Faux-DC Proudly Presents:

Issue # 336

Titans Quest- Part III of III "Endgame!"

By Mike Hintze
Plot Assist by Brittany Fredricks.
(Thanks to Barry Reese for the initial Titans Quest concept)

The Vegan Star System

"Kill these threats to the Empire!!"

At Komand'r's command, dozens of troops opened fire on Diana and Hippolyta. Laser fire scorched the deck where they stood…

…but as the smoke cleared, Diana and Hippolyta still stood, as if nothing had happened.

Then Diana's head turned into static momentarily, clearing up almost immediately.

"Holograms!", yelled Komand'r. "They're only holograms! Board their ship! Find them!!"

The soldiers raced towards the shimmering spacecraft that had just entered the hangar bay. It would have been transparent had it not been for the white coating of frost on the hull due to the cold of space. As they approached the ship, laser cannons sprouted out of the side and fired onto the troops. They quickly scattered.

Onboard the ship, Princess Diana, a.k.a. Wonder Woman, and her mother Hippolyta, the Wonder Woman of World War II, sat in the cockpit. Diana spoke to the ship.

"Weapons at stun setting only. I don't want anyone killed."

"Understood," came the onboard computer's reply. The ship was actually her Invisible Plane, downloaded with the schematics for a 30th Century starship, procured from Brainiac 5 of the Legion of Superheroes during their brief stay in the 20th Century. Not only had it downloaded the schematics from the Justice League Watchtower, but it had also created for itself the artificially aware onboard systems that the actual ship would have had. Advanced as it was, there was not a ship in the system that could match it.

Disengaging the holographic projectors, Diana took the controls of the ship. Lifting it off the hangar bay floor, she guided it towards the bay doors leading to deep space. They were closed, but wouldn't be for long.

Streaks of pulse fire erupted from the ship, pounding the doors. Komand'r and her troops got the message immediately. They ran out if the hangar, and as soon as they were sealed out, Diana cut loose. The doors blew open, and decompression sucked all of the air out of the bay. Diana's scanners told her no one was left in the hangar bay. Good. She had only wanted to scare them off.

Her ship streaked into space, and once clear of Komand'r's massive ship, she engaged her cloaking device.

"That was a good idea, mother," Diana said. "I had been willing to trust them. I was wrong."

Hippolyta put her hand on Diana's shoulder. "You weren't wrong. You are just too trusting, my daughter."

"In any case," Diana said, "We're no closer to Donna now than when we first got here. We have to find her!"

---

The Citadel Homeworld

She knew. She finally, after going through, quite literally, hell…she knew.

Now it was time for the universe to bow to her whims.

Thia stood atop a large tower on the polar north of the Citadel Homeworld, a large golden staff in her hands. As she raised it up, her body seemed to shift. Any casual observer would have seen the image of the demonic and insane Titan goddess Thia, then in the same instant, the image would have shifted to that of another, more alien woman.

That woman was Sparta, one of the seeds that the Titans had taken in as children to develop into the next generation of godlings. Like Donna Troy, Sparta had been rescued from certain death by the Greek Titans, and raised with incredible powers, training in all fighting techniques and education in the arts. Once a suitable age, the seeds were sent back to their homeworlds with no memories of their time on the Titan's world of New Chronus, to learn their native ways before being allowed full knowledge of their intended destinies. Sparta of Synriannaq, however, regained her memories, and driven insane by the knowledge, tried to kill all the other seeds to gain their power, and kill the Greek Titans. She was eventually defeated and destroyed in battle with Donna Troy and her teammates in the New Titans. But now, it seemed as if some vestige of Sparta was still alive, at least as a part of Thia in her current incarnation.

The shifting seemed to increase, as Sparta and Thia seemed to be occupying the same space at once. Then, the golden staff shone with a plethora of colors, each brighter than the next. The colors then blended together, and became one large beam of white light. The beam shot up, out of the atmosphere of the planet, and arced towards the sun.

The closer the beam was to the sun, the more the star began to ripple and move. Anything the beam touched on its journey was immediately destroyed. Finally…the beam hit the star called Vega.

And it turned from a bright golden yellow to darkest black.

The sun then began emitting waves of energy, white with black specks throughout it. The waves moved much slower than the beam that instigated their creation. But their effect was just as devastating.

Thia smiled.

Thus was the first chapter in her plan brought to fruition.

The restarting of the greatest threat the universe had ever experienced.

The Crisis.

The waves of anti-matter from the transformed Vega continued on their paths. Eventually, they would consume the entire system, and spread beyond. The suns of other solar systems would act as anti-matter relays, becoming transformed like Vega, until the universe was consumed in anti-matter.

Donna Troy, alias Troia, had been difficult to break. Thia truly believed that Troia had no idea of her link to the one true Source of all power. Still, to gain access to that power, Troia had to acknowledge its existence. Thia had had to get creative in her tortures of the Titan seed, but then she had millennia of experience to draw upon. Troia had done what was needed, and just in time, too. She wasn't much more than an empty shell at the end.

Thia couldn't remember exactly why she was doing what she was, just that she had to get control of Troia's power to destroy everything…whenever she tried to remember, she was wracked by pain. No matter.

The universe was beginning to feel her pain.

---

The Depths of Hell

"Well?"

Neron stood at the entranceway to the Anti-Monitor's personal chamber with a smug look on his face. The former lord of the Anti-Matter universe had had his doubts regarding Neron's ability to manipulate other events to his liking. But now, Neron had news for him.

"Everything is going according to plan. Thia has started the chain reaction in Vega, broken Troia and Princess Diana is in the system as we speak."

The Anti-Monitor turned to look at Neron. "Good. My plans hinge on their being no possible way that Diana can link events to me. My existence in this universe must be a secret."

Neron smiled even more now. "Oh, don't worry. When our bastardization of life is all said and done…the universe will be yours."

---

Vegan Space

"Alert! Celestial Level Event in progress within Vega. Cause: Unnatural. Location of Causal Reactor: Citadel Homeworld."

Diana and Hippolyta turned at the onboard systems' message. "Could this have something to do with Donna?", asked Diana.

"It was too much of a coincidence not to be," said Hippolyta.

Diana knew what she had to do. If Donna wasn't on the Citadel Homeworld, then surely there would be beings in need of aid.

"Computer, take us to the Citadel."

---

Dick? Is that you? Oh, I'm so happy you're here…I've missed you. Terry's gone, my son is gone…all I have is you…you and the Titans…I don't want to leave here…It's nice and quiet…not like that other place…it hurt there…now its nice…Wait! Dick! Don't leave! What's that light?…I don't like it…its taking me back…NO! I don't want to go back! No!

"Donna?? Donna! Wake up!"

Donna Troy opened her eyes, and saw what must be a dream. Two Wonder Women?? Then reality hit her again. Diana and Hippolyta! They were here in the Vegan System! She was alive!

"Diana?? How-how'd you get here?", Donna asked sluggishly. Her tongue felt thick, and her whole body hurt. What had happened?

"I received a…summons from you. I had a flash in my mind that you were in trouble, and came as fast as I could. You're aboard my ship now. What happened? What is Thia up to?"

Donna sat up, and looked around. The ship Diana referred to was transparent. Her Invisible Plane, Donna thought to herself. She looked at a reflective part of the internal hull, and saw her face. Her hair was gone, and her left eye was swollen and black. Vicious scars streaked her body. Her tunic was tattered, and her bracelets and armor were cracked or falling apart. She remembered.

"Thia…she tortured me. She said I had a link to the Source, from that big deal with the Source Wall a while back,*", she said.

(* See 1997's Genesis Mini-Series - The MikeSource)

"What would she want with your link to the source? She's a goddess…her power must be limitless already," said Hippolyta.

"I-I don't know. She killed Circe…and did something to me. I feel empty, Diana…like I've lost something precious," said Donna. Tears began to stream down her face.

So that's why Circe was a part of that mental cry! Circe's dead? I'll believe that when I see it. "Well, whatever she's doing, I'll bet its at the north pole of this planet," said Diana. "Sensors show that a humanoid being is at the epicenter of the energy disturbance we detected earlier."

"I want her dead," said Donna. "I want her to suffer for what she's done."

"Praise Gaea, we'll see to that, daughter," replied Hipployta fiercely.

The starship sped from its place in the atmosphere, and headed for the polar north of the Citadel Homeworld.

---

The star called Vega emitted wave after wave of slow moving anti-matter energy. It pulsed with a black glow to it, resembling not a sun but a surreal black hole. It was dying, and it would take everything in the system with it.

But, if one were to look inside the star, and be able to see clearly within it, one would see what looked like a human being. One would see that it was female, and a strikingly beautiful one at that. Her hair, skin and body were golden, standing out from the dark blackness of the star's current state.

She was in pain. She was angry.

And X'Hal would not tolerate this raping of her soul one moment longer.

---

The WonderShip approached the polar north, and what the passengers saw was incredible. Thia stood atop a mountain peak, holding a golden staff above her head. Then, her image shifted to that of Sparta, and back again, over and over. It was almost dizzying to watch her.

"I didn't imagine it! She just shifted into Sparta! I saw that before, but wasn't sure what was going on! Something else is involved here."

Diana and Hippolyta looked at each other, and frowned at Donna's words. They themselves had never met Thia or any of the Greek Titans, yet they knew they had to do something. Anti-matter was the primary concern. The only hope of containing it and stopping it now was magic. And right now, Thia/Sparta had the most magic around.

The WonderShip landed a mile away, allowing the trio of women to disembark. Diana had had her ship break off a piece of itself to morph into a clear battle armor. Hippolyta wore her Amazonian armor, complete with battleaxe and large shield. Troia was wearing her tatters from her uniform, a determined look on her scarred face. Her wounds were beginning to heal, but she still ignored the pain. Her main thought was that of killing Thia/Sparta.

The women took to the air, trying to gain top speed. Their only hope, according to Troia, was a surprise attack. Thia/Sparta was possessed of the power of the Titan gods, as well as that of the Source. Diana had her suspicions as to a source of some of her power, but kept it to herself. She hoped she was wrong.

Thia/Sparta looked up at the women, and cackled. Her image then settled onto that of Sparta. Pointing her staff, a bolt of energy was fired at the women. They broke formation, but continued onto their target. Thia/Sparta continued blasting away, but none of her blasts hit the mark. Screaming, she expanded her size to twice her regular size. She looked to her right, and saw Diana and Hipployta lifting tons of rock over their heads. Throwing the massive weight, Diana and Hipployta hoped their plan worked.

Thia/Sparta raised her hands to blast the rock to oblivion. She never got the chance.

Troia collided with her at the speed of sound. Before Thia/Sparta knew what had happened, she was 5 miles from her original location. Troia never gave her the chance to get her bearings. She rained down on her with superhuman blows, never giving Thia/Sparta a second's rest. Her images flickered more less and less now, but Troia didn't notice. She was in a rage of vengeance. Finally, Troia grabbed Thia/Sparta, and flew up a mile. Once there, she looked her foe in the eye, and threw her down to the ground below.

Diana landed atop where Thia/Sparta had been standing. Her golden staff lay on the ground. "Mother, we have to stop the anti-matter process. Thia must have used this as some sort of medium to start the process."

Hippolyta looked down at the staff. "We have to get Thia to do it. Neither of us has the power or ability."

"I'll do it," came a voice beside them. Troia walked up to them, with an unconscious Thia beside her. "Thia used my connection to the Source to draw its power. Maybe I still have that connection."

"Donna," Hippolyta said, "This could kill you. Look at what Thia has come to."

"Don't stop me, Hippolyta," Troia replied, "If I don't try, the anti-matter will destroy everything. Now get back. I have to stop this."

Troia grabbed the golden staff, and held it with both her hands. Concentrating, she tried to will the Source to come through her, as Thia had forced on her before. At first, she felt nothing. Then, suddenly, as if being caressed by an old lover, she felt it. The Source.

It began to flow through her, faster and faster, until it became a raging torrent. She felt as if she was going to be overwhelmed, but continued to push on. Her body glowed a brilliant light, too bright for Diana and Hippolyta to stare at directly. Waves of power washed off of Donna, warping reality all around her. Diana saw the very ground change beneath her, hilly then flat, and even more. Troia was brighter than the sun.

But it was becoming too much for her. Troia could feel it. She was on the verge of burning out. She wasn't going to be able to correct Thia's evil.

Suddenly, a bright, glowing woman appeared above Troia. She looked as if she was made of spun gold. She looked down on the spectacle before her.

"I am X'Hal. My domain has been defiled. Do you seek to help, or destroy?"

Troia could barely think straight. X'Hal? She was a normal Vegan woman that the Psions experimented on, before she went insane and destroyed planets. She was worshipped here…but she's dead!

"I-I seek to help, Great X'Hal! But I need help!" Please don't be insane, please!

"Very well. Open yourself up to me."

Troia opened her mind, and everything went berserk. Energy flowed out of her, and into X'Hal. From the unison of the two of them, a bright beam shot out, and towards the sun. It streaked through space, and as it went, branches shot out from the main beam, spanning the solar system. Closer and closer the beam came to Vega, and as it approached, the branch beams hit their destinations. The planets and fleets that Thia had shattered were restored to their former states. The lives that were killed were brought back from their place in the Source. And finally, the main beam made contact with Vega.

The black sun flashed momentarily, and then a pinprick of light was apparent in the star. Slowly, and then faster, the light expanded. Eventually the sun was glowing brightly again. Once the sun was brilliant, the waves of anti-matter vanished. The destruction they caused was reversed. The entire process took minutes, and once it was done, the system was as it was before Thia's arrival.

Diana and Hippolyta looked onward as the brilliance around Troia faded. X'Hal floated up into the sky, and smiled at Troia. Troia smiled back, and then collapsed.

Diana flew over to Troia, and landed beside her. Her body was shriveled, and she looked as if she was 100 years old. Her breathing was laboured and raspy.

"Donna!", said Diana, "Hold on! My ship will get you stabilized!" Diana concentrated, and the WonderShip immediately started to come to her. Hippolyta came up to Diana, but suddenly had a horrified look on her face.

"Diana! Donna! Behind you!", she yelled.

A bolt of white anti-matter energy struck Diana in the back, and she fell to the ground. Troia struggled to look over her shoulder, but was too weak to move. Thia stood up, her hands crackling with anti-matter. She was broken and bloodied, but a look of insanity was across her face. Insanity and desperation. She lowered her hand at the two women again to give a killing blow…but was stopped as a golden battleaxe cleaved her body in two, courtesy of Hippolyta.

The two halves fell apart, expelling energies. As the halves hit the ground, they reformed into two separate bodies: one that of Thia, the other of Sparta. They both shuddered, and at the same time whispered the same message:

"He is returning…"

Then, they died.

Hippolyta went to Diana and Troia, and held them in her arms. The WonderShip landed several feet away, and the bay doors opened to receive them into the medical bay. Hippolyta moved to bring them into the ship…

"Hold, Hippolyta."

She turned to see the source of the voice, and saw a group of beings floating in the air. They were made of a purplish energy, but Hippolyta recognized them from statues and texts from Themyscira.

The Titans.

"Hippolyta, your technologies will not heal them. Leave that to us."

The energy beings each extended a hand, and ancient energies washed over Troia and Diana. Diana stirred, and awoke to see Troia being floated up towards the Titans. The energy enveloped her, and suddenly Troia was covered in radiance. The glowing was as bright as when she was a channel for the Source. Then, it began to fade.

Troia was lowered back down to the ground. Her uniform was restored, as well as her appearance. Her hair was shoulder length, and her eyes crisply blue.

The Titans spoke in unison. "Daughter of our Hearts, we thank you, for you have saved us yet again. We have restored you, and as a boon have granted you with additional abilities which will become apparent over time. You are our last legacy to the world of man. Go forth, and do good in our name. For you are Troia, the Last Titan."

With that, they coalesced into a formless mass of energy, and sped into deep space. Diana lay on the ground, still in pain, but recovering nonetheless. Troia knelt down to her. "Diana…are you all right?"

Diana struggled, but was able to stand up. "I'll-I'll be fine. Thank Hera that you're all right, though! You look incredible!"

Troia smiled. "It's all better. Everything is restored. We won, Diana!"

Hippolyta put her arms around the other women, and together, they boarded the WonderShip and headed…for home.

---

Hell

"So you see," said Neron, "In the end everything went well. Princess Diana was the only one to be truly affected as we had planned. The changes wrought in her body will prepare the way for the rest of our plans. The destruction of the Vegan System was corrected, so as not to bring other groups into an investigation of the situation, like the L.E.G.I.O.N. Troia will return and go about her life. Hippolyta will return to hers. And Diana…well, things are going to get a whole lot worse for her, now aren't they?"

The Anti-Monitor looked at Neron, and smiled as best he could. Phase one of their plan had come to fruition. His return was set.

Princess Diana was going to die horribly, so he could live again.

---

Next Issue: Diana recovers from the events of Titan Quest, but its effects are still felt, as Gateway Police Officer Mike Schorr learns to his horror…Plus: More on the plans of the Anti-Monitor and Neron…And coming soon: Troia #1 from Brittany Fredericks!

Comments? Send'em on to mikeman@sk.sympatico.ca!

Mike Hintze
12/10/99