by Smasher, Fahrenheit 451 and HERO!
In space, Zed had just smashed his way to Smasher's cell. There, cowering in a corner, was Smasher.
Zed: "Come on, we're needed on Earth!"
Smasher: "Hellllp... please..."
Zed: "Don't worry. That's why I'm here."
Zed came closer to Smasher and went to help him up, when his hand went right through him. "What the--?"
"Sucker..."
"What...?" Zed turned and was hit with two powerful blasts to the chest. Zed fell back and landed hard on the ground. "No, you can't be..."
Smasher: "I have changed... I am now POWERFUL. I SERVE THEM NOW... YOU ARE NOT WANTED HERE!"
A force field formed around Zed and lifted him into the air, and Zed was flung through the floor and all the way down to Earth. Zed crashed through the MBL Headquarters roof and landed in front of Hardy New-Born.
HNB: "What the fuck? First half of our team... just disappears, and now, one of our most powerful members crashes through the roof! What is happening to us?"
Zed: "Smash... Smash... Smasher... is now..."
HNB: "Is what?"
Zed: "Evil..."
HNB: "No... what Pro X said is... coming true..."
The man with the glowing orb looked at Zed, confused. "Hey! You're not part of the invasion!"
He looked around angrily, then hit his activator again. "I said, LET THE INVASION BEGIN!"
Nothing happened.
From the communicator, a voice issued, saying in an unknown language, "Sorry, we have a problem..."
The man responded in the same language. "What is it now?"
"The one known as Steve is not responding. I think you better take a look at it."
"Sheesh." He went back to the rafters and disappeared. The MBLers, unable to make any moves to follow him, looked at each other.
"Good thing I had a universal translator so we could understand that conversation," said Fleetfoot, who quickly related the details of the conversation to his new teammates.
Something fell to the ground.
J.T. Free: "What's that?"
Flintlock: "Looks like lutefisk."
Dragnet Zero: "What's that?"
Lava Dust: "It's disgusting."
Flintlock: "Norwegians eat it. And you know where Norwegians come from."
Dragnet Zero: "Norway?"
Flintlock: "No, silly: Minnesota."
J.T. Free: "To Minnesota!"
"Not so fast!" said an unknown voice.
Digigrrl: "Not another problem... another person that we have to deal with!"
"I am not a person, I am people. I am composed of six of your MBLers and have your greatest powers." The voice laughed very sinisterly.
Major Man suddenly transformed into the appearance of this composite person and said, "Wrong! I am the MBLers."
The composite man said, "What treachery is this?"
"You should see the look on your face!" said Flintlock, holding up a picture frame.
As the composite man bent over and looked, Flintlock's fist came through the frame, knocking the man unconscious.
Looking into the composite man's eyes as he regained consciousness, Hero saw the future. There WAS no future, not unless something was done NOW!
Assessing the situation in a split-second, Hero knew the only way to take down the composite man and save the MBL was to deactivate the device on the composite man's wrist. It was the band that allowed him to encompass all of the MBLers into one being, stealing their powers and aiming to destroy the world.
In an act of unmatched bravery and unselfishness, he shoved Hardy New-Born out of the composite man's laser assault. Hero's arm burned where the blast grazed him. The smell of burnt flesh filled the air as Hero leapt for the composite man.
He knew the adversary's every move before he made it, which allowed Hero to narrowly avoid being hit with another blast. Hero threw himself on the wristband and sought to figure out a way to destroy it. Suddenly, he KNEW its weakness and exploited it.
In a flash of many colors and bright lights, the composite man split into the many bodies of the MBLers. The unconcious MBLers fell to the floor and were immediately treated for their injuries by the remaining MBLers. As Hero screamed, all eyes went skyward, where they witnessed Hero being sucked into void that was no longer the composite man.
As the lights dimmed, the crisis was over. The MBLers were reunited, injuries and all. And Hero was gone. Where? No one knows.