Disclaimer: YAY! Final chapter! I want to send a shout out to everyone that reviewed and gave such unconditional support to my efforts and for sticking with me for the whole. We had one hell of a ride.
As always, I don't own the rights to Marvel Comics or DC Comics.
Chapter XXX
Within the first moment of their appearance from inside the fabled Bifrost, the first wave of Asgardians pushed into battle. Leading the charge were the rotund Volstagg, the swashbuckling Fandral and the grim Hogun, the trio known collectively as the Warriors Three. The soldiers and Parademons nearest to the first wave were completely unprepared for the initial assault. The Warriors Three began cutting through their ranks with great fervor and intensity, beating down Parademon and soldier alike.
Up above, the remaining hover tanks began to train their guns on the Asgardian forces. But this was all in vain as soon as the Valkyrior emerged from the Bifrost, riding into battle on winged horses. Leading this aerial assault was Valkyrie, who led a forceful charged toward the hover tanks without a moment's pause. The Valkyrior instantly took down three hover tanks in quick succession, sending one tank crashing down upon an unlucky group of soldiers. Valkyrie herself jumped from her winged horse to the ground below, joining the Warriors Three in combat against the quickly diminishing forces of Apokolips.
"These are not warriors. They hardly brandish any competence in the ways of battle." Valkyrie said as she quickly took out two soldiers without blinking.
Volstagg cut down a Parademon that came too close to him and responded to Valkyrie, "Indeed. I've fought Dark Elves with more fire in themselves."
Across from Volstagg and Valkyrie, Fandral and Hogun dispatched another duo of soldiers. Fandral said to Hogun, "Hogun, I can tell you're enjoying this. C'mon, old friend. You can stand to crack even a little smile."
Hogun responded, "War is no laughing matter, Fandral." Then he and Fandral took out a Parademon at the same time.
"Must you drain the joy out of everything?" Fandral asked, to which Hogun didn't respond.
The Warriors Three continued to lead the fight against Darkseid's forces along with the Valkyrior. Bolstered by the reinforcements, the Avengers and the Justice League rejoined the fight. Darkseid himself appeared incensed over this unexpected turn, and Kalibak sheepishly noticed his father's rage. Giving no second thought, Kalibak raised his battle club over his head and charged forward to the fighting. It might have more accurate to note that Kalibak was actually charging directly for the Avengers, Thor in particular. But Kalibak never managed to close the distance between himself and Thor when a blunt object slammed into his face and knocked him down.
As Kalibak tried to shake off the daze, a tall, statuesque woman adored in red and silver armor approached him. With a lance in one hand and a shield in the other, the woman stood directly over Kalibak. Kalibak quickly grabbed his club and returned to a standing position as the woman readied herself for battle. But she also raised an eyebrow of mocking curiosity.
"I don't believe we've met yet. I am Lady Sif of Asgard."
Kalibak growled back, "I don't care." Then he charged forward a second time.
Sif immediately took a defensive stance and let Kalibak charge her. Then she swiftly sidestepped the brute and casually tripped him up. Kalibak fell flat on his face but managed to rise back up, while Sif motioned him to charge once more. He charged again and took a swing at Sif with his club, and Sif used her shield to block the blows as they came. Sif also sidestepped Kalibak every chance she was offered, each time landing a perfectly placed strike to the brutish fool's back.
Kalibak grew increasingly frustrated and tried to attack Sif countless time over, each time failing to even land one hit. Sif landed strike after strike with either her lance or her shield or even by kicking Kalibak somewhere on his frame. As he became more and more infuriated, Kalibak took a vicious swing at Sif's head. Sif ducked below the club and tripped Kalibak, sending him to his back and then pinning him there with her lance to his throat.
"You're not very good at this fighting thing, are you?" Sif mocked.
Before Kalibak could reply, a large shadow loomed over Sif. She looked up and found herself face to face with Darkseid, and his eyes primed to unleash a close range Omega Beam. Before the Omega Beam could fire, Wonder Woman came out of nowhere and landed a punch squarely to Darkseid's jaw. The punch pushed Darkseid back a pair of steps, and then Thor leaped forward and cracked Mjolnir across the New God's face. The blow sent Darkseid crashing to the ground, while Thor and Wonder Woman joined Sif in standing above Kalibak. Common sense prevailed when Kalibak retreated to his master.
Sif turned to Thor and said to him, "I had that under control, Thor."
"It's good to see you too, Sif." Thor responded.
Sif then looked at Wonder Woman and said to her, "And you are…?"
"Diana of Themyscira, Princess of the Amazons."
"I see… and I like the outfit. It's very form-fitting." Sif claimed of Wonder Woman's attire.
"Um… thank you… I think." Wonder Woman replied.
Sif playfully nudged Thor in the arm and said, "She seems nice; a good match for you, Thor."
"It's not like that, Sif." Thor said in defense. Then a small group of soldiers approached, and Thor, Sif and Wonder Woman readied for battle.
Darkseid stirred back to his vertical base and examined the battle, becoming furious by what he was witnessing. His armies, the Parademons and the soldiers and the hover tanks, were quickly being overwhelmed. The combined efforts of the Avengers, the Justice Leagues and the Asgardians proved to be far too much for Darkseid's armies. His warriors fell in droves, and then he saw Doctor Doom amidst the chaos. Doom wasn't actually fighting side by side with any of the heroes, but merely wiping out any enemies that dared to cross him. If Darkseid were to find even the slightest shred of satisfaction, it would've been in the final annihilation of Doom. He prepared to fire an Omega Beam right around the moment that Doctor Doom turned his own gaze toward him.
Before Darkseid could attempt to vaporize Doom, the Bifrost suddenly reopened directly in front of Darkseid. The impacted brought the battle to a sudden halt as an image appeared within the Bifrost, seemingly levitated above the ground. The Bifrost dissipated and revealed the image to be a tall man adored in golden Asgardian armor, including a helm like a boar's head and a flowing cape. He held a staff in one hand and also possessed a gray beard across his face. One of his eyes wasn't an eye, but a golden ornament with a light scar beneath it.
The figure levitated toward Darkseid, who held his ground while Kalibak backed away. "ENOUGH!" he bellowed.
Thor, Sif and Wonder Woman gazed upon the great figure, and Wonder Woman noticed a grin on Thor's face. "Who is that?"
Thor's grin seemed to widen as he said to Wonder Woman, "That… is my father."
The figure addressed Darkseid directly as the New God stepped forward. "I, Odin Allfather, King of Asgard and Defender of the Nine Realms, demand that you cease your assault upon this world."
"You don't get to make demands of the mighty Darkseid, Lord of Apokolips…" Kalibak spat out before Odin blasted him.
"SILENCE!"
Darkseid looked down at Kalibak in disgust before he turned his gaze to Odin. "As my imbecilic son proclaimed, I, Darkseid, am the Lord of Apokolips and I claim this world as my own, as I soon shall claim all worlds that reside within this universe."
"Not as long as I watch over this world as with all the Nine Realm. Your violent transgression has drawn the vengeful attention of the great armies of Asgard. You've threatened the security of Midgard and its inhabitants. And the greatest offense of all; you attempted to kill my son, my heir and my firstborn." Odin proclaimed.
Darkseid leered at Thor, whose expression of anger hadn't changed in the slightest. Once again addressing Odin, Darkseid claimed, "Hardly the first time, for I would easily sacrifice any of my own warriors. And sacrifice more, I shall until this world and the universe in which it resides bends to the will of Darkseid."
Odin descended to the ground and stood next to Thor. Father and son stood side by side as they faced Darkseid, and Odin proclaimed, "That ambition shall be your downfall."
Thor added, "Look around you, Darkseid. Your armies are outnumbered, surrounded by thousands of Asgardian warriors. Any further aggression would result in your annihilation."
"As I said; hardly the first time." Darkseid said and he raised his hand up, seemingly preparing to direct his armies to fight.
"NO," Doctor Doom finally shouted, and he stepped up directly in front of Odin and Thor seemingly heedless of either of them. "This madness has gone on long enough, Darkseid."
"Even you would stand against the full might of Apokolips?" Darkseid stated.
"There's no might left among your armies, Darkseid. The Asgardians vastly outnumber your forces, and continued aggression would be the end for you and your minions. Even you, the Lord of Apokolips, would know the folly of a kingdom without a monarch to rule it." Doom said.
Darkseid appeared nonplussed by Doctor Doom's words and prepared to bring his hand down. But it was only then that he noticed that the members of both the Avengers and the Justice League were beginning to surround him and Kalibak. Superman, Iron Man, Vision, Green Lantern, Captain Marvel and Raven were all in the air, ready to bring down an onslaught should Darkseid have pressed them. Captain America, Batman, the Hulk, Black Widow, Hawkeye, the Flash, Aquaman and Cyborg circled around the New God. Thor and Wonder Woman stood directly in front of Darkseid with Odin, Doom and Sif all facing him down. Valkyrie and the Warriors Three also joined in the fray, as did Vibe and Killer Frost.
While Kalibak looked nervous and unsure of what his master intended, Darkseid remained calm and cool. But he knew deep down above all else that he and his armies now stood no survival. Darkseid knew the fight was over, or at least it would be over if he commanded his armies to engage. Superman moved closer toward Darkseid but stayed just out of reach.
"Your move, Darkseid." he said, and his shimmered red as he readied his heat vision.
Darkseid still hadn't reacted. Each finger twitched on his hand as if he was about ball it into a fist. But he instead brought his hand down slowly and smirked. "Well played. It is very clear that my forces now find themselves at an unwinnable disadvantage. Even I know when I am defeated and today, I am."
Odin raised the point of his staff up, directly the end toward Darkseid. "Then by the decree of the Allfather and King of Asgard; leave this world and the universe in which it resides. Never return from whence you came, or you shall not go back."
Darkseid took another glance the heroes of two Earths before he reached behind his back. A briefly tense moment later, he brought out a Mother Box and activated it. A Boom Tube opened in the streets and soon enough, every single surviving soldier and Parademons walked, shuffled and limped through the portal. The Asgardians kept their weapons pointed at the invaders, making doubly sure that they went without conflict. After a short while, the last of the invaders vanished and only Darkseid and Kalibak remained.
Darkseid snarled at Kalibak, "Return..." Without hesitation, Kalibak rushed back through the portal, leaving only Darkseid alone. He addressed Doctor Doom directly. "You never intended to rule another universe, did you?"
Underneath his mask, Doom was smirking. "As the Batman surmised quite correctly, my only true intension was to be rid of the Avengers."
"But you never accounted for the Justice League." Darkseid said.
Doom simply replied, "Did I?"
Darkseid narrowed his eyes at Doom before he addressed Superman. "Enjoy your victory today, Kal-El, but never forget… our war is far from over. We shall meet again."
Superman glared at Darkseid menacingly as the despotic New God finally departed through Boom Tube. Once Darkseid vanished from the sight of the heroes, the Boom Tube behind him. For the first time since the invasion began, there was a silence between the Justice League and the Avengers. The airborne heroes descended from the above and rejoined the heroes on the ground. Then out of all of the heroes, it was the Hulk who finally broke the silence… and it was his personal opinion of Darkseid.
"Now Hulk smash two puny gods." He chuckled.
Green Lantern and Captain Marvel breathed a sigh of relief before Lantern asked Marvel, "Are things always this crazy on your Earth, Carol?"
Marvel looked at Lantern for a moment before grabbing him and planting a sudden kiss on his lips. She quickly pulled back and replied, "You have no idea."
Lantern smiled and said, "I can't wait to find out." Then he returned the kiss to Marvel.
The Flash dropped to the ground and removed his mask, while Vibe and Killer Frost joined him. They watched as Lantern and Marvel shared their moment before Vibe said, "C'mon, you two. Get a room."
The Flash said, "Iris is going to have a field day with this."
"I'm sure it'll make for a good story, Barry." Frost replied.
Nearby, Odin approached Thor. "Are you alright, my son?" he asked.
"I am, father. Thank you for coming to the aid of Midgard." Thor said.
"I came to your aid. Someone needs to keep you alive if you're to one day become king of Asgard," Odin stated, earning a chuckle from Thor. Then Odin looked to Wonder Woman and said, "And who would be you ally here?"
"This is Diana of Themyscira. She is a powerful member of the Amazons from her universe… and she saved my life." Thor said with reverence to Wonder Woman, drawing a smile from her.
Wonder Woman bowed to Odin and said to him, "It is my honor to meet the father of the mighty God of Thunder."
Odin held out his hand, replying, "The honor is mine, Diana of Themyscira. Thank you for aiding my son and his fellow Avengers in defending Midgard."
Across the way from Odin, Thor and Wonder Woman, Captain America surveyed the aftermath. The sight of the collateral damaged made his heart sink, but then he noticed several civilians emerging from hiding. Captain America felt a small sense of relief that there were no casualties of which he knew, but for those of which he didn't… Cap spotted a slight movement inching away and he saw Doctor Doom leaving. Doctor Doom was barely halfway away from the battle when Iron Man and Aquaman stood in his way. Batman, Black Widow and Hawkeye closed on him.
"You're not leaving here so easily." Aquaman claimed.
"I shall go where I please. You cannot stop me." Doctor Doom claimed.
"Doom!" Cap called out, and he approached Doom. Superman landed beside him and ready to fight.
"The best laid plans, Captain Rogers." Doom stated.
Cap stepped forward but he motioned the heroes to stand down. "So conquest was never in the cards for you. You stole the Mother Box from Reed Richards just so you could get rid of us."
"You… the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, the Guardians of the Galaxy, even that childish Spider-Man… it was all part of my plan to rid this world of its so-called superheroes so that I might conquer this world unchallenged." Doctor Doom claimed.
"But like Darkseid said, you never accounted for the interference of another group of heroes; clearly a mistake on your part." Batman said.
"A minor oversight; Victor Von Doom NEVER makes mistakes."
"There's a first time for everything… even for a dictator with a superiority complex." Batman countered.
"I've learned the same of you… Mr. Wayne." Doom said, earning a glare from Batman.
"Regardless of how this started, we can't let you leave here with facing justice, Doom." Superman said.
"And how would you presume to stop me… when I'm not even there in New York?" Doom said before his mask popped off, revealing a robotic face.
"A robot!" Widow said without a hint of surprise in her tone.
"Uh, you've got to be kidding me. All this time, we've been chasing after a fake Doom?" Hawkeye said out loud.
"Doom always did know when to cover his bases." Iron Man exclaimed just a holographic image shot out from the eyes of the robot.
It was the 'real' Doctor Doom, appearing to be sitting on a throne in a dimly lit room. "I assume that you're not surprised by this turn of events, Captain Rogers."
"You assume right, Doom! You've been sitting in Latveria the entire time while we were chasing one of your robots… all as part of your grand scheme." Cap said.
"As I said; I only wanted to rid MY world of its so-called superheroes." Doom said from Latveria.
"You're a coward, Doom." Aquaman spat.
"I am many things, King of Atlantis, but a coward is not one such thing." Doom claimed.
"We will catch you eventually, Victor." Cap stated.
"Perhaps, Captain Rogers, but I've ensured that it won't be today. We shall cross paths another time. This is my word to you, your fellow Avengers AND to the Justice League; you've not the see the last of Victor Von Doom." The transmission cut and the robot shut down, crumpling down in a heap of metal and cloth.
The heroes stood over the deactivate machine, and Aquaman said to Iron Man, "Looks like your Victor Von Doom sent you all on a merry chase across the Multiverse. And, he leaves a robot in his place… the coward."
"This isn't just a robot," Iron Man said and knelt down beside the dead machine. "It's called a Life Model Decoy, or LMD. They have the capabilities of mimicking whomever they replace perfectly. Doom must've modified this one to be able to use his weaponry and the like."
"He's still a coward." Aquaman said.
Batman said to Captain America, "You're not going after him, are you?"
"There's not much we could do. Doom is the sovereign lord of his home country and even he was actually here in New York, we could prosecute him since he has diplomatic immunity." Cap explained.
"You know he'll be back." Superman said.
Captain America replied, "Yes, he will… and the Avengers will be waiting."
After cutting the feed from his lair to the LMD in New York, Doctor Doom slunk back in his throne and clasped his hands. He sat and considered Captain America's words to him, about how the Avengers would eventually catch him. 'Eventually' was a strong enough word to give anyone a moment of pause, but it did little to unnerve Doom in the slightest. He sat up from his throne and took the steps down to the floor and then, he sauntered toward the massive window of his throne room.
The window afforded Doctor Doom a considerably good view of the small city below. As he looked down, Doom contemplated the events since the Avengers first invaded Latveria. The Life Model Decoy worked to perfection for the most post. It recorded every single moment the Avengers shared with the Justice League in the alternate universe and on Apokolips and back to New York. The only reason his master plan failed was due to Darkseid's interference, at least from Doom's point of view. But at least now Doctor Doom that other heroes existed in the Multiverse… and he wasn't going to underestimate them again.
Thinking back to his exchange with Captain America, Doom whispered to himself, "There will be another time, Avengers."
The Sun was beginning it slow descent into the horizon, and it was the first time in a long while that Wonder Woman had a chance to just relax. The sunset reminded her of those she'd seen on Themyscira in her younger years. Thor approached from within the confines of Avengers Tower. Without a word, he stood beside Wonder Woman seemingly to watch the sunset. Hours had passed since the invasion and the Department of Damage Control was hard at work in picking up the pieces. The Asgardians had returned to Asgard. Both these events were the farthest from the minds of the two warriors. It was around that time that Wonder Woman finally broke the silence.
"You fought valiantly today." she said.
"As did you." Thor replied.
Wonder Woman turned to Thor directly. She said, "I have to admit, it was fortunate that your father arrive when he did. It seems a good man."
"I didn't think so at first. He once cast me out of Asgard for my recklessness and it was through my personal experience on Earth that I learned to be better than I was before." Thor admitted.
"Seems like he was trying to groom you for the throne." Wonder Woman said.
"Tis a throne I do not wish to occupy. I am a warrior at heart and more importantly, I am an Avenger. The Allfather knows this and, thankfully, he encourages me to follow this path… until I feel that I'm ready to ascend to the throne of Asgard." Thor stated.
"That's very wise. Something tells you'll make a great king one day. If and when that day comes, I would glad fight by your side again, Thor."
"And I you, Diana," Thor said and gripped Wonder Woman's forearm in a gesture of friendship. "Perhaps one day, you might come to Asgard. We'd have many feasts and I am certain you'd have many great stories of battle to tell."
Wonder Woman replied with a wry smirk, "You have no idea."
Thor chuckled and said, "Farewell, Daughter of Hippolyta."
"To you as well, Son of Odin." Wonder Woman before leaving the area.
Thor was left alone and examined Mjolnir, knowing that there was one more worthy wielder of the mighty hammer he could call a friend. "Until next time, Diana."
The Flash zipped in between room after room, trying desperately to find Green Lantern. Lantern had gone missing after the battle and the Flash was getting concerned that something bad happened to him. The Flash wondered how a guy with an alien power ring could just up and vanish without anyone noticing. But the moment he came to the latest door, the Flash could hear very faint rustling sounds from the inside. With some hesitation, he opened the door. The lights were out and he quickly switched them on.
"Uh, Hal. You in here?"
"BARRY, GET THE HELL OUT!" Hal shouted, and the Flash killed the light and slipped out.
"O…K! I didn't see anything," the Flash said to himself, but he turned and was started by Batman. "Oh, hey Bats."
"Where's Jordan?" Batman asked.
The Flash weakly shook his head and replied, "Nowhere; probably on the roof of this place. Have you seen it? You can land your Batwing up there."
"Where, Allen?"
"He's in this room, but I don't think he wants to be disturbed," the Flash claimed, but Batman gave him a menacing glare. "I'm going to go find the others." Hen the Flash sped away.
Batman opened the door and entered the unlit room without hesitation and turned on the lights, and then a pillow flew right into his hand.
"BARRY, I SWEAR TO GOD…" Hal bellowed and stopped once he saw Batman. "Oh crap. Uh… hey Bruce. What's up?"
"Get ready. We'll be leaving here in another five minutes." Batman said.
"Yeah. Sure. Definitely. I'll be right there." Hal said while trying to be a coy as possible.
Batman wasn't buying it. "On second thought, I'll let you and Danvers finish up."
Without warning, Carol Danvers revealed herself while covering up as much as she could. "How the hell did you know I was here? And seriously… five minutes?"
Batman replied, "You're right. Better make it ten." Then with a slight smirk, Batman left the room.
Hal and Carol breathed a sigh of relief and Hal mused, "That guy always shows up at the worst times."
"Yeah, I don't know how you put up with him. Ten minutes? Do we look like Rico and Dizzy from Starship Troopers?" Carol wondered.
Hal thought about it and replied, "I think we can make it work."
Carol just looked at Hal with a dumbfounded expression on her face. Then a mischievous smile crept into existence. They slip back under the sheet. Hal used his power ring to shut off the lights in the room and then locked the door so know one else with enter. A moment later, Vision quietly phased into the room apparently looking for Carol. He saw what Hal and Carol were doing and phased back out without a sound.
"Did you hear something?" Hal whispered.
Under the covers, Carol replied, "No. Shut up and kiss me."
Cisco spent much of the time he had with Tony studying the LMD copy of Doctor Doom, noting how it seemed so similar to the Samuroid back home. He didn't bring that up since he felt it would confuse Tony. Or maybe not, considering what Tony himself had seen as an Avenger. But it was around that time that it was actually Tony who pressed the subject on robots.
"So Cisco, you have maniacal robots psychos in your universe?" Tony asked.
"Dude, we tangled with an android with a crazy samurai-motif." Cisco said.
"You fought a samurai robot?" Tony asked.
"Oh yeah. We've dealt with a dud who escape through mirrors and a chick who could teleport and, oh yeah that's right; evil speedsters. Then there's that Metallo guy you and Superman fought." Cisco said.
"You saw that, huh?" Tony said.
"Yeah, but a Life Model Decoy? That's serious next-level crazy." Cisco exclaimed.
"Well, we've got plenty more crazy to go if you want to stick around for awhile." Tony said seemingly as an invitation.
Cisco's eyes seemed to light up. "Are you for real?"
"I think you'd make a good Avenger." Tony stated.
Cisco backed up from Tony and blurted out, "I pledge myself to your teachings, Emperor Stark.
Before Tony could respond, Caitlin rushed in and instantly grabbed Cisco. "Okay, Cisco. That's enough playtime."
"No, no, wait… I'm gonna be an Avenger." Cisco begged as Caitlin pulled him away, while Tony simply chuckled.
Across the room from Tony, Cisco and Caitlin, Captain America and Superman were discussing a device that just arrived. "So, Reed was able to reverse-engineer the Mother Box tech to build makeshift version that should be strong enough to open a Boom Tube. The only drawback is that it's single use." Cap explained.
"So it's a one-off." Superman said.
"Basically. You're looking at a one way trip back to your universe." Cap said.
Superman looked at the devices, which had a slightly circular appearance to it. "Too bad. It felt good to fight alongside heroes from another universe."
"I'd say the feeling is very mutual," Cap said and held out his hand, which Superman took with his own. "It was an honor to fight beside you and the Justice League, Superman."
"The honor was ours, Captain." Superman said.
Soon enough, the rest of the Justice League arrived in the main area with Batman leading the way and Wonder Woman beside him. Raven helped Cyborg along as he was going through a self-repair stage, and the Flash followed with Vibe and Killer Frost. Aquaman followed soon after and Green Lantern eventually arrived. Interestingly, Captain Marvel had followed Green Lantern. Lantern leered at the Flash, who tried playing it off.
The rest of the Avengers arrived to see of the Justice League, with Black Widow and Hawkeye approaching Captain America and Iron Man. Vision appeared from beneath the floor and Thor entered the area soon after. The Hulk was the last one to arrive, lumbering into the area and huffing all the way. He caught sight of Aquaman leering at him. The Hulk still huffed.
"So are we leaving? The people of Atlantis still need their king." Aquaman said.
"Good riddance, puny fish man." the Hulk muttered.
Aquaman muttered back, "Farewell, mindless green ogre."
The Hulk them smirked and said, "Hulk like fish man!"
Wonder Woman approached Black Widow, who was cautious after their first encounter. The Amazon held out her hand and said, "Until next time, Natasha."
Despite her initial hesitation, Natasha took Wonder Woman's gesture and replied, "Likewise, Diana."
Meanwhile, Hawkeye said to Raven and Cyborg, "See you around. You kids better take care of yourselves."
"Dude, we're not kids." Cyborg said.
Raven added, "We're Titans."
"I believe I speak for all when I say, you're not just Titans after today… you are Avengers." Vision stated.
"Wow! Can I get a 'booyah'?" Cyborg quipped.
Vision monotonously replied, "Booyah!"
"Okay, that was just weird." Cyborg as Raven helped along.
Captain America then addressed Batman, telling the Dark Knight, "If you ever need the Avengers, you know how to reach us."
But Batman simply replied, "We won't."
Cap didn't appear surprised at all as he looked to Iron Man. Without waiting for Cap's word, Iron Man activated the portal device. The device trembled and hummed to life before opening a portal in the very fabric of space and time. Once the portal stabilized and the destination was confirmed, the Justice League began their slow walk through the portal. Superman went in first followed by Wonder Woman and then by Aquaman. The Flash, Vibe and Killer Frost all went through at the same time followed by Raven and Cyborg. Green Lantern was about to go through but Captain Marvel pulled on him and gave him a final goodbye kiss.
"Don't be a stranger." she said.
Lantern replied, "Never." Then he vanished into the portal.
Only Batman remained, and he started to move for the portal. He stopped and turned back for one last glance at the Avengers. Specifically looked at Captain America, Batman gave him a very telling nod of respect. Cap returned the gesture as Batman ventured into the portal and disappeared. The portal closed soon after and the device appeared to self-destruct. A long silence between the Avengers before Hawkeye broke it.
"You know what? I am NOT going to miss any of them." he said.
Widow looked at him and replied, "Liar!"
Hawkeye replied back, "Okay, maybe I'll miss Raven. She seems like a good kid… with apparent daddy issues."
"You know, Cap, after all this, I could use a drink." Tony said.
"As would I, Stark." Thor added.
Before Cap could replied, Jocasta suddenly chimed in, "Excuse the interruption, Captain, but there is a hostage situation at Grand Central Terminal. The authorities confirm that the perpetrators are members of the Serpent Society."
"Well, so much for those drinks, Stark." Thor said.
Tony shrugged before looked to Captain America. "Call it, Captain."
Cap looked around at his team, all of them ready for the word. Picking up his shield and donning his mask, Captain America called out, "Avengers… ASSEMBLE!"
Moments later, Captain America rode out of Avengers Tower on his old World War II motorcycle. Iron Man, Captain Marvel, Vision and Thor followed from the air. Hawkeye and Black Widow followed with the use of a sky cycle and the Hulk jumped from rooftop to rooftop and roared with delight. On a day unlike any other, when there was evil that that threatened the world or the Multiverse, there would always be the need for heroes… and when called upon, those heroes would fight as one.
Author's Note: It's over! It's finished. It's done. After a LONG time of trial and tribulation and Writer's Block and distraction and the occasion rest period, my Avengers/Justice League crossover is finally finished.
All that's left is the Voice Cast. Stay tuned and please, don't forget to review.