Alright people! This is it! Every chapter so far has been leading up to this! So without further ado, I present the first in a THREE-PART CHAPTER of the JUSTICE LEGION OF AVENGERS!
Chapter VI: A Day Unlike Any Other! Part 1
No living being truly knows how the universe was created, but what a few older beings know, is that when it was created, six singularities came into existence. These singularities each represented one aspect of what the universe is composed of: Power, Reality, Time, Soul, Mind, and Space. Eventually, these singularities took the form of six rings, and were scattered throughout the universe. One of those rings evolved further into the Cosmic Cube.
The Cube had the power of reality itself. It could reveal secrets from the past, or give faint glimpses of the future, create and destroy energy, or, if used by a being strong enough, it could even alter the very fabric of reality, itself. Eventually, the Cube found its way to a planet called Earth, where its power was abused by horrible tyrants. The android hero know as the Human Lantern had stolen the Cube away, and supposedly gave his life to hide it away, were no one would find it. But out there, amongst the stars, someone else has their eyes on the Cube.
The Forsaken Realm:
Circi, the Greek-Asgardian goddess of evil, was patiently waiting outside of the castle. She had agreed to help the Master of the Banished Gods retrieve the Cosmic Cube from Earth. In return, he would grant her the chance to seek revenge against Asgard. But her alliance with the Banished Gods became strained when she had recently wasted a battalion of fire demons in a failed vendetta against her adopted sister.
While she waited, she thought about her sister, Diana, and all the ways she could try to destroy her. First, she considered using her magic to crawl into her empty skull, slowly driving her mad, but then she might accidentally infect herself with her sister's stupidity. Perhaps she would enhance her own body and face her hand-to-hand, but such a crude tactic made the cunning goddess sick to her stomach. Then, she even considered going after the one mortal Thunder Woman loved more than any other; the foolish John Foster. At last, the wrinkled and weak alien came before her, beckoning for her to follow.
Soon, they entered a giant throne room. Streams of lava faintly illuminated the enormous dwelling, barely revealing the other allies the Master kept close. The windows were open, allowing the sounds of eternal suffering that surrounded the entire realm to fill the gruesome hall. The King of the Banished Gods sat on a suspended throne, dressed in a dark blue tunic and wearing a golden crown. As she looked into his empty, gray eyes, Circi trembled in fear. This being was a creature so sickeningly vile, so immensely powerful, so completely evil, that even the mention of his true name struck fear into the hearts of all living beings. The only safe way to refer to this wretched King of Banished Gods was simply; Darkanos.
"Great Darkanos…" Circi bowed in fearful respect. "I have awaited your decision… will you grant me an army so that I may retrieve this… Cosmic Cube to you…?"
"No…" Darkanos' voice sent shivers down the goddess' spine. "You have already proven yourself wasteful, Greek-Asgardian. I granted you a battalion of fire demons, and you allowed them to be destroyed by lending them to a mortal witch… the deal has changed… I will grant you only the scepter, the rest is up to you… deliver to me the Cosmic Cube, and I shall aid you in your vengeance against those who have deceived you… but, if you fail me again, your screams shall echo throughout the cosmos…"
The shriveled alien approached Circi, handing her a golden spear with a glowing crystal at its tip. Circi bowed again, and hastily made her way out. As she flew above the Forsaken Realm, she began to strategize her attack on Earth. Without an army, her task would be much more difficult, considering the amount of enhanced beings that foolishly wasted their powers on safeguarding the Earth.
Circi gazed at the scepter in her palms. Supposedly, it had the power to allow its user to control the minds of living beings. This gave her an idea; if Darkanos would not lend her an army, she would build her own on Earth. Circi focused the powersof the scepter to create an astral projection of herself, and sent it out, not only to find the Cube, but to find suitable minions for her quest.
The Cosmic Cube was easy enough to find. The hard part was finding an army, as the humans were like herds of sheep waiting to be slaughtered. There were only so few of them who tried to use their gifts to take their rightful place as masters of this world. But to her surprise, she not only found the kind of people she was looking for, but they were all gathered together by the mortals who feared their strengths.
Some of these mortals relied upon automations, while others had power inside of them. But what Circi loved most about them, was that they were all truly evil. This gave her an idea, if she could free these mortals, she could use the scepter to control their minds, and give her a chance at retrieving the Cube. All it would take is for her to get close enough to them to inflict its spell upon them, and they wouldn't even know they were under her control. With a sinister chuckle, she made her way to Earth.
Washington D.C.
Two weeks had passed since Steve Allen had been brought back to the land of the living. At first, he had been skeptical and unsure about the current state of the country he fought for, but now he was building up the courage to try and improve it. Right now, he was at a press conference at the nation's capitol to give a few words about his plans for the future. Several members of Congress, the candidates for presidency, and hundreds of reporters were eager to hear what he had to say.
"I understand many of you see me as some kind of great hero, I also understand some of you see me as a relic from a time long forgotten. But the truth is I'm just a proud American man trying to do his best to protect this country. That's why I am joining the Justice Legion of Avengers; to take on foes that no single hero can withstand. I look forward to serving beside these men and women to protect not only America, but the entire word as well."
Once the cheering quieted down, the Flag started to take questions from the reporters. His first choice was a dark haired woman in a sharp suit.
"Lois Brant of the Daily Times." She began. "Flag, you say that you wish to improve America, a lot of people are wondering if that extends to politics, so will you please tell us who you think is best suited to win presidency this year's election?"
"I'm actually glad you asked that, Ms. Brant." Flag smiled. "I have studied each candidate, read their policies, and chosen my vote very carefully. And I am relived to say that after going through many… unsuitable… candidates, I have found at least one person who is responsible, compassionate, and intelligent enough to become the President of the United States. And right now, I would very much like to shake that person's hand."
Simon Hammer smiled brightly. The Flag was obviously talking about him, so he got up from his seat, and began to walk towards the podium. He was halfway there when the Flag began again.
"So, without further ado, I would like to invite Mrs. Catlin Walters to the podium."
Everyone stood up, some cheered, and others booed, while everyone else was taking pictures. Catlin Walters felt humbled and proud as she gracefully walked over to her hero. The Native American candidate nearly cried as the Flag shook her hand and assured her that she had his vote. Simon Hammer, on the other hand was furious. He grabbed a microphone and began ranting angrily.
"ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?! You're gonna support that lying, manipulative bitch over me?! She and the current President are working with terrorists to support wars overseas, and you support her?! Sounds like somebody's on her payroll!"
Hammer stopped talking when he blinked his eyes, and the Flag appeared right in front of him. Hammer, and half the audience, was frozen with fear as the Flag's body cackled with red, white, and blue electricity. The speedster took the microphone from the elderly politician and spoken calmly into it.
"Mr. Hammer… I do not recall speaking to you. That is how diplomacy works; we talk in turn. And I don't think a person who insults me when I vote for someone who isn't himself is a person who should be President… so please, take a seat, Mr. Hammer."
Hammer didn't say another word. He sat down quietly as the Flag went back to the podium to answer more questions.
"But Flag," another reporter said. "Mr. Hammer does have a point; how can you support a candidate who supported a war in the Middle-East, only to withdraw our troops years later?"
"You know, that actually reminds me of a story…" Flag leaned forward onto the podium, and everyone listened closely. "I'm sure you've all heard fossils like me talk about Pearl Harbor. The way we tell it, we make it sound like we got up and charged after the Axis Powers right away. The truth is; we lie. We were scared half to death. Pearl Harbor was gone, and it could happen again at anytime, anywhere. We felt lost, helpless, lonely… and then we heard President Roosevelt over the radio. His voice was so strong and reassuring. He gave us the courage to fight back against the Nazis, and make it easier for our families to sleep at night. He's the reason I signed up for the program that turned me into the Flag. A few years later, as the war kept on, we heard rumors that Roosevelt knew Pearl Harbor was going to happen, and didn't warn us. I thought about how horrible that would be if it were true, but on the other hand, it's what got us into war to begin with. That rattled around in my head for months, until I finally came to a conclusion: I wasn't the one in charge, I wouldn't have been able to make a decision like that, and it was just… too big. He was too big."
Silence fell upon the crowd, until one person finally began to clap. And then, more people stood up and clapped with him, until at no time at all, everyone was cheering for the Flag. The only person who didn't was Simon Hammer, who sat in his chair, sulking at the Flag and all of the sheep he had just led to Walters' side.
One Day Later
"Seriously, who is going to listen to that guy, right? He's a nobody, his opinion doesn't matter."
"Are you kidding me, Hammer? That man is a hero!"
"He is not a hero! He's a hero because we thought he died. I like people who don't die, okay?"
"Get out of my studio. Guards, get this lunatic out of here now."
"Wait, what? But, I'm not finished! Wait; get your hands off me! Do you have any idea who I am?! LET ME GO, YOU LOSERS!"
Sharon, Steve, and Bart watched as Simon Hammer was finally being called out on live television. After Sharon and Bart congratulated Steve on finally opening America's eyes, Director Fury and Dr. Harrison Richards came up to speak with them.
"That was a wonderful statement yesterday, Herr Flag." Dr. Richards said.
"I'm sorry, sir, have we met?" Steve asked politely.
"Don't sweat it, Flag. You haven't been introduced yet. This is Dr. Harrison Richards, aka the man who saved your life."
"What do you mean?" Steve looked back at the handicapped scientist.
"It is a rather long story," Dr. Richards began. "You see, my team and I had finally created a functioning particle accelerator almost two weeks ago, in an attempt to provide nearly limitless clean energy to this country. But something went wrong and the particle accelerator was destroyed. When the dust cleared, we found you, miraculously alive after so many years."
"How was that possible?" Bart asked, inquisitively.
"Well, my theory is, when Herr Flag defeated the Anti-Watcher in 1945, the cosmic powers that the Watcher possessed began to interfere with his connection to the inter-dimensional force that grants him his super-speed. This caused his body to be converted into living energy that traveled aimlessly through time and space, until it was drawn to the magnetic absorption process of the particle accelerator, which then compressed his atoms together until they could form his original state once again."
"You saved my life?" Steve gratefully shook Dr. Richards' hand "Thank you, for giving me a second chance."
"I was honored to bring back one of the greatest heroes in the world…" Dr. Richards' smile began to fade as he looked down at his wheelchair. "Unfortunately, the explosion caused much… irreparable damage."
"I'm… I'm so sorry, Dr. Richards." Steve said. "If there's anything I can do to help you…"
"Don't even worry about it, Herr Flag." Dr. Richards' smile came back. "I do this all the time, I get upset about my legs, and then I remember that my mind is still intact. I assure you that I have accomplished more than most men, without the use of my legs before."
"Thank you for the story time, Doctor," Director Fury interrupted. "But we need to get down to business."
Steve thanked Dr. Richards one last time, and followed the Director along with Bart. The Director asked them to take a seat and wait for the others. Fortunately it didn't take long for the other members and their protégés to arrive. The two war-time friends, Kent and Steve, gave each other a quick hug, happy to see each other again. Diana and Donna made sure to bow with respect to their new comrades, ready to serve beside them. All of the younger heroes talked excitedly to each other, determined to prove themselves to their teachers. Once everyone was seated, Director Fury spoke.
"Alright, ladies, gentlemen, students… our primary mission is to locate and obtain this…" She pressed a button on her remote, and a screen lowered behind her. A projector emerged from the ceiling and displayed a picture of a glowing blue cube. "This is the Cosmic Cube. Discovered in Poland in 1938, the Nazi's found a way to use its power in 1940. They used its seemingly infinite power to create bombs, guns, and pretty much any weapon you could possibly think of. We learned that the hard way on December 7, 1941, when the Japanese used these weapons on Pearl Harbor. But, thanks to the efforts of the Human Lantern of the Justice Society of Invaders, the Cosmic Cube was stolen away from Benito Mussolini and was lost at sea for more than seventy years. We need to find it."
"So we can destroy it, right?" Steve stood up, his eyes full of concern. "To keep it from falling into the wrong hands?"
"Captain Allen… please understand-" Director Fury hesitated, but the group already knew what she was going to say.
"Are you people serious?" This time, Tony Jordan stood up. "You honestly think it's a good idea to build weapons of mass destruction from something you barely understand?"
"Remind me, again, how you made your fortune, Mr. Jordan." Fury snapped back.
"I agree with Director Fury." Gargoyle pitched in. "This world needs protection from any kind of threat. By any means necessary."
"No way, man!" Firehawk stood up, now. "Just look at what a nuclear reactor did to me. Director Fury, if you insist on using something that's even more dangerous than that, you better have a damn good reason!"
Director Fury sighed. She looked around at the collective heroes, and pointed to the strongest amongst them. "Because of him."
"... Me?" Hyperman looked surprised. "What did I do?"
"In 1979, a Radonian warlord named General Mar-Zod came to Earth with an army. They used some kind of machine, unlike anything we have ever witnessed. Luckily, Hyperman was able to stop them, but not before the machine completely leveled three-quarters of Metropia and killed tens of thousands of citizens."
"But General Mar-Zod and his forces were defeated." Hyperman defended himself. "Now, Marvelgirl and I are the only Radonians alive."
"But you're not the only ones out there, are you?" Director Fury looked around the room as she went on. "Here's the cold-iron truth; warlords and monsters are out there, somewhere, and we are hopelessly – no, ridiculously – unprotected. One day, you won't be around to protect us, and when that happens, we need to protect ourselves from extraterrestrial threats."
"She's right." Agent Romanoff stated. "If the people can't protect themselves, it's the government's job to do that."
Eventually, Gargoyle, Dare, Marvelgirl, Speedster-Man, Black Cat, and Delta-Ray Donna sided with Director Fury against the others. The argument began to get more heated. Gargoyle and Jordan were a few bad words away from causing an all-out fight. The Flag stood in between them, trying to keep the peace. But before anything could happen between the heroes, an alert came from the intercom.
"Director Fury! There's been a breakout at the Raft!"
"Who's escaped?"
"Everyone! Repeat; every prisoner at the Raft has escaped! They've hijacked the ships and are headed straight towards the mainland!"
Director Fury turned around to face the shocked super-beings. They all knew what kind of villains were being held at the Raft, and they all knew what kind of damage they could cause. "Well, what the hell are ya'll waiting for?!" Fury snapped. "You're supposed to be super-heroes, right!? Get out there and save the day!"
Without further encouragement, the Justice Legion of Avengers exited S.H.I.E.L.D.'s headquarters and headed to southern California.
Meanwhile off the coast of Portugal
Circi smiled at her own brilliance. With the scepter in her possession, she was controlling the collective subconscious of Earth's super-villains, granting her the distraction she needed to complete her quest. The scepter had also helped her locate the Cosmic Cube, at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. Soon, her deal with Darkanos would be fulfilled; she would give him the Cube, and vengeance would be hers!
To Be Continued!
Darkanos(Thanos/Darksied) Yes, I know it's been done before. Don't judge me.
General Mar-Zod(Mar-Vell/General Zod)
