TWO DAYS LATER
"And you call me childish." Kara scoffed with a smug expression. Val tilted his head.
"What do you mean?"
"You had a dick measuring contest with that Avenger. Tony Stark. Why?" She gave him a knowing look.
"That wasn't childish. I had to show him that you weren't swayed by money!" He explained with a frown.
"I don't believe that for a second."
"Kara, let me live."
"Nu-uh. You have to come clean right now." She shook her head.
The two kryptonians were sitting on a cloud above New York. More and more heroes were gathering in the city below. From the Avengers to the X-Men, the Fantastic Four and more. Everyone seemed nervous but determined.
Val-Ul heaved a sigh before pulling her onto his lap. He reclined onto his back, bringing her to his chest. Two golden gazes met one another.
"I'm on vacation. Don't tell me that I have to act as a leader even here? Can't I act on impulse for once?" He complained with a wry smile.
"Oh? Acting on impulse? Then you were feeling jealous. Hmph. Guess who's childish now." She mocked before pecking him on the lips.
"Blah blah. I don't want to hear it. Whenever we leave our universe, I'm not The Father. Just a man." He declared shamelessly.
"A very powerful man that got jealous of a weak rich man."
"All right all right. I won't do it next time."
"Don't say that. I'm only messing with you. It makes me happy that you'd act out for me." Kara finally revealed.
The two lovebirds paused at the same time. They could feel it. Banner was here. A large spaceship could be seen entering the atmosphere. It stopped in the air. The hatch opened…and several figures jumped out.
Leading the group was the one and only Hulk. Dressed in gladiator armor, green eyes glowing with unspoken rage. The rest were his subordinates. Green energy surrounded the team as they started free falling toward the city.
New York had long since been evacuated. It was too dangerous for civilians to remain in the proximity. An angry Hulk with a team at his back…not a peaceful scenario.
Val-Ul watched with an excited grin. Not because he wanted to fight, but because he wanted to test out his newly acquired gains. The Ancient One had taught him how to use the Mirror Dimension, and he'd transformed it into something he could call his own.
…
…
…
The Bless-ed Universe
Prime sat on the front porch of his family home. He wasn't wearing his armor that he'd gotten used to for countless years. It felt as if a part of him was missing.
Laurie Lemmon sat beside him, her head resting on his shoulder. An empty plate of lasagna was discarded nearby. They enjoyed the scenery in comfortable silence.
Clark was at peace. He was calmer than he'd ever been. Everything was great. Laurie was on the way to getting pregnant. They were trying for it. They'd have to get their own place soon.
"Are you ever going to tell me why you wear The Father's crown?" She asked.
Even without the suit and armor, the crown didn't leave his head. Clark didn't know how to feel about it but the strength and clarity it gave…he honestly didn't want to part with it. He could see how it would become a crutch to any that relied on it.
It also made him more wary of Val-Ul…but he wasn't scared. They would clash eventually. Such a thing was inevitable. Both of them had unwavering personalities.
"I asked for it and he gave it to me." Clark said. Lemmon rolled her eyes.
"Clark, we both know it isn't that simple." She slapped his leg.
"...He said that he was going on a business trip."
"Ohhh. So you're supposed to keep the peace while he's gone." She realized.
Laurie was incredibly smart. Clark never gave her full explanations, but she was always able to understand the full context of a situation. It was why they were a perfect match for each other. Prime wasn't good at socializing…at least not anymore.
The retired demon gazed at the sky for a moment. He barely happened to notice a green dot. His supervision activated…and his expression fell. His peace was shattered. Was that…a Green Lantern Battery? It was approaching Earth.
"Lemmon. Go back inside. I'll join you soon." His voice was calm, but carried a steel edge.
"Is everything okay?"
"It's fine. Will you go get my armor?"
Laurie didn't believe him. Saying it was fine but asking for his armor? Something was wrong. She quickly ran upstairs to get his gear. Upon returning, she helped him equip everything. The skinsuit and the armor together.
His cape snapped in place…then he was ready. He couldn't help but kiss Lemmon deeply before floating into the air. He looked down at her with a hardened smile. Like a general going to war.
"Don't tell Mom and Dad. They don't need any more stress. They're getting old." He said. Lemmon nodded.
"Come back soon. We have a movie to watch."
"I wouldn't miss it for the world." Prime said.
With those words, he blasted off into space. It only took him a few seconds to reach the glowing battery. His fears were realized. His worries had taken form.
The Green Lantern Corp was here. How did they know? Thousands of Green Lanterns were here. That wasn't all. The Red Lanterns of Rage and the Yellow Lanterns of Fear were here as well. Three different power batteries were floating in space…surrounded by an army.
Elderly Oans were floating beside each battery. With their hands behind their back, their robes flowed in the emptiness of space. They eyed Prime with malice.
'We know who you are. You know who we are. We Oans have our ways of protecting the universe. Do you understand? Messages can be sent through time.' An old wrinkled Oan spoke through telepathy.
'What. Do. You. Want.' Prime growled.
'You've destroyed countless timelines. Our counterparts from the different universes have warned us. You need to be put down…or contained. Whichever works first. Even if this Earth is destroyed…we must succeed this time.'
Starkad, Sojourner, Tomar-Tu, Arisia. The whole gang was here except Guy Gardner. New additions as well. Atrocitus. Skallox. Dex-Starr. Sinestro. Amon Sur. Arkillo.
Prime could feel his heartbeat increasing. Not because he couldn't win…but because of the possible aftermath. A single clash between him and Starkad had destroyed the previous timeline.
He couldn't afford it. Not this time. He still didn't know if his family in this timeline was fake or not…but he'd decided to treat it as real. He needed it to be real. The decision had been made.
Now. How in the hell was he going to kill them all without blowing up Earth? He didn't have the answer. He was nervous…but he didn't let it show on his face.
As if the universe could hear his worries, space cracks appeared all throughout the surroundings. That's right. Clark had forgotten that this universe was alive. A newborn that openly supported him. It didn't want to die either. It would help him.
But…could he neutralize attacks like Val-Ul did? He wasn't sure. That didn't seem to be something kryptonians could do.
BZZZZ
The crown floating above his head buzzed calmly. It reassured him, calming his nerves and returning him to absolute focus. It was possible. He would NOT fail. He couldn't. Not this time.
'Let's get started then.' Prime stated calmly.
His body exploded into motion, moving at cosmic velocities. First things first. Get them further away from the planet. He completely ignored the Green Lanterns, arriving beside the Red Lantern battery and pushing it through space.
Realizing that Clark was trying to separate them from their power source, each Lantern Corp quickly flew after the kryptonian. The batteries followed as well. Just like that…everyone left the vicinity of Earth.
Prime had the advantage in speed. While they tried to catch up, he immediately moved so fast he disappeared. Suddenly, he was right beside Starkad. The orange titan. He needed to die first.
Putting everything into his fist, a golden aura mixed with crimson shined under the skin. Starkad hadn't even noticed Prime's swift arrival. The tiny fist connected with his chin. Immediately, green, red, and golden energy wafted out in a powerful shockwave.
The space cracks drank in the aftermath like starving beasts, saving any nearby stars from collapse. Starkad was revealed once again…the bottom half of his face completely missing. Blue blood had frozen in space…but he wasn't dead.
Powered by three different batteries, each Lantern had an increased survival rate. They weren't going to die as easily as last time. Green willpower formed a makeshift jaw. Starkad slowly turned to Prime with boundless anger. Both of them raised another fist. Two planets collided.
The One Man War had begun.