AN: I had to listen to some Steely Dan songs to write this down. Those songs are like national treasures man. And Overlord Season 2's opening is stuck in my head, making writing a little harder. But anyways, here's the next chapter...ENJOY!

ARC Nine: Infinite Crisis

Chapter Eighty Seven: Don't Give Up on Life

To everyone standing behind Wilhelm, Halibel, Red Tornado and a few other heroes left to guard them, there was a sense of utter disbelief. Looking around the scenery, they saw the hazy skies littered in explosions and streams of light. Screams and roars filled the air. In the distance the White Whale summoned some harpoon constructs from it's horn, the attacks destroyed several houses to bits, as Flash ran through the hits at superspeed, punching any Black Lantern that got in his way. Zipping through one street corner after another. The White Whale let out a vicious roar as he continued the assault. Ahead further, they saw Superman contending with Regulus as each of his hits did hurt Superman, but one last kick by him, made Superman punch with such extreme force, it made several city block blow away and a large building lose its foundation smashing to the ground below...sending a cloud of debris high into the air. Superman then saw some kind of slice come towards him and he dodged...only for a small child like creature to jump on his back. He tried grabbing his face, but Superman spun rapidly and tossed the child away. When he looked it was a sharp toothed young man who had daggers wrapped around his wrists, wearing an odd Black Lantern uniform.

"Ahhh! If I could just taste your very existence, maybe it would satisfy the hunger within me! ME! ME and ME Alone! However, for I am dead, all I need is your heart! YOUR FLESH! FLESH? YES FLESH!"

Ley crawled towards him as Regulus hopped down from the sky to him, just as countless Black Lanterns crashed through a wall, aiming their hostile intents at Superman.

More and More, combat filled the world around them.

"Hell…"

Normal Subaru held his wife in panic, their baby was indeed crying from all the noises happening around them.

His eyes wavered; it was obvious his mind was not taking the sight well.

"This is it...THIS IS HELL."

Knight Subaru heard him, and shook his head.

"Knock that crap off! To be in hell we'd be dead, and I'm not letting anyone else die! We…"

He grabbed his sword as the blade began glowing black.

"I'm not letting anyone else die!"

"Can you keep such...an empty promise?"

From the sky, Knight Subaru saw them and his mind began to crack, his sanity was ready to rupture.

"No, nonononononono."

"Subaru...even with all that power in you, the power to shake entire mountains...YOU STILL CAN'T DO A THING, CAN YOU?"

Petra and the rest of his friends, were floating in the air, peering down at him. They also were Black Lanterns.

"No…."

His eyes became watery and his composure slowly chipped away.

"Subaru...I loved you."

"Pe...tra…"

"But if I gave my heart to you, and still ended up dead...THEN I NEED COMPENSATION!"

Petra and the others jetted down as Knight Subaru prepared himself...he could hear Rem whimper behind him, most likely the sight of Ram as a Black Lantern was too much even for her. Emilia, Otto, Beatrice and Lewes were all pained to see their friends and loved ones...their corpses defiled by an entity they didn't understand.

"AUGHHHHH!"

Subaru blasted them all with a powerful slice; it shot out a white aura black energy that tore them apart. He shuttered seeing them sliced to ribbons and falling from the sky. Then they quickly reformed as they all smiled down at Subaru.

"Subaru...there was anger in that attack just now. Keep it up! It'll be good for all of us."

She gave Subaru the kind of smile he would always see on a daily basis, yet there was still killing intent behind it; and it hurt him so badly.

"Petra."

"Subaru."

Once again they charged.

Maybe this place, where the past mistakes stared back at you, screamed at you and did everything in its power to harm you, maybe; was indeed hell.

Garfiel kicked away another Black Lantern, before picking up a nearby SUV and smashing it on top of another. He fumed as he punched away another to break apart the street. Mimi and her brothers jumped over him and shouted their usual sonic scream, sending several more away from them. The group then jumped out of the way from some green flames, they looked up and saw Atomic Skull leering down at them, he jumped down only to be shot away by some magic blasts. They looked back and saw Julius with Anastasia, aiming his sword at the adversary.

Emilia flipped in the air as she rained down ice weapons upon her opponents, tearing apart the street as well as several nearby cars. As she was landing back down something struck her in the abdomen and sent her crashing into a car. She got up, but she was dazed by the sudden attack, she looked over her shoulder and saw a whip like construct move away from her, the smoke cleared and she began to feel pain in the very pits of her heart.

"Oh no…"

She muttered this as tears formed around her eyes.

"Clind-san...Annerose…"

The two in question made their way closer to her, even the courageous half-elf felt strength escape her as she saw two of her friends, one's that accepted her before she encountered Subaru...were now dead.

"Emily, come play."

"Anne-"

"-I don't want to be alone, so come over to me."

Emilia shivered at her voice, but soon the young aristocrat nodded.

"Then I will come to you."

She flew forward alongside her own butler, only Emilia to slam her palms to the ground and freeze them in place.

She whimpered as she looked at the ice encased foes, only for someone to crash into it and free them. The mist of the ice, mixed frivolously with the debris clouds around her, emerging from it was the one who freed her...someone she had not seen since long ago, before all this...at her visit to the capital.

"Ufufufufu, I get another chance to slice open that lovely belly of yours...ahhhh, what kind of qualities does a half-elf have?"

"No...E-ELSA."

Elsa readied her blades as she got in a predatory stance, her body shifting to the ground in her new Black Lantern version of her usual dress.

Her lips were licked seductively and she winked at Emilia. An inncoent gesture from a deadly beast.

Blue Beetle fired several missiles at Black Lanterns that charged at him, but as he used his wings to land back to the ground, he was tackled through several buildings. He kicked his way out of there, using jet propulsion to get free. When he looked back, he saw a rhino arch out a hole in a wall, it growled before it turned into a tyrannosaurus rex, roaring back at the hero.

"Beast Boy…"

Just then, Static flew over head and assaulted him with countless bolts of electricity. The dinosaur, soon...began laughing hysterically.

It was a disturbing sight.

"C'mon Static! I'm dead man, how's electricity gonna hurt me?"

"It's called a distraction, ya dummy."

Sarah shot through the air, and sliced off his head with one quick twirl. As she landed, her body tried to stop itself from going any further, so Blue Beetle helped stop her.

"Whoa, easy there Mrs. Wayne, can't lose you out here!"

"T-Thank you...also…"

She patted herself off as she sneered at him, making the young man confused as to what he did, maybe touching her made her angry or was-

"Yes, Beetle-kun."

"UH yeah?"

"...I prefer Ms. Wayne to Mrs., please remember this."

"Oh...s-sure."

Blue Beetle nodded a bit as Sarah gave a smug smile to him.

"That's what she was angry about?"

He muttered this bashfully as he rubbed the back of his head. Just as Beast Boy jumped out to them.

"Dumbasses, I'm a Black Lantern now! Something like cutting off my head isn't gonna do crap to me. Not even blowing me up or blasting me to itty bitty pieces, will save ya!"

Sarah got her blades ready as she leered at him.

"Yes, then let's see how much damage you can take, Black Lantern."

The Flash kept running from the aerial strike by the White Whale, soon he ran up the wall of a skyscraper, the White Whale roared as he fired a fog blast from his mouth, blasting a hole straight through it, Flash ran down and actually landed on the back of the beast. He began running on its back as the White Whale rammed itself onto other buildings, trying to shake him off. Summoning spear constructs he actually its own back in these things to get at the Flash. He luckily, jumped off and ran alongside the side of another building, and was now back on the streets...just as he saw Black Adam fly straight towards the White Whale.

It narrowed its eyes at him, and he did the same.

The White Whale fired fog blasts at him, he dodged them as they actually struck against several Black Lanterns instead. Black Adam actually made it around him and soon rocketed to him.

Adam landed a powerful punch that nearly ripped the Whale in half, but the Whale actually seemed to smile as he wrapped him in chain constructs and was ready to chomp down at the hero…

"SHAZAM!"

As the Whale's mouth was about to bite down, a humongous lighting strike shot down and brought the Whale down to the streets, making every window within a three mile radius shatter away. The Whale roared as it tried to float back up, only to be tackled by Adam. Houses and buildings were flattened as Adam continued pushing the Whale, this made it roar loudly. Right as Adam had now had him, crashing into the capital walls, who was suddenly tackled away from the beast by the Guiltylowe. Black Adam grabbed the floor as he leered up at the large beast...then he looked up and saw two more Whales swimming around in the sky. Black Adam chuckled.

"Mere beasts wish to trade blows with me?"

"Grrr…"

"Then I will show you the difference between wild animals…"

Soon lightning struck the ground, caving in the entire street, and released a shockwave that flattened several buildings.

"...and a god."

Black Adam had electricity surge around himself as he dashed to his opponents. The Whales descended to the battle.

Back on the roof, Normal Subaru pointed out to the far reaches of the city.

"Oh shit...what is that?!"

He was clearly pointing to the Blacksnake that was slithering in the sky as it let out a horrible hiss. Cyborg saw this and decided to take care of it. He jumped into the air and focused, his eye glowing as his body began sprouting more and more apparatuses. He grew jet exhausts on his back and his left arm turned into a humongous cannon. His sights set on the Blacksnake and the other Black Lanterns that were accompanying him.

"BOOYAH!"

He aimed his cannon and fired, the jets on his back fired as well, to keep him from flying back from the accompanying force. The gigantic laser blast easily dwarfed his own size, the pulse from it shook the very ground and caused all nearby buildings to flatten on their sides from it. The beam hit the Blacksnake as it roared in defiance, the beam disintegrated him along with countless other Black Lanterns.

As he let his body land back to the ground below, he could better analyze the beating this city just took. He saw that in front of him, was a literal straight line of flattened landscape, steam and smoke escaping the cracks. But from the smoke, also emerged the Blacksnake as it roared high into the air.

"Give me a break!"

Normal Subaru held his wife as they could see the battle continuing to engulf the city in insurmountable destruction. A fire was also beginning to spread through the marketplace, but it seemed to be inconsequential to the others. All of them were simply spectating the grueling battles. They saw that in the streets below them, Subaru and Beatrice were firing Minya blades at several Black Lanterns, one tried coming up behind them, but was whacked away by Patrasche's tail. Soon, Subaru and Beatrice held hands and focused on a charging horde.

The Helmet began to glow slightly as he held out his palm.

The spirit did the same.

"Al Shambala."

Two orbs covered in bright purple spirals surged in front of them and then shot towards their undead attackers, ripping them and several city blocks to shreds

"This is wrong, we knew these people."

"But now they are merely corpses being manipulated by Pride, I suppose. We cannot be distracted by their appearances."

Beatrice warned this as she swatted away a dagger construct. She then noticed dark beams firing down at them so Subaru fired back with his own Minya spears. Subaru took Beatrice's hand as they flew away from the barrage and Subaru focused on his mechanical hand. The lines making up it's design began glowing pink, so Subaru turned to face the Lanterns.

"Yin Spell: Kings Reach!"

A whip made of Minya energy sprouted out of his cybernetic palm and swiped out with a loud thunderous crack. Everything it hit bursted into pieces. Beatrice summoned her staff and aimed it into the air.

"Yin Spell: Crimson Judgement, I suppose!"

A red blast shot into the air, splintering into other pieces; and stabbed into many Lanterns before they seemed to pull towards each other...once they all crashed into each other...they were met with a humongous explosion, rivaling even a modern ballistic missile.

Soon the dust and smoke settled...

However, Subaru and Beatrice saw that the Black Lanterns were still coming…without a scratch on them. So they dashed back and led them away from the others, hoping it would help, at least they hoped.

Batman was still using the Hellbat Armor as he punched away Heinkel, he then sensed something behind him, so he sprouted wings and slammed them back. He turned to see the people he attacked...Linnea and Ram.

"Oh Batman, I wanted you to hold me, but certainly not like this."

"...!"

Batman shook his head and focused as he was going to eradicate them. His chest began to glow bright red, but with a tinge of yellow.

The Lanterns charged forward, now being accompanied by countless more of them.

"Hragggh!"

Combining his chest beam and yang magic, Batman fired an absurdly large attack. It seemed to vaporize everything in front of him. Sarah and Blu Beetle jumped out of the way to escape death. Emilia did the same as she watched the beam destroy her opponents. When the attack ended, Batman looked forward and saw that the entire city block was destroyed, no it was more like half of the city. From the skies, one could see the destroyed landscape had taken the shape of a bat…

...still, the Lanterns walked through the smoke and debris.

"My love, you can't kill us. So please, join us...give us your heart and stay by my side."

Batman took a battle stance.

"Then you have chosen poorly, my hero."

As she said this, everyone noticed something shining above them, everyone's attention was diverted to look up at the bright light. All of the Justice League members instantly recognized it. Someone had activated the powerful energy canon within the satellite. Cyborg saw through his system datas that it indeed was the weapon in question.

"No! We dismantled it years ago!"

Batman clenched his fists; it was too late to inform them that he was the one who set it back up in secret, worrying over being unprepared for an alien invasion. Now, someone activated it and it was aimed right at them.

Up in the tower Green Arrow finished inputting the coordinates as Black Canary hugged him from behind.

"Look, Dinah. Right now the beam is ready to be fired, soon all of ours friends will get to join us."

"Right Ollie, it would be sort of disappointing if we were the only ones who got these lucky opportunities."

"Yeah…"

The two Black Lanterns watched as he pushed the last button.

The beam blasted from the bottom of the watchtower and descended down to earth.

Superman let out a vicious yell as he flew as fast as he could and made it to the spot where the beam was to hit first. The ground around his feet started to quake, and pebbles began to float around him, soon he looked up and saw the hazy clouds dissipate as the beam shot through them.

Superman's eyes shined red.

"RAGGGHHHH!"

He then fired the most powerful heat vision blast he could muster, several buildings collapsed from the pressure and soon the two lasers collided in the air. They let out a blinding flash and the shockwave rocked the entire city. Batman was pushed back a bit from the strike, his foot landed on one of the cracks that made up the converged earth and began to feel a all too recognizable pain from it. His head hurt immensely and he felt electricity course through his body. When he looked down, he saw that the cracks were indeed all connected and looked like something he had seen before...like roots.

He looked behind himself, and saw a humongous transparent branch that reached outside of earth and into space.

"That's it...they're using the Algol Tree!"

But he pushed that aside and contacted Dr. Fate.

"Fate! Take care of the tower!"

"But that would mean…"

"Yes...it has to be done."

"Very Well."

Dr. Fate flew into the air before using magic to teleport himself into space to take out the tower.

"Green Lantern! Get the other Corps here now! We need them to take out the Black Lanterns!"

"Got it! I'll do what I can!"

John said this as he was using his ring to shield several civilians from some Lanterns that were still attacking.

"Also...find HIM."

"...We haven't heard from him since the Blackest Night, I don't know if-"

"-DO IT! He's our only hope right now! Our last chance!"

Superman continued blasting away at the beam, but soon it actually splintered into smaller separate beams that began slicing through everything it came into contact with. Wonder Woman kicked Black Hand into one of the beams and leaped out of the way. Flash continued to run, dodging the beams as best as he could. Sarah was carried away by Blue Beetle to get away from a collapsing building and Roswaal made an earth dome to protect Ram from falling debris.

The ones left on the roof saw a beam actually barreling towards them, so Crusch decided to do her best to save everyone.

"In brightest day, in blackest night, No evil shall escape my sight. Let those who worship evil's might, Beware my power-Green Lantern's light!"

Crusch activated her ring and put up a protective dome around them, but the beam was too much and it made them crash through the roof and through some houses, everyone held on for dear life as Crusch struggled to keep them from dying. She let out a grunt as she was able to move them out if the beams path, but as soon as they were free, her ring lost power and the dome broke apart. They all fell to the ground, Wilhelm rushed to her.

"Crusch-sama, are you alright?!"

"Yes, it's disappointing to say, but it appears the ring lost its power."

"It was supposed to be temporary."

"Still…"

She shook her head and quickly got up, they all looked up and saw another bright light flash in the sky.

Green Lantern and Black Canary soon saw Dr. Fate appear near the Watchtower and raised his palm at it.

"He wouldn't dare."

Dr. Fate focused as he uttered the incantations and finally ended it.

"Al Vihtar."

A dark vortex formed around his palm, before it shot out and released a powerful pressure that crushed the Watchtower, causing it finally to explode, making the beam also dissipate.

"It is done then."

Emerging from the destroyed wreckage, Green Arrow and Black Canary flew towards him, only to be hit by a green and red beam, disintegrating them completely. Freeing their corpses from being used as puppets.

Dr. Fate looked behind himself at the origin of the blasts...nodding as he did.

Back on the ground, Superman panted and heaved as he discontinued firing his beam, but not a moment after Regulus kicked into a nearby building. He then dashed at him, only for Superman to slam him into the ground. Ley shot from behind him, but Superman headbutted the young man and then grabbed him by his long hair, firing a heat vision attack through his eyes and swatting him right on top of Regulus.

But the two of them got up like nothing happened.

Rem then hopped onto a roof, where she encountered someone she had been looking for.

"Oh hello there my dear, come to have a chat with good ol' Uncle J?"

"...You are the one they call Joker. Yes?"

"Yup, I also go by-"

Before he could even finish he was kicked on the head and he quickly smashed through the building. As he got up to rub his head, he looked up to see an enraged Rem descending down.

"What's the deal with you?"

"Silence! Rem knows about you and your wicked deeds from Batman-san, an absolutely abhorrent person who relishes in the suffering of others."

"If you dying of laughter the yeah I do."

"...Not only that...but you...YOU HURT REM'S SUBARU-KUN!"

She snarled at him as she could remember the scars on Subaru's back...especially the one shaped like a misshapen smiley face.

"You did that Subaru-kun while Rem was still under Gluttony's curse! You'll pay...Prepare to feel the folly of your actions, JOKER!"

"Bring it on, honey-"

Before he could he even pull something out he was slammed into the floor by her Morningstar. Then as he tried getting up again, he was slammed by a pink energy construct of another morningstar. Again and again, he slammed down back into the ground as Rem howled in rage.

"For hearts long lost and full of fright, for those alone in blackest night, accept our ring and join our fight, love conquers all- With violet light!"

Rem now in her Star Sapphire outfit, was ready to deal absolute punishment to the clown in front of her. Even death wasn't going to save him.

Wilhelm ordered everyone back to a nearby house, when he felt an ominous presence.

"Such...killing intent."

He turned to see who exactly it was.

"...I see, so you've come to act as well...PRIDE."

"Wilhelm Van Astrea, was it? You look like just an ordinary old man, still appearances can be deceiving right?"

Pride chuckled at him, making the Sword Demon unsheathe his sword and narrow his brows at him.

"Indeed, you may have the appearance of my friend, Natsuki Subaru, you are anything but a monster."

"Ouch, my heart is in stitches from that comment."

He flipped him off as he rubbed it on his cheek, as if he was wiping away a tear. Soon, Rom walked back to whisper to Reinhard.

"Reinhard, you take the others as far away from her as you can."

"Nonsense. I will not leave all behind-"

"-Shut it. Felt is your responsibility, you have to do whatever it takes to protect her. Please, take this old man's request to heart. We'll distract this one, while you make a run for it...PLEASE. SWORD SAINT."

"...Very well."

Soon Rom slowly grabbed a piece of support beam from a destroyed house, and looked back at Felt...he gave small smile.

"ROM-JII?!"

Rom dashed forward as Pride crossed his arms.

"Rom-jii, you were one of the firsts I ever met...it does make something inside me feel a bit of guilt doing this."

"Heh, shut it!"

Rom was now standing side by side with Wilhelm as they faced Pride. He yawned as he looked at his black hand which had his ring fixed onto it. He soon glanced back...and smiled.

Reinhard grabbed a hold of Felt and ordered everyone to follow him.

"REINHARD! DON'T LEAVE ROM-JII! GO BACK!"

"I'm sorry Felt-sama, but that is an order I must go against! We have to let them take care of this!"

"No let me go!"

Felt looked back as she saw the image get smaller and smaller, her father figure facing off against the Sin Archbishop of Pride.

She began to cry...but soon put on a determined face.

"WIN! ROM-JII! DON'T YOU DARE LOSE, OR I'LL KILL YOU MYSELF!"

Rom and Wilhelm smiled...just as a drip of water fell to the ground...then more, and more...it was beginning to rain. Pride scratched his eyebrow as his grey eyes reflected the villages of his two opponents.

He watched as the others made their escape, annoying him just a bit. The feeling faded away as he smirked at the two.

"Come on then, come here so you can die."

"Sorry, just made a promise to my kid that I ain't gonna lose."

"Oh you are. Then, when you become Black Lanterns, you're going to kill the ones you were trying to protect...it'll be quite the sight."

Wilhelm pointed the tip of his sword at him.

"In the name of those who have fallen because if your sinful actions, I will avenge them by taking your life."

"Now now...enough monolouging, let's get this started."

Just as the rain started pouring harder, even if the fire around them would continue to spread...they all looked up and saw a spectacle of lights stream down from the clouds. The other Lantern Corps had arrived.

Wilhelm and Rom put on hopeful expressions, even as Subaru quietly laughed to himself, using his dark colored palm to cover his mouth.

He stopped as he looked at the two elderly men in front of him, water slowly dripping down his pale skin and lowering his hair down a bit. He spat at the ground with a devious manner in his eyes.

"Doesn't matter. They're just extra lambs to the slaughter…"

Pride was now floating up and towards them, ever so slowly. The two men, now were fully prepared to fight. Subaru just laughed at them, his eyes widening to an utterly disturbing point.

"Hehehaha. Die. DIE. DIE! And become Black Lanterns, you old bastards!"

{Battery Power Level: 89.18%}

The Sword Demon and the Giant were now to be locked in battle with the Dark Lord himself, even as death continued to spread around them, even they knew, it was going to keep happening.