Chapter 35:
One final trip to Earth-X, and hopefully this would be the last time Overgirl and Deathbird would step foot on this place. They were joined by various members of the League of Assassins, although they spread out to begin to assassinate some of the more cruel remaining members of the Nazi army.
Oliver stood by their side. Overgirl and Deathbird looked over and both of the women took a deep breath. Neither enjoyed being back here, but they had to be back here.
"Do you think this world can even go back to the way things were?" Deathbird asked.
"We need to give them every chance to change," Overgirl said. "Some people aren't going to change, but those are cockroaches which need to be exterminated and speaking of exterminated."
Overgirl ripped a stalking Hugo Strange out of his post and slammed the demented doctor against the edge of a wall. Every inch of his body shuddered as Overgirl tightened her fist around his throat. Strange's glasses dangled as he breathed heavily.
"I doubt you'll have a good reason why I won't crush your throat on sheer principle," Overgirl said. "But, here it is anyway."
"P-please!" Strange grunted. "I merely did what I had to do to survive. Going against Savage and the Reich, it would be foolhardy."
"And yet, they're dead," Overgirl said. "You've made a poor life decision."
The deadly punch from Overgirl struck Strange directly in the throat and brought him into a spasming motion. He sucked in a jagged breath as he collapsed to the ground, agony hitting him so violently when she struck him hard and fast in the throat.
Oliver put an arrow directly into the man's black heart to make sure. The sadistic scientist gasp and blood oozed out of his mouth.
"Let's go," Oliver said. "You know what we need to do."
Overgirl and Deathbird both nodded. Deathbird blew open the gates of one of the most deadly prison camps in the former, and perhaps once again future, United States of America. The guards stood and Oliver snapped his fingers. Talia, Nyssa, Jade, Sara, Laurel, and the one and only Lady Shiva turned into them.
"You have two minutes to leave this camp," Lady Shiva said.
"You can't just let them out….."
Lady Shiva plunged a knife into the heart of the guard. The others showed backed off. One of them dropped the gun at her feet, not wanting to test his luck. Perhaps one of the smartest things any man would ever do in the face of fighting Lady Shiva.
They all walked out. None of them had any backbone to fight. They just did what they were told. Without leadership, the Reich would crumble, and hopefully the new world would be built.
"Have you come to murder us all?"
One of the prisoners looked at Overgirl meekly.
"No, it's over," Overgirl said. "The nightmare is over. You are free."
"Are we?
Overgirl sighed. Years of being in this camp, being tormented, and being told how they were worthless parasites really did a number on the prisoners. They were completely wrecked, but yet, those who remained have their strength. Perhaps they could grow with strength.
The Resistance on a whole had been baffled. Two of the most hardened members of the group had been freeing camp after camp. A strange and dark force swept across the land and slaughtered pretty much everyone who stood to fight for the Nazis. While this world was in shambles, and there was some hope, none of them ever thought they would get to the point where they would get any lasting change.
"I know there's confusion," Overgirl said.
They all stood tense at both Overgirl and Deathbird. The group of skilled warriors, most of them women, formed a wall at the fronter edge. The Resistance tensed their hands against the weapons they clutched, very carefully.
"I know you don't trust us, but there are too many bad memories for us to remain on this world for long," Overgirl said. "You've all fought bravely to try and take the world, but now's your chance to make the most of it. Many of us have suffered at the hands of not one, but two mentally diseased men over the past few years. The sickness went through generation after generation. I've been just a visitor of this Earth, but the plague gripped me and twisted me. I've failed to learn from the mistakes of my people and for that I have regrets."
"But now, the future is yours," Deathbird said. "There was always strength of character for those who fought up. Even some who once worked for the Reich ended up breaking free from their condition. The pain I've caused, there's nothing I can do to atone for it. But, I will give you the opening to not make the same mistakes I have, out of petty blood lust and revenge."
"Good luck."
Those two words came from the leader. Deathbird and Overgirl turned their backs. They knew there was a risk of members of the resistance lashing out and shooting them. The risk was very obvious.
"So, now what?" Laurel asked her counterpart.
"That's up to them," Deathbird said. "I can't speak for Overgirl, but I need a long break. And hopefully in time, I'm going to learn to live a normal life."
"I don't know if normal quite describes the League," Talia said. "But, I believe some time with the League will help you get the grounding."
"I agree," Oliver said.
"Yes," Overgirl said. "Now can we please leave this miserable place?"
If someday they would return, maybe it would be less miserable. But, Overgirl was getting too many late days of Krypton vibes from it to be comfortable. Hopefully no one built a supercomputer to help run things.
"Are you just going to let them go?"
"We're not going to let them do anything. They crushed the Nazis. What do you think they would do to anyone who stood in their way?"
Over seventy years under his control.
Emmanuelle Thawne stood out in the time room. Sure there would be other challenges. A Crisis here and there, but that was in the not so distant future.
"I hope this speech is found by future generations, to give them perspective. What is a hero is being redefined every day. People reevaluate history, and some make their attempts to take down those who have been declared to be heroes some time ago. Standards change, and what is considered to be valid behavior is changed. Some people become more enlightened, but others, in their quest for enlightenment, become more authoritarian than the people they demonize."
An unfortunate fact which grew more prominent with each passing year.
"Those who fight monsters may be destined to become an even greater monster," she concluded. "In darkness, there is light. And even in the brightest light, there is a shadow just waiting to be cast over all. And a little shift in the timeline, perhaps by a simple little error, can have drastic life-altering consequences. And cause someone to take new paths. And only those who look at history will be able to fully understand whether or not it's for the better."
Lena Luthor's Yacht had a gathering of several people. Sara, Laurel, and Oliver pulled themselves away. The three casually sat down on a large bed in one of the bedrooms, and drank some wine. Sara pressed to Oliver's left side while Laurel leaned up to his right side.
"Strange sense of Deja-Vu the three of us being on a Yacht like this," Sara commented. "Maybe it's just me, though."
"Not just you, trust me," Laurel said. "But, there's no storm in the area. And we're not anywhere near a cursed island. So, everything works out for the better."
"Life is a circle," Oliver commented.
Through it all, the journey started so humble. A polymagus trio off on a weekend which allowed them to be shipwrecked to different areas which allowed them to seek their destiny. Oliver most certainly was not the same man he was all of those years ago. When he met Diana on the island and found Aphrodite's temple which gifted him with the power. Where he took over the League, stopped Malcolm Merlyn, took control of HIVE, took control of the Triad, took control of a large criminal syndicate, and was able to travel to different worlds, where he ended up defeating an army of Nazis, with considerable assistance from his friends.
"Over several different Earths, I've forged some connections."
"Yes, you have," Sara said.
"But, there's still more to explore," Oliver said. "The adventure continues."
There had been so much for them to do. Yet, one small smile on Laurel's face indicated what she wanted to do next. She slid over and kissed Oliver on the lips. Sara wrapped her arms around Oliver from behind and kissed the back of his neck.
Life was in fact in a circle. But, there would be more to explore. For now though, that's the future.
For those of you reading this story for only the plot, it's commendable you stuck this far. Thanks for reading. For everyone else, let the shameless smut commence in this final chapter.