Max_Striker
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Ch-26 Fallen Eclipse
🕑 Added 2025-05-18 11:35:25 +0000 UTCThe sky split open like a wound.
A swirling vortex of rainbow colors tore through reality, its edges crackling with dimensional energy. From within this prismatic gateway, a figure emerged---Raj descended through the portal with deliberate grace, a dark silhouette against the kaleidoscopic light. His feet touched cracked asphalt as the portal collapsed behind him with a thunderous snap that echoed across the desolate cityscape.
Earth-55. January 3rd, 2010. Infection point.
Metropolis---or what remained of it---stretched before him, a necropolis of broken skyscrapers and abandoned hope. Techno-organic vines pulsed with sickly crimson light, writhing across the ruins like living circuitry.
Where the Daily Planet building should have stood, only a twisted skeleton remained, its iconic globe now shattered across what had once been a plaza. The golden statue of Superman lay toppled, its surface marred with black, vein-like substance that seemed to writhe even as Raj observed it.
Too quiet, he thought, his enhanced senses reaching outward.
His internal clock---one of twenty carefully selected abilities he'd slotted before arrival---synchronized with this reality's timestream. Death's words echoed in his mind: They retain intelligence, skills, even memories---but twisted into service of the virus's prime directive.
A flicker of movement caught his attention---the first sign of activity since his arrival. Three blocks north, a mass of figures emerged from beneath an overturned bus. They moved with unnatural synchronicity, heads tilting simultaneously as they sensed his presence. Even from this distance, he could see the decaying flesh, the glowing crimson eyes.
The Anti-Living.
His Eidolon slots hummed with power as he activated his prepared abilities: Pathogen Immunity sealed his biological systems against infection; Sensory Enhancement expanded his awareness to track movement patterns; Tactical Precognition mapped possible attack vectors before they occurred.
The horde---twenty-seven infected individuals---broke into a run that defied their rotting bodies. Unlike mindless zombies from fiction, these moved with predatory intelligence, several breaking off to flank him while others maintained direct approach.
'Smart', he noted. Retaining tactical skills even in undeath.
He stood his ground, waiting. These weren't people to be saved---they were souls imprisoned in corrupted flesh, denied their natural transition to death's embrace. The Anti-Life Equation had turned them into vessels, tools for its expansion across this reality.
The first wave reached him---a formerly middle-aged businessman in a torn suit, followed by what had once been a police officer still clutching her service weapon. Their movements were jerky yet purposeful, jaws slack but eyes burning with unnatural intelligence.
He raised his hand and pushed.
Newly upgraded Geokinesis responded. The earth beneath the entire horde rippled like water, throwing them backward as pavement transformed into a wave of kinetic force. He calibrated precisely---enough to disable most, but deliberately leaving one intact for interrogation.
"I need information," he murmured to himself, "Hack and Slash later."
As the first wave struggled to regain footing, he activated Kinetic Redirection, creating an invisible force barrier that swept the remaining flanking infected backward. The effect rippled outward in concentric circles, pushing everything hostile away from his position without harming the fragile infrastructure around them.
Then, stillness again.
He approached the single Anti-Living he'd left functional---a young woman whose server's uniform suggested she'd been working when infected. Her body twitched unnaturally as black veins pulsed beneath semi-transparent skin.
Up close, the horror was magnified---she was dying continuously, her cells decaying and regenerating in an endless cycle that rejected the natural order of life and death.
He knelt beside her, careful to maintain his protective barriers, and placed a hand near---but not touching---her forehead. Spiritual Sight activated, allowing him to see beyond physical matter into the metaphysical.
What he observed made his stomach turn.
Her soul remained trapped within the rotting shell, bound by twisted equations that flowed like corrupted code through her entire being. The Anti-Life virus hadn't just infected her body; it had rewritten the fundamental programming of her existence, creating a prison of flesh that her spirit couldn't escape.
"The only mercy is release," he whispered.
He activated Equation Insight---knowledge gained from his encounter with the Source Wall and beginning to unseal due to the shatter limiter upgrade. Complex mathematical patterns flowed through his consciousness, revealing the structure of both the Life and Anti-Life Equations in their complete forms.
He could see how the Anti-Life virus had been engineered---an incomplete but devastating application of cosmic mathematics that defied the natural order.
With precise application of Meta-Physical Manipulation, he reached into the corrupted code imprisoning her soul and began systematically erasing the virus strand by strand. This wasn't healing---it was liberation. As the anti-life code dissolved, her soul's natural connection to the afterlife restored itself.
Her eyes---momentarily clear of crimson corruption---met his. "Thank you," she whispered, before her body crumbled to dust, the soul finally free to follow its natural transition.
One mercy granted. Billions more to go.
Rising, he surveyed the city with new purpose. He needed to locate survivors---if any remained---and establish contact with the resistance Death had mentioned. Somewhere in this nightmare landscape, Cyborg was working on a solution, and the new Batman was orchestrating what remained of human defense.
He closed his eyes, activating Bio-scanning, sending out an invisible pulse that could detect uncorrupted life signs within a ten-mile radius. The results came back immediately: two major concentrations of survivors, plus scattered smaller groups hiding throughout the city.
The largest concentration appeared to be beneath STAR Labs---likely a reinforced bunker that had been sealed when the infection spread. The second, roughly three miles east, seemed to be a convention center that had been fortified.
He made his decision quickly. The convention center was closer, and based on fluctuating life signs, possibly under imminent threat.
He activated Transit Velocity and his body blurred as he moved at superhuman speed through the devastated streets. Unlike the Flash's power, which tapped the Speed Force, his ability worked by locally altering the interactions between matter and temporal flow---another benefit of being what Death called "unmarked" by this multiverse's fundamental laws.
The convention center came into view---a massive glass-and-steel structure now reinforced with makeshift barricades. Military vehicles formed a perimeter, though many lay abandoned or overturned.
What caught his attention, however, was the massive horde of Anti-Living surrounding the eastern entrance, where the defenses appeared weakest.
At their center stood a figure that sent a chill through even his enhanced nervous system: a decaying Superman, flesh rotting off indestructible bone, eyes blazing crimson as he methodically tore through the outer barricade. Beside him, a corrupted Wonder Woman used her lasso to pull defenders into the waiting horde.
'Tactical assessment: direct confrontation required.'
He altered his approach vector, landing directly between the infected heroes and the barricade they were destroying. The Anti-Living horde paused momentarily, their hive-mind registering this new threat.
The corrupted Superman tilted his head, decaying lips pulling back in a grimace. "New...prey," he rasped, his voice a horrific parody of the hero's once-inspiring tone.
"Name's Nexus," he corrected calmly, settling into a casual stance that belied his readiness. "And sorry, big guy, but you're way past your expiration date. Weren't you vulnerable to magic once upon a time? Consider this a magical ass-kicking."
The infected Superman lunged forward with blistering speed, but Nexus was prepared. He activated Chronokinetic Buffer, creating a sphere of altered time that slowed the Kryptonian's movement to a crawl.
"You know," Nexus quipped as the Man of Steel moved through molasses-thick time, "in one of the Universe, you are a vampire. Gotta say, the zombie look isn't much of an upgrade."
Simultaneously, he deployed Power Nullification Field specifically calibrated to suppress both Kryptonian and Amazonian abilities, encompassing both corrupted heroes.
The effect was immediate---Superman's charge faltered as his connection to solar energy was severed, his unstoppable momentum suddenly very stoppable. Beside him, Wonder Woman staggered as her divine strength diminished dramatically.
"Oh, Princess," Nexus called out to the faltering Wonder Woman, "I read once that you were made from clay. This Virus has got you both playing in the mud now, hasn't he?"
Before either corrupted hero could adjust, Nexus activated Gravitic Manipulation, increasing local gravity a hundredfold around them.
Even an infected Superman couldn't resist such forces with his abilities suppressed. He crashed to the ground, creating a crater in the asphalt as his body was pinned by gravitational pressure. Wonder Woman fell to her knees beside him, struggling against the combined effects of power nullification and enhanced gravity.
"Did you know," Nexus continued conversationally, as if discussing the weather rather than battling corrupted legends, "that in over sixty percent of multiversal timelines, you two end up dating? This power couple thing you've got going is pretty on-brand, even if the whole 'rotting flesh' aesthetic is a bit much for a first date."
Still determined, Wonder Woman managed to flick her lasso toward Nexus with what strength remained. He countered with Molecular Phasing, allowing the mystical rope to pass harmlessly through his temporarily intangible form.
"Impressive aim! But that lasso's supposed to compel truth, right? Truth is---" he paused as he solidified again, "---you both need serious makeovers. And possibly breath mints."
The corrupted Wonder Woman shrieked as her powers went suddenly inert. Before she could switch to physical attacks, she found herself kneeling beside the fallen Superman.
As the battle momentarily paused, Raj took half a second to evaluate his performance---something he hadn't been able to do since his recent breakthrough. The doubling of his power had come like a breakthrough from a bottle neck, giving him the feeling of being free, and he was still adjusting to the new calibrations.
Where before he might have needed four or five abilities to contain a Kryptonian, now just two working in concert had done the job more efficiently.
Shatter limiter was a gift that kept giving, really affirming his choice for the perks he chose.
'It's like upgrading from economy to business class on this cosmic flight,' he thought wryly. 'Same destination, but now the drinks are free and there's actually legroom.'
The mental quip---one of many he'd developed as a psychological coping mechanism for the isolation of multiversal travel---brought the ghost of a smile to his face. His imaginary therapist would have approved; humor as a life raft in an ocean of cosmic horror.
With both infected heroes temporarily contained, Nexus turned his attention to the remaining Anti-Living horde. They had paused, clearly awaiting direction from their more powerful leaders. He took advantage of their hesitation, activating Grand Illusion to create the appearance of a massive military force approaching from the opposite direction.
He couldn't simply destroy them---chopping up the Anti-Living would only result in their regeneration over time. True liberation required dismantling the Anti-Life code binding their souls to corrupted flesh, a process too time-consuming to perform in the middle of combat.
But right now, his priority was saving the survivors in the shelter, and redirection was more efficient than confrontation.
The effect was immediate. The horde's hive-mind calculated the new threat and redirected most of the infected to meet it, leaving only a handful still focusing on the convention center.
Nexus turned his attention back to the contained heroes, knowing his time was limited. These weren't villains to be punished---they were victims of cosmic mathematics gone horribly wrong. But he couldn't free them yet---not without understanding more about this Earth's specific variant of the Anti-Life virus.
He created a more permanent containment solution, activating Matter Reconstruction to form a specialized prison around the fallen heroes. The ground beneath them liquefied and reformed into a transparent dome composed of materials specifically designed to counter their abilities---lead-lined, solar radiation blocking, and reinforced with fields that negated Wonder Woman's divine strength.
"I can't save you yet," he told them as they struggled against their new prison. "But I will end your suffering when the time comes."
The corrupted Superman slammed against the barrier; his decaying face contorted with rage. "No escape...from Anti-Life," he growled.
"There's always escape," Nexus replied. "Even if it's through death's door."
With the immediate threat contained, he turned toward the convention center's damaged barricade. Several defenders had emerged cautiously, weapons trained on him as they tried to process what they'd just witnessed---a single individual subduing both Superman and Wonder Woman in less than a minute.
He approached slowly, keeping his movements non-threatening. "I'm here to help," he called out. "My name is Nexus."
"What the hell are you?" demanded a woman with military bearing, her rifle still aimed at his chest.
"Someone sent to fix this," he replied simply. "And I need to speak with whoever's in charge."
The defenders exchanged uncertain glances before the woman nodded sharply. "Lieutenant Eliza Chen, former Army Corps of Engineers. If you can really help, we need you inside. Now."
He followed Chen through the makeshift barricade into the convention center. Inside, approximately thirty civilians had created a surprisingly functional base of operations, complete with communications equipment, stockpiled supplies, and defensive positions.
"We've been receiving transmissions from STAR Labs," Chen explained as she led him toward a central command area. "Dr. Stone is there, working on a potential cure. But communication's been spotty since the infected took down most of the satellite network."
"Victor Stone," Nexus confirmed. "You mean Cyborg?"
Chen's expression darkened. "The infection got him, but...differently. He's fighting it, using his technology to keep it contained in parts of his body while he works."
They reached a makeshift communications station where several people were monitoring equipment. "Our last contact with STAR Labs was twelve hours ago," Chen continued. "They were about to test a new countermeasure when something cut the transmission."
Nexus nodded, processing this information. "I need to see their research. And I need to get to STAR Labs."
"You and everyone else," muttered Chen. "But with those things out there---"
She was interrupted by a sudden alarm---a crude but effective perimeter alert system. One of the monitors showed movement on the western approach---not Anti-Living this time, but something else.
"What now?" Chen growled, grabbing her rifle.
Nexus felt it before he saw it due to Anomaly Detection---a disturbance in the fabric of reality, similar to his own arrival but with a different signature. A temporal anomaly, not just dimensional.
"Someone else is coming through," he said quietly.
Before Chen could question him further, he activated Transit Velocity again, moving to intercept this new arrival. He reached the western parking lot just as reality folded in on itself, creating a swirling vortex of energy.
Unlike his own rainbow-hued portal, this one pulsed with electric blue light. From within this gateway emerged a young woman with short hair and glowing blue-white skin that seemed to radiate cold light from within. She tumbled forward onto the asphalt, leaving a trail of crackling energy in her wake. The portal closed behind her with a crack of displaced air.
Nexus recognized her immediately from his extensive knowledge of the DC multiverse: Kiran Singh, the metahuman known as Solstice, formerly of the Teen Titans. She shouldn't be here—not on Earth-55, not in this timeframe.
Kiran struggled to rise, her luminous body flickering like a failing light bulb, the blue-white energy that normally flowed smoothly across her skin now stuttering and unstable. Dust and grime clung to her, creating dark smudges across her radiant form, and a wound in her side leaked light rather than blood, pulsing with each labored breath.
Her communicator lay cracked and sparking on the ground beside her, and her glowing eyes—wide with wary alertness—scanned the ruins for threats, her posture suggesting someone recently betrayed.
"Where am I? Who are you?" she demanded, her voice crackling with energy and suspicion. One hand raised, ready to unleash a blast of concentrated light. "Another of N.O.W.H.E.R.E.'s experiments?"
Nexus kept his distance, respecting her wariness. "I'm not affiliated with N.O.W.H.E.R.E. My name is Nexus. What brought you to this Earth, Kiran?"
Solstice's eyes narrowed at his recognition of her identity. "How do you—" She winced, her light dimming momentarily as she pressed a hand to her wounded side. "Harvest... he's found a way to manipulate Time. Used my powers... to stop him but his device and my energy through me."
Her expression was guarded, giving away only the minimum information. "I traced similar energy signatures... ended up here. Didn't know... where this is."
"This is Earth-55, Year 2010 you are far from your time" Nexus explained calmly. "Infected by the Anti-Life Equation."
"You're not from this Earth either." Kiran managed, still keeping her distance. Her gaze swept over him with renewed suspicion.
Before Nexus could respond, his enhanced senses detected movement all around them—the Anti-Living had sensed the energy disruption and were converging on their position. Among them, approaching before the horde with tattered suit streaming behind him, was another infected hero—The Flash, his decaying form blurring with corrupted Speed Force energy.
Nexus rose, placing himself between Solstice and the approaching threat. "Can you move?" he asked her.
She tried to stand, her normally radiant form dimming and flickering. "My powers... unstable. Can't maintain flight or energy projection."
Nexus nodded, calculating options. The convention center was too sensitive to retreat to let the Anti-Living closed in, and Solstice was too injured to move quickly. He made his decision.
"Hold on to me," he instructed, helping her to her feet. "This may feel strange."
As Solstice gripped his arm, Nexus activated Dimensional Barrier—creating a temporary safe zone by folding a small portion of space into a pocket dimension. The air around them shimmered as reality curved inward, forming a bubble of altered space-time that the Anti-Living couldn't penetrate.
"This will hold temporarily," he told her. "Long enough to get you somewhere safe."
Solstice stared at him with new understanding. "You're not just an outsider," she whispered, her luminous form casting blue-white patterns across the dimensional barrier. "Who are you?"
"I am Nexus," he replied simply. "And I have work to do."
The fallen Flash circled their dimensional bubble at impossible speed, his corrupted form leaving trails of decaying Speed Force energy in his wake. Behind him, the horde of Anti-Living grew larger by the moment, drawn by the energy disturbance of Solstice's arrival.
He glanced at the wary Titan beside him, calculating their next move carefully. Two outsiders on a world consumed by Anti-Life. The odds seemed insurmountable.
But then again, breaking impossible odds was precisely what he did best.
'This is just the beginning', Nexus thought grimly.
