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Post by HoM on Jul 22, 2008 17:05:30 GMT -5
New Gods  Issue Three: “Evil Factory”Written by Kevin Feeney Cover by Craig Cermark Edited by House Of Mystery |
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Post by HoM on Jul 22, 2008 17:05:45 GMT -5
“Never invoke the gods unless you really want them to appear,”
-Gilbert K. Chesterton
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Post by HoM on Jul 22, 2008 17:06:35 GMT -5
The Gods had come to Earth.
It might, perhaps, be more accurate to say that they never left. After the Skies boiled and shadow blotted out the Sun and the armies of Evil descended upon the world, the planet had suffered grievously. While that attack had been repelled by the Earth’s Greatest Heroes and their allies from beyond the stars, it was understandable that the people harboured bitter resentment towards all who were associated with the Hell that had briefly consumed their world- even those who had forsaken their former home and betrayed the forces of darkness.
It was a conundrum Scott Free had brooded upon many times in private, and it was what he thought of now as he and his partner Barda stood on an Earth vessel that was transporting them to the enigmatic “Project”. Instead of being welcomed as liberators, he and Barda had been treated as criminals- as monsters- when they wanted only a normal life. These mortals could never understand the sacrifices both had made, could not leave them in peace even in their mortal bodies- and so they had been forced deep undercover, where they had finally etched out a life. And now all of it was threatened because these humans with the government had tracked them down and brought them here, here beneath abandoned desert in the western United States, to the massive complex established in this underground cavern. His thoughts were interrupted by a familiar voice.
“We’re approaching the island now, it seems,” Barda observed, her jaw set. She had to be thinking, as he was, about how they would have to start over after the DEO had publicly exposed them as Gods raised on Apokolips, she had to be wondering if they could ever have a life of their own, but she did not let it show for an instant. That was Barda- determined, resolute… and focused on the moment at hand, as he should be.
“They’ve certainly ensured security is high enough,” He looked pointedly around. The underground river- which did not have a real name, though according to the crew it had gained the nickname “the Zoomway” for its unbelievably rapid current- separated the main “Project” facility from the entrance, which was holographically disguised from the outside. The only way across was on the Battleship, U.S.S. Judgement, which they were currently aboard, and the river continued around a sharp bend into another cavern which they could not see. To take the place, one would have to find the entrance, storm the guards, somehow take the Judgement and bring it across, even before facing security from the Project itself. “But is it to keep others out…” He wondered aloud. “…Or to keep us in?”
“If it is, they picked the wrong people,” Barda retaliated scornfully. “Even if you weren’t the best escape artist on this planet,” -She stated it as though it were irrefutable fact, which Scott supposed, modesty aside, it was- “they have to know no Earth-based facility can possibly hold a God.” That was true, Scott supposed- the humans couldn’t possibly think they could contain a deity here in any case- he was worrying over nothing.
“Your concerns, while understandable, are meritless,” came a soft voice, and both turned to see a man standing just behind them on the deck, dressed in a tight uniform with his appearance entirely neat and orderly, right down to his well-trimmed blonde beard. Captain Jude, who they had briefly seen when they embarked and left their DEO guides behind- something Scott could not help but be thankful for. “While the facility is designed to keep some things within its walls, you are here as guests.” Scott did not bother asking, knowing he would not get a response, though he could not help but wonder what they kept penned up here.
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Post by HoM on Jul 22, 2008 17:07:19 GMT -5
Scott’s dark feelings stayed with him as they debarked from the Judgement onto the dock of the Project. When a uniformed soldier- one of a score that he could see- informed him that they would not be kept waiting long, he expected, as appeared to be customary on Earth, that it would be hours before anyone saw to them, but instead they were greeted almost at once by a balding man in a loose white uniform. His face dripped with sweat and was even yellowing somewhat, and he hurriedly explained that he had just come straight from an experiment, and introducing the two pale, white-clad men with him as Doctor Stromm and Doctor Donovan.
“Moe Carrie, director of this establishment,” He introduced himself and extended a hand, and Scott noted that he did not flinch as Barda grasped his hand. Clearly, he was made of sturdier stuff than his appearance would attest. Still, he wanted little more than to get finished and out of there so as Carrie led them into a large, pristinely white reception hall, he cut straight to the point.
“Director Carrie, I don’t know what this is or why we’ve been asked to come here, but…” He spoke quickly, hoping to provoke a quick reaction, and Carrie did not disappoint, cutting him off with a tone of surprise.
“The Project,” he explained, as though shocked that they did not already know this. “…Is a facility jointly run by DEO and DOD as a top secret headquarters for research, experimentation, development- we conduct investigation on all frontiers of science, with new discoveries by the….” His enthusiasm was cut off slightly as Barda fixed him with a completely expressionless look, and he dabbed his head. “…Yes…. Well… Ahem, your purpose. Quite.” They were now standing in what Scott took to be the main lobby- he had already noted how far away the exit was, as well as approximate distances to the other three exits, and how best to escape if they had to come back here. “….I take it that those sent to fetch you mentioned….”
“They mentioned Granny Goodness,” Barda said bluntly. “And if that old hag is involved in this, then it can’t be good. But I don’t see what any of this has to do with her…” Carrie was now wiping his head more fervently and looking nervous, exchanging looks with his fellow scientists. It was Stromm who stepped forwards meekly.
“She isn’t… at least… that is to say, we don’t know that erm…. Ms “Goodness” is directly involved, though there’s a possib….” He tailed off in the face of the cold fury on Barda’s face. Though he didn’t speak, Scott folded his arms, rolling his eyes. He wished he could say he was surprised, but it seemed this entire exercise was merely wasted time. He was known for his gentle disposition- especially compared to his friend Orion- but he did not take kindly to their lives being torn apart for…
“The Evil Factory,” Donovan intoned in a deep voice, causing them all to turn to him. He spoke plainly as though it were simple, expressionless, uncowed by Barda’s fury- which was also pretty impressive, thought Scott. Seeing Barda’s expression, he elaborated. “For over five months now, the Project has been under siege. Files stolen. Data lost. Samples gone missing- even occasional sabotage, raids, dead guards. Someone is stealing equipment and information- enough to build a Project of their own. It’s already been nicknamed- the Evil Factory.” Okay, Scott thought, that was probably bad, but hardly catastrophic.
“Well, I can see how that’s a problem but what exactly do you have that’s so terrible for this…. ‘Evil Factory’ to have? And what does this have to do with us?” At that, Donovan gave a flicker of a smile and seemed about to respond when Carrie cut him off roughly.
“That’s not important right now. I… I apologize that we lied to you about that woman, but we were told it was the best way to get your attention, and you’re the only aliens of your kind we could find on Earth! We need your help…. We need you to contact your people.” Scott bit his lip beneath the mask at the way he said the final words- with a pause, almost with a hint of disgust or contempt. Barda, not quite as reserved as he, noticed the same and was about to voice her displeasure when Donovan nodded his head towards one of the immaculately white corridors.
“Perhaps it’s best we show them, Moe. Shall we?”
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Post by HoM on Jul 22, 2008 17:08:27 GMT -5
In another place, another time, another dimension entirely- connected to the rest of the universe only through chance- the Gods ruled. But it was not paradise, though one day, perhaps, it might be. It was not Hell either, not anymore. It was more like an eternal purgatory, caught in the balance, torn between light and shadow, a world of grey that might yet be lush green or might once again be fire and ash. It was Exodus. And there, among the mounds of slag in the vast reaches of nothingness on the planet, was the Kingdom of the Damned that was the domain of Virman Vunderbar and Desaad.
“Ingrates,” spat the purple-cloaked form of Desaad. He stood facing the Female Furies, who stood in a perfectly straight line at attention, not flinching at any of the words- Granny had trained them well. “You useless wretches have failed, losing to pathetic, soft humans! And from that….”
“And you ver more successful?” came a cold, mocking voice in a thick accent, and Vunderbar was there, as always in his tarnished red uniform, epaulettes hanging and sadly neglected. “Had I not rescued you from that Radiation Chamber* then you vould be dead. Have the noble Gods of Apokolips really sunk to this?” Desaad snarled at the rebuke, but accepted it.
*See New Outsiders #30 for this! Though shame on you if you weren’t reading it anyway!
“Our powers have been waning of late,” he admitted ruefully. “And on this plane of reality, even humans can nearly overpower us now… It was a minor setback at worst, but we can ill afford any losses now, and Doctor Bedlam was a powerful asset to lose to the traitor Gods. Though you must already know this, ‘master planner’,” He sneered the final words and Vunderbar’s scowl deepened. They all knew how short of manpower they were, and with rumours of a new push from Armagetto, they would need all the assistance they could get.
“Vith the information extracted from Lonar, ve have a target,” Vunderbar said airily. “Und ve shall have more allies soon enough… enough to drown the Earthlings, and the traitor Gods, in blood.” He smiled. “The third member of our group has been contacted, action vill be taken- und the Evil Factory vill strike at their hearts. Today ve may be few, but tomorrow….” He tapped his monocle knowingly. “Tomorrow, ve shall be legion.”
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Post by HoM on Jul 22, 2008 17:09:24 GMT -5
The Project went on for many levels, far deeper into the ground than most people would ever set foot. Even within the Maximum Security facility, some areas were more secure than others, and as the foolish little Director Carrie insisted on telling Barda and her partner a dozen times during their descent, this was of paramount importance. She followed the stooping fool through another corridor- they all looked the same, an uncomfortable reminder of the uniform dark corridors of Granny’s barracks and Darkseid’s palace- and exchanged another look with Scott. He was frustrated, though he masked it far better than she, but even that knowledge didn’t stop her from grinding her teeth as they descended down yet another stairwell... which appeared to end in a dead end, with nothing in the corridor except a tiny pedestal. Just as she felt on the verge of snapping something, Stromm waved a hand nervously.
“Here we are,” He swallowed hard, and Barda’s scowl deepened. More of their trickery? Was nothing straightforward with these mortals? They took a perverse delight in trickery and theatrics.
“More holograms?” she asked Carrie, but it was Donovan who replied with a humorless chuckle that made Barda turn her ire to him.
“Not exactly,” he retaliated. “Welcome to the World’s most secure prison.” She and Scott exchanged a glance of disbelief as Donovan appeared to be gesturing to the pedestal. With a sigh, she stepped forwards and looked down. There was nothing there. Just a small steel pedestal which supported nothing on it at all. She was about to say as much when with a nervous smile, Carrie held out a small cylindrical device. “For your eye,” Donovan explained. Slowly, Barda placed it over her eye and looked again…. And gasped. On the pedestal, at such a microscopic size it could hardly be seen, was what appeared to be a grid, with over a dozen spaces in it. And inside each one…. Her eyes widened further as she kept staring….
…in he first, a green-clad hulking body appeared to be frozen, covered in a soft icy sheath that protected it and prevented it from even moving. It was larger than many of the other forms, but even through the covering and at such a size, Barda could see the familiar animal-like features, the dark mane, the feral expression…. Kalibak, the son of Darkseid. And in the next, she saw the helmeted form of the Dark Lord’s chief hunter, the brutal Devilance the Pursuer. Grayven, another son of Darkseid, equally deadly…. Justeen and Gilotina, two of the newer but deadly Female Furies… the Deep Six, Darkseid’s underwater lieutenants… The so-called “Glorious” Godfrey who had supposedly been executed in the crisis- Darkseid’s master of propaganda…
“….You dared to imprison the Gods?” she whispered, too shocked even to express anger, too outraged for words. Did these mortals know what blasphemy they had commited? Had they got any idea how catastrophic this was? They stood there and beamed with their idiotic smiles and had no idea how close to destruction they had brought their world through such blinding unmitigated arrogance! She passed the device to Scott so that he could observe himself- no doubt his reaction would be similar, if better concealed. “Do you have any idea what you’ve done?” she asked coldly, towering over the scientists.
“Why… we….this was where they’ve been held since the invasion!” Stromm stuttered. “…They were monsters! They… they killed hundreds, thousands! You think we should have let them go….?” Barda scorned that notion- it was becoming rapidly clear that these fools really didn’t understand a thing about what risks were involved.
“You should have given them to us,” Scott spoke now, radiating with calm resolve, trying to take control of the situation- that was her Scott. “You can’t…. you can’t possibly…. Why on Genesis would you think that mortals could jail a New God?” He was trembling, she saw, not with fear, but with anticipation, because they both knew that this facility did not have long left. “You must evacuate the Project at once. Get everyone out of here, I don’t know how long we have but….”
“You don’t understand!” Carrie raised both hands. “They were shrunk down to microscopic level, no-one but us even knows they’re here! Their strength is proportionally reduced, even if they could escape the freezing and their cells, they’d be stuck at that size! Please,” He offered a weak smile and spread both his hands, increasing Barda’s contempt. “I know you purport to be ‘Gods’, but there’s no immediate danger. We asked for you because we’d like you to take them back to your world, until the present danger of the Evil Factory is passed!” Slowly, Barda stepped towards him as he cautiously scurried back, and she briefly pondered the many ways upon which she could inflict physical harm on him. Scott did not even move to stop her- either he knew she’d restrain herself or he didn’t care. She put out a hand and, as Carrie flinched, placed it on his shoulder, forcing him to look into her eyes.
“We are not aliens, human. We are Gods. We do not manifest in full power here because it would tear your little reality apart, but make no mistake, your trap will not last one second should any of them choose to escape. They are here because they wish to be. There is no ‘taking them back to our world’, they will destroy us all if we even try. They can use the laws of physics of your universe for offal, now sound the alarm and evacuate this facility while we call in other Gods to deal with this.” Carrie was shaking and seemed about to stammer a positive response- a wise choice- but Donovan stepped forwards, shaking his head angrily.
“And abandon decades of ground-breaking work? You aren’t Gods, you’re frauds. I don’t think you have any idea what we’ve done in this facility- We’ve made living, breathing clones by the dozen, we’ve pushed the boundaries of DNA further than anyone knew, we’ve even begun experimentation with primitive new forms of life! Life! We’re closer to being Gods than you arrogant off-worlders will ever be- and you want us to turn our facility over to your friends so they can plunder our secrets?.” Sweet Source… It took every inch of Barda’s restraint not to punch the man with a blow that would shatter mountains. They had gone far, far deeper than she had suspected, and from the look on Stromm’s face, she suspected Donovan had shared information he was not supposed to. Creating life? Clones? New species? These humans were playing God. And the Gods were taking notice. But Donovan was not done. “Do what we brought you here for,” He waved a hand dismissively. “Ship them back to your world- we don’t want the Evil Factory getting near them. Just go.” It was Scott who replied before Barda could.
“If I may…. Why did you not do this before?” That threw Donovan off somewhat.
“…What?” He scratched behind his head somewhat lamely- Stromm and Carrie were nearly cowering behind him now.
“You said the Evil Factory began attacking months ago. Why only come to us now?” Donovan seemed suddenly uncertain, exchanging a glance with the others, but then his defiance returned and he stuck out his chin and spoke again.
“Because we were still using them. Tissue samples, DNA, we….”
“You were experimenting with the Gods themselves, weren’t you?” Scott murmured, suddenly comprehending. “Trying to find out how to hurt us…. To kill us?”
“You killed my wife, and my son in your war,” Donovan’s eyes glinted as he kept speaking, hands balled into fists. “If you… aliens come again, you have to be stopped. I refuse to believe there are Gods that cruel- and if you are Gods, well,” He chuckled bitterly. “Then I guess I’m guilty of deicide, because I killed one of the prisoners to ensure it all worked.” Silence fell over the corridor, a long silence in which Stromm and Carrie looked terrified, Donovan still appeared resolute and neither Barda or Scott could talk. Barda wondered belatedly how likely it was that she could leave here without breaking something. But there was one last question to be asked, before they had to deal with the enormity of so many Dark Gods potentially unleashed, and what had been going on here. They had learnt to kill a God. That could only mean one thing- they had found…. And then suddenly all other thoughts were brushed aside as the door above burst open and a soldier ran in, bleeding heavily from the arm and breathing raggedly. The moment he saw Carrie he gestured wildly, with a shout.
“Sir! We’re under attack! Some kind of…creatures, unfamiliar!” At once, Barda and Scott sprinted to follow the soldier- they may not agree with what was happening here, but they would not abandon these humans, no matter how degraded, to an attack.
“Where are they attacking?” barked Carrie as he scampered up to follow them, and somehow, Barda knew the answer before it had been said.
“They’ve targeted the Radion supply!” the soldier yelled. Radion. The one substance that was toxic- lethal- to New Gods. She gave Donovan a murderous glance as she left, then, with Scott, she went to keep the power to kill Gods in the hands of men she despised.
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Post by HoM on Jul 22, 2008 17:09:54 GMT -5
A world away, on the planet where good and evil blended into the grey world that was not yet paradise and not quite Hell and where Gods walked freely as though they were mere mortals, a small group of Gods sat in council. They were the finest that the now-dead paradise of Genesis had to offer, the best of their kind, the elite. Their names were known on a thousand worlds by a thousand names. Highfather Orion, Lightray, Himon, Bekka, Magnar, Teledar, Seagrin… they were the proud, the powerful…. And at this moment, they were also locked in bitter argument.
“With all due respect, Magnar,” Seagrin, a quiet New God who was most at home in water and had been instrumental in seeding the first cold grey seas on Exodus, spoke up against his golden-armoured comrade. “…I cannot see how the two are weak.” Orion sat impassively at the head of the table. Once, not that long ago, he would have been bellowing his case and forcing them to listen, but he had learnt restraint and patience- though a wry look from Bekka suggested she knew exactly what he was thinking as Seagrin continued. “While I understand your role is to protect Supertown, an attack now would be foolish. We have peace, as unstable as it is, and…”
“This is not peace,” Orion spoke out for the first time, clenching and unclenching his fist under the table. He was NOT that God anymore. The Dog of War he may still be, but he was also Highfather now, and he must listen to all of them. “It’s the deep breath before the plunge. There is no discussion here- we cannot coexist with the Evil Gods any longer. No-one here wants war, least of all me, but when they took Lonar, they crossed the line- we’ve allowed them to exist too long.” He slammed a fist on the table- not forcefully, as the old Orion would have done, but more lightly, to make a point, as he looked around everyone else at the table. “What would it take to destroy Vunderbar and Desaad once and for all?” The others exchanged glances, looking back helplessly.
“If we sent out the call to gather all the Gods together….even to Scott and the others scattered across the universe…” It was Himon who spoke grudgingly- Orion knew he had been against such a strike. “…We would probably be able to defeat the Furies and what armies he retains, though not without tremendous loss. They may escape, but we can cripple them. Unless of course….” He looked up at Orion, a thought dawning on him even as he spoke. “….The Infinity Man!” There were murmurs of approval from around the table, and a small smile broke Orion’s face- of course, he had forgotten! The Infinity Man had incredible powers, even beyond that of ordinary Gods- unique among the New Gods, he could manifest his power on the Earth plane without endangering the borders of reality, for reasons unknown to all, even Metron. But his spirits dampened somewhat as he thought the idea over- the Infinity Man could ensure they won…. But they would need to find him first.
“….But where are the Forever People now?” he asked, and silence fell on the table. The five young youths who alone could summon the Infinity Man had not been seen for months, living alone from the rest of their people.
“I don’t think anyone’s spoken to them since…” Lightray began, and then he suddenly froze, eyes widening. “By the Source….” He breathed, and suddenly Orion realised it as well, and realised how simply and completely they had been outwitted. The Furies’ attack hadn’t been just a random display of defiance after all. “….Lonar!” The Evil Gods had captured the one person who knew how to find the Infinity Man…. And suddenly Orion knew that the war might already be lost.
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Post by HoM on Jul 22, 2008 17:10:25 GMT -5
On Earth, in the labyrinthine corridors of the underground Project, two Gods ran ever upwards, desperate to reach their target. It was not hard to know where to go even if they didn’t know their way around- even from here they could faintly hear the screams and explosions. Scott passed Barda on his aero-discs, pushing himself harder. Everything he had seen here today made him nauseous, humans playing with things they did not understand, and endangering their entire world- perhaps their universe. The only reason they were not already dead or enslaved was because the Evil Gods had been stopped, but now it seemed dozens of the most deadly were still here, on Earth, biding their time- and this had been kept from Orion and the others? That in itself was nearly unforgivable, but combined with the Radion and their other sick experiments….. All Scott could think of now was that if the Radion was taken, if it fell into the wrong hands, into evil hands, then all hope might be gone.
They burst out into the central corridor that led to the entrance hall- and now suddenly they were wreathed in smoke. The noise had faded, and the corridor was strewn with bodies. They exchanged a grim look and then continued- Carrie and the soldiers had been left far behind. The entrance Hall had been completely gutted, it’s doors torn apart. More bodies. The alarm was ringing now, Scott had no idea how foes had infiltrated the complex without it ringing before. Together, he and Barda dashed out the exit…. And saw that the Judgement was moving away at full speed, down towards the sharp turn and the caverns. They stared for a moment in confusion, before….
“They took it!” rasped a voice, and they both turned to see Captain Jude lying on the ground, one arm torn off, face pale. Scott didn’t need to check to see he was dying, but the man had seen them and seemed determined to use his last moments wisely. “They…. Huge…. Four armed creatures and their leader… so… so terrible….” He closed his eyes for a few seconds, taking shallow breathes. Scott knelt down beside him, clutching his hand.
“…How many were there?” Barda asked from above him, business as always.
“They… dozens, I think….” Gasped Jude. “The ship was in the dock, only lightly staffed… but they knew, and they got it moving….”
“The Radion,” urged Scott. “Did they have the Radion with them?” If they got away with the Radion in that ship…. But Jude was unable to help, as he gave a slow rattling choke and fell back, lying still. Scott’s hands balled into fists as he knelt there. Barda bent over and closed Jude’s eyes so that he could be at peace. The Radion was gone…. And the means to kill Gods were….
“Good God,” breathed Carrie weakly as he arrived at last, more guards on his heel, as well as Donovan and Stromm. “….Good…” He blinked, shaking his head and looking almost dazed. “They overwhelmed the Judgement? We…” This is the price you pay for meddling in these affairs, Scott thought. It was a bitter thought, and unlike him, but he wasn’t in a mood to be charitable. Mere hours ago, he had been concerned about his own life being disrupted but the reality was far, far worse.
“We need to go after them,” Barda said briskly, and she was right, Scott knew. “We need the fastest transport you have. Now.” Carrie looked stunned, mopping his head, and it was Donovan who responded.
“They’re already dead. Those caverns have been filled with traps and illusions so that no-one but us can possibly escape via that path- you think we didn’t plan for something like this? There’s no way they’re getting out of the Zoomway. You two’ve been useless enough so far anyway.” And that was the point where Barda decided she had finally had enough and punched him straight in the face, felling him in a single blow.
“So,” Scott broke the sudden silence. “….Transport?”
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Post by HoM on Jul 22, 2008 17:10:48 GMT -5
Stromm shivered as he made his way down onto the lowest level. He didn’t like either of the aliens, they gave him the creeps- he was a jumpy man, to be sure, but even so. They clearly had no idea of the importance of their work- they could cure diseases, bring back lost species, create entirely new ones. They could be Gods- far closer than those pretenders in any case. Still, they were almost certainly dead now- they had taken a small boat down the Zoomway into the labyrinth of deadly tricks and traps no-one could escape, and even if they reached the Judgement, they could not possibly defeat an entire ship full of the monsters that had broken into the Project. Really, he thought, it was remarkable that more hadn’t been destroyed in the attack, and only the Radion taken. He supposed the Evil Factory- for clearly they were involved- didn’t want to destroy that which they needed to steal. He stepped down the final stair at last to the pedestal where they had had their conversation- it wouldn’t do to…that was when he realised the pedestal had been tipped over. A shiver went up his spine. It’s okay, he told himself through deep breathes. It was just knocked over by accident- There’s nothing to worry about. A colossal hand reached from nothing and closed around his head. There was a single wet ‘pop’ and his decapitated body fell to the ground, motionless. The leering and suddenly visible figure of Kalibak the Cruel laughed in response.
“How pathetic,” observed Glorious Godfrey, stepping seemingly out of nowhere. “These humans truly thought to cage the Gods? As though we could not easily fold ourselves up through the higher dimensions.” He gave a brief chuckle, and was joined by more laughter, and more, as all the freed Gods of Apokolips emerged from nowhere, having been “trapped” for years awaiting their moment- but the signal had arrived, and it was time. “Leave the facility intact, we still need it,” Godfrey instructed the others, gathering his cape around him with a thin smile. “But the rest of this puny, mortal world is ours for the taking.”
And many miles above the underground cavern where the Dark Gods were unleashed upon Earth once more, the skies rumbled with unseen thunder, and the ground itself seemed to tremble in anticipation of the horrors to come.
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Post by HoM on Jul 22, 2008 17:11:56 GMT -5
And elsewhere in the same complex, there lay a pit unknown to all save one who worked there, a pit of death and horror and decay- smaller than the Project but far more sinister. Test tubes full of strange liquids adorned the walls, as did pods of indescribable life, and tanks of marine beasts no Earthling could conceive of, and of course, blood- human, animal, alien, even divine, blood that was strewn all across the tiled floor. Concealed by a secret entrance only one could access, it was the dark, hidden secret of the facility- and, though few knew it, the true purpose of the Project’s existence was within. Director Carrie gave a dry chuckle as he entered, and his face reverted to a monstrous yellow appearance marked by distinctive black swirls- his true form. Across the room, his companion- a figure who looked more ape than humanoid- was leaning over a box of tiny living beings, like human beings but on a tiny scale, created and bred here in the depths of the Evil Factory. “They’re active little creatures, aren’t they?” Carrie commented as his companion, unaware of his presence, picked a few up in his hands. “Alive and spirited.” “Mokkari!” the other figure cried. His resemblance to an ape was intensified by his stooped posture. “All went as planned?” “Of course, Simyan,” cackled the so-called “Director Carrie”- truly Mokarri, Dark God of Apokolips. “The Radion has been taken. Our companions have at last been freed. And the traitor Gods are lost in the depths of the Zoomway. We can proceed.” “All these geniuses and scientists,” gloated Simyan. “And they fail to understand that they exist because we permit it. We could never have had the resources to construct such a facility of death and power ourselves…. But by allowing these humans to indulge their worst excesses, to think it was their idea….” “We fulfil our teachings,” agreed Mokkari. “And let the humans give in…. to their Dark Side.” “You always did take your lessons well, boys,” came a familiar, mocking voice which sounded almost like a cruel parody of a mother’s, causing them both to bow their heads instinctively to their overlord, the one who ran the Evil Factory. The ally of Vunderbar and Desaad, final member of their Dark Triumvirate. She walked slowly, large though not overweight, clad in a scaled green bodysuit. In the place of one of her hands was a silver replacement, carefully sculpted but now withered and twisted, as though decaying and corrupted, the real hand lost in recent battle*, and beneath her wild white hair, her aged, nearly decrepit face was twisted in a dark smile. *Wonder Woman #25.“….But then,” allowed Granny Goodness. “….You had an excellent teacher.” THE END |
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Post by HoM on Jul 22, 2008 17:12:20 GMT -5
NEXT ISSUE: Scott and Barda face their deadliest challenge yet in pursuit of weapons powerful enough to slay Gods! Where Angels fear to tread! Where Devils split for cooler parts! To live or die on the Zoomway! And the search for the Forever People begins, as whoever holds the key to the power locked within them will be able to turn the tide of the war once and for all! Don’t miss it as the powers of evil continue their unspeakable scheme and come one step nearer to total domination in part one of “In Search of A Dream”! If you wish to comment on this issue, please CLICK HERE to visit the letters page.
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