Author's Note – I do not own any of the characters, Marvel and DC do.
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Chapter Twenty-Five
Mourning
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The small procession was the only thing moving in the city of eight million people.
Leading the procession up Wall Street was Samual Wilson, his hard-light wings folded against his back and his previous outfit replaced by a bodysuit almost identical to the one worn by Angel, albeit with the red portions changed to a dark blue. Wilson led two midnight-black horses towing a cassion upon which a draped coffin rested, followed by a soldier from the President's guard, tapping the beat of the funeral march on his drum.
Behind the drummer walked Superman, his uniform recolored black and silver, and Goliath, the medallion that let him walk in daylight glinting on his chest. Following them were Reed Richards and Steve Rogers, both in black versions of their normal outfits. James Rhodes, helmet-less in his black armour and Brian Braddock in a monochrome version of his Union Flag-inspired outfit brought up the rear.
The two horses and eight beings were the only ones moving through the city, but New York was not deserted. The sidewalks were crowded with thousands of people, all standing in silence as they honoured a hero who had fallen in battle.
The few who tried to raise banners of protest or shout anti-mutant slogans quickly found themselves restrained and sometimes even gagged by the people around them, people who did not wish to see the ceremony cheapened by mindless theatrics.
The procession halted in front of Trinity Church and the six moved forwards to flank the empty coffin, lifting it off the cassion and onto their shoulders. Another military man walked up and led the horses to one side, then the slow tap, tap, tap of the drum resumed as the six carried the coffin into the church.
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Clark stood by the side of the grave, looking down at the empty coffin. At the head of the grave, the priest recited the liturgy for the deceased, but Clark wasn't paying the priest finished, Samual stepped forwards and picked up a double-handful of earth. Stretching his arms out, he slowly released it, letting it land on the coffin.
"Ashes to ashes… dust to dust." Clark whispered, a tear trickling down his cheek.
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Samual landed on the raised podium at the end of Times Square and looked around. The assembled reporters looked back, as did his own multi-storey image from almost all of the screens around the square.
"Thank…" He began, then paused a moment to collect himself.
"Thank you for coming." He managed. "The loss of Warren Worthington III has hurt us greatly, but his legacy will continue. He flew the skies to watch over us, to protect us and shelter us.
"And now he flies in the skies beyond the stars.
"We will never forget him."
For a long moment, Samual remained silent while, as pre-arranged, the screens around Times Square changed, each one showing a different scene from Angel's superhero career. One screen showed him flying in formation with the Gargoyles, effortlessly mantaining perfect position. Another showed him leaping out through the window of a burning building, a small child held protectively against his chest while a third had him as part of the line-up of the in-uniform (and mostly-masked) Xavier Institute, laughing at something that Spider-Man had said.
"Warren was a true hero." Samual resumed. "He learned eagerly from others and was willing to share what he had learned without hesitation. I myself benefitted from his teachings, as did many others.
"And now he has been taken from us. Taken before he could take the next step that was planned. Taken before he could assemble and lead a team of his own.
"Warren is gone, but his legacy remains. To honour him, I have taken on the mantle of the second Angel. I know that I cannot replace him, but I can continue down the path that he blazed. I can honour him by picking up the burden that he can no longer carry and lead the team that was intended for him.
"The new team is being assembled even now. The New York Guardians will protect New York's citizens, helping the emergency services and those who protect the public. Warren Worthington Jr has already provided a place for the team to deploy from, the Angel's Rest, as well as part of the funding needed for the team to function full-time.
"Soon, the Guardians will take up the task that Angel… that Warren can no longer shoulder.
"We will keep his memory alive.
"To Warren.
"A man, an angel and a true hero."
For a long moment, the crowd was silent, then the applause started, scattered at first but building rapidly until the very air shook under its force.
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"What…"
Samual stared up at the skyscraper in bemused disbelief. Warren Jr had assigned the top ten floors of it to the New York Guardians, but Samual hadn't managed to make any time to see it, asking Clark to glance at the blueprints and make suggestions instead.
Now, he stared at the huge golden statue that stretched almost five stories tall in its own recess.
The statue was obviously based on life and showed Angel in the process of leaping through a window, his wings unfurling as flames licked around the window frame, a child clutched to his chest as he carried it to safety. On his face (or at least the unmasked portion,) was an expression of noble purpose and determination.
"My god."
"I think it's a good likeness." Warren Worthington Jr said as he stepped up beside Samual. "And it's a statement. My son was a hero, saving others not for the fame and glory, but because it was the right thing to do."
A blue-and-red blur plummeted down, firing a pair of web-lines to turn its descent into an arcing somersault, landing smoothly before the duo.
"Spider-Man." Samual nodded to his (reluctant) second-in-command.
"Falc… I mean, Angel." Peter replied. "Mr Worthington. The team is waiting."
"Then we should go and meet them." Samual agreed before turning to give Warren Jr a look. "Do you want to come?"
For a moment, Warren Jr's face was conflicted, then he slowly nodded.
"Yes. I'd like to meet the team my son would have led, if you don't mind."
"The more the merrier." Peter shrugged. "They're waiting in the main hall."
The three men walked through the entry hall and Samual stared at the central hollow glass pillars that descended through the raised ceiling to stop in the exact center of the hall, pillars that supported between them a shield with the letters NYG embossed on them.
"Wait… what?"
"Follow me!" Spider-Man shouted as he leapt through the archway into the right pillar and promptly flew up the shaft.
"A gift from Mr Kent." Warren explained. "Gravetic lift-shafts. There's a higher-powered one that the Avengers use as a launch catapult in Stark Tower. Come on."
Samual swallowed as they stepped through the arch, then he looked round as they gently rose into the air.
"We're going slower…"
"The faster you enter the tube, the quicker you ascend." Warren replied as they approached the ceiling. "Of course, there are safety systems in place to avoid collisions or… how did Spider-Man put it? Ah yes… pancaking."
Samual glanced down and his holo-wings twitched. "You had to say that, didn't you."
Warren Jr laughed as they rose to the exit arch and slowed to a stop before drifting forwards at a rate that allowed them to simply step out. Sam looked round, then paused.
"Clark? You on the team?"
"Sorry, but no." Clark Kent smiled, turning away from the blue-skinned, red-haired girl he was talking to. "I was just checking on Tele-girl, making sure that she's okay."
"Who?" Samual said blankly and Clark smiled.
"Since I'm here, I might as well introduce you to your team. As most of them are full-time heroes now, they've agreed to let me tell you who they are."
"Sure." Samual said with a shrug. "I'm honoured to meet you all. I'm Angel, formerly The Falcon. Out of uniform, I'm Samual Wilson. How do you do."
A susurration of greetings met his statement, then Clark nodded to Spider-Man, who pulled off his mask.
"Peter Parker, Spider-Man. Proportional strength, speed and reflexes of a spider, I can also walk on walls, ceilings and any other solid surface. I use web-shooters to create my ropes and webs. I've been hero-ing for a while and know Kryptonian tech. I'll be going full time when I graduate next week."
"I'm Matt Murdock, also known as Daredevil." The man in the red bodysuit said. "Lawyer. I'm blind, but my other senses more than compensate. I can identify people by their heartbeats and have a sort-of echolocation sense thanks to my hearing. I'm skilled in acrobatics and fighting. I use a multi-function staff that Superman upgraded for me."
"Angelica Jones, Firestar." The red-headed woman in the yed-and-yellow bodysuit said. "I can generate heat and project it. I can also use it to fly."
"Name's Vance Astrovik, but you can call me Justice." The teenager in the dark bodysuit stated. "Telekinetic. Not quite on Miss Marvel's level, but she gave me a few pointers when Superman took me to meet her."
"He was offered a place at the Xavier Institute, but decided he preferred to go straight into a team." Clark added.
"Jason Strongbow, American Eagle." The leather-jacketed man stated. "Enhanced strength and resilience, I can bench-press twenty tons easy. Excellent crossbow shot and tomahawk user. Superman's friend Forge upgraded my crossbow for me."
"Edie Sawyer, Tele-girl." The blue-skinned teen sighed. "I can teleport myself and anything within five feet of me. Big guy knows my powers better than I do."
"We ran some tests and used sensors that Forge provided." Clark shrugged as everyone looked at him curiously. "Tele-Girl's range is somewhat inversely proportional to how much she's teleporting. By herself, she can cross the globe, although she needs to know where she's aiming for. Each additional person cuts the range by about a third, cumulative, unless she chooses to strain herself, whereupon she'll need several days to recover."
"Damned if I know how he figured it all out." Edie shrugged. "I only did a dozen teleports with the sensors."
"We've installed special Angel Pads across New York for her to use as targets." Clark added. "We'd just finished the tour of them when you arrived."
Samual nodded. "Honoured to meet you all. I'm sure that you all need to settle in and I know that I need a tour of this place. We'll do the publicity stuff tomorrow, then start training and patrolling. Remember, we aren't cops, so brush up on your citizen's arrest skills and remember that if a cop gives an order, you follow it if possible. Clark…?"
"I've already sorted the payroll out." Clark smiled. "Sam, there's a couple of things you need to know, then I'll be going."
"Alright." Samual said. "Everyone else, dismissed for now. Meet back at… five for dinner."
The other members of the team nodded and started to drift away as Clark walked over to him.
"They're good people."
"If you vouch for them, I'm sure they are." Samual agreed. "So, what do I need to know?"
"Well, for starters…" Clark began as he pointed to a door leading to a small room. "There's a Door in there."
For a moment, Sam failed to grasp the significance of the apparently pointless statement, then his eyes widened.
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Apocalypse stood in front of the window of the mansion, staring at the distant pillar of the SHIELD base known as theTriskelion, the windows of the central section reflecting light between two of the armoured, outer sections.
A noise behind him made him turn round and he smiled at the sight before him.
"I see that you have completed your task ahead of schedule, My Seneschal."
"I hope you approve, My Lord." Sinister smiled as he stepped round the winged figure that had preceded him into the room. "I am proud to report that he is a complete success, better than I had expected."
"Oh?"
Sinister tapped the winged figure's shoulder and in response, he spread the metallic wings wide, displaying the overlapping angular feathers.
"The implanted arrays you provided work marvellously, Archangel's flight is now psionically enhanced, allowing him to break the sound barrier. He can also generate psionically-forged feathers that he can launch at high speeds, or he can use them as swords for as long as they last, although they vanish after five minutes.
"His strength is enhanced to the pint that he can bench-press ten tons while his senses have been boosted to the point that if it is in his line of sight, he can see it.
"The loyalty programmes have settled perfectly, he now lives only to serve you.
"In short, a total success."
"Excellent work, My Seneschal." Apocalypse gloated. "Archangel, kneel before me."
Archangel took one step forwards, then dropped to one knee, bowing even as his wings folded themselves against his back.
"Thou art my Archangel of Death." Apocalypse proclaimed. "Arise, my Herald, First of My Horsemen!"
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Author's Afternote – Dun dun duuuun!
The tension is building!