Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of the DC Universe or Marvel Universe
Spoilers for Flash Forward and Doomsday Clock present
The only thing that is of my design are the characters of Sieg and Sven Reilly.
In this first chapter of my series we are introduced to Siegfried Reilly, main character of the story and the Struggle of the Apprentice series with the events of those stories being summarised and his origin being explained in this chapter. This story takes place after The Hunt, but before The Redeemer.
The Brave New World
Prologue: Sieg Reilly, Victory Peace Origin
How do I start this? I guess I could say...my name is Sieg Reilly, ten years ago...nah, those guys on the CW do that all the time.
Well maybe I should start from the beginning, a little snippet I suppose just so that you have some idea of who I am and why I am I suppose. I come from a pretty marvellous universe, aliens, mutants, gods, heroes, I could provide a whole list of the big supers but that would probably take too long. Here's two of the groups that inspired me the most.
Earth's mightiest heroes, the Avengers, brought together from all walks of life during moments when no single hero can stop the threat at hand. They've included icons from the past like Captain America, visionaries of the future like Iron man, lost gods like Thor, assassins and former criminals in the form of Hawkeye and Black Widow, misunderstood monsters such as the Hulk and many more. To be an Avenger for some is the mark of being a true hero, part of the big leagues. They've stood on the podiums and smiled, regarded as celebrities at times, but they always stay true to the ideal of a hero. Someone who does their best to save others, and if they fail, try to put that failure right somehow. Avenge that failure.
Then there's the X-men, in some ways my story really began with them. And though the Avengers have always been icons to me, the heroes I truly look up to and wish to be a part of, are the X-men. Mutants, humans gifted with incredible abilities, abilities that can sometimes make them dangerous or misunderstood. Like the optic blasts of the X-men's field leader, Cyclops, or the healing factor and berserk fury of Wolverine. Brought together by Professor Charles Xavier, they fought for the dream he shared with them. A world where people can live peacefully together, where people can have equal rights and fair opportunity. They've saved the world just as much as the Avengers, but they haven't always been recognised for it. Sometimes people have hated them, hunted them even, and sometimes they strayed from the dream. But they never gave up, they always made their way back to the heroic ideal. In spite of everything that happens, they rise up every time to prove those who doubt them wrong, or to prove themselves better.
Personally though, there was one man, one hero who put me on the path I am on now. Who was more than a role model to me. His name was Sven Reilly, a last name I am proud to use today. Sven unlike me wasn't a mutant, he was chosen by chance when a pocket dimension known as the spirit world was ripped open. Spirits leaked out into our universe, many fading to nothing, some taking hosts. Sven willingly offered his body to the spirit of heroism. Through this spirit, Sven can call upon the inner strength present in the belief of heroes, and surround himself in the armour of a spirit knight.
When I was born, my father, a mutant scientist trusted me to Sven's care. As the hero Aeon, he protected me from dark forces that sought to use me. A few years later, as simply Sven Reilly, he took me in and raised me as his son. I came to call him father, and he taught me about life and the ideal of a hero. We were happy for a few years, until one day, our happiness was tragically cut short, but it was at that moment that Sven taught me what it truly meant to be a hero. The dark forces attacked Sven and his family. He lost his wife Faith that day, and their infant son Thane. What would have crushed others, did not stop him, he protected so many people, myself included.
The armoured man looked down at the brown haired boy. Pieces of his armour began to fall off of the corner of his helmet, exposing a tuft of red hair and grey eyes. He pushed his hand against the boy's chest, stopping the bleeding. His eyes were black, markings of darkness spreading across his skin. The armoured man moved a few bits of debris off of the boy and rubbed his face.
"Sieg, hold on please," his voice echoed out of his helmet.
"Aeon," the boy whispered weakly.
He shook his head and cradled the boy in his arms. A tear fell down his face and his shoulders shook. Again he shook his head, laying the boy on the floor.
"I can't lose you too, not you. I'll give everything to you, my knowledge, my ideals, my armour, my soul," he moved his hand to his chest, passing it through his armour.
His chest shined as he reached into his very soul. It caused him great pain, but he kept on going. He pulled the light out of his chest, holding it tightly as his skin began to crystallise and crack with his armour.
"You will live, my apprentice, my inheritor, my son!"
He pushed the light into the boy's chest, causing markings of red light to spread across his body. The boy opened his eyes and looked at his chest. A red and white sword was sticking out of it. It was the same colour as his mentor's armour. There was no blood, no wound, it was phased through his chest. A figure landed in front of him, a creature of darkness. Slowly rising to his feet, his hair changed to a silver colour as tears fell out of his glowing blue eyes. The creature of darkness shifted from a warrior in armour, to a wraith with a saw bladed sickle. Even as the creature menaced him, the boy was overcome by the realisation that he had lost something important to him. The wraith swung its sickle, knocking the boy off of the hill of rubble. Then it flew towards people crawling out of the rubble.
"No," the boy whispered.
With a yell he pulled the sword from his chest, raising it high. It was a thick weapon, one part blunt with only a single glowing red edge to it. That edge he used to cut through the side of the wraith, covering a grand distance with a single leapt. He landed ungracefully on his back and got an upside down view of the wraith fading into nothingness. But that was not what filled him with pride. It was the sight of the father pulling his son out of the rubble, holding him close, relieved.
That was the first villain I ever stopped, the first life I ever saved. All that on the first day I had ever lost someone. Sven's spirit resided within me, just as the spirit of heroism resided within him. I became a hero, a runaway guided by Sven's spirit. Going by my uncle's family name Wallace, I fought street gangs, dark forces, villains and aliens. It was a blast of a life, saving lives, doing good whilst honing my abilities and finding help from the friends of my adopted father. Then one day, everything began to change. I met the X-men.
Sieg growled as the flames shattered his chest plate and his left greave. His skin changed to a blue colour while his pupils disappeared. Sieg worked through the flames, a thin but tough blue barrier protecting him. He pulled his fist back and crashed his fist into the crystal, completely shattering it. The pieces of the crystal floated around the white-hot room, slowly disintegrating.
That day I saved both Scott Summers, Jean Grey, their love and the universe. When I fought alongside the X-men it didn't just kick start my greater involvement in their world, it kick started some friendships I made.
A grin crossed Sieg's face, he and the new-New Mutants and new Hellions were stifling laughter, replacing some of Wolverine's beer with mature pepper extract. They watched and waited, as the X-men enforcer, fresh from a mission removed his cowl and opened one of his bottles. Without even taking a moment to smell the stuff, he drank it down in one. His nose twitched when he did a double take, sniffing the bottle. Eyes widening in realisation, he coughed, skin going red and eyes watering from the stuff they put in 'DA bomb' hot sauce. Sieg and the younger mutants clutched their stomachs laughing, unaware of the sweating and burning Wolverine behind them.
SNIKT!
I finally had people my own age to hang out with. Life became about more than just following the heroic ideal for me. As sort of an honorary student of Xavier's, I got to take part in classes and hang out with the students. I even started to find love.
Sieg turned another page of his comic book, smiling when he got to the part when his heroes pulled through. He was lying on a tree branch, his hoodie folded up at the base of the tree, sleeves rolled up and sneakers on top of them. As he turned to another page, he heard the snap of a twig. He looked down and saw a blonde haired girl. She wore a white shirt and black skirt and had removed her heels to walk to the tree.
"Hey Celeste," Sieg said, sitting up.
"Are you sure about that?" she asked, smirking at him.
"I always know..." Sieg paused, hearing the branch creak.
He yelped as it snapped, sending him plummeting into the small pond below it.
"Mindee and Irma think my boyfriend is stupid," Celeste said.
Sieg stood up in the pond, shaking his wet book, slicking his hair back.
"They're not nice, I mean at least we stopped having dates with them around," Sieg said.
"It doesn't change anything!" the voice of Irma echoed in his mind.
"She still keeps us up every night thinking about you!" added Mindee's voice.
"Privacy you two, let's try not to be the three in one all the time," Celeste crouched near the edge of the pond.
"It's all part of the Stepford Cuckoo package, I can't talk, I have a spirit and a sword inside of me, but they are the best of me," Sieg walked towards the edge of the pond, stopping as Celeste touched his face.
"That is not the best part of you," she said.
"My lack of intelligence, because you're like your mum and you like dating men with less intelligence than you?"
"No!"
"My silver hair?"
"No!"
"We're not about to go into a really tastelessly perverted area are we?"
"You're the pervert," Celeste chided him.
"What? Women can be perverted toomph!" Sieg widened his eyes as Celeste silenced him with a kiss.
Life didn't remain perfect though. That's the problem with this life, sometimes the happiness doesn't last. A massive alien invasion happened, forcing the heroes of our planet and beyond to work together. A being known as Slade Muga united most of the heroes, he and the sword that had been the centre of my power for so long turned out to be the very thing needed to resurrect my master.
The first members of the resistance kneeled beside Slade and remembered the day they had met him. He was a stranger at first, but over the short time they had known him he had bought out the best in them. For Crusader, he taught him the importance of making your own identity, teaching him to accept and be proud of his heritage. He taught Songbird to look to the future with hope. And he restored the faith Jennifer, Hank and Tony had in heroism, and one another.
"Thank you for coming my friends, I will never forget the feeling of friendship…it helped me to accept my destiny…please don't forget me…. remember and honour those who fall, keep moving towards a better tomorrow," Slade said fiercely.
He held out his hand and his friends grabbed it. They all nodded to him, fighting back the tears as they smiled.
"Let me show you, the kind of hero…that people…need!"
"SLADE!" Sieg yelled as the man's body shattered.
He looked at the particles in his hand and moaned. Celeste hugged Sieg while Slade's friends put their hands to their hearts. They closed their eyes before opening them and looking at what was left of Slade. The sword had absorbed the light and the darkness merely floated in front of them before flying into the clouds. Suddenly, Sieg's sword began to shine brighter, floating above the ground.
"What's happening to your sword Sieg?" Jennifer asked.
"It's…returning to its original wielder," Sieg said through the tears.
Reckless got up off the floor, looking at the clone defiantly. Ragnarok swung his hammer downwards. Time seemed to slow and Reckless widened his eyes as he felt a familiar feeling. Suddenly, Sieg's sword flew in front of Ragnarok, pushing him back with a bright flash of light. Reckless grabbed the hilt of the sword and slammed it against the ground so hard that the blade shattered to pieces. These pieces flew around him. A tear fell down his face as he ripped off his mask.
Ragnarok watched in horror as the pieces of the sword shaped into different pieces of armour. They covered Reckless as he hovered inches from the floor. The roof of the base was torn open and the battle stopped. All the heroes and villains looked up as a figure floated above them. Some parts of his armour changed a gold colour while others turned grey. They became grey on his lower chest, the visor on his helmet, his feet, shoulders and wrists. Gold plates slammed onto his gauntlets and a blue and red diamond formed on the white armour on his chest. Tears dripped forth from the glowing blue eyes of his helmet.
"I…am Aeon, and from this day, the infighting stops NOW!"
Aeon was back, my master, my adopted father had returned. The world rebuilt, reality itself rewrote, which actually isn't that strange when you consider my Earth. But tragedy continued, the dead rose to slay the living. We lost many, and my own faith began to suffer. I went through what probably most heroes go through, that moment of personal crisis, when my personality gets darker.
Peter Parker walked through the street, his hair slicked downwards, clothes dark. He clicked his fingers, moving his hands about and dancing to an inner tune in his head. Girls would pass him and he would grin...
No, no, no, not that bad, nowhere near that bad. I started thinking that the morality of a hero was idiotic, and unnecessary. I felt that if anything it created more problems. Forgiving villains, waiting for them to redeem themselves, sparing murderers and monsters, putting them in prisons they easily escaped from so that they could kill again. I began to think that Avenger should be literal. In my eyes, the X-men were too far gone, fighting for outdated identity politics, or some dream of a mutant nation that would only further divide people. All this occurred just when we discovered that Aeon was not the only one who had returned.
"What were the words?"
Tony whispered the words in Aeon's ears and gasped as Aeon stepped back. Aeon put a hand to his head, his eyes glowing as he walked towards the edge of the building. Across America, super humans whom had been connected to Aeon detected his concerns and the strike of a man who had been a thorn in Aeon's side for years. At a hotel in Manhattan a blue crow cried out and a brown haired man fell off his chair, his eyes glowing blue. At the Initiative's camp Hammond a tall giant of a man quivered in fear, his eyes glowing a brown colour that was unseen by the camp staff walking over to help him. In San Francisco a blonde haired man slammed his fist against the wall as his eyes shined a gold colour. A car schreeched to a halt and its driver put a hand to his head, the car suddenly shook as his body vibrated at fast speeds, his eyes glowing a pale blue colour. The words that had been written only left one logical conclusion for Aeon.
"Deathblade has returned," He said before he jumped off of the roof.
Down the street across from the empire state building the parade to celebrate the reopening of the city was cut short when they had reached Time Square. Police and army rangers set up lines to stop people from getting past as Victoria Hand and a group of Hammer agents responded to the call. Peter Parker mingled through the crowd, looking up at the main advertisement screen with his camera.
"Oh my god!" Peter said.
Two figures had been crucified to the sign; one wearing a female goblin uniform while the other wore a ragged version of the Iron Patriot armour. People watching on TV's at the civilian shelters backed away from the screen in shock.
"I want these people moved out of here, get the Avengers on the line now," Hand said.
She looked up at the scene, practically glaring at her former bosses remains. The search for Norman Osborn and his lover Lily Hollister was over. Both them and their unborn child were dead, a massive scythe wound on Lily's belly and a gash across Osborn's head. Peter's camera had missed the bodies, but instead photographed the words that had been written in their blood. They were words that the police had found at countless murder scenes in the past few days. The words were:
Let the Punishment fit the crime!
At a warehouse in Hell's kitchen, a man in black armour lifted his scythe on his shoulders. The red sections of his armour practically shined under the light. He held a severed arm in his left hand, the arm of Eli Bard. Then he looked into the shadows, huffing as several people infected with the Transmode virus kneeled before him. They had all been dead once, but now they lived again to serve a man seeking his view of true justice. He ignored the bowing super humans, fame and power mattered little to him, only results. Turning to his "resources" he listened and focused, detecting the reactions and the fear felt by all those that had discovered Osborn's body. He lowered his head, his eyes giving off a red glow as he said two simple words.
"It's begun!"
My master had a rival, Cade Hunter, his name was Deathblade. The bearer of a spirit of vengeance, he could see all of the evil that a person had done in their lives. For years he and my father fought over their ideals, clashing again and again. But in this darker world, Deathblade decided that enough was enough. He would be judge jury and executioner and wipe out all of the evil, even if it meant being evil himself. The government pushed for a new group of manufactured heroes to save them, the Squadron Supreme. But this squadron had more sinister motives, motives shared by someone who manipulated them and Deathblade. Muramasa, lord of the dark forces used the Cosmic cube in an attempt to crash our world into another. But worse than that, he turned the brother I never knew I had into his apprentice.
"In the beginning it was all about Xavier's dream, fighting for a better world, and then they changed, the world got bigger, the threats more severe, so they said 'no, the Avengers aren't enough' the X-men need to protect mutant rights, and that must be the priority. Mutant problems equals mutant solutions, what bullshit!" Virgil snarled as he slammed his head into Sieg's, forming a bruise on the young man's forehead. "I attended the school because I believed I could become an X-man, that I could make the difference and fight for a dream that was worth fighting for, but we never made examples, never did anything to unite others, we divided again and again, I thought there would be hope when David's sister visited more and more, but instead Emma Frost said that the school was no place for a human, Emma Frost began setting the rules in a way that was a direct contradiction of the dream Xavier established," Virgil explained.
Sieg stepped backwards, blocking several punches before taking a knee to his gut. He quickly elbowed Virgil's helmet, then delivered a brutal punch to Virgil's armpit.
"Then M-Day happened, 'the future of mutant kind has ended', 'we were the inheritors of the future, the new dominant species' the fight wasn't about equality anymore with her, it was about putting mutants on a higher pedestal than others…our own country? Genosha was the biggest mistake we could have made and Utopia is too…like less contact between mutants and humans was what the world needed, that's why I'm angry with them, that's why I hate them…because they ruined what the dream should have stood for," Virgil continued his rant, backing up every point with a punch to Sieg's face.
He grabbed Sieg by his shoulders and then threw him across the battlefield, making him land inches from the battle between Muramasa and the Avengers.
"What did Xavier's dream mean to you Virgil?" Sieg asked.
"There's the thing, Emma Frost was filling my head with so much crap that I eventually even started believing her, that humans and mutants couldn't live in peace, that we were doomed to always fight one another…then I found out about you Sieg, before M-Day…when I learnt of your existence I was so happy," Virgil lowered his head, balling his fists as they shook. "But when I learnt that you'd rejected your mutant abilities I wept, because I believed we would never see eye to eye, yet still I loved you as any brother would!"
Sieg wiped the blood hanging off of his mouth as he got off the floor.
"I love you too brother, when I found out about you I started looking into your time at Xavier's…your mindset then, was the kind that we all should've shared. But I never would've rejected you, I rejected my mutant heritage because it sets me apart from others, I reject my mutant heritage now because I don't have faith in the dream that the X-men are fighting for at this moment," Sieg explained.
The crystal armour across his chest and shoulders, shattered, revealing his blue muscle shirt. Sofia and Sooraya looked over at Sieg and widened their eyes. His silver hair faded, replaced by light brown hair. The action caught Virgil off guard before Sieg rushed forward. With his eyes glowing blue, Sieg swung his fist towards Virgil.
"I don't believe in mutant kind, I believe in life, the good of all, because those people who call themselves and are called mutants…THEY ARE PART OF THAT ALL!" Sieg yelled.
He punched Virgil across the head, shattering his helmet. Virgil slid across the dirt, his blue eyes and black hair fully revealed thanks to the destruction of his helmet. He looked at his surroundings in mild confusion before he realised what had happened and where he was.
"No," Virgil whispered.
Sieg stood over Virgil and offered him his hand.
"Come on Virgil, we still need a person like you," Sieg said.
Virgil looked at his hands, stained with the blood of the people he killed. Without even acknowledging Sieg's presence he summoned his sword and split a zombies head in half.
I saved my brother's life and soul. But Muramasa had already done the damage. He summoned a corrupt version of a creature called Swamp Thing to destroy our world. And if that didn't work he had the portal linking our world to another. The collision would still happen unless a sacrifice was made.
Sieg and Sven stopped at the ramp to the star ship. Sven turned to look at his friends one last time. He then looked at Sieg, the young man he called son.
"I never got to say a lot of the things that were on my mind," Sven said.
Sieg raised his hand and smiled.
"All I ever wanted was for you to be proud of me, of the things I had done," Sieg said.
"Sieg look at all that you've done, you led everyone this far, never doubt that and never doubt that I've been proud of you my son," Sven said.
They hugged one another and held on tight. Tears fell down Sieg's face as Sven patted his head affectionately.
"I love you dad," Sieg said. "I'm so…sorry!"
"You have nothing to be sorry for Sieg."
"There is this," the young man sighed.
Sieg suddenly slammed his knee into Sven's stomach. He then threw Sven to the ground and ran into the shuttle.
"WE NEED TO GO NOW!" he yelled at the pilots.
The portal was a bomb waiting to go off, and the pilots wasted no time in launching. Sven looked up at the ship in horror as his friends and Virgil ran to his side.
"SIEG NO!" Virgil yelled.
I chose to give my freedom to close the portal. And I was not alone.
The heroes watched helplessly as Swamp Thing stomped through the nation's capital. It stopped where the White House had once been and began rooting its vines into the ground. The creatures feet sunk into the dirt, as did its arms. Every inch of the soul beneath it began to die and at the same time, the portal above the Earth began to flare, sparking uncontrollably as it reached its final phase of detonation. Helicopters circled around Washington and telescopes recorded the portal. The whole world saw what was happening. Peter Parker embraced his family and looked at the television view of the portal. Ben Urich stood in his office, solemnly watching the scene at Washington. The Quinn jet flew over Washington and opened its hatch. Cade held onto one of the support straps and looked at the creature rooting itself to the planet. In space, the Shiar shuttle opened its main hatch and Sieg flew towards his destiny. His armour shimmered as he turned and took a final look at the Earth.
"Come on Cade, remember what you fight for!"
He turned and continued his flight towards the portal. Cade jumped off of the Quinn jet, energy wings propelled him forward. He flew straight towards Swamp Thing, materialising his energy sword. Vines suddenly burst out of the ground, wrapping around Cade's wrists and legs. In space, Sieg flipped around, dodging surges of energy that gushed from the portal. Carina looked at both heroes, one intending to trap himself in an unfamiliar world, the other intending to give his life for it.
The entities Eternity and Infinity, as well as the wife of Michael Korvac, Carina, told us that the only thing that could stop the Black Lantern Swamp Thing, was an embodiment of every emotion in the spectrum. Love, hope, will, rage, compassion, fear and greed. Cade Hunter embodied all of these things and used both his spiritual powers and energy manipulation powers to manifest the form necessary to stop the Swamp Thing. Whilst I used my sword to cut the chains binding out world to another.
"It doesn't matter where I go, at this moment right now I choose to give in to whatever punishment justice deems worthy, because I am the avatar of justice and I…ACCEPT JUDGEMENT!"
The energy faded, turning into grey, gold and brown pads of armour. Brown and gold guards covered Cade's wrists and shins and across his chest, ending at a V shape near the grey belt that materialised around his waist. A grey plate covered his mouth and a gold and brown helmet appeared over his face. The helmet had an aerodynamic shape stretching past the nose, much like a beak, with gold feather shapes on the back of the helmet and on the gold shoulder pads that materialised on his arms. But the most defining feature of the helmet was its lack of eyes, matching the term 'justice is blind'.
The eyes of Sven and his allies flashed, for they felt the immense power of Cade's true form, the form that wasn't corrupted by his intense anger and sorrow, justice!
"Accept your punishment!" Cade spoke in a voice that wasn't his own.
A gold staff appeared in his hand. The staff had a pair of scales attached to the top of it, their position remained constant as Cade slammed the staff into the ground. Swamp Thing pulled its head back, finally afraid for its life.
"Disappear!" Justice passed sentence on both its host and Swamp Thing.
The bright pillar of light consumed Cade and Swamp Thing, enveloping Washington, purifying it and ultimately purging it of the creature that had rooted itself to the Earth. People across the world saw the amazing light rising from Washington. Sven however focused on the sky, on space and on his son. Sieg yelled as he flew straight through the portal. The energy of the Tesseract ran through his armour, electrocuting him and causing him to yell out in pain. Time seemed to slow for Sieg as he looked through the portal, at his own Earth and the light that Cade had generated in his final moment. He narrowed his eyes, gripped his sword tightly and passed final judgment on the portal threatened both worlds.
"CLOSE!" he yelled, swinging the sword around.
And just like that it was gone. Where once there had been another Earth, only the stars remained. Sven looked up at the sky and let out a cry and at where the light from Washington had once been. The realisation hit him; he wouldn't see his best friend or his son again. Falling to his knees, the man let out a cry of anguish.
"SIEG!"
And that was it, my Earth was saved and I drifted through space. But that was not the end of my story.
Sieg opened his eyes, wind was rushing through his hair. He looked up at the sky and realised it was getting further away.
'Wait, further away,' he looked over his shoulder and saw the approaching ground.
"OH CRAP! OH CRAP! OH CRAP!" he screamed.
Sieg grit his teeth together, red markings covering his body. He span in midair, looking towards the ground. Summoning the power inside of him, he fired a blast from his eyes, hitting the ground. It formed a crater and began to slow his fall. Just enough for him to brace himself as he hit trees. He reached out for a branch, but it snapped and Sieg fell to the dirt.
Land in a strange mysterious world, of course the first thing to do is to scout it out.
Rubbing his sore head, Sieg walked through the bushes. He could hear water ahead of him and the voices of people. Brushing some of the bushes aside he looked towards a water fall and a pool of water. A heavy blush crossed his face as he saw stunningly beautiful women bathing there. His eyes drifted to the Greek style robes and armour resting at dry land.
So yeah, I'm on Themyscera, I've read some Greek mythology books. Now if you're thinking this is where the harem starts, you'll be disappointed, also, shame on you for reading harem books. Anyway romance is definitely not in the air here.
"I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY!"
Sieg ducked his head, avoiding a spear thrown towards him. He ran and jumped as fast as he could, the Amazons chasing after him with swords drawn.
"Come on, come on, just enough to fly the HELL OUT OF HERE!" Sieg screamed.
His skin turned blue, the muscles in his legs expanding as red energy crackled around him. And with a single jump, he launched himself out of paradise island.
Anyway, I got back to civilisation where both male and female equally ruled it (and if you're one of those people don't give me that garbage about how there's no such thing). And made a few discoveries. New Earth, new heroes, cool new heroes like the Teen Titans, the Justice League and Doom Patrol (I mean they must be popular if they got their own TV show). People who lived up to and fought for the heroic ideal. So much like the heroes I left behind, and so different too. But there was something else that was different about this world.
It's timeline was malleable!
Sieg knocked several Amazon warriors back with his sword. He jumped upwards, avoiding the cannon fire of Atlantean tanks. Jumping to one of the buildings, he saw Aquaman in a red shirt fighting a fully armoured Wonder Woman.
And in a Flash!
The young boy landed on a Parademon, shoving his sword through its back. He jumped, 'pinballing' between buildings and dodging Parademon blasts. In midair, he caught sight of the Justice League fighting Darkseid. Only instead of Martian Manhunter, there was Cyborg there.
The timeline changed, origins changed. Heroes lost the tights worn over their pants...classic super hero look.
Crossing his arms together, Sieg activated his armour, taking a blast fired by Mongul. He was thrown back, into the arms of a man flying through the air. Sieg opened his eyes, looking into the bearded face of Superman. Only he was wearing a black suit with a silver version of his shield on it.
Time and reality altered itself, kind of like it would on my Earth.
"DUDE!" Sieg yelled, raising his hand up to shield his face.
Dr Manhattan looked at him with raised eyebrows.
"Pants please, nobody wants to see, THAT!" Sieg pointed at the...
And not being from this Earth, or this version of their Multiverse, meant that I was immune to the changes and had knowledge of what the world was like before. But no matter how much the world changed, I knew in my soul that this world was still at its heart how it was meant to be.
"Better late than never!"
Sieg watched from the rooftop as Superman, the Justice Society of America and the Legion of Super Heroes charged into battle against the international heroes and villains. The young man stepped back and smiled. He felt the familiar blue glow of Dr Manhattan and turned to the man. Sieg raised his hand and put his thumb up.
"All that, without any pants on, you're pretty heroic blue guy," he said.
Dr Manhattan stroked his chin for a moment, before a smile crossed his face. He raised his hand as Sieg had and gave him a thumbs up.
And in a flash of blue, things seemed to change again.
Sieg opened his eyes, feeling the grass beneath him. He sat up, feeling his bag at his right hand and on his left hand a book. He curiously looked at it:
Nathaniel Dusk: Private Investigator
The book that inspired the Acclaimed hit series starring Carver Colman.
He stood up and saw that he was in a park. Then he looked to the tall building in the distance, and the globe on top of it, the Daily Planet building. Again he looked at the book and smiled.
"Thank you, blue guy!"
So that's the story of how I came to be in this new universe. It may not be home for me, but it is a world I'm going to fight just as hard to protect. Because I am who my father, friends and heroes taught me to be.
Siegfried Reilly, mutant, bearer of the spirit of faith, Victory Peace, a hero!
Next Chapter 1: The widening gap
Having read Doomsday Clock at the time of my second Brave New World rewrite, I started to appreciate the whole point of that series wasn't Superman vs Dr Manhattan. And it presented one of my favourite comic book moments of the year. So I stopped what I was trying to do with Brave New World and decided on The Brave New World as the definitive sequel to Sieg's story and the joining of the Justice League and the Avengers and X-men in an epic crossover, one that reveals that the times the DC Universe have crossed over with the Marvel Universe are canon in this series.