Clark Kent was walking down the streets of New York. He was wearing his usual blue suit and red tie. The streets were not as crowded as they were in Metropolis. Of course, he understood the reason why people were staying inside. Faust's attack at that restaurant and defeating their native heroes must have shocked them. It made him solemnly wonder if this is what Metropolis was like whenever he had lost a fight.
A group of people huddled together watching a news report at a store called "Bryman Audio Visual", Clark walked towards the crowd and blended in with them. Footage of Homelander and Stormfront fighting the demon summoned by Faust played. The channel was called VNN and the segment was called "Seve-on-Seven." and its anchorman was a man named Cameron Coleman. Clark took note of the show's use (or rather over usage) of American iconography and most likely assumed its political leanings.
"Terror had just struck Planet Vought when a pair of unidentified super terrorists attacked the theme park with casualties close to fifty. Homelander and Stormfront were there, but despite their valiant efforts, they were defeated. This is a dark day in our country's history." Cameron Coleman solemnly stated, eliciting nothing, but silence from the crowd.
Clark seemed baffled by one of the heroes' names, "Stormfront", back in their world, it would be a rather unfortunate moniker to use.
"However, a new band of superheroes called "The Justice League of America" managed to defeat the pair of supervillains. At the very least, our country might not be in such dire straights with a team like that." Coleman said, having briefly perked up during that last sentence.
On the other hand, Clark could not help but roll his eyes during that last tidbit. He was never fond of the original Justice League moniker, only taking it up to appease the Government. The Leagues' responsibilities far extended past the country. Unfortunately, it seemed they were stuck with it years after the League formed.
"Unfortunately, a young boy on the scene disappeared in a flash of light not far. Recent reports have indicated that this has been happening all across the globe." Coleman added.
Footage of the Justice League fighting Faust's monster began to play. As well as Ryan's disappearance.
"This is Cameron Coleman, signing off."
The Seven on Seven ending credits began to play. While the crowd began to whisper to themselves. All except for Clark who listened in on them. He heard a variety of differing responses. Some blamed Congress for not allowing "superheroes" in the military sooner, and how super-villains would destroy their way of life. Two opinions in the same sentence that had uneased Clark.
"Mommy is Homelander going to be alright?" Asked a little boy practically on the verge of tears.
"I don't know, sweetheart." The mother told her son as they walked away.
Clark felt a twang of guilt that he could not help these people, at the moment, but then he noticed someone watching him from the other side of the street through the TV screen's reflection. He was wearing sunglasses and had a pencil-thin mustache. Someone he instantly recognized despite his disguise. Quietly, he slipped away from the crowd.
He was wearing a black leather coat and a grey sweater. Along with black trousers. In his teeth was a matchstick.
Clark crossed the street to meet with him.
"You know you didn't need another disguise." Clark told him.
"I'd prefer that Bruce Wayne remains in our world." Bruce said as he started to walk down the street. "Matches Malone being on another world is not an issue." He added.
"Sure. What have you found out so far?" Clark asked following him.
"This world's superheroes are more akin to celebrities than being like us. At best they are incompetent and at worst are corrupt." Bruce told him in his usual blunt manner.
Clark sighed and pinched his temples. It was just as he feared. This world had no idea of the threats they would be up against.
"I noticed several movie posters set to star with them while walking down the street." Clark said he noticed one of the advertisements for a movie called "Citizen Starlight" raised some discussion from what he had overheard.
"I know, and it's worse than that. A majority of the heroes of this world are employed by a megacorporation called Vought International." Bruce told him.
"I feared that. I've noticed much of their branding lately on media, food, and pharmaceuticals." Clark said. "Even Luthor respected antitrust laws more than they do." He added.
"I know. I'm willing to bet most crime-fighting they have done is just for the sake of publicity." Bruce said. "Their present CEO is a man named Stan Edgar and the company was founded in 1944 by a scientist named Fredrick Vought." Bruce said. "They're primarily a pharmaceutical company." He added.
"Yet it appears they have a monopoly on just about anything here, not pharma and superheroes." Clark brought up.
"I've noticed that." Bruce replied. "We've got company." He said.
Bruce turned around as did Clark and found Diana.
"What gave me away?" Diana asked.
"You were walking faster than just about anyone else." Bruce said.
"What have you found, Diana?" Clark asked.
"I've been looking up the Seven." Diana said. "We can discuss it in this alleyway." She added.
"I'd like that." Clark said.
Bruce simply nodded.
"What have you found?" Bruce asked.
"They're in even worse shape than we had realized." Diana said. "One of their own, Starlight, has betrayed them. While another Black Noir was recently incapacitated by her." She explained.
"Why?" Clark asked.
Diana's look soured.
"If I had to guess it was from how she joined the team." Diana said. "Last year, she accused one of her team members, The Deep, of sexually extorting her." She explained. Despite her neutral tone it was evident Diana was hiding her disgust regarding The Deep.
"What?" Clark asked, shocked upon hearing this.
"I told you they could be corrupt." Bruce told him. "Several other women came out with similar accusations not long after." He added.
"Where is he now?" Clark asked, trying to hide his anger.
"Publicly, he has been on sabbatical at Sandusky, Ohio. Recently, he joined a religious group called "The Church of the Collective." Diana said.
"I've read about them. "Cult" seems like a more accurate word." Bruce said.
"Are they this world's version of…" Clark was about to ask.
"Yes." Bruce cut him off.
"Recently, they've been trying to get into the military. Something their version of you was in support of." Diana said.
"Homelander." Clark said. "Anything else we should know about him?"
"There was a controversy not long ago, where he accidentally killed a boy in Africa." Bruce added.
"I'm sorry?" Clark asked, wanting to hear more.
"This seems on brand with them. I've looked up their crime-fighting for the most part. More often than not they kill criminals." Bruce said.
"What about the law?" Clark asked.
"The law tends to look the other way here." Bruce informed though his tone showcased a sense of familiarity. "Cities hire them from Vought. They're practically military contractors." He explained.
"Back to Starlight, who was she helping?" Clark asked, focusing on the good.
"Originally, a CIA-funded group was tasked with keeping this world's superheroes in line. They were led by former Deputy Director, Grace Mallory, and officially sanctioned from 2012 to 2015." Bruce said.
"Why did they disband?" Diana asked.
"Likely due to the death of Mallory's grandchildren." Bruce grimly noted.
Clark and Diana were silent upon hearing that.
"The group reunited last year with a new member named, Hughie Campbell. The leader of this unofficial iteration was one of the original members, William Butcher." Bruce said. "I haven't looked too deeply into them yet, but since last year he allegedly murdered a top Vought executive: Madelyn Stillwell." He explained.
Elsewhere in New York, J'onn J'onzz was in his John Jones form. Presently, he was at a convention that discussed aliens. He was hopeful that it would prove useful. Unfortunately he was wrong…
"Compound V is made from alien blood!" The speaker shouted to a room full of people. "Where else could it come from?"
"Are they the same ones that built the pyramids?" One of the guests asked.
"Now they're abducting us! I saw my neighbor disappear in a flash of light she hasn't seen since! Just like that kid!" Another said.
J'onn scanned the guests mind and found he was telling the truth. Granted, the reason why he saw his neighbor disappear was not something he agreed with.
He looked at the speaker and started to look into his mind. In his thoughts, he found only greed. There, the Martian Manhunter realized that this world had no experiences with any extraterrestrials.
He soon took his leave.
Arthur Curry was miles out into the sea. He scanned the thoughts of every creature in the briney deep.
There was a variety of sea life many confused him for someone called "The Deep" or "Kevin". Their tones differed. Some indicated friendliness, others disdain and annoyance. While others… confused him, to say the least, to the point of wanting to vomit.
He kept searching for different forms of sea life, but nothing. There were no sea monsters, and it was there that he noticed there was no Atlantis in this world.
Elsewhere in space, Green Lantern was looking at a satellite. This world's level of space technology left a lot to be desired. He felt relieved that the league had managed to arrive in time. The situation would worsen if any of the League's extraterrestrial threats like Darkseid, Brainiac, or the Sinestro Corp arrived.
Fortunately, New Genesis was keeping an eye on their neighbor. Brainiac had not been seen since his last invasion. Kyle and Hal were in deep space, at the very least dealing with reports of the Sinestro Corp. Guy, Jessica, and Simon were still on their Earth.
He flew down to a building in New York where he promised to meet Wally. It took a minute, but the Flash arrived.
"You're late." John said. Despite the words, he felt slightly amused by this habit the Flashes shared.
"Yeah, I know. It's an annoying habit I picked up from Barry." Wally said.
"Yeah." John said, smiling fondly. "What have you found?" He asked.
"This." Wally said, holding a vial with a blue liquid. "It's called Compound V, probably the only real dangerous thing on this Earth." He said.
"What does it do?" GL questioned.
"It's the only reason why people have superpowers here. It was made by a company called Vought. I dug around and found this at one of their facilities in Texas. Batman told me to find out the source of superpowers here." Flash explained.
"I see." Stewart said. "I'm guessing powers vary from user to user?" He asked.
"Yes, it's also been revealed to the public not long ago." Flash said. "At first, the heroes of this world were thought to be born with their powers until the existence of Compound V was leaked to the public." Flash explained. "Vought has also been trying to get their heroes into the military and somehow super villains have been popping up all over the globe." Flash said.
John knew what Wally was implying.
"Sounds like Vought has been in the supply and demand business." Green Lantern said. "If any of the supervillains in our world get this we might have a problem."
"Don't worry, apparently it only works on the unborn." Flash told him.
"Yeah, but what's stopping someone like Luthor from making an improved batch." John brought up.
Wally sighed in annoyance.
"Yeah, I know, it sucks. Don't tell Clark I said this, but I'm honestly starting to miss corporate fat cat Lex. Postal mad scientist Lex is way more annoying." Wally said.
"I can't argue with you there. Hell, I think even Clark would too." John said.
"Yeah, and what about you? Find anything in space?" Wally asked.
"Nothing. Satellites are too primitive here. I thought that if Brainiac, Darkseid, or any other intergalactic threat discovered this world before us, there probably wouldn't even be an Earth here." John said.
"They'd be lucky if they never showed up at all," Wally said.
"I know. We'd be looking at steep casualties." John said. "I think Darkseid is the number one suspect at play." He added.
"Thanks for bringing that up." Wally sarcastically commented on it. "Any other potential issues, you'd like to bring up?"
"I get it. Let's go back to the watchtower." John said.
"Yeah, time is almost up." Wally said.
"By the way, why is Karl Urban a fugitive here?" Flash brought up.
"Excuse me?" Stewart asked.
"You know Karl Urban. He was Eomer in Lord of the Rings, and McCoy in those new Star Trek films." Flash explained.
"I'll have to get back to you about that…" John told him. The uncertainty in his tone was evident.
Butcher angrily looked at the statue of this "Superman". The similarities to Homelander were already engraved in his mind. From similar costumes and iconography.
"Will you stop?" Becca admonished her husband. Butcher turned to his wife. "You don't even know the guy. We need to find Ryan and the others."
"He was there when the kid disappeared, wasn't he?" Butcher questioned. "Hell, look at the giant fucking gold statue. Not even Homelander has one. It's a cunt red flag to me." He said.
"It says they built it after he apparently died." Becca said, sounding confused about that last part.
"Oh, I guess that means he's Jesus fucking Christ." Butcher sarcastically stated.
His phone went off, cutting off their initial argument.
He got his phone out and saw who was calling him: Mother's Milk.
"Hello." Butcher answered.
"Where the fuck are you?" Mother's Milk asked.
Butcher recalled the name of the city he and Becca were presently in.
"Metropolis, me and Becca are in some sunshine dystopia called Metropolis." He told him.
"Except there's no motherfucking place on the map called 'Metropolis'. Least not on our maps, maybe on this one. If anything, that's the name of a really old-ass movie."
"You got a map?"
"Yeah, I bought it. I opened my wallet and was full of cash. I don't know where it came from."
Hearing this Butcher took out his wallet and found a fat wad of cash inside. He motioned to Becca and asked her to check hers. She showed it to him and had the same result.
"Same happened to me. Listen, MM, I don't have a bloody clue what is happening. What can you tell me from your map?" Butcher asked.
"Hold on, lemme check it." MM said. There was only a brief pause.
"Looks like you're in Delaware, and I'm in Star City, California. There's a whole bunch of cities on this map I never heard of, with plenty of mysterious supes. It says you are in Metropolis, ' The city of tomorrow, home of Superman.' Mine is Green Arrow's." He told him.
"If a guy with arrows is a city's biggest hero, this place can't be so dangerous."
"What are you talking about? What is this place?" Mother's Milk questioned.
"The same place where those cunts who upstaged Homelander and Stormfront are from." He told him.
"The fuck we do? Butcher, I don't like this. This is new. We're practically on another planet. I think whatever is happening with us is out of our league." He told him.
"Quit it. Different board, same game, supes rule this place. Buy a plane ticket and call me when you are here. I'll try to talk to the boys and get them to meet us."
"Meet where?" MM asked.
"Don't know yet, you call Frenchie. I'll call Hughie." Butcher said.
"Understood, keep safe." MM said.
"I hope you enjoyed the tour. Feel free to explore the museum and take as many photos as you desire."
Said Dexter Myles to his tour group before leaving. Hughie and Annie see a door indicating a museum section called "The Flash's superhero teams" and decided to take a look. They are faced with a monumental picture of seven superheroes when they enter. In the middle, a trinity composed of a man who looks like a bigger and more gentle Homelander, a Queen Maeve with dark hair and blue eyes, and a bat-man wearing a black and grey costume. Surrounding them was The Flash, of course. Next to him, was a hero in green and black his brown hair had streaks of grey at his temples. Across from him was a shirtless, bearded blonde man with a hook hand holding a trident wearing green pants. Next to him looked like an alien with green skin and red eyes. He was wearing a black skin-tight suit with a blue-collar, and a cape held up by red straps in the shape of an "x" with a strange red circular symbol. Seeing this world's version of the Seven strikes Hughie, who whispers.
"Holy shit!"
Hughie hears Annie reading the bronze writing under the picture.
"'The third Flash and original Kid-Flash joined the Justice League of America, taking the spot of his fallen mentor.' So this guy is like A-Train, and his mentor was like Mr. Marathon."
Next to this picture, there was another of the same team, with a different man wearing a slightly different Flash costume, judging by the slightly different costume. The lightning bolt "belt" looped around his waist. While the new one had two lightning bolts meet and converge. The older one had no lenses on his mask. While the new Flash looked to have yellow lenses on his.
The superhero with the green ring looks younger and has no grey hair on the sides; the one-handed hero has both hands and no beard or long hair. His orange costume seems more similar to the Deep; the green alien wears a more revealing costume, no black suit under the blue cape, though his face has a more human look; that same bat-man they saw wearing blue instead of black and his symbol in the chest is over a yellow shield; oddly enough, the two other members of the trinity look exactly the same, from the time the now adult Kid-Flash was a kid to this point in the present, no aging.
"I think I found the Teenage Kix."
Hughie calls attention to the three pictures in sequence. The first has literal children, including Kid-Flash, the others are bigger teams getting older. Annie looks at the black man with mechanical parts.
"This one is called Cyborg. I can't believe this is real. Not even Tek-Knight has this kind of tech."
"If this is all real, these guys have a satellite floating over our heads. They make the Seven look like the dollar store version of them. Annie, this place has aliens, magic. If we were brought here, somebody has plans." Hughie's phone starts to ring.
"You had your phone all this time?"
"I forgot in the middle of all this." He answers. "Hi."
"About fucking time." Butcher says. "Long story short, we're in a super-hero version of Narnia. I'm in Delaware, a version of Delaware. MM is taking a plane to meet me, he should be talking to Frenchie."
"I'm here with Annie."
"Where?"
"The Flash Museum in Keystone City. Which is a real place that exists, apparently."
"That's in Illinois. Get a map and a plane ticket to Metropolis."
"I had no money when I sucked through that portal!"
"Check your wallet."
Butcher was right. There was a lot of money and even a credit card in Hughie's wallet.
"Ok but what is the plan?"
"The plan," Said Butcher. "Is to get together and not call any attention, especially from the supes. This whole world belongs to them, don't let them notice you. You're in a museum, right?" He asked.
"Yeah?" Hughie asked.
"Educate yourselves, then get back to me when you've learned what about the shite they peddle around here," Butcher told him.
Butcher hangs the call, and Hughie, unsure what to say to Annie, he tells her:
"We're in Narnia."
Back at Gotham City, both Frenchie and Kimiko were at a "Bat Burger" restaurant. To his dismay, it represented everything he despised. Supe worship and fast "food." The entire restaurant reeked of grease and smoke. The floors were barely clean, and he felt a piece of chewed-up gum under the table. On the other hand, Kimiko seemed alright with her "Bat Burger."
A waiter came by. She was dressed as a heroine clad in purple and yellow known as "Batgirl". Although from what could be overheard from the patrons, it was a previous version of Batgirl. The first from what he gathered.
"You can get these same meals at this same bat-time and same bat-address." She said feigning enthusiasm.
Kimiko happily nodded as she ate her burger.
"Merci." Frenchie said, his tone completely deadpan and apathetic.
He heard his phone go off and saw, to his relief Mother's Milk was calling.
"Yes?" He asked.
"Good to hear from you. Is Kimiko with you? Do you know where you are?" Mother's Milk questioned.
"Yes. We saw that we have entered some city known as Gotham." Frenchie told him.
"I have a map… Damn, I'm sorry, my brother" Mother's Milk said with sympathy.
"What?" Frenchie asked.
"Says you're in New Jersey." Mother's Milk said.
"No." Frenchie said in horror. "I should have known from this place."
"Why's that?" Mother's Milk asked him.
"This city is like Detroit and Cleveland hatefucked one another before conceiving a child. Then they proceeded to abuse that child between custody arrangements. All while the child watched old expressionist films." Frenchie said.
There was radio silence between them.
"I think that might be the most artistic way I've heard someone describe a city." Mother's Milk admitted. "Look, Butcher and his wife are in Metropolis, Delaware. Hughie and Annie are in Keystone City, Illinois. I'm in Star City, California. Just stay where you are, and we'll figure out what to do. This supe called "The Batman" runs where you are.'"
"Oui. We have heard of him. He only operates at night, and it is daytime." Frenchie told him.
"Alright, good, stay out of trouble." Mother's Milk told him before hanging up.
Back at Vought Tower, Queen Maeve had been called to an emergency meeting by Stan Edgar. She anxiously headed towards the meeting room, suspecting they had learned how Annie had escaped the building and why Black Noir was comatose. Until she saw one of Coleman's reports being played on the TVs, which was actually informative for the first time in her view.
"What. The. Fuck?" She stated after seeing the report that Homelander and Stormfront were defeated by some super terrorists. As well as a new super team called "The Justice League of America."
She was broken out of her trance upon hearing Ashley's frantic explanation.
"His son is missing! Yet he's locked himself up in his room! Stormfront is trying to call him outside!"
Maeve walked towards the meeting room and saw Stan Edgar, Ashley Barrett (presently pulling on her hair), and Vought's board of directors.
Edgar looked just as stoic as usual, he said.
"Queen Maeve, glad to see you have joined us." He told her with a small smile.
"What the fuck is going on?" Maeve asked him.
"As of this moment, a super terrorist attacked Planet Vought and managed to defeat Homelander." Edgar told her.
Even after seeing the news report from Coleman and Edgar, Maeve could hardly believe what she had heard.
"Where is he?" She asked him.
"As of this moment, Homelander is indisposed." Edgar replied.
"What about the other superhero team?" She asked.
"That's where we have no fucking idea." Ashley tensely said. "We have been unable to find a single fucking piece of information about a team called the "Justice League of America"."
Maeve was taken aback upon hearing this. She looked at Stan Edgar, who also seemed to be puzzled. All Maeve knew was that she would kill for a drink or two at this moment.
"We should take a more direct approach against Vought and their "products"." Batman told the other leaguers.
The League was all gathered in the Watchtower's meeting room.
"Then we'd run the risk of coming across as Authoritarians." Wonder Woman told him.
"I've had experience dealing with this level of corruption." Batman told her. "When dealing with this level of rot, there's little room for playing nice." He added.
"So have I." Superman told him. "Luthor had similar power, and we stopped him."
"Luthor did not try to market the likes of Metallo, Bizarro, and the Parasite as company spokesmen," Batman argued.
"I kind of agree with Batman on this." Flash said. "I mean, if we work with these "heroes" what could happen."
"We'll have to start off slow. Start with their c-listers and work our way up when the time is ready." Green Lantern said.
"We can raise awareness amongst their people and our own." Martian Manhunter said.
"Shouldn't be too hard; After all, we have the media on our side." Aquaman said, gesturing to Clark and Wally.
"They need to see the truth and that there is a better way." Superman spoke up. "Bruce?" He looked to Batman, who looked like he was contemplating.
"You and I both know an alliance will not last. However, we'll need to find a way to remove their superpowers." Batman said. "You have a sample of this "Compound V"?" Batman asked The Flash.
"Sure thing." Flash replied, handing it over.
"Good, we'll need our scientists to work on this." Batman said. "Figure out a way to nullify its effects."
"In the meantime, I'll get Catherine and have her send footage to Vought." Diana said.
"As well as locate any stragglers from their world." Martian Manhunter said.
Meanwhile, back with Ryan, he remained silent and was on the verge of a mental breakdown. The kid named Jon said he was going back to get his grandparents and someone named "Conner". Apparently, he was on their farm. The chirping sound of crickets and locusts plagued his hearing. When all of a sudden, he heard electricity and turned around to see something worse. A large shark-man fusion approached him. Its jaws were opened wide enough that Ryan would have fit with one bite.
Ryan screamed only for his laser vision to blast through the monster's mouth and slice it in two. Leaving only a pile of organs between the two split halves. All while the wheat started to burn.
He tried to turn his powers off by shutting his eyes, but they returned full force once he opened them.
"There he is!" He heard Jon's voice call out.
He turned and saw the boy Jon before accidentally hitting him.
"Jon!" an older voice cried out in concern. The originator of said voice was busy covering Ryans' eyes. Said hand managed to be immune to Ryan's laser vision as they did not get burned or seriously wounded. "Are you okay?"
"I'm okay, Conner." He heard Jon call out, to Ryan's surprise. "It hurt a little bit, and it put a hole through my shirt." Jon said, sounding only mildly annoyed. "Other than that, I'm good. This is my uncle, Conner." Jon informed Ryan.
"Hi there." Conner said, trying to ease Ryan's nerves to little effect.
"Good, I kind of figured you'd be…" Conner said as he turned to where The Shark was. "Go back inside." He said, sounding unnerved.
"Why? I just got here?" Jon complained.
"Inside now." Conner sternly said, trying to keep the corpse away from Jon's sight.
"Fine." Jon said reluctantly before heading back.
"Okay, kid. I'm going to need you to listen to me." Conner said. "I need you to calm down, first. I am not going hurt you, nobody is." He told him.
"I can't stop it! Help me!" Ryan pleaded. His tears were evaporating from the lasers.
"I know, just let it all out. You can't hurt me I've been hit by worse." Conner said.
Ryan immediately unleashed it as Conner kept a firm but gentle grip on the boy's face. After a while, his lasers just stopped.
"You okay?" Conner asked.
"Yeah." Ryan said.
"Good, I'll take you to the farmhouse. Maybe then we'll find your parents." Conner said as he walked back to the house.
He gave one last look at The Shark's body.
"I'm going to have to call Clark about this." Conner thought to himself. "After I hide the body." He said.
Don't worry, that was not King Shark. Instead, that was a minor C-List villain known as The Shark. Anyway please share your thoughts and let me know what you think.