Chapter XXXV: Infinity Crisis Act II: The Paragons Part 2: Justice

Earth-626. New York, NY.

Emerald Man, Thunder Woman, and Harley Sin arrived through the portal and were immediately taken aback by their surroundings. The people staring at them were dressed in clothes out of place from their era, and the technology was vastly underdeveloped. "Friday, what's today's date in this universe?" Tony asked his A.I.

["Scanning for computer signals… scanning… scanning… scanning… signal located. Current date and time is 3:11 P.M. Eastern time. April 3, 1974 A.D."]

"Whoa! Talk about a blast from the past!" Harley exclaimed, excitedly.

"Amazing." Tony breathed, excitedly. "This universe exists on a completely separate timeline from ours. But if this is the seventies, how was I able to find a-?"

Suddenly, a sonic boom rocked the ground, drawing the heroes' attention skyward. A woman resembling Captain Hyper landed on the ground with an earth-shattering boom. She was much older than their own version of the Radonian heroine, and far more… endowed.

"Holy mammaries, Gargoyle!" Harley Sin exclaimed. "Got milk?"

The newly arrived heroine aimed her fists at the universe's intruders as she addressed them. "Whoever you are, my name is Captain Power! By order of the United Nations, you are to stand down!"

"Uh… Friday?" Tony asked, raising his hands in surrender. "What signal did you pick up?"

["Signal received from the Advanced Research Projects Agency Network."]

"Oh, crap." Tony sighed. "I just accidentally hacked into the Pentagon."

"'Accidentally?'" Captain Power scoffed. "You expect me to believe that you hacked into America's most secure computer by accident?"

"Well, no. Not exactly." Emerald Man explained. "Listen, Captain Power, was it? We didn't come here looking for trouble. All we want is a chance to talk to someone."

"Who?"

"Well, it's hard to explain." He retracted his helmet back into the rest of his armor. "My name is Emerald Man, this is Donna and Harley. We're looking for someone who fits the definition of a 'Paragon of Justice.' You see… it's a long story."

Captain Power could see that these people obviously weren't here to hurt anyone. So against her better judgment, she ordered them to follow her to a nearby rooftop. "Okay. Spill it, dude." She demanded.

"We come from a parallel universe." Donna blurted out, nervously. "Someone in your universe has the power to help us stop a madman who… who…" The Corbinite began hyperventilating as she recalled the most recent catastrophe.

"Donna, breath! Breath!" Tony did his best to calm his young friend. "You're okay, you're fine."

"What's wrong with her?" Captain Power sounded equally concerned. "Is she going to be alright?"

"Oh, she's fine." Harley cozied up the busty Radonian, gently cupping her right breast as she slung her arm around her. "She's just got a touch of PTSD."

"Hands off, please." Captain Power nearly pinched Sin's hand off with her super-strong grip.

"Anyway, we need your help." Emerald Man explained. "Someone in this universe has the power to stop a tyrant who's taken our entire world hostage. A friend of ours said that we'd instantly be able to locate them. They're supposed to be the 'Paragon of Justice,' he said."

"'Paragon of Justice? Your universe?' How do I know you're not making this up?"

"Captain Power, please." Tony begged. "We didn't come here to fight, but there are lives at stake back in our world. We just need your help."

Captain Power rubbed her chin in thought. "Well, if this… Paragon of Justice isn't me, then it might be a member of the All-Justice Squad."

"Great!" Tony clapped his hands, eagerly. "Can you take us to them?"

"You don't understand. The All-Justice Squad was disbanded in '56." She elaborated. "But there are three members I can think of who'd fit the title of Justice; Human Lantern, Thunder Woman, and the Flag."

"The… the Flag is still alive in this universe?" Tony stammered.

"Thunder Woman is still alive?!" Donna gasped. "Where is she?! Take me to her! Please!"

Captain Power seemed slightly disturbed by Donna's outburst. "H-Halden, Norway! She works in a hospital near-" That was all she could say before Donna flew off into the sky. "She seems distraught."

"She'll be fine." Tony promised. "Now, where is the Flag and Human Lantern?"

"The Flag's retired. Living in Keystone City, in Kansas." She replied. "Human Lantern is at a meeting with President Ford in D.C."

"Alright, I'll go to Keystone and talk to the Flag." Tony glared at Harley Sin. "Can I trust you to behave?"

"Who? Widdle ol' me?" Harley feigned innocence as she smiled. "Don't worry. With Captain Power to keep me in check, I'll be on my bestest behavior!"

Tony rolled his eyes before flying off. "Thank you, Captain Power."

The Radonian smiled. "You can call me Carol."


Keystone City, KS.

Tony found the proper address and landed directly at the front door. A knot formed in his stomach, fearful at the idea of facing Steve's doppelganger. Steeling his nerves, he knocked on the solid oak wood of the door. A few seconds later, he heard muffled footsteps coming from the other side. When the door opened, Emerald Man found himself face-to-face with an aging man with graying brunette hair. "Steve?" He asked.

"Uh, sorry, son. I think you've got the wrong house." The man replied. "The name's Roger Garrick. Former captain of the United States military. Can I help you?"

"Uh… are you… the Flag?"

There was a long pause before Roger let out a tired sigh. "Not anymore. Why don't you come inside?"

A few minutes later, Tony was seated in his host's kitchen. While Roger brewed a fresh pot of coffee, he noticed that the pictures hanging on the wall depicted a younger Roger Garrick with a beautiful woman. "That's Peggy Williams." Roger stated, offering Tony a mug. "My wife. She passed away a few years ago."

"I'm sorry." Tony nodded as he accepted the mug. "Now, you're going to find what I have to say very hard to believe, but-"

"You're from a parallel universe, aren't you?" Roger interrupted, sitting opposite of his guest.

"How'd you-?"

"Your vibrational frequency is out of synch with the rest of this world." Roger explained. "You could say speedsters are kind of experts on the subject of vibrations. Also, right when you looked at me, you called me 'Steve.' Normally, I'd just assume that you had me confused with someone else. But a few decades ago, I happened to encounter a man from another universe named 'Steve Allen.' He claimed to be his universe's version of the Flag. He helped me take down a particularly difficult platoon of Huns."

"'Huns?'" Tony's eyebrow arched. "You fought in World War One?"

"You have to understand, this universe is a lot different from yours." Roger went on. "I was a scrawny little kid who just wanted to serve his country. I was marked as 4-F by the government, but Dr. Abraham Clariss - a German defector - wanted to give me a second chance. He developed some kind of new chemical; called it 'hard water.' When inhaled, it increased my strength, stamina, intelligence, and most impressively my speed. Abraham was assassinated before he could replicate the formula, but President Wilson still saw me as a success. He thought that I could be a symbol of what America was meant to be. So they gave me a uniform, a helmet, a shield, and a motif. I was… the Flag. And soon enough, I met other superheroes. We formed a team to fight for justice. We were the best. That's how I met my best friend, Alan Hammond. And after our success during the first world war, President Roosevelt soon had us enlisted in the second."

"So what happened?"

Roger let out a long, exasperated sigh as he set his coffee mug down on the table. "It was the last year of the war." He began. "Hitler had just killed himself and Germany was on the ropes. President Truman had ordered the All-Justice Squad to undergo a 'special assignment' based on information Captain Allen had told Roosevelt and I when he journeyed over to our universe in '18."

"What did he tell you?"

"He warned us about a Baron Leonard Zemo who would form an offshoot of the Nazi party called 'H.I.D.R.A.' But when we couldn't find anyone who fit his description, he left us with a list of names of all high-profile H.I.D.R.A. leaders who worked with Zemo. The feds spent years researching the list. Arnim DeVoe, Wilhelm Krieger, Count Johnathon Berlin - nothing came up… except one. One name finally hit a match; Baron Wolfgang Von Degaton."

"Degaton." Tony shuddered. "I know him. He was Baron Zero's protege during the war in our universe. Apparently, he developed something called Satan's claw. Claimed it could grant the wearer the power to rejuvinate themselves by absorbing the life-force of others."

"Well, Steve never got that far into it." Roger continued. "Nevertheless, with this information, they were able to find a Wolfgang Von Degaton hiding in a hospital in Nazi-occupied Dresden. President Truman ordered us to find Degaton and bring him back to the States. At least… that's what I was told.


Dresden, Germany. May 3, 1944.

"Alright, Squad! This is it!" Roger adjusted his helmet as he addressed his team. Their pilot, Bart Parker, could only keep them at such a low altitude for so long, so they needed to hurry. As usual, the Flag kept their morale high with his boundless enthusiasm and confident leadership. "We get on the ground, we find Degaton, and we bring him back to D.C.! Got it?!"

"GOT IT!" The All-Justice Squad saluted, eagerly.

"Yeah, that's what I like to hear! Who do the Allies trust the most?!"

"The AJS!"

"Who do the people love the most?!"

"The AJS!"

"Who do the Nazis fear the most?!"

"The AJS!"

"Alright! Go, go, go!" The Flag watched as Wild Jack, Blonde Canary, Gargoyle, Commander Diamond, and Miss Terrific parachuted down into enemy lines. The only one not wearing a parachute was Roger's close friend; Alan Hammond, the Human Lantern. "Match my pace, you clockwork doll." He teased.

"You match mine, you old meat-bag!" Alan laughed. The living android twisted the glass emblem on his chest, opening up the protective casing. With his power source exposed to oxygen, Alan's synthetic flesh burst into green flames and he flew out of the plane to draw the Nazi's fire away from their friends.

"Thanks for the ride, Bart!" Flag adjusted his goggles and strapped his signature shield onto his back. "Turn this plane around and wait for us to call you for pick up!"

"You got it, Captain Garrick!" The pilot nodded. "Good luck!"

With that, the Flag jumped out of the plane with a wide smile plastered over his face. Spinning his arms at a fantastic rate, the fastest soldier alive created two powerful wind tunnels that softened his landing. Once he was on the ground, his first priority was to get the civilians out of harm's way while simultaneously checking on his own people. Ever since Hyperman was killed in battle and Thunder Woman returned to Asgard, he and the Human Lantern shared leadership of the Squad, and took it upon themselves to keep their morale high.

"You okay, Elton?" He asked, catching up to Commander Diamond.

"You kiddin'? These Ratzis got nothin' on the old Heywood right hook!" As his codename would suggest, American soldier had gone through a surgical procedure that made his skin harder than diamonds. He demonstrated this as he took an artillery shell to the face and proceeded to punch the tank onto its side. "Thanks for checkin' on me, though!"

Next on Flag's list was the "power couple" of the AJS; Theodore "Wild Jack" Falsworth and Louise "Blonde Canary" Drake - two British agents who had gone under similar procedures in an effort to create super-soldiers. Wild Jack was granted increased strength and a highly advanced healing factor while Blonde Canary was blessed with a powerful sonic scream. They were currently surrounded by a platoon of Nazi stormtroopers, but thankfully, the Flag blocked all of their bullets with his shield while throwing his helmet at the stormtroopers. The vibranium helmet ricocheted off of their bodies before he caught it and placed it back on top of his head. "You guys alright?"

"We coulda handled that ourselves, ya yank." Wild Jack scoffed and reloaded his pistols.

"Don't mind 'im, Roger." Canary shrugged as she blew the unarmed troopers away with her scream. "He's still a little sore about your last sparring match."

"He sucker punched me!"

Next on his list, Matthew Wayne, alias Gargoyle and Terri Joyce, alias Miss Terrific - the only members of the AJS without special superpowers. But even without powers, the duo were amazing martial artists and a deadly pair in combat. "How're you holding-" Flag stopped himself as he saw the pile of unconscious bodies next to his friends. "Okay, I guess I'll just check on Alan."

Alan "Human Lantern" Hammond - a highly advance android built by the late Dr. Phineas Scott. Dr. Scott's notes claimed that he had discovered a mystically-endowed oil lantern in the Himalayas that - when exposed to oxygen - would emit a powerful green flame that could create solid objects based on the wielder's imagination. To ensure that this power wouldn't fall into the wrong hands, Scott integrated this powersource into his latest creation; an android capable of replicating free will and independent thought. The project was a success, and the Human Lantern became one of America's first superheroes.

The Flag met up with Human Lantern at the hospital where Degaton was allegedly hiding. "I've already done a sweep of the perimeter." Alan informed. "This shouldn't take much longer."

"Alright, buddy." Roger nodded. "Let's find this Degaton and bring him State-side."

Once they were inside, Human Lantern detected a single life-signature located on the second floor of the building. Instinctively, the Flag rushed on ahead, ready for a fight. But much to his surprise, and relief, he found the life signature his friend had detected. There, lying in a cradle, was a newborn infant crying from being woken up. Sure enough, the nametag on the cradle read "Von Degaton, W." The Flag chuckled as he tickled the boy under his chin. "Well, my job just got a whole lot easier." He laughed as the boy calmed down. "Hard to believe your counterpart grew up to cause so much trouble."

"Did you find him?" Alan's voice came from behind.

"Yeah. Alan, you are not going to believe thi-" The Flag's smile quickly disappeared once he turned around. The Human Lantern was aiming his fist at the cradle, prepared to fire a blast of green flame. "Alan?"

"Roger, get out of the way." The android ordered, solemnly.

"W-what're you doing?" Flag held up his shield as he stood between the infant and his best friend. "We were supposed to just take Degaton back to the States!"

"That's what you were told." Alan sighed. "You weren't supposed to be here for this. Truman believed that if what your counterpart said was true, then he wanted me to neutralize Degaton once we found him."

"But he's just a kid!" Flag protested. "He hasn't done anything wrong!"

"Not yet, you mean! Roger, please!" Human Lantern was growing impatient. "I don't like this any more than you do! But I have to do what's right! Don't you want to prevent the Nazi's from evolving into H.I.D.R.A.? Don't you want to save the future?!"

"Of course I do!" Flag snapped. "But I won't kill a kid!"

"I'm not asking you to kill a kid! I'll kill the kid! Now move!"

"NO!"


Present Day

"I tried to talk him out of it." Roger concluded. "I tried to convince him that we could've just taken Degaton away from the Nazi's and put him in the American foster care system. But it was no good… we fought."

"I take it he won?" Tony asked, much to Roger's disdain.

"Alan is a living android powered by a mystic artifact that gives him the ability to create solid objects out of green flame. And I run fast." The grizzled war veteran glared at his guests, clearly annoyed by the question. "Who do you think won? Not that it matters. Alan's mission ultimately failed in the long run."

"What do you mean?"

"Because that boy he ended up killing turned out to be Degaton's son." Roger explained. "Wolfgang was a doctor who worked in that hospital. But seeing one of America's heroes kill his own flesh and blood drove him into the Nazi's arms. He gathered a group of like-minded individuals and ended up founding H.I.D.R.A. anyway. Recently, he's been waging war in Europe."

"Jesus Christ." Tony shook his head, tiredly.

"Yeah. After the war, Truman threw the All-Justice Squad under the bus." Roger went on. "Congress took us to the Supreme Court, demanding that we reveal our secret identities to the public and swear an oath of loyalty to America. Since Alan was technically government property, he was the only one who agreed to it. Especially since the others never wanted to even see him again after what he did. But the rest of us… we all resigned. We refused to work for a government that was willing to sanction the deaths of innocent lives."

Tony's heart sank. "Y'know, our universe's aren't so different, after all." He mused, sadly.

Suddenly, a rigorous tapping noise came from the front door. "What in the hell is that?" Tony stood up from his seat and reactivated his armor. Once he opened the door, he saw a young brunette woman dressed in a costume similar to Speedster-Man's, but with a white star sewn on the front. "Are you Emerald Man?" She asked. "I'm Kid-Flag. Captain Power sent me to check on you."

"Uh, yeah. Hey, you wouldn't happen to know a 'Bart Parker,' would you?" Tony asked.

"She does, indeed." Roger answered. "She's his daughter. My goddaughter. Joanne Parker."

The young adult glared through her goggles at her former idol. "My father is dead. Because I wasn't fast enough to save him." She replied, coldly. "I don't deserve the name he gave me. I'm Rebecca West."

"So, you're too guilty use the name your own father gave you, but you're proud enough to rip off my name; 'Kid-Flag?'"

"Someone has to take up the mantle!" She barked back. "The world needs a Flag to give them hope!"

"... Emerald Man? Am I this Paragon you're looking for, or not?"

Tony shook his head. "No. The Pariah said I'd be able to know when I found them."

"Then please… just go."

As Tony stepped out of the house, Rebecca made her way over to a wall in Roger's living room. "Why'd you keep it?" She asked.

"Keep what?"

She pressed into the wall, triggering a hidden mechanism. With a dusty blow of air, the wall slid back to reveal a red, white, and blue-colored military uniform with a star-spangled shield and helmet of Hermes. "Hmm. Forgot that was there." Roger shrugged and went back to his cup of coffee. "Good bye, Joanne."

"... bye, uncle Garrick."


Halden, Norway

Donna tore through the sky at a blinding speed until she came upon the country Captain Power directed her to. Sure enough, she found the Delta-Ray Donna Memorial Hospital in the center of the city. She barely even touched the ground before rushing through the door.

"I need to speak to Thunder Wo-" Donna shook her head. She had been so excited, she hadn't considered that her mentor's doppelganger still maintained a secret identity. "Um, I m-mean, I need to speak to Dr. Blake."

The receptionist arched an eyebrow. "You mean, Dr. Blake-Foster?"

"Um… yes?" She replied. Had the Diana of this universe married Major Foster? She decided she would find out soon enough as the receptionist put in the call. Donna began nervously pacing the room in anticipation, ignoring everyone staring at the massive sword strapped to her back. At last, she spotted the doctor wearing a nametag that read "Dr. Blake-Foster," and her heart sank.

"Oh, my god…" The blonde woman cupped a hand over her mouth, letting her walking stick and clipboard fall to the ground. "Donna!" She cried, happily, embracing her in a warm hug. "I thought you were dead!"

"You're not Diana…" Donna whimpered, sadly.

"What? N-no, It's me, Hippolyta." The doctor let go of Donna to look her in the eye. "Remember? You used to call me Lyta? Don't you know me? Isn't that why you came here?"

"This was a mistake." Donna turned around to leave. "I'm sorry I wasted your time."

"Hey, wait a minute!" Lyta followed the younger girl out the door. "Wait a minute, Donna! What's wrong?"

"Just go away!" Donna yelled. "You don't understand!"

"What do I not understand?!" Lyta cried, grabbing Donna's arm. "Donna, please! Just talk to me! Did I do something wrong?"

"No! I did something wrong! I did everything wrong!" Donna wept. "I got my best friend killed! I let my brother get killed! And in the one chance I had to do something right, I gave Darkanos the chance to wipe out free will!"

"Donna, you're being hysterical!" Lyta soothed. "Who's Darkanos? What are you talking about?"

"I failed!" Donna's legs went limp and she fell into Lyta's arms. "I failed and I ruined everything! And I can't fix it!"

Lyta picked up Donna and carried her over to a curb on the hospital's parking lot. Then, Donna told her everything. About Diana and John Foster. About her brother. About who Darkanos was and what he had done. About the Pariah and their mission to find the Paragons. And about why she sought out Diana's counterpart.

"Emerald Man thinks that I believe Diana was the Paragon of Justice." She whimpered. "But in truth, I only wanted to see her one last time. I wanted a chance to apologize for failing her. But after everything I've done… what would she think of me now?"

Lyta scooted closer to Donna. "You know, I'm the reason you died on this Earth." Donna blinked in surprise. "My grandparents - Lord Odin and Lady Hippolyta - were dead. Asgard needed a new ruler. So, my mom left the responsibilities of the Thunder Woman in Donna's hands while she took over ruling Asgard. And she said I was too young to help her. So I mostly spent a lot of time with my dad, but… I never really appreciated him. I always took him for granted."

"What do you mean?"

"I looked down on him." She said, regrettably. "I saw him as just another mortal. In time, I grew restless. Arrogant. I stole Mjolnir from Donna's home and went off to join her in one of her battles against the Enchantress. But I was reckless and didn't know what I was doing." She unbuttoned the bottom of her shirt, opening it up to reveal a noticeable scar just above her navel.

"I should be dead." She continued. "And I would have been if it weren't for Donna. She jumped in front of the blade that was meant for me. I blamed myself for her death and fell into a deep depression. I was distraught, too."

"What happened?" Donna sniffed, rubbing her eyes.

"My dad." Lyta smiled as she rebuttoned her shirt. "Even after the way I had treated him, he loved me with all his heart. And he couldn't stand to see me dwell over Donna's death forever. So one day, he took me on a trip to see the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia. He told me the story of how it got its crack, and explained that even though it had been damaged, it was still an important symbol of American liberty. And then, he told me something I'll never forget; 'just because something has a crack in it, it doesn't mean it's worthless.' That made me realize that even though I couldn't undo the mistake of letting Donna die, I could still honor her memory by being the best I could be. So I got a medical degree, traveled the world healing those in need, and eventually established this hospital in Donna's honor."

Donna whimpered. "B-but, you don't understand!" She sobbed. "Everything I've done is more than just a crack! Letting Diana die is more than a crack! Letting my brother die is more than a crack! Losing Mjolnir and Stormbreaker is more than a crack! Failing to stop Darkanos is more than a crack! This is more than a crack!"

Lyta cupped Donna's cheeks in both hands, offering a gentle, comforting smile. "It doesn't have to be." She whispered, softly.

At last, the floodgates opened, and Donna let herself cry into Lyta's shoulder. In spite of all her failures, this woman - the daughter of the greatest being she'd ever known - offered her nothing but kindness and comfort. Just like her mother would have. "Your father sounds like a very wise man." She whimpered.

"Yeah." Lyta allowed her own tears to fall, now. "He was the best."

"Attention, all citizens of the world!" Degaton's voice bellowed over the television screen. Donna and Lyta jumped to their feet to view the monitor. "I am Baron Wolfgang Von Degaton, grand leader of the immortal H.I.D.R.A.! Decades ago, a hero you worship brutally murdered my own child! All because a man claiming to be from a future world told his American masters that I would one day rise above them! Well, it seems that he was right! I am destined to rule this world with an iron fist, and shall do so as I see fit! Today marks the first day of a new era! Paris, France will bow to me or be wiped out! And to all other nations, submit to me or perish!"

"If Degaton invades Paris, millions of lives will be lost." Lyta clenched her fists as her walking stick magically flew into her palm. "I will not allow that to happen!"

Donna could only smile as she heard the distant rumble of thunder in the sky.


Meanwhile, around the world, the retired members of the All-Justice Squad had just finished watching Degaton's message. Theodore Falsworth and Louise Drake had been cleaning up their gym in London when they saw the news. In New Gotham, Terri Joyce was making her yearly contribution to the Wayne Foundation's charity ball when she was told of the invasion. Srgt. Elton Heywood heard what was going on over the radio while he was providing relief to African countries. Even Roger Garrick glanced over at his uniform when he learned the news.


Paris, France.

Tony and Harley sat in silence as they joined Alan Hammond on his mission to stop Degaton once and for all. To them, the living android appeared to be covered in an aura of white light that no one else could see. They recognized him as the Paragon of Justice, explained their situation, and pleaded with him to come back with them. After a few moments of consideration, Human Lantern agreed that if they helped him defeat Degaton he would help them defeat Darkanos.

Accompanying them were Kid-Flag and Angel Girl. Alan had personally trained both young heroines under his supervision and he was proud of how far they had come. But Alan's primary programming was based on a human mind, and as such, he was prone to sentiment. Without his friends from the All-Justice Squad, he just didn't feel the same when going into battle. As they waited to arrive in Paris, he took out an old photograph and studied it, fondly.

"Um, Alan?" The android was brought out of his stupor by Angel Girl."Uh…"

"What's on your mind, Miss Halloway?" He asked, kindly.

"Do… do we have enough people for this?" She asked, nervously.

"... as long as we stick together, we'll be fine." He assured her. But in truth, he wasn't very confident, himself. Especially since Captain Power had left to deal with an asteroid problem. Against his better judgment, he pocketed the photograph and took out an old recall device designed to alert all members of the All-Justice Squad to his location. He pressed the button and sighed. "If you're going to show up… now would be a good time."

"Attention! This is your captain speaking!" Kid-Flag announced, cheerfully. "We are on our final approach to Paris!"

"Let's do this." Alan opened the hatch, twisted his emblem, and flew down to the front lines.

Degaton's foot army consisted entirely of robotic automations, meaning that Alan and his companions didn't have to hold back. Unfortunately, H.I.D.R.A.'s army still held the number advantage, but Emerald Man was more than willing to lend a hand. Together, the green-clad heroes went to work with the soulless machines. But a horde of the robots quickly isolated the duo and piled on top of them. Thankfully, Angel Girl fired a blast of purple energy at their attackers, giving them the chance to fight back.

"Good work, Courtney!" Alan praised.

"Thanks!" Angel Girl replied just as Harley Sin landed face-first onto the ground, splattering everywhere.

"If the Flag can do it, so can I!" She exclaimed, weakly.

Meanwhile, Kid-Flag was assigned to crowd control once she had landed the ship. Thanks to her speed, it was easy to move the civilians out of harm's way. "Bonjour, everyone!" She greeted, warmly. "We're here to help!"

Suddenly, the ground trembled. A giant mechanised suit stomped onto the streets of Paris and fired a destructive laser beam at the Eiffel Tower. Degaton laughed from inside the mechanised behemoth as he terrorized the people. "You fools! I am destined to rule this world! It has been foretold!"

"Take cover!" Alan shouted.

Emerald Man tried to conjure up a shield to protect them, but he couldn't react in time. Although the shield protected everyone else, a stray missile knocked him unconscious as the barrage kept coming. Angel Girl had been injured, and Kid-Flag didn't know what to do. "Alan!" She called out. "Alan, where are you?!"

"Courtney…" Alan hovered over to the group, distraught over seeing one of his proteges hurt.

"She needs help!" Kid-Flag stated. "She and Emerald Man both! We can't stay here!"

Alan looked back to see the damage Degaton had caused, and realized he wasn't finished. The android had never forgiven himself for letting this happen, but today, he had to set things right. "Kid-Flag… get everyone out of here. I'll hold the line."

"But… but you said… we had to stick together." Courtney whimpered.

"Don't worry… I'll be right behind you." He lied.

Twisting his emblem to reignite the green flame, Alan blasted away as many robots as he could before he stood before his greatest failure. Even from ground level, he could hear Degaton's mocking laugh as the Nazi scientist charged another laser blast. Alan closed his eyes and focused on channeling all of his energy through the lantern in his chest. He hated himself for allowing Degaton to become the monster he was today, but his will was stronger than his hate. It had to be.

Emerald Man was finally beginning to come around when he spotted Human Lantern facing the mechanised monster alone. "No!" He cried out. If Alan died, then his world was doomed.

But just as Degaton fired the laser, something sped in front of Alan and redirected the blast back towards the machine. Degaton's machine stumbled backwards, crashing into a building from the blast. Once the smoke cleared, everyone saw the source of Alan's salvation; a man with a glistening helmet of Hermes and star-spangled shield. The Flag looked back at his oldest friend with the same youthful gleam in his eyes before charging off to battle more robots.

Suddenly, everyone heard a horn blaring down the streets. Wild Jack was driving a truck through hordes of the robots, all while Blonde Canary stood on the roof, demolishing them with her scream. Commander Diamond jumped from the flatbed and crushed two robots under his feet. Canary and Jack jumped from the truck and shot at the gas tank, causing an explosion that took out an entire platoon.

"Oh, my god! It's happening!" Kid-Flag cheered and raced off to join the fray.

Soon enough, the clouds opened up as Thunder Woman and Donna descended from the sky. Lyta placed a hand on Courtney's shoulder, healing the girl's wounds with her godly magic. "Hello, Alan!" She waved.

"Lyta!"

But it wasn't over yet. Degaton managed to get his machine back on its feet. "You think you've won?! You don't stand a chance! I'm supposed to win! IT! IS! MY! DESTINY!" Another laser fired at the group of heroes, but Human Lantern and Emerald Man combined their power this time, creating a much stronger barrier.

"Alan, I have an idea!" Courtney shouted over the blast. Having spotted a breach in the machine's hull, she planned to overload its circuitry by channeling the unstable energy of her cosmic rod into the mainframe. All she need to do was cross a few wires and then directly inject it into the system. After explaining her plan to the others, the Flag and Kid-Flag shared a knowing glance.

"Give it to me!" Flag ordered. "Kid, go long!"

"Right!" Rebecca raced towards the hulking machine as the Flag threw the rod as hard as he could. "Got it!" She shouted, catching the rod. But Degaton moved one of the machine's claws to catch her.

"For Midgard!" Donna cried out, using Persuader to slice the claw off before it could grab the speeding girl.

With a flick of her wrist, Kid-Flag shot a web of Speed Force energy at the machine's hull. She swung up to the exposed circuitry and stabbed the rod inside.

"No! No, no, no, no!" Degaton screamed in fury. "This isn't how it's supposed to be! I'm supposed to win! I'm supposed to win!" Suddenly, his computers began to malfunction and crash, his systems shut down improperly and everything went haywire. His machine collapsed to the ground and he was defeated.

Hours later, Alan and Tony had cleared away most of the debris while the rest of the group checked on the injured.

"Oh! Ah! My spin is back in place!" Harley cheered, painfully. "So, what'd I miss?"

"Victory is ours, my friends!" Thunder Woman cheered, proudly.

"Hi, Lyta." Rebecca waved, happily.

"Joanne?!" The demi-goddess dropped her hammer and picked the girl up in a crushing bearhug. "Oh, my goodness! You've grown!"

Blushing beneath her mask, Rebecca was desperate to turn attention away from her. Vibrating out of her friend's hold, she pushed the blonde teenager towards the group. "Uh, everyone! This is Courtney!"

"H-hi, everyone!" Angel Girl waved, meekly.

"Good technique out there, kid." Wild Jack gave his new companion a firm slap on the back. "But how 'bout later, you take a step in the ring? See how good ya are without that fancy glowstick."

"Ted, be nice." Blonde Canary scolded.

"Hey." Rebecca turned around to see her life-long hero standing behind her. The Flag smiled and offered her a proud handshake. "You did good out there, Joanne."

"It's Rebecca West." She corrected as she accepted his hand in gratitude.

Roger just chuckled. "Either way… it's Kid-Flag."

Alan smiled as he saw his old and new friends became familiar with each other. But as he tried to reach out to the Flag, something held him back. Was it possible for his best friend to forgive him for what he had done? Could he even still call himself Roger's friend? He would get his answer soon as the Flag spotted him gazing at him. The android looked away on instinct, but it wasn't enough as the Flag made his way over to him.

"I think you dropped this." Roger said, offering an old photograph of the All-Justice Squad's first group picture together.

"Thank you." Alan smiled. "Still wearing the tin hat, I see."

"Better than red spandex." Roger shot back, playfully. "So, does this mean… the All-Justice Squad's back?"

Alan gazed back at the small group of heroes as the crowds cheered them on. "Yes…" He chuckled. "Yes, we are. But first, I have a promise to keep."

"Than keep it." Roger assured him. "I'll handle things for now."

"It's good to have you back, old friend." Alan nodded and approached Emerald Man, Delta-Ray Donna, and Harley Sin. "We can go now, Anthony." He declared. "My world is in good hands."

Tony nodded as he, Donna, and Harley held hands to summon the portal to return to Pariah's universe. "Alright, returning to Earth-Prime in five… four… three… two-"

"Wait! Wait, just one minute!" Donna held up her hands in desperate protest as she made her way over to the half-mortal Thunder Woman. "Y-you said that the Delta-Ray Donna of this universe perished in battle. W-would you mind if I…"

Lyta saw Donna raising her hand, understanding what she was trying to ask. "Well… I suppose you are Delta-Ray Donna… I'm sure my mother would approve." She reasoned with a smile.

With her blessing received, Donna closed her eyes, held out her arm, and patiently waited as she prayed to the gods for her plan to work. Harley, on the other hand, was did not understand what was happening at all. "Uh, are you trying to dab? 'Cause you're doing it all wrong."

"Don't worry." Lyta assured the universe's guests. "Sometimes it just takes a while."

At last, a familiar enchanted axe flew through the air, straight into Donna's grip. The Corbinite demi-goddess collapsed to her knees as she held Stormbreaker in her grasp; tears of joy running down her cheeks as Emerald Man reopened the portal to the Pariah's dimension. "... I'm still worthy…" She whispered, happily.

To Be Continued!

Next chapter: Beware the Sinister Syndicate of Earth-636!

Earth-626(Earth-2/MC2)

The All-Justice Squad(Justice Society of America/All-Winners Squad)

Human Lantern aka Alan Hammond(Alan Scott/Jim Hammond)

The Flag aka Roger Garrick(Jay Garrick/Steve Rogers)[And I can do that because Captain America is both a golden age and a silver age hero!]

Captain Power aka Carol Starr(Powergirl/Captain Marvel)

Kid-Flag aka Joanne Parker aka Rebecca West(Iris West Earth-22/May "Mayday" Parker Earth-982)

Thunderstorm aka Hippolyta "Lyta" Blake-Foster(Fury Earth-2/Kevin Masterson Earth-982)

The Blonde Canary aka Louise Drake(Black Canary Earth-2/Blonde Phantom)

Wild Jack aka Theodore Falsworth(Wild Cat/Union Jack)

Miss Terrific aka Terri Joyce(Mister Terrific/Miss America)

Commander Diamond aka Elton Heywood(Commander Steel/Blue Diamond)

Angel Girl aka Courtney Halloway(Stargirl/Angel)

Baron Wolfgang Von Degaton(Baron Degaton/Wolfgang Von Strucker)