country, and Mom said that she'd tell it to herself every day at some point." He leaned back against Valerie, letting her support his weight for a moment, "Be humble for you are made of earth; Be noble for you are made of stars." Max said with a smile, his reddened eyes lighting up with happiness and hope at the memory.

"It's beautiful." Val said in response, "I can't think of a better description for you, honey." Maxwell stood up suddenly, Val prying herself from his body as he did so, looking up helplessly at him. His body was built like an athlete hand dipped in testosterone and steroids, but the natural bulk was very clear. Every muscle was toned to the point of perfection, and Val couldn't keep her eyes away, so she had to distract herself. "Wh-where's Mir?" She asked, still ogling Max's body. The man seemed curious, but answered anyways.

"He meditates and prepares himself alone. Otto is reporting to Asgard before returning, and he should be back soon." MAx said, then grabbed the underlayers for his Mad God Armor, sliding it on his chest and over his legs skillfully, "But let's get ready. Our starship will be closing in to M'Kraan Space, and the Shi'ar are probably onto us - bastards have advanced anti-teleportation devices, but our crude space ship is so low key that it just slips by their detection systems. Not only that, but the call to arms in the cosmos will have brought far, far more worrying foes." He continued, putting on the last pieces of his armor as Val put her clothes back on tastefully, advancing out of the door to his quarters, finding Mir leaning against the wall down the hallway - Val following right behind him.

"Our situation, Mir?"

"Not good, Max." The Daxamite responded, straightening up as he spoke. "A few New Gods have mobilized, and I believe several members of the Green Lantern Corps with a Guardian are there, but those seem like fodder compared to who else I've noticed." He said calmly, looking from Max to Val and back, "Three Celestials guard the Crystal proper, and it seems that they've made a temporary truce with Galactus, who for all I know, is far from hungry at this point. They will be our main challenge. We are outmatched heavily on paper, but Max, I believe you have what it takes."

Maxwell nodded, "Winning the fight isn't important, closing the Nexus is." He clarified, "Do what it takes to survive, but only I can collapse the Nexus from the outside. Once Otto gets here, we can begin. We might have the element of surprise with us, though, so that's good." At that moment, a large portal opened up - Norse in origin, a single man stepping forth from the warm paradise of Asgard and onto the cold, metal ship hurling through space. Max smiled, shaking his head side to side, "Always good to see you, my man. Glad you could make it, Otto."

"Wouldn't miss it, Max, but...I may have invited some guests, if you don't mind."

[New Neros]

-snip

Darkstar Crisis
Battle of the Nexus
Part One

Max's eyes lit up as he saw the All-Mother grace his presence, and he crooked his knees and touched his hands to the floor, "By any means, All-Mother, welcome to my humble vessel. I am in your debt, as your aid to me is far, far greater than what I had provided when Everything Died." The Mad God said, raising back to his feet and shifting his weight slightly, Mir and Val standing up from their respective bows as well. "I am glad and thankful for your Valkyries, weaponry, and even yourself, Valka. We face impossible odds, but our allies are plentiful and powerful, All-Mother, and no force in the cosmos can withstand your will." He further noted.

"But, our conversation must be cut short, as we've arrived at the Rubicon Sphere." He gravely informed his new allies, motioning for them to go through a set of sliding doors - revealing the modest command center of the rudimentary vessel. Still, it was equipped with a massive screen for communications, and it buzzed to life as a transmission was broadcast. Max gently lowered the helm of his armor over his head, locking it into place with an airtight seal as he readied himself for gun boat diplomacy. A small, blue man was the one who faced the gathered group, a smug expression stuck on it's face - one of the Guardians of the Universe, no doubt.

"Maxwell Morningstar," The Guardian began, ensuring that it thoroughly pronounced every syllable in his name, "Celestial Messiah, you are forbidden to travel any further towards the M'Krann Crystal. Let this be a single warning, and any attempts to challenge that status will result in your untimely demise, young king. I - Valorex, Guardian of the Universe -stand as a messenger for the most powerful assembly in all of the cosmos - beware our power, Mad God."

The silence weighed upon the room, the Guardian baring down upon Max in particular as it searched for weakness in the face of the ultimatum. Instead, Mad Max gave a slight smile behind his mask, and a light, audible chuckle - clearly infuriating the Guardian. "I disregard your order, as I may go wherever I please. You tell me to beware, Valorex, but I'll tell you where to be if you don't stand aside. I've tried to reason with the Guardians, with the New Gods, but you are all so lost in your unwavering arrogance that you refuse to believe that a threat capable of wiping out this universe is coming - it has already destroyed hundreds on it's way toward our own!" Max yelled, stepping forward and balling his fists as he talked to a stubborn old blue man. "It's name is Darkstar - and only I can close the Nexus before he comes."

A sour, uncaring expression was held by the Guardian, who replied simply and without much emotion. "You have decided your own fate, Messiah. An ignoble choice - only death awaits you beyond the Rubicon." With that calm threat, the video feed flicked off and turned to static, fading from view entirely as the Guardian left the group to their own devices. Max turned to look at his compatriots, a smile hiding behind his helmet.

"I think that went better than expected." Mir sarcastically noted, giving Otto and Val a chuckle, Maxwell nodding in agreement. At that moment, a shock rippled across the ship and shook the entire vessel - as if the hull was hit by a canon. The jolt sent no one to the floor, as almost all on board were powerful beings capable of withstanding such force, but it made the entire crew alert and combat ready. "The hell was that?!" Mir demanded, another hit banging throughout the ship. "Motherfu-" He said, charging out of the sliding door and rushing out of the questionable safety of the ship and into the void of space outside of it.

He was followed by Max and Otto, the rest taking point as well. Mir breathed with rage in his huffs, the allies looking on to see the cause of the commotion - finding themselves faced with the Alpha Green Lantern Corps and their Honor Guard brethen, along with scores of other assembled Green Lanterns from nearby Sectors. Their rings glowed an incandescent green, and some had conjured the projection of a large artillery construct - which was launching energy projections at the ship. "You think a show of force will scare us?" Mir demanded, flexing his chest and tightening his overall physique. "I am the Hand of the Mad God, and you are but servants to a lost cause!"

"Force, Mir?" A familiar voice asked, the same voice of the Guardian, Valorex, who had given Max and his allies the ultimatum to turn back. "This is but an exercise in humility...and obedience." The Guardian appeared above his Lantern entourage, halds clasped behind his back and slightly smirking at Max, Mir, Val, Otto, Valka, and her Valkyries. "I say this now because we are not alone. Behold, the combined might of dreaded Apokolips and heavenly New Genesis." Valorex said, waving his hand and gesturing behind the crew - some of which turned to look, and found only their ship.

Until a bright, burning beam tore through it in a massive, unconstrained explosion - spewing the molten wreckage all around and revealing two monolithic powerhouses in it's wake. The originator of the energy beam stood stoic and with burning eyes - the power of the Omega Beams surging within, the truly awesome power of Darkseid. Directly opposite of him was none other than his brother, Highfather, who stood in much the same way, and behind them were but a few of their New God associates. In effect, the forces had Max's allies surrounded, and with the presence of a Guardian, the Green Lanterns would prove to be just as much of a threat as the New Gods themselves.

Max thought quickly, knowing Valka would intercept the mental message, and giving but a firm nod to Mir and Val as he thought to the All-Mother. "Valka - I'm going to rush the Nexus. As long as it closes, we can rest easy. Until then, fight hard, keep them away from me, and I'll be back to help in a few minutes. I'm sorry for the burden I'm placing on your shoulders, but I trust no one else with a feat so mighty." With that, Max simply blinked away, covered by a sudden charge of Mir and Otto against the Green Lanterns, igniting the Battle for the Nexus.