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"These things do not come to pass without the will of the gods."

[Infinity Force Headquarters E3 Years Earlier . . . ]

As the heroes of earths preeminent metahuman team descend through the roof entry, they are entranced to see the sophisticated technology. None of them have ever had such tools to work with, save Captain Infinity, who was working for the government previously as well. The Secretary of Defense leads them into the meeting room. There, they sit at a round table; each chair has the heros code name inscribed on the back of it. They find their spots and then the Secretary of Defense bids them farewell.

The Expert: Swell, its late, Im going to bed. See yall later.

Captain Infinity: Dont move mister. This orientation has not been adjourned.

The Expert: What, are you gonna stop me?

Captain Infinity: Dont play tough guy. Sit down and shut-up. We need to review each others abilities if were going to go into battle with one another. Now, as we go around, I want everyone to give me a rough idea of what you can do.

Captain Infinity scans the room for a volunteer. Expert, a young African American adorned in black Kevlar rocks back and forth in his chair. The others are likewise as unconventionally attired as their agitated comrade. The one known as Eternal wears a suit of chain-mail armor, with an Ankh embellished on the chest plate, while near him sits Landslyde, covered from neck to toe in a brown unitard and a belt strapped around his waist for access to the precious elements from which he derives his moniker. Alex Stevens, on the other hand, has more in common with Eternal, dressed in a futuristic light body armor with blue highlights, while the young man sitting next to him, Castfire, shows similar taste to Landlsyde, decked out in a skin-tight red bodysuit, accentuated by fireball designs and sunglasses. The final member of the team, sitting closest to Captain Infinity, exudes the same nobility, yet his clothes reflect a far different heritage than the Captains white spandex and flowing blue cape. Though humbly covered by a white tunic, it does little to disguise the angelic armor of the winged-warrior, aptly named Angel. When no one greets Captain Infinitys eyes, he begins:

Captain Infinity: Ill go first: I have control over cosmic energy, which I can use to fire blasts of intense heat or blasts of healing. Youre next Eternal.

Eternal: I am an immortal. Because of this, I have an extreme healing factor, greater than even the vampires, and I never tire.

Castfire: Just plain olEfire and concussive energy manipulation here. Im still working on my powersI need a lot of training.

Landslyde: You want rock moved, mountains made, earthquakes created? Call me; Im your man.

Alex Stevens: Well, Im an android with synthetic skin. Thought Id get that out of the way. Plus I have this energy bladethat can come in handy. Oh yeah, Im this worlds strongest psychokinetic, telepath and telekinetic too.

Captain Infinity: How powerful exactly?

Alex Stevens: To put it lightly, I have blocks in place simply to keep me from accidentally destroying the universe.

Captain Infinity: Hmm.

The Expert: I can do anything I want thats within human possibility. I can outfight anyone here, outthink anyone here; out do anyone here. Get it?

Angel: Looks like Im the only one left. I am an outcast angel. I am completely invulnerable to pretty much everything. I also carry a flaming sword of Heaven.

Captain Infinity: Excellent. This orientation is adjourned. Wash up, get something to eat and meet back here in three hours to begin training.

As the heroes are about to leave, a boisterous laughter reverberates throughout the room. They glance between them, and seeing no one laughing, appear quite perplexed.

Captain Infinity: Whats so funny, Expert?

Expert: It wasnt me!

All those present listen intently for the source, but only the dead of silence greets them.

Captain Infinity: Alright. Enough goofing around. Lets get a move on, people.

They continue toward the exit, and at that moment, the laughter returns, this time so loud its deafening. The heroes glance wildly about the room, yet see nothing.

Alex Stevens: Captain, Im definitely sensing a presence.

Captain Infinity: Hostile?

Alex Stevens: Hard to say . . . mischievous perhaps.

Captain Infinity: Infinity Force, be ready.

The laughter swells to such proportion it treads on utter absurdity. While this occurs, Angel glides toward the center of the room, as if weightless, and in one fluid motion, brandishes his fiery sword, sweeps the air, and the next moment, a figure collapses on the table.

Captain Infinity: Everyone, stand back!

As the figure rises gracefully, not once does the laughing cease. In fact, it resonates at the sight of each hero.

Landslyde: At least we cant deny our friend has a sense of humor.

Castfire: Or that hes completely bonkers.

This comment only provokes the incessant laughter and it explodes with such ferocity that the figure rises from the table along with the chairs surrounding it. The chairs quake under the force as their very foundations threaten to fragment. Unwilling to consent to his teammatesEcomplacency any longer, the Expert flicks both sides of a metal rod, extending his titanium bo-staff. The sight of this so afflicts the figure with further cause to laugh that the chairs slam against the walls, narrowly missing several of the heroes.

Expert: Ive had enough of this punk!

Eternal: Wait! You dont know what were dealing with!

But Eternals words fall on deaf ears Ewith the speed of an Olympic high jumper, the Expert lunges toward the levitating figure, spinning in mid-air to build momentum for the strike of his bo-staff . . . which never meets its target. Perhaps caught by the same force that suspended the chairs, the Expert finds himself unable to move, high above his comrades.

Expert: What the fuck?

At this, the laughter abruptly ends and the Expert finds himself staring directly into the azure eyes of a malcontent Entity.

Entity: Youre all mine.

The circuitry from the monitors throughout the room explode with electricity and following a few fatal flickers of light, everything goes black.

(TO BE CONTINUED)

[Months Later . . . ]

On a sunny afternoon, in the labyrinthine streets of downtown Los Angeles, an obese teenage boy, head to toe in black and his spiked hair dyed red, saunters toward the entrance to his high school. He knows that its the end of second period lunch when everyone stands in the middle of the campus, waiting to go to the next class. He also knows Raven, his childhood crush, has the same lunch period. Using a fraction of his telepathic ability, he searches for Ravens mind in the crowd and finds her.

Michael: Hey, Raven, can I talk to you?

Raven: You never called last night.

Michael: I know. Can we just talk someplace private?

Raven parts ways with her friends and joins Michael in an empty part of the campus.

Raven: Whats up?

Michael: I killed them.

Raven: What?

Michael: My family. I killed them.

Raven: Michael, thats not funny.

Michael: Its not a joke. My powers have gotten stronger, Raven. A LOT stronger. I just killed my family and Im gonna kill everyone else during the pep-assembly. That way, we can be together without anyone getting in our way. Itll be beautiful. Youll see.

Michael kisses her lightly on the lips and walks away. She watches him go and shakes her head in disbelief. The bell rings as Michael heads toward the school entrance.

Inside the gymnasium, the cheerleaders introduce the basketball team, but no one appears from the locker room. Instead, one of the teachers leaves the crowd to investigate the players whereabouts. But before she completes her first step, a familiar voice booms from behind:

Michael: EXCUSE ME, EVERYONE!

The entire school turns around to see Michael floating at the front of the gym. They all begin to sit up in a frenzy. Some scream and others simply stare in amazement. Raven, entering the gym, mumbles to herself in fear.

Michael: All right, this is where I make my stand against society! From now on, Michael Smith will be the one that pushes people around! FROM HERE ON OUT, ITS ME AGAINST THE WORLD!

Michael turns to the frightened crowd as they try to get away in futility. Raven shuts her eyes and covers her head with her hands. She does not want to see anything that happens next, but she hears it nonetheless. She hears people screaming, begging, and trying to get away. She hears flying objects and wet sounds. She hears the cracking and snapping of body parts and the thuds of bodies toppling on top of each other. She hears flesh rip and tear. In the distance, theres an insane howl that belongs to Michael. She feels something cold hit her arm and drip down to her elbow, but she doesnt dare look. The sounds are so horrific that she begins to scream, just so she wont have to listen to anymore of it. This goes on for an eternity.

Soon, her voice dies out and there is nothing but silence in the gym. That is, until, she hears the sound of ripping clothes. She opens her eyes to see Tina King, the most beautiful and popular girl in school, floating in the middle of the gym, with her clothes torn completely off and her arms and legs spread apart. Tina is obviously in shock as her eyes are wide and the only sound she makes is her heavy breathing. Below her is a mess of raw meat that scarcely resembles human bodies. Michael floats toward Tina with lustful eyes.

Raven: Michael, please dont do it . . .

Michael: Whatre ya, jealous? You shouldnt have turned me down, Raven, otherwise you couldve been the lucky girl.

Raven: SHE NEVER DID ANYTHING TO YOU!

Michael: Wrong! Shes smart, nice, and pretty! Shes EVERYTHING that I hate! Shes what society wants us to be! I HAVE EVERY RIGHT TO DO THIS!

Raven wraps herself in a fetal position and begins to weep and tremble as she clenches her eyes shut once again. However, the voice she hears next is completely unfamiliar to her. It begins as Tinas, but transmutes to a high-pitched male timbre.

Entity: Smart, nice AND pretty? Arent you the flirt!

Raven peeks through her eyelids to see Michaels fingers tightly clenched around the throat of a naked, blue man. Despite the chaos below, and the threat Michael poses, he smiles in glee and his cheeks actually blush.

Michael: Whered Tina go?

Entity: Who needs Tina when you could have the Entity?

Michael: Fuckin die!

The very space around Michaels head ripples as if it were water disrupted by a stone, and in the next instant, the Entitys skull explodes. Globs of blue goo splatter on the twisted bodies below, followed by strands of golden hair floating after them. Still grasping the Entitys throat, Michael stares down the gaping hole where the head once rested.

Michael: Must be seein things yeah, too much strain on my powers.

While Michael contemplates the source of his supposed delusion, Raven crawls through the bodies, closing the gap between her and the exit to the gymnasium. Each movement fills her with dread as she literally crawls over those she once called her friends. Moments before she reaches the exit, Michael notices her escape from the corner of his eye. With the slightest thought, the bodies swell like the rising tide and several collide with the exit door, sealing Raven in.

Michael: I dont know whats going on here, but you aint leaving me. Never again!

Entity: Peek-a-boo!

Michael turns back to the corpse in his hand, only to see Tinas body sputtering blood from the neck.

Entity: No! Over here!

He drops the body and turns completely in Ravens direction. Only Ravens no longer in the gym. Instead, the Entity, wearing Ravens belly-bearing t-shirt and mini-skirt, head fully restored, lays on beach chair, eating the flesh off a students decapitated arm as if it were a corn on the cob. On a table manifested nearby rests Tinas head, eyes wide-open, and a straw sticking from a hole carved in the top of the skull. The Entity lifts the head with his free hand and sips the liquid inside.

Entity: Yknow, I may not be an interior decorator, but I must confess these mangled children really do add to the dcor.

Michaels eye glows red as he drops to the Entitys level. As he walks forward, the bodies part to clear a path before him. Despite this display of power, a glimpse of confusion surfaces in Michaels normal eye. Extending the half-eaten arm to Michael, the Entity remarks:

Entity: You should try some.

When Michael does not accept the offer, the Entity shrugs, and returns to nibbling the arm.

Entity: Would you prefer a high caloric diet instead, fatso?

These words disturb Michaels power to such an extent his eye burns so brightly it masks one-third of his face.

Michael: Whatd you say?

The entire gymnasium quakes, the walls shatter and the floor cracks. Completely at ease, the Entity breaks a finger off the hand with his teeth and swallows before replying:

Entity: Fat

Bodies explode, the intestines unraveling from their guts.

Entity: so.

A focused burst of energy discharges from Michaels eye. Before it connects, the Entity and all that which he manifested exchanges for Raven, who reappears in her clothes, only a moment before the blast turns her to cinders.

Michael: RAAAAAAVEN!

Michael falls to his knees, clawing at the ashes hes just produced. The Entity appears behind him, nearly buckling over with laughter. One hand clasps his forehead, while the other clasps his belly. So great is his laughter that he struggles to point a finger toward Michael and tease him relentlessly.

Entity: Mwuahaha hehehehe Fat ahaha fatso! Ahahaha! Thats right! I said it ahehehe fatty, fat, fatso! Bwahahahahaha!

Michaels fists clench in the ashes and as he rises, they slip between his fingers. His eye still glows with unrestrained intensity, but before he can react, the Entity grabs him by the throat, lifts him off his feet, and with the snap of a finger Michaels eye explodes out its socket, leaving the boy the writhe in the Entitys grasp.

Entity: Not so nice, is it?

Michael: I-I only want to be left alone!

Entity: Not yet.

The Entity looks left and the bodies in that direction fly in the motion of a cyclone; then he looks right and the bodies there repeat the action, until all of them are swirling about the Entity and Michael faster and faster.

Michael: Whatre ya gonna do to me?

Entity: Youll see . . . with one of your eyes anyway.

The bodies envelope the two until not Michael, nor the Entity, or even the gymnasium remains visible.

(TO BE CONTINUED)