Disclaimer: I do not own anything you may recognize
Thank you to everyone who has favorited, followed or reviewed this fic so far.
Thanks a lot to Brainstorm Sorcerer for his help with the chapter, as well as Stand with Ward and Queen, and to gussygus28 for a suggestion.
Enjoy.
TW: Thanks for the review, glad it was nice, glad to surprise.
Chapter 13- Brothers
Earth-1, Star City
Oliver and Eliot leapt from rooftop to rooftop until they were close to the place Hardison had tracked Warner's phone to, this phone being what had sent Takeo's corpse's image.
"Status on Warner's cell phone?" Oliver asked.
"It's still holding at Aparo and Puckett", Hardison informed. "This is one well-travelled cell phone considering its owner was killed on the other side of town a while ago."
"The guy is playing a sick game", Eliot noted.
The two were now inside the construction site.
The two walked around a little until they heard a cell phone ringing, and walked to the direction, finding flames lit up nearby as well.
They looked at the phone on the ground. 'Unknown Caller' flashed on the screen. Oliver picked it up and answered the call.
"Who is this?" He asked.
In reply, they heard some heavy breaths from the other side.
Eliot and Oliver shared a look.
The caller hung up and the flames went out. Suddenly, some flames erupted near them and formed the words- So it Begins.
Later, the lair
"So, HIVE wants to make this a dead city", Hunt noted after telling Oliver and Eliot about the money burning. "And now there's this guy, who went through luring you to that place just to say its gonna begin."
"He is obsessed with wanting me dead", Oliver sighed. "So much that he killed Takeo for trying to do it."
"Well, you have enemies all around", Eliot told him. "At least some are down. Now its this guy, and Damien Darhk."
"This man, whoever he is, he has sent the city into a panic as well", Oliver commented. "And he did that right during my speech."
"The people had a hope spot", Hardison muttered.
"And now its gone", Parker realized.
"He is playing with us", Sara said. "Like a predator plays with their prey, but what is he getting at?"
"Got a minute?" Diggle suddenly asked Oliver, who nodded. Diggle put a file on the table, that Oliver read through, while seeing photos of Andy Diggle, that surprised him.
"Where did you get this?" Oliver asked Diggle.
"From Lance, who got it from Damien Darhk", Diggle confirmed.
"And it looks like pretty definitive evidence-"
"That HIVE had him killed because his criminal operations conflicted with theirs", Dig finished.
"It doesn't track with what you've told me of him", Oliver noted.
"It doesn't track with what I knew of him", Diggle agreed. "Guess I never knew him at all."
"Looks like this is something else to look into", Oliver realized.
"Sometimes, people just change, because they do not think the right way is getting them anywhere", Hunt said sadly, thinking of the man he'd known as Jim Phelps.
He'd found out that man had never been the real Jim Phelps in the first place. He was another agent, who'd similar planning methods to Phelps, and had a passing resemblance to him.
So the IMF had made him Jim Phelps to throw anyone off the real one's scent, who'd seemingly died after a stroke, and the IMF did not want anyone else knowing that for good reason. Unfortunately for them, the new 'Phelps' had lacked the real Jim Phelps' moral compass, and turned against the IMF.
He'd died, without anyone even knowing what his real name was. Hunt had only found out about the real Jim Phelps after the fake one's funeral, but the real one was seemingly dead as well due to a stroke.
Hunt wished he could have met him. That one was a true hero.
But that was all in the past, because now, they needed to focus on Damien and this Throwing Star killer.
"Also, can you look into this cyanide tooth?" Diggle held it up for Hardison.
"Oh yeah, that can be done", Hardison shrugged as he took it.
Quentin then walked in, asking Oliver. "Got any leads on whoever sent the recording of the body?"
"It's the Throwing Star killer, but he used Warner's phone", Oliver revealed, while Eliot, Parker and Hardison stared at Quentin, then looked amongst themselves, very weirded out.
Quentin noticed their looks. "What?" He turned to Oliver. "Your new friends have a problem with me or what?"
"I don't think so", Oliver said as he turned to the Leverage crew. "Right?"
"He is a bad guy on our Earth!" Parker gestured to Quentin, which surprised him.
"Really?" He wondered. "Okay, I think I need to go rest my eyes now."
"Setting a bad example for your daughters, huh daddy?" Sara joked, making him chuckle a bit as Laurel just smiled.
"He is a doppelganger, guys. I saw Tara Cole's doppelganger on a TV before", Eliot revealed, to their surprise.
"Also, Captain, he sent us a message saying 'So it begins' in flames after we found the phone", Oliver revealed.
"Well, he is about to start something", Hunt muttered.
"So, what begins?" Oliver wondered, thinking of the message.
Later, Campaign office
"Okay, so the last one was a bust", Adrian said with a sigh as he walked with Oliver. "Through no fault of ours I might add."
"I know Adrian, I know", Oliver agreed.
"But now, because of that, what the city is experiencing is the opposite of what they were supposed to experience", Adrian explained. "So we better find a way to say the police need our help without throwing them under the bus."
"I might have a way for that", Oliver shrugged.
"And there's the program for cleaning the bay", Adrian realized. "Planning to be there yourself?"
"Planning to do some cleaning myself", Oliver revealed.
"That's actually good", Adrian agreed. "The people will see you actually stand level with them on such issues, instead of just saying you do. I'll be there too I assure you."
"Thank you, Adrian", Oliver said with a smile.
"Now, there is still the crime to deal with", Adrian said. "The people in this city are now more scared than ever."
"The last time I gave a speech, well, you know what happened", Oliver pointed out.
"I know, which is why let's put it on a backburner for now and see what else needs to be done before going out for another", Adrian said, Oliver not disagreeing. "Though there is the police one still."
"Right", Oliver said with a nod, before getting a message, that made him narrow his eyes. "Sorry, something important has come up."
"No issues", Adrian waved him off as Oliver walked away.
Later, the lair
Oliver now allowed his team to go out on missions without him, as long as Sara, Eliot or Hunt were calling the shots.
They'd gone out to get a sample of the chemical on the tooth, but, there, Diggle had found out his brother Andy was alive, and he was a Ghost.
"Nothing makes sense to me anymore", Diggle said while shaking his head.
"Seems like HIVE faked his death", Oliver noted. "Which must have been part of his recruitment."
"Oliver, you saw what kind of man my brother was in the file", Diggle pointed out.
"He never said your brother was a saint", Eliot shrugged. "Besides, we don't really know anything for certain."
"We'll have to hear it directly from Andy", Oliver agreed.
"How are you gonna do that?" Felicity inquired.
"We're gonna get him out of HIVE", Hunt realized.
"But why?" Diggle asked. "You can see what-"
"Its not just because he is your brother and I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt", Oliver explained. "We'll get him, then see what kind of man he really is, and also get info on what HIVE and Darhk are planning."
"Good plan", Eliot agreed with a nod.
"Yep, just need to get to the part of making it and executing it", Parker added.
"Well then, let's get to working", Sara smirked.
Central City
Barry was walking through the Labs, just glad to be on his feet again. Harry and Cisco were working on the mask of Zoom's other prisoner right now.
"Barry."
Barry jumped, then turned to see Batman walking out of the shadows. "Oh, you've got to stop doing that, man."
Batman didn't respond to that, and simply said. "On Earth-2, I researched some things, like my doppelganger, and yours."
"Really?" Barry asked. "Find anything interesting?"
"Your doppelganger is a normal CSI", Batman said with a shrug. "And he is married to the Iris West of his Earth, who happens to be a Detective."
"Whoa!" Barry was surprised. "I'm married to Iris in that world, huh?" Hearing he was married to Iris not just in the future, but also on Earth-2, it made Barry wonder for a brief second if they were supposed to be together or something.
"If you have any ideas of being in a relationship with her because of this, let it go", Batman said coldly, bringing Barry back to reality. "What we do requires sacrifice. Dedication. She isn't built for this life."
"You don't even know her!" Barry snapped.
"I know you've been in love with her for years and she never showed interest until you were struck by lightning." That froze Barry. "Can you tell me, without a shred of doubt, that she'd put the lives and needs of both you and others, above her own desires and needs?"
Barry was silent, and Batman got his answer, walking off. While Batman had not been that kind to him, Barry noted that he'd at least never held anything back from him (besides his identity), no matter how painful the truth could be.
Hearing this, he began to reflect on Iris' personality, as well as Patty's. While he was only getting to know her, what Batman had said, about someone putting others' lives over her own, he felt Patty understood that far better, as she was a cop.
Earth-199999, Sokovia
Zemo and Lex watched as a portal to Lex's Earth finally opened up, the Hydra scientists looking awed at what was happening too.
"It can only work for one travel", Zemo explained. "So you better get back fast, and make a plan on your end, while I shall do the same here. And fix the machine."
"Thank you", Lex turned to Zemo, then held out his hand. "I will be back very soon, and then we can expand our team."
"I look forward to working with you, Mr. Luthor", Zemo nodded, as he shook Lex's hand. "We shall show everyone we are their saviors, not these clowns in masks and capes."
"Exactly my sentiments", Lex agreed.
They shared one last look, and then Lex walked into the portal, disappearing into it as it closed, the machine dying down.
"We did it!" One scientist cheered happily.
"Indeed, you all did it", Zemo agreed, then taking out his gun, shot him in the head, killing him, as the others gasped in horror.
But that was all they could do, as Zemo shot them all down in quick succession too.
No loose ends!
New York City, Avengers Tower
"You couldn't fly through it?" Bobby asked, confused.
"Yeah, it just seemed to push me back", Tony said in reply. "I'm not sure why, I guess there's some sort of barrier there, which I haven't figured out yet."
"Well, what now?" Piotr wondered.
"Now…" Tony started, then stopped as Thor, Banner, Natasha and Clint arrived. "Oh, hey guys!"
"We came as soon as we heard", Natasha immediately got down to it. "Where is the breach?"
"I tried going through, it pushed me back", Tony said quickly.
"How did that come to be, Stark?" Thor inquired.
"There's some sort of barrier, I do not know why though", Tony said with a sigh.
"Can you do something about it?" Clint asked.
"I mean, these are still forces beyond what any of us have understood", Banner pointed out. "So, its gonna take a while."
"The barrier, it could be anything", Thor said as he looked out at the sky. "There are powerful forces, in this Universe and beyond, that are beyond all of us. I've seen some of them in the past. So, if we have to get through that barrier, it can be quite hard."
"Whatever we need to do, we've to do it quickly", Natasha said, sounding worried rather than monotone like she usually did, as she looked at Bobby and Piotr. "Thank you for bringing this to us quickly."
"It's the least we could have done", Piotr simply said. "We are-"
"I know who you are", Natasha said, sharing a look with Clint. "We looked through the footage and files."
"Good work by all of you", Clint complimented them.
"My idea is", Tony then said. "We'll have to modify the IDIOT, and make it bigger, to try and open another way to wherever Cap is."
"Chance of success would still be below 50%", Banner pointed out to Tony.
"We won't know until we try my friend", Tony said as he walked towards his lab. "Come on guys."
Earth-1, Star City
"Hey, wait, if the Ghosts are wearing their usual Halloween costume, then how are we supposed to tell which one's Andy?" Thea asked, standing on the rooftop with Oliver, Eliot, Parker, Hunt, Sara and Laurel.
"That's what your fancy new cameras are for", Hardison said from the comms. "A little gift from me. Infrared lenses should virtually unmask our ghosty friends."
"Sick", Laurel smirked.
"So, are you all gonna begin?" Felicity asked.
"Yeah", Oliver nodded as he and Thea fired their arrows and swung away, Eliot holding onto Oliver as Hunt and Parker glided into the area, while Sara and Laurel jumped down as well.
As they got into positions, Oliver and Eliot saw some Ghosts loading crates, Oliver telling the rest. "This isn't just a base of operations. It looks like a staging area."
"For what?" Hardison asked.
"Equipment. Military crates marked G6:5", Eliot said. "Does that mean anything?"
"Maybe they're playing bingo."
"Let's assume that's not it."
"Deadly bingo."
"We need to get an ID on Andy", Oliver said. "When we do, you wait for my signal before engaging."
"Yeah, I might not have that option", Thea said, seeing Ghosts come closer to her position.
"Speedy?"
"She's been spotted, third floor, southwest building", Hardison noted.
"We've been spotted too", Laurel said as she whacked two Ghosts, while Sara kicked one down and elbowed one into the wall, then smacked one more down with her staff as Laurel struck another's feet.
Thea kicked one Ghost, then engaged him and another. "Waiting on confirmation."
In the lair, Hardison and Felicity noted Thea was fighting Andy as the latter said. "That's him, you got him, the one on your right."
"Actually, he's got me!" Thea grunted while being held in a chokehold, pushing herself back as he was rammed into a wall. Freeing herself, she twisted his hand and kicked him, before he pushed her back and kicked her, then tried to strike as she weaved away into a lift.
He came inside, striking with a knife as she blocked twice, then kicked him while the lift went down, and opened, Andy kicking her out, but as he walked out, Parker kicked him right on the face from a side, knocking him out.
"We'll stay here with him", Hunt said, aiming a gun at the unconscious Andy.
"I'll check for anyone, then be back", Thea said, then walked off.
Outside, Oliver kicked one Ghost down, then smacked another away before shooting a third, while Eliot elbowed another out, then punched one's gut, winding him.
And then, Ray Palmer in the ATOM suit flew in, taking down many Ghosts and then landing on the ground as some Ghosts tried to fight him, but couldn't affect him, while he simply punched them away with his suit's power, and his armor deflected the bullets.
"Seen something like that before", Eliot noted, reminding of Tony Stark's Iron Man armor, which this one resembled, though it didn't look as good.
Thea was scouting, when she saw Damien Darhk himself in her way. "It's Merida. Aren't you out a little bit past your bedtime?"
Thea turned around, only to see Damien there now. "I've seen something of your fighting style. You were trained by Ra's al Ghul. Tell me-how is Malcolm doing these days?" He put his hand to her chest, slowly draining her.
Suddenly, an arrow hit him from behind as he gasped, and pulled it out, but it exploded, sending him flying away and knocking him out.
Thea gasped, then saw a man dressed a lot like her brother in his Green Arrow suit lowering his bow, his mask covering his entire face.
Seeing the throwing stars on him, Thea realized who he was.
Taking out her katana, she stuck, but he blocked with his blade, then kicked her back. Thea tried to kick him, but he dodged, and elbowed her face, staggering her back, before she spun and tried to strike him with his bow.
He blocked, then did the movement himself, whacking her as she was sent back, and then he kicked her in the way she'd tried to kick him, throwing her down.
He held his blade over her, only for a gunshot to ring out, disarming him, and he turned to see Hunt aiming his gun at him.
Hunt tried to fire again as he dodged by rolling and threw his shuriken, disarming Hunt, then he rolled and kicked Hunt, sending him flying back.
Raising his blade, he leapt at Hunt to strike him, but Hunt rolled away, and kicked his face, sending him back. Then he got up and ran at the Throwing Star killer, lifting him and throwing him through a column.
Then he tried to reach for his gun, only for the Throwing Star killer to run at him in the same way, the lift him, and throw him off, as Hunt groaned.
Looking between Thea and Hunt, he threw a flashbang grenade to the ground as they shut their eyes, and then he was gone.
Outside, Oliver shot down another Ghost, and whacked another, while Eliot kicked one more down, as Ray flew in to help Parker carry away Andy.
One Ghost aimed at Oliver suddenly, only for a gunshot to ring out as he went down, and Oliver and Eliot saw Diggle lowering his gun.
"My brother needed me", Diggle said, then added. "The green one."
Earth-199999, New York City
Tony, now in his suit again, was on a building close to the breach into which Steve had fallen, with Thor, Natasha, Clint, Banner, Bobby and Piotr behind him.
In front of them was a machine Tony had made with help from Banner, a larger version of IDIOT, this one having different features.
"Now, its recalibrated", Tony said. "So that it reads the frequency coming from that portal, and makes a new one that opens a portal to that same world."
"Will this work?" Natasha asked, sounding worried.
"We won't know unless we try", Tony said with a shrug, and then activated the machine.
A beam shot out of it, and struck the empty space, slowly forming what looked like a breach here.
"Its working", Clint said, Thor twirling Mjolnir as he prepared to fly into the breach by himself.
"Just a little more", Banner muttered, when suddenly, the machine seemed to fizzle out, and the portal that had formed closed by itself, fading away.
"What just happened?" Bobby inquired.
"This….this wasn't supposed to happen", Tony said in disbelief. "This can't happen!" And then he fired the machine again, as it struck the empty space, and a portal started forming, but it fizzled out even faster now, the portal fading away. "Damn it!"
"Why isn't it working?" Piotr wondered.
"The machine was recalibrated to focus on the frequency of this breach", Banner explained. "But we don't have anything tangible from there, so it's a lot harder."
"Come on!" Tony said, firing it one more time, but this time the portal faded away as soon as it started forming.
Thor sensed something from the breach that was already there, the one through which Steve had fallen, and twirling Mjolnir, flew towards it, just hovering near it, as he held out his hand, the breach briefly appearing as he touched it, and felt it, sensing what was there.
"It is an ancient energy", Thor said, with eyes closed. "Very ancient. As old as all the Universes. Whatever this world is, it seems to exist there in abundance."
"I will get there", Tony said, firing once more, but this time the portal faded before it could even start opening. And then he tried once more, but nothing happened, only fizzling sounds coming from the machine.
"What do we do now?" Natasha wondered, sounding distressed. "Our proposed way into this world did not work."
"No use kicking a dead horse, Stark", Clint said to him sadly. "I'm sure that big brain of yours can think of something else."
"I am out of ideas, what have you got now?" Banner asked Tony, who was deep in thought.
"Maybe we can get in contact with the Mansion", Bobby offered.
"Yeah, Hank could try and help perhaps", Piotr agreed there. "I mean, this isn't exactly his area of expertise, but-"
"Expertise", Tony's eyes suddenly lit up. "I know someone who can help us in this case."
Universe-208, Umbara
It wasn't long before Steve and Jesse made it to the ridge. The super soldier eyed the metal contraption on the edge of the trenches that looked like they were meant to be ridden, along with the numerous other soldiers clad in similar armor to Jesse, the only difference was some had different blue marks, some had different helmets, those ones Steve noted hovered near those machines, and some wore no helmets.
That was what really took Steve's attention.
Every man that Steve passed by in the trench had the exact same face. The only difference was hair style, either they had black hair in crew cuts, bald, or even a manbun, a few had tattoos, each one had the exact same facial features.
The identical soldiers watched Steve warily, due to him being a stranger and his staring, Steve supposed. Either they seemed to be resting or were at attention with their weapons at the ready at the edge of the trenches, the same kind of weapon Jesse had or larger, rifle-like ones.
Jesse noticed his expression. "What, never seen a Clone before?"
Clones, so that's what they were. "No, can't say I have."
Jesse turned to him, asking in surprise, "What kind of rock have you been living under?"
Steve could not help but snort, "A rock called Earth."
Before Jesse could respond, another Clone passed their way and stopped in front of them. His helmet was off, so Steve could see this one looked different from most of the others who usually sported the crew cuts.
This Clone's hair was shirt and slicked back with a widow's peak, a V-shaped tattoo going over the left half of his face. His armor had blue stripes down the arms like most of the others, but a blue downward pointing triangle taking up a good deal of the chest piece.
"Who is this?"
"Easy, Dogma." Jesse lifted up his helmet, revealing to Steve the same face he'd seen on the ridge, but bald, and with the same emblem on his helmet tattooed on his face. "I found the civvie a klick away from the camp. The General asked to see him."
The one called Dogma eyed Steve before stepping aside. "Best not keep him waiting." Jesse eyed Dogma, but gestured for Steve to follow. The Clone tucked his helmet under his arm as he spoke, gaining distance from the suspicious Clone. "Dogma's a bit wound tight, never disobeys an order."
"Good man to have, depending on the order." Jesse eyed him out of the corner of his eye but nodded in agreement.
"Yeah."
A moment later, Jesse finally came to a halt as two Clones, with more distinctive armors than the others, one sporting a trimmed goatee, and another with short, blonde hair, approached, along with another man. This one was the only man in the camp who did not have the same face as the rest. He sported dark robes and a metal cylinder at his waist, standing the same height as Steve himself but not nearly as bulky, with a scar running down his right eye. He seemed like a warrior but did not dress the same as the Clones.
"Sir, the civilian, as requested."
The only one clad in robes looked the newcomer up and down, specifically at the star on Steve's chest, and then to the shield on his back.
Jesse shifted his blaster to his other hand and offered the blonde Clone Steve's gun. "His weapon, sir."
The other Clone took it, looking down at the handle before ejecting the magazine, and raising a brow at the ammunition. "A slugthrower?"
"Don't see many of those in this side of the galaxy." The dark-haired Clone spoke, but Steve remained focused on the man in the middle.
He seemed as confused as Steve did, more so maybe, before finally speaking. "My name is Anakin Skywalker. These are my men, Captain Rex," he gestured to the blonde Clone before moving his hand to the other, "and ARC Trooper Fives."
This was a military outfit, Steve figured, it would be best to follow protocol and introduced himself.
"Steve Rogers, Captain, US Army."
"U.S. Army? Never heard of them." Rex questioned.
"It's a branch of my country's armed forces."
"And your country?"
"America, on Earth."
"Your planet is called…Earth?" Fives asked, sharing a look with the Clone Captain.
"I can't say I'm familiar with it." The man in the middle, Anakin looked lost in thought before turning to the Clone beside the Avenger. "You're dismissed, Jesse. Get some rest."
"Thank you, General." Jesse saluted before walking back.
So Skywalker was a General? He was much younger than any of the Generals Steve had met.
"So, Captain Rogers, how did you end up on Umbara during the planetary invasion?"
An entire planet being invaded. It was like something out of 'War of the Worlds' and would have happened with the Chitauri had the Avengers not stopped Loki. Steve feared that the real thing would be worse than anything H.G. Wells could have imagined.
"I was engaging a creature on my world when I fell through a portal, next thing I know, I'm here, being found by one of your men."
"As simple as that?" Rex scrutinized him for a hint of deception, but the young General didn't seem worried.
"I'm afraid it is. Months ago, there was a Singularity on our planet. Ever since, we've been getting guests from other worlds." Skywalker's eyes widened, stroking his chin in thought.
"I don't know about any Singularity, but months ago, the Jedi, myself, and every Force-wielder sensed a wide scale disturbance. We've been experiencing visions and sensing things that are…off, in the galaxy since then."
"I'm sorry, sir, but, the Force?"
Anakin whipped his head toward the stranger from his vision. "You don't know what the Force is? Or the Jedi?"
Rex and Fives shared a look. Everyone had heard of the Jedi in some way. Usually, they think they're just some kind of Wizards wielding magic, unless you've seen and known enough about them.
Steve shook his head, making Anakin frown. "Something is definitely wrong here."
"I agree, General Skywalker, but none of that matters to me. I just want to try and get home." Steve was afraid of what could happen in his absence. He had confidence in his team, they came a long way since the six strangers fighting each other, didn't mean he wants to be away long enough where something could happen and he wasn't there to help.
Anakin's face nodded in understanding. "Don't worry, I will contact Coruscant for the wisdom of the other masters, they should be able to find a way to return you to your world." Steve smiled gratefully, but Anakin's tone dropped. "However, with the battle waged across the planet, the signal will take time before the cruiser could relay it back to the Jedi Temple. You could be here for some time."
"I was afraid of that", Steve sighed but nodded. "I appreciate the effort nonetheless, sir."
"Happy to help. Umbara might not be the safest planet at the moment, but we'll be sure to keep you protected."
"Thank you, General, but that won't be needed." Anakin raised a brow at the Captain's response. "I want to ask you something, if you'll humor me."
"I'll answer as best as I can."
"Why are you fighting this war?" The question took Anakin by surprise, and Rex and Fives as well. Captain Rogers remained undeterred. "I want to know why this war is happening."
"You really don't know?" Fives was taken aback. The galactic conflict had been going on for years now. Rogers really must not be from this galaxy if he didn't know.
"Very well. It all started when a collection of Senators of different worlds left the Republic and accused the Senate of corruption. A Jedi who left the Order called Dooku," Steve could hear the venom in Anakin's voice at speaking the name while he unconsciously clenched his gloved right hand, "gathered these radical planets and organized them into the Confederacy of Independent Systems." That name did not put Steve at ease. "The war officially began when my master and I sought to discover an assassination attempt on another Senator. It led to our capture and execution, until the Jedi Order rescued us, but we all would have perished if not for the Clones." He valued his men, Steve could see that, and by the looks of their faces, Rex and Fives appreciate the praise, even if the former hid it better.
"Thus, the Clone Wars began, and has been raging across the galaxy for the past two years. The Separatists employ droids as their army, allowing them march over any lifeform they deem an enemy without mercy, with an endless horde of machines to do their bidding. The planets they conquer, they enslave the native people, experiment on them, steal from them, starve them, or just execute them all." Steve shut his eyes for a moment as more memories of the past hit him, it sounded too familiar. "Then there is their leadership: Dooku leads the Separatists, but his armies are led by a cyborg called Grievous, who goes out his way to slaughter every Jedi he can find, mutilating their bodies to take trophies, and taking pleasure out of every kill he makes."
Anakin noticed Steve's expression midway through his recounting but did not let up. He wanted to know why they were fighting the war, he should know. The Separatists were vile, they were liars, they murder without remorse, Anakin held no sympathy for them, no matter how many times Ahsoka and Padme tried to convince him there was more to this war. The Jedi General saw firsthand what the other side were capable of, saw the suffering, and saw the apathy Dooku held, the brutality of Grievous, and all their Separatist ilk like Gunray.
Steve collected himself, banishing the dark thoughts before returning to what he needed to know. "These accusations of corruption, do they have merit?"
"No", Anakin said quickly and confidently. "I don't trust the politics, but I trust the Chancellor."
A familiarity and affection were in Anakin's voice, Steve realized. He knew the man personally, which could make him blind to the truth. Then again, this Chancellor could be a good man like Anakin says, although even Fury was blindsided by those he deemed close, like the revelation that Secretary Pierce was HYDRA.
This was alien to Steve, literally, he would have to forgo making any conclusions, that being said, what he learned of these Separatists, it made the captain's blood boil.
"And what are Jedi and Sith?"
"There is a powerful spiritual energy around us, it resides within everything, and binds everything in the galaxy together", Anakin explained. "It is called the Force, and we Jedi can harness it to powerful effect. We are the peacekeepers of the galaxy, even if this war has made soldiers of us all."
"And the Sith?"
"The Sith can do what we do, but they are devoted to the Dark Side, they indulge in greed, hate and deception. Dooku is a Sith himself now."
With that, Steve understood everything he needed to know.
"Thank you for indulging me, General Skywalker." Anakin nodded, calming down from having to recall about his enemies. "I hope you would indulge me further."
"How so?"
"If I am stuck here, I refuse to be an inconvenience. If you allow me, I would like to offer my help."
Anakin's eyes widened, sharing a look with his Captain. "That's a generous offer, but we can't-"
"This isn't my first war, sir. I'm a soldier, anything I can do to help, I will", Steve said passionately, and he meant it.
From the moment he laid eyes on the Captain from Earth, Anakin was amazed by how strong he shined in the Force. Every living being was connected by the Force, some more so than others, hence the Force-sensitives, but regular beings held minor connections.
Captain Rogers was not Force-sensitive like a Jedi or Sith, yet his being radiated a light that reflected his character, it gave him the impression of some of his fellow Jedi, even a master or two that Anakin knew.
The Force also, from what Anakin sensed, rippled around Steve's body, showing that he was different, out of place.
One thing for sure that was obvious, Steve Rogers was different.
Anakin looked to his first in command. "What do you say, Rex?"
The Clone Captain observed the American Captain, who waited patiently for the verdict. He did not have any swagger that the General had, no arrogance, or demands he joined the fight, and his reaction to some of the atrocities of the Separatists was strong, even if he tried to hide it.
Rex did not like to lose more brothers, or even civilians, he knew though they could use every man they could get. "He may be oddly dressed for a civilian, but if he can handle himself in a fire fight, we could do with another man."
Steve smiled gratefully, nodding his head to his fellow Captain, the corner of his stoic face tugging up slightly. Anakin smirked at the two. "Well, there you have it. Good to have you aboard, Steve."
"Thank you for having me, General."
The ARC Trooper crossed his arms and chuckled. "What do you think, Rex, would you say we got ourselves a shiny?"
"Close enough." Rex let a smile cross his lips at his brother, before looking at Steve. "Welcome to the 501st, Captain Rogers."
Earth-1, Central City, STAR Labs
Henry was passing by Strider, when Strider looked at him. "We have not had a chance to talk yet, have we?"
"My apologies for that", Henry said. "Anyways, I've heard a lot about you, and I have to say- thank you for all that you've done for my son and his team."
"You need not thank me", Strider assured him.
"Anyways, after this is done, I'll be off again, Barry doesn't need me anymore", Henry said as he began to walk off.
"I believe he does", Strider said, making Henry turn to face him. "You are his father, are you not?"
"Look, Barry put his life on hold because of me for years", Henry tried to explain. "Even though I was in prison. Now he is the Flash, he has his friends, his whole team, Joe and Iris. Joe raised him! This is a good life for him, and me being here will make it more difficult, as his enemies can threaten me to get to him."
"And they can threaten Joe, Iris, Cisco, Caitlin, Patty, and many more", Strider pointed out. "None of them leave because there is danger, and Barry does not make them leave either."
He thought about how he'd lost his own father, never getting to know him. Lord Elrond had taken him in, and been like his father ever since he was a boy, but there was a part of him that wished to know what his father had been like. His mother was not alive anymore either, even if he had not lost her to tragedy like Barry had.
But Barry had one parent by blood alive, who loved him so much. Strider was going to make sure Barry kept that parent, alongside Joe, who was his Lord Elrond in a way.
"Joe will always hold a place in Barry's heart, just like the Lord Elrond in my heart, as he took me in when I was but a boy. Joe helped craft Barry into the young man we see today, but that would not be without the help of your love. Barry is who he is because of the people in his life, most of all, you. You have been his source of strength for the longest time, it was you that inspired him, Henry Allen. Barry is not holding his life back any longer, and you can be part of the life that he lives now."
Having said that, he walked off, leaving the contemplating Henry behind.
Star City, the lair
"Are you sure it was him?" Oliver inquired to Hunt and Thea.
"He had those throwing stars", Thea pointed out. "And he was dressed a lot like you."
"There's one more thing", Hunt said.
"What's that?" Sara inquired.
"A move I used on him, a few seconds later, he used it on me, with perfect precision", Hunt revealed, as they shared looks.
"That reminds me, he repeated my own moves against me as well", Thea added.
"Its like he just saw us use those moves, and learnt them right there", Hunt agreed.
"I've not seen anyone who can do that", Sara admitted. "Not even Ra's could do it."
"Well, he is a problem", Oliver said. "As is Damien, but right now, we have Andy."
"And I thank you all for that", Diggle said as he looked at everyone. "So, what do we do?"
"I could do some things", Eliot shrugged, sharing a look with Hunt. "You coming?"
"Do you even have to ask?" Hunt smirked at him.
"I can help too", Sara offered. "I was in the League, trust me. I can do a lot."
"Sure thing", Eliot accepted the offer.
"Huh? So, you have no Avengers, no Mutants, none of those X-Men group, no SHIELD either", Hardison said while looking through the Internet. "None of the individual Avengers heroes are here…..but you have Michael Myers?"
"You've Michael Myers too?" Felicity asked, surprised.
"Yeah", Hardison shrugged, while reading through the article. "But this one also rampaged a hospital the night of 1978, then had two more rampages in 1988 and 1989, then he disappeared and….he came back and had another rampage a few weeks ago! In Central City."
"A lot more persistent than the Michael Myers on our Earth", Eliot had to say.
"Our friend in Central City took him down when he attacked there", Oliver informed the two of them. "What happened on your Earth?"
"The night he attacked in 1978, he was caught later that same night, and has been incarcerated since", Hunt revealed.
"Yeah, and in about 3 years, it will be 40 years since Michael was in prison", Parker added.
"Wish ours was like that", Sara muttered, before looking at Eliot and Hunt. "Guess we should go."
They nodded in agreement.
"Now Ray, you ready?" Oliver asked the man.
"As ready as I can be", Ray said nervously.
Later, Queen Consolidated
Oliver and Ray, in their business suits, walked towards the boardroom, as the former commented. "Your shareholders are not gonna be happy."
Ray chuckled in a self-depreciating manner. "Just wait until they hear my excuse, they'll go from livid to plotting my demise in no time...maybe I should stay dead."
"Come on", Oliver shrugged, as the two walked in, looking at the board members.
"Welcome back, Mr. Palmer", Dennis greeted him in a stoic manner, then looked at Oliver. "You too, Mr. Queen."
"Its good to be back", Oliver simply said.
"I have my doubts you can take part in running this company while also running your campaign", Dennis expressed his doubts.
"I know you doubt me, but that's why we're here", Oliver said, turning to Ray.
"Not to tote my own horn, but when I was CEO, Palmer Technologies was flourishing", Ray pointed out to them. "But now, I've Mr. Queen with me. We may have gotten off on the wrong foot, but he has the vision that this company needs, while I have the resources."
"I may not be running this company directly, but that's what Mr. Palmer is here for", Oliver continued. "He knows my plan, and he agrees with it. So, he shall implement everything, and together, we will put this company leaps and bounds ahead of where it is right now."
The board members shared a look, then nodded, before Ray said. "Now, let's discuss business."
Same time, Central City, STAR Labs
Strider found Barry sitting, deep in thought, and sat next to him. "Is there anything I can help you with, my friend?"
"Just thinking", Barry sighed. "Should I tell Patty?'
"That you are the Flash?" Strider inquired, Barry nodding.
"I'm….just thinking", Barry sighed. "What I feel for her, I don't think I've felt that for anyone in my life."
Strider thought of Arwen. The situation wasn't like what Barry and Patty had. But they could be separated, as he was a mortal, and she was an Elf. If Barry felt similarly for Patty, Strider did not want them to be separated.
"If you truly love her", Strider said. "Then you would open yourself to her, and embrace her love."
Leaving Barry to think, Strider then walked off once more.
Same time, Star City, the lair
Andy Diggle woke up with a groan, feeling a bit dehydrated, then turned to see Eliot, Hunt and Sara on the other side of his cage.
"Flushed the drugs out of your body", Eliot told him body. "They're bad for you, ya know?"
Andy just stared at them, before Hunt held up the files. "Tell us- is what's written on here true?"
"Every word", Andy snarled.
"Right", Sara said. "Well, can you tell us what Damien Darhk is planning? Why is he in this city?"
"I won't tell a thing!" Andy said with a sneer.
"Guess you didn't need those drugs to be this kind of guy then, huh?" Eliot said, shaking his head in disgust.
"You didn't require a push to be a criminal, I guess it wasn't that surprising", Hunt sighed, the three walking off.
Diggle was there outside, and asked. "What's the verdict?"
"I'm sorry, John", Sara told him sadly. "He is not who you used to think he was."
Looking like his heart had been hit with a hammer, Diggle wiped his face, then walked inside, storming over to the cage. "I mourned you, Andy! I thought you'd been killed for no reason!"
"Ah, so you're here to give me the lecture again, John?" Andy asked coldly.
"No, the time for that is gone", Diggle snarled. "You had your second chance…and you used it to become Damien Darhk's willing pawn. My brother died a long time ago. Whoever you are…I don't know you."
Turning around, Diggle stormed off, passing Eliot, Hunt and Sara. "I'll call Lyla, ask her to keep him in ARGUS."
"Poor guy", Sara muttered, feeling bad for him.
"Sometimes, the people you think you know, they shock you", Hunt said sadly, again thinking of Jim Phelps, as well as John Musgrave.
Universe-208, Tatooine
Pre-Vizsla and Bo-Katan were in the former's quarters, with Blade standing near them, as Vizsla used a holo-projector to display an image of the hovertrain they were going to hit. "This train is controlled by the Pyke syndicate. They decided to venture out and try to deal on Jabba's territory. Naturally he didn't like this, and wants us to destroy it."
"But, before we do, we're going to take every ounce of supplies the Pykes have, and Jabba would be none the wiser", Bo-Katan added while crossing her arms. Blade briefly glanced at her before looking at the hologram.
"Defenses?"
Straight to business, Vizsla appreciated that. "Eight to ten foot soldiers in each carriage. There's ten carriages."
"Eighty to hundred assholes then. Sounds like a party."
Bo-Katan smirked at his quip. "Each armed with long distance rifles that can pick off the Tuskens from miles away. Unlucky for them, we're not Tuskens."
"We'll have people stationed along the train's route, pick off the Pykes from a distance while a small squad move through the carriages and along the roof the train. Problem is we don't have the manpower to clear the whole train without a prolonged fight that would damage the cargo, and that's not including the possibility of the Pyke's calling for reinforcements."
"This needs to be fast", Blade noted.
"Exactly. Our speeders can carry us to the third carriage before we have to jump on. While the speeders retreat to a distance, it'll be up to the boarding team to clear the train, or at the very least stop it."
"Either way, we'll be under heavy fire."
"Not if our Mandalorians can traverse the roof in tandem with the team fighting the Pykes in the carriages", Vizsla countered Bo-Katan.
Stroking his chin in thought, the Daywalker's thoughts were evaluating everything the Mandalorians told him. The plan was risky but sound, they didn't seem to have the resources for a plan he'd have in mind, but they could have more thought out they had yet to tell him.
A train heist was new for him.
A heist with a hovertrain and hover bikes with a squad of laser shooting, jetpack-wearing, armored commandos on another planet? Never did he think a life of hunting Vampires would lead to this.
Still, he had one thing on his mind. "What part do I play in this?"
"We don't have enough men to watch our backs while we progress to the front. The carriages behind us need to be dealt with."
"So you want me to clear twenty-four to thirty motherfuckers by myself?"
"Fun party, huh?" Bo-Katan continued to smirk in jest. Blade grunted but said nothing.
Vizsla walked around the projector until he was eye-to-eye with the warrior, those golden eyes of his never wavered, remaining sharp throughout his entire stay. Hardened, efficient, everything Vizsla would seek in an ally. "You do this, and we will fulfil our end of the bargain. A Mandalorian does not break a promise."
Their eyes never broke contact. Bo-Katan moved her eyes between the two, watching as the master of the Darksaber offered his arm. "Do we have a deal, Blade?"
He only continued to stare through his cold eyes, gauging Vizsla's words and whether they were the truth. With his hearing, bolstered by his thirst, Blade could hear his heartbeat, and knew he was telling the truth. It would be risky, but the half-Vampire had no other choice.
Clasping Vizsla's arm with his own, Blade nodded. "Deal."
Earth-1, Central City, STAR Labs
Strider walked into the lab, where Harry and Cisco had finally managed to take the mask off of Zoom's prisoner, and noticed everyone was staring at him in shock.
Looking at the man himself, Strider realized why.
"What?" The man asked, the bearded face of Henry Allen staring at the room.
"You look just like me", Henry said as he stared at him.
"Yeah, that's why I gave you that look when I first arrived", the man who was his doppelganger revealed with a little smile. "I'm Jay Garrick, the real Jay Garrick."
"Garrick? That was my mother's maiden name", Henry noted, astonished.
"My father did not have any part in raising me." Jay revealed why he was a Garrick instead of an Allen.
"Right", Henry nodded.
"He wanted my speed, but he couldn't take it", Jay said. "But now, I thank you all for freeing me from that place, and removing the mask from my face."
"It had a dampener that prevented you from talking or using your speed", Cisco told him.
"Right", Jay said, then took the mask from Cisco. "I don't ever wanna see this thing again." Vibrating his hand, he phased it through the mask, chopping it into two before dropping it.
"Which Earth are you from?" Barry asked, stunned at seeing the real Jay Garrick himself, though he kept his shock bottled up.
"I think you'd all call that Earth-3", Jay smiled.
"Ramon, the goggles", Harry held them up. "I hooked them up for you, just need to do a few modifications, then you can find out which breach leads to his Earth, as well as Strider's."
"Thanks Harry", Cisco said.
"So, that means I would be able to return soon", Strider realized.
"Yeah", Barry said. "We'll say goodbye when the time comes though."
Star City, the lair
After having given his speech for the bay, Oliver returned to the lair, seeing Eliot, Parker, Hardison and Hunt there, with Eliot doing the salmon ladder, while Parker was sparring with Hunt, learning from him, and Hardison was on the computers.
"How is John?" Eliot inquired as he got down from the salmon ladder.
"Not well", Oliver noted. "I'll be talking to him soon. But before that, I needed to talk to you all."
"Sure, what's it about?" Hunt asked.
"Actually, not you, Ethan, no offense", Oliver said, then looked at Eliot, Parker and Hardison. "But the three of you."
"Right", Parker said, as Oliver gestured to a corner, and they followed him there, while Oliver took out a book, then handed it to Eliot.
Eliot read through it. "It's a list of names."
"And some of them are crossed out", Hardison noted. "Why is that?"
"Its not a kill-list, even if it looks like one", Oliver said, sitting down, and gesturing to some seats, on which they sat down as well. "It's a list of people who are poisoning this city. Rich people, politicians, lawyers, bankers, it's a whole lot of them. My first year back, I took them down. First, I went after them and gave them a warning. If they didn't listen, I went after them again, and ruined them, or got them arrested. In very extreme cases….I killed them as well."
"Sounds like….." Parker shared looks with Eliot and Hardison, "…..what we do."
"Except the killing part", Hardison raised a hand. "No judgment though, just saying is all."
"I haven't looked at it in 3 years now", Oliver then revealed. "Not even once."
"I did research your alter-egos when I came", Eliot said. "Second year onwards, there were no reports of you going after such people, just street criminals, and other gangs."
"Tell me- was it a mistake?" Oliver inquired. "They were being made to contribute to the Undertaking back then. I thought by stopping it, I'd have saved this city. But….I only stopped half of it."
Oliver looked very pained, as he remembered the death of Tommy.
"Even if you did stop it fully, these people are not going to stop what they're doing", Eliot pointed out as he handed the List back to Oliver. "They will carry on, and continue to ruin this city."
"Our former leader, Nate, he got into this because the IYS, the insurance company he worked for as an investigator, they refused to pay for his son's treatment", Hardison revealed, Oliver feeling nothing but sympathy for Nate on hearing that. "At the end of our first year, we got back at them as well. Ruined the one responsible."
"But eventually, we came back together, to take on more people of this sort", Eliot added. "Because they were not gonna stop…unless we did something. Nate and Sophie, another member of ours, they're retired now, but we are still carrying out the good fight. And we will continue to do so."
"People like that….corporations like that, they have all the money and all the power, and they use it to make the little innocent guys go away", Parker said, as they all looked at her. "Because of such people, the innocents are suffering under an enormous weight. We provide…Leverage."
Oliver nodded on hearing that, realizing what he needed to do now.
"And if people think you're a bad guy or anything", Parker added. "Sometimes, bad guys make the best good guys."
Now Oliver smiled, looking at all three of them. "I think after hearing all this, I see everything a lot more clearly. Thank you, all three of you."
He looked at Eliot. "You coming here might have been an accident, but I guess its what I needed."
"What are you, Eliot? Some gift from God or what?" Hardison inquired jokingly.
"Dammit Hardison!" Eliot said, Hardison chuckling.
"Yeah, just wanted to hear that", Hardison said, then held out his hand as Eliot grasped it and they did their bro hug, before Eliot lightly shoved Hardison back and walked off.
Hardison walked off after him, and the smirking Parker went with them. "Now now, let me get some popcorn."
Oliver chuckled at their antics, wishing he could have this kind of dynamic with his own team. Well, if things were to get better from now on, he just might.
Central City, STAR Labs
Jay, after having eaten, was back in his own suit, as Barry noted. "So he stole your color scheme too."
"He took a lot of things that were mine", Jay looked at Hunter's helmet. "Except that. That was all him."
"I remember he said it was his father's from the war", Caitlin remembered.
"Its kind of ironic", Jesse had to say.
"Yeah", Harry nodded. "On our Earth, that helmet…it stood for hope."
Jay Garrick theme plays
"Well, maybe I can continue the sentiment", Jay said, holding out his hand, and taking the helmet, before putting it on his head. "Take something from him for a change, and make it my own."
"It suits you", Caitlin had to say.
"Thank you all for saving me from Zoom", he looked at Strider and Harry. "Especially the two of you, and Batman. I hope he doesn't trouble anyone for a long time."
"I hope we meet again soon, Flash", Barry then held out his hand, that Jay shook.
"Sure thing, Flash", Jay nodded, as Cisco arrived with his glasses.
"Just, I'm gonna vibe now", Cisco said, then grasped Jay, trying to focus, and gasped a little, before walking back and taking the glasses off. "Okay, the breach is on 52nd street."
"We have one on my Earth, I can get there by myself", Jay said, looking at them one last time. "Thank you once more, and see ya in a Flash."
With that, he ran off at super speed, as Cisco panted, looking at Strider. "All right, sorry man, but I'm feeling really tired right now. Don't think I can vibe for a bit, can we wait?"
"It is fine, Cisco. I know you will send me back soon", Strider assured him, as Cisco nodded and walked off.
"I'll be leaving too."
All but Strider jumped as Batman appeared from the shadows. "My work here is done. Zoom is stopped for now. For the breaches, I'm sure something will be figured out."
With that, he started walking off as Barry told him. "I never said thank you."
"And you'll never have to", Batman assured him, before throwing him something. Barry caught it, seeing it was a phone. "If you need any help, you can call me on that."
With that, he was gone.
"Guess that concludes everything", Joe had to say, the group beginning to part.
"You remember what I said about not being here so you can be the Flash without worrying about me?" Henry asked Barry.
"Yeah."
"Well, forget it. You're stuck with me, son", Henry said, as Barry smiled and happily hugged his father.
Batman sat in his Batwing, and activating it, flew off. This was what he'd used to get items from Gotham City to Central City so quickly.
He called up Alfred, who picked up. "Hello Bruce."
"I'll be back soon, Alfred", Batman said.
Star City
Diggle was near Floyd Lawton's grave, when he felt a presence behind him, and turned to see Oliver standing there.
"Thought I'd find you here", Oliver said, as Diggle stood up.
"What my brother is, I really don't know what to think now", Diggle said with a sigh. "Except, I'm sorry Oliver."
"For what?" Oliver inquired.
"I realize now, what you did when undercover, it was hard for you, but it needed to be done", Diggle sighed. "I just didn't see it then, because I pushed my issues with Andy onto you. Even though you've stood by me a lot, I'm sorry."
"I just hope things will be better from now on", Oliver said, Diggle nodding, as he turned to look at Lawton's grave.
"I hated you for so long, because I thought you'd killed my brother", Diggle said. "But now….you are a far better and more honorable man than he could ever be. Thank you, for what you did for me, Lyla and our daughter. We can never repay you."
"You can", Oliver said, Diggle turning to face him. "By not wasting your lives, helping this city, and raising your daughter into a wonderful person."
Hearing that, Diggle had a slight smile, as the two of them walked off together, Oliver noting. "And I think something can be done about his reputation too."
Earth-21, Metropolis, LexCorp
Lex was in his tower, reading through the schematics of his machine, wondering where he had gone wrong. He was glad to not be wigging out again though, that was a huge bonus.
Once he figured out what the mistake was, he could finally remake the machine, and start his plan properly this time.
Suddenly, he heard a 'whooshing' sound, causing him to stand up as papers flew around, and then he saw a man in a blue suit with a Demonic mask, having Demon-like claws in one arm standing before him, blue lightning coming off of him. One of his arms had been chopped off, a stump in its place.
"Who are you?" Lex asked, as the man staggered around, and then fell to the ground, passing out while groaning, Lex just watching him in stunned shock.
And another one is done.
Arrow 4x7 is over, and Andy Diggle is already out of the picture. At this point, Diggle wasn't a fan of his brother either so here his reactions make sense.
While Diggle is one of my least favorite characters (I used to like him once, but he got worse as the Seasons passed, and 6x17 was the point of no return frankly, and looking back, he shows signs of who he'll become even as far back as Season 1), I'm trying to make him better here, and Felicity as well, same for Laurel, though I'm thinking I'll gracefully write Diggle and Felicity out eventually.
Oliver is also gonna go back to the List, inspired by the Leverage team's words.
And, some of them have met Prometheus and seen what he can do. He was basically testing his skills, and his opponents.
For the Jim Phelps stuff, before it became a huge movie franchise starring Tom Cruise, Mission: Impossible was a TV series in the 60s, and had a short revival in the 80s, and this TV series had Jim Phelps as the main protagonist, played by the late Peter Graves.
In the first movie, for whatever reason, he was turned into a villain, and Graves and the rest of the show cast hated that for good reason, so Jon Voight had to play Phelps instead.
Now, I love all the films, even the 2nd one, though its a bit weak, and consider it one of the few film franchises still going strong, and I've never seen the show, but I totally understand why that would piss people off. It is very disrespectful.
This theory that the real Phelps had to take a backseat after a stroke or whatever, while faking his death with the IMF's help for the rest of the world, causing a new fake Phelps to take up the identity to keep a charade going, has been floating around a lot, and I'd say it makes perfect sense.
This was inspired by a fic I read titled 'The Oldest Trick In The Book' by Julia456, and its a great one-shot.
So, this way the movies and shows remain canon in the same Universe without disgracing the real Jim Phelps.
Plus there is a reason I teamed Hunt up with the 'Leverage' crew- The 'Mission: Impossible' TV Series is a lot more like 'Leverage' than the M:I movies, it just involves the team going after big people in different countries, who're trying to start wars between their country and the US or whatever else, rather than the team going after rich and corrupt assholes.
The 'Mission: Impossible' TV Series is even confirmed to be one of the things 'Leverage' took inspiration from.
So that makes Hunt teaming up with the Leverage crew fitting.
Meanwhile, Flash Season 2 is pretty much over at this point, with only some one-shot episodes left, and there I'll cover only the important scenes. And due to what Batman said, its obvious, no chance of disgusting CW WestAllen here.
Seriously, 5x19 of 'Flash' even proves me right about Iris. She is a sociopath who cares only about herself, and she has shown that time and time again.
Steve is in Umbara, and part of the big plot there already, as you can see, and this is going to take a huge toll on him, but its great to add our favorite Captain to this arc too.
Lex and Zemo are allies, and Lex is back in his world, where the injured Zoom has fallen upon his feet.
Blade agrees to help Vizsla with his little raid on the train.
And, Tony's method of trying to get Steve back fails. Now, any guesses as to who he'll reach out to? Next chapter shall confirm it.
So, the MCU Earth has a Michael Myers too. From the descriptions, I think its obvious this Michael is from the 2018 timeline, meaning for him, only the 1978 movie is canon so far. And he hasn't broken out yet. And this means that H20 Michael and Rob Zombie Michael can exist in different worlds too.
Outside of Leatherface, Michael Myers has the most versions it seems, as in 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre', every movie seems to make a new timeline where only that film and the first 1974 film are canon.
I love the original 1974 Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and I thought the 2003 reboot was decent, as was its 2006 prequel, while the 1986 sequel to the original film is at least fun, but those are the only films I cared about. On Earth-1, for Texas Chainsaw Massacre, only the 1974 film is canon, though I've heard amazing things about the Texas Chainsaw Massacre video game that came out recently, so I can make that canon too if I ever get a chance to play it.
Regarding Rob Zombie Michael, whatever Earth he exists on, that Earth shall also have the remake versions of other horror franchises. Not really a fan of most of the remakes though. Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2003 is decent, as is its 2006 prequel, and I really like Friday the 13th 2009. But I hate A Nightmare on Elm Street 2010 (Even if Jackie Earle Haley was a great Freddy Krueger, though not on Robert Englund's level), as well as Rob Zombie's Halloween flicks. Haven't watched the Child's Play remake but heard it was decent, and with the AI craze, I can get what that one was going for.
Buffyverse and Supernatural will be back again in the next chapter, with an even bigger plotline than the last time.
But that's enough for now.
Thanks a lot to Brainstorm Sorcerer as well as Stand with Ward and Queen for their help here, and gussygus28 for a suggestion. Hope all enjoyed and see you all next time with another chapter.