[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/7ieqwfU.png[/img][/center] The Omega Javelin. The ultimate fail safe of the Arlaaekan Empire Some have called it The World Killer, others have just called it the end. The weapon itself was quite simple, a single metallic spear that when fired at a planet or other celestial body builds up enough kinetic energy that it penetrates into the heart of the planet, and explodes, ripping the planet apart from within. Since its creation, the Omega Javelin had only been used once, and the use of that weapon sent shock waves through the cosmos. It, like those who wielded the weapon, were spoken of in hushed whispers, so as not to bring themselves to the attention of the Alraaekans. But now, preparations were being made to deploy the weapon once again, this time against a small, primitive planet that had proven to be just as fierce as any who had ever come face to face with the Autcrat's war machine. “Deploying the Omega Javelin in 3...2...1...” The entire mothership, shuttered as the weapon was fired from the underbelly of the city sized ship, and was on a collision course with the planet below. Icon stood alone in the street where the Autocrat had just stood before vanishing through a portal. Icon was hurt. His ribs ached, his legs were weak, and his heart was broken. He was loath to admit it, he was relieved that the Autocrat was at least momentarily elsewhere. He wanted to be anywhere but there in this moment. He wanted to grieve the woman who he loved, the woman who had given her life so that he could live. The time to grieve would come, but not yet. The sky was illuminated as the Arlaaekan's ultimate weapon hurtled toward Earth. Icon focused to the object, and saw that it looked something like a missile, only larger. Without hesitation he leapt into the sky and rocketed toward the object, hoping to meet it head on. Across the city, the remaining Guardians stood at the wreckage of the Purifier. They watched with wonder as the remaining alien forces fled to their ships and evacuated the planet. They were left to wonder if somehow, had they done it? Had they really been able to repel an advanced alien army? Their answer came as a bright light lit up the sky above them, and some sort of object came rushing toward them. Lyger looked up at the incoming object with trepidation. He didn't know what the aliens had fired at them, some sort of nuclear weapon or something even worse. Them something else caught his eye, a blue and silver streak moving toward it. “Go get it, Scott.” Lyger said barely above a whisper, but somehow he know that his words were heard. As Icon raced toward the Javelin, he pushed his head down and increased his speed, shattering the sound barrier in the process. He knew that ever fraction of a second would count, and he pushed on towards the weapon. Finally, after what had only been a mere couple of seconds, but had felt much, much longer, Icon finally reached the oncoming missile. He had thought of eradicating it with an optic blast, or destroying it simply by flying through it, but he didn't know what a detonation within Earth's atmosphere would do to the planet. He knew that he had to redirect the weapon away from the Earth, he just hoped that he had the strength, and the time. Once he made contact with the missile, he put his hands under the nose of the weapon and pushed against it, with little success. [I] Come on, damn you.[/i] Icon said to himself as he exerted more force against the missile. Although he was in pain, he dug down and forced himself to move faster, fast enough to counteract the Javelin's downward trajectory. However, his efforts seemed ineffective. Until he felt the Omega Javelin begin to slow. [I]Yes!!![/i] he thought to himself as he could feel his own momentum gaining. Icon regripped the end of the Javelin and began to not only push it back, but he arced his own flight pattern around until he he managed to redirect the missile away from the planet toward its new target. The Arlaaekan mothership itself. As Icon directed the Javelin, again his thoughts drifted to what these invaders had wrought upon the people of Earth. The sheer destruction, the countless lives lost, and as the image of Alexa's lifeless body being held tightly in his arms flashed before his eyes, he thought of the futures stolen and the dreams that have died on this day. Though he was battered and beaten and barely able to stay conscious, it was these thoughts that forced him onward. That compelled him to stay awake and to use every remaining ounce of strength to direct the Javelin back toward the mothership. As the heat of Earth's atmosphere tried to consume both he and the missile, he pushed forward. Though every fiber of his being screamed in pain and he wanted so much to just give in and stop, he knew that he had more work to do. In this moment, he was reminded of a poem by Robert Frost that he had once read. [I] Miles to go before I sleep.[/i] he thought to himself as he finally broke free of Earth's atmosphere and entered the vacuumof space, and toward the alien ship that had been responsible for so much destruction and death. Years earlier, shortly after his father's death, Icon understood the sanctity of life, and had vowed to protect all life, no matter who's it was. Yet now he found himself in a position where, in order to preserve the lives of the very people he had sworn to protect, he would have to take lives. From the moment that the Arlaaekans had arrived on Earth, they have shown that they place no value on life, will stop at nothing to extinguish it. As Icon guided the Omega Javelin into the underside of the Arlaaekan mothership, he took little solace in the knowledge that this was the only way. The Arlaaekans have proven that they will keep coming after the people of Earth until there is nothing left. And that is something that Icon cannot allow. Icon and the Omega Javelin inch closer and closer to the mothership until finally they collide. On Earth, the sky illuminates as the alien mothership erupts in a giant fireball, which can be seen all over the globe. The heroes in Lost Haven who had fought so hard to thwart the invading forces were somber even as the citizens of the world rejoice in their victory. The heroes, particularly the group known as The Guardians had lost so much. Not only had they witnessed the deaths of countless civilians,but they lost some of their own. Slipstream, missing and presumed to be among the millions lost in the San Francisco area. And of course... Radiance. And now they looked to the skies for any sign that their comrade Icon, who had personally guided the world ending missile into the heart of the Arlaaekan mothership had somehow managed to survive the explosion even though they knew, or at the very least feared that no one, not even him, could have survived such an explosion. Then, they saw it. Something reentered the atmosphere. Perhaps debris from the Arlaaekan ship, or even a meteorite. However, as the object banked hard to the right and changed course for Lost Haven. However, it wasn't until moments later when they saw the distinct form of Icon flying over the city that their spirits lifted and they knew, that after what had seemed like a lifetime, they had won.