Solar Flare sat at his computer terminal intently reviewing the latest satellite scans of the ever expanding dark dome. It enveloped the city and was expanding in all directions, although its height peaked at a little over 3,000 feet. The dome covered a chuck of the East coast and was expanding out over the ocean now. Solar Flare’s secondary lab was located in Colorado in a remote part of the mountains. It gave him the quiet he needed to work. Normally it was a restful place but not recently. Recently sleep was elusive.

It had been two weeks since he was forced to flee Seaport City. it was bad enough he was worried about all of the people now possessed by Shades but he’d left a friend behind. Priest. In making a last ditch call for help Priest had sacrificed himself to buy Solar Flare the time needed to get the message out.

 

So far, there had been no reply. Solar Flare slumped over in his chair. His head snapped up as he heard movement behind him.

 

“You left me behind. And for what?” A voice said coldly.

 

Solar Flare spun around in the chair and stood up. Priest stood in front of him. Upon seeing his friend Solar Flare’s blood ran cold. Priest’s eyes were jet black and black lines traced the veins of his face.

 

“YOU LEFT ME BEHIND AND SAVED YOURSELF!” Priest screamed and raised a rusted, worn sword up up Solar Flare. “You left me to rot in the dark while you, the great hero, ran for his life! Coward!”

 

The nightmare always ended the same way. Solar Flare jerked awake at the terminal. He removed his costume’s hood and wiped cold sweat from his brow.

 

“God almighty, the same nightmare every night.” Solar Flare whispered out loud. He turned and looked behind him. The nightmarish version of his friend wasn’t there. He was alone in the lab.

 

Solar Flare got up and walked to a window. It was dark outside. “Television on.” He called out.

 

A nearby monitor flashed on and a live news broadcast was running. “…recommended to leave areas threatened by the phenomena. Citizens are instructed to follow all military and law enforcement directions. Follow designated evacuation routes. Please be aware that within 100 miles of the perimeter of the dome no civilians are permitted. Authorities will arrest and detain anyone violating this perimeter.”

 

“Messages.” Solar Flare had seen enough.

 

An electronic voice replied. “You have 1 new message.” Solar Flare had been expecting this one.

 

“Eagle requests your presence at the designated time and place.” Continued the computer.

 

Eagle was the codename Solar Flare had used for the President of the United States. The capital was too close to the expanding dome so all personnel and civilians had evacuated. It had been chaos. Now this dome was approaching New York. People were already fleeing but moving millions of people was no easy task. The military had reached out to Solar Flare in the beginning. Now that New York was threatened it was little wonder why the President himself requested a meeting.

 

Although it wasn’t so much a request as a “you’ll be there” message. It was the President after all.

 

Solar Flare had a few hours before he needed to go. He would at least try and get some sleep.

 

MEANWHILE…

 

“His name was Solar Flare? Strange name for someone?” The tall muscular man said.

 

“That from the guy flying around calling himself Superman?” Bruce Wayne replied dryly.

 

“Better than ‘Batman’” Clark muttered under his breath.

 

“According to the Batcomputer…”

 

Clark coughed loudly.

 

“It’s a theme.” Bruce continued. “The coordinates listed are for a location in Metropolis. I scanned the area and found there is an anomaly there. It’s not much but there is definitely something there.”

 

Clark looked at Bruce Wayne, otherwise known as Batman. While the world thought of him as a billionaire playboy the sobering reality was much different. Besides being one of the best tacticians in the world Bruce was also one of the smartest. His deductive reasoning skills were world class.

 

“Bruce, do you believe the message and think it is accurate?” Clark asked.

 

“Yes and yes.” Bruce replied.

 

“Okay then, we need to move. I haven’t encountered anything quite like was described but I know someone who might have. I’ll do some investigating.” Clark was no slouch when it came to investigating things either. Being an alien helped too. He had a certain perspective humans didn’t. Clark knew other dimensions existed as he had had to fight trans-dimensional evils on several occasions.

 

“I’m going to Metropolis to analyze this anomaly first hand.” Bruce pulled his cowl over his head. Clark noticed that whenever he did that it was as if one persona left and a new one took over.

 

“I’ll call in the rest of the Justice League Batman.”

 

“I already did Bruce, see you in Metropolis.”

 

“Not if I see you first.” In a blur Superman shot out of the Batcave.

 

“I hate it when he does that…” Batman said to the now empty cave.

 

ELSEWHERE…

 

“Hmm…” Reed Richards thought to himself. “This is a curious puzzle.”

 

Reed Richards, leader of the Fantastic Four and arguably the smartest man alive in his world, studied a three dimensional simulation of a space time anomaly on his computer screen.

 

Without thinking Reed reached across the room, literally, and keyed in a sequence of commands on a terminal agains the opposite wall. Just missing Ben Grimm, The Thing, in the process.

 

“Whoa! Pardon the reach there stretch!”

 

“Sorry Ben.” Reed smiled. He got excited when he was posed with a new puzzle and this one was shaping up to be a good one. A mysterious message from what appeared to be an alternate dimension.

 

It appeared to be legitimate too. The information in the message from someone calling himself Solar Flare was very specific. This was no prank. It did raise a question though.

 

“Is this a trap?” Reed thought out loud.

 

“It’s a trap!” Ben yelled and chuckled.

 

“Thanks Ben.”

 

“Whatcha got there boss?” Ben lumbered over to where Reed was sitting. Watching out for Reed’s  arm that still stretched clear across the room. Reed Richards, also know as Mister Fantastic, could extend his limbs and stretch his body in a myriad of ways. It was pretty handy when working in a lab.

 

Ben leaned over and looked at the display. “I see.” He said. “We’re under attack from a spiral thingy?”

 

Reed smiled and looked up at the stone features of his friend. They were actual stone. Ben Grimm’s skin had been altered into an orange, living stone. His strength rivaled the most powerful beings on the Earth too.

 

“Ben, this message, in my opinion, is authentic. This Solar Flare is really from another dimension.”

 

Ben read the text of the message on another monitor. “Darkness aliens? Could that be that Shadow King the X-Man tangled with awhile back?”

 

“Possibly.” Reed replied. “But I don’t think so. These energy readings are different. They aren’t tied to an astral presence. This is something else altogether.”

 

“Ya’ gonna call up the Avengers or do we handle this in house?” Ben asked as he cracked his stone knuckles. “Been awhile since I clobbered anything.”

 

“Given the severity of the threat, or at least the potential threat, I asked Captain America to come.”

 

“Captain America? Which one Reed, the old guy or the new guy?”

 

“The current Captain America.”

 

As if one cue a rumbling noise sounded and as Ben and Reed looked out the window of 4 Freedom Plaza a winged silhouette flew past.

 

“Company Ben.”

 

A short while later, Susan Storm-Richards, the Invisible Woman,  escorted Sam Wilson into the lab. Sam was a tall muscular man. On his back was a flight pack. Wings would extend out from it at a thought.  His body armor and suit colored red, white, and blue. He carried a round shield, also red, white, and blue, with a white star in the middle. That shield had defended truth, justice, and freedom ever since World War 2. Now it was carried by Sam Wilson who had once been known as Falcon. Nowadays he was known as Captain America.

 

Sam extended his hand and gave Reed a firm handshake.

 

“Good to see you Reed. Sue gave me the highlights of the situation. What else do you know.”

 

“Thanks for coming on such short notice Sam. I know your are busy.” Reed gestured to the bank of monitors at his terminal. “This is big. Something has weakened the space time barrier here in New York. Central Park to be exact.”

 

“What did it? Any idea why?” Sam asked.

 

“I believe that this anomaly has formed at a point in space time where the wall between several dimensions meet.”

 

“That doesn’t sound good Reed…” Sam said.

 

“It is and it isn’t. Forewarned is forearmed in this case. I scanned the area and the wall hasn’t broken down. At least not yet.” Reed looked concerned.

 

“What is it?” Asked Sam.

 

“Sam, this message says his world, this person calling himself Solar Flare, was invaded by a trans-dimensional alien race. We could be in danger too. Fortunately this warning tipped us off.”

 

Ben interrupted. “Okay, so what are we waitin’ on!?! Let’s do something already!”

 

Sam turned to review the message and readout of the anomaly. “Central Park, we’ll need to clear everyone out and lock it down until further notice. I’ll call in the rest of the Avengers.”

 

“Agreed.” Reed paused and continued. “Sam, I have an idea of what we need to do but I don’t think you’re going to like it.”

 

“Why.”

 

“I think we need to open a portal to that world and stop this threat at the source. Otherwise we are waiting for a hammer to fall in the middle of the most populated city in the United States.”

 

Sam ran his free hand over this head considering the ramifications of opening a dimensional portal in the middle of New York City. “Steve is going to flip out when I tell him this.”

 

“I can talk to him if you want, explain things.” Reed offered.

 

“Thanks, that would help. I’d like the Fantastic Four to join up with us on this one. It’s dangerous…”

 

“Oh, and fighting Galactus was just a walk in the park.” Ben interrupted. “Anyway, the new Thor is cute.”

 

“Do not call her ‘cute.’ She seriously hates that…” Sam warned.

 

Ben Grimm grinned. Sue Storm rolled her eyes.

 

Sue Storm spoke up. “Sam, you can count on our support. There are a lot of people at risk. In our world and who knows how bad it has become in Solar Flare’s world.”

 

“I hope we aren’t too late.” Reed interjected.

 

“We can’t lose hope Reed. If not for our sake then for the sake of the people in that world who have been possessed.” Sue said looking at the fluctuating anomaly on the screen.

 

UNDER THE DARKNESS DOME…

 

Hope. It’s a funny thing Priest thought to himself. So easy to give to someone else, but so hard to find yourself.

 

Priest lay still on a cold, damp, brick floor. The darkness was absolute. He couldn’t see his hand in front of his face. Not that he could try. The Shades had beaten him mercilessly that day at the lab. Priest couldn’t even remember how long it had been. A week? Two? A month?

 

He had been knocked unconscious. When he awoke he was locked in a stone room with no light. Then it started. He could hear the door open and he would be dragged, literally dragged out of the room. He was laid out, chained down and then icy claws cut him. At first he fought back but soon his strength failed. He was fed some kind of gruel  and water. Enough to keep him alive but only barely.

 

He was beaten, cut, and beaten again. Attacks on his psyche followed shortly until his mind blurred.

 

Now he lay on the stone floor. “Father, please help me. I am but a man. I have no light to see by, no strength to fight with but my faith. It remains strong. I know you have not forsaken me. But I pray for the strength to resist this darkness. This impenetrable darkness.”

 

Summoning what reserve strength he could must Priest tried to stand. He got up to a crouch and this his legs buckled under him and he fell to the stone floor.

 

Laying there he thought of his divine sword. The Hand of God had been lost. He didn’t know if the Shades had it or not. He had been entrusted with the blade by the angel Michael. Now, for all he knew, the sword had been destroyed.

 

Priest lay there and felt despair. His mind and body had been beaten and tortured. He knew he had to keeping fighting, but to what end? Perhaps he had been captive here so long the Shades had spread over the globe and now possessed every living being on the Earth. What if there was no hope left in all the world?

 

“There is still hope my good friend.” A deep comforting voice said from the darkness. “That’s the funny thing about darkness.” The voice continued. “Everyone talks about how powerful darkness is.”

 

A blinding light appeared in front of Priest’s face. He shut his eyes and they slowly adjusted. He raised his head and focused. It had been so long since he had seen anything.

 

The light was a small flickering candlelight. It hovered over an open palm.

 

“Even the softest light chases the deepest darkness away.” The voice said softly.

 

Priest arched his neck to see who was speaking. A tall muscular man in a white suit knelt over him.

 

“Michael, is it really you.” Priest asked weakly.

 

The powerful figure of the Archangel Micheal stood up. “Yes it is my friend. Fear not, for you are not alone.”

 

Priest smiled but the effort to keep his head up was too much and it fell to floor.

 

But it wasn’t stone. Instead his head rested on soft green grass. Priest looked around. In the small circle of light the stone had been replaced with a patch of grass.

 

Michael raised his hand to his mouth and blew gently. The small candle flame blew apart like a dandelion. Sparkles of light fell all around the room. The room changed and Priest lay in a grassy clearing. Sunlight warmed his chilled body and his strength began to return to his limbs. Wounds healed and bruises disappeared.

 

Priest stood up and stretched. Bones cracked as he flexed his muscles. He felt alive and energized once again. But then a thought struck him.

 

“Michael, am I dead?” Priest asked.

 

“No my friend, you aren’t.” Michael replied. “Your are in a waypoint of sorts between your world and the afterlife.”

 

Priest looked around. The clearing was bordered by trees. As he watched men, women, boys, and girls emerged from the forest and walked along a path in the grass. At the end of the path stood an old standing next to a podium. As people walked up he greeted them and consulted a lager on the podium. He would have a short conversation with them and gesture for them to continue along the path. As the individual continued along more people would emerge from the forest behind the man. There would be tears, handshakes, and hugs. Priest realized that he was watching people entering Heaven. He surmised that old man was Saint Peter greeting the recently dead who were in turn being greeted by those who had past on before them.

 

At the center of the clearing was a still, dark pond. The sunlight from above did not reflect in the water.

 

“Why have you brought me here?” Priest asked.

 

“What you call Shades are actually a race of beings call the Zin. They are not of your world and mortal man was never to have contacted them.” Michael answered.

“The Zin are, aliens?” Priest asked.

 

“Not exactly. They are an ancient race my friend. They are very old and come from a world of pure darkness and evil. At the dawn of creation they sought to extinguish the light of life. The angels of heaven waged war with them and pushed them back to their own realm. They were locked in their world and there they were to remain. Somehow Tek-Lo broke into their realm when he tore open the temporal rift.” Michael said matter of factly.

 

Priest needed to know something else. “Can the possessed be saved? The Hand of God appeared to harm them.”

 

“Yes.” Michael said. “The Zin can be banished without harming their host but it won’t be easy.”

 

“l lost the Hand of God.” Priest said quietly.

 

“You were fighting an army of possessed people.” Michael countered. “It wasn’t like you left in the back of a cab.”

 

“Still, I failed and the sword is lost.” Priest said.

 

“Not really, after all, it’s no ordinary sword.” Michael explained. “The Zin recognized your divine power. That is why they acted so aggressively against you. They took you captive and hid the sword to study both of you. Test your limits. The Zin can’t touch divine steel. We can find it.”

 

“What’s the plan then.” Priest asked.

 

Michael turned, a smile on his face. “It’s time to fight back. But first we have to get you a sword.”