The Speedster, Earth-16
Wally West started running as soon as the Zeta Tube deposited him in the North Pole. In practically no time at all, Wally West was nearing the site where the Magnetic Field Disruptor had reached critical mass, where Flash and Impulse were already circling it and attempting to negate the energy flow. "I think it's working!" Impulse called out, but Flash didn't seem so optimistic.
"It's definitely slowing down, but not stopping! Even at our top speeds, I don't think the two of us can generate enough kinetic energy!"
"Well how about the three of us?" Wally piped up, alerting his fellow speedsters to his presence. "I may not be as fast as you two, but I can add my fair share of kinetic energy! Besides, I can't let the new kid hog up all the glory from saving the world, can I?" He remarked, and Barry smirked.
"Good man!"
"So crash!"
And with that, Flash and Impulse sped off, reaching their top speeds in an instant. "C'mon Wall-Man, you can do better than that!" Kid Flash said to himself, as he reached his top speed, and then pushed himself a little beyond that. Sure enough, with the addition of the third speedster, the MFD's chrysalis began to subside. Wally became dimly aware of the bioship landing nearby...only for a bolt of energy to painfully pass through him. And then another, and another. If Wally had to guess, he would say that his slower speed was making him a sort of 'exit valve' for the energy being released. He could feel his body begin to weaken, and for a moment, Wally considered dropping out and letting Barry and Bart handle it...but then he thought of Artemis. If he stopped now, there was no guarantee that the two Allens would be able to maintain the kinetic energy being released by the MFD. and if the Chrysalis was allowed to reach critical mass again, then the whole world would be destroyed. And so, Wally made his choice.
"Hnnng!" Kid Flash grunted out as one more bolt of energy struck him, and his body began to fade.
"Kid!" Barry called out, and Flash turned to Impulse. "We gotta slow down, try and siphon off some of the energy!" Unfortunately, this came a little too late, as Wally's body began to flicker out of existence. Barry reached out for him, but his hand passed right through Kid's body.
"Oh man, Artemis is gonna kill me for this. Don't even get me started on mom and dad…" Kid grunted out, before he looked at Barry. "Just...tell them, ok?" That was all he managed to say, before the pain ripped through his body again, drowning out the sounds of Barry calling for him.
Barry. He was so grateful to his uncle for introducing him to this life. Wally then thought of his friends, of Dick and Megan and Connor and Kaldur. Being on The Team with them...they were some of the best days of his life. And Artemis...he hated that it had to be this way. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with Artemis, travel the world, start a family together. They were never going to do that new, their planned life shattered by Wally's selfless heroism. But as Wally began to fade out of existence, he made peace with the fact that his sacrifice meant that Artemis would survive. And y'know what? He was ok with that.
The Captain, Earth-478
Francis Barton had long ago accepted that he would never have a normal life. After all, when your parents are Hawkeye and Black Widow, your childhood is already the furthest thing from normal. Of course this also means that you're going to be the target for a fair amount of kidnapping schemes from a young age. Which is why, when most kids were doing Little League and piano lessons, he was learning how to shoot a bow and arrow. When most teenagers joined marching band or some other extracurricular activity, he found himself as Trickshot, protege of two of the greatest Avengers who ever lived. Of course, he couldn't just be a normal superhero either. No, instead he found himself as one of the leaders of the new generation of heroes. It was simply the role he was born into. Maybe that's why Francis wasn't surprised when Steve Rogers took him under his wing. Why he wasn't surprised when Steve took Francis with him on that fateful mission to capture Modok. Why Steve, his shield lodged in a nearby wall, shoved himself in front of a rifle pointed at Francis. Why he asked Francis to carry on the mantle of Captain America, why Francis accepted, why he accepted the modified Super Soldier Serum…
...and why he was currently breaking the jaw of a Hydra soldier, before spinning and throwing his shield into the chest of another one, catching it as it flew back. "Keep moving!" Cap ordered out over his communicator, as the walkway he was on began to rumble. "Iron Man, what the hell's going on?"
"They started the launch!" The voice of Nolan Stark, aka Iron Man, said in his ear.
"Already?! But I just scrapped the warhead!" Anna Parker, aka Spider-Woman, protested.
"This thing still has enough explosives on it to level a small town!" Nolan said, and Francis cursed to himself. He'd taken his Avengers squad, consisting of himself, Nolan, Anna, Cassie Lang, Dani Cage, Magni Thorson, and Skrull representative M'kall, to attack a base belonging to one of the last Hydra cells in existence, hoping to stop them from launching a missile at Avengers Station that would rob humanity of its connection to the rest of the galaxy. Their Quinjet had been disabled by the base's defenses, and the team had split up to
"Can you shut it down?" Cap asked into his earpiece, as he ran towards the launch silo.
"The base hasn't been updated since the 90's. The computers are so old my armor can't interface with them."
"Shit. M'kall, Power Woman, you need to-"
"They're down!" Cassie Lang's voice said over the earpiece. "Hydra has some sort of neural scrambler ready. My helmet gave me some protection, but they're out cold! I had Magni pull them out before they could get too hurt!"
"And I just got into a tangle with some old Dreadknights. They completely wrecked my boot jets."
"Shit…" This wasn't good. All their flyers and heavy hitters had been taken out, and the missile was already launching. As the squad leader ran towards the missile silo, being greeted with the sight of the rocket lifting off, he didn't really have much of a plan. Francis figured he'd figure it out after he leapt off the platform, grabbing onto the rocket just as it left the silo. The noise would have been deafening if his cowl/helmet's audio dampeners hadn't kicked in, and his helmet's mouth plate and eyeholes shut to protect him from the g-forces. "Guys, I'm…I'm on the rocket!"
"What the hell are you planning to do?!" Anna asked, as Francis used his super speed to climb up the rocket.
"Good…question…" he grunted out, as the rocket rapidly ascended. "You know me. Half strategy, half…make it up as I go along." He was lucky that the Hydra cell didn't have more resources. If this had been Hammond Zemo's Hydra, the rocket would have been better constructed. There wouldn't have been so many loose panels and grooves he could climb up, eagerly applying a youth spent learning to scale icy cliffs in Russia.
"Dude, there's no way you can bring that thing down on your own!" Cassie said. "I'll get a hold of Magni, have him head back and-"
"…actually, there is." Nolan said. "This is based on one of my dad's old designs. There…there should be a hatch to access the guidance computer about halfway up. If you can disable it during flight, the rocket's designed to self-destruct."
"Who the hell designs something like that?!" Anna asked.
"It was supposed to be a failsafe. Keep enemy combatants from disabling the missile." Nolan explained, and Francis looked up, seeing the hatch just a little ways upward from him.
"Is it…big and yellow?"
"…yeah."
"Francis, you can't possibly be thinking what I think you are!" Cassie stayed, and Francis fought off the g-forced, using all his super strength to climb up to the hatch.
"Gotta…gotta do it…" He grunted out. "Too much…too much riding on the Station. Can't let it go down…" As he grabbed his shield off his back, Francis thought of his life. His childhood, his time as Trickshot, he time spent with his fellow Young Avengers, of fighting alongside his parents, of Steve training him, the day he became Captain America… "Guys, I just wanna say…thank you. For everything. Tell everyone…it's been an honor. And Annie...I'm sorry." No time left. Before his friends could say anything else, he slammed the shield into the computer, destroying it…and him.
The Animal, Earth-1056
If Vince Howlett could describe his life in two words, those words would be difficult and weird. Even more so than most people he knew, which given he knew a man who frequently turned into a giant Green rage monster said a lot.
He and his sister-aunt? They were never really sure which she technically was. Her brother was his father, but they were the same age-had been raised to be weapons, the perfect weapons and assassins, and for years the two of them had been just that, as well as making a nearly unbeatable team.
Then, they had managed to escape, and find their "father"/grandfather Wolverine. With his help they had slowly become more and more human. They had even joined the X-Men as X-23 and Wolf respectively. Then, Logan had done what no one thought he ever would: he died. To honor his memory they had both taken on his mantle as the Wolverines, even taking in a clone of Laura named Gabby. After years of suffering, he finally had the family he had only dreamed of.
Now, though he was alone, and surrounded by Skrulls closing in on all sides. They were making a play at invading Earth once again. Vince had managed to slip into the Skrulls main ship with a small group of others, and while they had shut down the ships main weapons, the others had been forced to pull back before he could rendevouz with them. He was stuck, all alone on the Skrull ship.
"Well, not exactly how I was expecting today to go." Vince said into his comm as he flipped over a Skrull his foot claws emerging as they sank into the next Skrull in front of him.
"Vince, hold on! I'm coming to help you in a Blackbird. I should be there in a few minutes just hang on!" Laura's voice said.
"No, you're going to go back to Earth, take care of Gabby. I have a plan." He said dodging and slashing through several more skrulls.
"I am coming to get you!" She said.
"No! She needs you and the world needs a Wolverine, do me a favor though tell her, that her big brother loves her. That I'm sorry, it came down to this." He said sighting the main reactor core.
"Laura, thank you I never would have made it this far without you and my life would be a lot worse without you in it." He said smiling as he leapt onto a Skrulls back and then launched himself at the core three long golden claws popped from his knuckles as he sliced the core open.
It began to leak out and destabilize. The red energy cracks forming outwards covering the whole ship several feet per second. He smiled at the skrulls and flipped them all off; "See you in hell." He smirked as the ship exploded in a flash of red light.
The Lantern, Earth-25
Thaal Sinestro of Korugar was not a man of many regrets. When he had accepted the role of Green Lantern of Sector 1417, he momentarily entertained the notion of using his ring to assert his own dictatorship on his homeworld of Korugar. Sinestro tossed that notion aside without a moment's hesitation, dedicating his life to protecting both his world and space sector. Over the years, Sinestro's talents grew to the point where many in the Corps began to think of Sinestro as the greatest of them all. When his dear friend Abin Sur of 2814 died at the hands of a amd prophet named Atrocitus, Sinestro took it upon himself to train his replacement, an arrogant pilot named Hal Jordan from a backwater mud ball called 'Earth'. At first, all seemed well, and despite his misgivings, and Sinestro thought that Jordan would be every bit the Lantern he was.
And then Sinestro visited Earth. There, he learned that a lifetime of bullying and powerlessness at the hands of his abusive mother and brothers following his father's death had turned Hal Jordan bitter and cynical. When Hal had finally acquired the Green Lantern ring, he used it's incredible power to inflict terror upon those that had abused and ridiculed him. Taking down Hal Jordan, a man he had mentored, was the hardest decision of Sinestro's life.
Then, to Sinestro's surprise, the Guardians informed him that Earth was more important to the fabric of the universe than was readily apparent, and due to that importance, a skilled Lantern was required to protect. He accepted, passing on protection of sector 1417 to a young woman named Katma Tui, a fellow Korugaran, and became Earth's guardian. Sinestro even joined the 'Justice League', a gathering of heroes from across the planet, and after many years, came to think of Earth as every bit the home Korugar had been.
Unfortunately, Hal Jordan had only deteriorated further. Escaping from the Oan sciencells, he fled to the antimatter dimension of Qward, where he was gifted with the creation of a yellow power ring fueled by fear. Jordan didn't stop there, going so far as to create his own Yellow Lantern Corps and declaring war against the universe.
Which is what lead to Sinestro and Jordan's final confrontation, currently being waged in the skies above Coast City. "Why, Jordan?! You could have been every bit the Lantern Abin was!" Sinestro yelled, launching several green missile constructs at Hal, who countered with a large yellow shield.
"You'd never understand, Sinestro! What it's like to be powerless, to be made to be afraid…" Jordan retorted, firing a yellow beam of energy that Sinestro met with an emerald beam of his own.
"Jordan...you need to stop!" Sinestro demanded, when Jordan broke their clash, firing a series of yellow missiles, which Sinestro blocked with a green shield. Jordan rushed Sinestro, smashing through his shield and grabbing SInestro by the throat.
"Oh, I don't think I do! All this power, at the tip of my fingers...it makes your pitiful green ring look like a firecracker!" Jordan yelled, punching SInestro in the face. "What were the Guardians thinking, hiding this thing away!" As he punched SInestro, the Green Lantern noticed something: Jordan's yellow power ring was beginning to crack, yellow light pouring out. The Korguaran recalled what a captured Weaponer had told him after Jordan had first obtained the ring: the prototype power ring Jordan used was a flawed imitation of the power rings used by the Green Lanterns, and coupled with someone who had poor emotional control as Jordan...Sinestro could only see one outcome. He caught Jordan's fist, and began flying him away from the Earth.
"I...I"m sorry, Hal." Sinestro grunted out, as cracks spread throughout the ring. "I wish...that things were different. Maybe...in the next life…" Before Jordan could respond, his ring shattered, engulfing both of them in a blinding yellow light.
The Sorceress. Earth-1489
Illyana Rasputin had been born the youngest daughter of a small family of farmers in Russia. When she was 11, her older brother Piotr was recruited by Charles Xavier for his X-Men, and her parents had begged the professor to take her as well, wanting a better life for both their children, which Charles was happy to oblige. While Illyana didn't have a mutation like her brother, the X-Men accepted her as one of their own. In the words of Cyclops, 'any family of Piotr's is or family.' when the X-Men were attacked by the sinister Hellfire Club, she shocked all of them by releasing a strange burst of energy.
Upon the realization that Illyana possesed immense magical ability, he sent her to one of his associates: Stephen Strange, Earth's Sorcerer Supreme. For the next decade and a half, Illyana trained under the Sorcerer Supreme, aiding him in protecting the Earth from all manners of mystical threats. Dormammu, Mephisto, the Magus and his demons, the forces of Limbo, Belasco, the Hood and the Norn stones...armed with her magical soulsword, Illyana became renowned throughout the realms for her immense talent.
Which is why it wasn't that much of a surprise when, on her 21st birthday, the eye of Agamotto had appeared before her, declaring that she was to be Earth's next Sorcerer Supreme...a heavy burden, but one she was prepared to bear, becoming the youngest to ever bear the title. And one she wore with pride. With Stephen and Wong by her side, she believed that there was no challenge they couldn't overcome.
Until the arrival of the Emperikul. A sadistic cult focused around super science, they were devoted to the extermination of magic, a task they had already accomplished throughout a good portion of the cosmos. Lead by the fearsome Imperator, they were undetected by Earth's traditional sensors, which is why none of the Avengers or the X-Men were rallying to the aid of Earth's mages. Their leader had assaulted the Sanctum personally, almost killing Illyana in their first encounter and taking her left arm. It was only thanks to the sacrifice of Daniel Drumm's spirit that her and the other sorcerers had managed to escape, and they were making one last push against the Emperikul.
"Push forward!" Illyana bellowed, slicing through an Emperikul war machine with her soulsword, before firing the Flames of the Faltine from a left arm made of pure black armor at a group of soldiers. A witch hunter wolf was about to attack from behind, when the Crimson Bands of Cyttorak wrapped around it.
"We can handle the small fry, Illyana. If we don't defeat the Imperator, this cursed war will only end with our deaths!" Stephen advised, using the Wand of Watoomb to dispense with the footsoldiers, as other mages including Scarlet Witch, Daimon Hellstrom, Brother Voodoo, and countless other sorcerers waged war against the Emperikul.
"I refuse to leave you to fend these things off on your own, Stephen!" Illyana shot back, using the Seven Rings of Raggadorr to block energy blasts.
"All our sacrifices will be for naught if we allow them to drill into the leylines!" Her mentor stated, referring to the 'dragon veins' that conveyed magical power across the planet. "You are Sorcerer Supreme! Your duty is not just to us, but to the entire planet!" As much as she hated to admit it, Stephen was right. If the Imperator's machine drilled into the leylines, he would be able to completely drain the Earth's magic as he had done on countless worlds before them, rendering all of them powerless and helpless.
"...very well then." She agreed, setting her sights on the Imperator's massive, yet unseen to mere mortals, drilling machine, located above Stonehenge, one of the largest points of leyline convergence. The cloak of levitation appeared around her neck, preparing to take her to the top of the machine. However, before she ascended, she turned back to Stephen. "If...if I fail, I-"
"You won't. I trained you, after all." Stephen reassured, flashing her a smirk that she gladly returned, before she stepped through the portal.
"Well, I must say this is a surprise." The Imperator greeted, not even turning to greet her as Illyana stepped out of the portal. "You're not the first so-called 'Sorcerer Supreme' to escape our grasp. However, most that escape tend to cower in the shadows as we take away your twisted power, not mount some half baked 'resistance'. I do not know whether to be annoyed or impressed."
"Us humans are more resilient than most give us credit for." The Russian sorceress responded, as the Imperator turned towards her.
"The last time we encountered one another, I took your arm. This time…" Cables began snaking around the Imperator's arm, taking a form that resembled a sword. "...I believe I will take your head." Her soulsword at the ready, the Sorceress Supreme engaged the anti-magic zealot, engaging him in a duel for the ages. However, with every strike, every parry and feint, Illyana found that the Imperator had her evenly matched in terms of swordsmanship, and overpowered her in terms of physical strength. And whenever she tried casting a spell, the Imperator's technology absorbed the energy that comprised the spell. As the Imperator's eyebeams knocked her back, she dug her sword into the top of the drill to keep from falling off. She was running out of options, and fast. When suddenly, an idea entered her mind. There was one spell, or rather a combination of spells, that could do the job. That could destroy the drilling machine before they sucked the magic from the Earth and slaughtered them all.
"By...by the Hoary Hosts of Hoggorth…" She got to her knees as she chanted, her sword beginning to glow. "I channel the light of Agamotto…the winds of Munipoor...I beseech the primordial forces to lend me your power one last time…" The eye of Agamotto around her neck began to vibrate, and the Imperator narrowed his eyes. She began chanting in several languages. English, Russian, Mexican, Latin, languages that had been dead for so long that no one remembered their names. As her chanting continued, her sword glow became so intense that even the Imperator's enhanced eyes were blinded. The Sorcerer Supreme raised her sword above her head, and she smirked. "Dasvidanya, asshole." Without another word, she plunged her sword into the machine.
On the ground, Stephen bashed a foot soldier's head into oblivion with the wand, when he saw a blinding light from the top of the drilling machine, sending energy, flames, and lightning cascading down the device, destroying it, and causing the footsoldiers and witchhunter wolves to drop to the ground, essentially dead. His eyes widened, as he realize what Illyana has done.
"The hell did she just do?" Daimon Hellstrom asked, and Stephen couldn't help himself as he shed a tear for the closest thing he would ever have for a child.
"She combined spells that were never meant to be together. The backlash...it destroyed her body. She's gone."
The Bat, Earth-2105
Gotham City. If New York was the 'City That Never Sleeps', and Metropolis was the 'City of Tomorrow', then Gotham could be called the 'City of Hell', in large part due to the large cavalcade of costumed lunatics that made the city their home, which many thought to include the Batman, the city's vengeful guardian. After years of protecting not just Gotham, but the entire world from all manners of threats, Bruce Wayne did what none thought he would do: he got married, to none other than Diana Prince, the incredible Wonder Woman. It was only a matter of time before they had their first and only child, giving birth to a son, Michael. Now, between having two legendary heroes as his parents, and being surrounded by his heroic adopted siblings, it came as a surprise to no one when Michael wished to become the next Robin, a request his father only obliged once his mother trained him for two years.
Unfortunately, not even the Batman was immune to the ravages of time, and soon it was time for Bruce Wayne to hang up his cape and cowl. However, Gotham would always be in need of a Batman, and so Michael Prince-Wayne gladly took up his father's mantle, becoming Gotham's defender.
A role which currently had him ducking a blast of heat vision, throwing down a smoke bomb that covered the area in smoke. "I can see you, little Bat!" A voice yelled out, and Batman let out a curse as he narrowly avoided a large gray blur slamming into where he had been standing a moment ago. The blur in question? Superman, or at least a counterpart of him.
Years ago, his parents and the Justice League had fought alternate versions of themselves named the Justice Lords, that had turned their Earth into a totalitarian nightmare. They'd been beaten and locked up on their home realities, many dying in captivity, but the alternate Kryptonian had survived, eventually recovering his abilities and crossing over to Michael's world. He'd declared a one man war against the Justice League, singlehandedly demolishing the Hall of Justice. Michael and a few other Leaguers had managed to lure him up to the Watchtower, but the hero-turned-fascist had made quick work of Michael's teammates. He'd evacuated his teammates through the teleporters, and now the Dark Knight of Tomorrow was all alone.
Lord Superman threw a punch that Batman ducked, and he countered with a blow to the chest, followed by a couple more fast strikes. While these would have broken a normal man's bones into dust, Michael had the benefit of Amazonian super strength courtesy of his mother's side, so his blows staggered the Justice Lord long enough for him to throw a grenade in Superman's face. It exploded in a burst of green gas, causing Superman to cough and drop to his knees. "Do you...think this knockoff Kryptonite...will stop me?" The Last Son of Krypton coughed out, as Batman ran over to a nearby computer console.
"No, but it'll slow you down long enough." Batman stated, as he began typing rapidly. His idea was a longshot, but it was the only chance he had. The Justice Lord had already incapacitated most of the League's heavy hitters, and if he got back to Earth, there would be nothing stopping him from razing Gotham to the ground. And Michael had used his last synthetic kryptonite grenade, which meant he had only one option before him.
"Voice authentication required."
"Batman. Passcode: Legacy."
"Identity confirmed. Icarus protocol activated. Reactor overload in five minutes. Please begin evacuation proceedings." The computer announced, as the lights all went red and countdown timers appeared on all the computer screens. Michael took a deep breathe, steeling himself as he spun to face Superman.
"Heh. You're every bit the coward my Bruce was…" Superman growled out, slowly rising to his feet. "You better get to that teleporter, and you better hope I don't make it out. Otherwise, I'll raze Gotham to the ground!"
"Then I better make sure you don't make it out, huh?" Batman challenged, dropping into a fighting stance, and Superman just chuckled.
"Well, when you put it like that…" WIthout another word, he rushed Batman, and the two engaged in an all out brawl. Batman knew that, even when he was weakened by the synthetic kryptonite gas, he knew that he still had no chance in winning in a straight up fist fight. So, he relied on all his combat knowledge, both from his time training on Themyscira and as Robin to dodge and counterattack Superman, landing tactical that would stagger him. As the battle continued on, the countdown continues to tickdown, until it reached zero. The reactor went critical, and the Watchtower erupted in a blinding flash of light that consumed them both.
A Place Outside of Time And Space
The first thing any of them noticed as they woke up was the gentle crashing of waves against the shore, with the breeze carrying the scent of the ocean. As Wally West sat up from the sand, he took notice of his companions. One was a red skinned man with a receeding black hairline wearing a green lantern uniform;; a blonde woman with a metallic left arm wearing a black head piece and a black two piece outfit, with an eye medallion around her neck; ; a man wearing a predominately blue and armor-like suit with a large white star on his chest and red and white stripes down his torso, carrying a circular red, white, and blue shield on his back; a man who could only be described as a hi-tech, fully armored Batman; and a man wearing a predominately yellow costume with blue accents and a cowl vaguely similar to Batman's. "What...what's going on?" Wolverine asked, pulling his cowl off to reveal a man around Wally's age with red hair and sharp yellow eyes. "Captain Rogers? That you?" He asked, and Captain America blinked in confusion.
"Wait, you think I'm…?" Before he could finish his sentence, he looked around at some of the others, his brow knitting in confusion as he noticed Illyana. "Wait, I know you from somewhere…"
"I recognize some of you, but you look...different than what I'm used to." Batman spoke up.
"I do not believe that we are in the confines of any traditional prison." Sinestro spoke up, looking at his ring. "My ring is unable to detect any connection to the Central Power Battery. It's possible we've all been taken to some sort of pocket dimension." He rubbed his temples, as he began to think. "It is possible we've been abducted by some deranged imp from the Fifth Dimension."
"That was my thinkning as well. Perhaps we've been abudcted by an Elder, such as the Grandmaster or the Collector." Illyana stated, when Wally's eyes widened.
"Wait, I know where I know you from now! You're Sinestro!" Batman's eyes widened, and his hands flew to his belt.
"I don't know how you came back to life, or how you abudcted us. All i know is you're going down!" Batman bellowed, and the others were going to ask what he mean…
"Whoa whoa whoa! Let's all calm down just a second!" A new voice said, and they all looked to see a redhaired woman in a wheelchair appear behind them. "Kid Flash, Batman, let's take a deep breathe, and I'll explain everything."
"How about we start with who the hell you are, and what the hell's going on?" Wolverine asked, crossing his arms.
"Well, that's as good a place as any, I suppose. My name is Barbara Gordon. Some of you may know me as Batgirl. Others, as Oracle. Some of you don't know me at all. Nowadays, I go by the Timebroker." She explained.
"That answers who you are. Now how about you explain where we are." Captain America ordered.
"Well, you're technically everywhere and nowhere. Specifically, you're on a ship currently hovering in the space between worlds. This room is a simulation we designed in order to make your transition easier." Barbara explained.
"Between worlds? You couldn't possibly mean what I think you mean." Illyana asked, and Barbara nodded. "Bohzemoy…"
"Uh, someone mind clarifying?" Wally asked.
"You're all familiar with the mulitverse, right?" Barbara asked, pressing a few buttons on her wheelchair. Instantly, a projection of countless Earths appeared before them. "Countless Earths, all exisiting side by side with one another, each unique in their own ways. Some of these Earths can greatly resemble one another, while others are drastically different...like which set of costumed heroes emerges as the dominant force, which is why about half of you doesn't recognize the other half."
"So I get it so far...I think...but what I don't understand is what we're doing here." Wolverine asked.
"I'm getting to that. Normally, each Earth operates independently from one another. However, occasionally, there's a...well, I guess a 'hiccup' is the best way to describe it." The wheelchair bound red head explained. "We still don't know what causes these hiccups, but when they occur, things...happen. Events on certain Earths get knocked off their proper tracks, and when these events occur, the fabric of reality is weakened just a little bit. Eventually, it all piles up and...well, we don't really want to find out what happens when the camel's back breaks."
"What kind of things are we talking about? World gets destroyed? Nuclear winters?" Batman asked.
"Sometimes, but the events aren't always quite so dramatic. Bullseye kills Daredevil. The Joker runs for President and wins. Galactus kills the Fantastic Four and consumes the Earth. Little stuff, big stuff, it tends to vary." Barbara answered.
"And how do we fit into all of this?" Sinestro asked.
"I'm glad you asked, Sinestro. See, these 'hiccups' when you get down to it, are problems. Problems that can be solved, with hardwork, effort, and a little bit of teamwork." As soon as she said that last word, Captain America couldn't help but scoff.
"Oh, I get what this is now. This is supposed to be a team, isn't it?" He asked.
"Well...yeah."
"So you abducted us all so we can go around the Multiverse, fixing problems?" Wally asked.
"Well, I wouldn't really say 'abducted.' Tell me, what's the last thing you all remember?" Barbara asked, causing them all to think. "You're remembering you all died, right?" Solemnly, they all nodded. "We pulled you out of your universes at the last possible moment, before your bodies were obliterated. Think of this as a second chance." Realization hit Wally, and he burst into a smile.
"Wait, so you can send us back home, right?" He excitedly asked, and similar expressions appeared across the other's faces. They all started to smile...before Barbara frowned.
"I...I'm sorry, Wally. You were all already slated to die as part of your worlds' natural history. That's why we pulled you out when we did: so there would be little to no damage to your timelines. If you were to return now, then you'd be causing the very thing we're trying to prevent." Barbara explained, and somber expressions spread throughout the group.
"So…" Wolverine spoke up after a moment, breaking the silence. "How exactly is all this going to work?"
*BLINK*
"That's where I come in." A new voice said, as a pink skinned woman with bright green eyes, short pink hair, wearing a green tunic and golden armband with a large red jewel in the center on her left arm appeared next to Barbara. "Hi, I'm Clarice, but you all can call me-"
"Blink!" Wolverine cheered, rushing forward and wrapping her in a hug. "Oh, it's so godo to see a familiar face!"
"Easy there, Wolvie. I'm not the Clarice you know." Blink grunted out, and Wolverine set her on the ground, taking a closer look at her.
"Oh, right. Now that I think about it, my Blink's hair was longer the last time I saw her. My bad." He apologized.
"Hey, no worries." SHe reassured, and turned to the others. "As I was saying, you all can call me Blink. I'll be serving as our team's leader."
"So you appoint yourself leader, just like that? I assume you have some sort of qualifications?" Illyana asked, and Barabra nodded.
"Trust me, Blink's been doing this longer than anyone, especially me. If anyone's qualified to lead this team, it's her."
"Now, as for how this all works. As our Timebroker, Barbara here will stay on the ship and find the timelines that need fixing, and tell us what our goal is. See this thing on my arm?" Blink asked, pointing at the armband on her wrist. "This is called the Tallus. As team leader, it goes to me. When Barbara supplies it with our destination, it works in conjunction with my own teleportation powers to move us between realities. It's also our primary method of communication with our ship."
"And when we get there?" Cap asked.
"The Tallus analyzes the damaged timeline and gives us a goal. It's up to us to figure out how best we go about fulfilling it." Blink explained. "Sometimes, the solution is clear. Other times, we have to get...creative."
"So how exactly do you know about all this?" Batman asked.
"Ten years ago, me and five others were all accidentally 'unhinged from time' by a race of beings we called the Timebreakers. They'd messed up the Multiverse, so they had the brought idea of shanghaiing us and using us to clean up their mess." Blink explained. "We...had a bit of a falling out with them a couple years back, and we haven't seen them since. They left all their equipment behind, and we've been using it to try and safeguard the Multiverse ever since."
"So does this 'we' just include you and Barbara here?" Wally asked, and Barbara shook her head.
"I was actually brought on not too long ago, to be your team's Timebroker. It's a big Multiverse, so obviously it takes more then the seven of you to protect it." Barbara explained. "There are multiple teams of Exiles in operation, each with their own Timebroker, Tallus, and lead by a senior Exile. If all works out as it should, you should rarely, if ever, see another team."
"Hm. Seems like an effecient system." Sinestro remarked, and turned to the others. "Well? WHat do you all make of this?"
"Not entirely thrilled about not being able to go home, but this beats being dead." Wolverine said.
"I agree. And if even half of what I read about the Multiverse during my studies is true, then it's protection is of the utmost importance." Illyana agreed.
"I'm in too." Batman said. "I died taking down an invader from another universe. I know firsthand how much damage this stuff is capable of doing."
"Count me in as well." Kid Flash spoke up. "Like he said, I'm not happy we can't go home. I...I left a lot of people behind there who were counting on me. But if I can help keep them safe, then I'll do whatever it takes."
"What he said." Captain America spoke up. "What about you...your name was Sinestro right?" Sinestro nodded.
"Years ago, the Guardians appointed me as the Earth's protector. Protecting multiple versions is simply an extension of that duty." Sinestro replied, and Blink smiled.
"Well, with that matter settled, I hereby proclaim us as the newest Exiles!" She proudly declared. "Now, let me introduce you to each other. Francis Barton, aka Captain America. Wally West, aka Kid Flash. Illyana Rasputin, Sorceress Supreme. Vincent Howlett, AKA Wolverine. Michael Prince-Wayne, aka Batman. Sinestro, aka Green Lantern." She said, pointing at each of them as she called their names.
"Rasputin…?" Francis mumbled out, while Sinestro's jaw dropped.
"Wallace…?" He gasped out, and Wally nodded, removing his cowl.
"Yeah. Let me guess, you've got one of me where you come from?" He asked, and the Korugaran nodded.
"Yes. Though mine is much older."
"Which brings us to our next topic." Blink said. "While we're doing this, you'll see versions of people that you know. Your friends, your family, your lovers, anyone you've ever known. Some will be practically identical to the ones you know. Others will be similar in name only. It is absolutely important that you cannot think of them as the people that you know." The others all nodded, and Blink was about to say something else...when Barbara's wheelchair began to beep.
"Uh oh." Barbara began to check the screen on her wheelchair, a frown forming on her face. "We're gonna have to cut the orientation a little short. We've got a new reality that needs fixing."
"Well, nothing like a little on the job training." Batman remarked, and the others all nodded in agreement. Blink just shrugged.
"Well, can't argue with that. Everyone, gather up." She instructed, as Barbara began punching in numbers.
"I've got the Earth number. Everyone ready?"
"More or less." Illyana commented, and the Tallus began to glow. A purple aura surrounded all of them, and they all vanished with a *blink*. Their first mission had begun.