This universe was born quite recently. Heroes born on opposite sides of infinity lost their lives to preserve their realities by combing them to form a new one. The actions of Doctor Fate and Magneto altered history in nearly unfathomable ways. Luckily, they're just fathomable enough for me to explain to you in story form. I am the Phantom Watcher, the once Spirit of Justice, and an observer the same as you who must not interfere with the newly unfolding universe, known only as the Amalgam. These are the stories of the champions which reside in it.
We look to 6 months after what the residents of this new universe call the Infinity Crisis. Ghanoseid was inexplicably defeated by Erik Nelson, the Fatal Compass, at the cost of his life. He would be remembered as one of the greatest heroes to ever live. This world was unfortunately not the Mutant Supreme world Magneto wanted. History was rewritten to incorporate the events that unfolded in its parent universes, leading to its denizens to take on traits of two people, resulting in changes of appearance, age, and especially powers. But after Ghanoseid's defeat, his forces were handily defeated over the course of a month, and the heroes of this world took great efforts to help the places ravaged by war to rebuild. But in all the chaos, opportunistic supervillains still commit crimes for their own selfish benefit.
An example of such villainy could be seen in the streets of Neo-Metropolis. A shipment of weapons was hijacked by Dirk Manheim and his gang of thugs known as the Wrecking Gang. One of the trucks, carrying shipments of assorted guns and bombs, was driven by Manheim, a sleazy man in a green suit and a purple ski mask who called himself the Wrecker. A cigar hung out of his mouth as he drove. The other was driven by Brian Nimball, who wore a red and white jumpsuit, and black headpiece similarly shaped to handlebars. He was also outfitted with a pair of wooden legs, enchanted to provide him enhanced speed and stomping power, he was otherwise known as Jackhammer. The two trucks were on pursuit by police, but the trucks plowed through the streets, pushing cars aside, and charged past any traffic lights with reckless abandon.
"Jackhammer, what's the situation?" Manheim asked over a radio in the truck.
"We're losing the cops, only one car still on our tail. But that ain't what I'm worried about, boss." Jackhammer responded.
"Relax, if he shows up, I got things covered this time. Send Atomic Ball out to take that last car and get to the bridge." Wrecker ordered as he floored the pedal and kept driving.
Jackhammer was still apprehensive of what may come next. It had just started raining too. He banged his fist on a window behind the driver's seat that peered into the back of the truck. "Take the last one out, Marty."
The back of the second truck opened as a figure in a green and yellow hazmat suit stood holding a large wrecking ball on a chain. The visor of the suit flared with a radioactive green light as the wrecking ball caught fire of the same color. Martin Franklin, the Atomic Ball spun the ball on the chain to wind up, and he threw it with great power on the final police car on their tail.
The officer in pursuit, Darryl Turpin, braced for impact and slammed the brakes of his car. The chain of the wrecking ball extended far and nearly crushed the poor detective. That was, until thunder cracked, and what many consider a god dropped from the skies and caught the wrecking ball in hand, yanking it from the Atomic Ball's hand.
This was "god" was a mountain of a man clad in a black armored suit. His regalia was decorated by red boots, a winged steel headband, a gold and red shield branded with a lightning bolt on his chest. He wielded the mighty hammer Krypton, a weapon forged in the heart of a dying star, and it was crafted from the last remaining material from the lost world of Asgard. The regal regalia and magnificent weapon were what made up who could be described as the greatest hero of this world: Thor-El, the Last Son of Asgard, but the people of Earth more commonly refer to him as… Thunderman.
"Glad I got here just in time Turpin. You just can't help but stay out of danger, can you?" he teased in a booming voice, paired with a reassuring smile.
"I owe you big guy, now go get those punks!" Detective Turpin called out from the car before driving back to reconvene with the other officers and assist in the path of wreckage the Gang had caused.
Thunderman had already disarmed Atomic Ball, so he was his first target. He tossed the wrecking ball on the side of the road so no oncoming cars would hit it. He spun his hammer around, creating a small gust of wind, and then thrust it forward to send him flying towards the rear truck.
"Wrecker, Thunderman's on our tail!" Atomic Ball yelled into a radio in his hazmat suit. "He got my ball too!"
Manheim was surprisingly not worried about the arrival of the God of Tomorrow, he was inexplicably confident, "Don't worry about it. Jackhammer, stop the truck. Steamroller, get my new toy."
Both cars made abrupt stops on the middle of the bridge, they created a blockage that held back traffic from the opposite oncoming direction. Jackhammer and Atomic Ball jumped out of their truck and stepped to the middle of the street to face against the oncoming Thunderman. Jackhammer started tapping his foot against the pavement, already making a few slight cracks. Meanwhile, without his wrecking ball, Franklin ignited his hands with green flames and prepared to fight with his fists.
By then, Thunderman arrived on the scene, floating above the two thugs, "Ho, Wrecking Gang! Pulling another job for Mannheim, are you? Times truly must be tough to keep going back to do his dirty work." He greeted, sounding almost disappointed. The Wrecking Gang had been some of Thor-El's most recurring foes in the 10 years he'd been acting, and no matter how many times he's beaten them, they kept going back to crime. Part of him wanted to blame society for forcing them into this heinous niche, but Thor knew that at this point, it was a combination of greed and a certain benefactor.
"I advise you turn yourselves in, nobody else has to get hurt. I don't want to do this as much as you do." Thunderman called down, trying to diffuse the situation before any more violence could occur. Despite centuries of warrior training, three decades as a human showed him the value of peaceful resolution. "You were always the reasonable one, Martin. Manheim hasn't been reliable to you. Stand down, and Stark Labs can help you. The criminal life is beneath someone of your intellect." He continued, trying to talk down Atomic Ball specifically.
Martin Franklin was an ex-scientist at Stark Labs, back when they developed weapons. After trying to stop the testing of an experimental bomb Franklin himself invented, his entire body was completely irradiated in the aftershock, leaving him a glowing, green skeleton confined to a hazmat suit. The poor test results had Stark Labs use Franklin as a scapegoat, and Manheim took advantage of having a genius pumped full of radioactive energy in his Gang, proposing a transaction of lending his powers for some cash earned on jobs be set aside in research for a cure. Evidently, nothing had worked so far. Despite the possibility of a second chance, Atomic Ball pounded his fists together, "Not a chance Thunderman, I can't be cured. I'm too far gone for anything they can do." He said with a twinge of regret in his voice.
Thunderman's face fell hearing his response. "So be it. Have at thee!" he yelled, dropping to the ground, and swinging his hammer at Jackhammer. The wily, wooden-legged, workman darted away from the hammer and got behind Thor, jumping up and landing a few lightning-quick kicks to the back. A now slightly ticked off Thor turned around and grabbed Jackhammer by his leg and launched him into the parked truck.
Atomic Ball briefly looked back to check on his compatriot, but then focused his attention on Thunderman, firing off a pair of green blasts of flame aimed at the center of his lightning bolt insignia. The thunder god was pushed back but started to spin his hammer around in from of him, creating a vacuum that dispersed the flames as they approached him.
As the fiery attack hadn't yet ceased, Thunderman launched his hammer at Atomic Ball. But as a nuclear physicist, Atomic Ball knew a handy trick with radiation. He aimed his hands at the oncoming hammer and blasted his radioactive fire at it. The radiation enveloped the hammer, and sapped it of its inertia, causing the hammer to drop onto the ground with a heavy thud.
Before Thunderman had time to react and call his hammer back to his hand, the last member unseen of the Wrecking Gang, the Rampaging Bulldozer, rampaged in and slammed headfirst into Thunderman. Marci Faulkner was a behemoth of a woman, but not much of a talker. She was clad in bright orange tights with purple shoulder armor and a helmet that covered her whole head. This attire was combined with a pair of massive, shielded gauntlets that when combined, looked like the front of a bulldozer. Thunderman was knocked over by the Rampager's assault. Jackhammer had also recovered and dashed over to start unrelentingly stomping into Thunderman.
All of this seemed to more annoy Thor than hurt him, but he was certainly annoyed. His eyes crackled with electricity as he screamed, "ENOUGH!" as thunder crashed around them, startling the three active Gang members. He fired bolts of lightning from his eyes that crashed into Rampaging Bulldozer, knocking her back as he stood back up. "I grow tired of this." He said with little patience left in his voice, raising his hand to call his hammer back. "Stand down now, before I-" he threatened before being cut off as he was hit in the chest by a thrown crowbar, forcing him back into the indent he just got out of.
The crowbar floated back up and returned to the hand of its wielder, the Wrecker. "Sorry, that took so long boys, I had to make sure this thing worked how I thought. News flash: it did!" Manheim gloated as he brandished his fancy weapon to the rest of his Gang.
Thunderman was actually in pain from that last blow, whatever that crowbar did, it was weakening his great power. "Must've been a long time since you've felt as weak as us, huh Sparkles?" Manheim taunted as he stepped over to the fallen Thunderman and proceeded to slam the crowbar into him again, a pained groan escaping the Asgardian. "You Asgardians are magical beings, could never wrap my head around the stuff. But according to your little brother, this stuff is made from Ad-th Metal, an alloy designed to nullify your magical field or some dumb shit like that." Wrecker explained cockily, taking a drag on his cigar before taking another solid whack at Thor.
Thunderman staggered to his feet to try and call his hammer forth to parry the Wrecker's strikes, but every few inches the hammer would drag across the pavement closer to Thor, Manheim would send him back a few feet. His strength faded with each blow, even trying to fire lightning from his eyes only resulted in faint sparkles. "Without your Asgardian magic, you're just like us." Manheim taunted as he swung his crowbar up into Thunderman's jaw, knocking him to the ground.
Thor lie on the ground as he stared up at the four members of the Wrecking Gang. Just six months prior, he was trading blows with a master of the universe, but now he was at the mercy of four schlubs in construction gear? No, the Asgardian had just one more trick up his sleeve, "Not just like you, Manheim. There's one major difference." Thor answered as he put his finger to an earpiece in his headband, "My team is a lot better than yours. L.M.I., Assemble!" he shouted, calling forth the League of Marvelous Individuals.
Manheim grew worried, he had known this was a possibility, but frankly he didn't have a plan for them. But to maintain control of the situation, he maintained his bravado. "Okay boys, minor setback. Fugget about it, we can take whatever they throw a-!" Mannheim was cut off as a steel disc crashed into the Wrecker's face with a loud crack, and it bounced off and returned to its thrower at the other end of the bridge.
Standing at the other side of the bridge was a man clad in a red leather jacket branded with a star on the chest, with bolts of lightning crawling off from it like the corona of the Sun. He wore blue padded pants, brownish red boots with golden wings on the collars, red gloves, and a midnight blue aviator's cowl adorned with old pilot goggles. The man caught the disc, which was actually a helmet, also with golden wings on the side. He put it back on to reveal a Sergeant's arrow branded on the front. This was Esteban J. Garrick, known since the second World War as Sergeant Speed.
"You should've called us sooner, Thor. You know I've been aching to stretch my legs!" Sarge yelled as he took a runner's stance and, in a flash, he blitzed across the bridge only to be met by Jackhammer, the wooden-legged crook leaving behind a trail of broken street behind him. The two speedsters raced around the bridge, trading punches and kicks. Garrick was leagues faster, but precise rapid stomps by Nimball created potholes to slow the sergeant down.
Joined by the Sergeant, descended from a beam of light from space, the elegant woman known as the Wonder Crystal was teleported to the battlefield. Diana Amaquelin was the princess of the Inhuman Amazons, and her attire dictated as such. Her amber hair was wrapped behind her in a black band with circular design in the back. She wore golden yellow armor with an eagle and diamond branded across her chest, paired with a blue battle skirt and thigh-high red boots. Her wrists were adorned with golden bracelets, and had a canteen strapped to her side. She unscrewed the cap off the canteen. Through a wave of her hand, she summoned the water from the canteen and fashioned the stream into a lasso.
The Rampaging Bulldozer stared Diana dead in the face. The brutish woman saw red and charged straight into Wonder Crystal, holding together her gauntlets to present her bulldozer blade. She wasn't Diana's priority though. Her sights were focused on Thor. He was downed, too weakened to get up and fight. She was a protector first, a warrior second, she had to help him. But first she had to stop the behemoth charging at her. Diana ran towards the Bulldozer, up her blade, and leapt into the air, boosted by a gust of wind. The Rampaging Bulldozer charged right past her original position. Diana cast her lasso down as the water flowed around Faulkner like a ribbon, then the stream tightened around her shoulders, ensnaring her like a viper.
"I do not wish to fight you, but I hold no reservations against such, I merely wish to aide my friend." Diana pleaded, trying to resolve their conflict peacefully.
This did not work, as Bulldozer charged back and slammed into Diana with her dozer blade.
Wonder Crystal was now a little miffed. She got back up, took the lasso still tied around the giant woman's shoulders and yanked it down so it restrained her arms. With a blast of freezing air from Diana's hand, the water lasso froze into ice, and the ice spread across the rest of Rampaging Bulldozer's body until she was encased in a thin sheet all around, "I'm sorry, I'll thaw you out after we're done here," Diana called out before she ran towards Thor and Mannheim.
Sergeant Speed meanwhile was a lot more invested in his fight. Since the War, he'd slowed down a little in his age. He was easily handling the fiend up close, but Jackhammer always managing to keep his distance by destroying pieces of the bridge with his stomps. "Diana, ayúdame!" Sarge called out as a plan formulated as he bobbed and weaved around the cracks in the bridge, "Mind patching up these holes with ice. I have an idea. Ándale!" he shouted back with urgency as he was rapidly blocking strikes from Jackhammer.
The princess looked back and sighed as she was further interrupted from aiding Thunderman. "Give me a moment," Diana responded as she looked down to the water under the bridge and clenched her fists. She concentrated on the water and graudally raised her arm as shapeless blobs of water rose from the river, filing through the cracks and filling them. With a smile and a wave of her hand, a chill of air rushed from it and froze over the cracks.
Jackhammer looked around to see the icy road and looked at the Sergeant confused, "What was your plan, old man?"
Sergeant Speed stood in place as his eyes darted around the area, making some mental calculations before taking his helmet off and whipped it at one of the bridge's side railings. The helmet bounced off the railing, then rocketed right towards Jackhammer. Jackhammer instinctively flinched to the side when he saw Garrick throw it. The helmet missed but Jackhammer slipped on one of the ice patches when he sidestepped. He slid to the right, the helmet bounced back off the other side railing behind him and then back into the crook, then back into a railing, then back to where Jackhammer ended up sliding, then continuing the cycle in a spiral motion until he was right in front of the Sergeant.
Esteban caught his returning helmet and readjusted it back on his head. Jackhammer seemed a little delirious from all the blows. "Now son, let's be a little more respectful to public infrastructure next time, okay?" Sarge teased before cracking his knuckled, and throwing a heavy right hook sending the wooden-legged wrongdoer to the street.
At this point, Atomic Ball was ready to make a break for it. With Diana and the Sergeant occupied, and Thor currently incapacitated, he ran towards the other end of the bridge. Luckily, he was able to retrieve his wrecking ball. He looked back to the ongoing fight, while Franklin was loyal to his team, Thunderman's offer to work to help cure him was also enticing. Then there was the option to just get the hell out of dodge.
This difficult decision would be made for the Atomic Ball as the sound of big band jazz music slowly got louder and louder. A powerful blast of concussive force crashed into him from the skies. "Nice suit 23-19. I'd hate to tear it and cause a mushroom cloud," a voice called out as a man clad head to toe in shiny, sleek, silver and hot-rod red armor, save for the right side of his face to reveal a black man with a stylish goatee. This was the League of Marvelous Individual's core source of funding, the brash and boisterous 25-year-old Victor Stark, known otherwise to the world as Cyberman. This was one of the Amalgam's greatest examples of the merging universes altering the attributes of a person.
Atomic Ball staggered from the initial blast, but returned to posture, "Your father's irresponsibility made me this way, Stark! I've been waiting for this for a long time!" he yelled up at the metal man, winding up his wrecking ball, charging it with his radioactive energy, and launching it up at Cyberman.
Victor managed to avoid the initial assault, but when Atomic Ball yanked the wrecking ball back, it slammed into Cyberman's leg, damaging the repulsor booster within stabilizing his flight. To avoid going into a spinout midair, Stark took his fight to the ground, "Listen Mr. Chernobyl, I know how much of an ass my pops was more than anybody. But messing with the LMI, my people, especially Thunderman back there, is gonna cause you a world of hurt!" he announced as he spread himself out to fully expose his chest. The arc-reactor in the center, engraved with a thin "C" for branding, glowed with bluish-white light. He was charging up a powerful chest-mounted unibeam. Atomic Ball retaliated with charging up a potent blast of his own. "This is for years of my life," he yelled at Cyberman before letting loose. Stark fired off his laser and it collided with the other, causing a loud explosion.
With the calvary arriving and handily disposing of his crew, Mannheim was distressed. He ran through possible scenarios on what he could do to weasel his way out of this mess. Running wasn't viable, both sides of the bridge were covered, and the bridge was 50 feet in the air over water. Fighting didn't seem the smartest idea either. Going back for this heist would land him another twenty to life in the Iron Vault. "Well, in for a penny, in for a pound. I'm killing him." Mannheim took a drag on his cigar and tossed the butt aside. He grabbed the crowbar and raised it over Thunderman. Wonder Crystal, Sergeant Speed, and Cyberman were all running towards the center of the bridge just out of reach to intercept him. Mannheim then swung straight down.
Thor looked up, awaiting what may be his demise. He thought to himself, "Is this really how I go out? A normal human in a tacky suit with a magic crowbar? The gates of Valhalla will be open to me because of a man with a crowbar? This must have been how Jason felt when it happened to him. I have failed the city of Neo Metropolis, I failed Lois, I'm coming brother. I'm sorry everyone.
This silent introspection before death would be interrupted by Mannheim being beaned in the head by a dense, wooden stick. Dirk fell back and hit the pavement, the crowbar flew out of his hand and hit him on the head, knocking the Wrecker out. A grappling hook then shot from the shadows, latching onto the crowbar and yanking back to the abyss from whence it came. Sarge was the first of the other Leaguers to reach the two of them. He looked down to see the thrown baton and picked it up. It was a fine dark red mahogany with a gold tip. Esteban knew their savior and looked up at the nearby buildings. He promptly gave him a salute, "Thanks for the save, soldier."
The savior in question was a shadowy figure clad in a black cape and cowl. Sharp, curved ears adorned the top that could be construed as either bat ears or devil horns. The eyes of the cowl were dark crimson, and the costume beneath the cape had a symbol of two "B"s with a batwing coming off the sides. The reclusive defender of Goth's Kitchen came to the last second assistance to his close friends and allies yet again. God Bless the Blind Bat. He looked back to the others on the bridge, and then was gone in a flash.
Diana and Esteban helped Thor to his feet. "You gotta be more careful, big guy. Aye, never thought I'd be asking that to you." The Sergeant teased, giving the god a pat on the back.
Diana reached into bag attached to her belt next to her canteen. Inside was a few granola bars and bandages, she handed Thor one of each. "Just relax Thor, we'll get you patched up," she assured to him like a sweet and doting mother. She was a 6'4" brick house of a woman carrying healthy snacks for her friends. Of the members of the League of Marvelous Individuals, Diana was the matriarch of sorts, and she played the role to perfection.
Thor gave Diana a side hug with one arm and applied the bandage on the side of his jaw. "Thank you, Diana. To both of you, I owe you my life. But that just means you both only owe me 17 of your lives instead of 18. That's right, I keep count." He joked with a jovial grin. Thor bent down and picked up his hammer and hung it on a notch in his belt.
Victor was busy handcuffing the other members of the gang and dragging them all into one place. Stark carefully dropped a chunk of lead into the hazmat suit of Atomic Ball for good measure. He was simultaneously on phone call in his helmet with SHIELD, "Now tell me, how did these guys, a week after being released from jail, manage to get clearance to transport MY lab's new weapons?" he asked sounding furious. "What do you MEAN, they had really good disguises?! One's got wooden legs, one's basically a minotaur, and then there's the glowing garbage bag!" he yelled into his helmet exasperated.
Victor oversaw pretty much everything behind the scenes for the League. Stark handled most of the funding, relations with the Superhuman Intelligence, Experimentation, and Legislative Division, new technology, public relations, and even merchandizing deals. On top of that, he also was the one most often monitoring world events to then transport the heroes to places they are needed. All of this resulted in a cyborg that never has time to sleep, constantly overworked, and is stressed to the nth degree. But despite all that, he keeps a flashy, suave façade to the public.
Stark walked over to the truck as he berated back and forth with the agents on the other end, "Whatever, just send two Class 1 containment units, one Class 4, and a Class 5 for the radioactive one. I want resources put in for how to cure that one. He might prove useful when he's not a threat," he ordered, starting to pass some sympathy onto his foe. Cyberman scanned the contents of the vehicle until he noticed a device attached under the hood. It seemed like a tracker, but with something else attached. Before he could garner further analysis of the device, it beeped twice, and exploded, causing a chain reaction to the rest of the truck.
Time slowed down for Thunderman, he watched as the truck slowly contorted and expanded from the internal blast. He acted on instinct, and faster than a speeding lightning bolt, he blitzed right between the truck and Cyberman, taking the brunt of the explosion for his friend. Diana, and surprisingly Esteban were left in the dust. It'd seemed with the crowbar out of vicinity, he regained his strength quickly. "You're back to 18 now, Victor," the God of Tomorrow teased as he was covered in soot from the blast. He was mainly unharmed, the magical field surrounding the Asgardian doing as such.
Victor laughed sheepishly, "Thanks big guy, but I could've taken it," he said brushing off the potential near death experience. "I'm surprised Sarge wasn't the one that saved me. You're getting slower, old man." He teased to Esteban with a chortle.
Esteban laughed off the slight and adjusted his helmet, "You better respect your elders, Cyberman, we can always surprise you. Just beam us back to the Watchtower, okay ese," he requested, a little shaken by Stark's comment.
"Yeah, yeah. I'll show you a surprise," Victor muttered under his breath as he opened up a panel in his forearm, typed in a few coordinates and hit a button.
From the heavens came beams of white and blue light. They homed in on a signal given by the identification cards held by each of the members. In a blinding flash, Thunderman, Wonder Crystal, Sergeant Speed, and Cyberman were gone; dematerialized from that location.
Up in orbit, revolved a space station. The silver satellite was known as the Watchtower. This was another piece of sophisticated equipment owned and operated by Victor Stark. The center fragment of the station was the base of operations for the League of Marvelous Individuals. There were living quarters for each of the members, an armory, training room, and in the center of the center; a roundtable surrounded by ten chairs, and not much room for more. A chair at the head of the table was draped in a purple cape, it belonged to the Fatal Compass.
The meeting table also doubled as the pad for teleportation to and from the Watchtower. Thor, Diana, and Victor appeared standing right on top of it, whereas Esteban materialized a few feet above the pad, hitting the ground with a light thud. "Ouch…you suck, Victor," the Sergeant said through gritted teeth as he staggered back to his feet.
Thunderman stepped off the table and walked out to the windows peering off into space. Esteban and Diana were off having their own conversation, something about the Sergeant's unbearably spicy cooking. Cyberman joined Thor's side as they looked off into the infinite void.
"I thought it was it today, Victor. I got impatient, impulsive, and I nearly got killed by Mannheim. It was embarrassing. That to me is like you getting defeated by the boy with the rings. I felt more mortal today than usual." Thor explained to Victor as he removed his helmet and placed it under his arm.
"I catch your drift, Thor. All the time we spend fighting aliens, monsters, guys from other dimensions, we underestimate the threats back home." Victor replied in understanding.
"The thrill of battle, it hasn't been the same. The greatest evils are purged from this realm thanks to Fate, may he rest in Valhalla. Nothing I do to help feels like it makes a difference anymore. I love Midgard, everything I do is because of that love. But this realm has built its own champions. I question if it needs me anymore." Thor lamented as he stared off into space, a universe of potential for him to go off and save.
"I'd hold your horses, Mr. Champion. I wouldn't say all the greatest evils are gone." Victor interjected as he displayed a hologram of the tracking device from his cybernetic eye. The word "Jotunheim" was engraved across the side of the device. "I was able to get a preliminary scan in before it went up in flames. This was your crazy half-bro Loxxi's tech. He hired these guys for this job and implanted a failsafe in the truck so if he couldn't have them, nobody could."
Thor was shocked at the revelation, "Impossible. Loxxi died at the hands of Ghanoseid at the start of his invasion. I watched it myself," he asserted with grief.
Victor took a deep breath in preparation with giving Thunderman a harsh reality check, "Thor, we're talking about the most conniving, crafty individual in the universe. You said he died trying to stab Ghanoseid with a normal knife, and then stoneface snapped his neck. And then you never found the body after it was all over. I'm sorry, but none of the League believed he was going to stay dead. This was like the sixth time he's done this."
Thor was obviously offput by this knowledge, but digressed for the sake of progression, "I…see. What of his corporation? Has there been any suspicious activity since my brother's disappearance?"
"Not really, before he "died", Loxxi Luthorson put Jotunheim in the hands of his assistant, Lorelei Graves. Stock's gone up 35% since his passing. Humanitarian efforts, worker's rights, really good PR all around. I'd still look into it, maybe they're shipping supplies to Loxxi while he's laying low." Victor advised as he displayed a photograph of Lorelei, then a few figures and articles about the company. "Looks like we definitely need you if we're gonna stop the one man who insists on wearing a green tux from conquering the world."
"Loxxi is not pure evil, Stark. There is hope for him. I will find him, and I will reform him. That is a promise." Thor announced before turning around to leave via teleporter. "I shall be going to search for my brother. If I am needed, call for me."
"Yeah, okay Thor. See you." Victor said, too tired to be bothered. He tapped a few buttons on his arm and beamed Thunderman back to Earth. "I'm going to the kitchen and getting coffee." He added before wandering off to another room on the Watchtower.
This left Sarge and Diana alone at the roundtable. Both were looking at the seat the Fatal Compass used to sit. Their original conversation, the topic irrelevant, had ceased for about 20 seconds. Esteban broke the silence with a confession, "I had the dream again last night, Diana."
Diana looked back at the Sergeant with understanding, "The one about him?"
The Sergeant nodded, "Si, history repeats itself," he answered with a heavy sigh. "The final showdown the MSA had with the Hydras of Injustice. We were getting our asses kicked. Johann Thawne was much faster than I ever could be. Who's there to save us, but Erik? His magic sent the two of us into the Speed Force, where I could finally defeat that monster, at the cost of sending me 70 years into the future. The last thing he tells me is "Your fate does not lie here, your duty lies beyond," and when I finally got out, he's the first thing I see.
Sarge paused after finishing his first thought, "He never told me what he meant all those years later. But he did tell me that the Helm of Fate wouldn't let him see beyond his own death. Then he sacrifices himself to save the universe, again when I couldn't do anything. So, I'll never know why he sent me here. He saves me twice, and I can never repay the favor, nor do I know why. Dios Mio, I hate magic," the Sergeant lamented, "Do you ever feel like you're not in control of your own life?" he asked to Diana grimly.
Diana remembered that day. She had fought alongside Sarge and the Marvelous Society of America for years. Esteban Garrick was her best friend in those days, even during the time she spent under the guise of the MSA's secretary, because it was the 1940s and misogyny was the hip thing at the time. There was never anything romantic between the two, but one could call them "platonic soulmates".
The day the Fatal Compass sacrificed the Sergeant to the Speed Force was one of the saddest days of her life. She never understood Fate's actions that day, Erik Nelson was but a child when he put the Helm on, and the Helm simply knew better, according to him. But regardless of whether the Fatal Compass made the right decision, the Sergeant was gone after that day, along with some of the other members of the MSA who died in the final battle.
Diana had to live with that loss for over 70 years. That should have been nothing. She was over 5000 years old, and she spent about 99.6% of that life on a secluded on Themyscrattilan. After the team disbanded in the 1950s, she went home. She had only returned after hearing about the resurgence of Inhuman Amazons appearing across the world, and Diana left to guide and mentor them with their new powers. Around that time, she got her friend back as she remembered him, if not a little time-displaced. Everything changed around them, but they didn't. Navigating the New World was something they did together, bringing them even closer. She couldn't bear to lose him again, especially not after just losing Erik.
"All the time. But we pull ourselves together and hold onto the things we can control. It's part of the job." Diana answered resting her hand on his shoulder. "Have you kept seeing Doctor Samson?"
"Yeah, I have. I get why Banner keeps going to him. He's been helpful, but he's got me on some new medication. High dosage: I burn through it faster than most." Esteban answered before taking another pause. "That's my other problem. I've gotten slower since I've started taking it. Thank God for Thor because I would not have been able to save Victor myself. I felt like a deer in headlights. I can't do my duty with what feels like a weight on my heart."
Diana took a moment to think about what to say, "Well Esteban, you'll have to make the choice between prioritizing your mental health, or your duties as a hero. I care about you, and I advise the former. I can't lose you too. You're the last one of the MSA that's still alive and talks to me. All the other immortal ones aren't nearly as fun," she joked while taking his hand, "Conversely, I know you well enough that you're gonna keep fighting no matter what holds you back. You're the man who never quits even if you should. So be careful, and I always have your back. We'll figure this out together."
Esteban gave Diana a smile, "Gracias, mi hermana. I don't know what I'd do in the New World without you. Now enough about me, talk to me about your infatuation with the Blind Bat," Sarge broke the tension, trying to extract some gossip from his best friend's love life.
Before Diana could respond, Victor charged back in with a cup of coffee in his hand, and a holographic display coming off his eye, "Enough chit-chat Old-Timers. No offense Diana, you've aged beautifully. But Batroc the Trickster just pulled a heist in Tijuana, and Karnak the Angler is holding the president of Greece hostage with a protractor. You guys know where to go." Stark ordered as he opened up his arm panel to send the two heroes off.
"Duty calls, wanna grab dinner tonight?" Esteban asked as he nonchalantly stepped from the table onto the teleporter.
"You're buying. Beam us down, Starky!" Diana called out as she followed suit.
The two disappeared from the Watchtower to complete their heroic duties, just another day for the League of Marvelous Individuals.
