(General POV)
Location the New Earth: Metropolis; Lex Corp-Secret Underground Research Site, Meeting Room
In a modern meeting room, with black furnished, a sleak oval shaped, long black table with multiple chairs, on all around the table, and on the "head" chair was a fine dressed bald man, with his hands interlocked, as he waited for his...guest.
This is Lex Luthor, he was waiting on a middle of this room, within a special underground research site, with special led insulation, special sound and signal blocking, preventing Superman and other heroes to find this place.
Aside seating, he was watching a screen that was hanging from the center of the room, which displayed the footage of the battle around Ground Zero.
Luthor, told the special voice automated system, to zoom in on the "Marker" Flash Thompson, then telling the system to freeze the footage, he watched as the ten lights, each one having a different color, only having two named Cores, but not solidify information, as any of these Cores could be the Knowledge Prism or the Nature's Heart.
He commanded the system to continue the footage, watching until the scene of Green Lantern, having Flash Thompson in his custody, which made Luthor frown, if Waller managed to acquire Flash, scoffing and telling the system to bring up the recorded data of the Forsaken.
Now with Abathur marked as the fifth Infernal Lord, and Jinx is the third bride of Mao, the Forsaken were desperate to collect these Cores and Luthor saw great potential in them, with them he'll be a God, the savior to humanity.
Ridding the world of the like of Superman, and more, plus he'll forcibly push humanity into a age that they'll never need a outerworldly being to protect them, while also increasing his empire and legacy.
Making Luthor smile, as a some doors slide open, revealing his guest...a pure white skinned man, with his lips painted red, and the area around his eyes painted black, he has green hair and eye color, dressed in a long-sleeved, long opened purple suit coat, a green vest on display, with a light purple dress shirt underneath.
He has a purple tie tied and tucked on his neck, long purple suit pants and some black dress shoes, this is the Joker, fully dressed and with his usual demented swag, it took some hundred-thousands of dollars to free the Joker, right under the nose of Batman.
Joker, strutted into the meeting room, with a huge smile, and a giggle escaping from his throat, as Joker spoke, "Ahh Lexy. Of all the bald headed, businessmen in this world. I didn't expected you all people to let me out, the madhouse. So..." taking a seat right side of Lex, and resting his chin on top of his interlocked, gloved fingers, with a devilish wide grin on his face, continued, "...why did you let this, clown out the box?" Luthor, unaffected by the Joker's usual game.
Stood up, adjusted his tied and suit, showed Joker the Bludhaven attack done by the Forsaken, and finished by Kefka, as Joker's smile vanish and turned to a scornful frown.
Lex, played to Joker's ego, and exclaimed that Batman and his "Bat Family" were more focused on the Forsaken, and Kefka was the new in Lex's words, "New clown on the stage." Joker glowed, and in a unamused tone, "So what do you want Lexy?" Lex smiled and stated that, he was building a special organization that can not only take out the League, but arise to the top, and no one, no one in the New Earth knew bats and birds like him, Joker "hmm" and then smiled, as he'd jokingly asked, "We'll we have matching uniforms?" while Lex mental groan, but smile as the first and most easiest recruit of this Legion, was secured.
Location the Justice League Watchtower, Board Room
All the League members were gathered, Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lantern, Green Arrow, Shazam, Black Canary, Vixen, Atom, Martian Manhunter, and Aquaman were all sat down together.
Not just a week ago, the League almost went in a open hostility and conflict with the Avengers, when Lantern secured the Marker, Flash Thompson, speaking of that man, he was in a offsite location belonging to the League.
In fact in the holographic projection, floating above the sleak, white semi-transparent table, showing the live feed of the said man, Flash Thompson, resting on a bed wearing hospital gown, still unconscious, J'onn J'onzz, told his teammates and companions that he'd tried to psychically contact Flash Thompson's mind.
But it was like a vortex of endless energy, a endless abyss that threatened to swallow him whole, so with a voice filled on regret, he told the rest of the League, that he couldn't uncover anything about the Cores of Reality, or their location.
Superman, Wonder Woman, and Shazam comfort their alien friend and fellow Leaguer, aside from that Iron Man aka Tony Stark and SHIELD have been pestering Bruce and the others to hand over Flash Thompson.
Believing that these Cores of Reality, to be more powerful Infinity Stones, Batman with Nightwing, Batgirl, and Red Robin's assistance have recovered all information of these "Infinity Stones", they are six in total and supposedly represent the six branches of infinity.
Such as Time, Soul, Power, Space, Mind, and Reality Stones, but luckily from what Stark and Banner stated all the cosmic traces of the stones, are completely missing from over three galaxies expansive scans, and this Thanos the Mad Titan, who sound like a weaker Darkseid to the Justice League, was also missing.
Seems that many cosmic and galactic threats and entities are missing from this world, that was most likely created by Mao and these Cores to merge these Earths, meaning the collecting the Cores of Reality is a must for the League, with the Titans and Young Justice providing their assistance in this hunt for the Cores.
Batman, he even called back Orphan, Huntress, Batwing, and Bluebird, while Aqualad invited Cheshire to join his team...but she'd preferred to ally, and not directly team affiliated...Bruce, shuke his bat-cowl head, thinking of Selena.
Cheshire is a proud mother and wife of Red Arrow, so she wasn't dealing with more illegal jobs, lining more in a gray area, and helping Aqualad's team, with not only her husband, but her sister Artemis Crook also apart of Young Justice.
Returning to the main topic, for the last week they have monitoring the Marker, but yet no new information on the Cores or their location has been acquired, and the pressure from the American President, Director Fury, supported by his organization, and many more are waiting for the right time to strike, as the League looked at the holo-feed of the still unconscious Flash Thompson, all they could do is wait.
Now it was time to speak about another big and what is a constant subject, the Forsaken, Flash he took a moment to quickly...or more like flashed typed a couple keys, and brought out the diagram that Batman made a while ago, now updated.
With the addition of Abathur which is placed as the fifth spot of the Infernal Lords, by his own revelation, and Jinx joining the diagram section where Cyn and Lilithmon are, every day more and more monsters of unbelievable power, and personalities are being revealed.
Barry, chuckled a bit stating that Jinx is like a super-powered Harley Quinn, making Bruce grunt a bit, cause he couldn't argue, while he was glad that Harleen has finally left Joker...she is still a pain to deal with sometime, while she is considered as a...ally...by the Bat Family, Harly still causes a bit of chaos wherever she is.
Last he checked, she was currently back with the Suicide Squad, but apart from making sure the vented villains in the Squad, were given better conditions and replace the explosive for knock out devices in their heads, it all up to them to improve.
As the meeting continues, with them discussing on what to do next and making contagencies for the Cores when they find them...
Location Deep in the Pacific Ocean-Attuma's Domain; HYDRA Sub. Main Deck
Red Skull, Sin, and MODOK who is reluctantly with the previous two...they were guiding their guest.
Attuma, Attuma he was born as a member of a tribe of barbaric Atlanteans, who were banished from Atlantis ages ago, a tall, muscular figure of power and a warrior like aura.
A notorious Atlantean warlord, as for his appearance he is light blue skinned merman, with white eyes, unbelievable amount of muscle, wearing a golden open-faced helmet with a pair flat horns on the top, a golden chestplate, bracers, and waist armor, a indigo colored cape tugged under his shoulder pauldrons, with blue scaled armor in various part of his overall gear, Attuma is a warlord, a barbaric titan that believes that both the sea and surface world should belong to the pure race of Atlanteans.
Thus triggering a long time rivalry and hatred to the impure Namor of Talokan, and now this halfbreed calling himself Aquaman of the true Atlantis, Attuma growled and tighten his fists, at these thoughts, as he latched out, "Enough of this Skull!! Why have you contacted me, and made this meeting!!? My patience were thin." Red Skull, looked at him with a stoned face, before making a hand gesture and the door to the main deck opened, he gestured to Attuma to go on ahead.
With a scoff, Attuma walked forward to red themed main deck and control room of the submarine, symbol of HYDRA proudly displayed in various spots of the room, as MODOK floated by and brought up, the latest events on the surface, showing this feeds to Attuma.
He was amongst the few that didn't know the full story of the Forsaken, and their actions on the surface.
Attuma watched as two man-cities were utterly destroyed, then Red Skull instructed MODOK to bring up the "creatures" data showing some dead, mutalisks and roaches, HYDRA had their best AIM scientists perform autopsy on these collected specimens.
Showing Attuma that these creatures are a biological marble of constant evolution, Red Skull, stated telling that these unknown creatures are but a few in their possession, it won't take much for these creatures to be able to thrive under the water, and he even commented to the Atlantean warlord that it wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility.
That the Forsaken possess aquatic creatures, or some aquatic based Infernal Lords among their ranks, while the Forsaken are mostly focused on the surface for now, from the way that Mao has commented that he knew of their world, and the other Earth that is merged with their own, it won't be long before Mao and the Forsaken turn their sights on the underwater world of Attuma.
Attuma, tightened his fists, but eventually calm himself, as he asked Red Skull, "So what is it that you, want Skull?" Red Skull, smiled and responded, "Not only the Forsaken. But in this new world, many threat are arising all around us Attuma. Threat, that alone we can't overcome. Avengers, X-men, Justice League, and even this new Atlantis reigned by a member of this said League. What I want...no what I'm offering a Attuma, is a alliance. Joins us, and together we can crush all that oppose us, and remake this world as we see fit." Attuma looked at Red Skull.
Contemplating what he'd said to him, as much as he want to argue and deny what the Skull said, Attuma's warlord trained mind, knew that Red Skull was right, grunting he spoke, "Know this Skull. Betray me or order me like one of your minion, and I'll feed you to the horrors of the deep myself." making Red Skull smile, as this meant that he gained Attuma and his warriors to HYDRA's service.
Now with a powerful ally apart of their organization, plus having access to the seas, HYDRA has become much more powerful, as Red Skull commanded his followers to mobilize the submarine, it was time to talk about the primary target of HYDRA, the Cores of Reality.
Location Near the Somalian Oceanic Border: At the Deck of a Decomitioned Battleship
Another month passed, and a new criminal force was already making a name for itself, using a decomitioned and restored fleet of battleships to sail across the Ocean, smuggling illegal goods, kidnapping, murdering, and plundering, they acted like true, hard-core and ruthless pirates.
They were called the Donquixote Pirates, as much as many thought of the name initially as a joke, or some cuckoo thought of the name as something worth to brand his crew...until those once laughed at pirates, started gaining power.
Lead by a man named Doflamingo Donquixote, who somehow went to Somalia, gathering hundreds almost thousands of Somalian smugglers and soo called pirates, under his command.
Going to the African ship-graveyard, and using somekind of power took those ships left to rust, and broken and repurposed for his used, they stormed the seas, attacking various coasts, islands, and ships, while Doflamingo, he gained a very dark and feared reputation, inspiring fear, respect, and disdain by countless people.
Right now Doflamingo the Heavenly Demon, and secretly the sixth Infernal Lord of the Forsaken, his devil fruit power has evolved thanks to the young master, while normally Doflamingo would serve no one but himself, he respects Mao's power, cruelty, insanity, and wicket charm, someone that he can serve loyally.
The first time, he appeared on Somalia, the ones that were going to be apart of his massive crew, they tried to shot him with AK-47s, only for his [Hardening Haki] to block all the bullet, and without using his usual hand and finger gestures to command his String Powers, but as his fruit was enhanced, only with a thought does these strings manifest and bend to his will.
He made an example to those that tried to harm him, slashing, skinning, and hanging those fools by his strings, and with a big smile, and a low level burst of [Conqueror Haki], he'd made those Somalian crooks submit to him, and using a adjusted [String Parasite] technique, all his men have a string expanding on their innards and organs, and in one thought of betrayal or failure, Doflamingo kills them in gorery fashion.
Hence he'd secured his power base, as a newly established pirate and smuggler on the New Earth, even purposely spreading a rumor that he is the secret partner and supplier of the HSKs in Hell's Kitchen, Blackmore and him have become quite close colleagues, almost friends, as Doflamingo he was resting on a sunchair on his deck, soaking up the Sun with a smile on his face.
That when a braided, Somalian man wearing a dirty green t-shirt, camouflage shorts, and saddles, holding a AK, he came to report that their closing in on a Russian Fleet, making Doflamingo chuckled.
Getting up from his chair, and making the pirate grunt, stepped back, intimidated by Doflamingo's movement, Doflamingo not looking at his grunt, he said, "Good, get the men ready. It time to get some supplies, for our client." fully getting off the chair, placing his hands onto his pants pockets, and taking his usual walking stride, he went to the control room, getting ready for the upcoming fun...