Ignite [Book Three In The "Fire And Lightning" Series]

Chapter Thirty-Five- Apokalips

Five months since I started this book at the beginning of the school year :) do you guys think we can finish this before June?

June 3, 2018. 12:27.
Apokalips.
~~Emma~~

If the sudden drop into the boom tube didn't knock the wind out of me, the landing on Apokalips a split-second later sure did. I crashed into the uneven, rocky ground, listening to the thumps nearby as the rest of my team crash-landed.

Gasping for air, I immediately had to cough. The air was thick with ash, smelling like burnt flesh.

I guess that's what you get when you go to the planet of the gods of Anti-life.

I heard the others coughing nearby, and I pulled myself to my feet.

"Team!" I had to pause while I coughed again. "Report in!"

"I'm back here with Bee, Robin, and WG!" Guardian called.

"Batgirl and I got Finch." Richard apparated out of the red and black dust in front of me, Barbra and Mara at his side.

"I got the Flashes and the Beast Twins!" I saw Artemis pulling the Flash to his feet, and Bart doing the same with Rachel.

"Peachy." Roy grumbled, dusting ash and dirt off his no longer pristinely cleaned uniform.

One by one the rest of my teammates sounded off, including Sphere and Wolf, and Black Canary and Green Arrow did too.

"That was awesome!" Terra cried, leaping out of a pile of smooth, round, black rocks, pillowed together for her to land on. Sharing her enthusiasm, Garfield pulled her out.

"Sorry about  the landing, guys." Willow held up Mother Box. "First time using this tech."

"Trust me, we can relate!" Sarah said, panting for breath. Her suit of armor looked stifling in this heat.

Tammy pulled Static to his feet. "Believe it or not, that was actually better than when I used Father Box." He admitted, stretching out his sore muscles.

So far, this mission hadn't gone too bad. We'd made it to Apokalips in one piece, we were all together, and we'd managed not to land on a nest of heckhounds or furies.

But it was only beginning.

I put Kaldur's arm around my shoulder, helping him up into a standing position.

"Are you gonna be okay?" I asked, placing my hand on his cheek.

"I will manage. Are you alright?"

I nodded, and managed a smile. "Yeah."

"Okie-dokie, Sphere! Which way to Wally?" Bart asked, getting us all back on task. It was the first time I'd seen a speedster so focused on something for so long.

Sphere beeped, the lights on her console blinking as she calculated. Wolf had his nose to the ground as well, hoping  to catch a familiar scent

"This way, and keep a sharp eye out." Superboy said quietly, following Sphere around the corner of a mound of dirt and rusted metal, which is what most of the planet seemed to be made of.

Hopefully, the rest of this mission would go as well as it had so far.

-------

Screams of agony fill the air, creating an odd sort of harmony.

It was music to Darkseid's ear.

The torture pits were full to the brim, as usual. He kept those he especially loved to torment alive, with a bit of dark magic and some help from his trusted scientist, Desaad. Those who died were always easily replaced.