Final Crisis: God is dead

[interrogoiterum]

So... this is it then, the end.

Renee tries not to think of her family. It's not as easy as it might seem, given she's been trying not to think of her family for years.

The Cathedral is full of people doing the same thing, sitting around in clutches of friends and acquaintances, all focused hard on not thinking about their loved ones that must be outside in the Anti-Life throng, collectively calling at the cathedral for people to Submit. It's not a pleasant situation, but it's suddenly very much worse when the noise stops.

Everyone outside is silent.

And then, in the middle of the crowd, a sound, like a shepherd's crook on stone. The crowd parts, and the man comes forward, barefoot, clad in only a pair of torn shorts, and clutching the Spear, the glows red with energy like hate, matching the flames pouring forth from the inverted cross between his eyes.

Renee recognises his face - it's Vandal Savage, the Immortal Man. Or at least, the body is. The person in the body is Cain, and Renee has no idea if that is Vandal Savage, or is just possessing him. She doesn't know if there is a difference.

He stands at the base of the steps to the cathedral and screams. “Hate Everything. HATE EVERYTHING.

“God most of all.”

He stands at the base of the steps and he calls for the Spectre. And the Spectre answers – well, Crispus Allen answers, materialising at Vandal Savage's feet, snatching the Spear and lifting the man up with a hand at his throat. It's definitely more wrath-of-man than wrath-of-God. And Cain answers it – by plunging a thumb into Cris' eye, kicking the Spear back into his own hands and plunging it down through Cris' heart.

Renee screams “No!” but no one heeds her.

Right now, at this moment, she doesn't believe in God. At least, no God who could allow this to happen. Who could allow Cain to stand there, with a spear through her friend's body, and rip the Spectre out, leaving Crispus a dead husk on the ground.

But there are new gods. They're dying and being reborn, and all of us mortals, she thinks, all of us made of meat and blood – we're nothing to them, just collateral damage. The Spectre, apart from his human body now, kneels in red chains at Cain's feet. The Radiant stands behind the Question, not quite cowering, but not much more than submissive.

The Crime Bible foretells Cain's return, and the vengeanse he wreask upon the world, upon God's creation for the punishment he endured. Cain's return heralds the end of the world, the death of the old god. The book of Adumbrations tells of Cain ushering in the Age of Apokalips on Earth.

The Spectre kneels at Cain's feet and calls him Master.

This is how the world ends. With the might of one God brought to his knees, a slave following on the heels of his master and – as Cain lifts a hand to touch the Radiant on her glowing cheek – with the corruption of God's mercy.

And then, he turns his attention to Renee. Because it's been at least an hour since anyone tried to kill her and that can't be left alone.

“You defied my will, Faceless. You failed me. You were to lead my order, the one detined to put the spear in my hands, not Sister Wrack,” (Who by the by is watching all this and muttering “kill her kill her kill her...” Renee is going to slap that bitch if they both survive.)

“I do not abide disobedience. I abide failure even less.”

“Talk talk talk,” Renee retorts, because she never learned not to taunt the person about to kill her. He grins a grin that makes the Joker look friendly, and points the spear at her, shooting the same red angry power straight at her chest, just as he killed Cris.

Nothing.

Cain asks the same thing Renee was thinking “Ho do you yet live?”

She takes the opportunity while she can, and kicks him in the face; a move that accomplished two things: 1) a broken foot and 2) the opportunity for him to grab her by the throat.

“Oh no no no, little thing. You may be immune to its power, but its blade will cut you just the same.”

And once again, Renee is about to be killed. Time for another last minute rescue.

Someone?

Anyone?

Comments

[baptizemyself]

SHLLKKK

That is the sound made by a custom-made crossbow bolt piercing the back of Cain's head and exiting through his eye.

"HRKK!"

And that is the sound made by Cain as he spins to face his attacker and is greeted by another bolt directly into his open mouth.

"I don't know what it is, but something about you just screams 'pincushion'."

The Huntress drops from the sky. Taking advantage of Cain's momentary distraction as he pulls out the bolt that is now lodged in his throat she grabs the Question by her arm and tries to pull her away from the mindless mob back to the relative safety inside the Cathedral.

"C'mon, move-"

[interrogoiterum]

Renee will say this for the Huntress - she knows how to make an entrance. And at least she's not in any immediate danger. For now.

"No," she protests, pulling back against Helena's arm, "the Spear!"

Not enough time to explain right now, but Cain must not be left with the Spear.

But now he's pointing that Spear at them and screaming "Kill them all!"

[baptizemyself]

"There is no time!"

As the glowing nun speaks she thrusts her hands into the air and a white light surrounds the three of them. Helena doesn't know what the hell kind of power that woman has but it seems to be holding off the crowd and it gives Helena and Renee, now carrying the limp form of Crispus Allen, enough time to draw back to the Cathedral.

"You shall not pass. In God's name... You shall not."

Moments after Helena shuts the door behind them the nun is suddenly there, inside the cathedral with them, talking in soothing tones to the Gothamites who have taken refuge inside. And well, Helena has some questions for her.

"You're the one protecting us from the Spectre?"

[interrogoiterum]

Renee had rushed forward at the last minute - not for the Spear this time, but for Cris, who was still lying unheeded at Cain's feet. It hadn't been the best thing for ease of running, but she wasn't leaving his body outside.

She only has one question filling her thoughts:

Why?

[baptizemyself]

"If you can stop him," Huntress says to the nun, "that would mean...

"Are you an angel?"

"I am a humble servant of the almighty."

It's that's not really an answer to her question but before she can ask more the nun asks a question of her own: "Where is the faceless one?"

[interrogoiterum]

"Here."

Cris. Oh, Cris. Renee can't seem to leave his side.

(Seriously, what is it with her record of dead best friends?)

"Right here. He's dead again? Or is that still?"

"He was never truly alive," the Radiant says, unhelpfully. "It was his bonding to the Spectre that sustained him. Now one is a slave, and the other is a ghost once more."

[baptizemyself]

"A ghost?" Helena asks, but she's removed from the conversation, a bystander almost. Whatever is going on here Helena understands that she is not truly a part of it, but that doesn't matter: all that matters is that she's here for Renee and there is nothing that Helena wouldn't do for her.

The Radiant turns her face slowly to Helena, her expression full of sadness.

"He finds no peace, not even in his death.

[interrogoiterum]

"No, of course he doesn't," Renee says. "He killed his son, after all."

Again, she knows that had she the chance, she'd go the hell right back in time and kill Corrigan herself.

"So now what?"

"I cannot say."

"No!!"

Renee is on her feet, pointing an accusing finger at the Radiant before she even registers what she's doing. 'Cannot say'. That means she knows, but isn't saying something.

"You don't get to do that! Either there is a God and you and the Spectre and all of this is part of a pla, a divine plan, or you're just some glowing Tinkerbell playing games with me and everyone in this place! Cain's got the Spear, the Spectre is his slave, the world's five minutes from going tits up. If you know what the next move is, if you know what I'm supposed to do, dammit tell me!"

[baptizemyself]

"Uh... maybe not shouting at the Angel might be a good idea?" Helena ventures, reaching out to take Renee by the arm to try and calm the situation.

[interrogoiterum]

Helena just made the mistake of grabbing Renee's arm just when Renee was in no mood to have her arm taken. And... there was all that crap back at the bar that Renee is still convinced was homophobia.

She snaps her arm away and rounds on the Huntress, directing her anger that way instead.

"And what would you know about it, Bat-Might? I appreciate the save outsid,e but you're a little late to the party!"

[baptizemyself]

... Ooookay that was not the reaction she was expecting. Helena knows that this isn't her Renee but it still stings a little to have Renee speak to her like that. If nothing else Helena just saved her damn life!

Maybe that's why Helena finds herself getting angry at Renee.

"I'd have gotten here sooner but the wall-to-wall Dawn Of The Dead outside kinda held me up!"

"I'm the only reason you're not as cold as your friend on the floor there!"

[interrogoiterum]

"Hey, maybe you missed the lightshow, but apparently the Spear can't hurt me!"

Wait - it can't hurt her.

Oh God, she's such a fool. Renee instantly backs away from Huntress, her anger retreating under the realisaton.

It makes such a weird kind of sense.

[baptizemyself]

Oh no. No no no. Renee does not get to dismiss her like that.

"Don't you turn your back to -"

She grabs Renee's shoulder, to stop her walking away but Renee cuts her off before she can say anything else.

"Yeah, shut up a second, okay?"

[interrogoiterum]

("You were meant to lead my order," Cain said, "the one destined to put the spear in my hands.")

"That's it, isn't it?" Renee asks the Radiant, ignoring Helena for now. "It's all about the Spear. The Crime Bible was right."

"I cannot say," she repeats.

It's not about yelling, Renee figures, but about asking the right question. She thinks she knows the answer anyway."

"This is a war for God's greatest gift - your freedom, be it to do good or evil, to sin or stand righteous. In stealing that, Cain seeks to punish the almighty.

"Humanity's choices - your choices - must decide this outcome. Not the decisions of toehrs, be they angel or devil."

[baptizemyself]

"But Cain --"

This time it is the Radiant who interrupts her.

"Cain is human, despite his immortality. The mark upon him declares his sin and forbids his death, nothing more."

"We don't have the power to fight this without God's help!

Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, they're ALL M.I.A.! I've lost contact with Oracle, Alan Scott's the only one still coordinating a response...

Without help we're not strong enough."

Helena and Renee... they're good but they're street-level. And this is starting to sound way, way out of their league.

[interrogoiterum]

Renee disagrees, as it happens. She holds up a hand to silence Helena, but it's gentler now. Whatever happened between them at the Bar - it's apparently not an issue for this Huntress any more.

"Tell me about the Spear of Destiny. What is really is, not just what we think it is."

And the Radiant does.

First used by Gaius Cassius - Longinus - to pierce the side of the Lamb, bathed in His blood, it drew power from the Divine. Power that, in Longinus' hands, was able to heal the sick, but which later fell into more evil hands, like those of Hitler, who used it to turn American heroes against the allies, corrupting the Spear.

"So it's not only a weapon," Renee says.

"No, just a tool."

"Then it's a question of how it's used..."

[baptizemyself]

"Getting a little ahead of yourself aren't you?" Helena asks. She's been listening and she's spotted a little bit of a flaw in that plan.

"Using it requires having it, and going outside to get it isn't much of an option. Never mind the fact that the people here need our protection. And that's not even asking what you'd do with it if you got it. Corrupt and tainted, the angel just said.

I don't know about you, but I'm sure not righteous enough to resist that kind of power.

"Are you?"

She tries to look Renee in the eyes, but they're hidden behind that damn faceless mask of hers.

[interrogoiterum]

That's the biggest advantage of the mask. Renee can look the Huntress straight in the eye without compromising any of herself. It's a quick glance, but she really looks, trying to ignore the other question that rises up:

What is that in Helena's eyes?

"Probably not."

But then, there's Cris, lying on the floor where she left him, an empty husk without the Spectre holding him together.

[baptizemyself]

Helena shifts her gaze away from Renee - looking at her and seeing nothing in return just hurts. Besides: this isn't the time for multidimensional relationship counselling.

She turns her attention back to the Radiant and the matter at hand.

"Nowhere in what you just said did you explain how the Spear could enslave the Spectre. He should be dead now, not fitted for matching collar and cuffs."

"Because, like Cain, the Spectre cannot die, Huntress."

[interrogoiterum]

"Our hosts may perish, but our essences remain eternal, until the passing of the Almighty who created us."

"You're saying the Spectre's enslaved only as long as he has no host," Renee says. "That's why you're still free. The Radiant and Sister Claricem you're still entwined."

It not just makes sense, if gives hope; Renee can save Cris and the Spectre - and the world - with one thing.

"We've got to put them back together."

[baptizemyself]

"Fine. I'll see if I can find some glue and you study up on resurrections."

[interrogoiterum]

"Actually," Renee says, "I think I've got that covered..."

Except the Radiant now looks distracted. "Where are you going?"

"Outside"

She heads outside, to Cain on his throne of human flesh. Renee and Huntress follow, trailed, for the sake of frightened curiosity, by a group of young men Renee saw Sister Clarice talking to earlier.

"You have murderers under your protection, Radiant," he's saying. "Does God know?"

"God detests the sin, not the sinner, Cain."

"But what about you, Spirit of Mercy? I can smell the blood on them. Your blood."

[baptizemyself]

Oh. Oh.

"Even if you can forgive what they did to you," Cain continues, "What if they do it again to another? Think of the others you're trying to save... The danger you've put them in... It's not right spirit. It's not just."

His voice is silky smooth, almost seductive, making his words sound so reasonable: like the Serpent in the Garden of Eden, Helena imagines.

"What would you have me do?" The Radiant asks him in her gentle voice, still calm, still musical even tinged with sadness.

"Isn't it obvious? Give them to me. And I will exact the punishment that God would not. Give them to me, and I will spare the lives of all those under your protection."

When the Radiant speaks it is to utter one simple word, deafening in it's simplicity: "No."

[interrogoiterum]

Cain is, understandably, pissed at such a reaction, but the Radiant stands her ground. God is behind her protection of the Cathedral, and only God can break it.

"You have made the Spectre your slave. He has no will of his own."

"Then I shall make my instructions plain," Cain replies, pulling the Spectre up by the chain around his neck.

Renee knows the words the moment they begin.

"Anti-Life = Loneliness + "

The Radiant knows them too, and for the first time Renee hears fear in her voice.

"alienation + despair +"

She hears the despair as she begs, pleads with Cain to stop this.

"Self worth ÷ mockery"

The sound of her faith as it breaks.

Then the Spectre that marked the One, all praise to him, will speak the spell of the ending. And lo, the slave will whisper the words that they echo throughout creation, and thus the unmaking will come, and that which God granted shall Cain steal away and the One, all praise to him, shall break their faith and he shall steal their hope. The Flames will rise and those who resist shall fall and their freedom shall be as memory, and all will become one in the darkness.

The Book of Lilith, Chapter 19, verses 27 to 31

The Spectre speaks the Anti-Life equation, and the world echoes with Darkseid. He falls silent, and in the void, Renee hears new sounds. The crackling of flames, the laughter of madmen. The Spirit of Mercy weeps, and the face of evil gloats.

Says Cain, "We win."

[baptizemyself]

As Anti-Life spreads across the earth, the Radiant falls to her knees and reaches out to Renee.

"... Help... me..."

"Something's happened to her!" Helena says, kneeling next to the Radiant as she begins to recite a prayer that Helena knows well:

"Hail Mary, full of grace..."