by the_indestructible_man, snake_headed_son and speedy_the_smackhead
The MBL had been turning the tide to victory outside, when a humongous screen on the wall lit up with the shadowy image of Hate Assbury's visage, blue flame dancing from his glowing eyes.
Assbury: "So-called Meta Board League! I will be the first to admit that you've done damage to the carefully oiled machine I've constructed upon this world. And so have I done the same to yours. Your headquarters and home city have been obliterated from continuity, and my minions are wreaking havoc across the face of a world without heroes."
Nowhereman: "Fuck!"
Hate Assbury: "You have a choice now. Either press on here and be destroyed in hellfire, or leave this world and have the slightest chance of salvaging the freedom of your own."
The Indestructible Man: "Don't listen to him! We've come so close to defeating the Syndicate!"
Smasher: "But what about Thunder City? This bastard blew it up!"
Flintlock: "All the more reason to bust down his door and take him down for good."
Hate Assbury: "No, none of that."
The camera on the screen panned back to show Smackhead bound and hooked to a bomb by cables and tubes.
Hate Assbury: "Your compatriot here is hooked up to a bomb of the design that took out Thunder City. If I am taken out, this world, all of you, and billions of innocents die."
Nowhereman: "I stil don't get it. He's bluffing about the headquarters! How would they get in?"
A being walked out the shadows behind Smackhead.
Time Trustee Tempus: "With my aid, Meta Board League. It was my wife and I that sent your brainwashed teammates against you, and we that helped Thunder City die. Once you are dead and the rest of the MBL back home destroyed, we will rule that world as viceroys of Hate Assbury. Goodbye, MBL."
The screen blanked out as autoguns folded out of the wall and began to glow red.
Disco Steve nervously chuckled, "Heh."
Indestructible Man: "No way! When the destiny of a whole boards is at stake, we cannot stop even if they have one of our teammates! MBL MEET!"
All the metaheroes attacked the building as one powerful warrior.
"Your friend is dead meat!" He looked at the bomb, but Smackhead was gone. "Where the hell...?"
Smackhead was safe on the roof of a nearby building. A mysterious figure smiled down to the MBL while grabbing Smackhead, bringing him to safety.
Indestructible Man: "Mystery Man has saved Smackhead! Go! Go!"
Hate Assbury: "Ah, fuck! Fire the bomb!"
On the top of the obelisk, Eurostar said, "Theory 9, go get rid of the bomb. It's your time!"
Theory 9 flew off to catch the bomb while it was starting to fall on the MBL. He took the big missile, and then flew high in the sky, where there was a bright explosion. The sound came only ten minutes later.
Eurostar spoke into the communicator: "Theory 9, can you hear me?"
An answer finally came: "Crackle... crackle... yes... crackle... I... am... very far... explosion was massive... but I'm on... crackle... my way..."
Eurostar: "Good!"
Meanwhile, the MBL headed on to Hate Assbury's base. With a big burst of power, they overcame the defense of the drones and entered the building, to find Time Trustee Tempus and Medusa Lass standing in front of the elevator leading down to Hate Assbury's sanctum.
Tempus: "Unfortunately, you can't pass. There's still a plan to go through with. Now, dear..."
Medusa Lass let loose a blast of stone vision at the group. A whole mess of them were petrified as the Indestructible Man and Nowhereman alone pushed through and bust through the elevator doors. The two hurtled downwards, the Indestructible Man breaking the fall. They stood up and saw the towering form of Hate Assbury, cloak fluttering in the crackle of electricity as his eyes burned blue.
Indestructible Man: "All right, Assbury, whether the MBL survives or not, it's time for you to answer for your crimes."
Hate Assbury: "Not likely. I don't see the problem in wiping out the metahuman vigilantes of two worlds. Now, I'd like to show you what I've discovered about what can done with this powerful extraterrestrial body when enough energy has been collected."
Hate Assbury discorporated himself into a blue bolt of electricity and flew toward Nowhereman, into his eyes. Nowhereman screamed and twisted in utter agony.
Nowhereman: "AUGH!"
His voice changed.
Nowhereman, speaking with Hate Assbury's uppercrust English accent, said, "Think you have the right to take the name of Nowhereman? Bah! Sterner stuff is needed. Let's see how rewiring some neurons into a darker personality can put you on the way to shedding this false heroism!"
Nowhereman's eyes rolled back as lightning crackled about his head, and he dropped over unconcious and burned. The blue bolt shot out toward Indestructible Man, hit the energy field about his body, and bounced off. He recorporated in front of the hero, looking him in the eye in anger.
Hate Assbury: "So, that doesn't work, eh? Well, let's try and kill you another way."
Killer Weed stepped out of the shadows and zapped Indestructible Man with a ray. As he twitched, he began to decrease in age, as his costume morphed into his old garb as the Ultraconservative. He felt the rush of air against his skin as his indestructibility turned off.
Indestructible Man: "What the--?!"
Killer Weed: "I've regressed you to your non-powered form. Now I'll finish the task I began with the Meta Militia."
Indestructible Man: "No, now I finish my task..."
As Killer Weed reached down for his gun, Indestructible Man/Ultraconservative leaped at him, enraged. The pure anger in his mind clicked something deep down in his cortex. Killer Weed pulled his weapon and fired.
The bolt bounced off.
"Thanks again," said the Indestructible Man.
He swung with his fist, glowing bright red with crackling rage force, punching straight through the android's chest, splintering the renegade Time Trust talos into a million shards.
Indestructible Man: "Now for you, Assbury."
The two faced off, each crackling with energy, one of sun and one of rage.
Time Trustee Tempus grinned as he picked up a sledgehammer and moved towards the petrified MBL as Medusa Lass cackled. The members thought unhappy thoughts as the android approached. Suddenly, Nuriko noticed as Jenna's statue began to glow brightly.
Tempus: "What the--?!"
FWOOSH!
Eurostar sneaked unseen in the palace to locate Hate Assbury and prepare for the return of Theory 9, who knew the secret to defeat Hate Assbury. As he walked toward Hate Assbury's secret lair, he found himself in front of EuroTsar.
"I knew there was a reason I built two of everything," muttered Hate Assbury as he armed the second, backup retcon bomb.
Smackhead leaped from his perch atop the nearby building and bounded for the destructive warhead. "Th-there's still hope... there is ALWAYS hope..."
Time to save the world!
Time... back in time...
Do what you have to... we MUST save the world...
We must save the world...
The bomb detonated as Smackhead slammed into it, but the explosion was dampened by Smackhead's scattered drug-induced molecular structure. Smackhead and a third of the building were instantly vaporized in a retcon explosion.
Hate Assbury: "MY BOMB -- HE HAS DESTROYED MY BOMB! NOOOOOooo..."